Thor demonstrated his new powers by firing eye-beams of his own, which collided with Garero’s eye-beams and began pushing them back.
Garero stood his ground, but, as much as he denied it, the Negavator had weakened him. Thor’s beams continued on their path until they struck Garero in the eyes, causing Garero’s own power to turn against him. A web of cosmic crackle enveloped Garero, and though the pain must have been unimaginable, he remained stoic.
But the time it took for Garero to realize that his son Helkon may no longer be under his control was not enough for him to prepare himself for Helkon’s vengeful attack. With a righteous roar, Helkon swung his cosmic mace at his father, and the mace collided with Garero’s helmet, cracking it. Never hesitating, Helkon continued to batter Garero’s helmet until the helmet shattered, revealing Garero’s unspeakably horrid visage. Usually, the sight of Garero’s face could make even the hardiest warrior faint, but Helkon found the strength within to continue his attack until his father’s armor had been destroyed the same as the helmet had been. And Helkon did not stop there, continuing to beat his father, unleashing millenia of pent-up fury and delighting in giving the war god a taste of his own brutal medicine. When it was finally over, Garero’s body floated motionless in space.
"I, Helkon, god of gods, do cast my evil father back to his rightful place in the nether-realms from which I vow he shall never escape again!" And with this declaration, Garero’s body vanished.
"And those who awakened him and caused all this carnage in his name shall suffer the same fate!" Instantly, Captain Atlas and the others who had presumed to walk among gods were left to suffer the tortures visited upon those unfortunate enough to end up trapped in the Kree nether-realms.
*********
Thor, Quasar, She-Hulk, and Namor stood alongside Helkon, Polania, Firelord, Starfox, and the Kree pagans, overlooking the devastation which had been visited on Hala. Bound by chains of cosmic energy were Helkon’s brother Vultro and the rest of Garero’s acolytes, as well as Nebula and her surviving pirates.
In a piercing scream, Nebula taunted Firelord. "Well, hated enemy? Why do you hesitate to fulfill your stated mission in life and kill me? Have you gone soft?"
"Call it what you will," Firelord replied serenely, "but the arch-druid and his followers have brought me the enlightment I have always needed. I shall never again take another life...even one as pitiable as yours."
Upon hearing this, Nebula laughed long and loud. "You shall regret your waste of this opportunity. When next we meet, I shall not show you the weakness you now show me."
"You’ll never meet him again." said Starfox. "With a list of crimes like yours, you’ll be spending the rest of your days in a maximum security prison on Titan, grand-niece...IF that’s what you really are."
"I thank you all again for your aid," said the arch-druid, "but I fear the nightmare as only begun. With no leaders, the empire will descend into anarchy and my people, as well as all the other pagan communities across the empire, shall be in as much danger as ever."
"No," said Firelord, "for I shall be your protector and I shall not rest until your peaceful teachings have been learned across the empire. Thanks to you, I finally have a purpose in life and a world to call my own."
"Well spoken, Firelord." said Thor. "Having known thee longer than anyone here present, I applaud thy decision to begin anew."
"And with faith in me and my fellow gods renewed, we are ever-stronger and shall be ever-ready to aid the good people when they have need of us." declared Helkon.
"It shall be strange not having the threat of the Kree hanging over us anymore." said Namor.
"Oh, don’t worry," said She-Hulk sarcastically, "some other crazy alien conquerors will come along to fill the void."
"Aye," agreed Thor, "so we had best return to Earth now and remain ever-vigilant."
"I shall accompany thee." announced Polania.
"Whaaaat?" exclaimed the Avengers in unison.
"The Anti-Omega is my responsibility." exclaimed Polania. "Thor shall need my help in the phase of adjustment which doth lay ahead for him. Besides, I shan’t pass up the opportunity to expand my knowledge beyond the home of the Kree."
"Very well." sighed Thor.
