His full name is Stephen Vincent Strange, I think you remembered the name Stephen Grant, also known as Moon Knight, and mixed them up.
Is Strange saying that he eats assholes?
Sinai
Forgot punctuation at the end
Amaterasu's Marvelous Dawn
Omake 2 - Age of Ultron: Thor's Hammer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
This is just a little snippet I whipped up last night to try and get into the Ammy writing mood. Figured I'd share to tide some people over and as an apology for the wait time. I got a little stuck working on my other fic and had some Struggles TM.
Omake inspired by @xbox432 and @Bond674 on Sufficient Velocity.
The sound of soft jazz music floated through the air, accented by the quiet murmurs and voices of the many guests within the open room. Well, room would be understating it. The large open lounge at the peak of the Avengers Tower was currently in use, celebrating the destruction of another Hydra cell, recovering Loki's sceptre, and in general just a morale-boosting/charity event for all involved.
It was a little later in the evening, and multiple guests had already left. In the case of a particular war veteran, the old man had to be 'assisted' out of the room and to the number of guest rooms within the Tower. Apparently, imbibing upon a 'God's' alcoholic beverage wasn't something most people should attempt, though Ammy was very willing to try it if it were offered. Amaterasu had snorted when the man exclaimed "Excelsior!" and muttered a variety of things about crossovers. That old man was a true character and she'd have to visit him eventually; listen to some of his stories.
Now, the great wolf found herself sprawled across three sets of laps. How she got there?
She had noticed Natasha and Bruce flirting at the bar. To be specific, Nat had been flirting and opening up to Bruce. The scientist, for all his intelligence, was slow on the uptake, to the point it caused Ammy physical pain. So, in return for being forced to witness the interaction, Ammy decided to play matchmaker.
It was completely innocent! Natasha had half-curled herself up on the couch, sipping on her drink, watching Thor, Tony, and Steve as they came to the center of the room. Soon enough, more people were sitting down. Maria Hill, some geneticist Bruce had spoken to earlier, then Clint as well, flopping down with a sigh. Soon enough, everyone was there, save for Bruce and Ammy. The Goddess of the Sun had to drag the scientist by the back of his suit toward the gathering, amid a number of protests from Bruce.
Upon reaching the little gathering, Banner dusted himself off in an attempt to look dignified despite being dragged halfway across the room, being snickered at by Thor, Tony, Nat, and Clint. He glanced between the two open spots, one beside Natasha, and the other at the end of the couch away from everyone. When he had moved to sit away from everyone, Ammy naturally leaped over the man and planted herself down on the cushion, fixing Bruce with a smug look.
"…Really? You're not even gonna let me pick?" Bruce huffed.
"Don't worry, you can sit by me. I won't bite," Natasha sent Bruce an innocent look, fluttering her eyelashes and playing up the 'innocence' that no one believed. In an attempt to hide the suddenly shocked look and red cheeks, he took a sip of his drink and sat down at the very edge.
Ammy looked at the scientist, then to the edge of the couch. She huffed and stepped from her seat. Without warning, the great white wolf shoved her head against Bruce's hip and forced him over, leaning onto Nat for balance as he tried to keep from falling over. Another round of laughs rolled from the gathered members, while Nat took it all in stride, shifting herself around to be seated properly.
The moment Bruce adjusted himself and was nearly hip-to-hip beside Nat, Ammy made her move. She placed her front paws on the edge of the couch and jumped, landing across the laps of Bruce, Nat, and Clint in a single motion. Multiple groans and grunts of pain or exasperation were heard, followed by a number of chuckles from the members on the other couch.
"Seriously? What was the point of making me sit here?" Bruce griped, but still settled in, moving to set a single hand on the wolf's back and gently brushed through her fur. Nat did the same between Ammy's shoulders, while Clint rubbed between her ears.
Ammy merely looked over her shoulder at Bruce smugly and gave a little "awuff" in reply.
"Truly? I would have noticed courting that obvious," Thor spoke up. He looked a little shocked, looking between Natasha and Bruce as if he had been made aware of a great secret. "Surely you jest?"
"Ruff!" Ammy responded, flashing the God of Thunder a smug look.
"I—We do not need to discuss Jane right now, especially not the meal offering confusion…" Thor grumbled, trailing off, hiding his face behind a hand. "Very well, you've made your point."
"Thor, look, I think it's cute and all that you pretend you've got this Doctor Dolittle thing going on, but c'mon," Tony interrupted. "That was like, what, a single syllable? How would you get a whole sentence from Air Bud like that?"
"How many times must I explain this to you mortals?" Thor grumped and set his hammer down on the table with a solid clunk, and turned to face Tony. "One does not need to say a number of words to make one's intentions and meaning clear. I feel as if I am teaching Asgardian children their runes."
"Oh, sure, the 'god'," Tony makes air quotes at that, "says it's so easy." He rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his drink, setting his glass down on the table near the handle. "If you're so good at explaining things, spill the beans on the hammer. What is it, fingerprints? Some kinda computer chip in your wrist?"
"No, no, don't you remember?" Clint chimed in, halting his petting of the wolf, much to her ire. "'Whoever be he worthy shall wield the might of Thor' or whatever. Fancy words to hide some boring tech, I bet."
"I just thought it was magnets," Steve chipped in, setting down his Asgardian-enhanced drink.
"Rogers, buddy, it's on a glass table," Tony gestured to the surface and then leaned in to wave a hand under it. "No magnets here, unless Laika over there hid them with weird space dog magic or something." At that, he gestured to Amaterasu, who had been happily watching the proceedings. A little shake of her head threw that idea out the window.
"If you are so certain, feel free to try. I will even put a finger on the handle if you wish." At that, Thor reached forward to the hammer.
"Hands off, Goldilocks," Tony swatted Thor's hand away, causing the God of Thunder to chuckle, "I don't need you holding it down or doing whatever to make me look bad. I've never had a problem getting it up." That was followed by a round of sighs or groans from the onlookers.
Amaterasu watched on in amusement as Tony tried, and failed to lift the hammer. Three times. Rhodey tried to help, but it didn't budge. Maria Hill stood up, figuring she'd give it a shot. Nothing. Clint got up and gave it a try as well, dislodging Ammy's head from his lap, and causing the goddess to grumble. She shifted onto her side to watch, a little grin on her muzzle as she observed everyone try and fail to lift it. Well, everyone but Bruce and Nat, who she was keeping pinned to the couch, forcing them to sit and cuddle. When they were asked if they wanted to try, their response was the same.
"Sorry, big scary wolf is cuddling, can't move."
Nat said as much, leaning up against Bruce just a touch. The poor scientist looked confused, embarrassed, and pleased all at once.
Ammy wasn't surprised that they weren't able to lift the hammer. She could sense a kind of energy around it. A faint magical buzzing lingered on the object, forcing it to obey specific properties and rules, else it would be unusable. In this case, it was a robust set of morals and a willingness to help people even at great personal cost. A kind of helpfulness and kindness that was difficult to truly possess. Sure, everyone here would be more than willing to help people out. But there was a kind of special person that took on labours that negatively impacted themselves because it's the right thing to do.
That's why Amaterasu also wasn't surprised when Steve went to try and lift the hammer. She could feel the magical energies shifting and adjusting to match Steve's presence. She watched closely as he gripped tightly, muscles jumping as he planted himself firmly. Then, he squeezed. He didn't lift, he merely clenched the handle. Still, despite his best efforts at pretending he was unable to heft the hammer, both Ammy and Thor noticed the slightest shift.
"Nope, nothing," Steve sighed, making a show of shaking out a hand. He moved to go sit back down, giving Ammy a little ruffle on the head as he passed.
Thor laughed nervously, making sure to emphasize that he indeed saw nothing. Nothing at all. Clearly, Steve wasn't worthy, and the hammer definitely didn't shift over the most minute amount.
"Wow, and here I thought Cap would have this," Natasha commented.
"Well, it just looks like none of you are worthy," Thor spoke smugly. Ammy let out a little chuff at that, laughing to herself. The sound was not unnoticed, and pulled a glance from Tony and a raised eyebrow from Thor.
"Well, hey now, ya didn't give Krypto a try," Tony chimed in, gesturing toward the massive wolf sprawled across Bruce, Natasha, and Clint.
"Oh, no, no, I could not ask Lady Amaterasu to do that," Thor protested. "Someone of her position and reputation needn't compete in such a game."
"Oh? Well, that makes sense. The Goddess of the Sun does sound far more impressive and important than the God of Thunder," Bruce added in. Amaterasu noticed the slightest hint of a teasing lilt to his tone, something Nat picked up as well. Thor blinked and pulled back, looking slighted.
"Oh, no, that isn't the case at all!" The Asgardian spoke hastily. "She wouldn't be able to raise it either. Being a God or Goddess doesn't just give someone the ability to wield weaponry such as this." Thor, in all his semi-drunken and mildly offended pride, decided it would be a good idea to add on to this. "Besides, she is not as strong as she used to be, if the tales are to be believed. I would rather not slight her for something that is not her fault."
…
Amaterasu lifted her head and turned to face Thor. She blinked once, twice, and then glanced at the hammer. The group sitting at the couches all glanced between Thor and Ammy, feeling a sudden weight and pressure to the air around them, radiating out from the wolf. Thor seemed to realize what he said might have been misinterpreted and began sputtering and gesturing, attempting to form some apology or excuse for insulting the Goddess of the Sun.
"I don't think that was the smartest thing to say," Natasha purred.
"How are you not concerned about this?" Bruce hissed under his breath to Nat.
Amaterasu pushed herself to all fours and stepped down from the couch, her form shifting and muscles rippling under her fur as the large lupine approached the head of the coffee table. Her golden eyes were locked onto Thor's own. She sat down and raised an eyebrow at the God of Thunder, and gave a soft huff.
"Oh no, not at all, I meant no offense," Thor explained, a little flustered from the drink and being caught off-guard by the suddenly disgruntled Goddess. "You have been performing admirably despite your current limitations! I'm certain you'll return to full power soon, and will be a worthy opponent on the battlefield!" Thor raised a fist at that, expecting everyone to follow along. No one did.
"…Hey, Thor? Has Jane ever told you to stop talking suddenly, or seemed upset for almost no reason?" Tony asked, leaning back on the couch, drink in hand. He knew what was coming, his own lesson with Pepper learned long ago.
"Well, of course. I do not see how that applies—"
A short, sharp bark caught everyone off guard, drawing eyes back to the wolf. There was no showmanship, nor fancy antics. No tricks or theatrics of any sort. Amaterasu leaned forward and gripped the handle of Mjolnir in her jaws, eyes on Thor.
She pulled.
The hammer lifted.
Thor's face dropped, his mouth opening for a moment, and then snapping shut once more. The room was silent, all the chatter and background noise falling to nothing as everyone watched the wolf grip the impossible-to-lift object.
Ammy got to all fours again and padded her way toward the balcony. No one bothered moving to follow as the wolf carried the mystical weapon outside. They didn't have to move to watch, she kept herself in full view of everyone.
Amaterasu tossed the hammer up into the air, and then caught it again with her teeth gripping the strap at the bottom. Thor seemed to realize what was happening and opened his mouth to protest.
He was too late. Ammy tossed her head up, and then back down, bringing the hammer around in a circle. She did so again, twisting herself and swinging the object around faster and faster, the head of the hammer nothing more than a blur of metal, the displaced air whistling around it. Amaterasu took a step, and then launched herself forward and upward. She twisted herself in mid-air, and pushed off of nothingness once more, rotating herself around in a tight, quick spiral as gravity took over.
She wrenched her head back, and opened her jaws. The spin of her body added to that of the hammer.
Mjolnir gave a thunderous crack as it shattered the sound barrier, hurtling high into the sky and out over the ocean. Everyone sat, stunned, watching the small object fade into the distance, before vanishing completely.
All eyes were back on the wolf as Amaterasu made her way back inside, strides confident and proud. She glanced over to Thor, and then huffed, turning her attention from him. The wolf instead made her way back to her previous spot, flopping herself over the laps of Nat, Bruce, and Clint, trapping the three under the heavy weight of the smug Goddess of the Sun.
"Wurf," Ammy spoke.
"Hey, Thor?" Tony began.
"…Yes?" Thor looked equal parts ashamed and amused.
"I think she told you to fetch."
"That she did…"
Amaterasu gave a little huff of satisfaction and closed her eyes. She leaned into the suddenly very willing three sets of hands brushing her fur and scratching behind her ears.
Omake inspired by @xbox432 and @Bond674 on Sufficient Velocity.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
The sound of soft jazz music floated through the air, accented by the quiet murmurs and voices of the many guests within the open room. Well, room would be understating it. The large open lounge at the peak of the Avengers Tower was currently in use, celebrating the destruction of another Hydra cell, recovering Loki's sceptre, and in general just a morale-boosting/charity event for all involved.
It was a little later in the evening, and multiple guests had already left. In the case of a particular war veteran, the old man had to be 'assisted' out of the room and to the number of guest rooms within the Tower. Apparently, imbibing upon a 'God's' alcoholic beverage wasn't something most people should attempt, though Ammy was very willing to try it if it were offered. Amaterasu had snorted when the man exclaimed "Excelsior!" and muttered a variety of things about crossovers. That old man was a true character and she'd have to visit him eventually; listen to some of his stories.
Now, the great wolf found herself sprawled across three sets of laps. How she got there?
She had noticed Natasha and Bruce flirting at the bar. To be specific, Nat had been flirting and opening up to Bruce. The scientist, for all his intelligence, was slow on the uptake, to the point it caused Ammy physical pain. So, in return for being forced to witness the interaction, Ammy decided to play matchmaker.
It was completely innocent! Natasha had half-curled herself up on the couch, sipping on her drink, watching Thor, Tony, and Steve as they came to the center of the room. Soon enough, more people were sitting down. Maria Hill, some geneticist Bruce had spoken to earlier, then Clint as well, flopping down with a sigh. Soon enough, everyone was there, save for Bruce and Ammy. The Goddess of the Sun had to drag the scientist by the back of his suit toward the gathering, amid a number of protests from Bruce.
Upon reaching the little gathering, Banner dusted himself off in an attempt to look dignified despite being dragged halfway across the room, being snickered at by Thor, Tony, Nat, and Clint. He glanced between the two open spots, one beside Natasha, and the other at the end of the couch away from everyone. When he had moved to sit away from everyone, Ammy naturally leaped over the man and planted herself down on the cushion, fixing Bruce with a smug look.
"…Really? You're not even gonna let me pick?" Bruce huffed.
"Don't worry, you can sit by me. I won't bite," Natasha sent Bruce an innocent look, fluttering her eyelashes and playing up the 'innocence' that no one believed. In an attempt to hide the suddenly shocked look and red cheeks, he took a sip of his drink and sat down at the very edge.
Ammy looked at the scientist, then to the edge of the couch. She huffed and stepped from her seat. Without warning, the great white wolf shoved her head against Bruce's hip and forced him over, leaning onto Nat for balance as he tried to keep from falling over. Another round of laughs rolled from the gathered members, while Nat took it all in stride, shifting herself around to be seated properly.
The moment Bruce adjusted himself and was nearly hip-to-hip beside Nat, Ammy made her move. She placed her front paws on the edge of the couch and jumped, landing across the laps of Bruce, Nat, and Clint in a single motion. Multiple groans and grunts of pain or exasperation were heard, followed by a number of chuckles from the members on the other couch.
"Seriously? What was the point of making me sit here?" Bruce griped, but still settled in, moving to set a single hand on the wolf's back and gently brushed through her fur. Nat did the same between Ammy's shoulders, while Clint rubbed between her ears.
Ammy merely looked over her shoulder at Bruce smugly and gave a little "awuff" in reply.
"Truly? I would have noticed courting that obvious," Thor spoke up. He looked a little shocked, looking between Natasha and Bruce as if he had been made aware of a great secret. "Surely you jest?"
"Ruff!" Ammy responded, flashing the God of Thunder a smug look.
"I—We do not need to discuss Jane right now, especially not the meal offering confusion…" Thor grumbled, trailing off, hiding his face behind a hand. "Very well, you've made your point."
"Thor, look, I think it's cute and all that you pretend you've got this Doctor Dolittle thing going on, but c'mon," Tony interrupted. "That was like, what, a single syllable? How would you get a whole sentence from Air Bud like that?"
"How many times must I explain this to you mortals?" Thor grumped and set his hammer down on the table with a solid clunk, and turned to face Tony. "One does not need to say a number of words to make one's intentions and meaning clear. I feel as if I am teaching Asgardian children their runes."
"Oh, sure, the 'god'," Tony makes air quotes at that, "says it's so easy." He rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his drink, setting his glass down on the table near the handle. "If you're so good at explaining things, spill the beans on the hammer. What is it, fingerprints? Some kinda computer chip in your wrist?"
"No, no, don't you remember?" Clint chimed in, halting his petting of the wolf, much to her ire. "'Whoever be he worthy shall wield the might of Thor' or whatever. Fancy words to hide some boring tech, I bet."
"I just thought it was magnets," Steve chipped in, setting down his Asgardian-enhanced drink.
"Rogers, buddy, it's on a glass table," Tony gestured to the surface and then leaned in to wave a hand under it. "No magnets here, unless Laika over there hid them with weird space dog magic or something." At that, he gestured to Amaterasu, who had been happily watching the proceedings. A little shake of her head threw that idea out the window.
"If you are so certain, feel free to try. I will even put a finger on the handle if you wish." At that, Thor reached forward to the hammer.
"Hands off, Goldilocks," Tony swatted Thor's hand away, causing the God of Thunder to chuckle, "I don't need you holding it down or doing whatever to make me look bad. I've never had a problem getting it up." That was followed by a round of sighs or groans from the onlookers.
Amaterasu watched on in amusement as Tony tried, and failed to lift the hammer. Three times. Rhodey tried to help, but it didn't budge. Maria Hill stood up, figuring she'd give it a shot. Nothing. Clint got up and gave it a try as well, dislodging Ammy's head from his lap, and causing the goddess to grumble. She shifted onto her side to watch, a little grin on her muzzle as she observed everyone try and fail to lift it. Well, everyone but Bruce and Nat, who she was keeping pinned to the couch, forcing them to sit and cuddle. When they were asked if they wanted to try, their response was the same.
"Sorry, big scary wolf is cuddling, can't move."
Nat said as much, leaning up against Bruce just a touch. The poor scientist looked confused, embarrassed, and pleased all at once.
Ammy wasn't surprised that they weren't able to lift the hammer. She could sense a kind of energy around it. A faint magical buzzing lingered on the object, forcing it to obey specific properties and rules, else it would be unusable. In this case, it was a robust set of morals and a willingness to help people even at great personal cost. A kind of helpfulness and kindness that was difficult to truly possess. Sure, everyone here would be more than willing to help people out. But there was a kind of special person that took on labours that negatively impacted themselves because it's the right thing to do.
That's why Amaterasu also wasn't surprised when Steve went to try and lift the hammer. She could feel the magical energies shifting and adjusting to match Steve's presence. She watched closely as he gripped tightly, muscles jumping as he planted himself firmly. Then, he squeezed. He didn't lift, he merely clenched the handle. Still, despite his best efforts at pretending he was unable to heft the hammer, both Ammy and Thor noticed the slightest shift.
"Nope, nothing," Steve sighed, making a show of shaking out a hand. He moved to go sit back down, giving Ammy a little ruffle on the head as he passed.
Thor laughed nervously, making sure to emphasize that he indeed saw nothing. Nothing at all. Clearly, Steve wasn't worthy, and the hammer definitely didn't shift over the most minute amount.
"Wow, and here I thought Cap would have this," Natasha commented.
"Well, it just looks like none of you are worthy," Thor spoke smugly. Ammy let out a little chuff at that, laughing to herself. The sound was not unnoticed, and pulled a glance from Tony and a raised eyebrow from Thor.
"Well, hey now, ya didn't give Krypto a try," Tony chimed in, gesturing toward the massive wolf sprawled across Bruce, Natasha, and Clint.
"Oh, no, no, I could not ask Lady Amaterasu to do that," Thor protested. "Someone of her position and reputation needn't compete in such a game."
"Oh? Well, that makes sense. The Goddess of the Sun does sound far more impressive and important than the God of Thunder," Bruce added in. Amaterasu noticed the slightest hint of a teasing lilt to his tone, something Nat picked up as well. Thor blinked and pulled back, looking slighted.
"Oh, no, that isn't the case at all!" The Asgardian spoke hastily. "She wouldn't be able to raise it either. Being a God or Goddess doesn't just give someone the ability to wield weaponry such as this." Thor, in all his semi-drunken and mildly offended pride, decided it would be a good idea to add on to this. "Besides, she is not as strong as she used to be, if the tales are to be believed. I would rather not slight her for something that is not her fault."
…
Amaterasu lifted her head and turned to face Thor. She blinked once, twice, and then glanced at the hammer. The group sitting at the couches all glanced between Thor and Ammy, feeling a sudden weight and pressure to the air around them, radiating out from the wolf. Thor seemed to realize what he said might have been misinterpreted and began sputtering and gesturing, attempting to form some apology or excuse for insulting the Goddess of the Sun.
"I don't think that was the smartest thing to say," Natasha purred.
"How are you not concerned about this?" Bruce hissed under his breath to Nat.
Amaterasu pushed herself to all fours and stepped down from the couch, her form shifting and muscles rippling under her fur as the large lupine approached the head of the coffee table. Her golden eyes were locked onto Thor's own. She sat down and raised an eyebrow at the God of Thunder, and gave a soft huff.
"Oh no, not at all, I meant no offense," Thor explained, a little flustered from the drink and being caught off-guard by the suddenly disgruntled Goddess. "You have been performing admirably despite your current limitations! I'm certain you'll return to full power soon, and will be a worthy opponent on the battlefield!" Thor raised a fist at that, expecting everyone to follow along. No one did.
"…Hey, Thor? Has Jane ever told you to stop talking suddenly, or seemed upset for almost no reason?" Tony asked, leaning back on the couch, drink in hand. He knew what was coming, his own lesson with Pepper learned long ago.
"Well, of course. I do not see how that applies—"
A short, sharp bark caught everyone off guard, drawing eyes back to the wolf. There was no showmanship, nor fancy antics. No tricks or theatrics of any sort. Amaterasu leaned forward and gripped the handle of Mjolnir in her jaws, eyes on Thor.
She pulled.
The hammer lifted.
Thor's face dropped, his mouth opening for a moment, and then snapping shut once more. The room was silent, all the chatter and background noise falling to nothing as everyone watched the wolf grip the impossible-to-lift object.
Ammy got to all fours again and padded her way toward the balcony. No one bothered moving to follow as the wolf carried the mystical weapon outside. They didn't have to move to watch, she kept herself in full view of everyone.
Amaterasu tossed the hammer up into the air, and then caught it again with her teeth gripping the strap at the bottom. Thor seemed to realize what was happening and opened his mouth to protest.
He was too late. Ammy tossed her head up, and then back down, bringing the hammer around in a circle. She did so again, twisting herself and swinging the object around faster and faster, the head of the hammer nothing more than a blur of metal, the displaced air whistling around it. Amaterasu took a step, and then launched herself forward and upward. She twisted herself in mid-air, and pushed off of nothingness once more, rotating herself around in a tight, quick spiral as gravity took over.
She wrenched her head back, and opened her jaws. The spin of her body added to that of the hammer.
Mjolnir gave a thunderous crack as it shattered the sound barrier, hurtling high into the sky and out over the ocean. Everyone sat, stunned, watching the small object fade into the distance, before vanishing completely.
All eyes were back on the wolf as Amaterasu made her way back inside, strides confident and proud. She glanced over to Thor, and then huffed, turning her attention from him. The wolf instead made her way back to her previous spot, flopping herself over the laps of Nat, Bruce, and Clint, trapping the three under the heavy weight of the smug Goddess of the Sun.
"Wurf," Ammy spoke.
"Hey, Thor?" Tony began.
"…Yes?" Thor looked equal parts ashamed and amused.
"I think she told you to fetch."
"That she did…"
Amaterasu gave a little huff of satisfaction and closed her eyes. She leaned into the suddenly very willing three sets of hands brushing her fur and scratching behind her ears.
Ammy Character Sheet in Version 1 of the Story SPOILERS
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I forgot I posted this to Space Battles but not here, this is the character sheet I had for Ammy in the previous version of the story when it was still a litRPG. Hopefully it at least gives some insight and information or is fun to look over!
Name: Amaterasu Reborn
Titles: Dog, Hero of New York, Not a Stray, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Minor Celebrity
HP: 1 000/1 000
MP: 1 100/1 100
Level: 34
Strength: 50 + 11
Vitality: 50
Agility: 52
Intelligence: 55
Wisdom: 50
Charisma: 50 + 10% + 10%
Luck: 41 +10%
Skill Points: 0
Praise: 15 748
EXP = 5n^3 / 4
Follow Slow Pokemon level up process
UPDATE: Do whatever the fuck, numbers are hard.
Titles:
Dog - Who's a good dog? You are! Non-spiritual and non-divine beings only see you as a standard, if large, canine. Gives +10% increase to Charisma and Luck. Can be further upgraded. (Inherited Title)
Hero of New York: You're a hero! For participating in the Battle of New York and saving civilians (on camera, no less) people in New York will give you 50% more praise, and are more likely to help you or feed you. They are also more likely to visit a Shrine once you decide on the placement of the structure. (Quest Reward)
Not a Stray: You've been seen in public interacting with and around the Avengers. People automatically assume you are one of their pets, and will treat you accordingly. Animal control won't harass you and authorities give you more leeway. (Quest Reward)
Minor Celebrity – Hey, you look familiar! People are starting to recognize you to some extent. +10% to Charisma.
Sorcerer's Apprentice: Magic is becoming second nature to you. Magic cost reduced by 10% and new magics are easier to learn.
FUTURE:
Avenger – Part of the team! As an Avenger you have presence globally, and people recognize you! Heroes and morally good people automatically trust you and welcome you to some extent, while Villains and morally evil people fear you or hate you to some extent. Praise gain increases by 25%. As an Avenger you get access to secret quests and missions that you wouldn't normally have access to.
Skills:
Celestial Brush lvl MAX: (Inherited Skill)
- Sunrise: Amaterasu's signature brush technique, free of cost. Shifts the rotation of the current planet to reflect the placement of the brush technique in the sky. Be careful with this technique, it may cause mass panic and bring unwanted attention.
- Rejuvenation lvl 3: Restores buildings and objects to a previous undamaged state. May be used on people to heal wounds that are visible. Cost depends on the size and extent of the damage, and how serious the wound is on an individual. 20% more efficient and effective.
- Power Slash: A powerful strike through reality itself, rending enemies or cutting through objects. Cost is dependent on intent and the size of the slash. Cannot harm Amaterasu or individuals she does not wish to harm.
- Bloom lvl 3: A powerful and versatile move that has few combat uses. The technique will restore plant life to its most healthy state and create new blooms of flowers and plants native to the area, unless otherwise intended. When used on a person it gives them energy and restores stamina. 20% more efficient and effective.
- Veil of Mist: A powerful yet straightforward technique that has little variation. Slow time to a near-stop (20% speed) for 5 seconds (from your perspective) allowing you to sneak past enemies, attack quick moving foes, and travel across quickly moving and rotating surfaces. Each use of the skill costs 50MP.
- Crescent: A relative technique of Amaterasu's signature brush technique, also free of cost. Shifts rotation of the planet and adjusts the positioning of the moon to mimic that of a crescent, or any other phase the user desires. Be careful with this technique, it may cause mass panic and bring unwanted attention.
- Blizzard: Using your Celestial Brush you can draw a trail of ice from an existing source of ice. The ice will only last temporarily and will shatter and evaporate faster than normal ice. Cost is determined by length of the brush stroke.
- Additional Brush skills currently locked.
