Chapter 87: Strucker's Struggle
"I really didn't expect this."
Loki also said, pretending to be emotional.
But in reality, he was quite happy. He had come to invade Earth, and that Tony Stark, with his Iron Man Suit, was a major asset to humanity. Now, seeing humanity fighting amongst itself, leading to their strength becoming increasingly weakened, he was naturally happy to see it.
"If this continues, I don't think we'll even need to lift a finger; these foolish humans will destroy themselves," Lokithought gleefully.
"All S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, please pay attention. This is Steve Rogers."
Suddenly, the broadcast blared, causing everyone in the base to be startled.
Next, Steve's broadcast laid out all of Pierce's crimes and everything regarding Hydra.
Hammer's expression changed from initial surprise to panic. *What? This was all Hydra's plan? What do I do? I'm involved in this too; doesn't that mean I'm on a sinking ship?*
*No, there's still a chance. I have to terminate Insight Project.* Hammer thought of a solution. If the Helicarrieractually took off, there would be no way to stop it. Fortunately, he had partial control over the Helicarrier here; he just needed to issue an order to prevent it from launching.
Thinking of this, Hammer hurriedly stood up, preparing to take action.
Suddenly, a pistol was pointed at Hammer's head, and a cold voice came from the side.
"Mr. Hammer, I don't think you'll do anything rash, right?"
"For now, listen to me. I guarantee nothing will happen to you, okay?"
Hammer's body stiffened. He cursed inwardly; he had forgotten that they were in a Hydra base. What was he supposed to do now?
Loki, standing to the side, was aware of the news, so he didn't offer any resistance.
"Don't worry. It's not certain that we've lost yet. That guy Rogers' methods might not work. Besides, the Helicarrierhas already taken off. Once it's in the sky, we can control everything."
Strucker, who was holding the gun to Hammer's head, saw the reaction of the two and quickly spoke.
He wasn't wrong; after all, the Helicarrier was currently launching, and Hydra still held the advantage.
Just at this moment, the communicator on Strucker's waist rang, and seeing this, Strucker answered it directly.
"Mr. Strucker, we failed. Mr. Pierce has been killed, and the Helicarrier has been compromised by Stark and has stopped its launch."
After connecting, a somewhat panicked voice came through.
"What? Failed... I understand. I will make the arrangements here."
Strucker hung up with an ugly expression, feeling somewhat irritated.
Their Hydra plan had actually failed. The Helicarriercouldn't launch, and Pierce was dead. Now, there was no chance of a turnaround.
As for their group—Strucker looked at the people here—they had all become the remnants of Hydra. If they didn't make a decision quickly, they would sooner or later be rooted out by the government, and by then, there would be no chance to escape.
Thinking of this, Strucker collected his thoughts and then said to Pierce and Erik.
"Insight Project has failed. Pierce is dead."
As soon as these words were spoken, Hammer couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, if this plan had succeeded, his crimes would have been massive. Since it didn't succeed, it was fine; he could still claim he didn't know about Hydra's plan and had been deceived.
Loki frowned upon hearing this news. It had been resolved so easily, which meant humanity hadn't suffered much loss. This made him, who wanted to watch a good show, somewhat unhappy.
Strucker, seeing Hammer's expression, scanned the entire laboratory and then said.
"But I'm sorry, you two, you still need to leave with me. We have no intention of giving up the research on the Tesseract, so please come with me."
It was called an invitation, but anyone who wasn't a fool could hear the threat in Strucker's words. Seeing Hammer's pale complexion, Strucker continued.
"Pierce is dead, but Hydra has not ended. We will return one day, but for now, we cannot stay at S.H.I.E.L.D., so we need to change locations."
"First, we will go to rendezvous with Sitwell."
He was short on manpower, and the first person he thought of was Sitwell, who had gone with the Winter Soldier to eliminate Steve. Since Steve had already escaped, that meant those two must have been captured.
Both were capable lieutenants of Hydra. With their help, Strucker would be more confident.
Hearing that he still wouldn't be released, Hammer's face turned pale. He was just too unlucky; he had been dragged onto Hydra's ship for no reason. It would be fine if Hydrawere still as strong as before, but now they were clearly failing. Wouldn't it be miserable if he went with them?
But it seemed this wasn't something he could refuse. Hammer glanced sideways at the muzzle of the gun Strucker was holding to his head and swallowed hard. If he didn't agree, it was clearly Death. Hydra wouldn't let their secrets leak out. Helpless, Hammer could only nod in agreement.
Loki, on the other hand, accepted readily. His original goal was the Tesseract. Regardless of what happened to these humans, as long as the Tesseract was still there, he wouldn't leave.
"Good. Since you two are so sensible, I won't harm you. Without further ado, since that's the case, let's leave quickly."
Strucker, seeing the two agree, lowered the gun in his hand, walked over to the Tesseract, picked up the dedicated case to pack it away, and then took the remaining Hydra remnants, along with Loki and Hammer, and left the place.
Meanwhile, in the underground laboratory of Tony's seaside villa.
Bucky, who had been knocked unconscious, slowly woke up. He looked around his surroundings in a daze, as if he hadn't fully come to his senses yet.
"You're awake. Hurry, hurry over and untie my ropes."
Before he could react, an anxious voice came from the side. Bucky turned his head to look.
He saw Sitwell, tied to a chair, anxiously signaling for him to untie him.
"You are..."
Bucky shook his head. The memories in his mind were somewhat chaotic, as if he had remembered something.
Seeing this, Sitwell's expression changed. *Not good. This looks like the Winter Soldier's brainwashing has failed.* Thinking for a moment, Sitwell hurriedly shouted at Bucky.
"Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, furnace, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car..."
As soon as these words were spoken, Bucky seemed to have received some kind of order. His eyes became cold again, and he reverted to the original Winter Soldier.
