Marvel: My Eyes Defies Fate.

When faced with an unknown opponent, the first rule of engagement is simple — gather intelligence.

And that was exactly what Tony Stark proposed to the others.

It was a logical approach. Knowing their enemy meant knowing how to defeat him.

Across the room, Dr. Bruce Banner gave a small nod of agreement, his analytical mind already piecing things together.

The only ones who looked less enthusiastic were Captain Steve Rogers and Nick Fury, both wearing equally uneasy expressions.

After all, Stark's suggestion involved someone neither of them trusted — Kurogai Alexander Blackwood.

Fury considered the option against, but eventually dismissed it. Asking Kurogai for help would mean admitting that S.H.I.E.L.D. needed him — and that was not something Fury was eager to do.

The man's power and independence made him difficult to control, and Fury hated working with unpredictable variables.

Captain Rogers leaned forward, frowning. "Even if we agreed to that, do we even know where to find him? Last I checked, he doesn't exactly answer calls from S.H.I.E.L.D."

He hadn't forgotten the time he'd been briefly controlled by Kurogai's mysterious abilities after being reawakened.

The experience left a mark, and his trust wasn't easily earned back.

Stark, however, was unfazed. "Leave that to me. I've still got a way to reach him — a little connection left over from one of our old deals."

"Deals?" Banner asked, raising a brow.

"Let's just say we've exchanged favors before," Stark said casually.

"But make no mistake — he never gives information for free. If we want intel on this alien, we'll have to pay for it."

Fury crossed his arms, considering it.

He didn't like relying on someone like Kurogai, but he knew when to pick the lesser of two evils.

"Fine. If you can get him to talk, I'll authorize it. Whatever it takes to get ahead of this thing."

He glanced around the table.

The Avengers were still a new team — fragile, untested.

Arguing with them too much this early could shatter the alliance before it began.

Cooperation, for now, was his best play.

"Good," Stark replied. "I'll contact him immediately."

High above a remote, abandoned facility, Kurogai stood on a ledge overlooking the site — the same S.H.I.E.L.D. base Loki had attacked when he first arrived on Earth.

After confirming Loki's descent, Kurogai had come here to investigate, hoping to catch the trickster himself.

But surprisingly, Loki's presence was nowhere to be found.

His magical signature had been perfectly concealed.

"Hiding already," Kurogai muttered with a faint smirk. "Typical Loki."

Still, he wasn't without options.

If he wanted to find Loki, he had ways — subtle, powerful ways — to track even the faintest traces of magic.

Just as he began to focus, a ripple of arcane energy brushed against his senses.

It came from a familiar source — a contact spell he had once left with Stark during one of their earlier exchanges.

Kurogai's eyes narrowed slightly. "Stark?…"

He followed the magical link's direction and sensed several other familiar presences clustered near it.

"Banner… Steve… and Fury."

He smiled faintly. "So it's really them. The Avengers."

By now, he could guess exactly why they were reaching out.

Loki's arrival, the stolen agents, the chaos at S.H.I.E.L.D. — it all aligned perfectly with what Kurogai knew of this world's timeline.

"So, they've come looking for me because of Loki," he mused.

If that was the case, then the events of the Avengers Initiative were unfolding — though not quite as originally written.

Loki would soon summon the Chitauri army and launch his invasion of New York.

Kurogai's expression shifted into quiet amusement.

"The space portal… right. He'll open it at Stark Tower."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"I can wait there. No need to hunt him down if he's planning to walk straight into my doorstep."

It was efficient — and entertaining.

Watching the Avengers assemble to face the alien invasion was one of the great turning points of this universe, and Kurogai wasn't about to miss it.

"Besides," he murmured, "I'm curious. Without the Tesseract in his possession, how does Loki plan to open the portal? I'd like to see that for myself."

He allowed himself a faint grin.

"And perhaps I'll even throw the Avengers a hint or two. After all, watching them stumble around without context would be boring."

Having decided, Kurogai lifted his hand.

A wave of energy spiraled outward, forming a circular spatial gateway that shimmered with blue light.

"Let's make things interesting," he said quietly — and stepped through, disappearing from sight.