Chapter 79: Strike from Above

The blast from the staff struck Alexander like a thunderbolt.

A column of pure energy erupted from the sky, searing the air with a deafening hum. It carved a straight path from the floating platform to the flagship's underbelly, obliterating debris and cleaving through reinforced metal like paper. Alexander's shadow armor flared to life, reacting on instinct. Black tendrils expanded into a dome around him, but the sheer force of the strike overwhelmed the defense. The shadows screamed in protest, unraveling mid-air as the impact hurled him from the vessel.

He spun violently, his body ricocheting off an antenna before crashing through a billboard. Shards of steel and glass followed him in his descent. Flames streaked along the edges of his armor as he plummeted toward the ground.

Then—

Impact.

He smashed into the upper levels of a building, tearing through three concrete floors in rapid succession. Each level cracked under his weight, debris collapsing in his wake. At the last moment, Alexander conjured a burst of shadows beneath him, softening the fall. He crashed into the street below, asphalt shattering, and the resulting crater sent shockwaves rippling down the block.

Smoke hissed from the edges of the crater.

Alexander groaned, the taste of blood thick in his mouth. He pushed himself up with trembling arms, his breaths ragged. Cracks ran down his gauntlets, and his chest plate steamed from the heat of the blast. The armor hissed, then slowly began to knit itself back together, shadows weaving like threads over torn plates.

But he didn't look down. His eyes remained fixed on the sky.

Above, the silver-violet figure stood tall on the floating platform, staff still pointed downward. Its armor shimmered with pulsing veins of energy, and the air around it warped with power. Though it stood hundreds of meters away, its presence felt close—like a giant looming just out of sight.

The staff retracted its energy core with a hiss, and the figure took one step forward.

Tony flew past, scanning with every sensor available. "JARVIS, I need an ID on our new mystery boss. Give me anything."

"I am unable to access the flagship's internal data," JARVIS replied. "Its encryption appears non-Chitauri. It predates their current technology by several millennia."

Tony blinked inside his helmet. "Great. So we've got an ancient, extra-powered space king with a glowing stick and no manners."

"Accurate, sir."

A sudden thunderclap broke through the air as Thor descended in a streak of lightning, landing beside Alexander with a crash that cratered the pavement further. The god of thunder straightened, his eyes narrowed.

"What hit you?" Thor asked.

Alexander spit blood onto the ground and growled, "Not Loki's master. But someone close."

Thor turned his gaze to the floating figure. "Then it's time they learned Earth is not so easily claimed."

Above, the flagship hummed louder. Its second anchor—larger, heavier, and glowing with a more complex lattice of runes—slammed into the streets near Grand Central Station. Violet tendrils burst from its edges, extending like roots. As they touched the ground, a dome of energy erupted upward, expanding into a shimmering containment field.

The energy wall stretched for three blocks in every direction.

Civilians trapped inside screamed and scattered, seeking shelter. Some pressed against the barrier, only to be thrown back by violent shockwaves. The few SHIELD agents already on the perimeter called for backup as their weapons proved useless.

Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff arrived seconds later, skidding to a stop on opposite rooftops overlooking the dome.

"Tell me someone has a plan," Clint muttered, nocking an arrow tipped with EMP disruptors.

"Working on it," Natasha replied, scanning for structural weaknesses. "But that field is active tech. We're not breaking through with brute force."

Alexander's voice came over the comms, sharp and steady. "Then don't break through. Collapse it from the inside."

As he spoke, shadows around him began crawling outward, inching along cracks in the street like creeping fog. His energy was building again, this time different—sharper, more focused.

Inside the dome, new Chitauri units descended from the flagship. These were different—bigger, sleeker, plated in reinforced violet alloy. Behind them, quad-legged war beasts pounded into view, each one outfitted with siege cannons and bio-shields.

One roared, the sound reverberating across the city. It shattered car windows and rattled entire buildings.

Tony ascended to hover beside Alexander, meeting his gaze. "If this is the final act, we play to win."

Alexander gave him a single nod. No words needed.

Then, without warning, the figure on the platform raised its staff again.

This time, the sky didn't flash.

It fractured.

End of Chapter 79

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