April turned slightly at Dorian's nudge - he'd only gotten better at reading their expressions over the years, although April had never really been known for subtly. (Not that Danni was any better than them at it, of course). They shook their head ever so slightly - whatever it was they'd seen, now wasn't the time to chat about it. Both their brothers were right - Titan was hell. And filled with way too many opportunistic devils for April's comfort. "Maybe it's time to bite the bullets and get a symbiote," April teased instead. They'd been good friends with one once - and at the memory of them, their mood soured ever so slightly. Simpler times.
Kol'Kill wasn't particularly remarkable - it looked exactly like any other building on Titan, just another hobble on the shitstain of a moon. April crossed their arms as they exited the vehicle, giving a quick glance around. Nothing out of the ordinary. No reason for them to be jumpy. What they'd seen - it probably hadn't happened. Just the stakes of everything in front of them getting to them a bit. They needed to relax, to let out a little bit of the pressure. So as Dorian agreed to grab a table in exchange for a drink, April held up their right hand, signaling to make it two. "Please," they added.
They sat down across from Dorian at the table, propping their feet up on an unused chair - not Danni's, of course. And for a moment, they let themself just watch the performance, listening to the song. The singer was pretty - beautiful, even - and extremely talented. But it might as well have been Greek to April - they couldn't understand it at all. The emotions though, those came through. Ones that were all too familiar.
"It's dangerous to be in Tartarus," Leda countered. Every minute here was dangerous - it was dangerous to remain, just as it was dangerous to leave. Sure it was probably more dangerous to get to the Doors of Death. And yes, she didn't know what would happen if she died a second time, now that she was a ghost... but she wasn't going to spend the rest of eternity in Tartarus living in fear. She'd rather find out what a second death would mean. And Mads... well, Mads would just reform in Tartarus. There wasn't anything for Mads to risk or fear losing beyond time.
"When can we leave?" she then pressed. She assumed Mads was down for this plan - once more, Mads' didn't have the risk that Leda had here. And the sooner they made their stand, the sooner they could return to the world - the sooner that Leda could see Kiera again. The sooner that they could help to save everyone. The sooner that they could go home.
☀️ Nancy Parker ☀️
Location: Camp Half-blood Skills: Audiokinesis
The god of parties peeled Nancy off of Demi, his body like steel that she couldn't fight back against, as much as she wanted nothing more than to continue to scream, to continue to pound her fist into Demi's face over and over and over again. But the god shoved her, and she fell into her fellow Romans, and she felt a legionnaire restrain her. She shoved, trying her best to break free, to close the gap between her and Demi again - but she couldn't shake the legionnaire off, even as her blood was boiling.
And then Zeke, Zeke was screaming too.
Zeke had to understand, right? He had to see what his boyfriend had said, how much of a moron Demetri was - how deeply he had insulted all of Rome - how much he needed to pay for that. Instead, he corrected her language - she was too angry to really register it, to even really consider what she'd said - instead, she glared forward, seeing her brother turn his back on her. She didn't hear another word he said, her ears ringing. So she only saw - only saw him face Demi and not her, choose Demi and not her. Of course he was going to choose Demi. Of course. What else could she have expected from a Greek? They didn't understand. They didn't want to understand.
If there was one person that Nancy hated most of all, it was herself.
She let out a scream of frustration, of rage, and she bent the sound waves around her, sending out a shockwave - the legionnaire restraining her fell to the ground, as did Zeke. And it wasn't just her blood that was boiling, her skin itself was hot, throwing off heat. "Fucking coward! Always hiding behind others! Get the fuck up and fight me! You think you're so fucking smart, so fucking clever, but guess what? You're a goddamn idiot. If you're so convinced that Leandra is the person you think she is, then YOU can go with her in exile! Go and see the person she really is, because you two fucking deserve each other, you absolute piece of shit!"
8:20 AM - Mon. November 29th, 2038 - Margaret Carter Institute
These tricks/treats go into effect when your character returns from Thanksgiving break
Leah - Treat - While everyone else had a parent or guardian that could be contacted, there was no one there to speak for Leah - something that the school, shockingly enough, hadn't even realized. In order to both tie up the legal loose end and ensure the safety of a young child, She-Hulk stepped up and filed the documentation necessary, with Leah's okay, to become her legal guardian. Leah has now been given access to She-Hulk's Los Angeles apartment, where a room has been set up for her, as well as a card giving her access to the West Coast Avengers' mansion. Jen has also gotten a trust fund set up for Leah, where she will now be making regular deposits - being an Avenger doesn't pay well, but being a lawyer as well certainly doesn't hurt.
Mary Sue - Trick - Mary Sue headed back to Cardiff over break, most likely hoping for something relaxing and uneventful. Instead, her grandfather sent his heralds to retrieve her father. The resulting fight was intense and bloody, Oliver ended up in the hospital in critical condition, and a scar across Mary Sue's left eye that rendered her partially blind. Her mother lost an arm, which will soon be replaced with a prosthetic. At least they won the battle. But Thanos is still out there, lurking.
Andy - Trick - Over Thanksgiving break, Andy will have had a hard time sleeping, bouts of insomnia that no medicine or magic seems to be able to dispel. The day before she is due to return to the Margaret Carter Institute, she'll finally get some much needed rest. However, when she wakes up, she finds herself in an abandoned building, a desiccated corpse at her feet, and wounds on her arms - as if someone had tried to fight her off.
Mads - Treat - Over the break, Mads went through a bit of a growth spurt! Her more demonic features came in and settled. She now has fanged teeth, a forked tongue, horns, a tail, and wings like those of a bat. With these wings, she now has the innate ability of flight. Her teeth are able to destroy most materials, save things like vibranium. Her tail is prehensile, so can be used to grab other objects and manipulate them. And her more monstrous form will give her advantage on intimidation checks.
