Back to GatefoldIssue #58 by Steve Crosby
[snapshot of original issue from defunct M2K site] |
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“Yes
sir, it was very unfortunate about what happened at Stamford. We should
consider it as confirmation. One or more of the Avengers have precognition.
I’ve already planted suggestions among the media. The question will
be asked, as well as follow-ups, such as how the Avengers can allow
so much tragedy to happen if they know about it ahead of time. The
overall plans haven’t been affected.”
The
man paused and listened. When he had a chance, the man responded.
“Everything in Genosha is going according to plan. Even if Magneto’s
outrageous accusation about Justin Hammer is true, nobody is listening.
If anything, making those claims without any proof has ruined Genosha’s
credibility with everybody that matters. Their allies are few and
will be nonexistent once we’ve made our move.”
More
listening, then, “Yes, I spoke with the advertisers this morning.
After they’re done, no intelligent person on Earth will touch that
vile oil substitute Genosha’s putting out. The cars have been sent
out. Twenty miles after filling up, boom, all because of the impurities.
Or a mutant terrorist scheme that went off prematurely. Heh, I love
the pundits.”
A
lengthy pause followed. There was a lot to listen to before the man
could respond. “I’m at the holding facility now, sir. Once I’ve convinced
the loyal terrorist to reveal what we’ve led him to believe, I can
be in Washington this afternoon. Yes, in plenty of time to prepare
for her appearance. Our analysts are certain it will drive him over
the edge.”
At
last the corridor ended, and the man found himself at a door. “I need
to go, sir. You’ll receive another update this afternoon. Goodbye.”
Five
bolts had to be released for the heavy door to open. When it creaked
inward, the man entered a small room with a single other occupant.
Fabian Cortez was lying curled up in his own filth, his eyes open
a tiny bit at the sudden bright light. The man looked down at these
eyes and was pleased to see a slight glaze. A drugged subject would
be more malleable.
“Mutant, it’s time that you told us the truth. Isn’t it correct that you acted under the orders of Magneto? Is it not a fact that an American military base was attacked by the rogue nation of Genosha?”
MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS... "AT HOME AND ABROAD"
Written by Steve Crosby
“This session will now come to order.” Senator Dickerson banged
his gavel. “The Metahuman Investigation Committee recognizes Jennifer
Walters, Avengers liaison to the Federal Government of the United
States. Ms. Walters, are you prepared to answer this committee’s
questions?”
Looking
almost as intimidating in her business suit as she does while She-Hulk,
Jennifer leaned forward to speak into the microphone. “Yes I am
Senator.”
The
first question came from Senator Carrick. “Ms. Walters, my first
question is in regards to your objectivity. Traditionally, the role
of liaison has been to keep the Avengers in line, to prevent them
from acting outside American interests. Being a former Avenger yourself,
have you been able to objectively monitor and evaluate the Avengers’
actions?”
“With
all due respect Senator, your definition of the role is incomplete.
I interpret my duties to include protecting the Avengers from government
interference, to insure that they are not used as a tool for political
means.”
“And
yet there are some who saw exactly that when the Avengers were present
at Cape Citadel.”
“As
we all know Senator, that day marked the anniversary of,” Jennifer
chose her words carefully, “a significant attack by a former terrorist.”
“Ah
yes, you are referring to the mutant Magneto, current ruler of the
island nation of Genosha.”
“I
am referring to a super-human threat, the exact thing that the Avengers
were formed to defend against. It was suspected that super-powered
terrorists would strike on that anniversary, and it was for that
reason the Avengers were present. A suspicion I might add that proved
correct.”
“But
isn’t it true Ms. Walters that not all of the Avengers were present?
Wasn’t the mutant known as Quicksilver, son of Magneto, absent on
that day?”
“He
had unfortunately suffered a training injury that day.”
“Isn’t
that convenient, that the son of the mutant who had tried to steal
nuclear missiles from Cape Citadel was suddenly unable to attend
the anniversary of that attack?”
“My
understanding is that Quicksilver considered it very inconvenient.”
“It
is also my understanding that another Avenger has ties to a foreign
nation. I am of course referring to the Inhuman Karnak, who is a
member of that race’s so-called Royal Family. With two of their
members having ties with peoples that have often been at odds with
the United States, Ms. Walters, how can you assure us the Avengers
do not threaten national security?”
