So I finally managed to publish the second chapter of Lurking Shadows and I must say I didn't plan on it being so long, but I hope you'll like it. One reason it is a bit longer is that I wanted to include the last scene of the most mentioned young ship so far, just for you as a sneak peek of what is to come. ;)
So as promised I'll give you a description of the new main characters So let's start! :)
Rogers:
first born: Kane Anthony Rogers
- Red hair, blue eyes, 6'3"
– powers like a god (god of cosmos)
- Nicknames by his younger brother: douche face, beauty queen
second born: Aiden Loki Rogers
- light blond, one light green, one emerald colored eye, 6'2"
- similar powers to his uncle Loki's; protégée of Captain America - Cap Jr
- nicknames by his older brother: Barbie, blondie, know-it-all
Third born: Lyra Jane Rogers
- long blonde hair that gets lightly red at the tips, mercury eyes, 5'5"
- can fly and has the control over water, ice and molecules
- nicknames by her siblings: Flipper, Pancakes, Sprinkles, Squirt
Munroes:
- 3 boys; 2 girls
-first boy: Luke - black panther III (brunette, yellow eyes)
-first girl: Kiara - powers of Electricity (green Eyes / black Hair)
-second boy: Tylak - powers of Electricity (Black hair, yellow eyes)
-third boy: Tyson - calls himself Wakandian tiger, has also electric powers (Brunette / green eyes)
-second girl: Kari - is called silver leopard (Brunette / green eyes)
Bartons:
- twin boys
- 1st Nathan - Nate for short (Platinum blonde, dark grey eyes, if one didn't know better appear black)
-2nd Ashton - Ash for short (Platinum blonde, dark blue eyes)
Pyms:
-boy: Thomas (Black hair, mother's eyes)
That's all of the children, I apologize that some descriptions aren't that detailed, it's just that I'm still working on the detailes, but I hope you like it.
Finally I want to thank you for reviewing and yes, Tori, I saw your reviews and let me say, I love you just as much as all of you out there! You don't know how much you mean to me and that you are sticking with me through these two stories just means a lot to me. :)
Concerning the frequency of my updates I will try to update every five reviews, but we'll see how much my life will intervene in my writing. But I will update! Promise!
Lastly I wanted to ask you how your life is where you live? I mean you know so much about me and I want to learn some things about you. So what's live like where you are now, when you are reading this? Let me know in the reviews.
Okay, enough said. I hope you like this chapter and I'll see you in the next chapter.
Lots of love,
Your Annie :*
The Life of Heroes' Children
"Lyra!" Oh, you've got to be kidding her… "Honey, you need to stand up! Your brothers are taking you to school in an hour!"
The young girl groaned and turned over. "Just five more minutes, Mom!"
For a moment there was silence so that the Asgardian princess thought her mother had stopped bothering her until she heard her door opening. "I'm serious, young lady!"
"Give me thirty minutes…" The smaller blonde sighed and pushed herself out of her bed, only to come face to face with her mother in the door. "I need a shower first."
Smiling her mother nodded and left her room again, before Lyra stood up to grab clothes for the day and headed to the shower. Taking a deep breath Lyra stepped into the shower, while trying not to think about the day before her. After washing her hair she stepped out of the shower, dried and dressed herself. Lyra then went back to her room to get ready and headed downstairs, where her family was sitting at the table and chatted about whatever.
"We received word from Asgard." Her mother said as she sat her tea cup down, which caused Kane's head to perk up. "Your grandmother requested your presence for political and royal obligations."
These words caused a grim expression to grow on Aiden's face that Lyra knew too well. He was thinking he was to spare again, the second son, the black sheep of the family… But he wasn't! Aiden was always the first to pick up on things, to notice the slightest differences and he was a great leader. Together her brothers were invincible, two strategic masterminds and incredibly talented with their powers. If you thought about it, it was kind of scary to sit at one table with the Crown Princess and Prince of Asgard, who was labeled the God of Cosmos at the same time, the current Captain America and his protégée that was also a master of Asgardian magic. But no one knew that much only who their parents were, which could cause a few problems…
Lyra had to stop herself from thinking too far into it and instead smiled at her blond brother as her dad spoke up. "Then Aiden can accompany me to the headquarters and train a bit more."
"That would be great, dad." Aiden said, grinning lightly before his eyes landed on his sister. "But I need to drive Pancakes over there to school first."
