Chapter 78: Mjölnir’s Strike

Nick Fury wasn't overreacting. His fears were entirely justified. Thor and Luke, two walking catastrophes. One proud and explosive. The other unpredictable and vengeful. If those two actually fought... the Avengers wouldn't just fall apart, they'd implode even before they dealt with Loki, he didn't believe for even a second that the slippery bastard died with the fall. The Avengers Initiative was Fury's greatest gamble to safeguard Earth. Watching it crash and burn before liftoff wasn't on the agenda. He glanced nervously toward Luke. If it came down to it, he'd throw himself between them. Not because he had a death wish, but because someone had to try and stop what could turn into a god-level disaster. But what he saw next made him blink. Luke... was smiling? Fury squinted. No sign of anger, no tension in his jaw, no clenched fists. Just calm, annoyingly calm. 'What the hell?' he thought. From what he has seen, this guy is the kind that explodes over being woken from a nap, but now, when a literal god is roaring his name and threatening him, he's actually smiling? Luke met Fury's wide-eyed stare and offered a casual shrug. "Relax. No fight's happening. A little thunder god isn't worth my energy." Fury nearly choked on his own saliva. That tone, so matter-of-fact, so self-assured. Not cocky... just certain. Even if Luke had a powerful robot and a mutant three-headed dog at his back, Thor was still Thor. The actual God of Thunder. Mjölnir-wielding, lightning-throwing god. Fury wanted to object, but what could he say? Luke was already walking toward the deck. After a beat, he rushed to follow. If things did go south, someone needed to try to defuse it. ... Meanwhile, inside Luke's mind, the system chimed in: [Ding! Thor lost control and shouted at the host. Mjölnir deems its current master too.arrogant and has revoked its recognition.] [Ding! Mjölnir is intrigued by the host. It wants to get closer to you.] Luke froze mid-step. 'Wait... what?' 'Mjölnir... wants me?' Any irritation Luke had felt toward Thor vanished instantly. He was practically buzzing with excitement. Mjölnir, the mighty hammer that made Thor the god of hammer. The one he'd dreamed about holding back in his previous life. And now... it wanted him? 'System, don't tease me like this. Are you telling me I've got a shot with Mjölnir?' He picked up the pace. ... Back on the corridor that leads to the deck, Thor stood with Mjölnir in hand, face clouded in fury. But something felt... off. The hammer was growing heavy in his palm. Way too heavy. 'No, please don't do this,' Thor thought, tightening his grip. 'Not again...' He tried to lift it higher, just to inspect it, but it wouldn't budge. Mjölnir, the trusted weapon of countless battles, the extension of his godhood, was suddenly... rejecting him. His hands trembled as he clutched it with both arms, but the weight only grew. "No. No, no, this can't be happening!" The last time this happened, he'd been banished by Odin for his arrogance. Mjölnir hadn't acknowledged him until he'd proven himself worthy again. Now? That same betrayal. Sweat poured down his face as he strained to lift it. But Mjölnir slipped from his hands. BOOM~! It hit the deck like a meteor, sending out a shockwave that rattled the steel beneath their feet. Thor staggered, nearly falling to one knee, fists clenched and jaw tight. He refused to accept it. Not again... not in front of them. When Luke and Fury arrived, the first thing they saw was Thor crouched on the floor, both hands gripping Mjölnir's handle... failing to lift it. The once-mighty God of Thunder now looked like a man trying to pull a sword from a stone, and failing miserably. Thor saw them and flushed with embarrassment. His shame immediately twisted into rage. 'No. Not like this. Not in front of these mortals.' With a primal shout, he tried again, but nothing happened. Mjölnir didn't move an inch. Then, with a strangled cry, he fell to his knees, eyes to the sky. "FATHER! Why do you strip me of my powers again?! Why?!" His voice cracked at the edges, part rage, part heartbreak. Luke and Fury exchanged awkward glances. Even Luke, who was the one responsible for the current scene, felt a touch of secondhand embarrassment. "Uh... should we just... leave him alone for a minute?" Luke muttered. "Please," Fury said, nodding a little too fast. Neither of them had the heart to approach a sobbing god on his knees. Luke wasn't a robber, after all, he reasoned. If he went over and tried to pick up Mjölnir now, it would feel like kicking a man while he's down. Even if that man had just threatened him. They turned to walk away, until Thor's voice rose again. "MORTALS!" Thor's tone shifted. No longer broken, just furious. He rose slowly to his feet, red-eyed and trembling with anger. "You DARE challenge the majesty of Asgard?! You'll pay for your insolence!" Fury's hand shot to his temple. 'Not again.' He couldn't believe it. This idiot, he just lost his hammer and he was still out here shouting about majesty? "Does Odin not believe in parenting?" Fury muttered to himself. ...