Chapter 58 – The God Without His Hammer
The roar of engines cut through the desert silence as a red-and-gold figure descended from the sky, kicking up sand in a bright flare of repulsors. The dust cleared, revealing Tony Stark, faceplate sliding open, eyes squinting against the sunlight.
"Let me guess," Tony said, slightly out of breath but grinning. "Asgard again?"
The tall woman in armor, Sif, stepped forward, her sword still drawn but lowered slightly. "We are. We seek Thor Odinson, The God of Thunder. Do you know where he is?"
Tony looked toward the massive figure standing quietly nearby. The golden warrior, Gaius, said nothing. The faint hum of his armor was the only sound he made. Tony gave him a look, and Gaius answered with a short nod.
"Yeah," Tony said, turning back to Sif. "We've got him. Follow us."
He tapped the side of his armor, opening a comm channel. "Coulson, you might want to prep the ride. We've got four more guests, long story."
"Copy that," Coulson's voice replied through static. "Quinjet's inbound."
Tony turned back to the Asgardians. "Hang tight. Our ride's coming."
Sif inclined her head. "You have our thanks, mortal."
Her companions, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg,. remained silent, but their gazes lingered on Gaius. The golden giant stood like a statue, calm and immovable, the sun glinting faintly across his armor. The Asgardians exchanged quiet whispers. None could tell what he was, neither god nor man, but something that carried both light and weight far beyond their understanding.
Minutes passed before the low hum of engines drew their attention. The Quinjet appeared, descending through the reddish sky. It landed with a hiss of compressed air, the ramp opening as the team climbed aboard.
They returned to the hammer site.
The crater looked the same as before, silent, empty, marked by the faint shimmer of heat where the strange weapon rested in the dirt. Thor knelt before it, shoulders slumped, eyes distant. The light from the setting sun drew long shadows over him.
When he heard approaching footsteps, he looked up.
"Sif…?" His voice was soft, disbelieving. "Fandral? Hogun? Volstagg?"
"Thor!" Sif called, relief breaking through her usual composure as she ran forward. The others followed, their armor clinking as they moved.
Thor rose slowly, and for a moment, his old warmth returned. He embraced each of them, holding them with genuine affection. Yet when Sif urged him toward the hammer, his expression dimmed again.
"Come," she said. "Take your hammer and return to Asgard. Your people need you."
Thor's gaze fell back on Mjölnir, half-buried in the dirt. His hand trembled slightly as he looked at it. "I… cannot. The hammer no longer answers me."
"What?" Fandral asked, stunned. "Surely you jest!"
"I am unworthy," Thor said quietly. "I tried. Again and again. It will not move."
Volstagg shook his head. "Impossible. You are Thor Odinson, God of Thunder!"
"Then why does the storm no longer answer my call?" Thor's voice cracked faintly. "Without the hammer, I am nothing."
Sif took a step closer. "That's not true, Thor. The weapon does not make the man."
He turned away from her. "Perhaps not. But it revealed what I truly am."
From a few paces away, Tony sighed, crossing his arms. "God of Thunder? Looks more like the God of sulking."
Fandral's head snapped toward him, anger flashing in his eyes. "You dare mock the Son of Odin, mortal?"
Tony raised a brow. "Relax. Just saying, if the hammer's the power source, maybe try charging it next time."
Fandral took a step forward, fists tightening. Before he could speak again, a shadow passed over him. Gaius had turned his head, silent, but the faint hum from his armor deepened. The air grew heavy.
Fandral froze, every instinct warning him not to move.
Tony gave a quiet smirk. "Good chat."
Sif ignored the exchange and faced Thor again. "Thor, listen to me. Loki sits on Asgard's throne. Odin has fallen into the Odinsleep."
Thor's eyes flickered, pain and guilt passing across them. "Then the throne is his. He always longed for it."
"Loki deceives," Sif said firmly. "He has turned your exile into opportunity. We came to bring you home."
Thor shook his head. "I cannot return. Not like this."
The silence that followed stretched long. The desert wind blew, scattering sand across the crater. Then, a low rumble echoed from the horizon.
