(AN: Honestly, not sure if this is the 3rd or 4th version, but just know that the back of my neck hurts after finishing this chappie. So, I really hope you enjoy this.
PS: Special thanks to Bob_Bob_7191 for the wonderful review. I do apologize if I can't update as much as you'd like me to.)
The undead surged.
A tide of broken bodies, glowing eyes, and unnatural motion crashed toward the building where the heroes stood. They climbed over one another without hesitation—clawing, dragging, piling upward in a grotesque imitation of life.
From above, it looked like rot itself had learned how to hunger.
"Avengers assemble! Form a circle!" Steve's voice cut clean through the chaos on the rooftop of Stark Tower.
And just like before, they moved as a unit and ignored Elias's presence since he wasn't moving himself and was just sitting there.
Steve planted himself at the front center, shield raised, and his eyes scanned everything first before calling it.
"Clint, stay inside the perimeter, save some arrows for the last fight! Natasha, same as before! Tony, Thor, you guys are the only ones who can fly, control the skies, and then we control the battlefield. Don't let them overwhelm us."
"Copy that," Tony replied as his mask sealed.
"Let's see if these guys hate lasers as much the first time."
"Bruce, wait for my signal before unleashing the Hulk."
"I will be waiting." Bruce was already sitting down and controlling his breathing with Hawkeye beside him.
"Don't worry, big guy," Clint commented. "We'll knock first."
Ironman shot upward—repulsors blazing towards the swarm of undead climbing his tower—then immediately adjusted mid-air.
Thor roared.
Lightning crashed from the sky, obliterating a cluster of undead Chitauri scaling up the tower. Just a few more seconds, and the undead will finally get to them. A massive bolt crashed down the side of Stark Tower—engulfing dozens of undead Chitauri in blinding light.
Their bodies convulsed and fell on the ground, smoking. But then they moved again. Twitching first, then Rise, and then started climbing like the rest.
From the view of the Helicarrier, SHIELD agents watch in horror as the undead swarm Stark Tower like ants devouring their food—layer upon layer of relentless motion.
Fury's jaw tightened.
"Deploy fighter jets," he ordered immediately.
"I want air support over Stark Tower, now! Get strike teams on the nearest rooftops. I want suppressive fire on that building!"
"Yes, sir!"
Fury didn't look away from the screen.
"They just got out of one fight," he muttered. "They're not doing another one alone."
Back on the rooftop
The first wave arrived. They poured over the edge like a flood.
Thor didn't hesitate. Mjolnir spun from his hand—
—CRASH—
It tore through a cluster of undead, shattering bodies like glass and sending fragments flying across the rooftop.
He caught it on the return, already turning for the next strike.
"COME!" he bellowed.
"I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO HEL FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!"
Natasha moved like a shadow—precise and efficient.
A blade through the neck, a twist, a kick.
She didn't waste motion, but then Natasha's eyes narrowed at one of her victims.
The corpse dragged itself forward—fingers clawing against the rooftop, head lolling unnaturally.
"…Not good," she muttered.
"Guys," Clint called out, arrows flying in rapid succession, each shot precise and lethal.
"Little update—they're not staying down!"
One of his arrows pinned a Chitauri straight through the chest—driving it into the rooftop.
Yet it kept moving and clawing forward
"Okay," Clint muttered, drawing another arrow, "that's just rude."
He fired another arrow at its head.
Boom!
The arrow struck the creature's head and exploded.
The body immediately went still and crumbled to ash, spreading outward as the form collapsed completely.
Clint blinked.
"…Huh."
Then he shouted
"HEADS! GO FOR THE HEADS!"
Tony, mid-flight, turned sharply. "Say that again?!"
"HEADS!" Clint repeated, already firing another arrow that detonated a second undead's skull. "Blow the head—they drop for good!"
Natasha didn't waste time—she spun, drew her sidearm, and fired a precise shot straight through another's eye.
It dropped and crumbled to ashes.
"Confirmed," she said immediately. "Headshots work."
Steve adjusted instantly. "Avengers! You know what to do, let's win this!"
Thor grinned fiercely, lightning crackling around him.
"For Midgard
!"
He hurled Mjolnir again—this time angling the throw—
The hammer smashed through multiple skulls in a single arc before returning to his hand.
Tony recalibrated mid-air.
"JARVIS, switch targeting priority—cranial strikes only."
"Targeting updated."
