Anyone who knows me, knows I mostly write from the DC verse but I was reading 'Avengers Disassembled' the other day and thought it was about time I dipped my toe in the Marvel universe and see if I sink or swim. Plus, I have fallen deeply in love with the Maximoff family drama. I am hoping to turn this into a series of one shots set in an AU universe where Billy and Tommy grew up with their real parents. The first half of this chapter is shamelessly stolen from Disassembled Part 4 and the rest shows what life would be like for the Avengers if Wanda never lost the twins.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Avengers, The Young Avengers or any version of. If I had, the world would be a weird and wonderful place.
Warning: I am only trying out an idea. I am not 100% familiar with the Marvel universe or the Avengers. Most of my knowledge comes from the storylines Avengers Disassembled, The House of M, most of the Young Avengers stories, some of the current movies (Iron Man) and, loathed that I am to admit it, Wikipedia. Therefore, characters will most likely OOC. I am just giving it a go.
The sky was clear blue, no clouds drifting past to cover the sun. The temperature was perfect. I was a perfect afternoon. And one which many members of the Avengers, earths mightiest heroes (Or so Steve kept claiming) were taking advantage of.
Two desk chairs stood at the edge of the pool, their occupants relaxing in the sun. Finally, one of them spoke.
"Wow, did I need this! I am so crazy in my head today." The woman in blue muttered.
There was a moment of silence before her friend put her book down and looked at her.
"What's going on Janet?" The second woman asked, relaxing against her scarlet towel.
Janet van Dyne, known as the hero The Wasp, sighed.
"I…listen Wanda. I'll tell you…but you can't tell anyone!"
Janet's best friend, Wanda Maximoff, aka, the Scarlet Witch, gave her friend a hard look.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I had a…bit of a scare."
Wanda was quick to reply.
"What happened?"
"Ssshh! I'm fine." Janet replied, lowering her voice.
Slowly, Janet looked away from her friend and over to the other figure. Clint Barton, Hawkeye and Janet's current fling, was staring at his target, bow held loosely in one hand.
"It's just…" Janet continued. "my monthly friend came a little late, and I thought I might be…you know."
Under her glasses, Wanda stared.
"You thought you were pregnant?" The mutant asked.
"Ssshh! Hey, ssshh!" Janet ordered, turning back to glare at Wanda. "I'm not! I just thought I was. I was really freaked out because that is the last thing I need. With all the crap in my life right now…"
There was another pause. Janet sighed slightly.
"That's just what the world needs…a little Clint Barton walking around."
Almost like he could hear the two women gossip, Clint turned around. Janet quickly caught his eye and smiled, raising a hand. Clint returned the greeting, confused look on his face.
"Are you two still seeing each other?" Wanda asked, hand raised to her chin.
Janet relaxed back onto the chair.
"That would entail the two of us having an adult conversation about our feelings, which, clearly is not either of our strong suits. Ugh! Could you imagine? Me with a kid? Like a kid could grow up normal in this environment!"
Under her glasses, Wanda's eyes flashed. Janet took no notice.
"Avengers should not have kids!" Janet continued. "Superheroes should not have kids! That should be a rule!"
Janet turned to look at Wanda, who was slowly reaching for her glasses.
"And you have to manage two!" Janet finished.
Wanda pulled the glasses off her face, green eyes glowing in the light.
"Yes, I do. And I wouldn't give them up for anything." Wanda replied.
Turning in her chair, the female Avenger looked across the pool. Clint was carefully balancing an arrow on his bow. The archer looked down.
"Ready?" He asked.
Next to him, a little boy nodded enthusiastically, his ash blond hair bouncing against his forehead. Clint smiled and raised his bow.
"On the count of three... One….Two….Three!"
The archer let the arrow fly as the little boy next to him sprung to his feet, laughing as he chased the arrow.
Beside Wanda, Janet looked down.
