The night wind was cold, and the waves crashed against the base's breakwater.
On the tarmac.
Luca looked at the disheveled Fury with a mocking gaze.
"Director, your entrances are becoming more and more creative."
"Instead of using the main entrance, Hai drove an unmarked helicopter and forcibly entered private airspace."
"If JARVIS hadn't recognized your bald head, you'd be riddled with holes by anti-aircraft missiles by now."
Fury gritted his teeth, ignoring Luca's taunts.
He then took a deep breath, suppressing the humiliation in his heart, before slowly speaking.
" Luca Stark, I don't have time for jokes. Earth is about to face annihilation!"
"Oh? A catastrophe?"
Luca raised an eyebrow, showing some interest.
He strolled leisurely to the sofa in the room, sat down, and crossed his legs.
"Let me guess. Hydra has taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters?"
"Or did you get lost in the sewers and get bitten by a rat, and need to borrow my first-aid kit?"
"If it's just an internal power struggle within S.H.I.E.L.D.., then I can only apologize. Stark Industries is not involved in the coup; we're just here to sell the drugs and watch the show."
Fury was somewhat speechless.
Luca always has this nonchalant attitude.
"No, it has nothing to do with Hydra! It's that alien! That guy named Loki!"
Fury stepped forward, staring intently at Luca.
" Loki raided our research base, killed my men, and stole a dangerous energy source we call the Tesseract!"
" The Tesseract?"
Upon hearing the name, Luca raised an eyebrow slightly.
He didn't know what the Tesseract was, let alone what it represented.
But he knew one thing.
Loki, who had been defeated and forced to flee, didn't go back to his hometown. Instead, he went to the S.H.I.E.L.D.. base and stole this thing.
Something that would make a proud and arrogant god risk everything to steal while on the run must be a truly precious treasure!
"That's interesting."
Luca smiled slightly.
" Loki got beaten up like that by me, he's definitely looking for outside help or weapons to get revenge on me."
This shows that the so-called Tesseract is definitely not weak.
"Moreover, since it was stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D.., this must have been a S.H.I.E.L.D.. used to turn the tide."
Thinking of this, Luca smiled slyly.
He then picked up the drink on the table, took a sip, and remained nonchalant.
" Fury, I don't understand that."
Luca spread his hands, looking completely unconcerned.
" S.H.I.E.L.D..'s security was lax, allowing a petty thief to steal your treasure."
"Isn't this your own negligence? You lost it, so why should I clean up your mess?"
" Stark Industries is a legitimate business, not a freelance henchman for S.H.I.E.L.D.."
Fury was speechless for a moment, realizing that Luca, that bastard, was taking advantage of the situation.
" Luca! The Tesseract contains enough energy to destroy all of New York! If Loki uses it..."
"Stop."
Luca raised a finger, interrupting Fury.
"Director, if you want my help, you can."
"But I'm the kind of person who never does a deal that doesn't make me a profit."
"If you want me to make a move, put down your price."
Luca stood up and walked over to Fury, his gaze sharpening.
"I want S.H.I.E.L.D. map showing the locations of all of S. H. I. E. L. D.'s secret bases around the world, and I want priority access to all the undisclosed technologies you possess."
"Also, I need top-level access to S.H.I.E.L.D..'s intelligence network."
"If you agree, I'll help you capture Loki. If you don't agree..."
Luca pointed in the direction of the helicopter.
"The helicopter is over there. You can go back and continue playing hide-and-seek with Hydra."
Upon hearing this, Fury's face instantly turned ashen.
Luca's conditions are basically designed to completely drain S.H.I.E.L.D..!
They've handed over S.H.I.E.L.D. cards to Stark Industries!
This is extortion!
But does Fury have a choice now?
The headquarters was occupied, most of the elite troops were killed or wounded, and the Tesseract was stolen.
If they don't agree to Luca's Tesseract, not only will they lose the S.H.I.E.L.D.. will also be destroyed.
Fury closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if using all his strength.
"Okay... I promise you."
Fury opened his eyes and responded weakly.
"But I must tell you what the Tesseract really is before you understand the seriousness of the matter."
Seeing Fury compromise, Luca snapped his the Snap in satisfaction.
"That's more like it. Cooperation and mutual benefit are the true principles of modern society. Let's go to the conference room and talk about it in detail."
