mishaloganovich:

With Darlene's help, Misha had Anya's birthday box ready for mailing in time for her birthday. Included with the must have Mets jersey (he didn't want her to forget the greatest team in baseball history!) were a pair of Cthulhu slippers and gift cards to burger places around Boston.

And truffles. Always remember the truffles.

this_fire_burns:

(Takes place around the same time as this scene.)


First, Matt Walker tried setting up an appointment with Anya Stark the old-fashioned way. He called, introduced himself and asked if he could speak to her on a matter of legal importance. When the person on the other end asked if he was a lawyer, and Matt said no, they hung up on him. The second day, he tried again, but pretended to be with one of those gossip magazines. They managed to trip him up rather easily and again, he was hung up on.

( Read more... )

third_reich:

It was a normal summer day in New York City. The thermometer was at 80, the sun was out and there was relatively no humidity. It was a perfect summer day.

A bright light appeared in the middle of Central Park and started to grow. It expanded rapidly and grew to the size of a two story house. The tear in space in time was still for a moment and then things began to emerge from it. A giant robot walked through with guns ready. A moment later a second robot emerged, this one looked like a giant flying manta ray. It was followed by another that looked like a giant flying head.

The three robots were followed by a division of soldiers, each armed with automatic rifles and wearing uniforms with swastikas. They marched out of the portal and split in half. One group went east and the rest went west. Following the soldiers came a few other individuals. The Red Skull, Masterman, Warrior Woman, Iron Cross, and U-Man came out of the portal.

"Attack!" the Red Skull shouted. "Destroy the city!"

anyastark:

Anya looked at the screen and smiled. The code for Austin's AI was done and she was now finished with the few big projects she had. She would have been done earlier, but she took time to head out to Kansas City to set up Force Works' headquarters. She didn't even have much time to see Toni while she was out there.

Though now that the AI was done she could take a few days off and actually get to see her husband. Even weekend visits had been difficult with all that was going on. Anya had spent the nights working while her husband slept so she could spend time with him during the days.

"This is done," she said to an empty room. "I better not have anything else on my plate for a few days."

"You have quite a bit on your plate," Goddard said.

"What?"

"This Friday, tomorrow, you have a meetings in Detroit with the CEO and other representatives from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Next Monday you have a meeting in Tokyo with the members of the Japanese auto manufacturers and then you need to be in Germany on Wednesday and England on Friday."

"Is that all?" Anya snarked not liking this at all. She could send a few others from Renaissance Tech in her place, but she felt like she had to go. The company was just getting off the ground and Anya was determined to make it a success.

"There have also been requests for meetings from various government officials around the world. They are interested in the zero point energy technology for their countries. There have been requests from the United States government as well. Should I schedule meetings for when you are back from Japan and Europe?"

Anya sighed. So much for summer vacation, or any vacation for that matter. "Set one up with the US government officials for when we get back, but I want a few days off beforehand. Then schedule the ones with other governments and stagger them out as much as possible. I'd also like one with the Genoshan consulate here in the US. Coordinate all of these with Tony, Justin's AI and with Miss Potts. so the three of us are all there." She paused for a moment. "Also please contact R&D and tell them I'm sending over some schematics for an idea. I want to see what they think and if it's possible. Are the vehicles done?" There were three vehicles for each auto manufacturer that were being converted to run on zero point energy to demonstrate viability. The project to convert them had started a few weeks ago even before the announcement went out.

"They have been completed and already en route to their destinations."

"That will help a great deal. Do you have the latest diagnostics for my suit? I want to make sure nothing's wrong with it before I leave."

"The diagnostics are complete. The suit is functioning well within normal parameters."

"Great. Now, I'm going to deliver this AI and then head to New York for the evening. I'll also deliver Boo to Westchester while I'm down that way. Thank you Goddard."

"I live to serve."

"Like hell you do," Anya muttered under her breath. She grabbed the small device and left the lab.

swashbuckler:

( Cut for torture ).

Steve woke up screaming, thrashing in his bedsheets.  Panic fled quickly, responses honed from two years living in a warzone taking over as he instantly accessed where he was.  His bedroom at Avengers Mansion.  He remembered now.  He'd decided to crash here rather than head back to the empty apartment.  It just wasn't home when Anya wasn't there.

