A high, thin howl of wind cut across the land, a vast expanse of thick, white snow that stretched as far as the eye could see. The air was bitingly cold.
Accompanied by the sputtering crackle of orange sparks, a circular portal tore open in the icy air.
Thor, the God of Thunder, holding Mjolnir tightly, rushed out of the portal first. His boots crunched into the deep snow, and he immediately dropped into a fighting stance, scanning the empty horizon. At the same time, Nolan, piloting the Terminator Armor, quickly stepped out. The thud of his magnetic boots was heavy and final. The servo-arm located behind his power backpack immediately deployed with a whirr, its fire array armed and ready. He held the C'tan Phase Sword in one massive gauntlet, and a Masterwork Bolter tightly in the other.
However, there was no trace of any enemy, only a vast forest of skeletal, snow-covered trees.
The next moment, David, carrying boxes of ammunition and holding a heavy logging gun, walked out. Wong, wearing his dark red sorcerer robe, followed last, pulling his arms into his sleeves against the sudden cold.
The sparking portal snapped shut behind them, leaving only the sound of the wind.
Nolan, with a hiss of seals breaking, removed his diamond-shaped helmet. His gray hair was immediately whipped by the wind. He took a deep breath of the frigid, clean air, which stung his lungs. He turned to Thor, who looked confused, and asked, "Thor, is the weather always this bad in Asgard?"
"Impossible." Thor's brow furrowed. "Asgard is in eternal spring. How can there be a cold winter? Only Jotunheim has weather this bad. Hey, sorcerer!" He spun Mjolnir slightly, turning to look at Wong, who also had a puzzled look on his face. "Where did you send us?"
"This is not Asgard, but it is Alfheim, the closest I have been." Wong bowed slightly to Thor, his expression solemn as he looked around. "When I came here more than ten years ago, this place... was not like this. The portal can only connect to places I have been. I have never entered the true territory of Asgard, only stayed in Alfheim for about half a year."
"Alfheim? This is Alfheim?"
Hearing Wong's words, Thor's eyes widened. He scanned his surroundings again, his gaze lingering on the shape of a distant, frozen mountain peak. A look of dawning horror and recognition crossed his face. He was vaguely recognizing familiar landmarks beneath the frost. His face gradually darkened. Wisps of bright electric light began to spark and crackle in his blue eyes.
"Only the invasion of Frost Giants could cause such extreme weather. Damn Loki!" Thor's voice dropped to a low growl. "He let Asgard's protection fail, allowing the enemy to enter the Nine Realms again!"
"This time," he gritted his teeth, his grip on Mjolnir tightening until his knuckles were white, "even if my mother cries and begs me, I will smash his head in!"
At that moment, the blue light in David's optical sensors, who was sweeping the area, flickered. He quickly walked to Nolan, who was inspecting the action of his Masterwork Bolter, and whispered, "My lord, the snow near the forest is full of corpses. Short aliens."
"Understood. Thor, come with me." Nolan, his expression stern, put his helmet back on with a hiss. He nodded slightly, shouldered the C'tan Phase Sword, and piloted the Terminator Armor toward the nearby woods, his heavy boots sinking deep into the drifts. The angry Thor suppressed his volatile emotions and followed, his own steps much lighter on the snow.
Not long after, Nolan stopped under a tall, ancient tree, its trunk more than two meters in diameter. It must have once been lush, but now only dry, snow-covered branches remained, rattling in the wind.
Nolan looked down. He gently lifted a heavy magnetic boot and swept aside the snow near the roots.
A naked, pointed-eared alien corpse appeared in his sight. Its skin was blue-white with frost.
"Alfheim is the home of the elves." Thor's voice was a low, pained rumble. His blue eyes crackled with contained lightning. He walked to Nolan's side. "They are a lively, hospitable, and friendly race. This... this should not be their fate." He stared at the corpse, his face a mask of grief and rage.
"They have smiles on their faces, and no clothes," Nolan said. His voice, filtered by the helmet's speaker, was calm and analytical. He blinked his cyan wolf eyes, observing the corpse. "An effect of hypothermia-induced hallucination. They froze to death."
"Let's go, Thor. This battle may be longer than we thought." Nolan raised his huge, metal-covered palm and patted Thor's shoulder lightly. The clank of metal on leather was dull.
The expressionless Thor squeezed Mjolnir and took several deep, shuddering breaths. The two men turned and walked back toward David and Wong, their footsteps the only sound besides the wind.
"Prince Thor, Mr. Nolan." Wong, his expression solemn, walked toward them, his boots crunching in the snow. "If we want to enter Asgard, we need to find an Asgardian named Old John. He has several secret space passages."
"Old John?" Thor frowned, his anger momentarily replaced by confusion. "A grumpy, one-eyed old man with a missing arm?"
Nolan remained silent, his helmeted head turning to look at Wong with inquiring eyes.
"Uh, yes. I met him when I was traveling the Nine Realms. You know him?" Wong nodded, answering honestly.
Thor's expression was solemn. He took another deep breath and let it out as a long sigh, his breath pluming in the cold air. "He's an old soldier of the Asgardian corps. He fought beside me hundreds of years ago. I thought he was dead. I didn't expect him to still be alive."
"That was then. We don't know if he's alive now," Nolan's metallic voice cut in. He narrowed his eyes and said to Thor, "Is there any other way into Asgard? Don't tell me you only know the Rainbow Bridge and this one smuggling channel."
"I know the main channel connecting Asgard and Alfheim, but it will be heavily guarded by the Asgard Corps. With Loki in power, he will watch those places closely. I am a prince exiled by Odin. The generals at the checkpoints may not obey my orders." Thor shook his head, his braids shifting, and explained with a serious expression.
Nolan's face turned cold inside his helmet. He drew the C'tan Phase Sword. Its blade came alive with a low, dissonant hum and a terrifying green light that painted the snow around him. He held his Masterwork Bolter ready. He turned his head and said to Thor, "Then we find Old John first. If that fails, we force our way through. I hope you won't be... dissatisfied... with the Asgardian casualties."
"A merciful army cannot be victorious. Brother Nolan, I am not a rookie." Thor's voice was hard as iron.
Before he finished speaking, Thor raised Mjolnir high. A brilliant fork of lightning struck the hammer with a CRACK that echoed across the frozen landscape. Dark clouds condensed instantly overhead. The lightning flowed over him, and his gray sorcerer robe was replaced by an exquisitely shaped battle armor that covered his tall body.
"Come on, Brother Nolan. Let's overturn all of Asgard!"