Chapter 20: Some Assembly Required
About a week had passed since the Chitauri invasion, and the city was already working on putting itself back together. Clean-up efforts were in full swing, life was beginning to return to normal, and Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, was running late to an incredibly important meeting.
"Of course." Spidey said to himself as he swung across the city. "Typical Parker luck. The first meeting of the Avengers and I end up late. Why is I can never be early for these things?"
He swung around the corner to the address Iron Man had given him, skidding to a stop in front of a large set of iron gates.
"Hey guys!" he greeted swiftly. "Sorry I'm late especially on our first day and ever-"
Spidey's words trailed off as he realized only three people were standing there. One was Pepper Potts, who was tapping at a holographic tablet in her hand with a growing annoyed expression. The second was Hulk, who had his arms crossed and a brooding expression on his face. The third was Rick, who was currently sitting on Hulk's shoulder, waving down at Spider-Man.
"Hey, glad you could make it." Rick greeted,
"Uh… hey." Spidey greeted.
Rick chuckled as Pepper looked up from her tablet.
"Don't feel bad." she told him with a small smile. "When it comes to Tony, showing up at all means he's on time."
"Huh, my girlfriend says the same thing about me." Spidey remarked.
Pepper chuckled a bit, then a figure descended from the sky. The four turned to see Thor landing in front of the gate, Jane Foster in his grasp. He released her, then addressed his friends happily.
"Greetings my friends." Thor greeted. "Are you ready for the coming battles that lay ahead?"
"You ready to get a watch?" Hulk asked irritated.
Both Rick and Spidey chuckled a bit as Jane gave a stretch.
"Yeah, that was my fault." She admitted. "I had to gather all my research notes and explain to Darcy 17 times that Erik was in charge."
"Who's Darcy?" Spidey questioned.
"My intern." Jane explained.
"And as feisty as a bilgesnipe." Thor added.
"I'm sorry, a what?" Rick asked.
"Bilgesnipe." Thor repeated. "You know, huge, scaly, big antlers… you don't have those?"
"Don't think so." Rick replied.
"Never seen one." Spidey added.
"Nope." Hulk replied monosyllabically.
"Well believe you me, you do not want to be on the receiving end of their wrath." Thor explained.
About that time, there was a buzz in the air, then Wasp and Ant-Man arrived. The grew from their insect-sized formed, Wasp straightening her skirt.
"Sorry we're late." she apologized. 'I had to tear Hank away from his ant farm."
"It was an important experiment." Hank argued, sliding his helmet's mask off.
"It was an ant farm." Jan reiterated, rolling her eyes with a smile. "I swear you'd spend all day running around in there if I wasn't around."
"Sounds like how Tony is with his workshop." Pepper commented.
Thor turned to Pym with a smile.
"Friend Pym," he greeted. "I did not expect to see you in thine tiny form. I expected you to be… giant."
Hank raised an eyebrow at that remark.
"Really?" He asked. "Why?"
"Thy giant self seems more... useful." Thor replied honestly.
"Well," Hank began, "actually-"
Before he could continue, an arrow suddenly embedded itself into the wall just inches from Thor's head. Everyone jumped, turning in time to see Clint and Natasha ziplining towards them. Thor side stepped so they could land without hitting him. Once they were on the ground, Clint severed the zipline and reclaimed his arrow.
"Morning everyone." Clint greeted.
"Nice of you to join us, purple arrow." Spidey quipped.
"Took a while for the paperwork to go through, but Clint and I are now the official S.H.I.E.L.D liaison officers with the Avengers." Natasha explained.
"That's… good, I guess." Jan let out.
Clint glanced around at the gathered heroes, his eyes narrowing a bit.
"Where's the Captain?" he questioned. "I figure he would have been the first one here."
"Hulk won that spot." Rick declared.
"Actually, Captain Rogers phoned ahead to let me know he would be late." Pepper interjected. "Something about picking something up from the museum."