Sabine - Treat - During the break, Sabine was plagued with strange, almost lucid dreams. In these dreams, she watched her mother as a young woman, striding confidently down the halls of a castle on the moon, a sword strapped to her side. She stood a few paces behind a tall man, with dark hair and a dramatic cloak, a crown on his head that indicated his station. Her mother seemed to be his bodyguard, following him wherever he went - from the scene of courtroom dramas to ghastly murders. No matter what Sabine did, no one noticed her in the dream.
Until the last night, right before students were due to return to the Academy, when her mother would look directly at Sabine, and say: "You are not your father's child, Sabine. You're his."
Zari - Trick - Zari and Andy have a great break, catching up with her parents in the alternate universe of Earth-667. Aside from Andy's issues, no trouble rears its head - until they get back to Earth-666, and Zari sees her time traveling device short out, reading a bunch of error messages that more or less amount to one thing... Earth-666, the universe our RP takes place in, is now cordoned off from the rest of the multiverse. No one can leave. No one can enter.
Zelda - Trick - Even before the business with Arcade, Zelda has often felt herself to be invisible, blending in with the surroundings and never truly being noticed. Perhaps that is more true now than ever before, as over the break, she fell ill with a horrible fever. The fever nearly required hospitalization, and when it broke, her body seemed to be fading out of existence. Within a matter of hours, she had become completely invisible - and so far, she hasn't figured out a way to control this power and reappear.
Dorian - Treat - For a living boy, Dorian shares a great deal in common with the dead - a fact that may endear him more to his Uncle Casper, or even his formerly dead father, Ben. Over the break, Dorian will discover another thing he has in common with ghosts - the ability to manipulate electromagnetism. He gains the ability to perform applications at the basic level per powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Electrom…
Danni - During the break, Danni ended up wearing himself out one day, so incredibly tired as he went to sleep. So tired, in fact, that the scent of smoke didn't wake him. In the midst of a nightmare, his powers activated... and burned his house to the ground. No one was injured, thankfully, the adults had been out seeing a show - and while Max would be able to fix the house pretty quickly with magic, the memories don't fade, and the smell lingers.
Percy's phone vibrated as a text from his sister came in - most likely asking where he was. It wasn't like him to be late to things - he was punctual to a fault. However, it also wasn't like him to be overly respectful of authority figures. He had chased Ser Nemo with an axe during his audition for the Contest of Champions, and he had willingly went against school rules and guidelines to use the Framework after hours with Arcade. So while Percy tended to be punctual, it wasn't necessarily out of respect for the time of others - but rather, out of respect for his own time. There was the additional factor that it was an accepted social convention, more or less a rule of operation, and Percy tended to adhere to such things rather seriously - hence his insistence on not making modifications to the school uniform.
So as Dorian pulled him into his room by the wrist, shutting the door behind them, there was something else that concerned Percy more than the matter of timeliness - and this, of course, was the sight of his boyfriend halfway dressed, his hair beautifully fluffed. The air caught in his lungs and his chest tightened, and it was like everything slowed down around them, as Percy stared at the veritable demigod that was Dorian. Even Aphrodite must have been jealous of his physique, Percy decided without a single hint of irony. His face was blushing a deep crimson, and Percy froze, gripped with uncertainty and hesitation.
He never understood physical interactions very well - he wasn't one that was prone to touch, preferring to keep to himself, to have his own little bubble. But right now, the idea of closeness with Dorian wasn't repulsive, it was... strangely invigorating. "Dorian..." he began, not really sure where the sentence would end, his heart pounding.
What was he doing?
"What if you... didn't?" Percy ventured, his tongue feeling like lead and swollen cotton. "What if you...."
He couldn't finish the sentence, though. He could understand just about every language intuitively as it was spoken to him, but this? He couldn't form a coherent thought, couldn't find a framework to express this. He could only hope that Dorian could find one for him.
April Flynn
Location: Avengers' Academy - the Headmaster's Office Skills: N/A Fit: ~School Uniform, Skirt + Sweater Variant~
Lady Nimue: April, Mads, Mary Sue, Andy, Gideon Ser Nemo: Percy, Dorian, Danni, Sabine, Zelda Usagi: Vicky, Leah, Diana, Zari
Almost immediately, the atmosphere in the room became hostile. April's eyes widened as people started to lay into Coulson, beginning with Vicky. She'd never even considered blaming Headmaster Coulson for any of this, or the school - they'd been the ones using the Framework after hours without supervision, sneaking around with Arcade. She'd been prepared to beg to not be expelled, and not only did Coulson seem proud of them, he was letting them automatically ace all of their courses and continue to compete? His apologies seemed genuine to her, but... Well, it seemed like most people in the room agreed with him - she desperately scanned the faces of the crowd, hoping that others beyond Diana would speak up and give a contrary opinion, but instead Leah added to it - and charged out of the room, slamming the door behind her. April flinched as it whipped against the door frame.
And Mary Sue, poor Mary Sue! April didn't want to ask what happened to her over the break, but she couldn't help but be curious as well. She bit her lip, feeling almost nauseous with how uncomfortable she was as Mary Sue added more accusations to the pile, telling Coulson that they all had died, that everyone here was essentially little more than a variant. But April didn't feel like a variant - she felt like herself, didn't she? The thought that she wasn't real, that the real April had died that night... It was one that April desperately wanted to avoid. She gripped her right hand with her left and dug her nails in, a desperate attempt for control, for stability.
Even Sabine, cool and collected Sabine, didn't seem to be taking things well - April had noticed the way her girlfriend tensed when Coulson mentioned the mandated therapy. She had a strange double think about it all - that April wanted her friends to get therapy and get better, but loathed the idea of doing it for herself - loathed the idea of acknowledging that there was something wrong with her, that maybe there was a genetic sin lurking within, just waiting for an opportunity to bloom...
