I briefly considered driving Thor to the site of Mjolnir's impact, but I quickly came to a realisation.
In the original movie, Jane would help Thor make his way to the crater (after he tried to buy a horse at a pet store), giving them some alone time to develop their relationship.
Honestly, I didn't really care whether Thor and Jane got together or not; what was important was the fact that later on, Jane would become the host of the reality stone, better known as the Aether at the time.
If this moment meant the end of their relationship, it meant that events involving the reality stone could go awry.
That was something I absolutely could not allow.
I didn't care to preserve the future of the original story, but as it stood right now, keeping the infinity stones within their established storylines would only serve to benefit me later down the line.
"Sorry, but... I can't do that for you." I feigned disappointment. "However, I would suggest acquiring a noble steed. I believe the Midgardian establishment known as a 'pet store' would be your best option."
Thor stared at me for a moment.
Then he nodded with complete sincerity, as if I had just given him genuinely useful advice.
"A fine suggestion, Varis."
We had properly exchanged names back in the diner. Anyway, after hearing that, he turned direction and marched down the street with an aimless yet unbreakable conviction.
I watched him go.
'God, this guy's retarded.'
Shaking my head, I turned back to my car.
If Thor was heading to the pet store, that meant Jane would eventually cross paths with him again, which meant I had some time to kill before the main event.
I drove out toward the compound.
From a distance, the S.H.I.E.L.D. setup looked impressive. A full perimeter operation with floodlights, fencing, and armed agents walking at regular intervals.
I parked behind a low ridge about half a mile out and killed the engine.
My actions weren't too suspicious. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. could scare people away from the site, it was only natural that the members of a small town like this would want to observe what was happening, even at a distance.
There were probably a dozen cars other than mine simply watching what they were up to.
From here, even without the Sharingan, the compound was clearly visible against the flat desert. With the Sharingan active, I could make out individual faces.
I recognised Coulson immediately, moving between agents issuing various commands with a bland expression.
Further back, partially obscured by one of the temporary structures, I spotted another figure.
The man was leaning against a raised platform with a bow resting across his knees, watching the perimeter with a focused expression.
Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye.
I sank slightly lower in my seat. Hawkeye lived up to his name to the point it wouldn't surprise me if he had his own Hawkeye™ Sharingan.
Anyway, I knew he would be here. Originally, I hadn't planned to come over to the site myself, but the quest ordering me to inspire fear in every Avenger had made me realise this was the perfect chance.
Hawkeye's movements would be pretty much impossible for me to track at my current level. This would be the only chance I'd get to meet him until the invasion, so I decided to take this chance.
Seeing as it was only the afternoon, I closed my eyes, waiting until Thor and Foster would show up.
---
I woke up to the sound of sirens blaring.
The desert had gone fully dark while I slept, the compound's floodlights now the only source of light for miles in every direction
It was just past midnight.
I sat up and looked toward the compound with my Sharingan activated.
At this distance mixed with the darkness of night, it was difficult to make out what exactly was happening, but I could glimpse agents moving with urgency, as well as flashing red emergency lights.
"Welp, I already know what's going on."
I immediately exited my car, having put on a Guy Fawkes mask and started sprinting through the desert towards the base.
It was an entirely reckless manoeuvre, but their full attention would be on Thor at this point.
As I moved, a storm suddenly appeared, most likely something to do with Thor's approach towards Mjolnir.
Anyway, I reached the site, although out of breath and covered in rainwater.
"Hah, man, I need to get a physical ability soon."
I painfully tore the fencing from the ground and climbed through the mud underneath, all the while feeling the fence grate against my back.
'This isn't nearly as epic as I thought it would be.'
"I have a visual on the second target! Don't make any moves or I shoot!" A soldier pointed a rifle at my face, the attached flashlight blinding me as he barked orders.
"Oh, just fuck off."
I didn't bother trying to extract fear out of him, instead opting to immediately knock him out with the full force of my Conqueror's Haki.
I ran into the field tunnel, a kind of deployable corridor S.H.I.E.L.D. used to connect structures quickly when sudden field setups were created.
I saw two soldiers splayed out on the floor, presumably having been taken down by the nerfed yet obscenely jacked Thor.
'Still no trace of Hawkeye.'
Despite being a true Marvel Superfan, my memories of this movie weren't exactly perfect; some points were inevitably lost to me.
I ripped through the film covering of the tunnel, trying to see if I could find the elusive guy outside.
And I did, although he wasn't exactly in a position I could reach.
I watched with my Sharingan as a crane holding a man-sized container moved across the night sky.
In that container stood Hawkeye, who began drawing an arrow to fire... at me.
I immediately ducked back into the tunnel. If he managed to hit me, I would be out of the fight.
As I ran through the tunnel, I noticed something piercing through the fabric wall.
Unfortunately for me, my body did not have the capacity to move as fast as my reflexes, so even though I tried to dodge, my back still ended up being slashed by an arrow.
As burning pain seared across my back, I thought to myself.
'Okay, maybe this wasn't the best plan.'