Michael gave him a cold stare. "None of you possess anything that convinces me I should work with you," he replied flatly.
Before anyone could respond, a sudden crack of lightning filled the air as Thor landed nearby, hammer in hand, his presence commanding attention. He pointed Mjolnir at Michael. "Who is he?" Thor asked.
"We were trying to find out peacefully before you decided to attack," Iron Man said sarcastically as he landed beside Thor. Turning to Michael, he added, "At least none of us glow like a Christmas ornament."
Michael smirked and crossed his arms. "Asgardian," he muttered under his breath, eyeing Thor carefully.
"Come to think of it, isn't this situation your fault?" Michael said, his sharp gaze locking onto Thor.
"My fault?" Thor asked, his tone filled with disbelief.
Captain America stepped in, shaking his head. "Loki might have caused this, but you can't blame Thor for his brother's mistakes."
"Yeah, that would be—" Tony added with a smirk, "I mean, I get Loki's Thor's brother, but Thor can't exactly babysit him all the time."
Michael shook his head in frustration. "I'm not talking about that," he said firmly as he landed on the ground, walking right up to Thor and staring him in the eyes. "Asgardians were tasked with safeguarding the Tesseract. They were supposed to ensure it didn't fall into the hands of people who had no idea what they were dealing with."
Thor frowned, his expression serious. "The All-Father, Odin, hid it on Earth. It was placed here to keep it safe, away from those who would misuse its power."
Michael scoffed, crossing his arms. "At least you're aware it was your ancestors' duty to protect it," he replied. "And look where we are now."
"What is the meaning of this?" Black Widow asked quietly as she exchanged a glance with Hawkeye, unsure of what to make of the situation.
Michael waved his hand dismissively. "But I guess we can address this problem later. First, we need to deal with that," he said, pointing toward the portal.
As he gestured, the air around him darkened, his shadow expanded and from the shadows, an army of undead skeletons began to rise. Clad in armor and wielding weapons, some skeleton knights and warriors carried swords and shields, while others wore cloaks, signifying their roles as skeletal mages or archers. Even ghostly wraiths emerged, floating ominously around the army.
Captain America and the others tensed, ready for a fight.
"Relax," Michael said, noticing their unease. "That's my army." He smirked as he added, "alien army vs Scorceror Army" he said pointing at himself.
Now that his necromancy has reached the intermediate level, he have moved past basic control. He can now summon a variety of undead: skeleton knights, warriors, mages, archers, and even ghastly wraiths or ghoul-like entities. But he stick to skeleton knights mostly. As they're more flexible, cost-effective, and require much less mana.
Michael's eyes gleamed as he surveyed his army. With his intermediate necromancy, he could now control over 1,000 undead simultaneously.
Turning to his skeletal army, he issued his command. "Go. Save the humans and eliminate these ugly creatures."
At his order, the skeletal mages prepared their spells, targeting the flying Chitauri with fireballs, lightning bolts, and bursts of elemental magic. The warriors charged forward, cutting through enemies on the ground, while the archers launched a hail of arrows at their airborne foes.
As the undead forces surged forward, the Avengers exchanged wary glances. Michael's power was as unsettling as it was impressive.
"I don't know if I should be glad he's on our side or worried about what happens after that portal is closed. We'll probably have to face him," Tony quipped, his tone carrying a mix of humor and genuine concern.
Captain America shook his head, trying to keep the team focused. "Whoever he is, he's protecting us right now," he said firmly. "And he's not wrong. If SHIELD hadn't tampered with the Tesseract, none of this would be happening. But we're here now, so let's work with him while we can."
Bruce, standing nearby, nodded in agreement as he adjusted his glasses and added quietly, "He seems to be handling things well so far."
Tony smirked and leaned closer to Bruce. "Well, here comes the big guy," he said as Bruce began stepping away from him, loosening his posture.
"I guess it's time I suited up," Bruce replied with a grim determination as he started transforming into the Hulk.
"ROAR!!" The thunderous roar of the Hulk echoed as his body expanded, muscles bulging, and green skin stretched taut. The transformation was complete in moments.
Nearby, Michael summoned a few skeletal wraiths to assist in clearing the battlefield. As the wraiths glided across the ground, one floated too close to the Hulk, who instantly swung at it, destroying the wraith in one hit.
"Hey!" Michael yelled in frustration. "We're on the same side!"
Hulk turned to him, his massive frame looming over Michael. For a tense moment, it looked as though things might escalate. Michael glared at the green giant, unflinching. The Avengers quickly intervened, with Captain America giving Hulk a firm nod.
"Hulk, he's with us," Cap said, his tone calm but authoritative.
Hulk grunted, casting one last wary look at the remaining skeletons before turning his attention back to the battlefield. One of the skeleton knights raised its bony head, seemingly offended but wisely kept its distance from the green behemoth.
Hulk smashed his fists together, causing a shockwave to ripple out. "HULK SMASH!" he roared, his voice shaking the ground as Captain America pointed toward an enormous alien worm-like Leviathan hurtling toward their position.
"Right there, big guy!" Cap called out.
Hulk roared again, thumping his chest before charging headlong at the Leviathan. With incredible force, he leaped into the air, his fist raised high, and slammed into the massive alien creature, tearing into it with primal fury. The Avengers watched as the Hulk battled the Leviathan head-on, giving them the perfect opportunity to regroup and push forward.
Michael smirked, muttering to himself, "At least he knows how to pick his targets."
*******
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