"G-guys, let's all just take a step back here, okay? This is...this is a lot of energy and things are super scary but we're real, we aren't dead, we survived, and we got to be heroes - what we all came to do this school to do! A-and real heroes can't wait around for the Avengers to save them, otherwise they wouldn't be heroes, a-a-and I'm sure the adults are meeting to talk about how to improve everything so let's... let's just talk about anything else, okay? N-no need to talk about death because we're fine!" April's face had taken on a slight green tinge. She really wanted to STOP talking about this...
"No, this is a discussion we need to have," Headmaster Coulson corrected gently, holding up a hand to April. "The school's board has been having regular meetings to discuss what we can do to change our security protocols - no decisions have been finalized yet, so I can't speak as to what will be happening, but there will be changes made here at the institute. Your safety is out topmost priority. As for the time travel... Ser Nemo, would you care to shed some insight?"
"Hm?" Ser Nemo spoke up, suddenly shaking himself out of what seemed to be deep thought. "Ah, yes. I am afraid Ms. Sullivan is mostly correct. All of the students from this gathering who did not use Ms. Raynordattir's expertise to time travel did perish, shortly followed by the rest of that reality's branch after it was pruned by the TVA. The duplicate Ms. Sullivan, Ms. Raynordattir, and Ms. Lensherr were similarly then pruned."
"....Pruned?" April squeaked.
"Yes, pruned. A kinder turn of phrase. As I teach in my advanced time travel course, the TVA oversees the proper flow of the timeline for each universe. Everything that has happened, it has happened according to what the TVA determines to be the allowed flow of time for our universe. I understand that it is upsetting, Ms. Sullivan, to think about the variants of your friends perishing - but had they survived without your use of time travel, they would have been pruned nonetheless. Had you decided to not use the Framework after hours, the TVA still would have intervened. What has happened is, for lack of a better term, correct."
April didn't know what to say to that, instead just speechless as Nemo talked so... so coldly about what sounded like death - like the destruction of innocent people just because they didn't follow some predestined script... Was there even free will? She shut her eyes for a moment, willing herself to wake up and discover this was just some sort of horrible stress dream.
Lady Nimue, her watery form glistening in the light, took the opportunity to speak next. "There is nothing to fix, children. Heroes are forged in tragedy. No story can achieve great highs without also facing desperate lows and dire odds. If this is unacceptable to you, then perhaps this is not the place for you - perhaps you are not meant for an exceptional life."
Coulson grimaced, as if less than pleased by his colleague's phrasing. "You are all free to go as you'd like - and you can let me know your decisions by the end of the day, both on your participation in the contest, and should anyone wish to withdraw from the school. But, uh, Ms. Van Dyne - if you would stay back a moment once the others file out, I have something else to speak to you about."
Location: New Orleans Botanical Gardens Skills: Telepathy
Guin blinked, and the next thing she knew, everyone was gone - everyone but Annie. The botanical gardens were gone, too, leaving them in what seemed like an empty grey void. It took her a moment for everything to click into place - that they were inside of Mary's mind, and this is what she had chosen to show them. Just nothingness, a cage. She hoped it was what remained of Mary protecting them, but she doubted it. Mary wasn't there. She was gone.
Pietro's voice echoed in, cutting in and out of static. Soon another voice joined him - Ed's. She wasn't too sure on the how - magic? Guin's telepathy? Mary's telepathy? Just ambient noise somehow bouncing in and cutting through? But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was his request - to see if they could push out Phoenix and Chrysi from the inside. As far as she could tell, there was no way to say if there was any additional vulnerability here - nothing obvious to strike at, nothing that would cripple or eject any of those forces.
"I don't know. We'll try," she said, hoping that Ed could hear her. The adrenaline was coursing through her system so quickly that she was calm, as she remembered one of her lessons with Professor X - where he had compared a mindscape to a telepath as being really no different than a lucid dream. So she closed her eyes and focused, visualizing what she needed - something to protect herself with, something to fight with, and a way to something other than this void.
When she opened her eyes again, there was a door in front of her and Annie - and a sword in her hand. She gave it an experimental swing, remembering the lessons she'd had with Aunt Natasha as a kid. "You ready?" she asked Annie, before opening the door and walking on through.
Avery Spellman
Location: Chandrilar Skills: N/A
Runa's heart skipped a beat as she heard her uncle's reply, despite its negativity. He was speaking to her, then. That was an opening. If she could get his aid in modifying the bloodline curse, have it target only the Phoenix and not the rest of her house, then this could be a path to minimizing bloodshed and loss. So Runa worked in what her domain centered on - she traded in lies, as she responded silently to Loki: You wish to alleviate a guilty conscience, Uncle. You wish to aid me. I know it to be true.
Her fingers itched to snap, to hear his rejection - the magic was much more powerful that way, strong enough to even bend the will of another god - and shift reality accordingly.
Yet there was no response, and Runa felt the magic slip away from her. Frustrated, she tried again, another desperate plea for aid - for her uncle to see sense, to see reason. Forgive me - you would have tried the same in my position. Is there nothing I can offer you as a boon to seek your help?
His response was immediate: "Not really no."
So Runa cast off the connection, with a final - So falls the House of Odin - before re-centering her thoughts on the present. If they could not stop the Phoenix, all life in the galaxy was at risk - all of Asgard was at risk. Her uncle, for all of his flaws, Runa had genuinely believed had at least some interest in protecting his own family. But if a sorcerer of Asgard would not help her, perhaps they ought to turn their attention to one of Midgard - to the Sorcerer Supreme. Perhaps he could modify the curse - or even better, provide another means of magical assistance. Runa turned to Max, her face solemn. "Maximilian - will you accompany me to see the Sorcerer Supreme? Perhaps there is something in his grimoire that may be of use."
