All my friends

"yes, i would." she replied, sounding dismissive as she confirmed her belief. "you seem like the type to get yourself stuck in all sorts of sticky situations." the compliment didn't faze natasha. she had grown used to the sound of empty praise and adoration, the buzz of it droning on like a fly circuling a piece of rotton fruit. "you know, i almost believe you. almost." @fractured--spirits

"hm i guess my reputation precedes me or something," felicia tilted her head to the side as she observed the other woman. "well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats," she replied in a side-song voice as she stretched her arms over her head. "oh you almost believe me? what keeps you from really believing me? i may not be a guardian but i'm not exactly out here cookin up a lot of trouble like some people," she wagged a finger at natasha. "i'm just minding my own business most of the time, sweetheart. it's the least i can do really." @rvinedbloom

the  sound  of  her  voice,  sharp  as  ever,  cutting  through  the  dry  heat  of  the pulled  a  faint,  almost  imperceptible  smile  to  erik’s  lips  before  he  even  turned  to  face  her.  "anna,"  he  said  quietly,  brushing  a  layer  of  dust  from  his  coat  with  slow  fingers.  "always  a  pleasure  to  be  met  with  such  warmth."  he  let  the  irony  linger  between  them,  not  cruel,  just  familiar.  she'd  always  spoken  to  him  like  that,  like  he  was  just  a  man  and  not  the  weight  of  a  thousand  regrets.  he  admired  it.  maybe  even  needed  it.  "i’m  not  causing  trouble,"  he  said,  his  voice  low.  "unless  standing  still  and  thinking  has  become  an  act  of  war."  he  turned  fully  to  her  then,  studying  the  familiar  lines  in  her  face,  the  tension  in  her  shoulders.  she'd  been  through  hell,  more  than  most,  and  somehow  still  had  the  strength  to  glare  at  him  like  he  was  the  one  setting  it  all  on  fire.  "you  may  not  wear  the  badge  anymore,"  he  added,  softer,  "but  you’ve  always  been  more  of  a  guardian  than  most  of  them  ever  were."  he  paused,  then  allowed  himself  the  smallest  truth.  "and  no...  nothing  about  you  ever  goes  unnoticed,  anna."  his  gaze  flicked  away,  back  toward  the  empty  landscape.  "crazy  as  a  jackrabbit,  you  said?"  he  almost  smiled.  "perhaps.  but  even  jackrabbits  know  when  to  listen."

rogue couldn't hold back the sarcastic looking smile as it crept onto her face. "warmth is sure a word for it, ain't it? not exactly what i'd call it but why should i crush your dreams." she laughed and rolled her eyes as she paced slowly in a circle. "mhm you not causin trouble sounds like the sun risin in another direction. no offense," she paused as she tilted her head. "to some people it might be. ya never know what people are thinkin now." part of her was glad that she wasn't a telepath by nature. it was bad enough sometimes when she absorbed the power and had to deal with it for a few hours. "careful, that almost sounds a little bit like an insult." she quirked an eyebrow at him. "i don't think you know a lot about animals. did you come here to lecture me?" @sepulchrals

bucky sympathised with bob, given the familiarity of the situation ; when the avengers had fallen apart he too had blamed himself, thinking himself unworthy of the sacrifices that steve and the others had made for him. it was different now, he knew it had all run deeper than just that, that the accords had been the catalyst. the same could be said now, bob himself hadn't caused everything to happen, the void had only been a small part of a much larger issue, but he knew that bob wouldn't see it that way.

he knew that bucky meant well. how could he not? this was one of the people that had jumped in and saved his ass when they barely knew him after all. bob was pretty sure he had gone over this a handful of times at least with the other man. part of him hoped that maybe, eventually, he would feel a little better about it. less guilty. "yeah i know," bob huffed as he fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve. "i think i'm already like halfway to crazy so i think i can only improve from there," bob joked weakly even as he shot an unsure smile bucky's way. you shouldn't be moping around. sometimes it sounded a little better when someone else said it and not just the ugly little voice in his head. "yeah, i know. i'm trying not to but it's just-" he trailed off with a sigh. "is there anything i can do that won't push me to one side or make people mad at me? i really do want to help, you know." @brvkencrwn

