Thanos smirked, his expression calm but menacing. "Not bad, boy," he said, nodding toward Star-Lord. "I praise your… spirit."
Quill lowered the toy gun, his teeth gritted in frustration. "You won't win, Purple Sweet Potato. Someone will stop you!"
Thanos sneered, his towering presence casting a shadow over the defiant Star-Lord. "If you're talking about that Asgardian, I'm afraid you're in for disappointment. He's likely in grave danger right now."
As if on cue, a glowing blue light began to spiral into existence. The energy expanded into a shimmering portal, and Thor and Hela stepped through, the Tesseract in Thor's hand pulsing faintly.
Despite their dramatic entrance, Thor's face was etched with worry. The ground beneath them trembled violently, and there had been no word from the soldiers sent to the treasure vault. His gut told him they were already lost.
Thor tightened his grip on the Tesseract. He couldn't delay any longer. He turned to Hela, his jaw set. "I'll head to the treasure vault myself—"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shattered the tense atmosphere. The Golden Hall, a symbol of Asgard's millennia of resilience, crumbled into dust. From the ruins rose a figure cloaked in fire, its immense form growing rapidly.
"Surtur," Thor muttered, his voice barely audible.
The fire giant towered hundreds of feet high, wielding his massive Twilight Sword. His booming voice shook the heavens: "Tremble before me, Asgardians, and witness your destruction!"
With a single sweep of his blade, buildings crumbled into rubble, their enchanted walls no match for the sheer power of the weapon. Flames erupted across the city, consuming everything in their path.
Fortunately, most of Asgard's citizens were gathered near the arena for Thor's duel with Hela, sparing countless lives. But the sight of their ancient city being reduced to ash was a blow to the morale of even the bravest Asgardians.
"Ragnarök," Thor whispered, disbelief washing over him. This was supposed to be preventable. With his knowledge of the future, he had worked tirelessly to reshape fate. He had controlled events, turned Thanos into nothing more than a "purple potato" in his mind.
But now, for the first time, he felt powerless.
"Thor!"
A panicked voice called out, and Thor turned to see Loki sprinting toward him. The God of Mischief, usually so composed, was pale with fear.
"The treasure vault—" Loki gasped. "Thanos's forces—they've breached it! They've taken the Gauntlet!"
Thor clenched his fists. "I know," he said grimly. "We'll settle that score later. Right now, we need to deal with Surtur."
Loki blinked, his panic subsiding into confusion. "Surtur? How did he…?"
Thor didn't answer. He knew he had been too careless. He had relied too heavily on his knowledge of the "plot" and underestimated Thanos's ability to adapt. Thanos had been planning and scheming for years, just as Thor had, and now the Mad Titan had outmaneuvered him.
Surtur, empowered by the Eternal Flame, was now a force rivaling even Odin at his peak.
Thor turned to his companions, his expression resolute. "Evacuate the city. Now."
He pointed toward the strongest Avengers present—Wanda Maximoff, Jean Grey, and Jane Foster. "You'll assist me and Hela in holding Surtur back. The rest of you, help with the evacuation. This fight is too dangerous for those who lack sufficient power."
There was no hesitation. Even Hela nodded in agreement. They all understood the stakes.
Asgard, though larger than most planets in the Nine Realms, wasn't truly a planet. Its crust was reinforced by countless enchantments, making it incredibly resilient. Yet, with a single stomp, Surtur sent shockwaves rippling across the landscape, causing cracks to spiderweb through the ground.
Volcanoes erupted in the distance, their fiery plumes joining the conflagration already consuming the city. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and ash, and the heat was nearly unbearable.
Hela was the first to strike. Her connection to Asgard ran deep, and she couldn't bear to see it destroyed. With a wave of her hand, massive dark green spikes erupted from the ground, hurtling toward Surtur with terrifying speed.
One spike pierced the fire giant's chest, causing him to roar in pain.
Hela didn't let up. She summoned a throne of infinite death energy from the earth, stepping onto it as more spikes shot forth, their deadly tips aimed at her colossal foe.
Though Thor could withstand Hela's deadly spikes, few others could. Not even Thanos would dare face her wrath unprepared.
Thor, meanwhile, ascended into the sky. The heavens darkened as storm clouds gathered, lightning crackling ominously. A bolt of pure, blinding energy struck Stormbreaker, its glow illuminating the chaos below.
With a thunderous roar, Thor hurled the axe toward Surtur's head.
CRACK!
The weapon struck true, tearing into Surtur's skull and carving deep into his fiery form. The blow would have obliterated the Surtur of old, but the fire giant, now hundreds of feet tall, merely roared in rage.
Enraged, Surtur reached out and grabbed Thor mid-flight, slamming him into the ground with a force that shook the city.
"Thor!"
Wanda's voice rang out as she raised her hands, lifting him gently with her telekinetic powers.
Jean Grey joined the fray, her psychic energy surging as she manipulated the nearby lake. A massive water dragon rose, its serpentine body twisting through the air before crashing down onto Surtur's flaming crown.
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