~~ Chapter 2 ~~

MISSION: [REDACTED]

LOCATION: MOJAVE DESERT, USA

"Best get that thing under control, Doc!" Higgs shouted from a nearby desk, observing the levels as the large blue cube, also known as the Tesseract, in the center of the room surged with life. Scientists had become frantic as alarms blared overhead and throughout the entire facility. SHIELD agents, doctors and their families began evacuating as quickly as possible.

Higgs swallowed hard, feeling the unsteadiness of the Tesseract. The lead doctor of the project, Selvig, whistled around throughout the lab. He was trying to get a control of the numbers, ordering some of the other employees around to check their numbers and their work. Higgs snarled angrily when suddenly a voice caught their attention.

"Talk to us, Doctor." Their employer, Director Fury, ordered as he entered the room. Dr. Selvig emerged from behind a machine, looking rather concerned as bright rings of energy flared out. Higgs immediately clasped the sides of their head in pain. A woman rushed over to him but before she could lay a hand on them, Higgs staggered away and turned his back.

The pulses surged again and Higgs snarled in pain. He fought the urge to draw his weapon and shoot the Tesseract, clenching his fists.

"Director." Dr. Selvig acknowledged, walking before Director Fury as he explained the situation to him.

"Is there anything we know for certain?" Director Fury asked as he followed Dr. Selvig.

He snorted. "Tesseract is misbehaving."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"No," The doctor immediately regretted his reply. "It's not funny at all. The Tesseract is not only active, she's... Misbehaving."

"'Misbehaving'? 'Misbehaving' how? She's not a person!"

"It seems that she's... Awake." He answered,"And she is more than a person."

"How soon until you pull the plug?" Director Fury asked.

.

"Shit, shit, shit ," Higgs called, stumbling back to a computer. He looked over the numbers and charts on the screen and then towards them. "How has this not gone nuclear?!"

"I don't know." The Doctor shrugged.

Higgs turned back at the screen when Director Fury raised his voice. "We prepared for this, doctor. Harnessing energy from space. Agent Barton and Agent Higgs. Report."

From the second floor railing, a figure slid down a rope and made their way towards Director Fury.

"I gave this detail to the three of you so you could keep a close eye on things." Fury snapped at them, pointing at Higgs. "Especially you."

Agent Barton was the one to answer. He sounded rather professional yet had a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "Well, I see better at a distance."

"Agent Higgs?" Fury turned towards him.

Higgs cleared their throat. "I- have no answer to give, sir. Nothing strange went on. I did my usual rounds as designated. Agent Barton made sure of it,"

"Have you seen anything that might have set this thing off?" Fury asked as he and the two agents moved closer to the Tesseract.

Agent Barton shrugged. "No one's come and gone. And Selvig's clean. No contacts, no IM. If there's any tampering, sir, it wasn't this end."

Fury's head tilted in confusion. "At this end?"

"Yeah," Barton began to explain, "The Cube is a doorway to the other end of Space. Doors open from both sides."

Suddenly, the Tesseract began sparking to life again, causing the entire building to shake and quiver. Energy crackled and surged through the air around the glowing blue cube. Higgs and clasped his head, groaning in pain. He reached under their hood and removed his mask, its interior streaked with blood.

"What's that?"

The Tesseract sparked to life again, much bigger than the times before. A sudden beam of pale blue energy shot upward to the chamber's ceiling, blinding everyone for a moment. A portal formed and floated overhead. Higgs immediately replaced his mask back on his face before anyone could get a glimpse of his face.

Before everyone, a kneeling man appeared seemingly out of thin air. He shifted his gaze from the floor to the people all around him. A menacing grin grew upon his handsome face while everyone stared in awe and horror. The guards that were stationed all around the room begin moving in, their guns drawn and raised. The mysterious man begins looking around, rising slowly to his feet.

"Sir, please put down the spear." Director Fury ordered calmly.

The man tilted his head slightly, glancing at his golden scepter before thrusting it forward. More pale blue energy shot out, aimed directly at Director Fury. Agent Barton acted quickly and shoved him out of the way. The energy struck some of the equipment and sent Higgs tumbling aside.

Quickly, he drew his pistols from its holster, opening fire on the man. Other guards engaged him, infuriating him. The man launched himself into the air and fought the men with such ease. Screams of pain and dying men filled the air until it all fell silent.

