X-Force: Beyond Omega

Norman Osborn tumbled through the air, slamming into the corridor wall with a deafening crash. Most of the impact was absorbed by his nanite armor, but the impact sent cracks through the reinforced steel behind him. He jumped up and growled, "Now what do we have here?"

Across the room, General Thaddeus Ross, now transformed into the hulking, crimson-skinned monstrosity known as Red Hulk, stood towering over the wreckage. His body gave off heat waves in a fiery silhouette, giving the impression that he had stepped out of hell itself. "Hello, Ozzy. You shouldn't have made me angry. Now, time to die."

Norman's lips curled into a maniacal grin as his nanite armor shifted, energy blades extending from his wrists. "Hahaha! Ross. To think you had a monster hiding inside you... But you are a knockoff version of Hulk. I am evolution!" He lunged forward with inhuman speed, the green energy of his blades crackling in the dim light.

Ross met the charge head-on, swinging a massive fist. The collision created a shockwave that blasted apart the remaining walls and sent debris raining down. Norman's blades sparked as they clashed against Ross's superheated skin, but they managed to pierce the thick hide, drawing lines of glowing molten blood.

Red Hulk roared in pain and fury, grabbing Norman by the torso and hurling him through a support column. The base shook violently, sections of the ceiling collapsing as fire and smoke filled the air. Norman landed hard, his armor already repairing itself as he stood, laughing.

"Is that all you've got, Ross? I expected more from the great Thunderbolt!" Norman taunted. His nanites morphed again, his claws elongating into scythe-like blades.

Ross charged, the ground beneath him cracking with each step. He threw a haymaker aimed at Norman's head, but Norman ducked with unnatural agility, countering with a spinning slash across Ross's abdomen. The blade sliced deep, spilling more molten blood that hissed as it hit the floor. He stumbled, but only for a second. "DAMN YOU! NORMAN!" He counterattacked with a thunderous clap of his hands, the shockwave flattening everything in its path.

Norman was blasted backward, crashing through another section of the base and out into the open air. He rose from the rubble, his nanite armor glowing brighter as it worked to keep up with the damage. "Hahaha! Now this is a fight!" He spread his arms, green energy radiating from him.

Red Hulk charged again, this time jumping high into the air and coming down with a devastating slam aimed at Norman's head. Norman sidestepped at the last second, slashing at Ross's arm as it came down. The blade dug deep, severing muscles, but the wound healed almost instantly. Steam rose from Ross's flesh as his wound healed.

"You're tough," Norman admitted. "But time to end this."

The nanites transformed into a cannon-like extension from his left arm. It glowed with green energy as it emitted a focused blast of energy directly at Ross. The blast hit him square in the chest, sending a deafening shockwave but Ross didn't move. He staggered slightly but was otherwise unbothered.

"Nice try," Ross grabbed a chunk of debris and hurled it at Norman. Norman tried to move, but his legs felt sluggish for a moment. He didn't have the chance to dodge it. The concrete crashed, burying him under tons of rubble.

The entire base was destroyed. A couple of walls were still intact at this point.

For a moment, there was silence. Then the pile of debris exploded outward as Norman emerged, his armor dented but still functional. "Impressive," he said, dusting himself off. "But you'll have to do better than that." His body was responding again like before again.

Their battle raged on, each strike more devastating than the last. Norman used his agility and precision to land blow after blow, his nanite blades slicing through Ross's defenses. But Ross's raw power and regenerative abilities kept him in the fight, his attacks relentless and overwhelming.

Norman noticed something peculiar as the battle dragged on. His energy blasts seemed to have no effect on Ross, the beams absorbed by the Red Hulk's superheated body. But his blades—those were working. Each cut left a wound that, while healing quickly, still slowed Ross down.

"Interesting," He muttered, a plan forming in his mind. "Let's test your limits, shall we?"

He darted in close, feinting with an energy blast before slashing across Ross's chest. The move caught Ross off guard, and he roared in pain as the blade sank deep. Norman pressed the advantage, delivering a flurry of precise strikes that left Ross staggering.

But Ross wasn't done yet.

"ARGGGG!!!"

He slammed both fists into the ground with a deafening roar, creating a massive shockwave that leveled the surrounding area. The remaining walls crumbled, trees were uprooted, and Norman was thrown off his feet.

As the dust settled, Norman rose again, his armor flickering as the nanites struggled to keep up. He was grinning, but his movements were slower, less fluid. Something was wrong.

