The silence after Thor's collapse was heavy, but not stunned. Dust still hung in the air from where Lily had slammed him against the wall, the faint scent of scorched servos lingering from her armour. Thor lay unmoving on the floor, and though agents stole glances at him, their eyes kept drifting back to the girl still holding Mjolnir in one hand as if it weighed nothing.
Natasha Romanoff broke the stillness. Calm, measured, her voice cut across the tension.
"Come with me. There's another room you can use."
She led them down a corridor, heels striking against the polished floor. Her hand brushed a security panel, unlocking a door into a conference room—larger, brighter, with a long table and rows of chairs. She stepped aside, gesturing in.
"This will do for talking things over. But if you're looking for a place to sleep…" her eyes flicked toward Luther, then Lily, "…there's a hotel not far from here. SHIELD facilities aren't meant for boarding."
Her tone carried no judgment, only practicality. Still, her gaze lingered briefly on Mjolnir in Lily's grasp before she turned to leave.
But Luther's voice stopped her. Quiet, unhurried, yet impossible to ignore.
"Before you go—you should know. Once this matter with Thor is finished, I will retrieve all of the Black Widows."
Natasha froze mid-step. Her fingers flexed at her side, but she did not turn back.
Luther's eyes were steady, his words sharp as glass. "If you want to come with me, decide quickly. Your sister will be among them."
For a heartbeat, Natasha's mask cracked—something fierce and personal flashing in her eyes—but she smoothed it away with a breath. Without answering, she left, boots echoing down the hall until the sound faded into silence.
Freya leaned back in her chair, studying Luther. Her voice was calm, curious.
"You spoke as though Thor would be too busy to seek revenge. Why are you so certain?"
Luther's gaze drifted toward the faint ripples that still marked the glass walls from his earlier arrival. He did not look at her directly.
"Because he has a brother who covets the throne," he said, each word deliberate. "Where there is ambition, there is conflict. Thor will have no time for grudges—not with his house divided."
Freya tilted her head, thoughtful. The answer was logical, but she felt what he left unspoken—the certainty of one who knew, not guessed. She did not press further. Not yet.
As all of them sat, Luther asked his next question.
"Tell me, Freya," he said at last, his tone calm but probing. "What do you think of gods like Thor?"
Freya tilted her head, studying him. For a moment, she seemed to weigh whether the question was a trap. Then, with a faint shrug, she answered.
"I think there is no real difference," she said evenly. "But he does have higher potential than other humans. Still, he can be killed."
Her gaze shifted to Lily, who was absently running her fingers along Mjolnir's handle. "People label him a god, but they have no idea what it truly means to become a real God."
A faint smile touched Luther's lips, though it carried no warmth. "Interesting," he murmured. "But technically, it's also possible to kill you."
Freya leaned back, unbothered by his scrutiny.
"I can't be killed in Heaven or in the Dungeon World. That makes me different from him."
Luther's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, as though considering what she had left unsaid.
"There are many things in this world which cannot be killed—that doesn't make them gods. If you want to still be called a goddess, I think you need to figure out how to improve your strength."
After this, they continued to talk about other topics related to Asgard, hoping to take advantage of this opportunity to gather material for their own needs.
---
In another room
Natasha's steps echoed softly against the sterile floor as she moved away from the conference wing. She slipped a comm earpiece into place, her voice low, clipped.
"Director. It's Romanoff. We have a situation."
On the other end, static crackled before Fury's voice came through, rough and steady, underscored by the faint hum of an engine.
"I'm listening."
Through the window of a black SUV, the desert stretched endlessly, the car rumbling down the highway. Fury kept one hand on the wheel, the other adjusting his comm. Beside him, Tony Stark lounged lazily in the passenger seat, sunglasses reflecting the burning sun, though his ears pricked at the change in Fury's tone.
Natasha's report was crisp, though the weight behind her words could not be hidden.
"Luther just arrived at the Mexico base and had a rough exchange with Thor—the so-called god. The most interesting thing is that he was taken down by a little girl, Lily. From the looks of it, she can also lift the hammer. If she had chosen to end him, Thor would be dead right now."
On the other end, Fury's jaw tightened, but his voice stayed even.
"And Luther?"
Natasha hesitated only briefly.
"He's probably trying to get some materials from Thor. And he stated that after this, he'll go to the Red Room to retrieve all the Black Widows. Including my sister. Director…" her voice dipped slightly.
Tony finally glanced up from his tablet, brows raised.
"Wait—after a space priest, now we've got a god from Asgard?"
Fury ignored him, eyes narrowing on the road ahead. His voice on the comm was clipped, decisive.
"Understood, Romanoff. If you choose to go with him, that's your choice—but understand what that means. You'll be stepping into his world, you would have no control over your life, and there is a chance you might be forced to do things you would regret for the rest of your life."
Natasha said nothing at first, only the faint sound of her measured breathing carrying over the channel. Finally, her reply came, steady.
"Acknowledged."
The line went dead.
Fury's hand tightened on the wheel. He didn't look at Tony, but his words carried a quiet edge.
Gods, super-soldiers, the Red Room. I am about to lose one of my best agents. This situation is getting messy.
Tony smirked faintly, though his expression didn't match the casualness of his tone.
"Messy's your speciality, isn't it, Director?"
Fury remained silent, his gaze fixed on the endless road ahead. He was already considering how to persuade Dr. Hank Pym to join them, or how to counter Luther if he discovered a way to use the Pym Particles himself..
Authors thought : I am good and bad news let's focus on bad news first the laptop almost breaking down even using external mouse what not work and it's Hinges from inside have also broke now the good news which should be effective your reading experience is from this week I will try to upload mor chapters around two or three instead of just one if condition improve then is able to upload 4 chapters a week.
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