From Thor's perspective, it didn't really matter who became king. In fact, his younger brother Loki becoming king even seemed like a better idea.
Loki clearly had a far greater interest in governance than he did.
As for Thor himself—he was far more passionate about training and fighting. He would've gladly served as a full-time general, leading armies into battle across the Nine Realms. The endless trivialities of politics and logistics bored him. Not having to deal with those things was, to Thor, the ideal life.
Of course, if his father had appointed him king, he wouldn't refuse. He understood responsibility. But that would be the only reason he'd accept the throne.
If Loki were to be made king, Thor would have no objections. In fact, he would willingly face life and death for his younger brother.
"No. There's still a big difference," Nick Fury interrupted.
"From what you've said, your father—the King of the Gods, Odin—was deeply disappointed in you. He even cast you down to the mortal realm. Yet, despite that disappointment, he didn't make Loki the new heir. Instead, he chose to test you. What does that tell you?"
"It means that in your father's eyes, Loki was never considered a reliable successor," Fury said seriously. "There must be something about your brother that Odin found deeply troubling—something that made him absolutely unfit to rule. Otherwise, why go to such lengths to give you a second chance?"
If Nick Fury had any say in it, Loki would never be crowned King of Asgard. Because according to Rowan's diary, if Hawkeye Barton were to shoot Thor, that incident would become the excuse Loki needed to invade Earth.
That meant that, in Rowan's timeline, Loki already had the ambition to invade. He just needed the right excuse—the right opportunity.
In that timeline, Barton's arrow had struck Thor down, giving Loki not only the justification he needed, but also clearing the path to the throne. With Thor dead, Loki became the sole prince of Asgard and, by default, its next king.
Following that logic, Nick Fury came to a stark realization: Asgard's protection of Earth was never guaranteed. It wasn't some sacred duty. It was merely Odin's personal decision—or perhaps, one day, Thor's.
If someone else—like Loki—were to ascend to the throne, that protection could vanish. Worse, Loki might invade Earth and absorb it into Asgardian rule.
After all, in the ancient myths, Earth—Midgard—was often seen as Asgard's domain. So, if Loki really did harbor such ambitions, it wouldn't be surprising in the least.
If Thor didn't become king, then Asgard's invasion of Earth under Loki's rule might be inevitable.
That's why Nick Fury was being so patient—helping Thor figure out how to pass his father's test and reclaim his role.
"Your father clearly has high hopes for you," Fury said. "So don't give up on yourself."
Thor was silent for a moment, then muttered, "But what does my father want from me?"
He truly didn't understand. He felt more than capable of bearing the responsibilities of Asgard. So why did his father still doubt him?
Why all this…?
"I suppose the only one who knows the answer is Rowan," said Phil Coulson after a moment's thought.
Nick Fury nodded. "Right. It seems like only he would know. But how would he reveal something like that in his diary?"
"Let's go ask him directly!" Thor declared, rising to his feet. "I'll ask him face to face why my father treated me this way!"
But Nick Fury immediately stopped him. "You don't understand. As diary holders, we can't talk to him about it. Anyone who's read the diary is forbidden to discuss it with him. If they do, they'll be punished."
"Is that true?" Thor asked, skeptical.
But the moment he considered going to Rowan, a searing pain surged through his entire being. He trembled violently.
It wasn't physical pain. Thor, the God of War of Asgard, had suffered countless injuries in battle. None of them had ever made him flinch.
But this was something else—this pain struck directly at his soul, threatening to tear it apart. It was so excruciating that he howled in agony.
In that moment, he finally understood why Nick Fury said they couldn't approach Rowan.
Damn that diary!
It granted them knowledge of the future, but it also bound them—ensuring that Rowan wouldn't be disturbed.
A complete and self-contained system.
"Alright, I understand…" Thor gasped, drenched in cold sweat. He began to feel a deep unease, as if the whole thing were some kind of powerful curse.
He'd have to ask his father to study it, see if there was a way to remove it. Otherwise, it would haunt him endlessly.
Having a cursed diary attached to your soul—this, too, was apparently part of the burden he bore as Asgard's prince.
"Then I guess we need another approach," Hawkeye Barton said.
"I have an idea," Phil Coulson chimed in.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Based on what we've observed," Coulson explained, "we know one thing for certain: Rowan doesn't know we exist. Or, at least, he doesn't know that we've read the diary. As far as he's concerned, we're just ordinary natives of this world."
"And that," Coulson continued, "is why he writes so freely. He thinks no one is paying attention."
"If we start putting out certain pieces of information around him—subtle things he might notice—he could take interest. And once he does, there's a chance he'll mention it in his diary. The guy likes to rant about everything in there. If he stumbles across the right clue, he might just spill the truth in one of his rants."
"We can coax it out of him—without alerting him, and without triggering the diary's punishment protocols."
"What do you all think?" Coulson asked, looking around the room.
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