Chapter 447 The Onset of War, and the Return
In the heart of New York City:
Centered around the towering beam of energy piercing the sky, an epic battle was unfolding. On one side was Loki's alien mechanical army; on the other, was the elite American forces led by Colonel Rhodey.
The two forces clashed with ferocious intensity, turning the entire city into a battlefield. Lasers and missiles crisscrossed the sky, filling every nook and cranny with smoke and fire.
Alien troops poured from the gaping wormhole in the sky, descending with thunderous force. Meanwhile, American forces surged forward from the streets.
This harrowing scene unfolded before the eyes of terrified onlookers trapped on the outskirts of the city.
"Oh, my God!"
"Run!"
"The aliens are here!"
Panic spread as people watched the city center erupt into chaos. The sky seemed to burn and the ground shook, sending the crowd into a desperate rush to escape, overwhelming the police and causing a massive, uncontrollable stampede.
*Buzz!*
Amidst the chaos, a black aircraft bearing the SHIELD insignia flew against the tide of fleeing civilians, determinedly heading for the war-torn city center.
"Look up there!" Someone shouted from the crowd and thousands of heads turned to see countless black dots on the horizon, growing larger as they approached. It was a fleet of helicopters and fighter jets, flying unhesitatingly into the fray.
This bold move echoed Director Fury's earlier promise to Caesar: "I will use every ounce of our power, no matter the cost!"
Downtown:
Colonel Rhodey and his elite forces initially caught the alien invaders off guard. But as the aliens regrouped and focused their fire, the technological gap between the two sides became painfully apparent.
Armed with powerful laser weapons, the alien army easily penetrated the heavily armored tanks of the American forces. Their relentless soldiers quickly gained the upper hand, forcing the American troops into a defensive position.
"Ahhhhh! Come on, you alien scum!" Rhodey, clad in his War Machine armor, hovered above the street, dodging laser beams from swarming alien shuttles. His twin arm cannons fired back continuously, but the sheer number of enemies began to close in on him.
The mounting pressure nearly overwhelmed Rhodey. Surrounded by alien shuttles, he activated a device on his wrist and rapidly rotated his arms. "Try this on for size!"
Just as the alien shuttles were about to engulf him, twin beams of searing red laser burst forth, sweeping in a deadly arc. Within seconds, every alien within a ten-meter radius, along with their shuttles, were shredded and rained down to the ground.
Rhodey stared in astonishment, not expecting such a powerful response from the emergency weapon Tony had equipped him with years ago. Hovering in midair, he looked around at the cleared space and then at his now-defunct wrist device, exclaiming, "Tony, I love you!"
His relief, however, was short-lived.
A massive shadow loomed over him, and Rhodey looked up to see a colossal alien warship approaching. The ship, the size of a Helicarrier and resembling a giant centipede, glowed ominously in the sunlight. It moved like a dark cloud, descending toward the War Machine, its myriad cannons taking aim.
"Holy crap!"
---
The disparity in weaponry was overwhelming, leaving War Machine no choice but to flee without even considering a counterattack. The alien warship pursued relentlessly, tearing through the streets and causing skyscrapers to collapse with a mere nudge.
With War Machine in the lead and the alien warship hot on its heels, the distance between them continued to shrink. At a crucial moment, a missile streaked through the sky, hitting the alien warship square in the head and engulfing it in smoke and turbulence.
"What's that?" The War Machine stopped abruptly in midair, looking in the direction of the missile. A black aircraft descended slowly, its rear hatch opening before it was ten meters off the ground. Three figures jumped out gracefully.
"What's the situation now?" A tall, blond youth, clad in armor and wielding a shield asked.
"We're not too late, are we?" A black man with steel-like wings remarked while floating effortlessly in the air with his two handguns.
The third figure, a black-haired man, remained silent, calmly stringing an arrow on his bow.
Seeing the familiar faces, War Machine was almost moved to tears. "Captain, you finally came!"
"Since the war has begun, let's join the fight!" Steve declared, his eyes filled with determination.
"Yes!" Came the unanimous response from the group.
Meanwhile, someone else was on his way to the battlefield.
"The Battle of New York. It's truly spectacular. Experiencing it first hand is much more intense than watching it in the movies..."
On the outskirts of downtown New York, Caesar flew at low speed, his superhuman vision allowed him to clearly discern the intense urban battlefield several miles away. He could even see flashes of lightning, indicating that even Thor had officially joined the fray.
"Should I catch the thieves first? Or should I find Loki now and give him a good thrashing?" Caesar pondered, stroking his chin. Suddenly, he felt a strange energy fluctuation coming from a nearby street.
"This feeling..." Caesar's eyes widened in surprise.
On the roof of a building on 177A Bleecker Street:
Veiled by a fog-like illusion and shielded by a layer of magical protection, a bald woman in a yellow sorcerer's robe stood calmly on the roof with a glowing rune radiated from her left wrist as she deflected incoming projectiles aimed at the protective shield surrounding the building.
*Tap!*
Light footsteps sounded behind her, and the bald woman turned to see a golden-haired child of about five years old smiling at her. "Long time no see, Ancient One."
The Ancient One showed no surprise and she replied with a hint of resignation in her eyes, "Indeed, long time no see, General Kyle.
(End of Chapter)
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