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Bronze Mettle (MCU/DC SI)

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The Legend of Ike: Marley
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    • The Legend of Ike: Marley​

    Damn it, Xavier. When you invite me along for a run, you can't go full speed. I look around the streets of Metropolis, but I know I'm not going to see her. She just left me in the dust. Maybe this is payback for something.

    The bustle of street sounds drop all at once, "You continue to define yourself in terms of others. Even now, after all these years."

    I turn to the voice, coming from an alleyway that I'm pretty sure wasn't there a few seconds ago. The alley is much darker than the surrounding city, and I see skyward stretching piles of detritus. Broken down cars on top of dumpsters full of broken lightbulbs. Upside-down buckets of water that are on fire. The longer I look the less sense any of it makes. There's no pattern, no reason that garbage would be organized this way.

    And standing in the middle of it all is a dead man. I didn't even recognize him at first, because it's impossible. I saw him die. I buried his body myself.

    I take a cautious step closer, "Do I know you?"

    He laughs at me, in that same way he always did, "You know damn well who I am. I was the closest thing you ever had to a real father."

    I ask, "What about my actual dad? Does he not count?"

    He shrugs, "Never did when it mattered. But instead of learning to be your own man, you defined yourself around his absence. You know that's why I left, don't you?"

    I shake my head, "You took a bullet to save that refugee."

    "Because I thought maybe my death was the kick in the pants you needed to become a real agent, and start asking yourself the big questions. I was old, Ike. I wanted to choose my death so it could be good for something."

    I almost laugh, but I'm too angry at whatever this thing is pretending to be my friend, "That's not my name. You've been dead for years. You wouldn't even know that name."

    "Well you're sure as hell not Harold anymore. That upstart who first came into my class, making trouble at every turn. Do you have any idea how many strings I had to pull to keep you from getting expelled?"

    I shout, "Stop it. Stop talking like you're him! You're not him!"

    "But what you never realized was that it was never you getting into trouble that I cared about. It was that it was never your own trouble. Always for a friend. I wanted you to grow up and find yourself. Imagine my disappointment when you just latch onto me instead."

    I close my eyes. I can't look at this anymore. I can't listen to this. It's not real. It can't be. This is a nightmare. It has to be.

    I wake up in bed.

    I sigh, and sit up.

    And he's standing in my room, with light streaming through the bullethole that killed him, "I'm sorry, Ike. I didn't come here to gripe. Just the last regrets of a dead man."

    I jump up onto my bed, and pull the gun from my bedside table.

    He laughs, "I'm already dead, ya numbnut. What are you going to do? Super-kill me? Put that away before you hurt yourself."

    My back is pressed against the wall. He's between me and the door, and my comms seem to be offline, "What did you come here for?"

    He looks sad, "To warn you. You have so many trials ahead of you, son. Trials that you alone have to face for your own soul. You have a destiny that's been locked away behind all that denial. All of these people you've defined yourself around. Your pa, Jimmy Greer, Cici, myself, and now it's those two next door. Mike and the Avatar. None of us can help you, because none of us are who you are. No matter what you tell yourself."

    "Then what can help me? What kinds of trials are you talking about?"

    "To both questions, the answer is the same. Your soul. I've come to set it free."

    He's walking toward me. I fire. The bullet punches through his chest and hits the wall behind. I fire again, to the same effect. I empty my clip as he approaches me, and then he grabs the gun out of my hand and throws it aside.

    And then he puts his hand on the center of my chest, and I can't bring myself to stop him. He starts to radiate blackness, sapping the light out of the room.

    "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul. And by my shoulder, protect thee."

    And then I start to glow, a brilliant blue light filling all the shadows in the room. I feel a tingle running down my skin as it spreads, and close my eyes to try and process the abundance of sensation.

    And then I hear my door open. When I open my eyes the phantom is gone. I'm not glowing, and my partner is hurrying over to make sure I'm okay.

    The bullet marks are still on my wall. At least that definitely happened.

    My partner looks at the bullet marks and the smoking gun still in my hand, "What was it? What did you see?"