He stared down at his right hand, covered with its synthetic coating of flesh.  He flexed the fingers, cybernetic relays transmitting feedback and other data straight to his brain.  Most of the time... he could almost forget it wasn't real.  He could smile, put back on the role of the smart-alex, forget that he had been a soldier instead of a super-hero, forget what he had done and what had been done to him.

Most of the time.  What a lie that was.

He stared at the clock.  2:43 in the AM. 

Faux-flesh covered fingers sought and found his cellphone.  Odds were Anya would be up in the lab anyway. 

He dialed his wife.

eyesofjudgement:

He arrives at the front gate with the clothes on his back, a couple of suitcases (he thinks that's what they're called) and, most important, his sunglasses upon his face. He hopes these other Avengers will not keep him waiting.

Ahura stands tall, straight and proud, awaiting someone to acknowledge his arrival. His parents seem to believe that these Avengers are worthy allies and that he can learn from them.

He waits to be impressed.

"Now, which one of these people is the one I'm supposed to speak to about staying here? Chauncey, you called him?" Ahura asks.

anyastark:

The Royal Wedding had been fabulous and Anya had enjoyed every second of the ceremony and reception. She held Steve's hand through most of it, even when they talked to William and Kate to congratulate them. Anya loved big fancy parties, but she knew Steve didn't. So outside of the wedding they took time and did some sighseeing and whatever else he was interested in.

It was Saturday night and Anya planned on dinner for her and Steve with Lyta and Misha. It wasn't going to be fancy. Instead it was at the pub that two members of Excalibur owned. Anya was dying for a burger with the works. She sent a text to Misha and Lyta with the time and location.

She slid into a chair next to Steve. "I'm dying for a burger." She was dressed as inconspicuously as possible. Jeans, blouse, leather jacket and her favorite boots. No one would believe that she was a princess.

stark_ravingmad:

Tony had thought to clear out Big Nick's for the evening, but if he did, Tasha's Spy-dar would go off and she'd figure out the plot. The only person he could trust with his secrets was Eddie, who wouldn't talk (not that he could right now). Still, his wife mentioned the other day that she wanted a big, juicy cheeseburger and Tony knew just the place to take her.

Of course, he put out a call to the kids to join them.

While Tasha got ready for their "date", Tony got Eddie ready to go out.

"Okay, Buddy. You make with the cuteness to distract your mother, and I'll play the tape when it's time. Got it? " Tony asks, smiling at his son.

Eddie grinned back in reply.

"Honey, are you ready?" Tony asks, carrying Eddie with him to find Tasha.

swashbuckler:

Steve had been quite surprised when Mr. and Mrs. Stark had revealed their wedding present to him and Anya.  A condo in NYC.  A home.  Much better than his room at Avengers Mansion or hers at the T-Bolt firehouse or anywhere else for that matter.

It did, however, come with a lot of moving in.  And would eventually require lots of furniture shopping, during which he'd pretend to be able to tell whether the couch matched the walls (when he couldn't even remember what color the walls were) or pretend that he knew whether or not the painting would look good on the wall.

Right now, however, moving in required lots and lots of boxes.

"Hey, lemme take that," he tried to tell Anya.

swashbuckler:

takes place on March 3, 2011

One of the things Steve had most regretted about his time away, outside of losing Anya, had been losing touch with Jack.  He'd liked the guy a lot, and felt sorry for him for reasons he couldn't quite but his finger on.  He hoped he'd gotten the help he needed.

Steve's day had been busy.  He'd spent most of the morning  working on re-securing his admission to ESU.  He'd been fortunate that the Avengers legal team had been able to help with that.  Being gone for a relative four-moths/two year span would have, under normal circumstances, just told him to forgo any kind of further education.  But being  a leader of men and women in a time of war had made him realizing that everyone needed to be able to do something when the wars were over.  Pursuing a degree in criminology would give him a lot of options and would help him currently too.  Maybe he'd design security systems.  Maybe he'd work as a consulting trainer to security programs and government agencies.  But he wanted to do something that meant less people died, when beating up the killers became less of an option.

After that had been taking his sky-cycle down to Boston to meet his wife for lunch.  So far, the plan seemed to be alternating weekends for where they stayed.  NYC one weekend, Boston the other, and plenty of phone calls in-between.  And he could still surprise her in the meantime.  Honeymoon was coming up, and what they'd do over the summer was still up in the air.

