marlow:

Marlow poured over the book she borrowed from Corey every chance she had, trying to read the handwritten pages until she gave herself a blazing headache. Her reading skills weren't the best. Her Latin was passable and she had a grounding in odd, sometimes alien languages found in magical texts she'd studied under Clea's tutelage in the Dark Dimension. She'd often had to puzzle through cramped handwriting, but this was becoming more than she could decipher on her own. English /was/ her first language, but it wasn't her strongest when it came to reading, and this didn't flow well enough to be understood. The drawings were distracting, too. Her non-traditional education emphasized controlling and redirecting energy, coaxing it into various forms and illusions, bending it to her will. After that, the three Rs just weren't all that interesting.

The writing would not bend no matter how she looked at it. It constantly changed styles and even languages, and in some places faded away completely. There were spells she could use to bring it out, but it was a borrowed book. Not the oldest she'd ever studied, but old enough that she was wary of damaging it. It might also be spelled for defense. It could hurt her if she tried to go that route.

She finally gave up and went to the main house to get something for her headache. She carried the book with her to see if Sydney or Dawn could help. Maybe they could help her read it, or at least tell her if she was on the right track. She left it on the table while she rummaged for something to drink and searched for a bottle of aspirin in the cupboards.

ng_olympian:

Between Marlow and Dawn the Defenders had managed to track the shadow demons who had abducted Svalin to the gates of Hades. Countless shades wandered on the shores of the river Acheron. These were the paupers and the friendless, those who did not possess an obolus to pay Charon.

A small boat floated on the dark waters of the river and the cloaked figure of Charon stood in the boat waiting to ferry souls across the river. A skeletal hand clutched a pole and the other was outstretched waiting to receive a fare for crossing.

On the other side of the river stood a large three headed dog and a large two headed dog. Cerebus and Orthus guarded the entrance into Pluto's realm.

nextgen_misc:

Night had settled over the city of Los Angeles. A waning gibbous mood had risen and the light of the stars was blocked out by the thick smog that usually blanketed the city. The hours moved on and the city slowed down. Citizens were asleep in their beds and off to dreamland.

The same held true for the residents at 1800 Palos Verdes Drive.

They wouldn't stay asleep for long. Something stirred in the darkness outside.

brit_sorcerer:

There had been an invitation for Excalibur to attend a cookout with the Defenders for Independence Day. Quinn was a Brit by birth, but he had spent half of his life in New York. He considered himself a Yankee as well as a Brit.

When it was time he teleported all from Excalibur who wanted to go to the Defenders compound. Quinn was looking forward to a day in the sun, on the beach and watching girls in bikinis with a lot of good food on hand. Not to mention Asgardian mead. It would truly be a wonderful day.

They arrived in a flash right outside the gates to the compound. It was rude to arrive inside the gates and Quinn didn't feel like fighting. He was a lover, not a fighter.

shield_maiden:

Svalin was stretched out on one of the large couches in the rec room of the main building and was trying hard to enjoy sitting still. Her feet and ankles had started to swell and her wife wasn't going to let her do much besides sit and put her feet up as much as she could. Svalin had tried to argue but it didn't get her anywhere except sitting on the couch with her feet up.

She sighed and looked at the television. To Kill a Mockingbird was on and Svalin was still waiting for the killing to start. Why was kill in the title if there was no killing in it? It didn't make much sense to her, but it was one of her wife's favorite movies and Svalin would watch it.

Svalin focused on the television and was surprised by the sudden kick. She gasped and reflexively put her hand on her stomach.

im_a_librarian:

Little more than a year had passed since Dawn Roberts has first joined the Defenders, and it was almost impossible to believe that the time had flown by so quickly, or that so much had happened during that time.  Dying, being bonded to the soul of an Asgardian goddess and wielding her form and powers, helping to protect the universe from a variety of threats, almost dying again, being separated from Asleif, being drafted by Asleif to watch over her siblings (complete with a physical and mystical upgrade), being called in and feeling entirely out of her depth with a council of other mystics, being selected to be Doctor Strange's apprentice and possible eventual successor, eventually having to tell her family everything that had happened to her (including also finding out what her cousin David was one of the X-Men!), picking up a boyfriend in the form of Griffen, getting to see an Asgardian wedding (the parameters of which still baffled her modern world mind), and plenty of other odds and ends that she was probably leaving out.

