Behind the small hill not far from the investigation site, Jane Foster had just put down her phone.
Just as she expected, Thor had rushed into the sinkhole alone, and there had been no news since. She didn't know what caused the sudden change in weather either—the clear night sky had suddenly poured down rain, soaking her completely. Fortunately, she hadn't heard any gunshots, so Thor's life shouldn't be in danger.
Even though Thor had spoken with absolute confidence before entering, she still felt uneasy about this domineering department that had forcibly taken away her research data. So the moment Thor went into the pit, she had already called Eric Selvig, and the call just now was Eric informing her that he and her assistant, Daisy Lewis, had arrived and were waiting for her.
"Will it work, Eric?" Jane asked the older scientist with a worried face.
"Oh! This is the only thing we can do." Eric Selvig gave Jane a reproachful look, then sighed.
"Heh…" Jane smiled awkwardly, avoiding his eyes.
"Even though I haven't appeared in the scientific community for years, whatever reputation I have left can still do something." Eric rubbed at his thinning hair, speaking with a headache.
"Thank you, Eric." Jane finally exhaled, her heart settling a little.
"But…" Eric lifted a finger toward her.
"What?" Jane asked.
"Remember—this is the only time. Don't get involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. again. Understand?" Eric Selvig said seriously.
Jane pursed her lips and nodded helplessly.
"Alright, you two. If you're going, go already." Daisy Lewis pulled out her phone to check the time. Nearly an hour had passed since Jane's call, and she still had no idea what was happening inside the base. Even though she wasn't some lovestruck girl and had no feelings toward Thor's overly masculine good looks, compared to risking her life at a place like this, any academic credit she could earn was insignificant. She remembered Eric's warning earlier about gamma-ray expert Bruce Banner disappearing after dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D., and right now, all she wanted was to stay as far away from this mess as possible.
"Alright, but Daisy… you're not coming?" Jane asked, confused, why her ambitious assistant would back out now.
"No." Daisy immediately shook her head. Already turning toward the car, she said, "I'll keep watch on the car."
She shut the door with a heavy bang and looked ready to flee at the slightest disturbance.
Jane and Eric exchanged a look, sighed silently, and then walked toward the base.
...
"You can call me whatever you want."
In the detention room, Thor raised his head instantly when he heard Harry's words, but then lowered it again. At this point, it didn't matter whether anyone believed he was Thor or not. He was an exile, no, and might remain a mortal forever.
Harry raised an eyebrow but didn't mind Thor's attitude.
With a slight motion of his hand, the magnetic field surged. A chair pulled itself away from the wall and slid directly toward Thor.
"What? Surprised?" Harry chuckled, watching Thor. Thor frowned at Harry's hand, unable to understand what he'd just seen.
"Who are you? Those people outside don't have power like yours." Thor said seriously, looking straight at him.
"You really don't know, huh. Just how long has it been since you Asgardians came to Midgard?" Harry kept his faint smile, one leg crossed over the other, his expression relaxed.
The history of mutants stretched far back, but only became visible to the world during World War II. Harry assumed Thor would know some of those ancient events. Harry certainly believed Odin would know about the first mutant—Apocalypse—five thousand years earlier. But to Harry's surprise, Thor didn't seem aware of any of it. Maybe Thor was still considered young among the Asgardians and didn't know their deeper secrets… but he didn't even know about mutants at all, which puzzled Harry even more.
"Do you know who I am? Do you believe that I am Thor?" Thor asked instead, not answering Harry's question. His expression grew serious—almost solemn.
"Of course." Although Thor deflected, Harry didn't mind answering.
"You two were talking so loudly just now. When I was standing outside the door, your brother thought I couldn't see him." Harry said with a small smile.
"You saw Loki? Then why didn't you—"
"Why didn't I capture him? Oh? And why should I?" Harry cut him off, leaning back and looking amused at Thor's surprise. But he still answered kindly: "I don't know the extent of Loki's power, but if he's already become an evil god, then he must be extraordinary. I didn't want to cause chaos and hurt the people outside, so I didn't act."
Harry paused, then leaned forward, eyes curious.
"But I do have a question."
Thor blinked, startled. "What question?"
"The relationship between you and Loki seems different from myth. In Midgard's legends, Loki is Odin's brother—your uncle. But in reality, you're his younger brother." Harry asked slowly, raising his brows with genuine interest.
"Ah." Thor froze, then shook his head. "That's just a story made up by your Midgardians. History becomes distorted, and our existence was mistaken for gods."
"Oh, I see." Harry understood already, but he had asked because of the lingering doubt. Satisfied with the answer, he nodded.
"Back to the earlier point—you don't seem to know the power I used. You Asgardians must not have visited this 'atrium' in a very long time." Harry lifted his hand and gestured casually.
"Yes. Because of certain lessons, we Asgardians are only guardians—we cannot come here freely. And that ability you used… it is indeed formidable." Thor said slowly, looking up at Harry.
Harry narrowed his eyes slightly and stayed silent.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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