forum Marvel OxO // Closed

Started February 08, 2021 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

(asgsg I was gonna have Jason and Alex get a dog at some point, maybe Bucky gets the kitten at the same time? From like a shelter or something?)

Jason wanderer for a while, before eventually heading to his own level and picking up a book, intending to read. He soon found himself too antsy for that, and it was only when he realized he was pacing that he considered maybe going down to the gym. "Jarvis, is there anyone in the gym right now?" He asked.

"Yes; miss Shea and Natasha are sparring with each other right now." The AI replied.

"Right." He figured it would be fine if he went down there and then just minded his own business. He didn't want or need to watch them, or participate. He just needed to get his energy out somehow. Maybe one of the fight simulation things that Tony had set up. That was always good for burning excess energy.

(FUN FACT #2! In the comics, at first Nick Fury was a white guy.)

"Glad to see that you haven't gotten rusty in your old age."

"Good to know that you're still as insufferable as ever."

Shea smirked and flipped Nat around, holding a knee to the Black Widow's chest and pinning her arms down with her hands. "Insufferability happens to be one of my defining personality traits."

Nat wrapped her legs around Shea's torso, hurling the younger girl off of her. Shea landed flat on her back with an 'oof' and a laugh. The elevator dinged, catching her attention.

"Oh hey, what's up Jason?"

(sfjghbskd I know. It feels wrong tho lmao)

Jason waved a little. "Don't let me disturb you, just here to do one of the sparring simulations that Tony's got set up." he said, moving over towards the other end of the gym. He worked on wrapping his hands as he did, so that there was less danger of splitting his knuckles open. He had done that before, actually, and it had hurt like hell. It was also supremely annoying, since it meant that it hurt to move his fingers, if and when that happened.

(I know right? asdadf Nick Fury used to be some Indiana Jones white guy and then he got better)

"Nah you're good- oof! REALLY, NAT?" Shea glared at the Black Widow who had decided to sit on her. Shea blew a piece of her chestnut hair out of her face and rolled over, now pinning Natasha to the floor. "Was that necessary?"

"You weren't paying attention," Nat answered with a cocky grin. "Had to get you to focus." Nat leaped up, aiming a kick right for Shea's jaw but the younger woman was fast. Shea leaned back, dodging Nat's foot. The two women were now standing, facing each other with stone cold expressions. Nat went for another kick to Shea's chest but instead of dodging this time, Shea grabbed Nat's foot and yanked it away, throwing the ex-assassin off balance. Shea took that as a chance to strike, elbowing the area where Nat's neck met her shoulders and using the palm of her other hand to push Nat away.

Nat smiled and backpedaled a few paces. Shea narrowed her eyes, an impish smirk stretching across her face. Nat took a running start and leaped five feet into the air. Shea knew what was coming and rolled out of the way, now standing behind Nat. Shea threw a few punches, landing a few on Nat's back but the spy was quick to recover. Nat whipped around, now blocking and returning those punches at rapid fire. Shea cackled, easily keeping up. Eventually, Shea found a pattern in the spy's attacks and calculated the right time to totally throw her off balance. Right, left, left, left, right, foot, right, foot, left, again.

When Nat's right leg came up to kick Shea, Shea ducked and swept her leg under Natasha's. Natasha fell with an oof, and then Shea was sitting on her, not unlike what had happened a few minutes prior.

"You're rusty, Nat."

"And you're still an insufferable toddler."

(ahshsgsgs yes)

Jason finished wrapping his hands, and then stepped into the simulation area and began to spar with the simulated people, bare fisted and swinging punches, using his whole body as a weapon.

He moved with the easy, self-assured grace that his muscles gave him, stronger than almost anyone else, and he knew it. But he also had skill, both from training and a natural skill, which SHIELD had sharpened.

(Fun fact #3: Chadwick Boseman auditioned for the role of Drax, but they turned him down because he was too 'regal' for Drax. Also, I'm kinda timeskipping a few hours because it doesn't seem like Shea and Jason are doing much…)

Shea and Nat went again and again until it looked as if the sun was starting to go down. Shea's muscles ached from the workout, but her smirk never left her face. Shea and Nat shook hands, calling it a tie before Nat left for her own floor.

"Damn, that was awesome," Shea sighed, sitting down on the mat and wrapping a towel around her sweaty shoulders. She looked over her shoulder to see Jason still hammering it away in the VR Training Room. "Hey, Jason, I'm heading to bed. See ya' tomorrow."

(oof wow. Alright!)

Jason called "pause" to Jarvis, and turned to look over at her. "See you, Shea." He replied with a wave. "If you need anything, ask Jarvis, and if he can't help…I don't know. I'll still be down here for another hour or so, but after that I'll probably be asleep. Please don't wake me up unless it's an emergency." He smiled a little.