“With
all due respect Senator, the Inhuman race has only been at odds
with the United States when the Royal Family was not in power. Karnak
joined with the Avengers as an ambassador, providing intelligence
and assistance against rogue Inhuman elements, much as Andromeda
has previously done in regards to Atlantis and countless foreign
governments are doing now with American intelligence agencies. Just
recently, Karnak had identified an attempted coup of the Inhuman
government by those who would see America harmed and gone to investigate.”
Attilan
was quiet as death. Karnak crept from empty building to empty building,
ever-cautious of attack. There wasn’t a trace of battle anywhere,
no blood or signs of damage. Karnak felt as though he were alone
in a room with his cousin and king Black Bolt; surrounded by silence
and the dreaded expectation of utter destruction.
As
with the few times Black Bolt spoke, Karnak sensed the end of silence
just before it happened. He ducked suddenly, barely avoiding the
massive fist of an Alpha Primitive. At the same time Karnak struck
with astounding speed, and his slight hand did as much damage to
the Alpha Primitive as its fist did to that wall. The sub-human
gave an unintelligible cry of pain, and when Karnak followed-up
with an uppercut it collapsed in a semi-conscious state. Karnak
stamped down hard, making it lose conscious
fully. There was no point interrogating a beast of no intelligence.
Cautious
of further attacks should he remain in one place to long, Karnak
sped on. This time he knew where he was going, and made an irregular
path for the entrance to the preserve underneath Attilan, where
Alpha Primitives have lived since being granted their freedom. As
he hurried, Karnak wondered at what could have made the once docile
sub-humans violent, and whether it was connected to the disappearance
of the Inhumans.
As
Karnak neared a side entrance to the Royal Palace, he spotted another
three Alpha Primitives clearly placed as guards. Swiftly, Karnak
considered forcing his way through and decided against it. Creeping
along the side of the building, Karnak found a weakness in the wall
and smashed his elbow through it. If he moved quickly enough, Karnak
would reach the preserve’s entrance before the Alpha Primitives
caught sight of him. They lacked the mental faculties to investigate
even the most obvious too closely.
Four additional Alpha Primitives were waiting for Karnak on the
other side of the makeshift entrance. Left with no other recourse,
the Inhuman rushed forward to engage. Though outnumbered, Karnak
was a skilled fighter, and despite the Alpha Primitives’ large size
their strength was no much greater than a base Inhuman’s. Karnak
expected the fight to end swiftly, downing one foe right away with
a blow to the knee. Then Karnak saw that the leg ended in a hoof,
and another Alpha Primitive had unusually long hair.
“This
cannot be!” Karnak smashed a fist against an Alpha Primitive with
a greenish complexion. “Maximus will pay for this, brother! And
you will be restored! This I swear!”
But emotion made Karnak reckless, and the three Alpha Primitives
he’d earlier sought to avoid had reached the battle. Eventually
one blow got through his defenses, followed by more. Karnak was
soon beaten nearly unconscious by his attackers, four of whom were
members of his own family.
“My
primary concern is cost,” Senator Whitmore said. “Not merely the
cost in damage from these super-human conflict, but also the cost
in information. Had these Inhumans not told us about the large water
supply on the Moon, we likely could have done a fool thing like
shoot expensive rockets into it! But too often information is withheld,
knowledge that could be vital to improving the quality of life for
all Americans.”
“This
is something that has been addressed elsewhere and in much greater
detail, Senator,” Jennifer Walters said. “Science does not exist
in a vacuum, and often when the Avengers discover great breakthroughs
its often because they’re already being abused by some criminal
with delusions of grandeur. Allowing such potentially harmful discoveries
access from the scientific community or public at large would greatly
increase the chance of catastrophe.”
“With
all due respect young lady, such decisions should be made by our
government.”
One
comeback in the front of She-Hulk’s mind was to name Senators Warkovsky,
Ward, Weason, Munson, Stivak and Bohannon, all either villains or
had been under the control of villains. Instead Jennifer Walters
smiled and said, “That is exactly what other committees are doing,
both here in the Senate and the House of Representatives. As briefs
are filed, they review the technical data and encourage further
studies as they see fit. One such study has been the recent mission
to Jupiter by the noted scientist Walter Newell. As you gentlemen
are no doubt aware, Mr. Newell’s Stingray armor, already a breakthrough
for underwater exploration, also has a use for interplanetary exploration.”
