Art by ExtremeJuvenile on devianart.
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Everyone is excited. Finally, FINALLY! They got a day off to go and have fun. And they all decided to go for a classic and fun thing to do in the summer.
Beach Day.
' Gosh, how long has it been since we hit the waves?' Wanda exclaimed. She was packing some food to bring along for lunch break there.
' I know, right? The sea breeze caressing our skin and the picturesque view.' Nat replied, helping Wanda to pack some beverages to bring along. The girls chatted with each other as they pack the supplies since the boys had gone to the store last night to buy them.
' BEACH DAY, BABY!!!' Zane shouted as he jumps into the living room, carrying a backpack of his stuff. The girls just laugh at his antics. Knowing him for years, that is quite normal.
' Anything you want help with? My adrenaline is kicking, so might as well use it.' He offered.
' Sure, get the stuff that's already packed into the car. We're just left with small stuff to pack.' Nang replied. There were two bags filled with tools and two filled with food and beverages. Zane carried two bags in his hands and the other two was floating around him. Those bags were heavy, not gonna lie, but he lifts it like he was carrying feathers in his hands. Must be the perk of being half-Asgardian.
' So, are we going to wear our swimsuits here or when we're at the beach?' you asked the girls.
' Are you crazy? We will wear it there, of course! That is, if you want to make boys' jaws drop to the ground.' Nat said with a smirk.
' I see what you're up to.' You replied. The girls grinned at each other.
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' Are you girls really wearing that to the beach? Won't it make you feel hot?' Sam asked. The puzzled look on his face cannot be concealed at all. No wonder he was never sent to an undercover mission.
' Yeah, wearing sports attire at the beach makes you guys look stupid. OW!! What was that for, Old man?!!' Tony said until he was smacked at the back of his head by Steve.
' Just leave them be, Stark. It's their choice.' Steve responded. The girls just smirked while the others had a confused look on their face.
' Do you think there'll be sharks? I love sharks!!' Zane suddenly said from the front seat. Everyone just look at him, some were amused while others just thought of it as a passing thought in his head.
' Uh... I don't think that you would want to encounter one, Zane. They're quite the ferocious kind.' Sam replied.
' And sharks don't usually come near the shores. It might kill them.' Bruce added.
' Oh... Never mind, then.' His voice turned gloomy. Happy, who's in the driver sit, pats his back, trying to cheer him up.
' Zane, have you been to the beach before?' tony asked.
' No. I didn't have the time. I used to read books about it though. The pictures look pretty too.' Zane replied as he looked outside. The scenery entranced Zane since he had always love seeing people having fun.
Everyone stared daggers at Tony. He was oblivious as to why they reacted like that. Luckily, Zane was too distracted to mind it.
' Why do you ask?' he inquired.
' Just curious. Do you know how to play beach volleyball?' Tony continued.
' Nope.'
' Good. We're going to make new rules since we're all " The Earth's Mightiest Heroes" . We don't want any dead bodies lying around on the beach.'
Throughout the journey, they discussed about the new rules that they set up to avoid injuries. For example; No powers allowed, no choosing teammates – they found disposable chopsticks and labelled it with either '1' or '2' and put it in a cup. Everybody pick one and that is the team they are assigned to.
Some feels like it was unfair, while others didn't mind it. After a few more kilometres on the road, they arrived at Stark's private beach. Zane was so impatient that he got out of the vehicle and immediately jump into the waters. Steve and Bucky get the stuff out of the car trunks. The girls are nowhere to be seen and the other guys set up the tools they brought; grills, beach umbrella, etc.
Zane and Peter had a swimming race to the buoy nearby and Peter head back after that. Tony was scrolling through his phone while the others chat. After a few minutes, the girls finally show themselves. They wear bikinis with matching patterns but different style. The fabric had flowers all over it and the colours complimented their smooth skins. You had your long hair up in a ponytail with a love-shaped sunglass. Nat had the classic sunglasses, making her charisma stood out. Wanda and Nang wear white round hats with blue ribbons. Pepper had her hair down with a white flower decorating it.
