Thor began to suspect that the Heimdall he'd known all these years was a fake—or that the one standing in front of him now was an imposter.
Since when had Heimdall ever been this gentle?
When Heimdall appeared before Thor holding Clara's hand—one large, one small—Thor almost convinced himself that Clara was actually Heimdall's long-lost child, abandoned on Earth. He had never seen Heimdall care this much about anyone.
"Heimdall," Thor asked suspiciously, "aren't you supposed to be guarding the Bifrost?"
"My duties are… temporarily covered," Heimdall replied after a pause. "You could say His Majesty granted me a few days off."
Odin had specifically warned Heimdall not to let Thor know the truth, so the hesitation only strengthened Thor's belief.
Definitely his daughter.
"Heimdall," Thor continued, lowering his voice, "when you were guarding the Bifrost… did you ever go to Earth?"
While Clara was busy pressing her face against a glass enclosure, fascinated by a winged fish floating inside, Thor leaned in conspiratorially.
"She is Tony Stark's daughter," Heimdall said flatly.
"What?!"
Tony Stark's daughter?
But the surname didn't match—
Thor's mind immediately jumped to one conclusion: illegitimate child.
Before he could ask anything else, a messenger summoned him away. Rebellion had erupted in Vanaheim, and Asgard needed its future king to suppress it.
War waited for no one.
The Rainbow Bridge had always been Asgard's greatest strategic weapon, capable of deploying vast armies across the Nine Realms in an instant. It was precisely because of the Bifrost that Asgard had cemented its position as ruler of the Nine Realms.
After the bridge's destruction, factions once loyal to Asgard began stirring. They hoped to seize territory while the bridge lay in ruins.
During its reconstruction, Odin used dark energy to send Thor and his forces directly to the fractured battlefields, restoring order realm by realm.
Under the might of the God of Thunder, the Nine Realms gradually fell silent once more.
…..
"Suppressing rebellion… does that mean there's war?" Clara asked quietly.
She'd caught the word rebellion from the passing soldiers.
"Yes," Heimdall replied. "After the Bifrost was destroyed, chaos spread across the Nine Realms. But do not worry—the brave son of the All-Father will restore peace."
He spoke with complete faith in Thor.
"I remember…" Clara said hesitantly, "when I was traveling through the wormholes… I passed through a place that looked like a battlefield. I don't know if it really was one, but… people were killing each other. There was blood everywhere—arms, heads on the ground. Some were shouting, others were screaming in pain…"
It was strange. She'd only been there for seconds before fleeing in terror, yet the scene had etched itself deep into her memory. She could still see a blood-covered man on the ground, reaching out to her, silently begging for help.
A chill swept through her body. Even beneath warm sunlight, she felt cold.
"Clara! Look at me." Heimdall immediately knelt, meeting her eyes. "You're safe now. You're not on a battlefield, and you won't fall into any more wormholes. I promise. All right? I promise."
His glowing orange eyes grounded her. Slowly, warmth returned to her limbs.
Behind her, space twisted and warped violently, expanding with her fear—until it gradually stilled as her emotions settled.
…..
Deep within Asgard's great prison were held the most dangerous criminals of the Nine Realms.
Among them was Loki, the war criminal brought back by Thor himself.
Unlike the barren cells of other inmates, Loki's chamber was almost luxurious: a private room with a table, chairs, a sofa, a large bed—even books to pass the time.
All of it had been arranged by Queen Frigga.
Though Loki was not her biological son, her love for him was no less than what she felt for Thor.
She could not change his fate, but she could at least ensure that his imprisonment was not one of needless suffering.
Clearly, Loki did not appreciate it.
"Is this how I'm meant to spend the rest of my life?" he scoffed. "Reading books in a gilded cage?"
"I've done everything I can to make this easier for you, Loki," Frigga said softly.
Since his imprisonment, she visited often—but under Odin's orders, she could only appear as a projection.
"Is that so?" Loki smirked. "Does Odin truly care? And Thor—surely they lie awake every night worrying about me."
Loki knew exactly how much trouble his actions had caused, yet he felt no remorse.
"You brought this upon yourself," Frigga said, her tone firm.
"Upon myself?" Loki snapped. "You raised me believing I was born to rule. I merely turned that lie into reality."
"A true king owns his mistakes," she countered. "What excuse do you have for slaughtering innocents on Earth?"
"Compared to Odin's wars," Loki replied coldly, "my actions are nothing."
Frigga wanted to explain—how Odin's battles were fought for peace, not ambition—but Loki no longer wished to hear it. His Frost Giant heritage had poisoned his heart.
"If Odin is not your father," Frigga asked quietly, "then am I not your mother either?"
Loki's throat tightened. After a long pause, he forced out two words he didn't mean.
"No."
A gentle smile appeared on Frigga's face.
"You see through everything, my son—except yourself."
Her words were like a cool summer breeze, soothing his restless soul. She had always understood him better than anyone.
Loki reached out, wanting to grasp her hand as he had countless times before.
His fingers closed on nothing.
A projection was still just a projection.
-----
Outside the prison, servants whispered among themselves about the child constantly accompanied by Heimdall. Some believed she was his daughter; others thought she was a princess sent from another realm for a political marriage.
After all, Odin himself had received her—and even reassigned Heimdall from guarding the Bifrost to remain at her side.
How could people not speculate?
Queen Frigga, however, thought otherwise.
After centuries of marriage, she knew Odin well. He would never allow Heimdall to abandon his post for something as trivial as a political bride—especially when accompanying noblewomen was the Queen's duty.
Something about this child was different.
With Thor away suppressing rebellion and Odin deep within the vaults, Frigga decided it was time to see this extraordinary child for herself.
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