Steve Rogers, a renowned War Veteran and National Icon, was more nervous than he had ever been before in his life.
More nervous than when he had helped storm the Beaches of Normandy. More nervous than when he had first gone into the Recruitment Office. More Nervous than when he had been preparing for his transformation into Captain America.
He couldn't understand it. He was a soldier, trained to run headfirst into live fire, to jump on a grenade, or fall out of an airplane. But approaching the Nurse's station at the Hospital was unlike any of those. He couldn't just go and punch his way out of this situation. He had to swallow his nerves and say "Excuse me, miss? I'm looking for Jes….Dr. Jessica Parker?"
The receptionist did not look up from her computer screen, as her fingers danced across the keyboard. An annoyed scowl crossed her face as she rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry sir," she said absentmindedly, with a slight roll of her eyes. "But as I'm sure you are aware, Dr. Parker is a unique employee here. I can't allow her other job to interfere with the safety and well-being of our patients. If you wish to attempt to set up a one-on-one meeting with her, you can find her Avengers email on their social Media page…."
Steve was unsure of how to continue. On one hand, he had come to expect people to recognize him on sight, and just do whatever he asked. But on the other, he hated the constant adoration. Nearly every day there was a line of people waiting outside his small apartment, wanting either pictures or autographs. The building's security did their best, but they seemed to be woefully unprepared. So much so that Steve was considering moving somewhere else, and using a different name. He was sure that he could ask Tony Stark, or the US Government for help with that.
"I understand that," Steve said cautiously, "but-"
"I'm sorry sir," the receptionist replied coldly, still not looking up from her computer. "But rules are rules. Now, can you please move aside? There are actual patients that need attending-"
"Hey Karen," a familiar voice from behind Steve said. He turned to see Peter Parker doing his best to hide a snickering smile from the receptionist, who had now turned a beet-red color from sheer embarrassment. "Is Jess in?" he asked.
I..." the receptionist muttered, as she quickly moved to put out a call for Jessica, without saying too much to anyone. Now relieved of the awkward conversation, Steve was now free to turn around and step back beside Peter. Looking just a little down the hall, he could also see Jubilee propped up against the wall, hiding in between a pillar and a vending machine. She looked like she was just as nervous and out of place as he was.
Which of course led Steve to wonder why exactly Jessica had insisted that the four of them all go together. They where going to a Captain America exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, so it did make sense that she'd want him there, for a more personal tour. And with Peter being her brother, of course she'd invite him along. He seemed like the type that would get the most enjoyment out of a museum, after all. Heck, he probably knows as much about this stuff as I do, Steve reasoned, which led him to wonder why Jessica would bring the two of them, plus the absent-minded Jubilee, who probably didn't much care for the exhibit, along.
"You're on a first-name basis with the receptionist?" Jubilee lobbed at Peter with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm on a first-name basis with three-quarters of the staff," Peter replied casually as both he and Steve took up a spot on the wall not far from where she was.
"So you're saying you get around?" she quipped.
"Yes," Peter smirked, "I'm a complete man-whore. Through-and-through." They both laughed, and Steve made a mental note to search for the exact definition of 'man-whore', because it clearly didn't mean what he thought it did. "No," he shrugged, "I've pretty much been in here at least once a month since I was….ten," he said, with only the slightest, uncomfortable pause. Filling in the blanks all by himself, Steve decided to steer the conversation away from where it was going before things got too awkward.
"It's so weird being back in a hospital," Steve said to no one in particular as he looked around. "Haven't been in one since I woke up from my..."
"Long winter's nap?" Peter cut in jokingly. A slight giggle from Jubilee was the only reaction he got.
"….long sleep," Steve continued with determination. "That was weird. Waking up...still thinking it was nineteen-forty-five…." he said, recalling the state of pure confusion he had been in. he'd beaten guards senseless in his mad dash to escape, only to be hit with a hard dose of reality once he got outside. "Though I have to admit, there are some nice improvements in the twenty-first century. Food's a lot better. Internet. Lots more music," he said as Jessica approached from down the hall. Her beaming smile seemed to light up the whole room.
"Steve Rogers," the brunette Avenger chuckled as she came to a stop, "world's oldest hipster."
Steve took a moment to drink in her sight. She wore an old pair of blue jeans, which were beginning to show their age. Covering her scrub-top was a sleek black leather jacket, and she held a large handbag over one shoulder. Something about her made his heart skip a beat or two. With nothing but a confident stride, she took the lead of their little group and began to lead them out of the Hospital's winding halls. From the reactions that she got from passing Doctors and Patients, it seemed as though she was very well-liked by all. A few times they where forced to stop, as a passerby had a question or two for her. And although Jessica was more than keen to respond, she was always quick to end conversations and keep moving.
"What's the rush?" Jubilee asked as they darted through the main entrance. "I thought you said the exhibit doesn't close 'till seven. And that they'd probably let us stay because…?"
"Well," Jessica replied as she glanced over her shoulder, looking past the other three for some reason. "I uh….let's just say that um….. you weren't the only ones asking for me, okay?"
"we heard," Steve said. "Apparently you've got a few admirers who like to hang around?"
"You heard about that?" Jessica groaned as they turned around a corner, narrowly avoiding a passerby on a bicycle. "Ugh. It's getting unbearable. Every day security's been escorting out one or two 'fans'. Most of whom want a picture. Or an autograph. Those I can handle. It's the people who want a date that I can't stand." A sentiment which Steve understood. Both in the modern day, and back in the Forties, he had been a target for women ever since the Super-Soldier program. It had made trying to have a relationship a living hell. He could only imagine that she felt the same. If not worse.
"But that's not who you're talking about, is it?" Peter said as they passed by a series of small boutiques.
