11206/Take me out to the ballgame!

Take me out to the ballgame!
Date of Scene:	28 May 2022
Location:	Yankee Stadium
Synopsis:	The exhibition game was a success! No one died, and no one invaded. It was just a baseball game... that was watched by millions of people.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Tony Stark, Sara Pezzini, T'Challa, Carol Danvers, Robbie Reyes, Gabby Kinney, Scott Lang, Janet van Dyne, Cael Becker, Steve Rogers

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Pepper Potts has posed:
Take me out to the ballgame!

Yankee Stadium is packed to capacity today; tickets for this exhibition game went quickly the moment they went on sale. Scalpers walk the filled parking lot, looking for those unlucky enough to not have gotten in, but hopeful enough that there are some tickets still 'available'. Online ticket sales via the auction houses have drawn spirited battles, with the net prices well exceeding what the face value is by at least a tenfold.

Cries of old-style, 'Peanuts! Get your red hot peanuts!' rise in the air by the barkers, hearkening to those days that might conjure fond memories of the likes of America's Captain, and Bucky. Likewise, 'Popcorn! Buttered popcorn right here!' exhortations fill in the seconds of silence as the peanut vendors draw breath.

The levels are filled shoulder to shoulder with visitors to the stadium. Some wear their Yankees tunics, with names emblazoned on them, players both current and of old. Yet others wear their Avengers memorabilia, whether it's a hat, a scarf, or a home-made shirt with a face of their favorite shining through.

It's an exhibition game with the proceeds from both sides going to charity that is meant to draw such a huge crowd, but this? This has exceeded expectations. The Avengers vs the New York Yankees.

The agreement is, no powers. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just two teams fielding, evenly matched.. for the most part. Numbers are favoring the Yankees, of course, as both the hometown favorites AND the fact they're professional ball players.

Can't count the Avengers out, however?

As the time for game to begin approaches, two figures walk onto the field. The crowds in the stands begin to quiet where only seconds before, it was a constant noise, marked by the yelling here and there. Both are extremely well known to everyone with the stadium, and to the millions that are watching it on their televisions at home, at school or in the sports bars around the country. One is the Owner of the New York Yankees, and the other? Iron Man himself, Tony Stark. To see them, the stands go from silent to an outburst of shouting, clapping, and setting off air horns in excitement.

Oh yes.. NYPD is out in force tonight, too?

3 Months ago:

In the middle of a thousand things to do, Pepper needs a moment to breathe. Phone calls with subsidiaries around the world, working with suppliers that are having difficulty getting what it is they need to continue supplying, and taking down dates and times of openings, meetings and galas for their 'social' calendar is time consuming. Leaning back to take a sip of her still warm coffee, the chair allows for something of a recline as she kicks off her heels for that secondary respite. The muting of the television in the 'outer' office helps with the 30 seconds of peace. It's in those 30 seconds that she strikes upon an idea.

Leaning forward in her seat, it's only one, two phone calls in order to float the plan, and then?

"Hal, it's Pepper." The phone is held to her ear; this isn't the sort of call to take via speakerphone. Rising from her seat, she smiles as she begins the pace of her office. "I've got a great idea, and I think you're going to love it too?"
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Tony Stark has posed:
Tony, wearing an Avengers baseball uniform and a backwards black ballcap with a silver A and circle, walks side by side with the ballclubs owner. No stranger to the lime-light, Iron Man hoists his hand up in the air to wave at the shouting fans as they make their way down towards the Home-plate Umpire to do the ceremonial coin flip. "Well, this is either a brilliant idea or it's going to make the Avengers look like a bunch of ding-bats, but either way... should be one hell of a show!"

Once they've arrived, Tony reaches up and taps a finger against a small device on the side of his jaw, linking a microphone to the speakers in the stadium so everyone can hear him clearly, "Thank you everybody for coming out today, it's going to be a heck of a show. But before we get started, all proceeds for this exibition are going to relief funds for peoples displaced, harmed, or financially affected by mass cassualties whether domestic, extratorrestrial, or supernatural." When the crowd lights up with applause, Tony nods a few times and holds a hand up, trying to get their attention back on him for a second.

"Furthermore, I'll be matching dollar for dollar. Call it an early birthday gift FROM me. What do you even get a guy who has everything?" Someone with seats behind home-plate shouts A tax write off! Tony laughs and points towards him, "Exactly. But seriously, everyone enjoy the show and thank you all for coming."

The applause kicks up again and the microphine feed is killed with another tap of two fingers. "Alright, let's get this show started." The Umpire shows them both the coin, turns it over, and then points to the owner You call it. Heads.

When it lands on heads, Hal points to Tony, indicating they'll be up to bat first. Home-field advantage and all that.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sporting the newest in Avenger baseball uniforms, her hair pulled up into a ponytail that sticks out the back of the cap, Sara makes her way onto the field with the other Avengers who have chosen to participate in this event. Being a New Yorker, she loved baseball and the Yankees, it was almost a requirement, so when the chance to be a part of this presented itself, she had to do it.

Waiting for the coin toss in the dugout, the Avenger's batting first meant she switched from the baseball cap to the batting helmet. It had been a very long time since she played a game of baseball, and now here she was easing back into playing by most likely embarrassing herself in front of the Yankee and most of the countrys. Go team!

T'Challa has posed:
While baseball is not a sport that is popular or commonplace in Wakanda, it holds some similarities to cricket, versions of which have been played by some in the African nation. T'Challa's own travels around the world have exposed him to a variety of sports, including both, and he has played enough of this and that to prove his athleticism and natural ability.

"Did someone make this jersey a size too small?" he questions in amusement, glancing down at it. It's certainly stylish, and he wears the same hat as the others, just properly rather than the Ken Griffey Jr. style Tony Stark is going with.

There is the full uniform, with the pants worn high to show off the stirrups, and cleats. He's elected to cover center field for this. "It sounds like it will be a good night, no matter what."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Up in the stands, the crowds are mostly in their seats, though late arriving fans are still moving down to find their spots, or other people are returning from trips to the various concessions stands.

Among them is a young woman in a suit that stands out. Captain Marvel's uniform the last year or two has been her Kree Starforce one, and so that's what she wore, along with an Avengers baseball cap, while signing autographs and taking pictures with people out on the concourse. Proceeds, matched by Tony Stark, going to the charity effort.

For now though it's time for Carol to go sit and enjoy the game, as she's not going to take part on the field. Harder for her to not use her strength, and while the fans might enjoy seeing a baseball hit to New Jersey, it wouldn't fit the spirit of the game.

