Loki's Arrival

Wearing a black formal coat and a tie, with a scarf casually draped around his neck, Loki walked toward the interrogation room as though no one else existed.

The staff members passing by him did not notice Loki's presence at all.

After Coulson left to answer a phone call, Loki appeared in front of Thor, who had been sitting there with his head lowered in silence.

"Loki, what are you doing here?"

Thor finally reacted when he saw his younger brother.

Loki said solemnly and sadly, "I had to come see you."

"What happened? Tell me. Is it Jotunheim?" Thor asked anxiously. "Let me explain things to Father."

"Father is dead."

Thor failed to regain his senses for a long while. In disbelief, he asked, "...What?"

Loki looked at Thor sadly. "Your exile and the threat of a new war were more than he could bear."

"Don't blame yourself. I know you love him. I wanted to tell him that too, but he wouldn't listen."

Thor could not believe that the invincible father in his heart had actually died. Yet his trust in Loki left him no choice but to accept this cruel truth.

Boundless grief and guilt surged through his heart. He had killed his father. His impulsiveness and recklessness, along with his arrogance, had started the war between Jotunheim and Asgard. He no longer had the right to lift Mjolnir.

"He knew you could never lift the hammer again, yet he placed it somewhere within your reach. That was truly cruel."

Thor had already lost the pride of a god, and this news plunged him even deeper into despair.

"The burden of the throne has fallen on me now."

Thor raised his head. A trace of hope flickered in his grief-stricken eyes as he looked at Loki, his voice trembling as he asked, "Can I go home?"

"The truce with Jotunheim was established on the condition that you be exiled."

"That's true, but can't we find a way..."

"Besides, Mother has forbidden you from returning."

Those words struck Thor like another brutal blow, leaving him utterly desperate.

"I came to say goodbye, Brother. I'm truly sorry," Loki said sincerely.

Thor looked at the younger brother who had once stopped him, and at last, a tear slid from the corner of his eye.

"No," Thor said sorrowfully. "I'm the one who should apologize. Thank you for coming here."

Loki's eyes also seemed to brim with tears as he looked sadly at Thor. "Farewell."

But when Loki turned his head again, all the grief in his eyes had vanished.

The door suddenly opened, and Coulson walked in.

But Loki had already disappeared.

He walked straight ahead without veering, only to find a child blocking his path.

Loki initially intended to walk around him, but the small figure remained standing in front of him.

Only then did Loki realize that the child had been staring at him the entire time, as though he could see him.

Golden Light flickered in Leo's eyes. To Loki, they looked just like Heimdall's eyes, and could actually see through his invisibility illusion.

"Who are you?"

Loki's telepathy had failed. He could not sense any information about this mortal. A strange field of energy surrounded him, making him seem almost like a god.

"Loki Odinson, do you think you're qualified to lift Mjolnir now?"

Leo smiled at Loki. "You actually dare speak to me like that? What right do you have to judge me? I am a god."

Leo opened his hand, and Mjolnir flew straight from the mound of earth into his outstretched palm, though he did not look nearly as casual as Thor had been.

Regardless of how it happened, the result was that Leo was holding Mjolnir and looking at Loki.

"Do you dare try?"

"No, no. How could a mortal like you possibly lift Mjolnir?"

Loki stared at Leo in shock, unable to believe that the hammer he had dreamed of possessing was now in the hands of a mortal other than Thor.

Loki grabbed for it, exerting all his immense strength.

When Leo released his hand, Loki could not gain Mjolnir's recognition. It fell straight to the ground, smashing out a shallow crater.

Because Loki refused to let go, the heavy hammer made him stumble as well.

Loki glared angrily at Leo, seemingly tempted to kill him.

Leo waved his hand, and Mjolnir flew back to its original position.

The dozen or so staff members who witnessed this scene were stunned. They had never imagined that the immovable hammer could fly into the hands of the masked boy whom Chief Coulson had brought back.

Leo quickly ran outside, taking Loki several thousand meters away to a desolate desert. No one else followed them.

A small metal knife appeared in Loki's hand, while his full outfit materialized over his body.

"Tell me, human. What do you know, and why can you lift Mjolnir?"

Leo turned his back and looked toward the empty space. "Loki, that trick won't work on me."

His Piercing Golden Eyes could see through illusions, allowing Leo to clearly observe Loki's true position.

Sure enough, another figure of Loki appeared in front of him, wearing golden armor and a green cloak, but without the golden Horned Helmet.

Loki looked at Leo. "You're neither a mortal nor from Asgard. Why do you know about Asgard?"

But the phantom behind Leo quietly advanced several steps, then thrust the dagger in his hand forward.

At the same moment, the phantom in front of Leo vanished.

Leo slowly turned around and looked at the astonished Loki. "As expected of the God of Mischief. You're awfully practiced at this whole duplicate, illusion, and teleportation routine. You must use it often."

Loki looked at the dagger in his hand, then at Leo, who was completely unharmed, and took two steps back.

Leo dispelled the Golden Light around his body and asked curiously, "So you're an illusionist? Aside from special weapons, can you only attack with little knives?"

Loki's combat skills were by no means weak. He could easily defeat Captain America, and his extraordinary Physical Fitness was beyond even Leo's ability to withstand at present.

Loki's defenses could easily withstand ordinary bullets, and he possessed astonishing regenerative abilities. His upper limit of strength was probably around fifty tons. To ordinary people, he was an irresistible god.

But now, his illusions, shapeshifting, telepathy, and hypnosis were all ineffective against Leo. There was no one else here for him to manipulate, and even his silver tongue was useless.

Although Loki was proficient with all kinds of weapons, he had brought only two small knives with him. He had not brought down any of his artifacts, such as Gungnir or the Casket of Ancient Winters.

And he still could not break through Leo's defenses.

"I'm not in the mood to play with you anymore, outsider. Mjolnir will always be Asgard's artifact. If you dare take it, no one will be able to save you."

Loki retreated several steps. The Bifrost descended and enveloped him, and he vanished, leaving behind only a circular teleportation mark.

Loki returned to Asgard and looked at Heimdall. "Mjolnir was moved by an outsider. Did you see it?"

Heimdall, clad in golden armor, looked at Loki and said, "I saw it. But he can conceal his form, just like you. Odin's seal has not been lifted, and he has no right to wield the power of the God of Thunder."

Loki glanced at Heimdall. "Send me to Jotunheim."

Loki arrived in the land of the Frost Giants once more.

Leo also returned to the research center.

As it happened, Dr. Erik and the others had come here out of concern as well, wanting to rescue Thor and the other man.

They had also forged Thor's identification, attempting to pass him off as a physics professor who had become enraged after his research materials were stolen.

Coulson clearly knew it was fake, but he still sent Thor back.

The four of them stood outside. Jane and Darcy looked at Coulson again. "Isn't there also a child inside named Leo? He's one of our research team members too. Could you release him as well?"

Coulson looked at them with some amusement. "Leo is one of your people?"

Thor had not yet recovered from his grief, while Jane and Darcy felt somewhat embarrassed.

Leo had already appeared behind them.

"Coulson, we'll be leaving first. Can we return the equipment and materials tomorrow?"

"Sure. But you'll have to return the check I gave you. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s funds are limited too," Coulson said with a smile.

After the five of them left, Coulson returned to Mjolnir.

"What? You're saying that child just lifted the hammer?!"