Chapter Text
AVENGERS TOWER
Asami walked into her and Korra’s shared bedroom in the Avengers Tower, the windows overlooking a glittering Manhattan skyline. “Kor, you awake?” she whispered, softly closing the door behind her.
Korra stirred, opening one eye from her side of the bed. “Mm. Yeah, you done?” she asked, her voice heavy with sleep as she held out her arms invitingly.
“Not yet, but I wanted to get some rest before the party.” Asami slipped out of her oversized shirt and leggings, leaving her in her undergarments as she slid into her girlfriend’s arms. “Tony has this vision – a ‘suit of armor around the world.’ He and Banner are trying to integrate JARVIS into this thing called ‘Ultron,’ and I’ve just been taking calls from Varrick to keep up with Future Industries stuff. That guy is getting on my nerves.”
“I’ve never liked that man. But the Ultron stuff sounds interesting. Don’t we have the Iron Legion, though?”
“Yeah, but he wanted this to be, you know, next-level. Tony’s extra.”
“Yeah, sounds like someone else I know.” Korra mumbled, causing Asami to raise an eyebrow. She straddled the shorter woman and attacked her with kisses. “Asami, stop!” the Avatar giggled in between breaths. “You said you needed rest!”
“Did I?” Asami teased, her lips trailing down Korra’s body.
THE PARTY
Downstairs, the party was in full swing. Guests milled about, drinking, chatting, and enjoying the evening, but Korra and Asami were conspicuously absent.
“But, you know, the suit can take the weight, right?” James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes was recounting his latest adventure to Tony and Thor. “So I take the tank, fly it right up to the general’s palace, drop it at his feet. I’m like, ‘Boom, you looking for this?’” Tony and Thor looked unimpressed. “‘Boom, are you looking for…’ Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else, that story kills.”
“That’s the whole story?” Thor questioned.
“Yeah, it’s a War Machine story.”
“Oh, it’s very good, then. It’s impressive.” The god of thunder replied with a hearty laugh. Just then, Korra and Asami descended the stairs hand in hand. Korra was dressed in a cropped blazer with a navy blue polo, the top two buttons undone, paired with slacks. Asami wore her hair in a braid and donned a striking red bodycon dress.
“What’s impressive?” Korra asked, announcing their arrival.
“Okay, look at you two! Where have you been?” Maria Hill questioned. “Come on, men, where are the ladies? Pepper’s gone, Jane’s gone.” she directed at Tony and Thor.
“Uh… we’ve been asleep,” Asami stated, smirking at Korra, who adjusted her shirt collar. “I guess we’re the only taken ones here?”
“You two are Avengers, so you don’t count,” Tony said. “Anyways, Ms. Potts has a company to run.”
“Yes, I’m not even sure what country Jane’s in. Her work on the Convergence has made her the world’s foremost astronomer.”
“Harmonic Convergence?” Korra asked, causing the god to shake his head. Hill handed her a drink, but Korra refused.
“And the company that Pepper runs is the largest tech conglomerate on Earth. It’s pretty exciting.”
“Tony, we both know that’s not true.” Asami argued. “Last time I checked, Stark Industries has no branches in China, Japan, and Australia unlike Future Industries, and not to mention Madripoor.”
“Fine, you got me. Second-largest tech conglomerate on Earth.”
“Oh, and there’s even talk of Jane getting a, um, Nobel Prize,” Thor added.
“Yeah, they must be busy because they would hate missing you guys get together.” Maria said, then coughed. “Testosterone!”
“Oh my goodness, want a lozenge?” Rhodey asked as he escorted Hill away.
“But Jane’s better,” Thor insisted.
“You’re looking at the best right here,” Korra claimed, pulling Asami in by her waist.
“Nah.”
ALL AVENGERS POV
All eight Avengers, along with Hill and a couple of others, were sitting around a table, debating whether lifting Mjölnir was a scam. Most of them were quite drunk.
Clint twirled a drumstick in his hand. “But it’s a trick.”
“No, no, it’s much more than that.” Thor replied, clinking his beer bottle against Steve’s.
“Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power! Whatever, man! It’s a trick.”
“Please, be my guest.” Thor offered, gesturing at the hammer.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Clint got up and walked towards the hammer.
“Clint, you’ve had a tough week. We won’t hold it against you if you can’t get it up.” Korra teased, leaning back on the couch with a playful smirk as she crosses her arms. Everyone burst into laughter.
“You know I’ve seen this before, right?” Clint questioned as he grabbed the handle of the hammer, but nothing happened. “I still don’t know how you do it!”
