"Fortress Mode activated."
"Underground shelters are open."
"All systems are operating normally. No casualties reported."
Cortana's voice came through the comms.
"Master, hostile targets approaching New York City. Should we begin countermeasures?"
"Open fire. Let those arrogant Dark Elves see just how stubborn humanity can be!"
Kagura Hitomi's tone was sharp.
"Deploy the new Rhodes Island Industrial drone fleet. And notify the military, we can't do this alone."
"If we're facing an alien invasion, we need every ally capable of fighting back."
"Orders received, Master."
"And accelerate the Aether research."
Kagura added, her voice calm but focused. "Based on the intel I have, well memories from the MCU universe the Aether can convert matter into dark matter."
"If we harness that trait, we might finally gather enough samples to break past our current technological bottlenecks."
"That's excellent news, Master. Research module activated."
"Beginning full-spectrum analysis of the Aether."
"You seriously rebuilt all of New York in just two years, Hitomi?"
Tony Stark stood by the window, gazing out at the brilliant underground cityscape.
His voice was full of disbelief. "You turned the entire city into a military fortress... This is insane. I can hardly believe it!"
Outside the window stretched a mirrored New York towering skyscrapers suspended upside down from the ceiling of the underground cavern, lit up like stars in a reverse skyline.
It was a breathtaking sight.
"Well, thanks for the compliment, Mr. Stark."
Kagura smiled, brushing back her silver hair and flashing a cheeky "V" sign.
"Everyone needs a hobby, right? Yours is building fancy Iron Man suits... and mine is creating big, weird, over-the-top things like this!"
"Hah! Call it what you want, but with the way you blow through funds, no wonder Rhodes Island Industrial isn't turning a profit. Still..."
Tony looked at the cheerful silver-haired girl beside him, then let out a long, quiet sigh.
He gently ruffled her hair.
"Hitomi... I'm proud of you. Really."
Because of you, the weight on my shoulders doesn't feel so crushing anymore. You understand me better than anyone else in the world."
"You think like me. Thank you... for being here."
Ah, the classic head pat attack!
"Mm-hmm. You're welcome!"
Kagura beamed. "Protecting the world shouldn't be a one-man job anyway. That'd just be exhausting."
Tony gave her a rare, genuine smile the kind that only surfaced when his burdens lifted, if only for a moment.
It warmed Kagura's heart.
"Oh, right, Mr. Stark," she said, smoothly shifting topics.
"The surface defense systems are online."
"Our troops have already started engaging the Dark Elf fleet."
"So, are you planning to stay here and analyze Aether with Cortana? Or are you gonna suit up and fight?"
"You suggesting I hide out here? No way!"
Tony checked the holographic interface on his wrist.
"Tony Stark doesn't sit out the action. The Iron Legion has already deployed they'll reinforce Rhodes Island's defenses soon."
"And as for me, my Mark 43 suit is itching for battle!"
"The Iron Legion, huh? I appreciate the backup in advance, Mr. Stark."
Kagura nodded. "Alright then since the city's secure, let's head to the surface."
"We can't rely on the fortress alone to beat the Dark Elves."
"Right. Let's move. Stay sharp, Kagura. I'll have JARVIS provide you full support."
Tony began suiting up in the Mark 43 armor. "By the way, where's your Griffin Security team? What about Natasha and Hawkeye?"
"They're off with Captain America, tracking down the Mind Stone. It's a top-priority mission, so the entire team is tied up. They won't make it back in time."
Kagura explained, shrugging slightly.
"Basically, aside from a certain bald old wizard who may or may not show up, it's just you and me, Mr. Stark."
"A bald old wizard?"
"Eheh... Don't worry about the details," Kagura said, waving it off. "That divine-looking person rarely steps in anyway. Now come on let's go!"
White Moon, activate!
Her sleek, form-fitting suit enveloped her body, glowing with blue energy patterns from capacitor charge lines.
Though it looked lightweight, the battle suit was leagues ahead of standard Iron Man armor after several iterations of upgrades.
It housed advanced weapons and defense systems, far beyond its original version.
———————————————————————
— New York City – Fortress Metropolis: 'Third New New York'
As the Dark Elves' escort ships breached the atmosphere and descended upon New York, the city previously deemed "defenseless" and "primitive" by Malekith—erupted with an unexpected barrage of anti-air firepower, catching the invaders completely off guard.
The silver-white buildings across the city began shedding their outer camouflage armor, revealing an arsenal of defense weaponry within.
Vertical launch systems loaded with upgraded "Standard" missiles snapped into action.
Twin-mounted AK130L high-speed 130mm auto-cannons locked onto targets with precision.
The fully-automated 1130MKII close-in weapon system whirred to life.
152mm "Union III" twin high-accuracy grenade launchers swiveled into position.
And the "SWS3" integrated anti-air system combining missiles and cannons came online.
Weapons from all over the world were brought together under Rhodes Island Industries' unified tech standards.
Each one took its place, forming a tight, impenetrable net of anti-air fire across the skies of New York.
Other buildings that hadn't deployed offensive weapons instead activated high-powered phased array radars, providing targeting data and guidance to the defensive systems.
On the tallest structures, shield generators powered by massive arc reactors flared to life, casting kinetic deflection fields and energy-neutralizing barriers to absorb incoming fire from the Dark Elves' warships.
Was this really the "primitive, underdeveloped, and defenseless" civilization Malekith had scoffed at?
At that moment, the Dark Elf pilots felt like they'd been completely duped, like they'd been handed a stick and told to go fight a dragon.
If they could, they'd march right back and wring the necks of the so-called "scouts" who fed them outdated intelligence.
Or better yet, strap those scouts to the outside of their ships and let them get a taste of Earth's fiery welcome.
Granted, Dark Elf warships were forged from highly advanced materials infused with dark matter resilient enough to withstand most conventional attacks.
Even Asgard's pulse cannons struggled to dent them.
Only high-yield Asgardian tracking missiles posed a serious threat.
So despite the overwhelming firepower of "Third New York City," it wouldn't be enough to deliver a fatal blow in the short term.
"Stay calm! Their flashy fireworks are just for show reform formation and attack!"
The Dark Elf commander barked new orders as their ships regrouped and launched a counteroffensive on the city's defensive structures.
"All units, level the city! Find the Aether! Glory to the Dark Elves!"
[Neural Dive: Activated]
"Level this city? You guys sure think highly of yourselves."
Suddenly, one of the Dark Elf ships went rogue.
Its systems glitched, hatches blew open, and its own pilots were forcibly ejected.
Then the ship turned around and start firing on its own fleet.
"You're shooting at friendlies—gah!"
"Friendlies? Please. I'm a proud Earthling, thank you very much!"
Kagura had hijacked the ship using her core skill, Neural Dive.
Under her control, the enemy vessel tore through the sky, sowing chaos among the Dark Elves and ripping their formation apart.
"Impossible! How can one of our mighty warships be hijacked by a mere Earthling?! Fight back, all of you! Shoot it down!"
"Captain! New aerial contacts incoming!"
"Don't panic! Earth's aircraft are pathetic—slow, flimsy, and primitive. They're no threat to us."
"It's on my six! I can't shake it! What the hell?! You said they were slow and fragile!"
"What's going on?! This doesn't make sense was the intel wrong again?!"
"Aaaaaah—!"
'BOOM!'
A flash of white light lit up the sky as a massive explosion bloomed in midair.
"Primitive? That's one hell of an insult."
Tony Stark soared across the skyline in his Iron Man armor, leaving behind a shimmering arc in the sky.
"Well then, time to show you aliens what a real Earth-born superhero can do when he hits back!"