The pavilion's glass roof rains shards as dozens of Hammer Drones pour through the breach, their targeting systems locking onto the heroes with deadly precision. The controlled demonstration transforms into chaos as the machines open fire without warning.
CRASH
An Army drone's missile impacts the marble floor where Peter had been standing moments before, sending chunks of stone flying. Ethan's already moving, his Digi-Gloves sparking with stored energy.
Iron Man rockets skyward, drawing the bulk of the drone fire away from civilians. His armor takes hits that would obliterate a person, the repulsors flaring as he tries to gain altitude and thin their numbers. One drone's autocannon round slams into his chest plate with enough force to stagger him, but the gold titanium alloy holds.
KRAKOOM
Tony veers right as another explosion blooms behind him, smoke curling upward in thick, oily tendrils. His voice carries through the helmet's comm system, strained but steady. "Ethan, get them out!"
Ethan plants himself between a cluster of fleeing civilians and three advancing Army drones, Gatomon and BlackGatomon flanking him. His posture remains steady despite the chaos swirling around them, one hand raised toward his Digivice while the other crackles with blue-white energy.
"Not today!" Ethan shouts as the first drone levels its weapon. He releases a bolt from his glove that slams into the drone's shoulder joint.
ZAP
The second drone fires, and Gatomon intercepts with her Lightning Paw, claws sparking against metal. BlackGatomon follows with a shadow-infused strike that tears through the third drone's wing assembly.
Peter swings through the pavilion's shattered interior, web-line singing through smoke, evacuating civilians while avoiding drone fire. He deposits a family near an exit before spinning to face two Navy drones converging on his position, their chest cannons charging with that familiar purple glow.
"Hey, ugly!" Peter calls out, launching a web-line that wraps around the nearest drone's weapon barrel.
The second drone's autocannon fires, and Peter rolls aside as the shot tears through the marble pillar where he'd been standing. He fires his web-shooters in both directions, creating a net that ensnares the drone's legs.
Jessica creates a protective barrier with debris while Gwen works frantically on her tablet, rerouting power systems to overload nearby conduits. Gwen's fingers fly across the screen as she calculates timing sequences, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Power grid's unstable," Gwen calls out. "If we can overload the main junction, we might take out half these things!"
Jessica grabs a chunk of fallen marble and hurls it at an oncoming Air Force drone, the impact sending it crashing into a display booth. "Do it!"
Gwen punches commands into her tablet, rerouting power through the pavilion's emergency systems. Sparks begin to dance along the walls as the electrical grid responds to her input.
Renamon appears in a golden shimmer beside Gwen, her icy blue gaze already calculating trajectories. She moves with feline grace, taking down three Marine drones with calculated precision before they can regroup. Her Diamond Storm slices through the first drone's sensor array, followed by a spinning kick that sends the second crashing into a support column. The third tries to retreat, but Renamon's Power Paw connects with its flight stabilizer, sending it spiraling to the floor.
CRASH
The drone hits hard, pieces of its wing assembly scattering across the polished surface. More drones continue pouring from the shadows, but the tide begins to turn as the heroes coordinate their defense.
Tony's voice cuts through the chaos. "I'm pinned! Ethan, we need to clear a path!"
Ethan nods, already feeling the familiar surge of Spirit Evolution building in his chest. The civilians are safe for now, but these drones aren't stopping.
Back in the control booth overlooking the pavilion, Pepper Potts watches the carnage unfold with growing horror. Her hands tighten around the tablet displaying EDEN's security feeds, knuckles white against the sleek surface.
"Happy, we need to get down there," she says, voice sharp with command.
Happy's already moving, his broad frame pushing through the crowd of fleeing civilians as he heads for the stairwell. "I'm on it."
Rhodey emerges from a side corridor, his military bearing evident even without the War Machine armor. The colonel's eyes scan the battlefield below, calculating threat vectors and escape routes with practiced efficiency.
"That's not a good idea," Rhodey mutters, watching Tony take another hit that sends him skidding across the polished floor.
Coulson appears beside them, his earpiece crackling with updates from field agents. "We've got multiple hostiles converging on the main pavilion. Pattern's too organized for random malfunction."
Natasha materializes from the shadows near the control panel, her red hair gleaming in the emergency lighting. The Black Widow's expression is grim as she watches Hammer's engineers frantically working the controls.
"Justin Hammer," Natasha says, her voice low and dangerous. "I think it's time we had a chat."
The trio moves as one, cutting through the chaos with purpose. Happy clears a path through the civilians, his security training evident in the way he positions himself between threats and innocents. Rhodey's hand rests near his sidearm, his military instincts screaming that this isn't just a technical malfunction.
Hammer stands behind a bank of monitors, his face pale with panic rather than command. Sweat beads on his forehead as he gestures frantically at his team of engineers.
"Shut them down! Shut them all down!" Hammer's voice cracks with genuine fear, completely unlike his usual bombastic confidence.
Rhodey blocks Hammer's path with a firm hand, his military training evident as he keeps the industrialist contained while scanning for threats. His posture remains professional despite the chaos around them.
"Sir, I think you need to step away from that console," Rhodey says, keeping his voice level.
Hammer's hands shake as he tries to access the drone controls, his usual bravado replaced by genuine terror. His attempts to override the systems prove futile, fingers fumbling over the tablet's surface.
"They're not responding! None of them!" Hammer's voice rises to a near-shriek. "Something's taken control—"
Natasha steps forward with dangerous intent, her expression hard as she pins Hammer's head to the table. Her movements are precise and controlled, radiating lethal capability.
"Who did this?" Natasha's voice carries steel. "Who gave you the override codes?"
Hammer flinches at Natasha's aggression, his carefully constructed facade cracking. His shoulders slump as he realizes these aren't Expo security guards—they're professionals who can see through him.
"I... I don't know!" Hammer's voice breaks. "It was a scientist! Months ago! He said he could help me create an arc reactor!"
Under Natasha's intense scrutiny, Hammer's resistance crumbles. He gestures helplessly toward the chaos, his shame evident in his posture and expression. His usual confident demeanor completely collapses.
"He was brilliant," Hammer continues, his voice hollow. "Said he understood the principles. We worked together, and I thought..." His words trail off as memories flood his expression.
Hammer's expression darkens as he remembers the scientist's real goal. His shame deepens as he admits to being manipulated into providing the drones as a test platform for unknown purposes.
"He said it was just a demonstration," Hammer whispers. "That we'd be able to shut them down afterward. But there were protocols embedded in the code, things I didn't understand until it was too late!"
Hammer runs a trembling hand through his hair, describing his helplessness when the scientist's override protocols activated. His voice carries genuine remorse as he explains the loss of control over his own technology.
"I never meant for anyone to get hurt! The moment those protocols engaged, I lost all command authority! They're not even following basic safety protocols anymore!"
Coulson's tactical mind races as he watches the chaos unfold. His grim expression shows he recognizes this as a sophisticated attack pattern, though he cannot identify the perpetrator.
"This was planned," Coulson says quietly. "Someone used Hammer as an unwitting delivery system."
***
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