Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes
Chapter 5: Promise
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try
"I'm not changing the schedule, Tommy-" said Eli as he crossed his arms at the speedster in front of him. "Just so you can run with Belle. I get the whole 'cause she's a speedster' bit, but seriously, I think Teddy can manage."
"It's not that-" he tried to say. He sighed and gave up. "Fine, put Billy in their instead. But if you want Belle and Teddy to be in one piece, swap someone around." said Tommy. "For their physical and or mental health Eli, change it. We don't want another incident like last time."
"Your worried about Belle aren't you?" asked Eli, eyeing Tommy quizzically.
"Actually," said Tommy, "I'm worried about Teddy. Who knows what Belle could do?"
"Fine. I'll swap Teddy and Billy around." huffed Eli, scribbling on his notepad. "Happy?"
Tommy headed out of the room. "Thanks Eli, Teddy will appreciate it."
"This whole entire concept is unfair," panted Billy. He was running after Belle. They all had one more training session until they had to do a patrol of the city. Also, it was Belle's first time under her new code-name Cascade (Tommy suggested short-stuff cause of her height, Billy was thinking along the lines of Ultimate, so Kate just ignored them all and gave her Cascade, which really meant nothing, but you can't describe Belle's powers in one word can you? And she didn't want Billy going all geeky and picking something stupid, which knowing the witch, was bound to happen sooner or later.)
"Quit complaining." said Belle. She was running at a fast speed, not even breaking a sweat. Billy rather her train with Tommy.
"I have a right to complain." he hissed, "Your a speedster, you belong with Tommy."
"Billy?" Belle asked as she made sure not to go too fast for the witch. They started their 3rd lap of the city block. "You okay?"
Billy snapped out of his daze, which was about Teddy "Oh yeah, fine. I was just going to say that Teddy's really sorry for what happened, we spent a while talking about it."
Belle coughed slightly, "I'm sure you did." she said, semi-sarcastic. The image was still stained in her mind.
Billy blushed, a deep red staining his cheeks. "Belle, did you...um, happen to walk in on us last night? While we were...um.."
"Yep." she kept her eyes on the pavement steadily, making sure she didn't fall over and make a complete fool of herself. "And next time-" she advised, "Lock the door."
"How come we don't have a cool battle cry?" asked Tommy as they walked the city streets, fully in costume. Like anything was going to happen anyway. "Like 'Avengers Assemble'?"
"If your thinking that I'm going to shout 'Young Avengers Assemble' you've got to be kidding Speed." said Eli. "And I don't know why we don't have one, we just don't need one."
Billy kicked the stones on the pavement, watching a particular one bounce of the sidewalk and hitting Tommy on the leg. Tommy glared at him but didn't say anything. "This is really boring." he complained. "We haven't done anything interesting in ages. Last week we just walked around the city while Kate and Cassie discussed nail colors. We're superheroes, they don't have time for nails cause next week they'll probably be rolling in some intergalactic sludge." Kate folded her arms and looked straight ahead. "So why don't I just create a scene. Like I could conjure up a villain, and then we could fight him." he finished off, looking at his team mates hopefully.
"Are you that bored, that you actually consider altering reality so you can fight some bad guys?" laughed Tommy, slinging his arm around his brother.
"Don't hold your breath," said Belle, adjusting her mask which was like Cassie's only silver, which went with her black lycra suit which she kept. She wore her hair down, and changed her black boots to a pair of silver ones. Black looked too 'S.H.I.E.L.D agent-ish. "Iron Man might crash through our kitchen window tonight."
"Now, that would be facebook worthy," mused Kate, as she quoted her new supposed facebook status: " Iron Man just crashed through my kitchen window, then died cause Patriot offered him some of his homemade cookies."
"Oh ha ha ha Hawkeye," said Eli, slightly smiling at his girlfriends comment. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did die. Wow, Tony Stark dying cause I offered him a cookie. Let's try offering poisoned cookies to villains next time. It'll save a lot of costume repairs eh Hawkeye?"