Seeing this expression on Bucky, Sitwell knew it had worked and commanded again.
"Winter Soldier, come over and untie me."
This time, Bucky didn't offer any resistance; he walked over and untied the ropes for Sitwell.
Chapter 88: News of the Tesseract
"Gentlemen, please leave immediately, or I will be forced to take defensive measures."
Just as Sitwell was regaining consciousness, Jarvis's alarm sounded; clearly, Jarvis had detected that the two had broken free.
"Winter Soldier, let's get out of here quickly."
Sitwell's expression tightened. This was Stark's villa, after all; who knew what kind of defensive measures he might have? He didn't want to delay, as he still didn't know how things were going for Pierce.
Hearing the order, Bucky Barnes walked straight toward the locked gate of the underground laboratory, preparing to blast it open.
Just at that moment.
Three compartments rose from the floor not far from Sitwell, each containing an Iron Man Suit: the Mark 12, 14, and 16.
"This is..."
Sitwell's expression changed. This was clearly Stark's countermeasure. Three Iron Man Suits—this was a bit too heavily guarded, wasn't it?
At the same time, the three Iron Man Suits received control signals from Jarvis, their eyes lit up, and they emerged to walk toward Sitwell and his companion.
"Quick, destroy these things."
Sitwell ordered Bucky Barnes in a panic.
Receiving the order, Bucky Barnes charged straight at the nearest Mark 12. The Mark 12's eyes lit up, and it swung its arm to block Bucky Barnes's attack. However, Bucky Barnes seized the momentum to kick the Mark 12 in the leg, causing it to lean over. Taking advantage of this moment, he used his mechanical arm to punch, smashing the Mark 12's head into fragments, and the Mark 12's energy core dimmed accordingly.
After finishing off the Mark 12, Jarvis controlled the other two suits to approach. But Bucky Barnes had clearly anticipated this; he grabbed the corpse of the Mark 12 and threw it directly at the Mark 14 and 16. Due to the narrow space, the two suits could not dodge in time and were struck directly in their energy cores, collapsing to the ground, unable to move.
"Well done, Winter Soldier. Quick, let's get out of here."
Seeing this, Sitwell's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly gestured for Bucky Barnes to take him away.
Without Jarvis's interference, Bucky Barnes smashed the laboratory door, and the two escaped the villa.
Outside the villa, Sitwell was worrying about how to leave quickly when he suddenly saw a car driving toward them. His heart skipped a beat—could it be that Stark and the others were coming back? Was he really that unlucky? Sitwell's expression turned bitter.
But to his surprise, when the car stopped, the person who got out was none other than Strucker from Hydra.
...
S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
The battle on the ground was nearing its end, and there were not many people left on the Hydra side.
Around Steve, Hydra agents were strewn all over the ground. Even he was panting slightly by this point.
Just then, a Hydra agent quietly approached, raised his gun at Steve, and prepared to fire.
"Watch your back, Captain."
Suddenly, Tony's voice came from above, and a moment later, an energy blast struck the sneak-attacking Hydraagent, knocking him to the ground.
Steve reacted to the presence behind him, and seeing the agent on the ground, he looked up at the sky.
Tony flew down, retracted his faceplate, and shrugged, saying.
"It's already finished up there. If you'll pardon me, that was too simple for me."
Steve nodded upon hearing this and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the biggest problem had been resolved.
"Captain Rogers, so this is where you are."
Coulson's voice suddenly rang out. Tony and Stevecouldn't help but pause and turn to look.
They saw Coulson walking toward Steve with an excited expression, with Clint, Nick Fury, and the newly arrived Clark Kent behind him.
"Director Fury, the matter has been concluded."
Steve saluted and reported to Fury.
"Mm, you did very well, Rogers."
Fury nodded. This time, it was truly thanks to Rogers and his team; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Fury, you need to see this first."
Just then, Natasha walked over from behind, holding a document in her hand with a grave expression.
Seeing Natasha's expression, Fury's face also tightened, and he took the document and began to read.
"I found this in Pierce's office. It's their research proposal for the Tesseract. It not only implicates Dr. Erik but also Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries."
Natasha explained where she had obtained the document. Having seen the document earlier and knowing that the Tesseract was a dangerous item, she had rushed over to bring it to Fury.
Meanwhile, as he read the proposal, Fury's expression became increasingly grim. He hadn't expected that Hydrahad not given up on the Tesseract and had already begun researching it behind his back.
He knew the power of the Tesseract; it contained endless energy. If developed properly, it would absolutely be a benefit to all of humanity. However, Hydra clearly wouldn't develop it in that direction. They were developing weapons—energy weapons capable of dominating the battlefield.
No, they had to be stopped, and as quickly as possible; otherwise, once they got wind of the situation, it would be too late. Thinking of this, Fury's expression hardened, and he said to Steve.
"Rogers, there is another issue here. As far as I know, Hydra has also kidnapped Dr. Erik and Justin Hammer to secretly conduct research on the Tesseract. We have already located them, so we need you to go there and eliminate the Hydra presence."
"The Tesseract."
Tony, standing to the side, was somewhat puzzled, clearly having never heard of this item. However, something that Hydra wanted to research was definitely not simple.
Clint's expression also changed upon hearing this. He hadn't expected this thing to have been taken by Hydra. If they really managed to research something from it, the power of this item would be no less than that of Insight Project.
Upon hearing this, Steve's expression darkened, and a very complex look flashed in his eyes.
He certainly knew what the Tesseract was; it was the thing his old nemesis, Red Skull, had spent his whole life researching. He had once witnessed Red Skull's energy weapons powered by the Tesseract, and their power was terrifying. Even now, the thought of it made him shudder. If Hydra developed even more powerful weapons, the entire world would once again be shrouded in their shadow.
No, this thing must absolutely not fall into the hands of Hydra. Thinking of this, Steve raised his head and said firmly to Fury.
