#c: alexei shostakov

[formerfirstson]

[ forehead ] sender tenderly kisses receiver's forehead ( from alexei )

different kinds of kisses status: selectively accepting from: @crimsonfive

Between working on bills, galas, and meetings that took longer than necessary because people would always insist on having the last word, the last couple of weeks had been draining and exhausting for Thomas. He needed to recharge energies to come back full force the next day —keeping his mind sharp and make sure no opponent caught the smallest crack in his armor. The right call would have been heading straight to his apartment, and get a well deserved night of sleep —but his mind was elsewhere, and he knew that he'd spend the night tossing and turning if he couldn't shut down his damn head. He needed a distraction.

"Don't drive home," he said abruptly to Alexei, his new acquired driver. Well, it had been several weeks now since the Senator had requested him to keep driving him to whatever fancy event he had. His presence was pleasant —he didn't push trying to fill the silences with meaningless chatter, nor try to kiss his ass for who he was. Hell, he even acted so out of protocol some times that TJ could only chuckle. Needless to say, the Senator trusted him enough already to give him certain liberties.

"Take me somewhere else," he said loosening his tie. "Anywhere you want." He didn't expect much, even just driving around the city was enough. He took his jacket off, unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, seating back on the seat as he looked out of the window. He must have been more burned out than he tought, because after just thirty minutes in he was already out.

When he woke up the next morning, a little disoriented, he was in his own bed. No memory of how he got there in first place —just vague flashes, like the sensation of strong hands carrying him and carefully laying him out. And maybe, there was something else, the soft brush of a pair of lips against his forehead.

He told himself it was just a dream, a side effect from exhaustation maybe. But he couldn't quite shake the thought lingering there.

[spidey-webz]

this aged like fine wine

call me crazy but thunderbolts is the first mcu movie since gotg3 that actually looks like it has a vision + i’m genuinely excited about

catch me front row in my local cinema

[fandomnerd9602]

Water Park Day

Wolf!Natasha Romanoff x Reader

It was a scorcher of a summer for you and your wolf hybrid mate at the Westview Animal Hybrid Sanctuary.

You were trying to keep all the hybrids and faculty members cool as the temperature neared triple digits.

Natasha was working with her adoptive father, the bear human hybrid you knew as Alexei Shostakov, on the A/C unit.

Alexei, his brownish-grey furred tail poked out from his reddish slacks, had his face shoved up the ventilation shaft, trying to fix the broken unit.

Alexei was muttering to himself in Russian. Due to hanging out with Natasha you understood parts of it. “Damn air conditioning unit…not problem in Siberia…where did I leave my vodka?”

Natasha looked to you as you approached. “It’s not looking good my hunter” she huffs. “A brand new unit completely shot”

“If I had some duct tape and a spool of thread I could fix it” Alexei mutters, his bear tail wiggling as his upper half was still stuck in the ventilation shaft.

“Papa you are many things,” Yelena says as she passes under him, “Macgyver you are not”

“I could be!”

“Alexei, it’s fine” you say softly, trying to reassure your future in-law. “We’ll just take a day trip somewhere”

“Where to? Siberia?” Alexei chuckles.

“How about a water park?” Tony asks with a swagger as he walks in. “Sorry about the unit, guys. I booked a water park for you guys just in case”

“Thank you Stark” Natasha says before pulling you close.

Your wolf mate whispers in your ear, a soft purr to her voice, “I finally get to show you my newest outfit, my hunter”, she tops it off with a little wink.

“Water Park Day it is” you manage to say as your face went bright red with a blush. Natasha’s tail began swishing playfully as a small smile made its way across her lips.

You, Natasha, Tony, Yelena, Kate and Alexei guided your entire sanctuary full of hybrids into the water park. You never saw their faces light up so quickly. Several took to the pools. The younger ones immediately took to the water slides. Kate and Yelena took the kid and infant hybrids to the splash zones.

Natasha gave you a little smirk, holding her beach bag close. “I’ll be right back,” she gives you another wink and walks into a nearby restroom.

Your eyes were locked on Natasha as she sauntered away. Your focus was broken when you felt the strong bear like hands of Alexei grab you by the shoulder and gently shake you.

The bear hybrid laughed softly as he got close to you. “I remember when Nattie first brought you home for Thanksgiving”

“You thought I was her mate”

“You denied it and now you are her mate. I am excellent judge of character” Alexei laughs.

Alexei stares into your eyes, “please take care of my little Nattie. She is grown wolf yes but to me…she will always be the little cub that I found”

“Yes sir” you give his hand a gentle shake.

“Good” Alexei grunts “I will be at poolside bar. If Stark is paying…” he laughs and heads over to the poolside bar.

Natasha taps you on the shoulder. “What do you think, my hunter?”

She stood before you in a scarlet red bikini that fit her perfectly, accentuating her already perfect curves. It didn’t help that her reddish wolf tail was gently swishing with her eyes locked firmly and seductively on you.

“I-umm…” you tried to say, “beautiful”

Natasha giggles, “thank you malysh”

That night you held your wolf girl in your arms, carrying her bridal style into your apartment. She giggled softly, just happy, tired and very content.

