A/N: What would you like to see in this crossover? I'm always open to suggestions!
...
"Do you guys usually have explosions this time of day? Or is it more of a seasonal thing?" Robin asked as he kept pace with the band of heroes, using his grappling hook to swing from building to building with practiced ease.
Down below him, the Avengers drove/ flew to the sight of the attack, each of them subtly glancing up at the boy wonder almost flying through the air.
Tony, ignoring the teen, activated the com link between the adult heroes, "Okay, so while the little twerp is out of range, are we going to talk about how somebody let a child run around and fight bad guys?"
"He's not the only one," Natasha added, her voice layered with disgust, "He was the first sidekick in his world. Now, he's a member of a team of teenage heroes. Apparently, he and his mentor started a trend."
"Child soldier," Steve said as his mind drifted off to his time in the World War. He had seen kids like Robin too many times, only they didn't have the same toys he had...or the same optimism.
Their conversation was cut short as they arrived on the scene and dispersed. The boy wonder had already vanished into the smoke.
Robin felt uneasy as he scouted the area. He was used to fighting at night, where he could easily disappear into the cover of darkness if the situation called for it. And while the smoke was thick enough to hide him for now, he didn't like being in broad daylight. He felt too exposed, but at least he had had more practice since joining the team back on his home world.
Adjusting his mask so he could see, Robin spotted a man—or at least he thought it was a human—standing in the center of the chaos. Garbed in green and gold with a golden helmet and staff, the dude's outfit screamed "magic wielder." He had a feeling this guy and Klarion would get along great together...or get on each other's ever-living nerves.
He hadn't told the Avengers he had hacked into their coms, and he wasn't very appreciative of their doubt and pity. But right now, he had bigger things to worry about.
"Hey guys, I've got eyes on a guy with a horned helmet and a gold fetish. Seen him before?"
"Yeah, his name's Loki," Cap answered, "He was supposed to be in a prison on Asguard, but it looks like he's escaped."
"Loki is a master of illusion and the god of mischief," Thor advised, "Tread with caution, little midguardian."
Robin smirked and fired his grappling hook, a signature cackle echoing through the air. Loki spun around at the disturbing sound. So he's the god of mischief? Let's see how he handles the ultimate troll.
"Before we get started," he spoke into the coms, "From Riddler to Deathstroke how bad is this guy?"
Multiple "what?"s answered him, and Robin sighed. It was easy to forget they had no idea what he was talking about.
"He killed over eighty people in two days," Black Widow answered him.
"So has the Joker and a few other wack jobs. That really doesn't narrow it down for me," he replied and turned his com off. It was clear the "Avengers" would only be so much help.
Without another word, he slipped three bat-a-rangs from his belt and threw them in quick succession, catching Loki by surprise as they pinged off his helmet and armor. He didn't give the enchanter any warning as he jumped from his perch above, bo staff extended, and by the time the Avengers found him, he was locked in a tight battle with the magician.
"Do the Avengers care so little that they send a child to do their work?" Loki mocked. Robin smirked, their staffs matching blow for blow.
"Nah, I'm just here for the workout."
"Who are you, boy?" the asguardian demanded, narrowly dodging a swipe of the boy's staff. There was a touch of something that surrounded the small teen before him that he had never seen in a mortal before.
"Nobody special," Robin replied cheekily, "I'm more of a tourist, if that helps. Is it true what the stories say about the horse thing?"
Loki's gaze darkened, "No. Rumors and lies spread by those who oppose me."
"Loki!" Thor yelled and flew straight into him hammer first. Robin backed up just in time not to be dragged along with them. The two half-brothers fought fiercely while the remaining heroes took on the army of illusions that had appeared. Robin was surprised. They all looked almost exactly like Loki himself except they sort of glowed with each movement they made. The illusions were also easier to defeat than the original.
After taking down the last of mirages, the adult heroes converged on Loki, who was still in a duel with Thor, but it was clear the magician had an advantage. Somewhere along the line, Thor had been separated from his hammer and was forced to fight hand-to-hand till he could find an opening to summon it. Loki, knowing this, had only increased his efforts with his staff.
Wait, if "increase" means to add something and "decrease" means to subtract something, does that mean "crease" equals it staying the same? Robin thought offhandedly. He needed to find a way to use that in a sentence, but he'd have to wait until the battle was over.
