[hr][hr][center][img]https://s22.postimg.cc/6g8onsz41/6a8a04c0ca1b1adbb23631ae5dfd661b.png[/img] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/4dQsmzHq/f831c0dc99a75377dfc6eb52b2202e06.png[/img][hr][img]https://media.giphy.com/media/UJ5I7921pAOEU/giphy.gif[/img][hr][@BlueSky44][@Kirah][@Nallore][@Natsu][@Trainerblue192][@The Man Emperor][hr][h3][color=84B4E2][b] May 17th, 2021[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][hr][hider=S.H.I.E.L.D. Internal Announcement][center][b][h3]FROM THE DESK OF DIRECTOR HILL[/h3] THE FOLLOWING IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: 1. ALL SUPERHEROES MUST REGISTER WITH SHIELD AND REVEAL THEIR SECRET IDENTITY 2. SUPERHEROES MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD 3. SUPERHEROES MUST PASS SHIELD TRAINING - EXCEPTIONS INCLUDE TRAINING FROM THE X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, AND AVENGERS 4. ALL SUPERHEROES ARE SUBJECTED TO THE SUPERVISION OF SHIELD VIOLATION OF THESE WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE EXTRACTION TO THE RAFT. MINIMUM SENTENCING IS THREE YEARS HOUSE ARREST. JUVENILE OFFENDERS WILL BE TRIED AS ADULTS. REPEAT OFFENDERS HAVE A RECOMMENDED SENTENCE OF TEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT. ALL VIGILANTE ACTIVITY KNOWN TO SHIELD PERSONNEL MUST BE REPORTED TO THEIR SUPERVISOR OR LEAD IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! [/b][/center][/hider][hider=The Daily Bugle][center][b][h3]CAPTAIN AMERICA ON THE RUN?!?! IRON MAN TAKES CHARGE![/h3][/b] [color=84B4E2][b]5:59 PM Update[/b] - Iron Man is holding a press conference at the Stark Foundation Headquarters. He is joined by superheroes Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Mister Fantastic, the Human Torch, She-Hulk, the Invisible Woman, and the Wasp. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU_kH_1zizE&ab_channel=FandomEntertainment]CLICK HERE[/url] to view the livestream! [/color] We here at the Daily Bugle just got a tip from an anonymous source that the Avengers have split up! Iron Man has claimed leadership of the group - we haven't been able to get a quote from the Playboy Billionaire, but our plucky team is on the case! We'll be updating this story once more details come in, but please if you know anything about this situation or have spotted Captain America, call us out our toll free hotline here: [i][b]1-800-SPIDER[/b][/i]. If you want to read about more Avengers news, check out our piece from last Thursday where we explored the affair between Iron Man and Black Widow! J.J.J.[/center][/hider] TO: jjj@dailybugle.com FROM: jewel@thepulse.com SUBJECT: [Pulse] Iron Man's Press Conference --- --- Jonah, This isn't going to be pretty. I can cover this beat for you, but you need to promise no civvies will be out on reporter duty. I'm sure you've seen the conference - Captain America is public enemy number one. The Avengers are going to war. Also, my usual fee will be doubled for this - let's call it hazard pay. Keep it sleazy, Jewel P.S. I mean it. If I see a single civvie pounding pavement for this, I'll break your face in :-)[center][hr][h3][color=84B4E2][b]St. David's Hospital - Cardiff: 1:20 A.M.[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr] The door creaked open softly as Oliver knocked. Inside, the room was cast in shadows. There were two living figures in the room - one was on the bed, covered in blankets and breathing softly. The other was sitting on the chair, a solemn expression on his face. It was hard to identify any features in the dark, but the figure would look almost familiar nonetheless. "Olly, Olly, Olly... I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up," the seated figure said, his voice tinged with relief and sadness. His voice was so incredibly familiar, it was as if... The figure stood up, stepping forward and into the light. He looked just like Oliver, only older with a gigantic burn scar on his right eye. "There are so many things I could say to you... But even now, I just hear these words echoing back to me. The good news is, you're right. Iron Man was replaced by a skrull last week. The bad news is, well... You won't like what I do next. But you can't avoid or change destiny," the man said. There was a sudden blur of movement. The form on the bed was no longer breathing. [center][hr][h3][color=84B4E2][b]The Astral Plane: ???[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr] Maria had so far touched two different sides of the cube. The first side she touched was no longer glowing. The second one currently was. With only four sides left remaining, she essentially had four more possible options for returning to Earth - assuming that one of these was even [i]designed[/i] to return her there. Fortunately, there weren't any issues with oxygen in this ghastly and spooky looking plane of existence. Ectoplasm was floating through the air and every now and then, a face would be illuminated - some of them would even be identifiable to her as different prominent psychics. [center][hr][h3][color=84B4E2][b]New York City: 6:20 P.M.