"He's already on board," Fury said, his tone flat, no humor in his voice. "You'll meet him in the lab. Don't provoke him."
Tony's grin widened. "Me? Never."
Tony shrugged and stepped toward the lab corridor. "I like to think of it as… friendly banter."
The lab doors slid open, revealing Bruce Banner hunched over a bank of holographic displays. The faint blue light from the energy readings reflected across his face, highlighting the intensity in his eyes. Despite the chaos of the situation, Bruce moved with calm precision, adjusting controls and running simulations at a speed that suggested years of habit and focus.
"Dr. Banner?" Tony called, stepping closer. "Tony Stark. Heard a lot about you."
Bruce looked up, slightly startled, then gave a small nod. "Tony Stark. I've read your work as well. I… wasn't expecting you this early."
Tony leaned against a console, the armor's metallic sheen glinting under the lab lights. "Hey, I like making entrances. Keeps everyone on their toes."
Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, you're here now. We need to sync your sensors with the Tesseract energy readings I've been monitoring. That way, we can triangulate its position faster."
Tony smirked, tapping on his HUD. "Ah, so we're talking science collaboration. I like it. Mind if I take a look at your setup?"
Bruce gestured to a control panel. "Be my guest. Just… try not to break anything. It's sensitive work."
Tony crouched slightly, scanning the holographic data streams. "Sensitive, huh? Don't worry, doc. My toys are very sensitive too—but in a controlled, explosive kind of way."
Bruce's lips twitched in a faint smile. "I can tell."
As Tony interfaced his suit with Banner's systems, the lab hummed with synchronized energy, displays flickering as the combined tech of Stark and Banner began aligning. Outside the lab, Fury and Steve watched from a monitoring station, observing the seamless—or occasionally chaotic—dance of two of the world's smartest minds working together.
"Let's hope they find this Tesseract before it finds us," Fury muttered, his gaze fixed on the displays as Loki's trail flickered faintly in the distance.
Steve didn't reply immediately, eyes still scanning the data feeds. "Let's just make sure the 'fighting chance' doesn't blow up the Helicarrier in the process."
The lab lights glowed brighter as Tony and Bruce worked, energy streams flowing between them, the first real steps of the Avengers Initiative coming to life.
"We found him," Tony said as they entered the room where the others were waiting for them to finish their work. Fury looked at Tony and Bruce and nodded. "It was a good idea to let you two handle it. You guys work fast."
Bruce shook his head and added, "No, we didn't find him by tracking gamma radiation from the Tesseract. Rather, we saw him on satellite surveillance. He was located by Jarvis, Tony's AI, while he's in Stuttgart, Germany." Bruce gestured at the TV, which now displayed a live feed of Loki at the gala.
"We did some reading, and there's one thing he might be after: Iridium that's stored there," Tony added, and Fury nodded.
"Then get ready to capture him," Steve said. Another member stood, and they all moved toward the Quinjet, suiting up within moments—ready for when Loki would make his next move.
The team moved quickly, each member sliding into their designated gear with practiced efficiency. Tony's armor hummed as he sealed the chest plate, repulsors powering to full readiness. Bruce adjusted a small interface on his wrist, syncing Banner's sensors with Stark's armor systems. Steve checked his shield straps and tactical comms, eyes focused and steady, while Clint made final adjustments to his quiver, ensuring every arrow was in place.
Fury gave the final nod. "Quinjet is ready. Everyone to your positions. We move in five."
The massive jet engines roared to life, vibrations running through the deck as the Quinjet lifted from the Helicarrier, cutting through clouds with uncanny speed. Tony hovered near the cockpit, monitoring the city below via augmented HUD overlays.
"Stuttgart's skyline is lit up," Tony murmured, his optics scanning for any unusual energy signatures. "Jarvis, keep tracking Loki. Let me know the moment he moves toward the Iridium vault."
"Understood, sir," Jarvis replied. "Current coordinates locked. Loki's last confirmed position is within the gala premises. Estimated time until engagement: under ten minutes."
Steve's gaze hardened. "We go in fast and precise. Loki's not just any target—he's smart, cunning, and he'll have contingencies. Stay sharp, everyone."
Bruce leaned back slightly in the Quinjet, trying to maintain calm. "I've got my gamma suppressors running. Hulk can deploy if things get… messy. But we try to avoid that unless absolutely necessary."
Tony grinned under his mask. "Oh, come on, doc. You know the fun part is letting him out. But sure, we'll keep it as plan A."
Fury's voice cut over the comms, steady and unflinching. "Team, the moment we hit the perimeter, expect resistance. Security systems, hostages, and possibly magical interference. Banner, Stark—you're the eyes on this. Rogers, Barton—you provide tactical suppression and extraction support. Move fast, neutralize threats, recover the Iridium, and contain Loki. Clear?"
"Crystal," Steve said, gripping his shield tightly. Clint twitched his fingers on an arrow, ready to launch. Bruce nodded, Tony's armor systems whirring in sync with Banner's interface.
The Quinjet banked sharply, approaching the city at breakneck speed. Below, the gala was in full swing, the lights and crowds masking the quiet tension of a man with godly ambitions. Loki moved elegantly among the guests, his gaze subtly scanning the room for opportunities, unaware that the Avengers were moments from descending into his carefully orchestrated world.
"Hold positions," Fury ordered, voice calm but commanding. "On my mark… now."
Or maybe he was already aware. Loki's gaze swept the room, and with a flick of his hand, he struck down an important figure who had the keys to the Iridium vault. Without hesitation, he extracted his eye-the key and held it up, using it to unlock the Iris scanner on the vault. Within moments, the locks disengaged, and Loki seized the Iridium. The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't anticipated such a ruthless tactic; by the time they realized what had happened, Loki had already secured the Iridium, there was someone else too, Black Widow, now fully controlled by him as she took the Iridium and left silently while Loki stayed behind.
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