"Nope," Jessica said quickly. "A little bird tipped me off a few minutes before you arrived. Thankfully she came in the back way like normal. Otherwise..."
"We'd have had a big, ugly scene?" Peter quipped.
"Yep," Jessica replied, looking over her shoulder briefly. It was almost as if she was afraid they where being followed by someone. He was definitely out of the loop in their conversation, as was Jubilee, who gave Steve a look that told him that she was just as confused as he was. But he shoved that thought into the back of his mind as they finally came into view of the Museum.
...xxXxx…
"That's all of it?" Jean questioned as she watched Kurt and Thor bring in the first, second and last cardboard boxes from the former's apartment. She'd known that the newest Avenger didn't have much, but she'd expected more than what they had. "Or is there a second c-?" She got her answer when Kurt disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke without a word.
"His abode twas ransacked," Thor said solemnly as he set down the box he was carrying. "Windows smashed. Pictures torn. Bed set aflame. He has incurred some wrath upon him, it seems." She doubted that very much. Kurt didn't seem like the type who would easily piss people off, with his personality. No, it was simply because of the circumstances of his birth. She'd seen it a thousand times before, after all. Mutant powers could literally develop overnight in some cases. Something which led children being tucked into bed one night, and thrown out of the house unceremoniously the next morning because they had grown a tail, wings or horns.
"Just for being born," Jean replied with a sad shrug, as a thought came to her. Something that she could do to help out a bit. "Could you….take me back there?" she asked tentatively. Thor turned on a dime, with a raised eyebrow.
"What?" Thor replied, obviously unsure if he'd heard her right. "Why would thou-?"
"Lets just say I've seen enough bullshit," Jean replied with a heavy sigh. She had seen enough over the years and this was the tipping point. She'd come across too many children with slashed wrists, empty bottles of sleeping pills and ropes around their necks. She didn't want to see another Mutant go through that again, if there was something she could do about it. And she could do something now, she had the ability to do some good in the world now as an Avenger. "Can you help or not?" she asked directly.
"Aye," the Asgardian nodded, "I can. But it would do no good," he said flatly, crossing his arms as he spoke. "There t'was nothing left. And no sign of whomever-"
"I'm sure there's something I can find," Jean said, cutting him off with a haughty tone. "I'll just be a few minutes. Then we can go." Without another word she turned and walked off down the long hallway that wound through the Mansion. Over the past month she'd grown accustomed to the many rooms it held, and had no difficulty finding her way through them.
As she walked she briefly considered calling Jubilee, to see if she might want to help. Her more intimate knowledge of Mutant/criminal relations would certainly be helpful. But she stopped herself before she pulled out her phone. Jean, Charles Xavier and Jubilee herself had all worked to hard to help her put that life behind her. Plus she was sure there where other things she'd rather be doing.
Jean took a quick left, into the Avengers Armory. There, on a specially-designed hanger rested her 'Miss Marvel' attire. A multi-layered bodysuit comprised of several high-strength materials that could supposedly withstand automatic weapon fire. Something which she wasn't too keen to try out just yet.
She eyed the costume with a wry grin. Already it had gone through several re-designs, courtesy of Jubilee's fashion designer side. Two discarded incarnations, one which included a yellow face-mask, lay off to the side. The changes had clearly annoyed Tony Stark, because it meant that all of the memorabilia he'd had made needed to be changed. But in Jean's mind, it looked better now than it had before.
The other Avenger's uniforms where similarly displayed around the room, along with a row of mannequins off to one side displaying each uniform as if it was being worn by the one it was designed for.
Without much effort she slipped the outfit on, and threw a long jacket on over-top of it, to cover herself better. Because while she wasn't afraid to be seen in the outfit, she didn't want people staring at her the entire time they where making their way to their destination. She was about to head out the door when she heard movement beside her.
She turned around to see Azari standing there, with a half-cocked grin across his face. A small part of her wanted to wipe the smug look off of his face right then and there. She certainly didn't need telepathy to know what was on his mind half the time. At the very least, he'd become a little less annoying over the past few weeks. To the point of being tolerable.
"Going out?" the Wakandan Prince asked pointedly.
"I am," she replied, when a thought came to her. A way to maybe permanently change the young man's outlook on life. "And you're coming with us," she said firmly, leaving absolutely no room for argument.
...xxXxx…
Ka-Smack!
Wanda Maximoff hit the floor with a slap, rolling with her momentum briefly before she could stop herself. She let out a small groan as she eyed the one who had thrown her, Elizabeth Braddock, her Dad's left hand woman, with envy.
Elizabeth, or 'Betsy' as she preferred to be called, was the exact embodiment of her Father's ideals. A well-built military woman who was straight to the point. Everything about her said efficiency and purpose, from the tight-fitting yet maneuverable clothing to her short-cut hair to the handgun and holster she'd set aside before participating in their training session.
Betsy was one of the most experienced hand-to-hand experts in her father's employ. She'd apparently spent several years working with various government black-ops divisions, until she'd joined up with his unit. Whenever she'd been asked how many people she'd killed in the line of duty, she'd simply replied 'more than you could ever imagine.'
"Get up," Betsy half-snarled as Wanda tried to ignore the throbbing in her left shoulder. "If I'd had a knife, there would be no way you would be able to get up from that. You need to guard both sides equally."
"Okay," Wanda breathed as she assumed an unsteady fighting pose, which Betsy had taught her not too long ago. No sooner had she done so, Betsy became a blur of motion, spinning her whole body through the air like a deadly Ballerina. Wanda went with her first gut instinct, and ducked underneath.
It was too bad that that was exactly what Betsy expected her to do. A fact which Wanda learned after having her solar plexus make contact with Betsy's foot. She rolled across the floor, stopping just short of the wall as she heard heavy footsteps approaching. She only managed to rise to her knees before her Father entered the room.
