Chapter 68: New Weapon Plan

Bruce Banner ultimately chose to disappear, leaving the United States. He wasn't ready to become a superhero just yet.

"Ding, congratulations! You've triggered the Hulk-related quest: Invincible Hulk. Completing the quest will earn you a reward!" The system's voice echoed.

"Mission objective: Help Banner and Hulk accept each other and become a truly invincible Hulk. Mission reward: Random skill book draw coupon." A random skill book? That sounded valuable, but this mission wouldn't be easy, and it seemed like it might take a while to complete.

…

"You know, a lot of people in S.H.I.E.L.D. are talking about keeping you under surveillance," Natasha said, lounging lazily beside Thor on the sofa.

Across from them, Peggy Carter sat watching. It was a rare day off, and they'd gathered at Thor's manor for some well-deserved relaxation.

"It's just a bunch of fools playing political games. Why should I care about them?"

"But those fools are the majority," Peggy replied with a hint of concern. "I can't shake the feeling that S.H.I.E.L.D. has changed. Is this why you urged me to leave early?"

Thor nodded. "Yes. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current leaders—except for people like Nick Fury—have been corrupted by money and power. But don't worry, they can't stir up much trouble. One wrong move, and I'll see to it they can't even sit comfortably at work tomorrow."

Peggy and Natasha burst out laughing, and Peggy gave Thor a playful pinch. "You're incorrigible. Can't you be a bit more civilized? You make it hard not to call you a barbarian!"

Natasha cut in, "Speaking of which, Thor, your Mjolnir has been sitting around in New Mexico for a decade. It's probably gathering rust. Aren't you planning to retrieve it?"

She sighed. "I even went there once, but I couldn't lift it."

Thor shook his head. "My father exiled me back then because our ideals clashed. Until I truly embrace his perspective, I won't be able to wield its power. Even though he no longer interferes with my actions, the enchantment still holds. Right now, only two people in this world could lift it."

"Who?" Peggy asked.

"One is Captain America, Steve Rogers. The other…is an astronomer."

Natasha smirked. "Let me guess—it's a woman? Otherwise, you'd have said her name by now."

Thor groaned inwardly—women were too perceptive!

But this conversation reminded him that he lacked a proper weapon. While Mjolnir was powerful, it primarily helped him focus his abilities. Since his Awakening, he'd needed the hammer less, which was why he hadn't prioritized breaking the curse.

The weapon that truly suited him was the Stormbreaker.

Forging Stormbreaker required a trip to Nidavellir, the dwarf kingdom and one of the Nine Realms. Finding it wouldn't be difficult, but there was one other problem: he needed Groot.

At this point, the Guardians of the Galaxy hadn't yet come together. Star-Lord was still wandering with Yondu, Rocket and Groot were surviving on their own, Gamora still with Thanos, Mantis was working as with Star Lord's dad, and Drax was still locked up in a prison somewhere.

He'd have to wait until after the Ultron incident to meet them on Xandar—whenever they crossed paths.

It wasn't a pressing issue, though. Right now, both the Ancient One and Odin were around, and Earth was still under a "novice protection period." Any enemies they'd encounter weren't likely to be too dangerous, so he could manage without a weapon for now.

"What are you thinking?" Maya Hansen interrupted, bringing over a plate of fruit and feeding him a piece. She grinned, "The super-soldier serum you gave me is finally yielding results. While it's not perfected yet, we're definitely onto something."

Thor smiled, patting her head. "Don't worry—a live 'test subject' will be back soon. With our connection, I'm sure he won't mind lending us a blood sample!"

As Natasha mentioned, S.H.I.E.L.D. had recently uncovered a plane wreck in the Arctic from the last century, and they were working on excavating it.

Captain America was about to return!

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