(asdlfaa;skdj sorry I didn't respond last night, I was staying the night at a friend's house and didn't have access to notebook. Here, have an extra long response)

"Alright, see you in the mornin' Wonderboy." Shea offered a half-smile and a wave before disappearing into the elevator and heading up to her floor. Her high tops hit the perfectly clean floors with dull thuds as she exited the elevator, the noise echoing off bare walls. The bed creaked as Shea flopped down onto it, staring at the blank ceiling. The lights were off, the moon shining right into the room, basking it in white moonlight. Shea rolled over on the bed, snuggling further into the down pillow. It had to have been the best bed she had ever stayed in, but something about it seemed… suspicious.

Deciding that she would wait a little longer before fully settling in, Shea got up from the bed and made her way to the duffel bag she had brought up earlier. She picked out just a plain pair of leggings and a white t-shirt for pajamas and made her way into the bathroom. Bright LED lights flickered to life when she walked in, the motion sensor by the door picking up her movements. The shower door creaked from lack of use as Shea opened it. The whole bathroom smelled of the lavender soap sitting by the sink and the leftover stench of bleach. Somebody had clearly wanted the new resident at the Tower to feel very welcome. Shea started the shower and undressed waiting for the water to get hot. Once the mirror started to gather steam, Shea stepped in, letting the hot water clean all of the day's sweat and dirt off her skin. She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned against the wall of the shower. The whole experience just felt strange.

She was a hazard to say the least. Her powers destroyed people's minds, tore away at a man's insides until he was nothing but a shell. Hell, she had even killed someone before. Cardiac arrest. And it was her fault. Now, it wasn't like other SHIELD Agents hadn't killed before… It was just the how. Shea usually didn't resort to using her abilities until when absolutely necessary, but Fury had always liked a quick mission. In and out as fast as you could. The SHIELD Director didn't care about causalities and destruction of enemies, he just cared about getting the job done. Shea sighed and got out of the shower, wrapping one fluffy white towel around her body and using the other to scrub the water out of her chestnut locks.

The mirror squeaked as Shea wiped some of the steam off. In her reflection, Shea noticed that the dark bags under her eyes were getting more and more noticeable. It was only a matter of time before someone asked her about them. "You look like hell, Shea," She grumbled to herself. She changed into her clothes, still keeping the towel around her hair, and brushed her teeth before tossing her dirty laundry in a pile on the floor and exiting the bathroom. This time, Shea fell into the bed without thinking twice, comfort overweighing suspicion. The last thing she saw before drifting to sleep was the note still taped to her box of knives.

(it's fine! Oof I can't match that for length lmao)
(Also I can't remember if I already asked this, but do you have any triggers?)

Jason remained downstairs for a good while, sparring with the system until he was exhausted, sweat slicking his limbs and his forehead and matting his hair. When he finally shut off the program, it was past midnight, and his limbs were slightly shaky from all the motion and constant exertion he had forced his body into. He had found before that he couldn't sleep sometimes if he wasn't tired, and so he did this a lot. Just came down here and sparred until he was exhausted and sweaty.

He headed up to his own level to take a shower, throwing his clothes in a heap on the floor of his bedroom, before stepping into the shower and turning on the water.

Sometimes he thought about the fact that he was far too young to deal with the kind of memories and life experience that he did. He was seventeen, he shouldn't have missing fingers and scars and nightmares that woke him up with the feeling of drowning in his sheets. But he did. He did, because to SHIELD he was a tool, had always been a tool. Would always be a tool. He was not human, not legally, and therefore didn't have the rights or protections that a human would have had under the law. It didn't matter how they treated him, what they did, because legally he wasn't anything that mattered. Just another experiment. Technically, he could be terminated at any time and it was all perfectly legal.

These facts tended to keep him up at night, especially on the bad days when his inner demons threatened to overwhelm him, to drag him under. Sometimes they did. Most times he did his best not to let them.

When he finished his shower, he dried off and changed into his pajamas before climbing into bed and curling up on his side. It wasn't too long before he fell into an exhausted sleep.

(sad shower times with shea and jason)
(And nope! I don't have any triggers. Do you have any?)

Shea woke up screaming.

Tears streamed down her face and her whole body trembled. Her hands shakily tried to silence her cries but they had already escaped her mouth. She couldn't even remember what the nightmares had been about this time… just the pure, paralyzing terror coursing through her veins. The only thing she knew was what had caused it.

42 hours ago, before Shea had joined the Avengers at the Tower, she was running a dangerous mission someplace in Siberia. It was a simple mission, nothing Shea hadn't done before, but this time was different. There were guards, hundreds of them, all lining up with their rifles and pistols aimed right at Shea's chest. She couldn't do anything but let loose. She could still hear strangled cries from the crippling hallucinations Shea had given them. Their screams echoed throughout the warehouse, bouncing off the walls and ceiling. No man, woman, or child was safe from her. Afterwards, Shea had to draw in her power, but it was nearly impossible once the rabid beast within was let out of its cage. It took hours of suffering to finally slap the lid back on her powers and lock the box within tight. It was only a matter of time before her abilities picked the lock and prayed on her.

The only thing she could hope for, was that nobody heard her screams.

