Late at night, a thunderstorm arrived right on schedule.
Standing on a temporary observation tower, Clint Barton scanned the area while chatting with his wife on the phone.
Through the pounding rain, he suddenly spotted a shadowy figure slipping past the perimeter.
Barton immediately hung up, drew his bow, and aimed at the intruder.
"Coulson, someone just broke in. He's highly skilled—took down several agents already. Do you need me to eliminate him?"
"Don't shoot yet," Phil Coulson replied, watching from below.
Not far away, Thor had just stormed into the crater. After easily knocking out several agents, he was now gripping the mysterious hammer embedded in the ground, straining to lift it.
Coulson compared the drenched, frustrated man to the sketch Nick Fury had sent earlier.
"Interesting… but how did Fury know he'd show up here?"
After firing off a quick text to Fury, Coulson turned back toward the pit just as Thor collapsed to his knees in despair, unable to lift Mjölnir.
"Clint, capture him. Don't hurt him."
"No problem."
Hawkeye slung his bow over his shoulder and leaped from the tower into the storm below.
Inside S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters —
"Huh?"
Looking at his phone, Nick Fury frowned in surprise. Coulson had just reported that he'd found Thor.
Among all his agents, the two people Fury trusted most were Maria Hill and Coulson. Hill stayed at headquarters to help him manage operations, while Coulson had been secretly tasked with tracking down Thor.
Fury originally thought that after dealing with the hammer incident, Coulson's real challenge—finding this supposed "God of Thunder"—would take some time.
But now, barely hours after Fury's message, Coulson claimed to have located him?
If Fury didn't know Coulson would never lie, he'd think the man was joking.
After calling to confirm the situation, Fury ended the call and opened his computer.
In a classified file, he created a new record — "Thor Odinson."
Right above it was another name — Linen.
"Attacked… faked death… S.H.I.E.L.D. labeled a 'quagmire' by Natasha…"
Muttering under his breath, Fury sent a text message to Natasha Romanoff, then shut down the computer.
But the grim expression on his face didn't fade.
Early morning.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting thin golden lines across the room.
Linen slowly woke up, looked around, and found that both Jessica and Barbara were gone.
"Tsk…" He sighed. "Guess there's no such thing as overworked land, only tired cows."
Last night, the two women had begged for mercy until dawn, yet they'd both disappeared early in the morning, full of energy.
As he got up and walked toward the bathroom, he noticed a note left on the table.
It said Jessica and Barbara had gone to prepare for the studio and even made him breakfast.
After washing up, Linen tossed the note into the trash and sat down to eat.
"To be honest, these two are pretty good to me," he muttered. "It's just… Barbara's had a boyfriend since childhood, and Jessica's probably stuck in some arranged marriage. So, I guess the best I can do is be their business partner and make money with them."
Finishing breakfast, he grabbed his bag and headed out.
But just as he stepped outside, a Ford sports car pulled up in front of him.
The window rolled down to reveal Natasha Romanoff, her wine-red hair glistening in the sunlight.
"Good morning, Linen. Want a ride?" she asked with a charming smile.
Linen's eyes narrowed slightly in caution.
This was only his second time meeting Natasha, and knowing who she really was, he had every reason to stay wary. It was only natural, given his situation.
"Thanks, but no," he replied flatly. "I've got my own car."
"I actually need your help with something."
Natasha opened the passenger door and smiled. "Remember last time, during that haunted villa incident? You said that as long as the price was right, you'd take on difficult supernatural cases?"
"There are quite a few unusual cases piling up at S.H.I.E.L.D. right now," she continued. "Linen, I'd like to hire your help. Trust me — the pay will definitely satisfy you."
Natasha could clearly see the caution in his eyes. As a man with special skills, he wouldn't want to get involved with government agencies like hers. She understood that perfectly.
But with time, she knew he'd let his guard down. They'd eventually become allies — maybe even friends.
Just like in the video… where he seemed closer to her than to anyone else in the Avengers.
Linen hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. But I've got a lecture today. If you really need my help, you'll have to wait until after class."
"Don't worry," Natasha said, smirking as she started the car. "I already called your school."
"Oh, and by the way," she added, "you're majoring in mechanical engineering, right? Today, your university's welcoming a guest professor — Tony Stark."
Linen blinked. "The Iron Man? Didn't think I'd see the day he became a teacher."
He leaned back in his seat, chuckling softly. "So, that's how he's planning to get close to me."
Half an hour later – State University of New York.
The lecture hall was packed with students buzzing with excitement.
On the podium, Tony Stark stood confidently, flashing his trademark smirk.
But after scanning the crowd, his grin began to fade.
Where was Linen?
Where was the guy he came all this way to meet?
"Damn it," Tony muttered under his breath. "If that kid's not here, this whole thing's a waste of time."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 20+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.