Chapter 55 – The Trickster and the Warrior
The desert was still. The sun beat down on the fenced research site, glinting off trucks, metal, and the strange hammer embedded in the sand. Gaius stood unmoving, gold armor gleaming under the light, while Tony and Coulson watched from a few steps behind. Around them, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents held their positions, uncertain but ready.
Loki's green and gold figure stood across from Gaius, faint heat rippling between them. He adjusted his cloak, his sharp features unreadable as his eyes studied the giant before him. "You dare interfere in Asgard's affairs?" he said, his voice smooth but layered with disdain.
Tony raised his palm, his repulsor already glowing. "Asgard? As in the mythological Asgard?" he said, half incredulous, half curious.
Loki didn't even look at him. His gaze stayed fixed on Gaius. "What pantheon are you from, to meddle in the business of gods?"
Tony blinked. "Okay, rude," he muttered. "Do I have a sign that says ignore me?"
When Loki made no effort to respond, Tony sighed, aimed, and fired a low-powered repulsor shot, more to prove a point than anything else.
The beam shot through Loki's body without resistance. His form flickered, dissolving into a shimmer of green mist. The agents murmured, confused. Coulson frowned. "It was an illusion."
Gaius didn't move at first, but his helm tilted slightly. His senses reached out beyond what eyes could see. He could feel it, a faint disturbance in the air, like pressure behind glass. Without a word, he turned and walked several paces to the side.
Tony followed slowly, visor scanning for signals. "Uh… Gaius? You finding something?"
The golden warrior stopped, his body still. Then, in one sudden motion, he drove his fist forward.
The sound cracked like thunder. The air itself seemed to distort, and out of nowhere, a figure appeared, Loki's true form, barely dodging as the blow grazed his shoulder. His illusion vanished completely, leaving the trickster panting and glaring.
"You can sense me," Loki said, surprise flickering through his anger.
"Xenos," Gaius murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "Not god. Not man."
Loki's expression darkened. "You dare strike at a Prince of Asgard?" His pride flared, anger boiling to the surface. He raised his spear, Gungnir, and energy began to gather at its tip.
Gaius didn't respond. He simply moved.
His next punch came faster, the impact echoing across the camp. Loki barely had time to brace before the strike caught his chest, launching him backward through the temporary enclosure. The metal walls bent inward, sand spraying into the air.
Agents shouted, rifles raising instinctively.
"Hold your fire!" Coulson's voice cut through the noise. "Everyone stand down!"
Through the settling dust, Gaius emerged from the torn wall, his steps heavy but calm. Each movement radiated weight and purpose. Loki struggled to his feet on the other side, brushing sand from his armor, fury twisting his face.
"You think brute strength makes you mighty?" Loki hissed. He thrust Gungnir forward, firing a blinding bolt of blue-white energy.
It hit Gaius square in the chest, exploding in a burst of light. The shockwave rippled through the sand, but Gaius didn't fall. Smoke drifted from his armor, glowing faintly where the beam had struck. He simply kept walking.
Loki fired again, then again. Each blast struck with enough force to destroy a tank, but the golden warrior pressed forward, unwavering. His boots left deep imprints in the sand. "You speak too much," he said evenly.
Loki's eyes flickered, panic breaking through his composure. He sent one last illusion forward, making it look like he was still attacking from the front, while his true self slipped away to the side.
But Gaius sensed it. His head turned sharply, tracking the real presence like a predator. Without hesitation, he pivoted and punched to his right.
The impact connected with sickening force. Loki gasped, ribs cracking audibly as he was thrown several meters, tumbling across the sand. He rolled to a stop and clutched his side, grimacing in pain.
"You… you will regret this!" Loki spat, his voice trembling with fury and disbelief. "You lower god! You dare strike a son of Odin!"
Gaius didn't react. His visor pulsed faintly as he advanced again. The air shimmered around Loki as the trickster readied another strike, the Gungnir humming with power. He fired, the beam lanced forward, cutting through dust and wind, but Gaius didn't flinch. The shot exploded harmlessly against his armor.
