I am Thor

As the HYDRA agent's body went limp, having crushed the poison capsule hidden in his mouth, Natasha froze in shock. Only after a moment did she grasp what had happened.

"HYDRA?" she murmured, disbelief in her voice. "I thought they were wiped out?" She looked to Thor for answers.

Thor's expression was unfazed. "The HYDRA you're thinking of—the Red Skull's faction—was dismantled. But it wasn't destroyed completely. Dr. Zola was HYDRA, and he stayed behind, slipping agents in wherever he could. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated and is full of HYDRA operatives."

Natasha's stomach tightened. She hesitated before asking, "Nick Fury—is he HYDRA?"

"No."

"Then why not tell him about this?"

"And then what?" Thor replied. "If we expose them now, we risk setting off a premature explosion. Fury might not even believe it right away, and HYDRA's infiltration goes far deeper than you imagine. The previous director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Alexander Pierce? He is HYDRA."

Natasha shivered, realizing the depth of the problem. If even the highest-ranking officials had HYDRA ties, wasn't it more a question of finding S.H.I.E.L.D. within HYDRA? The idea that many of her colleagues might be enemies made her shudder.

"So, when will this be resolved?" she asked.

"When HYDRA makes a move. They'll slip up eventually. And we'll need someone the public trusts absolutely to expose them." Thor's gaze was steady. "Don't worry—they're strong, but not invincible. Once they reveal themselves, we can take them down."

"Alright, I understand," Natasha said, relaxing slightly. "But tell me—who can I trust? I don't want to go about my day wondering if I'll get ambushed."

Thor chuckled at her slight joke. "You can trust Peggy Carter, her niece Sharon Carter, Hawkeye Clinr Barton, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, and Fury. He's not exactly warm and fuzzy, but he's not HYDRA."

"Good to know…" Natasha muttered, thinking it over. Silence filled the room briefly.

"Oh, and one more thing," she added. "The director mentioned that Captain America's about to wake up. You're old friends, aren't you? Aren't you planning to visit him?"

In a modest, dimly lit room, a radio played a baseball game's commentary. Steve Rogers slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings.

I'm… not dead?

A nurse entered the room, smiling warmly. "Captain, you're awake."

Steve's brow furrowed. "Where… where am I?"

"In a hospital room in New York," she replied gently.

Steve listened, hearing his beloved Dodgers playing on the radio. A familiar game, he thought. I must have made it home.

Thor, who had arranged the broadcast so Steve wouldn't immediately realize the passage of time, chose a game from shortly after Steve's accident.

Steve nodded, calming slightly, and then asked, "What happened to the plane? I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

"No, Captain. You saved countless lives," came a deep voice as Thor entered the room, followed by Peggy Carter. True to form, Steve hadn't forgotten his duty, even after seventy years in stasis.

"Blake! Agent Carter!" Steve's face lit up as he recognized them. "Is the Nazi defeated? How did the war end? And… how long have I been out?"

"Those are a lot of questions," Thor replied with a slight smile. "Let's take them one by one. You ended the Red Skull's plan. You landed the plane in a safe zone, so no civilians were hurt. The war… well, it's over. As for everything else," Thor hesitated, "there's a lot you'll need to take in."

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