Sep 18, 2015 2:12 PM: Tony Stark addresses the first class of the Champions Initiative, a program by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark International, urging young heroes to embrace responsibility amid post-Sokovia fears, rise above challenges, and shape a brighter future as the next Avengers.
DATE
Sep 18, 2015 2:12 PM
CLIME
wi-cloudy
TEMP
72 °
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SCENESET
AFTERNOON;
The training halls of the Avengers Initiative were abuzz with a mix of nervous energy and quiet anticipation. This was the moment that many of the next generation of heroes had been waiting for—the official beginning of the Champions Initiative, the first class of young Avengers. Stark International and S.H.I.E.L.D. had come together to form a new foundation for young metahumans and potential heroes who would rise to face the challenges of a changing world.
Amongst the students sat the likes of Kyle Parmley (American Kid), Amadeus Cho (Brawn), Vin Vision (Brother Vin), and the other members of the Avengers newly minted recruits, their potential new Champions. The room was filled with faces both excited and apprehensive, knowing that their lives were about to change forever.
At the front of the room stood Tony Stark, his ever-present charisma filling the space. Beside him were the faces of the established Avengers—Captain America (Steve Rogers), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Hawkeye (Clint Barton), all in their civilian attire, standing as pillars of support for these new heroes.
Off to one side stood Director Fury alongside Agent Coulson and Mariah Hill watching quietly as Tony prepared to address a room that fell somewhere between America's Next Fanboi and Earth's Last Best Hope - god help us all thought Fury.
"Welcome," Tony began, his voice both commanding and warm, a blend of a leader’s authority and a mentor’s reassurance. He gave the young heroes a moment to settle, letting the silence of the room amplify his presence.
"I know some of you might be wondering exactly what you're getting yourselves into," he continued with a slight smirk, "But let me assure you, you’ve been chosen for this because you’ve shown promise, courage, and the potential to do incredible things. You’ve made it here today, and you’re part of something bigger now."
He paused, scanning the room with an almost fatherly gaze, before his tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious. "But it’s not going to be easy. There’s a reason we’re not sending you straight out into battle. The world is changing, and the events of Sokovia—well, they’ve left scars on this world that won’t fade easily. People fear what they don’t understand. And there’s no shortage of people who will look at you, at all of you, and see nothing but threats. And you need to be prepared for that."
Tony’s eyes softened for a moment. "I’ve seen what fear can do to good people. That’s why you need to be better. Better than we were. Better than anyone expects you to be. We’re not just giving you powers; we’re giving you responsibility."
His gaze lingered on each young hero in the room. "Take that responsibility seriously, but never forget why we fight. We fight for the world, yes. But we also fight for each other. The world needs you. I know I’m asking a lot, but we have no choice but to rise above. Now, I know it’s tough out there, and things aren’t going to be easy... But you are here for a reason. You have a chance to shape the future of the Avengers, the future of this world. Don’t let that opportunity slip by."
He looked to the assembled Avengers, nodding as if reaffirming the collective hope they all shared. "We’re here to guide you, but you’ll carry the mantle one day. And trust me, the world will need you. The Accords may have divided the world, but together—this team—we can bring it back. Together, there’s nothing we can’t do."
As Tony finished his speech, the room fell silent, the weight of his words settling in. The young heroes glanced at each other, each one processing what they’d just heard.
This was the beginning. In Addition to the American Kid and Vin Vision stood Brawn, Brother Vin, Chant, Chimaera, Hawkeye2, Iron Lad, Faucon, Kid Nova, Miss America, Ms. Marvel, Patriot, Power Man, Spider-Man, pider-Man2, Speed, Stature, Souljah, and the Wasp3. They were no longer just students. They were (potentially) the Champions—the next generation of Avengers, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Chant:: Billy sat near the back of the room, his shoulders hunched slightly as he tried to disappear into the crowd of recruits. At sixteen, he wasn’t exactly small, but compared to most of the others here—bigger, taller, and somehow looking like they’d stepped straight out of a superhero photo shoot—he felt like he didn’t quite measure up. He adjusted his hoodie nervously, his fingers tugging at the sleeves as he glanced around the room, taking in the faces of his new teammates.
It was overwhelming. The Avengers. Actual Avengers. Captain America, Black Widow, and Iron Man himself were standing right there, just a few feet away, as if this was all completely normal. Billy had to remind himself to breathe, especially when his eyes landed on Captain America.
Steve Rogers wasn’t just a hero to Billy—he was the hero. Seeing him in person felt surreal, like a dream he didn’t dare wake from. Every story Billy had ever heard about Captain America, every video he’d watched, every quote he’d memorized—it all came rushing back in a tidal wave of admiration. He barely heard Tony Stark’s speech at first, too distracted by the presence of his idol.
Still, Billy had respect for Stark. He couldn’t deny Iron Man’s genius or presence, but he wasn’t Captain America. Steve Rogers was everything Billy aspired to be—brave, principled, unwavering in his belief that people could do better.
Billy’s eyes darted to the recruits around him. Some of them he recognized immediately—Kid Nova, Hawkeye2, Ms. Marvel, and even Spider-Man (especially Spider-Man who likely was super handsome behind that mask thought Billy with a quiet sigh). Spider-Man! The actual guy from all those YouTube videos and TikToks. Billy wasn’t sure if he was more starstruck or terrified. Spider-Man had this effortless charisma, like he belonged here, while Billy... well, Billy wasn’t sure what he was doing here at all.
His gaze lingered on American Kid and Chimaera for a moment longer than he meant to. They both exuded a confidence that Billy could only dream of, and as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t help imagining them as a couple. It just made sense somehow—they looked like they were cut from the same superhero cloth.
Billy shifted in his seat, a faint blush creeping up his neck. He felt like a total outsider. Everyone here looked so... polished. Meanwhile, he felt like a high school kid who’d accidentally wandered into an exclusive club.
And then there was the secret—the thing he didn’t dare let himself dwell on too long. His powers. The way they sometimes spiraled out of control, leaving him afraid of what he might do. He didn’t even know where they really came from, only that they made him different. Too different.
As Tony’s words settled over the room, Billy straightened himself a little, everyone seemed to actually. Responsibility. That’s what this was about. Not just powers or potential, but the ability to be better. He didn’t know if he was ready for that kind of responsibility, but sitting here now, surrounded by heroes—and with Captain America watching—it felt like maybe, just maybe, he could be worthy of the chance.
Billy glanced around one more time, not with fear but with determination. He was here for a reason. Now, he just had to figure out what that reason was.
He looked at Spider-Man, he looked so amazing in his uniform, his shoulders were really broad, then in a window he caught a reflection of Chimeara who due to his height seemed to dominate the room, he had really broad shoulders too and huge arms - he was like a hulk unto himself, just like you know, a handsome hulk.
Chimaera:: Teddy would have been pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming...if he hadn't been so worried about not looking cool and collected while Tony Stark was talking to them. It wasn't like he hadn't ever seen the man before. Teddy had grown up in New York City, so, like most New Yorkers, he'd pretty much seen all the Avengers off and on for years. But this was different. This wasn't Iron Man or Captain America racing past some crowd Teddy was part of on their way to fight crime. It wasn't even a group of Avengers at some rally or parade waving or making some generic speeches. No, Tony Stark was talking about Teddy TO Teddy...Well, sort of. It was to a group, yeah, but it was a very extraordinary group filled with really extraordinary people, and Tony Stark...Iron Man...was talking to them like they were more than just an audience.
Suddenly, and not for the first time, Teddy had the feeling he was being watched. He took a moment to cautiously look around. The cool thing about his powers was that nobody really 'got' them. They saw him big and green and muscle-y, and everybody thought 'oh...Hulk Jr.,' but Teddy was a shapeshifter. He could reshape his body any way he liked. And right now, he liked the idea of small eyes all the way around his head to give himself 360 degree vision.
There weren't that many people in the crowd, really. There were maybe a couple of dozen people he could see. Most were guys with a handful of girls. Most, including the girls, were fairly built. Girls and built guys had never interested Teddy much. Well, once, but that had totally blown up in his face. He figured that might have had something to do with his sudden fascination with sweet and shy guys. This whole training thing was going to wear on him, though. Who'd heard of a sweet and shy superhero? Wait...
Teddy focussed one of the eyes hidden in his hair toward the back of the room. There was a sweet and shy seeming guy looking around the room nervously, but even though his eyes looked here and there, they kept glancing back toward Teddy. Well, and American Kid...Kyle...he'd introduced himself earlier. He seemed like a nice guy, but Teddy didn't like the idea of the guy in the back checking out Kyle instead of him, if that was what was happening. Teddy shifted slightly to put himself directly between Kyle and the cute guy. He sighed with relief when the cute guy didn't seem to shift and twist trying to catch another glance at Kyle. It was petty, but Teddy felt himself puff up a bit at the idea cute guy was maybe watching him.
Teddy made some excuse about the bathroom or something and moved away from Kyle. He made his way toward the back, trying to draw as little attention as he could. Tony Stark was wrapping up, and it was pretty inspirational, but Teddy was on a mission. He slid into a chair next to the cute guy. "He's really good at this, isn't he? He makes me almost believe that it isn't insane that I'm here. Does that make sense?" He leaned closer and offered a hand, "I'm Teddy, by the way."
Chimaera:: It was odd. Teddy was a little embarrassed about getting called out, sure, but he wasn't at all embarrassed about approaching Billy. Though, considering his powers, he didn't let any embarrassment at all show. He was never more thankful that he could control his body's blush response.
He flashed what he hoped was a respectful smile to the Avengers on the stage and bowed his head slightly. As he turned to find the seat he'd been in next to Billy his whispered to him, "I'll hold you to that 'later' thing."
It was impressive to see the variety of genuine heroes and heroes in training around him. The avengers, of course, he knew from their years of defending humanity. But he recognized a respectable number of the young heroes, too, from out and about in the city when they were all out there trying to figure things out on their own. Seeing some of them unmask themselves seemed like a real moment. He paused to take it in.
Before he sat, he decided to take Mr. Stark up on his offer, though. He wasn't sure if it would be impressive enough or not, but he truly wanted to know. "If this is a good time for a Q&A, I'm happy to start. Well, nervous to start, I guess, but willing. I really do appreciate the opportunity you've offered, and I won't take it for granted. And I know it's not like we'll wake up tomorrow and get thrown into battle, but what is the plan? What are you looking for from us?"
Chant:: Billy’s eyes flicked over to the towering figure of Teddy as he moved closer, his large form filling Billy's peripheral vision before he could even fully process it. He quickly looked away, trying not to seem too obvious, but there was something about Teddy's presence that was hard to ignore. Billy felt his heart race a little as Teddy sat next to him, his massive frame almost making the seat seem too small for both of them.
Billy fumbled for a moment, unsure of what to say, before he finally managed to smile and turn his gaze back toward Teddy. “Uh, yeah, I—yeah, I know what you mean,” he said, his voice a little shaky. “I mean, it’s Tony Stark, right? He makes it sound like this whole thing could actually work... like we might actually be able to do something that matters.”
Billy shifted in his seat, feeling his cheeks warm as he realized that Teddy was looking at him—really looking at him—and he hadn't been able to avoid it. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh, I'm Billy. Or, uh, Chant." He managed to force a small laugh, though it felt awkward to him. "I guess superhero names are kind of, uh... a thing, right? We're using superhero names.... thats kind of weird isn't it? Is it? Is it weird? its weird. Sorry. I'm kind of weird I guess..."
He glanced over at Teddy's hands, then back up at his face. "So, um, you really think this whole 'joining the Avengers Academy' thing is gonna be... I mean, it’s not like a school school, right?" He winced internally at how dorky the question sounded, but then shrugged to himself. "Not that I have anything against school. Just, um, not sure how much classwork I'm ready for." He gave a half-hearted chuckle, hoping it wasn't too cringe-worthy.