Afterward, it had been back to NYC for doctors appointments.  One with Samson--reasonably productive--and one with Doctor Foster--regular check-up considering everything he'd been through--and then a short stint on monitor duty.

Finally, however, he was able to head out on patrol.  Took his sky-cycle out to an area of the city, picked at random, set it down, and started across the rooftops.  He'd find trouble, sooner or later.

anyastark:

Valentine's Day had been busy to say the least. Getting married in Vegas and the flying back to New York for the charity auction left little time to tell the parents that Anya and Steve got married. So the solution was to invite them all to dinner on the fifteenth and break the news to them that way.

Anya made reservations at The Capital Grille for a private room and then sent invites to her parents and Steve's parents. Privacy was needed because she wasn't quite sure what the reactions would be.

Anya put on a simple black dress, heels and did her hair. She arrived with Steve and were shown to the private room and their table. She held his hand while they waited for the parents to arrive.

anyastark:

The weekend had been insanely busy. Friday morning Anya, Steve, Toni and Charlie had flown out to Seattle to the WCA's HQ. Anya worked on the computers while Charlie, Toni and Steve got to hang out with James' team. Once Anya was done, they hopped on the plane and flew down to LA to hang out with the Defenders for a bit.

Anya hid away with the computers and Griffen while the others bonded. They spent Saturday night and Sunday during the day there relaxing and getting to know the Defenders better. It went a long way bettering relations between the teams and it was good to see each other on occasion.

Sunday night they spent at the Grammys. It was a lot of fun seeing some of the celebrities she hadn't seen in awhile. She made it a point to introduce Steve, Charlie and Toni to all the ones she knew. Afterward they skipped the traditional after parties and headed to Vegas.

Anya had it all planned out. She had a very large suite reserved at the Bellagio and reservations for the wedding chapel inside. Of course Charlie and Toni knew none of this and weren't going to until it was time. Anya put on a simple white dress, carried one rose and had her hair up.

She sent a text to Charlie and Toni telling them to meet downstairs in ten minutes.

She put her hand in Steve's and together the two of them went downstairs to the chapel.

nextgen_parent:

Tony, for once, was enjoying a quiet afternoon on the couch while Tasha took Eddie out to fill his head with all kinds of craziness under the guise of shopping. When they got back, Tony was gong have to spend time finding out what his wife was telling their son, and slowly explaining to him that Mommy liked to embellish certain things...unless they were compliments about Tony.

Those would be treated as gospel, Tony decided.

When the knock at the door came, Tony figured it was one of the kids coming to visit Tasha, though she usually kept them informed of her whereabouts.

Of course, the moment he opened the door, he really wished it /had/ been one of the kids.

swashbuckler:

Steve was in the gym in the Mansion, putting himself through his paces on the basketball court.  Dribbling the ball, making shots, spinning the ball on his finger, all kinds of stunts.  The metal of his arm gleamed in the light of the gym. 

He was using his right arm pretty exclusively for the stunts, even though he was very nearly ambidextrous.  He needed to get his coordination back.

The arm was new, newer than the replacement he'd first come back home with.  Tony Stark had seen to that, putting the best minds he had (including his own) behind the creation of a suitable bionic.  It was loaded down with more options than a Swiss Army Knife, had better tactile sensations that the previous model, and in general was better synced to his body.  When need be, he could activate a pseudo-flesh covering for it.

He threw the ball, sinking it from about half court.  And hella stronger too.

He nodded, impressed with the results.  Getting there, he thought.

swashbuckler:

Steve had to admit, the security around the T-Bolts compound was second to none.  And while he could have gotten in with his Avengers ID card, that still would have set something off.  Some things were worth going the extra mile to surprise people for.  His dad had been able to get into Avengers Mansion multiple times over the years without setting off security.  

And he had the added benefit of knowing how Gorgeous would think and design hers.  Getting in was easy.

Getting into her room without waking her up was slightly harder.

Waiting for her to wake up, well, even harder still.

But for this?  He could.

next_avenger:

Now that the other Avengers were back it was time to reorganize the team a bit. James didn't want to give up leadership of the team and he knew Charlie would want it. The answer to the problem was simple. A team meeting and a vote according to the charter. There was also the issue of dealing with a lot of Avengers to address.