"Alright, I understand, Director Fury. I will definitely complete the mission."
Fury nodded, then turned to look at Tony and said.
"Tony, you go too. We don't know what dangers are over there, and it won't be easy for Steve to handle it alone."
Tony was somewhat reluctant upon hearing this; having just gone through such a massive battle, he was exhausted now.
Chapter 89: Launching the Avengers Initiative Early!
"Sir, the seaside villa is under attack. Mark 12, 14, and 16 are all damaged."
Suddenly, Jarvis's voice came from Tony's ear, causing Tony's expression to change.
"What? What exactly is going on?"
Tony asked hurriedly.
"Reporting, sir. Just two minutes ago, the person you knocked unconscious woke up and released another person. After damaging Mark 12, 14, and 16, they escaped the villa and rendezvoused with the reinforcements outside."
Jarvis reported truthfully.
After hearing Jarvis's report, Tony looked at Fury with a serious expression and proceeded to repeat what Jarvishad said.
"What? Sitwell and the others have been rescued?"
"Could it be those people who were studying the Tesseract?"
Steve's expression changed. He thought of that group of people. Now that most of Hydra was being contained here, only those people could have done this.
Nick Fury's expression was also grave. This is bad. This means Erik was also taken away, and Hydra still managed to take the Tesseract. This is going to be difficult to handle.
With the Tesseract in their hands, there must be some major conspiracy afoot.
It seems the Avengers Initiative cannot be delayed any longer. Thinking of this, Fury turned to Steve and the others and said.
"Hydra has obtained the Tesseract; they must have a major conspiracy. I have decided to launch the Avengers Initiativeearly."
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene went quiet for a few seconds. Everyone looked at each other. Given the current situation, this was clearly the best solution. Moreover, Fury had already spoken to them about it before, so everyone nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Fury breathed a sigh of relief and then began to deploy the tasks.
"Tony, Rogers, you two will be responsible for fully tracking down the remnants of Hydra. You must retrieve the Tesseract."
Fury said to Steve and Tony first.
Steve understood Hydra the best, and Tony excelled at tracking; their cooperation would undoubtedly be the most efficient.
Steve nodded. He thought the same. Bucky Barnes was his close friend, and this time he had to bring him back.
Tony also knew the situation was urgent and nodded. It just so happened that he also wanted to track down that guy Hammer. The two were old rivals, and fighting each other was something they were quite familiar with.
"Natasha, you and Clark go together to bring Banner over. The Avengers Initiative needs his help."
Fury looked at Clark and Natasha again and said.
He had long wanted to recruit Banner. At this moment, he was an indispensable member. After all, Banner was also skilled in research, and only he could handle the energy positioning of the Tesseract.
Natasha and Clark looked at each other and nodded.
With the division of labor complete, everyone stopped hesitating and left to prepare.
...
At a secret Hydra base.
Strucker and the others were all here. After rescuing Sitwell from Tony's villa, they came here to discuss their subsequent plans first.
"Mr. Strucker, I don't know what you brought me here for. What about Mr. Pierce?"
Being brought to this place by Strucker, Sitwell was a bit strange. Why not go directly to S.H.I.E.L.D.? How was Insight Project actually progressing?
Hearing Sitwell's question, Strucker and Hammer looked at each other. They both understood that Sitwell didn't know the news from the outside because he had been imprisoned. Strucker sighed and said to Sitwell.
"Agent Sitwell, you don't know yet. Due to Rogers's intervention, Pierce's plan failed, and he himself is dead. Furthermore, the Helicarrier did not launch, and all arrangements at S.H.I.E.L.D. have been wiped out. Now, only we remain."
After speaking, Strucker couldn't help but sigh again. A plan managed for many years was destroyed just like that; anyone would feel pained.
"What? Mr. Pierce actually... actually..."
Sitwell slumped into his chair as if deflated. That group led by Rogers had actually succeeded, and their plan had failed. This was something he could not accept.
If this was the case, then all previous arrangements had gone up in smoke, and they would face endless pursuit. Thinking of this, Sitwell panicked and hurriedly asked Strucker.
"Then what shall we do next, Mr. Strucker?"
Pierce was dead, leaving only Strucker as the high-ranking Hydra member. Sitwell couldn't help but pin his hopes on him.
When asked this, Strucker fell into deep thought.
Of course, Hydra's ideology cannot be abandoned. Now they have the Tesseract in their hands. If they can develop a brand new way to use the Tesseract, it might just be an opportunity for a comeback.
However, their current manpower is clearly insufficient to support them in conducting this research. That would require more powerful assistance. Thinking of this, Struckerglanced at Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier was undoubtedly a powerful asset. Previously, Bucky Barnes was able to destroy Stark's armor by himself; his power was evident.
As far as he knew, there were many Winter Soldiers at the Russian border that had not been activated. If they could master this power, they could then wantonly slaughter government officials from various countries, cause chaos, and seize interests in the ensuing disorder.
Thinking of this, Strucker couldn't help but look at Sitwelland said.
"I think our first goal next is to go to the Russian border and awaken all the soldiers of the Winter Soldierprogram."
Hearing this, Sitwell fell into deep thought. Although he had just witnessed the combat power of the Winter Soldier, at this point in time, they had countless pursuers behind them. Whether it was the time to go to the Russian border or the time to awaken the Winter Soldiers, it would all lead them into a trap.
"Mr. Strucker, in our current situation, isn't it a bit too difficult to go and awaken the Winter Soldiers?"
Sitwell asked cautiously.
Hearing Sitwell's words, Loki on the side felt a stir in his heart. Now this human Hydra organization had become a group of remnants, but these people still had some power. He was currently lacking many things. Since that was the case, why not use these humans to help him achieve his goals? Loki increasingly felt that his plan was feasible.
"What you say is also right, but this is currently the most feasible method."
Strucker was also a bit distressed.
