Chapter 18: Tony the Destroyer.
Slowly, everyone's attention shifted to Li Yue.
Tony was so startled that he instinctively stepped back, distancing himself from where Li Yue stood.
"Holy crap! Why are you here too?!"
At that moment, Li Yue's aura began to rise. Although it wasn't quite at Thor's level, it was enough to summon thick black clouds, thunder, and lightning. A small cyclone even formed around him.
Seconds later, something came soaring across the sky—it was Tony's armor, arriving at top speed.
Within a few moments, Tony had suited up and stood in awe of the immense power radiating from both Li Yue and Thor.
"Stop standing there gawking! Cap can't hold on much longer, and you're not helping!"
Natasha, the Black Widow, glared at Tony, who was fully armored but just standing still. She was clearly irritated and reminded him that this was a fight far beyond what she could handle.
And Natasha was right. Captain America was clearly struggling. The Destroyer armor, forged from the nearly indestructible Uru metal, boasted not only overwhelming physical strength but also unleashed devastating energy blasts.
Fortunately, Cap's shield was special—it allowed him to barely withstand the Destroyer's attacks. Alongside him, the Three Warriors and Sif could only offer minor distractions, keeping the enemy at bay. They had managed to survive this long, but their attacks had left no mark on the Destroyer's armor. They were completely on the defensive.
The situation was dire—one mistake could mean death.
Seeing this, Tony finally snapped out of it. Instead of focusing on Li Yue and Thor, he activated –his boosters and launched himself toward the Destroyer with a fierce burst of flame.
He flew straight in, clenching his fists and striking the Destroyer with full force—but the enemy easily caught his punch with one hand and didn't budge an inch.
Far away in Asgard, Loki sat on the throne, controlling the Destroyer armor remotely. A smug grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Pathetic," he sneered.
He then increased the Destroyer's power output. Energy from the armor surged into its head, and an orange beam shot toward Tony. It struck him squarely, sending him flying dozens of meters. His armor now bore visible damage.
Luckily, Tony's suit was made from Earth's most advanced metal, so the blast didn't completely pierce it.
"Stark, don't go head-to-head with it! Use long-range attacks!"
Hovering in the air, Tony heard Cap yelling from the ground while taking cover from the Destroyer's assault.
Tony had been thinking the same. He didn't expect the Destroyer to be this powerful in both ranged and close combat. He'd been caught off guard.
Regaining focus, Tony opened missile pods from his shoulders. Dozens of micro-missiles launched and streaked toward the Destroyer.
BOOM!!!
A series of violent explosions erupted, engulfing the Destroyer in flames. The shockwave from the blast cleared everything within tens of meters.
"Did we get him?"
The question echoed in everyone's mind. With such an intense blast, survival seemed impossible.
But as often happens, reality defied expectations. The Destroyer slowly emerged from the flames, completely unscathed—not a single burn on its body.
Tony was stunned. The missiles he used were his latest tech—each one capable of destroying a heavily armored vehicle. And yet, none of them left a scratch. Frustration welled up inside him.
Loki, still controlling the Destroyer, made it take one menacing step after another—completely ignoring Cap and the three Asgardian warriors on the ground. Its focus was solely on Tony, hovering mid-air.
Energy once again began gathering in its head, this time far more concentrated. The glow shifted from yellow to a deep red—Loki was using maximum power.
Tony's hands lit up with dazzling white light. He raised them, directing twin beams to intercept the incoming attack.
BOOM!!!
Three powerful energy beams collided, resulting in a thunderous explosion. The shockwave pushed Cap and the others several meters back.
"Sir, the enemy's energy output is significantly higher than ours. At this rate, we'll be drained soon. I recommend retreating," Jarvis advised calmly.
"Pour everything into it!" Tony shouted, refusing to give up.
He pushed the reactor output to maximum, ignoring the rapid energy drain.
On the battlefield, a strange scene unfolded—the orange and white beams clashed like a high-stakes tug-of-war. The meeting point of their energies shifted slowly toward Tony.
"Sir, reactor energy at 58%... 56%…"
"Give me more!" Tony barked.
