Hello, everybody. I am back with Chapter 2. It's been a while, but I'm glad to have this up.
First off, I wanted to address something. I received a review saying that Chapter 1 has already been done elsewhere. I would like to acknowledge that. I got the basic idea for Chapter 1's plot from Chapter 1 of a story called A Man Like No Other by Marcus L. Lazarus. I want to acknowledge that the credit goes to him, and I tried to add in as much of my own stuff as I could to make it different. But, rest assured that the rest of the story should be much different from A Man Like No Other.
I have nothing else to say at the moment. So let's just get started with the chapter.
Chapter 2- Katniss' History Lesson
I stare at the old man, and then back at the collection of items I see before me. "Wh-what do you mean? The Avengers? Who are they?"
He steps forward. "Two centuries ago, where Panem is now, there was a great nation known as America. In America, there was an agency called SHIELD, tasked with the protection of the American homeland, along with other things."
"At some point, the leaders of SHIELD came up with an idea. The idea was to bring together a group of extraordinary people to fight the battles that they never could. That idea was known as the Avengers Initiative.
"Some years later, the idea came to fruition. When a member of a powerful race from another world threatened Earth with invasion by the powerful alien race he commanded, Earth's greatest heroes came together and saved Earth.
"In the following years, the Avengers fought many more battles, as a team or on their own. They saved Earth from terrorists, aliens, demons intent on destroying Earth, sentient robots aiming to wipe out humanity, and many other villains with various intents. Their greatest victory was over Thanos, an alien war-lord bent on wiping out every single living organism in the universe.
"After many years, lasting peace came. The Avengers settled down and began to raise families.
"But, the peace soon began to deteriorate. The great natural disasters we know devastated our world were beginning. Resources were rapidly depleting. War was becoming more common.
"Exactly 178 years ago, the fate of the world was sealed. By that point, many countries had been devastated by floods, droughts, and earthquakes. The seas were rising, and had already swallowed much land. Resources were now terribly depleted.
"178 years ago, a great nation named Russia invaded several neighboring nations, pursuing valuable resources, particularly farmland and oil sources. When American allies were invaded, America became involved.
"But, very quickly, it transformed from a war about alliances to a war about resources and survival. Humanity was becoming desperate. All nations knew they had to gain control of more resources or fall apart and die. Nations that were once allies turned on each other. No country on Earth could afford to not be involved.
"Before this time, there were two great wars involving countries across the world that were called the Two World Wars. But even they were limited to certain lands, and many countries did not fight.
"These two World Wars were nothing compared to the apocalyptic war. Every country on Earth was fighting. The fighting raged across every continent. Weapons that had been banned were used in great numbers, and nuclear weapons were used in several instances.
"By the end of the first year of the war, 19 countries had been destroyed. By the end of the second year, that number had increased to 37. By the end of the third year, over 100 countries had been destroyed, and two continents were now virtually uninhabited, and a third nearing that point.
"By the end of the first half of the fourth year, only 7 countries still existed. 4 of those were destroyed within the next 2 months. By the end of the fourth year, the three remaining countries had disintegrated, and what was left of humanity was reduced to a nomadic lifestyle. It took over 30 years for the primitive Panem to form.
"Now, you are probably wondering that this has to do with the Avengers. Well, I will tell you.
"When the war began, the Avengers were yet alive. But they were not as strong as they once were. When the war began, despite their age, the Avengers reunited and began trying to help end the war.
"When the war started to evolve into an all-out worldwide war, the Avengers realized the danger of what was happening. They drew together any other heroes they could, and went to work trying to stop the war.
"But, humanity was desperate. This had become a fight for survival. People who had once loved the Avengers now saw them as an obstacle to their survival.
"The Avengers had some success, and were able to save many people from the fate of their countries. But, they paid dearly for this.
"By the end of the second year of the war, 3 of the Avengers had fallen. By the end of the third year, over half of the team was dead. And, within 2 months of the start of the fourth year, the Avengers were extinct.
"Those of their children and grandchildren who were still alive were hurt badly by the loss of their loved ones. But, they were determined to preserve their legacy. They gathered what they could of the Avengers', and eventually entrusted it all to my family.
"Over time, the descendants of the Avengers slowly forgot their ancestry. Though there are a number of their descendants alive today, none of them, save a few, know who they are descended from, and all who do know, save one, live here in 13. Including me."
