Yongye approached Natasha from behind and rested his right hand on the edge of her shoulder armor. His fingertips traced the curve where the silver-blue metal met the skin of her neck.
Natasha's body went rigid, then slowly relaxed under his next touch.
"Doctor of the Unified System gave it to me."
Yongye lowered his head and made it up on the spot, his breath brushing the skin exposed at the back of her neck where her armor had receded.
"How many times have I told you? I've got someone backing me. Making a Mjolnir is about as hard for him as making a pair of gloves."
Natasha turned her head. Complicated emotions churned in her light brown eyes, but her lips curved into a knowing smile. "You're making that up, aren't you?"
"The hammer in your hand is real, and so is the power inside you." Yongye pressed his palm to the small of her back, its warmth seeping into her skin. "Come on. Show me how strong a Female Thor can be."
Tsunade, Mei Terumi, and the other female ninja could move fast enough to leave afterimages in their wake!
Female Thor would be one hell of a ride!
She might even withstand his combined lightning and ice techniques!
Natasha's breath caught.
She could feel Mjolnir humming faintly in her other hand, like a living creature waking up and gradually entrusting her with all its loyalty and strength.
Warmth flowed from the handle through her limbs and every corner of her body. It clashed with the hard shell her years as an agent had forged, dissolved it, and finally merged with it into an entirely new kind of power.
"I feel strange. It's like there's another river inside me, and the tide is rising everywhere."
"That's exactly what