“I had a great day with you, my hunter” she yawns

“I had a great day with you too, my wolf”

You laid her down softly on your bed. Her tail wrapped around your leg. “Stay” she quietly whines

“Oh alright” you roll your eyes playfully before laying down and pulling her close.

“I love you, my hunter”

“I love you, my wolf”

Tags @lifespectator @supercorpdanbeau @pinklawyerwinnerzonk @multi-fandom-enjoyer @marveldcfandom @ma1egamer @russianredassassin @texaswolf23

[jeyramarie]

The recruit- Yelena Belova x Reader (Season 2 Part 4)

summary: Valentina always seems to bring out everyone's dark side. Some being... worse than others.

w.c: 3,455

warnings: fighting, cursing, blood, mentions of guns, angst

a/n: can't wait for you guys to see what i've come up with for y/n's void 👀 it's important to read season 1 of the recruit (masterlist) to be able to understand it! but anyway, thanks for all the love, happy reading 🤍

part 1~ part 2~ part 3~

Previously on the recruit...

BEEP

“Jesus, you guys, we literally just put that drywall in.” Valentina spoke through the speaker. “I left the door unlocked for you, come up.” 

They all stared at each other in confusion. She left the door “unlocked” so she was waiting for them. Valentina knew they were coming. Bucky walked towards the elevator first, pushing the button as the rest of the team walked closer to him. Yelena grabbed Y/n’s hand, intertwining their fingers together, silently reassuring each other that they were okay. The doors opened with a small ding, making them all pile into it. The y/h/c looked at the blonde, giving her hand a small squeeze before looking forward at the door. Y/n couldn't pinpoint the reason at the moment, she couldn’t tell her girlfriend, considering how crowded the elevator was. But a little voice inside her head told her that something was wrong, something was going to happen. She just hoped it didn’t have to do with Bob.

The elevator doors opened to reveal an open space with a view of the city. A bar sat at the side of the room with fancy stairs next to it, leading to the top floor. And there she stood behind said bar, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. They walked out of the elevator, Y/n tighten her grip on Yelena’s hand when she heard a familiar voice. 

“How crazy is it to think that all the most monumental fights that happened exactly here where you’re standing?” She spoke, opening a bottle of champagne. “I don’t really care. I mean, the place wasn’t cheap, but it has good optics.” 

“It’s over, Valentina.” Bucky said, standing near the window. “This ends today.”

“Congressman, Barnes, wow.” She replied, walking around the bar towards them. “You know, I never really thought you’d have a promising political career but, less than hald a term? Yikes.”

“We’re taking you in, Val.” John spoke, stepping forward. 

“I don’t think so.” She scoffed. “Junior varsity, Captain America.”   

John reached for his gun, beginning to pull it out when Bucky stopped him, calling out his name. The room felt heavy. It was silent for a second. None of them imagined the fight that was coming. 

“Ava, good to see you.” Valentina spoke, watching as the brunette stepped closer before darting her eyes to the couple. “Yelena, Y/n, I see my matchmaking skills still work, you both look awful… Yelena, are you sure you’re ready for that public facing roll you asked me about?” 

“Eat shit, Valentina.” The blonde responded, letting go of the widow’s hand as she stepped forward. “Where’s Bob?” 

“Look at you, you are all so adorable.” She started, giving them a wicked smile. “Just think, I send you down there, to kill each other and instead, you make nice and you form a team.” 

Valentina looked around the room and landed her eyes on Alexei, who she stared at in question. “Who is this old Santa?” She asked bitterly. 

“I’m Alexei Shostakov.” He nodded with a smile as she continued to stare in confusion. “The Red Guardian.”

“What?”

Bucky began to speak to her about Mel as Y/n’s mind traveled elsewhere. Her thoughts went to every possible scenario, counted every window and air vent, before darting her eyes to the stairs. There's only a handful of situations that can happen if any of them attempts to go up those stairs. Y/n took a few steps backward, walking by Ava to stand closest to the corner. Something told her that she needed the distance between her and Valentina. 

“Robert.” She called out, tilting her head towards the stairs. 

Heavy footsteps echoed around the room, causing all of them to look up. Bob stepped down, wearing a shiny suit with a cape. His hair was blonde, his face looked serious and his hands were in a fist. Y/n could tell, he was the weapon Valentina always wanted. 

“Oh my god.” Yelena spoke in disbelief. 

“Bob?” Y/n asked, taking a few steps forward with her mouth agape. 

“That’s Bob?” Bucky question, stepping back as he finally put a face to the name. 

“Yeah, he’s changed.” Ava spoke, walking back to look at him up and down. 

“It is, my great honor, to introduce to you, the Sentry.” Valentina smiled as Bob looked up at them with a shy smile. 

“Hey, guys.” He smiled.

“Wow, that’s cool name.” Alexei muttered, getting death stares from Ava and Yelena as Valentina continued.

“All powerful, invincible, stronger than all the Avengers rolled into one and soon to be known as Earth’s mightiest hero.” 

“Did you dye your hair?” Ava asked, tilting her head. 

“Yeah, well, it was-” Bob began but was quickly cut off. 

