In the past few days, Phil Coulson has found himself ensnared in an exhausting series of tumultuous events that would challenge even the most resilient of agents.
As a veteran operative of SHIELD, he is well-acquainted with chaos, having spent his career navigating a precarious world filled with bizarre occurrences.
He has encountered everything from eccentric billionaires wielding highly advanced technology to gamma-powered scientists capable of splitting cities in half. Phil had even met an individual capable of twisting literal atoms into anything he desired. But most recently, Phil became aware that one of his longtime heroes, a legend frozen in time, had returned to the present. Each of these encounters has sharpened his instincts and honed his ability to adapt to the unpredictable.
But even Phil experienced a pang of incredulity when he arrived in New Mexico to investigate a peculiar astronomical disturbance that had piqued the interest of SHIELD's upper echelons. The sight that greeted him was nothing short of odd: a vast crater cradling an unmoving hammer that seemed like something straight out of a mythological tale.
The locals had taken to this extraordinary phenomenon with a mix of reverence and curiosity, turning the hammer into a playful contest to see who among them had the strength to lift it.
After securing the immediate area, Coulson dove into the task of gathering any intelligence regarding the event. This brought him to Jane Foster's research, which harbored invaluable insights into the extraordinary weather phenomena.
As he seized through her meticulous notes and data, he felt a small twinge of guilt; he recognized the dedication and passion she had poured into her work. Yet, he was acutely aware of his duty, and the urgency of his mission overshadowed his reservations. He knew that sometimes the greater good required sacrifice, even if it meant stepping on personal aspirations.
The day's events took a surreal turn when an astonishingly powerful and skillful blonde man crashed through the defenses surrounding the enigmatic hammer. It became readily apparent that this man was not simply an ordinary intruder; his every movement was infused with an unyielding determination and ability that rendered Coulson's highly skilled team almost impotent in their attempts to subdue him.
Phil watched in a mix of wonder and unease as the unknown man unleashed his might to reach the hammer. Amid the chaos, Coulson faced a critical choice—should he signal to Clint Barton to neutralize the potential threat, or should he hold back and observe? Something about the man's fervor struck a chord within him, igniting a curiosity that outweighed his instincts for caution.
Could this mysterious blonde man have the answers to the hammer?
The answer ended up being a disappointing no.
With the man now in custody, it didn't take long for the renowned astrophysicist Erik Selvig to arrive, urgency etched on his face as he pleaded for the alleged Donald Blake's release. Despite his better judgment and the nagging feeling that they might be concealing critical information—perhaps even the key to the mighty hammer—Phil set both men free.
However, the following day brought far more dire news.
Massive energy disturbances had erupted across the desert landscape of New Mexico, crackling through the air with a menacing intensity. Recognizing the immediate threat, Phil swiftly assembled a team of skilled agents, determined to investigate the source of these anomalies. They drove deep into the arid wilderness, the sun blaring overhead, unaware of the chaos that awaited them.
What Phil anticipated finding—a natural phenomenon or bizarre scientific occurrence—quickly evaporated upon their arrival. Instead, they were confronted by a colossal suit of sentient armor, an eerie construct that pulsed with an otherworldly energy. This metallic behemoth, which he would later learn was named as the Destroyer, unleashed a torrent of destructive energy beams, effortlessly dismantling their vehicles in mere moments.
The overwhelming power of the Destroyer was staggering, and it soon became clear that its destructive capabilities were far beyond anything Phil and his team had ever encountered or prepared for. Surprisingly, the automaton didn't seem intent on eliminating the agents but rather focused its wrath on the vehicles—their only means of escape. This spared Phil's team but did nothing to alleviate the rising tide of anxiety in his chest.
As he stood amidst the wreckage, eyes fixed on the unrelenting advancing figure of the Destroyer, dread washed over him. The mechanized menace was now lumbering toward the small town nestled in the distance, home to several vulnerable civilians who had no means to defend themselves against such an insatiable force of destruction.
Without a moment's hesitation, Phil sprang into action.
He knew exactly whom to call—the best person for this precarious situation. A skilled ally he trusted implicitly, capable of responding swiftly and decisively to protect the innocent lives at stake. Time was of the essence, and every second counted as he dialed the number that could mean the difference between catastrophe and safety.
"Hello?" Wyatt Wilkins, aka Atomic, said from the other line.
"Wyatt... I need your help," Phil said as he looked around at the flaming vehicles surrounding him. His men were picking themselves up, grunting in pain from the blowback of the Destroyer's blast. "How fast can you get to New Mexico?"
"I'll be there in ten minutes," Wyatt replied without hesitation. Intense wind swept over his line before it vanished. "Fill me in on the situation."
Phil smiled and briefed him. When he finished, he ended the call and turned to watch the Destroyer armor continue its slow march toward the town.
"Who was that?" Jasper Sitwell asked as he walked up to Phil, his once pristine suit now charred.
"A friend," Phil said with a smile before turning to his men. "Okay, people. This isn't over yet. Let's move!"
••o••o••o••
The town of Puente Antiguo was engulfed in a maelstrom of destruction and chaos.
Explosions echoed through the air as the titanic Destroyer unleashed its rampage on everything in its path—buildings crumbled beneath its relentless march, vehicles were tossed aside like mere toys, and the streets became a hellish landscape of rubble and flames. The sky was choked with smoke, casting an ominous shadow over the frantic scene, all as it executed its master's sinister directive with mechanical precision.
