The orange beam hit Sam like a fiery train.
Sam didn't run. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. A thick, solid wall of pink Qi appeared.
The fire roared against the shield.
The heat was so intense that the asphalt street around Sam's feet began to melt and turn into liquid glass.
But Sam's wall held. He took a deep breath, drawing from his new, deep lake of energy, and pushed his hands outward. The fire scattered into the sky like harmless sparks.
"Little D, hold on tight,"
Sam said, pulling his Chinese sword from its scabbard.
"Yes, Master!"
The tiny wooden puppet hugged his neck tightly.
Sam dashed forward using his Blossom Step. He moved like a pink ghost, appearing right next to the giant's leg. He swung his glowing sword with all his might.
CLANG!
The sound was deafening. Sparks flew into the air. Sam felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm, and his hand went numb.
He stepped back quickly. He had cut Obadiah's Iron Monger suit in half like it was made of butter. But this metal was different. His powerful strike had only left a small scratch on the Destroyer's leg.
"Mortal, stay back!"
Thor yelled from the dirt. He was holding his ribs, looking worried.
"You cannot break that armor! It is forged by the gods. It is meant to be indestructible!"
The Destroyer turned slowly. It didn't feel pain. It raised a massive, heavy fist and brought it down like a falling building.
Sam raised his sword to block.
BOOM!
The force was unbelievable. The ground beneath Sam collapsed, creating a small crater. Sam was pushed back, his shoes sliding through the dirt and rocks.
His bones ached. Even with his Middle Foundation Establishment body, taking a direct hit from a god's weapon was incredibly hard.
"Master,"
Little D said. Her small blue eyes scanned the giant metal golem.
"The armor is too dense to cut from the outside. But when it shoots fire, the metal face plates open. The energy source inside is not protected by the armor."
"Smart girl,"
Sam smirked, wiping a drop of sweat from his forehead.
Sam couldn't fight it with pure physical force. He had to use his head, and he had to use his magic.
He let go of his sword.
The blade didn't fall. It floated right next to him, humming with a bright pink light.
"Come on, big guy,"
Sam yelled, waving his hands.
"Look over here!"
The Destroyer took the bait. It stopped walking toward Thor and turned its empty face toward Sam.
The metal plates on its face began to slide open. The bright, burning orange fire started to build up deep inside its hollow chest. It was preparing to unleash its biggest blast yet.
Sam closed his eyes for a split second. He poured half of the energy from his Dantian directly into his floating sword. The blade glowed so brightly it looked like a pink star.
Roar!
The giant beam of fire shot out of the Destroyer's face.
At the exact same time, Sam pointed two fingers forward.
"Go,"
Sam whispered.
The pink sword shot forward. It didn't try to block the fire. It flew straight through the center of the orange beam, splitting the fire in half.
The sword flew right into the Destroyer's open, glowing face.
A terrible, screeching sound echoed through the desert.
The orange fire suddenly stopped.
The giant metal monster froze perfectly still.
Inside its hollow body, Sam's pink Qi exploded. The pure energy tore through the magical core that kept the machine alive.
Bright pink light started shining out of every crack and joint in the Destroyer's dark metal armor.
With a heavy, echoing groan, the magical armor gave up. The giant fell backward, hitting the dirt with a massive thud that shook the entire town.
The lights inside the armor died. It was just a pile of empty metal.
Sam stood up straight and took a deep breath. His sword flew back out of the monster's face and slid smoothly into the scabbard on his back.
He was tired, and his arms were sore, but he had won.
Thor just stared at Sam, his mouth hanging open. A mortal man had just destroyed the greatest weapon in the Asgardian vault.
Natasha walked over to Sam, a proud smile on her face. She didn't look surprised at all.
"See?"
Natasha told Thor, helping the bruised god to his feet.
"I told you he was amazing."
Sam smiled and walked over to them. He looked down at Thor.
"You took a lot of hits to protect these people, Thor,"
Sam said gently.
"You might not have your hammer right now, but you already have the heart of a king."
