My first Avengers recs list, part one. 34 recs.
Stuff I learned about Avengers fic and about me while I was making this list:
1. No matter how dark or grim the story, if Tony Stark is voicing it and the author is even halfway decent, the story WILL get a humor tag.
2. The classification "Team" is real and exists, even if it turns out I just made it up. Explanation: though there may be pairings in the story-- sometimes background and sometimes foreground (in fact, sometimes shown to the extent of bumping the story to NC-17)--the sense that this is a story about the Team as a whole overrides the pairings. This seems to be common in Avengers fanfic, or at least common in the ones I'm drawn to and reading.
3. My list is heavy on the Hawkeye. I do not apologize. Seeing his name just in mention makes my pulse pound. Reading great lines or bits of his lays me out flat. It does not help that other authors agree Clint deserves great lines and bits. So, yeah, even my quote selections here are heavy on the Clint.
4. It's hard to separate "character x/character y" stories from those which are "character x & character y" stories. So I don't even want to try, sometimes. Call it pre-slash or pre-het if you want. *shrug*
5. Some of the stuff written for avengerkink was clearly written in haste and beta-less. When the meat of the story's good enough I can forgive nearly anything. (But, yeah, it has to be that good.)
List o' Avengers recs, part one. 34 recs, this part.
The Epic:
Revelations, by astolat. Team-oriented, Thor/Loki. Adventure, character-oriented, smut. NC-17. WIP (15 out of 16 expected parts posted). Long length.
Why read it: EVERYTHING. Team points of view, twisty turny plot, mythic backstory, smut.
As I'm writing this, it's not quite complete; astolat promises us one more chapter before it's done. Doesn't matter. It's THE epic of Avengers' fandom. I can't help but compare this to A Song of Ice and Fire both in terms of the chapter-by-chapter different-character viewpoints, and also the scale of the epic. Everybody gets viewpoint chapters fitting their characters, even some you didn't expect. It's a huge adventure, the premise of which is the Avengers take a trip to Hel to get back one of their fallen, led, of course, by Loki. Truly an astounding piece.
"This is not a place where the confines of the physical world have meaning," Loki said. They all turned back. He looked as tidy as if he'd just taken an easy stroll through the park, though he'd gotten rid of the helmet. "You and he are separate, even in your world. Why not here?"
"You know, there are a few other things I'd like to separate," Tony said. "What the hell was the big idea? You could've just said-"
"Drink this, and I'll take you to the underworld?" Loki said, raising an eyebrow, and fine, he had a point. "We don't have time to waste on argument. This isn't a safe place. Let's go collect the monster and get moving."
"Why isn't there anyone else here?" Steve said. "If this is really the realm of the dead-"
"Oh, there's a long way to go for that," Loki said. "A very long way yet."
Amateur Theatrics by galaxysoup. Clint and the team plus Loki. Gen, adventure, humor. PG. Long length.
Why read it: Because this should not have worked and it's freakin' adorable and hilarious. Polite widdle Loki! Dad-figure Clint! Playground chaos! Tony…no, that's giving too much away.
Every crack cliché comes together AT ONCE in this story--de-aging, bodyswap, genderswap, all those--and, thanks very much, Clint's the one who has to hold things together while all the solutions are sought.
“How’d it go?” Clint asks.
“Loki was great,” Steve says. “He called the librarian ‘Lady Gatekeeper of Knowledge’ with that accent and she nearly adopted him on the spot.”
The Last Lovesong of Anthony E. Stark by jibrailis. Steve/Tony. Loki. Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance. NC-17. Long length.
Why read it: You can bear to watch Tony in progressively dire straits knowing that those closest to him will save him in the end. And the adventure and romance are worth it.
I have a sick horror of memory-wipe contrivance (who doesn't?), so, watching Tony's memory deteriorate after he contracts an Asgardian virus is as chilling as anything I've read in this fandom. I came close to crying during the first segments. But watching him cope with it as he quests to find the solution is worth it.
Hospitals, Tony thinks - the Devil's hotels.
"This is stupid," he tells the doctors working on him. "You don't think I haven't done all these tests already? Come on. An MRI? Are we going to be playing with Legos and coloring books next?"
"Can you make him stop talking?" asks one of the doctors, a harried middle-aged man who reminds Tony a bit of Coulson, and just as deadly with a syringe.
"I've been trying for years," Pepper informs him.
"I am going to remember you," Tony tells the harried doctor. "Trust me, I am going to spend the last of my brain resources remembering you. And if you screw me up with one of your medieval torture machine tests, I will sue you to the ground."
"He's scared," Pepper explains apologetically.
"I'm not scared," Tony says. "This hospital gown's giving me a wedgie."
Chaos War by astolat. Asgardian war epic, Thor/Loki. NC-17. Long length. (Thor fandom rather than Avengers, but still gets into this list.)
Why read it: Loki's amazing silver tongue and the intricacies of this astonishingly clever and wry war tale.
Asgard's under dreadful siege. Who's going to win the unwinnable war for them except for Loki? He'll have his price, of course. Possibly my favorite piece of fanfiction that's ever been written.
"Well, I'm here, thanks to my dear brother and the escort-" he turned and bowed grandiosely to Sif and the warriors standing at the head of the hall, "- that you so graciously provided. To what do I owe the honor of the invitation? I understand things haven't been going very well." He paused and added archly, "There's that spell in the Wyrddenning-"
"Loki!" Odin said sharply. "That book is forbidden."
"And yet there is a copy in the palace, isn't there?" Loki said. "Not in the library, but-"
Odin's face was enough answer to that; Thor looked between them, frowning. "What spell is this?"
"It's very impressive," Loki said, without looking away from their father. "You'd like it a great deal, brother; raining fire and destruction everywhere-I imagine it would be quite useful in the present circumstances. Of course, the central ingredient is the still-beating heart of a frost giant sorcerer-"
The "I'm Here for the Porn":
Challenge Accepted by jaune_chat. Clint/Tony, smut. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: Great Clint/Tony porn, yay! I can't find enough of this.
Clint's sick of hearing what a sex god Tony is, wants him to put up or shut up. Guess which way Tony chooses?
“Stark, you… asshole,” Clint gasped as he fisted the sheets. Tony was pressing the warm circle of the arc reactor into Clint’s belly, using the very device that was keeping his heart going to send waves of heated vibration down through his core. “You fucker.”
The Black Widow's Reward by muzzleofbees. Natasha/Team. PORN. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: Dirty dirty female-positive orgy porn. Ignore the typos and occasional slips in verb tense, because I did and you should too, it's that hot 'n'dirty.
Everybody decides Natasha, wonderful girl that she is, deserves all the orgasms she can handle. At once. This story just lets it escalate and escalate and it gets absurd but that's FINE, because by that point it's at oxygen-sapping levels and that's where absurd is delicious. "She's going to be really tender right now, so take it slow."
Thor slapped him on the back. "Fear not, my Midgard brother. I will be gentle with her but human women are quite capable of accommodating me."
