Disclaimer: Dont own anything Marvel Universe.
Dara and Steve's Apartment, Avengers Tower
"Thank you, Dara. I'm sorry I had to disturb you during the party." said the marketing rep from one of the abroad offices.
"It's alright, Kristen. Its my job. I'm going to go back up now."
"Bye, thank you." Kristen added before cutting the line.
With a sigh, Dara put her laptop and tablet away on the table, powering one of them down. Is she getting old that she is feeling lazy to go back upstairs. But her friends are there, as is her Steve.
With a huff she got up, putting on the killer booths again. When she came Thor had finally arrived. If she had not been drinking earlier, she would have gotten herself some Asgardian ale. He brough Jane! That's why he was late. Jane looked happy. So Thor did something right. Darcy didn't know Jane wasn't in her lab. She showed a photo now.
Unfortunately, Jane couldn't stay for long, she had taken a two hour break. Thor took her back then. He was back in half an hour. Its amazing he can do such things. Going over to him, she asked what he did.
"After meeting Erik, I decided to go get Jane something she would appreciate, I got her a star necklace from one of my treasure reserves I had left here centuries ago. Its from a meteor."
"That is a perfect gift, Thor." Dara smiled, but she was worried inside. Either this would conflict Jane, or not make a difference. She felt for him. Thor smiled, happy to have made Jane's night. "So, what did you learn from Erik?"
"I think the jewel might be an infinity stone, perhaps we can look at it closer tomorrow and I can tell you more about infinity stones." said Thor. She couldn't wait, but agreed.
"So far, Tony and Bruce have been researching the whole scepter, you're input would add more to our theories."
"Let's revel until then."
"Yes!" They rejoined the bar for shots. Nat raised her brow when Dara took the shot of Asgardian Ale, and almost toppled over if Thor had not caught her first. They laughed at her antics, such a difference after one shot.
Antic included singing Twist and Shout, that she got others to join her. Clint had sat on the drums to play it behind her, and Tony was on guitar while being backup singer for her. She felt so giddy every time she had that special Ale. Just takes the edge off entirely.
Well, shake it up, baby, now
Twist and shout
Come on, come on, come, come on, baby, now
Come on and work it on out
Well, work it on out, honey
You know you look so good
You know you got me goin' now
Just like I know you would
Nat laughed beside Maria who was recording it to share with the girls. They love her performances. Its not like when Tony is showing off, or when Clint is trying to be cool. With her its easy to get dragged into the fun. Dara left the instrument stage age to go into the crowd, singing with all the guests. One of the old men had an awesome voice, rousing cheers. Of
Well, shake it up, baby, now
Twist and shout
Come on, come on, come, come on, baby, now
Come on and work it on out
You know you twist, little girl
You know you twist so fine
Come on and twist a little closer now
And let me know that you're mine, woo
She of course ended with Steve, who dipped her down to kiss her. He's got moves. Bringing her up, he laughed at her sparkling eyes, he could remember she had been much more energetic during their engagement party. She spun around to join her band, to finish up the song.
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Tony and her belted that out, kneeling on the ground. They laughed, and she felt hers slip slightly as something she thought she saw. There was a redness to his eyes for a moment. Blinking she looked again as he addressed the crowd.
It was still on her smile as she smiled in thanks to her audience. After three more times of checking if it was present, she figured it was an accidental hit of lights. Steve had been worried when her mood was suddenly different, but it went away and she was happy again. Clint was talking of plans to start a band. Its an ongoing idea of his after every time he plays a song with them. Can't be helped that he isn't around long enough or on time for band practice. Its all spontaneous and they cant agree on a name, ever. The three are very stubborn that they have the right choice. Its clashing for them, entertaining for their friends and family.
Nat sent the video to Clint's family, knowing they will enjoy watching it.
After the guests had left, they were sitting around the table on the couch or floor. Sam had already left for DC on the late flight. Dara sat next to Steve, snuggled into his side while her socked feet were trapped under Rhodey's knee. She had come over when Helen had fallen asleep after too much Asgardian ale. At the moment she was talking to Darcy about another Yogurt Land like franchise she attacked for discontinuing her favorite flavor. Wiping away her tears of laughter, she tried to catch her breath. Steve gave her a curious look and she bit her lip before saying aloud "Darcy attacked another frozen yogurt store."
