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"We are not playing Spin the Bottle," Leah said, agreeing with others. "If you want to kiss someone, just say so. And not me, by the way." She didn't know Gideon well enough for that, and there were two people in that room who were allowed to kiss her, one of which wasn't about to for any conceivable reason. The other probably would, despite all the people in the room. Hell, that would probably motivate her. And she definitely didn't want to kiss anyone else in this room. So that one was just not happening, thankfully. Leah didn't know what Mafia was, or Werewolf or most of those suggestions were. She had never done this sort of thing, being at someone else's house and playing games like there wasn't something important to do. It was hard to picture kids actually doing this regularly. Why? what was the fun in it? Just making each other cringe with embarrassment?

She had no idea how to play and of those.

And, unfortunately, she got the general premise of the one Sabine suggested. Fuck Marry Kill. Leah was sitting next to her, and gave the shorter girl one of her usual Confused Leah Expressions™️ that she often gave about this stuff. Captain Marvel, Vision and Doctor Strange?

She thought about it. She thought about it a lot.

”If I had to pick… I’d rather fuck Vision, because he’s a robot made of metal and least likely to die from it out of the three; Marry Captain Marvel, because then I can divorce her and marry Sabine instead. Maybe. And kill Strange, because I’m not losing a fight to a snobby wizard who runs around wearing a magic red bed sheet like a cheap Halloween look.”

Danni giggled as he played tug of war with Amélie. She'd been upset when he finally went to get her-which is fair since he meant to go get her right after dinner and then all that happened-and and upset baby dragon meant teeth and energy, so he'd brought her upstairs after running her around to get most of her energy out before bedtime. Now, she was giving mostly half-hearted tugs and offered adorable little growls when Danni tugged it back towards him. He scrambled up, suddenly back into the conversation as Gideon made an insane suggestion.

“Yeah, we can't play t'at! ‘alf t'e people ‘ere are like, family or are datin’ said family. If ya wanna swap spit or whatever, go do t'at away from ‘ere, ya nasties!” Danni chorused. “Don't go makin’ my ‘ouse nastier t'an it is. God knows its nasty enough.” Danni gave a 1000 yard stare far beyond the little group before Amèlie grumbled and shoved herself into his lap, snapping him back to the here and now.

“Wait, if ya'll only do it wit’ Vision ‘cause ‘e'll survive, t'en like… what ‘happens when ya wanna do it wit’ Beanie, since ya wanna wife ‘er up?” Danni asked thoughtfully and then gagged. “Why is my brain like t'is?! Someone please bleach my brain; I did not need ta imagine t'at and I am done wit’ t'ose questions. Uh, uh, uh, these questions are ‘ard, t'ough. Can I choose… marry Strange ‘cause sorcerers do mad gifts and like daddy, ya know? Kill Vision, sorry Vicky but like I can't get rid of Captain Marvel and I'd never actually kill Vision, I promise! And I guess f-f-fu…” Danni stammered out. He felt his cheeks heat up. The word wouldn't quite come off his tongue; it felt gross and he almost coughed on it.

“Do it wit’ Captain Marvel, I guess.” Danni muttered, curling around Amèlie like a comfortable pillow.

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Sabine took in the chaos she had brought, the day's earlier events slowly wiping from her mind. It reminded her a bit of her early childhood, before she could fully grasp the ramifications of the loss of her mother, her father's fear of her, and everything that came with that particular Pandora's Box.

But fuck it, she was here with friends, and that is what mattered.

First, Dorian had to be logical about it. Oh, can't possibly do it because Captain Marvel is a girl! Andy was no-nonsense about it, which tracked. "Ugh you guys are being lame! A good Fuck, Marry, Kill is supposed to make you question your life choices and what your morals are. Sexuality is thrown out the window because, Dorian, what if I gave three women? Can't just abdicate, that's not in the spirit of the game!"

Then Leah started. Sabine didn't know what to expect, honestly. Leah didn't have a childhood like the others. Granted, most of their childhoods were not the best, but at least they had something. Leah had...well, she had a lot. And most of it was not good for her. So Sabine hoped Leah would let her guard down a smidge and take part. Hell, she already had a milkshake and was sticking around for the sleepover.

And then Leah answered. At first, Sabine didn't catch the comment. It slipped past her, but she felt something in her stomach, like it was twisting around. Not from anything bad, but like..butterflies. Then it hit her. Leah had said she would marry Sabine. Granted, it was in the context of the game, but that wasn't normally a part of it. Did Leah want to marry her someday? Did she want to marry Leah?

Thankfully, Danni interjected, bringing her back into focus. His answers were expected. "Okay, now we're getting into it." She looked at Leah again, a million questions on her tongue, but she only smiled and returned her attention to the others. She was expecially interested to see how Vicky would answer.

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Vicky felt well and truly out of her element. At school, she could take being in a crowd in stride, as that was an activity that served the purpose of education - yes, even at the Margaret Carter Institute. Here and now, this activity seemed... pointless. Didn't the rest have a big day tomorrow? Would they not like to sleep? At this rate, understanding humanity was getting further away, not closer. At least she was a little bit more comfortable. While Max insisted that being a kid meant dressing like one (her argument about not being even human fell on deaf ears), they reached some sort of compromise, and she was upgraded to suitjamas, minus a necktie.

