American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

"But you said you came to find them." Nick looked at Thor, who seemed bewildered. He observed that the other man didn't seem to be lying and truly didn't know where the mages' gathering place was.

"Yes, but I was just sent here and thrown to Coulson's side." Thor also looked helpless. He was sent from Asgard to Midgard by his father Odin, and then directly thrown to Coulson by that Supreme Mage. He couldn't even resist; those two had arranged everything for him.

"I don't know how he appeared. I just went out to eat and ordered a hamburger." Coulson, who was beside him, saw his superior's gaze and explained himself. He hoped he could encounter Thor during his combat missions; that would make the whole battle much easier. He figured Thor wouldn't mind helping him fight after seeing a friend.

"Okay, where do you want to go? Or what do you need? Do you need money? Do you need a place to stay? Do you need a vehicle? Oh, that won't work; you don't have a driver's license. You can't drive." Nick shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll just stay here. That mage said I only need to wait to see my brother. I don't need your slow tools either. I can go wherever I want with my hammer." Thor hefted Mjolnir, his hammer of thunder.

"Please try not to! If you want to go anywhere, tell Coulson and let him take you." Nick refused Thor's idea of going solo without even thinking. He couldn't bear the news of someone flying around with a hammer making headlines. He felt he had to assign someone to Thor's side to monitor him at all times and tell him what he could and couldn't do.

And that person, Nick looked at Agent Phil Coulson, who had a relationship with Thor.

"I want to see Jane." Thor stated his request.

"You'll see her soon." Nick replied readily. He didn't mind satisfying Thor on such trivial matters, as long as he behaved himself and didn't cause him any trouble.

"You're not bad, although you're still weak." Thor nodded in satisfaction.

Nick rolled his eyes inwardly at Thor's repeated mockery of his weakness. He could hear the sincerity in Thor's words; he wasn't deliberately mocking him, it was just his genuine opinion, so he said it.

Watching Thor and Agent Coulson leave together, Nick's eyes were deep. Although he hadn't interacted with the alien prince for long, he already had a rough psychological profile of him. Just as Agent Phil said, he possessed great power and a sense of justice, but he was a bit reckless.

Nick didn't dislike Thor; in fact, he liked him. Because while the other man possessed power, he also had his own principles. Being reckless was even an advantage in Nick's eyes, meaning he could be "utilized" relatively easily. Of course, considering his identity, Nick wouldn't usually plot against him unless it was absolutely necessary.

Besides, Nick didn't have the time to deal with the prince's affairs right now. He had a pile of things waiting for him, the most urgent of which was to find those mages.

He could rest easy when he didn't know about them before, but ever since he learned of the mages from Luke, the paranoid Nick felt he wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't find them as soon as possible.

So, under their director's orders, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents went out in groups of three or five, each carrying a Hebo-produced detection device, scurrying back and forth across New York City.

Nick originally thought this would be a long-term task, a war of attrition, but who would have thought that after only a few days, a team would send back a message.

In the underground of Manhattan, there was a strong energy reaction that could cause the detection device to vibrate.

"Underground? Are the mages mice?" Nick was stunned when he heard the news. However, when more detailed information was transmitted, his expression became serious.

...

A section of Manhattan was cordoned off with a row of barriers and seals, and even a sign saying "Road Repair Ahead" was hung up.

Nick, who quickly walked down from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s latest Quinjet, asked Agent May, who was in charge of the scene, "What's the situation?"

"Still excavating." Agent May led the way while reporting to her superior, "We haven't found any mages. So far, there are only two pieces of skeletal fragments of unknown creatures."

"I've seen the intelligence. Where are those two skeletal fragments? Take me to see them." Nick ordered decisively. He believed these things might be related to the mages. Of course, this guess was just an association and had no factual basis. Now, Nick would involuntarily associate any magical things or affairs with mages, linking them together.

May led her superior into the excavated cave. S.H.I.E.L.D. had set up a simple camp here, and many related instruments were transported here as soon as possible. Soon Nick saw the two skeletal fragments. They were placed in a lead-lined metal box, surrounded by a circle of tempered glass partitions, like a protective layer covering the two metal boxes.

"They have strong energy reactions inside?" Nick stared at the two skeletal fragments with his one eye. One was only the size of an adult's palm, and the other was slender like a human finger.

"Yes, we once thought there was something wrong with the instrument, but even after exchanging it for a new instrument with other teams, the energy reaction was still strong." Agent May said seriously. "We don't know what kind of creature its skeleton belongs to yet, but it must have been very powerful when it was alive. After all, it's been dead for so long, and the energy inside its skeleton still interferes with the detection of many instruments."

"Are there only these two pieces?" Nick's one eye stared at the two skeletal fragments inside the tempered glass.

"There is a stronger energy reaction underground. We believe there are many more, or rather, a large piece of skeletal fragment has not been mined and excavated. But we have to be careful. According to existing information, if we accidentally cause the underground energy source to be released for some reason, it may cause an earthquake of unknown intensity." May replied.

"You did a good job." Nick nodded in approval of Agent May's caution, then pondered for a moment and ordered, "Bring me a piece of the fragment. We need more help."