Shades of Green: One Month


A Worthy Challenge


Avengers Mansion

The Training Room

It was a well known fact that Shego wasn't intimidated by anyone or anything, and it was also well known that she would almost never back down from a challenge. She was an intelligent, fierce, agile, strong, and short-tempered woman who would never admit defeat, back down, or surrender to any enemy, regardless of who they were or how powerful. Still, she wasn't so full of pride that she didn't know her limitations, which were very few, but there was a few times that her pride and defiance would get the better of her. It wasn't often, but it happened, for no one is truly invunerable to being blinded by their own pride.

This was one of those times that Shego became blinded by her pride, but it was also one of the few times that she didn't feel utterly embarrassed, frustrated, or angry about the events that followed. It was on this day that she challenged Thor, stating that she could lift the mystical hammer Mjolnir, a weapon which the Thunder God possessed. It was well known that Mjolnir was mystically enchanted, thus only allowing beings that are deemed worthy capable of wielding or even lifting the mighty uru hammer. However, Shego didn't believe in the mystical enchantment that was bestowed upon Mjolnir, allowing her pride and confidence to blind her, despite Thor's attempts to make her reconsider the challenge.

Needless to say, it didn't work, because Shego wouldn't allow herself to back down from this challenge, for she was confident that she would be worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Thor knew that it was useless to argue or even try to dissuade Shego, for he knew that she wasn't about to be discouraged, yet he couldn't help but admire her indomitable will and sheer tenacity. Was it any wonder why Shego and Hulk were so much alike? Why they're so fond of one another? They were perfect for one another.

"Do you still wish to see if you are worthy of wielding Mjolnir, Lady Shego?", Thor inquired one last time, raising a questioning eyebrow at the pale green-skinned woman.

"Yeah, I want to do this. Now shut up and set the hammer down, blondie!", Shego responded, her patience with the blond-haired Thunder God wearing thin.

"As you wish, Lady Shego.", Thor muttered with a light sigh and a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Without so much as a second thought, Thor placed Mjolnir on one of the many steel benches, which happened to be near the boxing ring before resuming to walk away. Shego proceeded to approach, her emerald irises focused on the mystical weapon as she came to a stop directly in front of the steel bench. She was just about to reach out for Mjolnir until a certain female brunette decided to intervene, causing Shego to stop dead in her tracks before she could even grasp the handle of the weapon.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Sheena?", Janet asked, her voice small and somewhat pleading.

"Yes, Janet, I'm sure.", Shego assured between clenched teeth, her knuckles cracking as she clenched her hands into fists.

"You do know that not even Hulk can lift Mjolnir, right?", Janet questioned, a friendly smile gracing her features.

"Yeah, well, I'm not Hulk.", Shego stated with sigh of exasperation.

"But if Hulk can't lift it, what makes you think that you can, Sheena?", Janet questioned, curious as to how her friend would reply.

"I know I can, Janet. Besides, it's just a stupid hammer. How difficult could it be just to lift it?", Shego retorted in reply to her friend's question.

"If I didn't know any better, I could swear that the only reason that you're doing this is to make Hulk lose his cool.", Janet remarked with a knowing smirk, causing Shego to let out a light chuckle of amusement.

"You enjoy making Hulk angry, don't you?", Janet probed, crossing her arms as her smirk became a full-fledged smile, her violet-blue eyes focusing on the pale green-skinned woman that stood before her.

"That's exactly the point. It'll be fun to see the look on his face once I do something that not even he can do. The fact that Hulk looks cute when he's angry is just a bonus.", Shego admitted, giving Janet a sly smile and a brief conspiratorial wink.

"Oh, now I see! You're trying to impress Hulk, aren't you?", Janet replied, the revelation of Shego's true intentions finally becoming clear to her.

"You could say that.", Shego said in response, returning her focus upon the mighty uru hammer that is Mjolnir, seemingly unaware of Hawkeye and Captain America arriving on to the scene as they stood in the background beside Thor.