She was not the frightened young woman who had first showed up on the Defenders' doorstep, convinced she was going out of her mind.  Nor was she the nervous would-be hero who was one panic attack away from total collapse on a good moment.  She definitely wasn't always sure of herself, but it was amazing how far she'd progressed.  Once, the thought of being a super-hero, let alone a mystical protector of Earth, would have been so far out of her ideas of how her life was going to go that she would have laughed had anyone suggested them.  Now, though she could quite easily imagine other paths of life (her old job at one of the LA public libraries looked occasionally tempting still), she harbored no true thoughts of getting off the one she was on.

The past, occasionally, has a way of catching up with you.  Like it had when she'd been out today.  She'd held herself together, but right now... she needed something to take her mind off it.

Waiting for the frozen pizza to cook in the oven wasn't really doing it.

butterflybullet:

She'd never really pictured this happening. Of course, she'd married off her dolls as a girl, but the idea of her wedding had always brought with it the idea of really settling down with one guy, which had never been much on her agenda. This, of course, was different. This was Svalin. And she loved Svalin, and honestly wanted to be there for her and be a family with her. And while there would be sacrifices involved, it wasn't the same as Really Settling Down. A platonic marriage that still came with a fancy party. Nothing wrong with that!

Her parents had been brought up to Asgard, along with the Avengers and the Defenders.

The first royal wedding in a generation was the Event of the Season, with quite a bit of bustle about it.

...And the dress was going to be perfect.

But first, Spa day with Mom and the Mothers-in-law --two of them. Oh gosh.

She hoped Svalin was okay.

sydney_ashcroft:

Grace's birthday was on Thursday and Syd had made sure she they acknowledged the day, but they were saving the big party for Saturday. The Defenders as a team had gone out to dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse. When they returned home anyone who wanted to watch movies camped out in the living room.

Syd had the two chefs, Hugh and Malinda, make Grace's favorite food for dinner and her favorite cake for dinner on Saturday. When dinner was over, Syd and Zoey brought the cake out with the candles lit.

"Happy birthday to you...." they sang as they brought the cake to the table.

Syd ignored her own birthday.

nextgen_misc:

The Seven Heaves Casino and Resort was the newest casino in Vegas and business was booming. Tourists and locals alike came to the new casino to check it out and to see if they could hit a jackpot. Some came out winners while others came out losers. Some came out completely changed and had a new outlook on life after finding religion. It was an unusual place to find religion, but then again the owners were very unusual themselves.

shield_maiden:

The view from the highest tower in Asgard was the same as she remembered it, but this time it didn't offer the calm and peace it usually did. Svalin's heart and mind were heavy and the beauty of the Golden Realm didn't offer the solace she had been seeking.

It was good to be home and good to be back in Asgard, but at the same time she was sad to be home. She'd probably never see Jon again. He had been right when he said they each had duties to see to and she would do hers. She just wished it didn't hurt so much.

Momone had been happy to see her return and Sif being Sif was proud Svalin had proved herself worthy and would take her proper place in Asgard. Momtwo had practically smothered here with TLC and had noticed she wasn't herself. Svalin had told her about Jon and the time spent with him. It got her a good dose of home cooking and a generous amount of mead. Nothing helped heartache than some TLC from Momtwo.

She swore Astrid and Eir had grown a few inches in the months Svalin had been gone. Skari had grown a lot. Soon he would be taller than Svalin, but she would still be able to kick his ass if needed.

