**
"Swoosh!" Link wielded the scepter like a weapon, smashing it into a Chitauri aircraft as they crossed paths. His blow knocked the pilot out of the cockpit, sending him plummeting. The two soldiers standing behind the pilot were also thrown out, but the chains attached to the aircraft pulled them back before they could fall to their deaths.
Link didn't have time to turn around and deal with them, as more enemy aircraft were approaching. He had no choice but to charge forward.
He had a plan, though. He dived towards the ocean, performing rapid 360-degree spins to avoid enemy fire. Although he couldn't see behind him, the continuous explosions reassured him that the battle behind him was fierce.
The stealth fighters couldn't engage the Chitauri from long range and had to follow Link in his dive. They were brave, knowing they had to prevent the aliens from getting close to the Helicarrier.
Link swooped low, skimming the surface of the ocean, and then made a sharp turn towards New York. Ten or so Chitauri craft tailed him, making him their main target. His plan was simple: lure some of them away and head to New York.
With the scepter in hand, even if the Tesseract was activated, he could shut it down. Dr. Erik Selvig might have left a backdoor, and if not, Link was ready to destroy the device, as long as no one was nearby.
...
Meanwhile, above the Helicarrier, Hawkeye, leading a small team in a Quinjet, was approaching. Several Quinjets surrounded them, and the mounted guns locked on.
"Hawkeye, land immediately, or I will have no choice but to order you shot down," came the voice of Maria Hill, now in command. Clint Barton—Hawkeye—was surprised. But just as he knew S.H.I.E.L.D., they also knew him. If he opened the rear hatch, he would be an immediate target.
Reluctantly, he gave the order: "Land."
The Quinjet descended, and as the rear hatch opened, Captain America and Black Widow greeted them.
Iron Man, Thor, and Coulson, who was now in his upgraded Iron Monger suit, flew down toward the underside of the Helicarrier. Coulson's armor, heavy with firepower, was too bulky to move quickly. He positioned himself on the flank, just in time to see Link luring the Chitauri away.
Seizing the opportunity, Coulson opened fire with everything he had, raining bullets down from above.
Boom! Boom!
Startled, Link glanced back, seeing the Chitauri craft behind him being destroyed.
"Lin, are you okay?" Coulson's voice crackled in his ear.
Link looked up and muttered, "I'm fine."
"Great teamwork!" Coulson gave a thumbs-up, leaving Link speechless.
His carefully laid-out plan had just been interrupted. Unable to leave now, Link could only respond, "Nice shooting!"
With that, he surged forward, once again diving into the fray.
The frustration was palpable. He had everything in place, only for it to be derailed at the last second. That kind of interruption was maddening!
After the initial engagement, many of the stealth fighters had been shot down. Only a handful remained airborne, heavily damaged, but they had still managed to take out dozens of Chitauri craft.
Link had lured away ten or so enemy ships, but Coulson's surprise attack had wiped them out in an instant.
It seemed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tech wasn't so bad after all. Meanwhile, Stark and Thor had torn through the remaining Chitauri, swiftly taking out the rest. The Chitauri's small fleet was utterly decimated.
When Link rejoined the fight, there were no enemies left. Frustrated, he returned to the Helicarrier, deactivating his suit and board, and headed back to the command center.
Nick Fury breathed a sigh of relief. Had it not been for Link's quick thinking, the Helicarrier would have been overwhelmed. Allowing a hundred Chitauri craft to get close would have been disastrous for the ship's limited defense systems.
Hawkeye had planned to land directly on the Helicarrier, guiding the Chitauri to its location while the aliens attacked from below.
"Agent Romanoff, how is Barton?" Fury asked.
"Captain knocked him out. Looks like it reset his brain," Natasha Romanoff quipped.
"Good. Find out what he knows about Loki's plan," Fury ordered. Then, turning to Hill, he added, "Agent Hill, send out Quinjets to retrieve our pilots from the ocean. And make sure to bring back any debris for analysis."
"Yes, sir!" Hill responded and immediately began issuing commands.
Fury then turned to Link and the others. "Thank you, everyone. Lin, if it weren't for you, we'd be in deep trouble."
Though still annoyed, Link nodded and replied, "It's my duty. Loki's plan may have failed, but the Tesseract is still missing. Why hasn't Dr. Banner been able to locate it?"
He turned to Bruce Banner, who responded, "Dr. Selvig must have found a way to hide its signature. They've only managed to open a small portal. The forces we've encountered haven't included any large battleships."
"If they only need a small space, any secure bunker could do the job," Banner continued. "But they can't open a large-scale portal with what they have now."
Link nodded, then looked at Thor. "Loki is still in our custody. Without his command, will the Chitauri still attack?"
"They will," Thor replied. "Their goal is the Tesseract, not Earth. Earth is Loki's target. They're simply working together. Even without Loki, the Chitauri will invade once the portal is opened. It will be war."
Link then turned to Banner again. "All we can do now is prepare for battle. The key is figuring out where they'll open the portal. What are the requirements?"
Banner answered, "They'll need a stable energy source, heated to a million degrees. Any nuclear power plant…"
"No," Link interrupted. "They won't need a power plant. Stark Tower or Oscorp Tower will do. Loki is a lot like Stark. He'll want to stand in the most dazzling place, just like how he craves recognition as the rightful king."
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(End of Chapter)