"Hey! Mr. Thor!" Lin Huai's voice boomed over the thunder from the sky. "Going to Asgard? I wonder... if you could give me a lift?"
Thor was about to raise his hammer to summon the Bifrost Bridge when his movement suddenly stiffened. He subconsciously looked up and saw that quinjet hovering in a particularly awkward posture. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but after seeing clearly who the person at the hatch was, that doubt immediately turned into a realization of "it's him as expected."
He waved his hand at Sif and The Warriors Three behind him, who were equally astonished, signaling them not to move.
The quinjet soon landed not far away, kicking up a cloud of dust. The hatch slid open, and Lin Huai was the first to step down, his face still wearing that smile as if everything was within his calculations. Behind him, Tony and a still-shaken Pepper followed.
Tony stepped onto this mess, his eyes fixed on the heap of charred Destroyer remains and the majestic Thor in silver armor holding a large hammer nearby. He couldn't help but let out a loud whistle, which sounded particularly piercing in this quiet battlefield.
"Wow, looks like we missed the good show." Tony strode over, circling Thor like he was inspecting a new product. "Honestly, this outfit of yours is way cooler than that ragged jacket. Nice electroplating; what's the material? Is it patented?"
Thor didn't pay any attention to this noisy, bald mortal at all, but instead looked solemnly at Lin Huai. The conversation in the interrogation room had almost stripped him bare; since then, he had regarded Lin Huai as some mysterious "Soothsayer" arranged by his father, Odin.
"You've come as well." Thor's tone was clearly filled with heartfelt respect, naturally using honorifics.
"If I didn't come now, my reward would fly away." Lin Huai walked up to him and said with a smile.
"Reward?" Thor repeated, not understanding, his blue eyes filled with pure confusion.
Lin Huai didn't explain immediately. In Asgardian so fluent that even Sif and the others couldn't help but look sideways, he continued: "When we met in our dreams, Odin promised me. Once I guided you onto the right path to make up for your mistakes, you would personally take me to Asgard's treasury and let me take a gift for myself."
These words were like a key, instantly unlocking all the doubts in Thor's mind. He understood everything!!! From being exiled to Earth, to meeting Jane, to the loss of being unable to lift the hammer, and finally regaining his power through sacrifice... all of this was indeed arranged by his father! The mysterious Midgardian before him was the last and most crucial "mentor" his father had arranged for this "Prince Reformation Project"!
No wonder he knew so many of his embarrassing secrets! No wonder he could know all this in advance!
Having figured this out, the last bit of doubt on Thor's face vanished. He took half a step back and solemnly performed an Asgardian Warrior's chest-touching salute to Lin Huai.
"I understand, Wise One," Thor said sincerely. "You are certainly qualified to come with me." Immediately, he stepped aside and made a respectful "please" gesture.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Tony immediately scurried over, his eyes darting back and forth between Thor's armor, the war hammer, and the marks of the Bifrost Bridge in the distance, shining with the excitement of a scientist seeing a new toy. "I want to go too! I'm very interested in that 'Bifrost Bridge' thing of yours! What energy form is that exactly? Stable wormhole technology or some kind of particle transport? Jarvis needs to collect all its data; this is too important for Earth's spatial defense system!"
"You can't go, Tony."
Lin Huai and Pepper spoke almost simultaneously.
Pepper gripped Tony's arm tightly, her intelligent eyes full of lingering fear and worry. Her voice trembled slightly: "Asgard... we don't know what dangers are there! I can't let you go and take risks!"
"Pepper is right," Lin Huai stepped forward, blocking the space between Tony and Thor, his tone turning serious. "More importantly, your troubles aren't over yet. Don't forget how Malibu was attacked. If HYDRA can come once, they can come a second time. Pepper's safety needs a permanent guarantee; we can't expect me or you to just happen to arrive every time."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the wreckage of the Destroyer, and added weight to his tone: "Furthermore, aren't you curious about the motives of those attackers and the mastermind behind all this? Leaving it alone like this isn't your style, Tony Stark."
Lin Huai's words directly doused Tony's scientific enthusiasm. He glanced at Pepper, whose face was pale and eyes pleading, then at the pile of objects in the distance that were clearly alien technology. The World's smartest brain beneath that bald head quickly cooled down. He knew Lin Huai was absolutely right. Finding out who attacked Pepper and why, and ensuring her absolute safety, was the most important thing right now.
As for interstellar travel, that could wait.
"All right," Tony spread his hands somewhat reluctantly, saying deflatedly, "Interstellar deep tour next time. You two... stay safe." He looked at Thor and Lin Huai, a hint of worry flashing in his caramel-colored eyes, but it was quickly overwritten by intense curiosity. He didn't forget to add at the end: "Remember to bring me some souvenirs, like... that metal called 'Uru' that made this big guy, or something similar."
Thor looked at this amusing mortal and smiled, neither agreeing nor refusing. He turned around and strode up to Steve Rogers, his expression becoming extremely serious.
"Captain Rogers," Thor addressed him solemnly, and mimicking what he had seen in S.H.I.E.L.D., he extended his hand to Steve. "Thank you for your guidance."
Steve looked at the Thor before him, who was completely different from before; his blue eyes also showed sincere approval. He firmly grasped Thor's hand and gave it a vigorous shake.
"You've found your own path, Thor," Steve said solemnly. "This wasn't taught by anyone; it was your own choice. Remember how this feels today."
After a brief farewell, Thor walked back to the group. He signaled Sif and The Warriors Three to stand back and made a protective gesture toward Lin Huai, shielding the "Wise One" in the middle as well. He once again raised Mjolnir high; his blue eyes, once filled with arrogance and confusion, were now entirely full of a king's majesty and confidence.
"Heimdall!!!" He shouted with all his might, his voice booming like thunder toward the sky. "Open the Bifrost Bridge!!!"
In the sky, that brilliant rainbow-colored pillar of light heard his call. Like a spear from the heavens, it once again pierced the night sky of New Mexico. It tore through the clouds, carrying an unstoppable momentum, accurately enveloping Thor, Lin Huai, and the four Warriors of the Heavenly Palace.
In that instant, a massive surge of energy pressure rushed over. Tony, Steve, and the others felt as if they were being pressed into the deep sea, making even breathing difficult. The rainbow light was too dazzling; they instinctively closed their eyes. Their ears only heard a high-frequency buzzing sound like the tearing of space.
When they opened their eyes again, the pillar of light was gone.
Thor, Lin Huai, and the others had also vanished along with it.
Only a massive circular brand, over ten meters wide, remained on the spot, its surface still smoking. Complex and sacred-feeling Asgardian runes were faintly visible under the high heat, as if telling the World that Asgardians had been there.
"Alright, the show's over." Tony stood dazed for a long time before breaking the silence. He quickly walked to the massive brand, squatted down, and curiously tapped the still-hot ground with his finger.
"Coulson," he shouted without looking back, "Send people to cordon this entire place off. 24-hour maximum security, don't let anyone get close or damage it. Jarvis, scan all residual energy data. I want a detailed spectrum of every energy fluctuation of the Bifrost Bridge. I want to know its method of warping space, its energy conversion efficiency—I want everything about it!!!"
He stood up, looking at the night sky where only a few stars remained, and spoke to himself in an exceptionally serious voice.
"A high-level civilization capable of interstellar transport at any time... an alien prince who can drop a War Machine at will. It seems Earth's security system needs an upgrade."