“Smell the silent judgment?” Tony questioned.
“Please, Stark, by all means.” Clint offered, and everyone feigned fear.
Tony got up and walked towards the hammer. “Never one to shrink from an honest challenge. It’s physics.”
“Physics.” Banner echoed.
“Right, so, if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?”
“Yes, of course.” Thor replied.
“I will be reinstituting prima nocta.” he joked, trying to lift the hammer – to no avail. He fetched his gauntlet and tried again, but nothing happened.
Rhodey joined him with his own gauntlet. “Are you even pulling?”
“Are you on my team?”
“Just represent, pull!” Nothing happened.
Bruce tried, grunting and pretending to Hulk out, but everyone just laughed as he fake-growled. Asami cringed.
Steve rolled up his sleeves and grabbed the handle. “Go ahead, Steve. No pressure.” Stark encouraged. Steve made it budge slightly, causing Thor to look worried, but it didn’t lift further.
“Widow?” Banner offered Natasha a turn.
“Oh, no, no. That’s not a question I need answered.” Natasha declined.
“All deference to the Man Who Wouldn’t Be King, but it’s rigged.” Tony claimed.
“Alright, you chickens.” Korra announced, cracking her knuckles as she stood. “I’m gonna try.” She approached Mjölnir, and to everyone’s shock, she lifted it effortlessly – without the Avatar State. Everyone’s jaws dropped.
“No way.” Clint whispered.
“What’d you say, Tony? It’s rigged?” Korra teased, flipping the hammer playfully before placing it back on the table.
“The handle’s imprinted, right? Like a security code. ‘Whosoever is carrying Thor’s fingerprints’ is, I think, the literal translation.” Tony theorized.
“I mean, Thor and I have elemental powers. Maybe that’s why.” Korra suggested.
“Yes, It’s a very, very interesting theory.” Thor said, standing to flip Mjölnir himself. “You’re all not worthy.” He turned to Korra. “Except Korra. She’s been through too much, I would have been surprised if she couldn’t pick it up.”
“I’m really trying to be humble right now, but HA!” Korra cheered, causing everyone to groan. Just then, a loud screeching noise echoed through the room.
“Worthy…” a robotic voice groaned from downstairs, drawing everyone’s attention. “No. How could you be worthy? You’re all killers.”
“Stark.” Steve started.
“JARVIS.” Tony called.
“I’m sorry, I was asleep.” the robot said. “Or, I was a dream.”
“Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit.” Tony instructed.
“There was a terrible noise. And I was tangled in… In… Strings. I had to kill the other guy – he was a good guy.”
“You killed someone?” Steve questioned.
“Wouldn’t have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we’re faced with ugly choices.”
“Who sent you?” Thor demanded.
A recording played from the robot. “I see a suit of armor around the world.” It was Tony Stark’s voice.
“Ultron…” Asami realized.
“In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this chrysalis.” Thor grasped his hammer while Maria Hill grabbed her gun. “But I’m ready. I’m on mission.”
“What mission?” Natasha asked.
“Peace in our time.” Ultron replied, and a swarm of Iron Legion suits attacked. Steve kicked a table forward for cover while Thor swung Mjölnir. Korra faced two robots, quickly turning them to ashes. The others fought valiantly, with Natasha, Bruce, and Asami taking cover behind the bar counter.
“Sorry.” Bruce apologized to Natasha.
“Don’t turn green.” she warned.
“I won’t.”
“Holy Raava, just kiss already!” Asami muttered, causing the two to glance at her.
One of the Iron Legion grabbed the scepter, and Natasha shot another. Tony grabbed a stick, and Steve struggled with a robot, eventually falling.
Korra was surrounded by three robots, and she entered the Avatar State, bending the metal of the robots with ease.
“Stark!” Steve yelled.
“One sec!” Tony responded.
Steve threw a robot towards Korra, who tore it apart with metalbending. Natasha shot more robots as Clint retrieved the shield.
“Cap!” Clint called, tossing the shield to Steve, who sliced a robot in half with it.
Ultron retreated. “That was dramatic. I’m sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn’t think it through. You wanted to protect the world, but you don’t want it to change. How is humanity saved if it’s not allowed to evolve? With these? These puppets.” He crushed the head of a fallen robot. “There’s only one path to peace. The Avengers’ extinction.”
An Avatar State-enhanced Korra bent Ultron’s metal form, tearing him apart limb by limb, but he continued to speak.
“I had strings, but now I’m free. There are no strings on me.”
