Thor had never expected such humiliation. To come to Midgard with a mission entrusted by Odin, only to be so thoroughly defeated, was a blow that even he struggled to accept. Yet the truth stood before him, undeniable. His right arm, the one wielding Mjolnir, hung limp and numb. In contrast, his opponent — Kurogai Alexander Blackwood — remained unscathed.
If Thor pressed on, the result would not change. He had lost, and the loss was absolute.
"Now," Kurogai said, his voice calm but edged with dominance, "tell me your purpose for seeking out the Sorcerer Supreme."
He did not dismiss his spectral construct at once. The towering armor of energy still surrounded him as he approached Thor, looking down at the God of Thunder from above. What mattered now was information — Thor's true reason for coming to Earth. Only with that knowledge could Kurogai decide how to act.
"Kill me, then," Thor said, his voice heavy with resignation. He let Mjolnir drop to the sand with a dull thud. The weight of his oath bound him. Though defeated, he would not betray Odin's command.
"You overestimate your worth in death," Kurogai replied, his tone sharp as he dissolved the spectral armor. He landed in front of Thor, the strange, whirling patterns in his eyes shifting like vast windmills turning in silence.
"Tell me what I want to know."
Thor's defiance faltered as Kurogai's gaze locked onto his own. His eyes dulled, his will slipping away under the crushing influence of an alien power.
"Speak," Kurogai commanded.
"My father sensed disturbances in the Aether," Thor said, his voice vacant, hollow. "He believes the Aether has changed… that it now resonates as one of the Infinity Stones. He sent me to investigate other Stones rumored to be on Earth, and to speak with the Sorcerer Supreme."
Kurogai's expression darkened. The Aether… the Reality Stone. If Odin had felt its shift, then surely others would too.
And if Odin knew… Thanos certainly would.
The Titan already possessed the Mind Stone through his scepter, and if he became aware of the Reality Stone's awakening — or worse, of the Power Stone Kurogai had absorbed — then Earth would not remain hidden for long.
The thought unsettled him. He did not fear Thanos himself, not entirely. But Thanos' obsession with Death… the entity behind him was far more dangerous than the Titan's armies. That was a power Kurogai was not yet ready to confront.
His mind was still racing when Thor's eyes flickered, clearing. He shook himself free of the mental snare, his godly willpower resisting the intrusion.
"What did you do to me?" Thor demanded, horror etched across his face. To have his mind seized so easily was a greater terror than defeat itself.
Kurogai dismissed the accusation with a faint smirk. "You came for the Sorcerer Supreme, didn't you? I'll take you to her."
Thor blinked, startled. "You would… help me?"
"Don't mistake it for kindness," Kurogai said coldly. "You're useful to me. That's all."
With a gesture, he opened a glowing portal of swirling energy. Thor hesitated only a moment before grasping Mjolnir and stepping through. Kurogai followed, both of them vanishing as the portal snapped shut, leaving the desert silent once more.
Silent, but not unnoticed.
Far above, satellites caught every ripple of energy, every flash of light. Across the globe, agencies and hidden powers stirred. The battle had been too loud, too violent to remain a secret.
Inside the command center of S.H.I.E.L.D., alarms chimed.
"Director Fury," an agent called out, "massive energy spikes detected in the northern desert sector. We've confirmed a visual — two unidentified combatants. One wielding lightning, the other surrounded by some kind of giant energy construct."
The agent's voice wavered. "Sir, they looked… godlike."
Nick Fury's one good eye narrowed. "Get Coulson. Whatever else he's doing, drop it. I want boots on the ground immediately. Find out who they were, and what the hell just happened."
The order spread quickly. S.H.I.E.L.D. moved into action, though they were not the only ones. From the shadows, other factions also turned their gaze to the desert — to the disturbance that had shaken the balance of power on Earth.
And at the center of it all, Kurogai and Thor were already walking into the halls of Kamar-Taj.
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Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.
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