"Come on, you can do it!" Loki took a deep breath as he eyed Mjolnir in front of him, his eyes flashing with a glint of determination. He tried to psych himself up as he reached for the handle of the hammer, while Robert and Kara looked on, slightly amused by Loki's self-motivation.
"Hmm?" Despite his pep talk, Loki's attempt was unsuccessful. His palm grasped the handle of Mjolnir, but the hammer remained unresponsive, much like when anyone else unworthy tried to lift it.
"I don't believe this!" Seeing that Mjolnir hadn't budged, a flash of defiance crossed Loki's eyes. He gritted his teeth and started changing his stance, hoping a different posture might lift the hammer.
Unfortunately, no matter how Loki shifted, the outcome was the same; Mjolnir remained steadfast, not recognizing him as worthy, regardless of his efforts.
"Dammit! Still not working?" Anger flickered in Loki's eyes. Now that he was the King of Asgard, the hammer's refusal felt like a mockery. Mjolnir was just a weapon for the successor, and if Loki couldn't even control it, how could he be a true king of Asgard?
"It really failed…" Kara watched Loki slump in defeat and shook her head, muttering under her breath, "Is he really Thor? He doesn't seem like what I expected. Wasn't Thor stripped of his powers and just a mortal now? Why can he still turn invisible?"
"Huh?" Loki's expression shifted drastically when he heard Kara's voice. He suddenly looked towards her direction, daggers materializing in his hands, his face a mask of cold murderous intent.
Loki hadn't expected to be discovered, meaning his embarrassing struggle with Mjolnir had been observed. To maintain the dignity of the King of Asgard, Kara and the others could not be allowed to live!
Previously, Loki had noticed Robert and his group but thought they were just mortals who had stumbled upon Mjolnir and were guarding it. Now realizing his mistake, Loki knew they weren't ordinary humans—how else could they see him when even Heimdall, with his all-seeing eyes, couldn't?
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Loki asked, not lowering his guard, trying to distract them.
"What the hell? When did he get here? Is he trying to steal the hammer? But can he even lift it?" Johnny Storm looked over in surprise as he noticed Loki, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, peppering questions rapidly.
"Didn't you hear Kara say he failed? But how did he appear out of nowhere? I didn't notice anything odd, is he like Susan, can he turn invisible?" Pietro eyed the daggers in Loki's hands, raising an eyebrow, "What's he planning to do? Attack Robert and Kara with those tiny knives?"
"What are you going to do? Ambush me?" As Pietro and Johnny discussed, Kara's patience wore thin. She stared at a spot on the ground and demanded, "I'll give you a chance to state your identity and purpose, and I might let you go…"
With a swift motion, Loki, who was still attempting to sneak up on Kara, who had just spoken and was closest to him, suddenly found his advance halted as Kara, clearly impatient, addressed him directly. Reacting quickly, Loki's face twisted as he thrust his daggers towards Kara.
Loki didn't know how Kara could see him, but he wasn't about to let that stop him from striking first. Fleeing wasn't an option for the King of Asgard, even outnumbered.
Yet, as he thought to quickly eliminate the perceptive Kara, then the elegantly coiffed Robert, and the visibly shaken Peter Parker, along with the chattering Johnny and others, his plans were interrupted.
With a "snap," Loki's fantasy of a quick resolution shattered against harsh reality. His thrust was blocked as Kara swiftly grabbed his arm.
Loki barely saw her move before finding himself immobilized, the strength in her grip surpassing even Thor's—impossible, given that Thor was one of Asgard's mightiest. Yet here was Kara, seemingly stronger.
With a swift motion, Loki's other hand jabbed with another dagger, but an already irked Kara reacted by punching directly at the blade.
As Loki saw her move, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his eyes, but before he could savor it, a "crack" resounded, followed by a tremendous force propelling him backward, his fleeting smile replaced by pain.
Loki had never been so brutally overpowered, feeling overwhelmed even by a single punch from Kara, questioning how a mortal woman could achieve such strength.
As Pietro puzzled over how Loki had moved so quickly to Kara's side, seeming to vanish just before being hit, Peter Parker suggested, "Maybe it's some kind of afterimage technique?" Although familiar with afterimage techniques from his encounters with Robert, Peter felt Loki's method was different, but couldn't pinpoint exactly how.
"Indeed, it's similar to an afterimage technique, but there are differences. An afterimage can manipulate perceptions of reality and illusion," Robert nodded, examining the situation. "An afterimage affects visual, auditory, and sensory perceptions, creating a perfect illusion. Loki's illusion is strong visually and audibly, but it lacks in other sensory deception."
While Robert outlined these differences, Loki, still in shock from the impact, tried to regain his composure. He wasn't just battling physical foes; he was also grappling with his failure to wield Mjolnir and now, the humiliation of being physically overpowered by Kara.
Meanwhile, not far from the chaos, Kara was already moving. She had noticed Loki attempting another illusion and was not about to let him escape. With a swift movement, she appeared before him, aiming a kick to send him back towards Robert.
Loki, realizing he was spotted again, frantically shifted his tactics. He muttered a spell and suddenly, a chilling frost emanated from him, his skin turning a pale blue as he invoked the powers of the Ice Box—a relic of the Frost Giants. This was not just any magic; it was a desperate gambit to escape using his heritage's mightiest artifact.
Kara, caught by the sudden outburst of icy power, found herself enveloped in frost, her body rapidly encasing in ice even as her punch neared Loki. Her metallic strength was formidable, but the intense cold of the Ice Box began to slow her, eventually freezing her into a statue-like figure mere millimeters from Loki.
Relieved, Loki gasped as he managed to stave off the attack by a hair's breadth. The Ice Box had saved him this time, its power derived not from him but from the potent magic of the Frost Giants. Normally, using such an artifact would be beyond an ordinary giant, let alone Loki, who lacked a fully developed Frost Giant lineage.
As Loki caught his breath, his respite was short-lived. Robert, having seen Kara frozen, ignited with fury. With no hesitation, he unleashed an explosive wave of fire from his fists, aiming directly at the chilling aura surrounding Loki.
The confrontation between the Ice Box's intense cold and Robert's explosive flames was immediate and violent. The air around them crackled with the clash of temperatures, but Robert's flames were overwhelming, designed not just to heat but to obliterate.
Loki, feeling the intense heat, spat blood. Using the Ice Box had tapped into his Frost Giant heritage, which made him vulnerable to fire, his least favorite element. The searing heat not only evaporated the frost but scorched Loki's flesh, turning him from a tactical mastermind into a desperate survivor.
As Loki reeled from the impact, the battle's outcome was clear. His reliance on the Ice Box, while showing his resourcefulness and desperation, was no match for Robert's raw power and command of his explosive abilities. The clash had not only neutralized Loki's frost but had also left him severely injured, questioning his place and power as the King of Asgard and his very identity amid these formidable Earth protectors.
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