Svalin had made a quick stop to pay respects to Lord Odin and Lady Frigga, but for the most part she kept to herself.

nextgen_media:

Rome, Italy – The Vatican is addressing the recent rash of robberies at a few churches and monasteries throughout the world. Two churches and two monasteries were broken into during the night and ransacked. Many valuable religious artifacts were destroyed and some are reported missing. The Vatican is not saying what artifacts were stolen, but it will only confirm that some objects are missing. Authorities are investigating, but so far there are no leads. CONT PAGE 2A


Almeda, TX – Miracles continue to happen in the small town of Almeda, Texas. People are being miraculously healed by Maria Sefanos. No matter the injury or sickness, it seems like Ms.Stefanos is able to heal or cure them. She has decline every interview request, but there is word that she is able to do this miraculously healing by the power of the goddess. People will not say which goddess it is, but people have started to convert to the worship of this unnamed goddess. A small cult is forming and local officials have not taken any actions. CONT PAGE 3A


New York, NY – Hell's Kitchen is seeing a surge in it's goth population. Goths have flocked to this area of New York and appear to be forming some sort of cult. They gather each night in one of the small community parks and hold some sort of rites for the 'Dark Goddess' as they call her. They will not name this Dark Goddess, but the air has a cult like feel to it. Authorities have yet to take action. CONT PAGE 4A


Los Angeles, CA – It seems like people have found the Fountain of Youth in Los Angeles outside of plastic surgery. A new treatment at a new clinic has rejuvenated the stars. This new treatment is provided by New Beginnings Clinic. A trip to the clinic has the customers coming out with ten to twenty years off of their appearances. Details on the procedure are unknown and so far the owner, Ms. Abigail Pederson, has been unavailable for comment.



San Fran, CA – The new drug Nirvana is becoming more and more popular in the streets of San Francisco. The people using the drug have claimed to have seen “the Goddess” and have started worshiping her. The name of this goddess is unknown and these so called worshipers will not release the name. Police are trying to stop the spread of this drug, but so far their efforts have been unsuccessful.

nextgen_holiday:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
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7.
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Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_holiday:

Christmas. Yule. Saturnalia. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Many cultures have celebrated and still celebrate a winter festival. There have been many names for it over the millennia. No matter the name it is a time to come together and celebrate with feasts and gifts with friends and loved ones.

Each culture has a legendary figure who would deliver gifts to children during this time. In Russia and some Slavic cultures he is known as Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost, and comes not on Christmas but on New Year’s along with his granddaughter Snegurochka, or ‘”Snow Maiden”. In the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe he is known as Father Christmas. In the Netherlands and Belgium he is known as Saint Nicholas or “Sinterklaas” and in France he is known as Père Noël. In the United States we know him as Santa Claus.

No matter the name or who is delivering gifts, it is the season of peace, joy and togetherness. It is the season for thinking about loved ones, friends and those less fortunate. It is a time to witness the goodness and generosity the human race is capable of. It is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill toward man.

im_a_librarian:

Seeing as how she was in Greenwich Village fairly frequently these days, which was really only a hop, skip, and jump away from Westchester County for someone who could, you know, teleport, Dawn wondered why she hadn't looked up her cousin before now.

Granted, David was almost ten years younger than her, but he was family all the same.  And Aunt Catherine was always great.  Besides, the Defenders were getting more and more exposure these days and now that her parents knew about what she'd been doing with her life lately (boy, that had been an uncomfortable, but eventually all right Thanksgiving), it was only a matter of time before the rest of her family found out.

So she'd phoned again and shown up at the Institute.

She rang the buzzer.

anyastark:

Anya didn't have many traditions in her family, unless you counted being a bastard as one of them. The Avengers however did have a few time honored traditions that must be kept going. Sure saving the world from alien invasions, beating up the world level threats and other heroic things were some of those traditions, but not everything could be about beating up the bad guys. One such non-heroic thing was Rate the Hunk.

Each year the female Avengers got together and rated their fellow male Avengers. The new generation had eagerly picked up and kept this tradition going. However, they had expanded it a bit.

