Chapter 159: It Seems Like You’re in Trouble
Loki observed the stormy sky, his expression shifting drastically as he watched Thor, who had summoned the Thunder God's Armor with magic from Asgard.
"You should be happy that I've regained my powers," Thor replied, his tone sharp and his grip tightening on Mjolnir.
"More like astonished. It seems I was right not to inform you immediately about regaining my strength," Loki said with a smirk.
"Speak your plan, Loki."
Thor's aura grew intense as he stood there, a cold expression on his face.
During his time on Earth, he hadn't just been relaxing and playing around. Instead, he had spent the past week reflecting on his past actions, discerning right from wrong. Only by understanding his past could he return to Asgard and show his father the growth he had achieved.
Reflecting on his impulsive journey to Jotunheim, he recognized it stemmed from his arrogance. Initially furious at his father's warning to avoid conflict, he ultimately decided to heed it. However, Loki had subtly provoked him, igniting a reckless desire to confront the dangers represented by Jotunheim.
At the time, Thor had thought Loki shared his thoughts on confronting those dangers. But after being banished to Earth and stripped of his powers, he realized Loki hadn't come to aid him during those crucial first days. Instead, it took over a week for Loki to finally visit him.
Had he not understood his father's good intentions through the support of Tony, Jane, and Darcy, he might have believed Loki's manipulations and sunk into deep self-reproach.
Yet, Loki claimed their mother had agreed to a truce that included his banishment. That was absurd—Thor knew just how much their mother loved both him and Loki. If their father were truly dead and there were no barriers, she would have been the first to come down and deliver the news herself.
"Looks like I can't fool you, brother," Loki conceded.
"Then I'll have to kill you."
As Thor transformed, Loki conjured a spear, donning his battle armor. He raised the spear high, and a beam of light descended from the sky. Then, he vanished into thin air.
Thor lunged forward to pursue but sensed a dark force coming from Loki's summoning, his expression growing serious.
With the appearance of the beam, the once-clear sky turned ominous, swirling with a storm more terrifying than when Thor called upon Mjolnir.
A massive figure made entirely of metal emerged on the beach, sending the bystanders fleeing in terror.
"What is that?" Jane exclaimed, her face filled with shock as she stared at the towering metal giant.
"Jane, Darcy, get out of here!" Thor shouted. "Contact Tony Stark and bring him here for backup!"
"But…" Jane hesitated.
"Go! My chances are already slim. If I have to protect you, my situation will become even more dire!"
With Thor's urgent command, Jane snapped back to reality, grabbing Darcy's hand as they rushed to find a phone to contact Tony Stark.
"They managed to summon the Destroyer," Thor thought. "It seems Loki wasn't lying after all."
"Looks like the king temporarily allowed him to summon it," he mused.
Once Jane and Darcy had left, Thor focused on the slowly awakening Destroyer. Despite the impending danger, he couldn't help but smile.
The Destroyer was the guardian of the treasure vault; without the King of Asgard's power, it would be impossible to summon it to Earth. Thor was certain that his father was still alive, though the worst-case scenario suggested that Odin had entered Odinsleep. Otherwise, he would never allow the brothers to fight each other without intervening.
Taking a deep breath, Thor gripped Mjolnir and charged forward. He understood the immense power of the Destroyer and knew he had to be completely alert—otherwise, he might get hurt.
Gathering the full might of thunder within Mjolnir, he rocketed upward and struck at the Destroyer's head.
When Mjolnir collided with the Destroyer's armor, it resonated with a loud "clang!" Despite Thor's full-force strike, he only managed to dent the armor slightly, failing to cause any real damage.
"No wonder my father crafted such armor; its durability is incredible," Thor remarked, feeling the rebound from the impact and recognizing that his blow had done little.
With Thor's strike, the Destroyer awakened fully, its metallic visage unraveling like bandages to reveal a dazzling and menacing golden light.
A low hum resonated, and the Destroyer unleashed a powerful shockwave toward Thor.
Seeing this, Thor shot into the sky. The golden shockwave followed closely behind, piercing upward with ferocity.
Just as it was about to hit, Thor narrowly dodged, watching the beam soar past him and into the heavens, tearing through the clouds.
The power of that shot sent a cold sweat trickling down Thor's forehead; if he had been struck directly, he would have either died or been gravely injured.
"Thor, it seems you're in quite the predicament," a voice called from the side.
"Did Jane notify you so quickly?" Thor responded, turning to see a figure clad in red and gold armor appearing a hundred meters away.
"Jane didn't contact me, but I noticed the alien presence earlier, so I came prepared," Tony Stark said, crossing his arms with a grin.
As Tony arrived, the sound of powerful thrusters blasting through the air filled the atmosphere.
"Looks like your abilities are stronger than I anticipated," Thor remarked, momentarily taken aback.
"You haven't seen my full power yet. It's too early to say anything," Tony replied confidently, eyeing the non-biological metal giant below.
"Is this the alien that invaded Earth?" he asked.
"Long story short, let's deal with it first, and I'll explain everything afterward," Thor said, feeling a tinge of embarrassment.
"Good, then let's get to it," Tony agreed, nodding.