Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, any of the characters or concepts depicted here, or anything associated with them. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Rise of the Extraordinary Avengers

Chapter 2: Strategy Sessions

"So that's the mess we've got on our hands," Mari declared as she sat at her place at the table in the Assembly Hall.

Mari had to admit to having been pleasantly surprised when, at five o'clock sharp, the Assembly Hall was filled with the team she had been tasked with leading. There had been expressions of annoyance, curiosity, and boredom on some of their faces, but they had nonetheless heeded the call to Assemble.

Or at least most of them did! Mari couldn't help but think, scowling internally as she glanced over at the one chair that remained empty. For while Zuko, on her instructions, had been successful in properly persuading one of her biggest problem teammates in attending this meeting, the remaining one had succeeded in keeping himself locked away in his room, continuing to hold the rest of the world at arm's length for his own reasons. I know Zuko said that she'd relay everything to her buddy, but I'm getting down to my last straw with this pair!

Wishing that she could properly display her unhappiness to the one Zuko had successfully wrangled into actually attending the meeting, knowing full well that all this would have accomplished would be sending her back up to her 'master', Mari did her best to be content with the half of the loaf she had and continued to tell everyone there the situation. "Now, I've discussed this matter with some of the others before assembling the rest of you, and as near as we can tell, we have precisely two options. Neither of which I'm particularly thrilled with," she continued with a frown. "We can either send for one or more teams of Avengers to come in from the Tower, make a big show of them showing up for my big moment in the spotlight...or we can deal with it ourselves."

"Now, wait!" came the disdainful voice of one of Mari's biggest problem teammates. "The entire reason we're supposed to be in hiding is because we can't let anyone learn of the Mansion's existence until it's completed!"

"I know. And the Mansion is still very vulnerable, something we don't want getting out," Mari confirmed with a grim look. "However, after discussing this matter, Zuko was able to come up with a way of preventing that from happening; by tricking the either or both gangs into attacking the Mansion directly." As several eyes bulged in surprise at this outlandish notion, she went on to explain, "If we can make it appear that the Mansion is fully operational and ready for battle when that happens, then word will get out that it's ready for action, which will hopefully convince the rest of Chicago's underworld to stay the hell away from it."

"Uh, wait a minute! Are you serious?!" one of the others demanded, a look of incredulity on his face as the others began making noises at this idea. "You want to get them to attack the Mansion?! Before it's even finished?!"

"With all due respect, Captain," seconded another member with a deadly scowl on her face, "that seems like the absolute worst idea I've heard since we've landed in this crazy world!"

"I never said that it wasn't without problems. In fact, it strikes me as the riskiest of our options," Mari quickly admitted, something the others were quick to second. "However, it also has the best chance of convincing Chicago's scum population that this Mansion is fully operational if we were to reveal the existence of this team. Also, Al made a very good point when I talked it over with the others earlier; now that the Governor made a point of blabbing my newly acquired citizenship of Chicago to the rest of the world, we might not have much time before the local bad guys start putting two and two together and start looking for the Mansion anyway. And we cannot afford for them to realize just how vulnerable it is right now!"

"Agreed," declared another of their number with a definite frown. "We'd have enemies coming at us from all sides, and we'd be trying to defend the Mansion with innocent people caught in the middle!"

"Exactly," Mari confirmed with a nod. "Now I'm going to be totally honest with you all; I've seen you all training during your stints at Avengers Academy. I've even helped each of you out with your training and getting to know this crazy quilt world we call Coreline. And after seeing you all in action, I wouldn't hesitate to pit any one of you against any member of either the Joker R gang or the Golden Four. And even if both gangs were to team up against all of us...I have no doubt that the bad guys would go down, and they would go down hard!"

"Like there was any question about that!" came a somewhat older voice, one that spoke from hard experience.

Nodding to this, Mari then frowned, "Unfortunately, we can't just think about this one battle. We're here to fight a war against the scum of Chicago, and for us to be at our best, we need this Mansion. It's our base of operations, as well as our home. And we need to figure out which is the best way to protect it, to keep it and the people here safe." Pausing to study the expressions of everyone there, the Super Soldier then went on to say, "I know this is pretty far south of ideal. So's a lot of stuff in this world. So we need to work with the hand we got dealt." With this, she turned towards the firebending gamma mutant of the team. "Now, if we can work up a plan that would allow us to not only take down both the Joker R gang and Golden Four but also implement Zuko's plan, then great. But if we can't...then we'll go with our fallback and ask for some help from the Tower to be publicly deployed to Chicago." Watching as the others exchanged glances and visibly considered the situation, Mari gave them all a slight smile. "Now I'm going to be honest with you all. We need to do what's best for this team, and that's what I want to do. But if it's at all possible, I'd rather go with the option that involves us cleaning up this mess ourselves. Because that's what we're here for; to fight the good fight and take down the creeps who think they're entitled to kill and maim and ruin lives and whatever. And I'm sure none of you want to sit back and let someone else take care of our problems for us."

"You got that right!" declared a powerful voice from off to the side, causing several others to jump as a fist pounded the table in agreement, causing it to bounce harshly. "This is our fight, not anybody else's!" Then the speaker grinned, his sunglasses glinting dangerously as he fired his fist into his other hand. "Besides, I've been waiting to introduce myself to the local scum for a looong while now! So let's show them that you don't mess with the Avengers!"

This proposal was met with a veritable roar of approval from the others present, with several fists being raised in excitement and eagerness. Leaving Mari to smirk and think, Well, I guess we know which plan the peanut gallery is in favor of...

"Alright, here's everything I've got on this patriotic pain in our collective necks," Jinnai grumbled, still about as unenthusiastic about Joker R's plan as was possible. "Now this wasn't easy to get a hold of; she's been lying low in New York for the most part since we ran into her, training with the Avengers! Believe me, I had to use up some pretty big favors to get this stuff, so you better appreciate it!"

"Don't worry, Scarecrow! We'll be winning back whatever you used up, and in spades once we've given the good Captain a proper military funeral!" Joker R declared with a broad smile even as he surveyed the various pictures and so on littering the table. "So what exactly does she have in store for us?"

"From what I've been able to tell, she's spent a lot of time in the Nerima Ward at one point, among other places, training and picking up some tricks," Jinnai reported, showing several pictures featuring her fighting in New York. "She's already mastered the Bakusai Tenketsu, Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, a modified version of the Shishi Hokodan, and uses combinations and variations of these moves and others in a battle. For example, here we have an alternate of the Juggernaut tossing a building at her," he explained, showing off the picture in question. "She used a combination of the Breaking Point and the Shishi Hokodan in a move she calls the Lion Claw to cut through the damned thing without taking a hit."

"So, she's been spending some time in the stomping grounds of different versions of me, huh?" Joker R mused with a thoughtful. "I guess I shouldn't expect anybody who could survive the Nerima Ward to be anything less than badass!"

"But she didn't just spend time there," Jinnai explained. "I also found out that she spent some time in a version of Camelot, where she got her shield powered up with different spells." With that, he then held out a series of three pictures. "She can use her shield to summon at least three magical...things; a shield that can project a powerful force field," he explained, holding up a picture of Mari using the magical shield to protect civilians, "a giant eagle she can use to attack enemies or get people out of trouble," he added, showing a picture of a massive golden eagle right out of Tolkien whisking wounded civilians out of danger, "and a woman who shoots super-destructive arrows at whatever she's mad at!"

