Violent Crushing (Revised)

Aeo flew out of the hall, and under everyone's shocked and horrified gazes, he floated gently in midair.

"Since you've chosen hostility, don't blame me for showing no mercy in my strikes."

Boom, the armored vehicles and soldiers carrying RPGs were blasted away by Aeo's scorching gaze. As his eyes swept sideways, a deep gouge was carved into the ground.

"Dodge, dodge quickly!"

"Open fire, open fire now!"

Unfortunately, humanity's attacks couldn't even scratch a hair on the youth. Whether machine guns or bombs, they just thudded against Aeo's body with no other effect.

Well, not entirely ineffective—after a while, Aeo's body was bruised black and blue, and his clothes were tattered.

Aeo was furious.

"Enough!" His heat ray shot upward, striking an Apache attack helicopter that was about to fire a missile.

"Boom~"

"No." Batman scrambled up and called to Aeo in midair, "You promised me, no killing!"

Aeo paused, his heat vision finally extinguishing. He turned to look at Batman, his eyes icy and bloodshot. "I didn't start this, Bruce."

"But you can still choose a peaceful approach!" Bruce half-shouted, half-pleaded. "This isn't the best way, Zod, you know that."

"..."

Just then, Iron Man, who had been knocked away, flew back, his shoulder-mounted armor-piercing missile aimed at Aeo.

"Locked on, locked on."

Huh? Aeo whipped his head around.

Boom, a massive explosion rang out from midair, and a figure was blasted down.

"No!" Bruce was horrified.

"I think it's better to let him cool off first," the glib Iron Man said.

Unfortunately, Aeo, who had been blasted down, emerged unscathed. "You forced my hand!" he roared in fury.

Over here, Captain Steven Rogers also got up from the ground, grabbed his shield, and hurled it outward, charging at the youth like a human cannonball.

With a deafening clang, Aeo knocked the shield away with one hand, sending Iron Man, who couldn't dodge in time, tumbling.

"I'm fine, I'm fine..."

But no one was paying attention to him anymore. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the center of the battlefield, where the alien youth had grabbed the attacking Captain America by the knee and sent him flying with a leg sweep.

And it didn't end there. Aeo instantly followed up, clenching his fists and slamming the midair Captain America heavily into the ground.

"Boom!"

"So you want war?" Aeo's eyes blazed with dazzling red light as he ruthlessly pinned the struggling Captain Rogers to the ground. "I'll give you war!"

Iron Man tried to come to the rescue, but Aeo looked up and struck his chest power source hard. With a bang, he fell from the sky.

"Stop!" Bruce rushed out of the building. "Enough! Do you really want to go to war with Earth? If not, then stop!"

Aeo fell silent for a moment, the fury in his eyes dimming slightly.

Looking at the war-torn scene of wailing and devastation around him, and the old butler's horrified gaze, Aeo—born in an era of peace—softened. He moved his foot off Captain America.

Well, the Captain's serum-enhanced strength couldn't even match a Kryptonian's single foot.

"Are you okay?" Bruce hurried over to support him. Among everyone, he had been beaten the worst, making even the famous Captain America a worrying sight. Plus, the youth's heat vision had blasted a crater into the ground.

"Cough." After a long moment, Steven Rogers finally spat out a mouthful of blood.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Slap, Natasha Romanoff crawled out of the downed Apache helicopter in disarray; Hill pushed open the armored vehicle's door with difficulty, staggering out.

Some soldiers went to rescue the fallen Iron Man. Pulling open his faceplate, they found he had only taken a bit of a shock and was otherwise fine.

Under everyone's horrified and fearful gazes, Aeo walked up to the ashen-faced S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury and sneered.

"Now, can you show me a bit of respect, Earthling?"

"You!" The black one-eyed man gritted his teeth in fury.

"Sir..." came Agent Melinda's worried voice through the earpiece.

Taking a deep breath, the King of Spies swallowed his anger. "Cough. Stop, everyone stop."

"If you don't stop, what can you do? S.H.I.E.L.D..."

"Enough!" The Bat, supporting Captain America, snapped at Aeo. "Stop provoking. Is this fun?"

Fun? Yes, this conflict was less a mutual fight and more Aeo single-handedly taking on a crowd.

The weakened Captain Rogers also pushed Batman away with effort, steadied himself unsteadily, and glared at him. "We're not afraid of war! Because this is our Earth!"

But looking at the mess and smoke filling the field, the Captain's words carried little weight.

The war-hardened Captain's face was grim as he said, "But we meant no harm. If you could just control yourself..."

Aeo was about to sneer, but Bruce interjected.

"Aeo, listen to me. I know you're furious, but you also know this isn't the best way! Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D.'s methods were too despicable, but anything can be discussed calmly, right, Director Nick Fury?"

"...That's right." The tough spymaster finally relented. For an agent who walked in the shadows, a temporary loss or a momentary retreat was nothing unacceptable. "...As long as you truly have no malice toward our world in any form, just as you claim!"

Besides, the King of Spies had also noticed that while this alien seemed to be in a towering rage, he was actually showing restraint—he hadn't directly killed a single S.H.I.E.L.D. soldier. The armored vehicles flipping and helicopters crashing weren't his fault, Aeo shrugged.

So Nick Fury softened his tone. "Then we won't oppose you staying."

At the one-eyed black man's stubborn, face-saving words, Aeo just curled his lip.

"Boring."

But he didn't stir up conflict again. And so the battle of Gotham City came to an end.

Watching Aeo walk irresponsibly toward the ruined Wayne Manor, Nick Fury choked up but dared not say another word. He could only helplessly begin rescuing the wounded strewn across the ground.

"It's okay, hang in there, the doctor's coming soon..."

"Hey, hold on, buddy..."

"Sorry, Old Alfred." Standing before the kind old butler, Aeo apologized. "I..."

Looking at the ragged youth, Old Alfred paused, then glanced up at the master and smiled. "It's alright, dear child. Everyone grows from youth to adulthood. A moment's anger can't solve everything... I'm glad you're back, Master Aeo."

"...Thank you."