The desert wind howled across the barren stretch of land where the group had gathered. The air shimmered faintly around the circular patch of sand, scorched with intricate runes that pulsed with ancient energy.
The strange symbols marked the very spot where the Bifrost had once struck — the bridge between realms, the path that had brought Sif, the Warriors Three, and the fearsome Destroyer to Earth.
Thor stood in the center of the circle, his face lit by the faint glow of the runes. His expression was a storm of hope and worry as he raised his voice toward the heavens.
"Heimdall! Do you hear me?" he shouted, his tone echoing across the empty desert. "Open the Bifrost! We need passage!"
There was no answer — only the whisper of wind over sand.
"He would never ignore you," Fandral said grimly. "If he's not answering…"
Sif's brows furrowed, her warrior's instincts uneasy. "Something must have happened to him," she said grimly. "He risked much to send us here. If Loki discovered that betrayal…"
Volstagg grunted, gripping his axe. "Then Asgard itself may be in peril."
Ethan stood at the edge of the circle, his hands in his coat pockets, studying the runes with quiet intensity.
Beside him, Susan watched the Asgardians with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy, while Jane, Darcy, and Selvig stood close together, shielding their eyes from the dry wind.
Thor's voice broke the silence again — this time louder, desperate. "Heimdall! I know you can hear me! Please! We need you now!"
For a moment, nothing.
Then — the sky darkened.
Clouds gathered with unnatural speed, swirling above them in a vortex of light and sound. Bolts of lightning split the heavens, arcing downward until they converged on the circle. The ground trembled, the runes flaring to life like molten gold.
Darcy's jaw dropped. "Okay, that's either a wormhole or God just upgraded his Wi-Fi."
Selvig muttered, "That's… not scientifically possible," even as he stumbled back from the force of the energy.
Jane, however, took a step forward. She knew this was it.
Thor smiled faintly and turned toward her. "Jane," he said softly before stepping close. "I must take my leave now. But I swear to you — I will return."
She nodded, her eyes misty. "I'll hold you to that, Thor."
They shared a brief, tender kiss as the storm raged around them.
From behind them, a dry voice broke through the moment. "Hello, is this the FBI?"
Everyone turned. Ethan was holding his phone to his ear, his expression perfectly serious. "Yes, I'd like to file a complaint about a 1,500-year-old alien god kissing a 27-year-old woman. Name? Thor Odinson. Occupation: God of Hammers."
There was a beat of silence — then Susan smacked him on the back of the head.
"Ow! What?" Ethan protested while rubbing his skull. "It's technically true!"
Darcy snorted. "Oh my God, you're such a narc."
Susan pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why am I not surprised?"
Selvig looked bewildered, while Darcy tried not to laugh. Jane's face turned a shade of crimson, turned toward Thor. "Fifteen hundred years old?!"
Thor chuckled softly. "Give or take a few."
Jane blinked, then smiled. "Well… I've dated worse."
Volstagg pointed upward. "It's opening!"
A cascade of rainbow light descended upon them — the unmistakable brilliance of the Bifrost. The beam twisted and danced, its colors shifting through the spectrum as it reached the ground, engulfing Thor and his companions.
Thor turned one last time, his smile bright. "I'll return soon, friends of Midgard!"
Then, in a flash of brilliance, the Bifrost engulfed Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three, and they vanished — the rainbow light collapsing in on itself, leaving only the echo of thunder behind.
Susan exhaled slowly, lowering her hand from her face. "This is getting complicated," she murmured.
Darcy blinked, then frowned. "Uh… where's Dr. Carter?"
The group turned — Ethan was nowhere in sight.
Selvig's eyes widened. "Don't tell me—"
Susan sighed before folding her arms as she glanced toward the empty sky. "Yes. He went with them. To Asgard."
Darcy let out a groan. "Of course he did. Because staying on Earth and not breaking the laws of physics is boring."
Jane said quietly, "Maybe he wants to help Thor." She looked at the group and added, "He's pretty strong, right? He could help Thor with his brother's problem—and maybe bring him back soon."
She hoped that was the case.
Before they could discuss it further, a convoy of black vans approached, kicking up a storm of dust across the desert as a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents emerged, led by Agent Phil Coulson himself.
