The remains of the HYDRA ambush had been erased, but Alexander Carter knew his war wasn't over. If anything, it was only beginning.
As he moved through the shadows, he sensed a shift in the city's tension. Not the usual undercurrent of crime and power struggles, but something much larger. He wasn't the only one moving in silence tonight—so was SHIELD.
Back on the Helicarrier, Maria Hill's voice cut through the command center. "We've lost him again."
Nick Fury sighed, watching the flickering heat signatures across Manhattan. "Of course, we have. Romanoff, find him. If he's still hunting HYDRA, I want to know if he's about to burn our house down too."
Natasha Romanoff nodded, adjusting her earpiece. "On it."
"I still don't like this," Steve Rogers muttered. "He's unpredictable."
"And yet, he's been making HYDRA's life hell," Bruce Banner added, arms crossed. "If he wanted to turn on SHIELD, he would've done it by now."
Tony Stark smirked. "Look, I like a good anti-hero as much as the next guy, but if he's lurking around, he's got his own agenda. And something tells me it's not 'make friends with SHIELD.'"
Fury exhaled. "Then let's find out what he's really after."
Carter had never been one for surveillance, but even he could tell SHIELD was on high alert. Something was happening.
He moved through the city's underbelly, gathering whispers of intel. Loki was captured. The god of mischief was on the Helicarrier, right now. But if Carter had learned anything, it was that power like Loki's was never truly caged.
And then, he saw it—the Helicarrier in the sky. Watching. Waiting.
SHIELD wasn't just preparing for war. It was sitting on a ticking time bomb.
Carter wasn't surprised when Natasha found him first. She stepped from the shadows of a rooftop overlooking the river, her expression unreadable.
"You've been busy," she said.
"So have you," Carter replied, glancing toward the Helicarrier. "SHIELD keeping secrets again?"
Natasha's eyes narrowed slightly. "Loki's in custody."
"I know."
She exhaled. "Then you also know this isn't over."
Carter smirked. "It never is."
Natasha studied him carefully. "You're planning something."
"Just watching."
"For now."
Carter met her gaze, the violet glow of his eyes flickering in the dim light. "Let's say I prefer to strike before the fight even begins."
Natasha's earpiece crackled. "Agent Romanoff, return to the Helicarrier. We have a situation."
She hesitated for only a second before turning away. "Stay out of this, Carter. SHIELD doesn't need another variable."
As she disappeared, Carter looked up at the looming vessel above. Maybe they already had too many.
The Helicarrier shuddered.
An explosion rocked the lower decks, alarms blaring. The attack had begun.
Carter, watching from the city below, narrowed his eyes as fire erupted from the flying fortress. Loki had made his move.
Noctis materialized beside him, his shadowy form flickering. "Do we let them burn?"
Carter exhaled slowly. No.
Without another word, he vanished into the abyss—heading straight for the chaos above.
End of Chapter 64
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