Coulson finally managed to talk Daniel down. After all, he hadn't gathered Daniel here just to take out Nick Fury.
Coulson continued, "Aside from Clint Barton and Thor, the other members have been assembled. They're in the command center now."
The two men walked into the spacious command center of the Helicarrier and quickly spotted several familiar faces.
Tony and Bruce (Banner) were deep in conversation, spitting out scientific jargon that anyone without a doctoral degree was unqualified to enter.
"I knew you'd show up, you bastard." Tony saw Daniel arrive and wasn't at all surprised.
"Then why did you come?" Daniel was curious how Coulson had managed to recruit Tony, given his personality.
Tony shrugged: "Coulson told me the mission was to fight Nick Fury this time, so I immediately canceled my date with Pepper, put on my new armor, and rushed over." After all, a date with Pepper could be rescheduled, but an opportunity to fight Nick Fury didn't come along every day!
"No wonder." Daniel understood; that reason was truly hard to refuse.
He then greeted Bruce beside him: "Hey, Bruce, how was your trip to Iceland?"
Bruce: "..."
He shouldn't have brought that up. Hearing it still made him miserable. He now knew who the mastermind was behind his forced sprint across Iceland. Since that incident, both he and Betty had developed a phobia of the place. The romantic aurora they had anticipated had turned into a desperate struggle for survival on a desolate island. Betty was lucky; at least she had clothes on. Bruce, after transforming back from the Hulk, was left with only his underpants—which were too big and drafty. By the time the S.H.I.E.L.D. reconnaissance team found Bruce, he was already frozen into a "T" shape, practically two popsicles.
After greeting the two men, Daniel also noticed Natasha, who was sitting alone in a corner. Since her close friend Hawkeye (Clint Barton) had betrayed S.H.I.E.L.D., her mood was terrible, comparable to a woman on those days of the month. Daniel wisely decided not to approach her.
"Where's Captain America? Wasn't he brought aboard the Helicarrier, too?" Daniel looked around but couldn't find Steve, who was also part of the Avengers Initiative.
Tony spread his hands: "The old popsicle said a few words after getting on board, then said he had to go to the bathroom. That was about twenty minutes ago."
Daniel raised an eyebrow: "Did he fall into the pit?"
"Who knows? Old people take longer in the restroom, it's normal." Tony was as venomous as ever. He and Steve hadn't gotten along since they first met. Their personalities were completely opposite, and their ideologies were poles apart; they seemed naturally incompatible.
While the group was talking, Maria Hill walked over. She was a Level 9 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and the Deputy Director. With Director Nick Fury temporarily unavailable, Hill had naturally stepped up as the top authority figure within S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Supreme Commander of the Helicarrier. All agents reported to her.
Hill said grimly: "We are currently monitoring almost every camera, phone, and computer connected to the network on Earth. Anything online is a target for our surveillance. The moment Loki and the others show themselves, we can capture their traces instantly." Given that S.H.I.E.L.D. was backed by the World Council, global surveillance was standard operating procedure.
Bruce wondered, "If that's the case, why haven't they been found yet?"
Hill paused, explaining: "Director Fury privately established a number of highly concealed safe houses, some not even registered with S.H.I.E.L.D. If they are intentionally hiding, it's very difficult for us to find them."
"Is this Nick Fury that rich? To have built so many safe houses," Bruce muttered.
Hill didn't respond. This touched upon S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest secrets and Nick Fury's personal conduct, which she couldn't answer.
"So, right now we're fighting a circus alliance made up of a Bambi, a one-eyed pirate captain, and a Robin Hood?" Tony summarized.
"Er, you could put it that way." Hill barely followed Tony's analogy, then continued seriously, "That's precisely why I need your help. Director Fury activated the Avengers Initiative in his final moments, believing you have the ability to deal with the threat posed by Loki."
Hearing this, Daniel waved a hand: "Don't worry, we absolutely won't let down Nick Fury's dying wish! We will crush the evil Nick Fury and his cohorts beneath our feet!"
Hill: "..." Fury hasn't been sacrificed yet, so why is it a "dying wish"? And Loki is clearly the main culprit, so why is he relegated to one of the "cohorts" behind Fury?
Bruce volunteered: "Bring me all your spectrometers, calibrated to the gamma ray band. I can write a tracking algorithm to pinpoint the Tesseract's energy signature. That way, we can at least filter out some targets and narrow the search area."
Hill immediately nodded: "No problem. I'll have a lab prepared for you right away."
Just then, the command center door slid open, and an American sweetheart with a star-spangled shield walked in—it was Steve, whom Daniel hadn't seen for a while. Steve was wearing a new uniform specially made for him by S.H.I.E.L.D. It was unclear if the designer was a fan or a troll, as this suit was tighter than any he'd worn before, with a superb butt-lifting effect.
