"How is it?"
Looking at the laboratory in front of him, which seemed like it had just been through a battle, Clark couldn't help but ask the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who had come to return some equipment. But seeing the agent's confused expression, Clark realized he probably didn't know anything.
Back to last night, just after Daisy had messaged Clark, Thor encountered his brother—Loki.
"Loki? What are you doing here?"
The once-disheartened Thor, who had felt like life no longer held meaning, perked up at the sight of Loki. He thought that perhaps the path Loki had chosen could bring some good news.
"I came to see you."
Looking at the fallen God of Thunder, Loki felt a surge of joy in his heart—but not a trace of it showed on his face. Instead, he wore a sorrowful expression.
"Did something happen? Tell me—did something happen in Jotunheim?"
Seeing Loki's expression, Thor's first instinct was that Jotunheim was preparing for war against Asgard. The thought made him anxious.
"Loki, let me go back. I need to explain things to Father."
"Father is dead."
Facing Thor, Loki said the words calmly.
"What?"
Thor couldn't believe it. He thought he had misheard—or that Loki was joking. After all, he had just seen Odin two days ago, and he was fine. How could he be dead now?
"Father had already intended to enter the Odinsleep long ago, but because of you, he stayed on his feet. He did it so you could grow and take the throne. But you never understood that."
"In the end, when I broke into Jotunheim to save him, that rescue triggered the threat of war and cost him the last of his divine power."
"Don't blame yourself. I know you loved him. I wanted to tell him too, but he wouldn't have listened. He left the hammer by your side even though you couldn't lift it—that's cruel."
"Since his passing, the burden of the throne has fallen on me."
Loki looked at Thor with a helpless expression, as if he had taken on the throne unwillingly.
Upon hearing that Loki had inherited the throne, Thor felt a pang of disappointment. But since Loki was his brother, although saddened, he was also glad Loki could carry the responsibility.
Then something occurred to Thor.
"Loki, can I go home now?"
Thor didn't know what Loki was really thinking, but as king, Loki could surely revoke his exile. It was just a matter of saying the word.
But Loki, still deep in his performance, paused before replying. He shook his head and looked at Thor with teary eyes.
"Our truce with Jotunheim depends on your exile."
"I know, but… maybe we can find a way, like—"
Thor didn't care about the conditions. No one was watching him. Worst case, he'd return and lay low for a while.
"Mother doesn't want you to return either."
Before he could finish, Loki cut him off. And the reason broke Thor's heart. Still, he understood: if Father died because of him, it was natural that Mother wouldn't want to see him.
"I'll regret this for the rest of my life. I'm sorry, brother. I can't help you."
Loki felt a flicker of pride—he had nearly moved himself with his own performance.
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. Thank you for coming."
When Thor heard that their mother didn't want to see him, it hit him: he had truly been a selfish fool, constantly letting his parents down. Now it was too late to make it right.
"Goodbye, brother."
With that, Loki turned and began to leave—but after just two steps, he stopped. His back still to Thor, Loki hesitated. A thousand years of brotherhood tugged at him, and finally, he said:
"Be careful."
"Take care, Loki!"
As soon as Loki finished, he vanished. Thor rushed to the spot where Loki had been, but this time, he really was gone.
"Thor, what's going on?"
Jane, hearing Thor's shout from the lab, came running out. She saw him looking around like he was searching for something.
"Nothing—my brother just came to see me."
Thor hesitated for a moment before telling Jane that his brother, Loki, had recently visited.
"Your brother?"
Jane was surprised to learn that Thor had a brother, let alone that he had just been here. She glanced around but saw no one.
"Yes. My brother Loki. He just left."
"Loki the God of Mischief?"
At that moment, Daisy and Erik also walked out of the lab. Daisy, who had just been studying Norse mythology, recalled that Thor had a brother named Loki, the God of Mischief.
Erik checked the area and found it completely empty. That confirmed his suspicion: Thor was either a liar or a lunatic. The best thing to do now, he thought, was to get this "Thor" to a hospital before things got worse.
"What's this?"
Daisy, who had been joking with Thor moments ago, suddenly noticed frost forming on the ground. She crouched down and touched it.
"So cold..."
Thor looked at the frost and remembered what Loki had said. With a sinking feeling, he realized what "be careful" meant.
"Frost Giants!"
"Huh? What did you say, Thor?"
Jane, standing beside him, heard him mutter something after looking at the ground.
"What are Frost Giants?"
"Run!"
Thor had fought Frost Giants before and knew how powerful they were. In the past, he could slay them effortlessly. But now, with no divine powers and no hammer, he couldn't even call himself a Thunder God.
So he had no choice—he had to tell Jane and the others to run.
"Run?"
Just as Jane and Daisy were wondering why Thor told them to run, a giant blue creature dropped from the sky, landing on an open patch of ground nearby.
"ROAR!"
Upon seeing Thor, the Frost Giant let out a roar and conjured a blade of ice from his hand. Then, he charged straight at Thor.
"RUN!"
Thor yelled at the stunned group, then grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it at the oncoming Frost Giant. Then, he turned and bolted.
BOOM! BOOM!
As Thor fled, two loud explosions sounded from the sky. Two more Frost Giants appeared inside the research lab.
Luckily, Thor had a high "aggro level"—the two new Frost Giants didn't even glance at Jane or the others. They just chased after Thor.
"What are those things?!"
Seeing the three monsters, Daisy was too scared to speak.
"Frost Giants! Asgard's mortal enemies! So he really is the God of Thunder?!"
Having just studied Norse mythology, Erik recognized the creatures instantly. Shorter in build, blue-skinned, capable of wielding ice—if his guess was right, they weren't just monsters. They were the world-ending Frost Giants of legend—not just blue trolls.
"I have to help him!"
In that moment, Jane decided she couldn't let Thor face them alone. Even if he wasn't really the God of Thunder—even if this was all a lie—she couldn't just stand by and watch him die.
go to "patreon.com/Hussain678" for more chapter