Mjolnir

Next came the roar of true warfare.

Pistols, submachine guns, rifles, rocket launchers, machine guns... the sounds of various weapons rang out endlessly.

However, the four Asgardian warriors didn't dodge at all in the face of such heavy firepower. They simply raised their shields to block the rockets, and what followed was nothing short of a one-sided massacre.

They leaped tens of meters, knocked people out with a single punch, and tanked direct hits from rifles and submachine guns without even flinching.

From the moment the battle began, the sound of weapons never ceased, but the four remained completely unharmed.

Faced with such an overwhelming gap in strength, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were quickly defeated.

Watching the four warriors dominate through the surveillance feed, Nick Fury narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going out for a moment," he said.

Phil Coulson, standing beside him, immediately warned, "If you go out now, you'll—"

"I have my own judgment," Fury interrupted.

He knew what Coulson was going to say.

But as a top agent, Fury could tell these four weren't acting with malicious intent. After all, none of the agents had been killed—only knocked out or injured. That meant something.

Something wasn't right.

Nick Fury wanted to speak with them directly.

And definitely, that decision was based on their strength.

In this world, strength is what gives someone the right to speak.

Nick Fury stepped out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base alone.

The four Asgardian warriors had already finished dealing with the agents and now stood in front of Fury, not even short of breath.

"Are these the best warriors this world has to offer?" one of them scoffed.

"Too weak," another muttered.

"Without proper combat experience, they're nothing like the warriors of Titan. Not even close."

Just then, Thor arrived.

Nick Fury paused slightly. He recognized him—it was the lunatic who recently claimed to be Thor and had tried to reclaim a hammer.

…

With his hands behind his back, Nick Fury addressed the group. "Five people suddenly attacked our base. I assume there's a reason?"

"I came to get my Mjolnir," Thor said firmly, his eyes fixed on Fury.

Behind him stood his four closest friends. Even though Thor was currently just a mortal, he remained confident.

"Mjolnir?" Fury asked, pretending to be confused.

"That's right! We're here to help Thor retrieve his Mjolnir!" Vostagg added, swinging his axe.

"That's the weapon of Prince Thor. Return it immediately!" he demanded.

So it really was about the hammer.

Could it be that the hammer truly belonged to this man claiming to be Thor?

Nick Fury thought for a moment and suddenly came up with a strategy that could serve both sides.

You want the hammer? Fine—go find it yourself.

A subtle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "If you'd come a few days earlier, maybe we could've returned it. But now, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"What?! That's my Mjolnir!" Thor, expecting to reclaim his power easily, instantly lost his temper. He nearly charged Fury in a rage but was stopped by Sif.

"It's not our fault," Fury continued, spreading his hands. "The hammer's been stolen."

"What?!" Thor exclaimed. "None of you should even be able to move Mjolnir! How could it be stolen?!"

"It's the truth. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to search the base yourself."

A glint of cunning passed through Fury's eyes. "However, I can give you some information about the person who stole it."

"Who is it?" Thor asked, calming down. He wasn't stupid—if Fury was saying Mjolnir wasn't in the base, then there was no point charging in.

"Come with me. I'll tell you who the thief is."

Fury waved his hand and smiled secretly.

He was doing this on purpose—redirecting disaster elsewhere. The trouble that was supposed to fall on him would now fall on someone else.

These four Asgardians weren't easy to deal with. In the surveillance footage, they'd displayed terrifying, superhuman strength. Each of them could take on an entire squad alone. Their armor could even stop bullets—it was obvious guns wouldn't be enough.

With any luck, the bounty hunter would be taken down by them.

And if not? At least four against one would humble the guy a bit.

What Fury really wanted was to give Blaine a hard lesson—to warn him that there are still plenty of dangerous people in the world, and that he shouldn't act recklessly. What if he picked the wrong target next time?

Wait—cheating?

Was this cheating?

How could this be cheating?

Fury shook his head. He didn't deceive anyone. He just handed over some information about someone else. That's not cheating.

Without giving them time to prepare, Fury led the four Asgardians and Thor to a secure room and handed them a piece of A4 paper. On it was written Blaine's name and address.

"…This is all the information we have for now."

Thor glanced at it and frowned slightly. "That's it?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The target is a computer expert," Fury replied with a shrug.

"Never mind. It's enough," Thor said, folding the paper and slipping it into his pocket. He prepared to leave with his four companions.

"Wait!" Fury called out.

He smiled politely. "Be careful. This guy's not easy to deal with."

"A ruthless character?" Fandral chuckled.

"That's funny," Hogan added.

The three brave (and slightly arrogant) Asgardian warriors laughed heartily.

Even Sif couldn't help shaking her head in amusement.

The five of them left without looking back.

Phil Coulson, who had watched everything unfold, asked, "You're really going to let them go just like that? You think it'll be fine?"

He, too, had witnessed Blaine's terrifying abilities.

"It's fine," Fury said, watching the five walk away.

To truly manipulate others, you have to play both sides.

That A4 paper contained no information about Blaine's abilities—only his name and address.

What Fury wanted was for them to walk straight into Blaine's lair. Even if Blaine came out on top, Fury could claim he hadn't told them anything about Blaine's powers. He could even say he was being merciful by not revealing them.

In Fury's eyes, both sides were dangerous individuals.

If they could damage each other, S.H.I.E.L.D. would benefit most.

Two threats eliminated at once?

That was ideal.

Because in Nick Fury's world, anyone with power who isn't under his control is a potential threat. If they're just ordinary people, fine. But Blaine and those warriors in strange armor? They posed a much greater threat—and he couldn't afford to ignore that.

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