Avenging is magic for the bold
Her imagination is ruled by five things: Monster High, Batman: Brave and the Bold, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and any incarnation of Avengers she can get her hands on. And given that things are a little rough at school again (she's doomed, it seems, to friendship dramas), LJ has been spending a lot of time within her imagination. With the goal of making her smile and easing some of her heartache, I threw out a suggestion: why not make her next few games crossovers between her beloved franchises? LJ agreed to a point (Monster High dolls are for display, not playtime, apparently) and then set her mind to wander.
Here's the thing. Most kids would just come up with some fun "X meets Y" games and kick on. Not LJ; within a few minutes she'd decided on an A plot, a B plot, a couple of cliffhangers and references to her previous tales of adventure. Inspired, I chipping in with a surprise reveal (which must have been acceptable, based on the enthusiastic, gleeful hug that crushed the wind out of me) and a few other twists that'll keep things popping. And thus were our next couple of weekends planned out.
For now, please enjoy the first two installments of the epic to come...
----------
Mr Freeze's new ice cannon had flash-frozen most of Super Hero City by the time the Bat-signal switched on. The cool, cruel villain prepared to face his nemesis... but instead wound up with an arrow in his cryogenic tank! Hawkeye kept Freeze on the run while Black Widow used the super-powerful spotlight to thaw out the citizens and buildings. Batman arrived in time to knock Freeze out with the Batmobile's bumper... and, much to Hawkeye's chagrin, win the praise of the populace!
But Batman couldn't stay - billionaire Bruce Wayne had an appointment at Stark Tower. He and Tony Stark had finished a new satellite that would beam free energy into everyone's homes directly from space. It was all part of Tony Stark's latest plan to reduce the city's reliance on the Arc Reactor, following the havoc wrought by Ultron. The satellite was a great success (the Mayor could plug in his toaster, his kettle and the Bat-signal at the same time!) but the geniuses failed to notice a catastophic problem. The orbit into which they'd placed the satellite allowed a swarm of aliens - the tiny Technomites - to beam down to Earth and start eating everything! Our heroes didn't even get the chance to try and fix their mess because SHIELD agent Maria Hill arrested them!
With their leader and ally behind bars, the Avengers and Robin were left to save the day. Hawkeye, Widow and Hulk were especially angry, given Hill's actions were a violation of the trio's secret deal with Nick Fury. Their insistence of speaking to SHIELD made Captain America and Thor very suspicious. Nonetheless the prince of thunder, the sentinel of liberty and the boy wonder headed for the city to fight off the Technomites. Widow and the others argued unsuccessfully with an exceptionally churlish (even for her) Maria Hill and left, frustrated. Meanwhile, Bruce and Tony - handcuffed together, bereft of both armour and utility belt - proved real strength lay in the mind by escaping the Helicarrier on their own.
Back in the city, the Avengers struggled with the tiny terrors. Hulk reverted to Bruce Banner, and he and Robin worked to hack Stark's mainframe and reverse the flow of energy. Banner cracked Tony's password ("oh man... would you believe it's 'StarkRoxx4Eva'?") and flipped the switch, sending the Technomites back into space and ending the crisis. Tony and Bruce returned in time to offer apologies and compensation to those affected - and Hill was right behind them, demanding they surrender! Fortunately, Nick Fury finally showed up and ordered his belligerent agent to stand down. Tony, Bruce, Robin, Cap and Thor were very angry, as the Technomites could have been stopped hours earlier had Hill not intervened. Their old mistrust of Fury, only so recently repaired, began to simmer once more.
On the premise of telling Hulk a joke, Fury took the jade giant, Hawkeye and Widow aside. "I'm sorry I've put you in this position," he said, "but it's exactly why I asked you and War Machine to be my Secret Avengers. It's not that Maria Hill has gone rogue... it's that I don't think that is Maria Hill! I believe someone is replacing my agents with Life Model Decoys in order to infiltrate SHIELD and then stage a coup. Until I have proof, though, I can't take any action. I know this is rough on you all but please, keep this a secret for now and I'll be in touch soon."
And so the Avengers, Batman and Robin returned to Hero Headquarters; their once-strong bonds of teamwork beginning to fray...
----------
Remember the time Loki opened a portal for a monster invasion and got My Little Pony instead? Turns out trickster gods never forget a grudge. The Asgardian went in search of vengeance upon Ponyville and the "Mane Six" through the most nefarious of means. First he bewitched Pinkie Pie's new car, sending it on a demolition derby that caused unprecedented damage. Pinkie's typically bouncy response to tragedy did not endear her to the others and, after harsh and thoughtless words were exchanged, she slunk off in despair. That's when Loki appeared to her, pretending to be a friend and insisting he'd been poorly judged last time they'd met, "just as you've been now, my dear". He (easily) convinced Pinkie a party would fix everything, and to go get her friends while he saw to the arrangements.
