Chapter 83

Without Liu Rui'an revealing any secrets, the search for the evil god Loki continued until nightfall before finally bearing fruit.

When Liu Rui'an, still posing as Impris Angel, reappeared on the sky carrier, he found that all the superheroes, except for the brainwashed Hawkeye and Tony Stark, had already gathered.

Or, to be more precise, there were more people than expected.

There was no way around it. Although Tony Stark ultimately didn't agree to his beloved Pepper Potts' request to come along, he did indicate in the communication that he would bring his bodyguard, Happy Hogan.

Adding to this, Phil Coulson, who had also undergone intermediate gene optimization, the number of Avengers was now two more than before.

Don't underestimate just two more people. Relative to the original number of Avengers, this was an increase of one-third, or 33.3%.

Moreover, these two weren't just extras; SHIELD also provided the 'Thor's Hammer' power armor.

Combined with Captain America's 'Patriot' power armor, the overall strength of the Avengers was far more than 33% stronger than the original lineup.

"Where is that god?" Liu Rui'an, the last to arrive, asked directly.

"Stuttgart, Germany, Kuning Street, No. 28," Nick Fury, standing at the main control panel, replied.

"Was it that easy to find him?" Liu Rui'an continued.

"He didn't try to hide," Nick Fury explained, his expression serious as he began to issue orders: "Captain, it's your turn."

Steve Rogers, nodding, didn't waste words. He returned to his cabin, where a metal cube was floating about half a foot off the ground.

When the newly suited-up Captain America appeared, Natasha Romanoff, also in the 'Thor's Hammer' power armor, was already waiting on the Quinjet.

Although both power armors were equipped with portable engines, for long-distance flights, it was more convenient and energy-efficient to ride the Quinjet.

"Baron Angel, aren't you going?" Nick Fury asked, looking at someone still standing on the bridge as the Quinjet quickly left the sky carrier.

"If I go too early, there won't be anything left for Captain and the others," Liu Rui'an, who was floating half a foot off the ground in a cross-legged position, replied.

Actually, Liu Rui'an wasn't really interested in capturing the evil god Loki.

Not only might Loki deliberately let SHIELD capture him on the sky carrier, as in the original plot, to complete the first step of his invasion plan using his staff.

Just the strange magical power he possessed was enough to make Liu Rui'an, who had yet to encounter such abilities, cautious.

After all, his appearance would inevitably cause a butterfly effect, and who knew if Loki's plans would change.

However, Liu Rui'an didn't mind having a fight with Tony Stark and Thor, as in the original plot.

Of course, compared to the fight, the scepter in Loki's hand was Liu Rui'an's primary goal this time.

Indeed, compared to the Cosmic Cube, this scepter from Thanos was more valuable to him.

Not that the Cosmic Cube was of low value, but it was too dangerous.

Seeing how Loki used the Cosmic Cube to open a portal from the other side of the universe and bring an alien army, Liu Rui'an didn't want the same thing to happen on his turf.

Speaking of the scepter, though not explicitly stated in "The Avengers," the gem on it was likely the Mind Stone, one of the Infinity Stones.

As for why Thanos, who was already collecting Infinity Stones, would give such a precious Mind Stone to Loki,

Liu Rui'an believed that Thanos wasn't giving the Mind Stone to Loki but lending it to him.

This explained why Loki didn't seem to value it highly.

Of course, it might also be that Loki didn't have the chance to value it, given that he was nearly killed by the Hulk at the end of "The Avengers."

Even if Loki knew the gem on the scepter was the Mind Stone, he couldn't guarantee that Thanos wouldn't take it back.

Moreover, with Thanos' abilities, tampering with the Mind Stone wasn't impossible, which explained why the Mind Stone had the same color as the Space Stone.

The idea that the gem on the scepter was a derivative of the Infinity Stones didn't seem likely to Liu Rui'an.

Not only did the scepter play a significant role in "The Avengers 2" and "The Avengers 3," but the trailers and the post-credits scene of "Captain America 2" also highlighted its importance.

Most importantly, even if the gem on the scepter wasn't the Mind Stone, its capabilities were still highly valuable to Liu Rui'an.

When he first encountered the Cosmic Cube, Liu Rui'an discovered that his telepathic abilities were significantly enhanced.

The mind control ability of the scepter in "The Avengers," regardless of whether it was the Mind Stone, was definitely related to the mind.

Thus, even without considering that the scepter might be the key to creating characters like Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, its mind-related functions were highly valuable to Liu Rui'an.

If it could enhance his telepathic abilities like the Cosmic Cube, that would be fantastic.

Nick Fury didn't find Liu Rui'an's confidence excessive, given the powerful abilities the angel baron had demonstrated.

Especially during his second appearance, when he fought the Hulk, he simply summoned his weapon and sent the Hulk flying, reverting him to his human form.

Although the data from the encounter suggested some cheating, it also showed that Liu Rui'an had the skills to do so.

"Alright, you can rest for a bit," Nick Fury nodded, looking at him. "But if there's a problem, I hope you'll step in."

"Of course, I'm happy to help," Liu Rui'an, still floating in the air, replied lazily, ignoring the glances from others.

Meanwhile, at No. 28 Kuning Street in Stuttgart, Germany, a visual "feast" of action and magic was unfolding.

Under Hawkeye's precise shots, the guards were silently eliminated, many not even knowing how they died.

On the other side, the evil god Loki, dressed in a formal suit, entered the party hall with his scepter, which had transformed into a cane.

Within minutes, after inserting a small device into the eye of Heinrich Schäfer, the guests in the hall were plunged into panic.

With the retinal data of Dr. Heinrich Schäfer, Hawkeye, who had already infiltrated the vault, easily obtained the main target, iridium.

By the time Loki left the hall, the street was already crowded with curious onlookers.

A police car, responding to an alarm, was quickly dispatched but was taken out by Loki using the gem on his scepter.

As the frightened crowd tried to leave, Loki's duplicates appeared on the square, surrounding everyone.

"I said!" Loki shouted, slamming his scepter on the ground. "Kneel!!"

As his voice echoed, everyone in the crowd knelt down.

Watching this on the surveillance screen, Liu Rui'an saw the gems on the duplicates' scepters light up, confirming that the crowd's compliance was due to the gem's effects.

What surprised Liu Rui'an was that the old man who resisted Loki in the original plot didn't appear, possibly due to the butterfly effect or other reasons.

However, this wasn't a bad thing for Loki, as obedient humans were easier to control.

But just as Loki was about to do more, a figure in a star-spangled power armor descended from the sky.

"The last time I was in Germany, I met someone who thought he was above everyone else. We didn't see eye to eye," Steve Rogers, holding his shield, said.

Seeing the figure in the star-spangled power armor, Loki's eyes showed a hint of surprise.

After all, since he planned to attack Earth and trick SHIELD, he had to know about key figures.

At first, Loki thought it was Iron Man, but the shield revealed it was Captain America.

"American soldier, a relic of the past," Loki sneered, quickly suppressing his surprise.

"The one who's about to be finished isn't me."

As Steve Rogers spoke, the Quinjet hovered in the air.

The front of the Quinjet opened, and a Vulcan cannon was quickly aimed at Loki.

"Loki, drop your weapon and surrender!"

Looking at the hovering Quinjet, Loki paused for a moment before suddenly waving his scepter, sending a blue energy blast toward it.

The appearance of the energy blast seemed to be a signal, and the previously calm situation erupted.

Captain America immediately threw his shield.