Thor felt his own weakness acutely. The physical agony of banishment was bad, but the sheer, unfamiliar intensity of hunger was worse, washing over him like a suffocating tide. Without his divine power, he was, as Su Yi had noted, merely a strong mortal.
It was a good thing Su Yi offered to treat him; otherwise, with Thor's enormous pride, he likely would have starved before he would have lowered himself to ask the "mortals" for food.
At the diner table, Jane and Dr. Selvig were mostly focused on their notes and the complex theoretical implications of the Bifrost marks. They huddled over printouts, discussing quantum displacement and non-local energy signatures, effectively tuning out the chaos.
Agent Coulson, meanwhile, was politely, methodically, trying to extract more information from their volatile guest. As an Agent, although Coulson was not a telepath, his ability to gather intelligence by observation and subtle questioning was highly refined.
"So, you are Thor, the Thunder God," Coulson said, stirring his coffee. "You have been absent from this world for so many years. Why did you appear here—and in such a dramatic fashion?"
At the mention of this topic, Thor became instantly enraged, his face reddening as he pounded the table with a bare forearm. "Because my father, the Allfather, Odin, has become senile! Just because I intended to eliminate all Frost Giants in Jotunheim—a necessary act of strategic domination—he banished me to this dusty, insignificant realm!"
Upon hearing this, Coulson's demeanor became instantly wary, his mental security checklist running at high speed. This Thor, even unpowered, was a self-proclaimed warmonger. If he also posed a threat to this world, they would need to be prepared for a full-scale intergalactic incident.
"I want to know, Prince Thor, why you wanted to eliminate them?" Coulson pressed gently.
"Because of the misplaced benevolence of my father and Asgard, they have lost their reverence for us! They fear us no more! I must reassert Asgard's authority and make them revere me and my father again, through strength and fear!" Thor finished, his voice echoing through the small diner.
Caught up in his fervent war rhetoric, Thor gulped down a glass of orange juice. "I really like this drink!" he declared, and in his inexperience with mortal tableware, he immediately smashed the glass in his massive, unthinking grip, sending shattered remnants and sticky juice across the table.
"Another one!" Thor demanded, oblivious to the silence he had imposed on the room.
Darcy, looking confused and annoyed, immediately retorted, "What is wrong with you? You shouldn't smash glasses, you maniac!"
Su Yi calmly reached into his pocket and placed a generous stack of bills on the counter. "Sorry, please clean this up. I will compensate you for all damages, plus tip. And, yes, give him another one, please, but in a durable mug."
Su Yi then leaned closer to Thor, speaking in a low, conspiratorial tone. "You should be friendlier, Thor. This destructive behavior is considered extremely impolite here, especially to those who serve you food." He paused, letting the silence hang.
"As a Prince of Asgard, you wouldn't want to damage Asgard's image abroad by acting like a rampaging barbarian, would you? The good opinion of Midgard is essential to your future rule."
Thor deflated slightly, the mention of Asgard's dignity piercing through his thick pride. "Of course not. I... I apologize. The customs of this realm are strange."
Su Yi had easily reined in Thor using his own vanity. Jane seized the momentary calm to ask her questions, sliding photos across the table.
"May I ask you a few questions, Thor?"
"Of course, mortal. I am generous with my knowledge."
Jane pointed to the photos of the ground marks and a hazy figure that appeared in her magnetic storm recordings. "There was a figure at the center of this magnetic storm, which looked like you. How did you get in there? Also, these marks on the ground don't look like they were naturally formed."
Thor proudly explained, "This is the Bifrost Bridge, our Asgardian teleportation device, which can transport people across the Nine Realms, or to distant star systems."
Jane listened, utterly engrossed but struggling to keep up. Everything was so outrageous, yet so specific. Figures from mythology had become powerful, technologically advanced aliens. Magic was simply a form of science she couldn't comprehend at the moment—a technology far beyond human capability.
Thor became the center of attention, and Coulson took the opportunity to gather a trove of intelligence, forming an initial assessment of the deposed God: a vain, arrogant, yet remarkably simple warrior. Crucially, for now, he was just an ordinary, if ridiculously muscular, man.
Coulson was extremely worried about the long-term threat. "Are you absolutely sure he won't harm this world once he's back on his feet, Mr. Su? He talks like a tyrant."
Su Yi took a slow sip of his water, perfectly composed. "It's alright, Agent Coulson, he's just an ordinary person now. Odin stripped him of his power to temper him. The enchantment on Mjolnir ensures that he can only lift it and regain his divine power once he completes his trials and truly repents."
"If he never truly repents," Su Yi continued, laying out his theory clearly for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s consumption, "he won't regain his divine power and will remain a strong, ordinary person. A taser can subdue him, as your records will soon show."
"When he regains his power, it means he has awakened and understood his mistakes. He will no longer have thoughts of destruction or inciting conflict." Su Yi didn't mention Jane was the key to this process, as that was privileged information he intended to use.
Coulson was still uneasy. "Are you certain? He is a high and mighty god, and we only have your word."
"He believes in justice, Agent. He still adheres to the warrior's code. He's just a 1,500-year-old child who needs some emotional growth," Su Yi said, half-defending and half-complaining about Thor.
"So, next, we're taking him to get his Mjolnir back?"
"Yes. He can't lift Mjolnir yet, as I said. He must prove himself worthy." Su Yi then lowered his voice, acting concerned. "However, once he recovers, I plan to find a time to challenge him. I need to know how powerful these 'Asgardians' truly are. If he becomes a threat, I need the data to stop him."
Su Yi noted Coulson's rising tension. Coulson wasn't worried about the outcome of the fight; he was worried about the collateral damage.