He certainly knew that their current situation was undoubtedly very unfavorable. In this situation, going to awaken the Winter Soldiers, it was very likely that they would be caught up with halfway, but there was no other way. He felt conflicted in his heart.
"Mr. Hammer, do you have any ideas?"
Sitwell looked at Hammer, who had been silent on the side, and asked. Hammer was a scientist who had mastered the miniature nuclear reactor technology; perhaps he would have some way.
Strucker also couldn't help but look at Hammer.
Chapter 90: Loki Joins Forces with the Hydra Remnants
"I have no way either. Now that I don't even have Hammer Industries anymore, what else can I do?"
Hammer hurriedly waved his hands and spoke helplessly. Right now, his only thought was how to distance himself from the Hydra members in front of him. He hoped Hydrawouldn't be caught, so why would he give them ideas? Besides, he really didn't have any.
Seeing that Hammer also had no solution, Sitwell and Strucker couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, but they didn't say anything.
"I think I can offer you some help."
Suddenly, Erik's voice drifted over.
Sitwell and Strucker looked toward the source of the voice and saw Erik, possessed by Loki, watching everyone with a meaningful expression.
Now both were a bit puzzled. You're Dr. Erik; logically, you should be the least willing to get involved in these matters. Why speak up all of a sudden?
"Stop joking, Dr. Erik. You're an expert in research, but what could you possibly do at a time like this?"
Strucker spoke up and then ignored him, clearly not thinking Erik could be of any help.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Loki gave a strange smile, then detached himself from Erik's body in front of everyone, revealing his true form. Erik collapsed to the ground behind him.
Looking at Loki before them, holding a scepter and clad in full Asgardian divine armor, everyone present was stunned.
"This... this is..."
Sitwell couldn't believe his eyes. It turned out that all along, the person right in front of him was a lurking, mysterious figure.
"Who... who are you?"
Strucker reined in his surprise and asked warily. This person had been lurking by his side all this time; he definitely had his own agenda.
"Don't be nervous. I am a god of Asgard, Loki, the God of Mischief. I've revealed myself for no other reason than to make a deal with you."
Loki said to Strucker with a faint smile.
"What deal? We have nothing left now."
Strucker's interest was piqued, and he asked with some confusion. They had nothing left to trade.
"I can help you hold off those who are hunting you, and in return, you need to provide me with the information I require."
Loki raised the scepter in his hand and spoke calmly. He believed he could hold off those mortals, mainly because of this scepter in his hand. It was given to him by the Chitaurileader and could control people's minds; dealing with these mortals would undoubtedly be very easy.
Strucker knew Loki definitely had his own motives, but they had no way out now. No matter what it was, they had to try once, or else Hydra would be wiped out right here. Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Fine, we'll cooperate with you."
"You won't regret this decision, human."
Hearing Strucker's agreement, Loki smiled.
Just then, Strucker waved his hand to signal Loki not to get happy too soon.
"However, how do you prove you have the ability to hold off those pursuers? We don't want to be deceived by you and end up wasting our lives for nothing."
After agreeing, Strucker raised another question. The cooperation Loki proposed was indeed good; they could still manage to provide information. After all, Hydra's years of operation meant they were still capable in terms of intelligence.
But since they had shown sincerity, Loki had to demonstrate some strength as well.
"Right, you have to show us your strength at least."
Sitwell also spoke with a frown, his gaze scrutinizing.
"Oh? Hmm, it should indeed be so."
Upon hearing this, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in Loki's eyes. These lowly humans actually wanted to witness his great divine power; they really didn't know what was good for them.
But thinking that he still needed these people to help him achieve his goals, Loki suppressed his displeasure. He then looked at Sitwell, gave a wicked smile, pointed the scepterat him, and activated the scepter's power, saying:
"Kneel before me, human."
The eyes of the pointed-at Sitwell instantly became vacant, and he then knelt on the ground.
Seeing this scene, Strucker's eyes widened in shock. Such an ability was simply unheard of and unseen by them.
Hammer also clicked his tongue in secret. He looked at the fallen Erik, then at Loki, feeling secretly terrified that he had been associating with such a person for so long.
I shouldn't have done anything to displease this person over the past few days, right? Hammer thought anxiously.
"How about it? Do you believe me now, human?"
The scepter in Loki's hand pointed toward Strucker.
Seeing the scepter that could control people pointing at him, Strucker quickly waved his hands and moved away, then said:
"I believe you. We agree to cooperate. What exactly do you want?"
Seeing Strucker's fearful gaze, Loki smiled with satisfaction, then pointed to the fallen Erik and said:
"I want you to fully cooperate with him in researching space transmission technology and use the Tesseract to open a space Portal. You need to tell me any information regarding what this human needs."
Hearing this, Strucker was stunned for a moment. Helping Erik? They were already planning to use Erik for research anyway, though not for the space transmission technologyLoki mentioned. However, learning by analogy would also help their weapons research to some extent. He naturally wouldn't refuse such a good deal, so he quickly said:
"Fine, we will help Erik."
At the same time, the previously unconscious Erik slowly woke up, looking a bit confused at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Where is this? Who are you?"
He looked at Loki and asked in confusion.
Seeing Erik like this, everyone looked at Loki, waiting for his solution.
Loki frowned, pointed vaguely with the scepter, directly bringing Erik under control, and then commanded:
"Erik, start the research on the Tesseract for me right now."
Upon hearing the command, Erik did not act immediately but said with vacant eyes:
"There are no experimental instruments here to extract the Tesseract's energy, so the experiment cannot be carried out."
Hearing this, Loki looked at Strucker with an inquiring gaze.
Seeing Loki looking over, Strucker hurriedly waved his hands and said:
"This base wasn't meant for research in the first place. Besides, those things are only available at S.H.I.E.L.D.headquarters. There's nothing I can do."
Upon hearing this, Loki frowned deeply, pondering a countermeasure.
