When the Lights Go On Again by seanchai and elspethdixon (PG-13)

[dorothy1901]

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairings: Steve/Tony, Hank/Jan, Carol/Wanda
Length: 183,000 words
Authors on LJ: seanchai and elspethdixon
Author Website: No website, but you can find more of their fanfiction in various places, such as Tales of Suspense for their Steve/Tony stories, or Elspethdixon's Big Damn Fanfic List and Elspeth1 on FF.N for multi-fandom stuff.

Why this must be read: I've been saving this one for Friday afternoon. The weekend's here, and you're looking for something nice and long to read, yes? Well, have I got a story for you.

Seanchai and Elspethdixon once again demonstrate their talent for long, plotty stories, and pitch-perfect characterization. In this one, a race of aliens has successfully invaded the Earth. The major cities are imprisoned in impenetrable forcefields, and within the New York City forcefield, the Avengers fight a guerrilla war against the alien occupiers.

The authors have done an outstanding job of world-building, creating an original alien race and giving it a believable history and culture. The Argonians have personality, both as a race and as individuals.

The authors have also done an excellent job of keeping the writing focused, despite its length; the scenes work to move the story forward. The large-ish cast of characters is kept true to canon, but with the addition of little insights that make them more real.


When the Lights Go On Again, Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five (a) | Chapter Five (b) | Chapter Six (a) | Chapter Six (b) | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen | Chapter Eighteen | Chapter Nineteen | Chapter Twenty (a) | Chapter Twenty (b) | Chapter Twenty-One

When the Lights Go On Again Extras. This has a link where you can download a .PDF file of the entire story.