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·Chapter 618: The Arrival of Thor

After arranging for Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, Charles headed to the Summoning Realm and held meetings at the other three bases: Sound Ninja, Mist Ninja, and Sand Ninja. He also strengthened Kimimaro by merging cards.

The merged Kimimaro's strength reached the initial Kage level, making him extremely powerful.

At the same time, Charles manifested Kin Tsuchi and gave it to the Sound Ninja Village as a form of compensation, returning their number to five ninjas.

…

Meanwhile-

In the palace of Asgard, Heimdall reported, "King Odin, I have seen Prince Loki on Earth."

Hearing Heimdall's words, Odin was taken aback. He had always thought that his adopted son Loki was dead.

"Are you sure?"

Heimdall nodded and said, "Yes, I'm sure. He has taken the Tesseract from Earth and is attacking a certain faction. It doesn't look good."

After a few seconds of contemplation, Odin said, "Keep an eye on Loki and see what he is planning."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Also, summon Thor."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Soon, Thor arrived at the hall, wielding Mjölnir, and asked, "Father, is there another rebellion?"

Seeing Thor, who was always ready to quash a rebellion, Odin frowned slightly and said, "I have found Loki's whereabouts."

Thor was momentarily stunned, then excitedly exclaimed, "Loki is alive! That's wonderful news!"

"Father, where is Loki? I'll go bring him back."

"He is on Earth."

"Earth? With Charles Doyle?"

"Yes, Thor, I am tasking you with bringing Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard."

"The Tesseract?"

Odin then explained to Thor what Loki was doing on Earth and his possession of the Tesseract. He instructed Thor to bring both Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard.

With this mission, Thor felt a mix of joy and anticipation. He was relieved his brother was alive and looked forward to his trip to Earth.

…

Meanwhile-

On a Quinjet, Steve Rogers was reviewing Bruce Banner's file and curiously asked, "Did Dr. Banner try to replicate the serum in my blood?"

Coulson, holding onto a handle in the plane, said, "Many have tried."

"You were the first super-soldier. Banner thought gamma radiation might unlock Dr. Erskine's original formula."

Steve Rogers, watching a video on the computer, remarked, "Didn't turn out so well, did it?"

"No, but when he's normal, he's like Stephen Hawking."

Steve Rogers looked at Coulson in surprise, who smiled and added, "He's incredibly brilliant."

"And I must say, it's an honor to officially meet you."

"I've seen you before, though you were frozen at the time. I even visited you during your long sleep."

Steve Rogers looked at Coulson, not saying much, then stood up to gaze out at the scenery outside the plane.

Coulson, slightly excited, continued, "Honestly, having you join us is a great honor."

"I hope I can live up to it."

Coulson was more confident than Steve Rogers. "You definitely can, no doubt about it."

"We made some modifications to your uniform. I even had some design input."

Steve Rogers was surprised. "My uniform?"

"Aren't the stars and stripes a bit outdated?"

Coulson replied, "Considering the current situation and the impending battle, people might need a bit of the old spirit."

Steve Rogers fell silent for a moment but didn't say anything.

…

Elsewhere-

In a secret underground base, many personnel under Loki's control were preparing for his invasion of Earth. They were constructing a device to use the Tesseract and transporting materials.

Loki, holding his scepter, was meditating to communicate with the leader of the Chitauri army, informing them of Earth's growing defensive forces.

As the Mind Stone on the scepter glowed, Loki's consciousness was transported to a desolate planet.

The Chitauri leader, seeing Loki's image, said, "Loki, the Chitauri are growing impatient."

Loki responded, "Have them hold their ground. I've discovered some formidable individuals on Earth."

Using magic, Loki projected scenes of various battles, showing Earth's defenders: the Hulk's fights, the fiery attacks of Blaze, the battles of Sound Ninja Kimimaro and Akatsuki member Hidan, and the clashes of Deidara and Kirigakure's Mei Terumi, as well as fights involving ninjas from the Charles Agency.

"These are Earth's defensive forces. Do you still think the people of Earth are mere insects you can crush at will?"

The Chitauri leader watched the scenes in silence for a few seconds before saying, "It seems I underestimated them, but they are no match for the Chitauri beasts."

Loki, staring intently, said, "Is your army really as invincible as you claim? If your carelessness leads to failure, things won't go well for you in his eyes."

The Chitauri leader was silent again, then said, "I will dispatch our finest warriors and the beast legion."

"Ensure the portal is large enough, and I will send the mothership as well. With Earth's technology, they cannot penetrate our defenses."

Loki, unimpressed, replied, "I hope so."

The Chitauri leader suggested, "You can also return with the Tesseract to the Dark Order, then lead the army to Earth."

"Although this will be slower, the Earth will still be yours."

But Loki refused. "The Tesseract is with me. Until the portal is open and your army is under my command, Earth's conquest is not assured."

The Chitauri leader, angry, warned, "Asgardian, start the war. Fail, and no matter where you hide, we will find you. Do you think you know pain? You don't"

The communication ended, and Loki's consciousness returned to Earth, with his surroundings returning to normal.

…

Elsewhere-

Phil Coulson and Steve Rogers, arrived at an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

As the plane landed and the two exited the cabin, Natasha Romanoff approached them. Upon seeing her, Coulson introduced her, saying:

"Agent Romanoff, this is Captain Rogers."

"Hello."

"Hello."

After exchanging greetings, Natasha informed Coulson, "The others needs you. They've started facial recognition tracking."

Coulson nodded, saying to Rogers, "See you later."

Natasha then led Rogers into the ship, commenting as they walked:

"Finding you in the ice caused quite a stir."

"I thought Coulson was going to faint from excitement."

"Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards?"

Rogers, puzzled, asked, "Trading cards?"

"Vintage set. He's very proud of them."

At that moment, Steve Rogers noticed Bruce Banner stepping off a small plane nearby and immediately greeted him:

"Dr. Banner."

Banner extended his hand and shook Rogers's, replying, "Hello."

"I heard you were coming."

Rogers looked at Banner and said, "I heard you can locate the Tesseract."

Banner glanced around and then replied, "You didn't hear the other stuff?"

Rogers responded, "Only what matters to me."

Banner, taking another look at Rogers, nodded and then gestured towards the aircraft carrier and its equipment, saying, "You must find all this quite strange."

Rogers looked around and replied, "Actually, it's kind of familiar."

Natasha, observing their conversation, urged, "Gentlemen, you should head inside."

"It will soon be hard to breathe out here."

No sooner had she spoken than the ship's PA system announced, "Deck crew, clear the deck."

Rogers, noticing the changing environment, asked, "Is this a submarine?"

Banner, walking alongside, joked, "Really?"

"They want me in a pressurized metal container under water?"

As they reached the edge of the deck, they saw massive turbines rising from either side of the carrier, generating strong winds.

Banner remarked, "It looks worse than that."

The aircraft carrier then began to lift off the water. Steve Rogers, witnessing the scene, realized the magnitude of the transformation. Bruce Banner followed Natasha into the interior of the flying aircraft carrier.

