66 - Impressive

The two armors that flew into view were both produced by Oscorp. The one on the left was slate-gray, exuding a rugged and imposing presence. It was the military's War Machine.

It's worth noting that War Machine's pilot was still Colonel Rhodes, Tony Stark's close friend. Knowing Rhodes' connection to Stark, the military's decision to let him pilot the suit was a pointed jab at Stark's refusal to sell them his armor designs.

On the right was a sleek blue-and-white suit from S.H.I.E.L.D., piloted by Commando Captain Brock Rumlow, also known as Crossbones. The armor's name? Peacemaker.

"More like 'Hail Hydra'," Maverick muttered under his breath. Without S.H.I.E.L.D., the world might actually be a more peaceful place.

"Three suits? Think that'll stop, uh… those frost giants?" Coulson asked nervously as he ran to Maverick's side. He hadn't expected a battle to erupt out of nowhere, let alone an alien invasion.

The frost giants weren't just a few stragglers—they numbered in the hundreds. How could they have breached Earth's defenses without anyone noticing? No ships, no warning… just an army suddenly at their doorstep.

"Those tin cans? Not a chance. But with me here, they won't get far," Maverick replied confidently.

As if on cue, the triumphant blast of a theme song filled the air as the gold-and-red Iron Man suit descended from the sky. Tony Stark opened his helmet with a flourish and smirked. "Maverick, you've been slacking off. Don't think I haven't noticed."

Maverick raised an eyebrow. "Tony? What are you doing here? Didn't think this was your scene."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. invited me. Said something about a 'big event.' Didn't expect it to be a full-on alien invasion. And hey, what's with these frost giants? No guns, no tech, just brute strength? Feels like we're fighting cavemen."

"They rely on raw power," Maverick replied.

Tony blinked. "Raw power? And they made it here how? Teleportation? Or did I miss an ice bridge somewhere?"

Coulson interrupted, "Uh, Mr. Stark, the frost giants are closing in."

Tony turned his attention back to the battlefield. "We'll catch up later, Maverick. Gotta show these guys why Earth's off-limits."

With that, Iron Man shot into the fray. His confident tone suggested he'd been busy improving his tech. Maverick chuckled softly. "Impressive, Tony. But no matter how fast you upgrade, you're not catching up to me. I've got the backing of the Council of Blood… and the Spirit of Vengeance."

The frost giants were now just two hundred meters from the farm's gate. A wave of car explosions earlier had killed about a dozen of them, enraging their commander. He bellowed something unintelligible in their direction.

Maverick and the others exchanged confused glances. None of them understood a word the frost giant commander said.

"Not a movie," Maverick quipped. "Not everyone in the universe speaks English."

Thor grimaced. "He's demanding you surrender me. Their target is clearly me, Maverick. I can't let them drag you into this."

Maverick shook his head. "Five or six hundred frost giants? Against Earth? Don't make me laugh."

He raised his voice and shouted, "Tony! Rhodes! Rumlow! Show these aliens what Earth's made of!"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure that's my line!" He launched six mini-missiles at the frost giant commander.

The commander snarled, raising his hands. A frigid blast erupted, freezing the missiles mid-air before they shattered and fell to the ground.

"Seriously? Do you have a cryo-gun hidden somewhere?" Tony muttered.

"Attack! Kill them all!" the frost giant commander roared.

The frost giants surged forward with blood-curdling howls. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents responded with rocket launchers, their firepower temporarily halting the giants' momentum.

Tony and the other armored warriors took to the skies, raining down missiles. Explosions rocked the battlefield, killing scores of frost giants in fiery blasts. Enraged, the frost giant commander ordered his troops to hurl massive chunks of ice at their enemies. The icy projectiles smashed into the farm's defenses, creating craters and sending debris flying. Jane and Darcy screamed as chunks of ice crashed dangerously close.

Maverick waved his hand dismissively, and every incoming ice projectile rebounded harmlessly back toward the frost giants. "Don't worry, I've got this," he assured them.

Darcy gawked. "Maverick, are you a superhero too?"

"No," he said with a grin. "I'm the superhero boss."

The makeshift defensive line was starting to falter under the frost giants' relentless assault. Coulson barked orders into his comms. "Deploy the tanks and choppers! We need heavy support!"

From the nearby grasslands, ten tanks emerged, their cannons thundering as they fired at the frost giants. Armed helicopters swooped in, shredding the icy invaders with machine-gun fire. The frost giants retaliated fiercely, freezing tank treads and hurling ice to bring down the choppers.

In the chaos, Tony's suit emitted a burst of red energy, slicing through a dozen frost giants with a single beam. "How do you like me now?" he quipped.

"Pretty cool," Rhodes admitted. "You should've done that sooner."

Rumlow grumbled, "Almost hit me, Stark!"

"Relax," Tony shot back. "This move's a one-time deal. Gotta save the best for last."

Despite their combined efforts, the frost giants' sheer numbers overwhelmed the human defenders. The line was buckling, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were being overrun.

Frank Castle—the Punisher—remained airborne, relentlessly firing missiles. Tony shook his head in disbelief. "Does that guy have infinite ammo?"

The frost giant commander, however, hadn't fully committed his forces. He was clearly stalling.

Castle called out, "Something's off, Maverick. He's waiting for reinforcements."

Coulson's face paled. "Reinforcements? We're barely holding the line as it is."

"Relax," Maverick said. "I've got this."

As he spoke, an agent monitoring the perimeter shouted, "Sir! Another wave of frost giants is approaching from the south—another five hundred!"

Coulson's heart sank. "That… that might be too much."

Thor stepped forward. "I won't let Earth fall because of me. Let me face them."

"Stand down, Thor. You're not ready for this yet," Maverick said. He whistled, and a fiery red horse trotted out of the stables. Coulson's eyes widened.

"A thoroughbred?" he asked.

"Meet Redflame," Maverick said as he mounted the fiery steed. Flames erupted from both rider and horse, their heat distorting the air around them. The frost giants braced themselves as Maverick charged forward, leaving a trail of scorched earth in his wake.

As he plunged into the frost giant ranks, his fiery blade cleaved through their icy forms effortlessly. With each pass, dozens of giants fell, their bodies melting before they hit the ground. Panic rippled through their ranks as Maverick tore through them like a blazing comet.

"This is insane!" Tony shouted. "How is that even possible?"

"Not bad for a boss, huh?" Maverick shouted back, laughing as Redflame charged again.

In under a minute, the second wave of frost giants was decimated. Those who survived fled in terror. Maverick reined in Redflame and turned to the stunned defenders.

"Who's next?" he called, his voice booming over the battlefield.

Even Thor couldn't suppress a grin. "Now that," he admitted, "was impressive."

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