Outside the Helicarrier, a Quinjet roared to life, its engines flaring bright orange as Loki and the remaining SHIELD agents under his thrall made their escape. The aircraft lifted off with a violent thrust, climbing into the expansive blue sky, leaving a trail of smoke and chaos in its wake.
Ben, Steve, and Tony sprinted across the deck, determination surging through them as they raced to stop Loki before he could slip away. Tony, despite the heavy damage to his armor—its plating dented and sparks flying from an exposed circuit—took to the air first, his repulsors flaring to life with a sputter.
He rocketed ahead, his heart pounding like a war drum. The Omnitrix, still on cooldown, left Ben without his usual transformations, but he was not without tricks. He fired a line made of Goop's sticky adhesive from his right gauntlet, the gel snaking out and latching onto the Quinjet's hull. Suddenly, the jet's momentum yanked him off the Helicarrier, his feet leaving the deck as Steve reacted instinctively, gripping Ben's leg with a vice-like grip.
"Hold on!" Steve shouted, his voice barely audible over the roaring engines, the wind whipping around them.
Tony unleashed a barrage of repulsor blasts, each beam aimed for the Quinjet's engines. But Loki, ever the cunning trickster, leaned casually against the ramp, a mocking grin spreading across his face. With a flick of his wrist, green tendrils of magic snaked from his scepter, warping the air around them. In an instant, a dozen Quinjets flickered into existence, each identical, their engines roaring in unison.
"Son of a—" Tony muttered, frustration bubbling over as his sensors struggled to lock onto a single target. He veered off course, blasting apart phantom jets that dissolved into wisps of green mist.
The Quinjet roared through the sky, leaving chaos in its wake as Ben gritted his teeth, dangling in midair with Steve clinging to his leg. The world spun around them, the Helicarrier shrinking beneath them. Summoning all his focus, Ben activated his grappling line, which shot out with a swift, mechanical whir, anchoring itself to the Quinjet's hull. With a powerful retraction, he pulled himself up, his magnetic gloves and boots clicking against the metal surface as he maneuvered.
"Climb up!" Ben urged, giving Steve a moment to scramble onto his back. The Captain quickly secured himself, his grip tightening around Ben's shoulders as he steadied for the next move.
"Got it! Open the ramp!" Steve called out, his voice steady despite the chaos surrounding them.
"On it!" Ben responded, activating his AI assistant, Olivia. "Olivia, hack into the Quinjet's systems. We need that ramp down—now!"
"Working on it," Olivia replied, her voice calm and efficient. "Initiating override sequence."
As the ramp began to lower with a mechanical hiss, Ben prepared himself. With a swift motion, he launched himself inside the Quinjet, his feet landing solidly on the floor as he immediately sprang into action. His fists moved in a blur, targeting Loki's mind-controlled agents before they could fully comprehend the threat. He struck with precision, delivering a series of rapid punches that sent the first agent sprawling to the floor, their blank expression frozen in shock.
Steve followed closely, rolling onto the deck just as an energy blast whizzed past him, narrowly missing his shoulder. With expert timing, he deflected the incoming shot with his shield, the impact resonating through the confined space like a thunderclap.
"Nice reflexes!" Ben shouted, throwing a kick that knocked another agent off balance.
"Let's clear this place!" Steve replied, moving in sync with Ben as they fought side by side.
Ben ducked beneath a wild swing from an agent, his body low to the ground. As he rose, he unleashed a powerful uppercut that sent the attacker reeling. The cabin of the Quinjet was tight, but they made the most of the space, using it to their advantage. Ben pivoted, launching himself off the wall to gain momentum, and landed a kick that sent another agent crashing into the cockpit.
"Olivia, any updates on the Quinjet's systems?" Ben called out, throwing another punch that connected with an agent's jaw.
"The engines are still online, but I'm working on disabling the control systems," Olivia replied, her tone steady amid the chaos.
With his helmet's infrared heat detection activated, Ben scanned the interior, searching for Loki. "He's still in here," he said, spotting a flicker of energy beyond the cockpit. "I can feel his presence."
Just then, Loki leaned casually against the cockpit's entrance, a smirk dancing across his lips. "Oh, how delightful," he sneered, raising his scepter. "You really think you can stop me?"
