The somber atmosphere in the conference room was completely shattered. Tony's eyes were filled with a chilling clarity as he finally understood Loki's every thought.
He tapped his fingertips heavily on the table, speaking rapidly, each sentence piercing Loki's true nature.
"I understand him now, I understand him from beginning to end."
Loki's ambitions have never stopped at conquering Earth and launching an invasion; he is an extreme megalomaniac and an extreme performer. He craves submission, craving admiration, and a global audience.
"He fought us, plotted, schemed, and instigated infighting, not simply for the war, but for the stage."
"He needs everyone to witness his victory, to see him trample the earth, to rise above all beings, to bask in the world's fear, flowers, and applause. He wants to stand atop a unique, iconic building that symbolizes the entire city, even the entire nation, and from there, he will crown himself with his so-called monarchy."
As Tony finished speaking, anger flared in his eyes. He instantly understood everything and gritted his teeth, letting out a low curse.
"That bastard!"
Everyone turned to look, their hearts sinking.
They share a strikingly similar arrogance, an unparalleled flamboyance, and a shared love of standing at the top, overlooking everything, and basking in the spotlight.
Loki's inherent paranoia and arrogance are practically identical to his former self, who was once unruly, flamboyant, and sharp-tongued.
That's why no one understands Loki's mind better than Tony.
The battlefield he sought was never a remote wilderness or an uninhabited sea, but rather New York, with its massive population, high visibility, and dazzling landmarks!
And that iconic building that allowed him to stand tall and be crowned king— Stark Tower!
The Tesseract has always been hidden there; it's Loki's final chessboard, and also his special stage for the grand finale!
The location is New York, Stark Tower.
Tony said in a deep voice, his words settling the matter completely.
The expressions of everyone in the conference room changed instantly. All the fragmented clues, the bizarre layout, and the deliberate calculations were now connected and linked together.
Loki deliberately got arrested, deliberately caused internal strife, deliberately delayed things, and deliberately placed the Tesseract's Cube to lurk and develop.
His entire plan was to tear open an interstellar portal in the heart of bustling New York City, allowing an alien army to descend upon the city in public.
He wanted to defeat the Avengers and conquer the Earth in front of the whole world to satisfy his extreme vanity and ambition.
The truth was finally revealed, and all the pent-up frustration, anger, and repression in everyone's hearts transformed into a fierce fighting spirit.
Having weathered the infighting on the mothership, Coulson's "sacrifice," and life-or-death crises, the Avengers are now truly united as one.
Steve gripped his Vibranium Shield tightly, his eyes as resolute as steel.
"All personnel are ready for battle, heading to New York."
Now fully awake, Banner took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
"I can control him, this time I can. Hulk is our weapon."
Natasha composed herself, letting go of her grief, revealing only the calm and sharp demeanor of a top agent. She gripped her Seven Wolves belt and her personal weapon tightly, her posture upright.
" Hawkeye is awake and adjusting his state; he is ready to join the battle at any time."
Thor suppressed his weariness and helplessness, his eyes blazing with anger. He was fighting for Earth, and also to personally stop his stubborn, erroneous brother, and said in a deep voice.
"I will stop Loki and end this farce."
Everyone performed their duties and quickly got ready.
Rimuru, however, remained relaxed, showing no signs of tension about the impending battle. He stood leisurely to the side, his mind already fully prepared.
The Battle of New York has fully erupted, with the alien Chitauri Army pressing in, plunging Earth into crisis.
The land approval for the medium-sized city-level base that he just negotiated is now secure.
The bigger the commotion, the more dangerous the situation becomes, and the more reasonable and tacitly approved his advanced infrastructure, secret bases, and Cybertron reserve plans become.
Of course, while he enjoys watching the excitement, he won't slack off when it's time to take action.
I also helped quell the chaos among these temporary teammates; it was just a side job.
Nick Fury looked at the fully assembled Avengers Squad, a deep glint in his eyes.
You made the right bet.
This staged death completely smoothed out everyone's rough edges, forging a team that could truly fight side by side against the enemy.
" Quinjet, stand by!" Fury ordered in a deep voice. "Target: Manhattan, New York. All forces, launch an attack and intercept the alien invasion!"
The hatch opened, and the fighter jet engines roared to life again.
Steve, Tony, Thor, Banner, and Natasha boarded the plane one by one, all brimming with fighting spirit and ready for battle.
Rimuru the last to slowly step onto the fighter jet, casually closing the hatch behind him. A look of schadenfreude played in his eyes as he quietly awaited his departure for the battlefield.
Beneath the clouds, the still-prosperous New York remains unaware that an apocalyptic crisis is imminent.
At the top of Stark Tower, the hidden Tesseract is poised to unleash its power, awaiting Loki's final activation of the portal to unleash the galactic army's revelry.
After the Avengers flew to the New York battlefield in their fighter jets, the roar of the planes gradually faded away.
The S.H.I.E.L.D.. command center fell silent instantly, with only the beeping of instruments in the background.
At this point, Hill finally couldn't hold back any longer; the doubts in his heart simply couldn't be suppressed any longer.
She turned to look at Fury, and asked him a question with a puzzled expression.
Actually, she always remembered one thing: Coulson never put his treasured cards in his coat.
I usually keep them all carefully stored in a hidden compartment in the wardrobe; they're like precious treasures, and I never take them out on field trips.
"Chief, those cards weren't in his combat jacket at all; he always kept them carefully in his closet."
After listening, Fury sighed helplessly, his eyes filled with emotion.
He actually knew the whole truth from the very beginning.
"Of course I know it's not in my coat."
"But think about these Avengers, they're all pretty stubborn."
Tony is arrogant and conceited, while Steve is too principled.
Banner was afraid he would lose control, and Thor, being an outsider, simply wouldn't listen to commands.
" Rimuru, it's good enough that he's not giving me orders."
To put it bluntly, each of these people is very strong individually, but they lack unity.
No one gave a reason; they simply couldn't agree on anything.
That's why I arranged it this way on purpose.
"They need an opportunity to truly unite, and they also need a driving force to fight tooth and nail."
Hill understood immediately after hearing this and didn't ask any more questions.
To put it bluntly, Fury deliberately used Coulson's regret to tightly bind the loosely organized team together.
The scene shifts, and chaos has broken out in Manhattan, New York.
Tony, clad in his armor, was the first to rush to the top of Stark Tower.
As soon as I got back to the rooftop, I saw Dr. Selvig at a glance.
The doctor was acting very strangely at that moment; his eyes were vacant and unfocused.
It was clear that Loki had completely taken control of him.
He pressed his hands against the activation device in front of him, and the machine was frantically accumulating energy.
A faint blue light emanated from his fingertips.
Upon seeing the two approach, the doctor's tone was icy, devoid of any emotion.
"It's too late, I really can't stop."
" The Tesseract's Cube program has finished running and can't be stopped."
Without saying a word, Tony raised his hand and fired the cannon, intending to blast the device to pieces.
After the flames from the explosion subsided, everyone finally understood what had happened.
The device was encased in a blue energy shield that was incredibly hard.
The shot we just fired didn't even leave a mark.
Passersby on the street downstairs also noticed that something was wrong.
The rooftop was filled with blue light and explosions; nothing seemed normal.
Quiet whispers began to circulate in the crowd, and the panicked atmosphere gradually dissipated.