DC HERO AT MARVEL

"Agent Coulson, leave the alien ship above to Tony. Your priority is to get inside the building and take control of the Teleportation Beacon.

We need to send that ship back through the space-time gate," Nick Fury ordered as he arrived on the scene, his expression grim.

"I just confirmed with Tony—the sphere above us is a devastating weapon. If that alien finishes assembling it, the entire Earth will be reduced to ashes."

That urgency had driven him to leave his hotel and personally oversee the operation, unwilling to let the situation spiral further into disaster.

"Director, the enemies are too much for us!"

Coulson's face was etched with frustration.

The agents they had deployed were utterly powerless against the two mutants. Not even Hawkeye or Natasha had been able to handle them.

Some agents lay on the ground, their chests caved in, struggling to breathe. Others hid behind cars, taking occasional potshots that barely scratched the surface of their opponents' thick, armored skin.

"Where the hell did these guys come from?" Fury muttered angrily under his breath.

It was clear that the appearances of Rhino and Boar had thrown a massive wrench into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plans.

Even Hawkeye, the most capable combatant among them, couldn't break through their defense. And to make matters worse, their attacks were terrifyingly lethal.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Bullets rained down from all directions, only to ricochet off the mutants' hide without causing any damage.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

Hawkeye switched tactics, pulling out explosive arrows.

Boom!

Fire and shockwaves engulfed Rhino and Boar, leaving them momentarily staggered, with minor wounds appearing on their bodies.

While it was a breakthrough, it wasn't enough to slow them down.

"Damn it!"

Hawkeye gritted his teeth, realizing just how tough these opponents were.

They weren't just highly resistant to damage—they were fast, incredibly strong, and relentless.

He kept them occupied as best he could with his archery, but breaking their line of defense seemed impossible.

Boom!

Suddenly, Boar distracted him, allowing Rhino to charge in from the side and send him flying again.

Natasha tried to step in to assist but was ineffective against their overwhelming power.

Boar seized the opportunity to flip a car, trapping several agents beneath it. Their pained groans drew laughter from Boar.

"Brother, we're unstoppable!"

Boar roared with laughter, his massive fist slamming into a nearby car, flattening it.

A few agents coughed up blood before going completely limp, their lives extinguished.

"Damn it!"

Natasha gritted her teeth in fury.

Nearby, Coulson and Fury watched with grim faces.

A simple New York gang had initially seemed inconsequential, but now they were dealing massive blows to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s operations.

It felt like a slap in the face to Fury.

"Pretty lady, you're so beautiful, I can't help but want to crush you!"

Boar sneered at Natasha, his fist tightening as he delivered a ruthless punch.

The blow sent Natasha flying, blood spraying from her mouth. She landed hard, her body limp, and her ability to fight significantly diminished.

Hawkeye tried to intervene but was intercepted by Rhino.

Smack!

With a single slap, Rhino sent Hawkeye hurtling into a nearby car, denting it severely before landing amidst the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Hawkeye, like the others, was left groggy and unable to get back on his feet.

"Heh, time to die!"

Rhino cackled, his belly jiggling with mirth.

He flashed a grotesque grin as he advanced toward the defenseless S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in front of him, ready to crush them with ease.

"This isn't good!"

Nick Fury drew his gun, preparing to fire and at least stall Rhino's advance on Hawkeye.

In the blink of an eye, an arrow shot through the air like a bolt of lightning.

Whoosh!

The arrow streaked toward Rhino.

"Huh?"

Sensing the threat, Rhino instinctively raised his hand to block.

BOOM!

The arrow exploded upon contact with his palm, like a meteor striking the ground.

The shockwave condensed into visible air ripples, blasting outward in all directions.

This arrow packed far more punch than Hawkeye's explosive ones.

Rhino saw stars as his vision filled with firelight, the force of the explosion pushing him backward.

As he regained his bearings, a green figure descended from above.

"You're…"

Rhino recognized the newcomer instantly.

"Green Arrow?"

Though he had been imprisoned, Green Arrow had already made waves before Rhino was locked up.

And as one of the most popular superheroes of recent times, there was no way Rhino wouldn't know him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, several manhole covers on the street were struck from below, flying into the air.