As the game suggestions started cropping up, she nearly let a sadistic grin show up on her face. Spin the bottle would be so easy to manipulate. Her thoughts were stopped as Doria put up a few alternatives, and Victoria's head slowly turned to give him a deathly state. "Secret Ultron. Really."

The Social Queen among them then ordered what her subjects' game was going to be, and Tori was on the fence whether she liked it or not. On one hand, she was bound to learn something new about someone. On the other, she might wish she didn't. Danni demonstrated that point well. And before she realized it was her turn.

"Well, you screwed me over by putting family in the choices. That pretty much neccessitates killing Vision, although in any other set that honor would be firmly reserved for colonel Danvers. I suppose I could marry Vision and never touch him, but... You guys don't know how creepy he is in over-the-air conversation! Like... I am designed to mimic a human. I think in normal english sentences and all. It is a subroutine I don't control. Him? He fakes it. Whenever we talk in text, he drops it and is like: Query: Are you socializing with your friend group? Ugh." She explained, doing robot dance moves along with it until a shiver ran down her spine.

"So that's a firm kill on Vis. That leaves me two choices... Do I want to be one and done with Danvers, or do I want to get hitched to her to ruin the rest of her life?" she tapped her chin in thought. "Fuck Danvers - literally and figuratively - and marry Strange. He's not bad looking for an older gentleman and at least he could provide intelligent and interesting conversation."

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At everyone's protests about playing Spin the Bottle, Gideon raised her hands in defeat. She wasn't too terribly attached to the idea. Sure, it would have been nice to have an excuse to lock lips with the Goth Princess, but there were other fish in the sea - ones that weren't dating an Asgardian, too. Fuck, Marry, Kill at least had the potential to be fun, but the choices offered were uninspiring, to say the very least. She yawned slightly, sitting back. The game was supposed to reveal how fucked up everyone really was - these choices were weak. "Mm, I get it, we aren't starting off too spicy. Fuck Captain Marvel, obvi, I'd love to take some of those cosmic rays if you know what I mean," she said, "and then marry the robot, because I know robot marriage doesn't count and I can always just deactivate him. And then kill Doctor Strange. Wizards get so boring and they can't take a punch."

She then yawned slightly, and took out her phone, going back to her number one hobby when things weren't too interesting - Doomscrolling. No one had offered a particularly shocking opinion, but even if they had, Gideon didn't have a great track record when it came to paying attention to others.

April shifted a bit uncomfortably. Vicky wasn't the only one who could claim the Vision as family. He was her uncle, the father of her cousins. She wasn't sure what choice she'd want to make in this scenario. The thought of being with a guy in any manner... it made her want to throw up. She'd rather die a virgin than ever be with a man. Captain Marvel was hot, at least - definitely in her top ten favorite superheroes. And Doctor Strange, she didn't have an issue with beyond his gender. But before she could fully formulate her thoughts, Leah dropped a bombshell.

She wanted to marry Sabine.

April gasped.

How long had things been that serious between those two?

She couldn't deny that it stung a bit to hear - to see how ready to commit to each other Sabine and Leah were. She'd ended it, but she still felt that absence, still saw the path she could have continued down. Yet at the same time, she was also happy for them. She didn't hate either of them. She wanted them to be happy, to feel loved. Even if they - even if Sabine, Leah had always been nothing but supportive - didn't feel the same way towards April.

"Do you think you two're gonna get married then? Like, I mean, do you think that's something that you'll want to do soon?" she couldn't help but ask, before an obvious question came to mind and April pulled out her phone, searching up what the legal marriage age was in California. There wasn't one, as long as you had parental consent and a court order. Would She-Hulk do that for Leah and Sabine? Would Sabine's parents? Would they invite her to the wedding? Or would that be too weird, and everyone else would be allowed to go?

She almost asked Vicky what the hell her problem was with Captain Marvel, but April held her tongue. She was trying not to let the psychotic robot get under her skin. Her current strategy was just to ignore every word that came out of Vicky's mouth. It was extremely hard.

"Hmm. Kill Vision, obviously," he was her uncle - and April had no intention of marrying or fucking a robot. Ever. "And then fuck Captain Marvel, because she's hot as hell and one of the best Avengers, and then... marry Doctor Strange. I think we could have a beautiful lavender marriage together. He can go be Sorcerer Supreme and I can do my thing and we can meet up on the weekends for brunch."

She then turned her gaze to the last person who had yet to go, issuing the challenge to Percy.

Percy frowned.

He didn't see the point in a game like this, as he was never going to sleep with anyone aside from Dorian, and he certainly had no intentions of marrying anyone else. He privately agreed with Leah's analysis of the situation. Marrying with the intention of divorce was the correct call to make here. Of course, he had already soured somewhat on the choices. He wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that Dorian wanted to have sex with Captain Marvel, one of the most powerful people on the planet. He didn't want to hear that Dorian wanted to have sex with anyone.

The frown on his face deepened into a scowl. "I'd kill Captain Marvel," he muttered. "And I would sleep with the Vision. He can augment his form. It seems applicable. And then I would marry Doctor Strange. He's intelligent, handsome, and honorable." A small part of him hoped Dorian would feel jealous at that answer. It wasn't mature of him, but he didn't care about that right now.

