The figure who did not know where it came from was, of course, Thor—the God of Thunder.
To be precise, it should now be called former Thor.
Boom!
Wonder Woman charged forward, wielding Thor's hammer. As Thor stepped in to block her path, the hammer veered off course, crashing to the ground at their feet.
Click, click, click!
Countless pillars of lightning descended from the sky, striking with deafening force. The ground sank, forming a massive crater.
Spiderweb cracks, wide enough to fit a hand, spread outward for dozens of meters.
"???"
Wonder Woman narrowed her eyes but made no move to retrieve the hammer lying on the ground.
She had been prepared to stop when she saw Thor shielding Loki, but before she could act, the hammer had deviated slightly, striking the earth instead.
Was this an attempt to avoid harming its previous master?
Frowning, Wonder Woman sensed there was more to the situation than met the eye.
"Wonder Woman, you cannot kill Loki!"
At that moment, Sif, whose injuries were less severe than the others, arrived at the scene. Rushing over, she spoke urgently:
"Loki is the son of the Allfather. Though he has committed crimes, only the Allfather has the authority to judge him."
"The Allfather?"
Wonder Woman's tone was cold. "Your Allfather is asleep. If Odin remains in his slumber, should Loki be allowed to run free?"
"No."
Thor's voice was firm. "I will take responsibility for him."
"Just you?"
Wonder Woman's piercing gaze fell on Thor, her expression tinged with disdain. "You couldn't control Loki when you were the God of Thunder. Now, as a mortal, what makes you think you can?"
"Get out of the way. I don't need your pity!"
Loki slowly rose to his feet, brushing Thor aside. His cold, piercing gaze locked onto Wonder Woman.
"If you want to kill me," he said with venom, "I'm right here. Do it."
"Loki!"
Thor stepped forward to stop him.
"Stay out of this, Thor!"
Loki's eyes blazed with fury, his face twisted with hate. "The last thing I need is your sympathy!"
"Why?"
Thor's voice broke, his heart heavy. "Why are you doing this?"
"To prove to my father that I'm a capable son," Loki spat. "To show him that I am the one who truly deserves the throne."
"Do you want the throne that badly?"
"No. I despise it. What I want is for everyone in Asgard—and the Nine Realms—to see that I am better than you! That I am more suited to rule!"
Loki's grin was wild, almost maniacal.
"Loki, this is my fault."
Thor's voice was filled with sorrow as he finally understood the rift between them.
"No matter what you've done to me, I will face it. But I hope you'll think about what you're doing, Loki," Thor said gravely. "If you're truly better than me, then you should know that your actions prove nothing to our father. They don't make you worthy of the throne."
"Shut up!"
Loki roared in rage. "Laufey is dead! I was this close to destroying Jotunheim completely!"
Laufey is dead?!
Everyone present, save Wonder Woman, was stunned at Loki's words. Laufey—the Frost Giant King of Jotunheim—was dead?
Had Loki killed him?
"Loki..."
Thor stared at his brother, disbelief etched across his face.
"Laufey was your biological father. Did you really kill him?"
Thor knew the truth about Loki's origins.
Though Odin, the Allfather, had kept the secret when he conquered Jotunheim and adopted Loki all those years ago, it was never truly hidden from Thor.
Furthermore, Loki had discovered the truth about his origins through other means long ago.
"So what?"
Loki's icy gaze bore into Thor. "I have only one father, and he is Odin, the King of the Gods."
Thor stood there, stunned. "Not only did you kill Laufey, but you also sought to destroy Jotunheim and slaughter the entire Frost Giant tribe... the land that should have been your homeland!"
"I said..." Loki roared, his voice trembling with rage. "I have only one father!"
Whoosh!
The scepter lying on the ground suddenly flew back into Loki's hand.
Loki stepped forward, wielding the scepter like a spear, and thrust it toward Thor.
Wonder Woman stood by, her expression calm and unreadable.
She could have intervened to stop Loki's attack on Thor, but she chose not to. Not because she didn't want to save him, but because she knew Thor no longer needed saving.
The events unfolding before her eyes seemed to realign with the original course of destiny.
She realized this the moment she felt Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, slip from her control. Thor Odinson, its rightful owner, had reclaimed the power and authority of the God of Thunder.
"Odin... You truly are a master of calculation," Wonder Woman muttered softly, thinking back to the slumbering Allfather she had seen while battling Loki in the palace.
It was now clear to her that the hammer's change in allegiance was no coincidence.
"No! Stop it!"
"Thor!"
"Loki, what are you doing?"
Sif's horrified voice echoed as she and the others, who had just arrived at the scene, looked on in shock.
None of them could believe the sight before them—the two princes of Asgard turning against each other with such ferocity.
Frigga watched, sorrow written across her face.
Whoosh!
The tip of Loki's scepter closed in, ready to pierce Thor's chest.
Boom!
At the last possible moment, Mjolnir shot into the air like a bolt of lightning and landed in Thor's hand.
Thunder roared across the sky, and a radiant electric light enveloped Thor. A surge of godly power swept across the battlefield.
In the brilliance of the lightning, the silhouette of a figure clad in armor emerged.
Everyone froze.
Though the scene was unfamiliar, the figure was unmistakable. It was a sight they knew all too well.
"Thor!"
Sif's voice rang out in a mixture of relief and awe.
The invincible Thor who had once defended the Nine Realms was back.
"No!"
Loki's scepter failed to strike its mark. The blade clashed against Thor's armor, unable to pierce it.
The next moment, a powerful force sent Loki staggering backward. Thor's power had returned.
"You've regained your strength!"
Loki's voice cracked with fury. "No! It's not fair!"
His sharp mind pieced it together quickly—this was Odin's doing.
"Loki," Thor said, his voice steady and resolute. "I will imprison you until you admit your mistakes and atone for what you've done."
…
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