Chapter 67 - Thor Part 2

POV: Baldur. 

Desert near Puente Antiguo, New Mexico. 

Hours after the hammer fell. 

2011. 

I stayed until dawn gazing at the hammer, trying to uncover the secrets of runic magic used by my father. I had only minor breakthroughs, but they would have taken me years without the hammer, it was a significant advancement. 

The most elegant thing about the enchantment was using Thor's own power as a battery to sustain it. Otherwise, the enchantment would cease to function after Odin's death, like the magic that bound Hela. 

I managed to devise ideas on how to use two runes present on the hammer, Ansuz and Haglaz. Ansuz literally represents the power of Odinforce, if I knew how to use it, I could access the magical force that fuels Odin's powers. For a deeper meaning, Ansuz also signifies divinity, with enough knowledge, I could create my own Baldurforce. 

The second rune Haglaz, is much easier to use. It will likely be the next rune inscribed on my body. This rune controls the destructive elements of nature, whoever controls it can, for example, make it hail or create tornadoes easily. It's not particularly useful for me at the moment since I possess significant destructive power, but it may prove useful in the future. 

When the sun rose, it didn't take long for them to find the hammer, it was literally in the middle of the road. The man who found it got out of his pickup truck and tried to lift Mjolnir without any success, of course. After some comical and futile attempts, he called some friends, telling them about the "satellite" he found. 

"Sir, S.H.I.E.L.D will arrive in two hours," Alice warned me about S.H.I.E.L.D, so it's time to find my idiot brother. 

(I really wanted to study a bit more, but I can't focus on the runes with all the commotion that's going to happen.) 

I head towards the small town of Puente Antiguo a few kilometers away, making the entire journey on foot since I was informed by the WarDogs that S.H.I.E.L.D had developed a way to track my flights by the energy I emit. I must say, that was smart, because of it, I came using a Genosha ship. 

The city was a typical small town. Small, but with a bit of charm. Before removing my camouflage, I change my clothes to a white shirt and black jeans. Walking around a city wearing golden armor would be anything but discreet. 

"Take control of all nearby devices so that no photos of me are posted online, do the same with the city's cameras." 

"Yes, sir." 

Not that I'm hiding, but almost the entire internet is monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D, they will know I'm here in seconds if a photo of me is posted. Even without my armor, I attract a lot of attention. I'm taller than any man in this town, and certainly more handsome, with my golden eyes and long hair now tied back, they will definitely take photos. 

"Did you get anything useful from that cursed hammer?" 

Amora appears at my side and takes my arm, she was wearing a long green dress, also trying not to attract too much attention, with not much success. 

"In fact, I did. Did you find a decent place to sleep?" 

"I found a small hotel in town, but it was utterly disgusting. I really don't like this city. Apart from the annoying men I encountered when I was looking for something to eat, as I was hungry, I asked them to go fishing for something fresh for me to eat."

"Amora. We're in the middle of the desert." 

"They were very eager to make a trip to the nearest ocean," she says, smiling. 

(Her mischievous smile is truly beautiful.) 

 We made our way to the hospital in the city, and it wasn't too difficult to find it in a small town. Amora and I ignored the attention the locals were giving us along the way. I can't deny that our beauty attracts some attention, especially Amora, who has an even greater charm as the goddess of seduction.

As we arrived at the hospital parking lot, we saw a large man with long blond hair facing away from us, wearing a hospital gown. It was a comical sight, seeing one of Odin's sons in a hospital gown, and it brought a huge smile to Amora's face. She still harbors a lot of resentment from the way Thor treated her.

"I should have brought my camera, Alice, take a photo using the street cameras, I'll send this image to all nine realms."

Just as we were about to draw Thor's attention, a jeep from the parking lot suddenly reversed, hitting the mighty Thor once again.

"Alice, please tell me you recorded that."

"In high definition, ma'am."

(I really forgot about that, it's been a long time since I watched the movies and the details are getting blurry.)

My mind is like a small computer, I can access my memories as easily as opening computer folders, but for some reason, it doesn't work with memories from my past life.

Three people emerge from the jeep, two women and a man. The man, who was already elderly with white hair, rushed to Thor's side to check his pulse. The woman with black hair and glasses was holding a taser pointed at Thor, and the last one was simply beautiful.

Jane Foster didn't look much like Natalie Portman from the movies. She had black hair and blue eyes, and she was so beautiful that it made sense why she managed to steal Thor's heart, who had already slept with almost every woman in the nine realms. Jane looked worriedly at Thor, and the other two helped him into the jeep, which then drove out of the parking lot shortly afterward.

