Every corner of the arena roared with cheers, Thor's name booming through the crowd like thunder itself.
As Tony Stark stepped onto the platform, he felt as if he wasn't just facing a single opponent but the weight of thousands of eyes, each one already convinced of the victor.
Thor stood tall at the center, Mjolnir raised high. Only when Tony approached did the God of Thunder finally lower his arm, his open palm pressing down to silence the frenzy. Instantly, the uproar collapsed into an eerie hush, like a storm snuffed out mid-surge.
Tony raised a brow. The big golden retriever has quite the fan club.
That was the label he had privately assigned Thor—smiling too easily, towering with muscle, radiating that golden-haired simplicity that reminded Tony more of a surfer than a warrior god.
"Midgardian sorcerer!" Thor boomed, voice carrying across the silent arena. "I am Thor, son of Odin. To be honest, your Sorcerer Supreme is one even my father respects. But why… why is it you standing here?"
He laughed heartily, hands resting on his hips. "Shouldn't Wong or Mordo be here instead? I heard one of them even came to Asgard with your Sorcerer Supreme. Surely, they are the strong ones among you."
Thor leaned forward slightly, his tone meant to sound friendly, though every word dripped with condescension. "The battle has not yet begun. If you wish, you can call for one of them. I would not want to hurt you."
He tapped Mjolnir against the ground, sparks crackling. "After all, I may be… too strong."
It wasn't directly spoken, but the disdain was clear.
Tony's smirk didn't falter. "Oh, really?" He nodded slowly. "You mean I should call one of them?"
Thor grinned, pleased Tony seemed to agree. "Exactly! Fetch them, I'll wait right here!"
Tony turned, walking a few paces toward the lounge before suddenly halting. He tilted his head back toward Thor. "I just remembered something."
Thor blinked innocently. "What's that?"
"You see, back on Earth, when we run into someone like you—a sun-kissed, simple-minded golden retriever who probably grew up flexing on the beaches of Malibu—we don't waste the strong guys."
He tapped his own chest. "We send me. I can handle golden retrievers just fine."
Tony's smile widened. "Oh, and by the way? I never liked Point Break. So when I hit you, I won't be pulling punches."
The smile on Thor's face stiffened, fading into a sharp glare. "Midgardian… did you just provoke me?"
Tony shrugged. "Provocation? Nah. Call it what it is—a declaration of victory. Even pro wrestling has those before a match."
Mjolnir's handle creaked under Thor's tightening grip. "Then you truly wish to fight me."
"We already are."
With no hesitation, Tony charged—empty-handed.
Thor, almost amused, actually set Mjolnir down and mirrored him. The crowd erupted into chants once more, thunderous voices hailing their prince.
The two clashed at the center of the arena, fists colliding in an echoing crack.
Shock rippled outward—not from Tony, but from Thor, who staggered back three full steps, eyes wide in disbelief.
He was a god who wielded divine power through Mjolnir, but without the hammer, his raw physical strength was far less than expected. Tony, enhanced by countless hours of brutal training and arc reactor-assisted power, now stood stronger than the Asgardian in raw force.
The Asgardian audience gasped collectively, their cheers lodged in their throats. Even Tony froze for half a second, expecting to be knocked across the arena like a ragdoll.
But no—Thor was the one retreating.
Tony's smirk sharpened. Guess martial arts lessons paid off after all.
He surged forward, catching Thor's wrist and unleashing a flurry of strikes, each blow sharp, fast, precise. Thor absorbed them, his body hardly hurt, but his pride and temper were hammered with every step he was forced backward.
The eyes of Asgard burned into him. The great prince was being pressured by a mortal.
"Enough!" Thor roared, hand snapping out. Mjolnir leapt into his grip as lightning coursed through his veins, divine power surging. His aura expanded like a storm breaking loose.
Tony darted in again, fists raised, but Thor dodged, swinging Mjolnir in a full arc before slamming it downward.
This time, Tony didn't even see the hammer before it crashed into his chest. Bone cracked, air escaped his lungs, and his body soared high into the air.
Pain ripped through him, but his grin only widened. "Jarvis, start recording."
"I already have, sir."
"Perfect."
Golden-red light erupted from his chest as nanotech surged across his body, forming the sleek frame of his latest armor.
The Mark XV. A fusion of gold-titanium alloy, Kamar-Taj enchanted metal for magical conduction, and internal vibranium nanites that could reshape into weapons or shields at will. His masterpiece.
Thor thundered upward after him, Mjolnir in hand.
Tony hovered mid-air, his right arm morphing into a vibranium shield. "Jarvis, let's give him a real test."
Mjolnir slammed down, colliding with the shield in a thunderclap. But instead of shattering, the shield absorbed and rebounded the impact, sending Thor crashing back to the ground.
The crowd gasped in unison, disbelief washing over the arena.
Tony landed gracefully, looking down at the stunned god. "So this is what passes for strength in Asgard?"
Thor's glare burned hotter, then—unexpectedly—shifted into a smile. "You're not a sorcerer. Good. I prefer fighting warriors."
He spun Mjolnir overhead, raising it to the skies. Lightning ripped upward, exploding into storm clouds that blotted out the arena's ceiling. Bolts snapped across the heavens, thunder rolling like a war drum.
"Try this, Midgardian!"
The hammer pointed forward, lightning snakes converging, a storm born at Thor's command.
"Sir," Jarvis warned. "Shields won't hold against this scale of attack."
Tony's grin spread ear to ear. "Good thing I came prepared. Time for the exclusive feature I built just for Thor."
Panels across the armor unfolded, nanotech rearranging into a rotating four-legged generator in front of his chest. Energy coils whirred, spinning faster and faster.
The lightning struck.
The device roared to life, drinking in the storm. Tony's armor blazed with light as arcs of energy surged across the suit.
"Energy capacity at 200%, sir."
Tony's arm shifted again, reshaping into a cannon pulsing with raw power. His eyes glowed inside the helmet, voice low and steady.
"Thor, let's see how you handle this."
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