#Codename: Free-Rider | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

callalillywrites · 3 months ago

Text

A Dream on a Mean Machine 1

I'm going to start by saying I wasn't expecting this to be such a beast of a first part. That said, I'm not unhappy with the results. I definitely tried to create more tension between the two of them compared to the fluffier stuff I normally write.

Bucky is really such a sweetheart while Steve is a pure menace in this.

Welcome to the first part of my Cool Rider Barber Shop and Hair Salon series.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Other Characters: Reader's brother, Steve Rogers

Word Count: ~7100

Summary: Bucky's going on his first date since getting free from Hydra. In order to look his best, Steve drags him to the Cool Rider Barber Shop and Hair Salon for a haircut and a shave. There, Bucky meets the famous, Stephanie Zinone (Reader's codename), who owns the place and does his hair.

Warnings: insecurities, mentions of violence (nothing too graphic), some language, Steve being a menace, anything I forgot let me know

A/N: I wrote this beast of a story in a few hours. While I did go through and proofread, any mistakes are mine and mine alone. Yes, Reader has a codename (used all of like 4 times), but she's still a reader who may or may not share some personality traits of the character she's chosen for said codename. She's still a blank slate to fill in as you desire.

I do not give permission for my work to be copied or posted on other sites or fed into an AI machine.

“Hey, Stef, you going to be okay?” your brother asked from the back doorway.

You looked up from where you’d been giving your workstation another spot clean. Nothing could be less than perfect for this next client. Not with the obscene amount of money being paid to rent out your entire salon for this new VIP.

“I’ll be fine, Davey. Take the others out to a nice lunch. I should be done here in a couple of hours.”

Your brother hesitated another moment before he finally nodded. His footsteps retreated until you could no longer make them out.

A glance at the clock on the far wall warned you your client should be there any moment.

When you’d spoken to both Pepper Potts and Tony Stark about renting out your salon, they never once mentioned who the client would be. If you had to guess, it had to be an Avenger. A simple agent wouldn’t warrant this level of privacy.

Then again, none of the other Avengers who’ve quickly become loyal clients of your salon never really bothered with having the place vacated for them, either. Sure, they picked the slowest times to schedule their appointments to keep their celebrity down, but that was about the extent of it.

You had to smile at the thought of a new Avenger joining the growing list you already had as clients. If they weren’t yours directly, they came in and worked with one of your fabulously talented employees. The fact that your talented staff came in such high demand had you ready to do a little victory dance where you stood.

It was really a dream come true how far your barber shop and salon had come in the years since you first took over.

All that was missing was someone to share your success with. Someone to call yours and you theirs.

Before you could get too far down that thought trail, a knock came at the front door.

You locked it earlier to keep any would-be walk-ins from trying their luck. Not that your place allowed walk-ins with the clientele you’ve built the last few years.

Going to the door, you smiled upon seeing the golden god of a man known as Steve Rogers.

With a twist of your wrist, the lock released. You pushed the door open and said, “Well, long time, no see, Goldie.”

“Goldie? That’s a new one, Steffy.” Steve chuckled. His eyes always sparkled with a bit of mischief every time he came around. This time was no exception.

Your smile widened. “Well, your hair’s gotten too dark for me to call you Blondie or Honey. So, it’s Goldie now. You my special client? Surprised you want the whole place to yourself. Something I should know about?”

“No, no,” Steve quickly assured before his head shifted to his right. “It’s not for me. It’s for…”

Your gaze followed the direction of Steve’s until it collided with the solidly built man leaning sullenly nearby. At least you thought he appeared sullen until you noted how his gaze never settled in one place for too long. His alertness had gone into overdrive.

A soft exhale was wrenched from you when his gaze landed on you.

Oh.

You’d recognize this man anywhere.

James “Bucky” Barnes, WWII vet and former Winter Soldier turned Avenger.

More importantly, your grandpa’s biggest hero.

Far greater than the blonde standing in front of you.

How did none of his photos, past and present, do him any justice? It wasn’t fair how handsome this man was as you took in his features without trying to appear too creepy about it. Those steel-blue eyes damn near hypnotized you without trying. They reminded you of a clear Nevada sky. Then, there was his long, dark hair that called out to you and your fingers. It dared you to see if the strands were as silky as you hoped they’d be.

“Buck’s got a date tonight,” Steve said, breaking the silence. “Think you can work your magic for him?”

Well, that news sent a bucket of ice water down your back. It took everything in you not to shiver at the chill and give away your thoughts to these two men.

Instead, you made sure to keep your smile on your face as you nodded. “You doubting my skills, Rogers? Don’t make me buzz that glorious hair. You know I’ll do it.”

Steve’s hands came up in surrender. He quickly stepped into the shop and took a seat in the small waiting area.

You had to bite back a laugh at the way his features shifted from horror to pleading. The poor guy really could look like a kicked puppy when he wanted to. Simply wasn’t fair he could use that face and get away with anything, but then, it was one of the reasons you two had become friends. You really couldn’t resist his sweet face.

It was that sweet face that made you even more determined to find him someone, too.

If anyone deserved all the love they could get, it was Steve Rogers. You weren’t put off, either, after learning that the famous Black Widow was also on the same trail for him. Between the two of you, you were going to get Steve his happily ever after.

“Alright, Goldie, sit there and behave. No more quips about my skills, or you’re next.”

Satisfied Steve would listen, you turned your attention to the man who’d crept in behind you. His quiet steps nearly unnerved you. He really had no right to have all that muscle and build and be so quiet with it.

You gently introduced yourself to him, extending your hand.

His brows drew together as he blurted, “Thought your name was Steffy. Isn’t that what Steve just called you?”

“Codename. We all have them here. Can’t be too careful nowadays. Only a select few know our real names, and that includes you now.” You dropped your hand since he hadn’t tried to take it. Instead, you gestured toward the chairs. “Shall we? You have your pick: T-Bird or Pink Lady.”

The clueless expression on his face had you biting back another smile.

“Ah, another newbie to the musical greatness that is Grease and Grease 2. Come, I’ll educate you while we get you set up.”

You moved around him and stepped further into the salon where he could see the alternating chairs in black and pink design. On the back of the black chairs was the trademark logo of the T-Birds. The pink chairs bore the Pink Ladies trademarks. It was well worth the expense of having.

Nodding toward the different chairs, you continued toward the closet where you kept all your capes and other necessary items.

“Feel free to drape your jacket on one of the other chairs. It’ll be easier to cut your hair without the collar getting in the way.”

You didn’t stop as you spoke, or you would’ve seen the way Bucky froze at your words. The idea of taking off his jacket hadn’t crossed his mind and had him threatening to spiral a bit. While he’d worn a long henley in deep blue, he still wouldn’t be able to really hide his left arm from you. For some reason, he really wanted to hide it from you.

He couldn’t help thinking about how beautiful you were. How confident, too, in your space.

As he took in the shop’s décor, he could almost feel like he was back home in the forties. Sure, there were aspects that didn’t fit, but it had a welcoming aesthetic that called to those old memories.

Soft music played in the background, which you’d turned on near the back wall. While he didn’t know the song, he liked how it reminded him of simpler times. His memories might still be jumbled from all his years under Hydra’s control, but he could pick out pieces here and there.

It took him another moment and a deep breath to remove his jacket.

He set it on one of the T-Bird chairs while he settled into one of the Pink Lady chairs. They didn’t remind him of that awful chair Hydra used to strap him in. The soft leather even felt nice under his hand as he tried not to grip it too tight to leave impressions of his fingers.

“Hey, you okay?” You asked, coming to stand in front of him. A frown had replaced your bright smile, and Bucky already wanted to find some way to bring it back. “We have all the time you need. We go at your pace. Promise.”

As if to solidify your words, you brought up your hand again. This time, you extended your pinky and waited for him to make his move.

You couldn’t quite hide your surprise or your pleased grin when he finally brought his pinky up and looped it with yours.

“Alright, now that’s settled.”

Showing him the cape, you waited for his nod before placing it around him and cinching it loosely at his neck.

“Not too tight?”

He shook his head.

“Perfect.”

You spun the chair until he faced the mirror. It’s not lost on you when he grimaced at his reflection, but you wisely kept your mouth shut for the time being.

“I’m going to touch your hair now, okay? I want to get a feel for its thickness and texture. Stop me if it gets too much.” You kept your voice soft as you spoke, not wanting to spook him.

As before, you waited until he nodded to proceed.

You graced him with another smile for being so cooperative. Your fingers started at the front and gently combed through the locks at his temples until you reached the tips. As you guessed, the strands had a decent thickness with a silkier texture than you first imagined. It wouldn’t have been hard to continue to just run your fingers through his hair. But you had a mission, and you weren’t going to let him down.

What would your grandpa say if you didn’t do your absolute best for Bucky Barnes?

Returning your attention to your job, you met his gaze in the mirror. “Have an idea of what you’d like done? A trim or something a bit more dramatic?”

His eyes clouded while his lips thinned.

You could feel his muscles tense despite her fingers still running through his hair. The tension radiating off him had you wanting to wrap him up in a tight embrace and comfort him. You could well imagine all this had to be overwhelming. That begged the question of why he was going on a date tonight. He didn’t even seem all that thrilled, but then, you didn’t know him well enough to know for sure.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. With what Stark paid to rent out my place, I’m more than happy to just sit here with you and talk. Or not talk if that’s what you would prefer. You want me to simply wash your hair and style it, I can do that, too. Whatever you want. You have my word, Sergeant.”

His eyes widened while his entire body shifted from tense to shock.

“Yeah, I know who you are. James Buchanan Barnes. Sergeant from the 107th Infantry Division. WWII. POW. Veteran. The man who saved my grandfather at Kreischberg.” You gave him a warm smile, happy to find the tension slowly ebbing out of him.

Deciding it best to continue, you added, “You took his place when they were experimenting on Allied soldiers. Sick as you were, you still stood up for him. He died last year before he got the chance to know you still lived. He did get to see his second favorite hero though before he died.”

Before Bucky could ask, your gaze drifted over to where Steve sat in the waiting area.

“I know everyone adored Cap over there. My grandfather did, too, but he never failed to talk about you more. You certainly left a lasting impression on him. He even named my father after you and Cap. James Steven. A lot to live up to, but my dad was never one to back down from a challenge.”

When you said your grandfather’s name, Bucky’s eyes widened. He remembered that name. Your grandfather had been built a lot like Steve before the serum. It hadn’t been much of a stretch for Bucky to become protective. Your grandfather had been a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old, too, if his memory recalled correctly. How could he not do what he could, sick or not, to keep your grandfather safe from Hydra’s hands?

Another thought niggled its way to the front of his mind, pressing to ask, “Is Steve…”

“A good friend, yeah.”

Resuming your earlier ministrations, you decided to use this time to talk. You both had plenty of time to get to the actual haircut if Bucky changed his mind.

“We actually met during that alien invasion a couple years back. I wasn’t even sure it was him until his helmet thing came off, and I saw his face. He took a nasty hit from one of those Chitauri guys. Knocked him flat onto his hands and knees. Such a cheap, cowardly blow, too. Deserved what it got for doing that.”

“What did it get?”

Your gaze dropped to Bucky’s hair, intent on combing through the strands with your fingers. He’d begun to relax again, and you wanted as much time as you could just being allowed to touch him like this. You had a feeling that could so easily change if he let you get near with your scissors or shaver.

“My best pair of scissors lodged in its neck. Grandpa always loved that you were a sharpshooter. Taught me everything he knew. Competed for several years during my high school and university days. He was also the reason I got into dagger and axe tossing as well. I’m a pretty good shot. As Clint likes to brag, I can never seem to miss.”

“She’s not wrong,” Steve hollered from his seat in the waiting area. “She took that thing down with little effort and cursed it out for ruining her scissors. Never thought I’d hear a dame with a mouth like hers. I still maintain I had it handled.”

“Sure you did, Goldie,” you shouted back, doing your best not to laugh. You failed as your shoulders shook despite your best efforts. Dropping your voice to a whisper, you brought your head closer to his so you weren’t far from Bucky’s ear. “Wanna know the real reason why I call Steve those nicknames of mine?”

Bucky swallowed at your proximity. Everything in him screamed to have you come closer as you continued to soothe him in ways he hadn’t felt in so long. He really wanted you to keep playing with his hair.

When he nodded, you bit your lip before admitting, “He just reminds me of a golden retriever. In the best way though, so please know I mean no offense.”

“You’re serious?”

You nodded, then called out, “Hey, Steve, come here a sec, would ya?”

It didn’t take Steve two seconds to come bounding into the heart of the salon. When he stopped, he shifted from one foot to the other as though he couldn’t settle while awaiting whatever orders you had for him.

You had to bite your lip harder to keep your laughter at bay.

“Can you fetch me that folder from Goose’s station? I wanna let Bucky check out some of the newer styles. See if he likes any of them.”

It took everything in you not to burst out laughing at how quickly Steve followed your orders. He had the folder in hand within moments and erased the distance between you two. When he held it out to you, his head tilted to the side as if awaiting a treat or another command. You just knew he would be wagging his tail if he had one.

“Thanks, Goldie. I’ll let ya know if I need you again.”

Steve nodded, then retreated to the waiting area.

When he was out of sight, you returned your attention to Bucky with a ‘see what I mean’ look.

“That was so wrong,” Bucky said, but a chuckle escaped him. An honest-to-goodness laugh escaped. His eyes scrunched at the corners as he tried to hold back more laughter at his friend’s expense. “You have a mean streak, doll. I like it.”

So lost in the realization that you’d made Bucky laugh, you almost didn’t hear, let alone comprehend, the pet name he’d given you. When you did, you could feel the heat suffusing your cheeks in pleasure.

The folder turned out to be a good idea.

Bucky flipped through the various photos of different styles that had either gained popularity or regained it in the last two years. He finally landed on one that seemed to hold his interest the most.

The model had a shorter, more dramatic cut.

Bucky would be losing all but five-eighths on the sides. The top would keep some length though nothing compared to what he currently had. It’d be enough to keep hair pulling or tugging an option. You always liked guys who kept enough hair on top for gripping, but…

You shut down that thought train before it could get properly started.

He wasn’t cutting his hair for you. Not that you would ever ask him to with how pretty it looked with its current length.

Though, a girl could dream, couldn’t she?

As you continued to study the one he liked, you couldn’t help thinking how he wouldn’t be able to hide behind his hair with this style. His eyes would be allowed to pop, too, when he wore the right colors. This included the henley he was wearing.

Hell, he could probably wear almost anything, and he’d be devastating.

His date was one lucky lady.

Shoving your unprofessional thoughts aside, you picked up your shaver and showed it to him. “This okay? It’ll go quicker than me manhandling your hair with my fingers and scissors.”

“We had them back then, doll. Not as fancy as that one, but they did exist,” Bucky said.

If you knew him better, you would recognize the teasing in his voice as he met your gaze. He actually liked how much care you were taking with him, wanting him to have the best experience at your salon. It’d been a long time since someone had shown him any type of kindness.

When you didn’t move, he realized he didn’t exactly answer your question. He still couldn’t believe that you were holding to your promise not to rush him and check in with him. Not even the other Avengers had handled him with such care since bringing him onboard some months ago.

“Go for it.”

You smiled at him.

Oh, he was getting addicted to your smile. It just brightened the whole room and made him almost believe that he was worthy of it.

Lost in thought, he didn’t see you move behind him. That surprised him as he always kept his guard up, especially around new people. He’d long since learned he couldn’t trust others, not with what he’d done as one of Hydra’s assets. Danger always lurked in strangers’ motives.

Yet, he wanted to trust you.

Steve trusted you. So did the other Avengers.

“Such pretty hair,” he heard you murmur before your hand ran through his locks. He had a feeling he wasn’t supposed to hear that with how low you spoke, but the words continued to ring in his ears and through his mind. He hadn’t been associated with pretty in so long. Maybe never.

The shaver clicked on after another moment, taking the first of many paths across his head. His long locks fell to the ground around him until he had quite the pile surrounding him. Closing his eyes, he let the sound of the shaver and your soft humming lull him until he jerked back to reality when you clicked the shaver off some minutes later.

He couldn’t believe he’d actually nodded off.

That had never happened before.

When he glanced in the mirror, he stared in shock at how different he looked. You weren’t done by any means, but he didn’t look like he had minutes ago. He wasn’t even sure he recognized the guy staring back at him.

“Come on, stud,” you said, nodding toward the sinks. “Let’s wash your hair now, then I can finish up the rest of your new look.”

Again, he chose one of the Pink Lady chairs near the sinks. It took him a little bit to relax before resting his head in the cutout of the sink.

“Doing okay?”

He breathed in and out, then nodded.

You smiled at him. “Yeah, you are. I wish all my clients could be as great as you’re being. I’ll have to see if I can find you a treat when you’re done. I think Rizzo has some lollipops stashed at her station.”

“I don’t need a treat, doll. It’s fine.”

Bucky figured you dropped the argument when you didn’t counter his words. He couldn’t tell if he was more relieved or disappointed that you didn’t.

That thought soon disappeared though.

The water hit him at exactly the right temperature, dousing his head until his hair dripped.

Then, your hands performed their magic with the sweet-smelling shampoo your salon used. The way you massaged the shampoo into his scalp nearly had him moaning aloud. It just felt that good, and he hadn’t been prepared for it. Neither had his body with the way it reacted to your hands in his hair. He’d never been so grateful for the cape covering him.

You soon rinsed out the shampoo and followed it up with a conditioner that had the same sweet smell. Your hands repeated the same process as the shampoo, making his body even more aware of you and your closeness to him.

It really wouldn’t take much to grip your hips and tug you closer. The desire to do just that nearly overwhelmed him. To keep himself in check, his hands gripped the chair.

He could make out the floral notes of the perfume you used. It intoxicated him.

The sweet torment of your touch, smell, and proximity ended all too soon.

Water doused his head once more, removing all traces of the conditioner. It was soon replaced with a towel that quickly collected the stray water droplets that tried to break free and race down his neck as you helped him sit back up.

Before he knew it, you were leading him back to your workstation.

Taking his seat, you moved behind him again and lowered the chair for the first time. You even shook your head as you mumbled, “Tall guys. I just have to like tall guys.”

Bucky swallowed at that. Could you like him? Would that even be possible?

No, he had a date tonight. He shouldn’t be thinking about you like he had a chance when he should be concentrating on his date.

As if you had the same thought, you asked, “Tell me about your date tonight. What’s she like? Or he? They? I don’t want to assume.”

“She,” he said, a small grin at your need to correct yourself. You might have a mean teasing streak, but you weren’t unkind. “I, uh, don’t know much about her. Sam set it up for me.”

“So, it’s a friend of Wilson’s then? He didn’t give you any information on her?” You picked up your scissors and a comb before turning toward him. “I’m going to start in the back and work my way forward. Okay?”

He nodded.

After you got started, he recalled your questions. “She’s not a friend. Sam said I needed to date. Put me on some of those apps. Tinble or something like that.”