"Before you run off to see Doctor Strange, we're going to need to bring this machine back to Earth - and fast," Ben pointed out. "Majestrix, is it alright for us to take the device now? Time is of the essence," he said. Every minute they spent here chatting in space, the Phoenix was threatening Earth and everyone who lived there - was threatening Ben's family. They had a plan now, they had a weapon. Time to execute it.
Avery nodded, glad that their idea had been well received, but also aware that it was just that - an idea, untested and potentially a disaster. But that was the case with everything when it came to this mission, to this task. They didn't know if the machine would really work against the Phoenix, they didn't know if they'd be able to save Mary, they just didn't know. The only person who this had happened to before was Jean Grey and even she seemed to be a bit out of her depth when it came to all of this. The most likely outcome was that everything would go horribly wrong. The least likely outcome was that they'd all survive.
Nancy stopped in her tracks as she heard Demetri’s grating voice, shaking her to her very core. How dare he say such things?! How dare he call her a bitch, insult her leadership of New Rome?! He was too stupid and small and naive and innocent to understand, to really comprehend the severity of Leandra’s crimes. His world was parties and sunshine - he could never comprehend war, or suffering, or trauma. He was useless - more than useless, he was an obstacle.
Her duty called for her to ignore his words, his challenge, and see Leandra delivered into exile. Her duty called for her to put the people of New Rome and Camp Jupiter before her own feelings - before the things that mattered most to her in the world.
Nancy had always done her duty.
She took a deep breath, as the red cloud of anger filled her mind.
She counted to three… but didn’t make it past one, as she lost control.
”Shut the fuck up you stupid fucking f*****!” She wasn’t seeing clearly, as she sprinted back at Demetri, and in front of the God of Parties, she struck him across the jaw and the chest, tackling him down to the ground. She was too incoherent to say anything else, frothing with rage, with anger. She had one knee on either side of Demetri to keep him pinned, and she punched him over and over again, blackening his eye and breaking his nose. She didn’t stop, she didn’t pause to think. All she was thinking about was beating him as much as she could until he could never make another stupid comment again. Blood from his nose smeared on her fists, and she didn’t care. She was going to kill this fucking boy. She was going to kill him.
8:10 AM - Mon. November 29th, 2038 - Margaret Carter Institute
@Forsythe: Cassie would send a text back quickly, confirming that the tree was a good place to meet, and saying that she'd be free around 2 PM after her combat class ended for the day.
Vicky likely would be able to guess why Cassie wanted to chat - Vicky hadn't gone home for Thanksgiving break, after all. And blood or not, the two of them were sisters.
These tricks/treats go into effect when your character returns from Thanksgiving break
Leah - Treat - While everyone else had a parent or guardian that could be contacted, there was no one there to speak for Leah - something that the school, shockingly enough, hadn't even realized. In order to both tie up the legal loose end and ensure the safety of a young child, She-Hulk stepped up and filed the documentation necessary, with Leah's okay, to become her legal guardian. Leah has now been given access to She-Hulk's Los Angeles apartment, where a room has been set up for her, as well as a card giving her access to the West Coast Avengers' mansion. Jen has also gotten a trust fund set up for Leah, where she will now be making regular deposits - being an Avenger doesn't pay well, but being a lawyer as well certainly doesn't hurt.
Mary Sue - Trick - Mary Sue headed back to Cardiff over break, most likely hoping for something relaxing and uneventful. Instead, her grandfather sent his heralds to retrieve her father. The resulting fight was intense and bloody, Oliver ended up in the hospital in critical condition, and a scar across Mary Sue's left eye that rendered her partially blind. Her mother lost an arm, which will soon be replaced with a prosthetic. At least they won the battle. But Thanos is still out there, lurking.
Andy - Trick - Over Thanksgiving break, Andy will have had a hard time sleeping, bouts of insomnia that no medicine or magic seems to be able to dispel. The day before she is due to return to the Margaret Carter Institute, she'll finally get some much needed rest. However, when she wakes up, she finds herself in an abandoned building, a desiccated corpse at her feet, and wounds on her arms - as if someone had tried to fight her off.
Mads - Treat - Over the break, Mads went through a bit of a growth spurt! Her more demonic features came in and settled. She now has fanged teeth, a forked tongue, horns, a tail, and wings like those of a bat. With these wings, she now has the innate ability of flight. Her teeth are able to destroy most materials, save things like vibranium. Her tail is prehensile, so can be used to grab other objects and manipulate them. And her more monstrous form will give her advantage on intimidation checks.
Sabine - Treat - During the break, Sabine was plagued with strange, almost lucid dreams. In these dreams, she watched her mother as a young woman, striding confidently down the halls of a castle on the moon, a sword strapped to her side. She stood a few paces behind a tall man, with dark hair and a dramatic cloak, a crown on his head that indicated his station. Her mother seemed to be his bodyguard, following him wherever he went - from the scene of courtroom dramas to ghastly murders. No matter what Sabine did, no one noticed her in the dream.
Until the last night, right before students were due to return to the Academy, when her mother would look directly at Sabine, and say: "You are not your father's child, Sabine. You're his."
Zari - Trick - Zari and Andy have a great break, catching up with her parents in the alternate universe of Earth-667. Aside from Andy's issues, no trouble rears its head - until they get back to Earth-666, and Zari sees her time traveling device short out, reading a bunch of error messages that more or less amount to one thing... Earth-666, the universe our RP takes place in, is now cordoned off from the rest of the multiverse. No one can leave. No one can enter.
Zelda - Trick - Even before the business with Arcade, Zelda has often felt herself to be invisible, blending in with the surroundings and never truly being noticed. Perhaps that is more true now than ever before, as over the break, she fell ill with a horrible fever. The fever nearly required hospitalization, and when it broke, her body seemed to be fading out of existence. Within a matter of hours, she had become completely invisible - and so far, she hasn't figured out a way to control this power and reappear.
