Chapter 663 - Mighty Ball Crusher (1/2)

The research lab was barely equipped to accommodate so many people. Natasha, Nick Fury, Agent Coulson, Tony, Bruce, and the Captain. They all looked towards Nik, their gazes trying to pierce through Nik's expression and understand the youth's inner working. Tony and Bruce were surprised by Nik's appearance. It wasn't his features that greatly startled them but his probable age with how young he looked. Captain was used to that slightly naive but sly smile that never left Nik's face and honestly, he felt that the same smile completely described Nik and that is why he thought Nik could be behind Loki's disappearance.

”So? Where is Loki?” Nik inquired again. There were only three chairs in the lab so he promptly reached out for the nearest one and sat down, greatly relieving the group. Still, Fury's gaze remained condensed on him.

”You tell us, Nik,” Fury said while turning the tablet's face towards him, showing the scene where Tony and Steve cornered Loki only for him to disappear suddenly. Seeing this, Nik furrowed his brows and looked towards everyone else. As if he understood something, Nik suddenly stood up, his nostrils flared and his tone no longer respectful.

”You think I did this? Have you all lost your minds?”

Everyone in this room had gone through many experiences. Banner had faced treachery time and again, forcing his body to transform into the Hulk. Tony Stark had been kidnapped and almost killed. He had been attacked by many assassins and approached by countless spied. Nick Fury and Captain were leaders in their own rights. Every person in this group had experience in ascertaining many things from other's expressions and body language. Even Coulson was well-versed with this and that is why, when Nik looked at him with an indignant gaze, Coulson couldn't help but feel that they might have just made a mistake.

”Calm down, we are not pushing blames,” Fury stated with an effort to keep the situation from getting worse.

”You guys indirectly pinned the blame of kidnapping a freaking god on the loose! Calm down?! I should be cutting off your Hellicarrier in half!” His words instantly alerted everyone except Natasha.

”Nik, come on. You are the only guy we know that has spatial abilities. And we didn't pin anything. There are many suspects that we are investigating,” Tony chuckled nervously. He still wasn't done with Extremis project and didn't want to die this early. He was just in his late thirties!

”Oh... you don't want to do that,” Bruce shook his head dismissively, his words implying that another green giant was privy to the conversation.

”Did you guys consider that maybe... Loki has the spatial abilities, too?” Nik's words stumped everyone.

”Does he?” Natasha inquired mentally. She greatly benefitted with Loki captured. After all, only the God of Mischief knew Barton's current location.

”He can resist my abilities so he might just have them but right now, he's sleeping soundly,” Nik replied mentally as Natasha let out a sigh of relief.

”We really hadn't considered that,” Bruce mumbled while Fury shook his head.

”If he did, then Loki didn't need to use vehicles to escape the original research lab. So him having spatial abilities is highly unlikely.”

”Anyway, you guys should seriously have yourself tested. Saying stupid things and blaming others. I don't want to be in your 'big boys' club any longer. Sorry, Agent Widow, and Agent Coulson. I'll stick with the minor ring,” Nik scoffed. Pickle slowly started to cover him. In the entire conversation, he had perfect control of his expression and showing his youthful appearance to Banner and Tony for the first time, he wished to greatly reduce their suspicion. After all, Tony is regarded as a major asset by the Shield and Banner as the most dangerous.

”Wait,” Coulson stated hurriedly, ”We really had no intention of subjecting you to an interrogation. That's why I called you here. And as you said, a God is on the loose. How can we not take drastic measures?” His words 'seemed' to reduced Nik's indignation as he slowly calmed down and gazed at everyone in the room. With Pickle covering him, the others look more threatened than usual and as Nik said, he might just be capable of tearing the flying base in half. This instantly raised Nik's fear factor and value in Fury's eye.

”We cannot just argue among us right now,” Captain stated impassively. He hadn't joined the Shield because of his own reason but he agreed to help them out. ”We still don't know Loki's motive. We had him for a few moments but he then disappeared. He either has spatial abilities or a helper with these methods.”

”We cannot rule out Invisibility,” Tony stated, ”Although my sensors couldn't detect him at all, invisibility is a real thing now,” his words making Nik's thoughts drift towards the comely blonde who had started to grow warmer towards Nik after a single lunch.

”Sir,” Maria's hurried voice passed through Fury's transmitter, attracting everybody's attention. ”There's an unknown flying being headed straight towards the Hellicarrier. Time of impact remaining— 3 minutes, and the area of impact is the third engine!”

Her words greatly startled everybody in the room as Fury looked at everybody in the room. ”Dr. Banner, you'll be alright?”

”As long as I'm not affected directly,” Banner nodded and Nick looked at Coulson, ”Code 43, go. Tony, the Invisible panels are still working which means that this guy knows who we are and where we are. I need you out near the engine.”

”Fine,” Tony grumbled and left after nodding at Nik.

”Nik, can you—”

”I'm not your subordinate, remember, Director?” Nik smirked as Fury raised his index finger. This was the amount and Nik finally nodded eagerly.

”You won't be blown away if you step out, right?” Fury inquired as Nik thought for a moment, ”First time for everything, I guess,” and then he vanished.

---

Despite the large size, Hellicarrier moved at extreme speed. Its task was to hover all around America. The Shield still wasn't willing to invade other countries and cause wars so they stuck to modest coverage and the invasion of privacy of the Americans. Just like a navy battleship, the Hellicarrier's surface was modeled to a runway for jets that were locked in their places.

Standing on the communication detector of the carrier, Nik couldn't help but think what would happen if someone made Hellicarrier perform stunts. It would be a wonderful sight before the beauty crashes and burns, Nik knew that.

In the distance, Nik observed a man led by his hammer followed by a bolt of lightning. The grizzly sound of thunder accompanied the broad-shouldered man while Tony's suddenly launched a group of missiles. Seeing that it would take a few moments for the missiles to hit the target, Nik smiled evilly and created a pool of small portals that instantly connected to the space around the man.

Boom!

A loud explosion echoed as everyone from the command room could observe the mysterious man's flight interjected by Tony's missile when combined with the small portals and targetted the opponent cruelly. Many shivered but Coulson couldn't help but appreciate the act. Spatial abilities had huge potential in enhancing the efficiency in a team and the more Nik shows this aspect of his ability, the greater he would be valued by the Shield, which would also make the others from his team standout.

”That was nice!” Tony flew over as his voice boomed from his mask. If his volume was even a little bit weaker, his voice wouldn't have reached Nik at all.

”Watch out!” Nik stated plainly as a bolt of lightning that would have struck Tony entered a small portal and came out a little away from the carrier as if it was a natural one.

Tony instantly looked towards the source and found the same blonde man flying towards him. The red cape continued to flutter behind the man as Nik and Tony came to know the identity of the man.

Thor.

They had been detailed on Loki's 'relatives' and it helped that Thor had visited Earth prior before all of this happened.

”A God...” Nik looked at the man with his heart shivering slightly. Thor was completely different from Loki and the videos. The more one knew the more they understand. Nik had been in contact with formless energies like aura and the stuff Lucifer used to greatly pressurize him and from Thor, he felt the same pressure, albeit, only a sliver of it.