THE MARVEL GAMES: THE NEXT AVENGERS

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1- IT'S BEEN A WHILE

Officer Donavan parked outside the apartment building. I swung my backpack over my shoulder and he 'escorted' me inside and up to my dad's apartment on the top floor. He banged on the door and Pepper got it almost right away. I could understand why she was excited. I was only with them for a two weeks every six months. The rest of the year I was with Officer Donavan. It was some stupid rule the Council made up.

"Mrs. Stark." Officer Donavan said when she came to the door.

"Officer Donavan." Pepper nodded to him.

"You have until June 24." He said before turning and going back downstairs.

"I missed you!" Pepper hugged me until I couldn't breathe like she always did.

"Missed you too, mom." I said, coming in as Pepper closed the door.

"You got so tall." Another usual Pepper comment.

"Tony! Hey." Dad came out from him and Pepper's room.

"Hey dad." I said. His hair had grey strands in it and Pepper's was losing its bright ginger.

Last time I saw them I was 16. Now I'm 17. One more year and I'd be an adult. No more Officer Donavan, who was a total jerk. The dude both had anger management issues and he hated my guts. He was always hitting me and once even padlocked my door. Apparently, he's not the brightest bulb in the box because he didn't do squat to my window and I just jumped out from the fire escape. Hey, I couldn't leave my rebel friends hanging like that. I was their leader. They would fall apart without me.

"I see you've been rioting more lately." Pepper said, gesturing to the three new rings on my arms.

"You haven't heard them?" I said. Those riots could get pretty nasty and the yelling and cussing was just as bad.

"I try not to." She said. I knew Pepper didn't like me getting into gun fights like that. But I could take care of myself.

Suddenly, we heard another knock at the door. I knew exactly who that was. I got the door, and sure enough, it was Allie.

"Hey. Mind if I come in?" she said.

"I just got here. Join the party." I said, sarcastically.

Later that night, after Allie had gone home, I was sitting at my desk, taking apart a Nintendo DS when Dad came in.

"That girl that came here earlier, she your girlfriend?" he said.

"Nah... no." I said, shaking my head.

"Oh come on! You like her." He joked, nudging me.

"I'm just... not good for her." I said, still focusing on the torn apart DS.

"Anthony Stark Jr., if there's one thing you are it's good." Dad said.

"No... I'm a hero, she's a civilian. She could lead a totally normal life. I'm supposed to be in the Marvel Games." I said.

"Then you better take your shot while you still can, kid." He said.

"I-I can't. If I die... I can't do that to her." I said.

"Hey, look at me." Dad said, spinning my chair around to face him, "I thought the same thing about your mom. Did you ever consider that you might win?"

"If I'm gon'na go down fighting, it's not going to be in some damn arena. It's going to be in NY with my teammates." I said.

"You remember what I always told you about being a hero? It's not a curse. You're a real fighter, Tony. But what you're fighting for is what counts. You know how to be a leader and you're not afraid to die. You're not afraid to stand up to the Council. You have reason to put a bullet in someone. And someday, you're going to change everything. You know why?" Dad said.

I shrugged.

"Because you know what it means to be a hero. Now if you could only have the guts to talk to her..." he said, pointing at the picture of Allie on my desk. He patted me on the shoulder before leaving the room.

The next day I spent mostly at home. The week passed faster than I wanted and Saturday came. Soon I found myself sitting on the apartment roof with Allie.

"I'm sorry about you and your parents." She said, breaking an awkward silence.

"What do you mean?" I said.

"You hardly ever get to see them. I'm with my parents and my brother all the time." She said, leaning back on her hands. We were looking at the stars for one of the few nights you could see them. It was always so dual and cloudy no days and what with the portal hanging there above STARK Tower, the skyline was usually torcher on your eyes.

"Things are different around here. You know that. You're lucky you haven't been caught around here yet. I mean, seriously caught. You know how much trouble you'd get into?" I said.

"Yeah, but you can't leave the city. I would rather get into a little time-out with Loki than have you shot for crossing the border." Allie said. I couldn't help but smile at that.

Truth was, I did like her. But what was I kidding? It was like Romeo and Juliet, only Loki and the Council were like the dad saying 'stay away from her'. And anyway, she was way out of my league. I mean come on, Allie was gorgeous. I was a parolee with mommy and daddy issues.

Allie lay on her back again with her hands behind her head. She looked over at me and smiled. "You know, Loki's a fool for thinking he's going to keep this up much longer." She said.

"What makes you say that?" I said.

"Because. This generation, we're the first to consistently keep attacking him. And all of the kids around here are going to have super powers someday. They'll be strong enough to take on the Council. And you'll be leading them." Allie said.

"Oh please. I don't even have any powers. I'm just a kid with a gun." I said.