Chapter 9 Do you treat us SHIELD as idiots?

On the streets of the town, a black van speeding eastward. Inside the van, Jane quickly explained the entire situation to Lockhart, who is sitting in front. Lockhart listen intently, nodding slightly as if deep in thought.

After Jane finished speaking, Lockhart looked around calmly and said in a deep voice, "Okay, I understand the whole situation now. Thor was captured, and you want me to help save him, correct?"

Jane nodded emphatically, and Eric added, "Yes, Professor Lockhart, after all, Thor has helped us a lot recently."

Lockhart gave them a peculiar look. He wondered internally: Is he truly helping Eric, or is it more about Jane? Without dwelling on the thought, Lockhart asked, "Since you want to save Thor, what's your rescue plan? And what do you need from me? I'll do my best to help."

Eric smiled awkwardly, looking hesitant. Seeing this, Lockhart asked in a bemused tone, "Don't tell me you didn't even make a plan."

Eric quickly responded, "No, no, Professor Lockhart. We've created a fake ID for Thor to see if we could rescue him with it. But..." Eric's voice trailed off, filled with doubt.

Lockhart, pondering their naiveté, smiled and reassured, "Okay, I understand your concerns. Don't worry, even if you show them a blank piece of paper, I can make them believe it."

Relieved by Lockhart's confidence, Jane immediately expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, thank you, Professor Lockhart!" Eric and Daisy also smiled, reassured by Lockhart's words.

Feeling bolstered by Lockhart's assurance, Eric pressed the accelerator, speeding towards the SHIELD base at the Mjolnir crater site.

At the SHIELD base, constructed around Mjolnir as the focal point, a large number of SHIELD agents patrolled carefully. They were still smarting from a recent reprimand by their superiors, having been bested by a single man. Coulson, who is overseeing the operations, kept a wary eye on Thor. Thor sat quietly; a deep sadness evident in his posture.

Coulson had observed Thor's exceptional combat skills; his prowess suggested he is more than just an ordinary man, perhaps even a professional mercenary. Despite this, Thor remained silent, his demeanor exuding loss and despair, unlike any prisoner Coulson had encountered before.

Suddenly, a SHIELD agent approached Coulson and whispered, "Sir, there's a group outside claiming this prisoner wandered into our base while intoxicated. They say he's their companion."

Coulson smirked at the absurdity of the excuse. Could anyone really believe their well-trained forces were infiltrated by a drunk man? Yet, he saw an opportunity in this claim.

"Are you sure his name is Donald Blake?" Coulson asked as he approached Eric and a slightly older man at the camp entrance.

"Yes, you can also call him Dr.Donald Blake," Eric replied, trying to sound convincing despite the incredible tale.

"Your friend caused quite a disturbance, Dr. Selvig. He fought through our entire camp alone. How do you explain that?" Coulson asked skeptically.

Eric, slightly flustered, replied, "Oh, my God, he was devastated after you confiscated our research. It was his life's work, and suddenly it was all gone. You know, every man has his breaking point; he just couldn't contain his anger and started drinking heavily. He ran off before we could stop him."

Eric's explanation did little to convince Coulson, but Lockhart, catching the slight disbelief in Coulson's eyes, discreetly waved his wand and muttered,

"Confundus."

The powerful confusion spell immediately took effect.

In the agents' eyes, the screen displaying 'Information Forgery' miraculously changed to 'Information is Correct.' Surprised, one agent called out to Coulson, who turned to see the green confirmation. Impressed despite himself, Coulson thought, perhaps they had managed to hack the federal database.

Coulson looked again at the tall, blonde man before him, Gilderoy Lockhart, his earlier suspicions lingering. Without further questions, he gestured for Eric to retrieve Thor.

As Eric and Lockhart made their way into the camp, Coulson called out, "Sir, I remember you. Your name is Gilderoy Lockhart, right?"

Turning, Lockhart nodded and replied calmly, "Yes, that's me. You can also call me Professor Lockhart."

With that, they continued to the interrogation room where Thor was held. After a brief exchange, Eric and Lockhart escorted Thor out of the camp and back to the waiting van where Jane and Daisy were anxious to depart.