#what if tony stark invented an even more impressive super weapon
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For the title meme, with Marvel? "Not All That Glitters Is Molybdenum-Titanium Alloys"
This would be a post-Thor AU where Tony gets his hands on the shattered remnants of the Destroyer armor and uses the alien tech as a springboard to creating a version of Extremis that’s a lot closer to the comics. This causes the super!arms race to speed up to the point that mass human trials are underway by the time IM3 rolls around. Instead of people exploding here and there, the 5-6 groups that are working to make the best human weapons are partnering with corporations and unscrupulous financial backers to get variations of their products put into everyday household items so they can test them on a wide swathe of the population.
This means that a multitude of unsuspecting people are suddenly finding themselves Inhuman, or enhanced by nanos, or mutated, and they have no idea how to control themselves or what to do now, but changed is better than dead, and make no mistake - a lot of people are dead.
Now SHIELD, Hydra, the 10 Rings, and a whole host of groups are in a brand new race to get to these people first. Meanwhile SHIELD is ALSO trying to stop more products from getting to people and the world’s governments are trying to keep the hysteria down to a minimum in the wake of so many mass outbreaks of “food borne illnesses” and/or whatever cover-up they’re trying to push.
It’s not quite the end of the world, but it’s the end of the world as we know it.
#ask me things!#what if tony stark invented an even more impressive super weapon#and the world's baddies reacted appropriately#you don't have to have consistent successful results if you have a large enough experimental pool#10% of fifty thousand is still more than enough to make a superpowered army#i just made marvel a lot more grimdark and i'm not sorry
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You meet for the first time (part 1)
Tony:
You were on your way to meet Fury when he sent you a text, asking you to meet him in his office instead. You sighed, what could you have done … again ?! You knocked on the door and once inside, you saw Fury but also the well-known Iron Man. After seeing you, Tony started smiling. You read his body language and sighed … You had to leave and quickly, it felt like you’d been ambushed.
« Director Fury ? »
« Ah ! Come on in Agent l/n. I suppose you already know mister Stark ? »
« Only by reputation » You said, noticing that Tony kept watching you.
« I want you to give him a tour of the base, if, as you said you know of his reputation, you understand his need to be chaperoned »
« No one else is available ? I am not exactly a babysitter for billionaires »
Your only wish was to be in your bed, watching TV and eating Ice-cream. Fury gave you the « Do what I said ! » look. You prevented another sighed, put your best poker-face on before asking Tony to follow you :
« Of course Sir » You answered.
You started walking in silence, only talking when necessary, Tony right next to you :
« So what ? That’s all I get ? The silent treatment ? No introduction ? You already know me but I don’t know a thing about you, that’s quite unfair don’t you think ? »
« Fury had already introduced me and according to the alert I received few days ago, you’ve tried to ‘read’ my file … the confidential one, so … »
« Okay I admit it, I am curious but I keep thinking that ‘agent’ isn’t your name »
« y/n »
« Sorry ? »
« My name is y/n » You repeated « Well, you’ve got your tour, I am off now mister Stark. »
« Call me Tony »
« Not a chance »
« Will see » Smiled Tony.
« Don’t count on it »
Clint :
You were in laboratory, thinking about a new armor for the agents, something more resistant which could possibly heal light wounds. You were trying to draw the prototype on your 3D desk when someone knocked on your door. You were surprised by who it was :
« Agent Barton ?! Is everything okay ? »
« Hum yes » Said Clint, shyly.
« Come in, sit down »
Clint sat down in front of you, he couldn’t explain why, but he felt intimidated. He put his bow on your desk :
« Is there something wrong with it ? »
« Oh no ! » Said Clint quickly « I wanted to know if it was possible to improve it even more, some new options or whatever ! It is perfect but … I have some ideas and I wanted to know if it was possible to … »
« You know, agent Barton … »
« Clint »
« Okay Clint, you know, technically it’s not up to me, I invent and create the first models, but then it’s up to my team to improve everything. I created, I give orders and authorized the alterations, that’s all »
« Yes I know that, but you created it, not with a 3D printer, with your hands, my bow is your baby. You created it just … »
« For you ? I know. Fury asked me to. I spent 3 months on the design. »
« If it’s really a bother I can ask someone else »
« Oh no way ! You’re right. My minions are not going to touch this bow ! Over my dead body ! Thank you for reminding of the energy and time I spent on it » You smiled « I need to finish this first, but come back tomorrow, we’ll see what we can do.
« Thank you ! Thank you so much ! »
« By the way, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you ! »
« Same. I’m glad to finally meet the person who created all the weapons that saved me ! »
« My pleasure. See you tomorrow then »
« Good ! » Said Clint, his heart pounding in his chest.
Steve :
You were patiently waiting for the quinjet to land. You’d been notified that were a few wounded agents on Captain America’s team. You were quite anxious, you were about to meet Captain America ! The quinjet finally landed and some of the agents went directly to the medical bay after noticing you. You were know to be uncompromising about health and wounds. Everyone knew what you did to Fury. You were a legend. You saw Captain America trying to avoid you. Oh not today Satan !
« Captain ? »
Steve turned and froze when he saw you. He wanted to talk to you but couldn’t utter a word. His thoughts were a mess.
« Examination room … now ! » You ordered, using your ‘doctor’ voice.
« I assure you ma'am that … »
« Captain » You cut « From what I can see despite being a super soldier you need stitches. I only want to help you. So don’t be a child and follow me »
« Yes ma’am » He smiled.
You had such a strong personality and he absolutely loved it ! He loved that you weren’t impressed by him. You both entered your office and asked him to sit down while you got your tools.
« nice to meet by the way, it could have been better but … »
« Indeed. Please don’t move, I’m almost done »
« Already ?! »
« Only the best for Captain America »
« Call me Steve, please »
« Only if you call me y/n »
« Good for me »
« What happened to you ? »
« The building fell, with me inside »
« You know you could have been badly hurt »
« People were in danger »
You finished quickly, you removed your gloves and turned toward Steve, a smile on your lips :
« Done. Be careful for a few hours »
« Thank you. I hope we’ll meet again »
« Well, if buildings keep falling on you that should be arrange. But, I won’t be there next week. I have to follow a team »
« Doctors have missions ?! » He asked, worried about you already.
« Yes, especially with teams of new agents »
« Be careful »
« Don’t worry about me, Fury will have my head if something happened to me »
You asked him not to worry about you… How was he supposed to do that ?!
Thor :
« Why do you exist ?! What are you ?! Answer me !! » You yelled « What’s wrong with you ?! Don’t you like me ?! I don’t want to hut you, I swear ! Just tell me what you are !! »
« My lady ? Is everything all right ? » asked a voice behind you.
You quickly turned around, startled by the interruption. You couldn’t utter a word when you saw who was the intruder ! It was Thor !
« I apologize, did I startled you ? »
« Heu … yeah.Well, it’s a bit awkward »
« What are you working on ? » asked the God.
« Few days ago, a team came back with an unknown artefact. My job is to find out what it is, what’s its use . But this bloody thing doesn’t want to cooperate ! »
« go easy on it » Advised Thor, brushing your hand with his (deliberately).
You felt the blood rushing to your cheeks. Disturbed, you followed Thor’s advice and the artefact went on, triggering a shield. Overjoyed, you flung your arms around Thor’s neck before kissing him on the cheek :
« Thank you ! Thank you, thank you, thank you !!! »
« That’s all you, I did nothing » Smiled Thor, happy to have you in his arms.
Suddenly you understood what you did and took a step back :
« Sorry, I was a little to overjoyed »
« Feel free to do it whenever you want ! » Said Thor, but feeling your discomfort he changed the subject « Can I ask you what is your … ‘job’ ? »
« Oh ! I’m an archeologist. I’m in charge of the artefacts the teams found during their missions. I boss people around »
« So you are essential ? »
« I wouldn’t say that, you don’t need an archeologist when someone wants to destroy your planet »
« Don’t. I think you are wonderful, so is your … activity »
« Thank you, but I need to go. I have to run some tests on that thing. I hope I’ll see you again »
« You will » Promised Thor.
Loki :
A new crisis was threatening the SHIELD, again. One of the agent, apparently had the capacity to change his body, his face but no-one knew, until now. So now, everyone was avoiding him or was insulting him. Which wasn’t good AT ALL ! The agent lost his cool and became a threat. Loki was watching the scene with clenched teeth. He knew what rejection could do to someone. The situation changed when you arrived. You got the agent to calm down. Loki couldn’t hear what you said but he was still impressed nonetheless.
You asked your assistant to take the agent to your office before walking to Loki :
« Well done » He said.
« Not thank to you » You answered coldly, which surprised the God.
« I am Loki, I am from Asg… »
« I know who you are » You cut « I know where you come as I know you could have prevented what happened. Several agent have been severely injured and you just sat and watched. »
Loki kept looking at you with a smile, he loved your fired. There was something about you that was incredibly attractive.
« And you are ? »
« Not interested thank you »
« Really ? You meet a god and have no questions to ask ? »
« Not to a self-centered god, sorry, buy yourself a conscious and maybe I will ask you if being an ass-hole is hereditary, otherwise you’ll be a lost cause »
« I don’t have a perfect family and … »
« Shut it ! Do I look I care ? Let me help you, the answer is no » You said, leaving the god dumbfound.
Who were you ?! Your first-meeting could have been better but Loki wasn’t going to complain. He loved women with some fire in them.
Bucky :
Meeting the winter-soldier in these circumstances was not on your to-do list. Steve and you had been on the run, trying to find Barnes before someone else did. You and Steve were the only people capable to help him. And you did found him, to be more precise,you were pointing your gun at him :
« You are quite difficult to find »
Obviously, no answers from. What were you expecting ? Steve told you that his brain was a mess and that you shouldn’t expect too much from him. The Winter-Soldier was silently studying you, at least that was what you thought. You told Steve through the radio that you found him.
« Good ! Be careful, people heavily armed are coming from the south » Answered Steve.
Suddenly, men broke into the place and started shooting at you and Bucky. You were about to take a bullet when Bucky stood in front of you, shielding you with his metal arm. For once, he was happy to have this arm, just this once. You were in the middle of the fight when Bucky finally spoke :
« What’s your name ? »
« Seriously ? You’re speaking now ?! Like, right now ?! »
You took a quick glance at Bucky and saw that you words had hurt him, pushing back into the « winter-soldier mode ». You were feeling guilty and you didn’t like it a bit ! So, to prevent him from shutting himself even more, you decided to answer :
« y/n, and I come in peace » You said, cracking a joke to break the tension. At least, you hoped it would work.
« Delighted » He said, giving you the smile you only saw on old pictures.
« Same. I don’t want to be heartless or anything but I think we should go … right now ! Steve is waiting for us at the meeting point ! »
« How do you want to go ? We could use the roof but you’ll need to jump and … » Said Bucky, worried.
« Fine for me !! »
« Are you sure that … »
« I’ve been working with Steve long enough to say that jumping from roof to roof is as easy as to do a 42km run ! »
« I see » Smiled Bucky before following you in the stairs.
You were more interesting than he thought, and he absolutely loved it.
#avengers x fem!reader#reader insert#tony stark#steve rogers#mcu#avengers preferences#y/n#clint barton#hawkeye#captain america#iron man#thor#bucky x reader#Winter Soldier#loki
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For the prompt thing if this is alright: Dub con with innocent and naive Peter where Tony tricks him into having sex with him all the time because Peter doesn’t know any better then Peter only finds out what they’re really doing when he has sex ed or something at school but then he still returns to Tony because he’s grown to like doing it Tony would just be surprised because Peter would start telling him things like wanting to get filled up so much that he has babies
this went in a slightly different direction than you might have intended, because I have a really hard time imagining Peter being so naive post-puberty (being both gen Z and a super smart kid). and then I didn’t have the patience to build up all of the brainwashing, so I took a third-party shortcut. Hopefully it still has the spirit of what you wanted though, lol
*
Tony isn’t the foster dad type.
Ok, well, massive understatement, and widely accepted knowledge considering the reception the press release had gotten, but. Peter’s different. And the circumstances are unique ones.
Iron Man wasn’t in the cult-busting business, but when you land in upstate New York to destroy an arms-smuggling operation and discover roughly 100 brainwashed civilians... Well. You can’t call yourself a superhero and leave them there. Not the way they’d been living.
That wouldn’t have resulted in Tony as a legal guardian, not by itself. But there was something about a small, brown-eyed boy with deft hands and a quick mind, forced to use those assets to invent next-gen weaponry...
It struck a little too close to home.
Peter is special. He’s a sweet kid, so eager for approval and praise, with a brilliant untrained mind. The things he’s invented without a day of formal education...well, even Tony’s impressed. But Peter’s also a little sheltered, a little warped by his special upbringing, and even if he’d had family fit to be guardians, Tony’s not sure that would have been safe.
What Peter knows, what Peter can do...it’s too dangerous to just let him go. He’s barely fifteen and already on SHIELD’s threat list. Either Tony took Peter or SHIELD would, and Tony doesn’t trust SHIELD as far as he can throw them, even now that they’re more like a bush baby than an 800-pound gorilla.
