Bear With It

-Earth 21376-

*Wham!* "You weren't kidding about the 'bears' thing!"

Walt ducked as Jen whirled an anthropomorphic Bear-Toad by his tongue into the Sabearetooth he was fighting. "Yup! Thanks!" 21376 was a world of Anthropomorphic Bears instead of humans... and not cute little cartoons... big damn grizzly types that'd just as soon bite off a head.

*Boom!* "There that took the fight outta her for the moment," said Jubilee smiling triumphantly over the blue furred Bearstique as Gwen tied her up. "She actually wasn't that bad. Could only transform into bear versions of us. Can we get outta here now?"

Walt nodded. "Let's before Magbearto comes too. I seen enough of this place and the Brobearhood of Mutants for one day." He picked up his weapons and patted Erik Lehnsbear on the shoulder as he tossed his dented helmet. "Sorry I had to hit you that hard old boy but that was kinda your fault. No hard feelings."

Jubilee laughed. "It's not his feelings you hurt! You kicked him in the Grizzlies hard before you punched him out!"

Gwen shook her head and laughed. "It's always something... okay folks grab on to you friendly neighborhood dimensional Spider-Taxi/Woman. Let's get outa here before things turn hairy!"

Jen rolled her eyes but smiled as she abd Jubilee hekd hands with Gwen. "Bit late but I agree, I can bear-ly stand being here anymore."

Walt shook his head chuckling. "Well then I won't make yall bear with any longer." He took their hands as they laughed and groaned smiling. "I almost want to come back here with Jimbo, Yang, Nora and Merida someday but I really shouldn't and not just because they attract bear trouble too..."

"I know I'm going to regret asking," Jen said but she was smiling anyway. "Why's that?"

Walt grinned and winked. "Yang's puns are un-bear-able for a lot of folks."

They all groaned but laughed and Jubilee kissed his cheek. "Its good to see you're really em-bear-acing the dad jokes, babe."

Walt went to open his mouth but Gwen beat him to it. "You better bear-live it!"

Walt laughed. "You stole my line... Honey! Grrr!"

Gwen opened the way as Jen shook her head laughing and said, "You nuts are un-bear-lievable!"

-Prime-

"Achoo!" Yang, Nora and Merida sneezed and apologized together.

"Och. Pardon me," Merida said to Pirotess, Sienna and everyone in general. She went to wipe her nose on her sleeve but remembered her mothers instructions and went to go find a tissue.

"Sorry bout that," Nora sniffled. She went to do the same... but shrugged and grabbed one of the diapers in front of her using it as a tissue making Pyrrha laugh.

"Excuse me!" Yang said holding a baby doll. Her sneeze had been the loudest of all. Blake felt her forehead while Kali passed her a tissue. "Thanks. Sorry little guy," she told the doll grinning. "Don't you worry about momma bear, 'kay? She had lotsa practice with Ruby growing up. She'll pick this up quick!"

"Are you ladies feeling unwell?" Curie asked. "Superb! I feel sorry for you poor dears but while eet eez unfortunate for you, eet eez lucky for me, oui? My first infectious illness to treat here on Prime!" She saw them shake their heads and continued. "But zat is a good point. We must be careful around ze baby if you're feeling at all unwell, ladies. Please report any symptoms immediately."

"Wonderful Penny, Neo," Willow praised them. "You've both got a knack for this. You'll both make fine mothers."

Penny smiled happily. "We do? It makes me happy to hear that! Are you happy, Neo?"

Neo shrugged holding their training doll. She'd never really cared about kids before Walter. Kind of annoying brats mostly... but she smiled slightly. She had changed seeing Walter with children. He adored children and they seemed to naturally like him back. She'd enjoyed helping them with him. The way he and they smiled at her... She nodded her head at Penny and carefully passed her their training doll... then smiled and pointed at something else she liked.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was Anastasia, Demona and Mystique. All three had been mothers and helped raise children and dispite prickly or frosty demeanors they freely offered hints, tips and advice as they walked around the room too.

When questioned Anastasia simply says 'they're important skills to know' and leaves it at that.

