Chapter 23: Bifrost Bridge Battle and a Family Feud
Back in the cozy confines of his Queens apartment, the news was already buzzing with reports of Thor's return to Asgard. Adam, sipping a perfectly brewed cup of tea (no wish required, thankfully), knew what that meant: family drama. Specifically, the kind of family drama that involved glowing swords, ice projections, and a very angry, very powerful brother. Loki.
"It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?" Aunt May commented, watching a news report about Loki's alleged treachery. "He seemed so… polite. For a god."
Adam chuckled. "Oh, May, you clearly haven't met enough gods. Polite is just a phase. Then comes the 'conquer the universe' phase. It's a classic."
[DAILY WISH DAYS ACCUMULATION: +1]
He knew Thor and Loki were clashing on the Bifrost Bridge, a battle of epic proportions. Too far for direct intervention on the combatants themselves, but he could still influence the cosmic vibes.
"Alright, Loki. You're a trickster god. Let's make your tricks a little… sillier."
[WISH GRANTED: LOKI'S ICE CLONE BRIEFLY MORPHS INTO A FROZEN, SMILING CARTOON CHARACTER. COST: 90 WISH DAYS.]
He imagined Loki, mid-fight, conjuring a menacing ice clone, only for it to appear as a grinning, cartoonish figure, complete with exaggerated eyes and a tiny, frozen top hat. Thor would probably pause, confused. Loki would probably shriek in rage. "Pure gold. Ninety wish days, well spent."
Then there was Thor. His thunderclaps were impressive, but could they be… more?
"A little extra oomph, for the God of Thunder."
[WISH GRANTED: THOR'S THUNDERCLAP EMITS SUBTLE, SATISFYING COWBELL CHIME. COST: 60 WISH DAYS.]
He pictured Thor, mid-battle, slamming Mjolnir down, and instead of just a boom, a faint, yet distinct, ding-dong! of a cowbell echoed through Asgard. Loki would probably be even more annoyed.
Later that evening, he and May settled down to watch a sci-fi movie. It was one of those old ones, with cheesy special effects, but May loved it. Tonight's feature involved a "rainbow bridge" to another dimension.
"You know," May said, pointing at the screen, "it's funny how they always imagine these other worlds. So fantastical. I wonder if they're real."
"Oh, May," Adam said, a twinkle in his eye, "you'd be surprised what's out there. Some places have rainbow bridges. Some have giant, angry robots. Some have… very persistent cowbells."
May laughed, shaking her head. "You and your imagination, dear."
Adam smiled. He used a low-cost wish.
[WISH GRANTED: CONSTELLATION 'ASGARDIA' (UNOFFICIAL NAME) APPEARS TO WINK IN THE NIGHT SKY. COST: 10 WISH DAYS.]
He subtly influenced a specific constellation, visible from their window, to appear to twinkle rapidly, almost as if winking at them. May, looking out, gasped. "Adam! Look! That star! It's… it's blinking!"
"Must be saying hello," Adam murmured, squeezing her hand. "Or goodbye, to a very confused trickster god."