"I'm sorry Wanda. I didn't mean it like that. It's just that not many people can do what you do. I know I couldn't." She admitted.
Wanda just smiled.
"Believe me; it's not as hard as you think it is."
Janet shrugged.
"I'm sure it's fine when they are five and normal. But what will happen when they are teenagers. And more importantly, what will happen if they start…you know?"
Once again, Wanda glanced at her friend.
"Do you mean what will happen if they turn out to be mutants?" She asked, trying to keep her voice level. It would do no one good if Wanda got angry.
Janet shrugged.
"You're their mother. And Vision's their father. You have to admit, their odds aren't good."
Wanda returned the shrug.
"If the time does come, we will deal with it." She replied.
Turning once again, Wanda looked over to where her son was playing.
"Thomas, don't do that!" She called.
The blond haired five year old had climbed up to Clint's target and was clinging to the edge, desperately reaching for the arrow buried in the centre. Quickly, Wanda turned her gaze to the archer, who was grinning at the little boy's antics.
"Clint, get him down." She ordered.
Clint caught Wanda's eye and nodded, still grinning.
"Alright Tommy, time to get down or your mum will hex me." He said, lowering the bow and walking over to the target. Reaching up with one arm, the archer managed to grab the little boy around the waist and pull him of the target, but not before the older of Wanda's twins managed to grab the arrow, pulling it out of the target.
"I got it!" Tommy shrieked, waving the arrow around for everyone to see.
Clint laughed and hoisted the small boy over his shoulder.
"You sure did." He replied to Tommy's joyful laughter.
Wanda grinned and lent back into her chair, opening her book.
"So where's Billy?" Janet asked, also relaxing.
Wanda closed her book again.
"Tony's here. Where do you think he is?"
Janet nodded.
"Of course. Billy's a child, Tony acts like a child. It's a match made in heaven. But be careful Wanda. You don't want a mini Iron Man on your hands."
Wanda snorted and opened her book again.
"No. Billy wants to fly, and Tony's a soft touch when it comes to joy flights. That's all it is."
Janet grinned.
"Sure it is." She replied, watching as Clint held Tommy upside down by his ankles, the little boy screaming and laughing as the archer tried to steal back his arrow.
Janet tore her eyes away from the scene as someone else entered the pool area.
"Speak of the devil." She muttered as Tony Stark, founding member of the Avengers and the hero known as Iron Man, walked towards the edge of the pool. Slight over his shoulder was a wiggling bundle.
The billionaire grinned as he reached the edge before tossing the squirming boy into the air. Billy, the younger, dark haired twin gave a shriek as he hit the water with a splash.
Tony laughed as on the other side of the pool, Tommy screamed.
"Billy! No!"
The little boy dropped the arrow as Clint lowered him to the ground. The boy rolled on the ground and sprung to his feet.
"I'll save you Billy!" The light haired twin screamed as he raced towards his brother, not caring that the other boy had already surfaced and was trying to splash Tony, who was still laughing and trying to duck out of the way.
Tommy! Don't run near the pool!" Wanda shouted.
The little boy either didn't hear her or didn't care, jumping into the water with a splash which hit his brother. Billy gave another shriek which dissolved into a high pitched laugh.
Patently, the younger twin waited for his brother to surface before hitting him with another wave of water.
The screams grew louder as the twins water fight began.
Janet smiled.
"You know, kids don't stay young and innocent forever, especially not in our line of work. Many of our enemies will see the boys as targets." She said, sipping her drink. "Are you ready to face the possibility you might lose them."
In front of her the twins called a truce, their new target, the erratic billionaire Tony Stark. Wanda stared at them, her face unreadable as she thought back on her life before the twins. Her life as a hero, as a villain, as the daughter of a terrorist.
"If that ever happens, I will have to face it." She looked up at Janet. "But I will never be ready."
So, that was my first attempt at Marvel. I have a few more ideas for one-shots. Hopefully I will do them some time soon.