Thor gripped Mjolnir's leather-wrapped handle, his massive, unpowered body straining against the hammer. The connection he had once felt—the symbiotic link that allowed him to sense Mjolnir and summon it with a mere thought—was gone. He pressed his senses against the surface of the weapon, but found only cold, inert metal.
The first, sickening realization of his loss hit him. His father, the Allfather Odin, had not merely stripped him of his powers; he had revoked the privilege of his identity. He tried a gentle lift with one hand, a casual gesture that would have been enough in Asgard. The hammer did not even tremble.
A surge of panic mixed with defiance. This must be a trick!
There was no other way. He could only rely on the most ancient, mortal method: brute, physical force. He clenched his jaw, the veins bulging in his neck, and exerted more strength. If one hand wasn't enough, he would use the other. He used both hands together, bracing his feet against the dirt of the containment pit, pulling with every fiber of his 1500-year-old, powerful, but currently mortal body.
He pulled until the darkness started to creep at the edges of his vision, but Mjolnir still wouldn't budge. Not an inch. Not a millimeter. It remained as immovable as the bedrock of the world.
Thor released his grip, stumbling back, staring at his trembling hands in disbelief. A hollow, desolate feeling of grievance and pain welled up in his heart, a terrifying loneliness amplified by the loss of his weapon, his title, and his home. Lost my love, all around me is desolation!
He reared his head back and let out a guttural, defiant roar at the indifferent sky, wanting to question Odin, wanting to demand justification for this agony. But only the low hum of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s sensors answered him.
In the end, stripped of all strength and dignity, he could only powerlessly kneel before the hammer, his immense shoulders slumped in utter defeat.
The crowd of onlookers—S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, scientists, and one unassuming former consultant—was stunned into silence.
Darcy was the first to break the spell, her voice sharp with dry commentary. "See? I told you. Looking at him, it's as if he's lost his beloved. I was right, he's just a God of Hammers, and now he's a God of Nothing."
Coulson let out a long, quiet breath, his initial fear of an immediate alien escalation subsiding. "He didn't lift the hammer. Status quo maintained." However, he didn't dare relax. He stepped toward Su Yi. "Su, so, what should we do? Thor, and this hammer?"
Su Yi instructed calmly, never taking his eyes off the kneeling figure. "Just have people protect the hammer, but there's no need to be too exaggerated. No one will lift it. As for Thor, just have him follow us, and you can continue to gather information from him. It won't be long before new changes occur."
"What changes?" Coulson pressed, sensing the hidden threat.
Su Yi raised an eyebrow. "His brother, Loki, the God of Mischief, covets the throne. What do you think will happen when the banished, rightful heir is weak and vulnerable? A family visit is imminent."
Jane was filled with curiosity, jotting down notes on Loki and God of Mischief. She resolved to find a time to have a long, honest chat with Su Yi.
Darcy, having overheard, became even more curious. "So, mythical figures also fight for the throne. What's shown in TV dramas is all true. Gods seem to be no different from humans, just with better jewelry."
Su Yi and the others approached Thor. Su Yi looked down at the grief-stricken Thunderer. "Thor, this is Odin's trial for you."
Thor flinched but remained motionless.
"When you learn how to be a person—how to become a true leader, a king who values peace and life over violence and pride—you will gain Mjolnir's recognition. Only then will you regain your power and become the true Thor. Now, you need to learn to reflect and grow."
Thor heard the words, but he was too immersed in his profound sadness and shame to process them fully.
Su Yi turned his attention to Mjolnir. He recalled the rare few in the canon who had proven worthy. He then looked at Jane.
"Jane," Su Yi said, a small, encouraging smile on his face. "Would you like to try and see if you, a scientist with a noble heart, can lift this hammer?"
Jane was completely surprised. "What? Su, what did you say?"
"I want you to try."
Jane blinked, disbelieving. The idea was absurd, but Su Yi's faith in her was compelling. With his silent encouragement, she tentatively stepped forward.
She gripped the hammer with both hands, taking a hesitant, experimental pull. Mjolnir seemed to have a very slight, almost imperceptible reaction. A barely audible metallic groan, a flicker of light that was dismissed by the S.H.I.E.L.D. sensors as static discharge.
Su Yi noticed it, however—a brief moment of potential.
In the end, Jane still couldn't lift the hammer. She smiled nervously, dropping her hands. "This hammer is indeed too heavy, Su. It feels like it weighs more than the RV."
"It's Odin's enchantment, Jane," Su Yi explained. "One must possess noble virtue and be worthy to gain the hammer's recognition, not just muscle."
Jane retorted, a touch of self-deprecation in her voice. "You think I can lift the hammer? What am I, a secret warrior princess?"
"Perhaps not now," Su Yi replied cryptically. "But perhaps in the future, you might yet become the Female Thor."
Although Thor was deep in his despair, he couldn't help but speak up, his voice choked with pride. "Mjolnir is no ordinary hammer! You mortals are not worthy to lift it! It is meant only for a god!"
Darcy seized the opportunity to strike back. "Well, you, Thor, don't seem to be worthy either, big guy!"
"I... I just..." Thor stammered, unable to think of a single defense.
Su Yi allowed the exchange to pass. He stepped toward the crater, walking around the hammer. He knew his turn had arrived.
He also had a serious doubt in his heart: did he truly have the necessary qualifications? Was he worthy?
