The flight from the Helicarrier to New York gave me just enough time to beat the incoming storm.
When the private elevator opened into the Stark Tower penthouse, the tension was already suffocating.
Tony was descending the curved staircase, buying time as robotic arms peeled away the damaged Mark VI armor piece by piece.
Near the center of the room, Loki stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, scepter in hand, the blue glow reflecting in the glass.
Tony slipped metallic bracelets onto his wrists and wandered over to the bar. He noticed me but didn't break stride.
"Can I offer you a drink, Reindeer Games?" he said. Then, glancing my way, "Adrian, you want anything? Scotch?"
Loki turned. His eyes narrowed the moment he saw me, shown his wariness in his steps.
"Stalling won't change anything, Stark," Loki said keeping his gaze on me. "The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will stop them. What have I to fear?"
"The Avengers," Tony replied, pouring himself a drink. "That's what we call ourselves. Sort of like a team. Earth's Mightiest Heroes type thing."
"Yes," Loki said with a thin smile, pacing closer to Tony. "I've met them."
"It takes us a while to get traction, I'll admit," Tony said, taking a sip. "But let's count. Your brother the demigod. A super soldier. A guy with serious anger issues. A couple of assassins… and this one..." he gestured vaguely toward me, "..who frankly terrifies me."
Loki raised the scepter. "I have an army."
"We have a Hulk."
"I thought the beast had wandered off."
"You're missing the point," Tony said, stepping forward. "There's no throne. No version of this where you win. Maybe your army comes, maybe it's too much, but it's on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned sure we'll avenge it."
Loki's expression changed.
He stepped in close and pressed the glowing tip of the scepter against Tony's chest.
Clink.
The arc reactor casing stopped it cold. The energy flickered uselessly.
Loki frowned. He tried again.
Clink.
"This usually works," he muttered.
"Performance issues," Tony said. "Happens."
Loki snapped. He grabbed Tony by the throat and hurled him across the room. Tony crashed through the glass table and hit the floor hard.
I didn't move.
Tony scrambled up. "Jarvis, anytime now."
Loki seized him again and threw him straight through the window.
Glass exploded outward. Tony dropped toward the streets below.
Loki turned back toward me, a cruel smile forming as he raised the scepter.
A red-and-gold pod shot past the shattered window, diving after Tony.
Seconds later, Iron Man surged back into view, hovering just beyond the balcony.
"And there's one other person you pissed off," Tony said, voice amplified. "His name was Phil."
Twin blasts slammed into Loki's chest, launching him across the room and into the far wall.
Above us, the Tesseract device reached critical.
A deep, rising energy shook the tower. Then a column of blinding blue light tore into the sky.
I stepped out onto the balcony.
The sky split open.
Darkness bled through the tear as the portal expanded, and the first wave of Chitauri poured into the sky.
They descended fast on their chariots ready and already spreading.
Tony hovered near the edge, tracking them.
"Tell me you brought an umbrella, Adrian."
"The Director found his motivation," I said. "The others are on their way."
"Good. They can help me clean up." His thrusters flared as he angled upward. "I need to choke them off before they spread."
"Hold."
He paused mid-air, glancing back. "They're about to light up Midtown."
"I'll handle it."
I stepped to the edge of the balcony and looked up at the descending swarm.
If they spread, the city wouldn't survive the first wave.
That wasn't happening.
I let my will expand outward.
The air shifted.
Invisible pressure spread from the tower, settling over the surrounding blocks like a weight pressing down on the city itself.
The first wave crossed into it.
Their engines failed instantly.
The chariots dropped.
One after another, they fell out of the sky as metal tearing, bodies crashing into streets and buildings below. The sound rolled through the city in a wave of impact and debris.
Tony lowered his hands slightly, watching it happen.
"Okay," he said. "What did you just do?"
"A no-fly zone."
Below us, the surviving Chitauri pulled themselves from the wreckage, already regrouping, weapons coming up as they shifted to ground combat.
A Quinjet roared into view, banking low between buildings. Steve, Natasha, and Barton dropped into the streets, engaging immediately.
"Your team has targets," I said.
Tony's faceplate snapped shut.
"Ground game it is. I'll keep them busy. Try not to bring the sky down on me."
He dove off the balcony, streaking toward the fight below.
I remained where I was.
The pressure held.
Above the city, the sky stayed closed to them.
Below, the battle began.
[
For more chapters, access my patreon
Link: https://patreon.com/WonderingWriter
]