The Tesseract's usual deep blue hue had vanished. Now it pulsed with dangerous energy, its white beams condensing into searing light. A constant buzz filled the air as flashes of white erupted across its surface like electrical storms.
"Mr. Hong," Dr. Erik Selvig called from the monitoring station, fingers trembling over the readouts, "we're detecting extreme pulse energy. It's been activating repeatedly for hours. Someone's trying to open it from the other side!"
Hong Fei kept his eyes locked on the cube. "Quiet. Arthur, blackout the windows."
Selvig swallowed hard, retreating several steps as Arthur engaged the one-way transparency controls. The white energy surrounding the Tesseract suddenly contracted—then exploded outward in a blinding beam that tore through the laboratory air. The vibration made teeth rattle as the light carved a dark portal across the room.
Space itself seemed to shudder. A whirlwind howled through the chamber as Hong Fei sent a pulse of psychic energy into Selvig's mind, carefully excising specific memories. When the maelstrom subsided, the portal snapped shut—leaving only a silhouetted figure in its wake.
The newcomer moved with mechanical precision, though his ornate armor and gilded scepter marked him as no machine. Loki Odinson—or Laufeyson, not that the distinction mattered anymore—rose slowly from his crouch. His lips curled into something between a smirk and a snarl as he locked eyes with Hong Fei.
"Hello?" Loki tilted his head, the greeting dripping with false warmth.
Hong Fei's eyelids lowered fractionally. "Who are you?"
"Loki. Of Asgard." He took a measured step forward, scepter glinting.
Selvig blinked. "Thor's brother?"
A muscle twitched near Loki's eye at the name, but his smile never wavered. "You don't seem particularly surprised," he noted, stopping just short of the two men.
Hong Fei didn't blink. "Why should we be?"
"Not ordinary at all, are you?" Loki's fingers tightened on the scepter—just as Hong Fei's foot lashed out. The weapon went spinning through the air. Loki lunged for it, only to meet Hong Fei's boot again, sending him skidding backward across the floor.
Hong Fei caught the scepter midair, studying its blue-tipped gem before glancing at the Tesseract. "Similar design." The Mind Stone's true yellow hue lay hidden beneath the scepter's blue casing.
Rubbing his chest, Loki stood with undiminished amusement. "Quite remarkable." Twin daggers materialized in his hands with a flick of his wrists. Hong Fei shifted into a fighting stance—but Loki vanished before the movement completed.
At the same time, another Loki appeared behind Hong Fei, one dagger pressing against his lower back, and the other resting on his throat. "Don't move. I don't think you want any blade inserted into your body."
Hong Fei's body stiffened.
"Come, give it to me." Loki whispered behind Hong Fei's ear, "Slowly, don't be nervous."
The dagger on Hong Fei's lower back disappeared. Loki's fingers closed around the scepter, the second dagger still pressed firmly to Hong Fei's neck. With a twist of his wrist, he turned to face Hong Fei, a brilliant, almost predatory smile spreading across his face.
Slowly, deliberately, he pressed the tip of the Mind Scepter against Hong Fei's chest.
Hong Fei's breath hitched. In an instant, deep blue patterns, intricate and web-like, crawled up his neck. His eyes glazed over, shadowed and unseeing. Within moments, he stood rigid, a puppet awaiting its strings.
Loki's grin widened, stretching unnaturally across his face. He turned his head sharply.
Dr. Erik Selvig stumbled backward, terror etched into his features. He tried to retreat further, but there was nowhere to go. Loki's presence filled the room like a suffocating fog.
Soon, Loki lounged in the living room, one leg casually crossed over the other. His voice was light, almost conversational. "Why do you have the Tesseract?"
"We took it," Erik stammered.
"Oh?" Loki's eyebrow arched. "And what do you know about it?"
Erik hesitated, then answered obediently, "Sir, I know it's a key to the other end of the universe. I've been studying it."
"Who told you to do this?"
Erik pointed to the motionless Hong Fei. "It was him, sir."
Loki's gaze shifted to Hong Fei, his curiosity piqued. "What kind of person is he?"
Erik frowned, his brow furrowing as he considered the question. After a moment, he answered, "He's a wealthy... good person."
"A good person?" Loki chuckled, the sound dripping with sarcasm. He let the moment linger before pressing on. "How long have you been studying the Tesseract?"
Erik explained in detail, and Loki's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Continue your research," he ordered. "I want its energy maximized."
