Back on Earth, the superheroes gradually realized sothing strange.
Things had beco... quiet.
The monsters had vanished.
For weeks now, there had been no large-scale attacks, no city-wide destruction, no grotesque creatures tearing through downtown districts. What remained were the usual threats: supervillains, enhanced criminals, organized syndicates, and ordinary cri.
Nobody relaxed because of it.
Governnts around the world still believed the Monster Association was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right mont to strike. The silence felt less like peace and more like the stillness before a hurricane.
Tony Stark had been having problems of his own.
For the first ti in years, he'd hit a wall.
A real one.
The Iron Man armor line had stalled completely.
Nanotech felt like the endpoint.
Without access to Extremis or symbiote technology, there simply wasn't an obvious next step left to pursue. The only reason he'd even reached the nanotech stage this quickly was because Drex Valen had forced the entire world's technological curve upward through sheer pressure.
Among all of Tony's armors, the symbiote suit and the Extremis armor were probably the strongest versions he could theoretically create.
Everything else still fell short.
anwhile, the rest of the superhero community was thriving.
Most days consisted of beating up criminals, stopping robberies, rescuing civilians, and collecting endless praise afterward. Fa ca easily. Romantic attention ca even easier.
But not everyone enjoyed the calm.
Nick Fury, for one, trusted it about as much as a smiling landmine.
He remained on constant alert while directing every available intelligence resource toward locating the Monster Association's headquarters.
Waiting for the enemy to attack first was idiotic.
If they could find the Association's base before that happened, the S-Class heroes could wipe them out in a single coordinated strike.
And if necessary...
There was always the nuclear option.
After all, the Monster Association was believed to contain a massive number of Dragon-level and Demon-level monsters.
Nobody needed reminders about how dangerous those creatures were anymore.
Politicians and military officials were just as uneasy. The Monster Association had beco a thorn buried deep in humanity's side.
And if the Saiyans invaded while the monsters launched an attack at the sa ti?
The thought alone kept governnts awake at night.
What nobody realized was that Drex had forgotten to ntion one tiny detail before leaving Earth.
The Monster Association headquarters was directly beneath New York City.
Granted, New York had survived alien invasions, gods, mutant catastrophes, dinsional incidents, and Hulk rampages.
One more apocalypse probably wouldn't hurt the property values too much.
Deep beneath New York City...
"The Human Divine Sword Bureau has been moving aggressively lately," said the Monster King, Orochi. "They've been concentrating forces around major population centers."
The colossal monster sat atop an absurdly oversized throne resembling a giant ceremonial basin. Around him stood an army of monsters perfectly recreated by Drex.
So resembled humanoids wrapped entirely in bandages, with only black blade-like hands exposed.
Others looked like towering creatures ford from cubic black stone.
A pale nobleman with traces of blood lingering at the corners of his mouth.
A gigantic muscular brute with extra arms growing from his shoulders and ribs.
A massive humanoid radish with a permanently terrified expression.
Strange capsule-shaped beings carrying oversized red and blue pills.
And many more.
Even monsters that had never appeared in the original tiline had been folded into this version of the Monster Association.
This organization was vastly stronger than the canon counterpart.
The Divine Sword Bureau already possessed five S-Class heroes.
Naturally, the Monster Association needed enough firepower to match them.
At present, their Dragon-level roster included:
Withered Sprout, Elder Bakuzan, Gouketsu, Black Sperm, Overgrown Rover, Evil Natural Water, Holess Emperor, the five monster generals forrly under Boros, Psychic Octopus, Nyaan, Ugly Fuhrer, Gums, Phoenix Man, Harakiri the Super Sonic Iaido Master, and Sword Mountain Rat.
Sixteen Dragon-level monsters.
And that was before counting Psykos and Monster King Orochi themselves.
Eighteen Dragon-level threats total.
Alongside countless Demon-level monsters.
The Association's confidence made perfect sense.
"They're trying to track us," Black Sperm sneered. "But they'll never imagine we're sitting directly beneath their feet."
"Then why are we still hiding underground?" another monster growled impatiently. "We've already gathered enough strength to crush humanity."
"Because you're an idiot," Psykos replied coldly.
Five holographic images appeared in the air.
Emil Blonsky.
Ben Grimm.
Juggernaut.
Red Hulk.
The Hulk.
"These five S-Class heroes are the biggest obstacles standing in our way."
One of the monsters frowned.
"Wait. Aren't there supposed to be six S-Class heroes?"
Holess Emperor voiced the question aloud.
Psykos dismissed it with a wave of her hand.
"The last one is Anthony Edward Stark. A man completely dependent on external equipnt."
Her tone dripped with contempt.
"If a Demon-level monster attacks him before he puts on the armor, he dies like any other human."
Unlike heroes such as tal Knight or Drive Knight, Tony Stark's civilian identity was public knowledge. He didn't hide in secret bunkers or vanish behind layers of classified information.
Tracking him was easy.
All a monster needed to do was avoid surveillance systems, stay clear of Sentinel patrol routes, and follow Stark discreetly long enough to learn which mansion he planned to sleep in that night.
Against a Demon-level monster, an unarmored Tony Stark had virtually no chance of survival.
"So you already sent assassins?" Gouketsu asked.
"Of course."
Psykos smiled faintly.
"I dispatched Royal Ripper, Bug God, and Wrestler Rhino."
Three Demon-level monsters.
Against a normal human.
It should have been effortless.
Psykos had even warned them in advance not to underestimate Tony Stark.
Most importantly, they were never to give him ti to equip the armor.
Tony Stark had absolutely no idea he'd beco the Monster Association's next target.
The previous monster attacks had all been chaotic spectacles. The creatures appeared openly, caused mass destruction, and rampaged through cities like living disasters.
That was because Drex had created those monsters on the spot.
This ti was different.
The Association had prepared in advance.
And unlike mindless beasts, monsters were fully capable of strategy.
Which ant Tony was in serious trouble.
The instant Royal Ripper sliced through the glass wall of Stark's mansion, Tony was asleep beside Pepper Potts, holding onto the relationship he'd barely managed to repair.
If JARVIS hadn't issued an ergency alert the mont the intruders breached the estate, Tony probably would've died before he even woke up.
Royal Ripper's blades were already aid at his neck.
"We've been detected!" Bug God barked.
"Move!"
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