After Nick Fury finished speaking, he quietly stared at everyone sitting around the table.
After a brief silence, Tony Stark spoke up: "He should be waiting for backup."
Upon hearing Tony, Steve Rogers said gravely, "Sometimes you can't help it…"
Tony responded immediately, "I've heard that before."
Steve continued, "Is this the first time you've seen soldiers fall?"
Tony's reaction to Steve's words was intense. He said loudly, "But we're not soldiers."
Steve fell silent at Tony's response. Natasha and Barton exchanged glances. Thor and Banner also looked at each other but remained quiet.
Meng Ran sat to the side, neither speaking nor commenting, silently observing their discussion.
Tony then turned to Nick Fury and said, "Although your words were sincere and impressive, I still won't let you manipulate me."
Steve and Banner nodded at this. Natasha and Barton remained silent, while Thor looked up at the ceiling. For an alien like him, it was natural not to follow Fury's orders blindly.
Steve glanced at Tony and said solemnly, "I agree with you, but we still have to consider the bigger picture. Loki has already escaped; we need to formulate a plan."
Tony raised his hand, interrupting Steve before he could finish. He said loudly, "Loki wants to flaunt his personality."
Steve replied, "That doesn't matter."
Tony disagreed, "No, it matters a lot."
He explained, "This is Loki's nature. He knows all about our backgrounds. He wants to defeat us one by one."
"He knows that to win, he must first defeat us."
"And he doesn't just want to defeat us—he wants an audience. He wants people to witness the moment."
Steve understood Tony's analysis and nodded. Loki truly had a flamboyant personality.
"Exactly," Steve said. "He was like this in Stuttgart."
Tony continued, "Yes, but that was just a trailer. Today is the main show."
"He's a classic narcissist. He wants flowers, craves applause, and needs an iconic building to make his name tower above all else."
Tony paused suddenly, recalling something important.
The usually silent Banner spoke up, "Stark Tower—that should be the stage he wants."
"Damn it," Tony thought. In New York, no building could rival Stark Tower's iconic status.
The analysis was complete. Loki's destination was clear.
The Avengers quickly left the conference room to prepare their gear.
Once everyone had left, Meng Ran glanced at Nick Fury and said, "Your speech was pretty good."
"If I didn't know what kind of person you are, I might have been fooled."
"When I treated Coulson's injuries just now, I didn't find any cards in his pocket."
Nick Fury didn't defend himself. He simply said softly, "Those cards were in his locker, but that's not important."
"What matters is that they needed motivation."
Meng Ran didn't say more. He knew the cards were just props to unite Tony and the others, a tool to focus them on a common goal.
One had to admit—this black-hat strategist knew how to manipulate people. He never wasted a useful opportunity.
For example, the recent attack and Coulson's injuries could have severely shaken S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as the Avengers' morale and combat readiness.
But after Fury's intervention, the heavily wounded S.H.I.E.L.D. mobilized, fighting with unity and purpose. Even the initially fragmented Avengers began to cooperate.
In short, Fury could turn every favorable factor into leverage for his ultimate goal.
"Have your team prepared? They won't be like Tony and the others, right?" Fury asked, looking out the window, his back to Meng Ran.
Meng Ran replied softly, "Don't worry. My team is professional."
"When Tony and the others assemble, that will be our cue to act."
"Good," Fury nodded. He turned, intending to say more to Meng Ran.
But when he turned, the elusive phantom had silently disappeared.
"Ah~" Fury shook his head. Even he had no solution for this ghost—this one was more troublesome than Tony Stark.
Meng Ran had no interest in listening to Fury's ramblings.
After speaking, he left the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier and headed for the Six-Point Star Alliance base.
The battle was about to begin, and he needed to meet with Gwen and Peter.
Their families had all been arranged: those traveling went on trips, those on business were away. No one was in New York, reducing distractions for Meng Ran and the team.
While Meng Ran headed to the alliance base, the Avengers were preparing their equipment and slowly assembling.
Meanwhile, on the roof of Stark Tower, Dr. Sevig was tinkering with a precise instrument.
At the center of the device, the Tesseract emitted a faint blue glow, providing a continuous energy source.
After setting up the instrument, Dr. Sevig moved to the computer, adjusting the relevant data.
The Tesseract at the center began radiating immense blue energy, and the instrument started vibrating slightly.
The machine had begun operating. The Tesseract's energy was activated—an interstellar gateway was about to open.
Dr. Sevig stepped back, his eyes glowing blue—a mark of Loki's influence.
He stared at the activated Tesseract, filled with awe and amazement. In his research of the Tesseract, he had truly broadened his horizons.
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(End of Chapter)