“It was my idea.” Valentina smiled proudly. “People love a classic hero.” 

“Bob, what did they do to you?” Y/n said as she frowned, staring in disbelief. 

“Okay, what’s the plan?” Bucky furrowed his brows. 

“Haven’t you figured it out yet, Bucky? Jeez, at least you’re kinda cute.” 

“You’re not going to hurt people.” Alexei spoke in worry. 

“Oh no, no, no.” Valentina shook her head. “I’m not gonna hurt people, I’m gonna hurt you. You see, the press is on their way here now. They’re going to witness the awesome power of Sentry as he takes down this ruthless group of rogue agents, beginning a new era in which I decided how to keep the American people safe. Answering to no one, I’ll be un-impeachable.” 

“That’s never gonna happen.” Bucky replied. 

“Sentry, your first mission is to take out these criminals.” 

Ava activated her suit, John gripped his shield harder, Alexei changed his stance, ready to launch at anyone and Bucky moved his shoulders as if he was warming up to right. In the meantime, Y/n and Yelena stood frozen, staring at the guy they actually grew to care about. They developed a desire to protect him. Which explains why it never fit into their head how that same was ordered to hurt them. Even worse, kill them. 

“I don’t wanna hurt you, guys.” Bob shook his head. “Why don’t you just turn yourselves in?”

“No, you don’t wanna do this, Bobby.” John stared in sadness. 

“You can call me the Sentry.” 

“Please, don’t do this, you do not need to listen to her.” Yelena spoke, shaking her head as she stepped closer. 

“Robert, they don’t think your’e good enough.” Valentina said, turning to the new blonde man. 

“No, that’s not true.” The widow added. 

“Don’t lie to him, Valentina.” Y/n raised her voice, taking long steps towards the small step where Bob stood. “Don’t listen to her, that’s not true… remember, you can trust me.”

“We know you.” 

“I don’t think that you do.” Bob replied as the widows stood back in surprise. Not even when they were being honest and vulnerable would Valentina’s brainwash go away. 

“Bob, please, just-” Y/n lowered her voice but was quickly interrupted by a loud Russian, who desperately wanted to fight. 

“Enough talking!” He began. “No one messes with the West Chesapeake Valley Thunderbolts!”

The Russian bolted towards Bob Sentry who immediately blocked the punch, causing Alexei to fly across the room. Bucky reacted immediately, pulling out both his guns as John moved forwward with his shield. Ava took out her batons causing Y/n to turn to her with hands held up in surrender. 

“No, no, no!” Yelena shouted, stepping in front of Bucky. 

Ava disappeared and reappeared next to Bob,swinging her arm as John threw the shield. 

“Wait!” Y/n shouted as was quickly blown back by Sentry. 

Gunshots erupted around the room as Bucky viciously shot towards him who effortlessly lifted his hand, stopping the bullets before they got near him. He pushed them back, throwing them back to the Winter Soldier, making John step forward, for them to hit the shield as they flew back to hit the wall. Alexei took out his knife, running towards him but was quickly stopped by Sentry’s forcefield. 

“Alexei, wait!” Yelena shouted as Y/n ran to him. 

The Russian attempted to continuously stab him but the knife was immediately shattered over and over. Sentry moved his hand, causing Alexei to fly out of the building, before being pulled back to crash into the bar. John and Ava continued to attack him continously, attempting to catch him off guard at one point. Sentry bent John’s shield in half, as the agent stared in shock before being pushed away to the other side of the room. 

Bucky began his attempts to stab him, blocking his arms and punches before being flown to the ceiling by Sentry, who pushed him agains the same wall. Yelean ran from the windows, jumping on his back, releasing her widow bites at his neck. They were blocked by his forcefield as Sentry looked over his shoulder, flying upward to trap the blonde against the ceiling before returning to the ground. Yelena fell and Sentry grabbed her from the back of her suit before throwing her against the elevator doors. 

Y/n took the opportunity and, thanks to her stealthy nature, she actually caught him off guard. The widow sliced the back of Sentry’s thigh, before sliding to the front to stab his other leg when he looked down at her. She wasted no time grabbing his right hand and throwing her leg over to bring him to the floor. Of course, his powers were stronger. Sentry grabbed her bak of her suit, pushing her to the ground before grabbing her neck, tightening his grip around the y/h/c, causing her to immediately reach for his arm. 

“Bob, stop.” Y/n whispered, feeling her airways close up. “Please.” 

“You’re just like me.” Bob spoke, almost in an evil way. “No one wants you, no one wants to be around you, that’s why Yelena walked away from you.” 

“Bob, stop!” The blonde shouted, trying to get closer. “That’s not true.” 

Sentry looked at Yelena over his shoulder before lifting the y/h/c, never releasing his grip. He stared at her one more time, watching as her eyes traveled to the blonde in desperation. Feeling satisfied at her vulnerability, he threw her near Yelena, making her crash on the ground in front of the elevator. Y/n coughed desperately, feeling oxygen finally flow through her lungs and soft pair of hands grazing her hair back. 