But despite everything, the balance was tipping. It was clear—his beam would be overpowered within seconds.
There's a saying that "the left side usually loses," but for Tony, who was on the right this time—it didn't make any difference. He was about to lose. And he had no way to escape—he could only brace for the hit.
Cap noticed Tony's dire situation and quickly formulated a plan.
"Stark, prepare to cut the beam!"
Whether Tony heard him or not, Cap didn't hesitate. He hurled his shield with all his strength.
"Three, two, one—now!"
Tony trusted Cap's instinct. –At the final second, he stopped his energy output and swerved aside.
Cap's shield intercepted the Destroyer's orange energy blast just in time. Tony narrowly dodged it, and the sheer power sent the shield flying hundreds of meters before it finally fell.
"Sir, another attack incoming—please evade!"
Before Tony could catch his breath, Jarvis sounded the alarm again. Tony managed to dodge just in time, the beam barely missing his armor. But it didn't end there. A flurry of energy blasts followed, forcing him into evasive maneuvers.
Watching his attacks miss, Loki's icy expression hardened. But instead of continuing his aerial assault on Tony, he shifted his focus to Captain America on the ground.
Seeing the Destroyer turn toward him, Cap's heart sank. Without his shield, he had no way to block the next attack. All he could do was try to dodge and pray for survival.–
But no matter how enhanced Cap's body was, he wasn't faster than an energy beam.
Loki's eyes gleamed with cruelty. He could already imagine Cap's body being torn apart. Unlike the Asgardians, whom he held some affection for, he had no mercy for Earth's people.
Just as the Destroyer was about to fire, a fast-moving object smashed into its head—sending the massive armor flying backward.
For the first time, the Destroyer was unable to withstand an attack. It was sent crashing to the ground.
Loki, stunned, made the armor rise and scanned the direction the attack had come from. There stood a figure shrouded in silver lightning, eyes fixed on him—it was a familiar silhouette, radiating divine power.
A minute earlier, just as Tony had joined the fight, something had flown toward Thor at a speed even faster than Tony's armor.
Thor reached out his right hand, now crackling with lightning, and caught the swiftly approaching Mjolnir mid-air. He raised it high above his head.
Suddenly, the skies churned violently. Dark clouds twisted like a coiling dragon, thunder roared, and a massive bolt of lightning struck down directly on Thor.
Perhaps it was Li Yue's presence that triggered it, but Thor had reawakened his divine power. And this time, his aura far surpassed that of Thor from the first film—maybe not quite at the level of Thor: Ragnarok, but it was close.
Compared to Thor, Li Yue's momentum was much smaller. His evolution was based on Thor's physique—though he had already surpassed its original limits. A storm cloud began forming above Li Yue's head.
However, that dark cloud was quickly absorbed into the massive storm gathering above Thor. A much thinner bolt of lightning struck Li Yue's body.
Thor was awakening his divine power, while Li Yue was absorbing that same divine power. Their purposes were different, but the effect was strikingly similar.
The scene resembled something out of a cultivation fantasy—an immortal's ascension.
Professor Selvig and his team had already retreated to a safe distance, watching with awe. Their faces were frozen in shock. A scene like this—so apocalyptic—could only be caused by the true God of Thunder.
Even Coulson, who was driving nearby, noticed the thunder and lightning crashing in the dark clouds above. He immediately sensed that the source must be Thor, the man who had once lost all his power.
At the same time, concern crept into Coulson's heart. With such overwhelming power—what if this force turned against the Earth? Could anyone stop it?
———
As for Li Yue, he was currently feeling quite cool—if not for the inappropriate timing, he might've moaned in comfort.
Lightning surged through him, speeding up his evolution. The energy coursing through his body was absorbed into his consciousness.
In the starry realm within his consciousness, a third dim star had begun to shine brightly, thanks to the massive influx of energy. With this, Li Yue could soon begin his next journey. He couldn't help but look forward to it—what kind of world would he travel to next?
Unfortunately, the process didn't last long. It was interrupted by Thor's long roar, which instantly dispersed the storm clouds above.
