บท 3: The Age of Heroes
2012, Hellicarrier, Earth
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner said after he watched the conversation between Fury and Loki using the cameras
"Loki's going to drag this out, so...Thor, what's his play?" Steve asked Thor
"He has an army, called the Chitauri" Thor answered "they're not of Asgard, or any world known. He means to lead them against your people, they will win him the earth, in return I suspect for the Tesseract."
"An army?" Steve repeated "From out of space?"
"So he's building another portal" Banner said "that's what he needed Erik Selvig for"
"Selvig?" Thor repeated
"He's an astrophysicist"
"He's a friend"
"Loki has him under some spell, along with one of ours" Natasha said, it didn't need to be pointed out that the other person was Barton
"I want to know why Loki let us take him, he's not leading an army from here" Steve said
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki" Banner replied "that guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you can smell crazy on him"
"Have care how you speak" Thor warned "Loki is beyond reason but he's of Asgard and he is my brother"
"He killed eighty people in two days" Natasha gave Thor with a challenging look
"He's adopted" Thor admitted
"I think it's about the mechanics" Bruce spoke "iridium, what does he need the iridium for?"
"It's a stabilising agent" Tony's voice said as Tony arrived along with Coulson, Tony was now wearing a suit, he whispered something to Coulson just before he continued talking to the rest "means the portal won't collapse on himself like at shield, also it means the portal can stay open as wide and as long as Loki wants" Tony then walked over to the computer screens, he barked a couple of commands to shield agents "that man is playing Galaga!" Tony suddenly pointed to his right at a shield agent a little way down "thought we wouldn't notice, but we did. How does Fury even see all these?" Tony wondered as he placed a hand over his own eye to mimic Fury's eyepatch
"He turns" Hill answered
"Sounds exhausting" Tony replied "the rest of the raw materials, agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. The only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density something to kick start the cube"
"When did you become an expert in thermo-nuclear astrophysics?" Hill asked, trying to hide how impressed she was
"Last night" Tony answered "the packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers...am I the only one who did the reading?"
"Is there a particular kind of power source he needs?" Steve asked, not in the mood for Tony's dramatics
"He'd have to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million kelvin just to break through the Coulumb barrier" Banner replied
"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilise the quantum tunnel effect" Tony replied
"With that he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet" Banner responded
"Finally, someone who speaks English" Tony happily said
"it is a pleasure to meet you Doctor Banner" he shook Banner's hand "your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled, and I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster"
"Thanks" Banner said, not sure what he should say in response
"Doctor Banner is only here to locate the cube" Fury said as he arrived "I was hoping you might join him" He said to Tony
"Let's start with that stick of his" Steve said "it may be magical but it works an awful lot like a hydra weapon"
"I don't know about that" Fury replied "but it is powered by the cube, and I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest people I know into his personal flying monkeys"
"Monkeys? I don't understand" Thor said, a bit confused
"I do" Steve said quickly while Tony rolled his eyes
"Shall we play doctor?" Tony said to Banner, cutting through the awkward silence. Doctor Banner nodded and the two genius's walked out of the room together.
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"As soon as Loki took the doctor, we moved Jane Foster." Coulson said as he talked with Thor.
"We've got an excellent observatory in Tromsø. She was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. She'll be safe."
"Thank you," Thor said in an appreciative voice. "it is no accident that Loki took Erik Selvig, I dread what he plans for him once he is done. Erik was...is a good man."
"He talked about you a lot," Coulson replied. "you changed his life, you changed everything around here"
"Things were better as they were before I came." Thor shook his head. "We pretend on Asgard that we are more advanced, but we come here battling like Bilgesnipe."
"Like what?" Coulson blinked.
"Bilgesnipe," Thor repeated. "you know? Huge, scaly, big antlers," Thor said as he briefly raised his hands over his head and pretended that they were antlers. "you don't have those?" He asked in a surprised voice.
"I don't think so," Coulson said with a small headshake.
