Thor took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing the complex emotions on his face, and walked over to Lin Xiao in a few steps, patting him hard on the shoulder.
"Lin! I have amazing news for you! Hogun told me that my father isn't dead! He's just in a deep sleep! It's Loki, Loki is lying to me!"
He spoke in an unusually loud voice, and both his hands were trembling slightly.
"I told you so," Lin Xiao said lazily, standing up and picking at his ear. "Nine and a half out of ten things your brother says are lies, and the last half is just a setup for the next lie. You didn't believe me, but now you do?"
Thor nodded vigorously, his face brightening. "I believe you! I should have believed you sooner! Hogun is an old man, and he's very close to Father. What he said can't be false. Lin, if it weren't for you and Jane staying with me and comforting me these past few days, I might have really collapsed. You said Father would be alright, and your judgment was right."
Lin Xiao waved his hand, looked him up and down, then suddenly glanced around before changing the subject. "Alright, alright, I'll take your thanks. Stop with the useless nonsense. Where's Jian? Why did you come here alone so early in the morning? Didn't she come with you?"
Thor blushed slightly, scratched his head, and unconsciously glanced to the side. "She... is still sleeping. She must have been very tired last night."
Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes, a smile slowly creeping onto his lips, his tone incredibly enigmatic. "You'd better say she's really tired."
Thor paused for a moment, then realized the hidden meaning in his words, and immediately bristled, his blond hair practically standing on end. "What are you thinking! She and her colleagues prepared a huge feast for us last night, running around tirelessly! What's going on in your head all day?!"
Lin Xiao remained unfazed, shrugging. "You're the one who misspoke. Who else can you blame? You said she was still asleep, that she was very tired last night. Anyone would have thought that. That's a lack of clarity in your expression. You're supposed to be the Crown Prince of Asgard, yet you lack even the most basic narrative logic."
Thor opened his mouth, his chest heaving, and after a long pause, he managed to stammer, "You... really... never mind! I won't argue with you about this! I came to you to share this, don't spoil the fun."
Sif and the Asgard's Warriors Three stood nearby, listening to the entire conversation. Volstagg leaned his axe on the ground, his expression subtly complex; Fandral poked Hogun with his scabbard and winked at him; Hogun expressionlessly moved half a step to the side, pretending he hadn't heard anything.
Sif's face flushed and paled intermittently. When she heard Lin Xiao say something about "thinking in that direction," she subconsciously turned her head away, her ear tips turning red at an unnatural speed. The events of last night were still burning in her mind, and the last thing she wanted to hear was this kind of indecent topic.
She was about to reprimand Lin Xiao when her foot suddenly trembled.
The tremor came suddenly and violently, as if some huge object had crashed down. Lin Xiao's playful expression vanished instantly, and he looked up at the sky.
The wind had stopped, and the scorching smell in the air was back, exactly the same as when Sif and the others arrived, but this time it was even stronger and more pungent.
Sif's hand was already on the spear shaft behind her back. She looked up at the sky, her dark pupils shrinking to pinpoints. Volstagg lowered the axe from his shoulder, and the flippancy on Fandral's face vanished. Hogun took a step forward, his dagger already half an inch from its sheath.
Directly overhead, a dark red crack tore open in the clouds.
The color was completely different from the Bifrost. The Bifrost was dazzling, like countless Crystal exploding at the same time; this crack was darker and deeper, as if it had been soaked in blood. Thick black smoke billowed from the edge of the crack, and a deep rumble came from within, the huge sound making people's chests ache.
A huge figure emerged from the crack.
Its dark silver shell, its surface as if melted and then re-solidified by high temperatures, is covered with layers of twisted patterns. The joints glow with crimson fire, the fire flickering with its movements. It has no face; where its eyes are, there is only a horizontal crack, which is slowly opening, from which scorching red light surges forth.
It fell from mid-air, its enormous body plummeting rapidly. Its feet pounded two deep craters in the ground, sending dust flying in all directions. Even the sand beneath their feet trembled three times.
