Chương 69: Chapter 69: Chaotic Battle 

Feeling the massive Helicarrier listing dangerously to the port side, Luke couldn't afford to lounge around anymore. He leaped through the massive hole in the deck and plunged straight down, positioning himself directly beneath the rapidly falling ship. 

Looking up at the colossal, hundreds-of-thousands-of-tons flying fortress that had entirely lost power on one side, Luke felt a phantom pain in his chest as he pulled out several small tactical pouches filled with Dark Energy Crystals. 

"Fury, you absolutely owe me a massive bonus for this!" 

Luke violently crushed the pouches, instantly unleashing tens of millions of Energy Points. With a sweeping gesture, he forcefully molded the chaotic, raging dark energy into a colossal, pitch-black circular shield directly beneath the Helicarrier's hull. 

The Shield of the Seraphim! 

This was the exact same defensive Eldritch spell Doctor Strange had used in Avengers: Infinity War to protect himself, Tony, and Peter during a spaceship crash. It boasted absolutely terrifying defensive and structural reinforcement properties. 

Of course, instead of glowing with the standard Kamar-Taj golden sparks, Luke's version was solid, abyssal black. He had originally petitioned the Ancient One to officially rename the spell the "Shield of Luke," but she had firmly rejected the incredibly ugly name. 

Now, Luke was perfectly replicating Doctor Strange's maneuver, attempting to use the colossal magical shield to safely catch and guide the falling Helicarrier to the ground. 

"Pirate! Shut down the remaining main engines immediately! Maintain absolute structural balance with the auxiliary thrusters! I'll guide the ship down!" 

It was completely impossible for Luke to physically push the ship back into the sky—the energy cost to fight gravity against that much mass was astronomical. Looking at the landscape below, Luke figured it was fine if the Helicarrier just sat on the ground for a while. It could be a legendary land-sea-air hybrid battleship. 

"Are you absolutely certain you can hold it?!" Fury yelled over the comms, completely ignoring the 'Pirate' nickname. The bridge was in absolute chaos; he needed a solution, fast. 

"Hurry up! I'm already in position!" 

Luke pressed the colossal, pitch-black Shield of the Seraphim firmly against the Helicarrier's massive lower hull, preparing to aggressively pitch the falling ship into a controlled, gliding descent. 

"SHUT DOWN ALL MAIN ENGINES! DIVERT POWER TO AUXILIARY GYROS AND MAINTAIN STRUCTURAL BALANCE!" Fury roared, decisively committing to the insane plan. 

The S.H.I.E.L.D. crew—whether loyal agents or hidden HYDRA operatives—were completely united by the terrifying prospect of imminent death. They flawlessly executed Fury's orders. 

As the remaining starboard main engines spooled down, Luke felt an absolutely crushing, astronomical weight instantly transfer onto the Shield of the Seraphim. 

"Holy crap! This thing is heavy!" Luke grunted, feeling as though an entire mountain range had just been dropped directly onto his shoulders. 

Monitoring the terrifying rate at which his dark energy was burning to maintain the shield, Luke gritted his teeth and forcefully dragged the massive ship into a steep, 70-degree downward glide! 

"Whoa! This is definitely a thrilling ride!" Natasha Romanoff yelled over the groaning of metal, desperately clinging to a heavy table that had been bolted to the floor, managing to stay anchored as the laboratory tilted violently sideways. 

"Ugh... I feel... terrible," a strained, agonizing voice groaned from the corner. 

Natasha and Agent Coulson suddenly remembered exactly why they had stayed in the laboratory while the others ran out to fight. 

"Dr. Banner? Are you alright?" Natasha asked, turning to look at the scientist. 

"I'm... I'm okay. I can still control it," Banner gasped, pressed tightly against the tilted wall, desperately practicing deep breathing exercises to prevent the "Other Guy" from breaking out during the crash. 

However, still resting on its containment pedestal on the nearby table, Loki's scepter subtly pulsed with a faint, malevolent yellow light, serving as the final straw that broke the camel's back. 

"DAMN IT!" 