"Wait! Wait! Hold up. How do you know so much about the Avengers? Why did you say 'including me'? And why would your family be entrusted with all this?" I ask in confusion.
He smiles. "The answer to all those questions is the same. Why? Well, my full name is Robert Steven Stark. My great-great-great-great-grandfather was Tony Stark, the Iron Man, and one of the first Avengers."
I stare at him, unable to speak. So, he continues. "My family has kept the knowledge of our ancestry. We have preserved the memory of the Avengers."
He moves toward the case with the armor, and I follow.
He places his hand on the case. "These are the armor of Iron Man, my ancestor, and the most dangerous weapon ever created."
He moves to a case with a pair of strange circular gauntlets. "These are the Widow's Bite. They were gauntlets of the Black Widow, one of the greatest spies and assassins in history. Her skill at unarmed combat was unequalled."
He leads me to the case with the bow. "This is the bow of Hawkeye, a master archer who fought with a variety of arrows, and could hit any target from impossible distances and angles."
He walks over to the case with red jumpsuit, gloves, and mask. "This is the costume of Spider-Man, the hero who was as much a spider as a human."
He then leads me to a case with a strange black mask with an interesting design and yellow eye patches, resting on a black body suit and a necklace of claws. Next to the suit lie several knives made of a strange metal.
Robert says, "These are the outfit and weapons of the Black Panther. King of the nation of Wakanda, the Black panther had incredible strength, skill, and reflexes, and fought with weapons made of the strongest metal on Earth: Vibranium."
He then points to the ceiling, where a pack with metal wings sprouting from it hangs. "These are the wings of the Falcon, the man who could fly like a bird."
He then leads me to a case with a strange silver helmet with scarlet eyes, resting on top of a strange red body suit. "These are the helmet and suit of the Ant-Man. He could shrink to the size of an ant, and all ants were his to command."
He then leads me to a case that holds a hammer resting in a small pile of rock. The hammer has a large box-like head, a short handle, and a leather strap. "This is Mjolnir. This was the hammer of Thor. Its power is unequalled, and it can only be held by those deemed worthy."
Lastly, he leads me to the case in the center of the room, the one with the shield.
Robert is actually silent for a few moments. When he speaks, he has a new tone of respect in his voice.
"This is the shield of Captain America, the first Avenger. He was their leader, and inspired them. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more humble, kind, pure-hearted man anywhere or anywhen. His shield was virtually indestructible, and could be used to both defend and attack."
He's silent for a few more moments, then motions me to a closed off area.
As we enter, I stop. The wall is covered in pictures of people I assume are the Avengers.
Robert points out the photos of the Avengers he introduced to me already, all on one side of the wall. Then, he turns to the others photos, placed on the other side of the wall.
"These are the photos of whom we have no relics, only their memory."
He indicates a picture of a man in a strange blue, red, and yellow robe with a very high collar. "This is Dr. Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. Instructed in the ways of magic, Dr. Strange helped to protect the Earth from demons from other dimensions."
Next, he indicates a photo of a woman in a black dress and red jacket, her hands glowing with red energy, standing next to a man in a grey shirt and light blue pants. "These are the Maximoff twins, Wanda and Pietro. They were known as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. She had powers of magic, different from those of Dr. Strange. Quicksilver had incredible speed, and was able to run faster than a bullet."
Next, he indicates a picture of a man with green skin, a yellow cape, a red face, and a yellow gem set in his forehead. "This is the Vision, an android with incredible power and near invulnerability. He was dedicated to protecting life."
Then he indicates a picture of a man in a tight navy blue jumpsuit with a terrifying look on his face, and three metal claws sprouting from his knuckles on each hand.
"This is a photo of the Wolverine. He was not an Avenger, but he was one of the deadliest heroes of all. His bones and claws were coated in an indestructible metal known as adamantium. And, he had the power to heal himself of any injury. This also kept him healthy and stopped his aging, basically making him immortal."
Then, he indicates a photo of a woman in an interesting costume, flying through the air with her fists glowing with golden energy. "This is a photo of Ms. Marvel, a woman whose DNA was altered by exposure to an alien energy, giving her the power to fly, as well as incredible strength, the ability to absorb energy, and the power to release blasts of energy from her hands."
