He isn't worried when they all spontaneously agree to have a hammer-lifting contest. There are time-honored, ancient rules that none of them seem keen on considering and Mjolnir is no simple Midgardian weapon. There is legitimate power within the dwarf-crafted hammer. His own brother swore by it after his bleeding lips had been freed from their bonds and he had cursed the dwarves to Hel in more than a dozen languages.

"It judges the heart."

Words spoken through a tortured mouth and from a tortured being, but one who nonetheless had been telling the truth. It's odd, that he owes the existence of this weapon, a testament to his worthiness, to the lost fortunes of his brother so many years ago. Loki had lived with brazen recklessness back then. They both had, in a way.

Oh how things have changed.

He watches them all try to lift it, trying not to laugh at the utter futility of it all. Barton tries first, claiming some sort of trick. Mjolnir remains on the table. The Man of Iron tries next and fails twice before calling on the one called Rhodey. He wants to tell them that physics has nothing to do with it. Even he knows that, and he doesn't even know what physics really is.

Mjolnir remains on the table.

Friend Banner gets up and makes a show of it, but they both know he won't lift it. The Hulk had already tried once and failed miserably. So Mjolnir remains stationary.

Then Steve gets to his feet. Thor stops smiling and watches with a tiny bit of nervousness as the captain grips the handle. If any Midgardian were to be deemed worthy by Mjolnir, it would be this man. Steve pulls, the weapon budges, but then it settles back into place. He smiles, relieved.

But he'd seen it budge, even if no one else had. This captain is truly a man of honor, even if he is not yet worthy.

Then a sparking, dented, warped man of metal drags itself into the room and Mjolnir is swinging lightly in his grip once more. After the pieces settle and he crushes this Ultron with one last, mighty blow, he considers the Man of Iron with a cool stare.

This man is Loki all over again. Creating things with reckless abandon through untried and unproven methods driven by an ambition that is unchecked. A friend, yes. But one that brings mayhem as much as order. This man's science seems all too similar to his brother's seidr, able to bring life to the things he creates. Make them autonomous. Give them a mind of their own.

Ultron is a part of Stark. A dark part that he knows Mjolnir will forever detest.

***oo***

Friend Stark is doing it again. Putting intelligence and life into formerly lifeless shells. This one is no metal man. It is almost human, but not quite. It makes him nervous and it seems that no one else is happy about it either. But he'd helped speed up the process. Whatever the two scientists had been doing had been far too slow in the face of the honorable captain's anger, so he'd… zapped it. Him. The being.

Because of the Mind Stone.

This new being holds it captive and depends on it in a way, but he thinks that perhaps if it is on their side and not Ultron's… it's the only choice he has. He still isn't happy about it, though. He and this new man have words with one another while everyone watches. Nothing is said that convinces him that the being's intentions are good or even remotely worthy.

Then Mjolnir is being lifted and handed to him. All he can do is stare, speechless.

They call him 'Vision'. The others see him as an individual, fully separate from anyone else, but Thor has seen this before. More than enough times with the creatures Loki made.

With Ultron.

It's the same in concept if not in practice, and when Vision holds up Mjolnir, he isn't speechless because Vision lifts it. He marvels at the fact that the Man of Iron helped make the man who's holding it.

Vision is a part of Stark. A very good part that Mjolnir finds worthy.

He doesn't know what to think of this, but when he finally turns and stares at Stark, he smiles crookedly and awkwardly pats him on the shoulder as he walks by.

"He's adopted." Thor Odinson