#Nick Fury is inclined to Agree.

[egregiousderp]

The other fun thing from today: Team Living's new commander arrived unexpectedly in the mail, along with one of Team Dead's reinforcements getting rediscovered in my unpacking.

[e-vasong]

I’ve already talked about a Leverage crossover where the Hargreeves are conmen but I'm. losing it thinking about. a Leverage AU where the Leverage team sees these kids on tv, and they just go.  oh shit, that’s just fucking wrong.  (I know the timelines don’t match up but let’s pretend the umbrella kids were born a little later, or that Leverage takes place a little earlier, or something like that.  I don’t know.)

But these fucking umbrella kids show up on TV, and at first none of them are paying much attention. Not right away.  They’re busy running cons, and none of them except Hardison watch TV for fun very often.

So they’ve all heard bits and pieces about this Umbrella thing, and aren’t quite sure what to make of it.  Superhumans, huh? Eliot mutters at one point. Whatever. Our lives are already so goddamn weird.

But eventually they catch a broadcast while they’re home in between cases.  it’s playing in the background while they’re enjoying a meal together at the brewery.

The Umbrella Academy saves the day yet again! the broadcaster declares cheerily. We go now to a statement at the Louvre from their leader, Sir Reginald Hargreeves.

It’s just novel enough to catch their attention--being who they are, they all perk up at the word Louvre--and it gets them half-watching as they chat over breakfast.

It’s Parker that sees it first.  She’s Parker, so what catches her attention is actually not the fact that one of them is covered in blood, nor is it the fact that their father is calling them by numbers instead of names.  It’s the way that they stand, tense and upright.  It’s the way that the one covered in blood is trembling minutely, so fine that it’s almost imperceptible. But she notices. And she notices the way that the one to the bloodied boy’s left--the fifth one in line--leans over ever-so-subtly when their father is looking away. Whispers something with the barest movement of his lips. And then, after a moment of hesitation, he links hands with his shaking brother, twining their fingers together.  Parker knows that whisper, knows what this is. She used to do that with her brother.  Used to hold Nick’s hand, just like that, when their fosters were scaring him, trying to provide comfort even despite the fear of being caught.

It’s not long before the others follow her gaze. She’s stopped engaging in the conversation entirely, is just staring at the television with a death glare, nose wrinkled.

“Parker, baby,” Hardison says.  “That’s your angry face.”

“I’m angry,” she says, and doesn’t elaborate.

“Got it,” Hardison takes it in stride, as he always does.

Eliot’s frowning at the TV.  Unlike Parker, his eye does jump to the most obvious thing first.  To the boy, no older than eleven or twelve probably, drenched head to toe with blood.  There’s no rips in his clothing; Eliot’s pretty sure the blood isn’t his. He’s standing up straight, but his shoulders are slightly hunched.  Like he’s injured.  Broken ribs, maybe?  And he’s been taught to hide them too. He’s also not the only one with that too-stiff posture. These kids aren’t standing up straight. They’re standing at attention.  Number One, their father calls one of them, and what are those? Fucking callsigns?  

Sophie and Nate are watching too.  Their faces are carefully blank.  They aren’t happy, Parker’s pretty sure, but they’re trying not to react.

“What the hell?” Hardison says slowly.  He’s the last one to catch on, though only by a very narrow margin.  He lacks Sophie and Nate’s cynicism, and the years of personal experience Parker and Eliot have, but he’s still too smart to not figure it out almost immediately.  And he is first one to abandon the stunned stillness that’s fallen over the rest of them, pulling his laptop out of his bag, already quickly tapping away at the keys.

“This ain’t right,” Eliot says, voice a growl in his chest.  “This is--this is--it’s televised child abuse.”

Sophie makes a quiet noise of agreement then. “It is,” she says, quietly disgusted. “Those poor children.”

Nate is still staring at the screen, lips pressed flat.

“This Reginald guy looks rich,” Parker says.  Then: “Can we kill him?”

Eliot chokes on his drink.

“How is this even legal?” Sophie asks.  She sounds curious, though not particularly surprised by the grievous violation of child protection laws before her. “It’s so...blatant.”

“Sir Reginald Hargreeves,” Hardison says, no longer typing.  “He is--oh shit.” And the typing resumes, faster and a little more panicked than before.

“Hardison?” Nate prods after a moment, giving Hardison a sidelong glance.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s all good,” Hardison says.  “The INTERPOL files on this guy are locked up tight though.  Almost tripped their security system there.  I didn’t, of course, but--”

“You couldn’t get in?” Eliot says, smirking.

“Yet,” Hardison says.  “Dammit, man, it’s been less than five minutes.  Give me a couple hours and that thing is mincemeat.  Metaphorically speaking, of course.  But I do see what’s going on here and,” he clicks his tongue, shaking his head in disappointment.  “Y’all, this is hinky.”

“Yes, I think we got that,” Nate says.  The corner of his lip twitches up.

“Yeah, yeah,” Hardison says.  “This guy has got friends everywhere.  No one knows how he got the kids, but it looks like he technically bought them--”

“He what?” Sophie sounds like she’s been suckerpunched.  Parker can’t think of the last time she heard Sophie sound so shocked.

“Oh yeah.  You think that’s bad?  The numbers aren’t code names  The numbers are their name names.  Like, legally.  I just found an article that said he ordered them by how useful he thinks they are, but judging by the adoption papers it was actually in the order he, uh,” Hardison coughs, “acquired them.”

Eliot is swaying where he stands.  “Common tactic.  He’s pitting them against one another so they’ll be easier to control.  It undermines the self worth of the ones lower on the scale and makes the ones that are higher up feel obligated to do what he wants.  Son of a bitch.”

“...And it looks like he leveraged their powers as excuse to gain exemptions from child protection laws,” Hardison continues like he hasn’t been interrupted.  “Claimed their abilities meant they don’t need the same safeguards.”

“That’s bullshit!” Eliot sounds thunderous.

“I know, buddy,” Hardison reaches over blindly, waving his hand around vaguely until he finds Eliot’s shoulder.  He gives it a comforting squeeze.  “I didn’t write it.”

Eliot heaves in a shuddering breath.  “That’s just--”

“Evil,” Sophie finishes.  

“I’m inclined to agree,” Nate says.  He’s not watching the TV anymore.  He’s staring off into the middle distance, arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh!” Parker perks up.  All the grief and distress that had been brewing on her face vanishes like storm clouds parting for the sun.  “Nate! Nate, are you scheming?  You look like you’re scheming.”

Nate makes a noncommittal grunt.  “It would be dangerous.”

“They’re in danger,” Sophie says softly, jerking her head in the television’s direction.

Eliot’s long-since gotten to his feet.  He’s pacing, and that’s how Parker knows he’s furious.  When Eliot is too angry to stand it, he has to move, has to find some way to handle the rage roiling under his skin.  Usually he cooks, chopping vegetables with furious aplomb.  And when he can’t cook, he paces.  

“They’re fucking child soldiers,” he says.  “I can’t--” he cuts himself off with a furious shake of the head.  I can’t believe, he was about to say, Parker thinks, but he had to stop because that’s not true.  Eliot knows better than anyone what the government--what the world does to people they find useful, whether its skill or power that makes them so.

“Y’all are behind,” Hardison says in sing-song.  “I’m already trying to burn this motherfucker down.”

“Hardison, do not tip our hand,” Nate says, snapping into his leader-voice automatically.  Parker grins.  He’s already got a plan, then.  She knew all that reluctance was just for show.  Sophie laughs, as clear and bright as the ringing of a bell, and even Eliot perks up.  

Hardison grumbles, closing his laptop and stuffing it back in his messenger bag.  

Nate is grinning a little too, though it’s that angry smile he gets sometimes when Parker knows he’s thinking about hurting bad people.  She understands.  She's wearing hers too right now.  Nate glances them all over, and for all the malice dripping off the knife’s edge of that smile, his eyes are soft.  Maybe even a little proud.

“Fine. Fine. You guys win,” Nate says, lifting his hands in defeat.  He’s putting on a show of being beleaguered, but Parker can hear the sparking anger in his voice, and oh, how could she have forgotten?  Sophie is so gently righteous, Hardison so achingly distressed, and Eliot so full of fire and fury that she almost didn’t notice Nate’s seething wrath, nearly forgot that Nate looks at every injured child in need of help and thinks of Sam.  “Everyone, get your things.  Hardison, get us some plane tickets.  Let’s go steal some children.”

“Okay, okay.  I ain’t complaining cause, like, fuck that guy,” Hardison says, slinging his bag over his shoulder.  “But stealing children?  Could you have made us sound anymore like kidnappers?”

“Hardison!”

“I’m just saying.”

[gloryofroses19]

Iron Legacy [Teaser]

“Samantha Stark, genius, billionaire, librarian, philanthropist”

Samantha moved to stand and crossed her arms, “I think you’re mistaken Fury, Tony was the genius.”

“No, Tony was A genius. He was not THE genius in the Stark family.”

“I appreciate how you think so highly of my niece, I'm inclined to agree.”

Nick chuckled as he sat down, “Still the humble Stark I see.”

Watching Nick Fury make himself at home, Samantha asked “What are you doing here, Fury?”

“I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d stop by.”

“Fury, we’re both too old to play these games so what do you want?”

“Guess the saying is true,” Samantha raised an eyebrow at him, “You do become more and more like your parents as you get older. Or in your case like your brother. Your father would have enjoyed some small talk, ah kids these days.”

Fixing him a hard stare, she repeated herself “what do you want Nick?”

“The world needs Iron Man” Fury stated, finally fixing his gaze on the brunette.

“I am not Iron Man!” she hissed “Iron Man died saving the world.”

“Your father thought-”

“Don't give me that ‘your father thought you were the future’ bullshit you gave Tony. Because my father never thought of me once. I was the afterthought in his life. And I was fine with that because”, she paused, wiping a tear, “because you know who did think of me? Tony, Tony always thought of me and he wanted me as far away from this as possible.”

“But you didn't listen” Fury replied with a monotone drawl.

“Yeah I didn’t but now maybe I should.”

“You are your brother’s legacy. Hell, you are your father’s legacy. You say you don’t want it but here I find you running Stark Industries like the dutiful daughter.”

With a dramatic flourish, Nick Fury motioned around her office before continuing. “And like your brother before you, I read about sightings of the Iron Maiden.” In an attempt to drown him out, she turned to look at the New York skyline as he leaned in whispering “And we both know that Avengers resources have been used by certain Eternal beings recently.”

Moving to stand, Nick said, “You and Morgan were the two things he was most proud of in this world. His brilliant, kind and strong little sister who he knew would make the right decisions to continue to protect their family and legacy. As much as Tony was a wild child, Tony raised you to have the same heart of gold that he had. Albeit, his was buried in under piles of cynicism and sarcasm.” Nick Fury spared a final glance at the woman as he opened the door, “You can’t run from it, Stark.”

And with the shut of her office door, Samantha Stark pushed the papers off her desk and let the ever present waterfall of tears fall down.

A/N: Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated!

[karimac]

…Turn of the Wheel: If only in my dreams

Dedicated to my mother, a member of the US Women’s Army Corps during and after World War II, who played “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” on a tiny Victrola in her German barracks as she thought of her family back in Wisconsin.

Warnings: pretty much none on this one. Maybe a tiny bit of angst and a ton of fluff

A/N: I have no idea which Avengers might be musically inclined, so I sort of made up a bit of that thanks to the fact, as far as I know, Chris Evans plays piano, Paul Rudd plays drums and Jeremy Renner plays guitar. I do not play any instruments, so if I muff something, my apologies in advance.

Hickory, the cat mentioned in this story, was my cat who passed away several years ago. I miss his sunny little self.

This has not been beta read, so all mistakes are my own.

Word count: 5.8K

Banner artwork credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Team Cap had been on the run for the better part of forever it seemed as the calendar suddenly got to the final month of the year. The thought of not being somewhere at least a tad less grungy than the hotels you all had been hiding out in made your stomach churn. You knew Sam would have loved to be back in Louisiana with his sister Sarah, and Steve wanted nothing more than to check in on Bucky in Wakanda and bring him a tiny bit of normalcy and Christmas cheer.

“What’s eating you?” Natasha asked as you looked out of the window of the hotel where you were currently holed up. “Too much cheesy commercialism out there for you?” she added as she pulled back the curtain and gazed at the street below where kids were running up to a corner Santa who was standing in front of a small local department store.

“No, Nat, just the opposite,” you said as you got up from your window seat and started to pace the worn floorboards of the room you were sharing at the moment. “And I need to fix it by Christmas Eve if I can. I may not be able to get Bruce or Thor here, and Tony and Rhodey are never going to agree to this, but I’ll see who I can muster…”

“Whoa. Slow down a second,” the Widow said as you started to pace a little more frantically. “Fix what? Do you mean the Accords?”

“No, I mean Christmas. This is just wrong,” you muttered as you reached for your jacket and backpack before opening a portal. “I’ll be back. I have to make sure my old safe house is still, well, safe.”

“Wait!” Natasha said as your portal snapped shut behind you. You were not about to be talked out of this one.

“What do you mean you have a safe house? Are you suddenly Nick Fury’s best girl?” Sam asked as you looked at him, Steve, Natasha, Wanda and Vision. Your arms were crossed, and you were pissed beyond words at the comment. You never told them about how you and Nick met in the first place, and now was not the time to do it. So you grunted and started to open a portal.

“If I might ask, will we be getting any of your family in trouble if you do this, Miss MacOrish?” Vision asked as you stopped and let the portal slowly close.

“Vision, my blood family died out a very long time ago, and I am going to make sure we go nowhere near anyone who means anything to me at the moment. Sorry, but the compound in Ireland is off limits for now. Maybe one day I’ll get to take you all back home. I’d like that.”

“Then where is this safe house exactly?” Steve asked as you opened the portal fully this time and motioned for the others to step through it. “Where it needs to be,” you said with a wink as there was a shout of “Steve!” from the middle of the room. “Bucky?” Rogers asked as he looked at you, and all you could do was smile as he ran to his childhood friend.

The look on both men’s faces was worth all the time you had spent in your safe house tucked in a little corner between space and time. Bucky looked more rested, but he still had only one arm, so you wondered how things were actually going in his deprogramming and rehabilitation. You’d never pry, but you prayed he was making progress and would soon be leading whatever life he wanted and not what governments or madmen demanded of him.

“I still do not understand how this works, brother,” Shuri could be heard saying as she walked with T’Challa, Okoye and Ayo toward where Steve and Bucky stood chatting. “We are still in Wakanda, but we aren’t.”

“What did you do?” Natasha asked as you leaned against a wall near the portal and snapped your fingers. The room, which had been rather dark and plain looking until this point, suddenly burst into light as a tree laden with gifts stood in the far left corner. A table covered with more than enough food for this small army was on the right side of the room, and it would have made your family proud to witness this gathering.

There were plush chairs, sofas and small tables with candles dotting the room, and a fireplace was crackling with a warm glow, but everyone just stood there looking at you, waiting for an explanation of how and why this was actually happening.

“I told Natasha I wanted to fix Christmas, so I did, just not as much as I wanted to…” you said as your usual jeans, scuffed boots and sweater were replaced by a more holiday appropriate short dress of green velvet. “Sam, I couldn’t risk bringing any family members here. I’m sorry.”

“I’d rather keep Sarah safe,” Sam said as you gave him a hug.

“But, we can work on a way to get you two in the same place when you feel it is safe,” you sighed as you tried not to cry at the thought of the siblings being separated. “I did manage to get these two here with little trouble, at least for a few hours.”

“She’s crazy, but I’m glad she did this!” Clint Barton yelled as he ran over and gave Nat a hug, and Scott Lang just stood to the side, shaking his head as he looked to see that his ankle monitor was still functioning.

“I told you how this works, guys. You are not breaking any rules on my watch,” were the only words you got out before Steve walked over and put his hand on your shoulder. “How did you do this?” he asked as he shot you one of his patented “I’m an old man, so indulge me” looks. The fact he was really a kid in comparison to you made you chuckle.

“It’s simple magical metaphysics,” you said with a smirk as you pointed toward a table with drinks on it. “The Science Brothers do not have the market on cool things, Steve. I just made sure my pocket dimension vault extended to Wakanda, Clint’s farm and Scott’s house. I do have one corner in New York as well so I can get things from my bakery as needed. And yes, a tiny bit is in Ireland. If you look out that window over there, that is my family home in Kildare. I needed it to be anchored to a place that means the world to me and to my better portion. I just can’t walk you into my home without making things problematic. Now, perhaps you’d like to make a toast, Steve? Or maybe it can wait until everyone is here.”

“What is that aroma? It smells wonderful,” Okoye asked as you suddenly ran back toward the food table and straight past it into what looked like a black hole. “Cristiano! Thank you!” you shouted as you turned back around and walked back out with a large platter of seafood paella. “Cris dropped off the paella his family makes for the holiday, and he brought more dessert!”

The refrains of The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” played in the background, the first of many songs you had on your holiday playlist for the ages that pumped through the speakers of the room, and you smiled as you saw everyone actually enjoying themselves for what was likely the first time in ages. You had Hanukkah songs, songs that were more pagan in flavor for Yule and tons of Christmas classics at the ready. You just wanted everyone to have a moment’s peace.

The food covered any and all things that you felt would be celebratory dishes for the four corners of the globe that were the homes to your friends. Turkey, ham, seafood dishes and other more vegetarian fare were set up in buffet style, and there was a separate table for desserts near the tree. As far as you knew, all the bases were covered.

“My grandfather told me about the red haired goddess who landed in the middle of a Wakandan field before I was born,” T’Challa said as he came over to where you were fussing with the large bowl of mulled claret, your favorite holiday beverage. You smiled at the king and bowed slightly as he mentioned his grandfather Azzuri. “I never thought I would see you in my time on the throne, and yet, here you are.”

“People like me are very hard to kill, your majesty, so I have seen many a dynasty in my day,” you said as you offered T’Challa his choice of beverage from the table. Not everyone enjoyed alcohol, and mulled claret did not bring joy to all those offered the spiced ruby wine. “Henry the Eighth and his daughter Elizabeth are two others I had the pleasure of meeting in my time.”

“Whaaa? You knew Henry the Eighth?” Scott asked as he came up behind you and T’Challa. “And you kept your head?”“Henry liked my sister Dana, but never enough to bed her, thank heaven!” you replied as you sipped your claret. “They used to play a card game called primo. And Elizabeth had issues with an Irish pirate queen named Grainne Mhaol. Grace O’Malley to those who do not speak Irish. I had a vested interest in making sure the peace was kept.”

“Back to Henry,” Scott said as he dug into the roast turkey and stuffing that he picked from the buffet. “Was he always so…well…”

“Heavy set? A megalomaniac? What?” you asked as you sighed. “I remember the Henry who loved to hunt, dance and sing. The one who wrote his own songs. The one who loved life. Once he had Anne Boleyn beheaded, that all went out the window. She was not a witch, even if she was called one by those who hated that she did not have a son. Her death made it hard for those of us who were, so we fled. I often wonder if staying would have changed things at all. I guess that’s the down side of a long life. Too much time to ponder what might have been.”

In that instant you glanced toward Steve and Bucky. That pair personified “what might have been” in your life more than Henry or anyone in his court had back in the day. But today was not the time to sit and deconstruct that long, winding saga. New Year’s Eve would be here soon, and that would be time enough to dig up your past and have a good cry on your own with a small tub of whatever ice cream struck your fancy.

“Why don’t you go over and talk to him later?” Wanda asked as Vision hung back for a moment. She had snuck up behind you when Scott was asking about Henry. “I’m sure he would enjoy the company.”

“Oh, I’m not so sure about that, Wanda,” you answered as you turned to her and then Scott and T’Challa, biting your lip as you held your glass of claret. “Our history is much more complicated than I’ve been able to explain to anyone, and unless he says I can, I don’t feel it is my place to, as they say it now, spill the tea. That can wait for another time.”

And you were not about to go see what he and Steve were actually chatting about at the moment. But you did see Sam walk over to them and then all three sort of stared at you before turning back toward the tree in the corner.

“See? Not the time yet,” you said with a laugh to Wanda, T’Challa and Scott before you noticed a ripple in the portal that still stood in a far corner of the room.

“Who in the hell makes it so complicated to come to a Christmas party? I mean, I know I’m supposed to be dead to the world, but this is ridiculous.”

“Nicholas! Maria!” you shouted as Fury and Hill made their way into the gathering, both looking a bit bewildered by the route you had used to get them there. “And Steve, before you say a word, this was easier than what these two wanted to do to get you intel. Trust me.”

“Cranky old woman,” Fury muttered as you stood there and glared at him.

“Who helped you get your job with SHIELD, Nick? Or haven’t you told everyone that story a million times by now?”

“What?” Natasha spouted as she and Clint got up from one of the sofas you had placed around the party area. “Wait. It was always whispered in those wonderful group events that Carter and Stark had help setting up SHIELD. You?”

“Bucky was always considered the first SHIELD agent,” Maria Hill said as she got a glass of wine, “but Kari was one of the Big Three at the start…”

“And that’s why Hank Pym knows you! But not you!” Scott shouted as he set down his plate and danced around like he had just won the lottery. “I mean he always calls you by a different name. That pirate lady you mentioned. O’Malley!”

“I was married to a Scotland Yard detective named Thomas O’Malley. That was in the late 1800s. Many people know me by Red O’Malley. Hank Pym is one of them. Hank and Howard always kept butting heads. They drove me crazy. I actually knew Tony as a toddler.”

You could see Bucky looking away at the mention of the Stark family, and you could have kicked yourself for that stupid line of party chatter.

“But I am sure you don’t want to hear all that. Nor do you want to hear about any missions I ran for Peggy. Not tonight anyway,” you said as you tried to change the subject. You crossed over to Bucky and whispered, “I’m so sorry. I’m an idiot,” as you put your hand on his shoulder for a minute before letting it go. “Age doesn’t make one brilliant at times. I’m living proof of that. Now, do you recognize this piano?”

An ancient upright was near the window that looked out into Ireland, and it was indeed quite familiar to the captain and the sergeant. “This is the one from The Whip and Fiddle. Do any of you play?”

“I don’t think anyone plays this,” Nat said as she held up a violin, and your face turned bright red. “Of course. You do.”

“Yes, but I hadn’t hauled that out of storage, so I have a funny feeling I know how it got here,” you said as you picked up the bow and violin and watched as Steve took to the piano bench and Clint picked up a guitar you had leaning next to one of the couches. Scott found something that made you tear up for a minute. “And that drum as well. That belonged to one of my brothers. Donal. He’d be happy to know someone is going to use it again.”

The tunes that filled the air were old and cozy as they rose and fell with every note. “Jingle Bells” gave way to “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and then to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” How you wished that could have been true for everyone in the room, but even your best efforts fell woefully short in your eyes as you got to the song’s refrain of “if only in my dreams.” That stung a bit more than you had imagined it would.

{{Maybe this was a really stupid idea after all}} you thought as you set down your violin and got up as the others set their instruments aside as well.

“You know, I find it fascinating that humans will do so much and then still find fault in what they have done,” Vision said as you stopped for a moment to dry your eyes. “I guess it is that drive for perfection that can never be fully realized.”

