anyastark:

Anya entered the firehouse that served as the Thunderbolts headquarters and dropped her backpack. She looked out the window and down at the street below. The four guys were /still/ there. She would have thought they would have left when she went inside. The quartet followed her back here from class and had been acting strangely.

One professed undying love. One tried to kiss her and got punched for his efforts and was now sporting a swollen lip. One tried to carry her backpack for her. The last one recited poetry to her as they walked. For a few fleeting moments she wished she could put on a gauntlet and blast them away with a repulsor blast, but it would cause a /scene/.

What happened? Anya had known these guys since her first day of college and all of them had been nice and nothing like this. They even knew she was married and yet suddenly they were acting like this. Idly she wondered if there was something in the water that was making them act so weird.

She watched them and prayed they would just go away.

childrenofgaea:

It was spring and love was in the air. Well it really wasn't, but it should be. Spring should be the time when a young man's fancy turned to love, but Rainflower Sunshine wasn't /feeling/ it. This was the 60's. Love should be all around and yet it wasn't. It made her sad.

Things would have to change. Now. It was time to get others to feel the love and stick it to the man.

She got her group together, Moonbeam, Starshine, Rose Flower, and Rain Shower (they were actually Haze, Pink, Fleetwood, Dirt and Free Spirit) and they broke into Biogen IDEC and stole a new chemical they were developing. It hadn't been hard to get in and get it. Rain had a plan for it.

That plan involved the Poland Springs water company and their bottling plant.

It wasn't hard to break in and dump the chemical into the water. Soon all of Boston and Cambridge would be feeling the love.

princessbruiser:

Molly was enjoying a nice day of doing nothing. She had woken up that morning and decided that she needed a day to just relax around HQ and do noting but veg and lounge.

So she slept until ten, put on sweatpants and a t-shirt, and made her way downstairs. She made her way to the local mini-mart and bought a couple of pints of ice cream (strawberry cheesecake and Americone Dream), a twelve pack of Diet Coke, some microwave popcorn, and some M&Ms.

When she got back to Thunderbolts HQ, she laid out her stash of junk food on the coffee table, popped in Despicable Me, grabbed a blanket, and lay down on the couch.

Her butt was not moving from this sofa, unless Thanos decided to blow up the planet...or something of equal importance.

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_holiday:

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

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Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_holiday:

Christmas. Yule. Saturnalia. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Many cultures have celebrated and still celebrate a winter festival. There have been many names for it over the millennia. No matter the name it is a time to come together and celebrate with feasts and gifts with friends and loved ones.

Each culture has a legendary figure who would deliver gifts to children during this time. In Russia and some Slavic cultures he is known as Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost, and comes not on Christmas but on New Year’s along with his granddaughter Snegurochka, or ‘”Snow Maiden”. In the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe he is known as Father Christmas. In the Netherlands and Belgium he is known as Saint Nicholas or “Sinterklaas” and in France he is known as Père Noël. In the United States we know him as Santa Claus.

No matter the name or who is delivering gifts, it is the season of peace, joy and togetherness. It is the season for thinking about loved ones, friends and those less fortunate. It is a time to witness the goodness and generosity the human race is capable of. It is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill toward man.

nextgen_holiday:

“We’re here outside the Four Seasons Hotel in New York where the who’s who is gathered tonight. Celebrities, royals and superheroes have all turned out for the annual Maria Stark Foundation Winter Charity event benefiting Toys for Tots.

It’s truly an all-star gala here tonight.

New York’s own princess, Anya Stark, was seen being escorted by what appears to be her new flame, actor Austin Cain. Her brother and currently second in line to the Russian throne, Mikhail Romanov, was seen entering the party with Lyta Worthington, heiress to Worthington Industries. Tony and Natasha Stark, parents of a new baby, are making their first public appearance since the birth of their son.

Mackenzie Rider, a prince of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, is escorting Ms. Andrea Denker of the Fantastic Four tonight. Kristoff Vernard, leader of the Fantastic Four, was seen in attendance with his wife Cassandra and their son Scotty. Vincent Amorason, heir to Latveria, arrived alongside his brother and was seen escorting a member of the Defenders, Asleif Thorsdottir. The rest of the Fantastic Four are here too with their dates, though Miss Valeria Richards is not in attendance. Franklin Richards is in attendance and is escorting one Miss Gill.

Los Angeles’ own superhero team, the Defenders are in attendance as well. Arriving with her team is Grace Danvers, daughter of Hollywood hunk Simon Williams and she is being escorted by teammate, Eiltin. The two Asgardian princesses and daughters of Thor, Asleif and Aridis, are also attending the festivities with their team.
Akilah Munore, the crown princess of Wakanda, is here tonight with her steady flame, Daniel Sherwood a member of the Young Avengers. The other Young Avengers are in attendance tonight with their dates, alongside the adult Avengers.

