This Is Stella's Reality

July 11, 2015 PT 2

After the party calmed down, the team lounged on sofas together. I sat between Steve and Bucky, sipping on a glass of wine as Clint teased Thor and his magic hammer.

"By all means," Thor said with a gleam in his eyes. He motioned his hands towards Mjolnir, offering Clint the chance to prove himself worthy.

He scoffed and stood, self-assured that it was all some sort of trick. His wrist looped through the hammer's leather strap, and his fist closed around the handle.

Clint looked at Thor one last time with a shit-eating grin on his face. He tried to lift, but the hammer didn't budge. The team smiled, and Clint frowned.

He tried once more, straining with the effort of trying to pull the hammer from where it rested on the table. He let go with a laugh, "I don't know how you do it."

Disbelief was clear across his face as he shook his head and took his seat back on the floor. "Stark, you try," he challenged.

Tony stood, unbuttoning his suit jacket with his usual flare. He winked at Thor. "So if I lift this, I get the keys to the kingdom?"

"Of course," Thor replied with a grin. Loki rolled his eyes beside him and downed the rest of his drink.

Tony gripped the handle and pulled, but again, Mjolnir didn't budge. He sucked his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the hammer. "Hold on," he muttered as he turned and skipped up the steps to his lab.

He returned with his Iron Man gauntlet secured around his hand. Once more, he gripped the hammer and pulled. The armor whirred and flared with effort, but it didn't make a difference.

"Cap?" Tony prompted. His pride was hurt, and he was hoping Steve would also fail.

Not to be submissive, Steve rolled his eyes and stood. He winked at Bucky and I and walked over to Mjolnir.

His hand wrapped firmly around the handle and pulled. For half of a second, I could have sworn I saw it raise. Thor's thoughts suddenly screamed with disbelief and anxiety, but Steve didn't lift Mjolnir.

He laughed and let go, shaking his head. "Nope," he said simply and smiled at Thor who laughed nervously.

If anyone else noticed, they didn't say anything.

Steve sat back beside me and wrapped his arm around my chair. He turned to me with a grin. "Stel? Buck?" He asked.

We both shook our heads, laughing. "I don't need a bruise to my ego like that," Bucky said.

"Yeah," I breathed. "Pretty sure I already know the answer." Briefly, I thought about that inky black magic that coursed through me. A shiver ran up my spine, and I pushed the thoughts away.

Nat and Bruce also declined to lift the hammer, but Sam stood up proudly. "Your new king," he said coolly as he wrapped his hand around the handle. It didn't lift. He groaned, and the team laughed at his straining face.

Disappointedly, Sam sunk back into the couch. "How the hell do you do it?" He asked.

Thor grinned, wide and electric. "Simple," he said as he dipped down and lifted the hammer. "None of you are worthy."

The team scoffed and blew him off. We laughed at the ridiculousness, and Loki opened his mouth to say something, but an ear-splitting screech echoed all around the room.

My hands slapped over my ears, and my eyes tore open, trying to find the source.

It stopped, and the room was silent again.

"No," a mechanical voice, deep and laced with malice spoke. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers."

A mangled corpse of one of Tony's droids lurched from the shadows. Torn cables trailed behind it, still sparking with the remnants of electric life.