As he waited on Teddy for a response, Billy took a moment to look away for anything reflective so that he could get another look at Teddy. Thankfully there was someone in an Iron Suit similiar to Iron Man's. Iron Boy? Kid Iron? The Iron Someone? Billy didn't know who it was exactly, but his armor was very shiny and reflective and Billy took advantage of that to look at Teddy. Fuck he was big. His muscles had muscles, and some of those muscles probably had muscles. Fuck he was so big. he was like a hulk, but kind of sexy too. Did he have reptilian-like plates on his deltoids? They were cool looking. Teddy was cool looking.. Was he a reptile?
Billy paused to wonder if he was suddenly into trans-specisim or something weird like that. Fuck thought Billy to himself, Fuck, I am so weird thought Billy.
Please don't let there be any telepaths in the room please.
NOTES:: First time/post/Instance where Billy talks to Teddy.
Chimaera:: Teddy grinned crookedly and chuckled. It was odd to hear not just a chuckle, but a chuckle in what was clearly a young man's voice coming from the massive green man sitting next to Billy. Still, Teddy liked his voice and didn't see any reason to change it just because he'd 'gone green.' "Yeah, definitely weird...the superhero names, I mean, not you. Well, I don't really know you, so maybe you are...but I think I'd like it. Not weird can be so boring, right?"
He knew he was probably coming off like a weirdo, himself, but he couldn't help it. "I...I've been trying to come up with a good superhero name, myself. Some have been okay, others...not so much. Right now, I'm thinking 'Chimaera.' It's got a couple of meanings, but the one for me is the creature made up of several different other creatures." He held his hand up again and it shifted from a big green hand, to a furry paw with claws, to a giant bird's talon, to a tentacle, and back to a big green hand.
"I used to have to change my whole boy into whatever I was going for, but I'm getting better at just changing parts." He shook out his hand and chuckled again. "Still feels a little weird, though." He figured the little tingle was worth it if he ended up impressing the cute guy. "If you didn't guess, I'm a shapeshifter. This," he waved a hand at his huge green-ness, "is just what I look like when I'm 'heroing.'" He made air quotes at that last part. Most of the time I'm just a normal looking guy. I mean, we could totally go out to dinner or the movies or something, and no one would have any idea."
He slipped that last part in there because he wanted to see Billy's reaction. He didn't know if the guy was gay or not, single or not, or even possibly interested. But a movie or dinner was something that could totally just be friends hanging out, right? But maybe Billy would have some better response than a vague interest in a 'group hang' with a bunch of other students. And this was the best way to get to know someone, wasn't it? Go out, get some one-on-one time, talk, listen...that was being damned near adult.
Chimaera:: Teddy had worked very hard at enhancing his senses with his powers. He'd been burned before, and he had been looking for some way to better understand what people were thinking. He wasn't some Zen master or anything, but he'd been getting better. Right now, Billy was acting all calm, but Teddy could hear his heart beating faster. Billy was trying to control his responses, but Teddy coul see the faint pink showing up in his cheeks and the way his eyes were dilating. And, strongest but weirdest to interpret, Teddy could smell the interest in the air around Billy.
It wasn't perfect. You could be attracted to someone and still intend to betray or use them, but some part of his brain was telling him Billy wasn't that kind of guy. And Teddy was a hopeless romantic. Actually, that wasn't true. Teddy was a hopeFUL romantic. And he chose to trust his instincts. Until betrayal or exploitation started showing up, he was going to believe the best about Billy. Besides, the guy had just asked him not only a question about himself, but a question that showed compassion and empathy. Those two things weren't generally high on the list of 'traits of douchebags.'
"Yeah, it does tingle a bit. Thanks for asking." Teddy flashed his best smile at Billy. "When I first started using my powers, my whole body would sting like when you touch an electrical plug, you know? But the more I practiced, the less it stung until I don't feel it at all anymore. Once I started practicing changing just parts of my body, it started up again. It's getting better, though. I barely feel it now, and in a few weeks, I doubt I'll feel it at all. Welcome to 'all you never wanted to know about shapechanging.'" He laughed and leaned in a bit closer.
"What about you? What are your powers?" His brow knitted for a moment. "Is...is that alright to ask? I mean, we'll probably all be training together at some point, so I'll probably see, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'd still like to go to dinner and that movie with you whatever they are."
Teddy was glad he had enough control over his body to not blush. It was a bad look in his 'hulk' form. Green and red? together they make the nicest shade of gray. Not exactly the skin tone most guys go for, though...come to think of it, green wasn't what most guys looked for, either. Teddy suddenly had something else to worry about.
Chant:: Billy blinked a few times, trying to process everything Teddy had just shown him. “That’s... wow,” he finally managed, staring at Teddy’s hand as if it might start shifting again at any second. “You can—wait, you can turn into animals? That’s seriously so cool. I think I saw a video of a giant green lion in Manhattan on TikTok—was that you?!” His words came out in a rush, his excitement bubbling over his usual awkwardness.
As Billy rambled, Teddy caught something faint in the air, a subtle scent that tickled at his heightened senses. It wasn’t like cologne or sweat—nothing so obvious—but a warm, almost musky trace of something distinctly human. It was faint, but unmistakable: androstadienone, also known as (AND). It hit Teddy like a whisper of emotion, and though he didn’t let it show, he knew that curious scent well given the sensitivity of Teddy's senses; It was likely an easy guess for Teddy to tell that Billy had to be bi-sexual at the very least and that he was definitely interested in someone in the room, and likely it was Teddy as his attention was so very squarely centered on Teddy.
Billy, oblivious to the effect, stole another glance at Teddy, his gaze lingering just a little too long. His face was... kind of wide, but it worked in this rugged, powerful way that Billy couldn’t help but find ridiculously handsome. And those shoulders—God, those shoulders—broad enough to make anyone else in the room look tiny by comparison. His arms looked like they could bench press a truck, or, well, Thor, considering they were practically the size of Thor’s thighs. Billy let out an awkward little giggle at the thought, Teddy had "Teddy's arms were Thor-Thigh sized" then immediately panicked that Teddy might have noticed.
“And Chimaera is, like, the perfect name,” he added quickly, trying to cover his weird laugh. “It’s unique, and it really... fits.” He nodded a little too emphatically, glancing down at his hands to avoid looking at Teddy’s ridiculously impressive everything.
Teddy, still catching faint traces of the pheromone in the air, studied Billy with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Billy was obviously a bundle of self-conscious nervous energy, but there was something so earnest about him, so... real. He found himself smiling wider without even meaning to; As they spoke, a poster in Billy's dorm room changed. The poster had featured Ryan Gosling, but now it was Teddy; Billy was officially crushing on Teddy, Billy was very much Ryan who and Teddy woo-hoo in a Blur sort of way!
“You must’ve been, uh, pretty popular in school, huh? I mean, you’re just... so chill about everything.” Billy fidgeted with the hem of his sleeve, his words rushing together nervously. Teddy’s easygoing confidence was both intimidating and strangely reassuring, like he belonged here in a way Billy couldn’t even imagine for himself.
When Teddy mentioned dinner or a movie, Billy just smiled nervously, not catching the subtext. “Yeah, totally. I mean, normal’s kind of overrated anyway, right? And, uh, I bet people wouldn’t even guess... you know, with how you look now, that you could blend in so easily.”
His eyes darted back to Teddy’s hands, still half-expecting them to shift again, and he blurted out, “Does it, uh, tingle? When you change, I mean? Or does it just feel... normal?” He winced inwardly at how awkward he sounded but forced himself to meet Teddy’s gaze again.
Those piercing eyes, paired with Teddy’s calm smile, made Billy’s heart race in a way he wasn’t ready to unpack. Meanwhile, Teddy couldn’t help but notice how Billy’s scent—just barely there—stirred something deep in his gut, an instinctive reaction he didn’t quite understand but definitely didn’t mind.
Chimaera:: Billy had just said he thought Teddy was handsome. he knew the grin spreading across his face was probably idiotic, and the least cool thing ever, but he couldn't help it. then, just as he was about to ask Billy out for real, he heard a loud voice behind him calling out to "a Hulk!" Teddy sighed and turned. When he saw the intense young man heading straight for them, he instinctively took a step sideways to put himself between Billy and the potential threat. on most levels he knew that someone at this meeting was highly unlikely to be a threat, but some other, deeper level told him to protect Billy. Period.
He smiled at the other man and bumped fists. He'd dealt with 'dudes' for years playing sports in school. He flashed a 'good to see you' smile and tried to calm things down. Unfortunately, the man was going about a hundred miles an hour. He finally wound down, though, and looked at Teddy as though he were supposed to have memorized the hundred questions the guy had just rattled off and start answering them in order, in essay form, while the guy took notes.
"Um, nice to meet you, man. I'm Teddy, and I'm not a Hulk," he chuckled. "Sorry, that sounded like I was introducing myself at some kind of Mutants Anonymous 12-step program, right?" He looked back to Billy for confirmation before looking back to the intent man in front of him. He took a step or two to the side to give himself some room, then he grew a pair of large, leathery wings out of his back. After reabsorbing those, he looked to Billy and gave him a wink before shifting into the green lion Billy had mentioned. The lion's smile showed quite a bit of teeth, and his voice was a bit distorted, but he spoke anyway. He started by responding to Mr. Science, but took a moment to wrap his tail around Billy's waist. "I'm a shapeshifter. The big green guy is just how I like to fight. He has a tendency to scare the crap out of opponents. I bet a lot of your Hulk knowledge would help me fight, though. I'd be happy to do some tests and spar with you sometime."
He then turned back to Billy, releasing his waist as he did. He'd been splitting his focus, watching what had been going on up on the stage, and it inspired him. "So, yeah. This is me, too. I can turn into lots of different things, and can even copy people if I need to, but..." He blurred a bit, stood back on two legs, and settled into the blond-haired, pink-skinned form he'd woken up in this morning. "This is me. Plain old Teddy Altman. Are...you disappointed? Because you didn't actually agree to go out with me or anything yet, so no hard feelings if you are." He hoped his new Hulk-friend would give him 30 second to at least hear Billy's response before the next round of questions started.
Chant:: Billy’s breath hitched for just a second as Teddy grinned at him—really grinned, wide and toothy. His canines were sharp, pronounced, the kind of thing that should be intimidating, like all seven feet of Teddy himself should be intimidating, but instead, all Billy could focus on was how friendly the smile looked. It was warm, easy, and his blue eyes sparkled like he was genuinely having fun. Billy hadn’t really thought about it before, but now that he was up close, the contrast between Teddy’s green skin and those bright, baby blues was striking. It made his features pop in a way that Billy found... well, objectively attractive. His face was broad, but it worked—really worked. And his shoulders? Damn. He was built like a tank. His arms alone were the size of Thor’s thighs, and the ridiculous thought of that made Billy giggle under his breath before he caught himself and immediately felt stupid.
He latched onto the safest thing he could—Teddy’s explanation about his powers. “That actually makes a lot of sense,” Billy said, clearing his throat, still trying to shake off the embarrassing giggle. “Like how a muscle gets sore when you first use it, but after a while, you don’t even notice.” He nodded to himself like that was a totally normal thing to say instead of obsessing over the way Teddy leaned in a little closer, making Billy’s brain short-circuit for a second.
Then, Teddy asked about his powers. Billy tensed for half a second before shaking his head quickly. “No, no, it’s fine! I mean, yeah, we’re all gonna see each other’s powers at some point, so it’s not like a big secret or anything.” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I just... mine aren’t as flashy as yours. I uhm sort of... do things? I'm like a little menagerie of tricks I guess you could say for lack of a better explanation." Billy had found it best to downplay his powers as describing them fully typically resulted in one of two things, people scuffing at the idea of magic, or their superstitions got the better of them and they wanted to throw another faggot* on the fire. The historical term "faggot" has multiple meanings, but in the context of its derogatory usage, it originally referred to a bundle of sticks used for fuel or burning. In medieval England, the term was also associated with heretics who were burned at the stake, and some theories suggest this contributed to its later use as a slur. So knowing this Billy steered clear of stating that he kind of cast thought experiments, what others might call 'spells'. " So uhm... you know? I toss some lightning bolts with questionable accuracy, I fly. Teleportation on a good day, still with questionable accuracy.” He shrugged, suddenly feeling like his powers were kind of... weird and yet boring compared to shapeshifting into giant green lions.
