GotSIS Ch.36: The Fallen God

13th December 2008

Crater Site, New Mexico

The sun sank lower toward the sand dunes in the distance while Harry sat comfortably on his armchair, occasionally glancing at the hammer below, which the scientists were still prodding. He blew the steam from his cup away and took a sip of his tea, folding one leg on top of the other. With a twirl of his finger, he summoned the copy he had made of the Book of Yggdrasil from the Library of Cagliostro and flipped it open.

“So, I’m just curious. Is this what you sorcerers usually do? Drink tea, and read books?” Hawkeye’s voice came from behind, and Harry whirled around, spilling his tea onto the metal floor.

The man leaned against the railing, peering at him through his purple sunglasses while grinning incorrigibly.

Harry scowled. “How did you know?”

“Oh, Coulson had to tell me when I figured that you kept appearing and disappearing in the van somehow. He told me it was magic and that you were a Sorcerer, something that is beyond classified, which is his way of telling me it is on a need-to-know basis.” He shrugged. “Of course, magic is also why you were consulted here. They think the hammer’s magic.”

“It technically is a bit more than that, but I understand it better than those guys below will.” Harry gestured to the men in hazmat suits and white coats, studying the hammer below. “Right now, I’m here to ensure that the hammer doesn’t curse them with something horrible or hit them with a bolt of lightning or something.”

Clint frowned. “How high are the chances of that happening?”

“Higher than SHIELD thinks. I told them that, and they told me that a bunch of civilians tried to lift it and they were all alright, so there didn’t seem to be any danger.” Harry snorted. “Thankfully, Coulson did forbid direct contact with it, which reduces the chances of that happening significantly. To the hammer, they might as well be waving a stick around it.”

“That stick is like hundreds of thousands of dollars worth,” Clint muttered. “Heck, each is probably more costly than whatever I’ll make in the next ten years.”

“If you’re comparing net worth, those sticks become twigs, Clint. There are things you cannot put a price on, and that hammer is one of them. If people could lift it, we’d be having a universal riot on our hands right now. A very violent riot, where Earth would’ve become an insignificant casualty.”

The man paled a bit and straightened up. “I saw you put an Omega-classification on it. Are you sure you’re not… exaggerating or something? It is just a hammer.”

“You may or may not believe me, but based on SHIELD standards and even mine, that hammer goes into Omega. Low Omega for me, high or super-Omega for SHIELD— yes, I know about that. Coulson briefed me on the new scale too, which they’ve updated recently.”

“Do you mean to say that this hammer can effectively destroy Earth?” Clint whispered. “And on top of it, there are things that are more powerful than that out there?”

Harry nodded, and the color drained out of Clint’s face. He stumbled back, holding onto the railing for a moment, and took a deep breath. 

Harry wordlessly conjured a glass of water before transfiguring the water to scotch and handing it to Clint, who blinked and examined it. 

“Thought you might need a drink, one which I owe you anyway, since you figured out what I am— even if it was by cheating,” Harry told him. “So, here’s a drink.”

“You pulled a Jesus, just turning water to scotch instead of wine… wow, magic’s crazy.” Clint sniffed the drink before taking a sip. “And it’s good scotch too.”

Harry shrugged. “You’re honestly taking it rather well. The rest I’ve told tend to have a fair few questions about it. I had to turn Hill into a rabbit to have Fury and her believe me.”

Clint almost spat out the scotch. “You what?”

“Hill still glares at me like I insulted her mother every time I see her.” Harry chuckled. “It was hilarious though, so I’d say it was worth it.” 

“She glares at everyone, so you don’t have to worry.” Clint grinned, taking another sip of the scotch. “You’re alright, Emrys.”

He smiled. “Harry.”

Clint grinned and shot a two-fingered salute, walking away with the glass of scotch in his hand. Harry had a nagging suspicion that the glass was going to end up in the hands of the science team in a few minutes. After all, while Coulson was trustworthy, SHIELD hadn’t gotten to what they were by letting mysteries be mysteries. 

