This clip instantly ignited the audience's fury. Comments floated across like a storm, sharp and relentless, resembling a furious street-side quarrel.
"Aren't these aliens too arrogant?"
"Ants? They dare call us ants? Why come to our planet if we're just ants?"
"Loki, every word out of your mouth is 'ant', even I wouldn't dare be that arrogant!"
"This Loki is infuriating! I can see it clear as day; he's just desperate to feel important among humans!"
"That's right! He's just seeking attention! A king? Him? He's nothing but a clown!"
"I actually thought this was Loki's highlight moment, turns out he's just pathetic!"
"The portal… Loki's the key to it! If they can kill him or figure out how he opened it, maybe they can stop the Chitauri invasion!"
"The Chitauri are savage! They're treating Earth like a slaughterhouse!"
"And Loki's an idiot! That scepter in his hand can control people, right? Why can't he control that guy?"
"Director Fury! Hurry up and stop him! We can't let him open that portal!"
"Wait! I just remembered, the giant mechanical whale at the start must've come through that portal!"
"No way… how big is this thing? Are they planning a total invasion?"
"The Cube! That's what they're after. Everything revolves around it!"
"I swear, the real threat isn't the Chitauri. It's whoever gave Loki that scepter!"
"I think so too. If they can't even handle the Chitauri, this era's done for."
"The global destruction, it all ties back to this alien invasion!"
"Right now, our only hope lies with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers plan."
A heavy sense of urgency settled over everyone. The Great War of Earth felt imminent. Even S.H.I.E.L.D., for all their power, were just humans of that era. Could they truly stand against an alien army like the Chitauri? The odds felt slim.
"I wonder if Rogers can knock out a Chitauri with one punch."
"Could Iron Man armor kill those creatures?"
"Thor can definitely handle them! He smashed that giant robot without breaking a sweat!"
"The Hulk… hard to say, though he does look unstoppable."
"Look at that massive aircraft carrier! Are they all gathering there?"
The captured footage continued. A sleek jet soared across the sea, heading straight for a massive carrier.
[ Colson escorted Rogers off the plane, and they immediately encountered the Widow. ]
[ "This is Captain Rogers," Colson introduced. ]
[ Widow smiled at him and said, "When they dug you out of the ice, it caused quite a stir. I thought Coulson would faint." ]
[ As they exchanged a few words, they noticed Dr. Banner standing nearby, looking uneasy. ]
[ "Dr. Banner," Rogers greeted warmly. ]
[ "Hello," Banner replied, shaking his hand. "I heard you were coming." ]
[ "They say you can find the Cube?" Rogers asked. ]
[ Banner glanced around. "Have you heard anything else?" ]
[ "Nothing that matters," Rogers said plainly. ]
[ Banner nodded. "You must feel out of place." ]
[ Rogers watched the soldiers sprinting across the deck. "Honestly? It's a feeling I haven't had in a long time." ]
[ Widow smirked. "Gentlemen, let's take this inside. You'll be short of breath if we stay out here." ]
[ As her words faded, the carrier came alive with the roar of complex machinery. ]
[ "A submarine?" Rogers muttered. ]
[ Banner stepped closer to the edge. "Really? They're keeping me in a sealed, pressurized metal tank?" ]
[ Water surged violently around the vessel as a massive propeller rose from the depths, churning the ocean. The immense power stirred waves that battered the carrier. Then, with a deep groan, the colossal ship began lifting into the sky.]
[ The two scientists rushed back, and Banner shook his head. "This just got worse."]
[ The massive ship finally ascended fully and hovered in the clouds. The trio made their way into its sprawling command center. ]
[ "Hover checks complete. Power cycle stabilized. Increase thrust to eight percent."]
[ Rogers roamed casually, hands in his pockets, scanning the advanced tech with interest.]
[ "Engines at maximum," Agent Hill reported. "SHIELD emergency protocol 193.6 engaged."]
[ "Altitude stabilized," another voice confirmed.]
[ Director Fury stood confidently at the console. "Engage stealth mode."]
[ "Activate reflective panels!" The entire exterior shimmered, its hull cloaking itself in a near-perfect simulation of the sky, disappearing from view.]
[ Rogers stepped forward, pulled out a crisp ten-dollar bill, and silently handed it to Fury.]
"Ha! Rogers lost the bet!"
"Classic! He actually remembered!"
"He's too sincere! That ten Dollars was worth every cent!"
"This ship is gorgeous! I really thought it was a submarine!"
"Those two acted like they'd never seen tech before!"
"Ten Dollars well-spent!"
"This cloaking tech is incredible! Imagine if we had it today!"
