120

Chapter 120: The Battle of New York (Part 1)

"What did you say? Loki was right in front of you, and now he's gone?"

Inside the main control room of the Helicarrier, Fury slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Thor and the others who had just returned from the detention area.

Tony and Steve entered the room from outside the Helicarrier, with Peter following closely behind them.

Upon seeing Black Superman for the first time, Fury tensed subconsciously. It was only after observing Black Superman sitting calmly in the main seat that he relaxed.

"Fury, you should be able to see everything on the surveillance cameras," Natasha said calmly after a momentary surprise at seeing Black Superman. "But Thor, can you explain why you're here?"

Thor couldn't hold back his surprise and blurted out, "Black Superman?"

He quickly approached Peter and asked directly, "Did you confront my father?"

Peter looked at the Norse god seriously and replied, "Yes, he proved to be a formidable opponent."

Thor was left speechless.

Previously, Thor had been eager to meet Black Superman to address this matter face-to-face. Now that he had, he found himself at a loss for words, grappling with a mix of admiration, disbelief, and a hint of displeasure over his father's defeat. It was a complex mix of emotions.

While the others briefly glanced at Thor, their attention quickly refocused on the pressing issue at hand. Fury remained contemplative.

Upon receiving the news, he had immediately pulled up the surveillance footage, but the truth was baffling. In one frame, Loki stood blankly in his cell; in the next, he had vanished without a trace.

Tony and Steve, sitting at the conference table, had already accepted this reality and were now focused on strategizing. "Since Loki's escape is a given, our priority is to locate the Tesseract as soon as possible," Tony asserted.

Steve added, "Where's Banner? Didn't he have any leads?"

Gwen raised her hand and spoke up, "I know. Dr. Banner indicated the Tesseract is in Stark Tower."

Tony was taken aback. "What the... Why is it in my building? Wait, then..."

In a sudden realization, Tony understood the potential ramifications. His prized Stark Tower might be in jeopardy. "Banner? Where is he now?"

No one in the room had an answer until Felicia rushed in breathlessly.

"No, this isn't good!"

"What's wrong?" Gwen inquired urgently.

"Dr. Banner has escaped!"

"Escaped?"

"Yes," Felicia confirmed. "He was in a standoff with the Hulk, unable to determine a victor. Eventually, somehow... he jumped and fled."

Tony couldn't fathom why Banner would escalate to such an extreme, but everyone understood the grave danger of an uncontrollable Hulk suddenly roaming free. This unexpected development compounded the existing crisis.

All eyes turned to Peter, seated as Black Superman.

After all, the current Hulk was a product of Peter's actions. Though present in the Helicarrier's main control room, Peter remained focused on the Space-Time Administration team.

He could have prevented their intervention in rescuing Loki but saw no need.

At this juncture, assessing their capabilities and intentions took precedence over intervening. While dealing with the Space-Time Administration team, equipped with advanced technology, theoretically, Peter could neutralize their impact. However, their team comprised ordinary individuals with limited abilities. For Peter, defeating them in a surprise attack was entirely feasible.

Yet, this approach seemed inadequate.

Their organization possessed the ability to manipulate and erase timelines, akin to a nuclear deterrent complicating direct confrontation.

Perhaps Batman's covert tactics, infiltrating the Space-Time Administration Bureau to resolve issues, held promise?

At that moment, Peter sensed the collective gaze upon him, snapping him back to attention. He met their expectant looks.

"Black Superman," Fury began thoughtfully, "What are your thoughts?"

After a brief pause, Peter responded, "The Helicarrier isn't bad."

Fury raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the unexpected response. But facing Black Superman, he could only echo, "It's... adequate."

Unexpectedly, Black Superman continued, "It wouldn't be a bad base for the Justice League."

Fury's confusion deepened. "What? Are you implying you want to take over my battleship after hosting uninvited guests and proposing to form the Justice League?"

Fury's frustration simmered. Could they still manage this situation?

Nevertheless, he voiced his concerns, "Isn't this ill-advised?"

While Tony somewhat agreed with Black Superman's interjection, he recognized the urgency. "Regarding Banner's situation, Black Superman, what's your approach?"

Peter pondered briefly before responding, "Why should we intervene?"

Tony was taken aback.

Peter elaborated, "This is Banner's personal struggle. He must overcome this hurdle alone. No one can assist him."

If Banner sought escape before to avoid confronting reality, now he must confront and overcome his inner demons like a warrior.

"When he's ready, he'll return on his own."

"Right now, it's Loki's turn. We must intercept him before he calls forth reinforcements," Steve declared.

"Damn it, I need to get moving," Tony exclaimed, rising to his feet with urgency. If he delayed, his home could be at risk of destruction.

Unlike Tony's urgency, the others remained relatively composed. Their calm stemmed partly from the fact that it wasn't their home under immediate threat but also because Black Superman sat among them.

Their silent gazes seemed to query Peter's readiness to act.

Peter shrugged. "Why are you all looking at me? Thor, I didn't lend you Mjolnir just to watch me work during a crisis."

Thor grumbled unintelligibly, leaving with a somber expression.

Steve queried, "You're just going to stand by and watch?"

"No, I have other matters to attend to."

"What could be more pressing than saving the world?"

