[ Inside the spaceship's bustling work area, Thor and Coulson were deep in conversation about Jane, their voices low yet laced with concern. On the elevated steps, Director Fury's commanding presence drew all eyes. ]
[ "Can you force Loki to reveal where the Cube is?" he asked, his tone sharp but calm.]
[ Thor slowly shook his head, his expression grim. "I doubt it. Loki's mind is as elusive as a shadow. He doesn't just crave power; he thirsts for vengeance against me. No pain, no hardship will ever make him yield." ]
[ Fury descended the steps, each footstep echoing like a drumbeat. "Anyone who's been broken by torture wouldn't sound so certain," he countered, his sharp gaze fixed on Thor. ]
[ Thor turned toward him, brows furrowed. "Then what would you have me do, Director?" ]
[ Fury's stare intensified. "I'm asking you, Thor, what you're going to do." ]
[ Thor's answer came coldly: "Loki is a prisoner." ]
[ Fury raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with mockery. "Then why does it feel like he's the only one aboard this ship who wants to be here?" ]
[ Thor blinked, caught off guard, but said nothing. ]
"Damn, Fury is sharp. He sees through everything!"
"Exactly! Loki definitely has something planned."
"Thor's letting his little brother pull the strings. What a giant softie."
"Strength without brains, classic."
"I'd take both, thank you very much."
"If Loki wants to stay, there's got to be a trap."
"What is that guy planning?"
[ The screen cut abruptly, revealing Loki pacing in his glass cell like a predator, his grin cold and calculating. He turned sharply as footsteps approached. Outside the cell stood the Widow, clad in sleek black, her expression unreadable. ]
[ "Not many can sneak up on me," Loki said smoothly, his voice dripping with arrogance. ]
[ She folded her arms, her tone cool. "But you expected me." ]
[ Loki smirked. "A bit early, aren't you? You were supposed to show up after Fury exhausted every trick to pry information out of me. Then you'd swoop in with some fake compassion. I'd play along." ]
[ "I'm here for answers," she said sharply. "What did you do to Barton?" ]
[ Loki spread his arms with mock innocence. "I merely… opened his mind." ]
[ She stepped closer, her face inches from the glass. "Once you win, once you claim your throne… what happens to him?" ]
[ Loki tilted his head, smirking. "Is this love?" ]
[ "Only children call it love," she shot back coldly. "I owe him." ]
"Whoa… is she in love with Barton?"
"Wouldn't be surprising, they've been partners for years."
"She's defending him, but Fury's got to be watching this, right?"
"No way this is just love. She's calculating."
"Still, Loki's dangerous. This could go bad fast."
[ Loki chuckled, stepping back with a sinister gleam in his eyes. "Go on then." ]
[ She sat on a nearby stool, her voice quiet but steady. "Before S.H.I.E.L.D., I… had a reputation. My record was dark, and I was hunted by the Directorate. Barton was sent to kill me. Instead, he spared me." ]
[ Loki's eyes narrowed. "And if I chose to spare him?" ]
["You'd stay locked in there," she said without hesitation.]
[ "How delightful," Loki whispered, circling like a viper. "Your fragile world teeters on chaos, yet here you are, bargaining for a man, while your so-called 'regime' crumbles." ]
[ "I was an enemy once," she replied, her voice low. "Now I fight for this world." ]
[ Loki's smirk sharpened. "And what are you now?" ]
[ She straightened, steel in her eyes. "I'm someone paying off a debt." ]
[ He leaned closer to the glass, his voice turning venomous. "You're drowning in debts, Natasha Romanoff. Dreykov's daughter, St. Petersburg… that fire in the hospital. Barton told me everything. The blood on your hands… it will never wash off." ]
"Is… she crying?!"
"Holy hell, Loki's good. He knows everything."
"That was brutal! He's ripping her apart."
"Man's like a soul-reading devil. Scary as hell."
"Nat, don't break! He's trying to rattle you."