Billy blinked. “I think you're powers are really cool... and you look so handsome and commanding too. Very boss, like you've had a really good glow up.” He nodded quickly, completely missing the subtext. of what he had said, not that he would have disagreed with the subtext if he had caught.
NOTES:: *The historical term "faggot" has multiple meanings, but in the context of its derogatory usage, it originally referred to a bundle of sticks used for fuel or burning. In medieval England, the term was also associated with heretics who were burned at the stake, and some theories suggest this contributed to its later use as a slur.
Brawn:: Amadeus had been keeping an ear on the room, picking up on voices, tones, and little nuances the way only a seventh-smartest-man-in-the-world type could. And one thing had become glaringly obvious: there was another Hulk in the house.
He didn’t just notice Teddy—he zeroed in on him. That big green form, the muscles that could probably bench-press a tank, and the casual way he just existed in his space like the world had to accommodate him instead of the other way around? Yeah, that was textbook Hulk energy.
Amadeus grinned wide as he strode over, practically radiating excitement. “Dude.” He didn’t even bother with introductions yet. “You’re a Hulk!” His tone was somewhere between thrilled scientist and excited fanboy. “Or, well, Hulk-adjacent—whatever it is, it’s awesome.”
He leaned in slightly, studying Teddy with the intense curiosity of someone who had definitely spent too much time running equations in his head. “So, what’s the deal? Are we talking gamma mutation? Alien genetics? Magic? All of the above?” He squinted a little. “You’ve got that whole 'smooth-shifter' thing going on, too. Not exactly a standard Hulk trait, but I’ve definitely seen weirder.”
Without waiting for an answer, Amadeus extended a fist. “Either way, you are officially my new favorite person in this room. We Hulks gotta stick together, y’know?” He grinned, then tilted his head, his analytical gears clearly turning.
“So, how Hulk are you?” His fingers danced as if swiping through an invisible data screen. “Like, are we talking full 'Unstoppable Rage Monster' mode, or are you more on the 'chill and in-control' side of things?” He flexed his own arm—still impressively toned despite not being full Brawn at the moment. “’Cause I kinda cracked the whole ‘Hulk brain’ thing. Kept all the strength, left behind the rage. Huge quality-of-life improvement, trust me.”
His eyes gleamed with scientific interest. “You ever test limits? Strength levels? Durability? C’mon, man, you gotta tell me—how much can you bench?”
Amadeus was fully locked in now, his presence loud and enthusiastic—and most importantly, completely oblivious to the moment he'd just crashed.
Captain America:: Steve Rogers stood with the other heroes welcoming the new heroes. He recognized Spiderman for sure among the crowd. He patrolled Queens more often making him feel he was from that area. Tony refused to reveal his identity respecting Spiderman’s privacy. He hadn’t even entered it in the files and he understood and respected that.
“Good morning everyone. Welcome. I know some of you have secret identities and I understand. You have friends and families to protect. I do need to lead by example.” Replied Steve.
He paused pulling his mask off revealing his face.
“You may know me as Captain America. But I’m also Steve Rogers and I welcome you to the school.” said Steve.
Human Torch:: Johnny Storm flew in through an open window making an entrance as the flames died out revealing his Fantastic Four uniform.
“Hello everyone. Thought I’d pop in. The Fantastic Four is our own group but we’ve become part time members of the Avengers. We’ve realized we can’t just always solve problems on our own. Well that’s what Reed says anyway.” replied Johnny.
He chuckled thinking if the four of them could have easily taken out their Chitauri by themselves but he supposed it was good they had backup. Tony Stark did have his respect over the others though. Tony had redirected a nuclear missile and wiped out the fleet. And nearly got stuck in space. A move he’d probably have made himself if given the chance. Then froze as Steve removed his mask. Steve looked just like him built and sexier.
“Great. More competition. As if Stark wasn’t bad enough.” thought Johnny.
He chuckled.
“Well I didn’t expect us to look alike. Maybe we’re related.” replied Johnny.
Spider-Man:: Peter grinned as he sat in the class. He couldn’t believe he’d been recruited by Iron Man. It felt like just yesterday he was just protecting Queens by himself. And there were other heroes here. Maybe some he could be good friends with.
Then Human Torch arrived showing off as Peter chuckled. Johnny and him had hit off quite well. But Johnny didn’t know who he was under the mask either. Only Tony and Ned did so far and the fewer people who knew the better.
He was speechless as Steve removed his mask and looked identical to Johnny. He laughs at Johnny’s comment.
“Wow. You guys could be twtins.” Replied Peter.
Iron Man:: Tony Stark had been sitting back, letting Natasha do her whole intimidating spy thing—and, honestly? It was fun to watch. Nothing got people to shut up and pay attention quite like the Black Widow casually implying she could make them disappear. But when she finished, and the awkward silence started stretching just a bit too long, he decided it was time to step in.
"Right. What the Widow said," Tony drawled, standing up and clapping his hands together. "Now that we've all had our moment to giggle and gossip, let’s get to something a little more productive."
He took a slow look around the room, eyes flicking from face to masked face. Yeah, there were a lot of them.
"First order of business—everyone with a mask, go ahead and take it off. That means you, Spider-Man. You too, Nova, Hawkeye 2, Souljah—yeah, I see you trying to look busy. Off. Brawn, Hulkling—scratch that, Chimaera? Did we ever get that branding memo back from the focus groups? No? Figures. Anyway—Brawn, de-Hulk like whatever his name is just did. Dial it down a bit, okay?"
His attention flicked back to Hulkling with a smirk. "And you—keep it in your pants for now. Like the Widow so gracefully pointed out, this isn't Sadie Hawkins, it’s the Champions."
He gave them a moment, raising an expectant eyebrow.
"Look, I get it. Secret identities, mystique, the whole ‘oooh, I’m a man of mystery’ act. Very cool, very dramatic. But you’re going to be working together—sometimes in very tight quarters, under very stressful conditions. And call me old-fashioned, but I happen to think it’s a tiny bit important that you actually know who you’re working with."
He paced a little, gesturing vaguely in the air.
"Second thing—what Natasha said about us not being your regular instructors? Yeah, that’s the understatement of the century. We’re the Avengers. We don’t do ‘regular.’ The world’s in flux, things are changing fast, and we don’t have the luxury of holding your hands every step of the way. Today is special. Today, you actually get to talk to us." He gestured broadly toward the assembled heroes. "Legends. Icons. People with very tight schedules, mind you."
He smirked.
"I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m pretty sure Director Fury isn’t the only one taking notes. So, you know—maybe impress us, definitely impress him 'cause he signs the checks at the end of the day that we all write. Got that? Good. Now, ask something insightful. Say something that makes us think, ‘Wow, that kid’s got potential.’ Or, at the very least, don’t make us regret the cost of the postage stamp that got your ass here. Got it? That’d be nice."
He clapped his hands again. "Alright. Masks off, big green energy down, and let’s get to it. I promise, this will be more productive than playing superhero speed dating."
Chant:: Billy barely had time to process what was happening before Teddy instinctively stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the rapidly approaching young man. Huh. Nice back, Billy thought, momentarily distracted. You can see the posterior deltoid is very clearly separated from the rhomboids, from the latissimus dorsi, from the erector spinae. Nioce. It was like witnessing an eclipse, except instead of blocking the sun, Teddy was just blocking everything. And Billy... didn’t exactly mind cause as lats go, Teddy's were pretty nice.
Teddy handled the situation with a casual sort of ease, bumping fists and smiling like he’d done this a hundred times before. Billy, meanwhile, peeked out from behind him, eyes flicking between the intense newcomer and Teddy himself. The guy—Brawn, Billy was pretty sure—was talking a mile a minute, and Teddy was doing his best to keep up. When he turned back to Billy for confirmation, Billy shrugged, lips quirking slightly.
“He’s a shape-shifter that happens to look like a Hulk,” he said, crossing his arms. “There is a difference. What that difference is, I don’t know, but there is a difference.”
And then Teddy went ahead and proved it, shifting effortlessly between forms like it was no big deal. The wings were cool, but when he turned into the green lion, Billy felt something tighten in his chest. Teddy’s voice was a little distorted, but the words still landed—especially when his tail wrapped lightly around Billy’s waist.
Billy had no idea what to do with that, so he just stood there, probably looking like a total idiot, while Teddy addressed Mr. Science before finally shifting back into his usual self—just Teddy Altman.
“This is me. Plain old Teddy Altman,” he said, watching Billy carefully. “Are… you disappointed? Because you didn’t actually agree to go out with me or anything yet, so no hard feelings if you are.”
Billy blinked, momentarily stunned that Teddy Altman, the literal human eclipse, was actually worried about his opinion.
And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spider-Man.
Billy’s brain short-circuited for a solid second and a half. His inner monologue immediately derailed into Oh my god oh my god oh my god— before he barely managed to rein himself in. No. Focus. You are not going to lose it in front of Teddy.
He swallowed, forcing himself to stay present, and looked back at Teddy.
“Disappointed?” he repeated, his voice just a little higher than usual. “Uh. No. Not even a little bit.”
Black Widow:: Natasha Romanoff had seen a lot in her time—rookies fumbling their way through training, wide-eyed recruits overwhelmed by the presence of legends, and the occasional overconfident showboat who thought they had nothing to learn. But this? This was something else entirely.
Leaning casually against the edge of the stage, arms crossed, she surveyed the so-called Q&A session with sharp, unreadable eyes. It had started off promising enough—new faces, eager minds, a chance for them to learn from the best. But within minutes, it had devolved into something that looked a lot less like a briefing and a lot more like a high school dance.
Instead of focusing on the instructors, the recruits were laser-focused on each other. Teddy was wrapped up in some private moment with Billy, who looked like he was one second away from combusting over something completely unrelated to the mission. Brawn had come in hot with a million questions, but instead of waiting for answers, he was already swept up in the whirlwind of personalities. Johnny Storm—predictably—had made himself the center of attention, and Peter Parker, bless his nerdy heart, had gone from engaged participant to social butterfly.
Natasha sighed through her nose, unimpressed.
She pushed off the stage and took a slow, deliberate step forward. "You know," she said, voice carrying effortlessly over the hum of conversation, "I thought this was supposed to be a Q&A session. Not a Sadie Hawkins dance."
She let the words hang for a moment, giving them a chance to land. Her expression didn’t change—calm, cool, and just slightly dangerous.
"Not that I don’t appreciate the team bonding," she added, tilting her head slightly. "But if you all don’t start paying attention, I might start thinking you don’t actually want to be here."
A pause.
"Which would be a shame, because if you don’t want to be here, I can arrange for you not to be."
She offered them the faintest hint of a smirk—just enough to make them question whether or not she was joking. Then she folded her arms again, waiting to see who had the good sense to straighten up first.
Chant:: Billy felt the heat rise to his face as Teddy's wink hit him like a punch to the gut. He wasn't sure what to do with the sudden, intense feeling swirling in his chest—was it admiration? Something else? Either way, it was way too much to process right now. The last thing he wanted was to make things awkward with the guy he was still barely getting to know.
"Uh, maybe we should talk about this... later?" Billy suggested, his voice cracking a little. He scratched at the back of his neck, trying to ignore the butterflies. "I mean, what Mr. Stark said, right? About the, uh, impressing thing?"
He took a deep breath, trying to shift his attention to the others in the room, and that’s when he noticed the variety of heroes—powerful, imposing, and all so different from what he’d expected. He pulled his hood down slightly, not as a mask, but just to feel a little less like a kid who wasn’t ready for all of this. He wasn’t sure if it made him feel better, but it felt like the spirit of the thing.
Billy ran a hand through his messy hair and gave Teddy an awkward smile, still unsure of what to say, but hoping things wouldn’t get too weird. Not yet anyway.
