He looked out the window.
The sky was faintly lit.
William, who was about to reward himself with a beauty sleep, received another call; it was Coulson.
"William, we've arrived. We'll land at the south dock in five minutes."
"Understood."
He rubbed his temples. Thankfully, he had a good physique, so staying up late was no big deal.
After hanging up, William prepared to drink a cup of coffee before going to greet his esteemed "Asgardian client."
Suddenly, on the computer screen in front of him, the data stream of the "contract" abruptly paused.
A line of brand-new white text, covering all the scrolling code, appeared with a cold, emotionless warning.
"Alarm: An unauthorized quinjet is detected approaching at high speed. The target is equipped with an unregistered experimental power core, and its energy signal far exceeds standard models."
"Analysis Result: The aircraft has activated an unconventional composite anti-detection system, causing strong interference with some scanning frequencies of the island's defense network, leading to radar data delay and distortion."
"Flight Path Prediction: The target is heading towards the south dock hangar."
William showed a satisfied smile at the cold white text on the screen.
Well done, contract.
This was no longer simply "exceeding expectations"; this was an unexpected surprise.
It could not only identify problems but also instantly provide an analysis report, pointing out the "over-the-top" technical aspects of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s quinjet.
This meant that even Nick Fury's proudest high-tech creations were nothing more than easily decipherable data in front of the "contract."
This was true security.
Once Thor was dealt with, the contract could officially take over Jarvis's duties.
William stood up, straightened his suit and tie, and the expression on his face returned to that calm and composed look of a business elite.
South dock.
Accompanied by an engine roar, distinctly different from standard models—deeper and steadier—a jet, entirely black with lines more streamlined and aggressive than a regular quinjet, hovered steadily in the open space in front of the hangar.
Vertical takeoff and landing, silent.
Phil Coulson was the first to disembark. His perpetually neat suit now appeared somewhat wrinkled, and his usually gentle face was etched with undisguised fatigue and urgency.
Following closely behind him was a tall, burly, blond-haired, blue-eyed man.
He was dressed in ill-fitting Earth casual clothes, jeans paired with a flannel shirt, looking like a recently fired lumberjack.
His eyes were dim, his face bore a look of confusion and dejection, as if abandoned by the World, and his entire being exuded an aura of despondency that kept others at bay.
Thor.
Even without his divine power, that Asgardian physique still made him look like a human beast.
William, wearing his most perfect professional smile, stepped forward to greet him. Behind him, Emil stood like a silent iron tower, his mere presence enough to make anyone wary.
"It seems your journey wasn't very smooth? Do you need a cup of coffee? I have excellent Blue Mountain here; it can help you perk up."
William's tone was as relaxed as if he were entertaining an old friend on vacation.
"William, long story short."
Coulson had no mood for pleasantries. He quickly walked up to William and pulled him aside.
He lowered his voice, speaking as rapidly as a machine gun.
"I need to go back immediately."
"That urgent?" William feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow. "What happened? Did your autopilot system drive the plane into someone else's swimming pool again?"
"Much more serious than that."
Coulson's expression was unprecedentedly grave. He glanced at Thor, who stood like a statue not far away.
"Shortly after we took him from New Mexico, a few more people fell from the sky…"
William's smile stiffened slightly.
"They were dressed… very strangely, like actors from a Shakespearean play."
Coulson rubbed his temples, clearly overwhelmed by the series of supernatural events.
"They called themselves… Asgardians, and they were looking for him everywhere. The scene was quite chaotic at times."
The Warriors Three and Sif!
William's mind buzzed. A crucial plot point he had deliberately ignored suddenly became crystal clear, as if struck by lightning!
All his previous excitement and plans were based on "capturing a lone, powerless Thor."
His mind was filled with thoughts of how to profit from Thor, how to extract the value of divine power.
He only thought about eating the meat, but he forgot that this piece of meat was accompanied by a deadly tiger!
The arrival of The Warriors Three and Sif meant that Thor's location had been completely exposed!
And what would Loki, far away in Asgard, that guy overflowing with jealousy and control, do after learning that his brother was not only alive but also had friends coming to meet him?
Destroyer!
That War Machine Odin used to guard the treasury, capable of leveling a small town with one shot!
Loki would send it without hesitation to completely obliterate Thor, the threat to his throne!
And where was Destroyer's destination?
It was where Thor was now!
It was his North Brother Island!
It was his future business empire and secret Base, where he had just invested heavily, built by both Jarvis and the "contract"!
The thought of that laser-wielding tin can rampaging across his island, blowing up his laboratory, his servers, his office with the perfect sea view, and his full set of leather sofas just ordered from Italy, all into ruins… William's heart clenched.
That craving for divine power was instantly replaced by a cold fear called "mortgage."
This wasn't a risk assessment!
This was inviting a wolf into the house!
This was targeted poverty-alleviation demolition!
"So, he's all yours now."
Coulson was unaware of the turmoil in William's heart. He clapped William's shoulder hard, an action that, to William, now felt laden with the burden of "passing the buck."
"We need the most detailed report, William. Figure out what he is, what his weaknesses are."
"And those new 'actors,' whether they pose a threat to us. I must return immediately to take charge."
"Wait, Phil!"
William finally recovered from his fear of his home being destroyed. He grabbed Coulson's arm.
"I think the risk level of this commission needs to be re-evaluated! A 'Base damage insurance' clause should be added to the additional terms! And it should cost more!"
However, Coulson had already broken free of his hand and quickly retreated towards the gangway.
"I owe you one, William! S.H.I.E.L.D. will remember your contribution!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already slipped into the cabin.
"Contribution my foot! Coulson, you old fox!"
William roared internally.
The gangway quickly retracted, and the hatch closed.
The experimental quinjet's engine hummed softly, and it almost instantly shot into the sky, becoming a black dot, disappearing into the night without a trace of reluctance.
The entire dock fell silent instantly.
Only the cold sea breeze blew across William's face, which could no longer smile.
He looked at Thor, who once dominated the Nine Realms but now stood alone on the dock like an abandoned golden retriever.
In William's mind, he had already begun to automatically calculate battle damage reports and reconstruction costs.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, "this has gone too far."
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, "this has gone too far."
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