"By the way, what's Loki doing here? Shouldn't he be rolling in with the alien fleet?" Tony Stark asked, his brow arched.
"Oh, he showed up to open the portal. How else do you think those Chitauri are getting here?" Alex Ray replied, his tone casual, almost bored.
"Then why didn't you stop him?" Tony pressed, frowning.
"Didn't I try? Guy's got a teleporting buddy tagging along. Not exactly easy to pin down," Alex said, lying through his teeth. Truth was, he hadn't bothered to catch Loki.
The days ahead would bring more chaos to Earth—aliens, Eternals, Thanos, the whole cosmic parade. Whether it was Hell's Kitchen or other factions, they needed to toughen up. The Chitauri were the perfect training ground.
Alex knew the planet couldn't lean on him forever to play shield. What if he was gone one day, off somewhere else? How would Earth handle the next crisis?
So, he let the mutants and Hell's Kitchen's people face the fire, prove their grit. Only a shared enemy could forge real unity, push humans to band together against an outside threat.
When aliens stormed in like rabid dogs, those who'd sneered at Hell's Kitchen and mutants would see the truth: compared to cold-blooded extraterrestrials, Hell's Kitchen and mutants were their closest allies.
"Manhattan's been a disaster magnet. Never thought we'd be fighting an alien war this soon," Tony said, his voice heavy with reflection.
"No need to sweat it. We've got heavy hitters like you. I'll step in when it's crunch time. But if you're scared, just hole up in Hell's Kitchen," Alex teased, a grin tugging at his lips.
"You're not wrong. Can't do without a bankroller like me. Without my cash, those eggheads in Hell's Kitchen would have to shelve their projects. They'd cry if I got a scratch. What can I say? Money makes the world go round," Tony said, spreading his hands with mock helplessness, though his eyes gleamed with smug pride.
Money really could buy anything.
"Don't worry. Regular folks adapt to weird shit fast. Look at them, living their lives like nothing's happened," Alex said.
If you asked Alex which city's people he respected most, he'd pick Manhattan's residents without a second thought. Runner-up? The folks from the Dragon Ball world.
Sure, Dragon Ball had the Dragon Balls—die a few times, get wished back, no big deal.
Manhattanites didn't have that luxury. But anyone living in a place where nuclear missiles popped up like weeds would get used to it.
Hell's Kitchen's crowd had their own stories. They'd adapted to the wild life there, but some still found it tame. Recently, they'd thrown together a real-life CS tournament for kicks.
But that was beside the point. Alex had a date to get back to. He could tell Wanda was getting antsy.
"Alright, don't linger too long. Don't want Miss Potts getting the wrong idea," Alex said, nudging Tony.
All he wanted now was to enjoy his date and wait for the system upgrade.
---
That night, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
"Kaito Daiki, you didn't mention your pal was with S.H.I.E.L.D.," Loki snarled, trapped in a transparent spherical cell.
He glared at the man lounging on a sofa, a camera dangling from his neck.
This was the guy who'd nabbed him.
Loki cursed himself for trusting Kaito Daiki, who'd promised help but sold him out instead.
He'd come back to S.H.I.E.L.D., but this time, he hadn't slaughtered everyone like before. S.H.I.E.L.D. had wised up, locking him down thanks to Kaito's so-called friend.
Kaito shrugged, unfazed. "Say what you want. You're not going anywhere, so just chill, right, Kadoya?"
He glanced at Tsukasa Kadoya.
"So, you've been palling around with this god, Loki," Kadoya said, sipping coffee from a mug, eyeing Loki with amused curiosity.
"Mortal, you'll regret this! How dare you cage a god!" Loki hissed, his voice dripping with venom.
"I've killed gods. Kings, too," Kadoya replied, brushing off the threat. Honestly, if he didn't need to stick around, he wouldn't have bothered with Loki.
"Don't worry, I'm not into you. But I will help you take down Alex Ray," Kadoya said, a sly grin spreading across his face as he strolled out of the room.
Suddenly, thunder roared outside, lightning tearing through the sky like it meant to swallow the world. These weren't ordinary bolts—they pulsed with a bone-chilling energy.
Loki's body trembled, instinctively sensing the raw power in the lightning.
Kaito and Kadoya exchanged a glance, a mix of surprise and respect in their eyes. They knew who was behind this.
"Looks like your brother's let bygones be bygones and is coming to bust you out," Kadoya teased, his grin wicked.
He wasn't fazed by the looming power. If anything, he was thrilled.
Then, a figure in armor, red cape billowing, hammer in hand, crashed through the sky, lightning trailing him.
He looked towering, godlike, as he smashed through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ceiling and landed before them.
Loki's eyes flickered with a tangle of emotions at the sight.
Was Thor here to save him or to pass judgment? Loki hated being seen like this—helpless, caged.
Thor fixed Loki with a look of bitter resentment.
"My Stupid brother, Loki!" he growled.
---
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