Though Harry didn’t find himself caring all that much. Their probing into his magic, and whatever he gave them, won’t give them all that much, despite whatever they might try. 

His wizard magic was limited to his own energies, and given that the Ancient One’s thesis had been right, unique to him even in his old world, akin to a magical fingerprint. Thus, replicating or imitating it for someone without magic like his, in her opinion, was impossible. 

As for the Soul Stone, it was an object that was far more cosmic than anything science, magic, or divine could understand. It was quite literally beyond every other thing in the universe— a trait that it shared only with the other Infinity Stones.

No, the best he suspected that SHIELD could do was find a counter to basic Sorcery, or create some sort of detection or shielding against it. With the right tools, it wasn’t impossible, or so Harry suspected. 

The fact that some of the more advanced civilizations, like the Kree, the Shi-ar, and even the Skrulls, knew how to counter Sorcery and dimensional beings with technology served as credence to the fact that it could be done. And if they could do it, SHIELD could manufacture defenses to traditional Sorcery, or at least, energy attacks in the near future too, if it had the right people working with them.

While it might have usually been a worrying prospect for muggles to get defenses against magic, it was something Harry personally didn’t mind happening. Earth, as the Ancient One always said, was verging on becoming one of the more advanced civilizations and maturing beyond the norm. And from what he knew, every great galactic empire knew how to defend itself against both magic and technology or had combined the two to make the difference irrelevant.

And Earth needed to do something similar if it wanted to be prepared for the future to come, not just for the other empires who may wish to conquer it, but for the humongous threat that was lurking out there— Thanos. 

Even through meticulous research and scrying beyond worlds, Harry had gained little about who he actually was. Even with the Eye, he couldn’t scry or see the man he had seen in Glaive’s mind. 

Though he knew that whoever he was, Thanos was way beyond an ordinary threat. Beyond anything that anyone had probably ever faced. Because if he wasn’t, Harry wouldn’t have been sent across worlds after his Death to guard the Soul Stone, nor would Death have ever intervened in the affairs of a universe. 

No, this threat was very real and one that could destroy the universe and threaten the existence of the multiverse itself. This was a threat, whose minion had successfully killed one of the Master Hamir, who had been the most experienced Master of the Mystic Arts after the Ancient One herself. 

This Thanos, whoever he was, wasn’t someone who was messing around or someone to be taken lightly. 

So, in Harry’s opinion, if these little things of S.H.I.E.L.D ‘spying’ on him helped them and thus Earth to be prepared for Thanos and whatever else was out there, it wouldn’t hurt. 

Earth was going to come in the crosshairs sooner or later. It was in itself a magical nexus like none other, including the center of the Yggdrassil, and thus a juicy target in itself. Had it not been for Asgard and the other godly realms protecting them, some power or the other would’ve taken over the planet already.

But that wasn’t going to work forever, or so Harry suspected. Earth, and specifically, humanity, needed to be prepared for the future and the maturing of Earth so it could protect itself and survive the coming storm. And even the best of heroes, like Tony Stark, or the Masters of the Mystic Arts and the Sorcerer Supreme, could only do so much when faced with an army of threats.

Thus, SHIELD needed to be prepared in whatever way they deemed necessary. While he didn’t necessarily trust them or their methods, a part of Harry rested easy knowing that the top layer of the organization— Fury, Hill, and Coulson had the best interest of Earth in mind and all were good people at heart. The Soul-Gaze he had performed on them the day they had met had verified as much.

Whatever they created, whether it was technology or plans, Harry was certain it would be something they deemed necessary to protect the world. And even if he felt it wasn’t, he wasn’t going to interfere with it unless it was something horrible, in which case Harry doubted that even Coulson would let it stand. 

