Title: Heroes and Devils.
Fandom: Marvel/Echo Bazaar.
Pairing: Steve/Tony.
Categories: Action, crossover.
Length: Long (35,275 words).
Warnings: A bit of gore, mind control, character deaths alluded to.

Author on LJ: marinarusalka
Author Website: Marina's Homepage

Author's Summary:
"Three years after Dr. Doom cast the entire island of Manhattan into the dark depths of the Echo Bazaar, life goes on. The people of Lowered Manhattan, including the Avengers, have adapted as best they could to their shadowy new existence. But then the Avengers find themselves in possession of a mysterious locked box that could save them all -- if it doesn't kill Tony first."

Review:
Trapped underground in a world without sunlight, the Avengers try to continue to protect Manhattan while looking for a way to bring the Island back to Earth. While the opportunity to do so finally seems to have presented itself, nothing is ever so simple when dealing with demons and Hell itself.

It's been a long time since I've come across a plot so intriguingly different and well put together, which makes a nice departure from the - often well written, but somewhat commonplace - "alien invasion/regular super villain wrecking havoc" stories. I am not familiar with the world of "Echo Bazaar," so I can't tell how faithful a reflection of the game it is, but the world marinarusalka describes is well rounded and interesting. The way our heroes adapt (or fail to do so) to their new reality is realistic, as is their unfailing desire to get back to where they belong. Tony's obsession rings particularly true, as does his downward spiral.

Combining an interesting plot with a well-written character ensemble, this is one of my favourite stories to come out of the Captain America/Iron Man 2011 big bang challenge.

Heroes and Devils