Yet, amid the pandemonium, Puente Antiguo was not entirely defenseless. The Warriors Three, valiant champions of Asgard, and the fierce Lady Sif orchestrated a cunning strategy to confront the towering menace, while Jane, Erik, and Darcy worked alongside a now-mortal Thor to guide the panicked townsfolk to safety.
Despite their immense strength and centuries of battle experience, the Asgardian warriors struggled against the Destroyer's strength.
The Destroyer was no ordinary automaton; it was a creation forged by Odin himself, crafted from a mysterious, powerful metal imbued with ancient magic. Designed to guard the divine vault of Asgard and relentlessly hunt down any target assigned to it, the Destroyer was more than a sentinel—it was a relentless force of nature.
Odin had summoned the power of the other Skyfathers, infusing the armor with an array of cosmic might, resulting in a virtually all-powerful entity. With its remarkable strength, impenetrable durability, and devastating energy blasts, the Destroyer was a daunting adversary. The very essence of its being allowed for body manipulation and sensory scrying, heightening its threat level beyond comprehension.
To exacerbate the dire situation, the armor's resilience was far superior to that of uru—the very metal that constructed legendary weapons like Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, and Odin's spear, Gungnir.
Facing the Destroyer was like standing before an unstoppable storm, a force that had been designed for one singular purpose: destruction.
Facing the Destroyer in combat was equal to signing your own death warrant.
Volstagg slowly stood to his feet with a groan, his body wracked with pain. He leaned on one of the diner's battered tables to steady himself, only to look up at the Destroyer staring him down.
Before he could move, the automaton unleashed a blast of energy that blew up the dinner, launching Volstagg into the streets in a ball of fire and glass. The Asgardian fell into a wooden bench, unconscious.
Panting behind a parked car, Sif gasped as she pressed her hand against her bleeding side in agony. Upon seeing Volstagg's unconscious body, she glared at the Destroyer and was about to rush toward the automaton, but Thor held her back.
"Go. Now. Run! Sif, you've done all you can," Thor urged, desperate to prevent his friend from rushing into certain death.
"No. I will die a warrior's death! Stories will be told of this day," Sif declared, preparing to push Thor aside. Given his current mortal state, it would have been an easy task, but Thor's following words stopped her.
"No, Sif. Live. Live, and tell those stories yourself," he said sincerely, astonishing Sif with how much he had changed during his time on Earth. Just then, Thor turned his head to see the Destroyer unleash another blast in their direction. "Now, go!"
After pushing Sif away, he rolled forward to evade the blast. A loud explosion shook the ground behind him as the vehicle Sif had been using for cover flipped through the air. Pushing himself up, Thor ran toward where Fandral and Hogun were helping Volstagg to his feet.
"You must return to Asgard. You have to stop Loki!" Thor urged upon reaching the three.
"What about you?" Fandral asked.
"Do not worry, my friends. I have a plan," Thor replied with a confident smile—an expression the Warriors Three knew all too well.
"Come on! We need to fall back! Come on, come on!" Fandral shouted as he and his fellow warriors rushed to Sif, Jane, Erik, and Darcy. As they turned to run, Jane glanced back and saw Thor drop the shield he had been holding.
"Wait! What's he doing?" Jane said, worried at seeing Thor walking up to the Destroyer without fear.
"Brother, whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever I have done to lead you to do this, I am truly sorry... But these people are innocent. Taking their lives will gain you nothing," Thor said as he stood mere feet away from the Destroyer, knowing full well that Loki, his brother in Asgard, was listening through the Destroyer's sensory scrying. He meant every word he said to his brother. His time on Earth with Jane, Eric, and Darcy had truly changed him. "So take mine… and end this."
The Destroyer's movements stilled, the fierce energy that once crackled behind its face armor dissipating as the dark facade shifted inward, as if accepting Thor's words.
Thor remained steadfast with a resolute smile, believing his heartfelt words had pierced through the chaos to reach his brother's core.
However, the Destroyer pivoted, as if to retreat, only to unleash a heart-stopping strike aimed directly at Thor. Its arm swung with lethal intent, a single blow from its form would be strong enough to kill the mortal Thor indefinitely.
In that fleeting moment before the Destroyer's strike could reach Thor, a vibrant tendril of crimson energy shot forth, yanking Thor to safety just as the destructive strike struck thin air.
In a dizzying blaze of red and white, Atomic surged forward, colliding with the Destroyer in an explosive impact that sent the sentinel tumbling ten yards down the street, the sound of their clash echoing like thunder.
As the tendril withdrew, Thor stood at a distance, trying to understand what had just happened. He gazed up at Atomic's billowing white cape.
"Even after getting hit with 100 tons of force from Star Rage… not even a scratch," Atomic said and looked down at his steaming right fist. "This won't be easy."
With a deafening hum of energy, the Destroyer rose to its full terrifying height, the plates of its face shield shifting ominously. In that instant, it unleashed a devastating blast aimed at Atomic.
——
AN: Quick question: Based on what you've read and understood about Wyatt so far, do you think that he is worthy of lifting Jonathan, I mean, Mjolnir?