Earth's defensive line.
The once-prosperous streets had been reduced to scorched earth.
Broken rebar jutted from the concrete wreckage like the bones of some colossal beast.
Flames licked through the ruins, while thick smoke blotted out the already crimson sky.
The surviving heroes had been compressed into a narrow area.
Captain America's shield was covered in cracks, with even a chunk missing from its edge. He knelt behind a broken wall, his chest heaving violently, every breath carrying the taste of blood.
His uniform was in tatters, and the exposed skin beneath was covered in burns and abrasions.
Iron Man's armor was riddled with damage. The thruster on his left arm spewed black smoke, barely keeping him aloft.
Half his faceplate had shattered, revealing Tony Stark's face, smeared with blood and oil and etched with exhaustion.
"Energy... 7%... Weapon systems offline..." Friday's alert sounded in intermittent bursts.
Black Panther's suit was damaged in several places, its vibranium layers forcibly stripped away to reveal mangled, bloody wounds beneath.
He leaned against the twisted wreckage of a car, struggling to remain conscious.
The Mind Stone on Vision's forehead glowed with extreme faintness. Spiderweb-like dark-red patterns crawled across his translucent body—the marks of energy corrosion.
Wanda stood guard beside him. The crimson glow of Chaos Magic flickered unpredictably, and her gaze was somewhat unfocused. The prolonged high-intensity casting and resistance against the corruption had nearly drained her mind.
Jean Grey was protected in the middle by several X-Men. Her eyes were closed, her brows tightly furrowed. A wisp of golden-red Phoenix Fire occasionally flashed across her body, but even that flame seemed weak and unstable.
Strange floated in midair with the Eye of Agamotto open. The Time Stone's green light formed a fragile protective barrier, barely blocking the dark-red energy bolts continuously raining