Avengers’ Isle: The Consultant

Hullo, everyone! It’s been coming for a while (and been delayed at least a month), but sadly, this is the last episode of Avengers’ Isle! 😦 Well, let’s see how this thing ends… For past Avengers’ Isle posts, click here.

“I want a full explanation,” Fury said.

Steve sighed and settled into a seat on the Quinjet. Bucky sat down next to him, and the others found places to sit or stand. Natasha was in the pilot’s seat, and she had reluctantly agreed to let Tony be her co-pilot. Somehow Thor and Bucky had managed to shove Red Skull’s limp form into an overhead compartment. Agent Barton was latched into one of the seats, his head lolling to the side since he was still unconscious. All Steve wanted to do was talk to Bucky, but that wouldn’t be possible until Fury’s fierce interrogation was over.

Bucky rolled his eyes towards Steve, who struggled to hide his smile. “Would you like an info dump, Director?” he asked politely.

Fury scowled. “How come I don’t know about you, if you really are an agent?”

“Agent Coulson is the one who picked me up. I don’t know why he wouldn’t tell you.” Bucky shrugged. “It wasn’t in my job description to question his decisions.”

Fury’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Ah, so you’re his consultant. Now everything makes sense.”

“Hey, I’m the Consultant,” Tony protested, twisting around.

Natasha smacked him. “Pay attention.”

Fury rolled his eyes. “Tony, you’re the consultant that nobody wants to consult.”

Thor leaned forward in his seat. “I do not understand.”

Fury sighed. “We needed someone unofficial to use on missions where we needed to do things… not quite by the rules. Coulson said he had a consultant he could use. For security reasons, I never met the agent, and Coulson never told me about him. Coulson was our go-between.”

Steve thought of the agent. Sadness welled up as he realized that he’d probably never get to sign those antique Captain America cards. They were probably at the bottom of the ocean.

But if Loki could survive after being in a glass nearly-unbreakable prison in the Helicarrier, surely Agent Coulson and the others could have made it out. Right?

“Why did my magic not work?” Loki asked, breaking his silence. He’d been surprisingly cooperative, but Steve couldn’t help but be wary of him. It was only about a week since the incident in Germany.

Bucky shrugged. “I’m not technology expert, but he used some sort of force field… thing… to protect the island.”

Thor leaned forward. “So now that we are not in the clutches of the island, I will be able to call Mjolnir again?”

“Not while we’re on the jet!” Natasha yelled.

They landed in New York, right on top of Stark Tower, in spite of Tony’s grumbling. Thor called for his hammer, Tony yelled to JARVIS, and Steve helped Bucky drag Hawkeye out of the jet. Fury contacted SHIELD headquarters – made easier by JARVIS – and smiled after a little bit of talking. Steve couldn’t hear what was said, but he assumed it was good news. They headed down through the tower to ground level, where another quinjet landed. Steve was pleased when he saw Agent Coulson from the helicarrier. He gave Fury a warm smile and a handshake. “I’m glad to see you’re alive, sir.”

“You as well,” Fury said, the edge of his mouth turning up slightly. Then he looked solemn once more. “Hill?”

Coulson nodded. “Alive as ever.”

Controlled chaos ensued as several agents removed Red Skull. Thor convinced Loki of their need to return to Asgard, and after a last farewell (and a surprisingly emotional goodbye between Loki and Tony), they departed. Agent Barton finally regained consciousness, and although he was a little woozy, he got onto the quinjet, with help from Natasha . Fury and Coulson joined them, although Coulson reminded Bucky that he would need to report later. Dr. Banner looked lost, until Tony invited him inside to his lab.

That left only Steve and Bucky. Steve looked at his old friend, so different now. “Want to walk to my apartment with me?” Steve asked.

Bucky nodded, and they strode off down the familiar unfamiliar streets. They walked in silence, but not uncomfortable silence. They paused several times to look at what might have been familiar places. They reached Steve’s apartment too soon, and Steve lingered out front with Bucky.

“Coffee sometime?” Bucky asked. Steve could only nod as emotion welled in his throat. His friend reached over and grasped his shoulder.

“On the beach…” Steve swallowed. Dry throat. “The trail mix… was that you?”

Bucky nodded, and his lips twitched in a smiled. “I kind of stole it from the Director.”

Steve felt a smile come out in spite of himself. And then he was laughing. Soon Bucky was laughing too. Somehow, they managed to stop, and Steve blinked at his old friend. Just like old times.

And that, my friends is the end. If you’d like to cry, I have plenty of Kleenex, and if you want to bash me over the head, I also have frying pans. And apples, if anyone would like those. (Not you, Maximus!) Thoughts? Questions? Senseless blabbering? Comment away!

Avengers’ Isle: Together At Last

Hullo! I totally forgot to post this picture with last week’s episode, made in partnership with myself and writefury! Okay, I confess, all I did was the text. She did all the hard work. 😉 No, I still haven’t seen Age of Ultron. But I did watch one of the trailers again, but with a little twist. XD Okay, back to business. DID YOU NOT LOVE LAST WEEK’S REVEAL? If you need to get caught up, see past posts here.

