Hawkeye betrayal. Although it was caused by Loki's scepter, anger burned in everyone's hearts. Hawkeye, the once-loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, had turned against his comrades in an instant. The power of Loki's scepter was enough to send a chill through even the bravest hearts. No one dared imagine what would happen if that scepter touched them.
In the eyes of many, this wasn't just technology. This was magic. Fantasy made real.
And far more terrifying than the lightning power wielded by Thor's hammer. After all, thunder is nature, familiar and understood. Loki's touch felt like a spear jabbed into the cerebral cortex, rewriting reality itself.
Not only the live broadcast but also every major media outlet across the Terra Federation buzzed with shock. This weapon wasn't just Loki's; it was tied to the Chitauri, the mysterious masterminds pulling strings from the shadows. Speculation was endless, and even the teams of independent experts were suddenly legitimized, their accounts bearing the official government insignia.
"Wait, what does this mean?"
"The Human Potential Organization is now an official account, too?"
"Did the Federation merge them?"
"Official inclusion is a good thing! If they're recognized, they'll be able to play a bigger role."
"I hope they actually come up with something useful."
"History has shown us that threats from beyond our realm could come at any time."
"We'd better start preparing now!"
At Noland's top R&D base, Chief Engineer Guerino stared blankly at the data report in his hand, his face unreadable. Failure. Another failure.
"Was this the ninth particle collider?" he muttered.
A nearby researcher swallowed nervously. "Sir… It's the eleventh."
"The eleventh…" Guerino let out a dry chuckle.
Terrifying. Over a dozen particle colliders, and they hadn't even caught a glimpse of the shadow of a new element.
"This is absurd!" Guerino snapped, slamming the report onto the table. His face twisted with frustration.
The Supreme Court had ordered them to develop new elements as quickly as possible, elements that might redefine the Terra Federation's entire energy system. But progress was nonexistent. From the start until now, twelve particle colliders have been scrapped. Even with Noland Base's deep pockets, resources couldn't be burned endlessly.
Project 053 had been split by the Supreme Court into countless sub-projects, distributed among the Federation's top research teams. They had even mobilized independent expert groups, assigned technical staff, and granted special equipment privileges. All in the desperate hope of progress.
"I wonder how Scott's team is doing," Guerino muttered bitterly.
Scott Burke, the chief engineer of another key institution under the Council's control, was tasked with designing the Ark Reactor's structure. Together, Guerino's element research and Scott's reactor design would form a complete Ark Reactor, a device that could revolutionize not only the Federation's battle suits but the entire energy industry.
The elders had another ambition for Scott: to create a colossal Ark Reactor, a massive energy hub akin to the Stark Industrial Tower, capable of powering entire cities with clean energy. But…
Progress was dismal. Guerino's element research was stalled, and Scott's reactor structure was equally abysmal. What had looked like a simple concept had become an insurmountable barrier, blocking every path forward.
"Perhaps it's time to consult the creator," Guerino muttered. "Maybe he has answers."
Inside Tanner's room, beneath the hum of his super-body helmet, the electric current subsided. Tanner's eyes lit up as he checked his live stream's reward log, a grin spreading across his face.
"The money came through already? That was fast!" he laughed. "No wonder streamers in my past life chased these dreams. Even without merchandise, the rewards alone…"
Frankly, Tanner no longer cared about smaller tips. It was nothing but a drop in the bucket.
"The Suit is one step closer!"
Suddenly, a massive red banner streaked across his live stream interface: "Congratulations to the Immortal Warrior for receiving a reward of 500,000! Double Bonus Activated! Total Reward: 1 Million!"
"Holy…" Tanner gasped. One million, just like that. His eyes darted to the username: Noland_Guerino.
"So… that's how the other half lives," Tanner muttered, laughing in disbelief. "Rich patrons like this, please, come again!"
As his mind wandered, he glanced at the viewer count: nearly 100 million people watching live, "Even if every single one of you tipped me just one Dollar…" he thought. "I'd be rich overnight."
But the crowd wasn't tipping. They were watching, enthralled, as Tanner's captured memory continued to play. The Suit plans spun through his mind, alongside schematics of the elusive Ark Reactor.
"The new elements… they'll be a nightmare to obtain." Then a thought struck him like lightning.
"Wait… why implant the reactor inside my body at all?" His heart raced. Nanosuits. That could be the answer. But he hadn't yet captured footage of this technology, nor recalled the memory fragments he needed.