Four green figures leapt out of the sewer.

Flipping gracefully through the air, they landed in formation in front of Rhino and Boar, striking battle-ready poses.

"The Ninja Turtles?"

Boar glanced at the newcomers, then shifted his gaze back to Green Arrow.

"You guys are really green," he quipped, laughing boisterously.

Still unfazed, he continued, "Why don't you dye your hair green too? Or maybe wear some green hats—I think it'd suit you."

As the words left his mouth, a strand of white webbing shot down from above, covering Boar's eyes.

Bang!

Immediately after, a lean figure appeared behind Boar, delivering a powerful kick that sent him flying into a nearby wall, reducing it to rubble.

Debris scattered everywhere as the ground cracked beneath the impact, carving a deep trench.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who witnessed this suddenly felt a glimmer of hope.

Spider-Man!

Three superheroes had now arrived on the scene.

But in truth, there were even more heroes present than the agents realized.

Unseen by most, Daredevil had silently infiltrated the TCRI building. Moving stealthily, he had already taken out several Foot Clan ninjas and was closing in on Shredder and Karai.

As for Venom—Eddie Brock—he wasn't in any hurry to act.

He hung leisurely in midair, camera in hand, meticulously recording everything happening on the street below.

For Eddie, his time to shine would come after the battle was over.

Of course, Venom wouldn't miss the chance to get some screen time. After all, Eddie was still salty about Venom's last-place ranking in the Daily Bugle's superhero popularity poll.

Clearly, those voters didn't understand Venom's importance.

Without Venom, most people wouldn't even know who these superheroes were.

By that logic, Venom was the most important hero.

As Eddie's mind wandered through these thoughts, the tide of the battle shifted dramatically.

Before Rhino and Boar could make any more snarky comments, they found themselves under relentless assault from Green Arrow, the Ninja Turtles, and Spider-Man.

Despite their tough skin and immense strength, the two mutants were completely outmatched by opponents of equal—or superior—power. Lacking combat experience, they were quickly overwhelmed.

The four Ninja Turtles were more than capable of holding their own against Rhino and Boar.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man darted around, using his webbing to disrupt the two mutants.

Green Arrow, on the other hand, fired arrows intermittently, each one equipped with a unique payload that left Rhino and Boar battered and frustrated.

"Spider-Man!"

Green Arrow suddenly called out. "Go inside the building and help Daredevil. We've got this handled."

"Daredevil!"

Spider-Man nodded, snapping back to focus.

He was about to leave but glanced upward at the nearly completed alien ship—or rather, alien warship—hovering ominously above. "What about that thing?"

"Cyborg is about to act," Green Arrow replied, glancing upward with a faint smirk. "Besides, isn't Iron Man already doing his part?"

"Alright."

Spider-Man didn't argue further.

He knew that somewhere in the shadows, Batman was undoubtedly watching everything unfold.

After all, it was Batman's foresight and preparation that had brought them all together the moment the crisis began.

Interestingly, this realization brought a measure of relief to Nick Fury.

He had expected Batman to step in once it was clear S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't handle the situation alone.

"Batman, Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Ninja Turtles, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Venom…"

Fury muttered to himself, his expression somber.

"This can't be all the cards you're holding…"

His mind wandered to the fictional characters from DC Comics who had yet to appear in the real world—or who might never appear at all.

Green Arrow and Cyborg had once been considered fictional.

Even Batman himself could be classified in that category.

Fury had every reason to believe that Batman's arsenal of resources extended far beyond the heroes currently in action.

There had to be deeper, more concealed cards in Batman's deck.

Otherwise, how could Batman know so many S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets?

How else could he uncover something as deeply buried as Hydra's infiltration—something even Fury himself had only recently become aware of?

"Batman…"

Fury muttered the name, feeling a mix of relief and unease.

On the one hand, the situation seemed to be taking a turn for the better after S.H.I.E.L.D.'s earlier setbacks. It appeared he wouldn't have to use the trump cards he'd kept hidden for years.

On the other hand, Earth now faced the emergence of a mysterious force.

And Batman was its representative.

