nextgen_media:

New York City was under siege. Not by any super-villains, though that was a common enough sight. Not by subterranean terrors as usually brought up by the Mole Man and not by hordes of Atlantean warriors in fishbowl helmets. Not even by any of the myriad alien races that liked to show up and get the stuffing kicked out of them by Earth's super-heroes.

Technically, these invaders were alien. But not like most others. These were very large, three of them nearly thirty feet tall, the last more than twice that.

"Come on out, accursed Autobots!" the leader, a massive grey robot with a cannon on his arm shouted. "Why do you not defend these humans?"

nextgen_baddie:

Well, that'd been a fun little jaunt uptown. Here was hoping it would put some ideas in the girl's head that his new buddy could make use of. Or not. Maybe it wasn't that kind of story. And of course, the Thinker hadn't been able to take down Alpha Flight. No harm, no harm. All just interlude. Just softening up.
But waltzing up to a base in the middle of nowhere, of course, isn't Zeb's style. Too vulnerable, not enough leverage. So he's in town, cozy in a restaurant he's properly taken over, having analyzed a few choice haunts, keeping an eye out for any of Kara's girl's little friends.

He dialed the phone.

nextgen_baddie:

The Baxter Building's security was on high alert. Just as it should be. All the more cameras to watch the people line up and start beating against the glass. Pressed close as a riot. Pounding on the doors until their hands bruised, blistered, and bled..

Zeb didn't stand with them, of course. He was out of sight... but near enough that the pheremones wouldn't wear off easy. Not for a long, long time. He'd had this crowd primed.

nextgen_baddie:

Zeb had to admit it: as absurd villain team-ups went, the writers could have done much worse. ( Read more... )
He turned it off, smiling. "What about you, Denk? Want to give your boy's little girl a preview, to listen to just as the view cuts back and forth from the news to her blank little face?"

nextgen_misc:

The trail eventually led the Avengers, Future Foundation and the Defenders to the other dimensional realm that served as the home of the Greek gods. They traveled to a few realms that were home to other gods only to find them destroyed and in ruins. Olympus wasn't in ruins, but it was under attack. Battle raged all around and the skies thundered and were lit up by lightning bolts.

nextgen_misc:

Once the Champions returned to their headquarters and destroyed the Quantum Mirror returning all the heroes to normal. Once that was done they called a meeting of the superhero teams. Irina transported the Champions to the Avengers Mansion and volunteered to provide transportation for the other teams.

sonofgenius:

Well, that was an exciting attack on the Baxter Building, right?  Franklin couldn't be counted on to tell you, since he'd been incapacitated for the entire thing.  Once the team had beaten the doppelganger Reed and Annihilus, they'd discovered Franklin and woken him up.  He was reeling a little from suddenly being knocked out and left to the devices of an evil faker, but there was calming food in the kitchen for him to munch on.  And with that thought in mind, Franklin attacked the pantry.

nextgen_asgard:

The lie-smith had drawn lots with the lady of strife, and they'd each chosen a handful of targets. Loki had, of course, cheated. His hobby and his grandson were too amusing to leave to chance. His favored granddaughter might feel some of the sting of this game, but all that he did served the greater Loki, which was what mattered in the end.

These days would be most amusing.

ng_olympian:

Between Marlow and Dawn the Defenders had managed to track the shadow demons who had abducted Svalin to the gates of Hades. Countless shades wandered on the shores of the river Acheron. These were the paupers and the friendless, those who did not possess an obolus to pay Charon.

A small boat floated on the dark waters of the river and the cloaked figure of Charon stood in the boat waiting to ferry souls across the river. A skeletal hand clutched a pole and the other was outstretched waiting to receive a fare for crossing.

On the other side of the river stood a large three headed dog and a large two headed dog. Cerebus and Orthus guarded the entrance into Pluto's realm.

nextgen_misc:

Night had settled over the city of Los Angeles. A waning gibbous mood had risen and the light of the stars was blocked out by the thick smog that usually blanketed the city. The hours moved on and the city slowed down. Citizens were asleep in their beds and off to dreamland.