"What?!" Rally groaned even as she took in a shot Mari unleashing a horde of the Arrows of Might upon a swarm of attacking villains and the sheer destruction being unleashed as a result. Shaking her head in disbelief at this, the Bullseye amalgam grumbled, "Now I'm really glad she had that damned collar on last time!" Then she looked over at her new leader and protested once more, "Boss, this is stupid! We don't need a fight like this!"

"Now, now, Rally, don't lose your head!" Joker R returned, holding out his hand to her. "I admit that our red, white, and blue buttinski is looking a lot more formidable than I had initially thought, but she's still nothing that can't be handled with a little careful planning!" As Rally rolled her eyes skyward, the clown martial artist wondered, "So she's got magic and training. What else is she packing?"

"A lot of muscle, for one thing," Jinnai grimly reported, holding up another picture of her in action. "She got in a fight with an alternate of Rhino...and took him down with a single shot to the face!" Dropping down the picture that showed the Rhino alt lying on the pavement with his nose crushed and bleeding with Mari smirking a short distance away. "And her suit has all kinds of tech available. And not just the stealth tech we saw last time! Here!" With that, Jinnai grabbed up a laptop computer and set it so that the screen was facing the bulk of the gang. "This is a video taken some time after the big supernatural nightmare that was last Halloween! And as you all know, the barriers between the worlds were very weak for a long time after that."

"That's right. We had a lot of arrivals showing up during that time," Rei admitted with a toothy frown. "What of it?"

"Well, at that time, New York got some unwelcome guests in the form of alternates of Zod, Faora, and Nam-Ek. All Kryptonians, and all as evil as it gets," Jinnai said by way of explanation. "Several Avengers and Champions were deployed to counter them, and guess who went along for the ride?"

Frowning somewhat, Shinji looked over at Jinnai and demanded, "Wait...you mean she's fought Kryptonians?! And won?!"

"See for yourself!" Jinnai declared, pressing the button that set the video he had somehow managed to obtain into motion. Before their eyes, a massive battle was soon displayed on the screen, showing the Avengers and the Champions fighting two of the Kryptonian criminals. Then whatever camera was at work focused in on Mari, who was standing on the roof of a building. "For the record, we can count ourselves lucky we even got this video! The Avengers apparently use floater cameras to record important stuff like first contacts with new arrivals, and the one following her got damaged, so someone was able to get their hands on its memory, and -!"

"We get the idea, Scarecrow!" Asuka growled, her human faced revealed but with her symbiote's gnashing teeth surrounding the base of her neck. "Now let us watch and listen to the damned thing!"

Jinnai looked like he was about to retort but then thought better of it. As he scowled and stood a bit further back, the Mari on the computer screen was raising her shield. "Stars of freedom shine, their powers unite!" she called out, speaking in a hurried voice, "And fill the archer's bow with - ack!"

A moment before Mari could complete the incantation, a figure zoomed up behind her and snatched her up by her throat. The camera shifted to reveal her attack was the Zod alternate, who was even then turning Mari about to grin cruelly into her face. "A bit of advice, little girl," he gritted maliciously. "Shorter magic words!"

With that, Zod flew forth with Mari grabbing onto his forearm for much-needed support. But even as she struggled with her precarious predicament, the rogue Kryptonian whipped her into the side of a nearby building, knocking large chunks out of it. Then he smashed her against another building, and pounded her into another, and then another still. And he kept doing it even as he flew through the New York skyline, bashing entire sections out of the skyscrapers by using her as a club.

"Oooh-hoo-hoo hoo!" Joker R laughed merrily as Zod then rammed her into a building and then flew up its side, using Mari to gouge out a long furrow in the wall as he did so. "Jinnai, you should've told me this was a comedy flick! I'd have gotten myself a beer and some popcorn for the show!"

At this point, Zod rose up high above the city, still grasping Mari by the neck. "What's this?" he asked her in an amused manner. "Still alive, are we?"

Despite the fact that her windpipe was mostly blocked off, Mari managed a feral grin. "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country, shithead."

"And you even have some fight left in you!" Zod declared, almost laughing at her defiance. "Let's see if I can smash it out!" With that, the rogue Kryptonian ripped Mari's shield from her arm and tossed her up and grabbed her again, this time by the ankle. Then he began pirouetting in mid-air, spinning his victim about until they were both a blur, right before launching her down towards the streets below. The force of the impact cratered the street, with the hapless Super Soldier's impact digging a massive gouge in the streets even as whatever camera recorded the battle dove in to follow her. Just as it was about to reach Mari after she had ground to a halt, a massive blast of crimson crashed down upon her, and the camera suddenly fell to some point a bit above the street.

"Now, I can only assume that Zod's heat vision hit the camera as well," Jinnai said by way of explanation. "But fortunately, it was still angled at Mari, so -" Even as the Scarecrow amalgam was speaking, Joker R pressed one of the buttons on the laptop, causing it to rewind. "Uh...hold on! I'm in the middle of a presentation here!"

"Oh, lighten up, Jinnai! This is comedy gold here!" Joker R grinned as he rewound the video back to the point where Zod had snatched Mari up. Cackling wickedly, he then proceeded to watch her once again get brutalized by the Kryptonian. "Ah! Slapstick at its finest!"

"Yeah!" May seconded with a huge grin as she watched Mari getting smashed into the buildings once more. "I can't tell you how often I've dreamed of doing this to that bitch for real!"

Jinnai groaned as the others present seconded the decision to watch Mari's battering again, but suffered in silence as Zod once more wound her up and sent her flying into the streets below. As she was again blitzed by heat vision, Joker R moved to rewind again. "Ohhh...just one more time...!"

"With all due respect, you can watch it again later!" Jinnai protested, pulling the laptop just out of Joker R's reach. "But you need to see this! It's important!"

Joker R and the others looked at Jinnai with expressions of patent annoyance even as Zod hovered down to confront Mari. "Still breathing, are we?" he asked in low amusement. "You're certainly more durable than I'd expected, given the paltry creatures living in this miserable world." As the star-spangled girl glowered at him, he held up the shield he had taken from her. "I must say, this is a very fine shield," he remarked, turning the nigh-invulnerable discus this way and that. "I tried to crush it, but...I couldn't. Can't even seem to bend it the slightest bit."

"Lucky for you, asswipe," Mari growled lowly, nothing but anger in her expression as she slowly stood to face her attacker. "Because if you had, I'd've broken every single bone in your body."

Snorting a tiny laugh at this, Zod continued to examine the shield. "You know, I think I'll keep this," he soon decided, sliding it over his left forearm. "Of course, I'll have to repaint it, but...I think it will serve me nicely."

Her eyes narrowed into deadly slits, Mari spat back, "Over my dead body!"

"Well, that would be the idea," Zod assured her. He was about to say something more, but it was then that Mari did something with her suit. As the Joker R gang looked on, the suit seemed to shine for a moment before a sphere of crimson enveloped both her and the Kryptonian. "What's this? Some feeble trick?" he wondered, clearly unimpressed as he landed in front of her. "Well, whatever. It won't save you."