Her uniform shimmers and changes shape, leaving appearing to wear jeans, a T-shirt with Captain America's logo on it, and her hat she had on previously. She makes her way down to where a few seats have been set aside for Avengers and other connected people. "Yo, I'll take one of those," she calls once seated, waving towards a beer vendor, who passes the beer down the row, while Carol passes back some money.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Well, on the one hand, sports are definitely Robbie Reyes's jam. Having grown up in a first generation Mexican-American family, icons like Fernando Valenzuela and Miguel Cabrera were common household names. On the other hand.. agreeing to be the 'face' of the Avengers for an afternoon makes him all kinds of uncomfortable.

He's got on one of the team jerseys, a ballcap pulled on backwards over his dark hair, and he's pacing the dugout currently like a restless cat while waiting for the batting order to be decided. As the team's pitcher, he isn't planning on going up to bat, but it doesn't mean he shouldn't keep himself limber.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Seats? For a baseball game? Avengers versus Yankees? When the tickets were offered, Gabby jumped at it. Not necessarily because she was a baseball fan--In fact she's quick to be the first to admit that she's never even SEEN a game before--But because Avengers. And that meant Captain America, right? One could hope.

"So ... what do we do? I mean watch obviously but. Is there like... Traditions? I know about hotdogs!" She gushes quickly as she spots one of the many hot dog vendors going around along with the peanut and popcorn guy. Leaning up out of her seat she rests her hands on the railing to get a really, really good look at all going on the field, as well as the stands with a broad grin. She'd put on her Authentic Captain America Fanclub t-shirt though she had given on on buying a baseball cap from one of the vendors on the way in.

When Carol makes her way over she brightens, and raises her hand to wave enthusiastically at the woman. "Captain Danvers, hi! It's been ages!" A few years to be precise, and she'd grown a bit, but it was hard to miss someone with a scarred face who claims to be Wolverine's daughter.

Scott Lang has posed:
Perched in the dugout with a wad of something in his cheek, Scott Lang is standing and watching everything unfold with the same sort of wide-eyed expression he had when he first found himself working with the Avengers. For a kid who grew up in Florida near the spring training location of the New York Yankees, he had always had a certain fondness for them, even after adopting the Giants in his hometown of San Francisco. And of course, they were THE YANKEES. Just like the Avengers were at the top of the world's food chain of super hero groups (he would contend, although several may disagree), they sat at the top of the history of baseball.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"T'challa, don't ask dumb questions unless you want dumb answers," Janet quips into the headsets. She's down in the dugout, wearing an Avenger's baseball uniform that is as tailor-fitted as everyone else's. The socialite has one foot propped up on the dugout's concrete lip and a tablet balanced on her knee, and a baseball cap on her head worn tilted backwards so her sunny-faced disposition is always available for the cameras. "Looks like... they're pitching with Cole, and Torres on the shortstop. Guys watch out for those double-plays," Janet says into the headsets again. "They're pretty quick with the turnarounds."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I have to admit - I've only been to a single baseball game," Cael answers Gabby wryly. "I watched the Phoenix Prospectors. I- ...don't even think they're a thing anymore." But there's doubt in her tone - she's not even certain. "We spent more time talking, and sharing a single tub of popcorn, than watching the game."
    Like Carol, she waves down the beer vendor, passing over some money, and taking her drink with a look of obvious satisfaction. "I mean, there were cheers, and chants, and people were doing 'the wave.' You just sorta... do what the people around you are doing." Or don't. She pretty much... didn't, at the time.
    She was undecided about how closely she wants to follow the 'script' of a baseball fan today.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    It's a stunner this wasn't /Steve's/ idea, but everyone has to know he went right along with it as soon as Pepper came up with the idea. Playing baseball? At Yankee Stadium? In front of a crowd, for charity? Aside from that last bit, it's something Steve's boyhood dreams were made of.

    He's dressed in his own Avengers uniform, and grins at T'Challa. "You heard the lady," he says in response to Janet's quip. And then lowers his voice and adds, "I hear they call it 'fan service,' though." He is not saying this in front of the crowds. He has a reputation to maintain, after all.

    Then he looks around at everyone else in the dugout. "Alright, let's give the people a good show. And have fun! If we're having fun, they'll be able to tell."

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's a hustle. The Yankees are obviously excited to be playing opposite the Avengers; selfies are grabbed whenever they can by the players themselves, with requests for autographs for their kids.

Nestled in their dugout for the coin toss, all eyes are on the field, and as it goes into the air, they all start clapping from their spots in unison. The moment it lands and the announcement is made, they begin to make their way out to the field when ready.

If the Avengers feel like they're outmatched? The Yankees are pretty much in awe of them, too. So, it may be more even matched than perhaps earlier thought.

Heading to the field, the familiar names are called over the loudspeaker.. and with each name, the player runs to their respective position. First base, second, shortstop.. and the crowd goes wild with the announcement for the pitcher.

Play ball!!

As the team takes their places, there's a moment when they all find their center, and as everything settles back to a dull roar, the sounds of the ballpark can be heard, calls of encouragement to their pitcher rising.

The crowds fall more to a background hum, the stadium obviously is enrapt with the game. The Jumbotrons flicker past faces in the crowd; fathers with their kids on their shoulders, college students, every age range possible and every segment of the population of NYC and beyond is in.

***

For the organizer? Pepper is dressed in her own Avengers' jersey, her red hair up in a pony tail. She's looking very non-descript, blending in with the small entourage. Steve's encouragement gains a smile from her, and her eyes follow Tony's progress back off the field. It's going to be a great game!

T'Challa has posed:
"We will give them a show, then," T'Challa states, watching Tony but also speaking toward Janet and the rest nearby as he grabs a bat and puts a helmet on. Fans know him as the King of Wakanda, but also as the Black Panther, and while there was an agreement not to use powers, his abilities work somewhat differently. As he is announced, reactions are mixed. No boos, mind, but a blend of curiosity and excitement, with some murmurs going up as those in attendance realize actual royalty is participating in this.

As he walks to the plate and digs in, batting right-handed, speculation rises. Will he make contact? Will he hit a home run? The Yankees pitcher is one of the best in the game. Surely he will have some tricks to make the Avenger look silly.

Instead, T'Challa squares around for a drag bunt just as the pitch leaves Cole's hand, and ball meets bat to bounce down the third base line. He runs for first, easily as fast as a sprinter, if not more, and the throw isn't even close to getting him.

This was unexpected, and the reaction from the crowd shows it as voices multiply. Now Cole's thinking about this, and after a couple throws to first, T'Challa breaks for second on the next pitch, easily swiping it with a headfirst slide. Some of the older Yankees fans start to bring up Rickey Henderson, especially when the King takes third on another pitch! Now, Cole is really paying attention to him, stepping off, faking a throw, but on the next pitch to the plate, the King of Wakanda would make Jackie Robinson himself proud as he times it just right and slides in to cross home just before the tag can be attempted!