James sent out notification of the time to all Avengers, reserve and active. When it was the right time he made his way to the conference room and took a seat.

fleetfootmac:

Mac made his way to the Avengers' place with a back of pork rinds under his arm. He knockedo n Steve's door.

anyastark:

Once and awhile Anya needed some Dad and Princess time. When she was growing up there was a lot of time with Dad, but as she got older the time with him diminished and now it was almost nonexistent. Dad had a company to run along with a wife and a newborn son to deal with. She had school, a team and a boyfriend and they both had more family members to deal with. Before it was just the two of them for the majority of the time and it was them against the world. Now the team had gotten bigger and it meant less time with just the two of them.

Friday afternoon saw her stopping by the company to ambush him in his office. He had left for work by the time she got home from the Avengers mansion and Steve. Mom had said that he went in to sign paperwork Pepper had been nagging him about. Though Anya suspected it has something to do with Nick being fussy.

She knocked on the door and stuck her head in.

anyastark:

Anya had been in the middle of a wonderful dream about a warm sandy beach, a naked Steve and lots of shopping. It was a nice dream and Anya had been enjoying it when pain spiked and woke her up. Steve was thrashing about and had grabbed her arm with his metal hand.

"Owwwwwww!" she winced and tried to pry his fingers off her arm. "Steve! Wake up!"

swashbuckler:

Plans had been made, maps studied, the situation read as best it could be.  There was no more time for talk.  The Mothership would be leaving by the next day.  If the aliens who had stolen this world were not defeated now, it wasn't likely they ever would be. 

But these aliens had never faced people with the kinds of powers that the Avengers possessed.  The paltry number of defenders the planet Earth had had when they had arrived had died easily.  And this world possessed no Inhumans, no Eternals, no Deviants.  No one would or could fight back on the scale needed.

But the time of domination was over.

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
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
+

Anonymous entries accepted.

swashbuckler:

There was a crackling of light and the Avengers appeared in the middle of the rebellion base, some kind of underground bunker.  Guards pointed their weapons, while others moved to protect some of the more civilliany looking people gathered.  There were quite a few people with cybernetic parts, like Steve, and even a few people who looked to be part animal.   All races, genders, and creeds were represented.  In this time, in this place, there was no room for hatred between man, only hatred of their invaders.

Steve raised a hand.  "It's okay, guys.  Stand down.  I said I'd get help and I meant it.  Codeword: Fisherman."

The guards seemed to accept this, and one with what looked to be maybe a couple of rank badges approached them.  "Never doubted you for a second, sir," he said, tossing off a sharp salute.  "We've got movement figures.  The generals would like to talk to you."

Steve nodded.  "Tell them we'll be there."

He looked back over his friends.  "Everybody make it?"

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.

swashbuckler:

Steve Barton was back, though not necessarily to stay.   He'd sat through a very quick doctor's examination which had revealed that he was in generally good health, though perhaps not having been eating as regularly as he should have.  His right arm was entirely gone, as was his right shoulder and a portion of his pectoral muscle and back.  It had all been replaced by cybernetics that seemed slightly ahead of current technology. 

Loosely over his back, he carried a shield that looked like it once belonged to Captain America.  It had.

They'd commandeered a conference room for a quick war council.

"Okay," Steve said, pacing with the need to keep moving.  He looked older by a year or two, maybe more if you counted the stress and shell-shocked look in his eyes.  "When I disappeared, I ended up in a different dimension.  There, the Earth had been conquered by aliens some time in the 50's. Most of the population had been wiped out.  But some survived as slaves or experiments.  But there was a resistance.  I hooked up with them, started teaching them how to really fight back.  Even, kinda put together a rag-tag Avengers.

We were barely holding our ground.  But now, the mothership, with the aliens leaders, is on Earth.  And we have a plan to take them down.  But we needed muscle.  We pieced together just enough technology, with the help of one of those Avengers, to send me back here."

He swallowed.  "This is that Earth's last chance.  I need you to help me."

swashbuckler:

The different clothes, the dyed hair, a ballcap, and sunglasses made for a reasonable disguise.  Probably wouldn't fool many for long, but long enough to get them where they needed to go.

