AN: Here's another chapter considering we made to our 600 PS for last week. I decided to upload it today due to me forgetting to upload it yesterday for everyone. Sorry about that and please enjoy!
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"Even after getting hit with 100 tons of force from Star Rage… not even a scratch," Atomic said and looked down at his steaming right fist. "This won't be easy."
The Destroyer loomed ominously, its metallic form shimmering as it stood to its full height. The intricate plates of its face shield shifted with a mechanical whir, revealing a pair of glowing eyes that flickered to life like angry embers. With a thunderous hum of energy reverberating through the air, it unleashed a devastating beam, slicing through the town towards Atomic.
From when he had soared through the sky on his way to the town, Atomic had already mapped out his surroundings, keenly aware of Jane, Erik, Darcy, the Warriors Three, and Sif standing perilously close to the path of the Destroyer's incoming lethal blast.
I was hoping to have dematerialized the Destroyer on the first strike, but whatever magic Odin added to it makes it so I can't affect it on an atomic level. Atomic thought and raised both arms, creating three large, thick walls made of Adamantium.
Maybe I should have let it attack Thor so he could defeat it like in the movie. But what guarantee was there that he would stand up like before? This universe is already so different that I couldn't risk his life on an assumption.
A cataclysmic boom resonated throughout the town as the Destroyer's beam collided with the first Adamantium wall. The structure groaned under the pressure but stood resolute—at least for a moment. Gradually, the intense energy began to melt through, creating a searing hole that threatened the integrity of the second wall.
"Move out of the way!" Atomic shouted urgently at the group behind him, his voice a frantic blend of command and desperation.
"Listen to him! Hurry!" Thor yelled as he waved his arms to the side, prompting his friends to run away. "The Destroyer is much too powerful for any mortal to defeat! You must run away!" He yelled at Atomic.
"That may be, but I have to get it away from the town!" Atomic yelled back and flew up into the air toward the Destroyer.
With a powerful burst, he ascended higher into the sky, angling himself towards the Destroyer.
"Stop! You fool!" Thor yelled.
The Destroyer, noticing its new target flying in the air, tilted its head menacingly, preparing to unleash another devastating blast at Atomic. In a graceful spin, Atomic evaded the searing beam and sent tendrils of energy lashing out towards the automaton. Ensnaring the armor in several layers of glowing ropes.
With a roar that of effort, Atomic surged skyward and carried the relentless Destroyer into the sky alongside him. Reaching down to the rope constructs holding it captive, the Destroyer ripped them off its body with ease.
As the Destroyer plummeted from the sky, unanchored and unable to soar, it hurtled downwards like a stone released from a great height.
In a stunning display of speed and power, Atomic shot through the air, his body a blur, and slammed a fist construct the size of a small house into the Destroyer. The impact reverberated through the atmosphere, sending the metallic behemoth flying back twenty kilometers, leaving a trail of chaos in its wake.
Not one to retreat after a single blow, Atomic surged forward once more, encircling the Destroyer in a swirling, luminescent sphere of fluoroantimonic acid.
As the viscous liquid enveloped the armored figure, it became apparent that the acid was having little to no effect. Frustration coursed through him, and Atomic waved his hand, transforming the caustic acid into azidoazide azide, a compound renowned for its explosive potential.
With a snap, Atomic ignited the volatile substance. The resulting explosion lit up the sky, a blinding flash followed by a thunderous roar that sent shockwaves rippling through the ground. The Destroyer was violently hurled downward, crashing into the earth with a tremendous impact that shook the very foundations of the landscape.
"Please tell me that did something," Atomic muttered as he tried to look through the clouds of dust.
Emerging from the swirling dust clouds, the Destroyer rose with an imposing presence, stepping confidently out of the massive crater it had carved into the earth. Its form was strikingly pristine, unmarred by any scratches or burns.
"This is going to be a long day…" Atomic muttered and promptly dodged an incoming blast.
••o••o••o••
On the outskirts of the small town of Puente Antiguo, the residents stood frozen in disbelief as a massive explosion erupted in the distance, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground beneath their feet.
The air crackled with tension, punctuated by the resounding boom that followed a mysterious object plummeting from the sky, shaking the very earth they stood on.
Wide-eyed and breathless, they beheld beams of radiant golden energy illuminating the darkening sky, while enormous crimson constructs materialized seemingly out of nowhere, crashing to the ground with an earth-shattering force.
"What's going on? What was that thing?" an aged man muttered, his weathered face etched with worry as another explosion lit up the horizon.
