Helicarrier Chaos — Roy's Intervention
The Helicarrier shuddered violently as Barton's arrow detonated against the engine. Sirens blared, metal screamed, and the floor tilted sharply. Agents scrambled. Smoke filled the corridors.
Natasha lost her footing—
Tony, still suited only in his undersheath, slipped as well—
And then the entire ship lurched.
A deep rumble, like an earthquake tearing through steel, rolled across the carrier.
Roy appeared between them in a blur of motion, each hand grabbing one of them by the waist before they could drop through the opening in the floor.
"Got you both," Roy said calmly, floating amid the chaos.
Tony groaned. "I swear—your timing is unfair to physics."
Natasha exhaled shakily but smirked. "I'm starting to like his timing."
Roy set them down in a stable part of the deck.
"Tony—suit, now. The carrier's not staying in the air much longer."
Tony nodded, no jokes this time. "Right. And then I'll save the big expensive flying thing I didn't build."
The Mark VI armor flew in from the launch tunnel and wrapped around him in seconds.
Before Natasha ran again, Roy gently caught her wrist.
"Natasha—Barton is compromised. Find him. Bring him home."
She nodded once—sharp, determined. "I will."
She sprinted off.
Below Deck — Hulk Awakens
Steve and Banner crashed down through the lab floor, landing hard among scattered equipment.
Banner groaned, clutching his head. Steve backed away.
"Bruce—you need to focus. You can change back. Just breathe."
Banner's hands clawed at the metal. "It's… too late…"
His eyes flared green.
"Steve… run."
The Hulk burst free with a roar that rattled the entire deck. Steve bolted, leading him away from civilian personnel.
The Hulk smashed everything in his path—doors, walls, machinery—until he burst into the hangar, where terrified technicians scattered like leaves.
The monster lunged toward a cluster of trapped agents—
And a hammer cracked down across Hulk's jaw.
"Enough!" Thor shouted, stepping between the agents and the green titan.
The two titans clashed, lightning and rage echoing across the hangar.
Roy's telepathy reached Thor mid-battle.
"Throw him out of the carrier. It's the safest way."
Thor grunted, locked Hulk in a grapple, then heaved him upward.
A swirl of wind burst around them—
And Hulk was flung out into the open sky.
Loki's Trap
Thor raced off toward Loki's presence, following the trail of shattered doors and collapsed walls until he reached the transparent holding cell.
Loki waited on the other side, calm, composed, and terrifyingly smug.
"You made me come here," Thor said, breathless with urgency.
"You know this cell was built for—"
"For you?" Loki smiled. "Yes. Precisely."
Thor stepped forward—
Loki pressed the release button—
And the floor beneath Thor vanished.
Thor plummeted.
Coulson's Last Stand
Phil Coulson arrived, hands shaking slightly as he leveled the prototype energy rifle at Loki.
"Move away from the console," he ordered.
Loki tilted his head innocently. "Phil. We've never even met properly."
Phil pulled the trigger.
A massive blast sent Loki flying across the room—
But the Loki he struck flickered and vanished.
The real Loki appeared behind him.
The scepter thrust forward.
Coulson gasped, the weapon slipping from his fingers, his knees buckling as Loki whispered:
"You should've stayed in your office."
Loki pressed the cell trigger again—kicking Thor out into open air—then stepped back as he was teleported away with his Chitauri lieutenant.
The Helicarrier shook again.
Aftermath — Roy Arrives
Roy appeared beside the collapsing agent, catching Coulson before he hit the floor. The girls' voices rang in his mind—Grayfia, Hela, Death, Velgrynd—each demanding an update.
Natasha: Roy, engine is stabilizing!
Tony: On my way to fix the damage—keep the carrier up for at least a minute!
Steve: We're regrouping—Banner is gone, Thor is gone, Loki escaped—
Frigga's earlier words echoed through Roy's mind. "Loki still lives."
Roy looked down at Coulson.
The agent smiled weakly. "I—I think this was meant to look… heroic."
Roy pressed a hand over the wound. "Hold on."
Death appeared silently behind him, touching Roy's shoulder.
Her voice was soft:
"He's not gone… not yet."
Coulson's breathing steadied.
For now.