Demona says much the same thing but is more forthcoming. "Amongst gargoyles all hatchlings are raised and tended to by the clan... that thinking changed a bit in modern times. Parents started to become more personally involved in their children's... developments. Still all clan members have a duty to help in the raising, tending and training of young ones."

Mystique is nearly as secretive as Anastasia. She admits to being a mother and having raised children though. She doesn't admit how those moments and memories were probably the happiest ones in her life... and the most disappointing, bitter and painful.

She'd been good at raising children. She'd loved her children... but she hadn't been the best of mothers. Not at all. Of all her many failings those were the ones that secretly bothered and haunted her the most. She was an awful person-

"Bark!" Mystique looked down at Zwei. Zwei tilted his head looking up at her his tongue lolling out as if asking, 'Why be sad about something you can't change in the past when you can be happy in the present instead?'

She shook her head and reached down to scratch his ear. "Maybe..." she said quietly. "We'll take a walk afterwards, ok?"

"Arf!" Zwei agreed happily wiggling his butt. It was going to be another good day to play today!

"Ahnassi sees!" She says nodding. "Ahnassi always was curious about that. Ahnassi thanks Lita for increasing her knowledge of the subject."

Lifts-Her-Tail smiled holding the baby doll to her breast. "Yes. That is why we have breasts. You're very welcome, my friend. Would you like a turn, Senko?"

"Yes, please!" Senko said smiling and nodding accepting the baby doll. "I adore babies and children."

"It's like that for me as well," Ilulu said grabbing her chest. "These actually store my flame but they can also produce milk too or a milk like substance. Some dragons can give live birth, some lay eggs so there was need to accommodate both, I guess."

"We can do that as well now," Ada said cupping her synthetic breasts along with KL-E-O and PAM.

"Through the intake of matter we can create a milk like nutritional supplement that can be produced through the artificial teats," PAM said. "For child rearing."

"Yes, among other uses," KL-E-O agreed. "It's wonderful. We're all woman now, baby."

"Nice work, Tsu," Manami said from behind her camera. "You're surprisingly really good at this!"

Tsuyu smiled. "Thanks. I had a large family growing up. Lots of little sisters and brothers to help take care of. Ribbit." She waved to the camera. "We're training hard! Ribbit."

-Earth 616-

"Awwww... they're all so sweet!" Jubilee smiled at the video she'd received watching it on her phone. She and the girls were enjoying sometime outside relaxing while Walt was setting up something for their next adventure while doing some chores. She and Gwen were sunning themselves and taking a break from exercising and watching Jen lift comically huge weights.

Gwen smiled looking up from her phone. "You got a video message too?" She'd received one too... not to mention her friends were blowing up her phone.

Jubilee nodded. "I did! You guys wanna see? We can share."

Jen nodded and joined her. Gwen hesitated and then did the same thing. They watched the video the ladies on Prime had sent of their "baby care" class together to Jubilee.

"Awwww... that really is sweet," Gwen said.

Jen nodded and pointed. "That's surprising!"

Jubilee nodded and sighed looking at Mystique... or a Mystique. "Yeah I was surprised too and a bit worried at first but it looks like she was good with handling babies at least... guess her issues with her kids were other things."

Gwen blinked. "What's up?"

Jubilee shrugged. "It's probably good for you to know but seeing this... don't bring it up around her ok? She's a big time badass mutant villian like the bear lady one we fought... but she had kids, some her own and others 'adopted'... it... never worked out well, or at least not for her. Two went on to become big time X-Men hero types... and none of them 'like' her."

Gwen swallowed. "Oh geez... that's gotta be rough. Nothing to be done to fix it? Walt couldn't make it better?"

Jubilee shrugged. "I dunno. Not sure you can. I'm sure sime would. Try to force people to change for their own good. From what I understand of Prime Walt could do that or have it done... but..."

Jen nodded crossing her arms along with the others. "He's not that kind of person."

Gwen smiled and nodded. "It's obvious. He'd want to help her help herself. That's who he is."

Jubilee smiled and nodded too. "Yeah. That's him. So I'll support that too! Anyway what did you get Gwen?"

Gwen nodded. "Actually I'll show you but... can I talk to you two about some stuff first? Get some advice?"