The y/h/c hearing was muffled as she looked around the room in confusion. Her eyes lifted, landing on Yelena. Her mouth was moving but Y/n’s hearing was still affected by the fall. She didn’t know what happened, but her girlfriend was suddenly grabbing her arm, throwing it over her shoulders to help her hand. Yelena held her till they all piled into the elevator, where Y/n leaned against the wall next to Bucky. 

Once the elevator opened, they all walked out of the elevator, groaning and grunting in pain. The blonde continued to hold Y/n close to her, whoms hearing returned to normal once she stepped outside. They all stood in a circle, taking heavy breaths and looking around, attempting to think of a plan. 

“Okay, we need new plan.” Alexeri spoke, catching his breath. 

“No, no new plans.” John took off his helmet. “That thing is too powerful.” 

“We just need to regroup and think.” He panted. “There got to be a way to stop that guy.”

“We’re not regrouping, this isn’t even a team.” 

“Of course, we’re a team, we are the Thunderbolts!”

“I don’t know what that means.” Bucky spat, holding his ruge to roll his eyes. 

“It’s her pee wee soccer team… thing..” Ava spoke, refrring to Yelena. 

“We have to go somewhere to discuss this-”

“Discuss what?!” John shouted, cutting Alexei off. 

“We are going to regroup and-”

“Oh my god, stop!” Yelena shouted. “There is no ‘us’, there is no ‘we’, Bob changed into that thing and there is nothing any of you can do about it.”

“Then what did you do exactly? Because I first seem to remember you getting your ass beat way worse than mine.” Ava spoke, squinting her eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah, I suck! I’m terrible, we’re all terrible!” She shouted. “Ava, you’re not a hero, you’re not even a good person.”

“Bitch.”

“You see?” 

“Slow down, amyshka-” Alexei spoke, coming towards his daughter to comfort her. 

“Alexei, I am not your amyshka!” Yelena shouted. “I haven’t heard from you or seen you in a year!”

“Lena, calm down.” Y/n attempted to speak but was met with burning green eyes, silentyly telling her to not test her. 

“Go easy on him.” John added.

“Oh, so you’re nice now?” 

“Is it my turn?” 

“No, you know you’re a piece of trash, Walker, so does your family.” The blonde shrugged as the agent muttered a small ‘Jesus’ in defeat. 

“Yelena, that’s enough!” Y/n raised her voice, moving in front of her as she cleared her throat, pushing through the pain. “You spoke your mind, that’s it, we get it.” 

“We’re all losers… and we lost.” She chuckled dryly, turning around to cross the street. 

“Yelena!” Y/n called out, following the blonde as Alexei trailed behind. 

The Russian caught up to the y/h/c and they remained quiet, watching the blonde walk in front of them. They didn’t want to disturb her but neither of them wanted to leave her alone in a moment like this. In a moment where she could need either of them any second. 

“So, you are back together?” Alexei spoke, breaking the silence.

“We are, yeah.” Y/n replied with a quick smile. “We haven’t been able to speak much about it though.”

“Oh, why not?” 

“Well, Alexei, we were roped into this whole mess ‘cause of Valentina.”  Y/n shrugged. “We haven’t really had alone time.” 

“We must hurry, she is walking faster.” Alexei muttered, pointing at the short blonde who was walking a considerable distance away from them. 

They jogged closer to her, making the Russian call out for her. “Lena! Little one!”

“Go away!” The blonde shouted in return, never halting her steps. 

“Baby, come on, just slow down.” Y/n spoke, grazing her hand on her arm as she attempted to grab her elbow. “Let’s talk, Yelena.” 

“Go away.” 

“No, I will not.” Alexei spoke. 

“Then you will chase me forever.” 

“Fine, I will because that’s what family does.” 

That’s all it took for Yelena to turn around. That’s all it took for all the hidden and suppressed feelings to explode into the surface. 

“Oh my god, stop!” She shouted, walking towards the Russian. “If you cared, you would’ve called, I would’ve heard from you.”

Alexei stayed quiet, staring at his daughter with regret as Yelena’s eyes began to water. 

“I lost my sister again, but forever, I almost lost the love of my life… and you disappeared.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to do this.” He spoke honestly. “I didn’t think you wanted me.” 

“I did.” 

“I see now, I’m late but I’m here now.” Alexei stepped forward. “Y/n and I, we’re here now.” 

Yelena stared at them with tears in her eyes. She drifted towards Alexei, feeling ashamed to speak about this infront of Y/n. 

“Daddy, I’m so alone.” She cried. “I don’t have anything anymore. All I do is sit and look at my phone and think of all the terrible things that I’ve done and then I drink and I come home to no one and I sit and I think I did come home to someone and I ruined that-”

“Yelena, stop, stop, we all have things that we regret.”

“No, but I have so many.” The blonde raised her voice, sneaking at glance at the y/h/c who was staring at the ground, silently crying. “My first test at the Red Room, Anya, she was just a child, she was so small.”

“So were you.” Alexei shook his head as his eyes began to water. “I know there were dark times, very very dark times but before, you were just a special little girl. Did you know that? You walk into room, you made it bright, you felt a lot of joy.”

“I don’t remember.” Yelena cried, shaking her head. 