April made a face at Percy's description of Vision. Gross. But it then gave her an idea. She grinned wickedly. "Okay, new round!!! The theme is villainous shapeshifters - Mystique, Venom, and Loki." She then paused for a second, not even aware of how she would answer this question. "I think I would... umm... fuck Venom, because I think that would be fun, like think of all the appendages... And umm hmm... marry Mystique, she seems like she's a ride-or-die bitch, and she can be literally anyone. And kill Loki. He deserves it, probably."

"I'd marry Loki," Percy said, still feeling grouchy. "He's a god and a prince - we'd have incredible adventures. I would sleep with Venom. He seems experienced. And then I would kill Mystique. I could never trust her."

Gideon didn't look up from her phone, already zoned out.

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Leah was good at thinking things through, but clearly not that good. Of course April would ask about what she had just said.

”Well, I mean- That’s… We could- Maybe?” She finally managed, suddenly not making any eye contact with anyone. ”Really didn’t think that far ahead, honestly. I’d-“ God, would she do that? It didn’t have a whole lot of weight to Leah, but she knew some people cared about it. She might have been more sure about marrying people if it weren’t for the breakup they had with April… Leah would've married them both at the sane time, perhaps. The thought of it appealed to her a lot more than just one person, but it was complicated. Having more than one partner in a relationship, who were each actually dating each other felt better than only one person. Leah didn’t just feel love for people, she felt a lot of it.

But things didn’t work out. April had to take care of herself. That wasn’t her fault, but it left Leah in a weird place. Not bad, just weird.

”That- I’m not getting into that right now, actually,” Leah decided before pivoting like crazy into the next round of absolute degeneracy.

Venom, Mystique, Loki? Alright.

”Venom as in just him, or attached to someone?” She asked. Either way, symbiotes were pretty formless and, though she wouldn’t admit it, she agreed with April. A lot of… Flexibility in that one. ”Assuming he’s attached to someone who isn’t awful, yeah. Fuck Venom. Marry Loki. Because of his shapeshifter thing and because he’d probably have other things to worry about. Kill Mystique, I guess. She’d probably try to kill me first and I'm not taking the chance.”

A-a-apend-APENDAGES?!” Danni stuttered out, mouth agape as he stared at April with wide eyes. What appendages? Why would they have extra? What did that even mean? Did she mean… “Are you talkin’ ‘bout t'e tentacles t’inies?! You want Venom ta use t'os-” His eyes snapped to Percy as he agreed and before Danni could say anything else, so did Leah!. Danni could barely wrap his head around a partner with normal appendages and everyone was talking about…

It started at his ears. The warm sensation in his cheeks spread and intensified and ignited, too stunned to even attempt to keep it at bay, and it spread like a halo around his head. Amélie chipped and wiggled her way out of his hold, clawing her way the short distance to his shoulders to curl into the fire. She rumbled like a truck engine, content to bask in the flames. The concept of sex as a nebulous idea far, far, far away wasn't something Danni cared about but forced face to face with the idea, Danni was wildly overwhelmed.

“Uh… Kill Venom, marry Loki, do the t'in’ wit’ Mystique.” Danni answered in a daze, not wanting to ruin Beanie's fun after her declaration. It was too bad his own fire didn't burn him; being a pile of ash right now sounded pretty good to him.

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Sabine would have been more than fine to move on from the conversation about marriage. Really, they were supposed to be joking around and talking about random figures they wanted to sleep with and murder. But April had to bring it back up. Was it that important? And why did she ask Leah and not her? Did April assume Sabine had no thoughts on it or was fine with it?

And Leah was fumbling her response, clearly not wanting to talk about it more. "Okay, well we are still young. That's a converation for later. I mean, I haven't even decided if I want to be married. My father doesn't make it look so great. I'm not against it though! Just...move on." Sabine felt herself getting stressed and panicked, so she quickly moved on to April's next round.

"Oh, fuck Loki for sure. I have a feeling he would be more fun than Venom. He is the trickster god, I bet he can get into all sorts of michief. Umm, marry Mystique because that would be a fun marriage. And kill Venom because...I mean ick."

Sabien fought an eye-roll over people still getting hung up on possibly sleeping with or marrying genders they weren't attracted to. It was a GAME. It wasn't like this would ever be a thing.

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"Ohohooo, we have code Tokyo already and it's only round two. That certainly wasn't on my bingo card." Victoria snorted. She registered a significant heat buildup in Danni's direction and for a moment wondered whether firefighting would be on the agenda today, but things seemed under control - For the moment. She eyed the Hatchling draped around his shoulders with a jealous pout.

The whole marriage conversation went by her with little notice. If it happened, good for them. If it didin't, Tori wasn't of the opinion that a ceremony and some paperwork was required for another person to recognize one loved them. She supposed the tax benefits may be nice, but the RoI compared to the cost of your average wedding was pitiful and then there was the high occurrence risk of a divorce.

The choices posted by April were little less uncomfortable this time, as far as an asphalt goop alien that could corrupt your mind could be considered comfortable. "Marry Loki. Immediately. If it must be a villain, I'll take the god of trolling, sounds like fun time. Fuck Mystique. I mean variety is the spice of life, but she's not marriage material. And kill Venom because plus one to ick." Three. Two. One. "Oh, unleeeess... Venom was bound to me. That would make being told to go fuck myself a lot different experience."

