The palace entrance loomed before them. Golden spires scraped at the cosmos itself. Every surface gleamed with precious metals worked into impossible structures.

  Thor's pride was obvious as they crossed the threshold. His voice carried reverence of a son showing off his home "The Hall of Valor and the Gallery of Kings." He gestured at murals and towering statues lining the corridors, ancient battles in impossible detail and rulers carved from materials that shifted colors like living things. "Every triumph of Asgard, preserved for eternity."

  Jay's eyes tracked everything. Every corridor, every turn and every possible exit. His enhanced memory cataloged the layout automatically, building a mental map. Never know when you'd need to run from angry gods.

  "That one is Buri, the first king." Thor pointed at statues lining the next hall. Each figure stood thirty feet tall. "And there, my grandfather Bor. A fierce warrior who united the realms through strength and wisdom."

  "Impressive," Jay murmured, though his tone suggested he was taking notes rather than admiring.

  Thor continued, oblivious to Jay's tactical assessment. "The throne room lies ahead. Father will be in council, as is his custom during the afternoon."

  The massive doors were already opening, pulled by guards in golden armor. Their expressions were carefully neutral, but Jay caught the hostility underneath. Seems like news traveled fast in the divine kingdom.

  The throne room was everything Jay expected and more. Vast enough to house a stadium with columns stretched toward a ceiling painted with nebulae and dying stars. The floor was polished to mirror brightness, reflecting the cosmic tapestry above.

  Odin Borson sat on his throne at the far end, Gungnir held loosely in one hand. Around him, the court was assembled. Ministers in elaborate robes. Warriors in armor that probably cost more than Manhattan. Frigga on her own throne beside her husband, beautiful and terrible but radiating barely contained maternal fury.

  The entire assembly was in heated discussion when Thor and Jay entered. Voices rose and fell, debating in languages that Asgardian Allspeak translated automatically. Then someone noticed them, and the conversation died like someone had cut its throat.

  Every eye in the room turned toward the entrance.

  Jay cataloged the expressions and fury and barely restrained violence. A few carried something worse. Calculation, and those were the dangerous ones, the courtiers already running scenarios about how to use this situation.

  'A room full of powerful people who want me dead.' The thought had never been more accurate.

  A herald stepped forward, voice booming with trained projection. "Prince Thor Odinson, heir to the throne of Asgard, protector of Midgard! And his companion, the mortal Jay, representative of the realm of Midgard!"

  Thor moved forward immediately, dropping to one knee with practiced grace. His head bowed, fist over heart.

  "Allfather. Mother. I have returned as promise."

  Gasps rippled through the court.

  Thor's head came up, confused. He turned to see Jay still standing near the entrance, head tilted back, studying the murals on the walls with genuine interest.

  "The craftsmanship is remarkable," Jay said quietly. "Tell me, is that actual stellar matter worked into the ceiling, or merely an artistic representation?"

  "The mortal dares!" A minister with silver threading through his beard stepped forward, his face flushed crimson. "He stands in the presence of the Allfather himself and shows such blatant disrespect! This is an outrage!"

  More voices joined in, building toward a crescendo of offended nobility.

  "SILENCE."

  Odin's voice didn't rise in volume, but it cut through the noise like a blade through flesh. The court went instantly quiet.

  The Allfather's single eye fixed on Jay with unsettling intensity. When he spoke, his words carried the weight of millennia.

  "This mortal stands here as representative of Midgard, which we failed to defend when it was under our protection. Are you so consumed by so much shame that you need to demand fake respect for this palace to hide it?"

  The silence that followed was absolute. Even the ministers who'd been shouting seconds before looked stunned. Frigga's hand tightened on the armrest of her throne, her knuckles white. Her eyes never left Jay, tracking his every movement with the focus of a mother watching a predator circle her wounded child.

  Jay let his casual mask slip away as the Mastermind persona settled over him like a second skin. Although he'd lost Franklin's power, there was no need to let others know. Time to live the 'fake it till you make it' motto.

