#I will never have enough doom & namor in my life

[imperiuswrecked]

It's a gift Namor, don't be rude.

Namor Week 2024 - Day 5 - Friends/Enemies Frenemies featuring Doom & Namor @namorweek Thank you to the wonderful @rikebe for creating this fun comic for me! I love it!!! Commission the artist here!

[anavatazes]

Thank you for bringing up how toxic Sue and Reed are. They may have been together since the start, but man oh man, the way Reed is in the comics is a major reason I didn't want Pedro Pascal to have that role. Besides, I see him handling the role of Doom better. But that's besides the point.

Ya'll know why Sue is The Invisible Girl/Woman? Because of Reed. She always felt like he never really saw her and that she was invisible around him. Chew on that for a while internet.

And stop with the Namor and Sue bullshit. That was a stupid story in the late 80s and early 90s that was retconned. One of the few things that was retconned that I was thrilled to have happened.

Fantastic Four isn't one of my favorites, but I have kept up with a few things over the almost forty years I've been reading comics. And I know toxic when I see it. Lived with enough of it in my life. Reed and Sue need more than just Couples Therapy. They need a divorce.

So I saw a post earlier talking about Marvel couples and how relatively few long term relationships there are. There was mention of Reed and Sue as being basically the most consistently together couple, crediting that to the nature of the Fantastic Four being about family.

I don't disagree with that.

But then there was a comment about Scott and Jean being "all over the place" and depending on editorial at the time. Sorry for the paraphrase, but I couldn't find the post again to be sure.

And honestly I couldn't disagree with that more.

The thing about Scott Summers and Jean Grey is that, with two exceptions, if they are both alive, and they both know the other one is alive, they are together FULL STOP.

The first exception to this is the original Lee/Kirby years. Because they hadn't gotten together yet. But anyone who has sat through the god knows how many issues it took for the two to actually get the fuck over it and fuck basically gets stockholmed into shipping these idiots.

Because when you go from seeing this nonsense in issue 10:

THIS nonsense in issue 24:

THIS nonsense in issue 3-fucking-4:

And you realize this is only a sampling and that pretty much every issue in between has more of this idiotic bullshit, you'll be screaming at them to "JUST FUCK ALREADY!!!" too.

NGL, it's what turned me into a shipper. Fucking Stockholm Syndrome.

The other time, of course, is X-Factor. Because Scott, in his incredible wisdom and self-perception, happened to marry a woman who looked exactly like Jean Grey, (and asked her if she was Jean Grey on the eve of the wedding).

Scott gets a lot of shit from fans for ditching his wife and son for Jean Grey (which is a vast oversimplification of a very complicated storyline, but fine, for once, let's go with it). So yeah.

A good chunk of X-Factor is basically just these two finding their way back to each other after dealing with a whole mess of other mind-bogglingly traumatizing events and trying to raise a baby while meeting alternate future kids and (in Jean's case) not really handling that well.

But anyway, after that? They're together.

Now, admittedly, the Grant Morrison era of X-Men is a bit complicated. We all know about Emma Frost. I still resent deeply the fact that a man is named cheater for getting taken advantage of by his therapist, but fine. Maybe they'd have broken up over Emma, maybe not. Maybe Jean would finally break down and fuck Logan, maybe not. Sadly she died instead. And then a future version of her decided to push Scott and Emma together for a while. Which was a fucking weird narrative choice, but fine.

When Jean comes back? Immediate romantic scene with her resurrected husband by the way. And yeah, fine, he drops dead again later. And then when HE comes back to life, she's off in another dimension and presumed dead for a bit.

But when they are back, alive, and in the same place? She immediately shoves her tongue down his throat.

On Krakoa, they're the most married they've ever been. They finally get to raise their son together, in a place that isn't a future hellhole. They are explicitly polyamorous, implicitly in a throuple, but when it comes down to the wire, it's Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

And now, in From the Ashes, she's off being a goddess in space. But she's still having psychic phone sex with her patiently waiting husband. It's not clear if they're still doing the polyamory thing, I'd like to think they are because we so rarely get to see portrayals of non-monogamous but still very happy couples. But who knows. What we do know is that even now, even when they're not in the same place: it's Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

I suppose the one exception is young Scott and young Jean when they're brought to the future. But here's the thing. As much as they both try to fight it, as often as they've tried to tease some other kind of ship with Hank or Laura or Jimmy Hudson, or teenaged Vampire Storm, or anyone else. The two still can't ever really escape each other's orbit. (And you know, maybe if they actually got the full story instead of fucked up fragments from incredibly biased people who currently hate at least one of them, they might have felt a little less like escaping. Who knows?)

I guess I can see the argument that the state of their relationship can vary. Sometimes they're very happy, sometimes they're raising a kid. Sometimes they're frayed. Sometimes they fight. Sometimes they fuck other people.

But in the end, as long as they're both alive, it's Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

Reed and Sue still get top billing as the big couple of 616, sure. They're not immune to silly love triangles, but they tend to be dead less often.

But I still think Scott and Jean are up there, as consistent and steady as anything in the Marvel Universe.

[loloalin]

Wakanda Forever Spoilers//

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While I don’t ship Namor and Shuri, I find their dynamic very rich. I particularly find their bond in grief fascinating: both in the way they inherit it and the way they process it. 

When Shuri loses her brother, she experiences grief manifested as rage, a destructive fiery force that could threaten the entire world. While she doesn’t fully face her grief, she understands that she must temper it, and she does so by delving into her lab work, coming up with scientific, technological solutions to Wakanda’s issues. Similarly, when Namor loses his mother and goes to bury her, he channels his grief into fire, burning his immediate surroundings and feeling rage towards the surface world: and yet, he too must temper this rage. His role as the god-king-protector of his people coupled with the fact that his nation’s vibranium hadn’t been discovered meant that he could prevent himself from being consumed by his grief-driven rage so long as his people were safe. Shuri and Namor cope with their losses by turning to work, all the while distracting themselves from fully confronting and dealing with their grief.

Funnily enough, the way they both use work to cope signals to how they experience grief not only as rage but failure. Why couldn’t I heal my brother’s body, Shuri wonders. Why couldn’t I heal my mother’s broken heart, Namor wonders. Why do I have these gifts, talents, skills if I can’t save the ones I hold dearest to me, they both wonder. Working is a means of numbing the pain they feel over the guilt they carry in not being good enough when it mattered most. Shuri never wants to fail anyone the way she THINKS she failed her ill brother, so of course she works around the clock coming up with new technologies. Namor never wants to fail anyone the way he THINKS he failed his broken-hearted mother, so of course he transforms Talokan into a civilization that recreates the best of the surface world. They are motivated by their losses to push their boundaries and become greater than they once were. It is no wonder then, that when Shuri tells Namor about her pain over T’Challa’s death, he tells her “only the most broken people can be great leaders”, a piece of wisdom inherited from his ancestors but also embedded in his life experiences. 

And STILL, the pursuit of such ‘greatness’ does not heal their wounds. When Namor holds a dying Talokanil in his hands, he feels failure in not being able to save his ‘child’, his grief manifests as rage, and he resolves to break the one person who was his kindred spirit, killing Shuri’s mother. Tragically, this binds them together even more than they already were. When she buries her mother, she buries her heart: she IS him, the child without love. His emotional wound inflames her wound, pushing her to the point of no return and, seemingly, sealing their doom. 

But that doesn’t happen. Their bond in grief is more than just that. It’s more than the doom and destruction that follows when grief remains unintegrated. The very act of Namor binding Shuri to him propels their journey out of the grief that consumed them. Shuri is freed from the constraints of tempering-but-not-dealing with her rage. Namor is the 'world' she can release her fire upon and burn without feeling as if she's failed anyone. And when she commits this act, there is nothing left to burn. No more destructive fire. The dust settles, and what is seen are the best parts of their bond. Their love for their people. Their love for their families. Their love for their mothers.  

Their dynamic will always be fraught with pain, their grief will always be a part of them, but they will always remember that in bonding together, they saw their mothers again, different, yes, but still PRESENT, signaling that the healing process they've evaded for so long has finally begun. 

[theserpentunderneathh]

Since Marvel Acquired 21st Century Fox, I have some ideas for Black Panther 2...

Here’s what I think BP2 should be like since Disney Acquired Fox.

First off, I’m totally on the Namor (Atlantis) vs Black Panther (Wakanda) bandwagon.

I think initially the movie should start with the two Kings and nations working to be allies. But after an attack of some kind (maybe a tsunami), that is believed to have been done by Atlantis, the two nations erupt in an all out war.

Instead of portraying Namor as a big bad evil villain, he is shown to be a King just as honorable as T’challa who wanted to avoid war but is just doing what he has to in order to protect his people.

T’challa recognizes this, as well as his some of his own less reputable decisions, and soon begins regretting retaliating so quickly. But right as he and Namor are both on the verge of peace talks, an attack takes place that kills his one true love, Nakia (I’ll explain my reasoning to this later). Simultaneously another attack takes place in Atlantis (maybe an explosion) and someone close to Namor (maybe one of his children or his wife. Or both.) is killed as well, making both kings become angry and vengeful (think T’challa in Civil War x10). This results in the two kings personally going head to head in what needs to be one of the best one on one fights in the entire history of the MCU.

This fight scene needs to be fucking EPIC! Black Panther needs to redeem itself in action sequences after that CGI shit show from the first one. It needs to be mostly practical stunts with Namor and T’challa going hard as fuck on one another. I mean just seriously wailing the shit out of each other. Beating each other to bloody fucking pulps. T’challa comes out on top, because this is his movie, and right before he’s about to kill Namor he realizes that Namor has basically given up and wants to be killed. Namor tells him that the recent attack in Atlantis killed someone close to him. T’challa, tells him he never ordered an attack in Atlantis and Namor tells him he never ordered one in Wakanda and that the initial attack that started the war wasn’t Atlantis’ doing. The two finally begin to realize that they’re being played by an outside force.

Who is this outside force?

None other than Victor Von Doom.

This is where the Disney/Fox deal comes into play. And since a Fantastic 4 reboot is inevitable this would be the perfect way to introduce them into the MCU.

Anyway, it turns out that Victor already has his powers and is already the monarch of Latveria. This way when they do a Fantastic Four reboot its of an already established team instead of another origin story.

Doom is beginning his conquest to take over the world and sees his two biggest obstacles as Wakanda and Atlantis. Instead of attempting to take them out one by one on his own, he concocts a plan to pit the two nations against each other. He plans on making one wipe out the other and then taking on the winner while they’re still weak from the war.

