A rumbling stomach jolted the young Bishop awake, getting a groan as payment. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to adjust to the morning light
Kate woke up to an empty bed, but she wouldn't get time to question it, for a powerful, and delicious smell would catch her attention
Her stomach rumbled once again, prompting her to leave bed slowly, so as to not hurt herself
Kate: Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time...
She yawned as she stumbled out of the room and into the living room, letting out a coy smile shortly after
Kate: Smells good, what are you...
But when she opened her eyes, Kate stopped in her tracks, finally acknowledging the scene she walked into
Kate:...cooking
On the dining table, there were four guests. Two Spider-Men, the OG and the one that hung out with the Champions, Spider-Woman, and Araña, all of them in uniform
She then glanced at the kitchen, finding you with a pink apron cooking with Ultron Johnson by your side. He also had an apron that said "Oil the cook"
Spider-Woman: I still don't know how to feel about an Ultron cooking breakfast for me
Spidey hummed as he gulped his meal
Spider-Man: I don't know, his pancakes make a very convincing argument
The other two hummed in agreement
Ultron Johnson: ɪ ᴀɪᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ
You brought a plate with more pancakes, and that's when you noticed your sleepy girlfriend in the hallway
Y/N: Well good morning to you
The rest turned to find Kate and waved at her
Miles: Hey, Kate
Spidey: Feeling any better?
Kate: Uhh...yeah, thanks
You set the plate down before you walked over to her and gave her a peck on the lips
Y/N: Thought I'd let you rest for a little bit longer
Kate, however, kept looking at the guests
Kate: Why didn't you tell me we had guests? I would've dressed up
Y/N: What you need is to take your meds. Now come on, I saved you something
You grabbed her hand and led her to the living room, promising you would explain everything afterward. She took a seat by Spider-Woman and you joined her shortly after
Ultron Johnson watched as you all feasted, and crossed his arms
Ultron Johnson: ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ʏᴇᴛ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴋɪʟʟ. ᴄᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ
. . .
Shortly after everyone ate, you proceeded to explain everything as promised, giving them a rundown of what Kate and you had discussed the night before
Kate herself only watched. She was in awe of the initiative you were showing. It was strange to see someone else take the reins
She couldn't say she disliked it though
Spidey: This is...concerning
Miles: Tell me about it
Araña: They're definitely up to something. When have you ever seen Shocker and Constrictor in the same place?
The others nodded in agreement
Y/N: And now you get why we need your help, there's nobody that knows the streets like you. If the villains are planning something, we can stop them before they wreck the streets
Spider-Woman rubbed her chin and turned to you
Spider-Woman: You called us right on time. We gotta learn more about what are they up to
Then, she pointed at Spidey
Spider-Woman: I think the best course of a--
Suddenly, Ultron Johnson reactivated, his red eyes glowed as he pointed at an empty spot in the room
Ultron Johnson: ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ-ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴏᴍᴀʟʏ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ
Before anyone could even react, a bright portal opened in the room
???: Spider-Man!
When the lights dimmed just enough, you were able to see who had entered the room. It was...a bunch of Spider-Men?
All of these had something unique about them. There was one who seemed to be from the 1930s, another one was a knight, another had a while UK theme going on, another was a cartoon, hell one of them was a LEGO figure
One of them stepped forward, his costume being predominantly blue, with a red skull-like spider in the center
???: We need your help, all of you
The four local spiders looked at each other
Miles: Uhh...
Spidey: We're kinda in the middle of something here
Then, the LEGO figure stepped up
???: The fate of the multiverse depends on us
The UK Spider spoke up
???: You've faced Morlun before
Spidey: Morlun?! Morlun is coming here?!
???: No, his older brother Daemos is, unless we go. Now
All eyes were on Spidey at that moment, you didn't even know what was going on, and by the looks of it, the other spiders didn't know either
Spidey: Morlun has an older brother? He has a family?!
???: We'll tell you on the way. We have to leave. NOW
Spidey, the main one, sighed and turned to you
Spidey: Well, this is awkward. I'm so sorry, man
You just raised your hands and waved it off
Y/N: No no, I get it. We'll handle things here
The hero nodded and turned to his allies
Spidey: Alright gang, let's go
With that, the others rushed into the portal, closing it shortly after, and now leaving you and Kate alone in the apartment
Kate: ...so...