But regardless, he would have to keep an eye on them and his ear to the ground just in case they began to mess with things they shouldn’t. His monthly visit to Triskelion and meetings with Coulson would serve well for that. Of course, there wasn’t much SHIELD could do to stop him from having a look around anyway. With his invisibility cloak, the Eye of Agamotto, and magic, he severely doubted that there were things that they could truly hide from him if he wanted to look. And even if he couldn’t, the Ancient One could and would know about their plans and stop them if they were severely stepping out of line.

A little smile flickered on his face as he looked at the picture of the Yggdrassil and flipped past the page.

Thunder rumbled in the darkening sky, and he glanced up, closing the book, just as the scientists below began to panic and yell. 

‘Looks like Thor found us before we found him.’ Harry stood, vanishing the armchair with a thought, and picked up his phone, only to find its screen flickering just before raindrops splattered against the glass. ‘Time to meet the God of Thunder.’

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13th December 2008

Crater Site, New Mexico

Harry stood, hidden amongst the empty room-like structure around the hammer, watching through the screen as the shadows fought across the tunnels around him, and the panicked chatter of agents bled through the radio erratically. 

“Mrys… Emrys? Do you copy?” Coulson’s shaky voice rang through the walkie-talkie near him. “Does… eyes on Emrys?”

Harry picked up the device and pressed the button. “I’m here, Coulson. Standing right by the hammer. Tell your men to let him through.”

Static crackled before Barton’s voice bled through. “... on the target. You want me to slow him down, sir? Or are you sending in more guys for him to beat up?”

“Hawkeye, stand down!” Harry yelled over the rumble of thunder in the sky, glancing up to see the man standing in a small metal nest hanging high above the crater, a bow in his hand. “Hawkeye? Do you hear me? Hawkeye?”

No response came through, and Harry cursed under his breath before snapping his fingers, sending a shower of sparks soaring through the air that hit the nest, and the spell’s glow reflected in Clint’s purple glasses. A moment later, he lowered his bow and glanced in Harry’s direction, frowning when he couldn’t see him.

“Err… Coul— have a— from Emrys.” Clint’s voice cracked over the device as he spoke. “Says stand down. I— by the hammer.”

“Copy that,” Coulson’s reply echoed through the hum of the static. “Ag— stand down. Stand down.”

His attention was drawn away as a tall, blonde man appeared, his face brightening like the morning sky as he spotted the hammer. The Soul Stone warmed against his chest.

‘Thor, the Son of Odin, god of thunder.’ The stone whispered in his ear like a breeze, and Harry steeled himself.

The man stepped off the platform, mud splashing beneath his boots as he slowly walked up to the hammer, hope shining so fiercely in his eyes that Harry felt his heart clench. A grin stretched over his face as he ran his fingers over the handle of the hammer.

Harry nearly looked away as Thor wrapped his fingers around the hammer. ‘He isn’t going to lift it. The hammer won’t deem him worthy. That’s the whole point of his punishment.’

Thor tugged the hammer up, and it didn’t budge. The grin over his face faded, and he tried again, trying to lift it with both hands, grunting with effort as his massive arms bulged. Harry winced as Thor stumbled back and screamed at the sky, the thunder rumbling louder.

“WHY?” He screamed, collapsing to his knees, rain splattering down his face.

Harry averted his gaze, closing his eyes as Thor’s hope crumbled. Over him, the lightning ceased, and the rain lessened.

“All right, show’s over.” Coulson’s voice came clear now through the walkie-talkie, and Harry glanced up to see him standing on the railings above. “Ground units, move in.”

SHIELD agents in black windbreakers flooded into the crater, but Thor paid them little heed, his eyes fixed longingly on Mjolnir as they cuffed him and hurled him to his feet, leading him away.

“Emrys?” Coulson asked, his gaze darting around the crater.

With a thought, Harry apparated to stand beside him, dropping his invisibility at the very moment, causing Coulson to jump.

