nextgen_misc:

The trail eventually led the Avengers, Future Foundation and the Defenders to the other dimensional realm that served as the home of the Greek gods. They traveled to a few realms that were home to other gods only to find them destroyed and in ruins. Olympus wasn't in ruins, but it was under attack. Battle raged all around and the skies thundered and were lit up by lightning bolts.

sonofgenius:

Well, that was an exciting attack on the Baxter Building, right?  Franklin couldn't be counted on to tell you, since he'd been incapacitated for the entire thing.  Once the team had beaten the doppelganger Reed and Annihilus, they'd discovered Franklin and woken him up.  He was reeling a little from suddenly being knocked out and left to the devices of an evil faker, but there was calming food in the kitchen for him to munch on.  And with that thought in mind, Franklin attacked the pantry.

nextgen_misc:

Night settled over New York and the Baxter Building at Four Freedoms Plaza was quiet.


Or so it seemed.


In the lab of Reed Richards all was not quiet and something BIG was about to happen.

nextgen_misc:

It was a quiet misty morning in New York City. Thus far nothing to out of the normal had happen but the day was still young.

Then a loud roaring like thunder came from the sky as a burning and crashing spaceship headed towards the center of Central Park.

A loud boom struck through the entire city as the ship crashed in the park leaving a big crater. Then the crew of the ship began to make there way out of the wreckage of the ship.

flieswithfire:

She'd been there a couple days now, tucked away in 'her room'. Food had been brought for her and Andrea-robot and touchy-Vincent had both tried to engage her in conversation, but she had nothing to talk about. All she wanted to know was when she'd be able to leave and why they kept saying she was related to someone she wasn't. They'd also told her she was free to 'move about the building' as she wanted, something she wasn't so sure about.

But, after the second day in the room, she'd gotten curious. Opening the door, she waited for alarms to sound, or feet to come rushing to put her back in. Nothing. Peeking her head around the frame, she saw no one, heard no one. Which made her a little braver; pushing the door flat open and standing there expectantly. Nope. Nothing. Well. We'd see about that. Taking a decisive step out of the room, she stuck her chin out, picking a direction to at random and marching down it.

She came to a room, one with couches and wide glass windows. Going over to one of the windows, she stood with her hands pressed against it, looking out at the city below her. So busy, like little ants. With the insulation of the building she couldn't hear the cacophony below, but she remembered it from her brief flight over. Busy, loud and chaotic. There didn't seem to be any order or regulations to anything they did. It was somewhat frightening, but also something that piqued her curiosity; nudging at memories long buried and locked away.

flieswithfire:

The incursion into the Weapon X facility had resulted in the liberation of its inhabitants - one of them being Evie. During the chaos, she'd managed to slip through the building to a door... a door to the outside. The collar inhibiting her abilities was removed, broken into tiny shards, and Evie was free to use her powers as she wanted. Finally. Fear, panic and the need to flee had her lifting off the ground and flying as fast as she could away from the building. She didn't have any direction in mind, hell, she didn't even know where she was, but she wanted to be away. Far, far away.

( Fly away, Firefly )

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.

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!"

pass_the_torch:

Johnny was back in the Baxter Building for the week.  Filming was going great on his new movie, but the news that they were ahead of schedule gave way to the decision that everybody was going to get a break.  Honestly, Johnny didn't agree with the decision.  He wanted to be right there and keep playing his part.  But it wasn't his decision, so he had to cope with being home for the little week he had to himself, his friends, and his family.

He took to the kitchen and made come coffee--extremely hot coffee--and looked around to see if anybody was lazing about.  He had heard about Franklin moving out west, which was not much of a surprise to him.  And apparently Daniel had a girlfriend and a couple of friends out west where Franklin was living.  Scotty seemed to be having the same luck with friends.  So much was happening with the little kids.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent was, all things considered, in a good mood. Applying alchemical principles had proven most effective in the theoretical models for his nanites, even if it disqualified the work from any mass distribution. Still, he was proud of it, and looked forward to this first lab test. Particularly since Kristoff was working with him. Despite some of the more mind-numbing parts, he'd been quite happy with resuming their lessons together.

nextgen_holiday:

The beginning of a New Year, a time for new hopes, new experiences to come. A time to reflect on times past, remembering fond memories happily and trying to put less pleasant thoughts and experiences in the past.

