Chương 35: Bonds and Betrayals
Part 1: Interrogation Under Thunderclouds
The SHIELD encampment hummed with quiet tension as rain continued to patter against the tarps and metallic surfaces. Inside the hastily set-up interrogation room, Thor sat in handcuffs, his shoulders slumped but his posture still carrying a regal defiance. His hair was damp, clinging to his face, and his blue eyes stared at the table in front of him, unseeing.
Across from him, Phil Coulson leaned casually against the edge of the table, arms crossed. His demeanor was calm, measured, but there was a sharpness in his gaze that couldn't be ignored.
"So," Coulson began, his voice even. "You don't talk much, do you?"
Thor didn't reply. He didn't even look up. His mind was elsewhere, spiraling into the weight of his failure.
"You've caused quite a scene," Coulson continued, pacing slowly. "Broke into a secure facility, took down a dozen highly trained agents, and yet…here you are. Quiet. Defeated."
Still nothing. Thor's fingers twitched, the faintest movement betraying his inner turmoil.
"Who are you?" Coulson pressed. "Why are you here? And why did you go to such great lengths for that... hammer?"
Thor's gaze flickered, just briefly, before returning to the floor. Coulson caught it and smirked slightly, sensing a crack in the stoic facade.
"Let me guess," Coulson said, leaning closer. "You thought you could just waltz in, grab it, and walk away? That it was your right? But it didn't budge, did it?"
Thor's jaw tightened, his grip on the handcuffs around his wrists hard enough to make the metal groan softly.
"Must be hard," Coulson continued, his tone softening. "Thinking you're worthy of something…only to find out you're not."
That struck a nerve. Thor's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with something between anger and despair. "You know nothing of worth!" he snarled, his voice low but filled with power.
Coulson didn't flinch. Instead, he tilted his head, intrigued. "Then enlighten me."
Thor glared at him for a long moment before his gaze dropped again, the fire in his eyes dimming. "It matters not," he muttered. "I have failed."
Coulson straightened, watching him carefully. Before he could push further, his earpiece crackled.
"Agent Coulson," came the voice of one of his subordinates. "James Carter is outside. He says he needs to speak with you. Urgently."
Coulson frowned, glancing at Thor one more time. The Asgardian had retreated into silence again, lost in his thoughts.
"Wait here," Coulson said, though it was more for himself than for Thor, who was clearly in no position to go anywhere.
As Coulson moved toward the door, Thor finally looked up, his expression unreadable.
---
Part 2: A Silent Exchange
Outside, the rain had let up slightly, though the air was still heavy with moisture and the faint rumble of distant thunder. James stood just outside the encampment's main hub, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. His face was thoughtful, but there was a tension in his posture that Coulson immediately noticed.
"What's so urgent, Carter?" Coulson asked, stepping out and letting the door shut behind him.
James hesitated, his gaze flickering toward the interrogation room's small window. Inside, Thor sat motionless, but the two men's eyes met for the briefest moment.
James froze. There was something in that man's eyes—something raw and unspoken. It wasn't just defeat; it was the weight of an entire world crashing down on him. Despite himself, James gave a small nod, almost instinctively. To his surprise, Thor nodded back, just as subtly.
"Carter?" Coulson prompted, pulling James's attention back.
"Uh, yeah," James said, clearing his throat. "It's just…something feels off about all this."
Coulson raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
James glanced back at the window, then at the storm clouds gathering overhead. "I can't explain it. It's just a feeling, you know? Like there's more to this guy than what we're seeing."
Coulson's expression didn't change, but James could tell he was considering his words carefully.
"Noted," Coulson said finally. "But unless you've got something concrete, I've got a prisoner who's refusing to cooperate."
James nodded reluctantly, stepping back to let Coulson re-enter the facility. As the door closed behind him, James lingered, his hand absently rubbing his arm. That strange, nagging feeling hadn't gone away.
---
Part 3: The Lies of Loki
The door clicked shut, and Thor's gaze shifted. He caught a flicker of movement in the corner of the room—a distortion in the air that slowly solidified into a familiar figure.
