When the Asgardian guards finally arrived at the Bifrost chamber, they found only a disheveled and profoundly enraged Loki, screaming into the vast, cosmic abyss.
The scene was chaotic: their newly self-appointed King was bruised, his regal armor was scuffed and cracked, and his usually impeccable hair was singed. The entire Bifrost platform smelled faintly of ozone and shattered illusions.
The guards had no idea what had happened. They only saw Loki roaring madly.
"Heimdall! Where did he go? That insignificant worm—where did he vanish to?" Loki demanded, his voice cracking with pure, unadulterated humiliation.
Heimdall, standing impassively at the center of the control console, his golden eyes observing the nine realms, easily located Su Yi's unique energy signature, now anchored back on Midgard. "I think he went back, My King."
"How is that possible? The Bifrost Bridge isn't even operating! And how did he escape my sight on Midgard in the first place?" Loki pressed, the mystery of Su Yi's power an even deeper affront than the physical beating.
Heimdall seized the opportunity to leverage his own deep suspicions. "He didn't go back through the Bifrost Bridge, but through some other, immediate means—a feat of transit I have never witnessed. And, My King, since you question the nature of impossible travel: you also secretly arrived on Midgard without using the Bifrost Bridge. How did you do it? Your departure was shielded from my sight."
Loki glared, his face contorting into a sneer of naked authority. He ignored the question, knowing that answering would betray his own subterfuge. "I am the King of Asgard now! I sit on the throne of the Allfather! You only need to obey my commands, Gatekeeper, and cease your ceaseless observation of my affairs!"
Loki turned and stalked away, his retreating figure leaving a wave of bewilderment among the assembled guards.
Heimdall, however, remained rooted, a deep frown etched on his face. The discovery that Loki could circumvent the Bifrost and shield his movements was more concerning than the transient appearance of a Midgardian with lightning powers. If Loki can hide his journeys, then what other machinations is he planning?
Moments later, Sif and the Warriors Three—Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg—rushed into the chamber, drawn by the King's roar and the palpable tension. They had heard whispers of the strange return of the King and the sight of Loki in such a state of disarray was jarring.
"Heimdall, what happened here? We heard shouting and saw the Allfather's Royal Guards mobilized," Sif asked, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"A mortal broke into the Bifrost Bridge," Heimdall explained, summarizing the bizarre event. "But he has already returned to Midgard."
Sif, ever the warrior protecting Asgard's honor, immediately declared, "A mortal dares to trespass into the Heavenly Palace? He must be punished! He has insulted the throne! I'll go capture him and deliver him to the dungeon."
The Warriors Three murmured their agreement, eager for action and deeply concerned about Thor's absence and the recent upheaval.
Heimdall remained stoic and did not open the Bifrost Bridge to transport them. "Without the King's direct command, you cannot leave Asgard at will. I am bound by the oath to the Allfather to protect the realm from all external threats, and currently, the greatest threat to stability is an internal one. You would be wise to remain here and watch your King."
The Warriors were helpless. Heimdall guarded the Bifrost and held a unique, untouchable position. They could only exchange uneasy glances, sensing that the fragile stability of Asgard was rapidly deteriorating under Loki's temporary rule.
Meanwhile, on the upper levels, Loki, having recovered his outer composure, returned to the palace. He entered the chamber where Odin lay in the deep, regenerative Odinsleep, accompanied by Queen Frigga, who watched over her husband with quiet, sorcerous vigilance.
Loki instantly changed his expression, wiping away all traces of fury and replacing them with a look of calm, collected sorrow and concern.
"Mother," he greeted softly.
Frigga turned, her face worried. "Loki. I felt a great disturbance near the Bifrost. Are you well?"
"I am fine. Just a tremor in the realm. How is Father?"
"He has fallen deep into the Eternal Sleep and needs rest," Frigga replied, her voice filled with gentle melancholy.
