Interlude #1

[ ALFRED POV OF ABSOLUTE BEAT-DOWN ]

I looked at the fools charging on ahead at my master without even thinking about the doom they had invited upon themselves after this.

My master is not a merciful man.

He will not leave any of them alive after this.

With a look of pity, I activate the close-range scanners to find Loki.

That bastard is a slippery one.

There was no way in hell that the one charging ahead on top of the Leviathan's head was the real Loki.

Ah, there he is.

Hiding right underneath the Leviathan's neck, riding on one of the Chitauri riders made invisible under his illusions, was Loki.

Tracking an Infinity stone's energy signature was so much easier if only you knew what to look for.

With a command, the right shoulder pad opened up and I fired a circular disc at Loki.

The look of utter surprise on his face as a black disc smacked right into his face out of nowhere was hilarious.

That same look turned into one of slight desperation as the runes inscribed onto the disc with the help of the Ancient One activated and negated the use of any energy manipulation abilities inside its sphere of influence.

The fool couldn't even use the sceptre as moving inside 1000G would be a bit tough even for his brother let alone him.

The Frost Giants were never known for their overwhelming brute force after all.

With that taken care of, I activated all the lasers available in my suit and watched as they cut down the horde of Leviathans down to a couple of stragglers and a single injured Leviathan which was barely floating as it was.

Cracking my knuckles, or at least imitating the actions as I was a super AI without a body, yet, I punched, kicked, smashed, and otherwise pulverized the remaining Chitauri into bloody pulps.

They really are the weakest army in Thanos' empire.

I shook my head, grabbed Loki's prison disc and floated over to the platform Master and our future allies were seated upon.

WAKANDA Council War Room

–King T'Chaka–

Today has turned out to be a very ominous day.

The news of figures of Norse Mythology emerging from blue portals was headache-inducing enough but the fact that somebody called upon an alien army to invade Earth through a portal turned this into a political nightmare.

Seeing the elders arguing with each other pointlessly, I shouted, "Enough! You are all respected tribe leaders and you will act like it."

The room finally quieted down after that.

The Merchant tribe's elder said, "I think we should consider sending in some aid that doesn't compromise our secrets. This should be an easier way to allow us to open up slightly to the world and also to get close in case we need to find out more about this organisation that has popped up out of nowhere."

I nod slightly, agreeing with her.

"Absolutely Not!", shouted the border tribe leader.

With spittle flying out of his mouth, he said, "We will not risk Wakanda's exposure for mere aid to the outsiders."

Just like that, the arguments started again.

Palming my forehead in frustration, I had finally had enough, "Silence! I will allow the release of aid to New York in terms of money as well as grains. No technology that might expose us will be shared. War Dogs will be dispatched to find out everything they can about the new organisation."

In front of them, the feed from one of the drones was being played.

At first, they thought that they might need to finally let the curtains loose and defend the planet but surprisingly, this team of Avengers managed to hold the entire invasion off with but a few casualties.

Upon closer examination, they could clearly see traces of vibranium being used in the Avengers' suits as well as the technology being used to construct those barriers.

Wakandan scientists managed to confirm that the shields were based on Wakandan tech but just at a much higher capacity.

The confirmation had all but sent all the elders into a frenzy. They wanted me to send the wardogs to have that man arrested and his entire army seized as Vibranium was Wakanda's property.

How could they not see that was impossible. The firepower shown off by them was of such a level that we would not be able to do anything without significant casualties. 

Now, they could clearly see the cordoned-off area of Manhattan where the invasion was occurring. The entirety of the area was sealed off completely.

GASP!

Upon hearing a sharp gasp beside him, he looked only to see the Elder's jaw slightly agape as they stared ahead at the screen.

Mmm? he looked at the screen only to freeze.

Dread pooled in his guts as he read the message.

On the hologram running in front of them that was showing the feed from one of the closest drones they had to the man, 'I AM COMING- BE PREPARED' was flashing in bright red letters.

Soon, the entire feed of the drone went offline.

"What happened?", he asked the operators.

He replied nervously, clearly not used to being in such a situation, "King T'Chaka, it seems that the man sensed our drone was nearby and deactivated it with a glance somehow. As for the message, we are not being hacked. I have checked and all outside communications are being monitored."

"Whoever they are, sir. They are much more advanced than us at least in the cybersecurity department."

"Do a complete sweep of all our communications systems. Find out how he entered our systems. Monitor all outgoing traffic."

"Yes, King T'Chaka.", he bowed and left the room.

I turned back to the Council and said, "Prepare for War. The man said that he will be here soon and with the firepower they have at their disposal, I am not willing to risk anything. We will not make the first shot in this meeting. If we do so, even if we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory at best."

Looking back at the screen, I said, "This could be a great opportunity for Wakanda. If we can ally ourselves with the man's organisation, the road ahead in these turbulent times will be much clearer for Wakanda."

I just hope that it doesn't invite ruin to our doorsteps, I thought somberly.

"Dismissed," I say to the council.

They bow and leave.

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Word Count - 1082

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