The day after Thanksgiving was a perfect day to avoid shopping crowds, take over the rec room, banish the males and look at pictures of them. Anya had run it last year and she took it upon herself to do it again this year. Invitations went out to fellow female heroes. Avengers, X-Women, Defenders, Champions and Thunderbolts all got invitations to come to New York to Rate the Hunk.

Food, drink and snacks were laid in. Signs were put up on the doors and electronic surveillance was set up to see if males dared to interrupt.

Anya settled in on one of the couches and queued up the stash of photos she had collected in the past year.

nextgen_holiday:

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." JFK

In America today is a day for being thankful for the things in people's lives. Today was a day to celebrate family, friends, prosperity and health with food, family and friends. It is a time to reflect on what is important us and to recognize the gratitude we hold for having those things in our lives.

sandcastlegod:

Corey hurried back into the old club and looked up the number for the Defenders.

"Hello, this is Corey Drake, Antaeus for the Champions of New Orleans. May I speak to Andy, please?"

ng_divine_ones5:

A chasm opened in the front yard of the Defenders compound on Halloween. From which Eoghan walked out of with the baying of unseen hounds coming from around him.

Eoghan then walked slowly but purposely towards the front doors of the compound and rang the door bell. He was fairly certain that this is how things were done in the mortal realm to let people know they wanted to talk.

He hoped he could do this quickly Eoghan had a lot to do today Samhain was always busy for him.

brit_sorcerer:

Quinn had been thinking about the leprechaun incident and had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time he saw the little annoy creatures. Quinn's magic hadn't been effective and he had to know what to do the next time they came around. Maybe there was a spell or something that would work against them and their magic.

Quinn had to go to the one person who would know about this kind of stuff.

He teleported to 177A Bleecker Street in New York only to find it empty. He wondered where Dr. Strange was.

There was one person who may know. Quinn teleported out to the West Coast and arrived at the front gate of the Defenders.

nextgen_holiday:

It was a perfect Southern California day. The sun was warm and bright and the water was nice and cool. Traditionally the large bbq pit would be fired up and food slow cooked over it all day, but today the Defenders went for something different. Two very large grills were carried down to the beach along with tables and all of the food. The Defenders' Labor Day celebration would be a beach party.

The volleyball net was strung up and the surf board were carried down. Two brand new jetskis were also purchased and taken down to the beach.

Massive amounts of food were prepared to satisfy godly appetites. A whole pig was set up over a pit and put on a spit, burgers, hot dogs, sausage, barbecued ribs, corn on the cob, pasta salad, salad and fruit salad were just some of the food available to eat. Soda, water, fruit juice and other beverages were on ice.

It was a day of rest and relaxations for those who put their lives on the line for others.

team_mascot:

Zoey was bouncing from the second she got up. Today was HER BIRTHDAY! She was turning seven today and seven was a big birthday. Or so she thought. She had been looking forward to this day ALL SUMMER! Birthdays were special and Mom said she could have a big party, minus the zombies and undead soldiers of course.

She zipped around all day, with the dogs following of course, and helped wherever she could. She helped Sarah make the cake, helped put up decorations and she helped arrange things on the table. She bounced the whole time. When Sarah told her to go get ready, Zoey raced up the stairs to get changed.

She raced down the stairs when she was ready.

It was FINALLY time for her party.

nextgen_adult:

In a flash a white a portal appeared in the middle of the defender’s front lawn. A moment later a large man in a dark blue cloak with red Celtic designs on it step through. He then confidently walked up to the main doors of the central building and knocked on them.

sydney_ashcroft:

Last night hadn't gone exactly to plan, but it had been a wonderful night. The exhibit had been wonderful, dinner excellent and afterwards...Syd blushed at the thought. She had woke up this morning snuggled up next to a warm body and with a smile on her face.

She would have stayed in bed if she could, but an eight am meeting on the East Coast meant a five am meeting on the West Coast. Syd rolled out of bed at 4:30 and got dressed and caffeinated before her video conference with Mr. Stark. After the meeting she started a batch of blueberry muffins and scrambled up some eggs. Pancake batter was made and ready to be cooked when people filtered into the kitchen.

