Thousands of employees at Stark Industries had spent countless days and sleepless nights building the Earth Defense System.
Without question, it was the strongest planetary defense network Earth had ever created.
In their eyes, as long as the system existed, Earth would remain absolutely secure.
The technology incorporated countless Chitauri innovations, improved and redesigned into something even more advanced.
At least, that was what Tony Stark believed.
Even if the Chitauri invaded Earth again, the defense network should have been able to wipe them out with ease. New York would never suffer devastation on that scale a second time.
And even if a stronger alien civilization appeared, the Earth Defense System should have served as the planet's first line of defense, blocking the initial assault long enough for humanity to prepare.
But now the aliens had arrived.
And the defense system they were so proud of had not even lasted a single hour.
"Damn it!"
Tony cursed furiously.
"We need to prepare for a full-scale invasion!"
No one could believe the defense network had collapsed so easily, but there was no time left for shock. They could only prepare to fight on Earth itself.
And if it came to that, the damage would be catastrophic.
The others took deep breaths, trying to steady themselves.
Steve Rogers spoke first.
"Are we really capable of fighting enemies like this?"
He had seen enough modern technology to understand how terrifying it could be, but the level of power these aliens displayed was far beyond anything he had imagined.
Even wearing the Black Armor, there was no way he could tank attacks from those warships with his body alone.
This was no longer a battle of flesh and blood.
It was a war of technology.
Bruce Banner clenched his massive fists.
"Don't worry. I'll smash every one of them out of the sky."
"Well, that's reassuring," Scott Lang muttered with relief.
He was right. Those ships were not invincible.
Wanda Maximoff smiled faintly.
"I've been waiting for this."
Confidence slowly returned to the room.
But Tony himself felt no relief at all.
That defense system had been his pride.
If even that had been destroyed instantly, could they really stop this invasion?
For the first time in a long while, Tony's confidence was weaker than Steve's.
Bruce walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
"There's still someone else on Earth."
Tony blinked.
Bruce grinned.
"Nolan Locke."
A smile finally appeared on Tony's face.
"Right. We still have Nolan."
He looked around at everyone.
"Alright, people. Let's move. At their current speed, the enemy will reach Earth in less than fifteen minutes."
"Can we predict where they'll land?" Steve asked.
Tony rapidly manipulated the holographic display in front of him.
"Approximately seventy kilometers east of us. Luckily, it's mostly wasteland. Perfect battlefield conditions."
Steve clapped his hands.
"You heard him. What are we waiting for?"
Everyone immediately sprang into action.
Natasha quickly relayed the information to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the White House.
The moment S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill received Natasha's report, her expression darkened.
"An alien invasion?"
Her voice sharpened instantly.
"Natasha, you'd better not be joking."
"Unfortunately, I'm serious."
Maria Hill cursed under her breath.
"Wonderful. Earth finally gets a few peaceful years, and now this happens again."
She exhaled slowly before continuing.
"I'll mobilize S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite agents and activate every reserve combat unit we have. Can you confirm the invasion point?"
"Near New York."
That answer nearly made Maria Hill collapse.
New York again.
Was the city cursed?
Why did every world-ending disaster always start there?
The last Chitauri invasion had already pushed New York's development backward by more than three years.
If another catastrophe struck, the city might lose its status as a global metropolis entirely.
The economic consequences for the United States would be disastrous.
Still, there was nothing she could do except reassure herself.
"At least the Avengers headquarters is nearby," she said. "And so is Locke Technologies."
Yes.
Locke Technologies.
That was the only comforting thought she had left.
The company's military power had already surpassed much of the White House's direct armed forces.
New York would probably suffer heavy losses, but at least the destruction might not spread beyond the city.
Meanwhile, after receiving the report, the White House descended into chaos.
"Another alien invasion? And once again near New York?"
No matter how shocked they were, action had to be taken immediately.
"Deploy all nearby military units toward New York. Relocate the air force bases. Prepare for a prolonged war. Order nearby naval fleets to dock and prepare bombardment support."
One command after another was issued methodically.
Only after giving the final order did the President finally collapse into his chair.
"If New York gets devastated again, my presidency is finished."
He rubbed his forehead weakly.
"Maybe I should start drafting my resignation speech now."
As for the possibility that the war might never reach New York?
He did not even consider it.
Soon enough, every member of the Avengers had reached the designated battlefield.
Behind Tony stood dozens of Iron Legion armors lined up in formation.
These were the weapons he had prepared for the coming war.
And on his own body was the brand-new vibranium armor.
Originally, he had planned to test its true combat performance against Bruce Banner.
But now, there was no need.
He had found far better test subjects.
The invading aliens.
A three-dimensional holographic projection glowed across Tony's arm, displaying the fleet's trajectory in real time.
"Attention everyone," Tony announced. "The enemy will enter Earth's atmosphere in five minutes."
Inside the flagship of Thanos' fleet, Ebony Maw stared at the blue planet ahead with excitement burning in his eyes.
Just as he expected.