"What's the matter, Osborn?" Ross taunted, his voice dripping with venom. "Starting to feel the strain?"

Norman's grin faltered as he felt a searing pain course through his body. His armor began to glitch, the nanites flickering and pulsing erratically. His veins were glowing green. He could tell something was wrong.

"GAAH!" His nanite suit cracked as electric sparks busted out of his skin and the burning sensation grew. His strength began to fade as he clutched his sides, trying in vain to hold himself together. "Impossible!"

Ross walked up to him, "Told you, didn't I? That serum is a failure, just like you. You will get insane power and healing, but it's only temporary. The batch you sent us killed thirty of my men. A waste of their lives, an unproductive use for the experiment you developed. You couldn't control it or predict its effects."

"No..." Norman grunted, forcing himself to his knees. His senses were coming back. 'What am I doing here? Why am I fighting him? What the hell is he? What's going on? What's this pain?' Too many questions flooded his mind. He looked at his arms as they began to crumble away.

Then, he heard a voice inside his head... ["How does it feel to die without knowing what's going on?"]

"Who's there?! Get out!"

["I can hear you screaming in your head... So many questions, yet no answers. You are going to die, Norman. But look at that red monster. You are going to let him mock you till the end? That's unlike you. You still have a chance. Use the remaining nanites and push them into his body through his ears or nose, then transform them into sharp blades. Cut that bastard inside out."]

Norman didn't think much. If he was going to die anyway, why the hell not? He entered a simple command and manipulated the remaining nanites and did as the voice told him to. Ross didn't even notice the near-invisible nanites entering his body.

"Ah!" Ross cracked his neck again and sighed. "Now, I'll have to rebuild everything again. You just had to fuck everything up, didn't you? Well, goodbye Norman."

[Baam!] He punched Norman to the ground, splattering him into blood and meat. It was like killing a mosquito for him.

As Ross wiped the remnants of Norman Osborn from his hands, he heard the unmistakable whir of rotor blades and the hum of approaching jets. The smoke and dust parted to reveal the unmistakable silhouettes of S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjets hovering above the ruins, their searchlights piercing through the chaos.

As the jet flew down a bit, from its side door, Natasha Romanoff leaned out, her sharp gaze locked onto Ross, while Clint Barton stood behind her, bow in hand, an arrow already nocked.

"Ross," Natasha's voice crackled through the loudspeakers, calm yet commanding. "Stand down. This ends now."

Ross snarled, his massive fists clenching as he took a step forward. "Stand down? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" He gestured around the destruction. "This is your fault, Romanoff. You and your little band of spies brought this on yourselves! You people are a danger to all and I'm going to get rid of you all."

Another sound, this one more distinct—a high-pitched hum—drew Ross's attention to the sky. Ironman in his signature red armor flew down on the ground. "Big, red, and angry," Stark quipped, his tone light but his posture tense. "Man, you are really making a mess of things, Ross. Did no one ever teach you to clean up after yourself?"

Ross growled. "Stark. Another one of Fury's lapdogs. What are you going to do? Lecture me to death?"

Tony smirked. "Tempting. But no. I thought I'd do this instead." He raised his palm, and with a sharp ping, a dome of shimmering energy materialized around the battlefield, its edges glowing with a blue hue. "Energy shield. Courtesy of yours truly. You're not going anywhere until we sort this out. So, turn off that red guy and come out, or put up a fight and I'll get to test my new Buster Mark 3 on you."

Ross threw back his head and laughed, a guttural, mocking sound. "You think a fancy light show can stop me? I'll tear that thing apart!"

[Slice!] "Huh?!"

Before anyone could think what happened, Ross' body got split in half. His guts and blood splattered as his split-up body fell on both sides. A gleaming green blade was hovering in between the two halves.

"Wait a sec!" Tony rushed in and quickly scanned the nanites. "These are... mine?!"

...

[Far away from the location...]

"Serum and nanites that you mixed and programmed within half an hour for me... Well, Tony Stark..." Aron smirked, satisfied with his little game. "You got a freaking great mind, probably better than that Reed when it comes to instant customization. Now, try to figure out how your nanites got there."

He was about to teleport away but felt someone's presence behind him... Well, there were three people.

"Ah! Blink, Jean and Professor. Tell me something, Prof. You knew about Trask and his Sentinel program, yet you did nothing and you've been busy collecting our data. Why?" Aron asked without turning around.

"Collecting data? What is he talking about, Prof?" Jean asked, confused.

**[POWERSTONES & Reviews]***

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[16 advance chapters] [No double billing] 

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