  He clasped his hands behind his back, smile sharpening.

  "The King is very perceptive. If only you could have passed that wisdom to your son."

  A ripple of tension spread through the court. Hands shifted toward weapons, but no one moved. Not yet.

  Frigga leaned forward slightly, her voice cutting through the tension like ice. "Choose your next words carefully, mortal."

  The threat was gentle, almost motherly. Which made it infinitely more dangerous.

  Thor stood quickly, moving close enough to whisper urgently. "What are you doing, Jay? This is Odin himself, the Allfather! You cannot speak to him this way!"

  Jay's smile didn't waver. "Let's get straight to it. I don't like showboating."

  "Agreed." Frigga's voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding. "Release my son, whom you trapped as a plaything. Every moment he remains in your custody is another moment of suffering I must endure."

  Jay laughed. The sound was exaggerated and dripping with false sympathy.

  "I'm so sorry your genocidal son is inconvenienced by his imprisonment!"

  The throne room stirred as warriors shifted and ministers opened their mouths to speak.

  CRACK.

  Odin slammed Gungnir against the floor. The sound was like thunder trapped in a bottle, reverberating through the massive space. Reality itself seemed to shudder.

  "THAT'S ENOUGH!" The Allfather's voice carried divine authority. "I caution you to watch your tone, mortal."

  Jay's smile widened, then turned cheerful.

  "My bad. It's just my mind is still a mess from, you know, rewriting death for over a thousand people. Creating thousands of heroes, each with abilities that would be considered formidable even by Asgardian standards." He touched his temple, wincing theatrically. "Not to mention those Infinity Stones were really bright. Terrible for my astigmatism."

  The casual tone made the words hit harder. The entire court straightened as they reassessed that this wasn't just some mortal who'd gotten lucky; this was the being who'd performed feats that even Odin would struggle to match, the being currently standing in the middle of Asgard's palace, surrounded by their greatest warriors, was still the biggest danger in the room.

  The same being who held their prince in a playing card and could destroy him with a thought.

  The silence that followed was thick with recalculations.

  Jay let it settle, watching recognition dawn on face after face. Good! Fear bred caution, and caution meant fewer stupid attempts to hinder his plans.

  "Now then," Jay continued, his voice more businesslike. "I just can't understand how the son of the Allfather himself turned out to be this..." He paused, as if searching for the right word. "What was it? Ah, right. Conniving, craven, pathetic worm."

  Every guard in the room looked ready to commit murder. Hands gripped spear shafts white-knuckled, and eyes blazed with barely restrained violence.

  Jay's smile took on a cruel edge. "Well, you can't help it. Once a bastard, always a bastard."

  The words hung in the air for exactly one heartbeat.

  Then Frigga's magic erupted.

  Power cascaded from her in waves, golden and ancient and absolutely furious. The old magic, the kind that predated Earth's civilization itself. It lashed toward Jay like a living thing, ready to punish the mortal who'd dared sully her family with his tongue.

  Jay's hand moved with liquid grace. He pulled a card from his breast pocket, holding it up between two fingers. Loki's terrified face was clearly visible, his mouth still open silently screaming.

  His other hand positioned to tear the card in half.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Frigga's magic stopped instantly. The golden energy dissipated, leaving only the tang of ozone and feelings of maternal terror.

  Odin was on his feet, Gungnir raised. "Wait!"

  "Easy there, Mama Bear." Jay's voice remained conversational, but his fingers stayed positioned to destroy the card. "You wouldn't like what would happen to your son if this tears. Paper's such a delicate thing. Doesn't take much to come apart."

  The entire court had gone statue-still. Even the warriors who'd been ready to charge moments before were frozen, watching the standoff.

  Frigga's face was pale, one hand extended toward Jay in a pleading gesture. "Please. Don't."

