"So his next step is…"
Captain America tried to follow that line of thought.
"He now has Iridium Metal. He'll need a powerful enough energy source to activate the Tesseract. Stark, I think you should go home and check on things."
Qingshui said, crossing his legs.
It was much faster to solve a problem when you had the answer.
"Son of the Beach."
Tony Stark muttered under his breath, then hurried out, intending to change into his Iron Suit and head to Stark Tower.
However, just then—
*BOOM!*
A massive explosion instantly erupted from the side of the Helicarrier.
Banner stumbled, about to fall to the ground, but Qingshui steadied him by holding his shoulder with one hand.
He pressed the button on his wristband, and the Electrolight Armor instantly covered Qingshui's entire body. He activated the Mechanism Shield Seal to protect his back, preventing Banner from being hit by the explosion's aftermath and turning into the Hulk.
"Thanks, Watt."
Banner picked up his fallen glasses, put them back on, and said.
"Engine three has been attacked and lost power. Engine four area has been breached. Barton is leading the invasion!"
Hill got up from the ground, shouting as she looked at the main control computer.
"You can tell the future? And you still say you're not a wizard? Never mind, I'm going to find Loki."
Thor's eyes widened, and he rushed out.
"Come back, you don't need to go. If Loki has calculated this far, he's definitely set a trap for you."
"It's fine. I've fallen into Loki's traps hundreds of times, and he's never truly hurt me."
Thor stubbornly ran out.
Qingshui helplessly covered his forehead.
What a blockhead!
Oh well, even if Loki wasn't weak, without the Mind Stone Scepter in hand, he couldn't pose much of a threat.
Even with the temporary loss of Thor, a BOSS-level combatant, the remaining forces were adequate.
"Captain, Agent Romanoff, please deal with the people Agent Barton brought. Stark and I will go repair the engines so you don't all fall. Then, full speed ahead to New York. Nick, I need you to immediately contact Washington and the Pentagon. First, mobilize the local National Guard in New York for defense, and contact the military to be ready for deployment at any time. Also, keep a close eye on everyone here. I don't want any unexpected trouble from your end. I'm not talking about Mr. Banner, you know."
Qingshui finished speaking and flew off without looking back.
Tony Stark didn't think much of it and followed right behind him.
"Director, we…"
"Do as he says. His command is correct."
Nick Fury said, hands behind his back, to Agent Hill and Black Widow.
Captain America had already charged out, shield in hand, leading the way.
As a seasoned veteran of countless battles, he was accustomed to obeying orders—correct orders.
Nick Fury watched Captain America's receding figure, then looked at the metal man flying outside the Helicarrier on the computer monitor.
He could see that Watt was using his own methods to gain influence over this team of extraordinary individuals.
However, in Nick Fury's earliest plans, the leadership of this team was supposed to be held by Captain America.
At least Captain America's command ability in localized conflicts was adaptable to any situation. In the event of a large-scale battle, as long as Captain America stepped up and made arrangements, others would naturally follow instinctively if they felt his command was correct.
One or two times, this loose team could quickly be brought together in battle, achieving significant results.
Even if Thor was the Prince of Asgard and Tony Stark was a troublemaker, as long as Captain America was present, and there wasn't a major conflict, Captain America would hold the most weight in the group, even if not formally its commander, becoming its spiritual leader.
At least one of the leaders, and the most important one.
But now, it seemed Watt had messed things up.
It was true, for someone with the personality of an ambitious schemer, seeing such a team would naturally lead them to try and bring it under their control.
Even if they couldn't, they would try to influence the team as much as possible.
Nick Fury was the same.
However, he wasn't a member of this team; at most, he appeared as a collaborator. So he planned to influence the team through Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, monitor everything, and use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s power to mold himself into the team's guide.
Watt, on the other hand, was truly a member of this team, with ability, financial resources, ambition, and a knack for planning.
Nick Fury had only just realized this and couldn't stop it immediately.
Because Qingshui's arrangements were largely correct in their general direction, he could only, at most, add some details according to his own wishes.
On such an important matter, he couldn't possibly sing a different tune.
But it was only the beginning. Watt had only temporarily gained some standing within the team. He was still far from truly controlling a significant part of the team's decision-making.
Nick Fury trusted his methods.
Meanwhile, outside the Helicarrier, Qingshui casually took out a few armed individuals who were shooting at him with an Energy Pulse and made his way to the main power switch.
He wasn't thinking about all those complicated things, nor did he know Nick Fury would overthink so much.
He was just focused on steering the situation to his greatest advantage, to facilitate his own plans.
Even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s psychological profile of him wasn't entirely accurate—they believed that an ordinary doctoral student who had been dormant for years and suddenly rose to prominence meant Qingshui had deliberately concealed his abilities in the past, creating informational discrepancies to aid his subsequent actions.
But in reality, Qingshui had simply deployed an Avatar in that world and merged it with his counterpart in this world.
Perhaps in the eyes of a seasoned schemer like Nick Fury, everyone else was a conspirator—though Qingshui did indeed have many tricks up his sleeve.
"The obstructions are cleared, and I've re-routed the wires, Tony. How are things on your end?"
"The fan torque is calibrated. You can activate it now."
Tony's voice came through the radio.
Qingshui then pulled the power switch.
The massive fans at the bottom of the Helicarrier began to spin faster, spewing out alternating blue and orange turbine flames.
At that moment, this hundred-thousand-ton behemoth flying in the sky regained its balance and steadily flew towards New York.
"Captain, what about you guys?" Qingshui asked over the radio.
"Barton has been subdued."
"Thor?"
"I'm on my way back. Loki set a trap for me and then escaped!"
Qingshui: ...
Didn't you know it was a trap before?
Sure enough, you can trust the Hammer God's strength, but not his intelligence.
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