Loki's voice rang out in the silent base.
Everyone's eyes focused on where his finger was pointing: an inconspicuous waste outlet on the map.
"Are you crazy?" a man named Iron Fist challenged.
"That's a garbage passage. High-temperature plasma waste and chemical effluent are discharged every day. Our assault craft would melt just by approaching."
"Exactly." The female warrior codenamed Viper also frowned.
"All the miniature machines we sent to scout lost their signals at the entrance. That place is off-limits."
"That's because you used the wrong method." A confident smile appeared on Loki's face.
He switched to a three-dimensional map, displaying a diagram of the energy flow.
Countless blue lines were being drawn into the suspended Skynet Mainframe, while some red lines were discharged through the pipe system.
"Look," Loki said, pointing at the lines.
"AI is an absolutely rational system. Everything pursues efficiency. Its energy circulation and waste discharge—the timing, flow rate, and temperature—are all precisely calculated. It's as regular as breathing and never changes."
"And regularity means it can be predicted." His eyes gleamed.
"Between every cycle, there's a vacuum period lasting 1.7 seconds. And that is our ticket in."
Everyone froze.
They stared at the energy diagram and Loki's expression, unable to react for a moment.
Sif was the first to understand.
"You want to use that vacuum period to infiltrate it?" Her voice was filled with disbelief.
"Exactly." Loki snapped his fingers.
"Of course, we can't do it on our own. We need a little help."
His gaze turned to Thor, and to Thor's Hammer, covered in cracks, in Thor's hand.
Thor looked at his younger brother. He already understood his brother's bold, reckless plan. Then, he smiled.
"You want me to..."
"Yes, brother." Loki's smile grew even brighter.
"I need you to use your