Author's Note: Stark Gala's coming along! I've got the basics down and I'm working on the fluff. Yes. There's fluff. *Squee* So, here's the next chapter of the story. The fun part of the story (AKA the actual fighting) will probably start in a few chapters, when the plot begins. I will insert the oneshot whenever I finish, and when it's most suitable to be placed! Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! Keep it up! ~Jazzy

P.S. Remember- 50 reviews = artings!

Chapter 9: Not A Team- A Time Bomb

1.

All his life, Everest had to look out for his younger sister. While on the outside, people thought he was a careless, airheaded, ladies man with the occasional angry outburst, he was far from it. Just like his parents had been, he was multilayered. He cared for Anubis. In this world, someone had to.

Not that his parents didn't, but they didn't always realize what she was up to. She could be just as manipulative and tricky as anyone. But their parents were convinced she was an angel. And Everest was far from perfect himself- he could see her mistakes and stop them.

And talking to Lupe was a mistake.

Where was he when she was being teased in the second grade for her strange blue eyes? Where was he when she was bullied and hit in fourth grade? Where was he when she was suffering from her first break-up in eighth grade? He's some stranger she just met. But not just any stranger, the son of the god of mischief and lies. Of course Everest wouldn't trust him! It was common sense that Anubis just wasn't seeing. Was she drawn in by his clever way with words? His jet black hair, charming smile, and suave attitude?

Why was she acting so blind? Lupe has given her no reason to trust him. And why would she suddenly stop listening to her own brother, the brother that's always been there for her! Everest sighed, and grabbed a new can of soda from the fridge. He closed the fridge door to see the slightly embarrassed face of Neo Stark looking at him.

"…Yes?" Everest asked slowly, one eyebrow raised.

"I… um… can I talk to you?" The boy stuttered.

"You already are, kid." Everest had the right to call everyone kid, since, as far as he knew, he was the oldest of the group. He started to open the can, listening to the fizzing of the bubbles.

"I-it's about your sister, Anubis…"

Everest stopped, setting the partially opened can of coke on the counter. "Yes…." He said with a deathly seriousness. More drama about his sister? What was the deal today?

"She's kinda cute…" Neo said, with a small pink blush gathering on his cheeks.

"And your point?"

"I-I…. I-" Neo looked down at the ground.

"Dude, if you like her, ask her out. Go ahead." Everest said. It wasn't that he wanted his sister to have the little geek Stark for a boyfriend, once again he had an ulterior motive. If Anubis was with Neo, she wouldn't be with the little creep Lupe. Neo flashed him a wide-eyed look.

"…You've never asked out a girl before, have you?" Everest sighed. "I suppose I was wrong, the apple can fall very far from the tree…"

"I'm adopted actua-"

"-Don't ruin my analogy."

"Right. So how do I…?" Neo looked back up at Everest. The kid wasn't bad, looks wise. That couldn't be why he'd never had a girlfriend. No, it had to be because of his timid nature. He seemed fine enough earlier… He was probably just one of those guys that were perfectly normal until they came across a pretty girl. More comfortable with math equations than conversations.

"Look here, this is how you do it… just go up to the girl," Everest even provided a few hand motions to demonstrate his point. "And tell her, 'hey do you want to go get dinner some time?' and boom, if she says yes, you're in. And I know from experience that Anubis goes out with a lot of guys. She'll probably accept…" Everest trailed off.

He looked back at Neo. "Now go!" And gave the teen a shove.

4.

Neo tripped as Everest pushed him. Anubis stood in a corner of the room. Her dirty blonde hair fell into her face, and her eyes were closed. Her arms were wrapped protectively around herself. He took a few steps towards her. "Anubis? Y'alright?"

She jumped a little. A grin appeared on her face as she recognized him. That was a good sign, right? All the years he had isolated himself had its disadvantages. He had spent all his life in a high end private school, which normally would have given him ample opportunities to talk to girls, but not in his case. He spent all his free time up in the lab, tinkering with mechanics.