Dr. Banner unleashed a terrifying, primal roar as thick, pulsing veins of angry green violently spread across his skin. 

"Oh, no!" Natasha's eyes widened in horror. She quickly gestured for Coulson to evacuate the room immediately, while frantically calling for backup over her earpiece. 

"I'm on my way!" Steve's voice replied instantly. Up on the flight deck, Thor—who had just managed to temporarily weld the collapsing command bridge back into place using raw lightning—also immediately rushed down toward the lab. 

"Calm down, Banner! Stay calm!" Natasha pleaded, desperately trying to verbally guide the scientist back from the edge. But as Banner's physical size rapidly expanded by nearly a meter, a deep, guttural, terrifyingly different voice echoed through the room. 

"YES! HULK!" 

Looking at the towering, green behemoth—who actually seemed to retain a tiny fraction of lucidity instead of instantly going on a mindless rampage—Natasha felt a tiny sliver of relief. It seemed Banner's year of intense meditation in isolation hadn't been entirely useless. 

"HULK... HEAD HURT!" 

The Hulk suddenly clutched his massive head in agony, roaring in pain. Natasha immediately pinpointed the source, staring at the Mind Stone scepter that had caused their previous argument. 

"Loki's scepter is actively agonizing the Hulk! He's about to lose control completely!" Natasha yelled a final warning to her team over the comms. She desperately scanned the tilted room, trying to figure out how to navigate the steep incline to reach the scepter and disable it. 

"HULK... NOT LIKE! HULK... SMASH!" 

Unable to endure the agonizing psychic pressure any longer, the Hulk finally snapped. He raised his massive green fists, preparing to blindly smash the room to pieces. But just as his fists began to fall, two massive figures, easily twice his size, materialized directly beside him. 

Two Troll Ninjas attempted to simultaneously grapple the Hulk's massive arms to restrain him. 

However, unlike the heavily suppressed, weakened Hulk that Luke's ninjas had easily subdued in Harlem a year ago, this Hulk was fully powered by sheer rage and agonizing pain. His raw physical strength was completely off the charts. 

The Troll Ninjas completely failed to restrain him. With a violent, effortless twist of his arms, the Hulk brutally flung the massive shadow monsters across the room. 

Staring at the 'big guys' who had dared to touch him, the Hulk didn't flinch. He roared, throwing two devastatingly powerful, point-blank punches. 

CRASH! CRASH! 

With a single punch each, the Hulk violently shattered the two Troll Ninjas into clouds of dark mist! 

However, the Trolls' brief interference had bought Natasha just enough time to scramble across the tilted tables and grab the scepter. But what now? 

Natasha clung desperately to the table, looking "down" at the raging Hulk, knowing that a single, casual leap from the behemoth would instantly turn her into paste. Thankfully, the Hulk was so distracted by the lingering psychic headache that he was blindly smashing his head against the reinforced walls, completely ignoring her. 

"Guys, are you almost here?" Natasha whispered urgently into her earpiece, remaining perfectly still so she wouldn't attract the monster's attention. 

The tense standoff lasted for a few agonizing seconds. Natasha actually thought she might be able to stay hidden... until the entire Helicarrier suddenly shuddered violently. 

A single, mundane ballpoint pen rolled off the table, dropped through the air, and bounced directly off the Hulk's head. 

The Hulk stopped smashing the wall. He slowly looked up, his furious green eyes locking directly onto a perfectly still, incredibly 'innocent-looking' Natasha Romanoff. 

The Hulk unleashed a deafening, terrifying roar that caused Natasha to violently clamp her hands over her ears in agonizing pain. 

As the roar subsided, Natasha's ears were ringing violently. She forced herself to look back down... only to see a massive green shadow launching itself directly toward her with terrifying speed. 

Feeling the overwhelming, crushing pressure of absolute death approaching, Natasha genuinely felt her life flash before her eyes. 

But at that exact second, a crackling, silver hammer violently shattered the reinforced glass window behind her, striking the Hulk squarely in the chest and brutally launching him back across the room, completely stopping the lethal pounce. 

"I pray I am not too late," Thor said, stepping through the shattered window, his eyes glowing with crackling lightning that danced wildly across his armor. 

