Hey guys, so sorry for the extreeeemely late update. A-Levels finally caught up with me, and coupled with a horrible case of writer's block it kinda left my mind a little stagnant. Just saw The Winter Soldier; kudos to Marvel for yet another piece of awesomeness.
David groaned as Spider-Man, White Tiger and the other S.H.I.E.L.D Trainees kept pushing for answers, whilst the Titans-sans Raven- stood around and laughed at his despairing and slightly bloodthirsty expression. Raven was also trying to keep a straight face, but her case if she didn't she was likely to rip everyone limb from limb within a five mile radius.
Then, blessedly, David's communicator went off. All conversation ceased as David raised a hand to his ear.
"Stark" he said crisply. His face then turned into one of great concern, and the words "You sure?" seemed to slip out of their own accord as his head turned to the right, his hand clasped over his ear. The others looked on as David's face flashed from shocked; to horror, to enraged, before settling into a deep, brooding anger that made most of those present fear for whoever had managed to piss of Stark Jr. so badly.
"I'll be right there" he said, his voice horrifically cold, his face devoid of all emotion. He rose; Raven's slim form sliding from his lap, until he stood, spine ram-rod straight, and turned on his heels whilst striding towards the door. He was stopped by a yellow and red blur spinning him around by the shoulder, eventually coalescing into a very concerned looking Wally.
"Dude, what happened?" he asked, his brows knotted with worry, his usually smiling eyes dulled and darkened.
David merely shook his head, picked up his helmet, placed it on his head, and once again marched for the door. But it seemed fate wasn't on his side because, for the second time in the past minute, he found his path blocked. This time, a combo or webbing, smoke and dark energy stretched across the room, cutting him off from the door.
David turned around with a sigh, seeing not only Raven; but Peter and Nightwing standing up, their arms raised in their respective halting motions. He raised the faceplate, his face still baring an expression colder that the Jotun winds.
"It's personal" he said, before strolling towards the wall-length window. The others looked on, pensive, as David gazed out across the bay, his arms folded across his chest, his face unknowable. David sighed, wiping a hand down his face, before finally speaking.
"Fury just got a call a few minutes ago" he said, his voice cold and distant "from one of our specialist teams. They just had a run-in with members of Project Centipede." Peter and the other S.H.I.E.L.D trainees gasped, their faces paling whilst their eyes widened to comical proportions. "We've had a few run-ins with them before" he continued, apparently oblivious to his comrades' reactions, "they managed to kidnap one of our top agents, Phillip Coulson, and tried to convert to their side." He snorted, his eyes softening and losing focus as he stared back in time, drifting through his memories to a time long past. "They returned to him the memories of his resurrection" he continued, his voice soft, as if treading over well-tilled land.
"They almost broke him that day" he finished quietly, almost too quiet to hear. The silence was deafening. David turned around to see the slack-jawed look on everyone's face, their eyes as wide as saucers.
"Dude…" Gar trailed off, obviously unwilling to finish the thought as numerous scenarios ran through his head-none of them pleasant. David merely sighed and, gathering up his helmet, walked towards the door, saying "I just got a call saying Centipede got him again. The Avengers are being called in." But, once again, his path was blocked by the others, somehow having gotten there before him.
"Seriously bro?" Luke asked, cocking an eyebrow under his shades whilst folding his tree trunk sized arms over his massive chest "You're just gonna high-tail it outta here? Without even asking for any help?" He glanced around at the others, both S.H.I.E.L.D trainees and Titans alike, before crying "What is wrong with you?!" and cuffing him around the back of the head with his meaty palm. David looked at them, rubbing the back of his head with a cold expression on his face. "It's not your concern" he snapped before barging past the titanic black man… and right into Raven's petite form. "
Please" she said, cupping his face in her palms "let us in. Just this once." And, unfortunately for David, once Raven wormed her way into your heart, she wasn't letting go for a while. Just why do I love her again? he wondered as he sighed, looked away for a moment, before giving an almost unnoticeable nod. She smiled, pecked him on the cheek, before nodding to the other Titans as they hurried to the T-Ship to get ready. The others just stared at the doors oddly, cocking their heads to once side.