Donald Trump arrived with his wife and is one of many other famous faces to arrive. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Hugh Jackman, Jack Nicholson, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift are just a few celebrities who have made an appearance here tonight.

It’s truly a party of the who’s who and it’s all for a great cause.”

nevermisses:

Greyson had made a quick trip to New York City for information. He had heard about how someone had become the new Kingpin.  So he started looking around to find out who it was that way so he could see if he could find out if they might know where he could find his father. The old Kingpin had used his father for work a lot so it stood to reason that the new one might know where he was.

Though it quickly became apparent that this new Kingpin did not like him looking for her identity and he had gotten pretty close when couple of her better thugs got the drop on him. Now he was very good in a fight and could have taken down anyone of them in a one on one fight but they were actually working together well.

It quickly became apparent that it was smarter to run than fight and after some work Greyson had managed to lose them and he doubled back to where he had been staying in Boston. After a couple of hours of peace they had managed to find him which seemed rather odd to him to be operating out of New York but he knew the lay of the land he much better than they did letting him lose them.

Remembering what the armor user had said to him as much as he disliked having ask for help he made his way to where the Thunderbolts were based in what was approximately a costume for him.

anyastark:

The Thunderbolts unlike most teams didn't do much together. Each member had their own thing and it was rare that they spent time hanging out with each other. It was time to hang out a bit and regroup. They had a new member to get to know and the best way to hang out was a movie night.

Anya got a variety of takeout of from a few different places around town and stocked up on the usual fare of chips, dip and pretzels. Soda, juice and water was provided for drinking. Anya collected a few movies from a few different genres since she didn't know everyone's viewing preferences.

When everything was gathered and ready, Anya sent a text out to all team members and then flopped down on one of the oversized couches in the newly renovated rec room.

anyastark:

Damage Control had been efficient and had gotten the Thunderbolts headquarters liveable in a short time. Since the place had been largely destroyed, Anya had taken the opportunity to make some major upgrades to headquarters. Being a Stark was a good thing in general, but it also allowed her access to all the cutting edge tech. She had volunteered to test the latest inventions for the home before they were put on the market in the Thunderbolts headquarters.

Windows were replaced with bulletproof material and they could darken on command and serve as screens for computers and television. They could also display any image and the Thunderbolts could look out over New York, Paris or Rome if they didn't want to see Cambridge.

The whole place was integrated with a voice command system and if they wanted something turned on or off, they just had to say it. They could even adjust the water temperature of the shower just by saying what they wanted. The rec room had been redesigned and outfitted with all of the latest tech. Movies, television shows and music were all stored on a system and they just had to say what they wanted. One whole wall of the room was a screen and the size of the picture could be adjusted with a command. The latest gaming systems were also installed and made available. Big oversize and comfortable furniture completed the room.

The gym on the third floor had been renovated. The walls and floor had been reinforced to take some hard impacts and a system similar to the Avengers training room had been installed. They could create opponents and battle them without destroying things. The place could even be turned into a basketball court if they felt like playing a game of hoops.

The lab was every nerd or geek's wet dream.

The entire room was a computer. Perhaps one of the most powerful on the planet outside of the Stark buildings. The walls, ceiling, and even the floor were part of the computer. All of them could display images on the surface, but why stick to screens when the images could be projected in 3d into the room itself. Keyboards weren't necessary. One could be displayed in the air in front of a person and with the use of low powered force fields one could type. It was connected to the Stark satellites for Internet access and hooked up to the Avengers computers and the computers in the Defenders compound. The three teams could hold meetings without leaving their headquarters.

There were tables for working on, but they would fold and sink into the floor on command when more space was needed. The chairs as well. There was even a futon for when the humans were too tired to go upstairs to their beds. A refrigerator was hidden in a wall and would open on command along with a coffee maker and a microwave. Sometimes it wasted too much time going upstairs for drinks and food.

Goddard of course was still functioning, but another AI named Aristotle ran the building. Anya had used Homer and Plato as bases for Aristotle. He ran the building, its sensors, intrusion detection systems and defensive systems. Profiles on the Thunderbolts had been entered into the systems so Aristotle could tell friend from foe. Anya also put in the Avengers profiles just in case anyone decided to visit.