Chimaera:: Teddy gave another big, honest smile. It showed teeth, too, but they weren't nearly as pointy as the ones he had in his battle form. Billy had paused there for a minute, and Teddy was starting to become seriously worried that he actually was disappointed with the human Teddy. He was certain that wasn't the case now. He could smell it. And...that still creeped him out a bit. It was a good skill to have, but he realized that it wasn't a great one to use if he wanted to build something based on honesty and trust. He resolved to do his best to not use it on Billy anymore.
"Okay...um...cool!" His brain was short-circuiting just a bit. "And, uh, to be clear, I obviously know what you look like, and I'm not even a little bit disappointed, either. But...technically, you still haven't agreed to go out with me. So...Billy, would you like to go on a date with me? Maybe dinner or something?" He felt the real possibility that he might start rambling, so he shut his mouth and waited.
Captain America:: Steve nodded.
"I understand rules but if we're not told all the rules before coming here. You may have a lot of them leave. Most of my friends and family died while I was frozen. Forcing people to share their identities isn't good. Especially if any of these go to the same schools. If someone's a bully or unpopular or many other factors. It should be their choice to reveal their identity. Not ours. Anyone who wishes to leave you can. No one's forcing you to join." replied Steve.
He didn't always understand certain rules but he knew people didn't have to choose to follow them.
Spider-Man:: Peter looked up hearing the command and shook his head.
"I'm sorry but the mask stays on. I have friends, family, even acquaintances. They would be in danger if it got leaked. A telepath could read someone's mind. You put in a file and that can get stolen or hacked. If I had no one but me, maybe I wouldn't care. Someone told me once with great power comes great responsibility. I won't play with people's lives. You can't protect half the city every day if any of our identities were leaked. And it's not fair to put them off in witness protection or off to a safe house just because they knew me." replied Peter.
He looked around for a moment and sighed.
"If you'd told me that was part of the deal when you offered I would have said no. I don't have the resources to protect everyone around me. Even you Mr. Stark can't protect everyone. when the next alien invasion, supervillain or crisis hits, we'll all be there to stop it. And who'll be there to protect my family when a villain decides to go after them. Or puts out a hit on them." said Peter.
Human Torch:: Johnny froze at Spiderman's words.
"The kid has a point. Not everyone can be public identity superheroes. If my sister had no powers, I wouldn't have revealed who I am. We got lucky to get powers at the same time." replied Johnny.
He turned to Spiderman.
"You're welcome to work with the Fantastic Four if you ever need help. No questions on identities." said Johnny.
Chimaera:: It was odd. Teddy was a little embarrassed about getting called out, sure, but he wasn't at all embarrassed about approaching Billy. Though, considering his powers, he didn't let any embarrassment at all show. He was never more thankful that he could control his body's blush response.
He flashed what he hoped was a respectful smile to the Avengers on the stage and bowed his head slightly. As he turned to find the seat he'd been in next to Billy his whispered to him, "I'll hold you to that 'later' thing."
It was impressive to see the variety of genuine heroes and heroes in training around him. The avengers, of course, he knew from their years of defending humanity. But he recognized a respectable number of the young heroes, too, from out and about in the city when they were all out there trying to figure things out on their own. Seeing some of them unmask themselves seemed like a real moment. He paused to take it in.
Before he sat, he decided to take Mr. Stark up on his offer, though. He wasn't sure if it would be impressive enough or not, but he truly wanted to know. "If this is a good time for a Q&A, I'm happy to start. Well, nervous to start, I guess, but willing. I really do appreciate the opportunity you've offered, and I won't take it for granted. And I know it's not like we'll wake up tomorrow and get thrown into battle, but what is the plan? What are you looking for from us?"
Kid Nova:: Sam turned his helmet over in his hands before setting it down on the table. “Look, I get where Spider-Man’s coming from — I really do. Keeping your identity secret out there? Totally makes sense. The Nova Corps had similar protocols for when we were working undercover on certain planets.”
He glanced around at the others. “But this? This is different. If you’re sitting in this room, you already signed the paperwork. They already know who you are — your real name, your powers, your medical records, probably even your embarrassing middle school yearbook photo.”
He leaned back a bit, running a hand through his hair. “We’re going to be living together. Eating in the same cafeteria, training side by side, showering in the same locker rooms. We can’t exactly live in full costume 24/7. This whole unmasking thing? I’m guessing it’s more about trust building than anything else. And yeah, trust can be awkward at first, but it matters. Especially when you’re in a fight and you need to know the people next to you have your back — and you have theirs.”
He gestured toward the room in general. “Plus, let’s be real — this campus is probably one of the most secure places on the planet. It’s not like we’re broadcasting our names on the six o’clock news. We’re among teammates here.”
He gave a small grin. “That said, if anyone tries to mess with my stuff in the dorms, then we’ve got a problem.”
Chant:: Billy had been only half-listening — not out of disrespect, but because his brain was currently running on about four hours of sleep and way too much Teddy. It was hard to focus when the guy you’ve been quietly swooning over for weeks was sitting right there, looking all heroic and perfect.
Still, he managed to pull his hood down and tug off the half-cowl he wore, letting his dark hair spill out in its usual uncontrollable tangle — somewhere between "witch aesthetic" and "forgot what a hairbrush is."
He gave an awkward little wave. “Hi — I’m Billy… uh, thanks for having me here.”
It was short and sweet, but his attention flicked back to Spider-Man for a second, and he leaned toward Teddy, whispering just loud enough for his fellow shapeshifter to hear:
“I used to have the biggest crush on him. Until like… I dunno, maybe five minutes ago?” He grinned and added a playful wink, hoping it landed somewhere between ‘cute’ and ‘charming’ — and not just totally embarrassing.
Patriot:: Elijah stood up, back straight, shoulders squared — just like his grandfather taught him. “If the Avengers ask something of me, I’ll do it. That’s why I’m here.”
He gave a small nod to the room. “For those who don’t know, my name’s Elijah Bradley — grandson of Isaiah Bradley, the first super-soldier. You can call me Eli.”
He glanced around, taking in the room as he spoke. It was surreal, seeing so many faces he recognized from hours of watching YouTube clips — some of these heroes looked larger than life online, but now? Some were actually smaller, more human than he expected. Others had this calm, casual vibe that made them seem more approachable, even if they could probably punch through a wall without breaking a sweat.
He paused, gaze briefly resting on Captain America. “Mad respect to you, sir.”
Then, with a slight smile, he added, “And I respect the dissenting opinions, too. This is America, after all. We don’t all have to agree — that’s kind of the point. But me? I came here to stand up when I’m called. If that means trusting the people in this room with who I am, so be it.”
He sat back down, calm and confident, but definitely still sizing everyone up. This was going to be interesting.
Hawkeye2:: Kate leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, giving a small nod. “Look, this is the Avengers. We didn’t crash some random mixer — we were invited here, handpicked to join a team. And last I checked? We’re getting paid to be here. That’s a really good deal.”
She glanced around the room, shrugging. “They already know who we are — it’s in the paperwork we signed before we walked in the door. So why shouldn’t we know who each other is? We’re going to be living together, training together, probably getting punched in the face together. That’s kind of what teams do.”
Her gaze flicked briefly toward Spider-Man before sweeping the room again. “And if we can’t trust our idols, the Avengers — the people we grew up watching save the world — to keep us safe, then who exactly can we trust?”
Without much ceremony, she reached up and pulled off her mask, setting it on the table in front of her. “Y’know, honestly? I’m kinda done with masks anyway.”
She gave a half-smile, half-shrug — like it wasn’t a big deal, even though it kind of was.
Souljah:: Without a word, Souljah stood up. Her movements were calm, deliberate — no hesitation, no fuss. She reached up, peeled off her mask, and then pulled off the dark wig that covered her natural hair. No dramatic gestures, no speech, just action.
Her expression stayed unreadable — the same hardened mask she always wore, only now it wasn’t made of fabric. She scanned the room, her gaze moving from face to face, not lingering too long on anyone, but seeing everything.
Then, as silently as she stood, she sat back down — still watching, still listening, the weight of her presence hanging like a quiet storm cloud in the corner of the room.
Iron Man:: Without a word, Souljah stood up. Her movements were calm, deliberate — no hesitation, no fuss. She reached up, peeled off her mask, and then pulled off the dark wig that covered her natural hair. No dramatic gestures, no speech, just action.
Her expression stayed unreadable — the same hardened mask she always wore, only now it wasn’t made of fabric. She scanned the room, her gaze moving from face to face, not lingering too long on anyone, but seeing everything.
Then, as silently as she stood, she sat back down — still watching, still listening, the weight of her presence hanging like a quiet storm cloud in the corner of the room.
Black Widow:: From her corner, Natasha glanced at her phone—a flicker of pale light illuminating her face for a moment before she slipped it back into her jacket. She pushed off the wall, boots tapping soft and deliberate against the floor, every step calculated.
She let her gaze drift across the room, eyes sharp and knowing, like she was cataloging each of them for a file they’d never see.
Her attention lingered, just for a beat, on Spider-Man. One brow arched ever so slightly, and her head tilted—a silent, almost sardonic “Seriously, kid? We’re the good guys. No joke.” She didn’t need to say it out loud. Some things didn’t need words.
Without breaking stride, she leaned in close to Tony, whispering just loud enough for him to hear: “FYI—Bashear just touched down. He’ll be here in under five.”
And with that, she turned, coat flaring just slightly behind her as she headed toward the door—off to greet the next piece of the puzzle.
Blue Marvel:: Pomp and circumstance had always made him feel a little uneasy, he imagined it was a holdover from the past when he didn't want attention called to him, although it also extended to just being at events where this was in play. What was wrong with a nice quiet little ceremony? Of course, this was the reason for his late arrival, from an outside perspective he might have been accused of wanting to make a dramatic entrance, rather than the more mundane reason. He had been compiling the results of an experiment, and he did not want to leave them unexamined. If he did, he would have been thinking about them constantly when his attention should have been devoted to these fine young individuals.
He tried to enter the room unobtrusively and would have considered his arrival a success, but Natasha noticed, and likely so did anyone with heightened or sophisticated senses. For the rest of them, he had simply been there. "Good afternoon, everyone, I am Blue Marvel. I expect that you do not know of me, but I have been around for some time, and we can get to know one another together."
Chant:: Billy had been slouched in his chair, alternating between quietly vibrating with excitement over being here and internally stressing over whether his outfit was too try-hard (he changed three times before settling on his usual asgardian styled garb with a nice crisp red cloak that had somehow become quite tattered over the course of the morning). But the second he walked in — the second those words left his mouth — Billy shot upright so fast that he nearly levitated out of his seat.
He grabbed Teddy’s arm. Hard. "DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?" His voice came out somewhere between a whisper and a scream, which is to say, the worst possible volume for subtlety. Before Teddy could even respond, Billy shook him like a soda can and said, "That's BLUE MARVEL. THE BLUE MARVEL. Like — like 1960s Blue Marvel! Civil Rights era legend Blue Marvel! The guy who punched Anti-Man so hard he rewrote the weather patterns over Madagascar for a month. That Blue Marvel!"
Billy’s hand shot out to poke Brawn, who was sitting just close enough to get dragged into the chaos. "Amadeus! DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?" Same urgent whisper-scream. "There are literally, like, documentaries-worth of conspiracy theories about why he disappeared! One says he was so wracked with guilt over not being able to stop Kennedy from getting shot that he just walked into the ocean and stayed there for a decade! Another one claims the government faked his death because his molecular structure started destabilizing — like his body was accidentally turning into dark matter! And then there’s the one where he was abducted by cosmic space bees, but that one’s probably just a Reddit joke — probably."
He spun around in his seat, eyes darting to the others in the room like a caffeinated meerkat, desperate to find one person who understood the sheer magnitude of this moment. "Does no one here read weird superhero history blogs?? I’m not making this up! I have a WHOLE folder bookmarked!"
Finally, he wheeled back to Teddy, pointing dramatically at the Blue Marvel like his finger was declaring a holy truth. "That man? That man is a walking scientific anomaly wrapped in a historical legend wrapped in an actual Greek tragedy — and he just said 'we can get to know each other.' Teddy, I have to — we have to — I need to ask him SO MANY QUESTIONS."