"HULK... SMASH!" 

Having been violently knocked back, the now-completely feral Hulk slammed both his massive fists together in a devastating thunderclap. A visible, destructive shockwave of sonic force exploded outward, tearing toward Thor and Natasha. 

Suddenly, Captain America descended like a savior, raising his Vibranium shield to intercept the attack. 

The legendary shield flawlessly absorbed the entire kinetic shockwave without transferring an ounce of force. However, the sheer momentum of the attack still pushed Steve backward until he was standing directly next to the Hulk. 

Steve stared up at the impossible, hulking mass of green muscle, then briefly compared it to his own physique. "Is this really derived from the serum they put in me?" 

The Hulk glared down at the 'little man' holding the shiny frisbee. Without a second thought, he threw a devastating punch directly at Steve. 

But Captain America's shield was practically immune to blunt-force trauma. Steve raised the shield, perfectly catching the punch and completely nullifying the kinetic energy. 

Seeing that the fight had officially begun, Thor yelled for Natasha to take the scepter and evacuate immediately, before charging forward to engage the beast. Since Steve was acting as a flawless, indestructible tank drawing aggro, Thor could finally unleash his full DPS! 

While the chaotic battle raged in the laboratory, down in the containment block, Loki felt the entire ship plunging toward the earth. A satisfied, highly arrogant smile spread across his face. 

Using his illusion magic, Loki silently erased his presence from the cell. 

"Damn it!" 

Agent Coulson rushed into the containment block, wielding a massive, highly experimental energy rifle. Seeing the completely empty glass cell, Coulson's face paled. 

"Code Red! Loki has breached containment!" 

Coulson rushed toward the primary control console, intending to open the cell doors to search for clues. 

However, a single Nightbat silently dropped from the ceiling, physically blocking Coulson from reaching the console. 

"Uh... Luke? Your minion is preventing me from investigating," Coulson spoke into his comms. 

Outside, Luke was currently holding his breath, preparing to forcefully pull the massive Helicarrier out of its steep dive. Hearing Coulson's report, he quickly responded. 

"No! Don't move! The Nightbats can detect invisible units! Loki is absolutely still inside that cell!" 

Having delivered the warning, Luke took a deep, centering breath. Dark energy violently erupted from his body. 

The Images of Ikonn! 

Dozens, then hundreds of spectral arms materialized from Luke's back. In an instant, over a hundred perfect, tangible clones of Luke, all constructed entirely of dark energy, manifested around him! 

The hundred clones immediately scattered, flying beneath the colossal, falling Helicarrier. They rapidly began constructing a massive, interlocking network of magical arrays designed to gently catch and cushion the several-tens-of-thousands-of-tons warship to ensure a smooth emergency landing. 

Inside the containment block, Coulson breathed a massive sigh of relief upon hearing Luke's confirmation. He aimed his massive rifle directly at the seemingly empty cell. 

"Your Uncle knows you far too well. He knows exactly where you are," Coulson announced confidently. 

After a brief, tense silence, Loki dropped his invisibility, materializing exactly where he had been standing. 

"It seems that particular trick is no longer effective against him," Loki sighed theatrically, glancing up at the Nightbat blocking the console. 

"However... what about this trick?" 

Just as Coulson relaxed, an ornate, glowing blue casket suddenly materialized in Loki's hands. 

If Luke or Thor had been present, they would have instantly recognized it: The Casket of Ancient Winters! 

The moment Loki made his move, several shadows effortlessly bypassed the glass walls of the cell. Shadow Ninjas materialized inside, violently hurling specialized, unbreakable shadow-ropes directly at Loki. 

Loki didn't even flinch. He aimed the Casket of Ancient Winters... directly at himself?! 

He unleashed a terrifying blast of absolute zero cold. 

Was he trying to commit suicide?! No. People often forgot a crucial fact: Loki was a Frost Giant! 

Bathed in the restorative, absolute cold of the ancient artifact, Loki's physical form rapidly expanded and mutated. His skin turned a deep, icy blue, and his height instantly shot up to a towering, terrifying three meters! He had fully embraced his Frost Giant heritage! 

