[After hearing Captain America's damning revelation, Nick Fury immediately shifted into damage control mode. "Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract," he explained, his tone deliberately measured despite the tension crackling through the laboratory. "This does not mean that we're—"]
[Tony swiveled his monitor around with theatrical timing, cutting Fury off mid-sentence. "I'm sorry, Nick. What were you lying?" The screen displayed detailed schematics for weapons clearly powered by Tesseract technology, the evidence irrefutable. Tony's expression combined smugness with genuine disappointment as he expanded the files with a gesture, projecting them larger for everyone to see.]
[Captain America fixed Nick Fury with a cold stare, his jaw set in a rigid line of disapproval. "I was wrong, Director," he stated, disappointment evident in every word. "The world hasn't changed a bit." The statement carried the weight of a man who had sacrificed everything for a future he now questioned was worth saving.]
[The laboratory door slid open again as Natasha entered with Thor in tow, both registering the palpable tension in the room. Thor's massive frame seemed to fill the doorway, his expression concerned as he sensed the conflict brewing among his newfound allies.]
[Banner looked up from the damning weapons schematics, his eyes finding Natasha immediately. "Did you know about this?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm but with an undercurrent of barely contained anger. The question hung in the air between them, loaded with implications.]
["You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" Natasha replied, deliberately sidestepping his question. Her posture shifted subtly into a combat-ready stance, though her expression remained neutral. The movement was almost imperceptible, but to trained eyes, her preparation for potential danger was clear.]
[Banner laughed without humor, a dry sound lacking any real mirth. "I was in Calcutta," he reminded her, moving around the lab table to face her more directly. "I was pretty well removed." His hands gestured to the lab around them, highlighting the contrast between his chosen isolation and his current situation.]
["Loki's manipulating you," Natasha stated plainly, her eyes never leaving Banner's as she edged closer with cautious steps. Her voice remained calm and measured, as if approaching a wild animal that might bolt or attack at any moment.]
[Banner's expression darkened slightly at her approach. "And you've been doing what exactly?" he challenged, the question pointed and direct. His normally gentle demeanor had acquired a dangerous edge that made even the seasoned spy pause.]
["You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you," she countered, attempting to redirect the conversation to more stable ground.]
["Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy," Banner responded, refusing to be diverted. He turned toward Fury, gesturing expansively at the weapons designs displayed on the screens. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction!"]
[The question silenced the room momentarily, all eyes turning to Fury for his response. The SHIELD director hesitated for a fraction of a second before pointing directly at Thor. "Because of him," he declared, his voice carrying absolute conviction.]
[Thor, who had been standing with his arms crossed observing the conflict, was visibly taken aback. "Me?" The single word carried genuine confusion and a hint of indignation.]
[Fury advanced into the center of the room, his leather coat swirling around his legs as he moved. "Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town," he explained, his voice rising with barely contained frustration. "We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."]
[Thor stepped forward, his powerful frame tensing with defensive energy. "My people want nothing but peace with your planet," he insisted, genuine concern in his voice at being painted as a threat.]
[Fury's expression remained unmoved by Thor's assurance. "But you're not the only people out there, are you?" he challenged. "And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, can't be controlled." The words revealed the deep-seated fear driving SHIELD's actions – a fundamental uneasiness with forces beyond their understanding or authority.]
[Captain America's disapproval was palpable as he interjected, "Like you controlled the cube?" The question was rhetorical, highlighting the hypocrisy of Fury's position with military precision.]
[Thor moved closer to the gathering conflict, his presence commanding even among these exceptional individuals. "Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies," he explained with the authority of an Asgardian prince. "It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war." The gravity in his voice made the warning impossible to dismiss.]
[Fury turned on Thor, his patience visibly fraying. "A higher form?" he repeated incredulously. "You forced our hand! We had to come up with something—"]
[Tony interrupted, unable to resist inserting himself into the escalating argument. "A nuclear deterrent," he suggested sarcastically. "Because that always calms everything right down." His arms crossed over the glow of his arc reactor, his expression one of practiced cynicism.]
[Fury pivoted toward Stark, finding an easier target for his frustration. "Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?" The barb was aimed at Tony's past as a weapons manufacturer, a vulnerable point in the billionaire's carefully constructed persona.]
["I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep—" Captain America began, his tone laced with the same disapproval he'd shown in the forest.]
[Tony's patience snapped as he turned on Steve. "Wait, wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?" The genuine confusion in his voice suggested he truly didn't understand why he was being targeted.]
[Steve looked at him with sincere bewilderment. "I'm sorry, isn't everything?" The question reflected their fundamental misunderstanding of each other, two men from different eras speaking different languages of heroism and duty.]
[Thor, who had remained mostly silent until now, stepped forward with growing frustration. "I thought humans were more evolved than this," he remarked with the condescension of a being who had witnessed centuries of mortal folly.]
