#kingpin!tony

[swan-of-sunrise]

Look Out for the Little Guy!

Summary: Scott Lang's peaceful visit to the Rogers-(Y/L/N) home comes to an abrupt end when (Y/N)'s water breaks and she goes into labor. As Steve's unfortunately-timed absence forces (Y/N) to re-live the traumatic events of their first child's birth, Scott's unwavering support calms her down and reminds her that you should never count out the little guy.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 5.7k

Warnings/Disclaimers: Disclaimer for a brief description of a panic attack and childbirth (nothing graphic)

A/N: Hi guys! I'm back with another one-shot, this time centering around Natalia Austen Rogers-(Y/L/N)'s birth and how awesome Scott Lang is lol I decided that Booksmart and Co. wouldn't quite fit into Quantumania, but our world-renowned historical-fiction author and part-time Avenger would seamlessly fit into the writing of Scott's memoir! Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoy!

Look Out for the Little Guy! July 2025 The Home of Steve Rogers and (Y/N) (Y/L/N), Brooklyn (Superhero Snapshots Masterlist)

“Aaaaand cut!” Scott exclaimed, clicking the ‘end recording’ button on his laptop screen and fist-pumping the air in triumph. “That’s how you do a book interview! Don’t tell anyone else, but you’re hands-down my favorite interviewee; seriously, you’re an amazing storyteller and you’ve given me enough material for at least three more books!”

(Y/N) chuckled bashfully at the older man’s enthusiastic praise, taking a sip of her coconut water and setting the glass down on the dining room table before folding her hands on her nine-month pregnant belly. “What can I say? You asked some very insightful questions for a first-time interviewer and as eager as I am to meet this little gumball, I’ve been dying to talk about something that’s not baby-related for once.”

(Y/N)’s second pregnancy was nearing its conclusion, much to her overwhelming relief. The third trimester had been plagued by insomnia, leg cramps, unending cravings and irregular mood swings, a far cry from her fairly easygoing pregnancy with Carina, and she was more than ready to finally give birth. When her due date of July 1st came and went without so much as a Braxton-Hicks contraction, she was on the brink of a hormone-induced meltdown that had narrowly been averted by a call from a blissfully unaware Scott Lang; the engineer was in New York accompanying Hope on business and was wondering if she was available to be interviewed for his memoir, and she immediately agreed. Scott’s interview was a welcome distraction from her swollen ankles and aching back, and she found herself enjoying her friend’s unorthodox but effective interviewing style the longer the day went on; she opened up about the unspoken struggles she’d faced throughout her time as an Avenger and the friends she’d lost along the way, but he’d also gotten her to talk about more lighthearted subjects like her love of music and her scrap-booking hobby. All in all, a very relaxing day, she thought to herself with another smile.

“That’s how Maggie was towards the end of her pregnancy; anything VistaCorp-related usually bored her out of her mind but around the middle of her third trimester, she’d practically beg me to talk about work just so she could get a break from all the baby preparations.” After tucking his laptop into his backpack, Scott sat back in his chair and took a swig of his Gatorade. “Are you guys doing anything special for dinner?”

“Steve’s picking up Indian food on the way home from the park; butter chicken and basmati rice for him and Cari, and Palak paneer with extra green chilies for me.”

Scott arched a brow at that. “Coconut water, spicy food…you two must be going through Google’s top recommendations for inducing labor. What’s next, pineapple cores, a long walk around the block and…?” His nose wrinkled and he rapidly shook his head. “Y’know what, never mind, I don’t wanna think about you and Steve like that.”

“Don’t worry, we’re only trying the coconut water and spicy food.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes in affectionate exasperation and started to stand, prompting him to jump out of his seat and help her to her feet. “Thank you, Scott. I just wanted to stretch my-” A pained gasp escaped her as she straightened her posture, one hand flying to the small of her back while the other clutched her protruding stomach.

“What is it?” Scott asked, a panicked expression on his face as he leaned down to meet her gaze. “Is the baby coming?!”

“No, I think…I think my back’s just a little sore from sitting for so long. Mm-hmm, that’s what it is.” (Y/N) attempted to reassure her friend with a smile that more closely resembled a grimace. “On an entirely unrelated note, I think I’ll give Steve a call and see if he’s on his way home yet.”

But just as (Y/N) was reaching for her cell phone resting on the antique sideboard, she felt a sudden release of liquid soak the legs of her jeans and watched Scott’s eyes widen in shock. “(Y/N), i-is that what I think it is?” She nodded mutely, momentarily unable to speak, and he ran a frazzled hand through his hair. “Oh man.”

With the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears, (Y/N) snatched up her cell phone and shakily dialed Steve’s number, holding her clammy forehead with her free hand and taking a steadying breath as she waited for him to answer. “Hey sunshine, we were just about to head over to Tikka; Palak paneer with extra green chilies, right?” She opened her mouth to reply but was unable to. “(Y/N)? (Y/N), what’s wrong? Baby, talk to me, what’s wrong? (Y/N)!”

(Y/N) was vaguely aware of Scott taking her cell phone from her and gently easing her down onto a dining room chair, her breath coming out in ragged puffs as he switched on the speaker function. “Her water just broke, Steve, and I think she might be going into shock.”

Steve’s breath hitched in shock but a moment later, his soldier’s training kicked into full gear. “Everything’s gonna be okay, (Y/N), okay? I’ll call Dr. Prince and drop Cari and Indy off at Bucky’s, just like we planned, and then I’ll get to you as fast as I-”

But (Y/N) couldn’t hear her husband’s reassurances or feel her friend’s comforting touch, not through the painful memories of Carina’s birth flooding into her mind. Seven years ago, while Steve and the others were still on the run, an unfortunate encounter with one of Stephen Strange’s mystical artifacts transported her to Sakaar, a dangerous planet ruled by a megalomaniac named the Grandmaster; she’d reluctantly entered into a partnership with Loki – who’d crash-landed on the trash planet after being thrown from the Bifrost by his adoptive sister Hela – and agreed to pose as his wife in exchange for safe passage back to Earth. Unfortunately, her water broke on their first night in the Grandmaster’s palace and with Loki acting as her midwife, she delivered Carina Lorraine Rogers-(Y/L/N). After all the trauma she’d endured over the years and the losses she’d suffered, it was frankly a little shocking that Carina’s birth affected (Y/N) as much as it did. She thought she’d processed the distressing experience of giving birth in an unfamiliar place without Steve there to support her, but having her water break while he was away instantly brought her back to that terrible, frightening day.

A warm hand enveloped hers and pressed it flat against a sturdy chest. “(Y/N)? C’mon, (Y/N), take a deep breath for me, like this…” The chest expanded and contracted in a slow and steady rhythm. “Okay, now you try.” With great effort, she sucked in a deep breath and exhaled and she felt the hand give hers an encouraging pat. “You’re doing great! Let’s take a couple of more breaths together, c’mon.” They breathed in steady tandem and after a short while, she could feel her heartbeat slow to a resting pulse. While her breathing evened out, her vision cleared and she found herself meeting Scott’s reassuring gaze; her friend was kneeling on the ground in front of her, holding her hand flat against his chest and smiling kindly, clearly setting aside his own anxiety to ease her through her sudden panic attack. “How’re you feeling now, (Y/N)?”

“A-A little better…” Accepting the glass of coconut water he offered her, (Y/N) took a timid sip and smiled feebly. “Thank you, Scott.” The older man merely patted her hand and moved to stand as she turned her attention to her cell phone sitting on the kitchen table. “Steve?”