    I shake my head and drop the gun on my bed, "Nothing. It was a nightmare. I think that holiday steak yesterday didn't agree with me."

    Mike frowns for a moment, and then smiles, "Hey. Merry Christmas Harold."

    I force a smile, "Yeah. Thanks. Merry Christmas."
     
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    • Xavier Bronze said:
    "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul. And by my shoulder, protect thee."

    And then I start to glow, a brilliant blue light filling all the shadows in the room. I feel a tingle running down my skin as it spreads, and close my eyes to try and process the abundance of sensation.
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    Aura from RWBY? Well that should provide you extra power in the form of protection, and the ability to reinforce your body and whatever you are holding.
     
    Ellis sounds like a Manchurian Candidate, is he's going to say Freedom and Apple pie?
    Still hoping Xavier done enough for Obama to secure a second term.
     
    Chloe Sullivan said:
    Clancy and RWBY references, I recognize, but still unsure what happened.
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    Clancy?

    TLDR: Ike's old Academy mentor came back from the dead, told him he has a destiny, and gave him superpowers. I was surprised too. Came right out of left.

    chiufan95 said:
    Aura from RWBY? Well that should provide you extra power in the form of protection, and the ability to reinforce your body and whatever you are holding.
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    It's a highly versatile superpower, much like Bending, or The Force. For this I'm working off the assumption that Aura and its practiced use is pretty much the only thing that separates full-fledged Huntsmen from baseline humans. Durability, strength, speed, reflexes, accuracy, healing... Yes, it also extends to held objects and worn clothing. That means all guns have higher projectile speed, accuracy, stopping power, even firing rate. And Aura bullets are a thing, at a cost. So clip size isn't even a hardset limitation past beginner level. And it comes with a Spidey-Sense.

    Jrin said:
    Ellis sounds like a Manchurian Candidate.
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    He's still President now in the movies, with no sign yet of foul play.
     
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    So, I think the big questions here are 1) Is Xavier going to recognize Aura when she sees it, and 2) Will Ike eventually be able to awaken the Aura of others.
     
    Well, if Ike mentions that whole 'For it is in passing that we achieve immortality' line, which he should if he has a weird dream and suddenly gains superpowers, I imagine Xavier might pick things up rather quickly.
     
    hmm...i wonder how much training he has to do to get to the whole "super speed jumpy acrobatics" bit?
     
    Elseworlds: Grant Ward, Earth 3
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    • Elseworlds: Grant Ward, Earth 3​

    I've been summoned to a secret facility. A personal message from the Outsider. Terrifying as that is, it's also not something I can exactly refuse.

    Ice cracks off the hidden door in the rockface as it slides open. I step inside and take off my goggles and gloves. I take a deep breath of the warm inside air.

    I hear running, but the footfalls are too light and too tightly spaced. And then two children, a boy and a girl, chase each other from one door in the hallway to another. They can't be older than twelve.

    What kind of base is this?

    An adult, an agent comes to greet me.

    I point at where the children just were and ask, "Bring your daughter to work day?"

    She gives a small, amused smile, "Those are the students. Did the Outsider tell you what we do here?"

    I shake my head, "It was a blind assignment. Not my first, but... This may be the strangest."

    She starts walking, and I follow, "This is a school the Outsider founded to help bring out the potential of the next generation. Every student here was selected personally by the Outsider. The teachers too. I'm the superintendent." She stops and offers a handshake, "Melinda May."

    I take her hand, "Grant Ward. But I'm guessing you knew that." Melinda May? "...You're the Contingency. You're supposed to be dead."

    She nods, "That's what they say at the Academy."

    "You're a SWORD legend. You killed Nick Fury during the takedown of Hydra. You were part of the Outsider's Inner Circle."

    She starts walking again, "Still am. We talked earlier today about your appointment here."

    I'm in shock a little from several things about this, "I didn't know I was that important."

    She leads me into her office, "You are now. This school represents the future of the Squadron Supreme. That girl you saw? Jean Grey. In a few years she'll become the most powerful telepath on the planet. The boy was Cooper John Barton. He's set to be a future host for the Spirit of Vengeance."

