The Destroyer didn't answer.
It couldn't—it was a soulless war machine, programmed only to carry out Loki's orders.
After a brief pause, its helmet slowly rotated. The faceplate opened, revealing the blazing core of energy within.
Its target locked instantly onto the black-armored figure who'd just been running his mouth.
To Loki, a fully restored Thor was troublesome, sure—but this human who came out of nowhere was far more irritating.
That unpredictable variable had to be erased first.
"Fwoosh!!"
A beam of searing energy erupted from the Destroyer's mask, screaming straight toward Henry!
"Oh? Guess it picked me." Henry smiled faintly—completely unbothered.
"How rude… you really like spitting light at people's faces, huh?"
He didn't dodge. He didn't even raise a guard.
Under everyone's stunned gazes, Henry simply hovered midair—letting the beam crash right into his chest.
BOOM!!!
Blinding light swallowed his figure.
The resulting shockwave tore up the ground, flinging sand and debris in every direction.
"Henry!" Thor shouted, eyes wide.
But when the light faded… every jaw dropped.
Henry was still floating in place—untouched.
Not a single scorch mark on his armor. In fact, it shone brighter, as if it had absorbed the blast.
"Energy absorption complete," Jarvis reported calmly.
"Unknown energy detected—kinetic and thermal output absorbed and stored. Sir, your armor is now fully charged and ready for release."
Henry smirked. Vibranium armor, baby. With its properties, physical energy barely even registered as a threat.
He rolled his neck, letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Mm. Not bad. That appetizer had some kick."
Then he raised a hand toward the Destroyer.
"Buh-bye now."
A pulse of purple energy burst from his palm.
The same energy the Destroyer had fired moments ago—now converted, amplified, and fired right back!
BOOM!
The beam slammed into the Destroyer's chest, sending the giant staggering backward. Its massive form skidded across the ground, gouging twin trenches through the dirt.
Far away in Asgard, Loki's pupils shrank.
Absorb and release energy?! What kind of ability is that?
What is that human's armor made of?!
"Nice one, Henry!" Thor's laughter boomed across the field.
Mjolnir crackled with lightning as he raised it high, sparks dancing across his body—like a god reborn.
"Seems Midgard has birthed its own Mighty Warrior while I was away! Now—it's my turn!"
He became a streak of lightning, slamming straight into the Destroyer.
CRASH!
Mjolnir smashed into the monster's chest with thunderous force, a blinding explosion of lightning bursting outward.
The Destroyer stumbled back again, armor caved inward where the hammer had hit.
"For Asgard!"
Thor roared, leaping skyward. Storm clouds churned in response.
He whirled Mjolnir faster and faster until it became a vortex of roaring thunder.
"Take this!"
He hurled it downward, unleashing a tornado of lightning that engulfed the Destroyer completely.
Everyone watched, awestruck.
But when the storm cleared… Thor's face darkened.
The Destroyer still stood.
Charred, cracked, dented—but still moving.
Its head turned, locking back onto him.
"Damn it…" Thor panted heavily. That last strike had nearly drained all his restored power.
He knew he couldn't win.
Even weakened, the Destroyer forged by Odin's will was far tougher than his current self could break.
"Alright, Prince," Henry's voice came from behind, calm and casual.
"Nice warm-up. I'll take it from here."
"You?" Thor frowned. "Its armor's tougher than—"
"I know." Henry cut him off. "That's why I'll get a bit more serious."
More serious? Thor blinked. You weren't serious already?!
Henry said nothing more.
He stepped forward, alone—facing the war machine head-on.
Then—his figure vanished.
Too fast. Faster than any of them could follow.
BANG!!
In the next instant, he was right in front of the Destroyer—his fist already driving forward.
BOOM!!!
The Destroyer didn't just stagger this time—it flew.
The massive metal body shot backward like a cannonball, tearing through abandoned buildings before crashing into a distant hillside, kicking up a mushroom cloud of dust.
Silence.
Everyone just stared at the black-armored figure slowly lowering his fist.
Even Sif and the Warriors Three twitched as if their eyes might pop out.
What… what kind of power was that punch?!
From the shattered hillside came a grinding rumble.
The Destroyer… was still moving.
It staggered out of the crater, armor caved deep into its chest, cracked from head to toe—but somehow still functioning.
"Tch. Tough bastard." Henry raised an eyebrow.
"Uru metal, huh? No wonder you're still in one piece. Guess I'll have to stop holding back."
He glanced around at the frightened civilians and SHIELD agents nearby.
Can't drag this out.
"Jarvis. Begin," he ordered quietly.
"Understood, sir."
Time to test his greatest experiment yet.
Henry took a slow breath.
