Empowered by lightning, turning the battle around

Ye Mo dug his fingers into the cracks in the brickwork, using his left hand to brace himself against the broken wall as he slowly slid upwards. His right arm was only half intact, blood dripping down the broken section and pattering against the rubble. He gritted his teeth and turned the Steel Bone Regeneration program to its maximum. Metal fibers slowly crawled out from his shoulder, sealing the wound like welding rods.

It hurts terribly.

But he didn't say anything.

Thor stood atop the ruins, lightning crackling around his arms. The Destroyer lay sprawled on the ground, its shoulders pierced by lightning, black smoke billowing from it. Yet its core still flickered, a blue light flashing intermittently, as if waiting for some signal.

"Don't let it catch its breath," Ye Mo shouted.

The voice was hoarse, but loud enough.

Thor glanced back at him and nodded. Without a word, he turned to face the enemy. He raised his hand, a spinning ball of lightning gathering in his palm, arcs of electricity leaping across its surface.

Emma Frost leaned against the overturned car, blood still trickling from her nose. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow, but her fingers twitched slightly, as if she were calculating something. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her voice weak. "The vent... behind its right knee, there's a vent grille."

Ye Mo immediately reacted, "Thor! Shoot it in the groin!"

Without hesitation, Thor leaped into the air, a streak of lightning flashing through the air, landing squarely on the Destroyer's waist armor. Looking down, he saw a thin slit at the right joint, from which hot air was escaping.

A punch landed.

Lightning bolted through the crack, and an explosion echoed from within. The Destroyer convulsed violently, and the spike device on its left leg popped out, aiming for Thor's calf.

Thor jumped away, landing and rolling once.

The spike pierced the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"System notification -- This guy is about to die." Ye Mo grinned as he dragged his mangled body forward. His Steel Bone had grown up to his elbows, allowing him to barely lift them. He grabbed half a steel bar from the ground and threw it at the Destroyer's head sensor.

With a loud thud, it hit the target squarely.

The sensor was knocked askew, and the red light is flashing erratically.

The Destroyer began to struggle, its lower body thrusting upwards in an attempt to break free from the crack. But as soon as it moved, dark clouds gathered again, and lightning crackled through the clouds.

Thor looked up.

He knew that feeling.

Thunder is coming down.

"Emma Frost!" Ye Mo suddenly shouted, "Cover me! I'm going to nail it right here!"

Emma Frost didn't answer, but took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Although her mental energy was exhausted, she could still use her last bit of consciousness to interfere with the machine's locking system. She concentrated all her attention and sent a false signal into the Destroyer's visual module—three people were approaching from different directions at the same time.

The Destroyer fell for the trap.

The cannon muzzle swayed from side to side, unsure of which target to aim at.

Right now.

Ye Mo activated his Wall Phasing Technique, his body instantly sinking half a meter and gliding forward along the ground. A few seconds later, he emerged from the other side, just in time to get behind the Destroyer. He grabbed the steel mesh buried underground with his left hand and pulled hard.

Boom!

The ground collapsed, Destroyer's right leg sank directly into the pit. Ye Mo took the opportunity to detonate the pre-buried energy node, electrifying the steel mesh, and the current surged upwards along the metal frame.

The Destroyer shuddered violently, its core flashing with blue light.

Thor charged forward, drawing lightning with both hands and forcefully channeling the falling lightning into his palms. The ball of lightning spun larger and larger, and with a roar, he slammed the entire mass of energy into the enemy's right knee vent.

Boom!

A burst of fire erupted, scattering parts everywhere.

The Destroyer's right leg was blown off on the spot, leaving only half of the support frame sparking. The entire fuselage tilted and became completely stuck in the crack.

"Well done!" Ye Mo leaned against the wall, panting.

Thor straightened up, the lightning still crackling around him. He looked down at his hands, arcs of electricity flowing from his fingertips. This time, he no longer resisted this power. He knew it belonged to him.

Several survivors peeked out from behind their bunkers in the distance.

A boy stared at the battlefield and whispered, "Can he really control the lightning?"

The old man next to him adjusted his glasses. "He could do it before, but it's different now. Before, it was given by God; now, he takes it back himself."