Realizing that the war was completely orchestrated by someone else, T’challa and Namor, Wakanda and Atlantis, ban together to take down Doctor Doom. In the end, Doom is defeated and the two Kings agree to work together to rebuild both their kingdoms.

Before I go into why Nakia needs to die, let me first say I love both Nakia and Lupita deeply. But it needs to happen in the story for a number of reasons.

First because someone close to T’challa has to die to push him to the edge and it has to be someone that makes him completely irrational. Shuri can’t die. She just can’t. When it comes to Queen Mother or Okoye, the support of both Shuri and Nakia would be enough to keep him grounded. But if Nakia dies, he would be alone in his grief. Yes, Shuri, Okoye, and Queen Mother all cared for Nakia but T’challa is in love with her. No one else would understand losing Nakia in the way T’challa has. It’d be the thing that pushes him to his breaking point.

Another reason is with the Fox Merger there are going to be a huge group of fans that want Storm with T’challa and because of that it’d create an amount of unwarranted resentment and animosity against Lupita and Nakia that neither deserves. This way Storm and T’challa could possibly get together. The third reason is going to be explained as I talk about the end credit scenes so stay tuned.

I have an idea for two end credit scenes which is usually the norm.

The first end credit scene would be Doom in a cell in Wakanda’s prison. He would give this long monologue about how he can’t be contained and how he’ll break out and take over the world. T’challa just laughs and tells him, “you’re not staying here”. When Doom asks where he’s going T’challa answers he’ll being staying with one of his [Doom’s] old friends. Then out of the shadows steps a man who‘s face isn’t shown to us. Victor rolls his eyes and groans out the name of the man, “Reed”. They turn the camera and show us the face of Mr.Fantastic (who better be played by John Krasinski). Credits roll.

The second end credit scene shows someone in the tombs of Wakanda (I imagine them mummifying their dead Egyptian style). In a barely noticeable quick shot you see that N’jadaka (Erik Killmonger) tomb has been opened before they get to the tomb of Nakia. A mysterious and unknown person (most likely Threnody but could be anyone) is singing a creepy song while stroking Nakia’s face. The women suddenly says something like “Awaken” and Nakia opens her eyes and gasps. Credits roll.

Then in part three you not only have a revived Killmonger as the big bad but Nakia as Malice along with whoever is responsible for bringing them back to life. But that’s an entirely different post.

[valdomarx]

Early 616 Steve/Tony recs

Retro comics are truly the most delightful source of silliness and lovely fics. There’s Tony angsting about his imminent death, Steve sulking far more than you might imagine, and of course copious amounts of identity porn.

This month’s Steve/Tony recs are stories set early in canon in the 616, meaning around the 1960s -1990s. Let’s get nostalgic, and remember to give kudos and comments to our lovely authors!

Think of This as Solving Problems (That Should Never Have Occurred) by Sineala

No one knows Tony is Iron Man. Then Tony gets amnesia, and literally no one knows Tony is Iron Man.

If Only, If Only by coaster  

Iron Man liked to cuddle when he's tired and drowsy. More specifically, Iron Man cuddled Steve when he was tired and drowsy. Steve thought he was too late to do something about it.

I'll Be Home For Doom's Day (The You Can Count on Doom Remix) by teaberryblue

When Tony invites Steve on a last-minute jaunt to Latveria, Doom is lurking on the horizon. Literally.

Fortunately for them both, what happens in Latveria stays in Latveria.

In Every Way That Matters by Sineala

There are bright things about the future, and Steve's friendship with Iron Man is one of the brightest. So what if he doesn't know who the man under the mask is? That's not going to stop Steve from wanting his friendship, or even from wanting something more.

Your Hand in Mine by navaan 

Steve tries to find his place in this world. But it's hard if you're in love with someone who you don't really know outside of their secret identity.

Get Some Now by Sineala 

Avengers Mansion has a mysterious feline infestation. Meanwhile, Steve just can't figure out how to ask Tony out on a date. And the thirteen teleporting cats sure aren't helping matters any.

The Collection by Sineala 

In the early days of the Avengers, Steve finds out about Tony's Captain America memorabilia collection -- and much, much later, Tony tries to give a piece of it back to him.

Intrepid Hearts by Neverever 

Tony hangs around the mansion more after Steve is seriously hurt in an explosion caused by Iron Man. Steve likes Tony but doesn't know why Tony is upset all the time. Maybe Iron Man is the problem.

You and Me and Him by navaan

If you live in the same house, it’s really hard to keep your secrets. Especially if you are good friends. He doesn’t mean to watch as closely as he does, but it’s obvious to Steve that Tony and Iron Man are in a relationship. Right?

Detours in Getting to Yes by MsErmestH

Tony is trying hard to stay sober by throwing himself into his work and leading the Avengers. At the same time, Steve moves to Brooklyn Heights in an attempt to find himself after Sharon’s death.

Which means it’s a great time for the two of them to get in an argument about Stark International’s new Brooklyn facility and for Steve to realize he’s in love with Iron Man.

in the one garden you may call your own by Woad

It was probably the height of arrogance, helping Steve woo himself. But what could Tony do? Steve was right, there was no one else who knew the Golden Avenger better.

Steve enlists Tony to help him tell Iron Man how he feels.

Evocation by captainshellhead, vibraniumstark

Steve decides that he should get to know the Avengers's benefactor better. Tony can't imagine why, but he's not complaining.

That Time Back Then by navaan 

An accident sends Steve and Carol back in time and watching Steve and Iron Man interact gives Steve a new perspective on how blind both of them were all those years ago.

Gravitational Pull by antigrav_vector

A strange temple floating in space is discovered, and Steve and Tony are the logical choices to go investigate. What they find is going to make or break their relationship...

Take It Like You Mean It by Amuly

Steve Rogers is new to the Avengers and fitting in just fine. At least, he seems to be, though Tony notices that after battles he has a certain itch that needs scratching... in his ass. Soon enough, Tony finds himself watching as Steve fucks his way steadily through various teammates: Namor, Thor, Sam, Clint (or, more accurately, is fucked by them).

To Tony's great frustration, Steve never seems to ask Iron Man, or Tony Stark (because for all Steve Rogers knows, they're two different people) for a helping hand. It's enough to make a guy feel unwanted!

Bizarre Love Triangle by panickyintheuk                

Once the idea was in his head, he’d started picking up on all kinds of things, like the way Stark talked about Iron Man with such affection, and seemed to share so many of his mannerisms, and was constantly working on ways of improving the suit. It was obvious.

To Make Much of Time by Sineala 

When Iron Man rejects Steve's romantic advances, Steve is disappointed, but of course he understands -- Iron Man's secret identity is important. But when a portal opens and Tony Stark crashes into their midst from twelve years in the future, Steve starts to suspect that there are more secrets here than he can even begin to comprehend, and neither Iron Man nor Tony are providing any answers.

I'll Give You Gifts Until You Know My Name by Amuly

Mr. Stark is an extravagant gift-giver: he has the money for it, after all. As Iron Man, Tony has the opportunity to gift Steve even more presents that, while less expensive, are more heartfelt. Having a secret identity means Tony gets to have his cake and eat it too when it comes to showering Steve with presents.

Until Steve starts developing feelings for his armored companion, and all the benefits of living a double life are turned on their head for Tony Stark.

Comedy of Illusions by ladyshadowdrake

Thinking that he's been caught out, Tony confesses that he's Iron Man - at least that's what he thinks he's doing. Steve hears something very different. Date night, sexy-fun times, and a jumble of errors as Tony tries to fix his mistake results, all compounded by a mysterious enemy who's been hacking into SI servers.

As you can probably tell, I friggin love this era. So I’ve written a few fics on this theme too:

He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) by cptxrogers

Misunderstandings! Heartache! Heroic escapades! The beguiling tale of a LOVE TRIANGLE between handsome industrialist Tony Stark, his valiant alter ego Iron Man, and their intrepid teammate Steve Rogers. In this issue, our favorite Avengers face their toughest foils yet: THEIR OWN HEARTS! A drama not to be missed!

Comfort, Truth, Joy (the Mountains of Madness remix) by cptxrogers

A mysterious signal is emanating from deep within Antarctica, and Steve and Tony set out to investigate. If they can make it through the freezing temperatures and the deadly ice fields, something even stranger awaits them deep in the antarctic mountains.

Many Faces, All of them Yours by cptxrogers

Steve is head over heels for the team's benefactor Tony, but he feels terrible for his best friend, Iron Man, who seems to have developed a bit of a crush on him. And now there's a mysterious new hero, Nomad, stalking the streets of New York.

An identity porn soap opera.

[brevoorthistoryofcomics]

This is another older comic book that I had forgotten about, but which I still have. It was bought for my brother Ken initially, and only found its way into my possession over time. So I definitely read it back in the day. And while I can today testify that it is indeed a very fine comic book, back in 1975 it was yet another example of why Marvel comics just weren’t for me. 

This was during Steve Gerber’s excellent tenure as author of DEFENDERS. He was an individualistic and iconoclastic writer, but he’d squarely hit true emotional notes that made his work fascinating. The lead story was illustrated by Don Heck, seldom a huge favorite of mine. But here he turned in a very nice job--and even the often-maligned Vinnie Colletta did nice work on the inks.

The story is super-cool, although as a young kid I couldn’t quite click into who to root for, nor could I connect with any of the very strange leads. The issue opens with Kyle Richmond, secretly the Defender known as Nighthawk. Kyle is out on the town--he’s in the midst of a whirlwind romance with Trish Starr, another old character who had previously appeared in some Ant-Man stories. Kyle and Trish get to their car and start the engine--and then WHOOSH, the whole thing blows up around them. They’re rushed to the ER, both still clinging to life

Hearing about the incident, Dr. Strange and Valkyrie make their way to the hospital, where Strange lends his medical skills as a consultant to try to save Kyle. Under the strain of the operation, he accidentally psychically summons the Hulk, who bursts through a wall of the hospital, concerned about his friend “bird-nose.” Elsewhere, the momentarily-retired Hank Pym sees a news report about the explosion. Trish Starr had helped him out when he was Ant-Man and in battle with her uncle, Egghead. He suspects that Egghead must have planted the explosive, and suits up as Yellowjacket  to search him out.

For his part, we find Egghead down and out, getting into fights at the flop houses where he’s forced to dwell. He’s hit bottom, this once-brilliant villain. Yellowjacket--who has never been cooler than he is in this story, it’s a shame that Gerber didn’t get to do more with him--confabs with Trish to find out what she knows about Egghead’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, the three Defenders speak with Kyle about who might want him dead, landing on his former partners in the Squadron Sinister as the most likely culprit. So they head out to track those villains down.

