Title: May The Bridges
Rating: T (for mild swearing and violence.)
Pairings: Not the focus here, folks. I guess there is some mentions of BlackHawk, if you're really interested.
Summary: A mystical being, tired of all the fighting and strife on planet Earth, decides to take it upon herself to bestow one change upon each of Earth's mightiest heroes...whether they welcome the change or not.
OoOoOoO
Somewhere unimaginable, in a mist surrounded by an inconceivably bright and pure light, a quiet being sits atop a spire peering into a simmering cauldron, a frown upon her ethereal face as flashes of a battle swirl before her.
A black-haired man, his face marred with anger and hatred to cover up the overwhelming sadness that exists in his soul, is wielding a long weapon at a group of super beings.
A man of iron makes jokes to diffuse the situation but what is evident in his soul is not laughter but regret over past mistakes.
A young woman, blank on the outside is stricken by the same emptiness on the inside as she stands to the side with her arms crossed, eyes taking in everything but betraying nothing.
A man of many arrows suffers the same affliction of soul as the female he keeps allowing his gaze to linger upon.
A blonde haired man stands out-of-place staring up in regret at the black haired man, sadness clouding his eyes as he hides his tears.
A red, white, and blue man stands before the others, shield raised to protect his friends, a burden of seriousness tainting his aura.
A large green monster stands poised to the side, hiding a gentle being beneath the angry exterior of a beast, but it is clear the one cannot exist without the other.
The being runs her fingers through the cauldron, blurring the images until the colors swirl to form one abstract image. She tilts her head and comes to a decision. It has been a long time since she has visited the distant planet.
It is time.
OoOoOoO
Manhattan was cold for October. There was a strong chill in the air as people hustled about carrying packages and briefcases, purses and iphones, moving along with their normal, ordinary day-to-day lives while in a state of oblivion to more sinister happenings nearby. In the center of the city stood a tall tower, a giant letter "A" emblazoned across the side, a beacon of hope to those in need, a warning to those who may wish to bring about harm.
Unfortunately, on this particular day, there was one who choose not to take heed of the warning and thus, a seemingly young man with raven-hair and emerald eyes stood at the top of the tower wielding a magical scepter and looking, for all intended purposes, as if out to start a murderous rampage.
"Really, reindeer games? Isn't this whole I'm-going-to-try-to-take-over-the-universe bit getting a little old? Maybe if you just asked nicely, we'd be willing to share our things! What is it you need this time? Money? Missle? Doomsday device? Fresh out of the last one I'm afraid but.." Tony snarked through his endless tirade of wit until he was cut off by Steve's voice.
"Do you ever shut up?" The Captain leveled Tony with a gaze that could potentially melt through his Iron Man suit should it some how become weaponized. Tony added that to his list of things to investigate at a later date.
"Loki, stop this madness. We have defeated you once already! Do you not see the madness behind your actions?" Thor called out to his younger brother, refusing to think of the other as anything other than a cherished sibling despite their different parentage.
"Oh, Odinson, I do tire of the wasted words that spew forth from your lips. You would do well to silence your tongue before I cut it from your mouth!" Loki raises his scepter to shoot forth an attack that never comes. As soon as his hand raises, it is frozen in place. In fact, his entire body seems rooted to the spot, unable to move even the smallest muscle.
Thor rushes forward, worry for his brother outweighing everything else in his mind, until he to, is frozen mid-stride. The rest of The Avengers follow, quickly becoming living, breathing, statues of themselves, unable to move but able to hear and see everything that goes on before them.
A moment passes and then another. Time stretches and then stops all together. The Avenger statues remain unmoving and unchanging and then suddenly, a bright light appears before them. A woman, seemingly made of mist, with long flowing silver hair and eyes the color of midnight, steps forth from the light and slowly takes a more solid form until she is standing before them as if she were a being from their own realm. She circles her pray, eying them innocently, she approaches each once and then circles again. "I have come to this realm to both greet you and to repair the damage in each of your souls. I have watched you from afar and have judged that each of you are in need of redemption. I believe you shall find the gifts I bestow upon you shall help you all as you strive to heal the wounds in your hearts."
The woman stops in front of Tony and runs her hand along the arm of his iron suit, "Tony Stark, full of sadness and regret over your past actions. Hiding behind your words and your suit of Iron. So keen to sacrifice your life and greet death like an old friend. Two weeks shall pass with no wit upon your tongue and no suit of iron upon your body. Come to terms with your past so that you may be more unwilling to forfeit your future."
