Chapter 119 – The Avengers Assemble
"Attention all combat units: Tesseract location confirmed. Prepare for battle!"
The announcement echoed through the Helicarrier. Natasha looked at Barton, who was busy rolling his neck until it cracked. "I'm letting you go."
"You sure you're okay?" she asked.
"I'm sure. I've still got an arrow with Loki's name on it."
Barton flexed his hands, shaking off the numbness from the restraints. "Let's move. We'll likely need to pilot the jet ourselves."
"Looks like you're really back," Natasha noted, and the two headed straight for the command center.
Nick Fury stood there, his face ashen. While they had located the Tesseract, they were already behind. Banner, having finished his briefing, stepped aside as Fury gestured for the team to gather.
"Dr. Banner, tell them what we know," Fury commanded.
"Tony and I found it. It's Stark Tower," Banner explained. "It's a perfect match: it has the clean energy source Tony developed to power the device, and it fits Loki's flair for the dramatic perfectly. He's essentially using the building as a stage to announce his arrival. Tony is already there in his suit, but we need to provide backup immediately."
Pepper turned pale. Tony was going up against a god in a damaged suit? It was madness. "We have to go, now!"
"Hold on," Fury interrupted. "Thor has already followed him. They'll be the vanguard."
"That's not the biggest problem," Banner added, his voice grim. "I've been monitoring the energy fluctuations. The Tesseract has been activated. Thor mentioned an alien race—the Chitauri. They've finished assembling their forces and are ready to invade. When that portal opens, we won't just be dealing with Loki; we'll be dealing with an entire extraterrestrial army."
On the screen, a massive beam of blue light shot from the roof of Stark Tower, piercing the clouds. Above New York, the sky began to tear open, revealing a circular, glowing gateway.
"I'm going," Banner stated firmly. "And this time, I won't suppress the Hulk."
"I'm going with him," Pepper said, her resolve hardening. "And I'll watch his back."
"I have to go," Barton snarled. "That explosion, the damage to the ship, the injuries—it's all on me. I'm going to make Loki pay."
"Count me in," Natasha said quietly.
"And me," Coulson added, smiling with the ease of an ordinary man. "Loki stabbed me in the back. If not for the Devil Fruit I traded for, I'd be dead. I have a vested interest in seeing him face justice."
Fury looked at Coulson, a pang of regret crossing his face. Refusing the Devil's Envoy had almost cost him one of his best agents. He finally turned his gaze toward Steve Rogers.
"Captain," Fury said. "You'll lead this team."
Rogers blinked, surprised. "Me? An old man leading this unit?"
"You have the combat experience for large-scale warfare that the rest of them lack," Fury insisted.
"Understood," Rogers said, accepting the responsibility.
"What do we call ourselves?" Rogers asked.
"The Avengers," Fury replied instantly.
"We'll stop them," Rogers promised. "Or at least, we'll buy the military enough time to evacuate the civilians."
As the team boarded the transport, Hill approached Fury. "Still thinking about the Devil's Envoy?"
"I don't understand his game," Fury admitted. "He gave Loki the power to threaten the world, yet he gave Coulson the power to survive it. What is he after?"
"Perhaps we're wrong about his motives," Hill mused. "Maybe he doesn't care about the object of the deal—maybe he just wants his 'fruit' to spread. We just happen to be the ones on his list."
"Whatever the case," Fury sighed, "we need these powers to stop Loki."
"I worry about one thing," Hill said, watching the jet take off. "Rogers is a super-soldier, but he's surrounded by people with god-like abilities. The Hulk, Banner's girlfriend, Barton's speed, Natasha's Homies… will the Captain feel out of place?"
"We have to trust him," Fury said.
Suddenly, a new feed cut into the command center. The sky over New York was swarming with flying soldiers—the Chitauri had arrived.
"Are Tony and Thor there yet?" Fury shouted.
"Tony reports he's at the tower," a comms officer replied, "but they can't breach the barrier. Not even Thor's lightning can scratch it."
"And Loki?" Fury demanded. "Did they spot him?"
"That's the problem, sir," the officer said, his voice trembling. "They haven't found a trace of him. It's as if Loki isn't in New York at all!"
"Loki," Fury whispered, "where are you?"