"Yes, sir. But we'll need rare elements..."
They discussed the matter at length before Loki rose, his tone almost gracious. "Dr. Erik Selvig, isn't it? Keep up the good work. You're shaping an extraordinary future for this world."
"Thank you, sir," Erik replied, his smile genuine.
Loki turned to Hong Fei. "Protect him. I'll see if this city is worthy of my arrival." Hong Fei remained silent but nodded.
As Loki strode out, Hong Fei started to move toward the side of the room. Erik frowned. "Where are you going?"
Hong Fei turned abruptly, a sudden smile breaking across his face. Without warning, he drove his elbow into Erik's face. Blood spurts from Erik's nose as he collapsed to the floor. Dazed, he shook his head, his eyes clearing. "Mr. Hong... what just happened?"
Hong Fei removed two transparent crystals from his eyes, pulled a shimmering material from his neck, and peeled a diaphragm from his chest. Erik stared, dumbfounded.
"To sell the act, you have to commit," Hong Fei said with a faint smile. "Keep up the research for now. Play along—he won't notice."
With a subtle gesture, Hong Fei lifted the psychic lock in Erik's mind. "Arthur, begin."
"Understood, sir," Arthur replied. Instantly, a message was dispatched to several recipients.
In Washington, Steve received the transmission. His expression darkened as he watched the video Arthur sent. His fists clenched.
The next day, Loki lounged comfortably in Hong Fei's home, his eyes closed as he meditated with the Mind Scepter. When he awakens, his expression shifts abruptly, his teeth clenched, his gaze sharp and icy. He leaves for several days, returning only when Erik's research reaches completion.
"You've done well," Loki says, his voice smooth. "I won't forget your contribution."
"It's my honor, sir," Erik replies, his performance convincing.
Loki turns to Hong Fei. "I see this world has its share of freaks. You call them superheroes, don't you? And you—you're one of them?"
Hong Fei remains silent.
"Show me that peculiar armor of yours," Loki demands.
Hong Fei nods. In an instant, his nano armor materializes, encasing him in sleek, gleaming metal.
Loki circled around him after he donned the armor, his smile widening. "Perfect. You'll make an excellent vanguard for my new world order."
If you're happy, I'm thrilled, Hong Fei thought, rolling his eyes when Loki wasn't looking.
"Alright, stow the armor. I need you to—" Loki's command cut off as thunder split the sky.
His head snapped up, brows knitting together. "Ah. That nuisance is here." The thunderclap surged from distant rumble to deafening crash in seconds. The ceiling exploded inward in a shower of debris, revealing a figure in armor and a flowing cape.
"Loki!" Thor's voice rang out, thick with anger, relief, and something else unreadable.
Thor still believed Loki had died after the Bifrost Bridge's collapse. But his gaze caught on Hong Fei standing stiffly to the side, and shock rippled across his face. "You? Why are you here?"
Loki's head whipped toward Hong Fei, his surprise sharper than Thor's. "You... know each other?"
"Of course!" Dr. Selvig blurted. "He's—he's a good man!"
Loki's stare sharpened, his mouth twisting. "Hmm. Funny. You said the same about me."
Thor strode forward, arms outstretched. "My friend! What fortune brings us together again!"
Hong Fei took a deliberate step back, his guard raised, eyes flicking to Loki in silent question. Thor faltered, his smile slipping.
Following Hong Fei's look, Thor turned to Loki—and the smugness on his brother's face made his expression darken. "Loki. What have you done to him?"
Loki spread his hands. "Nothing at all."
Thor exhaled sharply. "Stop this. He's under my protection."
"Protection?" Loki scoffed. "From what?"
A new voice cut through the tension—loud, metallic, and grating. "Wow. Did I crash a cosplay convention?" The speaker paused, then snapped into a combat stance, repulsors glowing. "Wait. Hong Fei? What the hell are you doing here? Plotting another world-ending scheme?"
Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightened. "You will not speak to my friend with such disrespect, mortal!"
Tony's right gauntlet raised toward him. "Your friend? And who exactly are you supposed to be?"
The door creaked open. Steve stepped inside, shield in hand. "Tony. Lower the repulsor."
Tony didn't turn. "Old man, when did you get here?"
Thor's gaze flicked between them. "And you are?"
Steve's voice stayed calm. "You haven't introduced yourself yet."
Loki stood on the side, watching quietly, his gaze shifting between them, rapid blinks betraying his calculations.