The sudden appearance of the black-and-white robot caught Loki completely off guard.
After eating several punches to the face, the God of Mischief howled, threw the attacker off with a burst of magic, and scrambled to his feet to flee.
However, because the projection was anchored to Loki's perspective but broadcasted over the fixed location of New York City, the result was unintentionally hilarious.
To the citizens below, the terrified, fleeing Loki looked like he was running in place on a giant treadmill, striking bizarre poses as he flailed against an invisible barrier.
His "Interpretive Dance of Panic" didn't last long.
Another figure "entered the frame"—a massive, green behemoth.
This one, the people of New York knew well. It was the Hulk, who had saved their city just recently.
In the sky, a thousand-meter-tall projection of the Hulk appeared and immediately delivered a dropkick to Loki's face.
A size-10,000 green foot imprinted itself on the trickster god's nose.
Hiss...
Luca and the others watching from the ground winced in sympathy. It felt like the entire city took a collective sharp breath.
The kick was heavy. Loki's face contorted comically, and then—whoosh—the Hulk's projection flew out of the frame.
Loki remained the center of attention, the unwilling star of the show.
Next up: Captain America. A several-hundred-meter-tall Steve Rogers appeared, wielding a vibranium shield the size of a stadium, and whang—slammed it into Loki's face.
Steve's projection then "flew away" just like the Hulk's.
"Oooooh..."
The crowd gasped again.
It had turned into a spectacle. The terrifying, god-like tyrant looming over the city was now starring in a slapstick comedy titled Heroes Beat Up the Villain. It was like a giant puppet show for the traumatized citizens.
If it weren't for the chilling snow falling from the sky and the ominous dark energy swirling from the portal to Svartalfheim, New Yorkers might have bought tickets to watch this every day.
Finally, a familiar, curvy figure appeared.
Black Widow.
Natasha's projection fired "Widow's Bite" tasers—which looked like giant lightning bolts at this scale—into Loki's side. The God of Mischief convulsed, twitching like a bug zapper victim.
Even Thor, watching from the ground, covered his eyes. It was too embarrassing.
But Loki wasn't some mortal who would stay down from a taser. The shock only stunned him for half a second.
He scrambled to his feet, roaring in fury at the empty air around him (and the millions of people watching him).
"ENOUGH!!!"
And then.
The citizens of New York saw a thick, green beam of energy pierce through the sky.
It shot straight through Loki's left shoulder.
Pop.
The giant projection vanished like a popped bubble.
Silence returned to the city.
"That..."
Tony Stark, standing by the foot of the Boxer, was at a loss for words.
Just moments ago, they were fighting for their lives against Dark Elves, trying to stop a doomsday ship. Then Loki appeared, threatening to unleash interdimensional hell.
Tony had been racking his brain for a solution.
And then, in the blink of an eye, Loki was caught. And in the most ridiculous way possible.
"Well," Tony said, the faceplate of his suit open. "That happened."
Just then, a streak of gold and red descended from the sky. A fresh Mark suit landed next to Tony and opened up.
He had summoned it from his mansion via JARVIS when the battle started, but it had only just arrived.
Tony looked at the pristine armor, then at his battered self. Do I even need to change now?
Thor stepped forward, his voice hesitant.
"That last shot... that was the Haro unit, yes? Did it hit... his shoulder or his heart?"
From their angle on the ground, it was hard to tell.
Thor was conflicted. Yes, Loki had tried to destroy Earth twice. He was a war criminal. But he was also his brother. They had grown up together for a thousand years. Thor wanted justice, not an execution.
Tony had no such reservations. He gritted his teeth.
"Hopefully the heart. If he's not dead, I'm finishing the job myself."
The Avengers weren't the Justice League. They didn't have a strict "No Kill" rule. They were soldiers, spies, and assassins. Even Banner, the "gentlest" of them, turned into a rage monster that smashed things to pulp.
Loki was an alien invader who had killed thousands. Tony wasn't in a forgiving mood.
To prove his point, Tony stepped out of his wrecked suit and climbed into the fresh one. The faceplate snapped shut with a menacing clack.
Gwen, still a bit shell-shocked, looked between them.
"So... is it over?"
As if on cue, a pile of rubble near the crashed Dark Elf ship shifted.
Crunch. Scrape.
A figure dragged itself out of the wreckage. He was covered in black blood, his face a mask of hate.
Malekith.
He looked up at the sky and screamed.
"LOKI! YOU TRAITOROUS WRETCH!"
The next second, the air crackled with thunder.
Thor, already in a foul mood, didn't hesitate. He didn't monologue. He didn't offer a chance to surrender.
He threw Mjolnir.
SPLAT.
The hammer hit Malekith's head at supersonic speed. The Dark Elf leader didn't even have time to blink before he was gone.
Thor caught the hammer on the rebound, wiping off the ichor.
"Now it is over," he said darkly.
"Uh, guys?"
Luca's voice crackled from the Boxer's speakers.
"Are we forgetting something? The portals are still open."
"And we still have leftover Dark Elves running around. Plus the Frost Giants in Brooklyn are probably wondering why nobody's fighting them anymore."
As if to punctuate his point, a small Harrow fighter buzzed overhead, fleeing the scene.
Tony and Thor exchanged a look. Without a word, they both launched into the sky to chase it down.
Leaving Luca and Gwen standing in the ruins, looking at each other.
"Well," Luca said. "Cleanup on aisle New York?"