Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on Feb 6, 2016 0:12:24 GMT -6
Wyoming, Bureau of Land Management Land.
The signal had gone out. James stood near his Quinjet, waiting. He'd sent a signal using Aileen's codes thanks to Ginnie's terminal at the mansion. He was hoping to summon T'Shan here and have a conversation with him. The Asgardian had been avoiding him lately. Cap had a strange sensation that this was due to the fact that his doppelganger was the one who captured Aileen and tortured her psychologically. Aileen had been avoiding him too, but T'Shan's was more severe. This was part of James plans to bury the hatchet. He'd make the Asgardian warrior have a conversation with him. He knew for a fact that the Asgardian would answer Hawkeye's signal.
This was going to end one way or another. Ginnie and he had patched things up. They had gone from friends to something in between. James would see where that went, but he was still in the process of trying to rebuild their own team. The Avengers and Titans had taken the hardest hits during the battle. James and Blue Bat had begun putting together a plan to help put the Titans back together, but this team was his and Iron Maiden's responsibility to repair. Granted, James had not gotten permission from Ginnie to follow through with this plan, but he figured that she'd approve of the results.
James pulled up his mask and reached down to his belt buckle. He dialed up the power on the impact web mesh throughout his suit. Though he was fairly sure that the talk would get rough, Cap didn't want to take any chances. The web was designed to take a hit from someone with super strength at Lydia's level, but he hadn't tested it at anyone stronger than her yet. The suit hadn't taken an impact from a Hulk, Kryptonian or Asgardian. It seemed like a perfect day for a field test.
He leaned against the bulkhead of the plane and waited for his Asgardian teammate to show up. He could always hope that this day would go better. But only time would tell.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2016 1:01:42 GMT -6
T'Shan was in the Wakandan Embassy doing some royal things. He did need to do more as he was an active member of the Royal Family. Some aspects of the society were still rather sexist, especially the older members. Of course their numbers were few and far in between but they existed. While S'Fada could easily beat the hell out of them if she needed to but also knew that doing so would only make things worse. So she sent T'Shan to deal with them. Of course she also made it known that she had ORDERED him to deal with them. So either way T'Shan was doing things on behalf of his sister. It wasn't a huge issue and was something he was fine doing for her and as part of his familial job. He was dealing with a few import issues when his Communi-Card went off. He grabbed it and saw Aileen was summoning him for help. This was huge. Not only was Aileen talking to him, she wanted his help. Of course if she was calling to him this was very serious.
"Come Skugga, Hawkeye needs us."
'Understood.'
T'Shan grabbed Mjolnir and spun it, as he ran, before flinging it, the strap around his wrist and pulling him through the air as Skugga took to the air behind him. It took several stops but eventually he got there in a few minutes. Skugga flew over head and was about to warn T'Shan that it was only James but it was too late. T'Shan landed with a thud and glanced around looking for a fight. Instead he just found James leaning against a quinjet.
"Captain, where is the threat and Hawkeye?"
Skugga meanwhile landed on top of the Quinjet and looked down at the two.
'Go slow James, he is not the quickest. He was recruited for his fighting after all.'
"Explain yourself Skugga."
He didn't even realize that he was staring at James and gripping Mjolnir quite tightly. Part of him wanted to pound him into the ground like a spike.
|
|
Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on Feb 29, 2016 13:12:41 GMT -6
The thunder god landed nearby and James stood up straight, taking a step forward. "Well, neither of them is here. There is no emergency. I just happened to get access to Aileen's communication codes, while Ginnie was asleep." The Super Soldier shrugged and looked around. He gave a nod to Skugga. He took a deep breath. Ginnie was going to be angry about this whole thing. That was probably why he didn't tell her about it. This was something the two of them had to work out for themselves. She'd kick his ass for it later.
"Well, champ. I figured that since you won't give me the time of day, since all you seem to see is the guy who did horrible things to Aileen, we could have a chance to clear the air. I'm a little tired of you avoiding me or giving me dirty looks for things that I didn't do." He gripped the shield tighter. James knew that this would come down to a fight and he didn't see any other way to get around this. So now it was time to piss off a god.