Tony Stark has posed:
"Okay, I've fulfilled my contractual field obligation, but you guys... You heard Steve, have fun!" Tony says as he comes down into the dugout clapping. After T'Challa heads to the plate, Tony looks over at the lone... not Avenger, and thumbs up onto the field, "Happy, get up there buddy, you're standing in for me."

Happy, who thought he was just going to be here for his usual morale support and security detail, looks both shocked and outright bewildered.. "Huh? Really?" Tony nods and thumbs up over his shoulder, "Get up there you ol'rascal." Doing a little shadow box punch at his stomach when Happy walks past him, sending him on his way.

"Whoa! Alright, let's see who can follow that leadoff bunt by the Avengers! Tony St- huh? Oh, last minute sub in.. Happy.. Hogan? Happy Hogan!"

Most of the crowd have no idea who that is, because he certainly isn't an Avenger. "Who?" Says one little kid, "I have no idea..." Says his dad, but do you think that's got Happy less pleased? Negative. Nope... He waves as if he's been drafted to, ironically enough, the Yankees. Looking like a wiener swinging two bats to warm up his arms as he heads for the plate.

He has on the same uniform as everyone else on the team, but his has an adorable little security badge hanging from the lapel. "Holy crap, you're Jose Trevino... I'm a huge fan.." He's so busy chatting up the catcher that he doesn't even see the fastball wizz past him... "STRIKE..." He double, tripple, and quadruple takes. "It doesn't look that fast on TV.."

Now ready, he's swishing the bat around and swings hard as another pitch crash across the plate. Low and away. "STRIKE TWO..." Two fingers tug at his jersey, hand out to the pitcher, clearly hamming this up for everything, Catcher hurling the ball out to third trying to catch T'Challa! How often does he get to bat against the Yankees, much less with the King of Wakanda running the bases like he owns them?

When the third pitch comes in, he swings.. and he got piece of it! It's flying up the third base line with Happy taking off at, reasonably modest, sprint towards first! The third baseman snatches it up and side arm throws it towards first, since T'Challa is already at home plate by the time it's even caught.

Happy launches into the air like a missile, hits the dirt at an angle, and slides into first.

The crowd is less mixed about this than the trio of stolen bases... and understandy! A dude just slid into first... there's a lot of laughs, a few cat calls, and one Tony Stank (dammit now I'm doing it) laughing and clapping for his pal! "Yeah buddy! Get them knees dirty!" With his designer glasses and backwards cap, Tony nods to Scott, "Alright, bring'em home. Let's get a nice comfortable lead so I can start drinking!"

Scott Lang has posed:
Placing a helmet on his head, Scott Lang takes a deep breath. "It's ok, Scott. You can do this." He picks up a bat and strides out towards the plate as the stadium starts blasting "Goody Two Shoes" over the loudspeakers. He grins a bit at his selection of walk-up music, and nods to both the catcher and umpire as he takes up his stance. "Gentleman."

He digs in with his cleats, and turns slowly to watch the pitcher. He chokes up, and brings the bat back, preparing for the pitch. The pitcher winds up and delivers a fastball. It should be a little high, but somehow when it crosses the place, it is at Scott's shoulders. "BALL!" cries the umpire.

The pitcher tilts his head as the catcher tosses it back, and then shrugs. He eyes the plate, winds up, and delivers a fastball, seemingly right down the middle and a bit low, but not too low. "BALL!" cries the umpire, as the ball passes just below Scott's knees. The catcher is the one to tilt his head now, and Scott just sort of shrugs, absently taking a test swing as the catcher tosses back to the pitcher.

The pitcher gets into his stance, and rolls the ball around in his fingers. He winds up and delivers a fastball at the upper edge of the strike zone. Or is it? "BALL!" The catcher and pitcher exchange glances.

"Time!" calls the catcher, who trots out to the pitcher to have a brief exchange on the mound. Scott looks back to the Avengers' dugout and just kind of shrugs, giving a goofy grin to the rest of his team. The catcher moves back, looks up at Scott, and then settles down behind the plate.

The pitcher focuses his attention, swirls the ball around, winds up, and delivers a wicked sinker. It flies with perfect execution, sinking down just before it crosses the batter's box and then sinking down to clip the bottom of the strike zone. Except, of course, it goes past Scott's shins. The catcher looks up at confusion at the 6'8" frame of Scott Lang as the umpire calls "BALL FOUR". Scott shrugs, and trots towards first base, tossing his bat towards the dug-out. He does, however, offer a wink towards his team as he hops onto the bag.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol Danvers settles into her seat. "Gabby! It's been awhile, yes," she says, obviously remembering the young woman. "How are you doing?"

Carol gets her beer, and passes Cael's over to her as the glass is sent down the row, passing from hand to hand until it makes it to them. "Do you want a soda or a hot dog or something?" Carol asks Gabby. "It's kind of part of the experience. Buying food that is 3x as expensive as normal. Don't ask me to explain," she says with a chuckle.

Cael gets a nod from Carol of greeting. The blond takes a sip and then turns towards the field as the action starts. Like everyone else, she cheers T'Challa's sports heroics. And does her best not to laugh too hard at Happy sliding into base. "I might go for a hot dog as well. They have foot longs. Chili dogs, all sorts of stuff," she says.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"There's a joke about Scott Lang's balls here, and I'm way too classy of a bitch to make it," Janet opines to the others. She doesn't look at all upset by Scott's use of his abilities; then again, this is a woman who cheats pretty regularly at everything from poker to Monopoly. She instead applauds and whistles from the dugout as Scott takes his base.

"Great run, T, way to bring home the bacon," she says, and swings her tablet at T'challa's well-toned rear as he passes by heading into the dugout. "Now that Tony's made Happy's dream of Yankee's Fantasy Camp come true... Sara, get out there and tear the cover off that ball," she directs Pezzini. "Do Brookyln proud."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The newest member of the Avenger team, the Witchblade isn't all that well known, and thankfully Sara is even less known. She has no super abilities, no powers, no extras. The entirely of her abilities came from Witchblade, and today he was just a bracelet on her right wrist. Being the newest to the team didn't change the crowds cheers as she walks to the base with bat in hand. Major league baseball was still not a sport women participated in, whether that was League rules or just a lack of interested athletes she didn't know. She remembered the movie 'League of Their Own' so she knew that there was a time... but that time had passed.

What she expected to happen when the first pitch came her way was for Witchblade to panic and destroy her new uniform, so she didn't swing and the call was a, "Ball!"

Her uniform still intact, she took a steady breath, leveled the bat and readied for the second pitch. Swing and a miss. "Strike One!"

"Son of a... that's fast," she mutters, cracking her neck and stepping back to the plate. She had it now, the speed, the angle.