Coulson, standing nearby, instantly beamed. He was a die-hard Steve fan, having loved Captain America since childhood and buying all sorts of merchandise and memorabilia. Seeing the real thing, he nearly pulled out his phone to take a commemorative photo.
Daniel laughed: "Finally done in the bathroom?"
Steve looked a bit awkward: "This uniform is really tight. It's a bit troublesome to take off." It's true; even goddesses use the restroom, and superheroes are no exception. Wearing such tight clothes must be inconvenient. Judging by the uniform's design, he probably had to take the whole thing off, which was indeed a hassle. Understanding aside, the mere thought of Steve having to strip naked just to use the toilet felt oddly comical.
Sensing the strange looks, Steve quickly steered the conversation back to business: "So, what's the situation? I thought I heard you mention Nick Fury."
Daniel nodded: "Yes, we are figuring out how to smash Nick Fury's conspiracy."
Steve: "?" I was only gone for a moment. How did the final BOSS suddenly become Nick Fury?
Just then, Agent Sitwell, who was tracking signals at the console, suddenly reported.
"Director, we have a lead! There's a 47% match with Agent Clint Barton, located at the Schaefer Security Services building in Stuttgart, Germany."
"Upon investigation, Dr. Heinrich Schaeffer was recently attacked. He owns a vault in the Schaefer Security Services building containing a large amount of Iridium metal."
Bruce looked puzzled: "What do they want with Iridium metal?"
The moment he spoke, Bruce was met with several pairs of clear, yet utterly clueless, eyes.
Bruce: "..." Okay, if even I, with seven doctorates, don't know, others certainly won't.
"Iridium can be used as a stabilizer. It prevents a portal from self-collapsing, allowing the operator to control the portal at will. They can open it as wide and keep it open as long as they want." Fortunately, Tony the scholar was present, rescuing Bruce from the assembly of academic underachievers.
"If that's the case, we should leave immediately and bring Clint back." Natasha instantly brightened at the mention of Clint, preparing all her paralyzing gear. She would bring him back even if she had to break his legs.
Hill nodded: "Then this mission will be handled by Captain America and Agent Romanoff, to go to the Schaefer Security Services building and apprehend Clint Barton." As Nick Fury's second-in-command, Hill's professionalism was impeccable; she immediately deployed the mission. Considering Loki and Nick Fury were still lurking somewhere, Hill did not dispatch Daniel (who had his own agenda), Bruce needed to focus on tracking the Tesseract, and Tony couldn't be commanded, so having Steve and Natasha execute the mission seemed the most logical choice. After all, Clint was just an archer, not a superpowered individual. Two against one seemed like a guaranteed win.
Clint: "..."
Natasha followed the order and was about to leave. However, Steve remained standing, as if he hadn't heard Hill's instructions at all.
Tony joked: "What, old popsicle, are your ears going bad?"
Suddenly, Steve's face darkened, and he snarled coldly: "Motherfcker! Stark junior! Shut your goddamn mouth!"
Tony: "???"
Daniel: "???"
Everyone else in the command center: "???"
Holy crap! Captain America just swore! Everyone was shocked.
Especially Coulson, whose expression was one of crushing disappointment, as if he'd just watched his cello-playing girlfriend run off with another man. This man was once the moral benchmark of America, a perfect symbol printed in textbooks and on historical posters. For this moral paragon to blurt out profanity in front of everyone was no less shocking than seeing the Statue of Liberty flipping the middle finger.
Daniel instantly sensed that something was wrong and checked Steve's personal panel.
[NPC: Steve Rogers]
[Status: Under Mind Control]
Brothers, we have a traitor among us! Daniel hadn't expected Steve to be mind-controlled, and it seemed he had been controlled before boarding the Helicarrier. He didn't need to guess; Loki was definitely behind it. First Nick Fury betrayed S.H.I.E.L.D., and now Captain Honey-Mouth!Truly the God of Mischief! When it comes to stirring up trouble, you take the cake!
Daniel immediately contacted the game system: "System, save that footage for me!"
[Recording saved.]
"Captain? Are you alright?" Natasha instantly noticed the anomaly and activated the electric shock devices on her wrists.
Steve sneered: "I'm perfectly fine, you fools! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had to endure this for so long!"
No, you are definitely not fine! Even the slowest person could now see that there was a serious problem with the Steve standing before them. In a way, a foul-mouthed Captain America was far more horrifying than Nick Fury's betrayal.
Hill immediately commanded: "Arrest Captain America! Subdue him immediately!"
"You bunch of pathetic wastes think you can arrest me?" Steve wore an evil smile. A smile that was only evil in his own mind. To others, he just looked like he was grinning. There was no help for it; Steve's face was simply too inherently righteous; even if you pasted it onto Nick Fury, it would still scream justice.
Boom!!!