It is a time of renewal, a time of rebirth. And for much of the world, it is a time of celebration. This is no less true for the super hero set as anyone else. If anything, they just have that much bigger of things to look forward to.

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.
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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.

nextgen_holiday:

“We’re here outside the Four Seasons Hotel in New York where the who’s who is gathered tonight. Celebrities, royals and superheroes have all turned out for the annual Maria Stark Foundation Winter Charity event benefiting Toys for Tots.

It’s truly an all-star gala here tonight.

New York’s own princess, Anya Stark, was seen being escorted by what appears to be her new flame, actor Austin Cain. Her brother and currently second in line to the Russian throne, Mikhail Romanov, was seen entering the party with Lyta Worthington, heiress to Worthington Industries. Tony and Natasha Stark, parents of a new baby, are making their first public appearance since the birth of their son.

Mackenzie Rider, a prince of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, is escorting Ms. Andrea Denker of the Fantastic Four tonight. Kristoff Vernard, leader of the Fantastic Four, was seen in attendance with his wife Cassandra and their son Scotty. Vincent Amorason, heir to Latveria, arrived alongside his brother and was seen escorting a member of the Defenders, Asleif Thorsdottir. The rest of the Fantastic Four are here too with their dates, though Miss Valeria Richards is not in attendance. Franklin Richards is in attendance and is escorting one Miss Gill.

Los Angeles’ own superhero team, the Defenders are in attendance as well. Arriving with her team is Grace Danvers, daughter of Hollywood hunk Simon Williams and she is being escorted by teammate, Eiltin. The two Asgardian princesses and daughters of Thor, Asleif and Aridis, are also attending the festivities with their team.
Akilah Munore, the crown princess of Wakanda, is here tonight with her steady flame, Daniel Sherwood a member of the Young Avengers. The other Young Avengers are in attendance tonight with their dates, alongside the adult Avengers.

Donald Trump arrived with his wife and is one of many other famous faces to arrive. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Hugh Jackman, Jack Nicholson, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift are just a few celebrities who have made an appearance here tonight.

It’s truly a party of the who’s who and it’s all for a great cause.”

next_avenger:

With Charlie gone and as a male member of the Avengers, in addition to being the leader, it was up to James to uphold a few traditions that didn't have to deal with battling bad guys. Though he had to admit that he would rather be fighting bad guys than doing this. It just wasn't his thing.

He wasn't as industrious as Anya, but James had managed to collect the necessary photos. It hadn't been easy and a part of him felt like he was cheating on Val.

Invitations were sent to the Avengers, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Champions, Excalibur the X-Men and the Defenders guys.

With the help of Jarvis food and drink was laid in. James made sure they had a wide variety of pizza, chips, pretzels and drinks.

He loaded the photos in and took care of the security systems. The girls were not allowed to watch. Now all that was left was people showing up.

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.

nextgen_holiday:

All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween as it has been come to be called, is a popular holiday with children and adults alike. It is a holiday that had its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain or Summer's End. Samhain celebrated the end of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half".

On this evening the barriers between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be thin and the spirits, good and bad, of the dead could pass through. The spirits of the family's ancestors were welcomed in while evil and bad spirits were warded off by the wearing of masks and costumes. The costumes and masks disguised one as a harmful spirit and avoided harm from others.

It was also a harvest celebration and time to take stock of food stores for the winter. Livestock were slaughtered and the meat prepared for storage. It was the final harvest of the year and the crops were then stored for the winter. Celebrations included bonfires and tales of the family's ancestors.

It was a celebration of the dead and of the harvest.

