"Unwise these experiments are. Dangerous the Tesseract is." Master Yoda warned
Shield Director Nick Fury facial expressions was blank as he took in the Jedi Grandmaster's words. Deputy Director Maria Hill folded her arms and glared at Master Yoda. The Tesseract a cube almost as large as the diminutive small and green Yoda glowed a bright blue. It sat behind him on a raised platform.
"We have the greatest scientific minds examining the Tesseract. Dr. Selvig is an expert in astrophysics and understands the risks involved with using this technology."
"Meant to be used not all power is." Yoda replied solemnly
"Master Yoda might have a point. We are tapping into this power thinking it's only a matter of time before we control it. Whose to say we are not just shining a giant Beacon for other forces to take the Tesseract for themselves." Agent Barton called out
Agent Barton stood on a guard tower 20 feet high looking directly down at the Fury, Hill and Yoda.
"You're supposed to be keeping an eye out Hawkeye not listening in." Hill called out
"Agent Barton and Master Yoda make good points. We should put Project Pegasus on a brief pause and reasses what we've learned with Dr. Selvig." Fury replied
Director Fury touched his earpiece and contacted Agent Coulson who was standing guard with the S.T.R.I.K.E team outside the entrance to the facility. Coulson was 1,000 feet above where the Tesseract was. Experimenting on the Tesseract in an underground lab served as an extra precaution should anyone get past him and his team.
"Agent Coulson. We're going into a Beta level lock down. We need to confer with Dr. Selvig on the state of the Tesseract. Until you receive the secret password from an Agent with the appropriate clearance level don't let anyone enter or exit this facility. This includes any Jedi who attempts to leave or exit."
"Yes sir. I'll be sure to pass along the message to the Strike team."
"Ok Dr. Selvig let's meet in the conference room and discuss your findings."
Dr. Selvig standing at a computer module near the Tesseract walked over to Director Fury. Despite being shorter than Deputy Director Hill and past middle age he walked with confidence toward Director Fury.
"There's still so much we don't know but so much to explain that we've learned just yesterday. The energy radiating from the Tesseract is pulsating at an exponential rate. That Hawkeye you have sitting in your nest up there-"
"Don't start Dr. Selvig, Agent Barton leads your personal security detail." Fury said sternly
"I wasn't starting anything only stating that Agent Barton has a point. Some outside force has tapped into the Tesseract's energy output."
Yoda slumped to the ground clutching his head. A rumbling sound began to echo from the Tesseract itself.
"Coming in someone is." Yoda said weakly
"We need to clear the area immediately. Agent Coulson we are going to start a level one evac. Only authorized personnel can exit unless directed by an Agent with the appropriate security clearance."
At the moment an explosive wave of blue energy washed over the room. The force of the blast flung everyone to the ground. A tall man with ornate green robes and a long silver metal staff stared at the room. He saw Shield Agents stumble to their feet and aim their weapons at him. He smiled shaking his head at what he believed was foolishness disguised as courage.
"Put the spear down intruder. You are surrounded by the most skilled combatants on Earth." Fury warned aiming his own blaster at the tall man
Almost 100 Agents formed a loosely defined circle around Loki.
"I'm not a theif seeking to steal the Tesseract and flee. I'm a liberator who aims to free you from the burdens you are forced to carry. My name is Loki of Asgard and I bring glad tidings for the people of Earth. My glorious purpose is that I grant you freedom."
"You say you want to bring freedom but I think you mean the other thing." Fury retorted
"Too great for you to control this power is. Stop before anyone gets hurt you must." Yoda warned
"You fools. Being free from freedom is a blessing that I'm here to give you. You are the ones not meant to weild power. I on the other hand was born to weild it. Earth as my throne is my birthright. You don't understand the larger forces that brought me here, to ensure I'd arrive here safely. If you don't grasp that reality now perhaps I should show you."
Yoda tapped into the Force and everything slowed down. He sheathed his walking stick and drew his lightsaber as he jumped into the air. Loki twisted his staff towards Yoda and a circle of light shielded Loki from Yoda's strike with his lightsaber. The energy from the staff propelled Yoda backwards and then Loki fired a beam from his staff killing several Agents.
Agents dived behind objects for cover but Hawkeye snuck behind Loki aiming his bow and arrow at him. Before Barton could fire Loki pressed the staff to his chest. Barton gave Loki a blank stare and stood still.
"Let Hawkeye go Loki! I'm the one in charge. Go after me!" Fury yelled
"You have heart. Now tell me what he's planning." Loki instructed
Loki walked around touching the chests of other Agents as they lay on the ground struggling to get to their feet. He found Dr. Selvig hiding behind a crate next to an unconscious Master Yoda and touched his staff on Dr. Selvig's chest. Dr. Selvig walked behind Agent Barton a distant look on his face.
"He's stalling. There's an emergency protocol in place in case the Project Pegasus facility is breached. Explosives hidden in the laboratory buries everything in a thousand feet of rock and dirt. Nobody in or out without authorized personnel. Director Fury is holding the Tesseract within the briefcase." Barton explained
"You're grand plan to defeat me is to bury me?" Loki questioned
"Just like the Pharoah's of old. So it looks like you came all this way for nothing."
"Kill him." Loki ordered
Barton fired his arrow at Director Fury and he vanished.
"Where did he go?" Dr. Selvig asked startled
"Never mind. We'll escape using the Tesseract."
Loki extracted the Tesseract from Fury's briefcase which one of his controlled Shield Agents took earlier. He channeled the energy within the Tesseract using his staff and teleported himself, Barton, Dr. Selvig and his team of Shield Agents out of the facility. Fury slowly got to his feet as they vanished.
Fury's holocube which depicted a hologram of him that spoke to Loki shut down and its white light faded. Master Yoda slowly got to his feet clutching his walking stick.
"Bad this is, needed the Force is." Yoda declared
"That's not all we need. Coulson it's time we activate the Avengers Initiative. We need all the help we can get to stop Loki."
YOU ARE READING
Avengers Wars Episode I: Steps Into Shadow
FanfictionIts 2011 and chaos has struck the world. A Shield facility was attacked and a powerful item of cosmic origin known as the Tesseract was stolen. The culprit is a Frost Giant named Loki of the pocket dimension Asgard whose employer is unknown. Shield...