Inventory lvl 1: The ability to create a pocket dimension to store a potentially infinite number of items. The size of the inventory is limited by current base Strength x 2 in Kilograms. Additional expansions and upgrades are available. (Gifted Skill)
Weapon Manipulation lvl 1: By using the space around you and your mental abilities, you can wield weapons without touching them. The weaponry will float just off your body, and will stay secured unless a force can overcome your Telekinesis. You can control 2 weapons at once, and the weaponry can move up to 5 meters (16.4 feet) from your body in any direction. There is no cost to using the weapons bonded to you through your Inventory use unless they require a charge or are magical in nature. (Inherited Skill/Space Stone & Mind Stone Skill)
Adrenaline lvl 1: Passively increases all stats by 10% when in battle. Actively increases all stats by 20% and increases your perception of time slightly, at a cost of 10MP every 5 seconds. (Battle Skill)
Sprint lvl 1: Increases your Agility by 100% at the time of use. Costs 10MP every second of use. (level 25 Agility Skill)
Might lvl 1: Increases your Strength by 100% at the time of use. Costs 10MP every second of use. (level 25 Strength Skill)
Flash Step lvl 1: You can teleport (kind of)! Work the energy of space around you and teleport a small distance in any direction. You cannot teleport into a solid surface; safeguards will keep you from being cut in half. Teleport 1 meter (3.28 feet) in any direction at a cost of 25MP per jump, with a cooldown time of 5 seconds between each usage of the skill. (Space Stone Skill)
Time Manipulation lvl 1: Move yourself, items, and people forward or backward through time! Moving yourself through time will cost 50MP for 1 second regardless if it's forward or back. Time Manipulation can be focused upon yourself and moving yourself directly through time to another point in your timeline, while focusing around yourself will allow you to travel back in time, when you already existed, making you another version of yourself in that time! Be careful not to create paradoxes. The cost for moving people through time is the same as yourself, while moving objects is dependant on the size, states of the object, and how powerful it is. (Time Stone Skill)
Edge of Tomorrow: Restart the day! Rewind a whole 24 hours through or around yourself, and start the day over again. Due to the immense energy requirements, the Time Stone will provide the power to use this skill. After usage, you must wait 15 days before using the skill again to let the Time Stone recharge. Plan your usage wisely! (Time Stone Special Ability)
Minor Telekinesis lvl 1: The ability to push, pull, lift, and otherwise influence the physical world with your mind. The limit of your telekinetic abilities is defined by your Strength + Intelligence divided by 2, to anything in your line of sight. The cost of Telekinesis is the weight of the object in kilograms per second of exertion on the object. (Mind Stone Skill)
Minor Illusion lvl 1: Create an illusion you control that can influence how you are seen. Creating an illusion costs 20MP + 5MP per second to maintain an illusion of your size. Scales according to the size of the illusion: An illusion twice your size will cost 40MP + 10MP per second. (Assimilated from Loki)
Ice Manipulation lvl 1: You can create ice barriers out of thin air, freeze water, or evaporate solid ice. Your usage of the skill determines the cost. Forming floating chunks of ice on top of water will cost less than creating a barrier of ice on dry land. (Assimilated from Loki)
Shield lvl 1: You frequently put yourself in harm's way for others and are a shield for the innocent. You can now create barriers of magic of a variety of size and shapes to defend against attacks, both magical and physical, and you can control what passes through them. Shields can be linked directly to your magic to drain MP instead of HP, or be given a set amount of durability based on the MP you put into it.
Dread lvl 1: You went back in time just to hunt down more enemies and slaughter them. Your bloodlust is able to be projected in an aura around you, intimidating foes or causing them to feel fear and make mistakes. Power of Dread depends on the MP put into the skill and your Charisma. Can combine with Illusions to enhance the effect.
FUTURE
Abilities:
Double Jump: Allows the user to jump after jumping! By pushing off of nothingness and making a brief platform under yourself, you can jump twice. (Quest Reward/Inherited Skill)
Parallel Processing: Having to focus on one thing at a time is for mortals! As a (soon to be) Goddess, you don't have such a limitation. Can focus on multiple tasks and ideas at once without having to switch from one to another. (level 25 Intelligence Ability)
Mana Attuned: You are not wholly mortal. Your body has become accustomed to magic and can pull in more energy from the world around you. +100% MP recovery rate. (level 25 Wisdom Ability)
Enduring: Using your divine nature, you can force yourself to keep going just that little bit longer. Survive a blow that would have killed you with 1HP remaining only once. Enduring resets only after having reached full health. (level 25 Vitality Ability)
Skill Creation: You're smart, you're skilled, and you're lucky. Attempting new skills or usage of magic has a higher chance of success. (level 25 Luck Ability)
Animal Whisperer: As Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun and Nature you have the ability to communicate with all animals, and can usually convince them to help you with a task. (level 25 Charisma Ability/Inherited Ability)
Calming Presence: You naturally project an aura of warmth and comfort. People will be calmer in your presence and more likely to open up to you about their problems. Will not work on beings antagonistic toward you. (Mind Stone Ability)
Healing Aura lvl 3: As the Goddess of the Sun, you radiate a warmth and magic that can heal injuries over time, and cures illnesses. The closer someone is to you physically, the quicker they will feel the benefits of your healing. 20% more efficient and effective.
Magical Core: You have become more familiar with the mystic arts and magic is a part of your central being. Double your Mana pool. (level 50 Intelligence Ability)
Shrine Management: You can create shrines, teleport to a shrine once every 3 hours, and can spend Praise for items, skills, improvements, and more. Your first shrine will be placed for you.
- Shrine Locations:
o Central Park (Tier 1)
§ Effects Active:
· Slow magical release into the wilderness.
·
- Shrine Chapter 8 Descriptions:
o You have entered the vicinity of your Shrine. You may teleport to a shrine location once every three hours. When within your Shrines, your MP and HP recover at twice their usual rate. Shrines are locations where people can visit to leave you offerings and give you Praise, passively generating Praise for you.
o Any location with a Shrine active will gradually have magic returned to the land, making the plants and people healthier, and increasing the quality of life nearby. People will be happier and more empathetic in regions influenced by your Shrine, further increasing quality of life. The cyclical nature of the Shrine's benefits means a guaranteed passive income of Praise.
o Congratulations! You are the proud owner of a Shrine. Within the Shrine you can perform upgrades to the Shrine, redecorate, and much more! The Shrine Network has it's own Inventory for furniture, decorations, and donations so you do not need to carry them around! How convenient!
o When within the boundaries of your Shrine(s) you can use the Praise you have gathered to enhance your skills and abilities, purchase items and weapons, add upgrades to your Shrine, and much more! Any Praise gathered will be immediately seen and available to you to use, however the fastest way to earn Praise is to help people achieve their goals or make a noticeable improvement to someone's life.
o Donations to your Shrine will be added to the Shrine Inventory Network after a period of 24 hours, or if you manually add them yourself. Money will be converted into a digital currency that will be converted to any region's standard form of payment, or you can withdraw it in physical form. All finances will be added to your standard Inventory as they do not carry weight to them unless made physical.
Tanky: You're a damage sponge. Double your current health pool.
FUTURE:
Determined: Numbers and logic don't mean anything to a divine being's willpower. Can surpass limits of the JAWS system with sufficient willpower, but strain yourself and feel repercussions later.
Sheet info:
HP – Health Points: Your total health pool. Taking damage will reduce the amount of Health Points you have. If your Health Points drop to 0 you will die.
MP – Mana Points: Your total mana pool. Using magical or spiritual techniques or moves will decrease your Mana Points. If your Mana Points drop to 0 you will be reduced to your base form – Currently: Wolf.
Level - Your current level. Increase your level by defeating enemies, completing objectives, and helping people with their problems. Every increase in your level will gain you 5 additional Skill Points.
Strength – "For a true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart." A representation of your raw physical power. Strength influences how much you can lift, drag, throw, how high you can jump, how powerfully you can push off from a stand still, and your total Inventory capacity. Increase your Strength through physical labour and straining yourself physically, or through Skill Points.
Vitality – "It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." A representation of your health and your ability to endure damage. Vitality influences your total Health Points and Health Point recovery, and how long you can fight, run yourself, and exert without needing a break. Increase your Vitality through taking damage and exerting yourself physically, or through Skill Points.
Agility – "I'll have you know that I have the reflexes of a cat and the speed of a mongoose. Throw it. I dare you!" A representation of your speed and movement abilities. Agility influences how fast you can run, your acrobatic ability, your agility, and reaction time. Increase your Agility through running at high speeds, complex movements, and evading attacks, or through Skill Points.
Intelligence – "You know what the problem is with being the smartest person in the world? Everyone else seems stupid!" A representation of how smart you are. Intelligence influences how quickly you can learn new skills, solve puzzles and problems, make smart decisions, and your total Mana Points. Increase your Intelligence through solving puzzles, learning new skills and abilities, making intelligent decisions, and studying, or through Skill Points.
Wisdom – "Before the battle of the fist comes the battle of the mind." A representation of how wise you are, and how well you can put your Intelligence to use. Wisdom influences your magical resistance, coming up with new solutions to situations, and Mana Point recovery.
Charisma – "The reason we're successful, darling? My overall charisma, of course." A representation of how charming and charismatic you are. Charisma influences how well you can sway another's mind and opinions, how you come across to others, and how others view you. Increase your Charisma by persuading others and endearing yourself to them, or through Skill Points.
Luck – "Yep! This cricket's a lucky one!" A representation of your luckiness. Luck influences how situations come out in your favour, and the odds of something benefitting you, or of coming across unique situations and items. Increase your Luck through gambling and being lucky, or through Skill Points.
Skill Points – Points gained from leveling up. Use these points to increase your skills and enhance yourself further. Spend them wisely.
Praise – Praise and good karma gained by helping people and their belief in you. Can be spent at a shrine as a form of currency to purchase upgrades to yourself, your skills, weapons, tools and abilities. It pays to help people.
Biological Abilities:
Wolf – Can do what a wolf does.
Quests Active:
The Infinity Saga- You have come into contact with one of the six aspects of this universe, items of immense power and rarity called the Infinity Stones. Each one controls an aspect of this universe: space, time, reality, power, mind, and soul. As a (former) God, you can wield these better than most.
Objective:
- Come into contact with all six Infinity Stones. (Mind, Space, Time)
Reward:
- Increased understanding of the nature of the universe, and manipulation of these forces to some degree.
- One Skill or Ability relating to each of the stones.
Bonus Objective:
- Collect all six Infinity Stones.
Bonus Reward:
- Immense power and control over this universe. With enough power and understanding, power and control over all universes, dimensions, and realities.
Besties!Befriend every member of the Avengers that you fought with during the Battle of New York. 3/7! (Clint Barton, Hulk, Steve Rogers)
Rewards: New title, 1500 EXP, new skill of your choice.
Hunt for the Darkhold! You have found several pages of a powerful book of Dark Magic. These pieces are scattered across the globe. The pages of the Darkhold protect themselves by draining magic and are impossible to find without having access to other pages.
Objective: Collect all 200 pages of the Darkhold.
- Currently collected: 7/200
Secondary Objective: Keep the pages from being gathered by people who seek to use the book. Destroy the Darkhold.
- Learn how to destroy the Darkhold.
Rewards: ?
Failure: ?
Quests Completed:
Tutorial – Welcome to your new home, get yourself familiar with the place.
Objectives:
- Survive your first day in the new world.
- Rescue 10 Civilians.
- Defeat 10 Enemies.
Bonus Objectives:
- Rescue 50 Civilians.
- Rescue 100 Civilians.
- Defeat 50 Enemies.
- Defeat 100 Enemies.
- Befriend at least 1 member of the Avengers.
- ?
Rewards: 1000 EXP, new skill, new title.
Bonus Rewards: ?
Run it Back!As if once wasn't good enough, you have decided that beating the aliens further was needed, and are going back a second time.
Objectives: (Due to the nature of the quest, the incomplete objectives for Tutorial have been forwarded here)
- Rescue 100 Civilians
- Defeat 50 Enemies
- Defeat 100 Enemies
- Find and Complete Quest: Run it Back!
Rewards: New Skill, 500 EXP, New Skill, New Ability, New Shrine Location, 2 000 EXP
Canine Courier! You were given an item of relatively little importance to borrow! Honour dictates you must return it in a timely manner.
Objective:
- Give Steve's coat back to him within 24 hours.
Rewards:
- 10 praise, 1 Skill Point
Terry's Triumph! You have been enlisted by a little girl to help her brother, Terry, who is in a rather dark period in his life.
Objective: Visit Terry, make him feel better.
Secondary Objective: Make him better.
Rewards: 100XP, 75 Praise from each member of the family, +2 Charaisma
Secondary Rewards: 1000XP, New Ability, New Active Mission
Future Quests:
Missions:
Health Hound: Heal the sick and injured!
Rewards: 50XP, 50 Praise (per person)
Number of people healed: 1
Items:
SHIELD collar – Provides access to communications and location tracking. Has emergency button
- Upgrade to Ultron AI collar who provides snarky commentary on everything
- Nanite collar for protection near the end
2x Chitauri Spears
Map of Hospitals
Various paint cans and brushes.
Familiars:
A Familiar is a companion based in magic that you have complete control of, whether it be orders, or just vague instructions. Familiars can complete tasks and assignments, as well as fight for you, and attempt to find solutions to problems you give them.
The Twins: A pair of black/obsidian wolves with white Amaterasu markings, and glowing red eyes. They are larger than Amaterasu in height and weight. The Twins are able to be completely controlled by you down to every individual action, or ordered to accomplish a task, such as being your bodyguards. Each one may act independently of the other. They cannot inherently use magic but can draw upon your own magic abilities to use in place of their own. They will grow as you do, and will respawn back at the Shrine after a period of 12 hours.
Amaterasu Character Sheet
Name: Amaterasu Reborn
Titles: Dog, Hero of New York, Not a Stray, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Minor Celebrity
HP: 1 000/1 000
MP: 1 100/1 100
Level: 34
Strength: 50 + 11
Vitality: 50
Agility: 52
Intelligence: 55
Wisdom: 50
Charisma: 50 + 10% + 10%
Luck: 41 +10%
Skill Points: 0
Praise: 15 748
EXP = 5n^3 / 4
Follow Slow Pokemon level up process
UPDATE: Do whatever the fuck, numbers are hard.
Titles:
Dog - Who's a good dog? You are! Non-spiritual and non-divine beings only see you as a standard, if large, canine. Gives +10% increase to Charisma and Luck. Can be further upgraded. (Inherited Title)
Hero of New York: You're a hero! For participating in the Battle of New York and saving civilians (on camera, no less) people in New York will give you 50% more praise, and are more likely to help you or feed you. They are also more likely to visit a Shrine once you decide on the placement of the structure. (Quest Reward)
Not a Stray: You've been seen in public interacting with and around the Avengers. People automatically assume you are one of their pets, and will treat you accordingly. Animal control won't harass you and authorities give you more leeway. (Quest Reward)
Minor Celebrity – Hey, you look familiar! People are starting to recognize you to some extent. +10% to Charisma.
Sorcerer's Apprentice: Magic is becoming second nature to you. Magic cost reduced by 10% and new magics are easier to learn.
FUTURE:
Avenger – Part of the team! As an Avenger you have presence globally, and people recognize you! Heroes and morally good people automatically trust you and welcome you to some extent, while Villains and morally evil people fear you or hate you to some extent. Praise gain increases by 25%. As an Avenger you get access to secret quests and missions that you wouldn't normally have access to.
Skills:
Celestial Brush lvl MAX: (Inherited Skill)
- Sunrise: Amaterasu's signature brush technique, free of cost. Shifts the rotation of the current planet to reflect the placement of the brush technique in the sky. Be careful with this technique, it may cause mass panic and bring unwanted attention.
- Rejuvenation lvl 3: Restores buildings and objects to a previous undamaged state. May be used on people to heal wounds that are visible. Cost depends on the size and extent of the damage, and how serious the wound is on an individual. 20% more efficient and effective.
- Power Slash: A powerful strike through reality itself, rending enemies or cutting through objects. Cost is dependent on intent and the size of the slash. Cannot harm Amaterasu or individuals she does not wish to harm.
- Bloom lvl 3: A powerful and versatile move that has few combat uses. The technique will restore plant life to its most healthy state and create new blooms of flowers and plants native to the area, unless otherwise intended. When used on a person it gives them energy and restores stamina. 20% more efficient and effective.
- Veil of Mist: A powerful yet straightforward technique that has little variation. Slow time to a near-stop (20% speed) for 5 seconds (from your perspective) allowing you to sneak past enemies, attack quick moving foes, and travel across quickly moving and rotating surfaces. Each use of the skill costs 50MP.
- Crescent: A relative technique of Amaterasu's signature brush technique, also free of cost. Shifts rotation of the planet and adjusts the positioning of the moon to mimic that of a crescent, or any other phase the user desires. Be careful with this technique, it may cause mass panic and bring unwanted attention.
- Blizzard: Using your Celestial Brush you can draw a trail of ice from an existing source of ice. The ice will only last temporarily and will shatter and evaporate faster than normal ice. Cost is determined by length of the brush stroke.
- Additional Brush skills currently locked.
Inventory lvl 1: The ability to create a pocket dimension to store a potentially infinite number of items. The size of the inventory is limited by current base Strength x 2 in Kilograms. Additional expansions and upgrades are available. (Gifted Skill)
Weapon Manipulation lvl 1: By using the space around you and your mental abilities, you can wield weapons without touching them. The weaponry will float just off your body, and will stay secured unless a force can overcome your Telekinesis. You can control 2 weapons at once, and the weaponry can move up to 5 meters (16.4 feet) from your body in any direction. There is no cost to using the weapons bonded to you through your Inventory use unless they require a charge or are magical in nature. (Inherited Skill/Space Stone & Mind Stone Skill)
Adrenaline lvl 1: Passively increases all stats by 10% when in battle. Actively increases all stats by 20% and increases your perception of time slightly, at a cost of 10MP every 5 seconds. (Battle Skill)
Sprint lvl 1: Increases your Agility by 100% at the time of use. Costs 10MP every second of use. (level 25 Agility Skill)
Might lvl 1: Increases your Strength by 100% at the time of use. Costs 10MP every second of use. (level 25 Strength Skill)
Flash Step lvl 1: You can teleport (kind of)! Work the energy of space around you and teleport a small distance in any direction. You cannot teleport into a solid surface; safeguards will keep you from being cut in half. Teleport 1 meter (3.28 feet) in any direction at a cost of 25MP per jump, with a cooldown time of 5 seconds between each usage of the skill. (Space Stone Skill)
Time Manipulation lvl 1: Move yourself, items, and people forward or backward through time! Moving yourself through time will cost 50MP for 1 second regardless if it's forward or back. Time Manipulation can be focused upon yourself and moving yourself directly through time to another point in your timeline, while focusing around yourself will allow you to travel back in time, when you already existed, making you another version of yourself in that time! Be careful not to create paradoxes. The cost for moving people through time is the same as yourself, while moving objects is dependant on the size, states of the object, and how powerful it is. (Time Stone Skill)
Edge of Tomorrow: Restart the day! Rewind a whole 24 hours through or around yourself, and start the day over again. Due to the immense energy requirements, the Time Stone will provide the power to use this skill. After usage, you must wait 15 days before using the skill again to let the Time Stone recharge. Plan your usage wisely! (Time Stone Special Ability)
Minor Telekinesis lvl 1: The ability to push, pull, lift, and otherwise influence the physical world with your mind. The limit of your telekinetic abilities is defined by your Strength + Intelligence divided by 2, to anything in your line of sight. The cost of Telekinesis is the weight of the object in kilograms per second of exertion on the object. (Mind Stone Skill)
Minor Illusion lvl 1: Create an illusion you control that can influence how you are seen. Creating an illusion costs 20MP + 5MP per second to maintain an illusion of your size. Scales according to the size of the illusion: An illusion twice your size will cost 40MP + 10MP per second. (Assimilated from Loki)
Ice Manipulation lvl 1: You can create ice barriers out of thin air, freeze water, or evaporate solid ice. Your usage of the skill determines the cost. Forming floating chunks of ice on top of water will cost less than creating a barrier of ice on dry land. (Assimilated from Loki)
Shield lvl 1: You frequently put yourself in harm's way for others and are a shield for the innocent. You can now create barriers of magic of a variety of size and shapes to defend against attacks, both magical and physical, and you can control what passes through them. Shields can be linked directly to your magic to drain MP instead of HP, or be given a set amount of durability based on the MP you put into it.
Dread lvl 1: You went back in time just to hunt down more enemies and slaughter them. Your bloodlust is able to be projected in an aura around you, intimidating foes or causing them to feel fear and make mistakes. Power of Dread depends on the MP put into the skill and your Charisma. Can combine with Illusions to enhance the effect.
FUTURE
Abilities:
Double Jump: Allows the user to jump after jumping! By pushing off of nothingness and making a brief platform under yourself, you can jump twice. (Quest Reward/Inherited Skill)
Parallel Processing: Having to focus on one thing at a time is for mortals! As a (soon to be) Goddess, you don't have such a limitation. Can focus on multiple tasks and ideas at once without having to switch from one to another. (level 25 Intelligence Ability)
Mana Attuned: You are not wholly mortal. Your body has become accustomed to magic and can pull in more energy from the world around you. +100% MP recovery rate. (level 25 Wisdom Ability)
Enduring: Using your divine nature, you can force yourself to keep going just that little bit longer. Survive a blow that would have killed you with 1HP remaining only once. Enduring resets only after having reached full health. (level 25 Vitality Ability)
Skill Creation: You're smart, you're skilled, and you're lucky. Attempting new skills or usage of magic has a higher chance of success. (level 25 Luck Ability)
Animal Whisperer: As Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun and Nature you have the ability to communicate with all animals, and can usually convince them to help you with a task. (level 25 Charisma Ability/Inherited Ability)
Calming Presence: You naturally project an aura of warmth and comfort. People will be calmer in your presence and more likely to open up to you about their problems. Will not work on beings antagonistic toward you. (Mind Stone Ability)
Healing Aura lvl 3: As the Goddess of the Sun, you radiate a warmth and magic that can heal injuries over time, and cures illnesses. The closer someone is to you physically, the quicker they will feel the benefits of your healing. 20% more efficient and effective.
Magical Core: You have become more familiar with the mystic arts and magic is a part of your central being. Double your Mana pool. (level 50 Intelligence Ability)
Shrine Management: You can create shrines, teleport to a shrine once every 3 hours, and can spend Praise for items, skills, improvements, and more. Your first shrine will be placed for you.
- Shrine Locations:
o Central Park (Tier 1)
§ Effects Active:
· Slow magical release into the wilderness.
·
- Shrine Chapter 8 Descriptions:
o You have entered the vicinity of your Shrine. You may teleport to a shrine location once every three hours. When within your Shrines, your MP and HP recover at twice their usual rate. Shrines are locations where people can visit to leave you offerings and give you Praise, passively generating Praise for you.
o Any location with a Shrine active will gradually have magic returned to the land, making the plants and people healthier, and increasing the quality of life nearby. People will be happier and more empathetic in regions influenced by your Shrine, further increasing quality of life. The cyclical nature of the Shrine's benefits means a guaranteed passive income of Praise.
o Congratulations! You are the proud owner of a Shrine. Within the Shrine you can perform upgrades to the Shrine, redecorate, and much more! The Shrine Network has it's own Inventory for furniture, decorations, and donations so you do not need to carry them around! How convenient!
o When within the boundaries of your Shrine(s) you can use the Praise you have gathered to enhance your skills and abilities, purchase items and weapons, add upgrades to your Shrine, and much more! Any Praise gathered will be immediately seen and available to you to use, however the fastest way to earn Praise is to help people achieve their goals or make a noticeable improvement to someone's life.
o Donations to your Shrine will be added to the Shrine Inventory Network after a period of 24 hours, or if you manually add them yourself. Money will be converted into a digital currency that will be converted to any region's standard form of payment, or you can withdraw it in physical form. All finances will be added to your standard Inventory as they do not carry weight to them unless made physical.
Tanky: You're a damage sponge. Double your current health pool.
FUTURE:
Determined: Numbers and logic don't mean anything to a divine being's willpower. Can surpass limits of the JAWS system with sufficient willpower, but strain yourself and feel repercussions later.
Sheet info:
HP – Health Points: Your total health pool. Taking damage will reduce the amount of Health Points you have. If your Health Points drop to 0 you will die.
MP – Mana Points: Your total mana pool. Using magical or spiritual techniques or moves will decrease your Mana Points. If your Mana Points drop to 0 you will be reduced to your base form – Currently: Wolf.
Level - Your current level. Increase your level by defeating enemies, completing objectives, and helping people with their problems. Every increase in your level will gain you 5 additional Skill Points.
Strength – "For a true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart." A representation of your raw physical power. Strength influences how much you can lift, drag, throw, how high you can jump, how powerfully you can push off from a stand still, and your total Inventory capacity. Increase your Strength through physical labour and straining yourself physically, or through Skill Points.
Vitality – "It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." A representation of your health and your ability to endure damage. Vitality influences your total Health Points and Health Point recovery, and how long you can fight, run yourself, and exert without needing a break. Increase your Vitality through taking damage and exerting yourself physically, or through Skill Points.
Agility – "I'll have you know that I have the reflexes of a cat and the speed of a mongoose. Throw it. I dare you!" A representation of your speed and movement abilities. Agility influences how fast you can run, your acrobatic ability, your agility, and reaction time. Increase your Agility through running at high speeds, complex movements, and evading attacks, or through Skill Points.
Intelligence – "You know what the problem is with being the smartest person in the world? Everyone else seems stupid!" A representation of how smart you are. Intelligence influences how quickly you can learn new skills, solve puzzles and problems, make smart decisions, and your total Mana Points. Increase your Intelligence through solving puzzles, learning new skills and abilities, making intelligent decisions, and studying, or through Skill Points.
Wisdom – "Before the battle of the fist comes the battle of the mind." A representation of how wise you are, and how well you can put your Intelligence to use. Wisdom influences your magical resistance, coming up with new solutions to situations, and Mana Point recovery.
Charisma – "The reason we're successful, darling? My overall charisma, of course." A representation of how charming and charismatic you are. Charisma influences how well you can sway another's mind and opinions, how you come across to others, and how others view you. Increase your Charisma by persuading others and endearing yourself to them, or through Skill Points.
Luck – "Yep! This cricket's a lucky one!" A representation of your luckiness. Luck influences how situations come out in your favour, and the odds of something benefitting you, or of coming across unique situations and items. Increase your Luck through gambling and being lucky, or through Skill Points.
Skill Points – Points gained from leveling up. Use these points to increase your skills and enhance yourself further. Spend them wisely.
Praise – Praise and good karma gained by helping people and their belief in you. Can be spent at a shrine as a form of currency to purchase upgrades to yourself, your skills, weapons, tools and abilities. It pays to help people.
Biological Abilities:
Wolf – Can do what a wolf does.
Quests Active:
The Infinity Saga- You have come into contact with one of the six aspects of this universe, items of immense power and rarity called the Infinity Stones. Each one controls an aspect of this universe: space, time, reality, power, mind, and soul. As a (former) God, you can wield these better than most.
Objective:
- Come into contact with all six Infinity Stones. (Mind, Space, Time)
Reward:
- Increased understanding of the nature of the universe, and manipulation of these forces to some degree.
- One Skill or Ability relating to each of the stones.
Bonus Objective:
- Collect all six Infinity Stones.
Bonus Reward:
- Immense power and control over this universe. With enough power and understanding, power and control over all universes, dimensions, and realities.
Besties!Befriend every member of the Avengers that you fought with during the Battle of New York. 3/7! (Clint Barton, Hulk, Steve Rogers)
Rewards: New title, 1500 EXP, new skill of your choice.
Hunt for the Darkhold! You have found several pages of a powerful book of Dark Magic. These pieces are scattered across the globe. The pages of the Darkhold protect themselves by draining magic and are impossible to find without having access to other pages.
Objective: Collect all 200 pages of the Darkhold.
- Currently collected: 7/200
Secondary Objective: Keep the pages from being gathered by people who seek to use the book. Destroy the Darkhold.
- Learn how to destroy the Darkhold.
Rewards: ?
Failure: ?
Quests Completed:
Tutorial – Welcome to your new home, get yourself familiar with the place.
Objectives:
- Survive your first day in the new world.
- Rescue 10 Civilians.
