Hong Fei stood amidst the clouds, clad in his iron armor, gazing down at the chaos below. New York was ablaze, explosions lighting up the sky as the Dark Elves, driven by Malekith's orders to unleash destruction, waged an all-out assault. The devastation here surpassed even the tragedy of London.
The city lay in ruins—crumbling buildings, charred vehicles, downed fighter jets, and shattered streets. It was impossible to ignore the staggering loss of life. Dawn approached, yet the horizon offered no glimmer of light. The sky remained choked with thick, dark clouds, not from Thor's power but from Malekith's malevolent influence. Still, the countless fires raging across the city cast a dim, flickering glow, illuminating the destruction. The faint crimson in Hong Fei's eyes was barely visible, masked by the yellow light reflecting in his pupils.
Xu Wenwu stood beside him, quietly studying his face. For a moment, a faint smile touched Xu Wenwu's lips before he turned his gaze downward. Big Head, watching them from the corner of his eye, felt a growing unease. It dawned on him why Frank, despite being third-in-command, had never held real authority. Xu Wenwu's arrival had shifted the balance, granting him both command and decision-making power. Though they weren't the ones directly fighting, their strategic minds had steered the war to this critical point.
As Big Head looked down at the city teetering on the brink of annihilation, at the ragged survivors and the countless dead, a mix of emotions surged within him. Yet, the two beside him remained calm, composed, almost indifferent. Their expressions betrayed nothing.
Hong Fei turned abruptly.
"Do you feel sad?" he asked. Big Head hesitated, then nodded.
"A little."
"The fox grieves for the rabbit," Xu Wenwu remarked calmly. "It's natural to feel for one's own kind."
Hong Fei nodded.
"True. This isn't about good or evil—it's instinct, both physiological and psychological. I feel sad too, even regretful."
"Really?" Big Head asked.
"Really."
Big Head frowned, pondering for a moment.
"If you could do it over..."
"I'd do exactly the same thing," Hong Fei replied without hesitation. Xu Wenwu nodded in agreement. Big Head sighed again.
After a pause, Hong Fei asked, "Is the submarine still there?"
"Yes, but it's far from the coastline and moving farther away."
Hong Fei turned to Xu Wenwu.
"Should this end as a conventional war, or escalate to nuclear weapons? You know about nukes, right?" Xu Wenwu smiled.
"I do. And I have some at home."
"Oh? You never mentioned that. Where did they come from?"
Xu Wenwu gestured downward. Hong Fei understood.
"So, should we let them launch?"
Xu Wenwu considered for a moment.
"Best to let them launch, but ensure they don't detonate. That escalates the war's scale and drives home the gravity of the situation. Keeping them from exploding keeps things controllable. I assume you don't want this place obliterated by nuclear power."
"Fine, we'll do as you say."
Hong Fei turned back to Big Head.
"What about the Secretary of State?"
"He returned to Washington."
"Head there now. Have him make the proposal, then control the votes one by one. Move fast—I doubt the situation down there will hold much longer."
"Understood!"
"While you're at it, grab me a knife. A scalping one."
"...Yes."
Inside the city, Steve gasped for breath, his chest heaving. He reached out to catch his returning shield, but his arm felt like it weighed a ton. He hesitated just a second too long. The shield slammed into his face with a dull thud.
Bending over to retrieve it, his breathing grew even more labored, his lungs wheezing like an ancient set of bellows. Tony had already burned through two sets of Iron Man armor. Avengers Tower lay in ruins, breached by the Dark Elves and cleaved cleanly in half.
Hulk roared intermittently, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. When he spotted a Blade Ship, he'd pounce, fists smashing it to scrap metal. Barton's quiver was empty. He darted through the chaos, scavenging anything usable—even a straight stick would do. Rhodes's armor, its power core replaced once already by Tony, was on the verge of shutting down again.
Matt slumped in the rubble, utterly spent. Luke Cage stood bare-chested, his pants reduced to tattered strips. Despite their battered state, they were a beacon of hope in the city. Their presence allowed more people to evacuate safely—though it wasn't nearly enough.
Less than two hundred meters behind them, a surge of evacuees pressed forward. Tony and Rhodes shouldered the burden of defending them from aerial attacks. Elsewhere, out of reach, countless others were trapped, surrounded by Dark Elves with no hope of escape.