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Things started getting more awkward as the group talked about real-life marriage. Andy was considering the possibility of never marrying. April gave a new list for them to decide on. Danni seemed flustered by it. She wondered why. "Why the freak out, Danni? Take some slow, deep breaths." She thinks she remembered someone saying the house was fireproof, so even if Danni went up in flames, the house would be fine.

"If Loki kisses at all like my ex," her eyes darted to Gideon to see if she noticed what had just been said. "I refuse to have anything to do with him, so kill. Mystique seems cool, the few times I met her, so marry." Her heart sped up a few beats as she mentioned before coming to school. Even now, it felt dangerous to talk about. It was out in the open now, but mentioning Genosha seemed...dangerous. "That leaves Venom as fuck, which seems...interesting." She winked at April in silent agreement. Part of her automatically cataloged him as potentially immune to her touch, too. Then she remembered and smiled brightly. She stretched a little and looked over at Dorian to wait for him.

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”What? I didn't name the game.” Dorian remarked towards Vicky as she pointed out one of the games he had suggested. ”Also, what's so bad about Captain Marvel? I think she's kinda cool…” He added, ignoring the awkwardness that was growing between the conversation with Leah, April, and Sabine. Though his attention was quickly snatched away as Percy answered the first round of FMK. Augmentable appendages? Intelligent? HANDSOME? Honorable? What was Percy trying to say? Dorian felt a pit forming in his stomach, the same one he had begun to feel back when Billy started dating Teddy the years before. April started the next round, and Percy wasted no time answering her 3 shape-shifters. Dorian didn't like these answers any less.

Almost everyone seemed agreed on some of the choices. But Dorian was still hung up on Percy's choices. Finally it was his turn to answer. ”Oh! Um, I'd fuck Loki because, I mean look at him. Tall dark and brooding? Yes please, we could easily get up into some mischief. I'd Marry Venom, symbiote no host, cuz then I could be like Spider-man! It'd be so cool! Oh and I guess kill Mystique since thats my only option.” He didn't seem as conflicted with those responses as he had before. ”I'll do next. This round is Let's Get Sticky. Spider-man, Spider-Gwen, or Miles Morales. I'd fuck Spider-Man. Sure no one knows what's behind the mask but that adds a bit of mystery to it doesn't it? Whats more he seems very flexible and acrobatic which has to count for something. I'd Marry Spider-Gwen cuz she seems extremely cool and we could hang out well i think. Which…damn, ok guess I need to kill Miles which…I wouldnt but last option.”

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The spectacle of Danni’s head bursting into flames only held Percy’s attention for so long - up until the moment his boyfriend began to answer the questions for Fuck Marry Kill, each word feeling like a cut.

His eyes widened slightly as Dorian put another nail in the coffin: tall. He was only three inches shorter than him! And he was a few years younger, there was still every chance that he would grow and then Dorian would be the tall one. ”Tu préférerais quelqu’un grand?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it, not realizing his language had slipped into French.

Dorian's eyes widened at Percy's accusation. Not noticing the change in language as his powers bled in. Nor that he responded in kind in Korean. ”Nan geuleon mal han jeog eobs-eo. nan geu salam-i kiga keudago malhaess-eo. geunyang nae mentoga jalsaeng-gyeossdago hasin geoscheoleom geunyang gwanchalhan geoya.” He huffed out as he folded his arms across his chest.

”Mozhet, Doktor Strendzh i krasiv. A mozhet, yemu ne vazhen rost. Mozhet, yemu nravyatsya muzhchiny ponizhe. No nichego strashnogo, mozhesh' byt' chestnym i priznat', chto tebe Loki nravitsya bol'she, chem ya,” Percy muttered, crossing his arms to mirror Dorian’s body posture unintentionally.

Dorian scoffed. Unable to believe the things his boyfriend was saying to him. ”sesang-e. 'ki keuda'lago han geon geunyang malui ilbulaseo geulaess-eo! ki keugo geomgo jalsaeng-gyeoss-eo. hajiman geuui 'meosjin yoso'neun jagi jasin-eul neomu simgaghage yeogiji anhneun, eum-ulhago yeminhan aseugaleudeu-in-ilaneun geoya! neona billi appacheoleom paldaliga deo issdageona mwo geuleon sig-eulo malhaneun geolang-eun dalla. jinjja yeoggyeowo! uli haggyo dongchang appajanh-a.”

”Ce n'est pas moi qui ai suggéré d'inclure Vision dans la tapissage! C'est Sabine!” Percy snapped back. He strategically crossed his legs. ”seupaideomaen-eul jug-igo, mailjeu molalleseulang jago, seupaideo geuwengwa gyeolhonhae.”

”geulsse, geuleohge gippeohal pil-yoneun eobs-eoss-eo–” Dorian's eyes went wide as Percy went straight into his answer. ”Kill Spider-man?!” His jaw dropped. His own boyfriend choosing to kill his all time favorite hero.

Percy nodded. ”What are you going to do about it?” he challenged.

A series of scoffs came rambling out of Dorian as he tried to find the words to say. He couldn't. He just eyed Percy before finally saying ”Oh I'll show you what I'm gonna do about it.” Before pushing against Percy's chest and phasing them both through the attic floor and down below. Taking them into his bedroom where his door was already locked.

