It was 9:14 PM. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier hovered over Phoenix, carrying out precision strikes on the steadily multiplying Chitauri single-pilot flyers.
This Helicarrier concentrated technology that ranked among the top five on the entire planet. Since taking position, over eight thousand Chitauri soldiers had perished under its onslaught. A brilliant combat record... my ass!
Director Hill stood with arms folded before the command console. Her expression held not a trace of joy. Her thoughts churned endlessly.
In the past hour, more than three thousand nuclear warheads had been launched worldwide. Yet humanity's ultimate weapon, the one Earth took such pride in, had been effortlessly neutralized by those aliens.
That outcome gave brutal, factual proof to certain philosophical arguments. What defines the height of a civilization is never its destructive power, but its ability to protect itself.
On that front, the aliens had won with laughable ease.
Watching the Chitauri forces radiate outward across the central United States, watching those alien creatures slaughter every civilian in their path, Hill felt her heart shatter.
But with all her mobile forces already committed to resistance and rescue, what else could she possibly do?
Go into battle herself? If she were nothing more than a superhero, she would have gone. Just like Natasha was doing right now. Both were women, but Natasha was currently clad in Iron Man armor, flying through Phoenix and slaughtering like a demon.
Yet facing a number that kept swelling—hundreds of thousands, even millions of enemies—Hill understood all too well that what she lacked was never just one more soldier. She needed hundreds of thousands, even millions of combat-ready warriors.
And those warriors would have to be equipped at least to the standard of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special field strike teams. Otherwise, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Chitauri. Even in the movies, the Chitauri were terrifying. Nearly every single soldier wielded energy weapons and personal flyers. Put bluntly, they dropped dead the moment they met a superhero. But if you looked at them objectively, aside from lacking pumpkin bombs, they were hardly any different from the Green Goblin. Was this an enemy ordinary Earth soldiers could handle?
Hill sighed through gritted teeth, forcing herself to sear every successive slaughter before her eyes into memory.
S.H.I.E.L.D., the shield of humanity she had once believed in? The current S.H.I.E.L.D. was still utterly unworthy of that name. She had to remember this hatred, carve it deep, and in the future repay every single ounce of it back into the hands of those aliens.
That was for the future, though. Hill had to seize the present. With nothing more she could do, she once again dialed the theater where Heisenberg resided.
Naturally, the one who answered was Billy. Young Billy had fully settled into the butler profession. He might not be as flawless as some legendary butlers, but in terms of competence, he was second to none. He glanced at the caller ID. A string of bizarre numbers that looked nothing like a normal phone number. Understanding immediately, he picked up.
"This is Heisenberg Theater. You must be Director Hill. Calling to ask about the aliens and the Boss? The Boss has already headed to Oklahoma with Iron Man to provide support. Is there anything else?"
"Nothing else!"
Hill hung up without hesitation, then hurriedly contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel in the Oklahoma area. With S.H.I.E.L.D. committing its main strength to the Chitauri forces advancing on Phoenix, the other fronts had been left with little more than a handful of temporary agents. Fortunately, those temps were fairly competent. After receiving Hill's orders, they swiftly managed to transmit the latest video feed, even amid the chaos of battle.
And so, Hill witnessed yet another facet of Heisenberg's power.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Oklahoma, Heisenberg hurled Iron Man through the air, sending him tumbling over a dozen times. After Tony steadied himself, he shot an annoyed glance back at the portal, but Heisenberg hadn't followed.
"Expand visual. What the hell is that bastard doing?"
Tony locked his armor's visual sensors on the portal's other side and immediately saw a pair of embracing—
Ahem. He saw that perfectly matched man and woman.
Tony rolled his eyes, then directed his armor to charge straight at the Chitauri bearing down on him. Deprived of Supergiant's telepathic command, the Chitauri could no longer maintain any formation. Right now they were no better than space pirates, chaotically sweeping through every living thing in sight.
Those damn bastards didn't even spare the watermelon fields Oklahoma was so famous for! The very farmland Iron Man had landed on had been hosting the annual watermelon competition, a contest to see whose farm could grow the biggest watermelon. But now a contest of size had instantly become a contest of color. Watermelons and humans now competed to see whose splattered juices were redder!
No positive emotion remained in Tony's heart. Dark thoughts completely swallowed his mind.
He popped open his shoulder and back armor panels, raised both repulsor gauntlets. Countless missiles flew from his shoulders, while his repulsor blasts cleanly blew apart two Chitauri heads. Then Tony thrust out his chest. Not to show off his cup size, of course. The chest-mounted laser swept in a wide arc as he spun. Like wiping grime off a window, the Chitauri plummeted like filth.