From down the street, the twin roar of motorcycle engines could be heard coming towards the heroes. Everyone turned to see two riders approaching. One was obviously Logan, his lack of a helmet showing his signature hairstyle and sideburns. The other was soon revealed to be Steve Rogers, riding an old WWII chopper, still in pristine condition after over 70 years.
The two riders pulled up along the street, killing their engines before climbing off.
"Glad to see the old thing still runs." Logan remarked, smirking at Cap's bike.
"The museum took good care of it." Steve replied, sliding his helmet off.
"I wasn't talking about the bike." Logan quipped.
Rick, Spidey, and Clint were all staring at Cap's motorcycle, Clint letting out a whistle.
"A vintage 1943 Harley Davidson." Clint said in awe. "Gotta admit, I'm a bit jealous."
"You ride around on a Helicarrier, get to travel the world, and you have more tricks in your quiver than most magicians, and you're jealous of a motorcycle?" Spidey questioned.
"Hey, don't mock me kid." Clint warned. "I just recognize quality when I-"
"WHERE'S STARK?!" Hulk suddenly bellowed, gathering everyone's attention.
Thankfully for everyone, that's when Iron Man descended from the skies.
"Sorry everyone." Tony apologized as he landed and took off his helmet. "I got caught up in a meeting."
Pepper let out a cough, and everyone could swear that they heard her say "liar" in the middle of it.
"... well ok I missed that meeting too." Tony admitted.
"Alright, what's this all about Tony?" Cap asked. "You said this meeting was important."
"And it is." Tony assured him. "Ladies and Gentlemen, and Hulk, welcome to Avengers Mansion!"
Tony gestured to the massive mansion behind the iron gates everyone had gathered in front of. They opened, allowing everyone to walk up to the large, multi-storied building. It was obviously an older building, as shown by the rustic brick exterior, as well as the various towers decorating the corners. It looked very much like the set of the original Annie movie. Spidey whistled in response as everyone made their way inside.
…
Inside the mansion, Spidey tapped on some kind of metal console on the wall.
"Nifty." Spidey remarked.
"Thank you Spider-Man" a British voice replied, causing Spider-Man to jump back.
"I see you've met JARVIS." Tony commented, patting Spidey's shoulder. "He's my personal A.I. system, and he's hardwired into the entire mansion. Anything you need, just tell him and he'll make it happen."
"An impressive palace, Stark." Thor complimented. "How did you come into it?"
"It actually used to be a museum for the Maria Stark Foundation," Tony explained. "My mother's home. I've had it upgraded since the invasion, so it can serve as our headquarters."
"Swanky." Wasp let out.
"A definite upgrade from the lab back in New Mexico." Jane commented, looking around in awe.
"Glad you like it." Tony replied. "Come on, let me show you around."
…
"There's a fully stocked kitchen with chef on call." Tony told them, showing off the kitchen.
Hulk made a beeline for the fridge, throwing the door open and immediately stuffing his face. Rick, who was still perched on his shoulder, looked down at the spread and drooled.
"Hulk, please tell me that's chocolate pudding on the top shelf." he begged.
Rather than say anything, Hulk just grabbed the pudding, dropping it in Rick's lap. Rick ripped the lid off the pudding, chugging it like it was water. Eventually, they both looked up, letting out belches simultaneously.
"Ew." Jan said with a wince.
"Hey Stark, this place got a bar?" Logan asked.
Tony responded by flipping a switch on the counter, which caused a wine rack to rise. It contained several alcoholic beverages, not all of them wine.
"Take your pick." Tony told him.
"I'm liking this place more and more." Logan marveled as he grabbed a bottle of whiskey.
He used one of his claws to pop off the lid before chugging it down.
…
"About two dozen room with room service and maid service," Tony continued, showing off the living quarters for the team members. "I made sure to double up Rick and Hulk for obvious reasons, though I wasn't sure if I should do the same for Dr. Pym and Jan."