(alright! I'll have Jason hear her, then. He's a light sleeper lol)

Jason startled awake, blinking hazily at the screaming. He slipped out of bed, grabbing a flashlight from his nightstand and padding out of his room, barefoot and quiet. He took the stairs rather than the elevator, since the stairs were faster. He figured it was probably a nightmare, but either way he wanted to get there before anything bad could happen. He knocked on Shea's door, not wanting to just burst in there, for a few different reasons. Mostly related to privacy. He didn't know if she was the type to sleep nude and he really did not want to find that out the hard way. He also didn't want to intrude, and if this was a nightmare, maybe knocking would be enough to jar her awake. He didn't want to go in unless he had to.

Shea's head shot up when the knock came, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. "Shit," She grumbled, hastily trying to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. "I-I'm fine. Go back to bed," Shea answered in a broken tone. Her hands shook some more as she pushed her sweaty hair out of her face. The bed was pressed up against one of the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving Shea an overlook of the whole city. She could also see her reflection in the glass. Her eyes were puffy and the irises glowing that unnerving violet that she had grown to hate. It was a sign of no control, how she had lost it even when she had sworn not to. The glow made her feel weak and unable, and Shea knew if any poor soul was to enter her room, her powers would pounce and make yet another person's day go to shit.

"You sure?" Jason called quietly, through the door. He wasn't going to come in unless he was invited, which was probably a good thing. "If you need to…talk or whatever, I'm willing to listen. I might be shit at advice or whatever, but I can listen, and I will if you need or want me to. Though I understand that that's an awkward idea, seeing as how you barely know me, and I'm also a few years younger." He gave an awkward laugh. "But. The offer is there if you want it." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"Just-" Shea's voice cracked, cutting her sentence short. "Just leave me be. It's too dangerous." Her voice might have been small and broken, but it was laced with a legitimate warning. The last time someone tried to help her during one of her episodes, they wound up in the hospital. Not a memory Shea liked to visit.

(hnnng because I am an angst fan I 100% want Shea to accidentally fuck with either Jason's head or Alex's sometime, because Angst lmao but not now)

Jason hesitated a moment. "I… alright." He said. "I'll go back to bed. But my offer still stands, if you ever need to talk." He headed back to the stairs and to his own level, biting his lip faintly. He hoped Shea would be alright, but he really wouldn't barge into her room or come in without permission. He didn't want to do that to her. Plus, with her ability…it might not have ended well, and he would prefer his head not to be messed with.

(a;skdlfja hell yes)

Shea didn't say anything more. She heard Jason's footsteps retreating back up the stairs and finally let out a sigh of relief. At least nobody was around anymore. Shea glanced over at the alarm clock on the nightstand, the bright blue digits reading 2:15 AM. Deciding that she wouldn't be getting any more sleep, Shea slipped out of the bed, grabbing a black sweatshirt from the back of a chair as she made her way to the stairs. The stairs were quieter than the elevator and the last thing she wanted was to run into somebody she could hurt.

Shea exited her room, padding down the long set of stairs. By the time she reached the bottom floor, the terror had mostly subsided, the feeling quickly being replaced with exhaustion. The door to the kitchen creaked painfully loud as Shea walked through it. She winced and shut it softly behind her. Shea leaned against the wall, contemplating why she had decided to come down there in the first place.

"Want some water?" An unexpected voice coming from the shadows asked.

Shea jumped, barely containing a yelp, and glared at the person who had the audacity to socialize with her in such a fragile state.

"Shea, right?" The voice took a few steps out of the shadows, making their way to the fridge. The moonlight illuminated their features, soft brown hair, steel blue eyes, a slight beard, and a vibranium arm. "I'm Bucky."

(:D y e s. Also Epsilon is going to forcibly out Alex as gay and makes Alex's mental health go to shit bc of his (Alex's) internalized homophobia)
(Also Alex lmao)

Bucky hoped he hadn't frightened her too much; he tended to frighten people when he just appeared from the shadows like this, but hopefully it wouldn't stress Shea out. He didn't mean to, it was just…how he was, really. "I heard… screaming."

(Epsilon and Shea are gonna have i s s u e s with each other. Shea's like "no our powers are bad they make people sad" and Epsilon's all like "haha mental manipulation go brrrrrr")

Shea clutched her heart and shut her eyes, doing her mental exercises Nat taught her to calm herself down. "Jesus…" Shea whispered. "Yeah. I'm fine, really. Just some nightmares and shit."

(ajsbdhhdvdv Basically, yeah. Epsilon literally is like "but I like watching people's minds fall apart :)" and Shea's like "n o. B a d")

"My apologies if I startled you." He said, keeping his voice quiet. "And… I know what the nightmares are like." He moved further into the kitchen. "Would tea help? Chamomile is good for nightmares. Jason made me some once, and I've made it ever since to help calm down."

Shea shrugged and sighed. "Yeah, sure. That'll be great. Thanks." Shea sat down at the island, the chair sliding soundlessly over the polished floor. "Next time don't scare me though… Don't wanna hurtcha on accident."

Bucky started some water, nodding a little. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I didn't mean to. It's just the way I move, I guess. HYDRA." He looked over at her, shrugging his shoulders loosely, dark hair hanging loose around his face. In the darkness of the kitchen, his metal arm glinted faintly in the dim lighting.