Yellowjacket finds Egghead in the gutter, a pathetic figure. Accosting him, Egghead admits that he was the one who booby-trapped the car, wanting Trish to feel his revenge. Yellowjacket decks the creepy criminal--but returning to the hospital, he is stunned to learn that Trish has had to have her arm amputated thanks to the damage sustained in the explosion. This bit really creeped me out as a kid. Going next door to let Kyle Richmond know that the man behind the attack has been apprehended, Yellowjacket is prevailed upon by Richmond to find and stop the Defenders. Thanks to his information, they’re going after the Sinisters, who had noting to do with the bomb. The tired Yellowjacket agrees to intercede if he can.

The Defenders find the Squadron hiding out in Crayton Observatory, examining a weapon that was left for them by their benefactor Nebulon. The Sinisters are taken completely by surprise by the savage and unexpected attack by the Defenders, but they’re good enough to turn things around, defeating the heroes. I will admit that when I read this story originally, I didn’t get the connection between the Squadron members and my beloved Justice League of America. While there were some similarities between them, the one-to-one connection eluded me.

The Defenders are left imprisoned while the Squadron seeks out Nighthawk so they can have their revenge on him for deserting their ranks. Byt Doctor Strange is able to release his ectoplasmic astral form and guide Yellowjacket to their location--and shortly thereafter, they’re just in time to mix it up with the Squadron members again just as they’re beginning to scoop up Kyle from the hospital. And it’s a rout, with Yellowjacket again being the MVP player. My understanding is that Gerber had wanted to bring Yellowjacket into the series on a regular basis, but was blocked by AVENGERS writer Steve Englehart, who brought Hank and Jan back to the Avengers rather than lose them. But a lot of space was spent on making Yellowjacket look badass here.

And so, the adventure wraps up. Everybody is safe, two different groups of villains have been captured, the day is saved. But not for Trish Starr, who needs to learn to live with her loss. In the closing page, she breaks up with Kyle, feeling that the specter of her lost limb will change the nature of their relationship. And so, the story ends on something of a downer

The issue also included a pair of back-up stories, reprints from the past. The distant past in the case of the Sub-Mariner tale that followed--it dated back to World War II. It’s a lovely early Bill Everett episode in which Namor must deliver a vital supply of Influenza Serum to a base in the furthest reaches of Alaska, battling both the elements and enemy forces to do so. Along the way, he rescues a doomed town and helps out some stranded airmen as well. As was often the case in the Golden Age, the plotting was relatively haphazard--stuff just sorta happens--but the journey itself is fun.

The second back-up was a Doctor Strange solo adventure from his days in STRANGE TALES. This would have been my first encounter with the artwork of Steve Ditko--and sadly, I must report that it made no particular impact upon me. The plot involved Baron Mordo making off with Doc’s mortal body while Strange was off in his ectoplasmic form, hiding it out in a wax museum in the hopes of preventing Strange from rejoining with it before his 24 hours ran out. It’s a good story with some great visuals--but at this point in my life, it wasn’t what I was looking for from my comics. Doctor Strange wasn’t really a super hero per se. So this is one more failure to hook me into reading Marvel books regularly.

[sineala]

I find that for my preferences, MCU!Stucky and 616!Stony maximize chemistry, all Stony ships maximize hotness, and MCU!Stony has enough of both for me to enjoy those fics too. Despite my limited exposure to the comics, I feel the difference more often than not when I read both kinds of Stony back to back. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for all the dark plots from the comics that never made into the MCU haha

Sounds good to me, anon!

I have to admit that I too am a fan of a lot of the comics plots that didn’t and probably won’t make it to the movies. (I heard relatively recently that RDJ had wanted some Demon in a Bottle for the IM movies, actually. I would have liked that.)

Also I am excited to see what the MCU will be like now that they’ve gotten the rights to basically everything in the comics universe again, and I’m not just saying that because one of my secret dreams is an Illuminati movie. (I actually don’t think they have Namor rights, though, alas.)

I keep thinking, though, that they should do a Kang the Conqueror movie, mostly because of all the Marvel villains he’s one of the few big ones who’s never made it into a Marvel movie, MCU or not. I mean, we’ve had or are having Thanos, Dark Phoenix, Apocalypse, Sentinels, Doom, Galactus, Ultron, and now we’ve got some Skrulls coming up... I just feel like we’re missing out on Kang.

Plus, then they’d have to ACTUALLY EXPLAIN Kang to people who have never heard of him, and, man, that is worth the price of a movie ticket.

(On the other hand, Deadpool 2 put Cable in and did okay with, uh, making his entire life sound comprehensible, so there is hope.)

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #9

Session Start (Wackd:#Wack’d): Fri Oct 21 08:31:33 2016 -0400 [22:42:50] <Wackd> Iiiiiii am going to read more Fantastic Four [22:43:01] <maxwellelvis> Where did you leave off? [22:43:24] <Wackd> Issue 8 [22:43:27] <maxwellelvis> Ah. [22:43:32] <maxwellelvis> Go forth then [22:43:39] <Wackd> Alicia Masters and her father, Puppet [22:44:07] <Bocaj> eeesh [22:44:08] <Bocaj> thats [22:44:12] <Bocaj> that was not a great time [22:44:19] <MousaThe14> Ah, yes, the Puppet Master [22:44:36] <Wackd> Puppet J. Masters [22:44:45] <Wackd> I too would turn to villainy with a name like that, probably [22:45:01] <maxwellelvis> At least your name isn't Telford Porter. [22:45:10] <MousaThe14> Also, apparantly Alicia didn't have a surname at this time [22:45:22] <MousaThe14> And wouldn't until a fan wrote one in many many issues later [22:45:47] <MousaThe14> @Max, You joke but I have a character with a similarly cruddy name [22:45:58] <Wackd> Okay so I get why the Four is selling shit to cover their debts [22:46:09] <Wackd> But, uh, why are they splitting up [22:46:16] <Wackd> That seems unnecessary [22:46:55] <Wackd> Also, I love that they lost all this money because Reed bought stocks [22:47:07] <Wackd> Even the smartest man alive is no match for Wall Street [22:47:24] <maxwellelvis> I told you, Reed Richards is a master of many arts and sciences; finance is not one of them. [22:48:53] <Wackd> CAB DRIVER: "Hey you really shouldn't take a cab being broke and all" [22:49:03] <Wackd> THING: *puts the cab through a streetlight* [22:49:23] <MousaThe14> I wonder if Wack'd should read Strange Tales to get the full experience by going through the awful saga of The Human Torch's brief solo series [22:49:35] <Bocaj> noooo [22:50:05] <MousaThe14> But quite a few iconic FF villains get their start there, strangely enough [22:50:23] <maxwellelvis> The only thing noteworthy about that run was the issue that did the test run to see if people wanted Captain America back, [22:50:25] <Wackd> "If only we could be like the superheroes in some of these comic magazines, Sue! They never seem to worry about money! Life is a breeze for them!" [22:50:29] <Wackd> Wonk wonk [22:50:32] <maxwellelvis> and the first appearance of Paste Pot Pete. [22:50:47] <MousaThe14> I mean, who'da thunk freaking The Wizard and Paste Pot Pete were introduced as Strange Tales baddies [22:50:49] <Bocaj> I'd laugh at Paste Pot Pete but he is canonically better than Baron Zemo [22:51:11] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, yeah, Stan is not subtle. [22:51:26] <MousaThe14> Really trying to sell his heroes on the "They have REAL problems" front. A little too hard [22:51:43] <maxwellelvis> It's a new concept, gotta get it over for Summerslam [22:51:54] <Bocaj> I think he did it better with Spider-man [22:52:05] <Wackd> "We can make money if we go to Hollywood and make a movie! But we're broke, how do we get there?" *two pages earlier establishes they've not sold the Fantasticar yet* [22:52:46] <maxwellelvis> Well, he had Steve Ditko for that. [22:53:00] <maxwellelvis> And the good sense to give Ditko free reign in terms of plotting. [22:53:22] <maxwellelvis> Well, not to the extent of free reign Ditko got with The Question [22:53:22] <Wackd> They've taken a film deal from SM Studios. I...er...hrm [22:53:34] <maxwellelvis> Keep going. [22:53:48] <Wackd> ...oh goddammit SM stands for Sub-Mariner, doesn't it [22:53:59] <MousaThe14> Oh right, ths was a Namor story [22:54:35] <Wackd> I was gonna say I'm surprised they got away with that in 1961 but [22:54:36] <MousaThe14> .... That's exactly who he'd sound like [22:55:04] <MousaThe14> While the Fantastic Four would have powers appropriate to be in some BDSM material.... this is still the 60s [22:55:08] <Bocaj> Listening to the first couple episodes of the Fantasticast it struck me how heavily the early Avengers borrowed from Fantastic Four. [22:55:12] <maxwellelvis> because when I think of a haughty prince from another world whose strength is eclipsed only by the chip on his shoulder, I think of that guy. [22:55:26] <Wackd> The presence of Alfred Hitchcock makes me suspect there are a lot of celeb cameos I'm not catching [22:55:36] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, there are. [22:55:38] <Bocaj> They fought a shape changing alien in their second issue. They fought Namor. They fought Dr Doom. They fought Kang who was actually Rama-Tut [22:55:59] <MousaThe14> I think Bing Crosby is supposed to be in there. But of course it's all dated so we won't truly know unless we research [22:56:04] <maxwellelvis> To be fair, the Four WERE the faces of Marvel at the time. [22:56:19] <MousaThe14> And apparantly sold well [22:56:46] <MousaThe14> And apparantly the connective tissue of the beginning of the whole danged universe as it was being born as a universe as we know it today [22:57:06] <MousaThe14> Spider-man may have been the crossover bicycle, but the FF got all the first rides [22:57:23] <Wackd> I love that the Sub-Mariner is doing this because hes BORED [22:57:39] <Wackd> "Eh, I've got all this money, figured why not buy a film studio. Why not" [22:57:41] <MousaThe14> I mean, after searching for your people for a while you gotta acquire a few hobbies [22:58:22] <maxwellelvis> He's waiting for Giganto to recuperate and then he's coming back to lay waste to the surface once more. [22:58:55] <Wackd> Oh hey no his ACTUAL plan is to...get the Fantastic Four killed doing stunt work [22:59:05] <Bocaj> Namor is such a petty little shit [23:00:02] <Wackd> Including...making the Human Torch fight magical "savages" [23:00:06] <Wackd> Uuuugh [23:00:15] <maxwellelvis> Then he can capitalize on the infamy his movie will garner for years [23:00:36] <Mukora> Cooooooooooooooooooool [23:02:45] <Wackd> Namor decides to fight the Thing himself, and only wins because--I shit you not--the Thing randomly gets struck by lightning and turned human again [23:02:47] <MousaThe14> Oh cool, my Ben and Johnny picture is actually spreading relatively quickly [23:03:00] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, that's gonna happen a lot [23:03:02] <Wackd> The only thing pettier than Namor is fate, it seems [23:03:21] <MousaThe14> Convenient becoming Ben Grimm again is a well they return to early and often [23:04:22] <Wackd> "HEY SUE I KICKED ALL YOUR FRIENDS ASSES, MARRY ME" "I would've said yes if you hadn't KICKED ALL MY FRIEND'S ASSES" [23:05:33] <Wackd> And so the 4 return from their traps and they don't even bother to explain why Ben's the Thing again [23:06:43] <Wackd> Sue, stopping the guys from whaling on Namor: "It's 3-on-1! You've never teamed up against anyone before! Except, y'know, Doom. And Mole Man. And Puppet Master. And...uh...basically everyone, thinking about it" [23:07:16] <Wackd> Of course the more compelling argument turns out to be "he still hasn't paid us" [23:08:31] <Wackd> WELP THAT'S OVER [23:08:42] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, It's different this time, she has will-she-won't-she feelings for the man in the tight shorts and swimmer's build [23:08:52] <MousaThe14> Which will persist for.... quite a bit of time [23:09:18] <maxwellelvis> You know it's funny how in this universe, a movie HELPS the Fantastic Four deal with their financial woes. [23:09:20] <Wackd> Yeah, I know [23:09:24] <Wackd> I joked about it further up

