Chapter 123: Rescuing Barton
When Oaks and Natasha arrived at the laboratory, Nick Fury had already arrived ahead of them.
Facing the information Tony found on "Phase Two" and the weapons Steve discovered in the mother ship's armory, he had no choice but to admit it—S.H.I.E.L.D. was using the power of the Cosmic Cube to create weapons of mass destruction.
And the hypothetical enemy was none other than Thor, who innocently watched the scene unfold.
Although Asgard had no ill intentions towards Earth, Nick Fury and the World Security Council shared the same opinion.
Earth was still weak in the vast universe and needed effective means of response against other civilizations.
However, leaving aside whether this concept would be endorsed by the two scientists who opposed weapons of mass destruction and the veteran soldier who distrusted authority, Thor, the Crown Prince of Asgard, was already discontented.
"Your research on the Cosmic Cube has caused its energy radiation to extend into the universe, which attracted Loki and his allies! This form of energy radiation signals to other civilizations in the universe that Earth is prepared for advanced warfare!"
"You're forcing it."
And so, a new round of arguments began. However, no one noticed the subtle changes occurring to the Mind Stone placed on the testing platform.
"Alright, everyone, calm down~"
A hand was placed on the Mind Stone. With his powerful mental abilities, Oaks temporarily subdued the restlessness of the Mind Stone and startled everyone with a stern shout.
"This thing is up to no good. Don't let Loki's plot succeed—both this scepter and himself were deliberately obtained by us!"
"..."
The scene fell silent for a moment.
"Oaks?"
Nick Fury pressed his bald head with a serious face . As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a top agent, he instantly realized that his previous emotions were off.
And it wasn't just him—others' emotions were also off. It was as if their negative emotions were amplified.
The things they said and the actions they took were not something they would normally do—especially since they were acquaintances.
"Is this thing... really affecting our minds?"
Bruce Banner, who was closest to the Mind Stone, breathed heavily. He had even felt his connection with the Hulk about to be severed.
And once that happened, the situation would return to what it was before—Hulk and Banner going their separate ways. Not only would their transformations be uncontrollable, but Hulk would also be uncontrollable.
Meanwhile, Steve and Tony, who had been arguing fiercely, looked at each other, tugging at the corners of their mouths, revealing an awkward smile.
"Don't mind me, I didn't mean to beat up a ninety-year-old man."
"I don't mind either. I didn't mean to lecture a kid from the next generation."
Natasha took a deep breath. As a former Soviet operative whose mind had been controlled, she despised the feeling of being influenced mentally.
And despite having strong mental resistance and experience against such control, she had fallen victim to it without noticing. She finally understood why someone as resolute as Barton could be controlled.
And Thor...
"Damn Loki! I'll kill him!"
Thor was breaking out in a cold sweat—anything he said wrong could escalate into an interstellar conflict!
"It's this damn scepter causing trouble..."
Oaks furrowed his brow. The immense power of the Mind Stone, one of the Infinity Stones, made his mind tremble slightly.
It was not something he could currently control. In the short term, it was manageable, but in the long run, there was a real danger of losing oneself to its power.
He let go of the scepter, and a faint green glow faintly emanated from its surface.
"For now, it won't emit that kind of energy that affects the mind anymore... Wait!"
Oaks's expression changed, and he clapped his hands. Vines surged up and tightly covered the entire laboratory.
"Everyone, defend!"
"Beep beep beep!"
Before the crowd could react to Oaks's sudden action and shout, the instruments started ringing. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark became excited:
"We've found the location of the Cosmic Cube!"
"Boom—!!"
In the next moment, a violent explosion engulfed the laboratory. But thanks to Oaks's warning and the vines blocking it for a few seconds, everyone managed to evacuate in time.
"Damn it! Just a few seconds short! The instruments are destroyed! Coordinates!!"
Banner was thrown to the ground by the explosion. Just as he finished shouting, he suddenly grabbed his head.
"Wait... Wait!"
The Hawkeye-led Loki Retrieval Team began their assault on the Helicarrier.
One of the main engines was damaged, and the Helicarrier was hovering at thirty thousand feet, which is over nine thousand meters, and could fall at any moment.
Nick Fury quickly reported the casualties and began directing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to initiate emergency plans.
"Tony! We're counting on you for the engines! Steve, the enemy's intentions are unclear, protect Tony!"
"Got it!"
"Understood!"
As Oaks controlled numerous vines to tightly seal the large hole caused by the explosion, he also took over command directly:
"Thor! I entrust you to keep an eye on Loki. That's the enemy's ultimate target!"
"Exactly what I was hoping for!"
"Natasha! Leave Bruce to me, you go track Barton!"
"Yes!"
Nick Fury opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
Indeed, Oaks's arrangements were currently the most appropriate.
The director's judgment was truly impeccable...
"Director Fury, don't worry... Bruce will be fine. We can handle it later. You don't need to worry about this place!"
Green light surrounded Oaks's hands as he firmly suppressed Banner, who was holding his head in pain.
"...Alright, if Banner has a problem, we're really in danger. I'm relying on you!"
Nick Fury quickly returned to the control center to oversee the overall situation, while Oaks remained serious.
In theory, Banner shouldn't be so easily stimulated by the weakened explosion he caused himself.
But unfortunately, his own Nature magic was activated, and the intense explosion stimulated the Mind Stone!
The power of the Mind Stone broke through the temporary seal of Nature magic, affecting Banner, who was closest to it.
"As expected, the power of the Mind Stone is not something I can currently control...
It's fine for someone with an ordinary mind, but when it encounters a spellcaster who uses mental power to drive magic, such an influence can occur.
No wonder Loki was just suppressed on Earth and developed such a hatred for it, resorting to wanton slaughter and attempting to conquer Earth.
However, after he lost the Mind Stone, although he remains wicked, he is no longer evil."
In addition to their respective functions and the provision of infinite energy, the six Infinity Stones also possess unique passive abilities.
Space Stone - Tesseract: The passive ability is unstable energy radiation.
Mind Stone - Scepter: The passive ability is mind manipulation.
Power Stone - Orb: The passive ability is "testing" the toucher with immense power.
Time Stone - Encased within the Eye of Agamotto, so its passive ability is unknown, but it should be related to maintaining the stability of the timeline.
Reality Stone - Aether: The passive ability is to automatically seek a host and drain the host's life force.
The most special is the Soul Stone, which not only holds life but also contains a small universe within it.
The power of the Mind Stone is undoubtedly a huge temptation for a spellcaster—it can greatly enhance mental power.
"But not now..."
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