Tony frowned. He had no idea who this guy was, but he sure didn’t seem like a SHIELD agent. Not that he cared. He was just glad everyone was alive. Well, almost everyone.

He bent down and picked up the red, white, and blue shield reverently. He and Cap hardly ever saw eye-to-eye – scratch that, never – but Cap had been the best man Tony had ever known. And Tony’s last words to the soldier had been angry. How could Cap have been the only one not to make it?

“Tony?” Natasha placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. Loki was untying Thor, and the two were deep in conversation. The others were gathering where Tony was.

“He was a good man,” Tony said, tapping the shield lightly. Natasha nodded in agreement. Banner looked sad. Tony held out his hand and they shook hands. Science buddies back together again. Tony looked over at the guy with the metal arm, Bucky, who was grinning. “What?” Tony asked, frowning. “This isn’t a joke.”

“Not to you,” Bucky said, trying to make his face serious, but his mouth kept twitching. He took the shield from Tony and laid it on the ground. He slammed his metal fist into it, and the sound rang loud through the forest, making the two Asgardians jump in surprise.

“What in the world do you think you’re doing?” Tony snapped, lunging for the shield.

Bucky pulled it out of his reach. They heard approaching footsteps, running at a ridiculous speed. “I thought that would be loud enough to get his attention,” Bucky said, running a finger along the edge of the shield.

Steve Rogers slid to a stop at the edge of the circle. He was barely breathing hard as he looked around. “Well,” he said. “And here I came to rescue Thor.” Then he caught sight of Bucky. “Bucky, I–”

“No time,” Bucky said quietly. “We should get out of here while we’ve got the chance.” He glanced over at Red Skull. “I think he’s gone – for good – but we should bring him with us anyway. And Barton.”

“I want a full report and explanation,” Fury said firmly, staring Bucky down.

“As soon as we’re out of here,” Bucky replied, staring back at him.

They gathered up all of weapons they might need, although Bucky said that the natives would be glad to see them leaving. Bucky picked up Barton, and Thor picked up Red Skull. Bucky led the way through the forest, towards the center of the island.

“So, do you have a boat or something?” Tony asked skeptically, nearly tripping over a tree root.

“Something,” Bucky grunted, barely managing to keep Barton from hitting his head on a tree.

“What kind of something is it?” Tony pestered him.

“You’ll see,” Bucky said. “Unless you keep asking questions.”

Tony shut his mouth and drifted to the back of the line with Thor, Loki, and panting Banner. He couldn’t believe how easy it was for Natasha and Rogers to make it through the thick undergrowth. Even Fury was handling it easily.

They stepped into a huge, empty clearing. Tony gazed around at the circle of green grass, then up at the bright blue sky. “So what now? We wait for a helicopter to pick us up?”

Bucky handed Barton to Steve and pulled a remote looking thing out of his pocket. He pressed a button on it, and right before their eyes, a Quinjet appeared. Tony sighed when he realized it had been cloaked. That was most assuredly cheating.

Bucky turned to Natasha. “It’s all yours.”

Yay! Looks like we’re on our way to a happy ending, finally! But they’re not safe yet… Like for a bag of trail mix, comment for a piece of (late) Tony Stark birthday cake! (It’s not too stale yet…)

Avengers’ Isle: Trail Mix

Well, hello, everyone! If you’ve been keeping up with this series for a while, the title might have surprised you. If it didn’t, you’re either new or you might need a refresher. Either way, I suggest you check out some past episodes here. But Fury’s trail mix is all gone, right? Well…

Steve blinked groggily. He felt like he’d been asleep, like his brain was fuzzy. He was staring down at an almost burt-out fire ,the sun just coming over the horizon. How long have I been out of it?

Everything came flooding back. The memories from after Bucky knocked him out were mixed up and vague. He remembered Thor finding him and offering him food… Thor. He left.

Steve frowned up at the sky. That had been early in the day, the day before. Thor should’ve been back. His spine tingled. What had happened to him?

There was a pail of water sitting next to him, and he used cupped hands to drink some of it. He glanced around, looking for a sign that the Asgardian had come back. He spotted something shiny a few yards away.

Steve stood up and scanned the area carefully. He could only hope it wasn’t a trap. He crept toward it, listening, looking, searching. Finally, he reached it and knelt down.

A frown made its way across his face, and he picked up the object. It was a small package of trail mix.

Steve’s mind whirled. There was no way Thor could have gotten it. Could Bucky have put it there? But where would he have gotten it?

And should he eat it?

He studied the package. It clearly hadn’t been opened. His mind ran through possibilities. Repackaging, resealing, radiation… but none of those were practical. He carefully tore open the package and studied the trail mix. Nothing. He wished he had some of Stark’s fancy scanning equipment.

He took the trail mix back over to the dying fire and began to munch on it. It was overly salty, but it tasted absolutely delicious to him.