"So Dave" Peter started slowly approaching his friend "how did you and…?" but before he could utter another word David cut over with "Shut it Bug Boy, or I'll fill the internet with images of you and Ava's 'secret meetings'! Capeesh?" Ignoring the guffawing from the other guys and the warning growl from the Tiger in question, David stalked from the room, slipping the helmet on his head.
"ADAMM" he said "how we lookin'?" A deep, country accented voice resounded in the helmet "All systems at peak efficiency. Suit integrity at 100%, all ammo reserves fully stocked, power levels steady and we even have some of those Galaxy bars you insist on storing in the cryo chamber."
David couldn't help but smirk at that last comment. He had designed ADAMM to be his version of JARVIS, so he could be free without the AI butler informing his father of every little thing he tried to do.
He merely grinned before jogging towards the garage.
Everyone looked up as David sauntered through the doors, helmet in place, almost glowing as he walked. He gave them a cheerful wave before blasting into the sky, leaving a confused group of heroes behind him.
He hummed the lyrics of The Infection as he flew, Disturbed's distinctive drumbeat reverberating in his head. Soon, the sound of the T-Ship's engines sounded beside him, quickly followed by those of another aircraft, and he turned to see the S.H.I.E.L.D-sanctioned plane with all the trainees inside.
They flew in a classic V-formation towards the helicarrier, David boldly leading the way. Both aircraft landed on the flight deck, but David kept going, only landing at the hatch to the decks below. He trusted the others to find their own way to the bridge, so he barrelled forward, rushing down the halls like a bullet from a gun.
He zipped past countless agents, each one nodding as he passed, or stepping out of the way as he dashed through the tightly packed hallways. He slid through the CIC doors before skidding to a halt, using the edge of the conference room doorframe as a brake to slow him down, which of course resulting in him spinning around and face-planting against the wall in true Stark fashion.
That caused the entire room to erupt in laughter as he wobbled back to his feet, disoriented from the mild blow to his head, resting an arm on the table to steady himself. Then, raising the faceplate of his helmet, he looked around the room.
He was surprised to see everyone else was there before him, shocked by the sudden presence of the Slivertongue next to the Thunderer, but what took the cake was the sight of Wonder Woman lounging in one of the chairs like she had been there all along. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he took his place in between his dad and Steve, who happened to have Diana on his other side.
When the Director walked in five minutes later, he noticed the broad smirk across both Starks' faces and the rapidly fading blush across the Captain's face, alongside the reddish tint that dusted Diana's cheeks and the amused grins that everyone else sported.
"Helmsman" he said, directing his attention to the bridge for a split-second "take us out of here, full speed. Red-line it if you have to." That was followed by the thunderous roar as the four monstrous engines were pushed to their limit as they accelerated towards the gate. Suddenly a deafening klaxon sounded throughout the bridge, red emergency lights blinking into existence as a window popped up on the monitor revealing one of the most ludicrous scenes any of them had ever seen. Deadpool was hanging off the side of the Helicarrier, his swords embedded into the plating with a voluptuous bodied black-clad female clinging to his shoulders whilst a suspicious flame undulated just out of sight.
"Hey Eye-Patch!" Deadpool shouted, his voice barely heard over the howl of the engines "Ya mind letting us in before we, y'know, freeze or fall to our deaths here!" Fury sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before blindly punching a button on the console before him. They were then deafened as the ungodly roar of motorcycle engines bellowed through the comm., accompanied by the cheerful howls from Deadpool and the vehicle barrelled through the hangar doors.
Through the cameras, the others watched as two demonic motorcycles roared through the hangar bays to park either side of the elevator doors. They saw two figures, clad in black biker leathers, dismount and stroll into the elevator with Deadpool and the femme fatale, their heads obscured by what appeared to be balls of ghostly fire. The others waited as the elevator rose towards the bridge, watching expectantly for the foursome to appear. What comes out of the doors shocked most of them to the bone. Deadpool and Black Cat- her alias, as they discovered later- stepped round the other two to join Peter and the other trainees, being greeted with fist-pumps and hugs.
