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It started as an ordinary training session. Wanda had been practicing in the Avengers' training facility, focusing her scarlet hued energy, working on controlled blasts to improve her precision. Jane had stopped by to observe out of curiosity, chatting with Steve on the sidelines as Wanda worked through her exercises.
But one moment’s lapse in focus—just one misplaced step—and Wanda’s energy spiraled out of control. Before anyone could react, a fierce, crackling scarlet beam shot directly towards Jane. Jane barely registered the flash of red before the blast struck her square in the chest, sending her stumbling back as she was enveloped in the glowing aura.
Her eyes widened in panic, her breathing quickening as the overwhelming red aura engulfed her, filling her senses, filling her very mind. Her body trembled as she convulsed, her vision blurring into strange shapes, foreign colors, and then—she was somewhere else entirely.
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In her vision, Jane finds herself in an ethereal version of Asgard, though it’s dark, ominous, and twisted. She recognizes Thor’s chambers, but they feel different—like a place she shouldn’t be. She feels an overwhelming sense of dread. Suddenly, a low, mocking laugh fills the air. She turns, and there stands Thor, but he’s not the Thor she knows. His eyes are cold, his expression cruel as he reclined lazily on his bed, his arms wrapped around a stunning Asgardian woman, draped in luxurious silks and adorned with gold and jewels.
Her heart clenches. "Thor?" she whispers, her voice barely audible, feeling as if the floor might drop out from under her. Thor’s gaze shifts to her, and his expression twists into a smug smile. “Jane,” he says, voice dripping with condescension, “you actually thought I could be content with… you?”
She tries to speak, but the words catch in her throat, her eyes filling with tears as she watches him. The other woman—stunning, confident, powerful—looks her up and down, then dismisses her with a sneer. Jane feels herself shrinking, the weight of her deepest insecurities pressing down on her. "But... I thought you loved me," she chokes out, clinging to that last shred of hope.
Thor laughs, a sound that chills her. “A mortal as dull, insignificant, and plain as you? Don’t be absurd, Jane. You could never be enough for me.” The words hit her like blows, each one sharper than the last. She feels her chest tighten, the mocking laughter filling her ears as Thor’s gaze stays locked on her, cold and detached. She tries to turn away, but she’s paralyzed, forced to confront the vision’s taunts. In her mind, his words reverberate like thunder: Dull. Insignificant. Plain.
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As Jane’s eyes blinked open, the room was filled with chaos. Thor’s furious voice thundered through the training facility, nearly shaking the walls. His normally calm demeanor was gone, his face a mixture of anger and fear as he stood over Wanda, who was holding her hands up, palms glowing faintly with scarlet energy but trembling as she cowered behind Steve.
“What were you thinking?” Thor bellowed, the veins in his neck taut. His fists clenched at his sides as he struggled to contain his rage, his eyes wild with worry as he looked back and forth between Jane, pale and shaken on the floor, and Wanda, who was stammering to explain herself.
“I… I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—” Wanda’s voice cracked, her usual confidence faltering. “It was an accident! I didn’t know it would hit her like that.” She looked to Steve and Natasha, pleading for someone to understand, her face full of regret. “Please, I didn’t mean to harm her!”
Steve placed a firm hand on Thor’s shoulder, trying to ground him. “Thor, it was an accident,” he said in a calm but steady tone, his other hand raised to keep Thor back. “Let’s make sure Jane’s alright before anything else. She needs you right now.”
But Thor’s anger hadn’t cooled. His expression remained fierce, his eyes almost glowing as he looked past Steve at Wanda. “If anything had happened to her…” He took a step forward, his voice low, ominous. “I would hold you responsible.”
Wanda, her shoulders hunched, looked away in shame but kept her powers at the ready, her hands emitting a soft glow in case she had to defend herself. Despite her remorse, she couldn’t ignore the defensive instinct kicking in, though she continued to apologize profusely. Then, a soft sound broke through the tension—Jane gasped as she came back to herself, her eyes wide and unfocused. She trembled slightly as she took in the scene around her, feeling raw and shaken from the vision. Thor immediately softened, rushing to her side, his anger forgotten as he knelt beside her.
“Jane,” he murmured, reaching a hand out to touch her shoulder. But the lingering horror of the hallucination gripped her, and she instinctively pulled back from him, shrinking away. She couldn’t fully shake the image of the mocking Thor, his cruel words ringing in her ears.