Eric Lensherr, her Father, cut an imposing figure. His 6'' frame dominated the room, which was only enhanced by the dark brown body-armor he had taken to wearing at all times. His eyes glazed over Wanda briefly, assessing her without a word before his gaze flickered over to his second-in-command.
"Your assessment of Wanda's capabilities?" he said, with his voice completely devoid of any and all emotion. Just as it always was.
"Your Daughter has excellent intuition," Betsy quickly snapped as she brought herself to a rigid state. "With proper training, and given enough time, I can see her becoming a very useful field asset." Wanda briefly recoiled at the idea of being referred to as a 'field asset'. However, hearing the slight praise from Betsy was heartening. It almost made up for her clearly bruised ribs.
She shook her head as she rose to a standing position, just like her Father expected her to do. His militaristic tendencies could be annoying as often as they where endearing. And to avoid a disapproving gaze, she made sure to look him straight in the eye. An act which made her realize that he was not impressed, but not by her. Something else had ticked him off, and he had obviously come to his second-in-command to get it resolved as quickly as possible.
"Peitro is not on the compound," he said flatly. Internally, Wanda cursed her older brother. Of course he'd just go and make their Father mad like that. Especially if he was off robbing people blind with his Super-Speed. That could bring unwanted attention to their family. "And neither are Dukes, Alvers or Ferguson. I need you to find them. And now."
"I'll take Wanda and go look," said Betsy with a curt nod in her direction. Out of the corner of her eye, Wanda could see her father raise an eyebrow at this. A gesture which Betsy was quick to respond to with, "It's a good learning experience. I want to see how she does in the field." Wanda's heart skipped a few beats. She hadn't actually been outside their little compound in weeks. Having a chance to mingle with normal people was very welcome. She sincerely hoped her dad would say yes to this. But she couldn't plead with him. If she did, he was more likely to turn her down.
Luckily it seemed as though he trusted Betsy, someone who he'd worked with for the better part of ten years, to take care of Wanda. With only a nod he gave his approval, and the older woman swept her away with her arm.
["Whatever you do,"] Betsy's voice echoed around inside Wanda's head as they walked away, ["Don't mess this up."]
"I'll try not too," Wanda replied steadily. She was still getting used to the sensation of someone's voice in her head.
["Rule number one,"] Betsy replied quickly, ["Think your response, and I'll hear it. Only use verbal communication if I'm distracted. Or to distract others."]
["Okay..."] Wanda replied. Or tried her best to, at least. She wasn't quite sure if she did it right as the two of them made their way to the outside of the compound.
The compound that had been Wanda's home for the last month and a half was a former train cemetery. Everywhere she looked she could see the rusted remains of old box-cars lying in ruin. The lot had been 'purchased' by her father a few weeks prior to her arrival, though Wanda knew deep down that he had used other, more persuasive methods. Rumor was that he may have even had Betsy 'convince' the man to sell them the property.
Probably not the best idea to think like that when she can read minds, Wanda mentally slapped herself as the two of them finally slipped out of view of the compound. It didn't take long for them to find one of the cars they'd had stashed away for their use. Gotta find out how to avoid that….
["No, I'm not reading your thoughts, Wanda,"] Betsy said swiftly, as she opened the car door and got in the driver's seat. ["Your father would kill me if I did."]
"Then how did-?" Wanda began to ask, only to be cut off by a raised finger. She realized her mistake without needing a scolding. ["Then how did you know that's what I was thinking?"]
["Because that's what's on everyone's mind when I'm around love,"] the older woman replied dryly as she started the car. ["Most don't mean anything by it, really. They can't help it. Even your Father held reservations at first."]
...xxXxx…
"You'd think that with all four of us being celebrities," Jubilee muttered as they where escorted to a waiting table by an overdressed Waiter, "it would be utterly impossible for your sister to just go and disappear like that!" She took a moment to admire the decor around her. It was nice, almost as nice as what the Mansion had. Which made sense, as she got the feeling that the Museum had pulled all the stops for their visit, after learning that 'Captain America' himself was coming, and they'd been given the full VIP treatment from the start.
It had actually been a lot more fun than she'd thought it would be. She'd never actually been inside a real Museum before. It had been a real treat. Especially when they'd gotten to the 'Captain America' exhibit and Steve had to correct the tour guide on over half of his facts.
"Jess has always done her own thing," Peter shrugged beside her as the Waiter continued to wind through the tables to bring them to their reserved spot. "Next time, you try telling her no and tell me how that works out, okay?" he said with the slightest hint of a smirk.
"She's been looking over her shoulder all afternoon," Steve replied casually as they side-stepped a patron who was leaving. "Maybe she's been looking for someone? I mean," he continued in a tone that Jubilee knew was supposed to sound casual, but wound up being more probing than anything, "maybe she saw a friend? A boyfriend? A-"
"She's single at the moment, Cap," Peter quipped back, "so you can relax. You've got no competition right now. Go for it." Jubilee was forced to stifle a fit of laughter. Thankfully two seconds later they arrived at their table, and the others where too distracted as they took their seats. Though she thought she saw Peter grin a little.
The table, much like everything else in the building, was far nicer than what she was used to. A very posh-looking white tablecloth with gold trim covered the wooden surface. Four candles sat in the center, along with a vase with multicolored flowers. Four tall glasses where also waiting for them, filled with ice-cold water. Jubilee took a sip from hers as the menus where passed around.
The Waiter wordlessly made a series of tiny adjustments to their table. One of those adjustments, however, included lighting the candles. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Peter leap backwards out of his chair. He landed against the nearest wall just as the Waiter noticed exactly what was going on, and as both Jubilee and Steve shot out of their seats on pure instinct.