Gaius's helm turned sharply. "Something comes," he said, voice calm but deep.
The others followed his gaze. A column of shifting light descended from the sky—a beam of the Bifrost. When it faded, a tall figure stood in the distance, gleaming silver in the dying light.
Its face was blank. Its body smooth and metallic, plates moving with unnatural precision.
Sif's eyes widened. "The Destroyer!"
The creature's head tilted toward them. Lines of orange light flickered to life across its face, glowing hotter until the air began to shimmer.
"It's going to fire!" Sif shouted. "Move!"
The beam erupted from the Destroyer's face like a storm of fire. Tony shot into the air, evading the blast. "Gaius, move your~"
But Gaius didn't move.
He planted his feet, shoulders squared, and faced the blast head-on. The beam struck him, and for the first time Gaius uses activated his golden halo, above his helm, expanding into a shimmering barrier. The fire hitting the barrier but it didn't touch Gaius but The impact pushed him back several steps, digging trenches in the earth.
The ground trembled. Heat waves rolled off the blast, distorting the air. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped.
Dust fell. The glow faded. Gaius remained standing, a barrier surrounding him and his armor remained shining and clean.
Tony hovered above, eyes wide. "Okay… was that a forcefield?"
The Asgardians seized the opening.
Sif led the charge, leaping onto the Destroyer's back, her sword sparking as it cut across the armor. Hogun followed, striking at its legs, while Volstagg swung his axe with a roar.
Their blows landed, but every wound they made began to close, molten metal flowing back together.
"It heals!" Volstagg yelled. "By the All-Father, it heals!"
The Destroyer retaliated, slamming its arm down. The ground erupted, hurling all four warriors aside. Thor shouted, running toward them unarmed. "No! Stop!"
But he was powerless to do anything.
The Destroyer raised its hand again, light gathering in its chest. Before it could strike, a blur of gold cut through the air.
Gaius moved, fast, far faster than something his size should. His power sword ignited with a sharp crack, blue lightning running along its edge. The blade sliced clean through the Destroyer's torso, splitting it in two.
The halves hit the ground, but then began to reform, metal twisting, fusing back together.
Sif shouted, "It cannot die! Odin forged it himself!"
Gaius's eyes narrowed behind his helm. "Then I will unmake what he made."
He continued Slicing The Destroyer but each time it repairs by itself everytime it was cut. Gaius stepped forward again. The air around him shimmered faintly. Inside his mind, a voice resonated, deep, calm, commanding.
"Then burn what can't be remade. End it."
The words carried warmth, and majesty, a voice he knows very well and will never forget.
Gaius's sword flared, blue turning gold, and flame erupted along its edge. He gripped it with both hands and plunged it deep into the Destroyer's chest.
The fire spread instantly. Gold and orange flames devoured the metal, eating through the runes that held it together. The Destroyer struggled, its limbs seizing, molten light pouring from its cracks.
Then it screamed, a grinding metallic wail, and collapsed into a glowing heap of slag.
Silence followed. Only the wind moved again.
The Asgardians stared. The molten remains cooled slowly, steam rising from the blackened ground. Gaius stood over it, sword still glowing faintly before the light dimmed away.
Tony landed beside him, faceplate open. "Okay," he said slowly, "I didn't know, You were capable of doing something like that."
Gaius didn't respond immediately. His voice came calm and steady. "The threat is over."
Sif lowered her sword, still staring. "That construct was the All-Father's will made flesh. And yet you destroyed it."
Gaius looked at her briefly, didn't respond to her.
Tony exhaled, looking toward Thor, who stood quietly beside Mjölnir. The Asgardian's reflection shimmered faintly in the metal. His hand hovered above it but did not touch.
"If only," Thor whispered, "I could be of any use."
No one spoke after that. The sun dipped lower, leaving long shadows stretching across the sand. The wind carried away the last traces of smoke and heat, leaving only the silent hammer, and the god who could not lift it.
End of Chapter 58 – "The God Without His Hammer."
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