"You know, there is other ways to impress Hulk, Sheena.", Janet offered in an optimistic tone of voice, standing herself directly in front of her friend as she briefly placing her gloved hands on Shego's shoulders.

"Yeah? Name one.", Shego challenged, looking at the female brunette, her emerald irises locking on to Janet's own twinkling violet-blue hued eyes.

"Uh...", Janet drawled out, finding herself unable to name even one task that Shego could accomplish that would succeed in impressing the Green Goliath.

"Uh-huh. That's what I thought.", Shego stated dryly, pushing the female brunette aside gently

"Now, give me some room, will ya?", Shego demanded, causing Janet to sigh in defeat before walking away, coming to a stop beside Thor, Captain America, and Hawkeye.

Shego once again focused on Mjolnir, flexing the fingers of her right hand, preparing to reach out and attempt to lift the mighty uru hammer. Wasp, Thor, Hawkeye, and Captain America watched the scene intently, each of their minds filled with their own thoughts and opinions concerning the challenge that Shego has taken upon herself. Wasp believed in her friend, yet she couldn't help but feel uncertain if Shego would be able to lift Mjolnir. It would also appear that Thor, Captain America, and Hawkeye were uncertain if Shego would be able to lift the mystical hammer. However, that didn't stop any of them from speaking quietly to one another.

"So do you guys think she'll lift Mjolnir?", Wasp asked her fellow teammates in a low voice.

"I'm not sure, Jan. However, it doesn't change the fact that I have complete confidence in Sheena and her abilities, regardless if she can lift that hammer or not.", Steve Rogers responded as he briefly made eye contact with the female brunette, voicing his opnion in his usual honest and sincere tone of voice.

"What do you think, Thor?", Janet asked as she looked at the blond Asgardian, curious as to what the Thunder God would say in reply.

"She seems determined, yet I cannot answer, nor do I truly know for sure. Verily, it is true that Lady Shego is a warrior equal to that of either Sif or Brunnhilde, but regardless of how great or noble a mortal or immortal being may be, only those who are worthy may wield Mjolnir. Still, we'll just have to watch and see for ourselves, will we not?", Thor answered with a smirk, his light blue eyes briefly locking with Janet's own violet-blue irises.

"Personally, I don't think she'll be able to lift it.", Hawkeye interjected nonchalantly, voicing his own opinion before his three teammates.

"And if she does lift Mjolnir?", Thor questioned with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Then... I'm gonna keep my mouth shut.", Hawkeye quickly said in reply, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Still sore from that beating she gave you a few weeks ago, eh, Clint?", Wasp giggled in amusement, much to Hawkeye's chagrin.

"It's not funny. She's got a temper that rivals The Hulk's! Not to mention that her plasma blasts hurt... A lot! My skin's still healing from those cuts and burns!", Hawkeye exclaimed, trying to sound indignant as he glared at the cheerful brunette.

Shego ignored the conversation going on between Wasp, Captain America, Thor, and Hawkeye, her senses focused solely on the mystical uru hammer Mjolnir. She slowly reached out and grasped the handle with her right hand, getting a firm grip on the weapon before attempting to lift it. For several moments, Shego kept the handle held tightly within her grasp, closing her eyes and silently exhaling a breath of air from her lungs before opening her emerald green eyes. It was now or never. Would she be able to lift Mjolnir, thus proving that she was indeed worthy of wielding the mystical weapon? It was time to find out!

Grasping the handle as tightly as possible, Shego made her first attempt to lift Mjolnir, and the result was... Nothing. She tried again, using all the strength of her right arm, refusing to be defeated so easily as she attempted to lift the mystical hammer once again. However, like her first attempt, it was futile, for the mighty uru hammer wouldn't budge, but that didn't mean Shego was going to give up! She temporarily broke her grip on the handle only to quickly grasp it again with both hands, heaving with all of her might in yet another futile attempt to lift Mjolnir.

