The night wind in New Mexico carried the smell of scorched earth.
At the edge of the massive crater, the temporary command center was brightly lit. Nick Fury's face was darker than the night itself, one hand pressed against the table, knuckles white.
Maria Hill strode in quickly.
"Sir, the assessment is in." Her voice was tight. "Ninety percent of the base is gone. All data lost. Casualties are still being counted—it won't be pretty."
Fury said nothing. He stared at a red dot on the screen.
The Tesseract's last signal.
Stuttgart, Germany.
"We've found him," Fury said heavily.
"Loki is in downtown Stuttgart. It looks like he's attending a gala," Hill said, the absurdity obvious in her tone.
"He's not there to dine." Fury's voice was cold. "He's showing off. Provoking us. Telling us he's here—and we can't stop him."
Phil Coulson stood to the side, pale. He looked at Hawkeye's greyed-out profile on the screen.
"Clint…" he murmured.
"He's under control." Fury's tone was iron. "We'll bring him back."
He drew a deep breath.
"Activate the Avengers Protocol."
Hill froze. "Sir? Now? The evaluation report says they're a collection of time bombs."
"And right now we're standing on a bigger bomb called Loki." Fury turned, his lone eye sweeping across the room. "I don't care if they're monsters, gods, or frozen relics. I need them."
Orders came rapidly.
"Hill, track Loki. Lock his position. Prepare apprehension. I want to know what he's doing every second."
"Yes, sir."
"Coulson."
"Sir."
"You go see Stark." Fury tossed him a tablet. "Show him the file. Tell him the party's started—he's invited."
Coulson caught it. "And if he refuses?"
"He will." Fury replied flatly. "So it's not you going."
Coulson and Hill both turned toward the corner.
Levi had appeared there at some point, leaning against the wall, idly turning over a scorched metal fragment in his hand.
"Stark only respects fists," Fury said. "And Mr. Chen's fist is harder than his metal suits. Tell him it's an order—from a consultant."
Levi flicked the metal piece onto the table with a soft ting.
"Easy enough," he said. "But I have a condition."
"Name it."
"I'll collect later. Nothing I want right now."
Fury's eye twitched.
"Deal," he ground out.
Levi smiled faintly—and faded from sight.
Coulson and Hill were no longer surprised.
"And one more thing," Fury added. "Natasha's already on her way to find Banner. As for our Captain… he needs motivation."
---
New York — Stark Tower
From the top floor, the Manhattan skyline glittered beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Tony Stark held a glass of champagne, gesturing animatedly to Pepper Potts.
"See that, Pepper? One hundred percent clean energy. This building powers itself—and half the block. That's the future."
Pepper smiled at him. He only looked like a boy when talking about his inventions.
"Yes, Tony. It's incredible," she said. "But does your name really have to be that high up? It's a bit… flashy."
"Flashy? No. It's branding." Tony sipped. "I am the brand."
A voice spoke behind them.
"And the brand's about to go bankrupt if you keep drinking champagne."
Tony and Pepper spun around.
Levi stood not far away, dressed casually—as if he'd stepped out of thin air.
"JARVIS?" Tony frowned. His security system was the best in the world.
"Sir, I detect no breach," JARVIS replied from above, sounding perplexed. "Mr. Chen simply… appeared."
Tony's expression darkened. He hated losing control. And Levi embodied loss of control.
"Anthony, I don't recall inviting you to my private party," Tony said sharply.
"This isn't a party." Levi walked over, took Tony's champagne, downed it in one swallow, and set the empty glass aside. "It's a draft notice."
He tossed the tablet to Tony.
Tony caught it and skimmed.
Loki's profile. Tesseract energy spikes. Photos of the collapsed base.
"Asgard's disgruntled prince stole S.H.I.E.L.D.'s glowing blue cube and plans to open a hole in the sky to invite alien friends over," Levi said lightly. "Fury can't handle it. So now it's your turn, Tin Man."
Tony flipped through the data rapidly. The casual expression faded.
Gamma radiation. Spatial distortion. The math was wrong.
He tossed the tablet back.
"Sounds like S.H.I.E.L.D.'s problem, not mine," he said. "They've got armies and flying carriers. I'm a consultant—not hired muscle."
"Their best asset, Hawkeye, is currently on Loki's side," Levi replied.
"That's worse," Tony shrugged. "Why would I join an organization that can't even hold onto its own people? I don't want to wake up one day with something extra rattling around in my brain."
He walked to the display case holding the Mark VI helmet.
"I can provide tech support. Weapons analysis. Energy tracking. Maybe loan them some drones." He turned back, sharp and smug. "But I don't deploy. I'm not a soldier. I don't take orders."
Pepper watched anxiously.
"Tony…" she began.
"Did you hear me?" Tony said to Levi. "My company. My tower. My life. I play by my rules. You spooks stay out of it."
Levi simply looked at him.
Calm.
Too calm.
"Finished?" Levi asked.
"Finished. Elevator's that way."
Levi smiled.
"Stark, you know what I dislike most about you?" he said. "You always think you have a choice."
The instant the words fell—
Every light in Stark Tower went out.
The windows became black mirrors, reflecting only the faint blue glow in Tony's chest.
JARVIS went silent. The hum of the air system vanished.
Everything stopped.
"JARVIS? Report!" Tony barked, dread settling in.
No response.
Pepper gasped, clutching his arm.
"Backup power! Emergency systems!" Tony shouted.
Nothing.
Then he felt it.
His arc reactor—the new element he'd perfected, the masterpiece keeping him alive—
It flickered.
Just once.
Like a candle in wind.
For a fraction of a second, energy flow halted. His circulatory support faltered.
Death brushed him.
Cold. Absolute. Real.
Tony clutched his chest, genuine fear flooding his face for the first time.
The lights came back.
"Sir, power systems restored," JARVIS said. "All building systems experienced a sudden total shutdown. I—"
Tony wasn't listening.
He stared at Levi, breathing hard.
"What… did you do?" His voice trembled.
Levi hadn't moved.
"Just helping you understand something," he said evenly. "Individual strength has limits. Even I don't claim invincibility."
He stepped forward.
"I'm not negotiating with you, Stark. I'm informing you."
"Suit up. You're coming with me. We have more people to recruit."
Tony looked at him, speechless.
He glanced at Pepper, pale with fright.
Finally, he inhaled deeply.
"JARVIS."
"Yes, sir."
"Prep the Mark VI. We're taking a trip."
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