"Good," Tony said, raising both hands. "Let's make this count."
Repulsors flared—
Precision blasts now, each shot aimed for the head.
Beside Bruce, Clint smirked slightly as he loosed another arrow.
"Told you I'd knock first."
Bruce exhaled slowly, eyes still closed.
"…Let me know when it's time to break the door."
Steve braced.
"Hold!"
The brute slammed into his shield—sending him skidding back several feet.
"The line!" he finished, digging in.
They know how to end them, but their numbers aren't dropping fast enough. Half-bodies dragging themselves forward.
Arms clawing across the pavement.
Heads—still alive—biting at anything that moved.
"Yeah," Clint said, firing another arrow into a crawling half-undead's head. "I officially hate this more than before."
Bruce stood at the edge of it all and heard Steve. "Now, Bruce!!"
"Alright…" he muttered.
His shoulders slumped slightly.
"…we're doing this again."
He closed his eyes a bit when he opened them; it was glowing green, and he immediately turned green and giant!
Hulk emerged on the rooftop and started roaring!
A thunderous shockwave burst from Hulk's hands, clearing the swarm that had begun to overwhelm Steve and the others.
He roared—grabbing one brute and plucking its head while biting another one.
He grabbed an undead brute mid-charge and ripped its head clean off, tossing the body aside like trash.
Another lunged, and he caught it, bit straight through its skull with a savage snap.
If he wasn't tearing them apart, he was crushing them.
Pulverizing skulls beneath his fists.
Smashing bodies into the ground until nothing remained but twitching fragments that quickly crumbled into ash.
Around him
The undead fell faster.
"Push forward!" Steve commanded, taking advantage of the opening.
His shield smashed into an undead soldier's head—cracking it apart before ricocheting into another.
Natasha pivoted off Hulk's momentum—using the chaos he created to move faster, cleaner.
Clint fired with renewed rhythm.
Tony strafed above, now landing precise headshots.
Thor's lightning carved controlled paths instead of wide destruction.
The Avengers began to stabilize.
Elias didn't watch. How could he?
When a fly was buzzing in front of him.
A few moments ago
Carol didn't join the Avengers from the start. She hovered mid-air, eyes locked onto the throne.
Fury's voice crackled through her comms.
"Danvers, fall back—coordinate with the team—"
"No," she cut in flatly.
Below her, the Avengers struggled against the undead tide.
Her gaze never left Arthas.
"Once I take him out," she said, energy already building around her, "the zombies drop. That's how this works."
"Let them handle the distractions."
Her aura flared brighter.
"I'll take the leader."
Her energy flared as she shot toward the throne again.
She launched.
A streak of light tears across the battlefield.
Faster this time.
She reached him and froze mid-air. Again.
Invisible force wrapped around her—locking every limb, every movement.
Arthas turned his head, finally acknowledging her.
"Annoying fly," he said calmly. His voice carried no anger. Just… dismissal.
Carol strained.
Energy flared violently around her, but it went nowhere. She was totally contained.
With a slight motion—
She was pulled closer, suspended helplessly in front of him. Her eyes burned with frustration and rage.
Elias flicked his fingers, throwing her away once more, way harder this time, as she soared and went through 3 buildings this time before being plastered to the 4th.
"Danvers!" Steve shouted.
Thor looked at Elias, then back at the swarm of undead. He grits his teeth as he used mjolnir to crush another undead's head.
Fury's voice cut through the comms.
"All units, this is Fury—air support inbound, hold your positions!"
A roar filled the sky.
Fighter jets screamed overhead and fired at the swarming undead crawling on the building towards them. Entire sections were torn apart—bodies falling in burning pieces.
On nearby rooftops
Strike teams deployed fast.
Rifles opened fire—controlled bursts targeting heads.
"Keep firing! Don't let them climb!"
Seeing this, Thor smiled.
"Then the field is yours," he muttered to the team.
Lightning surged around him, and he lunged towards Arthas.
"Have at thee!" he roared and launched himself upward in a thunderclap.
Lightning split the sky as he crashed onto the rooftop.
Arthas didn't use telekinesis this time as he was interested in fighting him.
With a measured motion, he reached down. Gripped the hilt of Frostmourne, and pulled it from the ground.
The blade sang a deathly, hollow sound. Any normal man would've been corrupted by this time, but he was different since he had a skill that counters any corruption.
[•Madness Immunity]
The whispers couldn't touch him. The hunger couldn't tempt him. The blade obeyed his will.