Dorian - Treat - For a living boy, Dorian shares a great deal in common with the dead - a fact that may endear him more to his Uncle Casper, or even his formerly dead father, Ben. Over the break, Dorian will discover another thing he has in common with ghosts - the ability to manipulate electromagnetism. He gains the ability to perform applications at the basic level per powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Electrom…
Danni - During the break, Danni ended up wearing himself out one day, so incredibly tired as he went to sleep. So tired, in fact, that the scent of smoke didn't wake him. In the midst of a nightmare, his powers activated... and burned his house to the ground. No one was injured, thankfully, the adults had been out seeing a show - and while Max would be able to fix the house pretty quickly with magic, the memories don't fade, and the smell lingers.
The door suddenly opened, with Danni - not Dorian - leaping on out, as if going for a hug. Percy deftly took a quick step back, reacting without thinking. He most certainly did not want to be hugged by Danni. He strictly speaking didn't want to be hugged by just about anyone. The skin-to-skin contact and physical proximity seemed strange to him, as it always had. Only with his family - and now his boyfriend - did he tolerate it, even enjoy it at times. Still, a bit of guilt panged through him as he saw Danni stumble, losing his balance from the lack of a person to grab onto.
He frowned, not so much in disappointment or anger but rather in confusion, as Danni went on about needing to change up Percy's uniform. "... It's a uniform, Daniel. It's supposed to be uniform without alterations. Otherwise, what would be the point?" He turned with his entire body to follow Danni as he darted past him, still pondering over this as Danni then suddenly stopped again - why was everything always so sudden with him?? - and gasped, before producing a small red and black bracelet with Percy's name.
His confusion only mounted, but Percy nodded, and said - "thank you." He never understood why people had jewelry with their own names on it. Was a name tag not more efficient and visible for that purpose? Why would he want a bracelet with his own name on it? It would make more sense to him to give the bracelet to Dorian - Dorian perhaps would wish to carry a reminder of his partner. He stared at the bracelet again for a moment, before rationalizing that he could wear it for the day, and then tuck it away neatly in a drawer. He slipped the bracelet on.
And no sooner had Danni left than Dorian appeared, pulling him into a tender kiss and hug. Percy's cheeks flushed crimson. His pulse thumbed a little faster, and his hands felt sweaty, almost clammy. There was something addictive about being close to Dorian Gray, something that made it difficult for Percy to breathe, something that enticed him to want to touch, touch, touch.
His fingers lingered on Dorian's wrist. "I missed you, too." He hesitated. It was strange, how now it didn't feel like they'd been apart at all - as if the short Thanksgiving break had never happened, that they had never left. "Very much."
April Flynn
Location: Avengers' Academy - Outside the Headmaster's Office Skills: N/A Fit: ~School Uniform, Skirt + Sweater Variant~
April nodded, biting her lip for a moment as shame washed over her. She shouldn't have been freaking out right now - Mads was probably freaking out internally, after all of the cosmetic changes she'd gone through. April knew that puberty could act fast, but she had never really thought about how fast. Something similar had happened with Zelda over break, too - her little sister was invisible now, only able to be heard, and not seen. And so far, Zelda hadn't managed to turn herself visible again for more than a flash of a second. April's own problems seemed suddenly so small and childish.
"I like the tail, by the way," April said, offering Mads a smile. "It's cool." She did her best to sound calm and positive, even as she was shaking furiously inside - as a million scenarios where Coulson expelled and/or killed them for everything that had happened ran through her head, and a million more where her life amounted to nothing, that she never achieved the most important things - like being Prom Queen and Class President and Valedictorian.
She glanced down at her phone as it vibrated - the flip phone had been replaced with a smartphone, making texting way easier again - and saw a series of texts come in. From Leah and Sabine. From Danni and Dori. She clicked into the groupchat with her girlfriends first, and for a moment, her heart dropped at Leah's message - she saw first Leah's feelings about the contest, before April's eyes frantically looked throughout the rest of the message, her pounding heart only slowing down slightly as she saw the rest.
And just like with Mads' a moment ago, a sense of selfishness went through her - because April did care about the Contest of Champions. She cared A LOT. Maybe she even cared about it more than being a real hero - no, no, that couldn't be true. But she was afraid that it was. She bit her lip, reading Sabine's message next, and a little more reassurance returned to her. Sabine wanted it too. It couldn't be bad to want the Contest if Sabine also did - right?
Thank you both, I mean it <3 sorry I'm just, like, being a lot right now about this haha. i, like, do super wanna do the contest - i've dreamed of it since i was a little kid - but like you're so right Leah!! i am gonna think about this more <3 <3 see you both in a sec!!
She opened up the messages from Danni and Dori next, her hands feeling as cold as ice. Both of them made similar points, and she let the tension from her shoulders drop a bit. Maybe she was being worried about nothing. Maybe Coulson did just want to tell them what a good job they did - and maybe insist on therapy? She wasn't thrilled about the idea of all of that, but... It was better than expulsion, right?
Gods I've missed my BOYS!! <3 <3 <3 you both know how to calm a girl down. and if it's therapy, i think i need to insist on group therapy - can't do that stuff without a cuddlepile going on!!
As April pressed send, more people were showing up - Vicky, Andy, Diana. Leah. Her girlfriend kissed her on the forehead and April flushed, her mind - as seemed typical these days - swaying rapidly between opposing emotions. "No, I haven't seen Sabine yet - oh, there she is!" she waved at Sabine, spotting her coming down the hallway after Diana. Her other girlfriend kissed her on the cheek, and April gave Sabine and Leah both a kiss on the cheek in return.
"I'm feeling better - I think - less nervous - how are you?"
She caught a glimpse of Mary Sue as she headed into the office, and April's eyes widened. Had that happened during the fight with Arcade, her scar? Had something else happened? She quickly looked away, chastising herself mentally that it was rude to stare. What had happened to Mary Sue?