Your brows lifted as you bit your lip.

He caught it in the mirror as his eyes haven’t stopped watching you since you started working. It took everything in him to ignore the way your fingers danced through his shorter locks.

Just as it was taking you not to laugh at whatever he said that was so funny.

You soon enlightened him by asking, “You mean Tinder? There’s also Bumble. It’s newer. I can’t blame you for mixing them. There are so many out there nowadays. Makes my head spin with the many options.”

“Do you use them?”

You shook your head. “Nah. Too busy with my salon here. Besides, I know what I’m looking for, and I know I’m not going to find him on any dating app.”

“What are you looking for?”

When you smiled, it had a dreamy quality that had Bucky holding his breath. Oh, how he wished he could be exactly what you wished to have.

To his surprise, your smile turned cheeky when you said, “I’m looking for a dream on a mean machine.”

Whatever he’d been expecting, it hadn’t been that.

Steve’s loud laugh echoed through the shop, having heard her answer from the waiting area. The punk followed it by saying, “Thanks for that, Steffy. I got that reference.”

“You should, Goldie. It’s a requirement you know it if you’re wanting to be a client here at Cool Rider.”

Now, that had Bucky’s attention. Before he could stop himself, he blurted, “You have requirements for your clients?”

“Just the Avengers. Well, mainly Tony. Such an insufferable ass though he does have a few good points to redeem himself now and then.”

That didn’t answer his question at all, but you weren’t finished thankfully.

“After saving Steve that day, he was the first to stop by my salon. He really liked the aesthetics. Reminded him of the old days. While he didn’t know anything about Grease or the best musical ever, Grease 2, he kept coming back. Eventually, he brought some of the other Avengers with him.”

You snipped several small swathes of his hair before you continued.

“One of those times, Tony tagged along. That man, I swear, wouldn’t stop commenting on my Grease theme and décor. Then, he had the nerve to tell me he’d never seen either film. After all his badmouthing, I’d had it. Told him I refused to service him again until he watched the movies and could be quizzed on both.”

A small chuckle escaped.

“He had no idea I was mainly teasing him, but the threat worked. From what Steve told me, Tony made all of them have a movie night where they watched both musicals. He even came up with every possible question I could quiz them on and made them answer each question correctly. Never would’ve guessed I had that much power over a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Did I get that right, Goldie?”

“Yeah, sounds about right,” Steve hollered back. “He’s been complaining about his hair getting too long, so I’d expect an appointment soon from him.”

“And why didn’t you tell me this earlier? You know we need all the warning we can get when it comes to Tony, Goldie. He always shuts down my place at the worst times. Doubling my rate. Tell him that, won’t you?”

Steve acknowledged he heard you.

Satisfied, your voice returned to normal as you shifted to Bucky’s left side.

He did his best not to tense at your proximity to his metal arm. If you hadn’t mentioned it, then he didn’t want to point it out. Maybe there was a chance you didn’t know he’d been used as a weapon for so long. Though, he had his doubts as you’d known everything else about him.

“So, where are you taking your date tonight?” you asked, changing the subject with a quickness that Bucky feared he wouldn’t ever be able to keep up with you.

How he wanted to do just that surprised him, too.

He finally named the restaurant. It was a fancy place that Tony had set up for him, which meant at least a nice suit and tie. Both of which, Bucky really couldn’t stand to wear.

Maybe he wouldn’t mind so much if his date was anything like you.

Stop it!

“I’ve heard some nice things about that place, but you really strike me more as a smaller, cozier type of restaurant guy. Any reason why you chose something so fancy?” You paused then as though the words you just spoke finally hit you and the implications you’d made with them. Horror entered your eyes as they met his in the mirror. “That was…so rude of me. I apologize. I shouldn’t have made assumptions like that.”

Bucky shook his head, letting his smile emerge albeit awkwardly. “It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean any offense. Tony made the reservation. Told me to wine and dine her with the best the city had to offer. But you are right about me.”

Relief washed through you. Your smile returned as you finally asked, “Name your favorite place then.”

There was no hesitation as he named a little Italian bistro near your salon and the Tower.

Your smile grew. “That’s one of my favorites, too.”

He bit his tongue before he could think about asking you to join him there sometime.

Silence fell between you for the next few minutes.

In that time, you finished clipping his hair down to the right length and adding some layer and texture to it. You moved from his left to his front and finished on his right. Your movements had been smoothly fluid. Almost like a dance you’d learned long ago.

He had to admit he was mesmerized watching you work so quickly and efficiently. Watching you move the way you did. You never seemed to second guess where you needed to cut or the way it would look once you did.

That was something he’d never really experienced outside of the jobs he’d been forced to do for Hydra. Get in, get out with the least amount of mess left behind. He’d been good at it. As sick as it was to admit, he knew it was the main reason the newly reformed SHIELD even allowed the Avengers to take him on. Fury wanted him for his expertise with quick, efficient asset recovery and cleanup. Extract and sanitize wrapped in nicer packaging all over again.

It wouldn’t do to dream of being anything more. To dream about being with someone like you. You deserved someone without half the baggage he came with. You deserved someone more like Steve if he was being honest.

He really needed to put you out of his mind before you nestled too deep. Before you could manage to sneak your way somewhere even more locked away than his head. A place like his heart.

Crazy. It was crazy.

The two of you had just met. He shouldn’t feel like this about you.

Yet, he couldn’t deny that he did. He really did. That scared him, too.

You would never be safe with him in your life. Compared to the other Avengers, he would always be a target, and anyone attached to him would have the same mark on them. It would only be a matter of time before you’d had enough of him and being in constant danger because of him.

No, it was better to make this the first and last time he ever saw you.

Even if it hurt him to never see you again.

Something dark had entered Bucky’s mind. You could sense it in the way he tensed his muscles before forcing them to release, only to repeat the cycle all over again.

You had to find some way to distract him.

Landing on his face, you noted the way his full beard didn’t really fit with his shorter hair. As much as you liked its fullness, you could see the potential of trimming it down close to his face. It might even lessen the strain you could make out around his mouth.

Okay, you really shouldn’t focus too much on his mouth. You really didn’t need to go down that road, or you might start thinking about what kissing him would be like.

Get it together, you silently admonished yourself.

Even still, you couldn’t stop yourself from running a finger along his bearded cheek, drawing his attention back to you.

“Your beard is beautiful, but a trim might be in order. What do you think?”

You mentally high-fived yourself for how normal you made yourself sound right then. Hopefully, you could keep it up until he finally left your salon, ready for his date that evening.

“I, uh, whatever you think is best,” he said, his voice deeper than it’d been before.

Could it be that you affected him as much as he did you? Oh, now that was a dangerous thought.

Bringing yourself back, you shook your head. “Against the rules, stud. It’s your decision whether the beard stays or goes, not mine. I will say that our beard trims and shaves come with a facial massage and skin treatment.”

He shifted in his seat.

You could make out his hands rubbing up and down his thighs. Even without the cape, you recalled the way his legs had filled out his tight jeans. The man had actual thighs of steel.

He finally nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay, what?” You couldn’t help prodding him a little. After all, you needed to hear the words. If this was going to be his show, then he needed to decide and say it clearly, so you understood. After all his years of having no control over his life, you wouldn’t take even a second more from him if you could help it.

“I think it’s time for a shave, too. Go big or go home, right?”

You smiled. “Right.”

Since your station didn’t normally carry any of the items you’d need, you headed over to Goose’s station and picked through what he had. Thankfully, you had understanding employees who didn’t mind sharing when something came up. Plus, Goose’s equipment surpassed those of Kenickie or DiMucci.

Not wanting him to get nervous while you set up, you decided to ask him another question. It was nice to hear how he opened up in a way you had a feeling he didn’t do all that much with others.

“Well, we’ve covered who your date is and where it’s taking place. How about what you’re driving to get yourself there? It’s safe to assume you’ll be wearing a nice suit, so…” You allowed your words to trail off in the hopes he’d picked up from there.

Bucky didn’t disappoint you, either.

“Well, I don’t have much besides my bike, but I could always take the bus or subway to get there.”

“He’s taking one of Tony’s lesser fancy cars,” Steve offered so helpfully, still eavesdropping with little to no shame. You could almost imagine he wore a shit-eating grin every time he jumped into the conversation to appear so helpful. “I think Tony mentioned one of his BMWs.”

“Of course, he did,” you mutter, shaking your head.

Tony Stark was nothing if not pretentious in the types of cars he liked to drive and be seen in. You couldn’t really see Bucky wanting to drive something like that, but then, you doubted he’d have much choice with the restaurant he was going to.

Deciding to keep that observation to yourself, you said instead, “Well, it’s nice to see Tony knows how to share.”

With everything in hand, you headed back to your station to drop them off, then went off to retrieve a hot towel.

“I’m going to cover your face for a few minutes,” you held the towel up for Bucky to see, “but I won’t be far.”

His grin appeared again. Almost cheeky in the way one side curved up as he said, “I’ll be fine, doll.”

Oh, you just knew he was aware of the effect he had on you. It simply wasn’t fair when you were certain you didn’t have the same power over him. The nerve of this man to call you ‘doll’. It was so wrong the power of the pet name had, going straight to the heart. A dangerous man indeed.

Shoving those thoughts aside with all the other inappropriate ones you had for this man, you covered his face, taking an extra moment or two to ensure the towel covered him. No folds were in sight. You spared another moment or two of massaging his face through the towel to ensure it sat properly.

Satisfied, you went to work on building up your favorite lather, also stolen from Goose’s stash. You preferred this gentle soap as it had little fragrance and tended not to irritate clients’ skin.

To your surprise, he broke the silence with a question. “What do you think of flowers?”

Your brows rose before they drew together, unsure what his question hinted at. There were so many different directions you could answer it, but you didn’t want to say the wrong thing and put him off. So, you did one of your worst pet peeves. You answered his question with a question. “What about them?”

“Guys still bring them for their dates these days?”

Oh.

How did that make him so much hotter?

You seriously needed to get a grip on yourself or risk falling hard for a man that would never be yours.

“Not so much, no,” you finally managed to say before quickly adding, “but I think they’ll be a nice, unexpected touch. Is that what you did before the war? Bring flowers to your girl?”

“Girls,” Steve offered up. “Buck was never without a girl on his arm. Sometimes, two if I was meeting up with him. Pity date and all that for the scrawny Brooklyn boy.”

“Steven Rogers, you are not a pity date for any woman. Now or back then. I’ve seen pictures of you, and there was nothing wrong with you. It was always their loss if they didn’t see the rare gem you were and still are.”

You lifted the towel off Bucky’s face and flashed him a smile. Your voice dropped low, so Steve wouldn’t overhear as you said, “Your past doesn’t define who you are, either. Sure, it’s a part of you, but so is the man you are now and the one you were before Hydra got their hands on you. You are worthy of every bit of love you can find in this world.”

Bucky’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times.

“I see it now.”

“What’s that?” Your brows drew together.

Bucky’s lips curved up at the corners. “Why Steve likes you so much. I get it now.”

You beamed at him. His praise meant far more than it should for such a short acquaintance. Yet, that didn’t stop you from having to blink back tears before they managed to run down and mess up what little makeup you’d put on that day.

“Alright, mister, let’s get you finished up for your big date. You’re going to knock her socks off if I have anything to do with it.” If your own socks were already knocked off, then that would be your secret and yours alone.

The first few strokes of the lather brush felt a bit awkward since it’d been a minute from the last time you shaved a client. It came back to you though and soon you had him covered with the first application. When you were satisfied, you rushed over to grab a second towel from the warming rack.

With the same care as you used before, you placed it over Bucky’s face, molding it to the lather. You shot him a small grin as you whispered, “Doing so good here, stud. Almost done.”

Goose’s everyday straight razor took a minute to sanitize and reset with a new blade. He preferred using single-use blades for their easier disposal over sanitizing and reusing a conventional straight razor. That wasn’t to say he didn’t have one, but no one, not even you as his friend and boss, were allowed to touch the reusable one or its strop. That was his and his alone. His most prized possession.

With the razor intact and ready to go, you turned back to find Bucky’s eyes on you. You did your best to hide the warmth his gaze caused, but you were almost certain you failed at this point.

To hide the way he affected your nerves, you quickly removed the first lather you applied and the towel covering it. You’d never been so satisfied than in that moment to see it all came off without missing a spot on his face or neck.

“Alright, stud, I’m going to need you to stay as still as you can for me. I’ll make this as quick and painless as possible. Really don’t want to nick your handsome face before your date tonight, okay?”

The small grin he shot you had you nearly dropping your lather cup. “I’ll do my best, doll.”

“It’s not nice to tease a lady with a razor, Sergeant.”

The nerve of this man, you couldn’t help thinking as he didn’t appear the least bit repentant.

Not to be outdone, you lathered him up again, making sure you covered every inch you needed before you picked up the razor and made the first of many gentle scrapes across his skin. Muscle memory had you finishing up within minutes of starting.

The rest of his shave went smoothly until you got to the last step.

“Which one do you prefer?”

You held up two bottles of aftershave, letting him take and inspect them at his leisure. One had a spicier scent while the other had a cleaner, more natural scent to it.

He chose the latter.

It took you moments to pat it into his skin until you were certain you’d done your job well. The same moments you realized you would shortly be forced to say goodbye to him.

Before you could think better of it, you leaned into his space and pressed your lips as softly as you could to his cheek.

His breath hitched at your action, but he didn’t appear upset.

Taking that as a win, you retreated with a small smile. “A good luck kiss for your date tonight. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you, stud, and to work with you. I really hope we’ll get to do it again.”

*****

Main Masterlist

If you'd like to be tagged, reply to me here or message me. I do expect Bucky's story to span a couple more parts. If you want to be tagged for the whole series with the other characters, please reply to the master post.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #female reader #x female reader #steve rogers #platonic steve rogers #barber shop au #hair salon au #grease theme #grease 2 theme #a dream on a mean machine #cool rider barber shop and hair salon #fluff #meet cute #mutual pining #slow burn #first date

35 notes · View notes

actuallytalldumbass · 3 months ago

Text

@ravensprophet just gave me courage and that kickstarted my brain for another idea so here ya go

Alex Rider Baby Driver au??? (SLAY) (in case you didn't watch Baby Driver it's about a young Getaway driver (called Baby))

Alex as Baby (obviously)(omg his codename would be Cub😭)( he's a speed demon for sure)(tho Alex would NOT be quiet like Baby, he'd mouth off a lot and prolly get punched a few times)(assuming Alex would be 14 then the heists that would take place would take place before the movie)(or it could be still following the movie events AND THEN IT COULD BE ALEX GETTING FREE OF SCORPIA (Doc / The heist groups being SCORPIA?)

The other criminals that join the jobs could be AR villains?? (They dont really like baby in the movies so it would fit)

Who would be Doc? It could be someone from SCORPIA if we're going that way. Ooo it could be Yassen (Doc forcing Baby to be his driver and dragging him into the criminal world. Then at the end of the movie helping baby get away)(that seams very Yassen-like (with him killing Ian and basically kickstarting Alex's fall into the intelligence world. And then trying to protect alex in the end by not shooting him)(or if we're going the TV verse, then training him and saving his life by shooting Nile)

Joe would be Jack

And Deborah could be Sabina(or Kyra) if you need a romantic relationship

Or it could be platonic with Tom

Or it could be just Alex wanting to free himself on his own too XDD

Doc/ the heist groups could also be mi6??? If you wanna go the opposite direction. Blunt being Doc (tho I'm not sure how much I like that since Doc gets kinda 'redeamed' at the end and I'm not gonna excusing Blunt)(So I think Yassen is better for the job)

Tho if its mi6 one heist crew could be the K Unit

Or the K Unit being a heist crew could be added without mi6/ Blunt being Doc (just cause it would be cool and you could make either Nice K Unit or Shit K Unit)

#alex rider #another alex rider crossover fic idea #alex rider and baby driver crossover #alex being a speed demon #it could be cool #alex rider fic idea #alex as a heist driver

13 notes · View notes

fonfan121 · 3 years ago

Text

Starting a small AoM fic, figure I’d brush up on some character details for Gigabyte.

Their age? - 23/24.

Their sexuality/sexual preference? - Lesbian.

Any siblings/Only child? - 3 Siblings, 2 brothers and one sister, 4 immediate cousins.

Their favourite season? - Mid-late spring.

Who were/are their parents/guardians? - William T. Sycamore (father) and Helen Ross (mother).

Their gender? - Female.

Their date of birth? - June 5th.

What clothing style? - She prefers comfortability and practicality over style, but casually will wear T-shirts and cargo pants, for the pockets.

What is their favourite food after a break-up? - Pizza, Bacon and Chicken.

Their favourite thing to do after a break-up? - Binge watch TV shows.

What happens in the ‘honeymoon phase’ for this character? - Stress free relaxation, just admiring her S.O and enjoying their company.

How many serious relationships have they been/are currently in? - 2.

What is their nationality? - American.

What languages do they speak? - English, just a hint of Spanish and is adamant on learning Italian.

What is their profession/Education? - Electronics/Software Engineer, Hardlight Holographics Specialist.

Their favourite comfort food? - Ice cream, particularly a chocolate/caramel combo.

What’s a food they hate? - Cake, just something about how it feels/ tastes in her mouth just doesn’t sit right.

Their music taste? - Spanish/Cuban/Latin instrumentals, feel good music that can be upbeat, romantic or relaxing.

Is there a story behind their name/meaning? - No story behind her real name, but she took her codename from using an old 128gb USB stick, hidden in the top of a pen.

Something they do that seems childish to others? - Tends to quote movies/games in applicable situations when she thinks no one is listening... they usually aren’t.

What is their all-time favourite TV show? - Knight Rider. (Does that show exist in AoM? Eh whatever, if they can get Hasselhoff to voice one of the trailers, I’d say it exists.)

What is their all-time favourite movie? - None of Hollywood’s, though she has (regrettably) engaged in a marathon watch of his movies.

How big is their family? - Big, like real big. It’s an old farming family/community that’s been around since before the US independence.

Are they close to anyone specific in the family? - Her mother and father, as well as 2 of her 4 immediate cousins.

Have they got any allergies? - None that she knows of, but isn’t keen to find out if she does.

Are they an emotional person? - Despite her introverted personality, yes.

Do they get angry/lose their temper quickly? - Very much so, especially around a certain former FBI agent...

What are some of their guilty pleasures? - She likes to collect trophies of certain events in her life, particularly of her time in MAYHEM. She also has secretly followed Hollywood on Instablam, so she can laugh at the latest stupid thing he’s gotten himself into.

Do they have pets? Do they want pets? - She has an American Thoroughbred horse named Janey back at the family farm, but otherwise no, especially due to rules aboard the ARK.

Do they like kids? Do they want kids/have kids? - Kids are okay, so long as they’re not too... intense. She has no plans for having any, however.

Who’s cuddle buddy are they? - Provided she’s comfortable with it in the first place? Probably Gremlin, Rama or Joule.