“I’m still here, sunshine, I’m right here,” Steve quickly assured her. “Scott’s gonna drive you to the hospital now, and I’ll be there with you before you know it. Is that okay, baby?”

Tears prickled in (Y/N)’s eyes before she furiously blinked them away and nodded. “Yes, of course, it’s just the thought of you not…not being there, it…” Her voice trembled and her grip tightened on her glass of coconut water. “I-I can’t do this without you, Steve. Not again.”

“You won’t have to, (Y/N), I promise. This won’t be like last time. There’s nothing in heaven or hell that’ll stop me from being there for you and our little Talia, you hear me? We’re gonna do this together, sunshine, and once I get there, I won’t let go of your hand for a single moment; hell, you can break every one of my fingers and I still won’t let go.”

The conviction in her husband’s voice brought on a fresh wave of tears, but she felt herself begin to calm down and even managed a weak chuckle. “I’ll have to remember that when it’s time to begin pushing.”

“There she is. I’ve gotta hang up now and give Dr. Prince a call but before I do, someone wants to wish you luck.”

There was rustling on the other line before Carina’s exuberant voice filled the silence. “Good luck, Mama!”

(Y/N) beamed. “Aw, thank you, lemon drop! Be a good girl for your Uncle Bucky, all right?” The toddler babbled out an indistinguishable reply that caused her to giggle while Steve regained control of his cell phone. “Well, I tried.”

“Bucky’ll be fine; all he’s gotta do is feed her some Dino Nuggets and put on Fantasia and she’ll be out like a light.” Steve chuckled before sobering once again. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, baby. I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” (Y/N) ended the call and released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her anxiety ebbed by her husband’s soothing reassurances; this isn’t like Sakaar, she told herself as she finished off her coconut water, Steve’s going to be right there with you this time. Spotting Scott’s backpack hanging off one of the dining room chairs, she realized he’d left the room sometime during her call and her brow furrowed as she glanced around to see where he’d gone. “…Scott?”

“Yep, I’m right here!” After a moment, Scott re-entered the dining room with a packed hospital tote and her handbag slung over his shoulder; he was clutching a bundle of clothes in his hands and upon further inspection, she realized that it was a pair of maternity leggings, underwear and a sanitary pad. “When Maggie’s water broke, she was pretty stubborn about changing her clothes before heading to the hospital. I tried telling her that the nurses wouldn’t care about a little amniotic fluid and she…well, let’s just say that I was extremely lucky not to have ended up at the bottom of the San Francisco Bay that day. But what can I say? I was young and pretty dumb back then.”

Smiling, (Y/N) carefully stood and accepted the bundle. “Well, I’m glad that your ex-wife resisted the urge to kill you. Thank you, Scott, for all of this, and I’m so sorry if this ruins yours and Hope’s evening.”

“Nah, we were just gonna break out the suits and go have a beer at the top of the Empire State Building.” Scott shrugged good-naturedly. “This is way more exciting than that!”

Sometimes I forget just how strange my life is, (Y/N) thought to herself with an inward chuckle, giving Scott a chaste kiss on the cheek and heading to the guest bathroom to change while he mopped up the puddle on the floor, the God of Mischief helped me deliver Carina and now Ant-Man is escorting me to the hospital. She was adjusting her legging’s elastic waistband and imagining Captain Marvel accompanying her to the pediatrician when she felt her first true contraction, the sudden pain wiping the smile off her face and causing her anxiety to return in full-force.

“I know, gumball, I know you’re very eager to make your appearance and we can’t wait to finally meet you…” (Y/N) cradled her swollen stomach and smoothed a hand over its swell. “But I’d really appreciate it if you can wait until your Daddy’s there with us. Please, for me?”

There was a series of knocks on the bathroom door and Scott’s muffled voice calling out, “You ready for this, (Y/N)?”

She gave herself a moment to compose herself and took another deep breath before opening the door and giving her friend an overly-cheerful smile. “Not at all! What about you?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely! Yeah, I’m totally not internally freaking out and imagining getting stuck in traffic and having to deliver a baby in the backseat of my rental car.” Scott’s teasing grin faltered under the weight of her unimpressed stare. “Oh man, you’re not gonna kill me and dump me in the Hudson River, are you?”

“Of course not, Scott, don’t be silly,” (Y/N) smirked despite herself and patted his chest as she brushed past him. “The East River’s much more convenient.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over an hour later, (Y/N) was fully checked in at NYU Langone and had been assigned a room in the L&D wing; the friendly and thoughtful nurses who filed in and out of her room were a far cry from the Grandmaster’s stoic personal healers, and the typically unpleasant beeps of medical machinery and the sterile smell helped set her mind at ease. She was in the earliest stages of labor – only two centimeters dilated and experiencing the occasional contraction – but because her water had already broken, Doctor Prince recommended that she stay at the hospital and wait for active labor to begin; Scott stayed by her side the entire time, allowing her to squeeze his hand whenever a contraction crept up on her and talking her ear off to distract her from Steve’s noticeable absence.

“Yeah, my publisher says that the title of my book needs to have ‘pizzazz.’ Who even says ‘pizzazz’ anymore?”

(Y/N) chuckled and slipped another ice chip into her mouth. “You think your publisher’s bad? Every time I start writing a book, Greg tells me that any title I come up with needed to have a certain ‘je ne ce quoi’ to it and he always insists on using an obnoxiously exaggerated and borderline offensive French accent.”

Scott laughed. “No, really?”

“Yep, he goes full Inspector Clouseau. I’d ruthlessly mock him for it, but I’m pretty terrible at coming up with book titles and he always helps me workshop good ones-” The tell-tale cramping sensation of a contraction caused her to grip Scott’s hand tightly and squeeze her eyes shut as she forced herself to breathe through the pain. “Holy shit, that was a strong one! When did they say they were going to give me the epidural?”

Her friend glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall. “In about an hour; they said they wanted to wait until you’re at about five centimeters.” She nodded wordlessly, her gaze fixed onto the clock as her palms began to sweat in nervousness; her thoughts were beginning to spiral again and she couldn’t stop herself from imagining one horrible possibility after another. What if Steve had gotten into a car accident? What if Kingpin finally discovered the part they played in helping Clint and Kate against the Tracksuit Mafia? What if another alien invasion was happening right outside and she wasn’t there to help him? What if-? “Hey, did I tell you that Cassie started an underground fight club at her high school?”

“What?” (Y/N)’s head whirled around to look at Scott and the impish grin on face caused her to burst into embarrassed laughter. “You’re having a lot of fun keeping me out of my own head, aren’t you?”

“Of course! I’m the master of misdirection, remember?” He pulled a deck of playing cards out of his jacket pocket and brandished them. “But I think I’ll save the slight-of-hand magic for when things really start to heat up.”

“Well, that’s something to look forward to…” Grimacing in discomfort, (Y/N) reached for her hospital bed’s remote and adjusted its position; she breathed a sigh of relief when her back pains lessened but frowned when she noticed the contemplative expression on Scott’s face. “Did you come up with another book title already?”

Her friend shook his head. “No, I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that Loki – you know, that scary-hot war criminal who almost ruined the Time Heist – that he was the one who helped you out during Carina’s birth.” A regretful look crossed his features as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up-”

“It’s okay, Scott, really,” (Y/N) quickly reassured him with the briefest of smiles. “Right now, it’s kind of hard not to think about that day. Nat told you all about my little unwanted vacation to Sakaar, right?”

