With current human technology, it was impossible to truly extend human lifespan to an unimaginable degree. Even managing to make an eighty-year-old man appear as vigorous as a fifty-year-old would require immense effort and come at a tremendous cost.
Faced with Alexander Pierce's greedy gaze, Loki sneered dismissively. Though imprisoned, he was no plaything for these weak humans. Their inner darkness, he felt, surpassed even his own as an Evil God.
Of course, he also sensed that this man was his mirror image—another scoundrel. While Pierce maintained a respectable facade, Loki knew all too well what lurked beneath.
Yet, despite being cut from the same cloth, Loki found the prospect of facing such a creature utterly repulsive. The very existence of such a being made his skin crawl.
Alexander Pierce demanded, "Hand him over!"
Thor replied calmly, "I'm afraid not. Loki is the second prince of Asgard. Only my father, Odin, has the authority to judge his crimes."
He could tell this was another villain like Loki. One Loki was already too many; adding two more would make breathing impossible.
Moreover, the way this man looked at his brother was filled with malice. If he handed him over, he'd regret it forever.
"He's not leaving," Pierce insisted, barely suppressing his anger. "I don't care what Odin wants, but he's not leaving! We'll get Loki, the Mind Stone Scepter, the Cosmic Cube—and that case too! It's been with S.H.I.E.L.D. for seventy years; you can't take it!"
The agents behind him tensed, ready to act.
The situation was on the verge of exploding.
Just as Tony Stark was instructing Ant-Man Scott to disable the past version of his Arc Reactor, a voice cut through the air.
"Pierce, I think you're overstepping your bounds. While this belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D., you seem to have forgotten that you're no longer its director. I am the director now, not you!"
Nick Fury, dressed in his signature black trench coat, strode over with purpose.
He wasn't the only one who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. Fury had also arrived swiftly, aboard a Quinjet.
With the alien threat neutralized, everyone was eager to claim the spoils—primarily the Cosmic Cube and the Mind Stone Scepter.
If they waited any longer, even the military and foreign governments might arrive to stake their claims.
The Mind Stone Scepter was particularly crucial to Hydra. They had studied the Cosmic Cube for years, but the scepter was a completely new discovery.
Moreover, rumors suggested it could control minds and brainwash individuals—a perfect weapon tailor-made for Hydra.
Fury showed no respect for Alexander Pierce, enraging the Hydra leader. Though Pierce was a Hydra operative, he had once been Fury's superior.
If it weren't for me, he'd still be just a middle manager at S.H.I.E.L.D. And yet, he shows no gratitude at all—what a white-eyed wolf.
"Nick Fury, do you think you can act unilaterally? I don't think you have the authority for that!" Alexander Pierce said coldly.
"Unilaterally? I have no such plans. But you have no right to question me. Don't forget, you've retired from S.H.I.E.L.D. You're now just the Secretary-General of the Council. We've always handled these supernatural incidents and artifacts. Don't you forget that!" Nick Fury retorted sharply.
When he first became director, he would never have dared to confront Alexander Pierce like this. But now, after all this time, he controlled most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources.
Moreover, after years of preparation, the strength he had secretly amassed far surpassed Alexander Pierce's.
*Think you can seize power from me? Do you have the votes?*
It was just that they hadn't reached the point of open conflict yet. Otherwise, he would have ordered Pierce's immediate elimination. But he held back. If they couldn't destroy Hydra in one decisive blow, their own turn would come next.
"How come I don't remember this conflict happening in the first place?"
Endgame Iron Man, watching the scene unfold, was dumbfounded. The situation was spiraling out of control, and he had no recollection of this event.
This sudden anomaly made this timeline seem utterly bizarre.
"Prepare to engage. Things are getting out of hand!"
His head felt like it was about to explode. *Why is this space-time so strange?*
"Won't you be alright?" Ant-Man Scott asked, his voice laced with concern.
"I'll be fine. At most, I'll have a slight case of arrhythmia!" Endgame Iron Man replied after a moment's thought.
