"How desperate am I? You threaten us with war, you stole something you can't even control. Deep down, slaughter is your true joy. Yes, you make me despair, but I promise you will regret it!" Nick Fury said coldly, his face full of killing intent.
"Heh, isn't it frustrating, that feeling of failure? You were so close to gaining the Tesseract's power, limitless energy. But tell me, what was your goal? To share warmth with all humanity?" Loki sneered.
At those words, the room fell silent. Everyone's expressions turned uneasy.
They all knew Loki was deliberately sowing distrust toward Nick Fury, yet there was some truth in what he said. This time with the Tesseract was indeed strange.
The cube had been on Earth for many years without causing problems. Why now? Why only this time?
Surely, as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury would never study it purely for energy. He must have another purpose. And everyone present already had their suspicions. All they lacked was Fury's admission.
Hearing Loki's taunt, Fury's expression grew grim. He chose not to continue the subject. The interrogation projection in front of them flickered and vanished.
The atmosphere instantly cooled.
"This guy really talks too much," Banner chuckled, breaking the silence.
"I think he's doing it on purpose. Thor, what does your brother actually want?" Captain America asked.
"Loki has been cunning since childhood. Even I can't read his mind," Thor said, his face heavy.
"I don't understand why Loki would show himself so openly, then allow us to capture him. His power is great. Even if he couldn't defeat us, escaping would have been easy," Captain America mused.
"Our attention shouldn't be on Loki. His schemes are impossible to predict. He acts like a madman," Banner said.
"Watch your words. Loki may be reckless, but he is of Asgard, and more importantly, my brother!" Thor said angrily.
"Oh really? He killed eighty people in two days. Are you like that too?" Black Widow asked coldly.
"..." Thor.
"We're cousins," he muttered.
"..." Everyone.
"I think their plan has something to do with the iridium," Banner suggested.
"What would they use it for?" the others asked.
"As a stabilizer. That way the portal won't collapse instantly like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony Stark said as he walked in with Coulson.
"And with Loki's need for a larger, longer-lasting portal, they'll need more materials. Barton can easily get those. But the last thing they'll need is a high-density power source to ignite the Tesseract. That's the core of their plan. Science lesson over!" Tony clapped his hands with a smug grin.
"When did you become a nuclear astrophysicist?" Agent Hill asked curiously.
"Last night. Coulson's report plus Dr. Selvig's paper on extraction theory. Am I really the only one who does his homework?" Tony spread his hands, half amused, half mocking.
The others looked stunned. They didn't have time to read those reports, let alone understand them.
"He'll need to heat the Tesseract to at least one hundred million degrees to make it work," Banner added.
"See? Someone else gets it." Tony smiled and approached Banner. "Dr. Banner, I've admired your work in positron collisions for years. Honestly, I'm your biggest fan. I also think it's really cool when you turn into a giant green monster."
"..." Banner.
"..." Everyone.
Of all things to bring up, Tony had to mention that.
"Dr. Banner is here to help us track the Tesseract. Tony, I expect you to assist him," Fury said, emerging from the interrogation room.
"If it were me, I'd start with Loki's scepter. It looks like Hydra tech, but with real magic," Captain America interjected.
"I also want to know how he used it to turn two of the best men I know into his pawns," Fury said darkly.
"Natasha, take Banner and Tony to locate the Tesseract. Once we have it pinpointed, we move immediately."
"Yes!" Black Widow nodded, leading Banner and Tony toward the lab.
Inside the lab, Tony and Banner quickly found themselves in sync. Both were brilliant minds, and their discussions flowed easily.
But then Tony, with a mischievous grin, jabbed Banner with a small electric prod. Banner yelped in pain.
"Are you insane?" Banner snapped.
"Not yet," Tony shrugged. "But your self-control is impressive. How do you manage it? Music? Medication?"
"Do you always have to act like this?" Captain America glared at him.
"Depends who I'm talking to, Cap."
"You realize that stunt could have endangered everyone? Dr. Banner, I apologize. My words aren't aimed at you," Rogers said seriously.
"It's fine. If I couldn't handle something that small, I wouldn't be here," Banner said calmly.
"Big guy, you're too cautious. You should embrace it. That's who you really are," Tony said.
Rogers' face darkened further. "Stark, focus on finding the Tesseract!"
"I am focused. I just also want to know why this is happening. Why Loki now? Why did the Roland family, my largest shareholder and supposed ally Phils, refuse to help S.H.I.E.L.D. this time? What are they hiding? Without the truth, we can't find the right answers."