And as he munched, an idea began to grow in his mind.

Like to get (virtual) trail mix, comment to eat it with Steve.

 

Avengers’ Isle: Separated And Unresponsive

The plot continues to thicken! Even this short post serves to add tension… Thanks so much for all of your lovely comments!!! New? Check out past episodes here.

Thor shot Steve a worried look. The captain had been staring gloomily into the fire ever since he had found him. He didn’t know who this Bucky guy was, but he had certainly had a profound effect of the captain.

Thor had tried once again to retrieve his hammer, but again it hadn’t worked. This island was beginning to give him “the creeps”, as he had heard his fellow Avengers say. It was getting depressing, too, now that the captain was virtually unresponsive.

Thor offered the captain some water from the bucket he had made using a medium sized tree. At least they could get fresh water, even though there wasn’t any food. The captain shook his head, still staring at the fire. Thor frowned. The captain hadn’t accepted any water since Thor had found him, and of course he hadn’t eaten anything, either.

“I’m going to look for food,” Thor said, standing up. The captain didn’t move. Thor sighed and headed into the forest. He was already pretty sure that finding food was hopeless, but it was better than sitting around with the captain.

Thor wandered around, glancing at the various plants and trying to find something he recognized. It seemed so hopeless. There wasn’t even a bug to be seen.

He moved deeper into the forest, doing his best not to touch any plants unless absolutely necessary. A twig cracked nearby, and he whirled around, searching the semi-darkness of the forest. Nothing.

Thor slowly turned back around and felt a sharp prick on the side of his neck. His hand reached for the spot, but couldn’t get there before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

A like gets you the chance to go check on Hawkeye, a comment lets you give Steve a hug. ❤

Avengers’ Isle: Long Time No See

Oh, I know you guys are itching to find out if Tony kills Loki, or if Loki kills Tony, or if Natasha kills them both. I’m sorry to torture you, but you’ll have to wait… See past episodes here.

There was absolute silence around the campfire. The two men managed to avoid each other’s gazes by staring into the fire. The smaller one gave an involuntary shudder and pulled his legs up to his chest.

“Thanks,” Fury said quietly from the other side of the fire, subdued for once. “Wouldn’t even be alive now if…”

Banner shook his head. “It wasn’t exactly a choice I made. It just kind of happened. Thank the… the other guy.”

Fury gazed at him. Somehow his eye patch had stayed on. Banner wondered if it was glued to his head and shook the thought away. “Hopefully I won’t get the chance to thank him,” Fury said.

The two sat in silence for a while. “Do you think anyone else made it out?” Banner asked quietly.

Fury leaned forward, his hands on his knees as he stared at the fire. “We can hope.”

—

Thor and Steve both stared blankly at the small fire Steve had managed to build. Sometimes people made him feel stupid, but at least he was smart enough to know how to build a fire. He still had a brain.

Thor interrupted the silence. “I do not wish to be a, uh, wet blanket? But what shall we do next?” Steve felt sorry for the Asgardian. All Thor’s attempts to call his hammer had failed. Steve didn’t know how it worked, but it sure wasn’t working now.

He sighed. “I’m not sure, exactly.” He looked up at the dark sky. “I guess we should just get some rest. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and we’ll at least have to find our own food.”

Thor nodded and immediately curled up in the sand. He looked back up at Steve for a second. “Do you think anyone else made it?”

Steve sighed. “We can hope.”

The Asgardian lay his head down. Steve felt a connection with him. They were pretty similar, in a way. This was a different world for both of them, and they were both sort of soldiers.

Steve started to lay down when his super hearing caught the sound of a twig cracking in the forest nearby. He stiffened and gazed at the forest, his night vision struggling.

He hadn’t even considered that they might not be alone.

Steve stood up, advancing towards the forest. He really, really wished he had his shield now. “Who’s there?” he demanded.

There was a chilling, bone-tingling laugh. So familiar. Steve fell towards a nearby tree, gripping it as his knees began to feel weak. In the darkness, the memories seemed almost real. There was a sneer in the voice.

“Long time, no see, Captain Rogers.”

He barely had time to register the words before he blacked out.

Mwa-ha, I am so cruel! Guess we’ll find out what happens next week… or the week after, who knows. Just FYI, we’ll find out later why Thor can’t call his hammer. (And yes, before you ask, I already have a reason. 😛 ) Any guesses on who this mysterious person is? It’s not any of the Avengers or Loki. Just so you know.

At The Amusement Park

This fanfic is really long (although I wrote it in one sitting) but I didn’t want to split it up, so here it is, all in one post! Oh, the humor, oh, the feels… Let me know what you think! And check out the newly updated Novella page – I’ve finished covers for several of my stories!

“Come on, Steve. You’re always so serious. You need this,” Natasha urged. “It’ll help you lighten up.”

Steve frowned. “But really, an amusement park? Why not somewhere more fun?”

Natasha shrugged. “Well, all of us are going. And I can’t think of anywhere more fun than an amusement park.”

