IRON MAN: BROTHER DON'T CAUSE TROUBLE

The city was in chaos. Fire and smoke rose from shattered buildings, and the air trembled with the sound of energy blasts and crumbling concrete. The screams of terrified civilians echoed in the streets, mixing with the monstrous growls of the Chitauri. New York, the city that never slept, had turned into a battlefield of gods and monsters.

John stood still for a moment, watching everything unfold before his eyes. He had seen wars before in movie—worse ones, in fact—but standing here in person something about this moment felt different. Maybe it was the people, the way they desperately clung to hope despite facing an overwhelming enemy. Or maybe it was the Avengers, fighting against impossible odds, each of them carrying their own burdens but still pushing forward.

This world... he thought, it's not perfect, but there's something worth protecting here.

A sharp voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Arcanist! Move!" Steve shouted, deflecting an incoming energy blast with his shield before ramming into a Chitauri with full force.

John smirked. Steve Rogers—the embodiment of leadership. Even in the middle of chaos, he was the center of it all, commanding with a calm yet authoritative presence. He was someone people followed not because they had to, but because they wanted to. It wasn't just his super-soldier strength that made him great; it was his heart, his unwavering will to stand up and fight even when the odds were against him.

And right now, Steve Rogers was fully in his element.

"Form a perimeter!" Steve called out, his voice sharp and filled with certainty. "Tony, keep them off our backs from above! Clint, watch our flanks! Natasha, cover the civilians! Banner—well, just smash anything that isn't human!"

Hulk let out a deafening roar before launching himself into a building, tearing apart a group of Chitauri in a single leap.

John cracked his neck. "Alright, I guess it's time I stop watching."

With a thought, he activated the flight rune. A soft golden glow surrounded him as he rose into the air, hovering above the battlefield. The wind howled around him as he took in the vast chaos unfolding beneath him.

" you're flying now?" Tony's voice came through the comms, clearly impressed. "That's gonna make me jealous."

"Try not to cry," John replied before rocketing forward, heading straight for a cluster of Chitauri.

As he moved, he decided to test something new—something he had been working on for a while. He stretched out his hand, channeling the fiery energy inside him. Sparks crackled around his fingers before bursting into delicate, fluttering shapes.

A swarm of fire butterflies.

They glowed with a mesmerizing crimson hue, their wings shimmering with dangerous beauty as they floated gently toward the enemy. The Chitauri barely had time to react before the butterflies touched their armor—and in an instant, they ignited into flames.

Screams filled the air as dozens of them turned to ash within seconds, their bodies crumbling as if they had never existed. The fire burned unnaturally bright, consuming them entirely before fading into nothing.

Not far, on top of a building, Clint whistled. "That's... unsettlingly beautiful."

Tony, who was still firing repulsors at the enemy, glanced at the sight. "Yeah, remind me not to piss him off."

John smirked, watching as his fire butterflies continued their work. It was efficient, deadly, and most importantly—controllable. He didn't need to burn everything to the ground; he could direct his flames precisely, something even most fire users struggled with.

But there was no time to admire his own handiwork. More Chitauri poured out of the wormhole, their numbers seemingly endless.

Steve's voice came through the comms again. "We need to push forward! If we let them spread out any further, we won't be able to contain them!"

John clenched his fists. He was just getting started.

With a powerful burst of energy, he shot forward, flames trailing behind him. If the Chitauri thought they could invade this world so easily, they were about to learn a very painful lesson.

*****

The battlefield was a storm of chaos and fire, but John was relentless. Fifteen minutes had passed, and the scattered Chitauri had been reduced to nothing more than charred remnants and broken armor. His fire butterflies had done their work, and his flames had incinerated anything that stood in his way. The air smelled of burning metal and scorched flesh, but there was no time to stop—not yet.

John hovered in the air, breathing heavily. He scanned the battlefield below, searching for any remaining enemies. The streets were littered with Chitauri corpses, some still smoldering from his flames. Civilians who had hidden in fear just moments ago were beginning to emerge from the rubble, eyes filled with cautious hope. The worst was over.

Or so he thought.

A deep, guttural roar echoed through the sky, vibrating the very air around them. John's eyes snapped upward, and his heart clenched at the sight.

From the wormhole above, something massive emerged, moving with an eerie grace—Leviathans.

The monstrous creatures swam through the sky like titanic fish in an invisible ocean. Their bodies were covered in jagged, plated armor, resembling ancient sea serpents but with a grotesque, biomechanical design. Their elongated skulls bore rows of gleaming teeth, and their glowing eyes burned with a soulless hunger. Massive, rib-like structures ran along their bodies, almost like the skeleton of a great beast turned inside out. They weren't just war machines—they were destruction given form.

And there were more than one.

Two of them tore through the sky, their enormous bodies casting terrifying shadows over the ruined city. Buildings crumbled in their wake, and Chitauri foot soldiers rallied beneath them, emboldened by the arrival of their colossal war beasts.

John's comm crackled to life.

"Well, that's just great," Tony muttered, flying up beside him. "Because we weren't having enough fun already."

Thor spun Mjolnir in his hand, lightning crackling around him. His expression was unreadable, but his stance made it clear—he was ready. "We take them head-on."

"Agreed," Steve's voice came through the comms. "Thor, Tony, Hulk—handle the first one. Arcanist, you're on the second. Don't let it get through."

John grinned under his hoodie. "Wouldn't dream of it."

With that, the battle began.

Thor launched himself into the air, a storm raging around him as he hurled Mjolnir at the first Leviathan. The hammer struck the beast's plated skull with a deafening boom, sending a shockwave rippling across the battlefield. The Leviathan roared in fury, its body twisting as it tried to shake off the attack.

Tony followed right behind, firing concentrated repulsor blasts at its underbelly, aiming for the weaker segments of armor. The energy scorched through, causing the Leviathan to thrash wildly.

And then came the Hulk.

With a thunderous leap, the green behemoth landed on top of the Leviathan's head. With an earth-shattering roar, he plunged his fists into its armored hide, tearing away massive chunks of its exoskeleton with brute force alone. The Leviathan screeched in pain, its body twisting in an attempt to throw Hulk off, but the Avenger refused to let go.

John didn't have time to watch the rest. The second Leviathan was already descending, and it was heading straight for the streets below.

He clenched his fists and took off like a bullet, flames trailing behind him as he rocketed toward the beast. His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was clear.

"Alright, big guy," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "Let's see how tough you really are."

As he approached, the Leviathan let out another monstrous roar, its glowing eyes locking onto him. John smirked, feeling the fire surge within him.