AN: This has been an idea that's been in my head for some time now. I was a fan of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes since it came out. It had some of my favorite depictions of Marvel's heroes and villains, such as Hulk, Thor, Ultron and especially Carol Danvers. It had the potential to become Marvel's version of the DCAU, if only the executives given the show another chance and not been so obsessed over making it a cookie-cutter version of the MCU.
This story is based on one of the show's tie-in comics where Thor and Ms Marvel decide to settle who's the strongest, but instead of resolving it while fighting a Skrull doomsday weapon, I decided to make it more exciting by turning it into a sparring match. While writing fight scenes aren't exactly my forte, I felt like I've given this my all.
Ms. Marvel grunted as she laid on her back, pushing against the high-tech weight machine with all her strength. Sweat trickled down her brow, her muscles contracting every time she raised and lowered the weights at a slow but steady pace.
"…And one hundred." Iron Man's voice spoke through the comm. Ms. Marvel felt the incredible amount of weight being lifted off of her, signaling for her to finally release her grip.
As she sat up, she noticed Iron Man, Wasp, and Hawkeye approach her. Her friend, in particular, had an awestruck expression on her face.
"Not bad." Iron Man mused as he examined the datapad he'd been holding. "You've managed to beat your previous record of 75 reps."
"That's great to hear." Ms. Marvel gave a satisfied smirk as she took the towel from a nearby rack, using it to wipe the sweat off her face. "I have to admit, I didn't think I'd be able to pull it off."
"Are you kidding?" Wasp exclaimed in disbelief. "That machine weighed hundreds of tonnes!"
"Actually, it was set at only one hundred tonnes." JARVIS corrected over the comm.
"Thank you, JARVIS." Wasp huffed. "What I'm saying, Carol, is that the only ones who've managed to do what you did are Hulk and Thor."
Hawkeye let out an indignant snort. "The Major here is pretty strong, that's for sure. But as strong as Hulk or Thor? Not by a long shot."
"Puh-leeze. You're just sore over the whole Skrull incident." Wasp shot back, jabbing a finger at Hawkeye's chest. "You've seen Carol in action! You have to admit that she's at least on Thor's level."
"I'll bet 10 bucks that you're wrong." Hawkeye retorted with a smirk.
"Deal," Wasp replied with a grin of her own. "But don't come crying to me when you lose."
Ms. Marvel decided that it was time to step in before things get out of hand. "Come on, guys, It's not a contest. Besides, we've already made it clear that apart from the Hulk, I'm the easily the strongest Avenger on the team, and I'm sure Thor will agree."
"A fine boast, Lady Danvers, but one open to disproof." A deep voice chimed in.
Everyone turned to see Thor enter the training room with an intrigued grin on his face.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ms. Marvel asked as she folded her arms,.
"You are strong," Thor remarked, "but as Hawkeye said, you still have a long way to go before you can match me in battle."
"Oh, really? Because I'm all too happy to prove you wrong." Ms. Marvel shot back as she palmed her fist.
"Ooh. Is that a challenge I hear?" Wasp chirped, a gleeful smirk on her face.
Iron Man shook his head, already feeling a sense of dread at what's about to come down. "Come on, Jan. Don't make things worse."
Unfortunately for the Armoured Avenger, his pleas fell on deaf ears as Hawkeye approached Thor and Ms. Marvel, who were still in a deadlock.
"Jan's right," the archer remarked. "Why don't you two settle this here, mano a mano?"
"Not helping, Hawkeye…" Iron Man groaned as he facepalmed.
"An interesting proposal." Thor rubbed his chin in thought before nodding affirmatively. "Very well. I accept." He then shot Ms. Marvel a cocky smirk. "That is, of course, if Lady Danvers is up to the challenge."
"Fine by me, Thunder Lord." Ms. Marvel shot back, sounding just as eager.
Finding himself at the centre of it all, Iron Man could only under his breath. "Just what have I gotten myself into?"
~.~
Leaving the challengers alone to prepare for their upcoming sparring session, Wasp, Hawkeye and Iron Man headed to the safety of the surveillance room.
"You could all just settle this with arm wrestling, you know." Iron Man grumbled as he tinkered with the control panel.
"And miss all the fun?" Wasp replied. "Not on your life."