Do they have any tattoos? - Nope.

Do they have any piercings? - Nope.

What is their hair colour? Is it their natural colour? - Natural auburn-ish colour.

Do they like musicals? - Not particularly, but she’ll watch one as a tag along.

Do they like marmite? - The fuck is marmite? (Just kidding, I know what off-brand monstrosity is.) No, she does not.

Do they like glitter? - Occasionally, but she generally finds it unimpressive.

Do they believe in the supernatural? - Not really, as pretty much everything she encounters/works with is science based.

Have they ever seen a dead body? - Many, unfortunately.

Have they ever had a near-death experience? - Besides working for MAYHEM? Not that she can recall.

Have they ever broken a bone? - Thankfully not.

What are they like when they’re drunk/what kind of drunk are they? - Gigabyte avoids getting drunk at all costs, but when it does happen, she has a rather low tolerance. She becomes loud/emotional and has almost no filter either, so she’ll spill personal secrets and whatnot before she tips over the edge to incoherence.

Have they ever drunk underage? - Definitely not.

What is the first thing they do when they wake up? - Goes over a mental daily schedule in her head.

Do they consider themselves popular? - Not really, though Gigabyte likes to think she’s at least well received among other agents such as Gremlin, Rama and Friday.

How do they like their tea/coffee? - Neither, she’s a hot chocolate person.

What do they smell like? - She prefers to have a slight lavender scent, but considering the amount of smokers on the ARK that scent tends to stay in her room at most.

Are they a virgin? - Yes, but not for a lack of awkward trying.

Do they wear glasses/contacts? - Protective glasses for R&D.

Are they good at remembering significant dates? Anniversaries, birthdays etc? - She has an impressive mental calendar of dates, but will clam up if you ask her to remember any of them.

#agents of mayhem #aom #oc #gigabyte

2 notes · View notes

irlnautica · 4 years ago

Photo

A little creative exercise I’ve been doing, trying to create a concept for a Showa-style Kamen Rider show that feels like it “fits in” with the Ishinomori-created series while being conceptually and thematically distinct from them. Presenting Kamen Rider Geo!

Conceptually, Geo is based on geothermal power and an antlion larva, while her Meta Charge state is based on an adult antlion. Themes of her series would be "the price of progress", the control the powerful have over the popular narrative, freedom vs security, and how ordinary people can become complicit in injust institutions. In my mind, it would have been released in 1985 or 1986, in the gap between the release of Kamen Riders All Together and the debut of Kamen Rider Black.

Bombard, meanwhile, is based on a bombardier beetle. His design is meant to invoke the Metal Hero Series more than other Riders, but designed such that when he changes sides and removes his visor to reveal the “bugman eyes” underneath, he slots into place as a Kamen Rider.

Kyoko Hiyama is a stubborn and hot-headed journalist investigating the Yomy Corporation, a massive technology firm contracted to the Japanese government. When she discovers a secretive laboratory experimenting on human beings, Kyoko frees the intended test subject, only to be captured and converted into a cyborg super-soldier in his place. Kyoko manages to escape using her new abilities, only to be framed by Yomy for the murder of the test subject she freed. Now, pursued by both Yomy's "Techni" monsters and agents of Japan's Special Investigation Agency, Kyoko must master her geothermal powers and fiery temper to bring down Yomy and reveal the truth to the world. Jinetsu Power Up!

Kyoko transforms through the Volcane staff and the Volcaner belt. When the Volcane is planted into the ground, it channels geothermal energy into the Volcaner, charging it up. The Volcane can also be used as a weapon similar to a bo staff. Later in the series, Kyoko gains the ability to absorb energy from the ground directly, but the Volcane remains a more efficient way of doing so. Kamen Rider Geo's Rider Machine is the Machine Earthquaker. It can be used to store the Volcane when not being used.

As Kamen Rider Geo masters her abilities, she discovers that she can temporarily evolve her form into a "Meta Charge" state. In this form, Geo is faster, stronger and has the ability to fly short distances using a "Wing Unit" deployed from her back. This power comes with a price, however. This form drains the Volcaner's energy incredibly quickly, and risks leaving Kyoko de-powered and physically exhausted if used for too long. While she can recharge using the Volcane, doing so in the midst of a battle is rarely safe, requiring her to only activate Meta Charge when absolutely necessary.

With Kyoko Hiyama (aka Kamen Rider Geo) wanted for murder, she draws the attention of the Special Investigation Agency (特殊捜査庁), a government security agency collaborating closely with the Yomy Corporation. When the Special Investigation Agency meets with little success against the super-powered Geo, one of their top agents - Special Agent Satoru Takehisa (竹久暁) - volunteers to undergo an experimental surgical procedure, gaining cybernetic implants that allow him to use Yomy's high-powered "Bombar System" combat suit. With the Bombar System active, Takehisa - codenamed "Bombard" - is powerful enough to battle Geo one-on-one with highly enhanced strength and durability, with his combat abilities augmented further by his Fire Volver handgun and - later on - his chest-mounted Bombar Cannon. As he pursues Geo, however, Bombard begins to lose confidence that what he's doing is right, becoming increasingly aware of Yomy's malicious nature and his superiors' apathy towards it. Eventually, Takehisa's morals lead him to a turning point; with the encouragement of the veteran Kamen Riders - who recognise his good heart, despite his alliance with the Yomy Corporation - Takehisa renounces Yomy and the Special Investigation Agency, joining Geo's fight for freedom and declaring himself Kamen Rider Bombard!

Initially, the Bombar System's only ranged weaponry was the hand-held Fire Volver. When this alone proved ineffective in defeating Kamen Rider Geo, Bombard was upgraded with the chest-mounted Bombar Cannon. The Bombar Cannon protrudes slightly from Bombard's chest, while its control circuitry is recessed into his armor. The Road Crusher is Bombard's personal transport, an ATV constructed by Yomy. It is equipped with twin miniature missile launchers and components to store weapons and ammo.

#kamen rider oc #tokusatsu oc #showa rider #kamen rider #kamen rider geo

49 notes · View notes

hellyeahheroes · 5 years ago

Photo

Asian Herritage Month Character of the Day: Amadeus Cho

First appearing in Amazing Fantasy #15, Amadeus Cho is a brillians Korean American teenager who won a contest designed to discover 7th smartest man in the world and title of Mastermind Excello, originally held by a World War II genius superhero Bill Everett. However, this discovery and admission of his intellect made him target and after someone bombed his house, killing his parents, the boy found himself on the run.

His paths crossed with Bruce Banner, changing his life forever - seeing a lot of similiarities to the Hulk in himself, Amadeus became his biggest fan. To the point that when Hulk was sent to space and came back pissed, in Incredible Hulk #106-112 (which does not seem to be on ComiXology) Amadeus assembled team of heroes not to stop him but talk him out of his vendetta andprove to the world Jade Giant is a misunderstood hero after all. This went downhill and Amadeus ended on the run again, but now with new pal and sort of a mentor figure - Hercules, Prince of Power, Son of Zeus.

In Incredible Hercules #113-141 and as members of the Mighty Avengers in issue #21-36 the duo had many adventures, but they ended in Hercules’ heroic death. In follow-up series Hercules: Fall of an Avenger and Heroic Age: Prince of Power Amadeus, now titled new Prince of Power, embarked on a quest to bring his friend back and later the two of them had one last glorious adventure against multiverse-threatening Chaos King in Chaos War.

After going separate ways with Hercules, Amadeus found himself advising to Hulk when he founded a whole team called the Incredible Hulks, showing up in issues #613, #617, #620 and #626-635. He tried to manipulate other heroes like X-23 and Arana to start his own superhero team, feeling it may be a glimmer of hope world needed during Cul the Serpent’s attack on USA in Fear Itself: Home Front #5-7. He showed up again to help Wolverine in Savage Worlverine #2-5. Overall he started fading into obscurity, with many thinking his alternate universe self from 2014 Battleworld Runaways series may be the last we see of him.

And then came the Totally Awesome Hulk. In this book Bruce Banner was dying after saving people from nuclear explosion by absorbing all its radiation and Amadeus could only save him by taking all his power for himself, becoming new Hulk and freeing his friend. Amadeus embarked to be a Hulk with a smile, avoiding his predecessor’s misteps. He was even somewhat succesful, joining the team of young heroes wishing to save the world without repeating their predecessor’s mistakes, the Champions. He reunited with his lost sister Maggie and teamed-up with all kids of heroes from Domino in Domino #1-3 to fellow genius Moon Girl in Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #2-4 and #12-18 and even briefly his pal Hercules again in Civil War II: Gods of War #1. He did his part in a homage to New Fantastic Four with Laura Kinney as Wolverine, Silk and Robbie Reyes, new Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider #1-5. He was part of crossovers W.M.D: Weapons of Mutant Destruction and Avengers & Champions: Worlds Colide

However, all good things must come to an end and for Amadeus it was when his book changed title to Incredible Hulk - having found himself on the same alien planet Bruce was once shoot to, Amadeus ended up losing control over his own Hulk who promptly went on a rampage back on Earth. his story ended with him having to confront and accept his darker impulses and merging with his Hulk, becoming now permamently in slimmer gamma form. But that did not stop him from continuing his heroics, taking the codename of Brawn. When Champions book relaunched he was featured in issues #1-4 and #9-10, as between them he had come to conflict with Ms. Marvel and quit. He has ended finding new allies in a new incarnation of Agens of Atlas in miniseries War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas, Agents of Atlas and Atlantis Attacks (last one on hiauts because, well, a fucking global pandemic struck). He also showed up in Immortal Hulk #26, which is basically one long speech Bruce Banner gives him, trying to convince Amadeus to join his and new Hulk’s crusade.

Amadeus has also showed up in cartoon Ultimate Spider-Man, an alternate universe version of him who is a tech-based superhero Iron Spider. Which adds one more legacy to an already impressive list of Mastermind Excello, Prince of Power and Hulk to Amadeus’ resume.

- Admin

59 notes · View notes

cagestark · 5 years ago

Note

I’m thinking international spies AU where tony is CIA and peter is the new recruit nicknamed “the spider” and they bump into each other on a mission that’s proposed from both of their handlers, causing them to work together to lure their target (bonus points if peter’s conducting a honeypot mission and surprises tony with his “skills” then proves his nickname as one of the most deadliest things on the planet) 💗

Omg Idk if this is what you were thinking of. I got carried away. I did things I shouldn’t have. Forgive me!

Read here on AO3.

Peter is an adult, but it isn’t explicitly stated. Daddy Kink. Smut below. Human trafficking. Alcohol. Guns. Racism. Stay safe. 8.3k.

Tony is one mile out from the pick-up destination when the track phone in his pants buzzes. Shifting it free from his pocket, he takes his eyes off the scenery, content that Happy knows where they’re headed, and opens the message.

F: date compromised. someone new will be waiting at the pick up. codename ben.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Tony mutters. He begins mashing buttons, longing for his StarkPhone and the extra wide virtual keyboard. This 2001 bullshit predictive texting can’t keep up with the foul things he wants to say to his handler, F. The F stands for fuck you, Tony! Obviously.

T: Negative ghost rider. I’m aborting.

F: do NOT abort the mission. ben is waiting.

“Christ on a cracker,” sighs Tony.

“Problem, boss?” Happy asks, glancing up at the rearview mirror.

“Just overworked and underappreciated, Hap.”

Happy rolls his eyes. “I know what you mean.”

Tony laughs and makes a note to himself to give the man a raise. In the ten years that he’s been doing these gigs for SHIELD, Happy has been the one constant in a sea of changing marks and methods. “Tonight is the curtain call. If I make it through this, I’m officially retiring. After that, I’d say you’ve definitely earned a raise and some vacation time.”

They arrive at the pick-up point. In his head is the image of a young woman, red haired, with an overly youthful face—he knows that SHIELD wouldn’t give him a minor as his date, that the young appearance is just for bait—but whoever she was, she isn’t the one who will be waiting. Tony doesn’t even have a picture of this guy, not even a description. He’s going to look like a fucking idiot, wandering around looking for his date.

But he needn’t worry. There standing at the curb dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo, hair slicked back, is a young man who could easily pass for 16 years old. In his fancy clothes, he looks very out of place on the grimy New York street—little fool was supposed to be waiting inside.

Happy pulls over at Tony’s request, and Tony steps out of the car. He knows how he must look: dressed to kill (literally), tinted glasses on, polished and sharp like a knife. His reputation does more than precede him. It rolls him out a red carpet judging by the way the kid’s mouth drops open and then mouths his name: Tony Stark.

“Ben?” Tony asks.

The kid closes his mouth. The lips are thin but well shaped, the eyes far too wide and gleaming, jaw defined. It looks like he is a conglomeration of manhood and boyhood, teetering on the cusp between the two worlds, and it makes him sick to know that he was probably chosen for this reason, because his boyish looks will appeal to the people at the party. Tony and the boy are nearly the same height, but Tony must have fifty pounds on him. This is who’s meant to be his help? Don’t they know the kind of job he’s heading to, the kind of danger they’ll be facing? F must hate this kid to be throwing him to the sharks like this.

“I’m Ben,” the boy says. He’s got a cute little cracking voice.

Tony holds open the door like a proper gentleman would when all he really wants to do is shut it in his face and tell Happy to drive on. Ben shuffles in and over to make room. On the back of his neck, his hairs have fought against the hold of the gel and turned into little curls. It might be the cutest thing Tony’s ever seen—fucking goddamnit.

Once they are in the car, Happy pulls away from curb. Now they are heading to q the target destination. No matter how many times he pulls these gigs, he feels as nervous as the first time. Capability has nothing to do with it, because he knows how even the most seasoned agents can slip up. Complacency kills.

“So what the hell are you doing here, kid?” Tony asks, trying to avoid how his nerves make his stomach clench tighter than a clutched fist. “We’re not headed to a birthday party. Did F tell you what you were getting into to, or did he promised you a balloon animal or a funfetti cake to dress up and hang off my arm all night?”

Ben snorts, unbuttoning the top button of his jacket. “Yeah, he’s going to make me a great big pair of clown shoes. I’m sorry—I’m just—I can’t believe it! You’re codename Iron? Tony Stark works as a SHIELD spy? Gosh, I’m such a fan. Actually, I’m feeling a little lightheaded, could we crack a window? Please, Mr. Driver, sir?”

“Happy, crack a window,” Tony says. He can’t help but be charmed. His ego—sizeable as it is—is absolutely the way to his heart. But he sees in the kid’s eyes that he means it, the glossy dazed look of a superfan. “Look, kid, I’m flattered. I just expected a more seasoned partner. Not Doogie Howser in a tux.”

The happy-go-lucky attitude slides off of Ben’s face. “I’m codename Spider.”

Tony laughs. Even Happy snorts up front, trying to cover it with a cough. If Ben is offended, he doesn’t show it, resting an elbow on the windowsill. It is just getting dark, streetlights turning on, and the warm glow against his face makes him look even more youthful.

“You’re spider.”

Ben hums.

“You’re the spy who singlehandedly stole back Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Madonna and Child from those Congressional clowns who had it stolen from the Metropolitan? The hacker who made it through SHIELD’s firewall five years ago to expose interdepartmental assassinations and turned the entire place on its head?”

“Good times,” Ben says, smiling.

Tony snorts. “First rule of the trade, kid? Lie small. Say you’re codename Shield, or even Arrow, that guy’s enough of a fucking dunce for a green boy like you to pass off. Not even a civilian off the street would mistake you for Spider—”

The blade slips out from Ben’s sleeve. When it presses against the exposed skin above Tony’s dress collar, it is warm from where it was pressed against the boy’s skin. The car swerves as Happy panics, reaching over to the console where a handgun is—

“Call him off,” Ben says softly, breath fanning against Tony’s face, smelling of peppermint.

“Calm down, Happy,” Tony says. His throat is dry, but he doesn’t swallow. He doesn’t want to give this kid the satisfaction. “If you swerve anymore, I might get my throat slit on accident.”

“Listen to me,” Ben says, adjusting his grip on the handle of the blade. His other arm is looped through the seatbelt, pulling it so tight against the older man’s chest that he struggles to take full breaths. “I’ve got nothing to prove to you. Spider, Shield, Arrow, I don’t give a fuck who you think I am. Tonight you can call me Ben. Tonight we’re taking down the biggest human trafficking ring in New York, and I’m the only backup you’ve got. Making sense?”

“Perfect sense.”

Ben pulls back and glances down. “Are you—fucking hard right now?”

“Truthfully? Painfully.”

“Jesus Christ,” Happy mutters from the front seat.

Ben laughs even as he licks his lips. “You’re a pervert. I guess you’ll play the part tonight well enough. It is just an act, right? You aren’t really in the business of buying sex from trafficked kids?”

“Don’t even joke,” says Tony, frowning. In his mind are images: kids anywhere from 8-16 being sold into sexual slavery, many of them immigrants in the United States and unable to understand English. Tony can’t imagine the fear, the pain, the degradation. “I couldn’t sleep for days after reading the file on the things that happen where we’re going. I don’t think I’ve ever accepted an assignment so quickly.”

“Aren’t you worried?” Ben asks. The mocking curve of his lips contrasts with the demure kid who climbed into the car. Obviously they lost that kid along the way, somewhere between the curb and where they are now. More than likely, Tony pushed him out the window with his foot-in-mouth disease. Manslaughter—though Tony doesn’t mind. “It will get out one way or another, that Tony Stark was at this party. People will think you really are a pervert.”

“That’s why I’m perfect for the part. Unfortunately, old billionaires do tend to be perverts. I’m sure we’ll encounter some other people there from Forbes’s Wealthiest list. But after we get the information we need tonight, I’m coming clean to the public about my after hours activities for SHIELD and heading straight to retirement. I see an island in my future, with golden sands and clear water and bottomless mimosas.”

Ben looks positively smitten and sold by the picture Tony paints. He rests his head against the headrest even though it musses his gelled hair, watching Tony’s mouth while it moves. Maybe it’s a good thing that codename Pepper was somehow compromised. The chemistry between him and Ben looks to be a two-way street. “That sounds amazing,” the kid says lowly.”

“Room for two on this island, boss?” Happy asks.

The moment shatters. “For you, Happy, always,” says Tony, though his eyes don’t leave Ben’s. “ETA?”

“Five minutes, boss.”

“Should we talk shop, Ben?”

“Let’s.”

Tony pulls out a StarkPhone from the breast pocket of his jacket. He holds it in his palm and waves a hand over it. “If the audience will take a moment to examine this ordinary looking cellphone—not so ordinary looking actually, much more streamlined than Apple and Samsung dreams of these dimensions, okay, right, sorry—you might be correct to guess that it is no ordinary cellphone!

“Your average cell has the maximum storage capacity of twenty-four to one hundred twenty-eight gigabytes. But we know that the data we’re going to be copying from the internal servers at the hotel will be much, much larger than that. Luckily, this phone is capable of holding up to a terabyte. SHIELD has estimated we’ll be pulling in about half that in gigs.