Steve continued to protest, but eventually the other Avengers sided with Natasha, and there was no way he could resist all of them. He agreed. Clint and Thor both whooped and raced down the hall to gather everything they’d need. Before long, they were all shoved into a spare SHIELD van and were en route to the amusement park.

Steve gazed out the window as they drove up to the front gate of the amusement park, noticing the signs for the day’s special attractions, ranging from different games to a water ski demo. Clint stood up through the sunroof, shielding his eyes with his hand as he looked around. “Ah!” he cried triumphantly. “The first ride is the Ferris wheel!”

Tony shoved Clint’s leg, nearly making him topple over. “No way. Do you see the Raptor? That is the first ride.”

Clint growled. “How could I not see that dumb roller coaster?”

Natasha pulled the car up to the admissions booth. “How many?” the man asked.

She snorted. “Six adults. Unless you’re going by actions, then we’ve got a couple of kids in here.”

“FUNNEL CAKES!” Clint yelled from the sunroof. The admissions guy looked up at him and then nodded in agreement with Natasha. She rolled her eyes.

They drove through the huge parking lot trying to find a space. With Clint’s help from the sunroof, they were able to find one fairly close. People were flooding the place.

Natasha didn’t let anyone leave the car until she verified that their cell phones were on and she could track them with her own phone. “Have fun, Captain,” she called as she and Clint raced to the Ferris wheel. Steve stood there, feeling lost and not knowing where to go. Thor came up and stood next to him as Banner wandered off to find a quiet place to watch the commotion.

“I do not know where to begin, either,” Thor said, frowning.

Tony stepped between them, grabbing their arms. “Come on, we can go ride the Raptor. You guys will enjoy that.”

Tony dragged them through the maze of rides, games, and concession stands. Somehow they ended up with nachos and drinks on the way to the rollercoaster. Steve found that the nachos didn’t taste quite as bad as they looked. Suddenly, Thor stuck his arm out and stopped them. “Look,” he said, pointing.

Steve and Tony glanced to where he was pointing. A man held a giant hammer with a long handle. An amusement park employee stood next to him, pointing to the tall, lit-up board. The man stepped up to a big button and swung the hammer down. The board lit up halfway and the man sighed in disappointment.

“Yeah, it just a stupid hammer strength game meant to waste your money,” Tony grumbled, looking disgruntled. Steve figured that he’d tried the game before and lost.

He glanced back at Thor and paused. There was a gleam in the Asgardian’s eyes. “Uh, Thor…” Steve began.

“Do not worry, I will not break it,” Thor announced as he headed over to the booth.

Ten minutes later, they were once again on their way to the Raptor, now with a giant stuffed panda in tow. “What are we going to do with this dumb thing?” Tony growled, trying to see around the bear. Thor had elected him to carry it.

“Do not insult my bear,” Thor said, happily sipping his drink.

Tony rolled his eyes, looking disgusted. Steve shot him a warning look and he kept his mouth closed.

It didn’t take them much longer to reach the Raptor. Steve gazed up at the ride as they got in line. Thor insisted on the panda occupying the seat next to him. He apparently didn’t trust the “mortal’s flimsy safe lockers” to keep his prize safe. Tony rolled his eyes yet again. “Which means you’ll be stuck with me,” he said to Steve. He grinned. “I didn’t exactly want to sit next to Thor anyway. He’d probably be yelling in excitement and whack me in the face, and I’d prefer to stay conscious during the ride.”

Steve gave him a smile as they took their places on the ride. Tony sat down next to him and pulled down the bar across their chests. “I had to pay for the bear to ride,” Tony grumbled. Steve gripped the bar tightly. This thing was a lot more open than the rides he was used to. Thor sat down in front of them, resituating the panda before pulling down the bar. Steve could see that he kept a tight hold on the stuffed animal, just in case. Steve could hardly see around the bear’s giant head.

The ride started to move, and Steve couldn’t help but grip the bar tighter. The roller coaster cars started to climb upward, and Thor pointed down at something below. “Look!” he yelled.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to him. It’s best not to look down.” He glanced sideways at Steve.

“I’ve been on a roller coaster before,” Steve told him. And ziplined onto the back of a train.

After ages of climbing, they reached the peak. There was a pause, and then the cars raced down. The color drained from Steve’s face at the sickening feeling of falling…

“Right now I’m in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice.” He opened his compass with the picture of her and set it on the plane’s controls as he started to make the plane go down.

“Peggy…”

“I’m here.”

“I’m gonna need a rain check on that dance.”

She gave a choking half-sob. “All right. A week next Saturday at The Stork Club.”

“You’ve got it.”

“Eight o’clock on the dot. Don’t you dare be late. Understood?”

The ground drew nearer. “You know, I still don’t know how to dance.”

“I’ll show you how. Just be there.”

“We’ll have the band play something slow. I’d hate to step on your…”

———

“Captain?” Tony shook the other man, worry building up. Steve was clenching the bar on the roller coaster car, staring straight ahead, his eyes glazed. A terrified look was frozen on his face. Tony shook the super soldier again. “Rogers!”