The residents and their guest would be waking up soon and it was best to be armed with food. She smiled at the thought of two dogs, a tiger and a kid jumping into bed with Avery.

marlow:

Marlow sat on a blanket on the private beach one morning not that long after the battle with Dormammu, staring out over the waves with her knees drawn up to her chest. She wore a button down shirt Sarah found for her, probably one of Griffin’s, over swimsuit bottoms. The wound she’d sustained from the Mindless Ones laser blasts was healing slowly. It made lifting her arms over her head hurt and pull on the healing flesh, so wearing her own tee shirts was out of the question for awhile.

She really wished she could heal herself. It was by far the worst thing that had happened to her up to now. Even with the odd magic boost, she couldn’t manage the most simple healing spell on herself.

nextgen_baddie:

It had taken time, but Dormammu was a patient being. He had carefully planned all of this out and all of those plans were about to come to fruition. Various items had to be gathered and once he had them all, they had to be forged into one item. It would be the ultimate weapon and his agent would enter the realm of Earth with it and lay waste to all before him.

Dormammu would make his entrance into the mortal realm and finally defeat the cursed Sorcerer Supreme and his rule over the mortal realm would begin. Umar had been defeated, Dormammu released from his prison and the Octet was tipped in favor of Krakken and Cyttorak. Dormammu had the Kestrel Key and the Crystal Ruby of Cyttorak and could call upon the powers of Krakken and Cyttorak.

Balor, armed with a weapon forged from the Soul Sword, the Twilight Sword and the Kestrel Key and forged in the Flames of the Faltine, went forth into the mortal realm. The tear in reality he created sent ripples of magic throughout the world. those sensitive to magic would sense the disturbance. Balor stepped into the mortal realm in a location known as Los Angeles. Fitting that demonic beings would begin their conquest of the world in a place called The City of Angels.

The portal was now opened and Dormammu made his entrance into the mortal realm.

nextgen_asgard:

Loki could not keep the smug look off his face. "You hath lost, Grandmaster. Mine champions didst roust thine in the end. A slim victory, yes... but the simple majority was all thou didst require."

He pointed a finger. "Thou art bound by the terms of our agreement. Thou art to leave now and not to quest for the Norn Stones again, nor to use pawns to acquire them."


The Elder of the Universe frowned deeply. "I always honor my word, Asgardian. Unlike some I have known. My champions shall be returned from wence they gathered, and yours shall be brought to thee. As we agreed."

With that, the Grandmaster was gone, and the Defenders appeared before Loki, no worse for wear for their adventures.

Loki moved quickly, faster than any would have expected. He had kept himself schooled during the fighting, not letting his surprise or even his worry show, but now, here, he was able to release these emotions. An intensity, even a a worry, showed clearly on his face. When he was closer, his arm shot out, grasping Dawn about the next and holding her off the ground.

"Speak ye, mortal, now! What has thou done to mine GRANDDAUGHTER?!"

ohu_amane:

It wasn't expected.

Ohu Amane received an unusual phone call today. And now his room is empty.

It's abrupt, but Ohu Amane has never done anything in half-measures.

He goes from room to room, seeking out the Defenders one at a time to say his goodbyes.

marlow:

Downtime after the Defenders/Offenders war gave Marlow plenty of time to think about the spells she'd used and their effects. She'd knowingly overreached several times for magic she didn't think she should be able to wield and had done so easily. It was something she had to figure out before their next battle. She tried to contact Clea but those particular spells weren't working so well. Perhaps it was something she could talk to Matt about since he was the only other magic user she knew that might not get agitated when she said power surge.

Sure, there was Dawn...or was it Aslief? Who knew anymore. One was nice but untrained, the other expert and dismissive. While the others merely overlooked her, Aslief literally did not see her until there was a need for another sorceress.