[gronjon44]

Update on my thoughts on the whole Keanu Reeves/MCU situation.

At this point, I don't think he's going to be playing a hero anytime soon. I think hes going to be playing a Major villain in either an upcoming or Future movie.

They've announced the recent Moonknight TV show I know, there could be a chance he may be Moonknight and I'd love for it, but I've been thinking otherwise

Look at alot of the villains of the MCU. Vulture? Played by Michael Keaton, the iconic Batman; Hela? Cate Blanchet, a woman iconic as the mother of Hiccup Haddock, acon artist in Oceans 8, and Gadriel the Lady of Light of LOTR; Thanos? Josh Brolin aka Jonah Hex, young Agent K, and Brand of yhe Goonies. Hell even Jeff Bridges, aka The Big Lebowski and Marshall of True Grit, he's the villain who started them all, Obadias Stane.

Older Actors who were known to play lead protagonists on the side of good or neutral, and never really the bad guy all the time. They all were cast as Villains in the MCU. And that's the route I see happening with Keanu.

Yeah I know theres a chance of even Older Heroes like Mr Fantastic or otherwise (dont @ me I still want them to recast the actor from the 2005 film who played Reed Richard's he was the best part of those films)

So now I'm gonna make a list of potential characters that I think he is likely to he cast for.

NAMOR

Yeah this is a bit hit or miss but I think it's possible. I know Namor is an Anti Hero with villain tendencies, but I think Keanu would work with this character.

MEPHISTO AND GHOST RIDER

This ones a mixed bag and cheating but idgaf. As much as I still think Nick Cage did fine as the Ghist Rider I think Keanu Reeves could bring the character to life, give him a new spark and bring him to the spotlight again. And as for Mephisto he has played the Devils Son in Devils Advocate and he had that Devilsh form to him, and I think he could make a good Mephisto

DRUIG/NIGHTMARE

I'm lumping these two together because there basically in tandom with one another. Ever since Eternals was confirmed and Keanu was then announced to potentially enter the MCU, the rumors of him ad Druig haven't stopped. Now I will day that, as a self proclaimed Marvel fan, I dont know Jack shit about Druig or the Eternals. Same goes for Nightmare but I know enough about Nightmare to understand how he would fit as the villain. But hey who knows.

Now for the ones I think are most likely and make the most sense.

DOCTOR DOOM

Look, I have this strong feeling that if anyone were to play a proper Victor Von Doom, I'd want it to be Keanu Reeves. He has the build, he has the voice, he has the acting chops and capability to actually become the character. And he'd do so much better than the last two Dooms that for sure. Only downside is we wouldn't really see his face too much.

And finally,

TASKMASTER

We all know it, this has the highest chance of happening. Keanu is a hell of actor, and all of his experience and skill fits so perfectly with Taskmaster. His gun training from the John Wick Trilogy, his stunt work from the Matrix, his actual just acting skill from everything he's done. It all fits so perfectly.

So yeah that's what I got.

@probsjosh @flushings-here

Place your bets Place your bets.

My money is on Moonknight what’s the overall thought?

@flushings-here

[imperiuswrecked]

OK, here are two pairings and I'm deliberately leaving it open because you I don't want to stifle you, especially if you don't like the pairings or the idea. All I'd like to please see is each gentleman knowing that they can't pull shit with her because she WILL get in that ass!! AND that's one of the many reasons they love and respect her. Pairings: Namor and Ororo AND Dr Doom and Ororo (1)

Sorry this took so long, but I am clearing my inbox and finishing prompts. Thanks for sending one in! Part 2 will be up soon!

Short fic below the cut~

Storm at Sea - Namor/Ororo

The night is darkening round me,The wild winds coldly blow;But a tyrant spell has bound meAnd I cannot, cannot go. - Emily Bronte

Ororo takes a deep breath of the salty sea air as the small ship skimmed over the surface of the black water. Her view ahead was lit only by the moon that peeked out from behind darkening grey clouds. There was a storm coming, she could feel it in the air, could taste the energy on her tongue, could feel the air grow heavy on her skin, the wind hugs her as it moves her unbound pale hair in ripples. Standing on the deck in her nightgown, she should be asleep, but the calling of the storm woke her and she took over watch as Kitty went down for some rest. Kate. She should get used to calling her that but she couldn’t, in her heart she would always be her little Kitty Pryde. Ororo wraps her shawl around her tighter as she moves to stand at the bow of the ship. Waiting for that first crack of lightening against the black sky. She could call the up to start faster but she chooses not to, wanting to see Nature’s glory without manipulation.

“A fine evening for a Storm wouldn’t you say my Lady?”

She whips around to face the voice she hadn’t heard in ages. Namor sits on the railing of the ship with one leg dangling over the edge as the ship moves across a night sea. Water glistens on his exposed skin in the moonlight. He wears black armor and a dark unfathomable expression, she shivers slightly. There were times when Ororo would come across others who held such an otherworldly quality that she wondered if they were human. Many would feel the same about her but she never felt above others, only more connected to the world. Namor was different, there were times when he acted like any other man, arrogant and self assured in his own greatness. Yet there were moments, small fleeting glimpses of something much more other. It spoke of deep water and hands that clutched you as it drags you down into the dark. She crosses her arms and turns her back on him.

“A very fine evening Lord Namor. What brings you up from your domain?”

“All of this is my domain,” He spreads a hand at the ocean, “and as for why… is a chance to spend time in your company not enough?”

Oh he was well spoken, as kings often were, she knew what it was like to be wooed by royalty, and she knew what it was like to be threatened by them too. The waves grew choppy as the wind picked up so she puts her hands on the railing of ship to steady herself and her emotions lest she unleash a tempest.

“So it is my company you desire? Why do I get the feeling that there’s something else too?”

She could feel his presence and the sound of water dripping along the deck as he moved from his position to stand behind her, he was tall, not many men were taller than her. He moves to stand next to her, and she can finally see him again out of the corner of her eye. He had a very handsome profile. His eyes search the sea as if held the answer she asked for.

“How fairs things on Utopia?”

Her face tightens, “Your must be suffering another lapse in memory my Lord, we mutants have settled on Krakoa. Utopia is dead.”

“Different name, same situation.”

“It is not, this time we have far more resources than before. We are united once more.” She counters as her knuckles turn white from clenching the railing too hard. She doesn’t want those thoughts, the ones that came to her in quiet moments; when would the calamity that seemed to plague her life since she was small once again rear it’s head? She saw the look in Polaris’s eyes once when she first came to Krakoa and recognized it because it was the same one Ororo saw in her mirror and it spoke the same fear; When? When would the hammer fall? When would the mutants die on another island while she was unable to stop it?”

“You once spoke to me about how you thought an island could be the salvation of our kind and I foolishly let your words enter my heart and paid the price.”

“I had no hand in fate, no matter what men whisper about me. I control the weather, not the future.”

“Then you should at least plan for any possibility.” Sharp words that could cut a person lesser than her but she will not be cowed.

“I don’t like your tone Namor,” her eyes flash white as she turns to face him and he to her, both looking into each other eyes, “You come here for what? To tell me that we are all doomed? Are you a harbinger of Doom? Whatever it is you may be thinking of planning, I will have you know-” The air crackles with her power, “The mutants on Krakoa are under my protection.”

He watches her and she sees the unease in his eyes. She lets the power dissipate harmlessly into the air in a show of bright light just to drive home the point that she could have shot it straight through his heart if she so wished it, and he could have done nothing to stop her. Lightening illuminates his face and she can see that the sclera of his eyes are as black as his hair, a sharp contrast to her white eyes and hair. Thunder rumbles in the distance as the boat rocks harder.

Namor raised one of his perfectly arched brows at her power display and lowers his head to face her once more, there is a moment of heavy anticipation before that old Namor came forth, the one that was a bit more human and whom she had shared conversations with in the past, “I came to say; should you ever find yourself in deep waters then rest easy knowing you have a friend who can breath beneath the waves.”

Shocked at his sudden change and pledge of friendship, she blurts the first thing that pops into her head, “I can swim just fine on my own.”

He chuckles, “I pray you accept my apology for doubting your capabilities.” He reaches out and moves a piece of her hair behind her ear, fingers lingering for an instant before drawing back. She nods, and her gaze lingers on lips a moment before she shakes herself of the strange feeling that overcame her, and the warm blush to her cheeks.

“You would be welcome in Krakoa.”

“Is that you inviting me Ms. Munroe? Or Xavier?”

“Maybe you’ll have to come to the island to find out.”

“Maybe I will.” He easily moves, small wings flutter, to land on the railing above her as the rain begins to fall. He holds out his hand, “Or maybe you will leave the world behind and find safety in the sea my Lady.”

