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"Well, if there's any problem that can't be solved in the end, you can come to me. As long as there are enough chips, I can help you out," Aidan smiled, then his expression grew more serious. "But when you're creating your AI, you'd better not add the rule to protect the planet."
"I'll think about it," Tony nodded, though something in Aidan's tone made him pay closer attention to the warning than he might have otherwise. "When're you gonna leave?"
"Let's go now. My apprenticeship in Asgard's about to end, and I've gotta get to the next place to study as soon as possible."
Tony shook his head in amazement. "I can't believe you still have time to study everywhere. I'm constantly upgrading my suit and dealing with Stark Industries board meetings, and you're just casually learning magic from gods and dwarves."
"Well, I sent some transformium to your company," Aidan said as they walked back toward the office. "If you wanna make a car Transformer, you can research it yourself. I'm sure you'll finish it soon."
"Transformium?" Tony's eyes lit up with the familiar gleam of an engineer seeing new possibilities. "Like liquid mercury but solid? Or more like programmable matter?"
"You'll figure it out. Just don't try to make it sentient right away - walk before you run."
"Yeah," Tony nodded, genuinely touched by the gesture. Most people saw his wealth and assumed he didn't need help, but Aidan consistently offered resources and knowledge freely.
They returned to the office where the rest of the Avengers were waiting with barely concealed tension. Loki had been escorted in during their absence, bound in high-tech restraints that looked like they could contain a small explosion. Handcuffs secured his wrists while a metal mask covered the lower half of his face, presumably to prevent him from talking his way out of custody or casting spells.
Aidan glanced at the mask covering Loki's mouth and his brain immediately went to some very inappropriate places. Focus, he told himself firmly, this isn't the time for weird thoughts.
The god of mischief himself looked remarkably composed for someone facing lifetime imprisonment. His green eyes tracked every movement in the room with calculating intelligence, like he was filing away information for future use. Despite the restraints, there was something almost amused in his expression - as if this was all just another game to him.
"Is this really necessary?" Aidan asked, gesturing at the elaborate restraints. "He's going to Asgard's dungeons anyway."
"After what he did in Stuttgart and New York, we're not taking any chances," Fury replied grimly. "That silver tongue of his is almost as dangerous as his magic."
Thor stood near his brother with an expression caught between duty and grief. Every few seconds, his gaze would flick to Loki's face as if searching for some sign of the brother he remembered from childhood.
"Alright, let's go. See you guys later," Aidan said, opening a portal with ease. The familiar golden sparks danced in the air, forming the geometric patterns that would carry them.
Thor gripped Loki's arm firmly but not roughly - more like he was afraid his brother might simply vanish if he let go. The three of them stepped through together, reality bending around them like water.
They materialized in the same desert wasteland where Thor had first arrived on Earth months ago. The New Mexico landscape stretched endlessly in all directions, red rocks and sparse vegetation baking under an unforgiving sun. It was a harsh, empty place that somehow seemed fitting for major life transitions.
"Heimdall, send us back!" Thor shouted at the cloudless sky, his voice carrying easily across the desert silence.
Within moments, the familiar blue beam of the Bifrost descended from the heavens. Not the original Rainbow Bridge - that magnificent spectrum of color that had once been Asgard's pride - but the temporary replacement system they'd been using since its destruction. The light engulfed them, and the desert disappeared.
The transition from Earth's blazing heat to Asgard's eternal golden twilight always took a moment to adjust to. The Observatory materialized around them, its crystalline architecture catching and reflecting light in ways that defied earthly physics.
"Heimdall, long time no see," Aidan said warmly, approaching the imposing figure who stood vigilant at the controls of the Bifrost.
The guardian of the Bifrost cut an impressive figure even by Asgardian standards. Nearly eight feet tall, with skin that seemed forged from dark metal and eyes that glowed with inner fire, he radiated the kind of quiet authority that came from seeing everything and judging wisely. His golden horned helmet caught the light as he turned to acknowledge them.