"Again?" Thor asked with a laugh.
"Her loves her Cherry Dark Chocolate swirls." Steve stated, he couldn't forget that video he had seen years ago of Darcy. Maria laughed and showed the video that was already trending as if it were a sequel. Tony let out a laugh as he and Rhodey cheered at the spectacular toss off the store special flavor was thrown on the clerk. They clapped at the performance, toasting to her through the phone that Dara held up.
Clint was busy staring down Mjolnir with concentration while twirling his drunk sticks. He asked Thor "How was it created."
"It was created by the dwarven blacksmiths of the Nidavellir realm, the ore used is the strongest in the universe, Uru, and can only be found in the heart of a dying star. My father put a spell on it that only those who are worth can possess the power of Thor and rule Asgard." Thor explained.
"That condition can't possible work. People change." Clint argued.
Steve laughed as Thor told Clint "Magic is real my friend, it has rules that bind to elements."
"But's a trick." Clint still claimed.
Dara shared a grin with Maria, they were hoping for the same thing, that Clint try to pick it up. Mentally they made a plan to agree with Clint.
Looking to Dara, Steve wondered why she was siding with Clint when she had already read the hammer, and knows it says just what Thor told them. He saw the grins passing between Maria and Dara, oh so this was a ruse. He chuckled as Clint was falling into it.
"…be worthy shall haveth the power." Clint said in a low voice he imagined was Odin's. Thor laughed because it sounded ridiculous from Barton. "Whatever man it's a trick."
Thor offered a challenge. "Please, be my guest." he smiled at Clint, who raised his drum stick and brows.
Dara felt her eyes widen and Maria gave her a 'Dara be cool lady, damn' look. Nodding, she verbally encouraged Clint to accept the challenge as he looked for faulters. He got none.
"Yeah ok." Clint said and got up.
Maria and Dara had big smiles on their faces before schooling themselves. Squeezing Steve's knee, Dara straightened up as he leaned forwards to watch Clint. "Hey, Darcy something incredibly hilarious is about to happen. Don't talk, just watch." She put it on video and propped it on her knee.
"Clint you've had a tough week, we wont hold it against you if you cant get it up." Tony wittily remarked.
Darcy snickered on the phone while Dara let out her giggle. "Yeah, Clint you want to borrow one of Tony's pills."
"Oh shit, she went there!" Rhoney lost his breath laughing, while Tony glared smilingly at his pseudo sister. Bruce and Nat stopped their conversation to listen on the foolery going around.
"I've seen this before." Clint told Thor as he reached for the handle. Thor nodded, remembering when Clint had been watching over the hammer.
It didn't work. Darcy shouted Fail. Dara quickly covered the speaker as Steve was shaking with some suppressed laughter.
"I don't know how you do it." Clint laughed, looking at the hammer like it shouldn't be able to exist.
Tony had another witty comment in place. "Smell the silent judgement."
So Clint offered the challenge to Tony. "Please, Stark by all means."
"YES!" Darcy shouted, setting Dara off to repeat it. Tony got up, unbuttoning his jacket.
"Ok. Here we go." Maria was getting excited, this will be beautiful for her. She could already compare Clint's trial to the ones done by many SHIELD agents during that week. No one was worthy.
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." Tony stated. Dara didn't have a quip because its true, Tony will go through with a contest. He put his hand through the belt, then firmly grasped the handle, getting ready. "It's physics. I lift it then I rule Asgard?"
"Yeah." said a calm Thor. Dara felt herself vibrate with anticipation, Steve rubbed her arm from where his was around her.
"I will be reinstituting prima nocta." He bent his knees to get some balance. Dara frowned a little, why did he say that, it doesn't make sense. He wouldn't make that joke unless he was single, which he is not. He would have simply said I will rule with Pepper as his queen. This is another strike against him that is concerning for her.
Then came the pulling. It didn't work of course. He let go, then said be right back.
"He cant get his suit, is that cheating?" Dara asked. Starting a debate about this, they waited 10 seconds for Tony to be back. He came with just the gauntlet.