The same held true for the residents at 1800 Palos Verdes Drive.

They wouldn't stay asleep for long. Something stirred in the darkness outside.

son_of_genius:

Franklin was lounging around after a long day of nothing.  His finals were all done with, and now he could just sit back and relax with the TV on.  He thought about his stay with the Defenders so far while he flipped through the channels.  They were mostly pretty cool, but he didn't really stop to get to know them.  He felt a bit awkward around them sometimes.

shield_maiden:

For Svalin getting two new weapons at the same time was like a kid getting toys at Christmas and not knowing which one to play with first. Vigfrior was one of the most perfect weapons Svalin had ever picked up. The sword was...well perfect. The grip fit her hand with perfections, the balance was unlike she had ever seen and it the ability to change into different weapons. Svalin no longer had to worry about carrying a small arsenal with her.

Then there was the Bat'leth. Her brother had done excellent work and she truly didn't deserve such a gift. Svalin had been practicing almost non-stop with the two weapons when she wasn't doing other chores around the compound. At first the Bat'leth felt clumsy and awkward, but Svalin was a warrior and she practiced religiously and took to weapons like no other. Now her movements were fluid, almost graceful and she knew she could now use the weapon in combat.

Maybe soon she would get her chance to use both weapons in combat.

She thought about Vernique as she went through her afternoon training routine. She had left a message with her inviting her out to visit for a few days. Svalin may have said something about wanting some new Migard clothes. If anything brought Vernique out, it would be the promise of shopping and the chance to dress Svalin up.

She hadn't heard back from Vernique, but she had used Sydney's phone because she didn't have one of her own. Though she knew Syndey would tell her if Vernique had called. That she was sure of.

She continued to go through her forms and Zoey mirrored her movements. She could tell the child had been practicing while she was away and had improved. After practice they would see to their horses and then Svalin promised Zoey she would take her swimming.

ice_ice_baby:

The Super Bowl.  I'm at the @!*@!#*$*#@ SUPER BOWL.    And the Jets made it.

I wish Dad were here.

CeCe looked out the window of the private box suite that Anya had secured at Cowboy's Stadium.   She was here to watch a football game of historic proportions, as the winners of the first three Super Bowl's ever, the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets, were going to play for the championship.

CeCe's dad was a DIE HARD Jets fan.   It cost her two weeks of tutoring income to get tickets to see the 45-3 debacle at Gillette Stadium when the Jets came up north to play the Patriots.   But she screamed when the Jets beat the Steelers 2 weeks ago to make it here.

And then Anya had the idea of bringing the Thunderbolts to Dallas for the Superbowl as a team activity.   The team was down, thank God.   And there were even a couple of friends along...including Franklin.   She was VERY happy to see Franklin.

She looked out the window again, staring.   The Jets hadn't won a title since Dad was a kid.   She had hoped that he had done enough repenting to be seeing this game from above.

nextgen_media:

Rome, Italy – The Vatican is addressing the recent rash of robberies at a few churches and monasteries throughout the world. Two churches and two monasteries were broken into during the night and ransacked. Many valuable religious artifacts were destroyed and some are reported missing. The Vatican is not saying what artifacts were stolen, but it will only confirm that some objects are missing. Authorities are investigating, but so far there are no leads. CONT PAGE 2A


Almeda, TX – Miracles continue to happen in the small town of Almeda, Texas. People are being miraculously healed by Maria Sefanos. No matter the injury or sickness, it seems like Ms.Stefanos is able to heal or cure them. She has decline every interview request, but there is word that she is able to do this miraculously healing by the power of the goddess. People will not say which goddess it is, but people have started to convert to the worship of this unnamed goddess. A small cult is forming and local officials have not taken any actions. CONT PAGE 3A


New York, NY – Hell's Kitchen is seeing a surge in it's goth population. Goths have flocked to this area of New York and appear to be forming some sort of cult. They gather each night in one of the small community parks and hold some sort of rites for the 'Dark Goddess' as they call her. They will not name this Dark Goddess, but the air has a cult like feel to it. Authorities have yet to take action. CONT PAGE 4A


Los Angeles, CA – It seems like people have found the Fountain of Youth in Los Angeles outside of plastic surgery. A new treatment at a new clinic has rejuvenated the stars. This new treatment is provided by New Beginnings Clinic. A trip to the clinic has the customers coming out with ten to twenty years off of their appearances. Details on the procedure are unknown and so far the owner, Ms. Abigail Pederson, has been unavailable for comment.



