Chapter 73: Tracking the Helicarrier

That night, Loki made his grand entrance, swaggering into public view with his usual flair, dressed like royalty and grinning as if the world were already his. But oddly enough... He was captured almost immediately. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers intercepted him during transport. Loki surrendered without resistance, as though it had all been part of the script. Though Thor's sudden arrival nearly turned the skies into a brawl, the situation was contained. Eventually, Loki was taken aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier and secured in a specially designed prison, the same one built to contain the Hulk. Everyone found it strange, it seemed way too easy. But the Avengers didn't have time to dwell on that. Not yet. ... The next morning... Luke leaned against the counter in the grocery store, a half-eaten toast in one hand, his eyes glued to the news playing on the wall-mounted screen. There he was, Loki, strutting around in cuffs, flanked by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Avengers alike. Luke's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Finally." The pieces were on the board. The curtain had been raised. Which meant it was time for him, Luke Yale, to step into the spotlight. If things went as expected, this trip should earn him enough plot points to finally reach system level four. That was reason enough to act. He turned to Wanda and Sharon, who were clearing breakfast. "I'm heading out," he said simply. Sharon's smile faltered. "You're going?" Luke nodded, grabbing his jacket. "Too many moving parts in the sky right now. It's time I moved with them." Doggo barked softly as if agreeing. "I'll hold down the fort," Wanda said confidently, eyes bright. Luke offered her a grateful smile. As he turned to leave, Sharon's eyes lingered on him, quietly worried. This time, he was going alone. Not because Sharon wasn't capable, but because he cared about her safety. In just a few short weeks, she'd become one of his own. Not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, not a pawn in someone else's game, his person. And Luke didn't put his people in danger lightly. He slid into the driver's seat of the Camaro. Doggo hopped into the passenger side like a furry bodyguard. Luke fastened both their seatbelts, then adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly. "Bumblebee, scan the sky. Find the helicarrier and plot a route up." Bumblebee let out a musical chirp in reply. The console lit up with data scrolling across the dashboard. In the last few days, Luke had discovered that Bumblebee was far more advanced than anything he'd seen in the Transformers movies. Not just flight-capable, but equipped with near-total control over Earth's electronic networks. Stealth? Encryption? Secret government cloaking fields? None of it mattered. In under a minute, Bumblebee locked onto the exact position of the helicarrier, high above the clouds. Luke gave a smirk. "Let's go knock on their floating door." ... In a flash of chrome and combustion, Bumblebee launched into action. The Camaro's tires screeched against the pavement before it drifted hard around a corner, only to slam straight into a cherry-red sports car parked nearby. But instead of the expected crash, the red car was immediately dismantled, absorbed into Bumblebee's body like a swarm of intelligent parts. Thousands of mechanical pieces swirled around him. In five seconds, the Camaro had transformed into something entirely new: Sleek, aerodynamic red wings unfurled from its sides. Jet boosters ignited beneath the chassis as a low roar shook the street. And then, it directly soared. The Camaro-turned-aircraft took to the sky, leaving a trail of blue-white light behind it. Pedestrians on the street stopped in their tracks. Phones were pulled out. Mouths hung open. "Hey, isn't that the same car that turned into a robot a few weeks ago?!" "It's flying now?!" "That thing just ate another car!" It was chaos and wonder. A real-life sci-fi moment. But to Luke, it was just Tuesday. ... Aboard the Helicarrier... Alarms blared in the command center. "Unidentified flying object approaching fast!" an agent shouted, eyes wide as he looked at his radar. Nick Fury turned sharply, cloak flaring with the motion. "Incoming?" he growled. "Yes, sir! Speed, trajectory, and signature all unknown!" Fury's expression darkened, "Is it another one of Loki's tricks? Someone coming to break him out?" He didn't care. Whoever it was, they were flying directly toward his ship. That alone was a threat. "Lock onto the target," he ordered coldly. "And shoot it down." "Yes, Director!" The helicarrier's internal weapon systems whirred to life. An agent flipped up the protective cover over a large red button, his hand trembling slightly. This was it, his first live target. He felt this moment was important enough to add to his resume. He swallowed hard, heart pounding. This would make one hell of a story for his future children. The Avengers: Steve, Tony, Bruce, Natasha, even Thor, watched from the observation deck, waiting. Fury's voice cut the silence. "Fire." The agent slammed the button. A long moment passed. One second. Two. Three... "System Error: Weapon Failure" The red text flashed across every screen in the room. Gasps broke out. "What?" the agent blinked furiously at his controls. "Weapons... just failed?!" Another tech frantically began diagnostics. "All systems are down, sir! Weapons are locked out!" "This is impossible!" another cried. "All systems passed a full inspection before takeoff!" Fury's one eye narrowed. "This isn't a malfunction... it can't be." Tony was already walking over to the console, peering at the error message. "Try turning it off and on again, that always works" he quipped playfully. ...