“Vision, I’m measuring today against all the holidays that passed in that grand hall in my home in Kildare. We would have all 13 of us siblings, our parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents all jammed in those walls, and we’d celebrate Yule for days. Whatever I did today is just that. One day. I can’t fix the Accords. I can’t convince Tony or Rhodey that there is a way forward. I’m worried for that poor young man that Tony brought to that fight in Berlin. And everyone here deserves to be home and not hunted by some misguided people in power. I could close my eyes and let The Morrigan loose, and she could just upend this all and shape the world to her vision, but I won’t do that. I can’t do that. And while this might be lovely, it is only gossamer. Fleeting at best. And I owe everyone so much more…”

“You did this back when that piano was new,” Bucky said, walking over as he held a glass of whiskey in his hand. “Maybe, for one day, give it a rest. I’m fine. We’re all fine. The rest will take care of itself.”

“If Thor were here, he’d be holding mistletoe over them right now,” you heard Nat saying to Clint as Nick and Maria joined them. “And she’d just walk away, like she is doing now. Stubborn.”You turned and looked at the quartet and shook your head. Bucky Barnes did not need to get more tangled up in your life than he already was. No one was going to hear about Katowice, Poland tonight if you could help it. That nightmare would have to be addressed eventually, but not during a party.

“Grandma, why are you being so you tonight?” Nick asked as he finished the last of his scotch. “Lighten up.”

You growled at the former SHIELD director as you turned on your heel, grabbed another glass of mulled claret and then pivoted to face the lot of them. “This night is for all of you. Just think of me as the caterer and party planner.”

“Holy…where did that come from?” Scott yelped as he went to sit on one of the sofas and felt a big box on the cushion. “What the hell?” you muttered as you stomped over to the sofa, not one bit pleased with this nonsense. “My siblings are not above a stunt or two tonight, I see.”

“I thought you said your family was all dead?” Vison asked as you opened the box and found a bunch of old ornaments and trimmings that had been in the last of the family holiday gear that you skipped for this night.

“But dead in my world and dead in yours are very different things,” you said as you pointed to a large mirror hanging over the fireplace. “Because of the deal my grandmother made at my birth, my family has a special place in the afterlife. I can talk to them, and they can make their presence felt here. Meet my family, or at least my brothers and sisters.”

A throng of people seemed to be jostling for position inside the mirror as a petite, wavy haired blonde in a burgundy velvet gown with golden trim on the sleeves made it to the front of the pack. “Blessed Yule, Kiki,” she said as she held a gray Persian cat in her arms. That was her familiar Periwinkle.“Blessed Yule, Roz and all!” you shouted back as you heard a whoop from the back of the group in the mirror. “Donal, enough of the party pranks.”

“Kiki? Roz?” Scott asked as you laughed, handing out more ornaments to everyone in the room. “That sounds like the characters in ‘Grease’!”

“Kiki is my nickname, and Roz is short for Roslea. You won’t remember all of them, folks, so don’t stress about it. Now, to humor the lot of them, would you mind putting those ornaments on the tree? That was one family tradition from the 1800s that they apparently felt I could not live without. This and the singing before.”

As you and the team hung the ornaments, you went over the names of the lot of your siblings. Brothers Branan, Cormac, Rory, Caedmon, Ewan, Keir, Malachi and Donal all moved in and out of view before sisters Roslea, Dana, Hayley and Adaryn all moved to the front.

“Branan is your twin, right?” Wanda asked as she slipped a small orange glass bird onto a branch. “And who is the youngest?”“That would be Hayley, the sculptor,” you said with a soft sigh. “That is a very long story. Maybe not tonight, but I will tell you, Wanda, and anyone else who cares to hear it.”

“We should let you get back to your night, Little Sister. Blessed Yule to you all,” Cormac said as the mirror started to shimmer and stopped showing what was happening in the place your family called Annwyn.

“But, you’re the oldest, right?” Scott asked as you laughed again. “He means my height. I’m the shortest of the brood,” you said as you noticed the ornament Bucky had picked out. It was a snowflake made of Beleek china that you had been gifted a very long time ago by someone very dear to your heart. It was nice to see it go on a tree once more.

The group seemed to swarm the dessert table en masse, and Scott seemed pleased that he had gotten a huge piece of pumpkin pie before seeing a cake that Clint was giving the once over. “What is this? It smells like Jameson’s,” Clint said as he cut a piece. “Should I set it on fire?”

“It isn’t a plum pudding. It’s Irish fruit cake,” you said as Clint suddenly set down the plate. “You can’t compare it to the American version. This one won’t cause you to visit the dentist soon. It’s a soft cake.”

Clint took a very small piece and tasted it, giving a thumbs up before cutting a bigger slice. “I forget your other life is baking.”

“Sometimes I forget, too,” you said as you turned to hand a plate with a fruit tartlet to Ayo. It was then that you saw a small orange streak run over to the tree. “Gifts! Before more dessert, we should at least hand them out. Especially so this munchkin doesn’t rip all the paper first! You can open them now or wait. Whatever works. But Clint and Scott, I have ones for your families, too.”

“Is that your familiar?” Vision asked as you walked over and picked up the orange tabby cat. “Not exactly, Vision. While Hickory here could be my familiar, he’s simply my cat. And he loves to snoop.”

“Are these gifts, well, safe for kids?” Clint asked as he shook one box for Nathaniel. “As far as I know, DUPLO is safe for little kids,” you said as you set Hickory down on a chair, walked over to the tree and took out the boxes. “A sweater for Lila. A jacket for Cooper. Books for all three of them as well. And something I think Laura will like for the house. No weapons. No explosives. Your family is not my family. I know that. And Scott, I got Cassie this weird little stuffed animal. A unicorn platypus or something. It’s cute and cuddly, and there is a book that goes with it. And before you ask, all bought with cash. Nothing can get traced.”

You saw Nat give Nick a look that would have slayed most men, and whatever he was about to say stayed in his throat.

“And you can take food back with you. There is more than enough here. I’m just going to seal this all up later anyway. I don’t dare leave it all connected. I wish I could.”

“I still don’t get one thing,” Maria said as she shook the box in her hands. “You did all this so we could all be together. And you tried to get Stark and Rhodes here, too? And that kid?”

“Yes, but, well, Tony is still ticked because I wasn’t there to heal Rhodey,” you said as you tried to look at anything but a person. “I can’t say he’s wrong. He blames me for everything right now. I just don’t think he’d have liked how I might have fixed things before that fight. And as for Spider-Man, well, I did manage to make his holiday a bit merrier. I’ll leave it at that.”

You had made sure a few gifts were going to be dropped off at the Parker apartment in Queens. It really was the least you could do. You’d tried with Tony and Rhodey, but pushing harder would have caused an international incident.

“As for what you all are getting, not to sound too creepy, but you are all getting parts of my past,” you said as Shuri shot you the weirdest of looks as she opened her gift. “My brother Caedmon was a bit of an evolutionary science buff as well as physician for our clan. Those were some of his notes from his studies with Darwin.”

“And this?” Clint asked as he unpacked an ancient bow, quiver and arrows. “Robin Hood was your bff?”

“No, but my brother Keir was an archer as well as a financial wizard. Those were his when he was part of the guard at the Hill of Tara, just like our father before him. And that pistol, Nat, comes from the first time I lived in New York City, back when the Five Points section was the center of Irish life in America. It’s a pearl handled, four barrel pepperbox. You can still get ammo for it.”

Nat cracked a smile as she held the diminutive pistol in her hand. “Nice and discreet. I’m impressed. Thank you.”

“Why are you playing Oprah with all your stuff?” Nick asked before you handed him his box. “You not telling us something? I thought you couldn’t die?”

“Oh, I came close a few times,” you said as you winked at Bucky. “I can die. You know that. But, no, I am not dying. This is simply my way of saying how much you all mean to me. I’m sure I’m being too sentimental for all of you, but tough.”

“This thing better not be bomb parts,” Nick grumbled as he opened his gift to find a SHIELD Holy Grail of sorts. “If Coulson were still with us, he’d have fought you for that. Some of the original, handwritten notes and drawings for the first SSR bases and weapons. Howard and Peggy made notations on most of those. You may have the digital copies, but I thought you’d appreciate the coffee-stained originals. Now for you two,” you said as you looked at Steve and Bucky.

“Oh no, you got them some weird old car or something? Motorcycle with a side car? Sleeping gowns with those goofy hats?” Sam laughed as you shook your head and handed both super soldiers overly large rectangular boxes.

“Those were not all in my possession, but I tracked the rest down thanks to the families of the Howling Commandos. The principal at Midtown School of Science and Technology in the city is the grandson of Jim Morita. He was very helpful. He got in touch with people, and they were able to get me copies of the old photos I am sure you guys never got the pleasure of seeing very long. A tiny bit of your history that I had the honor of witnessing.”

There were maps, notes, posters of Steve’s USO tour, photos and a few other odd mementos you were able to purchase for this gift. You were sure it was a dud because both men said nothing.

“Wait,” Bucky said as he pulled out a small envelope. “What’s this?”

“Something you can look at later. Notes I jotted down from my time with you guys before the train. I thought it might help in your work in Wakanda,” you said as you took a deep breath and tried not to burst into tears. “I can’t do much else to help, but I wanted to do something.”

“Thank you,” Steve said first as Bucky joined in with a nod. “I hadn’t seen this photo of Peggy and me in ages. I’m surprised you found it.”

“I’m a pack rat,” you said as you motioned for everyone else to open their gifts. “And I have connections you would not believe. I mean, besides all of you. I know you are likely wondering why I didn’t just go be with my family on the other side of the mirror for Yule. I only get to see them up close at Samhain. I talk to them a lot, but I can’t just walk up and get a hug or punch one of them in the arm. I may be old as dirt, but being connected still matters.”

“Oh! Magic set! Wait…Houdini?” Scott asked as he opened his box.

“No, Dai Vernon, the Canadian master of slight of hand. You could not beat The Professor for his card tricks. I didn’t think you’d want to lock yourself up in chains and submerge yourself in a tank.”

“‘The History of the Preternatural World of New Orleans’. This thing weighs a ton,” Sam said as he hefted a book into his hands. “Wait. You know about all that stuff because…”

“I spent a little time there for a few summers before I married my second husband, and I got friendly with the Laveau family. This was one of their books, and they gifted it to me. Who better than a son of Louisiana to hold this tome? I have been to Algiers and frequented the vampire bars. My brother Ewan was a vampire.”

“Holy shit…” Sam said as his eyes grew wide. “No werewolves?”

“A cousin named Conri,” you said as you bowed your head. “Long story there.”

“And where is your gift?” Vision asked as he helped Wanda hook a necklace you had gifted to her. It had belonged to your Aunt Fachtna.

“I’ll get to that in a minute. Wanda, that necklace should help you focus your powers a bit in the field. My mother’s older sister used it for that purpose, and I thought the ruby stone would work well with your power signature. Vision, I am not sure if I did those properly, but if I didn’t we can work on making those files on the mystic world work with your systems. Putting it in a pocket watch likely seems weird, but my brother Rory always used the watch to take things with him and avoid detection.”

“You didn’t answer Vision’s question,” Bucky said as he still held the envelope. “Your gift this year?”

“That’s easy. This night is my gift. I had a night with the staff at the bakery when this was all set up, and one with the folks who take care of my home and business in Kildare, so I got to spend time with everyone I care about. I can’t ask for more. Now, the clock is ticking, and I think Clint and Scott need to head home. Last call?”

T’Challa looked at Okoye and Ayo as they opened boxes with Celtic spears that you had from your days when you were in King Azzuri’s court, while the king held a set of daggers you had made back in the day that incorporated vibranium with mystic glass elements.

“The weight on this seems impossible,” Ayo noted as she twirled her spear. “Heavy on a thrust, but light when held.”

“More mystic metaphysics,” you said as you pointed toward the tip. “It’s because of the jewel in the blade. It harnesses energy in ways that don’t make sense to modern science.”

“One more song?” Maria asked as she flipped through the notes you had taken during your missions for Peggy. It was the companion piece to Nick’s gift, as it were.

The sound system cranked up another version of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” as everyone got ready to leave. This time it didn’t seem to sting quite so much as you got to the end of the song. You just hoped that next year would be kinder to everyone that had gathered there, and you prayed that maybe you could actually talk to Bucky once his deprogramming was complete.

“I’ll be back with you guys as soon as I break off the connections,” you told Nat as you turned to see Bucky walk out behind T’Challa, Okoye, Ayo and Shuri. He turned and nodded to you one more time, and Nat tried to shove you back toward him, but you just stopped and waved.

“We have a lot to suss out, Nat. He needs to take care of himself first,” you said as you turned to your friend and smiled. “We have time.”

“Famous last words,” she replied as she walked out behind Wanda, Vision, Steve and Sam. Nick and Maria had left shortly after Clint and Scott, so you were alone once more.

You waved your hand to start breaking the spell that connected your vault to all the points you needed tonight, but you stopped in front of a mirror and used it to gaze at a few other important points you had been watching. One was the Parker apartment in Queens, and they seemed to be enjoying their holiday mystery gifts. The other was the Avengers Compound in upstate New York.

“Rhodey! Who sent that box?” you heard Tony ask as Pepper handed him a large juice drink.

“Who do you think?” Rhodey replied as he set down the festively wrapped package in front of Stark.

“No. You are kidding me. I told her no,” Tony muttered as he drank from his glass. “She is stubborn. Never listens.”

“Relax, it isn’t ticking,” Rhodey replied as he opened the box. “That’s weird. A glass ball?”

“Don’t you mean a crystal ball? I’ve seen Kari use this,” Pepper commented as she sat down. “Wait. There’s a note taped to the box lid.”

Pepper took the note and read it aloud. “One day you may need me. Even if you don’t want to, speak into the ball, and I’ll be there. And for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

You saw Tony roll his eyes as he put the ball on his bookshelf. It wasn’t a “come home” invitation, but it wasn’t a “drop dead” brick through your window either. That in and of itself was a gift.

As you shut off the lights in your pocket dimension vault, you smiled a little bit. Maybe one day you would all sit at the same table again? It all depended on Tony coming around to the facts that Bucky had no control over his actions that fateful day and that Steve really had the best of intentions when he kept his mouth shut about it all.

“If only in my dreams…” you sang as you headed out to where Steve and the others were now. “If only in my dreams.”

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother, @historygeekfics

[lorelylantana]

Luminescent

Written at @hestuu‘s request

Oneshot Rating: G

Ao3

Link hated how his reputation was leveraged against the Princess. He hated how his name was twisted into a blade raised against the one person he was sworn to protect at all costs.  She had every right to be angry, to rage against the insults spat upon her by an ungrateful court. She didn’t deserve to be treated the way she had been, least of all by her own father.

He welcomed the bursts of outrage, the sneers and snide remarks made against him when they were out of the castle’s shadow. Link, of all people, knew how crucial it was to have an outlet for the tide of emotions she choked back when the court was watching. Her wrath was much easier to withstand than the quiet sobs that he heard much too often as he watched over her room at night. There was life in her rage. Power in her voice when she shouted her displeasure. A far cry from the defeated, weary gasps for breath that tore at his heart in the dark of night, anger gave the Princess strength. He was grateful for the force of Zelda’s fury driving her forward, even if it was away from him. 

So he was calm in the face of her frustrations, and his patience was rewarded a few months after he was assigned as her guard. She still didn’t hold him in high regard, but she had grown accustomed to his presence. Thus, he was thoroughly ignored while she went about her studies of Hyrule’s plant life. He couldn’t help but notice how different she looked out in the wild. It was difficult to notice when he just started as her guard, but the more time he spent with her, the more relaxed she became. 

That’s when he began to notice it. It was faint, and invisible in the direct sunlight, but when it was overcast or they walked under the shade of a tree Link could see this glow about the Princess. He could only catch glimpses of it at first, only when the stars aligned and she was content. These sightings were so few and far between that for a long time Link was convinced that they were mere tricks of the light. This phenomenon seemed to accompany a discovery of some sort, be it the perfect sample or a breakthrough in her research. This very observation led Link to cast aside the fanciful notion of a sparkling princess in favor of a much more reasonable explanation. Her expression brightened, nothing more. These moments stuck out to him for their rarity, nothing fantastical about it.

Looking back, it put into stark clarity how much pressure she was truly under. 

Things changed after that day in the desert, though he wasn’t sure why. He could understand how an attempt on her life might shake her up a little, but to have her demeanor change completely worried him. Perhaps the incident cut deeper than he’d originally thought. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to regret the difference, because she began to smile more. She had a spring in her step, and her hackles no longer raised at his presence. This newfound ease fostered a friendship between them.

 Any doubts Link had about those little flickers of light, they were banished in short order. Freed of the suffocating disdain for the one person she couldn’t shake, the glow surrounding Zelda’s happiness became undeniable. He could see it filtering through the trees in the rare moment of separation when she walked ahead of him. Link brought a slice of fruitcake along one of their trips after a particularly harsh scolding, and she burned brighter than their campfire. People began to tell stories of a light spirit traveling the land, a beautiful young woman drifting through the woods and leaving sparks behind. The whispers insisted blessings awaited those lucky enough to glance at the shining maiden.

Link was inclined to agree.

Instead of being ignored, Link was sucked into hundreds of Zelda’s little inquiries while they walked the wilds together. Scientific endeavors were a bit out of his wheelhouse, but it didn’t matter. Zelda thrived simply by having someone to bounce ideas off of, turning to look at him with a glowing grin and a theory. Bit by bit, her smile began to chip away at his reservations, replacing his professionalism with a growing desire for her companionship.

Joy was a precious commodity in those years leading up to Calamity, tenuous and fragile and oh so precious. Indeed, any levity in those shadowed times was to be savored, but what Link coveted above all was Zelda’s delight. The Princess of Hyrule deserved every speck of happiness she could get her hands on, King and court be damned. It was hard won, but worth every effort to see her grin. Link pursued Zelda’s smile with the same relentless dedication that made him the youngest knight in Hyrule’s history, and he swore to do anything in his power to make her happy. Anything to see those rays shine around her.

It wasn’t long until Link’s rising affection began to overwhelm him. He began to crave Zelda’s light, spending days gazing at her. He told himself that it was only natural, because he was her guard and he was sworn to protect her. It had nothing to do with the flutter in his chest, that strange flavor of anxiety that drew his eyes to her like a magnet. A byproduct of almost losing her to the Yiga, surely. 

Link was mesmerized, he would go out of his way to make her smile. Not because of romantic interest, of course not, but because he wanted to name the elation that rose whenever he saw her in the light. He wanted to soak up as much of her luster as he could. One flicker of her sweet, gentle luminescence set him adrift in a sea of contentment and affection. It was intoxicating.  He’d bring her flowers, only because she was looking for specimens, and various odds and ends nicked from the Ancient Tech Lab, all to nurture the small bursts of incandescent glee that sent his heart pounding against his ribs.

They were sitting among the flowers when he succumbed at long last. She was trying to convince him to eat a frog. He wasn’t keen on the idea, but the pleading look of anticipation on her face was enough to make him consider it even as he recoiled in disgust. She leaned too far, however, and she tipped over, tumbling over without her arms to steady her. Link couldn’t remember the details, all he knew is that when they were still once more Link’s hands curled around her hips and her hands pressed into his chest, that wretched amphibian sitting primly between her wrists. They were frozen a moment, caught somewhere between confusion and embarrassment, before Zelda let out a stream of giggles that struck him down.

She had a smile like the sun, but when she laughed she was radiant. 

He watched her shine above him and realized that this is what it felt like to be in love. He understood, now, why she always seemed to brighten his day, how she sent his blood running hot to the tips of his fingers and toes. He loved her because who wouldn’t? Who could look upon this young woman so full of fire and compassion and not be awestruck? Who could hear her voice, an elegant stream of thought and wisdom, and not be weak? All the stars were in Zelda’s eyes and she still shone brighter.

Of course he loved her. It was only natural.

To bask in the warmth of her presence was a privilege he thanked all the gods for.

The light shining from Hyrule Castle cuts through any lethargy left over from the Shrine, replaced by a searing, deep yearning to see more of it. When night fell and she was silent, Link found himself wandering around, looking for any substitute convincing enough to trick his mind into ease enough to sleep. At first he slept surrounded by fireflies, but there were precious few places that were safe to sleep. Later he would keep a candle burning when he was in his house, and when he wasn’t he’d settle for clutching a star fragment to his chest. It could lull him into a fitful sleep, but it couldn’t banish the nauseating restlessness writhing in his stomach and constricting his heart.

It wasn’t enough, he wanted to bathe in that light, and if that meant wading through darkness then so be it. This sentiment drove him to complete all manner of miscellaneous, almost random tasks. It doesn’t take long for a pattern to emerge, however, after he learns more about the princess, either through stories or his memories. 

He learned that she’s most likely to shine when he wears his Champion tunic, so he rarely takes it off. He kept the ingredients for fruitcake on hand at all times, and has hundreds of wildberries tucked away. She liked to see Link swing the Master Sword, or watch him wield weapons Robbie crafts for him, so he does at every opportunity. Then, when Link was stronger, he began to hunt guardians down for their parts. She liked watching him clear Hyrule Field, perhaps it built her confidence in him. It didn’t matter why it made her happy, all he cared to know was whenever he’d dispatch a particularly troublesome guardian he could see her light reach out to him from the Castle Sanctum to wash away his exhaustion.

He liked doing these little things for her. It gave him a sense of normalcy that anchored him as he stumbled about Hyrule in search of who he was, and he couldn’t help but feel a deep, vindictive sense of satisfaction whenever he watched her light pierce the darkness swirling about the castle. Each glimmer from high in Hyrule Castle renewed his determination, sending him running towards the power he needed to slay the beast.

Link thinks she loves him, but he’s not sure. Or perhaps it seems too good to be true, and his doubts shield his heart from disappointment that would prove too much after the journey's end. He really hopes she loves him, because he cherishes every gleaming inch of her being. 

He notices what he thinks is affection in her eyes when Zelda smiles at him. He notices the little rays of light, precious and small during the first few days when she was tired and grief stricken, but there all the same. Then he set about cheering her up. Link was always a man of few words, so whenever he saw her dim and space out he would bring her back to earth with bits of fruit and give her the trinkets he’d gathered. Countless little gestures that made her glimmer against the desolation.

 It’s arrogant, but he thinks she shines brighter when she looks at him. The thought makes him grin for hours, which makes her smile in turn. They fed off of each other’s fragile glee. His touch sends sparks leaping off of her skin and sometimes he grabs her hand just to see her shine a bit brighter. One night, he holds a Silent Princess from Satori Mountain out to her, and rather than take it she takes his tunic in her hands and pulls him close. She kisses him, and he has to shut his eyes against the blinding light that radiated out when he wraps his arms around her.

There was not a single word in any of Hyrule’s languages that could properly describe the bliss of holding Zelda in his arms. The euphoric radiance when he grins down at her. Zelda is warm, and so beautiful, a living ray of sunshine tucked in his embrace. Link pushes a shining strand of hair behind her ear while she looks up at him, a smile on her lips. Link rests his chin on her head, finally at peace.

[squishneedsahero]

Fortsatt Forelsket

The Earth Shaker

Part 3 of ?

Word Count: 1578

Loki x Reader

Just a 2012 style avengers fanfic that is Loki x Reader. Sometime you just need cute fluff that is absolutely nothing more than self indulgence.

