Reading settings
Chapter 336: Avengers: Heroes Assemble (1)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Intense energy waves began to erupt. When Loki stepped across the Threshold with a wicked smile, he had already arrived on Earth from the distant Interstellar space.
"You are even more foolish than I imagined, Earthlings."
Loki's disdainful gaze swept over all the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents present. Behind him, the Portal opened by the Tesseract slowly closed.
In that instant, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Tesseract had gone out of control, bringing Loki to Earth.
"Is the Tesseract closed?" Agent Coulson's expression was grave as he snapped at a researcher.
The researcher, beaded with sweat, nodded his head.
Agent Coulson observed the visitor from another world with caution. "Sir, whoever you are, you have trespassed into a level-ten secret base belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D. You have the right to remain silent, but if you choose to resist, we will take you down on the spot."
Noticing the ancient, iconic attire, Agent Coulson raised an eyebrow, having already guessed the man's identity.
Another Asgardian.
Recklessly provoking Asgard could lead to a serious diplomatic conflict, but they had no choice. When it came to the Tesseract, they absolutely could not back down.
The Tesseract was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest trump card, their most powerful weapon for researching high-yield energy weapons and deterring all kinds of enemies.
Moreover, this weapon had infinite potential and limitless energy, allowing for long-term research and use.
Otherwise, Agent Coulson wouldn't have come here personally. He was, after all, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a very busy man.
"Has no one ever told you that you should show humility when addressing a Deity?" Loki wasn't the least bit angry. He caressed his Scepter with a fascinated fondness, then naturally ignored the wary Agents and walked straight to the Tesseract, grabbing it in one hand.
A dazzling blue radiance pulsed with an intoxicating light. This was the light of Power, enough to stir anyone's heart.
Agent Coulson's face grew even darker. He aimed his pistol directly at Loki and said, "That belongs to Earth! Your current actions will lead to war between our two worlds!"
"War? You mean a war between Mortals and a God?" Loki looked as if he had just heard the greatest joke in the world.
"Don't forget, we have a Guardian too. Although I don't know how you used the Tesseract to get to Earth, if you take it, the Guardian will not stand idly by," Agent Coulson stated with conviction.
"Guardian..." Loki's movements froze for a split second.
That Tony, the one who had unreasonably beaten the Destroyer and then shamelessly refused to return it, had indeed left a deep impression on him... Even with his Scepter in hand, Loki wasn't confident.
If only he had the Eternal Spear. Then it wouldn't matter who his opponent was; one stab and they'd be dead. Unfortunately, that weapon was still in the hands of his old man, Odin, and he didn't have the face to go home right now.
His expression stern, Agent Coulson secretly gestured to Black Widow and Hawkeye. While he felt a sense of relief, he couldn't help but feel a little displeased.
Tony was undoubtedly their enemy, a mortal enemy at that. Not even the Red Skull during World War II had inflicted such horrific damage on S.H.I.E.L.D.
That was a Nuclear Bomb. It had wiped out a large number of elites, including Nick Fury... his methods were decisive and ruthless.
But they were helpless. Go up against a Guardian? And the mysterious and powerful Kamar-Taj? To the politicians, that would be the height of stupidity. This was especially true now that the world's major powers had all received Tony's message that the "Universe is dangerous," leaving them with even fewer options.
They couldn't win a fight, and with Tony's personality, even simple retaliation was impossible. They could only bite the bullet and accept it. Were they really going to find a way to kill their own Guardian?
Did they think the footage of the Ancient One's fierce battle with Dormammu was fake? Did they think the footage of Tony's fierce battle with the Destroyer was fake?
Besides, Agent Coulson himself believed that Tony wouldn't let such a good opportunity slip by. Even just thinking from the perspective of a superior—Tony, to protect his own dignity and that of Kamar-Taj, would not tolerate this guy before him causing trouble as he pleased.
Tony also needed to accumulate a different kind of "political capital."
Unfortunately, he would never have guessed that Tony's plan was precisely to let Loki in, to let the Chitauri in...
The atmosphere seemed to freeze. The people present were, at the very least, top-tier agents and scientists from around the globe; of course, they possessed the mental fortitude and sufficient patience.
But patience was a courtesy reserved for equals. Against a lone, slender Loki, it was naturally unnecessary.
S.H.I.E.L.D. made the first move.
In a mere 0.1 seconds, Hawkeye had taken aim. He released his grip, and an arrow flew.
To still be using something as inefficient as a bow and arrow in a technological age, one was either a genius or a fool. Hawkeye was undoubtedly the former. He was a genius, capable of making an Explosive Arrow perform a mid-air turn like a Missile, a feat involving a massive amount of precise calculation and terrifying intuition.
