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"Why are we going back to Asgard at all?" Thor asked, brow furrowed as the Bifrost carried them across realms.
He still wasn't used to the way this Earth sorcerer could summon the Rainbow Bridge at will.
In the prophecies of Ragnarok, Surtur, Jörmungandr, Fenrir, and Níðhöggr were all named as harbingers of Asgard's doom.
Odin had warned them that Hela herself was the spark. And now thanks to Nolan, Hela was contained. Shouldn't that mean the apocalypse was averted?
"What's the point of returning?" Thor demanded.
Nolan's reply was calm, almost casual.
"To trigger Ragnarok."
Thor and Loki froze.
"What?!" Thor shouted. "Why would you cause it?"
"Because I want to capture its heralds and study them," Nolan said. His tone was flat, matter-of-fact.
"That is a form of prevention. Contain the threats, and they can't end your realm. Besides…" his eyes glinted, "Surtur infused with the Eternal Flame is at least Skyfather-level. That kind of power deserves analysis."
Thor bristled, but Loki tugged at his arm silently warning him not to push. This "Sorcerer Supreme" had already demonstrated power greater than Hela. Opposing him now would be suicidal.
"Relax," Nolan added without turning around. "Odin once helped me. I won't betray that. But if either of you tries tricks in front of me, I'll be happy to put you both on my dissection table."
The threat hung in the air like a blade.
---
The three stepped off the Bifrost. Heimdall stood waiting, great sword in hand.
"Impossible," Loki muttered. "You disappeared…"
"I obeyed the All-Father's command," Heimdall answered coldly. "If the Sorcerer Supreme failed against Hela, it was my duty to evacuate the people. But since he stands here, I assume the Goddess of Death is dealt with."
"She's trapped," Nolan said simply. "In a space prison, she won't escape anytime soon."
Heimdall bowed his head. "Then Asgard owes you more than we can ever repay."
"Don't thank me yet," Thor said grimly. "He plans to provoke Ragnarok."
Heimdall's eyes widened. "What—?"
"Not exactly," Nolan corrected. "I'll be waking certain… assets. Surtur. The wolf. The serpent. Maybe the dragon. Odin's vault is full of curiosities, but those creatures are more valuable than any relic."
Heimdall hesitated, then lowered his sword. "If the All-Father entrusted you, I will trust his judgment."
"Good," Nolan said. "Now let's visit Odin's treasure hall. That place is far more interesting than you realize."
Thor and Loki exchanged nervous glances. They had grown up wandering the vault. But if even he called it "not simple," perhaps they'd overlooked truths hidden in plain sight.
---
The massive doors opened. Relics glimmered in stasis fields: the Casket of Ancient Winters, the Eternal Flame, the Crown of Surtur, and countless artifacts the brothers had always taken for granted.
Nolan's gaze swept the chamber, then stopped.
"Well, well. The Infinity Gauntlet."
On a pedestal stood a golden glove, socketed for six stones.
Thor scoffed. "That's a fake. Hela said so herself."
"Did she now?" Nolan murmured, stepping closer. His fingers brushed the metal. Power thrummed faintly beneath the surface.
Complex runes linked like circuits, ancient enchantments woven by Eitri himself. Nolan smiled. "No. This one's real. Odin tried to gather the Stones long before Thanos. He just never succeeded."
His eyes glowed as his body parsed the gauntlet's every line of script. "The enchantments alone are worth dissecting. The dwarves truly were craftsmen beyond compare." He stored the patterns away for later research, then turned toward another relic.
The Casket of Ancient Winters.
He lifted it easily. Loki flinched. "That's dangerous," he warned.
Nolan ignored him. The casket opened with a hiss, and a storm of frost poured forth. The temperature plummeted in an instant. Nolan inhaled sharply then drew the blizzard into his own lungs. The air warmed, the frost gone. He snapped the lid shut.
"Just a dimensional conduit," he said. "A doorway to Jotunheim's endless blizzards. Not so impressive once you know the trick."
Loki's jaw tightened, shame rising at the reminder of his Jotun heritage. Nolan's eyes, however, had already moved on.
At the vault's center burned a living flame, dancing and eternal.
"The Eternal Flame," Nolan whispered. His lips curved into a smile. "Now this is worth my time."
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