Chapter 31: Resolving the scepter' Differences
Under the efforts of Tony, Steve, and Angela, the helicarrier barely stabilized, though it was riddled with scars.
Everyone gathered in a relatively intact area, the atmosphere heavy. Fury looked at the shaken but surviving Phil Coulson, then at the damaged Helicarrierand the exhausted group who had just weathered a crisis of trust.
"He divided us," Fury's voice was hoarse, "and nearly took one of our own."
Tony removed his damaged faceplate and looked at Coulson. "Looks like your signature collection almost stayed incomplete."
Coulson managed a weak smile.
Steve looked at Lin Che and Angela with a complex expression. "You two... knew from the beginning that the scepter would affect us?"
Lin Che shrugged. "I knew a bit, but I didn't expect it to work so 'well.' Next time, I suggest you check the meeting room for any hidden 'emotional amplifiers' before discussing classified information."
Tony's face flushed slightly. "Why didn't you just say so then?"
Lin Che spread his hands. "Would you have believed me? In that atmosphere of mutual suspicion? Some lessons are remembered better when experienced firsthand. Now that you've paid enough tuition, it's time for the graduation practice."
Natasha supported Hawkeye, who had just regained consciousness and was suffering from a splitting headache.
Thor looked full of rage and regret, while Angela stood calmly by his side.
Nick Fury stood in the center, his single eye slowly scanning everyone's faces, taking in the scene of devastation.
The air was filled not only with the smell of gunpowder, but also the heavy oppression following failure and the lingering embers of suspicion.
"Look around you," Fury spoke, his voice hoarse yet exceptionally clear, cutting through the faint alarms and repair noises in the background. "Look at this ship. Look at yourselves."
He paused, his gaze specifically lingering for a moment on Coulson's pale face.
"Loki almost succeeded. He almost had us destroy ourselves with our own hands, almost had our best Agentdie at the hands of himself and a mind-controlled madman, and almost had some of us disappear into space forever." His gaze swept over Natasha and Thor.
"He exploited the fear, the friction, and that pathetic lack of trust in our hearts." Fury's tone wasn't overly sentimental; it was a cold statement of fact.
"He proved that even with power, shields, armor, or even godhood, if we cannot stand united against the enemy, we are just a pile of loose sand, waiting to be slaughtered."
"Agent Coulson was only half a meter from the God of Death today." Fury pointed at the injured Agent. "Not because the enemy was too strong, but because we were played like fools and failed to protect our comrade in time."
"Agent Barton attacked us not because of betrayal, but because while we were busy guarding against each other, we let the enemy find an opening and take control of our eyes and arrows."
He took a step forward, a sharp light gathering in his single eye.
"Now, Loki has escaped with the Tesseract and that stick that controls minds. He's going to New York to open a door of unknown size and let in an army of unknown numbers. He won the first round because we gave him the chance."
"I'm asking only once, and for the last time." Fury's voice suddenly rose, carrying a sense of desperate determination. "Do you want to keep sitting here, reviewing who's responsible for the chaos or whose ideology is more correct, and wait for Loki's army to cover the New York sky, turning it into a second... or the countless-th destroyed town?"
He looked around at everyone, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Or have we had enough of being played by him and decided to end this damn game once and for all in New York?"
There was a moment of silence. But within that silence, something was brewing.
Tony was the first to scoff, breaking the silence, though his tone lacked its previous sharpness, leaving only cold fighting spirit. "I vote for the end. My building is still there; I don't want to go home and see a bunch of alien renovation crews."
Steve took a deep breath and straightened his back, his voice steady and powerful. "He divided us once; there won't be a second time. For the sake of those who might suffer, we must go."
Natasha gently set Clint down, letting him lean back, and stood up, her eyes regaining their usual cool sharpness. "Count me in. I have a score to settle with Loki for Clint."
Thor gave a heavy grunt, Mjolnir humming. "My brother must be brought back by me to face the judgment of Asgard! His crimes must end!"
Everyone's eyes finally turned toward Lin Che and Angela.
Lin Che rotated his wrists; the high-speed movement and burst from earlier had drained him somewhat. "Alright, the family mediation session is over. Mr. Loki is certainly off preparing for his 'Interstellar Ball' by now. Instead of reviewing mistakes here, we should think about how to crash his party."
"I bet Loki loves the tallest, flashiest landmark... like the roof of some flashy narcissist's tower."
Tony glared at Lin Che but didn't say a word.
He looked at Angela. "Can you sense where the 'party venue' is?"
Angela closed her eyes to perceive, runes flashing slightly in her pure white eyes. "New York, Manhattan. Energy is converging at an extremely high point... the roof of Stark Tower. A large-scale portal is being constructed."
Everyone's eyes turned to Tony.
Tony's expression turned sour. "My building..."
"Now it's the face of Earth, Tony," Lin Che interjected, his tone less playful and more serious. "And the most obvious target. Director Fury, can this ship of yours still get us near New York? We're in a hurry."
Fury took a deep breath. "The Helicarrier is still operational. I will mobilize all resources. Stop Loki, close the portal, and retrieve the Tesseract... it's up to you."
Fury didn't hesitate, turning to his communicator to give orders. "Start all engines that are still functional, set the fastest course for the waters off New York! Launch all quinjets and prepare for combat! Contact all available ground forces, activate emergency protocols, evacuate high-risk areas in Manhattan, and establish a perimeter defense!"
He turned back to look at the group of men and women before him—scarred and exhausted, but with fire reignited in their eyes.
"The Helicarrier will get you as close as possible. After that, you're on your own," Fury said solemnly. "Stop Loki, close the portal, and retrieve the Tesseract. At any cost."
At any cost.
The phrase weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
Without any rousing slogans, the group began their final preparations in silence.
Tony checked his armor's energy, Steve adjusted his shield straps, Natasha changed magazines for her weapons, and Thor silently wiped the handle of his hammer.
Angela stood quietly to the side, her instincts as the queen of the hunt completely locked onto that increasingly clear spatial point in the distance.
Lin Che leaned against the wall, watching the scarred deck of the Helicarrier being left behind and the urban silhouette starting to emerge on the horizon ahead.
Deep in his consciousness, the task description for 'SSS-Rank — Heart of the Gems (I)' on the system panel flickered with light.
The Battle of New York, the final stage, was also a gamble he had to win. He glanced at Angela, who was as silent as a precision weapon beside him, and a slight curve, belonging to the Saint of Thieves, appeared at the corner of his mouth.
The show is finally about to begin.
Chapter 32: Storm Descends on Manhattan
The quinjet jolted violently above the clouds, its engines letting out an overburdened whine.
Outside the porthole, New York's skyline was being redefined in an eerie manner.
At the top of Stark Tower, that pillar of spectral blue light had expanded to a heart-palpitating degree, tearing a hole in the sky over a hundred meters wide, like an inverted, swirling abyss.
"My God..." Hawkeye Clint Barton gripped his bow tightly, his knuckles turning white.
His pupils reflected the scene surging out of the portal.
First came the swarm-like Chitauri flyers, with their insect-like streamlined metal hulls and purple energy flames spitting from their tails, weaving a grid of Death in the sky.
Next were those suffocating behemoths—the Leviathans. These giant beasts, a fusion of metal and biological tissue, slowly passed through the spatial rift. Their bodies were over a hundred meters long, with energy veins pulsing visibly beneath their belly armor, their low humming as they swam making the very air tremble.
Natasha Romanoff quickly pulled up the jet's external surveillance footage. Manhattan's streets had turned into a purgatory.
