[Vamp in Marvel] Ch: 5 [Aftermath]

The invasion was over. New York City lay in ruins. Burning craters, destroyed buildings, metal parts of Leviathans, and dead bodies of both aliens and humans filled the streets. The destruction was immense. The Avengers, hurt and tired, stood in the middle of the mess, feeling both relieved and sad.

Rai’s cold gaze scanned the area, his blood-red wings disappeared leaving behind the scent of blood. His expression remained unreadable, unaffected by the carnage surrounding him. Alucard stood beside him, still grinning, his eyes glinting with sadistic amusement as he took in the scene.

"Casualties," Rai muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Thor nodded grimly. "Many of our people… civilians. The invasion struck without warning. We couldn’t protect everyone."

From the distance, Captain America limped toward them, his shield battered and cracked, yet still held firmly in his hand. Black Widow and Hawkeye followed behind, their faces haggard from the long, grueling fight.

"We did everything we could," Captain America said, though the pain in his voice made it clear that the losses weighed heavily on him. "But we couldn’t stop them all. There’s still so much work to do. Rescue teams will need time to find any survivors."

Rai's eyes flickered slightly as he took in the devastation. Despite his earlier display of overwhelming power, there was no sense of triumph on his face. He remained detached as if the fate of the city was of little consequence to him.

Alucard, on the other hand, stretched out his arms, letting out a long yawn. "Well, this was fun. Always love a good massacre. But we’re not done yet, are we?"

Ironman flew down at the scene with the tesseract in his hands.

"Where is Loki?" He asked as he looked at Thor.

Thor clenched his hammer and jumped up, summoning thunder before slamming it on Ironman who disappeared from their sight and appeared a few feet away. It was Loki pretending to be Ironman. He transformed back to his original form.

"Loki," Thor growled, gripping Mjolnir tightly.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Loki smirked, holding the tesseract up. "I am glad I finally got to see what this thing can do. Not bad. But now, I must bid you farewell."

Thor’s eyes widened in fury. "Loki, no!"

Loki raised the Tesseract high above his head, and before anyone could react, the energy of the cube surged around him. "Goodbye, brother. I'll see you soon," he said with a mocking bow.

Now, here's the thing. Loki was too arrogant and confident in his ability. He has the Tesseract and he has already activated the portal. But what he didn't expect was the two impossible variables, Rai and Alucard. He had no idea who they were, but he saw their strength firsthand and thought how fun would it be to pit those two against the Avengers. And to do that he must survive first.

[Bang!] Alucard took the shot.

"Huh?" Loki's right arm exploded and the Tesseract flew up in the air.

Rai used his telekinesis to pull the cube back toward him, his palm open. The Tesseract landed gently in his palm.

Loki screamed in pain as he clutched his bleeding stump, glaring at Alucard. "YOU BASTARD!"

"PUNY GOD TALK TOO MUCH!" Hulk who was waiting patiently, yup, very patiently for a while rushed in and punched Loki into the fainting portal.

The portal closed.

"Ha! That was a nice punch, monster," Alucard praised with a large grin.

Rai glanced at the Tesseract in his hand before looking up at Alucard, who was grinning at him. He turned toward Thor and asked, "Where did the portal take him?"

Thor’s shoulders slumped slightly, his frustration evident. "The Tesseract… it can transport him anywhere across the universe. It’s impossible to know where he’ll end up."

Rai clenched his fist, crushing the Tesseract, surprising everyone, "It's been a while since I've seen such an illusion." It was a fake construct made by Loki.

Alucard laughed loudly, "Now this is interesting. I would have liked to play with him more."

The weight of the situation hung over them, and for a moment, there was silence. The city lay in ruins, Loki had escaped, and the Tesseract—one of the most powerful objects in existence—was now in his hands.

Captain America broke the silence.

"We need to regroup. There’s no telling what Loki plans to do next, but we can’t let him get too far ahead."

Thor nodded solemnly.

"Agreed. The Tesseract is far too dangerous. We need to stop him before he uses it to unleash even more destruction."

"What about you two?" Captain America asked Rai and Alucard.

Rai stared back at him, expressionless, his crimson eyes piercing into his soul. "We’ll come with you."

The others exchanged wary glances. Alucard, noticing their hesitation, tilted his head with a wicked grin. "Oh, don’t worry. We’re not interested in world domination. At least, not today."

Rai glanced at Alucard before looking back at the Avengers. "We need information about this world. It’s… different from where we came from. So, you humans will tell us everything about this world."

Ironman arrived moments later, the roar of his repulsors echoing through the devastated city as he descended. Behind him, Shield agents and medics rushed into the scene, their presence marked by the wailing sirens of emergency vehicles. Rescue teams immediately began sifting through rubble, searching for survivors amid the chaos.

Tony Stark, his armor scuffed and dented from the battle, landed in front of the group and removed his mask, his face serious. "I leave you guys for five minutes, and suddenly Hulk's punching gods through portals. What did I miss?"

He looked at Rai and Alucard, "And what are you two? Not human, that's for sure. But, nice job, taking care of the mess."

"We’re... allies," Captain America said, though he still sounded unsure. "For now."

Rai remained silent, his gaze cool and distant, while Alucard gave Stark a toothy grin, his fangs glinting in the dim light. "We’re just here to keep things... entertaining."

"Great. Just what we need, more wildcards," Tony muttered, then turned to Thor. "So, where's Loki? You have any idea."

"There are very few places Loki can go. So, I'll search for him. He must answer for his crimes," Thor said grimly as he looked at the others. "Till then. Take care." Spinning his hammer, he flew up and disappeared into the sky.

Rai glanced at Hulk, "Your blind rage will be your downfall one day, monster."

"Hulk is no monster. Hulk is Hulk," Hulk growled back.

Medics hurried toward Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, offering assistance. Captain America shook his head, declining. "Focus on the civilians first," he instructed, his voice hoarse but firm.

Tony’s helmet slid back, revealing his face as he surveyed the destruction around them. "This is bad. Worse than I thought."

...

Three days later, the remnants of the invasion still lingered across New York. Cleanup efforts were underway, but the scars left by the battle remained. Smoke continued to rise from the charred ruins, and the sound of construction crews echoed in the distance. The Avengers Tower stood as a symbol of resilience, yet inside, tensions simmered.

Rai sat alone on the rooftop, his crimson eyes surveying the recovering city below. The winds stirred his dark hair, but his expression remained unchanged. The chaos of the battle felt distant to him, a faint memory. He sensed a movement behind him, but did not react.

Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, approached cautiously. She had been assigned to keep an eye on him, though she doubted she could do much if he decided to turn on them. “Rai,” she called out, her voice calm but firm. “Fury wants to know if you’ve thought about our proposal.”

Rai didn’t answer immediately. His eyes drifted upward to the sky, seemingly lost in thought. Then, without turning to face her, he spoke, his voice cold and distant. “Your world... it’s fragile.”

Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly. "It's survived worse."

He finally looked at her, his crimson gaze sharp and unyielding. “Has it?” he asked. “Or are you simply delaying the inevitable?”