The Spark and the Storm

Puente Antiguo -

The Destroyer stood tall in the heart of the desert town, its glowing visor pulsing as if breathing fire. The surrounding street had turned to cracked glass and melted tar from its earlier blast. Cars smoldered. SHIELD agents scrambled to evacuate nearby civilians.

Across the rubble-strewn road stood Thor, Tony, and Kai in his Diamondhead form, glowing faintly green and armored in glistening crystal.

"Alright," Tony said through his helmet, hovering above them, "it doesn't look happy."

Kai's voice crackled through his crystal form. "Who wakes up in the morning and chooses fire breathing metal mannequin as a battle plan?"

Thor kept his eyes forward, focused. "Loki does not send messages. He sends monsters."

The Destroyer raised its arm.

FWOOOOOM!

A pulse of blinding white energy shot toward them.

Tony rocketed upward.

Kai leapt sideways, skidding across pavement as his crystal armor flared.

Thor took the blast head-on.

He was flung across the road, landing in a crash of dust and shattered concrete.

Sif and the Warriors Three ran toward him—but Thor lifted a hand, groaning.

"No," he said. "I must face this."

"But without your hammer—" Sif began.

"I am still Thor," he growled, standing tall.

His gaze never left the Destroyer.

"Alright, toaster oven," Kai muttered, slamming a crystal blade into the ground.

A wall of spiked crystal jutted up, shielding nearby agents.

He dashed left, flicking shards from his arms—diamond spears flying at the Destroyer's legs.

They shattered on impact.

"Okay," Kai said. "Solid ten for drama. Zero for damage."

The Destroyer turned toward him.

Its visor pulsed.

FWASH!

Kai was fast—but not fast enough. The blast caught him mid-dash.

He hit the ground hard, smoke rising from his armor.

Inside the glow of his cracked crystal shell, Kai coughed. "Yup. Still hate magic robots."

Above, Tony circled fast, calculating.

"Target's too thick for repulsors. Chest beam might overload—but I'll need a clear shot."

"Give me one second," Kai's voice replied.

From the crater he'd crashed into, a crystal spike burst upward—Kai launched himself back into the air.

"Go for the chest!" he shouted.

Thor was already moving—dodging a sweeping metal arm, sprinting in close.

"I'll give him something else to aim at!"

Thor leapt.

Tony's HUD locked on.

"NOW!"

UNIBEAM—FIRED.

A blinding column of energy erupted from Tony's chest reactor—hitting the Destroyer's glowing visor just as it aimed to fire.

For a moment, its blast backfired—staggering the machine.

The Destroyer's helm opened wider.

It turned to Thor, its target now fixed.

But Thor didn't move, He stepped forward.

Unarmed.

Unshielded.

His voice rang out—not with anger, but humility.

"Loki! If you can hear me… stop this. I am your brother. I wronged you. I was arrogant. But I do not ask for mercy. I ask for our people."

"Take me if you must—but leave them."

The Destroyer stopped and Its visor dimmed.For a second—just a second—Loki hesitated

BOOM.

The Destroyer struck Thor with a massive backhanded blow.

Thor flew through the air—landing hard. Motionless.

Jane, watching from cover, screamed.

Kai's heart dropped. "No…"

The sky changed and Clouds churned.

Lightning cracked across the heavens, blinding white and gold.

A distant whistle… growing louder.

Then—

CRASH.

From the heavens, Mjölnir streaked down like a comet—breaking the clouds and slamming into Thor's outstretched hand.

Thunder exploded across the desert.

Thor stood—eyes glowing, armor reforging itself around him in a burst of Asgardian magic.

The hammer spun once and slammed into his palm.

He had returned.

The wind howled. Lightning danced on his shoulders.

Kai watched in awe.

"Whoa… now that is an entrance."

Thor raised his hammer..

Mjölnir shot forward like a missile—shattering the machine's chest, ripping apart its inner core with a divine strike.

One final blast erupted from its chest—into the sky—and then it collapsed, smoke pouring from its joints.

The Asgardian warriors ran to Thor.

Tony hovered down next to Kai, who was still recovering his breath.

"Okay," Tony muttered. "That was awesome."

Kai nodded. "I saw heaven for a second. It looked like pani puri."

Jane ran to Thor. The two embraced, and even Darcy didn't mock the moment.

SHIELD moved in to contain what remained of the Destroyer.

Later

As the sun set, painting the sky in orange and violet, the trio stood overlooking the battlefield.

Thor rested Mjölnir on the ground beside him.

Tony cracked open a drink. "Well, we survived. Again. Getting good at this."

Kai leaned back. "You think he heard you? Loki?"

Thor nodded slowly. "He did. And he will not stop."

Kai glanced at the Omnitrix. "Then we won't either."

The wind blew gently through the desert.

One battle was over..