Stark Mansion
Diana was having a harder time than usual figuring out what Angela was talking about, but she was piecing it together.
"Huh? No, there isn't a god here. This is just a meeting for those who wish to band together and help others," she tried to explain. She looked behind Angela, but Iron Man had already vanished. "Are you sure he is working against you?" Diana asked. "He seems to be gone now..." Tony Stark arrived then, and to her surprise, bowed to her. Well that was a new first reaction.
"...Er, please, no need to be that formal," she said to Tony, recovering. "Outside of Themyscira, I am an ambassador, not royalty." She was more used to people doing that to her mother anyway. "If you believe that I'd help the Justice Avengers the most by joining, then I'd be more than happy to do so."
Stark Manor
Angela laughed."Why are you trying to join with such a group?" she finally said when she managed to get a word in through her chuckling. "With the power and strength you have you should be leading your own Hunt, not swearing your loyalty to another."
Right, idioms. Angela was still awful with those.
"No, Stark's not a god, but he has a bottomless wallet which is practically the same thing"
Unsurprisingly, Diana was also at the try-out. She seemed to be a big deal because Tony Stark himself bowed in front of her when he finally decided to show up.
Angela didn't see the point of all of this and laughed at the idea of Diana joining a group of lesser individuals instead of leading her own.
"Maybe being an ambassador doesn't pay well either" she addressed Tony "Which reminds me, do we need to tell you our secret identity? Because I'd rather avoid that if I could"
Love is Love is Love
Stark Manor
Oh wow, Apollo thought to himself, Tony Stark looked way better in person. He grabbed Maxwell Lord casually by the scruff of the neck and quite literally tossed him out of the way as he moved in to stand beside Diana in front of Tony, grinning as he gestured to himself.
"Well," he greeted, "You can call me Apollo. Or Mark. Either one works fine." He held out a hand for Tony to shake, still smiling, his teeth sparkling.
My various fanfics.
Wonder Woman-Stark Manor
Angela's laughing only confused her until she explained herself, and Diana had to think about how to word her reasoning. Yes, she was "strong", but raw power did not win a tactical battle or solve a puzzle. A General or Ruler was not always the strongest warrior.
"No, I don't really need money, but working as a team allows us to fill each other's weaknesses. I'm certain that there are situations that I'd struggle with, but another person would excel at. Having backup is never a bad thing." She wasn't sure she was ready to lead anything at the moment, but Diana kept that thought to herself.
Apollo was extremely interested in meeting Tony Stark based on his reaction to seeing him. Was he a fan of some kind?
So, Wonder Woman knows this Angela person. Good, hopefully she can keep her under control Stark thought.
"H-hey!" Max protested as he was hauled out of the way.
Stark did not appreciate having his courting-err, interviewing of Diana blocked, but he was much more diplomatic than Max. He shook Apollo's hand and smiled politely. "Yes, we have records about you. You seem like a promising prospect as well".
Then, to Spider-Woman: "We understand the need for privacy, and believe me we had to fight a *lot* with the government to get them to agree that any member of the team would keep his or her identity a secret if they so wanted. But there are risks we cannot take. We cannot afford having someone disguised as one of us accessing our facilities. That's why we require a biometrics scan to be put on record. That is, I'm afraid, a condition we must ask for."
Diana explained that the group would be much more effective than any single person since they would cover each other's weaknesses.
"Yeah for example, you wouldn't know what to do if you had to call someone with a phone" Gwen told Angela
"As for me, I really want to make a difference in the world... but I don't mind if also get a fat check out of the deal"
"Awesome, now about that paycheck..." wait did he just say biometric? "Are you gonna draw my blood?" Gwen hugged herself, shivering. That better be a really good paycheck.
"No no" Tony quickly calmed Spider-Woman's fears. "Nothing so invasive. A biometric scan merely memorizes your measurements. Think of it as a full-body fingerprint. Digital, of course. As for pay, of course there will be a stipend. Not too large, we don't want people to think we're in this for the money. But reasonable. Not to mention privileges. Room, transportation, etc."
Love is Love is Love
"Once again," Apollo put in as he shook Tony's hand, "I'll want whatever room has the most windows and is facing the sun. My powers derive from an exposure to a solar charge. Honestly," he admitted, "If you have a greenhouse or something, that'll work." He was glad to hear that they weren't going to need to draw blood or anything. Not that needles scared him, of course. They'd just be a waste of everyone's time trying to get through his skin.
My various fanfics.
"Certainly, that can be arranged. Jarvis, see to it."
"Yes, Mister Stark" (departs the room)
"Ahem" Max interrupts. "So. Is that everyone? Because we should be moving along with the interviews. I'm sure you all have things to do."
Wonder Woman-Stark Manor
She wasn't expecting to get a room or transportation, but even if they weren't necessarily useful to her, she was sure that others would appreciate that. Having a place to stay besides her apartment that wasn't connected to her "legal" name might come in handy at some point though. It was the mention of interviews that gave her pause.
"What do you mean by interviews?" she asked Maxwell, genuinely confused. Diana had assumed they were going to have a contest of skills to prove themselves, like the ones back at home. Was that not how it was done here?
"The preliminary interviews, of course" Stark explained, turning to Diana. "For a record of your personal details- except your true identity if you want it secret- and a personality profile. After that comes the physical part, the actual trials themselves."
"By the way, Stark" Max asked, "Where is that armored bodyguard of yours? I thought we agreed he'd be coming."
