"But he doesn't look like a Frost Titan at all!" Thor said in complete disbelief.
"You're all in the magical world. Isn't it difficult to use magic to create such illusions?" Nick Fury responded, raising an eyebrow.
"That's not it!" Thor shook his head, dismissing the idea.
It wasn't difficult to use magic to disguise someone's identity. Clearly, there were only two people in Asgard capable of such a thing: King Odin and Queen Frigg.
They would know better than anyone whether Loki was truly their child. Yet, neither of them ever spoke of it, and neither had discussed it with Thor, which led to this misjudgment.
Now, Thor didn't want to accept it, but he had to.
He also felt a bit foolish. He'd never once doubted Loki. When Loki said Odin was dead, Thor believed him, never considering the possibility that Odin might still be alive. He had been completely consumed with the belief that his father was angry with him and that he couldn't wield Mjölnir. That had been heartbreaking.
It was all a blatant deception!
But this time, he wasn't as upset because he now knew his father was alive. This had all been a lie by Loki.
No matter how many times Loki had lied to him, no matter how cruelly, Thor genuinely hoped this time Loki was lying.
Because if Loki was lying, it meant his father—his king—wasn't dead after all.
That realization made Thor happy.
Nick Fury saw the shift in Thor's expression and immediately understood. No wonder Odin had never considered letting Loki inherit the throne, even with a brother like Thor. No matter how much he might love Loki, Odin at least understood one thing: it was impossible for someone outside the family to take the throne.
This held true no matter the era.
So, even though Thor wasn't yet ready to be king, he still had a role to play. At least he was Odin's only son. Well, no… there was someone else.
"Who is Hela? Have you heard of her?" Phil Coulson asked. "In Earth's legends, Hela is said to be Loki's daughter. But now it seems that might not be accurate. However, Rowan also mentioned that Odin would rather pass the throne to Hela than to Loki... So, could this Hela be a relative of your family?"
Phil Coulson knew by now that Earth's Norse legends were not to be taken as historical fact, and many of the figures in Norse mythology didn't exist in reality.
"Hela? Impossible. I've never heard of anyone named Hela. My father and king only had two sons—Loki and me. We have no other relatives!" Thor frowned, feeling incredulous.
But now, he didn't dare underestimate the information in Rowan's diary. Many things mentioned in it had proven true.
"Although I don't know who this Hela is, since Rowan mentioned her, she might very well be a relative of your family," Nick Fury continued. "After all, she's also mentioned in Norse mythology. Now, with Rowan bringing her up again, it's likely she'll play a role in the future!"
Nick Fury's analysis struck a chord with everyone. Even Thor couldn't entirely dismiss the possibility.
The fact that someone had inheritance rights meant they were probably very closely related by blood—perhaps even directly connected to the throne.
"But in any case, she would be more suited than Loki. If I remember correctly, from the myths, Frost Titans are your enemies, right? Loki being the son of the leader of the enemy doesn't make him a suitable heir!" Nick Fury added.
Thor nodded. He wasn't stupid—he had grown up in the royal family and had picked up basic political understanding through his experiences.
Thor wasn't an idiot. He had always relied on his immense strength and powerful thunder abilities to solve problems. That's why he had been named Thor so early. He had become accustomed to solving issues with brute force.
He rarely used his brain to think things through, which had earned him a reputation as someone who acted impulsively.
But that didn't mean he was a fool.
It was impossible for a fool to become king.
No matter how good his relationship with Loki was, Thor knew that the throne of Asgard wasn't just his or his brother's personal property. It represented the will of the people of Asgard.
After all, for countless years, Asgard had fought with Jotunheim. Many of their ancestors had died at the hands of the Frost Titans.
Now, could they really accept a Frost Titan as their king?
Of course not. It was unthinkable.
So, it made sense for Odin to have concerns. As Rowan wrote in his diary, love can be measured, but the throne cannot. The inheritance of their ancestors was something that could not be lost.
"Anyway, at least your father is still alive, right? That means you still have a chance to prove yourself to him!" said Tony Stark on the other end of the phone, his voice carrying a complex expression.
Thor had the chance to prove himself to his father—something Tony would never get. He had always wanted to show his father, Howard Stark, that he had done something worthy of pride, to prove that his achievements rivaled Howard's. But Tony knew that opportunity was gone.
Now, as he listened to Thor, a part of him couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and resentment. Thor had the chance to prove himself in a way Tony would never be able to.
"Yes, so this is a good thing. You need to think about what kind of test your father wants you to pass!" Nick Fury encouraged.
At the same time, Nick Fury was coming to a conclusion in his mind. He had previously mentioned that Thor had only reached the second stage of his power, but the third stage was still out of reach. Now, the real enemy in the final battle was becoming clearer.
It was Loki, the trickster god—the second prince of Asgard.
Earlier, Thor had sworn Loki was completely trustworthy, which had misled Nick Fury. But now, it was clear.
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