"Tell everyone—don't shoot the man who broke in. Lead him toward the large pit," Phil Coulson ordered the agent.
"Yes, sir."
The agent immediately turned and left the monitoring room.
As soon as he stepped out, Coulson contacted Hawkeye Barton.
"Barton, don't attack him. I want him brought inside. I think he may know something," Coulson said.
"Understood."
At that moment, Harry found Phil Coulson with his mental power and walked in from outside.
"How is it? Do you need my help?" Harry asked as he approached. His eyes shifted to the blond man on the monitor, and he spoke with a soft chuckle, folding his arms.
The blond man on the screen was powerful and imposing, knocking down the surrounding agents one after another with his fists. His physique far surpassed that of ordinary people, and his combat skills were extremely sharp. Even though he took a few hits simply because he was outnumbered, those punches clearly did nothing to him, while every punch he delivered dropped an agent instantly.
"Not for now. I'm curious about his purpose. I'm wondering if he's connected to the hammer. Of course, if I need Mr. Osborne's help, I'll tell you immediately," Coulson said with a gentle smile.
"Okay."
Harry shrugged and sat down in the chair before the monitor.
He already knew what would happen next. Even without his interference, Thor would eventually reach the pit—but would still be unable to lift the hammer.
Mjolnir was sealed by Odin. Only after fulfilling certain conditions could Thor lift it again. As long as he overcame his arrogance, he would regain his power, become Thor once more, and return to Asgard.
Under the guidance—or unnecessary resistance—of SHIELD agents, Thor continued moving toward the location of Mjolnir.
This entire journey had been arranged by his father, so there must be some kind of connection between Thor and the hammer. Otherwise, even Odin wouldn't have placed the two so close together.
"Boom!"
With a muffled impact, Thor exhaled heavily and withdrew his fist.
"The body of a mortal is too fragile."
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Thor stepped over the fallen agent and muttered to himself.
Though tired, Thor was excited. He could feel that if he made it around the last bend, he would finally see his beloved hammer again.
He rounded the corner—and saw a tall, burly man blocking the path.
But Thor, as if the man didn't exist, quickened his pace. From the man's side, he could already see the exquisite, mysterious hammer resting in the center of the pit—his most treasured weapon.
His burning gaze stayed fixed on the hammer, completely ignoring the man in front of him.
"Stop!" The strong man frowned and barked out sharply.
But Thor didn't hear a word, continuing forward.
Seeing this, the man clenched his fists and attacked.
"Huh?"
His view of Mjolnir suddenly vanished, blocked by the large figure charging at him. Only then did Thor notice the approaching punch.
"Hey! Don't block my way. I'm in no mood to fight right now," Thor said coldly. Facing the incoming strike, he simply lifted his palm. After his earlier fight with SHIELD agents, he already understood the physical limits of mortals. Even weakened as he was, he was still far stronger than the people of Midgard. After all, he had been completely unharmed even when Jane Foster's car hit him.
"—Uh!"
But unexpectedly, he didn't catch the punch easily. Instead, a tremendous force blasted through his palm and into his body.
Thor was forced back two full steps before he stopped. Pain radiated through his hand—real pain, unlike the mild irritation from earlier blows.
"Hmph. Not bad."
Seeing Thor knocked back, the strong man stamped forward and swept a heavy kick toward him.
Caught off guard by the earlier strike, Thor raised his alertness toward the man blocking him. While this opponent meant nothing when he had been Thor, he was not that Thor right now.
Thor stepped back, leaned away, and let the kick pass, then immediately closed in. The battle instincts forged through countless battles took over. Although the man was stronger than Thor in raw strength, Thor's experience drove him to make the optimal move. Turning sideways, he aligned himself parallel with the man, raised his arm, and slammed a fierce elbow into the man's neck. When the burly man faltered, Thor hooked him with a shoulder throw, using the man's still-lifted leg as leverage, and sent him crashing heavily to the ground.
With a resounding "bang," the strong man hit the floor.
Thor didn't bother looking back. Regardless of whether the man was unconscious, he rushed forward, tore down the curtain, and stepped into the sealed pit surrounding Mjolnir.
Outside, the strong man shook off his daze within moments. He shook his head hard, clearing his blurred vision, then rose from the ground.
"Let him be. I want to see what he does next."
Harry listened as Coulson issued instructions, but his own gaze rested on the surveillance feed. He studied the burly man with keen interest, several thoughts crossing his mind.
SHIELD had been created during World War II. Before that, its predecessor—the Strategic Scientific Reserve—had developed Captain America's super soldier program.
Harry did not believe for a second that the military stopped attempting to replicate the serum after Captain America's emergence. Research must have continued endlessly.
It seemed SHIELD still conducted super soldier experiments. But judging from the normal Hawkeye and this unusually strong man, their results were… inconsistent.
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