“Where were you?” He asked. 

“Oh, I was right by the hammer the entire time, ever since the storm started. Heck, I was there before your people reported the perimeter breach and the radios went crazy. I could barely hear any of you, and I think my messages weren’t going through either.”

Coulson frowned. “Maybe because you were so close to the hammer. It is giving off electromagnetic interference like barely anything we’ve ever seen before. It has ceased now, or well, lessened considerably.” Coulson glanced at the hammer. “Do you have any reasoning that could explain the sudden surge?”

“The hammer was reacting to its master’s presence, nothing more,” Harry replied. “Mjolnir, as I briefed you, is semi-sentient, which is how it decides whether or not someone’s worthy. It still recognizes Thor as a friend. Heck, right now, it was like a dog who had been waiting for his master to return him the whole day and got excited when it sensed him coming.”

“So why couldn’t he lift it?” Coulson raised an eyebrow.

“Because Thor hasn’t learned whatever lesson Odin wants him to learn. He chose to demolish hundreds of Frost Giants for nothing but petty revenge. Even now, he tore through your guards to get here, even if he didn’t kill them, which frankly can be considered an improvement. Though, of course, your men didn’t do anything wrong like the Jotuns did, nor does Thor inherently deem you monsters.”

“But the Frost Giants are monsters, aren’t they? At least by the way we might view them?”

Harry shrugged. “Depends on how you define the term. The Jotuns aren’t an innocent bunch exactly, and their King, Laufey, is even less so. Thousands of years ago, they waged war upon all the Nine Realms, including Earth, to gain its control and committed several atrocious and vicious acts. Though it was nothing that couldn’t be compared and scaled to certain conquerors, dictators, or Kings through history— human or otherwise, it was still devastating.”

“I see,” Coulson murmured. “So you’re certain that the guy is actually Thor, the god of thunder?”

“Used to be the god of thunder,” Harry corrected. “And might be again if he learns his lesson. But yes, he’s certainly Thor. And even as a mortal, he retains some of his Asgardian physiology and all his experience as a warrior.”

“That’s a bit of relief to SHIELD’s ego, probably,” Coulson muttered, and Harry raised an eyebrow. “He got past our men, who are some of the most highly trained professionals in the world, and made them look like they were a bunch of mall cops. That’s hurtful.”

“And it scares the shit out of you to see them taken out so easily, especially by someone who doesn’t have his powers or a weapon.” Coulson nodded silently, and Harry sighed. “The best thing I can advise is to prepare a special training program that teaches them methods to neutralize opponents way beyond their scope. I mean, one doesn’t get in a physical brawl with someone whose name is breathed with the word mighty— even if they didn’t know the bit.”

Coulson inclined his head. “I’ll bring up your recommendation to Director Fury. Though a large part of why he wasn’t taken down was because the communication was haywire and the fact that they were told to stand down before they could reassess the threat and respond. Those guys, and almost every agent you see around, are a part of SHIELD’s Variable Response Squad. It’s our biggest branch and essentially our foot soldiers who go everywhere to provide security and do whatever else is necessary.” 

“Thus, the variable response part.”

“Exactly. They function above the police and the local agencies,” Coulson said, beginning to walk across the crater, gesturing to Harry to follow him. “They’re the face of SHIELD, which means they’re trained to respond in a way that sits well with other agencies and public opinion while doing the real part of their jobs too. An unarmed man won’t be dealt with using lethal or stunning force unless the threat matrix necessitates it.”

“Had it not been for the hammer’s unique nature, he would’ve taken and gotten away with it.” Harry ducked through the tunnel’s doorway, and they made their way to one of the shed-like structures that SHIELD had built at the side of the spanning tunnels. “Had he been able to use it, you’d have a problem on your hands. A big one.”

Coulson smiled. “No, we wouldn’t. Why do you think we had you on site with Hawkeye? You two are here to deal with something exactly like this.” 

