Chapter 198 — Warcry of the Emperor
Pieces of shattered concrete rolled toward the edges, pushed by the wind pouring down from the glowing portal above. The blue light painted everything in cold color, broken metal, scattered debris, and the lifeless body lying several meters away.
Tony Stark stared at it for a moment.
The alien's long grey head rested at an unnatural angle from its body, its robes torn apart by explosive impacts. Dark blood spread across the rooftop tiles.
Tony tilted his helmet slightly.
"Well…" he said, voice echoing through his external speakers, "that was quite anti-climactic."
He had expected something harder. A speech. A long fight. Maybe lasers. Definitely more effort.
Instead, Gaius had simply rushed forward and ended it.
Tony turned away from the corpse and focused on the real problem.
The machine at the center of the rooftop continued to hum loudly. Energy surged through alien cables connected to the floating Tesseract. A bright beam of light shot upward, feeding directly into the expanding portal above New York.
The sky itself looked torn open.
Tony walked toward Dr. Erik Selvig.
The scientist stood beside the device, unmoving, eyes glowing faint blue. His face showed calm devotion rather than fear.
Yeah. Definitely mind control.
Tony stopped a few steps away.
"Turn that off, Dr. Selvig."
Selvig slowly turned his head toward him. His gaze passed over Tony without recognition.
"It cannot be turned off," he said calmly. "It is too late."
Tony exhaled slowly inside the helmet.
Of course it was.
No easy solution.
He lowered the heavy bolter attached to his arm and locked it magnetically against his waist armor. The weapon clicked firmly into place.
"Alright," Tony muttered. "Plan B."
He raised both arms.
Repulsors glowed bright white.
Energy built rapidly, humming louder and louder until the air itself trembled.
Tony fired.
Twin beams slammed directly into the machine.
The impact never reached it.
A transparent barrier flashed into existence, stopping the blast instantly. The energy dispersed outward violently, creating a powerful shockwave.
The rooftop shook.
Dr. Selvig was thrown backward, lifted off his feet and sent rolling across the floor before crashing into debris. He went still, unconscious.
Tony lowered his arms slowly.
"…Well that's new."
JARVIS spoke calmly in his ear.
"Sir, the shield surrounding the device is composed entirely of pure energy."
A brief pause followed.
"It is unbreachable."
Tony stared at the glowing barrier.
No cracks. No instability.
Nothing.
Above them, the portal widened further.
The sound changed, deeper now, like pressure building before a storm.
Then movement appeared inside the light.
Shapes.
"They're coming," Tony said quietly.
The first Chitauri burst through the portal riding sleek alien chariots. Their engines screamed as they dove downward toward the city.
Gaius moved instantly.
A massive weapon appeared in his hand, a heavy bolter scaled perfectly for his armored grip. Without hesitation, he opened fire.
Thunder exploded across the rooftop.
Each shot detonated with overwhelming force. Chitauri riders vanished in bursts of fire midair, their vehicles tearing apart before they could descend.
Tony reacted a second later.
Panels along his shoulders opened with mechanical precision. Rows of tiny missiles emerged, dozens upon dozens packed tightly together.
"Let's try crowd control."
The micro-missiles launched all at once.
They spread outward like a swarm of metallic birds before locking onto targets. Each missile curved independently through the air, tracking the alien vehicles with frightening accuracy.
One after another, explosions filled the sky.
Every Chitauri exiting the portal was intercepted and destroyed.
For several seconds, nothing made it through.
Tony watched the empty portal.
"…Huh," he said. "They learn fast?"
After seeing that the aliens were no longer entering, he didn't believe that was all of them.
As if answering him, the portal darkened.
A deep mechanical growl rolled downward from above.
The sound vibrated through Tony's armor and into his chest.
Something massive moved inside the light.
Then a gigantic metallic head emerged.
A Leviathan.
The enormous creature descended slowly, its armored body stretching endlessly behind it like a living warship shaped into a serpent. Its sheer size blocked the sky.
Behind it, hundreds of Chitauri poured out, using the Leviathan's body as cover.
They spread outward immediately, diving toward the streets below.
Tony fired again, destroying several, but more slipped past.
Too many.
Gaius watched silently for a moment, analyzing the battlefield.
The Chitauri were dispersing across the city now. Fires already burned below.
"I will clear them out, Tony," Gaius said calmly. "Prepare for those that will exit the portal again."
Tony nodded.
He remembered the last time Gaius used that terrifying roar, the one that dropped enemies across an entire battlefield.
Guess I'm about to see round two, and this time in person, not through a broadcast, he thought.
Gaius stepped forward, preparing himself.