"Easy for you to say, Jan. You're not the one who's paying for the repairs whenever this room gets trashed."
"Well, I'm not the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist who owns a mansion with state-of-the-art self-repairing systems."
"Touché." Iron Man dryly remarked as he swiped the holographic screen to reveal Thor and Ms. Marvel's respective stats. "This is the data I've compiled from their training sessions thus far."
Looking at the results, the three of them noticed that Thor outclassed Ms. Marvel in terms of physical strength and endurance, not to mention possessing centuries of fighting experience. But Ms. Marvel's energy projection and flight speed were higher than the God of Thunder's, which might give the air force major the edge as long as she kept her distance.
Suffice to say, the outcome of the match may not be so clear-cut.
~.~
Meanwhile, back in the training room, both challengers were making their final preparations before the match began. As they began to square off against each other, Ms. Marvel noticed from the corner of her eye that Thor was not holding Mjolnir in his hand. Instead, the hammer rested on the floor a few feet away from him.
"Decided not to use your hammer, Thor?" She inquired.
The God of Thunder gave a low chuckle as he rolled his shoulder. "While Mjolnir is indeed my weapon, I have learned not to be completely reliant on it. The hammer is merely a tool to wield in battle, not a crutch for me to lean on."
"I see." Ms. Marvel mused, flexing her arms as well. Already she was devising ways to readjust her strategy, watching as Thor adopted a fighting stance different from when he wielded that hammer. Her past observations of the God of Thunder's fighting style won't be of any use while he knew of hers, which put her at a disadvantage. Her best course of action would be to roll with the punches, to try and use her speed advantage to keep her distance until she could get a grasp of Thor's new fighting style.
Both fighters stared down each other, neither of them willing to make the first move.
After a few tense seconds, however, they rushed forward in an incredible burst of speed. Their fists collided, creating a shockwave that caused the entire training room to shudder.
Ms. Marvel gritted her teeth as she tried exerting more force into her fist, already feeling a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead. Her opponent, on the other hand, had calm yet focused expression. It was clear that Thor wasn't putting in as much effort as she was in this test of strength.
"Is that all you got?" Ms. Marvel asked cockily, trying her best to ignore the burning sensation in her muscles.
A grin appeared on the Thunder God's lips. "Believe me, I am just getting started."
He pulled back his free hand for a left hook. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to counter it without any momentum, Ms. Marvel immediately leapt out of the way a split second before Thor's attack could connect. Taking care to put some distance between them, she fired a photon blast at Thor. The Thunder God did not attempt to dodge the incoming energy attack, and was soon engulfed in an explosion of smoke and dust.
But that attack was merely a diversion for Ms. Marvel to get up close and personal. Before the dust could even clear, she had lunged forward at maximum speed. With both fists out, she drove straight into Thor's chest with such force that it knocked him off his feet and into the wall. Ms. Marvel did not relent in her assault, however, and followed up with a flurry of blows to Thor's face. Her best bet was to capitalise on her superior speed to overwhelm her physically superior opponent.
But as Ms. Marvel readied another right hook, one of Thor's massive hands reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. Thor was looking at her with an amused grin, a small trickle of blood running down his lips.
"Oh, crap…" That was all Ms. Marvel could say just before she was sent crashing to the ground. Before she could regain her bearings, she felt herself being hoisted back up before being slammed back down a second time, eliciting a wince from Wasp.
"Already regretting making this bet, Jan?" Hawkeye asked cockily.
"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched." She shot back. "This fight's only getting started."
Indeed, for Ms. Marvel wasn't out of the game just yet. Using her legs, she launched her body into performing a somersault kick right into Thor's face. Having not anticipated such an attack, the God of Thunder staggered backwards and his grip on Ms. Marvel's wrist loosened.
Taking advantage of that small window of opportunity, Ms. Marvel broke free from Thor's grip and quickly put some distance between her and her opponent once again. This time, she gathered as much photon energy as she could in the palms of both hands, before unleashing all of it in a golden beam of light.
Thor's eyes widened in shock as the photon wave barrelled towards him. Realising that he won't be able to dodge it in time, he instead raised both of his hands to catch the incoming attack. He gritted his teeth, feeling his body gradually being pushed back by the beam. If this kept up, he would soon have his back against the wall and the energy wave could overwhelm him.