So. Tony has a foster kid.
They’ve settled into somewhat of a routine. Tony’s days are no longer his own, because Peter’s pretty clingy. And as JARVIS constantly reminds him, children need structure, especially after their whole world implodes in a crash of red and gold metal.
He can still get work done, thank God, since Peter loves the lab. But they’re on a pretty strict meal plan to help Peter gain weight, and there’s tutoring to be done (thank you, JARVIS), and Tony is supposed to be modeling this whole “balanced life” thing, so the days of 20 hours straight inventing have gone the way of Tony’s sex life.
Their “free time” should probably consist of more than whatever movie is next on Peter’s pop culture education, but it’s not like Tony has a lot of kid-friendly activities in his repertoire, and Peter’s not so good at being in public yet, anyway.
They’ve got a rhythm, now, and Tony’s almost adjusted to all Peter’s odd quirks. He thinks they’ve hit all the biggest landmines: the weird diet issues, the endless parade of outrageous beliefs, the guilt over not being allowed to complete his mission....the snuggling.
Tony’s still a little embarrassed about the snuggling. At least he convinced Peter to save it for movie time, on the couch, and not to crawl into the master bed anymore, but still, it’s...awkward. The way Peter crawls into his lap like he’s five and not almost grown, clings to Tony like a baby monkey and fidgets in ways that are decidedly...
Well. Tony really needs to get laid, because his body misinterprets where all that lap-squirming is headed.
Still, it’s...innocent. And Peter needs it, touch-starved and lonely now that Tony’s the only one he has. Tony even thinks it’s kind of cool, when he has some distance from it. He’s not sure he was EVER allowed to be affectionate with Howard. For a weapons-hoarding doomsday cult, they didn’t seem to have the kind of toxic masculinity you’d expect.
Tony’s gotten used to the cuddling, and he really thinks they’ve hit all the biggest landmines, until the evening Peter grabs his hand and presses it against his very hard cock.
Tony tries to breathe, somewhat outside his body as his hand is casually used to stimulate a teenager’s cock without his permission. Peter’s eyes are on the movie (which is decidedly not playing a sex scene), but his hips are rocking up into the touch and his ass (which is not a lush, tasty handful, Tony hasn’t noticed) rubs coincidentally against Tony’s not-at-all interested dick.
Peter’s chewing on his bottom lip, eyes half-lidded, color high on his cheeks, and his breath has started to go ragged. It’s not until he starts to grunt a little that Tony suddenly snaps partway out of it.
It’s a struggle to keep his voice calm, because he knows - he just knows - this is one of those things Pete doesn’t realize is wrong. “Pete...what are we doing right now, kid?”
Big brown eyes turn away from The Empire Strikes Back and toward Tony. Then he answers, “Making it go away,” in a matter-of-fact way that says this answer is obvious and just a thing that one naturally does.
Tony’s not sure what his face does in response, but Peter’s no dummy. His entire body goes still (thank God), and he studies Tony’s face with a puzzled little frown.
Then the frown slowly drops into a devastated look. “I’m doing something wrong?”
Tony swallows hard at the sight of those eyes gone glassy with tears. It’s always painful to pull this rug out from under Peter a little bit at a time. “It’s...well, it’s. Not wrong, it’s normal to... Jesus, kid, I need to know what you think we’re doing, here.”
Peter’s hand releases Tony’s, but before Tony can sigh in relief, the kid is halfway off his lap, on the verge of fleeing in shame. Tony pulls him back down, shushing, well aware of what his next few days look like if he lets Peter go.
“Hey, you’re ok. It’s okay, we’ll deal with whatever it is, I just need more information. Help me run a diagnostic here, would you?”
“I thought it was normal.”
Peter’s used to knowing, understanding, and every time they have to rewrite the rules of the world as he knows them, it’s... Hard. And he beats himself up. “I know, Pete. It’s gonna be okay. Just tell me what you know. We’ll figure it out just like we always do.”
“It’s just... Someone’s always helped it go away.” Peter’s red-faced and avoiding Tony’s gaze now. Tony’s not even sure he understands it’s about sex - that’s an area where Peter is painfully naive. He’s probably just this mortified over realizing he’s somehow wrong.
“Helped what go away?” Tony asks, deliberately putting aside ‘someone always helped,’ because you can’t blow up cult leaders twice.
“The...swelling,” Peter mutters, like he’s lacking vocabulary for this thing someone ‘always helps with.’
“Your erection,” Tony tries to clarify, and Peter shrugs like he always does when Tony’s words are different than the ones that he knows. “Did they tell you what causes an erection, Pete?”
Peter finally looks up and makes eye contact, looking even more confused at the question. “It just...happens, right? Like a sneeze. I mean, it only started the last few years, but...” Peter’s eyes are keen on Tony’s face. “Why, what is it?”
“It’s...” Jesus, Tony is tired. The thought of trying to answer that question without sending Peter spiraling makes Tony want to lie down for a year. And, well, at fifteen, erections DO just happen. “You’re right, it’s a normal bodily function, it’s just one we take care of by ourselves, usually.”
“By myself?” Peter looks somewhat crestfallen, and Tony’s afraid he can see where this is going, but he has to try.
“Yeah, it’s private, like being naked is a private.” Because that’s one they’ve conquered already, thank Christ. “Why don’t you duck into the bathroom and help it go away by yourself.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Mr. Stark.”
“It’s okay, Peter. I’m not angry.”
The kid gets off his lap and slinks off to the bathroom and Tony lets his head fall back with a sigh. Jesus fucking Christ.
*
Twenty minutes later, Pete’s not back, and Tony just keeps telling himself ‘one more minute, one more minute before I check.’ When he can’t avoid it anymore, he pads quietly to the guest bathroom’s door and listens for a second, heart sinking when he hears Peter quietly crying.
Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. He was afraid of this.
Tony takes a deep breath and knocks. “Bud? Everything okay?”
There’s a frantic shuffle for five seconds, then the door opens, revealing Peter’s splotchy face. “No. I can’t...I’m not...I can just let it go away by itself. It will, eventually.”
Tony’s eyes fall to the tent pole in Peter’s pants and winces. “Is that what you’ve been doing since you got here? Letting it go away by itself?”
Peter shrugs, which is a yes.
“I’m guessing it’s pretty painful right now, though, yeah?”
Tony watches Peter clamp down on fresh tears. “Yeah.”
“Okay,” Tony sighs, and puts an arm around Pete’s shoulders. “Let’s go sit down and I’ll help.”
It takes some coaxing for Peter to relax in his lap, this time, and it’s a weird, fucked up funhouse mirror of responsible behavior to be soothing a teenage boy to just relax so Tony can rub him off.
“That’s it,” Tony murmurs when Peter starts to thrust against his hand. “That’s a good boy, just let me help.”
“I’m sorry,” Pete says miserably. Tony presses a kiss to his forehead.
“Don’t be sorry, nothing’s your fault. You’re a very good boy, and you’re doing the best that you can.” Peter’s chest gives a hitch, and of course, Tony thinks. Of course he has a fucking praise kink. “You make me so happy, Peter. I couldn’t ask for a sweeter, more brilliant boy in my life. You deserve to feel good, so just relax and let me help. I’m happy to help. There you go, you’re almost done, and you’re so very pretty like this - “
Peter’s fingers have been twisting in Tony’s shirt, kneading like a kitten as he pants, then suddenly they clench as he presses up against Tony’s hand and shudders hard. His jeans are too thick for Tony to even feel warmth, but the way the kid collapses in a euphoric puddle says all that he needs to know.
Tony reaches up and combs Peter’s hair back from his face, smiling when Peter nuzzles into his hand.
“Pete, why haven’t you asked me to ‘help’ before?”
Peter’s eyes blink sleepily open. “Well, I didn’t know you very well. You can’t just ask anyone, right?”
“Right,” Tony says, feeling dazed. “That makes sense.”
Well, it doesn’t. Not when the kid doesn’t know that it’s sex. Except it does; if he thinks it’s like a sneeze...you don’t ask strangers to help blow your nose. So, there’s that.
Jesus.
Pete’s rapidly falling asleep in Tony’s arms, so he doesn’t have time to figure out how to break the news that this is not a sneeze. Peter’s way too big to pick up when he’s dead weight, and hell to wake up once he’s passed out.
“Time for bed, kiddo. Go brush your teeth.”
There’s an adorable grumpy grumble, then the kid’s hauling himself off of Tony’s lap, and disappearing down the hall without so much as a thank you. Which is good, because Tony shouldn’t be thanked for what he did. Christ.
It’s okay. It was just once, and it’s not like the first time Tony’s done weird things for Peter. He’s not a creep, he doesn’t plan to do it again. Tomorrow, he’ll sit Peter down, and... Look, it won’t be a pleasant adjustment, but eventually Peter will have to learn to take care of himself.
Just like Tony. A cold shower ought to do the trick.
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Blindspot: Empowering Invisibility
I’ve been writing posts reflecting back on my favorite parts of Charles Soule’s Daredevil run... and hey, I almost got through all of them before the new run started! The final topic I wanted to cover is Sam Chung/Blindspot, who-- alongside Real Boy Mike Murdock-- is the most significant new character Soule created during his time on the comic.
Sam has come a long way for a guy everyone thought was Gambit when his image was first released. With his introduction, he became Matt’s first official, long-term “apprentice” and a compelling addition to the ranks of Marvel’s young, up-and-coming superheroes. I’d always wanted to see how Matt would handle a sidekick, so I was very excited about this, and while I think Sam’s story was not as strong as it could have been, I am eager for him to return to further cement his role within the Daredevil universe and beyond.
Matt has acted as a mentor in the past (most notably to Angela Del Toro, the second White Tiger, during Bendis’s run), but Sam is the closest he has ever come to having an actual sidekick. Thus, his new working relationship with Sam puts him in a fun new role: passing on what he has learned as a superhero, and testing his abilities as a teacher.
Sam: “Whoa, hold on now... what are you--”
Matt: “And suddenly, everyone can see you. What do you do now, Blindspot? You need to be the weapon-- not some gadget.”
Sam: “I dunno. Iron Man seems to do okay.”
Matt: “You could drop Tony Stark naked in the middle of the desert and he’d fly out in a jet made of sand and cactus needles. It’s not his stuff that gives him power. It’s his brain. Try using yours. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.”
Daredevil vol. 5 #2 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
Soule’s run, overall, suffers from a lack of emotion. It is all plot, no character, and this weakens the development of Matt and Sam’s relationship. Beyond a touching glimpse of their initial first encounter in All-New, All-Different Point One (Sam’s introductory issue), we don’t get to see much of their developing dynamic. The run jumps right in after they have already started working together, and that’s mostly the context in which we see them-- work. We don’t get any real bonding scenes. We don’t get to see Matt decide to train Sam (which must have been a huge decision-- Matt would have been hesitant to take on that responsibility, especially since he’d just tightened up his secret identity again) or the early negotiating of their relationship. Sam later comes to see Matt as a father figure, which should be very powerful, but the only way we know that is because he comes out and says it, because of the shortage of actual parent/child-type moments between them.
That said, there is a lot to enjoy in their dynamic. Matt and Sam are very similar people, and this makes them great foils for each other. Like Matt, Sam is stubborn, smart, and often reckless. He has an attitude, as well as a huge amount of compassion and a desire to help others. He also has a lot of secrets (neither knows the other’s civilian identity for a significant amount of time, which contributes to the emotional distance mentioned above, but is also completely in-character.) And Sam and Matt work well as a team and develop a lot of respect for each other. Matt is a tough but fair teacher, and he sees himself in Sam.
Sam: “Well, I finally got the cast off my arm.”
Matt (caption): “Right. The cast for the arm Elektra broke when I introduced her to you in a fit of utter idiocy.”
Sam: “Thought I might get a workout in. It’s been a while.”
Matt (caption): “A workout. He means he’s going out on patrol as Blindspot. I get it. The hero game’s addictive. It’s hard to stay away for too long. God knows I’ve rushed back out before I was ready a hundred times. [...] He’s not listening to a word I say. Then again, when I was in his place, training with Stick... I didn’t listen much either. I heard... everything. But I didn’t like to listen. Oh, well.”
Daredevil vol. 5 #10 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
The similarities don’t end there. Like Matt, Sam grew up in a low-income single-parent household, and has close ties to a particular Manhattan neighborhood (in his case, Chinatown). But his situation is made even more challenging by the fact that he is an undocumented immigrant, and this distinction between Matt’s experience and Sam’s is actually really interesting. Matt fully sympathizes with Sam, but there is a disconnect that highlights the additional challenges in Sam’s life that impact his budding superhero career.
Matt: “Wait. I didn’t realize... you’re hurt.”
Sam: “Yeah. One of them got me. Stings like hell.”
Matt: “You need to go to the hospital.”
Sam: “Sure thing. You remember when I told you I don’t have papers, which means I can’t get a real job, which means I can’t get insurance? So, you got a spare twenty grand you can loan me for an E.R. visit, I’ll head right over. Otherwise, it’s band-aids and Advil.”
