34

"Fandral!"

The first thing Fandral did after waking up was to rush at John, but Thor quickly stepped in and stopped him.

"Thor?"

"Yes, it is good to see you, my friend."

Seeing Thor, Fandral's aggression faded. He embraced Thor warmly, relief and joy in his eyes.

John rubbed the back of his hands and remarked with a wry smile, "You all really do enjoy hugging."

Inside, John held his wand in his left hand and strolled over to Selvig's seat, sitting down with casual confidence. He placed his pocket watch on the table and opened it, the soft ticking filling the room.

Thor came over, standing across from John with a serious look. "Who are you?"

"This is the third time I have heard that question today," John replied. "Do you really not know?"

He raised his wand. "Is it not obvious?"

"Wizard?" Thor recalled John's magic and asked, "Are there wizards in Midgard now?"

"They have always been here, but we rarely reveal ourselves," John answered, touching his chin thoughtfully. "Your father exiled you here, perhaps because he believed your life would not be in danger."

"How do you know all this?" Thor's voice was cautious.

"If someone tells me, I know," John said with a soft chuckle. "Do not think only Asgardians have such skills, Thor."

Thor felt a ripple of doubt. He had always believed Midgard was weak, its people short-lived and powerless. Among the nine realms, Midgard was considered the lowest. But John's presence challenged everything he thought he knew.

Jane, still reeling from the whirlwind of recent events, looked at John with wide eyes. "I am sorry, are you really a wizard?"

The astrophysicist was shaken. First, Thor, the God of Thunder, had fallen from the sky. Then came talk of the Nine Realms and the World Tree. Now, a wizard stood before her. What was real, and what was fantasy?

"So, what do you want from me, wizard?" Thor asked, his voice heavy with the weight of new revelations and the pain of his brother's deception.

John's tone was light but edged with meaning. "I need to stand in for a certain bald man and protect the world for now. You foreign gods, naturally, must keep an eye on me."

He glanced at his pocket watch. "But you all must leave soon."

"Of course, we have to take Thor back," Sif said. "We need to expose Loki's conspiracy."

John looked at Sif, his expression unreadable. "Oh? You want to bring a powerless Thor back? You must really dislike him, or you would never send him back just to die."

Sif was at a loss for words. They had all forgotten one thing: Thor was now exiled and powerless. Facing Loki, he would not even be able to defend himself.

"I can stop him, in the name of Asgard," Thor swore, his voice full of conviction.

This declaration reignited hope in Sif and the Warriors Three.

John could not help but shake his head. "You are so confident. That is even more idealistic than magic."

He looked at Thor, his tone turning sharp. "Can you even lift the hammer?"

"Without divine power, do you really expect Loki to spare you for the sake of brotherhood?"

"Or do you think your sleeping father will wake, embrace his son, and hand the throne back to you?"

His pointed questions left Thor speechless.

"Do not forget, you were exiled by your own father," John said, tossing the pocket watch to Thor. "By rights, your brother has every claim to the throne. You have one minute to decide."

Odin slept, Thor was exiled, and Loki was the rightful heir to Asgard.

Thor caught the pocket watch, staring at it in confusion. "What decision am I supposed to make?"

"Will you cooperate with me or go back with your friends?" John's smile was enigmatic. "Exchange of equal value, fair trade. Just pay a little price."

"Wizard, you do not understand the terror of gods," Thor said, throwing the pocket watch back. "I cannot let you die for nothing."

John glanced at the watch, now nearly completing its lap, and stood up smoothly. "If that is your choice, then I hope you make it back safely."

He looked outside and said calmly, "Because the storm is coming."

Everyone turned to look. A massive tornado, swirling with dust and smoke, descended slowly from the sky.

Coulson was crouched near the rainbow bridge sign, pondering its strange symbols.

"Find someone who can study languages," he ordered. He was certain this was some kind of special script, marking the energy anomaly SHIELD had detected.

Suddenly, the sky darkened. In the clouds, a vortex formed, spiraling down toward the earth. The wind shook the cars, and Coulson realized at once that this was no ordinary tornado.

"Everyone, take cover behind the vehicles!" he shouted.

The tornado struck, shaking the ground and nearly sweeping Coulson away. When it finally subsided, in its place stood a towering suit of armor.

A bald agent hiding with Coulson asked, "Is this another one of Stark's creations?"

Coulson shook his head. "That guy never tells me anything."

He grabbed a bullhorn and stepped out from behind the car. SHIELD agents drew their weapons, ready for anything, as Coulson approached to negotiate.

But this was not Stark technology, nor was it of this world. This was the Destroyer, a relentless guardian sent from Asgard.

With a single motion, the Destroyer's visor slid open, and a torrent of fire erupted, turning into a searing beam that obliterated the cars in its path.