But they couldn't stay in the hallway forever and chat - they were about to be technically late - so April set her questions aside and headed in, with her girlfriends and her friends, and took a seat - nervously taking in Headmaster Coulson, Ser Nemo, and Lady Nimue. Hopefully it was just that Dorian was right - that they needed to figure out teams...
She then glanced around quickly, realizing that there was no sign of Dorian - or Zelda - or Percy or Zari.
Coulson cleared his throat. "I suppose the others will join us in their own time," he said, smiling somewhat grimly. "I wanted to first offer you all an apology - you were put in an extremely difficult position last week, one you never should have had to face. As the headmaster of this school, the buck stops with me - and evidently, I failed to realize what Arcade had planned."
"Second, I want to offer you my congratulations - and thanks. You stopped a massacre from occurring, and brought a new supervillain to justice. Only a handful of other students here at the school can say the same. What you did was incredible - real Avengers level work. In recognition of your achievements, all of you are receiving A's in your courses this quarter. I've informed your teachers already. No more homework, no more exams. However, you all are expected to attend mandatory counseling sessions each week."
"Which brings me to my next point... the other thing that you all will be preparing for. The Contest of Champions is quickly approaching. We're down a coach, and some of you are down a team member. Each team can have up to seven members, but no fewer than five. The Young Avengers team is already full. I'm happy to send four teams total to the Contest, but the group that worked with Usagi, you'd need to recruit someone to join up. I'd also ask for you to select a faculty member as your coach."
"Alternatively, there are fourteen of you here... We could condense you down into two teams, one coached by Ser Nemo, and the other by Lady Nimue. I'm leaving this choice up to you all."
Lady Nimue: April, Mads, Mary Sue, Andy, Gideon Ser Nemo: Percy, Dorian, Danni, Sabine, Zelda Usagi: Vicky, Leah, Diana, Zari
Leda couldn't decide if she could run them out of there fast enough - maybe she'd get lucky, maybe she wouldn't. The more she thought about it, the more uncertain she felt in her own abilities. The more that doubt crept in, and she faltered, frozen in place, unable to make a choice and push them into an uncertain fate. Flee or fight. Fight or flee. What difference would it make - would both options end with them dead? Well, Mads reforming elsewhere, and Leda... being gone, most likely. Erased.
Damasen. She knew that name, though. Giant. But kind to mortals - to demigods. He'd even helped Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson escape Tartarus. It was still a risk - maybe a trick? Could a giant pretend to be a different one? But names had power... And the longer they stayed there, the more pressing it became to make a choice.
So slowly, gingerly, carefully, Leda crept out of her hiding spot, clasping the bone sword. "My name is Leda Storm, daughter of Iris. And this... This is Madalyne Crane, daughter of Trivia, and praetor of the Roman Legion," Leda rotated her sword, so the hilt was aimed towards the giant, rather than the sword. "You helped our fellow demigods before. Will you help us reach the Doors of Death?"
☀️ Nancy Parker ☀️
Location: Camp Half-blood Skills: N/A
Nancy's emotions were stilled for the moment, the calm in the eye of the storm. She was so tensed, so stressed, so anxious, so fearful, and so angry that she was just numb, a numbing that brought focus and clarity however, rather than inattention. Once the majority had filed out of the tent and left, Nancy escorted Leandra out, alongside Niah, Zeke, and regrettably, the cyclops. But their procession had hardly begun before it was halted, as Zeke just... walked off to talk with Demi. Her eyes widened before narrowing, the calm temporarily rippling with fury. She had half a mind to scream at him, to ask him what the hell was he thinking? This wasn't some stroll to the border of camp - this was Leandra. Leandra. She doubtlessly had some sort of scheme, some sort of plan - everything she had done was an act meant to deceive them and if they didn't watch her like a hawk, if they went to chitchat with Greek boys... Leandra could escape. And burn Camp Half-blood to the ground, just as she had burned New Rome.
So at the same time that Niah said this does not involve you at Demetri's offer of aid, Nancy quickly snapped out a "Absolutely not." This wasn't a game. And now, now this blasted god of parties thought he was part of the escort? A vein in Nancy's forehead throbbed.
"Ezekiel, your company clearly calls to you. The rest of us will escort Leandra off the grounds," she ordered, scowling, before ushering Leandra along, moving in the direction of the camp's border.
Leda's eyes widened, and she stiffened as the giant called out to them, claiming that they would be unharmed. She didn't trust it. Some monsters could be good - Mads was a werewolf and she had a good friend who was a cyclops. But a giant? Never. She shook her head furiously at Mads, praying to every god that would listen that Mads wouldn't make a sound, that she wouldn't move a muscle. Leda was already dead - she didn't know what would happen to her if she died here. That could be it. Mads, Mads would just reform elsewhere in Tartarus, just another monster going through the gods' recycling bin. But Leda, she'd just be dead. Dead dead.
It wasn't worth the risk.
The odds were too high that it was a trick, that the giant was just hoping to lure out some easy prey.
But if they timed it right... Leda bit her lip slightly, squeezing the sword's grip tighter. Could she grab Mads and dash out without being seen? With even her speed, a giant was still a fucking giant. And if they fought one, they'd need divine aid in order to triumph.
Does Leda think she'd be able to outrun the giant, if it came to it?
☀️ Nancy Parker ☀️
Location: Camp Half-blood Skills: N/A
Nancy frowned slightly as the cyclops volunteered to help - she had only wanted two to join, but she had asked for volunteers, and volunteers she received. Zeke offered to join the escort as well, a third - she hadn't wanted four guards for Leandra, purely as Nancy's trust in the capability of others was rather limited these days. She could almost understand the nature of the Greeks and their solo heroes, their small trios - so different from the massive armies of Rome, but at least then, you could be sure that each of your companions were someone you could depend on. She could depend on Niah. She could depend on Zeke.
The monster?
Well, he was strong - and Leandra would have no means to befuddle him without her tongue.