Suddenly it was so clear why he came, the same loneliness and need to be near people who might understand that was a feeling she was well acquainted with. Still she shakes her head as the water from the sky plasters her hair to her head, and gives him a sad smile.

“I fear no storms my Lord.”

He gives her a nod of respect and silently flips his body backward off the ship and back into the sea, as if he had never been there and the only indication of his presence was the rapid beating of her heart. Ororo turns her eyes to the storm ahead.

[imperiuswrecked]

pssst.. please spill the doomor hcs

I have a ton of them that I mainly keep thinking up for future writing but hoo boy where do I start? I think the thing about Doomor is that it can be very cracky/fun or very deeply intense depending on the way you want to see it.

Doomor Headcanons:

- Victor takes over a neighboring country so that he has access to the shore line and is able to get to the sea whenever he wants to.

- Both men do not like others touching them without permission. (This is stated alot in Namor’s comics too, he doesn’t like people to touch him) They like to be in control of who has that kind of familiarity.

- Namor and Doom are both social outcasts, something Victor mentions when they teamed up once, and so they both know the struggle of trying to fit into a world that rejects them for who they are. This creates a kinship between them and they have this mentality of: we can’t trust the world or each other but we can trust each other just a little bit more than the world.

- Victor is fascinated by Namor’s perfect form, he is a connoisseur of all beautiful things and so he really enjoys that Namor leaves next to nothing for the imagination.

- Namor is the only person Doom regularly takes off his mask around, or feels comfortable enough to do so (canon since he was unmasked a couple of times they spoke) Namor thinks Victor’s scars are a symbol of his survival and he loves them, in time he convinces Victor they are not ugly.

- Victor likes to have control of the relationship, but Namor is a wild card and never likes to give in, so they butt heads a lot over lots of things until they compromise.

- Victor calls Namor: my dear a lot (canon) and i like to think he calls him other pet names and Namor scoffs at them but he secretly likes it.

- Namor brings back things from the ocean for Victor, something that is rare and hard to get.

- My Namor/Doom headcanon about how giving someone a shell means you love/are fond of them in Atlantean customs. which came from a beautiful fan art here and was followed up by another art here

- Namor likes to talk about the oceans, sea life, and other marine biology, and since Doom likes to study things alot its one of the few places where their interests over lap.

- Both are terrible to each other when they play video games (art here)

- Victor changes all the pools in his castle to salt water ones since he knows that chlorine hurts Namor’s gills.

- Both are just utter drama queens and do fight a lot and raise all kinds of hell whenever they want too and mainly annoy the FF

- Doom rarely visits Atlantis, but when he does Namor keeps him as long as he can and the same for Victor when Namor comes to visit Latveria. Both are often busy with their kingdoms.

- Namor likes to be the big spoon but Victor doesn’t like to cuddle, so they usually start off sleeping with space between them until later in the middle of the night Victor wakes up when Namor cuddles him and he has to decide if he like sit or not and usually doesn’t push him away.

Ok so crack/fun headcanons!

- My Namor and Doom sitcom that marvel should make asap.

- Namor and Doom are the unofficial eccentric uncles to the FF kids and even though they hate it, somehow they get roped into dinner and also babysitting, they send gifts for birthdays that aren’t normal gifts like a giant sea squid, or a giant doom bot, etc.

- Namor and Doom are both too stubborn to do anything about the feelings they have for each other OR Namor is too freaking obtuse to notice that Victor is literally trying to propose every time they team up to give the FF a headache so it’s up to Susan/FF to finally whaps Namor upside the head and inform him that Doom is is his not so secret admirer. Namor and Doom get together and honeymoon off in Latveria or Atlantis and the FF finally get a break from their shenanigans but when they return they then proceed to raise even more hell and the FF regrets matching making.

- Them both being disasters in any situation basically.

NSFW headcanons under the cut~

- Victor tops, no question, Namor is a power bottom.

- Victor has a choking kink.

- Namor has a bondage kink.

- Dom/Sub is a big part of their relationship

- Victor often gets jealous of the people who throw themselves at Namor and does what he can to keep him close, often times trying to lock him away but Namor rebels at that.

- The have fucked on the Cabal meeting table, as well as almost every room in Victor’s castle, and in Namor’s too, and also on one memorable occasion in the Baxter Building.

- They have really intense and hot sex, often breaking property and many walls in the process. When they fight and have make up sex its time to evacuate the premises because they are very vocal.

- Gentle sex is very rare and cherished between them. This doesn’t happen often.

[marblesarelost]

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

                                               Chapter 7

She wasn’t surprised to see Natasha leaning against the wall outside her office at five o’clock that afternoon, half-smirking with worried eyes.  “Kotyonok.”

“Tante.”  That drew the smirk into a small smile as Natasha walked with her to the private elevator, both staying silent until the doors closed before them.  Then ‘Tash slid her hand into Darcy’s, interlocking their fingers.  “He called,” Darcy said quietly.  “At like, five this morning.  To tell me what was going on.  That he had to leave.”

“That was good of him.”

“Yeah.”  Darcy bit her lip.  “It sucks.”

“Yes.”  The elevator stopped, and Natasha stepped out first, her grip firm, leading Darcy to the apartment she shared with Clint rather than going to Darcy’s.  Clint met them at the door with Natasha’s vodka and iced glasses, taking Darcy’s bag and shoving her gently toward the couch.  

“So,” Natasha began after all the glasses had emptied once.  “The date went well?”

“Yeah,” Darcy sighed, holding her glass out for ‘Tasha to refill.  “Really well.  We…shit, I’ve got the party at --“

“Nope.  Secretary of State canceled it, due to the new developments,” Clint interrupted.  “Keep going.”

“We talked about getting together again later this week,” Darcy said after a second.  “We had fun, it was a good time, I mean…I think he likes me. I think he really likes me.”

“Who could not?” Natasha purred.  “You were lovely.”

“He held my hand,” Darcy added, blushing.  “Took his glove off for the second --“ Clint choked, vodka dribbling out over his lower lip, and both Darcy and Natasha looked at him, waiting for him to breathe.

“Wait,” he said between coughs.  “Wait, what?”

“He took his glove off and held my hand?”

“You’ve touched --“ Clint coughed again.  “-- Victor Von Doom?  You’ve touched his skin?  He has skin?”

“Oh for God’s sake, Clint, he’s not Darth Vader,” Darcy sighed, but when she looked at Natasha, she saw how carefully blank her expression was.  “What?”

“Doom doesn’t do that,” Natasha said quietly.  “Doom never takes off his armor in public.  Any part of it.  I have known of him, I have watched him, I have studied him, at various times, for various employers, looking for weaknesses, for slips.  Darcy.  He never, never, removes any piece of the armor at any time.  Not even in his castle.  Perhaps in his bedroom, he is human, he must sleep, but…no.”

“Well, we held hands during the first act, and it was okay.  Kind of weird, because his glove is…it’s metal, but it’s really super flexible. Not uncomfortable, it didn’t bother me or anything.  Then I went to the bathroom at intermission with Jennifer, we came back, we all had some wine, we settled in for the second act…yeah.  Yeah, he had his glove off through the whole second act.  But it was dark, and pretty private.”  Both the spies were looking at her now as if she’d grown another head.

“Well,” Clint recovered first.  “So you guys went out last night and then…”

“Yeah.”  Darcy nodded, slumping backwards against the couch. “Then I got a call at five this morning saying he had to go, that the New Soviet were pushing their luck.”

“And you didn’t come tell us,” Natasha said.  “You just got up and went to work.”

“I asked if he wanted me to get Tony or Steve, he said no.  That the Avengers showing up could make the situation even worse,” she sighed. “My hands were, they are, tied. There’s nothing the Avengers can do. There’s nothing I can do.  It’s up to the Kremlin now.”

Natasha filled her glass again, raised an eyebrow at Clint when he pushed his glass closer.  “You choked.”

“I was surprised,” he retorted.  Natasha snorted, but refilled his glass.  “Thank you.”

“It is after midnight in Latveria now,” Natasha said, picking up her glass.  “Have you heard from him since this morning?”

“No.”  Darcy tried to keep her lip from trembling, and thought she’d done a fairly good job of it.  “He’s probably way busy.”

“No news is good news,” Clint added.  “No news means he’s not out there on the front lines, no news means nobody’s infiltrated Castle Doom.  Because if the New Soviet were able to get an assassin in there, they’d be crowing about it.”

“Were you seen with him last night by anyone?”  Natasha asked suddenly.

“We were at Hamilton, ‘Tash, it was crowded as hell.”  The spies exchanged a look, and Darcy looked back and forth between them.  “What?”

“Take it that you were, then,” Clint said.  “Listen, you don’t leave the building without at least three security agents for a while, okay?”

“What?  No, we had one date, we’ve never been seen together before --“

“Crimson Dynamos,” Clint said brusquely.  “You and ‘Tasha approached him and Namor at the party.  You went inside with him.  You came back out with him.  You’re a legit target, Darce.  At least three agents, I’d feel better if you didn’t go out without an Avenger or an X-Man for a while, to be honest.”

“There were other observers besides the Dynamos,” Natasha added.  “I know there were.  And you had a nice long conversation with him outside, in clear view, while everyone else was busy.  I am not scolding you; I am pointing this out.  They know who you are.  They know he has shown interest in you, and they know that you are a member of our support staff.  You are likely a high priority target now for an extraction and kidnapping team.”

“Christ,” Darcy muttered, holding out her glass again.  “Top me up.”

“He has likely thought of this now as well,” Natasha went on.  “If things went as well as you think they did, it would not surprise me to wake up tomorrow morning to see the building flanked by Doombots.”

“Oh, surely not, he’s got to know what kind of fit Tony would throw over that,” Darcy argued. “You want to talk about a pissing contest, Christ, Doombots versus the Iron Legion, Tony’d go batshit.”  Natasha shrugged, sipping her vodka.  

“Perhaps he will not send them overtly,” she said.  “But if you do not hear from the Latverian Embassy offering you extra security within, say, the next forty-eight hours?  I will be very surprised indeed.  And what do you think that security will be made of?”

“Doombots,” Darcy sighed, collapsing against the sofa.  “God. Tony will be livid.”

“Well, if nothing else, you’ll be able to tell just how much he likes you,” Clint grinned.  “What would you say, Tash?  Three if he’s really into her?”