“You were so kind.” He smiled. “You remember why you wanted to be goalie on your terrible soccer team?”

“So I didn’t have to run in the mud?” 

“No, maybe that too, but, you told me ‘I want to be the one everyone can rely on if they make a mistake’. That Yelena is still in you, I still see her.”

“I don’t.” She replied with her head down. 

“You’re stuck, you’re alone, you look only at the bad… when I look at you, when Y/n looks at you, we don’t see your mistakes.” He nodded. “It’s why we need each other.”

“Okay, that was really good.” She sniffled, turning her gaze over to the side to see her girlfriend gone. “Y/n?”

Alexei looked behind her, causing the blonde to turn to see Y/n looking at the sky. They both made their way towards her on the street to see a dark figure floating. Everyone stared in question, others in fear of the unknown. Y/n walked forward, standing in the middle of the street as Alexei and Yelena followed. 

“Bob.” Y/n whispered. 

“Oh no.” The blonde muttered. 

Suddenly a helicopter crashed into a building’s crane, causing it to fall between two buildings. Debry fell onto the street, making every civilian run around in chaos, avoiding the cement as it continued to fall. Y/n ran into action, helping people run to the opposite side of the street to seek shelter. Alexei ran, grabbing a metal panel to shield him and a few civilians into safety. The y/h/c ran back to when she saw Yelena flying in the air, landing next to people who needed help. Ava, Bucky and John returned, pulling people away from the falling debry, pushing them off the street, etc. 

Each of them out their powers and abilities to use. Even though Yelena and Y/n were the only ones with no genetic mutation or enhancement, they used their agility and speed to help as much as they could. A gigantic piece of debry was falling to the ground as a civilian tried to crawl, crying in fear of getting splattered by cement. John held the piece of debry with his back, grunting as he tried to push it back. Ava appeared next to him, then Alexei, then Yelena, then Y/n and finally Bucky. They all used all of their strength to push the piece of debry, making it fall to the ground as they tried to catch their breaths. 

Civilians began to clap as they stared around in confusion. People were actually celebrating them. They were clapping for them and for what they had done. It was a bit of a first for all of them. They did something good and people were recognizing that. Alexei noticed a little girl standing on the street, calling out for her mom when he saw a piece of debry falling directly towards her. He ran to her, covering the little girl with his body when the debry fell, splitting in two. 

“You’re safe, little one.” He smiled, remembering when Yelena was that small. Remembering for a second, how he would go back in time to save her from Dreykov. 

The little girl turned to a black shadow, as well as a few civillians who began to run away from the darkness. It was overpowering every corner of the street. 

“You all know the truth.” Sentry spoke as he flew lower. “You can’t outrun the emptiness.”

“Uh, I think Bob’s dark side got super powers.” John spoke, staring at the Sentry. “We have to get everyone off the street.” 

Alexei grabbed on Yelena’s arm, as they all ran away from the darkness. They got people inside of buildings and as far away as possible. Yelena stood there, staring at the Sentry as the darkness continued to eat away the city. Y/n turned, noticing that the blonde was nowhere near them. She looked over her shoulder, immediately feeling a wave of fear over here. Even if it was Yelena that left and walked away from their relationship, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if anything happened to her. 

“Yelena!” Y/n shouted, walking towards her. “What are you doing?” 

“Lena!” Alexei shouted, watching at the y/h/c run towards his daughter. 

The darkness got closer to the blonde, she stopped in front of it and looked upward, listening to her girlfriend and father calling out for her. Yelena took a deep breath, lifting her foot to get sucked into the void but instead, she was quickly pulled back. She fell to the ground in surprise, confused on who pulled her out. Y/n stood in front of her with her back to the darkness as she stared into the green eyes that always put her at ease. 

She remembered when she met Yelena. Y/n’s first mission with Valentina and Yelena’s first mission with a partner. First partner after Natasha, that is. The blonde despised her, but Y/n was always in trance with her. Her eyes were what captivated her since she sat across from her on that train in Romania. Alexei grabbed onto the blonde as she kicked and shouted for the y/h/c, watching as the love of her life got surrounded by darkness, turning into nothing but a shadow. 

yelena taglist: @imfuckinggenius @yelenabelovasbxtch @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @ilovewinter101 @s1ut4nat @nebulablakemurphy @theshippergal @kacka84 @an-evergreen-rose @wandaswifeyforlifey @loomontoia @zombies1ayea @baylegend6 @twentyonetornmyheart @screechcat @bi-narystars

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Thunderbolts*

Remember when films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a theme? Not musically, but a thematic core. Whether it was a political thriller, a heist film, martial arts epic or even an 80's B-Movie throwback. During phases 1 - 3, there was a consistent collection of different types of Marvel films and I truly have missed that type of storytelling. Recently those type of stories are far and between, but thanks to this film I think we're finally heading back into the right direction. What I truly appreciated with this film was that it was about the misfits and sort of C list tier of characters that I have come to love, but never thought of them as leaders in a film. Some more than most had the chance to be fleshed out in a TV series or spin-off film, but here they all get a chance to shine. Yeah there is the standard action sequences we all love about these films, but it was the story around them that gave it all purpose. It was a more grounded story about relationships, the internal struggle of finding worth in life and the turmoil one face with mental health. This was a massive therapy session for each character and it worked so well.

