Marvel: AS A PRINCE IN ASGARD

"The Chitauri won't wait much longer," Loki muttered, his eyes briefly scanning the towering statue of Ragna inside the Church of the New God. A smirk played on his lips as he silently resolved to keep his new army under control—destroying these churches would be bad for his image. Worship was power, after all.

"But before I open the portal, we may have some… unwanted guests," Loki added, glancing toward Ragna.

Ragna, standing at the altar, effortlessly concealed his and Valina's appearances with a subtle gesture. Some actions were best kept hidden, such as aiding an alien invasion of Earth while holding the title of the "New Lord."

Before Loki could respond, a voice rang through the grand hall.

"Seems like you're in big trouble," Nick Fury's sharp tone echoed as he strode into the church, flanked by Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and a contingent of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. His single eye locked onto Ragna, who stood illuminated by the eerie blue glow of the Space Stone. "Hand over that little blue rock, and maybe we won't have to escalate things."

Ragna turned his head slightly, studying Fury with an amused expression. "Oh?" His voice dripped with mockery. "And why would I do that?"

Fury didn't answer fast enough before Captain America stepped forward. "That thing is too dangerous. It needs to be contained before it falls into the wrong hands."

Ragna's gaze lingered on the super-soldier. Captain America, shaped by the Super-Soldier Serum, had his virtues amplified to their highest degree—self-sacrifice, righteousness, and unwavering faith in his ideals. But ideals were malleable, shaped by perspective.

"What is proper containment?" Ragna asked calmly. "Who decides what is 'wrong' or 'right'? You?"

Captain America clenched his fists, but before he could respond, Fury cut in. "You don't have a choice, pal. Hand over the Tesseract, or we'll take it by force." He gestured, and instantly, Black Widow raised her pistol, Hawkeye nocked an arrow, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aimed their weapons.

Ragna's expression didn't change, but a faint coldness crept into the air.

"So," he mused, his voice dangerously quiet, "a group of armed men storms into a foreign establishment, demands something from a non-citizen, and, when refused, threatens him under the guise of 'national security.'" His words hung heavy in the air.

His gaze flickered to Fury. "Tell me, Director—if I refuse, do you execute me? Label me a terrorist? Or perhaps, fabricate a justification for war?"

Silence. Then, Ragna exhaled softly. "Arrogance and greed—those are the original sins, not weakness."

With a flick of his wrist, energy surged from his palm and tore through the church's ceiling. A massive shockwave rippled outward, sending S.H.I.E.L.D. agents flying backward. High above, the sky distorted, white clouds scattering as a swirling wormhole burst open.

A massive Chitauri command ship emerged from the void, flanked by swarms of smaller ships. Leviathans, massive bio-mechanical creatures, slithered out of the portal like colossal serpents, while squads of Chitauri warriors rode on hovercrafts, descending like a meteor shower upon Earth.

The invasion had begun.

The Avengers, still reeling from the shockwave, could only watch in horror as the alien fleet darkened the sky.

Ragna turned away, vanishing into the shadows with Valina, but not before giving Loki a final glance.

"Your war begins now."

Loki's smirk widened as he donned his Asgardian armor. His emerald cape fluttered in the wind, his horned helm gleaming under the light of the invasion. With Gungnir-inspired Asgardian craftsmanship in one hand and the Tesseract-powered scepter in the other, he looked down at the humans before him.

"Midgard!" Loki's voice thundered, echoing across the battlefield. "Your ruler has returned!"

But before he could finish his triumphant declaration, an arrow and a barrage of bullets ripped through the air. Loki barely had time to conjure a shield as explosions engulfed him in a fiery cloud. When the smoke cleared, he coughed and shot an annoyed glare at the Avengers.

"Really?" he scoffed. "You can't even pretend to listen?"

With a flick of his wrist, he commanded the Chitauri to attack. The alien warriors surged forward, energy blasts raining down upon the city.

The Battle for New York Begins

Without Thor's intervention, the battle quickly turned one-sided.

The Chitauri were a hive-minded warrior race, a perfect fusion of biology and technology. Their enhanced physiology made them formidable opponents, and their cybernetic augmentations rendered them nearly impervious to standard Earth weaponry. Each soldier was as strong as a peak-level superhuman, and their mechanized weapons only widened the gap.

More crucially, their mothership, stationed beyond the portal, controlled every single Chitauri soldier. Unless the mothership was destroyed, their army would never falter.

Ordinary bullets bounced harmlessly off their armor. Explosions barely staggered them. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were cut down in droves, their weapons proving woefully inadequate.

Panic spread through New York as civilians scrambled for shelter. Police officers, hopelessly outgunned, made valiant last stands but were swiftly overwhelmed.

Loki, perched atop a hovering Chitauri chariot, surveyed the battlefield. So far, the humans' resistance was laughable. If this was the best Midgard had to offer, then ruling would be a trivial matter.

But something was off.

Why weren't the Chitauri exterminating everyone? Their attacks were controlled—targeting military forces and infrastructure rather than mass civilian slaughter.

Loki narrowed his eyes. He wasn't here to balance the universe like Thanos; he was here to rule. A kingdom without subjects was meaningless.

"Make them kneel," he ordered. "Spare those who surrender."

The Avengers' Struggle

Nick Fury, breathless from the chaos, shot a Chitauri in the head before barking orders.

"We need to shut that portal!"

"Then find the bastard who opened it!" Iron Man growled, weaving through the alien fleet as repulsor blasts tore through enemy ranks. But no matter how many he downed, more took their place. His suit's ammunition was depleting fast.

The Hulk, meanwhile, was a force of nature, tearing Leviathans apart with raw strength. But his collateral damage was immense—whole buildings collapsed in his wake, and civilians were crushed under the rubble.

If anyone had caused more destruction than the Chitauri, it was the Hulk.

Captain America deflected an energy blast with his shield, then slammed his fist into an approaching Chitauri. "We need a way to close that portal!"

Black Widow reloaded, barely dodging an energy beam. "And Loki?"

"Find him," Fury commanded. "If we can't close the portal, we take him out!"

Hawkeye, crouched behind cover, fired a grappling arrow at a Chitauri hovercraft, aiming to hijack it. But before he could reach it, a barrage of energy blasts struck him mid-air. He plummeted, his body riddled with holes, lifeless before he hit the ground.

The Avengers were losing.

Even Hulk, under concentrated fire, was forced to retreat. Iron Man's suit was battered. Captain America was outnumbered. The battle was slipping from their control.

Ragna Watches

Hidden in the shadows, Ragna observed the chaos with cold detachment.

The people of Earth needed a lesson. A reminder that their world was never safe.

That their so-called "heroes" were not gods.

That only a true deity could offer salvation.

He had planned to wait until the crisis reached its peak before sending his angels to "save" the people.

But then, an unexpected message reached him.

Something that made him pause.

Something that changed everything.

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