107 Sahara

The Sahara stretched endlessly in all directions. For those who had seen the ocean, they would have said it resembled a golden sea with vast dunes sculpted by the wind, glittering under the merciless sun. Sand was everywhere, and where there wasn’t sand, there were rocks baked with the same golden hue. It was the kind of place where civilisation couldn’t survive, no matter how hard you tried. The environment was too harsh, too inhuman for even one person to endure, let alone for a community to thrive.

Naturally, that made it the perfect place for a secret base.

And that was exactly where the Avengers were headed.

As the Quinjet descended toward a rare patch of civilisation, the military base below looked like a forgotten relic. Something more ancient, like the weathered remains of Babylon in the Jordanian desert. The perimeter walls were partially swallowed by shifting sand, and the relentless wind had begun to erode the buildings’ facades.

An old runway sliced through the desert like a scar. Scattered across the grounds were squat, sun-bleached structures casting long, lifeless shadows in the heat. A few derelict vehicles and grounded aircraft sat abandoned, already surrendering to nature’s slow decay. Peer inside, and you'd likely find lizards claiming them as their new home away from the scorching heat of the desert.

As the Quinjet touched down, a thick cloud of sand billowed up around it before slowly settling back to the ground. One by one, the Avengers filed out and immediately felt the oppressive desert heat slam into them.

The harsh sun beat down mercilessly from above, its glare bouncing off the pale sands and making even squinting uncomfortable. For a moment, no one said anything. They just stood there, quietly questioning if this was worth it as they stood in the middle of the Sahara. They might’ve been Earth’s mightiest heroes, but some things just weren’t worth the trouble.

Harry quickly cast a cooling charm over the group as a refreshing breeze wrapped around them like a welcome shield. Unfortunately, even magic had its limits as it couldn’t do much about the blinding sunlight that still reflected into their eyes.

“This is miserable,” Clint muttered as he put on his shades.

“You want to give Jarvis a test run?” Harry asked Tony, raising a hand to block the sun. Tony adjusted his sunglasses and gave a nod.

“Absolutely. Anything to minimise walking around in this sauna.”

“I’ll stay on the Quinjet to monitor the systems,” Bruce added before anyone could even try to volunteer. “Not about to roast out here if I don’t have to.” Without waiting for an answer, he retreated back up the ramp and settled in front of the Quinjet’s console.

“Sir, the Veronica satellite array is online and fully operational,” JARVIS announced through the comms in his British monotone.

“Satellite lock is stable, power levels nominal,” Bruce confirmed after tapping a few keys. “Looks good from here.”

Tony planted his feet on the cracked, sun-baked asphalt. “Alright, JARVIS, let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Scanning designated coordinates now,” JARVIS replied. “Visual confirmation: abandoned military installation. Numerous derelict structures, debris consistent with long-term neglect. Minimal signs of recent activity within a five-kilometre radius. Ambient temperature at ground level is currently forty-two degrees Celsius.”

“Wonderful,” Natasha muttered, pulling her scarf higher over her face.

“At least it’s a dry heat,” Thor offered helpfully.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

Thor frowned. “What? That’s what mortals say, is it not?”

"Sir, the Synthetic Aperture Radar scans are complete," JARVIS reported through the comms. "There is an extensive underground structure beneath the base. However, there are no heat signatures detected at ground level. All above-ground buildings appear empty."

“Bruce?” Tony asked, already anticipating the answer but wanting official confirmation.

Bruce’s voice crackled over the comms from inside the Quinjet. “I’m looking at JARVIS’s scanner feeds. The network underground is dense and complex, maybe with multiple levels. The data’s solid.”

The Avengers spread out, each taking a sector of the decaying base, scanning for any kind of entrance to the subterranean complex.

“What’s up with Hydra and SHIELD always using underground bunkers?” Harry grumbled as he nudged a loose sheet of corrugated metal with his foot. “Seriously, what’s wrong with a nice above-ground hideout? You know, with windows.”

“In this heat? I’d hide underground too,” Natasha shot back, dabbing sweat off her brow. “The Earth’s crust keeps it cool, and it’s harder to hit from the air. Plus, the whole secret-evil vibe doesn’t really work in a beachfront bungalow.”

“Yeah, well, someone clearly skipped the ‘marked exits’ portion of their architectural design class. You’d think with all the world-ending schemes, they’d at least make their entry points accessible.” He kicked lightly at a rusty door.

“I’m finding an alarming number of scorpions,” Clint called from behind a collapsed storage shed, lifting a piece of debris with his bow. “Also, what might be a mummified desert fox. Still no secret doors, though.”

