Chapter 7: Assemble! Part 7
*Asgard, the Realm Eternal. The Bifrost Bridge*
"Heimdall requests your presence, my King."
It was those words that were now the reason Odin and his queen and wife, Frigga, joined by Balder, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun, were now galloping upon their mighty steeds in full swing, heading directly for the outpost of the All-Seer, the keeper of Bifrost and the eternal and vigilant defender of Asgard, keeper of its first line of defense. As to why the words were spoken, he had no idea; the All-Seer clearly had great news of importance and urgency to share, and for all he knew, another attack was mounting against Asgard itself. For that he had brought along the five greatest warriors Asgard could offer at the moment.
The All-Father, the All-Mother and the other Asgardians arrived at the outpost of the All-Seer, a large golden sphere like construct that swirled every time the Bifrost opened, stationed at the edge of Asgardian space above the cascading waterfalls at the realms border's. Dismounting from their steeds, the group of Asgardians entered the outpost, walking in to see a warrior standing on a platform who was adorned in golden armor and copper battle fatigues. He wore a golden helmet and golden gauntlets on his wrists, and his hands held a massive longsword. What were most distinguishable about him were his eyes-they held an orange glow, and were able to see beyond the usual limitations of eyes. His eye could see worlds away. This was Heimdall, the Guardian of the Bifrost and Odin's chosen to guard Asgard's entrance to the Bridge.
"My Lord," Heimdall greeted. "My Queen. Sister. Balder. Warriors Three."
"Speak, Heimdall," the king of the Norse Pantheon commanded. "What is this urgent news I must know of?"
"It is Midgard, my Lord," Heimdall replied. "It appears…my sight has been deceived."
"Brother…?" Sif began to ask.
"Loki; he has laid siege to one of Midgard's greatest cities. He, Amora the Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner have led an army of Jotun Frost Giants, led by Ymir himself, in an invasion of Midgard. Loki, until now, had successfully cloaked Midgard with his magics, keeping me from seeing his actions. And…he is utilizing the Destroyer, my Lord."
"WHAT?!" the All-Father roared. The Destroyer…the keeper of the Asgardian Weapons & Treasure Vault until Karnilla had bewitched it into a weapon of unstoppable power; Odin had sealed it away on the Isle of Silence…but Loki had found it…and now he, his followers and their enemies were laying waste to Midgard. They would not survive. "The mortals will not survive the battle," Odin decreed. "Lady Sif, amass the armies of Asgard at once, and we shall-!"
"My Lord, that is unnecessary," Heimdall stated.
"Why is that?!" Odin commanded.
"For 15 heroes of Midgard have arisen to do battle against Loki and his forces…and they succeed."
"Mortals? Mere mortals?" Fandral asked. "What can mortals do against our kind?"
"With their abilities, they can rival even the Destroyer," Heimdall stated sagely. "And they are not alone. The Thunderer aids them."
Instantly, the group snapped their heads back to the All-Seer. Had they heard him correctly? Did he truly speak the words that they had almost abandoned hope to hear after three years? "Heimdall," Frigga stuttered as a tear descended from her eye, "do you truly mean…?"
"Aye, my queen," Heimdall confirmed. "The Odinson has proven himself worthy once again."
*SHIELD Helicarrier UNS Odyssey, 1800ft above Manhattan*
17:59 EST May 4, 2012 AD
"What the hell just happened?" Fury asked in a completely surprised tone. "What the hell just happened, people?!"
"Readings show a sudden appearance of a being of superhuman levels!" the staff of the command-&-control deck started shouting out. "The being appears to have materialized out of thin air. Feeds are showing that something was racing down from the skies at an angle from the Southwest and when it collided onto the scene, weather charts confirm that a massive lightning bolt descended from the skies.
"Once it dispersed, the individual appeared. There's nothing on any of our databases about him! Scanning now!
"We have trajectory feeds from the object, as well as satellite imaging. Images are loading…"
"Scans are complete, sir! The individual is of Class Omega strength, similar to that of the Hulk!"
"Images are showing that the object is a hammer, sir-and trajectory feeds indicate that it came from the American Southwest!"
"The American Southwest?!" Fury exclaimed, bringing up more feeds onto his screens. "How was this thing in the Southwest and we didn't detect it?!"
"That's what I've been TRYING to tell you, sir," Hill sighed exasperatedly, finally getting Fury's attention. "Quartermain's post in the New Mexican desert, north of Galisteo! He was calling us to tell you that the hammer was activating somehow, and now it flew out away from the post-!"
"And came here," Fury realized as he turned to the window panels, seeing the skies darken with storm clouds and cracks of thunder began to be heard and flashes of lightning visible. "So that hammer…belong to this new superhuman…"
"God."
"What?!" Fury exclaimed as he and Hill turned around. Entering the Command & Control Center was Agent Phil Coulson, looking a bit worse for wear but otherwise ok. "Coulson, what are you talking about?"
"He's not a superhuman, Boss," Coulson said as he approached, giving a nod of recognition to Hill. "He's a god; that week you sent me to the Galisteo outpost, Quartermain asked me to help him decipher some of the runes that were on the ground. We discovered them to be ancient Norse, which I had reported to you. What I didn't mention was the fact that I did some of my own research. I checked out the local library on anything with the Norse Vikings, and I came across the myths of Thor, the Norse God of Thunder; he was armed with a hammer, and with it could control lightning."
"Well, being we're seeing this all happen before our eyes, I think we can say those myths are…true," Commander Hill stated as she came up to Coulson's side.
"Well…that's just great…" Fury sighed. "It's bad enough we have the Olympian Gods running amok here-Ares living in the Bronx, his son Phobos and Hercules travelling the world…now we have to deal with a Norse Pantheon…All hands, keep monitoring the situation. Hill, alert the Council of this…development, and take Coulson with you. I'll order Quartermain to pack it up and to await a transport." With that, Fury turned back to his screens, never noticing the ever so quick peck that Hill gave Coulson nor the clasp she gave his hands nor her whispers that she was happy he was safe and ok.
*Central Park*
18:00 EST May 4, 2012 AD
"HAVE AT THEE!"
FRAKAKBOOM!
With a majestic roar that could silence even the creatures of Atlantis, the skies thundered as majestic bolts of celestial lightning bombarded the battleground. The power behind them was full blown, as was fit for a Norse God. The streaks of lightning swept massive confusion, fear and disorder amongst the Frost Giants, forcing them back from the assembled heroes.
"You do not understand how wonderful it feels to do that again," Thor roared with laughter as he twirled his hammer with uncanny speed that made even Pietro gawk. With a roar, the Asgardian flung his hammer directly at the hordes of Jotun, viciously hitting a good number of them before the hammer suddenly froze in midair and then raced back to Thor's waiting hand. "Or that!"
"Holy…" was all Hawkeye could mutter in awe.
"Sonuva…" Logan whistled.