The guys that were once chatting with each other, stared at their teammates. They were stunned as the girls looked like models, maybe promoting a brand out here if those guys didn't know better. Even the ' Great ' Tony Stark put his phone down, admiring them. Thor and Loki just grin, knowing full well that they were having fun. Peter on the other hand was blushing madly like the innocent boy he is.
' No wonder you guys wore those shabby sports attire. You should get rid of it. I'll buy you guys a new one.' Tony said as he walks to Pepper. ' Hello, beautiful.'
Tony grabbed Pepper by her waist and gave her a peck on the lips. Pepper wrapped her hands around his neck and give him a kiss on the cheek.
' Hello, charming.'
' Oh, go get a room! The beach house is just around the corner!' you said before going to the guys and sit on one of the mats there. Everybody just laugh, making Pepper slightly blush while Tony just grinned at her. Nang sit next to you while Wanda head towards Vision.
' A beautiful weather today, isn't it?' Nang said. Her long flowy hair cascaded on her shoulder. Her hazel, sparkling eyes are locked on the puffy white clouds blanketed by the calming blue sky .
' Yeah. It's quite comforting to be here actually.' You said as you laid your eyes on Thor splashing sea water to other people. Nat swiftly avoid his 'attack' and easily shoot him back with a water gun we had brought along.
' Alright! Since everyone is ready for some battles, shall we go ahead and separate to our groups?' Tony shouted so we all hear it.
Everyone formed two circles based on their groups. But, something was off...
' Uh... Guys, where's Zane?' Bucky asked, alerting the whole team. They all looked at each other, trying to remember when they last saw him.
' Wait... He didn't come out from the waters yet?' Peter inquired, feeling alarmed.
' He should be fine considering he can control the water element, right?' Tony said. Everyone tried to justify the fact as they turn to the waters. There're only waves crashing the white sand, no movement were seen within the vicinity. Anxiety strike every members of the team, thinking they might lose one of the kids they have. For a few seconds, they just look at the sets of waves at the sea, slowly making its way to the shore.
Suddenly, a figure came flashing out of the water with a satisfied and joyous look on his face.
' Hey, guys!!! I was looking at the corals. It was stunning!!! You should try it too!!' he said as he walks towards the shore. Everyone let out a relieved sigh. Zane just paint a perplexed look on his face, wondering why they looked like that.
' Why are yo-'
Thud!!!
His words were cut off as he fell... but it's not because he tripped or something, no. Instead, a shark, a Great White Shark, literally jumped onto him from behind. Everyone was frozen as they look at the big shark on his back. The kid was not moving. Tony, yes, Tony freaking fainted because of the shock.
' ZANE!!!!'
Some of them screamed in terror, yet nobody moves because their feet don't allow them to. Despite all the commotion of the people who were trying to help him, Thor laugh like a maniac, while Loki grinned like a madman and the others shot them the ' I'm gonna kill you after this' look. You and Nang were just chilling around, knowing full well of what is happening.
' Ugh... this guy is heavy...' the boy said as water moved and lifted the shark from his back. He stretches his body as he got up with an idiotic smile plastered on his face. Those who didn't understand what was happening had a bewildered look on their faces, you took pictures of all of them, including fainted Tony. Their reactions were priceless that you can make some amazing memes with it.
' That was a good one Buddy, but you know it'll hurt you, right? Don't do it again, okay?' Zane rambled towards his shark 'friend', patting the predator of the sea. He turned towards the rest of the Avengers with a smug grin on his face.
' Meet Buddy, my new friend! He's a shark!!!' he exclaimed.
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' So, you're telling me, that our kid here, is able to communicate with animals?' Sam asked, seeking for confirmation. Zane was already playing with his 'friend', riding it across sea like it was some kind of jet ski. Wanda looked worried while Nat casually join Zane and got her own shark friend. Steve was trying to process what just happened. Pepper was taking care of the 'Sleeping Beauty' because he doesn't seem to be waking up soon. Pietro ran across the water, trying have a race with the sharks. Well, it seems that he won't survive a shark attack; he keeps on tripping over the waves, causing him to make a big splash as he fell into the water. The others just looked at the two gods and the two girls who knew of Zane's non-combatant ability, one that he loves so much.
' And you never told us?' Clint asked.