Lightning arced across Thor's body. Dressed in his shining armor, red cape flowing behind him, Thor appeared before everyone—a true god reborn.
"Thor looks so cool in his armor," Jane said, eyes sparkling as she stared at Thor. Her heart raced. She hadn't expected him to be this handsome after regaining his powers.
"Did anyone else notice the other guy?" Daisy suddenly piped up.
"He absorbed lightning just like Thor. Can a normal person even do that? And he just drew a circle and brought us here!"
"The circle looked like magic, right? Like actual magic! It's unbelievable," she added, eyes wide in amazement.
As soon as Thor regained his powers, he hurled Mjolnir directly at the Destroyer's armor.
If someone had played Immigrant Song at that moment, the scene would've absolutely brought the house down.
The Destroyer was sent flying by the blow. Thor extended his hand, and Mjolnir instantly reversed course, flying straight back to him.
"Loki! I won't let you harm my friends!" Thor shouted at the Destroyer, though his words were clearly meant for Loki himself.
With that, –Thor charged. He dashed forward, leapt high into the air, gripping Mjolnir with both hands, and smashed it down on the Destroyer's head.
BOOM!!!
The deafening crash of metal echoed across the battlefield. The Destroyer's armor crumpled under the force and didn't rise again.
"Loki, I'll return to Asgard and deal with you personally!" Thor growled, as if Loki could hear him from across the realms.
Everyone who witnessed the scene had different thoughts racing through their minds.
Li Yue, however, sensed the truth. While Thor's attack had been powerful, it alone shouldn't have been enough to destroy the Destroyer.
He sighed. Odin was a sly old fox. He clearly saw everything—when Thor's thunder struck the armor, it shattered from within, making it look like Thor had smashed it.
Odin had clearly planned this—letting the powerful Destroyer act as a stepping stone –for Thor's growth. No wonder the Destroyer in the original movie was so weak by comparison.
Captain America let out a sigh of relief. He walked off to pick up his shield. This was his first battle since waking up, and frankly, it had been a disaster. He'd done nothing but block attacks. (Okay, yeah, a bit underwhelming for Cap—but please don't roast me for it!)
Tony Stark landed nearby, watching Thor warily.
The Warriors Three surrounded Thor in celebration, congratulating him on reclaiming his divine powers.
Jane and her team approached from the distance as well.
Thor exchanged a few polite words with his friends, but his gaze remained locked on Jane. His eyes were filled with affection as he walked toward her.
Jane looked at him adoringly. Their eyes met like magnets—completely in sync.
While Thor and Jane were busy feeding everyone around them a generous helping of "romantic drama," Tony flipped his faceplate up and looked at Li Yue, who was still glowing faintly with power.
"Li Yue, what the hell was that?" Tony asked, clearly annoyed. "You were like that dude from The Matrix—you just summoned a thunderstorm out of nowhere! If I hadn't flown off in time, I could've been fried!"
"Ah, sorry, Tony," Li Yue said sheepishly. "Next time I'll give you a heads-up!"
"You're planning a next time?!" Tony exclaimed.
Just then, a convoy of black SUVs rolled up nearby. A group of agents in black suits stepped out, led by none other than Coulson.
"Hey Coulson," Tony greeted him. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s timing is just like the cops—showing up after everything's over."
Coulson, the professional that he was, ignored Tony's sarcasm and walked straight over to Thor.
"Excuse me, Thor, you—"
"We're all fighting to protect this world," Thor interrupted. "I represent Asgard. From this moment on, you can treat Asgard as an ally as long as you return what you took from Jane."
"Stole!" Jane emphasized.
"Borrowed," Coulson corrected, completely unfazed.
"Thank you for your help. You have earned my friendship," Thor said to Li Yue and the others.
Then, after bidding a heartfelt goodbye to Jane, he raised his voice toward the sky:
"Heimdall, take me back!"
Ten seconds.
Thirty seconds.
One full minute.
Still nothing.
Thor's confident expression turned into an awkward one.
"Heimdall! Can you hear me? I need you!"
BOOM!!