In the distance, a single Chitauri piloting a flyer drifted dazedly toward the portal. Confirming there were people on the other side, it flew straight through and aimed its energy lance at the embracing Heisenberg.
The noise made Heisenberg frown with annoyance. But before he could act, the Ancient One, still holding him, raised a hand and delivered an empty palm strike.
BOOM!!!
Countless air currents, carrying massive magical force, unleashed a shockwave as staggering as the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack. Chitauri and flyer alike were instantly reduced to scattered wreckage. Foul, stinking liquid splattered across the lounge. Heisenberg had no choice but to release the mage who brought his mind such profound peace.
"Leaving."
"See you soon."
With those words, Heisenberg dashed through the portal, and the Ancient One, after a small wave, closed it behind him.
The instant he stepped through, a brilliant golden beam greeted him head-on. Iron Man's laser struck Heisenberg square in the chest.
"Sorry! I was just trying to clear out enemies near the portal!" Tony hurriedly explained, then gritted his teeth and prepared to continue slaughtering Chitauri.
Seeing Tony's frustration at his tardiness, Heisenberg gave an understanding smile. Even if I changed you, you're still a hero, buddy. And heroes should stick to what heroes do best. When it comes to killing, heroes are way too unprofessional.
With a cold smirk, Heisenberg stepped forward and casually lifted Tony off the ground. Then, with a sweep of his eyes, heat vision slashed through all the Chitauri closing in on them.
"Why are you grabbing me?" Tony demanded, displeased. Heisenberg replied with a laugh.
"You're too slow. Go save people instead!"
Saying so, he once again flung Tony toward the ground. Even with his armor, the force of the throw left Tony dizzy and disoriented. After he adjusted his stance and stood firm, he saw the air around Heisenberg in the distance begin to ripple, layer upon layer.
"A bio-field, if you haven't developed it deeply enough, is basically just ordinary telekinesis. I'm still a long way from developing it fully. But even as pseudo-telekinesis, it's more than enough for large-scale slaughter of the weak."
Heisenberg hovered in the sky, muttering to himself as he gently raised his right hand. His bio-field instantly expanded outward, its range far exceeding what he had used against Thanos. As the field spread, every survivor in Oklahoma and its outskirts miraculously discovered that the Chitauri hunting them had suddenly frozen in place.
And Heisenberg, eyes closed, a faint smile on his lips, leisurely sensed the data of every Chitauri controlled within his field. Then he parted his lips and murmured softly.
"Fall!"
BOOM!!!
The instant that word left his mouth, the entire state of Oklahoma violently shuddered. The cause of that tremor was the Chitauri, all simultaneously slammed into the ground. Through the computational power of his Kryptonian super-brain, the gravity within the bio-field was precisely and specifically enhanced against the Chitauri. That enhancement was so intense that over one hundred and thirty thousand Chitauri within a thirty-kilometer radius were instantly crushed into soft, pulpy meat paste!
"AAAAHHHHH!!!"
"Oh God!"
"I'm saved!"
"Mommy!!!"
"Where am I?!"
Countless cries of rescue erupted from innumerable ruins and corners. Those voices snapped the stunned Tony back to full awareness.
"You're so goddamn strong!!!" Tony roared, then shot like the wind toward a child dangling from a water tower.
In his panic, the kid had chosen to climb the water tower to escape the aliens, but he had clearly overestimated his fear-weakened legs. Fortunately, Tony spotted him in time. With a childlike grin, he rescued the literally dangling child.
The boy in Tony's arms wore an expression of overwhelming mixed emotions. The grief of losing his parents, the anxiety of being saved, and the excitement of meeting a superhero face-to-face all mingled together. What Iron Man saw was a pained face streaked with tears and speckled with blood.
About nine years old, the child clung tightly to Iron Man's gauntlet, trembling. In a voice that wanted to cry but couldn't, he asked, "Wh... why is this happening?"
Hearing that question, Iron Man's heart clenched violently. For the first time, he found himself utterly lost before a question. He had always believed his mind could solve any puzzle. But what answer could this poor child possibly be expected to bear?
Loss, pain, guilt, self-blame. Countless bitter thoughts clouded Tony's vision.
Beneath his faceplate, he fought to breathe, pressed his lips tight, and set the child down in a yard. The moment the boy's feet touched the ground, his legs buckled. Tony quickly reached out and steadied him. Feeling the armor's icy coldness, yet also a warmth like the sun, the child's tears poured uncontrollably.
Wordlessly, Tony reached out and ruffled the boy's hair.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "If you're asking me why you have to suffer through all this... I'm sorry. Because I failed to do my best."
/-\
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