That's funny...we were about to ask you the same question.

[forhawkeye]

As a general rule, when the bookshelf offers me comic books, I tend to ignore them. It's not that I'm not curious -- because I am -- so much as that's really not how I want to learn about my future. I'd rather spend hours digging for a recent newspaper than sit down and read about my life as shown through the lens of dialog bubbles and crappy art

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[notawastedlife]

Tony glanced around and located the sound of Kate's voice, which was, unsurprisingly, Kate. Exclaiming over a comic book.

He thought they'd been over this.

He ambled over, ducking to look at the cover. "'Dark Reign: Young-' None of those people are you," he said, observant as always. "Unless you're rocking that skull mask."

[forhawkeye]

"Yeah, I decided the whole Hawkeye thing just wasn't working out anymore and thought I'd start taking my cues from the Punisher," I retort, rolling my eyes. "...and it occurs to me that you have no idea who that is. He kills people and wears a shirt with a skull on it. FYI."

[notawastedlife]

"...I think we have a few of those, and they all wear do-rags," Tony said, hooking a loose chair with his foot and dragging it in front of the couch to sit on. "So what's the news from home?"

[forhawkeye]

"Posers, neo-Nazis and my 'love life' plastered all over the Internet," I tell him, handing over the comic. I'm suddenly really glad there's no equivalent to Your Gal Friday on the island. God only knows what she'd be reporting about my situation here. "I'd say business as usual, but I have to admit: that's a new one."

[neededproof]

Ryan's only cutting through the room, coming up from the basement, but he would've stopped to say hi even if Kate hadn't spoken. Except that then she does speak and it's not exactly encouraging.

Frowning a little, he heads over beside her. "One of yours?"

There's a part of him that's just waiting for his own life to turn up on these shelves someday, but if ever it does, he's got no plans to actually read or watch the damn thing. He's not sure why anyone ever does.

[forhawkeye]

"Not exactly," I say, holding it up so that he can see the cover. The cover populated by people who in no way, shape or form resemble anyone I know. "Right name, wrong people. Really wrong. So wrong, in fact, that I haven't even heard of these guys."

[neededproof]

"But they're using your name," Ryan says, arching an eyebrow. "Hence the outburst. Got it. So they just... stole your group name?" It's more than a little difficult to imagine Kate standing for something like that.

[forhawkeye]

"Apparently!" I say, voice going up half an octave, and I run my hand through my hair. "I mean, the media saddled us with the name but it was still ours, you know? Whoever these guys are, though, they're sort of missing the point of what a superhero team's supposed to be about. Mainly not killing people."

[oscaroscaroscar]

"Kate, language!" Felix exclaimed, more surprised at her outburst than actually affronted. He was a New Yorker, he had thick skin when it came to these things, but lack of decorum in public seemed to catch him more off guard here, where things were usually so much quieter.

[forhawkeye]

"Oh, it's warranted, alright?" I say in my defense, shoving the comic in his direction. Sure he's from the not-so-distant past or whatever, but I'm sure he must've had comics when he's from, even if they were a little more old school. "This? Is about ten kinds of wrong. Maybe eleven. I'm feeling generous."

[oscaroscaroscar]

"A comic book?" Felix asked, slightly confused as it was thrust towards him. How some children's story could in any way call for such vulgarity was beyond him, but he flipped it open nevertheless, coming across a panel of some large girl with bizarre hair stomping a man to death.

"Oh, that is positively gruesome!" he cried, one hand covering his mouth. Who would want to read something like this?

[forhawkeye]

Okay, so he's not actually getting the significance of the thing, but at least he gets that these posers -- whoever the hell they are -- have bad news written all over them.

"Little bit, yeah," I say, planting my hands on my hips. "Keep reading, it gets better."

[withoutasea]

"Such language, heart," explained Jenny as she came into the rec room with her hair damp and tangled and he rfeet bare. She said it as though she had not grown up around knights, and if she had not learned to curse almost as soon as she could talk.

"What could be so vexing?"

[forhawkeye]

When Guenever scolds you for your language, you better look at least a little -- and it hurts to even think this, I swear -- chagrined. Lips pressed together, I try my best to look contrite. It doesn't work.

"Impersonators, that's what."

[withoutasea]

"Surely not."

If ever anybody knows about stories mis-told, it was a woman like Guenever. She raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest.

"And what do they say?"

[forhawkeye]

"They're trying to pass themselves off as the 'good guys' by using our name," I explain, holding up the comic so that she can see the giant neo-Nazi stomp on a guy, leaving only a bloody footprint in her wake. "They could use some practice."

[mutant_gi_jesus]

"It's a comic book," Cable replied helpfully from the seat where he was reading a book of his own.

He finished the page he was on before looking over the book to add, "Personally, I recommend Tintin."

[forhawkeye]

"Wow, Cable. Whatever would I have done if you hadn't been so enlightening?" I deadpan, flashing him an annoyed glance. "I know it's a comic book. It's the story I'm having issues with."

[mutant_gi_jesus]

"Anyone I know in it?" he replied casually without taking his eyes from the books he was reading. "Or is that the one where they kill off Veronica?"

If asked he would blame Wade for any knowledge of Archie Comics he might have.

[forhawkeye]

"Well, you know me, but I only show up on the last page," I say, pulling out a chair so I can sit opposite him. "I don't even know these idiots. What I do know is that they're going around killing people and using our name to do it."