Florence Pugh returns as Yelena Belova and she is fantastic as expected. She takes the character on a more nihilistic journey in the beginning as she begins to wrestle with her inner struggle to find purpose in life. Even though she takes down targets around the world, it was a very relatable commentary on the mundane and by the numbers nature of a 9 to 5 job. The emotional peaks she goes through as she deals with the estranged relationship she has with her father was touching. David Harbour also returns as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian and he was more boisterous than ever before. He loves to have a great time in battle and he loves teamwork, but the real depth of the character comes out when he is with Yelena. Their relationship was explored even further and you see the much needed connection between them begin to reform. Sebastian Stan continues to shine as Bucky Barnes and I liked that he had to face being a more public figure with his dry and awkward press work. The dichotomy between being a politician and a natural rogue hero is explored with him and that was fun. Wyatt Russell continues to be the fun, arrogant jerk that John Walker / U.S. Agent is. He was a man of action instead of patience as he still holds on to his "glory days" as a the former, government appointed, Captain America. There was more going on in his personal life and it shows how that facade he pushes forward as a coping mechanism. Hannah John-Kamen gets a lot more to do this time around as Ava Starr / Ghost. It has been a while since we've seen her and I liked that she had more than just her powers to give to the group. At times, she was the more tactical one to Walker's shoot first personality. As a team, they are dysfunctional as they battle their own individual demons, but that was a bonding point for them. The trauma bonding was real and it truly was the core of the team.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was cunning and wicked as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The manipulation game she plays with the Thunderbolts* was annoyingly astounding. I loved that she was always one step ahead of everyone even when she was about to lose. Her political battle with Congress was a more twisted version of Tony Stark's hearing in Iron Man 2 which was fantastic. Geraldine Viswanathan was great as her assistant Mel and I was glad that she was more involved than most would expect. She gave the fun perspective of a not so corrupted soul working for a very bent person. Her scenes were fun and I loved her pleading with Bucky as everything started to get too real. Lewis Pullman does the most work in the film as Bob Reynolds / Sentry / Void. As Bob he was a breathe of fresh air as he awkwardly enters this world of heroes and anti-heroes. I loved his childlike innocence, but he truly shines once you get to his backstory. As I said before, the film tackles trauma and mental health in a grounded and somewhat fantastical way. I loved that he was constantly at odds with himself as he discovers his newly acquired powers. Pullman truly delivers an emotionally charged performance as you get an intimate look into the characters' past and Pullman portrays that pain so well in his eyes.

The score by Son Lux was fun and bombastic in the best way. The desert sequences were a highlight as you get the more heroic themes. The third act of the film truly comes alive with darker, somewhat gothic and heartbreaking tones as the real battle within the minds of certain characters. Visually, the film is stunning as it moves away from the shiny nature of the "Marvel look". It was grittier and not afraid of the more moody lighting. Its been a while since Marvel has had a challenging film to come out that was focused on a central thematic element. This might be a new favorite Marvel film and I would love to revisit it. Of course stay for both end credit scenes as we head into the next MCU event film on the horizon. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[adamwatchesmovies]

Thunderbolts* (2025)

I’ve been feeling the MCU slump. Even with my comic book reading giving me a pre-disposition towards the characters, several films in a row just didn’t do it for me and my enthusiasm was waning. I heard good things about some of the shows but just haven’t been able to make time for them. I started missing more and more of the releases, which made me sad. There was a time when I wouldn’t just see superhero movies once in the theater, I’d go see them multiple times and I missed that time. I heard Thunderbolts* was the strongest entry in a while and made the effort to go see it. I’m glad I did. That fire I thought had died out? It’s back!

CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) faces impeachment as the O.X.E. Group’s numerous superhuman development projects have come to light. To destroy the incriminating evidence against her and get rid of anyone who might testify in front of Congress, she has been calling upon multiple mercenary agents. When Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell) and Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) stumble upon one of O.X.E.’s test subjects, Bob (Lewis Pullman), they realize de Fontaine wants to dispose of them as well and reluctantly decide to band together.

Thunderbolts* is comparable to James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Even with Bob “assisting” and Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) coming in to help the team, we’re talking about mismatched turncoats who previously didn’t care who they took down as long as they got paid. That’s no one’s definition of “heroic”. While some have superhuman abilities, everyone on this team essentially (aside from Ghost and Bob) boils down to discount versions of Captain America, or Black Widow. They’re disposable to de Fontaine and to an extent, to the MCU as well; Red Guardian is probably the fan-favorite and his movie was released straight to Disney+ because of the pandemic. Their "C-tier" status makes you wonder if their adventure might be too much to handle for some.

The biggest difference between this film and its DC “counterpart” is the direction. For better or worse, James Gunn’s fingerprints are all over The Suicide Squad and you see his influence in the humour and violence. Director Jake Schreier might not have a distinct style but I may like his movie a bit better. It’s amazing, for instance, that Thunderbolts* is not rated R, but never feels like it's pulling its punches. The action is satisfying, particularly when Bucky Barnes/The Winter Solider (Sebastian Stan) comes into play. I’d forgotten how exciting combat with him could be. In no time, you’re deeply endeared towards the characters despite - and because of – their flaws. Whether the characters could ever be friends is debatable, but they feel like a solid team just waiting to happen.

