The Destroyer Descends

Chu Hang did not call Tony, nor did he notify S.H.I.E.L.D.

He simply used an encrypted line to leave an anonymous message on Coulson's terminal in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal database.

"Keep your people under control. Don't send them to their deaths."

The moment the message was sent, he vanished from the top-floor office of Stark Tower.

New Mexico, Puente Antiguo.

The afternoon sun should have been lazy and warm, but now it was frozen by an icy terror.

Panic spread through the town like an invisible wildfire.

A metal giant over three meters tall was walking down the town's only main street.

Its body was both sleek and savage, forged entirely from a dark, lustrous metal that reflected a cold, hard gleam beneath the sun.

The Destroyer.

It did not move quickly. If anything, it seemed sluggish, but every step carried crushing force, leaving distinct craters in the asphalt.

A pickup truck by the roadside blocked its path. With a casual sweep of its hand, it sent the vehicle, weighing over a ton, flying like an empty soda can. It tumbled into a shop window, scattering glass everywhere.

Sirens, screams, and sobs blended into chaos. The townspeople fled for their lives like ants whose nest had been kicked open.

Phil Coulson crouched behind a police car, roaring hoarsely into his radio.

"All units, I repeat, all units! Abandon conventional weapons! Begin evacuating civilians immediately! This is not a drill!"

Several agents beside him poked their heads out and opened fire on the metal giant with automatic rifles.

The bullets struck its smooth shell without even producing sparks before bouncing away effortlessly with sharp metallic clatters.

The Destroyer did not even acknowledge them and continued forward at an unhurried pace. Its target was clear.

Coulson watched the scene, his back drenched