It was, of course, a trap: Loki had discovered he could take control of Equestian ponies by tapping the Chitauri Scepter onto their cutie marks. He wanted nothing less than to corrupt the Elements of Harmony and use their power to conquer the Nine Realms. First the Mane Six, then the rest of Ponyville, fell to his nefarious scheme. But there was one Pony who could stop Loki - Apple Bloom, the "cute mark crusader" who had yet to earn her special symbol! And thus did Loki suffer an even-more embarrassing defeat than the last because, this time, he was taken down by the Equestrian equivalent of a school kid. One day, the villains will learn the rules are different when it comes to ponies. Until then, they'll keep getting their butts kicked. Hearts were freed, apologies offered and friendships mended - just like always.
As a reward, Princess Cadance brought all-new buildings and amusements to Ponyville. Thor arrived soon after, having come to investigate an "upheaval of magic" in the realm sensed by Doctor Strange. The ponies invited him to share their celebrations before returning Loki to Asgard and he agreed... provided he could invite the rest of the Avengers. The heroes made the scene in Iron Man's latest invention, the mighty Quinjet. It was built because Tony, Cap and Thor refused to use the SHIELD hover-car anymore, further ramping tensions between them and Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye. Recognising the turmoil, the ponies did their all to keep the heroes distracted and happy. It worked so well that no one noticed the Hydra agent sneaking into the unguarded Quinjet...
Before anyone could react, the new vehicle was in the air and launching missiles at the rebuilt Ponyville! Pooling their powers, the Mane Six and the Avengers averted the devastation (Cap leaping from Rainbow Dash to one of the Wonderbolts to Gilda the Griffin, deflecting bombs with his shield, was a particular highlight). While Iron Man screamed "don't hurt my tech!", Thor brought the Quinjet down and Hulk shook it until the Hydra agent fell out. There was no time to question the villain, though - he threw himself at the captive Loki and activated a teleportation device, vanishing to parts unknown! The heroes were left with more questions and answers... and more anger because, as Iron Man discovered, a SHIELD code had been used to take control of the Quinjet!
As tensions within the Avengers flared once more, Zecora the sorceress decided she would return to Earth with them. She wanted to consult with Doctor Strange about all the odd things going on. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Villainville, the teleporting Hydra agent delivered Loki to his benefactor: the Red Skull. Tired of living under Doctor Doom's rule, the would-be tyrant had decided to assemble a cabal of villains and stage an uprising. Loki, forever seething over his treatment at the hands of Doom and the Enchantress, quickly agreed to join the "rebellion". Thus was a new threat to the Nine Realms born...
----------
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
Here's the thing. Most kids would just come up with some fun "X meets Y" games and kick on. Not LJ; within a few minutes she'd decided on an A plot, a B plot, a couple of cliffhangers and references to her previous tales of adventure. Inspired, I chipping in with a surprise reveal (which must have been acceptable, based on the enthusiastic, gleeful hug that crushed the wind out of me) and a few other twists that'll keep things popping. And thus were our next couple of weekends planned out.
For now, please enjoy the first two installments of the epic to come...
----------
Mr Freeze's new ice cannon had flash-frozen most of Super Hero City by the time the Bat-signal switched on. The cool, cruel villain prepared to face his nemesis... but instead wound up with an arrow in his cryogenic tank! Hawkeye kept Freeze on the run while Black Widow used the super-powerful spotlight to thaw out the citizens and buildings. Batman arrived in time to knock Freeze out with the Batmobile's bumper... and, much to Hawkeye's chagrin, win the praise of the populace!
But Batman couldn't stay - billionaire Bruce Wayne had an appointment at Stark Tower. He and Tony Stark had finished a new satellite that would beam free energy into everyone's homes directly from space. It was all part of Tony Stark's latest plan to reduce the city's reliance on the Arc Reactor, following the havoc wrought by Ultron. The satellite was a great success (the Mayor could plug in his toaster, his kettle and the Bat-signal at the same time!) but the geniuses failed to notice a catastophic problem. The orbit into which they'd placed the satellite allowed a swarm of aliens - the tiny Technomites - to beam down to Earth and start eating everything! Our heroes didn't even get the chance to try and fix their mess because SHIELD agent Maria Hill arrested them!
With their leader and ally behind bars, the Avengers and Robin were left to save the day. Hawkeye, Widow and Hulk were especially angry, given Hill's actions were a violation of the trio's secret deal with Nick Fury. Their insistence of speaking to SHIELD made Captain America and Thor very suspicious. Nonetheless the prince of thunder, the sentinel of liberty and the boy wonder headed for the city to fight off the Technomites. Widow and the others argued unsuccessfully with an exceptionally churlish (even for her) Maria Hill and left, frustrated. Meanwhile, Bruce and Tony - handcuffed together, bereft of both armour and utility belt - proved real strength lay in the mind by escaping the Helicarrier on their own.