He was not a pacifist. He had a strong tendency to ensure his own survival and comfort. He manipulated events for his own benefit—specifically, for the Fate Points that fueled his growth. His love for his "Hong Yan confidantes" was genuine, but his interactions began with calculated foresight.
Yet, Su Yi felt his core values were stable and righteous. He was not cruel. He was not vain.
With that doubt and a deep resolve, Su Yi placed his hand on the cold handle of Mjolnir.
The Anvil of the Soul
The moment Su Yi gripped Mjolnir, the outside world vanished. He seemed to see his own heart clearly, subjected to a silent, ancient interrogation.
Will you protect this World?
—Although this is not my hometown, my life, my home, and my loved ones are here. I will resolutely protect this world from all threats, foreign or domestic.
If possible, do you seek Universal peace?
—Yes, but only if it does not infringe on the freedom and safety of the beings I care for. Peace bought through slavery is not peace.
If it really comes to a last resort, where sacrificing yourself is necessary to save the World, would you do it?
Many faces flashed through Su Yi's mind: Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant, and then Jane Foster. He also saw the vast, innocent population of Earth.
I have a playboy tendency and a mercenary mind focused on Fate Points, he admitted to the hammer. However, when dealing with the people I choose to love, I give them my true heart. For them, and for the chance to build a better future, I will definitely be willing to fight with my life and do my very best.
If possible, I will make full preparations to avoid a crisis. But if it really exceeds my expectations, if the last line of defense is my life, I will fight with all my might, and even more, for this world and for my confidantes.
The subtle, nuanced answer—a promise of complete devotion and effort, without the empty, immediate vow of self-sacrifice—received Mjolnir's profound recognition. It was not a promise of martyrdom, but a declaration of kingship: I will rule and I will protect, and if required, I will die only after every other option is exhausted.
In just an instant, Mjolnir began to gather the power of lightning. The metallic hum was no longer static; it was a deep, resonant chord. The sky above the containment field, which had been clear, suddenly changed dramatically. Dark, bruised clouds gathered with impossible speed, spiraling directly over Su Yi.
The lightning descended, a blinding, crackling pillar of blue-white energy that enveloped Su Yi, who stood calmly, his hand still resting on the hammer. The bolts struck him, but they were not meant to injure. These lightning bolts seemed to be crowning Su Yi, forging a shimmering, golden-blue lightning armor over his form. He quickly dissolved his Symbiote suit back into his body's core to prevent the intense celestial energy from damaging the organic alien material.
Slowly, effortlessly, Su Yi lifted Mjolnir from the ground.
The hammer rose, shedding the earth it was embedded in, and floated lightly in his hand. The lightning continued to arc and crown him, turning him into a terrifying, luminous silhouette of power.
Thor looked at everything before him, his face a canvas of disbelief, his mind reeling.
He was not worthy. He could not lift Mjolnir. Yet a mortal, a 'little man' he had scorned, had actually gained Mjolnir's recognition and was currently wearing his thunder.
"No..." Thor whispered, his voice cracking into a horrified sob. "This is impossible!"
The shock of seeing a mortal command the lightning and his own hammer struck Thor far harder than any taser. It was the complete, agonizing psychological realization that he was fundamentally flawed and inferior to this human.
Coulson didn't understand the mythology, but he understood sudden, massive power signatures. His tactical instincts screamed danger.
"Go! Everyone fall back!" Coulson ordered, waving his agents away from the radiating field of power. "Jane, Daisy, Selvig, let's get out of here first! That energy spike is critical!"
Jane was extremely worried, her mind torn between the scientific wonder of Su Yi's ascension and the terror of the power. "Will he be okay? What's happening to him?"
Daisy, who knew Su Yi's true identity as a "Superhero," chose to trust him. Pulling Jane back, she insisted, "Jane, trust him! This is... a uniform upgrade! He's fine!"
Everyone retreated, and Thor was also pulled aside, moving mechanically as if he were an empty husk.
Su Yi, bathed in lightning, tested the weight of Mjolnir. It was perfect. He looked down at Thor, and then a new, critical System notification appeared, finally bringing the Fate Point opportunity to a head.
[Challenge Card Update:
Target: Thor Odinson (Unpowered).
Status: Target is currently incapacitated by Psychological Trauma (Doubt/Unworthiness) and is unarmed.
Objective: Defeat and render the target unconscious using the power of Mjolnir or other available methods.
Time Remaining: 4 minutes, 37 seconds (Before Target is secured and removed by S.H.I.E.L.D.).
Reward Window: Active. Claim the reward now to prevent S.H.I.E.L.D. interference or target escape. Failure to act will result in Challenge termination.]**
Su Yi knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would secure Thor and isolate him permanently. This was his only chance for the massive Fate Point payout. He looked at the shattered God of Thunder. The fight wouldn't be fair, but it was necessary.
Heimdall, in distant Asgard, in the control room of the Bifrost Bridge, quietly observed everything through the swirling vortex of the Bifrost energy. Thor's inability to lift Mjolnir, and now Su Yi gaining Mjolnir's recognition—a new, unknown protector on Midgard—was all seen clearly.
Odin, who had just argued with Loki and fallen into the Eternal Slumber, also seemed to sense the immense displacement of power. Deep in his sleep, the Allfather's eye twitched. Someone had gained Mjolnir's recognition, and this person was not his son, but a mortal who was truly worthy. A new piece was on the board.