Dreaming Electric
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Dreaming Electric |
| Author(s): | jukeboxhound |
| Date(s): | 27 October 2012 |
| Length: | 47,677 words |
| Genre: | slash fanfiction |
| Fandom: | The Avengers (2012), MCU |
| External Links: | Dreaming Electric (AO3) fanfic cover by waferkya |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Dreaming Electric is a Steve/Tony story by jukeboxhound. It was written for the Cap/Iron Man Big Bang 2012 and is set in the movieverse with substantial use of 616 canon.
Summary: New York City is still rebuilding in the wake of the Chitauri army when the biotech virus Extremis is released, upgrading a lone domestic terrorist into a posthuman threat. Tony would’ve been happy to keep going on playing with alien tech in his lab, saving average citizens as Iron Man, and pretending not to notice these other people moving into his tower, but sometimes a person just can’t have nice things.
The art for this story is by waferkya[1] and angelicfoodcake.[2] angelicfoodcake made a title header and an illustration of a scene with Steve and Tony in a café in NY central park. waferkya made three different fanfic covers and two additional illustrations.
illustration by angelicfoodcake
illustration showing Tony in his inner landscape while adjusting to Extremis
Recs and Reviews
An excellent movieverse take on the Extremis story, taking into account how things would be different in the movieverse, yet staying true to the heart of the story.[3]
Oh my goodness, this is hilarious and long and plotty and sweet and awesome and what I want the next MCU movie to be. Complete with hot sex and dirtytalk and amazing psychological dream sequences.[4]
MCU and 616!Extremis arc crossover-ish, though more MCU-based with elements of Extremis working its way into the plot.Memorable events:
- - Bruce and Tony making DnD their code-speech
- - Awesome Tony perspective and Tony/Captain development
- - Extremis and Maya Hansen happens.
- - Maya and Tony were conference buddies who happen to share a hippie mentor
- - Random, crazy, redneck!Extremis subject escapes and has a vendetta against Iron Man and Captain America
- - Thor's impeccable, godly timing saves lives. Literally.
- - Everyone is a-okay. Hurray for happy endings![5]
I can't find the right words to say exactly how much I enjoyed reading this one, it's a bloody brilliant take on Extremis and how it'd fit into MCU. Mallen and everything about the experiments performed to create and test Extremis was horrific and chilling, I loved Tony's final conversation with Maya about what she had overlooked and Steve deliberately interrupting so that she wouldn't get the real answer, that's hilarious and terrific and oh, Steve. :') Characterizations are all bang on [...] The epilogue is /scorching hot/ and ten points for creativity, Tony, I know you're going to put Extremis to good use when it comes to the bedroom. ;) Again, brilliant piece of work, you write wonderfully, and I am definitely going to be re-reading this several times over![6]
I love your version of the Extremis story line. It was worked in really well with transhumanism and Tony, Bruce, and Steve's issues. I also enjoyed Steve and Tony's slow relationship building. Very nice job overall.[7]
This was magnificent, a wonderful plot that at the same time opens up so much of the characters that I was utterly taken with the whole thing from beginning to end. I love the rumination on the serum and what it means to Bruce and Steve and of course especially Tony, and the textures of the dream sequences were absolutely stunning. Well done on such a fantastic story, I enjoyed ever bit of it![8]
Wow! Movieverse extremis where the rest of the Avengers actually exist to support Tony against Mallen, who is in fact a very real threat. Just what the doctor ordered. Probably one of the best stories I have read in the fandom, and manages to be a more optimistic ending than the original comic- but then again, that´s not very difficult. Steve defending Iron man to Sal was wonderful and heartwarming! I thought the same thing while reading Extremis.[9]
This was absolutely perfect characterization, for both Tony and Steve. There were moments when I literally had to stop reading to collect myself, because I was getting so overwhelmed with STEEEEEVE or TOOOONYYY feelings. I'm not usually a huge fan of POV-switching; I don't dislike it, but often I find myself preferring one character over the other, or feeling like it's not necessary. But in this case, you completely nailed both of their voices, and you actually used the POV-switching to your advantage to create tension and suspense in the story. Beautifully done.I love how you interpreted the Extremis arc for the MCU! Tony is so isolated in the comics for that story that I wondered how you'd incorporate the other Avengers into this. I think you did a brilliant job in surrounding him with friends, but still highlighting just how alone he feels. I also really appreciated how you explored his issues with Howard; it was so layered and complex, not just the usual 'he never told me he loved me' flavor of Daddy Issues.
This passage in particular really struck me: "Terrorists. Enemies against America. (Underneath it, Tony hears the clink of ice in whiskey glasses with a child's ears: Goddamn unions. Fucking commies. A wife thinking she can tell a man what to do in his own house. His own voice: I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Dad did it, that's how America does it…and it's worked out pretty well so far.)" ... Like, wow. Just wow. There's so much packed into that, and you managed to capture it just a few short lines.
And Steve! It's so easy to make him sound self-righteous or naive or judgmental, but you managed to avoid all of that while still capturing the idealism, the goodness of Steve Rogers. When he stood up for Tony against Sal I wanted to give him a standing ovation.[10]
Having recently seen Iron Man 3 and their take on Extremis, this was quite interesting to read! It’s yet another version of the Extremis virus/program/whatever-you-want-to-call-it and how Tony acquires it. You have the Avengers responding to reports of a blown up lab only to find Maya Hansen, lone survivor, and a raging science experiment on the loose. There’s poor Tony, stuck at the end of his relationship with Pepper, on the verge of starting one with Steve, and this dickhead who has it out for Iron Man and Captain America on the loose. There’s a really awesome tie-in to the Super Soldier program that made Steve in this, too - the idea that it’s the human element that decides whether Extremis will work or not. I really appreciate that when Tony gets his hands on the Extremis experiment, he doesn’t automatically think about using it for personal reasons; when he does finally use it, it’s a vital decision that saves his life. The coding that is put into the story is really neat and goes well with how Tony and the crazy bastard on the loose utilize it as part of their subconscious processes. The final battle scene is also cool as hell, with Tony kicking ass. Though I bet waking up to Steve is the best part of winning, even if it is in the hospital. If you’ve seen Iron Man 3, this is going to be a really nice twist of the Extremis plot; if you haven’t, know that this is nothing like the movie, haha. Either way, you’re going to enjoy it. :)[11]
References
- ^ waferkya. [fanart] Dreaming Electric, 28 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ angelicfoodcake. cap-ironman bigbang - Dreaming Electric, 28 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ mysticalchild_isis. Avengers Fanfic Recs: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, 28 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ SavioBriion. AO3 Rec, 01 November 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ Bgtea. AO3 Rec, 27 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ quixotesque. Comment, 28 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ samu. Comment, 28 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ AlchemyAlice. Comment, 29 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ Azaneti. Comment, 28 October 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ radiophile. Comment, 02 November 2012. (Accessed 02 November 2012)
- ^ fuckyeahallthefic. Dreaming Electric [Steve/Tony; Explicit], 25 May 2013. (Accessed 25 May 2013)