"Then how about this? Return!" With that one word, Mari's shield seemed to glow for a moment right before it slid right off his arm to fly obediently back onto her own raised forearm. "Or maybe this?!"

As the Joker R gang looked on, the blue circle and star at the center of the shield seemed to glow even as Mari aimed it Zod and furrowed her brows in concentration. A few moments passed as the Kryptonian seemed to wobble somewhat. And then, right before their eyes, the Super Soldier exploded.

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo gasped at what they saw, not that Joker R could blame her. The already powerfully-built Mari alternate swelled up even larger, her muscles doubling in size, and then bulging forth even more as she seemed to grow even taller. Her back rapidly broadened, her pectoral muscles swelled so fast that they caused her breasts to jump, her biceps coiled and bulged, and her thighs broadened to the thickness of tree trunks. "She can use her chi to grow like that?!"

But while at least some of the Joker R gang were impressed, it quickly became clear that Zod wasn't. "You think an increase in bulk will make any difference, girl?" he demanded as he recovered. Without another thought, he launched himself towards her with his right fist aimed right at her head. "Now, kneel before - yeeaargggh!"

Two things happened that caught Joker R by surprise. The first was Mari effortlessly catching Zod's fist in her own hand. The second was her then crushing her enemy's fist with a similar lack of effort. "This is for my shield, asshole!" she declared over the sound of snapping bone and pained howling. "Thanks to you, I'll be up all night cleaning it!"

"No!" Zod cried out as he slowly crumbled before Mari. "H-how -?!"

"Like I'm gonna tell you!" Mari shot back before releasing his hand. Then she took her mighty shield in both her hands and snarled, "Now, kneel before this, Zod!"

Then Mari smashed her shield right into Zod's face with such force that he was sent flying crashing into the photonic force sphere that surrounded them both. His face a crushed, bloody mess, he sagged down to his knees, issuing a final groan of defeat before his eyes rolled up into their sockets and he fell before the Super Soldier with his posterior sticking up in the air.

"Aww...!" Joker R groaned in dismay. "Why'd such a funny movie have to have such a downer of an ending?"

"It's not over just yet," Jinnai replied with a frown. "Just watch."

"Now, to make sure you don't manage to get recharged and cause any more grief!" Mari declared as she shrank back down to normal and reached into her utility belt. Then she pulled out a gray device that was shaped like a rounded triangle and had a round screen in the center. "D-Secure!"

With that, the device shined a strange light at Zod, who's body seemed to dissolve in a mass of light and digital coding before being sucked into the glass screen of the device. The device itself then turned green, and Mari looked at it and grinned smugly. "That should you keep all warm and snugly, Zod!"

At this, the video concluded, with May demanding, "What the hell did she just do?! What's that thing she used on Zod?!"

"According to my sources, it's called a Digital Identity Securement Kit. DISK, for short," Jinnai tersely explained. "A couple Tony Stark alternates helped develop it for use in capturing criminals back in their home worlds, and Avengers Infinity has been experimenting and improving upon the technology. It's sort of like a Pokeball, except it's for use on people like us and supposedly escape-proof." Giving this a moment to sink in, the Scarecrow amalgam scowled. "Now, as you've already seen, her battlesuit is fitted with photonic force generators, capable of creating a photonic force matrix in a wide variety of shape configurations in various light spectra. In this case, she was able to trap Zod in a sphere that mimicked the light of a red sun."

"Which explains Zod's power failure," Nao intuited. "But why didn't she use it sooner?"

"Maybe it's difficult to concentrate when you're being smashed around like a ragdoll," Rei rumbled lowly.

"Makes sense. I know a lot of heroes I've smashed that would agree with you on that!" May seconded. "But what was with the center of her shield glowing like that?"

"I'm not sure. I wasn't able to get any additional information, but from what we can see here, I'm guessing she was doing something to drain whatever yellow sun radiation Zod had in his system faster to make him easier to handle," Jinnai declared. "The thing that gets me is that she shouldn't have been able to grow like that."

"Why not?" Shampoo wondered. "Lots of people who use chi can do that!"

"I know that! The problem is her battlesuit!" Jinnai explained. "It's lined with vibranium! She should have been squashed within her own suit!"

"Maybe the Avengers upgraded it so that it would grow with her," Shinji suggested.

"That's a possibility." Then Jinnai scowled and grumbled, "Now I've said it once, and I'll say it again! Going after this bitch is a bad mistake that's gonna wind up with us back in the slammer! So I say we should just rob a bank or something useful! Not look for trouble when we've got enough troubles as it is!"

"I'm all for that!" Rally declared with arms folded across her chest. "I'm not in the mood to make the same damned mistakes Goldie did!"

"Same here!" Nao chimed in with a nod. "She just shut down a Kryptonian like it was nothing! I don't - ack!"

"You're scared of her, aren't you?!" Hikari snarled, grabbing Nao by the shoulders. Already on edge from withdrawal, she had struggled to remain quiet during Jinnai's briefing, but it was clear that whatever restraint she had was fading fast. "Why?! Because she beat a Kryptonian?! I beat them all the time! I beat that Superbitch Rei so hard that she -!"

"Ah, Hikari-chan, please! I'm pretty Nao would appreciate it if you refrained from bending, folding, or mutilating her!" Joker R urged her. As the Bane amalgam looked at her boyfriend, she heaved several deep breaths before shoving Nao into the wall. "Now you have a good point there. Kryptonians might be tough, but once you exploit their Kryptonite Factors, they're little more than putty in your hands."

"Maybe, but that's not the only thing this Mari's got," Jinnai declared, pushing another few buttons on the laptop before playing a second video. "This was recorded during the fight in New York when Goldie's little pet project to screw with the Avengers went into gear."

As Joker R and the others looked on, Rally's eyes bulged. "Whoa!" she breathed as she studied the aircraft on the screen. "Would you look at those guns...!"

"That ship's called the American Dream, those guns are called Hybrid Cannons and, according to my intel, it has enough punch to at least blow a chunk out of the moon!" Jinnai declared with a heavy scowl as the video played, showing the ship unleashing a mammoth blast from its Hybrid Cannons. "It's fitted with adamantium armor, has loads of firepower, is fully amphibious, is equipped with its own AI, and it all belongs to you-know-who!"

"What?!" Joker R declared even as the rest of the gang's jaws clattered right to the floor. "She has a fancy suit of vibranium that can shut down Kryptonians and a ship that can blow holes in the moon?!" Shaking his head in dismay, the Clown Prince of Crime shook his head in dismay and envy. "Oh, where does she get those wonderful toys...?"

"Well, that does it!" Rally declared, throwing up her arms in disgust. "No way I'm picking a fight with this bitch! Not when there's no payday in it for us!"

"I hate to say it, but I think she's right," Rei scowled disgustedly. "How are we supposed to fight something like that, anyway?!"

"J-san, I'm sorry, but..." Shinji apologetically began.

"Ah, now hold it right there!" Joker R scowled, swinging a fierce glare at his compatriots. "You're not actually giving up, now are you?!" Once again scanning his subordinates, the clown martial artist went on to say, "We've fought and defeated Kryptonians, Martians, Amazons, Atlanteans, and more! We've crippled the police and brought this city to its knees! And you're all getting squeamish about one little girl?!"

