When Li Ming descended to the ground wearing a skull mask and carrying a scythe, Steve and Loki were already locked in fierce combat.
However, their fighting styles left Li Ming speechless. As a shield warrior, Steve's preference for close combat was understandable.
But Loki? He was a genuine spellcaster. Whether it was due to spending too much time among the battle-hungry Asgardians or the revelation that Odin wasn't his "real father" messing with his nerves, he abandoned his expertise in spells and instead relied on his staff and physical prowess to engage Steve in melee combat.
That said, Loki's centuries of experience weren't for nothing. With his superior combat skills, he initially had the upper hand against Steve.
If not for Steve's exceptional physical abilities and his incredibly durable shield, he might have already been beaten black and blue.
But the moment Li Ming appeared, the dynamics of their fight began to shift subtly.First was Loki. His senses told him that an invisible mage was lurking nearby, waiting to ambush him. This feeling of danger grew especially strong whenever Loki tried to strike Steve with his staff, making him increasingly hesitant during their fight.
After several failed attempts, an extremely frustrated Loki flung the Captain away and followed his instincts to locate the source of the threat, determined to find out which bastard dared disrupt his rhythm.
Meanwhile, though Steve had been thrown aside, he was a seasoned battlefield veteran. Seeing Loki distracted mid-fight, his eyes lit up as he seized the opportunity. Rising to his feet, he launched a fierce assault straight at Loki's face.
Forced to abandon his search for the elusive Li Ming, Loki focused on defending against Steve's relentless attacks—only for that same foreboding sense of an impending backstab to resurface.
Realizing the slippery mage behind him was too cunning, Loki's eyes gleamed with mischief as he conjured an illusionary body to taunt the Captain, hoping to lure Li Ming out.
Unfortunately for him, Li Ming was currently using his magic eye. The illusion, lacking any spiritual essence, stood no chance of fooling him.
So, without hesitation, Li Ming cast his time stop spell directly at Loki's hidden form while shouting, "Captain, since when did you develop a habit of chatting with a lump of energy? What would your missus think? Watch out—I might just report that you've found a new love interest~"
What the hell kind of 'new love interest'?! Steve's lips twitched. For some reason, he suddenly felt the urge to team up with Loki and beat Li Ming up. But aside from the drifting voice in his ears, there was no sign of Li Ming anywhere.
Resigned, Steve raised his shield and swung it toward Loki's real body in the direction of Li Ming's attack, venting his frustration on the trickster god.
On the other side, Loki was equally exasperated. His signature illusionary body technique had failed against this sneaky mage. Though his plan involved acting as bait to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D., even bait had its pride.
How could he, a god, tolerate being overpowered by a mere human soldier? Where did that leave the dignity of the divine? How could he command humanity's respect if he couldn't even boast "I can take on ten at once"?
At this rate, people might mock his so-called "godly race" as nothing more than the "Psycho Clan"—shortened to "Gods" for convenience.
As for his opponents being two? Do you have photos? Video evidence? Don't make baseless accusations—that's legally actionable.
Just as Loki, seething with rage, prepared to unleash his full power and finish Steve off, a booming, rhythmic melody suddenly blared across the sky.Steve froze for a moment, instinctively stopping his attack and taking several steps back. He looked up to locate the source of the airborne music, trying to determine whether the newcomer was friend or foe.
Loki, however, had already guessed who it was—after all, such a flashy and distinctive entrance was very much in keeping with Stark's style.
But knowing didn't mean acting. He had no intention of taking the opportunity to ambush Steve, because his senses clearly told him that the hidden mage behind him still had a spell aimed at his back. The moment he made a move, the spell would be flung right into his face—and the shield-wielding soldier in front of him would likely seize the chance to smack his handsome face with that damned shield.
Already feeling frustrated by how this fight was going, Loki considered simply using the excuse of being outnumbered to surrender. After all, his goal was to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. Even if it meant entering enemy ranks as a prisoner, for the sake of his plans and a brighter future, Loki decided he could endure it.
Just as Loki was about to raise his hands in surrender, a steel battle suit suddenly appeared before him and blasted him away without hesitation.
The tremendous impact caused Loki to drop his staff, which clattered to the side. Then, Stark flamboyantly positioned himself in front of Loki, aiming all the weapons on his battle suit at him and keeping them primed to fire at any moment.
As Steve casually picked up Loki's fallen staff, Stark, exuding an air of arrogance, taunted, "Move a muscle, reindeer games."
Loki's face twitched as he shed his armor to signal his surrender, sneering, "What's this? A barking dog doesn't bite, and a biting dog doesn't bark?"