Y/N: I have no idea what just happened either
Kate: Ah
She took a sip from her coffee mug
Kate: Welp, looks like that plan went out the window, or er, portal
Your android came from the kitchen, he still had soap on the rubber gloves he was wearing
Ultron Johnson: Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴ. ɪꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀ ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀʀ ᴏᴄᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴄᴇ?
You sighed and looked at him
Y/N: Oh yeah
Kate: Definitely
V.A.L: Superheroes are not acquainted with the concept of normalcy
The robot stood there and beeped
Ultron Johnson:...ɴᴏᴛᴇᴅ
Kate then stood up and walked back into the room
Kate: Guess the spider gang is off the table
Y/N: Yeah. You know, I'm all for saving the Multiverse or whatever, but the timing was just awful
Kate: tell me about it. The last time I tried to hang out with Tommy and Billy derailed so hard
You moved to the console and began looking for some files
Y/N: Skrull-Kree adventure?
Kate: Skrull-Kree adventure
You smiled as you found the list, now with the Spider-people crossed, and just as you did, Kate returned to the living room, now in proper clothes and ready to work
Kate/Y/N: Alright, here's what we're gonna do
You both stopped at the realization of what you just did, then an awkward smile came in
Kate: You go first
You nodded and turned back to the computer, typing something to prompt holograms to be displayed
Y/N: So, I had V.A.L form a list of possible team members while we went to sleep
The archer shyly looked to the side
Kate: Sorry about that...
Her attention shifted back to you when she felt your hand on her shoulder
Y/N: Never apologize for cuddles
She chuckled before she brought up a piece of paper, an ad
Kate: I place these around and usually get a lot of people
Just as she said that, her phone started ringing
Y/N: That was fast
Kate just gave you a smile and took out her phone, answering a message
Y/N: Alright, how about this? We both go at it our own ways, and cover as much ground as possible in the time we have
Kate: I like the sound of that
She turned to leave, but you pulled her back to you
Y/N: However, if something goes horribly wrong, please call me
Kate: I don't think--
Y/N: Kate
She turned to argue, but the look in your eyes was too much for her. She could tell how worried you still were. So she gave in with a sigh
Kate: Fine, I'll do it
A smile appeared on your face
Y/N: Atta girl
This time, you turned to leave, but she pulled you back, wrapping her arms around you
Kate: You too, call me if you need me, alright?
This got a chuckle out of you, but you nodded too
Y/N: Promise
Kate: Good
She got on her toes and pushed her lips to meet yours. You leaned in as you kissed back, holding her waist for a moment before she broke the kiss, and your foreheads touched
"Good hunting"
---
INTERVIEW #1
Back at her office, Kate held a pen over an open notebook
Kate: So...your power is...you're toast?
Before her, sat a young man in a sandwich costume
???: No Bread. Not toast. Bread
Kate: Oh. So what kind of powers does bread have?
???: Well...none. But you don't have any powers and you're a superhero
The girl shrugged
Kate: Okay. Fair enough. So what skills do you have, then> Skills useful in superhero work, specifically
???: Well...
His skeptical gaze faltered at the question, looking to the side to try and come up with an answer. Kate raised a brow
Kate: So...no superhero skills either?
???: Not technically
Suddenly, he perked up and pointed at himself
???: But I have a great catchphrase
The girl leaned back on her chair
Kate: Let me guess..." you're toast"
He hung his head at the comment. A part of the bread also began to fall
???: I said I'm bread, not toast
Kate: Oh, right. Sorry. So what is it?
???: Nevermind
Feeling slightly guilty over it, Kate softened her scowl
Kate: No, no, really
Then, she put on the fakest smile known to man and held the ends of her pen with both hands
Kate: I want to hear it
The bread man perked at this and smiled. He cleared his throat before he said:
???: "I'll butter your bread"
...
Kate...Okay. I'm going to need you to go now
---
RECRUIT #1
The door slid open to let you into the laboratory. The moment you did, you were surrounded by all kinds of machinery, lots of wires, and a chalkboard just full of equations and notes. And more importantly...
Nadia: Y/N! It's good to see you!