"Bet your last dollar on it!" Ben shot back, determination surging within him.
With a sudden surge of energy, Loki fired a blast of raw magic at them. Ben reacted instantly, creating a wall of ice that absorbed the impact, the air around them cooling rapidly.
"Now!" Steve shouted, seizing the moment. He charged forward, shield raised, and barreled toward Loki, who was momentarily taken aback. Ben followed closely behind, ready to strike.
As they closed in, Loki flicked his wrist, summoning multiple illusions of himself that filled the cabin. "You'll have to do better than that!" he taunted, laughter echoing in the cramped space.
"Seriously?" Ben growled, frustration mounting as he struggled to discern the real Loki from the illusions.
"Focus, Ben!" Steve urged, deflecting a stray blast from one of the illusions. "We need to find the real one!"
"Olivia, we need a way to track him!" Ben called out, adrenaline pumping through him.
"Analyzing energy signatures," Olivia replied. "Hold steady."
Ben and Steve moved in tandem, dodging blasts and striking at illusions that evaporated into green mist. Each time an illusion dissipated, it only added to their frustration.
"Keep your eyes peeled!" Steve called out, deflecting another energy shot. "We'll figure this out!"
With Olivia's guidance, Ben scanned the illusions, his helmet highlighting the subtle differences in energy signatures. "There!" he shouted, pointing to one of the Loki figures that flickered slightly more than the others. "That one!"
Ben launched himself forward, aiming for the real Loki, who stood a fraction of a second too long in one spot. His fist connected with Loki's jaw, sending the god stumbling backward, the illusions collapsing around them.
"Got you!" Ben exclaimed, adrenaline surging through him as he and Steve moved in to secure their foe. As the fight raged on, they knew they had to end this before Loki could escape again. The stakes had never been higher, and with the Quinjet rumbling beneath their feet, they were determined to take back control.
Loki theatrical flourish accentuating his mocking tone. "Oh, how amusing. You mortals are so predictable." He raised his scepter, the air crackling with energy, and fired a powerful blast directly at Steve. The Captain blocked just in time, the force of the impact pushing him back a step, his muscles straining against the shockwave.
At that precise moment, the Omnitrix let out its signature chirp—a sound Ben had grown to both cherish and dread. Relief flooded him, but a flicker of doubt lingered. "Ahh... finally " he muttered, slamming the dial as he transformed in a flash of green light into Big Chill, icy power surging through him.
Outside, Tony hovered in the air, his armor whirring softly as he scanned the sky for any sign of the real Loki. All around him, the illusions of the god flickered like mirages, each one identical to the last, their mocking laughter echoing in the open air. He fired repulsor blasts at one of the figures, the bright beam slicing through the illusion with a satisfying crackle, only for it to dissipate into green mist.
"Really starting to hate this guy," he grumbled under his breath, the frustration mounting as his HUD flickered erratically. The gauntlet trembled slightly as he clenched his fist, trying to regain focus. "I can't get a lock—he's everywhere!"
With a deep breath, Tony recalibrated his targeting systems, but the illusions kept multiplying, swirling around him like a chaotic storm. Each time he thought he spotted the real Loki, he was met with another false image, a perfect replica that vanished into thin air before he could land a hit. The heat of battle intensified, and he felt the pressure mounting.
"Okay..." he muttered to himself, his mind racing. "What's the trick here?" He glanced at the Quinjet, where Ben and Steve were still locked in combat, and a plan began to form.
"Alright, let's turn the tables," he said, a smirk creeping onto his face. He activated a new tactical mode on his HUD, lighting up his surroundings with enhanced visuals. He could now see heat signatures, pinpointing the subtle differences between the illusions and the real Loki.
"Come on, come on," he urged, his eyes darting around as he fired a few more blasts at the illusions, each one bursting into mist. He noticed that one of the figures seemed to flicker more erratically than the others. It was a telltale sign, a slight variance in its energy signature that registered on his HUD.
"There you are," he said, a spark of determination igniting within him. He adjusted his aim and fired a concentrated pulse that surged through the air, striking the elusive figure. The illusion shattered, its form dissipating into green wisps, but this time, he followed through, propelling himself forward with a burst of repulsor energy.