It didn't work.
After that Rhodey got into his gauntlet to help Tony. Darcy was laughing nonstop on the phone now.
"Does this mean that even together, both of them are not worthy as Thor?" she whispered the question to Steve.
"Don't tell them that, their egos will not handle it." he warned her playfully. They laughed as the two were bickering with each other now.
"Are you even pulling?"
"Are you on my team?"
"Just represent. Pull!"
"Alright, pull."
It was a long minute trial for them before they gave up. Darcy had to be muted because of her taunting, Dara liked her phone. They looked to Bruce now. He knew this was just for fun. Hulk told in his mind that they couldn't pick it up on the hellicarrier, would now be different. No it would not, so he tried to play along.
It was horrible. He pretended to be Hulk after pulling then roaring. Silence among them, with some blank faces or pity ones. Only Nat was smiling.
"Bruce, suck." growled out Hulk., setting them off in laughter again. Bruce shook his head, the green tint going back.
"We're one the same buddy, I thought you were going to roar."
"Bruce funnier." Hulk growled again. The phone fell out of Dara's hand, she was hiding behind Steve belly laughing now. This was so funny to watch. Its like a Smegol skit. Darcy accidentally hung up because she was laughing just as hard.
Coughing a little, Dara sat up, taking the drink Steve handed her. Maria had a tear she had to brush off. Nat was looking endearingly at Bruce, he was so pitifully cute right now.
They now looked to the next person in line. Captain Rogers. Dara patted his back after whispering 'a knight of honor can pick up the hammer of Thor'. He looked to Thor and got up. They cheered for him.
"Lets go Cap."
"Come on Cap."
Getting into position he grasped it tightly and pulled but quickly pushed down on it when he felt like he was about to fall on his since he didn't expect it to actually lift. The squeeze and move had them pause and cheer encouragement. Dara was covering her mouth while Thor was shocked. No way, she knows what this means, even the smallest amount means Steve has the worth in him. Watching his arms as he pulled again, she knows he was pretending. Wow. Schooling her looks, Dara smiled at him when he came back.
"It ok baby." He leaned down giving her a quick kiss. Sitting down, she snuggled up to him again. They will talk later.
Bruce looked to Nat asking "Widow?"
She declined, leaning onto her side taking a sip of her beer. "Oh no, that's not a question I need answered."
Tony looked to Dara singing her name playfully.
"Alright, I know I can pick it up." She stood up, walking past Thor, and grabbed his hand. They laughed, figuring out what she will try. Someone had to, "Now, Thor, you will hold onto my hand, and the worth power you possess should transfer over. Any arguments in the theory doctors?" she asked as Thor got beside her with a laugh.
"Oh, no. Sound theory there, Dara." Bruce joked.
"Yes, the Tranferrence propoerties law." Stark added.
"Its going to work." Maria said.
"Yes, out of you all, she is a worth woman."
"Hear, Hear." Helen and Steve said together.
Dara blushed with a grin. Looking over her shoulder at Thor she asked "Ready?"
"Yes, Lady Dara." His large hand covered hers entirely and went round the handle. They picked it up easily.
"Shut up!" "No way" "Look at his hand, he is pretty much holding the hammer around hers. His finger tips are touching it."
"Bite you words, Tony. Come look, His hand is around mine. Transferred worthiness." They came to check and its true. Thor laughed, he had done this once before when he was curious, this theory is true.
"The Lady Dara is right, it can transfer this way." She moved it about, waving it around.
"It is not heavy, not too light."
"Alright, Thor let go of her hand, lets see." Clint suggested. Thor shrugged and let go before Dara could say no. She yelped as suddenly the weight affected her, it fell to the ground, taking her with it.
"THOR!" She complained while laughing a bit. Taking her hand out of the strap, she felt a bit of the burn from the material.
"Apologized Lady Dara." He helped her up. Clint was laughing at getting his revenge. He knows Maria and Dara wanted to start this contest.
Steve checked her hand, and gently stroked the slightly red skin. She stuck her tongue out at Clint, as retribution.