You were nearly tackled by the younger Wasp. She quickly wrapped her arms around you. Laughing, you ruffled her hair
Y/N: You too, Baby Wasp
She let you go and you whistled as you looked around
Y/N: I see you've kept yourself busy
She took your hand and guided you deeper into the lab with eagerness. Given your mutation, you were able to constantly improve upon things with ease, which made you one of Nadia's favorite people to come to when she wanted to make adjustments
Nadia: Just a couple visits to the Quantum Realm. I'm trying to keep two rival clans from wiping each other out. You know how it is
No, no you didn't
Y/N: I see
She stopped when she reached a small machine on a pedestal. Next to it was a magnifying glass. Her latest study, you assumed
Nadia: So, you said something about a team?
The girl asked before she grabbed a chair and sat next to the machine
Y/N: Yeah, Kate and I are putting together a provisional team
Nadia: What for?
Y/N: Well, we discovered som--
The device on Nadia's wrist beeped, and she immediately shrunk, so much so, that she disappeared from view
Y/N:...Baby Wasp?
Then, your phone rang. It was Nadia
Y/N: Hello?
Nadia: Sorry about that, Y/N. I was summoned to the Quantum Realm. There was an emergency
Y/N: No worries, I'll wait here
Nadia: About that, this...
An explosion was heard in the background
Nadia: Yeah this might take a while...
"Call you back?"
---
INTERVIEW #3
Kate stared at the man before her in horror and disgust. She slowly lifted her hand to point at him
Kate: Are those...are those spiders?
The man across the desk was completely covered with spiders, the only visible part was his blue eyes
???: Yeah. I'm the Spider-King. I--
Kate shrieked when one of the larger spiders crawled up her arm. She shut her eyes close and waved her hands around as she got rid of the invading spiders
Kate: Nope. No way. I'm sorry. You gotta go, Please. So fast
---
RECRUIT #4
You thanked the waiters as they placed dishes on your table, a myriad of plates with all kinds of meat. Certainly too much for one person
But you weren't here to eat alone
Amidst the crowd, you spotted a familiar figure, and with a smile, you waved at her
Y/N: I already ordered for us, hope you don't mind
???: Worlds to save, Y/N. You know how it is
Yes, yes you do
???: Besides, you already know what I like
Your friend took off her hood before taking a seat across the booth
The funky little interdimensional traveler lesbian, also known as America Chávez, also known as Miss America
Y/N: Hell yeah. Korean barbecue
You raised a fist for her to bump, which she did after rolling her eyes
America: So, what is it?
You handed her one of the dishes and began to talk
Y/N: Well, our Earth's Avengers are currently at the edge of the known universe
America: It happens
You nodded and took a bite out of your food
Y/N: Thing is, the bad guys already noticed their absence and they're preparing for something big
America: That sounds too smart for them
Y/N: It is! That's why I'm worried about it
She handed you one of the plates so you could serve yourself
America: And what do you need me for?
Y/N: Well, we're putting together a team to--
America: Stop it right there, chico
She raised a brow
America: "We?" is Bishop involved in this?
You and her locked eyes. You could tell the emotions brewing behind her unexpressive eyes
Y/N:...it was her idea
Without a second thought, she put the food down and got up
America: Alright, Im out
Y/N: Wait!
Instinctively, you got ahold of her wrist, something that made her shoot you a terrifying look. You let go of her as you gulped
Y/N: Seriously, what's with you two? You used to be best friends
America: That's none of your business
You could only sigh, knowing she would rather punch her anger away than talk about it, but before she could stomp her way out, you gestured at the food
Y/N: Won't you at least share this meal with me?
America: Only if you don't pester me while we talk
Y/N: I won't
America looked at you, then at the food, and went back to her seat
---
INTERVIEW #6
"So, Scorp"
The archer looked at the file of the confident man in front of her. His costume was that of a scorpion but without the pincers or the head, yet the costume didn't allow for neck movement, which meant he was always looking up
It was like talking to a mutated bean
Kate: Is that supposed to be short for "scorpion"?
The man moved his eyes to get a glimpse of her and snapped his finger
???: You know it, babe
Kate: Get out
---
RECRUIT(s) #8
You pulled over outside the compound. Just because Miles was gone it didn't mean his other gang was too
Aaaand that's when you saw a ship flying out of the compound
Instinctively, you pulled out your phone and called them
???: Hello. You have reached the Champions Emergency Hotline. We're sorry but we are unable to assist you at the moment, as the Champions are--IN SPACE-- To contact your local police department, please dial--
You hung up with a sigh
---
INTERVIEW #12
A giant mole man adjusted his seat while Kate reflected on the information he just told her. No, it wasn't one of those pesky Moloids from the first chapter
But rather, an actual mole with clothes and even glasses
Kate: I'll be honest, I like you but I'm not sure how you'd defeat supervillains with the knowledge of an average doctor
The being perked at the question and readjusted his glasses
???: Oh dear. This isn't the audition for the Mole Men of New York TV show?
