The sky was filled with alien invaders.
Massive warships loomed over the distant horizon, their presence alone exerting a crushing pressure.
Below them, the city-turned-battlefield burned, consumed by relentless explosions.
Energy blasts and monstrous assaults tore through the very fabric of human civilization.
Standing against the Chitauri invasion were three mighty heroes:
Iron Man, Tony Stark, zipping through the air with a swarm of enemy crafts in pursuit.
Thor, the God of Thunder, his red cape billowing as he wielded Mjolnir in a devastating dance of destruction, all while scanning the battlefield for his treacherous brother.
Captain America, Steve Rogers, directing military reinforcements, securing perimeter defenses, and rescuing trapped civilians.
But even they were barely holding the line.
The Chitauri continued to pour in from space, tipping the battle further in their favor.
Stark's Iron Man suit was superior to the enemy's crafts, but the sheer numbers were overwhelming. His arc reactor had limits, and if he miscalculated a flight path or a battle maneuver, even Iron Man could be shot down.
Captain America had it even harder. Without advanced armor or supernatural endurance, he had to rely solely on his vibranium shield and combat skills to survive.
As for Thor—though the Chitauri couldn't do much to hurt him, they didn't need to. Their strategy was simple: ignore him and let sheer numbers wear him down.
Even a god would tire eventually.
And unlike the others, the Chitauri had a weapon that could truly hurt Thor—physically and emotionally.
Loki.
Yet despite the dire situation, hope was not lost.
A fleet of Quinjet fighters was approaching to provide air support.
Reinforcements were on the way. Strategic battle plans were forming.
Earth would not fall.
Heroes would rise.
And at the heart of it all, the Avengers had one clear target: the mastermind behind this invasion.
Loki.
———————————————————————
Standing atop Stark Tower, Loki surveyed the chaos below with satisfaction.
The city burned.
His army conquered. This was his moment.
He stretched out his arms, basking in the destruction.
His love for chaos wasn't just born from his nature or his jealousy of Thor.
No, much of it stemmed from the influence of the Mind Stone.
Even though the scepter was now locked away in a S.H.I.E.L.D. vault, its effects on Loki had not yet faded.
"Fight, struggle, and die like the insects you are!" Loki grinned, that infuriating smirk spreading across his face.
"I, Loki, King of Jotunheim, rightful heir to Asgard, from this moment forth, shall rule over—"
"ROOOAAAR!!"
"...rule—"
'BOOM—!'
"AAARGH!"
Before he could finish his grand proclamation, something massive and green crashed down from above, grabbing Loki by the head and slamming him straight into Stark Tower's penthouse.
Dr. Bruce Banner had apparently agreed to a new strategy—one that involved a lot of smashing.
After tumbling across the floor, Loki groggily pushed himself up and scowled at the massive figure before him.
"Oh, it's the 'big guy.' You humans must be truly desperate if you're relying on this uncontrollable beast to protect you."
"HULK! SMASH!!"
The green goliath bellowed, pounded his chest, and lunged.
"Enough! I am your king! The ruler of this world! You dare defy—"
Before he could finish, he felt his ankle being grabbed.
Huh.
This... felt familiar.
A very bad feeling crept up Loki's spine.
'BAM—! BAM—! BAM—! BAM—! BAM—!'
The Hulk swung Loki back and forth like a ragdoll, slamming him repeatedly into the floor, the walls, and whatever furniture was unfortunate enough to be in the way.
With one final THUD, Loki was embedded into the ground.
"Hmph. Puny god," Hulk snorted, walking off to rejoin the battle.
"Y-you... stop...!" Loki groaned, lifting a feeble hand toward the retreating Hulk.
"I will not be defeated by—"
Light footsteps echoed across the room.
A distinctly feminine sound, like high heels clicking against the floor.
Loki's battered body tensed.
Not her.
A young woman strode forward, carrying an enormous hammer.
"Tell me, Loki," she said, her voice calm but edged with menace.
"Our city is on the brink of destruction."
"The Earth is at war. And yet, every single hero here has made it a priority to deal with you first."
"Do you know why?"
She activated the hammer's acceleration core, causing it to glow with immense power.
"It has nothing to do with Earth's fate, this battle, or anything else," she continued.
"It's simple. You are the reason for all of this."
"You are the one we will take revenge on. Even if Earth falls, you will never be its king."
"...Oh, crap."
Loki barely had time to curse before she swung the hammer down.
'BAM—! BAM—! BAM—! BAM—! BAM—!'
Using his face as a drum, she pounded out a rough rendition of the Spider-Man theme song before finally stepping back.
Loki lay in a crumpled heap, dazed beyond reason.
Activating a communicator, the girl spoke.
"I'm in Stark Tower. Loki is—temporarily—neutralized. And I gotta say, that felt great!"
"Alright, my power core is running low, so I'm out. See you next time, cutie."
With that, she dissolved into blue energy and vanished.
Her hammer shrank into a compact disk and flew off to another battlefield.
The penthouse fell silent.
Loki groaned, rolling onto his side, his head spinning.
He had an empire to rule.
A world to conquer. Probably.
"...Huff—"
'THUD—'
A red cape swayed into view.
"...Oh, for the love of—"
Loki let out a defeated sigh.
"LOKI!"
Thor arrived in a storm of fury, gripping Mjolnir tightly.
He grabbed Loki by the collar and hauled him up.
"LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOUR SELFISH AMBITION HAS BROUGHT RUIN TO THIS WORLD!"
Loki, barely holding onto consciousness after being consecutively hammered by both Hulk and the girl, felt something shift in his mind.
The haze of the Mind Stone's influence lifted.
For the first time, he truly saw the destruction he had wrought.
His expression wavered.
A flash of guilt passed through his eyes.
"But... it's too late," he muttered, turning his gaze away.
"The Chitauri won't stop. No matter what you do, you cannot win. The Avengers? Nothing but a joke..."
He glanced at Thor, managing a weak smile.
"So, big brother... are you here to hit me too?"
Thor tightened his grip.
"Earth's people will not fall to you. They stand together. They will endure."
Then he raised Mjolnir high.
"As for you..."
Lightning crackled.
"...Well yes, you definitely deserve another beating."
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