San Fran, CA – The new drug Nirvana is becoming more and more popular in the streets of San Francisco. The people using the drug have claimed to have seen “the Goddess” and have started worshiping her. The name of this goddess is unknown and these so called worshipers will not release the name. Police are trying to stop the spread of this drug, but so far their efforts have been unsuccessful.

son_of_genius:

Franklin had talked about the prospect of moving in with the Defenders with his parents.  They reacted as he thought they would, but they eventually saw his side of the issue.  He figured it was, in part, because both of his parents realized that there was nothing they could do to stop him from doing what he felt was best.

Sydney, the den mother, had been informed before Franklin arrived.  He had been given her e-mail address prior to leaving, in order to contact her about when he was going to arrive.  Of course, it wasn't guaranteed that he was moving in with them.  The visit was just to see how he vibed with the Defenders.  If they had problems with him being there, it wasn't going to happen. 

That being said, Franklin doubled-checked himself before knocking on the door to the main building.

son_of_genius:

After the recent incident with the teddy bears, and the build up of other incidents in the past, Franklin had decided that enough was enough.  It wasn't safe for him to live in the Baxter Building, considering the location.  He needed to be somewhere else, and with people who stood a better chance as fending off things that could go wrong with his powers.  He made arrangements to talk with Tony Stark about moving in with the Defenders.

Franklin had gotten the go-ahead from Pepper and knocked on the door to Tony's office.

next_avenger:

With Charlie gone and as a male member of the Avengers, in addition to being the leader, it was up to James to uphold a few traditions that didn't have to deal with battling bad guys. Though he had to admit that he would rather be fighting bad guys than doing this. It just wasn't his thing.

He wasn't as industrious as Anya, but James had managed to collect the necessary photos. It hadn't been easy and a part of him felt like he was cheating on Val.

Invitations were sent to the Avengers, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Champions, Excalibur the X-Men and the Defenders guys.

With the help of Jarvis food and drink was laid in. James made sure they had a wide variety of pizza, chips, pretzels and drinks.

He loaded the photos in and took care of the security systems. The girls were not allowed to watch. Now all that was left was people showing up.

son_of_genius:

Anya texted Franklin a name and a number.  Her name was CeCe.  "Ok, Anya.  Here goes."

He dialed the number and waited for CeCe to pick up.

nextgen_misc:

Franklin and Lyta had worked so hard to put up mental blocks again. Of course, when could anything stay in the green? While Franklin sat down and worked on his homework, something in his brain just clicked. He noticed it, too, but he didn't understand what it was. Instead of worrying about it like he should have, Franklin went back to his homework. If only he had known better.

Suddenly, in the surrounding ten blocks, every teddy bear started to grow and move until they were giant sized. All of them were vicious, and all of them were attacking people in New York City. There were too many for any one hero to stand up against effectively.

nextgen_misc:

You are cordially invited to attend the 27th annual Maria Stark Foundation's Winter Charity event.

Four Seasons Hotel
57 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022

Saturday December 18th
Seven O'clock pm - Midnight

Formal dress required.

Please bring a donation for Toys for Tots.

nextgen_media:

Staggered and vague reports are coming that Dr. Doom has now followed his unprovoked aggression against neighboring Symkaria with attacks against Atlantis and Wakanda. As both of these nations are insular and isolated, these reports have been difficult to confirm, and no public announcements have been made by any of the governments involved.  There are even rumors that the respective kings of Atlantis and Wakanda are missing in action.

Even though all the reported victims so far have been isolated or marginalized nations, the U.N. and various governments around the world are reported to be in an uproar trying to decide what action to take.

