[A/N]: We finally hit the goal of 350 Power Stones, so here's your first bonus chapter as promised! The next goal is 500 power stones for TWO more bonus chapters! Stay tuned and thanks for the support!
District X - Eastern Manhattan
The scene at District X was surprisingly organized.
Hundreds of humans lined up at the bunker entrances, following the blue lines on their phones. Morlocks capable of fighting maintained order. Beautiful Dreamer floated among the crowd, her psychic abilities keeping panic to a minimum.
Callisto stood at the main entrance, directing traffic. "Keep moving! Stay calm! We've got room for everyone! Children and elderly first!"
Inside the bunker system, the scene was calmer. Thousands of people filled the underground spaces. Medical stations operated efficiently. Food and water distribution points kept people fed. Emergency lighting cast everything in a warm, safe glow.
A middle-aged woman holding a young boy stared at the Morlock guiding them. The mutant's skin was scaled, reptilian, but his voice was gentle.
"You're safe now, ma'am. These bunkers can withstand a direct hit from a missile. The fighting will be over soon."
"Thank you," she whispered, clutching her son tighter. "I... we didn't know where to go. Then my phone just... showed us the way."
Above ground, most of the non-combat Morlocks were already evacuated. The bunker system Jay had helped them build could hold thousands. Right now it was holding most of District X's population and overflowing with refugees from surrounding neighborhoods.
Then the Chitauri found them.
A squadron of chariots, following the highest human population density, screamed toward District X. Two dozen aliens, weapons charged.
They didn't account for Sparks.
The twelve-year-old girl sat in a guard tower, watching the aliens approach. Her hands crackled with electricity. She'd been waiting for this.
"I got them!" she squealed. "I got them!"
Lightning exploded from her hands.
Then it came from the power grid itself. Every wire, every pole, every transformer in a three-block radius fed power to Sparks. The electricity arced, seeking the Chitauri chariots, wrapping around them, overloading their systems.
The aliens shrieked as their vehicles exploded. Some fell, crashing into buildings. Others just burned mid-air.
Leech, now appearing fully human thanks to Jay, tried to calm Sparks down. "Not so loud! You'll draw more of them!"
"But I got them!" Sparks bounced in her seat. "Did you see? I got all of them!"
"You did good, kid," Callisto called up. "Now get ready for the next wave!"
The Chitauri, seeing the air approach failing, hit the ground. They came on foot, weapons firing, advancing in coordinated squads toward the bunker entrances.
Then automated defences activated.
Stark Industries security systems, modified and enhanced, rose from concealed positions. Repulsor cannons and missile pods, all firing with lethal precision. The Chitauri's advance stalled.
But there were too many. They kept coming. Kept pushing. Some got through.
The Morlocks met them head-on.
Marrow emerged from cover, bone blades growing from her forearms. She moved like a dancer, cutting through Chitauri. Each strike was lethal. Each movement precise.
Anole charged next, his reptilian physiology allowing him to take hits that would kill a normal person. Energy blasts scorched his scales, but he kept moving, claws tearing through alien armor.
Sack followed, his grotesque appearance hiding incredible strength. He grabbed Chitauri soldiers and threw them into their companions.
Shatter's crystalline body refracted energy blasts, sending them back at their sources. The Chitauri learned quickly not to shoot him directly.
More Morlocks poured out, each one trained for exactly this scenario. They fought with discipline, with coordination, with the desperation of people protecting everything they'd built.
The Chitauri advance broke against District X's defenses. Bodies piled up, blue blood staining the streets. The aliens retreated, regrouped, tried different approaches. But every avenue was covered, every weak point defended.
Rooftop - Two Blocks from Stark Tower - 12:05 PM
Clint Barton crouched behind an air conditioning unit, bow in hand, watching the portal above Stark Tower.
This was it. This was what he'd been waiting for since the moment his mind had cleared from Loki's control.
Redemption.
His earpiece crackled. Natasha's voice: "Clint, where are you? We need you on the ground."
"I'm exactly where I need to be."
"Clint..."
"Trust me, Nat. I've got one shot. I'm taking it."
Silence followed, and then: "Make it count."