Today we dress up in scary and not so scary costumes and masks and go door to door for candy or attend costume parties. It is a night for revelry, pranks and fun.

discardedheir:

SHIELD was notified. Cassandra and the children were taken care of, and the Fantasticar was about to enter Latverian airspace.

Obviously, the automatic national defenses were on alert, but they could be temporarily disabled with a code that changed every hour of every day, but was based on particularly complex algorithm Doom had concocted at the age 24 and never shared with another human being, and into which one simply had to plug in the full date and time. And, of course, add the name Valeria.

It's been a very, very long time since he's disobeyed the Master. The Fantasticar touched own on the outskirts of Doomstadt unmolested; Kristoff deliberately does not look in the direction of the gypsy funeral grounds. He can't let himself do that right now.

Since the defenses hadn't been activated, Doomstadt is looking its normal calm, quiet self. People walk unmolested down the cobblestone streets, and the water flows in the fountains. The castle looks its normal self from this distance as well.

Time for them to see about making the Master of Latveria explain himself.

awesome_andrea:

Andrea was currently in the lounge of the living quarters portion of the Baxter Building, a laptop open on the table in front of her, and books alongside that.  Of course, she already had the contents of those books scanned into her memory, but the more human aspects of her programming matrix insisted upon also having the physical articles in front of her.

Her eyes were fluttering in their sockets, and the computer was humming along, text appearing on the screen with speed far faster than any person could type.

Only her second week of school and she was already working on papers.  Granted, her class schedule was somewhat larger than that of other students.  Without the need for sleep or food that other students possessed, she was able to take an enlarged class schedule, across better hours.

nextgen_misc:

It was a day like any other day for the island of Manhattan.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the cabbies were swearing.  All was as it should be.

As it should be, until something had come up out of the harbor.  Multiple stories tall, covered in scaly green-skin, its every step a practical earthquake.  Bullets could not stop it!  It marched through the city, stepping on all in its wake, smashing and striking out at anything that seemed to annoy it.

Giganto walked the streets of New York!   The police were helpless!  There was only one team with the experience to handle such a beast!

....No.  Not the Avengers.  They're busy this issue.

The World's Greatest Super-Heroes... THE FANTASTIC FOUR!

awesome_andrea:

Andrea was reasonably certain of her choices regarding her future, though various probability forecasts has already come up with several things that could go catastrophically wrong.  The probability on those, fortunately, was rather low.  Success seemed far more likely.

She had already spoken to her father on the matter.  He, of course, had agreed to support her in whatever choice she made.  Comforting, though largely unhelpful.  But she ultimately did not wish to overly burden him.  He already felt badly enough for not being able to help her in the time she had become human and it had taken a great deal of convincing to keep him from coming to rip Vincent limb from limb.

Therefore, she needed another opinion in the matter.  Kristoff or Cassandra would do nicely, and thus she went to seek one of them out.

franklen_four:

It had been awhile since Franklin recovered from his coma, and he had been working on keeping himself in check.  Therapy every week helped him control his emotions better, although he was happy that his sessions were over in the coming week.  He sighed in relief and sat down in the kitchen with a hot mug filled with hot chocolate in front of him.  He made it himself, and it tasted particularly good.  The trade secret was two little baggies of the hot chocolate mix.

discardedheir:

Kristoff, after talking to Vincent and after confirming that all was going well with the cleanup and restoration of the transformed, went upstairs to check on his wife.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent looked up at his brother, waiting for him to speak. Much had happened.

exiledbrother:

Two months ago he would not have been able to do this. He had been broken by being tossed to this other world. This world that was not his. He had been reduced to nothing. Less than nothing really. He had no papers to get himself set up at first. It had not taken him too long to change things around. He had ended up using an alias to get things started.

Taliesin Morgan was a useful name to use. But it would not last forever. The world would soon know the name of Taliesin von Doom.

So when does this happen and how? It is a Saturday. The skies are clear and people are out and about doing whatever it is they want to. Then in a flash of yellow and blue light that looks almost pretty buses stop. Cabs stop. Police officers on horses in the city parks or on bicycles stop.