Inside, a large number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were busily adjusting various controls and data.

Standing at the center, Nick Fury ordered, "Let's get invisible. Engage reflective panels."

Soon, the flying aircraft carrier disappeared from plain sight. Fury turned to address Banner and Rogers, "Gentlemen."

Steve Rogers, visibly impressed, walked up to Nick Fury, pulled out a ten-dollar bill from his pocket, and handed it over.

Clearly, the aircraft carrier's capabilities had exceeded his expectations, and he was conceding a bet made the previous day.

Steve Rogers began to tour the aircraft carrier, while Nick Fury approached Bruce Banner, extending his hand, "It's good to have you here, Doctor."

Banner shook his hand, replying, "Thank you for the polite invitation."

"How long will I be staying?"

Fury responded directly, "As soon as we secure the Tesseract, you're free to go."

Banner nodded, then asked, "How's the progress?"

Nick Fury gestured towards Phil Coulson, who promptly explained, "We've scanned every camera worldwide that can be wirelessly accessed. Phones, laptops, anything connected to a satellite serves as our eyes."

Natasha, observing a computer scanning for Barton's image, commented, "At this rate, it will take too long. Have you considered other methods?"

Banner interjected, "You need to narrow the search area."

Then, turning to Nick Fury, he asked, "How many spectrometers can you get your hands on?"

Fury, crossing his arms, replied, "How many do you need?"

"Contact every lab you can find. Have them place spectrometers on their rooftops, calibrated to search for gamma radiation."

"I'll create a clustering algorithm to simulate a tracking pattern. This should help eliminate some areas and speed up the search."

"Can you find me a workspace?"

Fury, impressed with Banner's immediate contribution, nodded appreciatively. "Agent Romanoff, can you take Dr. Banner to his lab?"

Natasha stepped forward, addressing Banner, "Follow me. We've got everything you need, Doctor."

While S.H.I.E.L.D. was busy with their search, Loki was also preparing, with Barton planning a diversion to acquire the iridium they needed.

…

Coulson approached Steve Rogers, looking like a fan hoping for an autograph on his collectible cards. "If it's too much trouble, I understand."

Rogers glanced at Coulson and replied, "Not at all, it's no trouble."

Signing autographs was something he was very accustomed to from his days of promoting war bonds.

"This set is a limited edition. It took me years to complete it, and it's still in great condition. Though the edges are a bit yellowed, but..."

At that moment, Sitwell, who was in charge of tracking the alien, suddenly turned around and called out to Coulson, "There's a match. Facial features 67% match."

"Wait, cross-referencing shows a 79% match."

Coulson quickly walked over and asked, "Where?"

Sitwell quickly pulled up the surveillance camera footage and said, "Stuttgart, Germany, 28 Königstrasse."

"He's not trying to hide."

Nick Fury then turned to Steve and said, "Captain, it's your turn."

Steve Rogers nodded at Nick Fury, then went to the armory to put on his uniform. He and Natasha then boarded a Quinjet, heading towards the target location.

…

Meanwhile-

On the other side-

Loki entered the banquet hall, killing the scientist who had the iridium element. Using an instrument, he extracted the scientist's eye, working with Barton to obtain the iridium.

Amidst the chaos, Loki was unfazed, even excited. He dispelled the illusion of his earthly clothes, revealing his Asgardian prince attire, and blocked the guests' escape.

"Kneel before me."

Using his scepter, Loki created multiple projections of himself, surrounding the guests. He struck the ground with his scepter and demanded, "Kneel!"

Terrified, the guests trembled and knelt down.

"That's right."

"Isn't this simpler?"

"Isn't this your true nature?"

"You crave subjugation, and I, Loki of Asgard, am here to rule you and lead you."

As Loki was monologuing and about to kill a dissenter with a blast from his scepter, Captain America suddenly descended from above, using his shield to deflect the blast, knocking Loki to the ground.

Steve Rogers declared, "The last time I was in Germany, I met someone who thought they were above everyone else. We didn't get along."

Loki got up, looking a bit disheveled but unhurt.

"Captain America, you're outdated."

Steve Rogers replied, "The one who's outdated isn't me."

At this moment, the Quinjet hovered nearby, a machine gun emerging from its belly and aiming at Loki.

Natasha shouted, "Drop the weapon and surrender immediately."

Loki immediately attacked the jet, but Natasha skillfully dodged the incoming magical projectiles.

Seeing Loki's resistance, Steve Rogers attacked with his shield.

However, even with his enhanced strength, he was no match for Loki. His attacks were weakened by Loki's armor, and he was knocked down by Loki's scepter.

At this time, Loki's power was just slightly less than when he wielded Gungnir.

Natasha, unable to pinpoint the real Loki among his duplicates, hesitated to attack.

Just then, Tony Stark hacked into the Quinjet's system and said, "Natasha, miss me?"

Hearing Tony's voice, Natasha smiled, knowing reinforcements had arrived.

Tony, in his Iron Man suit, descended from the sky, firing two repulsor beams that blasted Loki away from Captain America. He landed with a classic superhero pose, revealing his full arsenal aimed at Loki.

"Make a move, Bambi."

Loki, however, offered no resistance, allowing himself to be captured.

Soon, Tony and the others were escorting Loki back to the Helicarrier in the Quinjet.

On the jet, Steve, looking at the silent Loki, said to Tony, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Tony, sarcastic as ever, replied, "Why? Because the rock star surrendered so easily?"

Steve responded, "I don't think it was easy at all. This guy is very powerful."

Tony continued his snark, "Well, you're still pretty lively for an old man."

"What kind of workout do you do, Pilates?"

"What?"

"It's like like aerobics."

"You've probably missed a lot, being a pop-sicle for so long."

Steve explained, "No, I was given another serum after I woke up, significantly enhancing my abilities, but this guy still overpowered me."

Hearing about the serum, Tony scrutinized Steve, then said, "That's a waste; it doesn't show much improvement. Fury must have a big budget to get that stuff for a retired guy."

Steve, not expecting Tony's sharp tongue, was momentarily at a loss for words.

After a pause, he said, "Fury didn't tell me he approached you too."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, there are a lot of things Fury hasn't told you."

Suddenly, there was lightning and thunder outside. Natasha exclaimed, "Where's the lightning coming from?"

Steve, noticing Loki's odd expression, asked, "What, are you afraid of a little lightning?"

Loki looked at Steve and replied, "I'm not fond of what follows."

The jet shook as Thor landed on it.

Seeing this, Tony quickly put on his helmet, and Steve grabbed his shield.

As Tony opened the hatch, Steve shouted, "What are you doing?"

Seeing hatch opened, Thor jumped in.

Tony was about to attack but was immediately knocked down by Thor's hammer. Thor grabbed Loki and, ignoring everyone else, flew out of the jet with him.

---1---

·Chapter 619: Who is Charles Doyle?