He wasn't paying attention to the Stark Industries tour guide, though he would, to most people watching, look like he was.  Years of slacking off in classes and pretending to pay attention that way, at least, had paid off.  His real focus was on Anya, waiting for her to tell him when they needed to slip away, so they could track down...

Whoever it was that was impersonating him.  Or duplicating him.  Or...  he didn't know.  There were too many damn possibilities in this world for this kind of thing.

swashbuckler:

Occasional doubts about his relationship aside--a small part of her would have preferred things be, well, smaller, really, but hey, Starks did things big--Steve truly loved his girlfriend.  Which meant that he absolutely had to make her birthday as special as he possibly could.  He had scrimped and saved from his Avengers salary for several months in order to be able to take her out to dinner at what he had hoped was a nice enough restaurant.  Not his usual world, but hers.  A way to show her world was something he could at least try to operate in.

He studied the menu thoughtfully for a moment, before looking over to her.  "You look beautiful."

anyastark:

The week had been a busy one for Anya and she needed some major downtime. Classes had loaded her down with homework and she had personal projects that needed to be done. Upgrades for Darlene, upgrades for Darwin and Schrodinger and upgrades for the computer systems in the Thunderbolts Headquarters. She still had to find time to take a trip to the West Coast to upgrade the computers at the Defenders' Headquarters. All of this translated into a week with very little sleep. She was in dire need of that downtime.

The best way to spend downtime was with her amazing boyfriend.

Anya had made arrangements earlier in the week and when classes were over on Friday, she rocketed to New York. The game started at 7pm, but they had to be there quite a bit earlier than that. Anya grabbed a quick shower, dressed in a shirt and jeans and slipped on her pair of Doc Marten boots. She had told Steve they had plans for the evening, but she hadn't elaborated on what those plans were. Starks could be devious.

With a smile on her face and a bounce in her step, she went to find Steve.

ng_independent:

The Empress was NOT happy. So far all of her plans have failed. The plan to grab female champions from Earth failed. The plan to grab guys and turn them into girls to use as her champions failed. The Empress had to come up with another plan. She had thought long and hard on it and eventually came up with something.

"Set A corSE to EARth!" she commanded. She would not be stopped this time. The plan was fail proof.

The Empress selected candidates as the ship made its way toward Earth. By the time they arrived, she had a list. One by one the names on the list were collected and put in the proper chambers.

When they wake up they will see a recording of the Empress addressing them.

"Greetings! Welcome to the service of...ME. Each of you will be expected to do your duty and proCREATE with the feMALE in the ROOM with you."

no_relation:

Jack chewed his lip, fidgeting as he stared at the front gate again. Finally, he hit the button. "Hi... I'm looking for, uh.. Swashbuckler? I was wondering if he wanted to go out for ice cream."

redheadspy:

There were very few things that they did as a family so it made these family dinners even more important. They were an unorthodox family to say the least, but they were a family and families had dinner on occasion. Natasha tried to do this at least once a month, but things had been so hectic lately and with people spread out all over it was hard to organize family dinners.

Reservations were made at Delmonico Steakhouse in a private room. Family dinners were an /experience/ and better that they were off in private instead of scaring the masses. Not to mention there was less chance of the media snapping pictures and whatnot.

Natasha checked her reflection in the mirror. It was a new black dress to accommodate her growing stomach and her favorite jewelry. There was definitely a very noticeable baby bump now. The baby had become very active in the past two weeks and was taking aim at Tasha's organs. Thankfully he was still small enough to not hurt so much.

When they were ready to go Tony and Tasha headed over to the restaurant. The kids would arrive with their dates on their own. They were shown to the private room and their table.

anyastark:

Today was a good day. Steve was finally getting out of the hospital and they'd have a few days together over the long holiday weekend. Provided of course that nothing went to hell in Boston and she'd have to go back and help the Thunderbolts deal with the disaster. Here was to hoping.

There was a bounce to her step as she made her way to his room. She carried a bag that contained some clothes for him and a pair of shoes. He didn't need to be going home in his skivvies. Though she definitely liked seeing him in his skivvies, or better yet nothing at all.

She opened the door a crack and poked her head inside.

aerosmithette:

The Skrulls had been defeated, and Ororo had been cleared of all charges.  T'Challa had the Skrulls disposed, and all that was left was to clean up the mess made by the battle.  Akilah sure as hell wasn't going to partake in cleaning, but she remained for the sake of being home and wanting to speak with her parents.  The Avengers also needed a rest from their fight.

swashbuckler:

Well, at least they were letting him sit up today.  His parents had stepped out for coffee, which left Steve watching TV.