[Fury rounded on him immediately. "Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" His defensive posture mirrored the very protectionism he was attempting to justify.]
[The laboratory had devolved into a cacophony of accusation and defense, with overlapping voices growing louder as each person fought to be heard. Captain America and Tony squared off verbally, their initial tensions resurfacing with greater intensity. Natasha and Fury exchanged pointed arguments about SHIELD protocols, while Thor's increasingly exasperated attempts to explain Asgardian perspectives were lost in the chaos.]
["Are you boys really that naïve?" Natasha's cutting question sliced through a momentary lull in the argument. "SHIELD monitors potential threats."]
[Banner, who had been observing the escalating conflict with growing agitation, let out a bitter laugh. "Captain America's on a threat watch?" The question was deliberately provocative, highlighting the absurdity of considering a national hero a potential enemy.]
[As the arguments intensified, no one noticed the subtle blue glow emanating from Loki's scepter on the lab table. The artifact pulsed with energy in time with the escalating tensions, the ethereal light casting ominous shadows across the faces of the arguing heroes. The Mind Stone within was silently influencing them all, amplifying emotions and resentments that were already present, pushing them toward conflict with invisible pressure.]
"Oh my god! Is this the power of the Mind Gem? It has affected everyone present without them noticing! This must be Loki's doing!"
Banner's face was very solemn, staring closely at the Mind Scepter that was emitting a faint blue light.
Tony paused for a moment and waved his hand. "Jarvis, analyze and record whether our behavior is abnormal. Keep this pattern!"
"Okay, Sir! It's being analyzed...no abnormalities!"
Tony heaved a sigh of relief after hearing what Jarvis said. He was afraid that he would be controlled by someone while studying the Mind Gem, which would be a big trouble!
At this time, a portal appeared. Wanda came over after knowing that Banner wanted to communicate with Hulk. Behind her, besides Pietro, there was also Strange.
Seeing everyone staring at Strange, Wanda took the initiative to explain: "Strange is more proficient in souls than me, so I called him over."
"Okay! So what preparations do we need to make? What should I do?" Banner began rubbing his hands a little nervously.
"We need to change places! This place is not working! Come with us!" Wanda glanced at Stark Tower and opened a new portal.
Then everyone walked in together, passed through the portal and came to a grassland.
"This place is deserted, so we don't have to worry even if the Hulk goes berserk. The nearest town is hundreds of miles away. We can let them have a conversation here."
"Doctor, please stand still!" Strange walked in front of Banner. Before Banner could react, Strange suddenly hit him in the chest.
Banner's soul was immediately knocked out of his body. First, Banner's soul, and then half of him turned green, revealing the appearance of Hulk.
"Just as we expected!" Strange said to Wanda as he watched the scene.
"Yeah! Let's leave it to them next! All we have to do now is wait for their conversation and prevent Hulk from taking control of the body!"
After saying that, Wanda sat down on the grass, and for the first time, Banner felt Hulk's thoughts very clearly, and their memories began to communicate with each other.
[Meanwhile, approaching the helicarrier from the vast expanse of blue sky, a nondescript transport plane maintained a steady course toward the massive flying vessel. Its military markings suggested routine SHIELD business, giving no external indication of the deadly cargo it carried.]
["Transport Six-Six-Bravo, please relay confirmation codes," came the crisp voice of helicarrier air traffic control through the radio. "I've got you on the computer, but not on the day's manifest." There was a slight pause, professionalism masking growing suspicion. "What is your haul? Over."]
[Inside the transport's cramped cabin, Clint Barton sat motionless, his eyes still glowing with the unnatural blue light of Loki's control. A dozen mercenaries conducted final weapons checks around him, their movements precise and economical. When the radio crackled with the controller's question, one of Loki's men answered with practiced ease.]
["Arms and ammunition for resupply. Over." The lie was delivered with perfect confidence, the voice never wavering. As the transmission ended, the men exchanged knowing glances, continuing their preparations in silence.]
[Barton rose from his seat, moving to a specialized equipment case secured to the bulkhead. With mechanical precision, he assembled his custom compound bow, each movement reflecting years of muscle memory unaffected by his mental enslavement. His expression remained blank as he selected specialized arrowheads and loaded them into his quiver, a master assassin preparing for the kill with cold efficiency.]
[The mercenaries around him donned tactical gear and checked their weapons one final time. Some adjusted their body armor while others chambered rounds in assault rifles. The methodical preparations created a rhythm of clicks and metallic sounds that contrasted sharply with the silence of their voices. These were professionals who understood that the coming minutes would determine the success or failure of Loki's entire plan.]
[Back in the laboratory on the helicarrier, the argument continued to escalate, tension building toward an inevitable breaking point. None of the assembled heroes had any inkling of the threat approaching from outside, their attention entirely consumed by internal conflict—exactly as Loki had intended.]