The S.H.I.E.L.D. facility's conference room was utilitarian—metal walls, harsh lighting, and security cameras in every corner. Thor surveyed it with barely concealed disdain, like a king forced to hold court in a peasant's hovel.
"This is how Midgardians treat visiting royalty?" he asked, his voice carrying bitter amusement. "No feast hall, no ale, no proper hospitality?"
"This is how we treat unknown entities who arrive via uncontrolled energy discharges," Su Chen replied calmly, gesturing for Thor to sit. "Though if you'd prefer, I can arrange for food and drink while we talk."
Thor's expression softened slightly—the mention of food and drink touching something fundamental in Asgardian culture. "That would be... acceptable."
Su Chen spoke into his communication device. "Agent Coulson, please have someone bring substantial food and whatever alcohol is available. Our guest has had a difficult day."
Within fifteen minutes, S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel delivered trays of protein-heavy food and several bottles of strong liquor. It wasn't the feast hall of Asgard, but Thor's appreciation was evident as he drank deeply and consumed the food with warrior's efficiency.
"Better," Thor acknowledged after his third drink. The alcohol would barely affect his Asgardian metabolism, but the gesture mattered. "You show more courtesy than most mortals, Su Chen. Though you still hold me prisoner in this metal cage."
"You're not a prisoner," Su Chen corrected. "You're a guest whose arrival created understandable concern. There's a difference."
"A guest who cannot leave, surrounded by armed guards," Thor countered. "In Asgard, we call that imprisonment, regardless of what pleasantries you dress it in."
"Fair point," Su Chen conceded. "Then let me be direct—you're free to leave whenever you wish. Walk out that door, and no one will stop you. But I suspect you have questions about your situation, and I have information that might help answer them."
Thor studied him with sharp intelligence that belied his warrior's bearing. "You speak as if you understand what has happened to me. How much do you truly know, mortal?"
"I know you were exiled," Su Chen began, deciding calculated honesty was the best approach. "Stripped of your power and sent to Midgard—Earth—as punishment. Your father, Odin All-Father, deemed you unworthy of wielding Mjolnir. That enchantment you felt when you tried to lift the hammer? That was his judgment made manifest."
Thor's hands clenched around his drinking cup, the metal crumpling slightly. "You speak of the All-Father with remarkable familiarity for a mortal."
"I'm someone who makes it my business to understand power structures across different realms," Su Chen replied. "Asgard is one of the Nine Realms connected by Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Your father rules as king, you and your brother Loki serve as princes, and Asgard maintains order across multiple worlds through superior technology and individual might."
"You know of the Nine Realms," Thor said with surprise. "And you speak of our technology, not magic. Most mortals believe us to be gods."
"Any sufficiently advanced technology appears as magic to those who don't understand it," Su Chen quoted. "The Bifrost isn't divine transportation—it's a wormhole generator that manipulates space-time using exotic energy sources. Your 'divine' strength comes from Asgardian physiology adapted to higher gravity and energy-dense environments. Even Mjolnir, impressive as it is, operates on comprehensible principles."
Thor actually laughed—a genuine sound of appreciation. "By the Norns, you would have made an interesting scholar in Asgard's halls. Most mortals I've met either worship us as gods or fear us as monsters. You treat us as... what? Simply another race?"
"An advanced race with capabilities I respect but don't worship," Su Chen clarified. "Which brings us back to your situation. Why did your father deem you unworthy, Thor?"
The Asgardian's expression darkened, memories clearly painful. "I... acted rashly. The Frost Giants of Jotunheim interrupted my coronation, violated our sacred vault. I wanted to retaliate, to show them that Asgard would not tolerate such insults. My father forbade it. I defied him."
"You invaded Jotunheim," Su Chen stated.
"How do you—" Thor began, then shook his head. "Yes. I took my friends, used the Bifrost without permission, and attacked the Frost Giants in their own realm. It was... a disaster. We were outnumbered, in danger, and my father had to intervene personally to save us." His voice dropped. "He called me arrogant, vain, and cruel. Said I was unworthy of the throne, of my power, of Mjolnir itself. Then he cast me here and bound the hammer so I cannot reclaim it."
Su Chen nodded thoughtfully. "A harsh lesson, but potentially a necessary one. Tell me, Thor—when you invaded Jotunheim, were you thinking about protecting Asgard? Or proving something to yourself and others?"
Thor's silence was answer enough.
"Your father is teaching you humility," Su Chen continued. "You've spent centuries as the strongest warrior in most rooms, the prince who could solve problems with Mjolnir and superior force. But true leadership requires more than strength. It requires wisdom, restraint, and the ability to see beyond your own ego."
"You speak as if you've counseled kings," Thor observed.
"I've advised leaders across different realms," Su Chen replied truthfully. "And I've seen what happens when powerful individuals lack the wisdom to temper their strength. They become tyrants, even when they believe they're heroes."