The archer shook her head, giving him a sympathetic smile
Kate: Oh, dude, no. But you'll be great for that. Good luck!
Then, she grabbed a bowl of candy on her desk and offered it to him
Kate: Here, take some candy for your troubles
---
RECRUIT #21
"What? Really?"
You leaned against your car with your phone in one hand, and a business card in another. It read "Nelson and Murdock"
Karen: Yeah, it was a whole thing. It involved clones, ninjas, the nine yards
You groaned at the news
Y/N: I'm having a hard time believing a lawyer managed to throw himself in jail
Karen: It wasn't Matt Murdock who got arrested, it was Daredevil
Y/N: ...Ah
...
Y/N: How long is his sentence?
Katen: Foggy is working to reduce it, but the process is taking a while
You pinched the bridge of your nose
Y/N: Goddamnit, Matt
Karen: I know, right?
---
I̶N̶T̶E̶R̶V̶-̶-𝙂𝙒𝙀𝙉𝙋𝙊𝙊𝙇 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀!
Sigh
The door slammed open, startling Kate and prompting her to get ahold of her bow. A white and pink blur cartwheeled into the office, jumping and leaping until she landed perfectly on the archer's desk
She was considerate enough not to step on her notebook
Gwenpool: 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙤 𝙣𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚!
The menace greeted her with her arms outstretched
Kate slowly lowered her bow
Kate: No
Taken aback by this, Gwenpool cartwheeled back into her seat
Gwenpool: 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩? 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙--
Kate: And I say no! Now shoo!
She rushed over to Gwen and began to drag her away
Kate: I don't want you to burn down my office again!
Gwenpool: 𝘼𝙝 𝙘'𝙢𝙤𝙣! 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚!
---
RECRUIT #...I lost the count
"Wow, you got some shitty luck, kid"
Jessica Jones said as she was looking through your list, now half of the names were crossed. You sat across the desk, drinking from the glass she offered you
Y/N: Tell me about it
Jessica: Have you tried Doctor Strange?
Y/N: Yeah, the entire building is gone
She put the list away to give you a look
Jessica: Gone as in...
You pulled out your phone and showed her the picture you took
Y/N: Gone as in literally gone
She looked at it and hummed
Jessica: Huh. Way to tell the others to fuck off
She then returned the phone
Jessica: What about Moon Knight?
Y/N: I'm not going anywhere near that
Jessica:...fair enough
Y/N: I was actually wondering...
You scooted closer, getting her attention as you did
Y/N: Is Luke--
Jessica: No
You stopped to look at her
Jessica: We're going on a family vacation in two days
She then grabbed you by the shirt and brought you closer with one hand
Jessica: Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that man to take a break?
You stared at her with a blank expression
Y/N:...enjoy your vacation. Send me a postcard
Jessica's scowl turned into a smile, and with that mutual understanding, she let you go
Jessica: Good boy
---
INTERVIEW# 32
The door opened but by this point, Kate had her head sunk on the desk. A half-eaten burger and a soda could also be seen, as well as a bunch of crumbled paper balls
Kate: Listen, before you say anything, if you're looking for the "real Hawkeye", or an audition for a cosplay group, you've come to the wrong place, so please, don't even--
???: Kate?
She lifted her gaze and shot up at the sight of the familiar giant tail. It was Squirrel Girl
Kate: Omigod. Yes! YES! I'll take you. You're on the team!
Squirrel Girl stood there for a moment and then smiled nervously
Squirrel Girl: I...I just came for the free candy
She then pointed at the half-empty bowl on the desk
Squirrel Girl: Do you mind if I...?
Kate plummeted back into her chair with a groan, covering her eyes with her forearm and using her other arm to gesture to the bowl
Kate: Yeah, yeah. Take it
Squirrel Girl's eyes sparked and she took the entire bowl
Squirrel Girl: Thank you so much! Good luck with your team thing!
