[On the helicarrier, Loki was being escorted down a sterile corridor by a formation of heavily armed SHIELD agents. Their faces were set in professional masks, but tension radiated from their rigid postures as they surrounded the Asgardian prisoner. Despite being handcuffed, Loki walked with regal bearing, his slight smile suggesting he was exactly where he wanted to be.]
[When passing by Banner's laboratory, Loki slowed his pace deliberately, turning his head to glance through the glass walls. Inside, Banner was hunched over sophisticated equipment, focused on algorithms to trace the Tesseract's gamma signature. Sensing a presence, Banner looked up to meet Loki's gaze. The god's lips curled into a knowing smile, lingering just long enough to be intentional before the guards urged him forward.]
[Banner removed his glasses slowly, continuing to watch as Loki was marched down the corridor. He unconsciously pinched the bridge of his nose, brow furrowing with unease. Something about that smile—calculated and almost anticipatory—triggered an instinctive warning in his mind that he couldn't quite articulate. The Other Guy stirred uncomfortably in the recesses of his consciousness.]
[Loki was finally secured in a cylindrical containment chamber designed for beings of extraordinary power. The sophisticated cell was suspended within a larger structure, held in place by massive metal brackets. The walls were constructed of transparent, reinforced material that offered no privacy—every move Loki made would be observed. The god surveyed his surroundings with casual interest, as if examining accommodations at a moderately acceptable hotel.]
[Nick Fury strode purposefully into the detention section, his leather coat swinging with his brisk pace. His single eye fixed on Loki with cold intensity as he approached the control console. "In case it's unclear," he began, his deep voice resonating through the chamber's speakers, "if you try to escape, if you so much as scratch that glass..."]
[Fury manipulated several controls on the panel with practiced efficiency. The floor beneath Loki's cell retracted with a mechanical hum, revealing an open hatch and the dizzying view of open sky 30,000 feet below. The wind howled up through the opening, creating a sudden drop in pressure that emphasized the imminent threat.]
[Fury looked at Loki with calculated ruthlessness, his expression revealing nothing but professional detachment. "It's 30,000 feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" He gestured between Loki and the control panel with deliberate movements. "Ant..." He pointed at Loki, then shifted his finger to the release button. "Boot."]
[He closed the hatch with a decisive press of a button, cutting off the roaring wind. The message had been delivered with crystal clarity—SHIELD was prepared for extreme measures if necessary.]
[Loki's response was a soft laugh that contained no genuine mirth. He took two measured steps back from the glass and spread his hands in mock deference. "It's an impressive cage," he acknowledged, voice smooth as silk. "Not built, I think, for me." His knowing tone carried layers of meaning beneath the simple observation.]
[Fury remained silent, allowing Loki to continue his thought, sensing the direction of his psychological probe.]
["Built for something a lot stronger than me," Loki continued, his gaze deliberately shifting toward one of the surveillance cameras mounted in the ceiling. "A mindless beast who makes play he's still a man." His voice dripped with disdain. "How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"]
[In the conference room elsewhere on the helicarrier, Natasha Romanoff lifted her eyes from the monitor to glance at Banner who stood nearby. The room had fallen into tense silence as everyone watched the exchange between Fury and their prisoner. Banner's face remained carefully neutral, but a muscle twitched in his jaw at Loki's pointed reference.]
["How desperate am I?" Fury advanced toward the glass, his tone sharpening with barely contained anger. "You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace, and you kill because it's fun." Each accusation landed with precise force. "You have made me very desperate. And you might not be glad that you did."]
[Loki's eyes narrowed slightly, assessing Fury with new interest. "Ooh. It burns you to have come so close," he observed with cruel insight. "To have the Tesseract, to have power—unlimited power—and for what?" He spread his hands in theatrical questioning. "A warm light for all mankind to share?"]
[A calculated pause followed as Loki leaned closer to the glass, his voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "And then to be reminded what real power is."]
[Fury's mouth curved into a dismissive smile, refusing to engage further with Loki's psychological warfare. "Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something." With deliberate casualness, he turned and walked away, signaling that the interrogation was over on his terms, not Loki's.]
[Left alone in his transparent prison, Loki turned slowly to face the security camera. His expression was unreadable as he stared directly into the lens, fully aware that the Avengers were watching his every move. He stood perfectly still, a predator comfortable with patience.]
"Is Loki's target Banner? He is trying to provoke Banner's nerves in his words and deeds."
"Yeah! He knew that we didn't have that much chemistry when we first met, and we weren't even familiar with each other. He wanted to sow discord between us and make things chaotic for us!"