"Separate rooms are perfect." Jan answered quickly, blushing slightly.
"Riiiiight." Tony let out coyly. "Let's move on."
…
"Also, a lounge/theatre, with just about every form of audio visual entertainment on the planet." Tony concluded.
Spidey landed on the couch and webbed a remote into his hand. He used it to turn on the tv, which opened to a news report interview of his least favorite critic, J. Jonah Jameson.
"Superheroes?" Jameson let out. "It's the duty of every New Yorker to report on these masked miscreants. Especially that web headed menace, Spider-Man!"
Spidey switched off the TV, letting out a groan as he flopped back on the couch. Clint placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Doesn't that jerk ever shut up?" Spidey asked, irritated.
"Bad press is just a part of the job description, kid." Clint remarked. "Besides, maybe later I'll puncture the tires on his car for ya."
"That be nice." Spidey replied.
"This is pretty impressive Tony." Cap admitted. "But don't tell me this is what you spent the past week on?"
"Nah, this only took me a few days." Tony dismissed. "Which reminds me, you're all gonna need these."
Tony then took out a set of identification cards with a giant A on them.
"These ID cards are linked to the Stark Industries network." he explained. "They'll give you access to the mansion and all its resources as well as give satellite communication just about anywhere on the planet."
He handed each hero a card, pausing at Hulk before turning to Rick.
"I think I best give this to you." he remarked. "It's a very delicate piece of machinery and I'm afraid he'd snap it."
"He probably would." Rick agreed, taking the card before pausing. "Do I get one too?"
"Since you're the Hulk's handler, it would only make sense for you to." Tony allowed. "But don't let this make you think you're an Avenger."
"Like you said, I'm Hulk's handler, and between you and me, I'm perfectly happy with that." Rick replied.
Spidey looked at his card, holding it up to Tony.
"So… uh, does this get me any discounts anywhere?" he questioned.
"I think the Avengers need to put in a few more hours before we can think about that." Tony remarked. "But the tour is far from done, and frankly, I think you'll all like what's next."
As Tony finished, the fireplace began rising, revealing a hidden elevator.
"Nifty." Jan marveled before flying inside.
Everyone piled into the elevator, which was thankfully big enough for Hulk's girth, and began their descent. The elevator shaft was clear, giving everyone a stunning view of the spacious subterranean space.
"Behold… the sublevels." Tony introduced.
There was a collective gasp as everyone looked on.
"Hey, that looks like our particle lab back at the college, Hank." Jan noticed, pointing out the lab in question. "There's even a spot for your portable work station."
"The mansion has a massive scientific lab, as well as, like Jan mentioned, space for Hanks modular lab and my armory." Tony elaborated. "There's even a lab for you Dr. Foster. Call it an apology for my… comments before."
"I even see a lab for Bruce." Rick commented. "Provided you ever let him out, big guy."
Hulk just smirked, then Spider-Man noted one other lab in the corner. It was significantly smaller than the others, and almost resembled a high school chemistry lab.
"What's that space in the corner?" Spidey questioned.
"That's for you kid." Tony answered. "Call it a place for you to do your homework."
The elevator finally came to a stop, letting its occupants exit and Tony to resume the tour. He then led them to a catwalk that stood over a massive body of water.
"Questionable place to put a pool, don't you think Tony?" Cap asked.
"Don't be silly, the pools on the roof." Tony dismissed. "This is a hanger for…"
Tony pressed a few buttons, allowing the waters to part and a large red jet to rise for them to see and marvel.
"... two prototype, high speed aerial shuttles. The Quinjets." Tony continued. "With weapons, shields, and speeds up to Mach 8. For those of us who can't fly."
"Yeah, I think I'll stick to my webs, thank you very much." Spidey commented. "I don't do planes."
"Yeah and I'm used to riding on the big guy." Rick interjected.
"It can also go into space." Tony added.