    What? "How does he know?"

    She seems amused by something, "The Outsider? How does the Outsider know anything? Same way we found Major America, and defeated Hydra. You don't need to know any more than that."

    She hands me several student files.

    "We want you to supervise combat training when no Squadron members or specialist instructors are available."

    Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Hank McCoy, Hiro Takachiho, Doreen Green, Karen Beecher, Victor Stone… The list goes on. There are dozens of them.

    "Some of these students are five years old, or younger. Do we have their parents on site?"

    And then I see the part of each file labelled "Acquisition Date". And then I open the file explaining standard enrollment procedure.

    Agent May tells me, "The parents are not a concern. As far as the outside world knows, everyone here is dead. Including you, as of this morning."

    I can't… I've done so much for SWORD, and they've done so much for me. But this… These are children. They've been forcibly separated from their parents and isolated in the deep antarctic.

    She continues, "The present is secured in the Helicarrier. The future is secured right here."

    I shake my head, "At what cost? These kids…" I open another file, "Loyalty training? That's another word for brainwashing. It doesn't matter who they'll become in the future. What you're doing here is wrong."

    "What the Squadron does is dangerous. They have powerful enemies. And Yellowjacket isn't exactly in his prime. What happens if he dies and there's no-one who can replace him? What happens in ten years when he gets too old to wear the suit anymore?"

    I admit, "I don't know! But I can't do this. You know I've never refused an order. But I can't take part in the abduction and indoctrination of children! Not even for the Outsider. I'm sorry."

    She remains silent for a second, and then sighs, "I'm sorry too."

    She draws a gun. I knock it out of her hand and run out into the hall.

    The intercom comes online, "All alert. Intruder attempting to escape near the front entrance. Anyone who helps capture him will receive a full letter grade towards their next performance review."

    I realize what kind of students they keep here, "Oh, shit."

    A boy materializes in front of me and throws a lunch tray at my face. I deflect it and jump over him. Before I hit the ground I'm struck with the worst headache I've had in my life, and my vision blacks out entirely. I land on my hands and knees, and then the teleporting boy starts strangling me from behind. My hands and knees start to sink into the metal flooring like putty.

    I flip the boy over my shoulder, and stand to a run. I still can't see anything, and I think my sense of balance is being thrown off. But at least the floor isn't trying to swallow my feet anymore. I remember the way out, and I can hear the echo of my own footsteps. I hear a turnoff to my left and take it, finally reaching the outer door. ...I have no way of opening this.

    I hear the teleporter appear behind me. I quickly spin and grab him, drawing my sidearm and putting it to his head, "Get me past that door."

    I hear the same teleporting sound, and suddenly everything is very, very cold. I let go of him and immediately start running. I hear him teleport again behind me. My vision fades back into place as the distance between me and the school increases.

    Five minutes later, I'm still running for my life through the tundra. I hear the same teleporting sound and jump behind an ice shelf for cover. It shatters at the force of an explosive, and I'm blasted forward several meters.

    I try to stand, but when I put pressure on my leg the pain overwhelms my senses. My leg is broken.

    I lie in place. I can't escape. Even if I made it to the mainland, there's nowhere I would be safe. I'm an enemy of SWORD. I'm a fugitive of the Squadron Supreme. Not a single government on earth would give me sanctuary.

    I hear a sonic boom. And then a blue beam shoots into the sky, intercepting the heat-seeker they sent for me. The inert piece of metal crashes into the ground just a meter from my legs, and then sits there. It's frozen solid.

    A man in full winter gear with some kind of gun I don't recognize emerges from the blinding blizzard snow. He holds a hand out to pull me up, and I take it.

    He pulls me to my feet, "We have to go. Caitlin can treat your leg when we get back to the underground." He loops my arm around his shoulders for support and we're on the move.

    I have to ask, "Who are you?"

    "A concerned citizen, like yourself. My name is Leonard."
     