Once Thor had finished recounting his tale of what had happened with him and Loki on Asgard since your disappearance, you sat there in shock. Your supposed death and betrayal had been the catalyst for Loki's downfall into all of this, it hurt knowing you hadn't been there when he needed you. You'd been stuck here on Midgard when he had learned of his true parentage, when he had felt betrayed by his family members and fallen off the rainbow bridge.

"Loki wouldn't do that," is all you can say, unwilling to believe that he had fallen so far from being the man you had loved. That he would risk the lives of millions just for power.

You open your mouth again but Thor cuts you off, "I know it is hard to believe Fayl, but he did. He killed hundreds of people, he's dangerous-"

In your anger you rise to your feet, "Thor I do not care. I DON'T CARE HOW DANGEROUS HE IS. I need to go see him. I need try and make amends for the hurt and pain I caused him, I will help with the mess and cleaning up the city, but I need to see him." Your arms wave through the air as you speak with your hands, your voice turning to a low growl for the last phrase.

Thor stands up to face you, "I do not have jurisdiction here. They have Loki in custody, I cannot promise you anything Fayl," he pauses, and meets your eyes, the pain in them all too real, too similar to the pain he had seen in Loki's eyes, "but I'll see what I can do," he finally promises.

You hug him again, holding your tears back, this time, "thank you Thor... I just- I hope I can help him..."

After the two of you talk and and catch up Thor takes you and introduces you to the rest of the team who had stopped Loki the day before, plus Nick Fury the director of SHIELD. They seem wary of another Asgardian thanks to their experiences from the day before, and you can't blame them. They seem like they'll trust you, up until the point where Thor and his big mouth mentions the fact that you were a friend of Loki's.

You elbow him in the ribs, "thanks, dumbass, but I don't think that is the introduction to get people to trust me at the moment." With a shake of your head you turn back to the others, focusing your attention on Director Fury, knowing he's the one holding Loki, "we were friends but due to circumstance I haven't seen him in 700 years, give or take."

Fury's face doesn't change, "and?"

"My point is that this taking over the world thing is new. I knew him when we were kids and was his closest friend," you aren't going to let Fury intimidate you. "He doesn't usually try to stab me, though I'm not sure how he will react to seeing me, but I'd like to see him and try talking with him."

Fury looks between you and Thor, before asking Thor, "and you think this will work?"

"I know Faylwyn," he immediately begins, "she is not a threat-"

"This is the woman who ripped open one of my doors last night right?"

You shoot a look at the one who had spoken, it was none other than Tony Stark.

"Yes, that was me," you smile and offer your hand for him to shake, "I apologize for the damage but I needed to be sure that I would be able to speak to Thor."

Nick shoots the two of you a look, effectively shutting you up for the moment as he turns back to Thor, for him to continue.

"She is not a threat, I can give you my word on this. She can be dangerous just as any warrior maiden of Asgard, but she is not a threat to the people of Midgard."

"How do you know this?" Clint asks Thor suspiciously, "didn't you just say you haven't seen her since for 700 years?"

"Yes, but I will stake my honor on the fact that she can be trusted."

"Thank you Thor," you say and look to Fury for an answer.

"I'll think about it," he says shortly before turning and leaving the room.

This meant you were alone with Thor and the other heroes. Most of them you'd heard of, but you turn to the one who seemed the most untrusting of you. You hold out your hand, "I am Faylwyn, or y/n if you prefer, you are?"

He reluctantly takes your hand to shake it, "Barton, Clint Barton." He eyes you again, "so what's your deal? We took down Stabby yesterday, and then there's Sparky right here."

"Rocks," you say with a shrug.

"Can I ask what you mean?" Asks the one and only Steve Rogers.

"Yeah, according to the so called myths you share on this planet, I'm known as Jordskjelv, goddess of the earth. They got it a bit wrong though as I'm not the goddess of anything and not the earth as a whole, more like the ground if anything else."

Steve looks more confused but nods, not wanting to have to listen to you try and explain again.

"So, if you're Asgardian why weren't you here to help?" Asks the other man you don't know, he pauses, remembering his manners, "I'm Bruce Banner, by the way."

"I've been on earth for 700 years. I've figured out how to lay low, it's easier to survive by going unnoticed," you shrug, "so I can only assume Fury had no idea who I truly was. Plus I can't fly, I had to drive here because I was banished from Asgard so I don't fully have all the abilities Thor does."

Bruce nods slowly, understanding somewhat.

With that you turn to Natasha, "do you have any questions for me?"

"No, I know everything I need too and you do not seem to be a threat as long as you don't want to be," she responds.

You incline your head, "very well, thank you."

It's days that you help with damage control, days go by and you don't see a single sign of Loki or Nick Fury. It's alright though, you don't loose hope, you just keep trying to build the trust of the other Avengers as they had been named. At least, that was the plan, gain there trust so that you could at least see Loki, and then after a week as you're taking a break, you see the Bifrost open up and all the hope of seeing Loki drains from you.

You spend that night crying, your spirit broken and wanting to remain that way. But you held back you didn't let the earth shake beneath your feet, you didn't bring the city down as your emotions wanted too. There was no chance for you to see Loki as he's on Asgard, you were stuck here on Midgard, never to return to your home world. It hurts, opening an old wound once again, but just like the last time you pick yourself up and move on.

You pick yourself up off the floor, and accept the offer Fury gives you to join the Avengers and defend the earth. You have no reason to not accept, might as well start doing something good with your banishment. You move into the tower along with the others, and for the first time in a long time let yourself have friends. It was nice, you didn't feel like part of the team for a time, you didn't have the connections they did having fought against the Chitauri together.

Eventually you got comfortable, it was about a year after the battle of New York had happened when you finally felt comfortable where you were. It was then that Thor reappeared, he came back to earth to help all of you with the troubles the world was facing. It was good to see him, even if it hurt, it hurt that he had taken Loki away without letting you even see him.

He hugs you and apologizes for having left without so much as a goodbye, and you can only forgive him even if you are still upset with him. He then tells you how he had gotten Odin to agree to letting Loki live out the rest of his sentence here on earth, Director Fury was still working out how it would work, but you didn't care. You had a chance to see him, he was sentenced for life but you didn't care as long as you could see him.

It is decided the safest place to keep him is in the tower, under the guard of all the Avengers, where he could be stopped before he could do anything. You're ecstatic, but they don't let you see him, apparently Thor had informed Loki of you being in Midgard and he wasn't happy to hear that you were alive. Thor hadn't told Odin that he had seen you again, or Loki wouldn't have some back to earth.

They try all they can to keep you from seeing Loki, for your own and everyone else's safety, but it only lasts so long. Eventually you are able to see Loki, the man you had loved, and whom you still wished to love, and hoped would love you.

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch24: Like The Old Man Said…Together. Part 2- Walk It Off

Summary: The Avengers track Ultron and it’s a race against time before the AI can put his plan into action.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Warnings: Bad language, Smut (NSFW) violence and crazy assed robots. Oh and “Something dramatic, I hope!”

A/N: This chapter now includes additional content! @angrybirdcr​ has done it again girrrrrl

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 24 Part 1

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

“Ultron knows we’re coming. Odds are we’ll be running into heavy fire, and that’s what we signed up for, but the people of Sokovia they didn’t. That’s why our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that’s not going to happen today. But we can do our best to protect them and get the job done. We find out what Ultron’s been building. We find Romanoff. We clear the field and keep the fight between us. Ultron thinks we’re monsters, and that we’re what’s wrong with the world, but this isn’t just about beating him, it’s about whether he’s right.“

Steve certainly felt like he was right when he descended down the ramp and the first thing he saw was a huge mural of himself on a wall to his right. If he hadn’t been so concerned with the word, ‘fašista’ scrawled across it, he might have given some consideration to the fact the art work was pretty good. He looked at the painting, before turning and tossing his helmet back into the jet, almost hitting Katie as she walked down the ramp. Frowning she looked at him, spotted the paining and gave a sigh. She knew that would have upset him.

But whether they liked Captain America or not, the people of Sokovia were getting his help and that of the rest of the Avengers too. Thor and Bruce went underground to Strucker’s base to find Natasha and the Vibranium, Tony and Vision went off to locate where Ultron was and confront him so that Vision could do his part. The rest of them focussed on the evacuation, if this was going to end in a fight as it always did, then it was best to get the civilians out of the way as soon as possible. Steve dispatched Clint to a rooftop to oversee events from up there and Katie headed off with Wanda to the bridge that led out of the city. She could feel the younger girl’s panic even though she did well to try and hide it

"Do you see…the beauty of it? The inevitability. You rise, only to fall. You, Avengers, a meteor. My swift and terrible sword. And the earth will crack with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal.”

They seemed to be fighting forever, and Sokovia was getting higher and higher. Just as everything seemed lost and the group looked to be faced with an impossible decision after Tony pointed out that the only thing he could think about was blowing the city before the impact radius got too big. Steve was adamant he was not leaving the city with one civilian on it, when Katie smiled sadly and turned to him.

“I didn’t say we should leave.” She swallowed, and she could feel Natasha looking at her as well from where she stood on her right. Katie turned to Steve, as he looked down at her “There’s worse ways to go.” she said responding to his silent question, her chest heaving resigning herself to the fact that they might not make it out of this alive, surprised the thought didn’t frighten her more at that point.

“She’s right,” Natasha agreed, and Katie turned to look at her. She shrugged and nodded out at the clouds “Where else are we gonna get a view like this?”

“Glad you like the view, Romanoff.”  All three of them started at the very familiar voice that came through the coms. “It’s about to get a whole lot better.”

That’s when the helicarrier came right into view and Katie smiled, her eyes filing with emotion as she felt the relief swell in her chest.

“So this is your ‘something dramatic’?” She quipped and Fury gave a hum of confirmation.

“Nice, right? Pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She’s dusty.” Nick Fury said nonchalantly. “But she’ll do.”

Katie looked round and noticed that Pietro had joined us, looking at the ship.

“Fury, you son of a bitch.” Steve spoke in almost a whisper while shaking his head.

Fury let out a whistle before responded to Steve teasingly. “Ohhh hooo, you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Their fight led them to protecting the Vibranium Core that was situated in a church which was in the dead centre of the City and of course Ultron followed them. As The Avengers surrounded their precious charge, Thor yelled out to the AI.

“Is that best you can do?”

Ultron picked his hand up, and what seemed like a million robots began to advance towards them.

Katie groaned, and looked at Steve as he turned to look at Thor, annoyance all over his face. “You haddda ask.” He deadpanned, his Brooklyn accent coming out as it often did in these situations, and Thor at least had the decency to look sheepish.

“This is the best I can do.” Ultron continued on. “This is exactly what I wanted. All of you against all of me. How can you possibly hope to stop me?”

“Well, like the old man said,” Tony stated, and Steve turned to look at him over his shoulder, “together.”

Hulk then let out a loud roar as the swarm of robots attacked.

The robots began running into the church by the hundreds it seemed, but everyone was ready. Arrows, fists and Steve’s shield flew, repulsors, guns and shock sticks fired, speed and red tendrils of power ripped them apart from the inside, lighting flashed and the Hulk smashed. Eventually Ultron joined the fray and Vision flew at him. Ultron punched Vision into the wall but he retaliated by using the mind stone in his forehead to shoot at Ultron making him stagger back and out of the church.

Vision didn’t let up as Thor, Tony and Katie joined the android with lightening and repulsor beams respectively. The Starks surged their arms forward, unloading all the power they had in their suits and the 4 of them combined melted away the outer layer of Vibranium that covered Ultron, which was when they stopped. He could be taken out easily now.

“You know, with the benefit of hindsight – ” Ultron began to say but Hulk roared then punched him so hard he went flying across the city.

Hulk growled at the remaining robots who immediately turned and ran away.

“They’ll try to leave the city.” Thor called out.

“We can’t let them, not even one.” Tony spoke frantically, calling on their other eye in the sky. “Rhodey…”

“I’m on it!” He announced over the radio. “Oh no, I didn’t say you could leave…War Machine coming at you.” there was a pause as Vision flew in to help, phasing and ripping one of them apart “Ok, what?”

“We gotta move out.” Steve spoke as those of them left on the ground re-grouped. “Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats. I’ll sweep for stragglers…”

“I’ll come with you.”  Katie said. For some reason she didn’t want to leave him, or more to the point him to leave her.  Steve looked at her, and he understood, he really did. If there was a chance they were getting separated he really didn’t want to take it but he wanted her on that carrier, away.

“You go and make sure everyone gets out. I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”

He’d never broken a promise to her yet, so she took a deep breath and nodded.

“What about the core?” Clint asked while turning to look at it.

“I’ll protect it.” Everyone turned to Wanda, giving her a worried look. “It’s my job.” She clarified nodding to Clint. Clint inclined his head towards her, before he turned to leave.

“Nat.” He said as Steve started to usher everyone bar Wanda out of the church. I threw one last glance over at Wanda before Katie turned to Steve.  

“Be careful.” “I always am.” He grinned.

“Liar.” She muttered watching him go, before she took off again, looking down at the devastation on the ground below. This was far worse than New York. Far worse than Washington. It was horrendous, and Katie wasn’t sure how the people of Sokovia would ever recover.

Clint skidded the car he had been driving to a halt by the lifeboats and Katie landed besides them. There was a roar and she glanced to her left, noticing the huge form of the Hulk throwing around debris of the various robots.

“We don’t have a lot of time.” Clint looked at Natasha meaningfully.

“So get your ass on a boat.” She shot back, jumping out of the car.

Clint and Katie then set off, ushering the last civilians around them onto the last boat as they went. Katie spotted Thor stood a little to her left, his head turned over to his right as Steve appeared from inside a building.

“Thor, I’m gonna need you back at the church.” Tony said over the coms.

Thor nodded despite the fact that he couldn’t see Tony and then looked at Steve, breathing heavily. "Is that the last of them?” He asked him.

“Yeah,” He answered instead, quickly looking around at the evacuations taking place, spotting Katie and Clint boarding the boat “Everyone else is on board the carriers.”

“You know, if this works, we maybe don’t walk away.” Tony mutterd quietly, cutting Katie out of the coms temporarily so as not to worry or upset her.

“Maybe not.” Thor agreed in a whisper.

At that point Clint sprinted back past them, but before either of them had time to follow him to help a hail of gunfire suddenly erupted where they standing. Steve held his shield up just in time and Thor dived to the side to avoid the bullets that had luckily been fired in a straight line between them all.

But it was Katie who noticed first what had happened. As the dust settled she saw Clint stood, with a little boy in his arms. He’d clearly tried to shield him from the bullets but it was Pietro that was standing there with bullet holes riddling his torso, the blood seeping through them.

“No.” She muttered her pleading growing more frantic as she flew over to where they were stood “No, no, no.”

“You didn’t see that coming?” The blonde man attempted to joke weakly then wobbled before falling face first and Katie caught him as she landed, just before he hit the ground. She laid him down gently and looked him over.

“FRIDAY, life signs.”

“Negative.” The AI’s voice was tinged with sadness.

Katie bowed her head slightly before my face plate slid back and she looked up at Clint. The pair of them exchanged a glance before Steve knelt down and closed Pietro’s eyes.

“I’ve got him.” He said gently, as he bent down and picked up Pietro as easily as if he was a small child. The three of them headed back to the airship, Clint with the little boy in his arms. Once on board, Steve lay Pietro down gently on the floor, where Katie sat by him, her suit making a clunk as she slid to the floor. Clint groaned as he lowered himself onto the row of seats behind her. Someone walked over to see if they needed any medical help but Clint waved him away.

“No, no I’m fine.” He groaned, lying down across a few seats, his hand resting on the metal shoulder of Katie’s suit. “Oh it’s been a long day…”

Steve stood on the rock for one final look round, he couldn’t see anyone. But then, with a lurch the city fell with huge force and he turned and gave a jump, grabbing onto the platform of the ship as the city fell.  He pulled himself up onto the deck and stood up to see, lightning flashing from the sky. As he watched, the city of Sokovia exploded from the inside out crumbling to pieces and raining down heavily into the ocean below.

He turned to see Katie was stood a few feet away, looking down.

“Tony? Thor? Wanda?”

When none of them replied she looked over Steve, biting her lip.

“They’ll be okay.” He nodded, although he wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself.

There was a slight lurch as the ship they were stood on docked with the hellicarrier and they turned to help Clint but he was already walking, carrying the body of Pietro with him. Katie jumped down onto the tarmac, deactivated her suit and made her way over to Maria Hill who was stood with another agent, directing them where to take the walking wounded, medics running onto the ships to deal with the more seriously injured in situ.

“You guys alright?” She asked as they walked over to her. Katie nodded and then spoke again into her coms. It was a relief to see Wanda’s red hair sat on the deck a few yards away from one of the ships, Vision having pulled her out of the city in time.

“Any news from the others?” Steve asked. Maria sighed.

“Natasha is on the bridge, Banner, I mean the Hulk, he got her out in time but…he went off in a jet after Ultron…I got nothing from Thor or Tony…”  

Katie turned to look out over the sky, the airborne dust making her cough slightly as she scanned the clouds, waiting for a sign or anything from her brother.

“He’ll be fine.” Steve dropped a hand onto her shoulder. “He always is.” “One day he won’t be.” She turned and looked up to face Steve

“Maybe, but that aint today…” A familiar voice rang in her ear and she let out a sigh of relief as her brother spoke. “Kiddo, put the beer on ice, I think we just won again.”

*****

Refugees crowded every corner of the flying base, sitting in the halls, huddling together, terrified. The dust in the air meant SHIELD couldn’t connect to their mainframe or satellites, and the internet-based translators were down. Every person on board who knew even a smattering of any Slavic language was being recruited into helping settle the homeless Sokovians.

Fury was meeting via telecon in one of the conference rooms with the Sokovian political leaders, who were not pleased at being dragged from their homes in Novi Grad in the wee hours of the morning only to then watch their nation destroyed. So with Fury busy, Steve and Katie had to tell Tony about Bruce.

That hadn’t been fun at all. Her brother had struggled back to the helicarrier, with barely enough power left to make the landing, Thor hot on his tail, soaked to the skin and staggering with a nasty head wound. Steve helped him inside where he was led to a medic bay and they had all retreated to the comms room where Nat was stood in a corner, staring at a blank screen.

“Where’s Bruce?” Tony demanded as soon as he got his helmet off. “We’ve got to figure out…” He trailed off, seeing the expression on Katie’s face. Then his eyes flashed across to Natasha. The woman hadn’t moved a muscle in ten minutes, standing in a corner and staring straight at the wall, back to the rest of the room.

“Tony.” Steve’s voice was heavy. “He’s taken off. We can’t reach him.” “And I don’t think he wants us to.” Katie added. She had barely finished her sentence before Tony bolted across the room to the computer banks, heedlessly shucking off bits of his armour as he went.

“No.” He shook his head, fingers flying across the keyboards. “No, I can find him. I can do this, I can bring him home.”

“It was cloaked.” Natasha’s voice was very even, with absolutely no inflection. She didn’t stop staring at her wall. “Your own cloaking devices. And SHIELD’s secret tracker was disabled in the fight.”

Tony’s hand slipped, hitting a bunch of things Steve was sure he hadn’t meant to. Swearing hopelessly, he stared blankly at the useless screens.

“Why?” He demanded, very quietly, the furious brokenness in his voice made my heart ache for him. “Why would he…?”

The unfinished question hung heavy in the dusty air. Steve was the one who answered.

“Because,” he said, swallowing. “When you’re in the air, and you’re carrying something that will destroy everything you love, that’s all you can do. You do go down, and you take it down with you.”

Tony’s hands curled into fists, anguish in his snarl. “This isn’t the same as your golden boy sacrifice play, Cap. No bombs on that Quinjet.”

“No, no bombs.” Steve gently squeezed Katie’s shoulder as he noticed she’d been about to chastise her brother for his venomous jibe, and he shook his head softly as he dragged his gloves back on over his bruised and bloody knuckles, flexing his hands. “Just himself,” he finished quietly.

“Veronica failed, Tone.” Katie said gently, understanding at once what Steve was getting at, Bruce’s actions suddenly making sense. “He didn’t want to come to Sokovia and I guess, well he didn’t want to risk hurting anyone again, and he saw a way out.”

Natasha turned on her heel and pushed past them, her eyes wet as she made for the door.

“Nat.” Katie turned to watch her go. She shook her head, signalling she wanted to be alone as she left. Katie looked up at Steve who hung his head sadly.

But there wasn’t time to think on it. Fury arrived at that moment, clearly pissed at something. He explained to the group that after the explosion that tore Ultron’s plans to shreds, he had been set to take the helicarrier to a refugee camp in a nearby country but the Sokovian officials had refused, insisting they be set back down in what was left of Novi Grad. Steve nodded and told Fury to do as they wanted.

“This wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for us.” Steve’s jaw was set, and his arms folded. “We owe it to them Fury, like it or not.”

Fury hadn’t liked it, at all, but he didn’t have much say in the matter - not when Steve had that look on his face.

“This isn’t going to be nice.” Steve muttered as the pod had descended back to the ground.

“I know.” Katie said. “But we face it together, right?”

Together they strode off the pod, not really knowing where to start. Novi Grad was an absolute mess. Most of the city had been torn up by the roots, and the rim that was left hadn’t escaped unscathed either. Buildings had toppled from falling debris and the initial ground-shaking wrench. Water and electricity were out, phone lines were down, and the streets were clogged with cars and people. Children choked on the thick air as parents tied whatever cloth they could find around tiny mouths, trying to protect their lungs.

It was thankless, numbing work. Most of the civilians avoided them, casting wary glances out of the corner of their eyes. A few swore or spat, some cried, but after a while it began to get difficult as a particular group started to get violent, screaming as they threw things at the four Avengers. It didn’t cause much damage to the Nova or Iron Man suits, but the rocks soon started getting bigger. Katie heard a yell and turned to her left to see Steve stumbling forward, hand clamped over the back of his head. He fell to his knees and Katie moved over to him, dropping besides him.

“Shit.” He mumbled as she heard Thor give a roar.

“Let me see.” Katie looked at him and Steve winced, shaking his head.

“I’m fine.” He got to her feet, hand still clutching at the back of his head.

Katie glanced up at Tony, who had completely lost his patience.

“Ungrateful brats,” he snapped loudly after the young hooligans who had immediately scarpered after Thor’s show of anger. “Look, why don’t you head back to the carrier, see what the next step is?”  Tony curled his gauntlet clad hand over Steve’s shoulder as his face plate retracted. Katie looked at her brother, thankful for his suggestion.

Steve shook his head, but even as she did so she saw him sway a little.

“Sweetheart, you’re bleeding.” She whispered gently, and he looked at his hand. “At least let’s clean you up.”

Steve didn’t want to go, but he gave into her as she whispered “Please.”

“Five minutes,” he relented at last, and allowed her to lead him away.

*****

As Katie shed her suit, Steve sat on a chair in one of the hellicarrier kitchens, one of the few rooms that wasn’t being used as a makeshift hospital or treatment bay. There were no spare medics so Katie grabbed some gauze, antiseptic and a couple of steri-strip bandages. He would heal pretty fast anyway.

“You know you should have had your helmet on.” She said gently, suddenly realising he hadn’t had it on for the entire time they had been in Sokovia having tossed it back on the jet when he saw the graffiti picture of himself when they first landed. He shrugged and didn’t reply, but he flinched hard when Katie lightly touched the lump at the back of his head.

