Chapter 88: The Three Princesses With a Charming Smile

Despite growing energy fluctuations, S.H.I.E.L.D. pressed forward with its weapons research on the Tesseract. Natasha sensed a shift in the atmosphere at Trudheim Manor. Something was off, but Thor hadn't mentioned anything, and she respected his silence.

She understood that Thor's lack of explanation was for her benefit as much as his own. Besides, within S.H.I.E.L.D., more and more agents were beginning to see her as aligned with Thor rather than the agency.

Late that night, a helicopter landed at a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Nick Fury and Maria Hill stepped off, greeted by the sight of personnel evacuating the premises. Fury's gaze was grim as he asked, "How bad is the situation?"

"The worst part is that we don't know," Phil Coulson replied. "Four hours ago, Dr. Erik detected an unusual burst of energy from the Tesseract. He wasn't running any experiments at the time—it activated on its own."

Fury's frown deepened. "What's the energy level?"

"It's still rising. We've evacuated most of the staff. Everyone should be out within the next half hour."

Maria Hill added, "Director, evacuating personnel alone won't solve this. We need to understand what's causing the energy spike."

"I know," Fury replied, "but right now, our priority is getting everyone and everything valuable out of here."

In the control room, Dr. Erik Selvig met Fury with a helpless expression. "The Tesseract isn't stable—it's highly active, completely out of control," Selvig said. "We tried cutting power, but it's an energy source on its own. Cutting power only makes it surge again. If we let it peak…"

"Isn't that what we're trying to do? Draw energy from the universe?" Fury asked.

Selvig shook his head. "There's a difference. We're not prepared yet. Actively channeling its energy is one thing; this—passively accepting it—is something else entirely."

A sense of unease filled Fury. Turning to Hawkeye, he asked, "What's your take? Seen anything unusual?"

"Nothing from our side," Barton replied. "Dr. Selvig didn't trigger anything."

Fury's eyes narrowed. "'Our side'?"

"That's right. If the Tesseract is a doorway, it doesn't make sense that only we can open it. What if something on the other side is trying to force it open?"

"Not yet," Selvig added, as if he, too, was unnerved. "We're not ready to face whatever's on the other side."

As if on cue, the Tesseract flared with an intense blue light, casting a glow across the room and illuminating the opposite platform.

A chill ran through Fury. Realizing that his unease had been a warning, he shouted, "Everyone, back away from the Tesseract! Weapons ready!"

On the platform, the blue energy swirled, taking on a humanoid form. Slowly, the shape solidified, revealing a figure in armor with a horned helmet—a devilish grin spreading across his face. The light dissipated, and Loki, with his elegant and menacing smile, looked up to meet the eyes of Fury and the agents, the devilish gleam unmistakable.

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