"She's also gifted with powers?"
Agent Coulson didn't seem particularly surprised at Matilda's display. After all, he knew Jack Kadere had many extraordinary allies at his side. Still, he didn't hold back his admiration. "No wonder Mr. Kadere brought her along. She's indeed exceptional. Perhaps she can even be of help in our cooperative research on that hammer."
Jack smiled faintly.
Bringing Matilda wasn't for Coulson's reasons at all. Working with S.H.I.E.L.D. to study the hammer was only a side matter.
Jack's real reason for coming to New Mexico was to find Jane Foster.
Because of Matilda's surname—Foster.
Matilda Foster.
That one word had set off a chain of thoughts in Jack's mind. Could it be… she was related to Jane Foster? And if Jane Foster was directly involved with Thor, then what did that mean about Matilda's connection to him?
The MCU had taught Jack that coincidences rarely stayed coincidences. Two women with the same surname, played by the same actress in the movies, and now tied together in reality… it was too neat to ignore.
....
"Donuts, yogurt, chocolate bars…"
After stacking snacks onto the counter, Jack addressed the cashier. "Hello, and a pack of cigarettes too."
"Of course, sir. Which brand would you like?"
The young woman behind the counter perked up, clearly taken in by Jack's looks and charm. She began listing options enthusiastically. "CAMEL? WINSTON? LUCKY STRIKE? Or maybe Marlboro, HILTON, KENT…"
Jack didn't smoke, so he glanced down at Matilda for a cue.
The girl pressed her little hands against the glass display, scanning the colorful packages. After a moment, she pointed decisively to a brand of women's cigarettes. "Peel~"
Jack raised a brow and chuckled. "You heard her. Get us a pack of Peel."
The cashier shot him a strange look but complied, handing the pack to Matilda.
And that's when—
"Hands up! Now!"
"Don't move or we'll blow your heads off!"
The glass door swung open, and two men burst inside wielding shotguns.
The one in the brown jacket aimed at the counter. "Empty the register!"
His partner in black slammed a duffel bag onto the counter. "Fill it—cash, cigarettes, everything! Hurry!"
Then the brown-jacketed thug swung his shotgun toward Matilda. "Hey, kid, hand me that pack. You're too young to smoke anyway."
Jack's eyes flicked lazily toward them. His tone was calm, almost bored. "Don't point your guns at us. You'll regret it."
The thug snarled, "What'd you just say?!" He pointed his weapon at Jack. "I'm warning you—don't test us!"
But Matilda…
She wasn't afraid. Her gaze locked on the barrel of the shotgun, but in her mind, an image of blood flashed like déjà vu.
Tan!
She crouched, then swept her leg with surprising speed, knocking the thug in black clean off his feet.
Her boots struck the ground with a thud, propelling her into a leap. She snatched the other man's shotgun, twisted her small hands with practiced precision, and wrenched it away.
Then—
Bang!
She swung the weapon like a club, the stock cracking against his skull. He crumpled instantly.
Both robbers were down in less than three seconds.
Barbara and Coulson, who had been picking through supplies, rushed forward with drawn pistols—but froze halfway.
Barbara's eyes widened. "…Did that little girl just drop two armed men by herself?"
Even Coulson looked impressed.
"Wow…" the cashier breathed, still holding her hands in the air. "I really should stop watching action movies. Otherwise, I'll keep having dreams like this…"
Click.
Matilda tore open her cigarette pack with a casual air, slipped one between her lips, and glanced up at Jack. "Brother… got a light?"
Jack smiled approvingly. "Well done."
Crackle—
He held two fingers near her lips, blue sparks of electricity leaping between them until the tip of her cigarette glowed.
The image was… unmistakable. A dangerous older man indulging a rebellious little sister—both unnerving and oddly endearing.
....
The next day.
City limits of Old Bridge, New Mexico.
Barbara frowned. "Why did you leave Coulson behind and come here? Weren't we supposed to meet Thor directly?"
Jack strode ahead with confidence. "Trust me, Barbara. My instincts say we're needed elsewhere."
They reached an open-plan research building. Jack stopped in front of the entrance and smiled. "Here."
....
Inside, Dr. Erik Selvig adjusted his glasses, testing his assistant. "Now tell me, this isn't just a normal magnetic storm, is it?"
Selvig was a respected astrophysicist. Just hours earlier, he, Dr. Jane Foster, and their graduate assistant Darcy Lewis had been conducting astronomical research in the desert when they stumbled upon something extraordinary—possibly a magnetic storm, possibly something more.
And of course, there was also that strange drunken man who had introduced himself as Thor. Darcy had tasered him when he got too rowdy, and he was likely still passed out at the hospital.
"Look at the lensing effect at the edges," Jane said, peering at the computer analysis. "This matches the signature of an Einstein-Rosen bridge."
Darcy tilted her head. "A what bridge?"
Selvig blinked at her. "Aren't you a science major?"