So he took in a deep breath and concentrated. A current of electricity surged from Thor's body before gathering around his fingertips. With a mighty bellow, the God of Thunder proceeded to dissipate Ms. Marvel's attack into nothingness.
With the attack safely dispelled, Thor slowly lowered his hands. Lightning continued to crackle around his body, while his eyes glowed a vibrant blue.
The three spectators above watched with awestruck expressions.
"Well, that's new…" Hawkeye could only mutter.
But their shock paled in comparison to Ms. Marvel's. The heroine's confidence had taken a massive hit upon seeing her strongest attack being dispersed like it was nothing. She quickly glanced at where Thor left Mjolnir and, to her surprise, saw that the hammer never budged an inch and not a spark in sight.
"How –" She asked in disbelief.
"I am the God of Thunder, not the God of Hammers. The storms themselves course through my veins." Thor replied sagely. "Mjolnir is not the source of my powers, but a conduit to channel them."
"Good to know…" Ms. Marvel muttered. With Thor being able to manipulate lightning even without that hammer of his, her odds of winning seemed even more unlikely. At the same time, she felt a twinge of excitement at the prospect of fighting such a powerful opponent.
Quickly assuming her fighting stance, she summoned an aura of golden light and rushed at him. Thor did not move from his position, but simply crossed both arms to block the incoming blow. While the attack failed to make the God of Thunder budge, the sheer force of the attack was enough to create a crater beneath his feet.
Both fighters were soon engaged in an all-out brawl. Thor still held the advantage in this vicious exchange of blows, but Carol managed to give as good as she got, slipping in a few decent hits on Thor's chest and face.
Ms. Marvel zipped to the side to avoid a powerful jab from Thor before swiftly retaliating with a knee to his chin. She then seized the opportunity to follow it up with an elbow into his left cheek. As Thor recoiled back a few feet, he saw Ms. Marvel lunge straight at him with a spinning hook kick.
Too predictable, Thor thought as he effortlessly ducked the attack. He proceeded to retaliate with a full-powered punch but, to his shock, Ms. Marvel avoided his attack by performing a frontward somersault into the air.
Landing behind Thor, Ms. Marvel readied a pulverising strike to his back while the God of Thunder was still caught off guard by her feint.
But she had underestimated Thor's own reflexes, honed by centuries of battle. Before her attack could connect, Thor drove a back kick straight into her gut. For Ms. Marvel, time seemed to freeze still in that moment. An excruciating pain coursed through her entire body, just before her body was sent careening to the other side of the training room.
"Oof… That's gotta hurt." Wasp winced as she watched Ms. Marvel's body crash into the wall.
"I guess that's that." Hawkeye said with finality, though as much as he hated to admit it, he had to give it to Ms. Marvel for holding out as long as she did.
Ms. Marvel staggered back to her feet, only for her legs to quickly give way and she proceeded to fall onto her knees, her golden aura fading away.
Speaking of Thor, she saw the God of Thunder approach her, his aura of lightning still crackling vibrantly as ever.
"You have fought valiantly, Lady Danvers." He remarked, smiling proudly as he wiped a bit of dried blood off his lips. "But I believe this is the part where you yield."
But to his surprise, Ms. Marvel gave a low chuckle as she forced herself back up. "Sorry, goldilocks… But you should know by now that the word 'yield' isn't in my vocabulary book."
With a shocking burst of speed even in her current condition, Ms. Marvel grabbed both of Thor's wrists. He tried his best to break himself free from her vice-like grip, but she continued to hold on through sheer determination. Thor noticed that his aura of lightning was beginning to dissipate, whereas Ms. Marvel's own had suddenly flared back to life. No… It was actually glowing bigger and brighter than ever before!
The three spectators, meanwhile, shielded their eyes lest they be blinded by the brilliant light emanating from Ms. Marvel's body.
"Woah! What's happening?" Wasp asked.
"This is crazy! Ms. Marvel's energy output is off the charts! She must've absorbed Thor's own energy when she grabbed onto him!" Iron Man exclaimed as he examined the readings through his armour's UI.
Still holding on to Thor, Ms. Marvel arched her head back before slamming it into Thor's skull, knocking off his helmet in the process. She then drove a powerful knee into Thor's gut, causing him to double over in pain.
