66. Confrontation

'.....'= Thoughts 

"....."= Conversations 

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Harry and his team arrived in the center of SHIELD's most secure room, where the Tesseract was kept, still within the Mirror dimension. Wei had used his powers to place them directly above the chamber, but they had to get past the room's strong defenses to reach the artifact. The room was filled with high-tech obstacles—flashing energy shields, electromagnetic barriers disrupting electronics, and thick vibranium walls glowing faintly. Drones floated near the ceiling, scanning the room for any intruders.

Moving quickly and quietly, each team member fell into their assigned role. Wei led the way, carefully observing the security measures. Thanks to the mirror dimension, he had a clear view of the room and the technicians working at the consoles embedded in the walls. They seemed like ordinary SHIELD staff, completely unaware of the impending breach.

"Everyone stay alert," Harry commanded. "We need to get to the Tesseract, disable those defenses, and get out before they notice us."

Harry's plan was risky but simple: use the mirror dimension to access SHIELD's secure facility, get past the defenses, and grab the Tesseract before anyone could react. The mirror dimension allowed them to avoid detection and navigate through the high-tech obstacles. Once they reached the Tesseract, Wei would drop the mirror dimension, and they would enter the real world to neutralize the defenses and secure the artifact.

Wei nodded, his expression serious. He gestured, causing the doorway of the mirror dimension to vanish, bringing them back into the actual chamber. The defenses became visible—pulsing energy shields, twisting electromagnetic barriers, and the nearly indestructible vibranium walls. The drones continued to patrol, their sensors scanning for any signs of intruders.

The technicians, focused on their tasks, appeared oblivious to the unfolding events. With every passing second, Harry felt his heart race. They needed to act fast—disable the defenses, retrieve the Tesseract, and escape before anyone caught on.

Suddenly, without warning, flames erupted from an unexpected source, surging toward them with alarming intensity. The team was taken by surprise, and the flames began to singe the edges of their protective gear.

Harry reacted instinctively. He raised his hands and focused on a spell he had learned, creating a massive Earth Barrier that shielded them from the fire. The barrier, a swirling mass of earth and rock, absorbed the flames, glowing from the heat.

"Hold the line!" Harry shouted, his voice echoing in the chamber.

However, the moment of safety was brief. A figure emerged from the chaos—a technician who was not ordinary at all. Quake, known for her seismic powers, had been posing as one of the technicians. With a swift move, she unleashed a powerful tremor aimed at Harry's Earth Barrier.

The shockwave hit the barrier, shattering it into pieces. The flames, now free, surged toward them with renewed strength, threatening to engulf the team.

Mark was quick to act. Focusing intently, he recited a spell and summoned a Barrier of his own. The glowing Barrier encircled the team, intercepting the fire. Although the heat was intense, the Barrier held strong, absorbing the flames and protecting them.

The chamber became chaotic, filled with elemental forces and magical defenses. Things were spiraling out of control.

While Mark and Wei handled the fire, Harry, Sarah, and Emma focused on dismantling the barriers around the Tesseract.

But just as they began their task, a chilling realization struck: the Tesseract was gone. Panic surged through Harry as he pulled out his compass. The needle spun wildly before pointing with clarity—the Tesseract was still in the room, but now at the far end, far from where they stood.

Harry's gaze snapped to the opposite side of the chamber, where three figures stood prominently. Quake and Hellfire were at the forefront, their expressions fierce. But behind them, Harry's heart raced as he recognized the figures—Fury, with his one visible eye glinting with amusement, and next to him, a woman holding the Tesseract, its blue glow illuminating her face. To Harry's shock, Alexander Pierce was also present, a figure known for working behind the scenes.

Fury smirked, a mixture of challenge and taunt in his expression. "Did you really think you could just walk in here and take the Tesseract? We've been expecting you."

Quake's fingers twitched, ready to unleash her powers at any moment.

More armed agents began entering the room, Coulson leading them. Coulson's hand hovered near his weapon, and the agents behind him were armed with advanced weaponry.

Harry looked at Wei, who nodded slightly. They were ready to fight their way out if things went south.

Fury continued, "You might want to think twice before doing anything stupid. This facility has technology that can disrupt your magic. Try anything, and you'll be neutralized before you can blink."

Harry was taken aback; he had no idea SHIELD had such technology capable of disrupting magic. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were in an alternate universe.

'Is this really an alternate universe?' he wondered, recalling similar situations.

Harry exchanged serious looks with Wei.

"Ten minutes," a voice suddenly echoed in Harry's mind. He nodded, understanding that Wei needed at least ten minutes to create a stable portal for their escape.

"You're not leaving with the Tesseract," Fury declared, his tone final. "But I'll give you one chance to walk out of here at all."

"We're not leaving without the Tesseract," Harry replied firmly.

Fury's eye narrowed. "Then this is where it ends."

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