"Ah, such peace~" ×2
Leon and Loki sighed in unison, showing not the slightest awareness that they were about to invade Earth as foreign conquerors.
"We publicly announced that we're conquering Earth in two days. Why does no one seem to feel any sense of crisis?"
Loki lazily sipped his iced cocktail through a straw longer than his own life, puzzled.
"Even if you announce the world's ending tomorrow, most people won't believe it. They'll eat, drink, and party like usual. Earthlings have a special kind of relaxed denial."
"Unless disaster is right on top of them."
Leon smiled as he explained—then suddenly raised a brow.
He sensed one of his remote units rapidly approaching.
"They're coming."
"Who?"
"Our dear big brother. They've figured out a way to pinpoint our location—probably by tracking the Tesseract."
Leon raised his right hand. The blue glow of the Tesseract, embedded within the Ancient One's Ring, shimmered against the crimson sun overhead.
"What do we do? The plan was to face them in two days. By the way… why two days?" Loki asked.
"If public opinion doesn't ferment a little, how will they realize how serious this is?"
"You just said they have no sense of crisis."
"Exactly. That's why we give our friends at S.H.I.E.L.D. time to help validate our warning—assuming they care about New York civilians."
"If no one believes us, let the official authorities speak for us."
Leon shrugged, laying out his open strategy.
Loki smirked.
"I like it."
No matter the means, history is written by the victors.
When Nick Fury's cloaked Helicarrier arrived off the Hawaiian coast, Tony and Thor led the charge.
They leapt from the deck, covering over ten kilometers in moments, free-falling from several thousand meters and landing heroically on the beach.
"Attention!"
"There is an imminent terrorist threat in this area. Please evacuate immediately!"
Clad in the Mark VI Armor, Tony evacuated civilians while scanning meticulously for Ebony Maw–Leon and Loki.
Nothing.
Given their flashy performance in Manhattan, they should have been making a spectacle.
Tony frowned.
He'd joked earlier about them vacationing in Hawaii—but in reality, he'd been thinking logically.
Even at gunpoint, Tony wouldn't guess the alien mastermind giving him headaches was his own brother.
Leon's Bio-Field rendered all detection systems useless—much like Clark Kent's glasses.
"They may be concealed by illusion magic," Thor warned, gripping Mjolnir. "Loki excels at deception."
"J.A.R.V.I.S., infrared scan."
"No abnormal targets detected, sir."
"Tony, the Tesseract signal disappeared," Banner reported from the Helicarrier.
"Wait—it's reappeared in the Himalayas!"
Tony clicked his tongue.
"Playing hide-and-seek with me, huh?"
"Tony," Thor added cautiously, "we should evacuate New York civilians and pre-deploy the military. Opening the Tesseract is opening Pandora's box."
Tony eyed him.
"Since when are you so considerate?"
"People grow," Thor admitted awkwardly. "I once craved war to prove myself worthy of Asgard's throne. Now… I just want peace."
"Wow. Truly king-worthy."
Tony shot upward. Thor followed, spinning Mjolnir.
Two and a Half Minutes Later – The Himalayas
Tony snapped a photo of the snow-capped mountains and sent it to Pepper before tapping his helmet.
"Banner, where are they?"
"…Egypt. Near the Great Pyramid of Khufu."
"What?!"
Tony's magnetic field destabilized, melting snow beneath his feet.
This wasn't hide-and-seek anymore.
They were being toyed with.
Realizing they were chasing someone using space teleportation, Tony abandoned pursuit and returned to the Helicarrier.
"How did the Tesseract fall into his hands?"
Fury bristled. "Your dear brother borrowed it. He goes missing, and now it's in someone else's hands."
Tony's expression darkened.
He wasn't worried about Leon's safety—the Mark VI could still function autonomously, proving Leon was alive.
He was worried Leon might be trapped somewhere.
Kamar-Taj
After confirming Tony had stopped chasing him, Leon returned to Kamar-Taj, letting the Ancient One handle the gamma radiation leak.
Then he and Loki waited patiently.
Most surprisingly—
Bastet, previously overwhelmed by the Mind Stone, awakened.
Bigger.
Stronger.
Two Days Later – New York City
Selvig's portal device was complete.
The Helicarrier hovered cloaked above 10,000 meters, monitoring the city.
Yet Ebony Maw–Leon and Loki were nowhere to be seen.
"Agent Hill, evacuation status?"
"Only 25% complete. Most civilians refuse to leave."
Fury frowned deeply.
"They think it's a joke. Others don't want to lose their jobs."
Fury muttered darkly.
"This country's too free."
"They announced it three days early," Steve said. "Why no movement?"
"Manhattan was the trailer," Tony replied, spinning a metal pen faster and faster. "Today's the main event."
"They'll gather our strongest forces and crush them at once. Maximum psychological impact."
"They'll need a stage," Banner added. "What's New York's most visible landmark?"
"Oh, shit."
"Stark Tower."
Stark Tower – Rooftop
Leon (disguised as Ebony Maw) stepped through a portal with Loki and Selvig onto the tower's iconic "H"-shaped summit.
After handing the Ancient One's Ring to Selvig, the portal device was activated.
"Take it easy later. If you can't win, claim you've regained consciousness," Leon said calmly to Loki.
"Lose?" Loki smirked. "Aside from you and the Ancient One, who on Earth should concern me?"
Leon chuckled.
"Good luck."
In the distance—
The Mark VI Armor approached at high speed, Thor flying alongside it.
"Sir, the Arc Reactor is offline remotely, but the Tesseract is powering the portal device continuously."
"Doesn't matter."
In a blink, Tony's armor hovered opposite Leon. Thor landed before Loki and Selvig.
"Stop this, Selvig! Loki! You can still come back!"
"Too late, Brother!" Loki laughed.
Selvig, under Mind Stone influence, grinned wildly.
"The device is complete! It cannot be stopped! You will witness a new universe!"
"Is that so?"
While the Mark VI and Thor distracted them, Tony himself slipped behind Selvig—
Chopped him unconscious.
Then delivered a fully charged punch at the portal device.
"It's over!"
"Not necessarily."
Leon turned leisurely.
Tony's punch struck—
A translucent blue Spatial Barrier.
BOOM—
A violent rebound shockwave exploded outward.
Tony and Thor were blasted away.
The Mark VI was thrown back.
Selvig, the only mortal present, was sent flying—saved from death only by Leon's discreet telekinetic cushioning.
"Selvig!"
Thor caught him midair.
Below—
Pedestrians looked up as a human-shaped object plummeted.
"Tony Stark?!"
CRASH.
Tony climbed from a massive crater, hair slightly disheveled.
The Mark VI landed beside him.
Looking up at the increasingly radiant portal device, Tony spread his arms as the armor reassembled onto him.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., what was that?"
"A barrier composed purely of Tesseract spatial energy. Conventional physical or energy attacks cannot penetrate it."
"Tch. Annoying."
Tony cupped his hands and shouted:
"Thor—Plan B!"
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