Not because they are frozen in time. But they are confused. They are no longer human but dogs, cats, and birds.

Not all of them are like that though. About a half dozen police officers who weren't caught in the strange light are at the City hall. One of them notices just how the wacko is dressed and dives behind a pillar as his friends are tossed by magic and something else aside. The cop manages to get a message through to the Fantastic Four that someone dressed like Doom has just attacked City hall, could they please help?

airhead:

Heath got out of a yellow taxi cab in the city he loved. LA was wonderful but New York City was heaven. "Thanks man." he said to the cabby before getting his bag out of the trunk. He was staying at the Plaza while he exsplored Columbia and NYU. Entering the famous hotel he quickly checked in and went up to his room. The flight had been less than fun, he had been sitting next to an older woman who continually told him her grandaughter was in love with him. So he had to play nice while silently counting down the minuits until landing at JFK.

Besides meeting up with the family, and looking at the schools, Heath had homework. When he returned to LA he was going to finish filming the season finale of Edge of a Cliff. He doubted he would read it while in the city, but it was something that had to get done before the end of the week. Deciding that he wanted to do something before his Columbia tour in the morning he decided to try and meet up with anyone.

 Pulling out his blackberry he dialed the number of his favorite cousin. 

quitethecharmer:

A call comes over Kristoff's communicator, registering as originating from Vincent's laboratory.

"Kristoff, would you join me in my lab? I'm preparing to initiate something, but I need a fresh set of eyes and a fresh mind to make sure I haven't overlooked anything."

A pause.

"Please."

franklen_four:

He was young again, as if the sands of time had recoiled into the peak of the hourglass.  He sat on the floor with a teddy bear hugged tight against his chest.  The fear made him tremble and pale.  All he saw was the world around him fade slowly, and the void of darkness just got closer and closer.  And in his youth, Franklin could do nothing to stop it.
 

( The Truth )

quitethecharmer:

After sufficiently bracing herself for any potential reactions she can foresee, Vincent heads home, avoiding Valeria, as she still doesn't know what to say to her. As usual, he bypasses the lobby in favor of the rooftop access, heading down to the common area. He winces as he walks past Andrea's room, still next to his own. He wonders how long that will last.

She settles into her room, freshening some of the bandages she'd already been fitted with, due to her combat with Halbjorn.

She knows he doesn't need to call Kristoff. Even as hurt as he must still be, her brother's presence is something she can always exp---

No.

No more assumptions. No more of taking him for granted. Not when she can at least stop to think that much. Vincent abruptly finishes the changes quickly, and heads to the intercom.

"Kristoff... I'm home." She swallows, nervous. "Something has happened."

discardedheir:

Kristoff checked the repairs to the security systems, now that all the actual walls of the Baxter Building were finally intact again. Kristoff had regretted their inability to assist in the most recent manifestations of the crisis, after the attack that took Franklin, they'd had to secure their home and hadn't been able to leave the noncombatants that vulnerable until they could, at which point the conflict itself was already over. Good for the Avengers, the X-Men, SHIELD, and some apparent newcomers. It had been all the FF could manage to look after their own.

He checked on the others.( Read more... )
Next he checked the shipments for equipment he was trying to make available in the pinpointed parts of the world most ravaged by flood, drought, or contamination in the past few weeks of crisis.

And between each of these checks, he would go back and check again, and again, and again, on the machine running every possible scan through worldwide detection and positioning systems for any sign of his brother.

Day after day since he'd set it up, it had run constantly, and turned up nothing.
Until now.

quitethecharmer:

He'd been gone a very very long time. Not so long by the standards of Asgardians, or even by the standards of many of Midgard, but for Vincent Amorason Richardsson, having half his blood of mortal stock and only eighteen years to walk the worlds, a very long time indeed.

