"They... they actually did it..."
Maria Hill's voice was dry.
It trembled with a hint of disbelief.
As Fury's most capable deputy, she was accustomed to conspiracies and dirty dealings.
But personally ordering the obliteration of millions of compatriots and an entire city from the map—this kind of bottom-line-breaking madness still sent chills down her spine.
"The missile has been launched, expected to arrive over Manhattan in ninety seconds."
An Agent monitoring reported, his voice shaking.
This news, like a death knell, reached the ears of every Avenger on the ground through the public channel.
"What?!"
Steve Rogers had just smashed two Chitauri with his shield.
"Fury! Answer me! What exactly is going on?!"
"Sorry, Captain," Fury's voice sounded weary and hoarse, "That wasn't my order."
Tony Stark had just teamed up with War Machine to take down a Leviathan, and his armor's energy was nearly depleted.
He looked at the rapidly approaching red dot on the tactical screen, representing the nuclear missile, and for a moment, his mind was blank.
He thought of Pepper, and of everyone in New York.
Everything he had fought so hard to protect was ultimately going to be stabbed in the back by his own people.
An unprecedented wave of anger and powerlessness instantly engulfed him.
"Jarvis," his voice was unusually calm, "Calculate an interception route."
"Sir, with our current energy, the success rate of forcibly altering the missile's trajectory is below three percent. Furthermore, you will be unable to return."
"Execute order."
Tony's tone was beyond doubt.
North Brother Island.
William crushed the glass in his hand with a "snap."
He watched the dot representing the nuclear missile on the screen, the smile completely gone from his face.
"Damn it..."
Six people protecting New York, and they want to launch a nuclear missile? So many people protecting New York, and they still want to launch a nuclear missile?
This must be a HYDRA conspiracy!
His logic was incredibly clear and realistic: a nuclear cleansing, and New York would be gone.
If New York was gone, who would he collect his debts from?
S.H.I.E.L.D. owed him money.
Abomination's appearance fee.
And the priority selection right for two-tenths of the Chitauri technology—wouldn't all of that become bad debt?
More importantly, several of his "quality assets" were still shining brightly on that battlefield; if they were all wiped out, who would compensate him for his losses?!
These bureaucrats sitting in their offices not only wanted to renege on their debts but also to smash his rice bowl!
Just as William was beginning to formulate how to turn those bastards on the World Security Council into insurance policies, one by one, and then arrange for their accidental deaths...
The scene on the screen underwent an unexpected change for everyone.
On the tactical nuclear missile, trailing a long plume of fire, representing death and finality, a red and black figure appeared out of nowhere, without warning.
The person was straddling the warhead in a very flamboyant pose.
Like riding an untamed wild horse.
He was gripping the missile's stabilizer fin with one hand, and with the other, he even pulled out a phone and made a peace sign at himself.
"Hey! Hello, everyone, and welcome to my live stream!"
Deadpool's unique, cheeky voice, somehow overriding S.H.I.E.L.D.'s encrypted communications, echoed across the entire battlefield channel, "My dear friends, Rocket... oh no, nuclear missile up! If you want to see me perform a 720-degree aerial spin with a fancy selfie, send some gifts!"
At this moment, time seemed to stand still.
Whether it was the heroes fighting a bloody battle on the ground, or the Agents on the Helicarrier with hearts like ashes.
Even William on the island, ready to flip the table.
Everyone stared blankly at the lunatic on the nuclear warhead, performing abstract art.
A feeling of absolute absurdity instantly washed away the suffocating despair from before.
"What... what is that thing?"
Steve Rogers murmured.
He felt his worldview, forged through countless battles, being repeatedly impacted by some indescribable force.
"I... I don't know."
Tony's voice was also filled with confusion.
"Jarvis, analyze that target."
"Analysis failed, Sir. The target's behavioral logic exceeds the understanding of my database."
Deadpool seemed dissatisfied with the camera angle.
He adjusted his posture, still chattering, "Tsk, the wind's too strong, messed up my hair. I'm telling you, riding this thing is way more exciting than a roller coaster! Just a bit chilly on the butt."
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something important, pulling out the often-malfunctioning spatial teleporter from his waist pouch and wildly tapping it.
"Damn rotten thing, don't fail me at the critical moment!"
"Hey, friends on the other side of the Universe! Sending you a super-sized Mexican burrito! It's spicy!"
Accompanied by his final strange cry.
The nuclear missile, along with him riding on it, instantly vanished from the New York sky in a distorted white light.
The next second, in the distant sky.
From within the blue spatial portal connecting to the Universe, a brilliant light, brighter than the Sun, erupted.
No sound was heard.
But everyone saw it.
The spatial portal rippled violently, like water into which a stone had been thrown.
Subsequently, countless incoming Chitauri reinforcements instantly turned into cosmic dust.
At the same time, at the top of Stark Tower.
Natasha Romanoff endured the intense pain in her body, using her last ounce of strength to thrust Loki's scepter fiercely into the energy shield released by the Tesseract.
The Mind Stone at the scepter's tip resonated violently with the Space Stone's energy.
"Buzz—!"
A visible blue energy wave, centered on Stark Tower, spread outwards with a sudden force.
The spatial portal in the sky, under the dual internal and external assault, finally couldn't hold on and began to rapidly contract and close.
Like a machine with its power unplugged.
The Chitauri soldiers and Leviathan beasts scattered across New York all froze in unison, then, like puppets with severed strings, they plummeted from the sky or lost all signs of life on the ground.
The hours-long clamor and explosions ceased abruptly at this moment.
Only the wailing of the wind through the ruins remained, and the gasps of the survivors, relieved to be alive.
The war was over.
On the top floor of Stark Tower, Loki watched the slowly closing portal in the sky, an expression of disbelief on his face.
His meticulously planned, perfect invasion... had failed just like that?
Just as he was about to say something, a massive green figure landed in front of him, blocking all light.
Hulk looked down at the little bug who had caused him so much trouble, baring his teeth in a malicious grin.
"Puny god."
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The classic floor-slamming exercise began.
Just as Loki felt all the bones in his body were about to be dislocated, another, even taller and more ferocious dark figure, radiating a fierce aura, also jumped up.
Abomination looked at Loki, who was being manhandled by Hulk like a rag doll, then at Hulk's satisfied expression, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his gray eyes.
Why should you get all the good stuff?
Without a word, he stepped forward and grabbed Loki's other leg.
And so.
Loki, the God of Mischief and second Prince of Asgard, received an unprecedented and never-to-be-repeated "two-person mixed doubles" treatment.
Hulk and Abomination, these two sworn enemies, were surprisingly in sync at this moment.
One tug, then the other, as if engaged in some primitive and brutal tug-of-war, with Loki as the "rope" being tugged.
Loki let out the most agonizing scream of his life.
William watched this harmonious and friendly scene on the screen with a poker face.
He calmly said to Lei Ling, "Add 'team building fee' and 'post-war psychological trauma counseling fee' to Abomination's bill."
After speaking, he picked up the phone on the table and dialed Nick Fury's number.
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