"Uh, he must be busy" the millionaire said. "I'm sure he'll be arriving... soon."
edited 5th Dec '17 6:59:43 PM by Sijo
Love is Love is Love
Stark Manor
Apollo grinned, cracking his knuckles at the mention of trials. "Let's get started, then!" he said eagerly, his grin growing wider. "I'm gonna razzle dazzle the pants off ya."
My various fanfics.
Wonder Woman-Stark Manor
Oh, so the interview was like all those questions she was asked when she first entered that military base a couple months ago. She could do that again without an issue. And then their skills would be tested, which was what really interested her.
"Then I'm ready to start as well," Diana said. She wasn't as blatantly excited as Apollo was, but she wasn't the kind of person to refuse a competition of any kind. She would not allow anyone to show her up if she could help it.
Stark Manor
"So you would be a soldier of the Hunt rather than its leader," Angela said with a scoff. She crossed her arms. "I will wait for you to finish this... interview... of yours, however long it may take. In addition to returning home, I have unfinished business with your accursed sister whom I can only hope will attempt to slay you again. It will be bothersome to have to seek her out."She took a couple steps over to the wall of the mansion and leaned against it, staring daggers at Tony.
"Great, great!" Max said once again way too excited for the situation. "Let's not wait anymore- may the Justice Avengers interviews begin!! Follow me into the next room-"
" Ahem " Stark suddenly coughed. " *I* will be handling the interviews, Max."
"SURE! Sure thing Tony pal' o mine" Max quickly acquiesced.
"Very well, now" Stark said to the heroes. "In order to be fair, we'll do the interviews in order of arrival. I believe that means you go first, correct Miss Williams?" he asked Rori.
edited 11th Dec '17 3:44:39 PM by Sijo
Meanwhile, at the building housing the New York branch of WGBS
"...And that's the news for the evening!" a smiling newscaster said. "Unless you have anything else to add, Edna?"
"Oh no, Frank" she responded smiling as well, in a very practiced manner. "To all our viewers, we wish you a pleasant-"
CRASH!!
-"What was that??" Edna gasped.
Suddenly, a man wearing a purple costume, a full-face mask, and most prominently, a gun, walked onto the stage.
"Hey! You can't do that, we are live-"
"SILENCE!" the masked man barked, pointing his gun at Frank, who promptly shut up. "Ve are here to deliver a message, and ve vill!"
"W-we?" Edna dared to ask.
Several other costumed figures then appeared, some dragging unconscious WGBS security guards.
"Ohmygosh!" was Edna's appalled reaction.
"CAPTAIN AMERICA!" the masked leader angrily shouted at the cameras. "I know you are alive, and organizing a new team of heroes! If you vant these people to survive, come to me, and face your one, true arch enemy- Baron Zemo
and his Masters of Injustice! "
edited 8th Jan '18 5:13:43 PM by Sijo
King of Lame-Style
Stark Mannor
"well thanks, not bad looking yourself" said Riri, smiling to Apollo in an awkwardly friendly manner. She stepped up when Tony called her, switching on the hoverpack in the lowest setting for to lift its own weight and not strain her whole torso. "Yes Mr. Stark, just gonna say I've been thinking about this all-" Her phone began ringing in blaring alarms from her duffel. "oop, sorry I thought I had that thing on silent" she said and nervously went over to the bag "c'mon why did it ring, I'm gonna blow this... Huh" It was one of her watcher bots, the 'criminal activity' one. She remembered now why she left it going. She tapped over to the link the bot dug up and looking into the livestream.
"Um guys" she stands back up and goes over to the group of assembled heroes "and no offense to either Mr. Lord and Mr. Stark. but we might need to post-pone this." she showed the group the ongoing new broadcast.
The graceless warrior, wielder of the edgeless blade, prophet of the old religions, writer of fluent nonsense, saviour of soul and song.
Both Lord and Stark took a look at the TV Newscast footage and went "Oh Crap!" at the same time.
"Where's Cap?" Max asked.
"Not sure" Stark responded. "I think he said he wanted to come but might have some business in Washington? Anyway we can't wait for him." Then, turning to the heroes: "Well, this wasn't what we had in mind, but it looks like you get a Trial by Fire after all. Just remember: Its a hostage situation- lives comes first!" And with that he stepped into a sideroom and shut the door behind him, leaving Max and the rest behind.
...This was, of course, so he could access his lab and switch into Iron Man to go join the battle himself!
Iron Man landed on the lawn right behind Angela and Spider-Woman, but waited to see what they would do. He prepared his repulsors in case the she-barbarian felt like 'storming' his mansion.
Fortunately, that didn't happen. In fact, Angela seemed to know a surprising number of local supers including- Wonder Woman!?
Stark would have rushed to her side, but there were too many people present (and he was in the wrong identity). He decided to take advantage of everyone being distracted, and slipped into the manor through a secret door only he knew about.
Moments later, Tony Stark, in all his charming glory, came into the Foyer.
"Tony, my man, you're finally here!" Max said, immediately rushing over to suck up to him. "As you can see, we have a fine selection of prospects already!"
All except one, Tony thought, trying not to stare at Angela. Instead he turned to Diana, and bowed. "Greetings, Princess Diana.Welcome to my humble abode. I hope you are here for the Justice Avengers try-outs. Your power and wisdom would be tremendous assets for our cause."
edited 2nd Dec '17 7:33:58 AM by Sijo