"Who is that?" Jess exclaimed.
"I have no idea…I left my PokéDex at home," Spider-Man replied.
"Get serious, Spider-Man," Carol said as she descended next to the two arachnids. "What just-? How-?"
"I guess that means what Thor was telling us really was the truth," Captain America said.
"You're not kidding, old man," Stark confirmed. "My armor's scans are going ballistic on his physiology make-up. His powers levels…they're off the charts-he seems to be stronger than even Captain Marvel…maybe even the Hulk!"
"I may not know of that, Iron Man," Thor said as he turned to face the heroes, "but I do know this-I said I would give any aid I could against Loki, and my promise remains unchanged. Now that I am worthy and empowered once more, I am ready for battle. I am ready to battle by your side, my fellow warriors, to ensure that Midgard is protected and secure from the likes of Loki."
"You know, I don't think I'll ever get it. He says Loki's crazy, says he needs to help us stop him, tries to talk him down and then decides to stop him after the guy nearly kills him," Peter quipped.
"Family," Logan shrugs. "It's a complicated thing, Webs."
"If you're willing, Thor," Steve said as he extended his gloved hand, "then we would like nothing more than to have you fight on our side. Together, as allies and protectors of Earth."
"Aye, Captain, as Earth's Mightiest Heroes," Thor grinned. He then turned to see Jane as she, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were getting up, and walked up to them to speak to her. "Jane…I thank you; you have provided much for me in the last three years, and I can never repay you for your kindness. It has been quite an adventure these last three years."
"Yeah, it really has," Jane agreed with a smile, her eyes taking in Thor's new appearance. "So…is this how you usually look?"
"Aye."
"It's a good look," Jane smirked. "If it weren't for you already being taken-"
"GUYS, INCOMING!" Spider-Man yelled out, his Spider-Sense going crazy all of a sudden. Sure enough, a large boulder formation, freshly ripped out of the ground, was hurtling their way as it made to crush them all…except it was easily and pitifully stopped in its tracks by Thor's hand. Three more boulder formations found themselves being hurtled right at them, only for Carol, Banner and Stark to catch them as well.
"Thor!" Loki roared in anger as he approached the front lines, his scepter glowing dangerously as he twirled it. "Once more, you make to ruin the schemes of fate and destiny! Is it not enough you belittle me in our own realm?! Now you must make mockery of me in the realm of mortals?!"
"Heed my words, Loki!" Thor commanded, the skies rumbling with thunder. "I now declare that Midgard is under my protection, now and forever more! I will not stand by and allow you to enslave the world I have come to love as my own home! I will not allow you to place the lives of billions at risk for your own petty games! I tell you now, stop your assault on Midgard, and remove your forces to never bother the mortals again!" At his words, a massive streak of lightning crashed through the skies. "Or you will face the wrath of Mjolnir this day."
"You fool!" Loki replied with a yell. "I am this world's ruler! I shall be king of Midgard, and of the Nine Realms of the Cosmos! Midgard will bow before me, and none can stop me, especially not their so called heroes!"
"But you forget, Loki…" Thor smirked. "I am now one of the heroes of Earth."
"And I guess Goldilocks is officially on our side," Hawkeye smirked.
"HAVE AT THEE!" the Thunder God roared in a battle cry as he jumped directly at the opposition of invading forces, the boulder in his hands sent flying off in another direction as he made for Loki. Loki, meanwhile, let out an evil laugh as he too dashed into the skies, heading right for Thor. Hammer and scepter connected as the two gods landed hits, causing a massive shockwave in the skies.
Both deities came crashing onto the ground, creating a massive crater. Both Thor and Loki, however, barely even registered the impact as both rushed each other. Loki blocked Thor's hammer slam, only to receive a punch to the gut. Thor pressed on with another hammer hit, which got Loki in the face. Loki retaliated by delivering his own hit at Thor's face, and backing away to give himself enough room to twirl his scepter and give his brother a blast, only for Thor to block it with his hammer. Thor then managed to ram the hammer down on the scepter and send it to the ground, and delivered a fist to Loki's face. Loki was then forced on the defensive as Thor delivered blow after blow with his hammer, Loki being forced to block each and every hit with his scepter.
"Ok, everyone!" Iron Man yelled out. "We can still win this! Thor's got Loki busy, so all we got to do is take care of these guys! We can still take them!"
"Iron Man is right!" Captain America declared in triumph, raising his shield into the air. "We make our stand here! We will not surrender! We will win and protect the world. Let's move! CHARGE!"
And with those words of motivation and with newfound strength, resolve and determination, each of the assembled heroes charged, their courage unshaken as they moved as one to confront the rest of the armies of Loki. Claws, arrows, staffs, energy blasts, brute force, webs and combat expertise surged forward, intent on proving just how resilient and unmovable their defense was, and how ferociously the Earth was going to fight to secure its freedom. They were not going to simply let themselves be pushed around. This was their world and their home, and they were going to fight for it.
"Destroy them all!" Amora yelled out as she began firing her magic blasts at the oncoming heroes. Instantly, the Jotun, the Destroyer, Executioner, Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball and Bulldozer charged forward, right for the heroes. They had superior numbers, and some would even say they had superior strength on their side. It didn't matter in the slightest.
Hulk instantly went for the Executioner, landing a smashing jump on him despite having the villain's ax getting embedded into his chest. With a roar of anger and unadulterated fury, Hulk ripped it out of his chest and began beating Skurge with its handle, to which the Asgardian could barely defend himself from. Skurge managed to grab the ax and rip it from Hulk's hands, once again slashing away at the titan, beginning once more a vicious battle between the two powerful beings as they created a massive crater and untold damage. Their punches and roars and yells rang out and echoed across all of Central Park as they clashed, delivering haymaker after haymaker and ax hit after ax hit.
Wanda was tired; her strength was sapped from everything that she had just endured under the hands of Loki and the Enchantress, and she was nearly wiped out. She didn't care. She wanted to make them pay for putting her through all of that. She could barely stand, and she was still replenishing her stamina and trying to regulate herself once more, but she wasn't about to just sit by the sidelines while her brother and new allies. Using her limitless ability to bend probability to her will, she made herself stand and with a vengeance, she amassed a large array of chaos hex spheres and sent them flying towards the Enchantress, who went flying to the ground as they exploded upon impact, enticing vicious chaotic side effects. With a snarl, Amora instantly teleported to Wanda's location, but the mutant sorceress was expecting it, and the moment Amora appeared before her, Wand surged chaos fields at her, which Amora barely blocked with her own magics.
Carol slammed herself right into the Destroyer, firing energy blast after energy blast, then punch after punch, but she saw that it wasn't going to be enough. The energy that she had absorbed when the Destroyer had blasted her was almost all gone, leaving her at her base energy & strength levels; not only that, but Loki had apparently wised up to her strategy, because the Destroyer wasn't firing any blasts at her at all. Instead, it only delivered bone crushing hits from its metallic fists. Captain Marvel was one of the most powerful superhumans on the planet, but even she had her own limits, and taking on a being of this much power was one of them. If something didn't happen to help her out soon, then-!