Third pitch, swing and the ball goes flying right over the pitcher's head. Sara makes a sprint for first base, praying as she goes that Scott goes for second, and Happy moves on to Third.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney tilts her head toward Cael while the woman explains just a bit about how to properly react while spectating a baseball game. Her gaze again flits over the crowd when told to just 'follow along', but thankfully so far there wasn't much going on that she needed to immitate. Plus. Someone mentioned food.

Leaning back into her seat, which she kneels on in that teenage fashion of those who have no sense of pain for the future, she grins over at Carol in return. "Oh hell yes, hotdogs are my jam. I met Spiderman once and he introduced me to this really great hotdog vendor... Oh chilidog? I'll try that." As the beers are passed around her eyes inadvertantly follow the path of them before jerking away. No no, she was in public. "Maybe a rootbeer too."

But then the game really begins, with runners out on the bases, and she feels compelled to cheer along with others. "WOO! GO AVENGERS!"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael threatened to come and heckle the team - and apparently she wasn't kidding. As Sara swings, and misses, she puts her hands to her mouth and calls down to the field, "I've seen better hitters at a drug bust!" There's mischief in her smile as she follows this by offering her roomie a thumbs up. "HIT the next one, Sara!" And then the woman does - earning applause from Cael, along with a laugh. She settles back into her seat, picking up her drink for a sip, while waiting for the batter.
    "You know. This is more fun when you give a shit about the people playing."

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Steve cheers loudly for T'Challa and Happy and then frowns at Scott. "Is he...? I thought the rules were no powers." If anyone's going to be a stickler for the rules you know it's Cap. He's been thinking about how to hold back both his speed and strength all week. "Janet, are you gonna talk to--" No. No, of /course/ she isn't going to say anything. He sighs and shakes his head. At least Scott cheated to get himself a walk and not a home run.

    And then it's his turn, and he takes a deep breath before walking on out toward the plate. The crowd, predictably, goes absolutely wild; he's /Captain America/, after all. He grins and waves, kind of sheepishly, basking in the ridiculous feeling of how /great/ it is to be doing this, even though he's already who he is. He points his bat toward a couple of blondes in the stands that he recognizes, fellow Avengers and all, and then heads for the plate. He grins in a friendly manner at the catcher. A disarmingly friendly manner. He's here to win.

    The bases are loaded, he's aware of that. None of the people on have the super-speed like him and T'Challa, so he knows he has to hit hard--but not /too/ hard--to drive them all in. A couple of practice swings and he steps up to the plate. There's an expectant hush in the crowd--will Cap swing? Will he play /really/ 'fair' and let them strike him out or walk him?

    He swings at the first pitch, a slider meant to do exactly what it does, confuse Cap into swinging at the wrong time. "STRIKE!" the ump calls, and Steve grins and shrugs. "Kinda rusty," he murmurs to the catcher.

    Some quick gestures between pitcher and catcher, and the next pitch is a fastball. Steve swings, but hits the ball past the foul line. "STRIKE!" Another affable shrug from Cap. He steps back, adjusts his hat a bit, takes another couple of practice swings. The crowd's going wild. Captain America's about to /strike out/. This is crazy! There's no way!

    Evidently the pitcher decides to send Cap his fastest fastball on the third pitch--and when Cap swings there's a loud /crack/. It's not hard enough to break either bat or ball--he's holding back--but the redirected energy from the pitch is enough to send the ball easily soaring up into the stands. He stands there for a long moment watching it go, still holding his bat. That's a really amazing feeling.

    Was Cap playing for drama, or trying to fake out both pitcher and catcher? Or did he /really/ miss the first two? Hard to say, but he grins in what he might, behind closed doors, call a 'shit-eating' manner at the catcher as he tosses down his bat and starts rounding the bases.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie's not expecting to be called up, so when he's given the nod toward the pitch, he takes a moment to roll his shoulders and crack his neck, letting the adrenaline work its way through his system.

Then he jogs over to the plate, bat in his left hand, and steps up as a few murmurs go through the crowd. He's not one of the Avengers' recognisable faces. Ghost Rider, certainly, is a bit of an urban legend. But this lanky kid who looks barely old enough to drink? Just some nobody, particularly since the act he has to follow is *Captain America*, who drove hit it out of the park with the bases loaded.

He gets himself set up, taps the plate, eyes on the pitcher as he winds up.. and the fastball wings past him without a flinch. Then another. And then the last one hurtles toward him, and there's a moment where he looks like he might use those superhuman reflexes and crack it out of the air. But, nothing. Bat tossed aside, he goes for the walk instead. Well, he ain't being paid to hit, after all.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "HEY CAP!" Cael calls down from the stands. "Keep batting, that breeze feels AWESOME!"
    Why do people put up with her?

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet lets loose with a shrieking whoop of victory as Steve does all but rip the cover off the ball, hopping in the air and twirling once with that casual disregard she has for gravity at times. "Oooh, go baby, GO!" she cheers as Steve takes off jogging.

She holds her breath while Robbie swing-and-a-misses, and winces when the fastball clips the junior-most Avenger. "Oof. Good job Robbie, walk it off!" she shouts at him encouragingly. "You'll get yours back!"

Janet looks into the crowd and squints at Carol's familiar blonde hair, and takes a beat to dig her own phone out of her back pocket to text the aviatrix.

<yo gurl why u no ply??? :( :( </3>

Pepper Potts has posed:
At the end of the round, the score stands at 5 runs for the Avengers, and one on first! If nothing else, the crowd is very much aware that this is going to be a great game! The rest of the line-up goes to the 'fill ins', the Yankees not starting on the other side.

For the rest of the round, it might be a little suspect, but the first.. takes a base. Robbie's on second, Joey's on first. Isiah is up at bat.. and with a shot over to what he sees as a hole in center field, he runs and slides in at first, but by the time Joey gets to second, he's tagged.

One out.. Robbie's pushed to third. First and third.. and Kyle is up. Swing.. miss. The crowd goes wild again.. swing.. miss. That's two. Isaiah is leading.. one, two steps.. and he's back with a quick throw from Cole to first. All quiet.

Lead.. lead..

BALL!

Isiah leads again, and sprints to second, sliding hard into the base. OUT!

3 outs.

Bottom of the first, Avengers 5, Yankees are up.

***

T'Challa's home run has Pepper screaming; oh, she's going to be hoarse tonight. "Go, go!!"

Pepper watches the battings, clapping her hands, her expression light and happy. At capital H Happy's time at bat, she is also so very encouraging, reaching out, "Go, Happy. Do it. You've got this." It's that smile that he gives; the wish of a million kids coming true in the man.

She actually hops in place at Happy's hit; it's a big deal, and she calls out, "Run, Happy, run!" It's his leap and slide that causes her to pull her face away from the scene; that's gotta hurt. As the dust settles however, she's peeking, checking to see if he's okay.

