Marvel: Odin Imprisoned Me with Hela

S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were both highly efficient. After the plane landed, it only took ten minutes for them to drive all the gathered onlookers out of the area.

Next, after a simple attempt to drag the hammer with a car failed, they spent another twenty minutes using hard plastic and steel bars to build a three-story defensive structure.

On the second floor of the defensive structure, Orion Cross, Coulson, and Black Widow stood by the window, watching the S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists below holding all kinds of instruments and testing the hammer.

"You’ve seen it with your own eyes now. So is it real?"

Natasha asked.

Coulson’s gaze also turned toward Orion Cross.

"That’s right. Also, I’m guessing the hammer’s owner should be nearby too," Orion Cross nodded.

The hammer and Thor had been thrown down to Earth one after another. Since Thor had landed a few minutes earlier, he should have just left the hospital by now.

"Let’s go down and take a look."

Coulson watched as the researchers below gradually withdrew, then said this to Orion Cross.

The three of them went downstairs. The researchers took the recorded documents and placed them into the vehicles. Orion Cross could clearly see that the expressions of several people were quite精彩. Among them, the Hydra members wanted to take the hammer away for research, but they could not lift it at all. Now they were probably taking the data to ask the other researchers.

Coulson briefly looked at the report a scientist handed him. After finding that most of it was nonsense, he handed it back.

"Want to try?"

Walking up to the hammer, Coulson looked at Orion Cross and Black Widow.

"Gentlemen first."

Natasha crossed her arms, looking as if she were watching a show.

"All right."

Coulson nodded, then bent down and gripped the hammer’s handle. Coulson held his breath, used all his strength, and tried from every direction, only to discover that he could not even make the hammer flip over.

"This isn’t scientific. The hammer is stuck diagonally in the dirt. If it were truly heavy, then as long as you pushed it left, it should fall over."

Natasha lowered her head and looked at the completely unmoving hammer, falling into confusion.

"You’re already guessing it’s Thor’s hammer, and you still want to talk science?"

Orion Cross rolled his eyes and said speechlessly.

Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, also known as Meow Meow Hammer, actually weighed less than forty pounds. The reason it could not be lifted was only because one was "unworthy."

"Hah! Hoo! I’m exhausted."

Coulson wiped the sweat from his forehead, released both hands, and shook his head. "No good. It won’t move at all. I suspect someone might have glued it down as a prank."

"You try. Maybe you’re worthy."

Orion Cross looked at Natasha. He vaguely remembered that in the original timeline, when all the Avengers played the "Sword in the Stone" game with the hammer, only Black Widow had not participated. And in the comics, both Captain America and Black Widow had once been worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer and gaining the power of thunder. Captain America had moved the hammer slightly when he tried to lift it, and then during the final battle, he lifted Thor’s hammer outright.

Then was Black Widow not trying also a kind of foreshadowing? There was no way to verify that anymore, because by then Black Widow had already sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone.

However, in Orion Cross’s opinion, Captain America could lift Thor’s hammer because of his spirit. Even without the serum, he would still throw himself onto ten grenades to protect his comrades. Based on what Odin wanted Thor to become, the hammer’s test of worthiness should be justice, sacrifice, humility, and perhaps leadership as well. As for the first three points, Black Widow, who sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone, definitely possessed them. Whether the current her was worthy, Orion Cross was not sure.

"No good."

Natasha tried once, found that she could not move it at all, then directly gave up. After letting go, she looked at Orion Cross. "Did you just say ’worthy’?"

"Yes, I heard that word too."

Afraid Orion Cross would change the subject, Coulson hurriedly followed up.

"That’s right. Aside from its original owner, only someone with a one-in-ten-thousand noble character and a pure heart can lift the hammer."

Orion Cross looked over the two of them and spoke.

"Uh, I admit my character isn’t noble, and my heart isn’t pure."

Coulson glanced at the hammer and said with some embarrassment.

"No wonder. I can’t really be considered a good person either."

Natasha laughed, a self-mocking look appearing on her face. In the line of work called agents, where were there any good people with noble character?

"Wait. Orion, can you lift it?"

Coulson sighed and was just about to look for another method when he suddenly thought of something and looked at Orion Cross.

"Thank you."

Orion Cross said.

"Hm?"

Natasha and Coulson froze at the same time.

"Why are you thanking him?"

Natasha looked at Orion Cross with question marks all over her face, finding it very strange.

"I already said that only a one-in-ten-thousand person can lift it, someone with noble character and a pure heart. You asking whether I can lift it means you’re saying I have noble character and a pure heart, doesn’t it? What’s wrong with me saying thanks?"

Orion Cross shrugged and looked at the two of them innocently.

"Uh... As long as you’re happy."

Natasha rolled her eyes speechlessly.

"Then let’s head out. I’ll think of another way."

Coulson assumed the hidden meaning behind Orion Cross’s words was that he could not lift it either. He sighed faintly and said this to the two of them.

"However..."

"Who said I can’t pick it up?"

Orion Cross’s tone shifted. He hooked one finger through the strap at the end of Thor’s hammer’s handle, casually lifted it, held the hammer in his hand, and weighed it twice.

"Uh?!"

"Hm?!"

Coulson and Black Widow stared at Orion Cross, dumbfounded.

"Wait. Was all that talk about ’worthiness’ just setup for this moment?"

Coulson came back to his senses, his eyes fixed on Thor’s hammer as Orion Cross casually tossed it up and down.

"I don’t have that much free time. Believe it or don’t."

Orion Cross casually threw the hammer back to its original spot.

"Then how did you lift the hammer?"

Natasha looked Orion Cross up and down. "Your noble character barely passes, but a pure heart..."

"Hm?"

Coulson raised an eyebrow, feeling that things were not simple.

"What’s impure about my heart?"

Orion Cross curled his lips and asked back.

"If your heart is pure, why is your house full of girls?"

Natasha’s question struck directly at the truth.

"There used to be a guy too, Wanda’s brother. Later, he moved out."

Orion Cross shrugged slightly. "Besides, why would my house need other men? NTR must die, all right?"

"And also..."

"All right, enough joking."

Seeing that Natasha was about to speak again, Orion Cross immediately interrupted her, picked up Thor’s hammer again, and said, "The reason I can lift it is very simple. Because I believe that the person who thinks I’m unworthy isn’t qualified to think I’m unworthy."

Natasha and Coulson: "A tongue twister?"

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