"Ho, Captain Marvel!" Thor yelled out as he sent Loki flying with a hammer hit. Carol looked to him, and Thor wasted no time with words, but instead simply aimed his hammer at her, and from it procured a massive blast of celestial lightening that hit her directly and with a force that she had never felt before. It sent her staggering back, but only for an instant. As her body began adapting and absorbing the energy, the heroine could actually feel that this lightening…it was almost exactly like the energy behind the Destroyer's blasts, but still different…it was godlike, and all-powerful. Adrenaline began pumping in her veins and soon, her body was shaking in the excess energy, and there was only one way to take of it-let it out.
"Thanks, Thor!" she shouted in glee as she surged massively powerful blasts of photon energy from her fists right at the Destroyer, sending the metallic juggernaut flying into the air, at which she raced after it and landed a massively powerful punch on its faceless head. Thor laughed in joy as he returned his attention to Loki, who was now flying at him with his scepter pointed directly at the Thunder God.
Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-Man and Quicksilver each handled Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball and Bulldozer respectively. Iron Man immediately sent a vicious barrage of repulsor blasts right at Wrecker's face, blinding the villain and forcing his incoming crowbar whack to go wild. Stark flew into the air to avoid any more hits from Wrecker, and from the skies he fired his uni-beam, landing a devastating hit on the Wrecker who yelled out fiercely from the pain of the blast. Wolverine continued to slash away at Piledriver, taking no care at all as to how badly he was maiming the villain. Claw slash after claw slash enticed vicious screams from the villain as the mutant properly welcomed the newcomer villain into the world of heroes and villains. Logan did a somersault and flip in the air and managed to again embed his claws into Piledriver's back, making the villain scream in agony once again. He had been stabbed by both Wolverine and Panther in that general area this whole time and it was becoming more and more painful with each time he got hit there. Piledriver ferociously tried to grab at the mutant but to no avail.
Spider-Man, meanwhile, found it quite difficult to tussle with the man calling himself Thunderball, but he was no quitter, not since the age of 15, and he wasn't about to start now. Firing web shot after web shot, and with a near limitless arsenal of quips, jokes and remarks, he managed to get Thunderball angry enough to strike blindly and without any kind of tactics. Peter's webs managed to land on the villain's eyes, further hampering his attempts to land decent hits. Thunderball then angrily swung his ball & chain, but the Webhead's Spider-Sense was easily able to help Peter dodge the attack, and as the hero jumped over the weapon's trajectory, he shot a web line at Thunderball's chest and pulled himself in, landing a powerful kick on the villain's torso and sending him staggering back and making him yell in pain.
Quicksilver, meanwhile, was focusing all his attention of Bulldozer, not allowing the villain to get any chance to retaliate or focus or even get a chance to get a breath. The speedster was tapping deep into his mutant ability of speed, making his body go to speeds that he reserved only in the direst of circumstances…which he figured would be occasions such as the one they were in right now. Absorbing the momentum he was building up and diverting it all to his fists, Pietro enabled himself to deliver vicious and powerful punches all over Bulldozer's body, striking multiple times in the blink of an eye. Bulldozer could not block any of the hits, finding he was unable to keep up with the hero. In a desperate attempt to stop the mutant, Piledriver jumped up and rammed his protected head and his fists right into the ground, creating ripples and an eruption of the ground and dirt and stone. Pietro barely managed to keep his balance as the carnage erupted below his feet.
As for the swarm of Jotun that remained, Captain America and Spider Woman took on Ymir while Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Black Widow, Black Panther, Yellowjacket and Wasp engaged the other Frost Giants. Ymir was furious at the fact that he and his people were being bested by mere puny mortal humans, and he wanted to rectify this problem immediately. He raised his ice scythes to slice Captain America, only to be blasted in the face by one of Spider Woman's venom blasts. Ymir staggered back from the blast, and instantly felt something hard and metallic-Cap's shield-ramming into his leg. More venoms blasts from Jess were fired and Steve flung his shield directly at the Frost Giant's face, landing right in his eye. Ymir roared in pain as he swung his scythes blindly, both heroes barely dodging the strike. Spider Woman then flew up and landed a powerful uppercut on Ymir's chin, and Captain America managed to jump up and ram his shield directly into the creature's face.
Meanwhile, the others were fiercely and relentlessly tackling the other Jotun, refusing to surrender under their superior strength and numbers. Hawkeye had at last managed to run out of arrows…but he still had quite a number of arrow heads of all forms. Using his SHIELD trained body and every form of martial arts and agility he was trained in, he jumped and dodged and ran, throwing arrowheads left and right-explosive, smoke bomb, electrical, impact, sonic, anything. Black Widow continued to leap and jump out of harm's way as she continued to fire her M27's and her Widow stingers at the Jotun, and throwing the occasional grenade that she always kept in her belt for some occasions. Even though she was no superhuman, Natalia was filled with the enhancements of the KGB's Red Room program, and she used her expertise of combat to land blows on what she hoped were pressure points on the Jotun, utilizing uncanny athletic skills as she moved. Mockingbird, unlike Black Widow, had no enhancements in her slender & petite body at all, but she was one of the best athletic and maneuverable agents in all of SHIELD, and she put her skills to use as she deliver blows with her battle staves at places she knew she could reach, mostly the back of the knees of the Jotun. Her small form allowed her to easily maneuver around the carnage of the battle without much worry of being hit.
Black Panther, with all his vibranium daggers finally used up, was now going for a more direct approach; with the final two daggers he had left, he connected and extended them to for a deadly dual bladed staff. With the training of kings and warriors, T'Challa jumped and pounced as he struck with the frenzy of the panthers of Wakanda, delivering vicious blows and strikes against the Jotun Frost Giants, the vibranium blades of his weapon leaving their deadly marks as the Wakandan king hacked and slashed his way through the Jotun. Meanwhile, Yellowjacket and Wasp took a more upfront method still, going supersized to match the Jotun in height and even strength. Left and right, the married couple dealt their punches and their kicks, and also fired their powerful bio-blasts, turned short-ranged as they were in their giant forms, but enhanced in power also. The Jotun fought hard and fiercely against the humans, but their skill and powers managed to go on par exactly with their strength and size, and they found themselves fighting a slowly losing battle.
All the while, Jane Foster watched the titanic and climactic battle before her eyes as she hid amongst the carnage of the trees and stone left in the wake of the rampages and fight. She couldn't believe her eyes. She had always heard that the fights between the superhumans of Earth were feats of wonder, but she had never seen one close up before today. She was captivated by the sights before her, watching as beings that were looked upon as gods and legends and monsters clashed with creatures of myth and legend. Jane couldn't make herself move from her spot. She was too caught up in the spectacle before her, watching the heroes of her world working and battling as one to protect their home and their planet.