Thor absorbed this, his warrior's pride clearly warring with emerging understanding. "And you believe my father is right to punish me this way?"
"I believe your father loves you enough to teach you a difficult lesson rather than let you become something you'd regret," Su Chen said. "The question is whether you're willing to learn it."
Before Thor could respond, alarms blared throughout the facility. Coulson's voice cut through on the intercom. "Su Chen, we have a situation. Energy readings consistent with additional Bifrost activity. Multiple contacts incoming!"
Su Chen's Dual Pupils immediately blazed to life, his silver eye perceiving the dimensional distortions as space-time bent to accommodate the arrival. Three distinct energy signatures—all Asgardian, one significantly more powerful than standard warriors.
"Master," Babata's voice carried urgency. "Analysis indicates one signature matches records of the Destroyer—an Asgardian construct designed for combat against cosmic-level threats. It's essentially an automated weapon of mass destruction."
Thor had already risen, his enhanced senses detecting the arrival. "The Destroyer," he breathed, face paling. "Loki. He's sent the Destroyer to ensure I cannot return."
"Your brother wants you dead?" Su Chen demanded, already moving toward the exit.
"Not my brother," Thor spat with sudden venom. "Loki is adopted—a Frost Giant taken as spoils of war and raised as Asgardian. He must have discovered the truth, seized the throne while my father sleeps the Odinsleep, and now moves to eliminate me as a potential rival."
Su Chen's mind raced through implications. The timeline was accelerating—Thor's exile, Loki's betrayal, the Destroyer's deployment. This was the crisis that would define Thor's worthiness and determine whether he could reclaim his power.
They emerged from the facility to find chaos. The Destroyer had materialized approximately two miles from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, its massive form—twelve feet of enchanted Asgardian metal—already moving toward the nearby town where civilians lived.
"It's heading for population centers," Coulson reported, his tactical displays showing evacuation routes being initiated. "Orders, sir?"
"Evacuate all civilians immediately," Su Chen commanded. "S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel fall back to minimum safe distance. Do not engage the Destroyer directly—your weapons won't even scratch it."
"And you?" Coulson challenged.
"I'm going to slow it down while Thor decides what kind of person he wants to be," Su Chen replied.
Thor grabbed his arm, surprising strength evident even without his divine power. "You cannot fight the Destroyer, mortal! It's designed to battle the most powerful beings in the Nine Realms. You'll be killed!"
"Not easily," Su Chen said calmly. "And someone needs to protect those civilians while you make your choice, Thor. Will you continue being the arrogant prince who values pride over people? Or will you become the hero your father knows you can be?"
He pulled free and began walking toward the approaching Destroyer, Saeko and Esdeath falling into formation beside him.
"Master," Saeko said quietly, "that construct radiates power comparable to Sovereign-level entities. Engaging it will require revealing more of our capabilities than we've shown S.H.I.E.L.D."
"I know," Su Chen acknowledged. "But allowing civilian casualties is unacceptable. We'll contain it with minimum revelation, and if Thor reclaims his worthiness, he'll handle the actual destruction."
The Destroyer was an impressive sight—humanoid in shape but clearly not human, its body composed of segmented metal plates that flowed like liquid when it moved. Its face was a blank mask that could open to reveal an energy projection system capable of disintegrating targets at the molecular level.
As Su Chen approached, the Destroyer's mask opened, revealing a building glow of energy that would shortly become a devastating beam.
"Esdeath," Su Chen commanded. "Maximum cold. Freeze its energy projection system before it can fire."
Esdeath's Frost Crown materialized fully, her dimensional masking burning away as she released her true power. The temperature dropped precipitously as she channeled her Demon's Extract enhanced by Perfect World herbs. Ice formed instantaneously—not normal ice, but crystallized absolute zero that stopped molecular motion entirely.
The Destroyer's energy projection froze mid-charge, the beam unable to form through the supernatural cold. But the construct adapted immediately, its body temperature rising as internal systems compensated. Within seconds, the ice began to crack.
"Saeko," Su Chen ordered. "Supreme Sword Bone. Target its joints and articulation points. We're not trying to destroy it—just immobilize it long enough for evacuation."
Saeko's form blurred as she moved, her Supreme Sword Bone generating invisible cutting edges that struck the Destroyer's joints with surgical precision. The construct staggered as critical articulation points were compromised, its movements becoming jerky and uncoordinated.
But it was adapting, its Asgardian enchantments repairing damage almost as fast as it was inflicted.
"This is merely buying time," Esdeath observed, maintaining her freezing assault while slowly being forced backward by the Destroyer's advance.
"That's all we need," Su Chen replied. His Dual Pupils analyzed the Destroyer's structure, identifying the power source—a core of pure energy connected to Asgard itself through dimensional channels. Destroying that core would require either overwhelming force or severing its connection to Asgard.
Neither option was viable without revealing capabilities that would make S.H.I.E.L.D. classify him as a cosmic-level threat.