Finally, the sky responded, weather swirling with abnormal energy as the Bifrost prepared to open.
Far away in Asgard, Loki watched as the Destroyer was defeated by Thor's newly awakened divine power. A thoughtful smile played at the corner of his –lips.
"As expected. Father really favors you."
Loki, ever astute, had already grasped Odin's intentions. Stripping Thor of his divine power, casting him out of Asgard, and exiling him to Earth — it was all a carefully crafted plan to spur Thor's growth.
And he, Loki, was merely a dispensable piece in that grand design.
With a soft sigh, Loki reflected. He had sent the Destroyer to Earth, not to kill Thor, but to help him regain his divine strength. What he didn't anticipate was that someone on Earth — Li Yue — could hold off the Destroyer even temporarily.
Loki always believed that if Thor faced true peril, he would instinctively awaken his power. But with interference from others, he couldn't land a decisive blow. Had he attacked with full force, Thor — in his mortal state — might not have survived.
Yet, inexplicably, Thor still regained his power. And judging by the thunder and lightning swirling around him, it was more than just a return — he had grown even stronger.
Odin's deeper purpose was clear: to teach Thor that war never brings peace — only pain, loss, and endless conflict.
"But, Father… I believe I can do it better," Loki murmured.
"As Odin's second son — as the future king of Asgard — I will be the one to end this cycle of war once and for all."
Without hesitation, Loki made his move.
He went straight to the Rainbow Bridge and used the Frost Giant's artifact — the Casket of Ancient Winters — to freeze Heimdall, who guarded the bridge. Then, he activated the Bifrost and brought the Frost Giant King, Laufey, to Asgard.
Everything unfolded just as Loki had planned.
Laufey, unsuspecting, entered Odin's sleeping chamber, swiftly defeating the guards and even Odin's wife, Frigga.
"I heard you can sense what happens even in deep sleep," Laufey sneered, approaching Odin's resting form. "I hope it's true — because I want you to know that it was I, King of the Frost Giants, who ended your life."
Like many villains, Laufey couldn't resist boasting in the moment of triumph.
But that was his fatal mistake.
Unbeknownst to him, Loki stood behind with the Eternal Spear pointed directly at him.
Just as Laufey moved to strike, Loki acted faster. A beam of light shot from the spear, piercing through Laufey and throwing him back.
"And the one who killed you… is the son of Odin — Loki!"
Loki watched as his biological father, Laufey, crumbled to pieces. With this act, he proved his loyalty to Asgard — that regardless of his origins, he belonged to this realm.
"Loki, you saved your father, Odin!"
Frigga, who had only pretended to be defeated, now rose to her feet and embraced him with pride. She had known from the beginning what was coming. As Odin's wife, and having seen the future glimpses of Thor's journey, she knew Loki's heart.
Though she had long been aware of Odin's favoritism, she had never challenged it. Instead, she gave Loki all the love she could as a mother — and that love was why Loki respected her above all.
Meanwhile, on the Rainbow Bridge...
Heimdall, frozen in ice, had heard Thor's distant call. With great effort, he broke free from the icy prison, slashing down the Frost Giant guards around him. Reaching the control point of the Bifrost, he thrust in his sword — and opened the bridge.
Back on Earth…
Thor's eyes lit up as the sky changed. Heimdall had answered.
"Jane, wait for me. I'll come back for you!" Thor promised.
"I'll be waiting, Thor!" Jane replied, her eyes misty.
With that, Thor and the Warriors Three stepped into the beam of the Rainbow Bridge and vanished, leaving behind only a glowing symbol scorched into the ground.
Jane stood frozen, a strange feeling of loss rising in her chest. A bad premonition stirred.
"Tony, you head back. I'm going to Asgard," Li Yue said, eyes fixed on the sky. Then, without warning, he vanished.
"Wait—! Take me with—damn, he's fast." Tony shouted, only to find himself alone again.
Shaking his head in exasperation, Tony suddenly noticed the shattered remnants of the Destroyer lying nearby.
"These are mine now. Any objections?"
His gaze fell on Coulson.