“Luckily, that won’t be much of a problem. F had another agent call ahead and the Ritz-Carlton we’ll be at boasts ethernet cables and hook-ups in each room. A cell to ethernet adapter will have us downloading that speed faster than you can say Bob’s your uncle.”

Ben smiles. “Ben is my uncle.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Ben—it’s my uncle’s name. My real name is Peter.”

Tony smiles. The kid is foolish to give his real name, especially just moments away from a place where Tony identifying him by his codename is key to maintaining their cover, but he gets it. The kid wants intimacy. He feels the connection, and he thinks that he needs to offer the information to forge it stronger. It makes Tony soft, even as it worries him.

He reaches for the boy’s hand and rubs a thumb across the knuckles. His skin is soft and smooth. “Ben,” Tony emphasizes, squeezing the smaller hand. They share a look of understanding, and he can almost see Peter slipping into character, like putting on a different set of clothes until he is BEN, shy, fifteen, probably groomed to be Tony’s sex-toy. The thought nearly makes him sick.

“Location is the biggest issue,” Tony continues. “If I didn’t need an ethernet cord, I’d go into any bathroom, lock the door, and download the files I need. But that would take hours, and we don’t have that kind of time. To work unnoticed, we’ll have to be in a hotel room. There’s only one reason why the two of us would be there. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Peter turns so red that he looks tanned in the dim lighting. He shifts, pinching the fabric of his dress slacks between his fingers to pull them away from his crotch and okay, okay, Tony’s not going to look because the kid might be in character but Tony isn’t, yet, and checking to see if the kid is hard? That’s—that’s pushing some boundaries. “Mr. Stark, if we’re in a hotel room, won’t they think we’re having sex?”

Tony swallows, throat clicking. “That’s kind of the point, kid. Hopefully it will buy us enough time to download the files we need, rumple our clothes, and skip out of there to safety. Understand?”

“Yessir,” Peter says.

The kid has incredible characterization. Tony will give him that.

“Pulling up, boss,” says Happy. From the outside, it doesn’t look like the Ritz-Carlton is hosting a party. It’s a private affair, one the public will not be privy to. Invitation only. Happy pulls up to the front and comes around to open their doors.

It’s Tony’s turn to slip into a different set of metaphorical clothes: the clothes of a disgusting, sleezy man. A predator. A monster. The persona settles like oil over his skin as he steps out into the warm night. He reaches back for Peter’s hand and the boy is there, eyes wide and trusting, lit up by the lights of the hotel.

“C’mere, baby,” Tony says. “Daddy’s got you.”

The Ritz-Carlton has two rooms for larger parties. One is a ballroom. He has been several times, and he finds that it is most similar to the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. It is large enough to hold a thousand people, with a chandelier as the focal point of the room. Every entry point is an arch with the most exquisite molding. As a man who appreciates luxury, even he feels awed in its presence, small when his steps don’t echo on the carpeted floor.

This, however, is not that room. They are ushered to an elevator that leads to the top floor. Someone checks Tony’s ID before he’s allowed entrance, but the man doesn’t even ask for Peter’s. Then they pass through a curtained off doorway and they are in. The room floor to ceiling windows giving a breathtaking view of the city. There must be a hundred people here, ladies and gentlemen decked in their finery. There aren’t any minors here—but Tony knows that’s because they are more than likely in the hotel rooms below. Waiting.

“Go to the bar and get me a drink, baby boy,” Tony says. His hand slips down over the curse of Peter’s ass and the boy blushes, nodding. “I’m going to go and greet the host.”

Peter looks so small crossing the room, always moving out of other people’s way, timid and meek. A deep part of Tony hates it—hates the meekness, hates the seed of fear it plants in his heart for Peter, even capable as he is, to be among these predators—but he pushes that part down and begins to search for Rumlow.

Rumlow owns the hotel. It is the only reason why they are here: the man is disgustingly rich and equally bold. The hotel acts as a front, a headquarters of sorts. He pimps out boys and girls in the rooms, hosts these disgusting parties in the penthouses, and (notably) keeps all the files on his clients and victims on the hotel’s encrypted server.

When Tony finds the man, Rumlow’s eyes double in size. Tony is not just the richest man here, he is the most well-known, the most likely to be recognized out in society. He’s a goddamn public figurehead—just like the Congressman in the corner. No one is disguised, no one even tries—because here is it trusted that they are among their own disgusting kind.

“Tony Stark,” Rumlow says. The men and women around him are silent, sharing anxious, excited glances. Tony Stark is in the trafficking trade! “I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d show. It happens. Someone will reach out for an invitation but be too afraid to take it in the end.”

“Poor bastards,” someone says.

Tony shakes Rumlow’s hand. It’s pure self-control that keeps him from squeezing until the sweaty fingers in his grip break. Stay in character, he urges himself.

“It’s been too long since I’ve indulged—and if there’s one thing everyone knows about me, it’s that I love to indulge.” Everyone laughs. He slips into the headspace with ease, becoming a dark caricature of himself. A warm presence appears by his side and he glances down, almost in shock, to see Peter there. He’s holding a scotch on the rocks. Tony takes it, hoping no one else notices his shaking hand. “Thanks, baby boy.”

“Who’s this, Tony?” Rumlow asks. “Introduce us.”

Peter plays the part, looking down at his shoes. Tony lets his hand slip from where it was firmly against the boy’s back, smoothing it over the curve of his ass.

“This—” he has to stop himself from introducing the boy as Peter. “—is Ben. My little amuse-bouche. He’s accompanying me tonight.”

Rumlow frowns even as another woman offers her hand to Peter, insisting he kiss her knuckles. “You didn’t need to bring your own entertainment, Tony. I keep the hotel well stocked. Can’t I tempt you with some of my wares? I have a lovely selection from Pakistan. Consider it a gift.”

“I prefer white meat.”

There is more laughter all around.

Rumlow claps him on the shoulder. “I understand. I’m sorry I don’t have anything more to your tastes. There’s another shipment coming from Latvia as we speak, maybe we can convince you to come to next season’s event?”

Tony down his scotch in two gulps even as his stomach rolls. He feels like a dragon that is preparing to breathe fire, smoke coming from his nose and ears. The pleasure he will feel watching these men and women turn to ashy bones in the clutches of SHIELD and the US government—he shivers with it. “I think it’s safe to say that I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Can we speak in private for a moment?”

“For you? Of course.”

They find a secluded corner of the room up against the windows and Rumlow points out Central Park, the Upper Bay, Central Park just below them. Like they’re tourists and he’s a guide in jorts on top of a double-decker bus pointing out all the important sights. Peter looks earnest and attentive, eyes huge, breath fogging the glass. Rumlow is charmed by him; Tony can tell. The hand he puts on the back of the boy’s neck could be mistaken for friendly—if it weren’t so fucking possessive.

“We were interested in a room to—play—in,” says Tony.

“A man like you must—work hard, play hard, am I right?”

“Of course.”

Rumlow disappears, talking to the man at the entry way who was checking identifications. When he returns, he has a single key-card pressed between his first two fingers. Tony takes it, wearing a grateful twist of his lips. “Listen. I told them to put some champagne in your room. On the house. No—no, I insist. How else will I make a repeat customer out of you, if I don’t spoil you? Play hard. Feel free to come back up to the party when you’ve finished. I imagine that many of us will filter in and out of the rooms until dawn.

“Oh, and Mr. Stark—please be aware that these rooms are special. Surveyed closely. I hope you understand.”

Bugged, he means. Tony hadn’t expected it, but he’ll make it work. They both will. They haven’t made it this long in this business without being able to roll with some punches.

There is a number on the keycard: 2011. They have to go down more than ten floors to reach the room, and the elevator ride might as well last a lifetime. He feels jittery as the adrenalin fades. The hard part is over, he thinks. The rest of this will be smooth as cake.

Famous last words.

“Daddy,” Peter says. The word nearly bowls Tony overs, distracts him so much that he almost misses the boy’s next words: “There’s no condoms.”

Tony stops from where he is loosening his tie. His eyes flicker to where Peter stands by the nightstand. The look on the boy’s face is covertly furious. Combined with the fact that they know the room has been bugged for audio, the atmosphere is…tense. It takes a moment for him to realize that Peter’s not talking about condoms, he’s trying to let Tony know that something else is missing.

The ethernet cord. Of course this can’t be easy. God forbid his last gig before retirement is a cake walk. He’s going to have to earn this one, blood sweat and tears.

“Well,” he says, choosing every word carefully, using both fists to throttle an imaginary Rumlow (Peter’s grin is worth how silly it feels). “We’re in a hotel. I’m sure I can find some somewhere.”

“Could we do it without them?”

Tony swallows. The double entendre of this conversation is not going above his head—probably because Tony is so short, but those are lamentations for another day—could he download 500 gigs via wireless connection? Yes, but it will take much, much longer. Which means much, much longer spent in the hotel room with his much, much younger associate whom Tony is dangerously attracted to. “We could,” says Tony slowly. “But the speed with which I’d finish might be a concern.”

“You know I don’t mind, daddy,” Peter says, lowly. The look he exudes is overtly sexual, comically so. It doesn’t turn Tony on—really. The boy sits on the bed, tosses himself backwards to lay flat. He looks good spread out on the twelve-hundred thread count sheets. Tony has even softer ones at home. Surely Peter would like those better. Suddenly, he is bouncing up off of the bed and towards the bathroom. “I’ll go freshen up.”

Once the door is shut behind him, Tony pulls out his StarkPhone. Still open on the screen is the program he ran to find bugs in the room. The 3D little model glows in each corner of the room, flashing orange, the sign for microphones. He closes the program and brings up what he plans to use to hack into the hotel’s servers. Being on the premises makes it so much easier than it might have been even if he were just outside the doors. He doesn’t bother to look through the files to see what’s what—he’s going to take all of it. Every last byte.

The phone begins his download, and a timer comes on the screen. Two hours, thirty-six minutes.

And twelve seconds.

Fuck.

Peter comes out of the bathroom with his shoes off, tie undone. He points to the phone. Tony gives him the thumbs up. Fuck yeah, Peter mouths.

On the nightstand beside the bed is a pad of paper and a pen. Peter grabs it, humming. He writes something and holds it out to Tony.

You know we have to make some noises right

Tony frowns, glancing from Peter to the paper.

Peter points upward to the microphones. He lets his eyes roll back and his jaw go slack, hips twitching forward to mimic sex in silence. Tony’s mouth goes dry. Okay, he gets it now. He gets it.

And the kid is fucking right. There’s no way that they can sit in this hotel room silently for two hours after bragging to Rumlow about coming up to play. Tony sure as hell hadn’t meant playing checkers. The program on his phone is hollowing out Rumlow’s servers like a pumpkin at Halloween time, but if it doesn’t have time to complete the download, if their covers get blown…

Begrudgingly, Tony nods.

“Do you want to undress me, daddy, or should I?” Peter asks, crossing away from Tony to sit on the white leather couch. Ben is back, voice shy and sweet.

Tony swallows. What a fucking scumbag he is, pretending like this is a chore, like this isn’t already making him harden in his dress slacks. He licks his lips, but his tongue is just as dry. Figures. “You go ahead, baby boy. I’m feeling—lazy.”

His voice is anything but convincing. Tony considers himself a masterful actor, but in this moment, faced with this young man and the unbidden attraction he has for him, he’s choking. He feels disgusting. He feels like the men and women upstairs. Across the room, Peter looks frustrated, motioning his hands, mouth moving though Tony isn’t the best at reading lips. The kid rolls his eyes and stands.

“Of course, daddy. I’ll do all the work.” The pointed look he gives makes it clear that Peter believes he’s doing all the work in multiple facets—and okay, okay. Tony will have to step up his game. He’s a veteran in the field. Time to show the kid how it’s done.

He rolls his shoulders, moving to sit on the bed. He tries to imagine a lover—older than Peter, much older—and what he would say to them if they were in this situation. His voice is lower when he speaks: “Slow, Ben. Put on a show for me.”

Peter’s eyebrows raise. He stands up and discards the tie around his neck. Then he sheds the jacket to his tuxedo, and the panic begins to rise in Tony again. He glances over at the phone and only ten minutes have passed. Jesus. Is Peter really going to undress? But even as Tony is wondering, he knows it to be true—the sound of clothes rustling is loud in the room. Maybe the microphones are cheap and can’t pick it up, but more than likely, they can. They have to keep this charade up.

But Tony doesn’t have to look.

He turns to sit on the edge of the bed and resolutely faces the wall. He can hear the dress shirt being tossed aside, and the sound of the zipper lowering is excruciating. Tony’s hard. There’s no denying it. He might not be looking, but his imagination is second to none. He imagines the kid must have muscle hidden under his clothes to be a field agent: all tight and lean and pale and soft—

“How do I look, daddy?” asks Peter.

“Perfect, baby boy,” Tony says without hesitation.

“Daddy, I know you said that I’d be doing the work tonight, but, can I ask for something?”

Tony bites back a groan. “You can ask.”

“Kiss me?”

“Of course, baby boy. Come here.”

Peter doesn’t cross the room though. They thankfully are bought a few moments of silence by the gimmick. When he dares to peak out of the corner of his eye, he sees that Peter has undressed, but is thankfully still wearing a pair of black, non-descript boxers. Still, it’s a mistake. Because whatever Tony imagined could not hold a candle to the real thing. Peter is all lithe muscle. He’s fucking cut, with abdominals that Tony never had even when he was the kid’s age and hitting the gym regularly. His skin is luminescent in the room’s lighting, endless glowing pearlescent skin that Tony can almost feel under his lips, unbearably soft and firm.

Peter sits on the couch, phone in his hands. His thumb moves like he’s scrolling the fucking internet. Beside him sits the blade he pulled on Tony in the car, joined by two others, and a holstered gun. Where the hell Peter had been hiding them, only God knew.

What the fuck is Tony worrying about? This obviously means nothing. He lets himself lean back onto the bed. It’s soft and clean, and if he closes his eyes, he can almost forget everything. The room. The microphones. Rumlow.

That’s when Peter takes it up a notch. Across the room, his breath hitches. Then he gives out a groan that goes straight to Tony’s cock. When Tony cracks his eyes open to glance across the room, Peter is looking at him. The kid smiles and winks, then goes back to scrolling on his phone. “God, yes, daddy,” he whimpers—then he holds up his phone like he’s taking a fucking selfie, lips pouting. He brings the phone back down and he nods once in approval of whatever photo he took. Then he glances up at Tony, looking irritated. “Please don’t stop.”

Yeah yeah, Tony fucking gets it. “So fucking needy, baby,” he says. The mocking tone comes easily.

“Don’t tease, daddy,” the kid whines. Tony’s eyes roll back. How the fuck can the kid be so unaffected by this?

“I won’t,” he promises, squeezing his eyes shut. “I’ll give you what you need, baby, just trust daddy.”

Peter keeps up with the noisy, breathy whines and then a sharp gasp—oh, right there daddy, yes. The groans grow in volume, moans and panting. If the kid glances over, there won’t be any way to avoid seeing how hard Tony is. Cracking his eyes open, he looks over to make sure the kid is still enamored with his phone—

Only, he isn’t.

Peter is obviously in character. His phone is still alight but held laxly in one hand that rests against the couch cushion next to him. His head is tipped back, eyes squeezed shut while he moans enough for the both of them. Panting, the white chest is rising and falling, ribs expanding rapidly, abdominals tensing and relaxing rhythmically even as Peter makes his breath hitch as if in ecstasy. The sight hits Tony in the gut, and then lower. It’s the most sexual thing he’s ever seen, and it isn’t even real. Until he catches sight of the erection tenting the boy’s boxers. Then it seems too real. Way too real.

Tony panics. He sits up, head spinning. Elbows on his knees, he presses his palms against his eyes. God, he can’t do this. He doesn’t want to do this, doesn’t want to be a pervert, but how the fuck can he help it?

“Daddy?” Peter breathes. Against his will, Tony responds to the name, glancing up. Peter is sitting up, alert, concerned. He points to Tony, makes an OK symbol with his hands. Tony can’t even reply, can’t even begin to sign how not-okay he is. The kid crosses the room almost silently. He grabs the pad off of the table, writing even as he asks. “Do you want to slow down, daddy?”

Tony’s breath shakes. He stutters. “Yeah baby. Yeah let’s—just—take our time. Okay? We’ve got all night.”

Peter thrusts the pad under his nose. What’s your deal?

Tony bats the notepad away. But the motion of his hand draws Peter’s eyes down—and down—to where Tony is hard in his pants. Peter’s mouth makes an O in surprise, then in understanding. The look he gives the older man is absolutely devilish. He puts a palm on Tony’s shoulder and even through his jacket and dress shirt, it burns right down to the bone.

Pressing so close that his lips brush Tony’s ear, barely audible, he whispers: “Do you want it daddy?”

Tony pushes him away. Peter laughs, silent. He’s still hard, and one hand comes down to wrap his fingers around his clothed erection. Tony groans. Those lips are back, tongue against the shell of his ear even as Peter’s fingers tangle in his hair, hard, holding him so he can’t flinch away. “Come on, Tony, you’ve got to do better than that.”

He pushes Tony flat on the bed and climbs him.

“Jesus,” Tony mutters, already panting. His heart feels liable to burst out of his chest, and he can’t control the helpless thrusting of his hips when Peter drags his erection over Tony’s. The kid is all hard muscle, heavier than you’d think, a solid hot weight pressing Tony into the mattress. Peter straddles Tony’s lap and plants his hands against the older man’s chest, throwing his head back and moaning like he’s having the best sex of his life.

“Please, daddy, can I undress you?”

Tony shakes his head, lips pressed tight, even though he knows that he has to open his mouth, has to respond and keep the charade going for anyone who might be listening. Then there are fingers tangling with his, prying them open from the brutal fist they’ve been curled into. Peter presses their palms together, laces their fingers. Against his will, Tony opens his eyes.

This is okay, Peter mouths. He looks softer, less sex-kitten. His smile is sweet and maybe real. I’m okay with this, he mouths, lips exaggerated to help Tony follow along. He points. Are you?

It’s that soft hand in his that convinces him, the thumb brushing against his own. Peter brings their joined hands up and presses a silent kiss to the back of Tony’s, and it’s so fucking genuine and earnest.

Tony nods. “Undress me, baby boy.”

Peter beams, all joy and teeth. He helps Tony sit up and then attacks his clothes, tie thrown over his shoulder, jacket pushed off of broad shoulders, buttons hastily pulled free. When he reaches the holstered gun that had been hidden under Tony’s clothes, he slows, removing it carefully and setting it aside on the night stand. His eagerness returns when he reaches the erection in Tony’s pants, choosing to shift back so that he can mouth at it through the fabric. Tony squeezes his eyes shut, groaning. God, the kid’s mouth burns. He can almost feel the wet heat through all the layers of silk and cotton, the rough pressure of the younger man’s tongue.

“Come on, kid,” Tony grits out, balls aching. “Undress me already.”

