Everyone immediately understood. Just as Tony had said, Stark Tower perfectly fit Loki's next move.
"Loki may already be setting things up," Tony said grimly. "We have to get there now. We must stop him before he opens the portal."
The team quickly began preparing and soon regrouped on the Helicarrier's flight deck. A brightly colored Quinjet was already waiting there, fully fueled and ready for takeoff.
"Sir, the aircraft is fully prepped. Weapons and propulsion systems are all green. We can launch immediately," a pilot reported to Nick Fury before hurrying off.
The Quinjet in front of them was Lucas's personal craft. After Tony's upgrades, its firepower far surpassed standard S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjets. Tony had even installed energy weapons identical to his armor's repulsors, powered directly by an arc reactor to fire high-output energy blasts.
Everyone boarded quickly. Natasha and Skye took their seats in the cockpit and powered up the engines.
The Quinjet peeled away from the Helicarrier in a sharp arc, disappearing into the sky. Nick Fury and Coulson immediately headed to the command center, where a terminal awaited them. Skye had left her laptop behind so Fury could manage the Helicarrier, and Agent Hill was already monitoring the system readouts.
"Everyone," Fury said as satellite feeds displayed a full view of New York, his expression deadly serious. "Communications are synced worldwide now. I only have one thing to say."
"Beat Loki so badly his own mother won't recognize him."
Laughter broke out inside the Quinjet. At this point, even his mother wouldn't be spared.
"JARVIS, shut down all reactors in Stark Tower immediately," Tony ordered mid-flight.
With all reactors offline, Stark Tower would lose its power supply completely—making it impossible for Loki to open a portal, no matter what he tried.
Meanwhile, Lucas wasn't inside the Quinjet either. At this stage, only Lucas, Tony, and Thor were capable of true flight. Wanda and Skye still lacked sufficient control over their abilities; jumping and short bursts were fine, but sustained flight was beyond them.
As a result, Lucas and Tony surged ahead, their speed far surpassing the Quinjet.
At the top of Stark Tower's massive rooftop platform, a colossal machine was already humming to life. Dr. Erik Selvig was making final adjustments.
"Notify the NYPD and coordinate with S.H.I.E.L.D. to evacuate civilians," Fury ordered Coulson immediately. "Get as many people out as possible. Minimize casualties at all costs."
Fury had already spotted the towering blue beam of light piercing the sky above New York.
Coulson quickly contacted the NYPD and every relevant agency, including the U.S. Army and the National Guard.
Soon, tanks rolled through the streets of New York. Soldiers moved into position in full combat gear, while police and guardsmen began evacuating civilians outward from Stark Tower.
At Lucas's apartment building, Moguri had already raised a barrier with his staff.
The barrier enveloped the entire building and extended dozens of meters underground. Residents crowded the windows, unable to leave the building due to the barrier.
At the same time, a message appeared in everyone's mind—information about the barrier itself. Moguri reassured them that the apartment complex was absolutely safe. Only then did the residents calm down, quickly turning from panic to excited spectators.
That was human nature: once people knew they were safe, curiosity took over.
Meanwhile, atop the New York Sanctum, the Ancient One stood with the Sanctum's guardian, both fully prepared for the arrival of extraterrestrial forces. Though she wasn't particularly worried, she chose to be present just in case.
Suddenly—boom!
A massive blue pillar of light erupted from the top of Stark Tower, blasting apart the clouds above New York.
As the machine's output increased, a pitch-black裂缝裂开 across the sky. From the other side, countless alien figures poured through—the Chitauri, swarming toward the city like a flood.
"JARVIS, initiate combat mode. All power to weapons," Tony commanded.
The HUD inside his helmet instantly shifted from blue to red. Every thruster on his armor flared crimson.
Lucas released Onion to fight independently, then drew the Ultimate Divine Weapon in his right hand and the Punisher in his left. He shot upward alongside Tony.
His cloak spread wide as Lucas slammed head-on into the Chitauri formation like a meteor.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire echoed through the sky. Every shot dropped a Chitauri soldier. Individually, they weren't particularly strong—their greatest advantage was sheer numbers.
Worse, the Chitauri lacked independent will. Their consciousness was controlled by a central leader, turning them into fearless expendable troops with no regard for survival.
Purple lightning ignited in Lucas's eyes. Thunder wrapped itself around the Ultimate Divine Weapon as he swung his blade.
A massive bolt of lightning surged forward like a roaring dragon.
Rumble—!!
The sky blazed white. Thunder roared like an ancient beast. Countless Chitauri soldiers were obliterated, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness.
Tony unleashed his full arsenal without restraint. Missiles and shells formed a dense killing net, detonating one after another in the sky. Chitauri troops fell like charred insects, raining down onto the city.
Working together, the two wiped out the first wave completely.
But before either of them could catch their breath, another massive swarm surged forward.
This time, something new appeared.
Leviathans.
These colossal creatures served as troop carriers, their massive bodies covered in Chitauri soldiers. Their sheer size and destructive power dwarfed anything before.
"Damn it—what the hell are those things?!" Tony muttered, momentarily stunned.
Missiles streaked toward the nearest Leviathan—but after a barrage of explosions, it emerged completely unscathed. Its thick metallic armor absorbed everything.
Lucas hovered in the air, sword raised high above his head. Violet lightning burned in his eyes, almost solid.
"Judgment of Thunder."
The moment the words left his mouth, dark clouds gathered instantly. New York's sky dimmed as heavy storm clouds rolled in, lightning crawling through them like living creatures awaiting command.
At the same time, a bolt of blue lightning struck downward.
Thor appeared beside Lucas, hammer raised high.
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