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Meanwhile, on the ground.
"Boss, we can't hold them! There're too many of these alien bastards!"
A cop crouched behind a cruiser shouted into his comm.
Captain America hurled his shield, smashing a Chitauri trooper aside.
"Hold the line! Stark's working on shutting the portal!"
"He'd better hurry!" Black Widow cut in.
"Another big one just slithered through!"
At that instant the Hulk took a concentrated barrage, roaring in fury as the onslaught pinned him down.
A Chitauri flight squad spotted the opening, diving low and charging their cannons with eerie blue energy as they lined up on the captain's position.
"Down!" Steve bellowed, raising his shield.
He braced for the blast.
It never came.
"…Huh?"
Steve looked up, bewildered.
A pair of red boots hovered three metres above.
A man.
A man in blue tights, motionless in the air.
The Chitauri flyers behind him were sliced clean in half, burning as they fell.
"W-who is that?" the cop behind the cruiser stammered.
Steve was equally stunned.
"Sir," a young officer whispered, "is that… Superman? I read his comics when I was a kid—"
"Shut it, George," the veteran snapped.
"Superman is Henry Cavill—who the hell is this?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Steve keyed his earpiece.
"Fury, is this your ace?"
Silence answered.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
Nick Fury's single eye was glued to the monitor.
"Hill, analyse that target. Who is he? Any records? And why does he look like he walked off a film set?"
"Sir," Maria Hill's fingers flew, "no metahuman match in the database. He just appeared. Heat signature—God, he reads like a mini-reactor!"
Centre of the battlefield.
Vargas floated above the stares—awe, shock, confusion… worship.
Ding! Popularity +120
Ding! Popularity +45
Ding! Popularity +109
"Too little…" he frowned.
He needed a bigger stage.
A Chitauri soldier lunged, spear aimed at his heart.
"Look out!" Steve shouted.
Vargas didn't even turn.
Thud—
The spear tip halted against his back.
No force on the alien's side could push it further.
Vargas turned slowly, handsome face annoyed at the interruption.
"Trash."
He seized the alien's head in a blur.
Under Steve's stunned gaze he simply squeezed.
Pop—
Like crushing a tomato.
Green blood and grey matter sprayed.
The headless corpse tumbled.
Vargas flicked the gore from his fingers in disgust.
"No wonder John uses heat vision; hands are gross."
He snapped his gaze skyward.
A flight of Chitauri gunships dived.
Heat built behind his eyes.
Zzzzt—
Twin crimson beams lanced out, slicing five craft—and their pilots—in half.
Molten metal rained.
For a heartbeat, silence.
"My God…" Officer John's pistol clattered to the asphalt.
"Nick," Steve breathed, "tell me that's not your secret weapon."
"That guy… really isn't Superman?" Clint muttered from a rooftop.
"He's strong," Natasha said over comms, "and he's enjoying it."
Tony Stark braked mid-air, faceplate opening.
"Hey, star-spangled man! Cosplay party's next week. Who're you—Fury's new toy?"
Vargas hovered level with him, flashing a magazine-ready smile.
"In that tin suit you look more the toy. I'm just helping."
"Helping? Flashy way to help, cape-boy."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"Wasn't one—"
"Tony!" Steve cut in.
"Less chatter—big trouble!"
"A leviathan's charging Fifth. Hulk and Thor are tied up with the other two."
"On it." Tony's faceplate snapped shut.
"No need, Mr. Stark."
Vargas beat him to it.
A red-blue blur.
Tony's sensors caught only an after-image.
Next instant Wu stood in front of the Leviathan—
And rammed straight through its skull at supersonic speed.
A perfect three-metre hole cored through the beast.
The colossal corpse crashed, carving a crater.
Vargas hovered beyond it, spotless, turning to flash a heroic grin.
"Don't be afraid," his voice carried for blocks. "I'm here."
He waved to a news chopper, all righteous charm.
"Relax—I'll save everyone here!"