The Portal Opens

"Now that’s what I like to hear. A person should stand out and become the center of everyone’s attention!"

Loki laughed heartily. Clearly, he and Tony spoke the same language.

At that moment, Absorbing Man suddenly asked, "Iron Man, back at the armor base, why did you stop me from killing people?"

Tony raised an eyebrow and said disdainfully, "Do I need to explain myself to you?"

"What did you say?"

Absorbing Man’s eyes widened in fury. Loki seemed to see through Tony’s thoughts and asked, "Are you afraid of that person?"

"Me, Tony Stark, afraid of some high school kid? He probably doesn’t even know what calculus is!"

Tony snorted, set down his wineglass, and said, "I’m going outside to help Dr. Selvig finish the device. We can’t delay much longer. I’m guessing someone has already noticed Stark Tower!"

With that, Tony turned and headed outside. Absorbing Man sneered. "So-called Iron Man, turns out you’re just a coward!"

"That’s because you haven’t seen how powerful that person is! Luckily, he won’t make it back in time this time!"

Loki shook his head and said, "Enough of that. Can you still turn into a Vibranium body?"

"No, unless I come across Vibranium again!"

Absorbing Man shook his head. "After I revert, I have to touch the stuff again before I can transform!"

Loki asked, "Tony, do you have any Vibranium here?"

"No!"

Tony answered with a terrible attitude. Loki froze, unable to understand why Tony was so furious. "Forget it. I still have a piece of Uru Metal!"

After thinking for a moment, Loki said, "This Uru Metal was enchanted by dwarves. It can absorb and release energy. With your ability, you might even be able to absorb its enchantment!"

"I’ll give it a try!"

Absorbing Man nodded excitedly. Then he thought of something and reminded him, "Loki, be careful of that Beast. He’s powerful!"

Loki said scornfully, "It’s fine. A beast is still just a beast!"

Tony had guessed correctly. The military had already discovered something unusual about Stark Tower. The military brass did not waste words and directly ordered fighter jets to bomb Stark Tower!

Tony immediately put on Mark VII and joined Peacemaker in dealing with the incoming fighter jets. The jets desperately fired missiles at Stark Tower, but to their despair, twenty Drone Armors flew out of the building and blew up every missile! "My Stark Tower is impregnable!"

Tony laughed loudly and fired a missile that blasted apart a fighter jet’s flank. The jet spun into a nearby building and exploded with a thunderous boom, sending flames, rubble, and glass raining down!

Fortunately, there was no one nearby. Most people had gathered on the bridges leading off the island, in the subway, and at the docks!

Though the police were doing their best to direct the evacuation, Manhattan’s exits were inevitably jammed because there were simply too many people. Worse still, even more people were rushing toward the exits! "Damn Tony Stark!"

Seeing all the fighter jets shot down, the military brass could not help cursing. One general asked, "Where are S.H.I.E.L.D. and Osborn Corporation’s reinforcements? We cannot let the portal open!"

"Osborn Corporation’s people have arrived."

A soldier pointed at the screen and shouted. The generals looked up to find Ivan, Dr. Banner, Electro, Wind Demon, and Sin Buster already at Stark Tower!

Besides the five of them, there were also ten Drone Armors manufactured by Osborn Corporation—the remaining ones had been buried beneath the base and were still being excavated!

Holding a massive Vibranium axe, Ivan looked at the Drone Armors and sneered. "Tony Stark, you actually copied my idea?"

Tony snorted. "I didn’t copy your idea. I’d already planned to make Drone Armors. Hmph, you can’t even design an AI butler. What makes you think you can compete with me?"

Ivan was about to respond when Sin Buster shouted, "Enough nonsense. Move now! There are still many civilians in the dock district. If aliens really invade, a lot of people will die!"

"Fine. I’ll handle Tony. Electro, Hulk, you deal with Tony’s Drone Armors together with ours!"

Ivan shouted, "Sin Buster, Wind Demon, go to the rooftop and destroy the portal device!"

"Got it!"

Everyone agreed. Banner muttered to himself, "Hulk, I’ll leave it to you. Oh, and beat Loki up for me. I really hate him!"

The next moment, Hulk appeared. He let out a roar, leaped onto Stark Tower, and rapidly began climbing upward, sending chunks of stone clattering down!

"Hey, that’s my tower!"

Tony shouted unhappily. Just as he was about to stop him, Ivan swung his axe at him and shouted, "Tony, count yourself lucky. I promised Pepper I wouldn’t kill you. Oh, and Pepper agreed to have dinner with me."

"What did you say?"

Tony’s anger instantly surged. He roared, "You dare steal my Little Pepper? I’ll kill you!"