"Hulk! He's the best target! As long as Hulk gets out, this aerospace carrier will be finished!"
"As long as he defeats us, no one will be able to stop his plan. From this point of view, his plan is very feasible!"
Captain America and others immediately realized why Loki was captured on purpose, it was just to cause trouble for them!
Although they had not seen Loki take action, after all, when they saw Loki, Loki had already been captured by Ancient One. He did not resist and was taken directly back to Asgard by Thor.
But Thor also told them about some of Loki's abilities, especially his ability of illusion, which was hard to guard against. Tony also began to think about how to deal with Loki. After all, from the current point of view, they are enemies!
Rhodes noticed a detail and complained, "Loki is indeed a frost giant. The thermal imaging camera can't even detect him. His body temperature must be very low!"
Tony looked at him in surprise. He didn't expect Rhodes' attention was so sharp that he could even notice these details.
[In the conference room, Banner removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly after the video feed was switched off. He crossed his arms defensively across his chest, a habit formed from years of trying to contain himself. "He really grows on you, doesn't he?" His attempt at humor couldn't quite mask his discomfort.]
[Captain America sat at the briefing table, his posture reflecting his military background even in this informal setting. "Loki's gonna drag this out," he observed, cutting directly to the tactical assessment. "So, Thor, what's his play?" He turned toward the Asgardian, seeking insight that only a brother could provide.]
[Thor stood slightly apart from the group, his powerful arms crossed as he stared into middle distance, processing the encounter with his adopted sibling. Without turning his head, he responded with grave certainty: "He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth." His voice deepened as he added the critical piece: "In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."]
[Captain America absorbed this information, his expression growing more serious as the full scale of the threat became clear. "An army... from outer space." The words seemed almost absurd when spoken aloud, yet the super-soldier's tone held no disbelief, only tactical concern.]
["So he's building another portal," Banner concluded, his scientific mind immediately identifying the logical progression. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for." He gestured with his glasses as he spoke, working through the problem methodically.]
["Selvig?" Thor's attention snapped fully to Banner at the mention of the name, recognition and concern flashing across his features.]
["He's an astrophysicist," Banner explained, assuming Thor was unfamiliar with the scientist's specialization.]
["He's a friend," Thor corrected, his personal connection to the situation adding another layer of complexity to his already conflicted position regarding Loki.]
[Natasha leaned forward slightly in her chair, her face composed but her eyes sharp with intelligence as she filled in critical details: "Loki has him under some kind of spell. Along with one of ours." Her tone remained professional, but those who knew her could detect the subtle note of concern for her compromised colleague, Clint Barton.]
["I want to know why Loki let us take him," Captain America redirected the conversation to the strategic puzzle at hand. "He's not leading an army from here." His tactical mind rejected the scenario as impractical, sensing a deeper deception.]
["I don't think we should be focusing on Loki," Banner interjected, his hands moving expressively as he approached the problem from a different angle. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him." His assessment was clinical rather than judgmental, the observation of a scientist accustomed to analyzing behavior patterns.]
[Thor's posture stiffened slightly, his loyalty to family conflicting with his recognition of Loki's crimes. "Have care how you speak," he warned, his voice deepening with authority. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he is my brother." The declaration was both statement of fact and claim of responsibility.]
[Natasha's response was calm but pointed, delivered with the precision of an arrow: "He killed eighty people in two days." Her gaze remained level, challenging Thor to defend such actions.]
[Thor hesitated, caught between familial loyalty and the undeniable truth. His shoulders dropped slightly as he amended his position: "He's adopted." The brief moment of uncomfortable humor revealed his struggle to reconcile the brother he knew with the enemy he faced.]
["I think it's about the mechanics," Banner refocused the discussion on the practical problem, moving toward a nearby display. "Iridium... what do they need the iridium for?" He frowned in contemplation, mentally cataloging the element's properties and potential applications.]
[Tony Stark entered the conference room with perfect timing, delivering the answer as he strolled in alongside Agent Coulson. "It's a stabilizing agent," he explained confidently. Without missing a beat, he turned to Coulson to finish their side conversation: "Pick a weekend, I'll fly you to Portland. Keep love alive." He patted the agent's shoulder encouragingly.]
[Coulson acknowledged with a brief smile before moving away to attend to other duties, leaving Tony to command the room's attention as only he could.]
["It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD," Tony continued, seamlessly transitioning back to the scientific explanation. His casual demeanor belied the significance of his analysis as he moved toward the central command platform.]