Billy, practically vibrating with energy, looked one step away from either teleporting directly into Blue Marvel’s personal space or passing out from sheer overwhelmed fanboy joy.
Brawn:: Amadeus blinked, staring at Billy with a mixture of amusement and mild concern — like someone watching a toddler discover espresso. "Okay, okay, chill, I know who Blue Marvel is. You think I didn’t read his work? The guy basically rewrote the book on zero-point energy. Half my lab notes have his name in the bibliography."
He leaned back, arms crossed, smirking slightly. "That said... cosmic space bees? Really?"
Brawn gave Billy a good-natured shove with his elbow. "You’ve got to get off those conspiracy blogs, dude. But hey — if he does mention space bees, I’ll owe you a burger. Deal?" Brawn said with a smile as he gave Billy a quick once over and raised a slight eyebrow thinking that Billy was quite the cutie unlike most of the other guys present he wasn't quite so big or buff, he was more like a lil' comic book nerd, something Amadeus had a bit of a soft spot for; He glanced past Billy to look over at Chimeara sizing the shapeshifter up mentally.
Patriot:: Elijah had been leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, doing his usual thing — sizing everyone up like they were about to square off in a training sim. But the moment the man stepped through the door, Eli’s whole body went still. His breath caught somewhere between his chest and his throat.
Blue Marvel.
His grandfather told him about Blue Marvel once — told him about the handful of heroes who walked the line between myth and history, the ones who were too powerful, too inconvenient, too Black for the history books to know what to do with. Blue Marvel was a ghost story for kids like Elijah. Proof that someone could be a living legend and still get erased if they didn’t fit the narrative.
Eli’s fingers curled tight around the edge of the table.
Because yeah, this was amazing. This was history walking into the room. But it also stung like hell. Because where was Blue Marvel when Eli was a kid trying to figure out what it meant to be Black and super-powered and angry all at the same time? Where was this man when Eli was scraping for every inch of his identity, trying to piece together what it even meant to exist in this space?
He stood — not fully, just enough to put some weight behind his voice. "I know who you are." It wasn’t loud, but it had weight — that sharp edge Eli’s voice always got when something mattered. "I know exactly who you are."
His jaw tightened, and for a second, Eli didn’t know if he was about to yell or ask for an autograph.
"You could’ve been a lot more than a myth to some of us."
And then he sat back down hard, folding his arms again, glaring at the table like it had personally offended him — trying to figure out if the anger or the awe was winning.
Blue Marvel:: Adam noted the varied responses to his entrance. He expected the varied response, how could younger generations understand events that they were not a part of. He accepted that while some present would see him as figure of awe, while someone like PATRIOT would have a different take. He didn't want to make this about him, but he did want to address the comment. "I didn't set out to be a myth or legend, but to do the right thing, and I assure you that many times doing what is right is not easy."
He let that hang in the air, not as rebuke but something to think about. History was never as clear cut as people would like it to be. When he was a youth people agonized over the possibility that FDR new about attack on Pearl Harbor before it happened, but let it happen so the US could enter the war. It wasn't true, but the basics were that FDR was in favor of the US entering the world, and this attack did give him what he wanted, but the attack wasn't something he was looking for. When the time was right he might explain more, but it wasn't his call to make alone, not just to easy his or anyone else's consciousness
Maelstrom:: Carl stood arms crossed near the door, occasionally glancing at his escape. He wore his hero suit. Designed by his late friend, left to him in the will. It was like he knew Carl would be standing here one day. His suit was blue with gold accents. Both sleek and durable. How it was made, Carl would never know. “Why am I even here?” he thought. No one would even miss him if he stepped out. Neil was the hero fanboy, not him. At the thought of his deceased friend, he knew he couldn’t leave. This was where he was expected to be and where he would stay in Neil’s memory.
A yawn was stifled as Carl’s eyes flitted over the crowd, looking for someone he could tolerate. They were supposed to be his teammates after all, so mingling was required. That was when he noticed Chant gushing over different heroes. He smiled at the familiar sight. It was comforting, though his opinions on heroes didn’t quite align. He had had countless conversations in the past similar to the ones Chant’s. Or, more like he listened while others gushed over heroes.
His revelry was broken after hearing Black Widow speak. An involuntary laugh escaped him. “Ya sure, the good guys.” He uncrossed his arms and stormed over to her. Sliding himself partially between Widow and Spiderman. “So Ultron, just built himself then?” I locked eyes with her. Daring her to defend the destruction heroic actions caused for the people caught in the crossfire. “Urgh, I should have gone over to the fanboy. Why was I picking a fight with Widow?” he thought.
Only Hawkeye2’s words caused him to break his gaze. “Idols?” Carl took a step back from Widow. His eyes rested on Hawkeye2’s bow. “Well, maybe for you. I don’t plan to be like them. I plan to be better.” Carl may not have wanted to join, but he would ensure innocents weren’t harmed in the process.
Black Widow:: Natasha barely reacted as Carl stormed over, sliding himself into her space like he was bracing for a fight. His stance, the sharp edge in his voice—he was testing her, looking for something to push against. She'd seen it a thousand times before.
A slow, knowing smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I said we’re the good guys,” she replied smoothly, tilting her head just slightly. “Not the perfect ones.”
Her gaze locked with his, steady and unshaken. "You think I don’t know the cost? That I haven’t seen what gets left in the wreckage? Trust me, Carl—I’ve read your file. I know exactly why you’re standing here, why you stayed when you wanted to walk out that door."
She stepped forward just enough to close the space between them, voice lowering—not a threat, but an invitation. “You want to be better? Good. Do it. But standing here, picking a fight with me? That’s not making anything better. It’s just noise.”
She let the words settle before stepping back, flicking a glance toward Hawkeye2. “Idols are tricky things,” she mused, half to herself. “But if you’re lucky, sometimes they turn out to be human. And sometimes, Carl—so do you.”
With that, she moved past him, the conversation closed—unless, of course, he had more to say.
Chant:: Billy practically vibrated with excitement, barely keeping himself in his seat. He nudged Brawn first, then turned to Teddy, his grip tightening around Teddy’s arm in a way that was definitely not casual. “Okay, okay, first off—Maelstrom is not Carl Creel’s kid. I know some people really want to believe that, but come on! That’s, like, peak fanboy conspiracy. Just because someone has powers even kinda similar to another dude doesn’t mean they’re related! That’s lazy. And also? Fact check! Creel doesn’t even have kids. Known fact.” He let that settle for exactly one second before he gasped. "Wait, do we know for sure? No, no, never mind, he doesn’t—I would definitely know if he did."
Before anyone could process that, Billy turned sharply and poked Brawn in the shoulder, then immediately spun to Teddy, giving his arm another squeeze. “Do you know who that is?” He didn’t wait for a response before repeating the process with Brawn again, this time more insistent. “No, seriously, do you know who that is?”
Then, as if the energy inside him couldn’t be contained, he launched into full-on fanboy mode. “That’s Maelstrom! And he doesn’t even wear a mask, which is just—chef’s kiss—absolutely iconic. Zero anonymity. Just out here, raw, real, unfiltered Maelstrom! And did you see that takedown in Jersey last week? Hydro-blasts! Super precise, didn’t even need a second shot—three muggers down in literal seconds! And that’s not even his usual turf! He doesn’t operate in Jersey, so what was he even doing there? It wasn’t random, right? He had to be there for something—was it a bigger case? A secret mission? Was there, like, some underground supervillain thing happening that only he knew about?”
Billy’s mouth kept running even as his brain started spinning in real time, his eyes wide with speculation. “Why was he in Jersey?” He turned back to Teddy like he was expecting an answer, his grip still firm on Teddy’s arm as if to make sure he was processing the sheer magnitude of what was happening.
"And he has like the best smile. Look at him, thats how a hero looks right?" Billy stated feeling both inspired by Karl's presence and a bit deflated out of fear of trying to measure up to how he imaged Maelstrom to be.
Blue Marvel:: One of the most difficult things to master was to keep the peace. He could understand how PATRIOT felt, but this wasn't about him. No one was required to be someone else's hero and it was something the young man was going to have to learn for himself. Others might consider him to be a role model, and he certainly liked the idea that he could inspire others but recognized the folly of setting himself up on a pedestal. It would have been foolhardy to lock horns over such a thing. He had reasons why he could not, and would not explain his actions, so best to let it go. He had caught the tail end of the exchange that Natasha had skillfully ended. The young had a fire in their gut, and it had not been acknowledged, but not necessarily encouraged by fanning the flames.
He took a seat next to the BLACK WIDOW, wondering how this gathering was going to turn out. It was supposed to be their inaugural ceremony but somehow had been turned around to be about their elders.
Maelstrom:: Really? Widow was going to brush off creating a homicidal machine. “You didn’t drop a carton of eggs. It isn’t like you tripped over the create a homicidal maniac button.” I respond to her retreating form. “Can’t just say oops, but I promise we won't do it again.” The anger in him subsided a little. When she mentioned she read his file. That was supposed to be private. Though a spy having read it wasn’t too far-fetched. He bit the inside of my cheek. “Fuck it, it’s not worth the fight.” Carl thought. He shook his head and headed toward the fanboy he had seen earlier. He was done making a scene, he couldn’t risk getting kicked out. Maybe the boy’s antics would be more relaxing.
“I didn’t think anyone knew me,” I said over his shoulder. I preferred keeping a low profile. Just do what's right. Granted now that I was part of a team that was thrown right out the window. “I don’t bother with a mask, because I’m a nobody and don’t really have anyone that I need to protect with a secret identity.” Surrounded by all these Avengers and fewer youngsters closer to his age was putting him a little on edge. “If I’m being honest, I ended up in Jersey by mistake. I got on the wrong subway.”
Brawn:: Amadeus arched a brow as Billy vibrated with barely contained excitement, the younger hero practically clinging to Teddy’s arm. Billy’s enthusiasm was contagious, and it was hard not to be amused by the rapid-fire fanboy speculation. Amadeus shot Teddy a playful look, silently asking, Is he always like this?—though he already knew the answer.
Then Maelstrom’s voice cut in, quieter than expected. Unassuming. Real. I got on the wrong subway.
Cho blinked. His lips twitched into a smirk, a soft huff of amusement escaping him. "Yeah, sure," he said lightly, folding his arms over his chest. "And I guess I accidentally threw a bus into orbit once. Happens to the best of us."
But there was no edge in his tone—just easy camaraderie. He could tell the guy wasn’t big on the attention, and he respected that. No mask, no theatrics. Just a guy doing the right thing because it needed to be done. It was… refreshing.
Turning slightly, he clapped Billy on the shoulder with a good-natured shake, both fond and gently teasing. "You hearing this, fanboy? Your hero doesn't even need a cover story. Just ‘oops, wrong stop, might as well save some lives.’" His grin widened, but his eyes held a glimmer of genuine admiration. "That’s next-level casual."
Still, his gaze drifted to Maelstrom, more appraising now. No mask, no double life—just raw, unfiltered action. There was a weight to that kind of visibility, one Amadeus didn’t envy. The guy made it sound simple, but Cho knew better.
And, for a moment, he considered what it meant to have someone like Maelstrom at this event—among gods and icons, but still someone who didn’t hide. That was rare. Maybe rarer than powers themselves.
Glancing at Billy again, Amadeus’s grin turned slightly more genuine. “Yeah,” he added with a nod toward Maelstrom, “definitely how a hero looks.”
Wasp3:: Nadia lingered near the edge of the gathering, watching the tension unfold between Maelstrom and Black Widow with sharp, discerning eyes. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. Her gaze, thoughtful and precise, missed nothing—the defiant edge in Carl’s voice, the way his frustration simmered just beneath the surface, and the sharpness of his words that cut deeper than he probably intended.
Arrogant. Hot-headed. Too quick to throw a punch when a scalpel would do. Reckless.
And yet… she couldn’t quite look away.