"Uh… no objections. Of course not," Coulson said, quickly backtracking. "These metals rightfully belong to Iron Man."
He had initially planned to claim the remains but recalled what had happened at Tony's villa — and more importantly, the recent revelation that many SHIELD agents were Hydra infiltrators. At least with Tony, the materials would be safe.
As Tony started collecting the fragments, Daisy approached shyly.
"Hi, Mr. Stark… Could you sign something for me? And maybe Captain America too?"
Meanwhile, Li Yue reappeared — this time on the vast Rainbow Bridge of Asgard.
The sight was breathtaking. Asgard was much larger and grander than it had appeared in the movies. The bridge was hundreds of meters wide, stretching beyond the horizon. The kingdom itself was endless in scope, its brilliance unmatched.
As Li Yue took in the magnificent view, a figure standing at the far end of the bridge caught sight of him. Shocked, the man's eyes widened — his gaze completely unlike that of an ordinary person.
Heimdall was stunned. Someone had suddenly appeared on the Rainbow Bridge, and it caught his curiosity. Who was this person looking around? How did he get to Asgard? Why couldn't Heimdall's all-seeing eyes perceive how he arrived?
But as the gatekeeper of Asgard, Heimdall was strict in his duty and would never stand idle in the face of an intruder.
Since his sword was still lodged in the Rainbow Bridge to keep it open, Heimdall couldn't draw it. So, without hesitation, he charged toward Li Yue barehanded, clenching his right fist and leaping high into the air. He intended to knock this trespasser down with a single punch.
"Heimdall, stop! He's one of us!"
Just as Heimdall's fist was about to strike Li Yue, a familiar and anxious voice called out from behind.
Although Heimdall heard the shout and wanted to stop, there was no way to change direction midair. He had already committed to the attack and could only hope that Li Yue could take the blow without being seriously hurt.
But of course, Li Yue wasn't about to be hit by such a slow attack. He vanished right in front of Heimdall, who was so shocked he didn't even react. Then he realized his face was getting dangerously close to the ground.
"Thor, your Rainbow Bridge –is kinda slow, don't you think?"
Li Yue suddenly reappeared in front of Thor and teased him.
Thud!
"Ouch!!"
"Li Yue? How did you get here? You arrived even before us."
Thor was taken aback to see Li Yue already waiting for them. He had always believed the Rainbow Bridge was the fastest way to travel across the Nine Realms, yet here was Li Yue, beating them to Asgard.
"You can think of it as a special ability of mine," Li Yue replied vaguely.
"Am I seeing things? Are we still in Midgard? Or is this one of Loki's illusions?"
The four people who had come with Thor were just as surprised. They had just seen Li Yue on Earth before leaving—and yet here he was in Asgard.
"Heimdall, are you alright?"
Thor called out to Heimdall, who had crashed to the ground, and rushed over to him.
"Take Heimdall to get treated. I'm going to find Loki!"
Thor handed Heimdall over to the three warriors and, without wasting a second, hurled his Mjolnir into the air. The hammer began spinning rapidly, pulling Thor up and launching him forward at high speed until he disappeared from sight.
"Whew, he's finally gone. That was exhausting… acting really is tiring."
The three warriors visibly relaxed and muttered some strange things under their breath. But Sif's eyes flickered with emotion. During their trip to Midgard, Thor had unexpectedly found a girlfriend, and this left Sif—who secretly admired Thor—a little heartbroken.
"Let's get out of here. His Highness Loki and the prince are about to fight here. It won't be good if we're caught in the middle."
Heimdall, who had seemed badly injured just moments before, suddenly stood up straight and looked completely fine. There wasn't even a scratch on him. He spoke to the others in a serious tone.
Li Yue had been watching everything unfold with growing amusement. His expression practically said, You've got to be kidding me. What was going on here? What were these people even saying? And what was he doing here?
"Sir, I apologize. Everything that just happened was part of a plan devised by King Odin. The goal was to help His Highness grow and become a worthy king."
"For the sake of His Highness, we had to cooperate with this plan. I hope you can keep it a secret and not let His Highness find out. Thank you."