They were in a cooperative relationship, and Struckerclearly wasn't lying to him. In that case, he could only go to S.H.I.E.L.D. to retrieve the items.
I hope I don't run into that troublesome fellow, Lokithought of Clark holding the Hammer, feeling a bit irritable.
...
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Having accepted the mission to invite Banner, Natashatook Clark and Thor to the archives.
"Why did you bring us here, human? Aren't we supposed to go find someone?"
Thor asked with some confusion as he saw Natashaleading them there.
Although Clark didn't have much of a reaction, there was an inquiring look in his eyes as well.
Chapter 91: Clint Controlled by Loki
"Since Banner's last escape, S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't let any news of him slip. We've been monitoring his life, so there's no need to search; I have his location information right here."
Natasha spoke to Clark and the other man behind her while searching for Banner's location.
S.H.I.E.L.D. obviously couldn't leave such a powerful Mutant to his own devices. Banner was an unstable factor; if they didn't keep him under strict surveillance and he turned into a Mutant and attacked people again, they wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility.
"Who exactly is this Banner, and why must we find him?"
Thor grew even more confused upon hearing this. Someone under such strict surveillance must be essential. Was it because of his formidable combat power? But with Clark, who possessed the Power of Thor, what other high-end combat power did they need? Did they not trust the power of Asgard?
Thinking of this, Thor pointed at Clark behind him with a bit of indignation.
"If you're worried about insufficient combat power, then rest assured. You have Clark, who possesses the Power of Thor, on your side. No matter the enemy, they are vulnerable before the Power of Thor of Asgard."
Clark frowned at this scene; he wasn't someone who liked to show off. He patted Thor, signaling him to stop talking.
Seeing Thor's behavior, Natasha sighed and explained further.
"First of all, Banner was the most outstanding physicist in New City. To recover the Tesseract, we need him to help locate its energy, and subsequent research will also require his assistance."
"Secondly..."
Natasha glanced at Clark as she spoke. Recalling the image of Clark catching a missile barehanded, she felt that Clark's individual combat power was indeed very strong. She hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"While Clark's strength is indeed great, he is only one person. In case of an emergency, he can't split into two. Banner is the green Mutant who previously rampaged through New City, and his strength is immense, so inviting him is also for that reason."
With that, Natasha ignored Thor and focused on searching the data.
Despite Natasha's analysis, Thor was still somewhat unconvinced, but he shut his mouth when he saw Clark's look.
Clark, meanwhile, was lost in thought. So Banner was the Mutant he had pummeled before; he wondered if the man still remembered him.
At the same time, Natasha pressed the final key, and the map on the computer screen immediately zoomed in on a location.
"Banner is here. Let's not delay; we need to get there quickly."
Natasha pointed directly at the location on the map.
Clark nodded. Seeing Clark nod, Thor behind him also nodded helplessly.
Having reached a consensus, the group set off.
...
Hydra's Tesseract research base.
Nick Fury and Clint had tracked down information about this place. Although Strucker and his men had already fled, the two had come here to see what information remained.
Because Strucker and the others had left in a panic, the place was a mess, bearing no resemblance to a laboratory.
"They must have fled in a great hurry; they didn't even have time to take this research data with them."
Clint flipped through the scattered documents on the table, curled his lip, and spoke to Nick Fury behind him.
Nick Fury nodded and looked around. He immediately spotted the energy extraction device from which the Tesseract had been removed. His expression darkened. As expected, the Tesseract had been taken by them. He didn't know what those Hydra fellows were planning now; he could only pray that Steve's side would successfully capture the Hydra remnants.
"Oh, it seems I've discovered some little mice."
Loki's voice suddenly drifted over from the side, sounding incredibly grating in the quiet laboratory.
"Who's there?"
Fury's expression changed, and he quickly turned to look.
Clint also immediately tensed up, grabbing his bow and drawing an arrow to aim behind them.
"Hmph, I am the God of Mischief of Asgard. You mortals should kneel upon seeing me."
Loki's figure revealed itself, holding his scepter, staring straight at the two with a frown.
"Why are you here, Asgardian?"
Fury asked with great caution. This was a Hydra Tesseractbase; Loki's presence here clearly had ulterior motives.
"I'm only here to take the item beside you. As for anything else, it's none of your concern."
"Also, while that toy can't hurt me, I still don't like people pointing weapons at my head."
Loki looked with disdain at the bow Clint was pointing at him, speaking contemptuously.
The item beside him—that would be the Tesseract's energy extraction device. This guy was indeed after it. If that was the case, he absolutely could not be allowed to have it.
With this thought, Nick Fury made a decision. With a grim face, he gave Clint a look and stepped forward, blocking the energy extraction device behind him.
Clint understood and tightened the string of his bow, saying,
"There is nothing here for you to take. If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better leave now."
Upon hearing this, Loki's face darkened completely. Since when could lowly humans order him around? Thinking of this, Loki wasted no more words and raised his scepter.
"Don't move!!!"
Clint, whose nerves were already taut, fired his arrow without the slightest hesitation.
But something astonishing happened. The arrow passed straight through Loki's body, and his form dissipated like a phantom.
"What is this?"
Both Fury and Clint looked on in confusion. Was Loki really so weak that he could be killed in one shot? Impossible.
"You're in such a hurry, you two."
Loki's voice came from behind them, and the expressions of Clint and Fury changed instantly.
Clint reacted the fastest, immediately turning to strike behind him.
But a scepter suddenly thrust out, tapping Clint on the chest.
Clint's body froze on the spot, and his eyes became vacant.
"Clint, are you alright?"
Seeing something was wrong with Clint, Fury quickly raised his gun to attack Loki.
But unexpectedly, Loki just gave a wicked smile and then commanded Clint,
"Stop the person in front of me."
