"There's a curse on this thing. But I know how to bypass it."
"So, if I wanted to, I could pick it up without much trouble."
"However, you'll soon realize—if the hammer doesn't acknowledge you, lifting it isn't as easy as it seems."
Harvey said to Tony, noticing the latter seemed confident about the situation.
With his powers derived from Kassadin's Void, Harvey possessed an extensive understanding of void energy and its workings. Nullifying the enchantment Odin placed on Thor's hammer wasn't exactly a walk in the park, but disrupting the curse so it couldn't take effect was certainly manageable for him.
"I see... but why did Thor's hammer follow him back here?"
Tony, now trusting Harvey due to his serious demeanor, was still curious.
"Give Thor a couple of days, and you can ask him yourself," Harvey suggested. "For now, you've got the hammer. If you want to return it, you should put out some feelers. Otherwise, finding you won't be easy for Thor."
Tony nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I'll figure out a way to get a message to him tomorrow."
He wasn't afraid of Thor, mostly because he had a lot more confidence in his abilities now. Secondly, Tony was well aware that Odin, as the All-Father, had a connection to Earth, making him a sort of protector. By extension, Thor, being Odin's son, would be no threat to the planet either.
"Anyway, I'll head out now," Harvey said, standing up and placing the hammer back on the table. "Next time something happens, don't freak out. Even if the hammer affects you, your body isn't that weak. As long as it doesn't kill you, there are plenty of ways to recover."
"I was just unprepared," Tony replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
Tony might feel embarrassed now, but Harvey knew that in any other sudden, confusing situation, Tony would be back at his doorstep for help. Harvey's vast knowledge made him an irreplaceable resource for things Tony couldn't figure out on his own.
Harvey shrugged, not minding. Sharing a bit of information was no trouble. With a wave, he stepped into the void and vanished, heading back home.
Left alone, Tony once again picked up Thor's hammer. He twirled it in his hand, pondering the invisible energy he felt radiating from it as if a third, unseen arm extended from it.
"Tony, was that Harvey I heard earlier?"
Pepper, dressed in a sleek, formal gown, descended the stairs. Spotting only Tony in the room, she asked, "Where is Mr. Harvey?"
She had taken the time to change into something more appropriate, not wanting to make a bad impression on Harvey.
"Something came up, so Harvey stopped by," Tony explained, noticing Pepper's outfit and understanding why she'd dressed up.
"What happened that was so serious you had to call him?" she asked, walking over.
"I found Thor's hammer," Tony replied nonchalantly. As he spoke, he glanced at Pepper and remembered Harvey's earlier comment. It was time to test it out.
Pepper had evolved slower than most, but after two and a half years of exposure to the Void, she had undergone 90 evolutions—her physical strength now far surpassed that of an ordinary human.
"Pepper, try picking up the hammer," Tony suggested, placing it back on the table.
"Thor's hammer? This hunk of junk?" Pepper eyed the hammer doubtfully.
"I didn't believe it either, but Harvey said this unimpressive-looking thing is Thor's hammer."
"Well, if Mr. Harvey says so, then it must be true," Pepper replied, her doubts fading.
Tony might occasionally embellish things, but Mr. Harvey's word was solid. There was no reason for someone of his caliber to lie.
Following Tony's suggestion, Pepper placed her hand on the hammer's handle and tried to lift it. Immediately, she realized the weight didn't match its appearance—it was impossibly heavy.
Even with her increased strength, which allowed her to lift incredibly heavy objects with ease, the hammer refused to budge.
"Unbelievable," Pepper muttered, now using both hands to grasp the handle and pulling with all her might.
The floor beneath her cracked from the force she applied, but the hammer remained unmoved.
Tony, observing this, began to piece things together. Harvey had been right—he'd underestimated how difficult it was to lift Mjolnir without being worthy. But this also confirmed just how powerful Harvey was.
"Why can you lift it, but I can't?" Pepper asked, feeling a bit defeated.
"Harvey said you can only lift Thor's hammer in two ways..." Tony explained, trying to comfort her. "So don't feel bad about it."
"How does it judge someone's worth?" Pepper mused, her earlier frustration fading but replaced with curiosity.
Tony shrugged. "I have no idea."
"Forget it. No point in debating something so mystical," she said. "But from what you've said, Thor will probably show up in a few days, right? That means you'll have to keep your suit on at home, just in case."
"Damn, I forgot about that." Tony groaned, realizing the implications. "Why did I even bring this useless thing back in the first place?"
He shot a grateful glance at Pepper. "Thanks for reminding me. I don't want to face Thor unprepared."
Earth might have restricted his freedom, but Tony had always viewed his home as a sanctuary, a place to let down his guard. Now, because of a single impulsive act—bringing Thor's hammer back—he'd have to stay armored up in case the Thunder God came knocking.