Chapter 74: The Sky Opens

The sky cracked.

A thunderous roar echoed across Manhattan as the beam of energy from Stark Tower split the clouds open. A vortex of unnatural wind swirled through the skyscrapers, pulling leaves, dust, and even loose signs into the air. The portal surged into full bloom—circular, blinding, and thrumming with unholy resonance. On the other side, stars blinked against an endless black void, and then came the glint of silver.

The Chitauri.

Their first wave descended like locusts, riding sleek, serpent-like hovercrafts that hissed as they cut through the atmosphere. Alien roars mixed with the wail of emergency sirens as the city's skyline lit up with fire. Explosions bloomed in midair. Panic seized the streets.

Alexander landed on a rooftop across from Stark Tower just as the first Chitauri soldier opened fire. The energy blast tore through a parked car below, igniting its fuel tank in a fiery eruption. Glass shattered in all directions. Civilians screamed and scattered in chaos, ducking behind benches and diving into alleyways.

He didn't hesitate.

With a flick of his hand, the shadows around him uncoiled like snakes unleashed, sharp as spears. They launched forward in synchronized bursts, impaling the Chitauri mid-flight. The alien shrieked before its body was yanked down into the side of a building, shattering through glass before exploding in a cascade of sparks.

From above, a red-and-gold blur shot past him, engines roaring.

"Nice shot," Tony Stark called over the comms, his tone tinged with adrenaline. "Let's see who bags more."

"I'm not playing games," Alexander said coldly, already vaulting onto another rooftop. His figure blurred into shadow as he disappeared in pursuit of the next wave.

Down below, Steve Rogers sprinted across an intersection, shield raised, barking orders to NYPD officers. "Set up a perimeter! Keep them away from the bridge!"

He deflected two Chitauri blasts in rapid succession, the vibranium ringing with each impact. Nearby, Black Widow skidded to a halt on a commandeered motorcycle, rolling over the seat and drawing her pistols mid-motion.

She crouched behind an overturned taxi. "Chitauri incoming on the east side!" she shouted into her comm. "They're splitting up!"

Steve ducked under a blast, then slammed his shield into an enemy trying to flank him. "Where's Barton?"

"On the way," Natasha said. "Fury says he's en route to the tower."

Above, more ships poured through the portal. The roar intensified as a massive leviathan-class carrier emerged—its armored body stretching between buildings, dwarfing entire blocks. The beast moved slowly but deliberately, its maw opening to unleash a deep mechanical howl.

Thor descended from the clouds like a meteor, slamming Mjölnir into the ground with a thunderous boom. Lightning danced across the tower as he launched into the air again, spinning his hammer with a war cry that echoed through the skyline.

From above, Alexander leapt from hovercraft to hovercraft, moving faster than the eye could track. Shadows followed his every step, slicing through armor and disabling engines. One Chitauri pilot turned just in time to see a black tendril crush the control console of its vehicle, sending it spiraling into the side of a skyscraper.

His blade reformed mid-leap, carving cleanly through two more enemies before he landed hard on another rooftop.

But there were too many.

For every one he destroyed, two more shot out from the expanding portal.

"JARVIS, give me a sit-rep!" Tony barked as he banked hard to avoid incoming fire.

"The Tesseract remains stable," the AI replied calmly. "However, based on energy projections, the portal will continue to widen unless forcibly shut down from the source."

Tony dove past a Chitauri ship, locking on and firing a barrage of mini-missiles that erupted in midair. "I hate being right."

Mid-flight, Alexander landed beside him on a passing hovercraft. His armor rippled with black energy, and his eyes glowed faintly under the visor of his shadows.

"Then we shut it down," Alexander said.

Tony glanced at him. "You got a plan?"

"I go in," Alexander said.

Tony stiffened. "You mean into the portal?"

Alexander didn't respond.

Before either could speak again, a leviathan roared past them, its bulk slamming into the side of a building. The impact sent chunks of stone and steel plummeting toward the street.

Natasha looked up from the ground, her eyes going wide. "Debris! Top floor coming down—civilians below!"

Her warning echoed through the comms.

Alexander turned mid-air, shadows already forming beneath him to catch the falling wreckage—

But before he could move—

Something green and massive landed with an earth-shattering boom.

The street shook.

Civilians gasped.

HULK roared.

End of Chapter 74

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