April’s head was swiveling so fast - so many things were happening at once. Danni was on fire, seemingly dazed (in a good way, she hoped?). Leah and Sabine were being incredibly awkward about marriage, as if Leah hadn’t been the one to start that conversation. And then Percy and Dorian started… she had no idea, the conversation kept going back and forth in different languages, ones that Dorian seemed to know. Since when did he speak Russian? Had she missed something? Maybe he was learning it to impress Percy?

But even though she didn’t know what they were saying, she screamed slightly in shock as Dorian phased Percy away - and she didn’t need to understand them to know what they were about to do. In the middle of the sleepover!! With the parents in the house!! For a moment, she was stunned by just how different Danni and Dorian were, despite the same upbringing, and then -

She burst into a fit of giggles. ”OH MY GOD!” Tears almost came to her eyes. ”Someone just needs to propose murder and we’ll have the full set. Leah with marry, Dorian with fuck, and then… Is anyone feeling murderous enough to kill?” Her entire body felt jittery, like she’d been touching a live wire. It was a weird energy, one she wasn’t entirely used to, as it felt like words fell out of her mouth before she could even really process them.

”Oh! I need to answer! If we’re still playing? Because maybe - maybe - maybe we need to switch games now, unless we are looking to get a kill in,” she glanced over towards Danni, hoping that his flames would die down. ”But um, fuck Spider Gwen, marry Miles Morales, kill Spider Man. Sorry Dorian! Not that you’re still here to hear that. I just don’t like not knowing who Spidey is for this sort of thing. Umm. Hmm. Danni you okay bestie? Oh and Andy - love the new fit, it’s so cute on you!!!”

She felt absolutely fucking hyper. Too much sugar, probably.

“If we’re switching games,” Gideon said, looking up from her phone, “I want to do truth or dare. And I dare Andy to kiss me. If she wants to.”

April screeched again.

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”What the hell are you two saying?” Leah asked, as Percy and Dorian fell into a multilingual bitching contest. Man, they seemed like a married couple with the way they got heated. This game clearly made people lose their cools if it only took two or three rounds for all morale compunctions to fall to the wayside. Leah really didn’t see what the issue was. It was just a game, and Venom was way more fuckable than Loki or Mystique… Not that Leah would ever bring herself to say that exact combination of words out loud for any reason, but he was.

”Guys, we’re right he-“ And then they were gone.

Dorian wooshed them both through the floorboards and it sounded very much like they were fucking at this very moment, by what Dorian said when he switched back to English. They were just… Doing that? With their parents in the house? With them in the house? Leah was completely and utterly stunned for a moment.

April started cackling. And she wasn’t the only one.

The sheer absurdity of this night made Leah laugh.

It was loud, completely uninhibited,and an unserious grin was stuck on her face. It almost made her tip over, and she leaned slightly into Sabine with one arm, having been caught off guard by the that this stupid game elicited this reaction. She couldn’t remember one time she’d ever laughed at anything. Holy shit, she needed that.

”Fucking- what the fuck, Dorian?” She griped, greatly amused by things, as if he could hear her. ”Yeah, sure, just run off and start fucking. No, don’t worry about us- We’ll be fine. Is this what people do in sleepovers?!”

This wasn’t so bad, actually. She felt… Floaty? That was a word, maybe.

”Hm… Fuck Miles? Yeah. Why not. Marry Gwen because I’m not beating the allegations at this point, and kill Spider-Man because I am not fucking anyone She-Hulk is close to.”

And then Gideon finally pitched in. Truth or Dare?

Oh.

Leah’s head whipped around and gave Andy a supremely confused look. Didn’t she and Zari break up today? Unless Gideon didn’t care. Or… Maybe Andy didn’t.

”…I don’t know whether to regret what I said or not.”

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Thankful the attention was safely put away from Leah and Sabine potentially marrying, Percy and Dorian began speaking to each other in other languages. She happened to catch some French in there before Dorian tacklehugged Percy somewhere else. Sabine didn't need it painted for her to know what those two would be up to. April appeared to enjoy it also and it warmed Sabine up to see her smile again. After a lot of pain (especially from her) it was nice to be together and not have some major catastrophe happening.

And then another noise shot through the room. Something Sabine hadn't heard before. What was it? Laughter surely, but from an unusual source. Sabine turned to see Leah cracking up. For the first time in a while (possibly ever) Leah was laughing and seemingly enjoying herself?

Sabine had to mark this day down. It was one for the books.

"I mean, sleepovers in my experience go this direction. Sometimes there's tears, sometimes there's break-ups, but usually things don't go as far as maybe making out? But it seems Percy and Dorian rounded third base and are taking it home."

But now Sabine had to answer the question. "Okay, so I would fuck Miles Morales because he's very cute. Marry Spider-Gwen because that would fucking rock. And then kill Spider Man, but like there's so many of him in various forms running around so would one really be missed?"

Sabine turned to face Danni, noticing some uncomfortable feelings evident on his face (on top of the fire).

"Danni, calm down, we don't need your parents' home going up in flame. If you aren't comfy with answering, that's fine. We can move on. Clearly Gideon is ready to." She stared at Gideon and then at Andy, checking to see if Andy was comfortable with the attention. "We get it Gideon, second verse same as the first. I'm down to move on after this but let's see what everyone else is feeling."

