Revamped!

[I know that I don't get new story notifications until the second chapter so if that's the case for you then welcome to this story].


Chapter 2: Some Assembly Required

SHIELD Research Laboratory - Harare, Zimbabwe – 6:59 AM

"You know, there was a lock on that door," James says to the man. "You could've just picked it silently and killed me in my sleep."

Xavier laughs whole-heartedly as he waves the smoke off with his hand and enters the room. James rolls his eyes as grows back to his normal size, picks up his pillow, and whacks Xavier with it. Xavier accepts the attack before James throws the pillow back onto the head of his bed (missing it completely).

"What are you doing here?" James asks him, packing his bags. He quickly assumes that Xavier will get him out of Zimbabwe and since Xavier doesn't object, James doesn't stop throwing clothes into a suitcase. He couldn't be more excited to leave. A part of him believes that his knight in shining armor is here to whisk him away into the burning sunset.

"Making your boring expedition more exciting," Xavier replies, jokingly. "I finally spoke to the Council and they gave me permission."

James lights up, immediately knowing what Xavier's talking about. "Seriously? Project: New Generation is finally getting some action? Now, I forgive you for your over-dramatic entrance. It's fitting."

Xavier nods. "I just have to get the others but minus myself, you're the first."

"I'm incredibly flattered but your sister has my heart."

James smiles to himself as Xavier rolls his eyes. James clears out every dresser drawer and his closet, totalling up to three suitcases. He forces Xavier to carry two of his suitcases which Xavier allows because his friend is so happy. James shrinks the suitcase left for him to carry and puts it in his pocket. Excited by all the good news, James forgets to change out of his pyjamas and Xavier doesn't say anything for three reasons: one, he didn't want to disrupt James's joy. Two, they would get the others faster. Three, it was way funnier this way.

-o-

Venice, Italy – 20:17 PM

Merida focuses on her target, aiming her arrow right at it. She takes another breath and almost inches her fingers off the arrow to let it fly. Suddenly, she stops. Merida lowers the bow when the gondola driver turns around and looks right at her. At first, she didn't know how the target could spot her since she was wearing camouflage in the dark. With the facial recognition software in her night-vision goggles, the scans show the gondola driver to be Xavier. Merida quickly rips off her glasses and runs off the rooftop, skidding down the building's fire escape. She runs up to the marina and sees Xavier already docked, waiting for her. She sits inside the gondola, back facing him, and Xavier begins rowing along the water roads.

"Long time no see," Merida greets. Despite her tone being harsh, she means what she said sincerely.

Xavier sighs. "Were you going to shoot me?"

"Yes." Merida firmly states. Xavier isn't surprised. "Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you now and dispose of your body in this water."

"Project: New Generation got a green light."

At first, Merida doesn't respond since her mind takes a few seconds to take those seven words in. She turns around and looks back at Xavier to make sure he wasn't joking and he nods.

"That makes seeing you in a stupid gondolier's outfit worth it."

Xavier is currently wearing the black and white striped top, red ascot tied around his neck, black pants, and hat. He had to blend in. He ignores her laughs and rolls his eyes as he splashes her with the ore.

"Would you like me to sing for you?" Xavier jokes.

"I would rather drown myself," Merida responds.

-o-

SHIELD Experimentation Laboratory - Suzhou, China – 19:51 PM

Considering that the package could contain anything, he's careful when opening it. Once he gets through the tape, he opens the box's flaps and sees a ton of packing peanuts. Daniel scoops them all out onto the countertop and the floor until he reaches the bottom of the box. He picks up a simple note and reads it, smiling a little when he recognizes the handwriting: the legible-enough penmanship he used to see all the time in high school when asked, "Is this what you got for question 7?"

"Please tell me you didn't waste money on the shipping and handling of this empty package," Daniel says to Xavier who suddenly appears in the doorway.

"Given that it weighs nothing, I barely spent a dime," Xavier replies. He takes a quick breath. "Daniel, Project: New Generation is starting."