"Yeah, yeah. All better anyways," Anubis pushed off of the wall, and stretched herself out with a yawn. She looked slightly distracted as she focused on him. Her eyes were distant.

"Well, I, uh, was just wondering… if you, uh…"

"Go on, don't be shy," she encouraged him. "Just spit it out."

"Wouldyouliketohavedinnerwith mesometime?" He winced at the end. He sounded like an idiot. He wouldn't be surprised if she turned him down right then and there. Instead, he noticed her cheeks ever-so-slightly turning pink.

"Oh! Uhm… sure!" Anubis finally said brightly.

"Really?!" Neo exclaimed. "I mean… great. Cool. Friday?"

"Yeah, Friday sounds great." She smiled a little, biting the inside of her lip.

"I'll, uh, call you with some details?" He offered.

"Yeah, here's my number…" Anubis quickly rifled through her purse and pulled out a pen and a receipt. She scribbled her number down and tore off the section of the paper, handing it to him. He accepted it and silently did a victory dance. "So call me anytime, and I'll see you then!" Anubis beamed and walked away.

3.

"Well, uh, I probably need to be going…" Amelia said, checking her watch. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to her dad, only hoping that he would remember how to get to the text message menu to view it.

"We need to all meet here tomorrow," Neo said, glancing up from a small device not unlike an ipad. "I just got some instructions sent to me from S.H.I.E.L.D." He glanced around the room, his gaze finally settling on Tryst and Lupe. "Fury says that you're to get in the car with Bane. They're got a place for you to stay while you're on earth."

Neo scrolled across the ipad. He whistled. "Nice digs… that's a five star hotel."

"Lucky…" Everest muttered.

Amy's phone chirped. She unlocked it and read the message from her dad. "My dad's almost here, so bye guys! See you all tomorrow? Oh- what time?" She added, as she grabbed her jacket and put it on.

"Bright and early, 9 o clock!" Neo said triumphantly. "We're apparently going to start training."

"Training?" Everest laughed. "Whose dorky idea was that?"

"Mine, actually." Lupe stepped forward. He gave Everest a challenging glare. Amy got ready to step in if anything bad happened, like a fight breaking out. "If we're going to protect the world, we could use some lessons."

"I don't know about you, but I've been trained all my life as an assassin. I don't need any more training, from S.H.I.E.L.D. or whoever," Everest sneered.

"Pride comes before a fall, Barton, remember that."

"ANYWAY-!" Anubis finally said loudly, breaking the tension that was ever growing in the room. Amelia flashed a quick look around the room, and noticed a highly uncomfortable Bane in the corner. She walked over to him.

"You okay?" She crouched down. Bane rubbed his face with his hands and quickly looked up.

"No- I'm fine," He said far too quickly to actually mean it. Around his dark brown eyes, she noticed small tears.

"You've been crying…" she observed.

"That's nonsense," Bane stood himself up. "I'm unable to emotionally function at this time." He said it blandly.

"You look pretty emotional to me."

Bane paused for a little, and breathed deeply. "That's the problem."

"What?"

"I don't think it's working…"

"What? Your medicine?" She clarified.

"Yeah…" Bane scratched his neck, messing a little with his chocolate curls. "It's just been… iffy lately. Typically I'm a robot after getting the sedative. But now? I feel. Not enough to trigger anything… but enough to know that I'm really upset."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know…" he said honestly. He pulled a small communicator out of the pocket of his pants and blinked a few times. "Tryst, Lupe, our ride's here!" He shouted. The two turned their heads.

"Next time, Barton," Lupe said with a slight growl to his voice.

"I'll take you up on that offer, Lokison," Everest retaliated.

"Hey, I'll walk with you out," Amelia smiled a little and joined the cousins, Bane following her. "Bye guys!" she said with a wave.

2.