Thor’s face fell as she moved away from his touch, and his heart clenched, seeing the distant, haunted look in her eyes. “Jane, what did you see?” he asked, his voice thick with concern. He didn’t know what horrors Wanda’s magic had conjured, but the fear and sadness etched on Jane’s face tore at him.
“Thor…” Jane whispered, her voice faint and trembling. She wanted to speak, to tell him, but her voice caught as the pain and insecurities from the vision flooded back. The cruel words she’d heard, the mocking laughter—she couldn’t shake it.
Wanda, her face full of remorse, stepped forward, her voice breaking. “Jane, I’m so sorry… I never meant for this to happen. Please believe me, it was an accident.” She looked at Thor, her guilt evident. “I would never want to hurt her.” But Jane, still reeling, barely registered Wanda’s words. Her gaze lingered on Thor, her expression one of deep uncertainty and hurt.
As Jane’s haunted eyes met Thor’s, a flicker of fear flashed through them, and she took an unsteady step back. The pain she’d just endured lingered, and the vision’s cruel words still echoed in her mind. The look of horror on her face broke Thor’s heart, and he reached out, desperate to comfort her—but she flinched, pulling away from his touch.
Without another word, Jane turned and fled, her footsteps hurried as she made her way to their shared room. Thor watched her retreat, his heart sinking as he caught the glistening trace of tears on her cheeks. For a long moment, he stood frozen in place, the weight of her distress pressing down on him. Finally, he gathered himself and followed, his mind reeling with questions and fears of his own.
When he reached the room, he found Jane standing by the window, her back to him, shoulders shaking as she tried to contain her sobs. Thor wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms, to shield her from the pain and banish every ounce of doubt she felt. But when he stepped closer, Jane turned around, tears streaming down her face, and held up a trembling hand to stop him.
“Thor,” she began, her voice raw with pain, “do you really… do you truly believe that I’m enough for you? Or am I just… just some fleeting interest for you while you’re here on Midgard?”
Thor’s face fell, and he opened his mouth to reassure her, but she continued, her words pouring out in a torrent of anguish. “I’m nothing like the women you’ve known, the powerful, beautiful women of Asgard. I’m just… I’m just a mortal, dull and insignificant compared to you. So why are you here?” Her voice cracked, and she wrapped her arms around herself as if to hold herself together. “Why do you stay with me? I don’t understand what it is you love about me.”
Thor took a step forward, his heart breaking with every word she spoke, but Jane held her ground, tears streaming down her face as she continued. “There are so many women—warriors, goddesses—who would suit you, who would be your equal. But you choose to stay here, with me, and I don’t know why.”
She bit her lip, her voice trembling as she added, “I’m terrified, Thor. I’m so scared that one day, the novelty of this—of me—will fade, and you’ll wake up and realize that I was never enough. That I was just… just something to pass the time.” Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands, the fear and insecurity overwhelming her.
Thor moved forward, his own eyes filled with sorrow as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Jane,” he said softly, “please look at me.”
She slowly lifted her gaze, meeting his, and the depth of emotion in his eyes made her breath catch. Thor’s voice was steady, but full of longing as he spoke. “You are not a passing fancy to me, Jane. You are not ‘just a mortal.’ You are my heart, my anchor, my reason for being here. My life was full of battles and grandeur before I met you, but none of it meant anything until I found you.”
He took her hand in his, and though she was trembling, she didn’t pull away this time. “Every time I return to Midgard, it’s not for anything here; it’s for you. You ground me, remind me of who I am beyond the thunder and the hammer. When I’m with you, I see life in a way I never have before. And I know that without you, there would be an emptiness that no one else could fill.”
Jane’s lip quivered as she listened, her heart aching with the intensity of his words. But a part of her still hesitated, still afraid of believing.
Thor reached out, his fingers gently wiping a tear from her cheek. “I don’t need an equal in power or stature, Jane. I need someone who sees me for who I am, someone who challenges me to be better, who makes me see the beauty in the world. That’s you. It always has been.” He held her close, his embrace warm and steady, as her tears began to slow, her heart feeling a glimmer of hope and relief. She clung to him, finally letting herself believe, as his words began to wash away the fears and doubts that had haunted her.