"You suspect Fury is hiding something from us?" Rogers asked gravely.
"Of course. He's a spy, the best of them. Spies keep secrets. Banner, you agree, don't you?" Tony asked, turning the spotlight.
"I... I just want to finish my work..." Banner muttered, unwilling to comment.
"Say what you really think," Rogers pressed.
"Fine. Loki mentioned 'sharing warmth with humanity.' I think that was aimed at Tony. After all, Stark Tower runs on a self-sustaining arc reactor. If Fury truly wanted renewable energy, why not work directly with Tony? Why go through all this?" Banner reasoned.
"I should investigate. Once my program hacks into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files, we'll know what secrets Fury is hiding," Tony said.
"Wait, is this just because they didn't include you in their energy project?" Rogers asked.
"Heh, funny how an intelligence agency fears smart people. Doesn't that strike you as suspicious?" Tony countered.
"Loki wants us to doubt each other. He wants war. We're soldiers under orders, and we must follow them," Rogers said firmly.
"Following orders isn't my style," Tony shrugged.
"You just want the spotlight, don't you?" Rogers glared.
"Look who's talking. You're the one walking around in a flashy costume," Tony said, snacking on chocolate.
"Rogers, don't you feel uncomfortable wearing that?" Banner asked curiously.
Rogers' face flushed with embarrassment. Without another word, he left the room.
Tony watched him go, his expression complicated. "This is the man my father always admired? I don't get it."
"Cap understands Loki better than us. He's cautious," Banner said.
"To me, he's a clown. Sooner or later, he'll mess up. We'll see then."
"Guess I'll be waiting for the headlines," Banner chuckled.
"Why don't we show up in costume too?" Tony joked.
"No thanks. Unlike you, I don't have armor. I'm not throwing my body at danger," Banner sighed.
"You know, every second I live with shrapnel trying to pierce my heart. The arc reactor saved my life. This little glow isn't just armor, it's a curse and a gift," Tony said quietly.
"But you control it," Banner replied, understanding his point.
"Because I learned how. I know what you went through too. That gamma blast should have killed you, but it didn't."
"You're saying the Hulk saved me? Maybe. But why? What's his purpose?" Banner's face darkened.
"We'll find out," Tony said with a small smile, letting the subject drop.
Roland estate.
"Commander, wake up~" Atago poked Roland Phils' cheek as he slowly opened his eyes, her smile playful.
"Is it time already?" Phils stretched lazily, still sleepy.
"There's still a little time left," Atago giggled.
"Then what's the rush? Let me sleep a bit more," Phils said, pulling her into his arms and closing his eyes again.
It had been ten days since he last saw the ship girls. Now each one clung to him, demanding to make up for the missed days of service. Naturally, Phils had no reason to refuse.
So he resolved to indulge them all in a single day.
Ten ship girls in total. Excluding Laffey and Nimf, plus Effie, the steward, that left nine. A daunting task, considering each was nearly demi-god in strength.
Atago smiled sweetly at the sight of him drifting back to sleep. She leaned forward and kissed his lips gently.
After some tender moments together, she shook him again.
"Commander, it's really time. As much as I want you to stay, Bismarck is waiting. I can't break the rules, or the others will complain," she whispered softly.
Phils smiled at her. "You little flirt, at least you respect the rules."
"I'd rather not, but if I didn't, our whole sisterhood would fall into chaos. That would make you unhappy. None of us want that," Atago said sweetly.
"You're right. Very well, I'll visit Bismarck," Phils said, getting dressed.
Atago quickly helped him, then sat on the bed wrapped in a blanket, her bare shoulders glowing under the morning light. Her eyes followed him with deep love, admiration, and longing.
If not for time, she would have pounced on him again.
"Little troublemaker, I'm off," Phils teased with a gentle smile.
"Commander, you're so mean," Atago pouted, watching him leave. She licked her lips with a sly grin.
"The commander is getting more handsome, more irresistible. Having such a master is my greatest blessing. If only I could serve him every day... though maybe it's for the best. Otherwise, it would be exhausting. He really is incredible..."
Her face turned crimson as certain memories replayed in her mind.
"Wait, why do I feel stronger? My power really has grown. Could this be the reward for serving the commander? Amazing. Two blessings in one!"
She clenched her fists, shocked at the surge of strength within her.
What she didn't know was that she had become one of Phils' saints.
A saint received divine nourishment directly from him, sharing in his power of faith. Their strength would grow naturally, and eventually, they could even ascend into true divinity.
This was the greatest blessing of all, something no ordinary believer could ever compare to.
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