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THIS ROUND IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW PROMPTS.
ROUND TWELVE WILL OPEN ON SATURDAY THE 8TH.
ROUND ELEVEN
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Alphabetize pairings. They will be archived that way!Put [RPF] before RPF prompts ( Read more... )
For the first time, Bane felt safe. No one could throw a shield at his head and lecture him on morality. No one would descend from the sky and quip about how wrong he was. No beast would pound him into the ground. He was unchallenged. Slightly bored, but unopposed. This felt nice, if unexciting.
Then one cloudy day, he decided to roam the street of New York and admire the overturned cars and rows of broken windows and the bursts of armed citizens banding together. All started by his hand. He needed no office, no direct authority. These sights were enough.
People jumped out of Bane's way as soon as they saw him. They backed up against walls, hid behind vehicles, crouched down on the street. He stood isolated in the middle of Fifth Avenue when a hammer flew into his back and knocked him to the asphalt. No pain pushed past his anesthetic haze, but his pride took a tiny hit. He rolled over on his back and saw a handsome, broad-shouldered blond man smirking down at him. The God of Thunder.
"You've taken something that doesn't belong to you," the thunder god told him.
Bane stood up. Thor still towered over him. "Quite the contrary. I've given it back to its rightful owners."
"That's not how I understand it." The thunder god summoned his hammer again and threw it at Bane's front this time.
Bane fell, but he managed to counter by barreling headfirst at Thor's armored torso. Not a dignified move, but it would have to do. They tumbled to the ground with Bane on top and he focused on nothing but destroying that rugged face. As he pounded that pretty mouth, he cursed himself for making such a grievous error.
"I thought you'd abandoned this planet," Bane remarked.
"You thought wrong." Thor rolled over and pinned Bane down, squeezing the mask.
Bane swatted his arms away and dragged the god up, shoving him against a wall. Then something zipped into his right shoulder. A bullet. A dull but noticeable feeling. Bane looked up and saw the Winter Soldier peering down from a broken window, sniper rifle in hand.
"James?" he murmured.
"Thank you, Bucky!" Thor shouted.
"Anytime!" James waved. Then he looked at Bane. "I promised I wouldn't interfere with Steve, but I didn't say I wouldn't come for you."
As Bane stared up at James' glare, Thor pushed him against the wall, twisted the mask, and ripped it off his face. Air circled his mouth for the first time in ages. Then waves of agony enveloped his body as he staggered forward, grasping at the space in front of Thor. The god picked him up and raised him high over his head.
Bane knew what was coming. "Who are you to determine the fate of this land?"
"I am Thor Odinson, Crown Prince of Asgard and proud Avenger. And I! WILL! BREAK YOU!!!" The thunder god bent Bane in half and a new anguish exploded through his back. He shouted, only to drowned out by bystanders' cheers and shrieks of horror.
Thor set him down on the ground and cradled him, rubbing the top of Bane's head. "Now you will tell me where you've hidden my friends."
"Scattered here and there, clinging to shadows of themselves. Your brother's in a pit of a prison on the other side of the world," Bane managed to say.
"And the others?" The thunder god's gaze was steady but sad.
"You'll find them eventually. Enlist James up there if you must." He could not lift his limbs now. The corners of the world turned fuzzy, too.
Thor gripped Bane's vest and shook his broken body. "Tell me!"
"No."
Bane let out one ragged breath and he moved beyond pain. The world turned white while he lay in a god's arms. And he would take this victory with him. A tiny victory in a lost battle. The last thing he felt was a bullet diving into his left shoulder. Then whiteness embraced him. Bane longed for a place with shadows.
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Wow, I really wasn't expecting anybody to fill this. It's so good! Really well-written, all the aaaangst (I began to wonder what I'd wished for when I was reading about my poor bb Clint) and the dialogue was spot on and intelligent. I hope each respective baby-venger is found alive, but I do actually kind of like how it's not mentioned either. It adds to the tone.
I'm so glad you did this, thank you so much!
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all the aaaangst (I began to wonder what I'd wished for when I was reading about my poor bb Clint)
Yeah, this is definitely the darkest thing I've ever written (so far). I think all of the Avengers are alive at the end, but Tony is dangerously close to the edge.
You're welcome! This was a blast to fill!
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...will Bruce ever come back? *wibbles*
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I'd like to think Bruce comes back, but I prefer to leave that up to the reader.
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