" JARVIS, find out where that bastard Pietro took Thor and went crazy."
"Tell him to bring Thor back to me immediately. I've got work to do."
"Yes, sir. Mr. Pietro is currently at a strip club on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. I have sent a mandatory recall order."
Luca's lips twitched slightly.
This kid learns bad habits faster than Master Wong.
A few minutes later.
In the base's conference room.
Luca sat in the main seat.
At that moment, Wanda, her hair still a little messy, walked in with a flushed face.
Seeing Fury's disheveled appearance, he was stunned for a moment, then obediently walked over and sat down next to Luca, keeping his head down and not saying a word.
The madness she had just experienced was still echoing in her mind, and she didn't dare to look Luca in the eye.
Luca smiled, naturally put his arm around Wanda's shoulder, and then looked at Fury.
"Alright, Chief. Now you can begin your story. What exactly is this so-called Tesseract?"
Seeing Luca's arrogant attitude, Fury suppressed his anger and spoke in a deep voice.
"This story begins during World War II."
Fury knew that lying or concealing things from Luca would be pointless and would only alienate him, potentially leading to a breakdown in the partnership.
Therefore, he had no choice but to tell the whole story.
"In 1942, Red Skull, the founder of Hydra, found this object, known as the Tesseract, in an old church in Norway."
" Red Skull used the energy within the Tesseract to create energy weapons far exceeding the technological level of the time, nearly winning World War II."
Later, during Captain America's final battle with Red Skull, the Tesseract fell into the deep sea.
Fury glanced at Luca, his tone becoming somewhat complicated.
"Years later, your father, Mr. Stark. Howard Stark, accidentally found the Tesseract while recovering Captain America's body from the deep sea and brought it back to S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"Since then, the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Tesseract has been kept in a secret S. H. I. E. L. D. base. We are studying it, trying to develop a technology that can provide an unlimited supply of clean energy."
At this point, Fury sighed.
"But tonight, Loki suddenly barged in."
"He possesses a powerful physique and a bizarre ability to control minds."
"Not only did they defeat the security personnel and brainwash a senior agent, but they also escaped with the Tesseract."
After listening to Fury's story, Luca stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.
"Found it in a church in Norway? The Red Skull used it to make weapons? Dad salvaged it?"
Luca grasped these key points.
Norway is the birthplace of Northern Europe mythology.
Given the appearance of Loki and Thor, this Tesseract is most likely connected to Asgard.
Moreover, Loki rushed to steal this thing immediately after being brutally beaten by himself.
This means that this thing represents his hope for turning the tide.
"It seems that the Tesseract is not only an energy source, but also a strategic weapon capable of changing the course of battle."
Luca was secretly making plans.
"Now that it's no longer in S.H.I.E.L.D..'s hands, once I take it back, won't it become Stark Industries ' private property?"
"Isn't this just evolution material delivered to our doorstep?"
Just as Luca was pondering...
"Boom!"
The conference room door was suddenly pushed open.
A silver blur flashed into the room in an instant.
Pietro stopped panting at the table, clutching a handful of pink feathers he'd ripped from one of the dancers.
Immediately afterwards, heavy footsteps sounded.
Thor strode into the conference room.
His face was flushed, clearly indicating he had drunk quite a bit.
Although his steps were a little unsteady, his spirits remained high.
"Hahaha! Luca! My friend!"
Thor burst in, laughing and opening his arms wide.
"Your striptease show in the Midgard was absolutely fantastic!"
"Those women's bodies are more supple than the Valkyries of Asgard!"
" Pietro showed me what real Midgard culture is like!"
"I've made up my mind. Once I regain my divine power, I'm going to open a tavern just like that in Asgard!"
Pietro coughed awkwardly twice, quickly hid the feather in his hand behind his back, and glanced guiltily at Luca.
Luca rolled his eyes in exasperation and pointed to Fury sitting opposite him.
"Alright, stop thinking like your lower bodies."
" Thor, your good brother Loki has just done something big."
" Loki?"
Upon hearing this name, Thor's drunkenness vanished almost instantly.
"What did he do now? Didn't he already leave?"
Thor's tone was somewhat complicated.
She felt both anger at being deceived and a hint of worry for her younger brother.
"You're wrong. Not only did he not leave Earth, he also went and robbed this bureau chief's warehouse."
