Sorcerer in the Marvel Universe

"What?"

Thor stared at Evenson in disbelief.

"That’s impossible!"

Evenson raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you so shocked?" he asked with a faint smirk. "You sound almost disappointed that your father might still be alive."

Thor froze.

Realizing how his outburst had sounded, he quickly shook his head.

"No. That’s not what I meant."

"I’m shocked because..."

He frowned.

"Where did you hear that?"

Even if it was the answer he wanted, he found it difficult to believe a stranger over his own family.

Evenson leaned back.

"Then let me ask you something."

"Who told you Odin was dead?"

"My brother."

Thor answered without hesitation.

"Loki."

Thor still trusted him. Loki could be childish, reckless, and fond of practical jokes, but in Thor’s mind there was one line his brother would never cross.

He wouldn’t lie about their father’s death.

Then another realization struck him.

"...How did you know it was Loki?"

Evenson smiled.

"You weren’t the only one who visited our facility last night."

"Your brother arrived shortly after you."

"He was... considerably less dramatic about it."

He gestured toward Coulson.

"Though he did leave my colleagues wandering around like they had forgotten how to think."

Coulson rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"It wasn’t quite that bad."

"I was just... mentally foggy."

"Fine." Evenson nodded. "Mentally foggy."

"And recovering from it required an exceptionally unpleasant treatment."

Thor finally noticed the bruises hidden beneath Coulson’s sunglasses.

"...I see."

He looked genuinely apologetic.

"Loki has always enjoyed practical jokes."

Then his expression hardened again.

"But according to you..."

"He deliberately deceived me."

"Why should I believe you instead of him?"

It was a fair question.

On one side stood the brother he’d loved for over a thousand years.

On the other...

A man he’d met less than an hour ago.

Evenson didn’t argue.

Instead, he asked a question.

"Last night..."

"You couldn’t lift Mjolnir, could you?"

Thor’s face tightened.

Failing to wield his own hammer was still an open wound.

"...No."

"My father placed an enchantment upon it."

"I lost the right to wield it."

"Exactly."

Evenson’s smile became almost playful.

"Your father’s enchantment."

"If Odin truly died..."

"...why is that enchantment still there?"

Thor’s brow furrowed.

He had considered countless things since arriving on Midgard.

That...

Wasn’t one of them.

Mjolnir refused him because of Odin’s spell.

If the one who had cast it had truly died, shouldn’t the enchantment have vanished with him?

Yet the previous night, the hammer had remained immovable.

The contradiction settled heavily in his mind.

"Yesterday," Evenson continued, "I examined your hammer in my own way."

"I saw the enchantment."

"It was stable."

"Intact."

"Powerful."

"I can tell your father isn’t in perfect health."

"But he’s nowhere near death."

Thor looked at him sharply.

"You can see Father’s enchantments?"

"That isn’t something ordinary humans can do."

"Of course not."

Evenson spread his hands.

Flames burst into existence between his palms, weaving themselves into glowing words before everyone present.

I’m not an ordinary human.

The fiery letters floated in the air for several seconds before dissolving into drifting embers.

Thor watched the display thoughtfully.

"...A sorcerer?"

Evenson looked absurdly relieved.

"Thank goodness."

He glanced over his shoulder toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"Finally."

"Someone didn’t immediately assume I was a mutant."

The distinction had been surprisingly difficult to explain when he first encountered S.H.I.E.L.D.

"As for the details..."

He shrugged.

"It’s complicated."

"You can think of me as a sorcerer."

He chose not to explain the difference between a mage and a warlock.

He wasn’t even sure whether Asgardians recognized the distinction.

Thor frowned.

"Midgard has practitioners of magic now?"

"In my experience, humans were physically weak and possessed few extraordinary abilities."

"We’ve had them for a while," Evenson replied.

Jane’s eyes lit up.

"I knew it!"

She looked triumphantly around the room.

"I’ve been saying we shouldn’t dismiss magic simply because we don’t understand it."

"It’s just..."

