Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 106

A/N haha new Taylor Swift music video go brrrr

"But it's a trick!" Clint insists for the umpteenth time, spinning his drumstick between his fingers absentmindedly as he watches Mjolnir, resting casually on the table.

"Oh, no," Thor says, "it's much more than that."

Clint puts on a mockingly deep voice. "'Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!'" He rolls his eyes. "Whatever, man! It's a trick!"

Loki snorts at that, and Steve, who has very graciously allowed himself to be used as a pillow for her, chuckles.

Thor gestures to Mjolnir. "Well, please, be my guest." He would love to see Clint try.

It grows quiet, everybody waiting in anticipation for Clint's response. They clearly hadn't been expecting that, and, from the looks of it, neither was he.

"Really?" Clint says uncertainly.

"C'mon!' Tony eggs him on.

"Yeah!" Thor insists. If Clint won't take his word for it, maybe it will help to see his failure for himself. At the very least, he knows he'll enjoy watching it.

Clint scoffs, but, after a pause, he pushes himself to his feet and makes his way to Mjolnir.

"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful," Rhodey mutters to himself.

"Clint, you've had a tough week," Tony says, layering on the sympathy to an incredibly insincere degree. "We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up."

How much of the laugh he earns from that is because it's funny and how much of it is because everyone is drunk off their ass, it's difficult to say, but it makes for some amusing commentary nonetheless.

"You know, I've seen this before," Clint says. He grabs onto the hammer, planting his feet firmly against the ground and trying to perfect his stance. He gives it a firm tug, but it doesn't move. He tries again, as if hoping that first time was a fluke, but when it doesn't work, he just laughs. "I still don't know how you do it," he tells Thor.

"Smell the silent judgment?" Tony quips.

Clint gestures to him. "Please, Stark, by all means."

When Tony stands up, he does so with much more confidence than Clint does, which means it will be much more amusing to watch him fail. "Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," he says as he saunters up to the hammer. "It's physics," he continues, slipping his hand through the wrist loop.

It is not physics, but Thor doesn't mention that. This will be so much funnier if he thinks he really has a chance.

"Right," Tony says, getting into position, "so if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?"

Thor plasters on a smile. "Yes, of course," he says, and he's not lying. He will gladly yield the throne for whichever mortal manages to pick up this hammer.

"I will be reinstituting the Prima Nocta," Tony declares. He adjusts his grip on the hammer, takes a deep breath, and pulls.

Nothing.

Tony lets the hammer go. "I will be right back." And with that, he runs out of the room, leaving a very confused – and amused – group of people behind.

Loki looks up at Steve, resting her hand on his chest as she cranes her neck to look at him. "What do you think he's doing?"

Steve just shakes his head. "I don't even want to know."