"Yeah, I bet they are," Clint muttered as he slowly extracted his fist.
Switching Partners by Anonymous. Tony/Coulson/Steve/Clint. PORN. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: Hot and sweet smut.
Tony and Clint swap partners for a night, to watch Coulson and his idol get it on in front of them.
Tony and Clint's conversation comes to an abrupt halt in the corner. They're keeping their distance, just a little, like they don't want to break the bubble Steve and Phil are in. Steve takes Phil's drink and sets it somewhere out of the way before his hands move to the tie.
Open For Suggestions, fic by joosetta and art by myrafur. Tony/Steve, UST & smut. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: You wanna see the moment when Tony and Steve go from fighting to fucking.
Tony can't keep from winding Steve up, wonders if there's any resolution besides punching each other out. He's a genius, so, of course he thinks of something. The art is just GORGEOUS.
“You’d do that - all American hero, you’d freeze me out, knowing the team would be down one man, just because I don’t follow your bullshit orders?” Stark was moving forward, trapping Steve really. “You really are all hot fucking air, aren’t you?”
we're gonna have a good time by jessalae. Team/Tony, PORN. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: OH MY GOD SO EFFING HOT.
Pepper gets Tony a gangbang for his birthday; he's on the bottom for all of it and is so. damn. happy. Written in Tony's viewpoint and deliriously in-character, so it's gleefully funny and it transmits every sensation Tony gets. Just an amazing, AMAZING piece of porn.
Tony almost bursts out laughing because- well, it doesn’t really need explaining, does it? He just witnessed Captain fucking America learning the phrase ‘spreader bar.’ How is this his life, seriously? It’s too good to be true.
In Extremis by keelywolfe. Loki/Tony, noncon smut. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: Tasty Tony-voiced noncon smut.
I LOVE THIS KINDA THING. Interlude-y "villain has his way with our hero" non-con. Particularly delicious sibling issues for Loki. At the end we know they're both going to live to fight (and fuck) another day.
"Yeah, well," Tony started, cleared his throat. "Sorry, I didn't realize we had an appointment today. Kinda thought you were still in Asgard getting your spankings. Got tired of being in time-out?"
Soft laughter greeted that and something in it, an edge, made Tony swallow, hard. Right, maybe not antagonize the guy too much from the start. No telling what kind of milk he'd put on his crazy-o's this morning.
"Oh, the All-Father offered me punishment, never fear," Loki stood with the careless grace of a large cat, striding up to Tony and closer he could see dark shadows lining Loki's mouth, scabbed over, were those puncture wounds around his lips?
The Temple of Bondage by sabinelagrande. Clint/Coulson, BDSM. NC-17. Long length. WIP (3 out of 4 parts at this point).
Why read it: 'Cos you can't resist the premise.
Ah ha ha ha ha ha Hawkeye and Coulson train to go undercover in a SEX DUNGEON ah ha ha ha ha ha. *wipes eyes* Yyyyyeah, okay, so, I couldn't keep away from this one. It made me realize I haven't reached the stage where I want wild AUs of this fandom, but I am entering into "does it have to be these two characters specifically OH WHO CARES" territory. Premise-wise, with this pairing, whoever tops you'll be saying, "Yup, coulda called that twist."
"Hey," Clint says. He's down to now-or-never time, but still he's stalling. "That stuff I said the other day," he says, and Phil freezes, lifting an eyebrow at him. "I still mean it."
Phil looks around- not in a 'I'm checking for listeners' kind of way, but in a 'what the fuck, Barton' kind of way, which Clint is very familiar with. "This is where you chose to bring it up?"
"Did you really want to get an email like that?" Clint asks.
"Point," Phil allows. "Come over tonight and we'll talk about it."
Clint nods, swallowing. "Nineteen-hundred okay?"
"Make it twenty," Phil says, opening his sticky bun and taking a bite.
"Will do," Clint says, and that's that, with that totally mundane conversation, Clint's fate is more or less sealed.
Enough to Go Around by sabinelagrande. Steve/Tony, then Steve/Tony/Pepper/Coulson/Clint (also Clint/Coulson). Orgy porn! NC-17. Long length.
Why read it: Deeply sexy stuff, great Tony-voice.
When you're banging Captain America and the sex is great but the super-soldier doesn't even break a sweat, what do you do to get that reaction? Why, one plus one plus one plus one plus one equals...you get the idea. Incredibly yummy stuff.
"I was kind of wondering if you wanted to have sex with Steve."
She cocks her head, looking at him. "Is this a trick question?"
"Not any more than anything else I ask you."
"You need to be more specific," she tells him. "I'm not just going to say yes or no. That could mean 'Are you attracted to Steve?' or 'Would you have sex with Steve behind my back?' or 'Do you want to have sex with Steve with my blessing?'."
One of the reasons Tony keeps Pepper around, one of the main reasons she runs his company, is her thoroughness and attention to detail; usually great, but not that conducive to planning a three-way. "Do you want to have sex with me and Steve?" he clarifies.
Strong Enough by fabularasa. Steve/Tony, smut, pinning-down kink. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: Steve losing control to be in control. Mmmmm.
I have no shame in saying I pushed Fabula Rasa into Avengers fandom by flinging my own fics into her lap and begging for beta duty. I couldn't be more happy that the fandom bit her too. This smutlet is the first completed piece of hers in Avengers fandom, inspired by a kinkprompt that someone wanted to see Tony turned on by being held down by Steve.
“You think I’ve got a fucking superhero in my bed because he has amazing hair?”
Steve grabbed the other arm. “I don’t know, why do you have me in your bed? Why don’t we have that conversation, Tony?”
“Yes, excellent, I forgot, conversation is why I have you here. I take it back, you’re the girl. Are you wet yet, Dolores?”
Steve pushed both Tony’s arms over his head and pinned him with one hand. “Shut up,” he whispered. “Shut your mouth.”
Rend Mine Skin by salmon_pink. Loki/Thor, smut, muzzlekink. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: C'mon, that muzzle spawned a Kinsey scale rating of its very own.
Delicious Thor/Loki smut prompted by the muzzling of Loki. One of the particularly delightful elements of this fic is it deals with the dark magics Odin must have used to send Thor to Midgard, and how that darkness is clinging to Thor.
Loki can smell the blood on him, a coppery tang he can almost taste at the back of his throat. The wound has not yet closed, the wound that Loki gave him, blade piercing Thor’s side, sliding into flesh with an almost shocking ease.
The dark energy, it will have hold of Thor soon. All Loki need do is open the wound wider. And he may not be able to reach the blood at Thor’s side, not with his hands chained and pinned between them, not with Thor’s weight bearing down and holding him against the furnishings of Stark’s personal rooms.
But he can still reach the wounds of Thor’s soul.
The Avengers were fools to respect Thor’s request for privacy in this moment.
Protective Coloration by cluegirl. Clint/Coulson, smut. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: In-mission fellatio as cover story! Heeeeee.
A terrific laugh-as-you-moan piece. Coulson and Clint have to make the extraction point and need a distraction, and employ their version of The Stunner. Modesty Blaise would be so proud.
