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====
Unfortunately, whatever Coulson saw before his death will remain a mystery until he is revived.
Soon after, a team of medics hurried over to examine Coulson's body.
Not long after, an announcement came through the communication devices worn by Agent Hill and others: "Agent Coulson is dead. The medical team is on the way..."
Tony Stark, Captain America, and the others, who had just stabilized the helicarrier's descent, fell silent upon hearing the grim news, the atmosphere growing heavy.
...
Around the conference table, Nick Fury pulled something out of his pocket.
"These were found in Agent Coulson's jacket."
"He never got the chance to get them signed."
As Fury spoke, he looked at Captain America, tossing the items onto the table.
They were a set of cards, with images of Captain America printed on them. It was evident that Coulson had been a fan, but he never got the opportunity to express it.
Captain America, holding the bloodstained cards, fell into a contemplative silence.
Nick Fury continued, updating the group on the current situation.
"Communications are down. We can't locate the Tesseract. Banner and Thor are missing. I'm at a loss here."
"And now, Coulson is dead. I've lost my most trusted lieutenant. Maybe I had it coming..." Fury said with a touch of self-deprecation.
He then added, "We originally intended to use the Tesseract to make weapons, but I didn't place all my bets on that. Instead, I invested in a riskier project."
Captain America furrowed his brow in confusion.
Fury looked at Tony Stark, explaining, "That was my vision. Stark should know."
"I called it the Avengers Initiative."
"The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more."
Pausing briefly, Fury sighed before continuing, "Originally, my goal was to include Stark and a few others, but there were two key individuals I aimed for, though unfortunately, they were out of reach."
"Who?" Captain America asked, having an inkling but wanting confirmation.
With Stark and Rogers watching, Fury revealed, "Those two were Messiah and that white-clad freak, the White Knight."
He continued, "But their powers are too terrifying. The world fears them, and they are too easily unhinged. If they lose control, the consequences would be catastrophic."
"The instability of mutants is well documented, supported by extensive research and countless incidents."
"Thus, rather than being part of the Avengers, they're more like unstable elements that need to be neutralized."
This was why Fury had sent Captain Marvel to eliminate Messiah when he first appeared, hoping to remove a potential threat. However, the chosen battleground wasn't ideal, and the confrontation ended inconclusively.
At this point, Fury paused, avoiding further discussion about the two dangerous Omega-level mutants.
However, even though Fury stopped, Stark and Rogers couldn't help but ponder the implications of including Messiah and the White Knight in the Avengers. The very thought of these two formidable beings joining their ranks was terrifying.
If these two had been involved in the helicarrier incident, it likely wouldn't have happened.
Yet, if the Omega mutants did join, they would have questioned Fury's true motives.
If Fury ever directed these two towards some horrific objective, the thought alone was chilling.
Unaware of their thoughts, Fury continued, "The main reason I formed the Avengers was so that when we needed them, they could unite and face threats beyond our control!"
"Coulson believed in this until the end. He believed in…"
Pausing, Fury solemnly added, "The existence of heroes!"
But just as Fury finished his impassioned speech, Stark stood up and left the room without a word, clearly not supportive of the Avengers Initiative.
Or perhaps Stark had already rejected Fury's proposal during a previous discussion, having no interest in joining what he mockingly referred to as the 'super boy band.'
As Stark's figure disappeared from the room, Fury awkwardly muttered, "Well, it's a bit of a cliché concept, I suppose."
While the three were engaged in conversation, Syd hovered silently above.
[Photon Energy +1]
[Photon Energy +1]
As the notifications chimed in his mind, Syd gazed into the distance from his aerial vantage point.
He noticed that Thor had already emerged from the glass cell, but he hesitated to pick up his hammer from the ground. The death of Coulson had shaken him, leaving him uncertain whether to continue fighting. If he did, would more people die?
While Thor wavered, Syd drifted a bit further, observing the Hulk, who lay unconscious and naked in the rubble. A worker handed him some pants, which he quickly put on.
As Syd absorbed energy points and watched these two, Black Widow and Hawkeye were in one of the helicarrier's medical rooms.
"Barton, you'll be alright," Natasha reassured him.
"How do you know?" Barton forced a smile.
He was sweating profusely, lying on the bed with a pained expression as he struggled to break free from the control of the scepter.
"I'm running out of time... I..." Barton gasped, "I need to get this out of my head..."
"You just need some time. You'll be back to normal soon," Natasha said, handing him a glass of water.
Barton sighed, "You don't understand. You've never had someone take control of your mind. That feeling... of pushing the real you out and filling it with something else..."
"Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"
Barton glanced at Natasha.
Natasha replied quietly, "You know I've been there."
Barton paused, recalling some past events, before quickly changing the subject.
"How did you wake me up? How did you chase him out?" he asked, referring to his mind-controlled self.
"I realigned your consciousness. Hit you really hard on the head," Natasha explained.
"Thanks," Barton said, appreciating the gesture.
Seeing that Barton was recovering, Natasha went over to undo his restraints, allowing him to move freely again.
(End of Chapter)
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====
At that moment, Barton seemed to recall something, mumbling, "Natasha, how many agents did I...?"
Before he could finish, Natasha cut him off, reassuring him with a few words.
"Don't dwell on it. Don't add to your guilt. It was all Loki's doing. They're monsters, and we haven't been trained to handle this."
Whether Barton took her words to heart or not, he suddenly asked, "Loki... did he escape?"