No one noticed that there were other people watching the battle as well.
"Do you not see this!?" Thor demanded as he blocked another blow from Loki's scepter. He gestured to the raging war surrounding them, and Loki looked towards them all. "Do you truly think that this madness will stop even if you manage to stop the mortal heroes here?! Their heroes will not simply lie down and allow you to take Midgard! They will never surrender to you, Loki! They will stand, and they will forevermore be assembled to stand against your might!"
"And they will simply fall against my superiority!" Loki retorted as he blasted Thor with his arcane blasts. Thor retaliated by firing a lightning blast. "And I will ensure, BROTHER, that you do not dare to stand in my way as I conquer the realm of Midgard, then Asgard, and then all the Nine Realms of the Cosmos!"
"I SAY THEE NAY!" Thor roared as he rammed his hammer right into Loki's armored chest. "As long as I draw breath and as long as I have a tie to this realm, Midgard shall forever be under my unending protection, Trickster!"
"Then let us correct that!" Loki cackled as he raised his scepter to the skies, bringing forth bolts of green lightning that flashed as they flew off in random directions, hitting anything in their path. Thor, however, was just as quick as the Trickster, and with his hammer brought forth his own lightning and used it to counter and deflect the green lightning blasts. "You amuse me, Thor!" Loki sneered, raising his hands to fire yet more blasts of Asgardian magic. "It seems that your time on Midgard has softened you, indeed!"
"Be silent!" Thor roared as he flew up and descended down towards his evil adopted brother. "Face the wrath of Mjolnir!" With the roars of thunder echoing across the skies, Thor slammed his mighty weapon, Mjolnir, right into Loki's face.
"You're weak, witch," Amora sneered as she continued to do battle with the Scarlet Witch. "You have been drained of your energy to fight, and you will at any moment fall under the strain of exhaustion. It would do you well to surrender now and-!"
"I will not surrender to you!" Wanda yelled as she unleashed a massive surge of arcane hex spheres, blasting the Enchantress and enticing feral roars of pain from the Asgardian. "And you will pay for making me go through all that, you whore!"
"Well, the Scarlet Witch sure seems mad," Jess mentioned as she dodged one of Ymir's scythes and retaliated with a venom blast.
"Well, wouldn't you?!" Cap replied with a smirk as he caught his shield and began racing up towards the Frost Giant he was fighting. "Her powers are helping us, though; she's holding the Enchantress at bay and allowing us to focus on bringing these things down!" He then jumped up and rammed his shield into Ymir's face. "And we're doing it, Jess! Soon, these things won't be much of a problem anymore!"
"HA! That is what you think, mortal!" Ymir sneered as he swung his ice blades again. "Even now, more of my brethren are coming this way, ready to smite you all where you stand!"
'Sir,' JARVIS interrupted as Stark fired a few more repulsor rays at the Wrecker. 'I'm detecting three bodies of the invading creatures heading towards Central Park, specifically in this direction. SHIELD, the NYPD and the American military are unable to hold them at bay.'
"Well, that's just great," Iron Man muttered. "Heads up, everyone! More of these things are heading our way!"
"Aw, come on!" Hawkeye yelled.
"Well, it could be worse!" Spider-Man quipped. He managed to get back to back with Quicksilver as the two prepared for the next incoming attacks from Bulldozer and Thunderball.
"Yes, clearly," Pietro fumed, readying himself. "Because that is exactly what we need-for the situation to get worse than it already is! These two buffoons have us at a disadvantage at the moment!"
"And we're gonna lay the hurt on y'oose good!" Bulldozer sneered as he cracked his knuckles, Thunderball swinging his ball & chain. Then, they charged at the heroes.
"Oh, c'mon, Quicksilver," Peter continued as he and the mutant braced themselves. "We're literally fighting an apocalypse here! At least the sky isn't falling down on us in fire, right?!"
At that moment, the skies suddenly darkened swiftly and in just seconds, a massive surge of blue energy descended up the grounds of Central Park, engulfing the space between the two heroes and the two villains, forcing Thunderball & Bulldozer to stop in their tracks. All across the battlefield, everyone stopped to witness this spectacle.
"OH, COME ON, I WAS JUST JOKING!" Spider-Man yelled to the skies.
Then, the surge suddenly disappeared, but not before three cries of the phrase, "HAVE AT THEE, VILLAINS!" was heard.
From the smoke that had resulted from the surge's impact on the ground leapt three figures. One was blonde and sported a fantasy armor and cape of tan and dark green colors, and he held a long and menacing looking sword in his hand, and a look of eagerness and a small level of naiveté on his face, and one couldn't help but see he was rather handsome. The second held a face of grim determination and unshakeable resolve highlighted by his goatee, and one could just make out what appeared to be features resembling Asian. He was covered in dark blue fantasy armor and clothing with a dark fantasy armored vest and boots, and thick fingerless gauntlets on his arms, each hand sporting a sinister looking mace. The third was huge-fat but not too fat-and was covered in brown and silver fantasy armor, and he had long and curly orange hair and facial hair, thick silver gauntlets and a massive battle axe in his hands.
Fandral the Dashing, Hogun the Grim and Volstagg the Voluminous. The Warriors Three of Asgard.
"Fall under the might of Volstagg!" Volstagg roared in fierce battling spirit as he attacked Bulldozer, his godly strength allowing him to easily topple the supervillian. With a swing of his axe, he sent the villain flying.
"Have a care, Volstagg," Fandrall laughed as he and Hogun then engaged Thunderball, jumping at him with blade and mace. "Save some fighting for the rest of us!"
"Um…what just happened?" Peter asked as he and Pietro looked on in shock.
"Anyone else seeing this?!" Mockingbird yelled out.
"Whoa!" Stark exclaimed. "My scannings show that they've got the same biological and physiological make-up as Thor! Whoever they are, they're the same species as him!"
"Are we sure that's a good thing?!" Natalia asked.
"The Warriors Three?!" Loki hissed as he struggled to get back to his feet. "No…then this battle has consumed too much of my focus and shattered the spells that clouded Midgard from Heimdall. That can mean but one thing…any minute now, the hosts of Asgard…Odin himself-!"
"FANDRALL, HOGUN AND VOLSTAGG!" Thor exclaimed with joy as he raced up to the three newcomers and gave them a bear hug. "By Odin's Beard, 'tis good to see you all again!"
"I think it is!" Captain America answered Widow's question.
"And you as well, Thor!" the trio replied in unison. "Heimdall was alerted of what was transpiring here on Midgard, and alerted the All-Father at once! Even now, the hosts of Asgard are assembling to do battle with these creatures of Jotunheim!" Fandral added.
"But it appears there is no need!" Volstagg commented. "The All-Seer spoke truth; these mortal heroes have truly stood against the might of enemies the likes of which Midgard has not seen in millennia!"