"You sissy, you don’t deserve Pepper!"

Ivan shouted. The two fated rivals went to war once more! At the same time, Osborn Corporation’s Drone Armors and Stark Industries’ Drone Armors began exchanging fire in the air. Bullets and missiles flew everywhere, turning the sky into a battlefield! "Hulk, come help!"

Hulk climbed upward with all his strength. Several Drone Armors changed targets and fired missiles at him. He hurriedly leaped aside, but was still struck by one missile and sent falling downward!

Just then, the Glider flew over on its own and caught Hulk before flying toward the Drone Armors. Betty was controlling it remotely.

The Drone Armors tried to continue their attack, but Electro spread his hands, sending massive currents crashing into several of them. Their systems immediately went haywire, and sparks continuously burst from their bodies! Seizing the chance, Hulk leaped high into the air, grabbed one Drone Armor by the head, and smashed it hard against the wall. With a bang, the Drone Armor’s head was completely deformed! Hulk then tossed it aside and pounced toward the other Drone Armors, while the Glider waited below, ready to catch him at any moment!

While Electro and Hulk battled the Drone Armors, Wind Demon and Sin Buster flew to the rooftop, where Peacemaker, Absorbing Man, and Loki were waiting for them!

"Not only did you bring aliens to invade Earth, you kidnapped my daughter too. You’re all going to die!"

Sin Buster roared and fired two missiles at Loki. Loki snorted disdainfully and used the Mind Scepter to destroy one missile, while Peacemaker’s machine gun blew up the other!

Seeing this, Sin Buster directly activated Ghost Rider mode and lashed his flaming chain downward! "What the hell is that?"

Loki was startled. He hurriedly had Absorbing Man, now transformed into Uru Metal, stand in front of him. The chain immediately wrapped around Absorbing Man, but to Damon’s astonishment, Hellfire failed to burn him to death and was instead gradually absorbed by him!

"This feeling is incredible!"

Absorbing Man laughed wildly, broke free of the chain, and thrust both hands toward Damon. Two massive fireballs howled through the air, forcing Damon to dodge!

Absorbing Man had truly inherited Uru Metal’s enchantment! "Hahaha, Carl, I like your power!"

Loki laughed and joined Absorbing Man in attacking Damon.

At the same time, Wind Demon tried to sneak over and destroy the portal device, but Peacemaker stopped him. As Peacemaker held up both hands and sprayed fire at Wind Demon, he said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. studied how to kill you. You’re not afraid of bullets, but you’re afraid of energy. Large-scale flames can hurt you too!"

Wind Demon turned into wind and escaped the attack range, angrily shouting, "Are you people at S.H.I.E.L.D. insane? Why would you study how to kill me? I’m a Super Hero!"

"That’s right, everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. is insane!"

Peacemaker laughed loudly. "Endure pain. Only by enduring pain can you understand the truth of this world!"

"You talk too much. Die!"

Wind Demon swept up a nearby sign and hurled it viciously at Dr. Selvig. Peacemaker shredded the sign with his machine gun, but Wind Demon pushed with his hand, sending the fragments flying toward Dr. Selvig anyway.

Loki hurriedly turned and released an energy wave, annihilating every fragment!

Loki asked impatiently, "Doctor, how much longer?"

"Right now!"

Dr. Selvig laughed loudly and activated the device. The Tesseract shone brightly, and the machine began spinning rapidly! Dr. Selvig shouted, "One minute! Just one more minute, and the portal will open. Then we’ll see the true nature of this world!"

"One minute?"

Damon was shocked. He hurriedly flung Absorbing Man, who was bound by the chain, outward. Absorbing Man cursed loudly, "This again? You bastards, why do you keep throwing me?"

"Tony, send a Drone Armor to act as Absorbing Man’s transport!"

As Loki gave the order, he fired an energy wave at Damon. Damon twisted aside, then madly fired at the portal device. Every bullet burned with blazing flames—they were Hellfire bullets! Peacemaker tried to block them, but Wind Demon rammed into him while holding a sign, sending him flying!

"Got it!"

Seeing the bullets about to strike the portal device, Damon was overjoyed. But at that moment, an energy shield appeared around the device, deflecting every incoming bullet.

Dr. Selvig laughed loudly. "It’s useless. This is a pure energy shield powered by the Tesseract. No one can break it!"

"The aliens are destined to come, and I, Loki, am destined to be king!"

Loki spread his arms and laughed. Damon charged down furiously, shouting, "Then I’ll kill you, this king, first!"

Just then, Absorbing Man flew back with the help of a Drone Armor. As he pounced toward Damon, he roared, "I’m going to throw you down too, you bastard!"