Stark frowned, still processing Loki's words, when Li Ming—still invisible—floated behind Stark, carrying a scythe wreathed in Hellfire, and said, "What he means is that while you bark loudly, your weapons can't hurt him. But this silent dog here has the power to bite." As he spoke, Li Ming placed a hand on the battle suit's shoulder, both stopping an enraged Stark from lunging at Loki and indicating his own position.
Seeing that Stark hadn't lashed out after being called a dog, Li Ming smirked at Loki and added, "Oh, and he's also trying to provoke you."
"Provoke?" Stark raised an eyebrow, ordering Jarvis to record Li Ming's energy signature before saying with a mix of suspicion and certainty, "He wants me to envy your power so I turn against you?"
When Li Ming nodded in confirmation, Stark immediately protested, "Envy someone else's power? Do I look like that kind of person? I could crack the secrets of magic in minutes, recreate it with technology, and blast you back to your mommy crying for comfort!"
Loki might have held resentment toward Odin, his so-called "stepfather," but his love for his mother was genuine. Hearing Stark drag his beloved mother into the insult, Loki's fury flared. He donned his armor again, looking ready to pummel Stark into "Stank."
Seeing this, Captain America quickly stepped between them, raising his shield. "Loki, surrender. You're no match for the three of us," Steve said, shaking the staff in his hand. "Besides, you're unarmed now."
Loki glanced at the staff in Steve's grip, shot Stark a disdainful look, and reluctantly removed his armor before boarding the Quinjet. "Tony Stark," he muttered under his breath, "just you wait. I'll tear your house apart."
Inside the jet, Loki studied the scythe on Li Ming's shoulder thoughtfully and narrowed his eyes. "So, you're the mage who helped Thor before?"
Li Ming shrugged. "What, looking for trouble?"
"Exactly." Loki leaned back comfortably in his seat, smirking at Natasha before raising his voice. "I heard S.H.I.E.L.D. is Earth's great protector. So why is a dark mage working with them?" Perhaps Loki's words carried an obvious hidden meaning, as Natasha, who was piloting the aircraft, couldn't help but turn to look at him and ask, "What about the dark mage?"
Li Ming scratched his head and said nonchalantly, "What else? Calling me evil, of course."
Loki smiled at Li Ming and said, "I never said that—you admitted it yourself." Then, turning to Natasha, he added, "Let me tell you a secret, beautiful. Dark energy is inherently corrosive, so any mage who uses dark energy is destined to be corrupted by it."
Loki glanced around at the people in the aircraft, pointing at Li Ming and saying, "You'd better be careful with this Wizard. Don't be fooled by how harmless he looks now. Deep down, he could be consumed by darkness at any moment and turn into a man-eating dark monster."
Steve, who had already considered Li Ming a friend, instinctively looked over at the silent Li Ming, who was stroking his chin as if deep in thought.
Just as Steve grew concerned and was about to ask if everything was alright, Li Ming suddenly started clapping for Loki. He quickly stepped forward, his face full of admiration, and said, "What a talent! Where did you learn this skill of sowing discord anytime, anywhere? I'd love to learn it too."
"I mean no offense—I genuinely want to learn how to stir up trouble," Li Ming added, pointing at Natasha with an eager-to-learn expression. "Just now, a certain lady accused me of trying to drive a wedge between Captain and Fury, saying my methods were so crude it was appalling. At first, I scoffed, but after seeing your techniques, I realize mine really are amateurish."
Li Ming continued, "By the way, you've already learned from Barton what kind of person Fury is, right?"
Seeing Loki nod blankly, Li Ming earnestly sought advice, "Could you help me review my previous plan to sow discord?"
Without waiting for Loki's reaction, Li Ming went on, "Originally, I wanted to encourage the Captain to dig into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s past records so he could discover Fury's true nature for himself. What do you think of that plan?"
Loki was baffled: What's going on here? I was the one trying to drive a wedge between you and the others on this aircraft, so why are you openly admitting to stirring up trouble in front of the Captain?
Steve, standing nearby, was equally confused: What kind of scheme is this about encouraging me to check the records?
Meanwhile, the highly intelligent Stark and the seasoned spy Natasha saw through Li Ming's ploy. Not only had he defused Loki's attempt to sow discord, but he had also blatantly hinted to Steve that Fury had "issues"—though Li Ming lacked concrete evidence and needed Steve to find it himself.
Regardless of whether Steve ultimately believed Li Ming, the principle of "seeing is believing" meant Steve would likely end up searching through the archives.
On one side was the righteous man of God, and on the other was a director who had secretly carried out countless shady operations.
Now, Fury was probably about to face a crisis of trust.