An Explosive Arrow whizzed through the air, shooting toward Loki at incredible speed. But Loki's smile returned, and this time, it was somewhat cold.
Bang!
The explosion roared, engulfing Loki.
"We got him!" Agent Coulson clapped his hands and ordered in a rapid tone, "Everyone, switch to Tranquilizer Darts immediately! Do not kill him unless absolutely necessary!"
The agents immediately opened fire, a dense volley of Tranquilizer Darts converging on Loki.
But unfortunately, they were completely useless. They couldn't even pierce Loki's skin or his clothes.
"You use these toys to fight me?" Loki looked disdainful. He picked up a Tranquilizer Dart, examined it, and tossed it to the ground with a clang.
He was a God! A true God! Not some ordinary, physically strong soldier, but a God who wielded Divine Power!
Using firearms against a being whose body was suffused with Divine Power? It was utterly pointless.
Natasha decisively rushed forward. After three steps, she executed a powerful slide, lunging toward Loki, her two long, slender legs kicking hard at his.
But Loki was faster. He simply reached out, grabbed Natasha's ankle, and viciously slammed her to the side. Natasha couldn't help but let out a muffled, yet alluring groan.
But no one here was susceptible to such charms.
"Since you want war, then I shall give you war, you foolish Mortals!" Loki roared. "You will never know who you have offended! Don't forget, your Guardian cannot protect you forever!"
Controlling his Scepter, Loki unleashed a massive Energy Shockwave, blasting away all the morons who were tirelessly shooting their toys at him.
"I need a Warrior. I suppose you will have to do," Loki said, grabbing Hawkeye by the neck. He then stabbed the tip of his Scepter into his chest.
In an instant, the power of the Mind Stone corroded his mind and soul. Allegiance to the Scepter became his new instinct.
Thrown against a corner of the wall, Agent Coulson gasped for breath a few times to ease the sharp pain. He looked up and saw Hawkeye, who had suddenly transformed from a fierce tiger into a lapdog, and his heart sank to the depths.
"The war has begun..." Agent Coulson gritted his teeth, his hand moving to his waist. He entered a command on a keypad.
At that moment, a special signal was transmitted in a covert manner. The agents who received this order all wore solemn expressions, dropped what they were doing, and went to carry it out.
The content of the order was singular, and only those who were absolutely reliable would receive the message.
"The Avengers Initiative is activated!"
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Intense energy waves began to erupt. When Loki stepped across the Threshold with a wicked smile, he had already arrived on Earth from the distant Interstellar space.
"You are even more foolish than I imagined, Earthlings."
Loki's disdainful gaze swept over all the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents present. Behind him, the Portal opened by the Tesseract slowly closed.
In that instant, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Tesseract had gone out of control, bringing Loki to Earth.
"Is the Tesseract closed?" Agent Coulson's expression was grave as he snapped at a researcher.
The researcher, beaded with sweat, nodded his head.
Agent Coulson observed the visitor from another world with caution. "Sir, whoever you are, you have trespassed into a level-ten secret base belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D. You have the right to remain silent, but if you choose to resist, we will take you down on the spot."
Noticing the ancient, iconic attire, Agent Coulson raised an eyebrow, having already guessed the man's identity.
Another Asgardian.
Recklessly provoking Asgard could lead to a serious diplomatic conflict, but they had no choice. When it came to the Tesseract, they absolutely could not back down.
The Tesseract was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest trump card, their most powerful weapon for researching high-yield energy weapons and deterring all kinds of enemies.
Moreover, this weapon had infinite potential and limitless energy, allowing for long-term research and use.
Otherwise, Agent Coulson wouldn't have come here personally. He was, after all, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a very busy man.
"Has no one ever told you that you should show humility when addressing a Deity?" Loki wasn't the least bit angry. He caressed his Scepter with a fascinated fondness, then naturally ignored the wary Agents and walked straight to the Tesseract, grabbing it in one hand.
A dazzling blue radiance pulsed with an intoxicating light. This was the light of Power, enough to stir anyone's heart.
Agent Coulson's face grew even darker. He aimed his pistol directly at Loki and said, "That belongs to Earth! Your current actions will lead to war between our two worlds!"
"War? You mean a war between Mortals and a God?" Loki looked as if he had just heard the greatest joke in the world.
"Don't forget, we have a Guardian too. Although I don't know how you used the Tesseract to get to Earth, if you take it, the Guardian will not stand idly by," Agent Coulson stated with conviction.
"Guardian..." Loki's movements froze for a split second.
That Tony, the one who had unreasonably beaten the Destroyer and then shamelessly refused to return it, had indeed left a deep impression on him... Even with his Scepter in hand, Loki wasn't confident.