"Should we follow them?" Amora asks me.

"Of course."

The jeep took us to a large garage, which must be Jane's lab. They got out of the car, and Jane led Thor to the back of the garage before returning to talk to her friends.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Amora asks me.

"I'd better make initial contact alone."

I become invisible and leave Amora a little distance away from Jane's garage. I still don't want to have to talk to these three, and it's better if they think Thor is just a crazy person for now. I enter the garage, which leads me to the rooms, and in one of them, I see Thor shirtless. He had exchanged his beautiful hospital gown for black jeans and was about to return to the garage, so I appear to him, sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"It's been a while, Thor."

He turns to me and stands still, staring at my face as if trying to remember who I was.

"Not that long, I think it's unlikely you'd forget your third brother."

I create a force field around the room so our voices won't attract the attention of the residents, allowing us to have a conversation without fear of being overheard.

"Brother, you have to help me. Our father went insane and banished me from Asgard for no reason!"

(No greeting or "it's good to see you again, brother," he goes straight to his problems.)

"No reason? You threatened to start a war that would affect all nine realms, Thor, I don't think that's a trivial matter. In fact, I think your punishment was quite lenient."

"You weren't there, Baldur! You didn't see when those damn giants invaded my coronation, or how the king of the giants treated me like a mere mortal. They should kneel before me and ask for forgiveness for trying to invade Asgard."

I could see in Thor's expression as he made his speech, the disgust and his sense of superiority over everything and everyone. His arrogance is ingrained in his bones.

"The invaders paid with their lives, and the dead were soldiers, not innocent civilians. And why should the king of the giants kneel before you? Jotunheim is not under Asgard's command or protection."

"It does not matter!"

He shouts at me, but I remain calm, looking at him.

"I think all of this was nothing more than the actions of an arrogant child. You threatened to destroy an entire realm, you knew that even in Jotunheim, there are innocent children who just want to live their lives in peace."

I ask him, still keeping my composure.

"Why would that be any different from what you did to save that little woman?"

His last sentence makes my calm waver a bit, a little golden light escapes from my body, melting the nearby objects.

"I knew the consequences of my actions, which is why I had to be banished to avoid total war. I accepted my punishment. But be careful, Thor, even though you're my brother, I won't allow anyone to speak ill of my wife!"

"You only want my power and my crown, that's why you don't want to help me!"

Unfortunately, that's the only conclusion he can come to at the moment.

"I have no desire to be the king of Asgard, I already have my own realm to worry about. And about your power, Thor... Why would I need a power lesser than mine?"

I don't expect a response and simply disappear from his sight, returning to where Amora is. It doesn't make sense to continue arguing with him now.

"It doesn't seem like it was a pleasant reunion," Amora says, looking at me.

"How do you know?"

"Your face says it all."

Amora and I then walk away from Jane's house, aimlessly wandering the city and just talking.

"Sir, S.H.I.E.L.D has just arrived at the scene. Agent Phil Coulson is in charge of investigating the satellite crash."

"Fury is placing a lot of importance on this event, he even sent one of his favorites."

Amora recognizes Coulson's name from the files we have on S.H.I.E.L.D, let's just say their security is a joke.

"Alice, have you created the documents I asked for?"

"All of them have been created to your specifications."

We then sit in a small park to continue our conversation. From afar, we can see children playing happily on the playground equipment.

"I still don't see the need for these documents. I highly doubt that S.H.I.E.L.D would deny you anything."

"You never know, it's better to be prepared for any situation."

Amora comes close to me and rests her head on my shoulder while admiring the view.

"Speaking of preparation, are you sure we can handle the Destroyer?"

I ask Amora once again, a question I've asked twenty times before.

"As I've said twenty times before, I'm 95% sure it will work."

The Destroyer from the Marvel movies is simply an armor that can shoot energy beams powered by the Odinforce, it was easily destroyed by Thor in the movie. But the true armor from the comics is a whole different story.

In the comics, it was forged to fight against the Celestials, the armor can absorb a large amount of divine energy, enhancing all its abilities. And if Odin himself were to wear it, its power would only increase. Since Loki became the king of Asgard, he would have total control over the armor, but he doesn't have the necessary energy to use the Destroyer at its full potential.

"Not that I don't trust your abilities, Amora, I just like to think things through multiple times before doing something."

"I understand that."

We sit for a few hours just talking until Alice calls us back to work.

"Sir, Thor has just been captured by S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Let's go, Amora, I have to meet with my other idiotic brother."

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