Judgment of the Endless (MarvelxDC)

Sergeant Logan Carter tightened his grip on his rifle as the deafening sounds of war roared above him. He was part of the 75th Ranger Regiment, stationed on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., when the attack began.

Now, he and his squad were thrust into a hellscape, tasked with holding the line against an alien invasion that no amount of training could have prepared them for.

The sky was choked with smoke, fires raging across the city as Chitauri warships hovered ominously above. Smaller crafts zipped through the air, firing energy blasts that tore through buildings like paper.

On the ground, the alien soldiers swarmed like locusts, their guttural growls and screeches adding to the chaos.

Logan's radio crackled to life.

"Alpha Squad, this is Command. Hold your position at the Capitol. Reinforcements are en route. Do not let the enemy breach the perimeter. Over."

"Roger that, Command," Logan replied, though his voice betrayed the weight of the impossible task.

Logan's squad had taken cover behind a barricade of overturned vehicles and sandbags hastily set up by the National Guard. The Capitol loomed behind them, its iconic dome already scarred by Chitauri bombardments.

"Incoming!" someone shouted.

A group of Chitauri soldiers charged toward their position, their energy rifles spitting deadly blue streaks. Logan opened fire, his M4 carbine barking as he aimed for their heads—one of the few weak points his team had discovered.

The rest of his squad followed suit, unleashing a hail of bullets that cut down several aliens.

But for every Chitauri they killed, it seemed like two more took their place.

"Reloading!" Logan yelled, ducking behind the barricade as energy blasts sizzled past him. He slammed a fresh magazine into his rifle, his hands trembling.

"Carter, we can't hold this much longer!" Private Diaz shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

"We don't have a choice!" Logan barked back. "Just keep firing!"

Civilians who hadn't managed to evacuate were caught in the crossfire, their terrified screams cutting through the air. Logan spotted a young mother shielding her child behind a wrecked car, her eyes wide with fear.

"Cover me!" Logan shouted, sprinting toward them. Bullets and energy blasts whizzed past him as he reached the pair.

"You need to move!" he said, his voice urgent but steady.

The woman nodded, clutching her child tightly as Logan guided them toward a safer position. He handed her off to a National Guardsman who was directing civilians toward an evacuation point.

"Get them out of here!" Logan ordered before racing back to the front line.

The Rangers were fighting tooth and nail, but the Chitauri's advanced technology was overwhelming.

Their rifles punched through walls, their armor shrugged off most small-arms fire, and their sheer numbers were staggering.

"RPGs! Get those damn RPGs up here!" Logan yelled.

Two soldiers lugged rocket-propelled grenades to the front, aiming at a cluster of Chitauri infantry. The explosion sent a dozen aliens flying, but it was a small victory in an unrelenting tide.

Suddenly, the ground shook as a Chitauri dropship landed nearby, disgorging more troops. The towering vehicle bristled with weapons, its engines roaring as it hovered just above the ground.

"Focus fire on that dropship!" Logan commanded.

Machine guns and grenades tore into the vehicle, but its armor held firm. The dropship's turret swiveled toward them, unleashing a devastating energy blast that obliterated part of their barricade.

"Fall back!" Logan shouted, dragging a wounded soldier to safety as the line broke.

Across the city, deep within the White House, Agent Sarah Mills of the Secret Service was coordinating the president's evacuation. The Situation Room was a flurry of activity, with staff shouting updates and orders as they monitored the battle through live feeds.

"The Chitauri are closing in on the White House perimeter," a voice reported over the comms.

Mills turned to the president, her face grim. "Sir, we need to move you to Marine One now."

President Richards nodded, his expression heavy. "What about the civilians?"

"We're doing everything we can to evacuate them, sir," Mills said. "But we can't risk your safety."

A deafening boom rocked the building as a Chitauri fighter strafed the White House lawn. The windows rattled, and dust fell from the ceiling.

"Move, now!" Mills ordered, guiding the president and his entourage through the underground tunnels to the waiting helicopter.

Marine One lifted off, escorted by a squadron of fighter jets. Mills stayed behind, coordinating with the remaining Secret Service agents to secure the White House.

"Agent Mills, we have Chitauri forces breaching the east wing!" someone shouted.

She grabbed her sidearm, rallying the remaining agents. "Hold the line! We can't let them take this building!"

The agents fought valiantly, their training and determination evident as they engaged the alien invaders. But the Chitauri were relentless, their superior firepower and numbers pushing the defenders to their limits.

Back on the Capitol's front lines, Logan's squad was down to half strength. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid stench of burning metal.

"We're not gonna make it," Diaz muttered, his face pale.

Logan slapped him on the shoulder. "We're Rangers, Diaz. We don't quit."

But even Logan knew their chances were slim. The Chitauri were closing in, and their ammunition was running low.

Then, a shadow fell over the battlefield. A massive Chitauri warship descended, its hull bristling with weapons.

"Command, this is Alpha Squad!" Logan yelled into his radio. "We've got a capital ship moving in on the Capitol! We need air support now!"

"We're trying, Alpha Squad," came the reply. "Hold your position."

The warship's cannons began to charge, a low hum building as they prepared to fire. Logan looked around at his battered squad, his heart sinking.

"Alright, listen up!" he shouted. "We hold this line, no matter what! If that ship fires, the Capitol's gone, and so are we. Let's give 'em hell!"

The Rangers unleashed everything they had, targeting the warship with grenades, rockets, and whatever ammunition remained. But the ship's shields absorbed the onslaught, its cannons glowing brighter.

Logan clenched his jaw, determination hardening his features. "For America!" he roared, charging toward the advancing Chitauri with his rifle blazing.

As the warship prepared to fire, a streak of red, white, and blue cut through the sky. Captain America, his shield glowing with energy, landed atop the ship, slamming his shield into its core. The explosion rocked the battlefield, the warship splitting apart in a fiery cascade.

Cheers erupted from the remaining soldiers as the tide began to turn.

Logan dropped to his knees, exhaustion washing over him. For the first time in hours, he allowed himself a moment of hope.

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