The missile struck Thor with explosive force, sending him plunging into the ocean depths. Moments later, he erupted from the water's surface in a thunderous boom, soaring skyward. Raising Mjolnir high, he unleashed a deafening roar. Thick storm clouds instantly gathered across the night sky as rolling thunder coalesced into a massive lightning pillar over ten meters wide.
The blinding column of electricity illuminated everything below as it struck the aircraft carrier. The deck shattered instantly under the assault. As the lightning pillar bored downward, thousands of electric serpents erupted from the carrier's belly, completely engulfing the warship in a web of crackling energy.
One breath later, the entire vessel exploded from bow to stern in a spectacular fireball.
"Did you get that on camera?" Hong Fei asked.
"Got it. Steady shot, crystal clear," Big Head replied, handing over his phone.
"Let me see."
Standing together on the churning waves, Hong Fei examined the landscape-mode footage.
"Damn, this looks like Hollywood CGI. Check this out."
He passed the phone to Xu Wenwu before turning back to Big Head.
"That missile strike was textbook perfect."
Big Head shrugged modestly.
"Just basic knowledge. I told them to fire, they fired."
Hong Fei clapped him on the shoulder.
"Good work. Now get over to the Dark Elves and tell those idiots to start thinking for themselves instead of blindly following Thor."
He turned to Xu Wenwu.
"You handle the fleet - make them collapse faster."
As the two departed, Hong Fei watched Thor with a sigh.
"Didn't want to do this, buddy. You left me no choice."
Above them, Thor cradled the unconscious Jane. Though her body showed no outward injuries, the Aether Particles writhed visibly beneath her skin. The cosmic force required a healthy host, and while Thor had absorbed most of the missile's impact, the residual shockwaves must have caused serious internal damage. No wonder he'd snapped.
His retaliatory strike against the nearest carrier gave the pursuing Dark Elf flagship an opening. The massive warship's hull shifted, revealing rows of gun ports that glowed yellow before flashing red. The air trembled as energy cannons unleashed a devastating barrage.
The sea below mirrored the dazzling lightshow as supersonic projectiles streaked toward Thor. Clutching Jane tighter, the thunder god surged forward, the distant shoreline lights beckoning. But he suddenly veered sideways as missiles converged from all directions - front, back, both flanks - seemingly coordinating with the Dark Elf assault to box him in.
Aboard the human warship, the Commander gaped as missiles launched autonomously from his vessel's silos. Hong Fei shook his head in disbelief.
"Big Head's taking this too far. Chasing Thor like this? Doesn't he know we're brothers?"
He sighed as he noticed the empty missile racks. "Someone reload those already... Damn, Big Head's playing dirty."
Watching Thor execute an aerial ballet of sudden stops and hairpin turns with Mjolnir, Hong Fei muttered, "Well, at least he's unlocking his full potential."
Hong Fei frowned, a question nagging at him. Thor always flew by spinning his hammer—so how could he hover motionless, pivot on a dime, and maneuver freely in midair?
"Cease fire! Stop the goddamn shooting!"
The Commander slammed his foot down, face red with rage. He clutched his chest, gasping for breath, unable to finish his sentence.
Turning to his lieutenant, Hong Fei asked, "Big Head, did you handle the preparations?"
The man grinned.
"Boss, relax. The launch order came straight from the top—only the highest brass could've greenlit it. On my way here, I made sure the Secretary of State and that general were... aligned."
"Good work."
"Thank you, Boss!"
"Don't just focus on Thor," Hong Fei barked. "Hit the Dark Elves too. Don't let them hog the villain spotlight."
"Yes, sir!"
Instantly, dozens of warships pivoted, unleashing a barrage of firepower at the Dark Elves' main vessel. Explosions erupted across the T-shaped warship's hull, lighting up the sky in a dazzling display of destruction.
The sheer force of the blasts briefly halted the enemy ship's advance. But then, with a mechanical groan, its upper hatch slid open. Blade Warships poured out like angry hornets, buzzing ominously as they descended over the water. Before the human fleet could react, the smaller crafts unleashed their own assault, raining destruction on the naval vessels below.
