The scene on the screen continued to move.
Nick Fury and Iron Man both refocused their attention on the image.
Nick Fury spoke a few words with Dr. Selvig but after receiving no useful answers, he called over his other trusted ally, Hawkeye Barton.
Barton dramatically swung down from the high sky, hanging from a rope.
"Barton, I gave you the task of observing and keeping watch!" Nick Fury said, slightly speechless.
"Only when you stand higher can you see further!" Barton replied nonchalantly.
"Did you see what activated the Cosmic Cube?" Nick Fury asked, his tone becoming serious.
"No one's come in or out. Dr. Selvig is clean," Hawkeye Barton said with certainty. "If there's a problem, it's not from our side."
"Our side?" Nick Fury raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Yes, the Cosmic Cube is a gateway to the other side of the universe. Since it's a door, both sides should be able to open it," Barton speculated.
"The Cosmic Cube is a door to the other side of the universe?" Black Widow's eyes narrowed slightly, "Could this door be the one above Stark Tower?"
"It's a possibility!" Nick Fury nodded, though his expression darkened.
At this point, all signs pointed to the Cosmic Cube being highly involved in the Chitauri invasion of New York, which raised many suspicions.
Crack!
As everyone watched, a surge of energy suddenly burst out of the Cosmic Cube.
Both those watching on the screen and the people on the screen were immediately drawn to the energy pulse. There was an air of tension and alertness as they observed the Cosmic Cube.
The energy on the Cube began to swell and gather, and suddenly, it shot out an energy beam.
At the end of the beam, a swirling mass of energy began to form, and through the shifting light, a portal opened.
"That's the Cosmic Cube!"
Iron Man and Black Widow nearly said in unison.
The portal in the base was identical to the one above Stark Tower. The only difference was that one was bigger, and the other smaller.
"Did the Chitauri really invade Earth through the Cosmic Cube?" Nick Fury murmured, his face darkening with worry.
He suddenly felt a wave of frustration. How could such a dangerous time bomb have been hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D.?
However, no one blamed Nick Fury, as the footage had clearly shown that the portal was opened by someone from the "other side."
The Cosmic Cube had activated itself.
This had nothing to do with Nick Fury.
Boom!
At that moment, the energy from the portal erupted violently, and a powerful surge of energy blasted out.
A man holding a weapon resembling a spear, with a large pompadour, appeared in front of them.
"Is this the person from the 'other side'? Is this… a Chitauri?" Black Widow asked in surprise.
According to their assumptions, if the portal led to the Chitauri, then anyone coming through should have been one of them.
Everyone was ready to see the true face of the Chitauri.
But to their shock, the person who stepped out looked like an Earthling.
However, judging by the person's unique long robe, as if attending a comic convention, he was clearly not an ordinary Earthling.
Especially the spear-like weapon he held, and the faint blue glow on his head, which suggested he was far from ordinary.
Clearly, this wasn't an artifact of Earth's civilization.
"Sir, please put down your spear!" Nick Fury warned, his face showing wariness as he addressed the "Spear Man."
But the man with the spear simply gave a cruel and menacing grin, swinging his weapon at Nick Fury and the others.
Ssss!
Blue energy shockwaves shot out from the spear, knocking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to the ground.
Boom boom boom boom!
The agents retaliated by opening fire, but the bullets merely sparked off the "Spear Man's" body.
They didn't inflict any damage whatsoever.
And so, the battle began.
"He can jump several meters in an instant, and even a single kick can send someone flying. His strange weapon can shoot energy shockwaves, and he's invulnerable to knives and bullets," Black Widow summarized. "Either he's an alien with the same appearance as an Earthling, or he's a magician."
"I hope he's a magician," Nick Fury interjected.
If the man with the spear was just a magician, then their previous assumptions were wrong.
The Cosmic Cube and the Chitauri invasion wouldn't be connected. At least, the event shown in the footage had nothing to do with the Chitauri.
That would be a good thing.
Humans fighting amongst themselves was much better than an alien invasion, right?
"Have you heard of Murphy's Law?" Iron Man sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
Murphy's Law, as one of the major discoveries of Western culture in the 20th century, was quite well-known.
Trained agents like Nick Fury and Black Widow definitely knew of it.
The law could be summarized in a simple sentence: If something can go wrong, no matter how small the chance, it will.
"Stark, sometimes you really need to keep quiet," Black Widow said with a slight frown.
Her unease grew after hearing Iron Man's remark.
Although Murphy's Law seemed like a bit of pseudoscience, it had countless real-world examples to support it.
Otherwise, why would the law be so famous?
And soon, reality proved it to be true.
The Spear Man's strength was overwhelming. Within a few moves, he had overwhelmed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents. Hawkeye Barton attempted to fight back, but the Spear Man simply jabbed his spear into Barton's chest.
Barton's pupils dilated, and then… he was directly controlled by the Spear Man.
Not only Barton, but several other agents were also controlled in the same way.
(End of Chapter)