A/N: Sorry for the delays guys. Elden Ring came out a while back, and it basically devoured most of my free time. And I don't get a lot of free time. Thanks for the reviews and comments, they're still very much appreciated.

Onwards!


Chapter 14

Escalation


The scene at New York, Manhattan had fully devolved into a war zone, alight with the clash between the Invading forces and Earth's mightiest defenders. Nevertheless, the tides seemed to change as the Avengers had finally rallied together as a team, their combined efforts pushing back against the alien menace.

The Hulk roared as he tore through the Chitauri horde, leaping bounds before tearing into the alien gunmen. His body smashed through one of the flying Chitauri, leaving a massive explosion in his wake before gravity once again sent him hurling towards the streets below.

Thor Odinson soared through the New York skyline, ascending to the top of the Empire State building. Aiming Mjolnir at the portal looming above the city, he harnessed the raw elements that fuelled his power, mystic torrents enveloping the Uru weapon, storm clouds emerging seemingly out of nowhere as a response to his efforts.

THOOOOOOMMMMM

Lightning poured from the atmosphere, coalescing at the top of the tower where Thor stood. The entire building glowed with the energy conducted from Thor's fulgurous charge. With a tremendous yell, Thor sent the full brunt of the attack directly at the portal. Massive steaks of lighting danced towards the rift, striking at multiple Leviathan as they emerged from the gaping rift.

"Woah!", Ben exclaimed as he manoeuvred through the air, dodging a hail of gunfire from the Chitauri Riders. Firing off neuroshock blasts from his eyes, he cut through the attacking force, sending the bio-augmented fiends plummeting downwards in rapid combustion.

They just kept coming

Jetray swerved against another assault force, the whine of their advanced vehicles heralding their attack formation. As they closed in, the Aerophibian stole a glance at the glowing precipice of Stark Tower, the source of the Invasion. A fresh wave of invaders poured through the portal, the air filled with their metallic battle cries

Time to end this.

Rearing up, Jetray burst forward through the air, leaving the resounding clap of a sonic boom in his wake.

POWWWWW

The resulting shockwave sent many Chitauri scattering, their vehicles and bodies flung around like ragdolls with some smashing into each other and the rest smashing into the nearby skyscrapers

Atop the roof of Stark Tower, the portal generator hummed with energy, while reinforced by a protective forcefield that also fed on the same power source as the rift. Ben landed with a short flap of wings, before tapping the Omnitrix device once again

"CHROMASTONE!!!"

"Okay, let's get this puppy out once and for all", the Crystal's alien smacked a fist into his open palm before reaching out towards the energy field, attempting to absorb the field's energy. The device's structure and energy frequency seemed quite similar to that of the alien bomb back at Bellwood.

All he had to do was...

"Gahhh!!!", Ben exclaimed, the Tessaract's feedback loop forcing him out of the field. The Crystalsapien was Ben's go-to for energy redirection, yet it seemed the silicon-based alien's channelling ability was trivial for the construct of infinite energy cradled within Selvig's device.

Another attempt saw Ben attempting to brute force the device, attempting to step through the Tessaract's energy field. He didn't make it very far before the Tessaract's energy began to overwhelm him, nearly tearing his crystalline body apart.

"What would I give for Feedback again", Ben groaned.

This was going to be tougher than he thought.


Maxwell Tennyson stared down at the new intruder, the hulking figure flanked by his accomplices. And if looks were anything to go by, they weren't here for a friendly chat.

The hulking brute stepped forwards, mechanical joints hissing along with the metallic stomps of his armored feet. His armor pieces comprised of several parts, ranging from black market Techadon armor to Kree sentinel parts integrated into his massive build.

His amber eyes glared downwards to the veteran, whose features were set in stone as he glared back.

" Vulkanus", Max frowned as he stated down the brute, "I was wondering where you were hiding"

"Hiding? Ha!!", The brute barked as he brandished his weapon, an oversized energy cannon he was able to comfortably wield in a single hand. His accomplices, a coterie of like minded brutes both alien and human, also sported advanced alien munitions as well as techadon armor that glowed harshly in the facility's neon hue

"Let's just say I've been biding my time before springing my master plan into action", the Detrovite continued, "and its about damn time you Plumbers paid for meddling in my business. Too bad Ben Tennyson isn't here, I've got a score to settle with him and his annoying lady friend as well"

"Is that so?", Max raised an eyebrow in mock astonishment as he continued staring down the brute. Stall, keep him talking.

"How did you even find this place?"

"A good businessman always knows his merchandise", boasted Vulkanus as he slung the cannon off his shoulders, pointing at the old man "My hardware's fitted with top notch tracking devices. Finally led me straight to the source of all my problems".

"Too bad", Max smugly remarked, stepped forward arms akimbo "now you're trapped in here with me, your biggest problem "

A roar of laughter escaped the Detrovite's maw, throwing his head back in a fit of cackling. Some of his henchmen joined in

Eventually, the fit of laughter died down. Max hadn't moved an inch, nor betrayed any emotion. Rather, he opted to simply fold his hands and glare at the gang.

The old timer was never one to back away from confrontations or threats. Especially one that came knocking on his door.

"How adorable" resumed Vulkanus, "Step aside old man! I'm about to take what's mine and this time, none of you Plumbers are getting in my way!"

Maxwell Tennyson was smart enough to know that this attack wasn't just some random thugs trying to take advantage of the chaos; this was fully premeditated. And if they had the chance, the gang would massacre all personnel in the facility.

Unbeknownst to the attackers, Max had been signalling to his crew who were currently in hiding. The Plumbers were on standby, having regrouped and rearmed.

" I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Vulkanus", Max subtly motioned to his own crew.

Three

"Not gonna ask again, old timer"

Two

Vulkanus' crew advanced menacingly, their weapons loaded at the ready.

One

"Now!!!"

The Plumbers sprung into action, completely disabling the backup lighting systems and plunging the station into pure darkness.

With that, all hell broke loose.


Ben gritted his teeth for what felt like the umpteenth time. He'd been throwing every alien he had at the Tessaract device, only to get stomped every step of the way.

Amphibian managed to phase through the field, but couldn't even touch the cosmic power source before getting blasted back.

Brainstorm calculated that it would take an impossible amount of energy to breach the field, not to mention time. Time that was slowly slipping away.

Upchuck couldn't even get his rapidly expansive maw around the field before nearly getting fried.

