When the one-eyed man spoke, Aetheris said,
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have thought you forgot. This matter is rather complicated. Do you still remember the Norse god of thunder, Thor?"
Fury nodded.
"Of course I remember. Those so-called Norse gods treated New York like a public restroom, coming and going as they pleased. Thor promised he'd be back soon, but who knew he was a liar? He never returned. Last time, that Destroyer killed several of my men. I still have a score to settle with him."
It was no wonder Fury was angry. The one who had gone to deal with the incident back then was his trusted subordinate, Hill. At first, they didn't believe Aetheris's claim that the golden-haired Lion King was actually Thor. They only assumed he was a skilled mercenary. What truly caught their attention was the hammer, so all their research focused on it. But within two days, the hammer flew off on its own, followed by the Destroyer's attack, which wiped out several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
They had expected Thor to honor his promise and return to handle the matter, but he never did. Since the Bifröst Bridge had been destroyed, Thor couldn't return to Earth. Unaware of the truth, Fury flew into a rage and harshly scolded Hill. Aetheris had heard about this from Hill during a barbecue. He hadn't expected Fury to hold such a grudge, still unable to let it go even after all this time.
Aetheris continued,
"This alien invasion I mentioned is directly related to Thor's brother, Loki."
"Thor's brother, Loki?"
Fury frowned. He had never been interested in mythology. He knew a few Greek gods, but Norse mythology was far too obscure, studied by few, and not particularly popular in America. He had little impression of it.
Seeing Fury's confusion, Aetheris explained Loki's origins.
Loki Odinson was not Thor's biological brother. His other name was Loki Laufeyson. Aetheris revealed this fact immediately, but judging by Fury's reaction, it was less intriguing to him than uncovering the mole.
Loki was the Norse god of fire and mischief, also known as the God of Evil and the God of Lies.
He was the son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants. After Laufey's defeat, Odin, the All-Father, discovered and adopted him, raising him alongside Thor.
At this point, Fury interrupted,
"Wait, what are Frost Giants?"
Aetheris nearly choked in exasperation but explained Asgard's worldview. The cosmos was divided into nine realms, all connected by the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. The Frost Giants belonged to the realm of Jotunheim.
Earth was Midgard.
Upon hearing that Earth was positioned at the center, Fury brightened.
"That's not bad."
Aetheris rolled his eyes and went on. Odin had intended to use Loki to forge an alliance between Asgard and Jotunheim, securing everlasting peace. That was the real reason Loki was "born to be a king." Odin's plan was for Loki to become King of Jotunheim and Thor to become King of Asgard. Both born to rule, they would be bound together forever.
Fury commented,
"Odin was a fool. If you tell two children from the start that both could be kings, but secretly favor your own son, then if I were Loki, learning the truth would drive me mad."
Aetheris nodded.
"Exactly. That's why Loki sent the Destroyer to Earth to hunt Thor, though he ended up killing several of your agents instead."
Fury's face instantly darkened. His pride vanished, and he nearly choked on his own breath. If he had known, he would've kept his mouth shut. What bad luck.
When Fury remained silent, Aetheris continued,
"The truth is, Thor didn't return as promised for good reason. You know Asgard and Earth exist in different realms. If you calculate it in terms of physical distance, they would be tens of millions of light-years apart. Thor could only travel to Earth via the Bifröst Bridge. Stop, stop, don't interrupt. Just think of the Bifröst as a magical 'Anywhere Door.' With it, you can travel anywhere in the universe instantly. Say you wanted to go to Sagittarius right now—you'd be there in seconds."
Fury had wanted to ask what the Bifröst was, but Aetheris cut him off. Still, when he heard what it could do, his eyes lit up. If such a device were in his hands, he could send his men anywhere on Earth in an instant. That kind of capability rivaled nuclear weapons.
Aetheris saw the look in his eyes and said,
"This is theoretically possible. The secret lies in the Space Stone I hold. It can achieve such effects. But right now, I haven't mastered its use. Don't think you can control it by manpower alone. Mortals cannot withstand the power of the Infinity Stones with their bodies. Their energy is infinite, drawn from the universe itself. Unless the universe is destroyed or all six Infinity Stones are gathered, they cannot be destroyed."
Suddenly, Aetheris slapped his forehead.
"You distracted me again. Where was I?"
Fury looked innocent. Clearly, it was Aetheris who had gone off about the Bifröst and the Space Stone, yet now he was blaming him. Feeling wronged, Fury said,
"You were saying Thor needed the Bifröst to come to Earth."
Aetheris nodded.
"Thor returned to Asgard to stop Loki from destroying Jotunheim. Don't ask why he wanted to destroy Jotunheim. Loki always considered himself Asgardian. To him, Jotunheim meant nothing. In human terms, the debt of being raised outweighed the bond of blood. Loki wanted to prove his worthiness to be King of Asgard through this achievement. I think it was wishful thinking, but perhaps the ways of gods are beyond our comprehension."
At this point, Aetheris pulled out a pack of cigarettes, offered Fury one, lit his own, and gazed at the setting sun sinking beyond the edge of New York.
"Thor realized something after coming to Earth. True strength lies in using force to end conflict, not to start it. War brings no glory. A king who only wages endless battles will bring nothing but disaster to his people. Human strength is limited, and fortunes always change. Today you're strong enough to bully others, but what happens when they grow stronger tomorrow? Or when they gain powerful allies to stand with them? Can you still win then?"
(End of Chapter)
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