Thor shook his head. It was probably the effect of the lightning. It looked familiar and normal enough. But—
"For certain reasons, I can't use my divine power right now. I need to get back my weapon, a hammer that fell from the sky. Do you know where it is?"
"Once I get my hammer, I'll have a proper showdown with you!"
Feeling a weakness he had never experienced before, Thor gave an apologetic smile from the bottom of his heart.
Looking at the lightning in the other person's hand, he felt uneasy… maybe even a bit afraid…
A God of Thunder afraid of lightning? That might actually be normal in some sense.
"You want to get your hammer back? Then you've asked the right person. Follow me."
Aaron withdrew his power of thunder and signaled for Thor to keep up.
Thor did not say much and followed closely.
"Let me tell you: today was supposed to be my day of glory. Right at my coronation ceremony, a group of pesky Frost Giants snuck into Asgard's treasury through a loophole and ruined my celebration."
"Then I led an army to teach them a harsh lesson so they'd understand Asgard's might."
"Oh~"
Seeing Thor's 'I'm very impressive' expression, Aaron thought: if he didn't already know that Thor and his group were nearly surrounded and taken out, someone else might actually have believed him.
He nodded. "So how did you end up down here?"
Thor's bragging smile froze slightly. "That's a really good question!"
"Actually, this is a trial! Yes, a trial!"
"The final test before becoming king!"
Thor did not mention his embarrassing predicament and instead came up with a plausible explanation.
In a certain sense, that was true. Under normal circumstances, once Thor picked up the hammer, he could continue on to be king. But sometimes accidents and surprises come when you least expect them.
"Maybe I can tell you about my hammer, Mjölnir. It's the finest hammer in the world!"
Chatting as they walked, Aaron and Thor passed by Erik, said hello to Darcy and Jane, then Aaron had his driver continue on.
"That's so cool! Are those your women? They look great! But they seem like ordinary people. Maybe I can introduce you to a few goddesses. Believe me, they'd definitely be incredible!"
Thor looked completely at ease, as if they were old friends. As a regular at banquets, Thor wasn't totally clueless; he was always at the center of lavish gatherings, drinking for several days in a row, adored by noblewomen and ladies of high standing.
"Humans can't handle the grace of gods!"
Thor declared in all seriousness, not noticing that Jane's and Darcy's faces behind him had darkened.
"What a lunatic," Darcy muttered.
"Don't just stand there; let's follow them," said Erik hurriedly. He had a hunch that the research he had pursued for many years might be about to yield results—assuming that man wasn't actually insane.
He shouldn't be, right? Aaron isn't ordinary. Anyone who catches his attention can't be a fool… right?
"My Mjölnir was forged by Eitri, King of the Dwarves, the greatest smith in the Nine Realms. He used the core of a dying star to create it, making it indestructible and highly attuned to its wielder. It can also fly at great speeds!"
"As long as I hold it, I'm invincible!"
"Of course, besides me and my father, no one else can lift it. You know—it's a recognized 'mastered' artifact."
Thor gave Aaron a big wink, praising his hammer to the skies.
"Sounds like 'Meow-Meow' Hammer is pretty neat. I'd like to try it someday," Aaron said with interest.
"It's Mjölnir, not Meow-Meow!" Thor corrected him.
"You can try it later if you want, but even if you give it your all, it'll never obey you. It belongs solely to me!"
Thor grinned proudly. Mjölnir was his love, and he was Mjölnir's beloved. He was certain that they would be together forever. Mjölnir would never abandon him—at least not until he got his little ax.
"Boss, we're blocked ahead. They look tough."
The driver looked at the fenced-off area in front of them bearing a sign that read: "Military Zone – No Entry."
"Aren't you a god on Earth? They still dare to disobey your orders?" Thor asked in confusion.
"I appointed myself," Aaron said, getting out of the car first. "Give me your phone."
The driver, puzzled, handed it over. "Let me unlock it first."
"No need."
With a single thought, Aaron analyzed the phone's fingerprint marks and buttons, running calculations in his mind. Within seconds, he found the correct password.
"You may want to change your password," Aaron remarked, as he walked away with Thor.
"You're not a god?" Thor's expression shifted.
"You can test it yourself if you'd like?" Aaron smiled kindly. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore through the clear sky with a deafening roar that made Thor shrink back on instinct.