Barefoot, wearing a boy's black tee shirt and faded to nearly white jeans, she made her way from the bungalow to the main house for a late breakfast. A ball of pulsing light hovered a few inches above her open palm.

godlierthanthou:

Dawn was still trying to get her head wrapped around everything when the Grandmaster had teleported them to their battle sites.  The first thing she was aware of was the thin air, as though they were on a mountain somewhere.  The second thing she noticed was the cold, the intense, almost life-sucking cold.

She collapsed to her knees instantly, fingers fumbling for the umbrella she always kept with her now.

C'mon... don't die... don't die...


Fingers that were already freezing gripped it, stamped it upon the ground, transforming her body into that of Asleif in a flash and boom.

A body that was from the line of Frost Giants, a body far more at home in this land.

What the hell am I doing here?  I'm no god.  I'm no super-hero.  I'm just some luckless librarian in way over her head...

Who else had come with her?  She hoped to God she wasn't alone.  She knew she would surely die here if she was.

nextgen_asgard:

Once the players had all been gathered, Loki transported himself, along with Ardis and Halbjorn, the spider-god Ohu, the mortals Grace, Griffen, and Dawn, and the mysterious woman called Marlow, to Asgard. It was a desolate, abandoned region, where few would ever traverse. He himself had only been here to make certain that the Norn Stones had still been in place, should he require them for a future plot. He had discovered the Grandmaster only by chance.

The Grandmaster, the being who stood before them now.

"Greetings again to thee, Elder," Loki said, feigning humility and feeling disgust at doing so. The Elders were older even than the Asgardians themselves, possibly the one set of beings in the universe who might yet give them pause. He it galled him to know there were beings truly his superior. "And again, mine thanks for thine leave to gather mine champions. T'will make for a most entertaining game, I doth assure thee."

shessomarvelous:

Bendy-timed to before a couple of days before Loki showed up

Grace fidgeted with the sleeves of her black robe. The gold tassel from her cap dangled in front of her face.

She was graduating from high-school. Sure, it wasn't the school that she had started out at, but she did it. She'd put in the hard work, and she'd soon have the diploma to prove it.

The speeches having been over and done with, Grace stood in line with the kids from her row to get her diploma. As long as she didn't trip, everything would be perfect. Dad and the Defenders were somewhere in the crowd. She'd even told Zoey to invite Avery along. Her Mom had flown in from Boston to see her daughter graduate.

Grace could feel her heartbeat start to speed up, as she got closer to the platform.

"Grace Elizabeth Danvers!" Her name was called out by the vice-principal and she walked across the stage, taking her diploma from the principal, a wide grin on her face.

When all the names had been called and all of the seniors had officially graduated, Grace tossed her cap into the air along with the rest of the students. Then, picking it up, she rushed off to find the Defenders and her Mom. Mom had booked a room at a local restaurant for them to have all of them to have a nice dinner.

nextgen_asgard:

He appeared before the Defenders compound without fanfare or signal, without any of the usual lavish displays he attempted when wishing to make a point. Instead, it was simply as though he was not there one moment and there the next. His features--he would never be called handsome, though some might have called them regal--contorted slightly. Why was so much of Midgard so insufferably warm? A proper place was cold enough to freeze the marrow from unworthy bones.

Well, you know what they say. You can take the giant out of Jötunheimr, but you can't take Jötunheimr out of the giant. He resisted the urge to change the climate to something more to his liking.

He was not, technically, supposed to travel to Midgard these days. But when had he ever cared for the rules? Besides, who would deny him the opportunity to see his niece and grandchildren?

Loki, Lord of Lies, God of Mischief, adopted son of Odin, had come to Earth.

nextgen_holiday:

Mothers are the place that we call home.
On them we rest our heads and close our eyes.
There's no one else who grants the same soft peace,
Happiness, contentment, sweet release,
Erasing nighttime tears with lullabies,
Restoring the bright sun that makes us bloom. - Anonymous

team_mascot:

Zoey loved spring! It was her favorite season after summer. Though winter was good because winter had Christmas in it. Christmas was the best and this year she had met Santa Claus! She even drove his sleigh! But now it was spring. Spring meant a lot of good things and one of those things were the Asgardians birthday.

