48 Chapter 48: Asgard's Defense.

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(General P.O.V)

Above the Allfather and Asgard's armies, two black ravens cawed while circling around, announcing the arrival of the enemy.

"Your majesty, he is here."

Heimdall, his gaze unimpeded by nothing, spoke into Odin's mind, confirming what the king's Ravens, Huginn and Munnin had already disclosed.

Odin, standing in front of his army, looked up in a timely manner as something shattered the speed of sound, producing a sonic boom while headed straight for him.

The sky shimmered with a cosmic brilliance as the Silver Surfer descended.

"Everyone step back,"

The Allfather ordered, his voice resonating with the power of a thousand storms.

"You heard the king,"

Thor echoed the command, his hand tightening around the shaft of his hammer, Mjolnir, a grim expression crossing his face on account of the coming calamity.

The ranks of Asgardian warriors standing behind him complied. Their eyes filled with a mixture of reverence and fear as they beheld the king.

"Thor...remember, do not interfere. Your duty is to ensure you stop him if he gets through."

Odin ordered his son, a solemnity in his tone that even the God of Thunder with all his brashness, dared not challenge.

Thor gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to refuse, but he jerked his head in a nod, acknowledging the gravity of his father's order.

He was the back up.

'All the best father.'

The god of Thunder thought to himself.

Then he, along with the Warriors Four backed away, giving Odin some room.

Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and Sif exchanged glances, their expressions mirroring Thor's seriousness at the impending battle.

"Herald of Galactus or not, no one threatens my kingdom."

Odin declared with unwavering determination, his lone eye tracking the Silver Surfer's form.

With a flourish, he pulled back his hand and hurled Gungnir into the heavens.

The spear cut through the sky with a sharp whistle, leaving a magnificent trail of golden light as it soared towards the Silver Surfer, who slowed his advance, riding undaunted on his ethereal board.

Inches away from Gungnir plunging through his chest, the Surfer made his move. With an almost casual grace, he used the bottom of his board to receive the attack.

Gungnir sank through the board, disappearing within. Then the Surfer flipped, shooting the spear back out again with a calculated precision that left the onlookers in awe.

Gungnir returned to Odin with twice the power and speed.

The air screamed around the weapon, but Odin raised his hand, and the spear slowed down very easily, stopping in front of him.

He grabbed the shaft with a growl, his eyes never leaving the Silver Surfer, who remained hovering in the sky, gazing down at Odin with a mix of respect and caution.

He might have redirected the spear back to the owner but even he couldn't deny the All-father's power.

"You dare attack me with my own weapon? I shall break that fancy board of yours!" the Allfather roared, his voice echoing out through the realms, not as the King of Asgard, but as the conqueror of the nine realms.

He took a step forward. The entire realm began to shake. On the second step, Odin's body seemed to swell with divine energy, causing his armor to gleam with an otherworldly radiance.

On the third step, he took a mighty leap, soaring through the heavens like a comet, headed straight for the Silver Surfer.

The first clash between them sent shockwaves rippling across the sky, shattering the tranquility of Asgard's majestic skies.

As they collided, the sheer force of their power sent the Asgardian crafts hovering above the army careening away.

The skies above Asgard became a tumultuous battleground, a whirlwind of silver-colored attacks from the Surfer and golden beams of searing light from the All-father's Gungnir.

Both were equally matched. They separated for the nth time, the battle entering a brief lull.

"Per chance do you have a death wish?"

Odin enquired.

"That would be the only reason I might

"Give up Odin."

The Surfer spoke.

"Asgard's time has arrived. There is nothing you can do. Evacuate your people while you can."

With an expression full of mockery, Odin snorted,

"Mmph. You clearly have no idea who you're talking to."

The All-father spread his hands out, his majesty filling the air,

"I am Odin, son of Bor, grandson of Buri! Father of Thor and Loki! Conqueror of the Nine realms! Asgard and its fate are mine to decide, not yours or the cosmic glutton you speak of."

His voice rumbled with the full might of his Odin-Force.

The Silver Surfer said nothing, merely narrowing his eyes as Odin kept on talking,

"Your master may hunger, dog. But I shall face any cosmic threat that dares approach my realm. As for my people, they shall stand with me in the face of annihilation, for Asgard's time is not yet at an end. Prepare yourself for a battle you cannot comprehend!"

Odin said, his voice ringing with a note of conclusion to a conversation he considered a waste of time.

"Very well. This day, Asgard falls."

The Surfer declared, leaning forward before bursting forward in his speeds.

Instead of his words undermining the god of Wisdom's determination, they instead stoked the flames of his resolve.

With his lone eye blazing with intense power, the All-father stood in defiance, watching the approach of Galactus' Herald.

It wasn't just a matter of love to protect his realm at any cost, it was a matter of Pride. What kind of god gave way to an invading force?

Thus Odin dug deep into his boundless reserves, summoning the very forces of the universe itself using his Odin-force.

Magic was something he was as adept in as physical combat.

With a wave of his hand, the All-father commanded cutting winds to howl towards the Silver Surfer, whipping through the air like razor-edged blades.

The wind howled, buffeting the Silver Surfer and throwing him back. He separated from his board.

Simultaneously, Odin called upon the skies to unleash beams of golden lightning that streaked down from the heavens, illuminating the battlefield in a dazzling display of power.

The Silver Surfer was hit by one such blast, causing his body untold torment as he jerked in the air.

Then the lightning disappeared into him and with a roar, the Surfer stood upright, throwing both hands forward and unleashing a thick beam of cosmic energy.