"It looked like some sort of man in a suit of armor. Like Iron Man! But this guy was blasting up the town when a bunch of people in cosplay showed up to fight it. They put up a good fight but they couldn't bring down the guy. But then Atomic swooped in and carried that thing out of the town," One of the servers from the local dinner said. "At least that thing won't destroy any more of the town."
"Yeah, but… can Atomic even beat that thing?" A man with a large belly asked as another tremor struck the ground. "It's like… It's unstoppable."
Silence hung heavy in the air as nobody dared to answer. Each face reflected a mix of uncertainty and fear, yet a flicker of hope lingered; a collective hope that somehow, against all odds, Atomic would manage to triumph.
Meanwhile, in a speeding truck racing through the desolate desert, Jane gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing sideways at Thor, who looked resolute despite the chaos unfolding behind them.
In the back seat, Erik and Darcy exchanged anxious glances, their expressions mirroring the tension palpable in the air. The Warriors Three and Sif rode in the truck bed, the wind whipping around them as they kept their eyes glued to the breathtaking spectacle of the battle between Atomic and the formidable Destroyer in the distance.
"Didn't you try to do this already?" Erik asked as he held on to dear life as Jane drove the truck at breakneck speeds.
"I have. But I will not fail this time," Thor said, his voice heavy and his expression serious as he watched another golden beam cut through the sky. He noticed that the large red constructs made by Atomic were growing smaller and smaller. "For everyone's sakes, I can't afford to."
"But what's changed, my friend? Mjolnir won't suddenly find you worthy just because the situation has grown dire." Fandral said as he peered in through the back window of the truck.
"I'm… unsure if I am worthy. I very well may not be. Yet, in this very moment, a valiant warrior of Midgard doth engage in a struggle not of his own making. It is my responsibility to protect the people from my brother's wrath, not the warrior in red and white. Defeating the Destroyer is my responsibility. And if I fail to lift Mjolnir, then I will still face it in battle as I am." Thor said, his voice unwavering.
A blanket of silence filled the truck. The only noise that could be heard was the roaring tires and desert sand as Jane sped through the desert.
"You can do it," Jane's voice cut through the silence. "I'm still not too sure what's going on, but what I do know is that Atomic needs your help. That thing is too strong, and he can't keep fighting forever. So trust me, you will be able to lift Mewner."
"…it's Mjolnir," Darcy whispered. "I learned how to say it."
"…"
••o••o••o••
Gasping in disbelief, Atomic's eyes widened as he turned to witness the Destroyer launch itself into the air with astonishing velocity. With a fluid motion that belied its massive frame, the formidable automaton seized Atomic by his cape, effortlessly spinning its upper section like a chaotic whirlwind.
Atomic's breath caught in his throat as he was flung through the sky, the world blurring around him.
Gritting his teeth, he extended his arms outward, summoning all his concentration to manipulate the density of the air encasing him. The surrounding atmosphere thickened in response, creating a cushion that gradually slowed him down.
"I can understand why Edna said no capes now…" Atomic said as the Destroyer landed on the ground with a thunderous crash of rock and dirt. "There's just no stopping this thing."
With a thunderous leap, the towering figure of the Destroyer lunged toward Atomic, its massive frame momentarily blocking out the light. Atomic narrowly evaded the grasping hands, darting to the side with unmatched agility. In a fluid motion, the Destroyer spun midair, its arm rising ominously as it unleashed a radiant beam of energy from its hand that sliced through the atmosphere with a brilliant intensity.
Atomic's eyes widened in shock at the unexpected assault. In a desperate bid for survival, he conjured a series of thick crimson shields, positioning them before him, hoping they could withstand the onslaught long enough for him to dodge. But the beam, fueled by the immense power of the Odin force, pierced through the shields with ease and slammed into Atomic's shoulder.
A guttural scream of pain erupted from Atomic as the force drove him into a spin, sending him hurtling toward the ground. As he plummeted, his instincts kicked in; he sent a surge of energy cascading toward the earth moments before impact.
When his body collided with the ground, the landscape quaked as if made of gelatin, rippling violently beneath his weight. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Atomic swiftly willed the ground to regain its solidity.
Pushing himself upright, Atomic grimaced as he surveyed the damage to his left shoulder. Once a gleaming protective layer, his armor lay in ruins, and smoldering remnants of his suit clung to charred flesh. He was fortunate; the remnants of his armor had absorbed enough of the blow to prevent a catastrophic injury that might have shattered his shoulder and severed his arm.
"Gah!" Atomic hissed as he tried to lift his left arm, only to feel a wave of burning pain as he moved. "At least I can still move it."
A cloud of dirt cascaded over Atomic as a powerful tremor jolted through the ground, sending him tumbling backward. Wincing against the pain that shot through his body, he struggled to push himself upright.