- Defeat 10 Enemies.
Bonus Objectives:
- Rescue 50 Civilians.
- Rescue 100 Civilians.
- Defeat 50 Enemies.
- Defeat 100 Enemies.
- Befriend at least 1 member of the Avengers.
- ?
Rewards: 1000 EXP, new skill, new title.
Bonus Rewards: ?
Run it Back!As if once wasn't good enough, you have decided that beating the aliens further was needed, and are going back a second time.
Objectives: (Due to the nature of the quest, the incomplete objectives for Tutorial have been forwarded here)
- Rescue 100 Civilians
- Defeat 50 Enemies
- Defeat 100 Enemies
- Find and Complete Quest: Run it Back!
Rewards: New Skill, 500 EXP, New Skill, New Ability, New Shrine Location, 2 000 EXP
Canine Courier! You were given an item of relatively little importance to borrow! Honour dictates you must return it in a timely manner.
Objective:
- Give Steve's coat back to him within 24 hours.
Rewards:
- 10 praise, 1 Skill Point
Terry's Triumph! You have been enlisted by a little girl to help her brother, Terry, who is in a rather dark period in his life.
Objective: Visit Terry, make him feel better.
Secondary Objective: Make him better.
Rewards: 100XP, 75 Praise from each member of the family, +2 Charaisma
Secondary Rewards: 1000XP, New Ability, New Active Mission
Future Quests:
Missions:
Health Hound: Heal the sick and injured!
Rewards: 50XP, 50 Praise (per person)
Number of people healed: 1
Items:
SHIELD collar – Provides access to communications and location tracking. Has emergency button
- Upgrade to Ultron AI collar who provides snarky commentary on everything
- Nanite collar for protection near the end
2x Chitauri Spears
Map of Hospitals
Various paint cans and brushes.
Familiars:
A Familiar is a companion based in magic that you have complete control of, whether it be orders, or just vague instructions. Familiars can complete tasks and assignments, as well as fight for you, and attempt to find solutions to problems you give them.
The Twins: A pair of black/obsidian wolves with white Amaterasu markings, and glowing red eyes. They are larger than Amaterasu in height and weight. The Twins are able to be completely controlled by you down to every individual action, or ordered to accomplish a task, such as being your bodyguards. Each one may act independently of the other. They cannot inherently use magic but can draw upon your own magic abilities to use in place of their own. They will grow as you do, and will respawn back at the Shrine after a period of 12 hours.
Omake 1 - Killian Oil Platform in Iron Man 3 Setting
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- He/Him
Killian gave growl and hurled that impossible wolf over the edge of the oil rig. He watched with narrowed eyes as the massive lupine sailed out of sight, plummeting multiple stories down to the solid platform beneath.
He had finally done it. Nothing else could stand in his way. Stark was running out of suits, and was exhausted. His soldiers were getting to their feet once more, fatal injuries recovered at an impossible rate. He had won.
Flames flickered out of his mouth when Killian sighed. He brushed himself off and stood tall once more. Now, he could get to what was important. Soon, the president would be killed, and the Vice President would take over. He would have all the funding he could want.
He had won. He proved Stark wrong. He was unstoppable! He was-
Interrupted by a short, sharp growl rising from behind him. Killian grit his teeth and whipped around, his skin rippling with the power of Extremis, his rage building. He faltered as the perfect, spotless form of the wolf floated into view once more.
She stood on the back of two Iron Man suits, paws planted firmly. The wolf floated higher and higher, the suits rising gradually. The glow of the moon highlighted her fur; the wolf glowed with the power of the celestial body overhead. Amaterasu growled and whipped her head skyward, unleashing a powerful, chest rattling howl to the sky.
Killian clenched his hands. He was fucked.
He had finally done it. Nothing else could stand in his way. Stark was running out of suits, and was exhausted. His soldiers were getting to their feet once more, fatal injuries recovered at an impossible rate. He had won.
Flames flickered out of his mouth when Killian sighed. He brushed himself off and stood tall once more. Now, he could get to what was important. Soon, the president would be killed, and the Vice President would take over. He would have all the funding he could want.
He had won. He proved Stark wrong. He was unstoppable! He was-
Interrupted by a short, sharp growl rising from behind him. Killian grit his teeth and whipped around, his skin rippling with the power of Extremis, his rage building. He faltered as the perfect, spotless form of the wolf floated into view once more.
She stood on the back of two Iron Man suits, paws planted firmly. The wolf floated higher and higher, the suits rising gradually. The glow of the moon highlighted her fur; the wolf glowed with the power of the celestial body overhead. Amaterasu growled and whipped her head skyward, unleashing a powerful, chest rattling howl to the sky.
Killian clenched his hands. He was fucked.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Oh you know I'm gonna be adding that in. Someone already discussed making her dress up as Randy Savage or someone over the top and goofy who would totally go along with it.
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Yes! I really appreciate it!Wooo! Glad to hear mine and @Bond674 rambling inspired you! And it was a pretty funny scene too. Not only did she get to tease her friends a bit, she even got to let her inner shipper out! A good party all around I'd say.
I've got a ton of other snippets and short ideas and other universe crossovers to do. Unfortunately if I follow through I'm going to eb writing Ammy for y e a r s, which, might not be a bad thing.
If I get around to having Nat actually show Ammy the short video you linked a while back I'll make sure to mention ya again, I didn't include it this time around or else the snippet would be actual chapter length hehe.
xbox432
Lover of Editing
If they aren't careful she'll put FedEx out of business!
You've seriously captured Ammy's personality perfectly, and the way Steve and her compliment each other is just wonderful. I absolutely ship Best Boy and Best Girl, haha. Kind of reminds me of the Ammy and Waka duo now that I think about it. Aside from the wonderful characterization going on here, I'm really enjoying the avoidance of canon railroading due to all of Amaterasu's actions during the invasion.
My weird rambling aside, I'm deeply loving this story and looking forward to see where you go with it, and I'm absolutely thrilled I came across this story!
This made me curious, but how well known is Amaterasu here? Thor obviously recognized her, but him being a god as well makes sense. However, I notice here that everyone is mentioned as trying to learn more, but nothing about her divinity (despite everyone specifically looking her up by name) was mentioned. Did no one make the connection, or is Japanese mythology (at least with regards to Amaterasu) not well known like it is in real life?
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First of all thank you a ton. I really try to make sure the characters stay true to who they are, and you saying that just makes me absurdly happy.
I am trying to avoid railroading, because I've read so many stories that tried to follow it and failed halfway through because they tried to just follow the MCU. Some events will still occur, like how the Convergence will happen with Dark Elves and all, but I think by the time that rolls around Ammy is going to steamroll everyone and be a goof while doing it.
In regards to Amaterasu being well known, sure some people will immediately connect the wolf to the sun goddess. Though other people will be more skeptical and not really believe it despite videos of healing. She hasn't really demonstrated her command of the sun, nor anything related to it, so most of the people think that it's more of a reference to the goddess, and not actually the goddess. Like how some super heroes have deity names but they aren't the actual gods.
Or even take Loki and Thor for example. All the mythology and tales have built them up to be these crazy powerful beings, shapeshifters, able to harness elements and reality how they see fit. While in reality they're just really strong aliens with powerful tech and some strong "magic" so there's a bit of a disconnect. Some people are gonna believe that they are the gods. Some won't. But everyone knows them by name, so even if Thor isn't *Thor the God* he's still someone that can wield lightning and is pretty strong. So regardless of if he is the diety, people know him as an Avenger and some human-looking guy that helped.
Trying to characterize the same level of disconnect with Amaterasu. Like how Tony sees "magic dog" and not "Goddess of the Sun", though others will be impassive or will genuinely accept her as a goddess.
Sorry if that's confusing. I'm trying to keep the interactions realistic and I know there's a variety of opinions on the topics.
Oh no I understood you perfectly; having caught up (which made me sad lol) I see why people were a bit slow with making the connection considering everything going on, especially with Thor and Loki being more alien than god.
And again all I can say is that the characterization is just beautiful. I love how you're taking the time to show Amaterasu when she's emotionally vulnerable and homesick, and at the same time you show her strength of character by having her do all in her power to help despite her situation. And Steve being there for her (glad to finally see him back!) was also just sweet, and the way he started rambling to her about letting her stay over if she needed to just made me ship them more.
Anyway, I've definitely got this added to my watch list and I dearly look forward to seeing it continue. I'm especially eager to see Ammy go all out when she's regained a little of her strength, and I'm glad you didn't decide to nerf her or anything.
Chapter 16 - Flickering Flames
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- He/Him
Apologies for the delay. I was stuck with the Mystery Dungeon chapter then had to rewrite this one three times over. I do have the next threeish chapters planned out so there shouldn't be as much of a delay. Hopefully. This is more of a setup chapter than anything, so apologies if it's not as exciting as normal.
Steve Rogers woke up at the crack of dawn, as usual. The old military habits were difficult to break, but he found a sense of comfort in the familiar routine. The world may have changed around him, different people, culture shifts, new technology, and more. However, the repetitive dawn and dusk of the sun was one of the few constants he could depend on. The sun didn't care about new technology, or the rise and fall of civilization. It simply was. That simplicity was comforting. No matter what happened, it would always be there, giving life and warmth to the planet.
He got dressed and made his way to the living room of his apartment. The place was small, but generally nice. The walls barren, and the rooms fairly empty. He would be fixing that soon. Maybe he should drag Ammy shopping with him for various items. The apartment was only a few blocks away from where he grew up, so the area was familiar to an extent. SHIELD was kind enough to fund his residency as long as he worked for them; one of the minor perks of working for a super secret government organization.
Rounding the corner, Steve fully expected to see the wolf asleep on that big nest of blankets and clothing she curled up on last night. However, the pile of fabric was very much wolf-less. The only indication Amaterasu had even been there in the first place was the frankly absurd amount of white fur left behind; how the wolf wasn't bare at this point was beyond him.
"Good morning," Steve called out. Silence was the only response. He took a moment and then continued. "I was planning on heading to the store to grab some stuff for breakfast." He waited for a reply from the food-motivated lupine.
Still nothing. If that didn't get the wolf to come running, then she must truly be gone. Odd, but not unexpected. She was likely running around the city already, popping by hospitals to help, or terrorizing the locals by sprinting laps around Central Park. Maybe she was visiting her shrine. Whatever it was that she got up to in her free time.
Considering his current active mission was to 'keep her out of trouble' Steve decided a quick trip to Central Park was in order. He decided against anything to hide his face or make it harder to recognize him, just in case any of the public tried to harass him for going into her shrine.
The plainclothes Captain America left his apartment and began an early morning jog through the streets. Jog was relative, of course, considering his speed was far higher than that of any normal person. Most cars on the streets didn't have the speed to keep up due to the traffic and congestion of the roads, so going on foot was faster for Steve.
Weaving around people, through cars, or keeping to one side of the footpath, Steve's 'jog' took him to Central Park from Brooklyn in roughly thirty minutes. He could have gone faster, but he didn't want to go too crazy before even having breakfast. Besides, it was a nice morning out, relatively warm, and he wanted to enjoy himself. Sure a few people were startled or snapped some photos of him during his run, but overall, it was just a wonderful morning to be outside.
Eventually, he came upon Central Park, slowing down to a walk as he entered the area. He kept his eye out for any speeding blurs of white fluff in the distance, readying himself to be slammed into by the monstrous wolf. There was nothing, though. Still, it wasn't unexpected, and he made his way toward the shrine.
In the back of his mind, he wondered if the existence of the shrine broke any property laws or violated some city code. The fact that the structure was still here weeks after just appearing spoke volumes. Either SHIELD was forcing the city to keep it, the mayor was grateful for the wolf's efforts, or the public outcry for removing it would be large enough to warrant a blind eye to the structure.
Steve eventually came upon the shrine and glanced around. Amaterasu hadn't been seen publicly since she entered the building in the center. People were still waiting outside for her. Fortunately, that number seemed to dwindle as they noticed that, even after the sun came up, there was still no sign of the wolf. The only remaining ones seemed to be the stubborn or desperate ones, looking for some impossible help, or some news coverage of the magical lupine.
The few dozen that remained sat around aimlessly, cameras set up or leaned up against the wall, plucking at grass or texting on their phones. When Steve approached, several people looked up, before returning to their devices. It took a moment, but then they did a double-take, recognizing the Avenger from the news. There was a scramble as one moved to approach him, only for Steve to walk right by with an "excuse me."
He took a quick glance at the artwork he and Amaterasu had painted, giving a faint smile at the sight. It was still in perfect condition; vibrant, messy, and just as fun as when they first made it. The paint even looked damp, and if he squinted, it almost seemed like the water was flowing and the leaves were shifting; a trick of the light, perhaps.
Still, he walked by, ignoring those that began to call out to him. His first priority was checking on the 'goddess', and then he'd be happy to talk to the others. He made his way up the stone pathway, glancing over to the vibrant pink trees, and the brilliant green grass. There was a new addition in the corner, some kind of plant, but he was unsure what type it was. Maybe Ammy was taking up gardening. Hobbies were incredibly important, and she seemed to have a natural affinity toward art and caring for plant life.
Steve approached the structure in the center of the shrine, climbing onto the surprisingly spotless steps. He would have expected people to be entering and exiting constantly. He knocked and waited a moment. Then, knocked once more. He raised a brow and pushed open the doors after hearing nothing within. He stepped into the shrine proper and glanced around. It was empty.
Well, there went that idea. With no wolf sprinting toward him, nor running laps around the park, and not in either his apartment or the shrine, that left few places she could be. She couldn't be running around to hospitals, because the people on their phones outside seemed bored, and not actively following posts about the live location of the lupine. Unfortunately for them, Steve did have a way to find Ammy.
The super soldier left the shrine and began making his way toward the SHIELD headquarters. Thankfully, her collar tracker would allow Steve to find her exact location. He didn't enjoy using it because it felt like an invasion of privacy to him. Magic wolves deserved privacy too.
Still, he had a mission to do at the behest of Fury, and he would make sure Ammy kept out of trouble. He'd rather not have powerful authority figures breathing down the neck of someone whom he empathized so closely with.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Killian. It's nice to finally talk to you."
"Who is this?"
"A friend, of sorts. The person you called came to my boss, who came to me. You're playing with fire, involving someone as high profile as Amaterasu in your project."
"Oh, am I? I can assure you, you don't know the first thing about playing with fire. Choose your words carefully. Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I work for an organization that is very interested in projects like yours. We would like to acquire some of it. Of course, that would be a benefit to you; we can fund your research further, and we have certain… allies in the government that can get you out of a hot spot and offer protections, should it ever come to that."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Well, Amaterasu is currently on your private jet, heading toward you now. We did that. We've also disabled the tracking and communications on her collar. I'd recommend you find a way to remove it and destroy it within twenty-four hours, just so SHIELD doesn't have the option to find her. We're ensuring that everything appears normal, so you should have ample time to complete your project."
"I see… and what would you require of me?"
"Finish the project, quickly if you can. Put aside a batch of a dozen samples for us to collect at a later date. If Amaterasu's abilities don't work out, we'll personally fund your project with several million dollars a month for the next year, or until its completion. Whichever comes first."
"And if I refuse?"
"We'll kill the Vice President's daughter and remove any leverage you have."
"I see."
"I look forward to working with you, Killian."
Amaterasu's day began as any other one did: with the dawn. Her morning had been brief, as she had less than an hour to get to the airport and meet Maya there. Before leaving she decided to prepare for the road. Using the trick that Christine Palmer had shown her—she was enthused to know the paw placement worked—the wolf opened Steve's fridge and took a box of leftover pizza.
…and an extra slice, which dangled from her jaws as she ran through the streets, not bothering to cloak herself in an illusion. It was early and she didn't find it busy enough to warrant hiding herself. That did lead to a photo or two of the wolf being taken, with her fur slicked back in the wind, eyes wide, pizza dangling from her jaws as she ran. Not that she noticed, too busy trying to figure out how to sprint and eat at the same time. She hadn't worked out the proper method by the time she had reached the plane, unfortunately.
The flight itself had also been a unique experience. Sure, she had flown on that Quinjet before when she had to sneak aboard the Helicarrier, but this was different. She didn't have to hide, conceal her magic, or teleport herself through the floor of the flying vehicle every twenty minutes or so. Instead, she had the freedom to run around, wander up and down the aisles, and explore! She had even found some snacks stashed up by the pilot's chair, much to the woman's extreme dislike. The swatting hands and panicked shrieking, followed by the lurch of the plane had led to Ammy cutting her exploration short. It was like the pilot had never been face-to-face with a wolf before. Humans were so weird sometimes.
Instead, she decided to curl up and have a nap right in the middle of the floor. It was only Ammy, Maya, and the pilot, so the lack of room to wander wasn't really a concern. That, and they didn't have any bench seats installed! It was truly a crime not to have a nice flat surface to drape herself across. If she were to complain, the lack of breakfast foods on board was also disappointing. Still, the views were nice and the company friendly, so she found the flight easy to handle when she wasn't napping.
At the end of the flight—and a really good nap—Ammy followed Maya off the plane and into another vehicle. This one was far comfier and fancier inside than Stephen Strange's sports car. Everything inside was plush, soft, and tasted weird. She ignored the confused looks she received from two of the larger men sitting in the vehicle, and merely gave Maya a happy, tongue-lolled-out grin. Then, went back to exploring around while the vehicle moved to their destination, complete with huffs and snorks and little licks of various surfaces.
A short ride later and the Goddess of the Sun found herself standing before a massive home. Sure, the safe house that Steve and Natasha and Clint stayed in was decently roomy. This place could likely house ten of those buildings and still have room left over. Ammy's jaw dropped as she took it all in, glancing around at the greenery surrounding the white building, then the pillars, and finally, the gorgeous view out over the water.
"Pretty nice, right?" Maya spoke up from Ammy's side. The wolf closed her jaws with a click and looked up at the woman, tilting her head to the side. "This is my boss's place, but he lets us stay here. It's nice being able to work from home like this. And come on, all the nature around us? It's wonderful."
Amaterasu couldn't help but agree, nodding to the woman. Truly this place was wonderful, and a fantastic display of artwork and cohabitation alongside nature. Sure, the large concrete slab beneath their feet wasn't the most visually appealing, and Ammy would have much preferred a small brick path, but she kept her complaints to herself. After all, it was a far cry better than the bland, dreary mess of New York. Not that the city was boring, just that, other than Central Park, some screens, and signs, most of the city felt lacking; artificial in a way. This place avoided those issues entirely, and gave a sense of fulfillment and a connection to nature that Ammy hadn't been able to feel outside of the parks and limited greenspace in New York.
"Well, come on inside. I can show you around after, but I want to introduce you to my boss," Maya spoke, walking forward. Amaterasu padded along behind her, her tail wagging. "You know, he's a big fan of nature too. He wanted all the trees and land to remain mostly untouched, and then added in those fancy bushes and everything. Though, I think some trees there might look better. Cherry trees, perhaps?"
Maya turned to wink at the wolf, and Ammy barked happily in response. Amaterasu was very much enjoying this little trip so far. It wasn't too terribly far away from New York as far as running went, there was green everywhere, and apparently the person that wanted to meet her loved nature! This was looking to be a wonderful little adventure indeed.
Making their way inside, Amaterasu was greeted with the sight of multiple people standing in the middle of the room. They were all rather imposing compared to the regular citizens she interacted with daily. Faces set with scowls or neutral expressions, standing upright and on guard. The room was a little warm, but not overly so; it felt as if a space heater was running constantly. Her eyes flitted over the people standing around—some of them with guns at their hip—and focused on the very cheery, fancily dressed man standing in the middle. Despite the rough-looking individuals, the atmosphere of the room was relaxed, and the warm air easy to take in.
"Maya, right on time. I trust you had a good trip?" The man spoke, stepping forward to draw the woman into a hug. Maya tensed a little, looking uncomfortable and confused, but returned the hug after a moment. "I'm almost jealous, I haven't been to New York in quite some time. But, ah, where are my manners?" He released his hold on the woman and brushed off his suit, turning to face the wolf.
"You must be Amaterasu. My name is Aldrich Killian, owner, and founder, of Advanced Idea Mechanics," Aldrich spoke in a calm, collected voice. Very professional indeed, his mannerisms reminded Ammy of how Pepper talked to her. It made sense, considering Pepper ran Tony's company, that Aldrich would have similar mannerisms and speech.
Killian kneeled down and stuck out a hand, holding it out for Ammy to shake as if he were greeting any other person. The Goddess was delighted by this, and sat down, raising a paw and dropping it into his hand with a meaty smack. She liked this interaction quite a lot. No worship or looking up to her, nor begging for her attention. They were coming across as equals, and the wolf greatly appreciated that. After a brief handshake and a squeeze from Killian, the two separated.
"I apologize, but I do have to say it. I wasn't really sure what to make of you at first when I saw you on the news." Killian stood up, and wiped his hand on his pantleg with a quick move. "But then I saw the video of you healing someone on the street. Then there were more videos, more people." He seemed excited; his grin impossible to hide. "Then there were the hospitals. Everyone here was impressed," the people around him nodded, "when we heard what you did. Thousands of people! Healing cuts, broken bones, even some light cancers and tumors! Hospitalizations for some addictions were cured. I teared up a little when I saw little Terry and Amelia on TV telling everyone what you did."
Ammy's tail wagged faster at that, and she gave an excited little yip. She was just doing what anyone with her abilities should do, no thanks required. Though, some praise and acknowledgment were incredibly helpful and kind. All of this coming from someone that treated her as an equal felt nice, and it was clear that Aldrich had done his research before trying to reach out to her.
"What you did, what you are doing, is exactly the kind of thing we're looking for here at AIM," Aldrich continued. He took a step back and Maya followed him, coming to stand at his side. Aldrich spread his arms and gestured to the people around him. "Amaterasu, what you see here are people who have been hurt by this world. They went out to keep their friends, family, and country safe and were hurt for it. Some of their friends and colleagues were killed. He," Killian pointed to a man on his right, "lost his leg when his friend stepped on a landmine. She," he gestured to a woman on his left, "lost her arm up to the shoulder when shrapnel from a car bomb hit her."
Amaterasu stood in a mix of horror, confusion, and sadness. These people being hurt and killed for trying to do what was right… That made something inside of her burn just a little hotter. The world needed more people willing to do what was right and help those in need. Ammy tried to do as much herself.
"What we want to do is heal people. Help those who have been hurt and let down by society. With our project, we've been able to restore lost limbs, heal scars, and much, much more," Killian flashed a smile at that. "I myself used to be horribly impacted by my birth defects, but that didn't stop me. Using Extremis, we fixed that. Amaterasu, Ammy, I would like your help to complete our project. We are so close, and I believe your abilities will be able to push us to the finish line. We can help so many people."
Killian stepped forward and leaned down, looking at the surprised wolf. Ammy was reeling. Restoring body parts that had been cut off? Fixing the defects one was born with? A permanent, safe, working solution to helping and healing people all over the world?
She was sold. Of course, she wanted to wait and see exactly what was happening and how the process worked. But if it was as good as was being claimed…
"So, what do you say? Wanna give us that little push we need?" Killian asked, looking Ammy right in the eye. "Do you want to help us improve the lives of millions; of billions? Help us make the world a better place?"
Yes, she very much wanted to help. She was still cautious, but this seemed like a worthy endeavor. She was more than willing to give it a shot if it meant that so many lives would be touched by it and improved. In addition, being surrounded by people willing to help and those that had been assisted by the project just proved it was a successful experiment. They just needed her help to push it to perfection.
Amaterasu gave a firm nod, and an excited bark, her tail wagging freely.
Killian grinned, his perfect white teeth glimmering in the light.
Steve Rogers found himself relatively alone in one of the computer rooms within SHIELD headquarters. It was quiet. Most of the people that had been populating it finally boarded the partially repaired Helicarrier and began the trip back to the Triskelion in Washington D.C. The sudden departure left the building fairly quiet on this floor, and people were still moving their workspaces back up from the basement, or wherever they had been able to cram some extra space.
This just allowed Steve to use the computers uninterrupted, logging in with his SHIELD ID number and a password. These devices were much more his speed; physical buttons to interact with and clear, easy-to-use layouts. Nothing like those complicated all-in-one devices that people referred to as modern phones. He was starting to get used to them. However, the lack of noticeable input response threw him for a loop on more than one occasion.
Reminiscing aside, Steve rifled his way through the folder system he had access to, opening up the link for Ammy's file. Everything seemed accurate with the information, and he moved the mouse to access the interface that displayed Amaterasu's location.
Access Denied.
Steve furrowed his brow. He knew he should have access to this since he was able to check it yesterday without any issues. Why was it giving him grief now? He tried again, only to be met with the same result.
Access Denied.
Something wasn't right. Steve moved to the previous page and looked over the information once more. Her rough height and weight were listed without issue, as were the physical dimensions of the wolf. That was about the only thing that didn't have a question mark in her file. Her speed, strengths, weaknesses, and other attributes were all a list of question marks. Then there were her abilities… the list looked like it grew longer every time Steve glanced at it, and a frustrated note by one of the record keepers mentioned as much. There were even little disagreements on her physical appearance, with people unable to decide if the wolf had red markings on her fur or not. If nothing else, Amaterasu was good for causing absolute chaos in robust and standardized systems that had long been proven useful and effective.
There was a small update he hadn't noticed during his first passthrough on her page though. A little detail that hadn't been there yesterday.
Mission Status: Standby.
Now that wasn't right. Steve was meant to be watching over her and ensuring she remained in a positive light to the public—not that Amaterasu needed help with that. But he couldn't expand the information to determine what was going on. Why would she have an option for missions? When did she get the clearance for missions in the first place? This could hardly be a mistake, but would likely explain why he couldn't access her location; can't exactly be pinging tracking equipment if you're trying to stay hidden.
Attempting to request access was only met with a notification that he needed someone at a level seven security clearance or higher to approve it. That shouldn't have been the case. Fury had given him full access to Amaterasu's files, or so he said. Still, the request for access was sent through, and there was nothing he could do about it right now. He'd have to wait for notification on the phone SHIELD supplied him.
He did have the option to call Coulson, or Fury, or any number of others that he had been able to speak with in person after the whole invasion. It didn't seem extremely pressing at this moment to harass the Director, nor any of the higher-ups just yet. Steve was more than capable of checking out where the wolf normally went first. Ammy being out and about without the tracker wasn't the end of the world, and the lupine wasn't exactly helpless on her own. Heck, Steve had seen the video of her throwing Loki around and flipping the Asgardian over like it was some kind of martial arts tournament. It was highly amusing and eased his concern over the wolf.
Ammy was faster and stronger now than she had been at the time of the invasion. She'd be able to take care of herself if something came up. In addition, she had a panic button on her collar if things went poorly. She'd be fine. He was more worried about anyone else that tried to pick a fight with her.
"Rogers just tried to access Amaterasu's location, sir."
"You did what I asked?"
"Yes, sir. His access is revoked, phone disabled, and the tracking location is faked to a California address. Anything directly related to Amaterasu's file is suffering a minor communications error."
"Good, good. You managed to get access to AIM's servers?"
"Yes, sir. The intel was right, they're working on something similar to the super soldier serum. It causes the body to heal at an absurd rate, and enhances strength and reflexes. It takes gene editing and DNA sequencing to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the specifics are kept offline, so we do need to wait for their work to complete."
"That hardly matters. If it comes down to it, we collect the living users and study them. We want to prioritize the scientists and CEO. Ideally, no one notices anything and we can collect the samples like Killian said. If SHIELD decides to investigate though…"
"I have that covered, sir. I'm using AIM servers to connect to the SHIELD database. If anything goes wrong, I 'slip up' and have a signal come from their servers. SHIELD is going to think AIM was at fault for the breach. Besides, they wanted Amaterasu, this helps sell the misdirection if SHIELD notices."
"I knew I made the right decision recruiting you. Even if this whole thing fails, we still have the option to free them, and then use our agents in Congress to reroute the seized company assets. Having a company like AIM under our command will be immensely useful."
"Anything else you'd like to know, Mr. Garrett?"
"Not at the moment, keep me posted. Also, don't burn those bridges with AIM unless it's necessary to keep Hydra hidden."