There are a lot of characters in Thunderbolts* and naturally, some get more screen time and development than others. Luckily, de Fontaine gets a lot of attention. I’d pick her as the most exciting villain we’ve had in the MCU in a long time because she’s dangerous for multiple reasons and has a frighteningly real viewpoint on what's "right" and "wrong". As for the “heroes”, Red Guardian, Bob and Yelena are the ones who get the most fleshing out. Black Widow's younger sister is the one most deserving of the title “main character”, while the other two are responsible for the most laughs. Their relationship plays a big part in the finale. Even if you know some of the movie’s secrets because you’re familiar with the source material, that conclusion is intense. I have to applaud the screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo for the way it manages to develop the characters, build them as a team and introduce high stakes simultaneously during that final act.

Thunderbolts* ended its theatrical run with a disappointing number of tickets sold, which means a lot of people will kick themselves for not seeing it on the big screen once they catch it on Disney+. It’s hugely crowd-pleasing while also offering a good mix of dark scenes, action and humor. The villain is a standout, the main cast leave you eager to see more and for me, it sparks a strong desire to go back and "do the homework" to get the full experience. I didn’t see Captain America: Brave New World, Black Widow or Falcon & the Winter Soldier but now, I want to. I doubt they’ll be as good as this film, but it’s so much fun to be excited to see the next Marvel project. I'm eager to visit my "old friends" again. I'm looking forward to scrutinizing the post-credit scenes to get a glimpse of what's coming next. I was excited for Thunderbolts* but didn't expect to love it as much as I did. (Theatrical version on the big screen, June 9, 2025)

[le-chevre-marvel]

PB - Log #4

Loading… Initializing Connection Sequence… Loading Data… Creating Save File… Done!

Beep, boop. I am PBMS—Poisson Bélier Monitoring System—and also known as PB and Peanut Butter to the average human.

I monitor and assist my master: [Jacques C. Renard] and those he cares most about. Current care list in terms of priority: [Yelena Belova, Robert Reynolds, James Buchanan Barnes, Daksh Kumar, Yelena Belova’s Guinea Pig, Alexei Shostakov, Agastya Kumar, John Walker, Ava Starr]

Note on master’s health: Master’s Current Emotion: [Confusion] Stage of Hepatic Failure: Stage 1 He is confused regarding his place in the world. More information is needed to make a complete entry.

[emily-axford]

#the superdad struggle

[courtofmuses-archive]

@russiasredguardian cont. [x]

There was something he wasn’t telling her, something he was holding back. Natalia knew him even if they hadn’t been together in several decades. Some things about people never changed - such as demeanor and aura. Alexei may have been able to convince and persuade other people but not her. Never her. 

She also knew better than to push too hard about what it was Alexei was keeping under wraps. 

It was early morning, the sun just starting to peek over the horizon and since she was a light sleeper the moment Alexei had stirred she’d become alert. It was warm in the bed and she was disappointed to loose the warmth of Alexei next to her. Natalia still wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to this point...again...but she wasn’t going to question it. It was still a fragile thing. 

Fingers toying with his necklace, she smiled faintly as he kissed her brow. “A few hours? I guess I can deal with that.” It wasn’t as though she didn’t have things she needed to get done, and since she was awake already she could get an early start. She’d recently started taking jobs as a private investigator because it was what she was good at. Why deny her skill set? 

Releasing the necklace, she propped herself on her elbows and watched as he moved about the room. “I have some recon to do anyway. Want to meet later for lunch?” It felt so mundane to ask him something like that but she was hoping that maybe - just maybe - he would let her in on his secret.

[chaosrisingverse]

YING LIU, twenty

ALIAS | Grey Widow

FAMILY | Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (adoptive father), Melina Vostokoff aka Iron Maiden (adoptive mother), (siblings tba)

ENDGAME SHIP | Priscilla LaShayla ‘Shay’ Smith

ORIENTATION | lesbian, cis woman

POWERS / ABILITIES / EQUIPMENT

POWERS | Enhanced Durability, Enhanced Immune System,  Enhanced Longevity, Peak Human Endurance, Peak Human Healing, Peak Human Reflexes, Peak Human Speed, Peak Human Stamina, Peak Human Strength (via Artificially-Enhanced Physiology)

ABILITIES | Bio-Chemisty, Graceful Dancer, Master Acrobat, Master Assassin, Master Martial Artist, Master Spy, Multilingual, Talented Hacker, Weapons Expert (via the Red Room Academy’s Black Widow OPs program), Figure Skating, Genius Level Intellect

EQUIPMENT | pair of gauntlets that act similarly to Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow’s, also owns a Black Widow OPs suit (suit is a medium grey with lighter and darker grey accents)

FACECLAIM | Dai Meng

PINTEREST | Ying

[formerfirstson]

❝ You’re always so dramatic. ❞ ( from alexei ; oop first fight? )

catws sentences status: accepting from: @crimsonfive

"Am I being dramatic? Really" TJ repeated raising his voice, locking his gaze on Alexei. Cold and incredulous. Sometimes he felt the other man didn't quite understand what being with him emcompassed. Or maybe Alexei sincerely didn't care TJ was a Senator —and that was both a curse and a blessing. "You have no idea what's at stake for me. For my career. My family. You get to walk away if this blows out. I don't." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to stay calm. It wasn't helping much.

