Inside the mobile lab, Thor was completely out of place with mortal life.
"This wine tastes wrong!" He slammed a cup of instant coffee onto the floor, the cup shattering. "Another!!!"
Daisy rolled her eyes and picked up a broom to clean up the shards. In these two hours, the man calling himself "Thor" had already broken three cups and two plates.
He never cleaned up, knew nothing about modern appliances, and when watching wrestling programs, his expression almost said, "So you guys like watching men wrestle too."
His behavior was just like a spoiled prince who was out of touch with society, completely lacking any ability to care for himself.
"Listen, big guy," Jane Foster placed a plate of food in front of him, "this is the last of the food. After you eat, you either tell us the truth about the abnormal weather, or we're sending you back to the hospital."
Thor reached out directly, grabbed a piece of bacon, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"My hammer," he said indistinctly, "I can feel it nearby. Once I get my hammer back, I can prove that everything I said is true. You will be honored as guests of Asgard."
Jane and Dr. Selvig exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit wavered. S.H.I.E.L.D. had locked down their research subject, but this "Lunatic" seemed to have inside information.
"We'll take you there." Jane made up her mind. "But you have to tell us exactly what that hammer is."
Under the cover of night, the research vehicle drove toward the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. Base again. Relying on his connection with mjolnir, Thor guided them through a gap in the rear and slipped into the cordoned area.
It started to rain, and the ground became muddy, making it difficult to walk.
The moment Thor saw the deep pit illuminated by searchlights and the war hammer inside, the confusion on his face vanished, replaced only by excitement.
"mjolnir!!!" he shouted, charging toward the pit.
He knelt before the hammer and gripped the leather handle with both hands. He could feel the power inside, waiting for his call.
"Father, I understand," he whispered. "I understand."
He took a deep breath, the muscles in his arms bulging as he pulled upward with all his might.
The hammer did not budge an inch.
The confidence on Thor's face froze. He exerted force again, veins popping on his neck and arms, his feet sinking into the mud.
The hammer remained completely unmoved.
The blood-linked resonance was still there, but a stronger, majestic force of rejection shut him out.
"No... no..."
He tried again and again, giving his all every time, and failing every time. Rain and mud mixed together, soaking his blonde hair and covering his face. Finally, he let go weakly and collapsed before the hammer, letting out a roar of despair.
"Why... Σ(°Д°;)"
Jane and Daisy stood in the distance, watching the scene blankly. They couldn't understand why a man would show such sorrow over a hammer.
Just then, several flashlight beams shone over simultaneously.
"Don't move!!! You're surrounded!!!"
Dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents closed in from all sides, their muzzles aimed at the people in the pit. Thor looked up, his sorrow over losing his divine power replaced by the fire of being cornered.
"Get back!!!" he roared, charging at the Agents.
Even without his divine power, his body was still that of an Asgardian. Several Agents were sent flying by his impact.
Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, a figure descended from the sky, landing between Thor and the Agents.
"That's enough." Steve Rogers said calmly, holding his star shield.
"Out of my way, mortal!!!" Thor bellowed, swinging a fist at Steve's face.
Steve sidestepped, using the edge of his shield to deflect most of the force. The two became locked in combat. Thor's attacks were wide and powerful, filled with the killing intent of a battlefield. Steve responded steadily, not meeting strength with strength, but using his fighting skills to constantly dodge and block.
After a few rounds, Steve was shocked internally. The opponent's fighting techniques were ancient and efficient, belonging to no school on Earth. It reminded him of Lin Huai's words—'A distinguished guest from myth.'
"Stop attacking!!!" Steve seized an opening and commanded loudly, "We mean no harm."
He looked at Coulson and gave an order: "Take this gentleman and those three scholars to the lounge area. They aren't prisoners, they're guests. We need to talk."
...On a distant sand dune, the invisible Loki saw this, and the mocking smile on his face vanished.
The mortal army recognized Thor's identity? This wasn't in his plan. Once Thor gained the help of these mortals, his situation would no longer be isolated.
A flash of killing intent crossed Loki's eyes. He couldn't wait any longer. He raised his scepter, preparing to contact Heimdall and transport the Destroyer to these coordinates.
Since the play had an unexpected turn, he would use power to wipe all the actors and Spectators off the stage.
Just as he was about to speak, his ears caught a faint, encrypted communication.
"Code name 'Spear' receiving. I have Grade A intelligence here. A high-density metallic object, non-Earth origin, immovable. Also discovered a target with superhuman physical capabilities, currently controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D., suspected to be related to the object. Over."
Loki's movement to raise his scepter stopped.
Within the mortal organization, there was another force hidden? Infiltration, intelligence... these words made him scent a kindred spirit.
Clearing the field with force was too crude. A spy organization hidden inside the enemy was a much more interesting toy.
The smile of the God of Mischief returned to Loki's face.
He withdrew his scepter, his form flickering as he floated silently behind the Agent who had just finished the communication.
"Who are you reporting to?" Loki's voice rang directly in the Agent's mind.
The Agent's body stiffened, and before he could draw his gun, his pupils dilated.
Loki's finger touched his forehead, dark green magic pouring in, reading his chaotic memories. Finally, a name jumped into Loki's mind.
Sitwell.
He had found another thread... In the temporary interrogation room at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base, the atmosphere was oppressive. Thor was locked inside alone, looking displeased and wary.
The door opened, and Lin Huai, Tony, and Steve walked in.
"Mortals, what do you want?" Thor asked gruffly.
Tony rubbed his bald head and was about to speak, but Lin Huai raised a hand to stop him.
Lin Huai pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Thor, crossing his legs with an inexplicable smile on his face.
"Don't be nervous, Son of Odin." Lin Huai spoke, not in English, but in fluent Asgardian with an ancient rhythm, "Or should I say, the future heir to the throne of Asgard, Thor the God of Thunder?"
Thor stood up abruptly, his eyes wide as saucers, his face full of disbelief. (⊙_⊙)
Lin Huai ignored his shock and continued, "When you were about a hundred and fifty years old, you sneaked into the vault to see if you could lift the Destroyer armor, only to be caught by your father and put in solitary confinement for three days; on your four hundred and seventy-second birthday, you got drunk at the celebration and insisted on taking Sif and Fandral to Muspelheim to steal Surtur's beard..."
With every sentence he spoke, Thor's face grew a shade paler.
Lin Huai spoke as if he were recounting something perfectly ordinary: "And this time, because you took The Warriors Three and Sif and recklessly barged into Jotunheim, nearly starting a war between the realms, Odin stripped you of your divine power, threw mjolnir to Earth, and added the enchantment: 'Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor,' then kicked you down here to experience life... Am I right?"
Tony and Steve listened from the side, completely bewildered. Although they couldn't understand the language, Thor's expression, as if he had seen a ghost, explained everything.
Lin Huai paused and looked at the completely petrified God of Thunder, his smile growing even wider.
"Oh, right," he added, "Odin also hopes your brother, who loves playing with illusions, can learn something from this incident, though personally, I think... it's unlikely. (¬‿¬)"
Thor's mouth hung open, his mind a total blank. All his Pride and anger had vanished, replaced by nothing but infinite shock and confusion. He looked at the mortal before him as if he were looking at an all-knowing Monster.
"Who... who exactly... are you?" he asked with a trembling voice.