Marvel - The Blood God

"I like your words. As a human being, you should stand out and become the focus of everyone!"

Loki chuckled, clearly enjoying the camaraderie he shared with Tony.

At that moment, the Absorber abruptly asked, "Iron Man, why did you stop me from killing people at the suit base earlier?"

Tony raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with disdain. "Do I need to explain myself to you?"

"What did you say?"

The Absorber's eyes widened in fury. Loki, seeing through Tony's flippant response, smirked. "Are you afraid of someone?"

Tony scoffed and set down his glass. "Me? Afraid of that high school kid? He probably doesn't even know what calculus is."

With that, Tony turned and headed for the exit. "I'm going outside to help Dr. Shavig fix the device. Can't waste too much time—someone's probably already noticed the Stark Tower."

As Tony left, the Absorber sneered. "The so-called Iron Man is just a coward!"

Loki shook his head, chuckling. "That's because you haven't seen what that kid can do. It's lucky for us he couldn't make it back in time."

"No matter," the Absorber replied. "But unless I find vibranium again, I can't maintain my form once I release the transformation."

"Tony," Loki called out, turning to him. "Do you have vibranium here?"

"No." Tony's clipped tone carried a simmering annoyance. Loki paused, clearly taken aback by the intensity of his irritation.

"Forget it," Loki said after a moment, pulling something from his pocket. "I've got a piece of Uru metal here. It was enchanted by dwarves—capable of absorbing and releasing energy. With your powers, you might even be able to tap into the enchantment itself."

The Absorber's eyes lit up. "Let me try it!" He paused, then added as a warning, "Loki, be careful of that beast. He's stronger than he looks."

Loki scoffed. "A beast is still just a beast."

Tony's instincts were right. The military had discovered activity at Stark Tower. Without hesitation, the commanding officer ordered fighter jets to bomb the building.

Tony suited up in the Mark VII, quickly taking to the skies with the Peacekeeper drone to intercept the attack. Missiles streaked toward the tower, only to be intercepted by twenty unmanned combat suits that burst out of the building, destroying the projectiles mid-air.

"My Stark Tower is untouchable!" Tony quipped, firing his own missiles at the attacking jets. One jet spiraled out of control, crashing into a nearby building in an explosion of flame, glass, and debris.

Fortunately, the area was deserted; most civilians had evacuated to bridges, subway stations, and docks. Despite police efforts, Manhattan's exits were hopelessly gridlocked, with more people flooding the streets in panic.

"Damn Tony Stark!" one of the military commanders growled as he watched the fighter jets fall. A general turned to his staff. "Where are S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Osborn Group reinforcements? We can't let that portal open!"

"They've arrived," a soldier called out, pointing to the screen. The generals turned to see Ivan Vanko, Dr. Banner, Electro, Wind Demon, and Sin Eater approaching Stark Tower.

With them were ten unmanned combat suits from the Osborn Group, though many of their remaining suits were still buried at their base, awaiting excavation.

Ivan, brandishing his vibranium axe, sneered at Tony's suits. "Stark, did you really copy my idea?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Copy? I had plans for unmanned suits long before you. Besides, you couldn't even design a smart AI assistant, so why are you even in this conversation?"

Before Ivan could retort, Sin Eater cut in. "Save the banter. We've got civilians to protect in the dock area. If aliens invade, they'll be slaughtered!"

"Fine," Ivan barked. "I'll handle Stark. Electro, Banner—take the Osborn suits and deal with Stark's drones. Sin Eater, Wind Demon—get to the roof and destroy the portal device!"

"Got it!" Sin Eater nodded, while Banner muttered, "Hulk, time to shine. And if you can, smash Loki. I've had enough of his nonsense."

With a roar, Hulk emerged, leaping toward the Stark Tower and climbing rapidly. His ascent sent chunks of stone tumbling to the ground.

"Hey, that's my mansion!" Tony yelled in frustration, only to be interrupted by Ivan swinging his axe.

