After bidding farewell to Thor, Loki did not return directly to Asgard.
Instead, he went to the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. base. After all, Mjolnir was there.
Using his magic to remain unseen, Loki made his way unimpeded all the way to Mjolnir's location.
Just as he arrived, he saw a middle-aged man in a black suit talking to a younger-looking man.
Loki didn't know Phil Coulson and certainly didn't know the real reason why Phil Coulson seemed to have so much to say—that he was a huge fan of Steve Rogers. But Loki did know Steve Rogers; Heimdall had told him about him. He was mentioned precisely because he was the mortal from Earth who had lifted Mjolnir.
"The mission this time is very important," Phil Coulson said, talking incessantly. Steve didn't find it boring. When Natasha Romanoff had chatted with him, she mentioned how much Phil Coulson admired him. Therefore, Steve felt it was understandable, even if he was the subject of that admiration.
"I never expected that after nearly seventy years of sleep, in this new era, I'd have to face an 'old friend' again," Steve mused. "It's just that this 'old friend' has been greatly enhanced, so I specially came here for an upgrade myself. Can't be too 'old-fashioned,' right?"
Seeing the hint of melancholy between his idol's brows, Phil Coulson thought he still hadn't adjusted to this new world. He quickly said, "Actually, some 'old-fashioned' methods are still very effective sometimes. No matter how new the era gets, sometimes the 'retro' ways are better!"
"Perhaps, but you have to try it to know," Steve replied to Phil Coulson's attempt at comfort with a smile. Then, he walked towards Mjolnir.
Seeing this, Phil Coulson took a few steps back, his eyes fixed on his idol, wondering if he'd have a chance to get his treasured cards signed.
Meanwhile, Loki watched Steve approach Mjolnir, a strange light in his eyes. His feelings at that moment were very complicated.
On one hand, an artifact of Asgard had been lifted by a mere Earthling. And it was happening right before his eyes. Loki found this unacceptable. How could a mere ant-like human be worthy of lifting Mjolnir, especially when even he, Loki, couldn't lift it? The feeling was akin to the goddess he had long pursued never giving him the time of day, no matter how hard he tried, only to turn around and throw herself happily into the arms of a beggar right in front of him. This was utterly unacceptable to Loki.
On the other hand, this Mjolnir was Thor's symbol. When Thor obtained it, everyone congratulated him, seeing him as the ideal successor to the throne of Asgard. Loki had been filled with jealousy! But now, Thor, stripped of his power and exiled to Earth, had the hammer that once symbolized his identity picked up by an Earthling. Didn't that bring Loki a certain sense of schadenfreude?
For a moment, Loki's emotions were extremely tangled. Especially after seeing Steve Rogers lift Mjolnir, Loki fell silent for a moment. Without any further action, he turned and disappeared.
Just after Loki left, Steve's slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. Maybe he had been overthinking it? But the moment he lifted Mjolnir, he had distinctly felt that someone other than Phil Coulson was watching him.
"Captain Rogers, are you ready to leave now?" Seeing Steve holding Mjolnir, Phil Coulson stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Actually, we've prepared dinner here. I think..."
"Next time," Steve Rogers said, holding the hammer and smiling. "Anyway, since I've been thawed from the ice, there will be plenty of time in the future. The primary purpose of coming here on the Quinjet was to retrieve the hammer and then return to plan the combat mission. For dinner, there will be another chance."
"Alright, the mission is most important," Phil Coulson said, not surprised by the rejection. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he understood priorities. He just felt a little regretful. But it didn't matter; next time he would definitely ask his idol to sign his treasured cards. Yes, next time for sure!
After personally seeing his idol, Steve Rogers, onto the Quinjet and watching the plane disappear from sight over the New Mexico base, Phil Coulson stood for a moment before turning, taking out his phone, and making a call as he walked.
He had initially thought of calling his cellist girlfriend to tell her about his close encounter with his idol. But as the idea formed, his fingers involuntarily dialed the number of [Medusa] Doris. The secrecy protocols of S.H.I.E.L.D. were ingrained in Phil Coulson's bones; he knew perfectly well what could and could not be said.
Meanwhile...
"Hah, I needed them to save me? I'm a genius; no difficulty can stop me!"
Inside the villa, Tony Stark complained while handing Su Che a glass of wine. Su Che had just asked him where his new personal assistant had gone.
"So, that new assistant of yours got fired?"
"Absolutely! How could I allow a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to steal my research data?" Clinking glasses lightly with Su Che, Tony downed his wine in one gulp. After a moment, he spread his hands and said, "Well, actually, I didn't expect my new assistant to be from S.H.I.E.L.D. I guess it's because I didn't stick to their script last time and announced directly to the media that I am Iron Man, which made them lose face. So they sent that agent to apply for the job. Hah, what was that line about 'saving my life'? I need them to save me?"
"But the version I heard seems to be different," Su Che said, watching Tony deliberately act upset. He picked up the wine bottle and poured himself another glass. "I heard from them that you were deeply poisoned and probably done for if it couldn't be solved!"
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(TL : More Chapters @)[1]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/c/Gooberilla