Deep within one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground bases, the atmosphere buzzed with energy.
Though the Cosmic Cube had long been taken by Kurogai, its disappearance only pushed S.H.I.E.L.D. to intensify their research on advanced energy technology.
The experimental beam weapons once provided by Kurogai had already become the foundation of their breakthroughs.
Their energy research had progressed so far that S.H.I.E.L.D. now stood capable of facing even alien armaments.
Amid an ongoing test, thunder roared across the base's containment chamber.
A blinding flash of blue light burst forth — and as it faded, a tall figure stood in the center, a strange scepter gripped tightly in his hand.
It was Loki.
"Who's there?!" one of the agents shouted, aiming his weapon.
Several others followed suit, surrounding Loki with weapons drawn.
Among them stood a sharp-eyed man holding a bow — Clint Barton — his expression cold and ready.
"Tch," Loki muttered, his voice laced with irritation.
"Without the Cube's power, I had to find a place dense with energy to manifest. Risky, even for me."
He looked pale.
His arrival hadn't been through a stable portal — rather, he had forced his way through one of Earth's volatile energy fields.
The toll was obvious.
"Identify yourself!" one agent demanded.
"State you're purpose or be treated as a threat to S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Loki gave a low laugh, twirling the scepter in his hand as a faint light pulsed from its tip.
"So… this is Midgard," he said softly, a smirk curving his lips.
"Then let the game begin."
The agents barely had time to react before Loki's scepter flared with a brilliant, sinister glow.
Elsewhere, inside a quiet manor on the outskirts of New York, Kurogai Blackwood suddenly paused what he was doing and looked toward the horizon.
"What's wrong?" asked Rogue, glancing at him curiously.
"You sensed something?"
Kurogai frowned slightly.
"There's a surge of energy somewhere far off… something familiar mixed within it."
He leaned back, eyes narrowing in thought.
After a moment, he sighed and let it go.
The world was full of erratic forces — scientists experimenting with unstable energies, soldiers turned into enhanced beings, or monsters like the Hulk.
Strange events were nothing new.
But that faint trace he sensed — it tugged at his memory.
Moments later, another pulse of energy rippled across the atmosphere.
This one was different — divine in nature.
A beam of multicolored light descended upon a barren desert, and from it stepped Thor Odinson, God of Thunder, returning once more to Earth.
"Thor's back," Kurogai murmured.
He didn't seem surprised.
Thor had mentioned his intention to return to join Earth's defense against Thanos.
There was no need to interfere.
Thor, meanwhile, headed straight for Kamar-Taj — a place where he now felt the most familiar presence on Earth.
Yet half a day later, news from the Sanctum reached Kurogai.
Loki was missing.
Thor's visit had not been solely about joining Earth's defense.
He had also come in search of his brother, Loki — hoping to bring him back to Asgard before greater chaos unfolded.
The message was relayed to Kurogai by the Ancient One's disciples, requesting his aid.
With his reach and influence on Earth, Kurogai was their best chance to locate Loki quickly.
"Loki's missing…" Kurogai muttered.
His eyes glinted as he recalled that earlier energy fluctuation.
"So that power I felt… it was him."
If that was the case, then events were already shifting from what he remembered.
"The Avengers' story is beginning," he thought quietly.
"But this timeline's off. Thor hasn't yet faced his trial or lost his divine power. Things are moving too fast."
The world had already changed since Kurogai's arrival — timelines twisted, events altered.
Ebony Maw and the Black Order had descended on Earth earlier than expected.
The usual sequence of events was collapsing.
"But there's something else," he said aloud.
"If Loki's here, then… does he also have the Mind Scepter? Thanos wouldn't be foolish enough to hand it over again, would he?"
The thought made him smile faintly.
The Mind Stone was one of the most dangerous and valuable Infinity Stones.
Thanos had already lost several, some devoured by Kurogai himself.
Sending another to Earth would be reckless.
"Well," Kurogai said, standing and brushing off his coat.
"No point sitting around. I suppose it's time to pay Loki a visit."
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"I wonder how he'll react when he sees me again."
With that, Kurogai vanished from the manor in a fash of light, his aura rippling through the air as he set off.