Luca leaned back on the sofa and said calmly.
Loki stole something called the Tesseract.
"I heard this thing was found in a church in Norway, it contains infinite energy, and Loki even used it to teleport away."
" Tesseract? Infinite energy, teleportation?!"
Thor's eyes widened instantly upon hearing those words.
His previously dazed eyes became incredibly clear.
"You... you're sure what he stole can be teleported?!"
Thor rushed excitedly to Fury and yanked him off the chair.
"What does that thing look like?! Is it a Cosmic Cube that emits a blue light?!"
Fury was startled by the sudden action, but he still nodded, trying to appear calm.
"Yes, a blue cube. What? You recognize it?"
Damn it!
Thor released Fury, clutched his head in his hands, and paced anxiously back and forth in the conference room.
"He's gone mad! Loki has truly gone mad! He has no idea what he's taken!"
Seeing Thor's violent reaction, Luca and Fury realized the seriousness of the situation.
So Luca sat up straight.
" Thor, sit down. Tell me everything you know."
"What exactly is this Tesseract?"
Thor took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner anxiety.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at everyone present with a serious expression.
"You Midgardian call it the Tesseract, but in Asgard, it has a real name."
Thor said, enunciating each word clearly.
"It's called the Space Stone. It's one of the Six Infinity Stones created during the Big Bang at the beginning of the universe!"
Space Stone! Infinity Stones!
Upon hearing this, Fury's one eye narrowed sharply, and Luca's brows furrowed tightly.
Although they didn't understand what Infinity Stones were.
But that background alone is enough to be awe-inspiring.
" The Six Infinity Stones represent space, time, reality, power, Mind Stone, and soul."
Thor's voice echoed in the conference room as he continued to explain to everyone.
"The six Infinity Stones are the most powerful sources of energy in the universe. Possessing any one of them grants the power to destroy the world."
"And the Space Stone, as the name suggests, controls the laws of space in the universe."
Thor looked at Fury, his tone grave.
"With the Space Stone, you can instantly open a portal between any two points in the universe, allowing you to traverse endless galaxies."
"It can also be used to teleport an entire fleet directly from the edge of the universe to right above your heads!"
"The reason it's on Earth is because long ago, my father Odin hid it in the Norway Cathedral in Midgard to protect it from evil forces."
"Father believed that because of Midgard's backwardness, no one could discover the secret of the Space Stone."
As he spoke, Thor scratched his head in anguish.
"I should have thought of that!"
" Loki must have been resentful after being defeated; his proud pride couldn't bear such humiliation."
"Therefore, he must have sensed the energy fluctuations of the Space Stone in secret before trying to steal it!"
"What does he want to do?!" Fury couldn't help but ask, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
What is he trying to do? Isn't it obvious?
Thor gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with rage.
"I knew right away he wanted to use the Space Stone to open a wormhole!"
"He wants to summon an army to rule Midgard! He will wash away the humiliation you have suffered today with your blood!"
Silence fell over the meeting room after these words were spoken.
Military invasion?!
This news is even more disheartening than the Hydra infighting.
Fury slumped into his chair.
He finally realized how foolish he had been to forcibly extract the Tesseract's energy.
Not only did he fail to master the ultimate weapon, he also opened Pandora's box with his own hands.
Wanda gripped Luca's arm tightly, her eyes filled with tension.
Pietro swallowed hard.
"Good heavens, an army? A fleet? Is this going to be an interstellar war? I can't keep up with speed in space!"
However.
While everyone was gripped by shock and fear.
Luca, who was sitting in the main seat, suddenly laughed.
" Infinity Stones... Teleportation... Army..."
The more Luca thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.
To others, this was an apocalypse that would destroy the Earth.
But in Luca's eyes...
Isn't this just a free lunch?!
"Just when I was wondering how to continue improving, the Space Stone came to me of its own accord."
"Most importantly..."
Luca looked at Fury, who was still in despair, and his smile became even more arrogant.
Loki not only helped him steal S.H.I.E.L.D..'s trump card, but also delivered it to him from afar for free.
What's this?
This is Stark Industries ' employee of the year!
Luca stood up and raised his glass.
"Everyone, don't be so pessimistic."
"No matter what kind of fleet he summons, and no matter how powerful the gem is."
"On Earth, there are no invaders, only losers."