Kate nodded, she spent most of her week repairing all the tears in the Billy's cape, getting new boots for Tommy cause the heel always burnt out, and just repairs for the team in general. It was the twins who got into the whole fighting bad guys stuff. Must run in the family. She thought. "We can call them The Cookies Of Death." she suggested. "Oh and by the way Teddy, why the hell did you rip down the shower curtain for? I have to replace that too."
"I wasn't going to walk through HQ naked was I? Billy wouldn't appreciate it."
"Appreciate what? That your showing us your fabulous body and not him?" Tommy mocked, removing his arm from Billy. "You've got a weird boyfriend." he stated, giving the duo a weird look. He waved to a passerby who in turn wolf-whistled.
"You don't have one in the first place."
"Of course I don't. I told you the first time, Billy, I'm into chicks. Stop trying to seduce me."
"Seduce you! I was clearly stating the lack of love in you life!"
"You don't need love to be a superhero."
Billy paused.
"...that's a good comeback."
"I know right!"
Despite their opposites, they sure acted like brothers. Too much for everyone's liking.
"Guys," Belle announced as they rounded a corner. They all turned to her, she hadn't spoken in a while. Actually, at all. Not since she was complaining about her code-name, which she adopted nether the less. "If Iron Man does come to take me back, please promise me that-" she swallowed harshly, "You'll let me go."
She hated that she had to break this news to them. There was really no other good time. For the past 10 minutes or so she was having a inner debate with herself about how she was going to break this to them. The 'tell the straight out' side won of course. She was never the one to hold back, that is, if she wasn't acting like Ms. Marvel or something.
Tommy's face was in shock, she wanted to go back? Back to the guy he ruined her life. What he could do with her, the ultimate weapon. "Belle!- wait Cascade... You actually want to go with him?"
"It's best for everyone," she said simply, shrugging her shoulders for effect. "But please, promise me that." she begged, her silver streaked hair, blowing in the small gust of wind that had just blown past. "It has to be this way."
"I don't agree with that particularly," said Teddy, sharing a look with Billy who nodded in agreement. "But I care about you, so if it's Iron Man you want to be with- fine by me."
"I don't want to go," Belle interrupted, "I have to go. You guys just don't get it. It's complicated."
Tommy looked pained, letting Belle go would be hard for him. "It's fine by me." They could all hear the strain in his voice.
The rest of the team mumbled their agreements. They didn't really want Belle to go over to his side, but Belle insisted on it, so they respected her wishes. She was a member of the team after all.
"Oi!" Tommy said suddenly. He pointed to their left. "A hijacking. Finally, I was getting bored." he motioned towards the store that was being held captive, "Cascade, would you like to run ahead with me? It is your first crime after all-" he was cut off as Belle had already sped off. Tommy left in an instant, leaving Eli, Teddy, Kate and Billy to run (really slowly compared to Belle and Tommy) after them.
"Do you know," said Billy, "how hot you get when your trying to run in black leather. I wish I went with my instincts and picked spandex. And Eli? I liked the sound of Young Avengers Assemble." Billy added as they ran, his feet pounding on the concrete as the sounds of alarms went off not so far away.
"Are you kidding me?" Eli exclaimed at his team-mates statement, "Uh uh, no way in hell. That more the reason for people to think we are just a group of Avengers Babies."
"Fine, I'll shout it out." suggested Kate as they eventually made it to the scene.
The thieves held a woman, who was the assumed shop keeper to gunpoint, which they couldn't really do anymore since Tommy took their guns away in an instant. The customers were in awe at the speed Tommy did that in. In the crowd, a little boy clapped his hands contently. Eli packed a punch to one of the guys faces, the sound of their nose cracking made Teddy want to laugh, Eli always did it in style.
A second later, Belle had trapped the thieves in a force field, her eyes were a electric purple. "What do I do now?" she asked nervously, her hands flickering in a purple light, "Can I let them go or something?"
In an instant, or a thought, Billy had the thieves tried up and gagged. A familiar siren rang as the police arrived on scene. A bit late. But they weren't complaining, at least they got to do something.