"So, you blame me for what happened to Aileen. So does she. Alright, good. I can live with that. So, let's have it out." James pulled out a 9 mm hand gun and fired it once at T'Shan's chest, knowing that it would do little to no harm to him. "You spent a year locked in a cell and my double did horrible things to our whole team. And I made the mistake of looking like the guy." He fired another two rounds.
James decided that he'd try to push some buttons and try to get a reaction out of T'Shan. This was the only way that he could think to get T'Shan to bury the hatchet. "You weren't there to protect them. So let's see you fix it now. Do you have what it takes, sunshine? Or do you just want to run back to Asgard and hide under Daddy's protection or the jungle and let Sissy hide you?"
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2016 15:42:21 GMT -6
As the conversation went on clouds were beginning to gather over head. He'd also had issues controlling his weather when he was angry. It got to the point where Ginnie was debating actively keeping them apart since some of the plants outside the mansion were getting water logged. As the first bullet harmlessly bounced off his chest the thunder cracked over head.
'Well this is going to be interesting.'
Skugga said moving to underneath the wing of the Quinnjet. Skugga, and the others, knew a fight was likely but had been putting it off.
"Mistakes were made James. However I shall not fight you I..."
Then two more bullets bounced off his chest and lightning lit up the sky as rain began to come down. Now he was getting truly pissed. Then the talk about running away came. Yes he had left for Asgard after coming back to get away. Clearly it hadn't worked out in the grand scheme. It only made things worse. But he had needed to get away for his own sake.
"Running away? Nay. However you would not know what it was like to behaving nobly. But if you truly want a fight, I will ensure you die quickly!"
He then rushed forward, not at full speed but quickly and swung Mjolnir in an upward angle at him. He didn't care about the damage. He was completely ignoring the fact that the blow could crush his ribcage, well depending on his durability. T'Shan never thought too much on his durability. Subconsciously he was still holding back. He did view James as a friend and didn't like the idea of hurting him. But he was rather torn between anger at James and wanting to keep his friend safe.
|
|
Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on Mar 6, 2016 1:15:51 GMT -6
"You're damned right mistakes were made. I stuck around to fix them. What the hell have you been doing aside from hiding and pining after Hawkeye?"
That was enough. He'd enraged the god enough for now. The shield came down instinctively in front James, to block the hammer. He picked up his feet and let the blow throw him upwards. Cap landed on top of the quinjet with a backflip and threw his shield back down at Scion in an attempt to hit him. A few dazzlers, flew from a compartment in James' glove, which lit up with mesmerizing light in an attempt help score a better hit. Like flashbangs without the bang.
Cap flipped off the transport, to catch his shield on the return flight. Then he moved forwards, throwing his fist and shield into a hand to hand fray. "I lost my sister to those things too. Or did we forget that? It wasn't just about you and Hawkeye. I know that you were both in the grip of that mad man, but so were others."
His knee came up in a shot for T'Shan's midsection. Then James took a couple blows that felt like city buses. He was glad for the mesh in his suit to help disburse the blows. "We lost good people in those fights." James' blows became less coordinated as he slipped into a rage himself. He threw blow after blow, knowing T'Shan could take it.
"We lost all of you because I couldn't see it coming. My own sister was replaced for a year and I never noticed! How the hell do you rest of you think I feel? This is all my goddamned fault! If I'd been more vigilant, we wouldn't have lost Green Lantern! Aileen wouldn't have suffered the way she did. None of you would." James slowed his punches and kicks, until they stopped.
Then the magnetic locks on his robotic fist deactivated and the shield fell from his hands to the ground. "So, kill me if it makes you feel better. Hell, do it because I deserve it and it will give the team the closure they need. Mostly, I just don't want to go on like this anymore." James spit some blood on the ground as the words tumbled out. He had no idea that he'd been keeping that all bottled up inside until now.
