The highest-ranking commander of the base suddenly fell unconscious.
The most important item in the base, the hammer, also mysteriously vanished.
In an instant, this newly established base fell into utter chaos.
Of course, the term "utter chaos" is relative to other special agent organizations; compared to others, it wasn't a complete disaster—more like everyone was scrambling around in confusion.
"Doctor! Where's the doctor? The General has fainted!"
"Guards! Guards!! The hammer is gone!!"
Listening to the voices around him, Blaine, the mastermind behind it all, couldn't be more delighted.
Pulling off a bold act and then vanishing—what a thrill.
…
Although things were temporarily chaotic, the base was, after all, jointly established by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military.
Very quickly, a few high-ranking officers, second only to the general, took charge and began organizing the situation.
First, the unconscious general was immediately sent for medical treatment.
Second, they reported the disappearance of the mysterious alien hammer.
The sudden disappearance of the alien hammer was classified as a mysterious incident, which technically fell outside the military's jurisdiction. S.H.I.E.L.D. was better equipped and faster at handling such matters.
This base was a joint venture between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military, but in truth, S.H.I.E.L.D. was the one calling the shots, with the military acting more as a "supporting" force.
And this incident was no small matter.
In fact, any incident involving extraterrestrial elements was automatically treated as top secret and of the utmost importance.
So naturally, no one dared take it lightly.
Once the report was submitted—
Nick Fury and Natasha immediately boarded a jet and arrived at the New Mexico base from New York within thirty minutes.
"Tell me exactly what happened," Nick Fury said, his face dark and stern.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had already detected the energy signature of Thor's hammer the moment it appeared in this world.
The energy it contained was on par with that of an entire planet.
How could something like that just go missing?
If it had fallen into enemy hands, no one could predict what they'd do with it.
If possible, those hostile forces would tear S.H.I.E.L.D. apart first, because S.H.I.E.L.D. stood in the way of their ambitions.
Although Nick Fury wasn't sure how they stole it—or whether they could even use such a powerful weapon—
As long as the hammer wasn't under their surveillance and had fallen into someone else's hands, it was a massive threat—a hidden danger that had to be found and neutralized immediately.
That's why Nick Fury decided to lead the investigation personally. He even instructed Natasha to delay her mission to eliminate a terrorist organization and come to New Mexico first. That alone showed how seriously he was taking this.
…
The military officer addressing Nick Fury felt like he was speaking to the President himself. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead as he carefully organized his thoughts and combined the accounts from various witnesses into a cohesive timeline of events.
"First, the problem seems to have started with the General," he explained.
"The General was supposed to be stationed in his office, but today, he suddenly appeared at the back gate of the base. He didn't do anything unusual—just stared at the sandstorm for a moment and then ordered the guards to shut the gate."
"After the gate was closed, he went straight to the area where the hammer was being kept. He forcibly ordered the soldier on duty to remove the protective glass cover. It was at that moment that the hammer disappeared. The General then returned to the back gate, gave another order to open it, and collapsed right after that."
"To this moment, the General still hasn't regained consciousness."
The timeline was clear. The incident had originated with the General.
Nick Fury exchanged a glance with Natasha. "Take us to the surveillance footage—now."
The base had a comprehensive monitoring system, with surveillance everywhere except inside restroom stalls. Even the General's office had a camera installed.
"Yes, sir."
The officer quickly pulled up the footage from the General's office.
Nick Fury and Natasha stared intently at the screen.
"Stop right there!" Natasha said. "Slow it down."
On the screen, the General appeared dazed for a brief moment. The golf club he had been holding slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
"The General was being controlled," Natasha concluded.
She had seen many strange methods in her years, and she was almost certain that's what had happened here.
"If I'm not mistaken, the person who stole the hammer is the same one who controlled the General—having him open the gate twice, enter and exit the base, and open the hammer's protective cover."
Nick Fury made his judgment but still frowned deeply.
Because there was one thing he couldn't figure out—if the General was being controlled, and the hammer was indeed stolen, then how did that person manage to remain completely undetected, even by surveillance?
The Hand? No—it couldn't be. Those ninjas might be able to reduce their presence, but it was impossible for them to become completely invisible to cameras!
Wait…!
Nick Fury and Natasha suddenly thought of the same person.
Although that person wasn't known for mind control, if anyone in this world could steal the alien hammer without leaving a trace, it would be him.
They looked at each other and spoke in unison: "Pull up the footage of the hammer's disappearance—now!"
The officer didn't understand why, but still nodded and complied without hesitation.
The footage played.
Onscreen—
'The General' barked a sharp order at the soldier guarding the hammer.
The soldier, visibly shaking, immediately lowered his head and unlocked the protective casing.
And the moment it was opened—
The hammer, which had been sitting securely under the glass, vanished.
That 'General' seemed to realize the plan had succeeded and quickly left without even glancing at the soldier beside him.
By now, everything was crystal clear. The General's behavior was clear evidence that he had indeed been controlled.
"Rewind a few seconds. Pause right there."
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