There was a rawness to him, unpolished but striking—a storm that didn’t bother with subtlety, tearing through whatever stood in its path. It was infuriating. It was stupid. And it was, annoyingly, alluring.
Her eyes lingered on the set of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders, and the slight curl of his lip when he was barely holding himself back. Infuriatingly handsome. She pursed her lips slightly, frustrated with herself for noticing.
Her fingers brushed absently over the edge of her glove, flexing as though testing the tension. She told herself it was simply observation—nothing more. She wasn’t impressed by his posturing, nor the barely-contained fire in his eyes. She was simply studying the battlefield.
And yet, when he turned away, she found her gaze trailing after him. Just a little too long.
Souljah:: Souljah stood silently, her eyes shifting from Carl to Natasha, then to the others, taking in the tension that had built. She could feel the weight of the words left hanging in the air—the judgment, the anger. But she wasn’t going to let the myth spin out of control. She took a step forward, her voice calm but unwavering.
“Carl, I don’t know who’s been feeding you this myth about the Avengers, but that’s not the whole story. What you’re talking about, that’s just noise—Russian propaganda, plain and simple. The Avengers didn’t try to end the world; they’ve been fighting to save it, again and again. The whole Ultron thing? It’s been twisted by people who want to tear down everything they’ve worked for.” She shook her head slightly, eyes locked on Carl. “No one’s perfect. We all make mistakes. But if you’re gonna stand there and try to rewrite history, you need to understand that what you’re doing isn’t helping anyone—it’s just stirring up the past and ignoring the good these heroes have done.”
She glanced at Natasha, nodding in her direction. “She’s right. They’re not perfect. But who is? You think the world would be better if the Avengers hadn’t stepped in? You think we’d be sitting here without them? I don’t think so.”
Souljah turned back to Carl. “So where do you get off, trying to spread falsehoods like that? You think you’ve got a monopoly on the truth, but you’re just parroting what someone else wants you to believe. If you’re truly trying to make the world better, start by seeing things for what they are—not what someone else tells you they are.”
With that, Souljah took a deep breath and backed away, her words hanging in the air. She wasn’t looking for a fight—just the truth. And sometimes, the truth was harder to swallow than the lies people were so eager to believe.
Director Fury:: The tension crackled in the air like a live wire—frustration simmering just beneath the surface. Souljah’s words still hung heavy, Carl’s fists clenched at his sides, and Natasha’s calm but sharp retort lingered with finality. The room felt primed for another spark to ignite it all over again.
But then, from the edge of the gathering, Nick Fury’s voice sliced through the noise—low, steady, and absolute.
“Enough.”
The single word carried more weight than any raised voice or heated argument. All eyes turned toward him as he slowly walked into the space, his one good eye sweeping over the group with unflinching authority.
“I get it,” Fury began, his voice even, but leaving no room for debate. “Everyone here’s got history. Some of it good, some of it… not so good.” His gaze lingered on Carl, then swept over Natasha, Souljah, and the others. “I’m not gonna stand here and play counselor, and I sure as hell don’t care who likes who. What I care about is the mission.”
He paced slowly, measuredly, the sound of his boots deliberate against the floor.
“Every single one of you was vetted before you got here. We know your records—your wins, your failures. And you’re all standing here anyway. Why? Because someone believed you could make a difference. That you could inspire the world.” His voice lowered slightly, but the intensity never wavered. “You don’t have to be perfect. Hell, you won’t be. But you do have to be ready.”
Fury’s gaze locked on the group, unwavering. “Because here’s the truth—you’re going to screw up. You’re going to fall short. Some of you are going to wash out. That’s reality. And it doesn’t make you a failure. Our job is to make you as ready as possible for a day we hope never comes. Because if it does?” He let the words settle, his voice like iron. “The world’s going to be counting on you. Whether you’re ready or not.”
He let the silence hang for a moment before turning toward the exit. His voice was matter-of-fact, sharp, and final.
“Now, quit wasting time with this crap and get back to the reason you’re here. Or don’t. But understand this—if you’re not up for it, I will know.”
Without waiting for a response, Fury walked away, leaving the group to let his words linger. The conversation was over.
Blue Marvel:: Maelstrom was an interesting individual, one who acted like he was unaware of his privilege, but wielded it like a scalpel attached to a sledgehammer. Natasha had served the world in manners great and small, but he presumed to lecture her as if he had the volume of experience that exceeded hers and could judge her accordingly. He didn't agree with everything she had done, any more than the Widow would have approved of his achievements in their entirety. He also felt the young man was a bit deceitful. There was only one subway between New York and New Jersey, clearly marked and separate from the MTA. If he was here, it was a deliberate action.
Fortunately, Nick Fury spoke up to cut through the tension. It was his specialty. Bashear understood there would always be tension between the old guard and the new. It didn't matter that most of the senior members here didn't exactly look like geezers. The man's words resonated with him, he'd said similar things to men and women now grandparents and older. No one was perfect or would remain so if they miraculously had been up to this moment.
"I believe Mr. Fury has a point, our focus should be on what we can do going forward, and leave the past where it lay, out of reach."
Maelstrom:: Carl had intended to let things go. Something someone else seemed to not want to do. “Really?” He looked at Souljah, unaware of who they were. Neil probably would have known. “See things for what they are? You should take your own advice. I mentioned two undisputed facts. Ultron tried to destroy the world, and the Avengers made Ultron," he sighed, trying not to roll his eyes. "I didn’t spread falsehoods or propaganda or rewrite anything.” Things happened literally a second ago. How did they misinterpret what he said and think he was listening to Russian propaganda? Carl knew the Avengers didn’t aim to do it. However, intent and the events that unfolded were two different things. When he got up in the morning and made a mistake, it didn’t almost end the world. Once he joined the team, he had a responsibility to make sure his mistakes didn’t cause harm to others. A responsibility he was going to take extremely seriously. Avengers had a lot of power, and wielding it carelessly without thought would cost others.
Nick Fury’s speech seemed to calm things down a bit. “Ok, so why are we here? I like cheese and crackers as much as the next guy, but you mention not wasting time like you have something more planned then a simple meet in greet.” Though with Nick Fury already walking away, he doubted he would get an answer.
“Blue Marvel, was it?” He looked at the man, trying to take him in. “I don’t intend to wallow in the past. However, if things are done the same with this new team," Carl paused, "well, I don’t want us making the same mistake. No matter the excuse or reason, the Avengers were formed to protect Earth from threats and created a threat to Earth. Can't just say oops and ignore the lesson we should be learning from it.” He was aware he was sounding harsh, however, he didn't want his new teammates' idolization of the Avengers to have them forget how easily it is to be the threat they were meant to stop.
Blue Marvel:: Maelstrom was an interesting individual, one who acted like he was unaware of his privilege, but wielded it like a scalpel attached to a sledgehammer. Natasha had served the world in manners great and small, but he presumed to lecture her as if he had the volume of experience that exceeded hers and could judge her accordingly. He didn't agree with everything she had done, any more than the Widow would have approved of his achievements in their entirety. He also felt the young man was a bit deceitful. There was only one subway between New York and New Jersey, clearly marked and separate from the MTA. If he was here, it was a deliberate action.
Fortunately, Nick Fury spoke up to cut through the tension. It was his specialty. Bashear understood there would always be tension between the old guard and the new. It didn't matter that most of the senior members here didn't exactly look like geezers. The man's words resonated with him, he'd said similar things to men and women now grandparents and older. No one was perfect or would remain so if they miraculously had been up to this moment.
"I believe Mr. Fury has a point, our focus should be on what we can do going forward, and leave the past where it lay, out of reach."
Maelstrom:: Carl had intended to let things go. Something someone else seemed to not want to do. “Really?” He looked at Souljah, unaware of who they were. Neil probably would have known. “See things for what they are? You should take your own advice. I mentioned two undisputed facts. Ultron tried to destroy the world, and the Avengers made Ultron," he sighed, trying not to roll his eyes. "I didn’t spread falsehoods or propaganda or rewrite anything.” Things happened literally a second ago. How did they misinterpret what he said and think he was listening to Russian propaganda? Carl knew the Avengers didn’t aim to do it. However, intent and the events that unfolded were two different things. When he got up in the morning and made a mistake, it didn’t almost end the world. Once he joined the team, he had a responsibility to make sure his mistakes didn’t cause harm to others. A responsibility he was going to take extremely seriously. Avengers had a lot of power, and wielding it carelessly without thought would cost others.
Nick Fury’s speech seemed to calm things down a bit. “Ok, so why are we here? I like cheese and crackers as much as the next guy, but you mention not wasting time like you have something more planned then a simple meet in greet.” Though with Nick Fury already walking away, he doubted he would get an answer.
“Blue Marvel, was it?” He looked at the man, trying to take him in. “I don’t intend to wallow in the past. However, if things are done the same with this new team," Carl paused, "well, I don’t want us making the same mistake. No matter the excuse or reason, the Avengers were formed to protect Earth from threats and created a threat to Earth. Can't just say oops and ignore the lesson we should be learning from it.” He was aware he was sounding harsh, however, he didn't want his new teammates' idolization of the Avengers to have them forget how easily it is to be the threat they were meant to stop.
midKnight:: As the last of Fury’s words lingered in the air, the room seemed to settle—if only slightly. The weight of the conversation still clung to the space, the sharp edges of conflicting ideals not yet dulled. But then, almost unnoticed, Agent Svyatopolk, known in certain circles as MidKnight—or, to an even smaller few, as the Eternal Child—emerged from Carl’s blind spot.
Moving with the silent grace of a shadow, Pasha flanked Carl’s left, stepping into his peripheral vision only when he was nearly beside him. Without breaking stride, MidKnight walked past Carl, his eyes locked on the cluster of Avengers ahead. The subtlety of his arrival spoke volumes—an intentional display of his skill, a silent but clear reminder of why he was here.
Without looking back at Carl, Pasha spoke with a calm, measured tone, his voice carrying an almost casual air.
“We’re here,” he said smoothly, “just like we said. A welcome, a meet-and-greet. A chance for everyone to ask questions and, y’know, get a little stardust out of their eyes.”
His eyes flicked briefly toward the gathered Avengers, his tone light but deliberate. “They agreed to make themselves available, so... ask your questions. That’s the whole point.”
Pasha then slowed his pace just slightly, leaning in closer to Carl, his voice dropping low so only the two of them could hear. His tone remained light, almost friendly—but with an unmistakable edge of candor.
“FYI,” he murmured near Carl’s ear, “I think maybe you are projecting a little bit of your past on to them. No offense, but you’re not really standing on the moral high ground, I can't help it, I see your shadows... So... maybe cut them some slack... get to know them before you judge them, just like they are doing where you are concerned you.”
His lips twitched into a wry smirk, barely visible.
“The Avengers didn’t create Ultron—a person did. Some things went south. It’s a little more complicated than J. Jonah Jameson’s dangerous would be world view... ”
The whisper hung in the air for a beat—quiet, razor-sharp, and knowing—before Pasha pulled back and casually continued walking. The subtle smirk lingered faintly on his lips as though the words had never been spoken.
Without another glance at Carl, MidKnight made his way toward the Blue Marvel, his presence still fluid and unassuming. As he approached Adam, Pasha’s eyes softened slightly, his sharpness fading into something warmer. A genuine, almost playful smile curved his lips.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you when you arrived,” Pasha said smoothly, his voice dipping into something more conversational, almost intimate. “I was still going over the student files. Decided to volunteer as the S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison for the Champions.”
The Eternal Child’s eyes glimmered slightly with the faintest trace of mischief as he gave Adam a lingering, flirty glance—the look subtle but unmistakable. It lingered for just a heartbeat longer than necessary, before Pasha’s expression shifted back to his usual composed calm.
He clasped his hands lightly behind his back, but there was a slight tilt to his head, a playful glimmer in his eyes, making it clear that he was pleased to finally cross paths with Adam.