Li Yue couldn't help but feel speechless hearing Heimdall's explanation...
Asgard's acting game is top-tier. Papa Odin had come up with a whole master plan, hired a bunch of actors, had them play their parts, all just to fool that silly guy Thor.
Thor, you might as well change your name to Trueman.
And Asgard?
"Mr. Li Yue, please come with us. This area will become a battlefield very soon."
Heimdall called out to Li Yue and took the lead, followed by the three warriors and Sif.
Li Yue sighed in exasperation. He had only come to Asgard to see how things would unfold, maybe even take advantage of the situation—like snatching a treasure or two from Odin's vault. That would've been a win. But instead, he ended up learning about this whole elaborate, absurd plan.
Li Yue didn't even understand why Heimdall told him everything—as if they really believed he wouldn't tell Thor? As if Odin would go around killing people for it anytime soon.
But seeing the group move farther and farther away, Li Yue could only sigh helplessly and follow Heimdall's arrangements—for now. Then, he vanished.
…
Heimdall had been running ahead for quite a while. He glanced back but saw no sign of Li Yue, which made him raise an eyebrow in doubt.
"Did he leave Asgard?"
Still, Heimdall didn't dwell on it. They had to hurry and get out of the Rainbow Bridge area, which would soon become a "stage."
After running at full speed for several minutes, they finally made it past the Rainbow Bridge and officially entered the palace grounds of Asgard.
Although they hadn't covered a long distance, the sprint had worn them out. They were gasping for breath, taking in big gulps of fresh air.
"Isn't Asgardian physique supposed to be impressive? And you're this tired after such a short run? Looks like you all need more training."
Suddenly, a teasing voice reached their ears. They turned around in unison and spotted a familiar figure sitting casually on the steps nearby. He was smiling at them while occasionally tossing snacks into his mouth.
It was Li Yue—and next to him sat a white plastic bag full of unknown items.
Heimdall and the others slowly approached, puzzled by how he had arrived there so quickly.
"How did you get here before us?"
Heimdall stepped forward and asked.
"I already told you—it's my special ability. No need for more questions."
"Come on, come on! I just got back from Earth—no, wait, you guys call it Midgard. These are some local specialties I brought back. Try them!"
Li Yue beckoned them over, opened the plastic bag, and began pulling things out one by one.
"This is soda—Cola. This is cold beer—also a drink. These are spiced sunflower seeds, some chicken legs, chicken wings... and this here is called popcorn. A must-have while watching a movie—or in this case, a drama!"
With each item he took out, Li Yue gave a short explanation.
The five Asgardians were left speechless. They'd never seen things like this in their realm, and their curiosity was clearly piqued. Heimdall managed to stay composed, but even he couldn't hide a spark of interest.
"How do you open this?" The muscular warrior holding an axe picked up a can of beer, inspecting it with confusion. He looked about ready to crush it open with brute force.
"Wait! Let me help. See this little ring here? You just pull it like this…"
Li Yue demonstrated like a teacher guiding a group of children.
Hiccup
"The taste isn't as strong as our mead, but wow—it's refreshing! I'll take another!"
The axe-wielding warrior chugged the beer in one go and casually tossed the can to the ground—it was an Asgardian custom.
Clink!
The can didn't break.
"This one's tasty! Kinda sweet!"
"This one's not great... feels dry when chewing."
"That's because they're sunflower seeds. You're not supposed to eat the shells—spit them out!"
…
Before long, the five Asgardians were eating, drinking, and laughing. Their bond with Li Yue grew more relaxed, and they began to warm up to him.
Watching them enjoy the food, Li Yue smiled to himself. It's always a good idea to stay on friendly terms with people like them.
He grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and nibbled while keeping an eye on the Rainbow Bridge. Suddenly, a figure on horseback appeared, charging forward with a spear in hand.
Moments later, another figure soared through the sky in pursuit.
Li Yue narrowed his eyes. From this vantage point, he –had a clear, unobstructed view of the Rainbow Bridge.
The battle between Loki and Thor… had officially begun.
.....
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