Thor, gripping Mjolnir tightly, was utterly shocked. No one had ever been able to block the hammer's attacks.
Except for the unbelievable _Emperor_.
At first, Thor had mistaken him for an enemy, but aside from him, Thor had never met another person who could resist Mjolnir.
"This… this is impossible…" Thor mumbled in disbelief.
But reality was right before his eyes—Hela had caught Mjolnir effortlessly.
"My dear brother, let me show you what _impossible_ truly means. The difference between us is as simple as this."
Hela smiled faintly as she tightened her grip on the hammer. After all, she was its _first_ true wielder.
To her, Mjolnir was nothing more than a toy.
Thor immediately realized what Hela intended to do—she was trying to _crush_ his weapon!
Reaching out, he attempted to summon Mjolnir back, but Hela smirked.
"Save your strength. Stop wasting your energy. You're the only one who treats this thing like a treasure."
With a slight increase in pressure, Mjolnir's surface began to crack.
At that moment, a surge of _red chaos magic_ separated them.
Mjolnir slipped from Hela's grasp, and Thor quickly retrieved it before it could shatter completely.
He clutched it tightly, checking for damage. Fine cracks had appeared along the intricate engravings, but thankfully, it hadn't been destroyed.
A golden light flashed behind Hela.
Wanda stood between them, her Scarlet Witch powers radiating red energy from her glowing eyes.
"Are you alright?"
Behind Hela, Alan caught her before she could be thrown back by Wanda's chaos magic.
As the smoke cleared, Thor stood frozen in shock, rubbing his eyes as if he were hallucinating.
The _Goddess of Death_, Hela—the same woman who had just threatened to kill him—was now blushing like a love-struck girl in front of Emperor.
Was this the same person?
Had someone secretly swapped her out?
Wanda retracted her chaos magic but couldn't help feeling uneasy seeing Hela leaning on Alan, her hand resting on his waist.
"Emperor!" Hela gazed at him with obsession, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of his armored faceplate.
"I must be dreaming… I finally see you again!"
Alan awkwardly cleared his throat and quickly let go of her.
"The Time Stone… you were the one who retrieved it?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Thor. Seeing that Mjolnir was still intact, it seemed he and Wanda had arrived just in time.
Thor's eyes were also unharmed—Hela hadn't managed to stab them.
But judging by the tension between the two siblings, it didn't seem like they'd be reconciling anytime soon.
Alan suddenly recalled the Ancient One's cryptic expression.
Was _this_ what she meant?
Did she expect him to use his _charm_ to make Hela and Thor get along?
Thor probably wouldn't be an issue—despite his recklessness, he valued family.
But Hela…
That would be _his_ problem to solve.
"Of course! Who else but _me_ could retrieve the Time Stone?"
Just as she proudly declared it, Hela's mind _buzzed_ with realization.
Wait…
Was Emperor _angry_ at her?
She suddenly remembered his warning: _Stay in Asgard. Behave. Wait for me to come get you._
And now?
Not only had she gotten caught red-handed, but she had _admitted_ to retrieving the Time Stone herself.
Hela was instantly filled with regret.
Why had she answered so quickly?!
She had _literally_ exposed herself without even being interrogated!
...
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