Tony stood up, looking at the open hatch and complained, "Another one causing trouble."

Natasha, at the controls, shouted, "Isn't he the god of Thunder from Asgard? Why take this alien away?"

Steve Rogers got up and looked at Tony, shouting, "Do you think he's a friend?"

"It doesn't matter. Whatever his reason for taking the alien, we must get the Tesseract back."

Tony, not waiting for a response, headed towards the hatch, and Rogers immediately called out, "Stark, we need a plan to go after them."

Tony replied while walking, "I have a plan: attack!"

With that, he flew out of the hatch to chase Thor.

Rogers, feeling exasperated, grabbed a parachute to follow. Natasha, seeing his intent, tried to dissuade him, "I advise you to stay out of this, Cap."

Steve, already strapping on the parachute, said, "I can't do that."

Natasha continued, "Thor is a legendary figure, the god of Thunder."

By this time, Steve was ready to jump, "There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm sure he doesn't dress like that."

With those words, Rogers jumped out of the plane to support Tony.

…

Meanwhile, Thor landed with Loki on a mountaintop, throwing Loki to the ground. The impact made Loki groan, then laugh.

Thor looked at Loki on the ground and demanded, "Where is the Tesseract?"

Loki, still laughing, replied, "I've missed you, brother."

Thor shouted, "Do I look like I'm in the mood for this?"

Loki, getting up, said, "You should thank me. Without the Bifrost, how much dark energy did Odin have to gather to send you to your precious Earth?"

Thor, placing Mjolnir down, grabbed Loki, "I thought you were dead."

Loki, not resisting, looked at him, "Did you mourn for me?"

"We all mourned. Our father..."

Before Thor could finish, Loki interrupted, "Your father."

Thor continued, "To mourn you, I joined Supreme Merlin and conquered Jotunheim. Even the Mountain Giants perished for you."

Loki, taken aback, asked, "Who is Supreme Merlin?"

"Earth's protector, Charles Doyle."

Loki was surprised. Wasn't he a ninja? How did he become Supreme Merlin?

Despite his confusion, Loki didn't ask further but said, "Did he tell you about my heritage?"

"I killed the Frost Giant king, Laufey. Instead of praising me, he blamed me, but then sent you to conquer Jotunheim."

Loki laughed, "How ridiculous."

Thor tried appealing emotionally, "We grew up together, played together, fought together..."

"We are brothers, don't you remember any of that?"

Loki turned to Thor and said, "All I remember is the shadow."

"I was always overshadowed by your greatness."

"I remember you pushing me into the abyss. I was meant to be a king!"

Hearing this, Thor asked, "So you think I looked down on you, and to get revenge, you destroyed the world I love?"

"I won't allow it. I will protect Earth."

"Loki, Earth is not as simple as you think. Your army won't make a significant impact here."

Loki laughed, "You've protected it well, haven't you? Humans slaughter each other while you stand by and watch."

"I want to rule them, what's wrong with that?"

"As for this Charles Doyle, someone will deal with him. A mere human can't stop me, even if he's Merlin's heir..."

Loki didn't understand Charles Doyle's power, but Thor, who had fought alongside him, knew very well. He knew that if Loki angered that man, he might be killed.

Thor wanted to warn Loki about the man's fearsome strength.

"Loki, listen to me..."

Before Thor could continue, Tony Stark arrived, crashing into Thor and sending him flying.

Seeing this, Loki mocked, "I'm listening."

Tony, in his Iron Man suit, took Thor to a forested area and threw him to the ground.

Thor stood up, glaring at Tony, "One more move, and you'll regret it."

Tony, lifting his visor, retorted, "Then don't touch my stuff."

Thor replied, "You have no idea what you're meddling with."

Tony glanced at Loki on the mountaintop and joked, "A Shakespearean play in the park?"

He then mocked Thor's outfit, saying his cape looked like a curtain.

Thor, considering Earth was under Charles Doyle's protection, tried to explain, "This is beyond your capabilities, tin man."

"Loki will face Asgardian justice."

Tony blinked, then said, "That alien, he's from Asgard?"

"Loki? Is he your uncle?"

"As long as he hands over the Tesseract, he's all yours."

"Otherwise, uncle or not, you're both getting in my way."

After speaking, Tony Stark lowered his faceplate, ready for battle.

Tony's few words immediately ignited Thor's anger. Thor glanced at his hammer and murmured, "Aliens? Uncle?"

Then he hurled Mjolnir directly at Tony Stark.

"Boom!"

Thor hadn't used much strength, but Mjolnir sent Tony flying, crashing through several trees before stopping.

Seeing Thor take action, Tony no longer considered Thor's identity and launched his own attack.

The two clashed fiercely below, exchanging blows, while Loki watched from the mountaintop, secretly laughing without any intention of escaping.

Thor summoned lightning, aiming to destroy the metal man, but instead, it gave Tony an extreme charge, boosting his energy to four hundred percent.

Although the armor sustained some damage, the overall outcome was beneficial. With ample energy, Tony, after his initial surprise, resumed his fight with Thor.

Energy blasts were used generously, both sides exchanging attacks with passion, but Thor had a slight upper hand.

As Thor struck Tony, he asked, "Iron Man, don't you take orders from Charles Doyle?"

"I'm holding back because of him. Aren't you afraid of my wrath for obstructing me?"

Thor's power had increased significantly after the Jotunheim campaign. And right now, he wasn't going all out against Tony.

Tony was taken aback by Thor's words. He knew Thor's identity and assumed Thor had no connection with Charles.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "You know Charles Doyle?"

Hearing that Iron Man knew Charles Doyle, Thor halted his attack and said, "He is a comrade I fought alongside with."

Tony, puzzled, replied, "I'm also good friends with Charles Doyle, but you didn't meet him last time you came to Earth."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

Thor frowned slightly and then said, "You're also his friend?"

"He's the Supreme Merlin of Earth."

Hearing this, Tony nodded and said, "Then there's no mistake, that's indeed one of his identities."

Because of Charles Doyle, Tony and Thor paused their fight and stopped attacking each other.

Tony said, "Since we're both friends of Charles, let's take your brother to S.H.I.E.L.D. so he can explain the location of the Tesseract."

"Then you can take him away. I'll honor Charles's face."

Thor sighed, "By the way, he's my brother, not my uncle."

"Your bards are completely fabricating our stories and relationships."

Tony casually replied, "That's what Norse mythology says, and I don't know any better."

At this moment, Captain Steve Rogers ran over. Seeing the two talking, he said, "Guys, it looks like you've come to some sort of agreement."

Tony and Thor exchanged glances, and then the three of them escorted Loki back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

…

With soldiers escorting him, Loki was locked in a large transparent glass cylinder.

At this moment, Nick Fury walked over and said, "Just to be clear, if you try to escape, even if you lightly touch the glass, this cage will drop from nine thousand meters in the air."

"Got it?"

"Loki of Asgard."

Loki smiled and said, "This cage is nice. I guess it wasn't built for me, was it?"