Daniel's face drops in pure shock (the kind that follows fear). Xavier remembers the statement from the council about having a Hulk nobody knows how to control in situations where combat can't be planned. This is what everyone feared, especially Daniel. Forget everyone else being scared of a hulk they can't control, he's the one who has the least bit of command over it.

"Are you sure?" Daniel asks. "Are you really properly sure?"

"I am."

"I can't do this. I can't just -"

"Daniel, I promise that I will never force you to do so. We're smart. We'll come up with other strategies."

Daniel looks at Xavier, still unsure. His Hulk is his worst fear and the last time he encountered it was seven years ago at their high school graduation when all their lives were at risk because of it. Xavier nods, reassuring his point.

"C'mon," Xavier encourages even more, "let's have some fun."

Daniel mutters curses to himself before reluctantly agreeing to join something he probably had no other option. Besides, being a good team member would give him some good brownie points with the Council.

-o-

PNG Quinjet - 21:40 PM

Xavier and Daniel walk on a quinjet, finely equipped with everything they need from training rooms to offices, sleeping quarters, laboratories, kitchens, and a bar with its accompanying lounge. Daniel sees James and Merida and quickly catch up as Xavier pulls up a hologram of news footage. What sparks all their attention is the newscaster talking about a story with Angela's face in the corner and the word WANTED in bold red letters. The whole group is speechless as Xavier turns up the volume to hear the full story.

"Late this evening, a ring valued at over a billion dollars was stolen from Miami's Antiquity Museum. All police are to be aware of a mysterious blonde suspect who fled from a robbery at the Miami Museum after a fight with the security. She's described to be tall, Caucasian, thin yet toned, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The blonde suspect is highly dangerous and holds the valuable artifact from the museum with her. Citizens are warned not to approach her and notify the local authorities as soon as possible."

"Your sister's gone nuts," Merida tells Xavier. "All this for a ring? I expected something like this from Britney."

"To be fair," Daniel says, "given a good reason, people would go to great lengths to get a ring."

"Talk about how you got Emily's engagement ring again, why don't you?"

"Britney wanted to drag it to extremes, not me. And to be fair, I paid it all back."

"You're a good Samaritan, Daniel Banner."

"See, maybe it was Britney," James pipes in, getting back on topic. "She's blonde, mysterious, would totally put the blame on someone else - in this case, Angela because nobody would believe it, and she possesses every other characteristic mentioned in the tape. Well, except for the eyes but their security technology is still probably the same ones from the '90s."

"It wasn't Britney!" Xavier yells a bit too loud. He takes a breath calm himself down. "I'm sorry but it just couldn't be. She told me that Asgard's got far nicer jewelry. Angela's mission was in Miami but SHIELD wouldn't spare me any more details since 'it's classified.'" He throws in the air quotes. "She has no backup plans or assistance."

"How could you possibly know that?" Merida questions.

"She's my twin," Xavier replies. Merida nods a little. "Angela doesn't even have a form of communication on her to avoid being tracked by the police's systems. She's truly out there alone and she's already frantic on her strategic approaches since she's already been sighted by the media. The last I've seen from her was some police reports from a bus terminal in Tampa about a blonde girl running off, hopping on a bus before the police could catch her."

"Buses leaving a terminal could go anywhere in the States," Daniel says. "Even Mexico or Canada, depending on which bus she got on and if she transferred to catch a flight. She could easily get across the border without a passport. Not to mention that she's a spy on the hunt. She'll know how to avoid cameras and remain in the shadows from now on."

"She's Angela," James says, "even shadows need their dose of sunshine per day. We'll just have to go where the sun's about to rise."

Merida narrows her eyes. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"I was trying to be poetic." James rolls his eyes and looks at Xavier. "Any ideas?"

Xavier looks at the footage from the police once again and thinks hard about his twin's motives. He tilts his head a little and smiles to himself.

"Merida, get us in the air," Xavier orders.