"Just wait," he whispered to himself.
The captured footage rolled on. Hundreds of millions of viewers watched intently, fury simmering at Hawkeye and Loki.
[ Colson stood beside Rogers, watching equipment calibrate. ]
[ "If it's too much trouble…" Colson began. ]
[ Rogers replied calmly, "No trouble." ]
[ Colson fidgeted. "It's a collector's edition. Took me years to gather, 90% new. Corners are a little worn, but…" ]
[ A technician interrupted: "Target located! 67% match! Hold up… cross-comparison reads 79% match!" ]
[ Colson leaned forward. "Location?" ]
[ "28 King's Road," the staff replied. ]
[ The footage zoomed in, Loki's face filled the screen. ]
[ "He's not even hiding," Fury remarked dryly. "Your move, Captain." ]
[ On King's Road, luxury cars lined the streets, their wealthy owners laughing over champagne. A lavish party sparkled in the night. ]
[ Then chaos descended. A sniper atop the building dropped dead from a well-placed arrow, his body crashing to the pavement below. Hawkeye emerged from the shadows, quiver on his back, planting a device at the gate. The heavy lock clicked open. ]
[ Inside the hall, Loki descended the stairs leisurely, scepter in hand, radiating arrogance. A flick of his weapon sent guards flying. He seized the principal, pinned him to a stone platform, and pressed a claw-like machine into his eye socket. Screams erupted as guests fled in terror. ]
[ With a hiss of hydraulics, the vault opened, revealing a silver block: iridium. Hawkeye secured it while Loki donned his horned helmet and strolled outside.
[ A police cruiser skidded into view, but Loki casually raised his scepter, unleashing a blast that flipped the vehicle like a toy. Then he appeared ahead of the fleeing crowd, cutting off their escape. ]
[ "Kneel before me!" Loki commanded. ]
[ People scrambled, but his illusions blocked every route. With a thunderous slam of his scepter, the ground shook, "KNEEL!" ]
[ Fear rippled through the crowd as they sank to their knees. ]
[ Loki smirked, arms spread wide, "See how easy it is? This is your nature," he taunted. "You crave subjugation. You tire of freedom's burden. You lose yourselves in power struggles and recognition. You were born to kneel." ]
The live chat exploded.
"WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!"
"Born servent?!"
"Somebody kill this clown!"
"This guy talks like a cult leader!"
"Rogers, PLEASE punch him!"
Viewers seethed. Loki's contempt for humanity was unbearable. Even the expert group was livid, except for Xiaotian, who spoke coldly.
"In some ways… he's not entirely wrong," he said.
The historian Johan paused his notes, glancing at Xiaotian. "You don't speak for everyone. Choose your words carefully."
Xiaotian shrugged, meeting the disapproving stares with silence.
The director leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "This god… is dangerous. Not just powerful. calculating."
"His scepter manipulates minds," Johan added. "Even I felt… a pull."
"The gem looks similar to the Cube," a general murmured.
Gasps echoed.
"It's not a cube, though. It's a sphere."
"But the energy signature is close!"
"If he enslaves enough people, he could amass limitless wealth and influence."
The director's voice was grim. "And now they have iridium. They're moving to unlock the Cube."
Suddenly, in the footage, an old man stood defiantly.
[ "There are always men like you," he told Loki. ]
[ Loki sneered. "There are no men like me." ]
[ "Always," the man replied firmly. ]
[ Loki aimed his scepter. "Let this be an example." ]
[ A blast erupted, and a red, white, and blue shield intercepted it. ]
[ Captain Rogers had arrived. ]
"ROGERS!"
"He fell from the sky! Epic entrance!"
"That shield though… how does it tank an energy blast like that?!"
Military experts stared at the footage, awestruck.
"This shield… indestructible!"
"A heavy sniper wouldn't even scratch it!"
"Even with our best alloys, this level of durability is impossible."
Tonio shook his head. "You're missing the real point."
They turned to him.
"It's Rogers himself," Tonio said. "That blast could flip a car, but he didn't even budge. No buffer tech, no recoil dampener. Just pure strength."
A hush fell over the group.
"Even elite special forces would be knocked unconscious," another murmured.
The director issued orders instantly: "Contact the medical and bio-enhancement teams. Captain Rogers is key."
The battle unfolded onscreen: Loki's arrogance clashing with Rogers' defiance. A fight for the future had begun.