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"Thank you, April. Max helped," she responded. "Uh, fuck Gwen, marry Miles, kill Spidey." She added answering the new round of FMK. Then a curve ball was thrown. Gideon switched games and directly dared her to kiss her. Andy's jaw dropped. Gideon was forward. Her gut reaction was that she didn't want to put Gideon in danger, but then she remembered.

She gave a small nod. She did want to kiss Gideon. Andy wouldn't say that she had the whole time. Previously Andy had been so focused on her relationship with Zari. She had sacrificed so much to be with Zari, but that had been all thrown out the window. At least in exchange Andy could say that she was happy with the new friends she had here.

Andy stood up and moved over to Gideon. "An hour ago I would have said no." She knelt down so their faces were even. "However, I am a lot more free than I was then." She leaned forward pressing her lips against Gideon's and closed her eyes.

In his defense Danni was fully planning on listening to Andy and started taking deep, calming breaths until the fire went out but then, Dee and Spicy had the audacity to be weird. Like, Danni was 99.999999991% certain that Dee didn't speak whatever garbaldigook was coming out of his mouth. But Spicy was responding perfectly and his neck was protesting the constant back and forth and then while Princess and Rocky were laughing…

Danni put his face in his hands and screamed.

“W'at t'e ‘ell is wrong wit’ everyone?! Why is everyone so ‘or-’orny right now?! Did y'all drink an afrodesack or somet'in’? Gods!” Danni whined, sniffling a little as his yes got teary. “I finally get my besties all at t'e ‘ouse-God knows we've been tryin’ ta get Princess ‘ere for two years-and I can't even enjoy it ‘cause everyone wants ta make out or bang or be sticky wit’ each ot'er. I just wanna ‘ang out wit’ my friends, is t'at so much ta ask?” Danni wiped the tears away and stood up abruptly much to the dismay of Amèlie who startled and dug her claws into his pajamas with a squawk.

“Ya know, I'mma go ta bed, I'mma-bad Andy, bad Gideon make out after I leave!-do my routine, put on my ‘eadphones and mask, forget t'is nonsense ‘appened, and cook everyone t'e best waffles everyone ‘ave ever ‘ad in t'e mornin’. Get all your nonsense out now or no waffles for you! Good night.” Danni huffed, twirling on his heel. He could have listened to Beanie, he could have turned off the fire, but that would have been easy. Instead, it elongated at the bottom and whirled out like a cloak to cover Amélie as it floated frantically in his wake as he took his leave.

He did take the long way to his room, ignoring the noises he heard from Dee's room long enough to kick his door three times, satisfied that his irritation at the pair was clear.

---

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"Danvers' risk profile has so many red flags she may as well communicate in semaphore." Vicky answered Dorian's inquiry. "Pragmatically moral, ethically rigid, impulsive, prone to high risk-taking under stress, and with powers that can level cities and beyond. I loathe to admit I see a lot of myself in that description, but I know I am one wrong step from falling to the dark side, and I'm going to great pains that put my own continued existence in jeopardy to avoid just that. She seems to me the type who would not even realize she became the villain, believeing herself in the right to the end."

The next set of suggestions left her indifferent. Spider-men somehow flew under her radar most of the time. "Marry OG Spider-Man. He seems like the smartest of the bunch. Bed Morales, let's see if there is any truth to the stereotypes. Kill Stacy. No particular reason, she's just solid meh." she shrugged.

To be frank, Victoria was growing bored of this game fast, but then Dorian and Percy made her actually miss her connectivity feature and instant access to internet translators when they spat different languages back and forth, and ended the whole exchange with what she could only assume was make-up sex. Stuck between thinking whether this was the purpose of the game the whole time, and if it was considered rude of Dorian as one of the hosts to abandon his guests for a booty call, she almost blurted out Sure, who needs killing? as an answer to April's question.

Gideon then suggested a change of a game, although obviously for her own benefit. "Last time I played truth or dare I kinda broke Dorian, so pass." she pouted. Then Ms. Drummond jumped at Gideon's offer perhaps a bit too enthusiastically and Danni also left, having had enough. It looked like prime time to disperse. "A'ight, Imma head out." she said as she hopped on her feet, before giving Sabine a pointed look, "Ms. Bassard, if I can steal a moment of your time now or in the morning, I have something to tell you may want to know about." With that she gave the crows a small bow of the head as a goodbye and went to her void of a room, intending to model some of the landscapes she had in her memory from earlier.

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The Contest had begun.

It was more challenging than the new teams anticipated. Victory was everything and fighting a little dirty wasn’t against the rules. Very few applied once they were on the field, but breaking those that did were grounds for immediate disqualification of the entire team:

No items permitted beyond those declared.
No enhancement drugs.
No killing.

Beyond that, everything was allowed. Contestants rendered unconscious, or forced to concede, would be magically teleported off the field and out of the line of fire. The first few rounds in the Contest were grueling and long, teams playing safe to keep trump cards hidden as their adversaries sat in the stands to watch. But as the Contestants thinned match by match, everyone was pushed to their limits, until finally only three remained: Excelsior, The Hex Girls, and the Young Avengers. The Young Avengers buried their opponents in the morning with a brutal and mind bending victory, the power of the Demiurge on full display.