"No, we're getting squeamish about one little girl with a flying, indestructible, weapon of mass annihilation!" Rally countered incredulously. "There's a big difference!"

"That's right!" Jinnai nodded. "Now, I could probably work up some countermeasures for her suit and the rest of it, but that would take time! Not to mention resources we can't afford to spare right now! And we only have a few days to get something ready for the Fourth of July! How are we going to make that happen?!"

"Simple!" Joker R retorted with a smile. "First of all, my happy little band, you can forget about the big ship with the gonzo guns! Because I doubt our star-spangled pain in the rear will be bringing something like that to City Hall! Let alone unleashing all those delightful weapons when there are so many innocent people around who might get hurt!" A beat passed as they all visibly considered this, with the way their eyes lit up making it clear that they realized the validity of their boss's point. "Secondly, while she might be tough, we're tougher! After all, it's not like we've been sitting around, letting the grass grow between our toes, now, have we?"

"No way!" Harley declared with an enthusiastic look on her face. "We've been training as well!"

"Exactly, Shampie! We've been training ourselves, improving our capabilities, bulking up for the day when we would have it out with our All-American airhead!" Joker R decreed, flexing his muscles in a playful manner. "She may have laid us low once, but now we're tanned! We're rested! And we're ready to give this old town a wedgie again!" As looks of eager hope and cruelty marked the faces of his gang, the clown martial artist grinned deeply. "She may have some new tricks, but then...so do we! And best of all, she has no idea what those tricks might be...!"

"Now, I've studied both the Joker R gang and the Golden Four, and their basic capabilities and the rest are all on record," Mari continued, studying holographic images of the members of both gangs. "However, the Joker R gang has been laying pretty low ever since the last Fourth of July, and there's been no sign at all of the Golden Four since last Halloween. So there's a gap in our intel. Which means they might have some new tricks up their sleeves."

"Makes sense. According to the files, alternates of Ranma Saotome are fanatics about martial arts and have big egos that make it impossible for them to take losing," seconded one of the others present. "Add in the ego of a Joker alt, and you have one swelled head that won't let him live down what you did to him."

"Right. And he's had an entire year to train himself and the others up and be ready for a rematch," Mari frowned, thinking of how much a difference a year's worth of training could make in a person. "Plus, I think it's safe to say that they aren't going to make the mistake of underestimating me twice in a row."

"I'll say," declared another member of the team. "But we do have some advantages! According to the files I've read, both gangs lost all their hideouts and a lot of their equipment when they went down last year. I can't see how they could have completely recovered from something like that."

"Yeah!" agreed another. "Besides, we've been staying out of sight since we got here, so there's no way any of them could know about us! And that's a big advantage!"

"Well, I'm betting that they'd expect at least a few Avengers to show up," Mari admitted. "But you're right; they don't know about any of you, who you are, what you can do. And with all those resources down the drain, they're behind the proverbial eight ball here."

"Aside from the Avengers, Captain Bitch has precisely one friend in the world," Jinnai went on, holding up a picture of a girl wearing Asgardian armor and holding a golden hammer in her hand. "An alternate of Maria Vincennes from the world they came from. She goes by the name of Thunderstrike, and she has the same kind of powers that an alternate of Thor has."

"Oh, great!" Rally disgustedly grumbled. "So on top of that Mari, we're supposed to be fighting a Norse God! Can this get any worse?!"

Shooting Rally a look, Joker R just smiled at the picture. "So, I'm guessing she has the same weaknesses as any human with one of those hammers has? Namely, she loses it for a minute, and she loses her powers?"

"That's right," Jinnai confirmed with a nod.

"Then she won't be a problem at all," Joker R smiled evilly. "Fact is, I've got something in mind I've been saving for just such an emergency."

"But it might not just be Thunderstrike," Jinnai urged his boss. "She's been hanging around with the Avengers, remember?! What's to stop a few of her buddies from showing up as well?!"

"Nothing!" Joker R replied with a smile. "Which is why it's a very good thing that we have the perfect place to duke it out with them...!"

"I think it's safe to assume that things won't start happening until after I get to City Hall," Mari noted as she and the other studied a holographic map of Chicago that presently hovered over the table. "The Joker R gang and Golden Four have to realize that they're going to be dealing with me, at least some of the Champions, and possibly Avengers. That's a lot of muscle that they won't be able to match in a straight-up fight."

"But they might not have to match us in power," noted one of them with the slightest of frowns. "With all the civilians and politicians that will be there, they will have no shortage of potential hostages to exploit."

"Right. Both groups are well-known for their use of various forms of toxins in their schemes," Maria noted with a frown of her own. "And even though they no longer can get those things from their old sources, there's nothing to stop them from going out-of-state and getting some of the things they need that way."

"Right. And their Scarecrow definitely knows enough about machines and chemicals to be able to put together some nasty surprises that could put a lot of people in danger if we make the wrong moves," Mari grimaced as she looked at the structure of City Hall. "Even worse, they have plenty of places to hide whatever nasty tricks he's managed to cobble together where they'll do a lot of damage."

"Hold on. What about local security?" one of the others wondered with a definite frown. "Won't they be able to stop them before they can set anything up?"

"He's right. Even assuming that you're right about all this and that either gang is going to try something, they don't have much time to set up anything," seconded another member of the team. "And they're going to have to get past whatever security precautions the Governor's already taken. That won't be easy."

"I know. And you're right; we can't be absolutely certain that either gang will try something this Fourth of July. But after dealing with both of them, all the research I've done on them, I really do believe that there's a serious danger of them pulling something," Mari admitted with a touch of a smile. "If I'm wrong, fine! The worst that happens is that I get to feel like a complete ass for wasting all your time and I pick up drinks or takeout or something to make up for it. I'd rather have that happen than completely screw up by ignoring something that smells as bad as this." Then she frowns as she considers the holographic representation of the building before her. "As for the Governor's security...I'm going to be consulting with Commander Saotome of the Champions later, find out what kind of security the Governor and the Champions will have in place for this shindig. But I think we're safer assuming that the bad guys will be one step ahead of both of them. Which means that we not only have to find and disable any and all of the tricks they might have set up, but we'll also need to force this fight someplace else. Somewhere less vulnerable, with fewer people to get in the line of fire."

"We need to make sure that, once the fun gets going on, that we keep the fighting at City Hall!" Joker R declared as he jabbed his finger down upon the map before him and the others. "It's about as perfect a place to throw a party as you can get! Plenty of potential hostages, including political figures, for us to snatch and use for shields if the heroes try to do something...well, heroic!"

"Makes sense," Rally reluctantly admitted as she frowned in thought. "Once we make our move, all those idiots will be running around, screaming their heads off -"

"Ah, such delightful imagery!" Joker R declared with gusto. "Chaos, confusion, carnage! Us stepping over the corpses of all those innocent people...!"

"But we'll need to keep at least a few of them alive, remember?" Shinji reminded them. "Neither the Champions or the Avengers will hold back against over a few corpses!"

