Chapter 278: Chapter 278 Height

Backtrack to a few hours ago.

At a clandestine S.H.I.E.L.D. base in Texas, a top-secret experiment was underway. The subject was a blue, square cube. No one knew its true name; they only knew it came from the stars, so they called it the Tesseract.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had possessed it since World War II. Decades of continuous research had revealed its ability to connect space—not just across Earth, but across the vast, infinite cosmos. S.H.I.E.L.D. was bold—or rather, Nick Fury was bold. He understood that relying on domestic strength alone to defeat the Joker organization was nearly impossible. The only way forward was to unlock the secrets of the Tesseract and reach other planets for energy and resources.

The ideal was grand; the reality was skeletal. The experiment had dragged on for years with agonizingly slow progress. The energy within the Tesseract seemed to be in a deep slumber, refusing to activate regardless of the method used.

It was time for a change. A year ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited a brilliant astrophysicist named Erik Selvig. His record was spotless, his knowledge profound, and more importantly, his student, Jane Foster, was the girlfriend of Thor. One had to wonder if Fury was trying to pull strings with the God of Thunder.

For over a year, the Professor worked diligently, but the experimental progress remained at zero. Then, strangely, at dusk, the silent Tesseract suddenly flared to life. Like a sleeping brat awakened by a loud noise, it began to throw a world-shaking tantrum. Simultaneously, the energy threat level began to skyrocket.

The power was terrifying; one slip-up and the entire base would be leveled. The base commander sounded the alarm, and agents and researchers scrambled to evacuate with their sensitive equipment. The incident alerted Fury, who flew in personally to inspect the site.

Right then, the active Tesseract shot out a pillar of blue light, tearing open a gateway to the universe. To S.H.I.E.L.D.’s disappointment, what came through wasn’t a hoard of inexhaustible resources.

A black-haired man dressed in green classical robes stepped through the gate, gripping a long spear tipped with a glowing gem. He was handsome and possessed an air of noble grace, with a faint, playful smile dancing on his lips. But when you looked into his eyes, you felt like you were being stared down by a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

“I am Loki,” The man introduced himself.

He was Thor’s brother, also from Asgard. But the difference was stark: Thor was a warrior who came to Earth to find himself and a pretty blonde girlfriend. Loki was the God of Mischief, the God of Evil, and he came to Earth for conquest and dominion.

Inevitably, conflict erupted. Loki was a god, and with that spear, he was a force of nature. In minutes, he decimated the security detail. Most shockingly, the spear could manipulate minds. Several high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including Professor Selvig, were compromised, turning their blades against their own teammates.

Though Fury managed to escape, Loki made off with the Tesseract. It’s worth noting that besides Earth itself, the Tesseract was his primary target.

*

After listening to the agents’ account, Jason let out a long sigh. He hadn’t expected the plot to advance this far. Back in that Manhattan apartment, today was exactly what he had feared most.

The fragmented memory shards in his mind told him that Loki would use the Tesseract to bring an alien army to Earth. The other details were blurry. He stood up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and glanced at the surviving agents.

“I have no more questions. Do as you please.”

At those words, the agents drew their combat knives and efficiently slit their own throats. Jason kept his word; he didn’t touch their families and headed straight back to base.

*

Chloe: “Sir, did the investigation yield results?”

Jason nodded grimly. “It did, but the results are… unexpected, to say the least.” He kept it brief, explaining the Tesseract and Loki.

The members fell into a heavy silence. With Thor as a precedent, the appearance of an evil god like Loki wasn’t a total shock. What truly stunned them was a cube that could open portals to the stars and a spear that could control minds. These were artifacts that defied every law of Earthly physics. They were God-Tier items.

Christine, who understood Jason’s heart best, broke the silence. “Jason, you’re interested in those two items, aren’t you?”

Jason smiled and nodded. The chemistry between an old couple really was something else.

“Then let me go snatch them,” Harley said, practically vibrating with excitement. After a year in Africa, she was going stir-crazy.

David quickly chimed in: “I agree, but it’s too dangerous for Harley alone. Count me in.”

Franklin was hyped: “I say, the core members haven’t gone out together in years. This is the perfect opportunity. If we beat Loki and take those artifacts, we’ll shock the entire world.”

Chloe: “Current intel places both the spear and the cube in Loki’s hands. I’m shifting my focus to tracking him.”

The members chattered away, eager to declare war on a god. Only John sat in silent contemplation, looking worried.

Jason: “John, what’s on your mind?”

John: “Boss… Loki is Thor’s brother. He’s the son of Odin, the All-Father.”

Those few quiet words were like a bucket of ice water over the group. Exactly. If they fought Loki, hurt him, or killed him, would Odin let them walk? Even with their rapid growth over the past year, no one dared to claim they could withstand the wrath of a god like Odin. The members went silent. Damn this unfair society—having a powerful dad really makes all the difference.

Jason remained calm and asked, “Chloe, has Thor returned to Earth to date his girlfriend at all this past year?”

The group looked confused. Why were we talking about Thor’s love life now?

Chloe: “No.”

Jason: “Are you sure?”

Chloe nodded. “Thor came to Earth from Asgard via a massive, unknown energy force. Because that force is so gargantuan, it’s impossible to hide; even civilian equipment can detect it. That force hasn’t appeared once in the last year.”

John: “Is it possible he used another method? Like the Tesseract? He’s a god; it wouldn’t be weird if he had other artifacts.”

Chloe shook her head. “I’ve been monitoring Jane Foster 24/7. She’s been burying herself in her lab. There’s been zero contact. Plus, she looks constantly depressed—not exactly the look of a woman in love.”

Hearing this, Jason grinned. “Do you get it now?”

Harley scratched her head. “Get what?”

“I get it!” John reacted first, the realization hitting him. “The Boss means that the power used to send Thor to Earth is, for some reason, out of commission.”

Jason nodded. Exactly. “If that power can’t be used, Odin can’t easily come to Earth. At the very least, he can’t lead an army down here to avenge Loki. That means Loki’s background is effectively useless right now.”

The lightbulbs went off in everyone’s heads. Some worried the power might be fixed eventually, but they kept quiet. Chasing the Tesseract and the Scepter was inherently dangerous. If they were too cowardly to move now, they’d spend their whole lives playing in the mud on Earth, never reaching the heights of a being like Odin.

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