"Hurry up and don't keep the master waiting too long. You don't have much time to waste."
A threatening voice, accompanied by a powerful force, knocked Loki's consciousness out. In a sewer somewhere in the city, Loki bared his teeth, his head tilted slightly to the side as if it had been shoved. He slowly opened his eyes, a sinister look in them.
"Here's the plan, Boss. If you want to become the King of Midgard, the safest and most successful way is to follow it." John Garriott walked over and handed Loki, who had just opened his eyes, his painstakingly crafted plan. It was step-by-step, each step detailed and meticulous, one link after another.
At least Loki, who was adept at scheming and scheming, appreciated the plan. "It's well written. Using the scepter and magic to slowly control the people at the top, and then control the planet from top to bottom. It's exactly what I envisioned. It's much better than those reckless men who just kill and conquer the world."
"Then?" Garriott asked tentatively.
"But no." Loki shook his head. "That has nothing to do with your plan! It's good, but it'll take too long. The longer it takes, the more surprises there are. We have an ally eager to bring his army. Look, those who only care about violence don't understand the power of wisdom and strategy; they only know how to use brute force."
"Then we have to change our plan." Garriott said calmly without any dissatisfaction.
"We are running out of time. The most urgent task is to lure in our allies according to their plan before they get angry. Therefore, using the Cosmic Cube to open a wormhole within a certain period of time is our only option." Loki's tone was helpless, but he still expressed his appreciation for Garriott.
Loki was boastful, arrogant, and hedonistic, yet also ambitious. He looked down on all life in the Nine Realms outside of Asgard, but he also knew that if he truly wanted to become a king, he would need capable, loyal subordinates. Now that he had discovered Garriott's talent, he planned to give him a choice later.
"No problem. In this case, the doctor will have to take on more responsibilities." Garriott glanced at Dr. Eric Shavig who was fiddling with and assembling an instrument in the distance.
"This is what I should do." After hearing Garriott's words, Eric turned around, holding a wrench in his hand, and said with a smile.
"You guys stay here and protect the doctor," Garriott ordered the dozen or so agents he had summoned. Seeing them nod, he turned and said to Loki, "I understand your urgency, Boss, but I know Nick Fury even better. He won't give up after losing the Tesseract. There must be a tight net set up out there, waiting for us to show up and fall into it. We need more help."
"Is it really that troublesome? For a backward place, we only need to summon a large army, and then those who obey me will prosper and those who disobey me will perish. I don't really like this violent means of conquest, but I don't mind using it to help me ascend the throne." Loki frowned.
"I haven't seen your army, and I don't know how powerful they are, but this planet may not be as simple as you think. Heberon alone has provided SHIELD with a lot of equipment to increase its strength. Nick has equipped at least five thousand agents like me with amplifying equipment! As for secretly, no one knows how many people he has hidden. He always likes to hide his shortcomings. I think finding a strong ally internally is the best choice to increase the success rate and facilitate our actions." Garriott explained to Loki seriously.
"Don't let your country-side perspective limit you. Take your ring, for example? It's certainly interesting, but that's all. In Odin's treasury, it wouldn't even qualify as trash. As for our ally, perhaps you don't know his origins, his strength, or his place in the universe. I can only say that he and his armies have decimated countless primitive civilizations like Midgard.
Although he couldn't come in person this time, the army outside was one of the two legions accompanying him on his campaign. "They might not fight with all their might, but I don't think you can stop them," Loki said casually. He looked down on the Midgard, but not on the armies under its command. In his view, as long as he could summon the other army to join him, his path to kingship would be unstoppable.
However, Loki's eyes flickered, and he feigned magnanimity, offering Garriott, whom he valued, a chance. "Of course, I admire your caution and carefulness! Follow me, and you'll surely see a wider world in the future! Now that you're worried and doubtful, I can give you a chance. You can win over the allies you desire, and I can lend you my name. Tell them I'm willing to make them some kind of promise. As long as they can afford it and demonstrate their true worth."
"Thank you for your understanding." Galiot nodded.
"Are you done talking? If you're done, it's my turn. I need some instruments and rare materials. If you want to use the energy of the Rubik's Cube to open a wormhole, those are essential." Seeing that the two had finished talking, Dr. Eric took the opportunity to make a request.
"Very soon, Doctor." Garriott glanced at Dr. Shavig, stroked his ring, and walked deeper into the dark sewer. Watching his back disappear into the darkness, Loki smiled softly, then thought of the Chitauri King who threatened him in his mind through the scepter, and his face instantly turned gloomy again.
…
"Loki's invasion?" Luke, who was wearing pajamas, looked up at Agent Maria Hill who came to invite him.
"Yes, sir, your on-site technical assistance is needed," said Agent Hill.
"Do I look like I have time now?" Luke asked.
"After we recover the Cosmic Cube, you can study it for a month," said Hill.
"Is this what Nick means?" Luke raised his eyebrows slightly. It seemed that Nick was really anxious to offer this condition.
"These are the commander's exact words," Hill said seriously, indicating that he had not added or omitted a single word, repeating Nick's exact words verbatim.
"Okay, before I leave with you and deal with a possible war in the future, please let me buy some more insurance for my buildings such as Heberon." Luke looked up and gave an order, then motioned for Hill to leave and change his clothes. After changing his clothes, he picked up a ring on the bedside table and put it on his hand.
…
Alexander Pierce, one of Nick's immediate superiors and the man who had single-handedly helped propel him to the position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., returned to his home. The room was pitch black, and just as he turned on the light, he sensed something strange behind him. He slowly turned around in the glow, his pupils narrowing as he saw a familiar face sitting in a chair with a sword in his hand.