Peter's eyes darted rapidly from the table to the door. He was clearly looking for an escape route. Though from what she wasn't quite sure, until it clicked in her head. The Candles. That's what had frightened him so much. With a jolt she realized that he was no doubt extremely pyrophobic, something which should have been obvious.
Before she could do anything though, Steve extinguished the flames by pinching his fingers together. A brief moment of tension hung in the air, as the three Avengers, as well as the Waiter, all glanced at one another. A few more seconds hung in the air before Peter slowly got off the wall. He looked both scared and ashamed of himself at the same time as he picked up the chair he had displaced and took his seat. The Waiter was gone before he sat down.
"That was-" Peter began to say, before Steve cut him off.
"My word the food here is expensive!" he said as he rummaged through the menu, quickly taking the conversation in a new direction, away from where it had been going. "I'd never have been able to afford anything like this back in the day!"
"Yeah!" Jubilee replied, feigning enthusiasm. "I mean..." she said as she glanced down at one of the menus. "Five dollars for a glass of water? I am so glad this stuff is on the house!"
...xxXxx…
"Oh god someone lives here?" was the first sentence out of Azari's mouth as soon as they arrived at the scene of the crimes. Plural. Every apartment that was devoid of people had been robbed blind. Doors hung off of hinges, windows had been smashed, tables overturned. The whole building looked like a tornado had gone through it.
"People live here," Jean corrected him, slightly annoyed at his callous tone as she, Azari and Thor worked their way through the hallway. The Police had erected a perimeter outside, so they knew there was no risk of someone walking in on them accidentally. Whoever remained inside was likely the perpetrator.
"Reminds me of the Battle of Nikost," Thor shrugged as he tapped his hammer. "Our losses there where..." his voice trailed off somewhat as he seemed to examine a piece of broken pottery. Not for the first time, Jean considered asking him more about his past. But now was not the time, they had other things to do at the moment.
"Which one is his?" she asked, trying to stay focused, and not send everything flying into the walls in a fit of anger. As a telekinetic, she had to keep her cool at all times.
"Number five," Thor replied as he pointed in the direction of the door. However, as he spoke, Jean picked up on the presence of several minds nearby. Without to much prodding, she quickly discerned that they where not some Police Officers scouring the building. Nor where they tenants, who'd all been moved outside.
["Quiet,"] she whispered into her teammate's minds, shutting them up almost instantly. All three of them tensed up as they crept closer to whoever was in the building with them. She saw Thor reaching for his Hammer, so she put a hand on his shoulder. ["Don't bring the building down on our heads,"] she said, having a feeling that the Thunder-God was capable of doing just that.
Thor nodded, and they continued on their way. Jean sucked in a deep breath as she began to probe further into the minds of the three people inside the next room. All three where male, that was easy enough to determine.
At first she thought one of the young men might be Peter Parker, given how his mind whirred at a mile a minute, almost fast enough to make her head spin. But the moment she focused on the thoughts themselves, not the speed at which they flew past, she realized that wasn't the case. Peter's where more detailed and focused, and usually pertained to academic subjects. The minds she was scanning was far more interested in bragging about all the stuff they'd just stolen, and figuring out how they where going to get it out of there without being caught.
"Who's in there?" Azari whispered into her ear, getting a little to close for her comfort.
"Three men," Jean replied as she pushed deeper into their minds, trying to discern more about them. It felt morally wrong to intrude like she was. Their thoughts and memories became as clear as glass to her. Wretched thoughts. Vile memories. Stolen goods. Hard Drugs. Lots of blood. Bodies. She'd seen enough.
"….have to come back. That chick in number 5 had a great set o' tits," one of the voices said. She guessed that the speaker was a rather large man, based on is deep voice. "Eh, Peitro? How 'bout it?"
"Not with you in the room, Freddie," a second, preppier voice shot back. "No way I need that image burned into my skull thank you very much!"
"I've heard enough," Azari snarled as he cracked his knuckled as strutted forward before Jean could really do anything to stop him. The Wakandan Prince's hands where already cackling with electricity as he barged into the room, followed closely by Jean and Thor. "You three are under arrest!" he challenged proudly, just as they entered the room.
The three men occupying the room all turned around in a state of semi-shock. Which gave Jean an opportunity to examine each and every one of them. The first thing she noted was that one of them was well over a foot taller than Thor was, and he looked to be about six times as heavy. The man was also covered in grease, grime and filth. She was sure she'd seen fast-food restaurants with bathroom floors cleaner than his face.
The next one she examined was much smaller and slimmer. He was built like a runner, and wore loose-fitting gray clothing. He also had an air of cockiness about him, like he knew he was in charge. His arrogance reminded her greatly of Azari.
The third was a mix of the two. He was large, but not as large as the first. He was built more like a linebacker than anything. Greasy hair covered his eyes, but Jean could still sense a smug vibe coming off of him. Something that jean was eager to smack right out of him.
"Now what the fuck do we have here?" the shorter, slimmer man chuckled as he eyed the Avengers. Internally, Jean cursed herself for actually wearing such ludicrous attire. There was no way anyone was going to take them seriously while wearing a multitude of bright colours. The three men across from them only chuckled lightly at what Tony Stark had promised would be an intimidating sight. Perhaps the only one who commanded any respect was Thor, which probably came from him being a mountain of muscle.
However, unlike Jean, who was used to being ostracized by others, Azari couldn't stomach the insult. Before she could react, the young Prince barreled forward, aiming to take out all three with one tackle. But the middle man smirked and raised his arms, before clapping them together and sending out a shock-wave that knocked Azari and Jean all the way through the adjacent wall.