Destroyer, that's the Destroyer!
Hogun's face turned deathly pale. He stared at the Iron Giant slowly rising from the sand, his voice barely audible. " The Destroyer, how did it get here? This is impossible, impossible. It should only appear in Odin's Vault. There are no more than three people who can open the vaults, and right now, the one who can open it is... Loki, it must be Loki. He knew we were coming to find Thor, so he sent it down..."
Thor froze, his eyes wide, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. His mouth hung open, and it took him a long time to find his voice. "Impossible, impossible! Why would Loki do this? Father is already asleep, why would he want to kill us all?"
Lin Xiao sighed, walked over to him, and patted him on the back of the head. The force was just right, enough to wake Thor up.
"Don't you understand? The reason he sent Sif and the Warriors to Midgard wasn't to help you. As long as you're alive, his throne won't be secure. He knew Sif and the Warriors Three would come looking for you, so he released the Destroyer to wipe you all out. It's easier, cleaner, and he doesn't have to lift a finger."
Thor's lips trembled, his voice cracking. "No... he's my brother, he wouldn't do this to me..."
"Of course he will." Lin Xiao's tone was extremely calm, without the slightest hint of comfort. "You think he's still loyal to you as a brother? Then explain yourself: who lied to you that Odin was dead? Who banished you, and now this iron lump has suddenly reappeared? Thor, you treat him like a brother, but he treats you like a stumbling block. I don't need to teach you this lesson again."
Thor couldn't utter a single word, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at the approaching Destroyer.
Sif took a step forward, facing the Destroyer, and gripped her spear tightly. Her voice turned serious, "It's no use saying this now. It's here. We need to figure out how to stop it."
Volstagg slung his axe over his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Can we stop it? That's the Destroyer, the ultimate weapon from Odin's Vault. With just the few of us, we probably can't even break through its defenses."
"We still have to stop him," Hogun interjected, his face regaining some color, his tone more serious than usual. "We have to stop him even if we can't. Thor doesn't have divine power now; we can't leave him here."
Fandral gave a wry smile, drew his sword, and twirled it in his hand. "You always make it sound like you're writing your will. We haven't even fought yet, what's the rush?"
The four of them took a few steps forward in perfect unison, shielding Thor behind them. Sif glanced back at Lin Xiao one last time, her eyes filled with hesitation, determination, and something she herself couldn't quite put her finger on.
" Lin Xiao, you take Thor and leave. We'll take care of this."
Lin Xiao looked at her, then at the three Asgard behind her who were already in fighting stances. He knew he couldn't dissuade them from this battle, and he understood that Sif and the others knew better than anyone the terror of the Destroyer. For these four to charge forward now would be tantamount to suicide, but they still shielded Thor behind them, which was enough to prove their loyalty. Then again, the Asgard ' thought processes were indeed different from ordinary people; even though they were terrified, they still had to pretend to be very capable fighters.
"Are all you Asgard people a little crazy?" Lin Xiao sighed, his tone tinged with three parts helplessness and seven parts disdain. "When something happens, your first reaction is to tell others to run first, and then you rush in to be cannon fodder. I know a lot of superheroes, but I've never seen anyone like you who're so eager to be killed."
Sif's face darkened, and she was about to retort when Lin Xiao reached out and pulled Thor toward him.
"Alright, stop making it sound like you're leaving your last words. This iron behemoth is after Thor. It hasn't caused any damage in town yet. You guys hold it off. I'll be quick. I'll take him to the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D.. base. His hammer is there. I'll come back for you once Thor is safe."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Thor and said in an unquestionable tone, "Come with me, don't dawdle."
Thor's eyes were still red, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something. Lin Xiao didn't give him a chance to speak, and pulled him into the sky. Thor struggled for a moment, glanced back at Sif and the Asgard's Warriors Three, and finally stopped moving.
Thor remained silent for a moment in mid-air before speaking softly:
"Lin, will they be alright?"
