MARVEL: TOAA

John stood up, brushing the sand off his clothes. The relentless sun blazed overhead, and the endless stretch of yellow sand shimmered in the heat. In the distance, he could faintly make out the outlines of a small town.

"Let me guess: this is either New Mexico or Afghanistan," John muttered as he began walking towards the town.

He deliberately avoided using his teleportation ability. After his recent mishap with the random portals, he decided it was safer to stay grounded. "No more face-planting into dirt," he swore to himself. With each step, he remained cautious, ready to respond to any unexpected occurrences.

As he approached the town, the highway came into view. Pickup trucks rumbled by occasionally, driven by white men. Billboards in English dotted the roadside.

"Yep, I was right. Definitely the good ol' U.S. of A.," he said with a smirk.

Once inside the small town, John headed straight for a convenience store.

"Welcome! Take your time," the cashier said absentmindedly, his eyes glued to his phone, where he was playing a game.

John walked to the counter, leaned forward, and without a word, used his telepathy to dive into the cashier's mind.

"New Mexico," John confirmed to himself as he sifted through the man's mundane thoughts. "What else is in here? Ah, school complaints, work grumbles, a cheating girlfriend... Seriously, dude, your head is full of junk." He dug deeper and stumbled upon something interesting.

"Stark Industries Expo? Steel army going haywire? Artificial intelligence turning on humanity? Oh, Iron Man's got his hands full." John chuckled. "Looks like Whiplash is history, and it's around the time Thor gets his little vacation to Earth."

He grabbed a can of soda from the fridge, popped it open, and took a long sip. Then, an idea struck him. "Hmm... instead of playing along with their narrative, why not make my own rules? Maybe take a trip to Mount Everest. Let's see if this world's geography matches my memories."

Closing his eyes, John visualized the iconic mountain range. With a soft pop, he teleported away, vanishing from the store.

The cashier, noticing a brief flicker, looked up just as his game abruptly ended. "What the... must be a glitch," he mumbled, shaking his phone.

Far across the ocean, John reappeared on the cliffs of Mount Everest. The view was breathtaking—an endless sea of clouds rolled beneath him, and the towering peaks seemed to pierce the heavens.

"Wow, this is..." John started, but before he could savor the moment, a familiar spatial fluctuation surrounded him.

"No, no, no—" he shouted, but it was too late. A powerful force yanked him out of Mount Everest and back to New Mexico.

This time, however, John was prepared. He landed on his feet, avoiding yet another embarrassing crash.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he groaned. For the next three minutes, he cursed every deity, villain, and cosmic force he could think of.

"Fine! You want me here? I'll play along," he growled. "So, where's Thor? Let's see if I can find him before I lose my mind."

John closed his eyes and activated his telepathic scan. It didn't take long to pinpoint his target.

In a local diner, Thor—now stripped of his powers—was devouring a hearty meal. Around him sat Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, and Dr. Erik Selvig, who were watching him with a mix of fascination and confusion.

Last night, Jane and her team had been studying wormholes when they accidentally hit Thor with their car. They took him to the hospital, baffled by his strange behavior and ramblings. Now, curious about the photos they'd captured, they were trying to piece together his story.

Thor, meanwhile, was busy stuffing his face. "More! This drink, I like it!" he declared, smashing his empty cup on the table.

The loud crash startled everyone in the diner. Jane leaned in, whispering, "Uh, Thor, you don't need to break the cups to get a refill. Just ask."

Thor blinked, clearly puzzled. "But it's tradition!"

"Not here, it's not," Jane said firmly, and for the first time in his life, Thor found himself listening to someone who didn't worship him.

Before the conversation could continue, John burst into the diner.

"Thor, my best brother! I can't believe I found you here!"

Thor looked up, startled. He didn't recognize John, but before he could react, John rushed over and wrapped him in a bear hug.

Thor, now a mere mortal, felt his ribs creak under the pressure. "Brother... Please, ease up! I'm... not as strong as I used to be!"

"Oh, my bad," John said with a grin, releasing him. But then, as if to show his excitement, he gave Thor a friendly punch in the chest.

Thor flew backward, crashing into the next table.

"Oops. Guess I don't know my own strength," John said, feigning innocence.

Jane and the others stared in shock. Darcy, ever the skeptic, turned to Jane and muttered, "Did that kid just... deck Thor?"

Thor groaned, staggering to his feet with Jane's help. "Who... who are you?" he asked, genuinely baffled.

John placed a hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt. "You don't remember me? After everything we've been through? Thor, you said it yourself—we're best brothers!"

Thor's face contorted with confusion. "I did? When?"

"Does it matter?!" John exclaimed dramatically. "What matters is that I'm here to help you reclaim your hammer and restore your godly glory!"