Click.

"Junk."

Click.

"More junk."

Click.

"Junk again."

Click.

"Okay Buddies, Hero-Up!"

"Terrifying ...And yet I can't look away."

swashbuckler:

Steve had, frankly, been joyriding.  But when one was an Avenger, with access to incredible technology, including the latest model Sky-Cycle, one could joyride now and then.  Of course, if anyone asked, he was on patrol. 

The sounds of gunshots broke his train of thought and he looked down to see a shoot-out between some kind of gang and the police.  He could help here.  The guys had a lot of guns--big ones, military models of some kind--and the cops were pinned down.  He quickly set  a program into the Sky-Cycle's auto-pilot.

The Cycle swooped low and he jumped off it, firing a pair of arrows in the process.  The Cycle itself continued its arc and parked itself in the air.  One net arrow wrapped up a trio of gang members, while the other, a glue arrow, insured another gun wouldn't fire.  Fists made sure the guy holding that gun was out of the fight.

He pulled his vibranium boomerangs and threw them, quickly disarming more of the gun men and catching them when they returned to his hands.  The others rushed him now and he relied on his batons and his martial arts skills.  He used the bow and arrows so often, people tended to forget that he had other skills too.  He received his share of blows, but he gave better than he got, putting everything his dad and Uncle Steve had taught him to incredibly good use.

Steve had his severe doubts about what he was doing leading the Avengers, hell, even being an Avenger at all.  Even with all his gear, he was the least super-powerful of the Avengers (or maybe second most, compared to Spector).  What the hell was he doing fighting Skrulls or the Masters of Evil or whatever? 

But this?  Fighting your regular old garden variety thugs?  This he had a damn good handle on.  Here, at least, he knew he could make headway, make a difference.

<I><b>BANG!</i></b>

That was...  that...  that kinda...  hurt...  A lot.

He looked down and saw that the bullet had penetrated the kevlar weave of his uniform entirely.  Had to have been a pretty powerful round then.  And... oh.  Wow.  That was a lot of blood.  Really hurt.

He found himself slumping forward to the ground, faintly aware of the cops moving toward him...

anyastark:

Anya was glad to get into a daily routine and be back in classes again. Summer classes had started on the 9th and Anya couldn’t have been happier. Classes and school were parts of The Plan and steps to running Stark Inc one day. A year ago it would have been the only thing she wanted in life, but now it was one of two things she wanted in life. The only other thing she wanted in life was graduating today.

While she was starting classes again, Steve was just finishing high school. As soon as her Friday classes were over she donned her suit and rocked off to New York for Steve’s graduation ceremonies. It was a mad dash into the condo and into a dress. Quick job on her hair and makeup and she climbed into the car with the family.

Anya had attended with her parents, James and Steve’s parents. She was so proud of him. She knew he could do it even when he thought he couldn’t do it. She believed in him even when he didn’t believe in himself. Impatiently she waited for his name to be called.

Tomorrow she'd give him his graduation gift. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he got it. Patience was not a strong suit of Anya's.

nextgen_cosmic:

Among the many servants to T'Challa and Ororo, most were not what they seemed.  One in particular, however, ventured out to gather supplies.  Walking through the streets of the capitol city, the human-form Skrull gave nervous glances every corner he turned.  The trial was about to begin, but the presence of the Avengers made him nervous.  There were not many Skrulls in Wakanda, and they did not have the backing of the Empire.

swashbuckler:

Steve plopped himself down in front of the mansion TV and turned it on, randomly flipping through channels, briefly landing on the cartoon channel, while he looked over to the bowl of chips he'd brought with him.

"Super-Buddies...  HERO -UP!"

That got his attention.

On the screen were...  were... he wasn't sure what he was seeing.  There were six of them, all done up in some kind of bizarre super-deformed/cutified style.

"Iron-Girl!"
"Flag-Boy!"
"Bow-Kid!"
"Buzzer!"
"Presto!"
"Like, Cosmic-Kid!"

"Super-Buddy Squad... HERO-UP!"

Anya.  Charlie.  Himself.  Vernique.  Daniel.  And Iason.

