One-Eyed Dragon's Boxed Lunch and the Blue Light Bulb

At noon, sunlight streamed through the enormous curved floor-to-ceiling windows of the revolving restaurant atop Stark Tower, bathing the interior in lavish gold. Normally filled with New York's elite and celebrities, it was empty now. Only three figures sat around the largest round table in the center, and the atmosphere was subtle.

Nick Fury wore his signature black leather coat, his single eye sharp as a hawk's as he scrutinized the two men across from him. Tony Stark wore a flashy burgundy custom suit, one leg crossed over the other, an irreverent smile on his face as his fingers tapped impatiently against the tabletop.

As for Xiao Han, he wore a brand-new... gray hoodie Pepper had bought him to replace the old one that had been washed pale. He lounged against the back of his chair, fully focused on tackling a towering waffle drenched in chocolate sauce and rainbow sprinkles.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of premium coffee and... the heavy sweetness of waffles.

"So," Fury's low voice broke the silence, getting straight to the point. "The Tesseract has been activated."

Tony's tapping fingers paused, and his brow furrowed slightly. "The Tesseract? That legendary 'Infinite Energy' Howard found while fishing popsicles out of the Arctic? Wasn't it gathering mold in some S.H.I.E.L.D. vault?"

"Gathering mold?" Fury's eye swept over Tony with a hint of mockery. "It was 'activated' by an astrophysicist named Erik Selvig in Puente Antiguo, New Mexico. The energy readings... are abnormally active, with strong spatial fluctuation signatures.

"Our experts believe it is... sending some kind of location signal into deep space."

"Oh, an intergalactic delivery service? Pretty efficient." Tony scoffed, lifting his coffee for a sip. "So what? What does that have to do with calling us here for this... uh, 'Earth-saving' lunch?

"Don't tell me S.H.I.E.L.D. can't even catch a package thief?" He deliberately stressed the words "Earth-saving," his gaze flicking toward Xiao Han, who was precisely spearing a strawberry with his fork.

Fury ignored Tony's sarcasm, his eye fixed firmly on Xiao Han. "According to our analysis of the energy signature, whoever activated and attempted to control the Tesseract was not using Earth technology.

"Its energy spectrum partially matches the Destroyer Armor from Asgard, which we briefly encountered in New Mexico." He paused, his tone grave. "We suspect it was Loki. Odin's adopted son, Thor's brother. A god known for his tricks. His purpose is unclear, but with the Tesseract in his hands, he poses a catastrophic threat to Earth."

"Asgard? Loki? Thor?" Tony spread his hands theatrically. "Fury, have you been reading too many sci-fi novels lately? Or did S.H.I.E.L.D. blow its budget on fantasy scripts?"

"Shut up, Stark." Fury spoke coldly, never taking his eye off Xiao Han. "Mr. Xiao, I believe these names are not unfamiliar to you.

"We need to know exactly what Loki wants, what he will do next, and..." Fury's voice carried an almost imperceptible pressure, "what role you play in all of this."

Xiao Han finally swallowed the strawberry and leisurely set down his fork. He picked up a napkin and wiped away the nonexistent chocolate sauce from the corner of his mouth before raising his head. His deep black eyes calmly met Fury's sharp single eye.

"A role?" An extremely punchable curve lifted at Xiao Han's lips. "One-Eyed Dragon, aren't you mistaken about something? I'm just a passerby who likes waffles. A Solar Panel.

"You people at S.H.I.E.L.D. lost that Big Light Bulb that glows blue, and now some cosmic brat picked it up to play with. What does that have to do with me?"

"Big Light Bulb? Cosmic brat?" Fury's eye narrowed slightly, his face darkening further. Behind him, two elite agents who had been standing like statues subtly placed their fingers on the weapons at their waists.

"What else would he be?" Xiao Han leaned forward slightly, elbows on the table and fingers interlaced. His face wore the almost pitying expression one gave an idiot. "That Loki guy was the unwanted, terminally edgy teenager of Asgard. All he ever thought about was making some huge splash to prove he was better than his brother.

"Stealing a light bulb to play with fits his character perfectly, doesn't it? As for his goal?" He let out a derisive laugh. "Nothing more than bringing in some alien cannon fodder and staging a lousy little 'conqueror descends' play on Earth to satisfy his pathetic self-esteem. I can't even be bothered to guess the script. It's too cliché."

Both Fury and Tony were stunned by Xiao Han's casual yet terrifyingly accurate spoiler. Fury in particular was shaken. Loki's detailed intelligence was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest-level secret, yet Xiao Han spoke of him as casually as if he were commenting on the unruly kid next door.

"You... how do you know so much?" Fury's voice carried unprecedented gravity and... a trace of barely perceptible alarm.

"I guessed." Xiao Han leaned back lazily, picked up his fork, and resumed his assault on the waffle. "Seeing how S.H.I.E.L.D. is acting like the sky is falling, along with your lousy intelligence analysis, I could figure out what kind of trash your opponent was with my toes.

"A real threat would send you a flare in advance saying, 'I'm coming to steal your light bulb'? He'd have already blown your headquarters to hell."

Those words were like invisible slaps, striking Fury hard across the face. The agents behind him turned livid, veins bulging in the hands pressed against their weapons.