By the seaside, Thor's battle with Malekith had reached its grim conclusion. Thor had held back, unwilling to risk Jane's safety as Malekith held her hostage. The Asgardian prince took the beating, his armor shredded, his face bloodied and bruised. After what felt like an eternity, Malekith finally grew bored. With a dismissive wave, he tossed Jane's unconscious body beside Thor.
"God of Thunder, these are the final moments I grant you."
Malekith pulled back the dark veil of the sky, allowing a single ray of sunlight to pierce through and strike Thor's face. Then, he dissolved into black mist, soaring into the heavens. The waves behind him rose in unison, crashing violently.
"This city, which dared to resist the Dark Elves, will be the first sacrifice in our return to dominance!"
His words echoed across the battlefield. The Dark Elves erupted in deafening cheers, then boarded their Blade Ships and retreated to the mothership. Soon, only humans remained.
"What now?"
Despair gripped the group.
Steve's eyes suddenly lit up. He straightened, urgency in his voice.
"No, we still have a chance. Hong! He can do it—he'll find a way!"
He turned sharply.
"Does anyone have a phone?"
"I do."
Barton pulled one from his pocket.
Steve stepped forward and snatched it, dialing one of the only two numbers he knew by heart. The ringing seemed to stretch endlessly. He held the phone gently, as though it were a priceless artifact. The others gathered around, their eyes fixed on the device.
Far above, Hong Fei stood in the sky, his gaze piercing the distance to observe the desperate group below. There was no extra emotion in his eyes; they were as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
"Your state of mind seems to have changed a bit?" Xu Wenwu suddenly asked.
"A little. After killing Sam Wilson, I suddenly found myself very happy."
"Isn't being happy a good thing?"
"It can barely be considered a good thing, but at the same time, I feel this emotion is very dangerous."
Xu Wenwu suddenly laughed. He reached out and lightly patted Hong Fei on the back, saying: "The fact that you can realize this is actually enough. It means you won't be blinded by fleeting pleasure, let alone by pure slaughter. You are a very calm person."
Hong Fei couldn't help but laugh at his words: "Well, you've successfully comforted me. I'll double your year-end bonus."
"Thanks. I've long heard Jessica and the others tell me that the year-end bonuses you give out are very generous."
"They're super generous!"
After emphasizing that point, Hong Fei took a long breath while looking down.
"After this is over, I need to hurry up and do more good deeds."
"Helping others is a joy; that's good."
It was actually for the balanced development of his body and energy, but there was no need to explain that again. Hong Fei didn't answer the phone. Steve instantly lost his strength, but luckily Tony and Rhodes supported him on either side. Turning to look, the waves had already risen hundreds of meters high.
Malekith stood atop the waves, his height still increasing, obscuring more than half the sky. At the shore, the leading edge of the seawater had already rushed into the city. Like a wild beast, it swept away everything in its path, carrying all matter forward in its roll. Suddenly, Steve's ears twitched, and the group of Avengers all turned their heads toward the sea.
They had just heard the sound of the waves. Immediately after, screams and wails erupted one after another from the crowd. Steve burst into tears instantly. He didn't fear Death himself; what he feared was that so many people along with this city would be swallowed by the ruthless sea. Abruptly, he lowered his head and dialed Hong Fei's number again.
Xu Wenwu turned to look at Hong Fei, only to see that he still had no intention of answering. At that moment, a sudden crack of thunder exploded by the sea. Thor flew high into the air. As he tilted his head back, another streak of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. Looking at Malekith in the distance and seeing the other's triumphant gaze, he gave a tragic smile.
Then, Thor wiped his mouth, his voice returning to its former hearty tone.
"Dragon King! Take care of my father, Mother, and Loki for me!"
His words boomed across the sky like rolling thunder, filled with a sense of determination and a readiness to die. Even now, he did not publicly reveal Hong Fei's name in front of others, nor did he feel resentment because Hong Fei had withdrawn halfway.
However, his shout at this moment seemed to serve as a reminder to the people below who were fleeing for their lives or waiting in despair. Dragon King! Right, among the superheroes, there's also a Dragon King who can go toe-to-toe with Thor! Although Thor was defeated now, if you added the Dragon King, there might still be a chance.
And so, Hong Fei saw the dense crowd in the city below instantly begin to kneel on the ground in waves. There was only one sound from their mouths:
Dragon King!!!