Chapter 41. Loki's Arrival (Part 1)

"I am no longer the prince of Asgard. I cannot lift Mjolnir and have lost the right to be the God of Thunder. My father has disowned me."

Thor spoke with a heavy heart, his clothes stained with mud, and under the pouring rain, he looked nothing like the hero from the realm of gods. If his comrades saw him in this state, they wouldn't believe their eyes.

Noah, looking at the defeated Thor, thought to himself: Should I comfort him? This really isn't my job.

Waving his hand, he expanded the magical shield above his head to cover Thor as well. Unlike Thor, Noah wasn't wet, having protected himself from the rain with magic.

"Thor, come here. Your friend is waiting for you," Noah said.

Hearing these words, Thor perked up a little. A friend? He remembered Jane. Jane was out in the rain, but Noah said she was here, waiting for him?

"Thor!"

At that moment, a concerned voice called out, and Thor turned around to see Jane running towards him, rushing past the agents.

Running across the muddy ground, Jane hurried to him, alarmed by his appearance. Seeing the woman who cared so much for him, Thor felt a bit better.

"Thor, are you okay?" Jane asked, brushing his hair away from his face.

"Jane, I'm fine. I'm sorry," Thor replied, apologizing for not being able to show her his best side and for failing to retrieve her scientific equipment and data, as he had promised.

"It's alright, Thor. Let's get out of the rain," Jane said, taking Thor's hand. She knew standing in the rain was dangerous, but noticed that in the spot where they stood, there was no rain.

Looking up, she saw that it was as if an invisible umbrella shielded them from the raindrops. Only the three of them were protected from the rain. Jane glanced at Noah, thinking it must be his doing. Could he really be a sorcerer, as Thor had said? But that wasn't scientific.

"Let's go warm up with some tea. It's easy to catch a cold in this weather," Noah suggested, noticing Jane's look. He invited them to take shelter and asked an agent to escort them inside.

As Noah finished speaking, he felt a strange energy wave. A smile appeared on his face: he knew a new guest had arrived.

Jane thanked Noah and walked with Thor to a room the agents had prepared especially for him. It wasn't a lab or a workspace but a simple room with white walls, a few beds, and chairs. This room had been temporarily repurposed by Coulson; in the original Thor movie, it had been used to detain Thor.

The rain outside gradually subsided, but the cold, damp air seeped in, and Jane shivered from the chill. As they entered the room, warmth embraced them.

Sitting with Thor on a chair, Jane noticed he was still downcast.

"Thor, wait here. I'll bring you some hot water," Jane said. She decided to get some tea, fearing he might catch a cold after spending so much time in the rain.

As soon as she closed the door, a figure suddenly appeared in the empty room. Thor looked up and saw his brother, Loki.

"Loki, why are you here?"

"I had to see you."

Thor noticed that Loki looked serious and began asking what had happened. Loki informed him that their father, Odin, had died because of all the trouble Thor had caused. Hearing this, Thor paled.

"The burden of the throne now falls upon me."

Loki's words made Thor lift his head and look at him.

"Can I return?" Thor asked hopefully.

"No, the condition for peace with Jotunheim was your eternal exile. Besides, Mother doesn't want you to come back. I came to say goodbye. I'm sorry, brother."

"I'm the one who should apologize. Thank you for coming, brother."

These words broke Thor even further. They said their goodbyes, and as Loki turned away, a triumphant smile crossed his face. He vanished just as the door creaked open.

It was Jane, returning with two cups of hot water. She placed them in front of Thor.

"Thor, what happened? You look even more upset," Jane noticed as she sat next to him.

"It's nothing, Jane. Let's leave here as soon as I've had some rest," Thor replied, trying to smile to keep her from worrying, and took a sip of the hot water she had brought.

"Alright, whenever you're feeling better, we'll go."

"I'm sorry, Jane. I'm afraid I won't be able to return your equipment anymore," Thor said regretfully. He had been confident that after retrieving the hammer, he could convince S.H.I.E.L.D. to return Jane's things, but now, unable to even lift the hammer, he felt ashamed for not fulfilling his promise.

"It's alright, Thor," Jane reassured him. Though she wanted her equipment back, she understood that now wasn't the time to focus on that.

As they talked, Loki, who had recently disappeared, hadn't gone far. He made his way to Mjolnir.

Looking at the hammer, Loki thought about how this artifact had allowed Thor to outshine him all these years, earning the admiration and love of the people. He had always envied that and longed for recognition. If he could lift the hammer, he would gain the same power and love as his brother. He reached out and grabbed the handle.

But the hammer didn't budge, remaining firmly in the ground. After several attempts to lift it, Loki realized he couldn't and, in his frustration, let go.

"Mjolnir can only be lifted by those who are worthy," a voice came from behind him.

Loki turned around and saw a man who, it seemed, could see him despite his invisibility.

"Are you speaking to me, mortal?" Loki sneered, his voice laced with menace.

"Who else, prince of Asgard?" Noah replied, stepping closer, positioning himself on the opposite side of the crater.

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