Loki hesitated for a calculated moment, knowing this question could be a point of no return. He had to know the full truth to plan his reign effectively. "Mother, do Thor and I have an older sister? The Goddess of Death, Hela?"
Frigga stiffened, her eyes—usually warm and kind—widening in undisguised shock. All information about Hela had been systematically erased and sealed away by Odin. Even Frigga herself had gradually allowed the memory to fade. The sudden utterance of the forbidden name was like a hammer blow to her careful denial.
"How did you know about Hela?" Frigga's question was soft, but the underlying tone was pure, devastating confirmation. Loki had originally thought the mortal's tale was a boast, but now he knew the truth.
An older sister. More powerful than Thor. Banished for ambition. Loki's inner terror was instantly channeled into an external expression of grave, regal concern.
"That's not important, Mother. What's important is what kind of person she is, and will she return? The mortal who appeared was boasting of Asgard's hidden histories. He claims Hela will return when Father passes."
Frigga sighed, the weight of centuries of hidden history finally bearing down on her. She began to speak of Hela's past: the glory of the early conquests, the unspeakable brutality, and the sheer, unstoppable force of the Goddess of Death.
Loki witnessed through her pained storytelling the terrifying scale of Hela's power. Only Odin in his prime could seal Hela. If she appeared now, with Odin asleep, no one could suppress her.
"Your father is already old; he may not be able to contain her for much longer," Frigga whispered, looking at the sleeping Allfather with dread.
Loki felt a cold sweat. If Hela appeared, his temporary throne would not just be insecure; it would be gone. The opponent was too strong, too ruthless, and her claim was stronger than his. Thor, that mortal, and the suddenly appearing sister Hela, were all obstacles to his throne and must all be eliminated—the immediate ones first.
The plan had to be carried out ahead of schedule. First, eliminate Thor and Su Yi. Then, eradicate the Frost Giants to gain supreme, undeniable glory, cementing his position as the "Savior King." As for Hela, if he could establish absolute power before she broke free, he might stand a chance.
Loki came up with a way to deal with Su Yi and the immediate threats. It wasn't enough to just eliminate the mortal; he needed to turn his humiliation into a military mandate.
"Mother," Loki said, his voice dropping to a somber, worried tone. "Just now, someone from Midgard—a champion with unauthorized, powerful abilities—broke into the Bifrost."
Frigga was already distressed. "Midgard? Why would they dare?"
"That person snatched Mjolnir and captured Thor," Loki lied, weaving the truth into a compelling narrative.
"He came on behalf of Midgard, declaring that their world intends to break free from Asgard's control and seize our artifacts. He claimed that this mortal would be the 'god-slayer' required to do it. His power is shockingly vast, capable of besting me in combat, as embarrassing as that is to admit."
Loki used the lie to create a false sense of duty. "I... although Father wished for stability, the nine realms have indeed changed, Mother. Midgard is acting hostilely." He paused, forcing the plea from his lips. "What should I do? If I allow this affront to stand, the other realms will question Asgard's strength, and the fragile peace will shatter."
Loki pretended to be very troubled, but in reality, he was just looking for an excuse to send overwhelming force. With the Asgardian warriors, and the unstoppable power of the Destroyer armor, he could definitely defeat Su Yi, conquer Midgard, and permanently eliminate Thor.
Frigga did not see through Loki's elaborate deception; she was only concerned about Thor's immediate safety.
"Is Thor really in danger, Loki? Tell me the truth about my son."
"He has been stripped of his divine power and is just an ordinary person," Loki said, still avoiding the full truth of Thor's fate.
"That mortal is unexpectedly powerful, snatching Mjolnir and imprisoning Thor's physical person in that dusty town. I think I should send a formidable force to bring Thor back—a force strong enough to intimidate this upstart champion."
Loki avoided stating his true intention—the murder of his brother and the conquest of Earth—and deliberately used vague answers to make Frigga believe that Thor was in imminent danger. Saying he was sending someone to bring Thor back was, in reality, setting the stage for the Destroyer.