Steve paused near a half-buried concrete structure. His eyes narrowed at the structure as his military training allowed him to see patterns that others did not. He knocked twice on the ground near the entrance. The dull, hollow echo wasn’t natural. “That’s not solid ground.”

“JARVIS?” Steve asked.

“Confirmed, Captain. The subterranean readings are strongest directly beneath your position. That is most likely the primary access point.”

“Thank you, JARVIS,” Steve replied with a small smile.

The team regrouped as they uncovered the hidden hatch that was barely concealed under a flimsy sheet of rusted metal.

Tony stepped forward, already suited up in his Iron Man armor. “Let’s see what their security system has to say.” He easily hacked into the door mechanism and a few sparks later, the heavy metal hatch groaned open.

The Avengers exchanged brief glances before descending together into the underground facility.

As the Avengers descended the stairs, Tony lifted his wrist and released a minuscule drone no bigger than a housefly. Its optical systems began feeding real-time data directly into Tony’s HUD and to Bruce aboard the Quinjet.

“How’s the scanner working?” Tony asked.

“It’s solid, Tony,” Bruce replied, as JARVIS created a real-time map of the underground facility based on the drone’s sensors. Bruce’s eyes were glued to the complex streams of data scrolling across his monitors, making sure that the supercomputer was doing its job. The tiny drone buzzed through narrow corridors and ventilation shafts to provide the required data. “The hostiles haven’t noticed our little spy. Their positions are now clearly marked, and there are about a dozen in the next main chamber.”

“Twelve?” Tony mocked Harry and Natasha, who flanked him on either side. “Lightweights.”

“Don’t get cocky,” Natasha warned. “Twelve enemies in a confined space can still turn into a very bad day.”

“Fair point,” Tony nodded. “But with Bruce calling out their positions like a play-by-play announcer, we’ve got the home-field advantage.”

Tony stepped up to the designated room, halting in front of the thick reinforced metal door.
“Alright, team, let’s make this quick and painless,” he muttered.

The Avengers fell into position behind Harry as he cast a Protego around them.

Tony gave Harry a nod, and with a sharp hiss of hydraulics, the door slid open.

Instantly, a deafening hail of gunfire erupted from inside. Bullets screamed through the opening, ricocheting wildly off the doorframe and spitting angry sparks into the dim corridor. The volley hammered into Tony’s armour, the metallic thunk-thunk-thunk echoing, but barely leaving more than a few superficial scratches on the advanced plating.

Tony didn’t flinch. “Huh,” his voice crackled through the helmet speakers.

While the attackers kept up their futile barrage, Tony’s targeting locked onto each heat signature inside the room. His shoulder compartments snapped open, revealing micro-missile pods. Instantly, a rapid volley was unleashed, and the miniature rockets streaked forward towards their target.

In seconds, the gunfire stopped. The attackers crumpled one by one, either slumping against the walls or collapsing to the floor as their weapons clattered uselessly to the ground.

“Clear,” Tony announced, stepping confidently into the room, repulsors still charged and glowing at the ready.

The rest of the floor was deserted, as they made their way to the far end of the corridor. There, a spiral staircase carved directly into the rock wound downward into the deeper shadows of the facility.

“They’ve set up another ambush at the bottom,” Bruce’s voice crackled through the comms. “Six hostiles.”

Thor stepped forward without hesitation. “Allow me this time.”

He descended first, and the moment Thor’s boots hit the bottom landing, figures lunged from the shadows. Six Hydra operatives in tactical gear and electric batons surrounded the Asgardian like wolves descending on prey.

The first baton struck, snapping against Thor’s armoured shoulder with a loud crack. Another jabbed at his ribs, sending bright sparks flying. Yet Thor barely shifted; his face remained impassive. To him, it was no more than an irritating swarm of flies.

With one fluid motion, he swung Mjolnir in a broad arc. The attackers were flung like ragdolls, slamming into the rock walls with resounding thuds before collapsing in limp, unconscious heaps.

Thor stood amid the fallen, Mjolnir resting lightly on his shoulder. He glanced back at the team as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Is that all?” he asked with mild disappointment.

Natasha shook her head as she surveyed the unconscious bodies. “Well, they certainly committed to the element of surprise. Too bad their idea of surprise was ‘stab Thor with glorified cattle prods,” she said dryly.

“There’s another group waiting just outside the stairwell,” Bruce warned. “Armed, looks like advanced energy weapons.”

Steve stepped up, shield raised. “I’ve got point.”

