Thor watched the Destroyer's faceplate close, watched the gathering energy dissipate, and relief flooded through him. A small smile touched his lips. Loki still loves me. My brother still cares.
The Destroyer began turning away under Loki's control, preparing to depart.
Asgard - Throne Room
But in that moment of hesitation, Loki's thoughts spiraled darker. The relief of Thor's survival curdled into bitter resentment. We're not brothers. Not truly. He's Odin's blood, and I'm just... stolen property. A political tool.
The favoritism he'd endured his entire life, every moment Thor had been chosen over him, every time Father had smiled at Thor's victories while barely acknowledging Loki's cunning—it all crashed back in a wave of rage.
No. He doesn't get to survive. He doesn't get redemption while I'm left with nothing.
Loki's fingers tightened on Gungnir, and through the Destroyer, he struck.
The construct's massive arm swung in a vicious backhand. The blow caught Thor across the chest with bone-shattering force. Even with Loki consciously holding back—not trying to kill outright, but certainly trying to hurt—the impact launched Thor twenty feet through the air.
He landed hard, tumbling across the broken street, and lay still.
"NO!" Jane's scream tore from her throat. She sprinted toward Thor's crumpled form, tears already streaming down her face.
Thor looked up as she reached him, blood trickling from his mouth. He tried to smile. "Jane..."
"Don't talk. Don't move. Help is coming—" Her hands hovered over him, terrified to touch him in case she made injuries worse.
"It's okay," Thor whispered. His eyes were already losing focus. "You're... amazing..."
Then consciousness left him.
"Thor? THOR!" Jane shook him desperately, but he didn't respond.
Through the Destroyer's vision, Loki looked at Thor's motionless body. The construct's sensors confirmed life signs—weak but present. Thor would survive. His Asgardian physiology could withstand far worse, even with his power sealed.
Enough, Loki decided. The message is delivered. He knows I'm not his to command anymore.
The Destroyer turned and began walking toward the Bifrost landing site, its mission complete.
Jane cradled Thor's head, sobbing. The others gathered around—Darcy pale and shaking, Erik checking futilely for a pulse, Sif and the Warriors standing in shocked grief.
They all believed Thor was dead.
The Void Between Realms
Odin watched from his hidden vantage point, his gaze shifting between Thor's fallen form and Smith Doyle, who still stood with fingers pressed to his forehead, energy crackling around him in a spiral of barely contained destruction.
The Special Beam Cannon was nearly charged. If Smith released it, the attack would pierce through the Destroyer's core, possibly damaging it beyond even Odin's ability to repair quickly.
But Thor had done well on Midgard. He'd shown compassion, selflessness, willingness to sacrifice himself for others. The qualities of a true king had finally emerged.
Time to end the test.
Odin released the enchantment binding Thor's power.
Mjolnir, sitting immovable in its crater miles away, suddenly trembled. The enchantment carved into its surface flared with golden light.
Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.
The hammer judged. And found Thor worthy.
Mjolnir launched itself into the sky, achieving escape velocity in a fraction of a second. It streaked across the desert like a meteor, trailing lightning and thunder.
Dr. Erik saw it coming first. "Jane! MOVE!"
He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her away from Thor's body just as Mjolnir arrived. The hammer settled into Thor's open palm as if it had always belonged there.
Lightning erupted from the cloudless sky.
CRACK-BOOM.
The bolt struck Thor directly, power flowing from Mjolnir into its master, awakening everything that had been sealed. His armor materialized—red cape, gleaming plates, the helmet of an Asgardian prince. Electricity danced across his body, his eyes glowing white with divine power.
The Destroyer sensed the change and turned back, its threat assessment algorithms screaming danger.
In Asgard, Loki stared through the Destroyer's vision, his face going pale. "No. No, it was supposed to be permanent. Father said—"
The truth crashed down on him. It was never permanent. It was a test. And Thor passed while I...
His hands shook on Gungnir. Because I'm not his real son. Because I'm the Frost Giant foundling. Because no matter what I do, I'll never be chosen.
Smith had reached critical charge. The energy at his fingertips had condensed into a point of impossible power, purple-white light so intense it hurt to look at directly. His combat power reading—if anyone had working equipment to measure it—would have shown 4,290 points.
If this attack struck the ground, it would obliterate a city. The destructive capacity rivaled fifty tactical nuclear warheads concentrated into a single point. Only strategic thermonuclear weapons could produce equivalent devastation.
"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"
Smith released the attack.
A spiraling beam of purple energy erupted from his fingertips, rotating drill-like, carrying enough force to pierce through planets. It crossed the distance to the Destroyer in microseconds and struck dead center on the construct's chest.