And he watched as they set about fighting what he was reasonably sure were that Zemo-chick and some of the Masters of Evil.

"Hey you guys, pay attention and fight!" that was Iron Girl.

"Hey, don't get your iron-pants in a wad, sweetcheeks!" That was Bow-Kid.

"By the mystical signs of Albaline!"

"Like, whoa.  These dudes are mondo evil!"

"Stand firm, buddies!  Evil can never prevail against good old American justice!"

"Hey!  They almost swatted me!"

Steve continued staring at the TV as it went to commercial.

"...Are we getting paid for this?"

nextgen_holiday:

On the last Monday in May the country pauses to mourn its war dead, the spirit of redemptive sacrifice is extolled and pledges to American ideals are renewed. Flags are placed on soldiers' graves and those who sacrificed their lives for their country are remembered.

The holiday first began in the 1860s to honor the Civil War dead and took place near the day of reunification after the war, it has since come to encompass all war dead. People observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time and another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries. The National Memorial Day Concert takes place on the west lawn of the United States Capitol where music is performed, and respect is paid to the men and women who gave their lives for their country.

Families and friends come together for barbecues and cookouts. Kids rejoice at the opening of pools and knowing that summer has begun and school is ending.

anyastark:

Lady Mandarin was quite pleased. The Mandarin's kingdom was expanding and his rule over the underworlds of Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America was expanding. His empire was vast and his rule absolute. She was his consort and an extension of his will. She was his tool to use as he saw fit.

Her life was for him to use and she was happy to serve him. He had given her life meaning and purpose. He was all that existed. She had a family once, she remembered them quite clearly, but they meant nothing to her. The Mandarin had forbidden her to go near them or try destroy them. He said the time to destroy them would eventually come and she was looking forward to that day.

She looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. The Chinese style dress she wore hugged her form and accented her enlarged stomach. She placed a hand on her stomach and felt the tiny life inside pushing at the constraints of its small world. She smiled. The Mandarin's heir would be born soon. Her greatest duty would soon be fulfilled.

weavingwizard:

Daniel had decided it was time to get to know more guys in the super hero community. So he had sent word out every way he could that he was hosting a male bonding night. People were expected to be good or he would open up a portal with a well placed spell to drop them on the front lawn.

He had done a lot of cooking. He had also managed to get drinks for any of the guys who might take him up on the offer who could drink.

And he also asked that they bring movies with them. He had a card table set up for poker if anyone felt like playing.

Now all he had to do is wait.

nextgen_parent:

Ororo sat in her room, confined and utterly bewildered.  She hadn't done anything wrong, and yet the people of her country chose not to believe her.  She was mildly frustrated and deeply hurt by the accusations.  Her only hope was that her husband and her daughter could find a way to prove her innocence.

anyastark:

Anya yawned and stretched lazily as she lay naked against Steve. Right now the world was absolutely perfect and nothing except the man laying next to her existed. Everything else disappeared and nothing could destroy this perfect moment. Nothing until she told her boyfriend about her plans. She yawned again. Sleep threatened to take her. Her stomach was full of really good food and she was coming down off the adrenaline high. She was enjoying basking in the afterglow.

Saturdays and Sundays had been set aside for time with Steve. With her working at the company during the week and him in school, there was little time to see each other. Saturdays and Sundays were spent with her boyfriend provided the world wasn't going to hell and the Avengers weren't needed. Since Anya returned to the Avengers, things had been quiet which meant time for other things. Like trying to find the best burger and finding a bed and breakfast for the evening.

Anya and Steve had made the drive to Rhode Island to check out this one burger place Anya had heard about. Lunch had been fantastic and worth the three hour drive and speeding ticket, but seeing how they were already that far north, Anya decided to head east to Cape Cod. From Falmouth they took the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard. Being the off season, there were rooms at the local bed and breakfasts even though they could have gone to the Stark house on the island. It had been closed for some time and staying there would have meant effort to stay there for the night.

She yawned again. She had meant to tell Steve about her idea about a team in the car, but it had never seemed the right time. Not that there would be a right time, but there was also the concern about ruining the day. She had to tell him and she had to do it before she was in the car and ready to go.