*********
At Hydrobase, a quantum portal opened up and Quasar emerged, followed by the quinjet containing Thor, She-Hulk, and Namor and by Polania on her platform.
"Home, sweet home!" enthused She-Hulk, spreading out her arms and raising her head. When she lowered her head, she saw the Black Knight and Rita approaching them.
"Dane, love of my life!" shouted She-Hulk as she ran towards the Black Knight and gave him the biggest hug she could without injuring him.
"I’m glad you’re all back safely." muttered a decidedly downcast Dane.
"What’s wrong?" inquired She-Hulk.
"There’s good news and bad news." replied Dane. "The good news is, we averted a minor crisis and Monica is out of her come. The bad news...well, Rita should be the one to explain it."
"The Wasp came here and she was actin’ weird, like scary weird. She even threatened me." related Rita. "Then she locked herself in one-a the bathrooms. Dane told me to watch the bathroom door while he an’ the reserves went on their mission. Later, I heard noises coming out like the Wasp was in trouble. I went an’ got Mr. and Mrs. Newell, an’ Mr. Newell forced the door open, an’...we sawr the Wasp passed out on the floor an’...an’..."
Rita had to swallow hard before she could continue.
"...an’ there was white powder on the bathroom counter."
Everyone was speechless. In all the Avengers’ years of fighting dastardly criminals and would-be conquerors, no Avenger had ever fallen victim to the insidious inanimate villainy of hard drugs. The Avengers silently vowed to do everything they could to help the Wasp, a founding member and a stalwart presence throughout their history, but because of this revelation, their many hard-won victories were now bittersweet indeed.
NEVER THE END
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
FANFIC: The Avengers in "The Legacy of Mar-Vell", Part Nine
When Thor regained consciousness, he felt himself floating on air and watching his own body go through a transformation against a blank background of golden light. Rather than detaching him from these unfamiliar and painful new sensations, it magnified them.
Thor saw and felt his flesh dissolve away, followed by the dissolution of his muscles and internal organs until nothing remained but his skeleton. Then the skeleton discorporated into molecules, which joined back together to form a protean blob of soft matter. This, in turn, gradually took the shape of a humanoid newborn baby, and as it grew to adulthood in a matter of minutes, it began to emit a white cosmic light which became more and more intense until Thor was blinded by it and he could no longer see what he was becoming.
Abruptly, he found himself back in the Deathlands, facing Polania and Quasar as he had before. Polania motioned at him to follow her to a pitch-black pond where he could see his new self.
Thor was astonished. He was still about the same size and build, and still possessing long blond locks. But his eyes now glowed white, and he was now clad in a futuristic suit of armor which would not have looked out of place on an Eternal. He felt the armor – it was thin, soft, and flexible, yet he could perceive its amazing strength. And he could perceive so much more, from the tiniest pebble to the vast multiverse...and suddenly, Thor felt overwhelmed.
As if reading his mind, Polania said, "Keep thyself focused. Your every move, your every thought can now bring either the genesis or the apocalypse."
"Yes." whispered Thor, taking his time to take it all in until he spoke again. "Quasar, let us tarry not. Transport me back to Midgard, where I may engage Garero in battle."
"Tis not yet the time." warned Polania. "Thy new powers would destroy a normal quantum portal and set off a chain reaction that would devastate the universe. We need a portal created by not one but two cosmic-powered beings. And have it soon we shall. If both of thee wouldst close thine eyes and share my vision..."
They witnessed Firelord awakening on the surface of Hala to find himself inside a stone circle, surrounded by what could only be Kree pagans. He realized he was in one of the safe spots that Starfox had mentioned – if only, he thought to himself, it had gone smoother getting there.
Firelord noted that his burns had fully healed, and as if the pagans’ long-haired, long-faced arch-druid could read Firelord’s mind, he said, "Yes, we did heal you. It took a great communal effort, but we succeeded. Now you must..."