"Yes, sir. Heil Hydra."
"Heil Hydra."
"It's a little frustrating, in all honesty," Aldrich admitted. "These billionaires just manage to get away with it, or it's all shuffled around and lost in a sea of paperwork. That's why when Extremis is finished, we can branch out, use it to help heal animals and plants harmed by these environmental disasters. Then, of course, use the funding to put those responsible behind bars for a long time."
Amaterasu listened in rapt attention, ears cocked to the side as the two wandered their way through the grounds of Killian's mansion. He had sent Maya off somewhere, and dismissed most of the guards that had been there when Ammy had arrived. Now it was just the wolf and Killian making their way through the trees bordering his property, followed in the distance by two of his bodyguards.
"I'm sure you can appreciate what we're working toward, Ammy," Killian glanced down to her. An affirmative bark was the only reply he needed to continue. "We've only got this one planet, and we need to keep it alive. You being here will absolutely help, I'm certain of it. In the grand scheme of things, what we do as of right now isn't going to have much immediate impact. But five, ten, twenty years from now, things could be so different. Cancer can be a thing of the past, and we could heal entire forests from fires in an instant. This is why I appreciate your willingness to help."
Ammy found herself agreeing with a lot of what Aldrich said. She hadn't been aware of all these massive problems plaguing this world. Oil spills, chemical releases, ozone destruction, acid rain, forest clear cutting; the list went on and on and on. Amaterasu found herself realizing that if she wanted to fix things she needed to do a lot more than just heal the injured. She would need help, and a lot of it.
"Speaking of healing plant life, I think Maya should have everything ready for us. If you'd follow me to the basement, Maya can show you what we've been doing, and what we'd like you to do."
Another affirmative bark had their little group back into the house. She followed Killian through the mansion, and then down a flight of stairs. They were immediately surrounded by more solid construction, concrete walls and metal railings becoming more commonplace. Despite going deeper underground, the area grew warmer and the air more humid.
Killain, Amaterasu, and the two armed bodyguards eventually entered a rather high-tech area. It reminded Amaterasu of the basement of Tony Stark's building, with all the equipment and tables and testing apparatuses laying around. Something the wolf found peculiar were the potted plants on shelves, behind absurdly thick glass, a couple hooked up to a number of tubes with glowing fluid within them. Each was separated by what seemed to be two feet of concrete and metal.
A number of people were down in the basement, messing with vials of the glowing fluid, or punching data into their computers. Ammy and Killian ignored them all, and instead approached Maya, who stood at a computer before the five plants. In the back of her mind, Amaterasu found the five ferns imprisoned in a chamber like Loki's hilarious, and couldn't help the little huff of amusement that escaped her. Evidently, these people saw a small houseplant as more of a risk than SHIELD did Loki.
"Maya, you have everything set up for Amaterasu?" Aldrich asked.
"Of course," Maya replied. "Amaterasu, if you could follow me, please?" She then tapped a key on the keyboard, and a warning buzzer sounded out, making Ammy jump. One of the large glass barriers began descending into the floor, and the activity around the room slowed to a halt for a moment.
Ammy ignored the eyes on her and followed Maya toward the chamber. The sound of her claws on the concrete sounded entirely too loud in the room now, and she lifted them just a tad in her steps. The duo entered the chamber, Maya standing near the plant, while Ammy sat down near the entrance to the chamber and giving the woman room to work.
"Alright, let's see if I can keep this quick and easy," Maya mused. She turned to face the wolf, and hummed in thought. "Okay, so, to reiterate, what we are aiming to do with Extremis is to encourage healing in living things to a high degree. Regrow missing limbs in a minute, heal cuts in seconds, and generally help people be able to survive injuries that would normally kill them," Maya explained. She turned to face the fern, and gripped one of the fronds in her fingers. "I started experimenting on plants, and we've come a long way over the years."
Maya yanked the frond off the plant, and dropped it to the floor. She stepped back a few paces, allowing Amaterasu to get a good look at the fern. Ammy padded closer, curious, tilting her head and leaning in. She blinked and reeled back a touch as the stem the frond had been torn from started glowing orange and began smoking. Immediately, material started growing from the stem and sprouted upward and outward. More and more of the plant started to grow back, splitting the main stem into leaves as it restored the missing frond.
In seconds, Ammy was staring in shock at the healed plant, nothing missing. She glanced down at the floor to the plant piece laying there, and then looked back at the newly grown frond. It was identical, down to the little half curled piece on a leaf on the left. Amaterasu blinked, and looked once more, inspecting the plant, pressing her nose in to smell it, using her magic senses to look at it. Nothing was out of the ordinary, it was just a plant.
"That's what we're aiming for," Maya explained, interrupting Ammy's exploration of the fern. "We do have a few issues with it though. This one managed to stabilize and as long as it doesn't take too much damage at once, it'll be able to keep repairing and healing itself over and over again."
Maya led Ammy out of the chamber and back to the computer. At this point Killian had left the room, and most of the other scientists had returned to work, typing on their computers, or talking with one another. The large glass panel rose back up, sealing the super scary fern into its chamber once more.
"There's a small issue with Extremis, however. You see, what it does is use a mix of nano-tech and bio-tech to rewrite DNA and sort of 'fill in' the repair center in living things," Maya explained. "The problem is when something takes too much damage, or the DNA rejects the treatment. Extremis tends to heat up the body to a high degree, and it can get dangerously hot. All we need to do is solve the issue of rejection, and limit the exponential heat growth. I know there's some sort of limit we can put on it, we just have to find the point where the living thing goes past what it can handle. That's why you're here!"
Amaterasu cocked her head, glancing over to the thick chamber walls with the plants behind them. Well, the thick walls would be explained if something got too hot. How hot did they get though? Surely not overly so, considering how little heat was needed to seriously hurt someone. Then again, if this healed people, even if they were burning, they would recover. That was a concerning thought, burning alive but still healing. That sounded extraordinarily painful, and Amaterasu found herself wishing she had access to her fire-based abilities once again.
"Would you mind coming with me? I'd like to run some tests and figure out just how your abilities work. More specifically, the effects on living things, and how the healing knows when to stop." Maya stepped forward to a hallway and waited at the entrance, looking back at Ammy.
Amaterasu hummed to herself, and then walked over to Maya, following after her. The scientist began leading the wolf down the hallway, through a few short, sharp turns, and then into another room. This room was far smaller, more of an office than anything. Two plants were sitting on the floor, inside of a large white plastic and metal box.
"Uh, before we start, I do need to do something," Maya said. She turned to Ammy and knelt down before the wolf. She looked a little uncertain, and her hands clenched then relaxed a couple times. "The… sensors in the box are pretty sensitive. I'll have to remove your collar so it doesn't—"
Amaterasu gave a little yip and, using her magic, caused her collar to disappear. The tracker and communicator vanished into the same pocket dimension she kept all her other items. Those Chitauri spears, extra food, money, and whatever else she found interesting. For all intents and purposes, it stopped existing at that moment.
"…Is it gone? Just to make sure it's not messing with the sensors," Maya explained for a second time.
Amaterasu nodded, giving the woman a lopsided grin, tongue and all. Maya furrowed her brow for a moment, and looked conflicted, before she stood up and made her way over toward the glass, metal, and plastic box. She opened the door and invited Amaterasu in, gesturing toward the two plants inside.
"Alright, so, this test is going to be pretty simple. Just pluck a frond stem off the plant on the left, and then use your abilities to heal it. We have multiple sensors in and around it to track all changes, and collect samples when you do," Maya explained. Ammy stepped into the box, and Maya sealed the door behind her with a click. "After that, pluck a frond off the right one and let it recover on its own. We'll compare those, then go again."
Ammy barked an affirmative and kept her gaze on Maya. The scientist made her way over to a series of computers, and glanced at the man in the lab coat beside her. She hit a button on the keyboard, and a low whirring and hum filled the box. Maya tapped away at the board for a moment, before looking at Ammy and giving her a thumbs up.
"Okay, you're good to start. Just give maybe fifteen seconds between each test, okay? Maybe repeat it three times over just to make sure we get all the information."
She gave another nod in response, then turned her attention forward. This was all so new and unconventional, and honestly, Ammy was extremely curious about how everything worked. She'd have to poke around with them later to see how it all came together.
Ignoring her rampant curiosity, Amaterasu leaned forward and gripped the stem in her jaws. A quick tug separated it from the plant. She waited the allotted time, and then froze reality, using her celestial brush to paint over the missing portion of the plant. Rejuvenation took over and almost instantly repaired the missing portion of the plant. She waited once more, and then turned to the other, plucking a frond off. She watched in fascination as the plant healed itself quickly, smoke and heat wafting from the plant, until it was healed.
She did this three times total, making sure to wait every time something was done. Then, when she was finished, she turned to face where Maya was standing, and gave her a little yip to let her know.
"Perfect, you did great. Now, I need you to do the same, but before the plant can heal itself, you need to use your abilities instead. Hopefully that'll start to give us an idea of what's going on," Maya instructed.
So, Ammy did as she was told. She repeated the timed trials, making sure to keep everything as similar as she could. It was interesting when she healed the plant with Extremis. The plant would start glowing briefly, before her magic took over, repairing the fern without a moment wasted. The orange glow would flicker and then vanish a moment later when there was nothing to fix.
Amaterasu did the same as last time, making sure to follow the delay properly, and allow Maya and the sensors to get all the information they needed. When she finished, she turned to face the scientist once more, only to catch a confused expression on the woman's face. She was muttering something to herself, but Ammy couldn't quite catch it.
"I'm not too sure what this is telling me. I don't suppose you could do it all again?" Maya asked, fixing the wolf with a furrowed brow.
Ammy was all too happy to comply. She wheeled back around, and plucked a frond off the normal plant. Instead of using Rejuvenation on it, she decided to change things up. With a flex of her will, and a stroke of her tail, she used her Bloom ability on the plant. Instead of repairing itself all at once, the plant steadily regrew itself, until the point it looked natural once more, a tad faster than Extremis did. Unfortunately the rest of the plant grew a little too.
"Wait! Wait, do that again!" Maya exclaimed, hitting something on her keyboard.
Amaterasu complied, plucking the frond off again, and using Bloom on the plant. This time she tried to focus, making sure the plant didn't grow, but instead focused the magic into just regrowing the small portion. Surprisingly, it worked.
Maya instructed Ammy to continue the normal testing, but with that other ability. So she did, making sure to wait, and then when the time was right, giving the Extremis laced plant a hit of her magic. The result was instantaneous, the whole thing glowing orange for a moment, before the frond rapidly healed itself, smoke and heat rolling off the plant and very quickly restoring itself to its proper state.
Ammy blinked in confusion and concern, tilting her head. The plant had gotten a little too hot to seem normal, and made the small space uncomfortably warm. Still, she continued, repeating the test with the two. A minor issue came up when she attempted to use Bloom on the Extremis plant again. It healed itself before she could. The heat and smoke rushed off the plant and it filled itself in quickly, not even giving the wolf time to properly focus on it and use her abilities.
It was just a little less heated than last time, without as much smoke as well. Just as quick, luckily. She performed the test once more, with the same results. She was a little confused, fixated on the fern that seemed to be rapidly healing itself beyond what it normally should.
A whoosh of cold air from behind her startled Ammy, and let her know Maya opened the door. The wolf turned, and came face-to-muzzle with a very giddy looking scientist. Suddenly, Amaterasu found herself wrapped in the woman's arms and being hugged tightly. A confused "aroo" slipped from Ammy, but she returned the hug with a head on Maya's shoulder and by curling her tail around her.
"I don't know what you just did, but I think you might have done it!" Maya seemed ecstatic, holding the wolf close. "I still need to run analysis on both of them and compare the DNA and check to see how Extremis is behaving under a microscope and see all the different environments and—"
She went on and on, babbling excitedly to the wolf even after she let Ammy go. The wolf sat there in confusion, watching Maya gather the two plants in her grasp and set them down in another chamber, this one with much thicker walls and solid metal construction. Amaterasu didn't understand half the words that were coming from Maya as she and the other scientist spoke quickly.
Still, she couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement, her tail wagging rapidly. She gave a little bark and sat at the entrance of the room, observing the commotion with a happy expression. It was so neat that she was able to help progress science!
Still, there was a little thought at the back of her mind, poking at her joy and excitement. That brief moment of pure heat and light rolling off the plant had been concerning. It was uncomfortably warm, more than likely burning to the touch. She really hoped that they'd be able to reduce that somehow. The last thing she wanted to do was make things worse.
Steve Rogers woke up at the crack of dawn, as usual. The old military habits were difficult to break, but he found a sense of comfort in the familiar routine. The world may have changed around him, different people, culture shifts, new technology, and more. However, the repetitive dawn and dusk of the sun was one of the few constants he could depend on. The sun didn't care about new technology, or the rise and fall of civilization. It simply was. That simplicity was comforting. No matter what happened, it would always be there, giving life and warmth to the planet.
He got dressed and made his way to the living room of his apartment. The place was small, but generally nice. The walls barren, and the rooms fairly empty. He would be fixing that soon. Maybe he should drag Ammy shopping with him for various items. The apartment was only a few blocks away from where he grew up, so the area was familiar to an extent. SHIELD was kind enough to fund his residency as long as he worked for them; one of the minor perks of working for a super secret government organization.
Rounding the corner, Steve fully expected to see the wolf asleep on that big nest of blankets and clothing she curled up on last night. However, the pile of fabric was very much wolf-less. The only indication Amaterasu had even been there in the first place was the frankly absurd amount of white fur left behind; how the wolf wasn't bare at this point was beyond him.
"Good morning," Steve called out. Silence was the only response. He took a moment and then continued. "I was planning on heading to the store to grab some stuff for breakfast." He waited for a reply from the food-motivated lupine.
Still nothing. If that didn't get the wolf to come running, then she must truly be gone. Odd, but not unexpected. She was likely running around the city already, popping by hospitals to help, or terrorizing the locals by sprinting laps around Central Park. Maybe she was visiting her shrine. Whatever it was that she got up to in her free time.
Considering his current active mission was to 'keep her out of trouble' Steve decided a quick trip to Central Park was in order. He decided against anything to hide his face or make it harder to recognize him, just in case any of the public tried to harass him for going into her shrine.
The plainclothes Captain America left his apartment and began an early morning jog through the streets. Jog was relative, of course, considering his speed was far higher than that of any normal person. Most cars on the streets didn't have the speed to keep up due to the traffic and congestion of the roads, so going on foot was faster for Steve.
Weaving around people, through cars, or keeping to one side of the footpath, Steve's 'jog' took him to Central Park from Brooklyn in roughly thirty minutes. He could have gone faster, but he didn't want to go too crazy before even having breakfast. Besides, it was a nice morning out, relatively warm, and he wanted to enjoy himself. Sure a few people were startled or snapped some photos of him during his run, but overall, it was just a wonderful morning to be outside.
Eventually, he came upon Central Park, slowing down to a walk as he entered the area. He kept his eye out for any speeding blurs of white fluff in the distance, readying himself to be slammed into by the monstrous wolf. There was nothing, though. Still, it wasn't unexpected, and he made his way toward the shrine.
In the back of his mind, he wondered if the existence of the shrine broke any property laws or violated some city code. The fact that the structure was still here weeks after just appearing spoke volumes. Either SHIELD was forcing the city to keep it, the mayor was grateful for the wolf's efforts, or the public outcry for removing it would be large enough to warrant a blind eye to the structure.
Steve eventually came upon the shrine and glanced around. Amaterasu hadn't been seen publicly since she entered the building in the center. People were still waiting outside for her. Fortunately, that number seemed to dwindle as they noticed that, even after the sun came up, there was still no sign of the wolf. The only remaining ones seemed to be the stubborn or desperate ones, looking for some impossible help, or some news coverage of the magical lupine.
The few dozen that remained sat around aimlessly, cameras set up or leaned up against the wall, plucking at grass or texting on their phones. When Steve approached, several people looked up, before returning to their devices. It took a moment, but then they did a double-take, recognizing the Avenger from the news. There was a scramble as one moved to approach him, only for Steve to walk right by with an "excuse me."
He took a quick glance at the artwork he and Amaterasu had painted, giving a faint smile at the sight. It was still in perfect condition; vibrant, messy, and just as fun as when they first made it. The paint even looked damp, and if he squinted, it almost seemed like the water was flowing and the leaves were shifting; a trick of the light, perhaps.
Still, he walked by, ignoring those that began to call out to him. His first priority was checking on the 'goddess', and then he'd be happy to talk to the others. He made his way up the stone pathway, glancing over to the vibrant pink trees, and the brilliant green grass. There was a new addition in the corner, some kind of plant, but he was unsure what type it was. Maybe Ammy was taking up gardening. Hobbies were incredibly important, and she seemed to have a natural affinity toward art and caring for plant life.
Steve approached the structure in the center of the shrine, climbing onto the surprisingly spotless steps. He would have expected people to be entering and exiting constantly. He knocked and waited a moment. Then, knocked once more. He raised a brow and pushed open the doors after hearing nothing within. He stepped into the shrine proper and glanced around. It was empty.
Well, there went that idea. With no wolf sprinting toward him, nor running laps around the park, and not in either his apartment or the shrine, that left few places she could be. She couldn't be running around to hospitals, because the people on their phones outside seemed bored, and not actively following posts about the live location of the lupine. Unfortunately for them, Steve did have a way to find Ammy.
The super soldier left the shrine and began making his way toward the SHIELD headquarters. Thankfully, her collar tracker would allow Steve to find her exact location. He didn't enjoy using it because it felt like an invasion of privacy to him. Magic wolves deserved privacy too.
Still, he had a mission to do at the behest of Fury, and he would make sure Ammy kept out of trouble. He'd rather not have powerful authority figures breathing down the neck of someone whom he empathized so closely with.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
"Hello?"
"Hello, Killian. It's nice to finally talk to you."
"Who is this?"
"A friend, of sorts. The person you called came to my boss, who came to me. You're playing with fire, involving someone as high profile as Amaterasu in your project."
"Oh, am I? I can assure you, you don't know the first thing about playing with fire. Choose your words carefully. Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I work for an organization that is very interested in projects like yours. We would like to acquire some of it. Of course, that would be a benefit to you; we can fund your research further, and we have certain… allies in the government that can get you out of a hot spot and offer protections, should it ever come to that."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Well, Amaterasu is currently on your private jet, heading toward you now. We did that. We've also disabled the tracking and communications on her collar. I'd recommend you find a way to remove it and destroy it within twenty-four hours, just so SHIELD doesn't have the option to find her. We're ensuring that everything appears normal, so you should have ample time to complete your project."
"I see… and what would you require of me?"
"Finish the project, quickly if you can. Put aside a batch of a dozen samples for us to collect at a later date. If Amaterasu's abilities don't work out, we'll personally fund your project with several million dollars a month for the next year, or until its completion. Whichever comes first."
"And if I refuse?"
"We'll kill the Vice President's daughter and remove any leverage you have."
"I see."
"I look forward to working with you, Killian."
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
Amaterasu's day began as any other one did: with the dawn. Her morning had been brief, as she had less than an hour to get to the airport and meet Maya there. Before leaving she decided to prepare for the road. Using the trick that Christine Palmer had shown her—she was enthused to know the paw placement worked—the wolf opened Steve's fridge and took a box of leftover pizza.
…and an extra slice, which dangled from her jaws as she ran through the streets, not bothering to cloak herself in an illusion. It was early and she didn't find it busy enough to warrant hiding herself. That did lead to a photo or two of the wolf being taken, with her fur slicked back in the wind, eyes wide, pizza dangling from her jaws as she ran. Not that she noticed, too busy trying to figure out how to sprint and eat at the same time. She hadn't worked out the proper method by the time she had reached the plane, unfortunately.
The flight itself had also been a unique experience. Sure, she had flown on that Quinjet before when she had to sneak aboard the Helicarrier, but this was different. She didn't have to hide, conceal her magic, or teleport herself through the floor of the flying vehicle every twenty minutes or so. Instead, she had the freedom to run around, wander up and down the aisles, and explore! She had even found some snacks stashed up by the pilot's chair, much to the woman's extreme dislike. The swatting hands and panicked shrieking, followed by the lurch of the plane had led to Ammy cutting her exploration short. It was like the pilot had never been face-to-face with a wolf before. Humans were so weird sometimes.
Instead, she decided to curl up and have a nap right in the middle of the floor. It was only Ammy, Maya, and the pilot, so the lack of room to wander wasn't really a concern. That, and they didn't have any bench seats installed! It was truly a crime not to have a nice flat surface to drape herself across. If she were to complain, the lack of breakfast foods on board was also disappointing. Still, the views were nice and the company friendly, so she found the flight easy to handle when she wasn't napping.
At the end of the flight—and a really good nap—Ammy followed Maya off the plane and into another vehicle. This one was far comfier and fancier inside than Stephen Strange's sports car. Everything inside was plush, soft, and tasted weird. She ignored the confused looks she received from two of the larger men sitting in the vehicle, and merely gave Maya a happy, tongue-lolled-out grin. Then, went back to exploring around while the vehicle moved to their destination, complete with huffs and snorks and little licks of various surfaces.
A short ride later and the Goddess of the Sun found herself standing before a massive home. Sure, the safe house that Steve and Natasha and Clint stayed in was decently roomy. This place could likely house ten of those buildings and still have room left over. Ammy's jaw dropped as she took it all in, glancing around at the greenery surrounding the white building, then the pillars, and finally, the gorgeous view out over the water.
"Pretty nice, right?" Maya spoke up from Ammy's side. The wolf closed her jaws with a click and looked up at the woman, tilting her head to the side. "This is my boss's place, but he lets us stay here. It's nice being able to work from home like this. And come on, all the nature around us? It's wonderful."
Amaterasu couldn't help but agree, nodding to the woman. Truly this place was wonderful, and a fantastic display of artwork and cohabitation alongside nature. Sure, the large concrete slab beneath their feet wasn't the most visually appealing, and Ammy would have much preferred a small brick path, but she kept her complaints to herself. After all, it was a far cry better than the bland, dreary mess of New York. Not that the city was boring, just that, other than Central Park, some screens, and signs, most of the city felt lacking; artificial in a way. This place avoided those issues entirely, and gave a sense of fulfillment and a connection to nature that Ammy hadn't been able to feel outside of the parks and limited greenspace in New York.
"Well, come on inside. I can show you around after, but I want to introduce you to my boss," Maya spoke, walking forward. Amaterasu padded along behind her, her tail wagging. "You know, he's a big fan of nature too. He wanted all the trees and land to remain mostly untouched, and then added in those fancy bushes and everything. Though, I think some trees there might look better. Cherry trees, perhaps?"
Maya turned to wink at the wolf, and Ammy barked happily in response. Amaterasu was very much enjoying this little trip so far. It wasn't too terribly far away from New York as far as running went, there was green everywhere, and apparently the person that wanted to meet her loved nature! This was looking to be a wonderful little adventure indeed.
Making their way inside, Amaterasu was greeted with the sight of multiple people standing in the middle of the room. They were all rather imposing compared to the regular citizens she interacted with daily. Faces set with scowls or neutral expressions, standing upright and on guard. The room was a little warm, but not overly so; it felt as if a space heater was running constantly. Her eyes flitted over the people standing around—some of them with guns at their hip—and focused on the very cheery, fancily dressed man standing in the middle. Despite the rough-looking individuals, the atmosphere of the room was relaxed, and the warm air easy to take in.
"Maya, right on time. I trust you had a good trip?" The man spoke, stepping forward to draw the woman into a hug. Maya tensed a little, looking uncomfortable and confused, but returned the hug after a moment. "I'm almost jealous, I haven't been to New York in quite some time. But, ah, where are my manners?" He released his hold on the woman and brushed off his suit, turning to face the wolf.
"You must be Amaterasu. My name is Aldrich Killian, owner, and founder, of Advanced Idea Mechanics," Aldrich spoke in a calm, collected voice. Very professional indeed, his mannerisms reminded Ammy of how Pepper talked to her. It made sense, considering Pepper ran Tony's company, that Aldrich would have similar mannerisms and speech.
Killian kneeled down and stuck out a hand, holding it out for Ammy to shake as if he were greeting any other person. The Goddess was delighted by this, and sat down, raising a paw and dropping it into his hand with a meaty smack. She liked this interaction quite a lot. No worship or looking up to her, nor begging for her attention. They were coming across as equals, and the wolf greatly appreciated that. After a brief handshake and a squeeze from Killian, the two separated.
"I apologize, but I do have to say it. I wasn't really sure what to make of you at first when I saw you on the news." Killian stood up, and wiped his hand on his pantleg with a quick move. "But then I saw the video of you healing someone on the street. Then there were more videos, more people." He seemed excited; his grin impossible to hide. "Then there were the hospitals. Everyone here was impressed," the people around him nodded, "when we heard what you did. Thousands of people! Healing cuts, broken bones, even some light cancers and tumors! Hospitalizations for some addictions were cured. I teared up a little when I saw little Terry and Amelia on TV telling everyone what you did."
Ammy's tail wagged faster at that, and she gave an excited little yip. She was just doing what anyone with her abilities should do, no thanks required. Though, some praise and acknowledgment were incredibly helpful and kind. All of this coming from someone that treated her as an equal felt nice, and it was clear that Aldrich had done his research before trying to reach out to her.
"What you did, what you are doing, is exactly the kind of thing we're looking for here at AIM," Aldrich continued. He took a step back and Maya followed him, coming to stand at his side. Aldrich spread his arms and gestured to the people around him. "Amaterasu, what you see here are people who have been hurt by this world. They went out to keep their friends, family, and country safe and were hurt for it. Some of their friends and colleagues were killed. He," Killian pointed to a man on his right, "lost his leg when his friend stepped on a landmine. She," he gestured to a woman on his left, "lost her arm up to the shoulder when shrapnel from a car bomb hit her."
Amaterasu stood in a mix of horror, confusion, and sadness. These people being hurt and killed for trying to do what was right… That made something inside of her burn just a little hotter. The world needed more people willing to do what was right and help those in need. Ammy tried to do as much herself.
"What we want to do is heal people. Help those who have been hurt and let down by society. With our project, we've been able to restore lost limbs, heal scars, and much, much more," Killian flashed a smile at that. "I myself used to be horribly impacted by my birth defects, but that didn't stop me. Using Extremis, we fixed that. Amaterasu, Ammy, I would like your help to complete our project. We are so close, and I believe your abilities will be able to push us to the finish line. We can help so many people."
Killian stepped forward and leaned down, looking at the surprised wolf. Ammy was reeling. Restoring body parts that had been cut off? Fixing the defects one was born with? A permanent, safe, working solution to helping and healing people all over the world?
She was sold. Of course, she wanted to wait and see exactly what was happening and how the process worked. But if it was as good as was being claimed…
"So, what do you say? Wanna give us that little push we need?" Killian asked, looking Ammy right in the eye. "Do you want to help us improve the lives of millions; of billions? Help us make the world a better place?"
Yes, she very much wanted to help. She was still cautious, but this seemed like a worthy endeavor. She was more than willing to give it a shot if it meant that so many lives would be touched by it and improved. In addition, being surrounded by people willing to help and those that had been assisted by the project just proved it was a successful experiment. They just needed her help to push it to perfection.
Amaterasu gave a firm nod, and an excited bark, her tail wagging freely.
Killian grinned, his perfect white teeth glimmering in the light.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
Steve Rogers found himself relatively alone in one of the computer rooms within SHIELD headquarters. It was quiet. Most of the people that had been populating it finally boarded the partially repaired Helicarrier and began the trip back to the Triskelion in Washington D.C. The sudden departure left the building fairly quiet on this floor, and people were still moving their workspaces back up from the basement, or wherever they had been able to cram some extra space.
This just allowed Steve to use the computers uninterrupted, logging in with his SHIELD ID number and a password. These devices were much more his speed; physical buttons to interact with and clear, easy-to-use layouts. Nothing like those complicated all-in-one devices that people referred to as modern phones. He was starting to get used to them. However, the lack of noticeable input response threw him for a loop on more than one occasion.