Loki's anger turned to alarm. He backed away quickly, realizing that nothing he threw mattered.
The golden warrior reached for the sword on his back, drawing it in one smooth motion. The weapon thrummed with energy, glowing faintly with restrained power.
Loki's eyes widened. He turned his gaze skyward. "You will regret crossing Asgard," he said, voice rising with fury, and fear. "I'll see you again, lower god."
A ring of light erupted beneath him, pure color, spinning and expanding until the air itself bent.
Gaius lunged forward, sword raised high. But before the blade could fall, the rainbow beam of the Bifrost consumed Loki, and in an instant, he was gone.
The light vanished. The sand settled. In its place was only a faint circular mark, shimmering with rainbow hues before fading into dust.
Gaius stood still for a long moment. Then, slowly, he sheathed his sword and looked at the empty space. "He fled," he said quietly.
Tony landed beside him, scanning the area with his visor. "No heat signature, no energy trace… okay, what the hell was that about?"
Coulson approached, kneeling beside the circular mark. He took a photo with his phone, analyzing the faint radiation. "This isn't anything we've seen before. It's… not from Earth."
Natasha and Clint joined them from the perimeter, weapons lowered but still alert. Clint raised an eyebrow. "That guy called him a god. Should we be worried about that?"
Tony gave a small laugh. "at this point, I'm just rolling with it. Gods, aliens, whatever, Tuesday, right?"
Coulson sighed. "Let's just make sure we secure the site. Fury's going to want a report."
The tension began to fade. The agents dispersed to reestablish perimeter control, and the group moved back toward the hammer enclosure. The strange weapon still sat there, silent and unmoving.
Gaius stood before it once more. He could feel the energy radiating from it, ancient, foreign, and alive.
Tony crouched beside it, running another scan. The display flickered with static before he shutting it off entirely. "This Hammer can't be analyzed."
After a moment of silence, Tony stood and turned to Gaius. "You know what? We've had a long day. How about we grab something to eat?"
"I am not Hungry," Gaius said, though his tone carried no rejection, merely fact.
"Yeah, well," Tony said, "I do. Come on, you'll like it. Probably."
A beam of rainbow light struck the marble floor of the Bifrost chamber, and Loki appeared, stumbling and gasping. His armor was scorched; one hand clutched his ribs. For a moment, he knelt, his breath sharp with pain.
"That… bastard," he whispered, eyes filled with anger. "He struck me… like I was nothing."
He stood slowly and walked down the gleaming halls toward the treasure room. His expression hardened with every step. Inside, the Destroyer armor stood silent, its metal frame imposing and lifeless.
Loki extended a hand. The scepter in his grasp pulsed faintly, sending a ripple of energy through the room. The Destroyer's eyes flickered, a dim orange glow.
"Awaken," Loki commanded softly.
The armor shifted, its limbs creaking like ancient stone. But its movement was clumsy, uncertain. Loki frowned, his control still weak. "You resist me… but that will change. Soon, you will obey."
The armor fell still again. Loki exhaled slowly, regaining his composure. "He believes he can strike at the Prince of Asgard and live?" His voice lowered to a dangerous whisper. "I will show him what divine wrath truly means."
The Quinjet descended toward a small desert town, kicking up sand and dust as it landed near the outskirts. Curious locals peeked out from doorways, shielding their eyes against the wind.
When the hatch opened, Iron Man stepped out first, servos whirring. A small crowd formed instantly, murmuring in excitement. "It's Iron Man!"
Then, Gaius followed, tall, golden, silent and awe-inspiring.
The voices hushed at once. Whispers passed through the crowd. Some thought it was a new Iron Man suit, others a secret government weapon.
Tony smirked under his helmet. "You're stealing my spotlight, big guy."
Gaius didn't say anything but followed Tony.
Tony said with a grin. "Come on, I know a diner nearby."
well Tony didn't Know it, but his visor sure do.
Together, they walked toward the small main street, Coulson and Natasha following behind. The sun hung low over the desert horizon, painting the sky in gold and red.
End of Chapter 55 – "The Trickster and the Warrior."
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