Daredevil vol. 5 #3 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
Sam: “I’ve been working on this suit since I was twelve. It was supposed to be my big break. My ticket out. Until I found out how expensive it was to file a patent. How easy it is to steal inventions from illegal immigrants doing their best to stay off the radar so they don’t get deported. I invented a miracle-- a damn invisibility suit-- and now I have to spend half my pay on batteries just to keep the thing running. How the hell do the other guys do it?”
All-New, All-Different Marvel Point One, “Blindspot” by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
This is what makes Sam extra compelling and unique among the ranks of Marvel’s heroes. As an undocumented immigrant, he is in constant danger. Drawing attention to himself is really risky, because if something goes wrong and the police find out who he is, he could lose everything. The precariousness of his life makes his actions as a superhero, his willingness to put himself into the spotlight and take those risks, all the more admirable. It’s also symbolic that the invention that prompted him to become a superhero is an invisibility suit, because invisibility is a key part of his life. As a non-citizen, he feels like an outsider-- unseen, insignificant. But that invisibility is also a source of protection. The idea of someone in Sam’s position actually weaponizing invisibility, while at the same time making himself visible by became a superhero-- who, by their very nature, are public figures-- is a powerful concept. And of course, there’s symbolism in the fact that Sam is working alongside Matt-- one of the few people who can perceive him while he is invisible.
Over the course of the run, we see Sam start to build himself a reputation by becoming a benevolent presence to the people of Chinatown. By working with Matt, he gains the confidence to operate on his own-- which is helped by the fact that Sam is an independent person by both nature and necessity (much like Matt). I love the detail of the shrine in Chinatown where people leave requests for help from Blindspot (“Ghost Brother”). It’s a neat way of depicting Sam’s connection to his neighborhood and his own unique approach to hero work.
Sam: “Okay, let’s see what we got. Wealth, long life, luck... can’t do much about those...”
Daredevil vol. 5 #10 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
Over the course of the run, we see Sam grapple with many of the key questions of superheroing. Sam, like Matt and many other heroes, started down this path to thanks to his family-- in Sam’s case, to protect his mother and sister. And like all of these heroes, he is compelled to continue out of a sense of compassion. Sam’s struggle to decide whether it is worthwhile or smart to behave selflessly, to put his life on the line for strangers, is addressed with a sense of emotional honesty that makes Sam extra relatable. It’s easy to claim to be heroic, but it’s another thing entirely to put yourself out there and actually behave heroically, and to take on the responsibility of ensuring other people’s survival.
Sam: “Why did I say that? ‘I’m not letting him kill anyone else.’ Who do I think I am? I just want to impress Daredevil. It sounded like something he would say. Do I really mean it? How far will I actually take this? This guy’s a judge. If he found out I was a vigilante, he’d probably deport me. Why should I die for him? Hell, why should I even fight for him?"
Daredevil vol. 5 #13 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
Man: “How do you know that? Tenfingers said he would save us, and he lied.”
Sam: “Because... I... Because I am one of you. I live in this neighborhood. I know most of you. Your name is Mr. Chen, and you run the bodega on Mott Street. Because Chinatown is my home, and I’m going to keep it safe. Because I am Blindspot. And I am not lying to you. Just... just stay in here. I won’t let anything happen to you. I hope.”
Daredevil vol. 5 #5 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
Sam’s story is enhanced by the fact that his origin is so challenging. While he is enthusiastic about working with Daredevil and the idea of being a superhero, he quickly acquires a degree of cynicism thanks to the difficulty of his situation. He became a superhero to save his mother, who doesn’t want to be saved. He is filled with doubt about his own abilities. Every time he does something heroic, he suffers for it: he is blinded after trying to rescue Muse’s victims, his mother is killed when he decides to save Matt from the Beast, and his refusal to kill Muse causes the Hand to attack New York City. He is given reason after reason to give it all up, and for a while he seriously considers it. But in the end, he doesn’t.
Sam: “It’s getting harder for me to tell the difference between something right and something wrong. When you work on this level, trying to be a super hero, life and death... there’s all these consequences. Things just happen. I’m trying to do things I know are right when I can. That’s all I can do. Muse is back. Maybe you saw those paintings he put up all over the city. I’m going to find him, and make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else. I know that’s right. I know it. [...] You’re a good person. Don’t let this city take that away from you.”
Hannah: “Why are you talking like you’ll never see me again, Sam?”
Daredevil vol. 5 #599 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
Sam’s journey is informed by the three main antagonists he encounters over the course of this run. One is Muse, who I consider to be the first member of Blindspot’s rogues gallery rather than an addition to Daredevil’s (how cool is that?!), one is the Punisher (who he encounters in DD/Punisher: Seventh Circle), and one is Tenfingers-- and by extension, the Hand. All of these challenge Sam’s superhero aspirations and force him to decide what kind of hero he wants to be. I loved Muse and Sam’s dynamic, and found the Hand a bit less compelling. (I really like the Hand, and they can be used well, but they lacked depth in this run.) But they are significant in shaping Sam’s character development, and they also tie into arguably the biggest theme of his origin story: family.
Sam wants to take Tenfingers down to save Chinatown-- but more than that, to save his mother. When he is blinded and grows disillusioned with hero work, his mother calls on the Hand to heal him and train him. Sam’s blinding is another weak area of his story. I would have found it more compelling if he had remained blind (this is Daredevil, after all!) rather than being magically healed right away. While having the Beast restore his eyes causes big problems down the road, it still feels like a side-step away from what could have been a much more interesting twist in Sam’s story. I was at least expecting the eyes themselves to cause him problems, since they’re obviously not normal eyes, but they never did. That whole story arc felt underdeveloped, which was disappointing. However! What really matters is that Sam’s time with the Hand challenges him in character-defining ways. They train him and turn him cynical about traditional superhero morality. His mother pays for the Hand’s help by promising her soul to the Beast, and to save her, Sam settles on a morally grey solution: trading her soul for Matt’s.
Lu Wei: “You are thinking foolish thoughts. I can see them in your eyes. The eyes Daredevil took from you. The eyes I sold my very soul to give you back.”
Sam: “You really want us to just go? To forget every evil thing we did here... and maybe, if we want something bad enough, do it again? Moving through life like sharks, preying on anyone useful? No, Mother. I reject that.”
Lu Wei: “You reject me? I have given you everything, Samuel! My life for you! Every choice I’ve ever made.”
Sam: “I know that, and I love you for it. I always will. It’s like you said... only one thing matters. Family.”
Daredevil vol. 5 #28 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
Once again, this plot point is weakened by the lack of emotion in this run. We know that Sam’s relationship with his mother is complicated. She is a good person who has become ruthless as a way of protecting herself and her family from all of the difficulties in their life. Sam clearly loves her. But we don’t see enough of this relationship (or, for that matter, Sam’s relationship with his sister Hannah) to make this story as powerful as it should be. Sam is forced to choose between trading Matt for his mother or trying to save both, and despite his new cynicism and all of the pressures in his life-- from both his mother and the Hand-- to become a killer, Sam makes a heroic-yet-futile choice and tries to save both of them. This results in his mother’s death which, in spite of the lack of development mentioned above, is still one of the most powerful moments in the whole run.
Daredevil vol. 5 #28 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
This serves as a turning point for Sam that carries over into the rest of the run. Despite everything he has been through and all he has lost, he decides that he still wants to be a compassionate person.
Beast: “You have taken our gifts, Samuel... now, you must repay us. One death. A small thing. Think of how many lives Muse’s death with save. This is a small thing we ask.”
Sam: “No... no...”
Beast: “You want this. You know he will kill you if you do not kill him. You do not want to trade your life for his. Reject us, and we will come for you. You cannot use our power and not expect to pay.”
Sam: “No. I do reject you. I reject death.”
Daredevil vol. 5 #600 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla
While Sam fades out of the story toward the end of the run (he didn’t get to meet Mike!) he plays a major part in battling the Hand when they attack New York. This restores his partnership with Matt, allows him to bring his animosity with both the Hand and Muse to a conclusion, and cements his image in the minds of the citizens of New York. Blindspot officially joins the ranks of Marvel’s superhero community, which-- for an undocumented immigrant who has grown up feeling displaced and unwanted-- means a lot.
Karnik: “Hey! Beast! My name is Nalini Karnik. I am the Police Commissioner of New York. I serve and protect every last one of its citizens. That includes Sam Chung. He is one of us. You want him... come get him.”
Daredevil vol. 5 #605 by Charles Soule, Mike Henderson, and Matt Milla
This is hopefully only the beginning of Sam’s story, and I look forward to seeing him again-- both in future Daredevil runs, and ideally also within the wider Marvel universe.
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A Long Battle
Steve learns lots of things in the 21st century, including things about himself. (AU that's pretty similar to canon, with some changes here and there. Goes up to post Winter Soldier, pre Infinity War.)
AO3 Link
Being in the 21st century meant Steve had lots to learn. It could be overwhelming at times, but was so interesting nonetheless. In all honesty, he kinda expected more. He remembers Howard's genius and his inventions, and felt like things would be more technologically advanced. That isn't too say he wasn't impressed with the advancements that had been made, because he was impressed with the advancements made during his ice induced slumber.
Not only did the technological advancements amaze him, but the social advancements astounded him. He did not think he'd live long enough to see the world reach such acceptance for people who were different. It filled him with warm joy to be able to see it, although he knows that the world could still be more accepting. He learned of the history that passed while he was gone, of social movements, of unfortunate events, of cowardice, and of bravery that made the world what it was. He knew that today won't be perfect, and neither will tomorrow, but he knew that with hope, effort, and action, tomorrow can at least be better.
He knew this all those years ago when he was still a scrawny, sickly kid from Brooklyn. It's why he always tried to help those in need, despite his afflictions, and it's why he still helped as he could. Racial equality, gender equality, sexual equality, if would help make the world a better place, he'd show his support.
His body may have been weak all those years ago, but he wouldn't allow his heart, soul, or mind to be weak. That strength was seen in him long ago, and still piloted him well after the serum, and we'll into a new world. And since, he had always managed to keep himself strong in every way he could. He was an inspiration, and had to remain strong to inspire and to keep the inspired, inspired.
But recently, something caused that eternal strength to falter, the same thing that caused it to falter once before: his friend. Bucky Barnes. His “death” caused him a great deal of pain that never truly subsided. And now Bucky would make him falter once again. He was alive, but unwell. Steve had to see his closest friend under the control of an enemy he thought he had destroyed. To add insult to injury, he had to see his friend kill innocent people. He had to fight and hurt his friend.
Every hit he took from Bucky pierced the core of his very being, causing it to recoil and shake in the agony of sadness. Every hit he threw at Bucky hurt every fiber of his body, like burning tears relentlessly striking his body and dragging him down into further despair. His eyes lacked the life they once held. They held an empty but violent disposition that, sometimes, would look confused and seemed to beg for help. He had always wished that Bucky had lived, and he got his wish. All he can do was hope and put all the fucking effort he fucking could into saving his god-damned best friend.
After the dust had settled, as much as it could anyway, after the schism of the Avengers, he began to regain some of his strength. In addition to worrying about Bucky's brainwashing, he began to think more about himself and more and more about Bucky and his relationship with him. He knew that they were friends and liked him as such, but he wondered liked Bucky as more than a friend.
Back then, he wouldn't have even considered this. Even if he would have liked to. Whether he would admit it or not, he was made to be a weapon. Enhanced to kill evil, and to protect and serve the good. He did it very well, but not even the merit of his heroic actions and status as Captain America would protect him from the backlash. Everyone is bound by the harsh rules of society, even super star super soldiers.
Fortunately, this was not the 1930/40’s. This was the 21st century and Steve was grateful for this future society and it's generally kinder rules.
But, he wondered if Bucky would or could even like him back in such a way. Steve eventually decided that his priority would be undoing HYDRA's brainwashing and conditioning. He could think about his feelings about Bucky later. Completing his his second priority would help with that anyways.
His second priority? Answering a question: 'Am I a homosexual?’ He thought about it long and hard during the free time he had since the last fight with Tony.
He wanted to blame Tony and call him irrational for his actions: the accord and wanting to hurt his friend. He didn't blame him entirely though. He was doing what he thought was right and best, same as him. And even if Bucky was brainwashed to kill Tony's parents and couldn't really be held accountable, he imagines it can't be easy to like the guy who killed you parents and let him walk free, even if said guy was brainwashed and a friend of Captain America. Tony associated Bucky with the direct murder of his parents. Steve associated Bucky with so many positive memories. Associations are the building blocks of the mind, and are hard to break, so Steve can't bring himself to be truly mad at Tony.
Tony Stark aside, Steve spent a lot of nights thinking about himself being gay. He grew up being taught that boys end up with girls, and that girls and up with boys, as most people were. Anything else would be wrong. He knew better now and didn’t apply this cruel and unfortunate concept to others, but it was still hard to abandon applying this to himself.
Other concepts were easy to take up in the kinder world since had experience from the past he could apply to them, like Peggy and the Howling Commandos, and he didn't have to consider himself for those those topics.
But thinking about himself being a homosexual meant he had to consider himself. He had heard stories of older people realizing that they weren't what they thought they were and went to live a happier life knowing more about themselves. He was technically and older person, so he knows that him being gay is a real possibility and is alright, but he still couldn't shake the odd feeling.