"Just hurry up. I don't want to go out with wet boots."
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2016 13:56:42 GMT -6
He was right. T'Shan had behaved selfishly. Instead of helping the team work together and move on he'd run off to Asgard for awhile and just like he said, been silently pining over Hawkeye. Of course admitting his feelings for her had been tricky, what with her not wanting to be alone with him. He didn't feel like having a heart felt conversation with her surrounded by several people. When it came to a battle he was brave and strong and almost foolish in his actions. However when it came to something like this he was almost cowardly, and he hated it. Sure they could flirt, but that was far different from revealing one's feelings. Especially when having a girlfriend would be rather new for him.
"I know all too well about your sister. Her cage was next to mine. We helped keep each other sane in between torture sessions."
He said before bringing his hand up to shield himself from the dazzlers he'd thrown. The shield bounced off his chest causing him to slide backwards a few steps. He was used to being hit with Vibranium, still hurt like hell though. The kicks and punches however were more of a mild annoyance. Sure James was strong but he'd also regularly sparred with his sister as well as a bunch of Gizmo's little robots, and even himself in the new training room. Following one particular punch T'Shan opted for a headbutt in exchange.
T'Shan looked at him calmly as he asked him to kill him. This fight had just taken a very strange turn. T'shan was still angry. But with a calm and almost methodical step he grabbed James by the throat and picked him up.
"If I said I never contemplated killing you Captain, I would be lying. However I did not picture it like this and given your behavior I am almost certain I will be around you when you die."
He released him before crossing his arms. He didn't want James did, never had. Yes he blames James but he'd also participated in potentially killing Winter Soldier as well as killing Berzerker. He knew death was a part of battle, he also didn't like taking lives. It seemed too dark.
"Killing you would only make things worse, not to mention I myself could not live with it."
|
|
Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on Apr 25, 2016 23:43:33 GMT -6
The words T'Shan spoke about helping keep Lydia sane and vice versa between torture sessions rang in James' ears. It took a few moments to register, but by then, Captain America was committed to his course of action. James lacked the confidence of Steve Rogers. He wasn't even sure he had the confidence of his father to be in this role, but after everything that had transpired, all his emotions came pouring out like a dam bursting. His shield lay a few feet away, sitting on the ground where it had been dropped.
James was almost impressed by the way T'Shan managed to take the blows he threw at him. It wasn't until the headbutt came back that Cap was staggered for a second. He could feel the reinforcements in the helmet crack as the Asgardian's head came in contact with his own. The lenses cracked in his cowl and James wobbled for a second before he was lifted by his throat. Being held by the throat wasn't doing much for the dizziness. It seemed that his sudden lack of air was only contributing to the effect.
As black rimmed his vision for a moment, James heard the words that Scion spoke. They resonated with the spark of consciousness that was starting to fade. Then, the pressure was gone and James landed on his feet, collapsing immediately to his backside, next to the red and white disc. He took a deep breath and let the air fill his lungs. He felt something warm and wet on his face. His hand dabbed his nose and came back wet with blood. The cowl reinforcements had cracked and skin had been broken. He was bleeding from a head wound. Well, that was going to be harder to hide from Ginnie.
"Well, hey. If you don't want me dead... And I don't want you dead. Why don't we stop acting like a pair of ass clowns and talk this out? Because I'm not sure how many more rounds I can go before I get permanent brain damage."
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2016 21:36:33 GMT -6
T'Shan now felt terrible seeing that he'd potentially hurt James. Sure in a sparring session was one thing, but this wasn't sparring. This was a fight. But it was a fight he wanted no part of. It wasn't until he was faced with it that he realized fighting James would do nothing. Yes he was angry at him for what his doppleganger had done, and deep down he knew it wasn't fair. But he needed someone to hurt and he was tired of hurting himself.