He pulled open the door to the shed, and they stepped in. Harry’s eyes ran over the agents, who were watching several screens intently. A few of the screens seemed to be running some sort of analysis on the hammer, while another couple had been dedicated to Thor’s face and some sort of database.

“What’s going on?”

“Since you know most about the situation, I want you to go talk to Thor,” Coulson whispered, glancing around. “Technically, I shouldn’t allow something like this since you’re only a consultant, but exceptions can be made if you’re fast and I’m there with you.”

Harry nodded before his lips curved into a smirk. “With me there, Phil, we can have hours of conversation without needing more than a few seconds.”

Coulson blinked. “How?”

“How about I demonstrate instead?” Harry grinned. “It’s something I’ve been longing to try out for a while now. No better chance than now.”

“Well, be my guest.”

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13th December 2008

New York

Tony soared through the air, the soundlessness that could be only achieved by flying faster than sound, ringing in his ears. He kept an eye on the Heads-Up-Display, watching the calculations that Jarvis was running, and a small grin lit up on his face.

The new arc reactor was performing flawlessly, beyond all expectations. Paired with his new suit, which he had designed in the morning, keeping the new power output in mind, with a new array of weapons and tuned-up repulsors, the suit was way faster and far more powerful than all his previous models.

Case in point, his journey from Malibu to the Stark Expo in Queens had taken only a little over thirty minutes of flight time, which put his speed averaging at Mach 6, which was nearly twice as fast as his old suit. And this was considering that he hadn’t been flying at his top speed either.

His HUD beeped, and a video of Justin Hammer appeared on screen as drones shaped like a bulky version of the Iron Man armor rose behind him, and Tony scowled.

He hated copycats.

“J, what’s my ETA?”

“Twenty seconds if you don’t slow down, sir, which I advise doing if you wish to land without bulldozing through your own expo.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony muttered, curving in the air as the expo became visible. His eyes narrowed as he watched Rhodey’s armor rise with the rest of Hammer’s drone, and his scowl deepened. “I’m so crashing this party.”

He flew down, maneuvering his armor toward the stage, spotting Pepper and Romanoff in the crowd, before landing dramatically in front of Rhodey. Below, the crowd exploded in cheers as he strode toward his friend.

“We got trouble,” he told him without preamble.

“Tony, there are civilians present,” Rhodey hissed. “I’m here on orders. Let’s not do this right now.”

Tony slung an arm over his friend’s armored shoulder and raised his hand. “Give them a wave. All these people are in danger, and we need to get them out of here. You gotta trust me here.”

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13th December 2008

Crater Site, New Mexico

Thor barely looked up as the door slid open and two men entered the small, makeshift room, both of them sharing a look as they looked at him with pity. The younger of the two, the man in long silver robes having emerald eyes, brighter than even his brother, stepped forth, clearing his throat.

“Thor? My name’s Harry Potter, and my friend here is Phil Coulson. We’re the protectors of Midgard, and we’re here to discuss the situation you are in,” he said, but the words felt numb in his ears.

What would mortals know of the situation he was in? They didn’t even believe who he was.

The two men shared a look before the one who had called himself Harry stepped forth, laying a hand on his shoulder, and Thor looked up to meet his bright emerald eyes. “This may feel a bit weird, or you might’ve experienced it. I’m not sure, but bear with me.”

In the next moment, an orange glow flashed in his eyes, and the world around them twisted and shifted in a blur of gold and orange, and Thor felt lightning run through his veins for a moment before he found himself in a completely new place.

Golden-orange energy thrummed over the walls, running over the bookshelves and the neat study that wasn’t there a moment ago. He looked at his arms to see them look nearly translucent, glowing with the same orange hue. The son of Coul sat next to him on an armchair, looking bewildered.

“What?” He croaked, staring at the green-eyed man who sat behind the desk, propping one leg on another before giving him a smile that reminded him eerily of Loki when he had done some mischief. 

