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Monday, April 9, 2018

A Day In The Life - Avengers Fanfiction


So this is my second crack at fanfiction, something I didn't ever think I'd do. It hearkens back to a somewhat earlier era of the Avengers, a time when they lived in Avengers mansion in midtown Manhattan and had a more manageable line- up than in recent comics. Also I need to stress this is based on the written Avengers, the comics version- not the movie version. The Avengers have always been a favorite since the day my dad bought my first comic at a party store. I was hooked. The fact that they're huge today, some of the biggest movies in the world, is amazing to me. So here's my little take. 

Cap leaned back in his chair. Ostensibly he was reviewing files on super- villains; he really knew how to have a good time, as Clint would quip, but in reality he was distracted. His thoughts kept going back to the team, newly formed and settling back into a comfortable groove. In many ways this was an ideal line-up, a perfect synergy of talents and abilities. Especially in recent years there had been so many changes, so many members coming and going. After a while there was no cohesion, no tactical discipline. They said they fought as a team, but in reality everyone just did their own thing. Path of least resistance. 

This group though was different. Forged in the fires of adversity a long time ago, they had somehow coalesced back into the ideal unit. Who would have known? Some of these folks he had known for years, been through the fires with. Tony had been his best friend and a bitter rival- it was funny how the two could go hand in hand- but they were more or less on the same page again. He hoped it stayed that way. To be honest Tony wasn't around that often, and when he was he was usually chatting with Carol or down in the sub-basement labs, tinkering away. 

Carol... he was glad to have her back. She brought so much to the team. She could field lead, she knew tactics, cool under pressure. Reliable. Her career was amazing- Air Force, hero and Avenger -but it was so much more than that. She'd traveled with the Starjammers, been transformed into Binary; she'd seen more of the galaxy than he had. And she was still as down to earth as always. 

Speaking of down to earth, Thor was in the house. Cap smiled. He swore, every time Thor arrived he brought the storm with him. Cap didn't know if he did it on purpose or if he was unconscious of it. Either way he'd take it. Everything was easier when Thor was around. A hard case became manageable. Heck, he'd seen hardened villains stand down when Thor arrived on the scene. Who could blame them? He could make it rain so hard you couldn't stand, and the lightning and thunder all around- the guy knew how to make an entrance. And his stories... Thor liked nothing more than to hold forth on all manner of things, often with Cap and Jarvis over coffee and pastries. 

Of everyone who had come and gone through this building, Thor was the most fascinating. Here was a guy who had millennia of experience. Thor was as smart as anyone Cap knew, and canny as all get out. His tactical sense was superb, Cap never had to tell Thor what to do, it just came naturally. And his power level was off the charts. Cap often wondered what the thunder god saw on earth, to be honest, when he was regaling them with tales of golden Asgard. But he was glad to have him. 

Cap took a sip of coffee and tried to focus on his file. Thundra... not actually a villain, really. Had a history with Ben Grimm and the Fantastic Four, among others. Just another super with a history he wasn't caught up on. He put the file down with a sigh and leaned back, closed his eyes for a minute. Carol had run into her if he wasn't mistaken. And Carol was around today, he'd seen her in the library earlier. Along with Wanda and the Vision. It had been nice to see after so long. Slowly, ever so slowly, they were getting to know each other again. 

Something just felt right about those two. They worked better together? Not in a combat sense, but as people. Some would dispute that Vision was actually a person, per se, but Cap knew better. He was as human as they came. And a better friend you couldn't have. Although he was hard to get close to, no question. He and Wanda lately had been seen playing chess, or shooting pool in the billiards room, and Vizh was politely interested in Wanda's Netflix queue, so things seemed to be going well. Would they ever go there again? He hadn't a clue, but wouldn't bet against it. 

Speaking of Wanda, he'd seen Stephen Strange in the house a few times. Probably a good thing. With her abilities, control was key. And Vizh was thankfully back to normal as well, near as he could tell. He couldn't count the number of times Vision had come through in the clutch. His abilities were so amazing... after Thor, there was no one Cap would rather see coming to the rescue than Vision. 

So he had an Asgardian, an artificial being, and a witch on the roster. That left Clint and Natasha- two human beings with absolutely no powers between them. Other than being fabulous human beings. In many ways Clint was one of his best friends, and the Avengers never felt complete to him without Clint on board. Hawk had come so far. A guy with a bow and an attitude, who rubbed shoulders with Thor... and who had earned the Asgardian's respect. Nothing to sneeze at. And Natasha- as solid as they came. The team ran smoother when she was there, in fact he often trusted her instincts more than his own. Especially when dealing with SHIELD. She knew the drill. And she had all the history with Clint and Tony... the three of them were like a well-oiled machine. 

It was a tight group. Serious high strung personalities too, in some cases. Like herding cats at times, but when the chips were down... there were none better. It was a privilege actually, and he never forgot how lucky he was. That reminded him- he had a date with Rachel tonight. He'd better get going. Luck wouldn't help him if he were late. As he rose to shower and change his commlink went off. 

"Yes Jarvis?"
"Sorry to bother you, sir, but it just came over the wire. The Wrecking Crew have been sighted in midtown. NYPD is requesting back up."  
Cap sighed. He was going to be late. 
"Thanks, Jarvis. I'll rouse the others."
"Very good, sir."
Cap slapped the alarm that would notify the rest of the group. As the klaxon sounded throughout the house, Cap smiled to himself. At least Thor was in the house. 

2 comments:

  1. As a total Marvel nerd.... I LOVE this!! Great work! And this line "Speaking of down to earth, Thor was in the house." hahaha I love it!

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  2. Very fun, Greg! I have to admit, I'm a Marvel fan because of the movies, I've never read the comics, but I'm always interested to learn about the differences.

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