He turned and Thor followed.
They went to the command center. James had someone set up a small table, two chairs, and hot water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Drink some hot water. When you calm down, we can talk again. If you want, you can tell me your story.
Here's a towel. Wipe off the rain. I'm going to check in with my boss, for a sec" James said before stepping out.
[Unusual energy fluctuation detected. Based on film data, Loki may be present. However, I cannot confirm visually through your eyes,] Cortana said.
"Don't worry about him. We're not ready to deal with that yet. We'll come back to it later." James walked straight to Phil.
"You're sure he's the hammer's owner?" Phil asked.
"More or less. Doesn't seem fake. I don't think he's from Earth—he's not local and neither is that hammer," James replied.
"You recognize it?" Sitwell asked from nearby.
"Don't you read mythology? You must've seen that as a kid." James went over to a nearby computer and started typing. A moment later, a reference image of Mjolnir popped up on screen. "Look. Same markings. And the guy's name is Thor. His confidence in telling me that earlier, and that sadness later—remember, it was sadness not depression."
"Mythological figures? You serious?" Hawkeye asked.
James shrugged. "In ancient times, people didn't have science. So they saw advanced beings as gods. Doesn't mean it's all stories. Think of them as aliens. Does that make more sense now?"
"Aliens?" Phil repeated. "You really think that?"
"I can't say for sure yet. I haven't talked to him enough. But if he is one, what he says should follow a logical structure. In the meantime, get some food sent over—something hot. I'll speak to him again. Oh, and while I was sleeping earlier, did you guys move anything?"
Phil paused. "We collected the research notes from a female scientist—Jane Foster."
"Got it." James nodded and headed back to the room. Thor looked even more down than before.
'Loki must've just shown up and twisted things again. Probably told him Odin's dead.'
James approached. "You look worse than before. Something happened while I was gone?"
"My father… he's dead. Because of me. I should stay exiled."
"Wanna tell me your story? If you have someone to share your pain with, your pain will be halved. If someone shares their happiness with you, your happiness will be doubled."
Thor looked up, caught off guard. "That's... an interesting way to say it."
Food arrived—burgers, mashed potatoes, and coffee. Typical field rations, but hot enough.
"Let's eat and talk. We got time. I can get you wherever you need to go in the morning. Besides, it's pouring outside."
While Jane Foster was still trying to find a way to help him, she wasn't in a rush—Thor wasn't a prisoner. He'd walked in willingly.
Thor began sharing his story. He spoke of being a warrior who defied his father, of the Nine Realms and Bifrost, the World Tree, and being cast out, unable to lift Mjolnir anymore. The more he spoke, the more James listened—taking in how wide the world really was.
They talked until dawn.
"Thank you for listening," Thor finally said. "But I think it's time I leave."
"You got a place to go?"
"There's someone... but I think your people took her belongings."
"No problem. We'll return what we can. It's just inspection protocol. If the research isn't dangerous, she'll get it back. Some things are above our current understanding, and it's my job to make sure nothing breaks the planet."
James led Thor out and picked up Jane Foster's notebook. "Here. Give her this. The rest we're still reviewing. I'll take you to her."
He drove Thor into town.
"Sir, are we really just letting him go?" Sitwell asked behind him.
"We just brought him a meal, didn't we?" Phil said with a small smile. His answer surprised the team, but it was hard to deny. Whether Thor was an alien or not, he couldn't lift the hammer. At the moment, he wasn't a threat.
James pulled up to the familiar studio where Jane, Erik Selvig, and Darcy Lewis were having coffee. Thor stepped in.
Jane jumped up. "You're okay!"
"Sorry to worry you." Thor handed her the notebook, wrapped in black leather, thick with notes. "Thanks to a new friend. This is James Gibson."
"He's SHIELD," Darcy said, narrowing her eyes. "You're the ones who took our data."
James gave a small chuckle. "Don't worry. Your research isn't being erased. It's just being reviewed. If there's no threat, it comes back. That's our job. Think about it—without someone checking this stuff, would you really be able to work in peace? Some scientists ignore risk for the sake of progress. That's where we come in."
That shut them up. They'd shouted plenty when SHIELD took their gear, but hadn't stopped to think about the bigger picture.
"Come in, have some coffee with us," Dr. Selvig said, inviting James to sit.
The place was quiet right now. Thor and Jane were deep in conversation. It felt oddly natural—maybe fate.
James figured Thor was telling his story again. He sipped coffee quietly, watching and waiting.
Someone from Asgard should've shown up by now. Thor's story was supposed to move fast—days, not weeks.
But no one came.
And James knew he couldn't stay here much longer.