"Your Highness Thor, will you be attending this Saturday's gathering?" Dr. Helen Cho asked, her work overalls slightly smudged.
"Definitely! When we're not saving the world, parties are a great way to relax. You should join us. What do you say?" Thor replied with a grin.
Helen smiled. "Well, if it's an invitation from my boss, I suppose I'll have to make time, or risk being fired!"
Just two days ago, Helen had agreed to join Thor's research center—not only out of admiration for Thor but also because he promised her unlimited funding for her research, a rare offer. The funding made it easy to accept his proposal.
Not far away, Natasha observed them with a skeptical look. "Another one falls into the trap…" she muttered, casting a glance at Wanda. "See, Wanda? Men are all like this. They go for what's in their bowl and still eye what's in the pot. You're young, so don't let yourself get played."
Wanda, with her developing abilities, had her own insights into people's emotions. She blinked at Natasha and smirked. "Sister, I can sense emotions a little, you know. And I think… you might be just as smitten as me."
Natasha's smile faltered, and she flushed slightly.
"Alright, Natasha," Thor interrupted, overhearing them. "Don't go filling Wanda's head with your own ideas. She's still young."
Natasha rolled her eyes playfully, "Sure, but why don't you admit you've got ulterior motives here? Recruiting Helen Cho? It's not just about her research skills, is it?"
Thor chuckled and took her hand. "Oh, so you'd rather I be greedy for you, then?"
Natasha's cheeks turned slightly pink, and she quickly pulled her hand away, changing the subject. "Fine, fine, let's talk about something serious. Do you think the Sokovia base was the last HYDRA outpost? Have we really cleared them out?"
She looked concerned. HYDRA had always been resilient—cut off one head, and two more would grow. S.H.I.E.L.D. had decades of evidence that HYDRA was hard to eliminate, especially with their talent for brainwashing.
Thor shook his head. "The HYDRA you're familiar with, the Red Skull's HYDRA, no longer exists in any meaningful way. The remnants will eventually fade. But the true HYDRA is far older. It's an ancient organization dating back thousands of years. They worship a so-called god named Hive, who's trapped on another planet. HYDRA has been working for centuries to bring him back. The Red Skull was simply one of their investments."
Natasha processed the information, frowning. "Sounds like just another twisted cult. Hive? A god? What kind of god? Anything like you?"
Thor chuckled and tapped her forehead lightly. "Not quite. Gods aren't as mysterious as you think. Take Helen, for example—give her an AK-47 and drop her in the Middle Ages, and they'd probably worship her as a goddess. Or they might burn her as a witch."
Natasha and Wanda giggled, and Helen muttered, "Why am I always the example…"
"As for Hive's power…" Thor smirked. "I could take him down ten times over."
The room erupted in laughter, lightening the mood.
Suddenly, Jane Foster burst in, looking urgent. "Thor! Asgard just sent an urgent message."
Thor's expression became serious. "An emergency?"
During Thor's stay on Earth, Sif remained in Asgard to handle affairs and keep an eye on Loki, while Jane served as Thor's link to Asgard. Heimdall would notify them immediately if anything major happened.
Thor took the communicator from her and scanned the message.
His expression changed instantly, his jaw tightening.
The message from Heimdall contained just one sentence:
Nidavellir has sent a distress signal to Asgard!
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