Sighing the little blonde rolled her eyes. Aiden came up with the most ridiculous nicknames for her just based on things she liked or did. "You don't need to, I can walk there." Please say, it's okay!
Aiden eyed her skeptically and chewed on his pancakes before he answered. "If you say so… Do you need me to pick you up?"
"No, that's fine, I'll walk back." Lyra beamed, stood up and kissed each member of her family on the cheek. "See you!" She called before she grabbed her bag and left through the front door. For a moment Lyra leaned against the door and took a deep breath. Maybe, just maybe she could spend one school day in peace. Nodding to herself the young girl pushed off the door and made her way to school, hoping for a good day.
She made it early to school, so early that the halls were empty when she strode through them on her way to her locker near the back doors that lead to the pitch good hundred yards away from the school building. As she reached it, she unlocked it with a sigh while looking at all the pictures adorning the inside of her locker. When the last of her friends graduated they gave her photos of them and her so that she wouldn't forget them and would always have something to give her courage. That worked well…
Slowly other students began crowding the halls so Lyra took that as her cue to head to her first class of the day: English. Walking into the classroom she took her seat in the back and waited for her classmates to join and the lesson to start.
"They weren't here this morning?" Only seconds after Lyra had heard the minor shocked outburst a group of girls came into the room and quieted a bit as they noticed the blonde.
The raven haired girl in the group proceeded explaining. "I just told you." She said, casting a glance at Lyra over her shoulder. "She must've come alone."
The girls groaned and said things like 'why did I even dress up' or 'the bitch must've convinced them to let her go alone'. But instead of saying something Lyra just kept her mouth shut and doodled on her paper.
It was not five minutes later when the queen of this school walked in with an aura of superiority around her as she looked at Lyra like she was the dirt under her designer shoes. "Well, hello there." She said in der British accent and cocked her hip out while she smirked at Lyra. "If that isn't our little, black sheep."
Lyra just sighed but said nothing. She knew it was pointless. "At the loss of words, sheep? That's sad, we've been waiting for you to bleak and cause paranormal things to happen." Her friends just giggled. "Your parents and brothers must be so proud of the freak that you are."
"Beatrix! Stop it!" Their just then arriving teacher bellowed, whereupon the blonde rolled her eyes and sat down in her own seat. Her teacher searched her eyes with his before he raised his voice again. "Are you okay, Lyra?"
The said girl only nodded and watched as her teacher began the day's lesson. During the lesson Lyra could still hear the girls talking about her and she hated it. Taking deep breaths she tried to control her powers before something "strange" would happen again. Strange… Lyra scoffed to herself. Strange was such a foul word to describe the powers she had. In her eyes they were beautiful and gentle if she wanted them to be, but they were also unpredictable if Lyra didn't control herself, which caused those "strange" things to happen. And those uncontrolled moments made her life in school a living hell.
While Lyra was thinking of a way to avoid the girls in her class for the rest of the day the lesson dragged on and only the ringing bell managed to bring the blonde back to reality. She quickly packed her things and hurried out of class with a quiet "See you later, Coach." to her teacher before she went to her next class.
The day dragged on as slow as usual but Lyra managed to get through every class without being noticed too much or made too much fun of. Lunch was different though. As usual Lyra was sitting alone at a table in the far back and ate her lunch as the five girls from her class sat at a table nearby so she could hear every word they said.
"Do you think the red-head would go out with me, if I asked?" One of the girls asked dreamily.
Beatrix snorted. "As if he would like that big forehead of yours. Besides that cutie will be all mine as soon as I convinced him what a freak his sister is."
"Do you think she is doing these strange things to them at home? So that they like her?" Another girl, a blonde with purple dip-dye, asked.
Beatrix just shrugged. "Would explain a lot…"
Lyra decided not to listen anymore and get going but as soon as she made it past the girls' table something hit the back of her head. Hard. Lyra let out a quiet yelp and touched the back of her head with shaking fingers to find something squishy and sticky there. "Damn it, I thought it would hit the dumpster!" Exclaimed the strawberry blonde girl in the group.
"You can't throw glass into a dumpster, Cassy…" Beatrix said rolling her eyes. "Besides, I think you hit it anyway."
Lyra balled her hands into fists at that, whereupon the molecules around her moved so fast that the glass that hit her head burst into a million pieces on the ground, causing the girls to squeak in surprise. "There! She did it again!" Cassy yelled.
"And have you seen her hair? It swung around! There isn't any wind in here, how is that possible?!" A raven haired girl exclaimed. "I bet it's the source of all what's happened!"