Rick and Spidey exchanged glances, then both looked a bit sheepish.
"Okay, I can't do that." Spidey admitted.
"I don't know about Hulk, but I know I can't." Rick added.
"Next, there's the training room." Tony proceeded.
"What, like a gym?" Cap asked.
"Like." Tony replied smirking.
…
Cap found himself standing in a barren, metal room, his grip tight on his shield as he waited. Suddenly, a missile launcher rose up from the ground and began firing at him. Cap jumped onto the wall and sprang forward with his shield in front of him, blocking the incoming missiles. As the smoke cleared, Cap threw his shield at the launcher, destroying it.
In another part of the training room, Spider-Man was swinging around a large corridor, trying to avoid massive steel balls swinging at him. He jumped onto one and show out a web line to pull one in closer, causing the two to collide. As he was about to swing off, he got hit by another one passing by.
Natasha meanwhile, was running through a metal hallway. Suddenly, the walls sprouted mini turrets that began firing at her. She began dodging and flipping out of the way of the blasts, using her guns and stings to destroy the turrets as she did so.
Up in an observation booth, Tony watch the Avengers train with a small smirk. Beside him, Logan examined the set-up with no small amount of nostalgia.
"Kinda reminds me of the danger room back with the X-Men." Logan noted. "You didn't steal the plans for the institute, did you?"
"If by steal you mean the schematics showed up in an email that was sent to me a few days after we formed this team then yes." Tony answered.
Logan chuckled, downing another swig of his whiskey.
"Good ole Chuck." he said under his breath.
In yet another part of the training room, Hulk was going up against and oversized compactor which was threatening to crush him. He growled and strained against the pressure, then let out a yell, shoving the two parts of the compactor apart hard enough to destroy the machinery. Tony, Rick, and Logan turned to see the destruction.
"Exercise complete." JARVIS declared.
"That all you got, Tin Man?" Hulk asked.
Rick turned to Tony with an apologetic look.
"Sorry about your training room." he muttered.
"Relax Rick it's self-repairing." Tony reassured. "And by the way Hulk, that was level one, of ten."
Hulk smirked, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.
…
After getting everyone out of the training room, Tony led them into the last room on his grand tour.
"And last, but not least," Tony concluded. "The Assembly Hall."
A door opened to reveal a mostly empty blue room, save for a large red table that had ten chairs around it. Everyone looked around, a few claiming chairs as their own. As they did this, Hank approached Tony with a slightly skeptical look.
"All the money you've thrown into this is very impressive, Tony." Hank commented. "I can't help but wonder why."
"Hey, I believe in Cap's plan." Tony told him. "I'm just putting in the money to make it a reality."
"I guess you're right." Hank allowed. "Of course, it takes more than fancy equipment to make a team."
"I know that." Tony informed him. "It's gonna take all of us to make the Avengers a real team. I'm just trying to give it the push it needs to get started."
…
A few days had passed since Tony had unveiled the Mansion. A few of the members had moved in and had made themselves at home. Among these members were Thor (plus Jane Foster), Widow, Clint, Hulk (plus Rick), Logan, and Cap. The rest merely came and went as they pleased, though one of these members was thinking of changing that.
"I found this nice room on the east wing with and it has an amazing view of the entire city." Jan told Hank down in the mansion's modular lab. "It's absolutely perfect."
Hank perked up in surprise.
"You're thinking of moving in?" Hank asked. "Don't you have a penthouse in the city?"
"And yet I spend more time sleeping in the guest room of your apartment." Jan pointed out. "Besides, I think moving in is a great idea. Why don't you?"
"I… guess I hadn't thought about it." Hank replied.
"Look, you agreed that the Avengers was a good idea." Jan argued. "And good ideas are worth putting time and effort into."
"I am on board with the idea," Hank tried to explain. "But just because Tony and Cap say we're a team doesn't mean we are. We're ten strangers under one roof. It takes time and patience to make a team. It takes trust."