Eventually, he remembers a concept called internalized homophobia. He remembered the gist of it and figured it applied to him since he hit most the marks. His feelings about Bucky and the thoughts he had about guys in general also made more sense considering he was gay. Guess he liked drawing hot guys more than hot dames because he wanted to look like them. The thoughts Thor made him think with his literally divine body made him want to get on his knees. To pray, of course. And if it weren't for his anxiety and the Hulk situation, he'd wonder why Bruce was still single. The guy was absolute boyfriend material. Those thoughts should've been dead giveaways, since no straight guy would think about what kissing another guy's lips would feel like, or daydream about them like a schoolgirl with her first crush. Clint was taken, ‘undoubtedly sexy,’ as Steve thought at one point, but taken. Sam's kindness and devotion always gave him a warm feeling. And the guilt behind some of those nights with the Commandos also began to make sense. Like those not so brotherly feelings he got the time they drunkenly played spin the bottle and dragged poor ol’ sober Stevie to play. Now that he thinks about it, half of 'em probably weren't straight either. Shame they probably never figured that out. So. That settled that for him. He decided he was into guys. A lot more than he thought. The confirmation felt liberating, and constricting.
Coincidentally, he made that discovery the night he and Bucky had to share a bed. Not unusual or new for them. Times were tough back in the day, so sharing a bed was not uncommon. Steve, on his back and on the verge of sleep, realized that Bucky was clinging to his arm and using his biceps like a pillow. He always figured that having a bigger body would be nice.
Bucky looked at peace. Steve was glad that he was able to bring him some comfort in kinder world that managed to be as harsh, maybe even harsher, than ever. He also found it adorable that Bucky fell asleep on his arm. He tried to enjoy these gay thoughts. It felt nice, but guilt still lingered like the ringing of a bell that penetrated your bones, leaving the residue of its reverberations within.
‘So much for thinking about my love for him later.’ he reprimanded to himself.
For a bit of time, Steve was content with this knowledge, but eventually began to wonder what this meant about him and women. He knew he could like guys and gals, but he pondered if he really did. He considered Peggy. He knew he cared for her, but was it the product of love love, or something akin to companionship. Compulsory Heterosexuality was the term he was looking for, but didn't remember it until a few days later. It made sense, but he still couldn't really be sure. It's not like he had much experience with the ladies.
As a result, he decided that he didn't have enough experience to decide if he could love a woman like that. After all, even if Bucky don't swing his way, he's content enough basking in his presence on his good days, and content enough to be there for him on his bad days, knowing he's helping his best friend.
So naturally, he was eternally grateful when Wakanda offered amnesty and an offer to help cure Bucky. It pained him a little, but he and Bucky split ways. Steve couldn't leave his friends high and dry, and knew Bucky was in good hands. Wakanda is what he imagined the future would be like, and had seen the Black Panther in action, so he doesn't doubt that they can help Bucky where he couldn't. “They're truly kind people.” he had told Bucky before they went their separate ways.
During their separation, Steve realized he wasn't into women. All those kisses he received from the ladies on his trips to sell bonds didn't make him feel much, despite having wanted them at one point. And he never went too out of his way to kiss a dame. He remembers the time Peggy caught that secretary kissing him, and boy did she get mad. He can't say he enjoyed kissing that secretary. But, he was glad that Peggy moved on from him. He then realized that it wasn't that he wanted her to marry her and stuff, it's that he wanted a friend, but since society had told him boys and girls end up together, he latched onto the first gal that respected him and gave him some of her time. He couldn't have known better when he kissed her and didn't notice that it didn't feel different from any of the other kisses from women he had gotten before. He does notice how he doesn't feel much when he gets that kiss in front of Bucky and Sam. Just thinking about holding hands with a guy made him feel more, even if what he felt wasn't always entirely good.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and god did Steve's heart grow fonder. It was also during this separation that Steve fully realized how much he loved and cared for Bucky. He cherished those nights they spent alone together in their apartment back then. He realized that Bucky was the only one to ever truly weaken him. When he thought Bucky died on that mountain, it hit him like nothing he ever felt or would ever feel. It created a void in him that emanated emptiness through his body. And that only began to slightly heal a while after he awoke from being on ice.
Seeing him suffer at the hands of HYDRA broke him in ways he didn't think one could break. He realized that Bucky caused him to do some crazy things too. The mere chance of him being alive swayed him to storm a HYDRA base essentially alone. He caused him to go against entire governments for his safety. Needless to say, he'd move mountains for Bucky through sheer willpower and love if he needed to. So by all means, he was in love with Bucky. This acceptance of his feelings for Bucky both terrified, and invigorated him
-
During his winter soldier episodes, the sight of Steve would trigger immense confusion and dissonance. HYDRA's programming told him to fight and kill this enemy, but something in him told him “No.” That voice only had enough strength to break through for only mere seconds at a time.
Even once he managed to loosen HYDRA's grip on him, his memories of the past we're still jumbled up, only appearing in snapshots, blurred like a static fuzz, and only sometimes came with sound. Even then the sound was often distorted. Despite this, he felt that he could trust Steve. The more time he spent around him, the clearer his memories would become. Steve was able to help him jog his memory and remembered more about his past prior to his capture. He appreciated Steve not holding back and telling him about the not so fond memories as well.
Eventually, he regained most of his prior memories, but the memories of the Winter Soldier and the torture he endured seemed to haunt him in every hour of the day. They attacked him in his sleep with their innocent screams shooting through his soul, and their useless struggling clinging to him like inescapable tendrils, creating a fear inducing vice. They sought him out in quiet moments, dragging him down with overwhelming sadness and heavy guilt that could bring him to tears, trembling on his knees on the worst occasions. As time progressed, things became a little easier.
To help pass the time, he also got Steve to tell him more about the grand world they now lived in. He learned more or less what Steve learned: this place was at least better than the past. Kinder. However, there was one thing that caught his attention. When Steve mentioned that being gay was more acceptable, he noticed a shift in him. His face suggested contemplation, and quickly tried to hide it, but by that point, nothing about little old Stevie would get past him. He decided to ask more about it to see if he could get more information out of him. It wouldn't be the the first time he asked more questions, so it wouldn't seem suspicious. He concluded that Steve was definitely into guys. He could read the poor guy like an open book, though Bucky wouldn't confront him about it. He figured Steve would tell him in due time.
But Steve's words got him thinking: was he into guys? He knew he was into ladies. Liked the way they walked, some swaying their hips side to side, some filling each step with precise purpose, liked the way they talked, some quiet and soft, some lively and bubbly, and liked the way they sometimes made him feel warm in his heart. He remembers that feeling from his steadier relationships.
Though he knew he wasn't getting back into the dating scene anytime soon, the question was a fun one to entertain and would kill some time. He wondered, did he like they ways guys talked, the way they talked, and the way they would make him feel at times?
He remembers enlisting and seeing the guys march with the backs straight, chest out, and shoulders back. He found himself staring more times than he'd like to admit. He thanked god shorts weren't part of any of the uniforms. A guy's thick thighs would have been too irresistible to not stare at, and he surely would have been caught staring too intently then.
He remembers listening to guys speaking while he was smoking and getting lost in their deep voice sometimes. Women’s voices had their charms that made him wish he had a wife so he could come home to hear her voice everyday. But men had a different charm. Their often deeper melodies made him melt. The guys with softer voices would fill his body with a warm, calm feeling. It was easy for him to get lost in a guy's voice. Point is, he likes voices. A lot.
Then he remembers the way men could make him feel. A genuine bout of appreciation from a buddy of his, usually Steve, also always made his heart sing a little. Being bossed around in the army made him feel some things he'd never speak of out loud. Ok so maybe he was into guys too. Bisexual, Steve had mentioned in one of their learning lessons. Bisexual is what he decided he was, and he wasn't going to feel guilty or ashamed about it. He already had enough shame and guilt, and wasn't going to feel any more of it if he could help it.
It was at this point that he began to think of Steve a lot more in many different ways. That scrawny, asthmatic punk had a tighter grip on him than he had realized. He remembers his concern when he had to help Steve's punk ass out of a fight. It was a level of concern that seemed to be reserved exclusively for Steve. He remembers staring at Steve for hours while he drew, and feeling content watching him, and sometimes gleefully agreeing to model for him. His voice made him feel warmer than a perfect summer day. He remembers wishing so desperately that he could stop Steve's pain when his mother died. He would've done anything if it meant Steve wouldn't have to hurt.
Absence can also make the heart forgetful, and during his time enlisted away from Steve, Bucky forgot how much he needed him. He wanted to hear his voice, wanted to be able to watch him draw, and wanted to feel the warmth his presence gave him. Even during his fall on that mountain, Steve was on his mind. He was happy the last face he saw would be Steve's, and only regretted not being able to spend more time with him and see him happier. He thought about the things he'd miss. He'd miss being the best man at Steve's wedding, miss having kids that would grow up with Steve's kids and be best friends like him and Steve, miss way Steve made him feel. God he was so in love with Steve then and didn't even realize it. He didn't want to be Steve's best man, he to be the one to marry Steve. He wanted to raise kids with Steve that would be their kids. He wanted to be the one that Steve would give a warm, fuzzy feeling, and wanted to be the one that would give Steve that warm, fuzzy feeling.
Those realizations came to him one night when he woke up, unable to stay asleep. He found himself resting on Steve's arm, using his biceps as a pillow. Despite how uncomfortable it might have been, he looked calm and soft asleep in the moonlight filtering in. Besides, he smelled nice and didn't want to stir Steve up with his movement. It almost felt like a dream to be able to be so close to him. He wondered what his lips would feel like, and had half a mind to kiss him on his punk lips then and there. It was that thought that sent forth the avalanche of realizations: that he is in love with Steve.
Temporarily parting ways in Wakanda pained him a little, but Bucky knew it would be for the best. He could get a new arm and fully undo HYDRA's brainwashing. Wakanda was unlike anywhere else on Earth. It's unique and beautiful architecture was like a painting he could stare at in awe forever. And there was something special about the sun's rays there. They felt warmer and reinvigorating. They weren't lying about the sunset either. Bucky had no words to describe its beauty. He could only admire it in a peaceful quiet.
For sometime, he stayed and helped take care of some ofthe goats. He had spent so much time taking life away, so actually nurturing life for once made him feel like there was more to the world than killing an enemy. As much as he loved Steve, he knew he would need more in his life than him to heal and grow. He felt that Wakanda and its people were too kind to him.
Shuri was a kind girl, smarter than he could very hope to be. Calling her the most intelligent person to have ever lived would not be an understatement, which is why, despite his stoicism, he couldn't hide the fact that he was in love with Steve from her. She caught him in the middle of some deep thinking one day, and asked what was on his mind. He trusted her, so he told her, “Love.”
“Let me guess,” she said looking up quizzically, “Steve Rogers.” Her quick and confident response surprised him. “Maybe…” he replied rather embarrassed. “Yes,” he admitted to her, “but I just… don't know how to tell him. I'm pretty sure he's into guys too, but I don't want to ruin what we have. After so much trouble, we're finally back to being friends like old times. I don't want either me or him to lose this closeness we have over my selfish feelings. I know there is more to the world than just falling in love, but my love for him means the world to me.”
“You've got it pretty bad old man. And here I thought I could come here and escape having to listening to someone's tooth rottenly sweet love life.” she joked with a small laugh. “But listen, we all live such short lives, which is why we must live them to the fullest. It's why I'm here. I wanted to learn so much so I could help my brother and my country, and soon I will even help the world. But that isn't all. I expanded my knowledge even more because I wanted to learn more. Learning how this world works and applying this knowledge fills me with such joy. And you must do what will allow you to live you life to the fullest, with as much joy as possible.”
He realized she was right. “Thank you. I think I'll know what I'll do when I see him again.” He really couldn't thank the young genius enough.
-
In truth, Steve never really got used to having so much attention, so having everyone tell him to confess to Bucky after escaping the Raft made him feel pretty awkward. “Do it! Do it! Do it!” They all chanted in chorus as he lowered his head in embarrassment.
“Think about it. Worst case scenario, things just get a little awkward between you to and kinda drift away from each other. Best case scenario, you two end up hitched and live happy ever after!”, Scott told him. That didn't really help.
“Steve, you've loved the dude forever, and chances are, he's loved you forever too. You've seen the way he gets around you and the way you make him feel. And even if he doesn't like you like that, I'm sure he'll still respect you and care about you just the same.” Sam's words helped a little.
“Yeah. It doesn't take a psychic to see how close you two are. I'm sure things will end well if you tell him.” Wanda's words made him feel a bit more confident.
“And besides, you're, like, what, 35 ish? You could stand to lose your virginity.” Clint's words killed him upon hearing them..
“Oh my god…” he said quietly as he lowered his head in embarrassment, covering his blushing face with his hands.
“Hold up, hold up, hold up. You mean to tell me that this fucker, Captain fucking America, is a virgin???” Steve began to wonder why he went to save them.
