Thor took his companions and returned to Asgard. Before leaving, he repeatedly promised Jane Foster that he would definitely come back to find her.
However, Melin knew that this promise could not be fulfilled anytime soon. If he was right, the Bifrost would soon be destroyed by Thor, and it wouldn't be repaired until two years later, when Thor brought the Cosmic Cube back to Asgard.
Without the Bifrost, chaos would erupt across the Nine Realms—space pirates and marauders invading and plundering, leaving Asgard with a splitting headache.
Wait a minute! This Thor wasn't the same as the one from the original story. Now that his divine soul had awakened, wouldn't he be able to crush Loki easily?
If that was the case, would Loki even be able to activate the Bifrost to attack Jotunheim? Probably not. That meant Thor could stop Loki very soon, right?
"Whatever, why overthink it? If anyone should worry, it's Odin. Let's head back."
Odin's request had already been fulfilled, and Melin naturally had no reason to stay any longer. Judging by the time, if they hurried back, they could still make it to the Stark Expo—just in time to watch the show.
"Wait!"
As they were about to leave, Jane Foster called out to Melin and Asura.
"What is it?"
"Well… um… I just wanted to ask, Thor… will he really come back?" Jane asked hesitantly.
"What? You don't believe him?" Melin asked with a faint, teasing smile.
"Uh… you know we've only known each other for a few days, so…"
Seeing Jane trying to hide her nervousness, Melin's expression turned serious.
"Miss Foster, if you truly care about Thor, you should first think carefully about the consequences. Don't make decisions lightly," Melin warned.
"What do you mean?" Jane's expression darkened. She only wanted some reassurance but didn't expect Melin to sound so disapproving of their relationship.
"Do you know what the fundamental difference between humans and gods is?"
"What? You think being a god makes you better? That gives you the right to look down on humans?"
Clearly misunderstanding Melin's point, Jane rolled up her sleeves, ready to argue—but thankfully, Selvig pulled her back.
Melin didn't mind Jane's attitude and continued, "It's power and lifespan. Great power always comes with great danger. If you choose to be with him, you must accept that. You can stay home and wait for his return, but you can't deny the danger that follows him. You might even be in danger yourself.
"And Thor is also Odin's son, which means he bears even greater responsibility. Do you have the patience to wait for him?
"And then there's lifespan—the longer one lives, the duller their sense of time becomes. One year? Two? Even ten? To us, that's no different from a day or two to you. Can you endure that difference—or change yourself to match it?"
As Melin spoke, Jane froze, then stepped back several times before collapsing weakly into Selvig's arms.
She did love Thor, but was it really the right choice? She had never truly thought about it. Maybe… she only loved his looks and physique? Or perhaps it was his identity as the God of Thunder? Or maybe she didn't love Thor at all—maybe she was simply drawn to him because he was the first person to truly acknowledge her research, to tell her stories about Asgard and the Bifrost, stirring her curiosity rather than her heart.
"Think about it carefully. By the way, Asgard is in turmoil right now, and it will be a long time before he can return. That's a responsibility he must bear."
After that, Melin left with Asura.
Jane remained lost in thought, staring blankly at the ground, while Selvig and Darcy tried to comfort her—but their words fell on deaf ears.
Melin hadn't said all that because he enjoyed breaking people apart. Though he didn't particularly like Jane Foster—he found her too self-centered and thought Thor was better suited for Sif—if Thor truly liked her, that was his personal matter.
He just wanted Jane to think things through, not let a moment of passion lead to mutual hurt.
Besides, Sif was Thor's true wife—she simply hadn't awakened her divine soul yet. Whether Thor would still love her after awakening his own was another question entirely.
…
After returning to Asgard, Thor saw Heimdall lying on the ground. He paused, his face growing awkward. "Heimdall, what are you… doing?"
The supposedly injured Heimdall instantly opened his eyes and stood up awkwardly. "It's the Allfather's plan."
Heimdall's act was convincing—his body covered in frostbite, looking weak and half-dead.
