"Was Asgard... very powerful?"
Coulson asked cautiously.
"It was all right."
Hermione shrugged, her tone casual. "It used to be powerful. Now... only Odin and Hela are much trouble. But the biggest problem is still the Bifrost."
"The Bifrost? What's that?" Coulson asked in confusion.
"A Star-Destroying Weapon," Hermione said lightly. "Of the Nine Realms, only Asgard has a weapon like that."
A Star-Destroying Weapon?!
Coulson's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart lurched.
He hurriedly grabbed his communicator and called Fury.
"Sir, we have an emergency!"
"Coulson, calm down." Nick Fury's voice came through the communicator. "What happened?"
Coulson tried to compose himself, then reported everything that had just happened.
After a moment of silence, Fury spoke again.
"Miss Wizard, what do you think?"
His voice sounded weary.
Clearly, the information he had just received was giving even the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. a serious headache.
"How much do you know about the Nine Realms?"
Hermione turned the question back on him.
The communicator fell silent for a few seconds before Fury's low voice came through. "Nothing."
"Then I'll give you a quick introduction." Hermione explained smoothly, "The Nine Realms are nine different worlds in the universe, connected by the World Tree. They are Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, Jotunheim, Nidavellir, Muspelheim, Helheim, and... Midgard."
With every name she listed, Fury's brow furrowed a little more.
"Asgard is where Thor comes from, commonly known as the realm of the gods. It currently rules all Nine Realms, at least in name. Midgard is Earth, where we live. Its name means 'middle realm,' because it sits at the center of the World Tree."
Hermione paused, then continued.
"As for the other worlds, each has its own characteristics. I couldn't explain them all in a few words."
Fury took a deep breath.
He knew about