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[Frog] Chapter 187: The Arrival of the Chitauri Army
🕑 Added 2024-12-01 19:08:25 +0000 UTCS.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
In front of the command console, Nick Fury held a stack of bloodstained hero trading cards.
From time to time, his gaze shifted to the deck, where frantic repair work was underway.
Thanks to the efforts of Tony and Rogers, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier was now able to maintain its hover in midair.
They were currently en route back to the ocean surface.
Beside him, Hill, who had just finished overseeing the repairs, walked over. Her eyes fell on the bloodstained hero cards in Fury's hands.
She recognized those cards because Coulson had often shown them off to her.
These were cards Coulson had collected since childhood, treasures he kept in his locker.
According to Coulson, he too had always dreamed of becoming a superhero who could save the world.
Among those cards were several featuring Captain America.
“Sir, if I’m not mistaken,” Hill said, her eyes narrowing slightly, “these cards weren’t on Coulson when he died. They were in his locker.”
Fury glanced at the cards and replied calmly, “It doesn’t matter where they were.”
“What matters is that they served their purpose.”
Hill once again witnessed the brilliance of Nick Fury’s psychological tactics.
The Avengers, who had been on the verge of collapse, were now united once more—spurred by Coulson’s death and a few bloodied cards.
At this moment, Iron Man was rushing back to Stark Tower with all his might.
Meanwhile, Rogers had gathered Black Widow and a now-recovered Hawkeye to head there as well.
They now understood Loki’s plan: to summon a Chitauri army to conquer Earth.
“It's a pity Spider-Woman didn’t come,” Hill sighed. She had hoped that once the intel reached her, Spider-Woman would rush to S.H.I.E.L.D.
But she never showed up.
Fury glanced at Hill and said, “As long as she’s in New York, she won’t be able to stay out of this.”
“Daredevil, too.”
“And the Fantastic Four over at NASA…”
Fury’s gaze turned toward the peaceful and serene New York City outside, as if everything was under his control.
Then he added, “Do you think I’m despicable for using Coulson’s death?”
Hill lowered her head, remaining silent. Being under Fury’s intense gaze, she felt a pressure unlike anything she had experienced before. Finally, she spoke, “No, sir.”
“Compared to Coulson’s life, we should be more concerned about Loki’s movements.”
“Because he is a threat capable of destroying the Earth.”
Fury, his expression unchanged, handed the bloodstained cards to Hill and said softly, “Activate the Tahiti Project…”
Hill’s head snapped up, her expression shifting rapidly. “But, sir… that project…”
“Do you have any other way to save Coulson?” Fury interrupted.
“His half-dead body has already been sent over. I want you to oversee the project.”
After careful consideration, Hill solemnly nodded.
“Once Loki is dealt with, head over immediately,” Fury instructed.
As soon as he finished speaking, a bald senior agent from S.H.I.E.L.D. rushed over, his expression serious. “Director, emergency meeting.”
“I knew it. Those guys wouldn’t let me off so easily,” Fury muttered, walking toward the meeting room.
“While I’m in the meeting, Agent Hill will be in charge of all S.H.I.E.L.D. operations,” he called out loudly.
---
Stark Tower.
After a series of obstacles, Tony finally managed to reach the top of Stark Tower with his half-damaged Mark 6 armor.
On the rooftop, Dr. Selvig had already set up the device to activate the Tesseract.
Energy was continuously pouring into it, and the Tesseract was now fully activated.
“Dr. Selvig, stop what you’re doing immediately,” Tony commanded.
Selvig turned around, looking proudly at Tony hovering in midair. “It’s too late to stop it.”
“The device is fully operational, Tony!”
Tony immediately raised his palm, aiming his repulsor beam at the device.
To his surprise, a pure energy shield had formed around the Tesseract, blocking his attack entirely.
The explosion from the repulsor blast even sent Selvig, who was closest to the device, flying to the ground.
“Sir, that’s a pure energy shield. We can’t break through it,” Jarvis informed him.