The enchanted armor held for precisely one second. Then the Special Beam Cannon punched through, drilling a hole through the Destroyer's core. The exit wound was twice the size of the entry, the spinning energy having widened the damage channel as it passed through.
Sparks and molten metal sprayed from the wound. The Destroyer staggered, power systems flickering.
Sif raised her fist in triumph. "Yes! He destroyed it!"
Even Loki, watching from Asgard, felt shock pierce through his anger. A Midgardian. A mortal broke the Destroyer's defense.
Then divine runes across the Destroyer's surface blazed with golden light. The massive hole in its chest... flowed closed. Metal restructuring, enchantments rebuilding, power returning. Within seconds, the damage had vanished completely.
Smith stared at the restored Destroyer, his expression somewhere between disbelief and murderous fury. Odin. You absolute cheating bastard.
The math was clear now. Odin had been manipulating the entire fight. Strengthening the Destroyer when Smith attacked, restoring it when damaged, all to ensure his son would be the one to deliver the final blow.
Smith briefly considered his trump card—the artificial moon technique, transforming into a Great Ape. In that form, his power would multiply tenfold. Maybe that could smash through even Odin's interference.
But instinct warned him against it. If he went Great Ape, Odin would simply release the Destroyer's full power—the god-weapon at maximum capacity, capable of battling Celestials. That fight would level the entire state of New Mexico.
Smith glanced at Thor, now fully restored and radiating divine power, and made his decision. Not worth it. Let the golden boy have his moment.
In Asgard, Loki's face twisted with determination, overriding his shock at the Destroyer's restoration. "No. My plan continues. I'll kill Laufey, destroy Jotunheim, prove myself worthy of Father's love." His voice grew manic. "I'll be the hero. Me. Not Thor. ME."
Thor rose into the air, Mjolnir raised high. Storm clouds gathered at his command, winds howling into existence from nothing. A tornado formed around the Destroyer, lifting the massive construct off its feet despite its tremendous weight.
Lightning struck from multiple directions, disorienting the Destroyer's sensors. Thor spun the storm faster, carrying his target higher.
Then Thor shot upward, overtaking the Destroyer, positioning himself above it. He gripped Mjolnir with both hands and brought it down with every ounce of divine strength he possessed.
CRACK.
The hammer struck the Destroyer's head, and the construct... shattered. Completely. Explosively. Pieces flying in all directions, enchanted fragments raining down across the ruined street.
Sif and the Warriors Three stared in awe. Jane gasped. Even Coulson and his injured agents, watching from a distance, looked stunned.
Only Smith wore a complicated expression. That hammer strike wouldn't have scratched me. The storm and lightning? I could tank those with my aura alone.
Hidden in the Void
Odin clutched his chest, actual emotional pain radiating through him. To create the illusion of Thor's overwhelming power, to build that dramatic moment—he'd shut down every defensive system in the Destroyer and commanded it to self-destruct.
The construct hadn't been destroyed by Thor's attack. It had been allowed to disintegrate, made fragile specifically so Thor's blow would appear devastating.
In his physical body back in Asgard's royal chambers, a single tear rolled down Odin's cheek. The Destroyer—his masterwork, forged with power from every god of his generation—was gone. Sacrificed to teach his sons lessons about worthiness and humility.
The things we do for our children, Odin thought wearily.
Thor descended, his cape billowing dramatically. He approached Smith with his hand extended. "You are incredibly powerful. Thank you for your aid in protecting my friends."
Smith shook the offered hand, evaluating the Asgardian prince with new understanding. Thor seemed genuine in his gratitude, unaware of his father's manipulation. "Smith Doyle."
"Thor Odinson, son of Odin." Thor smiled. "I apologize for the chaos my family has brought to your world."
"I know who you are," Smith said. "The God of Thunder. Prince of Asgard."
Thor's smile widened at being recognized. "You must visit the Golden Realm someday. We would welcome a warrior of your caliber." His expression grew more serious. "But now I must return home. My brother requires... correction."
Jane approached slowly, staring at Thor's transformed appearance—the armor, the cape, the literal divine radiance. "Is this... how you normally look?"
Thor turned to her, his expression softening. "This is who I truly am. Thor, Prince of Asgard, wielder of Mjolnir." He reached out and gently touched her cheek. "But the man you've come to know—the one who appreciates your coffee and your kindness—he's equally real."
He looked to Sif and the Warriors Three. "We return to the Bifrost site. I need to confront Loki. Immediately."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~