“Sorry…” she said gently as he waved away her apology, head bent as she cleaned the blood off his hair.

“Doesn’t hurt as much as what they were calling me.” He mumbled, and Katie paused.

“Which was what? I didn’t hear them.”

“Fašista.” He shrugged. “Fascist.” His shoulders slumped and sudden angry tears stung at Katie’s eyes, but she blinked them back and swallowed the hot anger swelling in her throat. This was a man who had put his life on the line countless times to fight the very things that people were calling him. She leaned forward, slipping my arms around his neck, connecting them in front of his chest as she bent to lay her face against his cheek.

“At the risk of sounding like an old man, everybody’s so young these days,” Steve said at last as he turned his head to face her “Has it all been forgotten, or have I really become…?”

Katie cut him off, her eyes on his, faces inches apart. “They’ve forgotten,” she assured him firmly. “You know those people, they can’t begin to imagine how things were back then. I find it hard at times and that’s after you told me so much. We never lived through it, never knew what it was like. History books and lessons can only do so much, Love.”

Steve’s fingers laced between hers. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” he whispered heavily.

"But that’s why there are people like us, people like you. You will always remember, and because you do, you help us do our best to keep the rest of them safe.”

She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before she straightened up and continued to tend to the wound on his head. It wasn’t as deep as it had looked and was already starting to heal. She checked to make sure there were no fragments of the brick left behind and when she was satisfied she dropped the bloodied gauze into a bin and turned to face him.

"I shouldn’t have taken Banner.” He said, and Katie took a deep breath “I knew he was low, but he said he wanted to come, he wanted to help find Nat.”

“You can’t blame yourself for his choice,” Katie reminded him. “He’s a grown man…” Steve didn’t say anything more about it, instead he stood up and took a deep breath. “Come on, let’s go see what’s happening.”

*****

It took almost two days for relief services to arrive at Sokovia. Steve felt dirty, tired and desperate for a hot shower and his own bed and he wasn’t alone. None of The Avengers had changed in 2 days. All their extra equipment had gone on the missing Quinjet with Bruce, including the change of civilian clothing everyone tried to keep on hand. But their discomfort paled into insignificance when he glanced over at Wanda as they landed at the tower. Katie guided her up to the spare room, ensured she had what she needed and then instructed her if she needed anything else, all she had to do was ask Friday, who would contact her immediately. Wanda nodded and Katie left her to be a lone for a while.

When Katie got back to her floor Steve was already in the shower, and the bed had never looked so inviting, which was why she couldn’t wait to get into it. Stripping off her filthy cat suit and her underwear she walked into the bathroom which was filled with steam and stepped into the shower behind Steve, her hands straying round to the front of his chest and she pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulder, laying her head against his back. He didn’t flinch, he simply grasped her hands in his, pulling her closer and dipped his head slightly as she nuzzled into his shoulder, the grime from the last few days whirling down the plug hole as the water rained down on them. Without speaking, Katie grabbed his shampoo, and gently as she could massaged at his hair. Steve gave a soft moan, relishing at the feel of her nails on his scalp, happy to bliss out for a moment. He turned to face his future wife, tipping his head back to rinse his hair off and smiled tiredly as he dropped his head to kiss her softly.

“Turn round.” He said gently, and she did as she was told as his hands wound into her hair, repaying the favour. She leaned back into his touch, the intimate moment also serving as a perfect relaxer so much so that she didn’t object when things started to get a bit heated. This was always how things went with them both, they sought solace in one another, the physical relief of losing themselves with someone they loved was how they coped, how they stayed grounded, reminded themselves that they weren’t alone.

His hands travelled down her body, her back pressed to his chest as his fingers reached between her legs, finding her spot. She moaned, arching back into him as his other hand caressed her breast, his arousal pressing into the lower part of her back and she lazily rolled her head to catch his mouth. As the hot water cascaded down onto them he took her to the brink before he spun her round and lifted her easily, pressing her back onto the cool tiles. He thrust into her without warning and she groaned, her hands gripping his shoulders as he began to pump in and out, his head falling to her collar bone as he gave a soft nip. With each roll of his hips Katie felt her pleasure beginning to mount, soft moans falling from her lips as she dropped her head to his shoulder, the feeling in her stomach beginning to overwhelm her.

“Look at me, Doll” he said gently, and she opened her eyes, emerald gems locking onto his as he saw her mouth open, lips part in a soft cry as she came, a deeper groan bubbled over in her throat and her  head slid backwards. Steve would never get tired of seeing her like that, ever. It was the most arousing thing in the world to him. His pace began to quicken and he followed shortly, the tight bands in his stomach snapping as he pressed her harder against the wall as he rode out his release.

When they had finally finished in the shower the pair of them were almost dead on their feet. They dried off, Katie shucked on one of Steve’s T-shirts and clambered into bed with him. Neither had any idea what time of day it was but neither cared, the blackout blinds sent the room into darkness. Katie lay her head on Steve’s chest, his hand slid up the cotton of his shirt and he gently ran his fingers up and down her spine.

He managed to do it about twice before the pair of them were out for the count.

***** They both had nightmares that night. Katie woke first, gasping for air as she relived the moment on that rock where she had thought for one horrible moment they were done for, until Fury had shown up. After getting her a glass of water, Steve had held her until she’d fallen asleep, waked from a bad dream which, for some reason didn’t seem to take him anywhere near Sokovia. Instead, he was back at that moment he plunged into the ice.

And the dreams continued for them both for the next few nights. Katie’s were always the same, but Steve’s persistently catapulted back in time to various points during the war. It was unnerving for him but mostly, they were just that, bad dreams…until one night, for the first time he could remember, he suffered a full scale hallucinating night terror. 

Having actually managed to sleep soundly so far that evening, the first Katie knew something was wrong was when Steve was pinning her down against the mattress and shielding her from something.

“Steve.” She croaked gently, blinking the sleep from her eyes. He didn’t respond other than to simply flatten himself against her further, right arm curled around her head.

“Stay down,” he ordered firmly.

“What’s going on?” She asked softly, still coming round from the sleep he had roused her from.

“Air strike, men in the hall.”  He said, turning to her. "I’ll head for the door, cause a distraction. You get to the bathroom, get in the tub, cover your head.”

She listened intently, then realised what he had said. Air Strike. He must have been dreaming he was back in the war again. She let out a breath and relaxed, reaching up to take his face in her hands.

“Stevie, nobody’s there. Everything’s quiet.”

“You can’t hear them?” He looked at her frowning.

“Sweetheart, do you trust me?”

He nodded. “With my life, you know this Katie…”

“Baby, I promise you - there’s no air raid, nobody in the hall.”

For a moment, Steve just stared at her, his face wracked with confusion. Then, swallowing hard, he closed his eyes. After a moment he raised his head to look around before his face fell back on hers as her thumbs gently moved in long arcs down the sides of his face.

“Steve?”

With a shuddering breath, he pulled himself up, reaching for his shield by the bedroom door. Picking it up he listened for a moment before throwing the door open and he walked out into the hallway. Katie sat in bed listening to the sound of various other doors being opened and shut as he meticulously swept the whole of their floor, checking windows and closets until he ended up back in their room.

His back and chest were both glistening with sweat. He looked at her, his eyes wide before he went into the en-suite and she heard the tap running and the sound of water being splashed against what she assumed was his face. She gave him a few minutes before she followed him, where he was stood leaning forward, forehead pressed to the mirror, chest and shoulders heaving.

“Stevie…” she said gently, as she slipped both her arms round his waist, pressing a kiss to his bare, clammy shoulder. Her touch seemed to do the trick as he took one deep breath and turned to face her.

“Did I hurt you?” He asked his eyes looking at her as the palms of her hands spread across his lower back.

“Of course not.”

He wrapped his arms around her and she lay her head on his chest and felt his heartbeat as it gradually evened out. Neither of them spoke for a while.

“Your dreams, they’re getting worse.” Katie said gently.

“It’ll get better.” He finally managed. “You know it’s been bad before. It will fade after a while.”

Katie knew from experience that everyone dealt with traumatic experiences differently. For example, Tony suffered panic attacks and went completely off the rails post both his soiree in the Afghanistan cave and New York. She tended to take a lot of things as they came and worry about them for a while but after screaming and crying would then give herself a kick up the ass to either change things or deal with them. Steve’s worry seemed to manifest itself two fold. He would either be suffering from the inability to stay calm and therefore would exercise, pounding out frustrations on either the pavement or the punching bags. And then there was this, the nightmares. Normally Katie would wake with his jostling but if she didn’t, he would always shake her awake if he needed her, as that was the agreement they had. She would then help him back to sleep either by talking or they would engage in some other un-coventional means of therapy until both of them were spent and satiated enough to return to slumber.

Katie gently took his hand and led him out of the bathroom turning off the light. As they reached the bed he waited until she was in it, pulling the duvet up over her before snagging a pillow and turning to go.

"Where do you think you’re going?”

He shrugged. “Thought I’d camp out on the couch. I don’t want to keep you awake.”

“No way…” She said, throwing back the duvet “Come on.”

He sighed and climbed in as she opened her arms for him to settle his head on her chest, gently stroking his hair as he swallowed, his breathing steadying as her touch soothed him.

“Where were you this time?” she asked

“Azzano… I think.” He sighed “To be honest with you, I saw so many things, the dreams now…they all blur into one.”

“You wanna talk about it?” He took a deep breath. “It was just loud, and I was in a building and I couldn’t get out. It was so real. When I woke up I knew where I was. I knew who you were, but I just…I dunno…”

They lay in silence, Katie continually stroking his hair as he nuzzled into her closer. She kissed the top of his head and was pleased when about 10 minutes later she heard his breathing start to lower and his head became heavy. He had managed to drift off.

*****

The next night he woke with a start, but that was it. There was no walking or hallucinating, he merely woke from a bad dream and climbed out of bed for a glass of water. When he came back, there was no talking, but he sought solace in his girl in another way, his lips kissing her hard, his hands reaching out and roving over every bit of her body he could find and he fucked her, hard, losing himself completely. They lay afterwards, sweaty foreheads pressed together and Katie simply held him close as they both came round. Eventually he moved off, pulled her to him and they fell asleep, limbs tanged around one another, his hold tight.

The next few nights he was peaceful, and Katie was hopeful that the terrors had passed, but then, four nights after the first incident he broke his hand.

Captain America could put his fist through a two-by-four with nothing worse than slightly reddened knuckles - but Steve Rogers’ hand hadn’t been in a fist. Katie had woken to his hoarse cry of “Buck!!!”, in time to see his outstretched, fingers slamming straight through the plasterboard and into a metal stud in the wall as he flailed out of bed, reaching for a man who had fallen some seventy years earlier.

Katie scrambled over the bed like a shot as he was yelling out for Bucky again and again as he knelt among scattered pieces of plaster and wood, his left arm buried inside the wall up to the shoulder.

"Steve,” she tried, but he didn’t respond, eyes fixed in a thousand-yard stare, face crumpled with an agony that was more than physical, breath hitching and ragged. She felt the tears spring into her eyes and she was just about to ask FRIDAY to send Tony to help when she heard the door to their penthouse burst open and a few moments later Thor strode into the bedroom dressed in a pair of black sweatpants, hammer in his hand.

“I heard the Captain yell, and…” he trailed off as he took in the situation at a glance and then crouched next to Katie.

“He’s dreaming…” She said gently, “He’s dreaming about Bucky, his friend, falling…”

Thor frowned absently, brushing his fingers across the captain’s temples as though he was trying to work out a problem. Then abruptly, he rose and was gone, moving almost silently through the darkness.

Whilst he was gone, Katie managed to gently work Steve’s arm out of the wall. His broken hand lay twitching in her lap and she was horribly aware that they would need to set the bones before they healed wrong. Thankfully, Thor wasn’t gone long, and he was not alone when he returned, hand firm around Wanda’s shoulder. The girl’s eyes were wide and her hair was tangled - obviously she had been sleeping.

“Thor,” Katie began to protest as she glanced round at Steve. The last thing he would want would be to come back to reality in the middle of some kind of impromptu party.

Thor held up a hand, pausing her even as he turned his full attention to Wanda

“Do you see?” he asked gravely. “Do you understand now what The Vision told you?”

Trembling, Wanda shook her head even as she went to her knees beside Steve. He was still unresponsive, but his breathing was beginning to laboriously even out and Katie knew he was fighting for control. She started to sweep her hand up and down his back in long, firm strokes in the hope it would bring him back round.

Thor knelt too, sounding as though he were some kind of instructor. “When you allowed Stark’s fears to work against him,” he began patiently, “you found his weakness and dug deep.”

Wanda nodded slowly.

“Our Captain carries a grievous burden as well,” Thor continued, “He has been sorely wounded and works to heal, but your incautious workings have torn his memories open.”

“Thor…” Katie shook her head gently as a horror stricken look crossed Wanda’s face.

“I am sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know. How can I fix it?”

For the first time, Thor hesitated. “My brother would have known,” he admitted in a low voice. “He had the skill, when it pleased him to use it.” He paused again, and then continued, hesitating slightly. “You must consider carefully, and proceed as seems good to you.”

Biting her lip, Wanda looked up at Katie, her stricken eyes locked onto hers.

“If you can, remind him where he is,“ Katie said gently. “Just bring him round?”

Hesitantly, uncertainly, Wanda pointed and curled her fingers before Steve’s face and closed her eyes. Tendrils of red light flickered from her hands to his temples, and Katie tensed involuntarily. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Steve’s eyes flew open, and his uninjured hand darted up faster than sight to lock around Wanda’s wrist, breaking the connection. She squeaked, startled, and froze.

“Steve…” Katie touched his arm causing him to flinch. It took him a second and then he seemed to realize where he was and what was going on. He let go of Wanda’s wrist, and looked around at Katie, then Thor hovering behind the young Sokovian, and finally the familiar surroundings of their bedroom. Eventually he looked back at Wanda for a long moment before nodding once.

"Thanks.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I’m sorry,” she whispered hoarsely. “I tried to put everything back in place, but I don’t know how.”

“Can’t fix everything,” he assured her, with a twisted smile. His old Brooklyn accent came out very strong in this unguarded moment. “And I wouldn’t wantcha t’ try. There’s things in my head you shouldn’t ever hafta see.”

Wanda wrapped both her arms around herself. Her eyes still looked haunted. “He was like your brother, wasn’t he?” she quavered.

Steve bowed his head as Thor dropped a gentle arm round her shoulders.

“We have all lost brothers,” he rumbled, looking at her. “We know your pain. You do not face this alone.”

Katie could feel Steve was quivering, exhausted beyond words though he wouldn’t show it for the world, and all she wanted to do in that moment was to bind up his hand and then put him to bed. As she looked up to suggest to the others they might want to go she was surprised to see Wanda had squared her jaw with determination and she reached out once more.

“I can fix this, at least.”

Steve’s hurt hand suddenly glowed with red fire. He jumped, surprised, and then watched with fascination as the crooked fingers began re-align themselves. When the bones were straight again, the fire flickered out, and Wanda staggered to her feet to go, Thor right behind her.

“You ok for a moment?” Katie asked Steve and he nodded. She followed the two of them into the hall and gave a short groan as she saw the door that led to the stairs (which were never used) had been completely kicked off its hinges.

“Sorry.” Thor said, picking up the heavy door “I heard the screams and…well, I didn’t know what was going on.” “Just prop it up as best you can…I’ll let you out in the elevator.”

He propped it up, and dragged the sofa over towards it for good measure.

“I really am sorry…” Wanda whispered, tears in her eyes.

“I know, and so does he.” Katie said, giving her a hug. “He will be fine…” Her attention then turned to Thor as she gave the God a hug. “Thank you.” “Any time Little Stark.” He breathed into her hair, before the 2 of them stepped into the elevator.

Katie looked around, trying to think about how they could explain a broken door plus a hole in the wall to Tony, then she realised she didn’t care. She headed into the kitchen, rummaging through the first aid kit for an elastic bandage to keep his fingers straight and wrapped up safely whilst his fast healing worked its magic.

He was sat on the side of the bed when she re-entered the room, his injured hand cradled in his other.

“Here…” she said, and she gently took his hand as he surrendered to her ministrations.

“Is Wanda ok?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, but I’m more concerned about you.” she said, laying his hand down gently onto my lap. “Baby…” “I’m sorry.” He whispered softly, laying his head against hers.

“What for?” “This…for scaring you?” “Stop it.” She looked at him sternly “I love you, you idiot, I just want you to be ok.” “I will be…” he smiled softly, his lips catching hers “Given time.”

The next day, Katie dragged Steve out for a walk in Central Park, but first she spoke to Tony about the door and the wall. He was surprisingly sympathetic, and didn’t mention the issue to Steve once. By the time Steve and Katie returned home that afternoon both were fixed, the only evidence any repairs had taken place was the smell of fresh paint and plaster which lingered in the apartment for a few days. What thankfully didn’t linger further were Steve’s night terrors. Katie didn’t know what it was that Wanda did, but his bones healed straight and it seemed that his mind had healed somewhat straight too. Whilst he persisted with the odd bad dream, they were getting less and less frequent, and there was no repeat of the two hallucinations he had suffered which was a relief to her, as she knew with time and patience and rest, the dreams would stop as well.

**** Chapter 25

**Original Posting**

[imagine-loki]

The Bitch With Daggers

TITLE: The Bitch of Daggers  CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter Three AUTHOR: i-would-kneel-for-loki ORIGINAL IMAGINE:  Imagine there being someone else like Loki in the Avengers and them meeting, that could never go wrong, could it? RATING: NOTES/WARNINGS: none 

“I think you should go for it.” Oliver stated. I had just got back to them and informed them about Fury’s offer. “I mean, yeah we’d stop fighting together, but you have a chance to do something greater. Go for it.”

“I have to agree with him on this.” Origen said. Laying on the couch staring at the ceiling, I just sighed, confused as to what I should do. I know they’re only being supportive, but still wasn’t 100% sure about it. “We’ll always have your back. If you go in then decide you want out, we’re here, forever.” He walked over and sat down on the chair facing me. “You’ve already given so much away”, his tone turned soft, “do something that benefits you.”

“But what we do benefits me!” I argued. “The fact that we kill those who are a threat to fragile and vulnerable people benefits me.”

“It pleases you.” Oliver corrected with a look. He came, sat by my feet and looked down at his hands in his lap, then looked up at me. “Maybe it’s time one of us does good with the law’s protection. You know? The kind of good that would be recognised and acknowledged.”

They had a point. For almost three years, we’ve been eliminating monsters who feed on people’s weaknesses and fears. We’ve done it behind the government’s back, we had to fake our deaths in order to never be suspected and captured. Had many close calls, some failed missions, lots of blood on our hands. This group, this team, my family, was all I had for three years, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let go of what kept me sane.

The sun began rising, pink etched into the sky with splatters of purple, the need to decide was overwhelming. So with a glass of whiskey in hand and a phone in another, I rang Fury, “You’ll be pleased to know that I’m accepting the offer. But keep in mind that I’m doing this for Flora.”

“It doesn’t matter to me why as long as you’re in.” He stated. “Be at the compound in an hour, see you then.” With that, he hung up. The guys were still asleep and I didn’t have the heart to wake them up and tell them that I’ve agreed, so I grabbed my packed bags and wrote them a note before leaving.

The ride was short, but emotionally difficult. Upon my arrival I was questioned, until Nick came and approved my entrance. Whilst walking along the corridor, he began, “The team is waiting to meet you. Though I have to be honest, they’re not exactly… ecstatic to meet you.”

“Wouldn’t blame them”, I sighed, “Did you tell about any of my past works?” I smirked, fully aware that he hasn’t.

“You know me, I’d rather leave that honour to you.” He laughed. “Oh and”, he stopped and turned to me, “You’re gonna need a superhero name.”

“A what now?” I laughed. “Come on you’ve gotta be kidding me. Really?” I said in disbelief, “A superhero name?”

He resumed his walk with a laugh, me hot on his tail, “Well everyone on the team has one, so you gotta choose.”

“God that’s fucking dumb.” I muttered under my breath and shook my head. We took a right and into view came a room with glass doors, inside it were the avengers, sitting around a table. Well, most of them were sitting around the table.

Fury opened the door for me then got in, closing it behind him. “Avengers,” he began loudly, “This is Océane, the new recruit.”

Everyone turned to me with blank stares, I just smiled. Then one of them came over and put his hand out, “Nice to meet you kid, name’s Clint Barton, or Hawkeye.” I shook his hand with a smile of my own. The room held all the avengers – Tony, Steve, Bucky, Sam, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, Thor, Scott, Wanda, Vision, Rhodey and Peter Parker.

“Nice to meet you Clint, heard you’re the best archer there is out there.” He inclined his head to the side with a laugh.

“Well I wouldn’t say so. Director told us you have some experience in that arena.”

“Well”, I began with a laugh, “Nothing compared to your skills I’m sure.” Everyone came forward and introduced themselves, not that I didn’t already know who they were. The last one was a new face; someone I didn’t recognise although seeming familiar. “And which hero are you?” I directed my words to him. His eyes green eyes were a stark contrast to his pale skin and black hair. I had seen him before but couldn’t place a name on him.

“Well I am no hero to begin with.” He said with a smirk and a glint of mischief in his eyes, “I am simply here as an act of redemption for my past faults.”

“Act of redemption…?” I trailed off, brows furrowed and concentrating on who this might be, when it clicked. “Ah, you must be Loki, the God of mischief and lies.”

“So you’ve heard of me.” He was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Yes, I have,” I chuckled, “Well I must say it is lovely to meet you.”

“Likewise, lady Océane.” He flashed a dazzling smile and walked over to where he previously stood.

“How old are you kid?” Tony began the interrogation.

“I’m twenty-three.”

“Do you have any siblings?” Steve carried on with the questioning.

“A sister.” I answered curtly. “She’s five.”

“So how long you been on the loose?” Rhodey asked, making me chuckle.

“About three years now, I had to run ever since SHIELD decided to intrude.” I said with a small smile. “You know that they took my sister from me when my parents passed away and they knew of my powers, right?”

“Oh.” Rhodey trailed off quietly, “No”, he said looking at Fury along with everyone else, “No we didn’t know.”

I turned my face to him, “It’s cool, I’ve grown accustomed to it.” I looked behind him to notice Loki had a hard a face, glaring at the Director. Steve had his arms crossed, also glaring. Tony had a pitiful look on his face, Bruce seemed sad, Thor appeared conflicted, unsure on how to feel. “Anyway that’s why I’m here,” I continued in hopes of killing the sudden tension. “Fury said if I join, I get to have custody over her again.”

“How’d your parents pass away?” Wondered Bucky.

“Car accident, a drunk asshole hit ‘em.”

“Alright,” Fury clapped his hand on my back, “Now that you’re all familiar with each other, I’m leaving.” Then turned to me and said, “There are others that aren’t here.”

“Like whom?” I frowned.

“There’s Doctor Strange, but he permanently resides in the New York sanctum and King T’Challa – the Black Panther – stays in Wakanda.” I nodded in understanding, and with that he left.

I turned back to the team, “So who’s gonna show me where I’m staying?”

“I will.” Loki volunteered.

“No you won’t.” Natasha cut him off while looking at me with an amused smile. He clenched his jaw at that.

“You can accompany us.” I suggested, making him smirk and nod, following us out. They led me to another part of the building and took me to the 6th floor, we were on the 4th.

