Alex's words left Director Fury in silent contemplation. To be frank, the idea of Alex leaving didn't sit right with him—not now, when every capable hand was needed to counter Loki. After all, back in the underground base, Alex had sent Loki flying with a single kick. Fury had seen that power with his own eyes—raw, undeniable strength.
Yet, when it came time to speak, the words stuck in his throat. Deep down, Fury knew Alex wasn't wrong. As long as the truth remained buried, SHIELD wouldn't trust him. Keeping him here would do more harm than good—and locking him up was out of the question.
Besides, Fury wasn't blind to the whispers in the shadows. The higher-ups on the Security Council already questioned his decisions. With this incident, things would only spiral further out of control.
Leaving... for now, it was the best course.
"I respect your choice," Fury finally said, nodding. "Just remember—you're not quitting the Avengers. This is only temporary."
Alex gave a soft nod. "I know." Fury's words, though diplomatic, eased a sliver of tension in his chest.
Without another word, Alex turned and walked away.
He even declined SHIELD's offer to arrange a flight out. Instead, he activated the metal threads woven into his chain mail. In an instant, they surged with power, lifting him into the sky. His figure shimmered and vanished from view as he soared away from the Avengers' airborne fortress.
Alone in the sky, suspended among clouds and drifting wind, Alex paused.
Where should I go next?
For the first time in a while, he had no destination. A strange sense of freedom—tinted with loneliness—washed over him. What happened today gnawed at him like a splinter under skin. Sure, it made sense that SHIELD's top brass was cautious. He was, after all, a man of unknown origin.
But Hydra... Hydra had framed him deliberately.
Why?
He knew from the storylines of the original timeline—Captain America 2—that Hydra had long since infiltrated SHIELD. That wasn't a surprise.
What was surprising, however, was their direct attack on him. He had no ties to Hydra, no past run-ins.
So why frame him now?
"It looks like I'll have to dig deeper," Alex murmured to himself, eyes scanning the horizon as if searching for answers hidden in the wind.
Hydra was a shadow—cold, coiled, and always lurking. But there was a lead. A memory from Iron Man 2 stirred in his mind: that smug U.S. senator who'd clashed with Tony Stark during the hearing. He was exposed later as a Hydra operative.
That was a start.
Alex wasn't the type to let things slide—not when someone had come after him.
Revenge was one thing.
Finding the reason they targeted him? That was far more important.
Alex had already begun digging into Hydra's motive for targeting him. Something wasn't adding up—this wasn't just a random attack. Meanwhile, far away from Ashen City, someone else was paying close attention to Alex's movements.
Loki.
The news that Alex had left the Avengers hadn't taken long to reach the God of Mischief's ears. And upon hearing it, Loki's emerald eyes gleamed with a sinister spark. A sly smile curled across his lips as he made his move.
He bore no personal hatred for Alex—but the bruised pride of a god who had once been humiliated by a mortal was something Loki couldn't forgive so easily. His plan was simple: break him slowly, and finish with a flourish.
Loki had already taken control of several high-ranking members of the World Security Council using the Mind Stone. It was through their influence that Alex had been forced out of the Avengers. Step one, complete.
Now, it was time to step onto the stage himself.
What would happen, Loki wondered, if he used the Mind Stone to control Alex? Made him fight the very teammates he once bled alongside? What if he accidentally killed one of them?
Would Alex ever recover from that guilt?
Just the thought of that exquisite torment made Loki chuckle with anticipation.
—
In the heart of a bustling metropolis, Alex had just touched down. As soon as he was connected to the net, he wasted no time searching up headlines and digital crumbs about a recent confrontation: Tony Stark's fiery exchange with a certain congressman during a public hearing.
He wasn't surprised by what he found. That congressman had a very familiar face—and a very deep connection to everything going on behind the scenes.
"Huh?" Alex's eyes narrowed.
While cruising through the traffic in his sleek car, his gaze caught a lone figure standing at the edge of the road.
Tall and slender, with chiseled features, and a grin that could make devils flinch.
Loki.
He was just... standing there, like a scene from a nightmare made real. Instinctively, Alex hit the brakes.
"Loki? What the hell is he doing here?!"
His mind raced. SHIELD and the Avengers had been chasing him nonstop. Why would Loki show himself out in the open like this? And judging by that look on his face—smug and deliberate—this wasn't a coincidence.
The God of Mischief approached with calm, deliberate steps, his scepter gleaming faintly under the sunlight.
"Alex," he drawled, the name laced with mockery. "How does it feel to be a stray? A dog without a home?"
Alex clenched the wheel, but his voice remained steady. "I was kicked out… How do you already know that?"
As he said it, his eyes flicked to the scepter in Loki's hand.
The Mind Stone.
A dangerous hunch began forming in his mind.
"Hehehe, for me, controlling a few humans and making them serve me is hardly a chore—whether they're warriors or those puffed-up politicians..." Loki grinned wickedly, clearly relishing in his twisted pride. Seeing Alex's baffled expression, Loki leaned in slightly, his voice smooth with arrogance, as he explained his "masterstroke."
"So that's how it is!" Alex's eyes widened slightly in realisation.
No wonder SHIELD was being pressured from above. At first, he had suspected it was just about him—some fear of what he could do. But it turns out Loki had been pulling strings behind the scenes all along. No wonder Hydra came after him without warning. It was all orchestrated.
"Well then," Loki drawled, tilting his head slightly, that ever-smug smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Can you answer me now? Will you kneel before me—before the destined king of Earth?"
His voice echoed with an eerie, unnatural confidence.
Alex's gaze darkened. His hand moved slowly, fingers brushing the hilt of the Wushuang Sword at his side. It gave off a subtle hum, almost eager. Calm but unyielding, he answered, "And what if I say no?"
The sword slid halfway out of its sheath, moonlight glinting off the blade as the air around it grew sharper.
"In that case..." Loki chuckled, completely unfazed. His smirk grew, eyes glinting with mischief. "I'll just have to teach you the difference between a lowly mortal and a noble god."
Clearly, Alex's rejection had been expected. But there was a flicker—just a flicker—of disappointment in Loki's gaze. Deep down, the god of mischief had been hoping for something more dramatic, a wild rage, maybe even a reckless attack.
Instead, Alex had stayed calm, which somehow irritated him more.
Boom!
Loki didn't wait another moment. With a casual wave of his hand, he raised the Mind Scepter. From its glowing tip, a brilliant surge of magical energy erupted—a mind-blasting shockwave aimed straight at Alex.
The energy pulsed like lightning, charged with the divine power of the Mind Stone itself.
Bang!
But Alex didn't flinch. His left hand shot up.
The moon-white metal of the hollow gauntlet on his hand—crafted from vibranium alloy and infused with Armament Haki—flashed as it collided with the shockwave.
The impact was thunderous.
A burst of golden light cracked against the glove, but the shockwave dispersed harmlessly, unable to pass through.
Loki's eyes narrowed slightly.