A brilliant white light erupted in the square.
ROAR!
The deafening sound tore through the enclosed space like a clap of thunder, shaking the ground beneath them.
A monstrous figure loomed before them, muscles rippling with raw power. Its wings, stretching nearly 65 feet when fully extended, arched upward as if preparing to strike. A thick, armored tail swung behind it, ending in a colossal hammer-like club.
Standing beside the dragon's massive leg, Natasha Romanoff was momentarily stunned. Even Watson, who had seen his fair share of extraordinary beings, was taken aback.
The sheer presence of the creature—Prince Kaku—was overwhelming.
The moment the horned dragon appeared, the air in the battlefield shifted.
Nine Realms – Asgard
In the golden halls of Valhalla, Odin, seated upon his throne, listened with half-closed eyes as his son, Thor, recounted (or rather, boasted about) his latest battle.
But then, Odin's eyes snapped open, a divine light flashing within them. His voice rumbled through the chamber.
"A dragon? In Midgard?"
Thor frowned. "Father? What are you talking about? A dragon?"
Odin's mind was elsewhere. He barely acknowledged his son before waving him off.
"I have heard enough, Thor. Go. I must speak with your mother."
Thor gave a reluctant nod. "As you wish, Father."
As his son left, Odin exhaled and closed his eyes. A moment later, his voice echoed in the mind of Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost.
"Heimdall, I need you to watch Midgard. Find this dragon."
"A dragon, Your Majesty?" Heimdall's usually calm tone carried a note of disbelief.
Dragons were creatures of legend, unseen for millennia. And yet, Odin's word was absolute.
Heimdall's golden eyes flared as he cast his vision toward Earth, searching.
Atop a snow-covered mountain, a bald woman in flowing robes opened her eyes, sensing a shift in the balance of power.
"A force unlike anything I've encountered before…" she murmured.
A golden portal swirled open behind her, and Mordo, one of her most trusted disciples, stepped through.
"Supreme Sorcerer, what troubles you?" he asked.
"A strange energy has appeared in New York. I cannot yet determine whether it is good or evil." She turned to him, her gaze sharp. "Mordo, keep watch."
This woman—Doctor G—was Earth's guardian, the Sorcerer Supreme. And something had just disturbed the natural order.
00:30 – The Dragon's Emergence
Natasha's breath caught in her throat.
The beast before her was unlike anything she had ever seen. More terrifying than any thunder-wielding monster, more real than any myth.
Then it hit her—the powerful frame, the massive horns, the vast wings, the long, brutal tail.
"This is a dragon… a real dragon?"
She turned to Watson, eyes wide with disbelief.
Watson nodded. "Yeah. And we need to move."
Without hesitation, he lifted Natasha onto the dragon's back, securing her in the saddle. He positioned himself in front of her and called out,
"Let's get out of here!"
Aoao!!
The dragon lunged at the solid rock wall. Lowering its massive horns, it tore through the stone with its enormous claws and the sheer force of its wing strokes.
Natasha gripped Watson tightly as the tunnel shook violently around them.
A dragon that doesn't fly? she wondered. Why is it digging?
RUMBLE!
The dragon's unstoppable force carved through meters of rock within seconds.
00:20 – A New Plan
Watson shielded his face from falling debris. His mind flickered to Baron Strak—if this whole place caved in, retrieving their bodies would be impossible.
Opening his ecological map, he quickly scanned the area.
One kilometer west, a small chamber. Seven or eight red heat signatures.
Smirking, Watson patted the dragon's thick hide.
"Change course. We've got some 'friends' to visit."
Aoao!
The dragon roared in understanding and shifted direction, tunneling westward.
00:10 – A Final Escape
The explosion was closing in. Watson could feel it.
Acting fast, he ripped off his helmet, turned, and kissed Natasha before securing the helmet onto her head.
"Stay under me."
The moment they adjusted their positions—
BOOM!
A shockwave obliterated the tunnel behind them.
Fire surged through the passage, swallowing everything in its path.
Yet, aside from a powerful gust, the flames did nothing to them.
Both Watson and Natasha were protected by Fire Dragon Armor. And as for Prince Kaku—fire resistance was just part of the package.
Elsewhere – Underground Chamber
Deep beneath the city, a hidden chamber housed two massive drilling vehicles.
A man perched on the edge of one of the machines exhaled a puff of smoke, adjusting the rifle on his back. He turned to his crew.
"We felt that quake. Time to move. Baron Strak doesn't tolerate delays."
As the team climbed into their vehicles, a sudden crack split the ceiling.
"What the hell? That shaking should've stopped by now."
Dust trickled down.
Then—
KRRRKKK…
"The ceiling is collapsing! MOVE, NOW!"
BOOM!
A massive, horned head burst through the rock above them.
The men froze in terror.
"A MONSTER!! OPEN FIRE!!"
Tat-tat-tat!
Bullets tore through the air—only to bounce harmlessly off the dragon's scales.
Aoao!!
The dragon's roar was ear-splitting. The men dropped their weapons, clutching their ears in agony.
Then—it attacked.
A single massive claw punched through the rock, followed by the dragon's entire form. With a single thrust of its horns, it impaled one of the drilling vehicles and flung it into the wall like a ragdoll.
The second truck didn't fare much better—crushed into scrap metal in an instant.
Aftermath
Watson jumped off the dragon's back, Natasha still in his arms.
Around them—total destruction. The chamber lay in ruins, bodies scattered, machinery in shambles.
He surveyed the wreckage, then smirked.
Now, he understood how these people had been collecting bodies.
More importantly—
He had just witnessed Prince Kaku's full power firsthand.
And if the Avengers weren't ready for this level of destruction…
Then nobody was.