Clint snorted, fingers full of half-Windsor at his throat. "Natasha's got the upper third of the building into lockdown. Local PD is five minutes out at best, and the rent-a-grunts are between us and Reception. We are so not walking out of here by the front door!"
The right shoe went on, and then Coulson was on his feet, grabbing Clint's tie right out of his fingers. "Get on your knees and say that."
Misdemeanors by Makokitten. Tony/Pepper/Loki. Smut! NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: Funny and hot Tony-voiced porn. Medium length.
Tony ends up babysitting Loki during a night in with Pepper. Things get interesting.
“Look, cancel those dinner reservations. I’ll have Jarvis whip something up.”
“For me, too?” Loki asks dryly. It’s the first time he’s spoken a full sentence in front of Pepper, and she starts, as if she’d forgotten he had a voice.
“If you’re good,” Tony replies. It really is like having a pet. An unruly one who might kill you at any moment. Should he take Loki for a walk later? Maybe that would lessen the odds of imminent death.
Twice on Sundays by theleaveswant. Bruce/Tony/Team (in a way). Fantasy gangbang. NC-17. Short length.
Why read: Three words: Tony's. Filthy. Mouth.
Tony hosts a fantasy gangbang for the person who might not do too well with the real thing. This is astoundingly hot.
Thor chuckles like a jet engine and Tony spins around to look at them accusingly. “You two. Stay on topic. Constructive comments only, please.”
Steve arches an eyebrow. “I thought praise of your skills was always on-topic.”
“Ordinarily yes, but today we're here for Bruce.”
“I'm,” Bruce pants, “good.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Tony says. “That is a criminal understatement, but thank you for the reassurance.” He turns back to Bruce with a doting smile. “You know, if you keep saying cute things like that, I might not be able hold off the way I wanted to. I might get impatient, say 'to hell with warm-up' and just plow right into you. Bareback, of course, like we talked about.”
Five Ways to Get in Touch with your Inner Mild-Mannered Scientist by thingswithwings. Bruce, Team, gen, orgy. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: All kinds of adorable and then HOMINA.
You'll start this one and say, "Wait, this one is for thie porn? This is adorable stuff, what with sleeping and kittens and..." And then you'll get to the last segment and say, "Okay, I thought I didn't have a Hulk kink. GUESS WHAT." Utterly loving orgyfic.
It gets his attention, anyway; the half-Hulk half-Bruce in front of him turns immediately to look at him, breath coming fast, and meets his gaze.
"I've redesigned the repulsors significantly," Tony offers. "I've used gallium arsenide semiconductor crystals to change the way the electrons are - are - " he pauses, shocked, because it's actually working, the Hulk is de-Hulking, and a second later Bruce is standing in front of him, shirtless and panting.
"You better not have just been saying that to get me to, uh."
"Bruce out?"
Bruce laughs weakly, doing an automatic check for his pants. They're mostly still on, unfortunately. You'd think Bruce would start wearing bike shorts under his clothes or something, but Tony's not going to be the one to suggest it.
The Crack:
Let's Start a Nuclear War, by captainflygirl. Team, hint of Steve/Clint (and maybe Clint/everybody, kinda). Crack/Humor. R. Medium Length.
Why read it: The Avengers end up in a gay bar. You need other motivation?!
Just that. Post-battle celebration in the nearest bar, which of course...Hilarious stuff.
“What’s going on here?” Tony’s voice came sailing down the hallway. Clint nonchalantly backed away and just stood there as if they had just been idly discussing the weather. Steve gawked at him, head spinning.
“Well, you missed Tony dancing to a house remix of ‘Single Ladies’,” Natasha said to Clint with a grin, clearly ignoring the whole situation.
Tony made a beeline for Steve and threw his arm around his shoulders. Steve got a mouthful of pink feathers and silver tinsel from Tony’s boa. “What has he done to you?” Clint rolled his eyes. “He’s bad man. He’s all helpful and nice, and then he takes advantage of you in your car while you’re stopped in a crowded parking lot.”
“I remember that night differently,” Clint interjected.
Fury's List, a.k.a. 62 things the Avengers are no longer allowed to do at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters by cerealkiller0 Gen, humor. PG. Short length.
Why read it: "Skippy's list" parody, duh!
We all probably wanted to write one of these; we all still may, but this one's a hoot.
37. Tony is not allowed to bribe Natasha and Clint to physically, emotionally or psychologically torture General Ross for being ‘a great big douchebucket’ and ‘being mean to Brucie-kins.’
38. Steve is ‘Captain America’ not ‘Captain New York and those 49 other, lesser states.’
General Crack and Tight Pants, by plus5pencil Gen crack (just like it says). R. Short length.
Why read it: Freakin' funny.
Inspired by the prompt: "Agent Coulson? The Hulk has just stolen pants, we repeat, the Hulk has stolen pants!"
The nearby Big and Tall store was missing a wall.
Porn Star AU by Anonymous. Crack, AU. Team (oh, MAN, is it Team.) NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: to snort beverages out your nose. You-will-strain-something levels of funny.
It's porn awards night! And Nick Fury, porn director, is sweeping the awards with his masterpiece ensemble skinflick The Avengers (And dammit, Clint really wants that Best Male Performer award this year.) Yes, he and Nat and Phil had some amazing chemistry, but they'd never exactly broken the bank--in the world of porn, "young, hot girl in leather gets it on with young, hot guy in leather and mature, hot guy in a business suit" wasn't exactly breaking new ground, no matter how much bondage Natasha was willing to work around.
Avengers Post-its by not_just_feet. Photo humor. Team. R. Short length.
Why read it: Funny. And told in photos!
The Avengers leave post-its for each other all over the place. BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP TOUCHING THEIR STUFF.
fucking sleep by Anonymous. Parody, Fury & the team. R. Short length.
Why read it: Parody in Samuel L. Jackson voice.
The Avengers version of Go the F**k to Sleep (which, if you don't get the joke, had its audiobook read by Samuel L. Jackson).
The formulas have all been proven now
The scanners are doing their sweep
You know what I hear helps when you're angry?
Going the fuck to sleep.
Dirty Little Prince (Grind Grind Grind) by theorytale. Loki, Thor, Tony, Team. Crack humor. R. Short length.
Why read it: CRACK.
Loki's doing something unspeakable that only Thor can understand is unspeakable.
"What?" Loki asked, then deliberately pursed his lips and blew out a breath. It steamed a little, which was odd because the room was plenty warm. "I'm bored."
"So compose a saga," Thor hissed, sounding downright scandalized, and okay, Tony was interested now, something was clearly going on.
Moral of the Story by astolat. Thor/Loki, parody, humor, porn.NC-17. Long length.
Why read it: asldfjkasldfjal;fjal;djffajljkj;j FUNNY OH DEAR GOD. And hot. Seriously freakin' hot.
