Marvel - The Blood God

Boom, boom, boom! 

The three fighter jets that intercepted Loki were obliterated in rapid succession by Iron Man. He hovered smugly, his metallic frame gleaming under the sunlight. "These jets are garbage. My suit? It's the future! Ha!" Tony Stark crowed, his arrogance soaring higher than his altitude.

The military generals watching the destruction gritted their teeth in frustration. Iron Man was more insufferable under Loki's control than he had ever been before. 

"Pitiful humans," Loki sneered. "Advance to Stark Tower. Dr. Selvig should have the portal operational by now."

Iron Man flew closer, his voice crisp through the helmet. "Loki, there's a battle suit manufacturing base just outside the city. It's an Oscorp facility, and they've got a war lizard in there. Might be worth neutralizing it before it becomes a problem."

Loki, ever calculating, ordered, "Take the Absorbing Man with you and handle it." 

The Absorbing Man had been retrieved from the depths of the ocean after the Hulk had tossed him aside. Though still recovering, his power intrigued Loki. He wanted to see its full potential. 

Iron Man gave a curt nod. "On it." Without further banter, he and the Absorbing Man sped toward Oscorp, while Loki continued toward Stark Tower. His grin widened as he envisioned his victory. Soon, he would ascend to rule the Earth, as was his right. 

Loki halted for a moment, his brow twitching. Something strange had wormed into his thoughts. "Born to be a king, born to... be bald? What nonsense is this?" 

"Coulson!" Loki snarled. Memories of the infuriating agent, even in death, seemed to haunt him like a specter. 

On the helicarrier deck, Coulson sneezed. He rubbed his nose sheepishly and turned to Nick Fury. "Director, I swear it wasn't me, and for the record, this helicarrier isn't going down."

Fury's gaze remained sharp and unreadable. "Focus on what's ahead, Coulson. The past doesn't matter. Stick to the mission."

Coulson chuckled nervously. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had a hidden talent for annoying Loki even beyond the grave.

Fury shifted his attention to Steve Rogers. "Cap, Loki's aiming to open a massive portal in Manhattan. He's using the Arc Reactor at Stark Tower."

Steve's jaw clenched. "Then we move now. Reinforcements?"

"I'll pull together what I can, but resources are tight," Fury admitted. "Get Barton. He's clear-headed again. Natasha, you'll back them up."

Steve nodded, rallying the group. "We don't give up, no matter what. Loki will be stopped."

"Count me in," Coulson said, standing at attention. He practically glowed under Steve's approving nod.

"You're a good man," Steve replied, giving Coulson a solid pat on the shoulder. 

Natasha glanced sideways, amused. "Well, that explains a lot," she murmured. Coulson's hero worship of Captain America was more obvious than ever.

As the team prepared to depart, Fury's thoughts darkened. He picked up his phone to call Maverick Cassain, hoping the head of the Council of Blood might assist. But the line was tied up, as expected. Fury sighed. The Avengers initiative hadn't gone as planned. It seemed saving the planet would once again fall to Maverick.

He hesitated for a moment, then pulled out an ancient pager from his coat. For an instant, his thumb hovered over the button, but he shook his head and slipped it back. Maverick wasn't someone he could fully trust. Then again, neither was she—the woman this pager was meant for. She hadn't set foot on Earth in years.

Suspended in midair, Maverick's voice was firm as he spoke into his phone. "Yes, Senator, I'll help save New York. But first, I have terms."

The senator hesitated. "What terms?"

"I want a legal disclaimer. Any property damage or accidental injuries during the rescue—none of it comes back to me or the Council of Blood."

"That's a big ask…"

"I'm not taking advantage of a crisis," Maverick replied evenly. "Last time we saved the city, we got slapped with lawsuits for damages. That won't happen again. We risk everything out there. I won't bleed for this and cry later."

"I'll talk to the president," the senator agreed reluctantly. "But Maverick, you'd better succeed. This isn't just about us humans. It's about your kind too."

"Trust me," Maverick said with a sharp grin, cutting the call. He immediately dialed Lilith. "Send the terms to the White House. Let them know it's non-negotiable."

After finishing, another call came through. His expression darkened. "Stark blew up my manufacturing base?" he barked. 

James' voice on the line was apologetic. "I'm sorry, Blood… uh, Maverick. Tony Stark and the Absorbing Man were too strong. The War Lizard's electronic brain is destroyed, and the unmanned suits are buried under rubble. At least no one was hurt."

"Rebuild and send Stark the bill," Maverick snapped. "And James—don't let this happen again."

When the call ended, Maverick sighed. "Tony Stark, you're a dead man walking," he muttered, before redirecting his focus to New York.

Meanwhile, Pepper Potts was on a warpath. Her calls to Tony went unanswered, so she resorted to calling anyone who might keep him alive. "Maverick Cassain, you're responsible for this mess!"

Maverick almost dropped his phone. "What?!"

"You told me Tony and I would have a daughter someday. If he dies out there, that's on you!" Pepper's voice was sharp with fury.

Maverick rolled his eyes but offered reassurance. "Relax. Stark's not dying. Not yet, anyway."

"You'd better be right," Pepper growled, slamming the phone down. 

As she seethed, she glanced at Dr. Yinsen, who stood outfitted in an older Iron Man prototype. "Dr. Yinsen, you're our best shot at bringing Tony back. Please, be careful."

"I'll try, but this isn't exactly the life I envisioned when I first helped Tony build the suit," Yinsen admitted with a wry smile before taking off toward New York.

Pepper stared after him and muttered, "Once this is over, I'm changing all Tony's security protocols. He's too reckless for his own good."

In Stark Tower, Loki loomed over Dr. Selvig, who was frantically fine-tuning the equipment. "How long until the portal is operational?" Loki demanded.

Selvig hesitated, his eyes flickering to the mind stone in Loki's scepter. "Not long… but I need to make some adjustments. This could expand the portal's diameter."

"Do it quickly," Loki ordered, leaving the room to savor a drink in Tony's lavish bar. 

Moments later, Tony landed on the rooftop with the Absorbing Man in tow. "Jarvis, is Mark VII ready?"

"Always, sir," Jarvis replied. "By the way, Ms. Potts has called one hundred and thirty-seven times."

Tony groaned. "Women," he muttered dismissively. "Let's get to work."

Loki raised his glass with a sly smirk. "So, Stark. My dream is to rule this world. What's yours?"

Tony chuckled darkly. "My dream? To be the one and only. I'm going to destroy every other suit out there until Iron Man is all that's left. Unique. Unmatched."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Delusions of grandeur suit you well, Stark."

With that, their uneasy alliance continued, the fate of the world hanging precariously in the balance.