"Better not go closer," advised Artoria's clones.
Surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Agents, the hammer now guarded by Hawkeye Barton.
"Give up?" sighed Sakura.
"Naruto" grinned. "Diversion."
"Water Release: Hidden Mist."
Special Agent Coulson stared at the unnatural fog.
"This isn't natural mist—watch for metas."
Hawkeye Barton hurried to the tent; every instinct and sense screamed that someone had arrived—and they meant trouble.
"Operation start! My Chakra won't last long. If it comes to it, drop the cosplay and use magic."
"Mm." "Mm."
Ninjutsu was convenient. While everyone else was blind, Naruto and Sasuke—boosted by their 'intuition' buff—reached Mjolnir in seconds. The Shadow Clones exchanged glances; then Naruto's clone reached out. The instant his fingers closed around the hammer, Odin—grieving and asleep in Asgard—stirred.
"If you want power, send the real girl, little one."
Artoria's Naruto-clone consciousness dropped into a storm-wracked void. Lightning flashed above black clouds; the hammer floated there, chained and calling. As the clone stepped forward to claim it, a single enormous eye filled the sky. A thunderous voice drove the clone's mind straight out of the space.
A shock-wave burst from Mjolnir; Naruto and Sasuke dissolved into smoke.
"Hm?"
Sakura sensed the clones vanish and stopped her technique. The mist lifted; no one stood by the hammer. Crackling arcs raced across its surface, then died as if they'd never been.
"Pull out."
Mission failed. Artoria's few remaining clones didn't linger. If they couldn't win, they'd watch. A battle would erupt here soon—and, exactly as predicted, a rainbow spear of light slammed down near the hammer. The trickster Loki set foot on Earth.
You lousy old liar!
Back in New York, Artoria curled her lip as the memory reached her. Odin had already crowned Thor; Loki's fate would play out unchanged.
"So you vaporized my clones, old man—note taken."
Refuse me, fine; obliterating my clones crosses the line. Hela was right—you're a hypocrite. All that talk of "whoever lifts the hammer gains the power" is just you setting up a scapegoat for your son.
As expected, the old fox is sharpest.
Her fist left a crater in hardened alloy. She hadn't wanted the hammer, but Odin's attitude stung; the All-Father's temper was legendary.
"Can't hit the old man? I'll take it out on his boys—Hope it teaches him some manners."
"Shadow Clone."
She split another Shadow Clone, left it to handle New York, and headed for New Mexico. You've angered a queen; now you'll squirm.
"All clear?"
While Artoria fumed, S.H.I.E.L.D. stood bewildered. Phil glanced into the crater—the hammer hadn't budged—and Hawkeye still held an arrow nocked. Unknown numbers, unknown powers; no one dared relax.
"Maybe I'm just jumpy."
After thirty minutes of silence Barton finally lowered his bow; the intruders must have lost interest. Besides, no one could shift that hammer anyway.
"So this is where the Midgardians live—Earth?"
"The air tastes awful."
Cautious as ever, Loki veiled himself in illusion and followed his senses to Mjolnir, strolling unseen through the camp. Standing before the silent hammer, his usual composure cracked; excitement surged. With Odin asleep he ruled Asgard in proxy—if Thor never returned, the throne was his.
"You're mine now."
Confident, Loki seized the handle—yet no matter how he strained, Mjolnir would not rise. His smirk twisted into a snarl.
"Why won't you claim me? Why?"
Red-eyed, the trickster god screamed at the unmoving weapon.
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