“Yup. And don't call Captain America a fucker. It's inaccurate. Show some respect.” Clint said with a sly smile. Steve was beginning to question his life choices. He pondered what would have happened if he just left Clint on the Raft.
“How do you even know?” To say he was grateful for Wanda and her curiosity would be a lie. He wish he signed those Sokovia Accords when he had the chance so that the conversation wouldn't be happening.
“Me and Natasha we're having a conversation, one thing led to another, and I found out he really is a perfect little boy scout. Nat knows all sorts of things.” If she was caught, he knew he wasn't going to risk breaking her out.
“Hey it's no big deal that he hasn't gotten laid. Life happens.” He was grateful for Sam though.
“I should have left all of you on that island... Except for you Sam.”
“Aww come on, you know you like us all.” Scott said as he put his hand on Steve's shoulder, only to meet the meanest look he's ever gotten and feel a fear he had never felt before. Seeing the look on his face made him chuckle a little. “Yeah, I do.” He said as he exhaled, shaking his head with a little smile on his face.
Against all odds, he felt that this conversation is what he needed. He needed to be reminded that life is more than just fighting to protect, that it's also about living to have some fun and having dumb and silly moments with people you care about, even if it's at your own expense. So that settled it for him. Once they arrived in Wakanda, he would tell Bucky he loves him and they'd have some fun and have some dumb and silly moments and live in the now from time to time.
-
After a warm welcome from T'Challa, he went to go find Bucky while his friends were given a grand tour of Wakanda during it's beautiful sunset. After being given some directions, he found him in one of Shuri's labs, helping her test some training bots and their AI. She figured getting direct data from a fighting style that wasn't any of the usual Wakandan styles would be beneficial. Bucky was glad to help, and didn't want to get rusty anyways. It would also help him grow more accustomed to his new arm.
He noticed Steve, sporting the facial hair of a beard that was beginning to grow, just after he finished a round with a bot. Bucky felt hot enough as is, and the seeing the sexy facial hair on Steve wasn't helping that go down anytime soon. Those bots were tough though. He went in with a perfectly dry shirt, but after the first few rounds, it was dripping with sweat and clung to him like it was holding on for dear life. And god did Steve think he looked hot. He could feel a blush creeping across his face.
“I'd pull you in for a hug punk, but I'm sure you don't want your clothes full of sweat, or your fancy facial hair. I believe that goes against the dress code soldier.”
“C’mere jerk. I've been through worse.” he said as he went in for a hug. It felt nice to be so close to him again, but that sweat was no joke. He'd need a change of clothes since the ones he had on we're definitely soiled now. As they parted, he saw a smile on his face that warmed his heart. God he was in love with Bucky. “You look good.” was all he could manage to say. “You sayin I looked ugly before punk? I'll have you know that James Buchanan Barnes doesn't do ugly.” He said with a light hearted tone and a smile on his face. Steve replied with a laugh. “I don't know, there was that one haircut you got in high school... I'm joking,” he said with a laugh, “you've always looked good. But you do look happier and more at peace.”
“Thanks. I didn't do it alone though. I got some goats and the smart scientist in the world to thank.”
“Goats?”
“Yes, goats. Mr. Barnes has been helping raise some of the goats here. He's told me he finds it therapeutic.”
“It is. It feels refreshing to something nurturing for once. I could show you them sometime. You'd probably like it too. I even got to name one of them! I named him ‘Punk’, after you.”
As he was talking, Steve noticed Bucky's expression soften, and saw him smile a smile warm with enthusiasm. He found it cute, but more importantly, he was happy that Bucky was able to find something that made his life happy like that. He wanted to be a part of that happiness more than ever.
“I'd love to.” he said softly. That softness made Bucky's heart melt.
“But before you two go, I was wondering if you too could help me test for one more round. I'd like to see how it would do in a two-on-one against your fighting styles.” Naturally, the both agreed. They were gonna need a shower anyways and one round wouldn't hurt.
It did hurt when he was booty bumped, of all things mid flip and ended up landing on his ass. He heard Shuri giggle. He admits, watching Captain America get booty bumped to the floor onto his ass with a yelp would be a funny sight. It stopped being funny to him when Bucky, caught off guard by the hilarious sight, was then thrown at him, causing Bucky to land on him. Bucky ended up right on top of him. They laid on the floor hip to hip, chest to chest, face to face with mere inches apart, incredibly and eroticly close, staring into each other's eyes.
“Training over!” she said barely containing her laughter. The irony almost was too much to bear. They didn't notice her struggle to keep herself together as they got up, faces red from embarrassment rather than training. “I'll treat you two and your friends to dinner tonight as thanks. And Mr. Rogers, before you go, I'd like to speak with you real quick.”
“Sure. Whatever you need.” he said as she was telling Bucky, on his way out to a shower, where to meet up.
As she turned around to face him, she said, “You have got it sooooo bad”
“That obvious huh…” He was hoping Bucky didn't notice. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. Part of him still made him feel guilty about these feelings, causing him to not want to deal with them at all.
“Mr. Rogers I can tell that he loves you just the same. He hasn't told me, but I can tell.” She wasn't going to tell him that he told her he loved him of course. She didn't want to spoil the surprise. “I saw how his face lit up when he talked about you, and now that I see him here with you, I know that that man loves you more than anything. And I have the suspicion that there will be an error in the AI that will require me and your friends to skip dinner tonight.” She said with a smirk.
“Thank you, Princess Shuri.” Tonight would be the night.
“You're welcome.” she replied. As he went out the door, she erupted in laughter. That scene earlier was too good! The irony! The undeniable tension! Oh those poor, old fools.
-
After getting dressed after his shower and on his way to dinner, Bucky ran into Sam and Clint in the hall. He remembers them from their little adventure.
“Nice to see you two alive and well.”
“Nice to see you alive and kicking too. You look better.” Clint told him.
“Sayin I was ugly before?”
“W-well no I-it was just-”
Bucky laughed. “Steve told me the same thing earlier. I told him the same thing.”
“Speaking of Steve,” Sam began, “what was he like in the past, you know, before all this? Was he any different?”
“Ha! He hasn't changed much. He was a little punk before he the serum, and still is. I remember how his scrawny, little, asthmatic ass would always get into so many fights. He was too kind to let people do bad things and just stand there while it happened. We would patch each other up after I had to jump in and help him end the fight. Thing was too scared to talk to a dame but would start a fight in a heartbeat and fake his information on the papers for the enlistment four times without a second thought. He stormed a HYDRA base alone to save me and the other prisoners. He stormed the Raft just to get you all out. We've done a lot for each other. But as you can see, he hasn't changed much.”
“Wow. I'd ask if you miss the old him, but it looks like he never left. Must be nice to have someone who understands you so well.” Clint said.
“It's what friends are for.”
“But aren't you two more than friends?” Sam questioned.
“W-what?!? No! I mean we're close and all, but it's not like that!”
“Bucky, we know we all know you two have it bad for each other. It's in every word and every look you two give each other. Listen, a certain Wakandan princess told a little birdie to tell you that it's just gonna be you and Steve at that dinner tonight. Now is your chance man! Tell him under the Wakandan night sky and be free!” Sam was getting him pumped up now!
“And if I were you, I wouldn't be worried. That man obviously loves you. You two have been through thick and thin, and always will. Make the first move too. He'll love that. Tell him you love him first, so you can tell him how much you love him! Hell! Kiss him first! You know you've wanted to do it for so long, and think about how happy it’ll make Steve that his 'best friend’ loves him back and kissed him first!” He knew that Clint was making some goooood points and, and was getting more pumped up.
“You know what? You guys are right! I'm gonna tell that punk I love him and kiss him then and there!” Bucky said as he stood up.
“YEAH!!! GET YOUR MAN!!!” Sam and Clint shouted in unison as he walked to his “date.”
“We are soooo winning this bet.” Sam said once Bucky was out of earshot.
“Definitely.”
“Come on, let's go meet up with the others.”
-
Steve arrived to find Bucky sitting at one of the outdoor tables. It was a good choice. The stars were beautiful and the air was refreshingly cool. Steve felt like it would be the perfect place to tell him. He and Bucky would be the only ones in the outside dining area, so it'd be quiet and romantic. Before entering the building, he took a deep breath. “No time like the present..” he said putting his game face on. He followed Shuri's instructions for the reservation and sat across from Bucky. The table seemed kind of small, but hey, a table's a table. It would suffice
“Hey cutie, looks like it'll be just us two huh?” Cutie? Steve knew he was getting brave with that. Real brave. But it felt good. Exhilarating. Right, even.
Steve? Calling him a cutie? Hearing those words come out of his mouth made Bucky's heart flutter. But two could play that game. “Sure is just us two, handsome.” he said rather seductively. “Sam called me earlier and told me that something was up with the training bots and got Sam, Wanda, Clint, and Scott to help. Said that Shuri figured we'd be beat from earlier.
Bucky calling him handsome in that tone should've been classified as a weapon. The words struck him through his heart, making it skip a beat and his face flush with embarrassment. God what he wouldn't give for Bucky to do that again though. “Yeah, that's what she told me before I got here. She said it would be a good chance to collect data on them anyways. So, how have things been here?”, he said just as the waiter came to greet them and take their order.
“Things have been wonderful, as you can tell. New arm, no hydra brainwashing, and a good dinner coming up with my favorite guy in the world. And the last problem was solved pretty recently.”
“And what was the problem?”
“Me missing you.”
‘Is he trying to kill me?’ Steve thought.
“Your dinner.”, the waiter said, placing down their food and drinks.
“ThAnK You.” He said as the waiter walked away. 'Did my voice just fucking crack?’ he thought as he quickly covered his mouth with his hands as the blush spread across his face again.
Once the waiter went back inside Bucky was laughing his ass off so hard he had tears forming in the corners of his eyes! He hadn't heard Steve's voice crack so bad since he hit puberty! It was funny when he was a stick of a figure kid, and was even funnier now that he was a beefy, grown man. He was never gonna let Steve live this down.
But Steve looked at Bucky, realized he hadn't seen Bucky laugh so hard or smile so big in such a long time. Hearing this laugh and seeing this smile again filled him with such bliss that he forgot about his own embarrassment.
“Because..”, he started as Bucky's laugh died down. ‘It’s now or never Rogers.’ “Because I love you.”
-
Meanwhile, after Steve and Bucky left the restaurant, Shuri, Scott, and Wanda were celebrating their victory, with Scott and Wanda rubbing it in Clint and Sam's faces. Getting to take Sam and Clint's dessert for a month would be hell for the two losers, but heaven for Scott and Wanda. Sam and Clint only owed Shuri a favor. They would help her regardless, but it was the principle that mattered.
“Yeah we get it you, three won.” Sam said with a pout as he turned off the screen. They had seen all they needed to see anyways.
“I'm gonna miss that dessert.” Sam said sadly.
“Me to pal. Me too.” They walked out, with Clint patting Sam on the shoulder. Victory or defeat, they were all happy for the two love birds.
-
“Because.. Because I love you!”
‘Did I hear that right? He loves me back?’ Bucky wondered. His eyes widened with surprise. He didn't expect him to fess up first. A million more thoughts raced through his mind in a instant. 'Maybe he's joking. It didn't sound like he was joking. He wasn't joking. He isn't they type to joke like this. When did he fall in love with me? Why would he tell me now? Why wouldn't he?’
Meanwhile, Steve only had one main, repeating thought on his mind: 'I fucked up.’ In hearing Bucky's silence and seeing his expression change from joyous to what Steve interpreted as discomfort, he felt like he ruined everything. He put his head down in shame. Part of him felt that he deserved this though, like it was for the best. And worse, he imagined that after this awkward dinner, him and Bucky drifting apart, slowly and slowly, eventually eventually becoming irrelevant to Bucky's life, and left alone in the crushing gravity of unrequited love. This love, like a rose, would invoke a appreciation and admiration through the sole virtue of its mere existence, and would simultaneously stab and impale with its thorns, leaving him with a euphoric pain born from cruel beauty that would mercilessly strangle his heart like a constricting snake and joyously mend it so that it could be suffocated once more. Living life with that kind of emotion forever is the life Steve imagined. And then,
“I love you too.”
Hearing those words come from Bucky nearly made him cry from happiness. He picked his head up to look at him. He saw a Bucky as shy and embarrassed as him, though he tried to play it cool.
“And since you got to say ‘I love you’ first, how about I get the first kiss.”, he asked, still trying to play it cool despite the obvious. He moved a little closer to Steve, and felt the butterflies in his stomach.
“I think that can be arranged.” He moved a little closer too. He too, felt those uncontrollable butterflies in his stomach fluttering about.
Steve tilted his head, let Bucky lean in, and kiss him. It was the greatest euphoria he had ever felt, greater than walking out of that serum injector, cured of his ailments.He brought his hand up to Bucky's cheek and gently caressed it with his thumb, which brought a moan out of bucky. This intimate moment, once only dreamt of, was a catharsis that put decades of seemingly unrequited longing, fear, and guilt to rest, and brought forth a wave of warm and soft love mixed with a bit of pure and lustful ecstasy that washed over him. Though it only lasted seconds, it took his breath away, leaving him hungry for another kiss. He wanted to feel Bucky's lips against his again and again to feel that warmth and feel the intimate soft love and feel vulnerable for one in his life.
