*****
See more on my P@treon.
[email protected]/Dreamerlord Just replace @ with a
Read more than 145+ chap there
******
Time blurred together as Ethan worked.
Hours turned into nights… and nights into days.
The outside world barely existed to him anymore.
Food drones quietly left meals outside his door. Security systems ran on autopilot while he focused entirely on the central intelligence—rewriting code, restructuring data pathways, and stress-testing the system through thousands of simulations.
On the first day, he built the neural backbone.
On the second day, he established adaptive learning protocols and layered ethical restraints deep within the core architecture.
By the third day… the system finally began to think like a single mind rather than a collection of separate programs.
The central sphere pulsed steadily on his screen—alive with data streams moving in perfect synchronization.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, dark circles faintly visible under his eyes.
"…Almost done," he murmured.
Just as he reached for another command line—
Knock. Knock.
He frowned slightly.
The door slid open and Sharon stepped inside looking at him seeing him with dark circles under his eyes she frowned but then sighing she said.
"You need to come out," she said. "Something's happening."
Ethan rubbed his eyes once, pushing himself up from the chair.
"…Give me a minute," he muttered, saving his progress before shutting down the holographic workspace.
" You need more than a minute" Sharon said and then left.
A few moments later he stepped out of his room and walked into the living room area.
Large screens were already active.
Coulson stood near the center, watching a live feed from the Arasaka guards keeping an eye on Thor. Storm and Aria were also nearby looking at the screen.
"What's going on?" Ethan asked calmly as he approached.
Sharon pointed toward the main display.
On the screen—Thor stood outside a small roadside diner, talking with Jane, Darcy, and Erik.
Four unknown and clearly not normal looking people were going towards Thor.
They looked like they had walked straight out of a Viking saga.
Coulson narrowed his eyes. "Are those… Asgardians?"
Ethan's eyes glowed faintly as he ran a quick scan through his system—biometric readings, energy signatures, cellular density far beyond normal human levels live on the screen.
Everyone watched it as soon result was out.
After a second, he nodded.
"Yeah," Ethan said quietly. "They are."
On the screen, Thor froze mid-conversation as he saw them approaching.
Shock spread across his face.
"…Sif…?" he said faintly.
The woman at the front—dark-haired with fierce eyes—stepped forward.
"Thor," she said with a smile as she looked at him.
Behind her stood three warriors—Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun—watching him with a mix of relief and concern.
Darcy leaned toward Jane while watching the screen. "Okay… is it just me, or are those Asgardians too?"
Back in the control room, Sharon watched as Thor hugged them all.
"Well… at least they don't look like hostile Asgardians," she said. The others nodded in agreement.
"I wonder if I could take their blood samples," Ethan mumbled.
To create a Ray Sphere capable of awakening superpowers in others, he needed DNA from someone who naturally possessed superhuman abilities. Asgardians were born with inherent power, so Ethan wondered if he could obtain a sample and use it in his research.
"Why would you need blood samples?" Coulson asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ethan shrugged casually. "I mean… technically, they're still aliens."
"So I want to study them in detail—to see exactly how they're different from us," Ethan said.
Coulson nodded slowly.
They turned their attention back to the large screen showing the live feed.
On the display, the four warriors stood around Thor, clearly trying to convince him of something. Sif stepped forward, her expression serious.
"You need to come back with us," she said firmly. "Asgard needs you."
Thor shook his head slowly. "I cannot return," he said, his voice heavy. "My father is dead… because of me."
Volstagg blinked in shock. "Dead? What nonsense is this?"
Hogun crossed his arms. "Who told you Odin Allfather has fallen?"
Thor looked down for a moment before answering quietly, "Loki. He came to me… and told me Odin is dead."
"And he told me it was my fault… that my father died."
The room on Ethan's side went silent.
"Loki… as in Thor's brother?" Coulson asked. "Why would he lie that their father is dead?"
"It's simple," Sharon replied calmly. "He wanted Thor out of the picture—a helpless, broken prince who would never challenge him for the throne."
Coulson nodded slowly, finally understanding the situation.
On the screen, Sif stepped closer to Thor. "Thor… Odin lives. He is in the Odinsleep. Loki sits on the throne in your absence."
Thor froze. "What…?"
"Loki is a snake," Sif said coldly. "He is aiming to steal your rightful throne."
Fandral nodded grimly. "Your brother deceived you."
Volstagg clenched his fists. "He has shamed Asgard with lies."
Thor's expression shifted—from grief… to confusion… then slowly into anger… and finally again into confusion.
"But why would he lie to me about Father?" Thor asked, his voice heavy with disbelief.
Sif stepped closer, her voice softer now. "Because he feared you, Thor. Even without your hammer… you are still the rightful heir. As long as you lived… his throne was never secure."
Hogun crossed his arms. "Loki has always walked in shadows. This is simply the first time he has gone this far."
Thor looked down at his hands, still struggling to process everything. "My own brother…" he whispered.
Jane stepped forward carefully. "Thor… maybe he felt overshadowed. That doesn't justify what he did—but it might explain why he made such a desperate move."
Erik nodded thoughtfully. "Power struggles exist in every civilization. Even advanced ones."
Thor let out a slow breath and stood up. "Then I must return to Asgard," he said firmly. "I must face my brother… and make things right."
"It will be difficult," Sif said. "Loki now controls the Bifrost. He has banned everyone from using it."
"Even we were only able to come here because Heimdall secretly allowed us to pass through," she added.