Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary base's interrogation room, the atmosphere was heavy and tense.
Thor was bound to a chair, the restraints digging painfully into his wrists and ankles.
A harsh white light shone directly from the ceiling, so bright that it made it hard for him to open his eyes.
Across from him sat Phil Coulson, holding a cup of coffee, his usual polite smile on his face.
"So, let's go over this again... Mr. Thor Odinson, son of Odin." Coulson took a sip of his coffee, frowning slightly in his mind.
'Damn it, logistics bought this cheap brand again.'
"You claim to be a prince from Asgard. That hammer belongs to you personally. And you just happened to appear here to retrieve it?"
Thor raised his head, eyes filled with anger.
He was the God of Thunder, prince of Asgard, future ruler of the Nine Realms. When had he ever been treated like this?
To be bound like a criminal and interrogated by these weak, mortal humans?
If he still had Mjolnir in his hand, he swore he'd blast this entire wretched building—and the insolent mortals inside—straight into the sky.
But he didn't.
Right now, he was just a man.
"I'm telling the truth!" Thor's voice was low, seething with suppressed fury.
"Release me! Then return my hammer! Otherwise, you'll face the wrath of all Asgard!"
Coulson's smile didn't fade. He pulled a tablet from his pocket and brought up a few photos, laying them in front of Thor.
In the photos were Jane Foster, Dr. Erik Selvig, and Henry Stark.
"We've looked into your companions," Coulson said evenly.
"Dr. Foster and Dr. Selvig are both outstanding astrophysicists. And this man..."
He pointed at Henry's photo, his expression turning a little uneasy.
"Henry Stark. I think you know who he is. Just a few hours ago, he swaggered right into our base and tried to lift that hammer. Of course, he failed."
Damn it, why did it have to be Henry Stark of all people?
America, please bless me... I hope he doesn't come crashing in here to make a scene.
Coulson quickly caught the flicker of emotion in Thor's eyes when he heard "he failed."
A flash of satisfaction? Interesting.
So, maybe the relationship between this big guy and Henry Stark wasn't as simple as it looked.
"Now, tell me the truth, Mr. Thor." Coulson leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp as a blade.
"Who are you people, really? What's your real purpose here? Did the Stark brothers send you? That hammer... is it some kind of new Stark weapon?"
To Coulson, the whole thing reeked of conspiracy.
First, a mysterious hammer falls from the sky, defying scientific explanation.
Then Henry Stark, the ever-flashy troublemaker, suddenly shows up in secret.
And now this massive man claiming to be a god?
Three strange incidents, all connected. It screamed of a Stark brothers' stunt—one of their elaborate schemes. After all, if anyone was good at stirring up chaos, it was those two.
Thor looked into Coulson's suspicious eyes and, for the first time, truly understood what it meant to have no way to prove the truth.
He was telling the truth—why wouldn't these mortals believe him?
Stark? Was this really all some plot of his?
Henry's smirking, mischievous face flashed through Thor's mind, but... no. That didn't make sense.
Ridiculous. Henry had taught him how to flirt with women and even worked with him. There was no way he'd set him up.
At that moment, the interrogation room door opened.
A man in a black trench coat and a single eyepatch stepped inside.
Nick Fury.
He had rushed over the moment he received Coulson's report.
He didn't look at Thor right away. Instead, he walked up beside Coulson and asked quietly, "What's the situation?"
"Not good, sir." Coulson shook his head.
"He insists he's the God of Thunder from Norse mythology. I think he might need a psychiatric evaluation."
Fury turned his one eye toward Thor, sharp and penetrating, as though he could see straight into a man's soul.
"My people tell me you can fight," Fury said in his deep, low voice.
"You took down over a dozen trained agents with your bare hands. That's not something a normal man can do. So, tell me—what kind of training did you have? Military? Some black-ops organization?"
Thor stared back at Fury. From this man, he could feel an overwhelming aura of command, far stronger than Coulson's.
But he still lifted his chin proudly and repeated, "I am Thor, Prince of Asgard!"
Fury was silent for a long moment... then he chuckled.
"All right, Your Highness." He turned and headed for the door.
"I hope you enjoy your stay in our mortal prison."
The door shut behind him with a heavy thud.
Thor looked at the closed door, frustration tightening his chest.
Inside the trailer...
"Oh, look at that. The one-eyed hard-boiled egg himself is on the move," Henry said, leaning closer to the screen, intrigued.
