Chapter 411: The War God, Grimr the Raider, and the Third God

Agent Phil Coulson struggled to recall the chaotic events of that night.

"It got dark," he began quietly.

"That was my first thought. The sky darkened unnaturally fast, as if all the clouds in the horizon were rushing together. Even the scorching Nevada desert sun couldn't pierce the thick cloud cover. Without sunlight, the yellow sand turned an eerie grayish black, and the temperature plummeted rapidly. I heard a sinister whisper carried on the wind."

Coulson's mind immediately flashed to Salem. That cursed place still haunted him. He could vividly recall the grotesque horrors he had seen there: rats with human faces gnawing at his flesh, monstrous creatures oozing foul-smelling saliva as they hunted survivors in the forest.

He had thought those nightmares would fade with time, but the scene before him in the Nevada desert was stirring those dark memories anew. As blackness engulfed the area, he heard what sounded like mocking laughter—horrible and familiar. It echoed like the chilling sound he remembered from that creature: a massive, spider-like being with eight limbs and leathery black tendrils sprouting from its head.

Maria Hill, aware of Coulson's clearance to view the classified files on the Salem incident, listened intently as he continued.

"Then what happened?" she prompted after jotting down his last words.

"I saw the clouds form into a human face," Coulson whispered. "The face screamed silently, and a violent storm tore through the desert. Sand whipped around us with such speed it felt like bullets. My team and I had to retreat to the vehicles. The storm hit like a barrage of gunfire. As we sped away, I glanced out the window and saw blinding flashes of light in the cloud cover. It wasn't lightning—it looked like shadows of an enormous tree moving behind the clouds. That face, that thing, was roaring in rage. Declaring something."

Note: The storm left extensive damage. Analysis confirmed impact marks on S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles consistent with local rocks and sand propelled by high winds.

"Then a lightning bolt struck dangerously close to us. A silver arrow of fire shot up from the ground and collided with the bolt in mid-air." Coulson paused to take a sip of water. "The sound was deafening. For a moment, it felt like our hearts stopped, replaced by the thunder's pulse. We couldn't move, breathe, or think. After several agonizing seconds, my team finally managed to speak again. By then, we had already driven some distance away."

Note: Investigation of the scene revealed residual energy signatures matching those of Mjolnir, as well as an unidentified magical signature believed to be associated with Solomon Damonet.

"The cold, oppressive atmosphere lifted. The sky cleared, and the winds calmed," Coulson continued, his voice lighter now. "Melinda May and I decided to return to the bar ruins. But when we arrived, it was like nothing had happened. The bodies—all of them—were gone. Even the Hellhound bikers we couldn't save were nowhere to be found. The blood-soaked floorboards were spotless. All I could smell was cheap whiskey and stale cigarettes. May can confirm this. I immediately reported it to HQ. And that's when you showed up..."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Agent Coulson," Maria Hill said as she closed the file and turned off the recording device.

Coulson shrugged, still looking somewhat perplexed.

"The Director will personally handle the follow-up," Hill informed him. "You just need to continue your investigation of 'the Clairvoyant.' The Director may be busy, but I'm sure he'll find time to call."

Meanwhile, Solomon ignored the incessant buzzing of his phone. He smirked when he saw the caller ID: Nick Fury.

"Damn it," he muttered, wincing from the stinging pain on his scalp.

"That old man Odin didn't hold back at all!" Solomon grumbled to Jeanne d'Arc, who stood behind him, trimming away the scorched ends of his hair. Even as he complained, he avoided mentioning Odin's name directly, wary of being overheard by the All-Father himself. "I wasn't going to do anything serious to his warrior! I just wanted to scare Sif a little—calm her down before taking her to meet the one-eyed geezer. But her prayers triggered a vision of impending danger, and fate warned me of the consequences."

"So that's why you got electrocuted," Jeanne chuckled softly as she snipped another burnt strand.

"Exactly. I had to guard against Grimr's betrayal, so I summoned the darkest power I could muster." Solomon touched the silver key hanging around his neck. "I'll have to negotiate with that old bastard. Times are changing. The relationship between Midgard and Asgard won't stay the same forever. Ragnarok looms over the Aesir like a shadow. In the future, humanity will be the true masters of the material plane. The contract doesn't forbid the Aesir from bowing to humans. All I need is time..."

"You're aiming to be the new king of the gods?" Jeanne teased as she gathered a handful of his hair. "What about the Sorcerer Supreme's stance on this?"

"As long as extra-dimensional forces can't influence the material plane, Kamar-Taj considers its mission complete. The next Supreme Sorcerer won't be as powerful as the Ancient One, so striking preemptively from within the material plane—or even invading those other dimensions—might be necessary."

"And what about her?" Jeanne asked with a sly grin, shaking the lock of hair in front of him. "Lorelei. I swear I'll curse you if you don't tell the truth. Did you do anything with that enchantress?"

"W-what?!" Solomon's eyes widened. "Don't slander me with baseless accusations!"

"Oh really? Then how do you explain gifting those red-bottom high heels to that spy? Or the archaeologist—you gave her a short dagger, didn't you? And what about Darcy? You know, the one with—"

"I swear I didn't—"

"And what about Maya Hansen?" Jeanne interrupted, laughing gleefully. "She seemed awfully comfortable being close to you in her underwear. Not to mention your android maid—why does she have all the functions of a human woman, hmm?"

"I—"

"And let's not forget Hela. Are you cozying up to her too?" Jeanne leaned in, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Fine, I admit it! I have Lorelei in custody," Solomon finally confessed, raising his hands in surrender. "But it's not what you think! She's a tool—nothing more! I plan to extract Asgardian secrets from her and have her steal more technology for me!"

Jeanne laughed triumphantly. "Oh, Solomon, you're just full of surprises."

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