The Tesseract possesses infinite energy. Since World War II, it has been held by S.H.I.E.L.D., serving as something of a crown jewel for the organization.
Now, with the Cube stolen by an unknown assailant, it is a mark of shame for S.H.I.E.L.D. and a top-tier national crisis. Having narrowly escaped death, Fury immediately boarded a helicopter and headed back to the Triskelion in Washington. This situation has spiraled completely out of control; if not handled properly, the entire planet will pay the price, and the burden of that responsibility is far more than a S.H.I.E.L.D. director can bear alone.
At the top floor of the Triskelion, in the World Security Council office.
Alexander Pierce stood with his hands on his hips, his weathered face dark with a scowl. He had just been in the middle of a fucking in the bed of a young starlet when he received this news. Forced to rush back to D.C. overnight, no man in his position would be in a good mood.
"The Council members are all present and waiting for you. You'd better have thought of a good explanation."
Fury ignored him and pushed directly into the conference room. The five Council members looked incredibly grim; tonight was clearly not going to be an easy ride.
"The Tesseract has been in S.H.I.E.L.D. 's custody this entire time. Why was it stolen tonight? Just what the hell have you been doing?"
Right out of the gate, a hot-tempered Councilman began barking. These elites at the top of the pyramid understood the Tesseract's importance perfectly. If mishandled, the entire social order could be reshuffled. Currently, they were the masters of the world, enjoying supreme power. If a major catastrophe occurred, they might spend the rest of their lives begging under a bridge.
Fury, having just cheated death only to learn his field team had been wiped out by Jason, was in a foul mood. He snapped back irritably, "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security has never been the issue. If you have doubts about that answer, I can transfer all classified data to you and see if you can protect it any better."
The Councilman's neck turned red with rage. He had intended to put Fury in his place, but he hadn't expected him to have such a short fuse today. Despite being the one at fault, the Director's temper was flaring.
"Don't think you're irreplaceable. S.H.I.E.L.D. might be better off without you," The man finally muttered, indirectly acknowledging the agency's importance.
"Alright, enough bickering. The Tesseract is gone, the world is about to fall into chaos, and now is not the time to assign blame," Pierce cut in, playing the peacemaker.
The female Council member followed suit as the good cop. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is the most secure intelligence organization on Earth. If something is stolen from there, it wouldn't be safe anywhere else. This isn't Director Fury's fault."
The Councilman snorted but didn't argue further. The tension eased slightly.
"Director Fury," The Councilwoman said, "Start by giving us a detailed account of the situation."
Fury sighed. "During the experiment, the Tesseract suddenly became active. I ordered an evacuation of the base. Just as the evacuation was nearly complete, the Cube fired a beam of light and opened a door. Then, the man appeared."
"What man?" Pierce asked, intrigued.
"He calls himself Loki. Like Thor from a year ago, he comes from Asgard."
"Another god!" The faces of the five Council members stiffened. Things were getting trickier by the second.
Fury continued, "He is immune to bullets and incredibly agile. He carries a scepter that can fire energy blasts. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were no match for him. More dangerously, he used that scepter to control several people before he left."
Pierce: "Control?"
Fury: "Correct. Those men turned traitors. Their minds were compromised by the scepter."
The Council members exchanged looks. Energy blasts and mind control—no wonder this Loki could seize the Tesseract so easily.
Councilwoman: "Director Fury, you know the importance of the Tesseract. What is your next move?"
Fury said solemnly, "Call in the soldiers. Prepare for war."
The Chinese Councilman asked, "You believe Asgard is declaring war on us?"
Fury: "No. Not Asgard. Loki."
Councilwoman: "Loki isn't just one man; he has a brother."
Fury: "Intel suggests Thor bears no ill-will toward Earth. He even has a girlfriend here. But he is far away; we cannot count on him for help."
Councilwoman: "Who do you plan to summon?"
"Captain America, the Hulk, Iron Man, Black Widow, and..." Fury hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Just them for now."
The hot-tempered Councilman said sarcastically. "Captain America was crippled by the Joker organization and has been bedridden for over a year. The Hulk is a New York nightmare; his appearance will trigger panic and protests. Iron Man's relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. is—you haven't spoken in years. As for Black Widow... heh, I don't trust a Russian spy."
Fury flushed with anger, his tone sharp. "I will deal with the first three. When Earth is in peril, they won't sit idly by. As for Black Widow, she is a Level 7 S.H.I.E.L.D. operative!"
The Councilman looked dismissive. "I feel like you're playing with fire. Not a single one of those people can be controlled."
Fury stood his ground. "Councilman, have you ever fought in a war?"
The man was born into nobility and had coasted through the political world; he had never seen a battlefield.
Fury continued, "When I was in the thick of war, I hated being controlled. These people might fight their own battles, they might ignore orders, or clash with me as their commander. But as long as they join the fight, we can win!"
Councilman: "Is that a guarantee?"
Fury didn't care. "Interpret it however you like. If they lose, Earth will belong to someone else."
With those harsh words, Fury walked straight out of the conference room. He wasn't worried about them stabbing him in the back; as long as the crisis remained, they had to rely on him.
*
Back in the Director's office, the high-ranking agents of his inner circle had already gathered. Natasha had changed into her tactical suit, her athletic silhouette on full display. "What's the word?"
"What else? Prepare for war. Deploy the Helicarrier. The Armored Legion is to be on 24-hour standby," Fury ordered.
The agents scrambled to make preparations. Only two remained in the room.
Natasha asked, "Has the Avengers Initiative been approved?"
Fury's face twisted with anger. "Those guys would never allow a few freaks to sit on their heads. However, they've tentatively agreed to form a special tactical unit."
"Who's on the list?"
"Steve, Banner, Stark... and you!"
Natasha went silent. She knew none of those names would be easy to bring in.
Fury delegated the tasks: "You go to Banner. I'll go to Steve."
Natasha: "What about Stark? We don't exactly have his current coordinates."
Fury said firmly, "It doesn't matter. Send someone to contact him and hand over the files. I believe he'll show up."
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