Far away from Earth, the country of Asgard was a land of golden spires, endless skies, and powerful gods. But today, Asgard stood on the brink of panic.
Panic surged like lightning across the golden halls of Asgard.
The coronation bells had barely finished ringing when the frost magic appeared.
"Intruders!" Shouted Heimdall from the Bifrost Observatory.
The Giants of Jotunheim had snuck past the divine sentries and broken into Odin's Vault. Their prize? The lost artifact of untold winter might, the Casket of Ancient Winters.
Thor, still clad in ceremonial armor, stomped forward. "They DARE defile the palace on this day?!"
Without Odin's approval, Thor gathered his closest companions, Lady Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun, and stormed across the Bifrost Bridge.
What followed was a bloodied ambush in the icy wastes of Jotunheim.
Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the team barely held out until the skies split apart with golden light, Odin himself descending in wrath to pull his son from the brink of death.
The fragile peace between Asgard and Jotunheim shattered. Thor's reckless actions sparked tensions, and an ancient war between the gods was nearly reignited.
Back in Asgard
Odin stood before Thor in the throne room, disappointed, regal.
"You let pride cloud your judgment. You nearly brought war upon all the realms!"
"I only acted to defend Asgard's honor!" Thor bellowed.
"Then you have much to learn about what honor truly means." Odin's voice dropped, heavy with finality.
"You are unworthy."
With a flash of the All-Father's magic, Thor's divine powers were stripped away. The mighty Mjolnir flew from his hand and spun across the stars. The Bifrost flared, and Thor's screams faded into the void.
A blinding streak tore across the desert sky. With a BOOM that shook the earth, a crater opened wide, and in its center, Mjolnir, half-buried, humming with restrained power.
Not far off, another crash, Thor groaning as he rolled, stripped of his powers, dignity, and divine presence.
A blue pickup truck screeched to a halt. Jane Foster jumped out, frantic.
"Did we just hit a man that fell from the sky?!"
Darcy blinked. "I mean… technically, he hit us."
SHIELD Containment Zone
Thor, handcuffed and sullen, sat across from Agent Phil Coulson.
"I'm Thor Odinson, Crown Prince of Asgard. That hammer is mine, and it will come to me when I'm worthy again."
Coulson raised an eyebrow, flipping open a file. "Uh-huh. And I'm King Arthur."
"Then where's your sword?" Thor shot back, unimpressed.
Coulson sighed. "Look, I've seen some pretty weird things lately, but a muscle-bound alien Viking with delusions of godhood? That's new."
Just then, a technician burst into the room. "Sir, you need to see this. We tried lifting the hammer with every tool available, nothing. Not even a scratch. It's like it's... alive."
Coulson glanced at Thor.
"I told you." He said softly. "Only one who is worthy can lift Mjolnir."
Thor stared at the ceiling, lost in thought, when a shimmer of green light filled the room.
Loki's illusion appeared, solemn and grave. "Brother… Father is gone."
Thor sat up sharply. "What?!"
"He died with a heavy heart, Thor. Your exile was his last act."
"No… no, I must return to Asgard! I must!"
"You can't." Loki whispered. "His last command… was to bar your return."
Thor slumped against the wall, grief and guilt etched across his face as Loki continued to explain how this situation came about and how the frost giants would pay for their action.
For a time, Phil Coulson was caught in a dilemma. Just days after getting cleaned up from the last mess, the incident with the so-called Electro, now aliens were apparently visiting Earth?
He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Never a dull moment."
The thought of the electro-optical man made something click in Coulson's mind.
"Soren." He muttered. "Of course."
Soren wasn't just any contact. With his... unique abilities, he could see through disguises, tech, illusions … even divine seals, if those existed.
And if Thor truly was who he claimed to be, then S.H.I.E.L.D. had a golden opportunity. If Soren could verify him, maybe even help him, then they'd be making first real contact with an alien civilization.
Or, we'd confirm this guy's completely nuts and send him to a secure psychiatric ward.
Coulson turned to Thor, who was nursing a coffee like it was mead. "Thor, you said your powers were sealed by... Odin, right?"
Thor looked up. "Yes. By my father, in his infinite wisdom. Or lack thereof."
"Good." Coulson reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek, black card, almost like a business card.
He handed it over.
"What is this?" Thor asked, frowning, tilting the card in the light.
"A referral." Coulson said with a faint smile. "Break it. And someone very interesting will see you."
Thor raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to believe this piece of Midgardian parchment will restore my divine power?"
"Think of it like... house-call teleportation. Just humor me."
With a skeptical grunt, Thor crushed the card between his fingers.
A flash of blue light burst from his hand, and in a blink, he was gone.
Coulson exhaled slowly. "Yep... gotta call the doctor."
Soren was just finishing his evening tea, and had already been locked for the day. Soft jazz played in the background. The blinds were down. It was his time now.
Until reality itself rippled, like a pond disturbed by an unseen hand.
A blue light split the air, and Thor materialized with a thud.
Soren blinked once. Twice. Thrice.
The Asgardian looked around, startled. "What sorcery is this?!"
Before Soren could respond, his phone buzzed. He glanced down.
Caller ID: Coulson.
With a tired groan, he answered. "Phil Coulson. Tell me you didn't just send me another cosplay patient."
"Technically." Coulson replied. "He came voluntarily. You did say your clinic was open to unusual cases."
Coulson began to inform him of the situation.
"This is not urgent care, Phil. This is an alien god stuck on Earth with daddy issues care."
"Just hear him out. He's... actually pretty convincing. Big hammer, speaks in old English, swears he's Thor. Thought you might enjoy the challenge."
Soren paused.
"...Thor."
"Possibly. That's why I sent him to you. Think of it as a fun experiment. Call it... Divine Diagnostics."
Soren glanced at Thor, who was now cautiously poking at a floating bottle on a nearby desk.
"Alright, fine." He said. "But next time, send a text first."
He hung up and turned to Thor, who immediately took a wary step back.
"What are you doing?" Thor asked, eyes narrowing. "What place is this?"
"Welcome to Everlife Medical Center."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Dare you peek into my other tales? The opening three chapters of select stories are free to all.
PhantomDream