A Tale of Mischief and Mutants part 2

To Always Protect Her

—-Thor—-

I'm sent reeling as Gorr makes his escape taking some of New Asgard's most precious citizens with him. 'Coward!' 'Come back and face the wrath of Asgard!' I turn to Loki who looks equally as upset and am about to express my rage at the situation to him when I see Sam and Jane approaching.

Already having formed my thoughts I open my mouth to go on my mind having glossed over and ignored Jane's new armor, too preoccupied with my fury to spare it any thought for the moment, but the words are forgotten the second my eye spots what Jane's hands hold.

I'm dumbstruck for a moment and both Jane and Sam seem to share my bafflement as they look at me in a similar confusion. All of my fury over the Asgardian children being taken is set aside for the moment at the sight. Jane holds Mjölnir up with one hand and points to it with her other hand.

"Uh, Thor, I think your hammer's broken."

My mind's still spinning as it runs to catch up with the situation.

"That's... that's not possible."

She looks at me candidly.

"Well I know it takes a very special person in order to be worthy of it so something has to be wrong. I'm not half bad but,"

Jane shakes Mjölnir slightly in emphasis.

"I'm not this good either."

Loki looks at me also somewhat confused then his calculating bluegreen eyes swivel again to Jane as he carefully evaluates the situation at hand. I can tell by the expression he's making he's considering every possible explanation in his head as he observes the scene in front of him.

I can just about see the gears turning in his gaze as he observes Jane, meticulously deliberating over each explanation that comes to mind as he studies the situation. He's the one who best knows magic in New Asgard so I hope he can come up with the explanation because I don't have one.

I shrug at him showing him I'm clueless when he momentarily spares a glance my way. If Jane wasn't so insistent I'd just draw the conclusion that she must also be worthy but because she's so puzzled it's causing me to second guess an explanation so simple. Loki thinks for another second before speaking.

"...Well, I can only think of one explanation. it's going to sound quite odd and it is a bit of a longshot but it's the only way I can see something like this happening if Jane's insistence upon her unworthyness holds true. Thor I need you to think back, as you might be aware Mjölnir has a bit of a mind of its own, have you ever said anything about Jane to it or anything like that? Due to the nature of father's spell it may have taken a passing comment or a thought said aloud as part of it's directive once the title of Allfather passed to you."

'What?' I didn't know that was possible. I immediately begin scouring my memories for such an incident and it comes to me quite quickly.

"I... I have, I didn't realize..."

I think back to that night after attending a Halloween party with her years ago 'She's incredible Mjölnir... I need you to promise me you'll always protect her.' Loki, Sam, and Jane all look to me inquisitively. Loki breaks their silence with a question.

"Well what did you command it to do?"

"To always protect her."

He smiles understanding the sentiment due to his own devotion to a mortal woman and nods slightly. Mortals as indomitable their spirit can be their bodies are just as fragile. A fact that I'm sure weighs heavily on both of us at times, even with Sam slowly getting stronger thanks to Mjölnir. All it would take would be one stray bullet, one slip up, and our worlds would come crumbling down.

"Well then there's your answer brother she can lift it because that's Mjölnir's way of protecting her. Of course there's no viable way to tell she's not also worthy but your command along with the strong bond and feelings towards her at the time of uttering it, even if done incidentally, are more than enough to explain her ability to wield it."

I nod in understanding before another rogue thought passes through my head.

"...And with Sam? I prayed to the Norns before I left it in Westchester that she was worthy, would Mjölnir see her as worthy simply because of that?"

Sam looks at him now just as curious. He stops, considering my words for a moment before responding thoughtfully.

"....I don't think so, your prayer wasn't  directed to Mjölnir and your feelings towards her not the same. To oversimplify something quite complex Mjölnir cannot override it's core enchantment unless explicitly specified by you to do so, mind you this doesn't mean you can simply command things of it, there were many, many factors involved in Jane's exception to Mjölnir's core spell and somehow circumstances lined up just so."

Jane looks again at Mjölnir in her hands.

"So I can just, do this now?"

My brother laughs at her disbelief in the situation.

"Yes Jane you can just do that now."