Into the Fray {Marvel} ||4||

8. Party Crasher

"But it's a trick!" Clint exclaimed.

Most of the partygoers had left, and it was just the core group of Avengers, with a few extras, crowded in the room. Thor's hammer was perched on the table.

"Oh, no," said Thor. "It's much more than that."

"Uh, 'Whosoever be he worth shall haveth the power!' Whatever, man! It's a trick."

"Well please, be my guest."

"Come on," said Tony.

"Really?" asked Clint.

"Yeah!" Thor encouraged. Clint got up.

"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful," I heard Rhodey say. Aria was shaking her head. She knew like I did: that hammer wasn't going to move an inch.

"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony said.

"My mind went so south on that one," said Todd, laughing nervously, rubbing his face.

"You know I've seen this before, right?" said Clint to Thor. He grabbed the hammer, and I could practically see his veins popping as he strained to move it. "I still don't know how you do it."

"Smell the silent judgement?" said Tony.

"Please, Stark, by all means."

"Now this I have to see," I commented with a smirk.

"Oh, here we go," Tasha chimed in.

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," said Tony.

"Get after it," chirped Clint.

"It's psychics."

"Physics!" Bruce exclaimed.

Tony grasped the hammer. "Right, so, if I lift it, I...I then rule Asgard?"

"Yes, of course," said Thor.

"I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta." We all watched eagerly as Tony, like Clint, failed to make Thor's hammer budge. "I'll be right back."

"Anyone else want to try while we wait?" I asked as Tony disappeared.

"Since you brought it up, how about you?" Aria probed me.

"I already know it won't move. There's no use in trying."

"Why not? It'll entertain us."

"Then why don't you give it a go?" I raised a brow at her.

"Like you said, there's no use in trying." She shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. "Coward."

Aria squinted her eyes at me. "Coward, huh? If we both try together, will you consider it?"

I pursed my lips. "Even if we know it won't move?"

"Even if that."

"Oh, what the hell." I slapped my thighs as I smoothed out my dress. Aria and I hovered near the hammer, grabbing with four hands between the two of us. I looked at her. "One, two, three!" Straining, the two of us put our backs into it. Like we expected, we didn't feel the hammer cave a centimeter. We both released the hilt.