So she nodded. "Thank you. Volunteers, with me. The rest of you... you are dismissed." She clenched her jaw, before turning to face Leandra once more. "Time to go." Bitch.
8:00 AM - Mon. November 29th, 2038 - Margaret Carter Institute
After the entire mess with Arcade, our intrepid heroes had a much deserved break - a break that went better for some than for others. But no matter the reason, the students of the Margaret Carter Institute returned to Los Angeles before the first bell on the Monday after Thanksgiving break. While most students went off to attend their various classes, such as advanced physics or spaceship piloting lessons or beginner Kree, the qualifying teams for the Contest of Champions were asked to report to Headmaster Coulson's office instead (minus the Young Avengers).
... For somewhat obvious reasons, of course. Of the four teams, one of them no longer had a coach, and was also down a member with Arcade's arrest. Three of the teams were potentially traumatized as well, with only the Young Avengers unaffected by the entire mess for the most part. It wasn't even guaranteed that everyone on the three affected teams would still want to participate in the Contest, after what had happened with the Framework.
One by one, students would file into Coulson's office. There wasn't really enough room for everyone to sit down - Coulson was at his desk chair, Ser Nemo and Lady Nimue at his side, and there were three chairs pulled out in front of the desk for students to use. Gideon Muir immediately flopped into one - she was wearing sunglasses, despite being indoors. ("I have a light sensitivity, assholes," she had grouched the last time someone asked her about it.)
@Forsythe: Vicky would receive a text from Cassie that morning, asking if she would be free to talk after classes that day.
These tricks/treats go into effect when your character returns from Thanksgiving break
Leah - Treat - While everyone else had a parent or guardian that could be contacted, there was no one there to speak for Leah - something that the school, shockingly enough, hadn't even realized. In order to both tie up the legal loose end and ensure the safety of a young child, She-Hulk stepped up and filed the documentation necessary, with Leah's okay, to become her legal guardian. Leah has now been given access to She-Hulk's Los Angeles apartment, where a room has been set up for her, as well as a card giving her access to the West Coast Avengers' mansion. Jen has also gotten a trust fund set up for Leah, where she will now be making regular deposits - being an Avenger doesn't pay well, but being a lawyer as well certainly doesn't hurt.
Mary Sue - Trick - Mary Sue headed back to Cardiff over break, most likely hoping for something relaxing and uneventful. Instead, her grandfather sent his heralds to retrieve her father. The resulting fight was intense and bloody, Oliver ended up in the hospital in critical condition, and a scar across Mary Sue's left eye that rendered her partially blind. Her mother lost an arm, which will soon be replaced with a prosthetic. At least they won the battle. But Thanos is still out there, lurking.
Andy - Trick - Over Thanksgiving break, Andy will have had a hard time sleeping, bouts of insomnia that no medicine or magic seems to be able to dispel. The day before she is due to return to the Margaret Carter Institute, she'll finally get some much needed rest. However, when she wakes up, she finds herself in an abandoned building, a desiccated corpse at her feet, and wounds on her arms - as if someone had tried to fight her off.
Mads - Treat - Over the break, Mads went through a bit of a growth spurt! Her more demonic features came in and settled. She now has fanged teeth, a forked tongue, horns, a tail, and wings like those of a bat. With these wings, she now has the innate ability of flight. Her teeth are able to destroy most materials, save things like vibranium. Her tail is prehensile, so can be used to grab other objects and manipulate them. And her more monstrous form will give her advantage on intimidation checks.
Sabine - Treat - During the break, Sabine was plagued with strange, almost lucid dreams. In these dreams, she watched her mother as a young woman, striding confidently down the halls of a castle on the moon, a sword strapped to her side. She stood a few paces behind a tall man, with dark hair and a dramatic cloak, a crown on his head that indicated his station. Her mother seemed to be his bodyguard, following him wherever he went - from the scene of courtroom dramas to ghastly murders. No matter what Sabine did, no one noticed her in the dream.
Until the last night, right before students were due to return to the Academy, when her mother would look directly at Sabine, and say: "You are not your father's child, Sabine. You're his."
Zari - Trick - Zari and Andy have a great break, catching up with her parents in the alternate universe of Earth-667. Aside from Andy's issues, no trouble rears its head - until they get back to Earth-666, and Zari sees her time traveling device short out, reading a bunch of error messages that more or less amount to one thing... Earth-666, the universe our RP takes place in, is now cordoned off from the rest of the multiverse. No one can leave. No one can enter.
Zelda - Trick - Even before the business with Arcade, Zelda has often felt herself to be invisible, blending in with the surroundings and never truly being noticed. Perhaps that is more true now than ever before, as over the break, she fell ill with a horrible fever. The fever nearly required hospitalization, and when it broke, her body seemed to be fading out of existence. Within a matter of hours, she had become completely invisible - and so far, she hasn't figured out a way to control this power and reappear.
Dorian - Treat - For a living boy, Dorian shares a great deal in common with the dead - a fact that may endear him more to his Uncle Casper, or even his formerly dead father, Ben. Over the break, Dorian will discover another thing he has in common with ghosts - the ability to manipulate electromagnetism. He gains the ability to perform applications at the basic level per powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Electrom…
Danni - During the break, Danni ended up wearing himself out one day, so incredibly tired as he went to sleep. So tired, in fact, that the scent of smoke didn't wake him. In the midst of a nightmare, his powers activated... and burned his house to the ground. No one was injured, thankfully, the adults had been out seeing a show - and while Max would be able to fix the house pretty quickly with magic, the memories don't fade, and the smell lingers.
After a relatively uneventful and peaceful break, filled with the usual family traditions and plenty of time for reading, Percy had returned to an empty dorm room. Teddy had finally withdrawn formally from the Margaret Carter Institute. He had been emailed a notice that a new roommate would be placed with him at the beginning of the spring semester - but for now, the room was his and his alone. It was nice and quiet, and once he had finished thoroughly disinfecting Teddy's side of the room, Percy had allowed himself to reorganize and redecorate some.