Thor stepped out of the car in front of them, holding the panda. “What is wrong?”

Tony moaned and ran ah and through his hair. “I don’t know for sure. I shouldn’t have made him come.”

Thor looked to the impatient waiting people. “We should move him.”

They managed to peel his fingers off the bar and drag him to a nearby bench. “What shall we do?” Thor asked, setting the panda down next to Steve.

Tony frowned down at Steve. “You text the others, I’ll get some water and see if I can get him to snap out of it.” Thor nodded and pulled out his phone.

———

Natasha glared at a grubby-looking man who got too close to her stash. She was guarding the prizes she and Clint had won while Clint rode the bumper cars. Needless to say their time in the shooting gallery had been well spent.

She had a good view of the bumper cars from her position. She needed to remind Clint to take it easy. He’d already give two people whiplash, and one of them was an adorable little girl.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out. A text from Thor. She frowned and opened it.

Distress! Trouble, by large metal hill. Come immediately!

Natasha frowned and waved in Clint’s direction. He caught her eye and managed to get out before the round was over. “What’s up?” he asked. She showed him the text and he checked his own phone. “He sent it to me, too. So he finally figured out how to send texts to multiple people.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “What do you think he meant by ‘large metal hill’?” She scanned the surrounding area.

“The Ferris wheel?” Clint joked.

She elbowed him. “Help me carry the prizes. We’re heading to the roller coaster.”

———

Tony paced next to the bench, occasionally glancing over at Steve. The younger – older? – man still had a terrified, glazed expression. It worried him, but he didn’t know what to do. Thor had sat down on the bench, sound asleep with a smile, one arm around the motionless captain and the other around the stupid stuffed panda. The panda’s staring eyes taunted him with the same glazed look as Steve had.

“Tony?”

He turned to see Natasha and Clint approaching, each with an armful of stuffed animals and who knew what else. They stopped next to him and set them down. “What’s going on?” Natasha asked, surveying the scene. She frowned. “Did you text us with Thor’s phone? Is this a joke?”

Tony opened his mouth but was interrupted by Bruce joining them. “What’s up? Wait, he’s asleep. Tony, did you—”

Tony threw his hands up in the air. “I didn’t do it. At least, I didn’t send the text. I mean, it’s my fault, I guess, but – ugh…” He groaned and ran his hand through his hair. Why was he so frazzled? It was just Steve, after all. Steve, whom he argued with and insulted and teased. Why did he care so much?

Natasha’s frown deepened, and she grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look her in the eye. “Tony. What. Is. Wrong?”

Tony ground his teeth. He would not show weakness, would not break down. Not here. Not now. He nodded to the bench. “Steve. He’s… zoned out. Has been ever since the roller coaster.”

Bruce and Clint hurried over to Steve, waking up Thor in the process. Natasha gave Tony a murderous glare. “What kind of idiot are you? Didn’t you think that a roller coaster might be a trigger?” She stormed over to the bench. Tony felt insuppressible guilt rising in his chest. It was his fault, after all. Why had he been so dumb? His shoulders slumped as he turned and walked away.

———

Steve’s eyes began to focus more as the others talked to him encouragingly. Finally he blinked and gazed around. He groaned and rubbed his forehead as he caught sight of the roller coaster and remembered. “I think I should stay off roller coasters for a while.”

Natasha smiled and stood up. “He’ll be fine. What happened?”

Steve closed his eyes. “I-I guess going down that fast reminded me of… you know”

No one spoke for a second, just letting the silence hang awkwardly before Thor reached over and patted Steve’s knee. “I do not know about all of you, but I believe I have had enough excitement for today.”

Bruce nodded. “We should head back to the tower.”

Steve looked around and then frowned. “But where’s Stark?”

Natasha grimaced. “I may or may not have told him off. He’s probably being his usual grumpy self and waiting for us in the van.”

Tony wasn’t at the van. Natasha tried to call him, and the sound of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man nearly burst their eardrums. They quickly found Tony’s cell phone stuffed into the glove box.

Natasha groaned and rested her head on the steering wheel. “Maybe I was too hard on him.”

Steve opened his door. “I’ll be back in a minute.” No one questioned him or protested ash he hurried back into the park.

———

Funny how he knew Tony better than the others. He found him in the stands of the water ski demo that was going on, right where Steve had thought he would be. The billionaire was staring but not seeing, and he certainly didn’t hear Steve coming. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Steve sat down next to him.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Steve said quietly, staring out at the water skiers.

Tony shrugged it off. “No one said it was.”

Steve turned towards Tony, his gaze piercing him through. “Apparently Nat did. I blame myself for things a lot. The tired look on my mom’s face, her death, the death of innocents during the war. But, in the end, it’s not always my fault – it’s just a passing of life. Something that has to – needs to – happen.”

Tony turned to face him, the faintest of smiles tickling his face. “Thanks.”

Steve slapped his knee and stood up. “Ready to head back to meet with the others?”

