All rights to Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow goes to Marvel Animation. Crystal, Lily, Sierra go to me. TJ and JJ go to historynerd1995. And Bridget goes to Little-Silver-Sparrow.
Note from my editor:
Hello! This is historynerd1995, I would like to claim most of the responsibility for the late update due to the fact that even though Crystal had this chapter done a couple of days ago and Little-Silver-Sparrow had edited it, I was having trouble getting it edited. My excuse: computers hate me. Sooo….sorry and thank you for your patience. Enjoy!
"James," Bruce said, catching his attention. "Have you seen Crystal?"
"She's probably with Hawkeye." James told him.
"Thanks," Bruce said with a nod of his head, waving to James as he walked off.
Bruce looked around, hoping to find Crystal, but couldn't find her anywhere. Little did he know that he had just passed them as they played in the next room.
"Come on you two!" Crystal said, dragging TJ as Sierra grabbed JJ. "Let's do something fun!"
"Like what?" TJ asked. "I have something in mind." He said, wiggling his eyebrows and draping his arm around her shoulders.
"How about a fight?" Lily offered up, pinching his arm to make him let Crystal go.
"Sounds like fun." Hawkeye smirked, pulling Crystal out of TJ's reach. "How about me and you go first?"
TJ smirked at the challenge and cracked his knuckles. "I'd be glad to."
Crystal stepped forward, putting her hand up to stop them from getting any closer to one another. "Hold up!" She looked at both of them with a pointed look. "No powers, got it?"
"That's unfair!" TJ pouted.
"It is fair, it means you'll both be on the same fighting grounds. Unless you're too weak not to use them." She teased him, watching as his smirk twitched and he looked at her determinedly.
"As if," he scoffed.
"Ok then," Crystal said with a victorious smile. "Let's move the room around first."
They moved the furniture to the edge of the room, pushing them against the wall, then Crystal, Sierra, Lily, and JJ sat down on them.
"What's going on?" Azari asked peeking into the room with Pym behind him.
"They're going to fight. Wanna watch?" JJ explained, patting the space next to her with a smile.
"A fight! Cool!" Pym said, running over and taking the spot instead.
Azari sighed as he sat on the couch next to them and watched as Francis stripped off his jacket, and TJ cracked his knuckles and neck again. They stood opposite of one another, standing at the ready for who would make the first move.
"Woah!" Torunn said looking at the boys as they circled one another, walking into the room with James next to her.
"I want to watch this." James said following close behind her.
She grabbed his hand and made him sit next to her on the small love seat. Everyone was watching as TJ and Hawkeye circled one another for a moment, before TJ got tired of waiting and lunged at him. Hawkeye stepped to the side, swinging his open palm to the side and pushing TJ to the ground like he was swatting a fly.
TJ glared at him, jumped up from the ground and aimed another punch at his head, but this time when he stepped to the side, TJ kicked his leg around and landed it right into Hawkeye's chest, sending him backwards into the wall. Hawkeye coughed into his hand then looked at TJ with determination.
"Not bad," He commented as he smirked at TJ.
"Not so bad yourself, though I'm better." TJ said cockily.
"Doubt it," Hawkeye said rushing forward.
TJ lashed his arm out, ready to hit Hawkeye when he got close, but as he punched, Hawkeye ducked down and punched into his stomach instead, making the boy let out his breath and double over in pain from the unexpected hit. Hawkeye didn't stop as he swiped his leg on the ground, crashing into TJ's legs, and sending him backwards onto the ground.
"What was that about you being better?" Hawkeye teased, looking down at TJ smugly.
TJ glared at him, grabbed his ankle and pulled, sending Hawkeye to the ground and TJ holding him down with his fist back. Hawkeye kicked his knee up, hitting TJ where the sun don't shine. TJ rolled over as he held himself, his face red in anger and pain. This time Hawkeye pinned him down and brought his fist back.
"That's enough," Crystal said, grabbing his fist just as he swung it towards TJ's face. "Francis wins this one,"
Hawkeye got off of TJ and smirked victoriously down at him. "It was a good try."
Crystal flicked him in the head, and then bent down to TJ, looking him in the face. "You okay?"
"This is nothing." He grumbled, getting up and standing wobbly.
"Lily, can you help him?" Crystal asked, ignoring him.
Lily walked over quickly and put his arm around her shoulder and helped him to the couch. He sat down with a huff as his sister teased him.
"He'll be fine." Hawkeye said waving his hand in dismissal. "So who's next?"
Outside of the room, Bruce stopped and peeked through the door, spotting all of the kids in there.
"I am," Crystal said smiling.
"No," Hawkeye said, crossing his arms. "I'm not fighting a girl."
