Ada, the Thunder God (Ch. 1)

Fatigued from her life working dead-end jobs, Ada Ralph had fallen in with the wrong sort of crowd. She'd become sidekick of sorts now to a small independent gang of miscreants whom, like her, longed for a better life via a get-rich-quick scheme.

The "scheme" in question wasn't what you might think. Lead by a hard-nosed character by the name of Jon Harrow, he had recruited a fellow ne'er-do-well who'd once trained at Doctor Strange's temple for a season or two, but Eric had since fallen through the cracks into petty criminality. The only thing that remained from his training was a sling ring, and the ability to open a quick portal from one place to another, though he was beginning to forget even that skill due to lack of practice.

However, Jon convinced him to help them out and use his remaining magic and talent to allow them enter a particular vault and steal what was inside. But Ada was confused. It wasn't a bank vault they were targetting seemingly, where cash was readily available. No, it was some random warehouse.

Jon explained then that said building wasn't what it appeared to be. It was, in fact, a ruse to obscure that the facility was linked to the Avergers themselves. They were to enter, steal weaponry and technology, and then sell them on the black market.

"I don't know about this," Ada interjected. "Wouldn't knocking over a bank make more sense, and carry less risk?"

Jon stared at her for a moment with disdain. "It isn't just for selling on the black market," he explained. "I want some of it for myself -for us all. I-we can be strong as well as rich."

No one spoke then.

This had never been a part of the plan but apparently had been rolling around in the back of Jon's overly ambitious head. Ada was nervous now. The idea of raising the ire of the actual Avengers was a terrifying prospect. This wasn't just the cops possibly hunting them down now, it could be literal superheroes and gods. It made her, a mere mortal, feel so small and vulnerable. At the same time, she knew that she couldn't back out now, it would be risky to do so in front of Jon, Eric, and the two or three others they'd roped into the questionable endeavour. Also, what if it actually worked and they got away with it?

As they approached the location, they made a b-line for the side entrance. It was dark, but they'd covered their faces just in case. There was surely security nearby, but they hoped they were standing far enough away from the site to still go unnoticed. All they needed was Eric to open a portal and they could step in or out and take what they wanted. Maybe the Avengers would never even know the stuff was gone?

However, something went array. As Eric swished his hand over and over in front of himself, no portal appeared. Jon, frustrated and impatient, implored him to keep trying, but to no avail. They concluded that he had, again, "lost the magic" and just couldn't open a portal.

"Well, this is a bust!" exclaimed Ada, secretly happy that they didn't have to go through with it. But Jon wouldn't accept defeat.

"We're just going to have to go in there the old fashioned way," he said grimly.

"But it's too dangerous. We'll be detected," warned Eric.

"We'll be in and out in no time. And if someone does turn up, maybe we can find something in there to defend ourselves with. It's not as if any of the 'big ones' will arrive to stop a warehouse break-in," he concluded before pressing forward across the alley with the rest of the gang reluctantly in tow.

The darkness, again, gave them a modicum of cover, but they knew that wouldn't help them for long. They broke through a large door and moved inside.

"That was easy," said Eric. "Too easy in fact. Are we sure this is what we think it is because it looks mostly empty in here."

"MOSTLY empty," cried Jon, "But not completely."

He pointed over to a large selection of metal crates. Impossible for them to open here and too large to carry, Jon asked Eric to try use his magic once more, or even open the portal inside of them, but, alas, like before, it wouldn't work.

"You're absolutely useless," he shouted out while trying to move one of the crates on his own. But it didn't budge an inch. As he did so, Eric's attention was caught by a strange device glowing in the distance, and he and Ada walked over to have a look.

"I think I might know why I can't use the sling ring," said Eric, pointing at the device. "It's something that I learned about at the temple. It's an artifact that cancels out enchantments, spells, and curses. It was obviously placed here to prevent exactly what we were trying to do."

"Can we destroy it?" asked Jon.

"If we do smash it, it may only disturb spells, not cancel them out. A kind of magic scrambler. It could be even more dangerous."

"It's worth a shot, though. There's no way we can get this stuff out of here without your magic, so..." Jon tailed off, picking up the artifact and smashing it off the ground. But, before they could check if it worked, there was a loud swoosh! coming from above and outside the building.

