𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐘 | 𝒕.𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏

[ 23 ]

"Clint thinks he can lift the hammer." Tony replied.

Ash hummed, not bothering to give an answer. Ever since the incident with Lady Rouge, Tony's attitude towards him changed and no one else on the team felt it was their place to tell Ash what had happened in the meantime while he had been captured. Of course, Ash wasn't making any moves to talk to Tony. He certainly still didn't like him, that's for sure. The tension was thick between the brothers more than ever and it seemed like they weren't going to work through things anytime soon. Tony wanted to talk to Ash but was too proud and Ash simply avoided him all together. However, at least they were civil about things this time compared to their childish insults from before.

"Let's be real here, Clint. You can't lift Mjolnir." Ash smirked.

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

Thor laughed, "Well, then, please be my guest." He smiled.

There was a pause until Clint broke it.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah." Thor nodded.

"You've had a hard week, Clint. We won't hold it against you if you can't lift it." Tony smirked.

Clint ignored him, "I've seen this before you know?" He said to Thor, gripping the handle and pulling.

Everyone watched him as he grunted, trying his hardest despite failing miserably. He released it and exhaled, tired.

"I still don't know how you do it!" He exclaimed.

"Do you smell the silent judgement?" Tony asked smugly.

Clint rolled his eyes, "Of course, by all means, Stark." He said, going back to his spot next to Maria.

Ash scoffed as Tony stood up and walked over to Mjolnir. He placed his hand on the hilt.

"So, if I lift it... I can rule Asgard?" Tony asked.

"Yes, of course." Thor smiled.

Tony tried to lift it and stopped, "Be right back." He said.

Moments later, he returned with the arm of his suit and tried to lift it again before recruiting the help of Rhodey. Both failed miserably. Bruce tried next, attempting to use Hulk but also failed. Steve went next and made it budge, Ash narrowed his eyes, immediately knowing that he was feigning failure. Lying around an empath wasn't exactly possible, though he said nothing. Then eyes turned to Natasha and Ash.

"Ash? Nat?"

"Do it!" Nicotine exclaimed.

The two exchanged looks and shook their heads.

"Do it!"

"That's not something we need answered." Natasha smiled.

"Yep." Ash said, popping the p at the end.

"No!"

"It's rigged." Tony said.

"You bet your ass." Clint agreed.

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

"Did you tell everyone about that?-" Steve exclaimed.

"-The handle's imprinted right? Whoever holds Thor's fingerprints?" Tony interrupted.

"Yes, well, it's a very interesting theory. I have a better one, you're all not worthy." Thor said simply, picking up Mjolnir.

Everyone said their exclaims of bullshit, including Nicotine- They all stopped abruptly when a high-pitched ringing sounded. They turned to find one of Tony's sentries limping over, mumbling the word 'worthy' slowly.

"No." It said suddenly, "You're all killers."

Ash stuck close to Thor, the two silently playing a game of who will protect who together.

"Stark..." Steve said.

Tony tried to contact Jarvis, but to no avail.

"Sorry, I was sleeping. There was this noise and I was tangled in... Strings. I had to kill the other guy... He was nice." It rambled.

"You killed someone?" Steve questioned.

"Wouldn't have been my first call. But then again, in the real world we're met with ugly choices." It replied.

"Who sent you?" Thor questioned.

There was a pause, 'I see a suit of armour around the world.'

"Ultron!" Bruce exclaimed in realisation.

"In the flesh." He said, "Or well... Not yet. I'm on a mission."

"What mission?" Natasha questioned.

"Peace in our time."

The wall behind him smashed open, revealing sentries that attacked them. Everyone ducked to the side while Steve kicked up the table. Ash ran up the wall and threw himself off, crashing into one of them, destroying it with the help of Nicotine.

"I hate robots!" The symbiote yelled.

Ash leapt onto the next one beside him punching holes into it until he landed on the floor. He used a tendril to grab another from the air to crush as Clint threw Steve's shield. Which had been used to destroy the last one.

"That was dramatic." Ultron sighed.

Ash stormed forward but Steve stopped him.

"Sorry, I know you mean well. You wanna protect the world but you don't want it to be saved... but how is humanity saved if it's not allowed to... Evolve? There's only one path to peace... The Avengers' extinction."

Thor destroyed him with Mjolnir. Just before the sentry shut down, Ultron began to sing.

"That's not creepy at all." Nicotine deadpanned.

***

The team gathered in the lab and Thor returned, grabbing Tony by the throat and choking him. Steve cut in and he dropped him.

"Trail went cold about a hundred miles out, it's headed north and with the sceptre. Now, we have to retrieve it again." Thor explained.

"The genie is out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron." Natasha said.

Tony started to be annoying again, once more bringing up how he sent a nuke into space. Ash rolled his eyes, leaving the lab, he took his phone out of his pocket to find a string of texts from Josh. He sighs and calls him. It rings for no more than a second before he hears Josh's panicked voice.

"Dad!" Josh exclaimed.

"Hey, kiddo." Ash replied.

"Are you okay? Pepper told me what happened." He asked.

"Yeah, we're all fine. A little shaken up but fine." Ash reassured.

"Okay... That's good." Josh sighed.

"Listen... I need to make sure Tony doesn't cause another argument. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Ash smiled.

"Yeah, see you then. Love you, Dad." Josh said."

"Love you too."