High above, a Kree fighter hovered in the sky. Thor looked down in shock at the young girl below. Moments ago, she had cut down more than a dozen men with an eerily calm expression, her face nearly devoid of emotion.
But what really threw him was the hammer in her hand. Mjolnir.
What the hell? My Mjolnir ran off with someone else? I bring it to Earth one time, and it goes off with a stranger?
The girl was covered in blood and looked as though she'd been on the run for quite some time. Despite himself, Thor couldn't help but feel impressed—and curious. Whoever could wield Mjolnir was no ordinary person. And judging by the soldiers around her, this wasn't any official armies.
Thor wouldn't admit it, but part of his fascination came from another thought: the girl was tough, yes, but also undeniably cute.
"Fire! She's out of control; neutralize the asset!" the commander ordered, and the soldiers raised their guns, ready to shoot.
The girl gripped Mjolnir, bracing herself to unleash a final surge of lightning. If I'm going down, I'm taking as many of them with me as I can...
But then—
Boom! Thunder cracked, and the sky darkened. Bolts of lightning shot down from above, turning the ground around them into a smoldering ruin. The soldiers barely had time to scream before they were reduced to ash, their bodies charred by the searing heat of the storm. And then, descending from the sky in his armor, Thor made his entrance.
The tension drained from the girl's body, and as the adrenaline faded, her vision blurred, and she collapsed.
In a hazy dream, she saw herself lifting a magical hammer. Holding it made her feel invincible, as though she could summon lightning itself. She broke free of the base and fought her way through barricades, only to find herself surrounded again. Just as she thought her end had come, a towering figure descended from the sky and stood between her and her enemies…
When she opened her eyes—
"Hahahaha! You're awake, little one!" The booming voice startled her.
She sat up to see Thor grinning at her, a bottle of vodka in hand. "Not bad, kid, taking down so many soldiers at your age. Not quite up to my level, but still impressive! By the way, what's your name?" He punctuated the question with a loud burp.
In her groggy state, the girl almost fainted again from the overpowering smell of alcohol. Thor, oblivious, had raided a nearby town's vodka supply and was downing it by the bottle. After all, he had a weight-gain task to complete, and he wasn't about to pass up any chance to pack on pounds. Meanwhile, her impression of him was shifting quickly in the opposite direction.
I always imagined a hero as someone noble, a figure in armor and a red cape, descending on blue lightning to save me from the darkest places... Well, I got the entrance right, at least, she thought, edging away in mild disgust.
"Thank you for saving me," she said carefully, introducing herself. "I'm… Natalia Alianovna Romanova."
Natalia? Wait, Natalia Romanova? Thor's mind raced. Is this… Natasha Romanoff? Black Widow?
They were in Siberia, in Soviet territory, so it all added up. It's really her.
Just then, the familiar voice of the system chimed in.
"Congratulations to the host for triggering the Black Widow-related task: Home of the Hero. Black Widow has no advanced tech or superhuman enhancements, yet, when everyone else had given up, she stood by the Avengers. She has endured the most tragic past but possesses the greatest heart. Please select one of the following tasks to complete."
Task Options:
Kill The Black Widow. Reward: Soul Stone. (In the original timeline, Black Widow sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone. You could claim it the same way.)
Return Black Widow to the Red Room and let her complete the graduation ceremony without altering the timeline. Reward: The attention of the Ancient One. (By preserving the timeline, you'll attract the Ancient One's notice. She may invite you to Kamar-Taj for training.)
Take Black Widow back to S.H.I.E.L.D. for training. Reward: Hidden Version of the Divine Power Bracelet. (This item from another realm is indestructible and can deflect blades and bullets alike. When worn, it enhances the wearer's strength and remains invisible to all except the host.)
Warning! Warning! Task options 1 and 2 are extremely risky. Selecting them may lead to interdimensional attacks from higher beings, potentially collapsing or ending this universe!!!