Boom!
A brilliant, multicolored beam—bursting with immense energy like a rainbow—suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping Thor, Sif, and the others.
In just a few seconds, as the light vanished, it left behind a scorched mark where the Bifrost had touched the earth.
Thor and Sif were now racing back to Asgard via the Rainbow Bridge.
Lockhart, however, watched the entire scene calmly.
But—
When he saw the magical circle-like imprint on the ground, his eyes lit up with excitement.
Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures for future magical research.
Once done with those small tasks, Lockhart walked over to Jane and Erik and asked,
"Alright, with Thor's situation temporarily resolved, do you have any plans moving forward?"
Erik thought for a moment before replying,
"We've collected most of the data we need for our research. Our next step is heading back to the University of Washington to organize our papers. Darcy, Jane, and the others also need to prepare for graduation."
Lockhart nodded. In his past life, he had been a university professor, so he naturally understood the importance of academics.
Even if you're the girlfriend of the God of Thunder, you won't graduate without a completed thesis and a decent GPA—let alone land a good job.
So Lockhart didn't plan to bother them any further. Still, after a moment of thought, he pulled out three protective amulets and handed them to Erik and the others.
Seeing their puzzled looks, Lockhart explained,
"Thor asked me to look after Jane—and all of you."
"These are magical amulets. Keep them on you. If you're ever in danger, they'll give you an early warning."
"If something happens, call me. I'll do what I can to help."
As he spoke, Lockhart handed over a slip of paper with his phone number on it.
Erik accepted it and thanked him.
Just then, Agent Coulson—who had been observing nearby—seized the opportunity.
Holding a stack of documents, he walked over to Jane and said gently,
"Miss Foster, these are the documents we borrowed earlier. Please check if anything's missing."
Jane snorted as she took them and began flipping through to verify.
While she was distracted, Coulson turned to Lockhart and said,
"Professor Lockhart—may I call you that?"
Lockhart nodded.
"We're from S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization responsible for handling global anomalies. We're quite interested in the potion you used earlier—Dittany, I believe?"
"We were wondering if we could negotiate a deal. As far as I know, you don't yet have an official identity here. S.H.I.E.L.D. can help provide one, or offer other resources in exchange."
Hearing Coulson's diplomatic tone, Lockhart felt mildly amused.
As expected of a professional agent—they had immediately identified his current needs and proposed a trade.
And the item? The very Dittany potion he had just publicly used.
By using it in the open, he had already signaled that it was available for negotiation, making a deal highly likely.
Clearly, they wanted to use this first transaction as a stepping stone toward deeper cooperation.
Had he not been a powerful wizard—or Thor's friend—Coulson's tone likely wouldn't have been this polite.
Tsk, tsk...
---
Minerva Café, Bleecker Street, New York City
Minerva Café was one of the most famous cat cafés in New York.
Locals loved coming here to sip coffee and pet cats.
Lockhart sat by the window, lifting his cup to take a gentle sip and savor the rich aroma. Then he set it down and gently stroked the small white kitten in his lap, enjoying the softness of its fur.
As he pet the cat, he gazed out the window—half admiring the view, half waiting for someone.
Soon, Coulson walked in, dressed immaculately in a suit and carrying a small briefcase.
He sat across from Lockhart and said apologetically,
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Professor Lockhart. We've been following official procedures to ensure everything is airtight. It took some time."
"But here's your identification. I assure you, it's flawless."
"There's also a bank card inside with a deposit of ten million USD."
He handed over a file folder.
Lockhart took it and, with a faintly sarcastic tone, said,
"A whole week—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efficiency really is something else."
"Still, I'll give you credit for being thorough."
Sensing the sarcasm, Coulson gave a slightly awkward smile but didn't respond.
He quickly changed the subject, glancing at the cute cats nearby.
"Professor Lockhart, judging by the place you picked, you seem to like small animals too."
"Do you keep pets yourself?"
Though it was an obvious attempt to steer the conversation, Lockhart played along.
"Of course. As an adventurer, I naturally enjoy small animals. But I prefer the more ferocious magical beasts."
(Yes—just setting the stage for the magical creatures to appear later.)
Before Coulson could ask further, Lockhart waved his hand. Four potion bottles appeared on the table—two mossy green Dittany and two pale yellow Sobersweet.
Calmly, he said,
"Here. These are what you wanted."
"Dittany—apply it gently to a wound, and it'll heal rapidly."
"Sobersweet—drink it, and unless the poison was brewed by a true master, it'll neutralize most toxins."
Coulson's face lit up with a warm smile. He placed his briefcase on the table and carefully packed the potions inside.
Then he said,
"Thank you, Professor Lockhart. I hope we can continue working together."
Lockhart nodded simply.
"Mm."
He said nothing more, turning to gaze out the window as if admiring the scenery.
Coulson didn't mind.
This past week—while claiming to be processing Lockhart's ID—S.H.I.E.L.D. had been gathering intel from Erik to build a personality profile.
Their analysis concluded: Lockhart was the scholarly type—aloof but obsessed with magic, almost like a mad scientist.
The delay had also served to test Lockhart's willingness to cooperate.
Now, seeing that he hadn't rejected the deal, they knew further collaboration was possible.
Noticing Lockhart's disinterest in continuing the conversation, Coulson tactfully stood up.
"Professor Lockhart, please enjoy your coffee. I'll be going now."
"Hopefully, next time we can deepen our cooperation."
As Coulson turned to leave, Lockhart added casually,
"Oh, right—Coulson."
"Tell your people that the house I enchanted with a Muggle-Repelling Charm can't be seen or entered by non-magical folks."
"No point wasting your efforts."
Coulson paused for a moment, then smiled and left.
For days, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had been trying to sneak into Lockhart's villa to install surveillance devices.
The problem?
Even though they knew the location, every agent would get confused before reaching the door and just wander off.
It was like they were being manipulated—completely unable to enter.
Now it made sense. The plan had failed from the start.
Watching Coulson leave, Lockhart didn't seem bothered.
With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current capabilities, breaking through wizard magic was a pipe dream.
After all, the wizarding world had spent over a thousand years developing ways to stay hidden from Muggles.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. could crack that so easily, the magical world would've been exposed long ago.
Lockhart tucked away the folder and once again turned his gaze toward a tall building in the distance.
Sensing the subtle waves of magical energy emanating from it, his eyes gleamed with thought.
He had chosen to settle in New York for one very simple reason—
Magic.
The magic of Kamar-Taj.
And across from him—if he wasn't mistaken—stood one of the three great sanctums of Kamar-Taj:
The New York Sanctum!