Crowds fled like a panicked herd of animals, cars piled up at intersections into steel graveyards, and the firelight of explosions bloomed in different blocks every few seconds.
Chitauri soldiers wove between buildings on individual flyers. The energy weapons in their hands didn't fire bullets, but some kind of purple plasma beam that pierced through concrete like a hot knife through butter.
"Civilian casualties are rising exponentially," she said coldly. "We need ground guidance for evacuation, but every communication channel is currently filled with interference."
Steve Rogers tightened the Vibranium shield on his arm, staring intently through the porthole at the scene below.
Seventy years ago, he faced Nazi guns and cannons.
Seventy years later, he faced an alien army.
"Tony, your building has become the enemy's command center."
Tony Stark stood by the hatch, his red and gold armor having completed its final system check. The expression beneath his faceplate was exceptionally solemn... that was his home, and now it had become ground zero for New York's destruction.
"Jarvis, priority target analysis."
"Sir, three levels of targets have been locked," the AI's voice was calm as usual. "Level one: The spatial stabilization device atop Stark Tower, whose energy signature matches the Tesseract perfectly. Level two: Seven Leviathan-class biological warships circling at low altitude, preparing for a saturation strike on the ground. Level three: Approximately four hundred and twenty Chitauri individual units and sixty-two flyers."
Tony's lip twitched. "Give me the good news."
"The good news is that the portal's energy output is unstable, with periodic fluctuations and energy decay windows. The bad news is that the window is too short, and Loki Laufeyson himself is guarding the device with a squad."
"Enough." Tony's faceplate snapped shut, the arc lights in the eyes glowing. "Captain, you take the ground. Thor, those big bugs are yours. I'm going to perform some 'power-cut surgery' on my building."
Thor Odinson stood on the other side of the hatch, Mjolnirvibrating slightly in his hand, as if sensing the surging thunderous rage in its Master's heart.
His gaze was locked on the faint green figure atop Stark Tower—his brother, his sin, his responsibility.
"Loki..." Thor's voice was as low as muffled thunder. "This time, I will not be fooled by your illusions again, nor will I be swayed by your so-called 'difficulties.' In the name of Odin, I will end this farce myself."
The hatch began to open slowly, and the cold high-altitude air rushed into the cabin, carrying the scent of smoke. Below, New York was burning.
Meanwhile, in a forest in the Hudson Valley, north of New York.
In the center of a massive crater, Dr. Banner slowly woke from unconsciousness. He lay naked on the scorched earth, surrounded by trees leveled by the shockwave, the air thick with the smell of ozone and charred soil.
"Ugh..." He propped himself up, a severe headache making him nearly vomit.
Fragments of memory churned in his mind: the piercing alarms on the helicarrier, the argument between Tonyand Steve, Lin Che's strange look, and then... rage, boundless rage, green fire consuming everything.
"I lost control... again," Banner muttered to himself, his voice full of bitterness. He stood up unsteadily, tearing a piece of bark fabric from a nearby charred trunk that could barely cover him.
As a scientist, he should have been the embodiment of rationality. But Hulk's existence made him the most unstable factor.
Just then, he heard a sound.
It wasn't from the forest, but from the south—distant, low, continuous explosions like dense firecrackers during a festival, piercing through dozens of kilometers to tap against his eardrums.
Banner looked up. The southern sky was dyed an ominous purple-blue, the clouds stirred by some force into an eerie vortex.
Even from this distance, he could see the small black dots moving in the sky and the occasional energy beams flashing across the horizon.
"New York..." He instantly understood what was happening. On the helicarrier, Fury had briefly reported Loki's goal—to open a portal in New York using the Tesseract.
Guilt surged like a tide. When the World needed the Hulk, where was the Hulk?
Because of an internal argument, because of the rage amplified by the scepter, he had been thrown out of the battlefield like trash, falling into this forest.
"No." Banner clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "Not again... I need control, not to be controlled."
He closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply. This was a technique he had learned in India, using meditation and specific breathing rhythms to establish a fragile balance between Hulk and Banner.
But this time, he didn't try to suppress that green power; instead, he... invited it.
"Listen," he whispered to himself, to the angry presence within, "You're angry, I know. I'm angry too. Loki is destroying a city, countless people are dying. You want to smash things, right? Then go ahead... but this time, we do it together. You smash what needs to be smashed, and I'll tell you which ones they are."
The response from within was a scorching torrent. Gamma energy began racing through his veins, a faint green light glowing beneath his skin.
This time, there was no complete loss of control, no annihilation of consciousness. Banner could feel his thoughts still existed, just wrapped in a layer of angry green flames.
He opened his eyes; his pupils had turned a pale green.
"Good." His voice became deep, yet remained clearly rational. "Now... let's go to New York."
Muscles began to swell, and bones let out cracking sounds. The bark fabric was torn apart, and green skin took on a metallic sheen under the sunlight.
Hulk stood up, his three-meter-tall body filled with explosive power, but this time, in addition to rage, there was a rare hint of... rationality in his eyes.
He squatted low, his leg muscles tightening like steel bars, and the ground beneath him caved in with a boom.
Then, he leaped.
Not an ordinary jump, but like a cannonball being fired.
Hulk's figure burst through the canopy above the forest, drawing a long parabola in the sky, landing several kilometers away.
He jumped again, each leap spanning several kilometers, leaving crater-like footprints on the ground.
Target: Manhattan.
Chapter 33: The Hulk Bursts In
The quinjet began a rapid descent, opting for an emergency landing on the rooftop platform of the Chrysler Building, eight blocks away from Stark Tower. The view here was wide, and it hadn't yet been heavily occupied by the Chitauri forces.
"Last time sync!" Steve shouted amidst the violent turbulence. "It's 2:17 PM! Loki's portal has been open long enough! Every minute that passes, more enemy troops pour in!"
Tony's armor's back thrusters erupted with brilliant white flames. "I'm heading out first! Jarvis, calculate the optimal breakthrough path, avoid the interception nets of those flying bugs!"
"Calculation complete, sir. Suggest a low-altitude dash from the direction of the East River, using the BrooklynBridge as cover, then a rapid ascent at Battery Park to strike the southeast side of Stark Tower—"
"Too complicated!" Tony had already burst out of the hatch. "Just charge straight through!"
The red and gold armor turned into a streak of light, instantly breaking the sound barrier and leaving a ring of white vapor in the air.
Almost simultaneously, three Chitauri flyers turned to give chase, their plasma beams weaving a Death grid in the sky.
"He's always like this." Natasha had finished checking all her weapons, dual pistols loaded, with magazines and micro-explosives hanging from her waist. "Clint, can you find a high point?"
Hawkeye scanned the surroundings, his gaze locking onto an office building four blocks away that hadn't completely collapsed. There was a clock tower structure on the roof, with a view covering half of Midtown. "There. I need cover."
"I'll go with you." Natasha looked at Steve. "Captain?"
Steve nodded and raised his shield. "Leave the ground to me. But we need more hands..."
"The National Guard will take at least another twenty minutes to break through the outer defensive line, and the Police system is already paralyzed."
Just then, Thor walked to the edge of the platform.
He didn't speak, but simply raised Mjolnir high above his head.
The sky responded to his call.
The clouds, originally polluted by smoke and purple energy, suddenly churned. Silver-white lightning snaked and gathered within them, letting out a deafening roar of thunder.
Arcs of electricity danced around Thor's body, his blond hair floating upward due to static electricity, and thunder rolled in his eyes.