With their brief scuffle done T'Shan checked himself. He had been trained to never show pain. Sure it rarely worked but when he had anger and adrenaline going it was easy to put pain on the back burner. He noticed the holes in his clothes from the bullets. He was one of the few who refused to get any special tactical gear. Basically black pants and a specially made vest. Yes he had a full set of Asgardian Armor but he hated wearing it. It hindered his fighting too much.
"Just tell Ginnie we were sparring. Not a lie, kind of."
He said completely avoiding the ACTUAL things they need to talk over. He hated having fights with his friends. He remember the week he and Ginnie didn't talk, he hated it. Of course he had slept with one of her friends on Ginnie's desk in her lab.
"I know you are not the one to blame. I am the one. Had I not been ambushed it would not have fallen to you. I failed the Avengers and yet Ginnie refuses to accept my resignation."
He said shaking his head. He had given her a well worded resignation and she simply crumpled it up and proceeded to make dinner plans for everyone.
"Personally I do not see the similarities to my duplicate. I am far better looking."
It was an attempt at a joke to try and make things easier. With a sigh he simply sat down, brushing some hair off his face. Skugga came and landed on T'Shan's shoulder.
'Damn. I thought for sure something would get broken. Bones, shield, the jet....'
|
|
Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on Apr 29, 2016 1:24:44 GMT -6
James removed his mask and wiped away some of the blood. He'd need a bandage. There was a first aid kit in the Quinjet. T'Shan had a point, but he was fairly sure Ginnie wouldn't believe that particular lie. She'd see that he borrowed a Quinjet and took it to some random spot in Wyoming. There would be a brief investigation some short time later and she'd see that James had sent the fake signal. She wasn't dumb. Ginnie was the smartest person he knew.
"Somehow, I don't think she'll buy that one."
Pulling some gauze out of his belt, James placed it against his head to soak up some of the blood. Head wounds tended to bleed quite a bit. "Oh, shut up. It wasn't your fault. I should have seen this coming. I missed all the signs. I failed the entire world. I tried to quit the Avengers too. I've been distancing myself for a reason. I was going to walk away, so that you and Aileen can get on with your lives. I wanted Ginnie to rebuild the team. I gave her a list of replacements. I was going to give it a few weeks and then quit being Captain America altogether. I had plans to disappear completely."
James looked around uncomfortably. He was a bit ashamed to be admitting this to anyone. This was something he hadn't even told Lydia. He'd even left some of the details out when talking to Ginnie. "Stark came to my apartment. She wouldn't let me quit. I tried. She spent the better part of an evening trying to convince me. Personally, I think she and Lydia have had me on some kind of suicide watch, between you and me. Anyway, she wouldn't let me resign. So, the next morning, I told her I was going to talk to you." He winced.
He'd hinted that he and Ginnie had spent the night together without meaning to. James promptly changed the subject. "No, the copy of you was shorter. Definitely. I think one of his eyes was lower than the other too. Ugly looking guy. I noticed that about the copy of me too. He definitely had a hand or so on me as far as it went." It was a bad joke, but James had been making them since he'd had the new prosthetic put in place.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 1, 2016 23:27:31 GMT -6
He had a point. Ginnie wouldn't buy that the two sparred and the ONLY injury was a head wound. Let alone they decided to go to Wyoming because why not? Of course it could also prove to be something she simply over looks for whatever reason. Then again he'd known her for years and was fairly certain 'Over looking' wasn't what she did.
"I could beat you up more to make it more believable. As for the bullet holes in my clothes...I do believe I have more shirts with holes than without."
For whatever reason people seemed to like trying to shoot him. He didn't see the point in kevlar or body armor. But his thought of clothes faded when James admitted wanting to leave.
"An Avengers without Captain America is simply not a possibility. It takes more than someone with a shield. Besides, I know you Captain. You might try and leave, go work as some mercenary or some other simple field, but it wouldn't last. The first real threat we faced, perhaps a few weeks later, and you would return. Primarily because you wouldn't leave Ginnie."