"It's one of them," cried Ada, panicking. "It's an Avenger!"

Sure enough, as soon as she had said it, Thor arrived through the wall of the facility with a single punch. It was one of the 'big ones' after all.

He laughed at them.

"This is it? When the alarm went off I expected more of a challenge. But a few puny humans trying to steal what doesn't rightly belong to them? Disappointing."

Ada dived behind the crates as Thor moved to easily subdue the gang, crushing Eric's sling ring in the process. Jon however was being far too brave for his own good and tried to suckerpunch the god of thunder. Again, Thor laughed.

"You're a spirited bunch I'll give you that," he said. "But you're just mortals. You have no chance."

"If I had your power, though, I'd kick your ass!" declared a rebellious Jon.

"But you don't and never will, as none of you are worthy if it," Thor reminded them all before lifting their leader off the ground. "Now, straight to jail for the lot of you".

When Ada heard this, she became even more startled and rose up out behind the crate, sprinting then for the exit. In the blackness, Thor could only hear her footsteps yet threw his hammer in her general direction anyway, clipping her as she ran, causing her to fall hard to the floor and leaving her in agony.

"And you're going too, whoever you are!" said Thor, reaching out to retrieve his hammer. But then, something strange occurred. The hammer did NOT return. He stood there for a moment bewildered, his arm still outstretched. He kept trying to will the hammer back to him to no avail before looking up at Jon, who was still dangling in the air from his grip and chokehold.

"Well, this is very embarrassing," said Thor. "Something is partially blocking my hold over Mjölnir."

"The artifact!" Jon said with a gasp. Thor looked upon him, and then on to the floor where the pieces of the item lay sundered. A cold realisation took hold of him then, and his eyes darted over to where he had felled Ada, who was only now getting to her feet with the hammer laying before her.

"Stay away from that!" He cried at her. "Magic is now chaotic in this whole area! We must leave in case..."

But, upon hearing this, Ada had only one idea in her head. She knew the incantation. Everyone did by this stage the world over. One normally had to be worthy to lift the hammer so they could be imbued with the power of Thor. Normally.

Ada knew she wasn't worthy, but did that even matter now? Was the magic so scrambled that she could lift actually it? Without hesitation, the small woman reached out for the weapon and grasped it in her hands. This time, Thor gasped, dropping Jon who hit the floor with a thump.

Ada, indeed, easily lifted Mjölnir to her side, and then small sparks of lighting starting to emenate from it. It began illuminating the dark corner of the warehouse, just enough to light up her face as a large beaming smile crept up her cheeks. She already felt changed. Felt different. Felt a storm brewing inside of her. Ada stared at Thor then, and began laughing as she lifted the hammer aloft.

"Whoever I am?" said Ada dryly before crying out "Why, I'm the GOD OF THUNDER!!!"

Suddenly a huge bolt of lightning smashed through the roof and struck the hammer. Ada, in truth, was a little frightened at first, but as she held on tightly to the hammer, something strange occurred. Instead of the electricity shocking her, it passed straight into her body. Suddenly her clothes felt a little tighter, and then, RIPPPPP! The shoulder of her shirt and jacket burst open.

Ada now felt taller than before. She was growing! "I like this," she screamed amidst all of the thunderous noise. "It feels good. I feel good. In fact, I feel a little like you now. Like Thor!" she said, trembling. But I want it all. I don't want to feel a little like Thor. I want to feel exactly like Thor!"

There was no fear now. She gave herself over to the power and let it transform her, and mightier Ada got, and brawnier. Her muscles exploded out through her clothes and buldged forth. Her hair turned golden and grew out until it flowed down her back and shoulders; a far cry from her previous pixie cut. There was another flash and now she had armour and a cape like Thor's, though one unique to herself. When her ascension was complete and the spectacle ended she stood as tall and wide as Thor himself as a newly minted goddess.

Ada looked up and down her new form with delight, and was overwhelmed by her seemingly endless strength, before finally noticing a dumbfounded Thor standing in front her demanding the hammer back.

"Guess I was worthy after all," Ada said with a smirk, casually shrugging her now newly mended yet freshly bulging shoulder. "If you really want it back, how about we fight for the hammer?" she finished.

Though, in truth, it had only just begun...