"Loki," Thor whispered, his voice barely audible.
The Trickster God stood before him, his expression somber, almost regretful. His usual smirk was absent, replaced by a look of deep sorrow.
"Brother," Loki said softly, stepping closer. "I wish this meeting could be under different circumstances."
Thor stared at him, his mind racing. "How are you here? What—what is happening?"
Loki hesitated, as if weighing his words carefully. "I bring grave news," he said, his voice heavy. "Our father…Odin…is no more."
Thor's breath caught in his throat. "No," he murmured, shaking his head. "That cannot be."
"I wish it were not so," Loki said, his voice breaking slightly. He placed a hand over his heart. "But it was his time. His final wish was for Asgard to endure. And for that to happen…I cannot let you return."
Thor's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"
"I am saying that your presence in Asgard would only bring chaos," Loki said, his tone firm but mournful. "Mother agrees. It is her wish, as well."
Thor felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him. He slumped in his chair, the cuffs around his wrists clinking softly. "I am to remain here…to die as a mortal?"
Loki stepped closer, his expression softening. "This does not have to be the end, brother. Prove yourself worthy, and perhaps one day…"
He let the sentence trail off, leaving the hope hanging in the air like a fragile thread.
Thor looked up at him, his eyes searching Loki's face for any sign of deceit. He found none.
"I…understand," he said finally, his voice hollow.
Loki placed a hand on his shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle. "I am sorry, brother," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Truly."
And then, just as he had appeared, Loki vanished, leaving Thor alone in the dimly lit room.
---
Part 4: Loki's Triumph
Outside the encampment, Loki reappeared in the shadows, a satisfied smile creeping across his face. Everything was going according to plan. Thor was broken, isolated, and no longer a threat to his claim on the throne.
"Soon," he murmured to himself, "all of this will be mine."
---
Part 5: Threads of Fate
Back inside, Coulson returned to the interrogation room, finding Thor exactly where he had left him—silent, staring at the floor.
"You ready to talk yet?" Coulson asked, though he wasn't expecting an answer.
Thor didn't respond, his mind still reeling from Loki's words.
Outside, James remained standing in the rain, his unease growing stronger by the second. He didn't know why, but something about this entire situation felt wrong.
And deep in the skies above, the storm clouds began to churn, the thunder growing louder as if the heavens themselves sensed the shifting tides.
---
Part 1: Storm Clouds and Heated Words
The room inside the SHIELD facility was dimly lit, with harsh fluorescent lights casting an unflattering glow on the walls. Jane paced back and forth, her arms crossed tightly, frustration etched across her face. Darcy leaned against a desk, chewing gum nonchalantly, while Eric sat in the corner, massaging his temples as if he could will the stress away.
"I can't believe you let him go like that, Darcy!" Jane finally snapped, her voice rising. "We have no idea what they're going to do to him, and you just let him walk straight into their hands!"
Darcy rolled her eyes. "What was I supposed to do? Wrestle him to the ground? The guy's built like a freaking tank! Besides, he seemed pretty determined to go after that hammer thingy."
"That's not the point!" Jane shot back. "We don't even know who he really is—or what he is. But you just—ugh!"
Eric finally raised his head, his voice calm but firm. "Enough, Jane. What's done is done. There's nothing we can do about it now."
Jane whirled on him, her frustration bubbling over. "So, what? We just leave him? Let SHIELD interrogate him and hope for the best? You can't be serious, Erik! He's all alone in there!"
Eric sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Listen, Jane. These SHIELD people…they're not like us. They're not just scientists or bureaucrats. They deal with…things. Dangerous things. I had a friend—well, more of an acquaintance—who got involved with them once. Let's just say it didn't end well."
(Any guesses who he is talking about?)
Jane's expression softened slightly, but her resolve remained. "That doesn't mean we should abandon him."
Eric shook his head. "We're already on thin ice just being here. If they find out we were helping him, we'll be in just as much trouble as he is. Maybe worse."