The arch-druid was rudely interrupted by an attack from Zetazia, who had tracked Firelord to this location. Zetazia’s flames quickly had all the pagans’ huts ablaze.
Beyond angry at her actions against these peaceful folk, Firelord absorbed all the fire as fast as he could, and then launched himself at Zetazia. The two cosmic powered beings clashed in an explosion of red, orange, and yellow that lit up the sky. And when it was over, it was Firelord who was still standing.
"Our thanks, Firelord." said the arch-druid. "If not for you, we would have had to find a new place to call home. Allow us to repay you by clearing your mind for the task which lies ahead."
"If you can heal my tormented mind the way you healed my body, I welcome it." replied Firelord as he re-entered the stone circle.
The pagans surrounded him, joined hands and closed their eyes. Just a few seconds later, Firelord was overwhelmed by visions of the Kree battling his arch-nemesis, Nebula. Surprisingly, the armada of space pirates was holding its own despite being vastly outnumbered and despite the presence of cosmic-powered Kree and Kree gods; the Negavator was just one of many Negative Zone weapons with which Nebula had equipped her flagship. Part of Firelord wanted to blast off and head for the site of the battle, but thanks to the pagans, he began to use his rarely exercised capacity for reason. Firelord at last realized the futility of his vendetta against Nebula and the pointlessness of war.
In the Deathlands, Polania perceived the rising and advancing of Firelord’s spirit, and knew the time had finally come for Thor to intervene. "Quasar," she said, "use your cosmic awareness to mind-meld with Firelord. You must both bridge the realms with a cosmic portal strong enough to withstand the power that Thor now wields."
Quasar and Firelord simultaneously activated their considerable powers. It would not be long now before the final battle would be fought.
********
The Beast felt as though he might black out at any moment, while the Mandrill gleefully continued to beat on him. At the same time, it looked like the other apes were gaining the advantage against Hellcat and the Black Knight.
Suddenly, the time space flux began to spin in the other direction, and the other apes were sucked into the flux as if it were a black hole.
"NO!" yelled the Mandrill, "how can this be??"
"It’s...stupefyingly simple." said the Beast, laughing through his pain. "Your maleficent MacGuffin has...gone from discharging temporal anomalies – i.e., your gorilla guerillas – to removing temporal anomalies. You’re on your own from here, compadre."
"Hiya, Mandy!" said Hellcat as she delivered a karate kick to the Mandrill’s face. "Long time no see, but not long enough."
"You shall pay for that, Hellcat." said the Mandrill. "I still have my pheromone powers, with which I shall make you my slave."
"You’re outta luck there," replied Hellcat, "because this cat is also a packrat. Remember this?" She held up a seemingly innocuous bracelet, which had protected her from Mandrill’s powers at their last confrontation, and did the same here.
The Mandrill hesitated, not knowing what to do next, which gave the Black Knight a chance to sneak up behind him and smash him on the head with the flat of his blade. The Mandrill lost consciousness, then his balance, and fell down face-first.
"I love it when a plan comes together." gloated a grinning Hellcat.
"I would gladly pay you Tuesday for my medical bills today." quipped the injured Beast.
"I can’t thank you people enough for your help." said the Black Knight. "If any of you should ever want to join the Avengers full-time, we’ll welcome you with open arms."
Ant-Man quietly ruminated on what the Black Knight had just said.
*********
"What do you think?" Diane Newell asked her husband Walter.
"No doubt about it," said a smiling Walter, "Captain Marvel is coming out of her coma."
Rita barged into the medical center, gasping for breath. "Mr. Newell, Mrs. Newell, come quick. Something bad’s happening to the Wasp."
Moments later, Walter was using his security card to override the bathroom door’s lock.
When he opened the door, he, Diane, and Rita, were horrified at what they saw.
*********
"Negavator fully charged." said Gunthar to Nebula.
"Target the one with the horned helmet, he is clearly the most powerful." Nebula said, referring to Garero.