Tony shrugged. “If we must. I’d sure like a—” Steve sighed. “—snowcone, though,” Tony finished.

Steve smiled. “I think we just might be able to arrange that. We should get ones for the others, too.”

Tony laughed. “Hey, it’s my treat, and you’re the only one who gave me a pick-me-up. They skipped the counseling session, they go without snowcones.” And the two of them laughed as they headed towards the snowcone stand.

It’s Never Boring At Avenger’s Tower…

Once upon a boring day, when Thor was on Asgard and Banner was out shopping (that‘s a story for another time)…

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

Steve frowned as he stared down at his shield. There was something off with the weight. He readjusted it on his arm. Yep, something was definitely off. He pulled the shield off of his arm and gripped both sides tightly. A second later, he split the shield in half with a resounding crack.

There were only two people who could’ve snuck into the room to replace the shield while he was absorbed in the baseball game, and there was only one person who would have the expertise to make such a realistic replica. “Clint! Natasha! Stark!”

Natasha poked her head in the doorway. “Steve, what’s – whoa! What happened to your shield?” The look of surprise and shock on her face was enough to almost convince him that she wasn’t to blame, but best not to rule her out too soon.

Clint came in another door, his jaw dropping. “In a destructive mood? Let me guess, the Dodgers lost.” But there was a little gleeful twinkle in his eye that assured Steve that this was the culprit.

“Tony!” Steve yelled again.

The billionaire poked his head around the doorway. “Nice job,” he grumbled to Clint. Natasha leaned on the other door frame, a grin spreading across her face.

Steve nodded solemnly. “You’re lucky we didn’t have an emergency or anything.” He kicked one half of the broken pseudo-shield and it slid across the floor towards the pair. A quirky smile came onto his lips. “This isn’t over.”

Clint grimaced. “Uh-oh, I don’t think I like that look he had on his face.”

Stark grinned and picked up the shield piece. “Ah, what harm can he do? He’s just an old guy. I’ll bet there weren’t even pranks in his day and age.”

Natasha smiled. “He may just surprise you.”

—

Tony walked into his lab, humming. He was working on a surprise for Pepper – the vacation cruise she so desperately was longing for – and that had put him in a good mood.

JARVIS’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Sir, I finished the modifications to the Mark V.”

Tony frowned. “What modifications? I didn’t order any modifications.” Why was he getting a bad feeling about this? He hurried over to his suit area and stopped dead in his tracks, horror crossing his face. The Mark V was now pink. Bright pink. Who – who would have done this? There was only one possible answer. “Did Steve do this?” Tony yelled at his AI.

The AI gave an uncharacteristic chuckle. “You should see your face, sir.”

“It was him, wasn’t it?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, sir.”

Tony stomped to the other side of the room. “Now JARVIS is keeping secrets. Perfect.” He left and stomped down the hallway. “Steve!”

—

Clint stood in his room in his plain white t-shirt and shorts. Natasha always teased him about never cleaning his outfit. What she didn’t know was that he actually regularly cleaned his outfit. He had two, so when he was washing one, he would wear the other. “Girls,” he growled as he slid open his drawer. He stopped, his jaw hanging open.

“Pink?” he squeaked, his eyes growing wide. His hands were gripping the drawer as if it was the only thing keeping him on the ground. “It’s pink!” he yelled.

Steve.

“Steve!”

—

When Natasha saw Tony run by, his face inflamed, she set down her book (in spite of it just coming to a very tense moment) and thought she might as well follow. It would be interesting to see what happened. She could only assume Steve had exacted his revenge. As she stepped into the hallway, she was nearly bowled over by Clint, who yelled something unintelligible as he hurried on. Natasha hoped it was an apology, otherwise… Ah, well, she had enough satisfaction seeing him running around in shorts in a t-shirt. Since when did he do that? She had a feeling this was going to be good.

She hurried down the hallway and found them facing Steve in the kitchen. She smiled. Steve was attempting to look innocent while helping Pepper put away a few groceries and trying not to laugh. Innocence and laughter don’t go too well together.

“You had JARVIS spray paint my Mark V PINK!” Tony yelled, his face furious. “That one is my favorite!”

Pepper frowned at him. “I thought you said the—”

Tony shot her a glare that could fry an egg. “They’re all my favorites,” he growled.

Clint pushed Tony aside. “And my vest! Seriously, my vest? Why would you do that! Pink does not fit my personality.”

“I’m not sure I’d agree,” Natasha said under her breath, earning her a glare from Clint. She grinned.

Steve smiled. “It’s okay, guys. Tony, the paint is washable. I already gave JARVIS instructions on how to wash it off, and he’s probably doing it right now. And, if that really was your favorite, in my defense, I just asked JARVIS to do one, I didn’t specify which. Clint, I already got you another vest.”

The two glowered at him. “This isn’t over yet, Rogers,” Tony growled and the two of them hurried out. Natasha moved into the kitchen and started helping Steve and Pepper.

