Chapter 560: Chapter 560: Dog Eat Dog
Faced with this situation, the superhumans panicked as the situation had completely spiraled out of their control. Not only was their plan to take down the Avengers and earn a big payday from the vampires in jeopardy, but even surviving this battle had become exceedingly difficult.
The sudden shift left the superhumans disheartened, and they lost the will to fight. One by one, they began using their abilities to escape, not wanting to die in this cursed place.
The idea of joining forces to resist had been completely abandoned. At the start of the battle, they had attempted to cooperate, but their combined efforts were only effective against the mechs. When facing the formidable Martian Manhunter and Kara, their attacks barely landed, and the two heroes systematically dismantled their formations.
These superhumans were collaborating for the first time. Against a besieged mech, they could hit their target together, but against the more powerful Martian Manhunter and Kara, their attacks were ineffective. The two heroes separated and picked them off, spreading the battlefield wider.
Realizing their collective strength couldn't match the Avengers, the superhumans understood this was a trap. The hidden strength of Martian Manhunter and Kara was the Avengers' ace in the hole.
"It seems I don't need to make a move," Robert observed the battlefield, not finding a worthy target. The superhumans' abilities didn't impress him.
In truth, these superhumans were weaker than those who had previously fought against vampires and werewolves in secret. However, the sheer number of nearly a hundred superhumans was intimidating enough for Tony Stark to call in Robert for help.
But as it turned out, despite the numbers, there were no real powerhouses among them. Even without Robert and Kara, Martian Manhunter and the Avengers could handle them, albeit with some injuries.
Without any superhumans possessing fire abilities, they couldn't counter Martian Manhunter. Few on Earth could defeat him, and the Avengers' victory was already assured. This didn't even account for Robert's potential involvement, which would have ended the battle swiftly.
"The vampires and werewolves must have contacted their backers. I wonder if they'll show up..." Robert's eyes gleamed as he sensed approaching presences. "Speak of the devil, here they come. But there aren't as many as I expected. According to Tony's intel, there are still many vampires and werewolves attacking humans. Only a few showing up means we can't wipe them all out."
On the other side, the vampire and werewolf leaders mobilized. However, their numbers were insufficient to satisfy Robert because only the stragglers from previous battles had gathered. The vampires and werewolves had scattered to attack humans, making it impossible to regroup them quickly.
Yet, the leaders didn't want to miss this chance to strike at the Avengers. They knew they couldn't defeat the Avengers alone. Dragging nearly a hundred superhumans into the fray was a rare opportunity. Missing it meant they might never get another chance.
Thus, the vampire and werewolf leaders decided to come, at least to scout the situation and see if they could seize an advantage. They hadn't contacted their local vampires and werewolves because they couldn't afford distractions during the battle.
Of course, the vampire and werewolf leaders remained cautious. If the Avengers lacked anti-vampire and anti-werewolf equipment and the battlefield was evenly matched, they would join the fight. But if the Avengers had such equipment or held a significant advantage, the leaders would retreat to avoid death. Their extinction would mean the end of vampires and werewolves in this world, a fate they refused to accept.
"We should be close. I smell the Avengers... but I don't smell our kin. Could there be a problem?" A werewolf leader sniffed the air near the battlefield, frowning.
"Fly over and check it out!" The vampire leader instructed a subordinate, sending a vampire to scout.
The vampire flew towards the battlefield and saw the carnage from a distance. The air was thick with blood, but it wasn't from the Avengers. The vampire recognized the bodies of his kin and werewolves, his face paling as he rushed back.
"Run! The Avengers are slaughtering the superhumans. We'll only die if we go in!" The vampire transmitted his findings telepathically, causing the leaders to turn and flee. They didn't realize they were being watched by a pair of mocking eyes.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The vampire and werewolf leaders crashed into an invisible barrier. Robert had expanded his telekinetic shield after sensing their approach.
As the barrier expanded, some superhumans thought it had disappeared and tried to escape. But they quickly crashed into the new edge, realizing their mistake.
"What happened? The barrier got bigger?" The Avengers, aware of Robert's abilities, were puzzled by the sudden expansion.
"The vampires and werewolves are here..." Kara and Martian Manhunter quickly understood and informed the Avengers before resuming their pursuit of the superhumans.
"Damn it! This is all your fault! If not for you, we wouldn't be trapped here!" The superhumans recognized the vampire and werewolf leaders and, despite having no prior grudge, now blamed them for their predicament. They forgot that their own greed and desire for revenge against the Avengers had led them here.
But their resentment was understandable. Coming from the dark supernatural world, their twisted personalities were normal. If they were reasonable, they wouldn't have been swayed by Wade or the vampire bounty to attack the Avengers.
"Thud!" A vampire leader's claw burst a superhuman's head. Having survived this long only to die at the vampire leader's hands, the superhuman's body was drained of blood.
"Humph! Since you think this way, you don't need to live!" The vampire leader's aura surged after absorbing the blood. "Since we can't escape and you resent us, become part of my body! Let's merge and have a chance to survive!"
The vampire leader didn't understand the nature of their trap but believed increasing his power would help him break free. If not, the outcome was the same: death. So, he might as well try.
"You..." The werewolf leader hesitated but didn't oppose the vampire leader. Instead, he attacked the wary superhumans.
"Die!" With the werewolf leader joining, the vampires and werewolves attacked the superhumans. They avoided the Avengers, sensing the anti-vampire and anti-werewolf equipment. Now, their only option was to kill the superhumans and boost the vampire leader's power to escape.
Even now, the vampires and werewolves didn't think they could defeat the Avengers. The anti-vampire measures were too effective. No matter how much the vampire leader's power increased, it wouldn't be enough.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
"Bastards! You paid us to fight the Avengers, and now they're chasing us. Instead of fighting them, you attack us?! Do you think we're pushovers?!"
The vampire-werewolf-superhuman battle began, with casualties on both sides. The superhumans' grievances turned into hatred, vowing to hunt vampires and werewolves if they survived.
"What's going on? They're fighting each other?" Pietro was the first to catch up and saw the chaotic scene. He was momentarily confused.
"Should we intervene? That vampire is absorbing not just the superhumans' blood but also the vampires' and werewolves'. What ability is this? We've never seen it before..." Peter Parker noted the vampire leader's anomaly, consulting the Avengers.
"No rush. Even if he absorbs everyone, he won't get that strong..." Kara shrugged nonchalantly. With Robert overseeing, she wasn't worried. Besides, how strong could the vampire leader get? Stronger than Marcus or the dark dimension entities?
If they could lure more dark dimension entities, it would be a good thing. It would deter future invasions more effectively than constant vigilance.
"Thud!" Under the Avengers' watchful eyes, the vampire leader, aided by the werewolves, killed the remaining superhumans and turned to face the Avengers.
"Here we go!" The Avengers braced themselves, ready for battle.
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