A/N: I think I should mention for the Tokyo Ghoul fans out there, him becoming a ghoul isn't off the table just because he didn't choose it in the last chapter. I think Kimimaro's bone manipulation + a kagune would make an insane synergy.
Coulson stood across from Thor, who sat cuffed to the table whilst staring listlessly with the expression of a man who had nothing left.
"I'll be honest with you," Coulson began, clasping his hands behind his back. "You're not actually my biggest concern right now."
Thor said nothing.
"Regardless, it's not easy to do what you did. You made us all look like a bunch of mall cops. That's hurtful."
Coulson paced around the room before beginning the next part.
"If that were it, we could accept it with slightly wounded egos. But someone else walked into my operation tonight and did something considerably more troubling."
He set a tablet on the table in front of Thor. Security footage played. A black-haired man in a Guy Fawkes mask moving through the compound with complete composure, dealing with a room of agents in under three seconds, then walking out with both hands in his pockets.
When the footage caught the flash of red through the mask's slits, something shifted in Thor's expression. He seemed confused at what he was seeing.
Coulson caught it immediately.
"You recognise him."
Thor looked at the footage again without answering straight away.
"Indeed," Thor confirmed.
Coulson waited for him to continue, but Thor remained silent.
"Well, we think we know who he is. There aren't many security cameras around a small town like this, but we got a few witness statements." Coulson pulled out a sketch of a man resembling Varis. "He matches the height and build of our red-eyed intruder. This man was spotted sitting with you in a diner this morning. What did he say to you?"
Thor remained silent, even though he was confused by the recording; he still considered Varis a friend, and the man in front of him was certainly not, so his choice was clear.
"Hah, guessing he's a friend of yours. Do you have any idea of what he did?" Coulson spoke bitterly, remembering the expression he had seen on his friend and colleague's face.
At this, Thor finally seemed interested.
"He took down your men, same as I, correct?"
"Well, that's right, but there was more. After he walked into my command tent and disabled six agents in three seconds, he took my earpiece and used it to make direct contact with one of my best men." He paused. "He then threatened that agent's family by name. Children included."
Thor stared at the frozen image on the tablet with an expression that was difficult to read.
"That does not..." he started slowly, then stopped.
"Doesn't what?" Coulson pressed Thor.
"He didn't strike me as a man who would threaten children," Thor said, though his tone held uncertainty rather than conviction.
"People rarely do," Coulson replied flatly. He picked the tablet back up. "Here's what's interesting to me. During the altercation, one of my agents managed to get a blood sample."
Thor said nothing.
"We ran it through every database we have access to. Federal, international, military, intelligence. Everything." Coulson looked at him steadily. "Nothing. The man doesn't exist on paper anywhere in the world. Same as you, actually, even with your face, DNA and fingerprints, we found nothing."
A beat of silence.
"You might not have heard of us, but knowing things... is our thing. So when we're in the dark like this, it's quite concerning."
Taking a deep breath, Coulson continued.
"To summarise, I have a man with no identity, no history, and apparently no country. Glowing red eyes that don't correspond to any known medical condition and the combat ability to disable a room of trained agents without breaking a sweat." He tilted his head slightly. "You spent the morning with him, so I can assure you, you aren't leaving until you tell me something."
Thor sat with a blank expression, deep in thought, before finally speaking again.
"Do you speak the truth? Did he truly threaten children?"
Inwardly, Coulson couldn't help but smile, finally feeling that he was making some progress. Naturally, he didn't let it show on the outside.
"Listen."
He increased the volume on the tablet and set it in front of Thor again, playing the recorded audio from the earpiece.
What do you want?
Just wanted to talk a little... Laura and your little archers, how are they doing?
Thor's expression shifted as he listened to the audio.
What's with the silence? Want me to say their names as well? Cooper. Lipa. My memory might be a bit off, but that's them, right?
They're fine. And who are you supposed to be?
That's the question you ask? Whatever, I got what I wanted from here, so I'll be taking my leave now.
Coulson fast-forwarded the audio.
Right, I'll be off then, yeah? And don't even think about following me. If I don't make it back to my people in time, they'll be sending little Cooper and Lila to their early graves.
Hearing the full recording, Thor mulled in silence before finally speaking with a betrayed expression.
"When I met him in the morning... He claimed to know who I was. I found that... refreshing, at the time."
"His name."
"Varis. That was all he offered."
Coulson wrote it down. "Last name?"
"As I told you, he only offered his first."
"Where is he from?"
"He didn't say."
"A real mystery man, hm? So, what exactly did you and he speak about?"
"He knew things," Thor said. "Things he had no business knowing."
"What kind of things?"
Thor met Coulson's eyes.
"About me." He said simply. "Things that I have told nobody in this realm."
"Realm? And where exactly are you supposed to be from, sir?"
"I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard."
The room was quiet.
Coulson picked up the tablet, tucked it under his arm, and moved toward the door.
"That'll do for now."
---
As I neared the state of New York, I idly looked at some of the obscenely expensive abilities that the system offered.
Obviously, I couldn't even begin to think about buying them for the timebeing, but it was just fun to look at, like a level one noob looking at a game wiki and seeing late game weapons.
[Wonder of U - 37,000,000 FP] Unending calamities befall those who pursue the user.
[Ea - 45,000,000 FP] The star of creation that split Heaven and Earth.
[Hogyoku - 50,000,000] Desire manifestation.
[Code - 22,000,000] True immortality and Geass granting power.
'Man, don't think I'll ever be able to buy these.'
From what I could see, no abilities surpassed the cost of one-hundred and fifty million FP, though something told me there probably were more reaching the level of outright omnipotence.
Anyway, it wasn't like that was a goal I was really actively planning for, just a vague interest for the future. To begin with, as a human, I couldn't truly comprehend what omnipotence meant.
And moreso, wouldn't the fear system be omnipotent in and of itself? It was able to grant me all these abilities simply through fear...
"Maybe that's too meta to think about."
I drove my car into a forest, driving slowly as I looked for a suitable dumping spot. Eventually, I found a rather deep ditch, which I pushed my car into.
After what I had done in New Mexico, being stealthy like this was probably pointless, but I had to at least try a little, right?
Fwoom!
I threw a match at the gasoline-covered car, lighting it on fire.
Getting a bus from here to the city of New York wouldn't be too troublesome.