"Aye!" Thor declared. "Truly, I am honored to fight alongside these heroes, the mightiest warriors that Midgard offers as her champions! They would make superb warriors if they were of Asgard!"
"I would surely-!" Fandral began.
BRAKAKABOOOMMMM!
"NOBODY SENDS ME FLYING!" Bulldozer roared as he charged right into Volstagg, the both of them crashing into the trees. "I'm gonna kill you, ya hear me!? I'LL KILL-!"
"Get back, fool!" Volstagg roared in anger as he swung his ax at his face. "If it is battle with Asgardians you desire, then so be it!"
"Um, Thor?!" Iron Man called out. "Not that I want to break up the family reunion, but we're kind of in the MIDDLE OF A WAR HERE!"
"Aye, Iron Man!" Thor agreed. "And with the aid of the Warriors Three of Asgard, we shall find victory on this day, yet!"
"I think not!" Loki roared as he levitated himself into the air. "Not as long as I am standing will there be victory for you or the mortals this day! Attack, Frost Giants of Jotunheim! Attack, my faithful followers! On this day, we shall know victory and conquest! The Nine Realms shall fall before our power!"
"Thor!" Fandral yelled as he engaged again into battle. "We shall deal with the Jotun! You and the mortal heroes must go and face Loki and his followers!" At that, Volstagg disengaged Bulldozer as he went to join the other two to do so. Bulldozer was about to go after the Asgardian but was stopped by the Executioner crashing into him, courtesy of the Hulk.
"Aye!" Thor agreed. "Onward, heroes of Midgard, for today we shall find victory's sweet taste and vanquish this evil from the realm!"
"You heard him, everyone!" Captain America roared as he charged. "Take them down!"
"We got incoming!" Captain Marvel yelled out as she dodged another of the Destroyer's blasts. "We got more of these things coming this way, and there's probably dozens per group heading here!" The heroes turned to see it was true. From the far sides of Central Park, new hordes of Frost Giants, each armed with whatever ice weapons they had, were heading in their direction, the lust for blood in their eyes and the desire to lay waste to their enemies in their resolve. With massive and echoing roars of ferality and viciousness, they all charged, heading right for the battle field and to bring their aid to their fellow invaders.
"Crap, that's not good!" Hawkeye exclaimed. "We need a plan! Three of Thor's buddies aren't enough to take on all of those things!"
"Though your faith is us could be a bit better, mortal," Fandral exclaimed, "you do speak truth!" He turned to the skies. "Heimdall, where is our reinforcement!?"
At that moment, yet another surge of massive blue energy descended from the heavens and crashed into the ground before the Warriors Three. When it disappeared, the smoke blew away to reveal a warrior dressed in dark purple fantasy armor and a helmet on his head, a dark violet cap billowing on his back. He wielded as longsword in one hand and a shield in the other. He had silvery long hair, a warrior's built, and blue eyes filled with battle spirit.
Balder the Brave, Norse God of Light, stepbrother of Thor and the third greatest warrior of Asgard.
"It has come, Fandral," the Asgardian smirked as he took up a battle stance, joining the Warriors Three.
"Balder!" Thor yelled out as he whirled his hammer and threw it at the ground at Loki's feet. "Tis good to see you once again!"
"Aye, my brother!" Balder replied. "And it is not just I who is arriving with the Warriors as well!"
Yet another surge of blue energy descended onto the grounds of Central Park, but this time, it crashed right amongst the charging Frost Giants, causing immediate chaos and confusion. When the energy surge dissipated, however, that confusion was replaced by roars of disarray and fear. The assembled heroes watched in awe as they saw what the arriving Asgardians were cheering on. It was a woman, with sleek raven locks and clothed in dark red and tan fantasy armor and battle kilt. Each hand held a sinister looking sword, both currently cutting through the flesh of the Frost Giants with ease as she unleashed vicious war cries. Her head was adorned with a helmet with wings, similar to Thor's, and she had thick scarlet gauntlets on her wrists. What caught the most attention were her killer thighs, which seemed to glisten in the sunlight with the lust they enticed.
Lady Sif, the Norse Goddess of War, and the love of Thor.
"Warriors Three and Balder!" Sif roared as she continued to hack her way through the Jotun. "To me as we smite these creatures down! Thor!" she added as she turned to her love. "Loki and his minions are all yours!"
"Aye, War Goddess!" Thor yelled back. "Now, heroes of Midgard! Ere this day, we shall ensure this world lives to see yet another day! Let us avenge the lives lost in the wake of Loki's madness and prove that mankind cannot fall. We strike for New York! For those who have fallen! For the protection of this world and this realm! FOR MIDGARD!"
"He could do really well as a motivational speaker," Spider-Man quipped to Spider Woman, who smirked and nodded.
"TAKE THEM DOWN!" Iron Man and Captain America yelled, mirroring Thor's words, enthusiasm and his fervor. With yells of battle, the assembled heroes of Earth descended upon the four supervillians that Loki had created, the Enchantress and upon Loki himself. With Lady Sif, Balder the Brave and the Warriors Three holding back Ymir and all his Jotun, they had nothing holding them back. Web lines, arrow heads, claws, staffs, repulsors, bullets, stings, fists and a shield rained merciless pain upon Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball and Bulldozer. As Quicksilver forced them to separate with his blinding speed and vortexes, Iron Man and Spider Woman fired their blasts from above. As the villains yelled in pain from these hits, they were bombarded with bullets and shield flings and arrowheads. Spider-Man webbed down from above and hit Thunderball's arm with his webbing, and with a mighty swing of his arm, forced the villain's arm to swing madly and fling the ball & chain he was holding right into Piledriver and Bulldozer, distracting Thunderball long enough to allow Wolverine to slice his back up with his claws. Wrecker was, meanwhile, attacked by Mockingbird and Black Panther's dangerous melee weapons skills. All four of the supervillians were, at the same time, continuously blasted by Yellowjacket and Wasp's bio-sting bursts and punched repeatedly when they went giant sized.
Hulk and the Executioner continued to go at it, and even though both titans were extremely powerful and seemed to be quite evenly matched when they first started battling, the Hulk, had a major advantage in his favor that was quickly proving to be the Executioner's downfall. The madder the Hulk got, the stronger he got; and with each passing minute of this dragged out battle against the Executioner, the Hulk was getting madder and madder, and his strength just continued to increase. It didn't matter that he had numerous large and bleeding gashes on his torso, or that Executioner's axe was partially embedded in his back. His healing factor was going on overload, allowing the Hulk to focus solely on smashing his opponent. With his axe gone, Skurge could only go on the defensive as he tried to block all of the Hulk's ferocious hits.
Captain Marvel was having the time of her life. This new energy-celestial lightning-was giving her energy like never before. This was even more powerful than when she was Binary, and Binary had made her a goddess! She couldn't help but laugh and squeal with glee as she fired energy blasts repeated, each more powerful than the ones before them. The Destroyer was an invincible juggernaut that defined logic, but then again, her very existence defied logic as well. With the godlike energy in her, she easily continued to stand against the Destroyer and matched it blow for blow and pound for pound.