Behind them, Thor watched the battle with growing horror. Three enhanced humans were fighting an Asgardian weapon of mass destruction to protect civilians they didn't know, risking their lives against overwhelming odds.
While he stood powerless, stripped of his strength, unable to help.
The Destroyer broke through Esdeath's ice barrier with a surge of heat that vaporized the supernatural cold. Its mask opened again, energy building for a shot that would kill Esdeath if it connected.
Thor made his decision.
He walked forward, pushing past S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel and stepping between the Destroyer and its targets. His mortal body—strong by human standards but nothing compared to his divine form—stood alone before a weapon designed to kill gods.
"Brother," Thor called out, knowing Loki controlled the Destroyer remotely. "Whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever has led you to this, I am truly sorry. But these people are innocent. Taking their lives will gain you nothing."
The Destroyer paused, its blank face seeming to regard Thor.
"So take mine," Thor continued, his voice carrying absolute conviction. "And end this."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the Destroyer's mask opened fully, energy building to maximum as it prepared to disintegrate Thor at point-blank range.
Su Chen tensed, ready to intervene despite the revelation it would cause. But before he could move, something changed.
The sky darkened. Storm clouds gathered with impossible speed, lightning crackling between them with building intensity. The air itself seemed to recognize what was happening—worthiness proven, exile ended, power returning.
Mjolnir, thirty miles away at the crater site, shattered its surrounding containment and launched into the sky. It streaked toward Thor like a meteor, trailing lightning and thunder, responding to the call of a warrior who'd finally learned the lesson his father had been teaching.
The hammer struck Thor's outstretched hand with a sound like thunder made solid. Lightning erupted from the impact point, enveloping Thor in raw elemental power as his divine strength returned. The civilian clothing burned away, replaced by gleaming armor and the red cape of Asgard's prince.
Thor, God of Thunder, had returned.
He spun Mjolnir with practiced ease and deflected the Destroyer's energy beam harmlessly into the sky. Then he launched himself at the construct, hammer meeting metal with impacts that shook the ground.
"For Asgard!" Thor roared, and lightning answered his call.
The battle was brief but spectacular. Thor, now wielding his full power and tempered by the humility he'd learned, fought with precision and purpose rather than reckless aggression. He targeted the Destroyer's core with lightning-enhanced hammer strikes, each impact disrupting the dimensional connection that powered the construct.
With a final devastating blow, Thor shattered the Destroyer's core. The construct collapsed into inert metal, its connection to Asgard severed, the threat ended.
Thor stood amid the wreckage, breathing heavily but victorious. He turned to Su Chen, his expression showing newfound respect.
"You fought to protect innocents, knowing you could not win," Thor said. "That is true courage, Su Chen of Midgard. You have my thanks, and my friendship."
"We were just buying time for you to remember who you really are," Su Chen replied. "The hero your father always knew you could become."
Thor nodded, then looked skyward. "I must return to Asgard. Loki's treachery threatens the realm, and I must stop him before he causes more harm. But I will return to Midgard, Su Chen. This I swear. Earth has proven to be more than I expected, and it deserves a defender."
"Asgard is fortunate to have you, Thor," Su Chen said sincerely. "Go. Handle your family business. Earth will be here when you return."
Thor raised Mjolnir and called to the sky. "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then a pillar of rainbow light descended from the heavens, enveloping Thor in the Bifrost's energy. The God of Thunder looked at Su Chen one final time, nodded respectfully, and then was gone—pulled through space-time back to his realm.
The Bifrost faded, leaving only the scorched pattern of its arrival.
Coulson approached, his expression mixing awe and professional concern. "What in the hell just happened?"
"First contact with an advanced extraterrestrial civilization," Su Chen replied calmly. "And we made a potentially valuable ally. I'd call that a successful operation."
"Director Fury is going to want a very detailed report," Coulson said.
"I imagine he will," Su Chen agreed. "But right now, I'd like to check on the civilians and ensure no one was injured during the evacuation."
As they walked back toward the town, Su Chen felt Babata's presence in his mind. "Master, that was remarkable positioning. You've established yourself as someone who can engage cosmic-level threats, earned Thor's friendship and respect, and demonstrated to S.H.I.E.L.D. that you're invaluable for situations beyond normal parameters."
"And we accomplished it while revealing only a fraction of our true capabilities," Su Chen added mentally. "Esdeath's ice, Saeko's sword intent, and my tactical coordination—impressive but explainable within this universe's framework of enhanced individuals."
"What about Thor?" Saeko asked through their private communication network. "Will he truly return?"
"Yes," Su Chen confirmed. "Thor doesn't make promises lightly. When he comes back to Earth, we'll have an ally with access to Asgardian technology, knowledge of the Nine Realms, and most importantly—information about the other Infinity Stones. The Asgardians have been guarding the Tesseract for centuries. They know things S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't."
He looked up at the sky where the Bifrost had vanished. The harvest continued, and now it included connections to one of the most advanced civilizations in the Nine Realms.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.