Nanomech shrunk into molecular size in an attempt to bypass the energy surrounding the field only to get zapped like a bug.

Right now, his teammates were fighting a losing war of attrition, trying to buy him time to close the portal. Should he fail, there would be little in the way of the Avengers being overwhelmed by sheer numbers pouring out of the rift.

In a fit of frustration, Ben turned to his go-to for releasing pent up aggression.

"Lemme tell ya something ya big glowy energy bubble thingy! You may be tough and indestructible, but Rath will beat you down, even though Rath doesn't know how to beat you down!", The Apploplexian roared as his fists hammered repeatedly against the forcefield

"Hey kid, what's the holdup?", Tony's voice blared from the Omnitrix's communicator.

"LEMME TELL YA SOMETHING, MR STARK! NO ONE BOSSES RATH AROUND!! THIS IS NOT RATH'S FIRST RODEO!"

"Wow, somebody woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning!", Tony cringed from the Apploplexian's auditory assault on his comms, before pulling up a feed of the tower. He was greeted to the sight of Rath's relentless (and ultimately futile) assault on Selvig's device.

"Jarvis, why is there a rampaging breakfast cereal mascot on my Tower? "

"RATH DOES NOT APPRECIATE OUTDATED POP CULTURE REFERENCES!!!"

"Whatever you say, disenfranchised Tony the Tiger", the billionaire retorted, "Don't you have an energy-alien or something? We need that thing closed before New York turns into an all you can eat alien buffet!". Tony swerved as he took a direct hit from a squadron of Chariots.

"Stark, you've got a lot of strays on your tail", Clint let loose another arrow, while perched strategically on the rooftops.

His keen eye kept track of the Chitauri, every movement and pattern registered in his vision. Overtime, the Chariots had doubled in numbers and were in hot pursuit of the armored billionaire, unfortunately out of the Archer's range.

"All part of the plan, Legolas", replied Stark.

"What plan? Getting shot down?"

"Just keeping them off the streets"

"Well, they can't bank worth a damn", another Chitauri chariot went up in flames, courtesy of a blindside shot made by the Archer, "find a tight spot"

"Huh...I will Roger that", the gears in Tony's head already started spinning once again. He narrowly dodged a rider attempting to ram him mid air, before blasting it to pieces with a repulsor beam.

Taking the altitude of the chase lower, Tony bobbed and weaved through the lower levels of the buildings, navigating through tight corridors and corners. True to Clint's observation, the Chariots had little in the way of manoeuvrability.

A couple of evasive banks and turns, and Tony's assailants were getting wiped one by one. Making a hard left, Tony dove into a building's parking garage. He sucked in air between his teeth as he made his way through the perilously narrow alleyways, Chitauri on his tail.

Another hard left, Tony was knocked into a wall, with attackers pressing him down. Quickly thinking, he slowed his movement, allowing him the opportunity to duck out of the confined space. His pursuers were not as fast, their chariots and bodies mangled up together in a mess of limbs and parts, barreling into the wall and spontaneously combusting in a fiery wipeout.

"Nice call, Robin Hood" the billionaire genius commented, "kid, what's the status update?"

"LEMME TELL YA SOMETHING STARK! RATH HAS HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH YOU! AND I'M PRETTY UP HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Tony shook his head, resigned to the fact that he had to do all the thinking on the team.

"Kid, stop spiralling", he admonished, "take it from a guy who's been captured by terrorists and forced to make weapons for 'em; you can't always brute force every situation. Look for a different angle!"

Despite the fact that his instincts flooded with Apploplexian rage, Ben could see the value in Tony's words. This wasn't the first time he'd gotten ahead of himself; in his younger days he'd encountered a seemingly indestructible Tick that nearly destroyed the earth. Despite throwing nearly every single alien he had in his arsenal at the monstrosity, it refused to budge.

A mass of Chitauri battle cries cut through the atmosphere surrounding the Tower, as more invaders swarmed the streets below in a mad frenzy, their mechanical screams echoing through the

"Oh yeah, you might wanna get a move on with that, Tennyson", Clint chimed in the comms, "its not looking pretty for Cap and Nat down there"

"I'll cover the bases, keep em from getting overrun", Tony answered as he pulled up scans of the streets, "what else ya got?"

"Thor's already taking down a squadron at sixth"

"And he didn't invite me...", Iron Man's engines revved as he took off in a jet blast.

Ben growled in frustration, turning to the Portal device once again. His attention was immediately taken by a loud groan, coming from the nearby patio on the rooftop. His advanced senses drew him to prone form of Eric Selvig.

The scientist stirred slightly, before opening his eyes to the sight of the Apploplexian

"Hey! You're that scientist guy!"

"... Huhh??!", the man's eyes fluttered open to the visage of Rath bearing down on him.

"Hey lemme tell ya something science guy! You turned that thing on, and now Rath wants you to shut it down!"

Selvig's eyes rolled in their sockets, hitting the back of his skull as he fell back into unconsciousness.

Rath groaned again as the man slumped against him, his limp body propped up by the transformed teen.

Apparently the sight of the Appoplexian was too much for the old timer, taking into account Rath's vocal roars which were of a frequency designed to intimidate larger foes, not a harmless old man

"Rath is gonna need some help", the tiger-like alien growled


Total carnage ensued as a massive firefight broke out within the narrow halls of the Plumbers HQ. The understaffed and overwhelmed Plumbers valiantly returned fire against the steadily encroaching forces of Vulkanus' enforcers.

Gunshots illuminated the darkness as both forces clashed, the facility's structure shaken by ensuing conflagrations from advanced alien weaponry. Max ducked behind another panel as he returned fire, only having time to don a recon visor and pull out a compact blaster before the firefight broke out.

"Give it up, Plumbers!", Vulkanus taunted, his suit's heat signature detectors already activated. "me and the boss have your little clubhouse surrounded! We're taking this place apart and we ain't taking prisoners!"

From his vantage point, Max slowly crawled into the nearby vents, his aging showing through his somewhat sluggish movements. Slight grunts could be heard as his efforts pushed him through the narrow tunnels within the facility.

The veteran's routine maintenance work on the ventilation systems ensures he knew the place like the back of his hands. The walls were also lined with useful circuits, handy for a Plumber to patch in to the backup systems in emergency cases.

Maxwell Tennyson's brow creased with distress. An ambush this well thought-out couldn't have been merely Vulkanus and his cronies at work.