Before Beatrix could even say something Lyra made her way out of the cafeteria and into the next bathroom to clean her hair of what seemed to be pudding. When she was done Lyra headed out of the bathroom and over to her locker to get the last book she needed for the day before she would be able to train. But just as she reached her locker and opened it, she heard an all too familiar voice behind her.
"Hello there, little sheep. I see you were able to get all the pudding out of your hair… What a shame, in my opinion the color of mud suited you really well." Beatrix said and looked at the pictures in Lyra's locker and touched a picture with her and her family. "Don't you want to answer me? It's impolite not to answer a partner in a conversation."
The girls around them laughed and straightened their cheerleader uniforms, before Beatrix raised her voice again.
"Okay, let's try again. Tell me, freak, how come your whole family is so talented and hot and you're so… annoyingly ugly and creepy?" Beatrix asked Lyra grinning while the blonde was facing her locker and clawed its door. She had to stay in control… "As I thought, she's a mute! Thank goodness we don't have to listen to her goddamn annoying voice anymore. C'mon girls, lets head to practice. I think we need to get out of her range before something strange happen to us, like turning into a freak like her."
Laughing the girls walked away and let Lyra standing alone in the hallway. When the blonde was sure that the five of them were gone she heaved a shaky breath and tried to collect herself. It'll be over soon… Straitening her posture and sighing after she closed her locker Lyra made her way to her last class for the day before she would head over to the gym and get to train. She just couldn't wait to punch some boxing sacks and run a good parkour before going home.
"And then you will have to sing this declaration on the Asgardian economy and see the high gods on other delicate matters." Sif said while shoving papers in front of Kane as his mother sighed and leaned back in her seat watching her son suffer.
"You will have to let me read it first before I sign anything." Kane insisted and shoved the additional paper work away that Sif put on his desk. "And I believe you are aware that I'm not yet king, let alone crown prince due to the fact that the actual crown princess and soon-to-be queen of Asgard is sitting in this room."
Sif just chuckled and proceeded her former activities. "Of course and I'm sure you know that some matters are simply not-"
"Grandmother, enough!" Kane exclaimed causing the now slightly older woman to shut up. "May I have some privacy with my mother? I will see to my other matters as soon as I can." Sif just nodded and left the room and the moment the door fell shut the young prince let out a frustrated groan before letting his head fall on the surface of his desk.
He didn't look up as he heard heavy skirts being dragged across the floor and it wasn't long before he felt gentle hands on his arm and back. "She'll calm down."
Kane snorted and sat up straight again as he faced his mother. "I know… but she is even more insistent than ever before. And with all the tasks she is giving me I can barely keep my mind straight. But anyway, what is that declaration about?"
And with that Kane concentrated on his work again, causing Thorunn to sigh. "I know what that feels like, darling. I once sat right where you sit now, crying in frustration with all of this."
Kane dropped the parchment and looked at his mother in awe. She always seemed so head-strong and determined, but to hear that confession from her stunned him beyond believe as it would any child when they saw their parents' weak side. "You did?" Suddenly he felt like a child again, in a world full of wonders and uncertainties, a world in which his destiny was still written in the stars and didn't spread out in front of him.
Thorunn chuckled and ruffled his hair as if he was that child again. "Of course. I was once young, too, you know. And my mother pressured me to fulfill my duties fast and without questioning their purposes. But I couldn't do that. What kind of queen would I be one day if I didn't question the intensions behind the papers I signed? Who would I be if I had listened to her demands and married a man I didn't love? Where would you be then?" She looked into his bright eyes and smiled. "Do you get my point?"
"I… I think I do. As a future king I need to make my own choices, trust my heart and not my advisors." Kane said, even if it was a bit unsure.
His mother nodded, smiling. "You get the gist. But it isn't wrong to tend to people you trust the most." With that she got up from her position on the ground and walked to stand in front of his desk.
Kane furrowed his brows at this until his expression changed to surprise. "You can't mean-… Mom, you know he would refuse, thinking it was a way to involve him, to not feel-"
"I know." She cut him off. "But remember what I told you when you were younger?"
Kane's eyes bore into his mother's and he knew the answer she was looking for. "Together you are invincible." They finally said in unison, causing them both to grin.
"Thank you, mom." Kane said, grateful and walked over to Thorunn to hug her and kiss the top of her head. She smiled against his chest and chuckled. "What?"
