Chapter 90: The Battle of New York, Part Two

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"Damn it, why did he have to choose *my* building?" Tony Stark's face turned grim as he spun around and dashed out.

Link spoke up, "Captain, take the team and board the Quinjet. Those who can fly, head straight for New York immediately."

"Director Fury, lock down all nuclear warheads!"

Nick Fury was taken aback for a moment, but then nodded solemnly. He turned to Maria Hill and ordered, "Agent Hill, lead a team to lock down every nuclear warhead. No aircraft that can take off is allowed to carry them."

"Equip all aircraft with air-to-air missiles, and get everything that can fly up in the air."

"Yes, sir!" Hill quickly left the command center with her team.

Link turned and began walking away, equipping his battle suit as he went. "Alfred, contact Jessica, McCall, Frank, and the Osborns. Have them evacuate the Osborn Tower and take shelter in the 'Gym.'"

"Also, get my car ready; I'm heading to Stark Tower."

"Yes, sir!" Alfred, who could only control one vehicle—Link's modified Suburban—swiftly set the plan in motion.

Link reached the deck and took off immediately, gripping the scepter firmly. He was a step ahead of Stark, who was still suiting up.

With a burst of acceleration, Link soared ahead, hoping to beat the clock. However, Stark wasn't far behind. Soon enough, he caught up, zipping past Link in his suit.

Link sighed. Though he was more agile in flight, Stark's suit had greater speed, unless Link chose to fly under his own power.

Stark shot ahead toward New York, while Link followed behind.

"Link, what's happening?" Jessica's voice suddenly came through his comms.

"Where are you?" Link immediately asked. "Have Trish head to the Gym, to the shooting range in the basement."

"New York is about to become a battlefield. The aliens are on their way."

"What?" Jessica gasped.

"No time to explain. Just move quickly, and be ready to suit up. If you can make it, try not to expose yourself." Link urged her.

"Got it." Jessica wasn't the type to hesitate. She knew Link's capabilities, so she wasn't too worried about his safety. Her only focus now was making sure she didn't become a liability to him.

By the time Stark arrived at Stark Tower, a few Chitauri soldiers were already present, though their numbers were still small. The machine had already started.

Stark immediately fired off a repulsor blast, wiping out the Chitauri soldiers before descending to hover above the machine.

He glared at Dr. Erik Selvig. "Doctor, shut it down."

"It's too late. It's already activated," Selvig replied, glancing up at the blue beam shooting into the sky. "Even if you cut the power to the tower, it won't stop. The machine is now its own power source."

Above Stark Tower, hundreds of meters in the air, a massive energy vortex was forming, slowly opening into a portal.

By then, Link had also arrived, glancing up at the sky and clicking his tongue.

Stark raised his arm and fired another repulsor blast at the machine, but the energy shield created by the activated Tesseract blocked the attack.

The explosion sent Selvig tumbling across the roof, knocking him out cold. Link didn't bother trying to wake him—some things were better left unknown.

"Sir, your vehicle has arrived," Alfred informed him.

Link turned to Stark. "I'm grabbing some weapons. Tony, get ready for battle."

"We have to stop these aliens from spreading."

"Got it. I'll switch to my new armor—more firepower," Stark responded as he flew back into the tower.

Link descended to the street below, ignoring the stares of passersby as he opened the back of his vehicle. He quickly suited up, donning a tactical vest and armed himself.

He took out a modified M4A1 carbine, fitted with tactical rails, a 2x scope, vertical grip, and adjustable stock. His Glock 17 handgun remained strapped to his thigh, and he packed as many magazines as he could carry.

His hoverboard detached from his back, hovering beside him. Link attached four ammo boxes to the hooks underneath the board, each loaded with extra rounds for his M249 machine gun, which he pulled from the vehicle. The board could only carry so much weight, but it would suffice for now.

Link hopped onto the board and took off, heading toward the portal forming in the sky above.

Sirens blared across New York as the NYPD mobilized, evacuating a 10-kilometer radius around Stark Tower and setting up defensive lines.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury wasn't sitting idle. He had deployed every available aircraft and ordered the NYPD to evacuate civilians. The Helicarrier moved closer to New York, though it wouldn't join the fight—it was there to serve as a landing base for aircraft.

The portal was now fully open, but it needed time to stabilize before a full invasion could begin.

Link, machine gun in hand, hovered near the portal, waiting for the Chitauri to emerge. Stark, now suited in his new armor, joined him at the entry point.

"Link, how's it looking?" Stark asked. "Feeling confident?"

"Confidence or not, we've got to fight. But we need to find a way to shut down this portal. We should ask Dr. Selvig when he wakes up."

"His brain's been 'rebooted' with that fall. Who knows when he'll wake up? Let's have Natasha handle that," Stark suggested.

At that moment, the Chitauri army could no longer hold back. The first wave of enemies began streaming through the portal.

"Get ready!" Link called out. "I'll take the first wave!"

The first Chitauri craft shot through the portal. Link fired off a burst of gunfire, taking out the pilot with precision.

Each craft carried two soldiers, and Link wasn't about to let them slip by. He carefully picked them off with short, controlled bursts, conserving his ammunition. Hovering on the board made it tricky, but Link's aim was steady.

"Clink, clink, clink," the sound of bullet casings hitting the ground echoed as Link continued to fire. The Chitauri had difficulty spotting him, thanks to his strategic positioning along the edge of the portal.

Stark watched in awe, impressed by the agent's marksmanship and tactics. This was the difference between a seasoned operative and the average fighter.

However, the Chitauri weren't fazed by their casualties. Soon, more crafts started pouring through the portal, three or four at a time.

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(End of Chapter)