Worthy

Mongoose

S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier

"So this hammer just...fell out of the sky?" Dean Allen asked. His cool voice was laced with skepticism.

"That's what all of the locals are saying," Fury said as he walked alongside Dean through the corridor.

"Since when does S.H.I.E.L.D. operate on hearsay?"

"If this were just the ravings of local civilians we wouldn't even bother. But our satellite imagery confirms it. A hammer entered earth's atmosphere from an unknown location and landed in the middle of the desert in New Mexico. We clocked one hell of an energy signature."

Dean nodded. "Tell me more about this hammer."

Fury grinned. "Our team set up shop around it right away. Before that, all of the locals were trying to pick it up. No one could though. Our own people can't even make it move."

"Are we talking about a war hammer?" Dean asked.

"Yes. With an inscription on it that says, and I quote: Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

Dean had to laugh. This was all so He-Man. "So Thor's hammer fell to earth."

Fury nodded. "Trust me, I thought it was a laugh riot at first too. Then I saw this."

He held up his phone for Dean to see. Footage of a line of men taking turns trying to move the hammer began to play. Someone actually attached their car to it with chains to try to move it. Then came footage of S.H.I.E.L.D using heavy-duty machinery to attempt it.

"That thing really isn't moving," Dean said in disbelief as he watched the equipment overheat without moving the hammer an inch.

"Yup."

Dean looked at Fury. "Not that I don't appreciate the vote of confidence...but don't tell me you're sending me to try and lift it."

Fury chuckled. "No. I'm not sending you for that reason." He opened another file and showed Dean a picture of a man attempting to lift the hammer. "This man right here stormed the makeshift base and mopped the floor with some of our best agents, barehanded. He went for the hammer, tried to lift it."

Dean gazed at the picture. From what he could see, the man was easily over six feet tall and composed of pure muscle. His blond hair hung loose at his shoulders and was being blown about by wind and rain. The fierce look on his face seemed to communicate a broken sort of rage.

"He's one of many who tried to pick it up. Why is he significant? Who is he?"

"We don't know. But he claims he owns the hammer."

Dean scowled. "Wait...so he thinks he's Thor?"

Fury nodded. The two of them continued walking along the corridor until it opened up to the central hangar. Several jets were coming and going. Through the massive opening to the airstrip, Dean could see some taking flight.

"You're sending me to recruit him for the Avengers Initiative, aren't you?" Dean asked.

Fury nodded and folded his arms over his chest. "I know this may seem like a long-shot. And I wouldn't normally even think of doing this. But that hammer isn't moving. We can't ignore that. And if there's a chance that a super-powered deity has entered our world, we can't ignore that either."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Avengers Initiative die? You scrapped it months ago."

"That was before this happened," Fury said as he showed Dean more footage. What he saw was unmistakable. Captain America's frozen, perfectly preserved body being removed from wreckage in the arctic.

"Is this real?" Dean asked in surprise as he pulled Fury's phone away and stared at the footage. He looked up at Fury in amazement. "That's Captain America."

Fury retrieved the phone. "Yes, it is."

"So you're recruiting him."

"We are."

Dean shook his head and smiled. "Dad is going to love this." Jack Allen was a die-hard Captain America fan. Dean recalled all of the memorabilia his father had collected through the years, all of the stories Jack had told him and his siblings. This was when he wasn't telling them of his own adventures as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

"And there are two others," Fury added.

"Hulk and Stark," Dean said. "But I thought Stark was out. That's why we scrapped the Avengers in the first place. And do you really think Dr. Banner is going to play along with us?"

Fury shook his head and wagged his finger. "Oh, ye of little faith."

"What's up your sleeve, Fury?"

"Banner is in Calcutta. We've been keeping interested parties off of his scent. Hopefully that scores us some points with him when we ask him to join. As for Stark...perhaps appealing to his ego will net us his participation."

Dean nodded. He was surprised by the rapid turnaround on the Avengers project. It had gone from dead in the water to all systems go. Although recruiting Banner and Stark sounded a lot more difficult to him than Fury seemed to think it would be. "Okay. When do I leave for New Mexico?"

Fury smiled. "That's the spirit, Mongoose."