What's up? Not dead, just busy. Had an idea that refused to leave.
So I wanted to make a superhero story that wasn't just "Captain America threw his mighty Shield..." so I decided to go into the expanded universe. I don't think I'm going to be using the complete Cinematic canon, but for now, its a starting point. Whether characters like Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are going to appear are still in the air.
Not based on the iPhone game.
Enjoy!
"Stark! Report in!" The Captain stalked through the abandoned facility. The other Avengers are taking care of the remaining Hydra agents outside. Among the chaos, they lost one of their teammates. "Stark! Where did you-?"
He entered a room filled with human sized containers littering the room in rows. Each one had a young man or woman inside, floating inside a green liquid with wires and equipment hooked up to them. Stasis chambers; too many to count.
The Captain set his jaw. He wasn't surprised or in awe. The more of this new Hydra he saw, the more of the old war he saw. No such thing as an original sin.
He spotted Stark, his armor standing guard next to him. He was huddled over a computer screen, stabbing his fingers away at the keyboard.
The Captain walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Tony."
Stark jolted up and spun around, eyes wide and unfocused. "Hey," he greeted. "We win?"
Rogers glanced over at the tubes. "Not so sure," he answered, "What happened here?"
"They're us," Stark answered incredulously. Steve gave him a strange look. He shook his head and corrected himself. "I mean, not literally us. They're supposed to replace us."
"I'm not following," the Captain answered, "Why would Hydra want to make Avengers?"
"They've been hiding inside of SHIELD for seventy years, right?" the genius said, "Why wouldn't they? I mean, if any of us ever died, they'd have the next generation right here. They have weird little versions of us down here. They could make whatever team they want."
"How many are down here?"
"I don't know," he answered, "Yet." He then added, "It's going to take me a while to break open the pod-people. Tell Banner to get down here when he gets the chance."
"Tony," Cap grabbed his shoulder. "Can we help them?"
…
She could feel the walls closing in around her.
They weren't really, of course, but she'd been stuck in this room for three days now. She marked the wall above her bed for each day she's been here.
She wasn't sure why she was here. She assumed it was some kind of prison. She doesn't remember doing any crimes. The only thing she was sure of…
Well, her reflection confirmed that what happened to her was certainly not a dream. She was strapped to a table in the middle of a cult's ritual. Maybe she was dead? She could see the possibility that this was Hell. White walls in a ten foot by ten foot room with nothing to do but look at yourself in the mirror.
No, she decided, she wasn't in Hell. Last she checked, Hell didn't have a (somewhat) comfy bed. Nor did it provide a working sink and toilet. It certainly didn't provide food on a tray under her door with a plastic spork.
A knock on her door jolted her out of her day dream.
Ah, she remembered, and Hell didn't have its own psychiatrist. Or did it?
The door opened to reveal the good doctor. She didn't understand how a doctor could possibly be as shredded as he was, but her head was swimming with enough questions.
Doc Samson closed the door behind him and greeted her with that same irritating smile. He wore a lab coat over a tight red t-shirt and casual jeans. Along with his muscles that shouldn't exist, his hair was green. Why not, right?
"Good morning, Miss Grant," Samson greeted. "How are we feeling today?"
"I didn't get my milk this morning," She answered dryly.
Samson smiled. "Still retaining our sense of humor, I see."
"I've got nothing to do in here but think of witty banter," She answered. "Still waiting to get out though."
"Why do you wish to leave so badly Miss Grant?" The Doc questioned kindly. "Do you have family?"
She nodded. "I have a family back in California. My boyfr... My friend is training to become a police officer."
"A respectable job," Doc agreed. "What do you remember; before coming here, that is?"
"I was going home," She recalled, like she had done a thousand times in her head, "I got…kidnapped, I think, by these weird cultists. They were worshipping some sort of cat-god, or something. They were doing a ritual and… this explosion caved in the building. I thought it was the Avengers, or SHIELD, but…"
She didn't finish.
"It was Hydra," Doc concluded.
She nodded.
"I should be dead," she thought aloud, "Shouldn't I?" She looked at her own hands. "I mean, how am I supposed to go home? Looking like this?"
Samson shook his head, "Miss Grant… Greer, there's nothing wrong with you. Yes, you're different, but that doesn't mean your life is over. The reason we've kept you here for so long, is that we're putting the finishing touches on a facility for people like you."
"What?" Greer's ears perked up. "People like…me?"
"You are not the only unfortunate soul to fall victim to Hydra's schemes," he assured her. "The only thing we need is your answer. Would you like to go home, right away? Or would you like to use your new abilities to the fullest? Would you like to become an Avenger?"
Greer looked down, contemplating.
"You'd still be free to see your family, either way," Samson added, "But I just wanted lay down all your options."
She stood up and walked over to the sink, looking up at the mirror. Her reflection was not a comforting sight, but she looked anyway. Maybe she was better off not going home just yet.
"…I think," she answered, "If I'm going to be a superhero, I'll need a new name."
Doc nodded, "I see. And what shall we call this new identity of Greer Grant?"
"It's my only identity, until I can go back to being human," she snapped decisively. She looked down at herself, down at the orange fur that covered every inch of her body. The claws on her hands replaced her fingernails, her ears were on top of her head now, in the shape of a cone. On top of all of that, she had a cat tail to go along with it. The black stripes on the fur only confirmed her super hero codename of whatever.
"Tigra," she decided. "The Avenging Tigra."
"Very well," Doc smiled pleasantly, "I'll have them save you a room, then. Welcome to the New Academy, Miss Gran- Er, I suppose its just Tigra now."