It was too perfect, too pre-planned. They knew the exact time the Plumbers were fractured, displaced across different regions. The exact time to strike. They even knew to take out comms in order to cut off any call for reinforcements

Something, or someone else was at play here.

CLANG! SCREECH!

Max made his way through the piping system, using their sonorous walls to misdirect the gunmen who'd started firing aimlessly into the ceilings trying to tag the veteran.

"Engage squad formation!!"

The other Plumbers managed to take advantage of Max's distraction, rallying their meagre ranks for a counter attack. The cadets yelled as they pushed forward in their valiant efforts to defend their base,

BOOOOOMMMM!!!

A shower of debris halted their approach, forcing their temporary retreat as the Detrovite's advanced firepower bombarded the structural

"Alright, enough playing around!", Vulkanus clutched the smoking barrel of his advanced energy cannon as he made his way forwards, "let em have it boys!!!"

The Hallway erupted in a shower of laser fire and explosions, many unfortunate Plumbers caught in the exchange.

Max gritted his teeth, distress creasing his wrinkled features. At this rate, the Plumbers would be decimated before they could get the network back up and radio for backup.

"Find the old man!", yelled the Detrovite," I'm going to get what's mine!"

The retired Magister pushed forward, reaching an exit hatch within the vents. He peered out the grate discreetly, taking a peek at the exterior. Some of Vulkanus' men were scouting ahead, their weapons flashing dangerously against the lit neon

Using his stealthy advantage, Max managed to catch a lone henchmen unawares, popping out the grate and slamming a lead pipe on his face. Temporarily stunned, the henchman staggered briefly before being floored by the veteran.

WHUMP!

Clutching the improvised weapon in his hands, he approached the prone form cautiously. His attention was drawn by a familiar glow: a bluish tint glazing over the man's eyes, the telltale sign of enchantment.

Loki's enchantment.

"No...", it all began to make sense to Max. The breakouts, the Invasion, the ambush were all part of the Trickster's plan.

Divide and conquer, cut off all forms of communication to prevent any call for help. The breakouts were nothing more than a distraction, keeping the Plumbers occupied while they prepared for their ambush.

BOOOM!

Another blast from Vulkanus sent the veteran sprawling from the impact on the walls.

"No is right, old man", Vulkanus gloated as he appeared alongside multiple henchmen, weapon primed and glaring menacingly. "After I managed to give you Plumber assholes the slip, our little Asgardian friend offered me a deal impossible to refuse"

"You keep the Plumbers occupied while he gets on with the Invasion", Max barely managed to stagger to his feet.

"And I get what's leftover in the Aftermath. Not to mention my own obedient army. No more It's all business, after all"

"You don't know what you're going into Vulkanus", Max grunted as he clutched his side in agony, "You think Loki's going to hold up his end of the bargain? The Chitauri aren't one to negotiate terms with anyone"

"The Chitauri have served their purpose", Vulkanus interrupted, "and so has Loki. Now, it's just you and me.", his massive arm swatted the old man aside, sensing him sprawling as he bounced off the wall unto the floor.

"And when I'm done here, I'll get my revenge on Tennyson as well, or what's left of him after Loki takes care of him and his little friends"

Max managed a free hand, pulling his own weapon and aimed at the large brute, "You're not going anywhere Vulkanus"

"Fancy words, for a dead man", Vulkanus pulled his much more advanced weapon and levelled it at the veteran's head, "I just took apart your mooks and your hideout! No one's coming to save you!!"

"Anytime now..."

Vulkanus' eyes narrowed, "No Plumber in the Milky Way's gonna hear you cry, old man"

"Wasn't talking to you", Max replied.

FWOOOOOMMMM!

A brilliant blast of magenta enveloped the hallway, a vortex of energy that split apart to reveal a rift. Out of the energy rift flew in Gwen, arms raised and brimming with arcane energy. Her eyes glowed with elemental fury as she unleashed a blast of pure power, energy waves cascading of her form in a display of raw power.

Max gave a tired smile as he watched his granddaughter unleash her Fury. He could always tell when she was near, her natural mana closely resembling his Verdona's.

"I warned you bozos before", an array of mystic seals formed in front of the ginger mage as she primed her spell

"Stay. Away. From. My. Family!!!!!"

Vulcanus instantly shielded himself against the onslaught, however his henchmen weren't so lucky as they we caught up in the blast and sent hurtling into the architecture. The Detrovite dropped his guard for a moment to observe, only to get a metallic fist into his jaw, staggering him.

Kevin Levin wasted no time as he launched forwards, delivering another haymaker that sent the Detrovite tumbling down in a heap. A moment later he recovered, fuming as he nursed his noggin.

"You...how did you...?", Vulcanus was livid.

"Already figured out something was fishy when the comms weren't picking up", Kevin answered, "just a matter of teleporting here as fast as we could"

"You have me to thank for that, Kev", the ginger mage cut in.

An array of shouts flooded the halls as Vulcanus' troops poured in, weapons at the ready. Gwen quickly threw an energy shield around her and her paramour, halting the hail of laser fire from the bandits

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Vulcanus growled as he fired off more cannon blasts at the ginger mage, each one leaving cracks on her shield. "Give it up ya pests! This here's my turf, and you're surrounded! Matter of fact, you're completely outnumbered and outgunned!"

Kevin smirked as he turned to his girlfriend, "Hear that babe? He thinks we're outnumbered!"

Gwen smirked despite straining to hold up her shields , "Too bad we forgot to bring reinforcements..."

The rift hummed as if in response, before temporarily expanding as newcomers emerged from within. The first was an African-American who instantly transformed into a pyronite. The next were two siblings, closely resembling a kineceleran female and a male tetramand. The last was a blonde boy in a mech suit.

"...oh wait, we totally didn't!!", Gwen smirked.

Alan Albright, the Pyrokid. Manny and Helen Armstrong, the Plumbers Helpers. Cooper Daniels, Team technopath.

The Plumber's elite had arrived to defend their base.

Vulkanus seethed as he felt his plans slowly unravel with the new developments. Reinforcements meant nothing but complications, and complications meant trouble. Loki's plan was still in play however, all he had to do was follow it.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation?", Vulkanus yelled to his underlings as he pointed at the newly assembled Plumber's team. "Destroy them!"

Both teams charged at each other in a swift clash.


"You did what?", Natasha Romanov couldn't believe her ears.

