Silence.
A deathly silence.
The old man in golden armor walked through the air, slowly descending upon the once-boisterous rooftop. His crimson-gold spear plunged into the white wall, and the invisible pressure it radiated seemed to create an invisible barrier, shutting out all the noise.
With graying hair and a gaze that commanded respect without anger, he was Odin, the All-Father of Asgard and ruler of the Nine Realms.
"You've grown very old, Odin."
After over a thousand years, Lothar looked at the enemy in his heart, second only to Frieza, with a surprisingly calm expression. The winds of time had passed over Odin's face, taking away the sharp edge of a king who once aspired to wash the Nine Realms in blood, leaving behind the warmth of peaceful coexistence.
"You look as young as you did before," Odin said softly, a mix of awe and regret in his voice. In his no-longer-murky eyes, he saw the familiar yet strange reflection of Lothar. A thousand years had failed to change the younger man's cold and handsome face. An Eternal Titan was, after all, an Eternal Titan; a truly blessed race.
Asgardian-born Odin wasn't too surprised by Lothar's youthful appearance. As the last surviving Eternal Titan in the universe, Thanos would naturally find a way for Lothar to remain eternally young until he died. This was an advantage the Asgardians could never match, a secret unique to the Eternal Titans of the cosmos.
Loki's lips trembled. The moment Odin's gaze shifted to him, he forced his head up, preparing for the coming storm. But the result was a surprise.
"You're alive. Good."
Beneath the Bifrost was a realm Odin himself was unwilling to touch, yet Loki had survived unscathed. The old king was deeply pleased. Loki had not disgraced him.
"What did you say?"
Odin ignored Loki's confusion and doubt. His gaze, full of unspoken authority, swept over the defeated Avengers on the rooftop. With a surge of divine power, he waved his hand. The healing magic from his wife Frigga's home of Vanaheim fell upon the injured Avengers like a cleansing rain.
Steve Rogers, who had been on the verge of meeting Howard Stark, was pulled back from the brink of death by an unseen hand; Hawkeye, Barton, who had been writhing in agony, had his arms restored. Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, and even the now-sane Dr. Banner, had their injuries completely healed by Odin's wave of a hand.
Clang!
Tony Stark instinctively reached for his chest. His unblemished skin showed no trace of the cold metal. The mini arc reactor that had once kept him alive was now on the ground, a sparkling diamond.
On the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Nick Fury, who had just finished briefing the council, watched the divine miracle unfold on the screen, his eyes wide.
"Fa... Father?!"
Thor, also awakened, opened his eyes. The first things he saw were Lothar, whose hand was clasped around his throat, and Odin in his golden armor.
"Be quiet if you don't want to die."
The blond, green-eyed Lothar was a stranger to Thor, but the force of his grip on Thor's throat instantly made the God of Thunder's face flush with blood. He was helpless and powerless to resist. Thor tried to summon Mjolnir, but as the hammer flew toward him, Lothar kicked it, sending it flying into the rooftop wall.
"Enough, Lothar."
"I am the one you want. I am here."
Odin pulled the crimson-gold spear from the white wall and held it. Lothar sneered, releasing his grip on Thor's throat and instantly clamping his hand around the prince's face, slamming him to the ground.
Boom!!!
A pillar of silver light shot up, and the last intact building in Times Square was reduced to rubble!
"Thor!"
The Avengers, who were floating in the air thanks to Odin's divine power, all cried out in unison. Loki, trembling, closed his eyes, believing what he couldn't see couldn't hurt him.
"Have you had enough?"
Odin didn't even glance at his son in the rubble, his calm gaze still fixed on Lothar.
"This is just a warm-up."
"Your son, you, and Asgard."
Lothar, who had a habit of flinging his arm, pointed at Odin. "None of you will escape." He bared his teeth in a savage, bloodthirsty grin.
"Hela is my daughter. You and her have no connection," Odin said, instantly throwing the Gungnir, the spear of Odin! The spear, which was bound by a rule that it never missed its mark, flew straight at the back of Lothar's head!
"No, I don't make a habit of seeking revenge for others."
"I only seek revenge for myself!"
BOOM!!!
A thunderous wave of air exploded in the sky. A golden, arrogant aura enveloped Lothar's entire body. He threw a perfectly aimed punch, pushing the Gungnir back in a head-on clash!
"Die, Odin!!!"
A wailing sound of wind, like the cry of a demon from hell, filled the air. In a flash, Lothar was behind Odin. He crouched down and threw a punch that slammed directly into Odin's face!
"Father!!!!"
Thor, struggling to his feet in the rubble, watched with wide eyes as Lothar's fist pierced through Odin's body. His pupils suddenly shrank. "An illusionary clone?"
"This is..."
Seeing his own signature technique used so expertly by Odin, Loki, who had landed on the ground to the side, was also completely dumbfounded. Judging from the mastery, Odin's command of the illusionary clone technique was clearly far superior to Loki's. The father was still the father after all.
Although Odin's face looked old and weathered at the moment, his reaction speed and the power of his strikes completely shattered the old and decaying image that Thor and Loki had of him.
"Thor! Quick! The Tesseract!"
Natasha's shout snapped Thor and Loki back to reality from their reverie.
'I'm outta here!'
Loki, realizing the gravity of the situation, was about to make a run for it, but two figures suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Steve Rogers with his broken shield, and Hawkeye, Barton, with his bow and arrow drawn.
"Get out of the way! I am an Asgardian god!"
With Thor still behind him, and having lost his Mind Stone scepter, Loki didn't want to get into a fight with his hot-headed brother.
"I—"
Whoosh!
Mjolnir smashed directly into Loki's waist!
"Quick! Go shut down the portal!"
"Stop the continuous influx of those warships!"
Loki, who had suddenly become very obedient, truthfully gave up the location of the Tesseract.
"Leave this place to my father," Thor said, glancing at the two figures now locked in battle in the sky, instantly making a decision.
....
Earth, the Sanctum Sanctorum.
After sending out all her students to deal with the swarming Chitauri army, the current Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, saw a figure slowly appear before her.
With purple skin, golden armor, and a massive blade in his hand that gleamed with a cold light. The king of the Centauri Galaxy, the lord of the Black Quadrant—Thanos.
"You are no match for me, Thanos."
The Ancient One formed a mudra with her hands and opened the Eye of Agamotto around her neck, or rather, the Time Stone.
"Over a thousand years ago, Agamotto stopped me when I was trying to save Lothar," Thanos said, raising his sword and walking slowly toward the immovable Ancient One.
"Over a thousand years later, I will be able to stop you from saving Odin."
The Ancient One sighed and closed her eyes. Now, she could only hope that Odin would be able to fend for himself. The Sanctum could not be destroyed now.
Time loop, activate!
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