“I would feel better if he hired someone, but yes, at least three,” Natasha said, stone-faced. “Perhaps the best of both worlds; perhaps --“

“Not Wade.  Just not Wade,” Clint said, looking up at the ceiling and pressing his hands together as if he were praying.  “Oh please God not Wade.”

“You’re both horrible,” Darcy grinned.  “First, again, one date, hello?  Second, he’s got a little more on his mind than me right now.  Third, hiring somebody?  Like who?”

“Deadpool,” Natasha said frankly, and Clint dropped back against the couch, shaking his head violently.

“No, no, no, no, no, not Wade, just not Wade, I don’t care who else --“

“I have heard that Creed is available; who would you rather, then, Deadpool or Sabretooth?”  Natasha asked, raising one eyebrow.  “The worst thing about Wade is that he talks too much.”

“Too much?  He never stops!”  Clint exclaimed.  

“And Sabretooth is apt to lose his humanity and try to kill everyone,” Natasha snapped back.  “Wade will shut up if you are firm enough.”

“What about LeBeau? I’ll call him myself, you’d like Remy, Darce, he’s long and tall and made out of sex,” Clint offered.

“Yes, because her beau is going to hire someone who would try to charm his way into her pants,” Natasha pointed out.  Darcy sat back with her vodka, pleasantly buzzed, waiting for the two spies to stop arguing.

“Guys.  It doesn’t matter because he’s not going to do any such thing,” Darcy said quickly when both of them had paused.  “One date, you guys, I’m not a princess, I’m not anybody important.  He barely knows my name.”

“Would you care to place a wager?”  Natasha offered, and Darcy considered.  If Nat was sure enough that she was willing to bet on it…because Nat didn’t bet unless it was a sure thing.

“Okay, maybe, but at best it’ll be a single Doombot.  I actually think it might be one or two of his Latverian Embassy heavies, if anything at all.”

“We will see,” Natasha said, winking.  “Probably by morning.”

  Intelligence briefings, meetings with his allies and their generals along with his own, working out a cohesive united defensive strategy that would save as many lives and materiel as possible, calculating with his military advisors how much ordnance and how many super tanks and operations teams to drive them could be spared, as well as how quickly the reinforcements would arrive at their destinations, all these things had filled his time from the moment he had arrived home.

Now, however, all that was left was the waiting and the hope that the New Soviet would realize what a mistake they were making; the EU had already issued a condemnatory statement against the aggressive movements and escalation in Ukraine, the UN were trying to open up diplomatic relations.  Hopefully, this would all have been for naught.  For now, all that was left was to wait and see.  He gave orders that he was not to be disturbed save for an emergency, and went to his rooms.  He had been awake for over 24 hours, and though he could remain conscious and coherent for up to four days, he preferred not to if it was not necessary, even if it was only late afternoon.

He took a shower, soaked for a bit, then went to bed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply and rhythmically in order to invite sleep.  Then Darcy’s features passed behind his eyelids, and he sat up, cursing as he picked up the phone beside the bed.  It took several minutes for the international call to go through, but eventually she answered.

“Avengers Initiative, this is Darcy Lewis.”

“Darcy.”  

“Victor,” she said, and he could hear the relief in her voice.  Damn.  

“I hope this is not a bad time,” he began.

“No, no, I just sat down behind my desk.  How are you? Is everything okay?”  

“I am exhausted,” he admitted.  “And once we hang up, I intend on sleeping until either a servant wakes me, or I wake on my own.  But I am well, so far.”

“Good.  Stay that way,” she said firmly, and he had to chuckle at the cheek of the young woman giving orders, even faux-orders, to him. “Seriously, though, I’m really glad you called.”

“As am I.  How are you?”

“I’m okay.  I’ve got a little tiny bit of a headache because I drank too much of Nat’s vodka last night, fair warning, don’t drink with the Black Widow, she can drink anybody but Steve and Thor under the table.”

“I will keep that in mind. You said there was a function you had to attend last night.  Were you able to avoid it, then?”

“Nah, it got canceled. The Secretary of State was too busy with the UN because of what’s going on over there.  It’s okay, I didn’t really want to meet the president’s kids anyway.”  He snorted.

“Inform me if the sons are rude.  The daughter is much better bred; she takes after her mother, the first wife.”

“Oh, I fully expect Junior and Nimrod to be douchecanoes,” she said airily.  “I actually got a gown that covers all the assets just for them.” It took a moment for him to parse what she meant, and his free hand grasped his coverlet tightly at the thought of either of the president’s sons being ungentlemanly with her.

“As I said, inform me,” he repeated himself, carefully keeping his voice steady.  “There are certain business dealings with Chernaya that I will gladly interfere in, should they need a reminder of how well connected you are.” And that reminded him.  “You have not left Avengers Tower, have you?”

“Not since yesterday morning, no, but I’m going to have to eventually.”

“If it would not be too presumptuous, would you do me the kindness of informing the Embassy if you do? They will send a security detail for you.  I have no fear for you within Avengers Tower itself; even if they are called away, Stark’s security team and his technology should be sufficient.”  Too, he would call Stark, he decided.  A subdermal tracker somewhere discreet would not go amiss, if she did not have one already.  She was, after all, an intimate of Prince Thor, and obviously a favorite of the team.

“If it will make you feel better,” she said after a moment.  “Guess I get to tell Nat she was right.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Natasha and Clint said last night they thought you’d want security for me.  Clint doesn’t want me leaving without at least three members of security, or an Avenger.  I told them I thought that was a little…” she paused.  “I don’t know, we’ve had one date, I thought it was a little soon for something like that.”

“In any other time, I would agree.  But this is a time of hostility, and the FSB do not play by the rules.”

“You know the Avengers would come for me, right?”

“That is not the point. The point is that nothing untoward happen to you to begin with.  You are a noncombatant civilian, but that will not stop certain agencies.”

“If it’ll put your mind at ease, sure,” she said lightly.  “You’ve got enough to worry about right now without adding me into the mix.”

“Then I will make the arrangements momentarily.  Thank you for understanding.”

“Oh, I don’t have any problem with being safe,” she laughed.  “You’re welcome.  And you should probably get some sleep, and I’ve got to earn my paycheck, so --“

“Of course.  Was this a good time?  May I call again?”

“Anytime, Victor.  And especially if you have to go add a personal touch, okay?”

“I remember.  Have a good day, Darcy.”

“Good night, Victor.” He hung up, called the New York embassy and gave the requisite orders for her security detail if requested, debated…it was still fairly early…and decided not to call Stark until later. Besides, if push came to shove, there were magical means of finding her.  He was able, then, to lie back and eventually sleep.

  The intelligence that came in overnight was not promising.  The strengthening push into Ukraine, the troops now crossing Belarus, pointed toward the New Soviet’s determination to reconquer the smaller countries.  Belarus could be forgiven; their position was unenviable, and while Victor knew they were playing both sides against the middle, he also knew that they could not possibly stand before the might of the troops currently passing through their country. He gave the orders for the immediate air transport of several brigades of Doombots to help defend Poland’s eastern border, with promises of more as soon as he knew more about the Ukrainian situation.  He also gave the orders for the supertanks, already loaded onto the special express trains, and their operators to make the journey to Lublin and Bialystok for assignment. Those destined for Ukraine and Romania were already en route.

A teleconference with the generals, exhibiting the latest Doombot models and pointing out their strengths, took up a few hours, and then another teleconference with Chancellor Merkel, President Macron, and President Mattarella regarding the efforts the EU had made to convince Russia to stand down.  He did not comment on the absence of Prime Minister May and President Trump; it was only to be expected, after the Brexit, and of course President Trump likely did not even know there were currently tensions.  Nor, to be honest, did Victor think the man would care. Ukraine was far enough away that the U.S. could ignore it, though he had an idea that the First Lady was likely keeping a very close eye on the situation.  She was from the region, after all.

Now he paced in his control center, waiting.  He felt somewhat bound by his determination to change; were he the Doom of five years ago, he would have gone to the front and decimated the armies with a few spells, driven them forth from the soil of his allies and shown no mercy.  He could feel the energy, taste the triumph…but no. “I am not that man any longer,” he growled to himself between gritted teeth.  “I am better.  I am stronger, I am more than I was.”  But the words did nothing to curb his desire to see something destroyed by his hands.

He swallowed his irritation, and began reviewing the currently available freelance enhanced humans or mutants who might be acceptable to Darcy as a bodyguard.  She could not be followed by a Doombot all the time, and while the embassy’s security was top notch, they were all human. He did not like their chances against more Crimson Dynamos or perhaps Black Widows.

Sabretooth was not an option, due to his instability.  Certainly he was supposedly “cured,” but he had seen Victor Creed in his murderous frenzies, and he would not risk Darcy in that manner.  Elektra was a possibility, save for the fact that she had a price of her own on her head, one that would never be called off.  Deadpool was annoying, and too easily distracted.  

He studied videos of the last current possibility for a long few minutes, the high angular cheekbones, the saucy grin, the insolent grace, the lean, muscular body.  His upper lip lifted into a sneer, watching him attempt to charm every woman he met.  Did he dare try to hire this one?  What if Darcy found him attractive?  What if, since he was unable to court her properly right now, she allowed that charm to disarm her?  He pushed himself away from the control panel, paced the room again, glancing every so often at the loop of the man in action leaping to provide cover for a child, defending an elderly man, sweeping a handful of foes into unconsciousness with a few well placed blows.  Finally, he stopped, folding his arms over his chest.  

He was fond of Darcy. She seemed fond of him.  They were not sworn to one another in any way, they had not even begun to scratch the surface of any type of relationship. Hiring someone to guard her was not for his benefit, it was for hers.  Her association with him was what would place her in jeopardy;  he was therefore honor bound to ensure her safety.  Out of the available possibilities, this was the best option.

And besides, if she gave way to the flattering rogue’s charms, if she could not remember who had hired him and why to begin with, then it was simply not meant to be.  He sighed, then picked up the phone.  

  The welding arc flashed blue, hotly hypnotic, as the Clash screamed about knowing one’s rights, the thudding bass enough to feel it in his feet as he worked, mouthing the words along with the song.  He had just finished the line of weld when the song cut off abruptly, and he cut off the welding torch, flipping up his helmet.  “FRIDAY?”

“Sorry, sir, but you didn’t hear me the first eight times I called your name,” his AI said.  “Lord Protector Von Doom is on the line for you.”

“Oh.”  Tony wrenched the helmet off, wiped his forehead on his arm. “How long do I have before Pep wants me for the dinner thing?”

“Two and a half hours, sir.”

“Right, and my alarm is --“

“For an hour and a half from now.  Shall I put Lord Doom through, sir?”

