"Beware enemies! I am Thor, King of Asgard!" Twelve-year-old Thor declared, aiming his father's staff at his brother who was temporarily pretending to be a Frost Giant. This was one of their favorite games, especially at times like this when all the royal advisors and the King were in meetings and they wouldn't be interrupted. Loki dashed down the halls through the palace and arrived at the Bifrost chamber where Heimdall customarily stood guard, Thor following close behind him. Both slowed and fell silent when they realized that the chamber was empty. The brothers turned to face each other, communicating wordlessly. Thor lifted an eyebrow in question.
"No. It would be too dangerous." Loki finally said out loud.
"What, are you afraid?" Thor asked, a smirk playing on his lips. Loki still looked reluctant but remained quiet. "Well then. How does this work anyway?" Thor wondered, now turning his full attention to Heimdall's staff that he held in his hand. An idea forming, he struck the staff once against the ground and was rewarded with a deep echo. The moment that followed was silent and still and Loki exhaled a sigh of relief. An instant later an opening formed in the dome wall, revealing the familiar rainbow bridge. Loki quickly turned to Thor again, knowing what was coming next.
"Thor. Please. Think about this. If father ever found out -" Loki started to plead.
"Well I won't tell him." Thor cut him off without even looking back. He started walking towards the now outstretched bridge, filled with both awe and a little fear though he would never admit it. As Thor reached the point that Loki knew would take him ultimately to another realm, he made one last effort to reason with his brother, but was too late. Thor had disappeared into the extraordinary swirling lights, out of reach.
After an incalculable amount of travel, Thor's right side suddenly made contact with something solid and then an instant later he crashed to the ground. When he awoke he was greeted by a face with a pair of very worried-looking brown eyes staring down at him.
"Oh! You're okay!" The young girl said, putting her arms around Thor's shoulders and hugging him to her. She then watched as Thor slowly sat up and looked at his surroundings as he made note of how different they were to Asgard. The colors were dulled and no one appeared to be concerned that a member of the royal family had just materialized in the street.
"Where am I?" He asked. The girl gave him a slightly confused look before answering.
"Um, I think we're on Ocean Street. You're lucky you're not hurt worse, you hit my bike pretty hard." She explained timidly, gesturing to the hunk of metal next to him. After a silence that clearly indicated Thor didn't have anything to add she started again. "I'm Jane by the way. What's your name?" she asked.
"I am Thor, son of Odin." He declared and waited for the girl to begin the bowing, honorifics, and offers of eternal service that were the usual signs of subordination in the presence of royalty. Instead he received a snort and a disbelieving look.
"You're not from around here are you?" She asked, eyeing his unusual clothing. He shook his head.
"No. And I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to get home now." He said truthfully, the worry starting to show on his face. This seemed to sober Jane somewhat.
"Look, I feel really bad about hitting you. Why don't you come back to my house with me? You can tell me where you're from and maybe we'll figure out how to get you back." She suggested. Thor looked at her skeptically for a moment.
"You're really going to help me?" He asked, making eye contact with Jane as if to judge her sincerity. Jane reddened slightly at his gaze but nodded and held out her hand to help him off the ground but Thor got up without taking it. Just because he was lost on a different planet didn't mean he had lost his dignity lost too. They walked in silence for the two blocks until they arrived in front of Jane's house. She hesitated for a moment before leading Thor around the side of the house into the back yard instead of through the front door. Once there they arrived at a tree house that Thor thought looked like was years past being safe.
"I don't think my parents would be too happy about me bringing a stranger home, so it might be better for you out here." She said apologetically. He nodded and followed her as she navigated the worn steps up to the small wooden room. They settled on the floor and sat side by side before Jane spoke. "So where did you come from anyway? I've never seen a storm like that before."
"The realm of Asgard. I used the Bifrost to come here but now I don't have a way to get back." Thor explained, thinking fondly about the possibility of the bridge reappearing any moment now.
"Bifrost? I've never heard of it before. Or Asgard." Jane said, curiously and not without skepticism. Thor seemed to appreciate this genuine interest even if it was tempered with disbelief.
"What realm are we in now?" He asked Jane, still unsure of where exactly the Bifrost had taken him.
"Massachusetts I guess, if that's what you mean by realm." She answered. Thor looked even more dumbfounded at this revelation than Jane had at hearing about Asgard.
"This is worse than I imagined then. I've never seen this place in any of my studies and certainly won't find a way back now." Thor decided quite glumly.
"Can't you just go back the same way you got here?" Jane wondered. Thor considered this idea for a moment but knew calling for Heimdall would mean facing the wrath of Odin, which at the moment seemed much worse than being stranded where he was. He shook his head sadly.
"Only my brother knows what happened but I don't think he'll be able to help." He explained. Thor shuddered to think how long it might take for him to get back to Asgard if Loki was his only hope.
"Well you haven't been here for very long so maybe he can. You never know." Jane offered. "Besides, I would think having a brother would be fun since I'm an only child." Thor seemed to consider this for a moment and decided Loki actually might be better than nothing after all. Another moment of silence passed between them.
"Doesn't this all seem strange to you?" Thor asked Jane, wondering again why the brown-haired girl had decided to help him after all. Jane let out a soft giggle before answering.
"Well, I don't usually make a point of bringing home boys I hit with my bike, no." She offered. Thor felt strangely relieved by this though he couldn't explain why. "So yeah, this is a little weird." Jane admitted.
Slowly a quiet rustling in the tree surrounding them began and gradually became louder and louder until the wind reached a fever pitch and gave way to the comfortingly familiar bridge. Thor scrambled out of the tree house and down the steps, Jane following. The funnel of lights and wind began to consume Jane's backyard and then remained stationary, waiting for Thor to be transported. Thor hesitated to move closer. Both because he was reluctant to accept whatever punishment he knew his father would give him but also because he felt strangely sad to leave Jane. He turned to his new friend and not knowing what to say, gave a resigned nod in her direction before stepping forward and disappearing in front of Jane's eyes.
"Weirdest. Dream. Ever." Jane said to herself as she walked towards her house, now thoroughly convinced after seeing the spectacle that none of this had been real.
Thor landed in the Bifrost chamber back in Asgard with a resounding thud that echoed more than he would have liked. He stood up and was faced with not only Heimdall but the All-Father waiting for him. No escap, then. Thor had the sense to refrain from speaking until his father did and fortunately did not have to wait long. Instead of meeting with Odin's raised voice, there was a quiet calm in his words.
"After I was informed of your misdeeds," He began. "I felt that I needed to find a suitable punishment for you before we brought you back." Thor's eyes caught movement behind his father and saw Loki peeking out in the doorway looking very sheepish. "However, I thought that since you were successful in your journey the best deterrent for repeating this would be to wipe your memory of how you managed it in the first place." Thor opened his mouth to protest, wanting so much to ensure he would remember his trip but was cut off. "Extreme, I know, but your mother and I agreed it is in the best interests of your safety. Loki will be receiving the same punishment, rest assured." Odin finished with a tired sigh before leaving with Heimdall.
As he stood by himself in the chamber, he wondered if he would ever be able to figure out a way back to the realm he had visited. He doubted it would be possible after his father erased his memories of the trip, but in the back of his mind he wished for some sort of connection to the girl who had so quickly become his friend.