Tony barreled through the air, dodging energy blasts that erupted from the remaining illusions, their chaotic movements trying to throw him off. "Just a little closer," he grunted, his armor glinting in the sunlight as he weaved and bobbed, narrowly avoiding a blast that scorched the space where he had just been.
As he flew closer to the flickering figure, he felt the rush of adrenaline heighten his senses. "You're not getting away this time!" he shouted, focusing all his energy into one decisive shot. He fired a powerful repulsor blast aimed directly at the flickering figure, the energy beam cutting through the air like a laser.
Before diving into the Quinjet, now standind beside Big Chill and Steve. " Finally, decided to join the party. "
Ben said, in a chilling ghost voice, as cold mist exist his mouth. " Yeah, leave the quins to me kid."
" Hey, you two focus!" Steve exclaimed his eyes never leaving Loki's.
" Right"
Before the three heroes could press an attack, Loki spread his arms wide in a theatrical gesture. In a heartbeat, reality seemed to fracture around them, warping their perceptions and plunging them into chaos.
Tony blinked, and suddenly he found himself face-to-face with what he thought was Loki—but unbeknownst to him, the illusion had twisted their perceptions. His HUD flickered erratically, painting Ben's silhouette as Loki's sneering face. Without hesitation, Tony fired a repulsor blast, the energy beam slicing through the air. Big Chill phased the attack, effortlessly as he as let out a cold ice breath attack.
Towards Loki's, while a little perplexed to where Steve and Tony disappeared too. " Great, another illusions. " Ben growled, frustration mounting as he realized what was happening.
Taking a more subdued approach to this battle. Well, are of this type of cliche of fighting an ally thinking it was the enemy only to release later it was all an illusion. Which was a 60 percent likely this could be the case and talking nine times out of ten would mostly likely work either.
Ben countered another one of Loki's with a blast of icy breath, forcing Tony to veer away. They engaged in a high-speed dogfight, their movements frantic and erratic, with Ben being on the defensive.
Meanwhile, Steve found himself in freefall, unconscious and lost in a hallucination. The world blurred around him, the roar of engines fading as the whistle of artillery shells replaced it. He saw Peggy Carter standing there, a beacon of warmth amidst the chaos, her smile inviting. "Come home, Steve," she whispered, her voice cutting through the smoke. Her hand reached out, warm and real, as the ocean wind morphed into the stench of gunpowder.
As Steve plummeted toward the ocean below, Ben's AI assistant, Olivia, crackled urgently in his ear. "Ben, Captain Rogers is in a nosedive! You need to get him now!"
Despite the illusion still holding sway over him, Ben forced himself to listen, following Olivia's direction. He broke off from his aerial skirmish with Tony and dove toward Steve, piercing through the wind with determination. Just before Steve could hit the ocean's surface, Ben caught him, the impact sending a shock through his body as he cradled the unconscious Captain.
Back on the Helicarrier, Tony and Ben landed. The moment their feet touched solid ground, the illusion shattered, revealing the stark reality of their surroundings. Tony blinked in realization, his brow furrowing. "We were fighting each other?" he asked incredulously.
Ben huffed, still trying to catch his breath. "Yeah. Loki's a real piece of work," he replied, unsurprised Loki was a master of illusion this was part of the course. When ever facing an opponent with this type of ability.
They both turned back toward the horizon, scanning the skies, but the Quinjet—and Loki—were gone. Tony's armor creaked as he stared at the empty horizon, his voice hollow. "He played us." Tony tightened hisiron clad fist, the taste of failure bitter on his tongue, as the weight of their loss settled heavily between them.
Despite their best efforts and teamwork, Loki's mastery of deception and magic allows him to evade capture and vanish into the shadows, setting the stage for his next mischievous scheme.
" We know where he's headed, all we can do now is get ready for round three." Ben said, his eyes under his helmet were unwavering as stood in front of Tony face to face. " And this time we win or it's game over."
Then Fury voice suddenly rang through Tony earpiece with Ben hearing Fury voice through the Omnitrix with the symbol flashing with every word.
" Agent Coulson is down." Fury voice came through. Upon hearing the news with the mod became even more tense at that very moment.