Welcome to this Alternative Universe storyline for the God of Thunder. It began as partly based on the Movie Universe, slightly on the comics and was at first planned to be based on Norse Mythology for the most part; that has changed as I gave it more thought and wanted to include other Marvel characters. Norse Mythology will not play as big of a part as I first had intended. This is more and more turning into a cross-over story with The Avengers making an appearance, as well as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, but the main plot is centered around Thor and Asgård so that is why I posted it as a Thor fanfic. A darker story where Odin is not as forgiving as in the movies and Thor, while still eager to join battle, is not just a big fool looking for adventure but has a reason to go against his fathers wishes. To me at least. But if you disagree with how I present our favorite characters then please let me know. Or if you enjoy the story, do leave a comment.

WAR OF THE GODS

EARTH

Director Fury lit a cigarette while he stood waiting on the helipad on the roof of the SHIELD facility; a large, impressive compound that seemed like an unholy alliance between a high-tech research-center and a futuristic fortress. The VTOL-craft was closing in and had begun to circle the pad, its four rotor-blades putting out the cigarette the moment it got lit. Fury sighed, looked at the cigarette and tossed it to the side as the aerial vehicle came in for a landing, its rotor-blades, arranged in an X around the main pod, almost blew his black leather-coat off of him. As the four engines settled down, Director Fury lit another cigarette, inhaled and let out the smoke with a satisfied sigh. The pod opened and Agent Colson was first out, then followed by a young woman; as brilliant as she was known for her independent ways. And, if Fury was to be entirely honest with himself, she was easy to like at as well.

"Welcome, Doctor Foster" Director Fury said to the brilliant young woman. "I trust your trip over here wasn't too uncomfortable?"

"Who are you and where the hell am I?!" Jane demanded, walking up to Fury and only reaching his chest. The fire in her eyes was unmistakable. "Who the hell do you think you are? You have no right to take my stuff! And this, this is kidnapping!"

"Calm down, doctor" Director Fury said as calmly as he could. "Perhaps we should continue with this inside?"

That she was reluctant to follow the two men inside the impressive building was all to obvious. Nonetheless, she accepted the offer. As they automated doors slid open, Fury tossed the cigarette to the side just before stepping inside.

"Those things will kill you, you know" Jane said as the doors closed behind them. "And not a day too soon."

Fury smiled and turned his one eye, the other covered by a black patch, on the feisty woman. "I am sorry for the abrupt way we made contact with you, doctor. But time is of the essence, I'm afraid." He walked down the corridor and Jane followed him, escorted by Agent Colson in silence. "Your work in Norway has not gone unnoticed, doctor" Fury continued. "One of the worlds leading astrophysicists and by many considered the worlds foremost astronomer. High praise for someone so young."

"I can give you an autograph" Jane replied sourly.

Fury grinned. "That's not necessary. I am more interested in your work in Norway, studying radiation-levels in the rock."

"What of it?" Jane said as they entered an elevator that then took them downwards multiple levels. "Wait… Is it American experiments? Nuclear weapons in Norway?"

"No need to worry, doctor. I am happy to tell you that we suspect your theories to be correct."

The elevator came to a stop and Fury exited, leaving a bewildered Jane behind.

"What?!" Jane said and almost ran after Director Fury, Agent Colson close behind. "What do you mean, correct?"

Fury, closely followed by his guest and her escort, guided Jane down the corridor. "Your theory" he said. "That the residual radiation in the mountain could only have been caused by some event originating outside of Earth." He stopped by a large vault and turned to face Jane who by now was wide-eyed and astonished at what she was hearing. "Extraterrestrial" Fury then added, and the giant vault opened.

Fury stepped through, leaving a chocked Jane standing mute right outside the now open vault. Agent Colson took a step forward and offered the young astrophysisict a gentle smile and offered her to follow Fury by holding out his hand.

"Doctor?" Colson said. "Shall we?"

Cautiously, and nervously, Jane followed Fury into the large vault, and as she and Colson stepped inside, the massive door slowly closed behind them. The room was absolutely massive, cavernous even, and filled to the brink with computers, sensor-equipment and scanning-apparatus, all of designs Jane had never seen or heard of before; she couldn't even fathom what half of all the equipment was for. Looking wide-eyed at the fantastical room, she then spotted Fury climbing a low staircase to reach an elevated platform that seemed to be the center of attention in the room, not only for all the equipment, but also for two men dressed in lab-coats up on the elevated position in the room.

"Jane!"

