Chapter 130: Cole's Flag Forest

This was an air-raid shelter left over from World War II. The walls were lined with aged lighting fixtures emitting a faint, nostalgic glow, while the damp, musty air hung heavy, unsettling the senses. A group of researchers bustled about, their activity breathing life back into the once bustling scene of days gone by.

“Apostles...” Loki sat quietly nearby, his gaze distant and unfocused.

Before him lay a scepter, still as stone, its tip shimmering with an azure light indistinguishable from that of the Tesseract. Few knew this was merely a facade.

Inside the scepter resided one of the six Infinity Stones—the Mind Stone.

Suddenly, the blue light at the scepter's tip flared intensely, and Loki’s consciousness was swept away into a space at once familiar yet strange.

His surroundings shifted gradually. The researchers in their white coats vanished, replaced by the impenetrable darkness of the cosmos. Beneath his feet lay a shattered planet.

Opposite him appeared a humanoid figure, its voice hoarse and eerie: “My forces have grown restless waiting.”

“Prepare them well,” Loki replied without speaking aloud, their minds intertwined in silent communication. “I will lead you into a glorious war.”

“War? Against those feeble Earthlings?” The towering Chitauri sneered with contempt. “Just send us there. The Chitauri will conquer that wild, underdeveloped planet in no time! The Earthlings? They can only await death!”

“Let’s hope your army is as strong as you claim,” Loki said coolly. “You greatly underestimate the Earthlings.”

“Are you doubting us?” The Chitauri leader’s expression darkened.

He stepped closer, voice chilling: “Do you question the one who entrusted you with this scepter? It is he who granted you ancient knowledge and new ideals, you defeated warlord...”

“I am the king of Asgard!” Loki’s voice thundered with rage. “I have been betrayed!”

“No, your ambitions are insignificant,” the Chitauri leader scoffed. “Compared to that great one’s vision, you are nothing! Our sights are not limited to Earth, but the vast universe the Tesseract is about to reveal to us!”

“Isn’t it a bit premature to speak of the Tesseract’s gifts when you don’t even possess it yet?” Loki mocked.

In an instant, the Chitauri leader’s form flickered like a phantom before him.

His voice turned even more menacing: “Go wage your war, Asgardian. When you fail, and the Tesseract does not fall into our hands, don’t expect your kingdom to survive. No corner of this universe will harbor you. No matter where you flee, that great one will find you, make you wail, and teach you what true... death worse than death means!”

Loki was abruptly ejected from the vision. He sat in silence, his face as dark as still water, his gaze trembling ever so slightly.

He knew the words were true.

If he failed, his fate would be utterly tragic...

Because that person...

Loki suddenly rose and strode swiftly into the laboratory. There, Dr. Sylvie, whose mind he controlled, directed a team of researchers assembling a device.

This machine would harness the Tesseract’s power to open a teleportation portal for the Chitauri.

Dr. Sylvie’s eyes gleamed with an unnatural, eerie hue, his expression one of exuberant excitement. He turned to Hawkeye.

“Where did you find these people? Not bad at all,” he said.

He felt these researchers were no less capable than those from S.H.I.E.L.D.

“Hawkeye, S.H.I.E.L.D. has made many enemies,” Hawkeye replied, his hawk-like eyes now also tinged with an unnatural color, his face stern. “Is this what you wanted?”

Hawkeye raised a tablet, questioning the doctor.

On its screen was a rare element: iridium. Next to it was a portrait of a dark-haired boy—Luke.

“Yes, iridium,” the doctor nodded, smiling. “It’s not native to Earth. It arrived via meteorites and can generate antiprotons, a key component for this device. It’s very valuable now.”

Hawkeye nodded. “I know where to find it.”

Seeing Loki approach, the doctor greeted him eagerly.

“Hey! The Tesseract has opened my eyes! This holds more than knowledge—it’s the universe's truth! My lifelong pursuit!”

Loki nodded mildly. “I know.” He glanced at Hawkeye. “What did you discover, Barton?”

Hawkeye’s face hardened as he corrected, “Please call me Kato.”

“What?” Loki frowned.

“It’s my nickname,” Hawkeye said.

He walked over to his gear, grabbed his specialized compound bow, and deftly drew the limbs. “I need a decoy. There’s only one place with iridium. Have you heard of the ‘Apostle’?”

“Apostle?” Loki’s expression shifted slightly.

...

On the bridge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. aerial mothership.

To be in the same room with one’s idol is a dream shared by many. Today, Coulson’s dream came true.

“That’s the collector’s edition. It took me years to gather them all.”

Standing beside the tall and upright Captain America, Coulson rambled on about the Captain America collector cards he had amassed over the years, oblivious to how awkwardly the conversation was making Steve Rogers feel.

Like a starstruck fanboy, Coulson continued, “The cards are quite new, with only slight wear on the edges. I mean, if it’s not too much trouble, after this war, maybe you could sign one for me?”

“No problem,” Steve replied with a resigned nod.

Coulson beamed, having fulfilled another wish. He felt that once this war was over, he would find more chances to get closer to his hero.

Just as Coulson was about to speak again, a comm officer suddenly announced, “Loki has been located!”

The declaration immediately drew the attention of everyone on the bridge.

“Where exactly?” Coulson quickly moved forward.

Coulson, Captain America, Banner, Black Widow, and Hill all fixed their eyes on the comm officer.

“Queens, New York, 63rd Street. He doesn’t seem to be hiding.”

On the large screen, a map of the area appeared and zoomed in until it revealed a three-story building.

At the sight of the building, at least half the people present showed a flicker of change in their expressions.

Luke was among them.

He had felt the mention of 63rd Street in Queens sounded familiar. Now, seeing the three-story building, he recognized it as his recently rebuilt warehouse, now repurposed as a research institute.

On the screen, Loki walked inside, holding his scepter as if no one else was there.

Coulson’s one-eyed gaze shifted toward Luke.

Black Widow and Coulson also turned their eyes to Luke.

Captain America and Banner exchanged glances, wondering why everyone was looking at the boy.

Wait—why was this boy still here? Could he be involved in the operation?