Oh, thank goodness.

The others? Pepper's got her broadest smile in play, and once again she's clapping. It is true, as someone else mentioned- baseball games are best when one cares about the players. And, couple that with //being there// in the stands.

Scott's time at bat, however.. Pepper is clapping her hands supportively as the man approaches the plate. With each pitch, however, she's canting her head, hands still, her smile frozen in place. It's the walk that gets her, and she frowns briefly, shaking her head. She's not happy, and she's ready to message the first base coach to have a brief but decided 'chat' with the man.

The next few, Sara, Steve and Robbie? She couldn't be happier for them! Pepper totally understands baseball.. and she's calling out her encouragement, her support for them all.

Awww?

At the change over, Pepper is clapping her hands again, calling out, "You guys are doing amazing. They're loving it. You look great." She's so proud of them!

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol pulls out her phone and uses it to place an order for a couple of chili dogs, hot peanuts and Gabby's root beer. "Nice seats that they'll just bring it down to us. We didn't have anything like this when we'd go to Fenway," says the girl who grew up near to Boston.

Her phone buzzes and Carol checks it. She taps back to Janet: Would embarrass the local team. Boston girls don't hold back against the Yankees. Go Red Sox!

She sips here beer and cheers as the Avengers score a bunch of runs. "Off to a good start," she opines.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony is not out on the field, he's standing in the dug-out playing at Coach for the Avengers. It's on that third out, a throw to first that was so close they'd have to rewatch it in slow motion, that Tony takes to the field! "He's safe!" He's chopping his hands in the air, while the Umpire, who definitely isn't agreeing, "He's out!"

"Safe!"
"Out!"

Tony snatches his hat off and tosses it in the dirt, "Did you forget your glasses? Were you watching a different PLAY?!" He turns his foot and starts scoot kicking dirt at the umpire, "You're blind as a bat, man!" This is clearly being played up by both parties, the Umpire actually trying not to laugh. Tony having done all this just to call out Batman again.

Because seriously, why does he always get to be the hero?

"Mister Stark, with all due respect! You're out of here!" He throws his hand out in a punch towards the dug out, with Tony kicking a bit more dirt at him playfully. "Why I outta!" Squaring off at the Umpire like it's a 1800 Fist-e-cuffs match! Wiggling and ducking around one another with their heads pulled way back.

Afterwards they both laugh, slap hands and hug, and Tony is headed towards the Dugout with a wave to the crowd. "Tony Stark has been ejected from the game! Thank you, Tony. And now the Avengers will be taking the field... first at bat for the Yankees...."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Towards the end of Avenger's turn at bat, a teenaged girl with rich brown skin, red hair, and dark eyes joins Cael, sitting in the empty seat beside her - carrying a hot dog, and popcorn, and a drink. "You can't believe the line for the bathroom! AND for the concession stand - is it //always// like this? How much did I miss?" she asks, speaking with a London accent - seeming mildly dismayed to have missed part of the game.
    "No idea - but it is a sold out crowd. I was about to send out a search party for you," Cael replies, amusement on her lips. "Gabby, have you met Jon's daughter yet? This is Agnes," she remarks, introducing the two teens to one another. Returning her attention to Agnes she adds, "We can head down to the dug-out later, if you like, to meet everyone. I'm sure they won't mind."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Watching Tony ham it up to get himself kicked from the game made Sara laugh. She didn't know the man, had never formly been introduced, but he matched the personality that everyone talked about him having perfectly.

Switching the batting helmet for her cap, feeding her ponytail through the back, she grabs a mitt and prepares with the others to take the field in the first base position. So far Witchblade had remained an observer. Never having played baseball or seen a game, as it wasn't something wielders in the past had done, he was finding the whole game interesting.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
It's not long at all before the scent of freshly made hotdogs (they are fresh, right?) reach the nose of Gabby. It's mostly her nose wiggling a little as she grins broadly. "Oh the food's here!" Of course she was smelling a LOT of food. A lot a lot. This though? Well she was already hungry and thinking of it. Even after he declaration though it takes a few long moments for the food to actually GET there.

"Thanks, Carol! This is awesome. Seat-side service." One of the dogs is taken along with her rootbeer that comes in an actual cup, with ice, and a straw. No beer here but. BUT. Giant soda. Can't go wrong there.

She stops crouching on the chair seat to sink down into it, losing a bit of height in the process. The seats were good enough she could still SEE the game. Just less of her can be seen as she was only barely taller than the back of the seat when sitting. SIGH.

Thankfully there's the distraction of the redhead girl that comes to join them whom she watches thoughtfully. She wasn't familiar. Thankfully it's Cael who introduces them causing her to gulp down the first bite of her chili dog so she can offer a quick, "Oh hey! Nice to meet you, I'm Gabby! Your first game too, huh? This is my first time as well."

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa stands by while the inning comes to an end, finishing with him on deck once more. When the last out is made, Tony's outburst leads to him watching impassively, commenting dryly to his teammates, "He did promise them a show."

He switches gear in the dugout to put a glove on and jog out to center field, a plethora of cameraphones focused on him. He returns a few waves, but once he sets up in position in a partial crouch, Janet's tailoring of the uniforms is no doubt realized again.

Time to see how their own pitcher does against professional hitters.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Reyes is enjoying the relative anonymity as the other Avengers, most of them practically on par with celebrities, pause for selfies and pose with fans. He's seated in the dugout while all of this activity buzzes around him, swiping out a text message to his girlfriend. Then, as they're called up to take positions, he tells her 'gotta go <3', tosses his phone aside and grabs his glove.

The advantage, of course, of being a complete unknown entity is that nobody in the crowd, much less on the Yankees, knows what to make of him. He sure wasn't pulling anything impressive when up to bat; but the way he moves now, the ball three-fingered as he prowls up to the pitch, he's like a different animal entirely.

Once the batter's up on the plate, he's watching their catcher for the hand signal to tell him where to throw. Then he winds up and lofts a slow-rotation knuckle ball down the right that flutters when it slices into the box.

It's a swing and a miss, and he runs his tonguetip along his teeth as he considers his options for the next go. This time, he turns his hand before he throws, and sends in a sinker like a rifle shot, also a strike. The hitter cracks his third one solidly with the bat, sending the ball straight down the middle and bolting off for first.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Steve rolls his eyes and grins broadly at Tony playing it up for the crowd at the end of the inning. It's entertaining to him, too--it's part of the game, after all. Janet gets a peck on the cheek before he heads back out onto the field to play shortstop.

    He dives for the ball as it's hit and... misses, taking a facefull of dirt. /Misses/?! He scrambles to his feet, chasing down the ball and waving to the fielders if they can manage to get at it before him. Ack!

