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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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.

"Very nice, bro," Bruce said, as he got out of the jeep. He definitely wanted to avoid any further PR disasters. As team leader, he had enough plates to keep spinning already, and any trouble always fell on his head first.

Not that he blamed Jay for either of those incidents, of course. But this was the world they lived in.

"First order of business is tents, I believe?" That seemed logical to him, anyway. Of course, his logic had, occasionally, been called into question. Still, he rounded the jeep and began hauling gear out of the back. His tent, sleeping back, and other accouterments had been purchased especially for this trip. His adventure would begin when he tried to put the thing together!

"Then, we shall make men of ourselves and capture our dinner in yon fishing lakes."

"Setting up camp is an important first step," Jay agreed. He wasn't sure how much these two city slickers had been camping. Though Bruce might have had a little.

Boo finally went into the top of the backpack, but the creature insisted on peaking out. Jay didn't care as long as the little fuzzball stayed in the pack. He climbed out of the jeep and slipped the pack on.

"With spears or poles, Grand Master Planner?"

Bruce had occasionally gone camping with Uncle Steve, so he knew a little bit about camping.

"First order of business is tents, then we set up for making the fire."

Which, technically, was solved by him with a photon blast rather than matches, but still.

"Dealer's choice," Marcus answered Jay. He did not, strictly speaking, have any spears, but given enough time and incentive, he was sure he could fashion some from local materials. He used a lance, occasionally. How much harder could a spear be?

"Fire you say?" He glance at Bruce as he carried his tent to a promising looking location. At least it was flat. Ish. "It just so happens that I've acquired us a flint and steel for just that purpose!"

Camping, by God. They would camp like real campers.

"You do remember I'm powered by the sun, right?" Bruce asked, laughing.

"Otherwise known as Bruce likes to cheat," Jay commented as he grabbed his tent and found a spot that was a bit away from where the fire would be. If he Hulked out in his sleep, it would also disturb the other two less with giant Jay wearing a tent muumuu.

"Spear-fishing wouldn't need worms. Pole fishing might actually get us a fish. Decisions, decisions." Boo hummed contemplatively from the backpack.

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