The trio began to eat, replenishing their strength.
A battle was coming.
But Thor couldn't wait. He stood up, intending to grab Vincent and demand answers about the hammer.
His hand never reached Vincent's shoulder.
Inez Temple, the Outlaw, moved with lightning speed. She twisted Thor's arm behind his back and slammed his face onto the table with a single hand.
"Whoa! Misunderstanding! Just a misunderstanding!" Jane Foster yelled, jumping up.
Thor was stunned. He, the God of Thunder, pinned by a mortal woman with one hand.
"Inez, release him," Vincent said, not looking up from his burger. "He means no harm."
Inez let go.
To everyone else, Thor was just a crazy homeless man. But Vincent knew the truth. This man would one day surpass Odin. He would be the All-Father.
Thor rubbed his shoulder, grinning despite the pain. "My apologies, brother. But you mentioned a hammer that no one can lift. Where is it?"
He knew his power had been stripped. He believed it was tied to Mjolnir. If he could just hold it...
Vincent pointed southeast with a french fry.
Thor didn't waste a second. "Thank you, brother!"
He rushed out the door. Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis scrambled to follow him.
"Master," Inez whispered. "That man is strong. Even without power, his muscles are denser than a normal human's."
"A fallen god is still a god," Vincent replied, wiping his mouth. "Finish up. We're going to watch the show."
S.H.I.E.L.D. Crater Site.
Thor sneaked past the perimeter, taking out guards with practiced brawling skills. Finally, he reached the center of the crater.
There she was. Mjolnir.
"Hahaha! Finally!"
Thor jumped into the mud.
Suddenly, floodlights blinded him. Dozens of agents surrounded the pit, weapons drawn. Hawkeye (Clint Barton) was perched on a crane, arrow nocked.
"Relax! I mean no harm!" Thor raised his hands, smiling charmingly. "I am just here to reclaim my property."
Agent Phil Coulson stepped forward. "You say this hammer is yours?"
"Yes. I am Thor Odinson of Asgard. This is Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star."
"Can you prove it?" Coulson asked, amused.
"Watch me."
Thor grabbed the handle. He pulled.
Nothing happened.
His smile faltered. He pulled harder, bracing his legs against the mud. He screamed, veins popping in his neck.
The hammer didn't budge a millimeter.
"No..." Thor whispered, falling to his knees. "Father... why have you forsaken me?"
He roared at the sky, a sound of pure heartbreak.
Thunder rumbled in response. Rain began to pour.
Suddenly, a black car smashed through the perimeter fence, skidding to a halt near the crater.
"Hostile vehicle!"
"Stop or we shoot!"
Sandi Brandenberg stepped out of the driver's seat, ignoring the guns pointed at her. She winked at a nearby agent and opened the rear door.
The rain stopped.
No, it didn't stop. It paused.
Millions of raindrops froze in mid-air around the car, suspended by an invisible force. The water gathered, flowing upward into a floating river above the crater.
Vincent Hall stepped out.
Phil Coulson felt his blood run cold. He knew exactly who this was. The man who froze the Vatican. The man who declared war on God.
"Hi, Agent Coulson," Vincent smiled, the suspended water swirling behind him like a cape. "You don't look happy to see me."
Coulson forced a smile. "Mr. Hall. Welcome to New Mexico."
"You?" Thor looked up from the mud. "You are the man from the diner."
"Thor Odinson," Vincent recited. "Prince of Asgard. Future King. Second son of Odin. Brother of Hela, the Goddess of Death."
"Hahaha!" Thor laughed bitterly. "You know of me, mortal. But you are mistaken. I have no sister named Hela."
"Oh, you do," Vincent said, his eyes gleaming. "When Odin dies, she will return. I admire your father. He locked his firstborn—the one who helped him conquer the Nine Realms—in Hel just to keep his throne."
Vincent looked up at the sky.
"Heimdall is watching us right now. Aren't you, Gatekeeper?"
Thor shouted at the clouds. "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!"
Silence.
Vincent walked past Coulson, ignoring the agents, and jumped into the crater.
He stood before Mjolnir.
He grabbed the handle.
Heavy.
"Odin's enchantment," Vincent muttered.
He activated Dragon Elephant Wisdom. Thirteen giant elephants' worth of strength surged through his body. His twenty Dragon Veins glowed with golden light. A phantom image of a Buddha stomping on a dragon appeared behind him.
He combined it with Hydro-Kinesis, manipulating the moisture in the air to create hydraulic pressure.
The ground cracked.
Vincent lifted the hammer.
Sparks flew. Lightning arced from the metal, trying to reject him. But Vincent's Hie Hie no Mipowers coated the handle in black ice, suppressing the lightning.
Thor's jaw dropped.
Vincent held Mjolnir for a few seconds. He felt the power—the connection to the storm.
"Still a gap between me and Odin," Vincent noted. "But it's closing."
He dropped the hammer back into the mud with a wet thud.
"A waste of good Uru metal," Vincent scoffed.
He jumped out of the pit, landing lightly beside his car.
"Let's go, Inez."
As the car drove away, the suspended river of rain crashed down, soaking everyone.
Thor stared at the hammer. "He lifted it... A mortal lifted it..."
"Father... you lied to me about Hela?"
The seed of doubt was planted.
New York City. Three Days Later.
Vincent returned to his penthouse. He had given Sandi and Inez time off to integrate into the city and join Oscorp's security team.
Mr. Smith arrived with a briefcase.
"Mr. Hall. The Vlad family has been purged."
Smith looked excited.
"You're a mutant, aren't you, Smith?" Vincent asked suddenly.
Smith froze. Then he sighed. "My brother was. He was experimented on and killed. I hid my powers. I used my hypnosis to rise in the banking world."
He handed Vincent the file.
"I hypnotized the remaining Vlad assets. I've transferred their hidden wealth to your offshore accounts."
$56 Billion.
Vincent signed the papers. His wealth skyrocketed.
[Wealth: $84.3 Billion]
"What about Commonwealth Bank?"
"The DuPont family has taken control," Smith said. "I have allied with them. Your credit line remains open."
"Good."
"One more thing," Smith added. "I have intel from Houston. Four astronauts returned from space with mysterious radiation sickness. They are exhibiting powers."
The Fantastic Four.
"Get me their files," Vincent ordered.
"And Smith," Vincent said, looking him in the eye. "You gave me $50 billion. Why?"
"Because you are strong," Smith said. "My family... my wife and kids are mutants. I suppressed their memories to keep them safe. But the world is changing. I need a protector."
"Consider it done," Vincent said. "You are under my protection now. No one touches my people."
[System Update]
[Mission: A Fragrant Marsh]
[Status: Completed (Inez Temple)]
[Reward: Golden Blind Box]
Vincent smiled.
A Golden Blind Box.
And the Fantastic Four were in town.
Sue Storm.
The Invisible Woman.
Vincent's smile widened.
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