"hey," she greeted back, recognizing his voice before she lifted her head to look at tim. her pupils expanded as she took in the sight of him approaching, narrowing only as they landed on the coffee in his hand. "you know coffee doesn't actually wake you up, right? the caffeine in it only works as a neuroblocker to prevent you from being drowsy." she spoke as she reached for the coffee, turning it once it was held in her grasp. "i'd say you should probably take a little caffiene break, but nobody wants to see you go through caffiene withdrawals." @fractured--spirits

tim nodded his head along with steph's words as she spoke "mhm. mhm," tim mumbled as he took a sip of his coffee. "well maybe i like my neuroblockers with a little bit of milk and sugar. sue me," he joked as he leaned against her chair. "me without caffiene is something i dont really want to deal with myself, you know. so i just gotta keep myself busy. whatcha doin? anything i can help out it?" @rvinedbloom

Bruce had always been the type to try and understand the villains of Gotham. Not everyone hurt people out of the sheer pleasure of it. It was easy to ensure that he watched after the ones who deserved a second chance at life. Cleo had been one of those people he’d kept on his radar, given how harsh her life had been and how she’d only attempted to steal due to hunger and desperation.

cleo eyed the older man warily even as sebastian chattered away on her shoulder. "he does," she answered as she tilted her head to the side. "not all of the rats do but this one is my pet. he's very special," she added as she reached up and scratched underneath his chin. "this is sebastian.". cleo motioned towards her little companion as the rat waved. "i think you usually try to solve all the trouble, yeah? how's that working for you lately," cleo raised an eyebrow as she planted her hands on her hips. "i don't usually run from things, no. i think he just got excited. is there something i should be running from?"

𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 | @assemblerpstarters

emma smiled like she'd heard it all before — which, of course, she had. dozens of times. she stepped closer, heels clicking softly against the floor, her gaze locked on bob as if she’d already picked through the edges of his mind without asking permission. “oh, darling,” she drawled, voice silk-wrapped and lazy, one gloved hand brushing over his shoulder like she was testing just how far she could push him, “you say that like you’re not a man made of trouble. or at the very least... wrapped in it.” she laughed — light, melodic, and sharp enough to cut. “you don’t want people causing problems for each other? well, that’s a shame. i happen to find a little tension… stimulating.” emma leaned in just a touch, voice dipping into something close to a whisper, as if sharing something conspiratorial. “but if it helps you sleep at night, i haven’t chosen a side. not really. i just like knowing where all the pieces are on the board. don’t you?”

bob almost recoiled back as the woman drew closer. he gritted his teeth and a harsh laugh slipped out, "yeah. sure. maybe i am trouble but i think we're two entirely different kinds if that's what you're getting at," bob wrinkled his nose as his gaze fell to where her hand was. he really didn't want trouble. he wasn't lying. if he could have it his way, all of his friends would be back together and no one would be fighting about any of this shit at all. "i don't find anything you're throwing at me right now stimulating, lady. you're barking up the wrong tree," he snorted as he shook his head and backed away. "no i don't. i just like to know where my pieces are. the rest don't really matter to me." @sepulchrals

faint police sirens could be heard in the distance as johnny touched down on the rooftop, his scarlet flames extinguishing like a dim-burning match. the thief's words managed to elicit a small smirk from him, though johnny's jaw remained tense as he stepped closer, clearly distracted by something. “ cute nickname, ” he stated casually, eyes full of unease as they gazed over the cloud of smoke and ash billowing from a nearby building. “ but i'm not sure the cops down there would agree with you. y'know, you'd think they would be on the side of the guy trying to save people from a burning building, but instead i get my own personal firing squad on my ass! ” johnny could admit when he was in the wrong for something, or at the very least accept partial responsibility for his actions. in this case, however, he was simply trying to do the right thing, and he got burned for it. “ figured i'd hole up here until this all blows over... maybe catch the sunrise. ”

felicia tilted her head as she listened to the sirens down below. it wasn't a new sound, if anything it was more common nowadays. "thanks, i like to think i'm pretty good at nicknames," she winked at him before she turned her attention to the street below. part of it made her sad to think about. not that she'd ever really been a good guy herself, but sue her. she had a soft spot for the ones that tried so hard to save the city. "yeah, you would think," she mused as she furrowed her brow. "that's shit luck. and i would know all about that, believe me!" felicia sighed heavily as she stood up from the ledge and stretched her arms over her head. "a sunrise on a rooftop. that sounds nice." felicia laughed as she raised an eyebrow. "i'm always doing something a little naughty but i was just lurking around tonight," she teased as she rocked back on her heels. "but maybe i'll stay up here. catch a sunrise. unless you want me to get rid of those cops for you so you can get home all safe and snug as a little bug." @truthlassoed