When Bucky leaned in to kiss Steve, he almost couldn't believe that it was happening. But that kiss was very real, and Bucky was very glad for that. It was the best thing he ever felt. Steve's lips against his was everything he wanted, imagined, and more. They didn't have the softness that a dame's lips had, but the slight roughness of Steve's lips and the feeling of the growing beard against his face made for a nice, intimate edge yearn for more contact like an adrenaline junky looking for their next rush. And boy oh boy did Steve deliver. He moaned when Steve brought his hand up to his cheek to stroke it with his thumb. Bucky could felt like he could die a very happy man in that moment. He hadn't felt such intimacy in such a long time, and this level of intimacy was on a whole other level, so if moaned, he moaned.
He was so ready for more that he was about to wrap his arms around Steve and maybe get in some tongue action when Steve pulled away. The surprising lack of touch startled his eyes open. He was tempted ask Steve to kiss him again so he could feel that closeness again, but decided against it. It'd be embarrassing if someone were to walk by and catch them with their tongues in each other's mouths. Besides, he got to see Steve's pretty face in its entirety as he pulled away, and they'd have lots of time to have more fun and closely intimate moments later anyways. 'God I love this man.’
As Steve pulled away and opened his eyes, he found Bucky staring at him so intently and lovingly, it felt as if cupid shot another arrow into his heart with Bucky's name written all over it, leaving his love and lust for Bucky to spread through his body in greater magnitude.
“So, when did you find out that you love me?”, Bucky asked as be began to eat some of his food.
“I truly realized that some time after we split up from Wakanda, it crossed my mind when I found you sleeping on my arm one time, which was cute, and I was probably in love with you long before that.”
“God, you saw that? Me on your arm?”
“How could I forget? The guy I liked was sleeping adorably on my arm. Wouldn't trade the memory for the world.” Softness filled Steve's voice.
“You sap,” Bucky said embarrassed with a wide smile on his face. 'He thought I was cute!’ “Well you looked adorable when I was on your arm too! It could've been the same nap as you, but I really realized I loved you when I woke up one night and was using your arm as a pillow. You were asleep, and you looked so nice that I wanted to kiss you.”
“You should have, would've saved us a lot of time.”
“Ha! Yeah. But wanting to kiss you made me realize how much I wanted to be a part of your life, and for you to be a part of mine.”
Straight for the heart again. “I do want to be a part of your life, and I want you to be a part of my life. ‘Til the end of the line.’, remember?” Steve leaned in a little closer to Bucky.
“‘Til the end of the line.” Bucky leaned in to kiss Steve one more time.
A ended a bit quicker than the last, but that didn't matter. What mattered to them was that they finally could be so close and intimate to each other. They didn't have to dance around each other's feelings anymore, or be stuck in limbo with not knowing whether the other loved him like he did. It was freeing.
“I don't think I'll ever get tired of that.”
“I don't think I will either.”
They continued their conversation, steering I to other topics such as what they'd do in Wakanda while they were there, what do do after Wakanda maybe, how Scott, Wanda, Clint, and Sam were holding up, Bucky's goats, and more. They eventually finished their dinner, thanked their waiter, and proceeded to start their walk back to their living quarters and restart their conversation..
Eventually, their walk back took them through a park, where Bucky decided to ask the fun question: “Steve, does all this mean that we're boyfriends?”
Steve's stride faltered for a moment and his eyes widened in surprise and realization. He hadn't thought this far ahead, which was strange considering how he gay thoughts he had. He could say with confidence that they were boyfriends, but the thought that he has a boyfriend didn't cross his mind. He regained his composure and, he, unable to look at Bucky, shyly replied, “Yes, I suppose it does.”
“Good. I think I'm gonna like being your boyfriend.” Bucky, with a smile on his face, moved right next to Steve and laid his head on his shoulder, grabbing his hand to hold. He remembers how nice it was when a dame leaned on him like that, and figured Steve would appreciate the intimate gesture as well. He could see why they did it too. It felt calming.
Steve, meanwhile, nearly short-circuited. He could feel his face immediately reddened with a blush and if it weren't for the serum, his knees probably would have given out. This man was trying so hard to kill him with love. But hearing Bucky call him his boyfriend sent him over the moon with joy.
“I'm gonna like being your boyfriend too.”
He looked down to Bucky at his side to see him staring at him lovingly, erasing and feelings of shyness, embarrassment, and guilt, and decided to kiss him. A quick peck on the lips that still meant the world to the both of them. They continued the rest of their walk home in silence, enjoying each other's quiet presence.
“After you.” Steve said as he held the door open for Bucky, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek as he passed. ‘I can definitely get used to this.’ he thought smugly as he caught up to Bucky to find him blushing. And also find Scott, Wanda, Clint, and Sam in the living room, having just witnessed the little kiss. Now they were both blushing with embarrassment.
“I can explain!” Steve said trying to do some damage control.
“Steve, Steve, it's alright. We all know you two love each other.” Sam told him calmly. It did help.
“Yeah. We all know. I don't think there was anyone who didn't know but you two.” Wanda was right, and Steve and Bucky knew it.
“Ok, we might have been very obvious and very oblivious, but hey! We're boyfriends now!” Bucky's shout of affirmation was followed by the hoots of their friends. Steve was clapping, though he wasn't sure why. They decided that it was nice to have friends again.
“Soooo, tell us the details! Who confessed?”, Scott asked excitedly.
“Me. I told him I loved him, and I kissed him, and now he's my boyfriend.” Steve replied confidently. It felt so good to say call Bucky his boyfriend in front of others. Though he noticed a bit of disappointment in Sam and Clint's faces, and then heard Wanda and Scott chanting “We won! We won!”, while dancing victoriously.
“You guys placed a bet on us?!”
“I'm gonna miss that dessert.” Clint looked rather depressed as he said this.
“Me too.” Sam looked as equally depressed. Wakandan desserts were like a gift from the heavens, as they learned during their tour.
“Sam! You didn't vote for me? I thought we were friends?” Steve said jokingly, making and overdramatically hurt expression. It felt nice to have that kind of fun. It felt normal.
“Well, Princess Shuri, who betted on you too, actually requires our assistance, except for you two. She said you've helped her enough for today and thanks you.”
“Tell her that we said thanks, for everything.” Bucky called out as they walked out, with Wanda and Scott rubbing their victory in, and Sam and Clint still moping. How nice it felt to have some normalcy after so long.
“They all really bet on us, huh?” Steve asked in a bit of shock.
“Should I feel bad that only two of the five people voted for me?”, Bucky asked as he grabbed a drink for himself and Steve.
“Nah. If it's any consolation though, I would have voted for you.”
“You know, I was planning to ask first.”
“Don't worry, there will be plenty more first.” That devilish tone could end Bucky any day, and he'd be happy with that.
“What kind of first you thinkin’ about Captain?” Bucky tried to sound a bit seductive. Steve would say he succeeded.
“I don't know, how long do you think they'll be out?”
“Hmm.. About a couple hours maybe.”
“I'd say that's enough time to have a little fun and get you to do some firsts.”, Steve replied very seductively, pumped up on cockiness and desire. He pulled Bucky in a little closer, a lot closer really. Their bodies were pressed together, their faces inches apart, staring adoringly at each other.
“I’d say so too.” Bucky then went in for the kiss. This kiss was much more lustful than the previous, much more. He let his hands wander Steve's body, feeling every erotic inch he could find. And he had to say, Steve's ass certainly felt nicer than it looked. The moan that then came out of Steve's mouth was even nicer.
Steve, meanwhile was loving every moment of it. It was his first time doing something of this caliber. Every touch sparked a powerful feeling in him. And Bucky grabbing his ass sent him over the edge. Steve broke apart the kiss to ask, “How about we continue this in your room where you can show your captain what you're really made of?”
The absolutely sensual tone made Bucky's temperature rise even more.
“Sir yes sir.”, he replied enthusiastically. He led Steve into his room, and closed the door behind him.
-
Bucky was the first to wake up. He missed small Steve, but big Steve had his perks. For example, big Steve was a very nice big spoon, able to engulf his body in his warmth. The clock on his bed stand read 9:23, so he felt like he should have gotten up, but he felt too comfortable and didn't want to wake Steve, so just went back to sleep with a small smile and happy heart.
He woke up a little later. The clock read 10:47. He got up and tried to wake Steve up.
“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up it's 10:47.”
“Ten more minutes.”, he replied sleepily. Bucky thought he looked too cute, sprawled out on the bed now that they weren't cuddling, and couldn't deny his request.
“And come back to bed with me.” The bed did look comfortable, so Bucky rejoined him, laying down so he could face him. He couldn't go back to sleep, so he opted to stare at Steve's pretty face. He felt content, seeing his love resting peacefully. He thought about all the things he loved about Steve. His hair, his smile, his bravery, kindness, tenacity, how he was always there for him, his ass… and his determination too. Of course there was more he could think of, but by then, Steve shifted awake and turned to face him.
“I could tell that you were looking at me. So what were you thinking about?”
“About how much I love you.”
“Sap.”
“Punk.”
“Jerk.”
They both gave out a small laugh.
“You know Bucky, thanks, for being there for me and all that. And for loving me.”
“Then thanks, for doing the same for me. It was a long battle to get to this point, but at least we have each other now, closer than ever.”
“I love you, Steve.”
“I love you too, Bucky.”
#Marvel#captain america#bucky barnes#steve rogers#9k words#ah#something old indeed#this bad boy kickstarted my tradition of having a song as a source of inspirtion#i can also blame drakenier for that#stucky
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Spider-man Homecoming: Review
Heads up: this isn’t for the super sensitive.
I’m not gonna lie: I didn’t love this movie. I didn’t go into it expecting much but carried with me that hope the movie might prove those expectations wrong. It has thus far. This year has been one surprising but pleasant ride as far as super hero films go. Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and of course, the masterpiece that is Wonder Woman. Each film stood strongly on its own, raising the stakes for the genre in a way I haven’t seen in years.
In my personal opinion, the latest addition to the MCU felt a little lackluster in comparison. There were highlights of course: Michael Keaton, Peter’s unusual preference towards being Spider-man rather than viewing it as a responsibility, his relationship with Tony Stark, and this new/reimagined cast of classmates. That said…I almost felt like I was watching a Spider-man fanfiction, rather than a new, professional blockbuster installment. At this point, maybe it is fanfiction, or rather, since Marvel is in charge again, writers picking and choosing from previous “fanfiction” and crafting their own, alleged relevant interpretation. Fanfiction of fanfiction.
I’ve never seen so many new characters in a super-hero film than this one. They have existed of course, both in the MCU (Coulson as the most well-known example) and the X-men films (Nina, Peter’s little sister), this is just the first time, as I’ve said, I’ve seen so many in one setting. It’s incredibly strange for someone like me, someone who knows the Spider-man mythos better than almost any other hero/comic line, with the exception of the X-men.. I’m thinking specifically of Ned and Michelle. Ned I know was inspired by Ned Leeds, and I do think it would be cool to see him as a reimagined hobgoblin one day. Michelle…I loved her character, she’s fun and weird and something not seen too often in the super hero world, super-powered or otherwise. That said, and this is my personal opinion, I don’t particularly care for this implied idea she’s the new “Mary Jane.” Generally when it comes to the MCU, Marvel has been pretty good about keeping iconic characters true to their comic book origins. Minor or less well-known (Jeri Hogarth, Kilgrave and Claire Temple as two primary examples), have been, in the past, Marvel’s way of exploring reimagined characters and including a more well-rounded universe without upsetting fans for whom certain characters left such an imprint.
Before anyone says anything, I want to reiterate that I liked some of these changes: Queens New York in 2017 is very different from the Queens of Peter’s comic origins. I adored this reinterpreted Flash, although it took a bit to digest. Not only because he wasn’t the Flash I’d grown up with but his interests and methods of bullying were so different than what I remember. I liked that. I liked that there was friction within the same social circle. I liked that Peter was sort of an outcast in said social circle; when I was growing up I frequently felt that way. Sometimes I still do. I forget where I read this but someone mentioned this Flash chose to bully Peter verbally, and only verbally, which I think is definitely worth noting as well. We live in a different era now; physical bullies are far less prevalent than they were twenty years ago. Speaking as someone who was bullied (although not within my social circle, not really) I found it…not important but I liked that they went that route because verbal bullying can be just as damaging as anything physical. Just because you can’t see the scars doesn’t mean they aren’t there. So I liked this Flash, I liked that he was part of the Decathalon, I liked that part of his dislike seemed to stem from that dislike and I also liked that despite not knowing all the answers (which could have implied he cared less than his classmates) he cared enough to snap at Peter when he rejoined the team at the last minute.
To go along with that, I liked that Liz was also on the team. That she was fairly popular and well-liked, but didn’t fall into the cheerleader type, so to speak. She was that smart and pretty senior nerd whom the slightly nerdier Peter (and I loved that he and Ned were nerds among nerds; that word is so vast now) felt far above his league. I also liked that she didn’t treat him like a nobody and seemed to like him from the start. I don’t know…I’m not big on high school stories or high school romances but this particular interpretation felt more human than formulaic.