_tsunami_:

Rachel was one of Cait's oldest friends. They had known each other since they had been in diapers and Cait considered Rachel a sister she never had. They had even stood as maid of honor for each other when they both married Misha.

It stood to reason that Cait was not going to let Rachel's birthday pass unnoticed.

Cait wasn't exactly one to have readily available funds, but she did manage to be able to get Rachel a small gift in addition to making her a batch of her favorite cookies. The cookies and the small wrapped box containing a charm bracelet with a happiness charm were placed on Rachel's bed along with a card wishing her a happy birthday.

franklen_four:

It had been awhile since Franklin recovered from his coma, and he had been working on keeping himself in check.  Therapy every week helped him control his emotions better, although he was happy that his sessions were over in the coming week.  He sighed in relief and sat down in the kitchen with a hot mug filled with hot chocolate in front of him.  He made it himself, and it tasted particularly good.  The trade secret was two little baggies of the hot chocolate mix.

franklen_four:

He was young again, as if the sands of time had recoiled into the peak of the hourglass.  He sat on the floor with a teddy bear hugged tight against his chest.  The fear made him tremble and pale.  All he saw was the world around him fade slowly, and the void of darkness just got closer and closer.  And in his youth, Franklin could do nothing to stop it.
 

( The Truth )

_tsunami_:

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" revelation 6:5-6

It was somehow fitting that her rebirth as a horseman of Lord Apocalypse was on the same day as her first birth into this world. Famine stepped out of the chamber and looked at her new form and smiled. Lord Apocalypse had blessed her with a whole form. Her missing fingers and toes were replaced and her skin was transformed into a pale blue and her hair was dark blue. Appropriate for her, she thought.

She could feel the strength given to her by Lord Apocalypse. She could sense every drop of water in the others in the base. Every drop of water in the air.

A black robotic horse waited for her. It would carry her out into the world and into battle for the glory of Lord Apocalypse.

franklen_four:

Blackheart.

Franklin knew exactly who that was, and where to find him.  If there was any description for rage, it would be whatever Franklin was feeling then.  His hands curled into fists so tight his knuckles turned white.  Bubbling, no- boiling rage was inserted into his very being, and he decided that all Hell was going to break loose to express it.  He levitated first, and then flew high into the sky which turned black and red.  In all of his rage, Franklin turned the sky into the entrance to Hell.  The wasteland no living person was ever meant to see was displayed above New York City.

The news stations were quick to see the changes in the sky, and they managed to get video footage of Franklin flying straight through into the dimensional portal.  But that was none of his concern, really.  Franklin's focus was on finding Blackheart, and he did search Hell for just that one being.

nextgen_deviant:

The Eternals had always been a race that sought out the cold. It didn’t come as a surprise that their two cities of Olympia and Polaria were situated in the coldest climates on the planet. Olympia was in Antarctica, well secluded in a very desolate location. Only the most hardy and stubborn of humans would hope to find the city and even then the residents didn’t like interlopers.

The Eternals were a reclusive race, but there were a few who ventured out to mingle among their cousin humans.

Another race, the deviants, were another creation of the Celestial, were the enemies of the Eternals. They wanted to enslave the humans and rule the Earth. The deviants had always been stopped by the Eternals, but the shift of power was now changing.

The Deviants were stronger than they ever had been. They didn’t have the numbers they had had in the past, but now they had powers they never had. Powers that could now help them stand up to the accursed Eternals.

They climbed out of the cold waters and onto the ice shelf and headed for Olympia. An ally waited for them not far from the city.

Today was the day the Eternals would fall and the Deviants would start their rise to power.

ng_independent:

The Empress was most pleased. Very pleased indeed. Things were going according to her plan. The recent fights had been entertaining and she had her champion. Now she could win the games here on her home world. Her champion would win no matter what and she now had more soldiers in her army. She was quite pleased indeed.

She was stretched out on her litter as four of her soldiers carried her to the area. It was the start of the games and by the end her champion would be victorious.