' In my defense, you guys never asked any of us. Plus, you could practically see him at the garden every day, talking with birds and butterflies. You guys just never noticed.' You sassed. Not that you were wrong though so they didn't say anything back. Some just sighed while others just looked at the boy. Scott wanted to play with the sharks too but he was scared of them, so he stayed at the shallow part of the water, yelling some dumb stuff at Nat and Zane, making them laugh together.
' Anything else that we don't know about him?' Bruce asked, wanting to know more about the peculiar kid. He never wanted to ignore his presence, he was just afraid of turning into the other guy and accidentally hurt him. He did that with the other people too. Tony was one of the people he frequently sees because he have to work with him. If it weren't for your persistent persuasion, he would never take a step to the beach.
' Ooh! He's good at making elephant sound! I tried to do it, but it was hard. He does it nonchalantly too.' Thor replied with excitement in his voice.
' He loves sweets and ice cream.' Loki joined in, thinking about the times we all went to grab some ice cream for a few times. You chuckled as you remembered how Zane's eyes always light up at the sight of them.
' He will help people with just anything, even if he have to use his power in the public. That's why we never leave him alone.' Nang chimed in. You suddenly remembered the times when you were at the lowest and you sat alone at the roof. He would always find you and take you to fly in the sky to cheer you up. Really, he's so kind that you wanted to protect him because now, you saw him as your younger brother. Everyone in your close friend had agreed that he's the younger sibling that they need to protect at all cost.
' That's all we can give you. Try discovering the other things yourself.' You said after reminiscing the times you and your friends had been together. All of it were sweet moments together, some might be bitter, but it all ended up being one of the best moments that made you want to stay alive, making you feel that existing was not that bad.
They all looked slightly remorseful and that was a good change. Out of all the people that heard your advice, you knew that Bruce ignored Zane on purpose, hell, you're one of the people he ignored before the beach day. It was of pure luck that you managed to convince him to come here, despite him being a nervous bean all of the time. So, you decided that you want give him an encouragement, seeing Zane was into weird stuff, just like him.
' Oh, and Bruce?'
' Yeah?'
' Try inviting him to your lab sometimes. You'll find out why later.' You winked at him. He just smiled back at you, a genuine one.
Suddenly, Tony jolted up from his slumber, surprising the others, mostly Pepper since she's the nearest to him.
' I dReAmEd ZaNe WaS cRuShEd By A sHaRk!!! W-What just happened?!!' he shouted.
' Uh. First of all, it's not a dream. And second of all, the shark is his friend. He's playing with them right now.' Sam said as Tony looked at Zane, Nat and Pietro just chilling with the sharks in the distance. Tony faints again.
' Really? He's the favourite one?' you said as Rhodes just facepalm himself.
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It took them a while before they managed to get Tony back on his feet so they can get to the next agenda;
Beach Volleyball Match.
They all agreed that whoever lose the match on shore will cook the lunch while the team who loses the water match will treat the others dinner. Each match have three rounds and for the shore match, they have to change the person each round. Water match is up to the team. Everyone is eager to beat the other party so they planned who will play each round, arranging who is a good match against the other. When they're done, each team lined up, facing the other group.
Team 1:
Tony, Peter, Clint, Sam, Scott and You.
Team 2:
Steve, Nat, Bruce, Wanda, Bucky, Rhodes, Nang and Zane.
Team forfeit:
Pepper and Vision.
Team "learning" :
Thor and Loki.
The first round, it's a face-off between two captains, Steve and Tony. You and Peter is Tony's sidekicks in this face off, while Steve have Zane and Nat.
' Might as well surrender, Cap. I don't want to embarrass you in front of your juniors.' Tony taunted.
' Are you sure you're not the one who's gonna be embarrassed by the end of the match?' Steve said calmly, which kinda made Tony irritated.
' Well, if you insist, I have to go all out then.'
' Does that mean that you've never give your best before? No wonder you're so weak when we spar.' Nat taunted back, knowing full well that Tony have been trying slam her to the floor at least once when they spar.
' You know what, I've run out of patient. Underoos!'