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    • Great Velocity said:
    What's with the italics?
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    SV uses different formatting than Google Drive, so I have to do all italics, sizing, etc. right before publishing. Sometimes we go a little overboard. I just went over it again and removed a few awkward parts that didn't read well on second glance. Danke.

    Edit:

    Ellf said:
    I think it's the way she's handling the stresses that Wentworth Miller's Leonard Snart (Captain Cold).
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    That made an existing problem more difficult. But the rest of the chapter was showing it too.
     
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    Arrival: A New Year
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    • Doctor Quinzel starts moving the spoon closer to my mouth, "Here comes the train. Open wide!"

    I knock the spoon away, "Harley, that's not pudding. It's literal shit. I'm not eating that."

    She makes a pouty face, which is somewhat redundant when she's already wearing sad clown makeup, "Now now, good children eat their vegetables. No it's not! Would I do that to you?"

    "You're insane. So yes. Is Alex out of surgery yet?"

    She waterbends a clipboard to herself from out the window across the room, "He's going to be just fine. We did a brain transplant. He just took a spill, that's all. No-one ever gets hurt falling down stairs, everyone knows that."

    I nod thoughtfully, "True. I just want to see him again."

    I'm woken up abruptly by my comms going off in my ear. Uggh. Why couldn't I have inherited Alex's immunity to hangovers? I'll have to ask Mike what I did after I blacked out last night. The last thing I remember is... the ball drop.

    I'm not sure I'll ever get used to dreaming. It's so weird. It's so fucking weird. No-one back on Earth Prime ever talked about just how weird dreams are. But I guess everyone except people like me had dreams in common back on Earth Prime.

    I peel my eyes open and answer on comms, "Yeup. What is it?"

    Jack laughs, "Still suffering?"

    I grimace, "How are you not? I know you drank plenty."

    "I know my limits. You have to in this line of work. But I'm afraid we can't give you the day off. You're gonna have to suffer through it. We have our first op together. Report to the hanger in    ... I'll give you twenty minutes."

    I deliberately transmit my pained groan.

    Twenty minutes later I'm on my way out of my room, in costume. Bo keeps running out into the hall ahead of me and looking back, impatient at my sluggish pace.

    When I get there, he's leaning against his motorcycle, "You're late."

    Here's my middle finger, "Are we taking a jet or a helicopter?"

    He grins devilishly, "Neither." And then climbs onto the motorcycle, "Hop on."

    "You can't be serious."

    He looks at me and raises an eyebrow.

    I slump where I stand, "Fine." I walk over and climb on behind him, "Fuck you, though."

    "Maybe after the mission."

    ...Huh. I'm surprised he just said that. He's usually more evasive. He always leaves himself wiggle room to avoid admitting that what he's doing is hitting on me, even though it's obvious. But that was completely explicit. I'm usually the one who says stuff like that, and then he backs off before it can go anywhere.

    I'm probably just indulging in wishful interpretation. No use overthinking it until after the mission.

    I unzip the outer jacket of my costume and slip Bo under to protect her from the wind. My mask works as a motorcycle helmet. But once we're on the road it's still a violently horrid experience. Constant wind and g-forces and I have to hold on for dear life. This isn't fun this time. I'm moving faster than any human being ever should.

    We pull off the road in the middle of nowhere. I think Jack is taking these turns sharper than he has to. Another few minutes and we pull over in a dark area under a freeway, and I fall off onto my hands and knees. I feel like throwing up, but I think I already emptied my system sometime last night.

    Jack climbs off, and then his motorcycle backs away without him. Did he kick it? That's a neat trick. How does he keep it from falling over?

    At least he seems amused by my misery. Bo squirms out through my collar and stretches her dewlap in protest. I stand back up and raise my hand to block the glare of sunshine coming from outside our overpass cover. I take off my mask to rub my eyes.

    I tell Jack, "Look, this isn't funny anymore. You dragged me out here at the crack of dawn for a mission, you won't tell me what it is. It better be damn fucking important. I mean, what is it?" I throw out my arms, "Where's the mission?"