"Now things are getting interesting. Fury's one paranoid bastard. He definitely thinks Thor's some spy sent by me or Tony."
"Then... is Thor in danger?" Jane asked worriedly.
"Danger? Of course not." Henry waved her off.
"Fury's heart may be black, but he's not stupid. Until he figures out who Thor really is, the most he'll do is keep him fed, comfortable, and under constant surveillance. What's really keeping him up at night is figuring out how to explain all this to me."
Henry took a sip of his coffee, amused. After all, Thor was his person.
Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. had detained him, it was only natural that Henry, as a "friend," would demand an explanation.
He wanted Fury to squirm, to feel confused and uneasy.
As Henry leisurely watched the unfolding "S.H.I.E.L.D. Prison Drama," someone suddenly appeared on the screen.
The interrogation room door opened again.
But this time, it wasn't a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent walking in.
It was a tall, elegant man dressed in green, handsome but with a faintly sinister glint in his eyes.
Loki.
"Well, well... look who it is. Princess Number Three herself. That was fast," Henry muttered, eyes lighting up.
Loki's already here?
Was the story speeding up?
Henry watched closely, curiosity burning.
Loki approached Thor, his face filled with grief and concern—his performance so convincing it could win an Oscar.
"Brother!" he cried, gripping Thor's hands. "I finally found you! Are you all right?"
"Loki?!" Thor's eyes widened in shock and joy.
"What are you doing here? Did Father send you to save me?"
"Father..." Loki's face fell, sorrow clouding his expression. He lowered his head, voice trembling.
"Father has fallen into the Odinsleep. He may never awaken."
"What?!" Thor's mind went blank. He looked devastated.
"After you were banished, the Frost Giants took the chance to invade Asgard. Father used the last of his power to drive them back and... fell into eternal sleep."
Loki looked up, tears glistening in his eyes.
"And Mother... she's forbidden anyone from coming to Midgard. She said your recklessness and arrogance caused all this. That if not for you, Asgard wouldn't be in danger, and Father wouldn't have..."
"No! That's not true!" Thor shook his head in anguish, guilt and pain flooding his face.
"It's true, Brother." Loki squeezed his hand, eyes full of gentle sorrow.
"I defied Mother's orders to come here. I used Heimdall's sight to find you. I came only to tell you... you can't go back. Stay here, for everyone's sake. I'll protect our home."
With that, he released Thor's hand. Before Thor could speak again, Loki's form shimmered and vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance systems caught nothing.
In the interrogation room, only Thor's ragged breathing remained. His once-bright eyes were now hollow.
His hope had shattered.
Inside the trailer, the mood turned strange.
Jane and Darcy stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Was that Thor's brother just now?" Darcy asked, frowning. "And how the hell did he teleport? That's... not scientifically possible!"
Jane said nothing, her face filled with worry as she watched Thor's devastated expression.
Only Henry looked relaxed, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
Loki, oh Loki... same old tricks.
Twisting truth and lies, cutting straight to the soul.
With just a few words, he'd destroyed everything Thor believed in—his father asleep, his home under siege, his people turning their backs.
Despair like that could crush even the strongest will... let alone Thor, a muscle-bound fool with a soft heart.
"This guy really missed his calling. He'd make a perfect master manipulator," Henry muttered, quietly giving him a mental thumbs-up.
Then, another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent entered the interrogation room and led Thor out.
"Huh? They're letting him go already?" Henry blinked, surprised.
He watched as Thor was escorted outside, told he was free to leave.
Thor looked lost. Standing at the base gate, he stared blankly as the agents returned to their posts, as though nothing had happened.
"How interesting," Henry murmured, touching his chin.
What kind of game are you playing, Fury? A tactical retreat?
Or maybe he thinks Thor's harmless and not worth the trouble?
No... that's not it.
Henry's eyes sharpened as he noticed Coulson subtly assigning two agents to tail Thor from a distance.
Ah. So that's their move.
They release him openly, then watch from the shadows.
They want to see who he contacts next... and what he does.
Classic S.H.I.E.L.D. style.
Thor wandered aimlessly down the road back to town, his pride and sense of glory crushed by mortal laws and helplessness.
Then, suddenly, commotion broke out down the street.
Four figures appeared—each clad in strange, shining armor.
At the front stood a valiant female warrior, with three men behind her: one tall and muscular, one graceful and handsome, and one cheerful and round-faced.
The Warriors Three... and Lady Sif.