"Don't worry, Agent Coulson," Su Yi said quickly, anticipating the unspoken concern. "If I cannot stop him before he regains his power, I have the means to take him to a barren Planet to fight, avoiding all harm to the ordinary people of this world."
"Understood, Mr. Su," Coulson conceded, slightly reassured by the promise of planetary exile for the potential brawl. "Let's move out then. I'll lead the way to the hammer's location."
The four mortals—Su Yi, Jane, Darcy, and Selvig—and the exiled God piled back into their vehicles. Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. motorcade led the way toward the secret containment field they had quickly erected around the Mjolnir crater.
Darcy sat in the passenger seat next to Su Yi, watching Coulson's black SUVs ahead. "Su Yi, you're not an ordinary person, are you? You know about Thor's origins, you speak to this secret government group as an equal, and you can apparently 'take Thor to a barren planet.'" She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "Jane should have noticed too. If you're hiding something, you'd best be honest with her."
Su Yi had no intention of hiding it any longer. The time for calculated reveals was over.
"Actually, Darcy, you're right. I'm a Superhero. Not the flashy type, but I exist to ensure the safety of this world, especially from the things that fall from space."
Su Yi revealed his true identity, which surprised Darcy immensely. "No wonder you're so strong! I saw you toss him into the RV like a teddy bear!"
"I plan to find a time to confess everything to Jane after tonight," Su Yi said, nodding seriously.
Meanwhile, in the other car, Jane was driving, while Dr. Selvig and Thor were discussing astronomical knowledge about the Nine Realms, Thor effortlessly revealing details about star systems and cosmological phenomena that completely defied current human astronomy.
Dr. Selvig, far from dismissing it as delusion, was struggling to comprehend the complexity of the data now flooding his brain.
As they drove, Su Yi checked his internal clock. He needed five minutes of privacy, and they were approaching the final turn. Coulson's detail was professional; they would not allow the asset to be out of sight.
Su Yi suddenly slowed down and pulled the pursuit car to the side of the road.
"Hold up, I just realized I left my emergency tracking beacon for the Bifrost trace at the diner," Su Yi called out over the radio, a look of professional frustration on his face. "It's vital for isolating the gravitational anomaly. Coulson, go ahead, you can't lose the lead in the dust. We'll cut across that abandoned road system here to double back. We'll catch up."
Coulson, prioritizing the hammer and the containment field's security, replied instantly. "Negative, Mr. Su. Stay put. I'll send a detail back for your beacon."
"No time," Su Yi retorted quickly, his plan adapting. "The decay rate is too fast. We need to go now. Jane, turn down that dusty side road now! It's a shortcut."
Jane, accustomed to following Su Yi's confident lead, jerked the wheel and sent the car plunging onto a long-forgotten, overgrown asphalt road that ran parallel to Coulson's route, obscured by a line of low hills.
Coulson was stuck on the main road, the delay causing only minor annoyance. He had eyes on the RV with Thor. The RV was on the shortcut with Jane, Darcy, and Selvig. He mentally logged the detour but kept his focus on the main objective.
Su Yi now had his isolated window. He leaned back against the headrest, a predatory smile stretching his lips.
"Thor Odinson," Su Yi whispered, activating his Challenge Card. "It's time for your trial to begin. We're not going for breakfast anymore."
After a brief, dusty detour, the team finally arrived at the location of Mjolnir.
The area had already been completely cordoned off. Dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in black gear moved professionally around a massive, temporary research tent erected over the impact crater. Lights and sensors pulsed, and heavy equipment sat nearby. This was now S.H.I.E.L.D. Containment Facility Alpha-1.
Coulson showed his identification, and the perimeter opened for the motorcade. Su Yi and the others were led directly toward the central tent where the object was located.
When Thor saw the containment field and the focus on his weapon, he became incredibly excited, his eyes locking onto the center of the pit.
"Mjolnir!" he bellowed, rushing forward with a renewed burst of energy, scrambling through the agents as if they were mere statues. He ran over excitedly, as if he had finally seen his long-lost lover.
Seeing Thor like this, Darcy couldn't help but quip to Su Yi, "Is he really Thor, or the God of Mjolnir? Ever since we met him, he's been going on about his hammer. I think he's obsessed."
Su Yi agreed, "Darcy, you are absolutely right. The hammer is his entire identity right now."
They continued forward, and Thor had already reached the center of the deep pit, standing directly before the unyielding, ancient hammer.
Looking at Mjolnir, Thor was extremely excited. He gripped the handle with both hands, ready to pick it up and unleash the power of the storm, ready to return to Asgard and correct his father's foolish mistake.
Coulson and dozens of agents watched intently, cameras recording every second, wondering if Thor would succeed and whether they were about to witness the return of a terrifying, powerful alien.
Only Su Yi, standing just outside the pit, knew that Thor would absolutely not succeed. Odin's power still remained, and his enchantment was not easily broken.
Thor strained, his mortal muscles bulging, his face turning red with effort. He pulled with the strength of a frustrated god, but Mjolnir, anchored by the magic of the Allfather, did not budge. Not an inch. Not a tremor.
Mjolnir remained fixed in the earth, utterly unmoved.
Thor stared at the hammer, then at his own hands, his face a mask of shock, disbelief, and a profound, agonizing betrayal. The Thunder God was humbled. The warrior was unworthy.
"Challenge Initiated. Target: Thor Odinson (Unpowered). You must now isolate the target and complete the required task for the Fate Point reward."
Su Yi watched the crushing defeat, knowing his own trial was about to begin. The time for diplomacy was over. Now, only a rapid, brutal, and calculated confrontation would pay for his next evolution.
Su Yi's next move is crucial. He has successfully used the Challenge Card and Mjolnir has confirmed Thor is still unworthy. The System demands isolation and completion of the task (defeating Thor).