She found herself becoming more and more enraged, unwilling to submit to defeat, her pride and rage blinding her for the first time in years. She wasn't going to give up, because she had something to prove, not only to herself and the Avengers but to the Hulk as well. She didn't know why, but for some reason Shego felt like she needed to prove something to the Green Goliath. One way or another, Shego was determined to lift Mjolnir, regardless if she was worthy of the mystical weapon or not!

"Stupid... Freakin'... Hammer!", Shego growled, trying to lift Mjolnir with all of her might.

"She's not gonna give up, is she?", Hawkeye questioned, arching an eyebrow as he looked from Shego to his fellow teammates.

"Nay, she will not. She is a warrior, therefore she will never admit defeat.", Thor stated, not even bothering to glance at the archer.

"Wasp, do you think you could talk to her?", Captain America asked, looking at the brunette standing beside him.

"I'll try, but I'm not promising any results.", Janet answered with a sigh before slowly approaching her pale green-skinned female friend.

Janet came to a stop a few feet away from Shego, uncertain if she should interrupt her friend, who was still trying to lift the mystical hammer from its resting place on the steel bench. She knew all too well that Shego had a very short and violent temper, much like The Hulk's own. Still, she was the only person that could have a chance at making Shego reconsider trying to lift Mjolnir. Granted, it was still very risky, but Janet firmly believed that her friend wouldn't harm her.

"Uh... Sheena? Can we talk?", Wasp asked hopefully, a nervous smile forming on her features.

"Not now, Janet!", Shego hissed, continuing her futile attempt to lift Mjolnir.

"Ya know, you don't have to beat yourself up over this. I mean, it's not like you're the only person that can't lift Mjolnir. I'm sure Hulk wouldn't think any less of you if you couldn't lift it. Not that I'm gonna tell him, because I'm not, but I just think that you should really consider giving up.", Janet offered in a gentle tone of voice, unable to see her friend's emerald irises narrow in outrage.

"Janet!", Shego snarled, releasing her grip from Mjolnir's handle as she turned to glare at her friend, her hands becoming encased in fiery emerald plasma.

"Yes, Sheena?", Janet asked in a meek voice, noticing for the first time how much taller Shego was than herself, her violet-blue eyes staring into a pair of angry emerald irises.

"You! Zip it! Now!", Shego ordered, her tone deadly serious, thus brooking no argument whatsoever from Janet, who appeared to be about ten seconds away from running away.

"Okay, Sheena, if that's what you really want. I'll just... Uh... Leave you alone now.", Janet obliged, a sheepish smile gracing her features as she raised her hands in surrender before quickly backing away, leaving Shego alone to try to lift Mjolnir once again.

"She's not gonna give up.", Janet informed her fellow comrades as she approached, once again stopping beside Captain America.

"What should we do?", Thor asked, glancing at Steve Rogers, hoping that their leader could come up with some kind of solution.

"We do nothing. She'll get tired eventually.", Captain America stated, his tone calm and certain.

"Yeah, but you're forgetting that she's about as stubborn as The Hulk. In other words, we're goin' to be here for a long time before she decides to give up on lifting that hammer.", Hawkeye responded in a deadpanned tone of voice.

"If you think you can convince her otherwise, be my guest.", Wasp offered with a sly smirk.

"No thanks. Dealing with super villains is one thing, but dealing with a short-tempered, violent, pale green-skinned woman who just so happens to be our newest addition to the team? Sorry, but that's where I draw the line. Besides, the last thing I need is more third degree burns.", Hawkeye said in reply, crossing his arms over his chest as he briefly glared at the female brunette.

They all soon became silent once again as they began watching Shego attempt to lift Mjolnir once again, both of her hands encased in fiery green plasma as she tightly gripped the handle. She pulled with all of her might, yet even then the hammer wouldn't move, causing Shego to curse under her breath as she strained to lift the weapon from the steel bench. Wasp, Thor, Hawkeye, and Captain America were so focused on Shego's futile struggle that they seemingly didn't hear the sound of heavy footsteps, signaling the arrival of a certain Gamma Goliath known as The Hulk.

