"Where did she go?"
"Oh, Fischl and Oz went home. She said she was worried about the people of the Immernachtreich, so she borrowed the Bifrost."
"Hmph."
Loki looked at Sif below the throne, his lips curling into a mocking smile.
"Sif, you certainly know how to make excuses. Did you really think I would believe a lie like that?"
His eyes darkened as he slowly descended. "I hope you can face reality. Even if she brings Thor back, he is nothing but a mortal who cannot even lift Mjolnir."
"Only I! I am your king now!"
With that, Loki withdrew his gaze and strode out of the palace, ignoring the furious Sif. He was going to eliminate every possibility that could ruin his grand plan.
He summoned the gigantic warrior. "Destroyer! I command you..."
"Daisy! Bring the first aid kit!"
Jane shouted from the car. She slammed on the brakes, opened the door, and dragged Thor out of the passenger seat.
"Coming, coming!"
A woman with large eyes and full lips, wearing a fuzzy hat, dashed out of the house carrying a large white box.
"Oh my God, how did he go out for a bit and come back a different race?"
Daisy opened the box, poured some alcohol onto gauze, and wiped the man's face.
Jane leaned against Thor's chest to listen. His heartbeat was a little fast. She fetched a water bottle from the car and clumsily gave him some water.
"You have no idea what I ran into last night. A flying little girl, a talking raven, lightning everywhere..."
The more Jane spoke, the more worked up she became.
"Ah!" Thor suddenly opened his eyes. He grabbed Jane's arm and held it for quite some time before coming to his senses.
"Jane?"
"I'm here. Thank God you're all right."
Thor released Jane's hand and sat up straight, holding his throbbing forehead.
He looked down at his pitch-black hands, struggling to process what he saw.
"Here, take this."
Daisy took a compact mirror from the small bag she carried. "Don't doubt it. That Black dude in there is you."
Thor twitched his lips, and the Black man in the mirror revealed a mouthful of white teeth.
Unable to bear the sight, he pushed Daisy's hand down.
He remembered now. He really did not want to relive yesterday's experience.
"I-I'm fine." Thor stood up unsteadily, glanced around, and asked Jane, "Where's Fischl?"
"Fischl?"
"The little girl with the raven."
After speaking, Thor clutched his head. It hurt so much.
Jane shook her head. At the time, she had been too busy getting Thor away to notice whether the girl had made it out.
"Ahahaha! My friend, art thou devoutly calling upon the august name of this Prinzessin?"
Fischl stood on the roof of the car, looking down at the bedraggled Thor. She could not help finding him hilarious.
Those curls fluttering in the wind, that flaking, pitch-black skin, those gleaming teeth, that wise yet vacant gaze-all of it instantly tickled 'Fischl's' funny bone.
"Pfft, ahahaha!"
Thor pointed at Fischl, who was rocking back and forth with laughter atop the car. The bitterness in his heart vanished, replaced mostly by embarrassment and helplessness. "You're still laughing at my misery? This is all your fault! Who told you to throw the hammer at me?"
Once Fischl had laughed her fill, she jumped down from the car. Oz, who had been circling overhead, landed on the back of her outstretched hand.
"Mr. Thor, milady certainly has no intention of mocking you."
"Th-the raven talked?!"
Daisy jumped in fright.
Even in her astonishment, she did not forget to pull out her phone and snap a few pictures.
"Haha, why be surprised by such a trifling matter, fair lady?"
Daisy was thrilled. She had a weakness for attractive voices, and the moment the night raven spoke, his rich, alluring male voice nearly made her knees buckle.
Holding up her phone, Daisy switched to video recording. Her cheeks warmed, and she gave him a shy, ladylike smile. "Hi, I'm Daisy. Hello, Mr. Night Raven."
"Oh, a pleasure to meet you. I am Oz. My lady, I must say your beauty could conquer the world."
"Ohohoho!"
Grinning from ear to ear, Daisy was beside herself with joy. A rather suggestive sound escaped her throat. "Ah~ God!!! I love him."
She put away her phone and boldly approached Fischl. After getting permission, she gently stroked the night raven's thick plumage.
The instant she touched it, Daisy's eyes lit up. "Wow, it feels amazing!"
"Um... does Mr. Oz have a girlfriend?"
Standing nearby, Jane nearly lost her mind at the sight.
"Hey! Could you rein it in? You're not even the same species!"
"So what!" Daisy wriggled, trying to tuck her head beneath the night raven's wing. "That's blatant discrimination!"
This woman was beyond saving.
Jane was speechless. She left Daisy alone and turned her attention back to applying the medicine in her hand to Thor's arm.
"Where's the hammer?"
That was what concerned Thor most. "You didn't take it?"
"Why would this Prinzessin take it? The only lightning I acknowledge is the thunder of sacred judgment that proclaims fate."
Oz tilted his head and posed with Daisy for a selfie on her phone's front-facing camera, then explained to Thor:
"Milady means she could not control that lightning, so she gave up."
Facing the dejected Thor, Fischl patted his large, blackened arm.
"My friend, why despair? Thy will alone can sever the limbs of an evil dragon."
Oz said, "You will lift Mjolnir, Mr. Thor. Have faith in yourself."
Comforted, Thor rallied. Yes, this was a trial his father had given him. Did losing his divine power mean he was no longer a warrior of Asgard?
The man nodded, his fighting spirit rekindling beneath Jane's concerned gaze.
"Thank you. Thank you both."
With their spirits settled, the group prepared to head inside the house for a rest.
Suddenly, the light dimmed, and a rainbow beam wider than any of them descended from the sky.
Thor looked at Fischl in confusion.
"What? Has someone besides you come to see me?"
Fischl said, "Huh? This Prinzessin dunno?"