Back in the city, the Avengers struggled with the tiny terrors. Hulk reverted to Bruce Banner, and he and Robin worked to hack Stark's mainframe and reverse the flow of energy. Banner cracked Tony's password ("oh man... would you believe it's 'StarkRoxx4Eva'?") and flipped the switch, sending the Technomites back into space and ending the crisis. Tony and Bruce returned in time to offer apologies and compensation to those affected - and Hill was right behind them, demanding they surrender! Fortunately, Nick Fury finally showed up and ordered his belligerent agent to stand down. Tony, Bruce, Robin, Cap and Thor were very angry, as the Technomites could have been stopped hours earlier had Hill not intervened. Their old mistrust of Fury, only so recently repaired, began to simmer once more.
On the premise of telling Hulk a joke, Fury took the jade giant, Hawkeye and Widow aside. "I'm sorry I've put you in this position," he said, "but it's exactly why I asked you and War Machine to be my Secret Avengers. It's not that Maria Hill has gone rogue... it's that I don't think that is Maria Hill! I believe someone is replacing my agents with Life Model Decoys in order to infiltrate SHIELD and then stage a coup. Until I have proof, though, I can't take any action. I know this is rough on you all but please, keep this a secret for now and I'll be in touch soon."
And so the Avengers, Batman and Robin returned to Hero Headquarters; their once-strong bonds of teamwork beginning to fray...
----------
Remember the time Loki opened a portal for a monster invasion and got My Little Pony instead? Turns out trickster gods never forget a grudge. The Asgardian went in search of vengeance upon Ponyville and the "Mane Six" through the most nefarious of means. First he bewitched Pinkie Pie's new car, sending it on a demolition derby that caused unprecedented damage. Pinkie's typically bouncy response to tragedy did not endear her to the others and, after harsh and thoughtless words were exchanged, she slunk off in despair. That's when Loki appeared to her, pretending to be a friend and insisting he'd been poorly judged last time they'd met, "just as you've been now, my dear". He (easily) convinced Pinkie a party would fix everything, and to go get her friends while he saw to the arrangements.
It was, of course, a trap: Loki had discovered he could take control of Equestian ponies by tapping the Chitauri Scepter onto their cutie marks. He wanted nothing less than to corrupt the Elements of Harmony and use their power to conquer the Nine Realms. First the Mane Six, then the rest of Ponyville, fell to his nefarious scheme. But there was one Pony who could stop Loki - Apple Bloom, the "cute mark crusader" who had yet to earn her special symbol! And thus did Loki suffer an even-more embarrassing defeat than the last because, this time, he was taken down by the Equestrian equivalent of a school kid. One day, the villains will learn the rules are different when it comes to ponies. Until then, they'll keep getting their butts kicked. Hearts were freed, apologies offered and friendships mended - just like always.
As a reward, Princess Cadance brought all-new buildings and amusements to Ponyville. Thor arrived soon after, having come to investigate an "upheaval of magic" in the realm sensed by Doctor Strange. The ponies invited him to share their celebrations before returning Loki to Asgard and he agreed... provided he could invite the rest of the Avengers. The heroes made the scene in Iron Man's latest invention, the mighty Quinjet. It was built because Tony, Cap and Thor refused to use the SHIELD hover-car anymore, further ramping tensions between them and Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye. Recognising the turmoil, the ponies did their all to keep the heroes distracted and happy. It worked so well that no one noticed the Hydra agent sneaking into the unguarded Quinjet...
Before anyone could react, the new vehicle was in the air and launching missiles at the rebuilt Ponyville! Pooling their powers, the Mane Six and the Avengers averted the devastation (Cap leaping from Rainbow Dash to one of the Wonderbolts to Gilda the Griffin, deflecting bombs with his shield, was a particular highlight). While Iron Man screamed "don't hurt my tech!", Thor brought the Quinjet down and Hulk shook it until the Hydra agent fell out. There was no time to question the villain, though - he threw himself at the captive Loki and activated a teleportation device, vanishing to parts unknown! The heroes were left with more questions and answers... and more anger because, as Iron Man discovered, a SHIELD code had been used to take control of the Quinjet!
As tensions within the Avengers flared once more, Zecora the sorceress decided she would return to Earth with them. She wanted to consult with Doctor Strange about all the odd things going on. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Villainville, the teleporting Hydra agent delivered Loki to his benefactor: the Red Skull. Tired of living under Doctor Doom's rule, the would-be tyrant had decided to assemble a cabal of villains and stage an uprising. Loki, forever seething over his treatment at the hands of Doom and the Enchantress, quickly agreed to join the "rebellion". Thus was a new threat to the Nine Realms born...
----------
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF