Marvel: Hunter

S.H.I.E.L.D.

In the command center.

At the moment, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier has retracted its four turbine engines and now floats as an ordinary aircraft carrier on the sea.

Nick stared solemnly at the satellite image.

His hands were behind his back.

Tense.

He was struggling.

"Boom—"

Midtown Manhattan, New York.

In the previously clear sky, a blue beam of light surged upward, transforming into energy mid-air and slowly tearing open a massive hole.

Centered on the Stark Tower in Manhattan, the energy source continued to pulse and expand.

This disturbance was anything but minor.

Countless people looked up in confusion. In that moment, the entire city fell into stunned silence and growing fear.

Because inside that massive black hole—one could clearly see the vast, boundless outer space.

Just outer space?

No. The real threat lay beyond.

Countless alien creatures, ready for battle, had clearly been waiting. The moment the wormhole opened, they appeared to receive a signal. Then, riding anti-gravity chariots, they surged toward Earth through the portal.

Spacecraft, monstrous alien beings, and those massive serpentine metal creatures, easily 100 meters long.

The Chitauri army had arrived.

"Swoosh—"

"Shhhhhhh—"

Almost simultaneously, hordes of Chitauri soldiers descended at terrifying speed, piloting hovering sleds from the wormhole to the streets below.

"AHHH!!"

A scream pierced the stunned silence of New York, unleashing mass panic.

"Come... army!"

Tony stared at the incoming wave of Chitauri descending from the sky. His helmet's HUD shifted from passive blue to combat red.

There was no time.

Then fight to the death.

"Puff!"

Four blue repulsor blasts ignited from the limbs of the Mark VII armor as Tony launched into the sky, soaring directly toward the Chitauri army.

"BIU—||—"

A Chitauri soldier let out a guttural, alien roar, firing a laser blast from its barrel-shaped weapon.

Mid-flight, Tony spun, dodging effortlessly, and fired a repulsor blast from his right palm, striking a Chitauri squarely.

The alien exploded into black smoke, pieces of its charred armor raining down like shrapnel.

With coordinated strikes from both palms, Tony took down more of them.

But it wasn't enough.

There were simply too many.

Tony kept climbing.

The Mark VII's shoulder compartments opened, revealing dozens of micro-missiles—30 on each side. They launched with bright exhaust trails, each one locking onto a target.

"Boom!"

"Boom!!"

"Boom!!!"

A mid-air firework of destruction erupted.

Still, it made little difference.

There were far too many Chitauri.

With Stark Tower at the center, wave after wave of Chitauri rained down like a plague.

High-tech weapons blasted vehicles and tore through the streets.

Some New Yorkers, still confused, stood staring—until they screamed and fled in terror.

Buildings, cars, roads—

The Chitauri were like locusts, and New York was the field.

Everywhere they went, they left devastation.

Just as the Chitauri launched attacks across the city—

Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, and Thor arrived in fighter jets.

"Loki! Shut down the device now!"

Thor tried once more to appeal to Loki's conscience—but that wasn't going to work.

Loki smirked, unconvinced.

So Thor fought him.

With the scepter in hand, enhanced by the Mind Stone, Loki was a match even for Mjolnir.

"Natasha, see them."

Flying the Quinjet, Barton spotted Loki and Thor locked in battle.

He and Natasha adjusted the jet's course, activating its mounted machine gun.

"Da-da-da-da—"

Bullets rained toward Loki.

But before they could land, Loki shoved Thor aside, gathered energy in his scepter, and blasted one of the jet's turbines.

The Quinjet, crippled, began to trail black smoke and veered out of control.

Captain America gripped the jet's structure tightly, struggling to stabilize himself.

Thor, spotting the opportunity, surged forward.

His fists hammered into Loki in a flurry of brutal, bone-crunching blows.

"Pong!"

"Soldiers!"

"Soldiers!"

Each punch landed with crushing force, sending Loki reeling.

Meanwhile...

Natasha and Barton guided the jet toward the ground.

"We have to get to the top—now!"

Earth's survival was at stake. There was no time to waste.

They opened the rear hatch, unstrapped their gear, and sprinted toward Stark Tower as soon as they landed.

The rooftop was the origin of this crisis.

To stop the invasion, the wormhole had to be closed.

"...Ah. Oh."

Natasha, Barton, and Steve stood in a driveway in full gear, staring blankly at the sky.

A massive steel creature, easily 100 meters long, emerged from the wormhole—swimming through the sky.

It was a Leviathan.

Inside, legions of Chitauri warriors bellowed, a terrifying war cry echoing across the battlefield.

"Hiss—!"

A high-pitched shriek rang out as Chitauri soldiers leapt from the Leviathan, landing on buildings and launching indiscriminate attacks.

"Stark, did you see—"

Steve pressed his earpiece, staring in disbelief.

"I saw it... but I still can't believe it."

Even Tony, with all his experience, was stunned.

He had never seen anything like it.

Jets of flame roared from his hands and feet as he trailed the Leviathan, observing it closely.

"Where's Banner? Is he still around?"

"Banner?" Steve's voice was confused.

"Tell me the second you know anything."

Tony understood instantly, then made a decision.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., help me find its weakness."'

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