Chapter 33: The Unexpected Arrival

In a matter of moments, the entire Chitauri fleet was obliterated. The Ancient drones, now resembling a shimmering swarm of golden bullets, pierced through the Chitauri forces with ruthless efficiency. Each drone was equipped with an internal shield, allowing it to ram into the Chitauri ships and soldiers with terrifying force, yet emerge unscathed. The drones zipped through the skies like missiles, tearing apart the Chitauri ships, shattering them into fragments as they passed.

The Avengers watched from below as the drones demolished the enemy, their faces a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Are you seeing this?" Clint Barton asked through the comms, his voice barely masking his surprise. From his vantage point on a rooftop, he had a clear view of the chaos. "Those drones are tearing the Chitauri apart like they're made of paper."

"They're… really efficient," Natasha Romanoff added, her tone laced with suspicion. She narrowed her eyes as she tracked the drones' movements. "I've seen tech like this before."

"You think it's SHIELD?" Steve Rogers asked, slamming his shield into a Chitauri soldier and knocking him back. He took a moment to glance up at the giant ship that had appeared in the sky.

Natasha shook her head, although no one could see her. "No, this isn't SHIELD. This is way beyond anything they have. This is more… familiar."

Clint pulled another arrow from his quiver, eyeing the drones as they vaporized another Chitauri leviathan. "Familiar how?"

Natasha hesitated for a second. "I remember the Stark staeliet?"

There was a long pause as the team processed the information. Tony, still airborne and locked in a dogfight with the few remaining Chitauri, let out a dry laugh.

"Oh yeah, it's Max," Tony confirmed, cutting through the tension with his signature humor. "Of course, he'd bring the big guns."

"Max?" Captain America's voice came over the comms, his confusion evident. "Who's Max?"

"Right, I never got around to telling you guys." Tony chuckled as he fired a repulsor blast at a Chitauri hovercraft. "Max Stark. You could say he's my protégé. He's got a dreadnought-class ship, too. You know, the usual stuff."

Clint's voice was incredulous. "Wait, you have a dreadnought spaceship?"

"Technically, I've got one, too," Tony replied smugly. "Max named it Salt as a birthday present. Real thoughtful kid. Haven't had time to take it for a spin, though."

The line went silent for a moment, the Avengers momentarily too stunned to respond.

"Wait," Natasha interrupted, her tone sharp. "You're telling me this guy not only has a dreadnought spaceship, but you've had one this whole time?"

Tony's laugh echoed through the comms. "What can I say? I like to keep things interesting. But Max—he's the one stealing the show right now."

The Avengers regrouped beneath one of the protective energy domes, taking a brief moment to catch their breath as they observed the last remnants of the Chitauri being pulverized by the Ancient drones.

"Well, whatever this Max has brought to the party," Steve said, looking up at the dreadnought ship, "I think it's safe to say New York is covered."

Natasha crossed her arms, her eyes still on the massive dreadnought overhead. "Nick Fury is going to have a heart attack when he finds out about this."

As if on cue, a massive Chitauri leviathan roared as it descended from the portal, only to be instantly shredded by the Ancient drones. The drones continued their relentless assault, ensuring that any new Chitauri forces that passed through the portal were decimated before they even had a chance to reach the battlefield.

Tony circled above the city, scanning for any remaining threats. "Yeah, Loki might as well just close that portal. His army's not going to get through while Max's ship is in the air."

"Speaking of Loki," Steve interjected, nodding toward the Stark Tower. "There he is."

On the roof of Stark Tower, Loki stood beside Dr. Selvig, watching in disbelief as his once-victorious army was being decimated by a force he hadn't accounted for. His face twisted into frustration, eyes wild with desperation. His army was failing him, his grand plan unraveling before his eyes.

Tony swooped down, hovering near the edge of the rooftop. "Hey, Reindeer Games! Looks like your army's a little… outclassed."

Loki, his face contorted with rage, turned to face Thor. "This is your doing!" he hissed, raising the scepter, his eyes blazing with fury. "You will pay for this, brother!"

Before Thor could respond, the Hulk came barreling forward, fists clenched. With a guttural roar, the Hulk lunged at Loki, grabbing him by the arm and swinging him like a ragdoll. Loki barely had time to react as the Hulk hurled him across the rooftop, sending him crashing into the Tesseract containment unit. The force of the impact caused Loki to drop his scepter, which skidded across the rooftop, coming to a stop against the glowing blue cube.

The Tesseract pulsed, reacting to the proximity of the scepter. The tip of the scepter grazed the Tesseract's energy shield, causing a violent surge of power. A blast of energy shot forth from the scepter, striking the Tesseract directly.

The portal above New York began to destabilize, flickering as it struggled to maintain its connection.

But just as the portal over New York began to close, another, smaller portal—this one glowing with a strange blue-yellow hue—ripped open in the air above the Stark Tower. The Avengers barely had time to react as six figures were hurled through the portal, their bodies crashing violently onto the rooftop before the rift snapped shut behind them.

Max watched the scene unfold from the Storm Chaser's bridge, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the uniforms. "Those are… X-Men uniforms," he muttered to himself.

On the rooftop of Stark Tower, the six figures lay sprawled across the ground, their bodies battered and bruised from whatever ordeal they had just endured. The first to stir was Wolverine, his healing factor already kicking in as he pushed himself to his feet. His clothes were torn, soaked in blood, and his skin was littered with deep cuts, though they were already beginning to heal.

The others, however, were not so lucky.

Beast groaned as he attempted to sit up, his fur matted with blood and grime. He looked dazed, his blue fur darker than usual from a myriad of injuries. Beside him, Kitty Pryde was barely conscious, her body trembling as she struggled to focus. Colossus, though in his armored form, had deep gashes across his metal skin, his face twisted in pain. Illyana Rasputin lay motionless, her sword just out of reach, while Storm's white hair was singed, her suit torn in several places.

Max observed the scene from the Storm Chaser, his mind racing as he processed the sudden appearance of the mutants. "What the hell happened to them?" he whispered, his brow furrowed. The sight of the X-Men lying broken and bruised on Stark Tower's rooftop was a jarring contrast to the chaos of the Chitauri invasion.

Loki, still lying on the ground from his earlier encounter with the Hulk, glanced up at the newly arrived mutants, his eyes widening in confusion. "What… what is this?"

Wolverine let out a low growl, unsheathing his claws as he glared at Loki. "Buddy, I don't know where the hell we are, but you just made this a whole lot worse."

The Avengers, still in shock from the sudden arrival, exchanged confused glances. "Steve, what are we dealing with here?" Tony asked over the comms, his gaze shifting between the X-Men and Loki.

"I'm not sure," Steve replied, his voice tense. "But whatever it is, we need to figure it out. Fast."