After reporting the situation to his director, Nick Fury, Coulson didn't receive any specific instructions from the other end of the call.
However, before Fury hung up, he hinted at something significant: if no other solution presented itself, Coulson was permitted to seek Anton's help.
The mention of a "killing weapon" and the connection to Ares, the God of War, made Coulson uneasy.
According to the lore established in the Wonder Woman movie directed by Anton, the First World War was instigated by Ares himself.
If such a scenario were to be true, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't allow Ares to appear. Preventing war at all costs was a fundamental goal of S.H.I.E.L.D., especially with Earth already facing the looming threat of alien civilizations.
Humanity needed to stand united.
From what Coulson understood, Anton agreed with this principle. However, Anton appeared more composed than S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives—he had knowledge of the future's general trajectory.
Under the constant threats of alien invasions and global crises, the likelihood of internal wars among Earth's nations was minimal.
In fact, Anton believed that within a few decades, humanity would likely unite under a single global alliance.
But that was a matter for the distant future.
Coulson, still wrestling with unanswered questions, felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
"Still no results from the investigation?" he asked one of his agents.
"No, sir," the agent replied, shaking his head. "That hammer won't budge. We've tried everything. Even when we dug out the surrounding soil, the hammer just sank deeper into the ground, completely immovable."
"Then stop trying to move it," Coulson said after a pause. "Secure the area. No one except our team is allowed in or out."
After some thought, he added, "Find me books on Greek mythology and locate experts on the subject. I need to ask them some questions."
"Understood," the agent replied, immediately setting off.
Having spent an entire day watching Wonder Woman, the agent had also picked up on some of the peculiarities Coulson had noted. The concepts of Ares, the God of War, and the "killing weapon" stuck with him.
Coulson's hunch seemed valid: this hammer that had fallen from the sky might genuinely be linked to ancient myths and stories.
Even in an age where science reigned supreme, Coulson couldn't ignore the possibility that the most far-fetched explanation might hold the truth.
A short while later, Coulson stared at a large pile of books on Greek mythology that his agents had procured from a local bookstore. His head ached at the sight.
It reminded him of the time he spent binge-watching all of DC's works during a recent break. But Greek mythology, unlike DC's neatly packaged narratives, was a chaotic tangle of legends and lore.
"For once, why is it always me who has to do all the reading?" Coulson muttered with a sigh. Resigned, he grabbed one of the books and began reading late into the night.
A few days later, Coulson felt he had acquired a solid grasp of Greek mythology. Meanwhile, the experts S.H.I.E.L.D. had brought in to analyze the hammer finally uncovered some groundbreaking information.
Thor?
Mjolnir—or, more accurately, Mjölnir.
With the experts' deciphering of ancient inscriptions, Coulson finally had something concrete to work with.
This hammer is Thor's weapon, known as Mjolnir—the legendary Thor's hammer.
"Zeus?" Coulson took a sharp breath.
It was already clear that this hammer was tied to Thor. However, his mind wrestled with the connection to Zeus.
In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus, the king of the gods, was often associated with thunder and lightning as his weapons, while the bull and eagle were his symbols.
But a hammer?
Coulson frowned. There was no mention in Greek mythology of Zeus wielding a hammer as his weapon.
As he pondered, one of the experts nearby spoke up, addressing the confusion.
"This is Norse mythology," the expert explained. "Thor, the Norse god of thunder, wields a hammer as his primary weapon."
"But why are elements of Greek mythology and Norse mythology overlapping?" Coulson asked, visibly puzzled.
The expert continued, "Around the first century AD, Thor's prominence in certain regions rivaled that of Odin. For example, in the Rusala Temple—the first holy site in Northern Europe—Thor's statue was positioned at the center, flanked by Odin and Frey on either side. In some instances, Thor was even revered as the equivalent of Zeus in Greek mythology."
This explanation, supported by historical accounts, began to connect the dots for Coulson.
"That makes sense," he said, nodding slowly. "So, Zeus and Thor could essentially be the same figure in different cultural contexts. This hammer, from that perspective, might actually be Zeus's weapon too."
As they continued to discuss, their excitement grew. Unbeknownst to them, their earlier misunderstandings had taken them on a circuitous route, only to bring them back to the correct path.
"It's possible," the expert said cautiously. "But that's only one interpretation. What conclusions you draw from this are up to you."
The expert's focus, however, remained firmly on the hammer. After days of study and attempts to move it, he understood the magnitude of the event he was part of.
This was undeniably miraculous.
No matter how much they tried, the hammer would not budge, as though it were waiting for the one destined to wield it—much like the Sword in the Stone of Arthurian legend. Only the true "king" could claim the weapon.
"This is a monumental discovery!" the expert exclaimed, trembling with excitement. "A miracle! This is undoubtedly a miracle! It suggests that thousands—perhaps even tens of thousands—of years ago, gods might have walked this Earth."
"Sir, you need to rest," Coulson interjected, narrowing his eyes. Some things were better left unsaid, and the expert's words were treading dangerous ground.
Coulson, without hesitation, gestured to his agents.
"Take him to rest," he ordered.
The expert resisted, shouting, "No! You can't do this! You can't let Thor's Hammer remain hidden forever!"
"Don't forget the non-disclosure agreement you signed," Coulson said calmly, his expression unchanging.
Soon, the makeshift stronghold returned to silence.
….
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