Hulk's emerald eyes immediately focused on Shego, noticing that she was trying her hardest to lift Mjolnir, a mystical weapon that not even himself has ever succeeded in wielding. However, what intrigued his curiosity was not that Shego was trying to lift Mjolnir, but rather the reason why she would even try to even attempt to lift the mystical weapon. Despite knowing Shego for only about a month, Hulk knew enough about her to know that she didn't do anything unless she had a reason or some form of motivation to do so. One way or another, Hulk was going to find out, and since some of his teammates were already here, he was going to get some answers... Now!

"What's going on?", Hulk demanded, his sudden appearance startling his fellow teammates.

"Oh, Hulk! Hi! Nothing! Nothing is goin' on! Nope! Nothing at all! We're just... Umm...", Janet exclaimed, trying her best to cover up the truth of the situation.

"Watching your girlfriend trying to lift a mystical weapon.", Hawkeye interjected, receiving a hard elbow to his ribs from Janet.

"Why?", Hulk growled in question, narrowing his eyes at his comrades.

"I think you'll have to ask her, Hulk.", Captain America suggested in his usual calm and honest tone.

Hulk released a low sigh, turning away from his fellow teammates as he slowly approached Shego, who seemed utterly oblivious to his presence. She was still trying to lift Mjolnir, her stubborn pride not allowing her to admit defeat as her plasma encased hands gripped the handle of the weapon tightly, refusing to release it from her grasp. Rage and frustration consuming her mind, Shego began heaving with all of her might, a savage growl escaping her throat. Suddenly, Shego lost her grip, the sheer momentum of losing her grip on Mjolnir's handle causing her to soar back in the air.

She should have crashed to the floor, but instead Shego found herself being caught by a pair of very large and very familiar green hands. Their touch was firm and gentle, supporting her body with relative ease until she regained her footing, her eyes looking up into the face of her protector. It didn't surprise her that it was Hulk, his emerald eyes locking on to her own green irises, revealing a side of the Gamma Goliath that few have ever seen or known to exist. She allowed a affectionate smile to form on her lips, her frustration and anger disappearing for the time being, not caring that her pride had been dealt a stinging blow by her inability to lift Mjolnir.

"Hiya, handsome. What brings you here? Couldn't stay away from me any longer, could ya?", Shego greeted teasingly, her voice seductive and flirtatious at the same time.

"Hmp. Don't act cute, Shego. It doesn't work on me.", Hulk responded, glaring down at her as she faced him.

"Can't blame a girl for trying.", Shego replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders, temporarily averting her gaze away from Hulk's own.

"Why were you trying to lift Thor's hammer?", Hulk questioned, arching an eyebrow as he stared down at the pale green-skinned woman.

"Oh, that. No reason.", Shego lied, biting her lip slightly as she once again averted her eyes from The Hulk.

"You're lying. I know you, Shego. You don't do something unless you have a reason.", Hulk retorted, not believing a single word that she said.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about, Hulk. I was just seeing if I could lift it! That's all!", Shego exclaimed, once again trying to hide her true intentions for attempting to lift Thor's mystical hammer Mjolnir.

"What are you not telling me? Why were you trying to lift that hammer, Shego?", Hulk demanded, lowering himself down until his face was mere inches away from Shego's, causing her to become uneasy as her pale cheeks became colored with a light blush.

"She was trying to impress you, Hulk.", Janet blurted out accidently, causing both Hulk and Shego to turn their attention to the female brunette.

"Is that true, Shego?", Hulk asked, returning his attention back to Shego, who was glaring at Janet for a few moments before locking gazes with Hulk.