Thor's recounting his version of the Thrymskvitha, which is the Norse myth about Loki and Thor dressing up like ladies to try to get Mjolnir back from a giant. The Avengers learn the story's a LOT more filthy than legend recorded, and there's not enough brain-bleach in the world. Effing hysterical. I just think about this story and I start snorting whatever's liquid's in my pharynx at the time. And then I remember the sexy bits and moan, because, taboo sex scenes accompanied by the participants spinning even more taboo sex fantasies during? Bulletproof kink.
"But after all, noble Thrym," Loki said swiftly, "the same danger faces the lady Freya. What if you merely promise the hammer, and after having enjoyed her favors, cast her aside and demand a different lady of the court redeem the treasure? A bargain, perhaps," he added, "must be struck," and I grew alarmed as an unholy light of deviltry came into his face: what did Loki mean to promise on my behalf?
But I was wary too late: before my mute and outraged eyes, Loki waved an arm to the cleared table. "Do you enjoy the lady now by her nether entrance, before your party as witnesses- "
#
"Hang on," Tony Stark interrupted again.
"Yes?" Thor said.
Tony opened his mouth, but said nothing; a second time he seemed about to speak, and also no words came forth. Thor waited patiently.
"You're saying Loki told Thrym to backdoor you on the table," Clint Barton finally said, in a tone strangely flat.
"Ah, is that the proper term?" Thor said, and corrected himself.
may the fourth by irnan. Team. Invention crack. PG. Short length.
Why read it: To find out who gets red and who gets blue. Except you have to answer that for yourself.
Tony Stark is the greatest inventor in the world. To say more would give too much away.
It hums a very, very familiar hum, and not the kind you catch Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh with, either.
Clint drops his coffee cup.
"No," he says.
"Is that -" says Thor, standing up.
"You are joking," says Bruce.
"I want one," Tasha announces.
Steve He Saved For Last by Anonymous. Dark!Tony minifill. Tiny bit of Tony/Steve. R. Short length.
Why read it: So dark it will make you giggle.
Tony turns evil on a coin flip. No, really.
"You should probably not struggle, Steve," he said, attempting to arrange Steve's body to his liking. "Unless you want a messy death, anyway."
Adventure:
Cost Benefit Analysis by infiniteeight. Clint/Coulson, adventure. PG. Medium length.
Why read it: Because captured Avengers are yummy!
Clint's captured and spends too much time worrying about the safety of everyone else rather than his own safe extraction; Thor gives him perspective, and Coulson, of course, gives him everything.
His captors hadn't taken him at his word, of course. Not at first. They gave him a beating to soften him up--he was almost insulted that they thought that was all it'd take--and then shot him full of drugs, but there isn't a 'truth serum' in the world that does more than encourage you to talk generally, and Clint had never had a hard time talking. He gave them an earful of late night soap opera plots and the highlights of Coulson's reality shows (they were on the TiVo and Clint got really bored sometimes, okay?) and half the plot of 24 and if a few mission details slipped out in there somewhere, it was impossible to tell them from the drivel. He was no Tony Stark, who couldn't go ten words without talking about work. He was no Tony Stark in general.
Choose Your Own Avenger: The Mission by SidneySussex (with illustrations by Tigs). A CYOA game/adventure! PG. Long length.
Why read it: It's a Choose Your Own Adventure! With the second person and Edward Packard style cover and everything!
CYOA interactive fic! Told from Clint's POV! The cover art alone slays me, along with its text: "Be Clint Barton! Choose from many possible feels." The narrative is actually quite in-character and entertaining, and the options do not delight in killing your ass off at every turn; I've played it a few times and haven't died yet (though we're warned it's a possibility), though the mission's come off with different degrees of success, depending.
Tony, Steve, and Natasha volunteer for the control tower. That leaves Bruce and Thor for the cell blocks, as well as Agent Sitwell (you kind of roll your eyes at that, but you guess there's probably computer stuff to do, and at least the guy has a gun).
"Hawkeye, both teams could use your help," Coulson says over the comms. Which one will you be accompanying?
To go to the cell blocks with Bruce, Thor and Sitwell, turn to page 5.
To go to the control tower with Tony, Steve, and Natasha, turn to page 10.
Another Bizarre and Thankless Situation by vain_glorious. Tony, Loki, Team. Action/Drama (with humor traces). PG. Medium length.
Why read it: Dark situation from Tony's POV with terrific prose.
There was a moment in the middle of this story where there was a tiny revelation and I just sucked in my breath and held it and thought, shiiiiiiiit, and just sat there gasping in air for two minutes. This is a dark piece, full of fear and double-crosses and the fear of double-crosses. And it's Tony's viewpoint, which is a joy in this author's hands. Loki's involvement is particularly chilling in this.
There’s an energy field at the other end. Tony can see it, so he takes his left shoe off and balls up his sock.The field incinerates Tony’s sock. It also doesn’t turn off at all while it’s doing so.
There’s no visible electronics. And although Tony could build something like that, he doesn’t think Loki can. This is magic, which is tantamount to cheating.
Tony puts his shoe back on and turns around. The cave is his cell, and while he appreciates the absence of chains and whips and car batteries, the lack of water or a toilet is going to get ugly soon. Loki doesn’t strike him as a decent jailer. Loki seems more like the guy who accidentally bashes the hostage’s skull in and has to get a new plan.
Metafic:
Versatile by jaune_chat. Gen metafic featuring 2 OMCs and Clint in the background. G. Short length.
Why read it: Entertaining metafic!
Clever short piece about two agents discussing Hawkeye's chosen weapon."I get it, the guy's got a sniper's eye and he's freakishly accurate, but why not just get him a rifle? He'd be great!"
Agent Garrison (yes, they got flack for being friends, Harrison and Garrison, Harry-Gary, and whatever other nicknames people could come up with when they were bored) snorted at Harrison.
"You've been on the far side of a rifle before. You want a good shot, what do you need?"
PDA, Assassin Style by Zinnith.
Coulson/Clint/Natasha. Introspection. PG. Short length.
Why read it: Clever stuff. Cute in a not-fluffy-way.
Coulson's a cat person. That's probably why he's so fond of his assassin pair. Cute yet serious analysis fic.
It’s not that he’s actually comparing his agents to cats. He’d never hear the end of it. But... well. There is an undeniable similarity that Phil simply can’t ignore, at least not in his more unguarded moments.
Clint, for example, has a way of always putting his feet in Phil’s lap on top of whatever he happens to be reading at the time, vying for attention. Natasha likes to drape herself over Phil’s furniture in various boneless positions, sleek and elegant. Clint enjoys dozing in the sun when he gets the chance while Natasha prefers sleeping in small, dark spaces. They will both wake up at the sound of a needle dropping on the floor.
Avengers Dissemble by spuffyduds. Team. Introspection. PG. Short length.
Why read it: Poignant and chilling observations.
Snippets of thought from our heroes. Deeply affecting stuff despite--no, because--of being short.
The bloody trading cards? That was Fury’s set. He was never going to ask Cap to sign them, never going to even tell anybody he had them, because he is trying to save the world here and his image is the only fucking superpower he’s got.