"What's wrong? Worried that I'm going to beat you?" Crystal taunted, knowing it would break him.
He narrowed his eyes as the others laughed at him playfully. He sighed and nodded his head to her. "Okay then."
Crystal smiled as she tightened her fingerless gloves and stood loosely as she watched him spread his legs apart, bend his knees, and put his fists up.
"I'll go easy on you, Angel." He teased.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Crystal told him in a laughing voice. "You'll lose that way."
Hawkeye smirked before rushing her and throwing his arm towards her, ready to grab her and throw her to the ground. He stopped and blinked as Crystal suddenly disappeared. He looked up and saw her doing a handstand on his arm with one hand. She smiled down at him and pushed off, landing behind him gracefully.
"I told you not to go easy." Crystal told him with a smile.
Bruce crept into the room and sat down on one of the chairs, watching her with curiosity. Not even he could see her fast movement of flipping upside down on his arm. He leaned his elbows on his knees as he steepled his fingers underneath his chin.
Hawkeye rushed towards her, not really wanting to hit her, but to throw her off and knock her to the floor for a win. He threw a punch and saw her dodge, then threw another before she could change her movement. She dodged again, and continued to do so as she jumped, ducked, dodged and flipped around his movements.
"She's beating you with her hands behind her back!" James laughed at him.
Torunn hit him in the arm, shutting him up, but not before he let out more laughs.
"She's good," JJ said with a smirk. "Shows girls can be just as good."
"I know some pretty powerful girls." Azari said, looking at JJ and smiling at her.
She blushed and looked away and Pym sat forward excitedly watching Crystal gracefully dodge every attack as if they were in slow motion.
"Just finish him!" Sierra laughed playfully.
Crystal looked over and smiled, watching as Hawkeye grew increasingly irritated by not being able to even touch her. She stopped dodging and let his fist swing right at her, making him flinch in surprise. She moved her head slightly as his fist flew by her cheek. She grabbed his wrist and moved her leg forward, hooking her foot behind his and pulling.
He fell backwards and hit the ground hard, feeling the breath get knocked out of him. Crystal took the momentum to move his arms and pin them beneath her legs as she sat on his stomach and placed one hand on his chest and the other at his throat. Hawkeye looked up at her, shocked, as he caught his breath.
"That was excellent!" Bruce said with a bright smile on his face.
Crystal looked up, surprised, and smiled at the man, before quirking an eyebrow at him. "What do you need?"
He stood up and looked down at her as she continued to sit on Hawkeye. "I was wondering if you could help me with an experiment."
Hawkeye sat up quickly, making her fall backwards and wrap her arms around his neck. "What do you mean experiment?"
Crystal let him go quickly, feeling a blush rise on her cheeks. She moved her legs, and stood up, looking at Bruce with reluctance.
"It's nothing bad, just some questions." Bruce told her, his hands up in submission. "You're a new phenomenon to a scientist like me."
"Not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult." Crystal told him with a quirk of her eyebrow.
"If it's alright with you." Bruce told her gently. "And you're friends." He looked at the others and stopped on TJ and JJ, before giving them a nod and a smile, showing he wouldn't do anything.
Crystal scratched her cheek and looked at him. She sighed in defeat and shrugged her shoulders. "I'll be back later you guys."
Bruce smiled brightly as he led her out of the room and towards his lab. She sat down on the table and looked at him as he grabbed a rolling chair and brought it up.
"I'm going to do some tests to see how alike or different you are to a normal human." Bruce told her, showing her some of the materials he brought out to use on her. He hooked up some sensors to her temples, biceps, triceps, back, legs, and shoulders.
A beeping started as she swung her legs off the edge and looked at him with a bored expression. She looked at the screens that suddenly appeared in front of him, and watched as it recorded her brain activity, heart rate, muscle movement, bone structure, and brought up her body measurements, height, weight, and BMI.
"It seems you're just like an average human, other than the fact that your brain activity is above average. Possibly even above myself and Tony." He explained to her, sliding the screens towards her so she could see. "That and your body is shaped like that of a woman, rather than that of a teenage girl. Muscles are very well toned and strong. Your bones are no different than an average human, height is normal, weight is healthy, and BMI is excellent."
"I thought you were a physicist." Crystal said tilting her head at him.
"I am, but I still know about an average person's body. After all, I had to see the little changes in myself before the Hulk came out." Bruce explained, keeping his eyes away from her.
"I'm not scared of you. You know that right?" She told him, more to reassure him.
He looked up at her and gave a small smile, showing he was thankful for the small reassurance in his other self. "Thanks." He let out a breath. "So, what exactly can you do?"