"Yes," Natasha nodded, then looked at Barton intently. "Do you know where he went?"
Barton shook his head. "No, he never tells me, and I don't ask."
After a brief pause, he added, "He's probably about to execute his plan soon—today."
"We need to stop him," Natasha said, her brow furrowed.
"Who else is there besides us?" Barton asked.
"I don't know. Whoever's left."
"Alright." Barton then reflected on the lives lost because of him, muttering, "If I could just put an arrow in Loki's eye, maybe I'd be able to sleep."
Hearing his words and seeing that he was slowly returning to his senses, Natasha breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "You're finally back to normal."
But as soon as she said that, Barton remarked, "But you're not."
"You're a spy, not a soldier. That's not who you used to be. Now you want to be on the front lines?"
"Why?"
"What did Loki do to you?"
He recalled how Natasha had charged into battle against him while he was under Loki's control, a behavior that was unlike her usual self.
Natasha fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "He didn't do anything to me, it's just..."
"Natasha?"
Natasha stared into the void ahead. "I'm a bit shaken."
"Because I've got too much blood on my hands..."
"I want to make amends..."
Natasha remained quiet.
The reason she was known as the Black Widow was because of her deadly skills, like the most lethal spider—always slipping past unnoticed until it was too late. Once people realized her presence, it was often already too late.
Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., or rather, the Avengers, she had been trained in a special facility, where she had committed numerous heinous acts with cold-blooded precision.
Natasha couldn't help but recall her final graduation test at the Red Room, the facility that trained elite female spies. They were placed in a desolate wilderness and told that only one of them could return to graduate. The test provided only enough resources for one person.
In the end, only she returned.
In Natasha's mind, she saw herself as a monster, whether in the Red Room or after she left it...
She believed she needed to atone for her past sins, to make up for the wrongs she had committed.
This was why, not long ago, even though she was a spy by trade, she had thrown herself into the front lines of battle. She felt compelled to do something to make amends for her past mistakes.
In fact, things were unfolding as Natasha feared. If nothing changed, and no other variables intervened, in the battle against Thanos, she would ultimately sacrifice herself to obtain the Soul Stone.
For the Soul Stone, and to ensure Tony Stark and the others could gather the stones to resurrect those lost in the Snap, she would willingly throw herself off a cliff.
In the end, everyone else would be resurrected—everyone except her, who had been sacrificed for the stone, leaving her as nothing more than a memory among the Avengers.
Her actions of atonement perfectly aligned with the hidden criteria for lifting Thor's hammer.
If, during that moment when Thor invited the Avengers to try lifting Mjolnir, Natasha hadn't declined, there was a high chance she would have succeeded in lifting the hammer.
Compared to Jane Foster, who lifted Mjolnir due to her relationship with Thor, Natasha was far more deserving of that honor.
At that moment, Barton, having heard Natasha's words, seemed to understand something and fell silent.
Clearly, he knew some of Natasha's history.
While they conversed, Captain America approached Tony Stark, asking about Coulson.
"Was he married?" Steve Rogers inquired.
Tony Stark replied, "No, but he had a girlfriend who played the cello."
"I'm sorry for your loss. He seemed like a good man..." Steve said quietly.
Tony shook his head. "He was too damn loyal. He went up against Loki alone. He did his duty, but he was in over his head. He should've waited for backup!"
Steve noticed something and asked, "Is this the first time you've seen a soldier die?"
Tony, with a serious expression, quickly denied, "But we're not soldiers!"
After a moment of silence, Tony continued, "I don't plan to follow Fury's orders."
Steve, thinking of something, said, "Neither do I. Fury and Loki are both responsible for Coulson's death. But right now, we have to focus on the bigger picture."
"Loki needs a power source. If we could fabricate one..."
Steve was about to suggest a plan to lure Loki into a trap when Tony interrupted, having had a sudden realization about Loki.
"Loki... he's an attention-seeker."
"That's not important..." Steve didn't understand what Tony was getting at.
But Tony continued, "It's crucial. That's his personality. He knows all about our backgrounds."
"Why do you think that is?"
"To make us fight each other?" Steve asked, still puzzled.
Tony nodded, "Exactly. Divide and conquer. It's brilliant. He knows that to win, he has to defeat us all."
"He wants to beat us, and he wants an audience to see it!"
"He wants spectators..."
"Last time, in front of the whole crowd..."
The more Tony spoke, the more certain he became.
Steve also remembered the scene at the plaza, where Loki had stood high above, demanding the crowd kneel before him.
Tony continued, "That was just a preview. Today is the main event!"
"Loki is a textbook egomaniac. He wants the flowers, the applause..."
"He needs a prominent building to stand atop so his name can be glorified..."
As Tony's voice trailed off, he and Steve exchanged glances, both realizing what Loki was planning.
In New York, the building that fit that description was Stark Tower.
They instantly knew Loki's next move.
"That bastard!" Tony cursed.
...
While Tony and Steve discussed, up on the rooftop of Stark Tower, numerous devices had been set up, and Dr. Selvig was busy with final preparations.
It was clear that these were the tools needed to activate the Tesseract, and the portal to another dimension was about to open above Stark Tower.
Not far away, hidden in the shadows of a nearby building, a group of yellow-robed sorcerers observed Dr. Selvig's actions.
"Is the Lord's prophecy about to be fulfilled?"
"What prophecy?"
Kaecilius and a dozen other sorcerers gazed intently, both expectant and confused.
(End of Chapter)
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