"Come on, big guy," Tony muttered, rerouting power through his gauntlet as he aligned the rotary coils. Sparks burst from the housing as he forced the circuit to reconnect, the turbine groaning like a wounded beast. The entire structure trembled, the whine of metal growing sharper with each passing second.
"Power's rerouted," he said, glancing up at the turbine's enormous blades. "But they're not moving. Something's jamming the rotation."
He hovered higher, scanning the massive engine shaft. Bent metal and loose debris jammed deep inside the mechanism, sparking as the system tried to restart. "Figures," Tony sighed. "Always gotta do this the hard way."
"Tony, we're running out of time," Steve's voice came through the comm, rough but steady. "You need to clear that jam and get out before the blades start turning."
"Yeah, yeah, working on it, Cap," Tony replied, cutting his thrusters and diving straight into the turbine housing. The confined space was barely wide enough for his armor to move, but he forced his way in, repulsors flaring bright as he welded away chunks of twisted metal.
The temperature spiked instantly. His HUD flashed warnings—HEAT LEVELS CRITICAL. PRESSURE RISING.
"Come on, baby, hold together," he gritted, cutting away one final shard. "Almost—there!"
The jammed blade gave a shuddering lurch.
"Cap, it's clear!" Tony shouted. "Get ready to pull the release—manual start sequence, now!"
Above him, Steve braced himself by the hatch, gripping the manual lever with both hands. The wind howled as the turbine began to hum, its core building power.
"Tell me when!" Steve yelled.
"On my mark!" Tony adjusted his position, checking the clearance. The massive blades loomed overhead, silent for just a breath.
"Three—two—one—NOW!"
Steve yanked the lever with all his strength.
The engine roared to life.
The turbine blades spun, screaming into motion. The entire housing became a storm of air and energy—lightning crackled along the frame as the Helicarrier's balance began to stabilize.
"Tony, get out of there!" Steve called.
But inside the turbine, Tony was caught in the sudden burst of suction. The force slammed him against the inner wall, the armor straining as he fought to regain control.
"Working on it!" he shouted, gritting his teeth. His thrusters fired at full capacity, sparks trailing as he twisted through the roaring airflow. Metal screamed as a blade passed within inches of his helmet. "Not the best place for a workout!"
He angled downward, forcing the repulsors to push him toward the access hatch. Steve reached down through the narrow opening, one arm braced on the frame, the other extended toward the armored figure struggling below.
"Grab my hand!" Steve shouted.
Tony boosted once more—barely enough to propel himself forward—and reached out. The impact nearly tore Steve's shoulder, but he held on, muscles straining as the turbine thundered beside them.
"Got you!" Steve grunted, hauling him up inch by inch. With one final pull, Tony burst through the hatch, crashing onto the catwalk as the turbine stabilized behind them.
For a moment, the two men just lay there—breathing hard, the sound of the spinning blades echoing through the hull.
Tony's helmet retracted, revealing a sweat-slicked grin. "You know," he panted, "I really gotta stop volunteering for these near-death hobbies."
Steve gave him a short, exhausted smile. "You did good."
"Yeah, well, next time, you're the one crawling inside the giant fan."
"Noted," Steve said, getting to his feet and offering Tony a hand up. "Let's get back to the bridge."
As they turned toward the access corridor, the distant hum of the engines evened out—the Helicarrier was stabilizing, altitude holding steady once more.
Back on the command deck, Hill's monitor readings turned from red to amber. She let out a slow breath. "Engine three restored. They did it."
Fury nodded slowly, his single eye fixed on the data streams stabilizing across the Helicarrier's displays.
"How are the others?" he asked.
Hill glanced over the reports scrolling on her console. "Widow's back under control—Clint freed her from Loki's influence. The other agents are sedated and secured in medical. Minimal casualties, but…" Her eyes flicked to another screen showing a ruptured containment field. "The Cage is gone and someone else was inside, Not Loki."
"Someone else?" Fury asked, his voice sharpening.
Hill turned the feed toward him. "Thor."
Fury frowned. "How the hell did that happen?"
A few minutes earlier…
The Helicarrier rocked violently as Thor sprinted down the corridor toward the detention level. Sparks and alarms flared all around, but his focus was singular—the glass cage where Loki was held.
"Brother!" Thor shouted as he approached. "Your madness ends here!"
Inside, Loki stood calm, that familiar smirk curling his lips. "Does it, brother?" he said softly.
Thor stepped closer to the control panel, hand outstretched toward the glass. "I will take you back to Asgard to face justice. Your tricks end now."
Loki tilted his head. "Oh, but this trick… isn't mine."
Before Thor could react, a shimmer of green energy flashed—and in an instant, the illusion vanished. Loki's image dissolved into smoke, revealing an empty cage.
Thor's eyes widened. "No—!"
The next moment, a hard pulse of magic rippled through the controls. The floor beneath him glowed faintly blue as the magnetic locks reversed polarity. Thor barely had a second to realize what was happening before the containment door slammed shut around him.
"Brother!" he roared, slamming his fists against the barrier. The cage vibrated but held firm.
From the upper deck, the real Loki appeared, smirking as under the cell the basement open showing the city below. "You should have listened better, Thor. You always were too eager to charge in."
"Release me, Loki!" Thor shouted, electricity crackling across his armor.
"Oh, I intend to," Loki said softly—and going to to press the drop button. The cage's base clamps disengaged with a hiss, and the entire chamber begun to tilt.
That was when Agent Coulson arrived, blaster in hand. "Step away from the console, sir!"
Loki turned, mock surprise in his voice. "Ah… you must be the famous Agent Coulson. The one who still believes in heroes."
"Put down the staff," Coulson said firmly. "Now."
Loki's smirk deepened. "You'll have to make me."
He vanished in a blink—and reappeared behind Coulson. The spear's blade glinted, its edge aimed straight for the agent's chest.
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