Mjolnir met Frostmourne
—CLANG—
The shockwave cracked the rooftop beneath them.
Thor pressed forward—power, fury, raw force.
Arthas met him with skills he acquired from training with Kristen, his left hand.
Each swing of Mjolnir was redirected or blocked. The sword itself shared its knowledge, tempering him mid battle.
Each strike turned aside with precise, efficient movements. No wasted motion.
Thor fought like a storm. Arthas fought like a duelist. Disciplined.
Refined by countless hours of training, by the teachings Elias had endured under Kristen's instruction.
Thor swung again, Arthas stepped inside the arc, turned his wrist, and locked the hammer
Then forced Thor back with a controlled kick.
"Is that all, god of thunder?" Arthas asked calmly.
Thor snarled—and lightning exploded outward.
Arthas didn't dodge. He slowed it.
Time itself bent
The lightning crawled—
And he stepped aside.
Effortlessly.
Below
Steve saw it.
"…Did he just dodge lightning?"
"Yeah," Tony said quietly. "He did."
Carol came once again.
She landed hard but didn't charge.
She didn't rush. She looked at the battlefield.
At the battlefield that was not in chaos, but a controlled struggle.
At the Avengers—holding formation, adapting, surviving.
At the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—firing in coordinated bursts from nearby rooftops.
At the jets carving lines through the sky.
Then
At Steve.
Steve turned, shield snapping back into his grip after a throw.
Their eyes met.
Carol exhaled once.
The frustration was still there.
The pride too.
But something else had replaced it, Clarity.
"…call it in, I'll follow."
Steve studied her. Then nodded. He didn't hesitate any longer.
"Alright," he said, stepping forward. "We finish the army—together. Then we go for the final boss, together, too."
Tony smirked slightly. "Finally speaking my language."
Natasha gave Carol a brief look—measured, approving.
Clint smirked from behind his bow. "Welcome to the team."
Bruce, still Hulk, grunted. "About time."
Steve turned, voice rising again.
"Thor—break away!"
On the rooftop above, Thor locked blades with Arthas, then glanced back.
He saw the formation. The shift. He understood.
With a powerful shove, he broke the clash, lightning bursting outward as he leapt back toward the team.
Arthas didn't follow.
Instead, he raised one hand.
The undead answered. Dozens of undead broke formation—peeling away from the main fight and gathering near him. The civilian deadites earlier also were summoned, 47 deadites to be precise.
Arthas stepped forward slightly. Then he spoke in Arthas's voice. Whether it was a villain's monologue or intimidation, no one knows. One thing is for sure, though: he just gave them a way to win.
"Avengers," he called out, his voice carrying across the battlefield. Almost… theatrical.
"Unlike the undead I raised using my blade—Frostmourne—"
He gestured faintly toward the Chitauri corpses still falling apart across the battlefield.
"—these… deadites… raised by the Book of the Dead…"
A slight tilt of his head.
"…the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis…"
The name alone seemed to chill the air further.
"…cannot be killed by destroying the head alone."
The team tensed.
Clint muttered, "Oh, come on…"
Natasha's expression hardened. "Of course they can't."
Tony groaned. "Why is it never simple?"
.Arthas gave the best villainous smirk he could give through the helmet that covers his face, except for his mouth.
Arthas continued.
"You would have to tear them apart… completely."
A low, dark chuckle.
"Even as a hand…"
His voice dropped slightly.
"…they will still claw their way back to you."
Then, he laughed.
A deep, echoing, almost exaggerated laugh.
"Ha… ha ha ha ha ha…"
My acting is perfect, Elias praised himself internally as he made an evil laugh while pointing Frostmourne at the Avengers.
"Together!" Steve cut through it instantly, completely unshaken.
And this time
They moved as one.
Thor slammed Mjolnir into the ground—
Lightning erupted outward in a massive wave—frying clusters of undead and blasting deadites apart.
Tony followed—repulsors widening into heavy bursts, sweeping through groups.
"Switching to crowd control!" he called. "Let's break 'em faster than they can crawl!"
Hulk charged—grabbing two deadites and smashing them together until both disintegrated.
Natasha and Clint adapted instantly—
"Limbs," Natasha said.
"Yeah, I hate this," Clint replied, firing arrows that pinned and separated bodies instead of just killing.
Steve led the movement—rotating positions, calling targets.
