Angel Assault

"Shouldn’t you be reporting something like this to Steve?"

After hearing Raina out, Wang Bert asked in confusion, "You know I’ve always been hands-off."

"I suspect Hydra is behind the creation of these new Inhumans."

Raina said, "Although S.W.O.R.D. has been cracking down on Hydra, the results have been minimal. They haven’t even recovered the Mind Scepter. That’s why I want you to handle this personally."

"It probably wasn’t Hydra."

Wang Bert shook his head. Baron Strucker had no ability to create Inhumans—Wanda and her brother were superpowered individuals, not Inhumans.

Raina stared. "Blood God, how do you know?"

Wang Bert smiled. "I have my own sources."

"If it wasn’t Hydra, then it’s even more important for you to act personally."

Raina said, "That means there’s another powerful dark force hiding on Earth."

"That’s true."

Wang Bert stroked his chin, somewhat hesitant. He was only a projection, responsible for guarding Earth’s Defense Net, and could not leave for too long. He had come to New York this time mainly to rest and visit Pepper.

Strange—Dr. Strange—had grown quickly, but he was still some distance away from becoming the Sorcerer Supreme. Wang Bert could not yet be completely hands-off.

"Let’s investigate. It shouldn’t take long."

Wang Bert made his decision. Just then, Tony suddenly called him. The moment he answered, Tony shouted anxiously, "Bert, get to the hospital and help me! Someone’s trying to kill my child."

"Okay."

Wang Bert wasted no words and immediately teleported to Pepper’s private hospital.

Let’s turn back the clock a little. To let Pepper focus on her pregnancy, Tony had arranged for her to stay at Stark Industries’ private hospital.

Because he suspected someone was watching nearby, Tony had not only hired a large number of bodyguards, but also stationed ten suits of Drone Armor to protect Pepper. In fact, if Pepper had not objected, he would have brought over the entire Drone Armor legion.

Today, Tony was outside discussing business, while Pepper received a visitor she had not seen in a long time—a priest from the church she had often visited as a child.

Seeing an old acquaintance, Pepper was delighted and quickly had the bodyguards outside let the priest in. Then she asked, "Father Thomas, what brings you here?"

"I came to New York for a meeting and decided to visit you while I was here."

Father Thomas, with his balding hairstyle, sat across from Pepper and smiled. "Also, on behalf of the church, thank you for all the money you’ve donated over the years."

Pepper smiled. "You’re too polite, Father. It’s what I should do."

After exchanging pleasantries, Father Thomas asked in confusion, "Pepper, have you run into some trouble? Why are there so many bodyguards at the hospital?"

"It’s nothing. Tony is just making a fuss."

Pepper stroked her swollen belly with a blissful expression. Father Thomas watched her, hesitated for a moment, then his expression turned resolute.

After chatting for a while, Father Thomas said, "Pepper, I don’t have anything to give you, so let me pray to God for you."

"Thank you, Father."

Pepper replied happily. Though she knew Angels and such were unreliable, she had long been accustomed to the Angel Church.

"You’re welcome."

Father Thomas opened the Bible and began reciting scripture at an incredibly rapid pace. Pepper froze. Why was he speaking so fast? She could not understand a word. At that moment, Jarvis’s voice suddenly sounded from a nearby speaker. "Holy Light energy detected. Father Thomas, cease immediately. Otherwise, under Mr. Stark’s orders, we will eliminate you directly."

As Jarvis spoke, the six Drone Armors around them activated at once, aiming their palms at Father Thomas.

Seeing this, Father Thomas not only failed to stop, but recited even faster. As his prayers continued, white light gradually emerged from the Bible.

Jarvis was about to give the order when Pepper hurriedly shouted, "Jarvis, don’t kill him."

"Move. Restrain him."

Following the order, Jarvis sent two Drone Armors lunging at Father Thomas.

At that moment, the Bible in Father Thomas’s hand erupted with Holy Light, rapidly expanding outward. The two Drone Armors were blasted away.

Immediately afterward, the Holy Light transformed into a Defense Shield, sealing Father Thomas and Pepper inside.

Jarvis immediately ordered the Drone Armors to fire Pulse Cannons at the Defense Shield, but it was exceptionally resilient. The Pulse Cannons could not break it at all.

Intense gunfire rang out from outside. A large number of armed men were attacking the hospital. Jarvis immediately notified Tony and mobilized the Drone Armors and bodyguards to fight back.

Pepper asked in confusion, "Father Thomas, what are you doing?"

"Don’t blame me, Pepper. This is God’s will."

Father Thomas pulled out a dagger shining with Holy Light and said, "Pepper, I don’t want to hurt you, but your child cannot be allowed to live."

