Lone Wolves, No-Names, and Second Chancers

A-League, Part 1: Synergy

New York City…

The woman's screams echoed down the alleyway but were heard by no one. The streets weren't so populated in the early hours of the morning, giving criminals like the masked group of four threatening this young lady with knives and balled fists a regular window of opportunity.

"Shut up!" One of the thugs demanded, successfully reducing the woman's cries to whimpers as he waved his blade about.

"Aw, I liked hearin' the screams." One of the crew lamented.

"Yeah, well, you've got issues." The third criminal commented.

"I'll say." The criminals turned on another female voice, looking up at the wall behind them to see Spider-Woman stuck to it on her hands and feet. The victim's whimpers faded even further at the sight of her.

"Ah, crap." The fourth thug let out. Spider-Woman's hands swiftly shot off the wall and her palms opened, firing two yellow bolts of bioelectricity which instantly incapacitated two of the criminals. As his remaining partner started off down the alleyway, the knife-wielder showed off his towering intellect by stepping towards the superhero with only his weapon and his gritted teeth. Spider-Woman flipped off the wall and came down on his head with her heels together like a hammer. He hit the ground at the exact moment she finished somersaulting backwards off his scalp to land on her feet. She looked down the alley and raised her hand to shoot down the last of the muggers. She was taken off-guard by the white stream that shot past her extended arm like a bullet before sticking to the criminal's shoulder and yanking him onto his back. She turned around to see Spider-Man taking his web-line in both hands to reel his catch in as he made masked eye contact with his fellow Avenger.

"Spidey." He greeted with a nod.

"Spidey," Spider-Woman replied with a grin. As Spider-Man dragged the criminal back up the alley, Spider-Woman turned to the former victim. "Are you okay?" The woman nodded frantically.

"I was making my way to work like every other day and they came out of nowhere and…" She calmed down as her mouth shaped into a smile of gratitude. "…thank you."

"Will you be able to make the rest of your route okay?"

"I think so. Really, thank you both so much." Spider-Woman's exposed lower face revealed how her expression mirrored that of the citizen.

"No need to thank us."

"You kidding?" Spider-Man asked incredulously. "You and I need good publicity like this guy here needs to get better friends. You should take this to the Daily Bugle, miss. Tell Jameson about how we're Avengers as of yesterday, too." Spider-Man lifted the criminal who had been dragged to his feet off the ground with one hand. "Now, Mister Mugger, what do you say to Miss Innocent Victim?" The criminal could barely look at the woman he'd attacked.

"Sorry…" He mumbled.

"Like you mean it!" Spider-Woman looked away to hide her amused smile, something the young lady wasn't worried about as she stared at the wall-crawler.

"Sorry." He repeated clearly.

"Good. And really, get some better friends." Spider-Man hammered his scalp with his free fist and released him, then turned to the young woman. "You can get going." The young woman was still smiling as she made her way out of the alley. As she disappeared around the corner, Spider-Man called out. "AND REMEMBER, BOTH SPIDERS, BOTH AVENGERS!" He looked at Spider-Woman as he lowered his voice. "You're out early."

"Had trouble sleeping. Thought I'd catch the baddies unawares. How about you?"

"Needed to get up early for...um…an engagement."

"Is it a college lecture?" Spider-Man jumped slightly at her accurate deduction.

"Uh…no."

"Come on, the mask doesn't hide your voice that well. I know what a 19-year-old from Queens sounds like." Spider-Man crossed his arms.

"Right, well, let's cut off the secret identity speculation there, okay?" Spider-Woman raised her hands.

"As you wish." Spider-Man lowered his arms to his hips.

"You do that ID card check-in yet? Did mine when I got up." Spider-Woman put her hands behind her back as she looked away.

"Well…no."

"Really? What if Cap needs backup fighting the Serpent Society or something later?"

"He wouldn't."

"True. But it's about team spirit, isn't it? Showing we're all active and ready to assemble and all that."

"I guess so."

"Not big on synergy?"

"Well, I didn't get a lot of time to know any of the old Avengers except Carol before…uh…"

"Before you were replaced by the Skrull Empress?" Spider-Woman was surprised at how direct Spider-Man was.

"…yeah. And I don't know any of the new ones at all, either."

"You're not gonna resolve that by avoiding them, y'know."

"I'll check in later, okay?" Spider-Man could tell he was pushing his teammate further than perhaps he should, given they'd only met a few times before ending up on the same team. She popped up two years into his career, which was also two years ago. She'd spent the last year in Skrull captivity, meaning despite their age difference, he was the veteran hero of the two. Her obvious reluctance coupled with his realisation of seniority inspired his next words.

