Marvel - The Blood God

At Stark Tower, with the continuous onslaught of the Chitauri reinforcements, Ivan and the others began to lose ground. Fortunately, Steve, Natasha, and Clint arrived just in time.

Steve smashed a Chitauri with his shield and called out, "Ivan! How do we shut that thing down?" He pointed toward the energy field above the building.

"No way," Ivan replied grimly. "That's a pure energy barrier. It can't be broken."

Ivan continued, "Maverick said, 'When the sky falls, leave it to someone tall.' That's his problem to handle. For now, come help me wake up this idiot, Tony! Natasha, Clint, deal with the Chitauri."

"Got it!" Natasha and Clint nodded and leaped into action. Steve, still skeptical, asked, "Are you sure you're just waking him up? You look like you're about to kill him."

"Oh, I've wanted to kill him," Ivan admitted with a wry grin, "but I promised Pepper I'd keep him alive. Besides, making him owe me for saving his life sounds better. Imagine the look on his face."

Steve shook his head. "Your relationship is… complicated."

Together, they turned their attention to Tony, who was trapped in one of his rogue suits, shouting insults. "You think an old relic and a lunatic can take me down? Dream on! I'm Tony Stark, and I'm invincible!"

Steve sighed. "You really don't take after Howard at all."

Meanwhile, Maverick sped toward Manhattan in his custom sports car. As he approached, he saw the Chitauri's portal glowing above the skyline. He nodded to himself. "Right on time."

But just as he prepared to intervene, a chilling burst of laughter echoed across the city. From the Space Stone, a crimson beam of energy shot downward, expanding violently until it formed a horrifying, blood-red gate. Composed of writhing blood and bones, the gate radiated a suffocating aura that made everyone in Manhattan shudder. Dark clouds spread across the sky, swallowing everything except the space vortex, casting the city into apocalyptic gloom.

"This… this reeks of Hell," Maverick muttered, his face darkening. He recognized the laughter. "Mephisto."

At the same moment, Loki's scepter wrenched itself from his hand. A black mist emerged from it, coalescing into the form of an older man with a sinister smile. Mephisto.

"Who are you?" Loki demanded, fury in his voice. "No wonder the portal's power is diminished. You've been siphoning it off!"

Mephisto sneered. "Child, you're beneath introductions. If you want to challenge me, tell Odin to come himself."

With that, Mephisto flew to the gate of Hell, holding the scepter. He gestured, and the gate creaked open. A deluge of hellish energy erupted outward, causing Mephisto's power to surge. From the gate, a tide of demons spilled onto Manhattan, roaring with glee. After centuries, they had returned to Earth.

"Hell… demons?" Across the globe, stunned government officials and military leaders watched in horror. The Chitauri invasion was bad enough. Now this?

Nick Fury's phone was ringing off the hook. "Didn't we fund demon defense initiatives? How the hell did monsters sneak onto Earth without S.H.I.E.L.D. noticing?"

Fury closed his phone, grim-faced. There was no explaining this to the council—not after he had funneled a third of the budget elsewhere. "Hill," he ordered, "mobilize every available unit to assist Manhattan."

"Manhattan's completely locked down," Hill replied. "Only air support can get in. Also, the council wants you in a meeting."

"A meeting? Now?" Fury's voice was tinged with frustration, but he complied. The council, predictably, proposed launching a nuclear strike on the city. Fury cursed under his breath. "Morons."

Meanwhile, in a hidden satellite dimension, Hela—the goddess of death—sensed the disturbance. For the first time in millennia, her prison quaked. "The seal… it's weakening," she whispered, eyes gleaming.

It didn't take her long to figure out the cause. "The Space Stone. Someone's activated it, creating a channel between Earth and Hell. The resonance… it's breaking my chains."

Hela grinned. "Thank you, whoever you are. Odin, you'll pay for this." She tore a piece of her essence from her body, shaping it into a dark clone. The clone slipped through a crack in the seal, ready to exploit the chaos.

Back in Manhattan, Mephisto directed a hulking, minotaur-like demon to taunt the Sorcerer Supreme. The creature stomped around, bellowing, "Ancient One! You said I couldn't come to Earth. Well, here I am! What are you going to do about it?"

Maverick, watching from a nearby rooftop, clenched his fists. "Mephisto's throwing everything he's got into this. No more following the script."

Maverick teleported behind Tony, who was still trapped in his malfunctioning suit. Grabbing Tony's helmet, he violently shook it back and forth at superhuman speed. Within seconds, Tony's faceplate popped open, and he vomited uncontrollably.

Steve stepped back, grimacing. "Efficient, but disgusting."

Natasha, Clint, and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. If Maverick was here, they might have a chance.

When Tony recovered, Maverick barked, "Are you awake now?"

Tony, still dazed, grumbled, "Couldn't you have used a less revolting method? Someone get me some water."

Maverick ignored him. "Tony, Ivan, your job is the portal. Take it down—even if it means leveling Stark Tower."

Ivan grinned. "That I can do."

Tony groaned. "This feels personal."

Without replying, Maverick transformed into a streak of blood-red energy and shot toward the gates of Hell. "No time to waste," he muttered.

Tony and Ivan ascended to the rooftop, joining Damon and Wind Demon, who were struggling against Loki and his allies. Chitauri reinforcements swarmed the battlefield, and Leviathan creatures began pouring out of the portal.

Thor finally arrived, landing with a thunderous crash. He turned to Loki, his voice heavy with emotion. "Loki, it's not too late to stop this. Help us close the portal. Humanity will forgive you."

Tony shouted, "Speak for yourself! That guy hijacked my tech and turned me into a punching bag."

Loki sneered. "Forgiveness? Spare me, Thor." Raising his arms, he summoned another wave of Chitauri warriors. The battle intensified.

"We're running out of time!" Tony yelled. "Thor, handle the big one." He gestured toward the massive Leviathan. "Ivan and I will focus on the portal."

"I'll deal with Loki," Steve said, charging forward.

As the chaos raged, Mephisto laughed from the gates of Hell. But his expression darkened when the air in front of him shattered like glass. A figure stepped through: the Sorcerer Supreme herself, clad in flowing yellow robes.

"Mephisto," Ancient One said, her voice calm but firm. "Leave now, or face the consequences."

Mephisto smirked. "Ancient One. Still playing guardian? It's over. The Earth is ours. Let's see how long your champions last."

As Maverick fought his way through the maze of demonic energy, he realized Mephisto had planned this trap. The labyrinth seemed endless, twisting space itself against him. "Damn it," he growled. "This isn't just Hell—it's a puzzle."

The voice of the labyrinth demon echoed around him. "You can't escape. My power is space, and space will always trump speed."

Maverick tightened his grip on his spear. "We'll see about that."

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