Odin twirled his spear, blocking the attack by causing it to break off into smaller silver blasts of energy that landed on either sides of the army.

The buildings closer to the beach went up in flames owing to the attacks.

Odin was not only pushing back the Silver Surfer, he was doing so while making sure his people suffered no harm.

Thor and the Warriors Four watched in amazement and trepidation as the battle unfolded.

They exchanged glances, marveling at Odin's prowess, his every move executed with divine precision.

"I never thought the All-father was this powerful. I have heard tales of his true strength back in Vanaheim but...not this."

Hogun who rarely spoke, commented, awe evident in his tone.

"Think you're ever going to get as powerful, Thor?"

Fandral joked, though the shock on his face was yet to die out.

"I don't know."

Thor answered truthfully.

"But I have to. You have all laid eyes on Father's true power. But if you were keener, you would notice that his opponent is more than keeping up with him."

The Warriors Four turned to watch the sky. A gasp escaped Sif.

"Thor's right. The Surfer...has sustained no damage."

True enough, the Silver Surfer gave just as much as he received. His board was stable, resisting the effects of the biting winds.

His body glowed with cosmic energy, blocking the divine energy contained in the bolts of lightning that fell upon him.

The excess energy from the attacks was somehow absorbed and changed into cosmic energy to power up his attacks.

"This fight...it's too evenly matched."

Thor begun in a worried tone,

"Father has the power but...the Surfer has time. I should try to-"

He was cut off mid sentence by a hand.

Sif shook her head, her right hand on the pommel of her sword.

"You heard the All-father. No one interferes. Not even you, my prince."

Thor jerked his hand away, a harsh breath leaving him.

"I understand it's your duty Sif, but you should really...loosen up as my Mid-gardian friends usually say."

******

Meanwhile, the ongoing fight was reaching its peak.

It had reached a point where the mere shockwaves from the battle were enough to take out any normal human.

The impact between the Odin-Force and cosmic energy, produced a large shockwave that could be felt by the Asgardian Soldiers on the ground.

"Shields up!"

Volstagg yelled.

With a war cry, the normal foot soldiers stepped back to allow the Shield bearers to stack their shields together, blocking the pressure waves resulting in their king's battle with the herald of Galactus.

******

From her perch on the palace balcony, Frigga's hands shone with green energy, aided by the rest of the Asgardian coven behind her.

The best sorcerers were from Vanaheim, just as she was.

But Frigga could testify that when it came to conjuration magic, none were as talented as the Asgardians. Luckily, her potent magical ability extended to that field itself.

"As one."

Frigga ordered her coven sisters, pouring her magical energy into the magical enchantment surrounding Valaskjalf, the royal palace, holder of Odin's vault.

A shimmering green shield sprung around the Palace, expanding to cover the entire realm save for the outskirts, where the army had gathered on the other side of the Rainbow bridge to face the enemy.

From the sky, one would notice the green shield across Asgard that stopped the stray attacks from Odin and the Silver Surfer's fight.

"Good luck, my sons."

Frigga whispered to herself, her awareness stretched across the realm, following the events of each her of her boys.

The first, Thor was with his father, facing the Herald of Galactus.

And the second, Loki...well, all she had to say to that was that the humans were a fairly interesting batch.

(Elsewhere)

(With some of the Avengers)

The Asgardian ship droned on as it left the city behind, headed towards the edges of the realm.

"Tony, not to be too cautious, but I think we should reconsider having the literal trickster god on the team."

Falcon said to Stark, flying beside him as they kept pace with the Asgardian Craft.

"You heard Thor, we can trust Loki as long as it concerns protecting Asgard."

Tony answered, his body safely contained within a scary looking 7 foot armor. A recent creation of his.

Different from his usual red and gold armor, this one was gray and golden. It was also bulkier and edgier than the MK series, looking more like a slimmer version of the Iron Monger than anything else.

"I gotta say, Tony. That armor is... different from what you're used to. You sure you're okay in there?"

Cap asked, tapping his ear comms from within the Asgardian warship flying next to the two.

"Don't worry Cap."

Tony slapped the armor's thigh, producing a deep thunk!

"This bad boy is made out of Uru. Due to it's properties, processing it is hard. Very hard. All I had time to do was build a generic armor. Nothing too fancy or streamlined or aerodynamic. Not what I'm used to at all, indeed. But, it shall serve his purpose."

Tony answered.

"You think the others are okay?"

Falcon wondered out loud, his wings flaring as he strafed to the right.

"All they have to do is reach the communications tower and issue an emergency evacuation broadcast across the realm."

Loki answered, manning the aircraft he and Captain America were riding in.

"In the meantime, we are moving on ahead to make sure the Bifrost is ready for a mass teleportation."

Tony took over the explaining.

"I know what Odin said but if this threat is enough to scare Thor...then evacuating civilians is the right call. We are lucky the Queen sees it that way as well."

Loki stared at Iron Man through the window of the aircraft before snorting.

"So long as you understand, once we're out of this mess... I'm not going back in that cell."

Cap, standing behind Loki in the ship, placed a hand on the god's shoulder.

"That's not our call to make. If you really care about anyone other than yourself...you would understand that this is much bigger than you."

Loki shrugged off his hold.

"I believe we are past such sentiments Captain. You are a hero...and I hate your kind. Just keep your end of the bargain once I keep mine."

Before Cap could answer, Iron Man spoke up,

"Heads up. We are here."

They had reached the Rainbow bridge. But...the way was being blocked by a cloaked figure.

"Wait...is that, Doom?"

Falcon asked, the team slowing their advance as they arrived before the bridge.