Battle of New York (VI)

Smoke still hung over the ruins of New York, the acrid stench of scorched debris mingling with blood until it became nauseating. Thor, Wanda, and Captain America raced toward Stark Tower, rubble crunching beneath their feet. Along the way, shattered walls moaned in the wind, twisted steel bars reaching out like the arms of the desperate. Burning buildings sent billowing smoke into the sky, staining it an eerie dark red, as if foretelling an even greater disaster.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as though a slumbering beast were awakening beneath them. Dozens of small Extremis Virus Robots burst from the earth. Though small, they moved with terrifying speed, blue arcs of electricity coiling around them as their metal shells gleamed coldly in the firelight. Their bizarre heads had cameras that flashed red, and like bloodthirsty mechanical locusts, they let out piercing shrieks and lunged at the three of them.

"Watch out! These things are fast!" Captain America shouted, swiftly raising his shield before him. Its metal surface still bore scratches and blackened scorch marks from the previous battle. Several robots fired energy bolts that struck the shield in a spray of dazzling sparks. The impact forced him half a step back, crushing the gravel underfoot into finer fragments.

Wanda's pupils suddenly contracted. Scarlet magical energy boiled around her like a living thing, warping the air with a faint hum. Her hands danced rapidly, with bloodstains from the previous battle still caught beneath her fingernails. Her magic first became a surging red tide, and a faint rusty scent instantly filled the air—the smell of magical energy violently reacting with the elements around it. The tide met the incoming energy bolts with perfect precision. The instant they collided, a blinding light erupted, and the bolts broke apart into countless tiny points of light that scattered like fireworks. The resulting shockwave flung away nearby rubble and even shoved a wrecked car several meters away. Metal scraped harshly against the ground.

Thor swung Mjolnir, lightning weaving between the robots like silver serpents. "Boom!" A bolt of lightning crashed down, blasting several robots directly into fragments. Metal wreckage scattered everywhere, some pieces still searing hot as they landed on the ground with sizzling sounds. But even more robots surged forward, their claws raking Thor's armor. Electricity conducted through the metal, numbing his entire body and making his muscles twitch uncontrollably.

Wanda clenched her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead as her face flushed from the strain. Her hair was lifted by magical energy and whipped wildly around her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly raised both hands. Her magic transformed into countless thin threads, mysterious runes flowing across their surfaces with a faint glow. The threads pierced precisely into the robots' joints. Wherever they passed, metal let out groans of unbearable strain, as though wailing in agony. The robots froze, then their bodies began to twist and deform beneath the crushing force of her magic. Their metal shells bulged and warped, while blue sparks burst from the circuits inside. Finally, they exploded with a bang, fragments raining down. One scorching shard grazed Wanda's cheek, leaving a shallow burn. However, the intense use of magic made her dizzy again. Her ears rang, the world spun before her eyes, and her legs nearly gave out beneath her.

Seeing this, Captain America immediately rushed to her side and used his shield to block another wave of attacks. The shield clashed against robotic claws with a shrill screech. "Wanda, hold on! We can't waste too much time here!" As he spoke, he swung his shield. Its edge was sharp as a blade, severing the arms of approaching robots. Black machine oil sprayed out like blood.

Wanda leaned against Captain America's shield, breathing hard as a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. She forced herself upright, determination blazing once more in her eyes. Raising her hands again, she formed a massive red vortex with her magic. Energy churned continuously at its center, giving off a deep roar like the howl of an ancient beast. The vortex swept toward the surrounding robots. Wherever it passed, the air was violently drawn away, forming small tornadoes that sucked in robots along with the rubble around them. The robots let out shrill cries within the vortex as their metal parts were torn to pieces by the overwhelming force. Blue arcs flashed madly inside it like trapped lightning spirits. Wanda could clearly feel the magic rampaging through her body. Every time she drove it forward, it felt as though her veins were being torn apart, but she still gritted her teeth and refused to relax for even a moment.

