Chapter 122: Asgardian Staff

The sun was shining brightly over London, but the city was still marked by the devastation caused by the battle between Thor and the Dark Elves. Destroyed buildings, crumbled streets, and remnants of alien technology littered the city center. The SHIELD team, led by Coulson, had been sent to assist in the cleanup and ensure that no Asgardian or Dark Elf technology fell into the wrong hands.

Ward and May were coordinating the containment of the most affected areas, while Skye, Fitz, and Simmons were in charge of mapping the wreckage and tracking any signs of residual energy.

"I never thought cleaning up the chaos of a battle between gods and aliens would be something I'd do at SHIELD," Skye commented, looking at the rubble as she adjusted the scanner in her hands.

"Welcome to the real world of SHIELD," Fitz replied, still focused on his tablet as he searched for strange energy signatures. "It's fascinating, actually. The type of technology the Dark Elves used... completely unlike anything we've seen before. Too bad it's all... destroyed.

Simmons, who was kneeling beside them, was inspecting a strange black substance that had solidified around a crater.

"This is definitely dark matter, leftover from the Elf technology. We need to catalog it to prevent any potential dangerous reactions."

Ward, overhearing the conversation, came closer.

"Fitz, Simmons, stay focused. We need to make sure there's no immediate danger before we delve deeper into the science," he said, keeping a close eye on the still unstable areas. "And, Skye, any signs of unusual activity?"

Skye checked her scanner again and shook her head.

"Nothing that indicates an imminent threat. All that's left here seems to be... debris."

"Good. Stay alert." This area may seem quiet now, but you never know what might be lurking around the corner," Ward replied, before turning to May, who was organizing the containment teams.

"How are we doing in the more peripheral areas?" Ward asked.

"Everything is under control for now. Most of the critical areas have been isolated," May replied, without taking her eyes off the operatives in action.

Coulson, watching everything from a safe distance, smiled slightly. The team was working perfectly, each one doing their part. But there was something in the air that worried him. Even with the battle over, he couldn't ignore the feeling that something else was coming.

Meanwhile, miles away from London, in a dense and almost untouched forest, a couple was following mysterious instructions on a piece of paper. The man, Jakob, was holding the map while his partner, Audrey, was carrying a small hand saw.

"Are you sure this is it?" Petra asked, looking around, trying to identify some landmark.

"The coordinates don't lie," Jakob replied, checking the GPS on his phone again. "And the note said the tree would be in the middle of a clearing."

They walked a few more meters until they did indeed find the clearing they mentioned. In the center, a single, tall, imposing tree that looked much older than any other around it.

"That's weird," Petra muttered, looking the tree up and down. "It looks like it was placed here on purpose."

Jakob, without hesitation, took the saw from Petra's hand.

"Let's see what's inside," he said, starting to saw the tree.

The wood, surprisingly, didn't offer much resistance, and within a few minutes, the bark of the tree began to crack. As soon as Jakob made the final cut, something glowed inside. He and Petra stepped back, watching as a strange golden staff slowly emerged from the tree trunk.

"What the hell is that?" Petra asked, her eyes wide.

— I don't know, but… it seems important — Jakob said hesitantly, as he reached out to touch the staff.

Before he could reach it, Petra, as if moved by an impulse, grabbed the staff first. As soon as her fingers touched the metal, a wave of energy ran through her body, and her eyes filled with uncontrollable fury.

— Petra? — Jakob asked, concerned about the sudden change in her posture.

Petra, now with a distorted expression of anger, gripped the staff tightly and raised it in the air. The power emanating from the object transformed her. Her muscles bulged, and she felt an overwhelming strength run through her veins. What had once been an ordinary woman had now become a colossal force.

— Get out of my way! — she screamed, pushing Jakob away in one movement. He was thrown several meters away, landing brutally on the ground.

Before Jakob could react, they heard footsteps approaching. A forest ranger, attracted by the noise of the saw, appeared in the clearing.

"What's going on here?" the ranger asked, looking at Jakob, stunned on the ground, and Petra.

Without warning, Petra turned to the guard with eyes full of rage and ran towards him. The guard tried to draw his weapon, but he wasn't fast enough. With a single swing of her staff, she knocked him to the ground, and the brutal strength she had gained made the guard stand no chance.

Petra attacked without mercy, and in seconds, the guard was motionless, lying on the ground, while Petra stood there, panting, with the staff in her hands, blood still running down her skin. The power had transformed her completely.

While the SHIELD team continued their work in London, on the Bus, Coulson received an urgent notification. He looked at his tablet, and his face hardened.

"May, Ward, we have a problem," he said, getting their attention.

"What's wrong?" Ward asked, approaching Coulson.

"We just received an alert of a suspicious death in a forest outside of London. A ranger was found dead, and there are reports of a couple involved in some strange activity," Coulson explained.

May narrowed her eyes.

"Could it be something related to Dark Elf technology?"

Coulson shook his head.

"We're not sure yet, but… the report mentions a woman with superhuman strength. Does that sound familiar?"

Ward and May exchanged glances.

"Asgardians?" Ward suggested.

Coulson sighed. "It's a possibility. And considering we just dealt with Thor and the Dark Elves, we need to act fast before this becomes an even bigger crisis." He turned to the rest of the team. "Skye, Fitz, Simmons, get ready. We have one more job to do."