A sudden, deafening roar echoed in the sky.
Boom!
Crash!
Before anyone could fully react, the entire fighter plane shook violently. Everyone onboard felt the heavy impact of someone landing on top of the aircraft.
Tony Stark immediately grabbed his helmet and opened the hatch.
He prepared to fly up and investigate—but before he could, the intruder landed directly on the tail of the cabin.
Golden hair flowing, armored in silver with a red cape billowing behind him, holding Mjolnir—the enchanted hammer crackling with electricity—there was no mistaking it. It was Thor, the God of Thunder.
Natasha, monitoring the rear, narrowed her eyes in concern.
She was fully aware of the recent incident involving S.H.I.E.L.D. and the proud Asgardian. Thor, at this point in time, had not yet developed a deep understanding of humanity. Though he knew sacrifice, his pride and brash nature made him difficult to deal with.
That personality clashing with Tony Stark—who was equally arrogant—was a recipe for conflict. And if there was no time to let them adjust to each other, well… sparks were bound to fly. Literally.
The moment Tony saw Thor, he immediately powered up his repulsor. His palm cannon began charging, aimed to block any sudden move.
Thor, never one for small talk, didn't waste time with words. He raised Mjolnir, clearly ready to strike.
Blaine moved first.
He slipped between the two titans with uncanny speed, catching Mjolnir mid-swing with his left hand and simultaneously dispersing Tony's palm blast with his right. The shockwave shook the air around him as he stood firm between them, glancing back and forth.
"Can we be a little more civilized?" Blaine asked with calm authority. "Sit down. Talk it out."
Was Blaine turning into the voice of reason all of a sudden?
Unlikely. He wasn't exactly the selfless type. Most things, to him, were just noise. Only money had any real appeal.
So why step in now?
Simple: he didn't want them to fight.
If Thor landed that hammer blow, things would escalate fast. Neither man would back down. It would turn into an all-out brawl.
And Tony Stark wasn't one to play nice. He wouldn't take it lying down.
How long would the fight last? Who knew. One was a god, the other a genius in a flying suit of armor. The whole thing would turn into a high-speed slugfest—wasting time, damaging the plane, and delaying the transport of Loki.
Wouldn't it be better to just sit and talk it out? No delays. No unnecessary destruction. Problem solved.
Blaine had other things to worry about—like collecting his stock commission and getting back home to see Gali. Who had time for a pointless fight?
"It's you…?"
Thor finally recognized him.
Hard to forget someone like Blaine. That period had been one of the most difficult in Thor's life, and Blaine—along with Gali—were seared into his memory. Not fondly.
It was still a bit embarrassing. The mighty Thor being humbled like that.
And Thor was surprised.
He hadn't used his full strength behind that hammer swing, but Blaine had caught it effortlessly. Clearly, Blaine wasn't using his full strength either.
Thor had once thought Gali was the powerful one. But apparently, the hooded man beside her was just as formidable—if not more.
"This guy just appeared out of nowhere," Tony muttered, noticing how Blaine had absorbed his repulsor blast like it was nothing. His pupils narrowed. "I'm betting he's here for Loki. If they take him—or kill him—we lose the Tesseract. We can't let that happen."
"You don't deserve the Tesseract. And you certainly don't have the right to judge Loki," Thor retorted, tightening his grip on Mjolnir. "Mind your own business, Tin Man. Loki will answer to Asgard's justice."
"As soon as you hand over the Cube," Tony replied with a smirk, "you can do whatever you like. Until then… stay out of the way."
Thor's eyes narrowed. His fury rose slowly, and his body began to hum with power.
"Stark!" Steve Rogers stepped forward, shield in hand. "We don't have a battle plan!"
Tony didn't look away. His right hand began charging again. "This 'is' the plan. Fight."
Tension filled the air like static.
Loki sat nearby, watching with bemusement—as if enjoying a drama.
"Thor," he said with a smirk. "Didn't Odin have to use a great deal of dark energy to get you here?"
"Silence!" Thor snapped. "I'll deal with you later!"
"Oh, you won't be the one dealing with him," Tony said with a dry laugh. "That's my job."
"Damn mortals…" Thor muttered, his eyes glowing faintly with electricity.
"Enough."
The command came cold and sharp.
Suddenly, Tony felt an intense force wrap around his left arm. The metal of his gauntlet, groaned under pressure, bending inward. Electrical arcs danced along its surface. He had no doubt: if Blaine added just a little more strength, his arm would be crushed.
Thor wasn't faring much better. He tried to pull Mjolnir free, but it was like a mortal trying to move a mountain—impossible without channeling the full power of the storm.
Both men froze.
"…Is this farce over?" Blaine asked, finally letting go.
Instantly, Tony's arm was freed, and Thor's control over Mjolnir returned.
The two glared at each other, no longer eager to trade blows.
Satisfied, Blaine stepped to the side and closed the hatch. He turned back, arms spread casually.
"See? That wasn't so hard. Why fight when you can talk it out?"
Tony and Thor finally sat—on opposite sides, still tense, still suspicious, but not fighting.
Steve glanced at Blaine and, despite himself, gave a small thumbs up.
He wasn't particularly fond of the mysterious Hunter, but he had to admit: sometimes strength speaks louder than reason. And when you combine both? That's a force that can move mountains.
Natasha, piloting the aircraft, finally exhaled and relaxed her grip on the controls. Her chest rose and fell as she caught her breath.
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