“Feel like you need an accomplice yet?” Natasha stuffed the cereal into one of the cabinets.

Steve smiled. “You just want in on the fun, without being a target. Clint hasn’t even seen his new bow and quiver yet. They were on clearance.”

Natasha’s jaw dropped. “You didn’t.” Steve just smiled.

There was a very unmanly shriek from down the hall. “STEVE!”

Avengers’ Isle: The Beginning

Note: I modified the story from the theme song, so that the people included are the ones who were on the Helicarrier at the time of the explosion. Basically, I switched out Loki for Hawkeye (since Hawkeye was still under Loki’s control). This takes place in an alternate universe; what would’ve happened if the Helicarrier had been destroyed, so most likely no spoilers. New installments every Thursday. Enjoy! 😀

Solace.

Relief.

Land.

Steve’s strokes quickened, pushing him through the water. He’d been swimming for hours, and his arms and legs were starting to feel numb. An island meant an end to his desperate struggle. And no more worries about sharks.

He knew he could get there faster if he left his shield behind, but it was a miracle he had found it in the water at all. He’d just assumed that it had been lost or destroyed. He wasn’t going to take a chance on losing it now.

The moment his feet touched the solid ground, he felt energy pulse through his body, and he nearly ran the rest of the way to shore. He stumbled when he finally stepped onto the dry, rocky beach. He made his way a little farther from the water and collapsed onto the ground. He was exhausted.

When the helicarrier had blown up, he hadn’t expected it to catch on fire. No one had. A little fuel leak was all it took. Then everyone was screaming and jumping into the water. He rubbed his eyes, trying to blot out the memories. How could anyone survive that? Did anyone else survive? Banner might have, if he had hulked out, and maybe Thor. He wasn’t sure about the others. His thoughts ended as he drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

——

 The light was so bright.

Steve groaned and opened his eyes. Oh. The sun. The sand around him was steaming, and he could feel the heat radiating off of it. Everything came flooding back to him.

He sat up and looked around. The beach looked the same as it had yesterday, except not quite as awesome. After all, now he was stuck there. Then he noticed a familiar looking lump nearby near the shore a little ways down the beach. He leapt to his feet and hurried over to it, his fears mounting. He knelt by the limp form and laid his hand on the armored arm. The lump of tangled blond hair that was Thor’s head moved ever so slightly, before slowly turning to look dimly up at Steve. A moan escaped the Asgardian’s cracked lips.

He was alive, at least.

“Thor,” Steve said hoarsely. Thor moaned again, then rolled over, coughing as he moved onto his hands and knees, his head hanging down. He choked a little longer then tossed the hair out of his eyes. He looked over at Steve.

“The others, where are they? What happened to us?”

Steve’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t know where they are. The helicarrier thing exploded. I-I’m surprised you’re even alive.” He stood up and offered Thor his hand, helping him up. “Your hammer’s probably at the bottom of the ocean. It would be awfully helpful. Do you think you can get it?”

Thor nodded. “I do not know how far away it is. It might take a while, but I’m certain that it will work.”

Steve grinned weakly. “Good. And while you’re doing that, I’ll figure out a game plan.”

Tune in next Thursday for the next episode/installment!

Flash Fiction Fan Fiction

Helloooo, everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, but that’s mostly because the list of book reviews and character interviews I need to work on has gotten pretty intimidating.

But, while I work on those, I might as well give you something to enjoy. Because everyone likes some Captain America fanfiction, right? Titleless as of yet, I think you’ll still enjoy it. Oh, and this takes place right after the Marvel One-Shot Agent Carter, but you’ll still get it if you haven’t seen it. 😉

—

Peggy searched the small crowd for a familiar face.

“Peggy! Over here!” Howard’s voice called out. She pushed her way towards him and fell into a slightly awkward hug. “How has Flynn been treating you?”

Peggy smiled. “Let’s just say I’m glad to be done with him. How’ve you been?”

He shrugged, but she detected a hint of sorrow on his face. “Pretty good.” He averted his gaze. “Well, let’s drop your bags off in the hotel and head out for something to eat. Maybe some–” He stopped, and it wasn’t that hard to guess what he was going to say.

“I’d love some fondue,” Peggy said cheerfully, the fakeness carefully hidden. “You know you don’t have to walk on eggshells around me, Howard.”

He nodded and picked up her bags. “Right. Well, let’s get going.”

The hotel wasn’t too far, and Howard told her it was only temporary, until SHIELD was officially started and she had time to look for a house. After eating, Howard dropped her off at the hotel, and she retired early. The next morning, Howard took her on a tour of the building that he’d purchased for SHIELD. The tour was achingly long, and then Howard got an odd look on his face and stopped by a door. “This is your office,” he announced, opening the door.

Peggy stepped inside, gazing around at the beautiful room. The desk was beautiful, and Howard had been thoughtful enough to put a few special touches on the room, including a picture of Steve on the desk. She touched the frame, gazing down at the tall, muscular man in the picture.