"If they can't even hold out for this long, all those years of fighting alongside you will have been for nothing. Instead of worrying about them, think about yourself. If you can't get the hammer back, you can't help anyone."
Thor didn't speak again. A few minutes later, the two appeared on a small hill. Lin Xiao stopped and looked into the distance. The outline of the S.H.I.E.L.D.. temporary camp was already visible, the barbed wire reflecting the sunlight.
"Go this way, run along that old road, the camp entrance is just ahead. There are people there to meet you." Lin Xiao released Thor's arm and pointed towards the camp. "Go, don't look back. Your battlefield is over there. Remember, Thor, you need to know that you are no longer alone, no longer a willful prince."
Thor glanced at him, then looked back at the dust cloud still rising in the distance. Sif and the others were probably already engaged with the Destroyer. He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and turned to run back to the camp.
Lin Xiao stood on the earthen slope, watching Thor's figure grow smaller and smaller until he ran past the barbed wire fence and was surrounded by several Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He then took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and dialed Coulson's number.
"Boss! Something fell from the sky, it's huge, and it's fighting with some aliens right now. Aren't you guys coming to take a look?" He spoke in a relaxed, even slightly excited tone, as if he were sharing good news with his colleagues.
Coulson's voice immediately tightened on the other end of the phone. "We've detected energy fluctuations here. Where are you now? What's that thing?"
"I don't know what kind of thing it is, but it's pretty tough. I suggest you send a team over to check it out, but don't send the whole thing, it's a waste. Leave some people at the camp to watch that hammer, so someone else doesn't take it all."
"I don't need you to remind me of that." Coulson's voice deepened. "So, what are you trying to do?"
Lin Xiao's eyes darted around, and a wicked smile suddenly appeared on his lips, "I'll recommend someone for you. I think Agent Sitwell is pretty good. He's used to managing logistics at the bureau and hasn't done much fieldwork, has he? This is a good opportunity for him to practice and broaden his horizons. By the way, tell him that the guy with the iron skin is a perfect reference sample for bald head grooming; I guarantee he'll be interested."
There was a silence for several seconds on the other end of the phone.
"Are you sure? Sending him without knowing the potential dangers? Lin Xiao, do you have a grudge against him?"
"What grudge could I possibly have?" Lin Xiao said seriously. "Boss, I just admire his bald head. I think he's the next Level 7 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"I'll consider it."
"Stop thinking about it, or we'll all be burned to ashes. Agent Sitwell so clever, the men he brought are definitely not bad either. I need a few fast runners to help haul the wounded. Boss, this is what the organization needs."
Coulson paused for two seconds before saying, "I'll arrange it as soon as possible."
"Okay, I'll go check it out first." Lin Xiao hung up the phone, stuffed it back into his pocket, and turned to look in the direction where the Destroyer had landed. The sounds of fighting could already be heard over there; the shouts of the Asgard people and the loud clang of metal clashing mingled together, startling the dogs in half the town into barking.
He stretched his shoulders, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and soared into the air, flying rapidly towards the battlefield. The wind whistled past his ears, and Lin Xiao squinted, the slight smile on his lips gradually dissipating into the wind.
" Destroyer, I'll see just how tough you are."
Meanwhile, at the S.H.I.E.L.D.. temporary camp, Coulson put down the phone, slowly turned around, and looked at Sitwell, who was sitting next to him leisurely drinking coffee. A kind smile slowly appeared on his face, and his tone was as gentle as if he were discussing what to eat for dinner.
" Agent Sitwell, there's something I'd like to ask your opinion on."
Sitwell looked up, peering through his glasses at Coulson's harmless smile, and his heart skipped a beat. He put down his coffee cup, adjusted his glasses, and tried to make his voice sound normal, "What is it, sir?"
Coulson's smile widened, his tone even carrying a hint of negotiation. "There's a rather special mission that might require your personal attention."
Sitwell looked at him and, for no apparent reason, felt a chill run down the back of his neck.