"Heimdall, keep an eye on Asgard. You and Loki stay behind while we go check out this Realm of the Gods," Thor instructed from atop the Rainbow Bridge. Without waiting for a response, he turned toward Robert and the others.
"Let's get moving," Robert nodded, stepping confidently onto the bridge, followed by the rest of the group. They weren't worried in the least about the integrity of the Bifrost.
Whoosh! With a flash of brilliant light, the Rainbow Bridge carried them away, vanishing from Asgard. However, the journey was not as quick as some of them had anticipated. Unlike instantaneous teleportation, the Rainbow Bridge functioned more like a superhighway—fast but not immediate. The Realm of the Gods, Indigar, was clearly not close to Asgard, and it took a while before the group finally arrived at their destination.
A subtle crack echoed as they breached the boundary of Indigar, as though they had shattered the surface of a mirrored world. They immediately felt the atmosphere shift—a powerful, divine presence seemed to permeate the air itself.
Before them stretched a vast, floating city adorned with gleaming golden architecture. Above, an eternal golden sun illuminated everything, never dipping below the horizon.
Thor glanced around, taking in the surreal sight with awe and confusion. "Is this Indigar?" he murmured. The divine energy was unmistakable, yet the area seemed strangely empty of people—save for a few odd, chariot-like vehicles imbued with divine power that hovered nearby.
The city had an otherworldly grandeur to it, with towering, ornate buildings that glimmered faintly in hues reminiscent of the Rainbow Bridge. It was as though the city itself were woven from celestial light.
"Hey, how did you guys get here?" a voice suddenly called out, drawing the group's attention. A man in simple, old-fashioned garb appeared, his gaze fixed on the spear in Thor's hand. "Is that your vehicle? Did all of you ride here on that?"
"What? No, of course not. Who are you?" Thor replied, confused and slightly indignant.
"I'm the gatekeeper—your guide," the man explained with a shrug. "Look, park your… uh, vehicle here. You'll need to leave it before you proceed."
Thor's eyes darted to his spear, Gungnir, and he suppressed a sigh. He figured it was best to go along with local customs for now. Placing the spear on the ground, he said, "Alright. But this isn't a vehicle." He mentally noted that he could always summon the spear back if needed.
As Thor handled the matter, Frank's senses suddenly sharpened. He turned toward a particular direction, narrowing his eyes. "I feel something… familiar. Like a power similar to mine," he muttered.
"It's Zeus's power," Diana stated flatly. "I sense it too. But it doesn't seem like he's noticed us yet."
"Why wouldn't he? Shouldn't he be aware if someone with similar divine energy arrived?" Kara asked curiously.
Diana scoffed. "That old fool has too many offspring to keep track of. Powers like his are probably everywhere in this place." She crossed her arms, her expression unimpressed. "Haven't you heard the stories about Zeus? Or did you think they were just myths?"
"Wait… those stories are real?" Pietro blinked, recalling various tales about Zeus's exploits—including some involving transformations into animals.
Thor, who had been listening quietly, suddenly seemed thoughtful. Could this be part of why the Olympian pantheon remained so powerful? Expanding their bloodlines and strengthening their presence through countless descendants... He pondered the implications, considering if this was a strategy Asgard might need to adopt.
"Hey! Thor, what's got you lost in thought?" Pietro's voice snapped Thor out of his musings. The group had already begun walking toward the city's center, and Thor quickly caught up with them.
Thor glanced around the grand city and hesitated. "Should we really just walk in like this? Shouldn't we disguise ourselves? We don't even know how they'll react to us."
"Disguises? Why bother? You're a god. Coming here is like visiting family," Pietro replied casually.
Thor frowned. "Visiting family you've never met, who might not be too fond of outsiders... That's not exactly comforting. The different pantheons didn't always get along well, remember?"
Robert chuckled and clapped Thor on the shoulder. "Relax. Everyone seems to be getting along fine here. There's no reason for them to target you specifically. Besides, I already sense some old friends in this place."
"I can feel Moon God Khonshu's presence," Moon Knight added, visibly relieved. "It looks like the Egyptian pantheon relocated here."
"Then why did they still maintain their own divine realms, like the Heliopolis and Wakandan God Realms?" Susan asked, curious about the need for multiple domains.
"Probably to hedge their bets," Kara speculated. "Some pantheons likely kept a foot in both worlds—joining the collective here while maintaining independent sanctuaries for emergencies."
Robert nodded in agreement. "That's plausible. I'm sensing divine energies here that feel stronger than what I encountered at Heliopolis. If they'd had someone of this level there back then, things wouldn't have gone as smoothly for us."
"Does that mean Black Adam's patron gods are here too?" Pietro wondered aloud, recalling the reason they had started this search.
As they approached the heart of Indigar, Kara's enhanced vision picked up more details ahead. "It looks like some kind of assembly. There's a massive central hall filled with gods. I see strange figures… and a golden dragon floating above the main platform. Are they holding a council meeting?"
"Dragon?" Robert's eyes lit up with curiosity. He had seen many powerful beings in this world, but dragons were rare. Even the mystical energies wielded by Uncle and Jade hadn't compared to the dragons of his home universe.
In a matter of moments, the group reached the central hall. Their presence did not go unnoticed—many gods turned to observe them, including familiar faces like Black Panther God Bast and Moon God Khonshu.
"Why are they here? How did they find this place?" Bast whispered nervously to his white-furred companion. "If Robert decides to cause trouble, no one here can stop him."
"Relax. He wouldn't come all this way just for us," Bast reassured him, though he couldn't hide his own anxiety.
Meanwhile, another confrontation was brewing. "Khonshu, is that your champion?" A towering figure with a radiant presence—Egyptian Sun God Ra—stepped forward, his voice laced with disapproval. "How dare he enter Indigar without a summons? This is a sacred domain!"
Khonshu coughed awkwardly and quickly tried to placate his superior. "Perhaps we should wait and see what he wants, Lord Ra…"
Elsewhere, Robert had teleported directly to the dragon in question. The shimmering creature glared at him warily.
"So, you're the dragon Kara mentioned," Robert mused, circling the golden beast. "You look impressive, but not quite like the dragons from my world. A little closer to Shenron than Porunga, but still missing something essential."
The dragon rumbled in confusion, unsure how to respond to this strange warrior who spoke of beings it did not know.
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