Chapter 3

Abi had always disliked parties. She had no idea why she just did. As she walked into the one Tony was throwing she scanned the room and found very few people she actually knew. There was a bunch of old guys playing pool and lots of other people she didn't know walking around with drinks in their hands. Thor was talking another bunch of old guys; Bruce looked just as awkward as she did; Natasha and Rhodey were sat talking; Clint was talking to Dr Cho and Tony was talking to Maria. Abi spotted Sam and Steve playing pool so made a bee line for them; grabbing a drink from the bar on her way.

As she necked the drink Steve gave her a look. "What? Can't get drunk anymore remember." She told him before greeting Sam. She watched them play out their game before they started walking and talking.

"Sounds like a hell of a fight. Sorry I missed it." Sam said as they walked up some stairs to the second level.

"If we had known it was going to be a firefight, we absolutely would have called." Steve assured Sam.

"No, no. I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough." Sam said with a chuckle. "I'm very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case. Avenging is your world. Your world is crazy."

"Be it ever so humble." Steve said as the three of them stopped walking and leaned on the railing, looking over the party.

"Either of you find a place in Brooklyn yet?" Sam asked.

"I don't think either of us can afford a place in Brooklyn." Abi said with a smile.

"Well, home is home, you know?" Sam said.

Abi cast her eyes to the ground. For her home wouldn't be home until she had Bucky back.

Soon after Sam went to talk to someone else and Abi and Steve went to find Thor who had promised them some Asgardian spirits. Abi hoped that for once it could get them drunk.

One of the old guys from earlier walked over as Thor was pouring the twins a glass. "I gotta have me some of that." He said.

"No, no, no, no, no. See this... This was aged for a thousand years in the barrels built from the wreck of Grunhel's fleet." Thor said handing Abi and Steve a glass. "It was not meant for mortal men."

"Neither was Omaha beach, blondie." A different guy, who was wearing a WWII hat, said. "Stop trying to scare us. Come on."

Thor looked to Abi and Steve who both shrugged. Abi downed her glass and felt a familiar buzz enter her system.

Thor shrugged and poured a little in a glass. "All right."

None of the men could take it and Abi couldn't help laughing as some other guys escorted them out. She then walked and sat next to Bruce at the bar as Nat walked away.

"It's nice." She said snapping Bruce out of his thoughts.

"Wh-what is?" He stammered.

"You and Romanoff." She replied with s slight smile.

"No, we haven't... That wasn't..." Bruce started.

"It's okay." Abi said with a chuckle. "Nobody's breaking any bylaws. It's just she's not the most open person in the world. But with you she seems very relaxed. You're also forgetting the fact that I can see inside everyone's heads."

"No. Natasha, she's just... She likes to flirt." Bruce said.

Abi reached over the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. "I've seen her flirt. This ain't that." Abi said as she walked up to him taking a swig from the bottle.

Steve walked over after hearing their conversation. "Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on waiting too long, don't." Steve said standing behind Abi.

"You both deserve a win." Abi added. She patted Bruce on the arm as she and Steve walked off to find Sam.

After everyone had left, leaving just Abi, Steve, Clint, Thor, Nat, Maria, Tony, Rhodey and Dr Cho, they all sat in the middle of the room.

"But it's a trick." Clint said about Thor's hammer. As someone who had run away and joined the circus it was probably a good attempt to prove the hammer wrong.

"No, no, it's much more than that." Thor defended.

"Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power." Clint said in a dodgy accent raising his hands towards the hammer. "Whatever, man. It's a trick."

Thor laughed. "Please, be my guest." He said gesturing to the hammer which was sat on the coffee table.

Everyone turned to look at Clint. "Really?" Clint asked getting to his feet.

"Yeah." Thor replied.

"Oh, this is going to be beautiful." Rhodey said with a smile.

"Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up." Tony said causing everyone to giggle.

"You know I've seen this before right." Clint said to Thor. He wrapped one hand around the handle and pulled with all his might but the hammer didn't budge. "I still don't know how you do it." Clint said with a laugh as he let go.

"Smell the silent judgment?" Tony asked Clint as everyone laughed.

"Please, Stark, by all means." Clint said taking a step back.

Tony stood, undid his blazer and walked to the hammer. "Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." He said as he put his hand through the strap. "It's physics. Right, so, if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?"

"Yes, of course." Thor assured him.

"I will be reinstating prima notca." He said as he tried to lift it with one foot on the table. Still it didn't budge. "I'll be right back." Tony said as he ran out of the room.

