Chapter 33:
Coulson was dumbfounded as a person materialized out of thin air in the interrogation room. "Who is that?!" he exclaimed.
The person, of course, was Loki, Thor's brother.
In the first Thor movie, Loki had tricked Thor by falsely accusing him of killing Odin, shifting the blame onto his brother. His plan was to make Thor unworthy of Mjolnir and force him to live as a mortal on Earth, all while he took the throne of Asgard for himself.
But something unexpected happened. Just as Loki was about to deliver his deceitful speech, he noticed a blocky, tall creature lurking in the corner. This creature stood silently, radiating an eerie presence. Surprisingly, Loki, who was used to scaring others, felt genuinely afraid. He instinctively went into fight mode and threw a knife at the creature.
Thor, intrigued by this sudden turn of events, questioned Loki about it.
It became clear that Loki's fighting skills weren't that great when the creature remained unharmed by his little throwing knife. In fact, the creature took a step forward, making Loki back off.
As a result, Loki's illusion dropped, revealing his true form to Coulson and the other agents.
While they were still in shock, Mark had already reached the door of the interrogation room. Without waiting for a response, he walked in.
Coulson was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure and followed Mark inside. "What's the occasion? Are we celebrating something in the Nine Realms?" Mark asked immediately. "Why are Odin's two sons here on Earth, or Midgard, I suppose?"
As Mark spoke, Steve's Stand reappeared behind him. Loki cautiously observed Mark and asked, "Who are you? No, wait—what exactly are you?"
"I am Mark," he replied directly, "also known as a Stand User."
Loki remained silent but narrowed his eyes. He had no idea who Mark was, and if it weren't for the intimidating creature with him, Loki would have dismissed Mark as an ordinary mortal. However, it was clear that Mark had some kind of power, but Loki couldn't sense any energy from him. The mystery surrounding Mark unsettled Loki; he couldn't figure him out.
Direct confrontation wasn't Loki's style, especially with a bunch of pesky mortals standing behind Mark. After a moment of thought, Loki cast a spell, leaving an illusion in his place while he circled behind them.
It's worth noting that Mark and his Stand shared a vision, allowing him to see Loki from Steve's perspective.
Mark simply said, "Cut the act. Come out now."
"Hmm, who?" Coulson was completely lost. With Loki standing right there, he had no idea who Mark was talking to.
Loki paused for a moment, surprised.
"You can see me?"
Even Thor, sitting off to the side, was momentarily stunned.
"My Stand has seen through your tricks, so don't even think about sneaking up on me," Mark declared, crossing his arms and staring at the hidden Loki.
"..."
Loki decided to drop the illusion.
"What the—?!"
Coulson's eyes widened as he saw Loki vanish and suddenly reappear from behind them. It was the first time he had witnessed anything like it.
A strange feeling arose in Coulson's gut.
Unlike the delusional patient claiming to be the God of Thunder, he felt that this person in front of him was the real deal.
"Um, who is he?" Coulson couldn't help but ask Mark after a moment.
"Loki, the God of Mischief," Mark explained. "Don't Westerners believe in gods? Haven't you heard of the famous Loki?"
"Well..."
Coulson hesitated. "We mostly believe in Jesus over here."
"Oh, I see," Mark nodded, then suddenly asked, "So, let me ask you, who do you think is stronger, Odin or Jesus?"
"Huh?"
Not only Coulson, but even Thor and Loki were taken aback. After all, Odin was their father. Why was Mark discussing their father's power right in front of them? What was he trying to do?
"Uh..."
Coulson was baffled. They were in a standoff with two gods, and Mark suddenly brought up this topic. Was that really appropriate?
But before Coulson could respond, Mark continued, "Actually, I think Odin is stronger."
"Of course, Allfather is stronger, he's the King of Gods!" Thor instinctively replied.
But then he remembered the news of his father's 'death,' caused by his own failure as a son. He was overcome with grief. "The glory of our father, Odin, will forever last in the history of the Nine Realms."
Bleep (For Patron only Experience. #SensoringJustToBeSafe.)
As he spoke, Mark intentionally smiled at Loki. "Don't you agree?"
"..."
When he heard the term "Frost Giants," both Thor and Loki fell silent.
Thor was silent because he thought of his own secret attack on the Frost Giants, which led to the almost-war between Jotunheim and Asgard. His recklessness and disobedience indirectly 'killed' his father Odin, and now he was filled with remorse and guilt, reflecting on his past choices.
It seemed that his father was right. His past self was truly a madman, obsessed with the glory of war, without understanding the true meaning of love and peace.
But Loki was different.
He felt that Mark was deliberately targeting him.