SHIELD's elite team was overrun in an instant. They were no match for the Destroyer.

Coulson, rubbing his bruised head, quickly called for backup. "We have a real problem here," he muttered.

The Destroyer marched toward Old Bridge Town, leaving scorched earth in its wake. Everything it passed was reduced to ruins.

Thor, who had been preparing to return to Asgard with his friends, saw the destruction and felt a deep sadness. He never imagined his brother would go so far as to kill him. But the immediate priority was to evacuate the townspeople.

John watched the fleeing crowd, calmly slipping his pocket watch into his pocket. He strolled out the door, unhurried.

"The gods of Asgard are truly arrogant," he remarked, watching as the Destroyer strode into town, demolishing buildings with every step.

Thor was organizing his friends, just as he had in battles on Asgard. But now, as a mortal, he knew he could not fight such a powerful foe. All he could do was help people escape.

"When you start caring for civilians, you become a true king," John observed, his eyes darkening.

As he took another step, something tugged at his foot. Looking down, he saw a small golden creature scratching at his shoe.

A flash of surprise crossed John's face. "Star Spirit?"

"Bikabi!"

He never expected to see one of these little beings in New Mexico. The Star Spirit scrambled up onto his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek with excitement.

This was a creature unique to the magical world—a Star Spirit Guardian. They existed because of the Witch King. In fact, John had created them himself. After the Witch King established the magical kingdom, these little guardians became protectors wherever magic was present.

There were only about fifty Star Spirit Guardians in existence, scattered all over the world. Encountering one was as rare as finding a needle in a haystack.

John was delighted to see the Star Spirit Guardian here. The little creature was equally thrilled to meet its creator and paid no attention to the raging Destroyer.

After a moment, the star spirit looked up at John with confusion, sensing something was amiss with its creator. But John was too absorbed in the unfolding events to notice.

On the street, the Asgardian warriors had begun their desperate fight against the Destroyer. In John's memory, he knew of this mechanical terror. But he also remembered that Thor would eventually reclaim his hammer and end the battle, so he was not worried.

"I recall there is a metal called Uru in Asgard," John mused, narrowing his eyes as he studied the Destroyer.

In his mind, there were three legendary metals in the Marvel universe: adamantium, vibranium, and Uru. Since the Destroyer was a product of Asgard, it had to be made of Uru.

Uru was a metal with extraordinary magical properties, even more potent than mithril or gold. If John could obtain a piece of Uru, he could upgrade his own magical artifacts, perhaps even approach the power of the Infinity Gauntlet.

The Destroyer's armor, massive and imposing, now looked to John like the ultimate upgrade material.

The battle quickly turned dire. Despite the Asgardian warriors' skill and courage, they could not defeat the legendary Destroyer. Volstagg, wielding a giant axe, hurled himself at the monster with the help of his friends but was blasted aside by a cannon-like attack.

Sif leapt from a rooftop, her sword piercing the Destroyer's neck. If there had been a person inside, the fight might have ended there. But this was no ordinary armor. The Destroyer spun around and unleashed a devastating counterattack.

Sif dodged, but the force of the blow still left her reeling. The Destroyer's power was overwhelming.

Thor, after helping evacuate the townspeople, returned to see John watching the battle with a detached air.

John watched as the Asgardian warriors took blow after blow and marveled at their resilience. "I am beginning to think they could tear Stark's armor apart with their bare hands," he mused.

The difference between mortals and gods was staggering. Even the most advanced technology could not always stand against divine power.

"He truly is a god, even if it is not quite as I imagined," John said, almost applauding the spectacle.

Thor, seeing John's inaction, shouted, "Are you not going to help?"

"Should I?" John replied, feigning surprise. "Weren't you going to make a deal with me?"

"You are from Midgard," Thor insisted, his voice urgent. "You are a wizard—normal attacks cannot harm that thing!"

But John only shrugged. "Let me be clear—even on this planet, there are hundreds of countries. Unfortunately, I am not from this one."

Thor's frustration boiled over. "You are the guardian here!"

"In a sense, yes," John replied, picking up the Star Spirit and shrugging. "Perhaps you should ask it for help."

The Star Spirit crossed its arms, looking quite pleased with itself.

Thor looked from the little creature to John, incredulous. "Are you joking?"

"If you do not believe me, we can still make a deal," John said with a kind smile. "It is your choice."

Thor was so bewildered he was not even sure what the deal was.

The Destroyer attacked again, leveling several buildings. The explosion sent Selvig and the others flying, and Thor's anxiety reached its peak.

"Alright, I promise you!" Thor shouted.

"Then the deal is done," John replied with a satisfied smile, patting Thor on the shoulder. "Now, go on."

"What?" Thor was confused. "I asked you to help, and you are sending me out there?"

What exactly was the content of this deal?