“Yeah, she said you accidentally touched a magic bowl in Doctor Strange’s house while you were there with Thor and Loki looking for their dad, and they got trapped there after falling off that Rainbow Bridge. I told her that it sounded like a bad round of Mad Libs and she just gave me that scary silent death glare of hers.” Scott shuddered at the memory. “Yeah, not my funniest joke. She told me that you and Loki agreed to work together to find a way home, but that you went into labor before you could and Loki helped you deliver Carina.”

(Y/N) set her empty cup aside to cradle her bump, taking comfort in her baby girl’s restless movements. “It’s a gross oversimplification of what happened, but pretty spot-on. Loki was there for me, and he made sure that I wouldn’t give birth frightened and alone in a strange place; Carina and I owe him our lives, and I wish that the rest of the world had gotten to know him the way we did before he…” She swallowed thickly and set her mouth in a firm line to keep from tearing up. “Anyway, from the moment I found out I was expecting this little gumball, a part of me’s been afraid that Steve…that he wouldn’t be here with me again. That’s pretty stupid, huh?”

“C’mon, (Y/N), your feelings aren’t stupid. You and I know better than anyone that it takes time for trauma to heal.” The uncharacteristically subdued expression that crossed Scott’s features and caused her to frown in concern. “Just when my life was finally getting back on track, I got trapped in the Quantum Realm for five years; it was only five hours to me but when I got out, Cassie was suddenly a teenager and half the world was just…gone. And yeah, I was terrified out of my mind, even after I tracked you guys down and we started planning the Time Heist. We brought everyone back and saved the world in the end, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve spent the past couple of years afraid it’s all gonna go away again.”

(Y/N)’s heart clenched in sympathy at the older man’s honesty. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”

Shaking his head, Scott rubbed his free hand soothingly along her forearm. “It’s not something I really talk about, so how could you know? Besides, it’s been easier to handle ever since I started writing my book; I think it’s really helped me put my post-prison life into perspective, and it’s even given me an opportunity to reconnect with Cassie.”

“I’m happy for you, Scott.” She managed a smile before looking out the room’s window at the dusk slowly beginning to settle across Manhattan’s skyline. “I just wish I’d found a way to manage my own fear, too.”

“You know what? I think you’re gonna get over it sooner than you realize.”

“What do you-?” (Y/N) turned her head in time to see the door swing open and Steve burst into the room; his clothes were disheveled and his brow was glistening with sweat as he panted with exertion but in that moment, he was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. “Steve!”

Steve was at her bedside in a flash, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight as she buried her face in his neck and clung to him. “I’m here, sunshine, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” He suddenly pulled back, a panicked look filling his azure eyes while he took in her appearance. “I didn’t miss anything, did I?”

“No, sweetheart, I’m only two centimeters dilated and they haven’t even given me an epidural yet,” (Y/N) patiently explained and the tension in Steve’s posture relaxed; her husband’s presence instantly put her at ease, an almost giddy grin breaking out across her face as he pressed tender kisses onto her sweaty forehead. “All you missed was filling out some boring paperwork and a nurse asking me for my autograph mid-contraction.”

Chuckling, Steve brushed her hair behind her ears and slipped his hand into hers. “I’m sorry I missed that. I would’ve been here sooner but after I dropped Cari and Indy off at Bucky’s, I got stuck in traffic driving out of Red Hook; I think they’re might’ve been some police activity down at the docks again but whatever the hell it was, it must’ve knocked out the cell towers.”

Scott pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hummed in surprise. “Yeah, you’re right. I was beginning to wonder why I hadn’t heard anything from Hope…” They exchanged a knowing look as (Y/N)’s grip on Steve’s hand subconsciously tightened. A month earlier, they’d gotten word from Kate Bishop that someone blew up Wilson Fisk’s entire armory in Red Hook and since then, they’d both been paying careful attention to the crime boss and his operation’s activities in Brooklyn; it was widely known that Kingpin was a vengeful and volatile man, so it was easy to surmise how he’d react if he learned that they’d had a hand in thwarting his attack on Christmas Eve. There’s always a chance he might not retaliate against someone as famous as an Avenger, (Y/N) thought to herself, trying her hardest not to think about the well-known journalist he’d allegedly murdered. “I should probably head back to the hotel so she won’t worry.”

“Of course.” When their friend got to his feet, Steve reached across the bed and shook his hand. “Thank you, Scott, for looking after (Y/N) and Talia. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“Hey, you risked literally everything to help me get Hope, Hank and Janet back; I’d say we’re pretty even.” Scott smile widened as he turned his attention to (Y/N) and held his fist out for her to bump. “You’re gonna knock this out of the park, (Y/N)!”

(Y/N) tapped her knuckles against his and beamed up at him. “Hell yeah, I am. Thank you for everything, and tell Hope that I said hi!” After saying his goodbyes, Scott grinned and backed out of the room with an encouraging double thumbs-up, and (Y/N) looked at her frazzled husband with playful suspicion. “You didn’t ditch my baby in the street and run all the way here, did you?”

“Nope, I parked your baby in the first open spot I found in the hospital’s parking garage and then I ran. And thanks to that episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air we watched the other week, I took the stairs so that I wouldn’t wind up trapped in the elevator while you were in labor.” Steve pulled up a chair and made himself comfortable, that familiar spark of fire she’d fallen in love with flickered in his azure eyes as he gripped her hand in his. “Are you ready to meet our little girl?”

Overwhelmed by a surge of pure adoration for the man sitting at her bedside, (Y/N) cupped his cheek and smiled when he leaned into her touch. “I’m ready for anything, sweetheart, so long as you’re by my side.” The corner of Steve’s lips curved upwards into a loving smile at that; just as he moved in for a kiss, a sudden contraction caused her to squeeze her eyes shut, pain rippling throughout her entire body. “Sonofabitch!”

“It’s okay, baby, just keep breathing. Nice and easy, like we practiced together in our Lamaze class,” Steve soothed, copying her breath pattern and guiding her through the discomfort. “You’re doing fantastic, (Y/N), just like that.”

After the contraction finally ebbed away, (Y/N) sighed in relief and opened her eyes to meet Steve’s distressed gaze. “I swear to God, the next time a nurse steps foot in this room they’d better be here with my epidural.” Her irritation shifted to concern as she took in his pained features, and it wasn’t until his eyes flicked down that she realized her hand was still crushing his in an iron grip. “I’m so sorry, Steve! Are you all right?!”

Steve’s fingers threaded around hers and prevented her from drawing her hand away from his while an impish grin began to spread across his face. “I can do this all day.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the early morning of Independence Day, Natalia Austen Rogers-(Y/L/N) made her much-anticipated arrival. Throughout the entirety of (Y/N)’s labor, Steve was her pillar of strength; he fetched her cups of ice chips, massaged her calves whenever they began to cramp, offered her a steady stream of encouragements and allowed her to squeeze his hand during each and every contraction. Steve’s unwavering support throughout (Y/N)’s labor continued when it finally came time to push, his clear soldier’s cadence laced with reverence as he relayed the doctor’s orders to her and wiped the sweat from her brow; there were tears of joy in their eyes when Doctor Prince held up the squirming newborn for them to see and while (Y/N) tiredly held her against her chest, a proud Steve cut her umbilical cord and tucked a blanket around her tiny body, the trio savoring their moment of peace as a family.

