look out to the future

[assembles]

Who: The Avengers, Wonderland-style (Steve Rogers, Thor Odinson, Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes, Billy Kaplan, Rocket)
Where: The training area
When: 08/16 and the following days
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Let's get down to business...! Mingle training log for the Avengers!
The Story:
A few days have passed since the event ended, enough time for everyone to recover from being thrown into the zombie apocalypse. Steve's heard a few whispers about people getting infected and having to be put down, though he's relieved to know that as far as he's aware, no one he's close to went through something that scarring.

He's also relieved to be back to what he considers "normal," and it's that which has him down in the training area on Sunday afternoon. He finds it empty, which is a pretty rare thing, although he soon realizes he could change that, presumably with nothing more than a text message. He's put this off for too long already and he can't say for sure that his new team has been proactive enough to seek each other out on their own time, so what better moment than the present?

Each of the five other members of the team will receive a text message: Avengers Assemble. 1500 hours at the training center.

Steve waits (in full uniform, no less) for them all to arrive one-by-one until everyone has gathered, at which point he stands before them to deliver a brief speech. Thankfully this sort of thing comes naturally to him by now, so there's no awkwardness in his tone or bearing.

"I know I threw this team together pretty unexpectedly, but I thought it was important for the Avengers to exist even here in Wonderland. We're not really gonna be a team unless we start acting like one, though, so pair off, get to know each other, show everyone what you can do. We can start to figure out strategies and make sure we know the best way to cooperate with each other in a fight. We've all got our own talents, let's put them to good use, all right?"

They have the entire training room to themselves, though Steve won't mind if someone pokes their head in to watch. The place is huge, with all different kinds of training courses meant to cater to various skillsets, so Steve's pretty sure the six of them can spend a lot of time here in the coming days.


[ OOC: It's a mingle log! Post open comments, tag around, play out whatever combination you see fit! ]

Comments

[hulk_ling]

Teddy relaxed a bit when Steve asked about his name. There was pride to his hero name and a history of where all of this started. "Our first team was put together because our leader had wanted to get the Avengers attention. They refused to help him - didn't believe his story, more like - and Nate decided the best way to force them to take action was to form his own team. He had a suit that was similar to Tony Stark's so he went by Iron Lad; Eli was a super soldier so he modeled his look off of his grandfather and called himself Patriot; Billy has always been a hardcore Norse Mythology geek and his first power was lightning so he called himself Asgardian; and me, I shifted myself green and muscular with dark black hair. Naturally I called myself Hulkling. It wasn't until much later that I turned the name into something of my own."

The second question was a bit harder to bring up. It dredged up a lot of memories that Teddy had a difficult time re-living. But, Steve had asked and Teddy wasn't going to shy away from the question.

"Susan Altman was my mother. She worked two jobs just to make ends meet. We didn't have much but she made sure I was loved and cared for. She taught me that my powers weren't shameful but to be careful who I shared them with. She was the first person I came out to, the person I shared everything with. She was my best friend. It wasn't until the day she died that I discovered she was a Skrull. I never got the chance to ask her why she did it - why she risked her life to go into hiding with me. She gave up everything for me. I can't let her sacrifice go to waste."

[assembles]

So that was how the Young Avengers had originally been formed. Steve had never heard the whole story until now, and he couldn't say that he liked it. This other version of the Avengers, one that he assumed his other self had been on at the time, had ignored someone who'd needed their help. Maybe there was more to it, but Steve couldn't imagine why they would have done something like that. Still, the names made more sense now. Teddy wasn't really like the Hulk, but he could make himself look that way.

Steve couldn't have known what he was prying into when he asked about Teddy's parents, but the shift in his expression said a lot on its own. Steve was ready to tell Teddy that he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to, but he plunged ahead with it all the same.

As someone who was also extremely respectful and indebted to his own mother, Steve could relate to what Teddy had to say. His mother had risked everything to keep him safe and she'd paid the price. Teddy wasn't just fighting for himself, but for her too, it sounded like.

Steve bowed his head. "I'm sorry." For asking, for the fact that he'd lost his mother in the first place. He glanced up then and nodded firmly. "If you're using your abilities to help people, then I'm sure you're making her proud."

[hulk_ling]

Teddy smiled at Steve, not really expecting the compliment but thankful all the same. "That's why I know I'm a part of this team," he replied. "I'm not sure about much but it's my job to help those who can't help themselves. For my Mom and for everyone else out there. Wonderland isn't any exception."

[assembles]

Well, Teddy certainly spoke with confidence despite his age. He didn't hesitate to vouch for himself, and Steve respected that. In terms of willpower Teddy had what it took, but Steve would have to take a look at his actual abilities too.

"Why don't you show me what you can do, then? And explain how your particular skillset can help the team." Even if Steve was being thorough, there was nothing that strict in his tone. He was going through all the steps because it was his job as a leader, but he was sure that Teddy had what it took to qualify for a spot on the team.

[hulk_ling]

Teddy smiled, his skin shifting to a mottled green. He stood taller and more broad shouldered than his normal human skin, but his hair was still yellow blonde. "This is my form when I am with the Avengers. I'm not sure of all my powers but they seem to be similar to that of the Skrull. I have superstrength and a fast healing ability. Minor wounds heal in a matter a minutes, severe wounds take a bit longer but I've never had a wound that left a permanent scar. But the one skill that might be of more use is my shapeshifting ability."

Teddy shifted again, this time into a mirror of the man that stood across from him. He changed his stance so that it mimicked Steve's own. "I can make myself into anyone," he said, his voice sounding just like Steve's own. "I've fooled even the best technology before. Everything is an exact copy. As long as I keep my clothes on, no one can tell the difference."

[assembles]

It wasn't as if someone with green skin was all that foreign of an idea to Steve, but when Bruce changed into the Hulk, he also bulked up to an insane degree. That wasn't the case with Teddy, which was probably why his nickname had turned out to be "Hulkling." Like a smaller version. Not to mention he maintained his sense of self instead of being driven into a mindless rage. It made things a little easier.

The shapeshifting, on the other hand, was something entirely different. Loki was capable of these kind of illusions, but in Teddy's case it wasn't just some trick of the eye. He actually changed himself on a biological level, from the sound of it. Steve stared at a mirror of himself, finding it a little disconcerting to be faced with his own visage and voice like this. Still, he could see how it would be useful, although they already had some nasty doubles running around across the mirrors. Then again, maybe they could use Teddy to fight back against them.

That last remark caused him to frown. "Why do you have to keep your clothes on?" A weird question, maybe, but it sounded like there was some sort of imperfection to the mimicking process.