"To be fair I didn't know the old man was still alive when I found him", Ben tried to explain. After his encounter with the good doctor Selvig (and the old man's lapse into unconsciousness e'd transformed back after intercepting another wave of attackers on the streets, assisting the redhead in repelling the Chitauri forces who seemed to only increase in number every time.

"невероятный...", Nat muttered as she pinched the Bridge of her nose in frustration. The teen noticed she'd a habit of slipping back into her native dialect under rare occasions, like being pissed off by the teen's antics.

And with Ben Tennyson, those occasions were more frequent that she'd hoped. Tennyson was indeed an anomaly. He was capable of feats that defied human reasoning, had years of experience behind his youthful eyes and an uncanny ability to surprise anyone who underestimated him.

Other times he could be so naive, obnoxious and unprofessional. She'd been surprised to see him on the ground, providing backup and keeping her from getting overwhelmed by the Chitauri forces.

Then came the bad news: Ben was unable to breach the portal device field, at least not without leveling half the city in the process according to him. The silver lining was Dr Eric Selvig, who was apparently alive, but not currently kicking.

They had Ben to thank for that.

"...and since we don't have a Medic anywhere, I though we could get the next best thing: The World's Deadliest assassin!", Ben concluded

"Ты будешь моей смертью... "

"Pretty sure that's not Russian for "I totally understand and will definitely help you, my hero", Ben grimaced, fingers grazing over his wild curls.

Nat sighed as she regarded the teen with consternation, "We're in the midst of a war and you want me to play nurse?"

"Technically you'll be a Medic..."

"Not the point, Tennyson! We have a job to do here!"

"Hey, excuse me for trying a different angle..."

Their little conversation was interrupted with the arrival of a familiar figure. Steve Rogers landed with a resounding thump as he made his way to the duo.

"Tennyson, what's the status with the portal?", the Captain wasted no time in addressing the teen, his no-nonsense tone now had an edge of urgency.

"We...have some complications", Nat responded before glaring at the teen, "care to elaborate?"

"We're on the clock, Ben", Steve reminded

"Yeah, I'm still working on that...", Ben returned the redhead's glare with an eye roll before addressing the supersoldier, "Dr Selvig used the Cube to power the device. Whatever it's energy source, that thing's a piece of work for most of my aliens"

Cap's finger brushed his chin in thought, "Any other ideas?"

"Well, I found Dr Selvig at least, he's alive-kinda. Rath may have spooked him a little"

"Not sure about this one Cap...Selvig's possibly still under the influence of Loki", Nat cut in.

"You don't know that", countered Ben, "Clint was fine after a hit to the noggin"

"That's not how it works"

"How would you know how it works?"

"Save it", Steve snapped, turning towards the duo, "The city can't take more of these things flooding through...we're getting that portal shut one way or another. Tennyson, Romanov, get to Selvig and see if he can help"

"And if he can't?"

"Then figure something else out ", Cap's words had an air of finality as he turned back to the streets observing another wave of attackers begin their assault

ROOOAAARR

The trio watched as Hulk manhandled a Leviathan through the streets hanging on its Maw while using his weight like an anchor, keeping it flying low while tugging fiercely to steer it directly into the streets.

The gigantic beast eventually crashed, levelling the building nearby and inadvertently crushing the approaching horde, its mechanical mass acting like a giant wrecking ball that demolished the Chitauri in its path.

"I though you were supposed to keep him from causing trouble", Nat commented as she looked on with mild amusement.

Ben had the same look on his face, "I think he's doing fine...probably".

As if in response, the portal expanded once again, announcing the arrival of another invading force. Cap drew his shield, before turning back to the duo, "Get the portal! Now!"

Ben activated the Omnitrix once again before slamming on the dial. Another burst of light saw him change forms once again, this time in the shape of a turtle-like alien with large flipper-like arms on stumpy legs

"TERRASPIN!!"

"Do you always have to call their names out when you turn into them?", Nat queried.

"Really? Now's the time you wanna know?", the transformed teen drawled, "Hop on!!!"

Nat rolled her eyes before leaping unto his back, maintaining a solid grip on the teen hero's shell.

Terraspin's shell remained static while his head retracted into his shell, his fins now triangular and while his his legs combined into a similar shape. Rotating his limbs like helicopter blades, Ben took to the sky with Natasha on the back of his shell

"Incoming!" Nat yelled, spotting a squad of Chitauri chariots heading their way. The invaders wasted no time in unleashing a salvo of laser fire at their new target.

"Hold on!", Terraspin twisted and turned as he attempted evasive manoeuvres mid air, managing to avoid getting clipped by the Chitauri riders. Natasha grunted as she held on, the teen's efforts taking its toll on her balance.

"Turn left! Left!", she attempted to guide the Geochelone Aerio.

"Your left or my left?"

CRASH! Terraspin collided with a Chariot mid-air, nearly throwing off the superspy.

"How many lefts are there?!!", Nat queried.

On a normal day, Ben could take down the alien riders with relative ease, but with the added load of the redheaded superspy and her safety at stake, the best course of action was to keep them both out of harm's way.

"Can't you go any faster?", came the superspy's strained voice as she clung to his shell.

"Don't you think I'm trying??!!!"

Another cannonade rang out, forcing Terraspin to bank left. The Chitauri were relentless in their pursuit, as even more joined the fray as they made their way to the Tower.

"Nat's riding a flying turtle" , Hawkeye's voice chirped through the comms, "now that's something you don't see everyday!"

"Clint?"

"Don't mind me, just enjoying the totally hilarious view"

"Stop being an ass and lend a hand!"

Clint gave a smug smile before refocusing his attention to the Chitauri giving chase to the duo, activating the trick arrow compartment of his quiver. The mechanism wired softly, slotting the arrow heads into the assigned shafts while Clint effortlessly drew his next set of arrows

THWANG! THWANG! THWANG!!

The Archer let out multiple projectiles in record time, tagging their pursuers with pinpoint accuracy. The resulting impact saw the flying Chitauri incinerated in a combustion from the Archer's trick arrows, leaving the duo some breathing room.

"Thanks, Clint", Ben gushed, "I owe you one"

"About that...mind if you take a selfie for me?", Clint smirked.

"I. Will. Hurt. You!!", Natasha seethed, still clinging for dear life atop the Geochelone Aerio.

"Maybe next time, Clint", chuckled Ben as he steered them towards Stark Tower, using the gusts propelled by his shell to sharply increase their altitude.

