Chapter 116: The Abnormal Hammer

Fury had considered such doubts carefully, but in the end, he concluded this might indeed be the case.

The most dangerous place in the world is often the safest place. Hydra, whose surface organization had been destroyed, could easily integrate into S.H.I.E.L.D. with a new face.

They worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., parasitized inside the organization, and continued to grow. Now they were too deeply embedded to root out, and he couldn't tell which agents were actually Hydra.

"I hope I don't see you all on Hydra's list someday."

...

Compared to Fury's world of suspicion, Marcus was having a great time.

Though the town's entertainment options were limited, some of the food was excellent—especially the barbecue he loved.

Animal fat released bursts of aroma under the high heat, and once the seasonings were sprinkled on, those scents merged in the flames, becoming even more enticing and making mouths water.

"Ah~ This taste is incredible!" Marcus laughed.

"You're the only person I know who'd use premium steaks for a barbecue!"

Tony chuckled before taking a bite of the beef Marcus had grilled.

He was genuinely impressed with Marcus's cooking skills, which tasted better than the Turkish barbecue he often enjoyed.

But every time he thought about how the barbecue was made from several different cuts of top-quality steak, he felt a twinge of regret. Though the steaks weren't expensive, using them for barbecue still felt somewhat wasteful.

He took another bite of the sirloin that had been cut into small pieces. The meat and fat had completely fused under Marcus's expert handling.

Of course, sirloin was just one of Marcus's barbecue ingredients—all kinds of premium steaks had been transformed into delicious grilled meat.

The favorite among Marcus and the others was Kobe beef with its rich marbling. The fat was distributed throughout the meat, and it felt like it would melt instantly in your mouth, creating an intoxicating flavor.

"It really is true—steaks with denser fat taste better when grilled."

Tony swallowed the meat in his mouth with a sigh. He was completely captivated by how delicious it was.

Of course, while enjoying themselves, they didn't forget their work.

The sensor data from Thor's hammer was continuously sent to Tony's mobile device in real-time, allowing him to monitor all readings at any moment.

That evening, while checking the data as usual, Tony suddenly noticed that the electromagnetic waves from Thor's hammer were behaving abnormally. Looking outside, they could see dark clouds gathering in the direction of the hammer site.

"That weather has something to do with the hammer. Happy, let's go!"

The three of them jumped into the car and raced toward Thor's hammer. Tony wanted to see what was happening with the hammer, while Marcus looked at the dark clouds with great interest.

The appearance of those clouds meant Thor had arrived. He was steadily approaching his hammer, but Thor, failing to understand Odin's intentions, would ultimately be unsuccessful.

Soon they arrived at the site, which was now covered by thick dark clouds creating an oppressive atmosphere.

"The hammer's finally doing something!"

Tony ran in excitedly. He had to see for himself what was happening with the hammer.

At that moment, Thor's hammer was emitting widespread electromagnetic waves. All the surrounding instruments and equipment were severely disrupted, their displays showing nothing but pixelated nonsense.

Upon seeing Thor's hammer, Tony was completely dumbfounded. He'd thought that with such dramatic readings, the hammer must have undergone some significant change.

But there it was, still embedded in the same spot. If it weren't for the interference with all the equipment from the strong electromagnetic waves, he would have thought nothing had happened at all.

"Has there been any change in the hammer itself?"

Tony looked at several researchers who were running tests. They shook their heads, sharing Tony's disappointment.

Despite the powerful electromagnetic waves, the hammer showed no signs of change—as if those waves had nothing to do with it.

"How is that possible..."

Tony fell into deep thought, while Marcus climbed back up to the elevated platform to chat with Clint.

"Did you check out the stone after it was broken open? Wasn't the inside interesting?"

Marcus knew exactly how fast the steel bar had been traveling when it sank into the stone, and what changes it would have caused inside.

"That's right," Clint glanced at the broken boulder. "The bar was completely embedded in the stone. How did you do it?"

This question had been bothering him. How could a human being throw something with such force without having some kind of mutation?

If Hulk had thrown the steel bar, he could accept it—after all, that big guy's strength was astounding.

But Marcus appeared completely normal. How could he generate that kind of power?

"Haha, that's a secret. But if you ask that bald guy in your agency, he might be able to tell you the answer."

The bald guy from S.H.I.E.L.D.?

A figure appeared in Clint's mind—their S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Nick Fury.

Could it be that Marcus and the director knew each other? Did they have some kind of relationship?

Clint filed this information away, deciding to ask the director when the mission was over.

While they were chatting, the dark clouds overhead suddenly began dropping rain, and a powerful figure was running toward the temporary research area.

"Look, isn't that guy funny?"

Marcus said with a smile. Hawkeye also spotted the figure immediately and readied his bow and arrow.

Marcus knew exactly who that figure was—Thor, the future beer-bellied occupant of New Asgard.

As Thor got closer to the hammer, the dark clouds overhead began crackling with thunder.

The rainfall grew heavier. In this arid region of New Mexico, this level of rain was highly unusual.

"Heh, I'll go check it out!"

With those words, Marcus leaped from the elevated platform and rushed toward Thor's hammer.

Under Clint's surprised gaze, Marcus landed smoothly next to the hammer, which was the only part not covered by the temporary structures.

Thor looked like a wild Viking raider, using his powerful body to break through the blockade formed by numerous security personnel.

Seeing how easily Thor was handling the security team, Coulson grew curious. Did this strongman know something about the hammer's origin?

"Let him through!" he ordered, then glanced at Marcus who was already standing next to the hammer. "Someone's already waiting to deal with him!"

After seeing the boulder with the embedded steel bar, and hearing the director's vague comments, Coulson understood that Marcus possessed superhuman abilities.

Besides, he could tell that Marcus was very interested in this newcomer and would certainly intervene.

Against Marcus's inhuman power, no matter how strong this man was, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Meanwhile, Thor rushed toward his hammer with an expression of excitement. As soon as he could pick up the hammer again, he'd regain his godhood and return to Asgard.

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