Everything was going according to plan.

franklen_four:


( We gather here today... )

nextgen_misc:

Friends, family and loved ones are bound to notice the disappearance of some females.

nextgen_misc:

"Today we cut the ribbon and open a new shelter for the homeless here in Manhattan. The facility has two hundred, yes, two hundred beds and a kitchen that can feed all of them. New York will not ignore the homeless any longer. They are citizens of our city and we will help them."

The crowd around cheered.

"This is but one of five shelters, one in each of the five boroughs, opening today. These shelters are but the first of new shelters that will be opening here in this great city. I urge all New Yorkers to volunteer at these shelters and help your fellow man. There are some that call us New Yorkers rude, arrogant and cold, but I say they are wrong and it is time we show them how wrong they are. Show them by being generous with your time and energy. Show them what it means to be a New Yorker!"

The crowd cheered again.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent had been put up on thirty-six hours of enforced bed-rest after retrieving Cassandra, and losing.. part of himself. The world seemed different. He was cold. He got hungry and tired as mortals of average physicality did. It was terrifying, and humiliating, and sickening for him. His body felt incomplete.

As soon as he'd been able to get out of bed, he'd retreated to his lab. All his work on the other major project he was working on was carefully recorded, preserved, and cordoned off, and then everything else got wiped clean. Hours passed, then days, then weeks. He only stopped his calculations and testing when he needed to eat or sleep. Discarded junk food wrappers and instant food packaging overflowed his wastebasket by now The exception was checking in with Kristoff to be assured that Andrea's repairs were proceeding on schedule.

At this point it was a month later, and more than fifty percent of the laboratory walls were covered with notations. He was attempting to isolate the energy that constituted the Asgardian 'spark', and then reinfuse himself with it. He would have called Asleif for consultation, but he couldn't bear to interact with anyone while he was in this state.

He couldn't stay like this.

Without his power.

Without his identity.

Weak. Vulnerable. Unable to protect anyone.

franklen_four:

Before they left the Baxter Building, Franklin had telepathicly cloaked himself and Dorthy from the view of other people.  And when they got outside, he carried them both away on a telekinetic journey to Xavier's.  The two of them landed outside the gate and Franklin dispatched with the cloaking.  He needed a short rest from the trip, but was otherwise fine.  And he announced to the mansion that they had visitors via an enjoyable device on their gate.

"I wonder who is going to greet us today."

nextgen_misc:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
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6.
7.
8.
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10.
11.
12.
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Anonymous entries accepted.

franklen_four:

Another day had passed, and the holiday break was soon to be over.  The next day was the beginning of the new year, and Franklin was sure that his family had some sort of event planned.  They were probably going to tell him all about their resolutions for the new year, but Franklin had his own life to worry about.  It seemed conceited, but he really had to work hard to keep up a normal appearance.  Even on the streets he walked, something strange always happened.

nextgen_deviant:

The brides were clad in white and lined up in front of the altar. A semi-circle of priests stood behind the brides and were chanting. The magic in the air became more powerful as the priests chanted. A small circle appeared in the air before the brides and started to get bigger.

Standing behind the priests was a large group of deviants. They were witnessing the rebirth of their god into the mortal realm. It was an honor and privilege to be witness to this historic moment.

old_saint_nick:

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday, it's true, but it also has become increasingly secular. It is an opportunity for love, charity, and goodwill, even in New York City, arguably the most skeptical city in the country.

There is some debate within mystical circles if there is indeed such a creature as the embodiment of Christmas Giving known as Santa Claus. But whether or not there is such a being, the spirit of giving itself is very real, be it incarnated in a fat man in a red suit or not.

Throughout this small blue planet of Earth, people have brought trees into their homes, decorated them with lights and ornaments, and placed them in locations of honor. Stockings have been placed on the chimneys. And gifts have been placed under the tree.

Some are looking forward more to the receiving than the giving. But for many, it is the act of giving which warms them, which fills them with the holiday spirit.

Each person, in their own way, becomes a part of this spirit of giving. Each person, in their own way, becomes Santa Claus.

The Baxter Building is too large to have lights hung from it like most residences, but some festive lighting has been arranged. A light, slowly alternating between red then green, shine up the sides of the building. And on the top floor, where the Fantastic Four reside...