"I was looking forward to our battle cry," sulked Kate afterwards as camera's flashed around them, "Your such a spoilsport Patriot- your no fun at all. Live a little."
Eli ignored Kate's statement. How dare she suggest that he wasn't having fun. He looked over to the police cars surround them. "Crap," he growled, "The damn news reporters haven't met Belle yet."
"And we can't exactly explain her powers can we?" added in Billy, "I'm pretty sure Tony Stark watches the news."
Tommy gave his twin a quizzical look. "How do you know that? What haven't you told us Wiccan?" he joked playfully. He was never serious. At all.
Billy was going to shoot back some witty sarcastic comment but before he could say a word, the news reporters and journalists had surrounded them from out of nowhere, sticking microphones and flashed cameras. The only thought that was going through their minds was the fact that if Tony or Reed got a photo of Belle; and recognized her- they'd be expecting a visit from him sooner or later.
"Wiccan, Patriot, Hulkling, Hawkeye II and Speed, care to tell us about your new team mate? And where are Stature and Vision?, Why haven't you joined the Superhuman Registration Act? You're at a risk in public." a reporter pressed.
"Why do they keep on calling me Hawkeye the second." hissed Kate to Eli, "It's so annoying. I should've picked Hawkingbird or something. Not that I particularly like that name..."
Belle shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. She was slightly blurring on the edges. Tommy put an arm on her shoulder and whispered, "Calm down, Wiccan's gonna get us out of here before we're put live on tv."
"I'm not worried about that." said Belle, running a hand through her hair. "Well, I am a little. But the main problem is that." she pointed to a person walking over in the street.
"Who is that?" whispered Eli. The news reporter must have got the idea that no-one was going to introduce Belle, so they all left in a huff and the police took the thieves down town.
"Reed Richards," Belle said. She closed her eyes for a second, a flash of her past making her feel unsafe. "Crap, he's found me. And all you guys since he is one of Tony's best buds."
"Billy could you?" Eli said, worried. He didn't feel like fighting any of the Fantastic Four at this moment.
Billy nodded, glowed blue, and teleported them out.
Reed smirked. These mini Avengers were playing dirty. He needed Project 2512125 back before any of her other powers emerged. If Susan hadn't handed her over to the mini Avengers, she would still be frozen cryogenically- under his and Tony's supervision.
He picked up his phone, "Tony?"
"Reed? Good, where is she now?" Tony said urgently.
"Don't worry Tony, she's still with the Young Avengers. She's not going anywhere."
Tony huffed on the phone, "I'm going in. The armor's still restarting but-"
"What!" exclaimed Reed, "You can't go against them with a just restarted armor, you know what happened last time." Reed checked his surroundings, for anyone watching.
"Stop worrying. I know my armor." reassured Tony. "Just calm down Mister Fantastic."
Reed heard a beep and a series of clicks and clatters. It sounded like he was putting the armor on.
"You still there Reed?" Iron Man's emotionless tone said, before he took his helmet off. "I'm going now."
"Oh okay. And watch out for Quicksilver junior." he warned but Tony interrupted.
"Speed?"
"Yeah that one. Apart from being blown up- he's kinda protective of her. From what I've seen."
Tony was silent. "Ah, I see, I was afraid that might happen. I told you we shouldn't of used a female. But don't worry he'll get over it. So any other warnings?"
"Wanda junior is extremely powerful so is the mini Hulk, Hawkeye, the young girl wearing Ant-Man's costume, cap junior and the vision. But really you should worry about Wanda and Pietro's looka likes."
"They have names you know Reed. But I knew that already. I've met them all before, Steve and I tried to shut them down. That was before..."
"Wanda jun- I mean Wiccan, is more like her than I though." Reed said, correcting himself.
Tony sighed, "I know. We all know. But we're here to get 2512125 back- not shut Wiccan down before another mutant decimation. And even if we did go near him, our throats would be ripped out by Hulking, which, in case you hadn't noticed, is his boyfriend. And even if we manage to lay a finger on Wiccan or Speed, Erik will step in and I don't want a fight. I just want our 10 years work back."