The Golden Realm was largely unchanging, even in the aftermath of such battle. It's architecture, the palpable hum of magic and divinity, the ever-present sensation of metal and beasts of war. It was almost suffocating, for one used to the ever-changing city of New York. It was a comfort to him to have Asleif accompanying him as he ventured out into it again, finally released from custody by the healers. The experience was humbling. For those who noticed him at all, he seemed to be regarded with a mixture of confusion and wariness. His form was frail by comparison to others, even if others could not 'sense' his mixed heritage. Frailty was not something that was allowed to thrive in Asgard, even among the ranks of mages rather than warriors.

He kept his head high as he walked alongside her. If anyone had anything to say to him, they held it for now. He seemed to be able to go about his business unmolested. All the better, for there were a precious few individuals he wished to visit while he was here, for however long he was here.

rocky_2:

Its Daniel's first date - and his parents, his dad in particular, weren't going to let it go over in a small way. They aren't the Richards family, but through the F4 and all, Ben isn't exactly short on money, and its his only son.

As such, Daniel arrives at Xavier's School for Gifted Youths in a chauffered limousine. He's dressed for hockey watching, but nicely for it, with a brand new jersey and nice jeans. He also has a boquet of flowers in hand and a box of chocolates in hand - his mother's insistence. The name gets him through most of the security, and he is expected, after all.

He comes up, and knocks on the door, speaking into the intercom when it clicks on.
"Its Daniel Grimm, is Ellie Rasputin ready?"

rocky_2:

Daniel doesn't really have a Valentine, but he's not above the mushy stuff entirely. He got over that age a couple years ago, and has started noticing girls. Problem being, while there are some cute girls in his school, and he eats lunch with some of them sometimes, he'd like to connect more with the hero crowd - and most of the kids aren't his age.
First and foremost, he makes sure Zoey and Scotty get some extra candy (including carefully packed candy cigarettes and root beer hidden under the card and more 'acceptable' candy) and silly Valentines.

Then he gets something for that cute X-girl. Ok, sure, he doesn't know her well, but they've met a time or three in passing. His dad is connected everywhere, and he's done his share of traveling. Can't hurt to at least make sure she gets something for Valentine's. He finds a card with a suitably adorable puppy and the standard silly poetry without being too sappy or suggestive. Cute puppy and 'Happy Valentine's Day' seems fitting.

He sends it off to Ellie to make sure it'll be there the Friday before the holiday.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent had let Andrea know to dress up however nicely she chose, as he had special plans for them for Valentine's Day. He'd been dropping various hints about what he had in mind, but they were all seemingly unrelated items.

Unable to forgo the classics however, he tapped at Andrea's door, appreciating once again that she was in the room adjacent to his own, with a miniature potted rosebush (cutting flowers just for the sake of sticking them in a vase always seemed wasteful), and a box of her favorite chocolates.

next_avenger:

Living with three women, especially the women in his family, for over a year had taught James quite a few things about women and what they liked. Valentine's Day had come and James had to do something for Valeria. He did wish that Anya was around to ask for her advice, but he'd muddle through somehow.

He didn't have the Stark name to throw around to get into nice places, but he did know someone who could hook him up. A week ago he had wandered into Stark Inc and talked to Pepper. Pepper could make the arrangements James needed and also give him advice. James was not afraid to admit that he was clueless when it came to these types of things.

With Pepper's help, plans had been made and the day had finally arrived.

James put on a suit, bought flowers (daisies, not roses) and showed up at the Baxter Building.

franklen_four:

Blackheart.

Franklin knew exactly who that was, and where to find him.  If there was any description for rage, it would be whatever Franklin was feeling then.  His hands curled into fists so tight his knuckles turned white.  Bubbling, no- boiling rage was inserted into his very being, and he decided that all Hell was going to break loose to express it.  He levitated first, and then flew high into the sky which turned black and red.  In all of his rage, Franklin turned the sky into the entrance to Hell.  The wasteland no living person was ever meant to see was displayed above New York City.