Seeing that Osborn Corporation’s people could not stop the portal, the military brass began to panic. One general shouted, "Blow up Stark Tower directly! We cannot let the portal open!"

"It’s too late. All nearby fighter jets have been destroyed. We’d have to launch missiles from a base in New York State!"

Staff officer said, "But according to calculations, there is a ninety percent chance the missiles will be destroyed by the Drone Armors."

"Damn it!"

The general cursed bitterly. If War Machine and War Abomination were still around, how could the military have fallen into such a predicament?

"The military’s strength is still far from enough!"

After hesitating, the general asked, "Where is the nearest nuclear bomb?"

Staff officer checked the records and said, "On S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier, but we don’t know if it can still be used. It crashed before!"

The general said, "Get me the World Security Council!"

Although Damon and the others fought desperately to stop the portal from opening, they failed. Dr. Selvig’s machine fully activated, and the Tesseract fired a beam of light into the sky, forming an ever-expanding Space Vortex!

"Chitauri, descend!"

Loki laughed loudly. Then he noticed the size of the Space Vortex and asked suspiciously, "Isn’t this Space Vortex a little small? Dr. Selvig, this seems different from what you said before."

Dr. Selvig frowned as well. "It is indeed a little small!"

At that moment, a group of half-human, half-mechanical bioengineered beings flew out of the Space Vortex on Flying Motorcycles and airships. Loki could not spare another thought for it and shouted, "Destroy these Super Heroes! Kill every human you see until they kneel and submit to me, the great Loki!"

The bioengineered beings did not waste words. Some raised Energy Guns and fired at Ivan’s group, while the rest went to hunt down ordinary people throughout the city! "It really is Manhattan! There really are aliens!"

Some citizens who had previously refused to believe Trish saw the Space Vortex in the sky and were scared out of their wits, hurriedly fleeing the city. But honestly, it was a little too late for that now!

"Citizens, don’t run into the streets! Stay in your homes or enter the subway stations! The exits are already blocked, and trying to flee is even more dangerous!"

Chief George’s anxious voice sounded over the broadcast. He and the police were doing everything they could to save civilians, but before such a catastrophe, they were far too insignificant! On Manhattan Bridge, citizens stuck in traffic saw the beam of light, got out of their cars, and fled on foot. As Spider-Man lifted a truck that had been in an accident and threw it into the sea, he shouted, "Everyone, be careful! This could cause a stampede!"

The civilians had no time to listen to Spider-Man. All they wanted was to escape Manhattan, to escape New York!

These people were doing relatively well. In the dock district, many people simply jumped into the sea and swam toward the other side. It was not that far away, anyway.

"This damned New York, I’m moving!"

As Jewel Jessica used a Glider to lift an ambulance from a hospital, she shouted, "Lizardmen were bad enough, but now aliens are showing up too. Are we supposed to just die?"

Hellcat Trish hurriedly said, "Sis, be careful and keep it steady. There are patients in the vehicle. You can’t shake it!"

"I know, stop nagging!"

Jessica cursed. Below them, Power Man and Firefighter Hero were also doing their best to help people leave Manhattan! Firefighter Hero Chen Haoran complained, "When the company first made me Firefighter Hero, I wasn’t really willing. But now, I sincerely wish I could just be a simple firefighter hero instead of fighting Lizardmen and aliens here!"

"New York is too damn cursed!"

Power Man shook his head and said, "Forget that. We need to clear the traffic jam as soon as possible. The aliens are here, and our army is still stuck outside the city!"

At the same time, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s people finally arrived in Manhattan. As Steve ran down from the Quinjet, he said, "Daredevil, Danny, take Coulson and the others to help the civilians. Natasha, Barton, and I will go over there and see if we can help!"

"Alright!"

Daredevil immediately agreed. He had always been a street-level hero. Danny was somewhat unwilling, but he did not refuse. After all, his strength really was a little lacking! Everyone split up. At that moment, Carter’s voice came through Steve’s earpiece. "Steve, I’m going to capture Whitehall first. I’ll meet up with you afterward!"

Steve was stunned. "At a time like this?"

"At a time like this, no one will suspect anything!"

Carter said. Daniel Whitehall was one of Hydra’s leaders. To avoid alerting the enemy, Carter had not made a move against him, but now was undoubtedly a good opportunity! Steve said, "Be careful!"

"Don’t worry. Melinda will help me. I brought her into S.H.I.E.L.D., so she can be trusted."

Carter said, "You be careful too. Don’t push yourself too hard. Bert will be back soon. Once he returns, everything will be fine!"

"You’re making me jealous!"

Steve ended the transmission with a smile. He looked up, and Stark Tower’s sign gleamed brightly in the sky!