  Jay held the position for three more seconds, making sure everyone understood the stakes. Then, slowly, deliberately, he lowered the card and tucked it back into his pocket.

  His entire demeanor shifted. The cheerful edge vanished, replaced by something almost predatory. Like a loan shark who'd just finished threatening someone's kneecaps and was now ready to discuss payment terms.

  "Now then, let's get to payment, shall we?" Jay pulled out the video he'd recorded earlier. "Your son, Prince Thor, heir to the throne, promised me in your name, in the presence of the Ancient One herself, that I could have my pick of any treasure beyond mortal comprehension. So, can we get this rolling? I'd like a detailed catalog of, well, everything."

  Odin's single eye blazed with fury. His voice boomed through the throne room, divine power making the words physically felt.

  "THOR! What in the Nine Realms did you do? You promised him anything in my name?"

  Thor stepped forward, his shoulders squared. Despite the situation, there was no guile in his expression, only earnest conviction. "Father, I can explain. The situation was desperate. Mother was weeping for Loki, and the Power Broker here had already imprisoned him. I made the only choice available that would guarantee Loki's eventual return."

  "The only choice?" Odin's voice dripped with disbelief. "You gave a blank check to an unknown power? Have you learned nothing about negotiation? About the weight of oaths spoken in the Allfather's name?"

  Meanwhile, a servant in pristine white robes approached Jay with a tome bound in dragon hide. It was the catalogue of Asgard's treasury. Jay accepted it with a gracious nod and began leafing through pages that shimmered with preservation enchantments.

  The argument between son and father raged on.

  "I ensured Loki would face justice on both worlds, and that we would have the means to retrieve him!" Thor's voice rose defensively. "What would you have had me do? Leave him imprisoned forever in that card? Declare war on Midgard?"

  "I would have had you negotiate specific terms! Set clear boundaries! Not promise 'anything beyond mortal comprehension' like some fool in a fairy tale!" Odin's voice carried centuries of frustrated wisdom.

  Frigga's voice cut through the argument, and for the first time since Jay arrived, she sounded exhausted. "Enough! Both of you." Her hand pressed to her temple, fingers trembling slightly. "What's done is done. At least my son will be returned to me. That's worth more than any treasure in this vault."

  Her eyes were red-rimmed, and Jay noticed. How long had she been crying before they arrived?

  Jay cleared his throat quietly to suppress his laugh. He really did try to keep his expression neutral.

  Lady Sif stepped forward, her hand resting on her sword hilt. Not drawing it. Not yet. "You find something amusing, Power Broker?"

  Jay looked up from the catalogue. "Not at all, Lady Sif. I have great respect for a mother's love. But I should clarify something. Prince Thor agreed that since Loki attacked Earth and its inhabitants, he needs to complete Earth's punishment first. Only then can he return to Asgard to face your sentence."

  The temperature in the room dropped.

  Frigga's face went completely still. That terrible, dangerous stillness that comes before a storm.

  Odin's voice came out dangerously quiet. "Mortal. Explain yourself. Now."

  "Your son negotiated in good faith," Jay said, gesturing at Thor. "He understood that by the treaties you yourself signed, Loki must face justice where his crimes were committed. Once all victims' families are compensated and all damaged buildings are rebuilt, Loki returns to you. A matter of months, surely."

  Thor nodded, his expression earnest. "He speaks the truth, Father. Loki committed crimes against Midgard. By our own laws, he must face justice there. The Power Broker was entirely reasonable. It will be months at most."

  Jay's lips twitched. Just a fraction, barely noticeable.

  But Heimdall saw it. The all-seeing gatekeeper's voice carried renewed fury and understanding. "My prince, you truly need more time to mature in matters of statecraft. Even here on Asgard, with our magic and our king's supreme authority, bureaucracy takes months. Now imagine the divided world of Midgard with its inferior technology and fractured governments. Hundreds of nations, each with their own laws and procedures. We would be fortunate if Loki's sentence was completed within decades, if not centuries, not to mention establishing proper oversight!"