    He says, "An old friend of mine is coming to meet us. I think it's faster if he tells you the rest."

    I struggle to put my mask back on, "A friend of yours? From before you joined SHIELD, or are they an agent?"

    He smiles, "Before. But let's just say that without him, I'd never have gotten on SHIELD's radar."

    What's this red truck doing? It's driving very slowly towards us. I'd be nervous if I couldn't very easily dodge it if necessary. This must be Jack's friend, I guess.

    Bo suddenly leaps up onto me and takes cover from the truck behind my back. Wait, where's the driver? Is it remote controlled?

    And then it starts to change. Parts shift aside and slide and pivot on hinges that were hidden just under the surface. Seamless pieces come apart and swing back together in different configurations with different functions. Did Stark build this? It's amazing. I see all the moving parts and wonder how it was driving at all a few seconds ago. Some of those parts used to be the engine. It's transforming into something completely different.

    ...Is that a face? Oh god. It's humanoid. It's a big red truck that just transformed into a giant humanoid robot. Seriously? Fucking Transformers? I can't handle this with a hangover.

    The last few parts click into place, and then it kneels to get its newly formed head closer to mine, "My name is Orion Pax. Our mutual allies have brought you to me, because I am in need of your assistance. An old enemy of mine is on earth, and he must be made to learn that no man escapes the Manhunters."
     
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    • Xavier Bronze said:
    What's this red truck doing? It's driving very slowly towards us. I'd be nervous if I couldn't very easily dodge it if necessary. This must be Jack's friend, I guess.

    Bo suddenly leaps up onto me and takes cover from the truck behind my back. Wait, where's the driver? Is it remote controlled?

    And then it starts to change. Parts shift aside and slide and pivot on hinges that were hidden just under the surface. Seamless pieces come apart and swing back together in different configurations with different functions. Did Stark build this? It's amazing. I see all the moving parts and wonder how it was driving at all a few seconds ago. Some of those parts used to be the engine. It's transforming into something completely different.

    ...Is that a face? Oh god. It's humanoid. It's a big red truck that just transformed into a giant humanoid robot. Seriously? Fucking Transformers? I can't handle this with a hangover.

    The last few parts click into place, and then it kneels to get its newly formed head closer to mine, "My name is Orion Pax. Our mutual allies have brought you to me, because I am in need of your assistance. An old enemy of mine is on earth, and he must be made to learn that no man escapes the Manhunters."
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    Wat.

    Transformers = Manhunters? Does Orion Pax run on Green Light?

    Wat.
     
    Well, that escalated quickly. I don`t expect it.

    P.S. What about Runaways? Among them was alien. Their parents must be already on Earth.

    P.P.S. Sorry, I don`t remember if i mention it here already, but in russian fandom there is great fic about SI in Star Wars who after many adventures and becoming apprentice of Ahsoka Tano (created long before Rebels) return home to Earth with her help and the help of sapient ship to which Vader bound Force Ghost. Said Force Ghost was their navigator through spase-time anomally, that`s how difference in time and space was overcomed. They returned to Earth in the end of year 1999. And Ahsoka was the reason why former russian president Yeltsin give his power to Putin. Adding SW in the mix is the only way i see to explode everything even more...
    Also there is one-shot about Trawn using similar mechanics to arrive to Earth to save the future of Star Wars Universe from Disney and Episode 7. Or at least avenge.
     
    Xavier Bronze said:
    No-one back on Earth Prime ever talked about just how weird dreams are
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    There is, as always, an XKCD about that. :p

    Valor said:
    Too many crossovers. It's just nonsensical bloating at this point.
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    The Marvel or DC universe alone would be too many crossovers if the characters in them were regarded as separate franchises. What's a few more on top of that?

    As long as it makes a semi-coherent whole (some versions of Marvel/DC are better at this than others), who cares?
     
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    Orion Pax eh? so, before he became Optimus prime?
    ...what continuity is be based off?
    G1?
    G1 based comics (in which case the autobot council are the actual badguys)?
    the aligned continuity?
     
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