Thor, meanwhile, continued fighting on as if the very walls of Asgard were falling around him. But then…this world, this realm of mortals…Midgard was now his second home, his adopted world since Asgard had banished him. He lived to see spectacles in this world that dwarfed even the mightiest and most glorious battles that the hosts of Asgard were victorious in. He had seen the rise and fall of heroes and villains alike, and he had seen the indomitable spirit of Humanity's willpower. He had grown to love mankind, and to love this world, they who had taken him in with open arms. Jane, Darcy and Erik had opened his eyes from the clouded judgment he held on Midgard and mankind. He knew better now, and it was for that reason that he fought on against Loki, attacking with his fists and with Mjolnir, unfaltering and unfazed in his resolve to defend his new home from the evils that Loki had in store for it.
Enchantress and Scarlet Witch continued to engage in their arcane-magics battle, and Amora could see with glee that despite everything she was trying, Wanda was still barely able to stand and fight, let alone stand at all. She cackled as Wanda gave in to the strain somewhat by collapsing onto one knee, groaning as she desperately and adamantly forced herself to continue to unleash her hex energies against the Asgardian villainess. Amora then unleashed a massive surge of her magic, and landed a devastating hit on Wanda, making her collapse under the strain.
"AUURRGHH!"
"WANDA!" Pietro roared as he finished delivering a massive blow to Piledriver.
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME, FOCUS ON YOUR BATTLE!" Wanda screamed back, her hands glowing as she forced herself to get back up. And her brother did; she didn't need him worrying about her when he was so much to worry about before him. She looked towards the Enchantress, snarling as she fired a hex blast, "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!?"
"By the beard of Odin," Sif exclaimed as she slayed more Frost Giants. "These mortals truly can best the creatures of Jotunheim and the lackeys of Loki himself!"
"Aye, Heimdall spoke truth indeed!" Balder agreed as she impaled a Jotun in the heart.
"No, mortal wench," Amora sneered as she then summoned up a massive flow of green magical energy, which soon engulfed her. "I am merely beginning to make this battle Loki's victory! You think you can stand against our numbers and power?! You couldn't be more wrong! ARISE ONCE MORE, FROST GIANTS OF JOTUNHEIM! ARISE, AND SEEK THE GLORIOUS CONQUEST OF MIDGARD UNDER THE HANDS OF LOKI LAUFEYSON, AND WITH IT, THE CONQUEST OF THE NINE REALMS!" As she said these words, numerous bursts of the green energy flew into the skies and burst in explosions and rained down up the island of Manhattan once again, but a good number were focused on Central Park. "Now, mortals," Amora cackled, "fall before the might of the armies of Jotunheim and the power of Loki!"
'Sir, multiple incursions are being detected across Manhattan!' JARVIS warned. 'A good percentage of them are appearing in the vicinity of Central Park, and more of these creatures are spewing out at the moment.'
"Well, that's just great!" Stark snapped angrily as he fired yet another uni-beam at Bulldozer.
"Look yonder, Asgardians!" Lady Sif yelled as more portals appeared, each spewing more and more Frost Giants, fresh from Jotunheim and more than ready for what was promised as glorious battle. "More Jotun appear! Stand strong and stand fast, for we shall fight until our last breath!"
"Ok, this just got way worse!" Mockingbird yelled out.
"Webs, what the hell did you say this time?!" Logan demanded.
"I didn't say anything!"
"Now look for yourself, Thor," Loki sneered as both gods floated in the skies, their weapons ready to fire, watching the fresh source of reinforcements arrive all across Manhattan and swarm the Central Park battlefield. "Your foolish mortal pets are about to be slaughtered before your eyes! Even your precious compatriots will soon see the foolishness of fighting and leave to abandon Midgard! Even you can't save them all from death!"
"If I cannot, then I will be sure to avenge their deaths!" Thor roared as he and Loki exchanged blows from their weapons. "I shall never surrender!"
"You've lost, mortal," Amora sneered as she came to Wanda, her hands glowing and her face sneering over her latest push against Earth's defenses. "The forces of Jotunheim will overrun this island, then the rest of Midgard, and your kind and your heroes will be slaughtered as they rise up against us. The Jotun will destroy this realm, and bring Loki his victory. They-AAHHH!" she screamed as the mutant suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrists, Wanda's own hands glowing a bright scarlet-pinkish color, and Amora was shocked to realize that whatever power this was, it was BURNING her. She struggled with all her might to escape the grip, but couldn't, and she was horrified even more to see Wanda's eyes glowing a bright pink. "What-what is this-?!"
"You just revealed to me how we've been going about this all wrong, Enchantress," Wanda mused, and Amora was filled with fear to see that the mutant was…smiling. "And you just gave me the method to stop your invasion and defeat you once and for all. You keep bringing in these Frost Giants…and I want them out. And I can make anything in this universe happen…if I truly so desire it to be. "Right now, I want your Frost Giants off the Earth." Her eyes' glowing intensified, as did the hex energy engulfing her hands and the Enchantress' arms. "Enchantress…no more Frost Giants."
A bright light procured from the two magic wielders.
The battle surrounding them raged on regardless. Lady Sif, Balder and the Warriors Three against the Jotun. Hulk against the Executioner. Captain Marvel against the Destroyer. Thor against Loki. Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Wolverine, Black Panther, Quicksilver, Spider Woman, Black Widow, Mockingbird, Yellowjacket and Wasp against Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball and Bulldozer.
In the distance, all onboard the SHIELD Helicarrier saw the massive light. On the streets of Manhattan, soldiers, agents and police fought against the Frost Giants.
The light engulfed Central Park, then Manhattan, then the five boroughs, then New York State, North America…and the world…in merely 10 seconds.
The light receded.
And the battlefield was changed dramatically.
The field was void of all Frost Giants, save for those that had already been slain. The heroes of Earth stood shocked and still, staring around them as they wondered what the hell had just happened. Thor and Loki slowly descended to the ground, staring in awe and shock at the fields before them. The Executioner didn't believe what he was seeing. The Destroyer had no response, being it was lifeless and also was currently facedown slammed into the ground by Carol's foot. Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball and Bulldozer frantically looked around as they wondered what had happened to the army that they had backing them up. Sif, Balder, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun simply stood in absolute shock.
And Amora was on her knees, right in front of Wanda, who was on all fours, gasping for breath, quite literally at the point of collapse. Amora stared at the mutant, shock in her eyes…soon replaced by unadulterated anger.
"YOU!"
"Ha…" Wanda smirked. "So fall the tyrants."
"How…how?!" Loki demanded, turning his focus to the Scarlet Witch.