"For Asgard!" he roared, swinging the war hammer forward.
A giant bolt of lightning over three meters in diameter descended from the sky, accurately hitting the head of a Leviathan circling at low altitude. The power of thunder raged inside the giant beast, detonating its energy core. The entire Leviathan turned into a brilliant fireball in the sky, its burning wreckage falling like rain.
But this was only the beginning. Thor himself turned into a bolt of lightning, lunging straight at another Leviathan, every swing of his war hammer bringing a burst of thunder.
"Well, at least someone's handling the big bugs." Natasha pulled the slide of her gun. "Let's go, Clint."
Hawkeye nodded. The two of them moved through the vertical urban forest like ghosts, using fire escapes and broken windows between buildings.
Steve took a deep breath and leapt down from the Chrysler Building. His Vibranium shield adjusted its angle during the fall, carrying him as he glided toward the nearest street.
Upon landing, the edge of the shield sliced off the head of a Chitauri soldier.
The battle broke out in full force.
Angela and Lin Che did not land with the others.
When the quinjet descended to a certain height, Angelagrabbed Lin Che's arm. The wings of light behind her suddenly unfurled, every feather flowing with pale gold runes.
"Hold on tight." Her voice was calm as usual.
Like arrows released from a bowstring, the two of them shot toward Stark Tower at a nearly vertical angle.
Angela's flight path was eerie and unpredictable, sometimes stopping and turning abruptly, other times spiraling upward, perfectly avoiding all the Chitauri flyers attempting to intercept them.
Occasional plasma beams were also shattered by the golden sword light she casually swung.
Lin Che gripped her arm tightly as the gale howled in his ears.
"Loki has set up a barrier," Lin Che shouted in the wind. "We can't land directly on the top floor from the air!"
Runes flowed within Angela's pure white eyes. She also sensed that invisible barrier—a sophisticated spatial magic, like an inverted transparent bowl, covering the entire rooftop platform.
Any unauthorized attempt to penetrate it would be like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that could not be hidden.
"Mid-level of the building, observation deck." She made a judgment instantly, flapped her wings, and changed direction.
In the middle of Stark Tower, the circular observation deck originally used for sightseeing was now empty, most of its floor-to-ceiling glass already shattered.
Angela flew in with Lin Che through a broken window, landing steadily on the marble floor covered in glass shards.
Looking up from here, they could clearly see the bottom structure of the rooftop platform.
Complex mechanical devices, flickering energy conduits, and a faint blue glow visible through the gaps.
In the sky, Tony noticed their actions.
"Jarvis, scan those two energy signals... Is it Lin Che and Angela?"
"Yes, sir."
"Nice work!" Tony rolled in the air to dodge a string of energy bolts. "Tell them to keep going! I'll hold Loki off on the roof!"
At the top of Stark Tower, Loki stood by the transmission device powered by the Tesseract, holding the Mind Stone, looking down at the chaotic city with a cold smirk.
He saw Angela and Lin Che, and his brow furrowed.
"Annoying bugs." He raised the scepter, attempting to interfere from a distance.
But at that moment, Tony dove down, firing his palm repulsors at Loki.
"Your opponent is me, Reindeer Games!"
Loki was forced to turn and respond, the scepter firing an energy beam to collide with the palm repulsor. The shockwave from the explosion spread across the top of the building.
"Stark, are you in such a hurry to die?" Loki sneered.
"I'm just here to take back my building." Tony's expression under the faceplate was serious. "By the way, do you have insurance? Because this place is about to be renovated."
Downstairs.
"The guard density is higher than expected." Lin Chelowered his voice. God-level Stealth had already been quietly activated; his figure became blurred, and his presence drastically reduced.
Through the damaged ceiling, he could "see" at least thirty fully armed Chitauri soldiers patrolling the top floor. Unlike the grunts on the ground, they were equipped with more sophisticated armor and held spear-like weapons with dangerous energy orbs condensing at the tips.
More troublesome was that these soldiers' positions formed a tight defensive formation with no visual blind spots.
Angela held the blade of the hunt across her chest, the golden divine power flowing through the blade illuminating her cold, stern profile. "A frontal breakthrough will take time and will immediately alert Loki."
"So we need a diversion." Lin Che's mind raced. "But Tonyis already drawing fire from the front, Thor is tangled with the Leviathans, the Captain and the others are fighting hard on the ground... We have no extra resources for a 'diversion'."
Just then, a dull, rhythmic booming sound came from the distance and was rapidly approaching.
The two turned their heads simultaneously and looked out through the shattered glass curtain wall of the observation deck.
Four blocks away, a twenty-story office building was... collapsing? No, not collapsing, it was being smashed through floor by floor from the side by some force!
A green figure was jumping and crashing savagely between the buildings, every movement accompanied by the bursting of reinforced concrete.
Chitauri flyers tried to intercept, but the Hulk grabbed them casually, throwing them like toys at other flyers or ground troops.
"Hulk..." Lin Che narrowed his eyes. "He's arrived just in time."
Angela also noticed the rampaging green figure. "His anger is very pure... and it seems to have a bit more direction than before. He's moving this way."
"Then let's give him a hand." Lin Che took out a small device from his system space.
This was a portable signal transmitter he had "taken" from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier earlier. It was originally used for locating rescues, but after being modified by his Master Hacker skill, it could now emit energy pulses of a specific frequency.
"The Chitauri's communication relies on a unified Hivenetwork." Lin Che quickly adjusted the device's parameters. "If I simulate the vibration frequency of the Chitauri mothership and send out a false assembly command..."
He pressed the button.
The invisible pulse spread out at the speed of light.
In an instant, all Chitauri forces within three blocks of Stark Tower simultaneously paused for a moment. Then, more than half of the soldiers and flyers turned around and swarmed toward the area where the Hulk was!
The guard formation on the rooftop platform fell into brief chaos... Some soldiers subconsciously turned toward the source of the pulse, and the defensive formation revealed a tiny, fleeting gap.
"Now!" Lin Che barked.
Angela didn't hesitate for a second. The wings of light behind her suddenly erupted with blinding golden light, and she shot into the sky like an arrow from a bow.
The blade of the hunt drew a perfect arc in front of her, slashing accurately at the gap that had just appeared!
"Enemy attack—!" The Chitauri soldiers finally reacted, but it was too late.
Golden sword light bloomed like the Sun, and the first three guards were sliced in half along with their armor.
Angela landed in the center of the platform, her pure white eyes scanning the surroundings. The queen of the hunt's aura was fully unleashed, and her cold killing intent made the surrounding air seem to freeze.
"Traitor of Asgard," her voice clearly reached the ears of Loki, who was fighting with Tony. "Your game ends here."
Loki whipped his head around, his expression changing for the first time.
Chapter 34: Black Dwarf Appears
The rooftop platform of Stark Tower had become a battlefield where mythology and technology collided.
Loki stood within the core circle of the portal device, the glowing blue Tesseract suspended in the center of a precision mechanical matrix, continuously feeding energy to the portal in the sky.
The gem at the tip of the Mind Stone scepter in his hand flickered with an eerie blue light, resonating with the energy of the Tesseract to form a stable energy cycle.
But at this moment, the god of mischief's face lacked its usual composed mockery, replaced by a rare solemnity.
Because he was facing more than one opponent.
"Your little tricks end here, Loki!" Tony Stark's armor dove down from the sky, shoulder turrets fully deployed, as dozens of micro-missiles trailed white smoke toward the portal device.
