Elemental bow ready and arrow condensed.
Loki, who had been knocked to the ground, quickly reacted—this was exactly what he had planned for.
He had just been caught off guard by the reflected attack. But it wasn't a serious issue.
An ordinary person would likely have died instantly if hit by that, but Loki was different. He was a God from Asgard, and his physical durability far surpassed that of mortals.
Combined with the enchanted equipment he wore, the attack only shook him. The actual damage was minimal.
"A soldier out of time..."
Loki slowly raised his head, glancing at Blaine and Captain America in front of him, and a sly smile spread across his face. "And a Bounty Hunter who loves money."
He wasn't surprised at Blaine's arrival.
Before invading Earth, Loki had made thorough preparations—far more than most people could imagine. He had even accounted for Blaine.
Although Blaine was powerful, Loki wasn't afraid at all.
After all, he was a God.
"Soldier, you're out of date."
"I'm afraid it's not me who's outdated," Steve replied, narrowing his eyes. But he quickly realized Loki wasn't even paying attention to him anymore. After dropping that line, Loki turned to Blaine.
With a persuasive expression, he walked toward Blaine.
"Bounty Hunters... what are they made for?"
"Money?" Blaine said flatly.
Loki chuckled as he stepped closer, his voice dripping with temptation. "I can give you money. Endless money. Hundreds of billions. Trillions. That's just Earth currency."
"I can give you galactic credits, treasures from across the universe—make you the richest bounty hunter alive."
"You don't even have to follow me. I'll give it to you freely."
"Look at this outdated soldier next to you. If you kill him... I'll give you everything you've ever wanted."
Loki was clever, cunning, and manipulative—the god of mischief. Compared to Thor, Loki wasn't as strong physically, but he could uncover people's deepest desires with just a few well-placed words.
And with the scepter...
Loki had quietly approached Blaine and was now slowly raising the scepter toward his chest.
Blaine stood motionless, Elemental Bow still in hand. His face was blank, almost dazed, as if Loki's mind control was working—like he was actually considering the offer.
Captain America, panicking, rushed forward to stop Loki.
But against Loki, Steve didn't stand a chance. He was quickly overpowered and beaten down.
After all, Captain America—no matter how skilled—is still only human. That "50-50" fight in the movie was cinematic liberty. In reality, against a god like Loki, who relies on cunning and magic rather than brute strength, Steve was hopelessly outmatched. If not for his shield, he'd likely be dead already.
It's an unfair comparison. The Peak of Human Potential is merely the starting point for a God.
Having dealt with Steve, Loki turned back to Blaine.
Compared to the old-fashioned, outdated soldier, Loki valued Blaine much more.
He had seen Blaine fight the Abomination.
That was something even he couldn't easily do.
But Loki didn't believe power was everything.
To him, he was a noble god, and the man before him was just another mortal—stronger than most, perhaps, but still human.
And all humans had desires. Desires he could control.
The scepter was nearly touching Blaine now. Even if Blaine didn't respond, Loki could still use it to bend him to his will—just like he did with Hawkeye and Dr. Selvig.
Unfortunately for him...
His little plan completely failed.
Blaine had already used his telepathic ability to read every thought in Loki's mind.
I! I am God!
Noble god! Foolish mortals!
Secondhand embarrassment washed over Blaine. He nearly burst out laughing.
Loki, as the God of Mischief, was terrifying when it came to manipulating ordinary people.
But that only worked on ordinary people.
Blaine's mental defenses had been enhanced to their peak through his abilities. Loki's manipulations were utterly ineffective.
Seriously... this was just sad.
Blaine wasn't some greedy mercenary who'd lose control over money. And besides, Loki wasn't even offering the kind of "money" he cared about.
It was like offering an orange to someone who likes grapefruit. Just ridiculous.
Seeing that Blaine remained silent, Loki moved the scepter even closer.
Only one centimeter away now.
"You elk boy are kind of funny," Blaine said casually.
The moment the words left his mouth—
An elemental arrow, glowing with flickering electricity, shot from the bow with a sharp whoosh.
It pierced the air and slammed straight into Loki's chest.
In an instant, Loki was sent flying, then hit the ground hard, convulsing violently as arcs of electricity danced across his body.
The sneak attack had halved his combat strength, and his divine armor was beginning to dissipate.
Now he lay twitching on the ground, eyes rolled back, body spasming with residual energy.
"Are you guys just going to keep standing there?"
Blaine glanced around at the gathering crowd and let out a sigh.
Watching a fight was one thing, but standing around like idiots during a battle between gods?
The onlookers finally got the hint. They screamed and scattered like cockroaches, fleeing the scene in seconds.
Only Steve remained, barely managing to get up, one hand clutching his ribs in pain. Loki's earlier attack had hit him hard.
In the air above, Natasha quickly piloted the Quinjet lower, preparing to retrieve the defeated Loki.
But just then—
The controls in front of her flickered, then displayed a system override warning.
A familiar voice followed through the intercom.
"Hey, Agent Romanoff. How's it going?"
Natasha exhaled slowly, looking down at Blaine with a faint smirk.
"Mr. Stark, I'm afraid you're a little late."
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