...xxXxx…
"I am going to go find your Sister," Steve said abruptly, cutting through the dead, uncomfortable air of attempted conversation the three of them had attempted to strike up following the incident with the candles. They'd pretty much been sitting in silence, broken up by a few brief exchanges here and there. And although Steve wasn't very knowledgeable about the social cues of young people in the modern day, he was getting the impression that he was being a 'third wheel'.
Now somewhat relieved to be away from the awkward small-talk, he set his mind to the secondary goal of actually finding Jessica Parker. That would accomplish two things in his mind. One: He'd have someone else to talk to. He really didn't have that many acquaintances outside of the Avengers, and one or two aged veterans from his time in the military, so he valued any and all company. Second, he figured that she'd be the person best equipped to handle the situation regarding her brother's reaction.
All he had to do was navigate the winding, twisted hallways of the Museum of Natural History in order to find her. Something that had failed when he had two extra sets of eyes with him before. But he soldiered on nonetheless.
Thankfully there weren't too many people in the building now, as the rush had died down significantly. Easily less than half remained. But there was so much ground for him to cover. He was sure that there where wings of the Museum he hadn't been in yet, so he made a mental list in an attempt to narrow things down.
However his attempts where all soon thrown out of the window, as he turned a corner and saw a waiting gaggle of photographers and reporters. He only had a mere moment to swear under his breath before they charged him like a herd of animals. The flashing bulbs where enough to momentarily blind him, rooting him on the spot. Otherwise he would have managed to escape somehow.
He was bombarded with a multitude of questions, coming in from all directions as the reporters formed a semi-circle around him, trapping him even further. He couldn't even begin to answer any of their questions, as every time he opened his mouth his words where drowned out by even more questions. The majority of which he found to be either insulting, stupid, pointless irrelevant. Questions like 'who are you voting for in the next election?', 'What's your stance on Mutant rights?' and 'how do you feel about immigration policies?'
Absolutely lost in the media sea, Steve was very thankful when a man cut through the crowd like a hot knife through butter.
He was dressed in what looked like a rather expensive suit. Easily a thousand dollars or more. He carried himself as if he knew he was the most important person in the room. A fact which sent shivers up Steve's spine as the man, who he now recognized as Robert Kelly, a current Presidential candidate, placed his hand on Steve's shoulder and smiled towards the press.
He had heard things about Robert Kelly before. The media spoke very highly of him. They called him an agent of change. He spun wild promises about how he was going to make the country a better place for all. He promised more jobs, greater wages, less crime and equality for every man, woman and child.
But there was something about his attitude that was just off.
"Smile Captain Rogers," Kelly chuckled as he waved his hand through the air, towards the press. "Together you and I can break the internet with only a few pictures!"
"Uhh..." was all that Steve could respond with.
"Of course none of us wish to intrude on your little trip down memory lane," Kelly continued, not missing a beat. Almost as if he'd prepared the speech before hand. "Tell me Captain, how does it make you feel to relive the past again?" he said to another tidal wave of camera flashes.
"Well it..." Steve half-shrugged, still caught off-guard by the impromptu interview. "It ahhh…. I don't know what to think about it, honestly sir." Kelly smirked a little as he grabbed Steve's hand and forced him shake it. Things started to make sense to Steve now. Kelly was obviously playing up this encounter for political points, because although he was in the lead among voters, the gap between him and his opponent wasn't all that large. And obviously having Captain America's approval would do wonders for him. Which was why Steve wanted to leave even more than before. He didn't want to be some political pawn.
"Well that's quite alright Captain, I'm sure it's all a lot to take in, after all. If you ever need someone to talk to," Kelly said in a grand gesture as he feigned kindness. "My team has made notable donations to various veteran support groups across the country. Perhaps you should visit some one day. It may do you some good to get out and mingle with real people."
"That sounds..." Steve replied nervously. He'd been taking pointers from Tony Stark about public speaking recently, as he was the public face of the Avengers. And one of the first lessons he had been given was to never verbally back himself into a corner. Which was exactly what Robert Kelly was trying to force him to do. "Like a good team exercise," he said, "I'm sure quite a few of the Avengers would like to-"
"Well we wouldn't want to intrude," Kelly interrupted, "not on their personal lives. No Captain, this is a personal invitation. But if there is one or two you'd like to bring along, I'm sure that would be fine!" Of course Steve wasn't so stupid that he missed what Kelly really meant by that, he just chose to ignore it and instead focus on finding his way out of the corner he was in.
"Well I am rather busy at the moment," Steve said somewhat defensively. "I'm sure we can schedule something in the future, but..." he said as his eyes darted around the crowd, and he finally found Jessica Parker. She was standing against the far wall, half-hiding behind a stone pillar, looking directly at him while nudging her head towards an adjacent hallway. "…..we will have to see. I'm sure we can work something out. Now, if you'll excuse me..." he said as he forced himself away from the impromptu interview abruptly and through the thong of reporters and photographers.
He did not make a beeline for Jessica's position. In fact she disappeared the second his ended the interview. Instead he took the long way around, careful to stay just ahead of the reporters. But not so far ahead that he looked like he was running from them. By ducking in and out of different rooms, he was able to loose his tail rather quickly. Before long he was free to begin to make his way towards her position without being followed.
Or so he thought.
Something grabbed him from the side and pulled him into a custodian access hallway. At first he thought about trying to fight off his assailant, but then he realized that it was Jessica who'd dragged him out of view.
"Hey Cap," she smiled in the low light as she smoothed out the wrinkles in his jacket. "Sorry 'bout that. I didn't want to get dragged into that train-wreck."