Loki waved his scepter, and a blue energy barrier instantly expanded.
The missiles impacted the barrier and exploded, flames engulfing half the platform, but the barrier remained unmoved.
That was a spatial shield automatically generated by the Tesseract; conventional firepower simply couldn't penetrate it.
"Stark, you are like a moth fluttering around a flame," Lokisneered, pointing his scepter at Tony. "Futile, and pathetic."
But just as he was distracted by Tony, a golden sword light slashed in from the side!
Angela was like a meteor tearing through the night sky, her light wings trailing a brilliant wake behind her as the blade of the hunt aimed directly for Loki's right hand holding the scepter.
The angle and timing of this strike were perfect, catching the exact moment of energy feedback lag after Loki had defended against Tony's attack.
"Annoying fly!" Loki was forced to dodge sideways, blocking with his scepter.
CLANG—!!!
The collision of metal and energy erupted in a piercing shriek. Angela's swordsmanship was inherited from thousands of years of Heaven's combat arts—every strike was concise, efficient, and lethal.
Her attacks were like a violent storm, sword light weaving into a golden web of Death, forcing Loki to focus entirely on her.
And Tony seized this opportunity.
"Jarvis, analyze the barrier structure! Where is the weak point?!"
"Scanning... The barrier is composed of spatial energy, but when Loki uses the Mind Stone scepter, the energy flow experiences periodic fluctuations of 0.3 seconds. During these fluctuations, local barrier strength drops by 47%."
"0.3 seconds..." The corner of Tony's mouth curled up beneath his faceplate. "That's enough!"
He stopped his blind bombardment and began a rhythmic harassment.
Palm thrusters fired in bursts, micro-missiles launched intermittently, and the armor's limb thrusters made occasional feints.
He was forcing Loki to frequently use the scepter for defense, thereby creating windows of weakness in the barrier.
Loki quickly realized this tactic. A flash of annoyance crossed his eyes, and he slammed the scepter onto the ground. "Enough!"
An even stronger burst of energy erupted. This time it wasn't defense, but an attack.
Dozens of blue energy tentacles extended from the scepter like living vipers, splitting off to strike Tony and Angela.
Tony ascended rapidly to dodge, but a tentacle still wrapped around his left leg. The armor's outer shell groaned under the pressure, and energy began to drain rapidly.
Angela was more composed. Runes flowed within her pure white eyes as the blade of the hunt danced into a golden wheel of light; the tentacles were severed and purified the moment they neared the blade.
However, she could no longer press forward—Loki had woven a defensive net with the tentacles, shielding himself and the portal device in the center.
"You cannot win." Loki stood behind the energy net, his smile turning elegant and cruel once more. "The Tesseract's power is infinite, while your stamina... is limited."
He was right. Tony's armor energy was already below half, and while Angela's divine power was vast, it was not infinite.
The longer the time dragged on, the more it favored Loki.
But neither of them backed down.
Tony broke free from the tentacle, his armor tracing a complex flight path. "Angela! I'll draw the fire, you find an opening to charge!"
"Understood." Angela's sword style changed, shifting from a violent storm to a fine, dense spring rain.
She no longer sought a one-hit kill, but instead looked for flaws in the energy net's nodes.
Loki snorted, the scepter's light growing even brighter. More energy tentacles surged out, turning the platform into a blue forest.
As the three-way battle reached its peak, no one noticed a figure silently creeping onto the edge of the platform.
Lin Che vaulted over the railing from the observation deck, his God-level Stealth fully active, making him seem to merge with the surrounding space.
His target was the portal device—the cube radiating blue light and the precision machinery revolving around it.
But when he actually stepped onto the platform and saw the situation around the device, his heart sank.
Dr. Selvig was indeed busy beside the device, his hands flying across the control panel, his eyes hollow—clearly still under mind control.
But beside the doctor, there was another... presence that shouldn't be here.
It was a giant.
Nearly three meters tall, he was entirely covered in heavy, dark grey metal armor, the surface of which was littered with menacing spikes and crude welding marks.
His head was encased in a fully enclosed helmet, revealing only two eyes glowing with red light.
In his hands, he gripped a double-bladed battle-axe proportionate to his size; the axe head was forged from some black metal, its edges shimmering with ominous energy ripples.
Black Dwarf.
One of Thanos's Black Order, a Berserker known for pure strength and defense.
"Damn it..." Lin Che cursed inwardly. In the original plot, Black Dwarf shouldn't have appeared until Avengers 3. Why was he here early?
Could it be the butterfly effect?
Had Thanos's focus on Earth increased?
His thoughts were interrupted by Black Dwarf's movement.
The silent giant suddenly turned his head, his red eyes accurately locking onto Lin Che's position.
Even with God-level Stealth, against combat instincts of this caliber, the effectiveness of stealth was greatly diminished.
Black Dwarf made no sound, simply raising his battle-axe slowly.
Then, he charged.
What was the concept of a three-meter-tall steel beast charging?
The entire platform trembled, every step leaving deep dents in the metal floor.
The battle-axe trailed behind him, the head grinding against the floor and kicking up blinding sparks.
Lin Che chose not to take it head-on.
He rolled to the side the moment Black Dwarf charged, Hulk Power surging through his legs to explode with incredible speed.
The battle-axe slammed into the spot where he had just been standing.
BOOM!!!
It wasn't just an Impact; it was an explosion. Black Dwarf's battle-axe wasn't just a physical weapon; the axe head seemed to contain an energy core that released a high-intensity shockwave upon Impact.
The metal platform was smashed with a crater two meters in diameter, the steel plates at the edges curling upward like torn paper.
Lin Che was tossed back by the shockwave, adjusting his posture in mid-air and rolling five meters upon landing to dissipate the force.
He felt his internal organs churning.
Just being grazed by the aftershock was this powerful.
It seemed he had to come up with an effective plan!
Chapter 35: Lin Che vs. Black Dwarf
Lin Che took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening.
He stopped trying to hide completely and pushed God-level Stealth to its limit, moving across the platform so fast that only after-images remained.
Black Dwarf reacted with terrifying speed. He didn't chase, simply stood and let his axe track Lin Che's movement.
Those red eyes saw through every shadow, locking on the real Lin Che.
After several probing feints, Lin Che found the pattern.
Black Dwarf fought still as a mountain: absolute defense, little mobility.
He guarded a circle centered on the device; step outside and he would not strike.
But Lin Che had to step inside.
The Tesseract lay at the device's heart, Dr. Selvig beside it. To reach the cube, Lin Che had to break Black Dwarf.
Angela! he shouted. Keep Loki busy—I need space!
Far away, Angela obeyed. She stopped searching for gaps and poured all her power into the blade of the hunt; the sword blazed like a second Sun.
By Odin and the queen of the hunt—break!
Gold lanced through Loki's web, not slashing but drilling.
The sword spun on contact, boring inward.
Loki's expression flickered; he diverted his scepter to reinforce the net, and Tony saw the opening.
Now! Every repulsor flared; Tony became a red comet, punching through the gap and hammering Loki.
Forced to split his attention, Loki's grip on the platform slipped.
Now!
Lin Che charged the device.
Black Dwarf moved, abandoning his post to meet the charge.
Defense of the device outweighed defense of the spot.
The axe swept in a killing arc, covering every angle—force Lin Che to parry or retreat.
Lin Che took a third option.
He kept running, leapt as the axe whistled past his soles.
Hulk Power sent him four meters up; the axe missed by centimeters.
