The three girls stood frozen, their eyes wide as they witnessed the unthinkable: their idol, the mightiest Avenger, the hero who had defeated Thanos himself, being playfully struck by Natasha. The scene shattered their idealized image of Thor, leaving them in disbelief.
One of the girls, her hair as white as freshly fallen snow, broke the silence. "I heard Black Widow is Russian, right? The rate of domestic violence there is supposed to be quite high..." she murmured timidly.
Gwen Stacy, standing beside her, nodded in agreement. "You're not wrong. Isn't it said that sometimes it's the men who get... uh... overpowered by the women?"
Natasha, now feeling a bit refreshed after her playful slap, stretched her hand to alleviate the sting from hitting Thor's near-invulnerable frame. The slap had no effect on Thor, of course, but Natasha's hand throbbed slightly from the impact. She turned her attention back to the white-haired girl and continued, her tone professional.
"This is Felicia Hardy," Natasha introduced. "She's from Queens, New York. On the surface, her father, Walter Hardy, was a salesman, but in reality, he was a renowned thief—known as the Black Cat in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records."
Thor blinked, processing the information. The name Felicia Hardy rang a bell. He vaguely remembered the character from some old comics. Wasn't she also one of the love interest of Spider-Man?
A moment of silence for poor Peter Parker, he thought.
Meanwhile, at a university in New York, Peter Parker sneezed unexpectedly.
"Peter, are you okay?" MJ asked, her eyes filled with concern.
Peter shook his head, puzzled. "I'm fine, I think. It's just... I suddenly felt this strange sense of malice." He frowned slightly but quickly brushed the feeling aside.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Peter focused on MJ. Her warm smile gave him the courage to continue. "MJ, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time. I've never had the nerve to say it because I was afraid it might change everything between us. But now... now I've decided. I have to tell you."
MJ tilted her head, curiosity evident in her expression. "Peter, you're Spider-Man, right?"
Peter froze, his jaw dropping. "Um... how did you know?"
Inside, Peter's heart sank. He had spent weeks, no, months, gathering the courage for this moment, only for MJ to beat him to the punch.
Back at the training grounds in New Asgard, Natasha continued her introduction of Felicia. "She's shown exceptional physical capabilities. She has incredible balance, flexibility, and strength. Plus, she's skilled in hand-to-hand combat and could easily be a professional gymnast or acrobat."
Thor observed Felicia thoughtfully. Something about her demeanor seemed to suggest she was holding back a secret. His sharp gaze locked onto her. "You seem to have something else to share," he said.
Felicia's face turned pale, and her hands trembled slightly. Natasha's eyes narrowed, her playful demeanor vanishing as she became deadly serious. She looked like a predator ready to strike. "What are you hiding?" she demanded, her tone icy.
Felicia hesitated, visibly shaken by Natasha's intensity. Thor chuckled softly and placed a reassuring hand on Natasha's shoulder. "Relax. Everyone has their secrets. As long as they mean no harm, it's not a problem."
Natasha shot him a glare, her expression saying, If she wasn't a harmless girl, this wouldn't end so nicely.
After a moment of silence, Felicia took a deep breath and spoke. "I... I'm sorry for not saying this earlier. I was afraid of the repercussions. But if anyone has the right to know, it's you."
Thor nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
"My father wasn't just a thief. He was also involved in a secret experiment. He managed to replicate the Super Soldier Serum used to create Captain America. Years ago, during the original experiment, while everyone was focused on Steve Rogers, my father secretly recorded the serum's formula and the equations used."
Natasha's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible! The Super Soldier Serum has been lost for decades. Captain America is the only successful subject, and the last vial of serum was destroyed long ago."
Thor raised a hand, signaling Natasha to let Felicia finish.
"For years, my father lived in hiding, keeping the secret safe. He even allowed himself to be arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D., believing it to be the safest place to conceal his knowledge. But someone with ill intentions discovered his secret. To protect me, he injected me with the serum, ensuring I could defend myself if necessary."
Thor listened intently, his expression calm. The story seemed to align with what he knew of the world. The forces Felicia alluded to—most likely HYDRA or Kingpin—had been relentless in their pursuit of power.
"Now that you're here on New Asgard, you have nothing to fear," Thor reassured her, his voice steady and kind. "You'll be safe under our protection."
Felicia's tense shoulders relaxed slightly at his words. Thor turned his attention to the last girl, noting the calluses on her hands—an indicator of rigorous physical training. He filed the observation away for later.