Reminiscing aside, Steve rifled his way through the folder system he had access to, opening up the link for Ammy's file. Everything seemed accurate with the information, and he moved the mouse to access the interface that displayed Amaterasu's location.
Access Denied.
Steve furrowed his brow. He knew he should have access to this since he was able to check it yesterday without any issues. Why was it giving him grief now? He tried again, only to be met with the same result.
Access Denied.
Something wasn't right. Steve moved to the previous page and looked over the information once more. Her rough height and weight were listed without issue, as were the physical dimensions of the wolf. That was about the only thing that didn't have a question mark in her file. Her speed, strengths, weaknesses, and other attributes were all a list of question marks. Then there were her abilities… the list looked like it grew longer every time Steve glanced at it, and a frustrated note by one of the record keepers mentioned as much. There were even little disagreements on her physical appearance, with people unable to decide if the wolf had red markings on her fur or not. If nothing else, Amaterasu was good for causing absolute chaos in robust and standardized systems that had long been proven useful and effective.
There was a small update he hadn't noticed during his first passthrough on her page though. A little detail that hadn't been there yesterday.
Mission Status: Standby.
Now that wasn't right. Steve was meant to be watching over her and ensuring she remained in a positive light to the public—not that Amaterasu needed help with that. But he couldn't expand the information to determine what was going on. Why would she have an option for missions? When did she get the clearance for missions in the first place? This could hardly be a mistake, but would likely explain why he couldn't access her location; can't exactly be pinging tracking equipment if you're trying to stay hidden.
Attempting to request access was only met with a notification that he needed someone at a level seven security clearance or higher to approve it. That shouldn't have been the case. Fury had given him full access to Amaterasu's files, or so he said. Still, the request for access was sent through, and there was nothing he could do about it right now. He'd have to wait for notification on the phone SHIELD supplied him.
He did have the option to call Coulson, or Fury, or any number of others that he had been able to speak with in person after the whole invasion. It didn't seem extremely pressing at this moment to harass the Director, nor any of the higher-ups just yet. Steve was more than capable of checking out where the wolf normally went first. Ammy being out and about without the tracker wasn't the end of the world, and the lupine wasn't exactly helpless on her own. Heck, Steve had seen the video of her throwing Loki around and flipping the Asgardian over like it was some kind of martial arts tournament. It was highly amusing and eased his concern over the wolf.
Ammy was faster and stronger now than she had been at the time of the invasion. She'd be able to take care of herself if something came up. In addition, she had a panic button on her collar if things went poorly. She'd be fine. He was more worried about anyone else that tried to pick a fight with her.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
"Rogers just tried to access Amaterasu's location, sir."
"You did what I asked?"
"Yes, sir. His access is revoked, phone disabled, and the tracking location is faked to a California address. Anything directly related to Amaterasu's file is suffering a minor communications error."
"Good, good. You managed to get access to AIM's servers?"
"Yes, sir. The intel was right, they're working on something similar to the super soldier serum. It causes the body to heal at an absurd rate, and enhances strength and reflexes. It takes gene editing and DNA sequencing to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the specifics are kept offline, so we do need to wait for their work to complete."
"That hardly matters. If it comes down to it, we collect the living users and study them. We want to prioritize the scientists and CEO. Ideally, no one notices anything and we can collect the samples like Killian said. If SHIELD decides to investigate though…"
"I have that covered, sir. I'm using AIM servers to connect to the SHIELD database. If anything goes wrong, I 'slip up' and have a signal come from their servers. SHIELD is going to think AIM was at fault for the breach. Besides, they wanted Amaterasu, this helps sell the misdirection if SHIELD notices."
"I knew I made the right decision recruiting you. Even if this whole thing fails, we still have the option to free them, and then use our agents in Congress to reroute the seized company assets. Having a company like AIM under our command will be immensely useful."
"Anything else you'd like to know, Mr. Garrett?"
"Not at the moment, keep me posted. Also, don't burn those bridges with AIM unless it's necessary to keep Hydra hidden."
"Yes, sir. Heil Hydra."
"Heil Hydra."
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
"It's a little frustrating, in all honesty," Aldrich admitted. "These billionaires just manage to get away with it, or it's all shuffled around and lost in a sea of paperwork. That's why when Extremis is finished, we can branch out, use it to help heal animals and plants harmed by these environmental disasters. Then, of course, use the funding to put those responsible behind bars for a long time."
Amaterasu listened in rapt attention, ears cocked to the side as the two wandered their way through the grounds of Killian's mansion. He had sent Maya off somewhere, and dismissed most of the guards that had been there when Ammy had arrived. Now it was just the wolf and Killian making their way through the trees bordering his property, followed in the distance by two of his bodyguards.
"I'm sure you can appreciate what we're working toward, Ammy," Killian glanced down to her. An affirmative bark was the only reply he needed to continue. "We've only got this one planet, and we need to keep it alive. You being here will absolutely help, I'm certain of it. In the grand scheme of things, what we do as of right now isn't going to have much immediate impact. But five, ten, twenty years from now, things could be so different. Cancer can be a thing of the past, and we could heal entire forests from fires in an instant. This is why I appreciate your willingness to help."
Ammy found herself agreeing with a lot of what Aldrich said. She hadn't been aware of all these massive problems plaguing this world. Oil spills, chemical releases, ozone destruction, acid rain, forest clear cutting; the list went on and on and on. Amaterasu found herself realizing that if she wanted to fix things she needed to do a lot more than just heal the injured. She would need help, and a lot of it.
"Speaking of healing plant life, I think Maya should have everything ready for us. If you'd follow me to the basement, Maya can show you what we've been doing, and what we'd like you to do."
Another affirmative bark had their little group back into the house. She followed Killian through the mansion, and then down a flight of stairs. They were immediately surrounded by more solid construction, concrete walls and metal railings becoming more commonplace. Despite going deeper underground, the area grew warmer and the air more humid.
Killain, Amaterasu, and the two armed bodyguards eventually entered a rather high-tech area. It reminded Amaterasu of the basement of Tony Stark's building, with all the equipment and tables and testing apparatuses laying around. Something the wolf found peculiar were the potted plants on shelves, behind absurdly thick glass, a couple hooked up to a number of tubes with glowing fluid within them. Each was separated by what seemed to be two feet of concrete and metal.
A number of people were down in the basement, messing with vials of the glowing fluid, or punching data into their computers. Ammy and Killian ignored them all, and instead approached Maya, who stood at a computer before the five plants. In the back of her mind, Amaterasu found the five ferns imprisoned in a chamber like Loki's hilarious, and couldn't help the little huff of amusement that escaped her. Evidently, these people saw a small houseplant as more of a risk than SHIELD did Loki.
"Maya, you have everything set up for Amaterasu?" Aldrich asked.
"Of course," Maya replied. "Amaterasu, if you could follow me, please?" She then tapped a key on the keyboard, and a warning buzzer sounded out, making Ammy jump. One of the large glass barriers began descending into the floor, and the activity around the room slowed to a halt for a moment.
Ammy ignored the eyes on her and followed Maya toward the chamber. The sound of her claws on the concrete sounded entirely too loud in the room now, and she lifted them just a tad in her steps. The duo entered the chamber, Maya standing near the plant, while Ammy sat down near the entrance to the chamber and giving the woman room to work.
"Alright, let's see if I can keep this quick and easy," Maya mused. She turned to face the wolf, and hummed in thought. "Okay, so, to reiterate, what we are aiming to do with Extremis is to encourage healing in living things to a high degree. Regrow missing limbs in a minute, heal cuts in seconds, and generally help people be able to survive injuries that would normally kill them," Maya explained. She turned to face the fern, and gripped one of the fronds in her fingers. "I started experimenting on plants, and we've come a long way over the years."
Maya yanked the frond off the plant, and dropped it to the floor. She stepped back a few paces, allowing Amaterasu to get a good look at the fern. Ammy padded closer, curious, tilting her head and leaning in. She blinked and reeled back a touch as the stem the frond had been torn from started glowing orange and began smoking. Immediately, material started growing from the stem and sprouted upward and outward. More and more of the plant started to grow back, splitting the main stem into leaves as it restored the missing frond.
In seconds, Ammy was staring in shock at the healed plant, nothing missing. She glanced down at the floor to the plant piece laying there, and then looked back at the newly grown frond. It was identical, down to the little half curled piece on a leaf on the left. Amaterasu blinked, and looked once more, inspecting the plant, pressing her nose in to smell it, using her magic senses to look at it. Nothing was out of the ordinary, it was just a plant.
"That's what we're aiming for," Maya explained, interrupting Ammy's exploration of the fern. "We do have a few issues with it though. This one managed to stabilize and as long as it doesn't take too much damage at once, it'll be able to keep repairing and healing itself over and over again."
Maya led Ammy out of the chamber and back to the computer. At this point Killian had left the room, and most of the other scientists had returned to work, typing on their computers, or talking with one another. The large glass panel rose back up, sealing the super scary fern into its chamber once more.
"There's a small issue with Extremis, however. You see, what it does is use a mix of nano-tech and bio-tech to rewrite DNA and sort of 'fill in' the repair center in living things," Maya explained. "The problem is when something takes too much damage, or the DNA rejects the treatment. Extremis tends to heat up the body to a high degree, and it can get dangerously hot. All we need to do is solve the issue of rejection, and limit the exponential heat growth. I know there's some sort of limit we can put on it, we just have to find the point where the living thing goes past what it can handle. That's why you're here!"
Amaterasu cocked her head, glancing over to the thick chamber walls with the plants behind them. Well, the thick walls would be explained if something got too hot. How hot did they get though? Surely not overly so, considering how little heat was needed to seriously hurt someone. Then again, if this healed people, even if they were burning, they would recover. That was a concerning thought, burning alive but still healing. That sounded extraordinarily painful, and Amaterasu found herself wishing she had access to her fire-based abilities once again.
"Would you mind coming with me? I'd like to run some tests and figure out just how your abilities work. More specifically, the effects on living things, and how the healing knows when to stop." Maya stepped forward to a hallway and waited at the entrance, looking back at Ammy.
Amaterasu hummed to herself, and then walked over to Maya, following after her. The scientist began leading the wolf down the hallway, through a few short, sharp turns, and then into another room. This room was far smaller, more of an office than anything. Two plants were sitting on the floor, inside of a large white plastic and metal box.
"Uh, before we start, I do need to do something," Maya said. She turned to Ammy and knelt down before the wolf. She looked a little uncertain, and her hands clenched then relaxed a couple times. "The… sensors in the box are pretty sensitive. I'll have to remove your collar so it doesn't—"
Amaterasu gave a little yip and, using her magic, caused her collar to disappear. The tracker and communicator vanished into the same pocket dimension she kept all her other items. Those Chitauri spears, extra food, money, and whatever else she found interesting. For all intents and purposes, it stopped existing at that moment.
"…Is it gone? Just to make sure it's not messing with the sensors," Maya explained for a second time.
Amaterasu nodded, giving the woman a lopsided grin, tongue and all. Maya furrowed her brow for a moment, and looked conflicted, before she stood up and made her way over toward the glass, metal, and plastic box. She opened the door and invited Amaterasu in, gesturing toward the two plants inside.
"Alright, so, this test is going to be pretty simple. Just pluck a frond stem off the plant on the left, and then use your abilities to heal it. We have multiple sensors in and around it to track all changes, and collect samples when you do," Maya explained. Ammy stepped into the box, and Maya sealed the door behind her with a click. "After that, pluck a frond off the right one and let it recover on its own. We'll compare those, then go again."
Ammy barked an affirmative and kept her gaze on Maya. The scientist made her way over to a series of computers, and glanced at the man in the lab coat beside her. She hit a button on the keyboard, and a low whirring and hum filled the box. Maya tapped away at the board for a moment, before looking at Ammy and giving her a thumbs up.
"Okay, you're good to start. Just give maybe fifteen seconds between each test, okay? Maybe repeat it three times over just to make sure we get all the information."
She gave another nod in response, then turned her attention forward. This was all so new and unconventional, and honestly, Ammy was extremely curious about how everything worked. She'd have to poke around with them later to see how it all came together.
Ignoring her rampant curiosity, Amaterasu leaned forward and gripped the stem in her jaws. A quick tug separated it from the plant. She waited the allotted time, and then froze reality, using her celestial brush to paint over the missing portion of the plant. Rejuvenation took over and almost instantly repaired the missing portion of the plant. She waited once more, and then turned to the other, plucking a frond off. She watched in fascination as the plant healed itself quickly, smoke and heat wafting from the plant, until it was healed.
She did this three times total, making sure to wait every time something was done. Then, when she was finished, she turned to face where Maya was standing, and gave her a little yip to let her know.
"Perfect, you did great. Now, I need you to do the same, but before the plant can heal itself, you need to use your abilities instead. Hopefully that'll start to give us an idea of what's going on," Maya instructed.
So, Ammy did as she was told. She repeated the timed trials, making sure to keep everything as similar as she could. It was interesting when she healed the plant with Extremis. The plant would start glowing briefly, before her magic took over, repairing the fern without a moment wasted. The orange glow would flicker and then vanish a moment later when there was nothing to fix.
Amaterasu did the same as last time, making sure to follow the delay properly, and allow Maya and the sensors to get all the information they needed. When she finished, she turned to face the scientist once more, only to catch a confused expression on the woman's face. She was muttering something to herself, but Ammy couldn't quite catch it.
"I'm not too sure what this is telling me. I don't suppose you could do it all again?" Maya asked, fixing the wolf with a furrowed brow.
Ammy was all too happy to comply. She wheeled back around, and plucked a frond off the normal plant. Instead of using Rejuvenation on it, she decided to change things up. With a flex of her will, and a stroke of her tail, she used her Bloom ability on the plant. Instead of repairing itself all at once, the plant steadily regrew itself, until the point it looked natural once more, a tad faster than Extremis did. Unfortunately the rest of the plant grew a little too.
"Wait! Wait, do that again!" Maya exclaimed, hitting something on her keyboard.
Amaterasu complied, plucking the frond off again, and using Bloom on the plant. This time she tried to focus, making sure the plant didn't grow, but instead focused the magic into just regrowing the small portion. Surprisingly, it worked.
Maya instructed Ammy to continue the normal testing, but with that other ability. So she did, making sure to wait, and then when the time was right, giving the Extremis laced plant a hit of her magic. The result was instantaneous, the whole thing glowing orange for a moment, before the frond rapidly healed itself, smoke and heat rolling off the plant and very quickly restoring itself to its proper state.
Ammy blinked in confusion and concern, tilting her head. The plant had gotten a little too hot to seem normal, and made the small space uncomfortably warm. Still, she continued, repeating the test with the two. A minor issue came up when she attempted to use Bloom on the Extremis plant again. It healed itself before she could. The heat and smoke rushed off the plant and it filled itself in quickly, not even giving the wolf time to properly focus on it and use her abilities.
It was just a little less heated than last time, without as much smoke as well. Just as quick, luckily. She performed the test once more, with the same results. She was a little confused, fixated on the fern that seemed to be rapidly healing itself beyond what it normally should.
A whoosh of cold air from behind her startled Ammy, and let her know Maya opened the door. The wolf turned, and came face-to-muzzle with a very giddy looking scientist. Suddenly, Amaterasu found herself wrapped in the woman's arms and being hugged tightly. A confused "aroo" slipped from Ammy, but she returned the hug with a head on Maya's shoulder and by curling her tail around her.
"I don't know what you just did, but I think you might have done it!" Maya seemed ecstatic, holding the wolf close. "I still need to run analysis on both of them and compare the DNA and check to see how Extremis is behaving under a microscope and see all the different environments and—"
She went on and on, babbling excitedly to the wolf even after she let Ammy go. The wolf sat there in confusion, watching Maya gather the two plants in her grasp and set them down in another chamber, this one with much thicker walls and solid metal construction. Amaterasu didn't understand half the words that were coming from Maya as she and the other scientist spoke quickly.
Still, she couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement, her tail wagging rapidly. She gave a little bark and sat at the entrance of the room, observing the commotion with a happy expression. It was so neat that she was able to help progress science!
Still, there was a little thought at the back of her mind, poking at her joy and excitement. That brief moment of pure heat and light rolling off the plant had been concerning. It was uncomfortably warm, more than likely burning to the touch. She really hoped that they'd be able to reduce that somehow. The last thing she wanted to do was make things worse.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thanks a bunch, going back through and fixing everything now. I appreciate it!
- Pronouns
- SL
Good doggo. Nothing bad could possibly come from this.
xbox432
Lover of Editing
Poor Amy... It's going to hurt her so much when she realises what she helped create, and what it is really being used for.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
More like she's willing to see the best in people. Like in the original game when she gave up that weapon/tool to Ninetails thinking it was someone else and even Issun seemed hesitant.
Except then it was giving someone a known weapon. This time its giving people a helping hand because she wants to help people.
Just for me I'm hoping that Ammy's influence can really make a difference and make a lot of the outcome better than what originally happen. Making people be more thinking in the long term and be mellow. The bad guys being more practical and working around the good vibes that Ammy seem to make around her and being more reasonable in the process. This was kinda influenced by the other good fic of God doG of making the Grimderp setting into a feel good story.
Chapter 17 - Blazing Bonfire
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hello, finally managed to get this one written up at a decent speed. I am a little worried I've turned people away from the story with how the last few chapters have gone. Still, I hope you enjoy it.
I'd also like to thank several people for their help with this chapter: Bobbles, Moxie, and Nova. They're true champions and wonderful people for putting up with my ramblings.
You can also find me on Fanfiction, Archive of Our Own, Royal Road, Space Battles, and Sufficient Velocity. As always, comments, criticism, and critiques are welcome and encouraged. Thank you all and have a wonderful day.
He was having one of those days. That kind of day you misplace your keys and no amount of time searching for them will bring results. A day where your wallet was supposed to be in your nightstand, but somehow wandered into your work clothes. The sort of day where you put a notebook in your pocket but it somehow winds up under the couch, and it's only found after three hours.
Steve Rogers was having that kind of day. Except instead of something small and easily missed, it was a bright white, two-hundred-pound wolf with a tendency to draw attention with her antics. If it weren't for the fact that Ammy had been seen working with the Avengers and now had a substantial media presence, Steve was certain people would be up in arms at the thought of a wolf on the loose in the city. The lack of any sort of muttering about the magical lupine had him confused.
His trip through the city and all his searching took him far and wide. Of course, he first went to check out the hot dog cart that Ammy had dragged him to once. The gruff veteran hadn't been harassed by Ammy at all that day, and Steve bought a hot dog for bothering the man. His next location had been to check the arts and crafts store that the pair had visited to get the materials for the mural. Still nothing.
A quick check in the library, and a stop by several hospitals revealed much the same. There wasn't any sign of the wolf. However, he did end up getting a hug from one of the receptionists at the hospital he and Amaterasu had visited with Amelia and Terry. That was a nice little bright spot in his day. He had asked the woman if she or any of her coworkers had heard anything about Ammy, but she shook her head. She even asked her coworkers and pulled up news sites to look with him. Still nothing.
There seemed to be a significant lack of Amaterasu around the immediate area. The lack of answers is what brought him back to the SHIELD HQ the following morning. It had been twenty-four hours on the dot when Steve walked into the building once again.
The building seemed a little more populated today now that everyone was back to their normal routine. Steve gave the security a little nod as he walked by, quite happy they responded in kind. He gave the receptionist a little wave as he passed by as well, just a little more confused when she glanced at him, then returned to her computer, typing something out quickly.
Onward he went, taking the elevator to one of the computer rooms. He set himself down in one of the chairs, logged in, and immediately went to navigate to Amaterasu's file. It's never taken longer than maybe a day tops to have requests dealt with, so he fully expected the minor issue to be resolved.
Request Denied.
Access Denied.
Steve gave a frustrated groan and clicked the prompt multiple times, hoping for another result each time. Nothing changed. He was still prevented from Ammy's location tracking, and he didn't have another option to make an additional request to access her location. Confused, a tad frustrated with technology, and a little more worried about Ammy, Steve logged off and left the building.
Well, he had tried the conventional methods and worked through all avenues he could. He followed standard operating procedure and even waited a full day. No one could claim he didn't try to follow the standard operating procedures first. So, he went to the next logical step.
Call Fury.
He punched in the number from memory into his SHIELD given device, and waited. Then waited some more. He pulled the phone away, only to see that his call hadn't gone through. He tried once again, making sure he hit the 'call' button on the screen. It took a moment, before the line automatically cut.
Maybe Fury was busy, or his device was dead. It was unlike the Director to be that dismissive of his own personal belongings or unable to be reached. Still, he had other options. Time to call Coulson, he hadn't seen the man for a couple weeks, and seeing as Coulson was Ammy's 'official' handler, he should more than have access to it all.
He punched in the number from memory once more, and kept an eye on the screen. The same thing happened though, the phone refused to even connect and attempt to dial. Maybe Coulson was busy as well. So, on he went, trying different numbers. Maria Hill; it wasn't working. Natasha; unreachable. Clint; still nothing.
Steve grumbled and glanced up at the city skyline, his eyes locking onto the newly rebranded Avengers Tower steadily being rebuilt. He began his way toward the building. As far as he was aware, Stark should still be operating out of the tower for the time being, until the point that the project was able to be passed along to someone else.
Even though he was walking toward the building, he felt it necessary to try and call Tony anyways. Of course, that didn't go through either, just confirming his suspicions. Tony was always available, or at least JARVIS was. But to not go through, and have a communications lockdown on his devices?
Steve had a feeling something was off. Sure, maybe the requests to access the information were denied for good reason. It was possible his phone wasn't working either, technology could be finicky, he had learned. But both at the same time? The same day Amaterasu just happened to go missing without a trace? It didn't take an expert entrepreneur/billionaire/mechanic/philanthropist to put two and two together.
Something was going on, and someone was trying to keep it quiet. That, or he just had the absolute worst luck with any sorts of technology, and he should just give up on learning now. Still, he figured he'd attempt to speak with someone on the bleeding edge of tech development. As aggravating as Tony could be sometimes, he was a good man.
He just hoped that his hunch was wrong, and that Ammy was alright.
Amaterasu was far from alright. She was struggling. It was difficult, insanely so. She tried to keep going, she really did, but every moment that passed by was absolute agony. She couldn't think, couldn't focus, and found herself very nearly passing out on more than one occasion. This was a true test of her resolve, strength, endurance, and compassion for others.
Ammy clenched her teeth, and forced her gaze upward again, trying to concentrate. She was certain they'd stop soon. There was no way they could continue forcing her through this. They had to get bored, and give up. It was impossible to think that humans could continue with this absolute torture. She had to keep going, it was important. She couldn't give up now!
…
But after nearly fifteen minutes of listening to Maya ramble on and on about science, cell structure, DNA changes, the age of cells, and the natural healing process of the body, Ammy was done. She couldn't do it.
It didn't help that the woman wasn't even talking to her, Maya was talking at her. In the wolf's general direction, instead of focusing on the lupine and explaining things properly. Instead, Maya and about a dozen other people in lab coats had gathered around a computer, looking at the results of Maya's data collection. They were chattering away, throwing around big science words that Amaterasu was absolutely certain were made up.
Then again, all words are made up.
Seeing as the group of science nerds were pretty busy, and barely paying attention to her… Ammy left. Sure, maybe it wasn't the most polite way to excuse herself from a conversation, but if she had to hear the word "mitochondria" one more time she was going to throw the paint cans she had across the room. Granted, it would have been a waste of the lovely paint Steve bought her, but the bright splash of colour would be infinitely more engaging than this.
While the group were busy chatting away to one another about some "miracle of science," Amaterasu just stood up and crept away. She didn't need to use an illusion to be stealthy, she was clearly a master of the arts of deceit and sneakiness. She crept up the stairs to the main floor, then down a hallway, her paws quiet on the carpeted floor. Then came the challenging part.
Stone flooring. Truly a devious opponent.
Using her skills as a master of stealth, Ammy flexed her toes upward to keep her claws off the floor, ensuring she was silent as she snuck her way across the house. Step after step she moved, keeping her ears perked, listening. Her tail just barely brushed the floor as she moved along, the soft fur whispering across the stone.
Then, footsteps to her left! Without hesitation, the wolf jolted to the right, diving around a corner with barely a sound. She heard the footsteps following, though she wasn't being chased. She ran ahead anyways, the carpeted floor providing more than enough sound muffling and traction for her paws.
Onward she went, taking twists and turns, throwing off any pursuers that she imagined would be following her. She was swift! Faster than the wind! Stronger than the mightiest river! More silent than falling snow!
She was Amaterasu, Goddess of—
"Where do you think you're going?"
The voice jolted her out of her thoughts, causing Ammy to notice she was barrelling toward none other than Eric Savin, one of Killain's bodyguards. She tried to stop herself, noticing the scowl on the man's face, and the holstered firearm. Ammy planted her paws firmly on the carpet and her feet stopped moving.
Unfortunately, she happened to forget about momentum. Sure, her paws were planted firmly on the carpet. The carpet continued on though, sliding across the hardwood floor of the hallway and carrying her with it. Ammy flailed a little to try and stop. Nothing happened. The Goddess of the Sun was now at the mercy of physics and reality, something she frequently tried to spite.
Physics and reality were out for revenge now.
Ammy somehow ended up on her back, all four paws in the air as she slipped and slid across the floor, her momentum slowly coming to a halt in front of the bodyguard, who was standing before a door. She stopped right at his feet, angled sideways to the scowling man.
"Really? Running around?" Eric grumbled out. "Were you trying to make a mess of things? That's rather rude for a guest, don't you think?"
"Awoof?" Ammy tried, tilting her head a little, bringing her forepaws up to her chest. Maybe she could cute her way out of this.
"You can't cute your way out of this."
Dammit!
"Come on, get up, fix the rug. I don't care if you're supposed to be some important guest or not," Eric Savin spoke.
Ammy complied, a quick flex of her magic and a swipe of her tail had the rug back to normal and the scratches on the wall from her flailing vanished. Eric was quiet for a long moment, looking at the suddenly pristine hallway, then glancing back down to the wolf, who hadn't moved a muscle.
"…You're not that imposing for the so-called 'Goddess of the Sun', you know that?" Savin commented, shaking off his surprise with cold indifference and a small insult.
Amaterasu was taken aback at the sudden comment, but wasn't all too surprised. It's not like she wanted to be some big, imposing deity that terrified mortals or demanded sacrifice. She was just… Ammy! That's all she needed to be, and it seemed to be working out so far for her.
"Come on, you're not allowed back here, this area is off limits," the man continued. "We're gonna go to the yard. No one's called about you on the radio, so I take it you've done whatever you need to for the moment."
Ammy gave an affirmative bark and stood up, shaking herself off in the process. Eric nudged the back of her leg with a foot, urging her onwards, while he followed behind her. He grabbed his radio soon after, speaking into it.
"I'm gonna need a replacement in the hall, I'm taking the wolf to the yard and giving her some babysitters," he grumbled. An affirmative response was heard through the radio, and by the time the duo had reached the end of the hall, there was already someone walking by the pair, going to take up guard for the apparently off-limits area.
Oh, did that just make Ammy want to explore it more. It was an itch she had to scratch now, and she decided to check it out later in the night when everyone was asleep. For now, she had to follow along with this Savin character. She didn't want to upset her hosts on the very first day. What kind of goddess did that?
"So, what do you do? I take it something like fetch is too demeaning for you," Eric spoke as they made their way outside. She didn't comment; she wasn't particularly enjoying his attitude.
The sun was lower on the horizon now, casting a soft orange glow over the trees and tinting the few puffy clouds with soft pinks and oranges and reds. It was a rather nice time in the evening, with the heat of the summer dropping a little, and allowing a nice cool breeze to weave its way through Ammy's fur.
Coming around the outside of the house, they walked into a large grassy area that wasn't visible from the other side of the building. Out and about were about eight other men and women, five of whom were eating barbecued burgers, two playing tug-of-war, and one standing in as referee. One of the men glanced at the approaching duo and stood up, beer in one hand, burger in another.
"Finally decided to join us? Taking the evening off to socialize?" the approaching man asked.
"Not a chance, Mike," Eric snapped back, "keeping her busy." He gestured to Amaterasu.
