PURE AND TAINTED
CHAPTER TWENTY
( i'm not psychic )
HOURS LATER, THE PARTY had finally started to die down. People had started to leave around midnight, thanking the Avengers for protecting them and for the party. Mainly, they were thankful for the party. Sam had stayed for a little longer than everyone else, catching up with Steve and Aline before he too left. Later on, after ordering some take out, the only ones left were the main team, along with Maria, Rhodey, and Dr. Helen Cho.
Aline had discarded her heels a long time ago, and were sure that they had been tossed behind her. She lounged on one of the many couches, taking up most of the space. As Natasha passed her, she gently slapped the woman on the thigh. "Nat, where's my drink? You didn't forget it, did you?"
"Calm down, you," Natasha playfully scolded as she pushed the beer bottle into the brunette's hands.
"Thank youuuu!" she sang, grinning widely as Natasha rolled her eyes and moved to sit beside Bruce. She winked teasingly at the (kind of) older woman, to which Natasha childishly stuck her tongue out and took a sip from her beer. Since learning about the growing affection between the two, Aline had fun teasing them.
Across from her, Clint spun a drumstick between her fingers. She wasn't sure where he'd gotten in, but in the moment, she didn't care. She just laughed at his little drunken exclamation. "But it's a trick!" His eyes were locked on Mjölnir, which sat on the table among the discarded food.
"Oh, no, it's much more than that," Thor said.
"Uh, 'Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!'" he said mockingly. "Whatever, man! It's a trick!"
Thor gestured to the hammer. "Well, please, be my guest."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony said and everyone let out a laugh.
Aline's hand shot up. "I might. Sorry, it's just in my nature." She shrugged then took another sip of her beer.
"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint reached down and gripped the hammer, grunting as he pulled up but Mjölnir didn't budge. He let out a small chuckle. "And I still don't know how you do it."
"Smell the silent judgment?" Tony said.
"Please, Stark, by all means," Clint challenged and Tony got up, fixing his jacket.
"Oh, here we go," Natasha said.
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," Tony said. "It's physics. Right, so, if I lift it, I... I then rule Asgard?"
"Yes, of course," Thor said.
Tony gripped the hammer and then turned to Aline. "Ali, can you use your magical abilities to see if I win?"
"I'm part witch, I'm not psychic," Aline said, tilting her bottle in his direction as if to point at him. "How the hell should I know?"
He ignored her comment. "I will be reinstituting Prima Nocta." He pulled up but nothing happened. Mjölnir did not budge. "I'll be right back." He came back moments later, his armored hand on and tried to lift it up but nothing happened again. Soon him and Rhodey tried to lift it, both with their suits' hands attached to them.
"Are you even pulling?" Rhodey said.
"Are you on my team?"
"Just represent, pull!"
"All right, let's go!"
Aline cupped her mouth and started to boo. "C'mon, you pansies, just give up!"
Tony playfully glared at her. "Oh, you wanna try, Ashford?"
"Yeeaah, no," Aline said. "I may have worshipped Thor 一 which is still crazy to me, might I add 一 but I think we all know I'm not worthy in the slightest. Have you met me?" She turned to the blond god. "Hey, you, ignore that comment. Erased!" She snapped her fingers then suddenly pointed over at Bruce. "Brucey, your turn, go!"
He eventually obliged, gripping the hammer in his hands. He tugged on its handle and when he failed, he pulled back and did a light roar. While everyone gave him funny looks, Natasha grinned at him.
"Stevie, honey, it's your turn!" Aline cheered, waving her bottle in the air. There was a slight chance that she was starting to get tipsy. Just slight, though.
"Let's go, Steve, no pressure," Tony said. "Come on, Cap."
Steve smiled to himself and rolled up his sleeves. He bent down and held Mjölnir's handle, and started to pull. Aline had to bite back her laugh when she heard the quiet creak, causing Thor's smile to fall only to be replaced by a look of alarm. Eventually, Steve stopped and released it. A nervous laugh instantly broke out of Thor. "Nothing?"
"And?"
Bruce looked to Natasha. "Widow?"
The ex-assassin's eyes grew a bit larger. "Oh, no, no, no," Natasha said. "That's not a question I need answered."
"All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged," Tony said.
"You bet your ass," Clint said.
"Steve, he said a bad language word!" Maria said, pointing at him.
The captain turned to Tony. "Did you tell everyone about that?"
"The handle's imprinted, right?" Tony said, waving Steve's question away. "Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation?"
"Yes, well, that's, uh, that's a very, very interesting theory," Thor said. "I have a simpler one." He stood up and picked up the hammer, flipping it with ease. "You're all not worthy."
As soon as the words fled from Thor's lips, a loud screeching noise nearly deafened them all. Aline had dropped her bottle, pressing her palms tightly against her ears. Damn her enhanced hearing! When the noise started to fade, she dropped her hands and looked around.
"Worthy... no... how could you be worthy? You're all killers."