Jane opened her mouth to argue, but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door.
---
Part 2: An Unlikely Ally
The three of them froze, their eyes darting toward the door. Slowly, it creaked open, and James stepped inside. His hands were shoved into his jacket pockets, his expression a mixture of awkwardness and determination.
"Uh… hi," James began awkwardly, his voice cutting through the tense silence.
Jane crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Why are you here, James?"
He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Look, I have a good reason. I need answers." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "And, okay, this is going to sound crazy, but… I'm pretty sure you know the guy SHIELD's got locked up."
Eric immediately straightened, his face a mask of forced calm. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. We don't know anything about that man."
James sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right. Sure. Look, I get it—you're worried about getting in trouble. But I'm not here to rat you out. I just…" He hesitated, then added quietly, "I'm a friend, not a foe. I want to help."
Darcy tilted her head, giving James a once-over with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "Okay, listen up, cute nerd," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Trust isn't exactly something we hand out like candy, especially when things are this screwed up. So, why should we trust you?"
James paused, the weight of the moment hanging between them. Finally, he shrugged, offering a small smile. "It's… complicated," he admitted. "Let's just say I know what it's like to be neck-deep in things you don't fully understand. And sometimes, you need someone willing to take a chance."
Jane looked between him and Eric, then back to James. Finally, she stepped forward, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "If you're lying…"
"I'm not," James assured her.
Jane exhaled slowly, then nodded. "Okay. Fine. We found him after the storm. He said he was…well, he said he was Thor. The Thor. God of Thunder."
James blinked, but his expression remained neutral. "And you believed him?"
"I don't know what to believe," Jane admitted. "But then there was this." She crossed the room to a nearby desk, pulling out a file. From it, she retrieved a photograph, handing it to James.
He studied the image carefully. It was grainy and slightly blurred, but there was no mistaking the figure in the center—a human-like silhouette surrounded by a swirling field of stars and light.
"It's from one of our scientific instruments," Jane explained. "We were studying the anomalies caused by the wormhole when this showed up. I think it's him."
Eric groaned. "For the last time, Jane, it's not him. It's probably just a glitch in the data."
"Or maybe it's a person," Darcy interjected. "I mean, look at it. Kinda looks like a guy with a cape, doesn't it?"
James frowned, his mind racing. "A wormhole, huh?" he murmured, almost to himself. "If constellations from another dimension can pass through, then…it's possible a person could, too."
Jane's eyes lit up. "You think so?"
"It's a theory," James said cautiously. "But it's not impossible. If he's telling the truth about being from somewhere else, this could explain how he got here."
---
Part 3: A Risky Plan
"So what do we do now?" Jane asked, her voice urgent.
James hesitated, then looked up at her. "We get him out."
Eric's eyes widened. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea what SHIELD would do if they found out?"
"We don't have to tell them the truth," James said. "We can come up with a cover story. Say he's…an angry professor or something. Someone who didn't like his research being stolen by SHIELD. And we can say he was part of your team."
Eric stared at him, incredulous. "That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard."
"It's not dumb," Jane said, stepping closer to Eric. "It's…creative."
"It's reckless," Eric countered.
"Please, Erik," Jane said softly, her eyes pleading. "We can't just leave him in there. We hit him with our van. We owe him this much."
Eric sighed heavily, rubbing his temples again. "This is a terrible idea."
"But you'll do it?" Jane pressed.
Eric groaned. "Fine. But when this all blows up in our faces, I'm blaming you."
---
Part 4: Setting the Plan in Motion
With the group reluctantly in agreement, James laid out the details of the plan. Darcy would whip up a false ID for Thor, while James kept Coulson occupied just long enough for Erik to reluctantly channel his inner con artist. Jane worked on forging a plausible story to explain Thor's presence.
It wasn't perfect, and it definitely wasn't safe, but it was the best they could do.
As they moved to put the plan into action, James couldn't shake the feeling that they were stepping into something much bigger than they realized.
Well, isn't that just the story of his life?
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