Chapter 39. First Encounter with Thor
After a long journey along the bumpy sandy road, the car finally entered a small town. Looking out the window, Noah saw a typical American settlement. There were few cars, and people on the streets were discussing a fallen meteorite. Many of these people had recently tried to catch a glimpse of the crash site but were driven away by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
The car stopped near a small diner. Noah remembered that he hadn't had breakfast yet, and it was almost noon. Before deciding what to do next, he chose to get something to eat.
Closing the car door, he headed toward the diner. As he approached the glass door, he noticed two men exiting the establishment, chatting animatedly. Noah overheard them talking about a funny incident involving an old man who had tried to pull Thor's hammer using his car but ended up damaging it instead.
Noah glanced back for a moment but continued walking. He recalled the scene from the movie, where Stan Lee himself made a cameo. As Noah pushed open the door, the sound of breaking glass and a loud male voice greeted him:
"More! Bring me more!"
"Oh, my God, I'm sorry! Why did you do that?" another voice chimed in.
Inside, sitting at a table, were four people: two men and two women. One of the men, a golden-haired guy, had just smashed a glass on the floor. One of the women immediately started apologizing to the diner owner and cleaning up the mess while scolding the blond man.
"What a coincidence!" Noah muttered, recognizing Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Dr. Erik Selvig, and Thor among the group. He hadn't expected to encounter them here, though considering the town's size, it made perfect sense.
"Jane, look at the door! Another handsome guy just walked in!" Darcy whispered, tugging at Jane's sleeve.
Everyone turned to look at the door, where a tall, good-looking young man stood. Jane glanced at him briefly, noting his appearance but not paying much attention. Thor, however, tensed up, sensing something unusual in the newcomer's aura. Though he was now mortal, his millennia of combat experience told him that the person before him possessed strong magical energy.
"Should I go over and say hello? Or would that be too forward? Well, let's see," Noah thought as he entered the diner. He smiled at the group, stepped around the departing customers, and approached the counter to place his order. Then he sat down at a free table.
Thor stood up, deciding to approach Noah. Jane immediately tried to stop him, fearing he would cause more trouble.
"Hey, where are you going?" Jane asked, grabbing Thor's arm.
"That man seems to be a sorcerer. I just want to greet him," Thor replied with a friendly smile. He gently freed himself from her grasp and walked toward Noah.
"Oh no, he's at it again!" Jane exclaimed, worried. She pulled Darcy and called for Dr. Selvig, following after Thor, hoping to prevent any trouble. But by the time they caught up, Thor was already sitting across from Noah.
Noah raised an eyebrow in surprise, watching Thor. He hadn't even gone looking for him yet, and here Thor was, coming to him. Interesting—what did he want?
"Sorcerer, greetings. I am Thor, son of Odin, heir to Asgard," Thor introduced himself, barely sitting down. His three friends didn't get a chance to intervene and were now nervously watching, fearing that Thor's words might anger Noah.
"Thor Odinson, I've heard of you," Noah replied, curious about what Thor was after.
"I knew someone had to know my name!" Thor turned to his friends with a smile. Since being banished to Midgard, he had discovered that people here didn't know who he was. This had depressed him, especially since his powers had been sealed by his father, and he could only regain them by reclaiming Mjolnir. Now, sitting across from a powerful sorcerer, Thor hoped for some assistance.
"Listen, sorcerer, I am Thor, and I am facing some challenges. I need your help. If you assist me in reclaiming Mjolnir, when I regain my powers and return to Asgard, I will make you the chief sorcerer of Asgard," Thor said seriously. He didn't mention that he had been exiled, finding it too humiliating. His words left his friends baffled, unsure whether to believe his claims. Jane tried to pull him away, afraid that he was about to cause more trouble.
As Noah listened to Thor, he realized this dialogue felt familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall from where. He decided to let events unfold as they were meant to—after all, Thor was still early in his journey, full of pride and overconfidence. His real growth would come later, as his relationship with Jane and her friends deepened.
"If you're looking for the hammer, head west 50 miles from here. You'll find Mjolnir there," Noah replied, deciding to play along with the plot.
"Thank you, sorcerer," Thor said gratefully and allowed Jane to pull him away.
"Sorry about my... friend. He's not quite right in the head," Dr. Erik Selvig explained, tapping his temple with a finger.
"No problem, I understand," Noah replied. Erik thanked him and went off to catch up with Jane and Thor, along with Darcy.
Once they were gone, Noah received his meal and continued watching their group through the diner's large window. Thor headed toward his hammer, while Erik tried to convince Jane not to get too involved with a mentally unstable man. Soon after, they parted ways.
"Eh, not very tasty," Noah muttered, glancing out the window and taking a bite of his food. He realized that his taste buds had significantly changed thanks to Lissandra, and now it was hard to enjoy food prepared outside of home.
"By tonight, Thor should reach his hammer. It seems Loki will be there too. It wouldn't be bad to meet the second prince of Asgard," Noah thought, finishing his meal and deciding that he should stick to Lissandra's cooking from now on.
Meanwhile, Jane, Darcy, and Erik returned to their temporary lodging after parting ways with Thor, only to discover that their equipment and research materials had disappeared. In a panic, they rushed inside, only to see agents carrying out the last remaining documents. Jane tried to stop them but failed. The agents, including Coulson, had been ordered to confiscate everything related to the anomaly.
After a few words with Coulson and attempts to protest, Jane reluctantly accepted the loss of her last notebook, which ended up in the agents' possession. Erik reminded her that they were up against a government agency and it wasn't worth escalating the conflict.
Later, the trio sat on the roof, reflecting on the events and discussing their next steps. They soon decided to gather supplies. While Darcy and Erik were in a store, Jane, waiting in the car, noticed a familiar figure. It was Thor, heading toward a pet store. An idea suddenly struck her.
"I need a horse," Thor said to the pet store owner, leaving the man bewildered.
"This is a pet store, not a stable," the clerk thought.
The clerk, sighing in exasperation, informed Thor that they only had dogs, cats, and birds. At that moment, a car horn sounded outside.
------
You can read up to 10+ advanced chapters and support me at patreon.com/raaaaven