100 Life Always Needs a Little Setback

The deep blue night sky was covered in thick clouds, with occasional flashes of lightning lighting up the dark desert below.

In New Mexico, rain was rare in the desert, making thunderstorms even more unusual.

Kagura Hitomi stood alongside Agent Coulson in the monitoring room, watching as Thor walked into the central lab where Mjolnir, the hammer, was kept.

"That thing's starting to react," an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent monitoring the instruments reported.

"The internal energy core is heating up, and the interference is getting stronger.

Maybe we've found the real owner of the hammer."

"Hmm," Coulson remained calm, looking over at Kagura.

"Miss Kagura, do you think that man can lift the hammer?"

"No," Kagura shook her head. "Not yet."

"Why not?" Coulson asked, intrigued.

"If you don't believe him, why bring him here?"

Kagura casually ran her fingers through her silver hair and turned to him with a playful smile.

"It's a feeling, just a girl's intuition."

She couldn't exactly tell Coulson, "That's Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder," since that would probably land her in trouble, possibly at a psychiatric facility for a thorough check-up.

After all, she was a key member of the Avengers Initiative, and if she suddenly started saying things like that, Nick Fury would likely lose sleep over it.

After a moment of thought, Kagura carefully explained, keeping her story somewhere between fact and fiction.

"Well, I think the hammer does belong to him, but for some reason, he's lost the right to lift it. Maybe it's like the myth says—Thor lost his powers and was cast down to Earth."

Coulson shook his head. "Miss Kagura, we believe in science. At least, we still do."

"Science and magic are really the same thing," Kagura replied smoothly.

"When technology reaches a level so advanced that we can't understand it, we just call it magic."

"Well, I can't argue with that," Coulson acknowledged.

"But that doesn't change the fact that I still think you're just making up stories."

"Who knows," Kagura shrugged.

"What if the myths are true? What if that man really is Thor, the God of Thunder, from the Nordic legends?"

"Then I guess humanity's entire view of the universe would be turned upside down," Coulson said.

"And that would mean... more work for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Well, you should start preparing then," Kagura smiled knowingly.

The storm intensified, and a flash of lightning lit up the night sky.

Rain began to pour down in sheets.

In the rain, Thor stood beside Mjolnir, laughing joyfully.

"Haha! Finally, I've found you, my old friend. Now I can regain my powers, end this exile, and return to Asgard!"

He extended his right hand, gripping the hammer's handle, and pulled.

But nothing happened.

"???"

Thor's smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion.

He gripped the hammer with both hands, using all his strength to try and lift it, but it wouldn't budge.

The hammer was seemingly glued to the ground.

Seeing Thor struggling fruitlessly, Kagura remained calm.

This was to be expected.

In fact, he still owes me ten bucks!

Of course, Kagura wasn't just here to watch the show.

"Cortana, how are the sensors doing?" she asked.

"We're getting strong electromagnetic interference from the clouds, so satellites are out. But the nearby drones are working fine," Cortana replied.

"The model for the internal energy disturbance has been set up, and we're now validating the calculations."

Kagura had anticipated this reaction.

Thor was supposed to be the rightful owner of Mjolnir. If he tried to lift it, there should be a stronger response than when anyone else attempted to move it.

She had sent her drones—disguised with optical camouflage—to monitor the situation and look for clues to Asgard's technology.

"Keep analyzing the dark energy properties. Let's see what we can uncover," Kagura ordered.

"Understood, Master."

Thor was a core member of the Avengers, and Kagura knew the potential benefits of becoming friends with him.

Besides, if she could gain some Asgardian technology through this rare opportunity, it would be like striking gold.

She was excited about the prospects.

"Ahhhhhh—!" Thor, now realizing he had lost the ability to lift Mjolnir, knelt in the pouring rain and howled at the sky.

At this moment, Thor might not fully understand why he had been exiled or why he had lost his powers.

Life is never smooth sailing. There will always be bumps and setbacks along the way.

For Thor, this exile on Earth was a valuable opportunity for growth.

Kagura was actually quite happy to witness the transformation of this mighty Asgardian from a reckless warrior into a true king.

But she wasn't the only one witnessing his trial.

"This must be painful, isn't it? Losing your worth, your strength, becoming weak and helpless. From the edge of the throne to this, alone, powerless, full of despair..." A calm and elegant voice interrupted Kagura's thoughts.

Kagura turned slowly, sighing softly. "A prince from Asgard, isn't it?"