Peter looks up at him, mouth red and wet, eyes huge. His voice is breathy and high when he says, “Yes daddy, whatever you say.”

Tony’s belt gives a satisfying slick sound as it is wrenched from his beltloops. Peter holds the leather between both hands while looking it over from one end to the next. He tests the strength of it, biceps bulging, then snaps it against his own bare arm, letting out soft trembling breath. When he swallows, it is audible. The kid wavers between exuding sexuality and maintaining a charming naivete. Tony isn’t sure which has him wanting to blow his load more.

At last, Peter sets the belt aside and thumbs at the button of Tony’s slacks. He drags a firm thumb down the zipper which runs along Tony’s throbbing erection. Breathing through his nose, Tony struggles to keep his head clear, to not lose himself to this lust. Then Peter is pulling his pants down, dragging the silk boxers down also. The cock that springs free is nothing to be ashamed of: long, thick, and red with arousal, the head damp and sticky with precum.

“God, daddy,” Peter whines. “I want it.”

The boy slides off of the bed, hands resting on the firm, softly-haired thighs to pull Tony to the edge. His mouth is open and waiting, wet and hot and the most inviting thing Tony’s ever wanted to thrust into—but he’ll lose it. He has to reach out to fist Peter’s gelled hair, wrenching it back until his throat is exposed—and the kid still stick his tongue out, making the most pitiful, desperate noises, like if he doesn’t get Tony’s cock in his mouth it might kill him.

If anyone is going to die, it will be Tony, he thinks.

“Not yet, boy,” Tony says. Peter melts, stops straining against his grip, and Tony relaxes his hand to pet at the messed hair. “Youthful exuberance—not that I’m complaining. But some nuance would be nice.”

Peter blinks, eyes dazed. “Nuance. You—you want it slow? How can I—God, daddy, I can’t even think. I want your cock so bad. Please can I taste it, sir? Just the tip?”

Tony groans, cock jumping. He tightens his grip again and can feel the way the boy is relaxed, willing to be pulled and pushed at Tony’s whim. Through his teeth, he says: “Needy boy. Just the tip. Stick out your tongue.”

The picture the boy makes is pornographic: tongue extended, eyes closed in trust and anticipated ecstasy. Using his free hand to grip his cock and hold it steady, he brings Peter closer, smearing the leaking tip across his tongue. Mouth open as it is, there is no way he can muffle the high, helpless sound that comes out of his throat. Peter’s tongue fucking chases Tony’s cock, and Tony’s weak. He’s fucking weak. He brings it back and lets him off the leash a little so that Peter can take it into his mouth and suckle. The younger man’s eyes are still closed like this is the closest he’s come to Elysium, and the knowledge brings Tony right to the edge, balls drawing up. He pulls back again and Peter sounds wrecked.

“Daddy,” he whines, drawing out the word. “Please let me suck your cock, please? I’m a good boy, aren’t I?”

“The best boy, baby,” Tony says, voice low. “But daddy wants to play with you first. Can you be patient and let daddy have his fun?”

Peter’s eyes crack open, whiskey-brown and wet, cloudy with lust and whatever headspace he’s falling into. He hums, smiling, and crawls up onto the bed. Fit as he is, he still looks so tiny. All except for his cock which strains obscenely at the boxers he’s still wearing, the front soaked with precum.

“Lay back,” says Tony.

Peter does. His cock is even more impressive to see in this position, and it twitches under Tony’s gaze. The kid shivers, eyes heavy-lidded, watching Tony to see his next move. Kneeling onto the bed by the boy’s side, Tony hooks his fingers in the waistband and drags the underwear down, careful not to hurt the cock beneath them.

It’s average in most ways, but perfectly suited to Peter’s slim, fit body. The dusky color shows how badly Peter needs stimulation, and even as Tony watches, a pearlescent drop of cum beads up at the head and rolls down the shaft. The kid’s hips twitch upwards, desperate for the touch of a hand that isn’t even there.

“Patience,” Tony says firmly. He strokes at Peter’s hair, smoothing it back into place. The younger man closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, trying to drain the tension from his own body.

Tony trails his fingertips over the smooth forehead and down the perfectly formed nose. He lets a thumb press against the thin lips and Peter is so pliant and perfect, mouth open to suck at it sweetly and then nip with teeth. Tony flicks him for the sting and he moans, enjoying even that soft pain. Next is Peter’s throat, and Tony rests his hand there—just resting, watching how even the presence of it enflames Peter, the fit chest rising and falling more rapidly. Tony squeezes, every so gently, and that red mouth parts, the breath knocked out of the boy as if Tony were strangling him.

The skin under his fingers is smooth and burning when he drags his hand past the hollow of the kid’s throat, thumbing the harsh collarbones. He can feel Peter’s heart hammering under his palm when it reaches his sternum. To fuck with him, Tony brings up his other hand, silently, and takes Peter’s nipple between his thumb and forefinger, applying the slightest pressure.

Peter shrieks, hips jerking upwards. His babbles are nearly incoherent: “Daddy please—Daddy more, again—God please?”

Merciful, Tony pinches softly, then pulls back to drag his thumb over the peak again and again. Each time, Peter lets out a sound like he’s being killed. His cock takes on a darker hue even as Tony watches, soaking itself. It makes his mouth water, and he isn’t known for his self control—ask anyone—so he leans forward to take the neglected nipple into his mouth, laving it with his tongue to a stiff peak.

“Oh god,” Peter says, drawing out the words. “Oh god please, please, please—”

Tony parts his mouth and drags the firm ridge of his top teeth over the nipple—and that’s it. Peter is shrieking—oh god please touch me, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it, please touch me, daddy—cock spurting violently. Even with the breath knocked out of him (god, he can’t breath at all, all the space in his lungs filled up with lust and Peter), Tony reaches downward to grab the twitching cock and jerks it firmly. He helps Peter through it, the boy convulsing almost violently, mouth open in a scream that never comes.

“I’m sorry daddy,” Peter whimpers. “I should have waited for you.”

Jesus, he’s sorry? “Can you go again, baby boy? Can you get hard again, for daddy?”

“Uh-huh,” Peter says through gasping breaths, nodding frantically.

Tony glances over at the end table where his phone rests—and Jesus, there’s an hour left. An entire hour.

They—haven’t even kissed.

The thought comes out of nowhere, hits him like a truck. Shifting to lay beside Peter, he reaches for the sharp jaw and turns it towards him. Peter looks fucked out, eyes wet and satiated. The smile he gives is beatific, and it’s like he knows what Tony wants, opening his mouth, pliant and so fucking sweet. The kiss is consuming, tongues licking into each other’s mouths, the sounds soft and wet and Jesus, he’s hard. He’s so fucking hard it hurts.

“We can stop,” he says, so softly into Peter’s ear. “We don’t have to go any further.”

Peter pulls back, eyes more alert. A furrow grows between his brows as he frowns. He shakes his head firmly, makes a loose circle his thumb and forefinger and then fucks two fingers into it again and again. Tony rolls his eyes. But he’s smiling.

“I don’t have any lube,” he says out loud.

Ben is back, the bratty Peter melting away into an innocent, sweet voice that asks, “Will my cum do, daddy?”

Tony snorts. “Yes, baby boy. That will do.”

The cum is still warm, but cooling on the boy’s abs. Tony drags two fingers through it and then brings them down between Peter’s legs to the hole that’s there. He draws up his legs instinctually, feet flat on the mattress to give Tony better access. First, he just rubs an insistent finger against the opening, feeling the natural tension and the unbearable tightness whenever Peter shifts and tenses.

“Come on, baby,” Tony murmurs, keeping his finger firm. “Open up for me. Relax for me. Let me in that tight little ass. It belongs to me, we both know it. Let me in.”

Peter’s mouth drops open, eyes squeezing shut. He clenches the sheets in his fists but his muscles do relax, and Tony slips a finger in. The walls inside are like hot silk, and knowing that he’ll be sinking his cock into that heat soon has his balls aching.

“Jesus, kid,” he mutters. “So good for me. More, baby. Give me more, now.”

A second finger, and Peter whimpers with it. Tony gives him time, softly fucking in and out of him, then gently opening his fingers as he withdraws. Unable to help himself, he pauses to let those fingers search, crook upwards until he finds that spot inside the boy. Peter shrieks again, and it turns into a drawn-out moan. His cock is hard again, resting hot and thick against his abs in the pool of cooling cum.

“More daddy, please,” asks Peter.

“All about you, is it?” Tony taunts. He adds a third finger, probably a little sooner than he should. “Should I just take you now? Shove my cock in your little ass, tear you open?”

“Please,” Peter gasps, eyes opening like it’s the best idea he’s ever heard. “Please daddy, split me open.”

Alright. Alright, okay. Tony can’t wait a moment longer. He shifts to be kneeling between the boys legs, then reaches for the younger man’s cock, lifting it off of his abs to wipe his hand through the cum there. Peter shifts his hips up, desperate for the friction, but Tony doesn’t plan for him to get this second orgasm so easily. He’s going to work for this one, Tony thinks, letting go of the cock abruptly so it slaps against the boy’s abs.

Slicking his cock, the pleasure is so keen that it’s almost painful. It borders on overstimulation, and Tony thinks that it’s going to be the most exquisite pain he’s ever known. Folding Peter’s legs up until his thighs are against his chest, he reaches down to guide his cock to that warm heat. Just the pressure on the head has him groaning, hips thrusting minutely against his will. He does want to give the kid time to get used to it—Tony’s big, and he knows it—but the sounds Peter makes, wiggling and shifting to fuck himself on just the tip. It’s too much.

He is not known for his self control.

Tony thrusts in in one fell swoop, as slowly as he can—which isn’t very slow at all. Peter keens, high and loud and long, and Tony himself can’t stop a similar sound, lower, just as pained and pleasured. Peter is hotter, tighter than Tony could have imagined, and knowing that the slickness around him is from the kid’s own cum? Jesus, this isn’t going to last long. When he glances over at the end table, he sees that there are only ten minutes left: the download time has improved. Thank God, Tony thinks. Ten minutes will be optimistic.

“Okay?” Tony asks, a hand on Peter’s sternum. The heart beneath his palm is beating fast like a hummingbird’s. Tears have streamed down Peter’s temples to disappear into his hairline. When the boy’s eyes open, they are red.

“God, yes,” Peter says, laughing wetly. “Don’t stop now. Give it to me.”

Tony snorts, adjusting his grip on Peter’s legs. Then he gives it to him. He starts with long and slow thrusts, aiming deep. Peter is groaning words that become indistinct from how long he drags them out, he loses track of what he’s saying while he’s saying it. Tony wouldn’t be surprised to find that the kid is having an out-of-body experience for the way he’s acting. The sounds he’s making have Tony feeling the same way. The friction against his cock is just what he needs. Glancing down, he catches sight of his cock disappearing into Peter’s hole and his balls draw up tight. Not long—not long at all.

“Touch yourself,” Tony grits out. “I want you to cum with me.”

Peter reaches down around his legs for his cock, but Tony bats it away. “Not there,” Tony says. He thumbs at a nipple. “Here.”

Peter groans, gritting his teeth. But he is obedient, resting both hands on his flat chest so that his thumbs can brush his nipples, so softly and sweetly, teasing himself. His mouth drops open again, cock twitching. “I won’t last, daddy,” Peter says in that soft, sweet voice. “Are you close?”

“Yes,” Tony pants. “So close, baby. Keep going. Just a while more. Hold off for just a while more.”

Peter whines, tilting his hips upward helplessly. “Daddy,” he groans. “I won’t be able to help myself.”

“Restraint,” Tony barks. “Control yourself. Don’t you dare cum before me, baby. Don’t you dare—”

Taunting the boy this way, watching his face turn red as he struggles to restrain himself is bringing Tony right to the edge. He wishes that he could leave Peter this way, desperate to cum and constantly on the edge of disobeying him, but the pain in his balls is cresting. He needs relief. They both do.

“—please, Tony!—” Peter cries.

“Yes—yes—now—”

Peter cums almost instantly, pinching both nipples between thumbs and forefingers, mouth open in a silent scream.

Tony’s orgasm comes from deep in his gut, draws up tight in his stomach and it hurts, it really does, he’s been hard for so long with no relief, and then it all reaches the peak: his cock explodes deep inside the younger man, shouting the boy’s name. It lasts forever, his hips rolling and rolling to prolong the exquisite pleasure. The sounds between them are absolutely guttural, and Tony wonders if the recordings of the microphones above them will be in the files, because he’d give anything to hear this again and again, to listen to it with a clearer head when he can enjoy it more objectively.

On the nightstand, the phone chimes. The download is complete. They did it. The files are automatically transferred to SHIELD’s servers after completion. The satisfaction of that strikes Tony somewhere even deeper. With those, hopefully Rumlow and all the other fucking scumbags upstairs can rot in jail. Forever, if Tony has any say it in.

“Tony,” Peter pants. He’s been trying to get his attention. When he looks down, the boy looks more worried than he should for a person who has just had an incredible orgasm.

“What is it? Are you hurt?” Tony asks.

“No—just—what did you call me?” Peter asks, eyes wide, trying to convey something—

And oh fuck. Tony cried out Peter’s name.

He cried out Peter.

There is a commotion in the hallway, the sound of boots on carpeted floor.

“Fuck,” Tony says, rolling off the bed. Peter is up after him, ignoring his boxers, going straight for the gun on the sofa across the room. He flicks off the safety and chambers a bullet, careful to keep his finger off the trigger even as someone bangs on the door.

“Stark, open up!” They’re shouting. Rumlow’s men. Tony’s blown their cover.

This is going to get messy, Tony thinks, loading his own weapon.

He and Peter flank the door, both completely naked. They meet eyes, breath tight with adrenalin, and when the boy nods, Tony nods back in understanding, smirking. They’ll get through this. They’ll be fine. And afterwards—

The door bursts open.

#starker #human trafficking #guns #alcohol #racism #spies!au

331 notes · View notes

thisiswhatwereupagainst · 5 years ago

Photo

An assortment of little-known Marvel characters that I like! Info on them under the cut:

