Chapter 18: SHIELD
At a hidden underground SHIELD research facility, a sleek jet landed gracefully on the tarmac. Nick Fury disembarked, his piercing gaze sweeping the area. The guards stationed at the entrance snapped to attention, saluting him. Fury acknowledged them with a brief nod and strode purposefully into the facility.
Dr. Erik Selvig approached him with an eager expression.
"Director Fury," Selvig greeted, extending his hand.
Fury shook it firmly. "Doctor, I assume your experiment has made a breakthrough?"
Selvig's face lit up with excitement. "Yes, we've achieved something remarkable. We can now harness the energy, and soon we'll be able to use this infinite source of power, just like Red Skull used to with Doctor Zola help" He gestured toward the Tesseract encased in a containment unit.
Fury's single eye narrowed as he studied the glowing cube. "Then proceed, Doctor. Show me what you've got."
Selvig nodded enthusiastically and moved to the control console. He began activating the machinery, and the hum of energy filled the room. A pale blue light emanated from the center as a thin stream of energy arced upward, stabilizing into a pulsating sphere of power.
"Ah-ha! There it is!" Selvig laughed, his voice tinged with triumph. The scientists around him cheered and applauded as the system seemed to operate flawlessly.
Fury, standing to the side with arms crossed, watched intently. But then, the pulsating sphere began to fluctuate, its once steady rhythm turning erratic.
"What's happening?" Fury demanded, his voice sharp.
Selvig's enthusiasm faltered as he frantically examined the controls. "A minor fluctuation," he muttered nervously. "Just give me a moment to—"
The energy sphere suddenly expanded and then contracted violently, shooting a beam of light into the ceiling. Cracks spread across the reinforced structure as the air thickened with tension.
"What the hell is that?" Fury barked, drawing his weapon instinctively.
Selvig's face turned pale. "A rift... It's forming a portal! This wasn't supposed to—"
"SHUT IT DOWN!" Fury ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Before Selvig could act, the rift solidified, and a figure began to emerge from the glowing portal. Among the figure silhouette, humanoid shapes with otherworldly armor and weapons materialized.
Clint Barton, standing nearby, instinctively drew his bow and nocked an arrow. "Director, we've got company," he said tersely, his eyes narrowing as he aimed at the emerging threat.
The room erupted into chaos as SHIELD agents scrambled to respond, guns drawn, while Fury glared at the portal.
"Selvig," he growled coldly, "you better fix this, or there won't be a next time for experiments."
"I'm trying!" Selvig stammered as a figure stepped through the portal.
"Hello, mortals," Loki declared with a smug smile.
His piercing gaze landed on Selvig. "It's you who made this happen, isn't it?" he asked as he began to approach.
"Halt!" a soldier commanded, raising his weapon as the other agents followed suit.
"Sir, put down the spear," Fury ordered, his tone firm.
Loki glanced at his staff, his smirk widening. Instead of complying, he aimed it at Fury, firing a laser-like blast. The bolt would have hit Fury, but Clint Barton shoved him aside just in time.
"FIRE!" a soldier shouted as the agents opened fire on Loki.
Loki moved with inhuman speed, leaping into the fray. He impaled one soldier with his spear, killing them instantly, then turned to punch another with enough force to send them flying.
Clint pushed Fury toward the exit. "Go! I'll hold him off!"
Fury hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Stay alive, Barton," he said, retreating with a group of soldiers providing cover.
Meanwhile, Loki continued his rampage. As he glanced at Fury retreating with the Tesseract, he called out mockingly, "Please don't go!"
Fury stopped, his bodyguards stepping in front of him, weapons trained on Loki.
"This doesn't have to get any messier," Fury said, his voice measured.
Loki scoffed, twirling his spear. "Oh, but it does. I've traveled so far, all for this moment."
The agents opened fire again, but Loki dispatched them effortlessly, blocking shots with his staff and striking back with deadly precision.
Clint fired an arrow at Loki, but Loki deflected it and turned to him. "You have heart," Loki remarked, tapping Clint lightly on the chest with the tip of his spear. A blue glow flashed in Clint's eyes, and his demeanor changed immediately. He lowered his bow and stood silently, his expression now eerily obedient.
"Now, where was I?" Loki mused, turning back toward Fury with a wicked grin. "Ah, yes. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."
Selvig, who had been tending to a wounded colleague, looked up in shock. "Loki? As in Thor's brother?"
"We have no quarrel with Asgard," Fury said carefully.
"And an ant has no quarrel with a boot," Loki retorted coldly.
Fury's expression hardened. "You planning to step on us?"
Loki's smirk deepened. "It would be my pleasure."
"though, that is currently not my goal " Loki said shaking his head as he walked to Selvig "you see, I came with grand planning's to free this world" he added.
"free from what?" Fury asked as Loki replied instantly "free from freedom"
"freedom is the biggest lie and I plan to liberate everyone from it" he said turning to Selvig as he placed his Spear at him too, brainwashing him too as his servant.
And once you accept that, you will be at peace" Loki said turning back to Loki whose eyes were already hardened as he heard Loki talk about freedom.
"yeah you say 'Peace' "Fury said as he added tilting his head "But I kind of think you meant other thing" .
"sir, Director Fury is stalling" Clint said looking at the pulsating blur energy sphere.
"this place is about to blow and drop tons of rock on us" he said as he added "he means to bury us"
"like the Pharaohs of the old" Fury said with a smirk.
" he is right the portal is collapsing on itself, this will lead to a big explosion, capable enough to bury us all" Dr. Selvig said checking on his machines, "we only have two minutes of time left " he added.
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