Natalia, much like her illustrious namesake, was a calm and observant baby. Unlike Carina, she entered the world quietly and without any fuss, curiously studying her surroundings with wide (Y/E/C) eyes; while she possessed the same hair and eye color as her mother and sister, her facial features heavily favored her father, right down to her plump bottom lip and the dimple on her left cheek. After the doctor and nurses left the room, the newborn napped contently against Steve’s bare chest and (Y/N) watched the heart-warming sight for as long as she could before her own exhaustion overtook her. She slept until Natalia’s first feeding and after their daughter’s hunger was satiated, it was time to notify one of their closest friends of their very special delivery.

“She’s beautiful, Booksmart, just like her Mama,” Sam cooed, beaming on the other side of the FaceTime at Natalia, who stared in wonderment at the image displayed on her father’s cell phone. “She’s got her Daddy’s dimples, though.” He tore his eyes away from his goddaughter to shoot Steve a grin. “One helluva birthday present, huh, Steve?”

“The best present I could ever ask for.” Steve smiled proudly and pressed a kiss onto (Y/N)’s cheek. “But (Y/N) was the one who did all the hard work; seeing her go through what she did last night was truly a life-changing experience.”

(Y/N) smiled. “You were everything I needed and more, sweetheart. We did it together, just like we said we would.”

They both leaned in for a kiss but a sudden whimper from Natalia caused (Y/N) to readjust her hold on the newborn and murmur gentle assurances as she wriggled around. “You’d better get used to that, honey-bun; your parents are so lovey-dovey they put 90’s rom-coms to shame.”

“For a guy who shamelessly takes credit for our entire relationship’s existence, Birdbrain, you sure do complain about it a lot.” With a head-shake and a good-natured roll of her eyes, (Y/N) adjusted Natalia’s cotton hat and allowed her tiny hand to clutch her finger. “How’s Buenos Aires?”

“Hot as hell, but gorgeous. Our mission last night went off without a hitch and Joaquin and I are scheduled to leave late tonight, so I’ll be there around this time tomorrow to meet my new goddaughter. Speaking of which, has the cutie-pie met her little sister yet?”

“Not yet, we’re gonna wait to introduce Cari to Talia until we come home tomorrow, where it’s more private.” Steve’s tone remained light, but there was a tense edge to his words. They trusted the discretion of the medical staff at NYU Langone but knew that the longer they stayed at the hospital, the higher the chance that the paparazzi would catch wind that a famous Avenger had just given birth and descend upon the hospital in a desperate attempt to photograph the family; and if that’s what they’ll do for a photograph of my daughters I can only imagine what they’ll do if they ever realized who their father really is, (Y/N) thought to herself as she exchanged a look with her best friend and pursed her lips. “Bucky promised to make lasagna for dinner so try not to be late, Cap.”

Sam perked up at that. “Bucky Barnes’ world-famous lasagna and my best friends’ cute little baby? I wouldn’t miss it for the world, man! I’ve gotta go and make sure Joaquin’s up and at ‘em; we’ve got a mission debrief scheduled at noon and that kid had the bright idea of doin’ tequila shots last night…”

They said their goodbyes – with Sam promising to bring souvenirs home for (Y/N) and their daughters and a celebratory cigar for Steve, and (Y/N) shooting her best friend a hardened glare – and once they ended the call, Steve set his cell phone onto the bedside table and held his hands out. “Ready for a break?”

“Yes, please.” (Y/N) pressed a kiss onto Natalia’s forehead before carefully placing her into Steve’s waiting arms; she relaxed against the pillows and took in the sight of Steve quietly telling their daughter all about her godfather, her smile brightening when his gaze met hers and she saw the unconditional love shining brightly in his azure eyes.

Before either of them could speak, there was a knock on the hospital room’s door and a moment later, Scott popped his head around the door and he gave them a little wave. “Hey guys! The nurse at the front desk said you’re accepting visitors?”

“Of course, come in…” (Y/N)’s eyes widened as she watched the older man carry an enormous vase of sunflowers, a stuffed teddy bear dressed as Uncle Sam and an insulated lunch bag into the room and nudge the door closed behind him. “Oh, Scott, you shouldn’t have!”

“Why not? After all, it’s not every day my awesome superhero friends have a baby! Oh, Hope’s attending a seminar right now, but she wanted me to tell you that she’ll stop by for a visit this afternoon.” Scott breezily spoke, setting the vase and the patriotic teddy bear down on the window’s ledge and offering the lunch bag to (Y/N). “I’m sure the food’s tasty at a swanky hospital like this one, but I figured you guys would appreciate some lunch from Tikka Indian Grill, seeing as you missed out on it last night.”

(Y/N)’s stomach started to rumble as she eagerly unzipped the bag, flipping open its lid and groaning in delight when the mouthwatering aroma hit her nose. “You, Scott Lang, are my favorite superhero.” She withdrew the take-out boxes with one hand and pointed a stern finger at her husband with the other. “Do not tell Sam I just said that, capiche?”

“Capiche, but given the unique circumstances I think he’ll understand,” Steve chuckled, shooting her a fond smile before glancing over at Scott. “Thank you, Scott. Would you like to meet Talia?”

Scott enthusiastically nodded and practically leapt across the room to sanitize his hands; after rubbing a liberal amount of hand sanitizer into his skin, he sat in the hospital room’s armchair and allowed Steve to carefully ease the newborn into his waiting arms. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalia! My name is Scott, but most people just call me Ant-Man. You’re stinking cute, you know that? You’ve got your mom’s hair and eyes and…aw, you’ve got your dad’s dimples! Yep, those are definitely America’s dimples.” (Y/N) and Steve exchanged matching looks of amusement as he settled down onto the bed beside her. “You know what’s kinda weird? You were born on the Fourth of July and share a birthday with your dad, who was formerly Captain America, your Uncle Sam – you know, like Uncle Sam – is our new Captain America, and your mom writes historical-fiction novels centering around American history.” Scott, whose eyes had widened in manic realization while he spoke, looked up at the pair and huffed out a disbelieving laugh. “That’s all gotta be a crazy coincidence, right?”

Steve slung an arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders as an unbothered smile played on his lips. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my hundred and seven years, Scott, it’s that there’s no such thing as a coincidence.”

“I’ll second that,” (Y/N) interjected, giving her husband a chaste kiss and resting her head in the crook of his neck. “It’s kind of hard to keep believing in coincidences after you do things like befriend gods, sorcerers and witches and help break the causal structure of our spacetime to achieve time travel.”

“Huh.” The older man blinked away his uneasiness and smiled down at Natalia. “As you can see, the world’s a very strange place, my little Lady Liberty, but you don’t have anything to worry about. Your parents are awesome, butt-kicking superheroes and you’ve got so many honorary super-powered aunts and uncles out there who’ll help ‘em look out for you. Me, I’m just a little guy who uses a suit to shrink and grow, but you know what they say: you should always look out for the little guy.”

(Y/N), who’d been lulled into a sense of tranquility by the warmth of Steve’s embrace and Scott’s sweet words, blinked her eyes open and looked over at their friend and smiled to herself. “You know what, Scott? I think you might’ve just found the perfect title for your book.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Scott's the best, isn't he? Much like how Bruce is dubbed The Strongest Avenger in Thor: Ragnarok, I hereby dub Scott Lang as The Nicest Avenger lol thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ziGMhEsAw833GQ9eV44nR?si=6dfead09c76848d5 

Stumblin’ In Book VII: “Superhero Snapshots” Masterlist 

Superhero Snapshots: "Hawkeye" Masterlist

Tagging: @mrs-obrien @lahoete @awkward117 @fanficfandomlove @momc95 @savedbystyle @awkwardnesshabitat @marinettepotterandplagg @benakenalove @brooke0297 @hufflepeople @outoftheregular @junipermurdock @mads-weasley @username23345 @crist1216 @capswife @lilmschild @crowleysqueenofhell @mary1raven @groovy-lady @ljej95 @toostrangerkid @prettysbliss

[notclauderains]

Just saw the finale episode of Daredevil: Born Again so I thought I'ld share my thoughts on the whole first season.