(Continued in part two.)
1. No matter how dark or grim the story, if Tony Stark is voicing it and the author is even halfway decent, the story WILL get a humor tag.
2. The classification "Team" is real and exists, even if it turns out I just made it up. Explanation: though there may be pairings in the story-- sometimes background and sometimes foreground (in fact, sometimes shown to the extent of bumping the story to NC-17)--the sense that this is a story about the Team as a whole overrides the pairings. This seems to be common in Avengers fanfic, or at least common in the ones I'm drawn to and reading.
3. My list is heavy on the Hawkeye. I do not apologize. Seeing his name just in mention makes my pulse pound. Reading great lines or bits of his lays me out flat. It does not help that other authors agree Clint deserves great lines and bits. So, yeah, even my quote selections here are heavy on the Clint.
4. It's hard to separate "character x/character y" stories from those which are "character x & character y" stories. So I don't even want to try, sometimes. Call it pre-slash or pre-het if you want. *shrug*
5. Some of the stuff written for avengerkink was clearly written in haste and beta-less. When the meat of the story's good enough I can forgive nearly anything. (But, yeah, it has to be that good.)
List o' Avengers recs, part one. 34 recs, this part.
The Epic:
Revelations, by astolat. Team-oriented, Thor/Loki. Adventure, character-oriented, smut. NC-17. WIP (15 out of 16 expected parts posted). Long length.
Why read it: EVERYTHING. Team points of view, twisty turny plot, mythic backstory, smut.
As I'm writing this, it's not quite complete; astolat promises us one more chapter before it's done. Doesn't matter. It's THE epic of Avengers' fandom. I can't help but compare this to A Song of Ice and Fire both in terms of the chapter-by-chapter different-character viewpoints, and also the scale of the epic. Everybody gets viewpoint chapters fitting their characters, even some you didn't expect. It's a huge adventure, the premise of which is the Avengers take a trip to Hel to get back one of their fallen, led, of course, by Loki. Truly an astounding piece.
"This is not a place where the confines of the physical world have meaning," Loki said. They all turned back. He looked as tidy as if he'd just taken an easy stroll through the park, though he'd gotten rid of the helmet. "You and he are separate, even in your world. Why not here?"
"You know, there are a few other things I'd like to separate," Tony said. "What the hell was the big idea? You could've just said-"
"Drink this, and I'll take you to the underworld?" Loki said, raising an eyebrow, and fine, he had a point. "We don't have time to waste on argument. This isn't a safe place. Let's go collect the monster and get moving."
"Why isn't there anyone else here?" Steve said. "If this is really the realm of the dead-"
"Oh, there's a long way to go for that," Loki said. "A very long way yet."
Amateur Theatrics by galaxysoup. Clint and the team plus Loki. Gen, adventure, humor. PG. Long length.
Why read it: Because this should not have worked and it's freakin' adorable and hilarious. Polite widdle Loki! Dad-figure Clint! Playground chaos! Tony…no, that's giving too much away.
Every crack cliché comes together AT ONCE in this story--de-aging, bodyswap, genderswap, all those--and, thanks very much, Clint's the one who has to hold things together while all the solutions are sought.
“How’d it go?” Clint asks.
“Loki was great,” Steve says. “He called the librarian ‘Lady Gatekeeper of Knowledge’ with that accent and she nearly adopted him on the spot.”
The Last Lovesong of Anthony E. Stark by jibrailis. Steve/Tony. Loki. Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance. NC-17. Long length.
Why read it: You can bear to watch Tony in progressively dire straits knowing that those closest to him will save him in the end. And the adventure and romance are worth it.
I have a sick horror of memory-wipe contrivance (who doesn't?), so, watching Tony's memory deteriorate after he contracts an Asgardian virus is as chilling as anything I've read in this fandom. I came close to crying during the first segments. But watching him cope with it as he quests to find the solution is worth it.
Hospitals, Tony thinks - the Devil's hotels.
"This is stupid," he tells the doctors working on him. "You don't think I haven't done all these tests already? Come on. An MRI? Are we going to be playing with Legos and coloring books next?"
"Can you make him stop talking?" asks one of the doctors, a harried middle-aged man who reminds Tony a bit of Coulson, and just as deadly with a syringe.
"I've been trying for years," Pepper informs him.
"I am going to remember you," Tony tells the harried doctor. "Trust me, I am going to spend the last of my brain resources remembering you. And if you screw me up with one of your medieval torture machine tests, I will sue you to the ground."
"He's scared," Pepper explains apologetically.
"I'm not scared," Tony says. "This hospital gown's giving me a wedgie."
Chaos War by astolat. Asgardian war epic, Thor/Loki. NC-17. Long length. (Thor fandom rather than Avengers, but still gets into this list.)
Why read it: Loki's amazing silver tongue and the intricacies of this astonishingly clever and wry war tale.
Asgard's under dreadful siege. Who's going to win the unwinnable war for them except for Loki? He'll have his price, of course. Possibly my favorite piece of fanfiction that's ever been written.
"Well, I'm here, thanks to my dear brother and the escort-" he turned and bowed grandiosely to Sif and the warriors standing at the head of the hall, "- that you so graciously provided. To what do I owe the honor of the invitation? I understand things haven't been going very well." He paused and added archly, "There's that spell in the Wyrddenning-"
"Loki!" Odin said sharply. "That book is forbidden."
"And yet there is a copy in the palace, isn't there?" Loki said. "Not in the library, but-"
Odin's face was enough answer to that; Thor looked between them, frowning. "What spell is this?"
"It's very impressive," Loki said, without looking away from their father. "You'd like it a great deal, brother; raining fire and destruction everywhere-I imagine it would be quite useful in the present circumstances. Of course, the central ingredient is the still-beating heart of a frost giant sorcerer-"
The "I'm Here for the Porn":
Challenge Accepted by jaune_chat. Clint/Tony, smut. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: Great Clint/Tony porn, yay! I can't find enough of this.
Clint's sick of hearing what a sex god Tony is, wants him to put up or shut up. Guess which way Tony chooses?
“Stark, you… asshole,” Clint gasped as he fisted the sheets. Tony was pressing the warm circle of the arc reactor into Clint’s belly, using the very device that was keeping his heart going to send waves of heated vibration down through his core. “You fucker.”
The Black Widow's Reward by muzzleofbees. Natasha/Team. PORN. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: Dirty dirty female-positive orgy porn. Ignore the typos and occasional slips in verb tense, because I did and you should too, it's that hot 'n'dirty.
Everybody decides Natasha, wonderful girl that she is, deserves all the orgasms she can handle. At once. This story just lets it escalate and escalate and it gets absurd but that's FINE, because by that point it's at oxygen-sapping levels and that's where absurd is delicious. "She's going to be really tender right now, so take it slow."
Thor slapped him on the back. "Fear not, my Midgard brother. I will be gentle with her but human women are quite capable of accommodating me."
"Yeah, I bet they are," Clint muttered as he slowly extracted his fist.