"It's alright, actually. I, um, I wasn't crazy about Cap's offer, either. Wasn't even sure I'd show up to the first assembly until my girlfriend talked me around."

"Really?"

"That's surprising?" Spider-Woman nodded like he'd asked the dumbest question in the world.

"You blended right in. You were the only one Wolverine could be bothered talking to other than Captain America."

"I wasn't scared of that. It's…I don't like pulling other people into my problems. And now it's gonna be all 'hey, Spidey, need some backup fighting Goblin? I'll grab Hawkeye and Captain Marvel and we'll be over there in a minute!' and…I guess I'm not really much of a team player. Maybe the odd team-up every month or so, but that'd be it, usually." Spider-Woman nodded understandingly, before cracking a smile.

"Who was that supposed to be an impression of?"

"Falcon. Obviously."

"Not so obvious, obviously."

"We need to cut off the witty comebacks here or neither of us is leaving."

"Sure. I understand what you mean about the shared responsibility thing." Spider-Man nodded. "Thanks for the help here. You should get to your class."

"Engagement."

"Whatever you say, Empire State."

"What did I say about speculation!?" Spider-Woman laughed to herself. Spider-Man shook his head as he shot a web-line to the roof's edge above him and pulled himself up into the air. "No respect…" He muttered under his breath as he made his way up.

Avengers Mansion…

The freshly-woken Eden scratched his head, his hair loose and unrestrained like a shadowy waterfall atop his head as he came down the stairs from his room, dressed only in his pyjama shorts. His life in the Australian outback dressed almost exclusively in a loincloth left him without fear of exposure, though his muscular, toned body was nothing to be covered up anyway. The first signs of life he detected came from the living room, which he entered to find Sam and Bobby playing video games in. Both boys were wholly focused on the FPS they were gunning their way through in co-op.

"Morning." Eden greeted.

"Morning." Bobby obligatorily returned.

"Hey." Sam casually said. Eden looked past them to see their empty breakfast plates on the coffee table in front of them.

"I thought Jarvis said all food was to be eaten in the dining room." He commented. "He made a very British point of saying 'that's what the bloody room's meant for, no matter what Mister Barton has to say on the matter'."

"Nice impression," Bobby commented.

"Cheers."

"Professor X never let us eat outside the dinin' room back at the X-Mansion, either," Sam explained, his voice flat as his eyes narrowed on the enemy he just finished head-shotting. "Difference is, Jarvis doesn't have mind powers. Well, none we were told about in orientation yesterday."

"You'd think he'd be more than a butler to the Avengers if he has mind powers," Bobby commented, just before shooting out of his seat with a frustrated expression, startling Eden. "COME ON! How the hell was I meant to know that guy was around the corner!?" As he sat back down, still fuming, Eden asked the obvious.

"Where's everyone else? It's, like, 11 o'clock."

"Think Logan's havin' a cigar outside." Sam began as he waited to respawn. "Hawkeye and Falcon are downstairs trainin', Shang-Chi's meditatin', dunno where anyone else is." He cut himself off with a sigh. "Dang it, I died." He dryly lamented.

"That's sniper's such a pain in the ass, right?" Bobby eagerly asked. Sam shrugged. Eden heard a whooshing noise come from his pocket. He pulled out his ID card to see it flashing arrows from beside the Avengers' signature A at him.

"Looks like I'm being called upon, boys." He said anxiously. Sam managed to get worked up at that, while Bobby's attention didn't shift from the TV.

"Dang it! I was hopin' it'd be me."

"You owe me 5 bucks, Sam," Bobby stated.

"Wish me luck," Eden said as he made his way out of the room. As he slid his card into his pocket again, he came to a realisation. "Should probably put on some actual clothes."

Training room 3, subbasement…

The incense was running to the end of the wick with an ashen trail lying under its white wisps, not that the person inhaling it for the last hour cared. Shang's shirtless body was as straight and still as it was peacefully numb. His muscles slept beneath his skin as he maintained their strength. His hands rested on his knees as his eyes wandered through the pitch-black caves of their closed lids. The attuning of his senses let him hear the footsteps that ended beside the open door to the vast metal room he sat in the centre of.

"I'll be finished shortly." He calmly called out to the person at the door.

"No, it's okay." He heard Bruce call back. "I was just making my way back upstairs from exploring the labs down here and...the scent was quite hypnotising."

"Does it tame your mind and body as it does mine?" Bruce laughed awkwardly, mostly to himself.

