Chapter 120 – The Invasion Begins
Where had Loki gone?
Nick Fury wasn't the only one searching; Tony and Thor were scouring every inch of Stark Tower and the surrounding airspace. They knew Loki's vain, arrogant personality—he wouldn't hide out of fear. If he chose this location, he intended to make a grand statement. Yet, as the energy device on the roof hummed with power, Loki was nowhere to be seen.
"Tony, as a scientist, can't you just shut this thing off?" Thor yelled over the roar of the wind.
"I'd love to, but it's past the point of no return," Tony replied. He had landed on the tower and was swiftly swapping his battered Mark 6 armor for the new Mark 7. "Jarvis, initialize."
"Mark 7 is not fully calibrated, Mr. Stark."
"I don't need fancy features; I need a suit that works!"
In seconds, the mechanical modules locked onto his body. Tony was ready, but before he could launch, the energy beam on the tower intensified, tearing a jagged, circular hole in the sky.
Thor stood atop a nearby skyscraper, his face pale as he looked up. "Chitauri..."
The alien army had arrived. Loki wasn't just a murderer anymore; he was an invader bringing the apocalypse to Earth.
"Tony, the Chitauri are here! We're the only ones who can hold the line until reinforcements arrive!" Thor roared. He raised Mjolnir, calling upon the power of his godly heritage and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sky darkened with storm clouds as lightning cascaded down. The first wave of Chitauri pilots, emerging from the portal, were struck out of the air like birds caught in a hurricane.
"Get back to your own world! Midgard does not welcome you!" Thor shouted triumphantly.
But his victory was cut short. A massive Chitauri Leviathan—a floating, biomechanical behemoth—slithered through the portal, its sheer size dwarfing the skyscrapers.
"Thor, stop grandstanding and help me!" Tony shrieked, firing every weapon in his arsenal at the beast. It was like spitting at a mountain.
"Come then!" Thor countered, sending a fresh wave of lightning into the surrounding swarm.
They managed to down hundreds of pilots, but the Leviathan broke through, followed by a relentless tide of invaders. The city was falling into chaos.
"Fury! What's the ETA on the rest of the team?" Tony screamed into the comms.
"The Helicarrier is crippled," Fury responded, his voice strained. "Captain Rogers is on his way, but you have to hold on!"
Just then, a transport jet tore through the clouds. As it leveled out over the city, the ramp dropped. Banner stood at the edge.
"Loki, you wanted the Hulk? Here he is!"
Banner leapt into the void. mid-fall, his skin turned a violent, radioactive green.
ROAAR!
The Hulk slammed onto the Leviathan's back, driving its head down toward the concrete. He ripped a massive chunk of armor from the creature's hide and jammed it into the beast's skull. The Leviathan shrieked, flipping over and crashing into a skyscraper with a sound like an earthquake.
ROAAR!
The Hulk landed on the rubble, his four arms beating his chest, his rage echoing through the city.
"Good man, Hulk!" Thor laughed, his morale soaring. The tide of Chitauri soldiers on the street turned in fear, pulling off their masks to reveal faces twisted with terror.
The transport jet touched down on Stark Tower. Rogers, Natasha, and Coulson scrambled out. Tony grabbed Rogers and Natasha, air-lifting them directly into the center of the fray, while Barton took position on the rooftop.
"咻~! 咻~!"
With the Pop-Pop Fruit augmenting his arrows, Barton was the ultimate sniper. Every shot meant a pilot falling to the ground.
"Barton! Shoot my feet over there!" Coulson yelled, pointing to a distant rooftop.
Barton blinked. "Shoot your... feet?"
He shook it off and lashed Coulson's feet to an arrow. "Ten times speed!"
WHOOSH!
Coulson's lower half flew through the air, followed by his torso. He split himself into pieces, reassembling mid-air before slamming into the ground. "Captain Rogers! It is an honor to fight alongside you!"
Rogers, Natasha, and Coulson formed a tight, lethal triangle, clearing the streets.
"ROAAR!"
More Leviathans surged from the portal. One by one, they descended.
"There are too many of them!" Tony yelled, his ammunition running low. "Thor, find Loki! We can't close the portal without him!"
"I don't know where he is!" Thor cried out, circling the chaotic sky.
"Stop shouting," Barton's voice crackled over the radio, icy and sharp. "I've got eyes on him."
"Where?" Thor demanded.
"He just flew out of the portal."