The news stations were quick to see the changes in the sky, and they managed to get video footage of Franklin flying straight through into the dimensional portal.  But that was none of his concern, really.  Franklin's focus was on finding Blackheart, and he did search Hell for just that one being.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent smiled as he stretched out in the chair adjacent to Andrea's. The idea for a getaway had been perfect.  Least of all for the reason that ever since he no longer had his divinity, New York had been absolutely frigid. He didn't know how humans just dealt with it.

Here though, on some insignificant but just barely developed tropical island, he and his girlfriend were quite happily isolated from any annoying aspects of real life that might drive home reminders of his condition. He'd had to worry about sunscreen as well for the first time in his life, but that was a small price to pay. Particularly since Andrea had been willing to help with the application.

A pair of cocktails and lounge chairs on a nearly deserted beach at sunset was rounding out the day nicely. He smiled as he looked over at Andrea. "Thank you for agreeing to my idea. I needed this. More than I realized initially."

ng_independent:

The Empress was most pleased. Very pleased indeed. Things were going according to her plan. The recent fights had been entertaining and she had her champion. Now she could win the games here on her home world. Her champion would win no matter what and she now had more soldiers in her army. She was quite pleased indeed.

She was stretched out on her litter as four of her soldiers carried her to the area. It was the start of the games and by the end her champion would be victorious.

Everything was going according to plan.

franklen_four:


( We gather here today... )

nextgen_misc:

Friends, family and loved ones are bound to notice the disappearance of some females.

ng_atlantis:

When last we left our heroes, the hordes of Atlantis were heading straight for Canada, ready to enact great vengeance upon the surface world.  The Fantastic Four had intervened, but were shot down over the open ocean  (fortunately, the could all fly).  But now they face an army of Atlanteans, including their mysterious leader....

Alpha Flight, alerted to the thread to Canada, has set off in its Alpha Flier in order to fight for truth, justice, and the Canadian Way!  Fortunately for all concerned in this aquatic battle royal, Alpha Flight possesses not just one, but two aquatic heroes--the shapeshifter, Alex, and Marrina, daughter of the legendary Sub-Mariner himself!

Who will win?  Will the hordes of Atlantis overtake Canada and then the world?  And what has happened to the Atlantean Royal Family, Namor, Namora, and Namorita?

Find out...

ng_independent:

"I have made my selections!" Empress declared to her assembled "court". "ColLECT thEM!" she ordered.

"Of course your majesty," a guard said with a deep bow.

"I want them dressed and ready to FIGHT as soon as poSSible!" She wanted to find her champion as soon as possible. There were fights to win. Respect to be gained. Blood to be spilled! All of it was for her personal gain. She relished in the power her fighters gave her. "Now GO!"

The guard bowed again and hurried off to obey her Empress' wishes.

An hour later all of the selected girls were teleported up to the ship and the brainwashing process began.

As soon as possible they would be put into the arena and would fight for their Empress' pleasure.

nextgen_misc:

The satellite image began with the United States Naval Destroyer, the USS Washington, in open ocean. For a moment, it seemed as though nothing unusual was going on, but then something broke the surface. It was a massive ship, shaped very much like some kind of gigantic fish. Weapons ports opened on the strange new vessel, blasting away at the destroyer. Other ships, equally marine-like in nature, surfaced and surrounded the destroyer, completing the process of blasting it to pieces.

The video stopped, and the Fantastic Four's SHIELD liason, Agent Doug Deeley, turned to the assembled heroes. "This is the fifth attack on US Naval forces in three months. We got lucky this time. Most of the crew survived. The craft are clearly Atlantean in origin, though we've been unable to determine if they're proper military forces or a rogue element. Attempts to contact any of the Atlantean royal family have failed."

The balding black man breathed heavily. "We therefore have to presume the worst."

He changed the projection on the screen to a naval map showing the Northeastern coast of the United States. "Strategic analysis of the attacks suggests that they're heading towards Manhattan. We've already alerted the Avengers, but as the Fantastic Four have more experience with Atlantis, we were hoping you'd be able to assist."

quitethecharmer:

Vincent had been put up on thirty-six hours of enforced bed-rest after retrieving Cassandra, and losing.. part of himself. The world seemed different. He was cold. He got hungry and tired as mortals of average physicality did. It was terrifying, and humiliating, and sickening for him. His body felt incomplete.

