Chapter 28: Pizza Party

Pizza, as it turned out, tended to get noticed. It started with the delivery, which alerted Stark, who of course decided it was the perfect time for a break from his lab and waltzed into the apartment with Bruce in tow, carrying four large boxes between them. That quantity of pizza was enough for two supersoldiers, but not enough for two supersoldiers and two scientists, and certainly not enough for Nat and Clint, who somehow also became aware that pizza was on the floor and arrived a few minutes later.

Steve ordered enough for him and Bucky to be able to fill up during lunch and have leftovers to munch on while they finished the room. That plan went out the window with the arrival of the Avengers, but now he knew the quickest way of assembling the Avengers on short notice. Mental note filed away for future use. At least Thor and his Asgardian-sized appetite wasn't there.

"Okay, so, first of all," Tony said, grabbing a case of beer from the fridge and setting it on the counter next to the stack of boxes. "If anyone orders pizza, I have to be informed. It's a rule of the Tower." He popped open a bottle and took a swig, then grabbed a slice of meatlover's from the top box. "Second, if there's any pineapple on any of these, fess up now and take your Frankenstein creation away from me."

"Ah, a feast!"

Steve was just about to bite into a slice when the Asgardian arrived. Well, hell, it seemed pizza really was a secret weapon for summoning Avengers, even ones as elusive as Thor.

"Oh, now he shows up." Tony rolled his eyes. "You know we were kidnapped. Would've been nice to have you around. Can I interest you in a cell phone?"

Thor scanned the group, pausing over Bucky, then dropped his hammer near the wall and grabbed a beer and slice of pizza. "It seems we both have news to exchange. Proceed."

Tony cocked an eyebrow and Steve suppressed a smile. It seemed that without the threat of alien destruction, Tony and Thor were back to jockeying for position.

"Well, your royal Dudeness," Tony replied, "turns out the big baddies that Cap here thought he wiped out in 1945 are still around and as mean as ever. They weren't too happy about our raid of the Siberian bunker and re-possession of one old-timey Howlie turned cyborg and paid a visit. Barnes, Banner, and some new guy who put my tech to good use saved the day. Oh, and SHIELD is compromised by Hydra. Help yourself to pizza."

Thor finished chewing and swallowed hastily. "SHIELD is not trustworthy? That would explain my news. I have failed in my quest for Loki, the Tesseract, and the Scepter."

"No shit. Hydra has the Scepter," Tony said.

"Retrieving it and the Tesseract must be our top priority."

Steve took a sip of his beer and another bite of pizza and glanced at Bucky. The last group meal didn't go so well. Now, he was sitting quietly in the armchair, his gaze on Thor . It wasn't easy to read him or tell how much he followed the conversation. He'd been frozen during the alien attack, so he couldn't know about Loki or the Scepter.

But the Tesseract could take Loki anywhere. Locating either one would be virtually impossible. Finding the Scepter seemed much more doable. That had to still be on Earth, and in human hands—Hydra's.

That would have to wait, at least until they had a lead. For now, his focus was on keeping Bucky safe and doing whatever was needed to help him regain memories Hydra had stolen.

When they were painting, Bucky was talkative at first, then clammed up as though something were bothering him. He hadn't made a move toward the food, and if he didn't get something soon, there'd be nothing left. Two of the boxes were already discarded on another counter.

Steve grabbed a plate from the cupboard, piled three slices of pepperoni on it, and headed over with a cold beer. "Here, Buck," he set the items on the coffee table. "You snooze, you lose around here."

Thor approached, a slice in one hand and a beer in the other, and nodded at Bucky. "It is good to see you again, James Buchanan Barnes. I regret that the prior circumstances did not allow for a proper introduction. I am Thor Odinson of Asgard."

Bucky grimaced and surged to his feet. His gaze hopped from Thor to the discarded hammer and back again. The hum of conversation amongst the other Avengers quieted, giving air to the sudden tension.

Steve took a step between them when Thor unexpectedly set his beer and pizza on the table and sank onto the loveseat, looking about as non-threatening as any six-foot-six "god" could appear. Bucky's posture relaxed immediately, but there was still a wariness in his eyes.

"Bucky, you remember Thor from before?" That might be part of the problem since the last encounter involved Bucky getting acquainted with Mjölnir in a bad way. "You can trust him. He's not with Hydra. In fact, he's not from Earth. He's from a planet named Asgard."

Bucky raised his eyebrows, which Steve thought was a pretty nonchalant reaction to finding out someone was from another planet.

"I remember." Bucky's eyes drifted to the hammer.

"That is Mjölnir. Only I am able to wield it." Thor raised his hand, and the hammer sailed into his grip. He set it on the floor between them. "That is why you were unable to affect it during our earlier altercation. I did not mean to injure or frighten you, only to ensure the safety of everyone."

Bucky seemed riveted by the hammer, his eyes going to the inscription on the side.

"You are welcome to try," Thor said, with an inviting sweep of his hand.

Bucky approached the hammer tentatively, his gaze sweeping the expectant, curious faces in the room before settling back on Thor. "What does it weigh?"

Thor looked almost smug when he replied, "It weighs an infinite amount or almost nothing at all, depending on who tries to wield it."

Steve smiled at the confusion on Bucky's face. "Give it a try, but don't be too disappointed when you can't move it."

Bucky wrapped his right hand around the hammer and pulled. His expression went from confusion to disbelief, then frustration as the hammer refused to budge, so he added his left arm to the effort. The metal plates of the arm shifted, and the internal gears gave unhappy groans, but the hammer remained steadfast.

A frustrated grumble erupted from Bucky's throat, and he released the hammer. "Is this a trick?"