Darcy flushed and fiddled with her glasses. "Political science~"
Jane offered a small smile. "She was the only applicant willing to help."
Selvig sighed but explained anyway. "An Einstein-Rosen bridge is a theoretical connection between two points in spacetime… in simpler words—"
"—a wormhole," a voice finished smoothly.
Everyone turned toward the doorway.
Jack Kadere stepped inside, Barbara right behind him.
Barbara crossed her arms and glanced at Jane and Darcy—two strikingly attractive women in a research lab. She smirked at Jack. "So, your intuition just happened to lead us straight to two beauties, huh?"
"Wow…"
Darcy Lewis, the energetic intern, practically swooned as she laid eyes on Jack. "He's… so handsome."
Jack's gaze, however, wasn't on her. His attention locked on Jane Foster. Her face looked oddly familiar to him, as if it was a strange fusion of the Jane Foster he remembered from the Marvel films and her more serious comic counterpart.
"Who are you?" Dr. Selvig asked cautiously. "Did you get lost? The hotel is on the west side of the street."
"No, we're not lost," Jack replied calmly, stepping closer. "We're here looking for you."
He reached into his jacket and produced a sleek badge — an ID identifying him as a Vice President of a club. He flashed it just long enough for Selvig and the others to catch the emblem before slipping it back into his coat.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has an ongoing case," Jack said, his tone serious. "It'd be best if you cooperated and honestly told us what you've been working on lately."
"…"
Selvig frowned. "Do you take me for a fool?"
Jane squinted slightly, unsure what she had actually seen on the badge. "Uh… we didn't see it clearly."
Darcy's eyes wandered to the small figure who had come in behind Jack. She gasped and blurted out, "Wait a sec… are you seriously bringing a child with you while you're on some secret mission? Handsome, this looks way more like a family road trip than a government operation!"
"Huh?"
Jane also noticed Matilda, the lollipop-sucking girl who had stuck close to Jack. For some reason, Jane frowned faintly, as though the sight triggered some distant memory.
"Oh, you're half right, beautiful," Jack said smoothly, giving a casual shrug. He really was taking his little sister figure along for the ride.
Then he turned his attention back to Darcy. "What's your name again?"
When Jack had watched the Thor movies in his previous life, he vaguely remembered this supporting character but not her full name.
"Darcy. Darcy Lewis," she said brightly, delighted that the handsome stranger addressed her first.
"Jack Kadere," he introduced himself simply.
Darcy beamed. "Jack, huh? Nice to meet you."
Jack chuckled lightly. He had always liked people with energy and humor, so he decided to keep talking with her. "I think you and I could have some interesting conversations."
He wasn't trying to flirt. Not really. Although Darcy was attractive in her own way, she wasn't quite his type. His interest was more tactical: Darcy, as Jane's intern, might know details about Jane's research and Thor's sudden appearance. Information Jack needed if the "Connected Person" mission with Jane Foster was to trigger — which could very well earn him the reward of a Thor power template.
But of course, he couldn't say that aloud. He'd have to be clever and lead Darcy along gradually.
"Yes, yes! Handsome, let's exchange numbers!" Darcy said excitedly, believing Jack was genuinely interested.
Selvig's patience snapped. "If you're here just to hit on Darcy, then pick another time. Don't interrupt my work."
"We can talk right now!" Darcy clung to Jack's arm like she wasn't about to let him go, whispering eagerly, "There's a good bar nearby. We can go there tonight!"
"Darcy!" Selvig's tone sharpened. "Do you still want your credits, or should I fail you right now?"
"Oh…" Darcy pouted, her grip reluctantly loosening on Jack's sleeve. "Fine, fine. But we'll be in touch!"
"Alright, that's enough," Selvig said firmly, glaring at Jack. "You can leave now. If you want a date, do it tonight. I don't want distractions during my research."
Jack ignored the dismissal. He flicked his ID again, letting the gleam catch the light. "I still need to gather some information from you, Doctor. This isn't just about social calls."
The truth was, Jack didn't particularly care about investigating Thor himself, but he wasn't about to pass up Jane Foster. Knowing the main players was crucial.
"You expect me to believe this nonsense?" Selvig barked, pointing toward Matilda, who had unwrapped another lollipop. "Like Darcy said—if you want to con us, at least don't bring along a little girl. Do you think I'm stupid?"
Jack crouched slightly to meet Matilda's eyes and teased, "Hear that? He's discriminating against your age."
Matilda blinked innocently. "Hmm? It's fine." She had grown used to others underestimating her. As long as her new brother Jack and her big sister Barbara accepted her, she didn't mind.
Jack smiled faintly. "Still… show him how wrong he is."
"Oh," Matilda finally realized what he wanted. She nodded.
Before anyone could react, Matilda moved.
She darted forward, her little boot striking out in a graceful high kick—
—Bang!
A dull thud echoed through the room as her kick landed. Dust puffed up from the floor.