The others watched as he came back in with the arm of the Iron Man suit on. He gripped the handle and started to pull. He even fired the thrusters but the hammer still didn't move. Rhodey then grabbed the War Machine arm and they both started pulling on it. The others all watched in amusement.

"Are you even pulling?" Rhodey asked.

"Are you on my team?" Tony shot back.

"Just represent. Pull!" Rhodey replied. But it stayed exactly where it was.

Bruce was next to try and pull it up but just stood there screaming with the effort.

Steve got up next.

"Go ahead, Steve. No pressure." Abi said.

Steve glared at his sister as he rolled his sleeves up and wrapped his hands around the handle.

"Come on, Cap!" Tony encouraged.

He pulled and it lifted off the table slightly. Abi watched in amusement as Thor's face dropped. Steve tried again but it wouldn't move so he stepped away with his hands raised.

"Liar." Abi said in his head.

"You want to try?" Steve shot back.

She shook her head as Thor started laughing nervously. "Nothing." Thor said as he took another drink.

The others all turned to look at Abi and Nat who were sat next to each other.

"And, Widow, Rogers?" Tony said.

The pair looked at each other before Nat answered for both of them. "Oh, no, no. That's not a question we need answering."

"All deference to the man who would be king, but it's rigged." Tony said.

"You bet your ass." Clint agreed.

"Steve, he said a bad language word." Maria said.

Steve sighed and looked at Tony. "Did you tell everyone about that?"

"The handles imprinted, right? Like a security code." Tony theorised. "Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints. Is, I think, the literal translation."

"Yes. It's a very, very interesting theory." Thor said standing and walking to the hammer. "But I have a simpler one." Thor picked up the hammer with ease and flipped it before catching it again. "You're all not worthy."

The room erupted into cries of 'no' and 'come on' and laughs. But they stopped when a load high pitched noise went over the PA system. Tony pulled out his tablet to check it.

"Worthy." A voice uttered. They all turned to find a half built Iron Legion bot stumble into the room.

"No." It said as it turned to them. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers." It gestured with a half built arm.

"Stark." Steve said as Abi moved to stand next to him.

"Jarvis." Tony said.

"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or I was a-dream." The bot said leaking oil all over the floor as it moved.

"Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit." Tony muttered to his tablet.

"There was this terrible noise." The bot started again. "And I was tangled in... In... Strings." The bot stumbled looking at the wires it had ripped out that where wrapped to it. "had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asked.

"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices." The bot rambled.

"Who sent you?" Thor asked.

"I see a suit of armour around the world." The bot relayed Tony's voice and Abi and Bruce looked to each other.

"Ultron." She realised.

"In the flesh." Ultron replied. "Or, no, not yet. Not this chrysalis." He said looking at his body. But I'm ready. I'm on mission."

"What mission?" Nat asked.

"Peace in our time." Ultron said as the other three Iron Legion bots flew through the wall behind him.

Abi flipped up a table in front of her and Steve as a bot flew at them, sending them flying backwards. Maria hit the floor and pulled out a gun and started shooting. Thor fought one with his hammer. Tony and Rhodey both ran for their suits but were sent flying by another. Clint hid under a table and Nat and Bruce dived over the bar. One of the bots grabbed the sceptre and flew out of the window.

Abi grabbed one with her powers and threw it into a wall before trying to fly onto another level. However, her powers cut out and she hit the floor on her back and started coughing. She flipped herself and stood back up grabbing the same bot as it tried to get Clint. She sent it flying again. Nat grabbed a gun and started shooting as Abi grabbed the robot for the last time and ripped it in half with her powers as it sent Steve flying into the wall.

Tony jumped on the last one and attempted to stick a fondue stick in its neck. He did so and it dropped to the floor. The body of the one Abi had ripped in half got back up and they all opened fire on it.

"Cap!" Clint yelled as he threw his shield.

Steve caught it and threw it at the bot; smashing it to pieces. He then ran to Abi who was still knelt on the floor.

"What happened? You just fell." Steve said as he helped he up.

"Side effect. My powers are gonna be sketchy for a few weeks." She replied.

"That was dramatic." The original bot said as they all caught their breath. "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? With these?" It asked picking up one of the broken robots. "These puppets. There's only one path to peace. The Avenger's extinction."

Thor threw his hammer and smashed it to pieces.

"I had strings, but now I'm free." It said as it powered off.