"Why is Mjolnir in your hand, not..."
Thor glared at Lynch with murderous intent.
"Why can you lift it?"
Lynch smiled innocently, casually tossing Mjolnir between his hands.
Seeing Thor's eyes turn red with rage, almost on the verge of tears, Lynch finally spoke calmly:
"Thor, don't worry. I don't have the so-called qualification to lift Mjolnir. I haven't gained your powers; I simply forced it up."
"What?"
Thor was even more astonished, not believing Lynch's words at all. Pointing at Lynch with a stern expression, he said:
"This Mjolnir contains the power of my father, Odin. For anyone unworthy, its weight is infinite! How could you possibly lift it?"
Angry and frustrated, he thought of a reason: "You must have used some despicable means to break my father's seal!"
"Okay."
Lynch pouted, thinking, "You just won't give up, huh?"
"Try it yourself!"
As he spoke, Lynch moved and placed Mjolnir back in its original spot.
Thor stared intensely as Lynch put down the hammer, then rushed over to check his precious Mjolnir carefully.
Standing before Mjolnir, Thor's face lit up with joy. He caressed the hammer gently as if reuniting with a long-lost lover.
Watching Thor make that sickening, lovestruck face, Lynch suddenly understood why Thor's relationship had ended.
Well, it seems the third party was Mjolnir, huh?
"Hmph!"
Suddenly, Thor gripped the hammer with both hands, let out a roar, and used all his strength to pull!
But despite his face turning crimson and veins bulging from his neck and arms, Mjolnir didn't budge an inch.
Heavy raindrops pounded his body, soaking him through.
After a long while, Thor released the hammer and, in utter despair, tilted his head back and wailed:
"Why?!"
Kneeling in front of Mjolnir, Thor bowed his head, the rain mixing with his tears as they streamed down.
He knew he had lost the ability to lift Mjolnir.
At the same time, he had also lost his identity as the God of Thunder, reduced to a mere mortal.
"Hey, giving up already?"
Lynch's calm voice interrupted.
Thor, the tough guy shedding tears, couldn't be left like this.
Hearing Lynch's voice, Thor suddenly remembered the strange guy standing next to him.
He snorted, pouting as he looked at Lynch.
"Who are you?"
"Someone here to help you."
A glimmer of hope appeared in Thor's eyes as he quickly asked, "How?"
Lynch sighed.
"Calm down first, take a bath and change your clothes, then we'll talk."
Thinking back to how Lynch had easily lifted Mjolnir, Thor couldn't help but believe him.
If this guy really lifted Mjolnir with his own power, maybe he could help me regain its approval?
...
"You can call me Lynch. For the most part, you can consider me a god of Midgard..."
"Superboy?"
Lynch glanced at the startled Jane, smiling slightly.
"You know me? Are you a fan?"
"No..."
Jane lowered her head awkwardly.
"My dad said he's very interested in you."
Interested?
Seems like you all are just after my body!
Lynch snorted but didn't continue talking to Jane. Instead, he turned back to Thor and continued:
"I know your father Odin sealed your powers and exiled you to Midgard, but don't worry too much..."
"Wait a minute, why haven't I heard of a god like you here?"
Though Thor appeared brash and rough, as a prince of Asgard, he was actually quite intelligent. He just preferred solving problems with a hammer rather than his mind.
At this moment, Thor's eyes gleamed with wisdom, his gaze piercing through Lynch.
"Asgard is too isolated. I've only recently descended upon this world, so you aren't familiar with me..."
"Okay. So how do I regain Mjolnir's approval and restore my powers?"
The wisdom in Thor's eyes faded. He was desperate now, as if he had been dumped and was trying to win his lover back.
"When you pass the test, you will naturally be reborn."
Lynch spoke cryptically.
"What test?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a test."
Thor was speechless, thinking, "That's just useless talk!"
"Thor, you need to change."
Lynch quietly observed Thor's sorrow.
"Your father is aging. Once he's gone, disaster will follow. Rebellions will erupt across the Nine Realms, and your sister will escape her confinement. After that, even greater calamities will sweep the universe..."
"What?"
Thor was shocked.
"How do you know that? Can you foresee the future?"
"Yes. Do you know what I saw?"
Lynch's gaze bore into Thor, who couldn't meet his eyes.
"I saw ancient prophecies coming true. Asgard reduced to ruins, your people displaced, and all your loved ones taken from you one by one. In the end, you wander the cosmos, utterly alone..."
"No!"
Thor roared in anguish.
"I won't let that happen!"
Lynch simply watched him calmly.
"With the way you are now?"
He shook his head.
"No offense, but as you are, even my girlfriend could beat you."
Thor slammed the table, glaring at Lynch, his chest heaving with anger, but he couldn't find the words to argue back.
"Arrogant, reckless, always focused on fighting..."
Lynch stood up, glancing at Jane.
"With that attitude, how will you lift Mjolnir? How will you protect Asgard? How will you defend those you love?"
With that, Lynch motioned for the others to leave, leaving Thor and Jane alone in the room.
"He didn't seem that bad, right? Weren't your words a bit harsh?"
Natasha whispered to Lynch as she followed him.
"It's all part of the test. He has to go through this."
Feeling the warmth of her breath near his ear, Lynch was slightly tempted.
"By the way, I really liked that 'girlfriend' remark."
Natasha chuckled and pecked Lynch on the cheek.
...
"Am I really that bad?"
Thor looked at Jane, his eyes red.
"No."
Jane, feeling a little heartbroken, gently stroked his cheek.
"I don't know what you were like before, but the person I see now isn't like that."
"Thank you..."
Thor showed a look of gratitude.
As the atmosphere began to heat up, a shadow suddenly appeared in the room.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry for interrupting."
Loki clasped his hands as he walked up to them.
"Loki!"
Thor was overjoyed to see his beloved brother.
"What brings you here?"
"I've come to tell you something."
Loki's tone was somber.
Thor's mind raced with terrible possibilities, his voice trembling as he asked:
"What happened? Have the Frost Giants invaded? I'll explain to Father, let him..."
"Father is dead."
Loki said softly.
Thor froze, his expression shifting from disbelief to utter sorrow.
"What?"
"You were exiled, a new war looms... He couldn't bear it."
Looking at Thor's face, Loki offered some comfort:
"Don't blame yourself. I know you loved him. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen... Mjolnir right before you, and you couldn't lift it—it was cruel..."
Thor lowered his head deeply, unmoving.
"The crown has naturally fallen to me."
Loki said as if it were obvious.
Thor looked up, his voice trembling with hope.
"Can I come home?"
Loki shook his head.
"The peace treaty with the Frost Giants requires your exile, and Mother has forbidden your return."
Thor's hope shattered.
"I'm here to say goodbye, brother. I'm so sorry."
Loki's figure slowly disappeared from the room.
"No... I'm sorry."
Thor clutched his head, finally unable to bear it any longer. He broke down in tears.
"I'm so... so sorry... It's all... my fault..."