  The realization hit the court like a physical blow as warriors exchanged glances and ministers' faces paled.

  "Centuries?" Frigga's voice came out small, broken. She rose from her throne, one hand pressed to her chest. "My son will be imprisoned for centuries?"

  She turned to Thor, and the disappointment in her eyes was devastating. "You trusting fool. You're too pure-hearted for this world of politics and manipulation." Her voice cracked. "We need to assign you advisors in legal matters. Immediately. Before you give away the entire realm."

  Thor's face crumbled. He looked between his mother and Jay, the pieces finally clicking together. "I... I didn't..."

  "No," Frigga whispered. "You didn't."

  Jay, who'd been reading through the catalogue during the family drama, ran his finger down a page and paused. "Fascinating. The Tablet of Life and Time. The Warlock's Eye. Even a reference to something called the Eternal Flame." He looked up. "Your collection is quite extensive."

  He closed the catalogue with a soft thump. "Alright, I've decided. The treasure of Asgard beyond mortal comprehension. I want access to the Bifrost."

  The reaction was immediate and explosive.

  Odin rose from his throne, Gungnir blazing with divine energy. Power crackled through the air, making Jay's hair stand on end. The Allfather's voice carried the weight of cosmic authority.

  "ENOUGH WITH YOUR JEST! You want the Bifrost itself? The heart of Asgard? The connector of the Nine Realms? The symbol of our power and dominion over the cosmos?"

  Ministers shouted their outrage. Warriors redrew weapons. Even Frigga looked shocked by the audacity of the demand.

  Jay raised one hand, completely unbothered by the divine fury directed at him. "No worries. I don't need the whole Bifrost bridge. I just need a way to channel its power. Like this Stormbreaker I heard about." He pointed at Thor's Mjolnir. "Though I think it was just commissioned recently. I'd love to have a similar item."

  The court went silent. Not with fury this time, but with confusion.

  Frigga leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "How do you know about Stormbreaker? That was a secret project, known only to myself, Odin, and the dwarves of Nidavellir. Even Thor is unaware of its existence."

  Before Jay could respond, two voices spoke simultaneously.

  "He's the Power Broker."

  Thor and Heimdall had spoken at the same time. Their words overlapped perfectly. Both had heard this explanation multiple times. Thor from the Avengers and Fury and Heimdall from his all-seeing observations.

  "Secrets are his business," they finished together.

  Jay grimaced. "Yeah, when you say it like that, it sounds really cringy. But basically, yes."

  Odin lowered Gungnir slowly, divine energy dissipating. He studied Jay with renewed intensity, reassessing everything about this mortal who knew things he had no right to know.

  Though he couldn't feel that cosmic spark in him anymore, he didn't want to take any risks.

  When the Allfather finally spoke, his voice was heavy with reluctance.

  "No. That is not possible. Stormbreaker is a king's weapon, meant to be wielded by the ruler of Asgard in times of greatest need. Creating a similar item and bestowing the Bifrost's power upon it would be disrespecting every previous king who ruled before me. Choose something else, mortal."

  Jay was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed, long and heavy, and turned to Thor. He placed one hand on the prince's shoulder, his expression almost sympathetic.

  "I sympathize with you, Thor. The King of Asgard, unable to honor the oath taken by his heir in his name." Jay paused, his eyes sliding to Odin and Frigga. "Then again, keeping one's word must run in the family. Tell me, was your firstborn also so... unreliable? Or wait." His smile sharpened as he turned to Thor. "I meant second-born. My apologies. You're the firstborn, of course."

  The emphasis on 'of course' carried worlds of implication as Jay gave them a criminal side eye.

  Both parents went rigid.

  Frigga's breath caught audibly. Her hand flew to her throat, fingers pressing against her pulse point.

  Odin's grip on Gungnir tightened until the ancient spear trembled. His single eye blazed, and for a moment, just a moment, something else flickered there. Fear.

