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Phantomshadow99
XXXXXX
I smiled as I lent against the bar, listening to Rhodey's story. "Well, you know, the suit can take the weight, right? So, I take the tank, fly it right up to the General's palace, drop it at his feet, I'm like, 'Boom! You looking for this'?" he says smiling, as I glance at Thor and Tony who stand there. "'Boom! Are you looking…' Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else that story kills," Rhodey says, shaking his head.
"That's the whole story?" Thor asks, confused.
"Yeah, it's a War Machine story," Rhodes answers.
"Well, it's very good then. It's impressive," Thor says, laughing.
"Quality save. So, no Pepper? She's not coming?" Rhodey asks, changing the subject quickly.
"No," Tony answers.
"Hey, what about Jane? Where are the ladies, gentlemen?" Maria asks.
"Well, Miss Potts has a company to run," Tony points out.
"Yes, I'm not even sure what country Jane's in. Her work on the convergence has made her the world's foremost astronomer," Thor tells them.
"And the company that Pepper runs is the largest tech conglomerate on earth. It's pretty exciting," Tony adds.
"There's even talk of Jane getting a... um, uh... Nobel prize," Thor says, and I share a glance with Maria and Rhodey.
"Yeah, they...they must be busy because they'd hate missing you guys get together," Maria says, imitating a cough. "Testosterone! Oh, excuse me."
"Want a lozenge?" Rhodes asks, and Maria makes a murmur of yes. "Let's go," he says, leading her away from us.
"But Jane's better," Thor says, and I roll my eyes.
"Alright tough guy let's go see what Steve is up to," I say, leading him away. We greet Steve, and Thor takes out a flask from his pocket and puts some in mine, Steve's and his own drinks.
"I gotta have some of that!" a war veteran says.
"Oh, no, no, no. See this, this was aged for a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Brunhilde's fleet, it's not meant for mortal men," Thor explains.
"Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie. Stop trying to scare us. Come on," another veteran says, holding his glass out to him.
"Alright," Thor says, pouring some of the alcohol in the veterans drinks.
"This can only end badly," I mutter, watching as they all take a sip and immediately become intoxicated, to the point where they have to be carried out. I walk around the room with Steve, the two of his looking out to the partygoers.
"Not your scene either, huh?" Steve asks, and I smile faintly.
"It was once. But now, not so much," I tell him.
"Since Loki?" Steve asks, and I pause, turning to look out at the city. "I know what it's like to have a dream, and then it be taken away from you," Steve tells me, laying a hand on my shoulder.
"Dreams are not made to last. Reality has to kick in some day," I tell him, glancing down at my wedding ring. "I just feel…guilty, for being happy without him."
"I don't think you should feel guilty. If you spend time worrying about what you don't have, you won't appreciate what you do have," Steve says, and I smile up at him.
"You know, you should be a couples counsellor," I say, and he laughs.
"Yeah, maybe not," he says, smiling. "Tell me more about this husband of yours."
XXXXXX
We all sit, laughing and talking later that night after the party ended, sharing drinks.
"But, it's a trick!" Clint shouts, twirling drum sticks between his fingers.
"Oh, no. It's much more than that," I told him as I sat next to Thor, smiling as Clint scoffs.
"Uh, "Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!" Whatever man! It's a trick," Clint repeats.
"Well please, be my guest," Thor says, and the group go silent.
"Come on," Tony says.
"Really?" Clint asks, looking excited.
"Yeah!" Thor says, and Clint stands, walking around the table to Mjolnir.
"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful," Rhodey mutters.
"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony says, and we laugh.
"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint says, smirking as he grabs the hammer and pulls, but it doesn't budge. "I still don't know how you do it," Clint says, laughing.
"Smell the silent judgment?" Tony asks, and Clint points to the hammer.
"Please, Stark, by all means," Clint says, and we all laugh and tease him as Tony gets up, unbuttoning his jacket and taking Clint's place in front of Mjolnir.
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," Tony says.
"Don't hurt yourself, Tony," I warn, smiling as he grasps the handle.
"Right, so, if I lift it, I...I then rule Asgard?" Tony asks.
"Yes, of course," Thor answers, confident in no one being able to lift it.
"I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta," Tony says, before pulling and failing to lift the hammer. "I'll be right back," Tony says, hurrying out and returning a moment later with his Iron Man hand, and tries again. Rhodey gets in on it to help, and comes back with his War Machine hand, the two trying to lift it.
"Are you even pulling?" Rhodes asks, out of breath from trying to lift it.
"Are you on my team?" Tony asks in answer.
"Just represent! Pull!" Tony instructs.
"Alright, let's go!" Tony says, both pulling as much as they. Bruce then takes up the challenge, roaring and pretending to try and change into the Hulk when he fails, everyone watching him in silence as he smiles before sitting back down.
"Let's go, Steve, no pressure," Tony says, as Steve stands and grips the hammer.
"Come on, Cap," Rhodes encourages. I watch as Steve starts pulling the hammer, and it budges slightly. Thor's face falls slightly in alarm, but Steve also fails to lift it.
"Nothing," Thor says, laughing with relief.
"And?" Tony asks.
"Widow?" Bruce asks.
"Oh, no no. That's not a question I need answered," Nat says, lounging on the chair and sipping her beer.
"Alvilda?" Steve asks, and I laugh as Thor stops me from attempting it.
"I managed it once, but only for a second," I tell them, and the others laugh and shake their head.
"All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged," Tony states.
"You bet your ass," Clint agrees.
"Steve, he said a bad language word," Maria points out.
"Did you tell everyone about that?" Steve asks Tony, who just shrugs in reply.
"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. "Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints" is, I think, the literal translation?" Tony asks, the others laughing as Thor stands.
"Yes, well that's, uh, that's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one," he says, lifting the hammer up with ease. "You're all not worthy," he tells them, and everyone disagrees while laughing. A high pitch, loud screeching noise fills the room, causing us all to cover our ears. I stand as it fades, looking to the door.
"Guys," I say, pointing out the broken Iron Legion walking towards them.
"Worthy... No... How could you be worthy? You're all killers," the suit says, limping towards them.
"Stark," Steve says, the others standing up.
"JARVIS," Tony says, looking to his phone.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or...I was a-dream?" the suit mutters.
"Reboot, Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit," Tony mutters, as the suit continues speaking.
"There was a terrible noise...and I was tangled in... in...strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy," it says, and I share a look with Thor.
"You killed someone?" Steve asks.
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices," the suit says.
"Who sent you?" Thor asks, moving in front of Dr Cho.
"'I see a suit of armor around the world'," the suit replays Tony's voice.
"Ultron," Bruce says, and I frown in confusion.
"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission," Ultron tells us.
"What mission?" Natasha asks it, and I take the dagger from the strap on my thigh.
"Peace in our time," Ultron says, and other Iron Legion suits smash through the wall, firing at everyone. I dodge the bullets, jumping on the back of one and slicing it's helmet off with the dagger, dropping to the ground and rolling under a table to avoid another firing at me.
"Stark!" Steve shouts. I look up to see Tony on the back of one trying to shut it down.
"We are here to help," the iron legion say.
"One sec, one sec!" Tony answers. I huff, stopping one from attacking Dr Cho by slicing its arm off and kicking it away. Tony managed to shut down the iron legion, just as Cap dismembers the last one.
"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 it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to...evolve?" Ultron says, picking up the helmet of one of the ones I had sliced off. "With these? These puppets? There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction," Ultron says, and Thor throws his hammer at the robot. We watch as Ultron begins to sing before he turns off. "I had strings, but now I'm free."