“Did the Director say anything about when you would see your sister?” The handsome God asked. His cheek bones could cut diamond in half and I was finding myself getting lost in his enchanting, sparkling eyes.

“No he hasn’t.”

The Russian assassin guided me down a hallway and gestured to a door on the left. “This is your room.” It was quite a vast room, a queen-sized bed in the middle, a walk-in wardrobe, shelves on the wall for me to stack my books up and a connected bathroom. “You’re free to decorate it whenever and however you feel like it.”

“Alright then, thank you.” I sent her a smile and she left me and Loki alone. Walked over to the window and looked down at the busy street. The spacious room was empty, it felt lonely. “I hope it’s soon, I long to see her.” I said looking back at him, “If she remembers me, that is.” I muttered quietly.

“I’m sure she will.” He tried to reassure me. “If not, you will simply make memories with her, get her used to you.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” I said with a half-smile. He smiled back and patted my back, but I leaned into him, hugging him. He seemed shocked however didn’t give him enough time to react before pulling back with a small smile. 

[bonniebird]

Bride of Hell

Lucifer x Spellman!Reader

Requested by Anon and @icharleecongrevemultifandomsblog​

The family was weary of Lucifer. Zelda and Helga suspected that there was something more to the reason he’d been so taken with you. Ambrose and Sabrina were more than suspicious. They’d heard the rumors that you’d been chosen as his queen. Though they didn’t share the notion with their aunties. They worried that they would insist you went along with it if it were true. There wasn’t any way you would like Lucifer. They hoped.

“So do you plan on telling them?” Lucifer asked. He’d arrived at some point and been waited on hand and foot by your aunts. When you’d arrived he had insisted on speaking with you alone.

“There isn’t anything to tell yet.” You said nervously as he looked at you with an odd look. You’d kept a secret from him for a while. He’d understand keeping the fact that you were together a secret. You had, after all, explained at great length about the effect it would have on you within the hierarchy of the church of night which wasn’t at the best with father Blackwell’s vengeance against the Spellman family.

“Are you sure there isn’t?” Sabrina snapped as she marched into the room, Ambrose quick behind.

“Forgive her your darkness, she…” Zelda started but Lucifer raised a hand and silence her.

“Fine.” You said giving Sabrina a pointed look. “I will marry Lucifer. He has decided it is my place to be his queen.” You explained. Helga looked mildly horrified but recovered quickly. Ambrose and Sabrina shared shocked looks while Zelda beamed.

“My niece. Queen of hell.” She breezed out as she clasped her hands together before rushing to hug you.

“But you’re pregnant!” Ambrose said as if that meant what you’d said couldn’t happen. Zelda glanced at him then at you in surprise.

“You’re what?” Lucifer asked, raising from the prized chair the he’d occupied since arriving.

“I wasn’t planning letting that one out for a while. Thank you Ambrose.” You said curtly.

“I’m sorry… it’s just what you said and you never said that he…” Ambrose started and spluttered into silence when Lucifer crossed the room to touch your cheek. “I am not convinced that hell is a safe place for a baby, nor that I want to raise one without my family.” You explained to him. His expression darkened. Zelda wanted more than her soul was worth to interject and remove the furious gaze from you. It was just in her nature. But she held her toung and the look she gave Helga had her sister doing the same.

“You think I would not protect my child.”

“I think I could not protect it. Sabrina is the one who vanquishes demons, not me!” You explained quickly. He still looked irritated but less angry, Zelda took this as her moment to place a hand on your shoulder and squeeze. Without another word he left. 

********************

You woke to Sabrina shaking you. Looking around you realised you weren’t in your bed but somewhere you’d never been before. “Sabrina?”

“Demons came. They said they wanted to test the new queens metal before they supported your assent to the throne. Ambrose spelled you to sleep, you’d fight less that way. I went with you. He tried as well but I told him to get Helga and Zelda.”

“We have to get out of here.” You said quickly. You couldn’t remember the attack. You had a vague memory of heading to the school to meet Zelda and speak to her about how to explain the Spellman family’s new predicament in regards to the dark lord. Ambrose rushing to you. Now that you thought harder, you did recall Sabrina demanding something but it had faded away as Ambrose chanted something soothing.

“You’re awake.” Lucifer said as he left himself into the room. Sabrina jumped to stand between the two of you.

“Let us go home!”

“Well my wife to be is home, but I wouldn’t mind sending you elsewhere.”

“This isn’t her home, just because you want her to be queen doesn’t mean it’s her home.” Sabrina snapped out as she looked at you.

“Sabrina is right. The church of night has been my home my whole life. I want to stay with my family and raise my child… like Sabrina was.” You said firmly. The look Lucifer gave you made Sabrina step back. She fumbled for your hand and you wished more than anything Zelda was standing beside you. Her fury could make anyone feel strong. The blind faith Helga had in her had never made more sense than in that moment.

“But… you have agreed to marry me, that is my child!” He snapped furiously. There had been candles lit and dotted around the room but as his temper flared it seemed to hush them out and leave the room darker.

“You want me to join you in hell, leave my family behind, I have agreed, you wish for my child to be your heir and they will be. Sabrina knows the way of mortals and witches. Tell that a child, sitting on the throne of hell, knowing of both worlds wouldn’t benefit?” You were nervously blabbering now, hoping at the very least he would see that he hadn’t compromised anything.

“Then we will live, on earth, until the child is old enough.” He said after some thought. Sabrina glanced at you, seeing you look somewhat pleased and look back.

“What if they chose to stay. It was hard for me. What if it is what they want. You wouldn’t kill them?” Sabrina asked. She felt your hand tighten in hers. With a deep breath she steeled her nerves and waited.

“As long as they take the throne after me… I suppose. I will listen to their excuse when the time comes. Now, you wish to return.” He looked reluctant but led the way nonetheless.

“I can see why Father Backwell says we are the worst group of witches he’s had to deal with.” You whispered to Sabrina who smiled.

Lucifer led the way through a corridor, then through a door which seemed to open up in the middle of the school of night. You could see Ambrose stood with Prudence. Zelda and Helga had been talking with Father Blackwell who seemed furiously angry when he saw that Lucifer took your hand, bowing ever so slightly to help you step down from his doorway. Sabrina stepped through and glanced at Nick, shaking her head, as he started to walk over at a quick pace.

The rest of the witches and Warlocks were frozen, stunned. “Father Blackwell. I believe I have a few issues I need to address with you.” Lucifer said without looking at the man he addressed. Instead he steered you safely into Zelda’s hands who hugged you quickly before allowing Helga to drown you in a hug.

“Of course.” The man spat as he glared at you.

“I will be remaining in Greendale, to marry (Y/N) Spellman, and raise my child.”

Everyone gasped. Prudence was the first to lead her sisters in a polite curtsy, one you’d offer a royal who had come across you. She looked at Ambrose who shrugged.

“My liege.” Father Blackwell said as he glanced at you.

“It would seem fitting that we talk about the rules you’ve been putting in place. They have distressed members of the Spellman family. I will not have them suffering, there will be a punishment for you.” Lucifer said menacingly. You groaned. He had promised not to show favoritism so that the church of night wouldn’t turn on your family.

“What about Prudence.” You said quickly. At the she looked at you with fear. You could very well have vengeance on Sabrina’s behalf for how the weird sisters had treated her. But you wouldn’t do something so cruel.

“Yes, Miss Night has had some issues within the church but she has been a great help to our family despite the rivalry between herself and Sabrina. As Lord Blackwell’s daughter it is my mind that she should have more authority, given who her father is.” Zelda popped up, gesturing to the weird sisters. “She and her sisters do so much for the school.” Zelda seemed to have taken over, Prudence looked less worried and more suspiciously proud she’d been mentioned with a touch of affection in Zelda’s stern voice. “Mr Scratch has been a great help to (Y/N) and Sabrina as well. If you will have our family bask in the fall out of your affection for my niece. Then please allow us to guide it to where the gratitude should fall truly. Your most gracious darkness.”

The way Zelda spoke was dramatic and had caught the lust for adoration Lucifer had. There was a murmur among the crowd that had gathered and Lucifer inclined his head, agreeing that Zelda should be in the meeting as well.

[beyondconfessor]

The Infernal Contracts [10/16]

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Lilith/Zelda Spellman

Summary: It had seemed like semantics, but what did demons argue for in their contracts, if not the finer details?

N.B.: Also posted on AO3

Zelda laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The memories of last night repeated through her mind, reminding her sharply of every mistake. Her actions had been reckless. She should never have allowed Lilith into her home in the first place, she shouldn't have sat next to her, and she should never have kissed her –– amongst other things.

She almost ruined everything, and for what? Some superfluous addition to her magic?  

Not only was she hiding the Dark Lord's involvement from Sabrina (made easier by the fact that her niece was seemingly avoiding her) but she was emotionally and physically binding herself to the self-proclaimed Mother of Demons, expecting to not get bitten as a result.

How many times had she, herself, re-iterated the story of the Scorpian and the Frog to Sabrina, reminding her that hell-beings were never to be trusted.

And here she was, swimming across the river with the scorpion on her back.

No. She needed to terminate the contract before anyone found out.

Climbing out of bed, Zelda bathed and then moved to wardrobe to choose an appropriate outfit. It needed to sufficiently show that, yes she was attractive, no she wasn't attainable, not even by the Mother of Demon. Not any more.

It admittedly took longer than it should have to choose, but finally, she ended up deciding on a pair of tailored high-waisted trousers. This way, there was no skirt hiking, no slipping underneath the material. Lilith would have to get creative to seduce her.

Zelda sat at her dresser, choosing her jewellery carefully before pausing at her rings. She still wore the ring Lilith had provided her. It had felt more comfortable on her right hand than the wedding band did on her left. Fiddling with it, she considered removing it to make her decision apparent.

She turned it three times over and then decided that no. It had been a gift, and if Lilith wanted it back, she would need to ask for it.

Besides, it went with all her clothes––which was a rare find in rings these days.

Rising before the vanity mirrors, she looked herself over, ensuring that she looked desirable and unattainable before she left the room.

First thing first, she would drop in for morning tea with Hilda, having promised her the other day. It would make it easy to check on how Sabrina and Ambrose were doing, and then she would make her leave for Lilith's home afterwards, giving her plenty of time to return to the Academy before dinner.

When she arrived at the Mortuary, Sabrina took one look at her and returned upstairs to her room, under the guise of studying.

"Don't worry about her, love. She's just adjusting to change. We all are," Hilda said as she pushed a cup of tea into her hands.

"Adjusting is one way to put it. She's switched from my classes at the Academy. You'd think that I'd ruined her life rather than saving our family."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry. You know how teenagers are, melodramatic about every slight."

"Certainly true," Zelda agreed as she took a sip of the tea. However, she couldn't help but feel hurt by Sabrina's absence. She'd like nothing more than to move past this, but it seemed that was entirely up to her niece.

It made her less inclined to tell her the truth, knowing that it would be the final straw for Sabrina. However, the longer she held onto it, the worse the outcome would be.

She needed to tell her soon.

"Everything alright, Zelds?" Hilda prompted. "He hasn't…tried anything since Rome?"

Zelda looked up from her tea, shaking her head. "No, we're at a stalemate for the moment. He's liking waiting for an opportune moment to get retaliation, but as so far it seems we're held in a ceasefire." Except for how she was occasionally charming him with dreams to soothe their relationship. Eventually, he'd catch on to that too.

Zelda felt as though she was spinning a vast web, and if she weren't careful, she'd get tangled in her own lies.

"I see. And how did the dinner party go?"

Zelda drew in a breath, trying to forget the kiss she'd shared with the Mother of Demons. Or the feeling of the woman's hand, sliding up her thigh. Or how her body had–– "Quite well, I'll have the books returned to you later, during the week."

"Okay, well, not to push but you're bit with the fairies at the moment. Has something happened?"

Zelda stared at her sister, narrowing her eyes. Before she could assure her sister that she was fine and there was nothing discuss (because there wasn't), the sound of the front door opening and shutting interrupted her.

"Are you expecting someone?"

"I'll go see who that is," Hilda said before running off to the foyer.

Zelda rolled her eyes, drawing a sip of her tea. Within a few moments, Mr Scratch was entering the parlour with a book under his arm. "Lady Blackwood," he greeted politely, with a short nod of his head.

Zelda felt her chest constrict at the name. "Mr Scratch," she greeted. "I take it you're here to visit Sabrina?" she asked, hearing the sound of Hilda's footsteps climbing the many stairs towards Sabrina's bedroom.

"Yes, I…"

"With a book?" she asked, gesturing to it. She watched his hand curl tighter around it.

"Yes, uh. For us to study," Nicholas said, looking awkward as he forcibly tried to relax. Zelda rose, coming to stand before him. Nicholas had the look of a warlock trying to hide something and Zelda did not appreciate men coming into her house with the intention of hiding things from her.

She reached out and took the book, watching as the boy briefly fought her before thinking better of it.

"A book of prophecies?" she asked, turning it over. It seemed amusing at first and then realising that Sabrina was involved and Nicholas Scratch had clearly not wanted her to know his intention, her heart began to sink in her chest. "Why are you bringing a book of prophecies to Sabrina?"

"We're studying prophecies in class," he said in an abysmal attempt to lie.

Zelda narrowed her eyes, coming to stand tall before him. "Try again," she suggested.

Nick drew in a breath, looking over his shoulder as if Sabrina might appear at any moment and help, but her niece was still upstairs, likely arguing with Hilda going by the muffled sounds.

"I will not ask again, Mr Scratch, and I don't think I need to remind you as to just what I would do to ensure Sabrina's safety."

In a rush of words, Nick explained everything. Beginning with Sabrina's party, how Harvey and Theo interrupted and drew them to the mines, how there was a prophecy imprinted there depicting Sabrina of being the Herald of Hell. He went on to say how Sabrina had attempted to speak to Ms Wardwell about this (and Zelda felt herself grow cold at the mention of the teacher), but the woman had been strangely absent from her home, so Nicholas advised that he'd moved to the library for research and had found a footnote prophecy, likely discussing Sabrina.

"Which one?" she asked.

Nicholas reached for the book and turned to the page, pointing to the prophecy.

It took two reads to understands, and then Zelda could feel her growing anger and fury. Not only had Sabrina hidden this from her, but this was the goal the Dark Lord had planned.

How fucking dare he.

She snapped the book shut and looked at Nicholas. "Thank you, Mr Scratch," she said, schooling her features. "I appreciate honesty in this house." And then she reached out and placed her hand on his left shoulder, staring into his eye. "But I think you should forget this. After all, you're here to see Sabrina and help her study, are you not?"

The thrum of magic shot through her hand and Zelda watched as Nicholas' eyes became foggy, the spell eating at the memory until it turned to dust. "Sorry, could you say that again?" he asked.

Zelda smiled, drawing her hand away. "I said it's lovely that you came here to help Sabrina study. I expect she has a lot to catch up on with her new classes."

"Ah, yes," Nicholas nodded, turning to look over his shoulder at the sounds of Sabrina approaching. "She's doing well, though."

"I expect nothing less," Zelda said. "Now, if you don't mind, I have some business to attend to."

Zelda left, exiting out of the parlour to the foyer just as Sabrina was coming down the stairs. Zelda considered confronting her about the so-called Herald of Hell mosaic, but bit her tongue instead and smiled politely to her and Hilda both.

"You're leaving already?" Hilda asked. "I thought we might have a spot of lunch?"

"I'm afraid I have some business to attend to."

"Oh, is that why you're so dressed up?" Hilda asked.

"So you're off to some date with his Unholy eminence?" Sabrina snarked.

Zelda felt a sharp comment rise in her throat and then thought better of it. The last thing she needed to do was place any more kindling on that fire burning inside of Sabrina. Given everything that was revealed, no doubt her niece had an amount of pent-up rage, and instead of thoughtfully managing it like an adult, she decided that picking fights were a better use of her time.

"Goodbye. Enjoy your afternoons," Zelda said, before exiting out of the Mortuary to where her car was.

She placed the book of prophecy on the passenger seat before closing the driver's door and starting the car. Her own fury began to burn inside of her as she thought over the prophecy's words again, and what they meant.

Lilith raising her niece to be the Dark Lord's Herald was one thing, possibly something she could view as an honour if it were to happen far in the future, once Sabrina had completed her education. But the prophecy was advising that Sabrina was to sit at his side on the throne, and there was no way in Heaven she would allow her niece to become some child bride. Not to the Dark Lord, nor to anyone for that matter.

Did Lilith know? Was this her true intentions?

No, Zelda couldn't believe it. And yet, it made more sense than she wanted it to.

Arriving at the cottage on the edge of the forest, Zelda parked the car. She took two deep breaths, deciding to get answers first and then seek retribution, before exiting the vehicle.

Clutching the book of prophecy to herself, Zelda walked up to the house and rapped her knuckles onto the front door.

She heard the muffled sound of heels clicking from inside and then the lock turned, the door opening wide for Lilith to lean against the frame and run her eyes over Zelda's body. "Miss me?"

Zelda pushed past the woman into her home. She was too angry (and admittedly a fair amount of worked up) to engage in flirting. Setting the book of prophecy down on the table, she pointed to it and raised her eyebrows at the woman. "Did you know?"

"Did I know…what?" Lilith asked dryly.

"Did you know that about the prophecy?" she hissed.

Lilith's eyes narrowed, all amusement fading as she stepped closer and picked up the book, going to where the page had been bookmarked.

Zelda studied her expression, watching it harden into a neutral mask as she traced her fingers over the footnote prophecy (someone didn't want it to be noticed, but it was stated that all predictions must be written down). "I didn't know about this one," Lilith said as she looked up, snapping the book shut. All playfulness had left the woman, and for the first time since Zelda had met her, Lilith looked unsettled.  

No, she couldn't believe her because a few muscles pulled in a particular expression.

"So the miracles, the exorcism, fixing the mortal friend's blindness, that wasn't at your direction?" Zelda asked. "Because I distinctly recall you sauntering into my home-"

"Obviously, that was me, but I didn't know it would––" She cut herself off, drawing in a deep breath. "I thought she was to replace my position as the right hand, which would allow me to ascend to the throne. But obviously not." Zelda watched as the woman's lips pressed tightly, a familiar rage building and then simmering inside of her. "You don't need to believe me, but it is the truth."

"You didn't know?" Zelda asked

"Why would I throw away everything I worked for to some child?" she snapped and then recoiled, looking around the woman as if aware that someone might be listening. "I didn't lie to you, Zelda."

"How am I meant to believe that?"

Lilith gave her a tired look. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

Zelda closed her eyes, feeling a pulling headache surface. She didn't want to believe Lilith, and yet the idea of her stepping aside for Sabrina willingly seemed...wrong.

"Does she know about this?"

Zelda thought better of admitting the entire truth, (there was safety in ignorance after all) and instead stated, "This prophecy was discovered by Mr Scratch who's conveniently forgotten all about it for the moment, so we have time."

"When did this occur?"

"Only moments before I left for here."

Lilith stared at Zelda before a slow smile graced her lips. "And you came rushing to me with the book?"

Zelda flushed, discomforted by the change in mood, knowing where it was likely to go. "I was already planning to visit if you recall. We have matters to discuss. And I came here to accuse you, not do whatever you're inferring."

"Is that so?" Lilith set the book on the table and stepped towards Zelda. "And what 'matters' do we have to discuss?"

Zelda resisted the urge to step back, refusing to allow herself to be corned again. "The contract for one, and that I need to reclaim Leviathan."

"Of course," Lilith nodded, now standing terribly close. "And what problems with the contract do you have?"

"I want to end it."

"I told you, you can end it whenever you desire to." Lilith's hand had begun playing with the collar of Zelda's blouse, smoothing it across her chest, so it sat flush. The touch was innocent enough, but it was pulling a strange desire in Zelda's chest, a longing for the fingers to draw against her skin. "Is that why you came here, to close our contract? Or did you perhaps come here in want of fixing a little problem?"

"I want it to end," Zelda said, but the words had thickened with arousal.

Lilith's smirk widened, "Ending this has nothing to do with want."

Zelda blinked, going to argue that she had explicitly stated only moments ago that contact was about her want to exit from it––and then Zelda realised that no, she hadn't. When they initiated the contract, Lilith had stipulated it was about desiring to leave, not wanting. Panic grew inside of her. "What do you mean it's not about 'want?"

"Oh, I think you know," Lilith said as she tilted her head to look at her. Her fingers began trailing down her blouse, over Zelda's ribs, down to her waist where the trousers rested. "Tell me, Zelda, do you desire to end our contract?" Lilith was leaning forward now, one hand pressing flush against her abdomen, the other coming to curl over the waist of her pants. "Be honest."

It had seemed like semantics, but what did demons argue for in their contracts, if not the finer details?

She drew a breath, feeling the woman's fingers begin to undo the top of the slacks, flicking the button undone.

She wanted the consequence of this relationship to cease. She wanted the desperation she felt when she was near the woman to disappear. She wanted to be lying in bed at night without daydreaming of Lilith next to a man she didn't care for. She wanted to wake up and not feel the sudden longing in her chest. Satan save her, she wanted so many things.

But the ending of this infernal contract? She was at war with herself, knowing that it would likely destroy her and knowing with great certainty that she would happily allow it to if it meant Lilith would look at her like she had last night.

The woman was everywhere in her thoughts. Zelda may not want it, but she did crave the woman's presence in her life. Her touch, her perfume, her voice. May Hell forgive her, she wanted to hear Lilith moan her name again.

"Lilith," she husked. "This will not end well for us."

"Few things do for women like you and me."

The quiet sat with those words, Lilith holding her waist firmly, looking up at her with wide blue eyes, asking her to say the words and Zelda looking down at her, feeling them on her tongue.

She should tell her no, tell her that she couldn't. That she must return to Sabrina and advise her of this prophecy, she must protect the Blackwood children. But her heart was pounding, and Lilith's hands felt as if they were made to hold her.

"Come now, Zelda, say the words," Lilith purred. "You may even get a reward."

"I want you," Zelda admitted. "I yearn for you every other moment of the day and right now all I want, all I desire, is to fall at your knees and worship you."

Lilith's eyes darkened with arousal, before she slipped her heels off, kicking them away. And then she slowly knelt onto her knees before Zelda, as if she were about to pray.

Zelda had only a moment to prepare herself, before she watched the woman's mouth part, her teeth catching the tab of the zipper from her pants, pulling it down with more eroticism than any one person had a right to.

Zelda couldn't recall the last time a lover had been on their knees before her, and as Lilith pulled down her pants, Zelda was sure she'd never been more aroused in her life. She couldn't think to say anything, only stare at the woman with awe as the woman's hands drew up her bare legs, coming to rest on her thighs.

Lilith held for a moment, looking up as if waiting for Zelda to say or do something –– when no response was summoned, she leant forward and pressed her mouth to Zelda's sex, her tongue slipping between her folds and tasting the growing arousal. Zelda moaned, feeling a rush of electricity run down her spine with each slow, firm stroke.

Zelda reached out and drew her hands through the thick mane of hair, encouraging her closer, and as Lilith's pace increased, she found herself falling back against the wall of the room, one hand curling tighter in Lilith's hair, as the other pressed against the wall, trying to hold herself steady.

"Lilith," she whined, feeling the tongue curl against her. "Lilith I-" the praise cut off in a strangled gasp as she looked down to find Lilith's eyes watching her. She knew the woman was smirking between her thighs, absolutely enjoying the hedonistic indulgence she was placing on her.