Thor looked at Sam, and then he looked at the clear sky. For the first time, he understood what his father wanted him to learn.
Thor looked at Sam, and then he looked at the clear blue sky.
For the first time in his long life, he truly understood.
His father didn't want him to just be a strong fighter. A true king must be willing to sacrifice himself for others.
A true king must have humility.
Thor closed his eyes and slowly reached his empty hand up toward the sky.
For a moment, it was completely quiet.
Then, the ground began to tremble. A low, powerful rumbling sound echoed from the desert miles away.
CRACK!
A massive bolt of lightning split the sky. A heavy silver hammer flew through the air faster than a bullet and slammed perfectly into Thor's waiting hand.
It was Mjolnir.
Another bolt of lightning struck Thor directly. The bright light blinded everyone for a second. When the light faded, the bruised, mortal man in dirty clothes was gone.
Thor stood tall, wearing shining silver armor and a bright red cape.
His eyes sparked with electricity. He was the God of Thunder once again. He was worthy.
Thor looked at his hammer, a wide, joyful smile on his face. He turned to Sam and Natasha.
"You protected me when I was weak,"
Thor said, his voice booming and full of respect.
"I owe you my life."
Before Sam could answer, the sound of engines filled the street.
Several black S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles drove up to the smoking crater.
A man in a neat gray suit stepped out of the first car. It was Agent Phil Coulson. He looked at the destroyed town, the glowing God of Thunder, and the pieces of the giant metal monster.
"Agent Romanoff. I am glad you are safe,"
Coulson said politely. He adjusted his tie and looked at the broken Destroyer armor.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will take over from here. We need to confiscate that metal armor for our science division. It is highly classified evidence now."
Thor's smile vanished. He gripped Mjolnir tightly.
"You will do no such thing, Son of Coul,"
Thor stated firmly.
"That armor is the property of Asgard. It is not a toy for the men of Earth to play with. I am taking it back to my father."
Coulson didn't back down. He stood straight, representing the government.
"I'm sorry, sir. But it landed on Earth. It belongs to us now."
The air grew tense. Thor's hammer began to spark with angry lightning.
He was not going to let mortals steal from his kingdom.
Sam sighed.
Sam pulled his secure phone out of his pocket and dialed a direct number.
"Nick,"
Sam said as soon as the line clicked open.
"Tell your man in the suit to stand down."
"Sam,"
Director Fury's rough voice answered.
"Coulson has his orders. That alien tech could be the greatest weapon we have ever seen. We need to study it to protect the planet."
Sam kept his voice calm, but he let a little bit of his heavy Qi flow into his words, making them carry serious weight.
"Nick, listen to me very carefully. If you try to steal that armor, you are stealing from the King of Asgard. You are not dealing with terrorists in a cave. You are dealing with gods."
Sam paused, letting the silence hang.
"If you take it, you will start a war with the entire Asgardian army. And Earth will lose. Is that how you want to protect the planet?"
Fury was silent on the other end. He was stubborn, but he was a smart tactician. He knew Sam was right.
"Fine,"
Fury grumbled.
"But I can't just let a super-powered alien walk away with nothing to show for it."
"I have a deal for you,"
Sam offered, looking at Thor.
"Let him take his property home. In exchange, I will personally recruit him for your Avengers team. If the world is ever in real danger, you won't just have a metal suit. You will have the God of Thunder."
There was another long pause.
Then, Fury sighed.
"Put Coulson on the phone."
Sam handed the phone to Phil. Coulson listened for a few seconds, nodded his head, and handed the phone back to Sam.
"The armor is yours to take,"
Coulson said politely, stepping back.
Thor looked at Sam in surprise. He didn't know what an "Avenger" was, but he knew this mortal had just saved his pride and prevented a battle.
"You are a wise man, Sam,"
Thor laughed, clapping his large hand on Sam's shoulder.
"If you ever need my hammer in battle, you only have to call."
...
Craze: Should Sam go to another universe after dealing with Thanos?
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