Fingertips trailed lightly over his chest and she smiled into his neck. He was a great guy and she knew she was the luckiest girl in the world to have him. She just hoped she wasn't destroying a great thing. A light kiss was dropped onto salty skin.

"I love you," she said quietly.

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

aerosmithette:

Akilah held the paper in her hands, flabbergasted by the news it brought.  She was being summoned back to Wakanda to attend a trial against her mother.  Apparently, Ororo Munroe had attacked the Wakandan capitol relentlessly for almos two hours, destroying much of the city and killing many innocents.  She couldn't believe it.  She absolutely could not believe it.  However, Akilah knew she had to return home as quickly as possible.  She immediatly started gathering clothes and supplies for the trip home.  She also intended on telling her teammates that she was leaving for awhile.  However, she was not one to strike up conversation so easily.  Akilah made it apparent that she was going somewhere by gathering her things at the door. 

"Just a few more things to check," she muttered as she slid her things to the wall.

i_feel_you:

After they had dropped their stuff off at a local hotel room and caught a quick nap (the joys of continental flights), Aine and Luna had hopped in a cab and took off for Avengers Mansion.

"Here we are," Luna said when they arrived, paying the cabbie before climbing out of the cab. She looked over to Aine. "Relax. Don't be nervous. It'll be fine. You're with me, so there's nothing to worry about. Unless the team's changed drastically, they all know me, for the most part."

She made her way to the front door and knocked.

nextgen_russia:

The people of Russia were in a festive mood and they had reason to be. Their tsar, Tsar Mikhail Petrovich Romanov, was getting married to Duchess Tatyana Sergeyeva. The past few months had been spent planning and getting ready for this day. They were happy to see their tsar get married and would be even happier when the tsar and the tsarina had an heir. The newly restored Imperial family needed stability and the marriage today was the first step in providing that stability.

The wedding ceremony lasted over an hour in the Assumption Cathedral. Immediately after Mikhail and Tatyana were pronounced man and wife, Tatyana was crowned empress. The procession left the cathedral and the newly wed couple and newly crowned empress greeted the people from the Red Porch.

The royal family was given time to change and refresh themselves before heading to the Grand Kremlin Palace for the wedding banquet. Dinner was an elaborate affair and lasted for two hours.

After dinner the royal family and guests made their way to the grand ballroom for the ball. The royal family was introduced and then the tsar and tsarina entered. They danced the first dance together and then the royal family was invited to dance with their partners. The guests would be invited to dance in the next song.

shield_maiden:

Svalin and Tryggvi just landed on the small lawn in the back of the Avengers Mansion. Svalin had been getting antsy and decided to take Tryggvi out for a flight around New York. They were both feeling too confined. At least at the Defenders compound there was room to move around and a nice ocean breeze. There were too many tall buildings in New York and they were all too close.

Svalin dismounted and immediately removed the saddle. She let it fall on the ground and then removed the bridle. She smiled and lightly rubbed Tryggvi's nose before placing a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you, my friend. 'Twas a most enjoyable flight."

swashbuckler:

Well, there was good news and there was bad news.  The good news was that the girls had, indeed, successfully freed them from a lifetime of service to the Empress.  They'd successfully bargained for their release and had been allowed to go back home.  There had been the promise that they would be returned to normal as soon as possible.

That.... had turned out to be a lie. 

Steve didn't fully understand the science behind it all (though Doctors Richards, Pym, and McCoy had gone on about it for quite some time), but the basic phrase that had come up was something along the lines of "permanent or possibly fatal genetic damage" if anything was attempted to be done to change them any further than what the Empress's science had done.  At least, for the mortals among them anyway.  Halbjorn and Iason's possible fates were a bit more up in the air.

Steve had gone back to his(?) room in the mansion, not knowing what else to do.

This?  ...This just royally sucked.

anyastark:


To: Prince Dork (misha_romanov@xaviers.edu)
From: Anya Stark (anya_stark@starkindustries.com)
Subject: Sun and fun

Hey Dork,

I'm inviting the Avengers to the Tahiti house for a week. You're invited and so are the X-ers.

Leaving 5pm on the 4th. Coming back on Friday the 9th around 1pm.

Let me know how many are coming.


Anya.

nextgen_parent:

Sersi chuckled when her nephew told her about the Avengers little problem. She of course had agreed to help and had flown over to the mansion. She was in residence for the next few days to change them all back.