Reed nodded silently in agreement. It was risky, if you were Tony Stark, just walking down the street was risky. "Fine, go ahead and bring her back from their HQ, which is where they probably are right now. It's that abandoned Bishop Publishing Building."
Tony laughed as he was about to put the helmet on. Reed admired that armor, it was a work of pure genius. Exactly what Mr Stark was. "Not much of a Avengers Mansion is it? Well, I heard that their Hawkeye currently funds the team. Good luck to her, funding a team of superheroes can be quite challenging. And also slightly suspicious, ordering stacks of tights and capes cause the team you're in charge of always some way to rip of destroy theirs is a bit weird. Anyway, you fund the Fantastic Four, so you know what I mean."
"Tony- just go." Reed said urgently, "Their very clever, especially that Captain America junior- oops I mean...Patriot. He's extremely strategic. They're a pretty amazing team, someday, I can see them becoming the actual Avengers."
"You can join them If you want." Iron Man's tone said, the death of his team mate heavy on his back. "Meet me back at Avengers Tower in a hour. If it all goes to plan, we'll have her back."
"Don't arrest them Tony."
"I wasn't planning to."
"Why not."
"Because there's more important things than to lock people up. And this is one of them."
Belle paced around the room very quickly, her eyes flashing multiple colours as her body didn't know if it was going to throw a force-field or torch the place up.
"Belle," soothed Kate, who was situated on the couch, her feet on Teddy's lap. "Calm down."
Belle kept on pacing faster and faster until Tommy just had enough. He jumped up from the tables and stood in front of her, arms crossed. "Belle, please." he put his hands on her shoulder, forcing her to stop.
She bit her lip, her eyes stopping on a mellow golden tone, which really meant flame. "I can't." Suddenly she perked up. "Shit, he's coming."
Eli looked around, suddenly in attack mode. What was she going on about? Who-
SMASH! Iron Man came crashing through their meeting room window. He didn't pay attention to the bewildered team, just Belle. In a kinda predator way.
"Sorry to interrupt-" he said.
Kate cut in. "Oh, it's okay," she drawled sarcastically, "We don't mind if you crash through our meeting room window."
Tony nodded, which looked weird in the armor. "And you're not under arrest by the way, I'll let this time slip. Consider yourselves lucky."
Belle was frozen to the spot. Her now purple eyes were focused on what ever slit things Iron Man had for eyes. "I'm not going." she whispered as she put a force-field around her and her team mates. The purple not even flickering in weakness like her other one did. It was a full strength, unbreakable force-field. And one of those required a lot of concentration and emotion.
"Belle, remember what you promised us." Kate said wearily, looking at Belle.
"I know." she said faintly, "But I'll miss you so much and I-"
"2512125, we're leaving." Tony said, Belle? What? How the hell did she get that as a name. Well, it is way easier that saying 2512125 all the time. I bet Susan picked it. I am so going to kill Reed Richards when we get back. he thought, as he tried to figure out his next move.
He put a metallic limb on her shoulder as Belle couldn't hold back her emotions anymore and the force-field disappear, which meant she was going to break down soon enough.
Belle slid to her knees. Billy tried tried to comfort her, but his arm went right through her body. "What the hell?" he slid his arm back out again in amazement.
Tommy, Teddy, Eli, Kate and Tony all saw what had happened. Only Tony knew why. Heightened moments of emotions usually set off her gene structure, which in turn make her abilities more powerful. A blast of emotion.
"She's getting her other abilities, she needs to come back with me." re-enforced Tony again.
Tommy also tried to touch her, but just like Billy, he phased through. "From who?" he sneered, "Shadowcat?"
Iron Man nodded, "Your a good guesser...Maximoff." he decided to play clever, that was what he was after all.
Tommy growled, "So you steal genetic material from the X-Men now? What type of person are you? Wait...don't answer that."
