"Ahhh..."
The Red Hulk, whose skull had been brutally pried open, collapsed to the ground. His massive body, which until a moment ago radiated destructive power, now lay helpless.
He was still alive.
The vitality of the Hulk gene was too strong for him to die immediately. He still managed to take a few breaths, but that was all. Without the protection of his skull, his brain was completely exposed to the air, a pulsating mass of flesh and nerve fibers twitching with every attempt to remain conscious.
The sound resembled fried brain on a fire, grotesque and sickening.
"Darling, I didn't expect you to be even crueler than me." Hela appeared right beside Aron.
She glanced at the Red Hulk, who was convulsing spasmodically.
Aron did not respond to Hela's sneer. He had never been a man of words when it came to revenge, if revenge was necessary, the act was carried out immediately, without delay.
"Lend me the sword," he said curtly, holding out his hand.
Hela, without a word, handed him her Nightsword. Aron took it and, without hesitation, thrust it into the head of the Red Hulk. He twisted it left and right as the sickening sound of meat and bone grinding spread around them.
The former general, a monster born of rage and science, was now nothing but a bloody heap, his brain reduced to a chaotic mush.
"Is Naglfar ready?" Aron asked, wiping the bloody sword before handing it back to Hela.
"Of course," she replied shortly. She glanced at the stained blade with disgust and simply tossed it aside. In the same instant, with a wave of her hand, she conjured an entirely new Nightsword, perfect, without a single blemish.
"The battle here is over." Aron cast his gaze across the battlefield.
It was hell. Thousands dead. Tens of thousands of American soldiers that General Ross had led into Limbo now lay torn across the ground. Their souls had not only been killed, but literally ripped out and devoured by demons.
These were not just dead soldiers. These were souls that would never find peace.
"Let's go," Aron continued. "It's time to emerge on Earth. Time to show the world who has returned."
The portal glowed before them, open, like the entrance to the second phase of their mission. Aron smiled.
After all, what is the purpose of power if it is not displayed? The time for hiding was over.
---
Earth – The Gobi Desert
Around the portal, complete chaos reigned.
The soldiers who had managed to escape Limbo, survivors of the horror that unfolded there, now ran in panic through the camp. Their screams and vacant stares spread a contagion of fear to everyone else.
Dr. Erik Selvig, who had been forced by General Ross to open the portal, seized the opportunity in the commotion.
He had once, when Loki led the Chitauri army, felt the events slipping out of control. Now, he had the same feeling again.
"As long as no one is looking… I'd better run!" he muttered to himself.
In the moments while soldiers rushed about, Erik seized a military jeep and vanished from the scene, driving off into the desert.
---
The American army in the Gobi was now leaderless. General Ross was gone, and with him, any clear orders.
Some wanted to go into Limbo to look for him. Others wanted to withdraw all forces and evacuate the camp.
The result: total chaos.
And all of it was being monitored by satellites of various world powers.
In the modern age, nothing of this scale can remain hidden. Cameras in orbit transmitted images of thousands of American soldiers fleeing in panic, chaos in the desert, and the portal still pulsing.
World governments reacted immediately.
Diplomatic lines lit up. Questions poured in from all sides:
Why had America violated the international agreement? Why had war begun, even though they had promised the operation would be canceled?
Pentagon was forced to respond:
"We did not authorize this!"
Even the highest-ranking U.S. officials did not know what was happening. They had indeed ordered Ross to abort the mission, but since then, all communication with him had been lost.
Satellites then recorded something else.
First, footage of American elite units bravely charging through the portal into Limbo.
And then, a new image: those same units, without armor, bloodied, fleeing back through the portal in panic.
Reactions across the world were instantaneous.
"Russia": "..."
"Japan": "..."
"France": "This scene feels far too familiar..."
---
In today's information age, every event that shakes the Earth is transmitted almost instantly.
War is no exception.
The Marvel world and not only Marvel, but also DC next door, the entire American comic scene had shown that one profession always endures as the strongest: journalism.
As soon as news of the invasion of Limbo leaked, hordes of journalists from around the world pounced like sharks sensing blood.
In search of first-hand information, they used everything: helicopters, drones, even their own bodies to break through the Gobi desert, tearing barbed wire and leaping over military barricades.
Soon, the entire world was acquainted with the "heroism" of the American soldiers.
The Evil Lord of Hell, fearless warriors of the beacon of freedom, humanity's fighters against demons, the headlines flew everywhere.
The first newspapers showed soldiers standing bravely, but very quickly, other footage surfaced.
The entire world saw elite soldiers throwing away their armor and fleeing through the portal.
The headlines changed.
The evil devil that devours men brings pain to our brave warriors!
"We must be proud of them!" tabloids wrote.
But that did not last long.
Soon, a new image appeared, and with it, a new headline.
An image that silenced the world.
"The Warship of the Lord of Hell Has Landed in the Gobi!"
...
A small town, hundreds of kilometers from the portal.
A stray dog suddenly barked for no reason.
Rats, which usually hid from humans, appeared in the streets.
Birds fell from the sky, as if unable to fly.
"Hisss…"
"Strange, why is it suddenly so cold?" said a resident as he walked down the street, crossing his arms.
He felt a chill.
His breath turned into white mist.
When he looked up, the glass window of a shop was already covered with frost.
"Why is it like this in summer?"
The sky darkened, and snowflakes began to fall.
Heavier and heavier.
The Gobi Desert was turning into a white expanse.
The soldiers around the portal, who had just been arguing and shouting, fell silent.
They had all noticed the sudden change in climate.
"Snow… in July…"
"What the hell kind of snow?! This is America!"
"My God… what's happening?"
They looked at the sky, watching as snow veiled the horizon.
But some still had enough reason to recognize the sign of danger.
"Move!"
"Block the portal!"
"We must not allow those creatures to pass!"
The lieutenant colonel began organizing the units into formation around the portal.
They did not know what was happening on the other side, nor could anyone confirm if General Ross was still alive.
They had sent men inside, none had returned.
"General Ross is not here. I am now the highest-ranking officer on the field!"
"Everyone, listen to me!"
"Form the lines! Stay away from the portal!"
"Ignore the deserters! You are elite American warriors!"
"Nothing can break us, not even a demon!"
At his command, the army organized.
They quickly erected several layers of defensive lines around the portal.
Tank barrels and rifle muzzles were aimed at the flickering, unstable entrance to Limbo.
"Attention, all units!" the lieutenant colonel ordered.
"The moment any hellish creature appears, open fire without warning!"
"And also!" he added.
"We must find Dr. Erik and close the portal!"
His gaze was cold, resolute.
But then…
A soldier beside him dropped his rifle.
"What are you doing?! Pick up your weapon, soldier!"
The lieutenant colonel was about to shout, but then saw the soldier trembling, staring at the sky.
His fingers shook as he pointed.
"Sh-ship…"
"Look up! It's a ship!"
–––
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