Fury was confused as to who Loki was talking to, but in the next second, to his shock, Clint punched Fury in the carotid artery, knocking him to the ground. Until the moment he lost consciousness, Fury didn't understand why Clintwould attack him.
Chapter 92: Natasha Recruits Banner
"Nicely done."
Seeing Fury's bewildered expression, Loki nodded with a smile, stroking the scepter in his hand with great affection before continuing to command Clint.
"Dismantle the energy extraction device; we're taking it with us."
Clint nodded with vacant eyes, then moved briskly to the energy extraction device and began dismantling it.
With this, my goal is not far off. Loki looked at the device with burning eyes, his heart filled with pride.
Just then, the Hydra communicator at Loki's waist rang, interrupting his thoughts.
Loki frowned, but considering the need to cooperate with Hydra, he reluctantly answered the call.
"My Lord, Dr. Erik says he needs a few things to study the spatial transport device."
When the call connected, Strucker's voice came through.
"What things?"
Loki asked quickly; this concerned the Portal, so he took it very seriously.
"The doctor says he needs a stabilizer to create the spatial Portal, so we need iridium. We've already sent the location of the iridium to your communicator."
Strucker said hurriedly.
"iridium? Fine, I understand. I'll find a way."
Loki frowned and accepted the task, then hung up the phone.
Having done this, and seeing that Clint had already dismantled the device, Loki said to him,
"Take that thing and come with me."
With that, he turned and left the place with Clint.
After an unknown amount of time passed...
Hiss!!!
Fury, lying on the ground, clutched his neck and scrambled up.
After recovering for a moment, Fury thought back to what had happened. His expression changed as he looked around, and his face darkened.
Dammit, that Asgardian somehow controlled Clint and took the energy extraction device. No, they're definitely up to no good.
To find out what happened after he passed out, Fury went to the console and opened the surveillance footage.
The surveillance footage appeared. After he passed out, Loki and Clint took the energy extraction device, and then the scene of Loki making a phone call appeared in the footage.
"iridium?"
Fury keenly caught the keyword 'iridium' from Loki's conversation. Their next target must be iridium.
No, they must be stopped.
Thinking of this, Fury quickly pulled out his communicator and dialed Steve's number.
"Hello, Steve? Forget about Hydra for now. A god just declared war on us."
Once the call connected, Fury spoke with a solemn expression.
"What? Director Fury, what happened?"
Steve's voice on the other end was very tense, responding with some haste.
"There's no time to explain the details. I know his next target is iridium. You must get there ahead of time to stop them. I'll have an agent send you the intelligence on the exact location of the iridium later. Move as fast as you can."
With that, Fury hung up the phone and quickly called to arrange the remaining matters.
...
In a slum.
"Quick, my father isn't going to make it."
A little girl led Banner through the slums.
Banner followed behind, though hesitant, he gritted his teeth and kept up with the girl. Since his last escape, he had hidden in this slum, isolated from the outside world. The little girl in front of him had suddenly asked for his help to treat her father a few minutes ago. Although Banner was suspicious, seeing the girl's pitiful state, he followed anyway.
At the same time, the little girl led Banner to a remote house, then ducked into a spot inside and vanished.
"Hey..."
Seeing this, Banner had no time to stop her and was momentarily stunned.
"For someone trying to stay hidden, this place is a pretty good choice, isn't it, Banner?"
Natasha's voice came from behind, causing Banner's expression to freeze as if he realized something. He turned around with a helpless look and said,
"I knew you people wouldn't let me go."
Natasha, Clark, and Thor stepped forward from behind. Natasha shook her head and said,
"That was never our purpose."
Banner shook his head, not quite believing her. He then looked behind Natasha and saw Thor, finding it strange; this man didn't look like an agent, so why was he here too?
Then Banner looked at Clark. For some reason, he suddenly felt a familiar and chilling sensation. The Hulkinside him also transmitted a feeling of fear, which made him point at Clark in a panic and ask,
"Who is he?"
"Hmm? Him? He's Clark, a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers Initiative. What's wrong?"
Natasha was confused by Banner's fearful look. What was wrong with Banner? He was fine just a moment ago, but seeing Clark was like a mouse seeing a cat.
"I don't know. I just feel like I've seen him somewhere before, and I'm a bit scared."
Banner shrank back, unwilling to keep looking at Clark.
Seeing Banner like this, Thor actually said with a smile,
"I know what it is. You're being intimidated by the divine majesty of the Asgardian Power of Thor. See that? This is the power of Asgard."
Hearing this, Natasha looked at Thor with some doubt. As far as she knew, this Asgardian divine power didn't seem to be this formidable.
Banner nodded in realization upon hearing this, his eyes looking at Thor and Clark with some fear. So that was it; these two were gods. Since it was the effect of divine power, no wonder it made him feel afraid.
Receiving Banner's fearful gaze, Thor smiled quite smugly, as if he had returned to the days when he was the Prince of Asgard.
Clark saw Thor's expression and gave him a glare.
"Alright, let's not talk about that for now. We have other things to tell you, Banner."
Natasha also remembered her original purpose and spoke up quickly.
Banner also composed himself and looked at Natasha inquisitively.
Seeing Banner look over, Natasha organized her thoughts and said,
"We've come to find you this time to invite you to join the Avengers Initiative."
"Avengers Initiative?"
Banner was a bit confused. Natasha had mentioned this Avengers Initiative just now; what exactly was it?
"The Avengers Initiative is a plan our S.H.I.E.L.D. prepared to deal with alien invasions and other emergencies."
"The content is to recruit superheroes to unite and form an organization to take action and save humanity in times of crisis."
"Banner, we really need you."
After Natasha finished speaking, she looked quietly at Banner, her eyes filled with expectation.
Chapter 93: Conflict Between Tony and Steve
Banner fell silent upon hearing this. Of course, he didn't want to spend his entire life in this slum, but going out meant being captured for research, which he also didn't want. This plan undoubtedly resolved his worries. Thinking of this, Banner looked up and said,
"I agree."
