Chapter 126: The Arrival of Loki

Three hundred meters underground, at the Joint Dark Energy Research Facility.

On a specially constructed experimental platform, the Tesseract glowed with increasing intensity, its blue light flaring as it continuously emitted gamma radiation into the surroundings.

Nick Fury, Hawkeye, and Dr. Selvig stood with grim expressions, bewildered as they debated the source of the anomaly.

Just then, the Tesseract erupted. The ground shook violently, and dust rained down from the ceiling. Simultaneously, the Tesseract fired a beam of blue energy that solidified a dozen meters away, rapidly forming a spacetime tunnel.

Loki, the God of Mischief, stepped out, clutching his scepter. His eyes were filled with cunning, and a mocking sneer played on his lips.

Without a word, Loki raised his scepter and fired in all directions, striking down the researchers before striding toward the Tesseract.

Hawkeye raised his pistol in an attempt to stop him, but Loki tapped the scepter against his chest. Hawkeye’s eyes instantly turned pitch black; his body went limp, and he became indifferent to Loki’s subsequent actions. His mind had been seized by the Mind Stone within the scepter.

Fury attempted to seize the Tesseract first, but Hawkeye shot him in the chest, leaving him collapsed on the floor, his fate uncertain.

Loki quickly retrieved the Tesseract and left the collapsing underground facility, accompanied by Hawkeye and the now-enslaved Dr. Selvig.

Had Luke witnessed this brief scene, he would have been surprised by Loki's decisiveness. From start to finish, there was no negotiation whatsoever. This was vastly different from the original film’s plot.

...

"Third ignition test for the nuclear fusion reactor commencing..."

Fury’s call came earlier than Luke had anticipated. At the moment, Luke was in his lab, directing a large group of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s free labor force as they conducted fusion experiments.

"Where are you? I need you," Fury said, his tone deadly serious.

So, Loki has arrived, then...

"This is the second time you've recruited me," Luke thought, speaking aloud.

Fury replied immediately, "One hundred kilograms of secondary Adamantium."

"No problem." Luke’s expression remained unchanged, though he felt a secret thrill. "Deliver the goods first. I need them to upgrade my mecha."

"Agreed." Fury was uncharacteristically prompt. "I’ll send someone to pick you up. Meet me as soon as possible."

"Understood."

Fury hung up hurriedly. Luke could hear the commotion on the other end. Loki must have already stolen the Tesseract; S.H.I.E.L.D. was surely in total chaos.

Looking at the white-coated researchers busy with the fusion test, Luke rolled his eyes. These people were nothing but a hindrance. The experiment's progress had to be accelerated.

Within half an hour, the people sent by Fury delivered the one hundred kilograms of secondary Adamantium with remarkable efficiency. They also left a liaison officer so that as soon as Luke was ready, he could be taken to the rendezvous point. Fury was clearly in a hurry.

Luke had the liquid alloy moved into his hangar, where the War Lord stood silently. Once he had dismissed the others, Luke ordered Christina to begin converting the metal.

The low-grade hardener had been successfully prototyped. Numerous tests had proven that any metal infused with it saw a significant increase in strength, with the effect being even more pronounced in common metals.

Common steel’s strength increased fourfold when treated with the low-grade hardener. Titanium alloy saw a 268% increase in durability.

As for Adamantium, while the strength boost wasn't as drastic as the others, it still left Luke quite satisfied. He had experimented with the previous shipment of secondary Adamantium, and the resulting hardness was astonishing. Its defensive capabilities had improved by about 90%, nearly rivaling pure Adamantium and no longer resembling the cut-rate, inferior goods they once were.

The system's guaranteed rewards truly never disappointed. This was exactly why Luke was so pleased; once this hundred kilograms of secondary Adamantium passed through his hands, it would be effectively equivalent to a hundred kilograms of pure Adamantium.

"Master, the total conversion is estimated to be complete in ten minutes," Christina reported.

"Excellent. Let's call this reinforced alloy 'Super-Pseudo Adamantium'!" Luke said with a laugh.

"When will the General's ability to name things improve..." Anaka sighed.

Behind her stood the Four Roses, whispering among themselves, their gazes crossing over Luke toward the assembly dock above.

The Four Roses were the only people other than Luke permitted to enter this hangar. In the assembly dock, four small mechas were being built for them.

With the experience gained from designing the Spider-I, Christina had thoroughly mastered the blueprints for the aerial combat mecha: Gale. These four units were specialized "Gale-Modified" models that Luke had tasked Christina with designing for the Four Roses.

The four mechas looked 80% similar at a glance, but subtle differences were visible upon closer inspection. Based on their individual combat specialties, each was equipped with different weapons and prioritized different power structures.

Anaka and Oubia were assault troopers, so their mechas were equipped with specialized firearms and plasma sabers—the latter being a byproduct of the Caliburn Project; the invisible blade of the Shadow Sword: Eleonore was essentially a plasma construct. In a pinch, these could function as melee combat mechas.

Rozana was a shotgunner, so Luke equipped her with an M-3 flamethrower and "Ex-Wife" missile launchers, focusing on mid-to-long-range fire support.

Amythan was a grenadier. Her mecha was the closest to Luke’s original Gale design, fitted with multiple grenade launchers firing third-generation improved grenades, which were developed from second-generation electric and cryogenic grenades. Her unit could essentially be considered a bomber.

All four mechas were controlled via joysticks and pedals, backed by AI-assisted programming. Even though the Four Roses were infantry, with some training, they could operate the mechas proficiently. In actual combat, it would be no problem at all.

"Assistant, how is the Lion Project progressing?" Luke asked, looking at the four nearly finished Gales.

"Theoretically, it is not a problem, Master. However, time seems a bit tight at the moment," Christina replied.

"Continue the research. Once it's realized, equip it immediately."

"Yes, Master!"

"The Apokryph needs to be manufactured faster as well..." Luke murmured to himself.

Loki’s arrival had suddenly made time feel incredibly compressed. His Spider-Sense gave him a strong premonition that the upcoming Battle of New York would not go smoothly. Something seemed off. Had the plot changed? That was the only possibility he could imagine.

The artificial sun was expected to take at least another 24 hours to assemble. The casing was finished, and the power of the Holy Light was within him. All that was missing was the thermonuclear fusion reactor needed for ignition.

Facing a large-scale battle against thousands of Chitauri soldiers, Luke felt he needed an ace in the hole to feel truly secure. The Apokryph could heal allies and boost their physical functions; it could be viewed as a special weapon that altered the battlefield environment, turning the tide in his favor and leaving the enemy at a disadvantage. It was like a weather card in a game of Gwent.

Just the ability to alter the battlefield environment was enough to call it a strategic weapon. There were likely few people on Earth capable of such a feat.

(A certain God of Thunder: I... can... do... Director, let me on the field already!)