Chapter Ninety-Two: The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier

Michael felt irritated as he watched Steve; this guy was the quintessential American.
“Do all former soldiers love to stand on moral high ground and criticize others? Or does he still think he’s the captain?”
Natasha glanced at him helplessly and could only persuade, “Steve was still the captain before he was frozen. It’s normal that he can’t adjust so quickly.”
Steve began to display his leadership skills, addressing Dr. Banner, “I heard you can find the Cube.”
Dr. Banner nodded, looking quite anxious.
“Did you hear about anything else?”
“I only care about this.”
Steve’s words brought Banner some comfort.
In truth, Steve was simply making small talk; he was deeply afraid of Banner transforming into the Hulk, whereas Tony didn’t care at all.
Michael watched the two old-timers strike up a conversation and form a united front, finding it somewhat dull.
Suddenly, a broadcast sounded across the deck, urging everyone to clear it quickly and not linger.
Everyone moved into action, except for their group, who still had time to chat.
Michael sighed in resignation, “Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps we should head inside. Soon, the air here will become very thin, and you won’t be able to breathe.”
Dr. Banner didn’t fully grasp Michael’s meaning and asked, puzzled, “Is this a submarine?”
Steve ignored Michael’s warning, placing more trust in Banner’s words.
“Is that so?”
Banner was still worried about his own transformation, feeling as if someone wanted to harm him.
“Are they planning to keep me sealed in a pressurized metal container underwater?”
Michael let out a speechless sigh.
People, he thought, sometimes being too confident is not a good thing.
“Dr. Banner, do you really think you’re that important? Would it take wasting an entire aircraft carrier to subdue you? Shouldn’t you consider whether you’re worth such expense?”
Finally, all engines of the carrier roared to life, and the vessel slowly ascended, its massive engines rising out of the water.
Dr. Banner laughed excitedly, “No, no, this is worse than I imagined.”
This was madness—they had built something that could soar into the sky.
Even Natasha was speechless.
“Hurry up, or you’ll be blown away by the wind. No one’s going to fish you out.”
They all entered the carrier's interior. Steve and Banner looked around with curiosity, like visitors marveling at a grand mansion.
Gwen, Peter, and the others approached from the other side.
Michael embraced Gwen as she rushed forward, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.
The others looked at them with disdain, as if they could smell the sour scent of love.
“Did you miss me, darling?”
Having such a gentle girlfriend pleased Michael immensely.
“No, I just wanted to check if you smelled like her perfume.”
Michael’s face stiffened.
Peter and Electro ran up to Rogers like two excited puppies.
“Hi, I’m... I’m Peter, Peter Parker.”
“Oh my god, the real Captain America. I can’t believe I’m seeing Captain America! I’m Max Dillon, just call me Max.”
“Hey, nice to meet you.”
Steve couldn’t help but feel happy when he saw his young admirers.
In his eyes, Spider-Man and Electro had good character, and Gwen was highly regarded in S.H.I.E.L.D.—all trustworthy teammates.
But Steve had no idea what was about to come; he kept smiling, full of optimism.
Half an hour later, Steve had lost all hope, feeling as if life was shrouded in darkness. He finally understood the horror of chatterboxes—worse still, he’d met two of them.
God, please come save me.
Steve felt he needed backup.
The carrier reached cruising altitude, and Nick Fury ordered stealth mode activated.
The egg-eyed director walked over and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, greetings.”
Everyone nodded politely.
Nick Fury extended his hand to Banner. “Hello, Doctor.”
“Hello.”
“Thank you for your kind cooperation. How long will I need to stay here?”
Banner still suspected he might be imprisoned.
Fury knew Banner’s concern and replied firmly, “Until we find the Cube, you’re free.”
Coulson introduced Banner, “We’ve linked every device capable of connecting to satellites to help us search.”
Dr. Banner nodded, “Not enough. How many spectrum scanners can you deploy?”
“That depends on how many labs we can contact.”
“Have them place the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate for gamma rays. I’ll handle cluster identification and draft the algorithm.”
Dr. Banner took off his jacket, ready to get to work.
“Could you find me a place to work?”
Nick Fury looked at Black Widow, “Agent Romanoff, can you take Dr. Banner to the lab?”
Natasha turned to Banner, “Follow me, everything you need is there. You’ll be satisfied.”
Nick Fury then looked at Michael, “Would the consultant care to help?”

“I’m not skilled with gamma rays and such, but if you’re willing to pay extra, I could spend some time learning.”
“I’ve already paid you.”
Michael smirked, “You mean that trick with getting something for nothing?”
“The Cube really isn’t in my hands, but I trust you’ll find it.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Michael acted petulantly, pulling Gwen aside for a romantic chat.
The egg-eyed director was powerless to stop him.
Coulson approached Steve, casually mentioning his collection of Captain America trading cards, apparently wanting an autograph but too embarrassed to ask outright.
Peter and Max egged him on, thinking the cards were super cool.
Suddenly, an agent with the same hairstyle as the director reported, “We’ve found Loki—sixty-seven percent match.”
“Cross-check, seventy-nine percent.”
With such a high probability, it was almost certainly Loki. Everyone sprang into action.
Fury immediately asked, “Where?”
“Germany. Stuttgart. 28 Kunin Street.”
“He’s not hiding.”
Nick Fury turned to Rogers, “Captain, it’s your move.”
“Yes.”
Steve could hardly contain himself. The young Spider and Electro’s hero worship was understandable, but Coulson, an old man, was even more fanatical.
Because of these three, Steve was beginning to like Loki.
Michael and Gwen followed along.
This time, Loki and Hawkeye were orchestrating a diversion—Loki causing chaos to draw attention, while Hawkeye secretly collected materials to build the portal.
Loki arrived at the party hosted by Dr. Selver, a German scientist, where a gala was underway. Socialites gathered, enjoying music and flirtation.
Loki, impeccably dressed, strolled among them, blending in perfectly as a guest.
As the third princess of Asgard, Loki possessed innate nobility, effortlessly merging into this environment.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye led an assault on a German tycoon’s villa.
With expert archery, he silently dispatched the guards and well-trained soldiers, easily replacing the surveillance feeds.
They reached a hidden chamber and placed a sensor on it.
Once Loki scanned the tycoon’s glasses, the sensor would simulate the tycoon’s eye, unlocking the door and granting access to a trove of iridium.