As Steve's words fell, a deafening explosion erupted from deep within the Helicarrier! The entire command center violently shook, accompanied by blinding red lights and sharp alarms! In fact, Steve hadn't gone to the restroom at all; he had used the time to install timed explosives in critical areas of the Helicarrier. The process had been easy—his face was the best security pass. No one would ever suspect Captain America of becoming a terrorist.
In the ensuing chaos, Steve surged forward, sweeping his shield out to violently knock the nearby Bruce to the ground. Then, without looking back, he dashed out of the command center.
Bruce, who was struck down by the shield, lay on the floor with a look of agony. Steve's blow had hit him hard. Bruce's natural human body was like that of an ordinary person, and the impact immediately turned his face green.
"Calm down, Banner!" Natasha rushed forward, trying to soothe him. If he turned into the Hulk here, the entire Helicarrier would be destroyed. Her attempts at soothing helped a little, but not much, especially since she hadn't yelled the exclusive magic word yet.
Tony also quickly interjected: "That's right, Bruce, you can't transform here!"
Daniel raised an eyebrow. Natasha at least has her toned physique to help calm him; what are you, a guy with a goatee, doing joining the fray?
Predictably, as soon as Tony spoke, Bruce lost his grip even more. He could no longer suppress the Hulk.
"I can't! It's, it's coming out!"
"Bruce, hold on, I'll be quick." Seeing Bruce turn completely green, Daniel immediately pulled out a pistol emitting a faint, eerie green glow and instantly aimed it at him.
"Wait! I-I think I can hold on a bit longer!"
The sight of Daniel raising the gun made Bruce instinctively flinch, and the green color on his body seemed to fade slightly. The last time Daniel shot him, it sent him running all the way to Iceland. The trauma was so immense that even the Hulk inside him felt a resistance.
"No, you can't." Daniel decisively pulled the trigger.
When the bullet struck Bruce, a soft green light instantly enveloped him. However, Bruce realized he didn't feel like yelling any last words, nor did he feel any pain. Instead, he felt a sudden return to calm, and his injuries were gradually healing. At the same time, his emotions stabilized, the green around him quickly faded, and he returned to his normal state.
[Equipment: Hormone Gun (Fires multiple tracking treatment darts that slowly heal the target while briefly suppressing various abnormal conditions.)]
"Drink this too." Daniel casually tossed Bruce a Life Potion. The Hormone Gun's healing effect was limited; it only briefly suppressed abnormal states, acting like an anesthetic, but it couldn't mend broken bones inside.
Seeing Daniel forcefully interrupt his invincible transformation frame, Bruce was stunned, but he still drank the Life Potion as told.
The people in the command center breathed a sigh of relief when Bruce stopped transforming.
Just then, a technician at the control panel exclaimed, "Engine 3 on the right wing has exploded! Internal damage is severe, and we are continually losing altitude!"
Hill immediately demanded, "Can emergency repairs be done?"
"The turbine assemblies are mostly intact, but as long as we're flying, it's impossible to send anyone outside to repair it!"
"I'll handle it." Tony, without a word, summoned his new suit. A red-and-gold Iron Man armor immediately flew to him. Ever since he was ambushed several times for not having time to put on his armor, Tony had dedicated himself to researching automatic suit-up technology. Now, his armor no longer required mechanical arms; a single voice command was enough for a fully automated transformation. In addition, Tony was working on a helmet that could turn transparent so he wouldn't have to worry about being ambushed by certain old schemers when his face was exposed.
"Agent Romanoff, you are responsible for watching Bruce Banner." Hill quickly assigned the task, then turned to Daniel, her expression serious: "Agent Daniel, Captain America is your responsibility. You must apprehend him and stop him from causing any further damage."
[Main Plot Triggered! New Quest Unlocked!]
[Quest: Loki's Secret Invasion]
[Objective: Immediately apprehend Captain America Steve Rogers and prevent his destruction of the Helicarrier.]
*[Reward: Experience +1500, S.H.I.E.L.D. Reputation +30, Random Item 2]
[Completing this will unlock the next Main Plot Quest!]
"No problem!" Daniel glanced at the map marker and immediately gave chase. Along the way, he encountered numerous downed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, all presumably victims of Steve. However, judging by their injuries, Steve hadn't intended to kill; perhaps he retained a shred of sanity, or his instincts restrained him.
He didn't run far before spotting Steve's figure at a cross-junction, accompanied by several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Daniel looked at the agents and saw that, without exception, they were all under mind control. Clearly, this was Loki's handiwork.
But the outrageous thing was, whether intentionally or accidentally, these S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were uniformly Hydra spies. At a glance, Steve looked exactly like the leader of this group of Hydra agents.
Captain Honey-Mouth + Captain Hydra!
The buffs are stacked!
Daniel tried to reason: "Steve, I believe there's still a spark of justice left in you. Don't let yourself be controlled by evil."
However, the Captain Hydra merely cast a cold glance at him and gave the order without hesitation: "Shoot! Kill this fool for me!"
Daniel: "..."
Okay, okay, so this is how we're playing!