"I used one of my most powerful but most dangerous spells," Wanda replied with pride. "To sum it up, I just banished all your Frost Giants from Earth. As long as I live, they can never set foot upon our planet again."
"Well…this looks kinda bad, Dirk," Piledriver said. "And we was rooting for these guys…"
"Yeah, tell me about it…" Wrecker replied. He was really started to get worried now…especially with all the heroes looking at the four of them like that.
"This…isn't possible!" Loki yelled, only to have the Executioner thrown at him by the Hulk, with the battle ax flying at them and just barely missing them as it landed right next to them.
"Wanda, are you ok?!" Pietro asked worriedly as he, Peter, Logan and Jess came over to her.
"I'm fine, brother," Wand replied with a gentle smile, holding onto him for support. "Just…I don't think exhausted covers it at all."
"She…did that?" Natalia gasped.
"It seems there is much to learn about each other as we continue to battle side by side," Panther mused.
"So, the Trickster stands defeated," Balder said as he and the other Asgardians came over to Thor.
"Not quite yet," Thor mused. "His armies are gone, but I know Loki; he shall fight until defeated by force." He then turned to Sif. "Sif, I-"
SLAP!
Everyone present was surprised by the hand the Norse Goddess threw across Thor's face, and none as much as Thor himself. The Thunder God stared at her in shock, his hand on the spot she had hit. "Three years," Sif said angrily. "Three (insert ancient Norwegian curse here) years I had to go without you, Thor. Three years where I felt empty without you because you went and did something so foolish even after I told you it was a terrible idea. Three long years that I was without you by my side." Then she did the unexpected and gave him a passionate kiss. "And yet somehow, you made my love for you increase a hundred times over. Oh, how I've missed you, Odinson," she sighed as she embraced him tightly. In just a minute, she had exposed two sides of her that she refused to let anyone see. She really did still love him.
"And I you," Thor said as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Um, Thor," Captain America stated as he and the other heroes approached them both (Captain Marvel had just thrown the Destroyer into the nearby lake). "I know that this is kind of a tender moment for you, but Loki is still…"
"Aye, he speaks truth, my love," Sif agreed. "Go; Balder, the Warriors and I will…tend…to those four and to Amora. Loki is your battle, and the battle of these valiant mortal heroes."
"Very well," Thor nodded. With that, he approached the heroes of Earth. The other Asgardians then turned to the four villains, and approached them with their weapons at the ready. Their looks were ones of death. After everything they had been through, Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball and Bulldozer were quick to recognize that the gods now approaching them were definitely NOT on their side.
"WE SURRENDER!" they exclaimed, dropping their weapons. Their reward was a swift knock out, courtesy of Asgardian strength.
"Shame, really," Fandral smirked.
"It would be best for you to stay still, witch," Sif snarled as she pointed her blade at Amora's throat. The Asgardian sorceress merely glared, but complied.
Loki threw the Executioner's dazed form off himself, and moaned in pain. Being hit like that with that kind of force…it hurt, even being a god and an immortal. Shaking his head to focus, his horned helmet fell off. His green armor was tattered from combat. Looking around, he saw his scepter on the ground near him. Trying to get himself up, the Trickster reached for it…only for a web line to beat him to it and snatch it away from his grasp. Loki held his breath; he figured he knew what this was. Slowly, he raised his head as he stood up.
Surrounding him were Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Black Widow, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch leaning on Quicksilver, Wolverine, Spider Woman, Captain Marvel and Spider-Man, who handed the scepter to Thor. Each looked weary from battle, and exhausted. But they still held that fire in their eyes; the fires of determination, resolve and of warrior spirits. They each were ready to act if Loki had another trick up his sleeve.
"You have lost, Loki," Thor stated. "Your armies have been driven away. Your followers are defeated, and the Destroyer has met its match." At that, Carol silently pumped her fist in the air.
"We told you that you wouldn't take Earth," Iron Man said. "And you didn't."
"This is your last chance, Loki," Cap said as he pointed at the Norse God of Mischief. "Surrender."
"Or we can smash you some more," Hulk stated, cracking his massive knuckles.
Loki snarled. "No…I…am LOKI. I shall not fall." His fists began to glow, and the heroes readied to attack. "Do you think I really need an army or followers to ensure my goals? I am a GOD, you worms, and I-!"
KRAKAKAKAKBBBOOOOOOMMM!
One final massive surge of blue energy descended upon the ground from the skies, landing directly beside Loki. As the surge took them all by surprise, an echoing neigh of a horse rang out as its silhouette became visible, as did that of its rider as it dismounted it. Soon, the surge of energy disappeared, revealing a winged horse that looked like the definition of majestic. Standing next to it was a man of elderly appearance, but whose body language screamed power, authority and royalty. He had silvery long hair, a silver beard, a golden eye patch on his left right eye, and a long spear in his hand. He wore golden and dark brown fantasy armor, complete with legwear to match, and he had a dark colored cape billowing in the winds behind him. On each of his shoulders, a jet black crow sat perched and awaiting command.
Lord Odin Borson, the King of the Norse Pantheon, Lord and All-Father of Asgard, and Thor's…
"Father?" Thor gasped.
"Aye, my son," Odin replied in a booming voice, fit for a king of gods. "It warms my heart so to see that you have indeed proven yourself once again worthy of being a god, a king, and a warrior. You have made your mother and I proud, and all of Asgard rejoices at your return." He turned to Loki, and his warm expression instantly darkened. "Loki…you, however, have brought naught but dishonor and shame to the house of Odin, and to Asgard. Time and again I have dealt with your actions as mere trickery and mischief; as your methods of ensuring your place in the cycle of Ragnarok that forever draws nearer. This…this is no trickery, nor mischief; this is evil. You seek to destroy the one realm vital in the preservation of Yggdrassil. And all for usurping me, and for the sake of ruling over the conquered with an iron fist? Is this how you repay my raising you, boy?!"
"You deserve a thousand times worse, FATHER!" Loki spat, hatred in his eyes. "Your 'raising' made me believe I could be a king! All that time, however, you were simply building false hope and then destroyed it all the moment it was revealed only Thor would ever be king!"
"I loved you too much to break the truth to you," Odin countered.
"And what good that did! You created the god you see before you!" Loki snarled, but then sneered. "But it matters not, for I know I am destined for glory and triumph. I tell you now that before Ragnarok comes, the house of Odin shall indeed fall and I shall be crowned King of Asgard, and Thor will be at my feet pledging his undying fidelity."
"You shame yourself and all of Asgard," Odin said, thunder booming in the skies. "And if you truly feel no remorse for your actions, then it pains me to say that you are too dangerous to be allowed to roam free after an action such as this! Loki, you are to be banished-exiled! You shall remain in the Room without Doors, for now and evermore! SO DECREES THE LORD OF ASGARD!" And with these words, Odin raised his hand, from which a massive surge of unrivaled energy blasted right at Loki. The God of Mischief screamed in agony as the blast consumed him. The screams soon silenced, and when the blast was done, Loki had disappeared.