Nick Fury didn't argue and simply said, "It's built for something much stronger than you."

Loki smiled, "I've heard about it."

"A mindless beast, yet pretending to be a normal person on the surface."

"How desperate must you be to resort to such an uncontrollable monster?"

At this moment, in a conference room, Natasha, Chen Haoran, Brock Rumlow, Steve Rogers, Kabuto Yakushi, Thor Odinson, and Bruce Banner were gathered.

The conversation between Loki and Nick Fury was transmitted to the conference room for analysis.

Nick Fury retorted, "Desperate?"

"You threaten to wage war on my world. You steal power you can't control."

"You claim peace but take pleasure in slaughter."

"You have indeed driven me to desperation, and you might regret that."

Loki, who hadn't seen Charles and other ninjas since his arrival, was curious about why Nick Fury hadn't summoned them. Nonetheless, he continued to mock, "Losing something you've treasured, that must make you very angry."

"Obtaining the Tesseract and harnessing its power."

"Infinite energy, what can we do with it?"

"Instead use it to light a beacon for all mankind, then show them the real power."

Nick Fury stared at Loki expressionlessly, wondering how much S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets he had uncovered.

After a few seconds of silence, he scoffed and said, "Real power? If you want to be delusional, just say so."

With that, Nick Fury turned and left.

…

In the conference room-

Dr. Banner, looking at the surveillance screen on the table, was the first to speak, "This guy sure talks a lot."

Rogers explained, "He's stalling for time. Thor, what exactly is his plan?"

Standing to the side, Thor pondered before replying to Rogers, "He has an army of Chitauri. They're not Asgardians but from an unknown planet in the universe."

"He plans to lead this army to attack you. They will help him take Earth."

"I guess he will use the Tesseract as a trade."

Thor then looked around at the others and said, "But what I don't understand is, why isn't Charles Doyle here?"

"If he gets involved, the Chitauri army shouldn't be a big deal."

Steve Rogers asked curiously, "Charles Doyle?"

Natasha, Chen Haoran, Brock Rumlow, and Kabuto Yakushi all remained silent, not explaining who Charles Doyle was.

Even Bruce Banner seemed to recall something terrifying, taking off his glasses to wipe them.

Seeing no one responding, Steve Rogers asked again, "Can someone tell me who he is? If he can deal with the enemy, why don't we contact him?"

Thor, also curious, looked at the group, sensing something strange in the atmosphere.

Natasha finally spoke, "He's not part of S.H.I.E.L.D. This operation hasn't been reported to him yet because the situation hasn't reached an irreversible point."

Steve Rogers, thoughtful, nodded and continued, "If the person Thor mentioned doesn't intervene, how do we resist the Chitauri army, an alien force from the universe?"

Bruce Banner said, "Loki captured Erik Selvig to build a portal for this army."

Hearing the name, Thor asked, "Selvig?"

Banner explained, "He's an astrophysicist."

Thor said, "He's my friend."

Natasha added, "Loki has cast a spell on him, controlling him and one of our agents."

Kabuto Yakushi watched the discussion in silence, simply observing.

Rogers continued, "Why did Loki surrender so easily? He can't control his army from here."

Dr. Banner suggested, "I think we shouldn't focus too much on Loki. His mind is erratic, he seems like a madman."

Hearing someone insult his brother, Thor immediately retorted, "Watch your words. Even if Loki has lost his mind, he's still an Asgardian, and he's my brother."

Brock Rumlow said, "He killed 80 people in two days."

Thor glanced at the man, paused for a second, then said, "He's adopted."

Chen Haoran, standing nearby, almost couldn't hold back his laughter at Thor's comment.

Dr. Banner intervened, "We should focus on the main problem. Why do they need the Tesseract?"

At this point, Tony Stark and Phil Coulson arrived, with Tony saying, "The Tesseract can be used as a stabilizer."

"It can prevent situations like the one at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base and allow Loki to control the portal as he wishes."

"He can make it as big and open for as long as he wants."

As Tony approached the group, he discreetly placed a cracking device under one of the computers.

With Tony's arrival and his and Dr. Banner's explanation, the group was left somewhat bewildered, feeling like they were listening to a foreign language.

Eventually, Dr. Banner and Tony agreed to study Loki's scepter.

As they left, Nick Fury, who had arrived, looked at the group and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

At this moment, Flame Warrior Chen Haoran spoke up first, "If an alien army does arrive, I'll use fire to show them the ferocity of Earth's superheroes."

Brock Rumlow and Kabuto Yakushi said, "We'll follow the organization's orders and do our best to eliminate the enemy."

Natasha then said, "I'll try to get some information out of Loki, see if we can learn anything."

Nick Fury nodded, "Alright, do your best. See what you can find out."

Seeing that everyone had tasks, Rogers went to the lab where Dr. Banner and Tony were.

As he entered, he saw Tony poking Banner with an electric pen.

Seeing Tony's nonchalant attitude, Rogers confronted him.

"You should focus on your work."

Tony retorted, "You think I'm not?"

"Why did Fury only call us now, and not earlier?"

"What is he hiding from us?"

"Why don't I see Charles Doyle and the others on the team? They are some of the most powerful people on Earth."

"Without complete information, I can't give an answer."

Hearing Charles Doyle's name mentioned again, Rogers realized that Nick Fury was indeed hiding many things from them.

"It seems Fury has been keeping something from us all along."

Tony said, "He's a spy, Captain, the king of spies."

"His secrets have secrets."

Then he looked at Banner and said, "Doctor, you feel the same way, right?"

Banner was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I just want to finish the work at hand..."

Though he didn't say it outright, Banner's meaning was clear.

But Rogers wasn't satisfied with the ambiguity, so he asked directly, "Doctor."

Seeing this, Banner said, "Loki's taunt to Fury regarding the Tesseract and…."

Banner pointed to Tony, "I think he was referring to you."

"Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about Stark Tower, it's all over the news."

Rogers remarked, "That big, ugly Stark Tower?"

Banner continued, "That building uses the Arc Reactor, a self-sustaining energy source that doesn't need any external power, right?"

Tony nodded, "Yes, I am the leading figure in clean energy today."

Banner continued, "So why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. bring you into the Tesseract project?"

"Moreover, why would an intelligence agency be involved in the energy business?"

Tony said, "Once my decryption program cracks all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s encrypted files, I'll know all their dirty little secrets."

"But that will take some time."

Rogers, still puzzled, said, "You're just curious why they didn't bring you in."

Tony smiled, "Intelligence agencies afraid of a genius?"

Rogers said, "Don't you think this is Loki's ploy to make us anxious?"

"He's trying to distract us so he can defeat us individually."

Rogers added, "We just need to follow orders."

Tony replied, "Following orders isn't my style."

"You only care about your style, huh."

"Who in this room was the first to wear a flashy, useless outfit?"

Banner interjected, "Steve, aren't you curious about why?"

Rogers glanced at Tony and said, "Just find the Tesseract."

