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[Frog] Chapter 198: The Situation Worsens
🕑 Added 2024-12-06 03:34:47 +0000 UTC"Jarvis, how much power do we have left?"
"Thirty percent, sir."
Jarvis responded, "At the current usage rate, your power will last for no more than fifteen minutes."
Tony frowned as he glanced at the energy display on his armor.
This was the first time, since becoming Iron Man, that he had drained the arc reactor to such an extent.
The last time, during the battle against Iron Monger, it was because he used a defective reactor.
But this time, the arc reactor was equipped with a new element, and even the Mark armor had been upgraded through dozens of iterations.
Yet, despite all of that, the arc reactor was nearing depletion.
This war was pushing Tony to his limits.
If the arc reactor was in such a state, the rest of the team—excluding the Hulk—would be in even worse shape, being mere mortals.
"Anyone tired yet?"
Tony asked casually over the comms, trying to sound light-hearted.
But all he could hear was the cacophony of battle—no one had the time to respond.
This only made Tony’s heart sink further.
"Spider-Woman, Natasha, you have to succeed!"
"We can't hold out much longer!"
Now, their only hope rested on Spider-Woman and Black Widow, who had reached the top of Stark Tower.
Tony unleashed his repulsors and the full firepower of the Mark 7 armor, pouring it into the wave of Chitauri soldiers surrounding him.
The energy gauge quickly dropped from 30%… to 25%… then 20%…
To conserve energy, Tony eventually abandoned aerial combat and chose to fight the Chitauri on the ground.
This left him vulnerable, and he was soon struck from behind and slammed heavily into the ground.
His HUD flickered with static.
"Shit!"
"These damn aliens know how to play dirty?"
Tony gritted his teeth, defending himself while continuing to eliminate the Chitauri around him.
Even with the armor, the Chitauri couldn't harm him unless they dismantled the Mark 7.
Still, the impacts on the armor sent jolts through his body, making him feel like his organs were being shaken loose.
If not for the medical gases stabilizing him inside the suit, he might have already vomited.
Across the battlefield, it wasn’t just Tony who was struggling.
With Gwen and Black Widow absent, the pressure on the rest of the team had increased significantly.
Captain Rogers had been grazed by a Chitauri laser, leaving a burn on his abdomen.
A flood of Chitauri soldiers swarmed the Hulk, and even he began to show signs of injury, with dark green blood seeping from his skin.
Hawkeye, perched at a vantage point, had run out of arrows and used his last explosive arrow to retreat.
Now, he was forced to convert his bow into a staff, fighting the Chitauri in close combat as he retreated.
Victory still seemed to favor Loki.
And the worst was yet to come.
In the midst of the battle, Tony suddenly heard Nick Fury’s voice over the comm.
"Yes, I’m here," Tony replied.
After listening to Fury, Tony's expression changed, and he quickly looked in another direction.
Jarvis marked the coordinates for him.
"Sir, a nuclear missile is heading toward Stark Tower."
"The missile’s guidance system is closed and cannot be overridden."
In a split second, Tony devised a solution.
"Jarvis, how much power do we have left?"
"Twelve percent, sir."
A momentary lapse in focus allowed several Chitauri soldiers to pin Tony to the ground.
Without hesitation, Tony ordered, "Divert all remaining power to the flight systems."
Jarvis, sensing Tony's intent, hesitated. "Sir, if you do that..."
"Now, Jarvis! Quickly!"
"Understood, sir."
With a surge of power, Tony blasted into the sky, breaking free from the Chitauri’s grip and heading straight for the missile.
"Emperor… looks like you won’t make it in time to save the day this time."
In Tony’s heart, he believed in the Emperor’s strength.
But against a nuclear missile… even the Emperor might have no better solution.
Crack!
A sharp sound of shattering echoed from behind, but Tony had no time to investigate.
He sped toward the incoming missile.
Stark Tower Rooftop
The space above the tower shattered.
A beam of golden light shot out, heading straight for Anna.
Gwen, still processing what was happening, could only watch as the golden streak raced downward.
"What just happened?"
She glanced up, but the sky appeared normal once more.
The spatial rift where Alan had teleported vanished in an instant.
Then, the roar of an engine filled the air.
Gwen turned to see Emperor riding an imposing motorcycle, flying up from below.
In the bike's golden side compartment lay Anna, unconscious but safe.
Alan landed gracefully between Gwen and Loki.
After dismounting, he carried Anna over to Gwen.
Though his face was hidden beneath the helmet, Alan’s mental power had reached a terrifying level.
A brief scan was enough for him to understand what had transpired—and to feel Gwen's earlier sense of helplessness.
Handing Anna to Gwen, he said softly, "Sorry I’m late."
"Leave the rest to me."
Gwen took Anna, nodding lightly.
For some reason, seeing Emperor gave her the same sense of reassurance as seeing Alan himself.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
"Red Queen, check Anna’s condition."
After a quick scan, Red Queen reported, "Miss Anna is fine, just unconscious."
"Last time, Jarvis also said she was fine..."
Alan gently touched Anna’s forehead, sending a golden light into her.
Anna's body trembled, and a deep blue aura radiated outward.
"She’s okay now."
Nearby, Selvig stared in shock at the sudden appearance of Emperor.
"Who… who is that?" he asked Black Widow in disbelief.
Black Widow shook her head. "I only know he’s called Emperor."
Loki, too, was perplexed.
In all his intelligence reports, there was no mention of this Emperor.
"Who are you?"
As he spoke, Loki raised his scepter, ready to test Alan.
But before he could act, his expression twisted into fear.
Somehow, Emperor had appeared right in front of him.
Before Loki could react, a sharp pain erupted in his abdomen.
The excruciating pain contorted his face.
The scepter slipped from his hand, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.
With Loki incapacitated, Alan glanced toward another part of the battlefield.
Black Widow saw the scepter fall from Loki’s hand and noticed his defeat.
She immediately shouted to the others, "Hold on a little longer! We’ve found a way to close the portal!"
Just then, Tony's voice came through.
"Don’t close it yet."
"The situation just got worse..."
...(To be continued)...
