Once again thank you all for the reviews and follows.

I'm sorry if any of you find my style too flowery - it's how it is, I like words :)

Mystic Fantasy - you beat me to it, well done: Hopefully I get there in some style though.

One more chapter and a short epilogue and we're done - if I can ever stop playing with Chapter 4 which is my favourite even though I keep second-guessing myself.

Randomite x

Chapter Three

Tony had inadvertently mimicked Clint's earlier actions of prowling around the obstinate hammer for quite some time.

Periodically he'd get Jarvis to run yet another scan including metallurgic-analysis, tachyon and phase-shift (actually he may have made the last one up but it sounded convincing) merely to reassure himself that he hadn't missed anything and, also, to look like he was still considering ideas…when, in truth, he was actually wondering how the hell he could admit defeat without losing face in front of Clint.

Finally, and as a course of action that could have only been caused by a combination of desperation and pure bloody-mindedness, he launched his suit directly at Mjölnir grasping both ends of the handle firmly and powering thrusters up to full….and proceeded to just hang there….horizontal….about 18 inches off the ground: At this point he found himself wondering how this had, in any way, assisted with the "not losing face" part of his thinking.

*****Bruce honestly thought he had never laughed so hard in his life though he was still endeavouring to keep his personal volume level low.

Natasha's normally stoic response to everything had crumbled and she was physically shaking with the effort of preventing herself from howling her amusement out loud as Iron Man continued his best flag impression on the TV screen.*****

It was at this moment that fate, in the shape of Steve, intervened.

He strolled confidently into the living area, wearing nothing but crisp, white boxers and a broad smile.

*****WHAT! Bruce and Natasha ceased their laughter abruptly and gawped at the screen.*****

He squatted down, muscles flexing impressively, so that he could look directly into Tony's face and gave a cheery salute asking "Need any help?".

The sight of perfectly sculpted, ripples of muscle, coupled with blond hair, blue eyes and a smile that could loosen underwear for a mile in every direction (if he only realised it) was more than sufficient to completely take Tony's mind off the hammer-challenge.

Unfortunately the distraction also temporarily disrupted his coordination sufficient that he loosened the grip of his gauntlets prior to depowering the thrusters….

Jarvis exhibited considerably more presence of mind in the circumstances than his creator and managed to shut the suit's faceplate as Tony narrowly missed Clint and smashed straight through the (closed) windows of the living area before coming to rest some 200 feet away from the house in the middle of a large rhododendron bush.

***** In the immediate aftermath of his (literally) "face-saving" exploits, Jarvis also obligingly inset the security feed from the garden into the corner of the screen.

Bruce briefly wondered at what point you could hypothesise that an AI had moved on from simply obeying instructions to indulging in schadenfreude before abandoning that train of thought and giving into the urge to simply slip to the floor and let the guffaw he'd been struggling to contain escape into the muffling depths of a large cushion.

Natasha had long since given up any pretence of control and had thrown herself backwards into the cushions in an attempt to relieve the ache in her sides whilst uncontrollable tears of mirth rolled down both cheeks.*****

Steve strode towards the window with an anxious look on his face and was relieved to see an obviously unhurt (if a little over-foliated) Iron Man working to release himself from the bush and return to the house without further harming what little he had left of his dignity – it was probably for the best that he was unaware at that point that a large flower was lodged in the suit's left hip joint.

Steve then looked at Clint who appeared to have temporarily lost the power of speech. He looked from the hammer, to Steve, to Tony, to Steve….and then Steve again; his mouth moved occasionally as if he was about to speak but he seemed unable to form any words that could possibly explain any of the events of the last couple of minutes.

In the end he just gave up and stared dumbly at the Captain.

"Are you sure you're OK, Clint?" Steve, amazingly, could still exude an authoritative air of concern and command even in a near-naked state.

Clint just nodded, afraid of uttering what he suspected would be no more than incoherent babble if he dared open his mouth.

Tony strode (well more sort of waddled really – clearly resistance to shrubbery hadn't been high on the suit's design specs) into the room. He appeared to have been afflicted with the same uncharacteristic silence as Clint and he was far from sure Steve wasn't actually...smirking?

****Bruce had regained some control over his breathing by this time and, unlike Tony, had absolutely no doubt about Steve's facial expression.

"Well I'll be…" he rasped.

Wiping the blurring tears from her eyes, Natasha saw exactly what he was getting at and her jaw dropped a little, "…no way…" she breathed.*****

Having satisfied himself that neither Clint nor Tony were hurt – well other than pride maybe – Steve surveyed the battered and slightly scorched living area.

"Think it's time to get this place cleaned up", he stated in his no-nonsense manner, "Clint, can you please make sure the glass is cleared as soon as possible - health and safety, remember? Tony, I suggest you get Jarvis to call the builders immediately."

Clint did at least this time manage a yelp that sounded like agreement.

Tony just stood, mute and red-faced before eventually managing a nod, his normal ability to formulate a smart remark had, on this occasion, deserted him entirely.

"And just to get you started, I'll get this out of the way before anyone falls over it…" Steve continued, walking over the original cause of the mayhem, reaching down with his right arm….

….and picking up Mjölnir with ease before depositing it on the nearby counter-top to the side of the room!

If this had been a cartoon there would have been one of those odd, clanging-type sound-effects as four lower jaws all simultaneously hit the ground! It was a shame really that their shock and amazement prevented them from fully appreciating the magnificent rear-view they were treated to as Steve nodded briefly to Tony and Clint before heading off in the direction of his bedroom.

*****Bruce was as stunned as the others. He just sat there gaping at the screen – his face almost exactly mirroring the expressions on the faces of the living area's remaining occupants though with less obvious discomfort. He glanced in Natasha's direction only to realise she had disappeared.

"Jarvis, switch off the TV please and discontinue recording once everyone's left the living area," he instructed tonelessly, attempting to digest what had just happened.

"As you wish sir"*****