“Welcome to my own little corner of the Astral Plane,” Harry said, waving his hand around the study. “It is a bit bare-bones since I made it on the fly. Thankfully, I’m more than familiar with this room, so I could recreate it with ease.”

“This seems like a room in your home,” the son of Coul murmured. “I think I’ve seen it before.”

“It’s my own study. Of course, I could’ve taken you there, but this is a bit more secure, shall we say. I would’ve taken you to my home, but it risked attracting some random horror there, which is something I’d like to avoid.” Harry’s smirk widened. “And it has the added advantage of allowing me to dilute time even better. You see? Since the moment we came here, in the real world, a person wouldn’t even have blinked by now.”

Thor’s eyes widened, the situation biting through his numbness. “You’re a Sorcerer, aren’t you? I came to know of your ilk recently from my father— you’re the mighty protectors of Midgard, who have performed feats that even the Skyfathers tread carefully and listen when you speak. One of your men, alongside your leader, the mighty Sorceress Supreme, slayed an Elder God not so long ago.”

“A Lesser Old one, technically. And that man was me.” The man waved him off, and Thor felt his eyes go wide. “But that’s not what we’re here to talk about.”

“Truly?” Thor whispered, drawing himself up. Banished or not, he was still a child of Asgard. A Prince of Asgard. “Then you’re a worthy warrior whom I’m honored to meet, Harry of the Potters. My apologies that I didn’t recognize you sooner.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, nodding at him. “Thank you.” Thor bowed his head. “Now, I heard from Heimdall that you’ve been banished.”

Thor’s head snapped back up, and he felt the air leave his lungs, a fierce hope burning in his chest. “You spoke to Heimdall?” 

“He’s a good friend,” Harry said. “I’ve been in touch with him for a while, really.”

Thor leaned forward, feeling the storm of emotion course through him. “Tell me, friend Sorcerer, how does the situation in Asgard fare? What is going on with Jotunheim? Are they willing to allow me back?”

“Asgard is fine, and so far, there’s not much from Jotunheim’s side. Though I’ve received word that they may be preparing for war upon Asgard and look to reclaim the Casket of Ancient Winters.” Thor felt his heart twist as the Sorcerer leaned back in his chair and grimaced. “As for your return, I’m afraid that there’s little to no chance of reconsideration until you’ve fulfilled the punishment.”

Thor felt the strength leave his body and slumped in his seat, closing his eyes. “Is losing my powers not punishment enough? My title, my prestige, my hammer… I lost everything, Sorcerer. But I cannot lose my home and my family forever with it. Please…” Thor gave him a pleading look. “You’re a powerful Sorcerer and a friend of Heimdall’s. Help me go home.”

Harry shared another look with the Son of Coul before sighing. “I brainstormed and researched that route the moment I knew you were on Earth. Sending you home in some way, like a portal or summoning the Bifrost through a spell. I’m afraid it isn’t that simple or safe. If Asgard rejects you, your body will be torn to shreds, crushed, and scattered through the Yggdrasil. People— enemies, really, have tried that in the past and suffered a similar fate.”

Thor felt his heart drop and nodded, the numbness of extinguished hope creeping back in like the chill on a fireless night. “You have… my thanks for trying, friend Sorcerer. I— I—”

The words died in his throat, feeling heavier than the boulders of Uru found in Nidavellir. 

“Thor, I can understand your pain.” Harry looked away. “I really do. But you still have hope. This punishment is to teach you a lesson that you must learn. The sooner you learn that, the sooner it shall end.”

A little warmth returned to him. “Do you speak truly? That I could return home someday?”

“If you learn your lesson and repent your actions, yes. At least, that is what I think. At least, once you’re worthy again, you could regain your powers, and, well, then we can try sending you home or bargaining with Odin. Even now, I could take you to see him in a way similar to how we’re here, but that may not be received well.”