Switching Partners by Anonymous. Tony/Coulson/Steve/Clint. PORN. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: Hot and sweet smut.
Tony and Clint swap partners for a night, to watch Coulson and his idol get it on in front of them.
Tony and Clint's conversation comes to an abrupt halt in the corner. They're keeping their distance, just a little, like they don't want to break the bubble Steve and Phil are in. Steve takes Phil's drink and sets it somewhere out of the way before his hands move to the tie.
Open For Suggestions, fic by joosetta and art by myrafur. Tony/Steve, UST & smut. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: You wanna see the moment when Tony and Steve go from fighting to fucking.
Tony can't keep from winding Steve up, wonders if there's any resolution besides punching each other out. He's a genius, so, of course he thinks of something. The art is just GORGEOUS.
“You’d do that - all American hero, you’d freeze me out, knowing the team would be down one man, just because I don’t follow your bullshit orders?” Stark was moving forward, trapping Steve really. “You really are all hot fucking air, aren’t you?”
we're gonna have a good time by jessalae. Team/Tony, PORN. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: OH MY GOD SO EFFING HOT.
Pepper gets Tony a gangbang for his birthday; he's on the bottom for all of it and is so. damn. happy. Written in Tony's viewpoint and deliriously in-character, so it's gleefully funny and it transmits every sensation Tony gets. Just an amazing, AMAZING piece of porn.
Tony almost bursts out laughing because- well, it doesn’t really need explaining, does it? He just witnessed Captain fucking America learning the phrase ‘spreader bar.’ How is this his life, seriously? It’s too good to be true.
In Extremis by keelywolfe. Loki/Tony, noncon smut. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: Tasty Tony-voiced noncon smut.
I LOVE THIS KINDA THING. Interlude-y "villain has his way with our hero" non-con. Particularly delicious sibling issues for Loki. At the end we know they're both going to live to fight (and fuck) another day.
"Yeah, well," Tony started, cleared his throat. "Sorry, I didn't realize we had an appointment today. Kinda thought you were still in Asgard getting your spankings. Got tired of being in time-out?"
Soft laughter greeted that and something in it, an edge, made Tony swallow, hard. Right, maybe not antagonize the guy too much from the start. No telling what kind of milk he'd put on his crazy-o's this morning.
"Oh, the All-Father offered me punishment, never fear," Loki stood with the careless grace of a large cat, striding up to Tony and closer he could see dark shadows lining Loki's mouth, scabbed over, were those puncture wounds around his lips?
The Temple of Bondage by sabinelagrande. Clint/Coulson, BDSM. NC-17. Long length. WIP (3 out of 4 parts at this point).
Why read it: 'Cos you can't resist the premise.
Ah ha ha ha ha ha Hawkeye and Coulson train to go undercover in a SEX DUNGEON ah ha ha ha ha ha. *wipes eyes* Yyyyyeah, okay, so, I couldn't keep away from this one. It made me realize I haven't reached the stage where I want wild AUs of this fandom, but I am entering into "does it have to be these two characters specifically OH WHO CARES" territory. Premise-wise, with this pairing, whoever tops you'll be saying, "Yup, coulda called that twist."
"Hey," Clint says. He's down to now-or-never time, but still he's stalling. "That stuff I said the other day," he says, and Phil freezes, lifting an eyebrow at him. "I still mean it."
Phil looks around- not in a 'I'm checking for listeners' kind of way, but in a 'what the fuck, Barton' kind of way, which Clint is very familiar with. "This is where you chose to bring it up?"
"Did you really want to get an email like that?" Clint asks.
"Point," Phil allows. "Come over tonight and we'll talk about it."
Clint nods, swallowing. "Nineteen-hundred okay?"
"Make it twenty," Phil says, opening his sticky bun and taking a bite.
"Will do," Clint says, and that's that, with that totally mundane conversation, Clint's fate is more or less sealed.
Enough to Go Around by sabinelagrande. Steve/Tony, then Steve/Tony/Pepper/Coulson/Clint (also Clint/Coulson). Orgy porn! NC-17. Long length.
Why read it: Deeply sexy stuff, great Tony-voice.
When you're banging Captain America and the sex is great but the super-soldier doesn't even break a sweat, what do you do to get that reaction? Why, one plus one plus one plus one plus one equals...you get the idea. Incredibly yummy stuff.
"I was kind of wondering if you wanted to have sex with Steve."
She cocks her head, looking at him. "Is this a trick question?"
"Not any more than anything else I ask you."
"You need to be more specific," she tells him. "I'm not just going to say yes or no. That could mean 'Are you attracted to Steve?' or 'Would you have sex with Steve behind my back?' or 'Do you want to have sex with Steve with my blessing?'."
One of the reasons Tony keeps Pepper around, one of the main reasons she runs his company, is her thoroughness and attention to detail; usually great, but not that conducive to planning a three-way. "Do you want to have sex with me and Steve?" he clarifies.
Strong Enough by fabularasa. Steve/Tony, smut, pinning-down kink. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: Steve losing control to be in control. Mmmmm.
I have no shame in saying I pushed Fabula Rasa into Avengers fandom by flinging my own fics into her lap and begging for beta duty. I couldn't be more happy that the fandom bit her too. This smutlet is the first completed piece of hers in Avengers fandom, inspired by a kinkprompt that someone wanted to see Tony turned on by being held down by Steve.
“You think I’ve got a fucking superhero in my bed because he has amazing hair?”
Steve grabbed the other arm. “I don’t know, why do you have me in your bed? Why don’t we have that conversation, Tony?”
“Yes, excellent, I forgot, conversation is why I have you here. I take it back, you’re the girl. Are you wet yet, Dolores?”
Steve pushed both Tony’s arms over his head and pinned him with one hand. “Shut up,” he whispered. “Shut your mouth.”
Rend Mine Skin by salmon_pink. Loki/Thor, smut, muzzlekink. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: C'mon, that muzzle spawned a Kinsey scale rating of its very own.
Delicious Thor/Loki smut prompted by the muzzling of Loki. One of the particularly delightful elements of this fic is it deals with the dark magics Odin must have used to send Thor to Midgard, and how that darkness is clinging to Thor.
Loki can smell the blood on him, a coppery tang he can almost taste at the back of his throat. The wound has not yet closed, the wound that Loki gave him, blade piercing Thor’s side, sliding into flesh with an almost shocking ease.
The dark energy, it will have hold of Thor soon. All Loki need do is open the wound wider. And he may not be able to reach the blood at Thor’s side, not with his hands chained and pinned between them, not with Thor’s weight bearing down and holding him against the furnishings of Stark’s personal rooms.
But he can still reach the wounds of Thor’s soul.
The Avengers were fools to respect Thor’s request for privacy in this moment.
Protective Coloration by cluegirl. Clint/Coulson, smut. NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: In-mission fellatio as cover story! Heeeeee.
A terrific laugh-as-you-moan piece. Coulson and Clint have to make the extraction point and need a distraction, and employ their version of The Stunner. Modesty Blaise would be so proud.