Ye Mo heard this and chuckled, "System notification—don't let me down this time."

He said it to Thor in a teasing tone, but he was actually quite at ease.

Emma Frost slowly stood up, took a few steps while holding onto the front of the car. She walked to Ye Mo's side and put one hand on his shoulder. The two stood side by side, watching the figure shrouded in lightning on the battlefield.

Thor slowly turned around and looked at the paralyzed Destroyer.

It was still moving, its core flickering faintly, as if it wanted to launch a final attack. But Thor was no longer afraid. He walked over step by step, each step electrifying the ground, scorching it black.

The Destroyer raised its remaining left arm, aiming the cannon at Thor's chest.

Thor stopped.

He didn't dodge.

Instead, he stretched out his hand, fingers spread, and walked towards the muzzle of the cannon.

The cannon was charged, and the red light grew brighter and brighter.

At a distance of three meters, he suddenly accelerated and slammed his palm against the side of the cannon barrel. Lightning spread along the metal casing, and his entire arm short-circuited instantly. The cannon went out, the mechanical fingers loosened, and the barrel drooped limply.

Thor crouched down and placed his fingers on the interface on its head.

The current was introduced again.

A second later, he frowned. "Loki?"

Ye Mo leaned against the wall and nodded, "I knew it."

Emma Frost said softly, "It's just a pawn."

Thor stood up, lightning crackling around him. He gazed into the distant valley, where Mjolnir lay silently in the giant crater, its runes shimmering.

He can't get it back yet.

But now, he is no longer that rejected homeless man.

He is Thor.

God of Thunder.

Guardians.

He turned around and walked towards Ye Mo and Emma Frost.

Every step was taken steadily.

Ye Mo watched him approach without moving. His right hand was still Regeneration; the Steel Bone had grown to his wrist, barely enough to make a fist. He stared into Thor's eyes and found no confusion or anger within them.

Only perseverance.

Thor walked up to him and placed his hand on his left shoulder.

A warm current flowed in, stopping some of the bleeding. Ye Mo snorted, "Could you be a little gentler next time? I'm still alive."

Thor didn't laugh, he just said, "You won't die."

Emma Frost stood to the side, pale-faced but with clear eyes. She looked at Thor, then at Ye Mo, "Its core is still running; the data hasn't been cleared."

Ye Mo nodded, "Keep it, it'll be useful."

Thor glanced back at the Destroyer's mangled remains. Its core glowed with a flickering blue light, as if pleading for mercy. He knew Loki must be watching all of this from somewhere. Perhaps in the mirrors of Asgard, or perhaps from some interdimensional observation point.

But he didn't care.

He only wants to do one thing right now.

He looked up at the sky.

The dark clouds remained, and lightning flashed.

He raised his hands, palms up.

The wind picked up.

Ye Mo sensed the change in the air and whispered, "He's going to try."

Emma Frost gripped Ye Mo's shoulders tightly, "If we fail..."

"It won't fail." Ye Mo interrupted her, "System notification—even God wouldn't dare stop it a second time."

The words had barely left his mouth when the first bolt of lightning struck.

It struck Thor's crown.

He jolted, but didn't fall. Arcs of electricity spread along his limbs, forming luminous patterns on his skin. His breathing deepened, and his muscles tensed.

The second bolt of Thunderfall.

This time it hit him in the chest.

Thor arched his back, letting out a low growl. Lightning surged within him, as if reshaping some kind of pact.

In the distance, amidst the ruins, people looked up.

The boy murmured, "Is he charging?"

The old man shook his head. "It's not about charging... it's about signing a new contract."

Thor opened his eyes as the third bolt of Thunderfall.

A flash of electricity appeared in his pupils.

He slowly lowered his hand, the lightning still lingering. He looked down at his palm, where arcs of electricity snaked across it. Then he turned, facing the valley.

Mjolnir is still there.

It hasn't recognized him yet.

But he's ready to try again.

Ye Mo watched his retreating figure and whispered, "Go, don't look back."

Thor takes a step.

The first step is that the ground cracks.

The second step: thunder rumbles in the sky.

On the third step, he stopped.

Because he sensed movement coming from the hammer's side.