But Thor, whose divine soul had awakened, could see through it immediately. Using his Cosmos energy, he could tell Heimdall was merely bruised—a frightening sight, but nothing serious.
"Oh… uh… cough…" Thor felt embarrassed. He had accidentally ruined Odin's plan. Great, would he get scolded later?
"Thor, go find Loki. I'll take them to the healing chamber," Heimdall said.
"Right, good idea." Seizing the chance to escape the awkwardness, Thor flew straight toward the palace.
Through his Cosmos, he had already located Loki.
"Welcome back, my brother."
"Loki…" Perhaps due to his awakened soul, his old memories and new ones were now overlapping, and even calling Loki his brother felt strange.
"So your exile is over? I haven't rescinded your punishment."
"Loki." Frigga wanted to plead for him, but Thor gently shielded her behind him.
"Why didn't you tell her that you sent the Destroyer to kill me and my friends?" Thor demanded.
"It was executing Father's final order," Loki lied. But what he didn't know was that both Frigga and Thor—and even the slumbering Odin—already knew the truth.
"Brother… you're a master of lies. Just like he once was."
"Sorry, who are you talking about? Someone I know?"
"No, and you don't need to."
"Well… fine then. I'm glad you're back. But please step aside—I'm going to destroy Jotunheim." Loki didn't give Thor a chance to respond. He raised Gungnir and fired a powerful energy beam.
But to Loki's shock, Thor swung Mjölnir, and a mighty bolt of lightning collided with the beam. The resulting shockwave flung Loki backward, while Thor and Frigga stood firmly in place.
"This… this is impossible!" Loki cried out. He knew Thor's power better than anyone. Thor wasn't really the God of Thunder—he was the God of Hammers. He could only summon lightning through Mjölnir, and even then, only after charging it.
But now—lightning wrapped around Thor's body, his cape billowed, his divine might was suffocating.
Loki began to wonder if this was even the same person.
"Nothing's impossible, Loki."
The next moment, Loki felt as if his eyes were seared by the flash of lightning. He barely had time to react before Thor appeared before him, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him hard into the floor, snatching Gungnir from his hand.
"Loki, although you tried to send the Destroyer to kill me and my friends, it was destroyed by Asura before it caused any harm. So your crime isn't severe, and I have no right to judge you. We'll wait for Father to awaken and decide your punishment." Thor looked down at Loki.
Even though he despised the name Loki because of past memories, the one before him was still the brother he grew up with—those feelings couldn't be denied.
"Loki, Thor is right. When the Allfather wakes, he will decide your fate," Frigga said softly. Though she truly loved Loki as her own son, she was also the queen of Asgard—never one to let personal feelings cloud her judgment.
"Mother…"
At that moment, Odin suddenly opened his eyes and stepped out of his healing chamber.
"Father."
"My king."
Thor and Frigga helped Odin to Loki's side.
Odin took Gungnir from Thor, looking at Loki with a complicated expression.
"Father…"
"You've disappointed me deeply."
"…Isn't this what you wanted to see?" Loki said bitterly.
Now, he had pieced everything together—the odd timing of Thor's exile, the Destroyer's mysterious defeat, Thor's sudden surge of power, Frigga's subtle change in demeanor, and Odin's awakening at the perfect moment.
Too many coincidences. When everything aligned so perfectly, it could only mean one thing: it was all part of Odin's plan.
Exiling Thor right in front of Loki, then falling into his "Odin sleep" in front of him too, only to awaken precisely when everything came to a head—too perfect to be chance.
"No, Loki. I hoped that before Thor returned, you would rule Asgard wisely and hand it to him whole. You had many choices—but you chose the worst one."
"So… I was still just a tool? Whether to make Thor king or to win the hearts of the Frost Giants?"
"No. You are our son," Frigga said softly.
"Mother…"
"Though you are a Frost Giant and cannot inherit the throne, you are still our son—the son of Odin, the Allfather," she said gently.
"And my brother. Always," Thor added.
"…Heh." Loki lowered his head, laughing as tears rolled down his face. No one could tell if it was regret, sorrow, or the birth of a new scheme.