“I’ll just leave you alone,” Howard said quietly, slipping out of the office. Peggy sat in the leather office chair, setting down the briefcase she’d brought with her. She opend it and set a smaller frame next to the picture. Steve, skinny. Before and after.

She closed her eyes and reached into her briefcase again. She dug around until she found her pocket knife. Then she flipped it open, found an unobtrusive corner of the desk and carefully drew the knife across its surface.

Seventy Years Later

The carving had been worn and smoothed by time. The letters hadn’t disappeared, the handwriting achingly familiar. His finger traced the word. Steve.

If she could’ve known that he’d be reading this years later, decades later, would she have put more? Would she have written something to him? Would she have left her feelings, her thoughts, her love, just a simple note?

If only he could go back.

A lone tear trickled down his cheek and landed on the desk.

The Avengers: We Have A Tiger – Part Thirteen

At the request of the amazing erinkenobi2893, I’ve decided to post this Avengers fan fiction I wrote a while back. It’s quite long (twenty-eight pages) so it’s going to be split into quite a few parts. I hope that you will all enjoy it!

*DISCLAIMER: This story is based off of the end of The Avengers. There are illusions to spoilers for said movie, so read with caution, but most are not major. Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, are not taken into account, and have not been watched by the author. That said, enjoy.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten

Part Eleven

Part Twelve

“Do you have your ropes off yet, Natasha?” Steve asked.

She shook her head. “My hands are pinned to the magnet, and my shoulder aches. There’s no way I can get them undone. Besides, Loki tied my hands plenty tight enough. What about you two?”

“No success,” Barton reported. Steve agreed.

“I think I’m almost there,” Stark called. “I’ve just got a little ways to go. This dagger he so kindly left in my shoulder early isn’t very good at cutting ropes.” He suddenly froze. “Act innocent. Somebody’s coming.” He frowned. “I thought it would take Loki longer than that to beat Thor, even without his hammer.”

Aila burst into the room and hurried out the opposite door, still looking regal, although she looked slightly downhearted. Just as the opposite door closed behind her, the one that she’d come in through opened again. Thor stood in the doorway, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. He looked up at Clint, Natasha, and Steve on the wall, confusion written all over his face. He shook it off. “Where’s Aila?”

“You and that stupid girl,” Stark growled. “Untie me. Now. Where’s Loki? Did you beat him?”

Thor made a face. “Not exactly, but he’s… out of commission at the moment.”

“Thor!” Aila exclaimed in a scolding tone as she stepped back into the room. “You should have brought Loki in. In case he regains consciousness.” She stuck a key in a keyhole – in the middle of the wall – and turned it. A buzzing sound filled the room and the magnetic portion of the wall began sliding slowly downwards, until everything stuck to it was simply sitting on the floor. Thor stared, and then turned and headed out of the building.

“Hey, untie me first!” Stark called, but Thor had already left. He eyed Aila. “You better stay away from me.”

She rolled her eyes and ignored him, walking over to Banner’s cage and unlocking it, letting the huge door swing open, and then went over to the three who had been on the wall and used a knife to slice through their bonds. “There’s antiseptic and bandages in the other room,” she told them.

Thor dragged Loki into the room and used some spare rope to tie his wrists and ankles. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Stark was still tied to his chair. “Why did you not untie him?” he asked Aila.

She shrugged. “He’s a jerk. But he told me to stay away from him, too.”

Stark grimaced. “That’s not what I meant.”

Thor untied Stark. They cleaned the few wounds serious enough to need immediate attention while Aila stood awkwardly to the side. Stark got back into his suit, Thor retrieved his hammer, Cap his shield, Hawkeye his bow and arrow, and Natasha her gun. Natasha stuck her earpiece in her ear and contacted Fury. They went outside and waited for the jet to come to pick them up, with Steve and Hawkeye both keeping very close to Aila, just in case.

“It’s over,” Natasha mumbled softly to herself, rubbing her temples. “It’s over.”

———-

Fury met the jet as it landed just outside of SHIELD headquarters. The faces of all of the Avengers were worn and tired, and all of them had injuries of some kind. Banner was the least seriously injured, with just the knot on his head from when he was knocked out. The rest were all worse. Cap helped Aila out of the jet and led her towards the building, and her cell, his hand grasping her arm firmly. Thor grabbed Steve’s arm, stopping him. “Take her to the medical people first,” he said. “She may not look like it, but she is injured.” Cap raised an eyebrow but merely nodded and prodded Aila forward. Thor moved over next to Fury as the rest of the Avengers exited the jet.

“You did well,” Fury said. “Why didn’t you tie up Aila, though?”

Thor looked at the dirt. “She saved my life. Loki was about to kill me. She…” His voice trailed off. “Saved me.”

“There’s more, isn’t there,” Natasha said quietly from his elbow.

Thor sighed. “She said it herself. She said that she would lose either her freedom or-or me. And she chose to lose her freedom.” He stopped. “For me,” he said chokingly.

THE END

I hope you have enjoyed this story! What did you think? Keep an eye out for more stories coming soon!