"I wouldn't be so sure, but...true. Good reminder," Joker R admitted with a touch of regret. "I'll never understand why all those hero types get so worked up over all those meaningless little lives! It's not like they're good for anything other than a bit of fun!"

"Well, they are all potential customers," May pointed out. "At least, when you're in the drug trade, they are."

"She's got a point," Nao was forced to admit even as Jinnai nodded in agreement. "Money's definitely a good reason to keep at least a few of them around."

"Well, we're not in the drug trade!" Joker R reminded them a bit testily.

"We could always expand our operations once we're in a better position," Jinnai pointed out. "Plenty of people still hurting over not being able to get their daily dosage of what makes life worth living..."

"I know how that feels...!" Hikari growled despondently.

"Uh, people? Can we please keep out minds on the matter at hand?!" Joker R demanded, now looking a touch annoyed. Which was enough to get the others' thoughts back to business. "Now, Scarecrow, we'll need something special to hold over the heroes' heads. Happy gas, Fear Toxin, explosives...you know, fun little party favors like those!"

Making a face, Jinnai considered the matter for a time. "Well, I have just enough equipment and chemicals to put together some things," he hesitantly admitted. "But that will basically wipe out our current supply of chemicals! And we're already scraping by as it is! Even assuming that we manage to pull this off, we're gonna have to go out of state again for a new supply! We won't even have enough left to rob a bank!"

"Then we'll have to see about looting and plundering the guests while we're at it," Joker R decided in an offhand manner. "Setting up your little toys won't be any trouble, of course. Not with our new bag of tricks. Add in some hostages, and we'll have all the advantage we'll really need."

"Part of the problem with Zuko's plan is that it would be way too risky to try and draw the Joker R gang and Golden Four all the way from City Hall to Avengers Mansion for something like this," Mari declared as she surveyed a holographic map of Chicago that presently hovered over the table. "With that kind of distance, we'd be parading all those loons right through the heart of the city. Property damage, possible hostages...there's just too much that could go wrong in a situation like that."

"Which is why we've come up with an alternative," Zuko declared in a confident voice. "We feel that one or both of the gangs are likely to field lookouts to keep track of Mari's movements on the Fourth of July. Possibly even before then."

"Huh? How come?" one of the others wondered.

"Because they're not dumb enough to underestimate me again," Mari returned in an even manner. "They've got to realize that I'm bound to see them pulling a stunt like this from a mile away, so they're gonna want to make sure that I don't set up something to take them by surprise again." A beat passed as she indicated one of the tall buildings marking the Chicago skyline. "Now according to JARVIS, the roof of this building would allow someone a perfect view of both City Hall and the Meta Hotel, where I'm supposed to be staying. Which makes it a perfect place for their Bullseye to keep watch and support both gangs, either on my end or at City Hall."

"Now, hold it!" protested another of the team. "You don't seriously think they're gonna leave that sucker out on the roof all by herself, do you?!"

"Nope! I'm betting that they'll send Nao out with her," Mari smilingly returned. "Except for Clayface, she's the only other member of either team that can fly. And her Sinestro Corps ring makes her the best choice to have stationed there. Both to cover Rally and to get into a position to lend a hand to anyone on either end of this operation if things go pear-shaped on them."

"According to word on the street, Mari's staying here," Jinnai reluctantly reported, jabbing his finger down on a particular section of a map of Chicago. "At the Meta Hotel."

"Hmm...nice place. We stole some of their furniture once, didn't we?" Joker R inquired with a nostalgic smile. "Ah, the beds they use can take all sorts of abuse! Trust me, I know..." As Hikari managed a slight smile of her own, with Harley and May scowling somewhat, the clown martial artist glanced down at the map. "So, Nao, I trust that you scouted the terrain? Found the ideal spot for our sharpshooter in residence?"

"Yeah; right here," Nao replied, fingering one of the buildings on the map. "It's the only location that gives us a view of both locations with no obstructions. Bullseye will have no problem lining up a shot at either the Hotel or at City Hall from here."

"Excellent! Then that's exactly where I want you and Bullseye to set up shop for this little caper!" Joker R decreed. "As long as you make sure to stay out of sight, you can help keep track of our patriotic pain's movements, and keep us apprised at City Hall if anything looks amiss!"

"Now, Bullseye watching from a distance is good, but there are plenty of places where she'd lose sight of me between the Meta Hotel and City Hall. So I'm betting that the gangs will send someone to stay a bit closer to me. And if I had to guess who that would be, my money would be on their Clayface," Mari declared with fair certainty. "None of the Golden Four are particularly stealthy and good with up-close-and-personal-action. And given that we're dealing with a Clayface, he can blend in with the surroundings perfectly, and can stay out of sight pretty easily while following me. As long as he stays downwind of me, stays out of my line of sight, and keeps quiet, even I'll have trouble picking him up."

"What about their Venom?" Glitter wondered. "Aren't alternates of them able to disguise themselves as well?"

"That might have been an option, Glit, if not for one little problem," Mari returned with a slight smile. "See, this Venom is an amalgam of Asuka Langley-Sohryu. Now, I knew one of her back in my world, and I've met a few since landing in the Core Timeline. And they all have one thing in common."

"And...what's that?" Al wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"That if I wanted to get them to blow their stacks, all I'd need for them to do is be close enough to hear me when I opened my big mouth," Mari grinned deviously.

"Now, Rally is good, but even she doesn't have X-ray vision!" Joker R went on, shooting their sharpshooter a sideways glance. "Which is why we're going to need someone to help keep track of the red, white, and blue buffoon in case a building gets in the way! Stick just close enough to her to see if she's going to be throwing any spanners into our works or making any unscheduled stops between the Meta Hotel and City Hall." Then the clown martial artist turned towards his team's Clayface and declared. "And Shinji, you're the lucky boy I'm trusting with this oh so important task!"

"Okay, J-san!" Shinji nodded eagerly.

"Wait a minute! Why does Shinji get to follow her?!" Asuka demanded, her symbiote writhing in anger as she scowled at her leader. "We want after her! We want to eat her brains, and -!"

"Because all it would take is for her to open her big mouth to get you to blow your cover! Especially since you've been forced to go on a people-free diet lately!" Joker R countered, knowing full well how alternates of Asuka were infamous for their temper. And given his team's Asuka's situation and the hunger her symbiotic other instilled in her, a hunger for living flesh, it made her especially problematic for stealth jobs when she hadn't been able to indulge in some time. The very fact that she had been referring to herself as 'we' like most Venom alternates did was a very bad sign in and of itself. Just as the way she was glaring at him ravenously, her symbiote writhing in hunger was. "Now, don't get so down about it, Asuka!" he promptly assured her, knowing that there were some serious limits in how much the human aspect of this version of Venom could reign in the symbiote part of the equation. "I've already got a buffet in mind for you to enjoy! That should tide you over until the star-spangled girl without a plan makes her appearance!"

"Now wait. About this part of the plan," began one of the members at the table. "I've read up on your first fight with the Joker R gang and Golden Four, and...according to the files, you used some kind of coagulant to solidify their Clayface, turning him brittle."

"That's right," Mari confirmed with a nod. "Why?"

"Well...you aren't planning on using that same trick again, are you?" the Avenger in question demanded with an incredulous expression. "Because if their Scarecrow has come up with some kind of chemical counter for it, then..."