Aqueduct - Peter Van Zante was a soldier in Vietnam who gained his aquakinetic abilities from an experimental medical procedure that saved his life. He originally called himself The Water Wizard and tried to use his powers for simple robbery, but was stopped by the Ghost Rider, who traumatized him so badly that he spent time afterwards in a mental institution. However, he did not change his villainous ways, and later joined Force of Nature, a quartet of supervillains who each had an elemental power and worked as the muscle for a group of eco-terrorists. He renamed himself Aqueduct with them, and has gone by it since. Aqueduct is not a bright man, that’s probably fortunate, as his water powers could be far more lethal if he had more ideas on how to use them effectively. He’s also moody, being very down on himself when he fails, and euphorically egomaniacal the second he starts to win. Overall though, he seems happier since he quit his solo act and joined a team! Asp - A longtime member of The Serpent Society and later the B.A.D. Girls, The Asp hails from Egypt, and is a mutant with the ability to fire what she calls “venom bolts”– a unique form of radiant bioelectricity that she can channel as lightning-like blasts that causes a rapid paralysis of the nervous system similar to the effect of the neurotoxic bite of certain venomous snakes. Asp’s real name is allegedly Cleopatra “Cleo” Nefertiti, but given that she is also an exotic dancer in addition to a mercenary, it is likely this is a stage name. Though she is often a villain, Asp is still articulate, polite, intelligent, proud of her dancing, and a loyal friend. Black Mamba - Another member of the Serpent Society, as well as a B.A.D Girl alongside her best buddy Asp, Black Mamba aka Tanya Sealy (who has also used the alias of “Tanya Sweet”) gained her succubus-like Darkforce powers when the Roxxon company augmented her into a superhuman. This granted her the ability to summon “love phantoms”, living shadows that appear as the person that the target loves and desires most, and drain their victim’s life as they embrace them in coitus. Tanya was also given the ability to breathe and otherwise function deep underwater, as Roxxon needed her for an undersea mission, though she’s had little occasion to use this since. Tanya has also worked as a fashion model and professional escort in addition to her supervillainy/mercenary jobs, and was even a superhero in the Women Warriors for a time alongside Asp and Skein. Tanya is a loyal friend like Asp, and considers herself an expert on sex and romance, as well as a great lover of men…and of money! Skein - Sybil Dvorak is a Romanian mutant with the fairly common ability of telekinesis, but due to the fact she can “feel” whatever her telekinesis is manipulating, she refuses to use her powers on anything except soft objects like fur, feather, and fabric. She originally called herself the unfortunate moniker of Gypsy Moth, using fabric wings to lift herself in the air, and attacked high class parties to frighten the rich for fun due her belief that her wealthy actor boyfriend was cheating on her. After his mysterious death left her with his house and money, she nonetheless continued her criminal activities. However, she joined the “good guys” for a short time (and shallow reasons) in the 90s, taking the new codename of Skein, making a new and very revealing costume, and showing a new hyper-sexual, flirtatious, thrill-seeking personality, in contrast to the cold, formal persona she had as Moth. Impala - She’s a mysterious woman from Zambia who is known only by her codename. She has no known superpowers, but is extremely athletic, agile, and skilled in African stick-fighting. Impala is said to be wanted for crimes in her homeland, but she seems to be more simply a thrill-seeking adventurer rather than any sort of villain. For instance, she once joined a fight she had no reason to be in, simply to even the odds, and she aided Asp and Black Mamba simply for the fun of it (making Impala an honorary/temporary BAD Girl too) In addition to loving danger, Impala also seems quite proud of her body, given her revealing costume and the way she taunts other women (such as calling the not-even-overweight Battleaxe “obese one”) who are not as lithe and lean as she is. Dragonfly - Nothing is known about the life of Veronica Dultry before the Maggia altered her for Count Nefaria into one of his Ani-Men to do battle with the X-Men. It is also unknown if her transformation is willing or not. We do later learn that she has an estranged sister, Margaret, who is a famous actress, who tries to take advantage of Veronica when she mutates further into a giant dragonfly-like monster due to absorbing radiation. This transformation is, thankfully, reversed, though Dragonfly has yet to change her villainous ways—or show any actual personality on-panel. Besides her ability to fly with her insect-like wings, Dragonfly can also hypnotize others with a psychic signal that emits from her antennae. Meggan Puceanu - Meggan Puceanu is a British Romanichal mutant with an array of powers, namely control of nature and the four elements, a powerful link to mystical and magical energies, and being an “empathic metamorph” who changes her shape to reflect the feelings and desires of people around her. This last one caused her to be severely physically mutated as a child, and, not knowing she could willfully change her shape, she grew up kept in her family’s camper with only the television for company. As an adult, she took on a beautiful blonde form and join the British superhero team Excalibur, becoming Captain Britain’s girlfriend. Meggan was naive and insecure, and became very dependent on Captain Britain, who often did not treat her well. However, they have both grown considerably since, and the two now have a child. Threnody - Melody Jacobs is a mutant with a unique link to death (hence her codename; a “threnody” is a song of mourning), allowing her to sense when someone is dying, and absorb the release of energy from their passing. What’s more, she can then rechannel this energy as destructive blasts. It seems that this sensitivity to death drove her to insanity, and she was found by Sinister as a delusional, rambling homeless woman. He outfitted her with small “neuro-locks” on the sides of her face helped control her powers, and she regained sanity, but also had to serve him. Seeking to free herself, she attached herself to Nate Grey, and eventually fell in love with him. However, when she became addicted to the death of other people, she found herself feeding on the death energies that clung to Nate Grey due to how his own powers were killing him—and her feeding on him just weakened him further. For his own good, Threnody broke his heart and left him. Her tragedy did not end there, however, for she gave birth to a monstrous child that also needed to feed on death energy. She teamed up with Deadpool so that she could collect the death energy of his kills for her baby, but Deadpool himself ended up killing her child when she tried to murder a pregnant woman for it. Threnody has not been seen since, but wherever she is, it’s doubtful that she is happy. Darkstar - Laynia Petrovna and her twin brother Nikolai were mutants born in the Minsk. Previously it had been the policy of the USSR to kill all mutants, but shortly before Laynia’s birth, they decided that it would be better to use them to serve the state. Thus Laynia and her twin were taken away as newborns and raised, along with a mutant called Ursus who could transform into a bear, at a state facility. Laynia was able to control the Darkforce, enabling her to fly, fire concussive force blasts of darkness, and create constructs out of darkness such as shields or platforms. From this, she took the codename Darkstar, and served Russia as a superhero. She later joined X-Corps and served with them in Paris, where she was killed on a mission. However, as is typical of Marvel characters, she returned to life and has returned to Russia to serve in the Winter Guard, Russia’s post-Soviet superhero squad. Starlight - Dr. Tania Belinsky was a brilliant neurosurgeon in the USSR who struggled with her love for her country and her hate for some of what her government was doing. Though she had no superpowers, she had a secret vigilante identity as the Red Guardian (not to be confused with several other Russian heroes who had this name) and joined the Defenders when she came to America to help Dr. Strange with a brain surgery case. However, she was forced to return by the KGB, who took her to the supervillain known as The Presence (who was also the long-lost father of Darkstar, by the way). He had decided she was his ideal mate, and he exposed her to radiation to give her powers like his own. She gained new powers, such as flight and nuclear blasts and the new name of Starlight, but at the expensive of her free will. Poor Tania was now under the mental thrall of the Presence and served him as both his lover and minion. She eventually freed herself and joined the Winter Guard as a superhero once more. Silhouette Chord - Silhouette Chord was born with the power to control and teleport through shadow. She and her twin brother, who had enhanced strength and reflexes, tried to clean up the streets of their native NYC by infiltrating gangs. After a sting gone wrong, however, Silhouette lost the use of her legs when a policeman’s bullet went through her spine, and her brother became a gang leader for real. Silhouette went the opposite path, joining the superhero team The New Warriors and becoming the lover of fellow member Night Thrasher. She and her brother later discovered that their unique abilities came from being the product of a cult in Cambodia that had sought to create super-powered children through years of selective breeding that would allow them to tap into the mystical energies of “The Well of All Things”. Snowbird - Narya is the half-human daughter of the goddess Nelvanna, part of a fictional pantheon in Marvel called “the Inua” who are associated with the First Nations people of Canada. The Inua are opposed to a group of monsters called The Great Beasts who seek to invade Earth, and Narya was conceived in order to one day battle them. She was raised by Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen, a Native Canadian and the most proficient shaman in Canada, and she grew rapidly to adulthood. She also grew rapidly into her powers, which included flight and the ability to change into any animal native to her homeland. The two were discovered by the Canadian government and offered membership into the superhero team Alpha Flight. They accepted, taking on the identities of Shaman and Snowbird respectively. Mysterious and aloof, Snowbird is easily overwhelmed by the instincts of her animal form, disoriented by bright lights and colors, prefers to hunt her own own food, and was often very overconfident in her own abilities. After The Great Beasts were seemingly all slain, she desired a normal life…yet returned to being Snowbird at the first subsequent emergency. Cybele - Cybele is an Eternal, a race of immortal and super-powered beings who are a cousin race to humans, engineered by the “space god” Celestials. Cybele has been around since Ancient Greece, where she was worshipped as Rhea, Gaia, and other “earth-mother” goddesses. She is a very minor character herself, but is the mother of Thena, an Eternal who chose to become a superhero among humankind. After the death of her husband Zuras, Cybele chose to leave the other Eternals, and dwells alone in a Colorado forest. In addition to the usual myriad abilities of Eternals, Cybele can also block herself from the senses of others, essentially becoming invisible to them, making it easy to keep herself concealed in the nature she so loves. Saturnyne - Hailing from one of the countless worlds within the Marvel multiverse, Opal Luna Saturnyne is the Omniversal Majestrix, Her Royal Whyness, who dwells with Roma the Omniversal Goddess in her Starlight Citadel as her second-in-command and helps her oversee the Marvel multiverse and all its worlds. Not so much on the side of good as the side of order, Saturyne is intelligent, ambitious, and a ruthless cutthroat bureaucrat with no qualms about wiping out an entire world if it is for the greater good of the multiverse…though she does carry a soft spot for the Captain Britain of Earth 616. Sat-Yr-9 - Opul Lun Say-Yr-9 is the evil counterpart of Saturnyne from another dimension. A dictator in her own world, she was overthrown and imprisoned by her people, until she escaped to the dimension of Earth 616. Once there, she killed her counterpart in that universe (Courtney Ross, an ordinary banker and the ex of Captain Britain), took her place, and bedeviled Captain Britain and the Excalibur team ever since. She in particular seemed to have great plans for Shadowcat, whom she was grooming for as of yet unknown purposes until her true identity was revealed to Excalibur. To the wider world, however, she is still believed to be Courtney Ross, and she even became the White Queen of the Hellfire Club under this identity. Aireo - Aireo is an Inhuman who rebelled against King Black Bolt, and was imprisoned for it. Black Bolt’s treacherous brother Maximus, who desired the throne for himself, freed Aireo and a crew of other Inhuman rebels if they agreed to serve him in his schemes, which they did. Aireo was exiled from the Inhuman city of Attilan for this, and joined Force of Nature with the codename “Skybreaker”. While Aqueduct represented the element of water, Aireo/Skybreaker boasted the element of air, being able to fly and manipulate wind. Aireo is haughty, proud, and disdainful of all humanity, as is typical of Inhumans, though he is also quite critical of how his own species runs their world as well. Poor guy just isn’t happy anywhere!

#marvel #marvel comics #marvel fanart #mutants

7 notes · View notes

dem0nguy · 2 months ago

Text

Digital sketchbook dump‼️

Idk I just feel like showing off shit I’ve been drawing (maybe I’ll lore dump later…)

#digital art #art #digital sketch #my ocs #original characters #CFR #Codename: Free-Rider #sketchbook dump #the goobers #im so obsessed #ahhhhhhh #they’re very silly guys #if you wanna know more about em #ask 👉👈#(PLEASE IM BEGGING /lh)#<3

3 notes · View notes

fetch-d-popcorn · 3 years ago

Text

𝟏𝟐 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠

It's an account of a warrior taking his 12 men and attempting to finish it despite everything and keeping to his promise of bringing them back home securely and alive. The chances are against making it happen to appear to be unimaginable thinking about the way that it's Afghanistan and the Taliban. Truly, if not for the assistance of the northern union the 12 troopers would not have returned home. The basic truth is being a genuine fighter, a genuine pioneer, and practical united two men the general and our legend Chris Hemsworth. This film merits a watch it shows numerous excellent characteristics which each pioneer ought to have and furthermore it shows that Chris Hemsworth is a vastly improved entertainer who shouldn't be called just Thor any longer He is significantly more than that.

Maker Jerry Bruckheimer says, "While the American public was as yet in shock, these men wandered into the obscure, into a circumstance full of risk, to attempt to dole out the retribution and present to us a triumph. The activity was grouped for various years—a great many people have never at any point known about the story—however, these men are valid legends."

12 Strong chief Nicolai Fuglsig says, "They were the tip of the lance, the primary American troopers on the ground in Afghanistan. At the point when they showed up, they wound up dwarfed 5,000 to 1 by the adversary and were continually in danger of getting caught in the light of the colossal abundance the Taliban had put on their heads."

The mission, codenamed Task Force Dagger, was however much conciliatory as it might have been military. Fuglsig clarifies, "This little Special Forces group was to interface up with a neighborhood warlord named General Abdul Rashid Dostum, an innovator in Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, with an end goal to assist him with recovering control of the locale. It was the underlying advance in America's battle against the Taliban and Al Qaeda after 9/11."

The Northern Alliance, a delicate alliance of Afghan military pioneers, had itself become to some degree broke in the years since its arrangement in 1996, however, the one thing that assembled them was their shared craving to free their nation of the merciless, unfeeling Taliban.

Chris Hemsworth plays Captain Mitch Nelson (name change for Mark Nutsch), the head of the Special Forces group, and says, "These Green Berets weren't there as occupiers; they were there to help the Afghan individuals who had been battling for their opportunity.

Without much earlier intel, they needed to come in and acquire the trust of Dostum and his men or they would never have achieved their main goal. What I adored with regards to this story was it was an opportunity to show Americans working one next to the other with the Afghan individuals to battle a shared adversary."

Bruckheimer refers to the mission as "extraordinary" in light of the fact that notwithstanding being among the best-prepared troopers in any part of the military, the 12 Green Berets were caught off guard for the one-of-a-kind test of working in northern Afghanistan's misleadingly steep, uneven territory with Afghan methods of transportation.

He says, "The main way through the mountain passes is on donkeys or ponies, so they needed to adjust. Only one of them was a specialist rider, so the rest needed to learn on the run."

Without precedent for 60 years, "Americans were going into the fight riding a horse," chief Fuglsig notices. "Be that as it may, presently they were riding into battle against rocket launchers and T-72 tanks. The way that each individual from that Special Forces group made it home alive is completely a supernatural occurrence." Two young men, one young lady, run-of-the-mill circle of drama? I think not.

Amazing film. Kindly watch it assuming you love activity. Jerry Bruckheimer made an impressive showing coordinating this film. It has one of the most outstanding shutting credit tunes sung by Zac Brown which will leave you in tears as the film closes.

written by: HANAH AGIR

#12Strong #TrueStory #Heroes

0 notes

multiverseforger · 4 years ago

Text

The being who would later be called Apocalypse was born thousands of years ago in Aqaba. He was born with the mutant X-gene, and possibly the first living being on Earth to express it. Because of his grey skin and blue lips, his people abandoned him as an infant. He was rescued by Baal of the Sandstormers who saw the child's potential power and will to survive. Baal named him En Sabah Nur, which Marvel translates as "The First One". The Sandstormers lived by the credo of survival of the fittest, believing that only those who are strong enough to survive hardship and direct conflict are worthy of life.[12] It is also revealed during the Apocalypse Wars that, while still a young boy, En Sabah Nur was very generous and selfless, to the chagrin of Baal. A time-displaced Evan Sabah Nur and All-New X-Men Beast tried to save En Sabah Nur, but he allowed himself to be captured to help them escape.[13]

Around this time, the time-traveller Kang the Conqueror arrived in Egypt and assumed the identity of Pharaoh Rama-Tut. Knowing who En Sabah Nur was fated to become and where he was, Rama-Tut sent his General Ozymandias and an army to destroy the Sandstormers and find the young Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur and Baal were injured and sought refuge in a cave. Before he died, Baal revealed advanced alien technology hidden in the cave, left behind by the deity-like aliens known as Celestials. Vowing revenge on Rama-Tut, En Sabah Nur entered the Pharaoh's city posing as a slave and drew the romantic attention of Ozymandias's sister, Nephri. On seeing the mutant's true appearance, Nephri rejected him and turned to her brother for protection. Heartbroken, En Sabah Nur's rage caused his mutant abilities to fully emerge. Rampaging, he renamed himself Apocalypse. Rama-Tut fled and En Sabah Nur used the Celestial technology to transform his former tormentor Ozymandias into a blind clairvoyant made of living stone, now enslaved to Apocalypse. As the years went on, Apocalypse found he no longer aged.[14]

It is revealed in the series S.H.I.E.L.D. that Apocalypse, at some point in the days of Ancient Egypt, joined forces with the Brotherhood of the Shield to successfully fend off a Brood invasion. Also present were Imhotep and a man who was either the moon god called Khonshu or his first Moon Knight avatar/champion.[15]

Early historyEdit

As the millennia pass, Apocalypse travels around planet Earth, convincing civilizations that he is a deity (inspiring different myths as a result) and manipulating them into fighting wars. He justifies that this encourages "growth, judgment, and destruction".[16] Apocalypse's progeny become the Clan Akkaba. Apocalypse encounters the near-immortal human offshoot race known as Eternals, primarily the members Ikaris and Sersi, who refer to him as their "Ancient Nemesis".[17] At different points, Apocalypse uses his Celestial technology to enter periods of suspended animation, leaving Clan Akkaba and Ozymandias to act in his stead.

In 1013 AD, Apocalypse seeks to destroy the Asgardian Thor, who he knows will cause him trouble in the future, according to information obtained from Rama-Tut,[18] yet the plans are foiled by Odin. In the 12th century, Apocalypse encounters the Eternal Sersi again while awakening latent mutant powers in a crusader named Bennet du Paris, also known as Exodus.[19] In 1459, Apocalypse defeats Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) in Romania, who later becomes the vampire more popularly known as Count Dracula.[20]

In 1859, Apocalypse encounters British scientist Nathaniel Essex and learns more about the nature of mutants. Apocalypse uses his Celestial technology to transform Essex into the superhuman being Mister Sinister. He then coerces Sinister and the Hellfire Club into aiding his plans for global conquest, but Sinister concludes that these plans are madness and betrays Apocalypse, forcing him back into hibernation.[21] In 1897, Count Dracula attacks the Clan Akkaba in revenge for his defeat at Apocalypse's hands, forcing the Clan to revive their master from suspended animation. Apocalypse defeats the vampire again, this time with help from Abraham Van Helsing.[22] Eventually, Apocalypse enters hibernation again, expecting to remain so for possibly two centuries, by which point mutants should be more common on Earth.

Modern eraEdit

After many years of suspended animation, Apocalypse awakens nearly a century earlier than planned due to the arrival of the time-traveling mutant Cable (ironically, Cable had traveled to this point in time hoping to prevent the ancient mutant from awakening).[23] Apocalypse decides the Earth is ready for further examination and testing. He grants superhuman powers to the terrorist known as Moses Magnum,[24] who then tests the X-Men and the Avengers. Apocalypse later briefly employs the Alliance of Evil to capture the mutant Michael Nowlan, who can boost the power of other mutants. This plan brings Apocalypse into direct conflict with the first incarnation of X-Factor, when the team comprised the original X-Men.[25]

Apocalypse then recruits mutants to serve as his personal guard, known as the Four Horsemen. Among them is Angel, AKA Warren Worthington III, whom Apocalypse has corrupted and turned into a cyborg called Death.[26] Warren Worthington regains his identity and helps his friends defeat Apocalypse, adopting the new codename Archangel. Apocalypse escapes with his new recruit, the Morlock called Caliban, while X-Factor then takes his Celestial spaceship as a base.[27]

During The Evolutionary War, the High Evolutionary plans to rid the Earth of those he feels are preventing evolution. Believing this disrupts the natural order and his own plans, Apocalypse battles the High Evolutionary.[28] Following the genetic manipulation of Caliban, Apocalypse declines an alliance with the Asgardian villain Loki and other villains conspiring to unleash "Acts of Vengeance". This results in a brief fight between Apocalypse and Loki.[29]

Sins of the FuturesEdit

Apocalypse learns of Sinister's intention to create an adversary powerful enough to destroy him: Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, the son of Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor. Apocalypse, viewing him as a threat and realizing that Nathan's energy is the very energy that awoke him all those months earlier,[30] sends his newly formed group, the Riders of the Storm, to abduct the Summers child. Apocalypse at this time had conquered the city of Attilan, home of the Inhumans, as well as enslaved part of its population. X-Factor, alongside the Inhuman Royal Family, attacks Apocalypse's lunar stronghold. Although Apocalypse is severely defeated, the young Nathan is infected with a techno-organic virus and is sent to the future with a woman named Askani to be cured.[31]

In the future, Apocalypse has conquered the Earth and ruled until the 39th century. By this time, Apocalypse's body had grown feeble:[32] he becomes aware of the young Nathan's presence in this time, but only succeeds in kidnapping a clone of the child which Askani created. Apocalypse plans to transfer his consciousness and power into the clone's stronger body, but perishes in combat with the (real) teenage Nathan.[33] Nathan grows up to become the warrior Cable (while his clone grows up to become the mutant terrorist known as Stryfe) and travels back to the past to prevent Apocalypse's future domination of the planet.

In the present, Apocalypse is prematurely awoken from his regeneration chamber by his Riders (now calling themselves The Dark Riders), who inform their master that his Horsemen have kidnapped Cyclops and Jean Grey, supposedly under his instructions (in actuality, Mister Sinister, who was posing as Apocalypse).[34] When attempting to rejuvenate himself again, Apocalypse is nearly killed by Stryfe who had arrived in the past to take revenge on Apocalypse. After a battle on the Moon with his former servants, the Dark Riders (who had joined Stryfe), Apocalypse is left for dead by Archangel.[35]

The Dark Riders' new leader, Genesis (the adopted son of Cable, who had traveled to the present to ensure Apocalypse's rise and exact revenge on his father), plans to resurrect Apocalypse by sacrificing the lives of the people in villages neighboring Akkaba. During this time, Wolverine is held captive by Genesis, who attempts to restore Wolverine's lost adamantium skeleton and turn him into a Horseman as a gift for Apocalypse. Wolverine breaks free and kills Genesis along with nearly all of the Dark Riders. Genesis had built a sarcophagus with Apocalypse's likeness (which is empty,[36] since Apocalypse had already revived[37]).

