"Weak god!"
After delivering the final blow to Loki, Lynch disdainfully dragged him by one foot over to the two bystanders.
"Got a place for this god to rest?" he asked.
Coulson quickly nodded and led Lynch to toss Loki into an empty room.
Outside the room, Coulson couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked Lynch, "Is this guy really a god?"
Lynch pondered for a moment before replying seriously, "He is... but also isn't."
Gathering his thoughts, Lynch continued explaining under the confused gaze of Coulson and Natasha: "They are indeed the source of the Norse mythology, with long lifespans and advanced technology."
Pausing briefly, Lynch went on: "But objectively, they're just an alien race with technology and biological evolution far ahead of ours. Back in ancient times, they often visited Earth, which is why they left behind so many myths."
He pointed at the two in front of him: "It's like if we visited a planet still in the Stone Age, they'd probably see us as gods too."
Hearing this, Coulson and Natasha had a sudden realization.
"So, we can think of them as an alien civilization with technology ahead of ours?" Coulson summarized.
"Technology..." Lynch thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.
"In fact, their technology may not even be more advanced than Earth's now, but..."
"But what?" Natasha asked.
Lynch grinned. "Some of them really are as powerful as gods."
Coulson's smile froze. "As powerful as you?"
Hesitant, he asked.
"No," Lynch exchanged a glance with Natasha and confidently smiled. "Only two or three might be stronger than me now."
Upon hearing this, Coulson seemed to lose a few more hairs from his already thinning head. Just one Lynch was enough to give S.H.I.E.L.D. a headache—two or three more like him?
He chuckled bitterly. "That's great news."
"Relax, Coulson, they mean no harm to Earth," Lynch reassured him.
"Oh?" Coulson's hope sparked as he looked at Lynch, eager for an explanation.
"They live in a different dimension from Earth and consider Earth one of their territories. They've been protecting it from invasions for a long time. So, they won't pose any threat to Earth... except..."
"Except what?" Coulson asked, his concern returning.
Lynch pointed at the room where Loki was kept and lowered his voice. "That guy in there—Loki, the god of mischief, evil, and trickery."
"Wait!" Coulson interrupted with a skeptical look, asking, "Then why did you beat him up so badly?"
His expression carried an undertone: "Are you just trying to boast?"
Ha! Lynch could read Coulson's dark thoughts beneath his kind appearance. Disappointed, he scolded him silently but maintained a calm face as he responded.
"Because I, Lynch," he said righteously, while slowly levitating off the ground, "am the ultimate nemesis of all evil and trickery—the god of justice and wisdom!"
Visibly, Coulson forced a strained smile that Lynch interpreted as: "?"
Natasha couldn't bear it any longer and gently pulled Lynch back down to the ground.
"Lyn, say something useful."
"Fine."
Lynch landed back on the ground and revealed what he knew: "Their king, Odin, is nearing the end of his life. He wants to choose between his two sons, Thor and this guy, to take over the throne. Thor, because of his recklessness and thirst for battle, had his godly powers sealed and his weapon, Mjolnir—the hammer you see here—taken away. Then, he was exiled to Earth. Loki, his brother, took advantage of Odin's slumber to seize the throne. He came to Earth to prevent Thor from ever returning."
Coulson and Natasha exchanged a glance, processing the information.
Odin, Thor, Loki...
These were famous figures from Norse mythology, and now they were real? Not too different from their mythical descriptions either. If this was true, what about the other mythological beings? Were they real too?
Even more terrifying, did the gods of disaster and destruction exist?
The thought alone was enough to make their skin crawl.
"Lyn, do these gods really have the powers described in the myths?" Coulson asked, his tone serious.
Lynch, uncomfortable with Coulson's heavy tone, thought for a moment and then answered thoughtfully: "Odin is very powerful. In his prime, he was far stronger than me. He once led armies to conquer the Nine Realms, with Earth being one of them. But now he's nearing his end and isn't much of a threat."
He paused, giving Coulson time to take notes, and continued: "The bigger threat is Odin's daughter, Hela, the goddess of death. Her power is near Odin's level, and she still has a long life ahead of her. She's brutal, bloodthirsty, and ambitious. Even I am no match for her now. But she's currently imprisoned by Odin, and unless he dies, she can't break free. Her first goal would be to take Odin's throne, and only then might she move against the Nine Realms."
Coulson gravely nodded, urging Lynch to continue.
"Then there's Thor. He's strong and can command thunder, but he's straightforward and kind-hearted. If Earth were in danger, he'd likely be one of its protectors."
Lynch glanced toward the room where Loki was kept.
"And finally, we have Loki. He knows some tricks, enjoys manipulating people, is crafty, but deep down he's fragile and always teetering between good and evil."
After laying everything out, the three fell into a brief silence.
"So, what do we do now?" Coulson asked, frowning.
"Nothing," Lynch shrugged.
"We wait."
"Wait for who?"
"Thor!"
"And then give him back his hammer?"
Coulson asked, confused.
"No, his powers are sealed. He can't lift the hammer."
With that, Lynch walked off to the side and looked up at the sky.
"Hey, buddy, how's the view up there? Want to come down for a chat?"
Lynch had long noticed Hawkeye secretly observing them from above.
"What about the guy in the room?" Coulson shouted one last time.
"Don't worry about him. He'll disappear on his own!"
"What?"
Coulson rushed to check the room, only to find that Loki had vanished without a trace.
Loki, the god of escaping!