Odin had never cared much for Earth's weapons. To him, the strength of Asgard had never relied on armies or steel. It was born from something older, deeper, a power woven into the bone and blood of its people.
Thor, the crown prince and Asgard's greatest warrior, was still no more than a child in Odin's eyes. Not because of his age, but because his true divine power had yet to awaken. Only when that power fully surfaced could he truly be called the God of Thunder.
Just as Odin had awakened his own power centuries ago, and just as Thor's elder sister once had.
Even so, Odin did not reject Thor's recent request. His son's ideas were impulsive, but not without merit. Growth, Odin understood, always demanded a price. His responsibility was not to remove every obstacle in Thor's path, but to guide him so the journey did not break him. Thor's previous fall to Earth, after all, had been part of Odin's carefully arranged script.
Thor, however, had no idea. To him, this next step felt monumental, even revolutionary.
And there was something else he never told Odin. He had fallen in love with a woman from Earth. Because of her, the superiority he once felt toward humanity had slowly faded, replaced by a quiet respect.
While Thor prepared to descend to Earth, Nolan Locke was still buried in work at his company.
The destruction of the Hive base had forced him to confront a flaw he had ignored for too long: the company needed a real headquarters. Splitting staff between the Hive's upper and lower facilities created unnecessary risks, and although the underground lab had escaped the explosion unscathed, Nolan knew he could not count on luck forever.
Buying a skyscraper in New York was no small decision. Even after the recent chaos, property prices remained painfully high. For someone like Nolan, who had become oddly thrifty thanks to the system's influence, this was a major problem. Worse, New York was a magnet for disaster and would continue to be. The new headquarters would need to be not only functional but fortified and properly insured.
He was still weighing options when a thunderous boom shook the air outside.
Nolan turned to the window just in time to see a figure land on the street.
Thor?
The unexpected arrival caught him off guard. Their first encounter in New Mexico had ended on less than pleasant terms, and their second meeting during the Battle of New York had been even more… violent. Nolan had beaten Thor and Loki so badly that he doubted Thor could look at him without flinching.
If Thor suddenly appeared here, it could not mean anything good.
Nolan immediately signaled Red Queen and the Titan Arsenal to prepare for deployment. If Thor intended to cause trouble, he would meet overwhelming force. A T-X Terminator equipped with the Mjolnir-class Combat Armor strode out of the building, shifting its form until it perfectly resembled Nolan Locke.
Outside, Thor assessed his surroundings. He recognized the location as the home of Locke Technologies, though he had never visited in person. Just as he prepared to approach the building, the dark armored figure stepped into view.
Nolan Locke.
Thor's grip tightened around his hammer. Even though he had come to discuss cooperation, his past defeat made his nerves tighten like coiled wire.
Seeing Thor's tension, Nolan silently exhaled in relief. Someone that nervous was not here to pick a fight. Which meant Thor's visit had a very simple purpose.
A business opportunity.
Nolan stepped outside, smiling warmly.
"Thor, my friend. I did not expect us to meet again so soon."
Thor's lips twitched. That same smile had appeared the first time they met, right before Nolan ran off and left him facing danger alone. The second time, that smile preceded the beating of a lifetime.
But at least, Thor consoled himself, Nolan could only bother him for a few decades. Thor, as an Asgardian, had thousands of years ahead.
Feeling slightly better after this self-comforting thought, Thor cleared his throat.
"Nolan, my friend. May our meeting be a pleasant one this time."
Nolan ignored the awkwardness in Thor's voice.
"Then tell me, Thor. Why have you come? I assumed your first visit to Earth would be to see Jane, and your second to visit S.H.I.E.L.D."
"I came for business," Thor admitted bluntly. Subtle thinking had never been his strength. "Asgard requires assistance in quelling unrest across other realms. We need mechanical soldiers."
"Robots," Nolan translated with an understanding nod. "Like the APU mechs, the Terminators, and the other models I showed you."
"Exactly."
Nolan's smile widened.
"That is absolutely possible. However, there is a waiting list. Many clients placed orders before you, and I must honor those first. Reputation is important for a businessman."
Thor frowned.
"How long?"
"Three months at least. Maybe six, depending on how badly the New York battle affected our production lines."
Six months.
Thor inhaled sharply. By then, the rebellions would have spread far beyond control.
"Can you make it sooner?" Thor asked, clearly distressed.
Nolan hesitated, then lowered his voice.
"Unless..."
Thor perked up instantly.
Nolan continued, choosing his words carefully.
"Unless you can give me something worth risking my reputation for. For example, an interstellar map from Asgard."
Thor almost agreed instantly before realizing how absurd it was. The Asgardian star map represented countless years of exploration and knowledge. It was one of their most precious assets.
But from Nolan's expression, Thor knew there was no negotiation. Nolan understood its value perfectly.
In truth, Nolan would gladly give Thor a full army of robots for free if it meant obtaining that map. As a human stranded on a single planet, cosmic knowledge was priceless. One accurate piece of information could save his life.
In the end, both compromised. Thor could not surrender Asgard's master star map, but he provided a detailed map of the relics stored within Asgard's vault instead, compiled over centuries of conquests.
Nolan, in exchange, gave Asgard a fifty percent discount.
Even with the discount, he still profited. The map was worth every minute of production time he spent.
This was more than a transaction. It was the beginning of his rise as a true interstellar arms dealer.
Suppressing his excitement, Nolan opened the system's store. If he wanted to step into the wider universe, he needed a starship. But the moment he looked at the prices, his heart sank. Even the most basic models capable of interstellar travel cost hundreds of billions.
The ones cheap enough to afford looked like flying coffins.
"Forget it," Nolan muttered. "One step at a time."
Thor returned to Asgard with the promise of a mechanical army. With their help, pacifying the Nine Realms would become far easier.
But while Thor was occupied among the stars, danger crept close to Earth.
Jane Foster had discovered an anomaly: unstable spatial energy in a remote location. Investigating alone, she accidentally slipped into a strange realm and was infused with a mysterious substance.
The Aether. The Reality Stone.
Nolan knew exactly what was happening, but he chose not to intervene. The Aether was far too dangerous, and without the proper means to contain it, he would not risk touching something so volatile.
For now, he could only watch from the sidelines.
The events of Thor: The Dark World were about to begin.
And Nolan Locke would not remain a spectator for long.
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