He then turned and left the room, heading to the secure vault on the S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft.

…

Elsewhere-

Natasha approached Loki, trying to extract information.

During their conversation, Loki taunted Natasha, but she managed to discern his plan.

Natasha reported directly in front of Loki, "Loki wants Banner to transform into the Hulk. Keep Banner out of the lab. I'll get Thor over there right away."

Before leaving, Natasha sarcastically thanked Loki, "Thanks for your cooperation."

Meanwhile, Tony had successfully used J.A.R.V.I.S. to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system, and Steve Rogers had found energy weapons developed by S.H.I.E.L.D. in the secure vault.

Nick Fury walked in, questioning, "Mr. Stark, what are you doing?"

Tony replied, "I could ask you the same thing."

Nick Fury said, "You should be searching for the Tesseract's location."

Dr. Banner added, "Yes, the search model is built and scanning for signals. Once we get a hit, we can narrow it down to an 800-meter radius."

Tony agreed, "Right, then you can retrieve the Tesseract. Have Patience."

At this moment, Tony looked at the information that popped up on the computer in front of him and asked directly, "What is Phase Two?"

Just then, Steve Rogers entered with an energy gun and said, "Phase Two is S.H.I.E.L.D. using the Tesseract to develop weapons."

"Sorry, but computers are too slow for me."

---2---

·Chapter 620: Loki's Scheme

Nick Fury explained, "Rogers, we do collect things related to the Tesseract."

"But this does not mean we..."

Before Nick Fury could finish speaking, Tony Stark interrupted, "Sorry, Nick."

Tony then displayed files on the computer screen about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s development of Tesseract-powered energy missiles for everyone to see, saying, "What else do you have to say?"

Rogers, with a grave expression, said, "Director, it seems I wasn't wrong."

At that moment, Thor walked in and remarked, "This world still hasn't changed."

Natasha entered the room with Chen Haoran, Brock Rumlow, and Kabuto Yakushi, all looking serious. She addressed Dr. Bruce Banner, "Do you want to leave here, Doctor?"

Dr. Banner smiled at Natasha and her companions, saying, "I was far away in Calcutta at the time."

As Natasha spoke, she moved closer to Dr. Banner, "Loki is manipulating you."

Dr. Banner countered, "And what have you been doing all this time?"

"You surely weren't brought here by my charm."

Nick Fury watched Natasha, sensing something amiss.

Dr. Banner nodded, "True, but I won't leave just because you suddenly got nervous."

Dr. Banner pointed to a file on the hanging display screen, asking, "I want to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to develop weapons of mass destruction."

Nick Fury explained, "Because of Charles Doyle and Thor."

Thor was surprised, "Me and Charles?"

Tony also looked at Nick Fury, waiting for his explanation.

Nick Fury elaborated, "Since five years ago, ninjas started appearing around Charles Doyle. Over the years, more and more ninjas have been showing up near Charles, and there are now several ninja organizations."

"Among them, the S-rank ninja Hidan from the Akatsuki organization has been conducting religious activities in Africa, engaging in large-scale sacrificial massacres."

"Countless African people have died under his scythe, sparking massive evil god worship ceremonies."

"He also attacked S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, resulting in numerous casualties."

"Recently, members of the Hidden Mist Village and the Akatsuki organization fought, causing a tsunami several meters high in Long Island, New York, resulting in immeasurable losses..."

"And during Charles's birthday party, a battle between Hidden Mist and Sound Ninja destroyed three streets, including Isabella Street."

After detailing the ninja incidents, Nick Fury turned to Thor, "Last year, Thor, this alien, came to Earth, causing a battle that leveled a small town."

"This made us realize there are other extraterrestrial beings in the universe, and compared to them, we are as weak as ants."

"Charles and the ninjas, like Thor, are extraterrestrial beings."

Chen Haoran and Brock Rumlow were surprised as they looked at their companion Kabuto Yakushi, not expecting that someone they were working with is an alien.

Tony spoke up, "Charles Doyle is not an alien. I've checked his earliest medical records; he's one of us, an Earthling."

Thor also spoke up, "Hahaha, that's hilarious."

"The Supreme Merlin, who guards the safety of Earth is being called an alien by you, the intelligence chief."

"Besides, my people only seek peace with Earth."

Natasha, Chen Haoran, Brock Rumlow, and Kabuto Yakushi looked at each other in amazement, as if they had heard something incredible.

However, Nick Fury was not surprised that Charles Doyle was an Earthling; he just didn't understand what the Supreme Merlin was.

But he continued along the same line of thought, saying, "But you are not the only extraterrestrial beings, right?"

"You are not the only threat either. The universe is full of more powerful beings than us, and no one can control them."

Brock Rumlow spoke up, "What is this Supreme Merlin? Why do you say he is the guardian of Earth?"

"And are ninjas really Earthlings?"

Tony Stark spoke up, "I know about this."

"On Earth, there is not only S.H.I.E.L.D. but also higher-level powers and organizations guarding Earth."

"Among them are the sorcerers, and the leader of this group is Merlin."

"Charles Doyle is Merlin's descendant, the first Supreme Merlin, who commands the sorcerers to guard Earth."

"I participated in a war in the magical world once, under Charles's leadership, ninjas and sorcerers, along with me, teamed up to stop the demon army from Hell, keeping them out of Earth."

"And those people are Earthlings too, not aliens, they just didn't live on Earth but in a separate world."

Natasha exclaimed, "Hell actually exists?"

Nick Fury suddenly learned a lot of different information from Tony Stark, no wonder he couldn't find that group of sorcerers; they actually had a separate world.

Are ninjas and sorcerers living in the same world?

Why is this different from what I know, or is Charles Doyle deceiving him, or...

Nick Fury looked at Kabuto Yakushi beside him and then asked, "Kabuto, do ninjas and sorcerers live in the same world?"

Kabuto shook his head, "I don't know what sorcerers are, and I haven't heard of this group, nor have I heard of the great war to repel Hell's invasion."

"Most likely, they are two separate worlds."

At this moment, Nick Fury was shocked. Could it be that Charles Doyle actually controls two life-bearing planets?

"Tony, how did you know about the magical world?"

Tony waved his hand, "Magic teleportation array. Charles directly took us there using the teleportation array."

Thor also spoke, "Indeed, Charles does control the magic teleportation array, and being able to transport people means the distance between the two worlds is not far."

At this point, Rogers spoke up, "What we should be discussing now is not Charles Doyle, and certainly not the Supreme Merlin."

"We should be talking about S.H.I.E.L.D., about the Tesseract, and you, Nick Fury can't control the Tesseract."

There was a moment of silence, then Thor spoke, "You using the Tesseract to make weapons is what attracted Loki and his allies."

"This sends a signal to other races, declaring that Earth is ready to engage in advanced warfare."

Nick Fury defended, "Advanced?"

"It's a necessary measure. We need deterrent weapons."

As the topic returned, the argument erupted again. Under the influence of the Mind Stone, everyone became hot-tempered.