Anya had spent every free second working on the upgrades to the building and the lab. The only time she didn't work on it was when she was in class and the short trip to St. Barts. She currently had one of the floor panels removed and was working on a glitchy processor.

lady_hood:

Despite the garbage that went down earlier in the week, Melissa found herself a happier camper today. The Boss Man's check cleared; she and Kelly were now much more financially solvent. After a call to her lawyer, Diane, to get bills and things paid, Mel goes downstairs to have herself a victory dance, or as they're called, a beer. Never mind that it's early in the morning and that she hasn't hand breakfast, which also sounds like a good idea, Mel just wants to enjoy having her money, her girl, her magic and her guns.

Kelly was right about this whole mercenary gig; it paid dividends, even if being shot at and nearly killed by life-draining nutjobs was part of the job. They'd also done the world a favor by removing Benedict Kine's sorry self from it, and Mel figured they deserved medal for that. Instead, they got hefty-paychecks. Maybe she'd /buy/ herself a medal.

She walks into the kitchen, going through the cupboards to see if there's any eggs to make an omelet. If there is bacon, it's left untouched.

Bacon is against her personal religion.

nextgen_holiday:

The air was warm and the sun was bright making it a perfect day for a cookout to celebrate Labor Day. Classes would start on the 8th (for those going to college they started a week ago) and it was the last chance to kick back and cut loose before hitting the books.

At the Avengers' Mansion in NYC Jarvis and some helpers he managed to rope into helping with the preparations were busy getting the food ready. Tables had been placed out around the pool and the large grill fired up to get nice and hot. Burgers, hot dogs, sausage, ribs, corn on the cob, pasta salad, salad and fruit salad were just some of the food available to eat. Soda, water, fruit juice and other beverages were on ice.

To help get to know each other the Thunderbolts received an invitation to attend.

It was a day of rest and relaxations for those who put their lives on the line for others.

anyastark:

Anya didn't exactly feel like celebrating anything, but she wasn't going to let a birthday go by because she didn't feel like celebrating. Molly's birthday was today and Anya was going to make sure she had a good one. Strawberry cake was purchased from the bakery across the street and Anya had stayed out long enough to get strawberries and a gift card with $250 on it.

Cake, candles and gift were ready. Anya called the Thunderbolts to the kitchen.

lady_hood:

Melissa wasn't sure if she could like Boston; the city was nice enough, but it just didn't feel as alive as New York City. She rolled the black hose up her leg, then strapped her combat knife to her thigh. She really didn't like going into a job without her guns on, but she'd at least worked out a way to get those and her hood to her at a moment's notice.

Once she's dressed, she stands up and goes over to the small table where the map of Benedict Kine's estate is laid out, along with a few pieces of Kelly's guns, some markers, and a a white chocolate mocha.

"Okay, babe. So, let's go over this plan one more time..." 

redheadspy:

It was hard to believe Anya and James were turning eighteen. It felt like yesterday that she had just delivered Anya and was holding a small bundle with a tuft of red hair. Kids grew up way too fast.

It wasn't surprising that Anya didn't plan anything and James said he didn't want a fuss. Anya had finals on Monday and Tuesday and needed to study. Natasha never had to worry about Anya and school. Except for of course the times she got expelled. The kids also had significant others they would want to spend time with. Which meant an adjustment had to be made to the celebrations.

Natasha opted for lunch with Tony and all of the kids as their birthday celebrations. This way they all had the evening free to do something with their significant others if they choose to and didn't need to spend it with the old folks.

As for gifts...well the kids could be impossible to shop for, but Natasha went with withe tried and true things. James got new clothes and a new gaming system from her. For Anya Natasha went with a promise for a shopping trip in the near future for new fall clothes.

anyastark:

Anya had spent a few days in the lab, coming out only for food and classes, and it was time for some fresh air. Otherwise Toni or Steve would find out and she'd hear about spending too much time in the lab. Which she didn't, but they thought she did.

She wandered out of the lab and with Darwin and Schrodinger following, she went to see what the other Thunderbolts were up to.

dont_bug_me:

Sydney stared as her own reflection in the full length mirror.  Gray skin, green hair, weird yellow eyes, wings, three-toed feet, overly jointed fingers, wings, tiny antenna...  And there was more there too, she could tell, things waiting for her to figure out.  Little trace of who she had been, physically, remained.

She wondered if she was even technically human anymore. 

But for the moment, she could forgive it all.

Because she was walking.  Without mechanical assistance of any kind.

dont_bug_me:

Days had passed since SHIELD medical had taken Sydney away.  Nothing they could do had been able to penetrate the cocoon, or even scan within it.  There had also been some kind of jurisdictional dispute with SWORD, but Fury could outscary and outmaneuver Brand in his sleep.

So far, it had been quiet.

