Chapter 41: Tools Are Unworthy of Masters

The air crackled with tension as John grasped Mjolnir. A deafening boom echoed across the desert, thunder roaring and lightning fracturing the stormy sky.

"Hmm," John mused, casting a sharp look at Thor. "What do you think? Is it resisting me or responding to me?"

Thor, disheveled and despondent, watched him intently. His breaths quickened as unease flickered across his face. His once-loyal companion, Mjolnir—an inseparable ally through centuries of battle—might be turning its back on him.

John tugged at the hammer with all his strength, but it refused to budge. It might as well have been part of the Earth itself.

"Well, it seems Mjolnir thinks I'm unworthy," John muttered, releasing the hammer with a wry smile.

Thor exhaled audibly, relief washing over his face. Beside him, Agent Coulson subtly relaxed, though his eyes stayed locked on John. The idea of John wielding Mjolnir was almost too terrifying to contemplate.

John sneered, catching Thor's fleeting relief. "Why the smug grin? Afraid I'd take Mjolnir? Let me remind you—you're the God of Thunder, not the God of Hammers. Why are you so obsessed with a glorified tool?"

Thor's head drooped further.

John's expression darkened. "Do you really think I can't lift it? Do you think I need some 'worthiness' for that? It's a hammer. A tool. A thing. When did tools start dictating terms to their masters?"

He reached for Mjolnir again, determination blazing in his eyes.

"You've already failed once," Thor said quietly, looking up at him. "Mjolnir rejected you. You can't change that."

John laughed coldly. "Rejected? By a tool? Listen carefully, Thor—tools are not worthy of rejecting people. If Mjolnir thinks otherwise, it's about time it learned its place."

A bolt of lightning streaked through the stormy sky, illuminating John's form. To Thor, kneeling in the dirt, John suddenly seemed larger than life—like a hero born from myth.

John's divine power surged into Mjolnir, attempting to wrest control of the hammer. But Odin's enchantment held firm, repelling his efforts with an equal force.

"This divine power isn't enough," John muttered. Then, his lips curved into a smirk. "Luckily, I have another way."

He raised a hand. "All metal bows to me."

With a low hum, the hammer trembled in his grip. This time, John lifted Mjolnir effortlessly.

Thor staggered backward in shock. "Impossible... How are you doing this? Has my father completely abandoned me?"

"Thor," John said, his tone edged with menace, "if I kill you, I could take your place in Asgard. Wouldn't that be poetic?"

"What?" Thor blinked in confusion.

John didn't reply. Instead, he twirled Mjolnir and hurled it at Thor with devastating force.

"No!"

Mjolnir hurtled through the air like a meteor, its power undeniable. Thor, seeing his impending doom, instinctively reached out. To his astonishment, he caught the hammer mid-flight.

For a brief moment, Thor felt a spark of connection with Mjolnir. His heart pounded as hope surged through him.

"Hah! I'm worthy again—"

Before Thor could finish, the hammer grew impossibly heavy, slipping from his grasp and crashing to the ground.

"What's happening?" Thor stammered, staring in disbelief. The connection he'd felt seconds ago had vanished.

John approached, casually reclaiming Mjolnir. "I told you, Thor. Tools can't reject people. Only people can reject tools."

As John held the hammer, he noticed something peculiar. It felt... lighter.

"No way," he whispered to himself. "Am I being acknowledged?"

To test his theory, John placed the hammer back on the ground, then released his magnetic hold. When he lifted it again, it moved with ease—its weight a mere fraction of what it had been.

"Interesting," John murmured. "Has Odin's enchantment decided to humor me?"

Thor, bewildered, asked, "You're not keeping it? Why not?"

John flashed a grin. "Relax, Thor. We're best bros, aren't we? Why would I take your precious hammer? Besides, you look better already. A little adrenaline does wonders for the complexion."

"You were trying to kill me! I felt your murderous intent!" Thor shot back, seething.

John clutched his chest in mock despair. "Oh, Thor, how could you say that? I was only trying to help you find yourself again. And this is the thanks I get? You wound me!"

He turned to Coulson, brushing off Thor's accusations. "Coulson, stop gawking and get back to work. And bring me some food—ten portions, at least. I'll need it to recover from this emotional trauma."

Before leaving, he gestured toward Thor. "Handcuff the suspect. I'll interrogate him later."

Thor gawked at John, incredulous. "Wait, what? Aren't we best bros?"

Coulson, meanwhile, trailed after John, muttering under his breath. "Mr. John... Did you say the hammer is called Mjolnir? And that guy is Thor? Like, the Thor? The Norse myth?"

"Don't overthink it," John replied. "Just think of him as an alien. You've dealt with Skrulls, right? Asgardians are similar—they just have a flair for theatrics and fancy magic."

"Magic? You mean advanced tech, right? Some cutting-edge science we don't understand yet?" Coulson pressed, his curiosity unrelenting.

John sighed. "Sure, if it helps you sleep at night. Science, magic, divine power—it's all the same once you strip it down to the basics. But don't ask me for details—I barely understand my own abilities."

Coulson frowned. "Wait, are you a god? Or part of a myth?"

"Nope. Just a newbie demigod," John replied. "And trust me, I've barely scratched the surface of what I can do."