nextgenerationmarvel | Whoa, come with me now.

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Whoa, come with me now.

"Gentlemen, behold!" Marcus made a grand gesture toward the red and white structure before them. It had taken nearly seven hours to get to Chester, WV and it wasn't exactly on their way, but what kind of Brit would he be if he passed up the opportunity to visit the "World's Largest Teapot"? He had a duty to himself, his mother country, and his teammates. Especially since this would be the last opportunity to drag Jay across the country before his college classes started.

Whipping out his handy guide to roadside attractions, he thumbed to the correct page and peered at the attraction information. "Apparently, it began life as a keg..."

It was not, strictly speaking, the best looking teapot he'd ever seen. The size was impressive, though.

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Jay beheld. He did not look too impressed. Especially since it had taken seven hours to see the keg-cum-teapot. He scratched an eyebrow and squinted at it.

"So, what do they brew in it? Oolong?" He would avoid saying those fancy schmancy British teas.

Bruce definitely needed this vacation. After the attack on the Future Foundation, the mysterious villains had gone quiet again. But at least they were getting closer to a picture of it...

"Probably Earl Grey," he mused.

Have faith, Jay! The trip has only just begun! Oh, the adventures Marcus has planned. Just wait until they get to Missouri!

He closed the book and tapped his chin with it, gazing thoughtfully at the tea pot. "No. I think Oolong is too respectable for it. Earl Grey, too. Lipton, perhaps?"

He eyed the teapot. "How flammable is that? I mean it started as a keg, how would one boil tea in it?"

Jay suddenly had a mad hankering for... a Coke.

"Hmm. I think I've run out of teas I know."

Bruce shook his head. "You could probably get enough heat with a laser weapon or something..."

Marcus heaved a dramatic sigh. Just couldn't take those two anywhere without them trying to set things on fire. He shook his head and began to herd them back toward his jeep. "Alright now. Let's get this show on the road before you two get us locked up. There are more delightful attractions awaiting us."

Jay would argue fire is an important survival tool. He was trying to survive all the time, so of course he'd try to figure out how flammable things were. He had been lectured by a short redhead about having a flaming ceiling tile drop on his head.

Though he was relieved to not have to contemplate the biggest teapot in... whatever the claim was. "Can I get locked up in the teapot? That might be a story..."

Though he allowed himself to be herded toward the jeep.

Bruce followed after the other two. "Might be a story," he agreed. "But your mom would probably yell at us if we let you destroy a... heh... priceless... national... heh heh... Sorry, I can't do it."

"Soulless heathens. This is the thanks I get for trying to introduce some culture into your drab lives!" Marcus bemoaned cheerfully, climbing into the driver's seat. He held his phone out the window and snapped a last picture of the teapot before he started the engine.

"I'm afraid there are no survivalist style camping grounds in the area, but I've reserved us a spot at the Tomlinson Run State Park in its 'rustic camping' section. I asked for the bear-attack package just for you, Jay."

"I can make you some pine needle tea at the camp if you're that desperate for a cuppa," Jay commented as he climbed into the back. He settled in and tried to get himself some leg room around the gear. It didn't work as well as he hoped.

"Ooh! Teddy bear snuggles." He would probably get in trouble carrying a bear around with him cross-country. Also, the bear probably wouldn't appreciate it either.

"Just remember," Bruce said, "if you take one home as a pet, you have to take care of it. You. Not Jarvis."

"And remember, too, that bears and flying horses are not often the subject of buddy-cop-type adventures for a reason." Apart from their lack of opposable thumbs and standard uniform sizes.

"The Google machine has also informed me that we may purchase fishing licenses at the park gate. I agree to participate only under the strict condition that one of you puts the worm on my hook, since Sammy isn't here to do it for me."

The flap of Jay's backpack moved and two eyes peeked out. There was the sound of a small creature blowing raspberry.

"Boo votes no it for dealing for worms," Jay commented as he flipped the flap back and dug out his miniature giant space hamster. "And apparently definitely it for stowing away in my gear. Guess I should call May to tell her she doesn't have to keep an eye on him."

He squinted admonishingly at his pet. "I'll put the worms on to protect Pookie's delicate sensibilities."

Bruce found himself laughing at Jay and Marcus's antics. Sometimes, it was good to get away from the chains of command.

"You fight dragons and super-villains with medieval weaponry, and you're afraid to put a worm on a hook?"

"Thank you, Jay." Marcus nodded gravely. "You're a true friend, Jay."

He glanced in the rear view mirror at Bruce, pulling a wounded face. "My weaponry isn't medieval! And don't ever let Aether hear you say that. He's sensitive about his age."

"I guess it's not your fault knights raised in drafty castles don't learn to fish because those moats are full of crocodiles." If cartoons had taught him anything, that was how the knight lived. Yessiree.

Though for protection, Jay held Boo up front of his face to deflect any incredulous looks or glares. Boo looked fierce. Or curious. It was hard to tell with that happy little face.

"Hey, I would never want to say anything bad about Aether," Bruce said.

"Jay does bring up a point though. You probably can't help it."

"... crocodiles?" Color him confused! Still, it's an interesting idea. Sammy might like a house with a moat filled with crocodiles.

Without taking his eyes off the road, he reached over and booped Boo's belly. "I'm sworn to protect the helpless. Not to impale them on barbed hooks. It's a knight thing, y'see."

"To keep people from swimming in the moat. Have you knights learned nothing from the Ancient Egyptians?!?" Jay shook his head at the deplorable state of knight education via Egypt.

Boo gave his version of a giggle at the belly boop. Jay lowered his pet into his lap with a mock-scowl of betrayal. The miniature giant space hamster paid the look no mind.

"So, why are you hunting down innocent fish with fair maiden worms impaled on dastardly hooks?"

"Because fishing is a traditional camping activity?" Bruce ventured.

"Right you are, Bruce!" Marcus was a city boy and even he knew that! There were also copious amounts of marshmallows and other s'mores fixings to be had. Just add fire! And, if he had his way, there would be a campfire sing along. "Tradition, my good sirs. Jay wanted camping and we shall give it to him!"

"Unless you camp in a desert," Jay noted wryly. Which was a lot of his early camping experience with his father.

He glanced out the side window. This camping trip gave him a good feeling.

"May there be no UFO enthusiasts on this camping trip."

"That would be a pleasant change," Bruce agreed. "The last thing we need is more pictures of you mistaken for a martian or Bigfoot."

"Your lips to God's ears." Not that it wasn't funny last time, but they could really do with less tabloid publicity. Plus, Sammy would be upset to miss it.

In just under a half hour, Marcus pulled into the park and after checking in, took the winding drive to their camp site. Trees, lakes... the whole nine yards. Plenty of space for tents and campfires and all manner of camp-type shenanigans.

"Pictures of green me, not so bad. Pictures of my big, green dong very bad." And that was all he was going to say on that. Jay was the Avenger's PR manager's nightmare. Nude pics and a rampage within the last year. He had been shut in his room for quite awhile.

He glanced around the campground when Marcus stopped the jeep. "Nice," he commented as he tried to stuff a not-quite willing Boo back into his backpack.

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