...
When Ryan Cole decided to prepare a new identity for himself, he hadn't taken the process lightly.
At six-foot-two, he wasn't exactly towering, and his build was athletic rather than bulky—but in terms of looks, he was unquestionably top-tier.
The kind of handsome that crushed ninety-nine percent of the competition.
Up until now, Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, Darcy Lewis—and even Thor himself—still categorized Ryan as some combination of rich pretty boy, astronomy geek, and eccentric baron.
That impression lasted right up until Ryan stripped down to nothing but his underwear.
At which point, another word instantly popped into Jane and Darcy's minds:
Freaking stacked.
But the moment Ryan took a deep breath—
Everything changed.
His original height of six-foot-two surged violently upward, stopping at over eight feet tall.
His already attractive physique expanded as if inflated, muscle mass swelling like rising dough.
In the span of a few breaths, the once "rich handsome guy" transformed into a towering giant—one that would make the world's strongest men feel inadequate.
Only the Hulk himself might stand comparison.
Erik Selvig stared in total shock.
Darcy, however, had a very different thought:
"Holy crap… what brand of underwear is that? It didn't even rip!"
Worse—
She actually said it out loud.
As if that weren't enough, the equally stunned Jane instinctively added:
"She's… not wrong."
Faced with the baffling priorities of these two, Ryan—mid-transformation—very nearly burst out laughing.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the time for jokes or flirting.
Ignoring the reactions he'd caused, Ryan strode straight toward the massive rectangular container—two meters long, one meter wide, one meter tall.
Less than a minute later, the giant version of Ryan was fully clad in a suit of dark-gold armor, a matching spear now resting in his hand.
Any gamer from Earth's prime timeline would instantly recognize it.
The armor was nearly identical to that worn by Imperius, Archangel of Valor, from Diablo III.
The differences lay in the details.
Where Imperius once bore wings of pure energy, Ryan's version featured metallic phoenix wings.
They weren't just for show.
The wings could be launched as razor-edged projectiles—and also doubled as defensive structures.
Defense was further reinforced by upgraded force-field generator technology derived from the Elysium world.
Not only was it stronger—it was modular, adaptive, and aesthetically customizable.
"Oh my God…" Jane whispered, staring at the towering armored figure.
Even Maria Hill—who'd arrived purely on assignment and knew nothing beforehand—stood frozen in disbelief.
"I can't guarantee how much time I'll buy," Ryan said calmly, lifting the spear from the ground.
"If things go south, retreat to a safe zone."
As he finished speaking, the metallic wings unfurled.
With a sharp whoosh—
Ryan launched into the air, streaking toward the Destroyer.
The Destroyer, fresh from leveling a gas station, quickly turned its attention to the incoming anomaly.
"Alright," Ryan muttered midair,
"Let's hope the upgraded force field and the new-element reactor are worth the hype."
Hovering above the massive construct, he steadied himself.
Before today, Ryan would never have pulled something this suicidal.
But the Archangel armor was forged from Adamantium-derived alloys—not quite Captain America's shield-grade, but close enough to be terrifyingly durable.
Paired with Elysium-grade force fields, its defensive capacity was absurd.
And with the latest version of divine blood enhancing his regeneration—
As long as he wasn't killed outright, dying was surprisingly difficult.
Even so, Ryan had his armor's Stellar AI run a full combat analysis.
Once it confirmed that the Destroyer's current energy output could breach the shield—but not the armor—
Ryan dove.
Man and spear became one.
The impact thundered across the battlefield.
Jane and Thor, though unable to see clearly, felt the intensity through the relentless explosions.
Where Thor's companions felt awe and respect for such raw courage—
Jane, Erik, and Darcy felt only fear.
Fear for Ryan.
Elsewhere, Phil Coulson and his battered team—who'd barely escaped earlier—watched from a distance.
"Hulk-version Iron Man?" Jasper Sitwell muttered.
"I don't know," Coulson replied grimly.
"Stark never tells me anything."
"So what now?"
"We report it to HQ and wait for orders."
At that moment, a message came through.
"What? You've found Dr. Donald Blake and his… friends?" Coulson asked.
"Yes. They're… doing something weird."
"Let's head there," Coulson said after a pause.
"At least that's more normal than this."
"More normal than that?" Sitwell asked, gesturing toward the battlefield.
"Still better than standing here."
At the same time—
Thor suddenly collapsed.
"Thor!" Sif ripped the transfusion device free and caught him in her arms.
"What's happening?!" Jane demanded, turning on Maria Hill.
Following Sif's lead, the Warriors Three tore off their own equipment, watching warily.
"It seems the serum method failed," Maria said calmly.
"Then give us another solution!" Jane snapped.
"The Prophet said that if blood fails," Maria replied evenly,
"then only one path remains—walk into death, and be reborn."
"What kind of answer is that?!" Sif shouted.
"No… this is my fault," Thor said weakly, gripping her arm.
"If Loki wants me dead, then my death may bring peace."
"Help me over," he said quietly.
"Angel can't win."
"No!" Jane and Sif shouted together.
"Let me talk to him while I still can," Thor insisted.
They all knew it was wrong.
But none of them could stop him.
Soon, escorted by the Asgardians, Thor reached the edge of the battlefield.
"Angel! Loki! Stop!"
Ryan disengaged immediately.
The Destroyer halted as well.
"Angel… support me," Thor said.
"Thor!" Sif cried.
"You've done enough," Thor said softly.
"No. I'll die like a warrior."
"Live," Thor replied.
"And tell this story yourself."
With trembling hands, Sif entrusted Thor to the armored giant.
"Go," Thor said firmly.