His serum had a peculiar bug—the angrier he got, the stronger he became.
Adrenaline, cortisol… all those hormones triggered by rage and stress weren't just biology in his case.
They were fuel. Catalysts. Keys to unlock higher energy tiers.
Bruce Banner had proven that anger could be the most potent key of all.
But Banner couldn't control it. Every time he opened that door, the whole house came down.
Henry, however… could light the fire and command it.
Controlled fury. Rational rage.
That was his built-in exploit.
He closed his eyes.
Loki's sneering voice echoed in his head.
"Pathetic mortal."
"A man who hides behind his toys."
"A disgrace to Asgard's honor."
Rage sparked like a match—and flared by design, flooding through him like a perfectly tuned engine.
Not wild. Not chaotic. Directed.
"Sir," Jarvis reported,
"Your adrenaline levels are rising exponentially. Physical parameters climbing fast. Energy conversion efficiency up by 340%. Power output surging."
"Brain activity stable. Logic functions intact. Congratulations, sir—you've entered a controlled overdrive state."
"Current strength: twenty times baseline.
Thirty.
Forty.
Fifty—!"
BOOM!
A wave of red energy exploded outward, warping the air.
The ground beneath Henry's feet shattered. Dust spiraled as pressure rippled through the town.
He opened his eyes.
Twin crimson lights burned in his pupils.
Everyone felt it—the suffocating pressure, the predatory intent.
Even Thor stared wide-eyed.
"What power… is this?"
The Destroyer seemed to sense the danger too.
Its chest whirred as it diverted all power to its mask, charging a full-force beam.
But Henry moved first.
A black blur streaked across the battlefield—faster than the beam could even form.
In an instant, he was face-to-face with the machine.
The Destroyer's massive fist came crashing down.
Henry didn't dodge.
He raised his left hand—and caught it.
BANG!
The impact vanished on contact, absorbed like water into sand.
Purple ripples shimmered across his armor.
"Not bad," Henry said coolly. "Now it's my turn."
He drew back his right fist.
All the absorbed energy—all his fury—condensed into that single blow.
"Watch closely…" he said softly, lips curling into a grin.
"This punch is gonna look awesome."
Then he struck.
Thud.
No explosion. No blinding light.
Just a dull, heavy sound.
And then—the Destroyer's body began to collapse inward, folding like crushed foil.
The metal warped, compressed, screamed under impossible pressure… until the whole thing condensed into a single, perfect sphere.
Silence.
Only the wind moved.
Everyone stared, wide-eyed, as the black-armored man lowered his hand.
The mighty Destroyer—Odin's enchanted weapon—was gone.
All that remained was a smoking ball of metal… and the sound of hundreds of people gasping for breath.
Henry loosened his grip, and the metal sphere clanged against the ground, bouncing twice before rolling to the side.
The terrifying pressure surrounding him quickly dissipated, and the crimson glow in his eyes gradually faded.
Suspended in midair, he glanced at his own fist and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk… looks like I went a little overboard."
He turned his head toward the others with a friendly smile.
He knew full well that everything he'd just done was possible because the Destroyer Armor was a magical artifact—its performance varied depending on who wielded it. In Odin's hands, it was a divine weapon, sweeping through the Nine Realms invincibly.
But in Loki's hands... well, you know how that goes.
"Alright then, Your Highness. Your brother's favorite toy has officially been dismantled."
"Now, shall we talk about our little Asgard vacation plan?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The only sound left on the ruined street was the mournful whistle of the wind blowing through the debris.
Damn it... what did they just witness?!
Did he just punch that robot into a metal ball?!
Thor stood frozen, his Mjolnir suddenly feeling as heavy as a mountain.
He stared at the black figure slowly descending from the air, then at the smoking metal sphere on the ground. His throat went dry. What just happened?
One of the most powerful war machines in Odin's vault—the same weapon capable of mowing down entire Frost Giant armies—had just been punched into a ball by a mortal?
Thor's entire worldview was shattered by Henry's casual strike.
Wasn't he supposed to be the strongest in the Nine Realms?!
He had always believed himself to be one of the mightiest warriors alive. He was proud of his divine power and proud of his royal bloodline.
But now, a mere Midgardian mortal had shown him what true strength really was.
That wasn't magic. It wasn't divine power. It was pure, unadulterated strength.
Compared to that one punch, his full-force lightning strike from earlier was no different from a child's fireworks.
So this… this was Henry's real power?
For the first time, Thor began to doubt the word mortal.
Who said they were just mortals?!
Could a mortal punch the Destroyer into scrap metal?!
Then what did that make him, Thor Odinson—a weakling?
Sif and the Warriors Three weren't doing much better.