As the magic continued to pour out, Wanda's consciousness began to blur, and the scene before her overlapped. She kept telling herself that she could not fall; she had to buy time for her teammates. Just then, one robot took advantage of her distraction and pounced at her back. At the critical moment, Wanda instinctively twisted aside. The robot skimmed past her shoulder and slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crater. She had no time to inspect her wound. Her hands shifted through another gesture, and the vortex's power instantly surged, shredding every remaining robot.

The three of them fought their way through the robots' encirclement with great difficulty, each gaining more wounds. At last, they reached the foot of Stark Tower. Looking up, they saw the magical array atop the building blazing brightly. Purple runes whirled madly through the air like countless venomous purple snakes dancing in frenzy. A heart-pounding energy pulse radiated from it, warping the air around it. Loki and Amora stood at the center of the array with manic smiles on their faces. Their scepter and magic orb continuously poured power into the formation, the patterns on the orb's surface flashing with eerie light.

"Stop!" Thor roared, his voice filled with rage and heartbreak. Years of brotherhood had been shattered by Loki's betrayal. He raised Mjolnir, and an immense bolt of lightning struck toward the two of them, illuminating the entire sky. Loki gave a contemptuous smile and waved his scepter. An energy barrier rose, easily blocking the lightning as ripples spread across its surface.

"Brother, you are always so naive." Loki's voice spread across the entire battlefield through magic, dripping with mockery. "Do you think you can stop us? Hydra's plan can no longer be reversed! Once the spacetime rift fully opens, Asgard will become our target as well!"

Amora gave a coquettish laugh, purple magic swirling around her. Her laughter was as cold and sinister as a snake flicking its tongue. "These ants are merely making their final struggle. Once the spacetime rift fully opens, the entire Earth will be ours! Your civilization will be completely destroyed beneath our feet!"

Wanda endured the discomfort wracking her body and gathered immense magic between her hands. Her nails dug deeply into her palms, blood dripping from her fingers and blooming across the ground like crimson flowers. The magic condensed into a huge red sphere of energy. Arcs of electricity leaped across its surface with crackling sounds, its temperature rising sharply until the surrounding air twisted and warped into visible rings of heat. "I won't let you succeed!" With all her strength, she hurled the energy sphere at the magical array. Like a gigantic red meteor trailing a long tail of flame, it scorched a black path through the air.

But Amora had been prepared. Crossing her hands, she murmured an incantation, and a purple magical shield appeared before her. Ancient, mysterious runes surfaced across it, radiating a dim violet glow. Wanda's energy sphere collided with Amora's shield, and the enormous impact exploded atop the tower like a nuclear blast, forming a massive mushroom cloud. The violent shockwave shattered all the glass curtain walls at the top of the building, sending fragments drifting down like snowflakes. One large shard flew toward Wanda, but Captain America quickly knocked it aside with his shield. Wanda was hurled away by the blast and slammed heavily into a stone pillar. She spat out a mouthful of blood, and the glow of her magic instantly dimmed considerably.

Wanda struggled to stand, only to find her limbs as heavy as lead. She looked at the magical array still operating in the distance, her heart full of unwillingness. Gathering the last trace of her strength, she condensed magic at her fingertips once more, this time forming small red blades of light. Gritting her teeth, she flung them out. The blades sliced through the air with piercing whistles and flew toward the array, attempting to disrupt Loki and Amora's spellcasting. Though their power was far weaker than before, they still made the pair pause slightly, creating an opening for Thor's attack.

At this moment, all of New York had fallen into an unprecedented crisis. At Stark Tower, Thor swung his hammer and relentlessly attacked Loki's barrier, each impact leaving his arms numb. Wanda's magic had become unstable, and under Captain America's protection, she could barely continue fighting. Captain America continuously blocked Amora's magical attacks, and burn marks from magic had already appeared on his shield. On the ground, the threat of the Extremis Virus Mecha hung overhead like the sword of Damocles, while Doctor Killian continued plotting even more schemes in the shadows. He was activating the mecha's hidden weapon system, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the Avengers. Could the Avengers and their friends from Midtown High escape danger once again and stop the enemy's plan? An even more thrilling battle had only just begun.