Cael Becker has posed:
    "It's nice to meet you, Gabby," Agnes says politely, before answering her question. "Well, I didn't get out much before. It doesn't seem to be as similar to cricket as I was told, though. The field's all wrong, and where's the boundry rope?" she asks with puzzlement, before taking a sip of her soda. "I'll figure it out," she declares with determination.
    Cael smiles in response, seemingly content to let the teens talk while she pulls out her phone. 'She seems to be enjoying it,' she taps out casually, sending off the text into the void, before pocketing her phone again.
    As Steve misses the catch she calls out, "Hey they killed a cow to make that glove, at least you could try to use it!" before shrugging at the look Agnes gives her. "Just trying to motivate him for our next sparring session." Yeah. Antagonize Cap before a fight - surely that's a good idea.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Steve's brushing kiss earns him a resounding swat on the rear before he can quite escape Janet's clutches to head to the infield. "God I love this game," she remarks to no one in particular-- everyone is certainly doing their part to fill out Janet's custom-made uniforms exactly the way she predicted they would. Even Robbie is likely to find out his Instagram's been inundated with new follows and friend requests just trying to sliiiide into his DMs.

"Watch those slow swings," Janet says into the headsets, and squints at the tablet in her hands. "According to my people, the Yankees like to try and feed those slow swings to throw your rhythm off. For... Judge and Rizzo, feed them some screwballs and slow risers. They don't think you can bring the heat so you might get one over them if you slip a fastball in there too."

Scott Lang has posed:
Unaware that he has earned the ire of Ms. Potts, Scott takes to the field following his successful foray into the offensive side of the game. He got to score! Which is not something he is really often able to claim. Prison has a way of making that harder. He is able to somehow escape the inning without having to actually field anything, instead merely watching and cheering on his fellow fielders. And then it is time to trot back to the dugout, and he ponders whether or not his walking trick will work a second time. Even without knowing just how much he was going to get from Ms. Potts for doing it the _first_ time, he decides it probably best not to attempt again. So, how to avoid striking out in front of a vast audience...

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Tony, don't.."

Pepper takes a couple of steps to follow him, only to stop before she gets near the white line of the official playing field. There she stands, hands entwined in front of her, looking aghast at what she's witnessing. For those who know her, there is a ghost of a smile hinting there at the edges. She knows what's going on?

"I don't.." and she throws up her hands, knowing full well that the Jumbotron is going to catch at least some of it. And it does, showing all the 'drama' from the field on giant televisions dotted around the stadium.

As Tony departs the field, Pepper reaches out for his arm and whispers something.. on the other side of that mic. Letting go once more, she smiles at him before returning her attention to the game at large, clapping her hands and calling out, "We're good!"

Pepper does catch T'challa's comment, and she twists around to catch him, the smile still plain on her face. That's not going to come off any time soon! "He did. Then again, you all are. They are loving it out in the stands."

Pepper is a fan, absolutely a fan of the game, and with ever batter, with every field play, there is no way that she's going to be disappointed, regardless how everything shakes out!

***

As the Yankees send their batters up to move, it is basically as Janet's called that they'll do. The swing short, the start the swing for a bunt, grounders as a possible bone to toss for those Avengers that aren't quite as good at fielding as they are at batting!

Tony's performance, of course, gets the desired effect. They applaud and whistle, a couple of them calling, 'Stark! Stark! Stark!' Still, there is a most decided buzz around the team. Captain America's fall earns a collective gasp from the other dugout, and they're whispering amongst themselves. The fact that they're playing against honest //royalty// doesn't escape their note, either?

It's not long, however, before sides are changed. They gained 3 runs to the Avengers' 5, and as they change sides, they're holding their hands out for a quick 'slap' of the other team. Should the Avengers respond, a cheer goes up from the audience.

"And that's the first inning!!"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Out on the field, Sara guards the first base like it's a precious treasure, which does her no good unless the runner is nearing the base and she had the ball. Just such an opportunity presents itself in the second inning. A bunt that the catcher gets and throws the ball toward her before the runner reaches the plate. It almost looked like a professional team, that is until Witchblade decides he /must/ take part in this game.

As the ball soars towards Sara, her mitt raised to catch it, the living tendrils of metal expand out from the bracelet. Shredding through the leather mitt, the tendrils form the gauntlet of Witchblade, his true form, and... catches the ball. Well, Sara caught the ball, but Witchblade would tell it differently. She wasn't entirely certain if that was cheating or not, but when the runner was in range she tagged him out and looked toward her own dugout.

"Sorry, he really wanted to be a part of this," she says into the comm, then looks around to see if she's going to have to try and convince him to go back to being a bracelet or not. After a moment of deliberation, it's suggested she get a new mitt, but decided it's not a requirement. Looks like the Avengers have a new team member.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa's next time up, the whole stadium seems to expect him to bunt again. Both corner infielders get way up on the grass in preparation for it, but this time he tries to take a swing and makes only marginal contact, popping up to the catcher himself. It shows just how difficult it is to hit the baseball well, making Steve's grand slam all the more impressive.

Once he's back in the field, he shows how that speed and agility of his is of benefit, moving like the panther he takes after to chase down a couple fly balls here and there, even running back to the center field fencing to leap up and rob none other than Aaron Judge of what seemed like a certain home run. There is enjoyment in his expression as they play, but also a competitive side that comes out. He's not so caught up in things that he can't high-five some of the opponents, or acknowledge them from his place in the outfield.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
So it turns out Reyes has got quite the arm on him, but he can't hit to save his life. After the second inning, they pull him from the batting lineup, and he's confined to the dugout for a little 'time out'. One that he's obviously not bothered by in the least; he loves this game to pieces, and he seems more than willing to play along, and let his fellow Avengers be in the spotlight.

It's the bottom of the fifth before he really lets himself shine. The crowd starts chanting his name after he throws the first two strikes, and he's flushed and nervous under that generous sprinkling of freckles as he lines up for the third toss. Two fingers tapped to his thigh, he narrows his eyes slightly and winds up, pitching a curveball to the outside that breaks a hair shy of the bat. "Out!" calls the umpire, and he cracks a dimpled grin as the crowd roars. God, he could almost get *used* to this kind of thing.

But the next inning sees him dialing it back again, letting in a couple of runs, waiting his turn in the dugout while the other Avengers go up to hit.

Scott Lang has posed:
Striding out into the batter's box, Scott offers a grin towards the catcher and then the pitcher both. "Hope your boy has a bit better control than last time," he murmurs to the catcher. The catcher shakes his head, and relays a signal to the pitcher. The wind-up comes, and this time, the pitcher is taking no chances. He delivers a fastball, straight down the middle. A perfect strike. But also, the perfect pitch to hit, if one is prepared for it.