She continues her path until she is standing nose to nose with Widow. The woman is much taller than the agent but not nearly as menacing. She places her hand on the red head's shoulder and speaks while looking deeply into her eyes, "Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow has a black heart incapable of love and emotion You believe it makes you strong, I believe it makes you weak. Two weeks shall pass and you shall love all those you meet. Learn to live with emotion, learn the strength of love, and the weakness of solitude."
She continues, stopping when she reaches Hulk. She places her hand on his and he slowly shrinks back into the frumpy doctor, clothing returning to protect his modesty. "Bruce Banner, full of kindness in mortal skin, full of rage in the skin of a beast. Two sides of a coin that cannot live without one another. I bestow upon you the gift of control. Call the beast forth only to help your fellow man. Allow it to remain dormant when all is safe and good. You are a man of love and kindness. Heal your soul of past transgressions and protect those who need it the most."
She smiles sadly at the doctor before continuing once more. She halts in front of the Thunder God and takes his outstretched, frozen hand in her own. "Thor Odinson, such belief you hold in those that don't earn it, that it hurts you down to your core when that trust is broken. Yet your belief in those who have wronged you returns once again. Two weeks shall pass and you shall know only truth, recognize all lies, and be better prepared to protect yourself from those who shall wrong you with words instead of weapons."
She move again, only a few feet this time, to stop in front of The Captain. She places her hand gently over his heart and speaks quietly, "Steve Rogers, overly serious in action with a sadness in your soul. You shall learn what it is like to live carefree, to laugh without remorse, to love without regret. Two weeks shall past and you shall worry less, laugh more, and embrace fun. Enjoy this time and learn from it so the weight of the world is not cast solely on your shoulders."
Her trek continues until she pauses in front of Hawkeye, As with Steve, she places her hand softly over his heart. "Clint Barton, solitude and anger rules your life. Emotions hidden, kindness often lost. Cast off bitterness and let in light. Two weeks shall pass and you shall feel the sorrows, the love, the kindness, and the pain of those around you. You shall learn to wield empathy as well as you wield your arrow."
She turns now and glides towards the dark figure standing alone, his scepter still raised, a look of fury frozen on his face. She stands before him the longest, staring at his face, before she cups it gently between her hands. "Loki who believes he does not deserve the name of Odinson, sad and alone for so long, hell bound and broken. Return to the age of happiness last felt, and live anew Teach those around you of the goodness of your soul that has been forgotten and left to rot for so long. I cast you out of the shadow and into the light. Do not waste this chance." She strokes he thumbs across his pale cheeks before stepping make to face them all. "Do not waste these opportunities. I shall return if my presence is needed and of that I shall be the judge. Let my will be done!"
The light that emanates from the woman is so bright that it blinds temporarily all those in its presence. As it slowly fades, the Avenger statues once again become living, breathing, moving, super heroes. Six pairs of eyes dart around nervously awaiting the first move.
It is Natasha who cracks first...with a squeal of delight. "Oh my God! Did you see how pretty she was! I wish I could have hair like that! I wish she's come back so we could be friends forever and ever!" The normally composed agent is grinning with so much delight that she is literally bouncing for joy in a most-unlike-the-Black Widow sort of way.
Beside her, Clint claps his ends in merriment, "That was so much fun! I agree with Tasha! I hope she comes back soon!"
Steve runs to Clint's side and claps along with him, "I know, right! She really has a knack for magic! And that light...wow! I'd really like to see that again!"
Tony narrows his eyes in confusion as he tries to think of something clever to say. When nothing is forthcoming, as if a wall is blocking his tongue from the wit in his brain, he grumbles under his breath and moves to stand near Thor and Bruce, both of whom are acting less crazy than the Captain and the Shield agents.
Bruce, always the sensible one, pulls his cell phone from his rematerialized pants and speed dials Nick Fury. He quickly informs him of the happenings of the last ten minutes or so before enabling a video link that allows the agent to view everyone on the roof. "What the hell is wrong with you people!"
"Oh! Hi, Nick! We've missed you!" Natasha squeaks happily as Clint and Steve high-five each other and throw around all sorts of thumbs up gestures towards the camera.
"What the hell is wrong with Romanoff?"
Thor steps forward slowly as his eyes take in every movement around him, "Loki? Where are you brother?"
"uh...I don't think Natasha is our only problem." Bruce clears his throat and motions towards a spot behind a wall a few meters away. A pile of green cloth, leather, and metal lay on the ground where there once stood a raven-haired, crazed, super villain.
"Where the hell..." Fury began loudly but was interrupted by Bruce clearing his throat again, his finger pointing towards a spot behind the wall. There he spots the raven-hair, bright green eyes, thin-pointed noise...on the face of a seven-year-old child.
"Oh son of a bitch!"