He didn't know the odd relationship between James and Ginnie was supposed to be a secret. Of course he couldn't judge relationships. He had a thing for a woman who tried to flee the room anytime they were alone. Then again he also was not used to dealing with women like this. He was used to women throwing themselves at him, she flirted but that was it.
"Suicide? You? Hardly. You are too stubborn to let anyone kill you, even yourself. Besides, if you did die Ginnie would simply reconstruct you like some sort of....what is it..."
'FrankenJames.'
"Yes, that one. She would make you immortal out of spite. Which is a shame. I was going to give you a true Asgard hero's funeral. We would shut the country down drinking and your funeral pyre would be taller than any building."
'Ignore him. He was drunk when he decided on this.'
"I fail to see how that is relevant SKugga."
|
|
Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on May 19, 2016 1:03:56 GMT -6
James laughed loudly. "More believable, he says. I'm pretty sure that Ginnie is going to practice using her repulsors on us to help make it more believable." It was true. James was fairly sure that Ginnie was going to be glad they were both alive. And then try to fix that with high intensity laser blasts. He didn't know why the two of them were being so dumb now that James had managed to get everything off his chest. Sometimes you just needed to vent to your friend.
"There are better candidates than me, trust me. I'm just holding the line until one of them decides to step up." The last part of the Asgardian's statement phased him. "I'm not... Ginnie and I aren't like that. She's a big girl. We're not a thing... I don't think we are anyway. I don't really know what we are, honestly. I'm still working that out. I'm confident that she'll come to her senses and we'll go back to the way things should be." No one was really supposed to know anything about the two of them. Though all the Avengers suspected and James was fairly sure that Aileen had a betting pool going briefly before everything happened.
"No, I wouldn't have. But the two of them were lurking. Lydia showed up all the time and Ginnie called quite often. I think they were afraid that I would do something stupid. You and I know I wouldn't, but... I don't know that they did." James paused listening to the two of them speak. T'Shan didn't seem as angry towards him any more.
"I don't think you should watch any more monster movies while drinking. Also, the neck bolts wouldn't fit inside my costume. Though I'm not sure you're wrong about the spite thing. That's completely her style. She'd make me immortal and then turn my hand off at weird times of the day just to mess with me." James chuckled at the Asgardian and his bird and then looked around.
"So, what now?"
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 19, 2016 14:00:15 GMT -6
"James, Ginnie will end up shooting us one way or another. I honestly do not believe she needs a reason, that is just extra."
Ginnie could simply hide it as a training exercise then send the two of them to fight some crazy Ultron/Brainiac hybrid. Of course the trick is to go big and go fast, taking him out. Not to mention if Ginnie was going to punish them, it would happen one way or another. Ginnie was clever and tenacious, and when she wanted to get back at them it would have happened.
"One does not pick their mantle James, it picks us. The reason no one else has picked up the role is because you are the best one. Well, the best current choice. I mean you are good but you are no Steve Rogers."
He said with a light chuckle. Ok so it might not have been the best joke, or best time for one, but it was true. James was a solid Captain America, perhaps not the best but a very good one none the less. As James asked what they should do now he simply shrugged.
"Get drunk and fight crime?"
He suggested with a laugh. It would be fun, the two of them alone could probably stop a large amount of crime. Regardless of if they were drunk or not. Although honestly it'd likely just turn into them getting drunk and sparring or just talking.
"As for drunk and monster movies, they are fun. I highly recommend it sometime. Only way to make some of those movies interesting. Of course when you're a demi-god a movie about a group of cannibals in some desert is not too terrifying."
|
|
Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on Jun 4, 2016 12:44:08 GMT -6
"That's... probably true, honestly. She's never needed a reason before."
Cap activated the magnetic locks on his wrist and the shield came flying up and locked back into place. They were pretty handy. He'd have to thank Ginnie for them again. They kept him from losing the shield like he used to in the old days. James flexed his mechanical hand once or twice.
