If He be Worthy [MCU/Thor]

Thor and Jane settled into lawn chairs beside a small fire pit. The flames cast dancing shadows across their faces while stars glittered overhead, countless points of light that Thor now saw with new understanding. The weight of his visions pressed heavily upon him as he watched Jane, her face illuminated by the flickering flames.

"I believe this belongs to you," Thor said softly, producing the leather-bound notebook from his jacket. Jane's eyes widened as she recognized her research journal.

"Oh my god, I don't believe it!" Jane exclaimed, clutching the notebook to her chest before quickly flipping through its pages. Her relief was palpable as she confirmed all her work remained intact. She looked up at Thor with gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you."

Thor watched her enthusiasm with a mixture of affection and concern. Her passion for discovery reminded him so much of his younger self reckless, determined, rushing headlong into adventure without considering the consequences. But he had learned the price of such impetuosity, had seen worlds burn because of it. Even now, he could feel the timeline shifting under his feet like quicksand. His conversation with Loki in the SHIELD facility had gone differently, his words to Erik at the bar had changed, and each small deviation felt like a stone cast into a cosmic pond, ripples spreading in ways he couldn't predict. The Thor from his visions would have boasted openly about his strength, would have tried to impress Jane with tales of his might. Instead, he found himself weighing each word carefully, conscious of how this conversation might change their future.

"You've made incredible progress," Thor said, watching her closely. "Your research... it's more accurate than you know." The words slipped out before he could stop himself, his old brashness breaking through his newfound caution.

Jane stared at the notebook, her earlier joy fading. "Maybe it doesn't even matter anymore. SHIELD will never let any of this see the light of day. All my research, everything I've worked for..." She shook her head. "Maybe it's time to stop."

Part of him wanted to agree with her, to encourage her to walk away from this path that could lead to so much pain. But he knew Jane Foster knew her brilliance, her determination, her essential role in events to come. Could he really change the course of fate? Should he even try?

"I am Thor, son of Odin," he stated plainly, his voice carrying the quiet certainty of truth rather than his old bombastic pride. "What you seek to understand through science, we have known as magic for millennia. They are one and the same, Jane Foster, merely viewed through different lenses."

Jane's eyes widened at his directness, but she didn't immediately dismiss his words. The firelight caught in her eyes, reflecting the same analytical curiosity he had come to admire.

"Though your legends don't tell the whole truth. Your ancestors called it magic when I commanded lightning or traveled between realms. You seek to explain the same phenomena through mathematics and quantum theory." He paused, a small smile playing at his lips. "Both approaches are valid, though yours might become more precise in the long run."

Jane reached for her notebook, her hands trembling slightly but her voice steady. "These atmospheric disturbances we've been tracking, the anomalies in our readings... they're connected to you, aren't they? To this 'magic' you're talking about?"

"They are the signs of the Bifrost, our means of traveling between worlds," Thor explained, no longer hiding behind metaphors. "Your world, Midgard as we call it, is one of the Nine Realms of the cosmos. All are connected by Yggdrasil, the World's Tree." He looked up at the stars. "Your instruments detected my arrival because the Bifrost leaves traces that science can measure. The Einstein-Rosen Bridge you theorize about? It is probably what we have been using for thousands of years."

Jane scribbled furiously in her notebook, then looked up with a mix of skepticism and excitement. "You realize how crazy this sounds, right? Norse gods, magic bridges between worlds..."

"I do," Thor nodded, his expression serious. "And I offer you no proof beyond my words and what you've already observed. Whether you believe me or not must be your choice, but I won't dishonor you by pretending to be something I'm not."

He described the cosmic ash tree and its branches, explaining how the Nine Realms existed in a delicate balance. But with each word, the weight of his visions grew heavier. He had seen Jane possessed by the Aether, her mortal form barely containing its ancient power. He saw her mortal body breaking down, facing dangers no human was meant to endure. Not only that, but he saw her relationship with him strain as their paths inevitably diverged.

His voice faltered. "But perhaps... perhaps some knowledge comes at too high a price."