He considered releasing his Conqueror's Will, the overwhelming force that could crush weaker minds, but dismissed the idea immediately. His control was still imperfect, and allies, especially the civilians below, could be affected.
Not acceptable.
He chose another skill instead.
Before he could act
Engines roared behind them.
Two aircraft descended toward the rooftop.
A Quinjet touched down first, followed closely by a sleek red-and-gold transport resembling a Thunderhawk but smoother, clearly Stark-designed.
Both rear ramps lowered simultaneously.
Captain America stepped out first, shield already in hand. Natasha followed beside him, scanning the area instantly. Thor emerged next, gripping Mjolnir, lightning faintly crackling around the hammer. Tanya exited quietly behind them.
From the second craft came towering armored figures.
Titus carrying a chainsword.
Metaurus holding a power axe.
Two Bladeguard veterans with swords drawn.
And finally, a Sister of Silence.
The moment she stepped onto the rooftop, the air changed.
Thor frowned slightly.
Steve felt an uncomfortable emptiness press against his thoughts.
Natasha instinctively tensed.
Fortunately, Fury had warned them in advance, so they forced themselves to remain steady.
Tony and Tanya reacted differently.
Both activated their abilities simultaneously, accelerating thought processes and suppressing emotional response. The pressure faded for them almost immediately.
Natasha's gaze shifted toward the alien corpse nearby.
She froze briefly.
The head… crushed. Torn clean from the body.
Steve noticed it too. Then Thor.
They exchanged silent looks.
The same realization passed between them.
This was the alien who arrived with Loki.
And he was already dead.
The Ultramarines stepped forward and saluted.
"Praetor!"
Gaius turned toward them.
"Prepare to fight the Xenos and protect humanity."
Their reply came instantly, voices unified.
"By your command! For the Emperor! For the Praetor and Ultramar!"
The Sister of Silence bowed silently and drew her blades.
Her answer needed no words.
Steve watched them carefully. Their discipline was absolute. No hesitation. No fear.
Thor felt it as well, a warrior's certainty stronger than most armies he had known.
Tony stepped forward, looking at the burning city below.
"Then let's save New York," he said. "And give those aliens a taste of humanity's anger."
Gaius nodded once.
Below them, explosions spread through the streets.
People were dying.
Steve stepped forward beside Thor.
"Then let us move immediately."
But Gaius did not move yet.
Instead, he walked toward the edge of the rooftop.
Wind rushed upward around him as he placed one armored foot on the ledge.
His helmet amplified his voice across the battlefield.
"Xenos…" he declared.
The city seemed to pause.
"I will bring death to you all."
Then he roared.
The sound exploded outward like a physical force.
Air rippled across New York in a visible wave. Windows shook. Dust lifted from rooftops. The very ground beneath Gaius cracked under the pressure.
The Warcry of the Emperor spread across the city.
Every Chitauri froze.
Then they fell.
Flying units dropped from the sky like stones. Chariots spiraled downward uncontrollably. Even the massive Leviathan lost control, its body tilting before crashing toward buildings below.
The shockwave passed harmlessly through the Avengers.
Instead of pain, they felt strength.
Courage filled their chests.
Fear vanished.
Below, on the streets, before the portal opened.
A man held his daughter tightly while running beside his wife.
They had seen people fleeing earlier and followed without understanding why.
"What's happening?" his wife asked breathlessly.
"I don't know," he answered. "But if they're running, we run too."
A stranger rushed past shouting, "Go home! Iron Man said aliens are coming!"
They ran faster.
Then the sky lit up.
A beam shot upward. A portal opened above Stark Tower.
Aliens descended.
"It's true!" someone screamed. "Aliens are really coming!"
Panic spread.
Suddenly explosions filled the sky as incoming aliens were destroyed.
"It's Iron Man!" someone shouted.
Hope rose,
Until a monstrous growl echoed through the streets.
The Leviathan appeared.
Chitauri poured into the city, firing their energy weapons. Walls shattered, buildings were damaged, and people screamed as chaos spread through the streets.
The wife stumbled and fell.
Her husband turned back instantly, pulling at her arm while still holding their daughter.
A Chitauri hovered above them, weapon charging with glowing light.
They froze.
Then a deep voice echoed across the city.
"Xenos… I will bring death to you all."
The alien paused.
And the roar came.
Wind blasted down the street.
Every Chitauri collapsed instantly.
The one aiming at them dropped lifeless before firing.
The man stared in shock, his heart pounding as he thought they would be killed as well. But he felt no pain, only a sudden courage filling him.
He helped his wife to her feet.
"Run," he said softly.
They ran together toward safety.
End of Chapter 198
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