7.1 The Burden of Five Gs and the Premonition
The summer of 2011 was not a vacation for Ronin Sharma. While the rest of his graduating class celebrated their newfound freedom, Ronin was submerged in the agony of his training. The Gravitational Regulator was set to a grinding 5x Earth Gravity within the confines of his Brooklyn lab—a pressure immense enough to crush a regular man, but just enough to keep his Saiyan Ki simmering. He was perpetually on the knife's edge of the Super Saiyan transformation, learning to draw on the power without visually manifesting the gold.
"Ronin, your bone density is currently measured at 480% above baseline human average," Aether reported, its calm voice a contrast to Ronin's labored breathing as he completed a staggering set of deep squats. "The sustained five Gs are optimizing the Saiyan reserves, but this level of stress is unsustainable long-term without damage to the temporal lobe."
"The temporal lobe will have to wait," Ronin gritted out, wiping sweat from his brow. "The Avengers initiative is coalescing. Loki is making his move. I need to close the gap between my base form and the power level required to fight gods and alien armies. That gap is currently measured in units of pain."
He activated the Eye of Foresight, the obsidian pendant glowing faintly beneath his suit. The vision was instantaneous and urgent: the familiar dust and rust of New Mexico, but now superimposed with shimmering streaks of Bifrost energy. He saw the blur of a towering silver figure and the desperate, hopeless faces of armored warriors.
"Aether, threat analysis of Puente Antiguo, New Mexico. Bifrost energy signatures detected. Three large, two medium, one massive," Ronin commanded, leaping up, instantly shedding the 5G burden. The sudden relief of normal gravity felt like floating.
"Analysis: The three large signatures match the Asgardian Warriors Three. The two medium match Lady Sif and the disgraced Prince Thor. The massive signature is an Asgardian construct of immense power—the Destroyer."
Ronin's jaw tightened. "Loki has sent the executioner. Time to make our debut on the cosmic stage."
7.2 The Urgent Journey and the Noble Phantasm Prep
Ronin had no time for subtlety. He knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was watching the anomaly site, but the need to protect the town and ensure Thor survived to claim Mjolnir was paramount. He had to be the silent guardian, the golden phantom.
He donned the Ronin MK-I suit, its dark, stealthy plating a sharp contrast to the brilliant magical transport he was about to use. The Wagon of the Sun Noble Phantasm manifested, enveloping him in the powerful, light-speed chariot of energy.
The journey across the continental United States was a rush of speed and planning. Aether provided real-time tactical overlays, blending satellite imagery with the predictive analysis of the Eye of Foresight.
"Aether, divert 90% of the Gate of Babylon's available magical reserves to the simultaneous fabrication of four sets of Chains of Hephaestus," Ronin ordered, his eyes focused on the speed readout. "I need redundancy. They need to hold for at least sixty seconds under divine stress."
"Acknowledged. Fabricating. Due to the high-level demand, the Gates will be temporarily locked for forty-five minutes post-deployment," Aether cautioned.
"Understood. We fight with what we bring. Also, adjust the suit's vocal modulation. Increase bass frequency, add a subtle synthetic echo. I want the voice to sound ancient, powerful, and inhuman."
His thoughts, however, drifted momentarily to the two poles of his emotional life. Gwen was due back from a research trip; he hoped the massive anomaly wouldn't scare her off her studies. Felicia was currently attempting a heist on a Stark Industries subsidiary—a chaotic pursuit that suddenly seemed minuscule against the scale of Asgardian war.
Don't lose focus. Protect the anchors, win the battle.
7.3 The Arrival and the Desperate Stand
Ronin landed, shedding the Wagon of the Sun in a harmless puff of dissipated energy, just as the Destroyer stepped out of the Bifrost portal in the center of the dusty, terrified town of Puente Antiguo.
The scene was exactly as his foresight had predicted: chaos. The Destroyer was a magnificent, terrifying piece of magical engineering. Its eyes glowed, and a white-hot energy beam erupted, slicing a truck in half.
Ronin moved, not running, but simply existing in rapid succession between points. He reached the Warriors Three and Lady Sif just as the Destroyer prepared its second, decisive blast.
"Phantom Protocol: Intercept and Draw Threat!" Ronin's voice boomed, deep and resonant, startling the Asgardians.
He didn't need the Super Saiyan transformation yet. He used his Ki, contained and focused, to boost his base Saiyan strength. He delivered a stunning, high-speed series of rapid strikes to the Destroyer's back, a tactic straight out of Goku's playbook, designed to confuse and displace a larger opponent.
The Destroyer staggered, its energy beam scattering wildly, sparing the Asgardians. It turned, its head tilting slightly, calculating the unexpected force.
"You are an enemy of Asgard! Surrender!" the Destroyer's synthesized voice boomed, echoing Loki's commands.
"I am a friend of Midgard, and you are not welcome!" Ronin retorted, already moving into position.
He summoned the four pre-fabricated Chains of Hephaestus, unleashing them in a devastating array. Two wrapped around the Destroyer's torso, one around its neck, and the final one snared its primary arm joint. The mythical bronze chains bit deep, generating an intense friction that temporarily halted the construct's movements.
"Sif! Warriors Three! Take the Prince and retreat! The weapon is only stunned!" Ronin shouted.
Sif, though gravely injured, looked at the figure in the dark armor, then at the glowing, magical chains, her mind reeling. "Who are you?"
"Go! Your realm demands it!"
The Asgardians, recognizing the dire situation and the clear authority of this unknown warrior, retreated, dragging a beaten and powerless Thor to safety. Ronin had bought them the time they needed.
7.4 The Forced Transformation
Ronin knew the reprieve was ending. The Destroyer was radiating heat, and the Chains of Hephaestus were starting to melt and crumble. He needed to hold the Destroyer long enough for Thor to realize his necessary sacrifice.
The chains snapped with a shower of sparks. The Destroyer turned, its eye slit glowing with terrifying finality. It didn't fire. It simply lunged, intending to crush Ronin beneath its massive foot.
Ronin dodged, the suit's sensors screaming warnings. He knew his base form was no longer enough to deflect the final blast. He needed the catalyst of extreme, unmanageable pressure.
He performed the only desperate move left: he charged the Destroyer and met its punch with his own, focusing every last joule of contained Ki into his fist. The impact was concussive, shattering windows blocks away, but it did nothing to the armor, and the Destroyer's retaliatory hit was inevitable.
The Destroyer's massive metal fist slammed into Ronin's side, throwing him into the side of the diner. Every bone in his body screamed, and the suit's integrity alarms shrieked. He felt the cold shock of massive, instantaneous failure.
That was the breaking point. The agony, the failure to protect, the looming threat of the Destroyer turning its attention to the civilians—the deep, inherent rage of the Saiyan warrior exploded.
"AETHER! FULL RELEASE!" Ronin screamed.
The air around the downed hero burst into a brilliant, blinding supernova of golden Ki. His hair spiked up, turning a luminous gold, his eyes flashing emerald green. The Super Saiyan aura roared to life, pushing back the debris and leveling the parking lot.
Super Saiyan. Activated at 50x Base Ki.
The Golden Man rose from the rubble, his damaged armor instantly sealing itself beneath the magical energy. He was now a true force of nature, ready to face the Asgardian weapon on equal footing, his mission to delay complete.