She looked at him before lifting up her hand and counting off on her fingers what she can do. "Mind control, telepathy, telekinesis, light control and manipulation, sorcery, psychic energy, control over dreams, strength, stamina, agility, reflexes, healing factor, teleportation, and elements."
He looked at her in awe as he tried to quickly write all of it down. "All of that? What about your sister?"
"Telepathy, sorcery, stamina, agility, strength, levitation, water, ability to heal herself, and some mind control." She explained to him from the short list.
"Why do you have so many?" He asked her, truly intrigued by the difference in power between the two.
"I don't know. Even my parents were shocked when I first showed what I could do. I think that was why they hated me for not being on their side." Crystal said shrugging her shoulders in indifference.
"Is that how you suppressed the big guy?" He asked her, pushing forward.
"Yeah, I used mind control against him. And maybe a little dream control." She told him sheepishly.
"How powerful are you?" He asked, pushing closer.
She backed up, feeling uncomfortable with the pushing questions. "I don't like using my powers." She told him truthfully.
"Why?" He asked.
"Do you like using Hulk?" She argued.
"No, I don't." He said, leaning back from the sudden question. "I see, so it's like you're being taken over by them."
"Exactly," She mumbled leaning back. "But my body can't withstand its power, so it slowly destroys it the more I let it come out."
Bruce rubs the back of his neck. "I know this sounds incredibly selfish, but would you be willing to use some of your powers for the rest of my experiment?"
Crystal didn't want to do it for the reason of how powerful and out of control it could get. She looked at him and opened her mouth to tell him no, but when she saw his eyes full of excitement and awe, she couldn't tell him that. "Alright, just a little bit."
Bruce led her out quickly to another room. It was a large vacant room with panels all along the walls, and the observation room was high up, so anything going on down on the lower part could be observed from afar and at a safe distance.
"I'm going to turn the monitors on. I'll need you to use your powers so I can gain information on them." He told her over the intercom.
Tony was walking next to the room as he caught the last part of Bruce's explanation, it perked his interest. He walked in and peered through the glass window, spotting Crystal down on the floor below with the wireless sensors hooked to her. Tony brought up the screens and looked at the levels her heart, brain, lungs, muscles, and power were at for the moment.
"Okay, go ahead and start." Tony said, making her look up and tense.
Her muscles didn't want to relax knowing they would soon have to deal with her relentless powers. She looked away from them and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and concentrating on the power that eagerly bubbled out of her. Wind picked up around her in the windless room, making her clothes move gently and causing her hair to sway. She was lifted into the air, a few feet off the ground as her power levels soared from the non-use in the past.
The power seeped out of her like water through a crack, trying to push through the small space she allowed it to go through. Objects around the room, such as weapons and tools, floated into the air. They began spinning around her in the room as her power increased.
"What's going on?" Lily asked, walking into the room quickly from where she had been in the hallway, alarmed by the sound of things hitting the walls.
The others followed close behind, looking down into the room at Crystal who looked as if she was in a trance.
"I want to try something." Tony said, reaching forward and hitting a red button.
Mechanical arms shot out of the panels in the room shooting towards Crystal threateningly. Crystal kept her eyes closed as she flew through the air smoothly, dodging the arms as they tried to hit her. She opened her hand and opened her eyes as one came straight at her. Fire erupted on the machinery, making the insides burn and malfunction.
"Tony!" Bruce yelled, trying to stop the training session.
They watched in curiosity as she flitted around the arms precariously. They soon became faster and more resilient to her powers as she fought them longer and longer.
"They're adapting." Crystal whispered to herself. "They know my moves and powers."
Crystal dodged faster and tried to control the machinery, but she couldn't control it as she did with other things, it moved much too fast for her to concentrate on and get a hold of it. She cursed herself as she tried to keep dodging the arms while at the same time trying to find a way to destroy them.
A gleam of metal shone behind Crystal, making her turn around quickly. As she pivoted she saw the arm too late as it hit her in the head, sending her crashing to the ground. Her vision faded in and out as her mind was sent into a foggy, spiraling world.
"Stop it!" Sierra shouted worriedly. "You have to stop the machines!"
"What?" Tony asked looking bad at her.
The screens behind them blew an alarm and grew red, screaming at them in warning to the power surging dangerously high. Crystal sat up and gripped her head in pain.
"She won't be able to control her powers! She can't concentrate on keeping them in!" Lily shouted as Sierra looked on worriedly.
Crystal bent over and hugged her self, trying forcefully to keep the power inside of her. Power exploded from her body, bursting throughout the room. Instantly the weapons and arms tore apart and shredded 'till they were nothing but pieces all around the room. They floated around the room, unable to fall from the great telekinesis power exploding from her. The power flew through the room and hit the observation window, shattering the window the others were behind.
