"Damn it, Rhodes, stop them!"
A burst of yellow energy flashed past, the laser cannon's beam slamming into Thor and hurling him dozens of meters away.
Before War Machine could react, the two collided again with a thunderous bang. Thor swung Mjolnir in a backhand strike, smashing Stark squarely in the jaw and sending him spinning like a top before crashing to the ground.
Tony groaned, shaking his head. Though his armor absorbed most of the impact, the shockwave still left him dizzy.
"Where the hell did these monsters come from?"
Rhodes muttered in disbelief. The enemy shrugged off blades, bullets, even laser fire as if they were nothing. But watching his friend trade blows with a god wasn't going to solve anything. Gritting his teeth, he drew a stun baton from his back, ready to intervene.
When Thor turned his gaze toward him—same armor, different weapons—it was clear he mistook Rhodes for an ally.
Glancing at the heavily armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents surrounding them, Thor raised his voice with commanding vigor.
"Warriors of Midgard, join me! Attack!"
Before his words even finished, a streak of gold and red shot forward. Iron Man slammed into Thor mid-sentence, twin repulsors roaring as he drove the god into the ground, dragging him dozens of meters and carving a deep trench through the earth.
At that moment, War Machine vaulted into the air and struck Tony squarely with a heavy blow, knocking him aside. But before he could follow up, Mjolnir came whirling through the air and smashed into his armor, sending him crashing to the pavement.
"Rhodes! Whose side are you on?!"
Stark shouted, bewildered. He couldn't understand why his best friend was attacking him.
"Tony… I… I was just trying to break it up—can't… hold… comms…"
Rhodes's voice crackled weakly over the comms, the signal distorted by heavy interference.
"Forget it. Enough talk. Let's take him down together!"
Tony cut the channel and shifted his armor into full combat mode. Rhodes, realizing there was no avoiding it, joined in.
The three clashed like titans. Thor hurled Mjolnir again, hammering War Machine backward before Stark raised his hands to fire. But Thor caught his wrists in both hands, locking him in a brutal grapple.
Servos whined as Iron Man's armor roared under the strain. To his surprise, Thor was being forced back. Stark, incredulous, slammed his helmet forward with a metallic clang—only to see Thor completely unfazed.
It was a mistake.
A spark of fury lit Thor's eyes. He was a man who believed in vengeance—a blow for a blow, tenfold returned.
Ignoring the pain, he headbutted Tony three times in rapid succession, leaving the armored Avenger dazed.
At that moment, War Machine charged in, his stun baton crackling as it struck Thor squarely on the head.
The thunder god turned slowly, eyes blazing like stormlight.
"You dare shock me with lightning? I am the God of Thunder!"
With a powerful kick, he sent Iron Man flying and seized Rhodes by the throat. Mjolnir streaked back into his grasp, and with a roar, he brought it down. The impact dented War Machine's visor, the metal creaking under the pressure.
Pain shot through Rhodes's skull. "Tony! Tony!" he gasped, struggling for air.
Stark didn't hesitate. His armor flared with light, and he fired a concentrated laser blast that slammed into Thor's back, launching the god across the battlefield.
But Thor rose again, lightning crackling around him, eyes burning with divine wrath. With a single leap, he soared into the air, Mjolnir raised high. Thunder roared as he descended, hammer crashing down like a meteor.
Clang—!
A blinding shockwave rippled outward, arcs of lightning scattering in all directions. Even distant spectators—Kingpin and Loki among them—were sent tumbling through the air.
Back in the arena, Captain America braced himself behind his shield, muscles straining, legs trembling from the force of the blast.
Though the vibranium absorbed most of the impact, the sheer pressure was overwhelming.
Another shadow loomed ahead.
"Another one?" Thor growled, brushing the dust from his face as he began to spin Mjolnir, the weapon howling like a storm.
Loki was beginning to feel uneasy. How had he never realized that Midgard harbored so many powerful individuals?
After all, this was his brother — he couldn't just stand by and watch him get ganged up on.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and grabbed Kingpin, who had also fallen to the ground and was still somewhat dazed. Despite the man's massive frame, Loki lifted him effortlessly, as if he weighed nothing.
"I heard you're ninety percent muscle," Loki said with a sly grin. "Then go help my brother on my behalf!"
With that, he casually flung Kingpin aside and dispelled the illusion that had disguised him, revealing his true, corpulent form in an instant.
Kingpin froze, utterly dumbfounded.
He had thought he was just a spectator to the chaos — how had he suddenly become part of the main act?
And not just anywhere — he was surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, standing there completely exposed.
Would Nick Fury let him walk away?
Would War Machine?
Would Iron Man?
Would Captain America?
No chance.
This was clearly Loki using someone else to do his dirty work — a despicable trick, even by underworld standards.
Kingpin's face alternated between red and pale as he inwardly cursed every one of Loki's ancestors. He was now the most dangerous man on the field; one wrong move, and he'd be vaporized in an instant.
And truly, he wasn't wrong. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents wouldn't dare interfere in a battle between gods — but Kingpin, no matter how influential he was on Earth, was still human. What was he even doing here? Did Loki think they'd just ignore him?
Within seconds, Fury's men had their weapons trained on him, several even hefting rocket launchers.
Seeing this, Kingpin once again silently cursed Loki's entire family tree. But as a seasoned crime lord, he wasn't without cunning. Assessing the situation, he quickly raised his hands in surrender, signaling that he posed no threat.
Then, with an exaggerated bow, he turned toward Thor and declared,
"I am Kingpin, acting under the orders of Loki, the God of Mischief, to welcome the mighty Thor, the God of Thunder!"
Yes — he actually started groveling.
Thor, however, finally smiled. His brother had sent men to greet him — that, at least, was a pleasant surprise. Lightning flashed, bolts striking down several agents who dared move against Kingpin.
"My brother's men!" Thor boomed. "No one is to touch him!"
"I knew it…" Wilson muttered, exhaling a long sigh of relief. He'd survived countless battles, but he'd never felt pressure like this before.
He'd been deceived by Loki's six months of low-key behavior — it had made everyone drop their guard, walking straight into his trap.
Who could've guessed that the smiling, courteous trickster would stab you in the back the moment it counted?
If Thor knew the full story, he'd probably just shake his head and laugh. Loki had pulled this kind of stunt more times than he could count — earning his trust one moment, betraying him the next. By now, Thor was almost used to it.