Chapter 47: Unexpected Ally and Conflicting Echoes
Wilson Fisk's roar of "Not in my city!" and the firing of that strange technological weapon in his hand had changed the deadly equation at the top of Fisk Tower in an instant. A dense, pulsating beam of energy shot out from his weapon, aimed not at Kael or the Void-Wesley, but directly at the ominous, opening Void portal above them. When the beam of energy hit the portal, a deafening crack and blinding light spilled out into the air. The portal's expansion paused for a moment, and small pieces even seemed to fall from its edges.
Kael and Aslan were stunned by this unexpected development. The Kingpin, the undisputed king of crime in New York, was now fighting to protect his city—his "kingdom"—from this otherworldly threat? This was beyond Kael's comprehension. Whatever Fisk's motivation—pure self-preservation, fear of losing control of his city, or perhaps a calculation to profit from the chaos—for now, they had a common enemy.
The Void-Wesley reacted angrily to Fisk's intervention. "Who are you to defy the will of the Void, mortal?" he hissed, his voice now carrying not only Wesley's anger but also the ancient being within him. He paused his attack on Kael with dark energy for a moment, directing some of it at Fisk.
This gave Kael the brief opportunity he needed. With Fisk stalling the portal and distracting the Void-Wesley, Kael turned his full attention to Wesley and the Life Seed in his hand. "Aslan, watch Fisk!" he shouted. "Wesley is mine!"
Kael once again focused the pure, purifying energy emanating from the Life Seed through the Chitauri core. This time, he tried to create not just a beam, but a life energy network surrounding Wesley, trying to isolate him from the darkness of the Void. This was extremely dangerous; the Void entity within Wesley would resist this "purification" attempt with all its might.
Fisk, on the other hand, was meeting the Void-Wesley's dark energy attacks with surprising skill with the strange weapon in his hand. The weapon not only repelled the energy, but also seemed to absorb or deflect some of the dark energy. "This city is mine!" Fisk roared with each counterattack. "And I will not allow any extraterrestrial parasite to take it from me!" There was no trace of heroism in Fisk's words; only the possessive anger of a king protecting his own property.
Kael did not trust Fisk's temporary "ally," but for now he was grateful. As the Life Seed's energy surrounded Wesley, the Void entity began to scream in pain. Wesley's body shook violently, torn between the dark glow in his eyes and the remnants of a human expression.
"Fight him, Wesley!" Kael shouted, focusing all his will on the struggle. "Hold on to that light within you! You are not a puppet!"
The Life Seed's energy seemed to weaken the Void entity's hold on Wesley. For a moment, Wesley's face took on that old, calculating yet human expression. There was confusion, regret, and indescribable pain in his eyes. "Kael..." he whispered, his voice his own. "Save... me..."
But the Void entity would not give up so easily. In a last desperate effort, he threw Wesley's body at Kael. At that moment, another powerful beam of energy from Fisk's weapon hit the center of the Void portal. The portal shook with an even louder crack, and tentacle-like shadows of pure darkness, unlike anything they had ever seen before, began to sprout from it. These shadows reached toward both Kael and Fisk.
The situation had suddenly become much more dangerous. Instead of disappearing, the portal was resisting even more aggressively. And as Wesley fell toward Kael, the human gleam in his eyes began to be overshadowed by the darkness of the Void again.
Kael was faced with a difficult choice. Should he try to save Wesley, or should he focus all his attention on the portal that was about to open and now posed an even greater threat? Fisk, on the other hand, was focused on his own war, trying to counter the portal's new threats. In the midst of this triple chaos, the fate of New York hung by a thread.