Spoilers by the way.

First of all the Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio were fantastic as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, two of the best performances in the entire MCU in my opinion. Everyone loves Matt (for good reason) but Fisk has always been my favourite. He is one of my favourite MCU villains and the writing for him is always great.

The scenes with Frank are great. In particular the scene between him and Matt in episode 4 is one of the best scenes in the whole show.

I liked the stuff with White Tiger. R.I.P. Kamar de los Reyes, you did a great job.

I liked Muse, he was good villain. Kinda reminds me of the serial killers in the Hannibal tv show (that's a compliment btw that show is great). I wished he wasn't killed off after two episodes, would've liked to see more of him.

I liked the Pointdexter scenes. Everytime he appeared I was thinking 'oh fuck' especially during and after his breakout in episode 8. Also the use of blue and red lighting in episode 8 is so good.

I liked Vanessa. She felt more like her own character and had more to do compared to the original Daredevil show (granted I last watched Daredevil about 3 months ago so maybe I'm misremembering)

Didn't expect Tony Dalton to show up in this but I'm glad he did. He was great in the Hawkeye show and he's great in this. Hopefully he'll reappear in season 2.

Buck was alright, though I do wish we had James Wesley instead. This is not a fault of Born Again, I just wished they didn't kill him off in Daredevil season 1. I liked Daniel, he had some good scenes. I liked BB as well. Didn't really care for any of the other new characters though tbh.

The bank episode was fun, I liked seeing Yusaf Khan. I want to see Matt have dinner with the Khans now. Also Matt whistling while walking into the bank during an armed robbery is so fucking funny.

The fight scenes and choreography was great. When Fisk killed the commissioner I audibly said "Holy shit! What the fuck?!". It's so brutal and gory, I kinda love it.

It was sad that they killed Foggy but thankfully it didn't feel like an unnecessary kill. Everything surrounding Matt and everything he does in some way has to do with his death.

Anyway I really really liked this. It is my favourite Disney+ Marvel show (though Loki is a close second) and I cannot wait for season 2.

[internetgreatesthits]

[nerds-yearbook]

The first issue of the third volume of Ghost Rider was published with a cover date of May 1990. The issue introduced the new Ghost Rider Danny Ketch, along with Barbara Ketch, Stacy Dolan, Mrs. Ketch, Captain Dolan, Deathwatch, Tony, Vic, Chapman, Carl, Cypress Pool Jokers (Paulie, Ralphie, JD and Johnny), Jimmy, and Kenji. They were created by Howard Mackie and Javier Saltares. This was the return of the Ghost Rider to the Marvel Universe after a 7 year absence. Ghost Rider returned on October 31, 1990. ("Life's Blood" Ghost Rider vol 3 1, Marvel Comic Event)

[burningfudge]

an overweight mob boss who has mommy/daddy issues, a shit childhood, and a troubled marriage goes to therapy? is this the sopranos or daredevil: born again? and of course, a gandolfini is present in both shows

wilson fisk never had the makings of a varsity athlete

[lalo-tellmeagain]

No reason to think Jack will be on tonight’s finale but you never know! I think they are setting him up for a larger role in season 2- let’s hope so! We won’t know til 2026! 😩

(Top pic via Tony on IG stories)

[theincredibleholland]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44049645/chapters/110755974

Another recession indicator- check out my post-NWH fic!! featuring BAMF!Peter Parker who is not written like he is incompetent and a multiversal fix-it (kinda?)

superposition

Spider-Man was everything that Peter Parker wanted to be. He was like a game of pretend and sometimes when the suit was on, he could pretend that nothing had changed. People recognized him with the suit, Spider-Man was remembered.

Peter Parker was not.

A little over a year had passed since his existence had been erased and he was building a life for himself. He was in his second semester of college, he had a job, his apartment could be worse. Things were okay. But still, he couldn't help but feel that he was existing outside of himself. He sometimes felt disconnected from his body and it only seemed to get worse when both new and old foes seem to be intent on taking him down, no matter the consequences.

[thevondoom62]

Venom and the whole Marvel Universe.

[avengerscompound]

Tony Stark & Wilson Fisk

Invincible Iron Man (2022) #11

[fragmentedink]

problematic autism representation my beloved

[comicwaren]

From Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3 #007

Art by Marco Checchetto and Matthew Wilson

Written by Jonathan Hickman

[swan-of-sunrise]

Hawkeye (Part II)

Summary: Clint reaches out to (Y/N) for help and after a visit with the physically and mentally taxed archer, she takes it upon herself to meet Hawkeye’s #1 fan and impart a little wisdom onto Clint’s young partner.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: This week's chapter is a little longer because (a) I'm not sure I'll have Part III finished by next Thursday and (b) You guys deserve it!! There's a surprise character that'll pop up in the second half of this chapter and if you've seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, then I think you'll know who it is lol thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

Hawkeye (Part II) December 21st, 2024 Apartment of Moira Brandon, East Village (Previous Chapter)

Out of all the Avengers she’d been introduced to during that fateful party at the Avengers Tower so many years ago, (Y/N) always had a secret soft spot for Clint Barton; he was equal parts kind and sarcastic, quickly noting the anxiety she’d been desperately trying to mask from the moment she arrived and taking the time to get to know her while simultaneously directing playful jabs at his fellow teammates. Their first meeting and team-up in the subsequent conflict with Ultron coupled with Natasha’s endless stories from their days of working together at S.H.I.E.L.D. cemented (Y/N)’s unbreakable trust in the archer, and it was that trust that led her to an average-looking East Village apartment building only four days before Christmas with a priceless and top-secret piece of S.W.O.R.D. technology tucked away in her messenger bag.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice, (Y/L/N),” Clint smiled as he ushered her into the temporary safe house, checking up and down the hall before locking the door and leading her into the cozy living room. “See any of those idiot Tracksuits tailing you?”

(Y/N) shrugged her winter coat off and draped it over the back of the couch with a humorless chuckle. “Nope, but I almost wish I had; I could’ve used a good laugh or two after that horrendous traffic jam on the Brooklyn Bridge.” She folded her pink scarf in half and tossed it on top of her coat, meeting Clint’s eyes with a sardonic smirk beginning to spread across her face. “Wouldn’t you know, some dumb-ass archer decided to impale a Pym Particle-infused arrow into the Manhattan Bridge and create commute hell for anyone traveling in or out of Brooklyn?”

Rolling his eyes, Clint flopped down onto the well-worn couch and sighed in exasperation; he looked exhausted, with darkened circles under his eyes and a noticeable cut on his forehead. “Still a smart-ass, I see. For your information, I shot a Pym Particle-infused arrow at a regular arrow and then it impaled itself into the bridge.”

“Well, either way, I thought you’d like to know that Scott got his ass chewed out by Hank for that little stunt,” She replied in amusement and sat herself down on the couch beside him, taking a moment to adjust her sweater over her small baby bump before rummaging through her messenger bag. “Apparently, Hank’s not too fond of his life’s work being used for – and I quote – ‘stupid shit you see on the eleven o’clock news.’”