For what seemed like an eternity, there was nothing but silence. Neither Shego or Hulk made an attempt to start a conversation while Captain America, Wasp, Thor, and Hawkeye watched on. Despite herself, Shego wanted to tell Hulk the truth, but once again her stubborn pride kept her silent, not wanting the others, or Hulk to view her as a weak female. Sensing her uncertainty and unease, Hulk turned away from Shego momentarily, his emerald irises falling upon his fellow Avengers. He wanted to talk to Shego, but not with Wasp, Captain America, Hawkeye, or Thor standing around within earshot. If he was going to talk to Shego, he was going to do it in private, and if anyone dared to deny him this... bones were gonna be broken!

"Leave... Now.", Hulk growled, his tone deadly serious, brooking no argument from any of his four teammates.

Without any argument, the four Avengers departed with Thor summoning Mjolnir back within his grasp with a mere gesture, leaving Hulk and Shego alone. Once he was sure that all four of his teammates were gone, Hulk returned his attention back to Shego, his facial features devoid of any emotion, yet the same could not be said of the emotions that were reflected in his emerald green eyes. Shego could only stare directly into his eyes, as if she were in a trance, finding herself unable to look away as silence enveloped them and the surroundings. After a few moments, it was Hulk that broke the silence, his tone clearly stating that he wanted answers from her.

"Is what Janet said true?", Hulk asked, his features remaining indifferent.

"Why should I tell you?", Shego retorted, crossing her arms over her chest, finally averting her eyes from his own.

An uncomfortable silence reigned, neither Hulk or Shego speaking a single word, but words were not needed as Hulk stared down at Shego, his eyes locking on to her own as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest. Shego was becoming more and more uncomfortable, trying with all of her might not to look into the Green Goliath's eyes, fearing that she wouldn't be able to hide her true reason why she accepted the challenge to see if she could lift Mjolnir. She hated to admit it, but she couldn't help but feel attracted to Hulk when he acted this way, the mere thought that he cared about her so greatly made her heartbeat increase as a gentle warmth entered her heart. Releasing a heavy sigh, Shego swallowed her pride and looked Hulk directly in the eyes, seeing the affection that few others have ever seen from the Jade Giant.

"Hulk, what Janet said... It's true. I wanted to prove something to myself. I wanted to show you that I was strong, so I could impress you, Hulk. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as I planned.", Shego admitted, a small frown forming on her features as she looked away, trying to hide her shame and the light blush that colored her pale cheeks.

She couldn't face him, especially now that Hulk knew her true intentions as to why she tried to lift the mighty uru hammer Mjolnir. She looked at the steel flooring before closing her eyes, her long dark mane hiding her face so that Hulk couldn't see the shame that her pride brought upon her. Suddenly, she felt something lifting her gaze, causing her to open her eyes to discover Hulk leaning in closer until his face was mere inches from her own. Hulk looked directly into her eyes, her gaze lifted to meet his own by Hulk's index finger on his right hand. His eyes were so beautiful and gentle, his touch soothing to her skin as he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face with the digits on his left hand. She could barely resist the urge to capture his lips with her own in a passionate kiss, her attraction to him greater than any she has ever felt for anyone or anything.

"You don't have to prove anything to me. I like you, Shego. You're my friend. And that's all that matters to me.", Hulk reassured her in a gentle voice, not daring to break eye contact with her, not even for a mere moment.

Then, without warning, Shego leaped up and wrapped her arms around Hulk's neck, embracing him as a sign of affection. Hulk gently circled his arms around her, holding her in a gentle embrace, barely noticing the brief kiss that Shego planted on his left cheek. This simple token of affection caused a smile to grace Hulk's features, returning her affection with a gentle squeeze, enjoying the closeness that he now shared with her, the woman that he secretly loved.

"Thanks, Hulk.", Shego whispered in his ear.

"Don't mention it.", Hulk whispered back in reply.


Author's Notes

I enjoyed writing this story. I feel that it really shows Hulk's growing fondness and acceptance of Shego, while she herself is becoming closer to the Green Goliath. By trying to lift Mjolnir, Shego wanted to prove herself to Hulk, only to discover that she didn't need to prove herself to him because he already accepts her for who she is.