One second, two seconds...
"Whimper..."
A survivor's sob rose from a corner,
then spread rapidly, like a lit fuse.
Pent-up emotions broke free.
People embraced and wept, clutching the arms of those beside them,
as if to make sure they were still alive,
to make sure the nightmare that devoured everything had truly ended.
"He did it... He really did it..."
A man with a soot-blackened face muttered,
tears cutting two clear tracks down his cheeks.
"Silver Duke! Silver Duke saved us!"
A child pointed at the giant in the sky, shouting through tears with excitement.
"God... Thank you... No, thank him!"
An old woman crossed herself and gazed up at the Dharma Avatar with reverence.
Aboard the Helicarrier, Nick Fury's tense body finally relaxed,
and he let out a long breath.
Complex emotions flickered in his one eye—relief, shock,
and a trace of deeper worry.
He glanced at Carol outside, still blazing with light but clearly unsteady,
and knew the crisis was far from over.
Tony Stark landed on a shattered rooftop, his nanotech faceplate retracting.
He looked at the giant, all his usual banter gone,
admiration showing despite his tight-lipped expression.
"Buddy, you still know how to make one hell of an entrance..."
The two Captain Americas tightened their grips on their shields at the same time,
gazing up at that familiar yet unfamiliar giant face, their hearts full of gratitude.
A fiercer resolve burned in them too—they had to protect the people below.
They couldn't let Su Ming's efforts go to waste.
Thor laughed heartily and pointed Mjolnir at the sky.
"Haha! That's more like it! A man fights to the end!"
Across the globe, people who had barely dared to breathe
erupted into thunderous cheers!
Though thousands of miles away, they shared the relief of New