The archer scoffed at that. “I once saw the guy use Pym Particles to enlarge a goddamn chicken sandwich, but whatever.”

(Y/N) laughed as she withdrew a small metal case and handed it over to Clint. “Back-up hearing aid, as requested; my coworker said that this is one of the best on the market, so you should be well-covered if yours ends up breaking again.” He nodded in thanks and slipped the case into his pocket. Her former teammate’s recent hearing loss as a result of years of work as a S.H.I.E.L.D. spy, Avenger and vigilante inspired her to seek out Brooklyn College’s underfunded but resilient disability resource center; she studied ASL and learned enough to not only begin teaching Steve and Carina, but to also pre-film her lectures for any hard of hearing student who decided to enroll in her Introduction to American Popular Culture course. “And I looked into that socialite guy for you…” Activating the transparent S.W.O.R.D. tablet – a parting gift from Nick Fury before he traveled up to the organization’s newly-built space station – (Y/N) allowed it to scan her handprint and read off the information she’d collected. “Jack Duquesne, born into the obscenely-wealthy Duquesne family that’s apparently descended from European aristocracy. Since he’s seemingly never worked a day in his life, he’s had enough free time to become an expert swordsman and accrue a pretty impressive sword collection; is that what he was doing at that black market auction the other night?”

Clint nodded as he studied the images on the tablet’s screen. “He wanted to add the Ronin’s sword to his collection; according to Kate, he ran off with it after the Tracksuits crashed the auction, and then he almost took my head off with it when we broke into her mom’s penthouse this morning.” When (Y/N) thoughtfully tilted her head to the side, his frown deepened. “What?”

“When I did a little more digging, I found out that Duquesne is listed as the CEO of Sloan Limited. It’s a shell company, one that launders money for none other than-”

“The Tracksuit Mafia…” The archer exhaled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing a hand over his forehead. “Kate thinks that Jack Duquesne killed his uncle Armand. At first, I thought the idea of him becoming her stepfather someday was clouding her judgement but it’s looking like her instincts might’ve been right.”

Taking note of the stiffness in his movements and the weary tone of his voice, (Y/N) tucked the tablet back into her messenger bag as she gave him a sympathetic smile. “None of what I found out really helped you, did it?”

“It helped, (Y/L/N), it really did…” Clint hastily reassured her. “But I’m no closer to being able to go home for Christmas. I’ve got the suit and the sword, but Maya Lopez and the Tracksuits still have me and Kate connected to the Ronin and there’s a good chance that they’ve got Laura’s Rolex; I can’t leave until I track it down and figure out a way to stop the Tracksuits from targeting Kate, and I’ve gotta do all that before Kingpin gets involved.” He sat back and offered her a small smile. “The Barton Family Christmas hit a little speed-bump, as you can tell, so how’s the Rogers-(Y/L/N) Family Christmas going so far?”

“Well, Carina helped us decorate cookies and gingerbread houses for the vets down at the VA hospital yesterday, and then she decided that our living room wall could use a thick coat of frosting as well.” Clint burst into laughter and (Y/N) couldn’t help but join him. “Steve’s convinced that she’s got the makings of an artist, but I just think she likes to keep us on our toes. And this little gumball…” Beaming, she rubbed a hand across her bump. “Moved for the first time this morning.”

“That’s amazing! Boy or girl?”

“We don’t know yet, but we’re gonna open the envelope my doctor sealed for us together on Christmas Day and find out.” Memories of her first pregnancy and the overwhelming loneliness she struggled with unwittingly came to the forefront of her mind, but she forced herself to ignore them as she continued. “I’ve never really been one for big gender reveals, but after Carina’s…shall we say, unconventional birth and everything we’ve been through since, I just wanted this pregnancy to be special for us.”

A look of understanding crossed Clint’s bruised face, as he was one of the few Avengers who could empathize with desiring balance between a normal family life and the superhero life they’d been thrust into, but he merely smirked and jokingly replied, “Well, if you’re still thinking of baby names, I’ve always thought that Clint Rogers-(Y/L/N) had a nice ring to it.”

(Y/N) snorted in amusement. “Oh, really? You know, I’ve heard the same exact thing about Sam Rogers-(Y/L/N), James Bucky Rogers-(Y/L/N), Bruce Rogers-(Y/L/N), Thor Rogers-(Y/L/N), Korg Rogers-(Y/L/N) and Rocket Rogers-(Y/L/N).”

“I’m not usually one to judge, but I’ll totally judge you if you name your kid after a talking raccoon or a big pile of rocks.” When his chuckles died down, the archer’s blue-grey eyes softened as they looked between her face and the bump she was unconsciously cradling. “I’m really happy for you guys, and I know…I know that Nat and Tony would be, too.”

After flashing him a thankful smile, (Y/N) leaned her elbow on the back of the couch and rested her temple against the palm of her hand. “So, what’s this Kate Bishop like?”

“A pain in my ass,” Clint bluntly replied and when she lightly scoffed at his answer, he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m serious! That kid’s cocky, reckless and she talks way too much…but I can’t deny that she’s a damn good archer and her instincts are sharp.” His brow arched as a thoughtful expression crossed his injured features. “You know, she reminds me a little of you, actually; she put that suit on to protect innocent people from the Tracksuits without a single thought for her own safety, just like how you volunteered to help an Air Force vet and a couple of wanted Avengers save the world from Hydra without a single thought for your own safety.”

(Y/N), detecting a hint of concern in her friend’s tone of voice, nodded in understanding. “You’re worried about her.”

Clint nodded. “Damn right I am. You were twenty-seven when you helped Steve, Nat and Sam stop Project Insight, and Kate’s only twenty-two; you understood the risks of getting involved in this sort of life, but Kate…she’s got blinders on. I tried to make her understand that I’m not a role model, that I’m not someone that people should look up to and that this life I’ve led for the past twenty years isn’t a game but like I already told you, she’s cocky and reckless.”

“She doesn’t know about the Ronin, does she?” When Clint shook his head, (Y/N) bit her lip and carefully contemplated her next words before speaking. “Maybe the reason you can’t get through to her is because you haven’t shown her the real you and she can sense that you’re hiding something from her; if you open up to her now, then you might be able to stop her from getting too deep into all this.” He shrugged his shoulder, but she could see that she hadn’t convinced him to confide in his reluctant partner; she glanced down at her wristwatch and hummed to herself. “Well, I should probably head out now if I want to beat the commute traffic to Brooklyn…”

“Yeah, and I should give Laura and the kids a call before I pass out from exhaustion.” Clint helped her to her feet and gave her a fond smile as she pulled her coat and scarf back on. “It’s been good seeing you, (Y/L/N), and I really appreciate your help. Tell Steve that I said hi and that he should totally name his second-born after one of his oldest and coolest friends, okay?”

“Sure thing, Hawkeye,” (Y/N) chuckled, slinging the strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder as they walked over to the apartment’s front door and giving her friend a hug, careful of his bruised and battle-worn limbs as she did. “Good luck, Clint. You’re going to fix this and you’re going to make it home for your Barton Family Christmas and on Christmas Day, we’ll give you guys a call to let you know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

“Aye aye, Captain.” With a smile and a teasing salute, Clint opened the door and watched her head towards the building’s elevator before retreating into the temporary safe house.