"And a good way to build trust is to get to know your teammates so you aren't strangers." Jan said. "Like spending time with them, maybe moving in to the large mansion we all share? Hmm?"
Hank tried to respond but couldn't think of anything.
"I can't argue with you, can I?" Hank asked, standing up and wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Nope." Jan replied, pecking him on the cheek before sliding out of his grip. "I'm gonna go pack."
She sauntered out of the room, giving Hank a demure wave as she did. Hank couldn't help but chuckle in response.
…
Hank wasn't the only one making use of the lab. Over in his corner lab, Spider-Man was working on mixing up more of his web fluid. It was nice not having to swipe chemicals from his science class every day, so he took full advantage of his new work station.
"Hmm…" he pondered, going over his concoction. "This new strain should make my webs at least twice as strong as usual."
As he stirred his sticky concoction, Tony approached him from behind.
"Hey, Underoos." he called. "Set the science homework aside, I've got something to show you."
Spidey just groaned as he went over to Tony.
"Will you please stop calling me that?" Spidey insisted.
"Maybe when you stop wearing those oversized pajamas, Pete." Tony replied, lifting a metal suitcase onto Spidey's desk.
"Didn't we go over this already?" Spidey asked. "I told you that I-"
He cut himself off, finally catching on to the last bit of Tony's sentence, specifically his nonchalant use of his name.
"Did you just use my name?" Spidey asked. "Did Hawkeye tell you?"
"Kid, I hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D's secure files." Tony reminded him, unlocking the case. "You seriously think I didn't take a peek at your personnel file?"
Spidey sagged a bit, face palming.
"Look, just… don't tell anyone okay?" He begged. "Please."
"Not a problem, Underoos." Tony declared. "In the meantime, why don't you take a look at this."
"I told you don't call me-"
Before he could finish, Tony opened the case, showcasing a brand-new Spider-Man costume. Spidey went wide eyed at the sight. It looked like his usual costume, but much more streamlined and polished.
"Whoa..." Spidey let out. "You… You made this?"
"I had some time in between installing the security system and furnishing the living quarters." Tony admitted. "Go on and try it on."
Spidey took the suit and quickly switched his out his old costume with his new one.
"Ok… wow." Spidey let out. "This is amazing. I love it!
"Just wait 'til you get acquainted with the special features I added." Tony told him.
Spidey looked in a mirror and saw that his Spider-Man mask eyes reacted the same way as his own eyes.
"You put sensors in the lenses?" Spidey asked.
"I managed to get a look at one of your spare masks and I noticed the severely tinted lenses." Tony explained. "I'm assuming that your spider-based powers came with spider-vision. Probably feels like someone dialed up the brightness to 11."
"Exactly." Spidey explained. "When I got my powers, if felt like everything was enhanced. So much so that at times it was hard to filter everything I needed to. Not exactly the best when people are constantly shooting at you. So that kinda evened things out."
"Well, the sensors are only one piece of your new suit. You left a sample of your web fluid back on the Helicarrier. I took it, analyzed it, and I cooked up a few web combinations I think you'll like."
"Neat I'll admit," Spidey shared. "Though I'm kinda worried what you might have put in here."
"Just a few essentials." Tony promised. "However, since you're used to a more low-tech suit, I installed a training wheels program to ease you into the change. Can't have you flubbing out while we're on a mission, now can we?"
"True." Spidey allowed. "Though, 'training wheels'? Really? Do you just take every available opportunity to belittle me?"
"Hey, I gotta get my kicks in somewhere, and you're the only member of the team that won't kill me. Well, Cap might not, but I'm not going to belittle a senior citizen."
Spidey chuckled a bit at that joke.
"Yeah I guess." he relented. "All the same… thanks."
"Hey, don't sweat it, kid." Tony told him. "Now, why don't you go test out your new suit in the training room, break it in and all that."
Spidey nodded before swinging off to try out his new suit. Tony watched him go, a small smile on his face.