"You want to kill my child?"

Pepper asked in furious shock, "Father Thomas, do you even know what you’re doing?"

"I do, Pepper. I told you, this is God’s will. Your child is a demon."

Holding the Holy Light dagger, Father Thomas strode toward Pepper. Pepper sighed. "Father Thomas, if I were you, I wouldn’t do this. Do you know who my child’s godfather is? Even your God would tremble before him."

"That Vampire who dared purge the church will sooner or later be purified by God."

Father Thomas was enraged. He raised the dagger and viciously stabbed it toward Pepper’s belly. Pepper showed no panic at all, merely sighing again.

The next moment, the Angel Pendant around Pepper’s neck lit up with Holy Light. Father Thomas was sent flying, slamming hard into the Defense Shield. Then, the pendant transformed into a holy female Angel standing guard beside Pepper.

Father Thomas was dumbfounded. "An Angel?"

"Yes, an Angel. Bert gave it to me. He said that if I died, Tony would go mad."

Pepper smiled. "So he gave me an Angel to protect me. Father Thomas, who do you think represents God here—you or me?"

Father Thomas roared in fury, "Angel, you actually betrayed Heaven and became a Vampire’s servant?"

"Heaven has fallen. And the Vampire you speak of is God reincarnated."

The Angel said arrogantly, "Anyone who dares blaspheme him will be purified."

"God reincarnated?"

Not only was Father Thomas stunned, Pepper was also left staring in disbelief. She asked, "Wait, you’re joking, right? How could Bert be God reincarnated? He’s a Vampire."

The Angel said fervently, "He is God reincarnated. Under his leadership, Vampires have abandoned evil and returned to righteousness. Who besides God could accomplish such a great feat?"

Pepper was genuinely a little dazed this time. Bert, who loved comfort and beautiful women, was God reincarnated? Wasn’t this joke a little too much?

So the God she had worshipped since childhood had been right beside her all along—and would even become her children’s godfather? Pepper felt dizzy.

"No, that’s impossible. I don’t believe it. He’s just a despicable Vampire."

Father Thomas roared and charged forward. The Angel was about to destroy him when Pepper shouted, "Don’t kill him. I want answers."

At those words, the Angel waved a hand. Holy Light transformed into chains, binding the priest tightly in midair.

Pepper asked, "Father Thomas, you said my child is a demon. What exactly is going on?"

Father Thomas shouted, "This is God’s will, Pepper. The baby boy you’re carrying is a demon reincarnated. After he is born, he will destroy the world. He must be killed before he is born."

"Nonsense. If he were a demon, how could I possibly fail to notice?"

The Angel was deeply disdainful. "Which God told you that? Tell him to come find me, and I’ll make things clear to him."

Pepper was speechless. This Angel was truly domineering—it was directly telling the other side to call their parent.

At that moment, with a bang, a suit of Drone Armor was blasted into the room. Immediately after, a Black man in leather clothing holding a Holy Light Longsword rushed in with several men and women glowing with Holy Light.

They were all surprised to see the Angel. The Black man shouted, "That one is fake! Deal with these Drone Armors. I’ll kill the demon."

With that, he charged rapidly toward the Defense Shield. The Drone Armors were about to stop him when the Holy Light Warriors rushed forward and engaged them in fierce battle.

These Holy Light Warriors were far stronger than ordinary people. Moreover, the room was too small for the Drone Armors to use their advantages, and they were quickly tied down.

Soon, the Black man entered the Defense Shield—the shield did not stop him. He then swung his sword fiercely at Pepper and shouted, "Ms. Pepper, I’m sorry, but the demon cannot be allowed to be born."

"My child isn’t a demon."

Pepper shouted angrily. The Angel raised a hand and blocked the man’s sword with Holy Light, then kicked him in the chest. The man flew backward and slammed into the Defense Shield.

The Angel said to Pepper, "Don’t worry. Your child isn’t a demon. Otherwise, I would have purified him long ago."

Pepper gave the Angel a speechless look. You really know how to talk.

At that moment, the Black man climbed to his feet. He shouted, and dazzling Holy Light flared around him. A pair of Angelic wings of light appeared behind his back.

"You’re an Angel too?"

Pepper was utterly astonished. Were Angels really this common now? Seeing the Black man’s wings, the Angel condensed a longsword from Holy Light while shouting, "You’re a Reincarnated Angel? Who gave you the authority to activate the Angel Church’s ultimate trump card?"

"God gave us the authority. He commanded us to kill the demon about to be reincarnated at any cost."

The Black man wasted no words and charged forward with his Holy Light Longsword. The Angel stepped up to block him and demanded, "Only God, Archangel Gabriel, and chief warrior Michael have the authority to activate the ultimate trump card. Which God gave you this command?"