After a moment of agonizing hesitation, Frigga chose to trust her remaining son, her fear overriding her skepticism.
"Loki, you can lead a small, elite squad of guards and the Destroyer to bring Thor back and retrieve the stolen weapon. But," she added, her eyes flashing with a touch of her own magic, "you must try to do it in a friendly way, not through an all-out battle. Do not harm the innocent mortals."
Loki smiled, a cold, predatory curve of his lips. "Of course, Mother. Only for my brother's safety and Asgard's honor."
Frigga never suspected that this time, Loki was not just being mischievous. He was acting for the throne, for revenge, and for his own desperate survival against a sister he now knew to be terrifyingly real.
Having received Frigga's crucial, if limited, permission, Loki immediately took action. He commissioned the forging of new daggers, reinforced with enchantments capable of dealing with the new, impenetrable mortal.
More importantly, he notified the commander of the Royal Guard to deploy the Destroyer armor—the one weapon capable of utterly overwhelming Su Yi—and set the course for Midgard. His plan was now irreversible.
On Earth, Su Yi and Thor were completely unaware of the precise nature of Loki's actions and the devastating Destroyer protocol that was now active. Su Yi could only guess that, given Loki's megalomaniacal personality, he would definitely not let him off easily, always seeking the most dramatic and cruel revenge.
After returning from Asgard, Thor looked at Su Yi with a bewildered expression that spoke of his broken worldview.
"You… how did you come back? And how did you move so quickly? You possess powers that are not of Midgard, nor are they of Asgard. Who are you?"
Su Yi did not explain the mechanics of teleportation. He merely looked up at the vast, clear sky, feeling the inevitable shift in the cosmic balance. "I am just a man who knows what's coming. And what's coming is going to be far worse than your brother."
He looked back at the disgraced god. "If Loki comes with Asgardian warriors, what will you choose to do, Thor? Will you fight them, or stand aside?"
Thor was a little angry, projecting his self-hatred onto Su Yi. "This is what happens when you offend a god, mortal! You should have thought carefully before you acted! Now my people will surely come, and your town will be destroyed because of your arrogance!"
Su Yi didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled, a knowing, empathetic expression. "It seems you've realized some of your own mistakes, Thor. That's growth. That's worthiness."
He stepped closer, Mjolnir's power still faintly resonating around his form. "However, I don't think I did anything wrong. I saved your world from a foolish god, and I gave you the first real lesson you've had in a thousand years. Loki is simply not fit to be the Lord of the Nine Realms. Making him the King of the Gods will only bring disaster to this planet and the Nine Realms—especially now that he knows of Hela."
"I never believed in gods to begin with, Thor. I believe in responsibility, accountability, and the sanctity of life on this world. If there are gods who want to destroy this place because of their petty squabbles, or because they feel they are above consequence, then I don't mind being a god-slayer!" Su Yi declared, the title ringing with cold finality.
Thor remained silent, his once immense pride completely deflated. He could see that Su Yi's strength was no weaker than his own stripped-down level. The mortal had crushed Loki and, more damningly, had gained Mjolnir's recognition. Such powerful strength truly had the ability to slaughter gods.
The reality of his situation crashed over Thor like a tidal wave: he was powerless, his brother was a vengeful villain, and the only person standing between Asgard's wrath and the innocent people of Midgard was a cynical, powerful mortal who had taken his hammer and his title.
"Then I will stand with you, mortal," Thor finally conceded, his voice heavy with resignation. "Not to fight my own people, but to protect the innocents who will suffer for my mistakes. Show me how to be worthy of their trust, if not of the hammer."
Su Yi nodded, the slightest hint of approval in his eyes. "You are learning, Thor. Now, we wait. Loki won't send a small party. He'll send a statement."
He'll send the Destroyer, Su Yi thought, mentally preparing for the most dangerous confrontation of his life so far. He had successfully manipulated Thor's journey toward redemption, but Loki's response would be devastating.