Chapter 83: Cut Off Your Head

"No! Revealing the truth will cause mass panic!" one of the officials protested.

"It already is causing panic," Nick Fury replied, his tone resolute. "At least as 'Captain Blake'—a hero who once received the Medal of Courage—Thor will be accepted by the public."

"And it won't stop with Asgard," Fury continued. "Sooner or later, more alien beings will visit Earth, some with good intentions and others not. This is a truth that can't stay hidden for long."

With that, Fury finalized the decision to disclose the incident.

After the meeting, back in his office, Fury turned to Phil Coulson. "Who do we have as candidates for the Avengers?" he asked. "Earth urgently needs its own force to address threats from beyond."

Coulson responded, "Tony Stark's a good choice. His Iron Man suit makes him superhero material. Natasha Romanoff, of course, is the best agent I know. Clint Barton—strongest marksman we have. And Bruce Banner… if he can control himself, he'd be the most powerful among them."

After a brief pause, he added, "Actually, Captain Blake—Thor—would be ideal. And he has others with him who could join, if he's willing."

"He'll agree," Fury said, cutting in. "The Avengers will be an independent organization, not affiliated with any government. Judging by his actions, he means no harm to us. But this group needs a public figurehead, someone the people can trust. Thor's an alien, Stark has a checkered reputation, Clint isn't powerful enough, Natasha's background in Russia complicates things, and Banner… well, that's self-explanatory."

Coulson raised an eyebrow. According to Fury, there seemed to be no viable candidate. Then, with a dawning realization, he asked, "You're thinking… Captain America?"

Fury nodded. "The doctors say he'll likely wake up within days. I hope he'll be ready to join this new world."

In a quiet room at Thor's estate, Dr. Palmer finished her assessment. Jane Foster lay on the bed, still asleep.

"Her vitals are stable," Dr. Palmer said to Thor. "The injuries are minor—just exhaustion. She should be fine with a little rest."

"Thank you, Dr. Palmer." Thor handed her a check. "Consider this your fee, and please, keep what you saw tonight confidential. I'd hate for anyone to disturb your life over this."

The doctor nodded, recalling the strange sight of a glowing portal that had appeared from nowhere, with two figures stepping out. She knew it was best to forget.

After she left, Natasha turned to Thor. "Fury announced today that the Destroyer Armor incident will be publicly disclosed. You're about to become even more famous."

Thor smiled. "I'm already famous. Fury's smart—by disclosing things now, he's preparing the public for what's to come."

Natasha nodded. "Coulson wanted me to ask if you'd consider joining the Avengers."

"I don't object," Thor replied, "but on one condition—the Avengers must remain independent and free to act as they see fit. I have no interest in political games, and I have plenty of issues with those so-called leaders."

With that, Thor walked out of the room, heading toward a figure huddled in the corner—a man dressed in black, trembling in fear.

"Agent Romanoff, this is all a big misunderstanding!" the man stammered.

He was terrified. His team had tried to monitor Thor's activities, only to be intercepted by Minerva as they neared the estate. Nebula had taken them all down in seconds, sparing only this one for questioning.

"Did Sitwell send you?" Thor asked. "Or Rumlow?"

The man looked blank, either confused or pretending ignorance. Thor leaned closer, his voice soft. "Don't worry. If you grow one head, I'll cut off two. Let's see how many heads you have left."

The agent's face twisted in terror before he spat out angrily, "You fool. The organization's reach is beyond anything you can imagine!"

He clenched his fists and muttered defiantly, "Hail HYDRA!"

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