He approached Susan, taking in the scorched earth and faintly glowing runes. "Dr. Storm," he said evenly. "Looks like you and Dr. Carter have had quite the adventure."
Susan still had her arms crossed, half amused, half exasperated. "You could say that."
Coulson surveyed the area before nodding. "Dr. Carter already briefed me through a message. Said he'd be back soon and asked me to make sure you were… comfortable."
Susan gave a small, knowing smile. "Of course he did."
-------------
Meanwhile — Asgard.
The Bifrost roared to life atop the golden observatory, its energy fading as Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three materialized.
But joy turned to alarm almost instantly.
"Heimdall!" Thor shouted, rushing forward. The all-seeing gatekeeper lay collapsed beside the sword pedestal — his body half-frozen in glittering shards of ice.
"Take him to the healers, now!" Thor commanded.
Sif and the others lifted Heimdall and hurried away, while Thor spun Mjolnir and launched himself toward the royal palace, lightning crackling in his wake.
Unseen by any of them, a shimmer of distortion rippled through the air near the Bifrost.
From it, Ethan Carter emerged — cloaked in invisibility, the faint hum of his cosmic-enhanced spell dissolving as he looked around. His blue eyes reflected the golden towers and cascading waterfalls of Asgard — a realm of impossible beauty and divine grandeur.
It gleamed like a vision — towering spires of gold and crystal. The city's golden bridges and towering spires stood like jewels against the horizon.
Ethan floated slowly upward, his eyes reflecting the city's brilliance. "It truly is beautiful," he murmured. A small smile tugged at his lips as he looked toward the palace.
Then, with a sigh, he looked toward the distant palace. "Time to get to work."
Then, with a flash, he vanished into the skies of Asgard.
----------
The golden halls of Asgard's Great Library stretched endlessly before Ethan Carter — an architectural marvel built in the age.
The ceiling soared so high it vanished into misty light, supported by massive pillars engraved with runes that pulsed faintly with energy. Floating platforms drifted between the tiers of knowledge, each stacked with scrolls, books, and crystalline memory archives that shimmered in rainbow hues.
This was not a library of books alone. It was a living archive, where knowledge breathed and whispered.
Ethan stood at the massive entrance, his coat fluttering lightly in the etheric wind. His blue eyes glowed faintly as his telepathy extended outward. 'Let's make this quick.'
In moments, the minds of every scholar, scribe, and guard within the library flickered under his influence. They blinked once, confusion flashing in their eyes — and then, one by one, they dropped their quills, yawned, and walked dreamily toward the exit.
He was still under the Cloimifaugure spell, which kept him completely hidden—none of them could see him.
By the time they reached the outer gate, they were asleep, memories of this strange incident wiped clean.
"Rest well," Ethan murmured softly before stepping past them. "I'll just read a few things."
Thanks to his telepathy — and his earlier dive into Thor's mind when his powers were sealed — Ethan already knew enough about Asgard's layout to navigate without issue. It wasn't a full map, of course; Thor himself barely knew all its secrets. But it was enough to find what Ethan wanted.
It might have seemed strange, even foolish, to come all the way to Asgard only to raid the library instead of the treasury or the weapons vault.
Most would have gone straight to the Weapons Vault, to claim power, riches, or legendary artifacts. But Ethan had no interest in such toys.
Gold? He could create it at will.
Weapons? His body was already an indestructible weapon.
No, what he sought here was something far greater.
Knowledge.
In Ethan's eyes, the Great Library of Asgard was the true treasure vault. Every scroll, every rune, every bound codex here held pieces of the universe's secrets — from ancient cosmic entities to the origin of realms themselves.
"Knowledge is power," the old saying went.
But Ethan smiled faintly while running a hand along the ancient shelves. "No… knowledge is the pathway to power. Without understanding how to use it, even wisdom is wasted."
Just knowing something didn't grant power or control over that knowledge. You had to wield it—shape it, understand it, and use it with purpose. And Ethan fully intended to do exactly that.
He didn't need this for himself — His goal was different.
'My women must grow stronger,' he thought. 'Strong enough to stand as concepts themselves.'
He visualized each of them as he moved deeper into the library. There was Anna, one touch, and she could steal powers, memories—anything that made a person formidable.
