After class, Abel and Victor walked outside, planning to grab something to eat.
At that moment, dark clouds in the sky swirled, forming a vortex. As the students gazed at the celestial phenomenon, a colorful beam of light shot down from the center of the vortex and crashed into the open space in the middle of the school.
Seeing the Rainbow Bridge, Abel immediately knew the visitor was likely here for him. After a quick word with Victor, he slipped away to a deserted spot. Shrouded in black smoke, Abel concealed his true face and vanished into a twisted vortex.
Thor, arriving via the Rainbow Bridge, surveyed the crowd holding up their phones, looking for Abel. Heimdall had told Thor that Abel was nearby but hadn't mentioned the crowd.
Thor, clutching his beloved hammer, scratched his head helplessly. Just as he was about to ask someone if they knew Abel, a figure surrounded by black smoke appeared before him. Abel, smirking at Thor's open-mouthed expression, didn't wait for him to speak. Grabbing Thor's arm, he Apparated them both away.
The space twisted into a vortex.
Abel and Thor reappeared at Abel's home.
Thor, disoriented, shook his head and retched slightly. "Abel, it's really nice to see you... Of course, it would be better if you didn't teleport like that... ugh..."
Abel sighed, his expression helpless. "You'll get used to it. Just don't throw up on the floor."
After a moment, Thor straightened up, wiped his mouth, and gave Abel a hearty hug. "It's been a while, Abel."
"I'm guessing you didn't come to Earth for a social visit? Odin wouldn't let you go without a reason."
"Don't make it sound like I'm a dog being let off a leash... Okay, maybe a bit. But I'm here on business."
Abel nodded, waiting for Thor to explain.
"Abel, I need your help. Asgard has confirmed that Loki isn't dead. He's come to Earth, and his target is the Tesseract. We need to bring him to justice again."
"Loki's on Earth?" Abel asked, frowning.
"Yes, and Heimdall is sure of it."
Heimdall's sight rarely missed anything. If he said Loki was on Earth, it was likely true. But something nagged at Abel. In his memory, Loki's arrival on Earth involved the Tesseract and the Mind Stone's connection, using their combined power to open a portal. If Loki was already here, had he used the Tesseract? Yet, there was no sign of disturbance.
Abel, deep in thought, asked Thor to sit while he called Tony.
"Abel," Tony answered, "what's up?"
"Tony, I need information. You're cozy with S.H.I.E.L.D. right now. What's the status of the Tesseract?"
"You want it? Nick Fury guards that thing like it's his life's work. If you swipe it, I'll keep quiet as long as you let me study it."
Abel sighed. "I'm not planning to steal it. I'd take it openly if I had to. But that's not the issue. Is it still safe with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Tony's tone shifted, dropping the jokes. "What's going on?"
"Loki's here, and he's after the Tesseract. He's dangerous and cunning. You need to warn Fury before it's too late."
Meanwhile, in a secret underground S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, five agents passed through multiple security checkpoints to reach the lab where the Tesseract was stored. As they approached the final checkpoint, two guards stopped them.
"No entry beyond this point!" one guard stated firmly.
The lead agent nodded to his companion, who suddenly smiled and stepped forward, kissing one of the guards. The guard froze in shock. The other guard, suspicious, began to reach for his weapon, but his eyes glazed over, and he stepped aside to open the door.
Four of the agents' forms shimmered and shattered like broken glass, revealing themselves as intruders.
The agent who had kissed the guard transformed into a beautiful blonde woman in a short green dress. She smirked and commanded, "Take us to the Tesseract."
"Yes, great mistress," the mesmerized guard replied, leading the way.
The woman turned to Loki, who stood among the group, and said, "Loki, the Tesseract is within reach."
Loki, holding the Mind Stone-tipped scepter, nodded. "Well done, Amora. You and Stern guard this entrance with the controlled agents. Creel and I will retrieve the Tesseract."
Amora glanced at Samuel Sterns, his greenish skin and elongated skull marking him as the transformed "Leader." Though unimpressed by the task, she nodded.
Loki, satisfied, strode into the lab with Creel by his side, confident the Tesseract would soon be his. In his mind, no one on Earth could stop him.