Blue Marvel:: He had not heard Pasha's comment to Carl, but he would have agreed. He was condemning the Black Widow for something she could not play a role in. As capable as Natasha was, she wasn't a scientist with skills in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and weapons manufacturing. To condemn her for something just because it was done by another member of her team smacked of the hubris of painting a group with a broad brush. As far as he understood it, considering that he had not been there, the two likely culprits would have had to have been Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, but given the weapons and the supreme hubris of Ultron, it was likely Stark for the most part. Thinking about it, most of the bad press the Avengers suffered came from Stark, either directly with Ultron, or indirectly with his battle with the Hulk.
He wondered if what Pasha said would have any effect. He smiled when Pasha came to stand next to him. "I hope you gave him food for thought," he said, as a greeting, not the one he was inclined to, but they were in a group setting. He wondered if the tension would finally break. "I wasn't sure this would be your kind of scene."
Spider-Man:: Peter sighed.
"I signed everything as Spiderman. That's who was being hired. Not who's under the mask. A secret's only safe the fewer who know it.
He raised an eyebrow.
"I guess I need to rethink this. I wasn't going to dedicate my whole life to being a hero. My uncle died right in front of me and I couldn't protect him. I.. I can't go through that again." replied Peter.
He turned and walked off. Then he swung away heading for home. Not seeing anyone else unmask or what happened next. Maybe he wasn't ready for being on a team after all. He'd figure this out and make a decision. Eventually.
Human Torch:: Johnny blinked seeing Spiderman's reaction. Signing everytning with his super hero name was clever and probaby something he'd have done himself. But losing a relative like that. Had to haunt you. And he couldn't blame him for having second thoughts.
"I guess Iron Man can talk to him in a few days. I don't blame him. Being misled about what would happen when joining. And losing someone. If I lost my sister it'd be very hard to not blame myself. Even if there was nothing I could have done to save her." replied Johnny
Johnny looked up seeing Blue Marvel arrive and smiled.
"Welcome." said Johnny.
As news shifted he nodded.
"I agree. No one's perfect. We created one of our enemies too by accident. Doctor Doom was in space with us and hit by that same energy. We trusted him and had to stop him. But he keeps escaping and causing more problems. Something we regret. Some people can't handle power and it goes to their head." mentioned Johnny.
Captain America:: Steve watched as others tried to encourage him. He heard about Spiderman's uncle and his doubts. He'd lost Bucky during the war when he fell off the train. So he knew what Spiderman was feeling. He looked up surprised at Elijah.
"You're Isiah's grandson? I heard of him. Haven't gotten to meet him yet. Perhaps you could introduce me sometime." replied Steve.
He grinned at Elijah's words.
"Thank you. I feel the same about your grandfather." said Steve.
Steve nodded as Blue Marvel arrived.
"Welcome Blue Marvel." mentioned Steve.
Hearing the mention of Ultron Steve sighed.
"We make mistakes. Some died during the Chitarui invasion and the destruction of Sokovia. We try to do better every day but we don't forget our mistakes or those we lost." replied Steve.
As others spoke he went quiet and nodded. Moving forward was a good idea.
Maelstrom:: “I was using Ultron as one example.” He replied to the newcomer. Or whatever it was that whispered in his ear. Carl huffed, starting to get frustrated. It seemed like many here had the Avengers on a pedestal, trying to make excuses. From Black Widow telling Spiderman he should unmask because they were the good guys, ignoring the dangers the group had caused. To the others excusing the creation of Ultron by calling it propaganda or minimizing it to one person. Accountability! He was waiting for someone to take some of it.
It wasn’t until Captain America spoke that he heard any of it. “Finally.” He said. “Cap, that is what I am trying to get people to realize. We have to think about our actions, and we can't afford those mistakes. With the power we wield, mistakes cost lives. You are the first person so far that I heard acknowledge it and take accountability for it. I want to make sure this new group sees the mistakes of the Avengers and doesn't repeat them.” However, if they were too busy brushing them under the rug because of idolization, that wasn’t going to happen.
Carl tried to ignore how Spiderman’s comment made him feel. He, too, was around when Neil died. It was the reason he was here. It was the reason he wouldn’t keep silent because he wanted to make a difference. He needed heroes to be held to a higher standard.
Chant:: Billy had been riding high for most of the event—maybe a little too high. Between seeing actual Avengers up close and realizing he was going to train with them, his excitement had practically been radioactive. He’d geeked out over Cap’s shield. He’d literally squealed (very quietly) when he saw Natasha in the same room. It took a look—and a sharp “Keep it cool, magic boy.”—from Black Widow herself to get him to calm down.
So now, with his nerves barely intact and standing between Hulkling and Brawn, Billy was trying to play it casual. He was not bouncing. His fingers were not sparking with excited chaos magic. He was totally fine.
Then he heard Carl’s voice.
The energy shifted. Not magically—emotionally. Frustration, sadness, that quiet rage that doesn’t come from ego but from loss. Billy blinked, his expression softening. He didn’t mean to pry—his powers just leaned that way. Psychic echoes. Emotions brushing against his empathic instincts like waves hitting the shore.
“Hey,” he muttered to Teddy and Amadeus, “I’ll be right back. Someone’s…” he trailed off, already stepping away, gaze fixed on Carl.
As he approached, Billy smoothed his expression into something neutral—supportive, but not invasive. Carl didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d respond well to coddling. Still, something told Billy that what Carl needed wasn’t a counterpoint or a lecture. Maybe just… presence.
He stopped a respectful few feet from Carl, hands tucked into his hoodie pockets, voice quiet but steady.
“Hey. Carl, right?” he offered, gently. “I saw you speaking up, and I just—” He paused, eyes flicking down for a second. “I think you made some good points. We can’t pretend the past didn’t happen. Especially not if we’re supposed to do better.”
Billy tilted his head slightly. “I get what you’re saying. It’s just… complicated, y’know? Truth is, I think a lot of people here do want to be better. But maybe some of them still don’t know how to talk about the things they regret. Or maybe it just still hurts... I do think they already learned from what happened. I think thats why they want to help us, so we can learn from their mistakes and stuff, so we can be better. Does that make sense?”
Billy paused to look at Carl, he was very handsome with a strong jawline, blue eyes, and broad shoulders. Billy marveled at Carl, so many of the people here were so big and heroic looking unlike Billy who was a bit on the thin side.
He hesitated, then added, more personally, “And for what it’s worth… I think it’s brave that you said what you said. Even if it wasn’t what people wanted to hear.”
His lips curved in a small, earnest smile.
“You wanna hang for a bit? I promise I’m way less annoying than I was an hour ago.”
Iron Man:: Tony had been standing members of the Avengers listening to commotion that had become the auditorium in Section C, arms folded, watching the whole show unfold with that unreadable Stark expression—somewhere between bemused and quietly calculating. When things finally started to settle, he stepped forward, his voice carrying easily across the room thanks to the mic he tapped on as he reached the stage.
“Alright, kids. First off—there’ll be an email going out later today matching you up to your training squads. There are a lot of you, but you’ll be working in smaller teams for both academic and combat training. That way, you get the kind of individualized support and mentorship this place was built for.”
He gave the room a quick once-over, pausing just long enough to make eye contact with a few of the louder personalities from earlier.
“Now—thank you all for coming. This was… perhaps a bit more spirited than we expected. But everything expressed was heard. You have my assurance on that.”
Tony let that land, then shifted tone just slightly—more serious.
“And to clarify something for everyone here: The Avengers did not create Ultron. That was Banner and myself. We made that mistake. And we’ll never forget it. We are not trying to hide it—we are trying to make amends for it.”
A breath.
“That’s what this place is. A second chance. For us. For you. We built this to help the next generation be better than we were.”
He gestured to the auditorium around them.
“Take the day to explore the campus. Move into your suites—yes, you have roommates, no, you can’t swap them… yet. This is an educational facility. There will be classes, combat training, mission simulations. You’re not just heroes-in-training—you’re future statesmen. Understanding the law, public perception, global politics? That’s part of this gig. You want to protect the world? You need to know how it works.”
He offered a thin smile—one part charm, one part challenge.
“So make the most of it. This isn’t just about powers—it’s about people. And the kind of hero you want to be.”
He paused to look at everyone in the room, then added "And yes, if you want to date someone you can," Tony paused to look at few green skinned individuals. Remember, this is America not a fascist dictatorship. Be better. Do better."
With that said, Stark left, he had a Spider to catch...
Blue Marvel:: Adam had to hold his tongue. he might look like he was only a few years older than the kids here, but he was older than their grandparents, and he sometimes had a tendency to act his age. He might have been tempted to dress the young man down, point out that the Avengers had taken responsibility for the creation of Ultron and the aftermath. Did he forget the Sokovia Accords? But it was for the Avengers to defend themselves. Still he reminded himself that he didn't know Carl and so would withhold judgment, but did mark him as someone who spoke his mind. Only time would tell if it came from being a conscientious and principled individual or just an opinionated loudmouth.
He reminded himself, "Judge not lest you be judged."
Stark took control, and he was curious if Carl would let the matter drop. He would be thankful when the gathering ended, but there were too many people and conversations going on to follow. He was more of a small gathering guy.
midKnight:: Pasha approached Adam with a relaxed yet confident air, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips as he sized him up. The large meeting between the senior members of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had just wrapped up with the new recruits - potentially the next generation of Avengers, the air still thick with the hum of strategic discussions. The Champions Initiative was in full swing, and the Champions facilities, nestled within the Avengers' own grounds, were bustling with energy.
"Quite the spectacle today, huh?" Pasha said with a soft chuckle, his eyes glinting with a playful curiosity. He stepped closer, making sure to match Adam’s pace as he spoke. "If you're not completely swamped with all the new info, I could give you a proper tour of the facilities. You know, show you around the places where all the action happens—where your quarter's are."
He tilted his head slightly, his smile growing more inviting. "I'm sure there’s plenty for you to see… if you’re interested in more than just the basics. A little one-on-one tour, perhaps?" Pasha gave him a lingering look, his tone light but laced with an undeniable hint of intrigue. "No rush, of course. Just an offer. Let me know."
Blue Marvel:: "I could certainly use a tour," Adam admitted as the meeting broke up. People had differing levels of expectations, and that could create tension. Still, unlike a great many people his age, his real age, not his apparent one, he thought the younger generation's willingness to call truth to power was an asset no matter how many feathers it might bristle. "It is so much more than institutions in the past. I don't know about you, but I never thought how things looked in the past were stylish, even then, thank god for improved building materials.
"How have you been? It seems I missed out on quite a bit. I never thought there would be generations of people like us, and walking so boldly as a couple," he asked, referring to Chant and Brawn. If they were not a couple, he'd eat his cape. They seemed good for each other, he also could not help but notice the similarities to a certain other pairing.
Captain America:: Steve nodded.
"Ultron was a misguided attempt to replace heroes. Heroes can get hurt. Heroes can die. We did get a better version with Vision though. I was upset at the time but Tony and Bruce's hearts were in the right place. We nearly died against Loki and the Chitauri. The government tried nuking New York to take them out. And Tony saved us all. Robots can be good tools and allies but they can also malfunction or get corrupted. Just like we can make mistakes or become evil." replied Steve.
When Tony left he sighed. He couldn't blame him for leaving. He'd asked Spiderman to join them and he'd bailed. It hadn't gone as well as Iron Man had hoped. He glanced at Natasha and Fury.
"Well that didn't go exactly like we thought. But I'm glad most of them stuck around." said Steve.
Human Torch:: Johnny nodded.
"We're not perfect. We will make mistakes but we learn from them. The others are right. I've made plenty. When I first became a hero, I used my powers to show up. Get dates, media attention. It was when Doom attacked did I realize why we gained powers. To do good. It took me too long to learn that lesson. I nearly lost Susan, Ben and Reed to that madman. And I nearly died too. He knew our weaknesses and exploited them. We barely managed to survive and defeat him. But he keeps coming back. So if you run into him alone then you call for backup." replied Johnny.
As the group began to split up he glanced at the others. He couldn't help admiring the other Avengers. A lot of attractive super heroes. Maybe he could score a date.