The mighty blast of the Negavator barely staggered Garero. He countered with his eye-beams, hitting the ship’s one vulnerable spot and triggering a chain reaction that neutralized its primary functions.
"AND NOW," bellowed Garero, "THE PIRATES SHALL PAY FOR THEIR ARROGANCE WITH THEIR LIVES!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came out of nowhere. "Garero, I say thee nay. Too many lives hath been lost today. Retreat to thy realm or suffer the full power of the Anti-Omega."
Thor stood before Garero, proud, confident, and defiant.
"THOU HAST PERSEVERED, GODLING, BUT EVEN THE ANTI-OMEGA SHALL NOT SAVE THEE FROM BEING CRUSHED LIKE THE INSECT THOU ART! NOW DIE! DIE!!"
And Garero’s eye-beams burst forth again, at their maximum power, headed straight for Thor.
TO BE CONCLUDED IN PART X
Thor saw and felt his flesh dissolve away, followed by the dissolution of his muscles and internal organs until nothing remained but his skeleton. Then the skeleton discorporated into molecules, which joined back together to form a protean blob of soft matter. This, in turn, gradually took the shape of a humanoid newborn baby, and as it grew to adulthood in a matter of minutes, it began to emit a white cosmic light which became more and more intense until Thor was blinded by it and he could no longer see what he was becoming.
Abruptly, he found himself back in the Deathlands, facing Polania and Quasar as he had before. Polania motioned at him to follow her to a pitch-black pond where he could see his new self.
Thor was astonished. He was still about the same size and build, and still possessing long blond locks. But his eyes now glowed white, and he was now clad in a futuristic suit of armor which would not have looked out of place on an Eternal. He felt the armor – it was thin, soft, and flexible, yet he could perceive its amazing strength. And he could perceive so much more, from the tiniest pebble to the vast multiverse...and suddenly, Thor felt overwhelmed.
As if reading his mind, Polania said, "Keep thyself focused. Your every move, your every thought can now bring either the genesis or the apocalypse."
"Yes." whispered Thor, taking his time to take it all in until he spoke again. "Quasar, let us tarry not. Transport me back to Midgard, where I may engage Garero in battle."
"Tis not yet the time." warned Polania. "Thy new powers would destroy a normal quantum portal and set off a chain reaction that would devastate the universe. We need a portal created by not one but two cosmic-powered beings. And have it soon we shall. If both of thee wouldst close thine eyes and share my vision..."
They witnessed Firelord awakening on the surface of Hala to find himself inside a stone circle, surrounded by what could only be Kree pagans. He realized he was in one of the safe spots that Starfox had mentioned – if only, he thought to himself, it had gone smoother getting there.
Firelord noted that his burns had fully healed, and as if the pagans’ long-haired, long-faced arch-druid could read Firelord’s mind, he said, "Yes, we did heal you. It took a great communal effort, but we succeeded. Now you must..."
The arch-druid was rudely interrupted by an attack from Zetazia, who had tracked Firelord to this location. Zetazia’s flames quickly had all the pagans’ huts ablaze.
Beyond angry at her actions against these peaceful folk, Firelord absorbed all the fire as fast as he could, and then launched himself at Zetazia. The two cosmic powered beings clashed in an explosion of red, orange, and yellow that lit up the sky. And when it was over, it was Firelord who was still standing.
"Our thanks, Firelord." said the arch-druid. "If not for you, we would have had to find a new place to call home. Allow us to repay you by clearing your mind for the task which lies ahead."
"If you can heal my tormented mind the way you healed my body, I welcome it." replied Firelord as he re-entered the stone circle.