"This power," Bruce grunted, covering his face from wind blowing around.
The others covered their faces as the power surged and broke the machinery inside of the room. Sierra gritted her teeth and glared at Tony before rushing out of the room to go to her sister. Hawkeye jumped out of the window and jumped from panel to panel until he reached the ground with Crystal. He ran over to her and lifted her up, making her look at him.
"Calm down," He told her softly. "Think. Concentrate."
She looked at him with dazed eyes. She gripped his shirt and concentrated on controlling the power. She breathed deeply as she leaned her head against him. He took a step backwards and pressed his back against the wall, sliding down until he sat on the floor with Crystal between his legs. She breathed heavier as she forced the power to die down inside of her and stop.
Suddenly the power stopped and everything crashed to the floor. She let out a pent up breath and relaxed against Hawkeye, feeling her body sigh in relief from the strain it had put on it. The others rushed in quickly to see Crystal leaning against Hawkeye with his arms supporting her.
"Crystal, I'm so sorry!" Bruce said, kneeling down beside her. "Are you okay?"
Crystal nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment as she tried to calm her breathing down. She felt Hawkeye running his fingers along her back, trying to calm her down.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have pressed that button." Tony said guiltily.
Crystal swallowed and turned to look at them. "I'm fine." She told them gently.
"How about something less straining?" Hawkeye offered up. "Like baseball."
"That's a good idea!" James said, making the others sigh in relief from something other than the guilt riding in them.
"We'll fix things in here." Bruce said, dragging Tony out of the room.
"We'll meet you out there," Hawkeye told the others.
They nodded and headed out of the room quickly, off to grab the things they needed for the game. Hawkeye looked down at Crystal, as she let his shirt go and leaned back, giving him a thankful smile.
"You ready to play?" He asked her.
He pushed a strand of lose hair behind her ear. She nodded her head and took his hand as they stood up and walked out.
The sun beat down on them as the wind gently blew outside, making the weather perfect for a sport. The others had already set up the field with the bases, and had the bats waiting for anyone to pick one up and hit.
"I want to bat first!" Pym said excitedly, running over to the home base and grabbing a bat.
Hawkeye smirked as he grabbed a ball and headed off to the pitcher's mound. Everyone took their places around the field as TJ took up the position as catcher, Torunn took up first, JJ outfield, Azari second, and Crystal third. James, Lily, and Sierra waited in line to take up the next bat.
"You ready kid?" Hawkeye teased, tossing the ball into the air.
"Just throw it." Pym said smiling.
Hawkeye shook his head as he lifted his leg and pushed it forward onto the ground, throwing his weight on his left foot, and throwing the ball as fast as he can. Pym swung his bat but missed the ball completely as it hit TJ's glove.
"What? No way!" Pym said, looking at the ball behind him.
Hawkeye threw once more and it was once again a strike. The final time he threw it, Pym nicked the ball and sent it hopping towards first. Torunn picked up the ball and tapped Pym gently, making him pout and storm off towards the end of the line.
"Okay, I'm up." James said with a manic grin.
"Hope you can hit it." Hawkeye said with a smirk.
He threw a curve ball and James hit it far out. Azari ran and dove for the ball. It hit his glove, but bounced out of it and to the ground. James ran as he laughed victoriously, rounding first and second base. He was going onto third when Azari threw the ball and Crystal caught it quickly. James slid and knocked into Crystal's legs, sending her falling on top of him.
She sat up, looking to her left at James with a playful glare. "I should call that as a foul." She told him playfully.
"I'm up." Lily said, tapping the bat on her shoes to get the mud off.
"I like the view." TJ smirked, looking Lily up and down and stopping on her butt as she stood in front of him.
Lily practiced swinging the bat, and 'accidentally' hit TJ on the head. "Whoops, sorry." She said sarcastically at him.
Lily swung the bat just as Hawkeye pitched, hitting it on the first try and knocking it towards third. Crystal jumped just as James began to run, catching it in her glove. She threw the ball the second her feet hit the ground, letting TJ catch it and tag James before he could reach home.
"Ah man!" James cried out.
"Switch!" Azari said, cheerfully.
They switched sides, tossing their gloves to the others as they passed. TJ and Hawkeye stayed as they were and continued to play neutral.
Torunn was first as she held the bat as she would her sword, ready for anything to fly towards her. Hawkeye pitched and struck her out the first time, but the next she hit straight towards third, giving her enough time to run towards first and tag up.
"Way to go Torunn!" JJ shouted happily.
