Hammer, Honor, and a Bit of Humiliation

Desert Crater – Noon Heat

The sun blazed overhead as the wind carried dust across the isolated SHIELD compound. At the center of the sandy crater sat Mjölnir, undisturbed and unmoved since it first crashed to Earth.

The guards were fewer now—most had been pulled back after the initial incident. All that remained were low-level security drones and a few monitoring satellites in orbit.

That made entry… easier.

A beat-up black pickup truck rolled to a stop just outside the fence line. Out stepped Tony Stark, Kai, and Thor, the latter radiating quiet determination.

"You sure about this?" Tony asked, slipping on his shades.

Thor nodded. "If I am to be worthy again… I must try."

Kai munched on the last bite of a protein bar. "Alright. Just don't make it dramatic."

"No promises," Thor replied with a smile, striding forward.

Tony leaned over to Kai. "Ten bucks says he monologues."

Kai smirked. "I brought popcorn."

Thor stepped into the compound like a warrior approaching a battlefield. His hair blew gently in the wind. The light glinted off the handle of Mjölnir.

As he approached, the very air seemed to change—denser, charged.

He paused five feet away.

"I come not to demand," he said aloud, "but to ask."

Kai whispered to Tony, "Here it comes…"

Thor knelt before the hammer, his voice low and sincere.

"I was foolish. Arrogant. I sought war when I should have sought peace. I broke the trust of my father… and of my people."

He reached out, hand trembling slightly.

"If I am not worthy… then so be it. But let me prove I have changed."

While Far above, cloaked by Asgardian magic and a touch of mischief, Loki watched the scene unfold from a thin shimmer in the air.

Invisible. Untraceable. Smirking.

"Oh, brother," Loki whispered. "So noble. So sincere. So painfully dull."

He waved his hand, subtly warping the air around the hammer. Not enough to fully stop it—but just enough to delay.

"Let's make this… entertaining."

Thor gripped Mjölnir's handle.

A rush of wind spiraled outward.

The hammer trembled.

Tony leaned forward. "It's moving."

Kai squinted. "Maybe…"

Mjölnir rose an inch.

Then wobbled.

Then—zapped Thor with a small shock and dropped like a brick.

"Yow!" Thor flinched and fell on his backside, legs splayed out like a flipped turtle.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Then Tony and Kai both burst into laughter.

"PFFFFT— Did the hammer just taze him?" Kai gasped.

Tony was nearly crying. "It rejected him like a bad date!"

Thor sat up, hair frazzled, cloak slightly askew. He blinked, rubbing his shoulder. "…What just happened?"

Invisible, Loki twirled a small illusionary version of Mjölnir between his fingers. "Oh, that was delightful."

Then, feeling bold, he conjured a harmless illusion of a giant frog, perched beside the hammer, croaking once before vanishing.

Thor blinked again.

"…Did I just see a frog?"

Kai looked concerned. "You okay, buddy?"

Thor pointed. "There was… a frog."

Tony leaned to Kai and whispered, "He's either going mad or getting trolled."

Kai looked around warily. "This smell like magic to you?"

The Omnitrix gave a faint pulse—disturbance detected.

"Yup," Kai said. "Definitely magic."

Thor stood again, shaking off the dust with wounded pride.

"I am being mocked."

Tony tilted his head. "By the hammer or your hallucinations?"

"I sense… a presence."

Kai activated a scan from the Omnitrix. "Yeah. Something's bending light and space around here. There's a distortion field hovering just outside visible range. It's subtle, but—"

Suddenly, Thor shouted to the empty air, "LOKI! I know you're here!"

The wind stilled.

A shimmer danced above the hammer.

Then, briefly, a phantom image of Loki appeared, lounging on an invisible throne.

"Hello, brother," he said with a sly grin. "I thought I'd pop in and check on your redemption arc."

Thor growled. "You interfered."

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Oh, barely. A slight nudge. A little delay. You're still not worthy, clearly—not my fault."

Tony folded his arms. "So this is the family?"

Kai waved. "Hi. Trickster god, I'm guessing?"

Loki looked at him curiously. "And you… are an insect with a toy."

Kai held up the Omnitrix. "Wanna find out what kind of insect?"

Loki considered, then smirked. "Another time."

With a wave of his hand, he vanished again—leaving only a swirl of wind and a lingering chuckle in the air.

Thor stood in silence, fists clenched.

"I will not rise to his games."

Tony gave him a pat on the back. "You kinda already did. It was great entertainment, though."

Kai pulled something from his hoodie. "Want a consolation snack?"

Thor took it and looked down.

"…Is this a sweet jalebi?"

"Best remedy for magical humiliation," Kai said.

Thor bit into it—and smiled. "You are wise, small warrior."

Evening – Back at the Lab

They returned to Jane's lab with the sun low behind them. Darcy had set up a projector on the roof, trying to get everyone to watch old Earth action movies, but Thor had gone quiet.

Jane sat beside him.

"You'll get there," she said softly.

Thor nodded. "I must. For Asgard. And for those who still believe in me."

He looked toward Kai and Tony, who were squabbling over whose tech scanner had better battery life.

"…I'm not alone anymore."