The surface of the North Atlantic was calm and undisturbed...
The Quinjet flew at full speed just above the water, stirring ripples in its wake, and leaving two distinct trails behind it.
Inside the aircraft sat two crucial passengers, individuals who might very well shoulder the responsibility of saving the world.
One was a war hero who had slept for seventy years, and the other was a green behemoth capable of destroying half of New York when angered.
"We'll arrive at headquarters in about forty minutes. Dr. Banner and Captain Rogers are already assembled." Agent Coulson ended the communication with HQ.
He removed his headset, then glanced at the two men conversing behind him.
"I always thought you were a comic book character. When I was a kid, the school would organize trips to the WWII museum, and your footage was played in every patriotism class." Seated comfortably, Bruce Banner seemed in high spirits.
Since choosing to remain with S.H.I.E.L.D., he had gone a long time without losing control and transforming. It was almost as if the Hulk had never existed within him.
Fury had kept his promise. Banner was only involved as a scientist in the secret research on the Tesseract, with no additional demands. This had gradually eased his initial wariness.
"I heard you once tried to replicate the serum used on me?" Steve Rogers clearly wasn't the best at small talk. His words instantly cast an awkward silence over the cabin.
The gamma radiation accident was a scar on Banner's heart. He had survived, but at the cost of sharing his body with another beast.
"That was an accident. Dr. Banner was a victim too." Coulson stepped in to smooth things over, "You were the first successful super-soldier in history. Many have tried to recreate Dr. Erskine's work. The military invested heavily but never succeeded. In the end, it was Umbrella that achieved the creation of super-soldiers. Honestly, when Dr. Banner isn't transformed, he's about as harmless as Stephen Hawking." The middle-aged agent joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Banner forced a smile, while Steve looked puzzled. As a man who had slept for seventy years, he had no idea who this 'Mr. Hawking' was.
"Dr. Banner, do you have any way to track the Tesseract?" Coulson changed the subject as the atmosphere grew heavy.
"That depends on how many spectrometers you can gather. If we use a large number of them, calibrate them to gamma radiation, and set up a tracking algorithm, we should be able to narrow down the target's location significantly after filtering and identification."
Banner pondered for a moment...
As an expert in gamma radiation, he knew the Tesseract was an energy source that constantly emitted faint interference waves. Pinpointing its general location wouldn't be too difficult.
The Quinjet soared through the clouds, jolting slightly as it hit turbulence before descending rapidly and landing on a massive aircraft carrier.
This was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, Nick Fury's expensive pet project, one designed with Stark's anti-gravity engines.
The colossal steel beast could ascend to altitudes of over 30 000 feet, carrying dozens of fighter jets and cruise missile launch systems. Equipped with optical camouflage, it was like a ghost in the sky.
The Helicarrier's mobility and stealth made it S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new headquarters. It was like a floating fortress watching over the planet and monitoring every movement...
....
While the Avengers were assembling, Loki, the instigator of this chaos, sat deep in thought.
He clutched a scepter embedded with a glowing blue gem; a generous gift from 'Him', one as precious as the Tesseract itself.
The gem pulsed with an eerie light, then transported its wielder to another world in an instant. The place was a desolate, dim, and frigid realm.
"The Chitauri grow restless. You must open the gateway to the stars soon." From among the jagged rocks, a blurred figure gradually solidified.
"Tell them to prepare. I will lead an army to fight a glorious war." Loki's consciousness conversed with the Chitauri elder through the coldly shimmering gem.
In this illusion, he once more became the handsome prince adorned with antlered horns and resplendent robes.
"War?" The Chitauri elder sneered, "Against those weak Earthlings?"
In their eyes, Earth was a backward impoverished civilization, hardly worth mentioning. Otherwise, the Great Titan would not have sent the Chitauri as the vanguard.
Had their foes been the Nova Corps or the Kree, renowned powers in the cosmos, the Great One might have dispatched the Black Order instead.
Loki inwardly scoffed...
He couldn't be bothered to inform these arrogant Chitauri that Earth was far more dangerous than they imagined. The golden figure in New Mexico, for instance, had repelled Asgard's mightiest armor and even overpowered Thor after he regained his divine power.
To the Chitauri, Earth was merely one of the Nine Realms under Asgard's protection. It was a primitive barbaric world. Victory would be effortless once their army arrived.
"You are a disgraceful failure. Had the Great Titan not entrusted you with this scepter, bestowed upon you ancient knowledge and a new purpose, you would be nothing but a stray dog!" The Chitauri elder's disdain was palpable.
He couldn't fathom why the Great One had granted leadership to this deceitful Asgardian.
"I am a king! The rightful ruler of Asgard! I was betrayed!" Loki's face twisted as he reflexively retorted.
It was Odin's deception that had driven him to seek an audience with the infamous cosmic tyrant, despite the immense risk.
Now, with the Chitauri army at his disposal, all he needed was to secure the Tesseract and conquer Earth.
Using Chitauri bio-technology, he could plunder resources and populations, mass-producing expendable soldiers to forge an invincible army. Then, he would return to the Nine Realms as a conqueror and reclaim Asgard's throne in glory.
"Your ambitions are petty and childish. Our gaze extends beyond Earth, to the vast universe the Tesseract will unveil." The Chitauri elder glared coldly at Loki, "Win this war, Asgardian. Remember, should you fail to deliver what the Great Titan desires, forget about conquering the Nine Realms. There will be no corner of the cosmos left for you to hide. Wherever you flee, we will find you. And then, I will make you scream. I will show you true suffering!"
As the Chitauri elder's warning echoed, the illusion shattered, and Loki returned to reality...
He gripped his scepter tightly, his body trembling slightly. The Asgardian prince had embarked on a path of no return.
He knew all too well the horrors buried beneath the Great Titan's infamy... the countless civilizations reduced to ashes, the mountains of corpses that could blot out the sky and fill the endless seas.
Wherever the Black Order marched, half of a planet's population would be extinguished without mercy. Their brutality was legendary.
Loki quickly rose to his feet. Through the scepter, he had taken control of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hawkeye (Clint Barton), and through him, found allies among S.H.I.E.L.D.'s oldest enemies, HYDRA...
They now hid in a secret base, preparing to use the Tesseract to open a portal and summon the Chitauri. To achieve this, they needed to construct a stable reactor, utilizing a continuous power source to create a quantum tunnel effect.
All of this required extensive equipment and manpower, resources that HYDRA could readily provide.
"Dr. Selvig, how much longer do you need?" Loki asked.
"The reactor still requires iridium. It's essential for forming antiprotons, and it's highly sought after. Even the black market struggles to supply it."
Selvig, whose mind was ensnared by the scepter's influence, answered mechanically. Both he and Barton were trapped in a dazzling haze of energy. Their actions were guided by invisible threads of control.
"I know where to find it." Barton picked up a composite bow, his eyes reflecting a cold detached resolve...
"Umbrella..."