"Let's hope there isn't a next time, kiddo", the Archer replied as he let loose another arrow, decimating a line Chitauri cruiser nearby.


The battle raged on as the motely crew of Plumbers Helpers went head on with the rest of Vulcanus' men. The Detrovite in question was beside himself with exasperation as he ceaselessly barked orders to his minions, their haphazard actions the result of his lackluster leadership.

The main attackers were kept at bay as Alan unleashed a gout of flame acting as a makeshift barrier. Laser fire erupted from behind the wall of flame, as Vulcanus' men retaliated with ranged attacks to supplement their lack of movement.

Quickly zipping around in a blue-black blur, Helen distracted the shooters as they took aim at the half-Pyronite, utilizing her enhanced dexterity to disarm her opponents in the midst of her blitz.

Manny picked up the slack, using his enhanced strength to slam the ground, sending a tide of shockwaves that knocked them on their backs. Cooper finished them off using energy nets deployed from his suit.

Using their teamwork alongside their unique abilities, the Plumber's Helpers quickly turned the tide on their ambushes, taking down their forces in a display of skill and coordination

"No, no, no!!", Vulcanus' groaned. His plan was rapidly falling apart, and he was soon finding himself on the shorter end as the tables turned on him, his ambush force diminishing by the minute.

With the shadow of defeat looming over him, Vulcanus determined that he wasn't going down without a fight. Sneakily, he took aim at the one who'd offended him the most: Kevin Levin. His cannon hummed with energy before bursting into flames, thanks to a well times spell thrown by Gwen. The impact threw the brute back, staggering into the aforementioned artillery station with a resounding crash

The Ginger mage panted as she sagged slightly, the toll of her efforts now more visible as the fight progressed. Teleporting the team over such a long distance overtime had taken a lot from her, right now she was running on fumes.

"Gwen! You okay?", Kevin was quick to her side, helping her up before she warily directed his attention to the maniacal Detrovite groggily staggering to his feet, not completely out of commission yet.

Kevin wasted no time in returning the favor, activating his Osmosian abilities and absorbing the nearby scaffolding, launching himself into Vulkanus.

The duo smashed through the walls, into the nearby armory. The Osmosian was only able to land a few more shots before Vulcanus retaliated, his massive fist catching Kevin off guard as he snapped up

"You think this is over??!!", Vulcanus roared as he shook off the osmosian, sending him through yet another wall with a vicious swat. Kevin's body rebounded off the wall with a metallic thud.

"Kevin!"

Vulcanus wasn't prepared for the retaliation that followed. He staggered back as a blast of smoke detonated in his face, courtesy of a Grenade tossed by Max.

BLAM!!! Helen knocked him off balance with a well-placed kick, while Manny delivered a powerful double armed haymaker. The Detrovite was sent sprawling once again, landing on his back with a resounding OOooff

Concerned for his wellbeing, Gwen rallied to Kevin's side, unaware that Vulcanus had just pulled out yet another detonator.

CLICK

All eyes were glued to the Detrovite as he raised the device in his hand, almost triumphantly. Vulkanus was an unpredictable, cunning criminal but also a short-tempered and psychotic mastermind.

"The weapons...", Max's eyes widened with trepidation, drawn to the cluster of red lights illuminating the armory.

Leave it to Vulcanus to always have an escape from every situation. His weapons had been hard-coded with miniature explosives that had been left dormant: a result of the Detrovite's fear of ruining his product or reputation amongst the criminal elements of the alien underworld.

Until now. "It ain't over until I get what's MINE!!!!"

"Gwen! Protect everyone!!!"

BEEP!

BOOOOMMMM!!!!


Another eruption of explosions clouded the atmosphere as tides of the battle had reached a fevered pitch, the Avengers still valiantly fighting back against the ever increasing odds.

Captain America's gaze hardened as another wave of Chitauri descended on the wartorn streets, his grip on the vibranium disk tightening along with his resolve to face the horde.

FWOOSHHH

Iron Man came in clutch as he unleashed a combination of repulsor blasts, dispersing the herd before turning to the Captain, both men sharing a knowing look. Coordinating their attacks, Tony directed his beams towards the Supersoldier, as he in turn reflected them using his shield. The beams bounced off the shield in a cluster, splitting apart the surrounding invaders, instantly obliterating them.

Above them, Hulk and Thor were caught in a ferocious melee atop the Leviathan, dispatching wave after wave of Chitauri fighter in ballistic fashion, fists swinging and bolts flying. There seemed to be a sort of competition amongst the two powerhouses, as Thor returned a feral grin from the Jade Giant while they both leapt off the Leviathan, the duo slamming into the next flying behemoth that crossed their path.

Atop the roofs, Hawkeye frantically let fly more arrows, each finding their mark in the Chitauri attempting to scale the buildings in order to reach his position.

Natasha hit the roof running before tumbling into a roll, Terraspin not far behind as he touched on the roof in a light gust of wind.

"Tell me", the redhead huffed, "do your dates also get swept off their feet with whiplash from flying at Mach speeds?"

The Geochelone Aerio merely shrugged, "hey technically you're the first to hitch a ride on Terraspin so..."

A burst of light saw Ben morph back into human form. The duo approached the Portal Device, still humming with energy and guarded by the impenetrable forcefield. Following the teen, they located the still-unconscious Doctor Selvig slumped against the nearby terrace.

"Let's hope this works, hero", Natasha confirmed the old man's breathing with two fingers next to the carotid artery.

"So, he's alive...whew!", Ben wheezed a little, relief airing off his sagging shoulders. As absurd as it was, he really did not want his first "kill" to be scaring an old man to death.

Natasha rolled her eyes before applying a soft nudging pressure to the hollow below the man's windpipe, a common spy trick used to resuscitate captured targets.

"He's fine", the redhead reassured, "just bumped his head, but doesn't seem to have a concussion"

"Doctor Selvig?"

The man groaned as his eyes opened, no longer swimming in Loki's enchantment.

"You with us, doc?", Ben inquired as he approached the man and stooped to eye level.

"My word...", the scientist's gaze flitted between the two, eyes slowly regaining focus.

"I was...dreaming..about talking tigers," Selvig groggily nursed his head while Ben grinned sheepishly.

The old scientist's gaze snapped around to the scene unfolding around the Tower, the open rift and the swarms of alien invaders descending upon the city.

"Good Lord, what have I done?", Selvig was aghast as he witnessed the ensuing carnage, while Ben and Nat shared a knowing look. He'd been inadvertently responsible for the Invasion of New York, but also an unwitting puppet in the Asgardian demigod's schemes.

