Ch63. Mjolnir

The second JARVIS got the information about a mysterious hammer appearing in New Mexico, Tony instantly called Fury with his demand to be able to see it.

Fury was, mildly put, quite peeved... but in reality, he was totally furious... that Tony still had access to the SHIELD network despite their neck-breaking efforts to improve their virtual security. After a bit of back and forth, Tony secured reluctant permission and a photo with Fury scowling at him through the computer screen and he was good to visit the SHIELD impromptu base in New Mexico.

Natasha and Tony took a plane there, instead of just using a portal. Natasha went more because she wanted to visit Clint who was standing at guard there while Tony wanted to see the hammer, more precisely, the enchantments on it.

He wondered how Asgardian magic differed from the Mystic Arts.

After his arrival in New Mexico, Tony tried their burrito and even saw Jane Foster... both were quite disappointing, in his opinion. Well, he might not have been able to see how could Thor fall in love with the woman but to each their own, Tony guessed.

He was fine with his preference for redheads anyway...

They arrived at the SHIELD base, finding out Coulson was not at 'home' and was currently passive-aggressively bullying Foster and her scientist friends alongside the mortalized Thor.

Good for him.

Fortunately, Clint was inside and after a brief call with a very miffed Fury, both Tony and Natasha were let in without any problem.

"Heh, didn't see you coming in, Stark." Clint uttered before looking at Natasha, "Nat." He exchanged nods with her in greeting.

"Ah! Robin Hood!" Tony cheerfully exclaimed in a greeting that made Clint snort before his gaze relocated towards the hammer surrounded by several scientist-wannabes, "Unable to steal the magical hammer so now you are jealously guarding it?"

Tony's words seemed mocking but Natasha almost choked when she heard them because she knew he meant every word.

The funny thing was... he was totally right. This was SHIELD's usual modus operandi. They believed in the finders keepers rule.

If SHIELD could move the hammer, it would have been in one of its laboratories by now, heavily studied and then locked in some warehouse after they found out nobody could wield it.

"Eh, you know how it is. Can't let the bad guys get their hands on it." Clint shrugged and Tony scoffed at the notion.

The hammer did not belong to them so what right did they have to decide who would wield it? Such arrogance! Even he was not so arrogant to believe he could just privatize Mjolnir.

Or, maybe...?

Probably not. There was bigger fish to catch.

Granted, their arrogance came mostly due to the fact they had no idea the hammer was Mjolnir but still!

"So, since you are here, why won't you make yourself useful and take a look at it? Maybe you would be able to tell us more. At least Fury thinks so." Clint shrugged, showing he didn't have much hope of that happening after the best heads of SHIELD checked it up and came with no result to speak of.

Tony lifted his eyebrow at him, "And here I thought it would take more than me making pretty eyes at you."

"You wish, Stark. I am married. I bet Fury appreciated your pretty eyes if his scowl was any indication though." Clint chuckled and Tony feigned blanching.

"I think my bed could not take more than me and Natasha, thank you very much." Tony mock gibed.

"Oh~." Clint shot Natasha a knowing and teasing look, "You don't say."

"Shut it, Robin Hood." Natasha jokingly rebuked with an eye roll.

Clint's expression instantly turned into a horrified one as he spoke, "Oi, that's not fair! Stark, you corrupted her!" He looked at Tony with accusation clear in his gaze.

"She was like that when I first unpacked her. Blame the company, not the user." Tony defended his honor as he approached the hammer in a clear show the conversation was now over.

Clint looked at Natasha in exasperation and she just helplessly smiled at him, "Don't blame him. I think he was dropped on the head as a kid and this is the result."

"I heard that!" Tony shouted from nearby the hammer and Natasha just stuck out her tongue at him.

"Dear God. You two do fit together well." Clint whispered in astonished bewilderment and Natasha's smile froze.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" She exclaimed but Clint was already retreating away from her.

Tony looked at the hammer in interest, discreetly scanning it with various spells.

He instantly felt a presence zooming in on him which caused him to look towards where he sensed the gaze and cheekily waved while silently mouthing, 'Thanks for the gift.' And then he turned back towards the hammer, ignoring the peeper.

Heimdal could do nothing about him anyway. He could see as much as he wanted but he had no power to interfere.

Plus, it wasn't as if Tony was doing something bad. He was just copying the enchantment structures on Mjolnir into his mind for a more in-depth study in the future!

They can't really complain about him stealing their knowledge when the hammer is clearly abandoned in the middle of nowhere on Earth with no apparent Asgardian in sight.

What kind of arrogant idiot just leaves the pinnacle of their race's enchanting abandoned on a different planet with no supervision over it other than one inefficient peeper who can't do shit about anybody trying to steal it?

Odin, apparently...

Asgard really couldn't complain if Tony took this as an invitation to look into their magical knowledge at his leisure...

Besides, Asgard did not really exist according to the current common sense of Earth. How was Tony supposed to know he was 'stealing' the knowledge of a place that did not exist? He was just a weak and dumb human! He didn't have the foresight of an Asgardian!

The enchantments woven into the hammer were kinda neat. It was a different type of magic than what the Sorcerers used and that was enough to pique Tony's interest.

He might not be able to fully replicate it because he lacked the magic source of Asgardians but he could learn something from the way they used their magic.

Hours slowly passed as Tony tinkered, checked, and tried to understand the magic inwoven in the hammer, and Natasha in the meantime hung out with Clint and later Coulson who came an hour after their arrival.

After five hours, Tony abruptly stood up with excitement written on his face and turned around before starting to walk towards the door.

"Come on! We are going home, dear!" He gestured to Natasha who was waiting for him near the door, just silently sitting and observing. "I got all I needed and my workshop is no doubt getting lonely without my ass sitting in it."

Natasha wordlessly stood up and followed. Five hours with her ex-colleagues was enough for her. Especially when Clint subtly tried to make her reconsider and come back to SHIELD.

"Wait! Aren't you at least going to share what you found out?" Coulson asked in bewilderment, trying to stop Tony.

Unfortunately for him, Tony was a force of nature in his own right when he was excited about something. "Eh? Not really? I mean... I didn't find out anything, dude! The hammer is magic." He dismissively said, not stopping even for a second as he walked out, leaving flabbergasted Coulson and exasperated Clint in his wake.

Needless to say, neither believed Tony's totally correct assessment of the hammer.