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The temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. control room, located deep within the humming structure of the Helicarrier, was a pressure cooker. The emotional friction between the assembled heroes was palpable, fueled by the subtle, insidious influence of the Mind Scepter resting on the examination table.
In the communication channel, Tony Stark's voice was a torrent of exaggerated, stress-induced complaints. "This is supposed to be the launch ceremony of the Stark clean energy project! My big day! And instead, I'm listening to you people whine about an alien space rock! Can't you focus on my achievements for one minute?!"
Hermione, who had just Apparated back into the room, cast a Shield Charm around herself against the psychological noise. She looked at the fray and sighed. The Scepter was doing exactly what it was supposed to do: finding the fault lines in the group and amplifying the hostility.
"Dr. Banner, thank you so much for coming to help this time," Fury said, stepping in with a forced smile, attempting to divert the attention from Tony's outburst.
Banner, sweating, pushed his glasses up his nose, his eyes darting toward the Scepter. "I should be the one thanking S.H.I.E.L.D. Last time… you let me go."
"Dr. Banner's main purpose is to assist us in finding the Cube," Fury emphasized, cutting off any further discussion, knowing Tony would seize the chance to cause chaos.
"Oh, that's a pity," Tony snorted, looking regretful. "I was hoping he'd hulk out again. That looked so cool!"
"Crack… knock…"
As they were bickering, the quiet friction of the room seemed to intensify. Dr. Banner, unable to cope with the cacophony of voices and the mental noise from the Scepter, was growing visibly agitated. His breathing became shallow, his jaw tightened, and his hand, against his own will, began to creep toward the Mind Scepter.
"Stop it, Bruce," he muttered to himself, trying to pull his arm back, but the scepter's call was irresistible.
"Hmm? What's going on, Doctor?" Tony asked, oblivious.
Just as Banner's fingertips brushed the golden staff, a crisp, sharp sound broke the tension.
SLAP!
Hermione, moving faster than anyone could follow, had materialized directly beside Banner and slapped the back of his hand sharply with her notepad.
"Don't touch my Scepter," she commanded, her voice low and dangerously cold.
Banner gasped, startled. The physical shock, combined with the sudden, small magical discharge from her hand, instantly broke the Scepter's mental grip. He blinked, the frantic, red haze lifting from his eyes, leaving him exhausted but clear-headed.
Everyone else was frozen. Steve Rogers, who had just walked in, stared at the small witch who had just slapped the hand of a man who could turn into a city-level disaster.
"That was a nice little parlor trick, kid," Tony said, his voice laced with forced bravado. "But you're lucky he didn't just eat your arm."
"I'm not worried about that," Hermione said, pointing to the scepter. "That thing is the problem. It's making everyone here irritable. It's poisoning your minds."
"Tony's right, though, Fury," Steve said, stepping into the argument, his posture rigid. "We shouldn't have a child here in a high-risk area. She should be off the ship."
"Children should not get involved in adult fights?!" Tony scoffed, getting furious all over again. "That little girl is the only person in this room who can reliably subdue the Hulk, Old Popsicle! She just proved it! If Banner goes green, it's her or a tactical nuke! You tell me which is safer!"
Steve frowned, looking at Hermione's small figure. The sheer absurdity of Tony's claim warred with the memory of Bruce Banner's genuine, physical terror just moments ago. "That is an exaggeration, Stark."
"It's not, Captain," Fury interjected, his voice grim.
"Tony, I know you have a good relationship with Hermione," Steve said, trying to appeal to reason. "But you can't just ignore the facts."
Tony looked at him like he was an idiot. "What facts? The fact that you're dressed like a Christmas ornament? Put on your armor, Captain, and let's have a real fight. We'll see who's useless."
"I don't need armor to fight you!" Steve snapped.
"Put on your armor!"
"Put on your armor!"
The room, still under the lingering influence of the Scepter, had devolved into a shouting match. The ideological clash between the old soldier and the reckless futurist had finally boiled over.
"Sir," a voice crackled over the comms. "Containment breach on Level 4!"
Tony and Steve stopped their shouting.
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion ripped through the Helicarrier. The floor beneath their feet shook violently. Dust and smoke erupted from the console, and with a sickening sound of cracking concrete, a large section of the floor near the railing collapsed. Agents screamed, some falling into the abyss below.
Fury's face was pale. "Loki. He's starting the sabotage."
Tony looked at the hole in the floor. He looked at Steve, who was already running for cover. The time for arguing was over.
"Jarvis, deploy backup armor!" he yelled, sprinting toward the nearest equipment locker.
The command center was engulfed in chaos, a final, violent signal that the Age of Heroes had officially begun.