"But you can't destroy them!"
"Why not? Hah, what, have you fallen for frost giants lately? Did you forget they came to Earth to kill you?"
"We can't take out that many monsters barehanded. The only way to wipe them all out is by activating the Bifrost!"
Loki found Thor's attitude laughable. He even thought Thor had stayed on Earth too long and gone soft in the head. Thor was the one who had once been hell-bent on exterminating the frost giants, after all.
"I've changed."
"So have I. I never wanted the throne. I just wanted to stand equal to you. But that's impossible—because you're Odin's son!"
At this point, Loki's expression started to twist with rage.
Standing behind Loki, holding the Eternal Spear, Clark wore a slightly awkward expression. His plan had been to let Thor feel like he was the one to resolve things with Loki—he knew Thor was a total softie when it came to his brother. Sure, he could beat Loki himself, but if someone else beat Loki, Thor would probably get mad. In fact, Thor didn't even like fighting Loki in the first place.
But now Clark had found himself dragged into a family drama between two royal brothers. Should he intervene? Or just awkwardly stand there in the background like a prop? He even considered posting on a blog for advice. The whole situation was painfully awkward.
"Loki, what are you saying? Aren't you my brother?" Thor was confused by Loki's final words. Loki was Odin's son—wasn't he?
"I'm not your brother. I never was."
"You've gone mad, Loki!" Thor said, heartbroken.
"Mad? Oh yes, I've gone mad! And you drove me to it!" Loki's voice cracked, and his face twisted even further—he was almost sobbing now, tears and snot threatening to spill out.
"That's enough, Loki!" came a sudden, thunderous voice.
Loki, Thor, and Clark all froze in shock.
Thor and Loki were stunned because they recognized the voice—it was Odin's.
Clark was stunned because he hadn't noticed the man's presence at all. No sound, no warning. He had simply appeared, as if from thin air.
Then Clark saw him—a one-eyed old man walking out from behind Thor. He wore armor similar in style to Thor's and a red cape flowing behind him. It was Odin himself.
"I could've done it, Father. I could've destroyed Jotunheim, wiped out the frost giants, and ended the war—for you, for all of us, for Asgard!"
Upon seeing Odin, Loki hurriedly tried to explain everything he had done—seeking validation, hoping Odin would finally acknowledge him the way he always had with Thor.
"No, Loki. That was wrong. If it were that simple, I would have done it long ago."
But instead of praise, Odin offered only a firm denial.
As Odin spoke, Loki's expression slowly shifted—from excitement, to shock, to utter despair. He couldn't believe it. After everything he had done, Odin still wouldn't accept him. Was it because he wasn't Odin's biological son? It had to be.
And then Loki did something no one expected—he jumped off the Bifrost Bridge.
"Loki, no!" Thor screamed, lunging toward the edge and reaching out for him—but it was too late. Loki had already fallen into the space vortex beneath Asgard.
Clark hadn't expected it either. He had thought that since the bridge hadn't been destroyed, Thor would bring Loki back to Asgard. But after a few taunts and failures, the normally cowardly Loki had actually jumped.
The atmosphere fell into sudden silence. Thor and Odin both stood, steeped in grief. As an outsider, Clark realized there was nothing he could do at that moment. They had each lost someone—Thor, a brother; Odin, a son.
"Sorry you had to see that," Thor said quietly, collecting himself and walking over to Clark.
"Don't be too sad. I don't think Loki's gone for good. I have a feeling we'll see him again." Clark said reassuringly, knowing full well Loki would soon arrive on Earth and cause chaos.
"Oh, right—this is for you."
After comforting Thor, Clark handed him the Eternal Spear. It had always been Odin's weapon, and Clark figured it wasn't really appropriate for him to keep carrying it.
"Thank you, Clark. You've done so much today. Come rest in the palace with me." Thor smiled faintly, thinking Clark's words were only meant to console him.
Thor then turned and handed the spear back to Odin. Odin looked at the weapon in his hand, then shifted his gaze to Clark, standing quietly beside Thor.
Looking at Clark, Odin saw a young sun—radiant, powerful, and full of potential.
"You're Thor's friend from Midgard. Thank you for accompanying him to Asgard and helping him defeat Laufey. If you're free for a while, feel free to stay in Asgard. I think you'll find its beauty worthwhile. And of course, if there's anything you need, Thor can take you through the Nine Realms."
Loki's behavior had reminded Odin of Hela—his ambitious firstborn daughter. He could feel his time was running out. Most of his power had been used to keep Hela sealed, and his health was rapidly declining.
Now, upon sensing Clark's immense power, Odin thought perhaps Clark could assist Thor one day. After all, Hela was far stronger than Thor.
"Thank you very much. Actually, I was hoping to visit Nidavellir," Clark said as soon as Odin mentioned traveling through the Nine Realms.
"You want to go to Nidavellir to forge a weapon? Good choice. The dwarven blacksmiths of Nidavellir craft the finest weapons in the Nine Realms." Thor chimed in, happy to promote his favorite forge.
"Thor, I'm proud of the man you've become," Odin suddenly said, stopping Thor in his tracks with a rare compliment. Then, holding the Eternal Spear, he turned and walked away from the bridge.
Clearly, Loki's dramatic fall had shaken Odin deeply. After thousands of years together, Odin had come to see Loki and Thor as equals. Didn't we all see in Thor: Ragnarok how Odin let Loki impersonate him and rule Asgard? He had never truly minded.
—
The next day after lunch, Thor took Clark to the Bifrost. Thor had originally planned to show Clark around Asgard first and go to Nidavellir in a few days—but Clark insisted, so Thor changed course.
"Nidavellir is a truly incredible place. Their forge is powered by the energy of a neutron star. There's even a ring structure outside. That's where my hammer was born." Thor explained excitedly, taking his tour guide duties very seriously.
"Heimdall, open the Bifrost," Thor called out as they arrived at the bridge.
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