Night had fallen completely over the New Mexico desert.
To any casual observer, the town looked perfectly normal. The streetlights glowed with a steady light. The windows of the diner, which hours earlier had been shattered, were now replaced.
The gaping hole in the building's facade was patched over with a perfectly seamless wall.
The craters in the asphalt had been filled, leveled, and resurfaced. The wreckage of cars had been removed, the debris meticulously swept away.
The town was as it had been. But a few miles away, the evidence of the day's battle was being carefully cataloged.
The dismembered remains of the Destroyer had been loaded onto a series of heavily guarded EDF transport trucks, destined for a Umbrella "black site" so secret even most of the Illuminati didn't have its exact coordinates.
The Age of Asgard had ended in a small desert town, and its corpse was now the property of human ingenuity.
Inside the brightly lit command post, the atmosphere was relaxed.
The frantic energy of the battle and the subsequent cleanup operation had given way to a warm camaraderie.
Food and drinks had been brought in, and the central briefing room now felt more like a victor's lounge.
The Asgardians were the guests of honor.
Volstagg, his massive frame now patched up by advanced Wakandan medical tech, was holding court, regaling an enthralled Pietro with boisterous tales of epic battles against Frost Giants, his voice filled with a newfound respect for his "lightning fast" Midgardian friend.
Fandral, his ribs bound in a regenerative cast, was engaged in a surprisingly deep conversation with T'Challa about the philosophies of swordsmanship.
Hogun, ever silent, watched Bucky as the former Winter Soldier expertly broke down and cleaned a complex ERO rifle.
Sif sat with Wanda and Sharon, a strange and powerful trio.
The Asgardian shieldmaiden, who had never considered any woman her equal in combat, was looking at Wanda with awe, and trying to understand the nature of a power that could simply command reality to bend.
Thor stood with Aryan and Tony near the main holographic table.
He was dressed in a comfortable set of clothes provided by Stark, a simple black shirt and pants that did little to diminish his divine presence.
His earlier humility was now tempered by the return of his power, but the arrogant prince was replaced by a thoughtful king in waiting.
"I must apologize," Thor said. The room quieted, all eyes turning to him. "My family's quarrel became your world's war. I brought this destruction to your doorstep. It was a grave dishonor."
"Don't worry about it," Tony said with a casual wave of his hand, swirling a glass of what looked like whiskey.
"A little alien robot demolition is a great team building exercise. Besides," he gestured to the real time satellite feed of the town, "our cleanup crews are top notch. By tomorrow morning, the only evidence this ever happened will be a few confused coyotes and a handful of classified server logs."
"Your efficiency is... remarkable," Thor admitted. "To erase a battle with a god machine in a matter of hours... even in Asgard, such a thing would take days."
"We like to be tidy," Aryan said with a smile. "But Tony is right. No apology is necessary. Loki's actions were his own. You have proven yourself to be an honorable man, Thor. A worthy one."
He glanced meaningfully at Mjolnir, which sat on the table beside Thor.
The weight of that word, worthy, settled over Thor. It was a verdict delivered by his own actions.
"Your aid," Thor said, his gaze sweeping across the faces in the room… "is a debt I will not soon forget. When I return to Asgard, when I have righted my brother's wrongs and taken my place... know that you have an ally in the heart of the Nine Realms."
"We'll hold you to that," Tony grinned. "We could use a direct line for some decent mead. The stuff they make on Earth is terrible."
The friendly laughter that followed was a seal on their new alliance. They were allies, bound by a shared victory.
But as the night wore on, a new sense of urgency began to settle over the Asgardians. Sif finally stood, her expression turning grim.
"My friends," she said, her voice cutting through the warmth. "We have enjoyed your hospitality, and we are in your debt. But we cannot linger. Every moment we spend here is a moment that Loki sits unchallenged on the throne of Asgard."
"She is right," Thor agreed, his own face hardening as his thoughts returned to his home. "My father lies in the Odinsleep. Heimdall has committed treason for our sake. We must go back."
The room grew quiet again. The central problem remained.
"But how?" Fandral asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind. "Heimdall cannot open the way for us again. His first act of defiance will have been his last. Loki will have him chained or worse."
Thor walked to the center of the room, his friends gathering around him.
He looked up, his gaze seeming to pierce the steel roof of the command post, to see the endless stars beyond.
An unwavering conviction blazed in his eyes.
"Heimdall is the gatekeeper," Thor declared. "He can see and hear all that transpires in the Nine Realms. Loki may have chained him, but he cannot blind him. He cannot deafen him. He will see us. He will hear me."
He took a deep breath, his grip tightening on the handle of Mjolnir. He looked at the members of the Illuminati. "Thank you, my new friends. For everything. We will not forget this."
Aryan nodded. "The world will be watching for your return, King Thor."
With that, Thor and his four friends walked out of the command post and into the dark emptiness of the New Mexico desert.
The members of the Illuminati, along with Jane, Erik, and Darcy, followed, standing at a distance away to witness the final act of this impossible story.
Thor and his warriors stood together, a defiant island of Asgardian royalty in the mortal desert. They formed a tight circle, their armor gleaming under the star dusted sky.
Thor raised his head, his face turned towards the heavens. His voice was a powerful command.
"Heimdall," he called. "We are ready. Open the bridge."
For a long moment, nothing happened. The only sound was the soft whisper of the desert wind.
Sif exchanged a worried glance with Fandral. Had they been wrong? Was Heimdall truly lost to them?
Thor's expression did not waver. His faith was absolute. "HEIMDALL!" he roared, and this time, his voice was a thunderclap.
The very ground seemed to vibrate with the force of his will, a low rumble of power rolling across the desert. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! OPEN THE BIFROST!"
And then, a brilliant star directly above them seemed to brighten, to intensify. It grew from a pinpoint to a multi-colored jewel of light.
Then, with a sound that was both a deafening roar and a harmonious symphony, the Bifrost erupted from the sky.
The wind howled, a cosmic gale that whipped at their clothes and hair, but inside the column of light, Thor and his friends were untouched.
He turned, and for a final moment, his gaze met Aryan's. He gave a nod.
Then, he and his friends were pulled upwards in a torrent of light and color.
"Well," Tony said."That's one way to make an exit."