𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 ᵂᵃⁿᵈᵃ ᴹᵃˣⁱᵐᵒᶠᶠ ³

⁰⁴. ᵀʰᵉ ˢᵗʳⁱⁿᵍˢ ᵀʰᵃᵗ ᴮⁱⁿᵈ ᵁˢ

"So, they saved your brain and you're powered by an Arc Reactor."

Nova frowned, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Y-Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Judging by all the hardware exposed and that glow from the center of your chest, I guessed. Tony taught me a lot about it back in my universe. He roughly gave me a summarized version of how to build one," he explained with a wave of his hand. "And how else would you be walking around if your heart was blown up, right?"

Truthfully, seeing the woman's entire inner chest powered by an Arc Reactor wasn't all too strange–or even disgusting–he'd dealt with Tony's first Arc Reactor–reached inside the man's chest. There wasn't anything that Carter hadn't done that could be deemed as strange. After all, the man jumped between universes regularly.

"And, well, nothing surprises me anymore," Carter replied, smiling. "You're still the girl that stayed up with me in the lab and gave me company."

Carter sighed, turning and looking at the multitude of partygoers. A sense of dread bubbled in his gut. "Ready to head back in?" He inquired, looking at his friend.

Nova smirked, raising a brow. "Are you?"

"Nope," he replied without missing a beat. Offering a short smile to the girl as he said, "But I think I'll manage if you and Nat are the only ones I'm around."

With that, Nova linked her arm with the man's and steadily guided him inside. The warmth was well appreciated, but the instant the soft jazz music and voices of the party participants made him scowl. He found his spot with Nova at the bar as Natasha poured their drinks. Enjoying minimal interaction with others is far more tolerable than standing in the corner unsure of who to talk to. At least talking to the couple made him feel welcomed compared to the hostility and suspicion from Tony.

He didn't fit in anywhere. This was something he knew from previous universes and the set of circumstances putting him in that position. But somehow it still hurt to acknowledge. It isn't something he wished to be the case but it was the way things always played out.

Eventually, the party died down and Carter had had a few beers to lighten the tension in his shoulders. Still, he continued to be rooted in the uncomfortable barstool, unwilling to make conversation with anyone he recognized. Constantly reminding himself, "You are an anomaly to them. They don't know you."

And even when the central members of the team had surrounded a table, seated on couches, he still felt out of place amongst them. Sitting off to the side on a stool Nova had forced him to drag over, sipping on his beer and indulging in the chaos amongst the group.

"But it's a trick!" Clint exclaimed at the mention of Thor's hammer and the inability most had to lift the weapon.

Thor laughed, a wide grin spanning across his face. "No, no, it's much more than that."

Clint scoffed. "Whoever be he worthy shall haveth the power," he said in a horrible impression of Thor's accent before waving the man off. "Whatever, man! It's a trick."

"Please, be my guest," Thor offered, waving his hand toward Mjolnir with a smirk.

Most of the group looked at Clint, an expecting look on their faces as the man sat stunned by the invitation. "Really?" He asked, earning only a nod of confirmation from the god of thunder.

The moment Clint stood to his feet, comments were thrown in every direction.

"Oh, this going to be beautiful," Rhodey grinned.

"Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony added, earning a collective of laughs from the group.

"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint told Thor.