And let me tell you honey, the feeling of déjà vu that hit Steve was so strong that he instantly got into his stance. Peter suddenly serve the ball without warning, but it was caught by Steve. Tony tried make the ball to a free corner, but Nat swiftly handle the ball, causing the ball to barely pass the net. You tried to save it, making the ball go very high on Team Cap's side. In a blink of an eye, Zane climb Steve's leg and jump so high before smacking the ball to an empty space on the other side. The ball was so fast, nobody could react. Zane landed just like how Nat did every time she jumps from a high place.
Everyone was stunned for a while and Nat was the first to recover. She gave Zane a high five.
' That was awesome, Zane!' she complimented.
' Thanks! Sorry for stepping on you though, Steve.'
' No problem.' He said with an amused smile.
' I thought you haven't played this before? How the heck?!!' Tony said in disbelief.
' But I told you the truth though?'
The round went on and your team lose the first round. It was a good game though; the hype didn't die down even when the second round is starting. The next round, eh~ it wasn't much but your team won. So, the third round was the determining factor of who win the match. You were picked to play the last round with Pietro and Peter. You fight against Nang, Bruce and Wanda.
You serve the ball and Nang send it back. Peter tried to smash the ball but it was a directed to Wanda. The ball went back and you jump and make the final attack, earning a point for your group. The round went on as you ace every attack you did. But the match point, was the flashiest way you ended round. When the ball arrives at you, you made a backflip, hitting the ball with your feet and landed graciously on the soft sand. Somehow, that trick was accepted and they let your team earn the point. With that, your team won the shore match.
They had a small break after the match. Loki and Thor wanted to play the beach volleyball so they dragged Nang and Zane over to play with them. You watched them on the side-lines.
' You guys ready?' Nang said.
' How can a simple ball would be difficult to hit? Pfft, never!' Thor exclaimed with confidence. The gods smiled smugly, thinking that they couldn't be defeated by mortals.
Just within 10 minutes, you were laughing your ass off, watching the slapstick situation that happened in front of you.
' That's not fair! I hit it already!' Loki complained.
' Yeah, but it was out of the line. It needs to be here.' Nang said as she pointed to the base line.
' Impossible!! Y/n! it was in, right?!' Thor said in desperation. You just keep on laughing before you managed to let out any words.
' It... It was like 10cm out of the line, how can that be an 'in', sir?' You wheezed as you finished your sentence. They let out unsatisfied groans. They continued for another serve and within two minutes, the score is 1 to 5. Of course, Nang and Zane effortlessly gain 5 points without really giving their all. They can't help but have an exasperated look on their faces.
' You're cheating! Replay!' Loki demanded.
' Nope, you're just not a good player.' You quickly replied.
' Cheater!' Thor insisted, ignoring what you just said.
' How do you even cheat on sports?' Zane questioned.
' It's not that deep, we're not at the Olympics games. Zane, you handle this.' Nang huff out, tired of handling those handful gods. He shrugged, seeing that he can handle their ginormous egos. She walked towards you.
' Since you're alone, we'll let you have the first ball.' Thor said, as if Zane was at his mercy when he had been going easy with the thunder man and a celery (he wears green all the time).
' Wanna go get some ice cream?' Nang hold out her hand, inviting you to cool yourselves down. You smiled at her as you grabbed her hand. She turned towards the lads who were still hitting the ball like crazy.
' Bye, boys~~! We're going to get ice cream!' she said just as Loki make a strike. Zane stunned at the word ice cream, like he always does. His eyes widened as he turned around, looking at Nang.
' What?!! You leave me here so you can get ice cream?!!' he said in disbelief.
' Yeah, you're in the middle of the game.' You replied.
' So, play safe, okay~?' Nang said, giving them all a peace sign. We started to walk away.
' AT LEAST GET ME A POPSICLE, NANG!!! I CAN EAT WHILE I PLAY!!!' he shouted as our distance from them are getting farther.
' FINE!' she replied.
' Anyways, how are you feeling?'
You went silent for a while. You didn't expect her to ask you that since you have been smiling and laughing your ass off just now.
' I guess I can never hide it from you, huh?' was all you could muster out of your mouth.
' Yup. It's a proof that we have been good friends for a long time, Y/n. So, do you feel like talking?' she continued.