"Just kidding," Thor replied awkwardly.
Whether others acknowledged it or not, at this moment, he decided Aaron was a god. Even at his peak, Thor could not summon lightning so casually. He needed Mjölnir to properly command thunder.
Honestly, in that instant, Thor felt that Aaron's control over lightning was greater than the God of Thunder's. He was a little envious. A God of Thunder really should be like this! Why couldn't he do that himself?
"Stop! Something dangerous happened here. No outsiders allowed!"
As soon as Aaron and Thor reached the gate, they were blocked by two tall men in black.
"Have Coulson come out," Aaron said, not even glancing at them.
They hesitated. Normally, they would just "escort" any intruders away—nobody dared to act like this in front of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But they recognized who Aaron was. Hearing instructions over their earpieces, they quickly stepped aside.
"Please!"
Thor muttered, "You're too softhearted. In Asgard, no one would ever dare block my way. If anyone was that blind, they'd be flattened with a single hammer!"
The two men listening twitched at his words, wanting to flatten Thor themselves.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Aaron from Oscorp. I never expected a big shot like you to come to a small place like ours… sightseeing?"
Coulson still wore his trademark nice-guy smile as he walked over to greet them.
"Your presence here truly brings us honor!"
"Coulson, has anyone ever told you that your way of speaking is really awkward?" Aaron said bluntly, not giving Coulson a chance to respond. "Enough small talk. I'm taking that hammer!"
Coulson had been about to speak but swallowed his words at once. He protested, "I'm sorry, but I can't authorize that. That hammer now belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D.—"
"Hey, buddy, when did it become yours? Damn it, I challenge you all to a duel!" Thor exploded. "I'll show you arrogant Midgardians the God of Thunder's wrath!"
Even without his divine power—useless against a lightning-wielding Aaron—Thor figured he could still handle a couple of ordinary Midgardians.
Coulson gave Thor a blank look. His mind raced, though his face still wore the same smile.
"Mr. Aaron, is your friend here… all right?" he said, pointing to his own temple.
"Your brain's the one that's messed up!" Thor retorted. "I want a glorious warrior's duel with you!"
"Single combat or group battle—name your choice!"
"You're sure?" Coulson smiled calmly as about a dozen big guys and a few tough-looking women stepped forward. In the distance, snipers took aim. Above them, in the darkness, someone lay hidden, bow drawn and ready—though notably not aiming at Aaron.
Thor glanced around. After weighing his odds, he looked hopefully to Aaron.
"It seems we're both Gods of Thunder, right? You'll help me, won't you?"
Aaron's expression turned cold. "Coulson, if you can't decide, get someone who can!"
"Our Director, he…" Coulson tried to deflect.
Aaron directly dialed a number on the phone in front of Coulson.
"Your call."
Aaron handed the phone over, and Coulson looked at the unknown caller ID, a bad feeling creeping in. Still, he answered.
"Hello, this is Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"This is the White House. Nick Fury will fill you in, but for now, you must comply with all of Mr. Aaron's requests. Immediately. Understood?"
"Mr. President!!"
Coulson was at a loss. He wanted to say, "Couldn't we just talk this out?" But here was the man on the President's direct line.
Coulson then passed the phone to Nick Fury, who quickly came on the line, sounding resigned. "Coulson, let him do whatever he wants—just keep an eye on him."
Nick Fury was pretty helpless. The President had personally called, berating him fiercely. Fury had wanted to argue that what he was doing was for America's safety, but the President replied more bluntly: "Got an issue? Let's talk with me, with Congress, with the federal court, and with every general, commander, high-level official, politician, and capitalist. Then, if you want to bring up 'the people,' it'll be June 5th soon—let's see who better represents them."
"In short, Nick Fury, neither you nor I amount to anything compared to Aaron. He alone represents the will of the entire United States, indeed the whole world!"
Apparently, stopping Aaron from accessing an 0-8-4 object was tantamount to going against humanity. Fury was just doing his job protecting America, but that made him the villain?
He felt utterly defeated. Fury now wanted, more urgently than ever, to establish the Avengers. Only by creating a super-powered team under the U.N. might he distance himself a bit from the federal government and have some voice in the matter. He deliberately avoided wondering whether Aaron might also represent the U.N.'s interest.
