Chapter 119: Battle of New York (Part 3)

"What?" Stark, the Captain, and others couldn't help but shout when they heard Fury's words. The military had remained inactive during the intense battle, but now, just as they were about to win, the military was deploying a nuclear bomb.

This was Manhattan, New York, once the most prosperous place, not some desert or mountain. A nuclear explosion in the city would be catastrophic. Even if the bomb's yield was small and the destruction limited, no one would want to live in New York due to the nuclear radiation. Even the most carefree people couldn't ignore this.

For the USA, losing New York, an international metropolis, would be a disaster.

In fact, the military high command was also bewildered. They didn't understand why a nuclear bomb appeared. As time passed, the military realized the alien invasion was real and were discussing mobilizing the army. The USA's military wouldn't be so slow; they weren't fools. Even if they were initially skeptical, the overwhelming evidence convinced them. The current situation was entirely due to Hydra's interference, aiming for greater benefits.

For Hydra, New York's destruction was beneficial. Without such an attack, their subsequent insight plan wouldn't exist. The potential casualties didn't matter to them as long as they survived.

Hydra could only seize the greatest advantage amidst global panic. As for the alien attack, they planned to deal with it after unifying Earth.

Unlike ordinary people, some well-informed tycoons and officials had already used their advantages to escape, with New York's mayor being the first to flee.

"Damn it." Daniel Davis, who was about to close the upper space portal, stopped his actions upon hearing Stark's voice. He planned to handle the nuclear bomb.

In this situation, sending the nuclear bomb into outer space was the safest solution. Stark thought of this plan, though holding a nuclear bomb and flying was terrifying. It seemed heroic when watching, but actually doing it was something 99.99% wouldn't dare to attempt.

Even Stark might not have had the courage if he had more time to think. He acted because there was no time to fear.

"That guy." Watching Stark fly towards the space portal with the nuclear bomb, Daniel sighed lightly. For him, solving the nuclear bomb was simple, a portal could do it. Unfortunately, Stark acted before he could intervene.

"Connect Pepper." Stark, holding the nuclear bomb, instructed Jarvis to contact Pepper, preparing to leave a final message.

"Connection failed, sir," Jarvis replied calmly, "Would you like to leave a message?"

"No need," Stark said calmly.

Stark then flew through the portal into outer space, where he began to suffocate due to the thin air. If his Iron Man suit were intact, he could survive in space for a while, as it had excellent airtightness and a built-in air supply system, as well as a water recycling system to purify waste for drinking.

Stark never used this system, having designed it as a precaution after his experience in the desert.

"Thank me." Seeing Stark falling from outer space, Daniel quickly created a portal at the fall site, allowing Stark to land safely on the ground.

Stark wasn't like the Hulk or Thor; falling from such a height would be fatal for him.

After ensuring Stark's safety, Daniel picked up the scepter to shut down the machine. The Tesseract was protected by a force field, making it indestructible. Daniel suspected even a nuclear bomb couldn't destroy it. The scepter could approach it likely due to the power of the Mind Stone.

With a loud bang, the machine holding the Tesseract was destroyed, and Daniel held the Tesseract in his hand.

"Two Infinity Stones." Holding the two Infinity Stones, Daniel momentarily considered taking them. These were rare treasures in the universe.

Especially the Space Stone, which could eliminate travel concerns. For Daniel, it had another crucial use: significantly reducing the time to communicate with dimensional spaces, speeding up his exploration of other worlds.

"Room." Thinking this, Daniel used the powers of the Op-Op Fruit, covering the Tesseract in his left hand. Through its power, he clearly sensed the Space Stone inside.

"This is pure spatial law, even the essence of space. How come no big shots covet this? Is it because this world doesn't rely on cultivation?"

In the Marvel world, getting stronger through cultivation wasn't impossible but couldn't surpass limits. Kamar-Taj and Kunlun practiced cultivation, but their limits were the peak of ordinary humans. Some magical abilities extended life, but that's all.

The Ancient One's strength came from absorbing the Dark Dimension's power, Dormammu's power. She was far stronger than Kaecilius, who became Dormammu's minion after absorbing his power, whereas the Ancient One maintained her consciousness.

Kunlun practitioners, like Madame Gao, had longer lifespans but couldn't necessarily beat the Captain in a fight. As for Iron Fist, he wasn't worth mentioning.