Jubilee and Jen looked at each other and nodded then touched her hand. "You can always talk to us, Gwen," Jen said smiling. Jubilee added with a grin. "You got that right, Shulkie! We're here for you!"

Gwen smiled and started to explain the other night

• Some time later-

"There," Walt said pointing at one of the goats. "Let's see you escape from that!"

The goat looked at him seeming unimpressed with Walt's efforts at further incarceration. He'd get at the greener grass on the otherside one way or another.

Walt grinned. He liked the little cheeky bastard already. "Give it your best shot. To be continued!"

He picked up his tools and supplies heading back to the mainhouse. "Friday any word from our would be transport?"

(("Yes. They will take you there soon but the "Captain" has got "engine troubles", Boss. You'll have to provide your own ship."))

Walt nodded chuckling. "Yeah... "engine trouble"... meaning they don't have a damn ship and that's what they're really after... which makes her a "Captain" of nothing." He grinned. "Fine. I'll get 'us' a ship but that makes me the Captain. Tell her that. Inexchange I'll get the collector off of their backs too. Then they can either sign on under me or I'll help them get their own ship."

(("You know I usually don't try to second guess your choices but are you certain that this is wise, Walter?"))

Walt smiled. "I like them... and what you'd rather I contact the Guardians? I think the girls are better suited fir our purposes to be honest. At least they're less notorious. That's what we need. How are the other things proceeding?"

(("We've received a mildly favorable response from Wakanda and are working towards a meeting..."))

Walt shrugged. "Not surprising. They've becoma a major power player over the years. What is surprising is them being cagey." He sighed. "Something must be up with them too... boy howdy this worlds a real fixer upper alright. Well... that's the job."

(("You did buy it with 'missing pieces', Boss."))

Walt chuckled. "Yeah that's true. It sure ain't 'mint in box'... but I love it all the same. We'll get her back into shape. Once I finish up the investigating and get it back to 3S it'll be harder without the timedillation of Realdreams but it'll be easier as we can then have 3S start actively getting involved... speaking of 'Stark' how's that coming by the way?"

(("Nearly there, Boss. Are you sure you want to do this? You know it'll upset Tony."))

Walt shrugged flipping and catching the hammer in his hand. "If he shows back up I'll smooth it over somehow. We need to establish some credentials. Seizing Stark Industries we can start using them as cover for various 3S agent's, assets and business. People will assume what some do already... that I'm some distant relation or other comicbook weirdness and except it. Then we can start making big moves to fix thing's and not just plugging leaks... might even start turning a small profit here and there and recoup my losses a bit in time, not that that matters."

Walt did frown though. "Tony still hasn't turned up though and that's worrisome... I'm starting to think he's either been taken too or... maybe he's really 'dead' dead." He sighed. "Either isn't good. There's a lot of missing pieces in this old box... makes me worry about the other world's too and what we'll find..."

(("Message recieved. Your terms are exceptable and agreed too. Congratulations, Boss."))

Walt smirked at her dry tone. "It's a sweetheart deal for them. They get out from under the Collector while getting paid. See, Friday. She's much more reasonable than Rocket."

(("She's also just as dangerous. They both are. Putting them together with your tendancies and the others... it's a recipe for trouble."))

Walt smiled. "Thank you!"

(("Wasn't a compliment, Boss."))

Walt shrugged and waved to the girls who were deep in a conversation about something. "We're adventurers, Fri. It's what we do. I maybe great at finding trouble... but we've survived by bring our own trouble and that's what we're going to keep doing!"

He walked over to were the girls were. *Damn!* he thought. *Down boy... ignore the fucking sexy, fit bodies in their exercise clothes!* "Taking a break? Could I get one of yall to drop me off somewheres?"

Jen arched a pretty green eyebrow. "Running an errand?"

Walt nodded. "Yeah. I'm getting us a spaceship but I need to pickup a few things to trade and then some "crew" to help us fly it. I need to borrow one of you to fly me around then drop me off. "

The girls blinked then grinned. He was up to something.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee and Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters

Will Return In

Picking Up A Ship And Crew

Coming Soon]