In mid-air he shaped his right hand into a blade, Asgardian blood condensing a golden edge that stabbed for the slit in Black Dwarf's helm.
Black Dwarf punched upward with his free fist—simple, brutal, enough to flatten a tank.
Lin Che crossed forearms and took the hit.
Bang—!
The blow lifted him like a railgun, slamming him into the rail.
Alloy bent; Lin Che tasted blood, at least two ribs cracked.
Hurts... he muttered, wiping blood, eyes on the immovable mountain before the device.
Angela and Tony still battled Loki.
The Tesseract's shield held.
Chitauri poured through the portal; more Leviathans darkened the sky.
No time.
Lin Che closed his eyes and reached for the system.
System—one shot with the Space Stone?
Requesting... Host resonance 17%.
Option: burn all God-level Stealth for a spatial cut.
Warning: skill offline 72 h, possible dimensional backlash. Proceed?
Proceed.
Energy channel... tapping God-level Stealth... linking to the Space Stone...
Lin Che opened eyes veined with blue fire. Runes crawled across his palms; light bent around him.
Black Dwarf raised his axe and took a guard stance.
Come.
Lin Che pressed his palms together and drew them apart.
A slit opened—not in metal, in space.
Blue light spilled out, gravity warped, debris floated.
He aimed the slit at Black Dwarf and pushed.
Spatial—cut.
No sound.
A hair-thin beam sliced space, leaving a trail of void.
Black Dwarf roared and swung, violet energy flaring—energy against space.
Space won.
The beam carved through axe and armor, leaving a seam.
Time froze.
Black Dwarf looked down at the line across his chest, edges clean, no blood.
With a last roar he hurled the axe.
Lin Che, spent, could not dodge.
The spinning axe flew—glancing touch would maim or kill.
Chapter 36 – Cracking the Tesseract
At the critical moment, a golden figure flashed into view.
Angela had somehow shaken off Loki and appeared in front of Lin Che.
There was no time to swing her sword; she could only—use her body to block the battle-axe.
Bang!
The axe struck her back full-force. Angela grunted, staggered forward, golden blood spilling from her lips.
But her feet were planted like iron; the axe never touched Lin Che.
"Angela!" Lin Che's eyes nearly split open.
"I'm fine…" she said through clenched teeth, the light in her pure-white eyes dimming. "Hurry… the Tesseract!"
Lin Che knew this was no time to hesitate.
He rushed to the portal device, channeled Hulk Powerinto his right fist, and smashed the transparent energy shield protecting the Tesseract.
The cerulean cube hovered in the air, turning slowly, radiating a seductive yet perilous pulse.
[Contact with Tesseract (Space Stone). Beginning outer-seal decryption…]
"You dare!" Loki's roar rang out. He broke free of Tony and fired a thick energy beam from his scepter straight at Lin Che's heart.
Tony's armor dropped from the sky, taking the blast in his stead.
"Shoo!" Tony's palm-repulsors fired at full power, driving Loki back.
Lin Che's hand closed around the Tesseract.
Cold, heavy—it felt like clutching a miniature Universe.
[Decryption 10%… 20%…]
The cube shook violently in his grip, fighting to escape. The portal above flickered and began to shrink.
Again the cube shuddered, the portal now spasming—contracting and expanding like a dying breath.
The Chitauri ranks faltered; some soldiers lost control and attacked at random.
"How dare you!!" Loki's eyes blazed; he thrust his scepterat Lin Che's back.
A golden sword intercepted it. Angela stood behind Lin Che, her white eyes icy. "Your opponent is me."
"Out of my way!" Loki raged, but Angela's defense was flawless.
Lin Che shut everything else out, every ounce of focus on the system's decryption.
[30%… 50%…]
The cube's resistance waned; its blue glow began flowing toward Lin Che's palm.
Meanwhile, another crisis approached.
Aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Fury received an emergency call from the World Security Council.
"Director Fury, New York is lost. The Council has voted to authorize a nuclear strike."
"What?!" Fury roared. "You're insane?! Millions of people—our own team is there!"
"It is a necessary sacrifice. Carry out the order or be relieved for insubordination."
The line went dead.
Fury's single eye burned, but he knew the bureaucrats had made their choice.
He turned to the console. "Hill, lock onto that nuke-carrying jet. We stop it."
"Sir, that means opposing the Council…"
"Then we oppose them!" Fury hit the comm. "All units, unauthorized aircraft armed with a nuke heading for Manhattan. Intercept at all costs!"
New York battlefield
Tony's suit received Fury's warning; his face went ashen.
"A nuke… those madmen…"
"Sir, hyper-velocity inbound from the East Coast. Impact on Manhattan in three minutes."
Tony glanced at Angela still dueling Loki, at Lin Chedecrypting the Tesseract, at Steve and the others fighting below, at civilians still fleeing.
"Jarvis, compute an intercept."
"Optimal plan: snatch the warhead in flight and ferry it through the portal. Success odds under 7%, and you must exit before detonation."
Tony paused a heartbeat, then grinned. "Seven percent? Better than zero."
He spun about and rocketed toward the harbinger of Death.
Stark Tower rooftop
[90%… 95%… 100%!]
[Tesseract (Space Stone) outer seal broken. Host granted temporary usage rights.]
The cube quieted in Lin Che's hand, its blue glow subdued, looking almost ordinary.
Yet he could feel the vast power merely leashed, ready to erupt again.
He stuffed it into his system space—only there could something of this rank be stored.
The instant the cube vanished, the portal convulsed. Deprived of its power source, it began to collapse.
"No!!!" Loki howled, battering Angela with his scepter, but it was too late.
The portal shrank like a punctured balloon; Chitauri and Leviathans half-through were shredded by spatial shear.
Those already on Earth dropped like puppets with cut strings—remote control from the mothership severed.
The tide of battle reversed in seconds.
"Nice work!" Tony's voice crackled over comms, urgent. "Lin Che, Angela—get off the roof! Nuke incoming!"
"What?!" Angela slashed Loki aside and looked skyward.
A black speck with a fiery tail streaked closer from the east.
"Council idiots authorized a strike," Tony said, racing toward it. "I'm taking it away from New York!"
Lin Che stared up; the portal was shrinking, seconds from closing.
"Tony, wait!" he shouted. "I've got the Tesseract! I can re-stabilize the portal—shove the nuke through!"
"You sure?!" Tony was almost on the warhead, arms reaching.
"Trust me!"
Lin Che pulled the Tesseract from system space and gripped it, spatial sense at max.
He reversed the energy flow—not to hold the portal open, but to briefly "pry" it wider.
Blue light burst anew—from his hands this time.
The collapsing portal froze, then was forced wider.
"Now!" Lin Che yelled, blood on his lips.
Forcing even a sliver of the Space Stone's power was ravaging his body.
Tony seized the nuke, thrusters screaming, and shot for the gap.
"Jarvis, plot exit vector!"
"Window is 0.5 seconds, sir."
"Plenty!"
Tony and the bomb became a meteor, streaking through the portal Lin Che had pried open.
Chapter 37 First Glimpse of Thanos
The armor and nuclear warhead vanished into the portal.
At the last second Tony released his grip, reversed the thrusters, and ejected himself.
BOOM——!!
Not an explosion, but the dull impact of space snapping shut. Under Lin Che's control the vortex shrank violently, and through the narrowing slit everyone glimpsed one final thing.
Far away in the Universe, against the flank of the Chitaurimothership, a blinding white blossom unfurled.
