The Weight of the Universe | Avengers

27. Team Up

"Is it already Christmas, Santa?" Tony just replies, referring to the big bag that she throws on the table. Playfully rolling her eyes, she shakes her head.

"Speaking of Christmas, I need to ask you for a favor. I have a wish." She takes out all her stuff from the bag, various and foreign components are now lying on Tony's desk.

He eyes them with a lifted brow. Now he's curious. "I'm all ears."

"Do I have your permission to borrow your nanotech? I have so many ideas on how to upgrade everyone's suits. Eve, for example, has gauntlets that regulate her pulse and protect her. But the material of the gauntlets is useless, the only thing they'll protect her from is a punch. I could add an actual protection layer on them and with the help of your nanotech, it'll only appear when necessary, so the extra weight can't bother her in a fight. Then Rocket, his aero-rig can be easily destroyed, but with your nanotech, it'll grow back again. And, this has nothing to do with your nanotech because I said this word way too often now, I wanted to build different arrows for Clint, like explosive ones, one with this electric net that I got from the Midnight Bazaar– What?"

Tony has been oddly silent as he looks at her with widened eyes. "Nothing, I'm just impressed. Permission granted."

"Oh, really??" Aurora's face lightens up and he nods. "Wow, this is so cool! When I was younger, I heard of you and my mom always thought that maybe I could work with you one day since I had always loved to hear about engineering. She would be so happy now if she were still alive."

"Did she vanish, too?"

"Nah, my biological father killed her." She waves it off and puts on her mechanical monocle to analyze the structure of the protection layer. "Okay, let's get to work! Turn on some AC/DC!"

Tony just lifts his brows in confusion at her optimistic and nonchalant nature, though he does as she says and in the next second, Highway To Hell is played. Aurora taps with her foot along with her head to the rhythm of the song and the billionaire is seriously not used to this working atmosphere, especially when she starts to sing.

Though, with a smirk, he imagines that he can get used to it.

***

"A raccoon-alike alien, a big green guy and a 104-year-old soldier are sitting in the back of a truck to visit a depressed demigod. Am I the only one who thinks it sounds like the beginning of a joke?" Eve questions as they pass the sign of New Asgard, the spaceship is parked a bit farther away. The three are squished together on the back of the truck since it was their only way to get there.

"Raccoon-alike?" Rocket raises a brow in the air and he sounds almost offended.

"Hey, I added the alike part for a good reason." She defends herself with a sigh and Bruce just chuckles lightly. The drive doesn't take too long and they get off at the shore, the Asgardians eyeing them curiously. The town looks a bit run-down and the atmosphere is gray and dull.

"Kind of a step down from a golden palace for an Avenger highness or whatnot." Rocket comments when they walk down and Eve sighs, rolling her eyes.

"I tried my best as an untrained diplomat, thank you very much. Earth just hasn't had too many great experiences with aliens, so that was the best offer I could get on short notice." She looks around, sensing how the air is cooler and more refreshing. Not a lot has changed since her visit two years ago.