“Thank you,” Thor breathed, feeling his body tremble. “What— what am I supposed to do? I’m prepared to face any trial, any challenge if it means returning home.”

“I don’t know what your father really wishes you to do, Thor,” Harry sighed. “You waged war upon Jotunheim, and by doing so, you endangered all the Nine Realms. Even we sorcerers have begun preparations in case someone comes here after you.”

Thor felt a horrible feeling crawl up his gut. “I’m truly sorry for any harm that my presence brings. It was not my intention to bring danger to you when I went searching for answers and to exact revenge upon those who wronged Asgard.” He saw the Sorcerer frown. “I promise that I will do all within my power to ensure no harm comes to any who reside on Midgard.”

“I do not want that promise. In fact, you’re going to stay safe and keep the hell away from any danger.” The Sorcerer growled suddenly, and Thor flinched. Even the Son of Coul seemed taken aback as Harry rose to his feet. “You may not understand this, but you’re no longer a god. You don’t have any powers, which makes you an easy target for forces that’d love to see you dead so they could hurt Asgard.” He scoffed. “You don’t even realize what your presence here can result in, do you? Heck, you don’t realize what a fucking war amongst the Nine Realms could result in.” Harry scowled. “And worse than that, I don’t think you still realize what you’ve already done, nor do you regret it.”

“I merely sought to do what was in Asgard’s best interests and nothing more,” Thor defended. “Yes, I do understand that I shouldn’t have lost my temper, which I do regret doing. I was rash and angry, which, as someone who would have become King, shouldn’t be. But my actions weren’t the ones who started this war, Sorcerer. It was the Jotuns who provoked us.”

“You let yourself get provoked!” Harry slammed his hands on the desk. “Tell me, if it had been a human who had come to those vaults to steal something, would you have declared war upon Midgard? Would you have come here and confronted us? Slaughtered through our armies despite none even having harmed you?”

Thor frowned. “Midgard has no quarrel with Asgard. We were allies.”

“For the past two thousand years, so were the Jotuns. They had pledged fealty to Asgard at the end of the war. I know because our records say that they did. They were no more your enemies than Midgard was.”

“They did, but they saw a new King about to ascend the Throne and acted to regain the Casket and regain the thing that allowed them to wage the last war!” Thor’s fists clenched as his anger rose and his eyes narrowed. “I can understand how you must feel with your home in danger, Sorcerer. But they provoked war, not I. And you’ll have my word that if war comes, I’d stand between humanity and the Jotuns, powers or not.”

The Sorcerer took a deep breath and straightened up. “I loathe to say it, but I see your father’s point now. I can see why he decided to banish and punish you. When Heimdall told me, a part of me thought Odin overreacted. But perhaps, he was right.”

“What do you mean?” Thor demanded.

In response, Harry snapped his fingers, and the study around them crumbled. The world turned, blurring past their eyes until they were back in the room.

“Stay out of trouble and stay in contact,” the Sorcerer said before turning to the son of Coul. “Coulson, I need to make another call. Ask whatever you want to him, I’m done here.”

With that, he turned and strode out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.

The other man looked at the closed door for a moment before giving Thor a bland smile. “Mr. Odinson. If you don’t mind, SHIELD has a few questions for you.”

Thor nodded absently, as the Sorcerer’s and his father’s words continued to ring in his ears.

But for once, he had no clue what to do with them.

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

So, yes, a meet-up with Thor, a bit of complex magic, befriending Hawkeye… a lot happened here. And parallelly, the end of Iron Man 2 plot unfolds, which is fun. Not a lot of changes there tbh. The next chapter, the plot will be thrown in for a loop with something you don’t expect coming up. :)

Of course, the Thor plot is going to cause further ripples, which, during chasm of time between Thor and Avengers, should be fun for me and you all.

A huge thanks to Tulayb and Mughil for betaing this chapter!

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

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