"Keep observing!"
Hill responded crisply.
Though the Asgardian Four were traveling on foot, their pace was swift. They soon arrived in the small town where Thor was staying.
Clad in medieval-style armor, wielding shields, axes, spears, and swords, they instantly drew the attention of the townsfolk.
It had been years since anyone so wildly out of place had appeared in this quiet, ordinary town.
A few local women were sunbathing leisurely in the town square, gossiping about how Widow Jessica on the east end might have found a new fling, and how old Locke's family up north had just welcomed a grandson.
"Oh my gosh, here come four lunatics!"
A middle-aged woman in a plaid shirt spat out a sunflower seed shell, pointing a bony finger at the oncoming group.
"Say what you want, but that big guy looks solid. Bet he'd be a beast in bed!"
A large Black woman licked her lips.
"Hmph, I prefer the one with the big sword at his waist. He looks sturdy."
Two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents exchanged glances.
"Is there some kind of Renaissance fair in town?"
"Doesn't matter. The chief said to report anything unusual."
"Alright then. 01, this is 07. We've got Athena, Jackie Chan, Robin Hood, and The Undertaker on the move."
"Copy that. Continue surveillance."
Meanwhile, in the Asgardian treasury, Loki held Odin's staff and summoned the Destroyer.
"Don't let my brother return. Destroy everything."
Clad in pitch-black armor, its head shaped like it had been flattened by a shovel, the Destroyer silently accepted the order.
It wasn't sentient. It was merely a weapon forged by Odin, obeying only him or whoever held his staff.
And now, that was Loki.
"Jane, your theory is brilliant, but without solid proof, you'll never convince those crusty old scientists on the Council."
Erik took a sip of coffee as he spoke to Jane Foster, who was dressed smartly in a business suit.
Bang bang bang bang
A rapid knocking shook the door.
Thor, who had been washing dishes, turned his head curiously. Who could it be so early?
A towering man wielding a massive axe, built like a WWE champion, shouted with delight,
"I found you!"
"My friends!"
Thor threw down the dish towel in shock.
"Surprise!"
Valkyrie gave her shield a playful flick.
Erik looked toward the door as well. His coffee mug slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
"Oh my god! I don't believe it!"
Darcy and Jane Foster looked like their jaws might hit the floor. They turned from Thor to the group in armor and back again.
Could it be true?
Was this man really the God of Thunder?
"This is amazing! Incredible!"
Thor was as giddy as a child. Alone in a foreign land, powerless and dismissed as mad, he had longed for a sense of belonging.
Now they were here.
He embraced the burly warrior tightly, both of them crashing into each other with resounding force.
Darcy could almost hear their muscles smack together.
Then Thor turned to introduce them to Jane and the others.
"This is Lady Sif and the Three Warriors. My companions in arms. I'm truly happy to see them again."
"But you shouldn't have come."
Thor's face darkened as Loki's words came rushing back to him.
His father had died in anger over his actions, and his mother had refused to let him return.
The swordsman looked confused.
"We came to bring you home."
Now Thor was the one who looked puzzled. He furrowed his brow.
"You know I can't return. My father died because of me. I'm destined for exile."
Lady Sif, clad in silver armor, her ponytail swaying with authority, raised a brow.
"Thor, your father is still alive."
"What?"
Thor looked like he'd just been struck by lightning. His eyes widened, and his heart began pounding uncontrollably.
"Yes. He's just in a deep sleep. Very much alive."
The swordsman glanced at him, clearly baffled by where Thor had gotten the news of Odin's death.
"It was Loki. He lied to me!"
Thor roared, slamming his fist on the table.
That conniving younger brother, he always loved mischief, but to use their father's life in a lie?
Unforgivable.
Boom
A low rumble echoed in the distance.
The area where the Asgardian Four had just appeared was now under S.H.I.E.L.D. lockdown. Hill was leading a team to investigate the site.
"Call in the astronomy division for backup, now!"
Boom!
Another deep rumble. The sky, which had been calm, began to churn ominously.
Dark clouds spiraled rapidly above strange glowing runes, and strong winds howled across the land.
A vortex began to form in the sky, like a black hole swallowing the heavens.
Thor and the others rushed outside. In the distance, several kilometers away, a funnel-shaped celestial anomaly hovered ominously.
Darcy muttered,
"Is someone else coming?"
At the site, sand and wind whipped violently, making it nearly impossible to see.
Hill and her team ducked behind vehicles, shielding themselves from the storm. Even then, the sand pelted their skin like tiny needles.
No one dared open their mouth unless they wanted to eat sand.
After ten grueling minutes, the storm began to subside. Hill slowly stood up from behind the SUV.
At the center of the teleportation circle stood a towering black figure.
It was three stories high, at least ten meters tall. Under the sunlight, its obsidian surface shimmered eerily, giving off an otherworldly aura.
The bald man in gold-rimmed glasses next to Hill asked,
"Is this one of Tony Stark's new toys?"
Hill shot him a look.
"I wouldn't know. That guy never tells me anything."
She snatched the megaphone from him and, heart pounding, stepped toward the imposing figure.
Around her, a dozen SWAT officers stood ready, fingers on their triggers.
"You are operating an unregistered advanced weapon. Identify yourself immediately!"
Roar
The Destroyer's mask opened, revealing a fiery glow within.
"Shit, run!"
Hill tossed the megaphone and sprinted, her legs pumping.
The SWAT officers, who had just been assessing the threat, now panicked and ran.
Boom boom boom
The Destroyer's beam tore through vehicles like paper. Several agents were struck by the searing blast, their bodies incinerated in an instant.
"Jane, Erik, get out of here! It's not safe!"
Thor had spotted the Destroyer's arrival from afar.
Jane, still very much human, couldn't quite process what was happening. She looked at Thor.
"What about you?"
"I'm staying."
(End of Chapter)
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