Jean came next in his mind, already fused with the Phoenix Force. She wasn't just powerful; she was nearly divine, her very presence radiating a force that could consume worlds.
Then there was Diana, a demigoddess forged in battle. Strength, skill, and unyielding determination coursed through her veins like fire. She was a warrior in every sense, raw and honed to perfection.
Susan stood out differently—brilliant and immensely powerful, her mind as sharp as any blade. Yet, beneath all that, she was still human, still bound by the fragility of mortality.
And finally Didi… well, she was Death itself. No need to worry about her mortality.
Ethan chuckled softly at the thought, then sighed. 'They're strong… but not strong enough. Yet.'
He would change that. He'd make them stronger than gods — conceptual beings who could never be threatened again. And Asgard, with its cosmic archives, would give him the knowledge to do it.
The Asgardians' understanding of magic, cosmic science, and interdimensional physics far surpassed any mortal comprehension.
While Ethan was a fan of Marvel, he wasn't a hardcore follower. His knowledge of the universe was limited—mostly the basics from the movies and a few comic details he'd picked up along the way. He knew enough to recognize power when he saw it, but the depth and history of these beings were far beyond what he truly understood.
Also, this place also held something important—knowledge about Rune Magic, the finest and most revered form of magic in all of Asgard, if he were to describe it himself.
Rune Magic was said to be immensely powerful when mastered completely. He had once read about Rune King Thor, who had unlocked its secrets and become the most powerful version of Thor to ever exist.
If he could learn this knowledge, he could share it with his women as well—making them stronger, more formidable than ever.
He moved deeper among the golden aisles.
"They really should update their security," Ethan muttered dryly. They believed no intruder could ever reach Asgard without Odin's knowledge, so on special locks or anything was placed in here. And normally, they'd be right. But Odin's Odinsleep had changed everything.
He reached out and placed a hand on an open tome. The pages shimmered, displaying ancient equations of runic geometry, celestial physics, and Rune magic. Ethan smiled faintly, then raised his other hand.
A green sigil appeared over his palm — circular, intricate, alive. It expanded rapidly, spreading out until the entire library was covered in a gentle emerald glow.
He activated his chronokinesis, bending time around him so that it flowed far slower than the world outside.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's begin."
The books began to open themselves, their pages flipping at supernatural speed. Ethan stood in the center, absorbing, memorizing, processing — thousands of years of knowledge pouring into his mind like liquid fire.
An Hour passed in moments. Time itself seemed to slow as Ethan devoured the secrets of Asgard... Because it really slowed down inside.
-----------------
Meanwhile — at the Bifrost.
The sky above Asgard crackled violently as Thor and Loki battled across the Rainbow Bridge. Blasts of energy erupted as lightning met ice, the bridge trembling beneath their might.
With a roar, Thor swung Mjolnir — the hammer struck Loki's chest and sent him sprawling across the shimmering bridge.
"Stay down, brother!" Thor shouted.
Loki, panting, sneered. "You never could see past your own strength!"
He tried to rise, but Thor slammed the hammer down on his chest, pinning him to the bridge.
Then Thor turned, his eyes widening — the Bifrost was glowing brighter than ever. The energy beam, meant to bridge realms, was now focused on Jotunheim, pouring infinite power into the realm of frost. The stream was so intense it threatened to shatter the planet itself.
Thor's voice trembled. "Loki… what have you done?"
"To prove myself," Loki hissed. "To show Father I could be better than you."
Thor looked toward the blazing beam, anguish on his face. "You'll destroy them all!"
He rushed to the control pedestal — but Loki had already frozen it solid. The ice sealed the mechanism, locking the Bifrost's path in place. The energy was so immense that Thor couldn't even step near it; the heat and radiation pushed him back.
Behind him, Loki struggled against Mjolnir, sneering. "Look at you, Mighty Thor. Even with all your strength — what can you do now? You are nothing."
Thor stood at the edge, watching as the Bifrost's beam roared toward Jotunheim, tearing through the void. The energy was too much. It would annihilate the entire realm of the Frost Giants.
The Bifrost's energy burned brighter, out of control. He couldn't even get close.
He reached for the hammer. In an instant, it flew from atop Loki's chest straight into his hand. His eyes burned with unwavering determination, the weight of the weapon matching the resolve in his heart.
