Above the German Border.
The trip back was silent.
Loki was officially transported aboard the cloaked S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
The journey took four hours. By the time they arrived over the United States, night had just fallen.
They hovered at an altitude of 30,000 meters.
Loki stood locked inside a reinforced glass enclosure.
Nick Fury stood a short distance away, watching him.
"Tell me about your current situation," Fury said calmly, walking over to a control console and pressing a few buttons.
"If you even 'try' to escape—even just scratch the glass..."
As his voice trailed off, the floor beneath the glass enclosure suddenly opened up, revealing a massive drop. Below was nothing but clouds and a dark, endless sky. The opening circled around the entire enclosure.
Wind howled through the space, turbulent and wild at that altitude.
Loki walked cautiously to the edge and peered down. He seemed curious but wary.
"Now, where was I?" Fury continued, spreading his hands. His voice remained oddly melodious, despite the roar of air currents. "Right—if you so much as scratch that glass, this whole cell will drop from 30,000 meters. Free fall. You get it?"
He tapped a button, and the floor sealed shut again.
Pointing at Loki, he said, "Ant."
Then pointing to the console: "Boot."
Nick could be petty when he wanted to.
"This thing is well-designed," he added with a faint smile.
Loki stepped back, arms open, standing calmly in the center of the enclosure. He looked unbothered, almost amused.
"Isn't this a bit much... just for me?"
Fury didn't flinch. "The one this cell was 'meant' to contain is a hell of a lot more dangerous than you."
No point in hiding it. Anyone with half a brain could figure it out.
"This was made to contain the Hulk."
"I've heard of him," Loki replied, glancing at one of the cameras. His tone was amused, almost lyrical. "A raging beast playing at being a mild-mannered man."
He leaned in slightly. "How desperate are you, to turn to such monsters for protection?"
In another room, Banner sat watching the monitor, visibly uncomfortable. Natasha looked at him with concern, worried he might lose control.
Back on the Helicarrier bridge:
"Desperate?" Fury said slowly. "You threatened us with war. You stole something you couldn't possibly control. And deep down, you 'enjoy' it. The killing."
Fury stepped closer to the glass. "You did make me desperate, Loki. But I promise—'you' will be the one with regrets."
"Regrets?" Loki spread his hands mockingly. "I've faced bounty hunters, ravagers and worse. You can't even control 'him'—and that terrifies you, doesn't it?"
He smirked. "And let's not forget the Tesseract."
"You were so close... so close to unlocking its power. Infinite energy! And for what? So the whole world can enjoy... central heating?"
His grin widened. "You've seen what it's really capable of now."
Fury studied him for a moment, then gave a cold smile. "Your so-called 'true power' is just a desperate grab to get your face on a magazine cover."
Without another word, Fury turned and walked away.
Once out of view, a bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
Loki, the God of Mischief.
Always ten steps ahead.
Fury let out a slow breath.
Even someone like 'him'—the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.—felt the weight of Loki's words.
Between Loki, the bounty hunter Blaine, and the Tesseract, it was a lot.
He had barely taken a few steps when he noticed something strange. A flicker in the shadows ahead.
Fury narrowed his eye. "Blaine. Why don't you come out?"
A figure emerged silently from the darkness—'from Fury's own shadow'.
Blaine's voice was cold, devoid of emotion. "Target neutralized. Three billion. Transfer it to my account by tomorrow night."
Without another word, he vanished back into the shadows—gone as quickly as he came.
Fury stared down at his own shadow, brow furrowed.
Blaine had grown even more powerful since their last encounter.
Fury sighed, rubbing his temple. The guy was a problem—and possibly an asset.
'Maybe it's time I stop trying to control everything,' he thought. 'That mindset's getting old.'
With a shake of his head, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked away.
---
[TN: We got Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Mother fu*king Fury doubting his own paranoia before GTA 6]
---
As for Blaine...
He had already left the Helicarrier.
Natasha hadn't been called to escort him down.
Honestly, it was rare to get this high—30,000 meters above the ground. Might as well make the most of it.
With a grin, Blaine knocked an arrow and fired it downward with just enough force. Then, in a surreal motion, he 'stepped onto' the arrow and began gliding down.
Others flew on swords.
He flew on arrows.
Same concept. Still just as cool.
But let's be real—
30,000 meters was "high."
That's 30 kilometers. Even with Blaine's enhanced vision—courtesy of [HawkEye] skill—it was hard to see the ground clearly.
And yes… it was freezing.
One wrong step and he'd become a red smear on the ground.
Fortunately, Blaine was steady all the way. He rode the arrow down from the open skies to the Manhattan coastline.
The entire descent took about thirty minutes.
It was exhilarating. Even better than bungee jumping.
Thwip.
An arrow shot forward, slicing through the wind.
It slammed into a massive boulder on the outskirts of Manhattan with a loud "boom", shattering it to rubble as the arrow buried into the earth.
Blaine landed just before impact, cape fluttering behind him.
"One word," he said, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder.
"Handsome."
He took a moment to enjoy the silence, then used his [HawkEye] skill and senses to confirm his location and dashed toward the villa at full speed.
Gali was waiting.
He'd been gone for more than a day and night. What if Gali was hungry?
Then again, Gali 'was' always hungry... but the concern still lingered.
Back home, Gali—wearing dinosaur-print pajamas—was already waiting at the gate, as if she'd known exactly when Blaine would return.
When he saw her head peeking around the doorframe, a smile spread across his face, slow and soft.
Just like home.
"Welcome Back!"
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