Clint snorted, fingers full of half-Windsor at his throat. "Natasha's got the upper third of the building into lockdown. Local PD is five minutes out at best, and the rent-a-grunts are between us and Reception. We are so not walking out of here by the front door!"
The right shoe went on, and then Coulson was on his feet, grabbing Clint's tie right out of his fingers. "Get on your knees and say that."
Misdemeanors by Makokitten. Tony/Pepper/Loki. Smut! NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: Funny and hot Tony-voiced porn. Medium length.
Tony ends up babysitting Loki during a night in with Pepper. Things get interesting.
“Look, cancel those dinner reservations. I’ll have Jarvis whip something up.”
“For me, too?” Loki asks dryly. It’s the first time he’s spoken a full sentence in front of Pepper, and she starts, as if she’d forgotten he had a voice.
“If you’re good,” Tony replies. It really is like having a pet. An unruly one who might kill you at any moment. Should he take Loki for a walk later? Maybe that would lessen the odds of imminent death.
Twice on Sundays by theleaveswant. Bruce/Tony/Team (in a way). Fantasy gangbang. NC-17. Short length.
Why read: Three words: Tony's. Filthy. Mouth.
Tony hosts a fantasy gangbang for the person who might not do too well with the real thing. This is astoundingly hot.
Thor chuckles like a jet engine and Tony spins around to look at them accusingly. “You two. Stay on topic. Constructive comments only, please.”
Steve arches an eyebrow. “I thought praise of your skills was always on-topic.”
“Ordinarily yes, but today we're here for Bruce.”
“I'm,” Bruce pants, “good.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Tony says. “That is a criminal understatement, but thank you for the reassurance.” He turns back to Bruce with a doting smile. “You know, if you keep saying cute things like that, I might not be able hold off the way I wanted to. I might get impatient, say 'to hell with warm-up' and just plow right into you. Bareback, of course, like we talked about.”
Five Ways to Get in Touch with your Inner Mild-Mannered Scientist by thingswithwings. Bruce, Team, gen, orgy. NC-17. Medium length.
Why read it: All kinds of adorable and then HOMINA.
You'll start this one and say, "Wait, this one is for thie porn? This is adorable stuff, what with sleeping and kittens and..." And then you'll get to the last segment and say, "Okay, I thought I didn't have a Hulk kink. GUESS WHAT." Utterly loving orgyfic.
It gets his attention, anyway; the half-Hulk half-Bruce in front of him turns immediately to look at him, breath coming fast, and meets his gaze.
"I've redesigned the repulsors significantly," Tony offers. "I've used gallium arsenide semiconductor crystals to change the way the electrons are - are - " he pauses, shocked, because it's actually working, the Hulk is de-Hulking, and a second later Bruce is standing in front of him, shirtless and panting.
"You better not have just been saying that to get me to, uh."
"Bruce out?"
Bruce laughs weakly, doing an automatic check for his pants. They're mostly still on, unfortunately. You'd think Bruce would start wearing bike shorts under his clothes or something, but Tony's not going to be the one to suggest it.
The Crack:
Let's Start a Nuclear War, by captainflygirl. Team, hint of Steve/Clint (and maybe Clint/everybody, kinda). Crack/Humor. R. Medium Length.
Why read it: The Avengers end up in a gay bar. You need other motivation?!
Just that. Post-battle celebration in the nearest bar, which of course...Hilarious stuff.
“What’s going on here?” Tony’s voice came sailing down the hallway. Clint nonchalantly backed away and just stood there as if they had just been idly discussing the weather. Steve gawked at him, head spinning.
“Well, you missed Tony dancing to a house remix of ‘Single Ladies’,” Natasha said to Clint with a grin, clearly ignoring the whole situation.
Tony made a beeline for Steve and threw his arm around his shoulders. Steve got a mouthful of pink feathers and silver tinsel from Tony’s boa. “What has he done to you?” Clint rolled his eyes. “He’s bad man. He’s all helpful and nice, and then he takes advantage of you in your car while you’re stopped in a crowded parking lot.”
“I remember that night differently,” Clint interjected.
Fury's List, a.k.a. 62 things the Avengers are no longer allowed to do at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters by cerealkiller0 Gen, humor. PG. Short length.
Why read it: "Skippy's list" parody, duh!
We all probably wanted to write one of these; we all still may, but this one's a hoot.
37. Tony is not allowed to bribe Natasha and Clint to physically, emotionally or psychologically torture General Ross for being ‘a great big douchebucket’ and ‘being mean to Brucie-kins.’
38. Steve is ‘Captain America’ not ‘Captain New York and those 49 other, lesser states.’
General Crack and Tight Pants, by plus5pencil Gen crack (just like it says). R. Short length.
Why read it: Freakin' funny.
Inspired by the prompt: "Agent Coulson? The Hulk has just stolen pants, we repeat, the Hulk has stolen pants!"
The nearby Big and Tall store was missing a wall.
Porn Star AU by Anonymous. Crack, AU. Team (oh, MAN, is it Team.) NC-17. Short length.
Why read it: to snort beverages out your nose. You-will-strain-something levels of funny.
It's porn awards night! And Nick Fury, porn director, is sweeping the awards with his masterpiece ensemble skinflick The Avengers (And dammit, Clint really wants that Best Male Performer award this year.) Yes, he and Nat and Phil had some amazing chemistry, but they'd never exactly broken the bank--in the world of porn, "young, hot girl in leather gets it on with young, hot guy in leather and mature, hot guy in a business suit" wasn't exactly breaking new ground, no matter how much bondage Natasha was willing to work around.
Avengers Post-its by not_just_feet. Photo humor. Team. R. Short length.
Why read it: Funny. And told in photos!
The Avengers leave post-its for each other all over the place. BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP TOUCHING THEIR STUFF.
fucking sleep by Anonymous. Parody, Fury & the team. R. Short length.
Why read it: Parody in Samuel L. Jackson voice.
The Avengers version of Go the F**k to Sleep (which, if you don't get the joke, had its audiobook read by Samuel L. Jackson).
The formulas have all been proven now
The scanners are doing their sweep
You know what I hear helps when you're angry?
Going the fuck to sleep.
Dirty Little Prince (Grind Grind Grind) by theorytale. Loki, Thor, Tony, Team. Crack humor. R. Short length.
Why read it: CRACK.
Loki's doing something unspeakable that only Thor can understand is unspeakable.
"What?" Loki asked, then deliberately pursed his lips and blew out a breath. It steamed a little, which was odd because the room was plenty warm. "I'm bored."
"So compose a saga," Thor hissed, sounding downright scandalized, and okay, Tony was interested now, something was clearly going on.
Moral of the Story by astolat. Thor/Loki, parody, humor, porn.NC-17. Long length.
Why read it: asldfjkasldfjal;fjal;djffajljkj;j FUNNY OH DEAR GOD. And hot. Seriously freakin' hot.
