What exists in the universe?
If you asked a middle school student, they would probably answer without hesitation: stars, planets, light, black holes, galaxies…
But before all of that—
What existed before matter itself?
Modern humanity proposed the Big Bang Theory, Hubble's Law, the theory of a cosmic singularity…
Yet all of these were defined by humans.
The mysteries of the universe were far deeper than the limits of the human mind. The knowledge humanity claimed to understand might be truth—or it might simply be illusion.
Clara felt as though she was drifting.
Drifting through an infinite, boundless space.
She had no idea how long she had been drifting, nor how far. Perhaps she had already passed beyond the edge of the universe. Or perhaps she hadn't moved at all—because in a space without reference points, distance itself lost meaning.
Then suddenly—
She saw a point.
A single point of explosion.
Light burst outward in every direction, and countless forms of matter tore themselves away from that point.
It was a silent explosion.
Though its expansion was immeasurable and endless, it made no sound at all. A sea of fire rushed toward her, swallowing her whole in an instant.
"Ah—!"
Clara jolted upright in bed, eyes wide, gasping for air, her face drained of all color. The cool white light of the bedside lamp illuminated the room in half-shadow.
Pressing a hand to her chest, she felt her heart pounding like a drum.
She glanced at the clock.
She had only been asleep for one hour.
Climbing out of bed, Clara turned on the television.
Sleeping too early always leads to nightmares… I'll watch some TV for a while.
—
Hundreds of meters beneath the surface, deep inside S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Accelerator Testing Facility, lay a top-secret research base established three years earlier.
Everything contained within was knowledge ordinary people would never dare to imagine.
Four hours ago, Dr. Erik Selvig, a renowned astrophysicist, detected a sudden energy surge emitted by the Tesseract.
The energy wasn't caused by any external input.
It was self-generated.
Even after all external power sources were cut off, the Tesseract could not be shut down—because it was, in itself, a massive energy core.
The Tesseract had originally been recovered decades ago, when Howard Stark discovered it while searching for Captain America's remains after his plane crash.
For years, S.H.I.E.L.D. had kept it sealed away.
They simply didn't know how to use its power.
Then, one year ago—
Thor, the God of Thunder, descended from the Asgard.
The arrival of a being from Asgard shook not only S.H.I.E.L.D., but the entire world.
From that moment on, Director Nick Fury secretly formed a specialized research team dedicated to studying the Tesseract's energy potential.
Just as they were beginning to make progress—
The Tesseract suddenly became active.
That was not a good sign.
For everyone's safety, Level 8 Agent Phil Coulson ordered an immediate evacuation and contacted Director Fury at once.
By the time Nick Fury arrived, the Tesseract had entered an extremely volatile state.
"Doctor," Fury said firmly, "our objective is to draw energy from the universe. Isn't this the perfect opportunity?"
Fury believed the active Tesseract could provide humanity with an immense energy source—something the world desperately needed.
"But we're not ready," Selvig replied anxiously. "According to my calculations, it still needs more time. Its energy output keeps increasing, and it's emitting radiation and interference signals nonstop. They're low-level gamma rays, relatively harmless—for now."
"So there is danger," Fury said grimly. "Where's Agent Barton?"
"My archer?" Selvig pointed upward. "In his nest, of course."
Clint Barton, code name Hawkeye, was one of Fury's most trusted agents.
"Director," Barton reported calmly from his elevated vantage point. "No one's entered or exited. Dr. Selvig is clean. If something goes wrong, it won't be from our side."
"Our side?" Fury frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You said the Tesseract is a doorway to the universe," Barton replied evenly. "Doors can be opened from both sides."
As he spoke—
The Tesseract released another powerful pulse.
This time, it didn't just bring energy.
It brought someone.
"I am Loki of Asgard."
A tall, handsome young man appeared, his features sharp and elegant, his smile cold and arrogant—the confidence of a superior race written plainly on his face.
"I have come for the Tesseract. I carry a glorious purpose—one far beyond your understanding."
The scepter in Loki's hand was not merely a weapon—it could also control minds.
With a single strike of its power, both Dr. Selvig and Agent Barton fell under Loki's influence, becoming utterly loyal to him.
"We have no quarrel with you," Fury said evenly.
He knew Thor came from Asgard.
But this man—Thor's brother—had arrived with clear hostility.
Did he represent Asgard…
Or only himself?
"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," Loki replied disdainfully.
"So you intend to crush us?"
"I bring good news," Loki said smoothly. "A world without burdens."
"What burdens?" Fury asked.
"Freedom," Loki said calmly. "Freedom is life's greatest lie. Once you accept that, your heart will finally know peace."
Nick Fury was not a man who enjoyed talking to enemies.
He stood there listening only to buy time.
The base was equipped with a self-destruct system for emergency situations. Fury intended to bury Loki—and himself—hundreds of meters underground.
Unfortunately, Barton saw through the plan.
Still loyal to Fury at his core—but twisted by the scepter's power—Barton's loyalty had shifted.
He struck Fury down.
Loki departed the facility with his newly acquired followers and the container holding the Tesseract.
Agent Maria Hill pursued them by car.
Fury escaped the collapsing underground facility and boarded a helicopter.
The portal created by the Tesseract began to destabilize.
The entire accelerator complex collapsed inward.
Watching years of work vanish into ruin, Fury felt a blaze of fury ignite in his chest.
The helicopter roared forward, catching up to the fleeing convoy.
Fury opened fire on the vehicle below.
Loki retaliated.
With a swing of his scepter, he struck the helicopter's rotor.
The aircraft went down in flames.
The Humvee carrying Loki disappeared into the distance.
"The Tesseract has been taken by an unknown hostile," Fury said into the comm. "We've suffered casualties. Hill—mobilize all available personnel not engaged in rescue operations. Coulson, return to base and initiate Level Seven Alert."
He paused, staring into the vast open fields ahead.
"It appears… the war has already begun."
As the wind howled across the plains, Nick Fury knew—
The plan he had prepared for so long could no longer be delayed.
The Avengers Initiative had officially begun.
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