The Black man unleashed a continuous torrent of sword light at the Angel while shouting, "Archangel Gabriel, of course."

As the Angel blocked his attacks, she said disdainfully, "Impossible. Gabriel has colluded with demons and become their accomplice. How could he possibly give you such an order?"

"Nonsense! How could the Archangel possibly collude with demons?"

The Black man shouted furiously, "Traitor, I’ll kill you."

As he spoke, screams rang out one after another outside. More and more Holy Light Warriors charged into the room, while the Drone Armors desperately tried to stop them under Jarvis’s command.

Just then, a stream of seven-colored light descended outside the window. A crimson Mark Armor then smashed through the window and charged in, roaring, "Who dares touch my child?"

The newcomer was none other than Tony Stark. Reed, Susan, and Thing had come with him.

After receiving Jarvis’s alert, Tony had immediately contacted Reed. Reed activated the imitation Bifrost to transfer Tony to a satellite, then they teleported to the hospital together.

"Stop them."

The Black man shouted, and the Holy Light Warriors immediately rushed toward Tony and the others. When Tony saw the Black man, he was stunned. "Heimdall, what do you mean by this? You came to kill my child?"

Other than the color of his pupils, this Black man looked exactly like Heimdall.

"I don’t know who Heimdall is. I am a Reincarnated Angel, Father Molo."

Molo shouted as he pulled a bottle of glowing white sand from his clothes and forcefully scattered it at the Angel.

It was Holy Sand, a treasure of the Angel Church with strange power. The moment the Angel was struck by the Holy Sand, her body immediately began to crystallize.

Seizing the chance, Molo stabbed fiercely toward Pepper with his sword. Tony was horrified. He blasted one Holy Light Warrior away with a Pulse Cannon, then fired a high-temperature beam at the Defense Shield. The shield melted rapidly, but he had no time to stop Molo.

Just as Molo was about to succeed, the Dragon Bracelet on Pepper’s left hand transformed into a streak of golden light and slammed fiercely into Molo’s chest. Molo screamed as he flew backward, crashing heavily into the Defense Shield.

The golden light then attacked Molo continuously. Though Molo did his best to defend himself, the golden light was simply too fast. He was sent flying again and again, utterly disheveled.

Looking closely, the golden light was actually a tiny golden dragon.

Seeing that Pepper was unharmed, Tony let out a sigh of relief. As he rapidly melted the Defense Shield, he asked curiously, "Where did that bracelet come from?"

While Tony dealt with the Defense Shield, Reed and the other two rushed into the room and joined the Drone Armors in holding back the Holy Light Warriors.

"Bert gave it to me. They’re a pair. The golden one is for a boy, and the silver one is for a girl."

Pepper raised her other hand, showing the silver Dragon Bracelet on it, and smiled. "He said he wanted to train both children to become Iron Fists."

"My children don’t need to become Iron Fists. They’ll be the finest scientists."

Tony was somewhat displeased. At that moment, the high-temperature beam burned through the Defense Shield, which rapidly collapsed.

Tony was overjoyed and was about to rush in when Molo roared. The wings behind his back blazed brilliantly, and feathers flew from them, landing on the Holy Light Warriors.

"Everything for God."

Without any hesitation, the Holy Light Warriors allowed the feathers to merge into their bodies. Immediately afterward, the Holy Light around them surged wildly, and their strength increased dramatically.

This was the Angel Church’s Holy Light Sacrifice Art. Simply put, it exchanged life force for power.

The Holy Light Warriors did not waste time. Half stayed behind to restrain the Fantastic Three and the Drone Armors, while the other half charged viciously toward Tony and Pepper.

Tony was enraged and stopped holding back. Lasers shot from the back of his right hand, and as he turned, they sliced half the Holy Light Warriors in two at the waist.

But to Tony’s frustration, as Holy Light flashed, the wounds around the Holy Light Warriors’ waists rapidly healed, just like the Extremis Warriors from before.

However, this self-healing did not come without a price. The Holy Light Warriors aged more than ten years in an instant.

"Regeneration again? I hate this ability."

Tony was about to fire a powerful missile when several Holy Light Warriors raised their hands at him simultaneously. Countless Holy Light chains erupted and bound him tightly.

Tony roared, and the temperature of his armor soared. The Holy Light chains began to melt. Seeing this, the Holy Light Warriors used their life force to stimulate Holy Light and repair the chains. Even if they died, they would keep Tony restrained.

While several Holy Light Warriors held Tony down, the remaining warriors all lunged at Pepper. The Holy Light on their bodies burned like flames, and they visibly aged—they were risking everything.