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*****
New York, Upper East Side, Manhattan—near Stark Tower.
The citizens of New York, usually known for their high tolerance for the bizarre, were currently spiraling into a mix of frenzy, panic, and sheer disbelief.
Although only a small fraction of the Chitauri soldiers had leaked through the portal before it closed, and none had survived very long, it was enough for a rather unfriendly "first contact" encounter.
The moment Fini had first appeared, New York reporters had materialized out of thin air, arriving even faster than S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. When the Chitauri descended, these journalists risked their lives to broadcast the scene to the entire world.
As a result, when the public saw Fini fly into the spatial rift, a wave of conspiracy theories immediately swept toward him.
"I knew he wasn't human! He wears that armor just to hide his hideous face!" one reporter, hiding in a corner, declared with absolute certainty while Fini was still chanting his spell.
"As we can see, there is a massive hole above Stark Tower. Aliens seem to be emerging from it. Who opened it? Why is the Knight of Divine Punishment riding that giant beast inside? For more details, stay tuned. I am..." This was a more moderate, fact-based report.
"After a long absence, the Silver Knight has reappeared! This time, we finally see his mount—a colossal silver dragon. Perhaps we should call him a Dragon Knight. He has appeared to save us and repel the alien invasion!" This reporter seemed to be a fan of Fini's, and ironically, their report was the closest to the truth—aside from the title.
In the brief window while Fini was inside the portal, the entire world was plunged into shock. People were finally beginning to see the true nature of the universe, uncurtained by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrecy.
Most people leaned toward the third perspective. It wasn't necessarily because they were fans, but because every time Fini appeared, he was seen saving the day alongside Tony Stark. Furthermore, Stark's PR team usually managed to polish Fini's image whenever they promoted Iron Man.
Thus, those harboring malice toward Fini were a small minority. Most preferred to believe he was a human defender of Earth who had charged into the portal to stop the invaders.
This belief was solidified when reporters on the ground in Manhattan broadcasted footage of the Chitauri soldiers suddenly collapsing and becoming paralyzed after the mothership was destroyed.
"We can see they've stopped moving! I'm going in for a closer look. If anything happens to me, tell my kid his dad died saving the world—oh wait, I don't have a girlfriend yet!"
A young reporter, narrating to the camera, actually attempted to approach a downed Chitauri soldier.
"Hey! What are you doing? Stop! Get out of there!"
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and New York police were also on the scene. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, trained for extraordinary events, were holding their ground with weapons drawn despite the shock of facing aliens. The police, however, were struggling; many had fled, and those who stayed were focused solely on maintaining order for the evacuation.
The police were just beginning to breathe a sigh of relief when they saw the reporter trying to provoke the "corpses" and immediately shouted warnings.
But a New York reporter is a different breed. Ignoring the warnings, the young man dashed up to a fallen Chitauri soldier and smashed his baseball bat into its head.
The audience behind the screens and the police nearby gasped, but when the alien remained motionless, they finally exhaled.
"They're dead! I knew it! The Knight of Divine Punishment went in to wipe them out! Hahaha!" the reporter cheered. Just then, his cameraman spotted Fini flying back out of the portal. Shifting the lens, the cameraman yelled, "Look! The Knight and his dragon! They're out!"
"Knight of Divine Punishment!"
The reporter looked up. Though Fini was too far away to see clearly, the silhouette atop the massive Blue-Eyes White Dragon was unmistakable. He waved and cheered frantically.
Around him, injured and hiding citizens emerged from the shadows. Seeing that the aliens were truly dead, they joined in the chorus of gratitude, shouting the Knight's name.
Unfortunately for them, Fini heard their cries and felt no joy. Instead, he felt a sense of profound grief.
"Not a knight... I'm a mage!"
Fini half-wanted to fly down and set the record straight. After witnessing the majesty of his "Explosion Magic," he was more committed to the path of the mage than ever. Flying through ships like Captain Marvel was one thing, but waving a hand and watching an entire fleet turn to ash—now that was style.
However, he was anxious to reclaim the Tesseract and the Scepter. Since the misunderstanding had already lasted this long, he didn't bother descending to explain.
Back on the roof of Stark Tower, Erik Selvig was sitting on the ground, looking utterly spent. Having been controlled by Loki for days, forced to travel and work relentlessly, his aging body was at its limit.
"What did you do to them?" Selvig asked as Fini dismounted the dragon with visible effort. He had noticed the aliens dying simultaneously, and Fini was the only variable.
"I treated them to a magnificent fireworks display," Fini replied casually. He picked up the Scepter, which was lying near Selvig, and walked slowly toward the Tesseract. Feeling dangerously weak, he didn't dare unsummon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon yet.
Selvig looked confused; from his vantage point, he hadn't seen the destruction on the other side of the rift.
Stopping about a meter from the Tesseract, Fini held the Scepter but didn't move closer immediately. He spoke in a cold, low voice: "I haven't settled the score with you for what happened last time."
"So, I'm warning you—if you dare teleport me to some random place again, I will find a way to destroy every single one of you useless stones!"
The Tesseract remained silent, looking like an inanimate object. If not for the last time it had tricked him, Fini might have believed it.
Just as Fini took the Tesseract into his hand, Thor and Tony finally returned. Both were covered in dust and grime. Tony's Hulkbuster armor was gone, and his replacement Mark 7 suit was once again a wreck.
Notably, Bruce Banner—and the Hulk—were nowhere to be seen.
"Where is my brother?!"
The moment Thor landed and saw Fini holding the Scepter and the Cube, his first priority was Loki. To him, Loki was still the most important thing.
"Cough... over here."
Fini walked toward where he had left Loki. Thor hurried after him. When he saw the figure on the ground, he didn't recognize him at first. He even said with a hint of pity, "Who is this? You beat him into a pulp."
But as he spoke, something felt wrong. The physique, the clothes... they looked more familiar the longer he stared. He turned to see Fini looking sheepish.
"That's Loki?!"
"Sorry... I might have overdone it."
"LOKI!!!"
Thor let out a cry of anguish and rushed over to check on his brother.
(End of Chapter)