If only he had the Eternal Spear. Then it wouldn't matter who his opponent was; one stab and they'd be dead. Unfortunately, that weapon was still in the hands of his old man, Odin, and he didn't have the face to go home right now.
His expression stern, Agent Coulson secretly gestured to Black Widow and Hawkeye. While he felt a sense of relief, he couldn't help but feel a little displeased.
Tony was undoubtedly their enemy, a mortal enemy at that. Not even the Red Skull during World War II had inflicted such horrific damage on S.H.I.E.L.D.
That was a Nuclear Bomb. It had wiped out a large number of elites, including Nick Fury... his methods were decisive and ruthless.
But they were helpless. Go up against a Guardian? And the mysterious and powerful Kamar-Taj? To the politicians, that would be the height of stupidity. This was especially true now that the world's major powers had all received Tony's message that the "Universe is dangerous," leaving them with even fewer options.
They couldn't win a fight, and with Tony's personality, even simple retaliation was impossible. They could only bite the bullet and accept it. Were they really going to find a way to kill their own Guardian?
Did they think the footage of the Ancient One's fierce battle with Dormammu was fake? Did they think the footage of Tony's fierce battle with the Destroyer was fake?
Besides, Agent Coulson himself believed that Tony wouldn't let such a good opportunity slip by. Even just thinking from the perspective of a superior—Tony, to protect his own dignity and that of Kamar-Taj, would not tolerate this guy before him causing trouble as he pleased.
Tony also needed to accumulate a different kind of "political capital."
Unfortunately, he would never have guessed that Tony's plan was precisely to let Loki in, to let the Chitauri in...
The atmosphere seemed to freeze. The people present were, at the very least, top-tier agents and scientists from around the globe; of course, they possessed the mental fortitude and sufficient patience.
But patience was a courtesy reserved for equals. Against a lone, slender Loki, it was naturally unnecessary.
S.H.I.E.L.D. made the first move.
In a mere 0.1 seconds, Hawkeye had taken aim. He released his grip, and an arrow flew.
To still be using something as inefficient as a bow and arrow in a technological age, one was either a genius or a fool. Hawkeye was undoubtedly the former. He was a genius, capable of making an Explosive Arrow perform a mid-air turn like a Missile, a feat involving a massive amount of precise calculation and terrifying intuition.
An Explosive Arrow whizzed through the air, shooting toward Loki at incredible speed. But Loki's smile returned, and this time, it was somewhat cold.
Bang!
The explosion roared, engulfing Loki.
"We got him!" Agent Coulson clapped his hands and ordered in a rapid tone, "Everyone, switch to Tranquilizer Darts immediately! Do not kill him unless absolutely necessary!"
The agents immediately opened fire, a dense volley of Tranquilizer Darts converging on Loki.
But unfortunately, they were completely useless. They couldn't even pierce Loki's skin or his clothes.
"You use these toys to fight me?" Loki looked disdainful. He picked up a Tranquilizer Dart, examined it, and tossed it to the ground with a clang.
He was a God! A true God! Not some ordinary, physically strong soldier, but a God who wielded Divine Power!
Using firearms against a being whose body was suffused with Divine Power? It was utterly pointless.
Natasha decisively rushed forward. After three steps, she executed a powerful slide, lunging toward Loki, her two long, slender legs kicking hard at his.
But Loki was faster. He simply reached out, grabbed Natasha's ankle, and viciously slammed her to the side. Natasha couldn't help but let out a muffled, yet alluring groan.
But no one here was susceptible to such charms.
"Since you want war, then I shall give you war, you foolish Mortals!" Loki roared. "You will never know who you have offended! Don't forget, your Guardian cannot protect you forever!"
Controlling his Scepter, Loki unleashed a massive Energy Shockwave, blasting away all the morons who were tirelessly shooting their toys at him.
"I need a Warrior. I suppose you will have to do," Loki said, grabbing Hawkeye by the neck. He then stabbed the tip of his Scepter into his chest.
In an instant, the power of the Mind Stone corroded his mind and soul. Allegiance to the Scepter became his new instinct.
Thrown against a corner of the wall, Agent Coulson gasped for breath a few times to ease the sharp pain. He looked up and saw Hawkeye, who had suddenly transformed from a fierce tiger into a lapdog, and his heart sank to the depths.
"The war has begun..." Agent Coulson gritted his teeth, his hand moving to his waist. He entered a command on a keypad.
At that moment, a special signal was transmitted in a covert manner. The agents who received this order all wore solemn expressions, dropped what they were doing, and went to carry it out.
The content of the order was singular, and only those who were absolutely reliable would receive the message.
"The Avengers Initiative is activated!"
(end of chapter)
