Sif Arrives

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The last time Loki left in a hurry, he was rushing to Jotunheim to meet Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants!

When Thor and his group broke into Jotunheim, Loki discovered that he was not an Asgardian, but a Frost Giant. During the battle, as soon as his skin came into contact with other Frost Giants, his body turned the same icy blue color.

After Odin rescued them, Loki went to the weapons vault and found the source of the Frost Giants' power, verifying his true identity. Confronted by Loki, Odin had no choice but to confess:

"Actually, you are the son of Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants."

During the war between the two realms, Odin had invaded the Frost Giant's temple and found an abandoned child, adopting him as his own. However, Odin did not explain why Laufey's son was left behind in the temple or how he confirmed Loki's lineage.

Loki was furious and quarreled with Odin, accusing him of favoritism. He believed that because he was not Odin's biological child, Odin and Frigga had always preferred Thor. To Loki, it seemed that he couldn't inherit the throne not because he wasn't worthy, but because he was adopted, and so the throne was destined for the reckless Thor.

During the argument, Odin fell to the ground, weak and exhausted, and slipped into the Odinsleep, a deep slumber to replenish his power. Frigga, hearing the commotion, came to comfort Loki, saying, "We hid the truth from you because we didn't want you to feel like an outsider. We love you as much as we love Thor."

But Loki, feeling betrayed and paranoid, could not be consoled. With Odin in the Odinsleep and Thor exiled, Loki temporarily inherited the throne of Asgard.

Known as the God of Mischief, Loki devised a cunning plan out of jealousy and anger. He first went to Earth to meet Thor, telling a lie to prevent Thor from returning. Then, he returned to Jotunheim.

During Thor's coronation ceremony, Loki had secretly helped the Frost Giants sneak into Asgard and told them how to enter the weapons vault, all to prevent Thor's coronation. The vault contained the Casket of Ancient Winters, the source of the Frost Giants' power. With it, they could restore their strength.

Loki's plan succeeded, and the coronation was disrupted, resulting in Thor's exile.

Now, Loki sought to negotiate with the Frost Giants again, proposing to lead them in an attack on Asgard. Laufey questioned him, "You are the king of Asgard; why would you want to cooperate with us?"

Loki sneered, "Everyone knows I only inherited the throne because Odin fell into a coma and Thor was exiled. Once my dear brother returns, the throne will be his."

Laufey laughed, "Do you want me to kill Thor?"

"No! I will kill Thor myself. I want you to help me stage a battle. You attack Asgard and then pretend to be repelled by me. This way, I can gain enough prestige to become the rightful king."

"Hmph... The Frost Giants will have to sacrifice a lot to play this game with you. What can you offer to make it worthwhile?"

"The Casket of Ancient Winters!"

Laufey's eyes gleamed with interest but remained skeptical. "The last time we infiltrated the weapons vault, we found nothing but the Destroyer, left by Odin. No one can take anything from it."

Loki grinned, "You forget, I am the king now! The Destroyer obeys my commands. I can move it away..."

Laufey considered the offer, the plan seeming mutually beneficial—Loki could secure his throne, and the Frost Giants could regain their ancestral power. It seemed a win-win, except for Thor.

Unbeknownst to Laufey, Loki had an even darker scheme in mind. Laufey didn't know that Loki, standing before him, was actually his son. But Loki had no intention of acknowledging any relationship; he looked at Laufey coldly, waiting for him to take the bait.

Meanwhile, Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, sensed something amiss but could not see or hear everything Loki was plotting. He realized Loki had found a way to block his observations, implicating him in the Frost Giants' earlier infiltration of Asgard. But with Loki now the king, Heimdall had neither the strength nor the evidence to act against him.

At the same time, Thor's closest allies—Lady Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg—dissatisfied with Loki's rule, sought Heimdall's help to find Thor. Heimdall used the Bifrost to send the four to Earth.

As the Bifrost opened, S.H.I.E.L.D. detected powerful spatial fluctuations. Coulson contacted Alex, saying, "Mr. Alex, we've detected a new wormhole."

Alex thought for a moment, realizing this was likely Sif and the others coming to find Thor. "If four people arrive, don't worry. Don't engage them. Just tell them the person they're looking for is in town. And if a giant metal humanoid machine shows up, get as far away as possible. Leave the rest to me."

Coulson nodded, "Understood."

The rainbow bridge delivered Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg to Earth. They were met by Coulson, who informed them that Thor was in a small town 50 kilometers to the east.

Sif asked, puzzled, "How do you know we're looking for someone? And who told you?"

Coulson replied, "A strong man named Alex told me. I'm just the messenger."

"Is it Thor?" Sif inquired.

"No, Thor has lost his powers. He's not considered strong at the moment."

"How dare you speak of Thor that way? He is our prince," Fandral retorted.

"I'm just stating facts, not insulting him," Coulson clarified.

Sif intervened, "Enough, let's go find Thor. We'll understand everything then."

The four Asgardians soon found Thor in a bar. Overjoyed, they embraced him.

"We want you to return and be our king again. We don't trust Loki," Sif urged.

Thor shook his head, "Mother forbids it. I can't go back. I'm not worthy."

Confused, the four asked, "Who said the Queen forbade your return? She wants you back as soon as possible."

They quickly realized Loki had lied to Thor. Furious, Thor wanted to return to Asgard immediately to confront his brother. At this time, Thor still saw Loki as his brother, unaware of how deep Loki's deception ran.

But without Mjolnir, Thor was powerless. He couldn't return without regaining his strength.

Fandral expressed frustration, "Are we to let Loki rule forever? He'll ruin Asgard."

Hogun added, "Heimdall told us Loki went to Jotunheim. It can't be good for the new king of Asgard to visit the Frost Giants."

Despite their frustration, they knew they couldn't openly challenge Loki. Only Thor could claim the throne, but without his powers, he couldn't compete.

Thor, somewhat resigned, said, "For now, let's just be glad Father's not dead. It won't be long. Let's drink."

"Let me introduce you to my friend, Alex," Thor said, pointing to the smiling man beside him.

The four Asgardians greeted Alex, though they did not think much of him. In their eyes, Earthlings were short-lived and weak, hardly worth noting.

Thor, noticing their thoughts, added, "Don't underestimate him. I fought him, and he gave me two black eyes."

The four were shocked—was this Earthling that strong? But they rationalized it, considering Thor's current lack of powers.

Hogun, with his fiery temper, couldn't hold back: "You dare to strike the Prince of Asgard? You've got some nerve!"

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