"All deference to the man who would be king." Tony pointed to Thor with his beer bottle. "It's rigged."
Clint patted his arm saying "You bet your ass."
"Steve he said a bad language word." Maria complained teasingly to Steve. Dara let out a snort of laughter. Steve had complained a few days ago about it slipping out accidentally during the raid. She had warned him that they will not let it go, and just escalate it for years to come.
"Did you tell everyone about this?" he asked Tony. Who ignored it in favor of proving the hammer magic rule wrong.
"The handle is imprinted right?" Tony asked.
"Dude, we just watched Dara pick it up with her imprint?" Rhodey reminded Tony. "Come up with something else."
"Then it must be combo, his body has to be touching some part of it and a security code." Tony corrected. Steve rolled his eyes, Tony just cant accept it. He got up to get another drink and water for Dara.
"It's a very interesting theory. I have a better one." Thor reached down from where he was standing and picked it up with a flip and catch. "You all are not worthy."
They started complaining and ribbing him. Dara however didn't react to them, her eyes were on the hallway to the elevator that just showed a destroyed Iron legion stumbling silently into the room. She called out for Tony.
"Tony."
But then the robot called out to all of them. "Worthy. No… how can you be worthy? You're all killers."
The others were much more alert now. Steve moved closer to Dara, slightly in front of her. "Stark" said Steve.
"Jarvis." Tony called, but the voice never came. Dara felt her eyes widen and she quickly looked at her phone. It was off, didn't open, and she knows it still had half battery.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or…I was a-dream?" said the robot, his mannerisms very human like.
"Reboot, Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit." Tony said while tapping on his tablet.
"There was a terrible noise…and I was tangled in…in…strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy." the robot said.
Dara felt cold. Good guy, killed, robots, Jarvis not talking. Jarvis gone. She gasped, covering her mouth. Nat looked at Dara, what had she figured out.
"You killed someone?" asked Steve sternly, he was getting ready for a strike in case this robot reacted.
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices." said the robot.
Dara joined the clue of real world to her guess, artificial world is where Jarvis was made. This being came from there, but how, is it an AI?
"Who sent you?" Thor asked while raising his hammer.
"I see a suit of armor around the world." the robot played the words in Tony's voice.
"Ultron" Bruce gasped in recognition.
What, Dara was confused, Ultron was not possible before, Tony had told her it would…no, it's the scepter. It came from the scepter. It's a powerful brain. SHIT! Dara reached for one of the guns in the table next to her, moving closely. She had to be very slow.
"But I'm already on a mission." Ultron finished.
"What mission?" asked Nat. Yet, Dara had already guessed, as this is Tony's creation, he would make it for one purpose only.
"Peace in our time." said Ultron then more legionnaires came at them through the walls. Dara quickly threw the gun at Nat, who snatched it, while Steve had grabbed Dara to take her behind the couch he kicked over.
She stayed down there as he went to fight. Dara rolled away when once of the legionnaires landed in front of her, to get under the piano. From there she got to the bar where Nat had arrived. Bruce was fighting with Hulk's power and reflexes now. Though he was changing at time before reducing again. It was unstable, but he was helping end the fight faster. Dara took out the magazines she knew where Nat hid them under her skirt and shirt.
When it finally end with Steve throwing his shield at one of the last legionnaires comes for Helen.
"Well that was dramatic! I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want to change. How is humanity saved if its not allowed to…" his slitted eyes went to where Dara was at the bar. "evolve?" It picked up a legionnaire husk "With these? These puppets? There's only on path to peace. The Avengers' extinction." And Thor lost his patience by throwing his hammer at the robot.
The voice came from the speakers then. "I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me, no strings on me."
Dara then said what had them all moving around again. "The Scepter." Thor went to look then chase down the robots that got away. Everyone else not hurt was looking for anything in the labs.
At the moment Dara was having the cuts on her feet stitched up by Helen. She was looking at her phone, she has a feeling Jarvis is in danger.
As they were talking about Ultron, Dara looked to Tony and asked "Did he kill Jarvis, Tony?"
They looked from her to Tony. He looked upset as he flicked up the hologram of what had been Jarvis. Dara gasped softly, and got up, leaving the room. She had to check her suit, which she left in her room in the case. She left the others to deal with this problem.