"Another world-saving endeavor."

"... Another one?"

Were there more threats to Earth's safety beyond Loki's invasion? The curiosity lingered unspoken as the urgency of the present situation demanded their focus.

Steve took charge, declaring, "Justice League, move out!"

Fury winced inwardly at the term, but Steve and Gwen led the charge. Natasha, however, lingered behind.

It wasn't a matter of belonging to the Justice League or not; such distinctions were irrelevant amidst the crisis. Her priority lay with Hawkeye.

She returned to the room where Hawkeye had been recuperating.

Upon learning of the Asgardian treatment from Thor, they promptly applied it to Hawkeye. Consequently, Hawkeye had awakened, and the spider silk restraining him had loosened.

Yet, Hawkeye lay on the bed, appearing despondent.

The ordeal of being under Loki's control had left a profound psychological scar. The memory of killing numerous S.H.I.E.L.D. agents haunted him, burdening him with guilt.

And that cursed bow!

How would he reconcile his reputation as a seasoned agent and renowned marksman in the aftermath?

Spider-Woman approached with genuine concern evident in her voice. "It's time for you to redeem yourself."

"How?" Hawkeye asked with a mix of emotions as he peeled away the spider silk that had left indented marks on his skin.

"By stopping the invasion of New York," Natasha replied firmly.

Meanwhile, Loki found himself disoriented.

One moment he was in a cell aboard the Helicarrier; the next, he materialized within Stark Tower.

"Am I malfunctioning?" Loki muttered to himself, perplexed by the abrupt change. He pushed aside his confusion, realizing now was not the time for introspection.

The Space portal was imminent. Timing was critical.

He sought out the leader overseeing the rooftop preparations.

"It's nearly ready. A few seconds more to charge the energy," the leader reported.

"Excellent," Loki exclaimed eagerly.

"This isn't excellent at all."

Tony arrived in his Destroyer Armor, quipping, "Setting off fireworks on someone else's rooftop without their consent?"

Loki smirked, "Soon, the entire Earth will be mine."

Tony retorted, his confusion evident, "Really?" He stopped bantering, activating his handheld light cannon and firing at the Tesseract.

However, the Cube had amassed its energy shield, deflecting Tony's attack. The backlash sent him stumbling backward.

The leader intervened, "Stark, you're facing another opponent now."

Loki and the others observed as a towering green-skinned creature emerged from the building, none other than Connors, long forgotten by most.

Seemingly eager to redress his perceived neglect, Connors snarled menacingly, baring his teeth.

"Connors?" Tony exclaimed in surprise, quickly grasping the situation. "You've controlled him too?"

"Yes," the leader confirmed. "He crossed our path and succumbed to my enhanced mind control via the Mind Stone."

Initially lacking the prowess to subjugate a sane person, the leader had strengthened his abilities with the Mind Stone, enabling him to command others more effectively.

Loki frowned inwardly. Losing his scepter and its mind-control capabilities had shifted control to his underlings, a double-edged sword that unsettled him.

His new subordinate, however, displayed overzealous initiative, presenting a potential liability.

Under the leader's influence, Connors charged at Tony.

Confronted by Connors, who matched his armor's size and exceeded it in raw strength, Tony prepared for combat.

Connors' claim as the former Lizard posed a credible threat. His punch sent Tony sprawling, a reminder of the Hulk's overwhelming power.

Tony relied on his armor's formidable defenses, withstanding Connors' onslaught.

However, this was not a sustainable strategy. With the Chitauri horde breaching the portal and swarming

Tony surged forward, facing the Chitauri horde head-on, unleashing his arsenal of light cannons and various weapons in a desperate attempt to halt their advance.

But outnumbered and alone, Tony quickly found himself surrounded, falling into a precarious disadvantage.

Despite the dire situation unfolding around him, Tony remained composed. "Jarvis, deploy the 'army'," he commanded through his armor.

"Sir, your armor reserves are insufficient to constitute an army," Jarvis replied.

"Enough with the excuses, Jarvis. Save it for later," Tony retorted, evading a Chitauri attack.

"The reinforcements are here, sir."

Several suits of steel armor ascended into the sky, joining Tony's side. Though not enough to be called an army, they provided crucial support, managing to slightly stem the tide of Chitauri pouring through the portal to Earth.

But then, a thunderous boom echoed as a colossal figure burst from the portal, crashing down heavily onto Tony.

Momentarily stunned within his battle armor, Tony recovered to find himself face-to-face with a monstrous being akin to the Hulk in size and ferocity – Black Dwarf, one of Thanos's feared generals.

Tony maneuvered swiftly, firing up his engines to evade Black Dwarf's relentless assault. Yet, the general's strength and speed overwhelmed him, evoking a sense of helplessness akin to facing the Hulk himself.

Recognizing the dire straits he was in, Tony relied on the Destroyer armor's formidable defenses to hold his ground. However, with the Chitauri advancing unchecked into New York, the situation grew increasingly critical.

Suddenly, lightning cracked through the sky, striking Black Dwarf and momentarily staggering him, providing Tony with a crucial moment of respite.

It was Thor who had arrived, wielding Mjolnir with commanding presence. Standing beside Tony, he declared, "Leave this one to me."