MARVEL: TOAA

"Have you forgotten the time we fought the villains of the Nine Realms together?" John asked, feigning indignation. "I, John, even helped you when you got too drunk and couldn't handle yourself! You called me your best brother while downing ale, remember?"

Thor froze, unsure how to respond. John leaned closer, adding with mock sincerity, "Don't tell me you've forgotten the time we got drunk and went to spy on the Valkyries taking a bath—"

"Shut up!" Thor shot up, covering John's mouth. Panic flickered across his face as he turned to the others. "He's lying! I swear on my honor, I would never do such a thing!"

Jane Foster arched an eyebrow, her expression both amused and unimpressed. "Uh-huh. What are you explaining for? I didn't accuse you of anything."

Thor fumbled, realizing he'd made things worse. Jane muttered under her breath, "So much for the noble god of thunder."

John, barely suppressing a grin, acted wounded. "Thor, my dear brother, how could you forget me? I was just teasing you to see if you still remembered our bond!"

Darcy Lewis smirked. "Right. 'Teasing.' Sure, buddy. And here I thought Thor was the bad influence, but you look like trouble too."

The group eventually settled back at the table to eat. To their astonishment, John consumed more food than Thor, who was already notorious for his appetite.

"Is his stomach a black hole or something?" Darcy muttered, watching John finish another burger like it was a light snack.

Thor, observing John's endless appetite, became more convinced that John was a god he'd forgotten over the centuries. After all, gods were known for peculiar traits, and this level of consumption felt divine—or at least very, very unusual.

"John," Thor began cautiously, "what brings you to Midgard? Do you have a mission?"

John shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. One moment I was exploring, and the next thing I knew, I was pulled here through some kind of portal. Then I ran into you."

Jane, who'd been listening intently, perked up. "Wait, did you say portal? Are you talking about a wormhole? Like, a spatial gateway?"

John nodded. "Exactly. It's a rift in the fabric of space-time. A sufficiently powerful entity can create one to traverse vast distances. With enough energy, you could even tear through the timeline itself."

Dr. Erik Selvig snorted. "That's absurd. Time travel and interdimensional travel are science fiction. It's just pseudoscience for lunatics."

John glanced at him, amused. "Ah, Doctor Selvig. Your work on astrophysical phenomena is impressive, but your perspective is still... limited."

Selvig bristled. "Limited? I'm one of the foremost physicists in the world! And you? You're barely an adult!"

John smirked. "Good observation. Technically, I'm not even seven years old."

The table fell silent. Darcy broke the awkward pause. "Wait... what?"

Jane frowned. "Are you messing with us?"

Dr. Selvig leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "I knew it. You're just spouting nonsense."

John chuckled, finishing his drink. Without warning, he disappeared with a soft bang and reappeared next to Selvig, snatching his untouched coffee. He took a sip and said casually, "Your coffee is excellent. Thanks."

The group gawked. Darcy stared at him, slack-jawed. "How the hell did you just—?"

"Teleportation," John said, returning to his seat. "Nothing fancy. And for the record, Dr. Selvig, your theories are promising, but you've got a long way to go before reaching the cutting edge."

Jane and Darcy, still stunned, exchanged glances. Thor, however, was deeply unsettled.

"John," Thor said gravely, "what are you? No mortal possesses the power to manipulate space like that."

"Thor, I'm your best friend, remember? Or do I need to delve into your memory and remind you?"

Thor flinched, immediately backing away. "No! Stay out of my mind! Only sorcerers and demons meddle with thoughts."

John sighed theatrically. "Relax, big guy. I wouldn't implant fake memories of, say, you sneaking around Valkyries. That'd be too easy."

Thor grimaced, but before he could retort, Darcy spoke up. "Hey, is it just me, or did everything suddenly go... quiet?"

The group froze, noticing the eerie stillness around them. The bustling restaurant had fallen silent. Outside, pedestrians stood unnaturally still, like mannequins frozen mid-stride. Yet the clock on the wall ticked on as usual.

"What's going on?" Jane whispered.

Thor's expression hardened. "What did you do, John? Is this your doing?"

John ignored him, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene. "Interesting. Someone froze the entire town... and yet, no response from the Time Variance Authority or the Sorcerer Supreme. Loki, is this your handiwork?"

Thor stiffened. "Loki? My brother has nothing to do with this!"

John smirked. "Oh, come on. Who else would orchestrate something this theatrical? The void releases me, reality bends to redirect me, and now this? Classic Loki mischief."

Thor's confusion deepened. "What void? What are you talking about?"