There is not a lot to do in prison. But one of the things that there is time to do plenty of is play softball. And so Scott Lang's skills at baseball actually significantly improved during his time in the clink. Knowing that his tricks last time should result in a careful pitch, Scott just has to time his swing, and he does so perfectly!

Relying upon the speed of the fastball to do most of the work once he connects, and maybe just increasing the mass of the bat in his hands impercetibly by a smidge, there is a loud *CRACK* as the ball impacts the meat of the bat. With his follow-through, it goes deep, deep...

Another advantage of having been a Yankee fan is knowing about the short porch. By sending the ball right there into right field, he takes it just past the wall.

"BOOM!" he says, turning to grin at the catcher, before tossing his bat to the side, and taking his victory lap around the bases.

"I can die a happy man now," he murmurs to himself on the approach to home plate.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Cap's a good sport, and gives the other team high-5's and hand-slaps as they go. "Good play out there!" he says, grinning.

    Steve's next at-bat goes pretty well, seeing him hit a ground ball that lets him get on base. But when he tries to steal second, he under-judges his run, not putting /quite/ enough oomph on it to keep from getting tagged out. He slides in to second and has a moment--just a moment--where he /genuinely/ argues that he's safe, going, "No, look, I was touching the--" He takes a breath. America's watching, Cap. Shakes his head, and heads in to the dugout. He needs to take this maybe a bit less seriously.

    He makes up for it during the next half of the inning, catching balls that come his way and throwing a couple to his fellow teammates with ease. By the time they're done with their time on defense he's earned a few more spots for the highlight reel, including one time when he dives for the ball, takes a facefull of dirt--and comes up with it in his glove, clearly not having yet touched the ground. Redemption!

Cael Becker has posed:
    As Steve gets called out, Cael gives Agnes a nudge, and points at something on the screen of her phone. This prompts the kid to call down to the field, "A two year old with out a sled has better slides!" before she turns to ask Cael, "Why are we insulting your friends?"
    "It's more fun this way," Cael answers with an amused grin, waving to Steve and giving him a thumbs up. She's finished off her beer, and she waves down the beer seller to get herself a second one, before reaching over to steal some of Agnes' remaining popcorn.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Even Janet gets into the game; she keeps morale up with lots of encouragement and ribald slaps to the ass as the Avengers jog into and out of the dugout. But more helpfully Janet keeps calling plays and giving people helpful tips when they enter and leave the field. A die-hard fan sends her a video to show Robbie on how to shift his grip and add a little more corkscrew to his (devious) knuckleballs.

She also contributes vociferously to the friendly discussion about some of the referee's calls, and can be spotted cursing up a storm and kicking around empty water coolers like any professional coach would. Janet's pint-size tirades are also pretty effective at keeping people from getting TOO relaxed in the dugout-- there's still a lot of game to be played today, people!

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney finishes off another bite or two of her hot dog when she watches Cael nudge Agnes to help heckle those in the game. She knew a few... Robbie and Sara mostly. The others she'd only ever met breifly if at all. Still it was pretty good to see them play. When Robbie is up to pitch again she tries to join in the heckling by calling out, "Hey Reyes, throw like you mean it!"

She pauses and looks over to Cael for apparent judgement. "Kind of weak huh? Hm. I ued to be better at this insulting thing." Her eyes narrow, voice dropping low and thoughtful. "At least I think I was."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol Danvers gets her own chili dog when the food arrives and settles in to enjoy the meal. She cheers loudly for the Avengers, drawing the ire of a few diehard Yankee fans.

"Hey! Blondie! Why don't you sit down and let us cheer for a real team, eh!?" one of them yells at her, getting a few laughs from his buddies.

Carol stands up and turns around. "I think what you meant to say is, 'Lets go Avengers!'" she tells them, while letting a glow of photonic energy gather around her hand that she makes into a fist.

"Holy shit, it's Captain Whazzerface!" one of the drunker members of the group of men says, elbowing the others and pointing at her.

Carol glances over to Gabby and grins, shaking her head. "That's right. Captain Whazzerface," she tells them. "Now, all together. One, two, three..."

"Let's go Avengers!"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "What about this one?" Cael suggests, leaning over towards Gabby to show the girl her screen, an amused smile on her features. "See - the secret to good heckles... is cheating. I mean, it's not like I really know anything about this sport. I don't even //understand// most of these insults..." What are all the references to 'going deep' and why is it a bad thing? ...she has no real clue.
    As Carol starts to garner support for the Avenger's team, Cael lets out a snort of amusement, while Agnes instead joins in the cheer.

Pepper Potts has posed:
For as much fun as the Avengers' team is having, the Yankees are having the same. Some pop-up flies are hit, and it's a leisurely jog from the center fielder to get right under them and catch it with a huge grin. With the ball tossed back in, it's to the next batter.. and so on.

Their own batting program runs very much the same as well. Balls are missed, hits are made, and bases run. For each player that takes a base, they're leaning over and trying to chat with the heroes they're hosting in their stadium. Each and every one of them is a fan, and they do question where the ones that are noticeably missing are. Who doesn't want to meet the others?!

***

Pepper is outside the dugout, off to the side. She's not coaching, but rather, watching, green eyes bright. Just making sure that it's a fair game, and so far? She hasn't //heard// any grumbling, nor has Hal called her to complain or even hint at an issue. This? This is a good night!

T'Challa has posed:
Another at-bat by T'Challa leads to him making better contact - it's really not his first time playing at all - and he lines a ball into one of the gaps in the outfield, sprinting his way to an easy triple. This time, he doesn't go for the steal of home and instead scores when someone after him comes through.

He makes a few more plays in center field, though not every one, because judging the path of a fly ball along with its speed is also something that takes enough time to master. The way the game is going, most of the players on either side give the crowd something to ooh and aah at, and there are just as many videos being taken as photos, if not more.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Up to bat again, Sara finds that Witchblade refuses to leave, so the first couple of pitches lead to strikes as she gets used to him being the gauntlet. The final pitch lands her a basic hit, nothing fancy, no home runs, but she manages to get to the first base from it. Standing on base she waves her right hand to the crowd, not to show off Witchblade but in greeting. She honestly wasn't expecting to be able to hit the ball again.

The next batter up however, she takes the run for second, goes to slide in and touch the base and is tagged out. Witchblade tried to cheat, reaching a tendril out to touch the base.

"Hey, knock that off," she says as she stands up, dusting herself off. "We aren't cheating, I'm out."