"You know, most kids his age are asking for video games." Jane commented, walking up beside him. "Then again, he's no ordinary kid."
"That's for sure." Tony agreed.
"So, why take such an interest in him?" she asked. "I never pictured you as the fatherly type, Stark."
"Well my own father was never really the supportive type." Tony shared. "Thought I could try and break the chain with Spider-Man."
Jane chuckled lightly, patting Tony on the shoulder.
"You're a good man, Tony Stark." she complimented him before turning towards her lab table. "No matter what the tabloids say about you."
…
Rick and Hulk were in the kitchen, every available piece of lunch meat and sliced cheese out on the counter before them. Rick had a large hoagie roll out in front of him and a determined look on his face.
"Roast beef!" he called out like a surgeon asking for tools.
Hulk dropped the desired meat into Rick's outstretched hand, allowing him to spread the entire package out on the hoagie roll.
"Cheddar!" Rick let out.
Hulk handed him the cheddar, Rick adding it to the sandwich. This went on for a while with alternating layers of meat and cheese stacking up until the sandwich was one that Dagwood would be jealous of.
"Alright big guy, here it is." Rick proclaimed as he slapped the top half of the bread on the sandwich.
Hulk wasted no time taking it and scarfing it down. It was at that time that Thor entered the room, taking notice of the beast's hunger.
"It would seem the Hulk possesses an appetite that would rival Volstagg the Enormous." Thor commented.
"Who's Volstagg?" Rick asked, making himself a sandwich, albeit much smaller than the Hulk's
"He is one of the Warriors Three." Thor explained. "Friends of mine back on Asgard."
"Oh yeah, the realm you're from." Rick remembered. "What's it like?"
"Majestic." Thor told him. "A kingdom of splendor filled with the bravest of warriors. It is a peaceful and prosperous place."
He chuckled a bit, glancing up at Hulk.
"Your friend would be welcomed there readily." He added. "We accept warriors of all shapes, sizes, and colors."
Both Rick and Hulk smiled at the prospect.
"You hear that, Hulk?" Rick said with a grin. "A world that would accept you as a hero."
Hulk nodded before taking another bite out of his sandwich.
"I must ask," Thor spoke again. "How did you and the Hulk come to know each other? You seem to be the only human he respects."
Rick chuckled a bit, though it seemed a bit forced. He set his sandwich down, looking away wistfully.
"It's because I'm the reason he exists." Rick explained.
Thor raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"I'm not sure I understand." Thor replied.
Rick sighed.
"Have you ever made a mistake?" he asked. "Like, you thought you were above the consequences, and even if there were any, the results would be worth the risk?"
"On occasion," Thor responded. "And such an act brought about the beast?"
Rick nodded.
"My first year of college." Rick began. "I had a class with the most beautiful girl on campus. She wouldn't even give me the time of day. I wanted to prove I was worthy of her notice, so I did something… well, incredibly stupid."
Hulk had finished his sandwich and had placed a massive hand on Rick's shoulders. Rick smirked a bit, patting Hulk's hand.
"I lived out in Nevada where the old bomb testing sites were." he continued. "So, I thought I go out onto one of the military bases, you know, snap some selfies with the No Trespassing signs, grab some green glass, and win her notice, and if I was lucky, something… more."
"I take it things didn't go as planned." Thor guessed.
Rick snorted.
"Not even close. I'm sitting in my car, minding my own business, when a military jeep screeches up next to me. In it was Bruce, and he just told me to get in. I did, and he floored it towards this lead-lined observation booth. We get there, and the door is slowly closing. Bruce shoves me through it seconds before it slams shut, trapping him outside, and me inside..."
He looked away for a bit, clenching his fists.
"That's when the Gamma Bomb went off."
"And this, 'bomb' turned Dr. Banner into the Hulk?" Thor asked.
Rick nodded.
