Inside the room at the center of the laboratory, all unnecessary personnel had already been cleared out.
Adrian Cross stood there, looking at the silver war hammer resting in the crater before him.
Mjolnir—the mighty weapon forged by the All-Father Odin for his son in the heart of a dying star.
There was no doubt that this thing could be exchanged for Points.
But Adrian Cross had absolutely no intention of doing so.
After all, compared to Points, his life was considerably more important.
If he exchanged the hammer that symbolized the God of Thunder’s authority for Points, Odin might very well wake up from the Odinsleep on the spot and come kill him personally.
And when it came to the ruler of Asgard and conqueror of the Nine Realms, Adrian Cross certainly wasn’t interested in risking his life for a few Points.
“So this is the runic enchantment Odin placed on it?”
Adrian Cross merely examined the intricate patterns covering Mjolnir before reaching out, gripping its handle, and pulling.
Sure enough—
The hammer didn’t budge an inch.
“We’ve tried everything.
Even our highest-capacity cranes couldn’t move it in the slightest.”
Hawkeye shook his head from beside him.
“Of course.”
Adrian Cross released the handle.
“This isn’t about the hammer’s weight.
Odin’s enchantment prevents anyone it deems unworthy from wielding it.”
“An enchantment?”
“That’s right.”
Adrian Cross looked at Mjolnir without feeling particularly disappointed.
He knew Odin had placed an enchantment on the hammer.
Aside from Thor, its rightful owner, only someone deemed worthy of wielding it could lift Mjolnir.
As for exactly what made someone “worthy,” there was no simple set of rules.
It wasn’t merely a matter of possessing overwhelming strength, nor was having a kind heart by itself enough.
The hammer judged whether someone was truly worthy of wielding the power of Thor.
In the original story, Captain America had managed to make Mjolnir move slightly.
Vision had also been able to lift it completely not long after his creation.
If I can’t lift it, then I can’t lift it.
It’s not like I’m some kind of saint anyway.
After making a brief attempt and getting nowhere, Adrian Cross decisively abandoned the idea of lifting Mjolnir.
But just then—
“Tini, tini!”
Sensing its Trainer’s thoughts, Victini blinked its large eyes twice before curiously flying over to Mjolnir.
“Victini?”
“That little thing can fly?”
Adrian Cross and Hawkeye immediately focused their attention on Victini.
Adrian Cross was curious about what Victini intended to do.
Hawkeye, meanwhile, was simply wondering what kind of creature Victini even was.
Under their watchful gazes, Victini placed one tiny paw on Mjolnir.
“Tini!”
The little Pokémon gave it a hard lift.
And then—
BOOM!
Lightning erupted in an instant.
“WTF?”
Both of their jaws nearly dislocated on the spot.
“It…
It…
It…”
Hawkeye in particular—a veteran super-agent who had served S.H.I.E.L.D.
for years—couldn’t even form a coherent sentence.
“Could it be…?”
Adrian Cross, on the other hand, stared at Victini as a realization suddenly occurred to him.
“Tini!”
Victini looked at the lightning-producing hammer in its paws and cried out happily, as though it had just discovered a brand-new toy.
“Bi-bi!”
Celebi, perched on Adrian Cross’s left shoulder, immediately became excited as well.
“Tini!”
Victini happily tossed Mjolnir toward Celebi.
“Bi-bi!”
Celebi caught Mjolnir with ease.
And just like that, the two little Pokémon began happily tossing the hammer back and forth through the air like a ball.
“…So that’s really how it works.”
Adrian Cross helplessly shook his head as understanding dawned on him.
Of course.
Both Celebi and Victini possessed tremendous power, yet neither harbored any malice or selfish desire toward Mjolnir.
Apparently, whatever standards Odin’s enchantment used to judge worthiness, both little Pokémon had passed.
Adrian Cross might have figured it out, but Hawkeye looked as though he had begun questioning whether he was dreaming.
His gaze had practically gone blank.
And just then—
“Adrian, that man is awake.”
Coulson’s voice came through the radio.
“Oh?
Already?”
Adrian Cross couldn’t help marveling at Thor’s recovery ability.
As expected of the Avengers’ number-one reckless brute.
“How’s he doing?”
“First he tried to escape.
He also said some things about…
uh, honor, sneak attacks, that sort of thing.”
Adrian Cross immediately understood.
Thor was obviously complaining about him.
“…And then?”
“Now he’s talking to himself.”
Coulson sounded somewhat worried.
Had Adrian Cross’s punch damaged the man’s brain?
“Oh?
Talking to himself?”
Adrian Cross raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t disturb him.
I’ll be there immediately.”
He knew the real guest had arrived.
“Loki, is what you’re saying true?
Father really…?”
“Yes, brother.
What happened with you broke Father’s heart.
In his grief and exhaustion…
he couldn’t endure it.”
Hearing his trusted younger brother announce their father’s death, even the hardened Thor couldn’t stop tears from streaming down his face.
“Father…
This is all my fault…”
He deeply regretted his earlier impulsiveness, and his eyes were filled with remorse.
Looking at Thor in this state, a complicated expression appeared on Loki’s face.
There was satisfaction in it—
But also struggle.
“Loki, I have to go back…”
“No, brother.
Your exile was part of the agreement for the ceasefire with the Frost Giants.
You cannot return.”
Loki immediately interrupted him.
“I will inherit the throne and protect Asgard.
You have already been stripped of your position as the God of Thunder, so you should remain here.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.
That’s not quite right.”
At that moment, both Loki and Thor heard a voice coming from the doorway.
Adrian Cross walked inside, staring strangely at the two brothers.
“If both of you stay on Earth, a certain paranoid, catastrophically unlucky Director is going to lose his mind, you know?”
“You!
Witch!”
Before Loki could even figure out what was happening, Thor glared furiously at Adrian Cross.
“So, Loki, is there something wrong with your brother’s head?”
Adrian Cross shrugged at Loki.
“Why does he keep calling me a witch?”
Loki gave him an elegant yet wicked smile.
“While I occasionally wonder the same thing, Midgardian…”
“If you know who I am, then you should know better than to speak to me like that!”
Green light flashed around Loki’s body.
His figure instantly vanished from where he stood.
It had only been an illusion.
The real Loki appeared behind Adrian Cross, scepter in hand.
Light flickered across the weapon as he thrust it toward Adrian Cross.
And then—
“Bi-bi!”
Celebi suddenly appeared directly in front of Loki.
Dark blue light gleamed within its enormous eyes.
It was the unmistakable sign of Confusion!
“Urgh!”
The next instant, Loki felt an unimaginable force descend upon him from every direction.
His entire body was instantly immobilized!