Meanwhile, Loki and Thor were having a grand time, one chasing and the other fleeing through the sky.
Loki piloted a Chitauri craft through the gaps between skyscrapers. His flying skills were not exceptional, but his use of the terrain and his grasp of Thor's mindset were flawless.
He always flew along the sides of buildings, into the shadows of towers, and into places that blocked Thor's view. Then, in the instant Thor lost track of him, he would emerge from another direction and fire a blue energy bolt from the Mind Scepter at Thor.
Thor followed behind him, Mjolnir spinning faster and faster in his hand as blue-white lightning crackled across its surface. He weaved through the craft's wake, dodging every energy bolt Loki fired, then raised his hammer and brought down a bolt of lightning toward Loki.
One fled while the other pursued, Thor's roar echoing over Manhattan. "Loki! Stop! You can't escape! Come back with me, admit your mistakes, and accept your punishment—there's still a chance!"
But Loki paid Thor's words no heed. In his eyes, if he could not become king, then nothing else mattered. Besides, asking him to return and admit fault for punishment? How could that be possible?
Loki had thought he could keep Thor strung along like this until the Chitauri Army conquered Manhattan. But just as he flew over the roof of a skyscraper, a green figure suddenly leaped from its rooftop.
It was Hulk.
He could access Banner's memories. Hulk knew everything Banner had experienced since arriving on the Helicarrier. Though Hulk was not particularly intelligent and could not understand many things in those memories, that did not stop him from sensing Loki's malice toward Banner.
Hulk did not like that feeling.
Having just taken care of several Chitauri soldiers, Hulk