Prison Chaos

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At this time, Thor asked, "Are you sure? It is said that the Aether was destroyed along with them."

Odin met Thor's gaze and said, "They were indeed destroyed then."

But Jane had a more pressing question. "Your book doesn't mention how to remove the Aether from a body?"

"No."

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Meanwhile, Malekith had sent his men, disguised as prisoners, to Asgard to carry out his plan.

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With a brief moment of respite, Thor finally had time to show Kai, Tony, and Jane around the legendary Asgard. He first took them to change into Asgardian attire so they wouldn't stand out too much.

As they walked, Thor explained, "The Nine Realms are aligned along the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. They rotate around Midgard, and once every 5,000 years, they align in a straight line. We call this the Convergence. During this period, the borders between realms blur. It won't return to normal until the Convergence ends."

Tony whispered to Kai, "This sounds an awful lot like what you told me before."

Thor overheard and turned to Kai. "My friend, you're more knowledgeable than I thought. You already knew this?"

Kai simply smiled and nodded, choosing not to explain further.

Jane, still anxious about her condition, asked, "Will this... affect me?"

Thor patted his chest confidently. "I will find a way to save you, Jane."

"But your father said—"

"My father is not omniscient," Thor interrupted.

A new voice interjected, "Don't let him hear you say that."

Everyone turned to see Frigga approaching.

Thor straightened up. "This is Frigga, Queen of Asgard—my mother."

Jane, suddenly nervous, greeted her. "Hi..."

Frigga smiled and turned her gaze to Kai.

Kai was about to bow when Frigga stopped him. "You must be Kai. Thor has spoken of you often. Thank you for looking after him on Midgard."

"The Queen of Asgard is too kind. Thor and I are friends—helping each other is only natural."

Before they could continue their conversation, chaos erupted in the prison.

Malekith's undercover agent had begun his plan.

After being imprisoned, he took out the artifact Malekith had given him, absorbing its power and transforming into a monstrous Cursed Warrior. With his newfound strength, he slaughtered his fellow prisoners, tore through the prison's defenses, and broke free.

Nearby guards rushed to contain him, but they were quickly overpowered.

As the chaos spread, the Cursed Warrior reached Loki's cell. He glanced at Loki but didn't release him. Instead, he turned to leave.

Loki, lounging on a bench, smirked. "I'd take the stairs on the left if I were you."

The Cursed Warrior paused, then noticed that the main path was now swarming with Asgardian guards. Without a word, he took Loki's advice and disappeared down the left passage.

Outside, Thor and the others noticed the disturbance.

"The prison!" Kai realized.

Thor frowned. "Loki..."

Frigga spoke up. "Thor, go. I will watch over Jane."

Thor nodded and called to Kai and Tony before rushing toward the prison.

Kai followed, though it took them longer to arrive—he wasn't familiar with Asgard's layout and had to navigate carefully.

By the time they reached the prison, Thor was already in the middle of a battle, wielding Mjolnir against a horde of escaped prisoners. He landed in front of them and declared, "Return to your cells now, and I will show mercy."

A prisoner immediately punched him in the face.

Thor barely flinched. He grabbed the prisoner by the throat, his expression darkening. "Very well. You've angered me. No more mercy."

With that, the fight escalated. Prisoners charged, but Thor fought through them with ease.

Kai and Tony finally arrived.

"Not too late, at least," Kai muttered.

The two quickly joined the battle. Thor, seeing their arrival, pressed forward toward Loki's cell, knocking out prisoners as he went.

Elsewhere, Odin received word of the prison break.

"Send troops to the armory immediately," he commanded. "Secure the prison at all costs."

"Yes, my king!" The guards rushed off to follow orders.

As Odin prepared to intervene, Frigga called out to him. "Odin!"

He turned, his expression calm.

Frigga met his gaze. "Be careful."

Odin stepped closer, gently cupping her face. "My queen, after all these centuries, you still love me so deeply."

Frigga sighed. "It is because of that love that I worry for you."

Then, she took Jane back to her chambers. As they passed a group of guards, Frigga took a dagger from one of them and turned to Jane.

"Listen carefully. No matter what I say, you must follow my instructions without hesitation."

Jane swallowed. "Okay, ma'am."

Meanwhile, Odin gathered his forces, preparing to crush the rebellion and end the chaos in the prison.

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