There was no real danger on Earth.
If there had been, his fleet would already have come under attack.
Instead, all they had encountered were primitive weapons launched by the planet's natives.
He even recognized traces of Chitauri technology within them.
But to him, Chitauri tech was garbage.
If not for the Chitauri's savage nature and usefulness in war, his master would never have accepted them into the Black Order's military forces.
This time, the Chitauri had not even earned the right to participate in the invasion.
Yet these crude weapons were treasured by the people of Earth.
How could such a backward world possibly resist Thanos' army?
"The Mind Stone…"
Ebony Maw whispered greedily.
"I can already feel it calling to me."
Then his voice turned cold.
"Full speed ahead. Enter the planet's surface immediately."
A cruel smile spread across his face.
"Kill every living thing you see. By the time we leave this world, I want no life remaining on it."
"Yes!"
The soldiers roared excitedly.
They loved commands like this.
Mass slaughter made them feel alive.
As the massive fleet tore through Earth's atmosphere, countless citizens across New York looked up at the strange objects descending from the sky.
"What are those?" someone asked nervously.
"Birds, maybe?" another guessed uncertainly.
"But there are too many…"
"No… maybe insects?"
People pointed upward, whispering among themselves.
But as the fleet drew closer, the tiny black dots rapidly expanded.
At last, someone recognized them.
"Those are spaceships!"
The man screamed in terror.
"That's not a flock of birds! It's a fleet!"
At the same moment, the emergency alarms finally began to sound.
The blaring sirens echoed across all of New York City.
Panic erupted instantly.
People screamed and fled in every direction.
The entire city descended into chaos.
Ebony Maw's expression remained cold and indifferent.
Without needing his orders, countless warships opened their weapon ports.
The Avengers could wait no longer.
These aliens had no intention of fighting a ground war.
They planned to bombard the surface first.
And if they succeeded, New York would be annihilated.
Tony shot into the sky immediately, charging toward the fleet.
Bruce Banner crouched low, then launched himself upward like a missile toward one of the ships.
The others unleashed their own abilities as well.
Heroes like Steve Rogers, who lacked aerial mobility, could only watch from the ground.
At the same time, countless missiles streaked through the skies toward the alien fleet.
Since Earth had received advance warning, global military forces had already prepared countermeasures.
Explosions thundered one after another as missiles detonated around the ships.
But when the smoke cleared, Tony's face darkened.
Most of the ships remained completely intact.
Just like the Earth Defense System before them, the missiles had failed to penetrate the energy shields.
Only a handful of vessels suffered visible damage.
Inside the Pentagon, everyone stared at the screen in shock.
"How are those ships resisting our attacks?" a lieutenant general demanded darkly.
Another officer turned toward the five-star general beside him.
"Sir… perhaps it's time to prepare the final option. The earlier we act, the lower our losses will be."
Before the general could respond, another officer interrupted sharply.
"What are you suggesting? Destroy Earth ourselves before the aliens even attack?"
He pointed at the battlefield footage.
"This is our home territory. Yes, most of the missiles failed, but some of them worked."
His eyes hardened.
"That means the alien ships are not invincible. Their shields simply absorb a certain amount of damage."
"One missile isn't enough? Then fire two."
"If two aren't enough, fire ten."
Then he looked at the general.
"Sir, unless there's absolutely no alternative, we cannot consider nuclear strikes. We cannot repeat what happened in New York last time."
The general remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Notify the White House. Activate Protocol A3."
His face remained calm and resolute.
"Redirect every missile system in the United States toward New York."
"If missiles can hurt them, then we'll teach these invaders exactly how dangerous Earth can be."
"Make the preparations."
"Yes, sir!"
The entire Pentagon erupted with renewed determination.
Earth was no helpless victim.
Humanity had changed.
No matter who dared invade, they would pay the price.
Tony and the others quickly witnessed the true scale of Earth's arsenal.
At first, Ebony Maw had paid little attention.
Yes, the earlier attacks had damaged part of his fleet.
But compared to the fleet as a whole, the losses were insignificant.
Then he saw them.
Hundreds of missiles racing toward the fleet simultaneously.
And behind them, even more missiles were still launching.
For the first time, his pupils contracted slightly.
The people of Earth were stronger than he had expected.
Missiles slammed relentlessly against the ships' shields.
One missile alone could not break through.
But shield energy was finite.
As the bombardment intensified, more and more warships began to fail.
Forced into action, Ebony Maw raised his staff high.
Vast magical energy surged outward.
A gigantic magical barrier spread across the fleet.
Every missile exploded harmlessly against it.
But Ebony Maw's face turned noticeably pale.
"Land immediately!"
Just like on the Ravager planet, if orbital bombardment failed, then direct invasion would suffice.
The Ravagers had only survived because they possessed support from Locke Technologies.
That company was a technological giant feared throughout the cosmos.
But Earth did not have Locke Technologies.
So this time, he was certain the outcome would be different.
"Crush them!"
Ebony Maw roared.
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