JJ went up to bat and tapped the bat on the base, pushing her butt out and sticking her tongue out playfully. She struck out twice before hitting the ball straight down the middle. Hawkeye reached his arm out and caught the ball quickly, throwing it across the field to second, but didn't make it in time as Torunn hit the base.
Hawkeye groaned as he caught the ball again. He turned and watched Azari take the base. He hit the ball the first time and knocked it past first, James scrambling to get the ball quickly.
"Seems I just need to hit it good." Crystal said, gripping the bat tightly in her hands.
"We'll get you out." Hawkeye said, rolling the ball in his hand.
"Oh? Do we need to have a repeat from inside the headquarters?" Crystal teased, smirking at him playfully.
He flushed, remembering his defeat. He shook his head and threw the ball quickly, watching Azari and Torunn from the corner of his eye. Crystal hit the ball, the impact sounded like thunder on the metal bat, and it flew quickly down the middle. The ball hit Hawkeye in a very unpleasant place. He groaned and fell to the floor, doubled over in pain. Crystal ran, not realizing what had happened. Torunn and Azari took home with Crystal close behind.
Crystal turned on home base to tease Hawkeye when she saw him on the ground with the ball still in front of him. She gasped and covered her mouth, then ran over to him in guilt.
"I'm so sorry!" She said, kneeling in front of him and placing her hand on his back. "Are you okay?"
"Note to self….move when you hit the ball." He groaned.
"You want to bat?" She asked, grabbing a bat from close by and giving him an apologetic smile.
She stood up and held the bat out to him, hoping he'd accept. He grabbed the bat and stood up, moving the bat behind her and pulling it close, causing her to press against him and look up.
"As long as you don't go easy on me." He smirked.
"I really am sorry." She said biting her lower lip.
Hawkeye smiled and leaned forward, kissing her gently on the cheek. "There's my apology from you."
She stood there frozen and red as he twirled the bat around and walked off towards home. Torunn laughed as Crystal grabbed a ball and rubbed at her cheeks, trying to get the blush to disappear.
"Hey James, you tag Francis out, and you can have Torunn as your prize." Crystal said, making Torunn redden in embarrassment.
"Deal," He said making Torunn's jaw drop open and stare at him in embarrassment.
Crystal struck Hawkeye out twice before he finally connected, sending it towards Sierra. She dropped the ball and quickly threw it to Crystal, who then tossed it to James just as Hawkeye hit the base, making it an out.
"Too bad," Crystal told him with her tongue sticking out.
Hawkeye smirked as he walked over to her.
"Don't do anything too lovey dovey!" Pym teased.
Hawkeye quirked an eyebrow, looking at them playfully. "How about each guy gets to choose one girl to kiss? It'd be a win-win situation."
Sierra reddened as she shook her head furiously. Pym smiled and grabbed her arm, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "There, now you and I don't have to worry about something so stupid."
Sierra smiled thankfully at him, nodding her head. James brightened at the invitation and pulled Torunn close, smashing his lips against hers hotly. JJ dropped her jaw, watching the two have their moment. She stopped as Azari came over and kissed her on the corner of her mouth, making her blush.
"I want to join." TJ said smirking. He grabbed Lily who was close by and pulled her face to his.
Her eyes widened in shock before he pulled back and smirked at her victoriously. She opened her mouth to yell at him, but found words had escaped her mind.
"You have started an epidemic." Crystal scolded, hitting Hawkeye on the shoulder. "Francis, what are we going to do about you?"
"It's not what you're going to do to me, but what I'm going to do to you." He said with a chuckle.
"What are you…" She stopped as he cupped her cheek and slowly brought her forward as he leaned down.
His lips fell on hers, enveloping her in warmth as he pulled her close. His arm went around her waist as her hand desperately gripped his arm, her eyes drifting shut slowly. He pulled back and swiped his thumb over her bottom lip, making her face turn into a tomato.
"I think I have my prize." He teased her.
"Wow, I didn't expect that." Pym said staring at them with wide eyes.
"Aah! Ah! AAAHHHH!"
A jungle cry was heard from the trees as a girl with reddish-brown hair and light blue eyes swung towards them, clutching a web. She crashed into Pym and they landed on the ground and rolled.
Everyone stared with wide eyes as the girl had pinned Pym down, and their lips had connected from the impact. She sat up quickly and looked around at the others, and then a smile broke her face as she stood up and held out her hand.
"I guess you were my target then!" She said jokingly.
"You are?" Crystal asked, looking at her with a quirked eyebrow and Hawkeye's arm still around her.
"Bridget. Bridget Parker." She said waving at all of them. "I've been looking for all of you!"
