Project Reaper

16. When Shit Hits the Fan...

Two days later, the girls were getting ready for Stark's party.

Charlie was in a blue dress, looking like the gay queen she was.

Asterin went with a white off the shoulder blouse and black dress shorts.

The party went off without a hitch, Charlie flirted with Romanoff, who was flattered, but not interested, but she called her adorable, which was good enough for her. Clint flirted with Asterin, who laughed and reciprocated because she knew it was all in good fun.

Ash showed off her pool skills, astounding Sam Wilson, the jogger from DC, who severely underestimated her skills.

"I'll let you break," he said.

"Such a gentleman," she said sweetly. Ash took careful aim as Charlie watched her. Ash smirked up at her with a wink, before breaking. A striped ball went in and was followed by a ricocheting striped ball going into another pocket. She smirked up at Wilson, who hadn't expected that. "I learned how to hustle pool when I was twelve. You're gonna need more than breaking first to win this."

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The group of heroes sat down for individual drinks after the party had wound down, and BArton was talking about Thor's Hammer.

"Whatever, man, it's a trick! 'Whosoever is worthy shall haveth the power,' whatever, it's just a trick!" He reasoned, twirling a drumstick.

"Barton, where the fuck did you get a drumstick?" Ash asked.

"We all have secrets, mine might just be that I'm in a band."

"Well, please, be my guest," Thor said, gesturing to his hammer that was sat on a coffee table, of all things.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Barton got up, Charlie leaned towards Ash, saying, "Bets?"

"Nah."

"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful," James Rhodes, a friend of Stark's, mused.

"Just saying, Clint, you've had a long week. Don't be embarrassed if you can't get it up," Stark taunted.

Barton put his hand around the handle of the hammer, pulling with all his might. He stopped a few moments after, saying, "I still don't know how you do it, man!"

"Smell the silent judgement?" Stark taunted again.

"Please, Stark, by all means," Barton responded.

Stark got up, causing Nat to murmur, "Oh, here we go," into her beer.

"Ok," Ex Agent Hill remarked.

Similar remarks were heard around the room as Stark said, "Never one to shrink from an honest challenge."

Charlie leaned over again, saying, "Montage!"

And she was right, all of the avengers present and then some tried to lift the hammer.

Soon it came to Asterin.

"May as well, right? Since we're all here?"

"You got this, Ash," Charlie prompted from where she sat behind her.

"Oh, Lordy," she muttered.

"Let's see how the resident angel does," Stark snarked.

"Wait, what?" Rhodey asked.

"Longass very unpleasant story," she explained, ruffling her feathers. "You don't really need to know, mkay?"

"Oh no, Steve, she said a bad language word," Hill snarked.