He reached for the handle and pushed the door open. The moment the gap widened, a barrage of crackling blue energy pulses erupted from the other side as fast, concentrated bursts hammered against Steve’s vibranium shield.

From behind the cover of Steve’s shield, Clint acted fast. He loosed an arrow upward, embedding it into the overhead supports. A small explosive detonated, bringing down a section of piping and debris directly onto the ambushers, scattering them.

The soldiers stumbled, struggling to regain their footing as cast an Incarcerous on them. Thick magical ropes burst into existence, snaking rapidly around the disoriented soldiers and binding them tightly before they could recover.

Steve lowered his shield slightly, as he studied the captured assailants and their gear scattered across the floor. “These weapons are based on Hydra tech from the war, but with some upgrades.” he said grimly.

Natasha crouched beside one of the rifles as her fingers brushed against the barrel. “But they don’t have the Tessaract to power these weapons. Thor took the Cube back to Asgard after New York.”

Bruce’s replied thoughtful. “Right, but remember what Selvig told us? Loki’s scepter gave off a similar energy signature to the Tesseract. Hydra already had decades of research on the Tesseract. They could’ve figured out how to siphon energy from the scpeter using the tesseract research.”

Tony’s interjected. “This might mean that we could find Loki’s scepter here.”

The Avengers pressed on ahead, but Harry gently placed a hand on Thor’s arm, bringing him to a stop at the rear of the group.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” Harry asked quietly. Their eyes met, and the troubled crease in Thor’s brow was answer enough.

Thor nodded slowly. “Yes. Loki’s scepter… it may very well be another of the Infinity Stones.”

Harry let out a deep sigh. “Do you think Thanos knew?”

Thor’s jaw tightened. “I do not know. If he did, why give the scepter to Loki? Why risk losing one Infinity Stone while attempting to claim another? It seems... reckless, even for him.”

“Or calculated,” Harry countered thoughtfully. “Maybe the scepter was a tool. A way to ensure Loki’s success in retrieving the Tesseract.” Harry trailed off, the implication hanging in the air.

Thor’s grip tightened on Mjolnir, the knuckles of his hand whitening. “Either way, the scepter is too dangerous to remain here. Once we secure it, I will bring it to Asgard. Mother and Father must know. We will seek counsel and act accordingly.”

Harry nodded firmly. “Agreed. Whatever Thanos’s plan was… it’s not finished yet. But first, we find the scepter.”

They exchanged one last glance, both understanding that what they were chasing was far bigger than Hydra and perhaps even bigger than they were ready for.

Once again, they met no further resistance as they advanced through the base. At the end of the final corridor stood a massive reinforced door. Its thick hinges, layered steel plating, and an array of heavy locking mechanisms screamed: classified access only.

“That’s their main facility, alright,” Bruce’s voice crackled over comms. “And JARVIS confirms it’s sealed tight. Multi-layered locks, high-grade alloys.”

“Stand back,” Clint said, grinning as he nocked a specialised arrow. “Explosives haven’t let me down yet.”

He loosed the arrow, which struck dead centre with a satisfying thwack. A sharp explosion followed, sending a shockwave through the hall. Dust rained down, small fragments of concrete clattered to the ground, but when the smoke cleared, the door still stood. The only damage was a fresh scorch mark.

“Huh,” Clint muttered, deflated. “That usually gets more of a reaction.”

“Clint, buddy,” Bruce added with a dry chuckle, “that’s a nuclear bunker door. You brought a firecracker to an armoured tank fight.”

Tony stepped forward, stretching his gauntleted fingers. “Alright, let the grown-ups take a shot.” His palms lit up with a brilliant glow as his repulsors charged. “Let’s see if raw power makes an impression.”

He unleashed a sustained beam of concentrated energy, the hallway flooded with blue-white light as metal groaned under the pressure. For a few tense seconds, it looked like the door might yield until Tony powered down, leaving the door smouldering but completely intact.

“Yeah. That went well,” Tony sighed.

Natasha smirked. “Want me to try knocking politely?”

Harry held up a hand to stop Steve, who was shifting his shield into a ready stance. He stepped to the wall beside the door, conjuring a long, thick iron nail out of thin air. With a flick of his hand, he drove it deep into the concrete, anchoring it solidly.

Thor's eyes lit up with amusement as realisation dawned. “Ah. I see where this is going.”

Mjolnir hummed in his grip, crackling with energy as he swung it in a smooth arc. With a thunderous clang, the hammer struck the nail dead centre, sending a bolt of lightning surging through the wall like a living thing. Electricity arced and danced across the concrete surface, spiderweb cracks radiating outward as the very structure of the wall began to tremble.