Zelda stifled a moan, her hand tightening in the woman's hair, eyes squeezing shut as she felt the wave ebb closer. Her body clenched and released, an exhaled breath barely leaving her before she was inhaling again in short-sharp gasps as Lilith began sucking on her clit.

"Satan in Heaven," Zelda hissed as she felt the wave rise, the climax within reach — and then Lilith was pulling away from her, and the Zelda felt as if she was falling.

No, she was falling.

Zelda gasped, her legs tumbling out from under her as she was tugged to the ground, thrown onto her back before Lilith straddled her torso, just over her clavicle, so the weight of her made it difficult to breathe.

Lilith looked down at her, grinning as if she was so delighted that Zelda had defied her. "Here I was offering you a grand prize, and you brought Him into it," Lilith tsked. "I thought I taught you better than that."

"I…" Zelda tried to speak, but the woman's fingertips pressed to her lips, a warning look in her eyes.

"Oh no, language like that will need to be punished." And then Zelda watched as the woman slipped off her clothes, the lingerie underneath being tugged of far faster than Zelda would like. "But I don't know if you really learnt your lesson last time, so I've decided that you're going to be a good girl and use your mouth until such a time as I think of a good lesson. Understood?"

Zelda nodded.

"Now, little witch, open up."

Zelda stared up at the woman, wondering if she was serious about the theatrics, before deciding very quickly that she was.

She parted her lips, looking up at the woman with raised eyebrows. Lilith grinned from above before pushing up onto her knees. There was a moment where she adjusted herself, moving her legs on either side of Zelda's body before she curled her hand into Zelda's hair.

"Remember, no sooner," she said, her tone carrying a warning.

Zelda lifted her head between the woman's thighs and obeyed. She drew her tongue over the woman, tasting the sweet arousal.

Lilith was quiet in pleasure, restrained almost (which only annoyed Zelda as she knew the woman was deliberately holding back her contentment). When she came, it was with a deep breath she held in her lungs, as her hips rocked against Zelda's face. The hand in Zelda's hair grew tight and then loose before she let go altogether and then exhaled with a warm chuckle as she looked down at Zelda.

"You know, I don't think I've thought of anything yet," Lilith said to her. "I hope you have nowhere else to be because you're all mine until I'm done."

Zelda grinned up at her, feeling the chuckle rise. The truth was, at this moment, there was nothing in her thoughts but Lilith. Lilith's body, Lilith's voice. She wanted to worship it all.

Her hands drew up the warm legs, as the sex lowered over her mouth again. She had places to be, she couldn't stay here for all eternity, and yet she wanted to, desired to.

It was as if she was in the most divine worship, and there was nothing that could make her leave this moment.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Binary

This started out as a whole thing about Brie Larson. She’s started a YouTube channel and i figured I'd follow it just for kicks. I’m not a huge fan of massive Hollywood stars invading more accessible spaces but, technically, they’re the “You” in YouTube, too. I can’t be too mad at that. Of course Google is going to cater more to their brand, mostly because they bring in the duckets and understand PR so they know ho not to cause an ADpocolypse, but it’s still mad sh*tty. Larson’s first post was just her being goofy, trying to figure out how to even be a YouTuber. You kind of see a side of her that i figured was there, but never really was able to confirm. Brie Larson is the poster child for Millennial geekdom and i find that adorable as f*ck. Which is why i don’t understand the MASSIVE waves of hate she’s getting from the community. Cats are reveling in her perceived failure, it’s actually insane.

Now, before we go any further, i just want to be clear; I am a fan of Brie Larson. I think she is excellent at her craft. Ma is from my hometown and it’s always great to see someone make it out of this cowtown. I believe she has every right to her opinions and the fact that she voices them from such a visible platform, makes her one of the most endearing and real celebrities in an industry maligned by the phony. Brie ain’t quite Russell Brand but she is very vocal about the unjust sh*t she sees and will totally let you know it. That, i think, is why she garners such vitriol. Look, I'm a black dude living in the US. If she gets on TV and says f*ck white dudes, I'm inclined to agree. But she didn’t say that. What she said was there needs to be more voices making film, different perspectives in the arts. White dudes dominate the industry and she’s tired of seeing that movie. I don’t understand how that’s a controversial statement. It’s true. We need more dynamic, more diverse, storytellers making films out in the wild. The thing is, that one statement earned her the ire of every entitled white boy with time and and the internet. These motherf*cker decided to take that personally and we were off to the races.

When Brie Larson was announced as Captain Marvel, i was okay with it. I thought Charlize Theron or Katee Sackhoff would have been a better look but i get it. Larson is young and can portray the character for years to come. Kind of how Florence Pugh is going to take over Black Widow duties from Scarlett Johansson. Pugh can be that character for close to a decade, as can Larson. Once again, however, the interwebs were set asunder with rage and malcontent over the Cap Marvel announcement. It was f*cking ridiculous to me. Sure, she didn’t look the part going into this but neither did Gal Gadot, the latter turned out to be the best thing going in that trainwreck DCEU. Larson grew into the part, put in the work to look the part, and is committed to the role. She did her research, consuming massive amounts of the comics, trying to find Carol’s head space, which was a goddamn feat. Captain Marvel is as controversial as Brie Larson, herself. And it’s just as stupid.

Look, i adore Captain Marvel. She’s my fifth favorite Marvel character after Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Laura Kinney, and Illyana Rasputin. In that order. Captain Marvel grew on me during the whole Mighty Avengers and Disassembled story lines from years ago. I have no love-loss for Bendis but that cat did wonders for building up more obscure characters, Carol being one of them. I also like what he did for Luke Cage, too, but that’s not what this essay is about. I’ve been a fan of this character since the early 00s and have rode this Carol train for years. I jumped on bored when she was rocking her leotard, which i miss terribly, took my time to dig up the back issues where she was in the original red and blue digs and moonlighted as Warbird for a bit. Then, Marvel Now happened and f*cked it all up. Carol went from this attractive, uber-powered, mess of a woman to a cold, manly, aggressively stupid caricature of herself. The Carol Danvers i had grown to love, with all of her faults and trauma, became some sort of butch nightmare and the poster child for why Woke Marvel was failing. I don’t think that’s fair.

Comic Carol was on her way to becoming a real force in the Marvel universe. She had learned there was worth in her strength, one she had to drag out through deep introspection and an understanding of who she really is. No longer was she just a gender-swapped, copyright placeholder that no one knew what to do with. Now she had agency. Now she was a force. Now she was relevant. Now tore all of that away. After Marvel Now, all of that growth and nuance was thrown out of the window. She became the idealized version of what the SJWs thought a “Strong Woman” should be. Marvel gave her a massive push in an effort to  cater to this burgeoning Tumblr dynamic and it failed miserably. Marvel wanted that Steven Universe crowd and they tried real hard to get it but that sh*t did not work. The changes to the universe weren’t extreme or feminist or PC enough. Courting a fanbase that had no longevity, Carol was sabotaged and thrown to the wolves. That’s the environment we were saturated in when Disney announced Larson as Carol for the MCU. It was a perfect storm of Nerdrage, one that has not died down in any capacity all these years later for either Brie or Carol.

I don’t think the feminist slant given to the Captain Marvel movie was actually such a big deal. I think the vitriol that flick faces stems from the combined maliciousness both the new version of Carol in the comics and Brie Larson, herself, garnered. It’s kind of crazy the massive tantrum everyone decided to throw over this movie. Cats were looking for this thing to fail as some sort of petulant schadenfreude ignoring the fact that this movie wasn’t made for them. As frustrated as i was with the ludicrous discourse, i knew this movie wasn't for me. his wasn’t my Carol and i was good with that. Unlike Marvel who pandered to the trend of PC nonsense, the MCU had a clear vision in mind for the audience they wanted; Young girls. They wanted a character who was strong enough to hang with Thor, stand equally with Iron Man, and have the respect of Captain America. Captain Marvel was the best option. She would be the tentpole hero of the MCU going forward and i accepted that. I went into the film with that understanding and, on my way out, i saw, firsthand, what this movie meant to the target audience. There was a little girl, about nine or so, gushing abut how cool Captain Marvel was. She as ecstatic to see a girl like her, kicking so much butt. In the face of that, every entitled argument you have against the character falls apart in my eyes. Captain Marvel is to young girls and woman, as Black Panther was to us black folk. It’s the same energy.

Do i think the film could have been better? F*ck yea, i do. I think the script should have had one more revision and the directors definitely felt out of place. They’re good at their jobs, they mostly make A24-esque fare, but a massive, multi-million dollar, space epic connected to the most popular film franchise in history? Nah, these cats were way out of their depth. I think Feige dropped the ball on this one, a rare miss. I think Kathryn Bigelow, Patty Jenkins, Lynne Ramsay, Claire Dennis, or  Lorene Scafaria would have constructed a much better film, both visually and narrative wise. I think if the movie was better as a whole, a lot of the controversy and vitriol would have been neutered. Carol is written quite wooden and a little pretentious. The interactions between the supporting cast feels forced. The overall narrative is fine but definitely could have been embellished at parts. Captain Marvel is boring and i don’t know how that happened. You have one of the strongest characters in comics, with a distinct, visually appealing powerset, and you make her movie boring? Really? More than anything, though, is the absolute mistreatment of Sam Jackson and Nick Fury.

The writing reduces Nick Fury, the mind behind the entirety of the Avengers Initiative, to lap boy sidekick in an effort to up Carol’s own stature. That sh*t is poor writing and it’s mad frustrating to see. I hate narratives that have to job established characters, in an effort to push new additions. I just wrote a whole goddamn thing about that with Punchline, Joker’s new “partner”. It’s bogus, cheapening the character and opens up an avenue for bad-faith complaints. Rey Palpatine is another great example. Her entire character is built on the slow, methodical, violent, destruction of the Skywalker legacy. Interestingly enough, that character was launched in the same environment as New Carol so i understand why the movie is the way that it is. I don’t agree with it, but i know why. It was an incredibly poor choice to introduce Captain Marvel in this way, however, and she’s never recovered. Brie has never recovered. You want a 90s buddy-cop space opera? Lethal Weapon with Skrulls and starships? You need your Murtaugh and Riggs to stand on equal footing. That was not the case with this flick. Having Nick Fury job to Carol Danvers for two hours was the wrong way to go about all of this and i think a different creative team could have made something truly excellent.

It’s nuts to me that this is even a thing though. Brie’s personal controversy is so f*cking stupid, i choke every time i think about it. How are you mad she stand up for herself, her gender, and everyone else in a position of persecution? Don’t you want though with a platform speaking up about the inequities of our country? I feel like the same people who hate Brie for her vocal advocacy, are the same people who stan “All Lives Matter” when ever someone says Black Lives Matter. That sh*t feels like the same energy to me. I feel like the criticisms launched at comic Carol have real validity, even if most of them are just whiny man-children who miss the leotard. I miss the leotard, too, but come on? We’re passed that now. I do think, when written well, Carol can be a force in the books. Her run as part of the new Ultimates was pretty chill I think she needs that in order to be her true self, until we establish a true self for the character. It’s weird to say but Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel previously, has been around for fifty years, and no one has any idea who she is as a character. I think Captain Marvel in the MCU, both the character and film, are hated for the wrong reasons. The fact that no one has any idea who this character is, makes for a lousy cinematic experience. The team put together in an effort to flesh this character out, didn’t have the creative capacity to do so and we were left with little more than PC tropes and Feminist agenda. The MCU let both Brie and Carol down in that regard.

Brie Larson isn’t a terrible person and she deserves more respect put on her name. She an accomplished actress with a bevy of awards and accolades to her name. She’s been in great films like Room and Scott Pilgrim, never once garnering a controversy. The fact that she speaks her truth, a truth the establishment doesn’t want to hear, should not disqualify her talent or the fact that she seems like a really chill person. Carol Danvers is a dope ass character with an amazing amount of potential. When she’s written well and not traded upon for trends, she can have real staying power. Her abilities open up a plethora of interesting, creatively fertile narratives yet to be written. Disregarding her just because Marvel decided to gamble on the pretentious third-wave feminism wave is shortsighted and makes you look like a childish brat. You’re entitled to feel however you want but let’s be clear; Brie Larson and Carol Danvers deserve so much better.

[carisi-dreams]

❝ i got you a coffee. ❞ Sith MC!AU’s Sonny??? :)

takes place in this storyline: Questions | clearly not nothing

tw: for casual drug use

You lifted the joint up in front of you and eyed it as you exhaled smoke from your mouth. The sky was beginning to bleed an inky blue, but the horizon held onto the watery color hugging the earth. You fantasized about a life that didn’t get upended every three to six months. You fantasized about stability and ten fingers and not knowing the many ways to get out of zip ties binding your wrists and duct tape binding your ankles. You closed your eyes and you fantasized.

The soft sucking noise of the screen door being opened and closed was followed by heavy rubber soles on wood. You kept your eyes closed, but brought the joint to your mouth again and inhaled for three beats.

“I got you a coffee.”

Your eyes opened and you sat up straighter as you watched Sonny set your reusable metal cup on the table with a gentle clink. The fact that he even remembered to use that one and not the usual disposable paper cups the coffee shop gave out brought a faint smile to your face. Lifting your hand toward him, you offered him the joint and he took it from with his thumb and index finger before slouching into the seat next to you. When you brought the coffee cup to your mouth steam billowed from the small mouth hole and you blew on it gently, wrapping both hands around the cup for something to do.

“Surprised you’re speaking to me,” you said finally.

It was the truth. After the details of how you and Nick’s old lady ended up in the lake house tumbled out, the flowers and the notes, you could feel the fury radiating off of Sonny. Not that you blamed him. He’d asked you to tell him if Chase did anything else suspect and Chase had done plenty more and you hadn’t said a word. You had wanted to pretend—pretend that your life was semi-normal and that you weren’t planning a wedding with your future husband’s best friend having just been murdered, your former best friend and his old lady off limits from you to talk to, and a random stalker doctor who couldn’t get the hint. At least one of those things you could pretend about and you had. And you’d paid for it now.

“What kinda asshole would I be if I wasn’t speaking to my wife right after she escaped being kidnapped?” Sonny posed with a hint of incredulity. Still, underneath you could hear the edge of resentment.

“I should have told you about the flowers.”

“And the notes.”

“Yes,” you agreed wearily as you hazarded a glance at his profile. “I should have told you. I’m sorry.”

It hurt, sometimes, to speak so plainly. Part of you wanted to explain, but it didn’t feel right. Not after everything. Sonny would either understand or he wouldn’t, but either way you were in the wrong.

“I know you are. So am I.” His jaw clenched around the words and he exhaled forcefully before dropping the joint in the glass ashtray on the table.

“For what?” You twisted to look at him fully.

“Just…everything. I know you’ve been stressed and felt alone. And I know that you were just trying to make sure the wedding went smoothly. I—it’s my fault you didn’t feel like you could come to me.”

“Sonny,” you admonished. He was right, but it hurt to hear him say it aloud. “Everything has just been so…” you trailed off.

“Yeah. I know.” Sonny inclined his head and spread his arms.

You clamored over your chair and into his embrace. His clothing was slightly chilled and it wasn’t until he had his arms wrapped around you that you realized you were chilly from sitting outside as well.

“No more secrets.” His voice was muffled, buried in your hair on the top of your head.

“Okay, Sonny. No more secrets.”

[evien-stark]

✧I Need You✧ Chapter 85

Not even the third week into April (and after anxiously cancelling your first actual supposed session with Doctor Deja), Nick Fury allowed himself into your office. There was no point in angrily asking how he’d gotten there, or who had let him in, or even punishing anyone responsible for letting him in. Why get worked up over it. This was how he operated. He’d long since shown you that. Nick did what he wanted when he wanted, and you just had to live with that. 

So, finishing a flourish of a heavy signature on a document, you closed the folder it was in and sighed, looking up at him as he came to a stop in front of your desk. “...what.” 

In his usual stance, he pushed the edges of his black trench coat back, settling his hands on his hips. “You know, I really don’t appreciate having my staff stolen from me.” 

“Your staff aren’t goods to be taken. They’re people. And if they’re leaving to go elsewhere, maybe you should investigate why that is.” 

“Why am I here?” His brow lift, a little incline of his head. When you didn’t give in, he sat down, linking his hands together in his lap. “I would have gladly allowed a transfer, if you’d just asked.” 

You set your own hands atop your desk in a mirror move. “You understand why I have trouble believing that, don’t you?” 

It was his turn to sigh. “Look. I don’t know what else I can say to impart to you that we are working on a team effort here. And- I’m not really sure I’m comfortable with you assuming duties for the Avenger like your its-” 

“Director?” Eying him rather pointedly. “Maybe I wouldn’t have to, if someone else put in the work.” When you sensed the flare of annoyance and he opened his mouth to argue, you shut it down. “Who’s giving them housing? Who’s looking after them? Who’s giving them funding to live their lives? Or you want Steve working sweeping up his own exhibit at the museum? Or maybe you’d prefer we just all debase ourselves until the next mission comes along.” 

“That’s not what I’d prefer.” Just short of growling at you.

“Stark Industries is funding a lot of relief efforts- not because someone asked us to, but because that’s what’s right. And we’re funding the Avengers now, too. Because that’s what’s right.” 

At this a twitch of a smile appeared on his lips and he sat back. “You’re putting yourself on a very high pedestal. You might wanna be careful you don’t fall off.” 

“Are you threatening me?” 

“You should know me better by now. I’m making a point. The Avengers as a team are run under a wing of SHIELD. Stark Industries should have no involvement with that.” 

“You gave me no choice. And because you didn’t, it’s not really your business-” 

“Think about this very carefully.” He stopped you cold as he focused his gaze hard on you, sitting just a little more forward. “What happens next time this little team blows up a building they don’t mean to? Or kills a bunch of civilians in the name of the greater good? Stark Industries backing that initiative means that collateral damage falls on you. You prepared for that?” 

“I’ve been catching heat all my life for Stark Industries’ mistakes. Backing the Avengers is not one of them.” 

His eye closed for just a few seconds, shaking his head with a small smile. “All your life, huh? You been with Stark all your life? Or does it just feel that way?” 

For one reason or another, this stopped you dead in your tracks. Your distrustfulness of Fury was one thing, and it colored a lot of your interactions with him. The way you saw him. The way you heard him. And that sounded an awful lot like he was trying to get at something. “Why are you pretending like you care?” 

“I do care.” Tone firm then, smile gone. “SHIELD has resources to clean up messes the likes of which the Avengers will no doubt create in time. No offense, but money isn’t everything. Doesn’t always cure what ails you. You can throw a lot of money at a problem, doesn’t always make it go away. You of all people must understand that.” 

Falling quiet, you stared at him. Probably for too long a time. Silence meant he was winning. ...if this was a fight. Now you weren’t so sure. “If that’s how you really feel, then you have to understand, Nick.” Trying your best to be amenable. Even if he didn’t always deserve it. “There are people underneath those suits. My teammates. Who need to be cared for. In every capacity possible. SHIELD isn’t providing a salary, you know, for defeating aliens- or whatever else it’s gonna be next time. Someone has to.” 

“So that’s you. Why’s that?” 

“Because I care about them.” 

“You say it like I don’t.” 

“I haven’t seen you at a team dinner. Or an outing. Or-”

“When was I ever invited to any?” That really did curb you. Was Nick… hurt? Feeling excluded? No. That couldn’t be right. ...could it? “I get it. I’m the boss. No one likes hanging out with their boss. But that doesn’t mean I’m not part of this team, or that I don’t care about the people on it.” He took your continued silence as an avenue to stand, and keep talking. “Take Dr. Linit- not that you hadn’t already. I hope she does you a world of good.” 

This interaction had been strange. And left you feeling… how did you feel? Strange. Weird. ...sad? “Nick-” Calling to him just as he opened your office door. “Tony’s birthday is next month. We’re having a party.” 

Another shake of his head as he set his hand on the door, wearing half a grin. “I’ll see if I can pencil it in.”

                                                --------------

It was only at the request of Tony himself that you were planning a party for him in the first place. As of more recent years he seemed to be in less and less of his previous partying moods. You’d chalked it up to him getting more comfortable with his current company and not needing to immerse and hide in crowds that only cared about him for one reason. Still… he was eccentric and playful and extroverted at heart. At times, anyway. And if he wanted a party… 

A party is what he would have. 

His birthday landed in the middle of the week, so you planned it for that Friday, on the 31st. An even better way to handle the day, as the two of you spent it mysteriously disappeared. Doing work, probably. Certainly. And not just lazing about in the penthouse all day basking in each other’s intimate attentions. Because… well. If that’s what he wanted for a present, you were only too happy to oblige that, too. 

Starting early that morning, with the rise of the sun, as he turned over in bed and murmured something warm and sweet in your ear. Before sliding a hand down over your hip, and waited for your invitation. Something given wholeheartedly after just another second- barely able to wait that long. It continued in the shower, your hands in his hair, his cradling your face, lost in a kiss as hot water poured down over the both of you. 

Then the bed again- then maybe one more time as you were trying to get dressed. And then breakfast, of course. Followed by a helpful lift of his hands on your thighs, boosting you onto the counter after you’d finished with the dishes. Your legs locked around his waist and welcomed him closer after that. The attentions followed into your office, where you met him in a similar position on your desk. 

And then a slightly dissimilar one, as he whispered words of questing approval, and then turned you around. Papers went everywhere- so did your laptop, fast to the floor with a quick couple of thrusts that absolutely shook the desk. But it was very worth it. 

The two of you ventured out for coffee after that, and after catching a car back with Happy, the divider rolled up, he pulled you into his lap as the car circled Central Park. And you enjoyed far more than the tinted scenery. Back to the Tower after that, people parting a path as they usually did when they two of you entered side by side. The private elevator was headed up to the penthouse-

At least until he hit the button for it to stop, and gave you one of those arched brows and devilishly handsome grin. And… well… it was his birthday. You just also happened to be in the right mood to keep saying yes, yes yes... as his hand went in to the back of your hair, the other assisting the lift of your thigh as he backed you against the wall. Thank god you’d gone for a flowy dress for the day. A real assist as he hiked it up and took you again. 

You were practically weak-kneed as you finally made it back up to your penthouse, and giggled as he, stronger than you, scooped you up into his arms. A real gentleman, obviously. He came to a stop on the couch, lying you down, crawling atop you, both his hands at the sides of your head as he gazed at you, easing in to brush his nose against yours. More giggles just leaked out of you. Reaching up, you brushed the tips of his fingers along the lines of his jaw, and brought him closer down for a quiet kiss. Only after, “...you’re very insatiable today…” 

“Correction- I’m always insatiable. You’re just always busy.” 

“So are you.”

“So am I.” Agreeing before kissing you again. “But today, we’re not…” 

“Today we’re not.” Agreeing before kissing him again. “Happy birthday. I love you…” 

“Happy birthday to me. I love you more.” He grinned against your lips.

                                               --------------

And it wasn’t too long after that that you two met intimately yet again. And about several times more before the evening was complete.

While Wednesday had been wonderful, it left Thursday in a hazy mess. Your body was tired and worn out, even though in the good sort of way. Meetings passed by you without much of your focus, and your phone was buzzing off the hook with party planning details that you weren’t paying enough attention to. Which led to disaster come Friday night. 