As this unfinished question was left hanging in the air, Mari gave a hapless smile. "Believe me, I wasn't planning on using the same trick twice. Like you, I figured that Scarecrow would have thought of something to make that stuff so last season. Fortunately, I have something else that should be even more effective." With that, she hefted the blasters from their hip holsters and presented them to the others. "After I got off my probation, the one Tony Stark at the Tower who makes no bones about the fact that he's a fan of mine made a point of going over my battlesuit and giving it a complete makeover and upgrade. For instance...!"

With that, Mari took aim at the wall off to the side, well away from anyone in the room, and pulled the trigger, disgorging a white stream of spiraling power. The instant it struck the wall, a mammoth section of ice began to form. "Turns out that he'd had a chance to take a look at a Star-Lord variant's Element Gun, and implemented some upgrades based on it. These beauties might not be able to fire all of the elements like an Element Gun, but they can fire stun blasts, freeze beams, heat rays, flames, and electrical pulses, on top of upgraded versions of my old trick rounds. So...yeah. I think giving Shinji the cold shoulder should be more than effective."

"Now I've come up with an anti-coagulant formula for you," Jinnai went on, scowling as he held a large, gel-cap pill up towards Shinji. "It should be more than enough to neutralize the coagulant Mari used on you last time. If she hits you with some kind of chemical, and you start to feel yourself solidify again, just crack open the capsule, and this will do the rest."

"Okay, sure," Shinji returned, accepting the capsule. "I just hope it doesn't come down to that. It took me days to get...whatever it was she used on me out of my system last time!"

"Just remember that it hasn't been properly tested, and don't use it unless you start to feel yourself solidifying!" Jinnai warned him. "If you do, it'll make you so runny that you won't even be able to move properly, let alone fight!"

"I'm sure Shinji is level-headed enough to heed his doctor's advice, Scarecrow!" Joker R assured him. "Nice work on that pill, by the way!"

Making a face at this, Jinnai replied, "I still wish I had a sample of the formula Mari had used on him in the first place to make a better counter with! And don't forget that this will only counter something like that coagulant! He's still vulnerable to things like freeze grenades and other weapons! And if she has something like that on her, she'll be able to turn him into an instant popsicle, or worse!"

"Only if she sees Shinji!" Joker R countered. "And I'm sure he's smart enough not to do something stupid and let himself get spotted!" Giving a slight chuckle in his throat, the clown martial artist smiled dangerously. "This is great! So far, this little plan is coming together like clockwork!"

Frowning deeply at this, Rally slowly shook her head and muttered, "Yeah. And that's the problem..."

"Now once we've drawn Shinji out into the open and I've taken him down, I'll be free and clear to contact City Hall and the Champions and use my Avengers Emergency Authority to shut down the ceremony and order an evacuation, citing a clear and present danger to the people there," Mari continued, studying the faces of those assembled. "Hopefully, Nao and Bullseye will see that, and Nao will come after me, try and kill me and rescue Clayface before heading off to back up the rest of the gang at City Hall," Mari continued, studying the faces of those assembled. "And that's when I lead her back to the Mansion! Once in position, we drop the cloaking shield, and give them the show of a lifetime! With any luck, Nao, Bullseye, and Clayface will be shitting bricks and running off to tell the rest of the gang and the world that Avengers Mansion is something not to be messed with!"

"Sounds good. But what happens if Goldie were to try reading your mind?" wondered one of the team. "Or our minds, for that matter? If that happens, she'll realize that it's just a trick!"

"Fortunately, I managed to ace Sensei's classes on blocking out telepaths," Mari assured them, pointing at her head. "She can huff and puff all she wants, but she won't be able to blow the house of my mind down!" Then she frowned a bit before adding, "As for the rest of you...I'm hoping the good Doctor in residence might have an idea or two about that."

"Well...I could cast a spell that would block out any telepathic influences," spoke the Avenger in question. "But I'd need to spend some time with each member of the team and set it up. Then I'll need to test the spells' effectiveness, make certain that everybody's protected."

"Then we'll make that happen. Assuming that we can deal with one final problem in Zuko's scheme," Mari concluded, turning towards Mana with a frown. "Now, this whole plan depends on making Avengers Mansion look like it's fully operational and ready for some serious ass-kicking. So the ten million dollar question is; can we make that happen?"

As all eyes fell on Mana, the auburn-haired girl sighed. "To be honest...I'm not sure how," she reluctantly admitted. "The American Dream is still fitted with modified nanites from the 11th Angel, so as long as we have someone onboard, it can project an AT-Field. One large enough to protect the entire Mansion, at least from the surface."

"That's great, but a solid defense isn't enough!" pointed out another of the group. "What about offense?"

"In terms of offense...we're in big trouble," Mana reluctantly admitted. "Only about ten percent of the weaponry has been properly installed and is online, and we can't even use that much! Thanks to that mess with the Disaster Squad accidentally destroying that shipment from the Tower during that scuffle with the Black Scars, we don't have any of the hardware for JARVIS that would allow him to even activate any of the weaponry, let alone control it!"

"Can't we take what we need from the American Dream?" wondered another. "The last I heard, it was fully upgraded, and it's fully compatible with Avengers tech!"

"Unfortunately, no. Tai's hardware is still different enough that the American Dream's weapons drive wouldn't be compatible with JARVIS's own hardware." But even as Mana said this, a thoughtful frown appeared on her face. "However...if we could wire up the weapons systems and connect them directly to the American Dream, then Tai should be able to operate them instead. I mean, it'll take a bit of work, but -"

"As long as it works, that's all I care about," Mari broke in, glad that they were making progress. "What do we need to make it happen?"

"A little wiring, and a lot of elbow grease!" Mana promptly replied. "Also, you should know that, if we do this, the American Dream will be completely grounded. There's no way we'd be able to launch it without disabling all of the Mansion's defense systems."

"I wasn't planning on using the Dream for this, anyway. It's a big gun that's a bit too big for a situation like this. And besides, it may be out of action, but we can still use its support vehicles," Mari reminded them. "Thanks to Club Iron Man upgrading the shit out of them, both the Aqua-Raider and the White Rocket have hover capabilities, and the Crimson Flare is already set for an aerial battle. We also have Maria's Turbo Chariot, and -"

"And don't forget my baby!" declared one of the others with a broad, triumphant grin.

This declaration took Mari by surprise, and it was clear that a few of the others felt similarly. "Wait...you mean it's finished?!" the Super Soldier demanded, her eyes wide with amazement. "Already?!"

"Armed and armored and ready to bare her teeth and go into action with claws out and fur flying!" declared the boisterous member of their team.

"Are you sure?!" Mana demanded with furrowed brows. "We haven't finished testing it's arc reactor or the subsystems! We haven't even given it a test run, or -!"

"Hey, as much as I appreciate all your help on this, I know my work!" countered the Avenger in question. "And when I say she's ready, she's ready!"

Mana looked like she was ready to protest, but Mari then said, "You may know your work, but Mana knows arc reactors. Do whatever tests she wants you to do, just to settle her nerves and mine!" When the Avenger in question scowled disagreeably at her in response, the Super Soldier added, "Because if it all possible, I want your baby ready to go for a possible debut this Fourth of July!"