In vacuum a nuclear detonation makes no sound, yet the light itself was a silent scream.
The white flare swelled, swallowed half the mothership, then became a gorgeous ring of energy slowly expanding.
The sky-portal shrank from a hundred metres across to fifty, to thirty...'It worked...' Tony's armor lost power and plummeted. Angela strained to fly, caught him on wings of light, and they settled onto the platform.
But Lin Che's face stayed tense.
Because in the instant before the portal sealed, he saw—someone on the other side.
Beyond the portal the Chitauri mothership was breaking apart in nuclear fire, burning debris like cosmic fireworks.
Behind the fireworks a vast silhouette emerged.
He sat on a hovering throne, his body monumental as a mountain.
Purple skin, gold armor, a firm jaw, and those eyes—cold, abyssal, able to swallow every hope.
Thanos.
Even through the closing gate, even for a heartbeat, the pressure made everyone on the platform shudder.
A presence beyond race, beyond civilization, beyond life and death.
A madman who would raze half the Universe for an ideal, a Titan holding the fate of countless worlds.
Thanos's gaze swept the portal. His eyes lingered on the Tesseract in Lin Che's hand, flicked to Angela, then to the fallen Black Dwarf.
'Interesting.' The voice sounded inside every mind, not through air but by resonance on a higher plane.
Low, calm, absolute: 'One of my pieces has been removed. Earth... is more interesting than I thought.'
Lin Che clenched his teeth, forcing the gate shut.
He felt Thanos trying to steady the breach.
'You want the stones?' Lin Che sent back.
'I want balance.' Thanos answered, concise.'Stones are tools. You... are obstacles.'
The gate shrank to ten metres, its rim shaking on the verge of collapse.
Behind Thanos another figure appeared.
Tall, pale, in dark violet robes, hands elegantly folded. Ebony Maw, most dangerous mind of the Black Order.
A slight motion of Ebony Maw's fingers.
Under the fallen Black Dwarf the metal platform liquefied, flowed, and slid him toward the gate.
The cunning mage meant to snatch his wounded comrade before the portal died.
'No!' Angela summoned the last of her strength and the blade of the hunt slashed a golden arc at the metal.
But Ebony Maw was ready.
With his other hand he raised a shield of levitating shards that caught the sword-light.
Lin Che's eyes sharpened. He could not let Black Dwarfescape.
Given Thanos's medical tech the berserker would soon fight again.
Worse, his armor might hold secrets of Thanos's Legion.
The gate was five metres across and closing.
Time for one action: seal the gate and deny the rescue, or—Lin Che chose.
His left hand kept the gate shut; his right swept out. The Tesseract blazed, a hair-thin ray of blue lancing.
Not at Black Dwarf, not at Ebony Maw, but at the frame of the gate itself.
Spatial severance, not to kill, but to slam the door.
'Angela, strike the gate with me!' Lin Che shouted.
Angela understood. In the final heartbeat she poured all her power and the blade of the hunt became a golden thread that severed the portal.
Lin Che's spatial cut landed at the same moment.
Two attacks, one instant.
Shh—
Without anchor the entire gate shattered like broken mirror, fragments dissolving.
In the last moment the severing force clipped Black Dwarf's elbow.
No blood.
The arm remained on Earth while the rest of him was dragged into the void.
Silence on the platform.
Only the severed arm struck the ground, its cut smooth as glass, twitching as if alive.
The portal vanished. Night sky over New York returned, smoke and dust drifting.
Thanos's final look lingered—a weighing, a promise: We will meet again.
Chapter 38: Mission Heart of the Gem (I) – Completed
The Sun's afterglow died along the horizon; after the portal sealed shut the sky took on a sickly slate-blue.
The rooftop platform of Stark Tower lay in ruins, littered with broken machinery and Chitauri corpses; at its center the portal device still oozed acrid smoke.
With the Tesseract gone, the intricate contraption was now nothing more than scrap.
Loki collapsed to his knees, the scepter slipping from his grasp.
He stared at the calm sky, at the routed army, his eyes hollow with despair.
Angela's sword rested steady against Loki's throat, the golden divine power running along its edge faintly sizzling the skin of the Frost Giant prince.
"It's over, Loki."
At the platform's edge Lin Che knelt on one knee, gasping for breath.
Both palms were charred black, beneath the skin flickering veins of eerie blue energy.
Forcibly wielding the Tesseract to pry open the portal—even for a few seconds—had cost him dearly.
The Space Stone's might was too wild; even with the system's buffer, the torrent of spatial energy felt like countless needles piercing every nerve.
[Warning: Host body severely contaminated by spatial radiation. Purification progress: 23%. Estimated full recovery: 7 days.]
[Warning: God-level Stealth temporarily unavailable; cooldown 72 hours.]
"Got it… shut up…" Lin Che hissed, calling on the Asgardian bloodline within him.
A pale-gold radiance spread from his heart, colliding and mingling with the invading blue energy.
The agony felt like ants crawling through every blood vessel, yet he did not utter a sound.
Lin Che struggled to his feet and wiped the blood from his lips.
He still held the Tesseract, though its light had dimmed.
With his other hand he picked up the Mind Stone scepterfrom the ground.
The blue gem topping the scepter was ice-cold; something conscious slithered inside it, probing at his thoughts.
[Mind Stone energy detected. Begin decryption? Estimated duration: 30 minutes.]
"No."
He stowed the scepter in his system space. Now both gems were his.
[Congratulations: Host has acquired Loki's scepter (Mind Stone) and Tesseract (Space Stone).]
[Congratulations: Host has completed SSS-rank mission — Heart of the Gem (I).]
[Rewards: SS-rank skill — Mind Master; SS-rank skill — Spatial Walk.]
He clenched his fists instinctively; his heart beat steadily as the two powers flooded in, binding him tighter to the artifacts.
Lin Che looked at Angela. "What do we do with him?"
Angela glanced at Thor, who had just landed on the platform, battered but gazing at his brother with conflicted eyes.
"Back to Asgard," Thor said grimly. "Father will judge him."
Loki gave a bitter smile. "Judgment again… fine. At least this time you won."
He offered no resistance.
Kneeling, hands locked behind him by Thor's special manacles, the ever-smiling trickster now wore only hollow numbness.
He watched the sky, the Chitauri craft spiraling down like broken insects, opened his mouth, but said nothing.
Thor stood beside him, Mjolnir at his feet.
His face was a storm of rage, disappointment, pain, and the faintest trace of pity.
After all, this was the brother he had grown up with, the one he had shared a thousand years of mischief.
"It's over, Loki," Thor said hoarsely. "Truly over."
Loki closed his eyes and let out a soft, weary laugh. "Yes, brother. You've won. As always."
Nearby, Tony Stark's armor crashed onto the platform, the arc reactor in its chest flickering.
The faceplate lifted, revealing a pale face wearing a survivor's grin. "Hah… seven percent success rate. Jarvis, next time bump those odds a little higher; nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Sir, during final extraction the probability had actually dropped to 3.3%. Your survival owes chiefly to excellent improvisation and—"
"All right, all right, I know I'm awesome." Tony crawled from the suit, his right leg dragging. "By the way, who held the portal open back there? I thought I saw—"
His gaze fell on Lin Che, on the residual blue glow in his eyes and the scorched hands.
"You?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "You touched the Tesseract? One brush and that thing can vaporize flesh!"
"Temporary." Lin Che finally straightened; the blackened skin was already healing, new flesh showing a faint gold-blue sheen beneath. "Just… a little hot."