"Well, I was going to offer you a drink, but you're a dick," Mike returned smoothly. He then glanced down at the wolf, and frowned. "I'd offer you a drink but I think alcohol is poisonous to dogs. No offense."
Ammy replied with her own version of a shrug, and a flick of her tail. It seemed as if everyone here had at least been told about her, so there were no surprises or weird looks. A few of the others glanced over, pausing the observation of the tug-of-war match. Poor timing from them all, as one of the participants finally heaved hard and dragged the other person forward, causing them to fall flat on their face. Laughter and cheers went around the small group.
"Still playing games?" Eric commented with a dismissive huff. "Whatever, just keep an eye on her."
"Oh, piss off, it's fun. Did it all the time on duty, and the local kids loved it. It's a good bonding exercise and gets the heart going," Mike returned with a cheerful grin, entirely brushing off the scowl Savin sent him. "Hey, why don't we get… Is it Ammy?" He paused for a moment, and continued with a nod from the wolf. "Why don't we get you and Ammy in on this? Can't be boring and professional all the time."
"No, that's—"
"Scared you'd lose to her?" Mike interrupted.
Eric paused, his expression set in a scowl. He glanced down at the wolf to his left, and then to the inch thick rope laying on the ground, then to the shit-eating-grin of Mike. Amaterasu met the scowling gaze with her own gold eyes, somehow looking smug in the process.
"As if," Eric replied. He clenched his hand, and the faintest glow of orange rippled up through his forearm, much to Ammy's interest. It looked surprisingly similar to the orange glow of the Extremis enhanced plants earlier. "Me against the wolf? No chance I'd lose, especially now. I could win against any of you."
"Well, then go ahead. Prove it."
Amaterasu was absolutely loving this back and forth; the playful attitude of this Mike character contrasting with the overly serious Eric. The latter looked conflicted, as if wondering if he should entertain the idea. Mike just continued to smirk, taking a sip of his beer.
The 'especially now' comment caught her attention though. Had he done something that made him stronger? Working out more, perhaps? Yet, he didn't look like he was all too muscular, something that would lend him well to a physical game.
Ammy decided to make the decision for them all by darting around the table and coming to stand at one end of the rope. She gave a playful little growl and gripped the rope in her jaws, giving it a playful shake. She then turned her gaze to Eric, and gave a muffled "wuff" around the rope.
"Oh, are you gonna take that?" A woman commented from her spot at the table.
"I think she called you a little bitch," another man ribbed.
"Nah, he won't do it. He's too professional, and he's allergic to fun," a third replied.
Eric Savin, the normally calm and smug looking individual, grit his teeth. There was another glow of orange as his eyes flashed briefly, in a blink-and-you'll miss it moment. That only solidified Ammy's determination though.
Clearly something was going on. If they were all volunteers to the Extremis experiments, did it stick around in their bodies after? Were there some additional effects she hadn't been told about? Suddenly, the wonderful sounding healing procedure was beginning to seem like it was more than just an innocent medical treatment.
No better way to find out than getting into the thick of it though.
Amaterasu gave another bark, louder this time, catching the attention of everyone in the little group. When she was certain she had all eyes on her, she locked her eyes on Eric. Then, she lifted her head and turned her nose away, snubbing him. She even lifted a paw and made a motion to shoo him away, just for that little extra impact.
She had never heard a human make that kind of snarl before, and failed to hide her smirk as Eric took a deep breath, walking to the other end of the rope.
"You're gonna regret underestimating me." It was a statement he was certain of, she could tell. Normally, Eric might even be right. If she were a normal dog, hell, even a normal wolf, maybe he would have had a chance. With the "especially now" comment, she was certain he would be able to put up a decent fight.
Amaterasu definitely wasn't normal. Not in the slightest.
She gripped the rope in her jaws and stepped backward, while Eric grabbed the rope with both hands and stepped back as well. His knuckles tightened, veins popping out on his hands and forearms as he gripped the rope. Ammy did the same, getting in a low crouch, taking her own stance opposite of Eric.
"Ready?" A woman asked, watching from the wooden table.
A nod from both participants confirmed their state. They were both fully prepared.
"Then… Go!" She shouted.
Eric Savin tightened his grip a little further, braced his legs, and heaved. He looked upward as he pulled, leaning into it. He pulled hard, feet digging into the ground, shoving backwards as he took step after step. He looked down from the sky, trying to see how much effort he would need to put in to pull the wolf over the finish line.
Amaterasu hadn't moved.
Eric's eye twitched, and he put more effort into it, his knuckles and eyes flashing an orange as he threw himself backward. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, straining hard, allowing Extremis to fuel his body further. Inhuman strength pulled at the rope, and he knew he was making progress, feeling the ground beneath his feet shifting, working himself back further.
He looked down.
Amaterasu hadn't moved.
He was digging trenches into the ground with his feet, kicking up dirt and mud. Instead, he was making a complete mess of his clean shoes and nice pants. Eric gave a growl and pulled harder still. All modesty and restraint he had was gone, replaced with furious attempts to move Amaterasu even an inch.
Amaterasu did move, much to the surprise of the onlookers. She moved backwards. One step at first, then another. Gradually pulling Eric Savin across the grass while he dug in his feet, tearing trenches into the ground in a last-ditch attempt to win against the wolf. At this point he was shamelessly glowing an orange-white, the rope in his grip smoking a little as his body temperature rose.
Ammy tugged her head and caused the man to stumble forward, landing flat on his face. She stood still and watched the furious Eric Savin lift his face from the dirt, her eyes flicking down to look at his palms. She squinted, watching some rather rough looking rope burn and scrapes healing over in a moment, the heat from the action causing some grass to wilt.
There was silence at the display of strength from the wolf. That is, until someone else immediately stood up, and cried out an excited "I'm next!"
"Nah, two at once. That was effortless for her."
"Fuck it, lets go for three, I'm curious."
Ammy sat down, still holding the rope in her jaws, tail wagging happily behind her. She looked down at the still slightly warm Eric Savin, the normally smug expression on his face replaced with mud and grass. That, and a furious scowl, his eyes glowing a heated orange. There were no parting words, congratulations, or good sportsmanship. He pushed himself to his feet and stalked off, ignoring the goodbye's and parting shots from his fellow 'volunteers' and 'coworkers'.
Amaterasu didn't pay him much heed, for she had seen everything she needed to. It was clear there was something else going on. She suspected it with how the plants continued to grow back time and time again. Something was being permanently changed and adjusted in these plants. Now, she could confirm it was in these people too. He had visibly grown hotter, and was clearly stronger than any normal person should be. The burn marks on the rope told her as much.
Briefly, she wondered if it was still called rope burn if it were the rope that was damaged in the encounter.
The thought was dashed when someone else captured her attention, stepping into view and grabbing hold of the rope. A quick swipe of her tail had the ground repaired and grass grown, looking like nothing had happened to it. The person at the other end looked unphased. A second person joined soon after, and then a third.
Amaterasu took a step back and braced herself once more, teeth digging into the rope and preparing herself to actually work harder for this win. Clearly, they were strong, and looked the part. They probably were skilled and powerful before whatever they took gave them additional enhancements. Extremis was being used with something to make them stronger, and she was going to find out what it was.
…
After a few games of tug, first. She had to show them up, obviously.
He was Eric Savin, the former Lieutenant Colonel for the United States Army. One of the agents most trusted with Aldrich Killian's terror campaign against the United States. One of the strongest Extremis users in the world. He could shrug off bullets to the chest and walk off a bomb being set off near him.
Yet, he was shown up by a wolf. He could throw a grown man over a dozen feet with his bare hands, and some flea-ridden dog beat him in front of his peers. No, not just beat. Humiliated him. She had made it look effortless, and the only reason he wasn't raging was because of the scene he was watching through the window.
He was watching five of his Extremis enhanced peers playing tug-of-war with Amaterasu. They were winning. Barely.
The great white wolf was starting to slide along the ground, her claws digging into the grass and dirt, while the people on the other end of the rope strained hard. Their jaws were clenched, fingers tight, forms covered in various energy ripples of Extremis, shamelessly displaying their enhancements. Still, so had he; he lost badly. Idly, he brushed a blade of grass from his head, his heated gaze watching it flutter to the floor.
Eric frowned as he observed Amaterasu suddenly pull back, shifting sideways and digging her paws into the earth below. Then, with a heave, the wolf wrenched the rope toward herself. The person at the front fell forward face-first, much like Eric had. The next two stumbled forward, and the final two slid in the dirt. Amaterasu pulled her paws from the dirt and began her steady march backward, dragging one, two, three, four, five Extremis enhanced people along the ground as they struggled against her.
She won, just like the last few times. She looked no worse for wear, save for a few dirty patches in her fur, which seemed to bleed from that white coat. In moments she was back to her pristine condition, while the rest of the group were laid out on the ground, covered in dirt and grass.
Eric locked his eyes on Amaterasu as she trotted up to one of the fallen soldiers, and dipped her nose to nudge at them. Coincidentally, the soldier was also healing some scrapes on his arm, the same arm the wolf was poking at. It was obvious she was aware that something was happening.
"Fucking bitch is going to be more trouble than she's worth," Eric muttered.
He stepped back from the window, and sighed, before making his way through the mansion. His steps carried him through the house and then down the driveway, all the way to his sports car—working for Killian had some perks. Eric hopped into his car, then pulled out his phone, dialing up his boss. There was one ring, two, before it was answered.
"Savin," Killian greeted, "is there a problem?"
"Might be," Eric grunted. He shifted the car into gear, and began his drive away from the mansion, a particular destination in mind. "I think the mutt is getting a little too nosey."
"How nosey?" Killian huffed. "Do we need to bring her to the tanker for a little more discrete care?"
"Not yet. Though she got close to the drug addict's room, and I think she's trying to feel out what Extremis can do."
"Oh? Why do you think that?"
"She was paying close attention when people were healing. Took her outside to get away from the druggie, and wound up playing with some of the others. She's… strong. Troublesome."
"Do we need to put her down now? I'd prefer to wait until Maya confirms the results with Extremis."
"Not yet. I don't think we could right now anyways. She's strong, surprisingly so. She can throw around five of our guys with a bit of a struggle. Toss in those healing abilities, and we're looking at a real problem if we start something without being prepared."
"I see," Killian hummed, taking a moment to respond. "Go to the warehouse; get those injection rounds, and the rifle—you know the ones. Put the unstable variant into them, and keep those around just in case. We're going to need something that can pierce thick ice."
"Already on my way," Eric replied. "C'mon, you should know me by now."
"Think you can hit her if it comes down to it?"
"Oh, easily," Eric chuckled. "Trust me, that won't be a problem at all."
Tony Stark grinned as he pushed the new thrusters a little faster on his suit, not nearing the new theoretical maximum on them quite yet. He was waiting for the good part of the song so he could speed up and break the sound barrier.
Instead, he let gravity take over the flight for a moment, dipping forward and down. He did a slow, lazy front flip in the air, before kicking in the thrusters on his boots once again. A smile graced his face at the feeling of adrenaline thrumming through his system, assisted by the slowly building pace of Free Bird playing in his suit.
"Sir, Captain Rogers is attempting to contact you," Jarvis spoke, lowering the music volume. "He's in the conference room at the moment." Tony narrowed his eyes at the interruption, frowning.
"Not now Jarvis, I'm getting to the good part," came the reply. "Gimme five minutes." With the interruption gone, he cranked up the volume a little more.
There was the tone shift. Almost there…
He picked up the pace a little more, pushing more energy toward the thrusters. Some of the new ones on the side flared out, and began glowing. He could feel the growing pressure on the front of his suit, the familiar resistance he had broken before. It never got old feeling his personal tech break the barriers of nature.
Here it comes…
The energy built up further, his speed just on the edge of the sound. Here we go, guitar solo time.
Three…
Two…
One…
Go! He hit the thrusters hard, feeling the stresses on his suit resist for the slightest moment, before they started giving way. Power rushed toward the thrusters all at once, glowing bright, and jolting him forward. The sounds of the guitar solo only enhanced the feeling of speed. The grin on his face stretched as he shattered the sound barrier and—
"Stark, I've got a bit of a problem." A face popped up in the corner of his HUD.
The music cut off all at once, leaving Tony in complete silence, listening to the voice of none other than Steve Rogers. He faltered, losing concentration, the power cutting out to his thrusters for a brief moment, dropping him back down on the other side of supersonic once more.
There was a long, unpleasant silence, as Tony tried to think of the proper words to explain his frustration. To explain his discontent and the unpleasant feeling of interruption at one of the greatest pieces of musical emotional evocation in existence.
"Tony?" Steve asked again.
"Rogers, you blue-balled me," Stark spoke. "You actually just blue-balled me. What the hell?"
"I what?" Came the confused reply, complete with scrunched eyebrows.
"I can't believe you did that. You just interrupted the Free Bird guitar solo," Tony griped. "You never interrupt the solo!" He muttered something rather impolite under his breath, and continued on with a grumble. "—even was nice and made sure to be in the middle of nowhere for it."
"Sir, this matter is rather important," Jarvis interrupted Tony's griping and grumbling, "Captain Rogers believes he's being targeted by a cyber attack."
"Jarvis, you already enabled the conference rooms faraday cage?" Tony asked. He lazily drifted side-to-side while flying, not very concerned with the proceedings.
"Yes, Sir, all incoming and outgoing signals have been blocked."
"Faraday cage?" Steve asked.
"Jarvis is hardwired into the building, but that's not important," Tony dismissed. "So, Capsicle, what made you worried enough to come to me? Please tell me you checked YouTube and watched 'Cell Phones for Dummies' first. Though the library might be more your speed."
"Tony, please be serious. Besides, I'm pretty sure it's got nothing to do with that," Steve huffed. "The phone is unable to call anyone, or receive calls. No information going in or out."
"Did you—" Tony was interrupted.
"Yes. I turned it off and on again…" Steve rolled his eyes hard, and Tony swore he could feel the motion through the call. "There's an information block on the SHIELD database too. Requests for information are denied and nothing is going through."
"Captain Rogers is correct, Sir," Jarvis supplied, with Steve thanking the ever-helpful AI in the background. "I attempted to access information that required repeated updates through his account. Nothing managed to get through."
"Wait, you did what on my account?" Steve asked, looking a tad disgruntled.
"Alright, screw it. Let's say I believe you," Tony began, "why do you—Woah!"
Tony jolted and barreled out of the way, tucking his arms in and dipping several dozen feet in the air. Flaring out his arms, he stopped his plummet and continued, barely a breath wasted. "Sorry about that, almost splattered an eagle. I'd rather go to prison for a more exciting federal crime, thank you very much." He turned himself around, flying backwards, and gave a sarcastic little salute to the bird. "Hey, Rogers, you ever commit tax evasion?"
"Tony…" Steve planted a palm on his face, and groaned. Stark snickered in response.
"Right, right. Killjoy. Why is this a big deal?" Tony asked. "Why would someone want to lock you out?"
"It started the same day Amaterasu disappeared," Steve replied, "yesterday morning actually. I tried to find her with the tracking collar but couldn't access it. I could the day before, though."
"Wait, what? Space Dog is gone? I thought she kept to New York." Tony frowned, and adjusted his course a little, flying higher. "Hey, Jarvis, have you tried getting into the file system and finding Laika?"
"Yes, Sir, her location is blocked. I can get access to it, but that may take some time," Jarvis answered.
"Nah, sounds important. Call Fury, better not wait on this," Tony spoke.
There was an awkward silence as they waited for the connection to go through. Tony picked up his pace a little bit, flaring the thrusters on his suit. He started pushing against the sound barrier, before smashing through it with a sudden jolt of energy. He grinned as he sped up, momentarily distracted by pushing the new thrusters harder.
Then, Fury's face popped up on his HUD. The neutral expression was familiar to them all and sucked every ounce of joy from the situation.
"Hello, Director Fury," the AI started.
"Jarvis," Fury replied.
"Fury," Steve greeted.
"Rogers," Fury returned, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"Heya, eyepatch," Tony smirked.
"Stark," Fury sighed, "what do you want?"
"You look grumpier than usual, so I'll stick to the cliff notes," Tony spoke before anyone else had the chance to. "The boy scout was having tech problems; it turns out it's not just him being old—"
"Tony," Steve sighed.
"—So Jarvis tried to get to Space Dog's location, but couldn't immediately access it, which is a surprise considering how poor SHIELD's cyber security is—"
"Sir," Jarvis protested.
"—So we decided to call you," Tony finished. "Oh, right, and Air Bud went missing around when this all started."
There was a long pause as Fury took in what was said. He fiddled with something just out of sight, before his face disappeared, replaced by a screen with Amaterasu's information file pulled up. He tapped on the location ping, only to be met with a rather concerning message.
Access denied.
"Excuse me?" Fury ground out. Tony figured there was a swear missing somewhere in the middle of that. "Override."
It took a long moment, as if the software was struggling, before the location ping for Amaterasu's collar finally went through.
"California?" Steve asked, furrowing his brow. "Why would she be all the way over there?"
"Hey, that's a lucky coincidence, I'm already heading there. That's about…" Tony had Jarvis pull up the location on a map. "Eh, fifty miles out from where I was heading. I'll check it out and see if I can't find our mascot."
"Keep me updated," Fury spoke. "Oh, and Stark? Make it quick, something's not right." He went back to the main file, and highlighted a section for everyone to see.
Mission Status: Standby.
"I didn't clear Fido for anything," Fury said. "That should be unauthorized until I say otherwise."
"Hmm… Hey, Cap?" Tony began. "Might wanna let Jarvis purge and destroy your device. Someone could know something is up once you leave the room."
"You think someone's actively monitoring us?" Steve asked.
"Someone's going through a lot of trouble to keep Fido's location from being accessed," Fury growled out. "If they weren't trying something, I'd be disappointed." There was a pause as the three thought for a moment. "Rogers?"
"Sir?"
"Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary with Fido at all?"
"Not really. The only thing was when she was swarmed at her shrine. She didn't leave until late the next morning, after I checked the tracker. I ran into her talking with Rumlow, and he said something about meeting someone at noon. She looked fine that evening." Steve explained it all, trying to recount as much as he could that seemed important. "She wasn't in my apartment the next morning; I haven't seen her since."
"Having a sleepover and you didn't invite me? I'm hurt, Rogers," Tony tried to ease the tension.
"I'll get in contact with Rumlow and find out who he was talking about," Fury ignored Tony's comment entirely. "Stark, get your ass over to California and find Fido," Fury spoke. "Rogers, go and check out the locations she was at previously. I'll get Hill to check the surveillance cameras for the wolf in the meantime. I expect you both to keep this quiet for now."
"Already checked," Steve replied, "but I can go over them again. Could have always missed something."
"Sounds good. I'll call if I see anything," Tony agreed. "Oh, and reach out to me through Jarvis, he's encrypting everything and running the calls from private satellites." He took a moment, and then added, "Cap, go down to the basement, I think I left an earpiece down there. Should let you access Jarvis and contact us."
Steve nodded, while Fury frowned in approval, giving a slight nod of his own. The man couldn't do anything without looking pissed off, could he? Tony brushed off the thought.
"Keep in contact and report anything you find," Fury ordered. "Find Amaterasu, and try to do so quickly. I'm sure she can take care of herself, but she seems eager to please. I'd prefer she not help the wrong people."
The call ended after that, leaving Tony in silence once more. He flew quietly for a long while, cruising along, gradually increasing the power to his thrusters. The ground below passed by at a faster rate with each second.
"Sir?" Jarvis finally asked, the silence clueing the AI in that something was wrong.
"Jarvis, do me a favor and keep an eye on who tries to access Laika's file. Also, keep trying that ping, and try to do a slow creep through SHIELD's system. We don't need them knowing you're still in there."
"Yes, Sir. I'll let you know if I find anything."
"Oh, and Jarvis?" Tony started to shift his armor once more, the little side thrusters poking out of the armor, and the glowing from his repulsors grew. "Turn the music back on, and rewind to four-and-a-half minutes."
The muffled sound of the wind was immediately replaced by the familiar and comforting sounds of guitar and drums, a common background to almost anything he was doing. It helped pull him from his concerned and contemplative mood.
"Alright, here we go. Full thrusters, just gotta time it," Tony rambled. "Everything always works out with a badass soundtrack." He conveniently ignored all the problems and failures he had to deal with while said soundtrack had been playing throughout his career.
There was the tone shift again.
And…
Three…
Two…
One…
His thrusters glowed a brilliant white, flooding them with power once more. A smile graced his face as he hurtled forward through the air, watching his speed rapidly increase. Tony took in the sound of music pumping him up as he flew faster and faster, passing Mach 3 and rapidly approaching Mach 4.
He began to slow down when warnings began popping up on his HUD, keeping himself balanced on the edge of dangerously fast. It was just stress testing, that's all. Though, he made a mental note that he needed to develop a high velocity suit. A project for later, perhaps.
It was exactly 11:47 at night when Amaterasu opened her eyes. Being Goddess of the Sun had some great perks, such as wielding powers that could create entire galaxies and manipulate the very heavens. That, and an immaculate sense of time. Some were more convenient than others at certain moments.
The wolf gave a long, drawn-out yawn, and stretched herself out, shaking out the dredges of sleep. Ammy rolled onto her back and curled herself around to the left, then to the right, working her sides. Her paws reached for the roof, toes splaying out and legs shaking as she got in a really good stretch, back arch and all.
Finally warmed up and all relaxed, Ammy rolled back to her side, and… promptly fell asleep again. Only for a few minutes though! Just a few dozen minutes. Maybe an hour. She had a long day, cut her some slack!
When she finally woke up that second time though, she was ready to go. She glanced around the room she had been given, and flicked her left ear in thought. How should she go about this?
Ammy grabbed several of the blankets that had been laid out for her on the mattress, and started bunching them up. She pushed and shoved and moved them around with her head, nosing the covers into the proper position. More than once did she get a blanket stuck on her muzzle, forcing her to pull back and shake herself free.
Eventually, with a little effort—she cursed the lack of opposable thumbs—Ammy managed to lay everything out just as she wanted on the bed. She lay down beside it, and with a flex of her will, froze reality, viewing herself from outside of her own body. Luckily, the blankets lined up just right to sit in what looked to be the rough shape of her form.
With a huff she stood, and leaned in to press her nose against the blanket pile. Immediately reality shimmered and shifted, a wave of light working over the blankets. Then, in seconds, laying there was a fake Ammy! She may have cursed and grumbled about the demon fox—Ninetails—from her past life for tricking her with illusions, but she had to admit they were pretty useful.
The lack of sound from the fake wolf wouldn't alert anyone that anything was wrong. After all, she definitely didn't snore. Absolutely not. She was a Goddess, she was prim and proper and polite at all times, even when sleeping! She didn't drool either, probably. Or shed. No, this disguise was perfect.
Prop set and illusion in place, Amaterasu turned and trotted over to the window. Drawing on her ability gained from that spicy blue space cube, she pulled on her magic, and teleported through the wall.
She wasn't expecting the drop, however, forgetting she was on the second floor. The ground hurtled toward her, and in an attempt to avoid making noise, she merely pushed off the air before she hit the grass. Silent landing, perfect and stealthy as always—
Oh, she forgot to cloak herself in an illusion! With a tug of magic, she vanished. Flawless.
Amaterasu began her silent creep through the dark yard of Killian's mansion, the world illuminated only by the bright moon overhead. Sure, if she really wanted to show off, she could just make it daytime. Disturbing the whole world just for a nicer stroll felt a tad selfish, however.
The wolf kept her ears perked as she made her way around the building. She spotted multiple armed guards standing in position or making slow looping laps around the property. Only a truly skilled and sneaky individual could make their way past them all.
Luckily, that's exactly what she was. Master of Stealth.
Narrowly avoiding tripping over some potted plants on multiple occasions, the large lupine made her way right underneath the window to the room she was told she wasn't allowed into. Silly humans. Rules are for people that want to listen to them! Not for the Goddess of the Sun with an intense curiosity that needed to be sated.
Ammy crouched down, and then launched herself up into the air, sailing over twenty feet high with just a single jump. Then, when she reached the peak of her jump, she angled herself and pushed forward, just enough to plant her forepaws on the window ledge, and press her back paws against the wall.
She peered through the window, squinting at the bright lights in the room. There was nothing she could see that indicated it was being watched, just a lot of books and clothes on the ground. She cocked her ears as well, and listened closely. Still nothing.
Good enough for her! Ammy tugged on her magic, and popped into existence on the other side of the wall, still completely invisible. She glanced down at the carpeted floor, and smirked. This place was too easy!
It was then that she inhaled, and nearly wretched from the sudden influx of scents. None of them were pleasant, save for the thinly veiled attempt to spray something flowery over the absolute filth. She took a moment to gather her wits, fighting back the urge to throw up the nine barbecued hot dogs those lovely volunteers had given her earlier—tug-of-war contests were fun!
Amaterasu shook off the disgust and near physical punch to the nose that was the smell of the room, and crept her way forward. A way to describe it: well lived in. Another would be pure filth. Still, despite the conditions, she wasn't too sure why they'd want to keep her from it.
She made her way forward, creeping her way around large paintings, thin wooden walls, and stands holding various items. A glance to the wall displayed a large ring, made of what appeared to be smaller rings, with swords crossing in the middle.
Suddenly, there were footsteps. Despite being invisible to the naked eye, Ammy found herself ducking around one of the wooden walls and poked her head out. Someone walked by, dressed in a fancy green garment wrapped around their body. He moved with purpose, strong, steady strides, and took a deep breath. He made his way over to a rather regal looking chair, and sat himself down, his jewelry clinking with the motion.
"Hello, America," the man began, in a deep, powerful voice. "I'm sure you all recognize me by now. I'm but your humble teacher, bringing to you another lesson."
Ammy crept closer, keeping herself hidden, her paws silent on the floor. She couldn't sense any magic from this man, nor could she see anything on his person that would make him dangerous. Still, the presence of the man had her on edge. Something wasn't quite right.
"Did you know, Jesus Christ, your 'Lord and Saviour,' isn't even European? Despite your attempts to defile and corrupt this historical figure, the truth is, he was born in what is now known as the Middle East." There was a pause, as if to let the information sink in. "That's right. The birthplace of your beloved Saviour is the same area that your greatest tragedy was born."
Ammy narrowed her eyes, her tail flicking side to side as she watched. What was he talking about? A sudden gust of wind within the room weaved through her fur, leaving Ammy feeling chilled.
"Coincidentally, you seem to have picked up a new saviour. Someone you all seem to be counting on. Some sort of 'miracle' here to save you. Amaterasu." He said her name with such disgust that she shuddered. "She comes from the same place your second greatest tragedy occurred: Japan. Do you see how there might be a problem with that?" The man frowned and narrowed his eyes.
Amaterasu was taken aback. Did she do something to him? Who was this other person? What was this tragedy he was talking about? What could she do to help? She crept forward further, ducked herself underneath a table, and watched from the side.
"So, being the gracious teacher you know me to be, I fixed your little problem." A pause. "I'm sure you've seen it by now: I blew up Amaterasu. Her, her shrine, and everything about your little knockoff that you so loved. After all, why have one beloved savior dead without the other? Now, no need to thank me. After all, I am but your humble teacher."
Ammy was shaken. Was she being targeted? Had someone else died in her place? Who was this man? Thoughts swirled and shifted and raced through her mind. Was her shrine okay? What should she do?
"Here's your lesson today, America: Gods die for your sins."
…
"No, no, what the hell? Who wrote that line? That's bloody stupid, it is. I can't read that drivel, I am a professional." His entire demeanor changed in an instant, as did his accent, the entire presence of the man before vanishing. "I swear, they have no respect for the arts. None!" There was a moment, and he reached into his pocket for a remote, and hit a button. The chill breeze in the room immediately faded. "Bloody air-conditioner, I had it set for an hour later, not ten minutes."
A sudden move had him standing, casting off the rings on his fingers and letting them land on the floor with a hollow plink. The lovely regal robe was yanked off and hurled overhead with a grunt, fluttering to the floor. Revealed beneath was a stained grey sports t-shirt, and some generic black sweatpants.
