This was Loki's seventh day aboard the Helicarrier...
The usually composed Asgardian prince now wore an expression of rare irritation and unease. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
In his original plan, he would use words to sow discord among the Avengers, amplifying their conflicts. He would then provoke the Hulk into a rage, exploit the mutual distrust between Iron Man and Captain America, and capitalize on the secrets S.H.I.E.L.D. had concealed.
Indeed, Loki's machinations had achieved their intended effect...
Tony Stark had exposed Nick Fury's true motives for developing the Tesseract. It wasn't to create infinite energy, but to manufacture advanced weapons. JARVIS had leaked everything, and Steve Rogers had even discovered the energy weapons already in production.
The fractures among the Avengers were numerous, each one a potential weak point to exploit. But then, something unexpected happened.
Loki never received the rescue he expected from Hawkeye. The Tesseract's tracking signal, which S.H.I.E.L.D. had been monitoring, abruptly vanished. The situation had reached a deadlock.
The Asgardian prince had truly become a prisoner in his cell. He was cut off from all outside contact. Even his mind-controlling scepter was nowhere near him.
It was as if he had written a script, only to find the entire story rewritten without his consent.
An inexplicable fury burned in Loki's chest. Nick Fury's relentless interrogations worsened his already volatile mood.
Where was the Tesseract hidden? What was Dr. Selvig building?
To these questions, Loki could only say he wished he knew. Why hadn't Dr. Selvig activated the Tesseract and opened the portal? Why was he still trapped in this damned circular prison?
By now, he should have been using Stark Tower's arc reactor to power the Tesseract, ushering in the Chitauri army. The so-called 'superheroes' of the Avengers would have fallen at his feet, and this planet would have welcomed its new ruler.
"Where did things go wrong?" Loki racked his brain but couldn't pinpoint the flaw that had derailed his entire plan.
He wasn't the only one plagued by such questions. Bruce Banner, who was brought aboard the Helicarrier to help locate the Tesseract with his genius intellect, had hit a wall as well.
Banner had intended to track the cube's gamma radiation, narrowing its location to within half a mile. But days ago, the Tesseract's signal had vanished, rendering his efforts futile.
On top of that, the makeshift team was embroiled in daily arguments.
Tony Stark had hacked S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems and exposed the Tesseract weapons project, while Nick Fury deflected blame onto Thor, claiming the Asgardian threat had forced him to prepare for an advanced war.
In short, the Helicarrier was a mess. Banner couldn't wait to get back on solid ground. Perhaps it was some psychological issue, like motion sickness.
He hated the monotonous confines of the floating fortress...
....
"So this is an Infinity Stone?"
The red-haired woman plucked at the floating cube as if strumming a harp's strings.
The Tesseract pulsed with an eerie blue glow, its surface rippling like water. It radiated rings of iridescent light that shimmered like a vast, slowly rotating galaxy, inviting one to dive in and explore.
Jean's psychic powers gently extended, brushing against an endless starscape as an unknown world opened its doors to her.
"It's the Space Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones. They are manifestations of the universe's fundamental laws, wielding unimaginable power." Sean didn't hide the truth.
His gaze remained fixed on the slowly spinning cube. Its subtle energy waves collided with the void, stirring tiny disturbances in reality.
Since acquiring the Tesseract from HYDRA's underground base, he had devoted all his time and energy to unraveling its mysteries. Loki and the Avengers had been pushed to the back of his mind.
It had taken him a while to even remember the unconscious Dr. Selvig and the amnesiac Barton. He hoped the Asgardian prince wouldn't feel too neglected.
"The younger mutants idolize you, especially John." Jean stopped toying with the Tesseract and settled onto Sean's lap, her warm breath teasing his senses.
"I just taught them a new perspective. Their mutations aren't curses. Their innate abilities can pave the way to something greater."
Sean wrapped an arm around the woman's slender waist, her fiery red hair cascading like a mesmerizing flame. He held high hopes for Pyro and Iceman, two young men with opposite personalities but equal potential.
The former craved power with an ambitious drive, while the latter was introverted yet steady. When Professor X and Magneto's generation fades from the stage, they would be the new leaders.
"Why not wait? Let that Asgardian bring the Chitauri to Earth. You could save the world and become the celebrated superhero, humanity's savior." Jean draped her arms around Sean's neck, her voice soft but probing.
By his side, she had learned many secrets; the Infinity Stones, the Nine Realms, the looming cosmic tyrant...
"Heroism comes at a price," Sean muttered, "If gods are omnipotent, then they must save everyone. If they can't, then they aren't truly omnipotent. The same applies to heroes. The Avengers save the world, earning cheers and adoration. But who considers what happens if they fail?"
Sean raised a hand, and an invisible force jolted the floating Tesseract.
As if provoked, the cube erupted in dazzling light, staining the surrounding space a deep cerulean. The world trembled slightly as the void convulsed. A surreal, boundless galaxy flickered into view like a gateway to the unknown.
Tiny stars materialized beneath the open dome of Umbrella's rooftop. The blue radiance swirled like a celestial dance, within which a shimmering galaxy drifted.
Jean nestled against Sean's broad chest, her dazed eyes fixed on the illusory starscape. Her vast psychic senses perceived the boundless energy contained within that phantom cosmos.
"Absolutely intoxicating," she murmured.
The golden light in Sean's eyes burned brighter, solidifying into tangible flames.
He grasped the hovering Tesseract, and gentle energy flowed along his arm, seeping into every cell of his body and merging with the golden torrent within.
Peering past the cube's outer shell, beneath its stable structure, lay an oval blue gem. It was luminous, translucent, and utterly captivating.
"One down, five to go..."