Maelstrom:: Carl listened to Human Torch speak about how he used his powers when he got them. The way he showed off and picked up dates. “I went a different route. When I got my powers, I hid them. Ignored I had them and certainly had no intention to be a hero.” He didn’t want his powers, his friend deserved them far more than he did. “I believed I owed no one anything if I didn’t know them.” Only part of him felt shame at that. Even now, he still held to heroics on a promise, it’s not that he didn’t care. He did, but he felt, even now he isn’t qualified to do these things.
Watching Iron Man leave, he shifted closer to Chant. “Annoying?” Carl smirks. “No. You just…well, you remind me of someone.” So no he wouldn’t find chant annoying. There wasn’t much left to be said about the issues with heroes. Maybe he would always have some reservations. Maybe he should always have those reservations. To not forget and keep himself accountable.
“Did he say who our roommates were?” Carl took a better look at Chant, gazing into his eyes. He smiled, liking how the light hit them. “I’m not even sure what facilities they have here. They better have a nice swimming pool. I need to swim at least once a day.” It was less a biology thing and more he just loved being in water. "What exactly is it you do anyway?" referring to Chant's abilities.
Chant:: Billy blinked when Carl shifted closer, still not entirely used to people that looked like that being… well, that close. Or that nice. Especially not to him. His heart did a tiny, undignified backflip. He could hear Johnny talking still, and Captain America’s serious voice echoing somewhere nearby, but most of that just faded into background noise when Carl looked at him like that.
“Remind you of someone?” he echoed, tilting his head slightly, lips twitching with a crooked little smile. “Hopefully someone cool. Or at least not annoying.”
He let out a soft laugh when Carl asked about roommates. “They’re going to cover all that in official orientation. It’s at, like, three? I checked in super early so they tossed me in what I think is a guest room—it’s way too nice to be mine. It’s got two sinks. Like, who needs two sinks?”
Then came the look—Carl’s eyes were ridiculous. A lot of people here had dream eyes. Dream everything, honestly. There were green eyes, glowing eyes, people who were literally green. But Carl’s eyes? They were the kind of blue you didn’t expect someone to have in real life. Movie blue. Comic book blue.
Billy felt heat rise in his cheeks and immediately looked away like a dork. “Okay, full disclosure? You’ve got, like, superhero eyes. That’s not a line, it’s just—wow, unfair.”
And when Carl asked what he did, Billy laughed at himself again, rubbing the back of his neck, sheepish. “Okay, so… I’m weird. Not like, creepy-weird—I mean, I hope not. Just like… ‘what even is my power set’ weird. I sort of fly. Sometimes. If I concentrate. And I do, like, mind stuff? Illusions? Reading thoughts sometimes, but only if they’re, like, loud thoughts. Forcefields. Psychic bolts that look like glowy chaos magic-y stuff. It’s not very consistent, though. Honestly, I kinda suck at everything right now. I really need the training. I’m definitely no Spider-Man, that’s for sure.”
He paused, then added with a too-late, too-obvious attempt at casual: “Hope he comes back. He’s, uh, pretty dreamy, don’t you think?”
A beat.
“…Sorry. I shouldn’t’ve said that. Sorry. That was—yeah. Sorry.” He stared at a nearby wall like it might open up and swallow him.
To change the subject very quickly, he latched onto the pool thing. “Oh! Yeah. There’s definitely a pool. It’s insane. I went to look at it and just… no. Hard pass. It’s like, bottomless. Okay, not literally, but it might as well be. You can’t see the bottom unless they turn the lights on, and even then it’s, like, this eerie abyss. It goes down, like… three hundred feet? I swear it gave me thalassophobia just standing near it. But I guess it’s meant for pressure training or deep-water ops or something—there’s observation decks every fifty feet with airlocks.”
Billy paused, then looked at Carl again, something gentler in his voice. “You swim every day? That’s… kind of beautiful, actually. Sounds peaceful.”
He shifted, smile a little softer now. “Y’know, I don’t know what your story is, but I get really good vibes from you. Like… you’re gonna be one of the great ones. I don’t mean famous. I mean important. The kind of hero who makes things better. Who keeps people like me from giving up.”
Then, awkward again, he ducked his head. “Anyway. That got weirdly sentimental. Sorry. I do that sometimes. Magic boy feelings, I guess.”
He smiled again. “Wanna go look at the pool anyway? I’ll go near it if you’re there. You’ve got, like, calm energy.”
And after a beat—
“And superhero eyes. But I already said that. So now I’ve said it twice. Great.”
Souljah:: Souljah lingered in the back, just beyond the reach of most conversations. She didn’t speak—didn’t need to. Her eyes, sharp and steady, tracked the room with the wariness of someone who’d been trained to expect betrayal. She caught flashes of emotion, tension, and awkward laughter. None of it seemed to land on her.
She registered Carl and Billy’s conversation, the glances, the energy shifting around them. A different world, maybe. A better one.
Her attention shifted with purpose the moment Stark stepped onto the stage. Him. Rogers. Romanoff. They were the reasons she was here. Not by choice—he hadn’t even looked her in the eye when he arranged this. Another world, another mistake. Another thing Bucky Barnes didn’t know what to do with.
She kept her expression blank as Stark mentioned roommates and orientation. 3PM. That, she filed away with military precision.
A quiet nod. Then she turned, her boots barely making a sound as she slipped from the auditorium. No questions. No introductions. No goodbyes.
Just one thought echoing through her mind:
Let’s see if you’re really the heroes this world thinks you are.
Brawn:: Brawn stood toward the back of the room, quiet but present. He listened—really listened—as Captain America spoke, then Iron Man, and finally Black Widow. Their words carried weight. Not just because of who they were, but because of what they had been through. Legends. Survivors. Soldiers. For all their fame and myth, they were still human. That’s what hit him the most.
As the room began to break apart, Brawn lingered, hands in his pockets. He glanced at Stark again—trying to reconcile the man’s casual sarcasm with the legacy he’d built. With what he’d sacrificed. Same with Natasha. She didn’t say much, but her eyes said more than enough. She had seen the cost of heroism up close.
He exhaled slowly. He’d hoped Banner would be here. Not the Hulk, necessarily—but the mind behind him. There was so much he wanted to ask, to understand. Maybe someday. For now, he’d carry what strength he had and try to live up to the name he’d chosen.
As Kid Nova gave the signal, Brawn gave Chimaera a nod and followed. They didn’t talk—didn’t need to. Mutual respect ran deep between them. As they walked, Brawn looked back once at the stage.
“They started it all,” he murmured to himself. “Now it’s our turn to do better.”
There was hope in his eyes. He believed in this generation. He believed they could succeed where the Avengers had faltered—not because they were stronger, but because they had learned. And because those who came before had paved the way.
Wasp3:: Hope leaned back in her chair, legs crossed and arms folded like she owned the room—or at least wanted everyone to think she did. Her eyes followed the Human Torch as he moved through the room like he was born to be noticed.
Cocky, fiery, reckless. Ugh... why is that weirdly hot?
She caught herself smiling and rolled her eyes. Get it together, Hope.
Then her thoughts wandered. Spider-Man.
Her jaw tensed for a second, eyes narrowing toward the door he'd disappeared through.
“He’s so dramatic,” she muttered under her breath. “But he’s also, like… so heroic. He does the right thing even when it costs him everything. He’s real.”
And okay, maybe that tight little suit doesn't hurt either. Seriously—who fills out spandex like that? That’s borderline superpower material.
Still, his whole "don’t trust the Avengers" thing didn’t sit right with her.
Paranoia doesn’t make you noble. It makes you alone. If you can’t trust the people who built the world you’re trying to save, then what are you even doing here?
She stood up slowly, eyes finally drifting to him.
Captain America.
There was no smirk this time—just a quiet admiration as she watched him.
God, he’s like... everything. Strong, steady, heart-on-his-sleeve, jawline that could slice through vibranium. Dreamy doesn’t even cover it. He’s what a hero is supposed to be.
And even though she didn’t say it aloud, in her head, the thought echoed:
I want to be that. Not just look the part. I want to mean something.
With that, Hope followed the others, her chin high and her step light.
Patriot:: Eli hadn’t said a word since Blue Marvel placed that steadying hand on his shoulder earlier. And Captain America—the real one—looking him in the eye like he mattered? That had disarmed him more than he wanted to admit.
But it hadn’t silenced him. Not inside.
He stood near the back now, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Watching.
The Avengers were larger than life up close—every word they said, every smile, every regret... it carried weight. It was easy to forget they were human under the myth. And just as easy to forget how much power they still held.
Who keeps them honest? Who holds them accountable when they fail?
He didn’t ask out loud this time, but the question hung in the back of his mind like a shadow.
Spider-Man had bounced. Eli didn’t blame him. That guy sees things coming before they hit—maybe he’s not wrong to walk.
He caught the look on Wasp’s face when Cap spoke. And yeah, okay—Cap was walking inspiration. But there were too many hearts in eyes around here.
This isn’t a fan club. This is life and death. Some of us didn’t get to choose this life. We inherited it.
He glanced sideways at Brawn, nodding faintly at his words about doing better, building something new. There was hope in that. Eli wanted to believe it.
He just didn’t know if they’d all make it there.
midKnight:: Pasha stood near the door now—quiet, still, composed. His arms folded behind his back in a soldier’s ease, eyes sharp as ever, fixed on no one and everyone.
But mostly on Adam.
Doctor Brashear, if you were being formal. Blue Marvel, if you were feeling reverent. His, if you knew the truth.
He wasn’t here for the speeches, not really. He already knew where he stood. With him.
The Avengers were icons, yes. And flawed. And broken. And brilliant. Pasha admired them the way you admire a beautiful machine with dents and smoke still curling from its edges. They’d failed. Sure. But who hadn’t?
He, of all people, wasn’t keeping score. He’d done things he didn’t regret—but probably should. Like Natasha, he had a red ledger that didn’t bother him much. Not anymore. Not when the mission called, not when the shadows moved. Not when Adam asked.
It wasn’t ideology that turned him from the Winter Guard and into the arms of S.H.I.E.L.D. It was him—the man of dark matter and infinite restraint. The one who believed even when Pasha couldn’t.
Their past was... tangled. It always had been. Lovers sometimes, comrades always. Magnetic poles drawn together across time and pain. Pasha wasn’t sure what they were now. But he knew what he needed to be: ready. Close.
So he waited. Right by the door, where he'd be first out. Or first in. Whatever Adam needed.
Blue Marvel:: One of the things that anyone as old as Adam had to do was relegate the past to just what it was—the past. Were he to dwell on all the things he had done wrong in the past or even thought he had done wrong, he would be consumed by the overwhelming waves of guilt, embarrassment, and future indecision. It was the conceit of the young to dwell on mistakes rather than making peace with them. Nothing would ever change them, so you learn and move on.
Speaking of which, he turned his attention to Pasha. He always turned his attention to this incredible man, his companion, his lover, his ally, and occasional rival. He was always important to Adam.
"Lead the way, I look forward to what you have to show me," he said, amused, as he took hold of the door to let Midnight take the lead. He was already shifting his focus from a group setting to Pasha, who could easily hold his attention. He would let those younger than him be mentors to those younger than them. Spider-Man, Patriot, and Maelstrom were each a different form of young idealism, and maybe at different times he had been each of them, even those two who seemed to be caught up in the newness of it all.
Captain America:: Steve grinned as the meeting was over. As everyone went their separate ways he waved goodbye to his distant relative Johnny. He thought he and Susan were kids of a distant cousin of his. He headed off deciding to grab something to eat.
"I'm grabbing something to eat. I guess I'll see you all later." replied Steve.
He headed off to grab some takeout on the way home.
Human Torch:: Johnny waved goodbye this cousin or uncle. He wasn't sure but it was cool having Captain America as a relative. Deciding things were wrapping up he decided he should head home and let Susan and the others know what's going on.
"Guess I'll head off too. See you guys later." said Johnny.
Johnny flamed out and flew out the window. He waved goodbye and flew home.
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