"If I hadn't been out on the stupid testing sight, Dr. Banner wouldn't have had to save me, and he'd be eating Caviar with Betty Ross in Las Vegas, not a fugitive from the law."
"Perhaps, but without your reckless actions, the Hulk would not be here, and not be able to save the lives he has." Thor countered. "Sometimes recklessness lends itself to greater things… such as humility."
Rick raised an eyebrow.
"Why do I get the feeling your referring to something that happened to you?"
Thor chuckled a bit before continuing.
"Believe it or not, I wasn't always the noble hero you see today." Thor admitted. "I used to be a spoiled arrogant prince on the verge of becoming king."
"Then what happened?"
"On the day of my coronation, some Frost Giants snuck into Asgard and tried to break into the weapons vault." Thor explained. "More than a bit irritated by this, I wanted to go to Jotunheim, the realm of the Frost Giants, and find out why and how they came into Asgard, but my father wouldn't allow it."
"And let me guess, you listened to him for about 2 seconds before going anyway." Rick hypothesized.
"Aye." Thor confirmed. "I, Lady Sif, the Warriors three, and Loki, journeyed to Jotunheim. We weren't there long before I, in all my wisdom, started a fight. Odin saved us but not before Laufey, king of the Frost Giants at the time, declared war on Asgard. Enraged by my actions, Odin took away my powers and sent me to earth, in some hope that I would learn humility."
"Wait… you got grounded?" Rick said with a snort. "The God of Thunder got grounded!"
"Amazing I know." Thor remarked. "It wasn't long after I came to earth that I ran into Jane. Or more accurately, she ran into me. With her van."
Now Hulk was the one laughing. Rick was too.
"She hit you with her van?" Rick cackled.
"Then her friend Darcy tazed me." Thor added.
This had both Hulk and Rick laughing hard, the latter slapping the table. After a good minute, the laughter died somewhat, Rick wiping a tear from his eye.
"Man, talk about a bad day." he said in between giggles.
"Indeed." Thor agreed. "Though I am glad it all happened."
"You're glad?" Rick questioned skeptically.
"Well maybe not the tazing part," Thor admitted. "But it was through being on earth and getting to know Jane that I truly learned what it meant to be a warrior, and a hero. If it weren't for my recklessness, I never would have become what I am today."
Rick thought that over, looking back at the Hulk.
"I guess the same could be said for us." he remarked. "If I hadn't gone out on that site, Hulk wouldn't exist, but neither would the people he's saved."
"Verily." Thor agreed.
Hulk crossed his arms, smiling.
"Glad to know there are others who don't think I'm a monster." he declared.
Thor and Rick just smiled in response.
…
Back in the training room, Black Widow and Hawkeye were working on some target practice. They were back to back, taking shots at various guns and other projectiles coming their way.
"I'll admit, this definitely beats the old S.H.I.E.L.D training facility back on the Helicarrier." Widow let out.
"It's one of the perks of this little project." Clint admitted. "But you have to admit, the Avengers are a disaster waiting to happen."
Widow fired at a target, striking it easily before giving Clint a confused look.
"What do you mean?"
"Come on Nat," Clint explained shooting a few more targets. "Just about everyone in this mansion is a disaster waiting to happen. Iron Man is incapable of working with anyone other than himself, Thor's torn between like ten other worlds, the Hulk is a bomb on the verge of going off, Wolverine is a born loner, Spider-Man is just a kid, Ant-Man, couldn't be less interested in fighting criminals, and Wasp belongs on the party circuit, not law enforcement."
"What about Rick?" Widow asked.
"Rick is not an Avenger." Clint replied. "Calling the kid an Avenger is like saying my bow is a member of the team."
"And what about Captain Rogers?"
Clint paused for a moment before letting loose another arrow.
"Ok, Cap seems to be the only one who seems to know what he's doing." Clint admitted.
Widow let loose a few more shots before going back to back with Clint again.
"Do you remember how we were when we were first partnered up?" she asked him.