She ran towards the door and fled the scene just as quickly as she entered. The archer stared at the door with bloodshot eyes and silently began to sob
---
Kate and you met at your usual restaurant. You shared a booth while you munched on some fries
Kate: Freaking unbelievable
She muttered before taking a fry for herself
Y/N: I can't believe we went at it the whole day and just...nothing
A groan left your lips when you leaned back and looked at her
Y/N: Is it always this bad?
She shook her head
Kate: No! I mean it can be hard but this is just ridiculous!
Then she buried her face in the table
Kate: Usually we have a full team in just one day
Y/N: Huh...guess Jessica was right
Your girlfriend lifted her head just enough to look at you
Kate: What did she say?
You munched on a fry before you quoted the older hero
Y/N: "Wow, you got some shitty luck, kid"
Of course, this was met with a groan
It was hard to wrap your head around this. It was supposed to be an easy task! New York was filled with superheroes!
But now it felt so...empty
But just when things seemed over, hope sparked once again, through the most unusual of messengers
𝘿𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩!
A stranger walked by your booth. A young girl with blonde hair and dyed pink tips. A stranger with a fake mustache and a trenchcoat
She dropped something, a small piece of paper which you noticed. You picked it up, but when you looked over at her, she was gone
Kate: What's that?
You placed it over the table. seemed to be a flyer for an event
Y/N: "Underground fighting club. Powers allowed"
Kate: Well...it sounds promising
You turned back to her with a questioning look
Y/N: Really?
The girl shrugged
Kate: Hey, man, you saw how bad our luck was today. You're bound to at least find something interesting in there
Right after she said that her phone rang
Kate: Hello?? Oh! Hi, Andi!
Her eyes sparked with newfound energy. You were very familiar with that look
Kate: Yeah, sure! I'd love to try those wheat cakes!...uh-huh...See you then! Bye-bye!
With starstruck eyes, she turned to you
Kate: I know JUST who to ask now
She then grabbed the flyer and pushed it to your chest
Kate: Alright. Last shot. You go investigate that underground fighting club while I try to get Andi to join us
You picked the flyer and then glanced over to your revitalized girlfriend
Fuck it, you already tried everything else
---
Donning the outfit Kate promptly baptized as "the delinquent fit", you followed the instructions in the flyer until you reached a back alley with a guard
Judging by the crowd that was gathering outside, it was easy to say that this was the place. You still kept your sunglasses on just in case
All of you were made to pay a fee to enter, but that was about it. The inside was dirty, barely illuminated by a yellow light, and it had a boxing ring in the middle, as well as a couple of bleachers
Having registered as a guest gave you the benefit of being able to analyze each contestant without having to experience their powers first-hand
It was oddly refreshing to be able to just kick back and enjoy the show
Granted, you did place a couple bets here and there
...I mean, if you're gonna be here for a while, might as well have fun
---
"Hmmm. Hmmm! Thish ish sho good!"
A Kate in civilian clothes hummed in absolute delight. The wheat cakes before her didn't stand a chance. By her side was a small case, the one Kate always carried around, for emergencies
Her friend across the table couldn't help but chuckle
That friend, being Andrea Benton
Andi: I told you. May's recipe is something else
???: Amen to that!
One of the residents cheered from across the room, making the girls laugh
They hung out at F.E.A.S.T's cafeteria. Kate would come to this place every now and then, both as a volunteer, and to check up on her friend who was here both as a volunteer and a resident herself
Kate let out a relieved sigh after gulping down the last of her meal
Kate: Omigod. I needed this so bad
This sparked Andrea's interest. She leaned forward on the table with her head resting on her hand
Andi: Let me guess. Bad day?
Kate: The worst
Andi: Wanna talk about it?
The archer then looked around
Kate: I'd love to...but not here
Yeah...too many people around that could hear something they were not supposed to
Andi: Fair enough. Let's head to the roof
---
You had to admit. The idea of an underground fight club that allowed superpowers sounded great on paper
...but this was actually pretty dull
Besides the couple bets you won, there wasn't much worth commenting on
...AND THEN THIS GUY CAME AROUND
He powered through every opponent. From those that shot lasers from their hands to those inhumanly large
He fought with swift, but brutal moves, a martial artist unlike anything you had seen before, and you hung out with Daredevil
A loud thud caught your attention. The Absorbing Man himself fell to the floor, knocked cold. And standing proudly was the martial artist, his fist glowing with powerful yellow energy
"And with that, Absorbing Man has been knocked out! Iron Fist wins the finals!"