With that cleared up, I’m going to go back to Mary Jane really quickly: I don’t care about romantic interests in super hero films and I never really liked Mary Jane. That said, I grew up with her looking a certain way and seeing someone who not only behaved but look so different and just having to accept this is ‘Mary Jane’ now when she’s very clearly her own character bothers me. Don’t groom me to believe one thing and just expect me to be okay with this. I love Michelle as her own character, I want to see more of her and I’d love for her to join Peter and Ned as the third member of their friendship circle but I don’t want her to be Mary Jane. I just don’t.
Michael Keaton was, as I said before, my favorite part of the movie. I didn’t latch onto him right away but I liked his approach: a middleclass dad engaged in weapons’ distribution felt very appropriate as this friendly webslinger’s first real villain. That is one thing Marvel handles well: exploring not only the heroes but what impact they leave on the rest of the public. This goes for both Shockers, too. Neither they or the Vulture have ever, in my opinion, been impressive enough to steal the show the same way someone like Loki or Magneto could, but capitalizing on their strengths to harness not only alien technology but hijack an invisible plane (much less an Avengers’ plane) was, in my opinion, a smart move. Spider-man is young, his powers are limited and these villains felt as though they were just out of his league enough to pose a threat and teach him something about, well, “power and responsibility.” What it means to be Spider-man.
I really didn’t see the twist coming, that he would end up being Liz’s father. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I love a good twist but they weren’t (to my knowledge) related in the comics…if they were, well, that’s my bad. Like I said, certain things I don’t mind changed. Others I do, if only because after a point the franchise movie starts feeling like an original movie, an original franchise and it’s not supposed to be. On the other hand…this is the second Spider-man reboot and I’m sure Disney/Sony wanted to make sure it stood on its own. So the question is, where is the middle ground? How do you create something original with a subject that’s been done over and over and over again? Teenage super heroes struggling to come into their own, struggling to get the girl and dodge the bully, all the while keeping secrets from their guardian…do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen anything featuring teenage super-hero situations? I don’t count X-men apocalypse because it didn’t deal with that so much as…that movie was as much the adult’s story as the teens and they were trying to stop a literal apocalypse. Spidey, however…it was like someone transported me back to the early-mid 2000s. Sky High, Danny Phantom, even X-men evolution and of course the first three spider-man films…that was the era, at least I think, of the teenage super-hero. Nowadays it feels more like an anomaly, at least in cinema. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, it was just…strange…and really made me feel my age.
Like I said though, there were some things I liked apart from Keaton: Peter reacted to the whole having super powers and being invited by the Avengers thing like I imagine most real-world teens would, the way I would’ve reacted when I was a teen if I were in that situation. He wasn’t the adult in a teenage body Toby McGuire and even Andrew Garfield took on after a while. He genuinely wanted to be Spider-man, he didn’t see the point in his studies if he got to be a world-renowned super-hero. It was really interesting to see him discover what previous Spider-men already harbored, and from Tony of all people. I love Tony, he’s probably my favorite character in the MCU and seeing him try to play dad was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I look forward to seeing that relationship develop.
I also…I’m not sure how I feel about both Ned and May discovering his identity so quickly. I guess it makes sense? Maybe? Teenagers, especially in this day and age, can’t sneak out the same way they used to. With May no longer a frail old woman, it would make sense she’d be more engaged in Peter’s life. Sally Field played some of that up, and Marissa Tomei continues it. I loved her relationship with Peter, side-note. Always have. She really did behave like an aunt. That aside, maybe the identity revelation was intentional…maybe secrecy has no place in this MCU. Spidey is just one small piece of a larger puzzle. Maybe they didn’t want to waste time with that kind of drama. The MCU never has been big on drama, with a handful of exceptions. Previous Spider-man films were more dramatic, even the Amazing series (which I maintain as my favorite interpretation.)
To summarize: this movie was different, but it wasn’t. Some changes worked, some didn’t. Some similarities worked, others didn’t. There was both life and fatigue in this movie, and a whole lot of pandering.
I would go see it again, if only to pay more attention (I saw it at a drive-in. Missed the Stan Lee cameo, ugh.) As far as Spider-man films go, I’d personally put it ahead of the McGuire films but behind Andrew Garfield’s. At least for now. I do want to see more of this Spider-man, see how his relationships develop and see what other characters they incorporate or invent (J.K. Simmons to return as Jameson, anyone?)
Please remember my opinions are my own. They are not meant to stir any political fire. Just the thoughts of a long-time super hero fan who never quite fit the mold.
#spiderman homecoming#spider man homecoming#peter parker#tony stark#ned leeds#adrian toomes#returnedtothecrypt
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Spider-man: Homecoming
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Well the day has finally arrived. Spider-man has finally gotten his own movie! When mild mannered Peter Parker is bitten by a radio-active spider he gains super-powers! Now as strong as 10 human men and possessing fantastic agility, Peter must learn the ways of being a super-hero all while navigating the treacherous ways of high school and young adulthood. All while remembering that with great power comes great responsibility.
Alright so this isn’t actually Spidey’s first rodeo when it comes to Hollywood. In fact it’s his 6th. 7th if you count Civil War. The first three starred Tobey McGuire and basically got everything right until the third installment was screwed over by execs at Sony. Who then proceeded to screw up the next two installments which starred Andrew Garfield. Now we have Tom Holland, a young man who appears to fit the criteria for Spider-men. Hair that isn’t impossible to fit under a mask. A smile that appears harmless. And the ability to look smart and be clumsy when not wearing a costume. And he can toss out a quip when the script calls for it.
Homecoming is the second attempt at reinventing the wheel for Sony. The first attempts, the Garfield era we shall call it, was a total mess. It was so bad Sony had to give up on trying to make a super-hero movie on it’s own and decided to collaborate with Marvel Studios, the company which owns the character but not the movie rights due to prior bankruptcy issues.
So this then is a Spider-man movie set in the same universe and timeline as Iron Man and Captain America etc. Marvel made the movie, Sony paid for it. So it benefits from the full Marvel marketing machine. There are cameos aplenty ranging from Tony Stark himself to...others.
Not all of these cameos are perfect. Robert Downey Jr. is almost literally phoning his in at one point. But still, in a universe where the Avengers movies are real life and all of those things happen, some of the events seen are perfect, and I’m quite impressed that they burned a contractual appearance the way they did.
The movie is titled Homecoming, and that’s more to do with Spidey being in the Marvel universe again more than anything that happens on screen, but the climax of the movie does take place during a High School homecoming dance in order for there to be a legitimate reason for the title.
Michael Keaton plays The Vulture, our villain of the hour. And he does a pretty good job of selling the character. He’s got a valid reason to be doing what he’d doing, or so he thinks. Right after the Battle of New York he got the contract to clean up all of the alien equipment and such, only to have it ripped out from his feet by a federal jurisdiction issue that is supported by Mr. Tony Stark. So Vulture, who has over-extended himself to get this contract, decides that making and selling weapons based on alien technology would make for a really profitable venture. 8 years later we find out that he was correct, but his men are getting sloppy, and that’s when everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-man stumbles onto things.
This movie has a large balancing act to perform. On the one hand people are really sick of seeing Peter Parker’s origin story told on film, and Marvel knows it. On the other hand they have to establish Tom Holland as the character and give a unique spin on things. I’d say they go to far at times trying to re-invent the wheel. The movie is still enjoyable but I dislike a lot of what they chose to do. Spider-man does not need an AI in his suit telling him things or a drone to show him whats going on. He does not need Tony Stark to create his suit for him. (yes I know about the Iron Spiders Suit. Not the point). Aunt May being played by Marisa Tomei doesn’t especially annoy me but it differs greatly from the comic history so boo to that. Also yet another movie where he can’t keep his identity secret. And you might think of this as a positive but not once do we hear the “Great Power Great Responsibility” line. Sorry that’s who the character is, and its nowhere here. Might as well have just called him Miles Morales and be done with it.
Musically there is no distinct Spider-Man theme. Instead the Avengers theme is given a bit of a arachnid twist. I thought it was cute, and it goes a long way towards directly tying Spidey into the Marvel universe. I really wish they had found a way to use the music that plays during the Marvel logo, as it was a nice take on the original cartoon theme.
Overall it’s an enjoyable movie that further extends the Marvel cinematic universe, but it seems even Marvel can’t reinvent Spider-Man and make everyone happy. If you’re young you’ll probably love it, and if you’re old you’ll get a kick out of seeing Batman beat the crap out of Spidey for a while, but too much of this movie felt like it could have been 2 minutes long had somebody just listened and mentioned that they had taken action.
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Fight to Win - The Atom Vs Ant -Man
Big ideas can come from little, little men, and today, these two will put their ideals and inventions to the test in a battle where there’s only room for one giant sized champion!
The bigger they are, the harder they fall--and every hero matters, no matter how small!
Ray Palmer, the Atom
And Scott Land, the new Ant-Man
I’m Tommy the Bomb-Y, and it’s my job to pit fiction’s champions against one another in a
FIGHT!
TO!
WIN!
Star City is riddled with crime--and equally as populous, a crowd of heroes seeking to stop them. From the Green Arrow to Black Canary, even the most mild mannered of businessmen could have a double life of extinguishing evil.
A brilliant CEO who wanted in on the action did so by utilizing his brilliant mind and engineering skills. With his size altering exosuit, Ray Palmer would become the Atom.
Name: Ray Palmer Age: 36 Height: 6’2” (187 cm) at base Weight: Variable Race: Human Homeland: Star City Alias: The Atom Superhero Legend of Tomorrow Ray Palmer’s size altering exosuit allows him to change size at will, making him a valuable asset for heroes across the universe and beyond. With his brilliant intellect and valiant nature, he can shrink down and destroy evil from the inside, or grow to stomp it out as he pleases.
As the Atom, Ray can shrink or grow to any size he chooses, and upon his growth, he gains a proportionate power boost. At his height (no pun intended) of power, Ray is capable of hand to hand combat with the Leviathan, Vandal Savage’s giant, humanoid super weapon. Despite being made of 2166 technology, Ray was strong enough to destroy it. When shrunk down, Ray has can fling himself with enough force to break through a foe’s body not unlike a bullet, and can leave dents in concrete by landing on it.
The Atom Exosuit can fly, and offers Ray an increased durability that allows him to shake off impact of an exploding jet plane as if it were nothing. He survived a fall of several thousand stories, and can tank arrows, bullets, and missiles as if they were nothing.
A pair of Photon Cannons make up the Atom’s long range weapon of choice--a fairly straightforward blast of compressed light that can knock most foes off of their feet. Ray can even compress this energy into a beam sword. Although these heavier artillery weapons take a bit of time to recharge and cool down, so Ray can’t use them frequently. Luckily, he has a close up electricity generator that can shock a target with enough force to knock them backwards.
The suit even has an advanced computer system--able to identify anything or anyone in front of Ray.When you have an IQ of 140, it’s good to have an on screen scanner. When a target needs to be reduced, the Atom’s shrinking extends beyond simply himself. When a meteorite of Nth Metal was headed for earth, the Atom’s shrinking ray was enough to reduce it to a harmless size.
Ray survived torture from the powerful Damien Dhark, and has trained his body to physical capacity. He was able to hold his own in a sword battle with a Shogun in feudal Japan, which he only participated in because his value as a hero was recognized by the time traveler Rip Hunter.
Although his suit is impressive, Ray can be a bit too proud of his own creation for his own good. He’s been outdone by the likes of Team Arrow due to his over reliance on this technology, looking down on fisticuffs as a last resort. However, the Atom always gets the job done--his big ideas leading to even bigger changes in Star City and all over space and time...and all from a small suit.
For better or for worse--Hank Pym changed the world of science forever when he created the Pym Particles--sub atomic alterers of matter than can increase or decrease an object’s size--able to make anything gargantuan, or, the size of an ant. With such a great power came great responsibility, one that Hank Pym could not handle.
Many years after his invention caused some of his greatest strifes and regrets, Pym is prepared to take up a new apprentice. He shares his Pym particles with the man he deemed worthy to become the second Ant Man.
Name: Scott Lang Age: Not documented Height: Variable (5’10”/178 cm base) Weight: Variable Race: Human Homeland: USA Alias: Ant-Man Second Pym Particle Superhero Seeing the potential in Scott Lang to be the hero he couldn’t be, Hank Pym trained the professional criminal to save the day as Ant Man, whose change sizing abilities pack a mighty punch on crime, backed by an army of soldier ants.
Pym is a picky fella, and not anybody could be Ant Man. Scott got the chance he did based on his intelligence and ingenuity. If he’s clever enough to break into a millionaire scientists’ safe, he’s clever enough to be a superhero. With the help of his daughter, Hope, Hank trained Scott in self defense to better utilize the powers he would gain…
Using the Pym Particles, Scott can shrink down to the size of an ant. The big plus here is the fact that his strength does not adjust to scale, enhancing his physicality greatly--packing the force of a grown man behind a tiny superhero. According to Hope, Scott can hit someone with the force of a bullet, 2,500 feet per second, and over 450 joules of energy.
