Chapter 107: Internal Strife

The group argued back and forth, descending into chaos, with no one willing to yield to the others.

Dr. Banner’s composure was shattering; he was on the verge of an outburst.

"What kind of team are we?" Dr. Banner asked. "No, put us all together and we’re just a mess."

"Are you only one step away from losing your temper?" Nick Fury asked, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

Tony, however, couldn't have cared less. "Why don't we let him blow off some steam?" he said, casually draping an arm over Steve’s shoulder.

That was the last straw for Steve.

"Is making things worse your only goal? Get off."

"I’d like to see you make me," Tony retorted, his own anger mounting to the point where he was tempted to pick a fight with Steve right then and there.

"Yeah, you’re a big man in a suit of armor," Steve said, circling Tony. "Take that off, and what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

Steve pressed on, mercilessly. "I’ve known people worth ten of you. I’ve seen the files; you only fight for yourself. You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

Steve was referencing a hero from World War II who had thrown himself onto electrified barbed wire to lower it, allowing his teammates to cross.

"I think I’d just cut the wire," Tony replied. He didn't mean he would selfishly run away, but rather that he would find a better solution.

Steve, however, felt he had won the argument. He cast a triumphant glance at Dr. Banner and said, "You’re always looking for the easy way out. You may not be a threat, but you should stop playing the hero."

Tony was incensed. He had never imagined that the man his father had held in such high regard could be like this. In truth, Tony’s own hero complex was partly inspired by Steve, but today, he felt nothing but profound disappointment.

"A hero? Like you? Steve Rogers, you’re just a laboratory experiment. Everything you are comes from that serum. Without it, you’re nothing."

Steve stared at Tony, defiant. "Put on your suit. Let’s see what you’re really made of."

Just as they were about to come to blows, Thor began to act erratically.

"You puny little humans, you are truly laughable."

"Right, this is a team."

The group was struck by a moment of dazed clarity, a sign that Loki’s mental influence was beginning to wane. The spell had stoked their inner rage and clouded their reason, but it had not fully controlled them.

"Natasha," Nick Fury said, "would you mind escorting Dr. Banner back to his quarters?"

Banner did not calm down. Instead, he replied with a sneer, "My quarters? Didn't you lend them to Loki?"

"That cage was just a precaution," Fury began, trying to explain, but Banner wasn't buying it.

"In case you needed to kill me? I’ve tried, and it didn't work. I hit a low point once—put a bullet in my mouth—and the other guy spit it out, so I survived."

Everyone noticed something was wrong with Banner. As their own reason slowly returned, Banner seemed to be spiraling toward an extreme. They stared at him, transfixed.

"I tried to help people; I was happy for a while. But then you dragged me into this circus of freaks, and now everyone is realizing the danger."

"Want to know my secret, Black Widow? Want to know how I stay calm?"

Nick Fury placed his hand on his holster, ready to draw his weapon at any moment. "Dr. Banner," he warned cautiously, "put down the scepter."

Only then did Banner realize that, without even knowing it, he had picked up Loki’s scepter. He had no memory of when he had grabbed it.

At that moment, the computer beeped. Dr. Banner snapped back to reality, suppressing the fury in his heart.

"Found it."

"Sorry, gentlemen, it seems I won't be putting on a transformation show for you."

"Did you locate the Tesseract?" Tony asked. "I can head out first."

"The Tesseract belongs to Asgard," Thor interjected. "Humans cannot control it."

"You can't go alone," Steve said, grabbing Tony. Tony shook his hand off. "Are you trying to stop me?"

Steve’s good intentions were met with hostility, and his own anger overcame his reason once more. "Put on your suit and let’s settle this."

"At the very least, I’m better than some old man."

Tony’s rage flared again, and the two were once again at each other's throats. Dr. Banner, staring at the data on the screen, couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"Oh my God."

The data on the screen matched the carrier’s coordinates perfectly—the enemy was already on board the helicarrier.

Sensing the impending danger, Gwen instinctively lunged toward Michael, but Michael pulled her into his arms, a massive red magical shield appearing at his side to successfully protect her.

A deafening explosion rocked the ship, the shockwave shattering the glass. Steve instinctively tackled Tony, shielding him with his own body. Nick Fury was knocked to the ground by the blast; because he was positioned in the center, he escaped the worst of it. Thor, being a god, was naturally sturdy even without his armor and remained unharmed.

The most catastrophic damage occurred where Natasha and Dr. Banner had been standing. They were closer to the blast; the floor collapsed, sending them plummeting to the decks below.

"Suit up," Steve said to Tony.

"Agreed." Tony scrambled to his feet to retrieve his armor.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. alarm blared, and combat personnel immediately scrambled to their stations, arming themselves for battle. But more explosions rocked the engine room. This time, the hatch controls were disabled in the main command center, forcing them to open manually. Worse still, the lights in the corridors went out and the surveillance system failed, leaving them like fish in a barrel.

The infiltrators realized the situation, but instead of worrying, they were emboldened. It worked in their favor. They were wearing S.H.I.E.L.D. gear and could easily be mistaken for allies, though they had their own way of identifying each other. Though they were few in number, they held the advantage of time, place, and surprise. The initiative was entirely in their hands.

Nick Fury stood up and immediately hailed Hill in the command center.

"Hill!"

Hill reported instantly: "External explosion, Engine Three is down. Internal explosions in the engine room; surveillance, hatches, and lighting are all unresponsive."

Worst of all, Peter’s voice crackled over the comms: "Can someone help? Max has lost control!"

Max had lost control? Michael was surprised. In his view, Max had a stable temperament; he shouldn't have lost control. Was this Loki’s doing?

"Gwen, go assist Peter. Remember, Max is afraid of water. Force him into physical form, then use a water-based attack to temporarily neutralize his powers. Destroy his suit, then use the electricity-draining device to subdue him completely."