Amaterasu reeled back in shock, the whiplash from the sudden change catching her off guard. The imposing, dangerous man before was now long gone, replaced by this rather unique individual. In fact, she was so surprised and thrown off by the change, that she knocked her head against the bottom of the table.
That little bump against the table caused an empty glass bottle to fall over. It rolled across the table, gaining both Ammy's and the man's attention. Then, the bottle fell. It plummeted, hitting the edge of a hollow movie prop bust. Momentum from the bottle made the bust fall to the floor.
A sharp crack rang out, the head of the fake bust breaking free from the body. The spherical head of the decapitated plastic man skittered across the floor, impacting what appeared to be a five-level pyramid of beer cans. The structure of cans collapsed, one of the cans landing in a pocket of a sweater. Unfortunately, that sweater was hanging on the corner or a precariously balanced prop wall.
That wall tilted, then fell, hitting another thin barrier with a splintering crash. The other tipped soon after, falling like the world's most flimsy domino set. It crashed down near the table Ammy was under, the edge of the falling wall catching a plank of wood that lay sideways across the surface.
Ammy stepped out from beneath the table, her eyes following the arc the wood traveled through the air. It sailed straight for what looked like a paint bucket suspended from the roof with a string and pulley system. Then, it hit, and the bucket plunged straight towards Ammy! The wolf only had a moment to close her eyes, scrunching up as the rope drew taught, and dumped the entire contents of the bucket onto her.
"Oh, bloody hell, Trevor. You took too much again," the man muttered to himself. "Lovely, now I'm hallucinating glitter demons when I'm supposed to be rehearsing."
Amaterasu opened her eyes, and looked down. There was glitter everywhere. The upended bucket dangled above the wolf, trickles of thin glitter still flaking onto her. There was no saving the room now. The floor was covered, as was the table she had been under previously. A pool of glitter extended outward several feet in every direction. Ammy glanced back over herself, and huffed through her nose, the action sending more of the shiny powder outward with a puff of air. It had completely ruined her illusion. Now she was just coated in sparkly stuff and it showed off her hidden form.
"Hey, hey you," Trevor called. "Psst! Psspspspsps! You, spooky sparkle ghost."
Amaterasu took the moment to turn and face Trevor once more, cocking her head to the side.
"Yes, you! I don't need your help today, you can shoo. Go on now, get going. I expect you to be gone by the time I close my eyes and count to three."
She remained unmoving as the rather confusing man raised both hands up to his face, and covered his eyes. He peeked through his fingers, and gave her a look, before closing the gap once more.
"Alright, here we go, this usually works. One… Two…" Trevor peeked through his fingers again, still looking at the unmoving form of an invisible yet glitter-covered Ammy. "Two and a half… Two and a quarter… Wait, uh, two and three-quarters. Er… Two and, uh, uhm." He struggled for a moment. "Three!"
Amaterasu decided to just reveal herself fully at this point. There was no use in hiding anymore, and this man hardly seemed like a threat. Instead, she stood in her full glory: brilliant white fur; sharp red markings; blazing gold eyes.
And a whole heap of glitter.
"Oh, well that didn't work. That usually does the trick," Trevor commented. The man hummed in thought, and paced for a long moment, before turning back to Ammy once again. "Hey, you. You, uhm. Uh—" He snapped his fingers, pointing at Ammy. "I'm asleep! Yes! Yes, that makes sense! I was reading the script, and, being a brilliant actor, I'm dreaming up the whole thing right now. What do you think?"
"Woof!" Ammy offered, her tail giving a wag. That had the unfortunate effect of sending an arc of glitter behind her and across the room, just adding to the pure chaos.
"No, no. Trust me, I've had my fair share of knocks about the head. I would be crying far more if that were the case. Good try though!" Trevor replied. He paced back and forth in front of the wolf, not at all concerned with the apparently magical talking wolf in the room.
Suddenly, he turned. He pointed at Ammy, eyes wide. Realization crossed his features, and it took him a moment to form his proper words.
"Oh! Oh! How could I have been so stupid?" Trevor grumbled. "Hello, my name is Trevor. Trevor Slattery, actor extraordinaire. Well, sort of. It's, uh— Eh, potato tomato." A brush of his hand through the air dismissed the whole thing.
Amaterasu tilted her head. Those words didn't even rhyme. Po-tay-toe? Ta-mah-toe?
"Arf!" Ammy replied. She padded forward and, with a mighty shake from head to toe, tried to dislodge the glitter from her fur.
It worked! A little too perfectly, unfortunately. A massive cloud of glitter exploded from her fur and shot across the room, a veritable explosion of sparkly dust spreading out to cover every single surface.
"Oh, that's a hilarious coincidence!" Trevor continued, merely spitting out any extra glitter that wound up in his mouth. "I was just rehearsing a script that has a character with the exact same name as you do! Small world, hey?"
Amaterasu could not get a read on this man. Not in the slightest.
"Oh, right, where are my manners?" He shuffled his way over to the recently overturned table, and started rummaging around. "Excuse me, I am a terrible host. Would you like a beer, Ammy?"
Ammy shook her head.
"Oh, hey, no worries at all. I've got plenty more, like, uh… I have some 'substances' too, or—Oh! I have Jaffa Cakes, if you'd like! They're quite delicious though hard to find here. I'm sure I can find them if you give me a moment."
"Awoof?" Came the curious reply.
"Oh, that? That was just practice. I—Well, I'm not supposed to share," Trevor trailed off, standing up straight and wiping off various spilled substances from his palms onto his pants. "Though, I suppose a little wouldn't hurt. It's a role. I'm supposed to play a villain, a really scary one. This team from the BBC approached me, and said I'd be perfect for the spot! I've always wanted to be an actor. Ever since I was a boy, actually! I still remember it clearly. I was with my mum, I was. 1968, Planet of the Apes. I still—"
"Arf!"
"Oh no, no not at all. Safe as can be, no one's hurt in the slightest." Trevor took a moment as he walked toward his bed, and brushed more glitter off of it with a sweep of his hand. He turned and sat down, facing Ammy once again. "Well, that's not true, there was this one guy. Stage light fell on him, hit him right on the head. I think they were still new to setting things up to be honest. But he was fine! He did this weird little glowy thing and was good as new. Now that's movie magic."
This was getting too weird for her. Amaterasu huffed and sat down, watching the man. She blinked as she watched him stare at her, his eyelids drooping. Then they slipped closed. There was barely a moment between that and when he fell backwards onto his bed, a cloud of glitter rising from the impact.
Concerned, Amaterasu ran forward, preparing to use her magic on the man, and—
A deep snore left the man. He fell asleep. Just like that, he was out like a light. Oh, how Ammy wished she could sleep that easily sometimes. She was actually a little jealous.
Footsteps and voices outside of the door alerted Amaterasu that someone was coming. She looked at the absolutely destroyed room, and then to Trevor who was splayed out across the bed. There was no way to fix everything in time.
So, she didn't. With her newly de-glittered coat, Ammy cloaked herself in an illusion again, and ducked herself behind the overturned table. She sat and peered over the edge, her eyes on the door as it swung open.
Oh! It was that grouchy guy she beat in the tug-of-war earlier on! She watched Eric take one look into the room, before pausing. He blinked, looked around at the absolute mess of the living area, and then glanced to the still-snoring Trevor.
Quick, heavy footsteps brought him to the bed in moments. A quick shove to the shoulder and a nudge to the shins had the actor awake once more, sitting upright and back into a perfectly aware state.
"Oh! Hello, is it morning already? I feel like I haven't slept a wink," Trevor commented.
"Trevor," Eric asked, his tone flat. "What happened?"
Amaterasu's ears fell at that, and her stomach clenched. She didn't think this through. She should have made an attempt to hide things better, or be more careful, or should have just restored the room to its former state. Now she'd be found out and—
"Oh, well, you see. I was practicing the script you gave me—side note, there's some suggestions I need to make for that. But!" Trevor began his genius reply. "But, I decided to have some, er, substances before reading the script. Then I read it, and I think I did a splendid job, but some words need to be changed. Oh, but then, I saw it. A magic glitter demon. I tried to shoo the thing away, but I—"
"Know what? I don't care. I've heard enough," Eric interrupted. "C'mon, we're taking you to a new filming location."
"Right now? Well, I haven't even packed yet, I need to—"
"Now, Trevor."
Properly interrupted and directed out of the room, Trevor and Eric both disappeared when the door clicked shut. Amaterasu was left alone in the room, surrounded by the absolute chaos that her presence brought. Sparkles and shattered props were strewn about the place and matched her thought process perfectly.
What the heck was going on?
I'd also like to thank several people for their help with this chapter: Bobbles, Moxie, and Nova. They're true champions and wonderful people for putting up with my ramblings.
You can also find me on Fanfiction, Archive of Our Own, Royal Road, Space Battles, and Sufficient Velocity. As always, comments, criticism, and critiques are welcome and encouraged. Thank you all and have a wonderful day.
He was having one of those days. That kind of day you misplace your keys and no amount of time searching for them will bring results. A day where your wallet was supposed to be in your nightstand, but somehow wandered into your work clothes. The sort of day where you put a notebook in your pocket but it somehow winds up under the couch, and it's only found after three hours.
Steve Rogers was having that kind of day. Except instead of something small and easily missed, it was a bright white, two-hundred-pound wolf with a tendency to draw attention with her antics. If it weren't for the fact that Ammy had been seen working with the Avengers and now had a substantial media presence, Steve was certain people would be up in arms at the thought of a wolf on the loose in the city. The lack of any sort of muttering about the magical lupine had him confused.
His trip through the city and all his searching took him far and wide. Of course, he first went to check out the hot dog cart that Ammy had dragged him to once. The gruff veteran hadn't been harassed by Ammy at all that day, and Steve bought a hot dog for bothering the man. His next location had been to check the arts and crafts store that the pair had visited to get the materials for the mural. Still nothing.
A quick check in the library, and a stop by several hospitals revealed much the same. There wasn't any sign of the wolf. However, he did end up getting a hug from one of the receptionists at the hospital he and Amaterasu had visited with Amelia and Terry. That was a nice little bright spot in his day. He had asked the woman if she or any of her coworkers had heard anything about Ammy, but she shook her head. She even asked her coworkers and pulled up news sites to look with him. Still nothing.
There seemed to be a significant lack of Amaterasu around the immediate area. The lack of answers is what brought him back to the SHIELD HQ the following morning. It had been twenty-four hours on the dot when Steve walked into the building once again.
The building seemed a little more populated today now that everyone was back to their normal routine. Steve gave the security a little nod as he walked by, quite happy they responded in kind. He gave the receptionist a little wave as he passed by as well, just a little more confused when she glanced at him, then returned to her computer, typing something out quickly.
Onward he went, taking the elevator to one of the computer rooms. He set himself down in one of the chairs, logged in, and immediately went to navigate to Amaterasu's file. It's never taken longer than maybe a day tops to have requests dealt with, so he fully expected the minor issue to be resolved.
Request Denied.
Access Denied.
Steve gave a frustrated groan and clicked the prompt multiple times, hoping for another result each time. Nothing changed. He was still prevented from Ammy's location tracking, and he didn't have another option to make an additional request to access her location. Confused, a tad frustrated with technology, and a little more worried about Ammy, Steve logged off and left the building.
Well, he had tried the conventional methods and worked through all avenues he could. He followed standard operating procedure and even waited a full day. No one could claim he didn't try to follow the standard operating procedures first. So, he went to the next logical step.
Call Fury.
He punched in the number from memory into his SHIELD given device, and waited. Then waited some more. He pulled the phone away, only to see that his call hadn't gone through. He tried once again, making sure he hit the 'call' button on the screen. It took a moment, before the line automatically cut.
Maybe Fury was busy, or his device was dead. It was unlike the Director to be that dismissive of his own personal belongings or unable to be reached. Still, he had other options. Time to call Coulson, he hadn't seen the man for a couple weeks, and seeing as Coulson was Ammy's 'official' handler, he should more than have access to it all.
He punched in the number from memory once more, and kept an eye on the screen. The same thing happened though, the phone refused to even connect and attempt to dial. Maybe Coulson was busy as well. So, on he went, trying different numbers. Maria Hill; it wasn't working. Natasha; unreachable. Clint; still nothing.
Steve grumbled and glanced up at the city skyline, his eyes locking onto the newly rebranded Avengers Tower steadily being rebuilt. He began his way toward the building. As far as he was aware, Stark should still be operating out of the tower for the time being, until the point that the project was able to be passed along to someone else.
Even though he was walking toward the building, he felt it necessary to try and call Tony anyways. Of course, that didn't go through either, just confirming his suspicions. Tony was always available, or at least JARVIS was. But to not go through, and have a communications lockdown on his devices?
Steve had a feeling something was off. Sure, maybe the requests to access the information were denied for good reason. It was possible his phone wasn't working either, technology could be finicky, he had learned. But both at the same time? The same day Amaterasu just happened to go missing without a trace? It didn't take an expert entrepreneur/billionaire/mechanic/philanthropist to put two and two together.
Something was going on, and someone was trying to keep it quiet. That, or he just had the absolute worst luck with any sorts of technology, and he should just give up on learning now. Still, he figured he'd attempt to speak with someone on the bleeding edge of tech development. As aggravating as Tony could be sometimes, he was a good man.
He just hoped that his hunch was wrong, and that Ammy was alright.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
Amaterasu was far from alright. She was struggling. It was difficult, insanely so. She tried to keep going, she really did, but every moment that passed by was absolute agony. She couldn't think, couldn't focus, and found herself very nearly passing out on more than one occasion. This was a true test of her resolve, strength, endurance, and compassion for others.
Ammy clenched her teeth, and forced her gaze upward again, trying to concentrate. She was certain they'd stop soon. There was no way they could continue forcing her through this. They had to get bored, and give up. It was impossible to think that humans could continue with this absolute torture. She had to keep going, it was important. She couldn't give up now!
…
But after nearly fifteen minutes of listening to Maya ramble on and on about science, cell structure, DNA changes, the age of cells, and the natural healing process of the body, Ammy was done. She couldn't do it.
It didn't help that the woman wasn't even talking to her, Maya was talking at her. In the wolf's general direction, instead of focusing on the lupine and explaining things properly. Instead, Maya and about a dozen other people in lab coats had gathered around a computer, looking at the results of Maya's data collection. They were chattering away, throwing around big science words that Amaterasu was absolutely certain were made up.
Then again, all words are made up.
Seeing as the group of science nerds were pretty busy, and barely paying attention to her… Ammy left. Sure, maybe it wasn't the most polite way to excuse herself from a conversation, but if she had to hear the word "mitochondria" one more time she was going to throw the paint cans she had across the room. Granted, it would have been a waste of the lovely paint Steve bought her, but the bright splash of colour would be infinitely more engaging than this.
While the group were busy chatting away to one another about some "miracle of science," Amaterasu just stood up and crept away. She didn't need to use an illusion to be stealthy, she was clearly a master of the arts of deceit and sneakiness. She crept up the stairs to the main floor, then down a hallway, her paws quiet on the carpeted floor. Then came the challenging part.
Stone flooring. Truly a devious opponent.
Using her skills as a master of stealth, Ammy flexed her toes upward to keep her claws off the floor, ensuring she was silent as she snuck her way across the house. Step after step she moved, keeping her ears perked, listening. Her tail just barely brushed the floor as she moved along, the soft fur whispering across the stone.
Then, footsteps to her left! Without hesitation, the wolf jolted to the right, diving around a corner with barely a sound. She heard the footsteps following, though she wasn't being chased. She ran ahead anyways, the carpeted floor providing more than enough sound muffling and traction for her paws.
Onward she went, taking twists and turns, throwing off any pursuers that she imagined would be following her. She was swift! Faster than the wind! Stronger than the mightiest river! More silent than falling snow!
She was Amaterasu, Goddess of—
"Where do you think you're going?"
The voice jolted her out of her thoughts, causing Ammy to notice she was barrelling toward none other than Eric Savin, one of Killain's bodyguards. She tried to stop herself, noticing the scowl on the man's face, and the holstered firearm. Ammy planted her paws firmly on the carpet and her feet stopped moving.
Unfortunately, she happened to forget about momentum. Sure, her paws were planted firmly on the carpet. The carpet continued on though, sliding across the hardwood floor of the hallway and carrying her with it. Ammy flailed a little to try and stop. Nothing happened. The Goddess of the Sun was now at the mercy of physics and reality, something she frequently tried to spite.
Physics and reality were out for revenge now.
Ammy somehow ended up on her back, all four paws in the air as she slipped and slid across the floor, her momentum slowly coming to a halt in front of the bodyguard, who was standing before a door. She stopped right at his feet, angled sideways to the scowling man.
"Really? Running around?" Eric grumbled out. "Were you trying to make a mess of things? That's rather rude for a guest, don't you think?"
"Awoof?" Ammy tried, tilting her head a little, bringing her forepaws up to her chest. Maybe she could cute her way out of this.
"You can't cute your way out of this."
Dammit!
"Come on, get up, fix the rug. I don't care if you're supposed to be some important guest or not," Eric Savin spoke.
Ammy complied, a quick flex of her magic and a swipe of her tail had the rug back to normal and the scratches on the wall from her flailing vanished. Eric was quiet for a long moment, looking at the suddenly pristine hallway, then glancing back down to the wolf, who hadn't moved a muscle.
"…You're not that imposing for the so-called 'Goddess of the Sun', you know that?" Savin commented, shaking off his surprise with cold indifference and a small insult.
Amaterasu was taken aback at the sudden comment, but wasn't all too surprised. It's not like she wanted to be some big, imposing deity that terrified mortals or demanded sacrifice. She was just… Ammy! That's all she needed to be, and it seemed to be working out so far for her.
"Come on, you're not allowed back here, this area is off limits," the man continued. "We're gonna go to the yard. No one's called about you on the radio, so I take it you've done whatever you need to for the moment."
Ammy gave an affirmative bark and stood up, shaking herself off in the process. Eric nudged the back of her leg with a foot, urging her onwards, while he followed behind her. He grabbed his radio soon after, speaking into it.
"I'm gonna need a replacement in the hall, I'm taking the wolf to the yard and giving her some babysitters," he grumbled. An affirmative response was heard through the radio, and by the time the duo had reached the end of the hall, there was already someone walking by the pair, going to take up guard for the apparently off-limits area.
Oh, did that just make Ammy want to explore it more. It was an itch she had to scratch now, and she decided to check it out later in the night when everyone was asleep. For now, she had to follow along with this Savin character. She didn't want to upset her hosts on the very first day. What kind of goddess did that?
"So, what do you do? I take it something like fetch is too demeaning for you," Eric spoke as they made their way outside. She didn't comment; she wasn't particularly enjoying his attitude.
The sun was lower on the horizon now, casting a soft orange glow over the trees and tinting the few puffy clouds with soft pinks and oranges and reds. It was a rather nice time in the evening, with the heat of the summer dropping a little, and allowing a nice cool breeze to weave its way through Ammy's fur.
Coming around the outside of the house, they walked into a large grassy area that wasn't visible from the other side of the building. Out and about were about eight other men and women, five of whom were eating barbecued burgers, two playing tug-of-war, and one standing in as referee. One of the men glanced at the approaching duo and stood up, beer in one hand, burger in another.
"Finally decided to join us? Taking the evening off to socialize?" the approaching man asked.
"Not a chance, Mike," Eric snapped back, "keeping her busy." He gestured to Amaterasu.
"Well, I was going to offer you a drink, but you're a dick," Mike returned smoothly. He then glanced down at the wolf, and frowned. "I'd offer you a drink but I think alcohol is poisonous to dogs. No offense."
Ammy replied with her own version of a shrug, and a flick of her tail. It seemed as if everyone here had at least been told about her, so there were no surprises or weird looks. A few of the others glanced over, pausing the observation of the tug-of-war match. Poor timing from them all, as one of the participants finally heaved hard and dragged the other person forward, causing them to fall flat on their face. Laughter and cheers went around the small group.
"Still playing games?" Eric commented with a dismissive huff. "Whatever, just keep an eye on her."
"Oh, piss off, it's fun. Did it all the time on duty, and the local kids loved it. It's a good bonding exercise and gets the heart going," Mike returned with a cheerful grin, entirely brushing off the scowl Savin sent him. "Hey, why don't we get… Is it Ammy?" He paused for a moment, and continued with a nod from the wolf. "Why don't we get you and Ammy in on this? Can't be boring and professional all the time."
"No, that's—"
"Scared you'd lose to her?" Mike interrupted.
Eric paused, his expression set in a scowl. He glanced down at the wolf to his left, and then to the inch thick rope laying on the ground, then to the shit-eating-grin of Mike. Amaterasu met the scowling gaze with her own gold eyes, somehow looking smug in the process.
"As if," Eric replied. He clenched his hand, and the faintest glow of orange rippled up through his forearm, much to Ammy's interest. It looked surprisingly similar to the orange glow of the Extremis enhanced plants earlier. "Me against the wolf? No chance I'd lose, especially now. I could win against any of you."
"Well, then go ahead. Prove it."
Amaterasu was absolutely loving this back and forth; the playful attitude of this Mike character contrasting with the overly serious Eric. The latter looked conflicted, as if wondering if he should entertain the idea. Mike just continued to smirk, taking a sip of his beer.
The 'especially now' comment caught her attention though. Had he done something that made him stronger? Working out more, perhaps? Yet, he didn't look like he was all too muscular, something that would lend him well to a physical game.
Ammy decided to make the decision for them all by darting around the table and coming to stand at one end of the rope. She gave a playful little growl and gripped the rope in her jaws, giving it a playful shake. She then turned her gaze to Eric, and gave a muffled "wuff" around the rope.
"Oh, are you gonna take that?" A woman commented from her spot at the table.
"I think she called you a little bitch," another man ribbed.
"Nah, he won't do it. He's too professional, and he's allergic to fun," a third replied.
Eric Savin, the normally calm and smug looking individual, grit his teeth. There was another glow of orange as his eyes flashed briefly, in a blink-and-you'll miss it moment. That only solidified Ammy's determination though.
Clearly something was going on. If they were all volunteers to the Extremis experiments, did it stick around in their bodies after? Were there some additional effects she hadn't been told about? Suddenly, the wonderful sounding healing procedure was beginning to seem like it was more than just an innocent medical treatment.
No better way to find out than getting into the thick of it though.
Amaterasu gave another bark, louder this time, catching the attention of everyone in the little group. When she was certain she had all eyes on her, she locked her eyes on Eric. Then, she lifted her head and turned her nose away, snubbing him. She even lifted a paw and made a motion to shoo him away, just for that little extra impact.
She had never heard a human make that kind of snarl before, and failed to hide her smirk as Eric took a deep breath, walking to the other end of the rope.
"You're gonna regret underestimating me." It was a statement he was certain of, she could tell. Normally, Eric might even be right. If she were a normal dog, hell, even a normal wolf, maybe he would have had a chance. With the "especially now" comment, she was certain he would be able to put up a decent fight.
Amaterasu definitely wasn't normal. Not in the slightest.
She gripped the rope in her jaws and stepped backward, while Eric grabbed the rope with both hands and stepped back as well. His knuckles tightened, veins popping out on his hands and forearms as he gripped the rope. Ammy did the same, getting in a low crouch, taking her own stance opposite of Eric.
"Ready?" A woman asked, watching from the wooden table.
A nod from both participants confirmed their state. They were both fully prepared.
"Then… Go!" She shouted.
Eric Savin tightened his grip a little further, braced his legs, and heaved. He looked upward as he pulled, leaning into it. He pulled hard, feet digging into the ground, shoving backwards as he took step after step. He looked down from the sky, trying to see how much effort he would need to put in to pull the wolf over the finish line.
Amaterasu hadn't moved.
Eric's eye twitched, and he put more effort into it, his knuckles and eyes flashing an orange as he threw himself backward. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, straining hard, allowing Extremis to fuel his body further. Inhuman strength pulled at the rope, and he knew he was making progress, feeling the ground beneath his feet shifting, working himself back further.
He looked down.
Amaterasu hadn't moved.
He was digging trenches into the ground with his feet, kicking up dirt and mud. Instead, he was making a complete mess of his clean shoes and nice pants. Eric gave a growl and pulled harder still. All modesty and restraint he had was gone, replaced with furious attempts to move Amaterasu even an inch.
Amaterasu did move, much to the surprise of the onlookers. She moved backwards. One step at first, then another. Gradually pulling Eric Savin across the grass while he dug in his feet, tearing trenches into the ground in a last-ditch attempt to win against the wolf. At this point he was shamelessly glowing an orange-white, the rope in his grip smoking a little as his body temperature rose.
Ammy tugged her head and caused the man to stumble forward, landing flat on his face. She stood still and watched the furious Eric Savin lift his face from the dirt, her eyes flicking down to look at his palms. She squinted, watching some rather rough looking rope burn and scrapes healing over in a moment, the heat from the action causing some grass to wilt.
There was silence at the display of strength from the wolf. That is, until someone else immediately stood up, and cried out an excited "I'm next!"
"Nah, two at once. That was effortless for her."
"Fuck it, lets go for three, I'm curious."
Ammy sat down, still holding the rope in her jaws, tail wagging happily behind her. She looked down at the still slightly warm Eric Savin, the normally smug expression on his face replaced with mud and grass. That, and a furious scowl, his eyes glowing a heated orange. There were no parting words, congratulations, or good sportsmanship. He pushed himself to his feet and stalked off, ignoring the goodbye's and parting shots from his fellow 'volunteers' and 'coworkers'.
Amaterasu didn't pay him much heed, for she had seen everything she needed to. It was clear there was something else going on. She suspected it with how the plants continued to grow back time and time again. Something was being permanently changed and adjusted in these plants. Now, she could confirm it was in these people too. He had visibly grown hotter, and was clearly stronger than any normal person should be. The burn marks on the rope told her as much.
Briefly, she wondered if it was still called rope burn if it were the rope that was damaged in the encounter.
The thought was dashed when someone else captured her attention, stepping into view and grabbing hold of the rope. A quick swipe of her tail had the ground repaired and grass grown, looking like nothing had happened to it. The person at the other end looked unphased. A second person joined soon after, and then a third.
Amaterasu took a step back and braced herself once more, teeth digging into the rope and preparing herself to actually work harder for this win. Clearly, they were strong, and looked the part. They probably were skilled and powerful before whatever they took gave them additional enhancements. Extremis was being used with something to make them stronger, and she was going to find out what it was.
…
After a few games of tug, first. She had to show them up, obviously.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
He was Eric Savin, the former Lieutenant Colonel for the United States Army. One of the agents most trusted with Aldrich Killian's terror campaign against the United States. One of the strongest Extremis users in the world. He could shrug off bullets to the chest and walk off a bomb being set off near him.
Yet, he was shown up by a wolf. He could throw a grown man over a dozen feet with his bare hands, and some flea-ridden dog beat him in front of his peers. No, not just beat. Humiliated him. She had made it look effortless, and the only reason he wasn't raging was because of the scene he was watching through the window.
He was watching five of his Extremis enhanced peers playing tug-of-war with Amaterasu. They were winning. Barely.
The great white wolf was starting to slide along the ground, her claws digging into the grass and dirt, while the people on the other end of the rope strained hard. Their jaws were clenched, fingers tight, forms covered in various energy ripples of Extremis, shamelessly displaying their enhancements. Still, so had he; he lost badly. Idly, he brushed a blade of grass from his head, his heated gaze watching it flutter to the floor.
Eric frowned as he observed Amaterasu suddenly pull back, shifting sideways and digging her paws into the earth below. Then, with a heave, the wolf wrenched the rope toward herself. The person at the front fell forward face-first, much like Eric had. The next two stumbled forward, and the final two slid in the dirt. Amaterasu pulled her paws from the dirt and began her steady march backward, dragging one, two, three, four, five Extremis enhanced people along the ground as they struggled against her.
She won, just like the last few times. She looked no worse for wear, save for a few dirty patches in her fur, which seemed to bleed from that white coat. In moments she was back to her pristine condition, while the rest of the group were laid out on the ground, covered in dirt and grass.