"John? My old friend, the way you showed up caught me off guard." Pierce subconsciously forced a friendly smile on his face, and his tone was also warm, but his feet were firmly rooted on the ground, and he never reached out to give his long-lost old friend a friendly hug.
"Are you scared?" Garriott ignored the sincere smile on Pierce's face that was hard to tell whether it was real or fake. He crossed his fingers, placed his arms on the table in front of the chair, looked at Pierce two meters away across the table, and said bluntly.
Pierce's expression changed slightly, a hint of embarrassment appearing perfectly. "I don't quite understand what you're saying. Why should I be afraid of you? Aren't we collaborators in every sense, partners even?"
"I'm under control. I don't believe you don't know this news. Nick should have notified the news as soon as possible. Alexander, I am under control, but this does not mean that I have lost my ability to think and become some kind of idiot who only knows how to obey orders." Garriott raised his right hand and circled his fingers on his head twice to indicate that it was not broken.
"Do you know that you are being controlled?" Pierce saw that Garriott was just sitting there and showed no hostility. His tense heart relaxed a little. At this moment, he was actually a little curious about Garriott's condition.
"Of course, it's a wonderful feeling. I know what I'm doing, and it's in line with my goals, so I'll do it. But for others who are controlled, it's like another consciousness is stuffed into their heads, hypnotizing and brainwashing them." Garriott relaxedly told Pierce about his feelings at the moment, as well as the feelings of the other agents he summoned to be controlled. Finally, he looked at Pierce who was still standing, pointed to the chair opposite and said, "Do you really have to stand and talk to me all the time? I think we should sit down and have a frank communication. Don't worry that I will do anything bad to you. If I wanted to do something to you, I would have done it just now."
Pierce rolled his eyes, finally took a step forward, pulled out a chair and sat down. Of course, he didn't completely believe Garriott's words. The moment he sat down, he used the cover of the table to activate his pager.
"I know you're up to some tricks, but I won't expose them. I'm here with sincerity to seek cooperation." Garriott said, "BOSS and your cooperation."
"That Prince Loki? I heard from Nick that he is not orthodox. If we want to cooperate, why don't we choose a better prince? That Thor Odinson is easier to deal with, isn't he?" Pierce's face changed, but he quickly returned to the calm negotiation.
Negotiation requires tit-for-tat exchanges, and it will only end when a boundary of interests that satisfies both parties is reached, or when no consensus can be reached and the two parties have to part ways unhappily.
"Don't test it, Alexander. Thor has a better relationship with Nico, and I'm afraid his personality wouldn't be receptive to your philosophies. But Prince Loki is different. He's smart, flexible, and ambitious, yet he's reluctant to take charge. He's generous with his rewards to those who work for him. In fact, the boss's philosophies don't conflict with yours.
He will become the king of this planet. But you, the Hydra organization bent on world control, will become the management team that manages this planet on his behalf. He will not compete with you for so-called power, as long as you can meet his daily needs as a king. Garriott has a good grasp of Loki's personality and the goals of Pierce and others.
"That sounds exciting. Can you represent him?" Pierce raised his hands and placed both arms on the table like Garriott.
"The boss gave me the authorization. As long as you don't disobey his orders and meet his needs, he will be happy to share the management authority. He doesn't care about this planet. If possible, he would rather inherit the throne of Asgard. And if he can become the king of Asgard, then the ownership of this planet will belong to you." Garriott's eyes were calm and composed, and his tone was convincing.
Pierce was silent.
Garriott waited patiently.
"We have our own plan," Pierce finally said.
"Honestly, the world is changing too fast, Alexander! Your so-called Insight Project might have been a good plan at the time, but it's somewhat out of date now. It no longer has the deterrent power it had when it was first formulated, does it? We are about to communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations, and you are still expecting those scrap metals to become your trump cards for rule?" Garriott twisted his mouth sarcastically.
"Nick is very powerful, and we don't want to fall out with him right now." Pierce ignored Garriott's ridicule and said through gritted teeth.
"You don't need to do much. You just need to turn a blind eye before things become clear. While hiding it from Nick, give us a little help in terms of materials and information. Believe me, there won't be any accidents. Even if some people are really exposed, you can use the fact that you were controlled to clear your name." Garriott leaned forward slightly and said with a smile.
"This is difficult." Pierce looked troubled.
"Come on, Alexander, do you really think I don't understand your procedures? Theft by the insider is not only done by Nick, but also by you, Hydra. I don't believe your hands are cleaner than Nick's. You put the materials and instruments we need in a base under your control, or simply tell us the information of the base where these materials and instruments are stored, and let your internal personnel help us to coordinate the work from inside and outside. This will not expose you, but after the situation becomes clear, you can still obtain certain planetary management rights. How about it?" Garriott pressed on step by step and persuaded.
"It seems like I can't refuse this offer, right?" Pierce looked at Garriott who was so close to him, nodded slowly, stretched out his hand and held the hand he extended tightly together.
According to Garriott, there was indeed ample room for maneuver, and it would minimize their exposure. Especially since Nick had begun to suspect Hydra's presence within, perhaps this could be exploited? Pierce pondered.
"You know our purpose, we know your secret, and we have leverage over each other. I really hope that this cooperation will be as pleasant and perfect as the previous ones. What do you think?" Garriott stood up.
"Of course." Pierce and Garriott smiled at each other with ulterior motives.