Hi it's me đź‘‹. I decided to make 2 chapters a day and post 1 a day since so much family is visiting for the holidays and I'll be busy shopping đź’…. For presents and going broke buying them all something. But since I couldn't post yesterday I'll be posting 2 chapters today. K bye đź‘‹
Location: Thor's Chambers - Asgard
Timeline: Two Days After Initial Encounter
Thor Odinson, God of Thunder, Prince of Asgard, had faced many challenges in his long life.
He had battled frost giants. He had warred with dark elves. He had faced down fire demons in the depths of Muspelheim.
But nothing—nothing—had prepared him for two Ditto and one Joltik.
The creatures had bested him. Him! Thor, Son of Odin! The indignity still burned.
Two days ago, he'd encountered them in the training grounds. Strange beasts, unlike any he'd seen across the Nine Realms—appearing in Asgard itself! He had, perhaps, been too hasty in his approach. Perhaps he should not have assumed they would be easily subdued. Perhaps—
No. Thor shook his head. The Prince of Asgard did not second-guess himself.
But the facts were undeniable: One moment he'd been advancing on the purple blobs with Mjolnir raised high, and the next, he'd been facing... himself.
A perfect copy. Moving with his technique, wielding what appeared to be Mjolnir, matching him strike for strike. They'd fought—truly fought—and Thor had been... evenly matched. With himself.
And then that impossibly tiny spider had landed on his nose—his nose!—and bitten him, flooding him with enough lightning to overwhelm even the God of Thunder. His copy had struck while Thor was overloaded.
And Thor had lost.
He'd woken up seated in what turned out to be a Ditto disguised as a chair, with all three creatures looking absurdly pleased with themselves.
Currently, one Ditto had transformed into a copy of Mjolnir. A perfect copy, down to the runes and the weight. Thor had spent ten minutes trying to figure out which hammer was real before the Ditto got bored and transformed back into a smug-looking purple blob.
"Impressive," Thor admitted grudgingly. "But surely you cannot maintain such forms in true battle. The strain must be—"
The Ditto transformed into Thor himself and struck a heroic pose in front of the mirror, complete with an exaggerated puffed chest and chin lifted high.
"I do not pose like that," Thor said indignantly.
Ditto-Thor somehow managed to look even more pompous.
"That is—I am the Prince of Asgard! A certain bearing is expected!"
The other Ditto transformed into what appeared to be Odin—complete with eye patch and deeply disapproving expression—and pointed at Thor judgmentally.
From Thor's shoulder—where Joltik had taken up residence since the initial encounter—came tiny chittering sounds that Thor was fairly certain was laughter.
"You dare mock the Son of Odin?" Thor drew himself up to his full height. "I could defeat all three of you easily now that I know your tricks!"
All three creatures looked at him.
Then Ditto-Odin slowly transformed into Thor.
Now there were two Ditto-Thors. They took fighting stances—his fighting stance—on either side of his chambers.
Joltik sparked with electricity from his shoulder, and Thor's nose tingled with phantom memory of that tiny bite.
Thor suddenly remembered waking up in the training grounds, seated in a Ditto-chair, and reconsidered his declaration.
"...Or perhaps we should train together as allies," he amended quickly. "Yes. That would be more... strategic."
The Ditto-Thors both grinned and transformed back into purple blobs.
Thor chose to consider this a tactical victory.
Later - The Training Attempt
Thor decided that what these creatures needed was proper warrior training. And he would be the one to provide it! After all, they had chosen him as their companion. Clearly they recognized his greatness and wished to learn from him.
The fact that they'd knocked him unconscious was merely... a fluke. A moment of surprise. It would not happen again.
"Observe!" Thor announced, summoning Mjolnir and launching into a combat sequence.
He spun, struck, feinted left—perhaps a bit too wide on that last turn, and his follow-through wasn't quite as crisp as it should be, but—
The two Ditto watched with intense focus.
Then one transformed into Mjolnir, the other into Thor.
"Yes! Excellent!" Thor beamed. "Now, attempt to replicate—"
Ditto-Thor grabbed Ditto-Mjolnir and performed the exact sequence Thor had just done.
Including the too-wide turn and the imperfect follow-through.
Then Ditto-Thor did it again, but this time corrected both mistakes. The movement was fluid, precise, perfect.
Thor's smile faded. "That's... how did you..."
Ditto-Thor somehow looked smug despite being a perfect copy of Thor's own face.
"I was going to fix those myself," Thor protested. "I was merely warming up. My true technique is far superior—"
Ditto-Thor performed the sequence again, adding an elaborate spinning flourish at the end.
"That is unnecessary flash," Thor said, even as part of him thought it looked rather good. "A warrior should focus on substance, not style."
Ditto-Thor struck the same pompous pose from earlier.
