"Go, go, go! Hurry up and leave!"
More than a dozen vehicles from the camp were dispatched, speeding toward the town. Several Quinjet fighter jets took off into the sky, their engines roaring.
Inside one of the black Chevrolet SUVs, Coulson sat in the passenger seat. From his headphones came the voice of Eagle Eye, Clint Barton:
"The situation in town doesn't look good. I can see those Asgardians fighting a giant metal monster, but it's not going well. That thing has some sort of energy beam emitter on its head, and the destruction it causes is incredible. Its defense is also off the charts. Asgardian weapons aren't having much effect on it."
Coulson frowned. "Clint, it doesn't seem like getting involved would do much good."
"I highly doubt thermal weapons will be effective against that thing."
"Then let's not waste our time. All agents, focus on evacuating the town's residents immediately. I've already instructed the agents stationed in the area to begin evacuation procedures," Coulson said decisively.
"Are we really not engaging?"
"Absolutely not. We won't make much of a difference in a fight like this. But backup is already on the way."
"Understood!"
With a deafening roar, one of the Quinjets tore through the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
Meanwhile, the town below was in chaos. The battlefield was just a few streets away from Jane Foster's house, which, fortunately, was in a relatively remote part of town. This gave the townsfolk some extra time to flee.
In the pouring rain, the towering silver-black metal monstrosity—known as the Destroyer—clashed with several figures. Even from a distance, it was clear the Asgardians were struggling. The surrounding buildings were crumbling under the sheer scale of the battle.
The townspeople had reacted quickly. As soon as the Destroyer appeared, they grabbed their families and ran for their lives. SHIELD agents stationed in the area immediately began assisting with the evacuation, minimizing casualties. Soon after, more agents arrived to continue rescue and evacuation operations, clearing out the town entirely.
While this eased SHIELD's burden, it left Thor watching helplessly from the corner of a street.
The Destroyer armor was an artifact forged by the dwarves and wielded by Odin himself in battles against ancient, powerful gods. Its might was unquestionable.
Thor's friends—Sif and the Warriors Three—were among Asgard's finest warriors, but they were no match for the Destroyer. Within minutes, all of them had sustained injuries.
Volstagg, the bravest among them, had attempted to face the Destroyer's beam head-on. He suffered extensive burns, and if not for his Asgardian physiology, he might have died on the spot.
The torrential rain washed away the blood and soot, but it couldn't hide the destruction.
Boom!
The Destroyer delivered a crushing blow to Volstagg, sending him hurtling through the air like a cannonball. He crashed into a distant house, reducing it to rubble. In a single sweeping motion, the Destroyer struck Sif, Fandral, and Hogun, hurling them dozens of meters away.
Its helmet opened, revealing a dazzling crimson light as it prepared to unleash a destructive beam at the fallen warriors.
Thor's heart clenched. He roared in desperation, stepping forward to intervene.
But before he could close the distance, a deafening sonic boom filled the air. Thor stopped in his tracks, his ears ringing.
Bang!
A figure plummeted from the sky like a meteor, piercing through the rain at incredible speed.
Thor squinted upward, but the downpour obscured his vision. All he could see was a shape hurtling straight toward the Destroyer.
Boom!
The figure collided with the Destroyer in a cataclysmic impact. The ground shook violently as a massive shockwave radiated outward, forming a crater nearly a hundred meters wide. The street vanished, reduced to rubble, and the surrounding buildings were flattened.
The air pressure from the impact expelled the rain, creating a temporary vacuum. Trees, vehicles, and debris were hurled away. Thor struggled to remain standing as the force pushed him back several meters.
When the dust and smoke cleared, Thor looked up with difficulty. The scene before him was surreal.
The massive crater dominated the street, and the Destroyer lay motionless at its center. Rain poured into the crater, hissing as it met the steaming ground.
In the sky above, several Quinjets hovered cautiously, their pilots reluctant to approach. From the outskirts of the town, SHIELD agents peeked out from their hiding places, some under eaves and others behind vehicles, watching in stunned silence.
Drones circled overhead, capturing footage of the aftermath.
Under one such eave, Coulson stood with a high-powered telescope in hand, rain dripping from his hair and coat.
"Clint, what do you see?"
"It looks like... a person. A very young Eastern European boy."
"A boy?" Coulson's expression darkened as he pieced something together. "Do not engage. Keep observing from a distance. This fight isn't ours."
"Understood."
"Sir," an agent called through Coulson's earpiece, "our reinforcements will arrive in three minutes."
"Good," Coulson muttered. His gaze returned to the crater. "This is getting interesting."
In the Asgardian palace, Loki sat on the throne, dressed in his green robes and horned helmet. He gripped the Eternal Spear tightly, his eyes shut in concentration.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, burning with shock and anger.
"What is that thing?" he snarled, rising abruptly. "How could it damage the Destroyer?"