"I'd be the one getting crucified because my chauffeur couldn't keep his hands to himself." Was TJ being a selfish asshole? Most definitely. But he hadn't came this far to let it all go to waste for whatever their relationship was. Not matter how much he wanted it.  "You gotta stop doing that in public."

[incorrectyelenat]

Yelena: this is my gf natasha she’s badass and powerful and i love her

Natasha: this is my gf yelena she’s intelligent and beautiful and i love her

Melina: this is Alexei. he smells

Alexei:

[wayward-persephone]

Character List:

>I'm always open for more character suggestions!<

Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett (X-Men Franchise)

Gabriel Van Helsing (Van Healing 2004)

Victor Creed/Sabertooth (X-Men 2000)

Albert Shaw/The Grabber (The Black Phone)

Arthur Harrow (Moon Knight)

Edward Dalton (Daybreakers )

Ellison Oswalt (Sinister)

Goodnight Robicheaux (The Magnificent Seven)

James Sandin (The Purge)

Ray Harris (Raymond and Ray)

Russell Millings (Adopt a Highway)

Troy Dyer (Reality Bites)

Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

I also write group preferences 😉

Prompts:

(These are just suggestions! Feel free to send in your own or if you just wanna talk headcanons ☺️)

NSFW Alphabet List

Kink Prompt List

A/B/O Prompt List

Dirty Prompt List

Spicy Prompt List

Kinktober 2022 Masterlist

Masterlist

What I Will NOT Write For:

Self harm

Dom!reader

Angst

Anal sex/Pegging

Su!c!dal thoughts

Other:

My Reddit Videos

I have no decency so nothing is too filthy 😈

I love writing about the Omegaverse (and honestly any other Alternative Universe 😏)

I mostly prefer writing smut/romance over anything else ❤

I also prefer only writing for femReader 🤷🏼‍♀️ it's just easier

My inbox open even if you just want to chat about these characters 😊

[ao3feed-peterparker]

curriculum vitae | c. moon

by paxbananzas

Kill a few hundred people for Hydra, and suddenly everyone wants to give her a job. Go figure.

~ : : ~

All Cindy wants to do is survive her senior year and forget about the last five years of her life with Hydra. Of course, disastrous field trips, covert meetings, irritating therapists, and continual recruitment pitches sort of start to ruin that. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine wants her with the Thunderbolts. Jimmy Woo is starting an all Asian super-team, and he only has one member (so far). Nick Fury is still hanging on to that old ball and chain called SHIELD. And Hydra wants to retrieve their star assassin, and will do anything to draw her back into their clutches.

And Cindy? Cindy just wants to find her missing family. The problem is, who can find the Moons the fastest? And even then, would she really trust anyone to do the job right?

That’s a question she doesn’t know the answer to.

Words: 4179, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Silk (Comics), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F, F/M

Characters: Cindy Moon, Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones, Peter Parker, Helen Cho, Bruce Banner, Everett Ross, Bobbi Morse, Thaddeus Ross, Sam Wilson, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, James "Bucky" Barnes, Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff, Pepper Stark, Happy Hogan, Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, John Walker, Alexei Shostakov, Melina Vostokoff, Ava Starr, Antonia Dreykov, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Shang-Chi, Xu Xialing, Jennifer Walters, Jimmy Woo

Relationships: Cindy Moon/Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Lola/Rafferty (Silk), Bruce Banner/Helen Cho

Additional Tags: SHIELD, Hydra, Thunderbolts (team), Agents of Atlas - Freeform, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Violence, triggering themes, Cindy Moon is Silk, Cindy Moon has a Lot of Job Offers, Cindy Moon was a Hydra Assassin

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/41890101

[mirrorsrpg]

There has been a shift in the mirror. A translucent application for ALEXEI SHOSTAKOV, 62, CANON has been ACCEPTED! Congratulations C, welcome to the world of Mirrors🪞

[le-chevre-marvel]

PB - Log #3

Loading… Initializing Connection Sequence… Loading Data… Creating Save File… Done!

Beep, boop. I am PBMS—Poisson Bélier Monitoring System—and also known as PB and Peanut Butter to the average human.

I monitor and assist my master: [Jacques C. Renard] and those he cares most about. Current care list in terms of priority: [Yelena Belova, Robert Reynolds, James Buchanan Barnes, Daksh Kumar, Yelena Belova’s Guinea Pig, Alexei Shostakov, Agastya Kumar, John Walker, Ava Starr]

Note on master’s health: Master’s Current Emotion: [Comfort] Stage of Hepatic Failure: Stage 1 He is surprisingly comfortable today. I cannot exactly determine why. His blood alcohol level is 0.00 BAC.