Nick Fury stood watching the Destroyer Armor approach in the distance, his thoughts clouded with worry about the future fate of humanity.
On a universal scale, Earth was insignificant—barely a speck in the cosmic countryside.
If not for the fact that the writers beyond the fourth wall were all Earthlings, how could it ever be Earth's turn to be the protagonist?
"Terrifying, truly… the Destroyer."
Not far behind, Tony Stark appeared.
He had just arrived for the looming clash between Thor and the Destroyer Armor.
Uneasy, to say the least. Even the Destroyer's long video footage had unsettled him deeply.
That's why he came in person. His private jet had flown him in immediately—much faster than Rowan, who still had to buy plane tickets and queue up. The difference in treatment was obvious.
So Tony Stark arrived long before Rowan finally showed up.
But after seeing the Destroyer Armor with his own eyes, Tony's expression turned deadly serious. This thing was beyond frightening.
To be precise, he had never encountered something this horrifying before.
Though he had brought along his newly upgraded Mark 3 armor—more powerful and better defended than previous versions—it was still nowhere near Vibranium-grade. Made from his own custom alloy, sure, but even then, its combat ability was significantly improved over Mark 2.
Yet the moment he laid eyes on the Destroyer Armor, he could feel the enormous gap.
"Is this even beatable by humans?" Tony muttered. "Did Odin nerf it on purpose or what?"
The Destroyer Armor in the distance radiated sheer destruction. Tony couldn't even begin to imagine how Thor was supposed to take down something like that.
At that moment, Thor stepped forward toward the armor.
"Loki, I know you can hear me!" Thor shouted.
The Destroyer paused—just as Thor had expected. Evil God Loki was, indeed, listening.
Though the method remained a mystery, Asgardian magic somehow allowed real-time communication across realms.
"Loki, listen. I bear you no ill will. I don't care if the throne is yours or mine. Maybe I was never meant to be king at all," Thor continued, his voice calm but resolute. "Even though I know you lied to me… our father isn't dead, is he?"
Far away in Asgard, Loki froze. He hadn't expected Thor to know. Where had he found out?
This complicates things, Loki realized.
His only legitimate claim to the throne of Asgard rested on Odin being unconscious and Thor being exiled.
But if Thor returned—no one could rival him.
Loki knew this all too well. Even if he wore the crown for now, Asgard's people would eventually turn on him. That wasn't even in doubt.
Thor had been raised as heir since childhood. Everyone in Asgard knew that. Odin never feared Thor—he was only disappointed that he hadn't matured fast enough.
Thor could effortlessly rally powerful factions in Asgard to his side. They were all willing to follow him.
The moment Thor returned, everything would shift.
Unless he died.
Or gave up the throne willingly—which wasn't happening anymore.
Previously, Thor relinquished his claim because he believed their father was dead.
But now the tables had turned.
No one could force him to abandon the throne.
Everything had changed.
Big Brother must die. Otherwise, Loki would never have a chance.
Loki's eyes gleamed with chilling resolve, and the Destroyer Armor on Earth sprang to life, firing a searing beam of energy from its head.
Thor had been watching closely. He dodged swiftly, avoiding the devastating blast.
Boom!
The attack tore a massive crater into the ground. The Destroyer Armor's strike was terrifying beyond words.
"Loki! You are not a true king! You're not what Asgard needs! You're not the heir our father chose! And this time, I won't let you have another chance!" Thor shouted.
"I'm not a true king? And you are?" came Loki's angry voice from within the Destroyer.
Thor hadn't expected his words to hit Loki so hard. Instead of waking Loki up, it had enraged him.
Because of his Ice Titan bloodline, Loki already felt deeply inferior.
Thor's words were like a dagger, reminding him that he wasn't even a real son of Asgard. His position was granted, not earned.
Even the throne had been offered to him only because Thor once didn't want it. The moment Thor did, it was expected that Loki would step aside.
The fury within Loki surged.
And with that fury, the Destroyer Armor launched another devastating assault.
This was all Loki could rely on now. If he ordered Asgard's army, they'd likely turn against him the moment they saw Thor.
It had always been Thor who led them to victory. And what had Loki done?
Nothing.
Though praised as the God of Fire and Trickery, none of that mattered. He didn't have the strength to command Asgard's army.
In a realm that only respected might, Loki's cleverness meant little. No matter how many schemes he devised against Thor, the elder brother always triumphed, flipping every plan and cornering Loki instead.
His magic and cunning were useless in the face of brute power.
And now, all he had left was the Destroyer Armor.
"Big Brother… don't blame me. Only if you die can I truly become King of Asgard. You didn't want the throne, right? Then give it to me completely!"
Loki roared silently from within.
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