Before this battle, Hong Fei had made many preparations. For example, he summoned Veronica first; as soon as it appeared in space, Arthur easily found and took over the Veronica system.
Furthermore, this battle could be said to be the first time in the cinematic universe that the extraordinary system, superheroes, aliens, and other elements were displayed before the world. It thrust these astonishing things into everyone's minds without reservation. It was both an almost unavoidable disaster and a curtain just being raised.
Hong Fei certainly had a way to stop the Battle of New York from breaking out at the very beginning. However, his improvement would inevitably be mixed with pros and cons.
Hong Fei guessed that if he stopped the Battle of New York from the source, the improvement he gained might be significantly reduced. If such a hearty, epic battle were erased, Hong Fei would inevitably have to pay several or even dozens of times more effort to improve himself in the future. This did not fit Master Hong's style of conduct and philosophy of life at all.
If it can be done today, don't drag it to tomorrow. If someone needs to be killed, don't have any scruples due to external factors, and definitely don't waste breath blabbering before killing them. Once the grass is cut, don't forget to take the time to remove the roots.
Opportunities to eat from both sides were rare to begin with. If he didn't act at a time like this, after this period passed, Master Hong would surely suffer from the condemnation of his conscience and the lashing of that flexible moral bottom line.
The second point, naturally, was to build momentum for himself and the seven "gourd brothers." Saying it was "whitewashing" would be an overstatement, as they would eventually turn dark again in the future.
The purpose of building momentum was to tell everyone through action: these people were not purely bad guys. That was enough, because people who were willing to believe in them would actively fill in suitable reasons for their previous or future actions, and they would even help Master Hong formulate some pursuits that sounded grand and cool.
If no one did that, then Big Head would have to bring his head to see him. What was this called? Setting up a memorial arch—pfft, it was winning over the majority!
Continuing forward, the significance of doing this was for the last point.
The last point: the Battle of New York could bring not only dual improvements in body and energy; it could also provide a good opportunity and environment for the HYDRA that was about to emerge; it could further strip away the connection between S.H.I.E.L.D. and superheroes from the root of thought; and after the aliens failed, it could continue to subvert the cognition of certain people on this land.
This time, Master Hong wasn't just going to kill, he was going to attack the heart! After all, besides the growth of individual strength, Hong Fei was also a man who had pursuits in other aspects. And by attacking the hearts of certain people, he would be better able to stir up trouble in the future—it was all interlinked and extremely tight.
Returning to the present, the best way to build momentum was, of course, to make a strong entrance in the midst of a desperate situation, under the spotlight of everyone!
......
The phone call ended, and Natasha immediately threw it to the ground, and then, still feeling unsatisfied, she stepped on it hard several times.
Turning her head, Steve's inquiry came through the earpiece: "Natasha, how is it?"
"It's a success, they are coming over immediately."
At this moment, the sky outside the New York City downtown area suddenly exploded. Looking up, seven completely black figures flew over quickly, supported by their armor.
Arriving first was Frank. The armor on his body was a circle larger than before. The intuitive visual change this brought was that he seemed to have become a Black Hulk. Beneath the mighty armor's feet, four nozzles were exposed on each side, helping the armor hover in mid-air as if walking on flat ground.
The weapons mounted on the armor included not only traditional kinetic weapons like Gatling guns, but also micro-missiles trailing white smoke, and energy projectiles firing continuously. As soon as Frank appeared, he was like a melting pot of modern warfare weapons. Various ammunitions poured out crazily in an instant.
Within seconds, he directly cleared a large area of space that had originally been occupied by dense numbers of Chitauri. His appearance instantly attracted the gazes of Tony, Steve, and others, and even the fleeing crowd on the ground cast glances amidst the continuous sound of explosions.
Big Head, with a circular black one-way spherical cover on his head, broke away from the formation and charged toward a Leviathan with unstoppable momentum and peerless bravery. The Leviathan—also known as the Leviathan—was one of the most successful examples of the combination of biology and technology in the Chitauri civilization.
Big Head certainly understood technology, but now he valued the biological parts of the Leviathan more.
Big Head rushed towards the giant beast, and the giant beast also saw Big Head, but the giant beast didn't care at all about the little guy blocking its path. It just opened its mouth slightly, and sharp teeth with a metallic luster were immediately exposed in its huge mouth.
Big Head opened his arms, his black cloak hunting in the air behind him. Invisible Psychic Power surged out and descended upon the Leviathan in a way that was completely invisible to the naked eye.
In an instant, the giant beast that had been swimming forward suddenly slowed down, and the sharp teeth in its mouth stopped just grazing Big Head's body. The two stood in a standoff, both motionless.
If it weren't for the cloak behind Big Head still flapping, people might have mistaken this for a sudden pause in time.
Big Head waved his hand casually, and a scarlet blood-red light suddenly emerged in the Leviathan's pupils. It suddenly raised its head upward, flipped its body, opened its mouth wide, and directly wiped out a Chitauri skiff that was flying rapidly in the air!