"Nothing." Thorunn said and pulled back from her son. "It's just that I wonder how Rogers-men manage to soak up all the genes to get this tall and the attitude to always kiss the top of a females head when they hug."
Kane laughed at that and took the declaration from his desk before replying. "I guess we had a great role model."
"You are just like him." Thorunn agreed and accompanied her son to the door of his office in his living quarters. "So… are you going to ask him?"
Sighing Kane opened the door for his mother and leaned against it. "I could at least try, could I not?"
"That's my boy." Thorunn said, grinning before soothing out her skirts a bit. "I will go to your grandmother and try to reason with her, maybe see to the matters to discuss with the high gods."
Kane nodded in gratitude and walked out after his mother. He then made his way to the Biefrost to be transported to the grounds of Avengers Headquaters.
"Okay, listen up, Punks!" The instructor yelled at his recruits, whereupon the men straightened and looked at their supervisor. "Today we have a special training session prepared for you by a special guest. Captain America!"
Mumbling could be heard between the soldiers before their instructor barked at them to be quiet. "Could you Pussies shut your mouths so I could introduce you to our guests?" The soldiers quieted down so their supervisor could do as he asked to do. "So please welcome my old friend, James Rogers alias Captain America."
The soldiers clapped and looked at the door through which James and Aiden entered the gym. James grinned brightly and walked over to the instructor to give him a manly hug. "Good to see you again, 'Zar."
"Good to see you too, man." Azari said grinning before hugging Aiden and facing his soldiers again. "Okay then, Punks! Here's your task. Each of you will spar against one of our best students." Azari said, clapping Aiden on the back. "My nephew Aiden Rogers."
Slight outrage seemed to roam under the soldiers until one of them spoke up. "With all due respect, Mr. Munroe, Sir, but isn't his mother an Asgardian goddess?"
James kept quiet and Azari prepared to yell at his recruit again as Aiden stepped forward and raised his voice. "My parentage will be of no concern for this task. You may use whatever weapon or technique you redeem appropriate against me, I won't use my Asgardian powers in a fight against you. Nevertheless you should understand that in this job, as a backup for the Avengers themselves, you will be facing far worse than simple hand-to-hand combat." He emphasized as he walked up to the soldier.
"And you will have to learn that not everything you see-"Aiden began again before the yelp of that one soldier cut him off as he watched him fall to the ground. The other soldiers gasped as the saw the reason for their comrade's fall. Behind where their comrade had been standing stood Aiden himself, it's impossible that he would stand there twice, right? But he stood there, right across from himself. "Is what it seems to be." The Aiden behind the soldier's position concluded as he walked over to the other him and wiped his hand right through his smirking self's chest, whereupon it dissolved into shimmery green mist.
Grinning James crossed his arms and waited for Aiden to turn back around to face the recruits before he spoke up. "So, who wants to go first?"
After a short while one of the recruits volunteered to go first and lost after barely two minutes in hand-to-hand combat against Aiden. Others followed and all of them lost their fight against the young blond without him breaking too much of a sweat. As soon as the last one fell to the ground and groaned at the impact James and Azari ginned proudly at Aiden before the latter spoke up. "Well, now that no one was able to defeat our young protégée you will have to run another ten miles through our trainings parkour." The recruits groaned, causing Azari to smirk. "Unless there is one who manages to defeat him."
There was silence for a good minute until they heard someone calling from the back of the room. "Can I try?"
All heads turned towards the voice and Aiden's posture immediately straightened even more. James just chuckled and shook his head and Azari furrowed his brows, confused. "How come you are here and not in Asgard attending your business, Kane?" He then asked.
"I'm attending my business here, by speaking to my brother." Kane said and locked eyes with Aiden.
The latter frowned. "What do you need me for in Asgard?"
"That's a matter better discussed in private, but I make you a deal." Kane said as he began to shed his robes so he only wore a shirt and pants, not those expansive Asgardian robes, and walked over to his brother. "If I manage to defeat you in hand-to-hand combat, you will agree to what I have to offer you and these poor soldiers get the day off." He said, whereupon the soldiers cheered. "But if I lose I'll do whatever you want me to do. Deal?"
Aiden visibly considered his brother's offer before sighing and walking up to him. "Deal."