Other powerful beings gained strength through accidents or birth. Hulk and Captain Marvel were due to accidents, while Thor, Loki, and other gods were born strong, needing only to master their internal power.

Ego, Star-Lord's father, became strong through devouring.

"It seems I'll have to find a way to get the Space Stone from Asgard. Although difficult, it's not impossible. Odin doesn't care much about the Space Stone; otherwise, he wouldn't have left it on Earth. Even if Thor takes it back, it'll just sit in the treasure vault. So why not keep it with me?"

For Daniel, obtaining the Space Stone had another major benefit: delaying Thanos' arrival. The universe had many wormholes to shorten distances, but it was so vast that even Thanos needed significant time to travel.

But with the Space Stone, he could appear anywhere instantly. He could fight Stark and others on Titan and then appear on Earth the next moment. Without the Space Stone, Thanos couldn't travel so quickly.

Moreover, if Thanos attacked, Daniel could use the Space Stone to teleport him away. When Thanos returned, years would have passed.

Thanos' focus on the Space Stone showed its importance. He even let Loki take the Mind Stone, revealing his strategic nature and patience, outliving Odin and the Ancient One before acting.

"Though risky, it's worth a try." Thanos' plan was good, but Daniel's foresight gave him an advantage.

As Daniel made his decision, the military finally acted. Though the Chitauri died after their mothership was destroyed, Daniel also used Fiendfyre to kill many Outriders, but some still escaped Manhattan.

Until all these Outriders were eradicated, New York remained unsafe.

"I..." Stark, awakened by Carter and others, was relieved to find himself alive.

"Barbecues after battle are a lie." With the battle nearly over, the aftermath was left to officials. Stark had suggested a big meal, but no surviving restaurants remained, and Fury wanted to see them. So, they boarded Hill's Quinjet back to Washington.

Captain America, Hawkeye, Natasha, and Shuri stayed behind to continue clearing Outriders as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Loki, under the guard of Sif and others, was taken to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington. With them, Loki couldn't escape easily.

The battle was over, but the helicarrier was severely damaged and needed major repairs, so Fury returned early.

"What was with that nuclear bomb?" At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington, Stark directly questioned Fury, with Carter also looking grim since she and the Captain had been there too.

"This is under investigation. Don't worry, we'll give you an explanation. For now, let's focus on the immediate issue."

"I must take Loki back for trial," Thor stated directly when attention turned to Loki.

Earth judging Loki was unacceptable to Thor and Asgard.

"Alright, but we hope Loki won't return to Earth," Fury agreed without hesitation.

A meeting between the Security Council and world leaders had decided to let Thor take Loki. They couldn't judge Loki on Earth, fearing a war with Asgard. Loki was Asgard's second prince, and with Daniel's intel, Earth would surely lose.

Moreover, a war with Asgard could lead to internal conflict on Earth. Asgard's gods greatly impacted Earth's religions, spawning fanatical organizations. Some even claimed Asgard should rule humanity.

Fanatics' actions are unpredictable. Under such circumstances, it was better to let Thor take Loki, appearing magnanimous.

Otherwise, Asgard could easily rally those organizations. Plus, with the Bifrost and Heimdall, they could execute surgical strikes anytime.

Thus, leaders didn't demand compensation from Asgard, letting Thor take Loki. The damaged areas weren't in their countries anyway.

Without Hydra's interference, world leaders were intelligent. Even the USA, despite its frequent wars, only fought easily winnable battles.

"No problem." Thor confidently promised, unaware of Loki's cold smile behind him.

After resolving Loki's issue, the focus shifted to the Tesseract and Space Stone. Knowing its value, leaders grew greedy.

But Fury quelled their greed, warning that another portal could bring more aliens, possibly stronger than the Chitauri. If not for the Chitauri's peculiar hierarchy, the battle might still be ongoing, with New York possibly lost.

Unable to keep it, they decided to send it away, letting Asgard and aliens deal with it.

The plan proceeded smoothly until Daniel spoke.

"Why not give me the Space Stone?" Daniel's words drew everyone's attention.

"This thing brings disaster. Many in the universe covet it. I believe mages can handle it better," Daniel continued.

"Asgard fears no enemy," Thor declared.

"Really? What about Thanos?" Daniel asked, smiling at Thor.

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