Tony joked, "Why not let Banner vent for a bit."

Rogers swatted Tony's hand away and said, "You know very well what would happen, get out of here."

Tony looked at Rogers provocatively, "I'd like to see if you have the guts to make me leave."

Rogers looked at Tony and said, "Is that so? You're just impressive with your armor."

"Without the armor, what are you?"

But Tony replied, "Super genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist and martial arts genius."

Rogers retorted, "I know many people who are ten times better than you even without all that."

"I've seen your file; you only care about yourself. You wouldn't make sacrifices for others."

"You may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

Tony shot back, "A hero? Do you think you are a hero?"

"You're just an experiment, Rogers."

"All your abilities come from a vial of serum, and oh, some physique enhancers."

"And such physique enhancers, I could get a bunch from Charles Doyle whenever I want, enough for everyone here, one vial each."

Listening to Tony Stark's words, except for Thor, who didn't know what physique enhancers were, the rest were somewhat surprised.

Even Nick Fury felt a bit envious of the relationship between Tony Stark and Charles Doyle.

Through tests and comparisons, they found that the physique enhancers on Charles's side were actually more potent than those on the Sand Village's side.

Rogers looked at Tony and said, "Put on your armor; let's fight."

Tony replied directly, "No need, I've also taken physique enhancers."

Just as the argument continued and Dr. Banner was about to transform, the program searching for the Tesseract sounded an alert, indicating that the Tesseract had been found.

Hearing the alert, Dr. Banner put down Loki's scepter and said, "You won't get to see my special performance."

…

On the other side-

Barton piloted a Quinjet and launched an attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

As Barton appeared, he used explosive arrows to blow up one of the Helicarrier's engines.

"Boom!"

The violent explosion shattered the windows of the conference room, sending everyone flying.

Alarms immediately blared on the Helicarrier, and the field agents rushed to the armory to grab their equipment.

Tony, no longer arguing with Rogers, quickly suited up in his Iron Man armor.

At that moment, Nick Fury used his earpiece and asked, "Hill, what's happening?"

"Sir, there's been an explosion outside the carrier. Engine 3 is down; we're under attack."

"The engine is on fire, but the turbine is intact. However, we can't send anyone to repair it while we're in flight."

"If we lose another engine, we'll crash out of the sky."

Nick Fury shouted, "Stark, did you hear that?"

Stark responded, "I'm on it."

Fury then issued more orders: "Coulson, activate the defensive lockdown for the detention area, then head to the armory."

"Kabuto, Brock Rumlow, keep an eye out for intruders on the carrier. Take them down on sight."

"Yes, sir!" they both responded.

"Natasha?"

At this moment, Natasha and Dr. Banner had fallen to a lower level, with Natasha's leg trapped under some pipes.

Seeing the pipes on her leg, Natasha simply lifted them with her hands and pulled her leg out.

Having been injected with a physical enhancement serum, this weight was no longer a challenge for Natasha.

Natasha quickly responded, "We're okay."

However, just as she reported they were fine, Natasha was shocked to see that Dr. Banner was beginning to transform.

"Sir, Dr. Banner is about to change."

Hearing that Dr. Banner was transforming, Nick Fury's expression changed immediately. The Hulk could dismantle the Helicarrier with his bare hands.

"Chen Haoran, go assist Natasha. Find a way to lure the Hulk outside."

"Yes, sir!"

Chen Haoran immediately ran towards Natasha's direction.

Meanwhile, Barton and his team had already infiltrated the Helicarrier and were arranging for other members to disable the detention room's monitoring and prevent the engines from starting.

...

Seeing Dr. Banner beginning to transform, Natasha didn't attempt to calm him down. Instead, she quickly ran outside.

As soon as Banner completed his transformation, he started causing havoc.

Seeing Natasha running away, he immediately began chasing her.

Using her familiarity with the terrain and her agility, Natasha started running quickly.

But the Hulk seemed fixated on Natasha, causing destruction as he followed her.

Just as the Hulk was about to catch Natasha, Chen Haoran arrived, launching a massive fireball at the Hulk.

"Boom!"

The huge fireball, like a missile, directly knocked the Hulk away.

Chen Haoran looked at Natasha and asked with concern, "Natasha, are you okay?"

Before Natasha could respond, they heard the Hulk roar in anger and charge at Chen Haoran.

Natasha immediately shouted, "Chen, lure the Hulk to the deck."

Chen Haoran shot out fierce flames from his hands, directing them at the Hulk.

Seeing the rushing flames, the Hulk didn't take them head-on but dodged instead.

Chen Haoran controlled the direction of the flames, guiding the Hulk towards the deck.

Watching the Hulk avoid the flames and follow their planned route, Natasha also breathed a sigh of relief.

…

On the other side-

Barton directly sabotaged the Helicarrier's system, causing it to enter a reboot phase, and Engine 1 ceased operation.

Brock Rumlow and Yakushi Kabuto went to Engine 3, where they fought off incoming enemies, allowing Tony to repair the engine in peace.

Meanwhile, Thor reached the detention area, just in time to see Loki attempting to escape.

Tricked by Loki's illusion, Thor ended up inside the detention cell.

Watching Thor trapped, Loki mocked, "You really never learn, do you?"

As he was about to eject Thor along with the cell from high altitude, Coulson arrived, holding a weapon.

"Sir, please cease your actions and step aside."

Seeing the weapon in Coulson's hand, Loki didn't act rashly and instead created an illusionary copy of himself with magic.

Coulson, holding the weapon, said, "Do you like it?"

"We developed this prototype from the Destroyer you sent."

"I don't even know its full power. Want to try it out?"

As Coulson spoke, he activated the weapon and charged it with a laser.

However, what Coulson didn't expect was that Loki's real body had already moved behind him, using his scepter to impale Coulson from behind.

Thor roared in fury from within the cell, but there was nothing he could do.

After dealing with Coulson, Loki activated a switch, ejecting Thor along with the cell from high altitude.

At this moment, Coulson, lying on the ground, muttered a few words to catch Loki's attention, then pulled the trigger.

A red energy blast shot out, sending Loki flying.

Looking at his handiwork, Coulson murmured, "Not bad."

Loki, having taken the laser blast, was only slightly disheveled but unharmed. He glanced at the dying Coulson on the ground and then left, preparing to summon his Chitauri army.

As the cell plummeted towards the ground, Thor used Mjolnir to break out of the cell just before impact, emerging unscathed.

...

Elsewhere-

Natasha received orders to intercept Barton.

Meanwhile, Chen Haoran had already lured the Hulk out to the deck.

On the deck, the Hulk had more space. Seeing Chen Haoran still emitting flames, the Hulk leaped high and smashed down towards him.

Watching the Hulk leap towards him, Chen Haoran crossed his arms in front of his chest and shouted, "Power of the Fire god!"

"Boom!"

In the next second, two wings made of fire appeared on Chen Haoran's back, shielding him.

