Nuclear Strike Incoming

Barton was still firing from the rooftop. More and more Chitauri Soldiers surrounded him, and they were climbing up faster and faster.

He had just taken out a Chitauri Soldier who had gotten close with a single arrow.

Another one climbed up behind him.

He reached back with his left hand for an arrow, but grabbed nothing.

The quiver that had held nearly a hundred arrows was now empty.

Barton kicked the man back down with a few swift blows.

But when he turned around, more than a dozen Chitauri Airships came surging in from nearby.

Barton grew tense. He pulled an arrow from a corpse beside him and slipped it back into the quiver behind him.

With a light press of his hand, he fitted on a special grappling-hook arrowhead.

He watched the Airships charging toward him.

Amid explosions and laser beams crisscrossing the sky, he leaped from a height of several hundred meters.

He fired an arrow behind him.

The arrowhead embedded itself in the wall, holding fast.

The rope connected to his quiver began rapidly unspooling.

As it stretched outward into the limit of its arc and pulled taut, Barton used the momentum to kick toward a window.

He smashed through the glass and fell into the room.

The massive recoil sent Barton sprawling to the floor, where he cried out in pain.

Hulk stood atop a building. He had just crushed two Chitauri Soldiers and kicked several more away.

But several laser beams struck his back.

When Hulk turned around, twenty or thirty Chitauri Airships had already gathered in the sky, all of their cannons aimed at him.

They opened fire together, dozens—perhaps hundreds—of laser beams concentrating on Hulk.

The powerful energy suppressed even Hulk.

On the Helicarrier, the only three fighter jets carrying nuclear missiles flew out.

Nick Fury stood in command, watching the three jets depart, his eyes grim.

If Leo failed to control the nuclear missiles and they exploded in New York, Nick Fury would be finished.

Now, Nick Fury was betting everything on Leo.

"Leo, Stark, three fighter jets carrying nuclear missiles are heading your way. Did you hear me?"

Leo set Mark VII down.

"Leo, I'm fine. How are we supposed to deal with the Portal?"

Tony reignited his thrusters and looked at Leo beside him.

The two rushed toward the Portal Device at the same time.

They passed the Chitauri forces that were relentlessly bombarding Hulk.

With a sweep of his arm, Leo instantly killed every Airship pilot. Every Soldier had their head pierced by their own helmet, and the Airships crashed onto the streets.

Hulk watched the two fly away, then leaped up and continued attacking the remaining Chitauri Soldiers.

"Leo, Stark, three fighter jets carrying nuclear missiles are heading your way. Did you hear me?"

Fury's voice sounded over Leo and Stark's channel.

Tony's gaze sharpened. "How long?"

"Three minutes at most."

Fury spoke as he watched the footage on the screen. It was not just Nick Fury; everyone on the Helicarrier was staring at the display, hoping for something.

Tony grew anxious as well. "J.A.R.V.I.S., divert all power to the thrusters."

Mark VII's exhaust flared, instantly breaking the sound barrier as it shot into the distance. Whether there was a solution or not, Tony charged forward without hesitation.

Leo followed beside Tony, just about to say something.

"Everyone, I can close the Portal, but the scepter is stuck in the ground. I can't pull it out. Can someone come help me? Leo? Stark?"

Neither Hulk nor Thor wore Headphones for communication, while Rogers could not quickly get to the rooftop.

Barton climbed up from the floor as the Golden Light around him slowly faded. With the Golden Light buff Leo had given him, Barton's Physical Fitness had returned to its peak.

But he still had no way to rush back immediately.

Leo glanced at Tony, spread his wings, and flew down toward Stark Tower.

Tony, meanwhile, sped toward the incoming nuclear missiles without the slightest hesitation, leaving a blazing trail behind him.

Captain Rogers was surrounded by dense masses of Chitauri Soldiers when he took a blow to the abdomen, suffering a severe injury.

Fortunately, Thor had been fighting alongside him the whole time.

Rogers heard Natasha's words and immediately said to Thor, "Thor, go help Natasha. She can shut down the Portal."

He did not care at all that, once Thor left, he might very well die amid this horde of Chitauri Soldiers.

Thor realized that as well. "I'll get you out first."

But when he looked up, he saw a streak of Golden Light rushing toward Stark Tower.

Thor lowered his raised hammer and continued fighting.

A powerful Golden Light also bloomed from Rogers's badly wounded abdomen.

His already superhuman Physical Fitness, coupled with the Golden Light's healing, quickly restored his injury completely, and he resumed fighting.

Leo landed directly beside Natasha, under Dr. Erik's astonished gaze.

He opened his hand, and the Mind Scepter, which Natasha had been unable to pull out no matter what she did, flew straight into Leo's grasp.

He immediately placed the scepter in Natasha's hand.

"Don't close it yet. Three nuclear missiles are coming. We need to guide them through the Portal. Wait until we return."

After giving those instructions, he beat his wings and turned into a streak of Golden Light as he flew away.

Dr. Erik watched Leo's departing figure, utterly confused.

"Who is he?"

He had not recognized Leo beneath the covering over his face.

Natasha did not answer the doctor's question. She pressed the tip of the scepter against the outer layer of the Tesseract's energy barrier.

Sure enough, the two energies of equal strength clashed, and the scepter slowly sank in.

The resistance was so great that even Natasha struggled to hold it steady.

Waves of Golden Light flowed from Natasha's body, rapidly restoring her strength and completely stabilizing the Portal's switch.

Stark was already nearing the incoming nuclear missiles.

J.A.R.V.I.S. scanned all three nuclear missiles and confirmed their detonation times.

One missile was in the lead, with the other two following closely behind.

Tony braced both hands forward, and the air brakes behind him snapped open as he made an emergency stop over the river.

Before he could steady himself, his thrusters flared and he rushed toward the nuclear missiles.

The nuclear missiles sped toward the city at twice the speed of sound.

Mark VII raced at full power. Five seconds later, it finally caught up.

Tony Stark pressed tightly beneath the leading nuclear missile, thrust both hands upward, and firmly grabbed it.

Rogers had also learned of the situation from Natasha.

"Stark, you may not come back from this."

"Use all power for turning, J.A.R.V.I.S."

There was not the slightest hesitation in Tony's unblinking eyes.

"Sir, would you like to contact Miss Pepper?"

J.A.R.V.I.S. projected Pepper's portrait onto the interface before Tony's eyes.

Stark hesitated for one second. "Connect me."

If I really die during this mission, I hope the last thing I hear is your voice.

"Captain Rogers, don't worry. I'll bring Mr. Stark back safely."

A streak of Golden Light caught up from behind.

Leo appeared behind Mark VII, spread his hands, and easily took control of the remaining two nuclear missiles.