Jane couldn't believe it at first when she recognized one of the men in the lab-coats. "Erik?" she said, quite astonished.

"Jane!" Erik Selvig said again and ran down the stairs and gave Jane a massive hug. "I can't believe it! You're here!"

Fury looked down at the merry reunion. "Well, you were the one that recommended her, professor."

"You? You did this, Erik?" Jane said, taking a step away from the man, a Scandinavian in his mid-fifties. "They took all of my work, Erik! All my equipment! They kidnapped me, god damn it!"

"I know, I know" Erik said and tried to calm Jane. "Just listen to me. Come, I'll show you why. Come." Erik turned and hurried up the stairs and stopped to wave at Jane to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you."

Jane was a bit cautious to say the least as she followed the eccentric professor, an expert astrophysiscist, but also an expert on Norse mythology. She had come to know the man during her studies in Norway and Sweden and over the years they had become good friends. She climbed the stairs and joined Director Fury and Erik on the platform.

"Doctor Jane Foster" Fury said. "This is Doctor Bruce Banner. Bruce, Jane Foster."

"Banner?" Jane said. "The Gamma-radiation expert?"

"Glad to meet you" Banner said and shook the hand of Jane, who still was very cautious of what was going on. "I think you'll be quite pleased by what we have to show you" Banner said with a smile.

Erik Selvig and Banner moved over to a table located at the center of the platform and Jane slowly followed them. Her eyes wide with amazement. Secured in a rig was a phenomenal object, radiating with ice-blue light, almost as if the translucent object contained a raging storm of glowing snowflakes. Jane had never seen anything like it.

"What is it?" Jane eventually asked.

"The reason why you are here" Director Fury said and walked past the young woman and positioned himself on the opposite side of the small cube-like object that covered them all in blue light. "In Norway, you were studying how high-concentrations of Gamma-radiation had managed to embed itself in the very ground, in the bedrock itself. You have discovered that there could even be a pattern found in the way the radiation has been driven into the ground. Correct?"

Jane nodded, and as she saw Erik smiling like a madman, she became more than just worried. She became frightened.

"This" Fury said and pointed at the cube, "could be proof of your theories."

Banner was next to speak. "An object of unknown origin, a technology that can not be duplicated on Earth, that relies on Gamma-radiation to power it."

"We call it the Tesseract" Director Fury said. "And it contains the power to annihilate an entire city, maybe even an entire continent. In the forties, the Nazis discovered it in an ancient Viking temple, located in Norway. Fortunately for the rest of the world, an elite unit of soldiers secured the device before the Nazis could put it to use."

Jane listened, part in fear, part in awe, and then took a step closer to the cube and studied it whit almost hungry eyes. "Where did it come from?"

Erik Selvig grinned like a crazed genius. "The gods."

NIFELHEIM

Nifelheim. A world of black rock, giant mountain-ranges, deadly cliffs and sharp edges. Of howling winds and bitter-cold air. Located between three great and threatening mountaintops lay the fortress of Vergelmer, and from it, through archways in the walls kept secured with great iron-bars, sprang eleven great rivers that carried with them hundreds of dead bodies every hour. Vergelmer was a prison, a prison for all the deceivers, murderers, thieves, traitors, rapists and the disloyal, oath-breakers and the dishonest. And those who died from the torture, or from the cold, or lack of nuritment, were thrown into the rivers to be carried away to become food for carrion and scavengers.

The great iron-door leading to the cold courtroom of the great fortress and prison opened with a loud boom. The walls, ceiling and floor all made from the black rock of the mountains. A woman, proud and tall, crossed the barren and cold courtroom and came to a halt before the throne located at the far end. The person in the throne eyed the woman with disdain. Besides the two of them, the courtroom was empty and void of sound.

"What do you want?" the female sitting in the throne hissed, a once striking beauty, half her face was twisted by burned and twisted skin, her eye pale and grey. With the helmet she wore, adorned by four pairs of scythe-like horns, she looked intimidating and vicious to say the least.

"I bring word from your father" the woman visiting the court said, carrying herself with the pride and arrogance of nobility. "Hate me all you want, but at least listen to your father and what he has to offer."

The helmed and deformed woman in the throne slowly leaned forward, a frown on her face. "Speak, you hag."

The woman ignored the chilling visage of the woman before her. "Loki has a proposition for you, Hel… to take vengeance upon Odin."

Slowly, gracefully, Hel rose from her throne and as she descended the stairs of rock, she dragged a great cloak behind her. She stopped only once her breath stroked the cheeks of her guest.

"What does my father suggest?"

To be continued…