Tony nearly laughed out loud, quickly raising his coffee cup to hide the upward curve of his mouth. Watching Fury get embarrassed always put him in a good mood.

"Mr. Xiao!" Fury's voice abruptly rose, thick with suppressed anger. "This is not a joke! The Tesseract possesses the power to tear open space! If Loki uses it to open a portal and bring an alien army to Earth, the consequences will be unimaginable! We need your power! We need your intelligence!"

"You need me?" Xiao Han seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "One-Eyed Dragon, are you getting old? Is that one eye of yours going blurry too?

"The last time I kindly sent your busted plane back when it was ten thousand meters in the air, did you not read the report I gave you? Or does S.H.I.E.L.D. only hire illiterates who score zero on reading comprehension?"

He set down his fork and leaned forward slightly. His eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp, like tangible blades stabbing toward Fury. "Let me remind you one more time.

"I have no interest in your little 'save the Earth' game. I have even less interest in Loki's lousy magician act. I only care about one thing—don't block my sunlight."

His gaze swept over the two agents behind Fury, who were poised to strike. A dangerously sharp smile curled across his lips. "And tell those two nervous little quails behind you to take their hands away. If I feel even the slightest killing intent again, I won't mind finding them another place to sunbathe... say, the far side of the moon. It's pretty quiet there."

The two elite agents instantly felt an icy chill rise from their spines, as if invisible giant hands had seized their throats. Their fingers flew off their weapons as though electrocuted. Cold sweat instantly soaked their backs.

A flash of shock crossed Fury's single eye as well. The cold, pure pressure radiating from Xiao Han, vast as an endless sea of stars, made even this battle-hardened director feel his breath catch.

The restaurant fell into dead silence, with only the faint bustle of New York drifting in from outside.

The chill around Xiao Han receded like a tide, and his lazy expression returned as though nothing had happened. He picked up his napkin, elegantly wiped his mouth, and rose from his seat.

"The waffle was decent. Could've used more chocolate sauce," he commented, then looked at Fury with undisguised disdain.

"As for this 'Earth-saving' meal you invited me to... tch, One-Eyed Dragon, next time you want someone's help, improve your cafeteria standards first. This doesn't even measure up to the frozen pizza in Tony's fridge."

Ignoring Fury's livid face and the still-shaken agents, he shoved both hands into his hoodie pockets and walked straight toward the restaurant exit. As he passed Tony, he paused briefly.

"I'm leaving, Bearded Uncle. This pointless meal is less interesting than going back to watch you mess around with your tin cans. At least... they're loud enough."

With that, he walked out of the restaurant without looking back.

Tony watched Xiao Han's retreating figure disappear through the doorway, then glanced at Fury across from him, whose face was dark enough to drip water. A gleeful smile appeared on Tony's face. He elegantly wiped his hands with a napkin and stood.

"Well, looks like today's 'Earth-saving crisis symposium' is over? Thanks for the meal, Director Fury."

Tony picked up the untouched S.H.I.E.L.D. classified file on the table—the threat assessment concerning Loki and the Tesseract—rolled it up casually, and slipped it into his suit pocket. "I'll take this 'sci-fi novel' home for bedtime reading. See you."

Tony also left in style, leaving Fury sitting alone at the enormous round table. The afternoon sunlight remained bright, yet it could not dispel the chill and gravity hanging over the restaurant.

Fury's single eye stared fixedly in the direction Xiao Han and Tony had gone, his knuckles white with force. He lifted his communicator, his voice low and hoarse, carrying barely restrained frustration and anger.

"Natasha, activate the Avengers Contingency Protocol. Targets: Dr. Selvig and the Tesseract. Maximum alert level."

"Agent Barton, drop every assignment you have and return immediately. We need the best tracking and tactical assessment."

"Hill, mobilize every available resource. Monitor abnormal energy fluctuations worldwide, especially spatial distortion signals! I want to know Loki's next destination!"

After lowering the communicator, Fury's gaze fell upon Xiao Han's half-eaten waffle. That pile of sweet food drenched in chocolate sauce and sprinkles now seemed filled with silent mockery.

"Ignores threats... treats rules as nothing... power beyond measure... and those damned eyes, as if he sees through everything..." Fury muttered. Complex emotions flickered in his eye. "Xiao Han... are you truly indifferent... or are you... certain that all of this is under your control?"

New York's clamor seeped through the glass windows. Fury knew the storm was coming. Yet that Solar Panel, who could so easily alter the storm's course, only wanted to find a quiet place... to sunbathe.

Meanwhile, downstairs at Stark Tower.

With his hands in his pockets, Xiao Han strolled slowly along the crowded sidewalk. The sunlight fell on him, warm and pleasant. His super-hearing easily caught Fury's suppressed roar and each urgent order from the restaurant above.

Avengers Contingency Protocol?

Looks like One-Eyed Dragon was really panicking.

A nearly imperceptible curve rose at the corner of his mouth.

But... panicking was useless. Loki was probably holding his Little Glow Stick right now, wondering which backwater corner to throw his little sideshow party in.

He raised his head to look at the bright sun overhead, feeling the pleasant growth of power within his body.

When the party began...

Hopefully, it wouldn't be too loud.