(Y/N) stepped into the elevator and after the door slid closed, the uneasy feeling that had begun to form when the topic of Kate Bishop came up only seemed to deepen as the elevator descended. It was foolish to further embroil herself in Clint’s struggle against the Tracksuits; not only was she entering her pregnancy’s second trimester but if a powerful man like Kingpin caught wind that she was involved, it could put Steve’s secret life in jeopardy and their family’s safety at risk. But it was Clint’s comparison of Kate to (Y/N) that compelled her to pull the S.W.O.R.D. tablet out of her messenger bag and research the young archer’s cell phone number.

“I sure hope that I’m doing the right thing, Nat,” She murmured under her breath as she worked. “For Kate and for Clint’s sakes…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, (Y/N) was seated at one of the rickety metal tables outside Greenwich Village’s own Joe’s Pizza, patiently waiting for the twenty-two-year-old to work through her star-struck awe while she enjoyed a slice of pizza and scratched the young archer’s rescue Golden Retriever behind his ear.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe I’ve met two Avengers in less than a week! Is this, like, some sort of a superhero test? Or a trial period or somethin’? I mean, I’ve only been in four-ish fights so far…or wait, was it five? I don’t know, I can’t really remember ‘cause I’m pretty much running on caffeine and adrenaline at this point,” Kate nervously chuckled, a little out of breath as she finally stopped rambling and attempted to rearrange her excited features into a nonchalant smile. “…So, um, what can I do for you, Ms. (Y/L/N)?”

“Please, just call me (Y/N).” Smiling, (Y/N) took another bite of her pizza slice and used it to point at Kate. “I’ve heard a lot about you from our mutual friend, so I wanted to meet you for myself.”

The young archer’s brows raised almost comically. “R-Really? Wow, that’s really…was it all good things you heard?”

“Mm-hmm, and I also saw the video of you rescuing this good boy on the news.” The one-eyed Golden Retriever nuzzled his face against her lap and perked up when she tore her slice of pizza in half, wolfing it down in record time once she offered it to him. “He’s lucky that someone as skilled as you came along when you did.” After watching the dog enjoy his chunk of pizza, she looked back up at Kate and sobered as her eyes fixated on the steri-strips that closed the lacerations that were scattered across her youthful face. “Actually, I asked you to meet me here because I wanted to talk to you about this case you’re working with Clint.”

Kate slumped in her seat, a dejected frown beginning to form on her injured face while she took a halfhearted bite of her pepperoni pizza slice. “You think I should stay home and let Clint handle it, don’t you? That’s what my mom thinks, too; she didn’t say anything about it to me, but I know she thinks I’m crazy for doing this. I mean, I’m just a civilian and Clint’s a freaking Avenger, so I guess I see why it’s nuts that I’m helping him out, but I…I can’t just sit back when I know that I can help.”

Smiling a little to herself, (Y/N) dabbed at her lips with a napkin and shook her head. “Kate, I’m the last person on the planet who’d ever tell you to stay home and ignore the instinct to help. I was just a civilian when I helped Steve, Nat and Sam take down Hydra – an unpublished historical-fiction novelist with a part-time job at the V.A., who just so happened to be one of only two people in D.C. that a couple of wanted Avengers could trust. They tried their hardest to make me stay home and out of danger but I refused, because I knew that I could help them. I had to help, no matter what, and nothing they’d say could change my mind.”

“So, you understand why I’m still helping Clint?” The young archer’s expression brightened and she sat up in her seat. “That’s great!” When (Y/N) didn’t immediately answer, her head tilted to the side in confusion. “…Isn’t it?”

“You and I are a lot alike and because I see so much of myself in you, I wanted to tell you what I wish someone had told me ten years ago, when I took my first steps into the life of an Avenger.” (Y/N)’s fingers caressed the content Golden Retriever’s fur, taking small comfort in his calming presence as she continued. “When you choose to spend your life trying to help people, there’s going to be consequences you’ll have to face. Some of the consequences won’t come as a surprise – the fights and battles have taken a physical and mental toll on me, for example, and I’ll have to live with their effects on my body and on my mind for the rest of my life – but others will. From the moment it began, my entire career’s been called into question; you see, people assume that my success is due to my long-time association with the Avengers and not the writing skills I’ve worked my ass off developing and perfecting. I lost any chance at anonymity or a private life when I announced my engagement to Steve Rogers. I became estranged from my family, because they didn’t approve of my relationship or my association with the Avengers. I went through the joy of befriending some of the kindest and most misunderstood people in the world, and then I was forced to mourn them in a way that no one but my fellow Avengers could ever understand; the world lost Iron Man, Black Widow, Black Panther and the Vision, but I lost Tony, Nat, T’Challa and Vis.”

Kate bowed her head and stared down at the discarded pizza crust on her plate. “And you lost Steve, too.”

(Y/N) nodded mutely, careful to keep up the ruse that Steve Rogers died in the Battle of Earth and wasn’t currently wrapping Christmas gifts with their fifteen-month old daughter in their Brooklyn home. “When you face the threats that Clint and I have faced, you have to accept that there’s going to be things that you lose along the way. I don’t tell you any of this to dissuade you, Kate, far from it; I’ve always believed that if you feel that you can help, then it’s your moral obligation to do so.” She reached across the table and rested a comforting hand atop Kate’s, giving her a small smile when her eyes finally met hers. “But it’s important that you know that this life isn’t easy, and it’s only fair that you hear it from one of the only Avengers who stumbled into this life the way you have. Do you understand?”

Kate nodded, and the brief silence that filled the air as (Y/N) finished her slice of pizza was broken by a timid question. “Do you know who the Ronin is?”

“…I know who they used to be,” (Y/N) carefully replied. “But if you want to know more about the Ronin, then you’ll have to ask Clint.”

“Urgh, I knew you’d say something cryptic like that. Hey, what’re Clint’s favorite Christmas movies and does he have any strong opinions about ugly Christmas sweaters?”

After (Y/N) helped Kate plan out the perfect mini-Christmas party for a homesick Clint, she bid the young archer and her energetic Golden Retriever goodbye and watched them both stroll down the sidewalk with a fond smile on her face. It was clear to her that Kate’s heart was in the right place, and that perhaps she was the perfect person to help Clint move on from the Ronin as well as resolve the ongoing conflict with the Tracksuits. I just hope they’ll both stay safe, she thought as she anxiously bit her lower lip and stroked her small baby bump, her mind preoccupied with a myriad of the worst possible outcomes to the archers’ partnership.

“Here you go, Ms. (Y/L/N): one large chicken and olive pizza to go,” The young worker’s sudden appearance shook (Y/N) out of her heavy thoughts and after setting the pizza box down, he started to bus the table with a small smile on his face. “Need any packets of Parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes?”

“No, thank you, I-” (Y/N) cut herself off when her eyes caught sight of a familiar well-worn paperback sticking out of the teenager’s back pocket and she felt herself begin to grin. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a copy of For Queen and Country with its original cover art. How’re you enjoying it?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “It’s one of my favorite books!” The young worker’s gaze briefly met hers as a light blush dusted his cheeks; there was a brief flash of grief in his brown eyes – a deep sort of grief that looked entirely out of place in the eyes of a teenager – but it soon vanished when a bashful expression graced his features. “I’ve been a fan for a pretty long time, Ms. (Y/L/N), and I was actually workin’ up the courage to come out here and ask you for your autograph. I don’t wanna bug you or overstep-”

“Of course I’ll autograph your copy!” (Y/N)’s smile widened as he stammered out a brief thanks and scrambled to hand her the paperback and his server’s pen. “Who should I make it out to?”