Further schemesEdit

After a long healing slumber, Apocalypse, fully restored, awakens with Ozymandias at his side and quickly learns of the present danger: Onslaught.[38] He observes the conflict between the psionic entity and Earth's heroes with Uatu the Watcher, who suggests to Apocalypse a course of action: an alliance with the one who hated him the most, Cable.[39] Apocalypse surmises that Onslaught will be most vulnerable through the astral plane and that he needs Cable for actual physical transportation to this realm. Once on the astral plane, Apocalypse removes the captive Franklin Richards, greatly weakening Onslaught. The plan succeeds, but is interrupted by the Invisible Woman, who had invisibly accompanied the pair, having suspected Apocalypse's motive in wanting to actually kill her son. However, the reprieve in battle gave Onslaught the time to escape, prolonging the conflict.[40]

Following the events of the Onslaught saga, the gamma-spawned powerhouse, the Hulk and his human alter ego, Banner, are split into two separate entities: Hulk now draws upon energy derived from Franklin Richards' pocket universe. Apocalypse recruits the Hulk to become his Horseman, War, with intentions of using the Hulk's nexus-energy to overcome the Celestials. To test this newest recruit, Apocalypse set War against the New World Order, a shadow cabinet organization that intends to conquer the planet. The New World Order in turn set the Juggernaut and the Absorbing Man against War, but both are easily defeated. Hulk comes to his senses after injuring his friend, Rick Jones. Despite this apparent setback, the incident was still a victory for Apocalypse as it was a successful testing of newly understood Celestial technology. Apocalypse activates the self-destruct mechanism on the sword of War, which the New World Order had obtained, destroying their headquarters.[41]

The Hellfire Club later awakens Apocalypse's long-hidden Harbinger from its deep sleep: originally a normal man, whom Apocalypse in the 19th century once left to incubate for 100 years. Apocalypse releases his Horseman (Caliban) and his scribe Ozymandias from his possession, to fend for themselves, if they were to survive the coming events.[42] Cable with the Avengers battles the Harbinger, but are unable to stop it. Apocalypse then appears, activating a bomb inside the Harbinger intended to destroy all of New York, but Cable manages to prevent this disaster.[43]

When Magneto is disrupting Earth's magnetic field, Apocalypse sends a Skrull impersonating the mutant Astra (having dealt with the original Astra) to stop the Master of Magnetism.[44]

Intending to start an all-out war between the humans and the subterranean-dwelling Deviants as part of his plan to test the strong, Apocalypse sets off nuclear warheads at Lemuria, causing the Deviants to further mutate (which also restores Ikaris' father Virako to life). Apocalypse launches an attack at San Francisco, using a mentally controlled Deviant, Karkas, now a gigantic monster, that the Eternals are forced to battle. Apocalypse is confronted by his centuries-old foe, Ikaris, who now is a Prime Eternal. Although Apocalypse defeats Ikaris, the Eternal still succeeds in destroying his ship and thwarting his plan.[45]

The TwelveEdit

Main article: Apocalypse: The Twelve

Supposedly lost diaries of the mutant seer Destiny surfaced, telling of twelve beings that could defeat Apocalypse once and for all.[46] Various mutants, all listed in the prophecy, are abducted by Apocalypse's Horsemen including a faction of the Skrulls. The Twelve legend was in fact a ruse, orchestrated by Apocalypse himself: once the Twelve are assembled, Apocalypse intended to use them to transform himself into a deitylike entity beyond the Celestials.[47] It is revealed at the end of this story arc, that Apocalypse's physical form has been burned out due to the vast amount of energies he has under his control, forcing him to wear a bio-armor (like his future counterpart) and now plans to use Nate Grey as a host body for him to move his energy and consciousness into. The X-Men confront Apocalypse as he is close to merging with Nate, but are unable to stop him. Cyclops pushes Nate Grey out of the way, merging with Apocalypse instead.[48] While the merge is successful, Apocalypse's aim for unlimited power is not and he attempts to complete the transformation by warping reality into various scenarios (see Ages of Apocalypse). Apocalypse hoped to lure the Twelve into empowering him with their energy, but eventually, the mutants realize their true predicament and Apocalypse teleports away.[49]

An amnesiac and powerless cyborg Cyclops regains control of the merged form, but Apocalypse begins to re-emerge. Jean and Cable are alerted to his location in Egypt, where Jean in the end manages to free Cyclops by telepathically tearing out Apocalypse's essence from her husband's body, rendering Apocalypse in an incorporeal astral form, which Cable apparently destroys using his Psimitar.[50]

2000sEdit

In the aftermath of the 2005 "Decimation" storyline, in which most of the mutants lost their powers, Apocalypse was revealed to be alive and well. The techno-organic virus, with which he long ago infected Cable, was revealed to be the means by which Apocalypse's spirit reconstituted itself. With only a drop of his blood into a vat of organs and blood, the virus rewrote the genetic code of the material within to form a body for Apocalypse.[51] Apocalypse awakes from a slumber in a tomb in Akkaba, recalling:[52]

Across the world—helpless mutants slaughtered. Pogroms. Horror. ...Something has woken me from my slumber. Once, a sudden surge in worldwide mutant power stirred me from a similar sleep. Now—a plummet in global mutant capacity—has opened my eyes.

Apocalypse finds himself on a planet with its mutant population reduced to a fraction of what it had been, only a few hundred remaining out of the millions who populated earth prior to his demise at Cable's hands. Reappearing inside a Sphinx-shaped ship, Apocalypse confronts the X-Men with his newly assembled cadre of Horsemen on the front lawn of the X-Mansion.[53] The Horseman Famine uses his powers to cause an intense feeling of hunger and weakness in the mutants and humans on the institute grounds. Apocalypse offers the mutants an elixir: his own blood, provided they join his side.[54] Bent on becoming the new messiah for mutant-kind, Apocalypse approaches the Earth leaders at the United Nations in New York and issues an ultimatum: humanity would destroy ninety percent of its own population, putting man and mutant on level ground in anticipation of the final conflict when the worthy alone would survive – or Apocalypse would unleash his meta-plague on the planet and obliterate all humanity.[55][56]

In the end, Apocalypse's horsemen are lost, Ozymandias betrays him, and he is forced to retreat by a combined assault of the X-Men and the Avengers. Ultimately, it is discovered that the Celestials lent their technology to Apocalypse, requiring as payment greater sufferings later. He attempts to embrace death as an escape from his lifelong pact, only to find himself instantly resurrected and hearing a voice: "We cannot let you die. Not yet. It is time Apocalypse… it is time".[57]

In a future timeline seen in the 2009 storyline "Messiah War", a greatly weakened Apocalypse is attacked by Stryfe and Bishop, but he survives the attack. Afterward, Apocalypse contacts Archangel in the future and begs him to kill him. Archangel refuses and instead hands over some of his techno organic wing blades to him, telling Apocalypse he no longer holds any control over him. Coming into contact with the blades rejuvenates Apocalypse and he offers to join forces with Archangel to kill Stryfe who is on the verge of killing X-Force, Cable, Bishop, as well as Hope Summers.[58] Archangel takes Apocalypse to a Celestial ship, where Apocalypse is then fully restored and wants to avenge what Stryfe did to him.[59] Just as Stryfe is on the verge of taking Hope for himself, Apocalypse and Archangel confront and defeat Stryfe. Apocalypse releases Hope into Cable's care, but says that he will return for her eventually. Apocalypse then drags Stryfe away, intending to use him as a new host body.[60] Stryfe manages to escape and travels back in time to the present.[61]

2010sEdit

In the 2010 "Heroic Age" storyline, versions of Apocalypse and his Horsemen from a possible future appear in the Avengers Tower after Kang breaks time itself. After a fight with the Avengers, he and his Horsemen disappear.[62]

Apocalypse's followers, the Clan Akkaba, manage to bring about Apocalypse's return, albeit in the form of a child they will indoctrinate. Upon learning of Apocalypse's return, X-Force seeks to kill him, but when they discover he is a child, Psylocke decides to protect him, believing they can rehabilitate him and train him as a force for good. To the shock of the rest of the team, Fantomex fatally shoots the child.[63]

In a 2011 storyline, as X-Force succeed in stopping the Deathloks inside the World, the home of all Weapon projects, it is revealed that Ultimaton, guardian of the World, is keeping watch over an incubating young boy labeled En Sabah Nur, aged 847 days.[64]

During the 2012 storyline "Dark Angel Saga", it is revealed that Apocalypse had fathered a son with Autumn Rolfson and she kept this a secret from Apocalypse out of fear of what he would do to him.[65] At the end of the storyline, it is revealed that Fantomex creates a clone Apocalypse which he helps raise to the age of a teenager in an artificial world, where the clone knows Fantomex as the kindly "Uncle Cluster" who taught him to use his abilities for good. The boy, code-named Genesis, helps X-force fight Archangel and when the battle is over, Fantomex enrolls him in the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.[66]

Evan SabahnurEdit

In Wolverine & the X-Men #4 (March 2012), Evan Sabahnur a.k.a. Genesis is admitted as a student to the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning, where his classmates notice his resemblance to Apocalypse. En is worried when a visiting Deathlok, who reveals to the students their likely futures, shows reluctance to do so with Evan. When Evan presses him, Deathlok informs him that this is what Evan is at the school to discover. Deathlok then tells Wolverine that Evan has great potential and may be a great savior, or a conqueror.[67]

After being called Kid Apocalypse by Kid Omega, Evan begins learning about Apocalypse and is saddened that he himself looks like the villain, raising the possibility of a future that Evan rejects. After saving Angel and discovering that he possesses the ability to see the essence of those he looks upon, Evan asks him to tell him what he sees when he looks at him. Angel tells Evan he sees only goodness inside him, which makes Evan happy, so he thanks Angel for being a good friend. In fact, Angel lied, as the only thing he could see was the dark image of Apocalypse.[68]

A new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, led by Wolverine's son Daken, kidnaps Evan during a field trip to Genosha's remains. Hoping to sway the boy into becoming Apocalypse, the Brotherhood reveals to him that he is a clone and tells him of X-Force's assassination of the child En Sabah Nur from which he was cloned and the falsehood of his life under the tutelage of Fantomex. After the Brotherhood reveals that they have killed Fantomex and further tortures Evan, Daken tells En that he has a choice: either immediately ascend as Apocalypse and kill the Brotherhood as revenge for the death of "Uncle Cluster", or let the rest of X-Force die at the Brotherhood's hands to avenge the death of the original boy En Sabah Nur and to prevent X-Force from killing Evan the way they killed Apocalypse and Archangel.[69]

Daken offers Evan a suit of Apocalypse's Celestial armor to do with what he will, secretly planning to control the new Apocalypse through the psychic abilities of the Shadow King. After Deadpool's failed attempt to rescue Evan, the boy dons the Celestial armor to prevent Wolverine's death at Daken's hands and nearly kills Brotherhood members Sabretooth and Mystique. Enraged by the lies he has been told and filled with new-found power from Apocalypse's armor, Evan prepares to attack Wolverine himself, but Wolverine convinces him of the ultimate futility of revenge. Evan is later visited by Deadpool at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Deadpool tells Evan he is not Apocalypse and that Deadpool will always be there for him when he needs him.[70]

Later Deadpool enlists Evan and Quentin's help to help him saving his daughter Eleanor Camacho from the Flag-Smasher, with Evan promising Quentin a bloodbath and some action to motivate him. He manages to save Ellie's life and proposes Deadpool to let Quentin erase from the girl's mind every memory of the ordeal. Deadpool loudly refuses and to Evan's surprise, he hugs him and tells him to stay in school.[71]

During the 2014 "AXIS" storyline, Evan is one of many mutants captured by the Red Skull on the island of Genosha.[72] During a fierce battle between the Avengers, the united X-Men, as well as a group of villains who all attempt to defeat the Red Onslaught, Evan assists Kid Omega in preventing Red Onslaught's telepathy from affecting the combined combatants.[73] In the energy released when the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom use the combined power of order and chaos spells to suppress the Red Skull's personality in favor of the sliver of Professor X's that still exists in his brain, Evan ascends to adulthood, stepping out of the rubble with a looming, muscular body and the presence and appearance of Apocalypse. Deadpool even comments on how changed Evan is. When Havok and Cyclops argue with Steve Rogers and the new Captain America over who should take custody of the body of Red Skull, Evan convinces the Summers brothers that Professor X is dead and they have other problems to deal with.[74]

Acting as Apocalypse, 'En' vows to lead the mutants in an uprising, rallying the converted X-Men into helping him take Avengers Tower—now disregarded by the inverted Avengers after they captured almost all other heroes using Pym particles—to use as the site where he will detonate a Celestial-based 'gene-bomb' to wipe out all humans not carrying the X-gene.[75] With only the inverted villains present at the original confrontation to oppose the inverted X-Men and Avengers, the gene bomb is nearly detonated,[76] but is contained thanks to the sacrifice of Carnage.[77] As Apocalypse broods on his failure, the decapitated Deadpool—converted to a peaceful version of himself by the inversion—convinces Apocalypse that now is the time to be heroic, proclaiming that nobody liked En Sabah Nur but everyone appreciated Evan, as he represented the hope that nurture could beat nature. Inspired by Deadpool's words, Apocalypse turns on the X-Men and the Avengers, allowing the Astonishing Avengers (along with non-inverted heroes Steve Rogers and Spider-Man) to retrieve the White Skull and undo the inversion. At the conclusion of the storyline, Evan is shown on the run with Deadpool.[78]

Apocalypse WarsEdit

During the Apocalypse Wars, the Extraordinary X-Men travel thousands of years into Earth's future in order to rescue Colossus and his team of young mutants after they were investigating the sudden appearance of six hundred new mutant signatures in Tokyo. Arriving into Earth's future, the X-Men found themselves in a destroyed New York City and soon discovered that at some point Apocalypse had risen and what remained of Earth after his ascension became the Omega World, a huge structure composed of bubble worlds. The ones who survived the Great Trials lived on Omega World under Apocalypse's rule as he functioned as the Omega World's heart, keeping it alive, while his Horsemen functioned as its antibodies, cleansing the structure of anything that could harm their master. Omega World crumbled as the result of Apocalypse being fatally wounded by Nightcrawler.[79] Storm was forced to take Apocalypse back to the present with them so they could undo the transformation of Colossus, who was turned into a Horseman, however, before he could restore Colossus back to normal, Apocalypse instead teleported him away, sending him to Clan Akkaba. It's left unknown if this Apocalypse was actually a future version of Evan or Apocalypse himself using a new host body.[80] Apocalypse was kept at X-Haven, inside a cell specially built to contain him by Forge,[81] and later after again retrieving Colossus, Forge tried to find a way to cure him by reverse engineering Apocalypse's powers but failed.[82] During the World-Eater's attack on Limbo, Nightcrawler agreed to free Apocalypse in exchange for a cure for his friend.[83] After returning Colossus to his normal self, Nightcrawler indeed released Apocalypse from his prison, however what Apocalypse didn't expect was that Nightcrawler would throw him into the vortex created by the World-Eater to consume Limbo, seemingly killing him in the process.[84]

DegenerationEdit

Apocalypse is later revealed to be back on Earth, no details about what the Celestials did to him were revealed, and is shown performing experiments to create an immortal vessel which he can then use as a host for his vast power and consciousness by utilizing a modified ancient Celestial technology known as the Finch, which can repair genetic decay. His efforts are not in vain, as he begins to impose his own consciousness onto a human test subject, the fourth attempt, lending it his own regenerative powers to withstand the assault. However, the test subject resists the process, causing a massive chain reaction that bathes Apocalypse and the subject in a wave of energy. Apocalypse's mind and body are torn apart. He finds his mind wandering to that of his birth before his being is fused, mixed, and exploded along with this human form. Once the wave subsides, Apocalypse finds himself in a strange new land that he deduces was the result of the explosion within the Celestial machine that must have caused a dimensional rift which threw him into another dimension. He also discovers that his body has changed as well. Not only does he discover that he can bleed, something that should be impossible with his injury-resistant mutant physiology, but after a fight against a resident of the twisted dimension, which he was able to defeat, Apocalypse learns that his body is actively refusing physiological mutation. Needing to breathe air for the first time in centuries, he comes to a shocking truth as he watches his hand turn from its usual mutated appearance back to a human form: he's becoming Human.[85] After degenerating into an ape form, he is taken out by his previous human test subjects who unlike him, had ascend in form after being empowered by Apocalypse's own DNA. He and other apes are tortured with the Finch, which was recovered and repaired by the human test subjects. When test subject D experiments on Apocalypse, he uses the last of his mutant power to try to transfer his mind into D and is finally able to possess him which restores Apocalypse to his former glory and realizes that he had not been transported to another planet, rather the earlier explosion from the Finch had simply evolved his entire South American island, infusing his superior genetics into everything the blast wave struck, transforming it into the tribulation which he had been forced to endure. Apocalypse then gave his perfect host body a trial run as he killed the remaining test subjects, while reducing the entire island to rubble that was reclaimed by the sea.[86]

Apocalypse was soon afterward captured by some mysterious force and is being held captive along with Kitty Pryde and anti-mutant senator Ashton Allen.[87]

Dawn of XEdit

Apocalypse accepts Xavier's invite to enter Krakoa[88] and even is among the Quiet Council, a group of twelve powerful and experienced mutants who serve as the island's lawgivers. He takes up learning magic and acts as an advisor to the new Excalibur team.[89] He appears to have devised a way to restore the powers of those who were depowered by Scarlet Witch's spell, but to do so, these ex-mutants need to prove themselves as worthy to get their powers back. Therefore, Apocalypse created the "Crucible", a trial by combat to death, where the ex-mutant is expected to lose in order to pass all while Apocalypse goads them about the weakness the loss of their powers created.[90]

Its also revealed that at an uncertain point in the distant past apparently before En Sabah Nur merged himself with the Celestial technology, he met and married his wife Genesis. Together with Genesis' sister Isca they found and populated a living island known as Okkara. As time passed he and Genesis concevied four children, two sons and two daughters who eventually became their First Horsemen when the island was split by a force wielding the Twilight Sword. The mutant population were then lead by Apocalypse and his family to fight the invading Daemons coming from the hellish reality of Amenth. During the war, the enemies' leader Annihilation tried to do a peace treaty with the mutants by offering a gift to them but only if they would pass a test first. Genesis seemed to easily pass the test but the gift Annihilation whispered to Genesis was not revealed. In the end, Genesis, the Horsemen and Arakko decided to move to Amenth in order to hold off the Amenthi forces and deny Annihilation access to Earth by sealing the chasm, while leaving Apocalypse behind, since he wasn't strong enough, much to his and Krakoa's sorrow. However, before Genesis went to Amenth, she made Apocalypse promise to find and judge the succeding mutants in following years in order to help them fight the threat. Born Moira Kinross to Scottish parents, Moira MacTaggert was one of the world's leading authorities on genetic mutation, earning her a Nobel Prize for her work. She was the longest running human associate of the X-Men and was Professor Charles Xavier's colleague, confidante, and also once his fiancée, having met and fallen in love with him while they were postgraduates at Oxford University.[6] She ended their engagement for unknown reasons and returned to Scotland. She was married to her old flame, the late politician Joseph MacTaggert which caused delays with her former engagement to Xavier. Joe proved to be an abusive husband; Moira separated from him after he beat her into a week long coma and, as it is implied, raped her, leaving her pregnant. She kept her son's existence a secret, and when Joe refused her a divorce she allowed people to believe she was widowed.

She eventually created a Mutant Research Center on Muir Island, off the coast of Scotland. Moira was forced to contain and imprison her son Kevin, later called Proteus, when he developed reality warping abilities and severe psychosis. One of Moira's goals was to understand human/mutant genetics, in order to cure her son. However, it is suggested that she intentionally married Joseph and gave birth to Kevin in order to produce a mutant with reality-bending abilities.

First appearance from Uncanny X-Men #96.

Art by Dave Cockrum.

