At the center of the ritual circle, the Tesseract tore open a portal. From it, crimson hellish energy surged forth, pouring into Mephisto's body.
Like a parched man savoring a long-awaited drink, he exclaimed with exhilaration, "More! I need more power!"
Another day of this, he mused, and he'd amass enough strength to challenge beings like Odin and the Ancient One—beings who had once humiliated him, driving him back to the depths of Hell.
On the outskirts of the small town, Tony Stark surveyed the energy barrier enveloping it. "J.A.R.V.I.S., analyze this shield. Can we disable it?"
"Processing... This will require extensive calculations, sir. The energy signature is unprecedented."
"Unprecedented?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Can I get inside?"
"From the current analysis, the barrier does not appear to prevent entry but acts as a block against external detection."
Moments later, J.A.R.V.I.S. added, "Sir, I've detected the energy signature of the Tesseract. A portal to another dimension has been opened, and someone is siphoning its overflow."
The heads-up display in Tony's armor brought up the scene at the ritual site: a middle-aged man, a glowing blue cube, and arcane symbols radiating power beneath his feet.
Tony fired two missiles from his suit's shoulders. Before they could reach their target, they spiraled off course and plummeted to the ground. His armor remained unaffected, but the missiles were rendered useless.
"Damn it, not more bugs." Mephisto sneered, noticing Tony and a few others approaching from the distance. "No matter. Let them come. Let's see how they handle a little... chaos."
With a mere word, Mephisto summoned undead creatures from Hell itself. They clawed their way out of the earth, grotesque and ravenous.
Tony waited over an hour for backup to arrive. When the others—Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Agent May, and Natasha—finally appeared, Agent May asked, "Is it safe to just walk in like that?"
Peter shrugged. "Not like we've got other options, right?"
As they crossed into the town, the scenery around them warped, accompanied by unsettling whispers. The group found themselves facing grotesque, skinless humanoid monsters charging toward them.
"Ugh, that's disgusting!" Peter gagged, clutching his stomach. "What the heck are these things? Didn't see them yesterday."
The monsters were numerous, and only headshots or severing their legs seemed to stop their relentless advance.
Tony muttered under his breath, "Could this be related to Garus?" His mind drifted to the ghouls he'd seen Garus summon—uncannily similar to these creatures.
"Tony, snap out of it!" Natasha yelled, firing a headshot at a monster lunging at him. The creature's brain matter splattered across Tony's armor.
Suddenly, a figure dropped from above, clinging tightly to the back of Tony's suit.
"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. warned, "The outer layers of your armor are oxidizing at an exponential rate."
"Damn it!" Tony snarled, grabbing the attacker and hurling him aside. A palm repulsor blast left a scorched mark on the figure, though it barely seemed fazed before darting away.
The group pressed onward, fighting through the hordes of monsters toward the center of town.
In the ritual circle, Mephisto watched them impassively. "Mortals. Who gave you the courage to walk into your own graves? Leave now, and I might just let you go."
Peter fired a web to snatch the Tesseract. The moment his web touched the surrounding demonic energy, it disintegrated.
The others wasted no time attacking. Bullets, repulsor blasts, and arrows—all were absorbed by the crimson hellfire swirling around Mephisto.
"I've no time to play with you. Be gone!" Red lightning erupted from Mephisto's hands, striking each Avenger. Within moments, their minds were engulfed by illusions, turning them against one another.
Meanwhile, in the skies aboard a plane, Johnny Blaze—better known as the Ghost Rider—felt a growing unease. The closer they got to the town, the more apparent Mephisto's overwhelming power became.
Turning to Garus, Johnny muttered, "Mephisto's stronger than ever. He's tapped into a dimensional rift and is drawing power straight from Hell itself. I don't think I can stop him."
Garus responded calmly, "Relax. We've got this."
From afar, the bright glow of the barrier was visible even in daylight. Garus frowned. "That's awfully conspicuous. How has S.H.I.E.L.D. not noticed this? It's practically screaming for attention."
Unbeknownst to them, the demonic barrier had severed all external signals. They had no idea the Avengers were already trapped inside.
Without warning, the plane's engines and instruments failed. The aircraft plummeted.
"Damn it!" Garus cursed, tossing a parachute to the pilot. "Here, take this!"
With a swift kick, he opened the cabin door and leaped out. Mid-air, he cast protective spells over himself.
Three thunderous crashes marked their landings—Garus, Johnny, and the monstrous Abomination, Emil Blonsky. Each left a crater in their wake.
Dusting himself off, Garus waved at the others. "So, it seems Fury and the military didn't surround this place because the energy's fried all their tech. Guess this is all on us."
Floating above, Mephisto observed their arrival with interest. "Johnny Blaze… and that death-obsessed wretch, Garus. What are they doing together? Shouldn't they be tearing each other apart?"
Mephisto had long assumed Garus, with his fervent connection to death, would make an ideal follower. Now, he wasn't so sure.
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