“Adrian, what are those things?”
Staring at the vicious-looking Frost Giants, a trace of shock flashed through Nick Fury’s single eye.
“The Frost Giants of Jotunheim.”
Adrian Cross narrowed his eyes.
In truth, even he was surprised right now.
He had originally thought this plotline was basically over, but he hadn’t expected something like this to suddenly happen.
More importantly, if Adrian Cross’s guess was correct…
These guys were probably here because of him!
And just as Adrian Cross was thinking that—
From among the dozens of Frost Giants, Laufey’s figure emerged.
He was considerably larger than an ordinary Frost Giant.
“My warriors…
I can sense that Loki is nearby, and this is where the Casket’s power disappeared.”
He roared and raised the massive blade of ice in his hand.
“Kill them all!
Find Loki—and make him tell us where the Casket is!”
“ROOOAAAR!”
The Frost Giants bellowed before charging straight toward the laboratory!
“…Just as I thought.”
Adrian Cross no longer needed to guess.
That’s right.
These big guys were here because of him.
Beside him, Nick Fury’s expression darkened completely.
Their actions had already made their attitude perfectly clear.
Unlike the Asgardians, these Frost Giants…
Were obviously not friendly.
“Coulson.”
Nick Fury raised his radio.
“Tell all soldiers to intercept them.”
“I’d advise you not to do that.”
A voice came from behind Fury.
Adrian Cross turned around and saw Thor emerging with Jane supporting him.
“I’ve fought them on Jotunheim before.
They’re the elite guards of the Frost Giants, and the one in the middle is Laufey, King of the Frost Giants.”
“With the strength you people of Earth possess, you’re no match for them…”
“Oh.
Adrian excluded.”
Thor spoke with complete seriousness, though he made sure to exclude the freakishly powerful Adrian Cross from the category of ordinary “people of Earth.”
As if to prove his words, the advancing Frost Giants began demonstrating their strength.
Tank shells.
Aircraft gunfire.
None of it mattered.
The attacks struck their hard, frost-covered bodies without leaving so much as a wound.
With every sweep of their arms, enormous beams of freezing energy shot outward, instantly encasing tanks in ice before the Frost Giants smashed both ice and armored vehicle apart.
Even Hawkeye’s arrows aimed directly at their eyes were frozen into fragments by the extreme cold before they could reach their targets.
The moment the two sides made contact, the defensive line formed by the elite military forces Fury had brought was torn apart as easily as paper!
“Tell your soldiers to retreat.
They’re here for Loki.
There’s no need for you to fight them.”
As Thor spoke, he gently pushed Jane away and stood upright on his own.
A powerful presence began gathering around him.
“Come, then!
You cowards who hide in your caves!”
“In the name of Odin, the All-Father!”
“I, Thor Odinson, future King of Asgard…”
“Will crush you!”
Unlike his previous hollow boasts about being the “son of Odin,” there was clearly something different about Thor this time.
It had nothing to do with strength.
It was a change in his convictions.
As his declaration rang out, tremendous power suddenly erupted from his body!
WHOOSH!
With a thunderous sonic boom, Mjolnir shot out from inside the laboratory and flew directly into his hand.
At the same instant, a suit of armor materialized over his body!
It was obvious—
Thor had regained his divine power as the God of Thunder!
But just as Thor was preparing to charge forward and fight the Frost Giants to the death—
Thud!
A sudden pain struck the back of his head.
And strangely enough…
The sensation was actually quite familiar.
After all, someone had knocked him unconscious in almost exactly the same way not long ago.
Before Thor completely lost consciousness, he clearly heard Adrian Cross’s voice.
“Look at you.
You’re still weak as hell, so why can’t you behave yourself?”
Behave myself?
What does he mean, behave myself?
With that final thought, Thor fell unconscious.
“…What the hell are you doing?”
Nick Fury stared dumbfounded as Adrian Cross knocked Thor out with a single chop to the back of the neck.
“You don’t want another alien protecting Earth while Earth is being invaded by aliens, do you?”
Adrian Cross casually shook out his hand.
“You mean…”
Hearing that, Fury narrowed his single eye.
“Tell your soldiers to fall back.”
Adrian Cross smiled.
“They’re only Frost Giants.”
“I’ll handle them.”
As those domineering words fell, Adrian Cross’s body slowly rose into the air.
His gaze locked onto the Frost Giants in the distance.
Of course, the real reason he’d knocked Thor unconscious and insisted on fighting these guys alone wasn’t nearly as noble as he’d made it sound.
His actual reason was very simple—
No fucking way am I letting anyone steal my mobs!
After viciously declaring that in his heart, Adrian Cross swept out a hand.
The next instant, Rayquaza’s enormous figure appeared behind him.
“ROOOAAAR!”
Its long body coiled around Adrian Cross as Rayquaza unleashed a deafening roar.
“Bi-bi!”
“Tini, tini!”
Celebi and Victini immediately appeared at Adrian Cross’s sides as well.
“Rayquaza, Celebi, Victini…”
Adrian Cross grinned.
“Time to grind some Experience!”