"It's not your fault", the superspy admonished, "you didn't know what you were doing".

"Actually, I believe I did...", Selvig dropped his head in dismay, "Loki's scepter..."

"Loki's scepter?", Ben asked.

"It's energy frequencies are similar to the Tessaract. I built the field using both frequencies, using the Scepter as a bypass-or a backup of sorts. Somehow they function using some kind of autonomous synchronization"

"One of six", Natasha breathed, recalling the words of the Galvan technicians.

"The Scepter and the Tessaract", Ben's eyes widened in realization.

"But maybe...if we had the scepter", Selvig turned to the field, "we can possibly bypass that and shut down the rift engine"

That was it. They had an actual solution, staring right at them the whole time. Loki was indeed the key to ending this, as he was the key to starting it off in the first place.

There was only one problem...

"The Staff's with Loki", Natasha pointed, "and we don't know where he is.

WHOOOOOOMMMM

Another rift expansion. The portal engine hummed as the energy feedback rippled through the air, another metallic roar emanating from beyond the rift delivering an ominous warning to the heroes.

Time was running out. If they didn't close it in time, worse things would come through.

Ben and Natasha quickly regrouped, while Selvig slowly gathered himself near the rooftop patio. "Alright", the Omnitrix wielder curved a finger under his chin, "we need the scepter to breach the forcefield"

"But we need to find Loki first", Natasha commented, arms folded as she leaned against the nearby roof antenna.

"That's assuming he still has it"

"Assuming he knows what we know about it, makes sense he has it"

Ben nodded, "Like a really annoying needle in a haystack...if the haystack was also on fire.Don't suppose you've got some super-spy tracking thing on ya?"

Nat scoffed, momentarily glancing at the Portal device. "Not for demigods, I don't. Maybe you've got an alien for that?"

"Something like that...but we're gonna go old fashioned"

She raised an eyebrow, "Old fashioned"

"We're gonna need his scent" , Ben stated

"Seriously?"

"Not like his perfume or anything!", Ben clarified with his arms raised, "just something he's used before. Got any ideas?"

Nat furrowed her brow in thought before her gaze snapped up in realization

"Actually, I think I got something", she said before activating her comms, "Clint, can you help me find Thor?"

"Call Tony while you're at it", added Ben, "I think I've got an idea"

"Need I point out how the last one worked out?"

"Too soon, agent Romanov"


"Everyone okay?" Max inquired, picking himself up from the ground.

The Plumber Helpers were shaken but mostly fine only sustaining a handful of bruises and scrapes from the last altercation.

The team was currently enveloped by a dome of energy summoned by Gwen, the only thing keeping them from being crushed by the ceiling caved in from the explosion.

"Nnghh!", the ginger strained. Beads of perspiration stained her forehead as she focused her energy on maintaining the barrier. With the full weight of debris on hand, it certainly was no easy task.

"Great, we're trapped", Manny grunted, his weight supported by an exhausted Helen. She'd exceeded her limits, going after every member of the team just in time to pull them into the safety of Gwen's bubble.

"What do we do now?", Alan asked

"I could reach out, find something in all this debris and build some kind of mechanical crane?", Cooper offered.

"There's no space", Helen pointed, "you'd have to get through Gwen's shield, and that's definitely gonna kill us!".

"What about the other Plumbers?", Alan chimed in again. The youngster didn't do so well in cramped spaces, and despite having switched back to his human form, the limited oxygen supply started to get to his Pyronite side.

"No communications...we can't call for backup", Helen's shoulders sagged dejectedly. She shared Gwen's role on her team as the overprotective older sister type figure. Her gut twisted seeing the ginger strain to keep everyone from getting crushed, her speed all but useless at the moment. She could only hold Alan's hand for comfort, silently reassuring the youngster.

"Well, we can't just stand here!", Manny ranted, throwing all arms up in frustration. Their clamouring started to reach a fevered pitch as nerves and

"Hey!", Kevin bellowed, "quit yapping, dumbasses! Let her focus!!"

A momentary silence followed his outburst. Kevin wordlessly stepped in front of his straining girlfriend, clutching his bruised side gingerly.

"Hey babe...you holding up okay?",

"...seriously, Kev?", she strained in response to the pun.

"Sorry, didn't mean it like that", the raven haired teen apologized. Gwen's claustrophobia wasn't a secret to him, and he was willing to do anything to get her mind off it. Even tell jokes in poor taste.

He continued, "You're doing great, always supporting the team. Me and Ben, the Plumbers, even your Gramps".

Gwen gave a strained smile, still doing her best to sustain the energy bubble protecting them.

"I'm just gonna say it: I didn't want us back here. Back in the field, seeing you almost get hurt..."

"If I wanted to take it easy, I'd go live with my grandma", grunted the Ginger, her eyes narrowing as she focused even more of her energy on the barrier, "I'm not about to let anyone down"

Kevin was reminded of her tenacity even in the face of her own limits. "Look, maybe we should've retired. Or maybe we should've. I don't know"

He stared into her eyes, his dark orbs aflame with hope, "All I know, is wherever you go, I going with you. I'm with you all the way, Gwen. No matter what. I believe in you. Now and always"

"She's stronger than you give her credit for, son", Max clapped a hand on Kevin's back, turning to the rest of the team, "They all are..."

Metallic groans could be hear around them, as the debris continued to sink deeper, the weight getting even heavier. Despite her half-Anodyte heritage, Gwen was slowly reaching her limits.

Time was running out.

All they could do now was hope.


"Ampfibian!"

The Chitauri had their attention on what appeared to be a bluish-white jellyfish floating in the air. Their shots merely sailed through the Amperii, as he turned himself intangible midair.

"Thor!", Ben yelled as he effortlessly phased through a squadron of invaders as they flew past, his electrokinesis short-circuiting their chariots and causing them to crash into one another.

The blond demigod momentarily ceased his assault on the Chariots as he gazed on the transformed teen.

"Shapeshifter! There seems to be no end to these foul creatures!", Thor knocked back another Chariot, crashing it into the nearby rooftop. "I had hoped that you would've shut down Selvig's machine"

"Working on it", Ben replied, "but we need to track down Loki"

"Loki?"