Then, he points to the last photo, and the most intimidating. The photo is of a massive humanoid, green-skinned beast with enormous muscles. In the photo, the beast is roaring and lifting a massive block of stone. Next to him is a woman with similar green skin and enlarged muscles.
"The green monster in this photo is the Hulk, the strongest hero there ever was. When exposed to radiation from a lab accident, Dr. Bruce Banner gained the ability to transform into an invulnerable green monster of rage with unlimited strength which grew when his anger did. That monster was known as the Hulk. The woman next to him is the She-Hulk. When Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, needed a blood transfusion, she got it from Bruce, causing her to become the She-Hulk, not as strong as the Hulk, but still very powerful."
We stand in silence for a few moments before Robert turns to me. "This is the legacy of the Avengers. What do you think of it?"
I'm in silence for a bit longer before I manage to speak. "I-it's amazing. All of this. Who they were. It's incredible. If only we have them to help us."
Robert smiles. "Exactly."
I turn to him, confused. "What?"
"My family has guarded all this for over 170 years. But that's not all we kept. Nor did we guard all this just to preserve the memory of the Avengers.
"Since the end of the great war, my family has known humanity would eventually begin to recover. And when that happened, bad people would again cause chaos. For these reasons, my family has believed there would come a time when new heroes would rise to take up the past heroes' mantles, and the Avengers would be reborn.
"Katniss," Robert says, looking right into my eyes, "I believe that time has come. If we win this war, Panem will take time to recover. And, wandering tribes of people on other continents have begun to settle down and form civilizations. We will need people to help keep the peace. It's time for a new generation of Avengers to rise to protect this world."
I feel joy and confidence starting to rise. Then, Robert says something that shocks me. "And, Katniss, I want you to become the leader of the New Avengers."
I stand there in utter shock. Deep down, I feel like I've known he was leading up to this since he started to describe each of the Avengers. But what he has said has me frozen in shock.
After a minute, I regain my ability to speak, and I burst out.
"What?! Are you serious? No! That's not possible. I'm only 17. I can't be an Avenger. I don't have what it takes!"
"Yes, you do!" he shouts. I'm taken aback with the look of intensity on his face.
"Katniss, you are more worthy to be an Avenger than almost anyone else I've ever seen. You're the best archer this world has seen since Hawkeye. You know how to fight. You have good endurance. You're good at tactics and strategy. You have an ability to inspire people unparalleled by anyone except maybe Peeta. But, most importantly, it's your duty to your bloodline."
This fills me with confusion. He said something similar back in my compartment. I get the feeling that part of me knows exactly what he means, but the rest of me is unable to register it. "What do you mean?" is all I can get out.
"Do you remember what I said about descendants of the Avengers not knowing their ancestry? I wasn't just telling you that just to tell you. I was telling you something about yourself."
Finally, every part of me gets it, and it stuns me. "Y-you mean, I'm…"
"Yes," he says, "Dou you think your father's skill with a bow was just because of practice? No. Your father is a descendant of Hawkeye, the archer. And do you think your mother's kind-heartedness was just something she was born with? No. Your mother is descended from Steve Rogers, aka Captain America."
"Do you understand? Your skill with a bow, your kind-heartedness, at times, and your ability to inspire people come through your blood, because you are descended from two Avengers. Do you see? It's not just because of your skills. It's your inheritance. It's in your blood not just to be an Avenger. It's in your blood to lead the Avengers."
I sit in silence for a while, thinking it over. It's hard to believe. I still feel like I am not adequate to be an Avenger.
But, part of me is yelling at me that he's right. I have always been competent with a bow, even when I was just starting. Everyone says I inspire people so easily, which is why I'm the Mockingjay. And, all Robert has said finally explains my dreams about the white star.
After a minute, I make up my mind. In my mind, I know it's true. And, after the war, I did not know what I wanted to with my life. This will give me purpose in my life when the war is done.
I nod. "Okay. Yes. I can tell you're telling the truth. I'll become an Avenger, and lead them to defend peace."
Robert smiles. "Good. You will be Mockingjay, and take the bow of your ancestor, Hawkeye. You will be the new archer of the Avengers."
"We can begin resurrecting the Avengers soon. Already have candidates to take up the mantles of many of them. I have the equipment for those who had no powers, and for those who did have powers, I have the ability to replicate them."
