"It's fine. When the time comes, just bring him to the New York Sanctum with you."
With the Ancient One's approval, Karl finally felt at ease. She didn't seem surprised at all that Karl could suddenly appear in Kamar-Taj, and Karl didn't bother explaining. He returned directly to the office.
"All right, Tony—you're coming with me," Karl said.
Once he got confirmation, Tony immediately began servicing his armor. Although it was a nanotech suit, routine maintenance was still essential. Tony even went so far as to replace the arc reactor with a brand-new one.
That evening, Peter and Felicia arrived at the office with Gwen. They had also heard about the Convergence and came to help.
S.H.I.E.L.D. moved quickly. The very next day, Natasha returned to the office and briefed Karl and the others on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plan.
Nick Fury's strategy was extremely thorough. Not only would the Royal Greenwich Observatory and a two-kilometer radius around it be completely sealed off, but a large quantity of heavy weapons would also be deployed—including missiles. Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha, and Coulson were all assigned to the operation. Coulson would handle perimeter security and lockdown, while the others prepared for direct combat with the Dark Elves.
Except for Natasha, everyone else had already gone ahead to London. Natasha returned specifically to bring the remaining group over to rendezvous.
Gwen and Skye piloted the flashy Quinjet, carrying everyone toward London. Meanwhile, Karl took Tony straight to the New York Sanctum.
To ordinary people, the New York Sanctum looked completely unremarkable—just another nondescript building among countless others. No one passing by would give it a second glance. Most people subconsciously ignored its existence.
This was the result of enchantments laid down by the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, designed to conceal the Sanctum's true purpose. To outsiders, it appeared to be an utterly mundane building—the kind even a stray dog wouldn't bother looking at twice.
Tony looked up at the plain building, baffled. He had never noticed a place like this in New York before.
"So this is the New York Sanctum you were talking about?" Tony said disdainfully. "What's so 'sanctum' about this dump?"
"Don't judge by appearances," Karl replied with a grin. "It's a magical sanctum. Not drawing attention is kind of the whole point."
Karl stepped forward to knock, but the door opened on its own. The guardian of the New York Sanctum stepped out first.
"Mr. Norman," the guardian said, "the Ancient One has already informed me of your purpose. Please follow me."
Karl and Tony entered the Sanctum. The moment they stepped inside, the antique and elegant décor immediately caught Tony's eye.
"Didn't expect this," Tony muttered. "Looks like a wreck on the outside, but the inside's got taste."
He clicked his tongue as he looked around curiously. The magical artifacts scattered throughout the Sanctum opened up an entirely new world for him.
They made their way to the second floor and stopped in front of a magical door. The guardian reached out and twisted it slightly. The scenery beyond the doorway shifted and transformed, finally settling on the image of a towering golden palace.
"Mr. Norman," the guardian said, "passing through this door will take you to the Rainbow Bridge in Asgard. Someone will be there to receive you."
Karl nodded and turned to Tony—only to find him staring intently at a suit of armor nearby. The armor shimmered faintly, its scale-like plates opening and closing rhythmically, almost as if it were breathing.
"How was this thing made?" Tony murmured. "What kind of process did they use?"
He reached out to touch it, but the armor's scales instantly flared outward, bristling toward his hand.
"Please don't touch it, Mr. Stark," the guardian said quickly. "That armor does not wish to be touched. It will attack."
It was obvious the armor had taken offense; the raised scales were a clear warning.
Tony immediately withdrew his hand, and the armor's scales slowly returned to normal.
A thoughtful look appeared in Tony's eyes. Staring at the armor, a new idea began to form—one he fully intended to test in his next suit.
"JARVIS," Tony said, "create a new file. New armor designation: Darkscale. Record the mechanism of that armor. I've got a new concept."
"Understood, sir," JARVIS replied at once. "New file created: Mark 52, Darkscale Armor."
The bracelet flickered softly, pulsing like a steady breath.
---
Asgard
Thor was waiting at the far end of the Rainbow Bridge, near the Observatory platform. Odin had just informed him that two Midgardians were arriving in Asgard—friends of Thor's—and instructed him to receive them.
Thor was completely baffled. Aside from Jane, what friends did he have on Earth? The idea sounded absurd. Curious, he came to see for himself.
---
Asgardian Prison
Inside the prison, Loki lay sprawled on his bed, idly tossing a small ball into the air out of sheer boredom. In a nearby cell, the horned, masked prisoner quietly plunged his hand into his own abdomen. With skin and flesh tearing, he ripped out a black stone about the size of a plum. Dark blood streamed from the wound, yet he showed no sign of pain as he stared down at the stone in his hand.
Suddenly, the stone began to glow red, the light flowing as though it were alive. The masked man gazed at it, then seemed to steel himself and crushed it in his fist.
The red light surged instantly, spreading from his palm throughout his entire body. His skin looked as if it had been ignited, veins bulging as crimson energy—alive and writhing—rushed toward his heart.
Other prisoners noticed what was happening. At first, they watched in stunned curiosity, but soon panic erupted. They began screaming and pounding frantically against the golden energy barriers of their cells.
The masked man's body appeared to burn like living fire. Red energy raged uncontrollably as he trembled violently, as though enduring unimaginable pain.
Loki suddenly stopped tossing the ball and listened closely. He heard the screams echoing from deeper within the prison. Rising from his bed, he walked to the energy barrier and peered into the distance.
Inside the masked man's cell, the transformation reached its peak. With a thunderous explosion, red light engulfed the entire cell. Thick black smoke billowed outward. When it cleared, everyone inside—except the masked man—had been reduced to heaps of black sand.
The masked man knelt on the ground in agony. His body, glowing like burning coal, began to swell in size. The horned mask slowly fused with his flesh, until at last he transformed into a massive, horned, spike-covered monster.
The deafening roar drew the attention of the prison guards. Several rushed toward the source of the noise. Loki, equally intrigued, watched from behind his energy barrier as the chaos unfolded deeper within the prison.
With a violent crash, the monster smashed through the energy barrier with a single punch. The guards charged forward with swords drawn, but Asgardian blades were utterly useless against the creature.
The monster effortlessly caught a sword, yanked the guard off balance, and in the next instant drove its hand into the man's chest. With a brutal squeeze, it crushed the guard's heart.
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