"Science we haven’t explained yet?" Evenson finished with a grin.

"Arthur C. Clarke."

Jane immediately held out her hand.

"Jane Foster."

"Evenson Richter."

They shook.

"I’d love the chance to discuss magic someday."

"Or rather..."

"The science behind whatever it is you do."

"I’d be happy to."

Evenson smiled.

"So long as your boyfriend doesn’t object."

Jane’s face instantly turned crimson.

"H-he’s not..."

"He’s not my boyfriend."

Thor cleared his throat loudly.

Whether because of embarrassment or mild jealousy was difficult to say.

Setting that aside, he looked directly at Evenson.

"Can you stand behind what you’ve said?"

"I mean..."

"About Loki lying to me."

"I can."

Evenson’s expression became serious.

"If you still doubt me, come back with us."

"You can inspect Mjolnir yourself."

Thor narrowed his eyes.

"How do I know this isn’t simply a trick to lure me into your custody?"

"A trick?"

Evenson laughed.

"Why would we need one?"

"You’ve lost your powers."

"Right now you’re simply an exceptionally strong man."

"If we wanted to take you by force..."

"...you couldn’t stop us."

Thor’s jaw clenched.

Painful as it was, he knew the statement was true.

The previous night’s escape had only succeeded because S.H.I.E.L.D. had been trying to capture him alive.

Now they had reinforcements.

And Evenson...

Whatever he truly was...

Thor couldn’t judge his strength at all.

If they wanted to overpower him, deception would be unnecessary.

Slowly, Thor’s resistance crumbled.

"I can’t believe it..."

He began pacing across the room.

"I know Loki enjoys causing trouble."

"But this..."

"How could he lie about Father’s death?"

"We’ve stood beside each other for over a thousand years."

"Why would he do something like this?"

Evenson lowered his eyelids as though the answer hardly interested him.

"Who knows?"

He spoke almost absentmindedly.

"Odin only has two sons."

Thor stopped.

He turned sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

Evenson’s expression remained perfectly calm.

"Maybe he was so worried about your father’s condition that his judgment slipped."

"Maybe he blamed you for causing Odin’s collapse."

"And maybe..."

"He wanted a little revenge."

Thor stood in silence.

"...Maybe."

That answer came slowly.

Thoughtfully.

Evenson said nothing else.

There was no need.

Some truths couldn’t be handed to a man.

He had to reach them himself.

Trying to drive a wedge between brothers during their first meeting would accomplish nothing.

If Evenson bluntly declared that Loki was plotting to seize Asgard’s throne, Thor would probably punch him before listening to another word.

Better to leave the seeds where they were.

Thor’s own mind would do the rest.

"So..."

Evenson stood.

"If your grieving brother decides he isn’t finished taking revenge..."

"...I’d rather he didn’t involve innocent people."

He looked toward Jane, Selvig, and Darcy.

"For their sake..."

"I think it’s best if you come with us."

"Let S.H.I.E.L.D. protect all of you."

Years ago, Thor would have laughed.

The God of Thunder hiding behind someone else’s protection?

He would have chosen death before accepting such humiliation.

But things were different now.

He wasn’t alone anymore.

He had people he couldn’t bear to lose.

After a long silence, he nodded.

"...Very well."

"I’ll go."

"Good."

Evenson smiled.

"Pack whatever you need."

"We’ll wait outside."

The moment they stepped out of the house, Melinda’s phone rang.

She answered, listened for a few seconds, then walked over to Evenson.

"They found him."

Evenson blinked.

"...Who?"

Then it clicked.

"Carter Slade?"

"Already?"

Melinda smiled faintly.

"Never underestimate S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Once we know exactly who we’re looking for, we can find them even if they’re hiding underground."

"He’s living in a remote village about two hundred kilometers from here."

She looked at the darkening sky.

"When do you want to meet him?"

Evenson glanced west.

The sun was already sinking below the horizon.

"Tomorrow."

"We leave at first light."

"If everything goes well..."

"We’ll arrive around noon."

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