The radiant pillar of light in the sky, having condensed to its limit, suddenly crashed down!
BOOM—
The earth trembled violently as if struck by an invisible hammer. On the outskirts of a small desert town in New Mexico, a massive blackened runic circle seared itself into the ground.
Amid the swirling dust, a towering, cold, humanoid weapon—constructed entirely from an unknown metal—slowly rose from the crater.
It had no discernible features, only a smooth, unsettling faceplate, adorned with ancient, intricate engravings that radiated an otherworldly pressure.
Inside the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. base, every agent's breath hitched in unison.
"God... what the hell is that thing?" A young agent's voice trembled, his assault rifle feeling like a useless stick in his hands.
Agent Coulson's face was pale as he stared at the surveillance feed. The moment the thing appeared, all electronic devices nearby were hit with severe interference—the energy detector's needle had shot straight off the charts.
Unknown. Powerful. Hostile.
"All units, Code Red! Fire teams ready—"
Before Coulson could finish his order, the metal giant known as the Destroyer moved.
Its faceplate slid open slightly, revealing a sliver of blinding orange-red light, distorting the air with unbearable heat.
No warning. No communication.
A fraction of a second later, a beam of pure destruction capable of melting steel blasted forth!
BOOM!
An armored vehicle parked at the base's perimeter—along with the agents inside—was instantly vaporized, leaving behind only a smoldering, bottomless pit edged with molten rock, faintly glowing like lava.
"Fire! Fire!" Coulson roared into the comms, eyes wide with fury.
A hail of bullets immediately rained down upon the Destroyer—heavy machine guns, grenades, even experimental electromagnetic rounds—all of it pounding futilely against its unyielding frame.
Yet the bullets that could tear through tanks merely ricocheted off the beast's armor, leaving not even a scratch. It stood unshaken, like an indomitable mountain, coldly enduring humanity's fiercest assault. Then, it raised its arm once more, its mask sliding open again.
The glow of death reignited.
Despair settled into the hearts of every agent.
Then—a deafening sonic boom tore through the horizon!
A streak of black lightning descended from the sky, so fast human eyes could barely track it. The blur halted mid-air, revealing its jagged, mechanized form.
Sideswipe.
Without hesitation, the black mech's right arm morphed, the metal plates shifting and reassembling into an enormous kinetic cannon. Cobalt-blue arcs of electricity sparked wildly at the barrel.
Inside the cockpit, Paul's voice was icy calm.
"Target locked: Destroyer. Kinetic strike—maximum output."
"Affirmative, Commander."
HUM—
The moment the projectile fired, the air compressed violently, creating a visible, billowing shockwave.
Nearly at the same instant, the Destroyer unleashed its second beam.
The kinetic shell and the destruction beam collided mid-air.
There was no explosion. For a heartbeat, silence.
Then—an overwhelming shockwave detonated outward!
Dust, debris, and howling winds erupted in a storm of devastation. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were thrown off their feet, makeshift tents ripped apart like paper.
When the dust cleared, every onlooker froze in disbelief.
The supposedly unstoppable destruction beam—had been shattered.
And there, hovering above the battlefield, was the black mech known as Sideswipe, smoke curling from its cannon, like a war god descending from the heavens.
"That… that's Stark's…?" Coulson muttered, his voice thick with shock… and something far more complicated.
When had Stark Industries developed weapons of this caliber?
Before anyone could react—another rainbow beam of light crashed down.
The Warriors Three and Lady Sif had finally arrived.
The moment their feet touched the ground, they saw the wreckage-strewn battlefield... and the black mech standing against the Destroyer.
"By Odin—what is that?" Volstagg's eyes bulged.
"Seems we arrived late," Fandral muttered, shaking his golden locks, though his usual charm was nowhere to be found. His gaze was deadly serious.
"The Destroyer—why is it here?" Sif clenched her sword and shield, her expression grim.
They spotted Thor, surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and then their eyes snapped back to the black giant now exchanging blows with the Destroyer.
The Destroyer, provoked by Sideswipe's defiance, abandoned its assault on the base and turned, its massive weight shaking the earth with each thunderous step as it charged.
"We move! Midgardians shouldn't face this alone!" Sif shouted, charging forward without hesitation.
The Warriors Three followed.
Fandral, swift as the wind, lunged with his blade aimed at the Destroyer's joints.
CLANG!
His sword shattered. The recoil sent him flying backward.
Hogun swung his weighted chain—only for the Destroyer to catch it mid-air and toss him aside like trash.
"Try this, you overgrown tin can!" Volstagg roared, putting all his legendary strength into a mighty axe swing aimed at the Destroyer's back.
A screech of metal—but the axe left only a faint white scratch.
The Destroyer turned unhurriedly, its blank faceplate locking onto Volstagg.
The warrior's fury vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer terror.
"Oh, shi—"
THUD!
A single, devastating punch sent Volstagg's massive body crumpling like a ragdoll. He sailed through the air, demolishing sand dunes before landing in a heap—unconscious or worse.
In mere moments, Asgard's mightiest warriors had been crushed.
From afar, Thor watched, fists clenched so tight his nails drew blood.
His friends—Asgard's finest—had been reduced to nothing before this abomination.
And yet... that black mech—
Instead of retreating, Sideswipe surged forward, arms outstretched, revealing dozens of micro-missile ports unleashing a relentless barrage of explosions!
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
The Destroyer staggered under the assault.
Thor swallowed hard, turning to Jane Foster with a hoarse whisper.
"Jane... has Midgard's technology… reached the level of the gods?"
For the first time, his voice held no pride—only disbelief and bewilderment.
Jane opened her mouth but found no words.
This battle had shattered her understanding of reality.
On the battlefield, the Destroyer finally pushed through the explosions and closed in on Sideswipe.
It raised one massive hand—and slammed downward!
Sideswipe crossed its arms, deploying a hexagon-shaped energy shield.
CRACK!
The impact sent tremors through the air, yet the shield held firm.
The Destroyer seemed to pause—before its faceplate split open again.
But this time…
It wasn't a mere beam.
A tidal wave of solar-flare-hot destruction erupted—engulfing Sideswipe's shield completely!
ZZZZRRRTTT—!
The shield flickered violently, blue energy rippling like disturbed water as hairline fractures formed under the relentless assault.
Inside the control hub, alarms screamed.
"WARNING: ENERGY SHIELD OVERLOAD! INTEGRITY DROPPING!"
The screen displayed the shield's status—and the numbers plummeted.
95%... 80%... 65%...
On the holographic model, tiny cracks appeared. Then spread.
Spider-webbing across the shield's surface.
And still—the Destroyer's attack intensified.
Behind that smooth mask, unseen eyes burned with cold fury, watching the shield splinter… and the mortal machine that dared challenge a god.
The storm had only just begun.