“Yeah.  Yeah, patch him in.”  He laid his tools to the side, got a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and downed it, waiting.

“Mr. Stark.”  Doom’s voice boomed, even when he wasn’t meaning to. He’d have made a hell of a front for a metal band.  Literally, Tony thought to himself, grinning.

“Vic!  Good to hear from you.  How’s Europe?”

“Holding together for the moment.  May I have a word?”

“Sure.  You need a hand out there?  I don’t mind,” Tony offered.  “I owe them a courtesy call after the other night, to be honest.”

“I promise you, Mr. Stark, you are first on the list should reinforcements be needed.  I’m calling regarding Miss Lewis’ current security measures.”  Tony blinked.

“She lives in Avengers Tower, man, we’re not going to let anything happen to her,” Tony began, a low growl of discontent rumbling in his belly.  What, he didn’t think the Avengers could keep her safe?

“I’m well aware, but she does have to leave the tower from time to time, Mr. Stark, and while your security teams are top-notch, they are human,” Doom said.  “Humans, unenhanced humans, well trained humans, are very well and good against most of the FSB or human extraction teams.  I am more concerned for mutant and enhanced threats. I have a bodyguard candidate in mind for her.  I am calling to ask if I might rent the gentleman a suite of rooms in the Tower, so that he is always at hand.  This is only temporary,” he added.  “Until the unpleasantness here is over, and the New Soviet come to their senses.”

“Who’ve you got in mind?” Tony asked, taking another swallow of his water.

“Remy LeBeau. Gambit.”  Tony choked, coughed, had to catch his breath.

“I thought he was upstate? In Westchester?”  He said when he could speak again.

“No.  He has left Xavier’s team, and is currently working as a freelance operative in Quebec City.”  

“Not New Orleans?”

“I believe he is persona non grata in the Crescent City at the moment.  Something to do with the Assassin’s Guild.”

“Yeah.  Yeah, um.  Let me put you on hold for just a minute so I can check the availability, okay?”

“Certainly.”  Tony made a cutting gesture over his throat at one of the cameras, and Billy Joel’s “Vienna” began to play, signaling that Doom was on hold.  “FRIDAY? Do we have anything?”

“The guest floor below the Avengers’ floor is currently empty, sir,” came the lilting answer. “The current market value for one of the guest suites is approximately $15,000 per month, due to the space, the limited availability of rentals in New York, and the location.”

“Okay.  Bring him back on.”  The music cut again.  “Vic, you there?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark,” came the irritated reply, and Tony grinned to himself.  

“Yeah.  I’ve got some room, I’ll cut you a deal because it’s for Artoo.  Eight grand a month, it’s a two bedroom suite with a hell of a view, access to the Avengers’ workout area and communal areas if he wants it.  Comes furnished, top of the line electronics, utilities, cable, and delivery service included.”

“Acceptable.  I will call you back after I speak to Mr. LeBeau,” Doom said after a second.  “I deeply appreciate your courtesy in this matter.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Tony said easily.  “Let’s do doubles next time you’re in town, me and Pep, you and Darce, huh?”  A long pause.

“I have no objections. Thank you again.”

“Sure thing. Later.”  He made the motion again, and the call cut off.  “FRIDAY.  Make sure one of the suites is deep cleaned,” he ordered.  “I don’t know when he’ll show, so, let’s get on it.”

“Yes, sir.  Shall I have groceries delivered as well?”

“No; wait on that until we know when.  Work up an invoice for the Latverian Embassy at eight.”

“Yes, sir.”  Tony hefted his helmet up, slid it back on his head, tightened the belt.  

“How much longer do I have to play, FRIDAY?”

“Approximately one hour, eighteen minutes, sir.”

“Awesome.  Bring back the tunes.”  

“You have the right…to free speech…as long as you’re not dumb enough to actually TRY it!”  The music picked back up right where it had left off.  Tony grinned, flipping his hood down and re-lit the welding torch, bending back over his work.

...STAY TUNED, TRUE BELIEVERS...

[marblesarelost]

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

                                         CHAPTER FIVE

Her throat was raw for the next two days from the strength of her scream.

Later, all Darcy would remember was her vision suddenly being covered by green, Doom whirling his cloak over her and turning, placing his body between hers and the blast. Thankfully, he didn’t throw her to the concrete floor and dive on top of her or anything like that; he probably ran about two twenty to two fifty, it would have hurt like hell.  Instead, though, strong arms encased in faintly glowing metal wrapped around her, holding her up as the floor shook.  “No, you are safe, I will not allow any harm to come to you,” he rumbled in her ear, and for just a second, half a second, she allowed herself to be comforted.

“But the others,” she protested, “they were sitting --“

“We will see what has happened to the Avengers in a moment, and you may call for assistance from whoever might be able to help.  For now, we must wait; there are still missiles being fired.”

“Who,” she choked out, “whoever did this, whoever did this, they have opened up such a goddamn can of whoopass…”  

“What an interesting idiom. And yes.  They have.  They have attacked a home where the King of Atlantis and the Lord Protector of Latveria were being treated as honored guests.  They will know the wrath and the fury of the Sub-Mariner, and of Doom.” The noise was dying down.  “I will release you in a moment; find cover. Three, two, one, go.”  His arms uncrossed from around her, the green falling away, and she could see the door to the common room.  

“Be careful,” she said, then ran forward, jerking the door open and heading through the kitchen into the TV room.  “FRIDAY, status report?”

“No known casualties at this time.  Mark 16 and RESCUE were initiated when Sir saw the incoming bogeys. All of the other Avengers dove into the pool as the first missile was fired.”

“Okay,” Darcy breathed. “Okay.  Where’s Steve’s shield, Friday?”

“Captain Rogers’ shield is in his quarters.”

“Emergency override his lock.  SHOCKER-Alpha-3-9-6SW,” she said, running for the elevator.  “Who else needs their weapons?”

“Falcon does not have his wings, and Hawkeye does not have his bow.”

“Damn it,” she sighed. “Do they have other weapons up there that they can use?”

“Currently, both are firing Glocks.”

“They need more than that,” Darcy muttered as the elevator door opened on the residential floor, and she ran down the hall to Steve’s quarters.  Opening the door, she saw the shield beside his couch.  Grabbing it, she headed out again.  “How heavy are Falcon’s wings, FRIDAY?”  Because the shield by itself was heavy enough she was having to use both hands.  “More strength training, Darce,” she muttered to herself.

“Hey Darce,” Sam’s voice sounded over the intercom system.  “Don’t worry about my wings, sugar, we’ve already got enough flyers out here to make things really interesting, especially since I’ve never worked with Doom or Namor.”

“You sure, Sam?”

“Yep.”

“Okay.  Does Clint want his bow and quiver?”

“Negative.”

“Oh.  Okay.  I’m bringing Steve the shield, though.”

“He’ll appreciate that; he’s pissed ‘cause he’s having to hide at the moment.”

“Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.”

She was upstairs again, and now she was pissed.  Oh, she was pissed.   She stopped at the door to peek out from around it, and her breath caught. War Machine and Iron Man were blasting the hell out of what appeared to be a red suit of armor, while Namor and Doom were busy kicking in the faceplate of another.  A third was being kept busy by Clint, Natasha, and Sam, while Steve stood helplessly fretting nearby, She-Hulk holding him back.

“Hey Rogers,” she shouted, stepping into view.  “Catch!” She threw the shield with both hands like a discus in his general direction.

“Lewis, you’re a lifesaver,” Steve called, leaping to catch the wobbling airborne disk.  He rolled as he came down again, jumping up and launching the shield at the armor that Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Falcon were firing at. It hit the chest mounted machine gun, bending it sideways, ricocheted into the side of the building, then back to Steve’s hand.

She-Hulk leapt from the building toward that armored attacker a split second afterward, making the jump, but barely.  She held onto the assailant, however, and started pulling pieces off of the armor, digging her strong green fingers into the suit, its defense systems all but useless against her.  Sure, she could be shocked.  Sure, it hurt.  But nothing like it would do to an unenhanced person.  Darcy watched, her mouth open, as she tore the faceplate away from the helmet, exposing a woman who couldn’t be much older than Darcy.  A single punch from She-Hulk was all it took to knock the pilot out.

What she hadn’t taken into account was that an unconscious pilot meant that the suit was going down, her scream echoing between the buildings as she and her foe plummeted toward the earth.  Namor left Doom to deal with their opponent, diving through the night sky as easily as he cut through water, and Darcy crossed her fingers. “Please,” she murmured.  “Please, please…”

A flurry of laser shots drew her attention back to the battle in the sky.  Doom’s opponent was giving it all he had, obviously, but Doom only hovered there, letting his unseen foe fire at him at point blank range. Until he had had enough, that is. “You have made a grave error,” he proclaimed, reaching out his hand a lot like Darth Vader’s force-choke.  The suit began to crumple, Darcy could hear it, the metal squashing and screeching as it folded in on itself.  “You have angered Doom.”

“Holy shit.”  Darcy glanced to the side to see Clint watching beside her.  “Why the hell didn’t he do that before?”

“I don’t know,” Darcy replied.  “Maybe you can ask him in a minute.”

“Yeah,” Clint agreed. “Think I will.”  He looked down at his Stitch patterned swimming trunks. “Fuckers got a hole in my new trunks, too.”

“Aww.  I’ll patch it for you this weekend,” Darcy offered.

“You’re a treat, Darce.”

“Did Namor catch --“ she began, and Clint nodded.

“Yep.  Looked to me like he was controlling the fall rather than trying to drag them back up, though.  I gotta go downstairs and help collect them.”  His shoulders sagged.  “You did good getting Steve his shield.  That helped.”  He sighed, standing straight again as Black Widow came to stand next to them.

“Barton.  Let’s go.”  

“Wait,” Darcy said, quickly untying her sarong and handing it to Widow.  “Here.”   For a second, ‘Tasha blinked out of Widow’s face, then faded away again as she nodded, wrapping the sarong around herself quickly into a full sleeveless dress before jerking her head to the door where Pepper stood, her gaze fully on the battle still raging between Iron Man, War Machine, and the last armored asshole. Doom was slowly lowering the one he had subued to the now wrecked pool as the last red armored adversary dodged a blast from Iron Man and knocked into him, hard.  The heap of scrap metal, for that’s what it was now, dropped the last twenty feet in free fall as Doom surged forward from the impact, then turned around, purple sparks flying off of him.