"Dara?" Steve asked when her suit entered the room. She had just heard Tony's last statements about the fight that will come for them and Steve said they would lose together.
She walked towards Tony, then suddenly klonked him on the head.
"DARA!" "Did she just King Kong smack him?" "Why are you hitting me Dara?"
"I apologize, Sir. It was Dara's instructions." Dara now walked over from where she had been standing in shadow. They looked at her.
"You have been acting strange, Tony. Ever since you came back. What happened at that raid, Tony?" she asked him, keeping her distance. He frowned at her not understanding.
"What do you mean, Dara?" asked Steve.
"First clue was him planning a party without Pepper around. Second was that he didn't tell me he was going to use the scepter to bring forth the Ultron plan, which I knew about but was told that it would be decades before we could have the required power source and AI level for it to work." Dara was saying as she circled around to Tony, slowly closing the distance.
"You agreed with the Ultron plan." Nat asked.
"Yes, it was designed with rules that would only work towards protection of Earth from outside attacks and fight internal ones if required. It would be incorruptible, safe, helpful with a solid broad spectrum of moral code which as an AI would adapt with him and learning. Ultron's behavior comes from a skewed sense of seeing the world, it doesn't have those programing, because it attacked Jarvis before it could even be taught any lessons. It dived right into the internet, the worst place for a newborn brain to be. Ultron's unbalanced behavior is from the stone in the wand, and its mannerisms are from observing Tony during the time that Tony had held it. Bruce didn't hold it, and neither did I, Tony held it."
They were understanding where she was going with this now.
"Did you know Tony that when we were ending our singing, your eyes had a flash of red in them." The others steeled themselves at hearing this. "It was a scarlet color wisp going around your eyes before it disappeared. I wasn't the only one to catch it, so did Jarvis, but you didn't listen to him. I thought if this was like when Clint had been hit with the power of the scepter a hit on the head would recalibrate your mind. So tell me Tony, what happened at that raid?"
They waited for him to speak as he kept blinking and shaking his head. "I found the scepter. Then… there was… I saw the leviathan alien hanging there come at me, and suddenly we were on a battle field with them on another planet, a red planet with a sunrise. But I was the only one standing, everyone else had died, and Cap said with his dying breath why I didn't do more to save us. Then… I was back in that cavern."
Gulping Dara sped forwards and hugged him. "You're ok now, Tony. We talked about this, we will find a better way to keeping safe our world." He nodded into her head.
"It was the Maximoff twins, the girl." Maria said.
"When she did magic her hands gave off red, scarlet wisps." Steve stated now, like he had mentioned during the debriefing, but Tony hadn't mentioned anything. Rubbing his face, he should have made sure everyone was fine, not just Clint.
Thor was distressed, not knowing how to go about this.
"She's right, Tony. I found it strange that you wouldn't include in the planning the one person who sides with you on this matter." Bruce told Tony softly.
"I…I felt like it was the most important task. To have peace in our time." Stark muttered.
"You can't blame yourself, Stark." said Clint, he knew what its like to be bambozzeled. "It will only hinder you in making it right. Fix it. We will help you."
"We will. We stand together." Nat told him.
"Together." Steve said.
"Together we are stronger." Thor claimed as he brought his hammer to his hand. Dara squeezed Tony's arm.
"Alright, lets do this, Dara I'm going to need your Jarvis to lock down this place and start up the comps." She agreed right away as they were working as a team again. Hill kept track of Ultron's movements. Everyone else was searching online for files and leads they can follow while Dara took Helen to the airport for her flight.
Just as she came back they had a lead. Strucker had been murdered and they were looking for his known associates, coming straight to a man named Ulysses Klause. Tony had some information about the man.
Looking at the photo, Thor pointed to the next, asking what it is, the scaring.
"It's a brand." Thor stated.
"It means Thief." Dara said, announcing her presence. They looked at her. "It's Wakandian. Language native to Wakanda."
Tony and Steve remember the name of that country and the ore found there, this just got tricky. Their next destination was Africa, to find Klause.
Buller song, shoutout for a crowd anthem.
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