Back in Asgard, the golden palace shook when the rainbow light of the Bifrost flashed across the sky. Loki, sitting on the throne in Odin's absence, rose at once. His eyes narrowed, and his grip on Gungnir tightened.
From the balcony, he saw the final spark of the Bifrost fade into the storm. His jaw clenched.
"The bridge has been used…" he muttered. "That should not be possible."
He strode down the golden hall, green robes trailing behind him. Guards bowed as he passed, but he ignored them. His mind was already set.
In the observatory, the Bifrost still glowed faintly. Heimdall stood at his post, silent and unyielding.
"You dared to use the bridge without the All-Father's word?" Loki demanded.
Heimdall did not move. "I opened nothing."
Loki's smile was cold. "Do not lie. I saw the light cross the sky. Someone left Asgard, and you let it happen."
Heimdall finally looked at him, golden eyes steady. "Four loyal warriors who would not follow a throne that should never be claimed."
The words struck hard. Loki's expression twisted. "Then you are guilty in silence."
He raised Gungnir. Frost spread across the floor, racing up Heimdall's body until he was frozen solid. His eyes stayed open, still fixed forward.
"You will watch," Loki hissed, circling him, "and you will see what happens to wasted loyalty."
Loki left the observatory, not for the throne but for the hidden vaults below. The shadows grew deeper as he descended, down past the resting place of the Destroyer and into the caverns where the roots of Yggdrasil touched the Bifrost's power.
He raised Gungnir, summoning forbidden magic. The ground cracked open, and dark energy poured out. Loki smiled.
First, he reawakened the Destroyer, its armor glowing faintly with inner fire. "Go," he commanded. "Burn Midgard to ash if you must. Find Thor and end him." The great weapon turned and vanished into the Bifrost's echo.
But Loki was not done. He whispered older words, ones from the Jotuns themselves. The air warped, and a massive beast pulled itself free from the rift—a Frost Rhino, but larger than any ever seen, with ice-crystal horns and frozen breath. Its true name echoed from Loki's lips: Hrímthursar-Ræskr, "the Frostborn Juggernaut."
The creature bellowed, frost shaking the chamber walls.
"Go," Loki ordered again. "Crush Thor before he rises. Let nothing of him remain."
The beast roared once more and disappeared into the Bifrost's power, sent after Thor.
Loki stood still for a moment, then exhaled slowly. A cruel smile spread across his face. With Heimdall frozen, the bridge unguarded, the Destroyer sent, and Hrímthursar-Ræskr unleashed, nothing could stand in his way.
"I am not taking any chances, brother," he said quietly. "Asgard is mine. And I will be its only ruler."
On Earth, the storm was still going strong. Rain covered the streets of the small town, and neon lights flickered in the distance. Sif and the Warriors Three moved quickly through the empty roads, their armor shining even in the weak light.
It didn't take long before they found him.
Thor was sitting on the edge of a rooftop, his head down, his clothes soaked. He looked smaller than they remembered, without his armor or powers.
"Thor!" Lady Sif called, her voice full of both relief and urgency.
Thor slowly raised his head. His eyes were tired. When he saw them, he breathed out sharply. "Sif… Volstagg… Fandral… Hogun…"
Volstagg smiled under his beard. "There you are, brother! We've come to take you home!"
But Thor didn't smile. He shook his head and looked away. "No. I cannot return."
Fandral stepped forward. "You can, and you will. The Nine Realms are falling apart without you."
Thor gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with pain. "The Nine Realms don't need to worry about me. I am no longer their protector. Odin cast me out… and I deserve it."
Sif knelt in front of him, her eyes steady. "You are still Thor. That has not changed."
Thor finally looked at her, pain clear in his expression. "Loki came to me… he told me the truth. Odin is dead. My father is gone, and my mother hates me for what I've done." His voice shook. "I killed him, Sif. My arrogance finished him. How can I ever be worthy again?"
The Warriors looked at each other with unease.
Hogun spoke quietly. "Odin is not dead. He sleeps in the Odinsleep. Loki lied to you."
Thor froze, confusion on his face. "Lied? But he told me… he said Odin died because of me. That he died ashamed of me."
Sif shook her head and held his shoulder firmly. "No, Thor. The All-Father lives. He rests until his strength returns. Loki tricked you to crush your spirit."
Thor's breathing grew heavier, his hands curling into fists. He didn't answer at first. The storm rumbled above, waiting for his reaction.
At last, he lowered his head again. "Then Loki truly sits on the throne."
"Yes," Hogun said seriously. "And he plans to keep you here, powerless, until Asgard fully bows to him."
Thor closed his eyes. The weight of his mistakes felt worse than ever, but inside him, a spark began to rise again. His friends had risked everything to come for him. That had to mean something.
Before anyone else could speak, Jane and Erik ran up from the street, with Darcy following nervously.
Jane's voice was urgent. "Thor! What's happening? The sky—something's wrong!"
Thor turned toward her, caught between two worlds.
Sif looked at Jane, then back at Thor. "These mortals care about you. They stood by you even when you had no power. Don't throw their trust away, Thor. It matters more than you think."
Thor looked at Jane, who was staring at him with worry. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Then, a loud rumble shook the ground. The storm clouds split open, and a rainbow-colored beam shot down onto the edge of the town.
The Warriors tensed immediately.
Fandral muttered, "That is no normal storm."
Sif narrowed her eyes. "No. Loki has sent something."
In the distance, dust rose as a huge armored figure walked forward—The Destroyer—its body glowing with fire.
But in the clouds above, another shadow moved. A terrible roar shook the air, and freezing cold spread as ice crystals appeared. A massive horned giant descended toward the town.
Volstagg's voice grew grim. "Two… he sent two."
Sif held her sword tightly. "The Destroyer… and Hrímthursar-Ræskr."
Thor stood slowly, his face pale. He was caught between fear and duty.
"Brother," he whispered to himself, "you won't stop until I am destroyed."
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