"I have enough taming going on as it is without that stuff, thank you." Shang opened his eyes and extended his crossed legs to stand up before turning to face Bruce.

"Having only ever heard of the Hulk, I must admit to being surprised, Doctor. Our new teammates barely hesitated to speak with you yesterday." Bruce started making his way towards Shang with his arms crossed and his head down.

"I'm not the one they're afraid of."

"Do you fear the Hulk, Doctor Banner?" Bruce looked up and kept his head raised as he spoke, his voice coming out stronger as he answered.

"I thought I did. Then I realised the only thing I'm afraid of is what the Hulk is capable of. Which I also realised is the only thing anyone has really feared him for. If I put him in a place with a lot of good people who can point him in the right direction, he doesn't have to be a monster to be feared. He can truly become the Avenger he gave up being years ago." Shang nodded intently.

"Do you expect he'll cooperate?"

"Assuming Wolverine doesn't cause any more bad blood between the two of them." Bruce came to a stop before Shang. "He likes Spider-Man. And Captain America. Not sure about anyone else."

"He told you so?"

"Among other things, yes. Our conversation last night was riveting." Shang nodded once more. Bruce smiled. "Y'know, you're the first person I've told about my chats with the Hulk who didn't look at me funny. Except for my psychiatrist." Shang shrugged.

"We all have demons to conquer in our hearts. Monsters to slay in the dungeons of our minds. The only difference is that yours makes himself more apparent when provoked."

"That's…one way to put it. You seem to have yours pretty effectively slain." Shang shook his head.

"I've only won over them because I've come to understand the truth."

"Which is?"

"That the battle never ends." Shang took a knee to gather what was left of his incense and pick up the box he brought it in as Bruce let his words sink in. After shooting back up, he bowed his head. "Doctor." He stepped deftly around Bruce. Halfway to the door, he heard the shaky, humble voice call to him again.

"Call me Bruce."

Assembly room, subbasement…

Manifold came through the sliding metal door to see three of his teammates in seats at the circular table, Captain America standing on one end of it. His hair had been done up to its dreadlocked, headbanded standard state and he was in his short-sleeved brown costume adorned with golden stripes and dual circles linked by a line on his chest. Cloth was wrapped like bandages over his forearms and white stripes went over his cheeks and chin, while his spear sat in its retracted state on his hip. He made it to the table whose surface was blue with a black Avengers logo over it, all in a red rim, and took a seat beside the visibly impatient Hawkeye across from Black Widow and Captain Marvel. He put on a smile as he explained himself.

"I'm a fan of sleep."

"Let's not waste any more time." Captain America said, not intending to prompt the slightly guilty look Manifold gave. He tapped on the console on his end of the table's rim and summoned a hologram of a mine over its face. "Two hours ago, a salt mine in Ohio was attacked and the workers were taken hostage. This wasn't known until the call came through to the FBI 10 minutes ago from the man responsible." His voice shifted noticeably. It didn't normally carry any hints of contempt. "The Red Skull. He's demanded an audience with me and he'll kill a miner for every hour I'm not there."

"You're gonna show, right?" Hawkeye asked urgently.

"Of course. But he didn't say I couldn't bring a few friends." Manifold smiled. "Something like this is too small for the Skull. If he's got something up his sleeve, I want there to be plenty of powerhouses in reserve back here." He turned his head to each teammate as he addressed them in turn. "Manifold, you'll need to take us to the mine. Teleportation is a hell of a lot quicker than a Quinjet and we're being timed." Manifold nodded.

"No problem."

"I'll give Skull what he wants so no one gets hurt. Widow, you and I will head in together, and while I keep him distracted, you sneak ahead. Locate the miners and confirm the presence of additional hostiles, threats to the workers, or anything else the Skull could be hiding, and report to the rest of us. Relay the miners' coordinates to Manifold so he can clear them of the sight and deal with anything else you've found."

"Understood." She replied.

"Once no one's in harm's way, Hawkeye, you'll move in. We'll keep the fighting underground and you'll have the drop on Skull."

"Right." He said. "That way it's just us who are in danger of being killed."

"You've been an Avenger for how long?" Manifold teased the archer's cynicism, prompting a grin from Widow.

"Ms…sorry, Captain Marvel, you're on standby. Skull could all too easily have cards he isn't playing until I arrive, and if that's the case…"

"You need a big gun that won't also turn the mine into a crater." She concluded. "Got it."

"Any questions, soldiers?" The unit was silent. Cap nodded at Manifold. "Let's move out." Manifold got out of his chair and faced away from the table. He opened his palms and closed his eyes to focus, and moments later, pure white light shone from within his hands. A shining golden circle materialised before him, and within it, only a footstep away from the underground facility in New York, was the entrance to the mine.