Now, Excelsior and The Hex Girls would face off against each other for the opportunity to break the reigning Champions’s streak.



The Hex Girls sauntered out across the field, Thuy and Thelma a few paces behind as they spoke softly to each other. Prudence eyed the Excelsior team nervously, wringing her hands as her eyes darted between them. Tatiana and Wil smirked at them, oozing confidence as Wil stepped just in front of Tatiana. Skylar gave Percy a slow, heated look over and bit his lip, winking with a grin. Ava laughed, head thrown back and joyful, and ignited, rainbow light shimmering over her skin. She carved runes with the same light and a heavy mace materialized in her hands, tossing it up on one shoulder like it weighed nothing.

The stadium went quiet as the two teams eyed each other across the field, barely thirty paces from each other. Everything the Avenger Academy team had been working on was in preparation for this moment, for this chance to prove to the world they were ready, that Arcade was just the first in a long line of victories these promising heroes would achieve. Both sides were willing and ready to do what it took to win. The tension could be cut with a knife .

”IS THAT BOY A GIRL TOO?!”

Back in the stands sat most of the parents and family of the Excelsior team. Amongst them was the world renowned Popstar Harry Simmons, who at this very moment was heckling a group of teens. His “Boys” sat elsewhere, all who stated they wanted to see the contest with their own eyes.

Group Initiative Check - Group Vigilance





“Yes!” Ava shouted at the stands as she sketched a quick drawn glyph that surrounded Thelma in rainbow lights, shrieking with laughter as she then charged down the center field. Her hair snapped behind her, still covered in dancing lights, and she barely seemed phased that they were in a fight.

Wil swore under their breath and matched pace with Ava, shields up in front of her as they did. “Diving right in. Fuck, thought the boss wanted to draw them in. When we change the plan?!” Wil snapped. Ava didn’t bother responding, too focused on just running. Wil let loose a stream of curses that would make a sailor blanch.

Prudence eyed Thelma nervously but steeled herself. Leah was firmly in her sight as she wove the spell circle. It pulsed with a strange, dark energy, and vanished just as the light around Leah hardened into a box and caught her inside.

Skyler held up his middle finger at the audience even as Ava shouted back at them. Amber light, forming panels within, flowed within his hands as he chanted. It expanded into shattered glass and whirled around Tatiana, where two duplicates appeared. The three passed through each other several times before she bolted parallel to Excelisor, hugging the far right of the field.

Thelma watched, seemingly disinterested, with cold, calculating eyes before settling where she stood. Red and purple magic crackled in her hand, consuming the rainbow lights that Ava had shrouded her in and panels of magic fused themselves around her. Thuy finally pulled her hands from her pocket and dark red fire danced between her fingers. She looked at Sabine, smiled, and licked some off her fingers.

“Still lookin’ forward to kicking my ass, pretty girl?” Thuy called across the field, uncaring of the audience. “That drink offer’s still on the table - you and your girlfriend, wrapped up pretty in my chains, still crying after we beat you.” This time, Thuy flicked her fingers at Sabine and a bolt of Hellfire arc’d at her.

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All eyes in the arena were focused on the combatants, as the Hex Girls of Strange Academy faced off against Excelsior of Avengers Academy in the second semi-finals match. The winner would go on to face the reigning champions, the Young Avengers, and have a chance to finally seize the crown for all of its glory. And while the world watched, the match broadcast live on Mojovision, sports channels, and more, a select few had their hearts filled with pride as they looked on. Sitting in the highly coveted section 001, close enough to the action to hear each taunt the Hex Girls flung at their opponents, were the friends and loved ones of Excelsior. It didn’t matter that the posted odds were 21 to 1 in favor of the Hex Girls. They were there to cheer the students on no matter the outcome.

The adults sat in the middle of the section, filling a portion of two rows. Magneto, James and Casper Kingston, Ben and Max Gray. Then in the next row She-Hulk, Matt Moss, Dominika Novikova, Harry and David Simmons, Eva Moore, and Valerie Simmons.

A few rows down from them were students - some affiliated with Avengers Academy, others with Strange Academy. Connie Winthrop, Frankie Stein, Vicky van Dyne, Gideon Pearlman, and Ben Moss. Perhaps to the surprise of those who did not know her well, and those who thought they did, Gideon’s attention was glued to the action in front of her. Her sunglasses hid her eyes as ever, but there was no mistaking the intense interest and glee she took in the action unfolding. Her muscles were itching for her sword. She wished she could have been out there now, but maybe next year. The odds of her graduating were slim - perhaps even slimmer than last year.

So instead, Gideon contributed the only way she knew how. “TO THE FLOOR!” she screeched. She hoped Andy knew what that meant.

Magneto too was looking on at Andy, not so much with excitement as with trepidation. Her curse had been removed and that was a victory, one he could not be more grateful for. However, here she was exposed, vulnerable, and made to fight for sport. He did not doubt her abilities. But he could not help but unconsciously catalog each piece of metal in the stadium, his eyes sweeping for threats. At the slightest hint of danger, he would intervene. He did not care what silly rules had been established. He would not allow any harm to befall her.

