"Someone wants to see me?"
Phil Coulson asked the question the moment he stepped into the control room.
"Yes, sir," the S.H.I.E.L.D. technician seated at the console replied, nodding.
"Did you run a background check?" Coulson asked, not sounding particularly rushed.
"We did," the technician said, pulling up a digital file on the main screen.
"Baron Imperius Angel?"
Coulson squinted at the name displayed on the monitor and couldn't help but comment.
"That's… one hell of a name."
Complaints aside, after confirming there were no obvious red flags in the file, Coulson added calmly:
"Alright. Let's see what this so-called Angel Baron actually wants."
As for the identity of Dr. Donald Blake—while it looked completely legitimate on paper—Coulson hadn't bought it for a second.
Come on. With that build and raw physical presence, the guy screamed special forces, not academic researcher.
A doctor?Yeah, right.
Coulson spotted the "unexpected guest" almost immediately upon reaching the fortified entrance.
Even as another man, he had to admit—reluctantly—that the guy was absurdly good-looking. The kind that made people uncomfortable just by existing.
"Baron Imperius Angel?" Coulson asked, his expression perfectly neutral.
"That would be me," Ryan Cole replied, still wearing the blond, blue-eyed Western appearance he'd adopted. "And I assume you're Agent Phil Coulson."
"That's right," Coulson said. "So tell me—why are you here? And have we met before?"
"I'm here for a simple reason," Ryan said evenly, meeting Coulson's gaze without flinching."I want to take a few friends with me when I leave."
"And as for why I know you?""That would be because of a mutual acquaintance."
"Who?" Coulson asked.
"Dr. Howard Liu," Ryan answered."Chief Researcher at Umbrella Biopharmaceuticals."
That response caught Coulson completely off guard.
"You mean Liu? Howard Liu?" Coulson asked, just to be sure.
"That's the one," Ryan said. "Actually, I think it'd be easier if he spoke to you himself."
As Ryan slipped his hand into his pocket, every nearby agent and tactical operative reacted instantly—hands tightening on their weapons.
"Easy," Ryan said, deliberately slowing his movement."It's just a phone."
At Coulson's subtle signal, the agents lowered their guns.
Moments later, after a brief exchange with his disguised Star Spirit, a video call request popped up on the control room's main terminal.
Given Ryan's… reputation, Coulson wasn't particularly shocked by this blatant—and illegal—display of hacking prowess.
"Hey, Phil," Ryan said cheerfully from the screen."Long time no see. Heard you got transferred to New Mexico?"
"Good to see you, Howard," Coulson replied.
"As for Dr. Blake," Ryan continued without wasting time,"I'll discuss that directly with Nick Fury. Trust me—this is worth far more than keeping those people locked up."
Coulson stayed silent for a few seconds before answering:
"I'll need authorization from above."
It wasn't entirely honest.As head of the New Mexico division, he absolutely had the authority to release them himself.
But between the mysterious hammer, the strange circumstances, and the chance to squeeze out a few political favors, Coulson wasn't about to give up leverage that easily.
"No problem," Ryan said pleasantly."Give me a few minutes."
The call ended.
Certain the matter was now out of his hands, Coulson turned his attention to the Angel Baron himself and began asking questions.
Ryan—still in his blond, polished persona—answered freely about how he'd met Jane Foster and her team.Whether he told everything was another matter entirely.
Less than ten minutes later, Coulson received new orders straight from Nick Fury.
Another fifteen minutes after that, Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, and Thor were released.
Jane and Erik were shaken and angry—but Thor looked wrecked.
Not just emotionally. His face was pale, his posture heavy, like a man who'd just buried his entire world.
Which made sense.Having more than a third of your blood forcibly extracted would do that.
The fact that he was still standing at all said a lot about how terrifyingly tough he really was.
"Jane, are you okay?"
Ryan was the first to step forward, every inch the concerned, dependable gentleman.
"I'm fine," Jane replied, flustered by the sight of him."But… why are you here?"
"Darcy called me," Ryan said. "My fault for missing the call—otherwise I'd have shown up sooner."
He nodded briefly to Erik before Jane could say more.
Erik, clearly done watching the awkward energy, cut in:
"Now's not the time for small talk. Let's get him home first."
"But my equipment—my research—they took everything," Jane snapped, anger flaring again.
Erik, who knew far more about S.H.I.E.L.D. than Jane ever would, took her arm gently and started walking.
"Jane. Let's leave first."
"Yeah," Ryan added smoothly, supporting her from the other side."We can deal with everything else later."
They soon reached Ryan's GMC SUV.
The interior space was the only reason Thor's massive frame fit at all.
Once inside, Jane and Erik quickly realized something else.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary off-road vehicle.
Inside?
Luxury.
A built-in minibar.A humidor.
This wasn't a rich guy pretending to be normal—this was someone dangerous pretending to be casual.
As Ryan drove them back toward town, he asked:
"So… what exactly happened? How did things end up like this?"
The cabin fell into an uneasy silence.
After a long moment, Jane finally spoke.
"Ryan… do you believe in myths and legends?"
"Myths?" Ryan echoed, feigning surprise before nodding seriously."Of course I do. My whole family does."
He smiled slightly.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't be named Imperius Angel."
"Imperius… Angel?"
Jane froze.So did Erik in the back seat.
They'd already seen the photos—Thor standing at the epicenter of the anomaly.They'd heard his ramblings about divine realms and ancient wars.
And now this man—this impossibly calm, beautiful man—was carrying a name that screamed another pantheon entirely.
"I figured you'd connect the dots," Ryan said with a helpless shrug, noticing their expressions.
"Why would your family give you a name like that?" Jane asked quietly.
"No idea," Ryan replied lightly."Coincidence, maybe. But I really do believe in myths."
Jane exchanged a look with Erik, then took a breath.
"Ryan… if I told you that Thor really is the Thor from the legends—and that the hammer is real, and it's being held back there—what would you think?"
The answer came immediately.
With a screech of brakes, the SUV carved twin tracks into the desert and came to a violent stop.
Jane and Erik were startled.Even the S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle trailing them tensed up.
"I knew it!" Ryan shouted, eyes blazing as he turned toward Jane."I knew he wasn't just some drifter!"
He laughed, equal parts exhilarated and frustrated.
"No normal guy ends up in the middle of something like that. How did I not connect the damn dots sooner?"
Jane had been worried he'd dismiss her—or pretend to believe her politely.
Instead, she found herself saying:
"Ryan… I'm talking about mythology."
"I know," Ryan said, grinning like a madman.
"That's why I'm excited."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the back seat—burning with an intensity that made the hairs on the neck stand up.
Even stripped of his power and drowning in grief, Thor felt it.
And for the first time since his fall…
The God of Thunder felt watched.