Dr. Erik Selvig woke to find himself bound tightly to a metal chair in an abandoned factory. Darcy sat tied up beside him. He scanned their surroundings—nothing but cracked concrete floors and rusted support pillars stretching into shadows. Straining against his bonds, he nudged Darcy with his foot and whispered, "Darcy, wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open. She shifted, then froze as she realized her predicament. "Professor... have we been kidnapped?"
"Clearly, yes."
"Are we going to die?"
Dr. Selvig hesitated, then shook his head. "Probably not. If they wanted us dead, they wouldn't have brought us here."
The sharp clang of heavy boots echoed through the factory. Both turned to see Hong Fei approaching, a blade strapped to his back and a suitcase in hand. As he drew closer, Dr. Selvig forced calm into his voice. "What do you want?"
Hong Fei didn't answer. Instead, he reached for his mask. Darcy immediately squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away.
"You've done this before?" Hong Fei remarked, amused.
He removed the mask anyway. Dr. Selvig stared, then recognition dawned. "I've seen you. At the diner earlier today."
Hong Fei smiled. "Yes. Pleasure to meet again."
Darcy kept her eyes firmly closed. Hong Fei pressed the cold blade against her cheek, tilting her face toward him. "Open your eyes."
"No. You'll kill me."
"If you don't open them, you'll die right now."
Her eyes snapped open. Hong Fei withdrew the blade and gave her a warm smile. He pulled up a chair and sat across from them. "Good. Now we can have an honest conversation."
Dr. Selvig spoke first. "I know what you've done, but I can't help you. I'm not a chemist. I don't know how to make bombs."
"Me neither," Darcy chimed in.
"I'm just a professor. No money, no connections."
"Same here," Darcy added.
"If you're expecting something from me, you're going to be disappointed."
"I think so too," Darcy said.
Hong Fei raised a finger, silencing her. "Professor, you're mistaken. Right now, there's little you can do for me. But that could change. You know S.H.I.E.L.D., don't you? You met them today."
Dr. Selvig's eyes flickered.
"There's something within S.H.I.E.L.D. that interests me. With your expertise, you'll soon be invited to join their research team. I want to know where that thing is."
"You want me to spy for you?"
"Not exactly, but close enough."
Hong Fei unzipped the suitcase, and stacks of U.S. dollars spilled onto the floor. Darcy gasped.
"Is it a lot?" Hong Fei asked.
She nodded.
"This is only a tenth," he said, turning to Dr. Selvig. "I've prepared fifty million for you."
Dr. Selvig stared at the cash, then shook his head. "No. Even if what you say is true, I won't betray..."
Hong Fei's blade flashed to Darcy's throat, its tip piercing her skin. A thin trickle of blood ran down her neck. Dr. Selvig's voice cracked. "What are you doing? Stop!"
Darcy hadn't even realized she was bleeding.
"I'm the one you want," Dr. Selvig said quickly. "This has nothing to do with her. Let her go, and we can talk alone."
Darcy blinked. "Professor, you're not planning to keep all the money for yourself, are you?"
Dr. Selvig stared at her, speechless.
"Professor, I didn't mean that," she added hastily.
"Look, it's better if you agree. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure he'll kill me first." Hong Fei leaned forward, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "Professor, I don't mean to insult your scientific integrity with money, but sitting idle makes me uneasy. If it bothers you, think of it as a research grant. Call it a donation."
Dr. Erik Selvig sat in silence, his face unreadable. Hong Fei knew the cost of scientific research intimately, and he let the weight of that knowledge hang in the air. Finally, Selvig exhaled deeply. "And if I still refuse?"
"Then I'll have to kill her, you, and Jane Foster together." Hong Fei shrugged, his voice light, as if discussing the weather. Selvig and Darcy froze, their hearts pounding, limbs turning to ice. Outside, thunder cracked, and rain began to pour in sheets.
"Fine," Selvig said, his voice heavy. "I agree."
Hong Fei's face lit up with a smile. Darcy exhaled, relief flooding her features.
Once Hong Fei was gone, Selvig slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the wall. Darcy gently took his arm and helped him to his feet. "Professor, you made the right call. If you hadn't, we'd all be dead tonight."
Selvig shook his head slowly. "I'm not afraid of death. I'm old. But Jane... she's young. She has so much potential. She could make a real difference for humanity."
"What about me?" Darcy raised an eyebrow, half-joking.
Selvig managed a tired smile. "Let's just go home."
At the temporary base, Thor crept down the slope, crouching low to avoid detection. Despite his efforts, the cameras caught him almost immediately. He fought his way through the guards, relying on his strength and combat skills, until the hammer finally came into view. But two figures stepped into his path.
"Mortals, out of my way!" Thor roared.
Luke Cage glanced at Matt. "Something's wrong with his head."
Matt nodded. "Definitely."
Since joining Coulson's Strike team, the two had become unofficial assets for S.H.I.E.L.D. Luke's fugitive status had been cleared, and Matt had found a way to fight against darker forces. They'd been in the midst of battling The Hand when Coulson suddenly ordered them to investigate a hammer that had fallen from the sky.
Just as they were about to engage Thor, Coulson's voice crackled through their earpieces. "Let him through."
Matt and Luke exchanged a look, then stepped aside. Thor rushed forward, his hand finally closing around the hammer. But no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge. His face fell, his spirit crumbling.
After Thor was detained, Luke turned to Coulson. "What is that hammer? Even I couldn't lift it."
Matt nodded in agreement. They'd both tried.
Coulson shook his head. "I don't know."
The three of them approached the cell where Thor sat slumped in a chair, his expression hollow, radiating despair. Luke and Matt stayed outside while Coulson stepped in.
"You made my team look like amateur security guards, and these are some of the most highly trained operatives in the world. Where were you trained? Pakistan? Afghanistan? Are you a mercenary? Where are you from—South Africa?"
Thor didn't move or speak.
Coulson pressed on. "What is that hammer?"
Thor's eyes flicked up, but he remained silent.
"You seemed desperate to pick it up. Many have tried, and all failed—except one." Thor's eyelid twitched, and his lips parted.
"Impossible," he said hoarsely. "No one can lift it."
"Over thirty people saw it happen," Coulson replied evenly. "I even have a portrait of the man who did it. Coincidentally, he's someone I know."
Thor's shoulders slumped, his head dropping low. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice barely audible. "Then... he must be pure of heart and righteous in spirit."