"You're lucky, Stark," Ivan sneered. "Pepper made me promise not to kill you. By the way, she agreed to dinner with me."

"What did you just say?" Tony's anger erupted. "You dare touch Pepper? I'll destroy you!"

"You? Destroy me?" Ivan laughed. "Pepper deserves better than a spoiled diva like you."

Their battle reignited with a vengeance. Meanwhile, the Osborn and Stark drones clashed in mid-air, the sky filled with explosions and shrapnel.

Hulk climbed higher, only to be targeted by missiles from Tony's drones. A direct hit sent him plummeting, but a glider swooped in just in time, catching him mid-fall. Below, Electro unleashed arcs of electricity, frying several drones' circuits and sending them spiraling out of control.

Hulk took the opportunity to leap back into the fray, grabbing a drone and smashing it into a wall. He then hurled the wreckage at another drone before jumping again, with the glider following close behind to catch him.

On the roof, Wind Demon and Sin Eater faced Loki, the Absorber, and the Peacekeeper drone.

"Aliens invade Earth and kidnap my daughter? You'll all pay for this!" Sin Eater roared, firing two missiles at Loki. Loki deflected one with his scepter while the Peacekeeper's guns destroyed the other.

Sin Eater, undeterred, transformed into his Ghost Rider form. His fiery chain lashed out, wrapping around the Absorber. To Sin Eater's shock, the Absorber began siphoning the chain's hellfire into himself.

"This is incredible!" the Absorber shouted, breaking free and retaliating with two massive fireballs. Sin Eater dodged, the fireballs scorching the rooftop behind him.

The Absorber laughed maniacally, now wielding Uru's power with devastating precision.

While Loki and the Absorber pressed their attack, Wind Demon attempted to destroy the portal device, but the Peacekeeper blocked him, unleashing a torrent of flame.

"SHIELD studied your kind," the Peacekeeper taunted. "Bullets can't hurt you, but energy can. And fire? Fire burns you nicely."

Wind Demon transformed into a whirlwind, escaping the flames, but his frustration boiled over. "What's wrong with you SHIELD lunatics? I'm a hero, not a target!"

The Peacekeeper laughed, dismissing his complaints. "Pain is the only teacher. Embrace it!"

"Shut up and die!" Wind Demon hurled debris toward Dr. Shavig, forcing the Peacekeeper to destroy it mid-air. Loki intervened with a wave of energy, incinerating the remaining shrapnel.

"Doctor, how much longer?" Loki demanded.

"Now!" Shavig replied triumphantly, activating the portal. The Cosmic Cube emitted a blinding beam, tearing open a swirling vortex in the sky.

Damon cursed, firing hellfire bullets at the device, only for an energy shield to repel them.

"Too late," Shavig taunted. "The Cube's energy shield is impenetrable!"

Loki spread his arms, laughing triumphantly. "Kneel before me, for I am your king!"

From the portal, an army of cyborgs emerged, descending on flying motorcycles and airships. They opened fire on the heroes and scattered toward the city, targeting civilians.

Panic engulfed Manhattan. Citizens fled in terror as police struggled to maintain order. On the Manhattan Bridge, Spider-Man worked tirelessly to clear wrecked vehicles, shouting warnings about trampling accidents.

Nearby, Jessica Jones ferried an ambulance with her glider, cursing the city's never-ending chaos. "Aliens? That's it. I'm done with New York!"

At the docks, Wonder Man and Fireman did their best to assist evacuations, though even they were overwhelmed.

As chaos unfolded below, SHIELD's Quinjet landed. Steve Rogers disembarked, rallying his team. "Daredevil, Danny—help the citizens. Natasha, Barton—you're with me. We're heading for the tower."

Splitting up, the heroes braced for the fight of their lives, knowing reinforcements were coming but unsure if they'd make it in time.

Above it all, the Stark Tower glowed ominously, the portal growing wider with every passing second.

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