Explanation

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When Coulson entered, he was ready to persuade Kai to join Nick Fury's team, but Kai refused outright. Instead, he called everyone over to explain his plan, ensuring that no one was left in the dark.

*Clap, clap!*

Kai clapped his hands, signaling everyone to take a seat. Coulson pulled Natasha over and sat down as well, eager to hear why Kai had gathered them all—especially since these were the very people S.H.I.E.L.D. had been looking to recruit.

"We called everyone here because Tony and I both detected an explosion in the suburbs of New York," Kai began. "After investigating, we found that the source was a S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility—one studying the Tesseract."

He looked at Coulson as he spoke. Coulson sighed and nodded, confirming that Kai was right.

Kai continued, "Steve, if the name Tesseract sounds unfamiliar, let me put it another way. The Tesseract was once Hydra's secret weapon. When Tony's father, Howard Stark, pulled you out of the ice, he believed it held the key to studying limitless energy. Since then, S.H.I.E.L.D. has kept it and attempted to harness its power."

At this point, Kai smirked and glanced at Coulson. "Come to think of it, I once saw it with my mentor."

Coulson exhaled. "Yes, we've been studying the Tesseract."

"That's right!" Kai cut in, then turned to Tony and Banner. "You two are missing crucial data in your research. S.H.I.E.L.D. has what you need. You should ask Coulson to hand over whatever classified files they've been hiding. With that data, you'll be able to speed up your progress."

Tony and Banner exchanged glances, both nodding in agreement. Coulson, on the other hand, was baffled. *Wait… wasn't I supposed to recruit Kai? How did I end up being the one getting manipulated into giving away data?*

Before he could react, Steve frowned. "Kai, did you say this was Hydra's weapon?"

"That's right."

Steve's expression darkened. "And when the explosion happened, the Tesseract was taken?"

Coulson's eyes widened. "Wait—how do you know that? We haven't told anyone!"

Kai simply smiled, not answering the question.

Steve exhaled. "Alright. So the real question is: who took it?"

Coulson hesitated before finally standing up. "The person who took the Tesseract claimed to be from Asgard. His name is Loki. Not only did he steal the Tesseract, but he also used it to control the minds of several individuals, including Agent Barton and Dr. Selvig. That's why I came here—to get Kai to join the emergency team we're assembling. This is a global crisis. Aliens are invading."

Silence filled the room. No one rushed to agree.

Then Kai spoke. "Coulson, call Fury and tell him we're not interested. We don't trust his leadership, and we won't be part of his Avengers Initiative. Instead, we'll handle this invasion our own way."

Banner raised his hand. "Okay, and what's the difference between your team and Fury's?"

Kai explained, "The difference is simple. We'll only assemble when the Earth is facing an existential threat—like an alien invasion. Outside of that, we'll go our separate ways. No one will control what you do. But if you join Fury, there's no guarantee he won't send you on missions for *Earthly* conflicts—things that have nothing to do with protecting the planet as a whole."

Everyone thought about it. Kai's team sounded far more independent—only coming together when absolutely necessary. It was an approach that felt more natural, more in line with what they wanted.

Coulson sighed. He could already tell that S.H.I.E.L.D. had lost its chance to recruit them.

Kai continued, "Loki's goal is simple—he wants to conquer Earth and crown himself its new king. This will be the first time we face an alien invasion. I want everyone to understand that while it's a challenge, it's not impossible. Aliens *can* be defeated. And I expect everyone to fight with the confidence that we *will* win."

With that, everyone got to work.

Tony immediately took a few researchers aside and demanded all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data on the Tesseract. With that information, they could refine their search for its location.

Steve approached Kai. "We'll need a battle plan. Any idea what we're up against?"

As the two discussed, Natasha quietly moved closer, trying to listen in.

Kai turned his head. "If you want to eavesdrop, you might as well sit with us."

Natasha hesitated.

Kai then asked, "By the way, we're not joining Fury's team anymore. What about you? Are you still with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or do you want to join us instead?"

Natasha didn't answer. She wanted to rescue Barton—but would Fury even let her participate?

Meanwhile, Coulson stepped into the corner and called Fury.

"Sir," he said, "we have a problem. The recruitment didn't go as planned… and we may have a *new* problem on our hands."

He then proceeded to explain everything.

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