Thor was being held inside a secure chamber.
Beside him sat Jane Foster, her face shadowed with exhaustion and quiet despair.
From the moment she had chosen to follow this man who claimed to be a god, doubt had gnawed at her. And now, trapped in a government facility, the truth struck her with painful clarity she had been deceived.
Perhaps even his name was a lie.
But Thor himself seemed utterly unaffected. His eyes carried no trace of confusion or hesitation. Instead, he calmly studied the room, his mind already sketching out possible escape routes.
Before Jane could question him, the heavy door swung open.
A small group entered. Leading them was a tall man with composed features and sharp eyes.
"Good evening. I am Nolan Locke," the man introduced himself smoothly.
Thor did not react, but Jane froze in shock.
Thor caught the flicker of recognition in her expression and leaned closer. "You know him?" he whispered.
"Of course," Jane replied, her voice hushed but filled with awe. "That's Nolan Locke, one of the smartest men alive."
If she were an engineer rather than an astrophysicist, Jane thought ruefully, she would probably be rushing forward right now, begging for an autograph.
"The smartest man?" Thor frowned deeply. He had never cared much for those who prided themselves on intellect. Not because he disdained wisdom, but because he believed true strength lay elsewhere.
Nolan, however, stepped closer and addressed him directly. "Thor, the God of Thunder?"
The words caught Thor off guard. Until now, no one had dared speak his name with such certainty.
"You don't doubt me?" Thor asked suspiciously.
Nolan tapped the side of his head. "I trust my own mind. As unbelievable as it sounds, my instincts tell me you are indeed the one from the old legends."
Thor's stern expression melted into sudden delight. "Ha! I was wrong earlier. I do like smart men after all! You, my friend, are as clever as any warrior of Asgard."
Inwardly, Nolan cursed. Clever? Asgard's warriors? What a joke.
He knew better than anyone that the so-called elite warriors of Asgard were muscle-bound fools who relied on brute strength and blind loyalty. Loki was the exception, but Thor? Thor was the very definition of brawn over brains.
Still, Nolan forced a polite smile. "That discussion can wait. Tell me, Thor of legend why are you here, and why are your powers gone?"
Thor hesitated, but before he could answer, Nolan pressed on. "I know Earth is considered part of Asgard's domain. But let's be honest a god without his powers raises questions. We have reason to believe you were exiled by Odin himself. If you can't provide a reasonable explanation, then I cannot guarantee your safety here."
Thor stiffened. He had not expected such bluntness.
Hidden nearby, Loki listened with quiet satisfaction. This foolish brother of mine. He'll reveal everything without even realizing it.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, Thor had poured out the entire story the Bifrost, his father Odin, his banishment, and the hammer he could no longer lift. Nothing was concealed.
Satisfied with the information he had gathered, Nolan excused himself, leaving Thor and Jane behind.
Not long after, Jane swayed suddenly and collapsed, unconscious.
In that exact moment, Loki revealed himself in a shimmer of green light. His cold smile lingered as he whispered, "My dear brother…"
Meanwhile, Nolan reviewed the intelligence Thor had provided.
When he had first arrived in this universe, his understanding of Marvel's vast cosmos was fragmented at best. But now, Thor's account gave him his first structured glimpse into the Asgardian hierarchy.
Stripping away Thor's boastful tone, one truth stood clear: Asgard was powerful, but not supreme. They were merely one of many cosmic empires.
And yet Thor, for all his arrogance, had never even heard of Thanos. Was it ignorance born of distance, or proof of Thor's insignificance in Odin's court?
Nolan leaned toward the latter. Odin surely knew. Thor was simply too low in rank to be trusted with such knowledge.
The following day, Nolan visited Thor again. The once-proud warrior now sat slumped in despair.
Nolan needed no explanation. He instantly knew Loki had visited during the night, weaving lies and half-truths to crush Thor's spirit. Loki's goal was obvious: to sever Thor's hope of ever returning to Asgard, thereby securing the throne for himself.
