(OC POV)
I moved through the room towards Maria, whom was standing at the bar with Mr. Stark, Thor and Colonel Rhodes. She suddenly coughed and the Colonel was leading her away, my heeled boots clicking as I changed my path to intercept her.
"Aly!" she exclaimed before pulling away from Rhodes to walk up to me and hug me tightly, being careful around my back before pulling away.
"Hello Maria, how are you?" I whispered as I pulled away and set my hands on her shoulder, my cloak brushing my ankles as she moved to lead me to the couch.
"Good. I thought you wouldn't make it, but I'm glad you did." She said as we both sat and just like that we started up a conversation, Rhodes walking away as we went into our own little world. A few hours and two martinis later we were laying on the couch talking about Fury, the woman listening to me intently as I brought her up to speed on how the previous director was doing.
"Mind if we join you?" Barton said before sitting down without waiting for a reply, the rest of the avengers and the last guests joining us and settling themselves down after greeting me. Thor set his hammer down on the glass table, the group immediately getting into an argument about how the hammer couldn't be lifted unless the person was worthy. I settled back into the couch and watched the dynamics of the group, slightly jealous that I didn't really have anyone close to me the way they do.
"But it's a trick." Barton yelled slightly causing me to tune back into the conversation as the others laughed, Thor shaking his head as he poured himself and Steve a shot from his flask.
"No no. It's much more than that." The thunder god said with a slight laugh as the two men clinked their glasses together, Steve catching my eye and smiling softly causing me to blush and look down.
"'Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power.' Whatever, man! It's a trick." Barton said dramatically before gesturing to the hammer incredulously, a laugh leaving me at his theatrics which caused Natasha and Bruce to finally pay attention as well.
"Please, by my guest." Thor said and leaned back as he gestured to the hammer, everybody quieting as they looked towards Barton to see his reaction.
"Come on. Really?" He said in disbelief as Thor nodded, a smile coming to my face at the clearly amused look on his features.
"Yeah." Tony spoke for the god as he winked at me when he caught my gaze, my eyes rolling at his cheesiness.
"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful." Rhodes said from next to Tony as he watched Clint get up, Tony shifting to put his drink down as everybody moved closer.
"Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up." Tony snapped out with his usual wittiness, his eyes glinting with humor as everybody laughed at his joke.
"Is that why Pepper is never around anymore Tony? Is she not as forgiving as you?" I shot back in Barton's defense, Tony shooting me a glare as everybody laughed again making me smile.
"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint said and at Thor's nod tried to pick up the hammer, laughing as he stopped pulling and looked at the hammer. "I still don't know how you do it!"
"Smell the silent judgement?" Tony remarked while Rhodes looked at him in exasperation, my head shaking at his ability to always have something rude to say.
"Please, Stark, by all means." The archer gestured towards the hammer as he moved to sit back down, Tony immediately getting up as everyone made a side comment about it.
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge. It's physics. Right, so, if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?" he said as he moved to unbutton his suit jacket and wrap his hand around the handle, everybody continuing to make side comments to whatever he said.
"Yes, of course." Thor said with a nod, though by looking at his face you could clearly tell that he was just amusing the billionaire.
"I will be reinstituting prima nocta." Tony said and looked around before pulling, grunting before he released the handle and looked around again. "I'll be right back." And just like that it became a competition, the others all trying to pick it up and never succeeding much to the rest of our amusement. When it was Steve's turn I sat up a little straighter, completely fine in admitting that I had a bit of a crush on him and I wanted to see if 'the man who could do no wrong' could lift the hammer.
"Go ahead, Steve. No Pressure." Stark said from where he sat back down, my first instinct to banter with him though I let it go to see what Steve did.
"Come on, Cap." Clint said as the Captain walked up and wrapped his hands around the handle, shooting me a small smile which I replied to with an encouraging one. My eyes snapped to Thor when the hammer actually shifted in place while Steve pulled, a laugh bursting out of me at the way his smile dropped quickly at the sight.
"Nothing." Thor said with an almost nervous laugh when Steve gave up and moved to sit back down, the super soldier gesturing to me before laughing when I shook my head wildly and gestured for him to stop.
"And, Widow?" Bruce said as he turned towards the woman and held his hands out, curiosity written on his face though it was hidden well by the amusement there.
"Oh, no, no. That's not a question I need answered." She said with a shake of her head before she leaned back on her seat, taking a sip of her beer as she looked elsewhere.
"All deference to the 'man who wouldn't be king', but it's rigged." Tony said after everyone started getting up to go home for the night, holding out his hands as he stared in disbelief at the hammer.
"You bet your ass." Barton muttered as he patted Stark's shoulder, moving past him to stand at the back of the couch that the billionaire was sitting on.
"Steve, he said a bad language word." Maria said causing me to burst out laughing at the disgruntled look that appeared on the Captain's face, my hand rising to cover my mouth at Steve glanced at me with amusement.
"Did you tell everyone about that?" Steve asked Tony as he looked up at him with slight annoyance, Tony shrugging before setting his drink down while Rhodey laughed.
"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation." I laughed and shook my head as I caught Steve's gaze and smiled shyly again, the man rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled back before looking at Thor when the man got up.
"Yes. It's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one. You're all not worthy." Thor said as he grabbed his hammer and picked it up, holding out his arms in challenge with a smug smile while everybody groaned in protest. Before anyone could really say anything again a high-pitched noise rung through the room, my ears screaming in protect as my hands moved to cover them before they took damage. As the noise went away everyone glanced at each other, my eyes moving to Tony as he pulled out his phone to try and figure out what just happened.
"Worthy." A voice said slowly with an unsettling tone as a mangled suit of armor stumbled into the room, everybody turning to look at it as it turned to us slowly. "No. How could you be worthy? You're all killers." The robot said slowly, Steve turning to Tony as Tony continued calling to Jarvis with no luck. "I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or I was a…dream. There was this terrible noise. And I was tangled in…in…strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy." The robot said while gesturing with whatever was left of his arm, his words sending alarms through my instincts as I stood slowly and focused on him.
"You killed someone?" Steve's calm voice managed to sooth me a bit, though I still stayed alert in case this…thing decided to attack.
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices." The robot said and just like that everybody was readying up for battle, Helen Cho moving to stand behind Thor knowing that this wouldn't turn out well.
"Who sent you?" the thunder god demanded as I unbuttoned my cloak, my wings restless as they itched to be free for the fight that was coming. The robot played a recorded clip that sounded an awful lot like Stark, my eyes snapping to his as my irritation with him rose to the surface.
"Ultron." Bruce said in confusion as Tony locked gazes with him, both of them looking confused though they turned to the robot as he immediately replied.
"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this…chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission." Ultron said as if confirming it to himself as well, everybody finally getting up and turning towards him warily.
"What mission?" Natasha said as she slipped her heels off to get ready to run, the robot pausing before turning his head towards us.
"Peace in our time." And just like that the room turned into a warzone, the rest of the iron legion bursting through the wall and shooting towards us. My cloak slipped off as Steve yanked me to his side, kicking up the table as a blast came towards us and knocked us behind the couch.
"Be careful." He whispered softly before leaving me side to go fight the legionnaires, my eyes catching sight of one of them grabbing the scepter. With a growl I shot up and spread my wings, chasing it out onto the patio before taking flight and going after it. It was headed North, it's speed something that I was struggling to keep up with though I did well enough. We traveled for a few dozen miles before I suddenly disappeared in the clouds, an infuriated growl leaving me at the thought that it got away when I had it right in front of me, and with the scepter no less.
"Damnit." I breathed out before turning as I heard Thor and his hammer approaching.