At the same time, Nick Fury quietly removed the Tesseract from the device, placed it in a secure box, and prepared to leave.
"Please don't," Loki said suddenly. "I really need that."
He needed the Tesseract to begin his invasion of Earth.
"This doesn't have to get any messier." Nick Fury replied, his back still turned to Loki.
"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."
"Loki?" Dr. Selvig, stunned, stepped forward. "Brother of Thor?"
Fury narrowed his eye. "We have no quarrel with your people."
"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," Loki replied coldly.
"You planning to step on us?"
"I come with glad tidings—of a world made free."
"Free from what?"
"Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart... you will know peace."
Loki turned and aimed the scepter at Dr. Selvig's chest—his eyes glazed over. He was now under Loki's control.
"Yeah, you say 'peace,' I kind of think you mean the other thing," Fury muttered grimly.
"Sir, Commander Fury is stalling for time."
At that moment, Barton, still under Loki's control, seemed to notice something. He walked up to Loki and said,
"This place is about to be bombed. We'll be buried under rubble."
"A pile of stone hundreds of meters deep,"
Nick Fury added. "Like the pyramids."
"He's right. The portal is starting to collapse,"
Dr. Selvig said, staring at the monitor. "We have about two minutes before total collapse."
"Okay,"
Loki shrugged.
Without hesitation, Barton drew his pistol and shot Nick Fury, knocking him to the ground.
Immediately afterward, he followed Loki, grabbed the box containing the Tesseract, and fled the S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
A few minutes later, after a brief pursuit—
All agents had been evacuated.
Boom!!
With a thunderous explosion, the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. base detonated. The underground structures were completely obliterated, reduced to rubble.
Some of the agents who had chased Loki with Agent Hill were crushed in the collapsing tunnel.
Loki remained unharmed and, along with Barton and the other mind-controlled agents, escaped the base with the Tesseract.
"Sir, many people are trapped under the debris. I don't know how many will survive,"
Hill said, injured, as she pulled out a walkie-talkie from her pocket.
Nick Fury was silent for a moment after hearing her voice.
"Phil Coulson, return to headquarters and issue a Level 7 alert."
"Judging from the current situation," he added, "the war has already begun."
Phil Coulson was silent for a long time.
"What should we do?"
Nick Fury didn't reply.
He simply stared at the distant ruins.
The Avengers—it was time to assemble them.
He immediately recalled Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), who was on a mission, and sent her to Calcutta, India to recruit the Hulk—Bruce Banner.
At the same time, he contacted Steve Rogers aka Captain America , who had only recently been thawed from the ice. No explanation was needed—after all, he had always been a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. or better to say the SSR, and his place on the Avengers was unquestionable.
As for Iron Man, Tony Stark—that would be handled by Phil Coulson.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efficiency was impressive.
Just a few days later—
Aboard an aircraft carrier—
Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, and Natasha Romanoff were assembled.
"I feel like we should leave now," Natasha said with a shrug, glancing at the two strange men beside her.
"Otherwise, we won't be able to breathe soon."
"Is this a submarine?" Bruce asked with a touch of sarcasm. "Looks like I'll be locked in a glass cage."
But what happened next surprised him.
The aircraft carrier extended four large, drone-like wings—two from each side—and ascended vertically from the sea.
"Oh…" Bruce froze. "This is worse."
The nearby agents quickly donned oxygen masks and re-entered the interior of the helicarrier—whether it was a carrier or a plane was no longer clear.
Inside the Avengers' designated command room—
---
"Dr. Banner," Nick Fury extended his hand. "Welcome."
"Thank you for the invitation," Bruce Banner replied, shaking his hand. "So, how long do you plan to keep me?"
"As long as it takes to find the Tesseract. After that, you're free to go," Nick Fury replied with a slight smile.
Bruce nodded in agreement.
Steve Rogers walked over and handed Nick Fury a $10 bill.
It was a bet they had made earlier—and the outcome was now clear.
Nick Fury smiled, quietly slipping the bill into his pocket.
---
"Sir, we've contacted Stark. He's on his way—should be here shortly," Phil Coulson reported as he walked in, having just finished organizing operations on the helicarrier.
He glanced at those present and, as a devoted Captain America fan, gave Steve a respectful nod—unashamed in the slightest.
Then, turning to Fury, he asked: "What's the next move?"
This gesture carried meaning—Nick Fury, through Coulson, was showing the new team that they were already part of something greater. Even if it was temporary, there would be no secrets. They were in it together.
Fury clasped his hands behind his back, narrowed his one good eye, and looked around at the gathered team.
He shook his head slightly.
"Not enough. This isn't enough."
"To be safe, we need one more."
"But getting him on board might be expensive. I'm not even sure if I can."
A wry smile formed on his lips. He had just deceived this person once—now he had to ask for his help. If the man didn't punch him in the face, it would be a miracle.
Natasha Romanoff seemed to realize who Fury was talking about. She frowned slightly and said, hesitantly:
"Are you sure about bringing him in?"
"Yes," Nick Fury said with a nod, a glint in his eye.
"This is a global war. There's no room for mistakes. I'll do whatever it takes."
Their cryptic exchange piqued the curiosity of both Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner—especially regarding the identity of this mysterious person.
*************************************
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