Nolan did not bother correcting Thor. Odin was still alive, and every step of this drama was surely within the All-Father's control. Interfering too much would be foolish.
Instead, Nolan focused on something else. He deliberately paraded the T-800 before Thor.
The sight fascinated him. Asgardian warriors possessed physical strength three to five times greater than an average human. Their elite could rival the pinnacle of Earth's strongest fighters.
Yet the T-800's performance left even Thor astonished.
When Nolan introduced the SAR-1 combat robots, Thor's eyes lit with curiosity again.
For Asgard, this was strange. Their culture was lopsided. With royal bloodlines wielding godlike powers, they had little incentive to embrace technology. Their battlefields were ruled by magic and raw might, not science.
And yet, watching the SAR-1s in motion, Thor admitted even if only to himself that their combat potential was impressive.
"One hammer strike, one machine shattered," Thor muttered after a test demonstration. Then he grinned. "But I could smash them for three days and nights straight."
Still, Nolan counted that as progress. Interest was the first step toward persuasion.
But interest alone was not enough. Not yet.
While S.H.I.E.L.D. busied themselves with studying Mjolnir and keeping Thor contained, events in Asgard took a darker turn.
Loki had already begun his coup. Heimdall, sensing something was amiss but unable to pierce the veil of the future, reluctantly opened the Bifrost.
Through its rainbow light, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three descended to Earth.
Their sudden appearance caused a stir. Clad in armor, bearing weapons from another age, they looked like relics from a forgotten legend out of place amidst modern soldiers and steel.
At that moment, Nolan happened to be speaking with Thor, continuing his subtle attempts at persuasion.
But Thor's eyes suddenly blazed with recognition. He leapt to his feet and dashed outside.
Following, Nolan saw him embrace four figures with heartfelt joy.
"Sif! Volstagg! Hogun! Fandral!" Thor roared with laughter as he clasped each in turn.
Their reunion was short-lived. A squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents approached warily.
"Please cooperate," one agent said firmly. "We are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and we must ask you to come with us."
Hogun's face darkened instantly. "You dare order us around?"
"This is Earth. Please "
The agent never finished. With a snarl, Hogun charged. "The warriors of Asgard will not be insulted!"
The clash was swift. Despite their exo-skeleton armor from Locke Technologies, the agents were hurled aside in seconds.
Hogun and his comrades laughed boisterously, as if the fight had been nothing more than a tavern brawl.
Even Thor smirked smugly. These agents had once captured him easily, but only because his powers had been stripped away. With his comrades here, the tide had turned.
"These are my brothers and sister the true warriors of Asgard!" Thor declared proudly.
The defeated agents gritted their teeth but dared not retaliate.
Afterward, Sif quickly explained Loki's treachery.
Thor froze, his joy curdling into shock, then fury. His hands clenched, his eyes flicked toward Nolan, and in a low voice he told his companions, "My hammer has been taken by these S.H.I.E.L.D. people. I must reclaim it. Only then can I restore my power."
His comrades grew restless, eager for action.
Thor believed his words were quiet, but Nolan heard them as clearly as if they'd been shouted.
"I would advise against that," Nolan said evenly.
Hogun spun, his glare burning with rage. "You were eavesdropping on us!"
Nolan almost laughed at the absurdity. Warriors of Asgard? More like fools of Asgard.
But Hogun's fury was real. His instincts screamed that Nolan was an obstacle, a man not to be trusted.
Before attacking, he shared a brief glance with Thor. Years of battle had forged their bond. They needed no words.
Thor's silent nod confirmed it.
Together, they would strike first.
Thor fixed his gaze on Nolan. For days, this man had whispered schemes, trying to sway him. Did he think Thor was a fool?
Ha. I am Thor, son of Odin. Do you really believe my head is filled only with muscle?
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he whispered to his companions, "All together. Take him down. He holds great influence here on Midgard."
Trickery? Deception? Let the mortals believe what they wished. Thor would prove that even stripped of power, his mind was sharper than they imagined.
For the first time in days, he felt like a true prince of Asgard again.
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