Thor decided to change tactics. "The form matters not if you lack power! Observe!"
He raised Mjolnir high and summoned his lightning. It coursed through him, crackling across his skin, gathering in the hammer until—
CRACK!
A massive bolt struck the ceiling, leaving a scorched mark.
Both Ditto bounced excitedly and reformed. One became Thor, one became Mjolnir.
Ditto-Thor raised Ditto-Mjolnir high in the same pose and—
Nothing happened.
Ditto-Thor looked confused. Tried again. Still nothing.
"Aha!" Thor grinned triumphantly. "You see? You may copy my form, but you cannot replicate the power of the God of Thunder! That is what separates a true warrior from a mere—"
Joltik dropped from Thor's shoulder onto Ditto-Thor's shoulder.
The tiny spider sparked.
CRACK!
Lightning exploded from Ditto-Mjolnir, exactly matching the power Thor had just displayed.
The bolt struck right next to Thor's scorch mark on the ceiling.
Thor stared.
Then Ditto-Thor spun, and Ditto-Mjolnir flew from its hand—the exact move Thor had attempted at the beginning of training—and hit regular-Thor squarely in the face.
The real Mjolnir, sensing an insult to its master, flew to Thor's hand.
Thor caught it, stunned. "Did a fake hammer just strike the Prince of Asgard?"
Ditto-Thor and Ditto-Mjolnir both looked incredibly pleased with themselves.
Joltik chittered from Ditto-Thor's shoulder.
"This is..." Thor struggled for words. "You three together can perfectly replicate my abilities. The Ditto copy my form and technique, and Joltik provides the lightning."
The three creatures somehow managed to look even more smug.
"That's how you defeated me before," Thor realized. "I wasn't fighting one opponent. I was fighting myself. Two copies with perfect form and Joltik's power."
The Ditto bounced in confirmation.
Thor should have felt insulted. The Prince of Asgard, bested by his own techniques turned against him!
Instead, he felt... impressed. And perhaps a bit excited.
"Together, you three form a perfect warrior," Thor said slowly. "Better than the sum of your parts." He paused. "You exposed every flaw in my own technique. Every imperfect movement I make, you copy exactly—and then you correct."
The creatures watched him carefully.
"I could learn from this," Thor admitted, the words coming reluctantly but truthfully. "Watching you replicate my mistakes shows me what I must improve. And your corrections..." He grinned suddenly. "Well. Perhaps the God of Thunder still has much to master."
Both Ditto transformed into small Thors and saluted.
Joltik sparked approvingly.
Evening - The Revelation
Thor sat on the floor of his chambers, the two Ditto in blob form resting on either side of him, with Joltik perched on his shoulder.
He was exhausted. He was humbled—though he'd never admit that to anyone in Asgard.
But he was also... happy?
"You know," Thor said, addressing the room at large, "you three remind me of my brother."
Both Ditto turned to look at him with surprising focus.
"Loki. He's chaos incarnate. Always transforming, always causing mischief, always finding ways to humble me when I grow too proud." Thor smiled. "I usually don't appreciate it. I storm off and complain to Father. But perhaps... perhaps that is what I need more often."
One Ditto transformed into what Thor could only assume was its idea of Loki—all dramatics and an elaborate horned helmet that was far too large.
Thor laughed. "Yes! Just like that! All theater and tricks and making me look the fool!"
Ditto-Loki walked over and patted Thor's knee.
The other Ditto transformed into a smaller version of Thor and mimicked a thoughtful expression.
Joltik sent gentle sparks from Thor's shoulder—not painful, but comforting.
"Father is always telling me I rush into battle too quickly. That I rely on strength over strategy. That I have not yet mastered—" Thor stopped, the words catching slightly. "Well. Perhaps he is not entirely wrong."
Both Ditto transformed into copies of Thor and saluted in unison.
Thor saluted back, grinning. "Tomorrow, we train again! And this time, I will watch you to learn what I am doing wrong! We will make the God of Thunder truly worthy of his title!"
Both Ditto-Thors struck heroic poses.
"Yes, exactly like—" Thor paused. "Wait, are you mocking me or agreeing with me?"
Joltik chittered in what sounded like amusement.
"Well then," Thor stood, Mjolnir in hand. "Let us see what challenges Asgard's training grounds have to offer! Surely there must be some threat worthy of our combined might!"
The two Ditto transformed back into their blob forms and bounced excitedly.
Joltik sparked with enthusiasm from his perch on Thor's shoulder.
And Thor Odinson—Prince of Asgard, God of Thunder, and not-quite-as-masterful-as-he-thought-he-was—felt a surge of anticipation.
Perhaps these strange creatures were exactly what he needed.
Even if they had knocked him unconscious.
Especially because they had.