The four of them rode down the elevator in strained silence. Tryst was asking a myriad of questions, mainly about what the buttons in an elevator did. Lupe eventually grew tired of answering her questions, and was extremely thankful when the trip was over, and they were back on the first floor.

"Well, there's my dad! Bye!" Amy said, and ran out the door.

"And that'll be ours," Bane muttered, looking at the unmarked black SUV parked in the front of the building. Tryst, Lupe, and Bane walked outside the Tower. Lupe stopped as he saw the exceedingly tall and muscular man get out of the other car and give Amelia a hug.

"Amygirl, why don't you introduce me to your friends?" Lupe overheard the man, who he rightfully assumed to be Captain America. Amy looked a bit embarrassed. She gestured the three over to her.

"Hello, I'm Steve Rogers," the man introduced himself with a polite nod.

"Well, daddy, that's Bane Banner…" Bane gave a polite wave, and Steve shook his hand. "There's Tryst Thordaughter-"

"-IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE MEETING YOUR AQUAINTANCE, CAPTAIN AMERICA. MY FATHER HAS TOLD ME MUCH OF YOUR ADVENTURES!" Tryst boomed. She quickly learned about the Midgardian idea of hand shaking.

"And erm, that's Lupe Lokison." She said the last part very quickly. Captain America's eyes widened and his face grew stony. He did not offer a hand shake.

"It was a pleasure meeting you all," He said, opening the car door. Amy whispered a quick apology in Lupe's ear before taking her spot in the shotgun of the vehicle.

Bane opened the SUV's doors and all three crammed into the back seat, in which Lupe was forced to sit in the middle. Because, unfortunately, he was the skinniest of the three of them. Tryst was far too muscular to squish in the middle, and she had the habit of constantly staring out the window in wonder as they drove along.

"That went well," Lupe shook his head as the car pulled away from the tower.

"THE CAPTAIN SEEMED MOST DISPLEASED TO MEET YOU, COUSIN." Tryst frowned.

"I wonder why!" he said sarcastically. Tryst grew confused, still not understanding the Midgardian concept of sarcasm. Of course he had been displeased to meet Lupe. He was the son of the man who tried to enslave the human race. The son of the man whom he had fought against. The son of a monster...

"I'm just glad to be heading back to S.H.I.E.L.D…." Bane sighed, tapping his fingers against the side paneling of the car door. The window fogged up when Tryst dragged her fingers against it.

"We're not going there, right?" Lupe questioned.

"Not that I know of," Bane shrugged. The driver of the car was a man Lupe didn't recognize, and continued to be silent for the rest of the ride. The car stopped suddenly when they arrived in front of a large hotel building.

The driver finally spoke up. "Thordaughter and Lokison, this is your stop." He got out of the car and opened their doors. Lupe said a quick goodbye to Bane, and hopped out of the car, after Tryst. They walked into the hotel, accompanied by the agent, who locked the car, but left it running with Bane inside. The hotel was a fancy one. Walls had ornate carvings and wallpaper on them, and potted plants and coffee tables littered the entryway. A small bubbling fountain lay in the center of the room. They walked up to the check in desk.

"Reservation for 'Freeson'" the agent said. The receptionist quickly typed a few things in her laptop and handed them two keycards. They were staying on the 27th floor, in two seperate rooms right next to each other, with a connecting door. The agent took them up the elevator and did not leave until they had opened their rooms successfully.

"For the record," he said, as they were about to part ways. "You are both under different names here. Do not divulge your real name to anyone. You are Matthew and Mikayla Freeson, brother and sister, staying here to visit your aunt. We'll pick you up at 8:45 am tomorrow. Sharp." Then he left.

"Cousin, why has the man given us a new identity?" Tryst asked Lupe once the agent had left.

Lupe paused, thinking of a delicate way to put it. "People would probably try and hurt us- me- if they knew who we were. It has to be a secret, okay?"

She slowly nodded her head.