2:00 PM -
S.H.I.E.L.D. Secret Warehouse -
Charles and C arrived at the location, meeting Sitwell, who facilitated the introduction.
"Mr. Charles, this is C from the Hidden Cloud."
"And this is Charles Doyle from the Leaf Village."
C stepped forward and extended his hand, "I've heard much about you. Karui and I were planning to pay you a visit soon, but I didn't expect to meet you so quickly."
Charles smiled, "Since the Hidden Cloud is here now, I'm sure we'll be working together often. Feel free to drop by anytime."
C nodded, "I'll take you up on that offer."
After exchanging pleasantries, Charles and C entered the warehouse.
Charles smiled as he looked around the familiar place, "It is the same warehouse. I transformed into Ao here last time, and S.H.I.E.L.D. took all the 084 items afterward. I didn't expect they'd bring them back for us to choose from."
Sitwell introduced them to the items, "Gentlemen, these are all 084 objects. Mr. Charles, you may take one, and Mr. C, you may take two."
Charles grinned, "In that case, I'll go first."
Charles moved through the warehouse, carefully examining the items. He used his system's abilities to identify the most valuable ones and finally selected an 084 item.
"Agent Sitwell, this will be my payment," Charles said after making his selection.
Then, using genjutsu, Charles subtly influenced C, guiding him to select specific items: the second one from the sixth row and the third one from the fifth row.
Following the suggestion, C chose the items Charles had identified as important.
Once the selections were made, Charles left the warehouse and returned to the base. Before he left, C mentioned that he, Karui, and Killer Bee would visit Charles later that evening.
…
Meanwhile-
Ward and Fitz were off on a mission, leaving Skye to seek out Coulson at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
"It's so good to see you," Skye said as she approached Coulson.
"Skye, I told you I'd look into your parents' files," Coulson replied as they walked together.
"I know," Skye said, "but that's not why I'm here."
"I want to know what Ward and Fitz's mission is."
"Fitz isn't around, and Simmons is about to lose it."
At that moment, Simmons was following closely behind them, anxiously waiting for Skye's inquiry.
Coulson shook his head, "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you don't have clearance."
Skye quickly retorted, "But I have eyes. I saw six fully armed squads, three crates of rocket launchers, and an entire team of analysts heading to the command center."
"Are you seriously going to tell me this has nothing to do with Ward and Fitz's mission?"
"If I'm right, don't say a word. Just acknowledge it."
"And this time, you're not involved, and neither is Killer Bee."
Coulson stopped walking and turned to face Skye, his expression serious, "You need to trust the organization."
With that, Coulson walked away, leaving Skye standing there.
Simmons hurried over, asking excitedly, "How did it go?"
Skye crossed her arms, exasperated, "I got nothing. He's like a robot now."
She turned to Simmons, "If we want the truth, we have to find it ourselves."
Seeing Skye's determined expression, Simmons quickly shook her head, "Wait, no. I can't go along with one of your crazy schemes."
"I like following the rules, doing things the right way. It keeps me calm."
Skye pushed, "Simmons, wake up!"
"Ward and Fitz are on some super-secret mission, and look around—there are more people here than ever."
"Either this is bigger than they're telling us, or something's wrong."
"Maybe we can't help, but if we can, we need to know. What if they're hurt, or worse, being tortured?"
Simmons' eyes widened at the thought of Fitz being tortured.
"Fitz… being tortured…"
Thinking about this, her resolve strengthened, "Alright. So what's your plan?"
…
Meanwhile-
In Asgard-
Loki had been brought back by Thor and was judged by Odin, sentenced to spend the rest of his days in the dungeons.
Meanwhile, Thor was sent to Vanaheim to suppress an uprising.
With the Bifrost restored, Asgard regained its mobility, and Thor's arrival quickly ended the rebellion. The opposing forces surrendered at the sight of his power and the fully functional Bifrost.
Afterward, Thor summoned Heimdall and returned to Asgard via the Bifrost.
Odin, watching Thor approach, asked, "Is Vanaheim stable now?"
"Yes, and Nornheim and Ria as well," Thor responded, "But if you had led the army yourself, the war would have ended even sooner."
Odin looked down at the warriors training below, "You must think of me as a loaf of bread, to be spread with sweet words when needed."
Thor chuckled, "That's not what I meant."
Odin continued, "Since the Bifrost was destroyed, this is the first time peace has returned to the Nine Realms."
"They will remember our strength because of it. And you have earned their respect, and my gratitude."
Thor nodded at his father's praise, "Thank you."
Odin looked at his son and said, "Everything is settled now, except for the confusion in your heart."
Thor quickly replied, "This has nothing to do about Jane Foster, Father."
Odin waved it off, "Humans' lives are fleeting, not worth your concern."
He gestured toward Sif, who was training below, "Instead you should appreciate those around you."
"I'm saying this not as the All-Father, but as your father."
"You're ready. You should prepare to take the throne."
"Go, celebrate your victory with your warriors. Feast and drink. At least try to appear happy."
It was clear that Odin disapproved of Thor's relationship with Jane.
As an Asgardian, even an unascended one, Thor had a lifespan of around 5,000 years, while Jane, a human, only had a few decades left. This disparity made their future together impossible in Odin's eyes.
Thor, at 1,500 years old, had a long life ahead of him, while Jane's time was limited.
Odin preferred Thor to be with someone like Sif who was both strong and can live longer, better suited for an Asgardian like Thor.
Thor gazed down at Sif, troubled by the issue of his and Jane's future—not just because of his father's disapproval, but also the harsh reality of Jane's fleeting lifespan.