Sorcerer in the Marvel Universe

"So," Evenson said, "what exactly do you need my help with?"

Privately, his imagination had already gone in a completely different direction.

Please don’t ask me to march into Asgard with you and punch your scheming little brother.

I’m a warlock, not a family therapist.

Thor frowned.

"You said you examined my hammer."

"You saw the enchantment my father placed upon it."

"What did you think of it?"

"So that’s what this is about..."

Evenson relaxed.

"It was... overwhelming."

He answered honestly.

"The power behind Odin’s words deserves respect."

"If you’re worried about your father’s condition, then I can reassure you."

"From what I sensed within the enchantment, your father may be weakened by age and emotional strain."

"But he’s nowhere near death."

Thor nodded slowly.

"I reached the same conclusion."

"After arriving here, I examined Mjolnir myself."

"It confirmed what you told me."

The upheaval of recent weeks had changed him.

Not long ago, Thor had been an arrogant prince convinced he already understood everything worth knowing.

Now...

He finally understood something of Odin’s intentions.

Of his father’s love.

That realization was why the first thing he’d done after arriving at the facility was visit Mjolnir.

S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn’t tried to stop him.

Now that they knew exactly who he was, there was little point.

The hammer belonged to him.

More than that, it symbolized the crown of Asgard itself.

Keeping it from him would have been both pointless and diplomatically disastrous.

Evenson spread his hands.

"If you’ve already confirmed everything, then what do you need from me?"

Thor hesitated.

"When I came before..."

"I was... upset."

"I didn’t look closely."

"But this time..."

He seemed oddly embarrassed.

"You know that in Asgard, science and magic are essentially the same discipline."

"I’ve always focused on warfare."

"My understanding of magic is..."

He searched for a diplomatic way to phrase it.

"...limited."

"I understand."

Evenson hid a smile.

’Limited’ is certainly one way to describe it.

Thor ignored the expression.

"You’re a practitioner of magic."

"I hoped you might understand what Father meant by being... worthy."

"What standard determines whether I can lift Mjolnir again?"

There was unmistakable sincerity in his voice.

If Asgard truly needed him someday...

How could he answer that call without his power?

Evenson considered the question carefully.

"I’m afraid that’s beyond me."

"Odin operates on a level I can’t fully comprehend."

That wasn’t an excuse.

The enchantment on Mjolnir had puzzled scholars, sorcerers, and gods alike.

No one had ever reduced it to a simple formula.

Thor’s shoulders sank.

Then Evenson continued.

"But..."

"We can make an educated guess."

Thor immediately looked up again.

"Mjolnir was forged specifically for you."

"You were Asgard’s Crown Prince."

"The future king."

"So perhaps..."

"The standard for wielding the hammer is the same standard required to rule Asgard."

"The standard... of a king."

Thor fell silent.

Evenson watched him think.

"If that still feels too abstract..."

"Try asking a different question."

Thor looked at him.

"Instead of wondering why you can’t lift the hammer..."

"Ask why your father believed you no longer deserved the throne."

Thor slowly exhaled.

"Because..."

He recounted everything.

The Frost Giants’ intrusion.

His fury.

His reckless march into Jotunheim.

The battle.

The near-war.

Odin’s intervention.

His banishment.

When he finished, he quietly added,

"My father believed I lacked patience."

"And mercy."

Evenson nodded.

"That reminds me of something."

He cleared his throat.

"A king once told his son..."

"’My son—’"

Thor’s face darkened instantly.

Evenson laughed.

"Easy."

"I’m quoting someone."

"I’m not trying to adopt you."

Thor coughed awkwardly.

"...Go on."

Evenson continued.

"I have watched you grow with pride, becoming the embodiment of justice."

"Remember this."

"We rule through both strength and wisdom."

"I trust that you will wield your great power with caution."

He let the words settle.

"What do you hear in that?"

Thor answered after a moment’s thought.

"Strength."

"And wisdom."

"I believe I possess both."

Evenson stared at him for a long second.

That confidence certainly survived exile.

"You’re missing the point."

"Asgardians are straightforward people."

"That’s admirable."

"You don’t waste your lives playing political games the way many people on Earth do."

"But wisdom isn’t measured by how hard you can hit someone."

"It’s measured by how you choose to use that strength."

Thor frowned.

"I’ve mastered my strength."

"I wasn’t talking about combat."

Evenson shook his head.

"A king does not wage war because he’s angry."

Thor blinked.

"What does that mean?"

"It means a ruler never starts a war simply to satisfy his own rage."

Evenson folded his arms.

"The prince who spoke those words..."

"Eventually forgot them."

"He became consumed by vengeance."

"He relied on strength alone."

"He fell into his enemy’s trap."

"In the end..."

"He embraced darkness."

"He murdered his own father upon the throne."

"Destroyed his kingdom."

"And nearly doomed his entire world."

Thor listened without interrupting.

"A man ruled by arrogance and anger is dangerous."

"No matter how powerful he is."

"Someone who cannot restrain himself should never become king."

"There are countless ways to solve a problem."

"War is the fastest."

"But it should always be the last."

"The cost is simply too high."

"If a king launches armies over every insult or provocation..."

"It isn’t his enemies who suffer most."

"It’s his own people."

He looked Thor directly in the eye.

"Your father understood that."

"The question is..."

"Do you?"

Silence filled the room.

Thor heard Odin’s voice again.

The words spoken before his exile.

Your arrogance and your vanity have endangered innocent lives.

You would plunge peaceful realms into war.

Back then, when he’d learned Frost Giants had infiltrated Asgard, his first instinct hadn’t been investigation.

Or diplomacy.

Or justice.

He’d wanted revenge.

He’d wanted to lead an army into Jotunheim.

Crush the Frost Giants.

Return home in triumph.

At the time...

It had seemed perfectly natural.

Now...

He wondered whether any true king would have made the same choice.

After a long silence, Thor finally spoke.

"...I think..."

"I’m beginning to understand."

The moment those words left his mouth...

Far across the facility, Mjolnir trembled.

Only slightly.

But it moved.

A deep rumble echoed through the base.

Thor instinctively looked toward the sound.

Evenson tilted his head, listened for another second, then smiled.

"Perfect timing."

He stood.

"My delivery’s here."

Outside the facility gates, a main battle tank rolled inside.

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