"Loki, my instincts never fail me!"
Cable's voice was sharp as he ripped off his cloak, muscles bulging like sculpted iron. He pulled out an energy cannon the size of a car engine, the weapon humming with unstable power.
"I'm picking up three powerful signatures closing in fast—and they're not coming to shake hands."
He aimed down the street. The city lights flickered from the pressure of the approaching energy.
"Good," Brainstar hissed beside him, licking his lips like some deranged predator. "Been too long since I've stretched my claws. Maybe I'll get to taste their blood this time."
Loki shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. "Enough. Both of you follow my orders from now on. If we start panicking, we're already dead."
He clenched his fists beneath the folds of his coat. The moment he arrived on this "primitive" planet, he'd already crossed paths with that cursed boy—Ryuuto. Just thinking about it made his temples throb.
This place was supposed to be safe. Now it felt like standing on a minefield.
Brainstar scoffed. "Hide? Really, Loki? After all your boasting?"
"I have my plans," Loki hissed, eyes narrowing. "Cable, what's your read?"
Cable frowned. "We leave now and—" He froze mid-sentence, expression darkening.
Loki turned just in time to see the shadow of a truck hurtling toward them from above. The vehicle spun through the air like a meteor, crashing down with enough force to crack the street open. Civilians screamed and bolted in every direction.
"What a bunch of panicking savages," Loki spat, raising one hand. A shimmer of green light rippled through the air as he disassembled the falling truck into hundreds of metallic spheres, scattering harmlessly across the road.
"Couldn't even crush you properly, huh?"
That lazy drawl came from behind him. Loki's eyes twitched.
The pavement exploded as Banner landed with a seismic stomp, and above him hovered Tony Stark, repulsors glowing in the dusk.
The three stood opposite Loki's crew, the tension cutting through the air like broken glass.
"Well, look who it is," Tony said with a smirk. "The god of bad decisions himself."
"Hulk smash now?" Banner cracked his knuckles, eager.
Before Loki could retort, another figure stepped out of the smoke.
Red cloak. White hair streaked with crimson chakra glow. That same cocky grin.
Ryuuto.
"Loki," he said, voice dripping with mock sweetness, "you again? I swear, every time I think I'm done cleaning up trash, you crawl back out."
Loki's composure shattered. "You!" His voice trembled between fury and dread. "You're still alive?!"
"Alive, kicking, and way better looking," Ryuuto said. "Let's skip the talk. Iron Man, Hulk—let's wrap this up before dinner."
"You brat!" Brainstar bellowed, his patience snapping. "I'll rip that tongue out myself!"
He lunged forward, his body flashing with blue energy. Loki swore under his breath. "Wait, you fool! I said—!"
Too late.
The ground ruptured beneath Brainstar's first punch, pavement exploding like a landmine. The shockwave blew dust through the street, but Ryuuto wasn't even touched. He'd already vanished from the impact zone, reappearing above with a teasing smirk.
"Your helmet's uglier than your attitude," Ryuuto said, descending in a spinning kick charged with chakra. "Let me fix that for you!"
Brainstar grinned, raising both arms. "Let's see you handle this!"
A surge of energy burst from his eyes, a pair of white-hot beams slicing through the air. The sound alone made Tony wince and Banner cover his ears.
Ryuuto crossed his arms in front of him. "Sand Armor: Guardian Shield!"
The ground below him rippled into sand, coiling around his body like armor before solidifying into a shimmering barrier. The energy beams slammed into it with a shriek, sparks flying everywhere.
"Nice try," Ryuuto taunted. "Now my turn."
Brainstar laughed hysterically. "You call hiding behind sand fighting?!" He gathered energy again, his eyes glowing like twin stars, charging for another shot—
—and froze.
Because sand had already crawled up his legs, thick as chains.
Ryuuto tilted his head, grinning. "You should really watch your feet when you're running your mouth."