“I can see that, Jarvis,” Tony replied, glancing inside the building.
Loki, dressed in his full Asgardian regalia and holding the scepter of mind control, was watching him with a mocking smile.
“Activate Plan B,” Tony instructed Jarvis. “Prepare the Mark 7.”
“Understood, sir.”
Tony landed at the designated drop point, and with Jarvis’s assistance, the damaged Mark 6 armor began to be dismantled piece by piece.
Seeing this, Loki walked inside and said to Tony, “Have you come here alone to surrender to me?”
“Actually, I came to threaten you.”
Tony calmly walked over to his bar, fully aware that his main task now was to buy time until Jarvis prepared the Mark 7.
“Threaten me? Then you shouldn’t have taken off your armor.”
In Loki’s eyes, Tony in his armor could match Thor in battle, but without it, Tony was utterly vulnerable.
“It doesn’t matter. That suit’s broken anyway.”
“Care for a drink?” Tony raised a glass toward Loki.
“I know you’re stalling for time,” Loki said with a smirk.
“But that’s fine—I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
Tony frowned. There shouldn’t be anyone in Stark Tower right now—not even Pepper. He had sent her away.
Ding!
The elevator arrived on their floor. Instinctively, Tony turned to look.
When he saw who stepped out, his pupils constricted.
“Anna?”
It was none other than Anna Granger.
Loki smiled as he walked to her side. “That’s right. She is the one I have chosen.”
“She will document my conquest of this planet in the most exquisite words.”
“Isn’t that right, Miss Anna?”
“Yes, my king!” Anna replied.
Tony stared at Loki, his mind racing. He remembered the unusual connection between Anna and Spider-Woman.
“You’re going to regret this foolish decision.”
“Foolish?” Loki gestured toward the sky outside. “I have an entire Chitauri army. What do you have left to stop me?”
“The Avengers? I’ve already defeated them one by one.”
“We have the Emperor,” Tony retorted without hesitation, then added, “And the Hulk.”
“Emperor?” Loki was unfamiliar with the name, but it didn’t matter.
He swiftly approached Tony and touched his chest with the glowing tip of the scepter.
“Now, become my slave.”
But to Loki’s shock, the Mind Stone’s power, which had never failed him before, did nothing.
All it produced was the sound of metal clashing against metal.
Loki froze, bewildered.
Tony was just as confused.
Loki tried again, but the result was the same. “How is this possible?”
“It’s normal, you know… men…”
“There could be many reasons—maybe psychological, maybe—”
Before Tony could finish his sarcastic remark, Loki grabbed him and hurled him out the window.
Tony plummeted toward the street below.
At that exact moment, the Mark 7 flew out from inside Stark Tower.
Tony hadn’t gone to the bar just for a drink; he had also equipped himself with infrared calibration bracelets. These allowed the Mark 7 to lock onto him and assemble in midair.
Loki stood by the shattered window, watching as Tony flew back to face him.
Tony glared at Loki and said furiously, “You’ve made another enemy.”
“His name is Phil Coulson!”
Boom!
A repulsor blast sent Loki flying across the room.
Tony turned his attention to the Tesseract device, but it was too late.
The mechanism, now fully activated, spun rapidly.
A massive beam of light shot skyward, piercing the sky.
In the blink of an eye, a colossal circular portal formed—a gateway to another point.
On the other side of the portal, countless Chitauri soldiers stood ready.
As soon as the portal opened, they piloted their war chariots and descended upon Earth.
Tony soared into the sky, unleashing a barrage of firepower.
But the Chitauri soldiers were too numerous, swarming like a plague of locusts.
The entire city of New York witnessed the scene.
---
Outside State University.
Gwen had just finished her morning classes and was about to head to 13th Street when her Spider-Sense went into overdrive, warning her of imminent danger.
She quickly turned to look at the distant sky.
A towering blue beam of light shot upward, followed by the appearance of a massive portal…
***