The Casket was permanently embedded within his chest, serving as a limitless, terrifying power source. The unbreakable shadow-ropes flying toward him were instantly frozen solid in mid-air, shattering harmlessly on the ground. A thick, impenetrable layer of absolute zero frost rapidly coated the floor of the cell, completely preventing the Shadow Ninjas from physically approaching him. 

"How is this for a trick?" Loki, now a massive, three-meter-tall blue giant, sneered. Massive, razor-sharp icicles violently erupted from his hands, effortlessly piercing straight through the heavily reinforced, supposedly unbreakable glass of the containment cell. 

Normally, if the glass shattered, the entire cell was designed to automatically detach and plummet 30,000 feet to the ground. However, the overwhelming, absolute zero cold radiating from Loki instantly flash-froze the mechanical release clamps, completely disabling the emergency drop mechanism! The cell was firmly frozen in place. 

Seeing the situation violently escalate, Coulson's expression hardened. He pulled the trigger on the massive experimental rifle. A devastating pulse of raw energy blasted forward, but the intense explosion only managed to slightly melt the thick layers of ancient ice shielding the cell. 

Loki brutally tore the shattered glass apart and stepped out of the cell. 

Looking down at the tiny, fragile human standing before him, Loki smirked. He casually threw a massive, bone-crushing punch directly at Coulson. 

But a massive Troll Ninja suddenly materialized between them, catching Loki's punch head-on in a shower of shattered ice! 

Simultaneously, a standard Shadow Ninja materialized directly behind Coulson, grabbed the terrified agent by the scruff of his neck, and violently hurled him across the room toward the exit doors. 

Coulson watched the solid metal wall rapidly approaching his face, his eyes wide with absolute despair. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the bone-shattering impact. 

But a second later, he felt himself land softly in something incredibly cushy and dense. 

Opening his eyes, Coulson realized a second Troll Ninja had flawlessly caught him mid-air, saving his life. 

"Uh... thank you?" Coulson mumbled in shock. The Troll Ninja gave a curt nod, placed him gently on the ground, gave him a light shove toward the door, and immediately charged back into the fray to fight Loki. 

Coulson stumbled toward the exit in a daze. Looking back, he saw hundreds of Shadowkhan pouring out of the walls, ceiling, and floor, completely swarming the towering Frost Giant. 

"I love this incredible sense of security," Coulson sighed in profound relief. He hid safely behind a squad of ninjas, watching the battle unfold while simultaneously reporting the situation to Director Fury. 

Loki, however, was having a terrible time. He had just managed to utilize the absolute zero cold of the Casket to successfully freeze one of the massive Troll Ninjas solid, only for hundreds more specialized ninjas to instantly swarm him from every direction. He was getting overwhelmed. 

"Forget this. I'm leaving," Loki grumbled. He casually snapped his fingers, dispelling the ice freezing the cell's release clamps. 

The massive glass cell instantly detached from the ship, plummeting toward the earth below. Loki didn't hesitate; he jumped out of the jagged hole, diving out of the Helicarrier after the falling cell. 'A wise man knows when to retreat. I will definitely return!' 

Several Nightbats instantly folded their wings and dove out of the hole in hot pursuit. Squads of Shadow Ninjas quickly grabbed the loose fabric of their ninja uniforms, transforming them into makeshift wingsuits, and leaped out after the 'god.' 

The Troll Ninjas walked up to the edge, looked down at the terrifying 20,000-foot drop, and collectively shook their massive heads. 'Yeah, no thanks.' 

Coulson cautiously approached the edge of the hole, terrified the rushing wind would suck him out. A Troll Ninja, seeing the fragile human trembling, gently grabbed Coulson's jacket with one massive finger to anchor him to the floor. 

"Thank you again." 

Coulson quickly reported Loki's escape to Fury. 

In the command center, Fury was currently nursing a massive headache, desperately trying to coordinate the falling Helicarrier. Hearing that Loki had managed to escape was the icing on the cake. 

