Time will Tell
“We’re here at the newly reinstated Avengers initiative Headquarters. Iron man has called for a public announcement and we here at the new public wing. Many have commented on the security of such a move, with most notable comments coming from Former Secretary General Thaddeus Ross, Chancellor Victor Von Doom, and the ambassador of Mexico, Estefan Castillo.”
Another anchor sits behind his desks, the screen split in two. Michelle yawned tiredly, watching the back of Neds head with minimal interest. She didn’t even bother looking to the side, she knew where Peter was. Of course, she was pretending she didn’t know he was spider-man but she was having fun freaking him and Ned out. Sometimes she just likes to appear when they were in the middle of a loud squeal off just to watch them scramble for a lie.
She was curious about the compound and it was smaller than she thought. There was no doubt many more hidden buildings or several layers under ground. Still, her curiosity for compound did not mean she wanted to hear all this chatter. She wished Ms. Coppola would switch to C-span but their teacher thought it was best to have a commentary so they could compare different reactions. It didn’t matter to Michelle if she thought this particular media was right, she didn’t think it was appropriate in school.
“That’s right, but Dr. Stark has repeatedly answered back with transparency. We were not permitted to know about the screening or security measures that took place to allow the media in the compound but they did spam several weeks. Back to you, Nicole.”
inside the compound, sleek likes and mostly bare walls surround the small horse of people. the Platform is empty sans a middle aged brunet woman. She does not look familiar at all to Michelle but she wears a smart pant suit and a friendly expression.
“Hello,” her voice is clear and her eyes meet each camera steadily. “I am Roberta Morse, the communications liaison for The New Avengers Initiative. For future updates, expect me unless the situation requires a member of the Initiative to speak. I have been given the honor to be able to present the current members of the Avengers Initiative then I will pass the baton to Dr. Stark.”
A catchy tune blared through the speakers and Michelle caught Roberta’s briefly bemused expression. “Dr. Tony Stark, alias: Iron Man.” Mr. Stark sauntered onstage, looking decidedly more healthy and almost younger. He shook Roberta’s hand and stood off to her side. “Colonel James Rhodes, alias: War Machine.” The Colonel wheeled himself on stage, chin tilted proudly. “The Vision.” He floated beside the Colonel, placing a hand on his shoulder. Mr. Stark looked at him proudly. “Hawkeye, alias: Clint Barton.”
a thunder of flashing cameras and exclaiming reporters filled the once respectful quiet. Barton look resolved but not unaffected. Michelle cut a glance at Ms. Morse who did not look cowed. “The rules of this press conference still apply no matter the information revealed.” The room settled under her severe expression. “A reminder than any ill-willed outburst or unsettled behavior will not be tolerated and you will escorted out.” She looked around the room, satisfied. “Thank you. We would like to welcome Hope Van Dyne, alias: The Wasp; and The Mockingbird.”
The two woman who walk on the platform are wearing interesting suits. One wore a black and yellow suit and the other wore a black and white suit carrying a large staff. Michelle had researched Hope Van Dyne before, part of her pet project in knowing about every single badass woman in tech. Hope had modeled her suit after her mothers, the original Wasp. Her severe bob and angular build cut an impressive figure. She didn’t know much about the other woman but her slender build didn’t offer much. In her opinion, Ms. Morse would make a much better hero, she had the broad shoulders and defined musculature necessary for heroes.
Dr. Stark stepped forward, nodding kindly at Ms. Morse. “Thank you. I am grateful for the opportunity to rebuild The Avengers Initiative into The New Avengers Initiative. Our plans to grow and evolve as a Initiate rather than a singular team are well on their way. We want to honor the sacrifice of those that came before us and move forward in unity. The name Avengers was not mine, nor was it even SHIELDS, it was the name chosen by Janet Van Dyne-Pim for the duo that consisted of herself and her husband. With his permission and Hope’s permission, we have taken that name once again as a reminder of what the Avengers were meant to be. A group of people with a common goal: to fight for justice. We cannot do our duty when the people of Earth are afraid of us or distrust us. We cannot be the most effective versions of ourselves when we dilute our purpose with our own personal agendas and bias. These five individuals standing beside me have sworn an oath to protect and serve the people of Earth, to uphold the values imparted to us by our predecessors, and to remind faithful to our identity as Heroes. In order to do so, we have sign the latest version of the Sokovia Accords, because we hear your calls for accountability. The New Avengers Initiative pledges to not allow personal agendas to distort our mission.”
Several voices rang out as Dr. Stark step back in line with his teammates. Ms. Morse stepped forward. “We would like to also announce that the transition of leadership has begun. Dr. Stark and Colonel Rhodes are now co-leaders. Colonel Rhodes has already made his own announcement of his retirement from service. The other members have made their support to the Accords Panel known and the panel has approved this transition. We would also like to invite the media to view the compound areas open to the public. Similarly to the Stark Tower, we have made the public area as educational and accessible as possible. Our goal Is to work towards safe transparency. Any questions?”