"It is no trick," Thor replied. "The hammer has been enchanted by my father's incantation. Only those deemed worthy of ruling Asgard may wield it." He looked around the room. "Would anyone else care to test their worthiness?"

"Oh, no, I already know the answer to that question," Natasha said, taking another bite of her pizza.

"I'm with you Barnes. It's a trick," Clint said, taking another sip of his beer, then lowering his voice mockingly. "'Whosoever holds this, if they be worthy, shall have the power!' Come on, man. It's some kind of Asgardian trick."

"Be my guest," Thor prodded.

"You've had a tough week getting shot and all," Tony said, "we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up."

Rising to the bait, Clint threw Stark a look of mock indignation. "Okay, I'll give it a try." Clint put down his beer and approached, wrapping both hands around the hammer to no avail.

"No judgment," Tony teased.

"By all means, have at it," Clint retorted.

"Sure thing. I'm never one to shy away from an honest challenge." Tony slipped his hand through the wrist loop and grabbed the handle. "So, if I do this, I rule Asgard?"

Thor took a sip of his beer and smiled. "Absolutely."

"I'll have you know, I will be reinstituting prima nocta," Tony said as he pulled.

"Rape joke. Classy," Natasha said.

"No such barbaric rule was ever implemented on Asgard," Thor said.

"Fine, I recant," Tony gritted his teeth and tried with both hands, then gave up. "I'll be back."

He returned a moment later with metal gloves on his hands and tried again, using the repulsors to gain more power. "Ugh, this thing is really solid, I gotta hand it to you. What's it? Biosensor? Works on your fingerprints, DNA, or something?"

Thor merely grinned and looked at Banner next. Steve was enjoying the competition. The Avengers needed to let off steam after the hellishness of the past few weeks. Even Bucky seemed to be amused by the show, standing back with a shadow of a smile on his lips.

"Okay, I'll give it a try." Banner pulled on the handle, grunted, then groaned and gave a mock roar that had Natasha and Tony laughing before he gave up. "I better quit before the Big Guy decides he wants a go. Captain?" Banner eyed him as he passed.

Steve grinned, threw a look at Bucky, and rolled up his sleeves. He placed both hands around the handle, gripped it tight, and pulled. The second he felt it budge, he froze. Thor noticed, leaning forward, a concerned look on his face.

Steve wasn't sure whether the hammer moved or he used so much force that the floor it was attached to shifted, but by the look on Thor's face, that wasn't supposed to happen. Steve decided, in the interest of interplanetary relations, not to find out. He put on a good show of trying to move Mjölnir without using any real strength, until Thor sighed and leaned back with a relieved smile.

"Oh well, I don't think the Asgardians would take kindly to being ruled by someone from Earth, anyway," Steve said as he grabbed his beer.

Bucky sank into the armchair, a genuine smile on his face, and grabbed the untouched beer and pizza from the table. When he looked over, Steve could swear there was a knowing glint in his eyes that was probably related to the hammer. Seeing Bucky finally begin to settle into himself with the Avengers filled him with immeasurable warmth. It felt familiar, like kicking back with the Howlies and enjoying the camaraderie after a grueling mission, only instead of war-torn bars in Europe, they were in a high-end skyrise in Manhattan with climate control and comfy chairs.

Maybe Bucky would even start calling him Steve again. He never realized how much he missed hearing his name in that voice until the other night.

"Yellow, huh?" Tony said, head poking into Bucky's room. "Not the color I would've guessed you'd like. I pictured you more of a crimson kinda guy."

Steve bit his tongue. Maybe Tony hadn't moved on as well as he pretended if he still felt the need to get in barbs.

Clint took a look. "I like it. Certainly brightens up the place. You guys need some help?"

"Well, look at the time, work to be done in the lab," Tony said. "Thanks for the pizza and beer, Cap." With a wave, he scurried out.

"I better get back to work, too. Lots of, uh, chemical formulas and sciency stuff to work through from the Siberia files," Bruce stammered as he, too, left.

"You know that'd go a lot faster with rollers?" Clint leaned against the door jam and crossed his arms.

"Uh, yeah," Steve was embarrassed he didn't think about that when he made the shopping list, but in all fairness, paint rollers hadn't even been invented until the war, when brushes were in short supply, and he'd never laid eyes on one. "Well, it's not like we have anywhere to be, and it's only one wall."

"Well, you gentlemen have fun," Natasha said with a smile, then sauntered out of the room with her usual swagger.

Thor seemed inclined to stay for a while, with his feet up on the table, the TV remote in one hand, and a beer in the other.

"I appreciate the offer," Steve continued, "but as you see, we're halfway done. Shouldn't take us long to finish."

"Well, have a blast." Clint unfolded himself and glided toward Bucky with only the slightest limp discernible in his otherwise cat-like gait.

Bucky's earlier ease vanished, and he was instantly on his feet, looking suddenly disconcerted at being the focus of Barton's attention. Every furtive glance, tensing of limbs, or shifting of metal plates was a sign of the invisible wounds Hydra inflicted on Bucky, and each reminder twisted something inside Steve. How long would it take Bucky to feel safe stepping out of the shadows?

"Things happened so fast, I never got the chance to formally do this." Clint extended his hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Sergeant Barnes. I hope you'll decide to join the team. We sure as hell could use you."

Bucky stared at the outstretched hand as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but when he finally clasped Barton's hand and gave it a shake, Steve released a quiet breath.

"Thanks for the rescue, too," Clint added, before taking a step back and giving them a curt nod. He turned and gave Steve a quick wink that felt as warm and reassuring as an embrace, and then left.