Thor

---

Nick Fury felt uneasy. He wanted answers, but he couldn't find them on his own, and Kai wasn't going to tell him.

After thinking it over, Fury realized he didn't trust anyone completely. Once suspicion crept into his mind, there was no shaking it. He decided he would conduct a secret, thorough investigation into S.H.I.E.L.D.—without letting anyone else know.

Meanwhile, Coulson returned to where Kai and Tony had been near the hammer, ready to continue eavesdropping. However, by the time he arrived, the two had already stood up and were preparing to leave.

"Mr. Vale, where are you going?" Coulson asked.

Kai gave him a small smile. "Coulson, just call me Kai. I have a good impression of you—no need to be so formal."

Coulson nodded as Kai continued.

"Tony and I have already checked out the hammer. Now, we plan to stay here for a while and study it properly."

He gestured toward the small, temporary facility built by S.H.I.E.L.D. around Mjolnir. "You can prepare a room for us, just in this compound."

Coulson considered the request and then agreed. "Alright, follow me."

He led them to a room, which, while simple, had all the necessities for a comfortable stay.

Once settled, Coulson decided to take the opportunity to build rapport with Kai. He wanted to slowly gain his trust—and, hopefully, gather more intel for Fury.

Kai knew exactly what Coulson was doing. But unlike Fury, Coulson had a more straightforward and respectable way of handling things. Kai didn't mind letting him listen in on his conversation with Tony. In fact, he saw potential in Coulson—potential that could be nurtured.

As they settled in, Tony broke the silence.

"Kai, you said this hammer belongs to Thor, the God of Thunder. But we've only seen the hammer. Where's Thor? Why hasn't he shown up?"

Coulson perked up. He had the same question. Both men turned to Kai, waiting for his answer.

Kai took a sip from a disposable cup, letting the water cool his throat before responding.

"Be patient. You'll see Thor tonight at the latest. But don't expect much—Odin stripped him of his powers. Right now, he's just a regular guy."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "So he's basically a nobody right now?"

Kai chuckled. "Pretty much."

Then, as he spoke, an idea started forming in his mind—one that took root and grew rapidly.

He had always disliked Nick Fury's way of doing things. The constant scheming, the manipulation, the secrets—it all felt unnecessary. But Coulson? Coulson was different. He was competent, straightforward, and genuinely wanted to do the right thing.

What if Coulson took over S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Kai smirked at the thought. If Nick Fury were to leave Earth—perhaps to meddle in space affairs—Coulson could take over. Without Fury's endless paranoia and scheming, cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D. would be much smoother.

Of course, that kind of shift wouldn't happen overnight. It would take years. But Kai could start planting the seeds now.

For now, he'd let Coulson listen in. He'd even feed him just enough useful information to build his credibility.

Meanwhile, Tony had moved on from Thor and was now grinning at Kai.

"Hey, remember when I told you I had a surprise for you?"

Kai nodded. "Yeah. What is it?"

Tony smirked. "It's almost done. You can come check it out in a few days at the villa."

Kai was impressed. Tony worked fast. "Looking forward to it."

They continued chatting until the evening. During that time, Coulson instructed the researchers to halt their examination of the hammer. Based on what Kai had said, the rightful owner would be arriving soon, making further tests unnecessary.

Just as Tony was about to doze off from boredom, an alarm suddenly blared.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Tony snapped awake and rushed to the monitor. Kai and Coulson followed, watching as Tony worked the controls.

"Tony?" Kai asked.

Tony's expression grew serious. "We've got an incoming object—entered Earth's atmosphere just now. It's headed straight for Mexico."

He adjusted the interface. "Predicted impact site… right near us."

Kai smirked. "See? Told you we'd meet him by tonight."

Tony looked over. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Kai stood up. "Exactly."

Tony activated his suit, running a quick systems check. "All good. Ready when you are."

Before they could head out, Coulson hesitated, then finally asked, "Uh… Kai, would you mind if I tagged along? You know, just to observe?"

___