Moira's connection to the X-Men began long before the team formed. The silent partner in the founding of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and co-creator of Cerebro, Moira assisted Xavier in helping the young Jean Grey recover after the traumatic triggering of her mutant abilities.

Moira was a kind woman who took to helping humans and mutants alike. She rescued a young Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane) from an angry mob, and adopted the girl. She even attempted to treat Xavier's son, a mutant known as Legion who suffered from multiple personality disorder. When a confused, traumatized Cable first arrived from the future, he washed up in Scotland unable to speak English, and it was Moira who stood up for him against an angry mob. Taking him back to Muir Island, he scanned her mind and learned English in the process, as well as the truth about her son, and promised to keep her secrets. She taught him literature and the customs of the time and introduced him to Xavier. They became close friends ever since, being the first kind person Cable met in the present timeline, her later death devastating him enough to leave the X-Men. When Magneto was reduced to infancy, he was entrusted to Moira's care on Muir Island, where she altered his genetic code in an attempt to keep him from reverting to villainy.

Involvement with the X-MenEdit

Moira appeared at Xavier's call to act as "housekeeper" for the team while they were on missions (a position that required her to demonstrate her proficiency with an M16 rifle against a demon within hours of her arrival). Though each of the X-Men formed some sort of relationship with the "Widow" MacTaggert, Moira and Sean Cassidy (Banshee) hit it off immediately, forming an on-and-off relationship that would last for the remainder of her life. Proteus' escape and eventual destruction at the hands of Colossus and the X-Men left Moira in a position of ethical compromise again: though Banshee stopped her from cloning her son, she saved his genetic structure on disk to allow herself the future option of bringing him back.[7][8]

After finding out that her foster daughter, Rahne, was a mutant, Moira was the catalyst for change. She talked a discouraged Xavier into opening his school to the next generation of New Mutants, with Rahne becoming an initial member. She was also an integral part of the support for the X-Men and the New Mutants, providing medical aid including cloning Xavier after the Brood attacks, transferring his mind into a new body and restoring his ability to walk after a Brood embryo nearly killed him.

Muir Islanders (Muir Island X-Men) on the cover of Uncanny X-Men #254. Art by Marc Silvestri.

With the apparent death of the X-Men, Moira and Banshee formed an alternate team based from Muir, and carried on as the leader of the team without him when his duties with the X-Men called him away.[9] Her behavior became unpredictable, her temper impressive, and her decisions harsh and unforgiving as she displayed behavior that made all who knew her suspicious. On Muir, she began to pit her charges against each other in an arena in merciless battles, supposedly allowing her the opportunity to study mutants in action.

Moira and her islanders were involved in the return of Proteus due to the influence of Advanced Idea Mechanics. This was a four-part story in 1991, that ran through that year's annuals for the New Warriors, X-Force, New Mutants and X-Factor. The Shadow King, the corrupting entity behind the island, allowed the Islanders to act heroically in defense of innocent lives.

Eventually, the entire population of Muir Island was identified as being possessed by and mentally corrupted by Shadow King, pitting the Islanders against the combined forces of the X-Men and X-Factor before Xavier freed them from his control.[10]

Moira confronted by Magneto in X-Men #2. Art by Jim Lee.

Moira's alteration of Magneto did not go unnoticed indefinitely. Enraged when he discovered Moira had tampered with his free will, Magneto took Moira captive and forced her to perform the procedure on half of the X-Men, turning them against their teammates.[11] While Moira's alterations worked, it was revealed that, due to mutants' powers requiring their body chemistry to operate in a specific manner, use of a mutant's powers would cause them to automatically resist the 'programming' and reverse the effects of the procedure, so anything Magneto had done was of his own free will. While hostage on Asteroid M, Moira witnessed Fabian Cortez draining Magneto of his powers and manipulating him into placing him as his right hand. Though Cortez fled, it was an observation that would eventually put Moira back in the hands of the Acolytes. Back on Earth, Moira was unable to accept her betrayal of her surrogate family and her own infallibility, and fled the X-Mansion, with Banshee in pursuit.[12]

Excalibur and the Legacy VirusEdit

When a mysterious virus began attacking the genetically engineered mutate population of Genosha, Moira volunteered her services as a geneticist and was forced to watch as the former slaves were decimated by disease. Returning to the X-Mansion, Moira found Illyana Rasputin suffering from the same illness, later identified as the Legacy Virus. Moving back to Muir Island after the girl's death, Moira became the key figure in working for a cure to the disease (during this time, she also worked on curing Wolfsbane's artificial bond with Havok).

The European superhero team Excalibur took up residence on Muir Island after assisting Moira.[13] She had been attacked by agents of Mister Sinister who was seeking the genetic information on her son. Moira became an official member of the group, acting as their medic, team mother, and morale officer. An information leak revealed her to be the only human infected by the Legacy Virus—a bizarre turn of events possibly caused by her long exposure to the infected on Genosha, her autopsy of Illyana, or some susceptibility because she gave birth to a mutant.[14] Despite these events, she maintained a strong outlook on life, helping to maintain discipline, reduce tension, and increase the team's effectiveness throughout Europe. She convinced the team to stay behind when Onslaught emerged, telling them they might be needed if other heroes fell.[15]

Conferring with the X-Men's Beast did not result in appreciable progress. Locking herself in quarantine in a final attempt to cure the virus without endangering any of her teammates, Moira found her attempts foiled by her foster daughter, Wolfsbane, and Douglock. Wolfsbane originally leapt through the closing doors of the laboratory as the quarantine took effect. She soon found herself a willing assistant to her foster mother's work. Douglock later caused much unintentional damage, his judgement clouded by personal feelings for Wolfsbane.[13][16][17] Moira takes time off from her research to attend the bachelorette party and the wedding for her friends Meggan and Brian Braddock.[18]

Final moments in X-Men (vol. 2) #108.

Art by Leinil Francis Yu

Moira did eventually find a cure for the disease, when the terrorist Mystique manipulated her research to force the virus to target only humans. Mystique, partly assisted by Sabretooth, then destroyed Muir Island, de-powered Wolfsbane with the power nullifier once developed by Forge, and brutally injured Moira.[19][20] Bishop, Wolverine, and Rogue attempted to save Moira's life. Despite Rogue's powers temporarily granting her medical knowledge, she was unable to do so. Moira clung to lifelong enough to mentally transfer the information to Xavier in one final embrace between the former lovers. Xavier nearly went with her into death, but Jean Grey and Cable intervened on the astral plane, talking him down. She appeared to died in the X-Men's jet, far above the Atlantic Ocean, and was later buried in Scotland.[21] A psychic representation of Moira was seen as an active portion of Xavier's consciousness as he worked on rebuilding Genosha though "she" claimed she was just a manifestation of his imaginations.[22]

Moira is next seen in the afterlife, in which she, Mockingbird, Gwen Stacy, and Dead Girl assist Doctor Strange in battling a being known as the Pitiful One. Moira finds herself more interested in the book club she formed with Mockingbird and Gwen Stacy then in battling evil.[23]

X-Men: Deadly GenesisEdit

After the events of M-Day and upon the reawakening of Vulcan, significant portions of Moira's history with Xavier and the original X-Men are called into light. While in the rubble of Muir Island research center, Banshee freaks out when he notices Moira standing outside in the pouring rain, but when he rushes outside she has already disappeared. When she appears to him again, and believing he's really seeing Moira’s spirit, Sean decides to follows her to a house where she leads him to an old stockroom. Moira’s image then fades away as Sean finds important notes from Xavier which reveals that during the early years of Xavier's Academy, Moira founded and ran a secondary facility not far from the Xavier School, in which she had her own students—youths whom she took out of bad situations and adopted as her wards, training them in their abilities without the highly militant regimen of Charles' X-Men.

When Krakoa captured the original X-Men, it was Moira's students whom Charles went to first—not the second team of Wolverine, Storm, Banshee, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird and Sunfire as it was originally believed—putting them through the psionic equivalent of boot camp and allowing them to believe they were being trained over months as X-Men. Charles took them from Moira's care immediately.

Moira's students—Vulcan (Gabriel Summers, the lost brother of X-Men Cyclops and Havok), Petra, Darwin, and Sway—were apparently all killed, and Xavier suppressed even the memory of them from his own students to keep them from going back to save them. Only Moira's project tapes—one made directly after the event before Xavier could suppress the memories—and an abandoned research center remain as clues.[24]

Chaos WarEdit

During the "Chaos War" storyline, Moira MacTaggert is brought back from the afterlife, alongside the fallen X-Men members John Proudstar, Banshee, three Madrox dupes, and Sophie and Esme Cuckoo, after what happened to the death realms.[25] After escaping from the Apache god Carrion Crow, the group discovers that Moira has been possessed by Destiny's ghost.[26] She returns to the afterlife after stopping the Carrion Crow from destroying the elemental spirits of life.[27]

House of XEdit

In 2019's House of X, it is revealed that the reason of why Moira was infected by the Legacy Virus was because she is actually a mutant with the power of reincarnation, starting her life again in the womb after her death, possessing full memories of her prior lives. She is also revealed to be actually alive, having at some point replaced herself with a Shi'ar golem which took her place and died at the hands of the Brotherhood, which indicates that it was Moira's replica that was seen in the afterlife and was brought back to life during the Chaos War.

The Lives of Moira MacTaggertEdit

Life 1 Moira Kinross was born to powerful Scots nobleman Lord Kinross and when she turned 13, her mutant ability manifested, but due to her passive power, there were no signs indicating that she had become a mutant other than a strong, temporary fever. Living a simple life, Moira meets Charles Xavier, but he passes through without them forming a bond. She later marries a man named Kenneth Cowan and has three children: twin boys Callum and Dean, and a girl named Abigail. Kenneth dies when Moira is 68 years old, and she passes away from congestive heart failure at age 74.

Life 2 Her second life began in utero, having already become fully sentient and possessing a perfect recollection of her prior life when she turned 13, which is when her powers first manifest. This allowed Moira to appear intellectually gifted, and she was pushed in the direction of academia. She didn't fight her parents' intentions, since she intended to understand her true nature. After she verified that she wasn't suffering from psychosis or a disorder, and having lived through one life with Kenneth and learning all his faults, she makes a point not to fall in love with him when they met. She enrolls at Oxford at age 16, becomes a biology professor at 20, founds the Muir Research Institute at 31, and at 44 she finally deduced she was a mutant after seeing Charles Xavier coming out as one on television. She boards a plane to the United States of America in order to meet him; however, the plane crashes before reaching its destination, killing Moira.

Life 3 Moira made a point of finding Xavier earlier in her third life. She meets Charles Xavier when they were both at Oxford University; however, she becomes turned off by his arrogance and a thinly veiled god complex. She instead devotes her life to finding a cure for mutation, which she compared to cancer. Moira founds again the Muir Research Institute, and at 36 she identifies the X-gene. Just when it appears Moira had rid herself of her reincarnation powers, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants attack the Muir Research Institute. Able to see the future, Destiny alone is able to sense Moira's mutant status and see the effects her reincarnations are having on the timeline. Destiny orders Moira to stop wasting her gift by working against her own kind, and instead help prevent a seemingly inevitable future where mankind's machines wipe out the mutant race. Destiny also tells Moira of her future, revealing that Moira will ultimately live either 10 or 11 lives, depending on the choices she makes in the 10th cycle. Destiny also reveals that if Moira dies before her powers manifest at 13, she won't reincarnate. With that, Destiny warns Moira that she'll continue to hunt her in each new life if she doesn't work for the betterment of mutantkind. By Destiny's request, Moira is then killed by being slowly burned alive by Pyro so she would always remember what this slow and painful death feels like.

Life 4 In her fourth life, reconsidering the positive nature of mutants and Xavier himself, Moira throws herself into studying the human-mutant dilemma. She meets Xavier and goes on to fall in love with and marry him, with the couple establishing the Xavier School for Gifted Children. She, Xavier, and the X-Men fight for the mutant cause for years, but at age 55, Moira is killed by Sentinels. That ultimately means Destiny's vision was right as she warned Moira that humans would always try to exterminate mutants.

Life 5 Now choosing aggression as a response to the violent tendencies of humanity, Moira runs away from home at 13, to encounter Xavier a full decade earlier than when they're supposed to meet. Not wasting any time, Moira opens her mind to Xavier so he can see how his dream fails in her past lives. The mind-reading radicalizes him, forcing the duo to form the mutant nation of Faraway instead of a school. It seemed mutants were finally safe from humanity. Yet, Boliver Trask's adaptive-learning Sentinels still make their way there, and Moira is initially injured in an attack when she was 43 and dies a year later during a genocide.

Life 6 In her sixth life, Moira discovers the true threat to mutants are not Sentinels or humanity, but ironically, time itself. It turns out that while mutants are the natural evolution response to humans , they will not be the next evolutionary step for them, and they never will be, because humans will render evolution obsolete by changing its environment around its needs rather than adapting to that same environment. Humans will use technology to extend their life, and when they reach an evolutionary stagnation, they will over time integrate themselves with it, creating in the process a genetically engineered new species, the pinnacle of humanity without natural evolution, the Post-Humans (Homo novissima), blue-hued human-machine hybrids that will rule the Earth and bring mutants nearly to extinction, 1000 years in the future. The last surviving mutants are kept captive in preserve areas, as a diversionary tactic to keep them from interfering with the process of breeding something far beyond human or mutant. Moira and Wolverine are among them because they were able to survive on each other's blood. One of the Post-Humans, the Librarian, comes to them and reveal how they'll achieve godhood. Due to the Post-Humans techo-organic nature, it allows them to be more readily absorbed by the Phalanx in a process known as Ascension and join the physical form of the Phalanx, and the hive mind of the Dominion system to artificially force their evolution into higher beings once again, gaining in the process control over time and space. The Librarian intends to send Moira and Wolverine to another planet to prevent Moira from dying and use her knowledge against them in her resurrection. However, the Librarian underestimated Wolverine who manages to kill him and afterwards, with Moira's consent, kills her too.

Life 7 With the knowledge that the Trask family is responsible for creating the Sentinels and learning how that technology will be use it to overtake mutantkind, Moira spends her seventh life eradicating the Trask bloodline. Bolivar, Donald, Gwyneth, and Simon Trask are systematically murdered over the span of a decade, with Moira even taking out their children for good measure. But when she thought she had successfully eliminated the potential for Sentinel creation, Moira lost all hope when she sadly discovered Sentinels were still being created. She finally understood that mutantkind’s fall is the "Inevitable Truth" as the Artificial Intelligence is unavoidable since it's a discovery and not a creation. This realization radicalized her as Sentinels killed her again.

Life 8 Abandoning Xavier's peaceful dream to foster a safe future for mutants, Moira seeks out Magneto instead. Presenting Magneto with tales of her past lives and his future failures, Moira convinced him to join her. Together they conquered America, establishing the House of M and initiated the War of M. However, during the war, Moira witnesses Magneto being defeated and killed by the combined might of Earth's humans and mutants heroes like the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men. Moira is imprisoned and later killed in a failed prison escape.

Life 9 Though eventually a failure, the life-defining decision Moira made to turn to Magneto did validate her radical approach to beat humanity through force. Magneto was simply not enough. To that end, in her ninth life, Moira woke Apocalypse from his slumber early. Forming a powerful union that leads to the creation of the X-Men, they destroy their two strongest opponents, Xavier and Magneto, gather their Four Horsemen and launch the Apocalypse War. The war provokes a reaction from humanity in the form of the Man-Machine Supremacy, an alliance between humans and machines which culminates with Nimrod becoming online for the first time. One hundred years later, most mutants have been driven out of the solar system as the war still rages. Apocalypse's forces split into two teams, as one group attacks the Temple of Concordance, while the other group heads into Nimrod's vast archives to extract vital information about its origins. Once the info is gathered, Apocalypse sends Wolverine away and stays behind to take on Nimrod once it realized that the archives were being raided. Wolverine's destination is revealed to be a container that holds Moira MacTaggert in stasis for over 16 years. With the data embedded into Moira through a techno-organic interface designed by Apocalypse himself, she now knows how and when Nimrod was first brought online, but for that information to actually be useful, Logan kills her.

Life 10 Moira's 10th life occurs in the current iteration of the Marvel Universe. Its revealed that when she first meets Xavier in her 10th life, she allows him to read her mind to learn everything her lives had entailed. Since then, she's been using the information from her previous lives to work with Xavier and Magneto to save mutants from humans and machines. As the years passed, it's revealed through her journals that Moira deliberately used her genetic expertise to find mates for herself and Professor X that, in combination with their own mutant genes, would potentially spawn mutants with reality-warping powers (Proteus and Legion), because she knew someone with that power would be needed in the future to enable the mutant resurrection protocol. She notes how her influence indirectly imprinted the idea for a mutant stronghold in Magneto's mind after Xavier used his powers to show Magneto the lives of Moira. This is why he created so many of his own, from Asteroid M to Avalon and Genosha. She also noted her worries for Charles Xavier, as while he kept being unacceptably hopeful and idealistic, he was becoming too dependent on her interpretation of past-life events, and she fears that she might had fractured Xavier's psyche by allowing him to read her mind, which eventually leads to the creation of Onslaught when Charles used his telepathic powers to shut down Erik's mind completely. She reveals that she reluctantly allowed Xavier to read her mind over and over again, and laments, given her knowledge of Sinister's treachery in her previous lives, that without her knowledge or consent, Xavier and Magneto tried to recruit him nevertheless, realizing in the process that Sinister has turned himself into a chimera mutant decades ahead of schedule compared to the other timelines, that chimera being the mutant clone of himself infused with Thunderbird's DNA. Eventually, Moira had realized she had spent too much time in the spotlight working overtly with Xavier and needed to return to the shadows; in order to do so, she and Xavier used the advanced technology from the Shi'ar to do some preliminary testing for their theory that a mutant could be restored from back-up, creating in the process a Shi'ar golem, a living husk whose empty body was then imprinted with Moira's mental scan, recorded and re-uploaded by Charles Xavier but apparently without all the knowledge lying inside of her.[28] Moira then replaced herself with the decoy at some point, allowing her to continue working from the shadows with Xavier. The decoy would be killed at the age of 49, during the attack of the Brotherhood. Moira also notes that though Xavier kept fighting her influence—using on two different occasions the Cerebro unit to remove from his mind the knowledge of their plan—he apparently had become a man with a very different purpose following his demise at Cyclops' hands and his eventual return to the living. Instead of his peaceful dream of coexistence between man and mutant which he believed at one point, Xavier now envisions a world where a mutant nation must be created as a seat from which mutants will rise as the dominant species on the planet. Moira has since taken residence in "No-Place", a blackout zone within the newly sovereign, living island nation of Krakoa with Xavier and Magneto, the only people aware of her being alive and her actual role in this grand plan. She has become apparently very paranoid in her isolation, as she is deeply afraid of the notion of Destiny being revived to placate Mystique, or of any precognitive mutant in general because she fears what would happen if the other mutants discovered that they really are doomed

0 notes