"Don't let them regroup! Tear them apart—keep moving!"
And Carol moved with them. She didn't aim for Arthas. Not yet.
She dove straight into the swarm, energy blazing, and hit hard.
At the same time, Arthas moved. His army surged with him.
Clint fired first.
"Incoming big bad—!"
Arrows flew
But Arthas didn't dodge.
They struck but shattered against his armor.
He was in front of Steve.
Frostmourne swung.
Steve raised his shield—
—CLANG CLANG CLANG—
The rooftop rang with every impact.
Each strike heavier than the last.
Steve held. Barely.
Boots sliding backward with each blow.
"Little help would be great!" he grunted.
But he didn't break. Didn't falter. Arthas pressed him.
No wasted movement. Each swing is calculated. Each angle deliberate.
Steve countered. Shield bash. A punch to the ribs. A kick to the knee. It landed. But did nothing.
Arthas didn't even react. It didn't deal much damage as Elias was using Arthas' template; he also have Gabriel Van Helsing's curse.
"Strong," Arthas said.
Almost approving. Then swung harder.
Steve dropped low—rolling under the blade—
The sword cleaved through the air where his head had been
He came up with a punch. Followed by a shield strike
CLANG
Arthas caught it. Stopped it. Then shoved him back.
"Yeah," Steve muttered, catching himself. "He's something else."
Thor crashed back into the fight
"Then face me again!"
Mjolnir slammed down. Arthas turned. Blade rising to meet it.
Tony joined from above. "Don't forget to invite me!"
Repulsor blasts forced Arthas to shift. Carol followed. A high-speed strike aimed at his flank.
Now, it wasn't one-on-one. It was a rotation.
Steve. Thor. Carol. Tony.
Each taking turns. Each forcing him to adapt.
Natasha, Clint, and Hulk focused entirely on clearing the remaining undead and deadites.
"Keep them off the others!" Natasha called.
"I'm trying!" Clint snapped, firing two arrows at once.
Hulk roared—tearing apart another cluster.
The fight intensified.
Arthas smiled beneath the helm. This is fun!
He moved between them. Blocking Thor. Deflecting Carol. Redirecting Tony's blasts.
Clashing with Steve. At one point. He raised a hand. Time slowed.
Tony's blast crawled through the air. Thor's lightning froze mid-strike. Carol's movement lagged.
Arthas stepped aside. Then released it. Everything snapped back.
"Okay—he's messing with time now!" Tony shouted.
"Focus!" Steve called. "Don't break formation!"
And still. They didn't prioritize him. They couldn't. The army came first.
Unbeknownst to them. That was exactly how this fight would end. Elias task this time ends once all of his minions are gone.
Hours Later
Nothing remained. No undead. No deadites. Only ash and body parts. Scattered across the battlefield. Arthas stood alone.
Then, the Avengers struck.
Thor's lightning, Tony's repulsor, Carol's full energy blast, all converged at once.
The explosion forced him back for the first time.
The team stood breathing hard. Exhausted. But standing.
Carol looked at Steve and asked. "Now?" Steve nodded. "Do it!"
She launched. Not alone this time. Not recklessly.
But with the team following her.
A blazing comet—
She slammed into Arthas who met his glowing fist with his blade.
A full-force, coordinated strike—by the Avengers.
The rooftop screamed with the Clash. It was one vs seven, yet Elias didn't back down.
Energy flared towards him, but he stopped it with his Telekinesis, which was already tectonic level.
Lightning surged from Thor, and he slowed time, easily dodging it.
Shield, arrows, and bullets flew from Steve, Clint, and Natasha. Telekinesis was used once more, and he sent it towards Hulk.
Even then, they pressed him. Surrounded him and overwhelmed him.
Frustrated, he stopped time.
Arthas stood still. Then sighed. "My task is done…"
He glanced at them. "…but I really feel like putting them in their place."
He considers it just a bit but dismissed the idea.
He turned. Walked back to his throne. Sat and resumed time.
The Avengers nearly crashed into each other. Attacks missed. Momentum broke.
Then they heard him and turned to where he was.
"You've earned your victory…" he said. "…for now."
A pause. They were all wearing confused faces. How did he get there? One moment, he was almost losing to them, then the next, he vanished.
And he vanished once again. Time had already stopped.
Elias floats calmly through the frozen streets of New York.
Past unmoving people. Past suspended dust.
Until he reached the New York Sanctum.
End of Chapter