Eric locked his eyes on Amaterasu as she trotted up to one of the fallen soldiers, and dipped her nose to nudge at them. Coincidentally, the soldier was also healing some scrapes on his arm, the same arm the wolf was poking at. It was obvious she was aware that something was happening.
"Fucking bitch is going to be more trouble than she's worth," Eric muttered.
He stepped back from the window, and sighed, before making his way through the mansion. His steps carried him through the house and then down the driveway, all the way to his sports car—working for Killian had some perks. Eric hopped into his car, then pulled out his phone, dialing up his boss. There was one ring, two, before it was answered.
"Savin," Killian greeted, "is there a problem?"
"Might be," Eric grunted. He shifted the car into gear, and began his drive away from the mansion, a particular destination in mind. "I think the mutt is getting a little too nosey."
"How nosey?" Killian huffed. "Do we need to bring her to the tanker for a little more discrete care?"
"Not yet. Though she got close to the drug addict's room, and I think she's trying to feel out what Extremis can do."
"Oh? Why do you think that?"
"She was paying close attention when people were healing. Took her outside to get away from the druggie, and wound up playing with some of the others. She's… strong. Troublesome."
"Do we need to put her down now? I'd prefer to wait until Maya confirms the results with Extremis."
"Not yet. I don't think we could right now anyways. She's strong, surprisingly so. She can throw around five of our guys with a bit of a struggle. Toss in those healing abilities, and we're looking at a real problem if we start something without being prepared."
"I see," Killian hummed, taking a moment to respond. "Go to the warehouse; get those injection rounds, and the rifle—you know the ones. Put the unstable variant into them, and keep those around just in case. We're going to need something that can pierce thick ice."
"Already on my way," Eric replied. "C'mon, you should know me by now."
"Think you can hit her if it comes down to it?"
"Oh, easily," Eric chuckled. "Trust me, that won't be a problem at all."
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
Tony Stark grinned as he pushed the new thrusters a little faster on his suit, not nearing the new theoretical maximum on them quite yet. He was waiting for the good part of the song so he could speed up and break the sound barrier.
Instead, he let gravity take over the flight for a moment, dipping forward and down. He did a slow, lazy front flip in the air, before kicking in the thrusters on his boots once again. A smile graced his face at the feeling of adrenaline thrumming through his system, assisted by the slowly building pace of Free Bird playing in his suit.
"Sir, Captain Rogers is attempting to contact you," Jarvis spoke, lowering the music volume. "He's in the conference room at the moment." Tony narrowed his eyes at the interruption, frowning.
"Not now Jarvis, I'm getting to the good part," came the reply. "Gimme five minutes." With the interruption gone, he cranked up the volume a little more.
There was the tone shift. Almost there…
He picked up the pace a little more, pushing more energy toward the thrusters. Some of the new ones on the side flared out, and began glowing. He could feel the growing pressure on the front of his suit, the familiar resistance he had broken before. It never got old feeling his personal tech break the barriers of nature.
Here it comes…
The energy built up further, his speed just on the edge of the sound. Here we go, guitar solo time.
Three…
Two…
One…
Go! He hit the thrusters hard, feeling the stresses on his suit resist for the slightest moment, before they started giving way. Power rushed toward the thrusters all at once, glowing bright, and jolting him forward. The sounds of the guitar solo only enhanced the feeling of speed. The grin on his face stretched as he shattered the sound barrier and—
"Stark, I've got a bit of a problem." A face popped up in the corner of his HUD.
The music cut off all at once, leaving Tony in complete silence, listening to the voice of none other than Steve Rogers. He faltered, losing concentration, the power cutting out to his thrusters for a brief moment, dropping him back down on the other side of supersonic once more.
There was a long, unpleasant silence, as Tony tried to think of the proper words to explain his frustration. To explain his discontent and the unpleasant feeling of interruption at one of the greatest pieces of musical emotional evocation in existence.
"Tony?" Steve asked again.
"Rogers, you blue-balled me," Stark spoke. "You actually just blue-balled me. What the hell?"
"I what?" Came the confused reply, complete with scrunched eyebrows.
"I can't believe you did that. You just interrupted the Free Bird guitar solo," Tony griped. "You never interrupt the solo!" He muttered something rather impolite under his breath, and continued on with a grumble. "—even was nice and made sure to be in the middle of nowhere for it."
"Sir, this matter is rather important," Jarvis interrupted Tony's griping and grumbling, "Captain Rogers believes he's being targeted by a cyber attack."
"Jarvis, you already enabled the conference rooms faraday cage?" Tony asked. He lazily drifted side-to-side while flying, not very concerned with the proceedings.
"Yes, Sir, all incoming and outgoing signals have been blocked."
"Faraday cage?" Steve asked.
"Jarvis is hardwired into the building, but that's not important," Tony dismissed. "So, Capsicle, what made you worried enough to come to me? Please tell me you checked YouTube and watched 'Cell Phones for Dummies' first. Though the library might be more your speed."
"Tony, please be serious. Besides, I'm pretty sure it's got nothing to do with that," Steve huffed. "The phone is unable to call anyone, or receive calls. No information going in or out."
"Did you—" Tony was interrupted.
"Yes. I turned it off and on again…" Steve rolled his eyes hard, and Tony swore he could feel the motion through the call. "There's an information block on the SHIELD database too. Requests for information are denied and nothing is going through."
"Captain Rogers is correct, Sir," Jarvis supplied, with Steve thanking the ever-helpful AI in the background. "I attempted to access information that required repeated updates through his account. Nothing managed to get through."
"Wait, you did what on my account?" Steve asked, looking a tad disgruntled.
"Alright, screw it. Let's say I believe you," Tony began, "why do you—Woah!"
Tony jolted and barreled out of the way, tucking his arms in and dipping several dozen feet in the air. Flaring out his arms, he stopped his plummet and continued, barely a breath wasted. "Sorry about that, almost splattered an eagle. I'd rather go to prison for a more exciting federal crime, thank you very much." He turned himself around, flying backwards, and gave a sarcastic little salute to the bird. "Hey, Rogers, you ever commit tax evasion?"
"Tony…" Steve planted a palm on his face, and groaned. Stark snickered in response.
"Right, right. Killjoy. Why is this a big deal?" Tony asked. "Why would someone want to lock you out?"
"It started the same day Amaterasu disappeared," Steve replied, "yesterday morning actually. I tried to find her with the tracking collar but couldn't access it. I could the day before, though."
"Wait, what? Space Dog is gone? I thought she kept to New York." Tony frowned, and adjusted his course a little, flying higher. "Hey, Jarvis, have you tried getting into the file system and finding Laika?"
"Yes, Sir, her location is blocked. I can get access to it, but that may take some time," Jarvis answered.
"Nah, sounds important. Call Fury, better not wait on this," Tony spoke.
There was an awkward silence as they waited for the connection to go through. Tony picked up his pace a little bit, flaring the thrusters on his suit. He started pushing against the sound barrier, before smashing through it with a sudden jolt of energy. He grinned as he sped up, momentarily distracted by pushing the new thrusters harder.
Then, Fury's face popped up on his HUD. The neutral expression was familiar to them all and sucked every ounce of joy from the situation.
"Hello, Director Fury," the AI started.
"Jarvis," Fury replied.
"Fury," Steve greeted.
"Rogers," Fury returned, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"Heya, eyepatch," Tony smirked.
"Stark," Fury sighed, "what do you want?"
"You look grumpier than usual, so I'll stick to the cliff notes," Tony spoke before anyone else had the chance to. "The boy scout was having tech problems; it turns out it's not just him being old—"
"Tony," Steve sighed.
"—So Jarvis tried to get to Space Dog's location, but couldn't immediately access it, which is a surprise considering how poor SHIELD's cyber security is—"
"Sir," Jarvis protested.
"—So we decided to call you," Tony finished. "Oh, right, and Air Bud went missing around when this all started."
There was a long pause as Fury took in what was said. He fiddled with something just out of sight, before his face disappeared, replaced by a screen with Amaterasu's information file pulled up. He tapped on the location ping, only to be met with a rather concerning message.
Access denied.
"Excuse me?" Fury ground out. Tony figured there was a swear missing somewhere in the middle of that. "Override."
It took a long moment, as if the software was struggling, before the location ping for Amaterasu's collar finally went through.
"California?" Steve asked, furrowing his brow. "Why would she be all the way over there?"
"Hey, that's a lucky coincidence, I'm already heading there. That's about…" Tony had Jarvis pull up the location on a map. "Eh, fifty miles out from where I was heading. I'll check it out and see if I can't find our mascot."
"Keep me updated," Fury spoke. "Oh, and Stark? Make it quick, something's not right." He went back to the main file, and highlighted a section for everyone to see.
Mission Status: Standby.
"I didn't clear Fido for anything," Fury said. "That should be unauthorized until I say otherwise."
"Hmm… Hey, Cap?" Tony began. "Might wanna let Jarvis purge and destroy your device. Someone could know something is up once you leave the room."
"You think someone's actively monitoring us?" Steve asked.
"Someone's going through a lot of trouble to keep Fido's location from being accessed," Fury growled out. "If they weren't trying something, I'd be disappointed." There was a pause as the three thought for a moment. "Rogers?"
"Sir?"
"Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary with Fido at all?"
"Not really. The only thing was when she was swarmed at her shrine. She didn't leave until late the next morning, after I checked the tracker. I ran into her talking with Rumlow, and he said something about meeting someone at noon. She looked fine that evening." Steve explained it all, trying to recount as much as he could that seemed important. "She wasn't in my apartment the next morning; I haven't seen her since."
"Having a sleepover and you didn't invite me? I'm hurt, Rogers," Tony tried to ease the tension.
"I'll get in contact with Rumlow and find out who he was talking about," Fury ignored Tony's comment entirely. "Stark, get your ass over to California and find Fido," Fury spoke. "Rogers, go and check out the locations she was at previously. I'll get Hill to check the surveillance cameras for the wolf in the meantime. I expect you both to keep this quiet for now."
"Already checked," Steve replied, "but I can go over them again. Could have always missed something."
"Sounds good. I'll call if I see anything," Tony agreed. "Oh, and reach out to me through Jarvis, he's encrypting everything and running the calls from private satellites." He took a moment, and then added, "Cap, go down to the basement, I think I left an earpiece down there. Should let you access Jarvis and contact us."
Steve nodded, while Fury frowned in approval, giving a slight nod of his own. The man couldn't do anything without looking pissed off, could he? Tony brushed off the thought.
"Keep in contact and report anything you find," Fury ordered. "Find Amaterasu, and try to do so quickly. I'm sure she can take care of herself, but she seems eager to please. I'd prefer she not help the wrong people."
The call ended after that, leaving Tony in silence once more. He flew quietly for a long while, cruising along, gradually increasing the power to his thrusters. The ground below passed by at a faster rate with each second.
"Sir?" Jarvis finally asked, the silence clueing the AI in that something was wrong.
"Jarvis, do me a favor and keep an eye on who tries to access Laika's file. Also, keep trying that ping, and try to do a slow creep through SHIELD's system. We don't need them knowing you're still in there."
"Yes, Sir. I'll let you know if I find anything."
"Oh, and Jarvis?" Tony started to shift his armor once more, the little side thrusters poking out of the armor, and the glowing from his repulsors grew. "Turn the music back on, and rewind to four-and-a-half minutes."
The muffled sound of the wind was immediately replaced by the familiar and comforting sounds of guitar and drums, a common background to almost anything he was doing. It helped pull him from his concerned and contemplative mood.
"Alright, here we go. Full thrusters, just gotta time it," Tony rambled. "Everything always works out with a badass soundtrack." He conveniently ignored all the problems and failures he had to deal with while said soundtrack had been playing throughout his career.
There was the tone shift again.
And…
Three…
Two…
One…
His thrusters glowed a brilliant white, flooding them with power once more. A smile graced his face as he hurtled forward through the air, watching his speed rapidly increase. Tony took in the sound of music pumping him up as he flew faster and faster, passing Mach 3 and rapidly approaching Mach 4.
He began to slow down when warnings began popping up on his HUD, keeping himself balanced on the edge of dangerously fast. It was just stress testing, that's all. Though, he made a mental note that he needed to develop a high velocity suit. A project for later, perhaps.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
It was exactly 11:47 at night when Amaterasu opened her eyes. Being Goddess of the Sun had some great perks, such as wielding powers that could create entire galaxies and manipulate the very heavens. That, and an immaculate sense of time. Some were more convenient than others at certain moments.
The wolf gave a long, drawn-out yawn, and stretched herself out, shaking out the dredges of sleep. Ammy rolled onto her back and curled herself around to the left, then to the right, working her sides. Her paws reached for the roof, toes splaying out and legs shaking as she got in a really good stretch, back arch and all.
Finally warmed up and all relaxed, Ammy rolled back to her side, and… promptly fell asleep again. Only for a few minutes though! Just a few dozen minutes. Maybe an hour. She had a long day, cut her some slack!
When she finally woke up that second time though, she was ready to go. She glanced around the room she had been given, and flicked her left ear in thought. How should she go about this?
Ammy grabbed several of the blankets that had been laid out for her on the mattress, and started bunching them up. She pushed and shoved and moved them around with her head, nosing the covers into the proper position. More than once did she get a blanket stuck on her muzzle, forcing her to pull back and shake herself free.
Eventually, with a little effort—she cursed the lack of opposable thumbs—Ammy managed to lay everything out just as she wanted on the bed. She lay down beside it, and with a flex of her will, froze reality, viewing herself from outside of her own body. Luckily, the blankets lined up just right to sit in what looked to be the rough shape of her form.
With a huff she stood, and leaned in to press her nose against the blanket pile. Immediately reality shimmered and shifted, a wave of light working over the blankets. Then, in seconds, laying there was a fake Ammy! She may have cursed and grumbled about the demon fox—Ninetails—from her past life for tricking her with illusions, but she had to admit they were pretty useful.
The lack of sound from the fake wolf wouldn't alert anyone that anything was wrong. After all, she definitely didn't snore. Absolutely not. She was a Goddess, she was prim and proper and polite at all times, even when sleeping! She didn't drool either, probably. Or shed. No, this disguise was perfect.
Prop set and illusion in place, Amaterasu turned and trotted over to the window. Drawing on her ability gained from that spicy blue space cube, she pulled on her magic, and teleported through the wall.
She wasn't expecting the drop, however, forgetting she was on the second floor. The ground hurtled toward her, and in an attempt to avoid making noise, she merely pushed off the air before she hit the grass. Silent landing, perfect and stealthy as always—
Oh, she forgot to cloak herself in an illusion! With a tug of magic, she vanished. Flawless.
Amaterasu began her silent creep through the dark yard of Killian's mansion, the world illuminated only by the bright moon overhead. Sure, if she really wanted to show off, she could just make it daytime. Disturbing the whole world just for a nicer stroll felt a tad selfish, however.
The wolf kept her ears perked as she made her way around the building. She spotted multiple armed guards standing in position or making slow looping laps around the property. Only a truly skilled and sneaky individual could make their way past them all.
Luckily, that's exactly what she was. Master of Stealth.
Narrowly avoiding tripping over some potted plants on multiple occasions, the large lupine made her way right underneath the window to the room she was told she wasn't allowed into. Silly humans. Rules are for people that want to listen to them! Not for the Goddess of the Sun with an intense curiosity that needed to be sated.
Ammy crouched down, and then launched herself up into the air, sailing over twenty feet high with just a single jump. Then, when she reached the peak of her jump, she angled herself and pushed forward, just enough to plant her forepaws on the window ledge, and press her back paws against the wall.
She peered through the window, squinting at the bright lights in the room. There was nothing she could see that indicated it was being watched, just a lot of books and clothes on the ground. She cocked her ears as well, and listened closely. Still nothing.
Good enough for her! Ammy tugged on her magic, and popped into existence on the other side of the wall, still completely invisible. She glanced down at the carpeted floor, and smirked. This place was too easy!
It was then that she inhaled, and nearly wretched from the sudden influx of scents. None of them were pleasant, save for the thinly veiled attempt to spray something flowery over the absolute filth. She took a moment to gather her wits, fighting back the urge to throw up the nine barbecued hot dogs those lovely volunteers had given her earlier—tug-of-war contests were fun!
Amaterasu shook off the disgust and near physical punch to the nose that was the smell of the room, and crept her way forward. A way to describe it: well lived in. Another would be pure filth. Still, despite the conditions, she wasn't too sure why they'd want to keep her from it.
She made her way forward, creeping her way around large paintings, thin wooden walls, and stands holding various items. A glance to the wall displayed a large ring, made of what appeared to be smaller rings, with swords crossing in the middle.
Suddenly, there were footsteps. Despite being invisible to the naked eye, Ammy found herself ducking around one of the wooden walls and poked her head out. Someone walked by, dressed in a fancy green garment wrapped around their body. He moved with purpose, strong, steady strides, and took a deep breath. He made his way over to a rather regal looking chair, and sat himself down, his jewelry clinking with the motion.
"Hello, America," the man began, in a deep, powerful voice. "I'm sure you all recognize me by now. I'm but your humble teacher, bringing to you another lesson."
Ammy crept closer, keeping herself hidden, her paws silent on the floor. She couldn't sense any magic from this man, nor could she see anything on his person that would make him dangerous. Still, the presence of the man had her on edge. Something wasn't quite right.
"Did you know, Jesus Christ, your 'Lord and Saviour,' isn't even European? Despite your attempts to defile and corrupt this historical figure, the truth is, he was born in what is now known as the Middle East." There was a pause, as if to let the information sink in. "That's right. The birthplace of your beloved Saviour is the same area that your greatest tragedy was born."
Ammy narrowed her eyes, her tail flicking side to side as she watched. What was he talking about? A sudden gust of wind within the room weaved through her fur, leaving Ammy feeling chilled.
"Coincidentally, you seem to have picked up a new saviour. Someone you all seem to be counting on. Some sort of 'miracle' here to save you. Amaterasu." He said her name with such disgust that she shuddered. "She comes from the same place your second greatest tragedy occurred: Japan. Do you see how there might be a problem with that?" The man frowned and narrowed his eyes.
Amaterasu was taken aback. Did she do something to him? Who was this other person? What was this tragedy he was talking about? What could she do to help? She crept forward further, ducked herself underneath a table, and watched from the side.
"So, being the gracious teacher you know me to be, I fixed your little problem." A pause. "I'm sure you've seen it by now: I blew up Amaterasu. Her, her shrine, and everything about your little knockoff that you so loved. After all, why have one beloved savior dead without the other? Now, no need to thank me. After all, I am but your humble teacher."
Ammy was shaken. Was she being targeted? Had someone else died in her place? Who was this man? Thoughts swirled and shifted and raced through her mind. Was her shrine okay? What should she do?
"Here's your lesson today, America: Gods die for your sins."
…
"No, no, what the hell? Who wrote that line? That's bloody stupid, it is. I can't read that drivel, I am a professional." His entire demeanor changed in an instant, as did his accent, the entire presence of the man before vanishing. "I swear, they have no respect for the arts. None!" There was a moment, and he reached into his pocket for a remote, and hit a button. The chill breeze in the room immediately faded. "Bloody air-conditioner, I had it set for an hour later, not ten minutes."
A sudden move had him standing, casting off the rings on his fingers and letting them land on the floor with a hollow plink. The lovely regal robe was yanked off and hurled overhead with a grunt, fluttering to the floor. Revealed beneath was a stained grey sports t-shirt, and some generic black sweatpants.
Amaterasu reeled back in shock, the whiplash from the sudden change catching her off guard. The imposing, dangerous man before was now long gone, replaced by this rather unique individual. In fact, she was so surprised and thrown off by the change, that she knocked her head against the bottom of the table.
That little bump against the table caused an empty glass bottle to fall over. It rolled across the table, gaining both Ammy's and the man's attention. Then, the bottle fell. It plummeted, hitting the edge of a hollow movie prop bust. Momentum from the bottle made the bust fall to the floor.
A sharp crack rang out, the head of the fake bust breaking free from the body. The spherical head of the decapitated plastic man skittered across the floor, impacting what appeared to be a five-level pyramid of beer cans. The structure of cans collapsed, one of the cans landing in a pocket of a sweater. Unfortunately, that sweater was hanging on the corner or a precariously balanced prop wall.
That wall tilted, then fell, hitting another thin barrier with a splintering crash. The other tipped soon after, falling like the world's most flimsy domino set. It crashed down near the table Ammy was under, the edge of the falling wall catching a plank of wood that lay sideways across the surface.
Ammy stepped out from beneath the table, her eyes following the arc the wood traveled through the air. It sailed straight for what looked like a paint bucket suspended from the roof with a string and pulley system. Then, it hit, and the bucket plunged straight towards Ammy! The wolf only had a moment to close her eyes, scrunching up as the rope drew taught, and dumped the entire contents of the bucket onto her.
"Oh, bloody hell, Trevor. You took too much again," the man muttered to himself. "Lovely, now I'm hallucinating glitter demons when I'm supposed to be rehearsing."
Amaterasu opened her eyes, and looked down. There was glitter everywhere. The upended bucket dangled above the wolf, trickles of thin glitter still flaking onto her. There was no saving the room now. The floor was covered, as was the table she had been under previously. A pool of glitter extended outward several feet in every direction. Ammy glanced back over herself, and huffed through her nose, the action sending more of the shiny powder outward with a puff of air. It had completely ruined her illusion. Now she was just coated in sparkly stuff and it showed off her hidden form.
"Hey, hey you," Trevor called. "Psst! Psspspspsps! You, spooky sparkle ghost."
Amaterasu took the moment to turn and face Trevor once more, cocking her head to the side.
"Yes, you! I don't need your help today, you can shoo. Go on now, get going. I expect you to be gone by the time I close my eyes and count to three."
She remained unmoving as the rather confusing man raised both hands up to his face, and covered his eyes. He peeked through his fingers, and gave her a look, before closing the gap once more.
"Alright, here we go, this usually works. One… Two…" Trevor peeked through his fingers again, still looking at the unmoving form of an invisible yet glitter-covered Ammy. "Two and a half… Two and a quarter… Wait, uh, two and three-quarters. Er… Two and, uh, uhm." He struggled for a moment. "Three!"
Amaterasu decided to just reveal herself fully at this point. There was no use in hiding anymore, and this man hardly seemed like a threat. Instead, she stood in her full glory: brilliant white fur; sharp red markings; blazing gold eyes.
And a whole heap of glitter.
"Oh, well that didn't work. That usually does the trick," Trevor commented. The man hummed in thought, and paced for a long moment, before turning back to Ammy once again. "Hey, you. You, uhm. Uh—" He snapped his fingers, pointing at Ammy. "I'm asleep! Yes! Yes, that makes sense! I was reading the script, and, being a brilliant actor, I'm dreaming up the whole thing right now. What do you think?"
"Woof!" Ammy offered, her tail giving a wag. That had the unfortunate effect of sending an arc of glitter behind her and across the room, just adding to the pure chaos.
"No, no. Trust me, I've had my fair share of knocks about the head. I would be crying far more if that were the case. Good try though!" Trevor replied. He paced back and forth in front of the wolf, not at all concerned with the apparently magical talking wolf in the room.
Suddenly, he turned. He pointed at Ammy, eyes wide. Realization crossed his features, and it took him a moment to form his proper words.
"Oh! Oh! How could I have been so stupid?" Trevor grumbled. "Hello, my name is Trevor. Trevor Slattery, actor extraordinaire. Well, sort of. It's, uh— Eh, potato tomato." A brush of his hand through the air dismissed the whole thing.
Amaterasu tilted her head. Those words didn't even rhyme. Po-tay-toe? Ta-mah-toe?
"Arf!" Ammy replied. She padded forward and, with a mighty shake from head to toe, tried to dislodge the glitter from her fur.
It worked! A little too perfectly, unfortunately. A massive cloud of glitter exploded from her fur and shot across the room, a veritable explosion of sparkly dust spreading out to cover every single surface.
"Oh, that's a hilarious coincidence!" Trevor continued, merely spitting out any extra glitter that wound up in his mouth. "I was just rehearsing a script that has a character with the exact same name as you do! Small world, hey?"
Amaterasu could not get a read on this man. Not in the slightest.
"Oh, right, where are my manners?" He shuffled his way over to the recently overturned table, and started rummaging around. "Excuse me, I am a terrible host. Would you like a beer, Ammy?"
Ammy shook her head.
"Oh, hey, no worries at all. I've got plenty more, like, uh… I have some 'substances' too, or—Oh! I have Jaffa Cakes, if you'd like! They're quite delicious though hard to find here. I'm sure I can find them if you give me a moment."
"Awoof?" Came the curious reply.
"Oh, that? That was just practice. I—Well, I'm not supposed to share," Trevor trailed off, standing up straight and wiping off various spilled substances from his palms onto his pants. "Though, I suppose a little wouldn't hurt. It's a role. I'm supposed to play a villain, a really scary one. This team from the BBC approached me, and said I'd be perfect for the spot! I've always wanted to be an actor. Ever since I was a boy, actually! I still remember it clearly. I was with my mum, I was. 1968, Planet of the Apes. I still—"
"Arf!"
"Oh no, no not at all. Safe as can be, no one's hurt in the slightest." Trevor took a moment as he walked toward his bed, and brushed more glitter off of it with a sweep of his hand. He turned and sat down, facing Ammy once again. "Well, that's not true, there was this one guy. Stage light fell on him, hit him right on the head. I think they were still new to setting things up to be honest. But he was fine! He did this weird little glowy thing and was good as new. Now that's movie magic."
This was getting too weird for her. Amaterasu huffed and sat down, watching the man. She blinked as she watched him stare at her, his eyelids drooping. Then they slipped closed. There was barely a moment between that and when he fell backwards onto his bed, a cloud of glitter rising from the impact.
Concerned, Amaterasu ran forward, preparing to use her magic on the man, and—
A deep snore left the man. He fell asleep. Just like that, he was out like a light. Oh, how Ammy wished she could sleep that easily sometimes. She was actually a little jealous.
Footsteps and voices outside of the door alerted Amaterasu that someone was coming. She looked at the absolutely destroyed room, and then to Trevor who was splayed out across the bed. There was no way to fix everything in time.
So, she didn't. With her newly de-glittered coat, Ammy cloaked herself in an illusion again, and ducked herself behind the overturned table. She sat and peered over the edge, her eyes on the door as it swung open.
Oh! It was that grouchy guy she beat in the tug-of-war earlier on! She watched Eric take one look into the room, before pausing. He blinked, looked around at the absolute mess of the living area, and then glanced to the still-snoring Trevor.
Quick, heavy footsteps brought him to the bed in moments. A quick shove to the shoulder and a nudge to the shins had the actor awake once more, sitting upright and back into a perfectly aware state.
"Oh! Hello, is it morning already? I feel like I haven't slept a wink," Trevor commented.
"Trevor," Eric asked, his tone flat. "What happened?"
Amaterasu's ears fell at that, and her stomach clenched. She didn't think this through. She should have made an attempt to hide things better, or be more careful, or should have just restored the room to its former state. Now she'd be found out and—
"Oh, well, you see. I was practicing the script you gave me—side note, there's some suggestions I need to make for that. But!" Trevor began his genius reply. "But, I decided to have some, er, substances before reading the script. Then I read it, and I think I did a splendid job, but some words need to be changed. Oh, but then, I saw it. A magic glitter demon. I tried to shoo the thing away, but I—"
"Know what? I don't care. I've heard enough," Eric interrupted. "C'mon, we're taking you to a new filming location."
"Right now? Well, I haven't even packed yet, I need to—"
"Now, Trevor."
Properly interrupted and directed out of the room, Trevor and Eric both disappeared when the door clicked shut. Amaterasu was left alone in the room, surrounded by the absolute chaos that her presence brought. Sparkles and shattered props were strewn about the place and matched her thought process perfectly.
What the heck was going on?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I just liked the idea that seeing as he's almost perpetually high at this point in time, he could understand.
That and he could see and understand the other magical creatures in Shang Chi, so might as well carry it over hehe
- Location
- Do you really care?
The shoe had to drop at some point, I suppose, so I'm not too bothered, even if I liked the more lighthearted and humorous chapters better overall. As long as you don't go grimderp with it, I have no complaints.