He hoped that Dorian would appreciate it.
Despite his texting habits - or lack thereof - Percy had missed his boyfriend over the break. He had done his best to respond to Dorian at least once a day. For the most part, he had been able to meet this goal, replying to messages within 24 hours, sometimes within 12. And while he had been told that he texted like an old man, Percy did his best to try to keep his texts interesting - even sending Dorian photographs of highlighted passages in the books he read.
None of that replaced the real thing, however. Percy's moms had dropped him and Diana back off at campus late the previous evening - the West Coast Avengers' quarters was just around the quarter - so he hadn't been able to see his boyfriend properly yet. A fact that needed to be remedied, much more urgently than whatever Headmaster Coulson had to say about the events with Arcade. As far as Percy was concerned, the likelihood they would be punished was rather low. If anything, breaking into the Framework for extra training ought to be the sort of initiative valued in a hero.
So as soon as it was a reasonable hour, Percy knocked thrice on Danni and Dorian's door, and he waited. Coulson be damned.
April Flynn
Location: Avengers' Academy - Outside the Headmaster's Office Skills: N/A Fit: ~School Uniform, Skirt + Sweater Variant~
It had been strange, going back to Washington D.C. after everything that had happened. April's room back home felt so incredibly empty, without her besties or her girlfriends. Somehow, it had felt even more uncomfortable than the tense quinjet ride back with her parents, when her mother insisted on examining her and Zelda's vitals at least a dozen times. And no matter how much April threw herself into little projects - she made about a dozen pairs of crocheted gloves - she hadn't been able to really relax, to sleep. She'd suffered from extreme insomnia, practically glued to her phone as she texted everyone in her life back too quickly, too rapidly - as she consumed hours upon hours of content - as she spent more time in the family pool than anywhere else, shaping the bitter winter water over and over again.
But even now, back in Los Angeles, back in a place that felt more like home than anything else - April still felt strange. The clothes on her body seemed to almost itch - no, not the clothes, it was her skin. It was like her skin didn't fit quite right. And as she breathed, the air tasted off - so subtle as to almost be imagined, but real enough that she was sure. And as people spoke to her, their voices had distance to them, a soft echo almost like static.
Had Arcade done something to her in the Framework? Or was she losing her mind?
She waited for Mads to be ready before heading over with her to Coulson's office, sending out a flurry of texts as she went -
What do you think Coul wants? It has to be about Arcade, right? ☠️ He can't kick us out of school for it? Like yes ik we used the Framework after hours but... Shit maybe he is going to kick us out 😭😭😭
Gods I am soooo nervous for what Coulson wants from us... If he kicks us out of school, I'm going to go see if Disney will hire me to be Ariel or smth 😭😭😭
Is anyone else losing their mind over what Coulson wants from us??? No? Just me???
You have to come, just FYI. Or you'll be mega expelled.
"Oh, I haaaate this..." April whined, as she and Mads approached the last hallway to take them to Coulson's office. "If I get kicked out of school, my parents are going to kill me - find a way to raise me from the dead - and then kill me again. And then I'll never be able to win the Contest of Champions, become president of the school, and be scouted by the Avengers and have Namor beg me to join to help him save the fucking ocean."
Location: New Orleans Botanical Gardens Skills: N/A
Chrysi's comment stun, even though Guin knew it wasn't true. She had been trying to help Mary - but there was only so much help you could give to someone who wouldn't accept it. Mary had pushed them all away, had refused to take steps to make her situation better, instead relying on isolation and a fraying sense of control. But Guin couldn't help but feel guilty - couldn't help but feel Chrysi's words as an indictment. She was going to have to kill her best friend.
She was going to have to kill her best friend because she had failed to save her.
Words weren't going to work here. Chrysi blasted at them with fire, and Guin blinked, feeling the air whoosh past her as Pietro grabbed her, pulling her out of the way. Ed managed to shield some of the others, but not everyone - some of their group had burns covering their bodies. He then placed Chrysi inside of a bubble, and Guin bit her lip, before extending her hand out - out to Rogue. "We need another telepath," she said. "Try not to absorb my mind, will you?"
Guin is going to attempt to telepathically stun Chrysi, and get Mary back in control. She would ideally do this in junction with Rogue and Annie.
Avery Spellman
Location: Chandrilar Skills: N/A
Runa frowned slightly at the lack of response. She did not know her uncle's whereabouts, but she refused to believe that he could be incapacitated by any means. He was far too stubborn to be defeated so thoroughly. This lead her to the conclusion that Loki had heard her message, and elected to ignore her. So she shut her eyes once more, and whispered the spell again, casting a second and final message out to her uncle: I would hope you have not elected to ignore me, Uncle. I would owe you a boon, in exchange for your aid. But perhaps you lack the skill in magic that I seek. If a bribe didn't work, perhaps offense to his ego would.
Ben raised an eyebrow, hearing the description of the device. It was fireproof, but seemed about as delicate as a porcelain doll to him. From an imperial space regime, he expected better. But that was perhaps his own father's arrogance rearing its head in him, and he clenched his teeth. He didn't want to be like him. He didn't want to look down at everyone else in the world as inferior.
Avery followed with the others into the chamber, their eyes widening as they took in all of the machines and designs - before their gaze settled on the one they had come all of this way for. It was some sort of a laser, taller than they were, and they couldn't help but be reminded of something Doofenshmirtz would build, only for Perry the Platypus to come and destroy. They half expected Xandra to reveal the device was called the Phoenix-inator.
"Maybe you could do more with the portals than just extending the range," Avery said softly, looking to Max. "If you set up a series of portals, you can effectively split and multiply the beam - and make a web, or a net." It'd be easier to handle the Phoenix that way - an area of effect, then, rather than just one single shot.
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