But quiet, in the life of super-heroes, only lasts for so long.  Today... today the cocoon was beginning to crack.

dont_bug_me:

Sydney seriously could not remember a time when she had felt lower.  Her first feel outing with the Thunderbolts and she'd barely had time to do anything before both her armor and she herself had been taken out of the fight.  At least the SWORD medics had been able to patch her up and given her an otherwise clean bill of health.  The other T-Bolts had checked out fine too, before being given a clean bill of health, and the SWORD troops, after bringing in a piece of heavy ordinance, had routed the rest of the bugs (though not without  a few injuries of their own) and confiscated the ship.

Now, a couple days later, Sydney was hunched over a table in the lab, working on designs for her suit.

She had to be better.  She had to have some kind of purpose here.  Because right now?  She wasn't seeing it.  Not with Stark here.  Who needed her second-rate gear when there was genuine Stark-tech around?

nextgen_cosmic:

The ship's flight was ungainly, as it tore through Earth's atmosphere.  It had exited hyperspace too near the planet to have been stopped by SWORD's orbital monitoring station, and no one would risk detonating an unknown quantity while it was in the atmosphere.  It was ugly and utilitarian, clearly not Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar, Kymellian, Snark, or belonging to any of the other major galactic races. 

But it was there just the same, and it was screaming over the skies of Boston, heading toward the harbor.

SPLASH!!!

The ship hit the waters of Boston Harbor hard, sinking several boats in the process, before bobbing back toward the surface, it's hull pining as its metal cooled, sending showers of steam into the atmosphere.

A SWORD team was already on its way, but this "landing" would not go unnoticed by others.

dont_bug_me:

Sydney leaned over the table, carefully working on the circuits inside the Beetle-suit's right glove.  The circuit linkages had been running a little slow the last few times she'd tested them, so hopefully this would sort that out.  While the suit did employ some cybernetics, it also relied more heavily on simple linkages and feedback responses, allowing for certain movements and muscle responses to trigger certain actions from the suit itself.

It would never be in the same power-class as the Stark armor Anya wore, but in the short term, it could fly rings around it.  Speed and agility prioritized over sheer power.

If she could get the damn linkages fixed.

anyastark:

The move to Cambridge had gone surprisingly smoothly. Anya had her two suits packed into shipping containers and packed onto a truck. Along with other various pieces of equipment, mainly computers and screens, and a trunk or two of her clothes. The ride up was uneventful as Anya followed the truck in her car.

The renovations to the old firehouse were almost done. There was still a little bit of work left to be done, but the place was liveable now and ready for the new team. It was an old firehouse with four floors for living space, a garage at the bottom and a expansive basement. Anya was claiming the basement area for her lab. It was the most open space in the building and could be secured better than the rest.

The ground floor was for vehicles. So far there was only her car, but she was sure there were more to come. The first floor was the kitchen and living area, the second a gym and a game room, and the other two floors were bedrooms. Each member would be able to have their own room along with an extra room for a guest room. It had come along quite nicely.

Moving day had arrived and one by one the members she had invited to join the team had arrived. Rooms where claimed and they put away belongings.

By the time dinner time rolled around, everyone was tired and no one wanted to cook. In Anya's case it was lack of skills which prevented her from cooking. So it was dinner out on Anya. They headed down the block to Cinderella's. It was Italian food and she was sure everyone could find something to eat.

They sat around the table and talked while they ate.

dont_bug_me:

She wasn't sure how long she had been running, but it had almost certainly been far too long.  Days of looking over her shoulder, stealing power from electrical grids, eating sparingly of what small food stores she could take with her, days of running.  She hadn't seen any of the Masters of Evil in at least a day, but that didn't mean they'd forgotten about her.  Not by a long shot.

But she had finally made it to New York City, finally made it to Avengers Mansion.  She had to let them know.  No matter what it cost her.  The Masters had to be stopped.

Why had she ever hooked up with them in the first place?  Because she'd been bored.  Because it sounded like a good way to get a cheap thrill.  And then, almost from the first outing, she'd been appalled by what she'd  seen.  She'd thought they'd just do things like rob banks or steal pieces of technology or something.  She never expected to get caught up in vendettas or associating with murderers.  And so she'd done what she could to mitigate that.

Until they'd tried to murder the Rogers boy in a public spectacle.  And that had been the last sign that she hadn't belonged there, ever.  But she'd stayed, because she thought maybe, just maybe, she could keep track of them, try something, maybe get some of the others to walk.

But she couldn't.  They weren't like her.  Weren't redeemable.

And when she'd tried to contact SHIELD about the ambush at the prisoner transfer... she'd gotten sloppy and gotten caught.  But she was here now.  Safe... enough.

And terribly close to being out of power.  As she cleared the top of the mansion gates, her wings shut down, sending her crashing into the lawn below.