The pagans surrounded him, joined hands and closed their eyes. Just a few seconds later, Firelord was overwhelmed by visions of the Kree battling his arch-nemesis, Nebula. Surprisingly, the armada of space pirates was holding its own despite being vastly outnumbered and despite the presence of cosmic-powered Kree and Kree gods; the Negavator was just one of many Negative Zone weapons with which Nebula had equipped her flagship. Part of Firelord wanted to blast off and head for the site of the battle, but thanks to the pagans, he began to use his rarely exercised capacity for reason. Firelord at last realized the futility of his vendetta against Nebula and the pointlessness of war.
In the Deathlands, Polania perceived the rising and advancing of Firelord’s spirit, and knew the time had finally come for Thor to intervene. "Quasar," she said, "use your cosmic awareness to mind-meld with Firelord. You must both bridge the realms with a cosmic portal strong enough to withstand the power that Thor now wields."
Quasar and Firelord simultaneously activated their considerable powers. It would not be long now before the final battle would be fought.
********
The Beast felt as though he might black out at any moment, while the Mandrill gleefully continued to beat on him. At the same time, it looked like the other apes were gaining the advantage against Hellcat and the Black Knight.
Suddenly, the time space flux began to spin in the other direction, and the other apes were sucked into the flux as if it were a black hole.
"NO!" yelled the Mandrill, "how can this be??"
"It’s...stupefyingly simple." said the Beast, laughing through his pain. "Your maleficent MacGuffin has...gone from discharging temporal anomalies – i.e., your gorilla guerillas – to removing temporal anomalies. You’re on your own from here, compadre."
"Hiya, Mandy!" said Hellcat as she delivered a karate kick to the Mandrill’s face. "Long time no see, but not long enough."
"You shall pay for that, Hellcat." said the Mandrill. "I still have my pheromone powers, with which I shall make you my slave."
"You’re outta luck there," replied Hellcat, "because this cat is also a packrat. Remember this?" She held up a seemingly innocuous bracelet, which had protected her from Mandrill’s powers at their last confrontation, and did the same here.
The Mandrill hesitated, not knowing what to do next, which gave the Black Knight a chance to sneak up behind him and smash him on the head with the flat of his blade. The Mandrill lost consciousness, then his balance, and fell down face-first.
"I love it when a plan comes together." gloated a grinning Hellcat.
"I would gladly pay you Tuesday for my medical bills today." quipped the injured Beast.
"I can’t thank you people enough for your help." said the Black Knight. "If any of you should ever want to join the Avengers full-time, we’ll welcome you with open arms."
Ant-Man quietly ruminated on what the Black Knight had just said.
*********
"What do you think?" Diane Newell asked her husband Walter.
"No doubt about it," said a smiling Walter, "Captain Marvel is coming out of her coma."
Rita barged into the medical center, gasping for breath. "Mr. Newell, Mrs. Newell, come quick. Something bad’s happening to the Wasp."
Moments later, Walter was using his security card to override the bathroom door’s lock.
When he opened the door, he, Diane, and Rita, were horrified at what they saw.
*********
"Negavator fully charged." said Gunthar to Nebula.
"Target the one with the horned helmet, he is clearly the most powerful." Nebula said, referring to Garero.
The mighty blast of the Negavator barely staggered Garero. He countered with his eye-beams, hitting the ship’s one vulnerable spot and triggering a chain reaction that neutralized its primary functions.
"AND NOW," bellowed Garero, "THE PIRATES SHALL PAY FOR THEIR ARROGANCE WITH THEIR LIVES!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came out of nowhere. "Garero, I say thee nay. Too many lives hath been lost today. Retreat to thy realm or suffer the full power of the Anti-Omega."
Thor stood before Garero, proud, confident, and defiant.
"THOU HAST PERSEVERED, GODLING, BUT EVEN THE ANTI-OMEGA SHALL NOT SAVE THEE FROM BEING CRUSHED LIKE THE INSECT THOU ART! NOW DIE! DIE!!"
And Garero’s eye-beams burst forth again, at their maximum power, headed straight for Thor.
TO BE CONCLUDED IN PART X
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