This was Chen Haoran's ultimate defense. However, the Hulk's punch shattered the fiery wings with a cracking sound, and his fist, now burning, revealed the bone beneath.

Chen Haoran was sent flying, crashing into a parked plane on the deck.

"Cough!"

Chen Haoran spat out a mouthful of blood, while the Hulk's wound began to heal rapidly.

Chen Haoran formed his hand into the shape of a gun and shouted, "Go!"

The shattered fiery wings turned into fire missiles, striking the Hulk repeatedly and exploding upon impact. The explosions' shockwaves pushed the Hulk back, eventually knocking him off the deck.

Seeing the Hulk fall off the deck, Chen Haoran breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "I did it."

The next second, Chen Haoran's head tilted, and he passed out.

...

As for Tony Stark, with the help of Brock Rumlow and Yakushi Kabuto, he managed to repair Engine 3 without any further incidents.

Natasha, in her confrontation with Barton, managed to hit his head, freeing him from Loki's control, and knocked him out.

At this moment, Nick Fury arrived at the detention area. Seeing Coulson lying on the ground, he only had time to say a few words to him before Coulson closed his eyes.

Nick Fury, speaking through the earpiece to everyone, announced, "Agent Coulson has been injured."

Agent Sitwell responded, "I've dispatched a medical team."

"The team has arrived, but they've declared Agent Coulson dead."

Hearing this news, everyone fell silent.

---3---

·Chapter 621: The War Begins

Nick Fury's gathered team found themselves in disarray. Thor and Banner were temporarily out of contact, Chen Haoran had fainted after stopping Hulk, and the entire team seemed to be falling apart.

Nick Fury summoned Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Holding a blood-stained stack of cards, he threw them onto the table and said:

"It seems he never got the chance to ask you for your autograph."

Rogers picked up one of the cards, which featured his own image, now covered in blood.

Fury continued, "We've completely lost our direction for the location of the Tesseract."

"Banner and Thor are missing, Chen Haoran is unconscious, and I'm out of options."

"I've also lost my most reliable agent, and maybe I deserve this."

"Yes, we wanted to use the Tesseract to create weapons, but that wasn't my only plan."

"I had a more ambitious idea. Stark knows about it."

"It's called the Avengers Initiative."

"It was about gathering remarkable individuals to see if they could become something more."

"To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles we never could."

"Phil Coulson believed in this idea until the end. He believed in heroes."

As Fury spoke, Tony couldn't stay seated. He got up and left.

Watching Tony leave, Fury added, "Alright, maybe that idea is outdated."

…

Elsewhere-

Natasha was comforting Barton, while Yakushi Kabuto was treating Chen Haoran.

Because of Fury's words, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers reconciled and decided to fight together.

Tony realized Loki's target might be Stark Tower, given Loki's personality.

As it turned out, Stark Tower was indeed Loki's current location. The doctor was on the rooftop, setting up the device to activate the Tesseract.

Steve Rogers went to Natasha's room and opened the door, saying, "Gather everyone, we're heading out."

Natasha asked, "Where to?"

"Get Yakushi Kabuto, Chen Haoran, and Brock Rumlow. I'll explain on the way."

"Can anyone here fly a plane?"

At that moment, Barton emerged and said, "I can."

Seeing Barton, Rogers looked at Natasha, who nodded slightly.

Rogers said, "Do you have a combat suit?"

Barton nodded, "Yes."

"Then put it on."

After speaking, Rogers turned to Yakushi Kabuto's room. He opened the door, finding three people inside and said:

"Chen, can you still fight?"

Chen Haoran sat up from the bed and replied, "No problem, I can fight anytime."

"Yakushi Kabuto, Chen Haoran, Brock Rumlow, then suit up."

As everyone donned their combat suits and prepared for departure, Brock Rumlow asked, "Where to?"

"We'll discuss it on the way," Captain America replied.

With Tony Stark having repaired his suit, Captain America led Barton, Natasha, Brock Rumlow, Yakushi Kabuto, and Chen Haoran onto a Quinjet.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury stood alone by the window of the helicarrier, looking at the blood-stained Captain America trading cards.

Hill approached him and said, "Sir, those cards were actually in Coulson's locker, not his jacket pocket."

Without looking up, Fury quietly responded, "They needed a push."

Suddenly, an announcement blared, "Unauthorized departure from Bay 6."

Fury glanced down to see Tony Stark and a Quinjet taking off. Watching the departing teams, Fury remarked, "Looks like they found Loki."

"Get communications back up. I need eyes on everything."

"Yes, sir," Hill replied.

…

New York-

Charles Doyle and his team of ninjas had taken up position in a café near Stark Tower. Sitting across from Charles, Tsunade sipped her coffee and asked, "How long are we waiting here?"

Charles glanced out the window at Stark Tower and replied, "Not much longer."

Meanwhile, Tony Stark was flying towards Stark Tower. He instructed J.A.R.V.I.S., "J.A.R.V.I.S., call Charles Doyle."

"Certainly, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. responded.

Unlike Nick Fury, Tony decided to add an extra layer of security for the upcoming battle by contacting Charles.

As Charles chatted with Tsunade, his phone rang. Seeing Tony Stark's name on the caller ID, he answered, "Hi, Tony."

"Charles, I have an urgent situation," Tony said quickly. "Loki of Asgard is planning to invade Earth with the Chitauri army."

"I'm heading to stop him from opening the portal, but I might not succeed. If I fail, I need you and your ninjas, along with the mages, to come and help eliminate the enemy. The location is Stark Tower."

Tony relayed his message while flying at high speed.

Hearing this, Charles knew the opportunity had arrived. "Understood, Tony. Go ahead and do what you need to do."

"However, I need to tell you in advance, if S.H.I.E.L.D. loses the Tesseract, then it's my prize."

Tony frowned slightly at Charles's interest in the Tesseract but responded, "We'll see about that. I can't promise anything."

As Stark Tower came into view, Tony added, "I've got to go now. Hurry and support us."

Tony reached the top of Stark Tower, and J.A.R.V.I.S. reported, "Sir, I've cut the building's power, but the device is still activating automatically."

…

Stark Tower-

Upon arriving at Stark Tower, Tony found Dr. Selvig working on the device atop the building. The machinery was already glowing with an eerie blue light as it powered up to open the portal.

Tony landed and quickly approached Selvig.

"Selvig! You need to stop this now!" Tony shouted.

Dr. Selvig, under Loki's control, didn't respond rationally. "You don't understand, Stark. This is beyond any of us."

Seeing that reasoning with Dr. Selvig was futile, Tony aimed his repulsors at the rooftop machine and fired.

A force field suddenly appeared, reflecting Tony's blast back at him. Tony was sent flying, while Dr. Selvig was knocked unconscious by the explosion.

The loud noise drew the attention of the ninjas in the café below, who looked out to see a blue light emanating from the top of Stark Tower.

Tony stabilized himself in mid-air with his thrusters, and J.A.R.V.I.S. analyzed the situation.