"Well they are repulsive, and trample everything in their path." Thor said, "when I first came to Earth, Loki's rage followed me here and your people payed the price, and now again. In my youth, I courted war." Thor said, his mind drowning in memories of how he used to fight and attack whoever he wanted, his old self disgusted him and he was far more understanding about why his father did what he did.
"War hasn't started yet," Fury said as he walked up to the two. "do you think you can make Loki talk? Make him tell us where the Tesseract is?"
"I don't know," Thor admitted in an honest voice. "Loki's mind is far afield, it is not just power that he craves, but it's also vengeance, on me. There's no pain that would prise his need from him."
"A lot of guys think that, until the pain starts." Fury replied.
"What are you asking me to do?" Thor asked as he looked Fury in the eye.
"I'm asking 'what are you prepared to do?'"
"Loki is your prisoner."
"Then why do I feel like he is the only person on this damn boat that wants to be here?" Fury replied, Thor stayed silent
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Loki was in his cell, calmly walking around, waiting for his plan to take form. He had no idea when it would happen since there was no devices in this room to tell him the time, nor was there any open windows for him to be able to look outside and take an educated guess from looking at the sky, but it would hopefully happen soon. Loki knew his plan would work, and if it did not then he was comforted by the many back up plans he had in place. Loki was deep in thought, his pacing was constant, but suddenly he stopped and a smirk appeared on his face.
"You know, there is not many people that can sneak up on me." He said as he turned around to see Agent Romanoff, the Black Widow, standing outside of his cell and staring at him with her arms crossed.
"But you'd figure I'd come." Natasha said in a knowing voice.
"After," Loki replied. "after whatever tortures Fury can come up with then you would come, you would appear as my friend, as a balm, and then I would cooperate."
"I want to know what you've done with Agent Barton."
"I'd say I've expanded his mind." Loki said with a small shrug.
"And once you've won," Natasha said as she took a few steps forward. "one you're king of the mountain, what happens to his mind? What are you going to do to him?"
"Is this love Agent Romanoff?" Loki raised an eyebrow.
"Love is for children, I owe him a debt." Natasha replied, internally rolling her eyes, it was not the first time someone thought that she and Barton were a couple.
"Tell me." Loki said as he sat down on the bed in the cell. Natasha thought for a moment before pulling out a chair and sitting down on it.
"Before I worked for Shield, I...I...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset, and I did not care who it was used for, or on. I got on Shield's radar in a bad way, they couldn't let me keep going the way I did, they sent Agent Barton to kill me. He could have, he should have, but he made a different call."
"And what would you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki asked in an interested voice.
"Not let you out." Natasha said without missing a beat.
"No, but I like this!" Loki grinned. "Your world is in the balance but you are bargaining for one man?" He asked in an amused voice.
"Regimes fall everyday," Natasha said in a dismissive voice. "I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian, or at least I was."
"It's really not that complicated," Natasha replied as she stood up and crossed her arms. "I've got red in my ledger, and I would like to wipe it out."
"Can you?" Loki asked. "Can you wipe out THAT much red? Dreykov's daughter, Sao paulo, the hospital fire?" Loki said, while Natasha was trying to keep her face blank. "Barton's told me everything," Loki said as he stood up and walked towards the side of the cell where she was standing. "your ledger is dripping. It's gushing red! And you think that saving a man no more virtuous than yourself would change anything? This is the basest sentimentality, this is a child at prayer. Pathetic!" Loki hissed. "You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers, you pretend to be separate and to have your own code just like the others, something to make up for your own horrors. But they are part of you, and they will never go away." Loki banged his fist on the glass of the cell, causing Natasha to jump back.
I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in everyway he knows you fear! And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I will split his skull!" A horrified look appeared on Natasha's face and she turned away. "That is my bargain, you mewling quim!"
"You're a monster." Natasha said in a shaky voice.
"No," Loki chuckled. "you brought the monster."
"So," Natasha quickly turned around, her face was not scared, more thoughtful. "Banner, that's your play?"
"What?!" Loki blinked.
"Loki plans to unleash the Hulk, keep Banner in his lab." She said into her ear piece before stopping at the exit and turning to Loki. "Thanks for your cooperation." She added before leaving.