Zoey was a little confused about how they didn't know the actual day they were born and Mom couldn't really explain it either, but they were okay with just spring as their birthday. Birthdays meant parties and Zoey had decided that there HAD to be a party.

A party was her favorite thing right after Christmas. She LOVED parties and this would be the bestest birthday party ever!

She knew she couldn't do it alone so she went seeking help. Mom. Grace. Ohu. Any of them, or all would help her. They HAD to.

quitethecharmer:

She was still nursing the broken arm, but her injuries were mostly stabilized. In light of all she had gone through with her family right now, she needed to get out. A standard scrying spell determined the location of the friend she had in mind. After letting Kristoff know she would be leaving the building, and her general destination, she was off.

She arrived at the front gates of the Defenders' headquarters, asking for Asleif over the intercom.

godlierthanthou:

Dawn, in the form of Asleif, stood on the beach, practicing spells.   She couldn't even begin to understand the theory involved here, or any of the ancient lore or any of that.  All she knew was that if she could focus on something happening clearly enough--within a very specific realm of effects--the staff and whatever innate magical power Asleif had possessed, could make it happen.

Power bolts were easy, just point and shoot.  But just about anything else, force fields, tractor beams, elemental command, teleporting, illusions, just about anything Asleif could do, that was harder.  Some of it she'd probably never get. 

"<i>Shieldshieldshielshieldsheild,</i>" she chanted, concentrating.  Slowly, but surely, a mystical shield shimmered into existance in the air before her, before fading back into nothingness.  Too slow to form, too quick to fade to have offered any protection.

She stamped the handle of the staff on the ground once in a very specific, precise motion, and with a crack of thunder and light, reverted back to herself, the staff changing into an umbrella.

"I am never going to be able to do this," she said to herself.  "I'm no goddess. I'm not a super-hero.  I don't know what I'm doing here."

At least the nightmares had stopped, since she'd been able to transform back and forth.

word_of_law:

Avery followed the directions from his GPS to the mansion, not sure what he was expecting. The place was huge, he knew, but what he could see from the gate was....epic. There really wasn't another world for it.

He'd called ahead to let Sydney and Zoey know he'd be coming, but he still wasn't sure what to expect when he pulled up to the front gate. He didn't see any dragons or, heavens forbid, any Mongolian Death Worms, but one never knew with these types, did they?

He just hoped Zoey was still interested in being around him even after all the awesome she was currently surrounded with.

godlierthanthou:

Dawn Roberts, librarian, had not been having a good week.  There had been the abduction, and then there had been the nightmares and freakout at work, along with a very perplexing change in her eye color.   And now, after a night of even stranger dreams, she'd discovered she'd sleep-walked all night and found herself in front of the Defenders' Compound, just as the sun was coming up.

She looked around nervously, feeling pain in her feet and calves from having walked so much without even knowing it.

Should she?  Something had brought her here.  But what on Earth would involve a nobody like her with a team of super-heroes and gods?  She was probably well beneath their notice.

She hesitated, then reached out and touched the buzzer on the gate.

nextgen_media:

New York, New York The cleanup from the powerful storm that raged through the city continues. The storm occurred during the fight at Liberty Island. The group calling themselves the MLF took a few prominent sentors' kids hostage in an effort to get the Registration Act killed in Congress. The X-Men and Avengers eventually showed up to rescue the kids, but it was group calling themselves X-Factor who eventually rescued the kidnapped children. CONT PAGE 1-B

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles saw a zombie invasion of dead actors and actresses. The Defenders, down a few of their numbers, showed up to deal with the zombie invasion. Among the Defenders was no other than Captain Britain. The team stopped the zombies and LA returned to its normal chaos. CONT PAGE 1-C