Fourteen years, three days, and sixteen hours ago, the world experienced a... Blip. M-Day, is what it's generally called.
They say the Scarlet Witch lost her mind.
Whatever the cause, she trapped the entire universe in between moments, folding every single mind into a separate reality - one that ran on her rules. No violence. No war. No disease. No poverty. No death. Good things, most would agree -
But she enforced it through mentally altering all but the most powerful and skilled telepaths, and when she died she brought everyone actively powered down with her. Humanity was hit hard, of course - but many of their galactic neighbors were hit harder, and the blame naturally fell on Earth. Humanity had to scramble to reinvent itself, to develop new technologies to protect the Earth from being razed entirely, despite many of its most brilliant minds having been wiped away.
It's been fourteen years - and it's been just recent that a new batch of powered people has started to come into their own. Mutants, mostly, any with a latent X-gene having been passed over.
Of course, after the Scarlet Witch, the idea of using anyone with powers in the ongoing war is more anathema than using nukes, chemical weapons, or bio-weapons. Many of those who came into their powers - and who failed to hide said powers - in the months and years after M-Day were killed. The rest went deep into hiding.
But anathema does not mean impossible, and they're received word that the Kree will be fielding a team of young superheroes.
The floodgates are broken, and, well - the united nations of Earth will need to step up or face annihilation. Each major member bloc is developing their own response team, to be fielded under the header of the United Earth -
Vision's been tasked with making the team for the United States. The president's got the idea of remaking the Avengers - minus the scandal, as they were at their height - fixed stubbornly in his head.
It's... A bit of a challenge, for Vision.
But nothing impossible, and he's identified five teenagers who fit the bill.
(He pushes aside that they'll be child soldiers, not entirely willingly recruited - needs must, after all, and they'll be likely killed if left alone.)
Nausicaa Kaplan, of unknown connection but suspected to be a relative of Storm, a member of the X-Men and frequent ally of the Avengers. Recently fourteen. Born a week before M-Day.
Sue Shepherd, a speedster - a riskier one. Vision's algorithms indicate she's likely a descendant of one of the Scarlet Witch's siblings, and she's got a rap sheet. The connection to Quicksilver, the Avengers' most notorious speedster, will be hard to hide. She doesn't have a birth certificate that he can find - possibly she was a home birth, never registered. She appears to be Nausicaa's age, claiming to be thirteen, born one month after M-Day.
Elijah Bradley. The grandson of Isaiah Bradley, one of the early experiments for Project Rebirth, which eventually gave them Captain America. Isaiah and his children were all killed by the Scarlet Witch, but his grandchildren were left alive - of those, though, only Elijah seems to have developed any sort of super powers. He has the same 'super soldier' set as Captain America, at least. Fifteen.
Theodore Altman. The grandson of one of the earlier Avengers, the original Captain Marvel. A shapeshifter, reportedly, in line with his half-Skrull heritage. His other half, Kree, will need to be either concealed or played up. Vision will leave that to the propaganda departments. Fourteen, born six months before M-Day.
Cassandra Lang. The only daughter of Scott Lang, Ant-Man. She took up his research with the Pym Particles, and Vision suspects she's been experimenting on herself. She seems to have the power to change her size. At sixteen, she'll be the oldest team member.
Only five possibilities so far - but enough for a test run, before they commit too many resources to this idea.
He sends off the dossiers with only a little hesitation.