When the air cleared, the yellow-brown dirt floor showed a deep, crisp shoeprint. The indentation was far deeper than what her small size should have allowed.
Selvig: (Д)! Jane: (⊙ o ⊙)! Darcy: (⊙ ω ⊙)!
"Who… who exactly are you people!?" Selvig's hand darted to the table, grabbing a taser and aiming it shakily at Jack. "Get out of here—right now!"
Click—
The sound of a pistol loading cut through the tension. Barbara raised her sidearm, calmly screwing a suppressor onto the muzzle. "Doctor, I'd suggest you put down that toy before someone gets hurt."
"Wait, wait! Misunderstanding!" Darcy quickly stepped between them, waving both hands in panic. "Jack, tell your friend to chill with the gun, and Dr. Selvig, stop pointing that thing around! I believe them, okay? They're clearly with some government group."
Jack gave a faint smile. "Her name's Barbara. And trust me, you'll want to stay on her good side."
"I'm calling the police…" Selvig muttered under his breath, trembling. "I'm calling the police…"
"Doctor," Darcy pressed down his hand firmly. "Please, put the taser down before you hurt yourself."
At that moment—
Jane suddenly gasped, eyes widening. "I remember!"
Her childhood memories rushed back. Matilda's face… her delicate features looked so much like Jane herself as a child. Not exactly twins, but the resemblance was striking—like close sisters.
The thought made Jane's heart skip. Could Matilda be family?
Did Dad or Mom… have an illegitimate daughter out there?
Driven by that instinct, Jane crouched in front of the little girl and asked gently, "Sweetheart, is your last name Foster?"
Matilda nodded, then hesitated and shook her head. "Hmm… my old last name was Foster. But now my name is Kadere."
Jack's eyes flickered. So, it was true. She really was connected to Jane—her cousin.
And just like that, the situation shifted.
What had started as a tense standoff turned into a strange sort of family reunion.
Jane quickly called her family, asking questions. After a long talk, she learned her father once had a younger brother who had cut ties with the Fosters years ago. He'd gone down a dark path—gang involvement, drugs, disappearing from their lives.
Now it all made sense.
Matilda was very likely Jane's cousin. All that remained was a DNA test at the hospital to confirm it.
...
"So this is basically a family search case," Darcy muttered later as they drove toward the county hospital.
She kept sneaking glances at Matilda's delicate little face and whispered to Jane with a grin, "You were so cute when you were little, Jane. Matilda's like a mini-you."
Jane rolled her eyes. "And what, I'm not cute now? Besides, she just resembles me when I was younger. She's not identical."
Selvig, meanwhile, sat in the back, clutching a scan report with a faint silhouette on it. His expression was grim. "Going to the hospital is convenient. That strange man you found—Thor—there's something very wrong with him. I need to check on him."
"What kind of problem?" Jack leaned back in his seat, smirking. "Why don't you let me take a look?"
"Hey!" Selvig snapped and quickly hid the papers like a guilty man hiding contraband. "Can't you people just mind your own business?"
Jack only chuckled.
No wonder Selvig was on edge. To him, Jack was a bundle of contradictions—claiming to be from some government branch one moment, cracking jokes the next, then casually dropping revelations about family ties. Nothing about him felt normal.
....
County Hospital
"Oh my god…" Jane Foster's voice trembled as she held the freshly printed DNA report. "Matilda really is my cousin!"
"Let me see." Jack plucked the report from her hands and skimmed it with lazy ease.
Jane crossed her arms. "And what exactly is your relationship to Matilda, Mr. Kadere?"
"I'm her adoptive older brother," Jack replied smoothly. He flicked the corner of the page and grinned. "So, does that make me your cousin too?"
Jane arched a brow. "That's not how it works."
"Then tell me," she pressed, "why did you come to me first instead of contacting my parents?"
Jack wasn't about to tell her the truth. Instead, he shrugged lightly. "Ms. Foster, let's just say I have… intuition. And look—my intuition was right. She's family, isn't she?"
"Intuition…" Jane rubbed her forehead, exasperated. "First I hit some mysterious guy with my Jeep, then you show up talking about long-lost relatives. My life is officially insane."
"Speaking of which," Darcy interjected, walking over with a worried look, "that mysterious guy—Thor—he's gone. Dr. Selvig says he broke free from the restraints on his hospital bed. Nobody knows where he went."
Jane glanced back at Jack with a half-smirk. "Well, Mr. Kadere, maybe your special intuition can help us find him?"
Jack's eyes glinted mischievously. "Back your Jeep out of the parking lot, and you'll find him."
Jane scoffed. "Yeah, sure."
A few minutes later—
Bang!
Thor, having slipped out to wander the hospital grounds, stumbled right into the lot… just as Jane's Jeep reversed.
Thud!
Darcy screamed, "Jane! You hit him again!"
Jane slammed the brakes, horrified. "What?!"
And sure enough—Thor groaned on the asphalt, clutching his side.