After taking care of the portal machine, they dealt with Loki too—who, frankly, was child's play. It was the Hulk who smashed him through several floors of the building, and then Thor imprisoned him until he could be taken back to Asgard.
But now, they were hearing something far more alarming—there was no Tesseract cube.
The same cube that had brought the alien army to Earth.
"How did that happen? I thought all SHIELD teams were guarding the two dangerous objects—the Tesseract cube and the scepter. So how come the Tesseract is missing? Wait… is the scepter missing too?" Steve asked urgently.
Fury shook his head. "No. Alex brought the scepter back after knocking it out of Loki's hands—so it's not missing."
Fury's expression hardened, his single eye narrowing as he leaned forward on the table.
"It's more likely," he said slowly, "that the one Loki was working with has the cube now."
Everyone in the room went silent.
"As far as we can tell," Fury continued, his tone grim, "we already contacted Thor after he secured Loki. He said there's no such army on Asgard—the Chitauri weren't from there. Whatever force Loki brought to Earth… didn't come through any Asgardian gate."
Tony frowned, folding his arms. "So we're dealing with another player. Someone who gave Loki both the scepter and an army—and probably wants their payment back."
Bruce nodded thoughtfully. "And if that someone has the Tesseract… then we're right back to square one."
Thor looked at them saying. "A power beyond even Asgard's knowledge aided my brother. I sensed it power when the portal opened—it was not the Allfather's or Asgardian's magic. This was something totally different."
Fury exchanged a glance with Hill, then looked around the table. "Then we've got a bigger problem than just Loki. Whoever pulled his strings is still out there—strong enough to arm him, build an army, and now… they have the cube."
"So we should practically be expecting another invasion?" Bruce asked, his tone calm but serious.
Fury gave a slow nod. "Yes. We should. After all, the same army that came before might not be the last. Whoever holds the cube now has the means to open another portal—and next time, they won't need Loki to do it."
Steve leaned back slightly, frowning. "So all that fighting, all that loss… and we're back where we started."
Tony exhaled through his nose. "Not exactly. This time, we know what's coming—and we know what we're dealing with."
Thor gave a brief nod. "Then we prepare. If this being seeks conquest again, they'll find Earth ready."
Fury looked around the table, his voice even. "Agreed. But for now, we focus on finding that cube before it's used again. Hill—assemble every tracking team we have. Bruce, I'll need your help recalibrating the gamma detectors to match the Tesseract's signature."
Bruce nodded quietly. "Understood."
As the team began discussing the next steps, Alex remained silent, arms folded, eyes half-closed in thought.
Tony glanced at Alex from across the table. "You've been awfully quiet, Shadow Boy. Got something on your mind, or are you just letting the dramatic silence do the talking?"
Alex didn't answer right away. He tapped a finger lightly against the table, gaze still fixed ahead. "Just thinking," he said finally. "If someone out there was powerful enough to hand Loki a cosmic artifact and an army, then that someone isn't done yet. Losing the cube won't stop them—it'll only make them more careful."
Steve nodded. "He's right. We can't assume the next attack will be the same kind. They'll change tactics."
Fury leaned back in his chair. "Which means we do the same. The Tesseract isn't just a power source—it's a doorway. Whoever has it could be anywhere in the universe right now."
Tony sighed. "So we're chasing a ghost across space. Great."
Thor spoke, his tone steady. "If the Tesseract truly left this realm, the Bifrost can help trace its echo. I will speak with Heimdall—his eyes can see through the Nine Realms and beyond."
Fury gave a short nod. "Do that. Any lead is worth following."
Natasha glanced toward Alex. "And what about you? You seem… unconcerned."
Alex looked at her, the faintest smirk forming. "Concerned? No. Just aware. Whoever took the cube won't be easy to find—but if they come here again…" his voice dropped slightly, a chill running beneath the calm, "I'll make sure they regret it."
The room fell silent again for a moment before Tony broke it with a dry chuckle. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Alex gave a small shrug. "You already did. You're just lucky I like you."
Fury stood, signaling the end of the meeting. "Alright, people. Get to work. The world isn't going to save itself."
As the team dispersed, Alex lingered for a moment by the observation window, watching the dark sky beyond the Helicarrier's hull.
"Keep quiet about it for now," he said softly—seemingly to no one—then turned and walked away.
Meanwhile, far above in Asgard, Heimdall stood at the edge of the Bifrost, his golden eyes gazing across realms. He watched Alex for a brief moment and gave a small nod.
"Leaving it in your hands is better than leaving it in the hands of humans," he murmured, before turning back to his silent vigil.
Hours later, the Helicarrier floated quietly above the Atlantic. The battle was over, but the tension in the air hadn't faded.
Down in the hangar, repairs were underway—engineers working on damaged jets, technicians running scans on alien remains, and SHIELD agents cataloguing every fragment of Chitauri tech they could find.
Alex walked through the busy deck, his coat brushing lightly against the cold metal floor. The faint hum of the Abyss Carrier resonated in the background, its core pulsing like a sleeping heart.
Tony caught up beside him, holding a holographic tablet. "You know," he began, "when Fury finds out the cube's missing for real, he's going to lose whatever's left of that eye's patience."
Alex didn't look at him. "He already suspects. Fury's smarter than he lets on."
Tony tilted his head, studying him. "You sure you know what you're doing with that thing?"
Alex paused for a second, then met his gaze. "The cube isn't safe anywhere else. You know that as well as I do."
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