"Stop fighting, Loki!!!"
Thor's roar echoed across the battlefield.
Instantly, the nearby Destroyer seemed to hear something. It paused, halting its fiery onslaught and turning its gaze toward Thor in the distance.
At that moment, Hogun, Sif, Fandral, and the others rushed to Thor's side.
"Thor, why did you come back? The Destroyer is too dangerous!" Sif cried out anxiously.
Thor waved her concern away. "If this continues, you'll all be in danger."
"This mess started because of me. I need to speak with Loki."
As he spoke, Thor gestured for Sif and the others to stay back. Then, he stepped forward alone.
Standing before the Destroyer, he looked directly at its face, as if trying to see Loki through it.
After a brief silence, Thor said in a solemn voice, "Loki… whatever I did that made you do this… I'm truly sorry. I don't want to see this pointless war continue."
"Kill me, and let it end here."
The Destroyer didn't strike right away. Instead, the blazing flames inside its iron helmet began to fade, as if it were standing down.
Seeing this, a faint smile formed on Thor's lips. It was as if he understood something.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The half-turned Destroyer sucker-punched Thor, sending him flying in a wide arc through the air.
Watching this, Lockhart's eye twitched.
"What a poor, delusional child…"
BOOM!
Thor's body crashed into the ground, the impact massive.
Shards of glass and metal tore into his flesh. Blood began to seep from the deep wounds, pooling on the ground beneath him.
Nearby, Jane broke free from the others and rushed toward Thor like a madwoman. Ignoring their calls, she fell to her knees and cradled his unconscious, bloodied body in her arms.
Lockhart, Sif, and Erik quickly gathered around.
Watching Jane desperately try to pull the shards from Thor's body with her bare, blood-soaked hands, Lockhart sighed.
Raising his wand, he whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa."
Gently, Jane was lifted away, revealing the full extent of Thor's injuries.
At the same time, all the shards of glass, metal, and debris floated up from Thor's body and collected neatly to the side with a wave of Lockhart's wand.
Seeing the still-bleeding wounds, Lockhart raised his wand again and summoned a brownish-green potion bottle to hover above Thor.
Dittany.
With a flick of his wand, the potion poured out, floating midair and coating Thor's wounds.
As the injuries rapidly began to heal, Lockhart pulled out several more vials and floated them in front of Sif and the others.
"This potion is called Dittany," Lockhart said calmly. "Extremely effective for external injuries. Use it to recover."
Watching Thor's wounds close so quickly, Sif and the others were visibly shocked. Instead of using the potion right away, they carefully stored the bottles—this was clearly a life-saving item not to be wasted.
Before they could even thank Lockhart—
They froze.
Even though Thor's wounds had healed, his life force was rapidly fading. It was as if he were still slipping toward death.
Jane, kneeling beside him, panicked. Her hands trembled as she looked at Thor's still form.
Even the Destroyer, sensing Thor's condition, turned and began to walk away—convinced that the battle was over.
But Lockhart remained calm. He watched Thor's fading life force without any sign of panic.
Because—
He knew: The God of Thunder was about to return.
---
S.H.I.E.L.D. Base
Researchers near Mjölnir monitored the energy readings, their faces filled with confusion and awe.
"Sir, Object 084 is experiencing abnormal fluctuations. Massive energy output detected!"
"This isn't good—wind speeds are spiking. The hammer... it's moving! Sir, Mjölnir is moving!!"
The lead researcher shouted into the phone, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.
Soon, Coulson's voice came through the speaker. "Keep collecting data."
"Yes, sir!"
---
Back on the battlefield, Coulson—who had just witnessed Sif's battle with the Destroyer and Lockhart's magic—was shaken by the immense power on display.
He felt a mix of dread from the Destroyer's rampage and curiosity about Thor's connection to it all.
Using his binoculars, he focused on Thor's body, watching the wounds heal rapidly. The mysterious potion had his full attention.
He didn't need confirmation—the base's report on Mjölnir could only mean one thing.
RUMBLE!!!
A streak of white light tore across the sky, accompanied by a thunderous roar.
Mjölnir soared through the clouds toward its master.
Sif and the others smiled with joy.
Lockhart quickly pulled Erik and the others back to a safe distance as they all turned to watch.
There, in the heart of the storm, the once-dying Thor rose—hand outstretched, Mjölnir flying into his grasp.
Lightning danced around him, crackling with unrestrained energy, as if honoring its master's return.
Even the Destroyer paused to watch.
Moments later, Thor stood tall, gripping Mjölnir, clad in golden armor and a red cape.
Power radiated from him—majestic, divine.
Before Jane, Sif, and the others could rush to him, Thor raised a hand, signaling them to stay back.
Then, without hesitation, he charged toward the advancing Destroyer.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Thor swung Mjölnir with incredible force, each strike slicing through the air like a storm.
Then, with a thunderous yell, he hurled it straight at the Destroyer.
BOOM!
The once-indestructible Destroyer was struck head-on and sent flying, crashing violently into the ground.
Before it could recover, Thor leapt into the sky, Mjölnir spinning faster and faster, summoning the wrath of the heavens.
Thunderclouds gathered. Lightning flashed, roaring across the sky.
The Destroyer rose, flames spewing toward Thor—
But Thor dove straight down, Mjölnir in hand, wrapped in bolts of lightning.
BOOOOOM!
The fire was instantly consumed by the storm. Mjölnir struck the Destroyer's head, slamming it into the earth and shattering it from top to bottom.
A completely one-sided battle.
Lockhart and the others watched in awe as Thor emerged from the cloud of dust.
When the dust finally cleared—
Thor stood tall, behind him the broken remains of the Destroyer.