Title:Detour: A Dangerous Man
Fandom: Marvel/X-Men
Pairing: Scott Summers (Cyclops)/Jean-Paul Beaubier(Northstar), Jean Grey (Phoenix)/Ororo Munroe(Storm)
Category: AU (of sorts), Romance
Length: Long
Warnings: n/a

Authors on LJ: 3jane and thete1
Websites: Janefic and Teland, respectively.

Review:
A Dangerous Man is a bonus fic in Jane St. Clair and Te's "Handbasket" series, a number of fics revolving around the (somewhat twisted) relationship between a young Iceman and Hank McCoy. The series and A Dangerous Man are set in Marvel Ultimates universe, which tweeks the classic X-Men just slightly. The X-Men are still a team of mutants led by telepath Charles Xavier, but mutants are known by society at large and feared (more than usual, that is) and Professor X is just a wee bit overbearing and controlling (again, just more than usual). In this story the X-Men makes a diplomatic trip due north, where they run into Canada's Alpha Flight and that team's political dissident, Jean-Paul Beaubier. Northstar makes it his mission to pull the shy and repressed Cyclops out of his shell, and Northstar's snarky but heartfelt persistence eventually begins to work on his intended target.

What works best for me in this story, and what these authors have seemed to master, is the use of banter. The play-by-play between Scott and Jean-Paul is simply amazing: funny, nice insight as to the personality of the characters as interpreted by the writers, and enjoyable as all hell. I found myself empathizing with this Scott Summers, when usually I find myself wishing the character had some superpowered help removing the stick from his neither regions. Northstar, who's always been a favorite of mine, is flirty and intelligent and a delight. It's a character-piece and a non-meet cute that I've found myself coming back to numerous times.

Oh yes, and there's smexin'. And it's HAWT. Which, you know, is neat.

Detour:A Dangerous Man