It was a normal day at the Bugle. Jameson wanted me to write a story on the Arc Reactor that Tony Stark was making for the city when it happened. I hadn’t noticed it at first until the commotion of my co-workers pulled me from my work: “There’s a beam coming out of Stark Tower!” “Think it has something to do with his new reactor?” I looked out of the window to my left and I saw it: A light blue beam coming from Stark Tower. When I saw it for some reason I felt a sense of dread in me, Like the world would never be the same after this day. “SHELDON!” Jameson cried coming out of his office
“Yes, Mr.Jameson” I replied
“I want YOU over by Stark Tower in 9 minutes and 4.6 seconds to get the latest scoop and pictures!”
“Yes Mr.Jameson” I said as I grabbed my Nikon camera and rushed out the door.
As I made my way onto the busy New York streets I looked up at Stark Tower and realized that the beam had seemingly stopped and started to form what looked like storm clouds. And what looked to be men on flying contraptions coming out of the portal. “What is Stark doing with this thing?” I thought. Then I saw the thing that would set the tone of the day: A giant flying worm-whale-like creature covered in metal coming out of the portal over Stark tower. Then the “men” in the flying contraptions came down towards the streets before I could even think “Are we being invaded?” As they flew past me I had the sense to take a picture of them as they shot their weapons indiscriminately. As I ran down the street more and more of these invaders started pouring in, causing chaos and destruction everywhere they went. The police then came from my right with sirens blaring. As the cars came to a sudden stop the police rushed out, pistols drawn. As they started firing on the invaders, the highest ranking one among them told me: "Get out here, and head down to safety!”
“Where would that be sir?!” I replied
“I’m not too sure at the moment just get out of here!”
“Do you know if the military is coming?”
“What are ya, a reporter? Just get to safety!”
I thought about telling the officer that I was a journalist but I decided to snap a picture of the firefight instead before rushing off. I decided that if I wanted to get any details about what is going on that I must head to the center of the action: Stark Tower!
Rushing through the streets the invaders would shoot at me but always miss spraying me with dust and crushed parts of the brick wall next to me. At one point a full brick almost hit me in the eye. After that I decided to head into an alley to my right. It led to a wracked site outside of Grand Station. There I saw a group of people who weren’t evacuating. A woman with red hair in a tight black bodysuit, A man in purple with a bow and arrow, Another man with long blonde hair with what looked to be a hammer and finally a man in red, white and blue who looked like that old time war hero: Captain America. The Captain seemed to be yelling orders to the others then a guy with black hair and a purple shirt rode up to them in a moped. Then they looked up and further down the street, Iron Man was flying low and fast like a blazing red rocket and not too far behind him was one of those armored leviathan things. As Iron Man pulled up and away the man who arrived in the moped started to move towards the behemoth. As I prepared my camera to take a picture the man turned to say something to Captain America. Then he transformed into a big green monster and punched the leviathan. Right as the punch made contact I took what was probably one of the luckiest shots of my career. Iron Man came back down with the rest of the group. Captain America started giving orders to the others. Iron Man took the guy with the bow and flew off, The man with the long blonde hair spun his hammer and flew off towards the Empire State Building, The Captain and the redhead both rushed off towards where more of the invaders were while the big green behemoth leapt off. I decided that these people, no these heroes, had to be what this story was about. I decided to head further into the city to follow after these Marvels. The man with the hammer seemed to be headed to the Empire State Building so I decided that would probably be the best place to start. As I reached Madison Avenue one of the invaders dropped down and landed right in front of me. The creature was gray and was wearing a headdress of some sort with gold on it. It hit me in the face with its gold arm cannon. I closed my eyes preparing for the end until I felt something wet splatter on me. When I looked up I saw that the alien had been shot by an arrow and its blood was splattered on my clothes. When I looked for the source of the arrow I looked up at the top of a nearby apartment and saw what looked like the man with the bow and arrow who was with Captain America. He was busy picking off the various invaders. I took a picture of him in action and then I rushed ahead. “Hawkeye would be a good name for him.” I thought to myself.
I ran forward a couple of feet dodging stray pieces of debris and energy blasts from the invaders. Before I was on the 34th I heard thunder. The clouds darken and the previously clear Mid-Manhattan sky was dark. Then the sound of thunder preceding lighting, To my right I saw the Empire State Building light up brighter than the Rockefeller Christmas tree. I may not be able to get a good look at the top of the iconic landmark, but my camera would be able to. I used my camera’s zoom to get a look and I found that man with the hammer who was with cap. He seemed to have been using his hammer to summon both lighting and the storm. I took a picture of the Marvel as he used the lighting he stored up in the Empire State Building to destroy the invading forces coming through the portal. Next hour and a half was a blur for me. Running around getting photos of the fighting such as the monster punching the invaders in the contraptions out of the air and occasionally an orange bolt that I was never really able to pin on any of the heroes working with Captain America and Iron Man. Eventually I ran into the Police Sergeant from the start of the fighting.
“Hey you! You have to get to the Subway!” The Sergeant ordered
“Finally found somewhere safe for us?” I sarcastically replied
“Yeah!.....Wait, you're that reporter from earlier!”
“I never told you I was a reporter but yeah.”
“Well since you didn’t listen the first time I told ya I’ll have to escort ya to the shelter.”
As the officer took me to the Subway I decided to take the time to ask him a few questions.
“So where did you guys get the idea to evacuate the citizens into the subways?” I asked
“I don’t know where exactly the idea came from,” The officer replied “I think someone over on 3rd avenue suggested it. But I heard a rumor that he was told to do that by Captain America himself.”
“Really? I didn’t really think he had that kind of authority.” I puzzled
“Well if a man wearing your nation’s flag in a time of crisis tells ya to do something ya do it.” The officer replied casually
At this point we reached the entrance to the 34 St-Herald Square Station.
“Well you better keep yourself safe from here on out.” The officer told me
“Thank you officer, but before I go can I get a name in case I ever quote you?” I replied
“Sergeant George Stacy. You’re with the Bugle aren't ya?”
“Yeah”
“Tell Jameson that this city is going to change and that he’ll have to change with it.” Sergeant Stacy told me
“I’ll make sure to get the message to him.” I reassured
I walked down the steps of the station. It had to be the most crowded I’d ever seen the New York subways and that is saying something. And for the next hour or so all of us stayed in the subway. With only the sound of the battle above and the murmur of the worried people. “What’s going to happen to us?” “Momma, what’s going to happen to papa?” “I heard that Captain America guy from the 40s is back now” “I think I saw a god out there today.” I spent the time looking at the pictures I had taken. Of these figures that felt impossible, men out of time, men of iron, hulking monsters and what was almost as impressive were the figures who could keep up with these Marvels: A man with a bow and arrow and a skilled woman with only a gun and her own wits.
As I was looking over and pondering the pictures I had taken, the fighting up in the streets seemed to have stopped suddenly. I rushed ahead of everyone else in the station to find that the fighting had stopped and that all the invaders had dropped dead. As I looked over the ruined landscape of my city I felt a mix of emotions, sadness for those who had died, anger at whoever let this happen but somehow the most prominent feeling was hope. Hope that our new heroes, that I found myself marveling at in my darkest hour who I hoped to spread the image of to others, would protect us from any future invasions. Weather for better or for worse New York and the world, maybe even the universe was fundamentally changed.