"I..." Steve muttered, as he could hear the rushing footsteps of the paparazzi passing by, still looking for him. "What exactly are you doing?" he said, regaining his composure before continuing, "you go and invite the three of us out to tour an exhibit….and then you just disappear for a good hour? We're a team and-"
"I didn't really mean to drag you into this," she replied with a small sigh. "Seriously, I didn't. Hell, I didn't want to get dragged into this. I just had to, in order to get things going."
"What are you talking about?" he blurted as more shuffling of feet could be heard nearby. It was so soft that it could have been only one person. Not that he really cared at the moment.
"Come on Steve," Jessica whispered with a slight smirk, "you can't be that thick."
"I don't understand what you-!" he snapped, wanting a straight answer out of her. But at the moment the words left his mouth, he realized just how loud he had been. Surely someone would have heard him. Jessica's eyes went wide as the shuffling sound returned, and the two of them pressed themselves into a dark crevasse in the hallway's wall.
"Think, Steve," Jessica whispered directly into his ear. "I'm here. You're here. And where are they?" It took him a few seconds to figure out where she was leading him. But when he did, he felt like the world's biggest idiot for not seeing it sooner. "They are together, right?" she asked after a brief pause.
"Yes," Steve nodded in response. "At least they where when I left to find you. There…." he continued, not quite sure how to word things. He didn't want to make Jessica panic by telling her about the incident with the candles. But he also felt like she would want to know. "There was..."
"'There was' what?" Jessica pressed forcefully.
"Well," Steve said, bobbing his head to the side in an attempt to buy himself time. "The Waiter went and-"
"Jessica?" a woman's voice said from behind him. In response, Jessica contorted her face into a tight grimace, as if she was both expecting and loathing this to happen. The two of them turned, and Steve was greeted by the sight of a modest woman approaching the two of them.
The woman appeared to be in her early- to mid-fifties. Her hair was transitioning between medium brown and light gray. She stood at about half a foot shorter than Jessica, but carried herself with immense pride, as if she was the most important person in the world. He could also definitely see a slight resemblance between the Woman and Jessica. "There you are!" the woman exclaimed warmly, as she broke the two of them apart in order to hug Jessica. Steve, on the other hand, took a step back, not wanting to get in between the two of them. After all, he didn't know the woman.
"Aunt May!" Jessica replied, through a somewhat strained voice as she shot Steve a glare that he was sure was an attempt to tell him something. But just what that was he couldn't be sure without asking, and he was fairly certain the 'message' was supposed to be private. "What are you doing here?" she said, perhaps a little to forcefully.
"Oh!" May Parker chuckled in surprise, catching sight of Steve for the first time. Obviously she was impressed by something. Probably him. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked coyly, as her eyes darted from Steve to Jessica. Her words where practically dripping with innuendo.
"No," Jessica replied quickly, as she stepped in between Steve and her Aunt. "No, you're not interrupting anything. What….what are you doing here? I though the three of us where going to go out this weekend?"
"Well can't I try and surprise you two every once in a while?" May chuckled back as she attempted to skirt around her niece to get a better look at Steve.
"Well not when I've made plans…." Jessica deflected easily with a smile to match that of her Aunt. "Why didn't you call ahead? Or at all? We could have arranged-"
"No, you would have shut me out," May replied simply as she jokingly crossed her arms in front of her. "Not that I can say I blame you," she continued nonchalantly, lightly bobbing her head as she talked. As the conversation between the two women went on and on, Steve picked up on more and more of the similarities between her and her niece and nephew. "But I actually came here looking for your brother. Someone said he was at the Hospital with you?"
"Yeah, he was," Jessica said quickly. "They met me there, and then we headed over here. He's-"
"Is he still here?" May said, cutting Jessica off. Ironically not getting her answer by doing so. "I was actually hoping to speak with him about-"
"Actually," Steve cut in politely, not wanting to be left out of the conversation. "Right now he's wihpmff…!" The words where caught dead in his mouth as he felt his foot being crushed underneath Jessica's heel. It was very evident that she wanted him to keep his mouth shut for some reason. So he let her do the talking, and he would follow her lead.
"He's where?" May asked. "Lost in his own world again? He loves this place so much," she said while being completely oblivious to the fact that Steve hadn't finished his sentence. Which was probably for the better.
"Actually Peter had to bail a few minutes ago," Jessica lied smoothly. "He got a call from Tony Stark. He's got some new equipment that he want's Peter to look over. Right Steve?" she continued, finishing with clenched teeth. He corroborated her lie with a quick bob of his head, keeping things nice and simple.
"Oh that's nice," May Parker replied as she shuffled around the two of them, ushering them back into the main part of the museum. "Very nice. I think that's my favorite part of this little endeavor of yours. Peter always wanted to be just like Tony Stark. Ben even took him to a few of those technology conventions of his when he was little." Out of the corner of his eye, Steve caught a pained, embarrassed look as it crossed Jessica's face. She was clearly anticipating something. "And it's so much better than him hanging around those monstrous freaks."
Those words hit Steve's ears like a sledgehammer. He would have never expected them to come from a humble, unassuming woman. Especially after getting to know Jessica and Peter over the past few months, both of whom seemed like perfectly rational, politically correct individuals.
"We talked about this, Aunt May," Jessica was quick to reply with a sharp, but respectful tone. "Peter's an Adult. He's free to make his own decisions, and you need to accept that." But May Parker continued on as if Jessica had said nothing at all. Steve got the sense that this discussion had been going on between the two of them for some time. And a part of him wondered exactly why Jessica was so intent on setting her brother up with someone that their Aunt would profusely hate regardless. Sure, there was keeping an open mind, but what she was doing seemed more like stoking a fire with gasoline.
