pure devotion | | bucky barnes | | book one

3. meeting the enemy

╔═══════════════╗

𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧

╚═══════════════╝

The Avengers have thrown a party in honor of Thor leaving. They've retrieved the scepter and Thor will soon be on his way to Asgard with it in his clutches.

The team sits around Thor's hammer on a table between them. Most of the guests have left and it's just the Avengers plus Dr. Cho and Maria Hill. 

"But, it's a trick!" Clint argues, "Oh, no. It's much more than that." "Uh, 'Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!'" Clint says in a mock British accent. "Whatever man! It's a trick." Thor scoffs, "Well please, be my guest." Clint looks around the group for approval.

"Come on." Tony encourages. "Really?" "Yeah!" Barton gets up, walking around the table to the handle of the hammer. "Oh this is gonna be beautiful." "Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up." Tony jokes, Clint looks over at Thor, "You know I've seen this before, right?" Barton grabs Thor's hammer pulling roughly but he can't lift it, he adjusts is grip but nothing changes. 

"I still don't know how you do it." He laughs going to take a seat. "Smell the silent judgement?" Tony quips, "Please, Stark, by all means." Clint gestures to the hammer, Tony gets up smugly. "Oh, here we go." 

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." "Get after it!" Tony wraps his hands around the hammer. "It's physics. Right, so, if I lift it, I...I then rule Asgard?" "Yes, of course." Thor comes across as completely nonchalant, no fear evident in his features. "I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta." Tony states. He pulls the hammer and it doesn't budge, "I'll be right back." 

Tony comes back wearing his armored hand, he tries to lift the hammer again and fails. He recruits Rhodey to help, now both wearing their armored hands, Stark and Rhodes both try to lift Thor's hammer. "Are you even pulling?" Rhodey questions. "Are you on my team?" "Just represent! Pull!" "Alright, let's go!" they both pull as hard as they can, again nothing. 

Now it's Banners turn to try, he attempts to lift the hammer to no avail. Bruce roars as though pretending to change into the Hulk, and everyone either looks at him warily or grins. "Huh?" 

Next Steve gets up to try "Let's go, Steve, no pressure." "Come on, Cap." Everyone encourages. Steve steps up to hammer grinning, he wraps his hands around the handle and starts pulling on the hammer. He manages to budge it a little; Thor looks a little alarmed. Evidently Steve still fails to lift it; Thor sighs and laughs with relief. "Nothing."

"Widow?" Bruce offers Natasha pointing at the Hammer. "Oh, no no. That's not a question I need answered." Natasha shakes her head taking another swig of beer.

"All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged." Everyone mutters out agreements. "You bet your ass." Maria points at Clint quickly, "Steve, he said a bad language word." 

Steve turns to Tony. "Did you tell everyone about that?" Tony ignores his question, still focused on the hammer. "The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation?" 

Thor smug as ever says, "Yes, well that's, uh, that's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one." he gets up, then lifts his hammer and flips it. "You're all not worthy." 

There's a chorus of disagreement from the others, interrupted by a loud screeching noise, like microphone feedback, causing everyone to cover their ears. They let their hands down as it fades, and Tony pulls out his phone. One of the Iron Legion suits, heavily damaged, stumbles into the room.