"Loki has escaped the ship. Luke's forces are currently pursuing him. Who is available to provide backup?!" Fury yelled over the general comms. 

"Loki?!" 

Down in the laboratory, Thor violently dodged a punch from the Hulk and delivered a brutal, crackling uppercut with Mjolnir, knocking the behemoth back. 

"I will go!" Thor yelled, immediately attempting to disengage from the fight. 

However, because Thor had been repeatedly, brutally hitting him for the past five minutes, the Hulk had completely drawn 'aggro' on the Asgardian. The Hulk completely ignored Captain America—who was desperately throwing his shield to distract the beast—and aggressively chased after Thor! 

"Looks like you're stuck here," Steve sighed in frustration, his shield completely failing to hold the Hulk's attention. 

"Damn it! Is anyone else available?!" Thor yelled helplessly, forced to turn around and tank another massive punch from the Hulk. 

"I'm currently available," Tony's voice chimed in. He was currently gripping Hawkeye firmly by the collar, hovering outside the Helicarrier. The 'Saturday' armor was covered in deep scratches, scorch marks, and dents. 

God knows Hawkeye's archery was completely broken. Even while Tony was flying erratically, Hawkeye's specialized arrows always inexplicably managed to hit him. The trick arrows had deployed acid, explosives, and EMP bursts, making the fight incredibly annoying. Furthermore, since Hawkeye was technically an allied S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Tony couldn't use lethal force to stop him, which had dragged the fight out significantly. 

"However, I currently have your little bird-man hostage. Who wants to tag in and take custody of him?" Tony asked. 

Natasha, who had been quietly hiding to avoid the Hulk, immediately spoke up. "I currently possess Loki's scepter. Bring Barton to my location. I will attempt to perform a cognitive reset." 

"Wait, aren't you brainwashed by that stick?!" Tony asked suspiciously. 

"I used an industrial laser cutter to permanently slice the metallic haft completely in half, disconnecting the gem from the power source. It shouldn't be able to control me anymore," Natasha replied coldly. 

"Remind me never to make you angry," Tony whistled in genuine awe. He immediately flew toward Natasha's coordinates to drop off his package. 

Handing the unconscious Hawkeye over to Natasha, Tony watched in mild concern as she efficiently and brutally hogtied the master archer with thick steel cables. Raising an eyebrow, Tony quickly flew off to hunt down his 'nephew.' 

Since Thor was technically his friend now, he couldn't very well act like his Uncle. He'd just have to settle for being the 'Uncle' of Thor's younger brother. Later, Loki would just have to deal with the confusing family dynamics. 

Tony smiled happily as he descended into the clouds, quickly spotting Loki in free-fall. 

Loki was currently unleashing massive, continuous blasts of absolute zero ice from his hands, frantically freezing the pursuing Nightbats and wingsuit-Ninjas out of the sky. 

Tony quickly analyzed the combat data. The Nightbats possessed incredibly destructive kinetic blasts that could easily shred inch-thick steel. If the 'Saturday' armor took a direct hit from that ice, it would likely be completely disabled in seconds. 

Tony pragmatically decided to engage from a safe distance. He launched a massive barrage of solid-state kinetic missiles directly at Loki. 

Loki threw up a massive wall of thick, ancient ice to block the attack. Most of the missiles exploded harmlessly against the barrier, but a few managed to pierce through, striking Loki's armor. 

Seeing the successful hits on his HUD, Tony nodded in satisfaction. That was all he needed. He fully intended to return to Stark Tower to permanently upgrade 'Saturday' using the AllSpark to deal with magic users later. 

However, Loki, furious at being bombarded, locked onto Tony hovering in the distance. He channeled the full might of the Casket of Ancient Winters, unleashing a massive, hyper-concentrated stream of absolute zero ice directly at the armor! 

"Are you kidding me?!" Tony initiated emergency evasive maneuvers, but the beam was too wide. The freezing blast clipped the armor, instantly encasing Tony in a massive, solid block of ice! 

"Damn it!" Tony cursed. This was the second time in his career he had been frozen solid mid-air! 

"Saturday! Do you have any solutions?!"