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❄️ Chapter 36 — Fall of a Hero
The city burned, but the war was not just here anymore.
It stretched into the skies. Into space. Into the very heart of the Chitauri swarm.
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EXT. SPACE — NOVA (SAM ALEXANDER)
The void was on fire.
Sam Alexander roared as he carved a path through the swarm. His Nova helmet spat red warnings, power reserves flickering like a dying heartbeat.
Chitauri fighters swarmed him from all sides. He ducked under plasma fire, blasting three apart with a single wide-beam burst. His armor rattled under the force.
"Helmet—status!" Sam barked.
[Critical fatigue. Power levels 19%. Risk of neural collapse.]
His arms shook. Blood dripped into his visor. His body begged him to stop.
But Earth glimmered below. His mom. His friends. Everyone.
Sam grit his teeth. "Not… quitting. Not now."
He rammed into the mothership's hull, tearing molten steel aside with a full-force Nova blast. The metal screamed as he punched through corridors, alarms wailing around him.
And then he reached it—the control chamber.
The room reeked of venom. And waiting for him stood the Chitauri Commander.
Eight feet tall, four arms thick with sinew, its eyeless head tilted toward him. Its skin pulsed black blood in it's veins.
"You burn bright," the creature's voice was a guttural chorus. "But even stars die."
Sam wiped blood from his cheek and raised his fists.
"Yeah? Let's see if you can put me out."
The chamber exploded into battle.
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EXT. CITY STREETS — IRON MAN & SPIDER-MAN
On Earth, Tony Stark's repulsors scorched the streets. Every blast lit up the night, hammering venom-infested Chitauri into ash. But the cost was climbing—HUD warnings flashing red.
"Core overheating," JARVIS warned.
"Yeah, thanks, I noticed," Tony snapped, firing another salvo of missiles.
Spider-Man flipped in beside him, landing on a crumbled taxi. His suit was torn, mask ripped at the jaw, but his eyes still glinted with energy.
"Mr. Stark! That portal's still widening! What's the plan?!"
"Kid, it's simple." Tony ducked a swing, blasting its head off. "We close the cork, the champagne stops."
Spidey fired webs to pin two Chitauri, panting. "So, break the stabilizer?"
"Exactly."
He caught his breath. "You know, you're terrifying when you're calm about world-ending disasters."
"Occupational hazard." Tony's faceplate cracked, revealing his eyes. "Just remember—you're an Avenger now. That means impossible plans with bad odds."
Spidey grinned weakly under the mask. "Great. Just what I always wanted."
Then the air froze.
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EXT. STARK TOWER — LOKI'S DISPLAY
High above, Loki appeared, dragging Captain America by the head. Steve's body was bloodied, shield shattered, his arms limp.
The city gasped. Even the alien army seemed to pause.
Loki's voice echoed through amplified magic:
"Behold your champion! The symbol of your freedom… broken!"
The world seemed to crack under his words.
Spider-Man's hands shook, fists clenched tight around Loki's stolen scepter. "You bastard—"
The weapon ripped from his grasp, flying back into Loki's hand like it belonged there all along.
Loki twirled it, smiling wide. "Did you think you could wield a god's weapon? Mortals. So fragile. So foolish. Your leader has fallen. Your army is broken. This world… is mine."
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EXT. STREETS — HEROES' REACTIONS
The sight rippled through every hero.
Natasha froze mid-strike, rage burning her eyes. White Tiger's claws cracked stone as she hissed, ready to tear someone apart. Adrian staggered, the toll of the Miraculous still pulling him apart, even with Rooster's healing.
Thor's roar thundered across the city. "BROTHER!" Lightning split the heavens.
Hulk bellowed, smashing another Leviathan into rubble, his fury shaking the earth—but even he turned toward Stark Tower, eyes wide with rage.
Hope was cracking. Loki knew it.
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EXT. STARK TOWER — LOKI & CAPTAIN AMERICA
Loki slammed Steve onto the platform, venom energy coiling around the scepter.
"Once your symbol dies, so does your hope."
Cap coughed blood, forcing his eyes open. His voice was ragged, but his words were steel.
"I'm… not the only symbol." He pushed up on one arm, bloodied lips curling into defiance. "Even if I die—others will stand. Others will fight. They'll still have hope."
Loki's smile faltered for a heartbeat. Then rage twisted it back.
"Then let them watch their hope break."
He raised the scepter high, venom swirling into a killing strike.
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EXT. RUINS — IRON MAN
Tony's voice cut through the comms, sharp and furious.
"Leader? Hate to break it to you, Rudolph, but newsflash—I'm the guy in charge."
Loki's head tilted mockingly, scepter poised. "Then when you fall, Stark… what then?"
Tony's repulsors whined as he aimed them skyward, face twisted in fury.
"Then at least I'll fall standing."
The battlefield trembled as the two locked eyes.
And the war edged closer to its breaking point.
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❄️ End of Chapter 36 ❄️
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