She-Hulk had no such fears for Leah. “KICK THEIR BUTTS, LEAH!!” She-Hulk shouted out, sporting an Avengers Academy t-shirt for the occasion. Had it not been for the fact that Leah had an abusive family she wanted to stay away from, She-Hulk would’ve been waving a sign with Leah’s face on it right now. “YOU GOT THIS!!”

Dr. Novikova was quiet as she watched, the events of the past few days weighing heavily on her mind. She was incredibly proud of her son, and astonished by how far he’d come, how much more alive he seemed to be. But that pride was coupled with fear and paranoia. He had hidden things from her. What else was Percy keeping from her, beyond the drinking, beyond the entanglement? Was her son truly happy? Or was this all a desperate cry for help, one she had been deaf to for too long? She shifted uncomfortably, monitoring her own breath. An earthquake would not be welcomed here. Her phone buzzed. She ignored it. It was probably from Maria. She didn’t want to think about Maria right now.

David Simmons chuckled at his husband’s antics, shaking his head slightly. He knew that Harry didn’t mean any harm by it. Sometimes he was a girl, too, and it never bothered his husband. In fact, some of the Boys rather appreciated it. David laced his fingers around Harry’s, and went to rest his head on his shoulder, settling in. He’d thankfully gotten used to having so many voices around, as he attended every show Harry played. Otherwise he would have let one of the others front for today - but instead, he managed to mute out most things so that way the background was a dull telepathic roar. Do you think they have a chance? he asked though, not wanting to be rude and voice such a question verbally in front of the parents of the competitors. He’d never watched the Contest of Champions before.

However, Harry’s twin sister was not nearly as amused with him. Heckling children was embarassing. As much as she loved him, her brother was also embarrassing. Ordinarily, her move would have been to vanish from sight and simply walk away from the situation, but she wanted to be here to support the Kingston-Gray children. She was an old friend of the family, back from their days on Genosha and with the Mutant Underground. So instead, with a slight smirk on her face, Valerie went to make her brother disappear, wrapping the light around him in such a way as to force him to vanish… but at a sudden shout from someone in the audience, her concentration slipped, and instead of bending the light to make him invisible, she made him extra-visible, a veritable spotlight on her attention whore of a brother. ”Fuck me,” she groaned. His ego didn’t need the added attention.

She was lucky that Casper wasn’t close enough to hear her - otherwise, she would have been hit with a reply of when, where, how hard? Instead, he had his husband James’ hand in a death grip, suddenly a mess of nerves as his baby boy took the field. Danni was going to do so well! This was incredible! People were throwing hellfire around at his son! He hated that! His knee was bouncing up and down like a jackhammer, a speed that was only matched by his pulse. ”Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god it’s starting it started it’s happening!!” He fought the urge to stand up. ”Everyone shut up, it's starting!!!” With his other hand, he reached out and grabbed Ben’s, squeezing tightly enough to practically cut off circulation.

Ben let it go - for now. He gave his partner’s hand a slight squeeze in turn. He couldn’t blame Casper for being worried. The Contest of Champions was a dangerous sport. Killing was against the rules, but serious injuries were possible and somewhat to be expected. He didn’t want their kids to suffer, to go through any pain. He knew firsthand how cruel this world could be, especially to a child. But at the same time, he couldn’t protect his children from everything, no matter how much he wanted to. And learning to use their powers in a safe, controlled environment was more than most mutant children ever had. There were no Purifiers lurking in alleys to kill them.

And of course, if Dorian and Danni were to win… Or even if they were to lose… The outcome would bring tears to his eyes all the same. Ben felt himself already beginning to tear up a bit just at the thought. He loved them both so much - it was surreal to see them here, in this arena, one of the best teams in the country. But he already knew that they were some of the best heroes in the world. He didn’t need a contest to tell him that.

”Hey, buttface! Think fast!”

Out of nowhere, a sealed bag of kettlecorn was lobbed at the back of Max’s head with near perfect aim. A blonde woman dressed in a deep red cardigan stood on the stairs, smirking as she looked at the former Sorcerer Supreme. ”That’s payback for fucking with my clothes,” she added, before sliding down into the seat next to him, her wife Marrow in tow. ”What did we miss?”

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Today was going to be a long, long fucking day.

Wizards. Leah wasn't great at fighting wizards, and most of these wizards were pretty damn hot, but not hot enough she'd let them win. Leah stood in front of her team, as the local tank and one of the two heaviest hitters. She had her eyes on two of them in particular, Wil and Ava, who were the toughest of them. If Leah could keep them occupied, the rest of her team could cut out the supports, Andy could handle the fast bitch, Sabine was (probably) a better psychic than the goth in the spiky hair. If it came to it, she could switch out and handle the demonic witch, but Danni was the pyromancer, not her.

That whole plan went on hold the second Prudence locked her down. Telekinetic force, making her unable to move from this spot. She'd have to go quick, but it was better if Leah hung back and didn't let them bait her out.

She brought her fist inwards and swung it out to her left, with a BANG. A hole formed in the cage, and she grabbed the edge to rip the rest of the thing apart. In one quick motion, the cage sundered and fell apart, and Leah took a few steps backwards.

There was no point in calling out what to do. They all knew their skills, they all knew what they were capable of. She wasn't Leah Jordan right now, she was Jotunn, and they weren't a bunch of kids right now. They were Excelsior, and they were going to fucking win or die trying.

Well, if the rules were broken, anyway.