Angela looked no better.
Black Dwarf's hammer-blow had been staggering; even the queen of the hunt bore massive blunt trauma across her back.
Golden blood trickled from her lips; her wings of light flickered and vanished.
Yet she forced herself to Lin Che's side, steadying his shoulder. "Still alive?"
"Barely." He managed a crooked smile. "You?"
"Need rest." She nodded toward Black Dwarf's severed arm on the ground. "That thing… useful?"
Tony struggled upright, eyeing the twitching limb. "I vote we toss it into the Sun. Who knows what trackers or self-destructs it's packing."
"No." Lin Che shook his head, eyes clear. "It's both trophy and intel. Thanos's Legion is centuries ahead of Earth—if Tony or Dr. Banner can reverse-engineer it…"
"And," he added, "we need to show the World that alien invaders aren't invincible. That arm is the proof."
Angela nodded; she understood.
The silent game of politics and hearts could turn more tides than blades, its subtleties deeper and deadlier.
Before Lin Che's words faded, the Tower lurched.
Not an explosion—an impact.
From mid-tower came the crunch of concrete and the shriek of twisting steel.
"What now?!" Thor hefted his hammer.
Angela's white eyes pierced the floors. "A Leviathan—still alive, ramming the mid-structure!"
The wounded beast had plummeted from the sky and slammed into Stark Tower.
Dying yet driven by instinct, it thrashed, its metal-muscled tail coiling round the frame.
With each convulsion glass cascaded and girders groaned.
"Structural integrity failing," Jarvis reported from the armor wreckage. "Upper floors will tilt and collapse within three minutes."
"Damn it!" Tony looked down: civilians and rescue teams still filled the streets. "If the top comes down it'll flatten five blocks!"
Chapter 39 – Hulk vs. Leviathan
Thor was already sprinting toward the platform's edge. "I'll handle it!"
"Wait…" Lin Che cut in, gaze fixed on the thrashing Leviathan wreckage below. "It's wedged too tightly; brute force could bring the tower down early. And… we've got someone better for the job."
Almost the instant the words left his mouth, a green blur rocketed up from the street below, arced through the air, and landed dead-center where the Leviathan coiled.
Hulk.
He planted himself on the slanted wall of glass and warped steel.
He glanced down at the alien Leviathan's mangled body, then up at the group on the top platform.
The moment he spotted Loki, his eyes turned an even deeper shade of green.
"Hulk!" Thor instinctively raised Mjolnir, but Angelastopped him with a look.
"He's in control," she murmured.
She could feel the rage still blazing inside him—only now it had a clear target: the dying alien beast and the god of mischief who'd caused the chaos.
Hulk bared his teeth in a savage grin. Ignoring the onlookers, he turned to face the Leviathan.
The creature sensed the threat. Energy conduits along its flanks pulsed crimson; it opened a maw lined with fangs.
Though near death, it could still spew a jet of super-heated plasma.
Hulk didn't dodge.
He charged straight into the blast.
The plasma scorched his skin with a sizzle, but gamma-forged flesh regenerated in seconds.
He dove head-first into the Leviathan's gullet and began tearing it apart from the inside.
Dull thuds echoed within the beast, each accompanied by the crack of armored plates and the wet burst of organs.
The Leviathan thrashed, trying to dislodge the parasite, but Hulk clung to its skeletal frame, feet kicking through soft tissue.
"ROAR!!!" His bellow drowned out the monster's death-cry.
He seized a thick energy conduit, biceps swelling to their limit—and ripped.
SHRRRIP!
Like tearing paper, the Leviathan's body split open from within.
Hulk burst through the gap, clutching half of a throbbing, violet-glowing energy core.
Standing atop the carcass, he raised the core overhead and slammed it back into the beast.
A blinding flash and low boom followed, the explosion contained to a tight radius.
Most of the energy was absorbed by Hulk's own body.
Deprived of its core, the Leviathan died at last. Its slackened coils slid off the tower and plummeted toward the street.
Snagging a dangling cable, Hulk swung back to the wall, vaulted upward, and landed on the top platform.
The impact rattled the entire deck.
The green giant was scorched and streaked with violet ichor, but the wounds closed even as they watched.
He swept his gaze across the group and settled on the shackled Loki.
Loki instinctively took half a step back.
Even bound by Asgardian magic—and knowing the Hulkwas apparently rational—primal terror still gripped him.
For three seconds Hulk stared, then—thumb up, thick green digit jabbed toward Lin Che.
He flipped the thumb toward Loki and thrust it sharply down.
The blunt "rating system" left the rooftop silent for two beats.
"Pfft…" Tony was first to crack. "Ha! I love the big guy's sense of humor."
Lin Che grinned and nodded at Hulk. "Thanks, big fella. That was slick."
Hulk snorted, the hostility in his eyes fading. He turned toward the edge as if to leave.
"Dr. Banner?" Steve called from below.
Captain America climbed the exterior ladder, Natashaand Hawkeye right behind him.
All three were battered but upright.
Hulk—or rather Banner, now dominant—paused, glancing back at Steve.
His green eyes blinked; skin paled, muscles shrank. Seconds later Dr. Banner stood in tattered trousers, pushing up glasses that weren't there.
"Uh… everyone okay?"
Spotting Black Dwarf's severed arm, he flinched. "What… is that?"
"Part of Thanos's top general," Lin Che said. "Feel like studying it, Doc?"
Adjusting the phantom spectacles, Banner's scientific curiosity overrode unease. "If we can secure it… absolutely."
Steve surveyed the wrecked platform, then the calm sky, and exhaled. "So it's over?"
"For now," Natasha said, nudging a Chitauri corpse. "But that purple space-potato doesn't look like the quitting type."
Hawkeye tested his bowstring. "He won't. But today, we won."
Night was falling, yet Manhattan's skyline no longer glittered.
Fires, rescue beacons, and searchlights swept the ruins in stark white arcs.
Stark Tower's lobby had become an impromptu command center.
Though the upper floors were shattered, Tony's private security grid and emergency power still hummed.
On the huge holo-screen scrolled damage reports, rescue progress, and seventeen missed calls from the World Security Council.
"Now they're in a hurry," Nick Fury's image said, sarcasm dripping from his single eye. "Didn't see them fretting when they mashed the nuke button."
Tony lounged on a battered sofa, nursing a scavenged whiskey. "So what'd you tell them, Director? 'Sorry, we borrowed your nuke to blow up the mothership—worked great, you're welcome'?"
Fury snorted. "I informed them that, with the crown prince and princess of Asgard as witnesses, Earth's unilateral use of a strategic weapon on its own turf violates Article Nine of the Interstellar Non-Aggression Pact… drafted last week."
Thor sat by a pillar, Loki manacled beside him, eyes closed.
At Fury's words Thor looked up. "Asgard will monitor Midgard's use of cosmic force. Yet this time… Loki's crime came first."
"Which gives us leverage," Fury's image said, turning to Lin Che and Angela. "So—about the Tesseract and the Mind Stone…"
Here it comes.
Lin Che knew this moment was unavoidable.
Setting down a Chitauri weapon shard, he stood. "The Tesseract was Odin's relic; I can return it to Asgard. But…"
"Thor," Lin Che continued, "take Loki and the Tesseractback. Asgard must secure it so no future Loki can steal or misuse it."
He met Thor's gaze. "Upgrade your vault—or find a safer repository. The Mind Stone stays with me."
