While Tony Stark continued his work, he casually said, "Have some faith, JARVIS…"
JARVIS had no choice but to follow his orders.
Soon, the familiar scenario unfolded.
"Sir, your call is coming through."
"My systems have been tampered with again," Tony Stark sighed, realizing that JARVIS's security had proven inadequate once more, allowing S.H.I.E.L.D. to breach it repeatedly.
Is it that JARVIS needs an upgrade, or are these people simply too skilled?
"Ah, Stark, we need to talk," Agent Coulson's voice came through.
"Make it quick," Tony Stark replied with resignation.
[Divine Light Experience +1]
[Godly Physique Experience +1]
While Agent Coulson and Tony were conversing, Su Yao, having cycled through his internal energy, decided it was time to head to downtown New York.
The Chitauri invasion was set to occur in New York, and if things went as expected, Loki would soon use the Tesseract atop Stark Tower to open a portal for the Chitauri army.
"Stark Tower should be in the city center…" Su Yao mused, noting that its prominent appearance would make it easy to find.
With a burst of light, he vanished from his location and made his way to downtown New York.
On the way, he decided to change his attire. After a brief adjustment, he donned a new white outfit.
This time, he planned to appear as the White Cloak, or the White Phantom.
Of course, Su Yao did not intend to intervene unless absolutely necessary. If Kaecilius and his group managed to acquire both the Tesseract and the Mind Scepter, he would stay out of the situation.
However, if they failed to secure these artifacts, he would have no choice but to act.
"I don't think it will be too difficult," Su Yao thought to himself.
The Chitauri invasion was merely a test run by Thanos to acquire those artifacts. It should be manageable even with just the White Cloak's abilities.
Moreover, his Chaos Magic, now enhanced by the divine light power, was considerably stronger than before. He estimated that his current Chaos Magic could handle Thanos in his normal state, without the Infinity Stones.
Glancing at the nearly complete experience bar for his Divine Light power, Su Yao sighed. "I wonder if the Divine Light power will level up during the events."
The White Cloak identity would also allow him to better harness the power of the God of Light, Bader.
As he approached, Loki and his team were busy with their plans.
Dr. Selvig was directing a team of scientists to prepare the equipment to activate the Tesseract's energy.
Meanwhile, Loki sat alone in a dark corner. The gem on the Mind Scepter began to glow white, indicating a telepathic communication from someone.
An image appeared in Loki's mind of a mysterious figure in unusual attire, accompanied by a raspy voice.
"The Chitauri are getting restless. How prepared are you, Loki?"
Loki responded, "Tell them to get ready. I will lead them into a glorious battle."
The Chitauri commander, walking slowly and disdainfully, said, "A battle, for these weak Earthlings. Loki, I hope you won't disappoint me."
Loki looked at him. "As long as your army is as formidable as you claim."
"Are you questioning us?" the Chitauri commander asked, his tone sharp. "Questioning the ones who entrusted you with the scepter, bestowed ancient knowledge, and new ambitions?"
"Remember, Loki, you were defeated. We took you in."
"Silence!" Loki snapped, glaring at him. "I am a king, a supreme ruler of Asgard. If not for the betrayal…"
He was clearly referring to Heimdall and the Warriors Three.
Had it not been for their interference, he would have been the rightful king of Asgard!
The Chitauri commander assessed, "Your ambitions are insignificant and childish. Our gaze extends beyond Earth. With the Tesseract, the universe will reveal itself to us."
Hearing his grandiose claims, Loki interjected, "But you don't have the Tesseract yet."
The Chitauri commander, enraged, moved toward Loki as if to attack.
Loki remained unfazed, knowing the confrontation was only an illusion in his mind. He scoffed, "I am not threatening you. Until I open the portal and command your army, your words are empty."
Realizing he couldn't sway Loki, the Chitauri commander threatened, "Carry out your war, Asgardian."
"But if you fail, if the Tesseract is not in our hands, don't expect to keep your kingdom. There will be no refuge for you."
"No matter where you hide, he will find you. He will make you suffer, showing you true agony!"
"No one can protect you, and no one can oppose him. You cannot escape!"
Clearly, if Loki failed to deliver the Tesseract, the promised alliance and his potential ascension to the Asgardian throne would be nullified. The Chitauri might even kill him.
The "he" the commander referred to was Thanos, whose power and influence Loki knew well.
With that, the Chitauri commander ended the communication, and Loki returned to reality, his face reflecting the impact of the commander's final threats.
At this point, Loki questioned his choices, feeling a twinge of regret.
Yet, he had no choice but to proceed.
He then thought of Thor, wondering if that fool would interfere.
One hour later, in a New York plaza.
Dressed in armor and holding the scepter, Loki appeared, causing panic and screams among the crowd. He blocked their attempts to flee.
Standing atop a high platform, Loki commanded, "Kneel before me!"
Seeing the chaotic crowd showing no signs of kneeling, Loki shouted, "Kneel!"
Frightened, some people began to kneel, likely led by one brave soul.
"See, it's not that hard, is it?"
Loki smiled, satisfied with the compliance.
While he was imposing on the crowd, a group of robed sorcerers in yellow observed from a distance.
Further away, from atop a tall building, Su Yao, cloaked in white and exuding an air of mystery, watched the scene unfold.
(End of Chapter)