No one was scheduled to check in guests, which had to be rectified immediately. Catering had been late. The DJs had come with the wrong music. It seemed like everything that could go wrong, did. And you immediately knew you had no one to blame but yourself. Tony had wanted a party and you’d practically ruined everything. 

So in your sparkly dress you ran this way and that, up and down the stairs to avoid being in the elevators with guests coming up and down. Took phone call after phone call until you were breathless. Ironing everything out. Shooing off press that managed to sneak in. Making sure after that to get a few more security guards in place. And while the word ruined was buzzing about angrily in your head, when you came back up to the main event floor, everyone seemed to be having a good time. 

Including Tony, who was yucking it up with Rhodey- 

And someone you’d never seen before. 

But as Tony looked up upon your approach, his eyes brightened in that way they always did, and he waved you over. So you tried to smooth out your hair and dress and approach amicably. His arm came around your waist once you were close enough. “Honey, meet Rhodey’s plus-one.” 

Rhodey held a hand up. “I honestly was gonna come alone, but we bumped into each other last week. This is Ren.” Gesturing to a fairly handsome man. Dark blond hair in a sharp cut, striking green eyes. Freckles dappling across his high cheekbones and the bridge of his nose. Smartly dressed in a dark blue tux. 

You reached out to give his hand a shake. “Hi. Nice to meet you. How do you and Rhodey know each other?” 

“We all know each other, actually. From MIT.” There was a soft lilt of some Eastern European accent. You weren’t sure exactly where. And had no time to pretend to care to investigate. Something else struck him about this man, then. And it was the lust leaking off him as he looked at Tony for approval of that statement. 

“Yeah. Good uh… study buddies.” 

Not just that- it was intimately familiar lust. The same kind you felt. 

Ah, well… that was a world away, wasn’t it? Another lifetime ago… 

Still. You couldn’t help but plaster a smile over your face. “Oh. That’s nice. Tony was fourteen, if I remember correctly, when he went to MIT.” Perhaps not being entirely subtle about the intent of your statement here. 

It colored everyone a little embarrassed. Anxious. Ren reached up to nervously shift back his hair. “Yes, quite a genius, our Tony Stark. We didn’t start study-buddying until junior year, I think.”

Tony nodded. “Junior year. Yeah.”

“Oh.” Smiling at him still. “What year were you in?” Saving you from making any more of a mess of this situation, your phone started ringing. And if that was happening now, with everyone you cared about in this room, that meant something else was going awry. You gave a small wave. “Sorry. I have to handle something.” 

You heard Tony push a breath out, and watched him stick his hands in his pockets before you turned and walked away. Why had you done that? What was the point? Maybe you were just that frazzled. Tony’s dating life before you was none of your business- but… come on. Some nineteen-something guy was hitting on a fourteen or fifteen year old? Gross. Disgusting. Nothing to be proud of. 

It took you too long to answer the call, and you saw no voicemail left. But a text came shortly after: 

Last person of the night bailed. Can’t make the delivery :( Can you send someone to come get it? 

Coming from your contact at the bakery just around the corner. Because of course it would. Of course that would happen to you. Looking up, you spied Pepper shyly chatting up some handsome man, and looking the other way, you saw Happy surrounded by a group of Stark employees all actually laughing at a joke he’d told. You could really pick anyone to go get it but… 

After the scene you’d caused, maybe it was better served that you pay your penance and take a walk. Tony seemed re-wrapped up in his little study group, so you excused yourself quietly and went back to the elevator. The bakery wasn’t far, and this cake was a special order. Something small for just you and Tony. His favorite kind with a loving message. Just something for after the party. For the two of you to share and enjoy and laugh over and… 

You barely remembered picking it up. Or rounding the corner as your phone buzzed again. Boxed cake in one hand, you shuffled awkwardly to pull your phone from your purse. Rhodey had texted you. 

Was that too much? Where’d you go? 

You thought to call him but realized he probably wouldn’t be able to hear you above all the noise. But before you could text you heard the telltale click of a camera shutter. So you made a sharp turn to cut between the alleyways between the building. On the other side you could cross the street and just dart into Stark Industries. But a man was following you. Calling your name. Incessantly. 

-and narrating to his tape recorder. “-and now I’m following her as she resists all questioning- hey! Do you have any comments about Christine Everhart’s newest evidence that Stark Industries is misappropriating funds meant for the disaster relief?” 

Was that still a story Christine was pursuing? Worse yet, pursuing now in the form of hiring paparazzi to follow you. It boiled your blood. So much so that you did the stupid thing. You turned. He stopped. And you cast an angry glare up his way. “Excuse me?” 

“Oh- good- hey- I’m just following the leads here- and it seems pretty obvious to me-” 

“Don’t you feel ashamed?” Now was not the time for this. Really. But after everything else… what harm could it do? If it could make your and Tony’s lives just even one percent easier… “Don’t you feel embarrassed? You went to college- I assume- for four years- for investigative journalism- and now you’re chasing tabloid stories? Don’t you just feel mortified?” 

He stared at you blankly for a long few moments before blinking, shaking his head. “God… you’re right… I don’t… I don’t know what I’m doing…” 

You held your hand out. “Give me that tape recorder.” Without thinking, since he was too far under the influence, he did so, and you immediately dropped it to the ground and stomped on it. “Go away now. Go home and think long and hard about your life.” 

You waited. Watching him turn around, mindlessly, and then walk away towards the other end of the alley. Back the way the two of you had came. It wasn’t until he turned and disappeared that you turned- just as the sound of a single pair of hands applauding startled you hard enough to drop the cake- the only reason you’d come out here. 

God damn it. God damn it. God damn every single person. 

Just a few feet away from you on the sidewalk you’d been headed towards, a smartly dressed man was still clapping his hands. The woman he was with was just standing there. Looking at him. That was until he flicked her hand at her. “Go away from me. Leave.” And then. She did. ...just like that. He stuck his hands in his pockets, aiming a very toothy smile your way. He was a little hard to see in the low light. “That’s a very neat trick, isn’t it. Quite the show. I’ve never seen anyone else pull one off like that before.” His accent was assuredly British. Chipper. Upbeat. Excitement was practically dripping off him.

You squared up, sensing only the most obvious of danger, the way he was approaching you. Something was off. “Get out of my way.” 

He stopped, just a bare two feet away from you, eyes watching yours. His large and brown and- “Ah-hah.” His smile grew even wider, and you were unnerved by everything about it. “You’re a babe. A… pup. You don’t know how to use that, do you?” He tipped his head up, smile disappearing underneath a self-questioning look. “Or maybe it doesn’t work- … do we cancel each other out?” Turning to look at you again with an inquisitive tip of his head, a little curl of the tip of his tongue at his teeth before he spoke again. “Come here. Come closer.” 

He hadn’t spoken it differently than he’d said anything else- except he had. And all of a sudden the heavy weight of those words bore down on you. Your feet lifted from underneath you. And control took over. 

Was this how you made people feel…? 

He was smiling again as you stopped right in front of him. “That answers that. ...oh- you’re- I can’t believe this-” Bending in closer to you, he examined your face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you- that makes more sense.” 

“Get away from me. Leave me alone.” No- that wasn’t going to work. So instead you raised your hand- Heart Reactor resting just underneath your jacket. 

But he now knew who you were. “Ah- stop that. Put your hand down.” And again, it was like those words wrapped tight around your wrist. Stopped you. And forced your hand away to your side. “Good pup. You know, I quite like puppies. Moldable.” Reaching out, he shifted back your hair from your shoulder and then touched your face. “Yes, quite like a puppy. With those big wet eyes of yours.”

You inched back, disgust coursing through you. So you threw it at him. “Don’t you feel revolted by your actions? Cornering a woman in an alleyway?” 

His brows lifted then, and he turned his head, hand covering his mouth. He seemed like he might really break if you just forced it a little more, but then his hand shot out, pushing you back against the wall. “That’s it, isn’t it. I mess with heads, you mess with hearts. Isn’t that something? Don’t move.” Silencing your struggles at once. “You’re a very interesting woman. I’d like to get to know you better, if you don’t mind. Say you don’t mind.” 

“I don’t mind.” It ejected out of you whether you wanted it to or not. 

He grinned. “Good pup. This is a good thing. Smile for me. Show me you’re happy we’ve met.” But this command was different. He was asking you to-... be happy. And as your eyes fogged over you saw the words of this order tangle around you and then shatter like glass. Because you would not be told to feel. 

You wouldn’t- you-

You stayed firm. Staring at him with only the most hate you could muster. Just the black pit in your heart. Reserved for this strange man. This strange man who was about to ruin your life. You were sure of it. Free of his control you dropped into the bright space. And saw him standing there atop the water. Unaware. So you ran, hands outstretched. Aiming to wrap them around his throat-

“Interesting.” He seemed truly puzzled, yet delighted. In some twisted way. “Very interesting. But that’s what puppies are good for. Breaking in.” You had to fight this. “Take your cell phone out.” Fight. FIGHT. But you were fighting something you could not see- wires. Puppet strings- something deep inside your veins. A purple wall sprung up between the two of you in that space. And then fell over you, boxing you in- shrinking- growing smaller and smaller and-

And back at the surface you tried to fight, even as he narrowed his eyes at your struggles- and struggle you did- shaking hard as your arm fought back against you. Like his own hand was wrapped around your wrist, forcing your hand into your bag, and bringing it forward. 

“I can’t have people looking for you. You’re a little more high profile than I like… but that’s easily remedied. Men like Tony Stark. They’re weak. And they don’t understand- not like I do. I think we’ll get along perfect. Tell me you agree.” 

Your mouth opened, but you forced it shut, teeth crunching together. Shivering. His hand came underneath your chin just as you’d thrown your head down just to get out of the line of his gaze. 

“Don’t fight me, pup.” That snapped your tethers, and you allowed your chin to be tilted up. “That’s a good puppy.” Patting you on the head. “Now, call Stark. Tell him- oh, I don’t know. Not a breakup- that’s too obvious- but tell him you need time to yourself. That usually works. Can’t have him come looking for you. Make it convincing.” 

The words penetrated your eardrums. Soaked into your brain. But tears started. Because like always, you just weren’t strong enough… and Tony was going to pay the price… 

Shaking, still- still trying to fight, as you pulled up his text chat and pushed through to call. It rang, and rang, and rang, and blissfully he didn’t answer. You thought that might be the end of it. But this man- 

“Leave a voicemail. Like I said, something convincing.” 

Your tears had turned to quiet sobbing. Which probably made it all the more convincing. And once it was over, that man took the phone from your hand and gave you another pat on the head. “There there, pup. It’s all over now. Give me your bag. And that- thingy too-” You let him take the bag off your shoulder, but were able to fully resist an order that made no sense. “Oh I’ll do it myself.” He reached into your jacket, through your dress, and pulled the Heart Reactor off your chest. Then he deposited both into your purse and looked around- 

Spotting a kid walking by the sidewalk, he called out. “Boy- come here.” So the kid did, walking up in a daze. “Drop that outside Stark Industries’ lobbies. If anyone asks what you’re doing, tell them she told you to bring it back for her. You don't know any more than that. Go.” 

Just as the kid turned to leave, you brought your knee up, straight into his gut. And as he keeled over, you slid away from him and tried to bolt. 

“Stop!” And you felt the command weigh your legs down, like you were running in quicksand. Trying to fight it. But that only made it worse. Standing now with your back to him. Still as you heard his footsteps draw closer and closer. Until you felt his fingers in the back of your hair. Squeezing. “You’re a very bad puppy. But that’s alright.” He came around, still holding you. Smiling. “I forgive you. Now come along. Put your arm in mine and let’s go.” 

Just as he held it out, it was like yours was instantly magnetized to his, sliding in. Stepping to his side as the two of you walked off into the night. “You’re going to regret this.” You promised. “I’m going to make you regret this.” 

For a brief moment he faltered. But then after a few seconds he barked a laugh into the air and tugged you. “You’ll have to teach me that. I quite like it. Much more effective. We’ll talk shop, pup. I can teach you a lot, too, you know. Seems like you could use the help. You’ll thank me, when it’s over.” 

I’m sorry, Tony. I’m sorry… I’m sorry… That’s all you ever were. And it had stopped being enough a long time ago.

                                               --------------

The night drew on until the laughter died. Tony had stopped being entertained by the endless parade of guests about an hour ago. It was just inner circle now, and even though couldn’t hold his attention- especially when he realized- 

Where was she? He asked Steve- no idea. Nat- didn’t know. 

Rhodey? 

“I saw her slip out after the whole… thing.” 

She’d left? Over that? Seemed a silly thing to leave over. She hadn’t been that ruffled by it, right? It would have been surprising, to say the lease. But… she had seemed a little more harried than usual… maybe it just wasn’t the right time… 

“I texted her but… she never answered me. Probably mad.” Rhodey shrugged. 

Tony found himself shaking his head. “No-... that’s not like her.” Something about this was wrong. She’d been missing for hours he realized- ...only just now had he realized. He’d been too caught up in self aggrandizing bullshit to notice that she’d left- 

Pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket, he saw one single notification. From her. A voicemail. 

Fury- which, who had even invited him anyway, called out to him, but Tony held out a hand to silence him as he held his phone up. 

“Tony-” The sound of her crying immediately stole the strength from him, so much so that his knees went weak, sending him to a heavy sit on the couch. All eyes directed his way then. His hand was shaking so hard he couldn’t trust to hold the weight of his phone. So he put it on speaker. “Tony I’m sorry. I’m sorry about this… I’m so sorry… I’ve just been thinking and I… I just need some time. To think. To figure things out- I’m sorry… please understand… I- I love you… I do… and I’m sorry. I need you to keep an eye on LUNA for me. While I’m gone.” 

Everyone had gathered. 

Rhodey had a hand over his mouth. “Tones…” 

The phone dropped out of his hand. He was staring off somewhere far into the distance. Steve put a hand on his shoulder from behind. “Tony… she’ll come back.” 

“She was taken.” Someone came and snatched her up. Right off the street. 

Nat sat down across from him. “What do you mean? How could you know that?” 

Fury rounded the table. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.” 

“She was taken.” Someone had taken her off the god damn street. And he’d been boozing and laughing all evening. When even more voices of dissent rained on him, he got to his feet, pacing. “LUNA, what is Ms. INY’s last known location?” 

 I need you to keep an eye on LUNA for me. Good job, honey. However she’d been threatened into making that call, she’d left him a clue. She was so fucking smart. He would get her back. Just hold on for me, honey. Please…

LUNA’s voice lit up the room. “Ms. INY’s belongings are down in the lobby. Last known location before that was across the street.” So. The criminals were not completely inept. They’d made her dump her things. Not destroy. But dump. To try and make it less obvious. 

But it was obvious. 

“Tony, it seems like she dropped her stuff and took off.” 

“That’s not like her, don’t you get it?” Whirling around on this mountain of naysayers. Everything had been fine, hadn’t it…? Nothing had prompted this. They’d been happy just a day ago- ...hadn’t they? “That’s not like her. She wouldn’t just leave. JARVIS get me all surveillance footage from five blocks out.” She’d been across the fucking street when someone had taken her. 

That was a clear cut sign someone was trying to fuck with him. Someone had the guts to take her right across from where they lived- 

“All police records for that area from seven PM this evening to just an hour ago have been erased, sir.” 

All eyes were on him. Finally in his corner. He shouldn’t have had to convince them at all. Didn’t they know her better than that? Bruce touched his arm. “...where should we start?” 

Where to start? Where to start? A good question. Someone with high level authority- or access- had dumped police footage. His list of enemies was way too long- 

Fury took command. “Alright. Listen up Avengers. Someone just came into your house and stole one of your teammates off the god damn street. What are you gonna do about it?” 

Wait for me, honey. Hang in there. I’m coming. 

Tony only knew one answer. “I’m gonna end them.” 

[shadowsof-thenight]

Fictober day 17: Matchmaking

Promptnumber: 10 “Listen, I can’t explain it, you’ll have to trust me.” Fandom: MCU Characters: Sam Wilson x Reader, many other avengers make an appearance. Warnings: some light angst, mostly fluff Words: 2816 Summary: Tony is throwing a halloween themed party and Natasha decided to play matchmaker for her friends.

A/n: before this challenge I had never written anything for Sam, so I can only hope that these quickly written stories do him justice. I do want to write more for him now.

Matchmaking

“Ugh, I can’t believe we’ll miss the party,” Sam whined a little as he stared pout of the window with binoculars.

The two of you had been on surveillance for two weeks now and not much had come of it. Aggravating as it was, this wasn’t new to either one. Every now and again tips simply turned out to be wrong or fake. It was only natural and everyone on the team was used to it. 
However the prospect of missing one of Tony’s extravagant parties, for the sake of such a misdirection, soured the mood considerably.

Sam and you both loved to party, he even more so than you. He loved the way Tony would go all out for these nights and this time the theme was Halloween, since it was held the weekend before. Dressing up always made the entire atmosphere a little lighter. It really was the party of the year. You were bummed, but knew neither one of you would leave the confines of this small apartment until Fury allowed it. That wasn’t likely to happen at this point.

You sighed, not bothering to vocalise your agreement to his statement, he knew already. Instead you leaned your back against the couch, staring at the ceiling and hoping it would suddenly show you something new or different than you had in the past few weeks. You didn’t.

The apartment consisted of two room; an open plan living room and kitchen, although kitchen was perhaps a big word for the small counter and two pitter to cook on. To the side was a small bedroom with adjoining bathroom, which was about as small as the kitchen was. The entire place was very sparsely furnished. A small couch and table in the living room and a simple but rather comfortable bed in the bedroom. The place didn’t leave much room for privacy and it was slowly wearing you down.

Sam was a good roommate, but everyone needed some alone time every now and then. Unfortunately due to the nature of your job, the bedroom door was never closed and the apartment was too small to really retreat anywhere else. The bathroom was the only place of solace and it really wasn’t much.

It also didn’t help that you had caught a glimpse of Sam’s half naked body more than once. Glistening with droplets that remained of his shower. The sight didn’t leave you unaffected and it was getting harder to hide that. By now you were certain that he was catching on to you liking him as more than a friend.

Your phone buzzed, pulling you from your thoughts and you glanced down to see Natasha’s name pop up. Opening the text, you smiled while reading. For all her tough notoriety, she was incredibly sweet. She offered to arrange costumes for the two of you, just in case you managed to make it back in time for the party. With the smile still on your face, you turned the screen towards your teammate, allowing him to read it too, before you answered. He smiled and nodded eagerly, holding out hope that he would get to wear whatever she picked for him.

“Nothing weird or stupid,” he mentioned and you chuckled, knowing that if you put any restrictions on the widow’s help that she would make you regret it. She loved pranks and it would not be in your favour. So you neglected to repeat his message back to her, instead thanking her for the offer and taking her up on it.

“You never know with Nat,” you told Sam honestly, shrugging it off with a chuckle and Sam could only agree with you.

He turned his attention back to the garage you were surveilling, some added spunk to his stature again. You smiled, feeling it too even though there was no inclination that you would get home in time. And all too soon, the glee of hope had left you both, as the monotonous nature of this assignment settled in again. It made the apartment appear even smaller than it already was. The two of you switched places every few hours, catching up on sleep every so often. This wasn’t the first time you worked together and it went quite seamlessly. He really was easy to get along with, even with your crush often making it unnecessarily complicated and at times even awkward.

Sam was usually teamed up with Bucky, if a duo was required, but much to his own despair Bucky was stuck in the hospital wing when this assignment came in. He had been nursing a badly broken leg and though he healed faster than most, the break was complicated enough to require pins to keep it in place. It had angered the soldier greatly. To ease the pain, at least he knew for certain that he would attend the part, you thought to yourself, slightly more bitter than you had intended.

Two more days were spend in a similar fashion before director Fury finally deemed the tip null and void, allowing you to come back to the compound. Elated you packed your bag and left the horrible apartment, practically racing towards the airport where Fury had arranged a plan to meet you. You’d arrive home in the nick of time for the party, mostly likely dead on your feet, but nothing was going to stop you from going.

****

A few hours later you were standing in your bedroom, looking at the outfit splayed on your bed. You had managed a few hours of sleep, before Natasha had come to wake you. A shower had removed the last remnants of sleep and you were excited again. That was until she had shown you your costume and confusion had taken over.

“Who am I supposed to be?” You asked as you assessed the outfit. It was reminiscent of the late twenties, early thirties of the twentieth century and you tried to grasp who it would be, drawing a blank.

“Bonnie…” Natasha hesitantly stated, drawing out the name. You kinked your eyebrow, hoping to prompt her into an explanation. Bonnie who? If she meant Bonnie Parker, you were missing half of a duo. And if she meant any other Bonnie, you didn’t have a clue.

“Listen, I can’t explain it, you’ll have to trust me,” she finally stated and you chuckled, wondering just what she had planned. Still too happy that you had managed to make it back in time, you decided not to fight her over the lack of information. You simply put the outfit on and let her help you with your hair. She managed to create a beautiful up-do that appeared quite glamorous.

“What about you?” You finally asked, glancing at her through the large mirror. She was wearing a read sleek sweater and a long black skirt. Her hair was hidden underneath a black wig.

“Olive” she stated simply and suddenly the look clicked, she really did look the part.

“So does that make Steve Brutus or Popeye?” You joked and she shook her head with a smile.

“Popeye of course, her one true love,” she then countered with a wink.

“Oh barf,” you joked, earning a laugh from your friend. You stood from your seat and smoothed out your skirt before linking your arm through Natasha’s and leaving your room. It was time to party.

Happily chatting the two of you made your wait to the elevators, only to be interrupted by an angrily stomping Bucky. He seemed annoyed with her and as he held up his costume you burst out laughing, understanding his annoyance completely.
 “Nat! What is this?” He asked, holding up an orange spotted pelt, a blue tie and a fake wooden bat.

He glared your way upon your laughter and you tried to keep it in as you looked to Natasha for an explanation. He wasn’t going to accept his costume as readily as you had.

“Fred!” Natasha answered with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes. She was up to something.

“Who the fuck is Fred?” He growled, looking very much like a tantrum throwing toddler. All he was missing was a stomping foot.

“Flintstone, from tv, from the stone-age,” you finally burst out laughing, joined by Natasha.

“Don’t pout, I thought it was a nice fit” Natasha smiled angelically and you laughed loudly as Bucky grumbled and walked away. He had limited choices with the party having already started downstairs. He either refused to wear his costume, which Tony frowned upon, or he sucked it up. Third option, improvising something with his own clothes. Either way he had to decide fast.

“I’ve got a surprise for him, if he puts that on, but I’m not telling him just yet,” Natasha whispered as the soldier had walked back into his room at the end of the hall.

You shook your head with a smile, there was one thing Natasha loved to do more than anything during these parties and that is set people up. You could only wonder who would be dressed as Wilma Flintstone tonight. And while this was funny to imagine, you also knew that a similar fate was probably waiting for you. Stepping into the elevator, it dawned on you that someone down there would be dressed as Clyde and you had no idea who it was.

A few moments later you entered the large room, marvelling at the decorations and looking around to find Pepper and congratulate her on a job well done. The room was decorated in everything and anything halloween themed. There were plastic spiders in sticky webs, pumpkins, witch hats and brooms. The punch had eyeball shaped ice cubes in it and all cocktails had special names, such as witches brew, Carrie’s revenge and screamers. It looked absolutely amazing.

