Antony's voice appeared in front of Thor like a whisper from a ghost.
Then came the storm.
A ruthless, relentless barrage of close-quarters strikes.
"Shoulder!"
Antony drove his shoulder forward, smashing into Thor's chest and shattering his breathing rhythm.
"Lock!"
Both hands twisted in opposite directions—pure leverage—nearly tearing Thor's joints out of alignment.
"Elbow!"
A hardened elbow spike slammed into Thor's temple.
"Drive!"
A spiraling, penetrating force detonated straight into Thor's abdomen.
Thor's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Bitter fluid sprayed from his mouth as his body folded like a shrimp.
With a 100% stat amplification active—and mastery of Aikido refined to a grandmaster level—Antony turned close combat into absolute domination.
The Asgardian prince who had fought across the Nine Realms for a thousand years was being beaten like a toddler who had just learned to walk.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam—!
The rapid impacts sounded like firecrackers.
Thor couldn't fight back at all.
Every single blow interrupted his spellcasting wind-up. His hammer wouldn't rise. His lightning wouldn't gather.
He had godly power—but in close quarters, he was completely suppressed.
He couldn't win.
He truly couldn't.
This Midgardian… was a universe-level monster wearing human skin.
Thor was reckless, but he wasn't stupid.
If this continued, he might genuinely be beaten into permanent disability.
More importantly—
Jane was right there.
And that red fluid was still devouring her life.
"HEIMDALL!!"
Thor erupted with lightning, forcibly tanking a heavy punch from Antony. Using the recoil, he blasted himself backward instead of counterattacking—straight toward Jane Foster and Jessica Jones.
"Get us out—NOW!!" Thor roared toward the sky.
"Running?!"
Antony saw through the plan instantly.
If Thor took them away, his Reality Stone plan would collapse completely.
"STAY HERE!"
Antony detonated into top speed, becoming a streak of light in pursuit.
But Asgard's taxi service was terrifyingly efficient.
BOOOOM—!!!
A dazzling rainbow beam punched straight through London's storm clouds.
"JESSICA!!"
At the very last instant, Antony reached her first—using his momentum to shove Jessica aside with all his strength.
At that exact moment—
The Bifrost arrived.
KRAAANG—!!
A sound like a snapped violin string echoed.
The red Aether energy tether connecting Jessica Jones and Jane Foster—under the Bifrost's irresistible spatial severance, combined with Antony's violent push—
Snapped.
"AH—!!"
Both women screamed.
Half the dark-red fluid remained inside Jessica.
The other half vanished into the rainbow beam along with Jane.
"JESSICA—LISTEN TO ME!!" Antony roared within the howling light.
"WATCH THE HOUSE FOR ME!!"
The next second—
The light collapsed.
The Bifrost carried Thor, Jane Foster…
and a very confused Antony Starr away in an instant.
All that remained was a massive, smoking sigil burned into the ground.
The rain kept falling.
Inside the abandoned factory stood only Jessica Jones, kneeling in the mud, and a completely traumatized Darcy Lewis.
"…Antony?"
Jessica struggled to her feet, staring at the empty space.
She pressed a hand to her burning chest—half the Aether lay dormant within her, quietly waiting.
But the man who constantly pissed her off…
Was gone.
"D-Did… did they get abducted by aliens?" Darcy trembled.
Jessica wiped rain from her face, her eyes hollow.
"No."
She clenched her teeth, picked up a rock, and hurled it at the sky.
"That bastard…
He went to terrorize the aliens."
-----
What does riding the Bifrost feel like?
If you asked Antony, he'd say—
Like being flushed through a kaleidoscope-colored cosmic toilet.
The light faded.
Before him rose a realm of impossible splendor.
A vast hemispherical hall, walls forged from unknown golden metal, engraved with glowing runes that pulsed softly.
Standing in front of him was a towering, dark-skinned warrior in golden armor, a horned helm upon his head, eyes blazing orange—
Heimdall, guardian of the Nine Realms.
He held a massive two-handed sword, its tip aimed straight at Antony's throat.
"Mortal." Heimdall's voice boomed with divine authority.
"You have crossed a line."
"Stand down, Heimdall."
Thor approached, supporting the unconscious Jane Foster. His armor still bore Antony's fist marks; blood stained the corner of his mouth.
"He's… an accident," Thor said, his expression conflicted.
Antony brushed dust off his clothes, completely ignoring the sword at his neck as he looked around.
"So this is Asgard?"
He strolled toward the edge of the platform and gazed outward.
A colossal island floating in space. Endless golden palaces. The Rainbow Bridge stretching into infinity.
Stars hung close enough to touch.
Beautiful.
Divine.
Obnoxiously luxurious.
"Interior design's a bit much," Antony commented. "All gold. Very nouveau riche.
But hey… prime real estate."
"If you don't clean up your mouth," Heimdall warned, pushing his sword forward, "I will make sure it never opens again."
"Try it, bullhead," Antony's eyes glowed red. "I don't mind giving you a third eye."
The air froze.
"Enough!" Thor barked. "Jane is dying. I'm taking her to the healing chamber!"
He turned to Antony. "As for you, Starr—behave. This isn't Earth. Your rules don't apply here."
"Is that so?" Antony's red glow faded into a trademark smile.
"When in Rome, right? But since I'm a guest—shouldn't there be a welcome ceremony?"
"A welcome… ceremony?"
A deep, ancient voice echoed from the far end of the bridge.
"You bring arrogance and power into the realm of gods, mortal."
Antony turned.
Golden-armored soldiers parted as an elderly, one-eyed king advanced—spear in hand, presence bending the stars themselves.
Odin,
All-Father of Asgard.
And Antony smiled wider than ever.
--------------
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