Just then, at the restaurant counter nearby, a middle-aged man said to his companion, "You missed a hell of a show. I heard a satellite landed in the desert. We were having a grand time watching until the suits from the Bureau showed up..."
Jane Foster asked curiously, "Excuse me, did you say a satellite hit the desert?"
"Yeah," the man replied.
On the other side of the table, Professor Erik Selvig also looked intrigued. "What did this satellite look like?"
The man continued, "I don't know much about satellites, but I know it's heavy. No one can lift it!"
At those words, Thor immediately stood up, strode over to the man, and grabbed his shoulder. "Where is it?"
The man was taken aback by Thor's lack of manners but answered nonetheless: "Fifty miles west of here..." As Thor turned to leave, the man helpfully added, "Don't waste your time. The army's already moved in!"
Thor ignored him completely and walked straight out of the diner. Jane Foster and the others quickly followed, leaving Aurelius Viremont alone.
He wasn't in any rush. He ordered a plate of egg tarts and took his time eating. By the time he strolled out of the restaurant, he caught Jane Foster offering Thor a ride after his failed attempt to buy a horse at a pet store.
As Thor climbed into the passenger seat, they both heard a familiar magnetic voice from beside them: "Mind if I hitch a ride too?"
Jane and Thor looked out the window to see the white-haired young man from the diner. He tapped his knuckles against the car window and flashed them a brilliant smile.
"Oh... sure. But we're going to do something extremely dangerous. Are you sure you want to come?" Jane asked.
"Of course!" Aurelius Viremont wore a mysterious grin. "It's not every day you meet the legendary Thor Odinson. I wouldn't dream of leaving now."
On the way to the site, Jane said to Thor, "I've never done anything like this before. Have you?"
Thor smiled with a look of hidden depth. "Many times..."
Before he could elaborate, the white-haired man in the backseat chimed in, "Mhm, I've done this plenty of times too. It's nothing special!"
Thor turned back curiously. "Oh, Aurelius Viremont? What have you done?"
"I single-handedly leveled a gang hideout, walked away calmly from military and mutant ambushes, destroyed massive mechanical armors, and fought two terrifying monsters at once! Not long ago, I had a standoff with the X-Men on the streets of New York. I almost leveled the whole city!"
Thor stared at him, stunned. He hadn't expected Aurelius Viremont's life to be so "vibrant." Then he remembered that Aurelius Viremont was supposedly cosplaying the White Demon. These must be the Demon's deeds he's talking about, he thought.
Jane laughed from the driver's seat. "You two are hilarious. One thinks he's the White Demon, the other thinks he's the God of Thunder..."
Before she could finish, Thor interrupted her sternly. "I am the God of Thunder, Jane. It is not a matter of what I 'think.' Once I reclaim my power, you shall see the truth!"
Seeing the sincerity in Thor's eyes, Jane recalled their first meeting—he had literally fallen out of the sky. If he really was a god stripped of his power and exiled by Odin, everything would make sense.
But just as she was starting to be convinced by Thor, Aurelius Viremont nodded from the back and added with a chuckle: "Exactly, exactly. I believe Thor is the God of Thunder, and I am indeed the White Demon. You have to believe us, Jane!"
The flicker of belief Jane had felt for Thor vanished instantly. She shook her head. "I must be losing my mind, doing this with you two... But they stole my life's work. I'm getting it all back!"
Seeing the Midgardian woman he liked so determined, Thor smiled warmly. "Fear not. Once I reclaim Mjolnir, I shall see to it that they return every bit of your research."
Aurelius Viremont also nodded solemnly. "Right. Once we get there, we'll make sure they hand everything over!"
Jane gave a faint, non-committal smile. Clearly, she didn't believe a word.
Before reaching the site, the three parked the car in a hidden spot and trekked up a small ridge. Using binoculars, they peered down at the temporary military base below. It was now pitch black, with only the base's floodlights illuminating the perimeter.
After observing for a moment, Thor handed his jacket to Jane to keep her warm and prepared to charge down. Jane caught his arm, her expression serious. "Do you think you can just walk in there and take our stuff back?"
Thor gave a confident grin. "No. I'm going to fly out!"
Without another word, he sprinted toward the base.
Rumble!
A sudden crack of thunder echoed through the sky, accompanied by a flash of lightning that illuminated the world. Under the strobe of the storm, Thor broke into the base, taking down agent after agent. For a brief moment, he actually looked like a God of War.
Jane watched with growing worry as Thor fought through the crowd of agents. Suddenly, a cynical, magnetic laugh came from beside her. "Don't worry. Even if Thor can't get his hammer back, I'm here. I'll settle everything."
Jane's worry stiffened into annoyance. Because of Thor's mysterious arrival, she might have had a tiny fantasy that he was a god, but she held zero expectations for Aurelius Viremont being the "White Demon."
Not only was the White Demon supposed to be in New York, but the man in her memories was nothing like Aurelius Viremont. According to the news, the strongest Level 5 mutant was a cold, ruthless man capable of erasing a city—not this lighthearted, joking "douchebag" standing next to her.
Meanwhile, they watched as Thor defeated the last of the guards and reached Mjolnir. He gripped the handle with total confidence, preparing to lift it.
One pull—nothing.
Two pulls—still nothing.
After several desperate attempts, using every ounce of his strength, Thor finally realized the truth. He collapsed to his knees and let out a roar of pure despair.
Seeing this, Jane immediately turned to head back to the car. She needed to find Dr. Selvig and figure out a way to bail Thor out before things got worse.
However, a tall, white-haired figure blocked her path. Even now, that nonchalant smile was plastered on his face. "Didn't I say? I've got this."
Jane had no patience left for him. "Aurelius Viremont, we have to go now! We need Dr. Selvig to get Thor out of there, or he's in serious trouble!"
But Aurelius Viremont didn't move. As Jane's frustration peaked, she suddenly realized that the man in front of her felt... different.
It was the same smile, but it had shifted from playful to a chilling, heart-stopping coldness. It was a look that made her skin crawl with an icy dread.
The playful Aurelius Viremont was gone. In his place, the White Demon looked down at her with cold eyes and spoke:
"I told you. I'm here."