But she wasn't done just yet. With all her strength, she flung Thor into the air. The God of Thunder quickly regained his bearings and halted his ascent before he could crash into the ceiling, just in time to see Ms. Marvel flying straight towards him.
He fired a stream of lightning from his fingertips, only for Ms. Marvel to nimbly dodge every single bolt while still maintaining her incredible speed. She proceeded to deliver a powerful uppercut, striking Thor in the chin like a freight train. She followed up with a double axe handle to his back, sending him crashing to the ground.
As Thor quickly scrambled back to his feet, he unconsciously reached out his hand for Mjolnir. However, he quickly stopped himself. He made a promise to not use the hammer in battle, even if it would give him the edge. To go back on his promise would be far more shameful than defeat.
So instead, he grabbed the floor and with his incredible strength, ripped off a massive chunk twice his size before hurling it straight at Ms. Marvel. A photon blast easily blew the makeshift projectile into bits, but it was merely a distraction for Thor to get in close, an ironic echo of the tactic his opponent employed at the start of their fight.
As he got closer, Thor readied a punch aimed at her jaw. But to his surprise, Ms. Marvel titled her head to the right, dodging his attack. She then countered with a blow to his gut, knocking the wind out of him.
But Thor quickly recovered and seized the opportunity to grab her by the arm still embedded in his torso. With a furious battle cry, he spun Ms. Marvel around like a tornado before flinging her into the wall with such incredible force that the entire training room trembled upon impact.
Regaining her senses, Ms. Marvel quickly pried herself free from the wall. She was now panting heavily and her vision started to blur. She didn't have much time before her empowered state wore off, which meant that she had to settle this with one final blow.
Meanwhile, Thor grunted as he clutched at his stomach, now feeling the full effects of the blows Ms. Marvel inflicted on him. Despite the pain, he couldn't help but smile, having found such a worthy opponent. Not since the Hulk had he been ever pushed this far.
Both combatants stared each other down, a fierce and determined gleam in their eyes. A split second later, they charged at each other at top speed, both of them pulling back their fists with all they got.
As their attacks collided, the resulting sent a shockwave that devastated the entire room, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
"Holy…" Hawkeye began.
"…crap." Wasp finished for him. Neither of them had anticipated the way this match would turn out.
"JARVIS, activate the shielding!" Iron Man exclaimed panickily.
The computer system obeyed and a translucent energy field encased the control room, shielding them from not only the shockwave itself, but the chunks of debris flying towards them as well.
"Where's Thor and Carol?" Wasp asked concernedly.
As if on cue, a massive gust of wind blew the dust away. There, at the centre of the room, stood Thor, spinning Mjolnir in one hand and supporting the slumped form of Ms. Marvel with the other. The God of Thunder had scratches and bruises all over his body. His clothes were torn in some places, with the chainmail sleeve of his right arm being completely ripped off.
Ms. Marvel looked just about as battered and dishevelled as he was, though she was visibly struggling to even stand, with her arm draped over Thor's shoulder so she wouldn't topple over.
Once the dust cleared, both fighters ambled their way to the exit. Neither of them exchanged any words, for the respect for each other had already been shared through the mutual exchange of fists.
~.~
Both combatants were swiftly taken to the medical bay for treatment. Fortunately for the both of them, nothing had been broken. The worst they got were a few bruises and probably some aching muscles for the next few days.
As for the bet itself, it was decided – albeit with a degree of reluctance on Wasp's part – that Thor was the winner of the match. Carol, still vividly recalling the blows Thor had inflicted on her, raised no objections to the verdict.
As both fighters recuperated in the medical bay, they took the time to discuss their sparring match.
"Admit it," Carol laughed through the soreness of her body. "I almost got you worried back there."
"'Tis for only brief moment," Thor chuckled. "But more than I could say for most who have attempted to challenge me in the past."
"So I guess that makes us the mightiest Avengers!"
"Perhaps…" Thor mused out loud. "But I suspect the Hulk might also wish to debate the matter. We have yet to prove which one is the strongest between the two of us."
"Oh," Wasp chirped upon hearing that. "Maybe we can call him and ask him if he can spar with –"
"No." Iron Man cut her off, finally deciding to put his foot down lest his more of his money goes down the toilet.
"But –"
"No."
That debate, true believers, will have to be settled for another day.