"I study physics, and even I couldn't pull that off in real time!"
"Seeing this ship gives me hope they can beat Loki!"
"This floating fortress is insane!"
Back in the director's office, he studied the footage, his expression grim. Moments later, the head of the military research division spoke up. "Director, doesn't this remind you of the Heaven Gate Project?"
"Heaven Gate Project? What's that?" another expert asked, startled.
The director's gaze softened, though his voice stayed calm. "It's no secret program."
He paused, then explained: "The Heaven Gate Project was one of the Terra Federation's deep-space strategic strike initiatives. It was proposed years ago, though progress has been… lacking. Still, that aircraft carrier bears a striking resemblance to what we envisioned."
The room erupted in disbelief. "We had a plan for something like this?"
The director nodded bitterly. The Heaven Gate Project had been an ambitious, almost mythical concept introduced over a decade ago, a bold vision of advanced warfare. At its heart was the new unmanned fighter, designed for long-range strikes in future interstellar conflicts. Complementing it was a massive aerospace carrier platform, eerily similar to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ship. To support these assets, the plan even included next-generation unmanned tactical suits to enhance orbital airborne forces. It was a monumental undertaking, one far beyond its time.
"We proposed it long ago," the director admitted, "but maybe our peace lasted too long. The tech never fully materialized." Then, with a thin smile, he added, "But this time, the Council has reactivated the Project. In the coming months, we'll see a flood of new equipment."
The room fell silent. "You mean… all that concept tech we couldn't complete for over ten years already existed back then?"
"The weapons S.H.I.E.L.D. has shown us so far," someone muttered, "could annihilate parts of the Terra Federation."
It sounded exaggerated, but no one doubted it. The technological gap was undeniable; Earth's golden age had reached heights the Federation had yet to imagine.
Xiaotian finally broke the silence. "So… does that mean there's still hope? Could they fight back against the Chitauri?"
The director shook his head. "I doubt it. That ship's firepower is probably on par with that giant mechanical whale we saw earlier. Unless S.H.I.E.L.D. has a fleet of them…"
The thought left everyone uneasy.
Johan, the eldest and wisest among them, finally spoke to lift spirits. "S.H.I.E.L.D. will succeed. The Avengers initiative will be Earth's rallying cry."
The captured footage continued playing, and a heavy, solemn atmosphere filled the room.
[ After shaking Banner's hand, Fury was briefed. ]
[ "We've tapped into every wireless camera, phone, and laptop," Colson said. "If it connects to a satellite, we're watching it." ]
[ Widow crouched beside a console. "It's still not enough." ]
[ "How many optical spectrometers do you have access to?" Banner asked. ]
[ "How many do you need?" Fury countered. ]
[ "Then contact every lab. Get their analyzers on rooftops, tuned to gamma rays. I'll create a cluster ID algorithm to narrow the search zones," Banner instructed. He shrugged off his jacket. "Got a place I can work?" ]
[Widow led him to a lab while the carrier's systems roared to life, hunting for the Cube. ]
[ The footage shifted again, revealing a dim, labyrinthine base. ]
[ "Where'd you find these people?" Dr. Eric asked, intrigued. ]
[ "S.H.I.E.L.D. never runs out of enemies," Hawkeye replied. He handed Eric a device. "This is what you needed?" ]
[ "Yes. Iridium. It's rare, meteorite-sourced, capable of generating antiprotons," Eric said excitedly. ]
[ "If S.H.I.E.L.D. finds out you're hunting this, things will get complicated," Hawkeye warned. ]
[ Loki entered, his presence commanding attention. ]
[ "The Cube taught me more than knowledge," Eric said, trembling with awe. "It showed me the truth." ]
[ Loki's eyes flickered toward Hawkeye. "What do you see?" ]
[ "My next target," Hawkeye said coldly. ]
[ "And what do you want from me?" Loki asked. ]
[ Hawkeye snapped open his bow, his expression hard as stone. Barton's eyes burned with murderous intent. "We'll strike where they least expect it." ]
"The scepter's control is terrifying! Hawkeye's completely under Loki's spell!"
"Wait, does that mean he's about to attack S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"No way… He was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agent!"
"He's probably targeting that ship! Loki can definitely find it!"
"If he attacks, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s done for!"
"One strike from that bow and it's over!"
"Hawkeye… damn it!"
"Let's hope S.H.I.E.L.D. survives. They're humanity's last hope right now!"
"Did anyone understand Banner's tech talk? I'm lost!"
"I didn't get a word! That guy's a genius!"
"Banner's brilliant. But will they actually find the Cube?"