When you finally found Pepper, dressed as a vampire bride, she was surrounded by the waiters who she was giving directions. You waited a moment for her to finish and then stepped forward, telling her how amazing you thought everything was and that it was time for her to relax and enjoy the party she so magnificently put together. Humble as she was, she tried to tell you that it was all Tony, but you both knew that it was merely his idea and that she had given it life. As always, though Tony often helped where he could. They made a good team, balancing each other out, for she would have never thought up some his extravagant ideas.

Dracula Tony finally came to sweep her off her feet and bring her to the dance floor, where they soon caught the eye of everyone with their effortless dancing. They were always a stunning couple, even decked out as bloody vampires, and they looked so happy.

You smiled as you watched them sway to the tunes, accepting the cocktail that Natasha handed you. You couldn’t decipher what was in this witches brew, but it tasted rather good and you were drinking it down as lemonade. It was yet to be seen if this was a good think. It probably wasn’t.

You were standing silently next to your friend, drinking in the room and all the costumes, when you saw something that had you choking on your drink. You slapped Natasha and she smiled sweetly, knowing exactly what you saw. She rubbed your back as you tried to stop coughing. You’d finally found your Clyde. Natasha had made use of your crush, which she had figured out long ago and she had made Sam wear the accompanying costume. Unwittingly making the two of you a pair.

Blood rushed to your cheeks as Morticia Addams handed you a glass of water. You smiled gratefully as you swallowed it down, feeling calmer almost instantly. Wanda always had that effect on you. As you were catching your breath, you saw the meaningful glances shared between the two temporary black haired women and wondered if they had worked together. Upon asking them bluntly, they answered honestly, confirming your suspicions. They had thought it would be a great way to break the proverbial ice between you and Sam.

You silently cursed them, but held it in as Sam was coming your way now. Your coughing fit had probably alerted him to your presence and it wasn’t hard to figure out that you were his match, even if he might not fully understand Natasha’s intentions.

“We match,” Sam said, grasping for your hand and twirling you in place. You smiled, nodding in agreement.

“Care for a dance?” He asked then and despite the want to say yes, you wavered for a moment. Finally you figured you might as well use this moment and accepted him hand, allowing him to lead you to the dance floor where many other people were already dancing. By now the blush on your cheeks was tenacious and you could only hope that he would assume that it meant you were tipsy. There was no hiding it now and you didn’t want to back out of the dance either.

He had one hand carefully splayed on your back and the other was wrapped around your hand as he spun you around the room, moving to the loud beats of the music. Sam was a good dancer, able to lead someone, which came in handy since you were to shaken with your current state to be of much use. All you could do really, was follow his lead. His close proximity was slowly depriving you of all rational thought.

“Why do you think Nat would put us together?” Sam asked, his lips close to your ear and his breath fanning your neck. The blush intensified and spread, reaching well below your neck now. You tried to find a way to answer him honestly, without putting yourself on blast. It wasn’t easy, with the cocktails you had already consumed. Part of you just wanted to tell him that you liked him. However, the fear of rejection held you back.

“She thinks she’s a matchmaker,” you finally said, your voice a little raspy with emotion. His face was still far too close to relax.

You turned your head, to catch your breath, and glanced at the other people on the dance floor. Steve and Nat were wild as they moved around the space, laughing loudly and whispering to one another. You could tell that it wouldn’t be long before they would slip out. They never did manage to reach the end of a party, simply too engrossed in each other. They made a cute couple, a cute and powerful couple that was.

“Is she?” Sam brought your attention back to him. His voice has been soft, sultry and again entirely too close for comfort.

Shocked by the interruption of your thoughts you turned your head back swiftly, your lips suddenly mere inches away from his. Your breath got caught in your throat and you blinked rapidly, glancing from his eyes to his lips repeatedly. Heat was slowly taking a hold your whole body and the blush must now have reached your toes.

“Usually,” you whispered, biting your lower lip as the tension between you build and build. You hoped you had understood his question correctly. Sam didn’t reply immediately, holding you closer still, staring deep into your eyes as he let your words sink in.

“Want to get some air?” His voice matched your tone and volume, rendering you speechless and you could only nod, allowing him to lead you out of the room and down the hall.

The hall greeted you with a deafening silence and a chill in the air as you hastily stepped through it. Though before you got very far, Sam pulled you into an empty office. You felt restless as the door closed behind you and anxious for what would happen. You couldn’t be reading his intentions wrong, could you? Had he brought you here for a kiss?

Your eyes were still trying to adjust to the lack of light in the room when Sam pushed you up against the wall, his hands travelling over your sides and coming to rest on your hips. He pressed himself against you, hovering his lips over yours.

“Are you sure?” He asked, his breathing slightly irregular as he seemingly forced his hands to stay still, gripping you tightly.  

You took a deep breath, smiled and whispered your affirmation, not daring to speak louder as if it would break the spell you were under. Sam returned the smile briefly, before crashing his lips on yours. He pushed up against you and your hands moved over his muscular arms, one hand finally resting on his cheek and the other nestled in his neck, effectively keeping his in place. Not that the situation required that, he wasn’t planning on moving away any time soon.

***

Fictober19 Masterlist

[marvelvsmarvel]

MCU Spider-Man:

Hom3 Series Prediction

“Everyone wants to know who the next Iron Man is...”

A major theme apart from coming of age and friendly neighborhood hero throughout the MCU Spider-Man Homecoming/Far From Home franchise has been answering this question. Homecoming was made out to be an apprenticeship whereas Far From Home depicts a passing of the mantle. In no way is Spidey out to be Iron Man but the public case is definitely made that the world feels the need to fill the whole made at Tony’s loss while at the same time the figureheads of the Avengers are nowhere to be found even by Nick Fury. This brings about a previous prediction of mine that a character like Mysterio that masquerades as a hero may be setting up more of the kinds as the long rumored Thunderbolts MCU debut or something closer to the Spidey-vest like Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers. My prediction almost most certainly now turns to a not only a blend of these two but the much anticipated Sinister Six team up as well.

Norman Osborn: I don’t plan on breaking these groups down for those who don’t know but I do invite you to read up on them but just know that “villains impersonating heroes” is relative. Within the MCU the introduction of Norman Osborn is brewing whereas in all Spider-Man franchises the introduction of the Sinister Six has been boiling! The current would-be roster is Michael Keaton’s Vulture Adrian Toomes, Bokeem Woodbine’s Shocker Herman Schultz, Scorpion Mac Gargon, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio Quentin Beck. Adding Norman makes five with only some other animal themed muscle from the rogues to round off the Six. I’ve long been saying that Norman does not need to be the Green Goblin to pose a great threat and the Dark Avengers is a great example of that while also answering that marquee question of who will be the next Iron Man. The general public suggestively still sees Tony Stark as genius billionaire playboy philanthropist Hero. Norman Osborn may very well be seen as genius billionaire “Loving Father” philanthropist who has just been missing a suit of his own. The idea of Dark Avengers and Thunderbolts just realizes the vision that Mysterio theorized or that Thaddeus Ross had hoped would come of the Accords which is that controlling the likes of the Avengers makes for the worlds greatest armed forces and therefore a world power.

Citizen V: While Daniel Brühl’s Zemo is set to make his MCU return in the Disney+ Falcon and Winter Soldier series I think he’d be more inclined to run a full time Masters of Evil outright. But the character himself was a villain out to gain public trust in the absence of heroes to disguise from his villainous deeds. Adorned with a literal American Flag cape, the Cap vibes were real for the public. In a similar way Norman wore a red white and blue Iron Man or Iron Patriot suit when leading the Dark Avengers. I suggest for the MCU they merely tweak the two taking an Iron Man suit and designing it differently to look like a new hero while still giving off the Iron Man feels. While this is a grand answer to the question and a quick way to power this doesn’t however give a reason why any Sinister Six member would want in. For one is freedom to those like Vulture and Scorpion who currently rest within Seagate Prison. Then Shocker as with Vulture showed that they’d be willing to do a lot of bad in order to make a buck. The whole theme again is realizing Mysterio’s vision but with much more than projectors to back himself up. And then lastly is classical motive of it to gain public trust to hide villainous deeds. A guy like Scorpion with an extensive criminal record and friends on the outside ready to squish the Bug could really use a cover to get more authorities off his back including getting the jump on Spidey’s “Peter Tingle”.

Phase 4: Of course nothing is without yielding to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Sinister Six still technically just sits within the friendly neighborhood that is New York State. As it currently stands even with the presence of Black Panther or Doctor Strange somewhere on Earth an active Avengers roster is not necessarily active. In Endgame we saw that Black Widow was keeping up with that responsibility but with her gone it’s unsure. We know that according to Nick Fury that he has no other options such as Strange who’s unavailable Thor who’s offworld and not to evoke the name of Captain Marvel. It makes sense for Falcon and Winter Soldier and an independent Scarlet Witch to be finding their own footings. Ant-Man and Hawkeye should be home enjoying their families. Rhodey could have assumed Avenger leadership but considering his military and Accords history he would seem more likely to support the armed forces and help to reestablish government. Then there’s everyone’s favorite Hulk. The two do have a rich friendship and a mini science bro scene actually was suppose to be in Endgame. Perhaps he could help to uproot the truth. Or perhaps it’s time to introduce New heroes. Various hints at Young heroes have been rooted throughout the MCU and perhaps it’s time for them to as Nick Fury states “to step up or not.” And then of course there’s a potential Spider-Verse because I mean Team Iron Man, Team Cap, The Revengers, who doesn’t want to see some Web Warriors?! But it is worth stating that in the Thunderbolts comic run it was the Fantastic Four alongside memebers of the Avengers who helped to dethrone these false heroes. Now I’m not suggesting we have another Avengers 2.5 like we did in Captain America Civil War but it is possible. But I think we all agree that we want Spidey vs the Sinister Six with or without a little help from friends.

[the-goddess-of-mischief-writing]

Would you believe me if I told you my story {9}

Chapter summary; You, Clint together with Fury flies to the Avengers tower where the rest of team finally meet your ally.

Pairing: Avengers x reader (will change over time)

Rating: Mature

CHAPTER NO/ONESHOT: Chapter 9/?

Word count; 3.150

Warnings; Not much really, swearing perhaps (may change over time)

Author; @the-goddess-of-mischief-writing

A/N: A few weeks later and the next chapter is here. I promise that you guys will won't need to wait for them as long as now! I have some chapters already written and edited in store. However guys, it's starting to rile up so the story is going to kick off for real ;D

SERIES MASTERLIST

You sat on a bench in the quinjet, trying to prepare to meet the team once again, even though you knew they hadn’t any choice to say no. The feeling that they would go as far as they could to try and refuse it, remained in the back of your mind. You’d only left the facility ten minutes ago and before it, Nick had your cuffs taken off much to Barton’s dismay, although the archer hadn’t much to say about it. It would take just about ten more minutes to get to the tower, which wasn’t enough time for you to collect yourself, neither for the Avengers to do so. Nick had sent out a message not long ago, informing the team that they’d meet up.

You felt like your vision cleared once your thoughts weren’t in such haze anymore and you looked around the jet. You noticed Barton watching you from the other side of the jet, something he always seemed to do, even when he now was in a conversation with Nick. The archer’s eyes swiftly shifted from you back to Nick once your eyes met. You thought they were in a deep conversation but got proved wrong. Barton nodded, either as an excuse or as a final word to their conversation as he began walking towards you.

”Nervous?” His question was flat and you wouldn’t have known if he talked to you if you hadn’t locked eyes with him. Neither did you know why he asked, at least not before you looked down. One of your legs were folded so you partly sat on it, while your other one touched the ground, bouncing slightly.

”No”                            

”Not a good liar”                        

”Who says I do”, your clipped answer came as a reaction to his, but he didn’t continue. You followed his movements as he seated himself opposite you at the other bench. He sat down heavily and crossed his arms, but like everyone you've seen today, he didn’t relax even if his movements inclined he should.

”There’s always something defining when a person is lying or going around the subject”, he answered calmly, shrugging as he did.      

”And what’s mine then?” you asked, raising one of your eyebrows.

”Can’t tell you that, need at least one advantage over you”, he said with a smirk.

”You already have more than one advantage”, you huffed out, something which drew his attention.                      

”And which are those?” He asked as he leaned forward. Before mimicking his movement, you let your leg down from the bench and crossed them instead.

”I need at least one advantage myself Barton”, he only sighed and leaned back, a new line between his brows visible. You knew the team couldn’t have slept much since your visit because when you had left the facility the sun stood high in the sky. But even though he lacked sleep, it seemed that something more occupied his mind. Maybe it was what you’ve just said, but his energy wavered. You couldn’t help to reach out for it and when you did it felt like a weight pushed him down.

”What’s wrong?” Even before you could stop yourself the question came and you bit your lip in irritation. Barton stiffened up, looking intensely at you as you glanced away. You knew what you felt wasn’t something you normally would see with bare eyes and for that part. It was the same thing that alerted you about Banners slipping control and also what calmed him down.

”Can you read minds?” His question made you look up, a laugh escaping you.

”What?”                            

”You should take that as a no”, Nick’s voice answered instead of your own. He didn’t settle down beside either one of you, instead, he had stopped right before the benches started. ”Probably not going to get any clear answer from her until she wants to”, he continued.

”Not until she wants to”, you mimicked his voice lowly before continuing in an even lower grumble ”Like I have a choice”, you look down, your thoughts that been sorted earlier started to fall out of order. However, when you felt Nick shift, you pushed them away looking up at him. A small smile was visible, something which you just glared at him as an answer to, simply because it was Nick’s idea that you should tell them a bit about yourself. Whatever you chose to, as he said, would make them feel that you were on a more even field.

”Although it seems you don’t need to wait any longer. We’re to land”, he informed. He turned around and walked further into the jet once more, looking out of the window in the cockpit. You stood up, your legs numb from sitting in the wrong position, walking the same way Nick had done. You stopped beside him, now seeing what he looked at.

You were practically in the hanger of the tower, which wasn’t very big, at least not the same size that the S.H.I.E.L.D facilities had. It had room for what seemed to be two of their private jets, and enough space so one or maybe even two more could land safely. Switching from looking at the relatively quiet hangar, you studied Hill as she concentrated on taking you down safely. It came as a surprise that she was the one who would be flying you here, but it really wasn’t when you thought it trough. You didn’t want many people to know about you before establishing what you came here for and, finally, it seemed like Nick agreed to the same extent. Hill already knew about you since before and when she now also has seen you, she was the best fit for the job, then it didn’t hurt that she was an experienced pilot.

”Do you know what you’re going to say”, Nicks voice made you glance at him but he still looked out the window.

”More or less”                          

”I suppose you chose less than”, he said, something you nodded to.

”They don’t need to know everything”, you told him, glancing back at Barton who seemed to rest the few minutes he could.          

”For now?” Nick asked drawing your attention back to him. Instead of looking straight forward, he’d now turned his head, looking at you.

”For now”, you confirmed while nodding and as you did the light thud of the quinjets wheels against the ground signalled that you had landed. The engines stopped, the back of the jet opening a few seconds afterwards and the light flooded in. You felt the suns warmth hit your lower calves and you turned around, although a voice stopped you from walking out.

”A quick tip, well-placed words doesn’t do any harm towards them”, Hill said, her chair now turned around as she looked at you. You felt yourself narrow your brows, not knowing exactly what she pointed at. ”Interpret it as you want”, was her only answer to your obvious confusion, you nodded as thanks, not knowing what a good answer would be. After that you turned around, noticing Barton already standing outside the jet and Nick making his way out. You swiftly made your own way out to the two men who exchanged a few words.

”Remember how we said we should play it?” Nicks question was directed towards you as soon as you stopped beside them.          

”Hard to forget, but do they know how they should play it?” Your question was directed towards Barton, who only shrugged and began walking towards the actual entrance of the tower while answering.          

”Depends, you already have seen how most are going to react”      

”So if I act as calmly as I did towards you, then I’m going to be fine? Can’t be too hard”, you said and he snorted out something which resembled a laugh. Although you couldn’t see his face, Nick and you walking a few steps behind, you swore you felt a smirk radiating from him.

”Don’t call it quits yet”

Even though you were fairly sure Nick knew his ways around the tower, Barton continued to lead you to the conference room. You tried to remember the way you went, but after at least 5 turns each to left and right, you gave up. The only detail you got out of the trip was which floor you headed to, 76. You knew that Stark Tower had 92 floors, some accessible with the elevator and others not, something Pepper told you the first visit. The lady of the tower hadn’t been brought up during everything that has happened, something which inclined that she hadn’t spoken to them since. When the news would come to Stark’s attention, and you knew they would, you felt things would get even more difficult.

The sudden stop of the elevator and the sound of the doors opening, made you look up. You hadn’t noticed you crossed your arms, not even that you looked down. Heading out of the elevator, Barton and Nick both walking before you, your gaze lazily drifted around the room, though you would rather just call it a corridor. What could've been a big open room, was instead narrowed down by different offices along the sides. There wasn’t anybody in them, so you had no idea if they only were there for the teams own purposes, like if they wanted to work in a secluded space. The areas surrounding you changed however, from the glass-encased offices to more secluded meeting areas. You weren’t able to see into all of them, only the ones where the doors were ajar. They didn't look much to the world, standard meeting space containing nothing more than a table with chairs around it. Looking forward again you saw Barton glancing over his shoulder.

”I’m not going to run off, so continue to lead the way”, you insisted, feeling that he only watched over you because he actually thought you would bolt for the nearest exit

”Wouldn’t be smart to do since we’re already here”, he answered, slowing down. You looked over his shoulder, not many feet away a door was in the middle of a threshold which connected three corridors. There wasn’t any sign saying it was a reserved room for the Avengers or anything like that, so imagining that the whole team of world mightiest heroes sat inside there was somewhat hard.

”Time to disappear before we go in”, Nick said, which you only smirked too.

”You’re a step behind Nick, I’ve been gone since we exited the jet”, you should’ve chosen your words more wisely, as you just about saw Barton eyes widen and then making the motion of reaching for something.

”Hold on there Hawk I’m still with you, but only with you. The others are the only ones who don’t see me”, you said holding your hands up in surrender after hurriedly explaining what you meant. He looked a bit sceptical but he lowered his arm nevertheless.

”How? Why?” He then asked looking and you only tsk’d at him.

”Same way I did earlier, a bit of diversion and mind games”, to this he seemed to wince a bit, a crease between his brows visible. ”Then why? It was a part of the plan and I don’t trust Stark or his tower”

”I wondered how you would pull that part of the plan of for a second”, was his answer. ”Good idea to not trust him, but you’re going to need to do it eventually”, his answer almost came as a surprise. However, as fast as he said this he moved on. ”Ready to go in then?” He was polite enough to ask, something which most of them not even would’ve done, if they even had agreed to do this in the beginning. So, you were only polite enough to answer him.

”After you”

And after that he opened the door, revealing why this room seemed to be reserved for the Avengers. The table was big, enough fancy chairs around it so the whole team with addition to others could sit comfortably. A big display seemed to hang on the wall. The room wasn’t as spared decorated as the rest. Additional desks, tables and decorations were nicely placed in the room. Moderately small tablets were also laid around on the table, their purpose unknown to you. Although something which wasn’t unbeknownst to you was that the whole team’s attention directed your way.

Barton walked in first, their eyes surprised to see him walk in right before Nick, who’s walking behind you. As the sandy blonde man before you took place in the nearest seat the team’s eyes fell on you, no not me, but the man they knew as the director. You needed to remind yourself of this so your nerves wouldn’t blow the cover.

”Where’s Barnes?” you didn’t know the name so you didn’t really react to it, although when he mentioned a name, you quickly remembered one yourself. Your eyes quickly scanned the room for the Soldier, you pulse raised by just thinking about it, but you should thank the heavens because he wasn’t there. You felt yourself relax just the tiniest bit as you listened to the Captain’s reply.

”He couldn’t be present”                      

”He couldn’t or didn’t want to?” Nick asked the Captain why the person wasn’t there. You still headed for the point in front of the conference table, their gazes followed you, Nick, cautiously.

”Both”, the Captain’s answer came more reluctant, almost as if he was unsure how Nick would react, but he only nodded.              

”Is he going to join us later?” you looked back at Nick, wondering why he was so persistent with his question, but when Romanoff instead of the Captain answered you understood why.  

”No he won’t Fury”, he nodded acknowledging her answer and you needed to restrain yourself for asking out loud who the person was, which you now knew for certain was a man. You felt it was stupid to blow your cover as you now stood before the team, all of their seats turned so watched you.

”So Fury, what is this all about?” Romanoff asked. Although she didn’t show any dead give-aways, however, it seemed that her expression was there to hide another one. Studying the others in the room, you noticed you weren’t the only one nervous about this meeting. Even though some were better to hide it, a few showed it quite well. The Captain bounced his leg slightly, while Maximoff tapped her fingers gently to the table.

”I have a quite important matter to announce to you”, he answered the spy and some tensed up visibly.                      

”And this important matter consists of?” Thor wondered with sheer curiosity, one of very few.

”You’re going to have an addition to the team”, Nick announced, his face serious.

”Not so high up at the priority list right now”, Stark mumble under his breath. Then, even though you didn’t see what she exactly did, Romanoff moved slightly and right after Stark let out an “ow!”. She simply looked at him with a pointed glare, which he answers the same way. The exchanged almost made you chuckle, but you held yourself from doing so, the image at risk of changing for a second, enough for someone to notice.

“You want to leave a comment, Mr Stark?” Fury said with a voice dripping of annoyance, but you hinted a tiny bit of amusement twinkling in his eyes.

Suddenly you felt someone’s eyes on you and you searched for the source, which found a set with colours seeming to shift. From light emerald green, to clear blue. The god’s head was turned so his raven hair fell forward a bit, his body showing attention towards Nick, but his eyes were on you. You knew he was a sorcerer, but not even he should be able to see you right now, how far and great his powers may ever be. Nonetheless, he still looked straight at you, his gaze not wavering as you looked straight back. It felt like he stared you down, knowing very well who Nick talked about would be their new teammate, the one so obviously standing beside him. You felt your pulse going up, your chest vibrating slightly of how fast your heart rate was. You weren’t sure if he really saw you tough, it was only a thing you assumed, but he looked at you with such certainty. You knew you needed to know if he really did, so you took a step to the side watching if his eyes would follow. They didn’t. You let out a breath you didn’t know you held while continuing to look at the god. His eyes locked at the same place, only that a narrow began to spread. It wasn’t big, but enough for you to notice, as well as Nick. He didn’t turn his head, but he glanced quickly to you, probably understanding what made you so tense, later move. You tried to telepathically tell Nick what he should do, but it already looked as if he knew. Just before he began to steer the conversation, somebody spoke up.

”No he doesn’t”, Banner said instead of Stark while looking towards him. This reminded you that the moment you thought you’d been seen only lasted seconds. He then looked forward again, watching Nick carefully as he asked. ”But then, who is the person who’ll join us?” Banner continued with his ask and this was where Nick, and you, wanted the conversation to go. One of his not so unknown smirks began to form as he lifted his hand while saying.

”One you already met”, he finished as his hand landed on your shoulder, to which you made yourself visible.

”And here’s the moment of surprise”, you said.

Taglist: @krystallynx @flowerchild1216 @haven-in-writing​ @ohhhmyloki​ @lancsnerd​ @colie87​