Thor dodged to the side and then landed a powerful punch on Abomination's shoulder joint. Abomination, groaning in pain, staggered back a few steps, surprise flickering in his eyes. This seemingly ordinary, short man had just struck with more force than the Hulk himself.
Unwilling to admit defeat, Abomination roared and swung his fist once more. Blonsky, now transformed into Abomination, still retained his high-level combat skills, far superior to Hulk's raw and wild style. But even so, his moves looked rough in front of Thor, who had thousands of years of battle experience. Thor dodged his attacks easily, then landed a fierce punch directly on Abomination's face.
The massive figure of Abomination flew backward, but before he could crash to the ground, Thor seized his arm, swinging him around and smashing him down forcefully. The battle became more brutal from there—but the brutality was one-sided. Thor snapped Abomination's wrist, then delivered a kick to his face, forcing him down to his knees.
Abomination roared in fury, aiming the bone spur on his elbow straight at Thor's face. But Thor caught it, and with a decisive jerk, tore the bone spur out, leaving Abomination's arm limp and dangling.
…
High above, a drone captured the entire scene.
"Oh my god!" Sharon Carter exclaimed, with other agents equally stunned. Thor, already tall by human standards, looked small compared to the towering Abomination—but now, it was like a mouse handling a cat.
"We need to control this kind of power!" said an official, his tone sharp.
"Just one Abomination almost destroyed New York," a bald official added, "and this 'Thor' is clearly even stronger. If we don't keep him in check, he could become a threat to all mankind."
Natasha scoffed. "Great idea, Agent Sitwell. You go talk to him about 'recruitment.' Just make sure he doesn't treat you like an idiot."
Sitwell's face darkened. "This guy, Thor, is living in a manor near the Maya Hansen Research Center. The government can assign personnel to monitor… and protect it."
The "protection" Sitwell suggested was clearly a cover for using Thor's family as leverage. No one there was naive enough to miss the implication.
Sharon Carter spoke up. "If you're talking about surveillance, does that mean you plan to monitor my aunt as well?" Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.
The argument intensified, and to Natasha's and Sharon Carter's surprise, many sided with Sitwell's proposal. They both knew that these so-called "protective measures" would only provoke Thor. Politicians often had dirtier motives than they let on.
Interestingly, those who sided with Natasha tended to be the agents actively involved in the field, like Barton and Maria Hill. Meanwhile, those who backed Sitwell mostly held office roles, sipping tea and reading newspapers all day.
"Enough!" Nick Fury slammed his hand on the table. "There's no law that lets us treat a historical hero with a clean record as a terrorist! I don't want to hear another word about it."
Fury had thought this through more than anyone. If Sitwell's plan went ahead, every future Avenger would end up under government surveillance, reduced to political pawns. Besides, he knew Thor would never agree, nor would Asgard accept their future king being treated as a mere tool. Fury wasn't about to let the Avengers initiative die before it even began.
…
Back in the field, the battle was ending. Abomination lay on the ground, twitching like a beaten dog.
Thor looked up, his gaze locking onto the drone hovering high in the sky. In the S.H.I.E.L.D. control room, everyone watched as a flash of lightning shot toward the camera, and the screen went black.
"He noticed it a while ago," Hawkeye Barton remarked, "but just didn't care."
Sitwell and his supporters looked pale. They understood Thor's message clearly.
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