The crowd cheered wildly, and the young man, who seemed to be around your she was clearly enjoying himself
V.A.L: The source of his powers is unlike anything previously recorded. His energy levels have no match
You hummed at the AI's assessment of the smiling young man and smiled yourself
Y/N: I think we finally found something
Once the match was over, you excused yourself to the locker room, where this "Iron Fist" person had retreated to, but you were quick to notice that you were not the only one
V.A.L: Warning: Multiple hostiles detected. Designation: The Hand
You groaned internally. Of course ninjas would be involved in one way or another
You pulled up your mask to cover your lower face and braced for a fight when suddenly an explosion took away a chunk of the wall
Acting out of instinct, you covered yourself as well as you could, but when you opened your eyes, you found a bunch of red ninjas already unconscious on the floor
???: Are you here to fight me too?
You turned to find Iron Fist standing there with, well, a glowing fist
Quickly, you raised your hands in surrender
Y/N: Nah, man. I'm here to help you
He raised a brow at this. Somehow, you could see that through his yellow mask
Iron Fist: That so?
You nodded
Iron Fist: Then wanna take the second wave together?
A shuriken landed on the wall mere inches away from you. More Hand ninjas were on their way
You sighed, picked up a katana from the floor, and cracked your neck
"Let's do this"
---
"Wow, you got some shitty luck"
Andi couldn't help but laugh as she heard Kate's recollection of today's events. At least, her side
The two girls sat together at the edge of the rooftop. The night sky was prominent now
Kate: So I've heard
The archer groaned, resting her palms on the floor, but then she glanced over to her friend
Kate: But... that's also one of the reasons I came here
Andi's smile turned into a confused look
Andi: What do you mean?
Kate sat up and began to fiddle with her hands, looking away as she talked
Kate: I was wondering if...you know...if you wanted to join the team
The goth's eyes filled with fear as she began to wave her hands around
Andi: No. No no no no no. You do NOT want me near a team
Kate: What? Why not?
Andrea got up and shot her a look
Andi: Because everyone that gets too close to me ends up dead! You already have shitty luck as it is, I would only make it worse!
Kate got up to attempt and calm her down
Kate: Andi--
Andi: Don't you dare tell me it's not true, because it's happened so many times! My mom, my dad, coach Thompson, I...
Her anger dissolved into sorrow, into fear. She rubbed her arms and looked away
Andi: I don't want to add you to the list
She gasped when she found herself suddenly embraced by Kate
Kate: You won't. I promise
The girl returned the hug, tightly holding onto Kate
Andi: You don't know that
Kate patted her back, the memories of her time as a Young Avenger coming back to her. The uncertainty, the many warnings of older heroes about this path, their concern that they would die if they kept going
And yet, here she was
Kate: We're superheroes, we live a crazy life like that
Then, she pulled back but held onto Andi's shoulders to give her a soft smile
Kate: But we have each other's backs no matter what
Andrea wiped the forming tears from her eyes and looked at her
Andi: Why me?
Kate: Because I--
But then, they heard something, screams, gunshots. Their eyes went wide at this, but their surprise quickly shifted into determination
Kate: I'll go get my bow, you keep the residents out of harm's way
Andi: Copy that
With that. Kate rushed back down, while Andi jumped off the rooftop. As she did, her body was covered in a black substance
That black substance was her other, the one known as:
Having shifted into her uniform, Mania swung into action
---
" A team, you say?"
You locked swords with a ninja before throwing a sucker punch and tossing them aside just in time for Iron Fist to swoop in and deliver a mighty punch to the incoming enemy, At this point, everyone else had fled the scene
You couldn't blame them, who wanted to deal with ninjas?
Y/N: Yeah. We're trying to keep the city safe from things like these
Then, you sidestepped as another ninja swung down at you. You held their wrists down and kicked them in the stomach, forcing them to drop the sickle before being knocked out
Iron Fist: I thought the Avengers did that
One of them got ahold of Iron Fist from behind, but he elbowed them and set himself free seconds before he could be impaled by a spear, which he broke effortlessly
Y/N: Yeah, well, can't let them do all the work, right?
