The place where Thor's hammer landed should be in New Mexico.
It's a four-and-a-half-hour drive from New York, and if heading directly to the location of the hammer, it would take even more time—probably about half a day.
Blaine has always done whatever he wanted, so since he had accepted the mission, he set off without hesitation.
After all, there weren't many tasks lately—this was the only one to his liking.
And that idea in his mind was still waiting to be tested.
This time, Blaine prepared quite a lot.
If the idea in his heart didn't work out, then the mission would be a failure. But he didn't want the trip to be in vain. Bringing along extra clothes and such wouldn't hurt—if the mission succeeded, he'd bring everything back. If it failed, he'd just enjoy a good time in New Mexico.
Half a day later—
Blaine, dragging his suitcase, arrived at a small town in New Mexico.
The climate here was typical desert—dry and hot—but had its own charm. If a few small saloons were opened in the town, and some wind and sand blew through, it'd really capture that old Western vibe.
Blaine found a hotel and checked in.
Of course, he wasn't staying here just because the town had a Wild West feel.
The real reason was the locked-down area in the desert outskirts.
From the moment Thor's hammer descended, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s detection system had picked up an overwhelming energy from beyond Earth.
It was a terrifying force capable of destroying a city—or even a nation. If it were to erupt uncontrollably, the consequences would be unimaginable.
And S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't the only organization in the world that could compete at that level.
Other powers had likely set their sights on what was here as well.
But since Thor's hammer was set so that "those unworthy cannot lift it," no one had been able to move it. So S.H.I.E.L.D. simply built a small base near the hammer.
Even the military was involved, and the security was even tighter than S.H.I.E.L.D.'s standard.
But none of that mattered much to Blaine.
Because his Shadow Stealth technique had reached level 3.
While it couldn't allow him to pass through walls, it did let him hide in human shadows and follow them—far more convenient and safer than waiting for a door to open.
After all, with level 2, if shadows weren't connected, he had to come out and move to another shadow—not only troublesome but dangerous.
Blaine activated HawkEye, and his perspective instantly lifted, taking in everything within several kilometers, including a base in the southeastern desert.
He deactivated HawkEye.
With his direction confirmed, he wasted no time—put on his Hunter outfit and headed out.
The area around the base was all desert.
Being in the desert meant no buildings or people—no shadows. So the timing of his approach didn't matter much.
Still, this wasn't a big deal. Given Blaine's current speed, even surveillance would have a hard time catching him.
The real challenge was getting inside the base. The agents there lived entirely within it, conducting their research on Thor's hammer in an orderly fashion. The research equipment and basic construction were mostly complete. The next time the gate would open would either be if someone inside died, or if some equipment needed replacing.
Neither of those things was likely to happen for at least a year or so.
So… would he have to force his way in?
Blaine chuckled softly.
Even though that was an option, he had no intention of barging in.
Forcing entry was troublesome—and might even attract Thor's attention. What if Thor went into rage mode and was deemed worthy of the hammer? Then how could Blaine complete his mission?
No—using some clever tricks to sneak in was the better, more efficient way.
Blaine narrowed his eyes and placed his right hand on his temple.
Mental energy spread out from him like a wave. In that instant, countless people felt a strange sense of being watched—chills running down their spines.
But it only lasted a moment.
Since it was Blaine's first time using this technique, it was natural to make a few mistakes.
Thankfully, the effect didn't reach into the base. Otherwise, those seasoned agents inside would have immediately gone on high alert.
And once their alert level spiked, infiltrating would be much harder.
Blaine let his mental energy gently spread into the base.
Carefully and deliberately.
These agents, who essentially still counted as "ordinary people," didn't notice a thing.
So they just went about their business as usual.
At this point, it should be clear what Blaine planned to do.
That's right—he was going to test his Mind Control!
Blaine's plan was to control an agent and have him come to the gate and escort him inside personally!
If it's too hard to get in, then make them come out and bring him in.
Eyes still closed, Blaine searched for a target.
Of course, he had to find someone with a high enough rank—an agent or officer who could freely enter and exit.
If he picked some ordinary agent, they might not even be able to open the gate. What good would that do?
Even if they could open it, a low-level agent acting without orders would be either under duress or suicidal.
All the fools in S.H.I.E.L.D. were long gone—what remained were veterans.
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