Coulson hung up, staring at Aaron, baffled. Something was off here. Normally S.H.I.E.L.D. did this sort of tough talk to others—FBI, the military—but now S.H.I.E.L.D. was the one being pushed around by an outsider?
"Agent Coulson," Aaron said kindly. "You don't want to go against the entire United States, do you?"
Then, ignoring him, Aaron headed inside with Thor. Times had changed. As long as he held new, undisclosed power, it was like wielding a direct mandate. Fighting was so passé; to subdue without fighting is the highest art of war.
Thor followed, still confused. But when he laid eyes on Mjölnir, he cried out with excitement and dashed toward it.
"Buddy, I've finally found you again!"
Coulson and the others wanted to stop him but couldn't. All they could do was watch, powerless, as Aaron and Thor approached the hammer. Ridiculous—this was S.H.I.E.L.D.! When had they ever been so restrained?
"Friend, thank you for your help. Now I'm going to pick up my hammer and reclaim my power."
"After that, you shall have my friendship—and Asgard's! Midgard and Asgard will forever be allies! Except for those guys, of course!"
Thor beamed at Aaron and then shot a scowl at Coulson's group.
"Now, behold a miracle!"
Thor reached for the hammer… and couldn't lift it.
He looked up at Aaron awkwardly. "I need a moment to prepare myself."
Taking a deep breath, Thor used all his strength. He was muttering under his breath: "Come on, baby! Have you forgotten all the battles we fought side by side?"
"Don't be like this. I know I hurt you, leaving you alone here, forced to endure a day of these awful Midgardians pestering you. But I promise—this is the first time and the last time!"
"Come on, let's get moving!"
"Please, I'm begging you, Mjölnir! I'm Thor Odinson! At least give me a tiny reaction!"
The hammer crackled faintly. Thor's eyes lit up, but then it dimmed again and wouldn't budge.
"No, no, no! You're really giving me just a tiny spark?"
Thor looked truly panicked.
"Need help?" Aaron asked with a small smile. Thor's predicament was a bit comedic. He had boasted plenty before, so seeing him like this now was somewhat amusing.
Thor coughed. "All right, there's a small problem at the moment, but trust me, I can fix it!"
"Just like I've taken down many arrogant foes before."
Thor forced a grin, not wanting to tarnish the Asgardian gods' reputation in front of another deity.
Aaron nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Life's journey is always full of bumps. That's normal."
"Exactly, exactly! This is just a pebble in my road of life. I'll handle it soon!"
Thor seemed relieved to be understood and prepared to try again, but Aaron spoke up: "Why don't I give it a try?"
Thor hesitated. Honestly, he didn't want to. But he also felt it would be good for Aaron to see that the problem wasn't him but the spell Odin had placed on it. No one else could lift that hammer. If Aaron also failed, at least he wouldn't have the right to laugh.
"All right, Mjölnir, I promise this is the last time I let someone else 'play' with you."
Thor stepped aside, putting on a magnanimous act. "I did promise I'd let you try, so go ahead!"
"Believe me, other than me, nobody can handle this. The power of the King of the Gods is on it!"
Aaron gripped the handle. Indeed, it felt extremely heavy, like a star's core. Relying on brute force alone—say, several thousand tons—wouldn't be enough.
However…
He had no intention of forcing it with strength. He hadn't come here merely to lift the hammer.
"Time to melt."
Thor was still talking when he blinked—and then blinked again.
"Where… where did my hammer go?"
Coulson and the others stood there in stunned silence. The 0-8-4 object was gone? The hammer disappeared into Aaron's right hand?
Thor looked up. "Where'd you hide my hammer? Did you pick it up?" Thor's voice shook with shock and fear.
The good news? Someone had managed to lift Mjölnir. The bad news? That someone wasn't Thor, but another 'God of Thunder.'
Great, so that makes me the knockoff?
While everyone else was at a loss, Aaron saw a stream of light invisible to others pour into his body. His expression brightened.
[Steel Body (and True Metal): Similar ability detected. Merging complete. Your body is now extraordinarily energy-rich, capable of easily absorbing and containing various energies and magic. Your potential has increased again. You're the most perfect container for energy! (More features remain to be discovered—maybe you should try magic.)]
[By the Name of the King of the Gods: You have gained part of the Asgardian God-King's traits. To some extent, you can grant or revoke the powers of Asgardians, and you can imbue or enchant magical weapons.]
~~~
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