"Well he should know better," May spat as they continued walking. "Why the feds don't go and round those animals up is absolutely beyond me!" That language was all to familiar to him, and he had spent too much time campaigning against the man who had spread it around the world like a plague to not do anything about it. He resolved to say something, despite his teammate's shaking head, warning him to stop.
"Monstrous is a relative term, ma'am," he said both boldly and politely at the same time. He didn't intend to say more, but a hand grabbed his arm and attention. He turned and was faced with a cold, but not unkind stare from May Parker.
"Those things killed my husband," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "And a number of police officers who I knew very well. And they have caused my family unnecessary suffering for the past ten years, Captain. I think I would know what a monster is, don't you?"
...xxXxx…
Despite the fact that they where supposed to be acting covertly, Wanda could not contain herself for very long while out on the street.
Even while following Betsy, looking for her brother, her eyes kept flashing towards the shop windows. Her fingers would gingerly brush wares displayed on the tables outside shops. She'd almost forgotten what the sensation felt like. It was so addicting.
["Focus"], Betsy scolded as she grabbed Wanda's hand and pulled her away. ["We get in. We get out. No distractions."] the two of them trotted along the sidewalk, with the older woman taking the lead and scanning everything in sight.
Knowing her brother like the back of her own hand, Wanda knew that he'd be doing the exact opposite of what he was supposed to be doing. Namely something criminal. After all, stealing came easy to someone with super-speed. And when combined with Fred Duke's muscle and Lance Alver's cunning, they made for a fearsome trio. A trio she was sure her father had put to work with some nefarious deeds that where beneath his right and left hand people.
["Sorry,"] Wanda replied, somewhat dejected as they crossed the street. ["I-"]
["Don't lie to me,"] Betsy interrupted in a firm but kind tone. ["Because I can tell when people are lying better than most people can. Any half-decent telepath can."] She continued as the two of them rounded a corner, and made a beeline for one of the more seedy parts of town.
She sucked in a deep breath as they wound their way through the narrowing streets. Every house they passed by looked more and more derelict. And the people outside looked more desperate than she could have ever imagined. They had a pale, hungry look about them.
["They can't see us,"] Betsy said reassuringly. [I've made sure of it. So there's no need to worry. I-"] the ground rumbled beneath their feet. Wanda stumbled slightly, but Betsy remained perfectly balanced. Though a look of alarm and disgust crossed her face as she pulled Wanda forward once more. ["Bloody idiots…..going to bring the government down on us all…..,"] she ranted to no one in particular.
["That wasn't a normal earthquake, was it?"] Wanda asked as a police car screeched past them.
["I don't think so,"] Betsy snapped back as the ground shook again. More violently this time. ["Stay behind me. This is going to get ugly."]
...xxXxx…
Azari, The Prince of Wakanda and the Black Panther, could not stop his head from spinning. The whole world had gone foggy the moment he tried to tackle the three people who'd mocked him. Something had knocked him backwards, through the wall. A voice in the back of his mind told him that the three men where Mutants. It was the only explanation for what had happened.
He shook his head, trying to focus his eyes as he vaguely heard someone shouting. Looking around, even through blurry vision, he could tell that he was outside the apartment building now. The Police had already pushed the barrier back even farther in anticipation of the fight that was about to break out.
Smart.
He pushed himself to a full standing position and looked back towards the hole in the side of the building. As his vision cleared, he began to see what was unfolding inside.
Jean had erected a telepathic shield around herself to stave off a blur of attacks, courtesy of what Azari assumed was a speedster. Thor, meanwhile, had his hands full in both a literal and figurative sense. The initial attack had destabilized the building somewhat, and the only reason the roof hadn't caved in was because Thor was able to reach it and hold it in place. But this left him wide open for the other two Mutants, the fat guy and the earth-shaker, to take cheap pot shots at his exposed ribs.
But not for long.
It only took Azari two strides to reach his top speed, and five more before he could slam his shoulder into the greasy-haired earth-shaker. They collided, and Azari rolled with his momentum, coming up on all fours, ready to pounce like a jaguar, while his adversary sprawled out like a doll before angrily getting to his feet.
"How the fuck can you bear to be outside in that thing?" the earth-shaker quipped with a smug grin stretched across his face. Azari didn't validate that with a response. The armor of his ancestors was not worth it. All he did was leap directly at the man with a growl, twisting in mid-air to avoid the shock-wave he sent out. One which could have sent Azari flying backwards again.
With two more punches, Azari had the earth-shaker on his back foot, unable to escape. But something caught him in the small of his back, forcing him to the ground momentarily. The fat guy had hit him from behind.
He hit the ground hard, but forced himself to recover. There was a lot of pain but he powered through it. There was no way he was going to be defeated by a couple of street thugs. He reached deep down inside of himself, calling on the powers of his ancestors to empower his body. Energy cackled around his fists, and he smiled. Things where going to get interesting.
With renewed vigor, Azari re-joined the fight, engaging the earth-shaker and the fat guy before they could take anymore cheap shots at the Thunder-God, who was using the respite to brace the ceiling with a couch and a wardrobe.
"Hey, Fat-ass!" Azari shouted as he leaped high into the air, reaching the perfect position from which to land a powerful punch to the man's face. However, his fist glanced off his face like it was nothing, and the fat guy let out a hearty laugh.
"Little pussy-cat can't throw a punch!" the man laughed heartily. Azari promptly responded by aiming a kick at his gut, and a punch to his nose. Neither of which made the guy budge even a little bit. IN fact, Azari's efforts only seemed to make him laugh even harder. Which only pissed the young Prince off even more. "Here, let me show you how it's done!" the fat guy said as he raised his flabby arms over his head, ready to bring them down on Azari.
Or he planned to, until something struck him in the back of the head. Thor's hammer, to be exact.