  The court sensed the shift immediately. The air itself felt heavier, charged with a secret that had just been dragged into the light. Warriors looked at each other, confusion mixing with growing alarm. Ministers leaned in, political instincts sensing blood in the water.

  "What..." one courtier began.

  "Enough." Odin's voice cut through the rising whispers like a blade. When he spoke again, his words were carefully controlled, each syllable measured. "What I meant was that creating such a weapon is... complex. It would take time, maybe weeks. And you would need to make an oath to fulfill the promises you made regarding my son's treatment during his imprisonment."

  Jay's smile returned, warm and genuine. "Of course! I'm a man of my word."

  "Then we have an accord. I'll send word when your item is ready."

  "Perfect." Blue energy began to ripple around Jay's body. Space folded, preparing for teleportation.

  "STOP!"

  Frigga was already moving. She crossed the distance between her throne and Jay with inhuman speed, her elaborate gown trailing behind her like wings. Desperation stripped away every ounce of royal dignity.

  "Please!" Her hand reached toward him, trembling. "At least let me see him! Let me speak to my son! He's been locked away for over two weeks now..."

  Her voice broke completely.

  "Just let me know he's alive. That he's not suffering. I'm begging you."

  The Queen of Asgard, begging a mortal.

  The throne room was utterly silent. Even the most battle-hardened warriors looked away, unable to witness their queen's anguish.

  Jay paused. The teleportation energy dissipated. He looked at Frigga's face, really looked, and something in his expression softened.

  He shrugged, pulling the card from his pocket and bent it.

  "STOP!" Odin's voice boomed.

  "WAIT!" Thor lunged forward.

  "NO!" Warriors Three moved as one.

  But Jay was already bending the card, turning it around.

  Loki's voice erupted into the throne room, and it was nothing like the smooth, eloquent prince they remembered.

  "I'VE BEEN SCREAMING AND HITTING THE EDGE FOR MORE THAN A WEEK!"

  The voice was raw. Destroyed. The sound of someone who'd torn their throat to shreds and kept screaming anyway.

  The image on the card showed devastation. Loki's face was barely recognizable. Bruised, swollen, one eye completely white and sightless, the other wild with the kind of madness that comes from absolute isolation. His armor was shattered. Blood crusted around his mouth and nose. His hands, visible at the edges of the card, were mangled.

  "I SCREAMED UNTIL MY THROAT BLED! I POUNDED ON THE BARRIERS UNTIL MY HANDS BROKE! THERE'S NO ONE! NOTHING! JUST SILENCE AND MY OWN VOICE SCREAMING BACK AT ME!"

  Frigga's hand flew to her mouth, a sob escaping. She reached toward the card, magic flaring, desperate to touch her son.

  Jay pulled it back, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He fixed Odin with a cold stare.

  "You have one month to get my item ready. Any second more, and I'll be tearing the card."

  Blue energy erupted around him.

  "JAY, WAIT..." Heimdall started.

  But the Power Broker was already gone, taking Loki's continued screams with him.

  The silence that followed was deafening.

  Frigga collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Thor stood frozen, horror written across his features. The entire court stared at the space where Jay had been, his final threat still echoing through the throne room.

  The Warriors Three stood frozen, their weapons half-drawn, utterly useless.

  The ministers who'd been so vocal earlier were silent now, their faces pale.

  Odin lowered himself back onto his throne slowly, suddenly looking every one of his countless years.

  "Heimdall," he said quietly. "Keep watch on the mortal. If he makes any move to harm Loki before the month is up, I want to know immediately."

  "Yes, Allfather."

  Odin's single eye stared at nothing, his mind already racing through contingencies and ways to retrieve his son before this mortal decided to make good on his threat.

  But underneath the planning, underneath the divine authority and Odin force, Odin felt something he hadn't experienced in millennia.

  Helplessness.

  Because his son was at the mercy of a mortal with power that eclipsed even Odin's peak, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.