He rolled out of the way and proceeded to punch a larger foe with impressive speed, hitting his stomach, neck, and face within seconds. He stumbled back, but this was enough time for Iron Fist to send him flying with another punch
Iron Fist: I have to say, it's a way better offer than these guys'
Y/N: If you join I promise not to take your soul
You managed to dodge another pair of sais and ended up back to back with this new ally, who chuckled at your comment
Iron Fist: See? Already an improvement
Another ninja screamed when she jumped down swinging a spear, only for you to get ahold of this weapon and for Iron Fist to knock her out
Iron Fist: Alright, that's enough ninjas for today
The young man stepped forward and took a deep breath, focusing his energy on his fist
Y/N: V.A.L?
V.A.L: On it
Having him up close and personal, your AI proceeded to examine Iron Fist. X-Ray, Infrared, all sorts of lenses were involved to determine the nature of his powers
He let out a cry and slammed his fist to the ground, creating an impressive shockwave that knocked out all the approaching enemies
Before you knew, it it was only him and you standing
A sigh left his lips, but it turned into a smile when he turned to you
Iron Fist: That's the last of them, I hope
You stood there in awe of what you just witnessed
Y/N: ...Goddamn
This got a laugh from the young man, but it also reminded you of what your mission here was
Y/N: So uhh, what do you say? You in?
Iron Fist: Your intention is noble enough and you did sort of save me back there
You looked past him at the hordes of defeated enemies. Was...was he sure about that one?
He then rubbed his chin and thought out loud
Iron Fist: Can't say I've been part of a superhero team before. This might be fun
Then, he offered a hand
"Alright, I'm in"
---
A bunch of masked men entered the F.E.A.S.T premises, holding people at gunpoint and forcing everyone to stay put
???: ALRIGHT LISTEN UP
He turned to the homeless people, all of them terrified of their current situation
???: We know Martin Lee was behind this facility, and that he left a loooot of money hidden here somewhere
May: Martin Lee has not been here in years. Didn't you see the news?
The old woman behind the new F.E.A.S.T stood up, raising her hands as she did. The leader turned to her with a rifle, but she didn't seem that fazed by it
???: Doesn't mean his shit is not hidden somewhere in here
Then, he tossed his hostage over to another armed man and walked up to May
???: You're gonna take me to where he hid his money right now, or this whole place is gonna turn into a massive gave, you hear me?
As if to prove a point, he fired at the ceiling, making the residents scream and cry
However, the lights went out suddenly, alarming everyone this time, even the people who barged into this place
The leader turned on the flashlight on his rifle, but when he looked over at May, she was nowhere to be seen
???: The fuck?
She had been hidden under a desk by a figure who just whispered
???: Stay down
Out of nowhere, a concussive arrow hit him in the face, forcing him to drop his weapon
???: Ah shit! Hawkeye is here!
The others panicked at this sudden attack, but they found something taking over their rifles, some sort of webbing that snatched them back
Mania dropped down and began to beat the two closest to her. The leader pulled out a pistol and aimed it at her, only for an arrow to pierce his shoulder
???: SHIT
Kate: F.E.A.S.T? Really? Of all places?
Kate lunged from the shadows and smacked the man across the face with her bow, then swept his feet and prepared to shoot once again just as he was about to get up
Kate: An arrow to the face wouldn't be so good, would it?
The man growled at the teen
???: We're not done yet
Suddenly, one of his men was sent flying towards the wall. One of them took out a knife and tried to hit Mania, but a tendril shot at him with impressive speeds, knocking him out instantly
Kate: I don't know, it seems like you are
Before he could retaliate, Kate knocked him out with her bow
The lights went back on as Mania disposed of the last criminal. Just like that, things were over
Mania: Is everyone okay?
The residents cheered for the heroes who saved them from possible death. Even May clapped at their success, proud of the two young ladies who just saved her place
Kate: I don't know about you, but that was some pretty solid teamwork right there. Not a single person got hurt
Mania: We just got lucky
Her bow contracted into a smaller, much easier-to-carry form
Kate: We could do this for the city, stop people from getting hurt, and keep the bad guys from running any lives
Mania: What if you get hurt?
The archer couldn't help but smile
Kate: I won't if I have my friends watching over me
Then, Kate held out a hand to her
Kate: So what do you say?
Mania looked at her and scratched the back of her neck. She then glanced over to May, the woman who knew her secret. She didn't need to be near to know what was going on
With the warmth of a kind parent, she gave Andi a nod
Mania: I...I'll think about it
Kate smiled and took her hand back, patting her friend on the shoulder instead
"Honestly? That's all I ask"