Even if something did happen to him, he couldn't afford to care. *Better a dead comrade than a dead me.* He had to save his own universe first.
"Wait a minute, there's no Arc Reactor in your chest. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Ant-Man, having entered Tony Stark's body, discovered that the man's chest lacked the Arc Reactor he had described—or rather, it wasn't embedded in the way Tony Stark had claimed.
"What? How is that possible?"
Endgame Iron Man was stunned. *How could this be?*
At this stage, he should still be dependent on the Arc Reactor, especially since he hadn't even met Dr. Killian or undergone that surgery yet.
*Wait, the Extremis Virus soldiers have already appeared, which means Killian must have surfaced.*
"Jarvis, what's going on? Did the other me not go to Afghanistan? Wasn't he injured in the bombing?" Endgame Tony Stark asked.
"No, sir. At this point in time, you never went to Afghanistan, nor were you kidnapped or injured in a bombing," Jarvis replied.
"Holy shit." Tony Stark couldn't help but swear. He finally realized what was wrong.
*This timeline has been off from the very beginning.*
*How could I have not gone to Afghanistan? If I hadn't, I'd still be a playboy. How could I have ever thought about protecting the world, let alone performed all those heroic deeds later on?*
*This is completely unscientific and illogical.*
"There's no other way. I'll just kick him in the heart and make him go into shock," Endgame Tony Stark said.
Hearing this, Ant-Man Scott immediately delivered a powerful kick.
Just as tensions were about to erupt into a fight, Tony Stark suddenly felt a massive blow to his chest, the immense force instantly sending him into shock.
Ant-Man Scott crawled out of Tony Stark's body. While everyone was distracted by Tony's condition, he quickly kicked the box to Endgame Iron Man's side.
Endgame Iron Man seized the opportunity, grabbed the box, and was about to flee the scene.
But in the next instant, before he could react, he was sent flying by the Hulk, who had just landed.
Even the box containing the Cosmic Cube went flying, and the Cosmic Cube itself tumbled out.
It landed right beside Loki, whose eyes lit up—this was the perfect chance!
Just as Loki was about to make his move, Thor, standing nearby, acted swiftly. With a single swing of Mjolnir, he knocked Loki down, preventing him from seizing the Cosmic Cube.
Thor pinned Loki down with Mjolnir, his gaze warning him to stay down.
He almost got away, just like in Lin Feng's diary video. If he'd truly escaped, it would have been a disaster!
Thor carefully put the Cosmic Cube back in its place, then picked up the case. He decided to personally guard the cube, determined to prevent his brother from causing more trouble.
Meanwhile, Nick Fury checked on Tony Stark and found he had simply collapsed into a coma. Though the cause was unknown, he appeared to be in no life-threatening danger, which eased Fury's mind. He then turned to Alexander Pierce and said, "I will not hand over these items to you. If you want them, file a formal request with the Council. But let me warn you: you're no longer the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Many classified materials are now at a higher security level, and you no longer have the clearance to access them. Don't overreach. Don't think you're the only one with influence on the Council. I have just as much sway. You've repeatedly tried to interfere with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s affairs and even tried to steal our achievements. What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"
"Or if you want to return to S.H.I.E.L.D., file a request with the Council and come back. I'll even make you Deputy Director!"
Hearing this, Alexander Pierce was naturally furious. He hadn't expected Nick Fury to constantly use the Council as leverage against him, leaving him speechless.
From a systemic perspective, his repeated interference in S.H.I.E.L.D. matters as Secretary-General was against the rules. Even if he complained to the Council, they wouldn't support him.
Instead, he'd likely be reprimanded by the Council.
The unwritten rule of modern politics was to respect boundaries and clearly defined jurisdictions.
Moreover, his actions hadn't been authorized by the Council. At worst, this could be considered deception and insubordination, which would cause him serious trouble if exposed.
Nick Fury clearly knew this, which was why he so brazenly used the Council to confront him.
*This is infuriating!*
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