Thor could hardly believe what was happening. He coughed, staring in disbelief at the wound on his body. Fear—a sensation he had never truly known—was creeping into his heart. It was unthinkable. He was Thor, the God of Thunder. How could he, of all people, feel fear? The shame of it burned within him as he struggled to rise, summoning Mjolnir back to his hand.
Electricity crackled and thunder roared as Thor gathered all his might. The sky above the city split open with blinding lightning, the air vibrating with power. He was preparing his most powerful attack, a move that could level mountains. Su Zhan, watching from the rooftop, felt a flicker of concern—not for himself, but for Natasha, who clung to him like a koala, desperate for comfort.
He gently pried Natasha's arms from around his neck, wrapping her in a protective field of energy. Then, with a sweep of his hand, he gathered Steve Rogers and Clint Barton, carrying them up to the rooftop as well. The sky was now a canvas of storm clouds, thunder booming so loudly that the buildings trembled. Su Zhan looked at Natasha, holding her hand.
"My dear, let go for a moment. I have to go down and handle this," he said softly.
Natasha shook her head, refusing to release him, her grip tightening as if he were her only anchor in a world gone mad. Su Zhan noticed that Steve, protected by the energy field, showed no signs of fear, and Hawkeye's terror was also dissipating. The power of his Lantern ring seemed to block and absorb the fear that filled the air.
He carefully extended the energy shield to cover Natasha as well. Gradually, she regained her composure and, with a trembling breath, let go of him. Su Zhan smiled reassuringly. "I promise, I'll be right back."
He moved to the edge of the rooftop, ready to leap down, when Steve called out, his voice strained but determined. "You have to stop him!"
Su Zhan nodded. "Don't worry. He's wielding something that doesn't belong to him. I'll make sure he gives it back."
With that, Su Zhan jumped from the rooftop, landing lightly on the ground below.
Elliott Randolph stood in the center of the ruined street, both the silver and black blades—the Twin Blades —gripped tightly in his hands. As he pressed the blades together, a surge of power coursed through him. The silver blade shimmered, transforming into a snowflake pattern, while the black blade pulsed with a dark, ominous light. Randolph's body began to swell, his muscles bulging, his height growing until he towered five or six meters tall, like a living mountain.
Thor, now dwarfed by the monstrous Asgardian, felt the weight of fear pressing down on him, suffocating and relentless. He knew he could not hesitate. With a roar, he hurled Mjolnir at Randolph, unleashing a torrent of lightning that shattered the glass in every building nearby and sent sparks flying.
Randolph, lost to reason, swung the Twin Blades in a wild arc, cleaving the very air itself. The two forces collided with a deafening explosion. The shockwave rocked the city, sending Su Zhan tumbling through the air. The force of the lightning stung his skin, and he barely managed to steady himself as a nearby building collapsed in the chaos.
Suspended in the air, Su Zhan looked down at the battlefield. Smoke and dust billowed everywhere, obscuring the ruins below. For a moment, it was impossible to tell who had won.
He found a relatively flat rooftop and set Natasha, Steve, and Clint down gently. Then he descended to the heart of the destruction, using a swirling tornado to clear the smoke as he walked.
After a moment, he spotted Thor, battered and broken, his armor shattered, lying face down on the ground. Not far away, the massive form of Elliott Randolph loomed, still standing, though his body bore fresh wounds. Even so, Randolph was clearly in better shape than Thor.
"So even Thor's ultimate move couldn't bring him down," Su Zhan thought, astonished. The power of the Twin Blades of Fear was simply overwhelming. Randolph had become a juggernaut, and even the God of Thunder had fallen before him. If Randolph's physical condition had been better, he might have been unstoppable.
Suddenly, Randolph noticed Su Zhan and let out a guttural roar, charging toward him with reckless abandon.
Su Zhan smirked, unafraid. The energy of the Lantern ring flared as he conjured a massive rope of green light, which shot out and wrapped around Randolph's legs, yanking him off his feet and slamming him to the ground.
Randolph struggled, trying to break free, but the rope held firm. He raised the Twin Blades, ready to cut himself loose, but Su Zhan moved in a blur, pinning his arms to the ground with another surge of energy.
Su Zhan approached, leaping onto Randolph's enormous chest. The once-proud Asgardian was now almost unrecognizable, his features twisted by the power of fear. Su Zhan looked down at him and spoke in a low, steady voice.
"Your craftsmanship is truly impressive. I am very satisfied with these Blades. Now, it's time for them to return to their rightful owner."
He reached out and grabbed the black blade. Randolph clung to it desperately, refusing to let go. Su Zhan calmly lifted his foot and pressed it against Randolph's wrist. The Extremis virus in Su Zhan's body activated, turning his skin molten hot. Randolph screamed in agony as the heat seared his flesh, and finally, with a cry of defeat, he released his grip.
Su Zhan hefted the black blade, feeling its perfect balance and weight. It fit his hand as if it had been made for him. As he watched, Randolph's body began to shrink, the monstrous form fading away. Within moments, he had returned to his original appearance, lying weak and powerless on the ground.
"Do not touch those blades—they are dangerous!" Thor called out, struggling to rise. He watched in horror as Su Zhan picked up the black Twin Blade, but to his astonishment, nothing happened. Su Zhan stood tall, unaffected by the power that had brought even the God of Thunder to his knees.
Thor could only stare in disbelief, realizing that for all his might, there were some powers in this world that even he could not overcome.