[ Loki's voice turned dark, his expression feral. "Do you honestly think saving one life erases your sins? You're just a pathetic child, clinging to rules to justify murder. Those ghosts will haunt you forever." ]
[ He suddenly slammed his hand against the glass with a snarl, making her flinch. "And I won't harm Barton… not until he kills you. Slowly. Intimately. He'll do it the way you fear most, savoring it. And when he screams at what he's done, I'll crush his skull. That's my deal, you crying witch!" ]
[ Natasha's eyes brimmed with tears as she turned and strode away, her back stiff. ]
The audience erupted in anger, and it was written across every comment.
"Drop him out the airlock!"
"Piece of garbage! Not even human trash."
"Poor Widow… that was heartbreaking."
"Loki's pure evil. I'd teach him a lesson myself!"
"If Loki gets out, everything's over."
[ "You're cruel," Natasha whispered bitterly. ]
[ Loki's grin was razor-sharp. "No, you brought the monster." ]
[ Natasha froze, her mind racing. Her gaze sharpened. "The monster… Banner. That's your plan, isn't it?" ]
[ Loki blinked, momentarily thrown off. "What?" ]
[ Her hand darted to her earpiece. "He's targeting the Hulk! Banner's in the lab. Thor, meet me there!" ]
[ She turned to leave but glanced back, her tears replaced by a cold smirk. "Thanks for your cooperation." ]
The chat exploded.
"Wait, WHAT?! She was acting?!"
"Oh my god, Widow played him like a fiddle!"
"That's some next-level spycraft."
"Loki's face when she walked away… priceless."
"Banner's in danger?! This is bad."
"She turned his mind games against him. Genius!"
In the Administration, laughter filled the air. Several scientists exchanged impressed glances.
"Romanoff is brilliant," one said. "She just turned an interrogation into a goldmine."
"Exactly," another added. "She proved that even against beings like Loki, our methods still work."
Xiaotian frowned. "But Loki's words about the beast confirm something: he truly fears the Hulk. If that's his plan, Banner's not just a danger. He's a weapon Loki wants to unleash."
Tonio's voice was calm, but his eyes darkened. "It's not just danger. Natasha's urgency shows Banner's transformation could spiral beyond even Thor's control."
[ Meanwhile, the scene shifted to the lab. Fury strode in sharply, eyes locked on Dr. Banner and Tony Stark. ]
[ "Tony, what are you doing?" Fury demanded. ]
[ Tony, lounging casually on the table, smirked. "I was about to ask you that." ]
[ "You should be finding the Cube," Fury shot back. ]
[ "We are," Banner replied, calm as ever. "We've locked the model and are scanning signals. Once we hit it, we'll have its location." ]
[ Tony spun the monitor around. "See? No need to panic, Director." ]
[ Just then, a red alert flashed across Tony's screen. ]
[ "What's Stage 2?" he muttered. ]
[ Before Fury could answer, Rogers stormed in, tossing a sleek weapon on the table. The metallic thud reverberated. ]
[ "Stage 2," Rogers said coldly, "is S.H.I.E.L.D. weaponizing the Cube. Your servers were slow, so I just went straight to the warehouse." ]
[ Fury tensed. "We've collected data on the Cube. That doesn't mean—" ]
[ Tony interrupted, his voice sharp. "You're lying." ]
[ Rogers buckled his belt. "The world hasn't changed. Not really." ]
[ Thor and Natasha entered just as tension hit its peak. Natasha's eyes darted toward Banner. "We need to leave. Now. Loki's manipulating you." ]
[ Banner blinked. "And you're not?" ]
[ "Not this time," she said firmly. ]
[ "Funny," Banner said with a dry chuckle, "I wouldn't have come otherwise." ]
[ Banner gestured toward the weapon on-screen. "So, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s building WMDs out of the Cube?" ]
[ "Because of him," Fury snapped, pointing at Thor. ]
[ Thor's eyes widened in shock. ]
The argument erupted, words flying like sparks. Accusations, justifications, and suspicion filled the lab's charged atmosphere. The air grew thick with distrust, as alliances began to fray under Loki's invisible hand.