"How could I forget." Clint recalled. "You hated my guts."
"There was a pool on how long it would take for one of us to kill the other." Widow remembered. "As I recall, everyone thought I'd kill you."
"You'd try." he replied.
"Then Budapest happened." Widow continued. "Trapped behind enemy lines, no communication, barely any ammo, and I had a broken leg. First time I ever had to rely on someone else."
"Yeah, good times." Clint recalled. "What's your point?"
"My point is that we were a joke to S.H.I.E.L.D, one that everyone thought would fail. But, over time, we became the best team there was." Widow informed him. "And the Avengers can be too, if we work on it and make it so."
"Maybe, but I'm just concerned that they'll blow up the city or something trying to 'get along'" Clint shared, firing an arrow so it would bounce off the wall and hit the target.
"Then we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen." Widow replied. "Duck."
Hawkeye ducked just as Widow fired, hitting a target directly behind him. Clint then stood up facing Natasha.
"I think I won this round." Natasha declared.
Clint fired an arrow at the ground that bounced under her and hit a target behind her.
"You were saying?" Clint asked smirking.
…
Up on the roof of the mansion, sitting with his feet dangling over the ledge, Logan looked out at the rising sun, a Cuban cigar in his mouth.
"Hell of a place to get some privacy." Cap remarked, coming up onto the roof.
Logan turned to see his old war buddy joining him.
"Hey Cap." Logan greeted.
Steve slid next to Logan, looking out at the city with a sigh.
"Remember when we used to sit on the roof of the garrison building?" Cap remembered. "Dum Dum would bring the scotch, and we'd all drink and play cards until the General found us."
"Yeah," Logan recalled. "Good times…"
"So…" Cap spoke up. "I'm still a bit curious about your new metal claws."
"Funny story about that," Logan told him. "I got caught by these psychos called the Weapon X program. They pumped my body full of a metal called Adamantium."
Cap looked at his old friend in horror.
"Why did they do that?"
"Don't know." Wolverine admitted. "I don't really remember much. I guess they just wanted to turn me into a weapon."
"Even in the future, there are still monsters." Cap lamented.
"Hatred and prejudice are a constant, Cap." Logan explained, taking a drag from his cigar. "The targets have just shifted."
"How'd you get out?" Cap questioned.
"Fought my way out." Logan answered. "I ran, and I kept running."
"And your other team?" Cap asked, trying to remember. "I remember Fury mentioning something about you being an 'X-man'?"
"The X-Men found me." Logan explained. "They gave me a home and a new reason to fight."
"What changed?" Cap asked. "Why'd you leave?"
"...it involved a woman." he finally told him.
Cap chuckled.
"Doesn't it always?" he remarked. "What's her name?"
"Jean. Jean Grey."
"She pretty?"
"Beautiful. Problem was though, she was with someone else."
Cap winced.
"Been there." He remarked. "I'm guessing her date found out?"
"Yeah. tried to blast me with his fancy laser eyes."
Cap blinked.
"Laser eyes… Remember when the weirdest things in the world were us?"
"Yeah, turns out the world's gotten a lot freakier since 1945."
"I can tell." Steve replied. "Size-changing heroes, man-made monsters, mutants, aliens, god-like beings… I feel like I've stepped into a different world rather than a different time."
"It can feel that way sometimes." Logan replied. "And I had to get here the long way."
Steve nodded, then set down a bottle of scotch and a deck of cards.
"Just because everything's changed, doesn't mean some things can't stay the same." He declared. "Still know how to play Texas hold 'em?"
Logan chuckled a bit.
"I think a few memories of that survived." Logan replied.
The two old friends smiled as Steve dealt the cards, enjoying a moment of reverie.
...
Another Chapter posted. Not really action based but a nice little character story. Expect quite a few of those scattered throughout of the Avengers just being themselves and hanging out. Don't worry though, more action is right around the corner. Hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for more.