"Whoa…" Wasp whistled.
"I'll say it again," Spider-Man began, but Logan interrupted him.
"After seein' that, you sure you wanna say those words, bub?"
"…good point."
"Now," Odin commanded. "We shall take the Executioner and the Enchantress and remove them of their abilities. For their punishment, they shall serve exile on Midgard, unable to return to Asgard or to use the abilities that are an Asgardian's birthright." With a wave of his hand, it was done. "They may remain under your judgment, mortals," he said to the heroes. "They shall not be a problem for you now."
"Uh…thank you?" Stark replied.
"Wait, what about the Destroyer?" Carol asked.
"Hmm…yes, the Destroyer…." Odin mused in thought. "Since Karnilla bewitched it centuries ago, its power was too great and I had kept it in the Isle of Silence, where it would do no harm. Even the Odinforce that I wield cannot completely stop such a powerful weapon. All I can do is return it to the Isle, until the bewitchment is broken." As Odin spoke, his eye glowed, and seconds later, the Destroyer rose from the lake, encased in an aura of glowing golden energy before the energy grew brighter and engulfed the metallic juggernaut. Before their eyes, the Destroyer disappeared, to parts unknown to the human heroes standing there.
"And now…we shall return to Asgard. We have much to celebrate, for the crown prince of Asgard has at last returned!" Odin roared in laughter. Lady Sif, Balder and the Warriors Three approached Odin as they prepared to return to Asgard…when they noticed that Thor had not joined them. "My son?" Odin asked with curiosity, even though he was certain of what troubled the Thunder God.
"Thor?" Balder asked as the Warriors Three exchanged worried glances.
"My love?" Sif asked.
Thor looked towards his father, his beloved and his greatest friends, and then turned to look at the heroes he had fought with so valiantly. He knew where his heart was, and what he wanted to do. "Father…I do not think I will return to Asgard just yet."
"Oh?"
"In my exile on Midgard, I have come to learn to understand humanity, in a way we as Asgardians have never done so in millennia. I have fallen in love with this realm, and all that it offers. I have found friends such as Jane Foster and her comrades, and I have seen the force that drives humanity time and again. I have learned to see Midgard through mortal eyes. I have seen its champions rise time and again to answer the call. They make such a difference….everything here makes a difference. I can provide so much to Midgard…and I choose to act as a champion of Midgard. I have chosen to stand alongside their heroes," Thor said with pride as he gestured to the assembled heroes.
"With mortals?" the Warriors Three exclaimed.
"These mortals have stood against Loki and his followers & armies," Thor said as he approached the heroes. "They have stood against the Destroyer, against the Enchantress, and against the full might of Jotunheim. They are warriors born…and I am honored, heroes of Midgard," he added with sincerity as he smiled at them, placing his fist over his heart, "to have fought alongside you. I am proud to call you my allies. Now and always, my strength and my hammer are pledged to you."
"Thor…" Captain America said as he stepped forward. "I think I speak for us all when I say…that we are proud to have you on our side. You are a great man, and have proven yourself to be honorable, loyal and willing to give your life for a just cause. That makes you an ally of mine in my book."
"He's right," Stark added as he then came forward. "We're glad to have you willing to work with us. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated."
"I thank you, Captain and Iron Man," Thor said. He turned to his kinsmen and added, "I will always be loyal to Asgard, and when she calls, the Odinson shall answer. But Midgard has also earned my attention, and my protection. When she calls, I shall answer her as well."
Odin was silent for a moment. Then, he smiled. "You have indeed learned your lesson in your exile, my son. You have learned humbleness and the value of another, yes, but you have also learned the true meaning of battle and kinship. And for that, Thor, you have my blessing."
"Thank you, Father," Thor answered. "I will return to Asgard shortly. I must aid in any way I can for those left in the wake of Loki's attack."
"Do not take long, Thor; there is a feast waiting for you now that you've returned, and it promises to be a glorious one." And a few brotherly embraces, an embrace between father and son, and a passionate kiss later, the massive blue surge returned and consumed the Asgardians, taking them away from the realm of Midgard to the Realm Eternal of Asgard.
"So…that's your dad, huh?" Wasp asked as they all came over to Thor.
"Aye, Wasp," Thor replied with a smile. "Not only my father, but my king and mentor as well. Asgard has never fallen against our enemies as long as he has been king."
"He seems kind of…strict when it comes to parenting," Logan pointed out.
"That's not important," Stark interjected. "Thor, I'm kind of worried that your father left the Enchantress and the Executioner behind…he says they have no powers, yeah, but-…"
"You need not worry, Iron Man," Thor assured. "As long as they are without their godlike abilities, they are no threat to Midgard. I would suggest you keep the Executioner's ax away from him, however, and place it wherever you place this." He held up the scepter in his hand. He then looked towards the unconscious Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball and Bulldozer, and the other heroes followed his gaze. "As for them…I am not too entirely sure…I believe their newfound abilities are a part of them now. It would be unwise to remove them from their persons."
"Great, more prisoners to lock up," Natalia sighed as she holstered her guns.
The heroes chuckled slightly before silence set in. For a few dozen seconds, they stood there, unsure of what to do next. The unconscious forms of the four villains lay on the ground them, and the Enchantress and Executioner were no longer a threat. A web line easily handled them.
"Um…" Spider-Man began to say. "So…now what? Should we just stay here and wait for SHIELD or something, or…?" He never finished as they all heard it. It was slow at first, and low, but the sounds grew louder and louder as the source got closer and closer. The 16 heroes just stood there, watching as it approached them.
People. Lots of people, in the hundreds of hundreds-men, women, children, officers, soldiers, old and young, big and small, smiling and weeping…alive. Cheering. Celebrating their victory, and the heroes that gave it to them.
"YOU DID IT! YOU SAVED US ALL!"
"YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!"
"I KNEW YOU WERE GOOD, SPIDEY!"
"I LOVE YOU, IRON MAN!"
"THREE CHEERS FOR THE SUPERHEROES!"
"THEY SAVED US ALL! HALELLUJAH!"
"THAT GUY WITH THE ARROWS WAS AWESOME!"
"HULK, YOU RULE! YOU REALLY ARE THE STRONGEST!"
"YOU GUYS WERE AMAZING KICKING THEIR ASSES!"
"YOU WERE AWESOME, CAPTAIN MARVEL!"
"CAPTAIN AMERICA! WE LOVE YOU! THANKS FOR SAVING US!"
"X-MEN RULE!"
"Spider-Man," Stark said as his visor retracted, revealing a smile of joy on his face, mirrored by the smiles on the faces on all the other heroes. They were tired, exhausted, drained and their costumes and uniforms were scarred with the times of the battle. But they were joyful. They had won. They had protected humanity. "What makes you want to leave this?"
XXXXX
TO BE CONCLUDED….