Suddenly, he felt a vice-like grip on his chest as the Destroyer shot out of the dust cloud to grab him.
Panic surged through Atomic like a bolt of lightning striking a tree. In a desperate attempt to free himself, Atomic instinctively reached out to pry the Destroyer's arm away. Instead, he unintentionally scanned the automaton, his mind racing as it began to analyze the unstoppable enemy before him.
As he delved into the molecular structure of the armor, a gasp escaped his lips. The armor that enveloped the Destroyer was unlike anything he had ever encountered—a mesmerizing alloy of otherworldly design, its complexity surpassed only by the chaotic beauty of the atoms that streamed in fluid motion across its surface.
What were these shimmering currents cascading through the metal?
They pulsed with an energy that defied comprehension.
In that moment of chaotic revelation, he realized that this was no ordinary metal; it was infused with something much deeper—magic.
Not just any magic, but the kind woven by the Allfather himself, Odin, ruler of Asgard. The very essence of the cosmos seemed to dance within those flowing streams, a formidable blend of myth and science that left Atomic awestruck.
Atomic had encountered these same strings of mysterious matter before. But they were always unrecognizable to him. At least until now. It was clear to him that those dancing strings of matter had been magic all along.
Overwhelmed by the deluge of information pouring into his mind, he felt like he was spiraling into a chasm of knowledge that threatened to consume even him. He severed the connection with sheer willpower, tearing himself away from the sublime understanding he had glimpsed.
To Atomic, the entire experience felt as though it lasted an eternity, a profound journey through the unknown. In truth, however, only two fleeting seconds had passed.
Unaware of the fate that had just befallen the young hero, the towering form of the Destroyer prepared to crush the fragile human in its iron grasp.
Thunder roared across the sky, a deafening crack splitting the air. Just as the automaton pivoted, a speeding hammer, shimmering with divine energy, struck its side with a colossal impact. The force compelled the Destroyer to release Atomic, sending the hero tumbling into the rubble.
Mjolnir paused in midair, suspended momentarily as if time itself held its breath, before it spun gracefully back to Thor's outstretched hand. Now clad in his resplendent Asgardian armor—silver and gold glinting beneath the stormy sky—Thor raced to Atomic's side, concern etched across his chiseled features.
"Can you stand?" Thor queried, his voice a blend of authority and caring.
"Y-yeah. Just catching my breath," Atomic replied, wincing as Thor assisted him to his feet. The god's piercing gaze fell upon the gruesome injury marring Atomic's shoulder, bloody and raw.
"You've done enough to make your ancestors proud, warrior in red. You can leave the rest to me," Thor declared, his voice steady as he turned toward the resurgent Destroyer. The automaton had regained its composure and advanced ominously, its face shield glowing ominously with a malevolent energy.
"Yeah… I can't do that," Atomic replied, determination flaring in his eyes as he pressed recently created thick gauze and bandages against his wound. He hissed in pain but steeled himself, refusing to yield. "I'm not one to stand back and let someone else finish my battles."
If I'm going to continue this fight, I need to upgrade my gear. Atomic thought, a fire igniting within him. Let's fight fire with fire!
Drawing a deep, centering breath, Atomic closed his eyes, a swirl of crimson light enveloping him as he channeled his inner strength.
When the light dissipated, his previous red and white costume had transformed into a striking sleek suit of armor—a combination of glimmering black, vibrant white, and striking red accents that seemed to pulse with energy. Gone was the simple cloth cape; in its place flowed a magnificent cape of fiery, red energy that danced and flickered like flames caught in a tempest.
Atomic's new suit was forged from the very same indomitable metal that constituted the Destroyer's formidable form, which he was now calling Mystic Metal, with compact mesh threads of Adamantium woven beneath the surface for added protection. Yet, he knew the armor lacked the magical enhancements that empowered the automaton's own formidable exterior.
"Let's do this," Atomic asserted, activating his formidable Kaio-ken, a surge of power radiating from within.
Thor, witnessing Atomic's unwavering spirit and the surge of strength coursing through his veins, grinned with fierce approval. "Very well, my friend. Follow my lead!" Thor charged forward with a powerful spin of his hammer, unleashing a warrior's battle cry that echoed through the mountains.
In an explosive burst of speed, Atomic matched Thor's velocity.
Thor, wielding his enchanted hammer Mjolnir, swung with the fury of a raging storm. Meanwhile, Atomic, steady and resolute, unleashed his devastating Star Rage technique—a punch that carried the weight of a thousand tons. Their combined forces collided with the Destroyer, driving it with immense power against the rocky face of a mountain.