Nick shook his head with a wry smile, turned around, and opened a bottle of Tony's Reserve Lafite.
"Oh, oh, everyone, look who's here."
"Oh, shit—Mr. Hunter, when did you decide to visit my house? Why didn't you let me know in advance…"
Seeing that it was Blaine, Tony immediately brightened up, his usual enthusiasm returning. Even the normally reserved Captain America nodded in greeting.
Thor, though not particularly familiar with Blaine, raised his glass from across the room in a friendly toast.
"Drink less, or you'll end up a fat man someday," Blaine said, watching Thor guzzle his drink. He'd seen that alternate, heavier version of Thor once—he couldn't help but comment.
Everyone was chatting and laughing, yet there was still a quiet respect for Blaine.
While drinking, Tony wandered over to where Mjolnir rested on the table.
He casually placed a hand on the hammer, curious about what made it so special, and tried to lift it.
Unfortunately, it didn't budge—not even a little. Everyone saw it, and Thor's amused grin widened.
"Let's play a little game," Thor suggested. "See who among you can lift Mjolnir."
The idea sparked immediate interest—and disbelief.
"Really? How hard can it be? It's just a hammer," Tony said, smirking.
Thor gave a sly smile and gestured for everyone to try.
"Come on, then. Let's see what you've got."
"Alright, alright, I wasn't really trying before," Tony said, embarrassed. He grabbed the hammer again and tried with both hands—still nothing.
"Wait a sec."
He summoned one of his Iron Man gauntlets; the repulsor engines flared to life—but even with the extra power, Mjolnir didn't move an inch.
James Rhodes couldn't resist jumping in. He put on his Iron Patriot armor, and soon both armored heroes were straining together. Still no effect.
Hawkeye, watching from the side, chuckled. "You two look ridiculous. I swear, if I wore one of those suits, I'd be Iron Man too."
"Come on then!" Tony called, motioning for him to try.
"Sure, sure," Clint replied, setting down his drink. He rolled up his sleeves, gripped the hammer… and nothing happened.
At that point, everyone turned to Banner. If anyone could do it, it'd be him.
With some coaxing, Banner gave it a try—but after a few seconds, he just shrugged. "Nope. Not happening."
Thor burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Is this truly the strength of Earth's mightiest heroes? Mjolnir can only be lifted by one worthy enough to wield it. None of you fit the bill! Even if you tore down this building, it wouldn't move an inch."
"Unfortunately," he added with a grin, "I'm the one Mjolnir deems worthy."
"Oh, don't get too smug," Tony retorted. "We've still got one last challenger."
He looked meaningfully at Blaine. The message was clear—time to represent Earth.
Blaine knew the odds. If he couldn't lift it, so be it. Mjolnir only responded to the worthy, after all. It wouldn't shame him to fail—but he couldn't just stand by, either.
He smirked. "There's still one more person who hasn't tried."
Under his hood, Blaine's gaze flicked toward Captain America. "I think you've got a shot."
The room went quiet. All eyes turned to Steve. Since Blaine had faith in him, there was no way he could refuse.
Cap stepped forward, gripped the hammer's handle with both hands, and focused. The playful smile faded from his face as determination settled in.
Everyone held their breath.
As Steve strained, Mjolnir trembled—just slightly. Thor's grin faltered, his laughter cut short. For a second, it looked as though the hammer might actually rise.
But then Steve stopped. He released his grip, smiled faintly, and shook his head. "Guess not."
The others laughed it off, thinking they'd imagined the movement.
Then—
BOOM!
A deafening blast tore through the room. The wall exploded inward, sending debris flying. From the smoke emerged a towering, three-meter-tall robot, glowing with pulsing yellow light. Without hesitation, it raised an arm and fired an energy blast.
Tony's lab and workbench were right behind it.
"Move!"
Captain America reacted instantly, raising his shield to block the blast. The explosion shook the room; chaos erupted. Moments ago, they'd been drinking and laughing—now, they were under attack.
The Avengers sprang into action. Within seconds, they dismantled the robot and secured the area, organizing the evacuation of the party guests. Blaine, arms crossed, didn't even need to step in.
When the last sparks died, everyone exhaled in relief.
No one noticed the faint trace of yellow light slipping away through the cracks in the wall—not even Blaine.
Upstairs, in a hidden room, Nick watched the chaos unfold on a monitor.
"It seems what's meant to come will always come," he muttered, frowning. Years of battle-hardened instinct told him this was no random attack. This was just the beginning—the calm before the storm.
"It was wise to call him in today," Nick said quietly, glancing at the Bounty Hunter in the crowd below.
"What happened?" someone asked, looking toward Tony and Banner.
Ever since they'd defeated HYDRA and reclaimed the Mind Stone… things hadn't been the same.
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