Destroyer armor was no joke.
Although it looked somewhat underwhelming in the movie version of events, Ethan Blake knew the truth better than anyone. The Destroyer had originally been placed under Odin's control and deliberately restrained.
If the armor ever unleashed its full power, even Odin himself might struggle to withstand it.
Still, Ethan couldn't simply stand there and watch the battle unfold.
If he did nothing, how would he earn Thor's goodwill? On the other hand, he couldn't show too much strength either. If Odin—the real mastermind behind all this—became displeased, the one who would suffer would definitely be Ethan.
Being a good "actor" was harder than it looked.
With a casual flick of his wand, a surge of powerful magic poured out.
The concrete pavement in front of Ethan suddenly began to ripple and twist as if it had come alive. The ground rose and reshaped itself rapidly, forming massive structures that continued to grow larger.
Within seconds, two towering giants made entirely of cement stood before him. Each one was slightly taller than the Destroyer itself.
Under Ethan's control, the two giants charged forward and engaged the Destroyer directly.
Before becoming the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore had once been a professor specializing in Transfiguration. That branch of magic had always been his greatest strength.
Because Ethan had inherited Dumbledore's magical legacy, Transfiguration naturally became one of his strongest abilities as well.
As for whether the cement giants were actually powerful…
That wasn't something Ethan cared about.
As long as the visual impact looked impressive enough, it was good enough. The point was to make it look like he was putting in serious effort.
Otherwise people might think he wasn't trying very hard.
Phil Coulson stared at the scene with a blank expression.
Ethan was very satisfied with that reaction. Telekinesis might look strange, but it was nowhere near as shocking as watching two massive stone giants suddenly rise from the ground.
"So, Ethan…" Coulson said slowly after recovering from the shock. "You're a magician?"
"Of course," Ethan replied calmly. "But can we talk about that later? Controlling those two giants is extremely exhausting."
He deliberately put on an expression that looked slightly strained.
Coulson actually wanted to ask why Ethan wasn't using the same overwhelming ability he had used earlier when defeating Loki. However, hearing Ethan say it was exhausting made him decide to keep quiet instead.
Meanwhile, the cement giants continued battling the Destroyer.
Their presence significantly reduced the pressure on Captain America and the Warriors Three, who had been struggling to hold the monster back.
Even so, Ethan quickly realized the situation couldn't continue like this.
If things dragged on too long, Thor still wouldn't change his decision. That meant the key moment of the story might never happen.
Maybe I should pretend my mental strength is running out and dismiss the giants, Ethan thought. Then the situation would push Thor into action again.
After considering it briefly, he decided that was the best option.
Just as Ethan prepared to "act" exhausted—
A sudden burst of loud rock music echoed through the sky.
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
A red and gold armored figure streaked across the sky, rapidly approaching the battlefield.
Tony?
Why was he here?
Ethan frowned slightly. He couldn't remember Iron Man appearing in this part of the Thor storyline.
In the original timeline, Tony should have been stuck at home desperately working on new energy technology while slowly dying from palladium poisoning. He definitely wouldn't have had the time to get involved here.
But now things were different.
Because of Ethan's earlier interference, Tony had already discovered a new energy solution much earlier than he should have.
Which meant he suddenly had plenty of free time.
Ethan felt speechless.
Why are you interfering in someone else's family drama?
Of course, he conveniently ignored the fact that he himself was also deeply involved.
The faceplate of the Iron Man armor flipped open, revealing Tony Stark's familiar smug expression.
"Can someone explain what's going on here?" Tony said while hovering in midair. "What is that giant silver thing? And those two walking… cement statues?"
His eyes suddenly landed on Ethan.
"Wait—Ethan? Why are you here?"
"I should be asking you that," Ethan replied calmly. "Why do you show up everywhere?"
"J.A.R.V.I.S. detected a massive energy signal in this area," Tony explained. "And since New Mexico isn't far from Los Angeles, I figured I'd come check it out."
He pointed toward the battlefield.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"The cement giants are my work," Ethan said casually. "Magic-based Transfiguration."
Then he pointed toward the Destroyer.
"As for that big silver guy… you can think of it as an alien robot."
Tony looked at him with exaggerated disbelief.
"You never mentioned you were a magician."
"Didn't I?" Ethan replied dryly. "Well, now you know."
"Gentlemen," Phil Coulson interrupted from the side. "I don't think this is the best time for casual conversation."
Tony glanced at him confidently.
"You can pull your agents back," he said. "Leave this to me. I'll wrap it up in five minutes."
Before anyone could respond, Tony's helmet snapped shut again and he rocketed straight toward the Destroyer.
Watching him charge forward so boldly, Ethan couldn't help sighing internally.
Still just as reckless as ever.
He's about to get smacked.
Sure enough, the moment Tony rushed within range, the Destroyer swung one massive arm.
Tony hadn't even fired a shot yet when the blow sent him flying backward like a baseball.
After that painful lesson, Tony quickly adjusted his approach.
Keeping his distance this time, he activated every weapon system in the suit.
Missiles launched first, followed by concentrated laser blasts and powerful arc pulse cannons. The barrage hammered the Destroyer with explosions that filled the street with thick smoke.
When the smoke finally cleared, the Destroyer stood exactly where it had been before.
Not a single scratch marked its armor.
Seeing this, Thor ran toward the Warriors Three and Lady Sif.
"You must return to Asgard and stop Loki," he said urgently.
"If we leave, what about you?" Sif asked reluctantly.
"With them here," Thor said while looking at the battlefield, "we should be able to hold out for a while longer. You must hurry."
Ethan, who had been carefully watching Thor the entire time, almost choked when he heard those words.
What do you mean "with us here"?
Wasn't the proper script supposed to be you stepping forward, getting nearly beaten to death by the Destroyer, then regaining your divine power and smashing the Destroyer afterward?
Why has the entire responsibility suddenly fallen on us?
Ethan felt an indescribable pain in his chest.
Fortunately, after the Warriors Three and Sif called Heimdall repeatedly, there was still no response.
After thinking about it for a moment, Ethan understood what had happened. Loki must have used the Casket of Ancient Winters to freeze Heimdall, preventing him from opening the Bifrost.
Even if Heimdall could hear them calling, he wouldn't be able to respond.
Of course, Ethan also knew Heimdall would eventually break free of the ice.
Which meant he couldn't continue standing around watching.
If Heimdall suddenly shattered the freeze early and opened the Bifrost, the Warriors Three, Sif, and Thor might all be pulled back to Asgard immediately.
If that happened, Odin's carefully arranged script would be completely ruined.
That definitely couldn't happen.
After all, Ethan had already accepted Odin's favor. If Thor failed to regain his power and return to Asgard properly, Ethan would have a very difficult time explaining things to the All-Father.
Looks like I have to step in and do something.
....
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