“Peter, Peter Parker.” Again, (Y/N) was struck by the strange emotion that flashed across his face, but what gave her pause was the sudden familiarity that his name brought her; she couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about the teenager’s name tugged at the far reaches of her mind. Doing her best to shrug the unsettled feeling off, she jotted down a brief greeting and signed her name before blowing on the drying ink and handing the book and pen back with a smile. “Thanks a lot, Ms. (Y/L/N)! It was good seein’ you agai-um, sorry, I think my manager’s callin’ me, happy holidays!”

Peter Parker, who’d abruptly turned as white as a sheet, shoved his book and pen into his pocket and scooped up the dirty dishes before practically sprinting back inside. (Y/N)’s brow arched at his odd shift in behavior, but gathered up her pizza box and strode down the sidewalk to where she’d been lucky enough to park her yellow Volkswagen Bug. After securing the pizza in the car’s front trunk (or ‘frunk,’ as Sam liked to jokingly call it), she carefully climbed into the driver’s seat and waited a moment for the baby to settle down before dialing Steve’s cell phone number.

“Hey, sunshine! How was your visit with Clint?”

“Productive, for the most part; he has an idea of who the middle-man between Kingpin and the Tracksuits is, but he’s still not sure how to stop them from targeting him and his new friend Kate or uncovering Laura’s past. I also had a quick chat with Kate over lunch, which is why I’m bringing home a chicken and olive pizza from Joe’s; you should also know that your offspring conned me into buying it.”

Steve chuckled. “Oh, they did, huh?”

“Mm-hmm, and you should count yourself lucky that it was only pizza; at four months pregnant with Cari, I was craving Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dipped in vanilla ice cream,” (Y/N) snickered as her husband made a sound of disgust on the other end of the call. “Oh, and the strangest thing happened as I was leaving! Do we know a Peter Parker from anywhere?”

“…I don’t think so, but the name sounds awfully familiar.”

“Right? There’s something strange about it but I can’t put my finger on-” A recognizable babbling in the background of the call caused her to stifle a giggle. “Someone’s feeling chatty today, aren’t they?”

“I think that last episode of Sesame Street might’ve riled her up a bit; you know how much she loves when the Count makes an appearance,” Her husband remarked before calling out, “Cari, did you wanna talk to Mama? Mama’s on the phone right now.”

The gibberish grew louder as the infant toddled over and happily exclaimed into the phone. “Mama!”

“Hi, lemon drop! I’ll be home really soon, okay? Mama loves you!” (Y/N) smiled to herself, listening to their daughter’s incoherent mumbling grow faint as Steve regained control of the cell phone. “I should be home in a half an hour or so, depending on how backed up the bridge is.”

“Fingers crossed that all the city’s archers decide to leave the Brooklyn Bridge un-impaled for the afternoon commute.” Steve joked. “You can tell me all about Clint and his new partner over pizza and my famous green smoothies. I love you, sunshine.”

She gave her phone an exaggerated air-kiss that made Steve huff out a quiet laugh. “I love you too, sweetheart, and I’ll see you soon.”

After hanging up the call and tucking her cell phone into her messenger bag, (Y/N) started the car’s engine and turned up the radio, the local station’s Christmas playlist already playing through the speakers. “Okay, gumball, your daddy promised to make us a smoothie, so let’s get this show on the road.”

Pulling away from the curb, (Y/N) hummed along to the upbeat Elton John track in the hopes that the music would distract from the unsettling feeling beginning to take form in the pit of her stomach, but the tune wasn’t enough to make her shake the suspicion that someone was watching her from afar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Who do you guys think was watching (Y/N)?? You'll have to stay tuned to find out! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ziGMhEsAw833GQ9eV44nR?si=6dfead09c76848d5 

Hawkeye (Part III)

Stumblin’ In Book VII: “Superhero Snapshots” Masterlist 

Tagging:  @mrs-obrien​​​​​ @lahoete​​​​​ @awkward117 @cminr @natdrunk​​​​ @momc95​​​​​ @savedbystyle​​​​​ @miraculouscloud @awkwardnesshabitat​​​​​ @marinettepotterandplagg​​​​​ @mangosandmimosas @supersouthy @benakenalove​​​​​ @brooke0297​​​​​ @hufflepeople​​​​​ @becausewelie​​​​​ @outoftheregular​​​​​​ @junipermurdock​​​​​ @ladydmalfoy @mads-weasley​​​​​ @username23345@crist1216​​​​​ @capswife​​​​​ @lilmschild​​​​​ @avngrsinitiative @crowleysqueenofhell​​​​​ @y-napotat​​​ @mary1raven​​​​​ @groovyqueer​​​​​ @ljej95​​​​​ @innersublimefury​​​ @prettysbliss​​​​​​  

[heckcareoxytwit]

Tony Stark is ready to go into battle and decides to deliver a present to his wife Emma Frost who is preparing for her role in the upcoming mission. Before Tony could say goodbye to Emma, he hears the scream coming from the Hellfire Club. As he rushes in, Tony sees a mysterious figure wearing a motorcycle helmet and claws, standing over the bodies of the Hellfire guards. Tony Stark tries to fend off the mysterious assassin but without his armor, it was too difficult for him. However, as Tony Stark burns the assassin with improvised molotov cocktail, the assassin reveals itself as not only just a robot, but also another type of Sentinel (a.k.a Sentinel Zero) which Feilong had sent to get rid of him. Kingpin helps Tony by tossing the Mysterium Staff to him in fending off the robotic assassin. Unfortunately, the staff was knocked aside from Tony's hands and he gets slashed by the robot.

Then, Emma Frost intervenes as she is in diamond form and she stalls the Sentinel Zero while Tony Stark goes to the armory despite bleeding from his wound. While donning the new armor, the fight doesn't seem to go well for Emma as Sentinel Zero had found a way to cheat the fight by putting on the Inhibitor Ring on her finger, depowering Emma. Before Emma could get killed by Sentinel Zero, Tony Stark arrives in his new armor and destroys Sentinel Zero by crushing the robotic head. As the couple leave the Hellfire Club, they see the Stark Sentinel arriving at the entrance. Fortunately, both Emma and Tony are more prepared as they destroy the Stark Sentinel by blasting it.

Invincible Iron Man v5 #15, 2024

[why-i-love-comics]

Invincible Iron Man #10 - "Sentenced to Life" (2023)

written by Gerry Duggan art by Juan Frigeri & Bryan Valenza

[lalo-tellmeagain]

I wrote a little review of Jack’s appearance in episode 8 over on my IG— the major points are as follows: Tony did absolutely everything he could with the time he was given- Jack’s amazing hair, ‘stache, slightly menacing yet definitely charming and mischievous personality were all in play and frankly it was all divine! Except - I clocked all of it at about 2 minutes of screen time 😩 - not nearly enough for what they appear to be trying to set up for season 2 (in my opinion) but Tony and Vincent D’Onofrio made the best of it. I feel it’s all fairly forgettable for anyone who isn’t a huge fan of the swordsman and/or Tony- that said I feel that I can’t complain too much since it’s so hard to see anything Tony is in as it is. Basically Daredevil has given us about 3 extra minutes in total of Jack Duquesne- I guess it’s better than nothing!

More on this and what to expect for season 2 as info becomes available.

Let me know your thoughts if you want! My hope now is for more pics of our beautiful Jack - every little bit helps! 😅🤗