At this, the Avenger's eyes widened slightly, just before his mouth creased with an easy smile. "Are you actually listening to me?"

"I always listen to you. I just don't always agree with what you have to say," Mari countered before moving on. "Now, about the Mansion's weaponry. You say Tai should be able to run it."

"He'll be able to run what we've managed to install, yes," Mana confirmed. "But that's still only ten percent of the Mansion's total firepower. And that's nowhere near enough to be able to convince anybody watching that we're at full strength!"

"Is there any chance we can get any more of it installed by the Fourth?" Mari wondered. "And please remember, I majored in ass-kicking and strategy at Avengers Academy, minored in magic, and had just enough engineering and architecture to find the soft spots in any given design. So no fancy words, okay?"

"That's fair. And no, we can't get more weapons ready in time," Mana stated in all certainty. "We could mount all of them in place, sure, but we wouldn't be able to hook them up in time to be able to bring them online! And even if we could, without the proper reinforcement and calibration to make sure everything was properly installed, we'd be looking at a complete disaster!"

"I hate to say it, but she's right," declared the formerly enthusiastic Avenger. "When they fire, our weapons generate a fair amount of heat and shake a lot. Unless everything's been properly calibrated, there's a big chance that they'll shake themselves to pieces, possibly even explode and take chunks of the Mansion with them."

"That's right. The weapons we've got installed are all properly mounted and set up, and we tested them as soon as they were in place. But it would just take far too long to do that with the rest of the weapons," Mana explained with a dismal expression. "Don't forget, the weapons we've got in place are primarily for street level creeps and defense. The rest of it is a lot heavier, and a lot more dangerous!"

"Fuck!" Mari gritted beneath her breath in disgust at this setback. Pausing to consider the matter, she then asked, "Can we at least make them look like they're functional? You said that we could mount them in place."

"That's right. We could put them in their frame, and we could get them to move about," Mana admitted. "But that's the best we could do. We wouldn't be able to fire them at all!"

"Maybe we wouldn't have to!" Mari retorted before turning towards another. "Doc? Any chance you can help us out on this? Create some kind of illusion that would make the weapons look like they're firing?"

The Avenger that she was speaking to frowned unhappily. "Hmm...I think so. I could put on an impressive show, and I could even cause damage to...well, whatever is hit," the Doctor reported after a moment's consideration. "But I would need time to practice with the weapons. For this to work, I'd have to look at the recordings of these weapons in action in order to make sure that I can create the same kind of effect. To make it look real enough to fool everyone."

"Don't be modest. We all know you can do this," stated the Avenger seated next to the Doctor, who was smiling fondly at him. Then she looked at Mari and added, "Trust me, he can."

"I never doubted he could," Mari returned, having seen this particular Avenger in action back at the Academy. For despite being somewhat lacking in confidence, he had been a successful apprentice to the Sorcerer Supreme in his own world and had turned more than a few heads back in magic class. "Now you say you need time to practice? Fine. You've got time. And you'll have all the help you can get on making this look good, and prepping people to keep Goldie off and out of their minds." With that said, she then swung her gaze at the others present. "Well, I don't know about you, but it sounds to me like we have a workable plan of action on our hands, and not a heck of a lot of time to make it happen! So let's get down to it!"

"Wait," spoke another of her team, one that was frowning heavily. "I have a couple of questions..."

"A problem, Rally?" Joker R wondered with a glint of surprise in his eyes. "What sort of problem?"

Pressing her lips together, Rally glanced about at her fellow gang members before explaining, "Look...I've been going over the plan you're describing in my head. Looking at the different angles, where you've got everyone so far, and...it fits! It's exactly where any logical person would place them! So far, it's a perfect use of all our capabilities!"

"Well, I'll try not to take offense at the 'logical' part," Joker R declared with a quirking of his lips. "But if you think it's perfect, then what's the -?"

"It's too perfect! It's exactly the kind of placement any strategist would set up, using this team!" Rally said by way of explanation. "Including a certain Mari!"

This got the attention of the others, with May frowning. "Wait...you mean you think she'll see this coming?!"

"Exactly!" Rally nodded grimly. "When she took us down...the way she did it showed that she'd studied us! That she'd predicted every single move we'd make before we even made it! She knew our weaknesses and exactly how to exploit them!" With that out in the open, the lethal sharpshooter demanded, "We already know that she's bound to figure out that we're going to try something! What's to stop her or anyone else from analyzing the situation, coming up with the very strategy you've come up with, and working up a counter for it?!"

Once again, doubt filled the room, but even so, Joker R was still smiling. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In fact, I'd bet anything that you're right! And that at this very moment, our patriotic pain is wracking her so-called brains to figure out what we're up to and come up with a way of scuttling our schemes before we can even have our fun!" But even as this admission settled in the air, Clown Prince of Crime smiled that much more deeply. "And that's precisely what I want for her to be doing!"

Several seconds passed as the other members of the gang stared at Joker R in confused disbelief, visibly unable to fathom what was being told to them. But even as they stared, Jinnai's eyes went wide, and for the first time since he had returned with Nao, a smile creased his face. "Ahhh...you're playing her, aren't you?!" he asked in a way that made it clear that this was not a question. "You've got something big in mind! Something a lot bigger than just putting this Mari out of our misery!"

"Don't I always, Scarecrow?" Joker R wondered in a playful manner. "You see, I fully expect everybody to be anticipating the steps leading up to our grand Fourth of July party! But I've got something very special in mind for the party itself! And not only is Captain Mari going to be the guest of honor for her own funeral...I'm counting on her helping to make certain that this will be a Fourth of July no one in Chicago will ever forget!" Then the Clown Prince of Crime grinned a wicked, wicked grin before saying, "At least...those who are still alive...!"

"Sure, go ahead," Mari replied to the Avenger who was now raising her hand. "What've you got on your mind?"

"So far, we've been discussing our plans for dealing with the situation regarding the Mansion. That's been our focus this whole time," the Avenger in question explained. "But we haven't given any thought to whatever endgame the Joker R gang and the Golden Four have in mind. I mean...you can't actually believe that all they plan on doing is killing you and nothing else!"

"I don't think anybody in this room is naive enough to think that any Joker would be willing to just kill someone and call it a day," Mari replied with a nod. "And you're right. They're bound to have something big in store for us at City Hall. The problem is...we have no way of knowing that that something is."

"Then how are we supposed to stop them?" Glitter wondered from her own seat.

"Before we give any thought to that, we need to get some more information," Mari told the little fairy. "Which is why, as soon as we're done here, I was planning on heading over to Stronghold, the Champions' headquarters in Chicago. I'm sure that Commander Saotome and the people there will have more information on whatever security measures the Governor is working on, as well as the guests for this party and their own security. And I'd like to know what Champions she's going to be sending to City Hall for the Fourth. Because while I want us to be able to handle our own problems, I think it would be a good idea if we were able to coordinate our efforts with theirs. Improve our chances of taking down both gangs, and keep the people there as safe as we possibly can."

Even as the other Avengers present were nodding in agreement, the one that had started asking questions continued with, "Which brings me to my next question. You've already made it clear that you don't see either gang repeating last year's mistakes. That they're not going to underestimate you again." When Mari nodded to this, the woman confronting her asked, "Well, they have to have figured out that you're going to be coming up with a counter for whatever strategy they're cooking up. So what happens when -?"

