65. Taking away the Tesseract (Part 2)

'.....'= Thoughts 

"....."= Conversations 

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As the team got ready to move, unaware of the bigger trap waiting for them, far away in a hidden SHIELD bunker, Director Nick Fury stood with his arms crossed, watching a large screen showing the security feed. He looked calm, but there was a sharp intensity in his one visible eye. Beside him, Agent Phil Coulson had his usual calm look, though there was a bit of tension in the air. Standing next to Coulson was Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, who shifted restlessly. Her arms were at her sides, but her fingers flexed slightly, a sign that her mind was already racing with possibilities.

This wasn't a regular SHIELD base. Hidden behind layers of top-secret clearance and camouflaged to blend into the terrain above, it was one of SHIELD's most secure locations. It was built to hold objects of great power, and at its center was the Tesseract—the Space Stone. The facility had some of SHIELD's best defenses: automated energy shields, electromagnetic pulse barriers, and walls reinforced with vibranium to resist even the strongest attacks. But none of that would stop who was coming.

Cain stood silently at the back of the room, his pale eyes staring ahead as if seeing something far away. His ability to see the future, though flawed and incomplete, had given them an edge. He had seen Harry and his group a few days ago—their plans, their goals, and the moment they would come for the Tesseract.

Nick Fury trusted Cain's visions, even if they weren't always clear. Cain's power to glimpse the future, though unpredictable, had proven useful many times. And now, those visions had shown Fury what was coming: Harry and his team would show up, thinking they had the element of surprise, but SHIELD was ready.

"They're coming," Cain said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes were distant. "Just like I saw... but it's still blurry. Not everything is clear."

Fury nodded, a grim smile forming. "Blurry or not, we know enough to be ready."

Coulson stepped forward, his eyes on the screens showing different parts of the facility. "Do we know exactly how they plan to get in?"

Fury shook his head. "Not exactly. Cain's visions only show so much. But we know they're coming for the Tesseract, and they'll try to avoid a direct fight if they can. They'll want to be quick and quiet. In and out without anyone noticing. We won't let that happen."

Quake, her eyes narrowed, looked at Fury. "So, we let them come? What's the plan—wait until they're right in front of the Tesseract and then trap them?"

Fury glanced at her. "Exactly. Let them think they've won, then close the net."

Coulson crossed his arms, nodding. "They'll probably use magic, like they've been doing. We need to be ready for that."

"We are," Fury replied. "This place is equipped to mess with magical fields. If they try to open any portals, we'll know, and we'll be ready to shut it down. Once they're inside, we hit them with everything."

Quake looked at the screens again, watching as SHIELD patrols moved through the corridors. Security had been reinforced with an elite strike team, including top Inhuman operatives. Among them was Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez, a speedster, and James "Hellfire" Taylor, who could control fire.

"I hope Cain's vision is enough to make sure we're in the right place at the right time," Quake muttered.

Fury's voice cut through her doubts. "It will be. Harry and his team are strong, but they don't know we're expecting them. That will be their downfall."

Cain, finally focusing on the room around him, spoke quietly but confidently. "They'll be here soon."

The tension in the room grew. Everyone knew what was at stake. The Tesseract had too much power to fall into the wrong hands.

Coulson adjusted his suit jacket. "Everything's in place. Now we just wait."

Fury glanced at him. "We don't wait. We prepare."

---

Meanwhile, Harry and his team were making their final adjustments. Wei, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and checked the compass. The needle was pointing steadily in the same direction. They were close.

Harry stood up, his face serious. The time had come. They had a plan, and they had the tools to carry it out. The compass would lead them straight to the Tesseract, and Wei's portal would get them inside unnoticed—at least, that was the hope.

"Ready?" Harry asked, looking at his team.

Mark nodded firmly, his usual casual attitude gone. "Let's do this."

Sarah, her eyes glowing faintly with magic, stepped forward. "I'll be ready with defensive spells if we run into trouble. But if we stick to the plan, we should be able to avoid most of SHIELD's defenses."

Wei stood, a shimmer of the mirror dimension behind him as he prepared to open a portal. "We're as ready as we can be. The portal will take us just outside SHIELD's perimeter, where their security is weakest."

Harry looked at each of them, feeling the weight of responsibility. This mission would shape their future, and there was no room for mistakes.

"Alright," Harry said firmly. "Let's move."

Wei waved his hand, and a portal shimmered to life in front of them. The team stepped through without hesitation, emerging into the cool night air. Ahead of them was the SHIELD facility, its walls and defenses hidden beneath the surface.

Harry checked the compass. The needle was pointing straight ahead. They were on the right track.

"Stay close," Harry whispered as he led the way to the entrance. They moved quietly, sticking to the shadows and avoiding security patrols.

When they reached the outer wall, Wei gestured and created a shimmering doorway to the mirror dimension. As they stepped through, the world shifted into a ghostly, foggy version of itself. They could still see the facility, but it looked muted, as if seen through a haze.

"From here, we can bypass the physical defenses," Wei explained quietly. "We'll stay in the mirror dimension until we're right above the Tesseract."

Harry nodded, following Wei's lead. The team moved silently, scanning the distorted world around them for any danger. SHIELD's defenses were strong, but they had magic on their side.

However, as they moved deeper into the facility, none of them knew they were walking straight into a trap.

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