The scene had barely settled when a figure emerged from the shadows. Clad in yellow robes and with a bald head, the ancient Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, from Kamar-Taj, revealed herself.
She had been closely monitoring Kaecilius to uncover their intentions and the objectives of the unknown demon god, and whether they posed a threat to Earth.
Having overheard the entire conversation between Kaecilius and the mysterious demon god from her vantage point, the Ancient One was deeply shocked.
With the Time Stone, she had an understanding of future events. However, discovering that this unknown demon god also had foresight into future events was alarming.
The Time Stone, an artifact from the dawn of the universe, allowed her to perceive such things without surprising her. But the fact that this unknown demon god also seemed to possess similar foresight indicated something far beyond her initial assumptions.
The Ancient One's face grew solemn. This implied that the demon god's power exceeded her imagination, potentially making it a being of multiversal significance.
"Unknown demon god, what is your true purpose?" she murmured to herself.
Regardless of the demon god's objectives, she would keep a close watch. Even if it meant facing risks beyond imagination or paying with her life, she was determined to act.
With that resolve, a yellow portal appeared, and the Ancient One stepped through it, vanishing from sight.
"The Tesseract has awakened."
"It lies within a small space, within the human world."
"Humans are attempting to control and utilize it."
"Unfortunately, only our allies know how to harness the power of the Tesseract."
"Our allies will advance to Earth as vanguards, and we Chitauri will follow closely!"
"This planet belongs to him, but the entire universe will be ours…"
"What can humans do… They can only await their doom."
The Chitauri were eagerly anticipating Loki's acquisition of the Tesseract and the opening of a space portal, marking the time for their invasion of Earth. They were confident that nothing on Earth could hinder them—be it human forces or technology.
At S.H.I.E.L.D., chaos reigned. Staff members rushed in every direction.
Outside the laboratory where the Tesseract was stored, gunfire erupted.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Countless bullets were fired at a figure clad in black-green leather, wielding a scepter.
Loki advanced relentlessly, ignoring the bullets from pistols and machine guns. He muttered with annoyance, "You Midgardians are quite intriguing, managing to develop devices that disrupt spatial transmissions."
Loki's irritation stemmed from his initial plan to use the Tesseract's power to teleport close to it. However, unforeseen interference had delayed his arrival. Despite knowing that the Tesseract's power would eventually overcome these issues, Loki decided to bypass the delay and breach S.H.I.E.L.D. directly.
As Loki's voice echoed, Nick Fury, clad in black with an eyepatch over his single visible eye, felt a sense of relief.
Fortunately, recent incidents involving thieves using portals had prompted them to deploy spatial disruptors near the Tesseract, as well as develop devices to disrupt its energy.
Fury was thankful they had taken these precautions, otherwise Loki might have succeeded effortlessly.
Loki raised his hand, brandishing a golden scepter with a blue-glowing gem atop it.
With a burst of energy, a white-blue energy orb shot towards the crowd, causing screams and injuries as several people were struck.
"Drop your weapons!" Fury shouted.
Loki disregarded him, deftly weaving through the crowd, firing energy blasts from his scepter, and occasionally impaling enemies directly.
The agents were overwhelmed, their attempts at resistance futile. With the limited space, high-powered weapons like rockets were not usable, intensifying the crisis.
Seeing this, Fury rushed to the equipment housing the Tesseract. His movements were swift as he secured the Tesseract into a safe and prepared to evacuate with the crucial item.
As Fury worked, Loki incapacitated many of the agents and seized Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye. "You're different from the rest," Loki remarked, lifting the Mind Scepter and pointing it at Barton's chest.
Moments later, Hawkeye's eyes turned black, indicating control by the Mind Stone. Under its influence, he would now obey Loki's commands.
However, if the controlled individual had a strong will, there was a possibility they might resist.
After taking control of several people, Loki noticed Fury making a move. Seeing Fury with the Tesseract, Loki warned, "I need that. You'd better put down the box."
Fury paused, looking around at the fallen agents. "Is there really a need for such tension?"
"There is, indeed. I came a long way for this," Loki replied.
With a smug smile, he continued, "I am Loki, from Asgard. I am on a grand mission beyond your understanding."
Nearby, Dr. Selvig, who had recently witnessed Thor and the mysterious white-clad figure in action, showed shock. "Loki? You're Thor's brother?"
Fury, misunderstanding the situation, replied, "We have no grudge with you."
Clearly, he thought the matter was related to Asgard.
Loki sneered, "Ants and your shoe have no grudge either."
Fury's expression darkened, "So you're saying you intend to crush us?"
Loki's arrogance was evident, as if he viewed them as insignificant.
Were all gods from Asgard so disdainful?
(End of Chapter)