"When they have a counter for my counters?" When the spy facing her nodded, Mari smiled a wan version of the cat-like smile alts of her were known for. "My Uncle Steve once told me that no plan survives first contact with the enemy completely intact. And I'm willing to bet that we're going to be in for some pretty nasty surprises when it comes down to the bottom of the ninth. That just means that we're gonna need a few surprises of our own. And we have until the Fourth to make sure that our surprises are the big winners."

"That's not much of a plan," remarked another of Mari's critics on the team with a frown.

"I know. Unfortunately, without more information, we can't really come up with much in the way of a better strategy. And - hey!" The others started as Mari interrupted herself to turn a glare at two of her other critics. "What are you two doing, whispering like that? Don't let the fake glasses fool you; my eyes work perfectly, and so do my ears!" Placing her hands on her hips, the Super Soldier glared at the two of them, who were now looking back at her in annoyance. "Now would you please share with the rest of the class what you were so busy discussing? Or do you want me to do that for you?!"

A beat passed as the two Avengers in question exchanged glances before the first of them declared, "I was just informing His Majesty here that maybe if he hadn't spent so much time trying to have everything done his way, maybe we wouldn't -!"

"Watch it, Sergeant! You may be a military man, but I've trained both soldiers and kings!" countered the other with a gruff look. "I've designed palaces, military installations, vehicles, and more! I've run an entire country, and took down every single blasted idiot who tried to raid us, whether it be a single thief or an entire army of raiders! And every single time, I've -!"

"That was then, this is now!" the Sergeant countered with a devastating glare. "You kept reworking the weapons design, the Mansion's structure, all of it! And all because you didn't agree with how we were doing things!"

"Hey, I know what I'm doing!" the former king countered. "And perhaps if you would all try listening to what I have to say -!"

"If we listened to every word that came out of your mouth, we'd be living in an oversized cat!" the Sergeant shot back. "Well, let me make it perfectly clear; this ain't your kingdom, and you have no authority over me or anyone else here! And if anything happens because you wouldn't stop trying to have every single thing done your way -!"

"What I do works!" the former king snarled, taking a battle-ready stance. "And if you weren't so blasted stubborn -!"

"Oh, now that's rich, coming from you!" the Sergeant retorted, also prepping himself for battle. "You want to see stubborn, then I'll show you -!"

"That's enough!" Mari roared, bringing her shield down upon the table like it was a hammer, the resulting noise not unlike a gong and more than enough to cause everyone present jump slightly and whirl about to face their suddenly irate leader. As the reverberations of the might shield's impact slowly faded away, the Super Soldier heaved deep breath after deep breath as she swung her gaze over the Avengers assembled around her. "You want me to scrap all our plans?! To call the Tower and tell them to send another team to handle everything for us?! That we just can't take care of our own city?!"

"Now, wait just a second, girl!" the Sergeant growled, rising up to glare at her. "We can handle this! We can -!"

"You're out of line, soldier!" Mari countered with a piercing glare. "Now sit your ass back down!"

The Sergeant's jaw fell in surprise at this. "Did you just tell me to -?!"

"I said sit!" Mari snarled even as she marched over to him and gave him a forceful shove that sent him back into his seat. "Now I've been putting up with your shit since day one of you being on this team!" Then she turned towards the former king and added, "Same with you!" Then she whirled about to face the others present, especially her detractors. "Now I know you all have doubts about me! And I honestly can't blame you, because, for the most part, your reasons are valid! And I was hoping that I would have time to earn your trust before we had to go into battle! Unfortunately, the universe decided not to oblige me on that count!" Looking hard into the expressions of each of the people who had issues with her command, the Super Soldier glowered and grumbled, "Some of you were leaders of your own team and don't like taking orders from a little girl! Some of you think I just don't have what it takes to be the boss!" Then she glared at one problem case in particular and growled, "And some of you don't give a damn about anything and just continue to look down your noses at me like I was something you'd scraped off your damn shoe!"

"Don't you speak about me or my master that way!" countered the headache Zuko had dragged down to join them. "You know how important his meditations are! If he does not purge himself of -!"

"I know all about that! What I have a problem with is the fact that he has completely closed himself off from everyone here but you! And you keep helping him do it! You're enabling him to keep the rest of the world as far away as possible!" Mari broke in before the headache could finish her sentence. "Now I get how much power he has, how dangerous he is! And I get that he's the only one who can get control of himself! But he won't let anyone else even try to help him! And you and him have ignored every attempt to help, every offer of friendship, everything! And that is not how a team works!" Pausing to heave a deep breath at this, she then again swept the room with her gaze. "Now I know you all have problems! With me, and this team! But now is not the time for it! Because, in case you haven't figured it out yet, we have a potential crisis on our hands! Now maybe something will happen, and maybe it won't! But if something does happen, I want this team to act like Avengers and be ready to deal with it!"

Giving this all a moment to sink in, Mari then stood as straight as she could, and once more swept the room with her glare. "If any of you can't shove whatever issues you have off to the side long enough for us to get this job done...you know where the front door is. Use it. Just be sure to be gone before I get back from Stronghold because I'll be expecting everyone still here when I get back to be ready and willing to do their jobs! Meeting adjourned!"

With this declaration, Mari then started towards the exit, already planning on retrieving her battlesuit for when she met with Commander Saotome. But before she could even reach the door, a voice sounded in her head. Princess Mari? the voice began, causing her to pause in mid-step and glower back at one of the team. The one member who could be the owner of this mental voice. I cannot speak for anyone else here, but...you have had my loyalty since I first swore myself to you, and you shall have it as long as I serve under your command. If you command me to offer my life to protect others...then I will do so willingly, without hesitation. I stand ready to follow any order you give me.

A beat passed as Mari considered this Avenger's words, and was followed by several seconds of her eyes wandering to Maria, then Mana, then Al and Glitter. The Avengers this team had begun with. And as she did so, they all smiled reassuringly, making it clear that the Avenger who had spoken...had spoken for them as well.

Heartened by the gesture of close friends and a relative stranger alike, Mari managed a weary sigh and a slight smile. "Alright, then...I've got two orders for you right now," she began, watching as the Avenger she was confronting bowed down towards her. "First, I want you to oversee the situation here. Because I want everyone who's planning on sticking around working on getting this Mansion and themselves ready for the Fourth of July. And be ready to hand me a report on the situation as soon as I get back."

Yes, Princess Mari, the Avenger returned, bowing his head ever so slightly. And your second order...?

"For you to please stop calling me 'Princess'!" Mari pleaded him earnestly.

Yes, Princess Mari, the Avenger in question replied. An answer that earned a few chuckles and, judging from the expressions on the faces of the others, had successfully defused much of the tension the recent argument had caused to build up.

As for Mari, she rolled her eyes, threw her arms into the air, and decided that half a loaf was once again better than nothing, before once again turning on her heels and starting out the door. "The clock's ticking, Avengers," she intoned as she exited the Assembly Hall. "So let's get to it!"

Author's Notes: And here we have Chapter 2! Hope you enjoy!