Despite Odin's famously explosive temper, his decision to banish Thor to Earth and strip him of his divine powers had never been meant as true punishment.
In truth, Odin only hoped his son would mature.
Thor had always been brave and loyal, but he was reckless. His constant talk of war and conquest worried the All-Father deeply. The exile was meant to teach him restraint, responsibility, and the value of peace.
Odin never intended the trial to be particularly difficult.
And without Loki secretly stirring chaos in the background, Asgard itself remained calm and orderly.
Heimdall, the eternal gatekeeper of the Bifrost, likely understood the situation clearly. He knew Thor was not truly in danger and that Odin was deliberately testing him.
Because of this, Heimdall never allowed Thor's four loyal companions to travel to Earth and interfere.
Three days after Thor arrived in the Middle East, something extraordinary happened.
Mjolnir suddenly flew into the sky.
The hammer vanished in a streak of light.
Thor did not return to New York immediately afterward. Instead, he remained in the Middle East for several additional days.
During that time, he dismantled several terrorist organizations.
Several oppressive warlords were overthrown.
And a number of foreign military bases operating illegally in the region were destroyed.
By the time Ethan Voss saw Thor again, the Asgardian looked completely different.
He wore his silver armor once more, tall and imposing. His presence carried the calm confidence of a seasoned general who had faced the reality of war.
"Hey, my friend!" Thor shouted enthusiastically. "My divine power has returned!"
"Congratulations," Ethan replied with a smile.
Then he had Loki brought out.
The moment Loki saw Thor standing there with Mjolnir in hand, his face twisted into an expression that looked as if he had swallowed something rotten.
Thor blinked in surprise.
"Loki? What are you doing here?"
Loki shot Ethan a murderous glare.
"You should ask him."
Ethan remained completely calm.
"The day you tried to retrieve the hammer," he explained, "I discovered that he had secretly infiltrated my base."
"There was quite a fierce battle before I managed to capture him."
"At first I didn't know who he was, so naturally I interrogated him."
He shrugged casually.
"Later I realized he seemed to have bad intentions toward you, so I kept him locked up temporarily."
Thor looked confused.
"What bad intentions?"
Ethan spoke slowly.
"Your father Odin isn't dead. He simply fell into the Odinsleep."
"Your mother doesn't hate you. She misses you very much."
"Your exile was never meant to destroy you. Odin simply wanted you to grow up."
He gestured toward the hammer.
"Now that your divine power has returned, it's time for you to go back to Asgard."
Thor's eyes quickly turned red.
"What you're saying… is it true?"
"My father isn't dead?"
"Why not go back and see for yourself?" Ethan replied calmly. "Heimdall will answer your call."
He glanced at Loki.
"Your brother lied to you."
"He hoped to seize the throne while you were gone."
Thor turned slowly toward Loki.
His expression was complicated.
"My brother… why would you…"
Loki avoided his gaze immediately.
"Hmph," he muttered. "You're incredibly easy to manipulate."
"You believe anything people tell you."
He glared furiously at Ethan.
"This man is trying far too hard to get close to you. Clearly he has ulterior motives."
"He's a treacherous and cunning schemer!"
Ethan resisted the urge to punch him.
Instead, he turned to Thor calmly.
"I do want to discuss something with you," he admitted. "But it's not some conspiracy."
"I simply want to visit Asgard and see the legendary realm of the gods."
"And if possible, I hope we can establish a friendly relationship between our worlds."
Loki immediately scoffed.
"Asgard has nothing to discuss with you. You're just a mortal."
Ethan ignored him and waited for Thor's answer.
Thor scratched his chin thoughtfully.
When Odin had been younger, he had made many enemies across the Nine Realms. Because of this history, Asgard had always maintained a relatively closed relationship with outsiders.
Usually, Asgardians traveled outward to other realms.
Very few outsiders were allowed to enter Asgard itself.
But Thor considered Ethan a friend.
And this request didn't seem unreasonable.
He turned to Jane Foster and said goodbye.
He promised he would return after visiting his parents.
Then Thor stood beside Ethan and Loki.
He raised Mjolnir high into the sky.
"Heimdall!" Thor shouted loudly.
"I know you can see me!"
"Heimdall… I'm coming home!"
Ethan sighed inwardly.
Heimdall's ability was truly extraordinary. His senses extended across vast distances of space. He could hear and see calls that transcended the stars themselves.
Moments later, a beam of brilliant light descended from the heavens.
The Bifrost.
A strange energy enveloped Ethan's body as space and time twisted around him.
His surroundings dissolved into a storm of dazzling colors.
For a moment, he could see nothing clearly.
Then the light faded.
Ethan suddenly found himself standing inside a massive circular structure.
The entire building was forged from golden metal unique to Asgard's architecture. At the center stood a hemispherical platform with a gigantic sword embedded in it.
A towering armored figure gripped the weapon.
Heimdall.
Thor rushed forward immediately and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"I'm back, Heimdall!"
Heimdall's eyes glowed with silver light.
"You found Mjolnir," he said calmly. "I knew you would."
Then his gaze shifted.
First he glanced toward Loki with open disdain.
Then he turned his attention to Ethan.
His eyes studied Ethan carefully.
It was as if he were attempting to see through every secret hidden inside him.
Ethan's heart skipped slightly.
It seemed Heimdall had been observing him for quite some time already.
The gatekeeper of Asgard truly lived up to his reputation.
At that moment, Thor finally remembered something important.
"How is Father?" he asked quickly. "Is he alright?"
"He is still in the Odinsleep," Heimdall replied. "There were some unusual fluctuations earlier, but things have stabilized recently."
"The Queen has been caring for him personally."
Thor visibly relaxed.
He shot Loki an angry glare before turning back to Heimdall.
"Please take care of Mr. Voss for me. He's my friend."
"I'm going to see Father."
Unlike Earth, Asgard apparently had no formal shift rotations for gatekeepers.
Heimdall simply slung the massive sword across his back and walked directly toward the city.
Ethan followed behind him.
Asgard truly deserved its legendary reputation.
Everywhere Ethan looked, brilliant flowers bloomed.
The streets and buildings were constructed in elegant golden designs that reflected the grandeur of an ancient civilization.
The people walking through the city looked happy and peaceful.
It truly resembled a perfect utopia.
The only unfortunate thing was that such a beautiful world would one day face destruction.
While Ethan was lost in thought, he and Heimdall eventually reached the edge of the city.
Beyond the intricately carved stone railings stretched the vast ocean surrounding Asgard.
The entire celestial palace seemed like a massive disk floating above the water.
As Ethan admired the breathtaking view, Heimdall suddenly spoke from behind him.
"Why did you come to Asgard?"
Ethan replied calmly.
"I hope to establish a relationship of cooperation and mutual assistance with Asgard."
Heimdall's voice remained cold.
"That's the answer you gave Thor."
"I want the real one."
Ethan turned to face him with a faint smile.
"From the sound of it, you seem convinced that I'm deceiving your prince."
Heimdall's expression did not change.
"Thor has always been loyal and kind," he said slowly. "He is brave, righteous… and sometimes naive."
"He often trusts people too easily."
He looked Ethan directly in the eyes.
"That explanation you gave him…"
"Even a dog wouldn't believe it."
.....
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