Thor frowned. "That scepter is too dangerous—and it belongs to the Titan…"
"Exactly why it can't go to anyone who doesn't understand it," Lin Che said firmly. "I've touched it; I know the risk. Give me time and I'll find a safe solution."
Thor looked at Angela. Though they'd known each other only a short while, her strength and honor had won his respect.
More importantly, he sensed a unique trust between her and Lin Che—not blind, but grounded in shared trials and something deeper.
Chapter 40 – The Avengers Assemble
…All right," Thor finally relented. "But I will report everything to Father. The final decision rests with Odin. If he demands the scepter's return…
Then I'll go to Asgard myself and explain," Lin Chepromised.
Reasonable," Lin Che nodded, then looked at Fury. "The Mind Stone… its origin is problematic. Loki said Thanosgave it to him, and I believe he wasn't lying.
Thanos," Fury repeated the name, his single eye narrowing. "How powerful is this alien? Thor, do you know?
Thanos, the last survivor of Titan," Thor's voice rumbled like distant thunder. "He was born with near–Sky-Father-level strength.
The Chitauri are merely one of his legions. He has an even stronger vanguard, and each of his Black Order is a match for me."
Therefore the scepter cannot be handed to any Earthagency, nor to Asgard… at least not to any power that doesn't understand its danger." Lin Che's tone brooked no argument. "I'll keep it for now, until we find a safe way to deal with it.
Fury stared at him. "You sure you can control it? That thing can twist minds."
Lin Che raised his hand; above his palm shimmered a faint golden glow, within which faint blue star-points silently swirled.
It was the outward manifestation of the mental power he had only just begun to master.
I've already 'touched' it, Director. And I have… special means to isolate its influence."
He said nothing of the System, but everyone present had seen the anomaly above his palm.
The energy signature was similar to the aura Loki had released when wielding the scepter, yet more restrained, more stable.
Natasha spoke up suddenly. "Lin Che saw through the scepter's amplification of emotions on the helicarrier. He understands its danger better than any of us."
The words carried weight. Hawkeye, once controlled by the scepter, also nodded. "He saved me. I trust his judgement."
Fury remained silent for nearly half a minute, then sighed. "The scepter can stay with you for now, but S.H.I.E.L.D.will run regular checks—not physical inspections, energy monitoring. We have to be sure it won't become the next threat."
Deal," Lin Che dispersed the energy in his palm. "Now, about our earlier agreement…
The identity papers are ready—top-level security clearance, equal to the Avengers," Fury called up an electronic file. "Title to 178A Greenwich Village has been transferred to you permanently. S.H.I.E.L.D. won't conduct any unauthorized surveillance—standard external security excepted, of course."
quinjet access needs to be logged, but in emergencies you can fly first and report later."
As for the Stark Industries Expo VIP pass…" Fury looked toward Tony.
Tony rolled his eyes. "I'll have Pepper arrange it. But if you steal from me again…"
Borrow—borrow," Lin Che corrected, the same devil-may-care grin returning. "And I returned it last time, didn't I? With optimization suggestions included."
Dr. Banner interjected, wrapped in a blanket, still looking frail but bright-eyed. "Lin Che, about the energy-neutralization technique you used when handling the Tesseract… if possible, I'd like to discuss gamma energy with you. It might help me control the Hulk."
Anytime, Doctor," Lin Che answered sincerely. He did feel a certain fondness for Banner—or rather, for the Hulk.
A man forced to carry destructive power, yet still retaining a scientist's curiosity and respect for life—such a thing was rare.
Tony, lounging on a sofa, suddenly laughed. "Hey, guys. We just saved New York, right? Shouldn't we have a team name or something?"
Steve smiled too. "How about the Avengers? For those who can't avenge themselves."
The Avengers…" Natasha repeated. "Not bad."
Banner adjusted his glasses. "I may need a long leave. The stuff the Hulk just smashed… the bill could be lengthy."
Stark Industries will cover it," Tony said magnanimously, then looked at Lin Che and Angela. "What about you two? Joining this newly founded team that almost broke up an hour ago?"
Lin Che and Angela exchanged a glance.
We have our own business," Lin Che said, "but if needed… we can cooperate anytime."
Independent contractors," Tony nodded understandingly. "Fine. But next time you decide to 'borrow' my stuff, could you give me a heads-up? At least let me hide my 'personal stash' first."
Everyone laughed. The laughter was tired, but genuine.
Under the starlight, Black Dwarf's severed arm lay on the ground, its metallic surface reflecting a cold gleam. Farther away, in the depths of the Universe, Thanos's throne was already turning toward its next target.
Round one of the war was over.
Yet everyone knew… this was only the beginning.
Late night, on the damaged rooftop of Stark Tower.
Most had already left.
Tony had gone to direct Stark Industries' rescue teams; Steve led remaining combatants in clearing the battlefield; Natasha and Hawkeye assisted S.H.I.E.L.D.with aftermath; Banner was taken for medical checks; Thor escorted Loki back to Asgard; Fury went to deal with the Council bureaucrats.
Only Lin Che and Angela remained.
They stood at the edge of the platform, beneath them a sparsely lit New York. The flames of war had died, but wounds needed time. In the distance, rescue sirens, construction roars, and occasional blasts mingled into the city's post-war requiem.
That burn on your hand—really okay?" Angela asked, her gaze on Lin Che's palm.
The charred marks had vanished; new skin was smooth as before, yet under the moonlight faint blue veins could be glimpsed beneath.
About a week to be fully purified," Lin Che flexed his fingers. "Won't affect use for now. And…"
He lifted his right hand, palm up.
At a flick of will, ripples appeared in the air and a small, fist-sized blue cube emerged—the Tesseract. Then a golden scepter appeared in his other hand.
The two artifacts slowly rotated, emitting faint but pure energy waves.
I can feel them," Lin Che murmured, eyes complex. "Like… two sleeping hearts, slowly beating in the depths of my consciousness. The Space Stone is boundless; the Mind Stone is deep and dark. They're too powerful—powerful enough to be terrifying."
Angela watched him quietly. "So you insisted on keeping them. Not just for study, but because… you can't be separated from them anymore, can you?"
Lin Che was silent a moment, then nodded. "The instant I grasped the Tesseract, the moment I cracked the scepter's seal, something… linked. Not control, not possession, but a resonance. Once that link is formed, it never fully vanishes."
He dismissed the projection and turned to her. "It's dangerous. Infinity Stones are among the mightiest forces in the Universe; countless beings have waged wars and destroyed civilizations for them. Thanos is only one."
So you need to grow stronger," Angela's voice was calm, resolute. "Strong enough to protect the Stones—or strong enough to destroy them if necessary."
Lin Che smiled. "Exactly. So… Teacher Angela, can we ramp up the next training session? I'm still far from enough."
A faint curve appeared at Angela's lips. "As you wish. But first, heal. The backlash from forcibly wielding the Space Stone won't fade so quickly; I can sense your energy channels are still in disarray."
She reached out, fingertips lightly touching Lin Che's chest. A warm, pure divine power flowed in, like a clear stream over dry riverbeds, smoothing the minor damage left by clashing energies.
Lin Che blinked, then relaxed. "Thanks."
You're welcome," Angela withdrew her hand. "We're partners, and… friends. Aren't we?"
Of course," Lin Che gazed at the stars, a sharp gleam in his eyes. "But the road ahead won't be easy. Fury agreed to our terms, but the Council won't let it go. After Thorreports to Odin, Asgard's stance may change as well. Not to mention…"
He didn't finish, but both understood.