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At the same time, Asgard
"My King, we have a situation" Heimdall said to Odin after running from the Bifrost to the throne room as soon as possible
"What? What else did my wayward son do this time? There has been a lot of trouble because of the destruction of Brifrost and now this.. whatever Loki is doing." Odin tiredly replied
"The Eternal Fleet is seen near the planet humans called Jupiter, My King, and it seems that Grand Admiral Thrawn is leading them." said Heimdall
"WHAT? What are they planning to do? Thexan knows that Midgard is under Asgardian protection, so what is he thinkink?!" Odin furiously exclaimed
"I have no idea My King, but I recommend telling Thor about this situation, if the Empire is near Midgard then something big is going to happen, especially considering that the Tesseract is on Midgard. Although admitedly, I don't think Thexan is sending Thrawn to steal the Tesseract, instead I believe that Loki has done something that warrants the attention of Emperor Thexan." replied Heimdall calmly, although inwardly he is confused by this situation as despite losing the Bifrost, Asgard is still capable of causing problems to the Eternal Fleet.
"Yes, I will inform Thor immediately, tell him that in the case that the Empire decided to claim the Tesseract, to bring the Tesseract back to Asgard immediately and tell his Midgardian friends to prepare for their arrival. In case of an invasion, to order a planetwide evacuation using the Tesseract, to bring as many Midgardian as possible to Asgard as I have no intention of allowing one of the Nine Realms to fall under the Empire's rule." ordered Odin
"Yes My King" replied Heimdall
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Back at the Hellicarrier
"Did you know about this?" Bruce said to Fury and Natasha as he gestured to a screen that showed pictures of a weapon design.
"You might want to think about removing yourself from this environment doctor." Natasha said, her voice making it clear that it was more than a suggestion.
"I was in Calcuta, I was pretty well removed."
"Loki has been manipulating you." Natasha said.
"And you've been doing what exactly?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"Look you don't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you" Natasha said
"Yes but I'm not leaving because you suddenly get a little twitchy," "I'd like to know why Shield is using the Tesseract to create weapons of mass destruction."
"Because of him." Fury sighed as he pointed to Thor.
"Me?!" Thor asked.
"Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that levelled an entire town," Fury said. "we learnt that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly and hilariously outgunned."
"My people want nothing but peace with your planet."
"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And you're not the only threat," Fury added as he looked around the room. "the world is filling up with people who can't be matched, who can't be controlled."
"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve asked.
"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies." Thor said. "It is a signal to all the worlds that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."
"A higher form?" Steve asked.
At that precise moment, suddenly Thor received a shadow message from Odin, surprising everyone and stopping their arguments
"My Son, I'm sorry for interrupting you on your work but we have a situation." Odin explained calmly
"Father? what situation?"
"A few moments ago Heimdall saw another force other than Loki's Chitauri coming to Midgard. Near the planet that the Midgardians called Jupiter there is a massive force of tens of thounsands of ships and increasing coming to Midgard. The fleet is led by Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Eternal Empire"
Thor frowned upon hearing the message while the rest of the teams are stoned, many thought the same thing 'Another Alien Force' while Fury is horrified of another army coming as they already had a problem with Loki and the Chitauri.
"Beware my son, should Thrawn invade Midgard then order a worldwide evacuation, gather them at a single spot and once you recover the Tesseract, use it and transport all of you back to Asgard. I meanwhile will have a discussion with Emperor Thexan to ask his motive of sending such a massive fleet near Midgard, and by extension Asgard. You know our history with them Thor, do not be careless and operate with haste, you only have 25 days before they reached Midgard, luckily Midgard is surrounded and protected by our magic, it will buy you some time. Good luck my son" Odin ended the message
"What was that about? Another alien army of Loki's?" Steve said after seeing that no one is going to talk
"I will explain the details later, but now we must find the Tesseract" Thor replied after some thought. 'What are they doing here? Are they looking for the Tesseract too or did they think that Midgard is challenging them by activating the Tesseract?'
At that moment the screen beep, but Bruce upon seeing the data just looked horrified "Oh my God" when suddenly an explosion caused chaos on the Hellicarrier.
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