With that they made their way over to the matt and prepared to fight. "Okay you two, as soon one of you hits the matt the fight is over and the last man standing is declared winner." Azari said as they prepared. When they were ready and Azari gave them the signal to start the brothers charged at one another. Punches were exchanged and for a while it seemed that no one would win this battle until Kane swung a mighty punch at Aiden which a dodged. As Kane's fist swooshed past the blond's head Aiden grabbed his wrist and fixed it behind his brother's back before hooking his leg under one of Kane's and pulled. It seemed that he would win, but only a second after Kane's feet left the ground he hooked his free leg under Aiden's, on which he stood, and let him tumble to the matt together.
Groaning the brothers hit the matt and turned on their backs. It was quiet for a good minute before the whole Rogers family broke out in laughter. "You did well, Barbie." Kane said, panting.
Aiden let out a chuckle in return. "Not no bad yourself, beauty queen."
Sighing Azari shook his head and faced his recruits. "I guess you are free to go as the battle is tied." That caused the soldiers to salute in unison and march out of the room, whereupon Azari faced the male fraction of the Rogers family. "Are you going to be laying there all day?"
Aiden chuckled and began to sit up again before replying. "Sorry, Uncle 'Zar." He said standing up. "See, on my feet again."
Kane did the same and faced his father who grinned at the both of them. "Why am I not surprised that you wouldn't be able to beat one another without your powers?"
"It seems it's just like mom said." Aiden concluded, causing the older men to frown. "Together we cannot be beaten." Kane finished for his brother before the latter raised his voice again. "Seems like we can't even beat each other."
James just stared for a minute before he began to laugh and walked over to hug his boys briefly. "I'm so proud of the both of you. But about that deal of yours…"
Kane's eyes widened. "Oh, right. I have something to ask you." He turned to Aiden who watched him a confused expression. "I would like you to be my closest advisor in Asgard."
As the words left his mouth he didn't quite get the reaction he was hoping for. His uncle just stared at him blankly while his father seemed surprised. Aiden on the other hand might have had a passive look on his face but Kane could tell behind his closed mouth his jaw was agape. It took him a minute to snort broke past his lips. "You're kidding. There's no way grandma would approve of this, moreover why should I agree when it's just to make me feel better abou-"
Kane's brows furrowed while Aiden talked as he tried to hold himself back, but at that point he heard enough of that shit. "Could you stop that nonsense for once?!" Aiden fell silent and watched his big brother with wide eyes. "I know grandmother treated you like you were only produced in case anything happens to me and I know that you don't feel welcome whenever we're in Asgard. But that isn't true! I say to hell with what grandma believes 'cause I realized one important thing today."
Aiden swallowed and raised his voice. "And what is that exactly?"
Kane smirked. "That I need you as my advisor at court. I need you, blondie."
For a moment the two just stared at each other before Aiden sighed and averted his gaze. Smirking he looked again as he answered his brother. "You had to ruin it, hadn't you?"
Kane immediately knew what that meant, laughed and hugged his brother. "Thank you, you won't regret it."
"I'm pretty sure I will."
Letting out all her frustration Lyra punched and kicked the punching bag over and over again. After her last period Lyra went over to the gym, changed and trained with her coach and team for two hours on their parkour skills before the training was over. But instead of leaving the young blonde insisted in staying to train a bit more to herself. So here she was wrecking just another punching bag while she imagined it being her bullies.
Lyra got all worked up about her imaginations that she screamed in frustration and swung a final punch at the punching bag, whereupon it broke out of its suspension and flew into opposing wall. Panting the blonde wiped sweat off her forehead before she walked over to a pile of new punching bags and heaved a new one into the hinges. She was about to start boxing again but a chuckle caught her attention.
"Wow, what are you so worked up about?" A voice asked which Lyra immediately recognized.
She sighed, held onto the punching bag so it would stop swinging and faced her childhood friend. "How come you are out without your other half, Nate?"
The platinum blond chuckled and walked over to the smaller blonde. He came close enough that Lyra could distinguish the dark grey of his eyes from their usual black appearance. "Funny… But since you're asking, I wanted to pick you up."
"Oh…" She didn't expect that. "Um, sure." She finally said and walked over to get her bag.
Nate chuckled at her antics and shook his head. "I think you should change first."
Lyra blushed when she realized that she was only wearing tight yoga pants and a sports bra. "I-I'll be right back." And so she hurried to the locker room, leaving a chuckling Nathan behind.
Still chuckling Nate looked around and over to the wrecked punching bag against the wall that was accompanied by two more. Frowning he looked in the direction of the locker room wondering what was going on with her.