"Mage Parker, Your Highness Thor, welcome back," Heimdall nodded, his deep voice resonating through the chamber.
Aidan found his gaze drawn to the prominent horns jutting from Heimdall's helmet. Something about their curved shape reminded him of old TV shows from his previous life, and he had to resist the urge to reach out and touch them. Probably not the best way to maintain diplomatic relations, he thought.
Heimdall's all-seeing gaze flicked to Aidan briefly, but the guardian simply returned his attention to monitoring the Nine Realms through his enchanted sword.
"I got the Space Stone," Aidan announced, deciding to cut straight to important business. "So your bifrost should be able to be repaired soon."
For just a moment, Heimdall's eternally stoic expression flickered. The slight softening around his eyes suggested genuine relief, though his voice remained carefully controlled. "If the bifrost can be recovered, that'd be for the best. The majesty of Asgard will radiate throughout the Nine Realms again."
What he didn't say, but Aidan could read in his posture, was how tired the guardian had become of working with replacement technology. The temporary Bifrost worked, but it lacked the elegance and power of the original bifrost . For someone whose entire purpose was maintaining perfect connections across the cosmos, using other equipment had to be frustrating.
"I'm gonna take my brother to see the All-Father," Thor said, his grip on Loki's arm tightening slightly. "You wanna come with us?"
"Sure. I've got some questions for Lord Odin anyway," Aidan nodded.
The three of them made their way through Asgard's gleaming corridors toward the palace. Despite his restraints, Loki walked with the fluid grace of someone completely at home in these halls. His eyes tracked every detail - guards' positions, architectural features, changes since his last time here. Even as a prisoner, he was gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, back on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier floating somewhere above Earth's oceans, the Avengers were having their own discussion in the wake of Aidan and Thor's departure.
"Did he agree to give you the Mind Stone?" Fury asked Tony, his single eye studying the billionaire's face for any sign of deception.
"Of course," Tony nodded, unable to completely hide his excitement. "It's just a loan - I've gotta give it back to him when I'm done with it. But that should be enough time to crack the puzzle."
Captain America frowned, his 1940s moral compass clearly troubled by the implications. "What exactly are you planning to do with the Mind Stone?"
Tony adjusted his sunglasses and launched into explanation mode, his hands moving expressively as he outlined his vision. "I wanna use the energy of the Mind Stone to create an artificial intelligence - something way more advanced than JARVIS. Then build an army of robots that can protect Earth when we can't."
He'd been thinking about this constantly since the invasion ended. The parsing programs he'd run on Loki's scepter while it was aboard the Helicarrier had given him tantalizing glimpses of the power contained within. If the Tesseract was like an endless energy source, the Mind Stone was like the universe's most sophisticated computer processor.
"Relying on us alone isn't enough," Tony continued, his voice gaining intensity. "We got lucky this time. The portal was small, the invasion force was limited, and we had help from Aidan's . But what happens next time? What if the enemy comes through fifty portals instead of one? What if they bring ships the size of Manhattan?"
He gestured toward the window, where New York's skyline was visible in the distance, still showing scars from the recent battle. "The next time aliens invade, we need to be able to shut them out completely. I wanna put a layer of armor around the entire Earth."
The room fell silent as the others absorbed the scope of his ambition. Finally, Natasha spoke up, her Russian accent adding an edge to her words.
"Your Earth sounds very cold, Tony."
"This Earth too fragile," Tony replied, but his voice lacked its usual conviction. "We're one successful invasion away from extinction."
Captain America shook his head firmly. "I don't agree with your plan. If there's an accident with the program, that armor could become a weapon pointed at us instead of our enemies."
"Steve's right," Bruce Banner added quietly from where he'd been studying data on his tablet. "AIs have a way of interpreting their directives in unexpected ways. What happens if your protection program decides humans are the real threat?"
"That's exactly what Aidan warned me about," Tony admitted. "He said not to program it to protect the planet."
"Then maybe you should listen to him," Natasha suggested. "The kid seems to know more about cosmic-level threats than the rest of us combined."