“Coward!”  He thundered, and Darcy couldn’t see what he did next, but the enemy armor suddenly thrashed about in the sky, its limbs flailing wildly and likely painfully, as Iron Man and War Machine backed away in the air.

“Holy SHIT!”  

“Fuck my life, son, you shoulda done that earlier,” War Machine said.

“I could not; you and Iron Man were in too close quarters, and this would likely have affected your armors as well.”  The armor stopped moving as quickly as it had begun, holding deathly still for a moment before it moved smoothly toward the building, ending up beside the mangled metal that had been its associate.  “Crimson Dynamos, are they not, Iron Man?”

“Yeah, that’s what it looks like,” Tony agreed, coming to a landing and flicking the suit off a few seconds later.  “Uh. This one…is this one dead, Doom?”

“No.”  He landed beside Tony, a few seconds before War Machine. “The pilot is alive.  Perhaps a bit worse for wear.  But alive.”  He stepped out of the way as Pepper ran to Tony, hugging him tightly, and Darcy could, would swear later that for a fraction of a second, just a fraction, she saw Doom’s perfect posture stiffen before he stalked back to the edge of the terrace, his back to them all.

“Fuck,” Darcy muttered, turning on her heel and running for the bar.  “FRIDAY, where does Tony keep the really, really good stuff?”

“Wine, champagne, or whiskey, Miss Lewis?”

“Any of it.  All of it,” Darcy snapped, her eyes sliding over labels.  “The good shit, FRIDAY, the Thank You For Being A Pal shit.”

“I would suggest the single malt Macallan Single Malt Craigallachie if you are celebrating the triumph.”

“Great.  Where’s that?”

“Third shelf from the top, to the left.”  Darcy stepped up on the stool, grabbed the bottle and two glasses; hopefully he drank his whiskey neat.  “How much is this bottle, FRIDAY?”

“The MSRP is three hundred dollars.”

“Great.  Take it out of my pay for the next couple months, would you?”  She was already in the kitchen before the AI could reply affirmatively, and out the door, picking her way around the rubble that had been the terrace pool five minutes earlier.  She waved at Rhodey and Tony, but never stopped moving until she was a few feet behind Doom.

“Lord Protector?”  She called softly.  He turned, he had to turn his whole torso to do so, she noticed, and saw her.  She held up the bottle and glasses.  “To the Victor goes the spoils?”

“Is that my Laphroaig, Lewis?”  Tony called from across the hole where the pool had been.

“Nope!  It’s something called Macallan…Craigie something, it came recommended,” she shouted back.  “And I already arranged to pay you for it, so hush.”

“Nah.  On the house,” Tony said.  “Doom, take five and have a drink with a pretty girl before SHIELD gets here; you’ll have to give a statement, damn it, I didn’t want --“ Tony was cut off by Pepper’s fingers over his lips.

“What Tony means to say, Lord Doom, is that he deeply appreciates your help tonight,” Pepper said, and Tony sighed.

“Yes.  Yes, that is what I want to say, seriously, I just…this isn’t what I wanted, I wanted to just kick back and have a good time and make new friends, goddamn it.”  Tony kicked at a piece of loose concrete.  “And you BASTARDS had to fucking RUIN it!”

“If it comforts you, Mr. Stark, that is exactly what I had hoped for this evening as well,” Doom said, turning all the way around at last.  “And I add my curse to yours.”

“Yeah,” Tony sighed. “Well.  Unfortunately, this comes from being my friend.”

“God, you have no idea,” Rhodey sighed.  “He’s been a trouble magnet since I’ve known him, building the suit didn’t change anything.” He wrapped one arm around Pepper’s waist, the other around Tony’s.  “Come on, you two.  Let’s go find our own bottle.”

The bottle was plucked from her fingers a moment later, and she wondered briefly, how did he move so fast and so silently?  Oh yeah, hovering, Darcy, he’s a fucking Sith Lord, remember?  “This is a very good Scotch,” he said lowly.  

“Yeah, well, you won. Practically single handed,” she shrugged.  “And hey, saving the plucky sidekick’s life comes with benefits.”

“Do not speak of yourself so.  You are, even on our short acquaintance, much more than the plucky sidekick.”  He opened the bottle, poured two fingers’ worth of liquor into both glasses.  “Prosit.”

“L’chaim,” she replied, touching her glass to his and sipping, the alcohol peaty, burning its way down her throat.  She didn’t cough, but her eyes watered.  “Damn,” she said after she caught her breath.  “I just remembered why I like Irish better.”

“Oh?  Then why did you choose this?”

“One, it’s one of Tony’s best, two, you seem like a Scotch kind of guy; complicated, with added fire.”

“That is…a very apt descriptor.  You used a Hebraic term for your toast; you’re Jewish?”

“Yep,” she nodded. “Not observant or anything, but yeah.” She sipped her drink again, glancing at the two subdued assholes.  “They’re not gonna wake up anytime soon, are they?”  He chuckled, and a shiver ran down her spine at the sound.

“Not likely.”  It wasn’t quite a growl, but it wasn’t far from it, either.  “I overloaded the subdermal receptors in one suit, causing a massive amount of biogenetic feedback.  Nothing that can’t be cured with a few weeks’ care.  As for the other, well.  The Grasping Hand is not known for subtlety.  There may be broken bones.  I’m afraid I have no sympathy for them; they meant to ambush unarmed people at a party, after all.”

“Yeah, I don’t have any sympathy for them myself at the moment,” Darcy agreed.  “So that’s what the Force Choke move is called?  The Grasping Hand?”

“Force Choke?”  He asked her, gesturing, and a pair of chairs and a table, knocked over to the wall by the missiles, rose, righting themselves. “I’m not sure I know the term.”

“Star Wars?  Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker? Kylo Ren, Rey?  The Millennium Falcon?”  He shook his head as she named off each integral piece of the space opera.

“I am afraid I do not care for much modern media.  I have had other concerns.”

“Oh, um…yeah, okay,” she said, joining him as he walked over to the table and taking a seat.  “Star Wars.  It’s a movie franchise, very…at its core, it’s the Hero’s Journey, I guess, and the actual first three movies are awesome, the prequels are crap except for Rogue One, and we’re now waiting for the last in the current trilogy.”

“I see.  It is a cultural difference, I suppose; movies were never that important to me.”  He refilled her glass, and his own.  “Books were. Do you know Tolkien?”

“Three Rings for the Elven-Kings under the sky, seven for the Dwarf-Lords in their halls of stone, nine for mortal men, doomèd  to die, one for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, in the land of Mordor, where the shadows lie,” she quoted, and he nodded.

“Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul,” he intoned, purposely, she was sure, deepening his voice as he spoke the Black Tongue of Mordor.

“In the land of Mordor, where the shadows lie,” she repeated softly.  “Yeah.  Yeah, me and John Ronald, we go back.”

“Obviously,” he agreed.

“Also, the Black Speech?  Really?”

“It amused me, in my youth.”

“So,” she said after a moment.  “Are you Theoden awakened, then?  Or Boromir, regretful at the Falls?”  He didn’t answer her for several long minutes, taking a drink, considering his words.

“I think…” he began slowly.  “I think I am more Saruman, but a Saruman who has seen his folly.  I have broken the White, and become the Saruman of Many Colors; and now I am trying, perhaps, to regain my humility, and earn back my Staff of Office.”

“Or Bilbo,” she offered. “After giving up the One Ring.”

“No; no.  You are very kind, Miss --“ she glared at him, and he changed.  “Darcy. But I, like Saruman, have committed too many sins, and Bilbo did not.  No. I am Saruman if Saruman had come down at Orthanc, when Theoden and Gandalf and the Ents had cornered him.  I have come down, and I know I have a great deal of work to do to redeem myself.”

“Looks like you’re doing a good job of it, from my point of view,” she offered.

“Thank you.  There is a veritable Aegean stables to clean, however,” he sighed, “and the expedient way tempts me, always.”

“Change is hard,” she agreed.  “Changing as completely as you’ve done, that’s…that’s next to impossible.  May I ask, if it’s not too personal, what…did something happen to drive you to it, or…” she let her words trail off. “Sorry, I’m presuming on short acquaintance.”

“You are,” he agreed. “But at least you’re asking.” Slowly, he ran his finger over the rim of his glass, the metal of his glove causing the glass to ring, just slightly. “Good crystal.  Stark has taste.”

“Yep.”

“The truth of it is…” he began, sitting back, “the truth of it is, I am tired.  I am tired of always being on edge.  I am tired of always fighting.  I am weary, Darcy.  I have seen the future and the past, I have fought battles with gods and monsters, demons and abominations, and while…while I have always…prevailed, at least in survival, I have not always triumphed.  I am tired.  I wish, at this point, only to lead my people into a new age.  An age in which Latveria prospers beside her neighbors, rather than eking out a spare living, hand to mouth.  It is time, it is past time, to give up the childish travails and idiocies of my youth, and see to the welfare of my people, rather than myself and my own wounded pride.”  

“Those are good reasons,” she said softly.  “I can understand those reasons.”

“Oh, there are more.”

“Of course there are; you’re complicated.”  She grinned at him.  

“I’m tired of seeing them quail whenever I walk among them.  Of seeing women hide their children behind them, of seeing even my own people, my mother’s people, quake in fear at the mention of my name.  Fear is not what I wanted, when I took the throne, I did not want their fear, I wanted to help, I wanted to build, to make things better…and all I have done is make it worse.  No more.  No more traipsing about time and space, no more fighting with Reed over sins, his and mine, long past.  No more proclamations of how great I am, and playing Big Brother from Orwell.  I am not great.  I am a man who has made a multitude of mistakes.  And I cannot, even if I went back in time again, I would not be able to rectify them all.  But I can build a better future.  I can.  But it takes allies.  It takes trust.  And I have to earn that trust.”

“Doing a hell of a job so far,” Steve’s voice cut through the night, and Darcy looked over her shoulder to see him standing a few feet away.  “Sorry to interrupt.  Coulson wants to ask a few questions, you know how it is.”

“Of course.  If you will excuse me, Darcy?”  He asked politely, and she nodded.  He rose, taking her hand and bowing over it.  “It has been a delight to spend time with you; I hope to do so again before I leave New York.”

“It’s been my pleasure, Victor,” she assured him.  “And thank you again.  I know you saved my life.”

“I would gladly do so again. Good evening.”

“Good evening.”  She watched him walk away with Steve, sighed to herself.  Well, the assholes hadn’t completely ruined the evening.  Just mostly.  

 STAY TUNED, TRUE BELIEVERS!

EXCELSIOR!