Controllable Uru Metal

"This is rather serious. I thought I should come take a look."

Coulson looked in the direction Leo was watching. "Do you know who that man is?"

"Yeah. Do you recognize what that hammer is?"

Coulson fell silent as he looked at the hammer in the center.

"I already told Director Fury my guess. He sent me to handle it, and it seems there were some other discoveries over in Greenland."

Thor excitedly gripped the hammer's handle and pulled upward with all his strength.

The hammer did not budge. It stood firmly in place, as though it were connected to the earth itself.

Thor sensed that something was wrong and continued pulling, even placing both hands on it.

He used every ounce of strength in his body to wrench it free.

Lightning still flashed overhead, while rain poured down, soaking Thor from head to toe.

After rolling around in the mud with an agent moments earlier, muddy water was still dripping from his hair, and his entire body was covered in filth.

But Thor did not care about any of that. He only wanted to lift his hammer, Mjolnir.

Lightning continued to flicker in the sky as Thor gripped it with all his strength. Veins bulged across his thick arms.

Yet despite their stalemate, the hammer remained completely motionless.

Thor helplessly let go and staggered back two steps, staring at his own hands in panic, unable to believe what had happened.

He raised his head into the rain and looked at the lightning-filled sky.

Then he let out a desperate roar.

The grief and desolation in that cry were clear even to Jane, hundreds of meters away.

Jane thought something had happened to Thor and covered her mouth in fear.

Darcy wrapped an arm around Jane and patted her. "It's okay. If neither of them comes out in another hour, we'll go in and find them."

Thor weakly dropped to his knees before the hammer.

For him, that action was an agonizing blow.

Coulson raised his radio as well. "All right, the show's over. Ground team, move in."

Seven or eight armed agents approached and cuffed Thor, who had no will left to resist.

Barton, standing on high ground, also relaxed the bowstring in his hand, his eyes fixed on the unfamiliar figure beside Coulson.

Masked Leo looked back at him and gave Barton, hidden high in the dark and rainy night, a friendly wave.

Coulson watched Thor being taken away, then turned to Leo beside him.

"Why are you wearing a mask? Everyone here is from S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Not necessarily." Leo looked at several familiar-looking people nearby.

Especially the bald man beside them—Sitwell, a senior Hydra member and one of the key figures behind Project Insight.

Although Coulson did not know whom Leo was wary of, he still led Leo into an empty room.

"Why did you come to Mexico? Also, I looked into Norse Mythology, so that hammer really is...?"

Coulson questioned Leo.

"You've seen Aliens before, so don't be too surprised. That hammer really is the weapon from the myths—the God of Thunder's hammer."

"So the God of Thunder, Odin, and people like that?"

"They all exist too."

Although Coulson had once seen Kree, he was still somewhat stunned by this. The figures in those Mythological Stories actually existed!

But he quickly adjusted his mindset. "Why did the God of Thunder's hammer land on Earth? Is this a sign that Aliens are about to invade Earth?"

"No, of course not. Odin merely exiled the God of Thunder to Earth. There is no intention of invasion."

After hearing Leo's words, Coulson began thinking.

Even Leo found it a little strange. "Agent Coulson, we don't seem to know each other that well. You seem to trust what I say."

Coulson glanced around.

"Director Fury told me about you. He said you could be trusted, that your words were highly reliable, and that your identity was to be kept confidential."

"Did he tell a lot of people about me?" Leo frowned.

"No, only me for now, because I've met you. Oh, and this is my private number. If you have any issues with S.H.I.E.L.D., you can contact me."

Coulson handed him a business card, and Leo accepted it.

"A lot of strange things seem to have happened lately. My head's getting a little scrambled."

Coulson let out a breath.

"Then you'd better get used to it soon. Things might get even bigger later." Leo sighed as well.

"Oh, right. Can you return Dr. Erik and the others' equipment data to them? What they're researching isn't very valuable. I think some people understand that better than others, so once you've copied the files, return them."

Coulson thought for a moment. "Fine, but who's that man outside? He made my rigorously trained agents look like the cheapest mall security guards."

"Thor. Thor, the God of Thunder. Though he's just a mortal now."

Coulson's mouth twitched at that. "Thor, the God of Thunder? Looks like we can start with him to learn about their habits and intentions."

"Asgard's power is something S.H.I.E.L.D. can't afford to provoke for now. Given the chance, Thor could be developed into one of the Avengers."

Coulson looked at the boy before him, recalling the things Fury had quietly told him.

"Alright, we'll observe him for now. But until his identity is confirmed, don't let him leave the area within a hundred miles of Old Bridge Town."

After saying that, Coulson asked, "Do you need me to let him go?"

"Wait a little. I'm waiting for someone. You can go talk to him first."

The two of them walked out together.

Coulson left first and headed to Thor's interrogation room, intending to speak with Thor through the usual procedure.

Wearing the pass Coulson had just given him, Leo came to stand beside the meow-meow hammer.

Looking at the incomparably heavy Mjolnir before him, Leo smiled faintly.

He could sense the presence of Uru Metal.

Uru came from Nidavellir, the dwarven homeland of one of the Nine Realms. Its defining trait was its ability to store immense amounts of energy, especially magical energy.

Once Uru was imbued with magic, it became even sturdier and more durable. It could even automatically repair and restore itself after being damaged.

However, Uru was also an extremely difficult metal to forge. It required extreme methods, such as smelting it with the core of a star or forging it with magic.

With his control at 113 points, Leo could vaguely sense the hammer before him.

He could even sense a portion of the Rainbow Tree's immense energy sealed within it.

Leo reached out and gripped the hammer's handle, but just like everyone who had tried before him, Mjolnir did not budge.

He released his right hand and pressed his small palm against the hammerhead.

At Leo's movement, the meow-meow hammer actually began to tremble, and the lightning in the sky intensified by several degrees.

Leo placed his hand on the hammer's handle once more.

He could lift the hammer with ease, but not through physical strength, nor had he gained Mjolnir's recognition.

He had simply controlled the hammer's seal along with the hammer itself.

In Leo's eyes, it was merely a Great Hammer made of metal—albeit metal of exceptionally high quality.

Yet he could only control it as a whole. When Leo tried to alter the hammer's shape, he found himself completely unable to do so.

So he casually placed it back where it had been, then glanced up at the sky. A force of surveillance had just been watching him.

Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost and observer of the Nine Realms, had seen him.

Golden Light flickered across his body as he walked into the room, and that watching presence vanished.

Leo let out a breath. He had no idea whether he could evade Heimdall's gaze. Too bad I don't know magic. It'd be great if I could turn invisible like Loki.

His gaze swept over the room, and he spotted a figure that had suddenly appeared. Leo smiled.

The Third Princess had arrived.