"Well, no one can hold a candle to Steve Rogers. It would be like trying to hold a candle to Thor. You just can't replace the original." A little smirk appeared on James' face as he spoke. "All kidding aside, I know what you mean. It's just more of a burden than I care for sometimes."
The super soldier shook his head. "No, no drinking and fighting crime. I got a concussion last time I tried that. Guy tried to shoot me and I somersaulted into a lamp post. That was a rough night." He looked over at the Quinjet. "We could go to Vegas. We're close and I have the Quinjet for the weekend. I can't imagine that it would be like the Hangover the entire time."
He pulled the gauze away and felt his head. He'd probably need some kind of stitches, but he knew some people who could do that. As least the bleeding was almost done. "This might come as a shock to you, but I'm not a fan of horror movies. I honestly don't much like scary things. I think there's enough to be afraid of in the real world. I prefer more fun stuff like science fiction or western movies."
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2016 15:03:33 GMT -6
He had a point. All of them were trying their best to handle the mantles they'd been handed. Some seemed to do better than others like Ginnie with her Iron Maiden mantle. T'Shan knew he was no Thor and he didn't want to be. He loved his father, but his father was not him. Despite having Mjolnir he was definitely not his father.
"I have no desire to be the next Thor. That was why I chose the name Lightning Lad over Kid Thor when I was a Titan. It would be like calling you Kid Bucky for starters."
He said shaking his head. He made a good point about not fighting crime drunk. While it could be fun it likely wouldn't work out well. But it would probably take some heat off of them for fighting. They should probably do something less dangerous, like a drunken Vegas party.
"Vegas it is. What sort of trouble could two young desirable guys get in in Vegas?"
'Lots T'Shan. There's numerous movies about just that premise. But it's better than moping around the mansion. I vote for Vegas.'
Skugga said. T'Shan nodded his head and turned his attention back to James. He was actually interested in going to Vegas, it would be fun. He really only wanted to spend time with Aileen but she ran from the room every time he showed. Plus his sister almost wouldn't let him out of her sight, it got annoying.
"Ugh, I hate science fiction."
'He gets confused by it, despite coming from one of the greatest technological nations on Earth.'
"Magic I can understand. You forget I grew up primarily in Asgard. Our technology is magic, that makes sense to me. I never understood how a story can take place a long long time ago yet have technology better than ours. It is...frustrating. I prefer fantasy, like Lord of the Rings."
He said with a shrug. It was something he could better understand. The magical hero fighting with a sword and trying to do simple things like bring honor to his family and nation. That was how he'd been raised.
"Either way we should head to Vegas and get away."
|
|
Hero
USER IS OFFLINE
Years Old
Male
164 POSTS & 14 LIKES
|
Post by James Barnes Jr on Jun 16, 2016 0:57:45 GMT -6
"Ugh... I hate when people call me any variation of Bucky. Tony hasn't ever stopped that. And Lydia picked up on it during her rebellious phase. It got old real fast."
The gears in James head started turning at his Asgardian companion's suggestion. "There are lots of things to do. Drinking, Casinos, strip clubs... Hell, we could even go see a show. The Blue Man group or maybe a magic act or something. It'll do us both good to get out of that city for a couple of days. And away from our siblings and their tracking devices. I still taste blue every time Lyds pings the GPS chip in my tooth."
As T'Shan stated his hatred for Scifi, James just stood there and shook his head. "How can you be against Science Fiction? We've lived through it. We know Aliens. We've met people from space like the Guardians and Nova. I mean, my sister's a quarter Kree for God's sake. How can movies like that be frustrating?" Captain America shook his head. "I don't understand you people. Uncultured philistines, the lot of you."
James held up his hand. "I'm totally Luke Skywalker now. I even have the hand to prove it!" He sighed. "Never mind. I did enjoy the Lord of the Rings though. Some of the first books I ever read. Fine. I'll program the autopilot in the Quinjet and make a reservation for us. We could use a weekend for us." James wandered into the jet and started flipping switches and tapping buttons.
"Ready to blow this Popsicle stand?"
|
|