"What do you mean?" Jane asked, noticing the change in his tone. She had stopped writing, her pen hovering above the page.

Thor gazed into the dying embers of their fire, choosing his next words carefully. "There are forces in the universe beyond imagination, Jane. Forces that can destroy worlds, consume souls. Your curiosity is admirable, but it could lead you into dangers you're not prepared for." He turned to face her fully, his expression grave. "The universe is larger and more perilous than you know."

Jane's expression grew determined, reminding Thor of how she had faced every challenge in his visions with unwavering courage and resolve. "I've spent my whole life looking for answers. I can't stop now just because it might be dangerous."

"Even if those answers could cost you everything?" Thor asked softly, the question weighted with knowledge he didn't want to share.

"Everything worth discovering has its risks," Jane replied, her chin lifting slightly in defiance. "You can't protect people by keeping them ignorant."

Thor couldn't help but smile at her words as he nodded, even as they pierced his heart. This was the Jane Foster he knew brilliant, fearless, destined for things beyond mortal understanding. But the smile faded as he remembered the price of that destiny.

The night deepened around them as Thor began sharing stories of Asgard, carefully choosing tales that might help her understand what was coming. He spoke of the rainbow bridge, of how it bent light and space in ways her equations were just beginning to describe. Jane listened intently, occasionally jotting notes or asking penetrating questions that revealed just how close she was to understanding the true nature of the universe.

Jane listened intently, occasionally jotting notes or asking penetrating questions that revealed just how close she was to understanding the true nature of the universe. Her mind made connections that both impressed and worried Thor she was far too clever to be kept in the dark for long.

As the night deepened, the fire burned down to glowing coals. Jane's questions became interspersed with yawns, though she fought against her exhaustion with characteristic determination. Eventually, she dozed off in her chair, wrapped in a blanket against the desert chill.

Thor remained awake, his mind racing with preparations for tomorrow. The town lay peaceful around them, unaware of the danger approaching. He had no powers, no hammer, but he had knowledge and perhaps that would be enough. He began mentally mapping the town from memory, planning evacuation routes, identifying defensive positions where Sif and the Warriors Three could make their stand.

He looked at Jane's sleeping form, her notebook still clutched in her hands. The pages were filled with her neat handwriting, diagrams and equations that came remarkably close to describing the true nature of the Bifrost. Even without his intervention, she would eventually unlock these secrets. It was her destiny or at least, it had been in the future he remembered.

But did destiny have to be a fixed point? His father had sent him here to learn humility. Humility had been forced upon him thanks to the visions, but Thor had gained something far more valuable, knowledge. Could he use that knowledge to protect those he cared about, or would his attempts to change fate only lead to greater tragedy?

The cool desert wind stirred Jane's hair, and she murmured something in her sleep. Thor watched her, his heart heavy with the weight of futures yet unlived. In his visions, he had seen her brilliant spirit nearly extinguished by forces beyond mortal comprehension. No matter how deeply he cared for her, no matter how his heart yearned to reach out and brush those wayward strands from her face, he knew that his presence in her life would only draw her deeper into dangers she was never meant to face. Perhaps the greatest act of love would be to walk away, to let her brilliant mind explore the stars from the safety of Midgard, rather than risk seeing her consumed by them.

So Thor's thoughts turned to the imminent danger. Tomorrow, he knew, the Destroyer would come. Even without his powers, without Mjolnir, he could picture the behemoth that would soon stride through this peaceful town, laying waste to everything in its path. In his past life, it had taken his sacrifice to stop it. But now, knowing what he knew, could he find another way?

His fingers flexed instinctively, missing Mjolnir's familiar weight. Yet even without his hammer, without his powers, he was still Thor, son of Odin. And tomorrow, he would prove his worth not through strength of arm, but through wisdom hard-won from a future he desperately hoped to change.

The stars moved overhead as Thor settled deeper into his chair, his mind filled not with despair, but with strategy. He might be powerless, but he wasn't helpless. Tomorrow would test not his strength, but his heart and he would protect the people of this town for he was, Thor God of Thunder