...
At a banquet venue.
There were many people inside, all dressed in formal attire, making it quite lively.
An official positioned above was holding a wine glass and talking to someone.
Suddenly, Loki, dressed in a suit, walked down from the second floor. Due to his attire, everyone assumed he was a guest and no one paid him any mind.
However, Loki walked straight up to the official, grabbed him, and pulled out a device that he jammed into the official's eye to extract retinal data.
In an instant, everyone was terrified by this scene. The crowd scattered and fled, and the scene became chaotic for a moment.
Loki let out a light chuckle. On one hand, he transmitted the eyeball data to Clint, who was stealing the iridium, and on the other, he walked toward the exit of the venue.
Outside, things were already a mess. Everyone was running fast, afraid of being slower than the others.
At the top of the stairs, Loki revealed his true form. He walked down unhurriedly while waving his scepter, creating illusions to surround the crowd, and shouted at them.
"Kneel before me, mortals!"
Seeing that they couldn't escape, the crowd hurriedly knelt down.
"I am a supreme god. You mortals should bow down to me."
Enjoying this feeling of being high and mighty, Loki moved through the crowd with an intoxicated expression.
"You're nothing but a madman, not a god at all."
Suddenly, an old man in the crowd stood up with an unyielding look.
"You will regret your words, human."
Hearing this, Loki's face darkened as he raised his scepterand pointed it at the old man. A mere mortal dared to speak to him like that? Seeking Death. The energy within the scepter was ready to fire.
Facing imminent Death, the old man showed no fear, still staring at Loki with an unyielding gaze.
The next second.
Loki's scepter fired a blast of energy.
A figure dropped down between the old man and Loki, raising a shield to block it.
The energy hit the shield and reflected directly back, knocking Loki off his feet.
The surrounding people gasped and looked over, seeing that the person who landed was actually Steve.
"You mortal, how dare you..."
Loki stood up unsteadily, glaring at Steve as he spoke.
Steve didn't waste words and charged directly at Loki with a punch.
Catching Steve's fist, Loki countered by striking Steve with his scepter. While Steve was in pain, Loki didn't hesitate and followed up with a punch that sent Steve flying.
Seeing Steve fall, Loki raised his scepter with a fierce gaze, condensing an energy wave to kill Steve.
Bang!!!
Suddenly, an energy wave hit Loki, interrupting his attack.
"Captain, it looks like you need some help."
Tony flew down from the sky, his hand cannon aimed at Loki.
"You finally made it, Tony."
Steve also stood up, taking a combat stance against Loki.
Seeing this, Loki's face darkened. This was clearly not a fight he could win. Thinking of this, he gave the two of them a meaningful look, lowered his scepter, and raised his hands.
...
S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier.
Inside a massive cage, Loki was being held after being brought back under guard.
"Mr. God of Asgard, I suggest you don't move around. This cage was specially made for the Hulk. Not only is it incredibly strong, but if you so much as twitch, this cage will drop from this altitude. I believe you don't want to be a god who dies as a puddle of meat."
Nick Fury looked at Loki inside the cage, closed it, and spoke with a warning tone.
He had seen how dangerous this god was last time, which was why he had no choice but to use the Hulk's cage for Loki.
Loki gave a disdainful smile upon hearing this, then asked Fury.
"Why do you want the energy of the Tesseract? Is it to provide endless energy for all of humanity?"
His words were filled with sarcasm, as if he had seen through Fury's true nature.
Fury remained expressionless, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Behind him, Banner was deep in thought. Why exactly did Fury want to develop the Tesseract? What secrets were hidden here? Thinking this, Banner also turned and left.
Only Loki watched Banner's departing figure with an expression of great interest.
...
In the laboratory of the helicarrier.
Tony and Banner were studying Loki's scepter, hoping to find information about the Tesseract's location from it.
Looking at Banner's focused figure, Tony took a pen and poked him. Banner immediately jumped and turned to look at Tony with a confused expression.
Seeing Banner turn around with a start, Tony shrugged and said,
"I just wanted to see how you control your temper."
Before Banner could say anything, Steve walked over and said with a frown,
"Hey, Tony, do you realize that this kind of behavior threatens the safety of all of us?"
"Don't be so cautious, big guy."
Tony shrugged, then picked up a snack and tossed it into his mouth before saying,
"The one you should be watching is Fury; he's the king of spies."
Steve's frown deepened at the words. Fury? What did Tony mean by that? Was Fury hiding something from them? Steve was lost in thought.
"Is Fury really hiding something, Dr. Banner?"
Steve asked Banner, not intending to just take Tony's word for it.
Hearing this, Banner hesitated for a moment, thinking of Loki's earlier words. He gave Steve a helpless look and then said,
"Loki previously mocked Director Fury for using the Tesseract to develop the new energy industry, but the only person in the world who can achieve energy self-sufficiency is right in front of us."
"Why wasn't he brought into the Tesseract Project?"
As he spoke, Banner pointed at Tony and looked at Stevewith questioning eyes.
Tony shrugged at this, handed Banner some snacks, then walked over to Steve and said,
"A few hours ago, I thought it was strange, so I already arranged for Jarvis to start cracking the programs."
"Tony, we shouldn't be suspicious of each other. We should be united and follow orders."
Tony's independent action made Steve frown as he reprimanded him.
After speaking, a rather displeased Steve left the lab. After some thought, he prepared to investigate Fury's true purpose.
Meanwhile.
Inside the lab, Tony curled his lip as he watched Steveleave and began checking the information Jarvis had obtained.
But with one look, he froze.
"Banner, come over and look at this."
Tony's brow furrowed as he gestured for Banner to come over.
Chapter 94: S.H.I.E.L.D. Using the Tesseract to Develop Weapons?