The line went dead. Clint breathed out slowly, centering himself. Below, the battle raged. Chitauri everywhere. His team fighting impossible odds. And above it all, Loki stood beneath the portal, scepter in hand, watching his invasion proceed.
Clint's fingers tightened on the bowstring. He'd been in Loki's head. Felt the god's consciousness wrap around his mind like chains. Felt himself become a puppet, a tool, a thing without agency. He'd shot his friends and killed SHIELD agents.
He drew the bow. Special arrow, explosive tip. The shot was impossible. Dozens of Chitauri chariots between him and the target. Leviathans passing through his line of sight. Wind shear towards the portal. Everything was wrong.
Clint didn't care. He'd made impossible shots before. This was just one more.
His breathing slowed. Heartbeat steadied. The world narrowed to the target, the arrow, the perfect moment between breaths.
He released.
The arrow flew true, threading between alien vehicles. It curved through the chaos, dodging Leviathans, following a path only Clint could calculate.
The arrow struck Loki in the shoulder.
The god staggered. The scepter wavered. For one perfect moment, Clint thought he'd done it.
Then Loki's image flickered.
The illusion dropped. The Loki he'd shot wasn't real. Just another trick. Clint's heart sank.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?"
The voice came from behind him. Clint spun, already reaching for another arrow, but he was too slow.
Loki stood three feet away, the real Loki, scepter already moving. It punched through Clint's Kevlar vest, through flesh and bone, piercing his heart. The tip emerged from his back, glowing with that sick blue light.
Pain exploded through Clint's chest. His bow fell from nerveless fingers, clattered on the rooftop. Blood filled his mouth.
"A broken tool is of no use to anyone." Loki's voice was almost gentle. "And I've no use for tools that turn on their master."
He twisted the scepter.
Clint screamed. The sound tore from his throat, raw and animal. Every nerve in his body lit up. The pain was beyond anything he'd ever felt.
Through the agony, one thought remained clear: 'I'm sorry, kids.'
Loki pulled the scepter out. Clint's legs gave out. He collapsed, body hitting the rooftop hard. Blood poured from the wound, spreading in a pool beneath him. His vision blurred, darkened at the edges.
The last thing Clint Barton saw was the portal above Stark Tower, still open, still pouring out nightmares.
Then darkness.
Stark Tower
The holograms flickered to life across Manhattan. Gigantic displays manifested on every building, every screen, every surface capable of projecting an image.
Loki stood directly under the portal, his armor gleaming, scepter in hand. Chitauri soldiers and Leviathans streamed past him. At his feet, clearly visible to every camera, every broadcast, lay Clint Barton's body. Blood pooled around the fallen hero.
His voice echoed across the city.
"People of Midgard, hear me!" Loki's smile was sharp, mocking. "I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose!"
In the streets, people stopped. Civilians looked up. Heroes paused mid-fight. Even the Chitauri seemed to hesitate.
"You see before you the corpse of your champion." Loki gestured casually at Clint's body with his scepter. "This is what becomes of those who resist. This is the fate of all who dare oppose me. Your heroes bleed just as easily as you. They die just as pathetically."
He began to pace, theatrical, every movement calculated. The cameras followed him.
"I have brought an army to your doorstep. The Chitauri, warriors who have conquered a thousand worlds. They are mine to command, and through them, you shall learn your place." His voice rose. "You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."
The scepter glowed brighter.
"Look at your world. Look at your chaos. You fight amongst yourselves like animals. Humans against mutants. Nation against nation. Race against race. You squabble and destroy and pretend at civilization while your planet burns." Loki's expression shifted, something almost genuine flickering across his features. "I offer you peace. Order. Purpose. Under my rule, there will be no more wars. No more division. Only unity through submission."
He gestured at the portal above.
"This invasion will continue. My army will descend and rain fury upon you until you surrender to me, your rightful ruler. You cannot win. Your heroes cannot save you. I have killed one today. I will kill more tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that." His voice dropped, colder, harder. "Or you can kneel now. Accept my rule. Live under my protection. The choice is yours, but choose quickly. My patience is not infinite."
The hologram zoomed in on his face, showing his eyes, cold and alien and utterly convinced of his own righteousness.
"You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."
The hologram held for another moment, Loki's face filling every screen. Then it cut to Clint's body again, a final reminder of the cost of resistance.
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