Before Zeus appeared, the audience had actually been quite excited.
Compared to Odin—also called the All-Father—Zeus might not have lived up to the myths, but at the very least, they thought he'd step in to help Thor Odinson fight Gorr the God Butcher. After all, Gorr was their common enemy.
But now, the majority of viewers were bitterly disappointed. This so-called King of the Gods turned out to be no better than that disgrace of a god. Rapu!
Or maybe... Gorr was right all along.
If gods treat their followers like disposable toys—or worse, their entertainment—then what's the point of their existence?
People don't need these so-called deities lording over them from on high, using power to trample on others.
Billy Butcher glanced sideways at Thor, who sat stunned and frowning, then muttered to Hughie beside him, "And here I thought this bloody God of Thunder was already a proper wanker. Turns out, there's even bigger twats among the gods."
He sneered, voice filled with contempt. "Bunch o' overpowered bastards doin' whatever the hell they want. Gods, superheroes, what's the damn difference? Same scum, different capes—just like everyone in Vought."
Thor, still trying to process Zeus's attitude, barely heard the jab. But Annie, sitting nearby, definitely did—and she didn't appreciate it one bit. She shot Billy a glare. "Okay, yeah, we've all just seen how awful some gods can be. But what gives you the right to drag Vought into this?"
Before she was pulled into this weird Quiz game, Annie had been preparing to audition for the Seven—and she was a strong contender. In other words, she herself was part of the Vought world Billy loved to bash.
"I'm smearing them?" Billy looked her up and down with an icy stare, face full of disgust. "Let me make one thing crystal fuckin' clear. Maybe not every desk jockey at Vought's a monster. But every last so-called 'superhero'? Trash. The bloody lot of them. No better than that smug prick Zeus."
Annie's eyes narrowed, her voice rising. "You're insane! Vought's heroes put their lives on the line every day to protect people! They're out there fighting crime, saving lives—they deserve respect! Only a psycho would call that evil!"
Billy just chuckled darkly and waved her off like she wasn't worth the breath.
Hughie, on the other hand, clenched his fists and snapped, "You might not believe us now, but if this screen really is showing our future… you'll see it for yourself soon enough!"
He had seen Vought's dirty laundry. He'd watched people he loved get hurt—killed—by the same 'heroes' who were praised by the public. And the worst part? The killer didn't even pretend to be sorry.
"Enough! Just shut up and watch!" Thor suddenly snapped at them, his patience worn thin. This whole Quiz ordeal had been a complete nightmare.
Back on the big screen, Zeus had just revealed his true colors. Jane and Valkyrie were clearly fed up, their anger rising as they considered settling things with force.
Thor tried his best to keep them calm, pleading for restraint—but his voice must have carried, because Zeus suddenly turned to look in their direction.
"Who's talkin' over there?" Zeus asked, clearly irritated.
Thor stiffened and stood. Idol or not, they needed his help—and diplomacy required manners. Even if said idol was turning out to be a royal disappointment.
Zeus mocked him a bit, then waved Thor up onto the stage.
Thor had wanted to wait for a better moment to talk, but the opportunity had come. No choice now—he had to speak up.
Taking the stage, he explained the threat of Gorr the God Butcher, then made his request: "I know where he is right now. With your help, we can stop him—before he slaughters any more gods."
Just like he'd done in Asgard so many times before, Thor tried to rally the surrounding gods with a warrior's call to arms.
But Zeus wasn't interested. He scoffed loudly. "So what? The guy killed a few minor gods. Not a big deal. Now, if you're done, sit down and keep quiet, boy."
It was obvious Zeus knew who Gorr was—he just didn't care. Not even a little.
Thor's eyes widened. "Wait, did you not hear what I said? He's committing mass murder!"
"And I told you—once. Shut your mouth!"
Zeus's irritation boiled over. After a few sharp words, he struck, sending golden lightning that wrapped around Thor's wrists like chains.
His elevated throne slowly descended to the stage, surrounded by a group of stunning goddesses.
Zeus looked Thor over with lazy interest. "Let's have a look at who you really are... Remove the disguise!"
He pointed, and a gust of divine wind blew through—stripping Thor's robe clean off.
And just like that, our God of Thunder stood butt-naked in front of the entire assembly. His muscular frame was so impressive that a few of the goddesses beside Zeus nearly fainted on the spot.
Valkyrie and Jane, who had been ready to throw down, suddenly relaxed. Might as well enjoy the show.
Truth be told, Thor's body was in excellent shape. Clearly, he'd put in serious work to go from flabby recluse to sculpted powerhouse.
Outside the screen, Thor flushed red with embarrassment. He knew this scene was being broadcast across the universe... and he noticed Annie looking his way before quickly turning her eyes elsewhere, face bright pink.
Meanwhile, Deadpool was howling with laughter, doubled over.
"Holy hell, Thor! That body? Absolute top-tier man candy!" He slapped his thigh and shouted, "You do know what a man-whore is, right? Because that—that is the physique of a professional!"
He pointed toward the swooning goddesses. "I bet they're already fighting over who gets to 'worship' you later. Damn, I'm jealous. No wonder you've had so many exes!"
"Shut up! Jane is my true love!" Thor shot back quickly, flustered.
Back in the video, Zeus turned his gaze to Valkyrie and the others, threatening to strip their disguises as well.
Given what had just happened to Thor, Jane and Valkyrie immediately took off their robes on their own to avoid repeating the humiliation—though the audience outside was definitely disappointed.
Zeus recognized the Valkyrie and Thor instantly. "Asgard, huh... Thought I'd never see one of you again after Odin kicked the bucket."
Then, of course, he took another jab at Thor for good measure.
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