[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=f6989d]Bonnie Chase[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.postimg.cc/8k67nDb4/image.png[/img][hr][hr][b][color=f6989d]Location:[/color][/b] 616 169th Street, Queens [b][color=f6989d]Skills:[/color][/b] Blessing of Athena, Hand-to-Hand Combat[hr][/center] "Funny, we weren't the ones who started this fight," Bucky pointed out to Kwassi. His super soldier serum was pumping through his veins, keeping him from succumbing to the paralysis. His limbs were a little stiffer, his reaction times just a little slower. But while he wasn't an official member of the Avengers, it was clear that Bucky was of the appropriate caliber to go toe to toe with people like Thor and the Hulk. "But we will be the ones to end it," Bucky threatened. He swung a punch and missed, but then managed to grab Kwassi's right wrist with his metal arm. Bucky applied pressure, starting to twist it. [color=4C52FF]"Ma'am, when was the last time S.H.I.E.L.D. was held accountable? Signing ourselves over to their command would just be a way for us to shirk our personal responsibility and let others take the fall for our actions,"[/color] Captain America argued. One of his legs and one of his arms wasn't responding at all, but he wasn't going to stop. He could do this all day. [color=4C52FF]"What checks and balances are there for S.H.I.E.L.D.? The safest hands are our own."[/color] He then threw his shield, aiming for a non-lethal blow but he put too much power into it. The shield went [i]THWACK[/i] against Cass' head and her skull would feel like it was vibrating. Hawkeye was quick to read the room. They couldn't be taken prisoner. He shot an arrow through the hole in the window and the arrow attached itself to the roof of the building next door. He grabbed onto Cap with one hand and helped him along, running out the window as they crashed on through. The arrow/bow/cable combo served as a grappling hook, swinging them on across the way. The Falcon had Bonnie pinned. She tried to break his grip, but his strength was too much for her. She needed to find some way to trick him, to be clever, in order to get free. She wasn't able to do this by brawn alone. But as fate would have it, Falcon noticed his buddies fleeing the scene. He got the idea. He had giant metal wings folded back on him already, so escapes were easy. He got up off of Bonnie, heading for the exit. She threw three throwing knives after him - two missed, but one hit dead on. It was lodged into the back of his neck. But by some miracle for Falcon, it didn't hit anything vital. He was able to keep on running outside, his wings splaying as he reached out a hand to grab the Winter Soldier, and the two of them then flew over to the next building to rejoin their allies. Unless they went in pursuit, the fight was over. Bonnie silently cursed. They had needed a win there. Now, Captain America was going to go and radicalize even more people. They would have the Civil War that Hill had been so afraid of. Hero would fight hero and at the end of the day, there wouldn't be anyone left to protect the people. They would cause so much destruction instead of being able to build something better. [center][hr][h3][color=84B4E2][b]New York City: 5:10 P.M.[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=FFB795]Amelia Baptiste[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.imgur.com/e9ADpSo.png?1[/img][hr][hr][b][color=FFB795]Location:[/color][/b] 177A Bleecker Street, Manhattan [b][color=FFB795]Skills:[/color][/b] N/A [hr][/center] Strange waved his hands and a bubble of sorts formed around the dagger. The bubble pulsed with light, followed by a similar glow from the blade. [color=53A981]"This blade is named Lyting, owned by Raynor, God of Light and Lies... Previously by Frigg, Goddess of Witchcraft and Marriage and forged by... Eitri of Nidavellir,"[/color] Strange murmured. [color=53A981]"The blade was cursed by Frigg so that way only the soul bound to it would be able to hold it without pain. It's more effective than a worthiness enchantment, although not foolproof as I imagine you have learned, Dr. Sparks. It cannot distinguish between its bound soul and their soulmate."[/color] All of this magic talk was going [i]completely[/i] over Amelia's head. The names all sounded like people from [i]Lord of the Rings[/i] to her. She knew that gods and all were real - everyone did since Thor was a member of the Avengers and not at all camera shy. Still though, she hadn't ever really heard of Frigg and all. Raynor was apparently Sparky's husband - meaning she was married to a god? She looked over at Astrad, hoping he would be just as confused and baffled, but she couldn't see much of an expression on his face. Her only hint towards how he was doing was the bit of snow he had conjured up and that probably spoke more towards boredom than anything else. [color=FFB795]"... Sorry, what's going on again?"[/color] Amelia asked, really hoping that she could get a quick recap. She got that Sparky wanted Strange's help in finding her husband, but she was really confused as to why Strange was going all in depth on the lore on this knife. It certainly looked like a cool knife, but she wasn't sure how it was going to help them. [color=53A981]"Ironically Dr. Sparks, you do not need my services. This dagger would suffice as a compass on its own. But as you have come all this way, I will at least cast the spell for you as asked,"[/color] Strange announced. He started to levitate and suddenly, it looked like he had ten arms as he began some intricate magic. A third eye appeared on his forehead. [color=53A981]"He's on Asgard. Now, I am very busy, so I must,"[/color] Strange began, as suddenly the scene shifted and they were all out on the sidewalk, [color=53A981]"ask that you do not call again unless it is a dire emergency. Good luck!"[/color] the door then slammed shut. [color=FFB795]"... What.... But... Maria..."[/color] Amelia stuttered, blinking rapidly.