You contemplated for a while, finding words to say to one of your dearest friends. Despite all the words that are basically scrambling through your mind, the only phrase that came out was ' I don't know '. She just waited for you to sort all the mess in your head. Once it was all figured out, you finally said it all out; How you barely holding on since finally got out of the hell hole that you called 'home' for years, how you feel like that what the devils, who you called 'parents', said to you might be real, how you feel like sometimes nobody just ever care about you, and how you feel bad pushing other people away when they finally cared. And how sometimes, you just didn't care about anything.
You were actually quite relieved that during the times these voices wanted to strike fear and hopelessness into you, one of your friends would always be there for you, helping you to see the good part of life. Nang put her hand on your back, showing that you have her support at all times. You didn't cry when you're finished, rather, your tear glands seemed to oppose you from letting out any tears. Nevertheless, seeing Nang by your side makes you feel better. You smiled and hug her.
' Thanks, Nang. I'm glad that you're my best friend.'
' No problem, sweetheart. Now let's get the ice cream for real. I need to fetch Zane a popsicle too.' She said as she pulled out from your soothing hug.
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You stayed back as you eat your favourite ice cream flavour. Steve was grilling the chickens on one of the barbeque grills at the beach house. Rhodes was barbequing the sausages and some meat patties. Nat and Bruce were making fruit smoothies while Wanda and Bucky cut up some fruits; they used a big bowl and filled it with some ice, then put in a smaller bowl that are filled with fruits. This way, it'll make the fruit stay cool and fresh for a longer period.
Suddenly, Zane came zooming by with Nang on his back, he picks up another popsicle and pops it into his mouth. Just as fast as he came, he then heads towards the sea, running on the water. Not long after, Loki came dashing by, eyes are scattering everywhere, looking for something. When he saw some footprints heading to the sea, he smirked when he saw Zane standing quite far away on the sea, Nang was still protected on his back. In a flash, he was gone.
Everyone gave each other a weird look before Thor came near us, heaving badly. He wheezed as he catches his breath.
' I guess old age are still catching up to you no matter whether you're a human or a god.' You thought.
' Thor, what happened?' Steve asked with a serious expression. Fortunately, he has finished cooking all the chickens.
' Well, uh, my brother got offended because Nang kept on calling him a boy. And Zane accidentally make him lose it when he said that we were supposed to be called grandpa instead. So, yeah... did you see where they went?' Thor explained, trying to keep it short. He was in a rush to stop a bloodbath.
' Thor, look at the sea.' You replied in brief. Loki is already near Zane when a shark pulled him into the water. Only his head was out of the water, and there was no blood in the water. Nang tried to talk to him, knowing Zane was not the best at calming angry people down.
' I guess he let his guard down that Buddy was able to capture him.' You commented. Seeing that nobody was hurt, the tense in Thor's body vanishes. He slumped onto one of the chairs. You guys started to have lunch and five minutes later, your friends came back from the sea. Loki still looked kinda bitter while Nang and Zane were trying to get back on his good side. Despite that, you just chuckle, thinking that it is one of the moments that you don't want to forget. The atmosphere felt homey as they laugh together at each other's jokes; some were really funny, while others are just embarrassing stuff they discover about each other, making the subject of the story have red faces throughout the session.
They continued with the water match and this time, Steve's group is winning. Just by having him play, the other group was overwhelmed by the half-Asgardian teenager. You didn't join the water match along with Nang and Bucky. Nang was cheering for her team, helping to keep the points of each team updated. Well, Bucky was entranced by the crab that he found. Zane had helped him be friends with it earlier. You walk towards him.
' What's his name?' you strike up a conversation with him. You sit next to him.
' Her name is Stardust.' He replied smiling at the blue crab in his hands. It had some small star pattern on its back.
' It's a beautiful name. It suits her' You look at your friends, no, family. They were having fun with huge smiles on their faces. Tony suddenly slipped into the water, earning laughs from the others. You just smiled at their carefree and happy self.
' I wish this moment never ends...' you muttered to yourself but it was still loud enough for Bucky to hear what you said.
' Yeah...' he replied.
You both were engulfed in the silence between the both of you, but it was a comfortable silence. You just enjoyed every moment that are left of this day, one of the happiest moments in your life.
The Beach Day...