One side was bound to the sea; the other ruled the skies. And with the staggering technological gap, the latter saw the former as little more than target practice. The Dark Elves' main warship plowed through the human fleet's so-called "defense line," advancing effortlessly through a corridor of explosions.
In the distance, a quinjet raced toward Thor. Seeing it approach, the Asgardian raised Mjolnir, ready to strike.
Tony Stark swooped in, stepping over the quinjet's wing.
"Thor, cool it! We're here to help!"
"Help me?" Thor roared. "Your army just attacked me!"
"Trust me, that wasn't us. We've got no ties to them. We're the Avengers—we don't control the Military, and they don't control us."
Thor hesitated, still skeptical. But then Tony's shoulder armor opened, launching a volley of micro-missiles. Simultaneously, the quinjet fired its own payload toward Thor's flank.
The missiles trailing Thor were obliterated in a swift counterattack. Tony glanced at the Dark Elves' warship, now cruising smugly through the fleet's defenses.
"Let's move. Get ashore—those aliens are closing in fast."
"They're Dark Elves!" Thor corrected, leaping onto the quinjet's roof. The jet banked sharply, speeding toward New York.
"Big Head," Hong Fei called again.
"Boss, it's handled. The Air Force is on our side. But I detected submarines underwater."
"Nuclear-armed?"
"Yep."
"Ah, forget it for now. We'll deal with that later."
Before Hong Fei could finish, fighter jets roared overhead. Without any formal engagement, the two sides clashed immediately.
With human fighter jets in front and Blade Warships behind, the quinjet found itself caught in a deadly crossfire—much like Thor had been moments ago.
Hong Fei glanced at his team.
"Let's move. This fleet is useless. Xu Wenwu, find Big Head. Disguise yourselves, follow the Dark Elves, and stay covert."
"What about you?" Xu asked.
"Same," Hong Fei replied, already turning to leave.
Hong Fei plunged into the depths of the ocean, his body cutting through the water with alarming speed. Within moments, he closed in on the Dark Elves' flagship. Above the waves, the aerial battle raged just as fiercely. Close-quarters dogfights turned the sky into a dizzying whirl of metal and fire. American fighter jets fell one after another to the quinjet's guns—though the advanced craft itself began taking damage too.
When the American forces surpassed ten fighters, the tide turned. A direct hit struck the quinjet's left wing. Fire erupted, alarms wailed through the cockpit, and the crippled aircraft careened toward the coastal city's outskirts. Thor leapt free moments before impact, landing gracefully on solid ground.
Tony Stark accelerated, straining to stabilize the falling quinjet—but physics won. The massive craft dragged him down until he had to release it, slamming onto the pavement. Not everyone could play Superman. With a deafening crash, the quinjet belly-flopped onto the street, skidding forward in a shower of sparks.
Black scorch marks streaked the asphalt as the sliding wreckage flipped cars like toys. It finally ground to a halt at the street's end, its nose crumpling against a wrought-iron gate. Through the dust, a white-haired old man gaped from the doorway, his shouts lost in the chaos.
Meanwhile, the Dark Elves' warships breached the city's defenses. Human pilots stood no chance—most were obliterated within seconds, their ejection seats useless against the onslaught. Burning wrecks rained onto skyscrapers, igniting secondary explosions that painted the night in hellish orange.
London's nightmare repeated itself. Another warship plowed into the city, carving a trench through parks and roads alike before embedding itself a hundred meters from the downed quinjet. Even among Manhattan's towers, the obsidian vessel loomed monstrous.
As the last sliver of moonlight vanished, the warship's belly yawned open. Dark Elves poured forth like ants, weapons gleaming. Then came Malekith, flanked by his elite guard.
Thor stood his ground, Jane cradled in his arms as enemies encircled him.
"Running changes nothing," Malekith sneered. "One continent to another—your fate remains unchanged."
"Fate?" Thor's voice dripped venom. "You think fate smiles on you?"
"Naturally."
Malekith flicked his wrist. Jane tore from Thor's grasp, hurled through the air by unseen forces.
Thor was about to reach out, but the Dark Elves beside him immediately fired energy blasts to knock him back. His hammer clattered to the pavement. In an unnoticed corner, three Dark Elves vanished briefly—only to reemerge moments later, dispersing into separate squads.