As soon as he'd been able to get out of bed, he'd retreated to his lab. All his work on the other major project he was working on was carefully recorded, preserved, and cordoned off, and then everything else got wiped clean. Hours passed, then days, then weeks. He only stopped his calculations and testing when he needed to eat or sleep. Discarded junk food wrappers and instant food packaging overflowed his wastebasket by now The exception was checking in with Kristoff to be assured that Andrea's repairs were proceeding on schedule.

At this point it was a month later, and more than fifty percent of the laboratory walls were covered with notations. He was attempting to isolate the energy that constituted the Asgardian 'spark', and then reinfuse himself with it. He would have called Asleif for consultation, but he couldn't bear to interact with anyone while he was in this state.

He couldn't stay like this.

Without his power.

Without his identity.

Weak. Vulnerable. Unable to protect anyone.

franklen_four:

Before they left the Baxter Building, Franklin had telepathicly cloaked himself and Dorthy from the view of other people.  And when they got outside, he carried them both away on a telekinetic journey to Xavier's.  The two of them landed outside the gate and Franklin dispatched with the cloaking.  He needed a short rest from the trip, but was otherwise fine.  And he announced to the mansion that they had visitors via an enjoyable device on their gate.

"I wonder who is going to greet us today."

nextgen_misc:

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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Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_deviant:

The brides were clad in white and lined up in front of the altar. A semi-circle of priests stood behind the brides and were chanting. The magic in the air became more powerful as the priests chanted. A small circle appeared in the air before the brides and started to get bigger.

Standing behind the priests was a large group of deviants. They were witnessing the rebirth of their god into the mortal realm. It was an honor and privilege to be witness to this historic moment.

nextgen_holiday:

The beginning of a New Year, a time for new hopes, new experiences to come. A time to reflect on times past, remembering fond memories happily and trying to put less pleasant thoughts and experiences in the past.

It is a time of renewal, a time of rebirth. And for much of the world, it is a time of celebration. This is no less true for the super hero set as anyone else. If anything, they just have that much bigger of things to look forward to.

old_saint_nick:

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday, it's true, but it also has become increasingly secular. It is an opportunity for love, charity, and goodwill, even in New York City, arguably the most skeptical city in the country.

There is some debate within mystical circles if there is indeed such a creature as the embodiment of Christmas Giving known as Santa Claus. But whether or not there is such a being, the spirit of giving itself is very real, be it incarnated in a fat man in a red suit or not.

Throughout this small blue planet of Earth, people have brought trees into their homes, decorated them with lights and ornaments, and placed them in locations of honor. Stockings have been placed on the chimneys. And gifts have been placed under the tree.

Some are looking forward more to the receiving than the giving. But for many, it is the act of giving which warms them, which fills them with the holiday spirit.

Each person, in their own way, becomes a part of this spirit of giving. Each person, in their own way, becomes Santa Claus.

The Baxter Building is too large to have lights hung from it like most residences, but some festive lighting has been arranged. A light, slowly alternating between red then green, shine up the sides of the building. And on the top floor, where the Fantastic Four reside...

invisigirl:

Val sat at her desk at in her office/lab at the Baxter Building, working on an essay for one of her college applications. She was a little late getting them in, so early action wasn't definitely out of the picture, but that was only invented to make applicants sweat out the process a little bit longer.

She didn't know where she wanted to go yet. She was going to be too young to live in a dorm, as she wouldn't be turning eighteen until well into her freshman year, so she wanted something close. But something with a good science department. Something that would give her a challenge. A program that would keep her on her toes.

Essays were the easiest part. If the school had a prompt, you wrote an essay based on that prompt. If not, then you just wrote the same essay for each school and just replaced the name of the college.

Hearing a knock on her door, Val perked her head up.

"Come in."