"Sinister and I have an arrangement." he said., not giving to much away. If he did, these kids would take him down no doubt. "And I don't want to fight you, so give me the girl, and It'll all be over. If she doesn't join me, I'll have no choice to arrest you for violating the Superhuman Registration Act."
Belle walked over to the Iron Man.
"No-" yelled the team in unison, in a desperate attempt to keep her on their side. Belle gave them an apologetic smile.
"Do you want to get arrested?" she exclaimed in awe, "I'll go with Iron Man. Just try not to remember me that much."
Kate stepped forward and hugged her, Kate's head on he shoulder. She didn't slip through...luckily. It took a required amount of effort for Belle to keep herself from falling through the floor."We'll see you again?" she asked as she pulled away from Kate.
"Don't count on it." she muttered as she headed towards Eli. "See ya later Patriot." she did a knuckle-knuckle punch and grinned, "Hawkeye's a better leader."
Eli shook his head. "Still cracking jokes at a time like this?"
Billy ran towards Belle and pulled her into the tightest hug of all time. She didn't know if she could breathe of not. "Billy, I'm not going to war. I'm probably going to the Avengers Tower, which is like across the city, literally."
Teddy wrapped his arms around the pair of them. "Kinda awkward." she mumbled into Billy's chest, since she was a head shorter than him. "Your gay, remember?"
Teddy smiled and pulled apart, leaving Belle gasping for air. "Fun while it lasted eh Cascade?"
"Yeah," she said as she approached Tommy who had a mask of blank over his sadness. "Thomas Maximoff or Shepherd if you prefer it that way." she said softly as she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Tommy didn't want to let her go. It wasn't fair that frickin Iron Man could take Belle, the girl he had just sort of, maybe, even a little, bit fell for, the girl who didn't know how he felt about her, away. He saw in her eyes a couple of tears forming. He wiped it away, admiring her emerald shade as they pulled apart. "I'll miss you, more than anything." he whispered hastily.
Iron Man wheezed some mechanical cough. "We're leaving now."
Belle quickly whispered in Tommy's ear as she headed out the door with Tony following her, his metal steps echoing in the silence that the team was draped in. "Sorry about the window." Iron Man called out as he and Belle disappeared.
Tommy stood still and tried to compose himself. He took a deep breath, swallowed and looked at the team. "We're going to get her back right?" the team nodded vigorously in return. Duh.
There was a knock at the door. The team turned to see Cassie and Vision at the door. "What did we miss? Wait- where did Belle go? And why did I just see Iron Man-" she babbled as she walked in and spotted the team's depressed and helpless looks. "And why are all you guys so... sad?"
"Welcome back...Belle." said Reed as the towers door's slid open to reveal Tony, his helmet off his armor, and Belle, in a costume similar to his. Probably from Susan or Johnny. Damn them He's going to explain to the siblings that stealing away a gene project and handing them over to a group of amateurs was a really stupid idea. "That is your name isn't it? Dubbed by my wife? Pretty clever, 2-5-12-12-5. I like it."
"Leave me alone Richards," she spat, folding her arms in distaste.
"How are your powers going?" he inquired, as he offered her a seat. She sat down grumpily in front of him and Tony. Like if she was in trouble at school or something. And by the way Tony and Reed were staring at her, she was in big trouble alright.
"Just great, no thanks to you. Can't you just let me live? I've been your guinea pig for years. It's not fair." she sulked, bringing her knees to her chest.
"You belong to us." said Tony. "Not the...Young Avengers."
Belle gave Tony a bitter look. "In my personal opinion, they're better that the Avengers. And do you know what? I'm leaving." she stood up but Reed stretched out and his extra long arm held her back.
"No torching, speeding, phasing, force-fielding or climbing. Got it?" Tony said angrily.
"Phasing?" pondered Reed, "Sinister's material actually worked? He's not the type of person who would help us...being him."
Tony nodded. "Yes I know, but it worked."
Reed's phone beeped. He picked it up, "Belle, I'd like you to meet someone." a figure appeared in a cloak, from behind the shadows. "And they'd like to talk to you..."
Please, pretty please review! Up next...Quicksilver and Magneto...