The four of them stood there with their mouths open, faces frozen like weathered statues.
"Am I dreaming?" the chubby Volstagg muttered as he rubbed his eyes, his voice trembling.
"That was the real Destroyer, right? Not some illusion Loki whipped up?"
"Do those parts on the ground look fake to you?" Fandral rolled his eyes, pointing at the scattered debris.
"That punch… even if Odin himself were here, I doubt he could've done better."
"Who is he exactly?" Sif's eyes were filled with shock and confusion.
As one of Asgard's strongest warriors, she had faced countless enemies—but none had ever made her feel such overwhelming pressure.
Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s temporary base far away, the agents watching the live feed were dead silent.
Coulson's legs felt weak. He instinctively grabbed the table beside him just to keep from collapsing. His brain was running wild, desperately trying to find a reasonable explanation for what he'd just seen.
How the hell was he supposed to write this report?
Target: Henry Stark.
Power Assessment: Unknown.
Threat Level: Maximum.
Recommended Countermeasure: …None.
Or, to put it more honestly—the only viable plan was to pray that he was in a good mood today.
Coulson felt like his entire career had just hit its hardest wall yet.
That one-eyed bastard Nick Fury had really dumped a world-ending headache on him this time.
"Wow!"
Daisy, recovering from the initial shock, had stars in her eyes. She quickly whipped out her phone, snapping photo after photo of the metal sphere and Henry's floating figure.
"Exclusive! Front-page headline! Breaking news!" she mumbled excitedly.
"Superman Henry Stark crushes alien robot with his bare hands! This'll blow up the whole internet! Jane, we're rich! Research funding secured for years!"
Jane, however, didn't even hear her.
She just stared at Henry, completely dazed. As a scientist, she understood better than anyone what kind of energy and force were contained in that punch—it had already gone beyond the limits of known physics.
That was the kind of power that could change the world.
Henry ignored the stunned crowd around him and walked slowly toward the metal sphere. He nudged it lightly with his boot.
"Clang."
The ball rolled a couple of times, giving off a deep metallic thud.
"Hmm, nice and heavy." Henry nodded in satisfaction.
Perfect. Scored big time. Uru metal—Asgard's specialty—now in his hands!
He made a little victory sign in his mind.
He'd have Jarvis analyze it thoroughly once they got back. If it couldn't be replicated, fine—he could melt it down and upgrade his and Tony's armor, or maybe forge a new weapon altogether. His armor's defense was already top-notch, but his offense? A bit too basic. Aside from heat vision and punches, he didn't have much variety. Still… nothing beat the thrill of shattering everything with a single strike!
"Hey, Your Highness." He turned toward the still-stunned Thor, raising a brow.
"Snap out of it. I've already taken care of your brother's toy. Look, I even helped you recycle and compact the garbage. Am I considerate or what?"
Thor's mouth twitched as he looked at the "recycled" metal ball. He didn't even know what to say.
Considerate? You call that considerate?!
"Henry." Thor took a deep breath and looked at him with a complicated expression.
"That power just now…"
"Oh, that?" Henry waved a hand dismissively.
"Just a little trick. Mostly your brother's tin can was too fragile—it couldn't take a proper hit."
Thor: "..."
The Destroyer… fragile? Couldn't take a hit?
He felt like Henry was stepping all over his worldview again and again.
"Alright, enough about that." Henry clapped his hands, bringing the conversation back on track.
"The bad guy's gone, your hammer's back, so as per our agreement…"
He winked at Thor.
Thor took a deep breath. He knew he owed Henry a debt—not just for defeating the Destroyer, but for showing him a new perspective… for showing him what true strength really meant.
"I understand." He nodded firmly, expression serious.
"Henry, I, Thor Odinson, swear by my name as the God of Thunder—once I settle things in Asgard, I'll return and fulfill our deal. I'll take you to the Realm Eternal."
"That's what I like to hear." Henry grinned.
The Asgard Seven-Day Tour ticket—secured.
Just then, Thor looked up toward the sky.
"I must go back." His voice turned solemn.
"Loki has usurped the throne and deceived everyone. I have to return before he does something even worse."
He glanced at Sif and the Warriors Three.
"My friends, thank you for your help."
Then his gaze fell on Jane, filled with reluctance and apology.
"Jane."
He stepped closer. The once-proud God of Thunder now looked like an awkward, nervous boy.
"I must leave… but I promise, I'll come back for you."
Jane nodded softly. "I'll wait for you."
"Heimdall!"
Thor roared toward the sky.
A pillar of rainbow light shot down from the heavens, enveloping Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three.
With a flash of brilliance, all five vanished without a trace—leaving behind nothing but ruins... and a massive metal sphere.