"The barrier is pure energy, unbreakable."

"Figured that out," Tony muttered.

He then looked down and saw Loki standing on the building's balcony, calmly watching him. "Switch to Plan B."

"Sir, the Mark 7 is not ready for deployment," J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him. (Due to Charles's appearance, the silver Mark 2 did not appear; instead, Mark 2 directly became Mark 3, and due to his magical world journey, Tony developed Mark 6 as a firepower support model.)

"Forget that. We're out of time," Tony replied.

Loki and Tony exchanged glances as they both headed inside, with Tony entering the room first due to his proximity.

Loki smirked and said, "You're here to beg for my forgiveness."

Tony hesitated, then responded, "Actually, I'm here to threaten you."

Loki laughed. "You shouldn't have taken off your armor then."

"Yeah, well," Tony retorted, "your outfit is a bit old-fashioned, and you're still wielding that flashy scepter."

As they talked, Tony walked over to the bar. "Care for a drink?" he asked.

Loki chuckled. "Delaying tactics won't work."

"No, no, it's an invitation," Tony insisted. "You sure you don't want a drink?"

He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and smiled. "I think I'll have one."

Loki looked out at the sky and said, "The Chitauri army is coming. No one can stop it."

"What, afraid of a little competition?" Tony asked.

"The Avengers," Tony replied to Loki's confused look. "It's what we call ourselves. We're a team of Earth's mightiest heroes."

Loki sneered. "I've seen what you can do."

Tony poured himself a glass of whiskey and said, "Okay, I'll admit, we have some kinks to work out. But let's break it down. We have your demigod brother, four super soldiers—" (referring to Brock Rumlow, Barton, Natasha, and Steve Rogers).

As Tony spoke, he put on the control bracelet for the Mark 7.

"A ninja, a guy with serious anger management issues, a pyrokinetic, and you, my friend, have managed to piss off every single one of them."

Loki walked toward Tony, smiling. "This is my plan."

"Not very wise. When they arrive, they'll make you pay."

As Tony sipped his whiskey and stepped away from the bar, Loki said, "Is this all you have? Did you forget someone, like Charles Doyle? He better stay hidden, or my army will tear him apart along with the rest of you."

Tony responded, "You got one thing wrong. There won't be any throne. You won't be king."

"Maybe you have an army coming, maybe we can't hold them off, but everything will be blamed on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be sure we'll avenge it."

"And I don't think you can actually beat us. I've faced scarier enemies than you."

Finishing his whiskey in one gulp, Tony faced Loki. Loki stepped closer, saying, "If they're busy fighting with you, they won't have time to fight me."

Loki pointed his scepter at Tony's chest, but only a metallic clink sounded. The scepter's power failed to control Tony. Loki tried again, but the result was the same, leaving him puzzled.

Tony's arc reactor, using an isotope derived from the Space Stone, was immune to the Mind Stone's influence.

Loki, confused, said, "It used to work."

Tony exhaled in relief and mockingly replied, "Performance issues are common. One in five men..."

Loki grabbed Tony's neck and tossed him across the room.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., now!" Tony commanded.

Loki picked up the fallen Tony and threw him out the window, saying, "You will all fall before me."

As Tony plummeted, he spread his limbs to increase air resistance and slow his descent.

The Mark 7 suit activated, flying toward him. Just before Tony hit the ground, the suit assembled around him, lifting him back into the sky.

Loki watched with annoyance as Tony, now in his suit, flew back up. "Now you've pissed off another person. His name is Tony Stark."

Tony fired a repulsor blast at Loki's chest, knocking him down. Although deadly to humans and capable of piercing steel, the repulsor only managed to knock down Loki.

At that moment, the Tesseract on the roof completed its activation, shooting a bright blue beam into the sky.

Tony looked up and saw a massive space portal forming above. "This seems familiar, like fighting off Hell demons... J.A.R.V.I.S., get in touch with Charles Doyle again. We need him here."

In space, as the portal opened, the Chitauri army surged through, led by flying soldiers, followed closely by larger forces.

A massive Chitauri Leviathan emerged from the portal, and Tony's HUD was filled with alerts.

"The army is really here," Tony muttered before flying towards the oncoming forces, ignoring Loki for now. He aimed to stop the enemy's advance.

Tony's shoulder plates retracted, revealing rows of mini-missiles.

"Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!"

Dozens of mini-missiles launched, each one targeting a Chitauri soldier.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The mini-missiles hit their marks, each taking down a Chitauri soldier. However, just as Tony dealt with the smaller threats, the massive Leviathan barreled towards him, hitting him with such force that he was sent flying.

Seizing this opportunity, hordes of Chitauri soldiers poured through the portal.

Charles Doyle, hearing the commotion outside, exited the café. Observing the Chitauri soldiers descending, he turned to his ninjas and commanded, "Action, as planned."

"Yes, Lord Charles."

Naruto Uzumaki sprinted out and shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Instantly, he created 200 shadow clones, each one grabbing a civilian and moving them to safety.

In the sky, Chitauri soldiers on hovercrafts began an indiscriminate attack on the civilians below.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Sasuke Uchiha joined the fray, launching nine large fireballs at the Chitauri soldiers in the sky.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Each fireball took out a Chitauri soldier.

Minato Namikaze turned to Kushina Uzumaki and remarked, "Our son is quite something, isn't he? Look at all those clones."

Kushina playfully pushed Minato, saying, "Stop watching and go help."

Minato retrieved several specially marked kunai and handed them to Kushina, Kakashi, and others. "Please throw these at the enemy."

"Yes, Sensei," Kakashi responded.

The kunai were thrown towards the direction of the space portal.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Minato activated his Hiraishin technique, becoming a golden flash as he appeared at each kunai's location, instantly eliminating nearby enemies and clearing a small area.

He continued this process, systematically taking down enemies with his swift movements.

With more enemies emerging, the more ninjas began to join the battle in an orderly fashion.

Meanwhile, Charles Doyle seemed to be searching for something. He scanned the battlefield but didn't see a second Iron Man or other visitors from different universes.

"Are they not here yet, or are they not coming at all?" he pondered.

At that moment, the voice of the Ancient One reached his ears.

"Supreme Merlin, what are you looking for?"

Charles looked up to see the Ancient One standing on a rooftop, watching him. He flew up to join her.

"Ancient One, hello."

"You haven't answered my question, Charles."

Charles smiled and said, "I was looking for you, Ancient One. With enemies on Earth, shouldn't this be the concern of the Sorcerer Supreme?"

The Ancient One shook her head. "The Sorcerer Supreme primarily deals with threats from other dimensions. This type of enemy falls under the responsibility of Supreme Merlin."

"I told you about this when you assumed the role of Supreme Merlin. Have you forgotten, little one?"

Charles recalled their conversation in Kamar-Taj, where the Ancient One had indeed mentioned this. He had completely forgotten.

"I have deployed the ninjas to aid in the battle. I believe this fight will end swiftly."