Afterward, it charged toward another giant beast with a clear target. This scene made Tony, who had just managed to find an opportunity to kill one giant beast, curl his lips. Two Leviathan beasts began to fight. The Chitauri soldiers who had come to their senses turned their guns to aim at the traitorous giant beast.
Before long, the metal on the outside of this giant beast had been blasted and dismantled to a large extent. At this moment, two figures suddenly rushed up. Yelena dove directly into the mouth of the enemy Leviathan, and in a blink of an eye, a series of explosions came from its belly.
Jessica flew to the tail of the giant beast. She grabbed the beast's tail firmly with both hands and flew backward with all her might. After being dragged forward for ten meters by the Leviathan, Jessica finally gained the initiative in this contest of strength! She pulled the giant beast, which was a hundred times her size, backward, ignoring its struggling body.
After flying in a clear arc, Jessica suddenly let out a shout and actually swung it around in circles! Suddenly, Yelena flew out from the giant beast's mouth. Seeing this, Jessica threw the giant beast directly into the sky!
Boom! With an explosive sound, flames suddenly erupted from inside the giant beast, and countless fragments bloomed into a brilliant firework along with sparks.
Ivan cracked his twin whips, energy surging through them like live wires. His new armor wasn't ready yet, forcing him to rely on old techniques—but each lash still bisected Chitauri soldiers with brutal efficiency.
High above, Antonia hovered beside Frank, her arrows finding their marks with unerring precision. Every twang of her bowstring meant death for one enemy, sometimes an entire group.
The Abomination made his entrance last, the heavyweight of their team. Bronski landed on a rooftop still in human form, armored and ready. Stripping off the protective gear, he activated the electric shock ring on his finger. Three seconds later, high-voltage current erupted—followed by a roar that shook the streets.
"Hulk's here?" Tony's voice crackled over comms.
The answer came as a monstrous green form launched from the rooftop. Abomination's fists demolished every skiff in his path before he crash-landed onto a Leviathan's back. His massive hands pounded the beast relentlessly.
Frank adjusted his trajectory, raining bullets from above while Jessica flew in behind, delivering crushing blows. Yelena darted between attacks, her arrows finding weak points in the creature's armored hide.
Then Big Head moved in, hands outstretched. The Leviathan froze mid-thrash. Three seconds later, the light faded from its eyes as the colossal body plummeted earthward.
The seven figures hovered triumphant. Across the city, panicked citizens slowed their flight, eyes turning upward. From the crowd came the first cheers since the portal's opening.
Steve wrenched his shield from a Chitauri's skull, grinning. "They've earned that trust."
Natasha's voice held grudging respect. "Combat efficiency's impressive. Though one of them looks suspiciously like Barton."
Even Tony exhaled sharply after witnessing their performance. "Okay, that was... adequate."
At the city's edge, a quinjet touched down. Barton squinted at the distant black figures. "Why are they here?"
Behind him, Luke and Matt—freshly bandaged in S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms—leaned forward.
Matt tilted his head. "Who showed up?"
Luke's chest twinged where his ribs had cracked. "Him."
That single word needed no elaboration.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop, a different battle raged. Hong Fei sidestepped Mjolnir's throw, his armored fist rocketing toward Thor's face. The god barely dodged, summoning his hammer back mid-retreat. The weapon whistled past Hong Fei's head, forcing another evasion.
Thor caught Mjolnir, frustration bleeding into his voice. "Hong, I don't want to fight you!"
Silence. Just another punishing strike from the Hulkbuster armor.
Understanding dawned in Thor's eyes. His grip tightened. With a roar, he swung—Mjolnir connected with the armor's arm in a shower of sparks and shorn metal.
"Forgive me."
Thor raised his hammer skyward. Thunder split the clear blue as a lightning bolt thicker than a tree trunk lanced down.
The armor's systems screamed warnings, then failed entirely. Hong Fei's vision flooded crimson as the current overwhelmed the suit. Plating vaporized under the assault. Residual electricity arced through internal circuits before grounding itself in the nanotech beneath—
Hong Fei was certain Dr. Helen Cho had accounted for insulation when engineering the nano armor. But Thor's thunder wasn't mere electrical current—it carried the arcane energies of the mystic realms, infused with divine power far beyond mortal comprehension. The lightning bypassed the armor's defenses, surging through to strike Hong Fei's body.
His pores clenched violently, every hair standing on end as the shockwave rippled through him. With a metallic clatter, Hong Fei shed the Hulkbuster Armor, propelling himself clear of the lightning's path. Thor moved just as fast, launching into the air with a whirl of his hammer, aiming straight for Hong Fei's chest.
Dragon Power erupted from Hong Fei in a blinding surge. The nano armor on his arms and chest glowed with a radiant golden light, turning nearly translucent. The air shield condensed into a shimmering barrier before the Dragon Power transformed it into a solid gold shield.
The impact came with a deafening boom—the shield shattered instantly, fragments scattering like shards of sunlight.
Hong Fei felt his flesh, bones, and internal organs shudder in unison. A metallic taste flooded his mouth as blood surged up his throat. He shot backward at blistering speed, widening the gap between them.
In that same moment, he activated the skill card he'd been holding back.
Equal Match!