In his miniature form, Ant-Man was able to trounce Falcon in battle--his size and speed giving him an excellent mobility. He’s small enough to sneak inside machines, enough so to tamper with the technology worn by the aforementioned Falcon and Iron Man. He also was able to outdo the Yellow Jacket, another user of similar technology.
The Pym Particles go both ways--Scott can use them to grow to be several stories tall (albeit, at the cost of immense strain on him). He becomes clumsy and cumbersome in this state, but can easily throw about trucks weighing several tons and topple buildings. When increased in size his durability does wonders too, able to endure missile fire from War Machine.
Scott also packs a collection of Pym Particle discs, which he can throw and influence the size of anything and anyone they make contact with. He can make objects enlarge with blue discs, and make them shrink with red ones.
Pym’s final tool of choice is a device that allows control over insects. With a bit of radio control of pheromones, Scott has rudimentary control of ants. With an army at his disposal, he can cover a battlefield, and even change the size of his own ants with his Pym Particle discs.
Land proves that big things come in small packages, and he’s one package that blow up in the face of any opponent daring enough to face him.
Ladies and gentlemen, break out the magnifying glasses--let’s see which tiny titan trounces their opponent!
Location: Stark Tower
DJ Funky Freeman’s Music Choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlhbBQIP1TA
“Thanks again for stopping by, Scott.” Tony lead the fellow Avenger into his office. “Can I interest you in a martini?” Before Scott could answer, a plate on which two martini glasses filled with clear liquor extended toward him from a compartment in the Stark Towers wall. “A martini before I navigate the inside of your suit?” Scott chuckled slightly, motioning to the Ant-Man helmet in his hand. Tony shrugged. “More for me.” The philanthropist picked up both glasses himself. “So just what am I looking for again?” Scott urged, looking over at Tony’s suit, which laid on a stand angled against a wall. “JARVIS detected some kind of disruption in my suit. Nothing the naked eye could detect. Could be the smallest of loose bolts.” Tony turned to Scott. “So I figured the smallest of Avengers would be best to take a look!” Scott placed his helmet over his head. “Gee, thanks.” Suited up, Scott immediately reduced his own body down to a point at which Tony could no longer see him. “Ooh, and if you find any crumbs in there, pull them out if you can!” Tony called out. “I gotta stop eating while I’m wearing that thing.” “Want me to polish the jet thrusters too, your majesty?” The microscopic Scott rolled his eyes as he climbed up into the Iron Man suits arm, squeezing into the open ridges of the armor.
Inside the curves and wires within Iron Man’s suit, Ray Palmer stood, recording everything he saw on his tablet. “Interesting stuff...I have to admit I wouldn’t think to use these kinds of materials.” He muttered to himself. ”Hey buddy!” Scott surprised Ray from behind. The Ant-Man believed he found exactly what Tony could not. “You lost? You seem to have wandered into someone else’s armor.” “Guilty as charged.” Ray compacted his tablet, returning it to his utility belt. “I’m not looking for any trouble. I just wanna make sure your Iron friend can’t do anything he might regret with this kind of technology.” “A surprise search?” Scott cracked his knuckles. “Was never a fan of that kind of thing in prison.” “I think I know where this is going…” Ray turned to face Scott straightforward. “Not that I’m complaining.” FIGHT! Ray blasted himself forward with the the thrusters on his suit, his leg pointed forward to land a rushing kick into Scott. Pushed backwards, Scott gripped the steel panels inside the suit, pushing himself forward toward Ray, his elbow pointed out to hit Ray. The two were quickly entangled, catching one another’s blows. Scott grabbed hold of Ray’s head, pulling back his own before exposing his opponent to a powerful headbutt. A bit of blood flew from Ray’s nose, who exasperatingly pressed his hands to Scott’s chest in response. “Sorry, little close for comfort.” Ray released the photon blast from the cannons on his suit, sending Scott flying backwards. Scott grunted as his body hit a wall of iron behind him. “Now you’re really asking for it!” Scott reached for the closest thing to him--a cluster of wires connected to a compartment within the armor, which he yanked out of place. I’ll pay for that later. Scott threw the wires, their sparking end out forward, at Ray, who endured a shock when they made contact. With his foe shaken and paused, Scott threw himself forward, knocking Ray off of his feet and down onto his back, slamming against a thick ground of cables. “Not so tough now, are yAAGH!” Scott quickly found himself tripped off his own footing, knocked down by Ray, who had used his legs to knock him over with a quick maneuver. Ray was fast to roll toward Scott, lifting himself over his opponent. “Let’s see how many watts that suit can take, huh?” Gripping Scott’s wrists, Ray sent a surge of electricity into his foe. Scott yelled in pain, but wasn’t paralyzed. Through the pain running through his body, Scott sent his knee upward into Ray, flipping him over and off of himself. “You’re hard headed!” Ray said between bated breaths, climbing back up. “Lots of prison hazing.” Scott responded with a shrug as he stood back up himself. The two superheroes rushed at one another. Fueled by his suit's thrusters, Ray shot himself at Scott. The two collided, both of their fists crashing into their foes chest. As soon as the collision occurred, the suits of both men made a slight hiss and sputter. Uh-oh. Oh, geez.
Tony lounged back in his recliner, polishing off his second martini, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw the arm of his suit shaking violently. After vibrating eerily for a few seconds too many, Tony’s heart skipped a beat when he saw two fully grown men in red and silver suits suddenly burst out of it. The pieces of the Iron Man suit’s arm fell as Ant-Man and the Atom raged on as they expanded back to their natural size. Scott threw his legs in a circle trying to kick his opponent, only for Ray to grab his foe’s thigh, throwing him over his own shoulder. Scott hit the ground with a great impact, breathing heavily as he rose to one knee. “Alright, buster. Get ready for the cavalry!” Scott pressed a single finger to his helmet’s earpiece. Ray braced himself, prepared for the worst. A chill ran up his spine when a faint buzzing noise entered his field of hearing. Within a few moments, the Stark Tower window behind Scott shattered as a cloud of flying ants rushed inside. Ray yelled in shock as he quickly found that the force of the insects were enough to carry him backwards into the window behind him. The glass broke as he fell out, hurdling over the side of Stark Tower. “This ISN’T OVER!” Scott ran after Ray, jumping off the edge of the floor after him. Left behind, Tony looked down at the empty martini glass before processing everything that had just occurred. “...JARVIS, call window repair.”
((music shift: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDHGKykPh8 )) Free falling down the many, many stories of the building, Ray regained his composure, aiming his back for the ground, he looked up to see Scott diving after him, small shards of glass raining with him. Scott unlatched a silver disc with a blue, light center. “Ya hear the one about the pancake outside Stark Tower?” Scott threw the disc, which released a blue light when it made contact with one of the pieces of glass, which then suddenly grew to several times its original size. The massive sheet of glass fell toward Ray with great speed. Ray pointed his sidearm at it. “You’re gonna wanna close your eyes!” He said before firing off a photon blast which shattered the enlarged piece, sending it’s smaller fragments up at Scott, to his irritation. “Going up!” Ray said as he activated the jet flames on his suit, allowing him to fly upward, grabbing Scott’s leg during his ascension. Scott quickly found himself helpless, dangled about by the Atom, who quickly spun him around mid air before throwing him down into the street below. Scott flew to the ground with an impact that broke the concrete below. Ray, meanwhile, landed safely with aid of his suits flying function. “Learn your lesson yet?” Ray urged as he approached the crater made by Scott’s crashing body. When the dust from his fall cleared, Scott could still be made out, crouching low, another blue disc in his hand. “I’m told I’m a unique kind of learner, you see.” Scott noticed one of his ants had drifted down toward him from the battle above in the tower. “Sometimes I need a little help!” Scott threw the disc upward, which with another flash, made a behemothic monster out of the ant, which grew to the size of a car, landing on the ground with a heavy thud. “Can’t say I thought I’d see this today…” Ray admitted. “CHARGE!” Scott pointed at his foe, directing the ant to lift off the ground with its wings, hissing as it lunged at Ray. Ray quickly pointed his photon ray at the ant--but it wouldn’t fire. Still cooling down?! Before he knew it, he was floored, the massive ant on top of him and it’s hideous features mere inches from his own face. “Good boy!” Scott smiled. “Don’t let him back up!” This might be my worst nightmare--oh my god. Ray cringed as the giant ant fogged up the visor of his helmet. He arched his ion blaster on the opposite arm of his suit at the ant, releasing a single blast that shrank the insect back down to its original size. “I really should’ve been an exterminator…” Ray dusted himself off, while Scott rushed toward him. Ray turned around, lifting his arms in a martial arts stance. He was surprised to see Scott jump off the ground a few feet away from him and quickly shrink midair. Before Ray even knew it, he was flipped over by the microscopic Ant-Man, who had latched to his chest and pulled him over with all of his full sized strength. “Can’t hit what you can’t see!” Scott smiled as he punched Ray’s body, creating a sensation akin to a bullet. Ray endured several pint sized strikes all over his midsection. “True…” Ray activated his flight thrusters. “But I can shake you off!” Ray lifted himself off into the air, spinning through the air, hoping to get rid of the Ant-Man so he could regroup. Before long, he felt the pressure from his opponent’s blows shake off as Scott fell off of his body. “You aren’t getting away that easy!” Scott urged. In the middle of his fall from Ray’s body back to the earth, he expanded back to his full size, and from that threshold, continued to do so. Ray didn’t realize that behind him while he flew, Scott had grown to be much taller than the tower they were just fighting inside. Scott needed only to extend his massive arm and place his hand in way of the path Ray was flying through to swat Ray hurdling back down to the ground. “Game over, fly boy.” The gigantic Scott’s voice echoed. “I’d stay down if I were you.” Ray climbed back onto his knees. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Within a few moments, Ray’s body was surrounded by a blue light, which expanded and caused his own structure to grow taller. Before long, he was just as huge as Scott, both dwarfing the towers that surrounded them. Cars halted in the streets and people gawked from the windows of their office buildings as the giants approached each other. “I’m ready to settle up if you are.” Ray beckoned towards himself with a hand gesture. “Be my guest!” Scott responded before throwing the first punch, connecting with Ray’s jaw and sending a gigantic glob of his spit out of his mouth. Ray promptly returned with a photon blast to Scott’s chest, which pushed the gigantic Ant-Man down the length of the city block. The behemoth superhero had to quickly grab the rooftops of a couple nearby buildings to pull himself back up. The Ant-Man scoped his surroundings once he regained his footing. “What have I got here…” Scott reached down, picking up an empty semi-truck which he tossed in Ray’s direction. Ray quickly fired his Ion blaster at the truck, shrinking it back down. “You’re out of tricks…” Ray said as he stepped forward, grabbing both of Scott’s shoulders. “And out of luck!” With that, Ray sent a surge of electricity into Scott, who endured the full force with a yell of pain. The moment of shock ended, Ray, still holding onto Scott, sent his foot into his stomach, sending him tripping backwards once more. Scott’s clumsy fall was halted when his back collided with the iron bars holding up a water tower. “Oh shit!” Before Ant-Man could move, the water container came crashing down onto him, dousing him with water. Almost immediately, his suit began to short out. “Oh man, there is NO protocol for this!” Electric surges began to dance about Scott’s body as his suit’s fuses broke out in sparks. With each small combustion, Scott began to shrink back to his natural size. Within a few moments, he was suspended in mid air, in a soaked and destroyed suit and reverted to his natural size. “Down came the rain…” Ray chuckled as he watched Scott fall through the air, yelling in horror before the Atom extended his palm beneath him, quickly clasping his fingers shut as soon as he caught his foe. KO “Rip Hunter is gonna want a look at that suit of yours, too.” Ray said before he stomped away from Stark Tower.
((victory circle theme: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzYtahEg0nQ )) Both Ant-Man and the Atom demonstrated brilliant technology and skill, but only one rose to the occasion. Both heroes could counter most of their foe’s tricks--able to shrink and grow to similar proportions and efficiency to undo just about anything inflicted upon them. What really counted was their weaponry and fighting skills. Ant-Man had very little in way of destructive force besides things he could improvise with his Pym Particle discs--but anything he made expand, the Atom could easily reduce. While the vice versa was also true, the Atom had a significantly bigger bag of tricks with his photon blasts and electric shocks--more than enough to outdo Ant-Man’s swarms of insects. Ant-Man may be able to brush off missiles like they’re nothing, but the Atom did the same with an exploding jet plane, and his suit’s capabilities of flight gave him total control over the battlefield. And while Ant-Man has traded blows with the Avengers’ finest, he’s never had a battle as definitive with a foe as powerful as the Leviathan, which the Atom won. Ray also had a much better understanding of his own technology than Scott, who’s still learning to use the suit and Pym Particles. Ray created his own suit from scratch and has accounted for situations where the worst could happen. He was the only fighter that was preparred for anything. The winner...is the Atom
Next time on Fight to Win...
The foe of the Fullmetal Alchemist, Father, is here. Who will stop him from devouring god? Only time will tell. Stick to this blog to be the first to know!
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