Lynn didn't have to wait long before the door to the lounge opened. Tony walked in first, his armor riddled with wounds, and the smell of turbine oil still lingered around him. His visor had bounced upwards, leaving a shallow scratch on his cheek. Ivan followed behind, the white parrot on his shoulder preening its feathers ruffled by the blast, the arc generator on his shoulder still humming softly. Rogers was equally disheveled, leaning his shield against the wall as he entered, his gaze quickly sweeping across the room to check on everyone's condition.
Banner and Thor are still missing. After the Hulk went out of control, Banner fell from a great height; Thor was imprisoned in a glass cage by Loki, and both fell from the Helicarrier. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
The lounge was silent. Tony leaned against the wall, his fingers unconsciously tapping the Arc Reactor on his chest. Rogers rested his hands on the edge of the table, staring intently at the tactical map, his lips pressed tightly together. Natasha sat on the sofa, re-examining the bandages on her leg. Ivan huddled in a corner, muttering to himself in Russian. Even Fury stood by the observation window, his single eye fixed on the flashing alarm light on the glass, remaining completely silent.
Lynn took in everyone's expressions and understood. Coulson had survived by chance, but Loki had escaped, Thor and Banner's fates were unknown, and the entire Helicarrier was severely damaged. Although no one was injured, everyone felt a sense of frustration.
He coughed twice, breaking the tense atmosphere and attracting everyone's attention.
"I know everyone's feeling terrible. Loki's goal is to break our will and divide the team. This is just the beginning." He leaned back on the sofa armrest, his tone casual and nonchalant. "He's extremely narcissistic, loves to perform, craves flowers and cheers, and wants to stand in front of everyone to personally defeat us, watching the Avengers crumble at his feet. Can't you guess where he's prepared his stage?"
He paused, tilted his head to look at everyone, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Don't always expect me to spoil the plot for you."
The silence lasted a mere half-second. Tony stopped tapping the reactor, his mind racing. Loki, craving attention and grand spectacle, would inevitably choose a landmark building, a stage from which he could overlook the entire city. The heart of New York City... Stark Tower!
That was his territory. Tony's knuckles tightened suddenly, he cursed under his breath, and drew a circle in the air with his hand. Orange-red sparks burst forth, and a portal led directly to the laboratory on the ground floor of Stark Tower. He said no more and strode straight in. Ivan immediately followed, carrying the arc generator, the white parrot on his shoulder flapping its wings in surprise at the sudden acceleration.
The two figures disappeared behind the door, and the portal slowly closed, causing the tactical map inside to sway gently in the airflow coming from outside.
Lynn turned to look at Fury and Captain America, who both looked bewildered. Fury's one eye widened slightly, clearly not yet realizing Loki's target. Rogers, on the other hand, had already reached for the shield by the wall, his movements swift and decisive.
"It seems we should get going. I'll lead the way."
Lynn straightened up, adjusted his glasses, and said to Rogers, "Captain, please gather the men; we'll set off together shortly."
He pressed the communication button on the temple of his glasses and said in a low voice.
JARVIS?
"I'm here, Mr. Lynn. How can I help you?" JARVIS's steady electronic voice came through the headset.
"Contact Tony. The previously agreed-upon armor cluster plan can officially begin. Mr. Stark should have discussed the details with you."
"Received. The underground laboratory at the seaside villa currently houses five MK5 battle suits, all of which have completed basic modifications. Other models, due to time constraints, are not yet equipped with unmanned control systems and only support manual driving."
"That's enough. Get Tony to grant you access; a major battle is about to begin."
The top floor of Stark Tower.
Loki stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, the base of his scepter pressed against the cold Dali floor, his dark green cloak billowing wildly in the night wind. He looked up at the ceiling, where the energy core of the Tesseract slowly unfolded, a blue-white beam of light shooting straight into the sky, tearing a dark spatial rift in the air above Manhattan.
Blue energy ripples surged along the edge of the rift, rapidly expanding from a tiny point into a gigantic portal tens of meters wide. On the other side of the portal lay the vast depths of space, where countless Chitauri Army lurked beneath the starlight, like swarms of locusts waiting to pounce.
The next second, the Legion began their dive. Large numbers of Chitauri aircraft burst out of the portal, their sharp engine roars tearing through the city sky. The aircraft trailed pale blue flames as Chitauri infantry scattered on their Goblin Glider, their energy rifles firing scorching beams that ravaged the buildings of New York.
The glass curtain wall of the skyscraper shattered with a crash, and concrete fragments rained down. Pedestrians on the street stared at the eerie cracks overhead, screams of terror echoing through the air. On Third Avenue, a taxi was hit by an energy blast, tumbling and crashing into shops along the street, flames and thick smoke instantly erupting. The Chitauri soldiers who landed caused destruction everywhere, leaving scorched craters in the asphalt with each shot.
On the top floor of the building, a robotic arm was helping Tony remove his battered MK6 armor. After hearing JARVIS's account, he didn't hesitate for a moment.
" JARVIS, execute the plan. Deploy all armors."
The roof of the underground laboratory in the seaside villa suddenly opened, and five MK5 battle suits simultaneously ignited and took off, five silver streaks of light piercing the sky as they sped towards Manhattan. During the flight, the battle suits automatically dispersed, each locking onto a block of streets, their palm cannons and shoulder missile pods fully deployed, their firepower weaving into a net to continuously eliminate the endless stream of enemies pouring out from the portal.
Tony stared at the ever-expanding spatial rift above him, muttering curses into the communication channel, his heart filled with frustration.
Meanwhile, Lynn, along with Rogers and Natasha, passed through the portal and landed on a rooftop in Midtown Manhattan. The rooftop beneath their feet was riddled with charred bullet holes from energy cannons, while in the distance, the portal above Stark Tower continued to unleash a barrage of enemy troops. In mid-air, the thrusters of the MK5 armors clashed with the energy projectiles of the Chitauri, creating a scene of utter chaos.
Civilians are evacuating towards the north of the city, but their progress is slow. At the intersection of Third Avenue, several elderly people and a mother pushing a stroller are blocked at the intersection. A squad of Chitauri soldiers rush out of an alley, their energy rifles already charging.
"Captain, there are wounded and civilians on Third Avenue!" Lynn shouted a warning.
Rogers said nothing, gripping his shield as he leaped off the roof. Using the impact of several landings to cushion the fall, he rolled and landed, the shield flying from his hand, accurately knocking the weapons from the hands of two soldiers. Natasha followed closely behind, rapidly sliding down the fire escape ladder, pulling the trigger before landing, the bullet hitting a gap in the armor of a Chitauri soldier precisely.