Thor finished introducing his companions properly.
"This is Fandral, the finest swordsman in Asgard. Volstagg the Valiant, veteran of countless campaigns. Hogun the Grim, master of many weapons. And Lady Sif — among Asgard's greatest warriors."
Sif stepped forward immediately.
"Thor, you must return with us. Loki has taken the throne. He manipulates events in your absence."
Thor's expression dimmed.
"I cannot return."
He looked toward Mjolnir in the distance.
"I am no longer worthy. I am no longer Thor."
Sif's jaw tightened — but not in jealousy.
In frustration.
"This is not you."
"It is exactly me," Thor answered quietly. "For the first time."
There was no enchantment clouding his mind. No mortal "bewitching." Only consequence.
Sif's eyes shifted briefly toward Karl — not accusing, but evaluating.
Karl met her gaze calmly.
"I did not take his power," he said evenly. "Odin did."
Before the tension could rise further—
A column of prismatic light tore through the sky.
The Bifrost.
The ground trembled as something enormous materialized within it.
The Destroyer.
Not "Doom Armor."
Not autonomous.
The Destroyer was an enchanted Uru construct forged by Odin, normally animated by the Odinforce — but currently controlled remotely by Loki through sorcery and Gungnir.
Its faceplate rotated open.
The hollow cavity within glowed molten red.
Volstagg's voice dropped.
"The Destroyer…"
Even seasoned Asgardian warriors felt dread at its presence.
It was not armor.
It was a weapon.
"Evacuate the town!" Thor shouted.
Coulson immediately ordered agents to clear civilians.
Tony stared at the towering construct.
"That's not in my design catalog."
Karl said nothing.
He pulled Tony's armor from his system space and reassembled it with telekinesis.
Metal locked into place around Tony.
Juggernaut stepped forward, cracking his neck.
The Warriors Three attacked first.
Fandral struck at the joints.
Hogun aimed for structural weaknesses.
Volstagg engaged head-on.
Sif launched a coordinated spear assault.
The Destroyer did not flinch.
A single sweeping blast from its face beam sent them flying.
They crashed into storefronts, armor dented.
It did not even pursue them.
Its focus was singular.
Thor.
Karl stepped forward.
"Let me test something."
He vanished.
Reappeared beside the Destroyer.
Delivered a full-force strike — Hulk-level baseline strength.
The impact rang like a meteor striking iron.
The Destroyer staggered two steps.
The struck plate dented—
Then slowly reformed.
Uru metal did not remain broken.
The faceplate snapped open.
A searing energy beam erupted.
Karl teleported behind it and struck again, faster this time.
They exchanged blows.
Each impact sent shockwaves through the street.
Tony watched through HUD diagnostics.
"That thing's energy output is off the charts."
Juggernaut leaned forward eagerly.
Karl drove the Destroyer backward with rapid strikes.
But when it countered—
The punch met his forearm mid-block.
The force reverberated through him.
His arm tingled.
Not broken.
But pushed.
The Destroyer adjusted its stance.
Its movements became sharper.
More precise.
Loki was adapting.
This was not Odin secretly intervening.
This was Loki directing the construct with lethal intent.
The Destroyer fired successive blasts while advancing.
Karl deflected one with telekinesis.
Dodged another.
But a third clipped him—
Sending him skidding across asphalt.
Ten meters.
He rose slowly.
His torn clothing fell away.
He exhaled.
Blue mist began to coil around his body.
The temperature dropped rapidly.
Frost spread outward from his feet.
Tony swallowed.
Juggernaut grinned.
Karl vanished again—
Reappearing above the Destroyer and slamming both hands down onto its head.
Frost erupted across its surface.
Ice crawled over Uru plating.
Even the internal furnace glow dimmed briefly.
The Destroyer's core flared hotter.
The ice cracked.
It rotated its faceplate fully open.
The beam intensified — shifting from bright gold to deep red.
Higher output.
Loki was increasing power flow.
Karl extended his left hand.
A wave of freezing energy collided with the beam.
Yellow-red energy met condensed cryo-force.
Steam and vapor exploded outward.
The street vanished in white mist.
The beam pushed forward.
Karl braced.
His right arm slowly pulled back.
Energy gathered there — not Asgardian.
Not cosmic.
But drawn from another system entirely.
His aura intensified.
Veins sharpened.
Pressure built.
Karl was using the Kaioken technique he had signed up for!
…
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