As she heads for the dugout, the tendril wraps back into the gauntlet... you can't blame an ancient magical artifact for trying.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Agnes glances at Cael - who shrugs helplessly, in response to Witchblade trying to cheat on a play. "I really don't have a heckle for that," she remarks, taking another sip of her beer. "So - are we dragging Jon to a baseball game sometime?"
    "Yes, because he'd be better at heckling than both of us. Have you seen him watch a football match?"
    "...no. I didn't know Jon liked football. I thought that was an American sport?"
    "Not //rugby,//" Agnes corrects her. "//Football.//" She lets out a sigh. "Americans."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The Yankees' hitters are certainly giving him a run for his money. Reyes nevertheless manages a very solid seventh, letting in only a single run. Though on his turn up to bat, he strikes out again, landing him back in the dugout to hobknob with the other players.

By his last turn at the pitcher's mound, the fans know his name, even if they have no idea which Avenger he actually is. He's a machine up there, but so are the professional ball players. One good arm isn't enough to prevent at least one home run, though he does manage to shut down one of their hitters.

A couple of people want selfies with him, but he's adamant about his privacy and his personal space; and when he gets a little too hands-on with a particularly aggressive fan, he's escorted back to the locker rooms.

Scott Lang has posed:
There has been enough trickery from Scott Lang that at his third at-bat, the pitcher has had enough of his nonsense. The pitcher and catcher exchange glances, and then the pitcher fires a fastball. Directly at Scott's head!

Not quite prepared for the sheer aggression of the head hunt, although he probably should have been expecting it, he shrinks down reflexively, to Ant size. The ball sails over his head, and the wild pitch is on! By the time the catcher races back to get it, two runners have scored. Scott, of course, naturally ducked out of the way of their incoming runs to the plate.

Looking sheeplishly at the umpire, Scott points out that in fact, he was the target of the attempted beaning, and really, he was just defending himself. The umpire decides to let Scott take another and not call him out for leaving the batter's box - which technically he did not do.

Unfortunately for Scott, with all of his tricks out, he is easily duped by two sliders and a wicked curve, striking out on three straight swings and misses.

That doesn't stop him from taunting the pitcher on the way back to the dugout though by making two fingers appear at the top of his head, the universal symbol for insect antennae.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Steve isn't cheating, he /really/ isn't, but he forgets himself enough at one at-bat that he /pulverizes/ both bat and ball as he slams the bat into a fastball. He stares at the ball for a moment, and then does the most Cap thing /ever/.

    He turns to the ump and says earnestly, "That wasn't fair. They should get a do-over."

    The ump just shakes his head and gestures for Steve to make the rounds of the plate. The crowd's going crazy, so he shrugs and goes ahead and does the rounds, waving to the crowd as he does.

    After that he makes a little more effort to dial it in, so he mis-judges a few catches and even strikes out once. But he seems happier, playing at a more reasonable level of skill and speed. At least he's not trying to argue for the other team anymore.

    In the dugout, of course, he's affable and jovial and congratulating or commisserating as appropriate. He's having fun, and hoping everyone else is too.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Before Robbie gets completely thrown off the field, Cael has shown Gabby the Ultimate Insult. Gabby peers at the phone only to grin. She wolfs down the last bite of her hotdog, and gulps down a large swig of rootbeer to wash it down. Then she stands up... Not just up, but up on her chair for extra height, and cups her hands around her mouth to properly holler out, "Hey Robbie! I've seen better arms on a beanbag chair!" Satisfied she's done her share of heckling she spins around, and adds insult to ... insult, by leaning over and smacking a hand on her butt. Then she hops back down to her feet properly before she gets in trouble.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet's right there when Robbie's 'fan' starts getting a little too aggressive, and private security (disguised as pinch hitters and backup players) boil out of nowhere to help the local cops 'escort' the fan out of the arena before any kind of incident can occur. She's all cheery laughs and plastic smile, her body language doing the work to project an air of 'it's all fine here, nothing to see'.

It comes down to the last at-bat and the referees call the game for the Avengers. The owner of the Yankees-- Steinbrenner himself-- comes out of the stands hollering at the referees, and Janet moves out smartly to join him with the head referee. There's some animated discussion, and vigorous counting, and the referee faces the stands and cues up the microphone.

"At the request of the Yankee's owner, we see SEVERAL plays where our fantastic Yankees went up against clearly super-powered swings and catches!" Boos and cheers erupt, and Janet makes a show of stomping around and throwing her hands in the air. "And as per the agreement between the team managers, the Avengers will be assessed a penalty fee-- payable to the charities mentioned by Mr. Stark-- for each infraction!"

The big screen comes up with a supercut of every time an Avenger used their powers *just a little!* bit. T'challa with a diving lunge that looks like a cat vaulting across the plains; Steve annihilating a ball and bat with one swing; Scott Lang's (numerous) infractions; Robbie Reyes putting a little actual FIRE on the pitches; and at one point Janet herself, swelling up to six-foot-something while bellying up with said referee over a call!

Janet groans theatrically, covering her face. She even kicks some dirt at the referee's feet, making a Calvin-esque little dustcloud to much amusement. But she whips out a checkbook on the spot.

"Atop our promised donation, the Avengers are going to add seventy-five thousand dollars to the kitty," Janet says into the ref's microphone. She signs the check, hands it to the ref, and exchanges a friendly hug and cheek kiss with Steinbrenner himself. "We want to thank the Yankees for being such great sports and having us here in their home field." She hands the check to the referee with a cheeky grin and amidst much applause from the stands.

Pepper Potts has posed:
When all is said and done, the Avengers come out in a 3 run lead over the Yankees. No easy feat, that. Particularly when the field is (supposedly) a level one. It says a lot about the teams and the audience that the slips and slides have been taken with ease, more laughter surrounding it all than anything else. Of course, there are a few grumbles in the stands; the true, die-hard Yankee fans that believe that their team should totally have beaten the bums!

And then, Janet comes through. Pepper watches the other woman's progress through the small but mighty throng of players to speak with the Owner. Oh dear.. but no fear. She's sure Hal will take her calls tomorrow?

Nothing can change the fact that on their field, on that night, were some of the biggest heroes that not only America has, but the world. That counts for a great deal.

The end is an event, with fireworks going up, air horns, and the works. The giant television screen has pictures of the Avengers moving across them, with their names, complete with various other settings they'd been seen in.

Across the loudspeaker, a very excited (still) announcer speaks to the crowds, "And that is the game for the evening! We here at Yankee stadium would like to thank the Avengers for the game, and every one of you in the stands for being a hero to some underpriviledged person who desperately needs your help. Thank you for coming, and please exit the stadium safely. Good night."

For Pepper's part? She's exhausted. After the game, she's on the other side, at the Yankees' side, speaking to the General Managers. Apparently all is well, and she's walked back towards the underpass, nodding her head and smiling. A wave is given to one of the team members while another jogs up to walk beside her.

It's not long after, however, that a slightly heavyset man in an Avenger's baseball shirt shows up behind Pepper and joins her as an escort.

Soon enough, the stadium lights begin to flick off, leaving the field dark.