It was the two newcomers that held the main group's attention however. Both standing six foot two, clad in biker leathers and boots, with small metal spikes covering the shoulders and arms of their jackets, alongside the backs of their gloves, they struck quite imposing figures. But what really made them stand out where their heads. Charred skulls wreathed in demonic flame: one a bright orange, like the colour of a forest fire; the other an eerie blue, like the flame of some mystical welding torch. Then, quite suddenly, they changed, becoming the same dull red as the fires of a blacksmith's forge. Suddenly, Raven's eyes turned crimson, the second pair opening in her forehead as she reared above them.
"Demons!" she cried, her cloak billowing around her like a lilac cloud whilst the shadows around the room seemed to close in "Go back to the hell that spawned you!" The two bikers looked at each other before seeming to sigh, then snapping their fingers and pointing at her. In the blink of an eye demonic chains wrapped themselves around Raven's limbs, securing her to a nearby bulkhead. The Titans reacted instantly, weapons appearing as if they had already been there, all aimed at the two flaming 'demons'.
"ZARATHOS! HOLD!" a hidden voice boomed, powerful and majestic, yet unmistakably feminine.
Everyone turned to see T'Challa entering the bridge, with what looked like a gender-bent version of himself at his side.
The two demonic-like men spun around, clamping a fist over their hearts and bowing their heads as he and Shuri passed, and everyone saw Ava's eyes light up under her mask.
Fury nodded to them right before the enter bridge was flooded with eye-stabbing brilliance and a very familiar shimmering sound filled the air as the mighty craft jumped the gap between realms. When the brightness faded, they emerged above the Manhattan coastline, and the bridge erupted into action.
Agents activated tracking programs, technicians talking animatedly over radios, people moving in every possible direction.
Raven-now free of her prison- had to back out of the way of several agents before giving up and flopping onto her boyfriend's lap, which resulted in knowing smirks from everyone around the table alongside a raised eyebrow from Diana.
David merely gave his best imitation of the Widow's Glare- something which caused even Thor to quiver- at everyone around, resulting in the hilarious sight of the mighty Avengers shrinking away from him ever so slightly. Then raised voices began to emanate from the corridor, growing steadily in volume, before Bucky walked in with a practically seething blonde at his side.
"No James, that's the point!" she cried, stopping in her tracks to drag his arm- the flesh and blood one- and pull him to a halt. "Listen to yourself" she continued, clamping his face between her dainty hands "you're starting to sound like a machine. Like…him, and it's scaring me." Nobody missed the way Bucky stiffened at her words, or the way his bionic arm seemed to lock itself in place.
"Please" she continued, her eyes boring holes into his brain "just think, don't just react. Please моя любовь, for me." And, like a hidden switch had been thrown in his brain, Bucky picked her up by her hips and kissed her, his lips welding themselves to hers.
Steve chuckled at his antics despite the slight blush that graced his cheeks. Tony and Clint had the same I-knew-it-but-none-of-you-believed-me grins on their faces, whilst their respective others shook their heads in mock despair.
Fury then cleared his throat loudly.
"Agent Carter" he said after the couple had managed to untangle themselves "prepare the first available jet for departure. Give it the Avenger treatment." The blonde agent nodded, gave a quick glance to Bucky, before sauntering out of the room. The Director then turned his attention back to the others.
"Well then" he said, interlocking his fingers and twisting his wrists until both they and his knuckles cracked "let's get down to business, shall we?" The Avengers shared a grin that sent shivers down everyone's spine.
The first thing that passed through the other's minds was the old proverb:Revenge is a dish best served cold.
And wherever Centipede had Coulson, the Avengers would ensure it froze over with them still inside it.
YES! The Ghost Riders are here! *Sigh* I planned on putting them in for AGES, but i couldn't seem to time it right. And yes, that was Sharon Carter those face Bucky so unceremoniously ate. Anyway, chappie's a little shorter than I'd like but I'll just throw it up here anyway. Review guys! I need your input!
P.S. For those people who don't know, Shuri is T'Challa's younger sister and once took over as the Black Panthar whilst he was the King of the Dead.
Russian Translation:
моя любовь-My love