"You wish to see true strength?" Thor bellowed aggressively. "Then face me, mortal!" the two clashed with a tremendous ruckus as Azari returned his attentions to the greasy-haired earth-shaker, who clapped his hands together and forced the ground to shake tremendously.
"Neat trick," Azari quipped as he extended the claws on his gauntlet. "Mutant, right?"
"And proud," the earth-shaker replied with a cocky tone as he unleashed an even more powerful shock-wave. One which could have knocked Azari to the ground, if he hadn't sprung into motion at the last second, causing the attack to go way off the mark. He was mere inches from striking the man's face when he had the wind knocked out of him. The speedster had hit him. And he didn't stop at once. Azari felt no less than fifteen punches to his body before they miraculously stopped.
Looking to his left, Azari could see that Jean had recovered from the speedster's assault. And she now held the same man in mid-air, where he couldn't use his powers effectively any more. Now all he had to do was subdue the earth-shaker, and they could take the three men into custody.
Or so he thought.
A pulsating purple whip appeared out of nowhere, and snapped around his torso before tossing him through the air so that he landed at Jean's feet. As he recovered, he watched as Thor smacked the fat guy with his fist so hard that he flew backwards, and fell at the feet of a striking Asian woman. One who happened to be holding the whip that had entangled him. Standing next to her was a younger woman with auburn hair.
"Fall back now!" the woman ordered sharply, speaking to the thugs they'd been trying to take down.
"Fuck you bitch," the speedster snapped back, "we ain't goin' nowhere till we've dealt with these pricks!"
"Then thou shall be forced to wait," Thor scowled as he, Azari and Jean formed a solid line, facing the four criminals down. Though they where outnumbered by two, Azari was certain that they could overpower them with ease, mostly thanks to Thor's immense strength.
"Come quietly and no one gets hurt," Jean said with a firm tone. "There's no need to drag this out."
"Pfft," the earth-shaker quipped back. "Yeah, right," he said as four black armored trucks pulled in from behind. Around twenty-five heavily armed federal agents poured out of the trucks and formed a semi-circle around the group of criminals.
"Hands in the air now!" one of the agents shouted, as they took several steps forward. But they where too late, as there was an explosion of movement.
First, all twenty-five men and women fell to the ground, having been struck by the speedster in rapid succession. As this was happening, the Asian woman reached behind her back, and drew a pistol, which she aimed quickly and fired off a series of shots at the Avengers. Two bullets pinged off of Azari's shoulder. Thor caught another three in his chest without even flinching. Jean ended up being worst off, however, by catching a bullet in her stomach. Even though her uniform was designed to resist small arms fire, the force still knocked her to the ground as Azari and Thor sprung into action.
Thor attacked the speedster and fat guy simultaneously, while Azari went for the Asian woman with the gun and the whip. He made an immediate swipe for the gun, but she retracted her hand too fast, even for him, so his hand hit nothing but air. Her whip, on the other hand, which did not seem to be entirely solid, wrapped itself around his ankle and pulled his left foot out from underneath his body.
Going with the flow of his momentum, he aimed a solid kick for her face. But again, she dodged with the slightest movement of her head. She countered by snapping her elbow against his knee, which happened to be the weakest part of his suit. Pain shot up his leg as he landed in a heap on the ground. But he didn't let that stop him.
He spun around, trying to sweep her legs out from underneath, but she vaulted backwards and pointed her gun at his head. He was quick enough to roll out of the way and get to his feet, with three more shots hitting the ground where he had been. But she quickly ran out of bullets, and Azari took the opportunity to close the distance between them before she could re-load.
He was close to doing so when he felt himself being thrown across the street by an invisible force. No one had touched him, and he could see Thor batting away at his two opponents, keeping both on their back feet with what he could best describe as a miniaturized thunderstorm. Until he too was tossed through the air like a rag-doll, and Azari caught sight of the culprit. The younger woman who had arrived with the Asian woman.
Before he could do anything however, a hole in the air opened up behind the criminal group and swallowed them up, leaving no trace whatsoever.
...xxXxx…
Elizabeth Braddock hit the ground hard the moment they arrived back at headquarters. The fight with the Avengers, though brief, had been taxing. There had been several times where she had been sure she was about to be killed, or taken into custody. Something which they couldn't afford.
"What happened?" the booming voice of Eric Lensherr echoed around the room. She was the first to rise and give her account of events.
"Sir," she replied steadily, even tough she was still out of breath. "I searched for your son, as you asked me to. When we found him," she said, casting a sideways glance at Peitro, who glared back at her bitterly. He'd always hated her for some reason. "he and his friends had been cornered by three of the Avengers, and the police. I did what I had to."
Eric took one look at his son and said to him, "You are dismissed," and then turned his gaze past Elizabeth's shoulder, to where Wanda was leaning against the wall. She didn't need telepathy to know he wasn't pleased with the fact that she'd brought his daughter into a combat zone. And she didn't blame him. "And your assessment of your team's abilities in combat against the Avengers?" he asked plainly.
"Dukes and Alvers are good muscle, nothing more," she replied with a nod. "Perhaps they can handle one of the weaker members, but only with direction. Peitro on the other hand…." she paused, trying to think of something better to say than what she was really thinking. "...has potential. If he can learn to take orders."
"I concur," was Eric's response. "And Wanda's?"
"Without a doubt," she replied confidently, "your daughter is the reason I'm still alive," she said, turning to face the young woman and giving an approving nod and wink. "With proper training and some experience, I think she could be as powerful as you or I. And I'm requesting that you allow me to oversee that training."
"Request granted," Eric replied, "But it will have to wait. I have a new mission for you. I want you to infiltrate the Avenger's headquarters. Tony Stark has something I need buried in a vault there."