SHIELD agent Natasha Romanoff pressed her eyes harder against the binoculars, her unwavering focus fixed on her target. She had been tailing the elusive thief for days, but so far, she hadn't caught a glimpse of the stolen Tesseract. Her frustration was mounting as she scanned the scene from a concealed vantage point.

What made the situation even more dire was the sudden escalation that had unfolded before her. Just moments ago, three alien entities had emerged and engaged in a fierce battle, leaving her with a glimmer of hope that they might eliminate each other before reinforcements arrived.

 But her optimism quickly evaporated as she watched a lone human figure enter the fray, oblivious to the impending danger. She knew that the stranger was walking straight into certain death.

In that moment, Natasha made a decision. She couldn't stand by and watch the foolhardy individual meet his demise, even though she was acutely aware that she was ill-equipped to face the formidable trio. 

Each of the three aliens was armed to the teeth, and while Natasha had the utmost confidence in her combat skills, this was a whole new level of threat. 

Even if she managed to defeat the massive creature and its vicious female companion,(itself a big stretch) she'd still be left to deal with her primary target, who wielded the scepter, and having seen how powerful that thing was, she stood no chance.

As Natasha wrestled with her next course of action, the scene took another shocking turn. The odds had just been stacked against her even further. 

The stranger she had thought was a mere mortal human turned out to be anything but. 

Humans simply didn't move at such breakneck speeds. Her heart raced as she observed the impossible: the stranger effortlessly removed a spear that had impaled his heart.

Natasha couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked and refocused through the binoculars, afraid that she might miss the next feat. Humans did not do this! 

Her resolve solidified. There was no way she was going down there alone, no matter how confident she was in her abilities. Her hand moved with practiced ease to activate her communication device.

"Cap, this is Natasha," she spoke urgently into the comms, her voice filled with concern. 

"No sign of the cube, only the scepter, but the situation just got a lot worse. I need full backup. This isn't a one-woman job."

There was a moment of tense silence on the other end, but in the background, Natasha's keen ears picked up the sounds of struggle. It was clear that things were not going well for her teammates either. 

Then, the familiar voice of Steve Rogers broke through.

"Sorry for the delay, Nat," Steve's voice crackled over the comms. "We were a little tied up over here. We had eyes on the cube, but we lost it. We're en route. Hold your position and don't engage until we get there."

**********

Cull Obsidian and Proxima Midnight, undeterred by Lucifer's sudden display of power, continued their relentless assault. Lucifer found himself hard-pressed and struggling to avoid their deadly attacks. 

As he dodged, ducked, and used his mild combat skills to fend off his two assailants, he couldn't help but feel the desperation of his situation.

 The scepter was clutched in his hand, a powerful weapon he had seen Loki wield moments ago, but he had no idea how to use it.

Amid the chaos, Loki shouted to Lucifer, "Throw me the scepter, and I can help you!" Lucifer, realizing that he was out of his depth, agreed and hurled the scepter in the man's direction.

 The next moment, things took a bizarre turn.

Suddenly, a swift swish filled the air, and Lucifer was left in shock as Cull Obsidian was propelled clean through a wall by a massive hammer. 

The force was astonishing, and Lucifer watched with wide eyes as the hulking foe disappeared.

"Oh, not him again."

Loki cursed under his breath before vanishing. 

Lucifer was left standing, bewildered and unsure of what had just transpired.

Moments later, a burly man with blond hair landed with a powerful thud, his presence commanding the attention of Lucifer and Proxima Midnight, who was already on her feet and had retrieved her spear. 

Proxima wasted no time and lunged at the new arrival, her spear aimed at his heart.

However, the burly man displayed astonishing patience. With his outstretched hand, he seemingly summoned the massive hammer that had earlier dispatched Cull Obsidian. 

It reappeared with a flourish, and Proxima Midnight was swept through a wall, much like her companion.

Lucifer stood there, utterly awed by the raw power of this new figure. He watched as the hammer returned to the man's side, who now turned his attention towards Lucifer.

With an air of confidence and a hint of amusement, the burly man remarked, "You seem to have gotten yourself into quite a mess, haven't you?"

Lucifer, still somewhat taken aback by the extraordinary events unfolding around him, managed a wry smile

 "Well, you could say I have a knack for finding trouble, and trouble, it seems, has a knack for finding me. Who might you be, and how did you manage to make quite the entrance?"

The burly man regarded Lucifer with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. He lowered his massive hammer and extended his hand in a gesture of peace.

 "I'm Thor," he said, "and it appears we've crossed paths at a rather interesting moment. As for the entrance, I have my ways."

Lucifer shook Thor's hand with a confident grip, noting the man's god-like strength and presence. 

"Thor, is it? Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though the circumstances are a bit peculiar. What brings you to this particular fracas, if you don't mind me asking?"

Thor's expression turned more serious at this human who somehow failed to understand he had just saved him from certain death. However, he explained.

"I've come to put an end to this invasion. These creatures threaten not only your world but countless others across the cosmos. What's worse, my brother is aiding them. I can't allow him to continue with this madness."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You mean that guy with the scepter is your brother?" Lucifer queried. Thor nodded with a grim look on his face. "His name is Loki, and I know what you're thinking – he's adopted." Lucifer nodded in understanding. "Ah, it does explain a lot."

Thor gave a rueful smile. "Yes, it does. Family dynamics can be quite complicated, even among gods."

Lucifer frowned for a moment, deep in thought. "So, you guys are gods?" He raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

Thor nodded, his features somber. "yes. Though it may sound peculiar to those unfamiliar with our realms."

Lucifer couldn't help but smile, initially thinking that Thor was making an odd joke. 

But as he looked at the genuine confusion in Thor's eyes, he understood that the guy meant it.

"Wait enough of this celestial beurocracy... you guys can't really be gods. Besides, there's only one God mate, and I would know considering I am the devil."

Thor chuckled at Lucifer's skepticism "I suppose everyone is a god in their own right."

Lucifer, however, seemed somewhat offended. 

"You think I'm lying?"

Thor tried to explain, "Not exactly, but it has to be some figure of speech. There's no way you are the all-source of evil the humans speak about. I mean, that's just a myth. Who would want to..." Thor's words trailed off as he noticed a startling transformation in Lucifer.

Before him stood a being that was anything but human. Lucifer had sprouted a pair of massive, white wings, and they stretched out majestically.

 Thor's eyes widened in astonishment.

Lucifer gave him an enigmatic smile. "Oh, you have no idea, friend. My nature is a bit more complicated than you might think."

Thor couldn't help but be amazed by the revelation. 

"Well, this just keeps getting more interesting."

"I bet it does," said a figure hovering a short distance from them.

chapter 9,10,11,12,13 are now on the patreon page below