Marvel: The Villain

Chapter 314 Deck

"Whoa..."

The satellite imagery transmitted to the Helicarrier’s main screen triggered a wave of cheers from the SHIELD agents in the command center. For years, SHIELD had engaged in a grueling game of wits against the Joker Organization, never gaining even the slightest upper hand. Today, it seemed this long, exhausting war of attrition was finally coming to an end.

Many agents were moved to tears, but Fury, the commander, didn’t let a single trace of joy show on his face. He was a man of chronic suspicion; he would never relax until the final card was played and the outcome was absolute.

"Lab, run another Gamma-ray sweep. Even Thor can’t destroy an Infinity Stone."

"Understood, Director. It will take approximately three hours to complete the scan."

"Good."

Fury gripped the railing of the command deck, his heart a knot of tension and hope. The final verdict of this war would be revealed in three hours.

*

High above the clouds, a SHIELD transport plane approached the Helicarrier.

A command center agent followed protocol: "Transport 66B, please provide approach code. We have your profile, but no flight record on file. State your cargo, over."

"Weapons and ammunition, over," Came the reply.

"Stand by... over."

The transport climbed slowly, circling above the Helicarrier. Suddenly, the cargo bay door slid open. A masked man in tactical gear stood there, aiming a shoulder-fired missile at the carrier.

BOOM!

The missile streaked through the air, scoring a direct hit on one of the carrier’s engines. The explosion caused severe damage, and the turbine engine began to decelerate and stall. The Helicarrier, usually a stable fortress, began to tilt and sway as it lost a quarter of its propulsion.

In the ensuing chaos, the transport landed on the deck. Hundreds of fully armed soldiers poured out, entering the carrier’s interior through emergency access tunnels. Alarms blared as combat personnel rushed to the armory.

"Report!" Fury barked.

"Director, there’s been an external explosion. That transport was a Trojan horse!"

Loki! Fury thought instantly.

With SHIELD and the Joker Organization having bled each other dry and Jason’s status unknown, it was the perfect opening for the God of Mischief.

"Director, Engine 3 is down. If we lose another one, we’re going into the ocean," An agent reported.

"Can it be fixed?" Fury asked urgently.

"The turbine itself is intact, but someone needs to get out there and manually jumpstart the restart sequence."

Fury immediately patched through to Tony. "Stark, what’s your status?"

On the battlefield, Stark sounded confident. "Everything’s green over here. We’ve got a five-to-one advantage; winning is just a matter of time. By the way, Thor just leveled the mountain. Is Jason toast?"

"We don’t know yet," Fury replied. "I need you to bring the Mark series back to the Helicarrier immediately. Loki’s people are here. We’ve lost an engine and I need you to fix it."

Stark let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Talk about bad timing for Loki. He really picked the wrong window."

As the call ended, Fury, acting on instinct, sent a squad of soldiers to the detention level where Loki was being held.

Down in the brig, Loki had been standing quietly. As the distant sounds of explosions and gunfire reached his ears, a slow, wicked smile spread across his face. The plan was in motion.

RAT-TAT-TAT!

A burst of gunfire echoed outside the cell. Moments later, a man in a SHIELD uniform appeared. He glanced at Loki before walking to the console and disengaging the cell door. Loki stepped out, his face a mask of smug satisfaction.

These mortals are so naive. Knowing they had a flying fortress, did they really think I wouldn’t plant seeds in advance?

"Sir," The agent said respectfully, "Fury just sent a squad down here."

Loki smiled. "The carrier is in your hands now."

"It would be my honor."

Just as they left the brig area, the agents Fury had dispatched arrived. However, even within this group, there were puppets under Loki’s control. They turned on their teammates, and a firefight erupted in the hallway. Loki, the eye of the storm, simply walked past the carnage like a casual passerby, heading toward the exit without breaking his stride.

Reaching the deck, Loki boarded a waiting transport and took off. In the distance, he saw a swarm of Iron Man suits flying toward the carrier.

"Heh. Too late, Tin Man," Loki said. He turned to the pilot. "What is the situation below?"

The pilot reported, "Heavy casualties on both sides. Total death toll exceeds ten thousand. SHIELD’s Agent Romanoff is confirmed dead, Captain America is missing, the Joker’s David is critically injured, and Alex is MIA..."

"Natasha? Ah, that wretched woman," Loki said dismissively. "And what of Jason?"

"Jason is hidden; he hasn’t appeared at all. But Thor called down a strike that ripped a hole through the mountain. It appears that was his hiding spot."

Loki nodded, pleased. "My dear brother never fails to disappoint. And Dr. Selvig?"

"He’s at Stark Tower. The device is installed. The Tesseract is ready for activation."

Loki grinned. "Perfect. Everything is proceeding as I envisioned. Soon, this planet will be mine."

*

Tony arrived with his Iron Legion, and the insurrection on the Helicarrier was swiftly put down. He managed to restart the damaged turbine, stabilizing the massive ship.

Walking into the command center in his armor, Stark asked, "All sorted. Is Jason really dead?"

Fury shook his head. "Unknown. We have to wait for the Gamma sweep."

Stark knew they couldn’t rush the science. "Loki’s gone. What’s the move?"

"War," Fury said. "There’s only one way to settle this now."

"Where is he going to call his army?"

Fury turned around, a grim look in his eye. "High foot traffic, a recognizable landmark, tall buildings... Manhattan has exactly what he needs."

Stark froze for a second before cursing. "Shit! That son of a bitch!"

Fury nodded in agreement. "Get your suits ready."

"You expect me to take on an alien army alone?" Stark asked dryly.

"Hardly. Two of the Helicarrier’s fighter squadrons will support you, and the military has two armored divisions deployed in New York. Once the portal opens, reinforcements will be constant."

Stark nodded, slightly mollified. "And the battlefield?"

"Don’t worry about the field," Fury said. "The Joker’s executives are no match for Thor."

Having witnessed Thor’s power firsthand, Stark didn’t argue. He snapped his faceplate shut and launched from the deck.

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