“Do any of the Avengers have a problem working with Hawkeye, their former enemy?”
Ms. Morse smiled, “Mr. Barton has already spoken about his actions during the Leipzig Incident. All decisions in regards to new membership must have a unanimous vote from the core team. It is through this show of unity that encouraged the Accords Panel to accept Mr. Barton application to the New Avengers Initiative. The internal mechanism of this decision, what that means in terms of team structuring, is information not at your discretion.”
“What does this mean for the ExVengers?”
Ms. Morse pursed her lips. Michelle lifted her head from her chin in interest, gaze darting towards Dr. Stark. “The fugitives, Steven Grant Rogers, Samuel Thomas, and Wanda Maximoff must first face trial as Mr. Barton did. Once their criminal cases have been dealt with, if they are deemed eligible, they may submit an application to both The New Avengers Initiative and the Accords Panel. Each entities response to that application determines the future for the former Avengers.”
“So there’s no bias involved in decision making of this process?” A blonde woman asked dubiously.
Ms. Morse glanced at Dr. Stark. “For security reasons I am not at liberty to discuss the entirety of the screening process but it is lengthy and thorough. We will not be simply looking at the capabilities of the applicants but how their position in this team could affect their health and our health as an organization. If they do not fit with us, there are other options.”
“What of the rivalry between Pym and Stark.”
Michelle rolled her eyes with Dr. Stark. The man gestured for Miss Van Dyne to step forward. She patted Dr. Starks shoulder, sharing a smile. From the side Michelle could see a thin device strapped to her mid back. Metal cuffs clinked against the harness on her thighs and hips. Her hands were brought together in her front, the metal clinking. “I believe I have already address Pym Technologies stance with Stark Industries previously. We stand with Dr. Stark and his endeavor to make this world safer. I stand with Tony. Our fathers hatred is not ours. Tony has done me a great service in honoring my mother, may she Rest In Peace, and my father. Besides, now that me and Tony are friends again, we can finally talk about all the mischief we got into at boarding school and summer camp.”
Dr. Stark rolled his eyes, nudging Ms. Van Dyne. The usually serious woman only smirked and walked back to her place beside Mockingbird. Dr. Stark stepped forward. “Yes, well, now we know Hope will never be doing an official New Avengers press conference or interview.”
Several boos and laughs fuzzed through the audio. Michelle rolled her eyes. The Press Conference was done, no way Dr. Stark would try to give more information after that “juicy bit of gossip” was dropped. Ms. Morse seemed to agree, looking at Dr. Stark with a bemused smile. Though she nodded gratefully at Ms. Van Dyne When she dismissed herself and walked away. The team remained for a few minutes, waving and posing for pictures but once Ms. Morse reached the steps, they followed her down and the projector blinked off.
Michelle wondered who would be next. It was clear that Dr. Stark was allowing the former Avengers to be a part of the new team, if they played nice. She wondered which ones would play nice. She had watched Mr. Bartons interview after his trial. Since he was only involved in Leipzig he got off pretty easy. His team calculated the exact amount of damage he had done as part of his case. It was also argued that since SHIELD had been dismantled, the typical care Mr. Barton was accustomed to, wellness checks and clearance checks, had been removed and perhaps would’ve prevented his involvement in Leipzig. He had not even been medically discharged before he retired. Michelle knew that his case was going to force organizations to take wellness checks seriously so that liability cannot be shifted. A combination of house arrest and supervised volunteer work was his punishment. He was apologetic about his role in the incident, citing limited information for his reasoning. He said that his mistake was not doing his due diligence to investigate his teammates claims. He apologized to remaining Avengers, looking solemn and contrite. He said he signed the Accords and was glad that Dr. Stark had already been pushing for the amendments he felt were necessary.
Michelle knew all about Dr. Starks work with the Accords. It was a hit topic during Social Studies or even Debate team. Michelle doesn’t understand it, bills and amendments are made all the time, but something about Superheroes making bills and amendments warrants the entire worlds interest. She’s glad people are taking time to become media literate and just overall literate, but it’s annoying that it’s only ‘cause Tony Stark got his heart broken.
“Alright class, what do we think of the two new additions and the re-addition.”
Michelle rolled her eyes. A kid behind here spoke up, his voice nasal. Habit had her glancing towards Peters seat but he was once again absent. Pity, she had a pretty good joke about Nasal kid; something along the lines of, “if his head wasn’t so stuck up Captian Americas ass, maybe he’d finally clear his sinuses”, or something like that.
“And you Ms. Jones?”
Michelle didn’t even bother looking up. She only shrugged and said, “Time will tell.”