Thor's recounting his version of the Thrymskvitha, which is the Norse myth about Loki and Thor dressing up like ladies to try to get Mjolnir back from a giant. The Avengers learn the story's a LOT more filthy than legend recorded, and there's not enough brain-bleach in the world. Effing hysterical. I just think about this story and I start snorting whatever's liquid's in my pharynx at the time. And then I remember the sexy bits and moan, because, taboo sex scenes accompanied by the participants spinning even more taboo sex fantasies during? Bulletproof kink.
"But after all, noble Thrym," Loki said swiftly, "the same danger faces the lady Freya. What if you merely promise the hammer, and after having enjoyed her favors, cast her aside and demand a different lady of the court redeem the treasure? A bargain, perhaps," he added, "must be struck," and I grew alarmed as an unholy light of deviltry came into his face: what did Loki mean to promise on my behalf?
But I was wary too late: before my mute and outraged eyes, Loki waved an arm to the cleared table. "Do you enjoy the lady now by her nether entrance, before your party as witnesses- "
#
"Hang on," Tony Stark interrupted again.
"Yes?" Thor said.
Tony opened his mouth, but said nothing; a second time he seemed about to speak, and also no words came forth. Thor waited patiently.
"You're saying Loki told Thrym to backdoor you on the table," Clint Barton finally said, in a tone strangely flat.
"Ah, is that the proper term?" Thor said, and corrected himself.
may the fourth by irnan. Team. Invention crack. PG. Short length.
Why read it: To find out who gets red and who gets blue. Except you have to answer that for yourself.
Tony Stark is the greatest inventor in the world. To say more would give too much away.
It hums a very, very familiar hum, and not the kind you catch Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh with, either.
Clint drops his coffee cup.
"No," he says.
"Is that -" says Thor, standing up.
"You are joking," says Bruce.
"I want one," Tasha announces.
Steve He Saved For Last by Anonymous. Dark!Tony minifill. Tiny bit of Tony/Steve. R. Short length.
Why read it: So dark it will make you giggle.
Tony turns evil on a coin flip. No, really.
"You should probably not struggle, Steve," he said, attempting to arrange Steve's body to his liking. "Unless you want a messy death, anyway."
Adventure:
Cost Benefit Analysis by infiniteeight. Clint/Coulson, adventure. PG. Medium length.
Why read it: Because captured Avengers are yummy!
Clint's captured and spends too much time worrying about the safety of everyone else rather than his own safe extraction; Thor gives him perspective, and Coulson, of course, gives him everything.
His captors hadn't taken him at his word, of course. Not at first. They gave him a beating to soften him up--he was almost insulted that they thought that was all it'd take--and then shot him full of drugs, but there isn't a 'truth serum' in the world that does more than encourage you to talk generally, and Clint had never had a hard time talking. He gave them an earful of late night soap opera plots and the highlights of Coulson's reality shows (they were on the TiVo and Clint got really bored sometimes, okay?) and half the plot of 24 and if a few mission details slipped out in there somewhere, it was impossible to tell them from the drivel. He was no Tony Stark, who couldn't go ten words without talking about work. He was no Tony Stark in general.
Choose Your Own Avenger: The Mission by SidneySussex (with illustrations by Tigs). A CYOA game/adventure! PG. Long length.
Why read it: It's a Choose Your Own Adventure! With the second person and Edward Packard style cover and everything!
CYOA interactive fic! Told from Clint's POV! The cover art alone slays me, along with its text: "Be Clint Barton! Choose from many possible feels." The narrative is actually quite in-character and entertaining, and the options do not delight in killing your ass off at every turn; I've played it a few times and haven't died yet (though we're warned it's a possibility), though the mission's come off with different degrees of success, depending.
Tony, Steve, and Natasha volunteer for the control tower. That leaves Bruce and Thor for the cell blocks, as well as Agent Sitwell (you kind of roll your eyes at that, but you guess there's probably computer stuff to do, and at least the guy has a gun).
"Hawkeye, both teams could use your help," Coulson says over the comms. Which one will you be accompanying?
To go to the cell blocks with Bruce, Thor and Sitwell, turn to page 5.
To go to the control tower with Tony, Steve, and Natasha, turn to page 10.
Another Bizarre and Thankless Situation by vain_glorious. Tony, Loki, Team. Action/Drama (with humor traces). PG. Medium length.
Why read it: Dark situation from Tony's POV with terrific prose.
There was a moment in the middle of this story where there was a tiny revelation and I just sucked in my breath and held it and thought, shiiiiiiiit, and just sat there gasping in air for two minutes. This is a dark piece, full of fear and double-crosses and the fear of double-crosses. And it's Tony's viewpoint, which is a joy in this author's hands. Loki's involvement is particularly chilling in this.
There’s an energy field at the other end. Tony can see it, so he takes his left shoe off and balls up his sock.The field incinerates Tony’s sock. It also doesn’t turn off at all while it’s doing so.
There’s no visible electronics. And although Tony could build something like that, he doesn’t think Loki can. This is magic, which is tantamount to cheating.
Tony puts his shoe back on and turns around. The cave is his cell, and while he appreciates the absence of chains and whips and car batteries, the lack of water or a toilet is going to get ugly soon. Loki doesn’t strike him as a decent jailer. Loki seems more like the guy who accidentally bashes the hostage’s skull in and has to get a new plan.
Metafic:
Versatile by jaune_chat. Gen metafic featuring 2 OMCs and Clint in the background. G. Short length.
Why read it: Entertaining metafic!
Clever short piece about two agents discussing Hawkeye's chosen weapon."I get it, the guy's got a sniper's eye and he's freakishly accurate, but why not just get him a rifle? He'd be great!"
Agent Garrison (yes, they got flack for being friends, Harrison and Garrison, Harry-Gary, and whatever other nicknames people could come up with when they were bored) snorted at Harrison.
"You've been on the far side of a rifle before. You want a good shot, what do you need?"
PDA, Assassin Style by Zinnith.
Coulson/Clint/Natasha. Introspection. PG. Short length.
Why read it: Clever stuff. Cute in a not-fluffy-way.
Coulson's a cat person. That's probably why he's so fond of his assassin pair. Cute yet serious analysis fic.
It’s not that he’s actually comparing his agents to cats. He’d never hear the end of it. But... well. There is an undeniable similarity that Phil simply can’t ignore, at least not in his more unguarded moments.
Clint, for example, has a way of always putting his feet in Phil’s lap on top of whatever he happens to be reading at the time, vying for attention. Natasha likes to drape herself over Phil’s furniture in various boneless positions, sleek and elegant. Clint enjoys dozing in the sun when he gets the chance while Natasha prefers sleeping in small, dark spaces. They will both wake up at the sound of a needle dropping on the floor.
Avengers Dissemble by spuffyduds. Team. Introspection. PG. Short length.
Why read it: Poignant and chilling observations.
Snippets of thought from our heroes. Deeply affecting stuff despite--no, because--of being short.
The bloody trading cards? That was Fury’s set. He was never going to ask Cap to sign them, never going to even tell anybody he had them, because he is trying to save the world here and his image is the only fucking superpower he’s got.
(Continued in part two.)