"But, before we go any further, there is something you must know. Two of the Avengers are still alive."
"What?" I exclaim in shock, "What are you talking about? You said specifically that by the end of the war, the Avengers were extinct."
"I did. And for the most part, they were dead. But, when I called them extinct, I meant as a working team. But, two Avengers survived the war.
"The first was Thor. Thor was not a human. He was an Asgardian, the race that inhabited the world of Asgard. Asgardians looked identical to humans, but possessed extreme strength, endurance, and long life. A typical Asgardian could live for 5,000 years.
"Thor was the son of Odin, the great king of Asgard. Thor, Odin, and a number of other notable Asgardians were worshipped as gods by an ancient people called the Norse. He was the god of thunder, because his hammer, Mjolnir, allowed him to summon and fire lightning bolts.
"Several years before the forming of the Avengers, Thor was banished to Earth for his behavior. While on Earth, he fell in love with a mortal woman and developed a love for Earth and humanity.
"Thor was part of the original team of Avengers. But, by the time of the great war, he had begun to lose faith in humanity. In the beginning of the war, he lost his hammer. This was the final straw. Already carrying the responsibilities as new king of Asgard, Thor left Earth behind and returned home to Asgard.
"The other Avengers to survive the war was the other Avenger who was not human. A few years before after the Avengers first formed, my ancestor, Tony Stark, attempted to create an artificial intelligence to protect the world and take the place of the Avengers. He called it: Ultron.
"However, Ultron's programming evolved at an incredible rate. He saw humanity as the cause of the world's problems and believed that the only way to bring order was to exterminate humanity.
"During the very brief war between Ultron and the Avengers, Ultron attempted to create a new ultimate body for himself. However, the Avengers stole it, and Tony Stark attempted to upload what was left of his old AI assistant into the body.
"The team was divided on this, and this led to a fight which ended when Thor used his lightning to bring the android to life.
"However, Tony' AI evolved as this happened, manifesting itself in the body as a whole new being. The android became a being dedicated to preserving life, and wiser than any of the Avengers. If that wasn't enough, he became the first besides Thor and Odin to be worthy to lift Thor's hammer, Mjolnir.
"This android was named the Vision. With extreme power, he became a dedicated protector of humanity. He was destroyed at one point, but was later resurrected.
"Near the end of the war, Captain America and the Vision were the last two Avengers left on Earth. Cap saw the situation was hopeless, so he decided to preserve the Avengers' legacy as best he could. So, he deactivated the Vision and sealed him in a vault deep within a mountain. He entrusted the general location to Tony Stark's son, my ancestor, along with his shield. Then, he vanished and was never seen again."
"What happened to Ultron?" I blurt out. "The Vision destroyed him. He was resurrected by Thanos to fight the Avengers, but was destroyed again. But, since he was a program, he might have survived his second destruction. However, he has not been seen or detected since then, so it is not likely that he survived."
"For many years, my family has searched for the Vision's vault. And, 21 years ago, we found it."
I feel surprised, then I start to feel angry. "If you know where it is, then why haven't you released him? He could've helped us! The Capitol might already be defeated!"
"We haven't released him yet because we can't."
I stare at him, confused.
"We can enter the Vision's vault," Robert says, "But we cannot reactivate him, no remove him from the vault. He can only leave the vault if he is re-activated, and he can only be re-activated by the touch of a descendant of Captain America."
"You are the one we have been waiting for. You can awaken the Vision, and lead him and a new generation of Avengers to victory in this war and in protecting peace after."
I sit in silence, thinking about what I'm getting into. Then, I nod. "Alright. Let's go bring back the Vision."
And that's the end.
I hope everyone liked this chapter. I cannot wait to get up the next one.
Now, just some general information. All of the Avengers, and Wolverine, described in this chapter will be reborn. Characters you know, and a few OCs, will take up their mantles. Please leave me your guesses as to which characters will become which heroes. Also, the New Avengers may fight a MARVEL villain, or someone who has taken his/her place, in the end.
Now, for two questions. First off, would anybody like to see Katniss become worthy to lift Thor's hammer? And second, would like to see Snow recreate MARVEL villains to fight the New Avengers? Let me know your answer.
That's it. Until next time.
To be continued in "The Vision Returns"