Arrows and bullets pinged harmlessly off of Loki's armor, and Robin had a feeling his batarangs would have the same effect. He couldn't use the explosive ones either because Thor was in the way, and he wasn't sure if the Asguardian had the same durability as Superman. He probably did, but he wasn't willing to take that chance yet.
That's when his masked baby blues landed on the hammer that had been left on the sidewalk.
1 Asguardian-weapon-wielding-bat 1 unsuspecting-Asguardian-villain = 1 totally-asterous-takedown.
Before anyone even knew he was moving, Robin sprinted to the stubby hammer and gripped it. He pulled on the handle...and nearly fell backward from how light it felt in his grasp. He stiffened when he heard the voice of someone very old whisper in his mind,
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
The boy wonder shook his head to dispel the strange voices and feelings coursing through him and focused on the job at hand. The whites of his mask narrowed into slits and his arms lifted the mystical weapon instinctively. Only vaguely aware of what was going on, Robin aimed the flat top of the hammer towards Loki...
That's when things went weird. Robin felt a hot, white light crash into him, lighting every portion of his body with a surge of boundless energy and power, before it channeled into his arms and finally into the hammer. Robin gasped as he witnessed lightning charge out of the small weapon and straight into Loki, knocking the man on to the ground with a strangled cry of shock.
So that's what the boy can do.
The Avengers wasted no time in securing the escaped king of mischief and turned to gape at the one who had ended the fight, surprised to find a panting Robin with his arms hanging down in front of him...with Mjolnir in his grip.
Robin's eyes drooped, shading the top half of his mask in black, as the sudden burst of power left him, taking all of his energy and then some. The hammer fell from his limp hands and landed on the concrete loudly, and the boy wonder slumped to his knees. He didn't want to touch that thing ever again.
"How?" Tony asked incredulously, watching with wide eyes as the scrawny kid supported himself on his hands and knees after using a weapon none of them besides Thor were able to lift an inch off the ground!!
"That...was so not whelming," Robin breathed, struggling to keep his eyes open. He felt as though he could pass out at any moment, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet.
"Robin," Thor boomed and knelt down to match the boy's eye level, "do you know what you have done?"
"Something good, I hope," he replied breathlessly, "What on earth was that?"
Thor grinned. How could the boy be so ignorant of what he had just accomplished? Odin and the people of Asgard would be very interested with this news.
"You were found worthy to wield Mjolnir and are, by right, worthy of the throne of Asgard."
"What?! But I—what?!" Robin choked, mask almost entirely white to signal how wide his eyes were. Thor chuckled and slung one of the boy's arm around his neck and picked up his hammer with his free hand.
"Wait a speedster-second!" Robin exclaimed as he was helped into a standing position, "All I did was pick up a hammer! How does that make me worthy of a throne?!"
"It is because you were able to lift my hammer that proves you are worthy. No mortal before you has been worthy enough to do so. But do not fear, little Robin, you will not be required to take the crown unless something should happen to me," he explained.
"Please, don't die on me then," the boy joked with a crooked smile that was easily returned.
"I do not plan on it. Now, come. Let us return to the tower. Wielding the powers of Asgard can take its toll on even the strongest of us."
"No kidding," Robin chuckled as he tried to regain strength enough to walk on his own, but his legs weren't willing to cooperate just yet.
"Fury is going to want to hear about this," Nat spoke up.
"Yay," Tony added with a sarcastic eye roll.
"You do know that means he's going to be seen as an even bigger threat than before," Steve replied, "Fury will want to lock him up and keep under observation."
"I'm right here, you know!" Robin piped up, not liking the fact they were ignoring him. He had finally managed to build up enough strength to remain upright and regain his composure.
"Not if he doesn't know," Tony hinted, "If we keep this on the down-low, Mr. McEyepatch won't cage the bird."
The other Avengers seemed to agree with this idea, and Robin admitted he would prefer to keep this little revelation hush hush for time being as well.
"I must return Loki to Asgard," Thor stated and retrieved his brother, "My father will wish to hear of what has happened today."
"So, it's settled then. Goldilocks takes Reindeer Games back to his planet, and we hide Wonder Boy's 'worthiness' from the most paranoid guy in existence. Great."
Robin was really starting to get irritated with Tony's arrogance. Not even Bruce in his playboy persona acted like that. And Fury's paranoia had nothing on Batman's, so he really wasn't that worried.
He couldn't wait to tell Wally he accidentally became Asguardian royalty.