The Helicarrier Battle Begins, the Terminators Clear the Field, and Hulk Is About to Lose Control

Rimuru asked a quiet question, and the noisy command room fell deathly silent.

Everyone froze. The hostility and tightly wound anger on their faces faded completely, replaced by embarrassment, lingering fear, and sudden realization.

They all lowered their heads, recalling how they had lost control moments earlier.

A few differences in ideas and positions had been blown wildly out of proportion. They had argued red-faced and gone head-to-head, nearly causing the Avengers to break apart and go their separate ways.

Everyone turned to Loki's Scepter, which floated quietly nearby, tightly enclosed in a transparent barrier.

A chill ran through them all.

So that was it.

From beginning to end, this had been the most crucial part of Loki's plan.

The Mind Stone had silently radiated its influence, magnifying suspicion, stirring up irritation, and intensifying conflict, deliberately luring them into fighting among themselves and falling apart before the battle even began.

Having realized all this, everyone fell silent, left with nothing but profound shame.

Rimuru looked at the superheroes before him, now calm and exchanging awkward glances, and couldn't help launching into a tirade, his face full of exasperation at their failure to live up to expectations:

"I really can't believe you guys."

"The enemy's at the gates, an alien army is about to descend on us, and before the fighting has even started, you've already argued yourselves apart."

"You took the Avengers, a team that was supposed to be impressive as hell, and argued it into a makeshift outfit with no teamwork whatsoever."

Their cheeks burned, and they had no answer.

Thinking back on their childish, out-of-control argument, they could only lower their heads in silence. It really had been absurd and embarrassing, with none of the composure or perspective expected of top-tier fighters and guardians of the world. They