"More precisely, his staff", Ben clarified, "Dr Selvig says its the key to the portal,

"The Trickster will not be easy to find, Son of Ten", Thor pointed out, "even now he hides like a coward, while his army carried out his twisted machinations"

"Yeah, typical evil overlord cliché ", Ben smirked before asking, "what if we could track him?"

Thor grunted, "He is a slippery one, my brother. Loki's illusions..."

"...can't affect aliens without the senses needed to see them", Ben cut in as a wry smile crept unto his face, "chill dude, I've got some animal instinct. All I need is something we can track him with. Don't suppose you can help me?".

The Thunderer regarded the teen with a piercing gaze of appraisal. The shapeshifter was certainly full of surprises, but none more surprising than the mortal behind all those transformations. The youngster had an uncanny comprehension of things that seemingly most people overlooked.

He grunted in approval before wordlessly producing the dagger Loki had stabbed him with previously.

"Huh...I'm guessing that's a souvenir from the last time you two met?"

"Loki has always made it a mission of his to backstab me every chance he could...both literally and metaphorically"

Ben reached out to grab the weapon, only to be yanked closer by the blond Asgardian. "Find Loki. Find my brother, and end this"

The teen's smirk was replaced with lips pursed with focus, nodding grimly at the Thunder God. Bringing the Omnitrix to his face, he confirmed the device had fully recharged after a brief cooldown from his previous rapid transformations.

"Guess we can add that to the list of improvements Azmuth made: faster recharges"

Ben activated the Omnitrix once again, the dial twisting to reveal the hologram of a familiar Vulpimancer transformation. A burst of green light later, and a large hairy canine had replaced his teenage form.

"GWOOOAARRR!!!!!!!!!!"

Standing on all fours, the canine alien reared up as Wildmutt's instincts flooded his mind. Thor's expression was briefly colored in mild surprise at the transformation, which was replaced with sudden realization at the teen's plans.

Surely, he wasn't jesting when he spoke of his animal instincts.

Moments later, Wildmutt began sniffing Loki's dagger, immediately gaining a trail from the trickster's essence imprinted in the dagger. All that remained was to follow it.

Thor watched the Vulpimancer leap off the rooftops, the ape-like movements of the orange beast emphasizing his agility and speed as he effortlessly navigated through the concrete jungle, all without possessing eyes.

Find scent

Ben went into freefall, reaching out and then digging his claws into the side of a building, sparks flying off the concrete as friction slowed down his momentum. His frills twiched slightly as he let go of one arm, turning his body in one direction to regain the scent of the trail

Scent found, track prey! , Ben's primal instincts hummed in the back of his head.

Another massive leap saw him crashing through the rooftops of a Cathedral, slamming into several pews in a shower of shattered stained glass. Wildmutt growled in anticipation. The place seemed deserted in the face of the Invasion, but his sonar-like senses easily detected a familiar presence within the building.

Movement.

The orange canine took a cautious step before snapping his head back surreptitiously.

Danger.

His sense picked up the faint outline of a horned visage.

There!!!!

Snarling, the transformed teen leapt again, narrowly dodging a blast that decimated the rows being him. Ben kept atop the rafters and flipped mid-air, another barrage of blasts missing the teen thanks to his enhanced senses and reflexes.

"It seems you're more capable than I thought shapesifter!", Loki's sneering voice echoed throughout the building, "How fitting: Your kind finally finds a god in their place of worship!". Paying no attention to the trickster's words, Ben easily pinpointed the Asgardian's location a floor above him.

Slamming his staff on the ground, Loki bathed the Cathedral's interior in blue light, revealing a mob of illusory copies all aiming their scepters at the Vulpimancer.

Wildmutt wasted no time in giving chase, Loki's apparitions wasted on his heightened senses. He ducked through Loki's assault, dove through a false wall, before slamming directly into the Trickster, tackling and eventually pinning down Loki with relative ease.

Slippery as ever, Loki managed to wrench himself free from the Vulpimancer before blasting a hole through the wall. Diving through the hole, Loki cemented his escape as he landed atop a Chitauri chariot that flew by.

Ben had succeeded in the first part of the plan; getting Loki out of hiding. He continued giving chase, taking to the rooftops once again as he pursued the fleeing Trickster-god. Loki was unfazed however, sending Chitauri after Chitauri in droves to intercept the hero

The chase was on.

BLAM! FWOOSH!!


"The portal's becoming unstable", Selvig announced as he measured the readings.

"Can you slow it down?", Natasha asked

"I can try, but there's only so much I can do from the outside"

Natasha turned her attention back to the war zone that was the streets of New York. This was definitely the longest day she'd ever seen. Nursing multiple bruises and scrapes, her enhanced physiology was practically the only thing keeping her standing.

" That partner of yours...he seems quite unique", Selvig observed.

Nat turned slightly, "what makes you say that?"

"I've worked with SHIELD Agents before", Selvig reminded her, "I can say with experience none of them have his..."

"Obnoxiousness?"

"...I was going to say spiritedness", Selvig gave a wan smile, "but I suppose that also counts"

"Let's just focus on solving a worldwide crisis first shall we doc?"

The scientist nodded before turning his attention back to the machine, unaware of another rift slowly materializing behind the two.

The space warped and pulled, as the portal took form. Unlike the rift looming above the city, this one was an anomaly of sorts, it's energy less volatile and more...roguish.

"Doc!!!"

SHKKKT!

Selvig's face twisted with shock, an energy blade materialized in between his chest, piercing his vitals and covering his torso in crimson.

The wielder fully materialised, a figure adorned in an intimidating black and purple trench coat ensemble his features hidden behind a helmet. His mouth was free however, showing a sickening grin as he brandished his blade, leering at the superspy.

"Well now, what have we here?"


"Jetray!!!!"

Ben switched back into his main flyer, taking to the skies as the Aerophibian. While definitely faster and with the advantage of aerial superiority, Jetray lacked Wildmutt's immunity to Loki's illusions and misdirections.

Multiple times Jetray had problems remaining on Loki's tail without getting waylaid by yet another illusory decoy or a swarm of Chitauri dead-set on shooting the hero out of the skies.

Time for some backup.

"Guys! I've got my sights on Loki!", Ben yelled into the Omnitrix's communicator, "could really use some backup over here!!"

The chase continued through the Manhattan skyline, surrounded by the tumultuous clash between the rest of the Avengers and the invading forces. Ben gritted in frustration; despite his superior speed, Loki had managed to stay a step ahead on the battlefield.