The mysterious man approached Barton, who was barely recovering. He swung at the man but was stopped. He grimaced and muttered something to Agent Barton before touching the tip of the scepter to his chest. His eyes flared pale blue and he returned his gun back to his holster. Higgs snarled as the man did the same thing to another Agent that wasn't severely wounded.

Fury removed the Tesseract from the machine that housed it and stashed into the special briefcase. He motioned to Higgs and he approached him.

"Please don't." The man spoke in an eerily calm voice. "I still need that."

Fury and Higgs faced him. "This doesn't have to get any messier." Fury responded, stepping behind Agent Higgs. Slowly, Higgs flexed his fingers, something manifested in his hand.

"Of course it does." The man explained, "I am Loki of Asgard." He smiled maliciously, "And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Dr. Selvig checked the pulse of a female scientist that was motionless on the ground beside him. Slowly, he stepped into view of the man before them. "Loki? Brother of Thor?" He asked with a sense of curiosity.

"We have no quarrel with your people." Director Fury feuded.

Loki shrugged. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

"You planning to step on us?"

Loki chuckled and smiled again. "I come with glad tidings, of a world made free."

"Made free? Free from what?"Higgs growled.

"Freedom. Freedom is Life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart-" Loki turned and touched his scepter's tip to Dr. Selvig's chest, turning him as he did the others.

Overhead, the portal that was created by the Tesseract began rumbling and crackling. It began brewing and growing rapidly in size. Agent Barton turned his motionless face towards the so-called 'God', approaching. "Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow and drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us."

"Like the pharaohs of old." Director Fury responded.

Dr. Selvig hurried over to a nearby computer and checked it. "He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. We've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical."

"Well then." Loki said.

Suddenly, Barton drew his gun and fired it when Higgs threw the knife at Agent Barton. A single bullet struck Fury in the chest and he dropped the suitcase, falling onto his back. Barton dodged the knife and Higgs charged them. Barton met Higgs punch for punch, holding his own. The two men fought and somehow, Barton gained the upper hand and kicked him in the jaw and then in the stomach. Higgs flipped over himself and punched the floor.

Agent Barton did nothing to her as he grabbed the case, leaving with Loki and the others. She heard Higgs growl as he clutched his stomach for a second time. Grumbling, he launched to his feet and chased after them, vanishing behind a wall.

Once out of sight, Higgs jumped and the shift between human and creature was instantaneous. In a flash of fiery orange and black smoke, Higgs now pursued the vehicle in the form of a massive orange and black raven.

Loki used the scepter and fired at the raven when another pursuer joined. It was Agent Maria Hill. Higgs flew, weaving and dodging the crumbling debris along with beams of bright blue light. Somehow, the raven managed to get in front of the vehicle and landed on the hood as a human, a pistol drawn and ready to fire. He unloaded the magazine into the window and the sound of cracks resonated but the ballistic glass didn't break.

Clint shifted and fired back, his hand sticking out of the window. Higgs jumped onto the top of the vehicle to avoid the bullet while he reloaded. Loki aimed his scepter at Higgs, who jumped and turned back into the massive bird. He readied the staff again when something hit the front of the vehicle.

Agent Hill. She clenched her teeth and shot at Clint. Her vehicle was in reverse, desperately trying to stop the car. It was enough time for Higgs to fly away quickly. As the raven passed, Clint managed to strike the side of the bird and made it falter in flight but it didn't fall. Clint turned his attention back to Agent Hill and dislodged her from the front and now she pursued him once more.

The rumbling of the collapse grew louder as they all tried to escape. Higgs spotted the end of the tunnel and was the first one out followed by Clint's vehicle. Turning back to human; Higgs tumbled and rolled across the desert in exhaustion, holding his wound.

Overhead, Fury opened the door and fired at the car. Higgs could see them swerve frantically when a blue orb from Loki's scepter flew directly at the chopper. The pilot tried to dodge but it struck the back rotor, forcing them to crash. Fury jumped and tumbled across the desert floor before shooting back.

"Director?" Agent Coulson called over the radio. "Director? Do you copy?"

Clearing his throat, he finally spoke. "The Tesseract is with a hostile force. I have men down. Hill?"

"A lot of men still under. Don't know how many survivors." Agent Hill replied.

"Sound a general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that briefcase."

"Roger that." Agent Hill responded.

"Coulson, get back to base. This is level 7. As of right now," Director Fury snarled, "we are at war."

"What do we do?" Coulson asked.

Director Fury ignored Agent Coulson's question. He turned to Agent Higgs who knelt over the wounded pilot, assessing his wounds. "I want you leading the search."