With a final, blinding surge of power, the entire section of wall around the doorframe caved inward with a deafening boom, sending dust and debris cascading into the room beyond. The massive door, no longer supported, sagged awkwardly and fell inward, revealing the chamber ahead.

“Show-off,” Tony muttered, brushing dust off his armour.

The moment the door collapsed inward, a barrage of blue energy pulses erupted from within as the Hydra agents from inside opened fire.

Without hesitation, Harry cast Protego Maxima as the blue pulses ricocheted harmlessly off the barrier. With a soft pop, he Apparated directly into the centre of the room, catching the Hydra soldiers completely off guard. Before any of them could react, Harry cast Incarcerous as thick ropes shot out in all directions, wrapping tightly around each soldier. One by one, they toppled, weapons clattering to the floor as they struggled against their bonds, completely immobilised in seconds.

The room fell silent, save for the distant hum of the fallen weapons.

Harry turned back toward the doorframe and gave the rest of the Avengers a small, satisfied shrug. “All clear.”

The Avengers stepped deeper into the room, scanning the racks of weapons and crates filled with components.

“Bruce, any sign of the sceptre?” Harry asked.

“Negative,” Bruce replied. “Plenty of modified weapons but no sceptre. They’ve clearly reverse-engineered the tech, but the source isn’t here.”

Harry exhaled. “Understood. Bring in the SHIELD cleanup teams.”

“On it,” Bruce confirmed.

The Avengers moved through the room slowly, inspecting the weaponry now laid bare. Rows of hybrid rifles, based on old Hydra and Chitauri tech, lined the tables.

“We'd better round them up fast,” Steve said, glancing around at the crates of dangerous tech. “We don’t know what Hydra’s cooking up next.”

Everyone nodded in agreement as the weight of the situation pressed down on them.

Just then, Fury’s voice cut through as he strode into the room, flanked by a few senior SHIELD agents. His long coat swirled slightly with his quick pace, and his one eye was fixed on the Avengers.

“SHIELD teams are already sweeping the facility and searching for any signs of the sceptre.” Fury announced flatly.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You got here fast.”

“I had good reason,” Fury replied. “The African Union just called, and so did the T’Chaka, the King of Wakanda. They’ve made it very clear: SHIELD and the Avengers have no jurisdiction here. They’re demanding we vacate immediately.”

The mood in the room shifted instantly.

Steve and Tony exchanged a glance. “Is Wakanda protecting Hydra?” Steve asked.

Fury shook his head firmly. “No. Wakanda’s too protective of its borders for that. They’re isolationist, always have been. Like China during its closed-door era, or the Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain. They don’t let outsiders in, not Hydra, not SHIELD, not anyone. And their population and economy are too small for either of us to quietly infiltrate.”

“Then why force us to leave?” Clint asked, frowning.

“That’s the part that matters,” Fury replied, his tone growing heavier. “Wakanda, speaking for the African Union, just lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations. About us. About the Avengers.” He let that hang for a moment before continuing.

“They’re worried, Barton. Worried that if no one checks our power, sooner or later the Avengers won’t just fight threats, we’ll start dictating policy. Choosing sides. And from where they’re standing we’re already crossing that line.”

“Just show them what we uncovered here in this military base,” Harry said quietly. “Prove that we’re only after Hydra.”

“It isn’t that simple,” Fury countered.

“Maybe once Hydra’s dismantled, we can sit down with the United Nations and have the proper hearings,” Tony offered. “Right now? They’ll bury us in red tape while Hydra slips through the cracks. Sometimes it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”

Fury’s eye narrowed slightly, scanning the faces in front of him. “And you all agree with that?” he asked. The question hung in the air like a storm cloud.

No one answered at first.

The silence wasn’t indifference; it was hesitation. Conflict. Each of them stared down the uncomfortable truth: what they were doing was necessary… but dangerous. They weren’t following orders. They weren’t sanctioned. They were deciding who to fight and where to fight them. And deep down, they knew why the world was starting to fear them.

Fury’s gaze settled on Steve. “Captain?”

Steve hesitated. His instincts as a soldier battled with his conscience as a man. Finally, with a heavy breath, he answered. “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”

Fury turned to Harry. “Potter?”

Harry met his gaze without flinching. “We might not get another chance. Hydra’s already scrambling, and they’re making mistakes. If we slow down now to follow procedure, we give them the room they need to disappear again. We can’t let that happen.”

The air was thick with the weight of unspoken truths. None of them wanted to say it aloud, that they were becoming something the world might not be able to control.