The golden light in the sky was fading.
The dust was settling.
The Destroyer was defeated.
The townspeople, still huddled in makeshift evacuation zones, slowly emerged, looking toward the battered town with cautious hope.
They saw no fires raging.
No buildings collapsing.
Just the distant figure of the Goddess of Judgment standing victorious.
A cheer erupted.
For many here, home wasn't just walls and furniture — it was everything.
Their land, their pride, their roots.
The people of New Mexico celebrated not just survival, but the triumph of their home.
Among the crowd, Daisy looked up at Thor, her curiosity too strong to suppress.
"Uh... Thor, can you beat the Goddess of Judgment?" she asked, half-joking, half-serious.
Thor blinked, momentarily thrown off.
Then he laughed — a deep, open sound — and shook his head honestly.
"You won't know until you fight," he said simply.
He meant it.
Victory wasn't just about raw strength.
It depended on countless factors — courage, willpower, tactics, fate.
Even the smallest variable could tip the balance.
Daisy grinned in amazement.
From the way Sif and the Warriors Three nodded in agreement, it was clear:
Thor was no ordinary man boasting empty bravado.
He was the real deal.
"She's so beautiful... and so strong. I think I'm a little in love with her," Fandral declared dramatically, twirling his mustache with a dreamy sigh.
Volstagg rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they stayed in their sockets.
"Fandral, you're hopeless," he muttered.
Even Sif cracked a smile at that, shaking her head.
"You'll end up flattened like a pancake," she teased.
Daisy nodded eagerly.
"Totally. The rumors say she flattened an entire syndicate boss with one punch."
But even amidst the jokes, there was a shared sense of relief.
Jane, looking around at the safe townspeople and the unharmed buildings, smiled warmly.
"It's over," she whispered.
Everyone — from Asgardians to humans — breathed a little easier.
Rumble—!
The ground shook violently beneath their feet.
A beam of colorful, swirling brilliance split the sky.
Before anyone could react, figures began stepping out of the light — huge, looming shadows that materialized into terrifying forms.
Their skin was gray-white, their bodies towering and muscular like ancient giants reborn from myth.
Their crimson eyes gleamed with savage bloodlust.
At their head, clad in ornate armor and a flowing red cloak, stood a familiar figure:
Loki.
Holding the Eternal Spear, his expression was cold as ice.
Gasps and screams rippled through the town.
The agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. reacted instantly.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
Gunfire erupted as dozens of agents opened fire without hesitation.
Bullets rained like a steel storm.
But the giants didn't even flinch.
The bullets ricocheted off their flesh with sharp, metallic "ding ding ding" sounds.
Their bodies were harder than steel — a testament to their Frost Giant heritage.
Phil Coulson, who had just arrived with reinforcements, crouched behind an SUV, peeking out with grim disbelief.
"This world is officially hell," he muttered under his breath.
Despite being known for his calm demeanor, Coulson was reaching the edge of his patience — and fear.
"Phil Coulson?" Barton's voice crackled through the communicator.
"Get reinforcements now," Coulson barked back.
"Call for the nearest Quinjet, and get me Director Fury."
"On it."
Without waiting, Coulson switched to the agents' public channel.
"Evacuate the civilians! Get everyone out, now!"
"Yes, sir!"
The streets exploded into chaos once more as the townsfolk fled.
Boom—!
Loki, standing at the head of the Frost Giants, caught a stray bullet lazily between two fingers.
He crushed it like a crumb.
His red eyes scanned the scrambling mortals with disdain.
"Stupid insects," he sneered.
CLANG!
He raised the Eternal Spear and struck it sharply against the ground.
A crisp, metallic chime echoed — a cruel signal.
Thor's heart clenched painfully.
His instincts screamed danger.
His gaze locked on the scepter Loki held, and dread flooded his entire being.
"No..." Thor whispered.
But it was too late.
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning — so dense, so destructive that it distorted the very air — erupted from the Eternal Spear.
It carved a glowing scar through the sky.
Crash!
An SUV exploded instantly, the agents around it vaporized in a blinding flash.
Thor felt bile rise in his throat as he watched helplessly.
Loki hadn't even hesitated.
He wasn't trying to conquer anymore — he was here to kill.
Behind another SUV, Coulson barely ducked the blast, wincing as shrapnel tore through the air.
"Damn it," he gritted his teeth.
This was beyond any protocol he had ever trained for.
This wasn't a rogue superhuman.
This was war.
Loki's gaze shifted, falling on the SUV where Coulson was pinned.
A cruel smirk tugged at his lips.
He began to raise the Eternal Spear again—
"LOKI!"
Thor's voice boomed across the square.
Everyone froze.
Even Loki paused, tilting his head slightly, intrigued.
Thor broke away from Jane's grip, stepping forward with grim determination.
"You want me, Loki," he said, his voice strong.
"Not them. Not these innocent people."
His blue eyes burned with resolve.
"Kill me, if that's what you want. But spare them."
The Warriors Three and Sif moved to follow, but Thor held out a hand.
"This is between me and him," he said firmly.
The others exchanged grim looks — but they respected his wish.
They would let Thor face his brother alone.
Thor walked toward Loki without hesitation.
As he approached, he saw the twisted reflection of his once-beloved brother — corrupted by ambition, poisoned by resentment.
Thor's voice softened, filled with sorrow.
"Loki... you know what the Frost Giants are. You know their cruelty."
"You know what you're unleashing."
There was genuine pleading in his tone.
But Loki's smile only widened.
His voice was sharp, mocking:
"My dear brother, your death will be the first stone on my path to the throne."
"Your blood... your flesh... will forge the staircase upon which I ascend."
Thor didn't flinch.
He didn't argue.
He simply stood still, looking Loki in the eye.
He closed his eyes.
And waited.
Boom—!
The Eternal Spear flashed again.
A bolt of pure lightning erupted, slamming into Thor's chest.
He didn't resist.
The lightning consumed him, twisting around him like a living serpent.
When it faded —
Thor's body collapsed to the ground, blackened, unmoving.
"THOR—!!"
The anguished cries of Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg tore through the town like broken glass.
Jane gasped, covering her mouth in horror.
Daisy's phone slipped from her hand, clattering forgotten onto the pavement.
Coulson closed his eyes briefly, feeling the crushing weight of failure.
Thor — the fallen god.
Thor — the would-be king.
Lying still and broken at Loki's feet.
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