"They got here already?" Henry raised a brow, intrigued.
"Looks like things in Asgard are even livelier than I thought."
He didn't move, simply watching the screen with growing interest.
This was Asgard's family affair — there was no need for him to step in just yet.
"Thor!" Sif spotted him and rushed over in excitement.
"Sif? Fandral? Hogun? Volstagg?" Thor looked at his familiar friends, his expression full of surprise and joy.
"How did you get here?"
"We came to tell you the truth!" Volstagg's deep, booming voice carried a heavy tone.
"Thor, the All-Father isn't dead! Loki deceived everyone! He's usurped the throne!"
"What?!"
The news hit Thor's mind like a bolt of lightning.
"Loki… deceived me?"
"Yes!" Sif's eyes burned with fury.
"He stopped us from coming to find you! He told us that AllFather fell into slumber because of you! Everything he said was a lie!"
Thor staggered backward, leaning against the wall for support.
It wasn't guilt. It wasn't the pain of being abandoned.
It was betrayal.
The brother he trusted most had betrayed him.
That hurt more than death itself.
"But it seems you've been doing quite well here," said the handsome Fandral, glancing around.
"I heard you've even befriended a powerful Midgardian? On our way here, we heard many tales about him."
Thor nodded, his voice hoarse. "Yes. He's… a very special mortal."
Just then, a smooth, elegant voice suddenly echoed nearby.
"Oh? How special could he be, to earn such praise from my brother — the future King of Asgard?"
Loki's figure appeared at the end of the street.
A mocking smile hung on his lips.
"Loki!" Sif and the Warriors Three immediately drew their weapons, stepping into fighting stances.
"Don't be so tense, my dear friends." Loki walked forward at an unhurried pace, his gaze fixed on Thor the entire time.
"I merely came to see how my exiled brother fares here on Midgard... to see how far he's fallen."
His eyes drifted over Thor's cheap T-shirt, his dust-covered shoes, and finally stopped on Thor's face.
"Look at you now, Brother." Loki's voice dripped with amusement and scorn.
"Keeping company with mortals... relying on the help of a pitiful human. You've dragged Asgard's glory through the mud. A mere mortal who tinkers with bits of metal is, in your eyes, worthy of being called strong? How pathetic."
"Silence, Loki!" Thor roared furiously.
"Henry is far stronger than you think — and far nobler than you'll ever be!"
"Is that so?" Loki's smile widened.
"In that case, since you love your mortal friends so much, and cherish this fragile little world... I'll grant you your wish."
He raised his hand. In the sky above, a familiar rainbow light erupted once more!
"Stay here, Brother. You, your mortal friend, and this precious world of yours — will all turn to ash together."
Loki's voice echoed in everyone's ears, and then his figure vanished into thin air.
Inside the trailer...
Henry, who had been quietly watching the whole time, slowly set down his coffee cup.
He shook his head with a soft click of his tongue.
Loki, oh Loki... you just had to drag everyone else into your sibling drama.
"Wait, that guy in green — did he just insult you?" Darcy finally caught on and asked.
"Yes," Henry replied, standing up and rolling his neck until it cracked sharply.
He didn't care about Loki and Thor's brotherly feud. That was their family business.
He didn't care about Loki seizing the throne either — that was Asgard's internal affair.
But "humble mortals"?
"Mere mortals who play with metal"?
Classic early-stage Loki — still as arrogant as ever.
Good thing Henry's hands were getting itchy. He'd been feeling a little bored anyway... and Loki had just given him a perfect excuse.
If Loki liked calling him "mortal" so much, then this mortal would have to teach the so-called god some mortal manners.
"Jane, Darcy," Henry said calmly.
"Stay here. Don't go anywhere. Lock the doors and windows."
"Henry, where are you going?!" Jane asked anxiously.
"To give our visiting God of Mischief a little cultural lesson." Henry smiled faintly.
"And of course, to remind him of one simple truth."
"On Earth, you follow Earth's rules. Gods are no exception."
With that, he turned and walked straight out of the trailer.
...
At the S.H.I.E.L.D. base near the crater.
Coulson was standing with a few scientists, staring at the immovable hammer as they ran yet another round of useless tests.
Nick Fury had already returned to headquarters — HYDRA trouble was piling up again, and he had to handle it personally.
"The energy analysis results are in, Agent Coulson," one of the scientists reported, adjusting his glasses.
