Do Not Deceive God

Thanos was seriously wounded and forced to retreat, while the Black Order and the elite of the Dark Quadrant were annihilated. The threat to Nidavellir was instantly neutralized.

However, the star core was utterly destroyed, leaving the dwarves of Nidavellir unable to harness its energy for forging. Their home was no longer sustainable.

At Caesar's strong insistence, Dwarf King Eitri reluctantly led his people to relocate near Angel-Star, within Caesar's core territory.

To aid the dwarves in their craft, Caesar chose a neutron star, vastly more powerful than their previous star core, to serve as their new source for forging. 

The dwarves were tasked with creating Caesar's Sun Scepter—a formidable weapon designed to channel his solar power. It was to be entirely golden, with a sharp point at the bottom and an enlarged top forming a hollow crown. This crown was purposely left with a gap, intended to hold and combine the powers of the six Infinity Stones.

Crafted from Vibranium, Uru metal reduced by Pym particles, and other compressed cosmic materials, the Sun Scepter would be a weapon of godlike strength, rivaling even Stormbreaker. With this scepter, Caesar's combat abilities would soar, granting him the power to annihilate foes of the fourth-order ultimate level.

Though the scepter's forging would take time, Caesar did not linger long on Angel-Star. After reassuring the dwarf king, he ordered his forces to track down Thanos, offering a massive reward for any leads on his location. Caesar, along with Valina, returned to Earth.

Earth intrigued him with its mysterious energies, which subtly strengthened his soul. Had it not been for its inconvenient location and the potential threat of attracting unpredictable gods, Caesar might have claimed Earth as his capital. But upon his return, he discovered a pressing issue.

Loki, whom Caesar had left stranded in the mountains, was gone.

After acquiring the Mind Scepter, Loki had sought to conquer Midgard, only for Caesar to crush his ambitions swiftly. While Loki was Frigga's favored child, Caesar had no intention of permanently harming him—unless absolutely necessary. With the Mind Stone in hand, Caesar had kept most of his previous promises, offering Loki a planet to rule in exchange for peace.

For Caesar, giving away ten or even eight habitable planets was of little consequence. The universe was vast, and planets were plentiful.

But now, Loki had vanished.

Caesar extended his senses, trying to locate Loki, but to no avail. Frustrated, he contacted Heimdall.

Heimdall, preoccupied with helping Thor restore peace across the Nine Realms, had paid little attention to Loki's whereabouts, especially knowing he was with Caesar.

Even after scanning Earth with his all-seeing eyes, Heimdall was unable to locate Loki.

Caesar's brow furrowed in concern. Without hesitation, he teleported directly in front of Nick Fury, interrupting a meeting with the Avengers.

"The sun god!" Black Widow whispered under her breath upon seeing Caesar. Despite her grief over Hawkeye's death, her long experience as an agent and awareness of the immense power gap forced her to suppress her anger.

Phil Coulson, who had been saved by Caesar, stood respectfully behind Nick Fury. He wasn't very religious, but after being saved by Caesar and witnessing the angels' intervention, he became a quiet believer. 

Nick Fury and Tony Stark observed Caesar cautiously, saying nothing, while Dr. Banner, wisely avoiding any confrontation, took a few steps back. Even the Hulk remained calm. The atmosphere grew thick with tension.

Captain America, however, unfazed by the situation due to the Super Soldier Serum running through his veins, stepped forward and broke the silence. "Sun God, why are you here? You're not welcome here!"

Caesar smirked, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. "Oh? I saved New York not too long ago, and I even saved your life in the process. Is this how you repay your savior? Your god? It's enough to make me a little sad."

Though Caesar could easily crush the Avengers, he saw no need to destroy them as long as they knew their place. To him, they were insignificant, but that didn't mean he wanted needless bloodshed.

Sensing the danger, Nick Fury intervened quickly, signaling for Captain America and the simmering Black Widow to leave. Even Dr. Banner took the chance to exit, eager to avoid provoking a god.

A moment later, the room was left with just Caesar, Tony Stark, Nick Fury, and Phil Coulson.

"Great deity, may I ask what brings you here?" Nick Fury asked respectfully, though his mind remained sharp and guarded.

"I'm looking for one thing," Caesar said, locking eyes with Fury. "My cousin, Loki, has gone missing. Do you know where he is?"

Phil Coulson and Tony exchanged confused glances. Loki? That troublemaker again? Why would we know where he is?

Nick Fury was taken aback. He had his suspicions but answered calmly, "I don't know where Loki is. Since the battle, we haven't tried to capture him."

It wasn't that Fury didn't want to apprehend Loki, but S.H.I.E.L.D. had its limits. Hulk was the only one strong enough to stop him, and even then, the risk was too high. Iron Man might not stand a chance either. Plus, with Loki's connection to Caesar, they couldn't afford to take any reckless action.

As Caesar had once said, "Mortals are not fit to judge gods."

Caesar could tell Fury wasn't lying.

But something still felt off. Caesar doubted that the real Nick Fury stood before him, and he was certain Fury had no concrete information on Loki's whereabouts. Capturing Loki and hiding him from both Caesar and Heimdall required considerable power. Besides dealing with dimensional threats, the only group with both the capability and motive to capture Loki was the Skrulls. Caesar hadn't forgotten their attempts to abduct the Warriors Three and Sif. Targeting Loki wouldn't be beyond them.

"I believe you didn't arrest him," Caesar said softly, his eyes locked on Fury. "But those behind you… they wouldn't dare offend the gods, would they?"

Nick Fury's nerves tightened. The thinly veiled threat was clear, and while Fury's confidence in his alliances was strong, he knew full well that Caesar's power was leagues beyond what either he or the Skrulls could handle. Yet, as the master of deception and control, Fury kept his composure.

"Great god, I swear I don't know where Loki is," Fury responded seriously. He wasn't lying, though he had heard rumors about the Skrulls' covert experiments—things never fully revealed to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Caesar smiled again, but his eyes grew sharp and unforgiving. "What gave you the courage to hide the truth from me? Was it the Roar?"

Fury's face instantly paled. The Roar, a powerful weapon capable of summoning Carol Danvers, was his secret trump card, his ace in dealing with unimaginable threats. Only the Skrulls had witnessed Carol single-handedly destroy an entire Kree fleet.

Panic gripped Fury. How did Caesar know about the Roar? Could Captain Marvel even hope to match Caesar's power?

Caesar's smile vanished, his voice hard as iron. "I forgot to mention—mortals cannot deceive gods. And that Roar? It won't save you."

With those words, golden flames ignited in Caesar's eyes. In an instant, they consumed Nick Fury and the Roar machine, turning them to ashes.

Phil Coulson and Tony Stark stood frozen, eyes wide, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

....

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