HIATUS

"Agent Coulson is down", Director Fury broadcasted throughout the Helicarrier.

The news shocked everyone in the Helicarrier, particularly the people that Agent Coulson interacted with most throughout his career.

"I'll send a paramedics team", Agent Sitwell said through the communication line.

"They're here, they called it", Fury responded.

Loki's attack had made the team that Fury recruited an even more fragmented group. After Loki escaped, Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers, and Tony Stark returned to the command center of the ship. All of them pretty banged up due to the ordeal that they had to survive.

Captain American just survived being shot by multiple hostile, Tony survived being inside a propeller while Romanoff survived the wrath of an angry green giant monster.

In all, Loki's attack was masterfully orchestrated. Well played by the so-called 'God of Mischief'.

"What happened to Barton?", Fury asked Agent Romanoff.

"I knock him out and placed him on one of the rooms of the Helicarier. I strap him on his bed just to be sure", Romanoff responded.

"hmm...", Fury said as he shuffled the cards that he was currently holding in his hands.

He threw the cards near Steve and he told them about how Coulson still believed about the Avenger's Initiative even in the moment of his death.  He also told them the truth, that S.H.I.E.L.D. was studying the Tesseract, not because they wanted to produce clean energy but to make weapons, weapons that could help defend the world against enemies that wish to do it harm. After hearing his speech Tony soon left the command center, still in a somewhat daze state.

After the speech, Fury walked near the window and just shuffling the cards that were in his hand. For a few minutes, he just stood there, just shuffling the cards.

"Agent Hill", Fury said, as he spotted his right-hand man or woman approach him.

"Those cards, they were in Coulson's locker, not in his jacket", Agent Hill stated.

"They needed the push", Fury said as he acknowledged that he was lying.

Suddenly warning bells are sounded in the Helicarrier and in the window, Fury saw Iron Man and a Quinjet flying out of the Helicarrier.

"WE HAVE UNAUTHORIZED DEPARTURE IN BAY 7!"

Fury kept the trading cards in his pocket and he said, "They found it. Get our communications back up, whatever you have to do. I want eyes on everything".

"Yes, sir", Agent Hill responded.

MEANWHILE: NEW YORK SANCTUM

On the rooftop of the New York Sanctum, Zero can be seen with his hands behind his back. The man was looking in the direction of STARK Tower. A few minutes later Zero saw Iron Man flying towards it.

"It's nearly time now, huh", Bucky said to Zero.

Zero remained quiet and didn't respond to Bucky's query.

"Ava would be pissed that she missed this", Grant said to the group.

"This is war. This is no joking matter", Erik said to his friend.

"I know, I was just lighting the mode here", Grant responded.

On the rooftop were Zero, Bucky, Grant, Erik, and The Ancient One.

Aside from the Ancient One, all the rest were wearing the same attire that Zero was wearing, only their mask was different from one another. All of them were wearing a black cloak with a red cloud design on it. Erik's mask had a panther figure on it, Bucky opted to use a full black colored mask, while Grant was wearing a mask that had the logo of a skull on it.

"Hmmm...I have lived for so long. Yet, I haven't gotten used to the feeling of war staring at you on the horizon", The Ancient One said.

"I know what you mean", Bucky said as he looks at STARK Tower.

Suddenly a portal was opened behind them. The man that opened the portal was Kaecilius and with him were 2 other Masters of the Mystics Arts and a dozen apprentices.

"I see, you wish to take part in this war", The Ancient One said to the group as she glances at them and continued, "I hope you know what is going to happen".

"They know what happens in war. I made sure of that before they took part in this group", Kaecilius said to the Sorcerer Supreme.

"Master Wong, Master Mordo, and to the rest of you. You have made the order proud", the Ancient One said.

Suddenly in the distance, an energy beam can be seen firing into the sky. The energy beam tore a hole in the very fabric of space. Out of the hole came an alien race, an alien race that was out for blood and conquest.

The people on the rooftop were in a state of shock at what they were seeing until Zero broke them out of their stupor by saying, "Who would like to do the honors of taking us there?".

They look at each other and realized that most of the people on the rooftop could teleport them there. Zhang Wei was the first one to step forward and he said, "It would be my pleasure".

Zero nodded, indicating for Zhang Wei to open a portal.

Zhang Wei opened a portal and one by one each of them entered it. Zhang Wei's portal teleported them to a building near STARK Tower and they could clearly see the devastation that the Chitauri Army was causing.

"Look at them. The Chitauri's think that we are easy pickings! Show them what you can do", Zero said to everyone in the group.

This caused everyone to disperse into the battlefield, leaving Zero alone on top of the building.

"Alfred, hack Jarvis", Zero said to his AI.

"On it sir".

In the sky, Tony can be seen firing his laser beams at multiple Chitauris but even he realized that he could not be alone in the air. The Chitauris will destroy him in the open. He began to use the buildings as a way to properly reduce the numbers of Chitauris that were chasing him.

"Sir, we're being hack", Jarvis said to Tony.

"What! Right now?!", Tony said with frustration in his voice.

"Hello Tony"

"Who!... Wait..that voice...Zero? Where are you?", Tony asked.

"Do worry about me. I came bringing the cavalry", Zero said.

"Jarvis find him", Tony said to his AI.

"On it sir...He's in the apartment complex near STARK Tower", Jarvis said.

Tony went towards that location and what Tony saw shock him even further. On the side of the building, he saw multiple people standing on it, as if gravity wasn't a thing. They numbered in the hundreds and all of them wearing the same black military attire. Each of their faces was covered with a mask, leaving only their eyes expose.

But what shocked Tony the most is the creature that he saw on top of the building.

"Is that what I think it is?", Tony asked Jarvis.

"Yes sir...I believe it's a slug", Jarvis said.

"That's..one..big..slug", Tony said. The slug was probably 60 feet tall, perhaps even taller. A size that Tony would have never thought possible but since aliens are real, he already started being opened minded in other things.