Your Hand To Hold

Chapter Thirty-One: Father Figures

May 20th, 2015

           The following weeks saw us working tirelessly to help rebuild Sokovia. Our bravery had made international news according to Fury, making it where he highly suggested that if any of us wanted to truly keep our identities a secret, we stick to code names from this point on. While we had all discussed it, there was no way to stop us from referring to one another by the names we already knew one another as. Though I did have to give a crash course on the pronunciation of my name, eventually agreeing to being called Eve by the majority.

   Stark had told us that his company was estimating the damages done were in the vicinity of half a trillion dollars and would take at least ten years for them to fully bounce back, economically and socially. While the damage done was far greater than his worth, Stark still made sure all of those who had no place to go due to the devastation Ultron caused were relocated on his dime. He also donated a great deal of building supplies to help turn the crater left by the city into a multi-functional sea that would not only supply New Sokovia water, but power and a food source as he not only had fish brought in, but utilized the tunnels Thor had found as a channel system to the nearby Adriatic Sea that led into the Mediterranean Sea which flowed into the Atlantic Ocean. It was a process that had come with several bumps in the road, yet Stark had maintained a fairly positive attitude toward the entire process.

   While Sokovia still had a long way to go in regards to rebuilding, they were on the right path which left us preparing to head home and no one was more excited than Clint. Much to my surprise, I had learned that not only was Clint married to a very lovely woman but he was a father as well. "Yeah, Laura's due to pop any time now. No offense to any of you guys, but I'm glad I'll be home for this one; she's still carrying a grudge over my missing Lila's."

   "Well go home, get some rest while you can, and enjoy; we'll call if we need you."

   "Do me a favor, don't need me," Clint said as he shouldered his bag and headed off with Nat.

   "I could have just teleported them home; would have been much faster than them driving."

   "As could I, Mo Chroí; I think they wanted this time together though. Though had you gone, it would have been a good opportunity for you to bond with him."

   "I know that tone, she just wants you to go because she wants one now. Just say no, Reindeer Games." I turned, chuckling as I slugged Stark in his shoulder as he wrapped me in a side hug. "I'm only kidding. Gonna miss those two, though probably not as much as the good doctor here is going to miss his lovely lady."

   Bruce shrugged. "She'll be back before I know it. Besides, I'm not about to impede on her life more than I already do."

   "Complicated existence you two have. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book and build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up." Captain Rogers chuckled while the rest of us exchanged looks, obviously missing the joke. "Wonder Twins, what about you; you two sticking around?"

   "I think we can hang for a bit," Pietro said, glancing over at where Wanda sat with Vision. "Unless you tire of us already."

   "Nah. They might, but I don't. Asgardians, what about you?"

   "Eibhlin and I will return home."

   I nodded. "We have duties to resume; the realms do not protect themselves."

   "Don't I know it. Thor, you sticking around, or will you be heading back to Asgard like these two?"

   "I shall stay a few days, beyond that though there is little choice. Vision now carries the Mind Stone, one of at least seven in total and it is the fourth one to show up within the last few years. So long as Vision continues to be capable of wielding Mjolnir-"

   "How does that work exactly," Captain Rogers asked; "I mean, Vision's artificial intelligence."

   "True. He is a machine in essence, but still, we're dealing with something new," Stark said, his fingers tapping the side of the glass with amber liquid he held.

   "Still it shouldn't count, right? I mean, it's not like a person lifting the hammer."

   "Right," Bruce said, sitting up and nodding; "different rules."

   "Nice guy, but artificial. Doesn't count."

   "Exactly, thank you," Captain Rogers exclaimed to Stark.

   "But if you put the hammer in an elevator..." Bruce thought aloud.

   "It would still go up," Tony said matter-of-factly.

   "Elevator's not worthy," Rogers said with a shrug.

   "I'm going to miss these little talks of yours."

   "I'm not. If this is going to be the next few days, we may as well leave this inanity now and spare ourselves."

   "Aw, and here I was drafting up a letter of recommendation to Fury on your behalf, Rock of Ages." Loki rolled his eyes as the others chuckled.

   "I would still like to know why I have not been allowed to wield Mjolnir. I mean, I've held an infinity stone..."

   Loki and Thor groaned as the others looked at me in shock. "Darling, that does not count and you know it."

   "Wait, wait, wait. I need to hear this."

   "No, you really don't."

   "Oh, but I think I really do."

   "Eibhlin took in the power of the Aether after Jane held it; she did so to keep it away from Malekith during the Convergence-"

   "The strange gravimetric anomalies that happened in the UK a few years back; that was you?" I nodded at Bruce as he took his glasses off, blinking.

   "It took a toll on her, just as it did Jane."

   "I am fine. I still do not understand why this disqualifies me to hold Mjolnir, particularly when you once told the All-Father that you thought I could do so without issue before."

   Loki gawked, rising in his seat as he stared at Thor, his eyes wide. "You what?"

   "I said no such thing. And if I did, it was because she twisted my words."

   "I have little doubt that were I to hand her Mjolnir that she would be able to wield it," I said in my best impression of him; "That was you, was it not?"

   Thor turned several shades of red before he cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Regardless of worthiness or who carries or carried a stone before, the Mind Stone is safe with Vision for now and safety seems to be in short supply these days. There is no reason to attempt to take it from him, nor to question his motives. I shall check in on him though."

   "I think you should just put the hammer down and let her see if she can lift it. I mean you let all of us try."

   It was then my turn to glare at my brother. "Oh, so I am a joke to you."

   "I was drunk!"

   "What else is new," shot Loki with a roll of his eyes as the others laughed.

   "Definitely siblings."

   "Hundred percent."