Chapter 97
The Destroyer, lying on the ground, began to shift as its armor rotated, repositioning itself to face Abel and Thor. It rose from the rubble, determined and relentless.
Thor pulled his face from the dirt, brushing off the grime from his blond hair, and joined Abel as if nothing had happened.
"Let's team up to take him down!" Thor exclaimed.
"The Destroyer is not alive; it follows orders. When it prepares to fire that energy cannon, I'll create an opening for us to strike!" Abel explained.
"Hmm..." Thor pretended to ponder before nodding vigorously, "Yes, exactly! I wanted to say the same thing, but you beat me to it. Let's do this!"
Abel smiled at Thor's antics but refrained from calling him out. He readied himself for an attack. Thor raised Mjölnir, summoning a bolt of thunder that struck the Destroyer, causing it to stagger back before stabilizing.
The Destroyer, enduring the thunder's assault, turned its visor open and fired a powerful energy beam directly at Thor.
"Thor, don't move!" Abel shouted, sensing the imminent danger.
Though hesitating for a moment, Thor obeyed, choosing to stay put.
As the energy beam hurtled towards him, a portal appeared in front of Thor, and another beside the Destroyer. The beam shot through the portal and blasted into the Destroyer's chest, creating a massive hole and revealing its rapidly spinning internal engine—a flame-like vortex of energy!
While such damage would be fatal to any living being, the Destroyer pressed on, disregarding its injury, and charged toward Abel and Thor again. Abel seized this opportunity!
The Ring of Frost on his left hand glowed with an intense blue light. As he channeled its energy, the gem shifted from icy blue to deep black. Abel could feel his magic being consumed by the Lord of Frost, but he pressed on, urging the frost to release an even more intense icy light!
A stunningly cold blue ray erupted forth, completely encasing the Destroyer in ice.
"Now, Thor! Aim for the damage on its chest and attack with everything you've got!" Abel called out.
Thor readied himself. Hearing Abel's command, he lifted Mjölnir and summoned lightning, directing the gathered storm energy toward the Destroyer as it began to break free from its icy prison. A brilliant blue bolt shot from the hammer, striking the damaged area.
Abel wasn't about to be outdone. Though the previous icy blast had drained some of his strength, he still had enough left to wield his wand, aiming at the Destroyer's chest.
Plasma Lavatum!
The azure-blue bolt from Thor's hammer and the black-red energy from Abel's wand converged on the Destroyer's chest, plunging deep into the energy vortex.
Buzzing...
A resonant hum emanated from within the Destroyer as the combined energies reacted violently, swirling into a chaotic storm that culminated in a massive explosion!
Boom!
An energy shockwave radiated outward, wreaking further havoc on the already-damaged town.
Just before the energy detonated, Abel used Apparition, appearing behind Thor and using him as a shield against the blast, emerging unscathed.
As for Thor, aside from his windswept hair, he seemed no worse for wear.
After dispatching the Destroyer, Thor and Abel returned to the crowd, where Thor and Jane embraced in a passionate kiss, sharing sweet words of affection. Abel caught Sif swearing in frustration but chose not to intervene, pondering how best to persuade Thor to take him to Asgard.
At that moment, a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel approached rapidly. Thor stepped forward to negotiate with them, while Abel froze the bodies of the Frost Giants and the remnants of the Destroyer, not wanting to leave behind any valuable materials. He knew better than to hand them over to S.H.I.E.L.D., uncertain of their intentions or whether they would fall into Hydra's hands. These remains were far too useful for his own purposes.
Coleson, who was engaged in conversation with Thor, noticed Abel's actions and felt a pang of frustration. He could only watch as Abel gathered everything, knowing how Nick Fury would react upon learning they'd returned empty-handed.
After a brief discussion with Coleson, during which he asked him to return Jane's belongings, Thor turned to Abel.
"Mage, I would like to invite you to accompany me to Asgard. Your power is formidable enough to help me deal with the Frost Giants and Loki, should he attempt to invade Asgard. I assure you, I will compensate you for your assistance, and I doubt my father, King Odin, will be stingy with rewards!"
"I want nothing more than to learn Asgardian magic," Abel replied.
Thor paused for a moment, then nodded eagerly. "As the Crown Prince of Asgard, I agree to your request. However, your offer is quite modest compared to the aid you will provide. Consider what else you might desire in return."
Thor ceased speaking, then raised his voice to the sky. "Heimdall! Send us back!"
As Thor's call echoed, dark clouds swirled above, forming a vortex from which a radiant beam of light descended, enveloping Abel, Thor, and the others. In an instant, they vanished, transported to the Asgardian Rainbow Bridge at a speed beyond light!