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[color=red][b][h3]#4[/h3][h2]E A R T H ' S  M I G H T I E S T  III[/h2][/b][/color][/center]
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Thor had been somewhat impressed with the sight of the ship, parked nimbly in the narrow city street. So, Midgardians had starships now, interesting. Somehow this world continued to surprise him. This was an exciting era for this world, the impending conquest of the stars, and they would need the Allfather's blessing more than ever. With that thought in mind, he boarded the ship, ducking down so that he fit into the cramped cabin. Now that he was inside it, he was less impressed. It felt uncomfortable and primitive, and that feeling only deepened after the thing took off. While Thor figured he would probably survive falling from their altitude, he still did not like thinking about how likely it felt, and distracted himself with idle chatter.

While this envoy was not much of a conversationalist, only answering in clipped, one word sentences (if he answered at all), Thor prattled onto him none the less. He regaled the man with tales of valor and glory as he had done for the vikings in the bar he had just left. Occasionally he would subtly slip in a probe to gauge the status of Earth's defenses, such as asking Banner what Earth's planetary defenses were. He never got answers to those. After a little more chatter about his baby brother Balder, Thor snapped his fingers as he remembered something. Thunder rumbled outside.

"[color=ed1c24]I haven't introduced myself still. Pardon my rudeness. I am Thor, Son of Odin, Prince of Asgard, and God of Thunder. And you? I don't want to keep calling you 'lackey.'[/color]"

Soon after, they were landing in the hangar bay of a much larger ship, and once more he was struck with a mix of appreciation for human ingenuity, as well as nausea from the unstable rocking of the ship underfoot. Stepping off the craft into the  hangar, Thor noticed that all of the Midgardians around him were wearing masks, presumably to because they could not breathe at this altitude, and were tethered to the floor. Only he and Banner walked about without precautions against the thin air nor being sucked out the hangar door; Thor thought this interesting, and followed Banner through the ship's winding corridors. Mercifully the interior of this mothership was not as cramped as the craft he had arrived on, with wide halls meant to accommodate smaller vehicles and heavy machinery.

Thor did his best to keep track of his position on the ship as Banner led him along, and as far as he could tell where they stopped was somewhere on the ship's underbelly. Banner directed him into a small, bare room, with only on old man and two flimsy chairs within. There were no windows in the room, and every surface was metal. It immediately smelled like a trap to Thor, but he stepped inside anyway. He took a seat in front of the old man as he felt obliged to do, and he felt like he was sitting in a child's play-chair as it groaned under his weight.

When the old man said his piece, Thor pulled a face. "[color=ed1c24]If that's what your lackey told you,[/color]" he said, gesturing back toward to door to indicate Banner, "[color=ed1c24]Then he's misled you, as I've said no such thing. Your Earth has had a king since long before I was born.[/color]" Glancing back to the door to see if Banner was listening, he added as a whispered aside, "[color=ed1c24]I would keep an eye on him anyway, he seems mistrustful.[/color]"

Thor cleared his throat and straightened up in his chair, making it buckle slightly further. "[color=ed1c24]Now, if you truly are the claimant lord of the Earth, or he is at least listening, and I too have not been misled, I will say this,[/color]" He was about to proclaim the kingship of Odin over the Nine Realms and relieve this fool of his head, but he had a rare moment of reflection. If he had cut the envoy's head off, he wouldn't have gotten this audience. Talking had gotten him this far, maybe it could get him further. He felt very good about this idea, as it seemed to ring true with his father's order that he learn to rule justly. "[color=ed1c24]I come to you as a savior, not a destroyer.[/color]" Thor finished after a breath. "[color=ed1c24]My father, the King of Asgard, has been King of your Earth, Midgard, for eons. Human kingdoms rise and fall, but they know how to pay tribute to the Allfather, or at least they used to. If Odin were to come here, now, he would be deathly cross with what he found, and many lives would end before his wrath was sated. It's in the best interest of you and all of your people to resume paying tribute to my father, your king.[/color]"

The old man sat across from Thor did not seem impressed, studying him silently. Thor sighed heavily, running his hands through his golden hair as he tried to think of how to impress the enormity of the threat posed to them upon this man. He tried to think of what his father would do, but only conclusion he came to was to tell a long-winded story. Worth a shot, he supposed. "[color=ed1c24]I have been to this world before, many times in fact, just... not lately.[/color]" In truth, at the time of Thor's banishment he was already midway through a thousand-year probation on using the Bifrost due to some... overzealous escapades on Vanaheim. "[color=ed1c24]Once, I rode at the side of a brilliant general of your people. We battled through your deserts on the backs of... what were they called... Ah yes, Elephants! Beasts worthy of Asgard![/color]" He realized he was getting distracted and got back on topic. "[color=ed1c24]This Midgardian conqueror was as fierce as any I've met, and I told him of the glories of Valhalla, and that he could join us in battle across the Nine Realms. You know what he did? He broke down in tears, as he had not known there were other worlds, and he had not managed to conquer one.[/color]" Thor paused, seemingly for effect, but mostly because he was trying to remember his point. "[color=ed1c24]What that taught me was that you Midgardians, even the champions of your people, you are not ready for what will come to your world if you do not kneel. Asgard is a power that has conquered worlds many times more powerful than your own, and if you are lucky, Odin will only send Asgard's legions, and not draw auxiliaries from the other realms under his command.[/color]"

Thor once again tried to get a read on the old man, and again was getting nothing. He groaned, standing back up. "[color=ed1c24]Alright, to Hel with this.[/color]" Fast as a lightning bolt, he drew his axe from the space between space where Loki had hidden it, and threw it to the floor between himself and the old man. It stuck fast into the floor, its blade digging only a thin groove into the floor (much to Thor's surprise), but its exquisite construction and balance allowed it to stand on its blade regardless. The rest of Thor's disguise disappeared at that moment in a flash of greenish light, Loki's glamour pulling back to reveal Thor, the barbarian prince of Asgard, arrayed in furs and maille, iron gauntlets, a heavy golden belt, and a red cloak that whipped like a whirlwind blew through it.

"[color=ed1c24]I bear you and your people no ill will, so let us make this as bloodless as possible. Send your most powerful champion to face me in battle, and when I best him, you will see that your struggle is in vain. I will show you the strength of Asgard and the wisdom of rule under the Allfather. What say you? Bring me Earth's mightiest hero.[/color]"