For now, Batman was a superhero. But who could guarantee that someone wielding such immense power, leading such a vast network, wouldn't one day succumb to ambition?

BOOM!

Fury's thoughts were interrupted by a deafening explosion overhead.

He and Coulson looked up to see the sky under the dark clouds lighting up like fireworks. Blazing fireballs burst across the sky.

Tony Stark, in his Iron Man armor, was relentlessly trying to approach the nearly completed alien warship.

Fury already knew from Tony that it was called the War Fortress, controlled by an alien named Rang.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Tony pushed himself to the limit, attempting to close in on the War Fortress, only to be repelled by its formidable external defenses. A barrage of energy cannon fire created a wall of explosions that kept him at bay.

Any attempt to get within 50 meters of the War Fortress ended with him being blasted back to where he started.

By now, Tony's armor was riddled with dents and scorch marks, its systems deteriorating rapidly.

"Sir, power levels are down to 57%..."

J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice echoed in Tony's helmet.

Tony gritted his teeth.

If he didn't breach the War Fortress soon, it would be too late! Once fully assembled, the fortress would become a devastating alien warship with at least twice the power it currently held.

"Damn it!"

The thought flashed through his mind.

Despite the overwhelming odds, "give up" was not in Tony Stark's vocabulary.

"Deploy all missiles!"

He issued the command. "J.A.R.V.I.S., blast me a path!"

"Understood!"

At Tony's command, hidden micro-missiles emerged from his armor, launching toward the circular War Fortress.

All across New York, citizens watched as the scene unfolded in the sky.

Iron Man's repeated setbacks filled the air with a growing sense of despair.

The people who had been waiting for Batman to appear now began to doubt if he had abandoned the city altogether.

Before this, they had no knowledge of the battle near the TCRI building.

Their eyes were glued only to the skies above, where the battle raged.

What they saw was the hero of the moment, the ever-popular playboy-turned-superhero, Tony Stark, fighting valiantly for them.

But as Iron Man's struggles became increasingly apparent, so too did the anxiety of New Yorkers.

"Come on, Iron Man!"

"Where's Batman? Why hasn't he shown up?"

"Where are the other superheroes? Why aren't they helping?"

Frustration and fear swept through the crowd.

Seeing Iron Man fail to breach the fortress's defenses time and again, they wished they could leap into action themselves to tear a hole in its armor.

BOOM! BOOM!

Suddenly, they saw Iron Man launch all his micro-missiles at once.

Many onlookers, understanding the gravity of the situation, recognized this as Iron Man's last-ditch effort.

"Do your best, Iron Man!"

A child's voice rang out in encouragement from the distance.

But in the tense atmosphere, no one could bring themselves to smile. All eyes were fixed on the missiles streaking toward the fortress.

"What primitive weapons!"

From the War Fortress, a small section of its hull opened, and a platform extended outward.

Standing on the platform was a robot, its sturdy frame housing a pulsating pink jellyfish-like creature at its center.

The jellyfish lashed its tendrils dismissively, exuding an air of contempt.

"A jellyfish?"

Tony squinted at the strange figure.

BOOM!

In an instant, every one of his micro-missiles was intercepted and neutralized by the fortress's near-impenetrable defenses.

A moment later, a terrifying energy beam struck Iron Man.

Tony's armor froze as if encased in ice, leaving him immobilized.

Inside, Tony's expression was one of utter disbelief.

"Sir, your armor has been frozen by an energy-based ice field," J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him. "We cannot break through it in time. Good luck."

"What?!"

Tony's eyes widened as his frozen armor plummeted straight to the ground.

The people below watched in horror as their hero fell, the creeping despair within them growing deeper. They could already imagine the destruction of New York, the collapse of Earth in the face of alien conquest.

Then, at the last moment—

Whoosh!

A figure streaked through the sky like a meteor, catching Tony just before he hit the ground.

"Cyborg!"

The citizens recognized the hero immediately.

Simultaneously, a sleek black car came hurtling through the sky at high speed, arriving at the scene.

"That's the Batmobile!"

"It's Batman! He's finally here!!"

The long wait was over. The city's dark knight had arrived.