Banner was somewhat puzzled, walking over to look at the virtual screen in Tony's hand.
"Phase 2 Tesseract Research Project? What is this?"
Banner looked at what was written on it with a face full of confusion. Fury had only told them about developing the Tesseract's energy applications; he had never mentioned what this Phase 2 was.
"It seems our spy director, Fury, still hasn't let go of his old habits."
Tony's eyes narrowed slightly. Fury keeping these things from them made him a bit angry, and this behavior of Fury's might involve some unknown secrets that they had to find out.
...
A moment later.
Nick Fury walked over to the lab, intending to check on the progress of Tony and the other.
But as soon as he entered, he saw Tony and Bannerlooking at him with questioning looks, and he couldn't help but be taken aback.
"Fury, I need an explanation. What exactly is Phase 2?"
Tony was the first to lose his patience, asking furiously while holding the virtual screen.
Asked this question, Fury's expression changed. Tonyactually knew about this; the sudden question left him momentarily unsure of how to answer. Tianlai Novel Network
"Phase 2 is S.H.I.E.L.D. using the Tesseract to develop Tesseract weapons."
Steve suddenly entered from behind Fury, then threw the weapon in his hand onto the table, looking at Fury with a scrutinizing gaze as if demanding an explanation.
The weapon on the table was one developed by Hydraduring his time to utilize the Tesseract's power, but he had actually found it within S.H.I.E.L.D. This meant S.H.I.E.L.D.was eyeing this technology and had kept it from them, which made him quite angry.
Just as Fury was unsure how to respond, Natasha arrived with Clark and Thor.
"Dr. Banner, you cannot leave this room right now. Loki's target is you."
Natasha spoke urgently to Banner as soon as she entered. She had just spoken with Loki and teased out his ill intentions toward Banner, so she hurried over to warn him.
But Banner was clearly not in the mood for this. He ignored Natasha and instead pointed at the weapon Steve brought, questioning Fury.
"Can you explain why S.H.I.E.L.D. is researching these weapons of mass destruction?"
Fury sighed upon hearing this. He knew he had to tell everyone the truth now, and pointing at Clark and Thor, he explained to the group.
"Ever since the incident with Thor last time, we realized there are other beings in the universe. So, to prevent being invaded by them, we decided to develop alien-tech weapons."
"Hmph, if there really are alien beings, it's because you attracted them by recklessly developing the Tesseract."
Thor suddenly said disdainfully. He was very displeased with these humans' behavior of shifting blame at will.
"So, your weapons are all meant to deal with alien beings?"
Tony suddenly said thoughtfully. Fury's words struck a chord, reminding him of his own suit project.
"Stark, don't interrupt. We're talking about serious business."
Steve suddenly spoke to Tony mockingly, as if his dissatisfaction with Tony over the past few days had been ignited at this moment.
He walked up to Tony and said contemptuously.
"You're nothing more than a man who only plays hero inside a suit of armor."
Hearing this, Tony also looked at Steve with anger and said.
"A hero? Like you? Don't forget, Rogers, you are also a product of an experiment."
"Is that so? Then why don't you put on your armor, and we'll have a match."
Steve was almost nose-to-nose with Tony, his voice laced with rage.
"Hey, everyone calm down. Natasha, take Banner to his room first."
Seeing things escalating, Fury spoke up to stop them.
"Room? Do you want to lock me up again?"
Banner shouted angrily, a hint of green appearing in his veins.
"Banner, calm down. Put down what's in your hand."
Seeing this, everyone tried to stop him together.
It was only then that Banner realized he had somehow gripped Loki's scepter.
Just then, the computer alarm sounded. The Tesseract's signal had been found.
...
High in the sky outside the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, amidst the outer clouds.
A fighter jet had arrived there at some point, quietly approaching S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier. On board were Clint, who had confirmed Loki was captured and followed the signal from the scepter to find this place, and Bucky, who had been ordered by Strucker to help rescue Loki.
"This is it. This is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier."
Clint, controlled by Loki, pointed at the Helicarrier outside the windshield and spoke expressionlessly.
Bucky nodded. Strucker had gone to the Russian border to activate the remaining Winter Soldiers, so he had sent Bucky to rescue Loki. Moreover, to restore their power faster, Strucker had also given him orders to take over this Helicarrier. So, this trip wasn't just for Loki.
"What do we do now? This thing is no pushover. Its defensive forces, both internal and external, are extremely strong."
Clint turned to ask Bucky, his expression very solemn.
As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he knew this Helicarrier very well. Not only was the exterior equipped with many heavy weapons that their fighter jet simply couldn't handle, but the interior was also filled with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—each well-equipped and rigorously trained. Going in head-on, their group wouldn't stand a chance.
Hearing this, Bucky frowned and fell silent for a moment.
He knew Clint was a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and wouldn't talk nonsense. It seemed this Helicarrier was indeed not easy to deal with. However, this mission was not only for their Hydra partner but also for this Helicarrier. Strucker had given a strict order: failure was not an option.
But here, the person most familiar with S.H.I.E.L.D. was undoubtedly Clint. He might have some ideas. Thinking of this, Bucky couldn't help but ask.
"Do you have any ideas?"
Clint frowned and fell into deep thought.
Being controlled, he was naturally very eager to rescue Loki, but in a head-on fight, they had no chance at all. In that case, they had to create chaos first to make things messy inside; only then would they have a chance to sneak in.
As far as he knew, the most important parts of this Helicarrier were the turbine engines on both sides. They were the carrier's main power source. If those were destroyed, the carrier would definitely fall into chaos. Thinking of this, Clint looked up and said to Bucky.
"I think we should destroy the Helicarrier's turbine engines first, then look for an opportunity."
Hearing this, Bucky nodded. Clint's thoughts were similar to his own. A head-on approach was clearly not a good idea, so they could only use this middle-ground approach and wait for a chance.