Ohio…

"Not the kind of teleportation I expected," Hawkeye commented as he finished stepping through the portal.

"It's not teleportation, it's bending time and space." Widow stated as she followed.

"She's right," Manifold interjected from the front of the group.

"And you know this because…?" Hawkeye's inquiry was met by Widow and Manifold briefly locking eyes before Widow answered.

"Classified." The two Captains came through last while Hawkeye rolled his eyes at the non-answer he'd been given.

"Widow?" Captain America simply said. She nodded and walked at his side into the mine. The walls glimmered ever so slightly as they made their way through the manmade cavern. As they reached the primary mining station, the two turned and nodded to each other before splitting. While Widow disappeared into the walls to weave her way through the shadows, Cap kept moving forward. He was soon stopped, struck by a blinding light suddenly piercing the darkness, causing him to recoil in a startled state.

"Captain!" The harsh voice came through in its all too familiar German accent from beside the spotlight on the platform above Cap. Captain America lowered his hands to see how the light beside his old enemy shone ever so slightly on the side of his red scalp, his gloved hands around the safety railing before him. "Your arrival was faster than expected. I was hoping to have a body to present you with." Cap balled a fist at his side, then wished he hadn't. He could almost hear the smile spreading over the villain's sickly scarlet face at his reaction.

"I'm right here, Skull!" Captain America boomed back. "You've got what you want! No one else has to get hurt! Come down and face me!"

"Ah, but I wouldn't be facing just you, would I? For all I know, my landing on that floor could be met with an arrow or a punch from the gipsy speedster. How are the Avengers these days, Captain? Are they enjoying our little exchange from the shadows?"

"It's just you and me here, Skull."

"Please, Captain, don't try to deceive me. It's embarrassing just watching you try."

"If you don't want a fight, what are you doing here? Isn't conquering a salt mine small potatoes for the world's rightful ruler?"

"I only wanted your attention…though I would have loved to savour the look on your face if you hadn't arrived so early. You see, Captain, I want to help you. To liberate you of the inferior races and leather-clad whores you've surrounded yourself with and lead you into a better tomorrow."

"You must have the wrong guy. There's no such thing as an inferior race and none of the women I know match that description." It was Cap's turn to relish in annoying his archenemy. He could see the Skull's gloves tightening around the bar.

"All these decades since the war and you still insist on weakness."

"You haven't budged an inch either, Skull, but I don't complain. I just get ready for the next round."

"Ever the soldier. But it's not war you live for, no. It's your army. Your reliance on the Avengers weakens you, Captain, and even if they weren't a dozen-point list of all the failings of the modern world, that would remain true. When you were an army on your own, single-handedly carving a path through Nazi forces with nothing but your shield and your will…that's when you were at your strongest."

"Tell that to the time-travelling conquerors, alien invaders, and genocidal robots we've driven off. When the Avengers assemble, tyrants fall." Red Skull turned away, pulling a hand off the railing. Cap pulled his shield off his back and readied it on his arm as he took a fighting stance. Then, after a moment of silence, the mine was filled with mounting, unsettling laughter from the Skull.

"It appears you will be the one to fall today, Captain. Literally. Shocker…bring it all down." Right when he finished speaking, the very walls the two stood within tremored, shockwaves running under Cap's soles as they made their way through the series of tunnels. As he steadied himself, Black Widow's voice came through the communicator in his ear.

"Widow to Captain America! I located the hostages! Manifold managed to get them to safety but the Shocker's here!" Before Cap could respond, more lights switched on all around him, shining on him from above and beneath him from tall, thin towers and low-set floodlights. In his disorientation, he had no time to react to the metal man that rocketed his way from the left. An armoured fist struck his jaw, then another struck his stomach. He had nary a moment to get his bearings and recognise his opponent before a massive hand wrapped around his body and threw him the ground. His vision corrected at last as the adrenaline rushed through him on impact with the ground. He looked up to see the scaly-skinned, teeth-bearing Abomination and an unfamiliar, power-armoured figure coloured crimson staring down at him. He looked past the two villains to see the Red Skull, fully illuminated, grinning broadly with his hands behind his back as he stared down at his nemesis.

"Where is your army now, Captain?" He grimly asked.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. If you're really liking this story so far, give it a favourite, and tell your fellow authors to check it out. Next chapter, Cap's team squares off with the Skull! If you have anything to say or suggest, any plot holes to point out, details needing clarification, or general questions to ask, feel free to PM me or leave a review. Take care.