The argument continued, voices rising as deep philosophical differences clashed with practical concerns. It was the same debate they'd been having since the team formed - how much power was too much? When did protection become control?
In Asgard's throne room, the massive golden hall echoed with footsteps as they approached the throne where Odin sat in judgment. The All-Father looked older than Aidan remembered, as if the weight of cosmic responsibility was finally beginning to show on his immortal features. His remaining eye fixed on Loki with an expression that mixed disappointment, love, and terrible sadness.
Guards removed Loki's restraints with efficiency, but remained close enough to intervene if necessary. Even without his bonds, the God of Mischief stood straighter, his natural arrogance reasserting itself in the presence of ultimate authority.
"I thought you were dead," Odin said, his voice carrying across the vast hall with the weight of absolute power.
Loki's response was immediate and cutting. "Then did you mourn for me?"
The question hung in the air like a blade. Odin's expression softened slightly, genuine grief flickering across his weathered features. "I did. And your mother, and your brother mourned for you. We all did."
"We raised you," Odin continued, rising from his throne with slow dignity. "You grew up with Thor, played together, fought together. Don't you remember any of that? The long summer days in the palace gardens? The lessons in swordplay and sorcery? The laughter?"
But Loki's face remained hard as stone. "No, I only have shadows in my memory, growing up in the shadows of his light." His voice rose with each word, years of resentment pouring out. "I only remember you throwing me into the abyss! I was supposed to be a king!"
The words echoed through the hall with the force of a physical blow. Odin stumbled slightly, his hand clutching at his chest as pain lanced through him. The Odinsleep was calling, the magical rest that sustained his immortal life demanding its due at the worst possible moment.
"Father!" Thor rushed forward, catching Odin before he could fall. The All-Father's breathing was labored, his face pale beneath his golden beard.
"Guards!" Thor shouted. "Take Loki to the dungeons!"
Two Einherjar in gleaming golden armor stepped forward, flanking Loki. The God of Mischief didn't resist - if anything, he seemed satisfied by the chaos he'd caused with just a few words.
As they escorted him away, Loki's eyes met Aidan's briefly. There was something calculating in that gaze, as if he was filing away the young mage's presence for future consideration.
Odin recovered slowly, leaning heavily on Thor's strong arm as he made his way back to the throne. The attack had passed, but it was clear that the All-Father's strength was waning. The burden of ruling the Nine Realms for millennia was finally taking its toll.
"Mage Parker," Odin said softly, his voice carrying exhaustion that seemed to echo from his very bones. "Since the Space Stone's in your hands, the repair of the bifrost is left to you. My old bones need to rest more and more these days."
"No problem," Aidan nodded, understanding the weight of what was being asked. The Bridge wasn't just transportation - it was a symbol of Asgard's power and authority throughout the Nine Realms.
"I know that you mages like to trade," Odin continued, managing a slight smile despite his fatigue. "After the repair of the Bridge, I can let you enter the library of Asgard. It contains all the magic knowledge of Asgard and the complete records of the Nine Realms - spells that predate human civilization, histories of wars between gods, secrets that've been guarded for millennia."
The offer was staggering. Asgard's library was legendary even among cosmic entities - a repository of knowledge gathered across eons of exploration and conquest. Most mages would kill for access to even a fraction of its contents.
Odin's relationship with the Ancient One had always been strained, two immortal beings with very different philosophies about magic and responsibility. But this young man had earned Thor's friendship and demonstrated both power and wisdom. With Ragnarok approaching - and Odin knew it was coming, had seen it in visions and prophecies - Asgard's knowledge might be lost forever. Better to share it with someone who might preserve it.
"Alright, thank you, Your Excellency Odin!" Aidan's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "I promise the Bridge'll be restored to its full glory."
And maybe, he thought, I can learn enough from that library to help prevent Ragnarok entirely. Or at least make sure the right people survive it.
Thor looked between his father and his friend.
PLZ throw powerstones.