With a heavy heart, he whispered, "Forgive me, Jane."
He lifted Mjolnir, prepared to destroy the bridge itself — when a hand caught his wrist.
"Easy there, hot-headed prince."
Thor froze and turned — and his eyes widened. Standing beside him, gripping his arm, was Ethan Carter, smiling faintly.
"Ethan?!" Thor blurted. "What are you doing here? How did you—"
Ethan raised a finger. "We'll talk later. Let's handle this tiny problem first."
Loki, seeing Ethan, snarled, "Then die with him!"
Thor barely had time to react before Loki screamed, summoning the Casket of Ancient Winters. Frost exploded from his hands as he aimed it toward them.
"Ethan, look out!" Thor shouted.
Ethan sighed. "Really?"
He didn't even glance back. With a snap of his fingers, time froze. The frost wave halted midair, suspended in a shimmering green field. Loki stood motionless, encased in temporal stasis.
"You're about… a few centuries too early to best me with time, Loki."
Thor stared in disbelief. "What—what did you just do?"
Ethan smiled faintly and released his grip on Thor. He turned to the raging Bifrost, his right hand placed toward the Bifrost before summoning a vast emerald sigil.
He rotated his wrist counterclockwise. The bridge began to pulse, reverse, and rewind. Energy twisted backward as the Bifrost's destructive surge returned to its dormant state, undoing Loki's sabotage.
Under Thor's stunned gaze, the entire structure was restored.
"All done," Ethan said casually, brushing invisible dust off his sleeve.
He turned toward Loki, snapped his fingers again, and time rewound around him — pulling the trickster back to the moment before his attack. Loki blinked, disoriented.
"Surprise, motherf—" Ethan's grin turned mischievous. "—frost giant."
He slapped Loki across the face with a burst of power that sent him flying into the edge of the bridge.
Thor couldn't help but laugh. "You're insane, Ethan Carter."
Ethan smirked. "Takes one to know one, thunder boy."
But his grin faded as the air shimmered with divine light. Ethan straightened, his gaze lifting. "It is an honor to meet you… Your Majesty."
From above, Odin Allfather descended — clad in gold armor, Gungnir in hand, his single eye gleaming with restrained fury and sorrow.
Loki, seeing his father, froze. Horror and heartbreak mixing on his face. "I could've done it, Father," he said desperately. "For you. For all of us."
Odin's voice was calm, heavy with regret. "No, Loki. This was never your path."
Loki's gaze flickered between Odin, Thor, and Ethan. His voice cracked with hatred. "I'll remember you, Wizard of Midgard."
And before any of them could move, he turned and leapt from the edge into the abyss below.
"NO!" Thor roared, diving forward, but it was too late. Loki was gone.
Odin lowered his head, whispering, "It shouldn't have ended this way."
Thor turned to Ethan, desperation in his eyes. "You can turn back time! Please — bring him back!"
Ethan shook his head slowly. "It doesn't work like that, Thor. I'm sorry."
He wasn't really sorry — not entirely. Some moments were meant to happen. Even Odin, for all his power, had chosen not to stop Loki.
It seemed the All-Father had his own plans, perhaps intending to exile Loki, or maybe just thinking the trickster needed some time away from Asgard.
The All-Father had his reasons, and Ethan Carter had his own... To ensure that the canon events still unfolded—but shape them in a way that achieved the best possible outcome.
He watched silently as Thor's cries echoed beneath the bridge, the God of Thunder's grief a stark reminder that some wounds even the strongest couldn't immediately heal.
Odin stepped forward, his aura flaring with divine authority. "You have courage, mortal — to walk into Asgard, to steal our knowledge, and stand before me."
The air grew heavy with power as Odin's aura flared, shaking the bridge itself. But Ethan stood tall, meeting the gaze of a god without any fear.
"I believe I made a mistake," Ethan said calmly. "And punishment is deserved."
He took a slow breath. "I'll accept it. Use your full power — I won't defend or dodge."
Thor's eyes widened. "Have you gone mad, Ethan?!"
But Ethan's expression was steady — almost serene.
Inside, however, he was smiling. 'Exactly as planned. Let's see how far I can push a god.'