"We can't detect any energy source at all. It's like an ordinary lump of metal. But its density and mass far exceed any known material. We tried a hydraulic press, laser cutting, even a micro-bunker-buster round — nothing worked."
"I see..." Coulson rubbed his aching temples, his patience fraying.
An unanalyzable hammer.
A lunatic claiming to be the God of Thunder.
And somewhere out there, Henry Stark was probably watching this entire circus unfold like a Saturday night show.
Yeah... sleep wasn't happening tonight.
Just then, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent sprinted over, panic written across his face.
"Agent Coulson! It's bad! Look at the sky!"
Coulson instinctively looked up — and froze.
Above the base, the once-clear night sky now churned with a massive vortex.
In its center, lightning flashed wildly, radiating a terrifying energy that made everyone's hearts pound.
"What the hell is that?!"
The entire base fell into chaos. Alarms blared as red lights flooded the compound.
"It's what Dr. Foster mentioned — the Einstein–Rosen Bridge!" one scientist shouted.
"A wormhole! My god, it's opening!"
"BOOM!!!!"
Before they could react, a pillar of rainbow-colored energy shot out from the heart of the vortex, slamming into the desert just outside the town!
The sheer force of the explosion rippled outward, engulfing the entire area!
The base shook violently — like an earthquake tearing through the ground!
"Hold your ground! Everyone hold your positions!" Coulson yelled into his communicator, gripping a nearby SUV for balance.
As the blinding light faded... a tall armored figure stood in the desert.
Forged entirely of Uru metal, its form gleamed with cold, destructive power. The faceplate split open, revealing a pulsing energy core within.
The Destroyer
One of Asgard's most powerful war machines.
"What the hell is that thing?!"
The agents stared, stunned.
What the hell was going on tonight?
Had the end of the world come early?
...
On the town's main street.
The Destroyer had already begun its rampage.
Its faceplate opened again, unleashing a beam of blazing energy that struck a car, blasting it high into the air!
Panicked civilians screamed and scattered in every direction.
Without hesitation, Sif and the Warriors Three charged forward, engaging the Destroyer head-on.
But their weapons struck its metal frame without leaving so much as a scratch.
"Get the people out of here!" Thor shouted to his comrades.
He watched the chaos unfold — the flames, the destruction, the terrified mortals.
He saw his friends bleeding and struggling to defend people who couldn't even fight back.
He saw the fragility of the lives he once looked down upon.
And in that moment, the pride in his eyes slowly dimmed.
He began to understand.
He finally understood his father's lesson.
A king's glory did not lie in strength or victory... but in the duty to protect the weak, protect his people.
Step by step, Thor walked toward the raging Destroyer.
"Loki!" he roared to the sky — but this time, his voice held no anger, only calm resolve.
"If it's me you want dead, then come for me! Leave these innocent people out of it!"
He spread his arms wide and closed his eyes, ready to face the beam of destruction head-on.
At that moment, he let go of everything — his pride, his fury, his desire for the throne.
He was no longer a prince or a god... just a man willing to sacrifice himself to protect others.
And in that instant...
Back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. crater, Mjolnir suddenly began to hum!
The runes carved into its surface flared with brilliant light!
"SHOOOM!!!!"
Mjolnir tore through the sky like a streak of silver lightning!
It ripped through the clouds, crossing the horizon, and landed squarely in Thor's hand — just as the Destroyer's beam was about to hit!
"BOOM!!!!"
Thunder roared across the heavens!
Lightning coiled like serpents, dancing wildly through the storm clouds!
Blinding radiance wrapped around Thor's body!
When the light faded, his T-shirt and jeans were gone — replaced by gleaming silver armor and a flowing crimson cape.
The God of Thunder had returned.
"Wow."
A teasing voice broke the moment.
High above the battlefield, Henry hovered in his armor, bathed in sunlight so bright it was hard to look at him directly.
The black cape behind him rippled gently, adding a layer of mystery and pressure that made him seem almost divine.
He looked down at Thor, now fully transformed, and nodded approvingly.
"Not bad. This new skin looks way better than your beginner outfit. Only complaint — your entrance animation was kinda slow. Two stars."
Then he turned toward the Destroyer, whose movements had faltered at Thor's sudden rebirth.
Henry raised a finger and beckoned with a grin.
"All right, Divine tin can. Looks like you've got two opponents now."
"One's in charge of mythology..."
"The other's in charge of raw power."
"Tell me — which one of us do you want to get scrapped by first?"
***
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