"Roger kid!", Tony responded through the comms as he flew in fro the Northside, blasting apart the Chitauri in his way. Intercepting Loki's path, he activated his suit's motion sensors, instantly tracking Loki's path and deployed another salvo of missiles aimed at the Trickster god.

BOOOMM!!!

"Did I get him?"

The clouds of smoke parted as the Trickster god sailed through, apparently unharmed. Using his staff, Loki had disintegrated the projectiles way before they'd the chance to hit their mark.

" I believe that would be a no, sir", Jarvis responded.

"Guess magic's not so overrated, huh?", Ben's sarcasm bit through the comms.

"Can it, E.T!", Stark swerved to avoid a barrage of retaliatory fire from the squad of Chitauri that swarmed to protect their leader. The duo watched Loki grin as he slyly pointed behind them, drawing their attention to a legion of Chariots appearing out of nowhere. Within moments, they buffeted the duo with laser fire, forcing Stark and Jetray to employ more evasive manoeuvres.

"Hey that's cheating!", the Armored Avenger protested. Green neuroblasts emitted from Jetrays eyes and tail quickly cut through several of the offending Chitauri, the rest met a swift end at the end of Tony's repulsors. The two spun round each other, covering their respective flanks as the atmosphere was bufetted with a seemingly endless cannonade of laserfire

While the duo took care of their assailants, Loki had gained distance yet again. Jetray reared back before shooting off like a projectile, once again breaking the sound barrier as he resumed the chase.

"Woah!", Tony exclaimed, "Jarvis! Can we catch up with that?"

"I'll try, but your chances to catch up with Mr Tennyson do not seem as high as you expect"

"Don't sass me, buddy"

Jetray surged forward, steadily catching up to Loki. The trickster was unfazed, however, manoeuvering his Chariot through the city skyline, making banks and swerves that forced Jetray to cancel him moment in order to avoid flying off course.

ROOOOOOAARRRR

The Aerophibian flinched from the back-draft as a large mass intercepted his path. Another Chitauri Leviathan waded into view, the biomechanical monstrosity making a beeline for the hero.

"Oh for the love of...", Ben grimaced.

THOOOMMM

"Heyo!", Tony commented as he watched the skies above the skies darken, clouds brimming with fulgurous arcs of energy. Thor Odinson descended from the sky, calling down a torrent of lightning bolts.

The Leviathan was pelted with a relentless barrage of thunderous blasts directed by Mjolnir, before plummeting to its fate into a nearby building.

"Wait, where's Loki?", Jetray wondered as he scanned his vicinity.

CRASH!! Loki's Chariot flew through the windows of the nearby skyscraper, zipping past the shape-shifting teen. Using the building as a cover the trickster effectively weathered the storm as it were , using the building's in-built lightning rods as effective cover from Thor's assault.

"You gotta be kidding me!", Tony exclaimed.

Ben didn't waste any time, "Hawkeye, you ready?"

"Born ready, kiddo", Clint carefully nocked an arrow as he sighted Loki's Chariot from the distance. Unknown to the Trickster, the chase was in fact a misdirection in itself, taking a page from the Trickster's playbook . The team's real agenda had been to get Loki within distance of STARK Tower.

Natasha relayed the plan to Clint, Ben relayed the info to Thor on the rooftops and Stark while in the air. The plan had been set, all that remained was the execution

The Archer smirked as he took aim, "I got him"

THWANG! The arrow sprang through the air, finding its way towards Loki's flank

SNATCH! Loki effortlessly caught the arrow before it found its mark in his fairly unprotected neck. A smug smile slithered unto his face as he examined the offending projectile, only to be greeted by a blue flash followed by a explosion from the trick arrow.

KABOOOMMMM

Loki was sent hurtling through the air, his body careening though the city skyline before crashing through the upper levels of Stark Tower.

"Nice shot, Legolas!", Tony pulled up cam footage of the tower, "He's back in my bar, which he trashed. Get in and make him pay, Tennyson"

"Priorities, Tony"

"Yeah, get his magic staff or whatever"

Ben sailed through the air and into the room, landing in a crouch before switching back in a flash.

"You cannot stop what will come" Loki staggered to his feet, "none of you can. I've already seen how this will end". The trickster regarded the teen, derision etched on his features.

Haven't heard that one before, Ben sarcastically thought as he picked up Loki's staff. As far as the teen was concerned trickster was out of tricks, resorting to hollow words instead.

"I wouldn't recommend leaving so soon, Tennyson", Loki sneered, "you forgot something"

"Nah, I think I got it", Ben raised the glowing scepter

"I was referring to something else", the Trickster's form faded away, replaced by a series of images that flashed before the teenager. A vision of Gwen, Kevin and Max, surrounded by the Plumber's kids, helplessly trapped in a deluge of sunken debris.

"Really, another illusion?"

"See for yourself", Loki's disembodied voice jeered in his head. For a moment, Ben considered flicking on his communicators, just to confirm...

No. He wasn't falling for any more tricks.

"I told you", Loki's voice appeared next to him, "you forgot something else". Ben snapped his fist back, only to hit air. Another misdirection.

WHOOSH

Something invisible yanked the staff from his hands, but before Ben could reach the Omnitrix, he was flung into the nearby wall. The Omnitrix wielder grunted as he recovered his sense, only to see Loki towering over him.

"In the end", Loki placed his Scepter directly on the teen's heart, its ethereal energies flowing from the weapon directly unto his chest.

"You all will fall"


TO BE CONTINUED


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A/N:

Yup, it happened.

That took way longer than I thought. The next chapter should take a bit less time now that I've cleared most of the storytelling hurdles.

Also, sorry if this arc is taking more time that it should've. Technically I planned to simply rehash the finale, but I know that you guys deserve more. Not to mention I found it a little too easy how they recovered Loki's staff in the original movies. Quite convenient that he just happened to crash into Stark Tower, directly where they need him. My version has them lead him there, a sort of poetic justice that the trickster gets tricked.

The next chapter *should* be the final in the Chitauri Invasion arc. Damn, I don't think I've ever used the word "Chitauri" so much, even my keyboard auto-fills it in nowadays.

For all of you that asked, no I'm not dead, lol.

To be honest, I kinda pushed this one out just to meet up with a deadline. I might come back to add in responses to reviews later on. Currently working on the final chapter.

I think I've reached that point where a writer begins to HATE his work. Not that I think it's bad, but just hating some things about it in general. Am I exaggerating? You tell me.

Excelsior!!!!!