“Entering the atmosphere now.” At that point, Stingray had no way
of knowing if his communications were getting through. He’d failed
to receive any transmissions from Earth since entering Jupiter’s
magnetosphere, but had been more concerned with navigating the turbulent
electro-magnetic storms. But the Avenger had made it through to
the massive planet’s atmosphere, and quickly shifted controls to
auto-pilot.
Tony
Stark himself had modified the Quinjet for inter-planetary exploration.
He had said there was no way it could sustain the deeper pressures
of Jupiter, but that it could survive indefinitely high in the upper
atmosphere. That made it safe to leave, a viable means of transport
back to Earth once Stingray was done with his exploration. At least,
he hoped so. If stranded he would never be found.
Sealing his Stingray armor completely, Walter Newell disembarked from the Quinjet and into the gaseous planet of Jupiter. He felt the pressure and cold immediately against his armor. The pressures varied from one-fifth to twice that of Earth’s, minimal next to the powerful gravity that threatened to send Stingray careening into the planet’s core.
Temperature
was colder than any place on Earth, colder even that deepest of
the oceans, but Stingray’s armor was keeping him insulated. It was
also keeping him buoyed, high on the surface of Jupiter, amidst
the rich amounts of hydrogen and helium.
Nothing
solid existed around Stingray. There wasn’t anything for his sonar
to bounce again except for the Quinjet high above, a beacon that
Stingray held onto. He was swimming in gas, exploring up close what
had only ever been observed from afar. If not for the armor, the
man would be dead, frozen and crushed.
Stingray
was alive however, swimming through clouds of ammonia against high
winds. By the warnings of Earth’s greatest scientists he had about
eight hours before the armor would stress. Plenty of time, he figured,
to observe most of what he wanted. Going near the Great Red Spot
itself would have to wait until more advancements. Perhaps that
would require Thor itself, Stingray speculated.
“Diane,
I’m speaking to you from inside an ocean of gas,” Stingray said,
using his wife’s name as an outlet for sanity. “The currents are
high velocity winds, temperatures far below anything on Earth and
pressures widely varied. But I barely feel that next to the gravity,
currently almost three times that of Earth. Right now I only dare
skim the atmospheric surface.”
Suddenly
Stingray angled his head, very excited. “Diane, my sensors have
just registered movement, something too big and isolated to be a
standard atmospheric shift. I’m now picking up multiple readings
moving towards me. Could it be that I’ve discovered life on Jupiter?
If so, Diane, this breakthrough will be beyond…wait, no. No. Oh
my god, Diane. It’s them!”
Senator Engel leaned forward to begin his questions. “Ms. Walters,
do you mind if I call you She-Hulk? Because as we’ve previously
established, you are She-Hulk, established superhuman adventurer,
correct?”
“That
is correct, Senator. But out of green I prefer Ms. Walters.”
“Fair
enough. Just a moment ago you named the adventurer Stingray by his
true name, that of Doctor Walter Newell?”
“Yes,
sir. His identity is publicly known.”
“As
is Quicksilver, and apparently Karnak operates under his real name.
As it stands all the current Avengers have public identities or
have provided their real names to the Senate. Is this true?”
“I
think I understand what you are getting at, Senator.”
“I’m
pleased.” Senator Engel straightened his glasses. “And yet, in spite
of being so forthcoming with their own identities, the Avengers
had continued to tolerate masked vigilantes. I am of course referring
to the likes of Daredevil and Spider-Man.”
“Not
only the Avengers, sir, but also the Fantastic Four, SHIELD, and
something called…” Jennifer sifted through her notes. “Allad-”
“That’s
all well and good,” said the Senator, cutting Jennifer off. “But
the public has a right to know who is defending them.”
“As
a member of the Intelligence Committee, Senator, you know that just
isn’t true. What some operatives deal with requires a certain amount
of secrecy, requiring that their true names and faces are not made
public, or even accessible to any official save their immediate
supervisor. Are you saying that Captain America is not trustworthy,
sir?”
“Of
course not. Simply that at times his judgment is misplaced. As in
the case of relatives to terrorists or members of rogue nations.”
“You are of Earth, We were once of Earth, and will be again.”
Stingray
opened his eyes. Once again, he had been knocked unconscious by
unknown enemies. He should be more careful, lest his armor is ever
compromised in the process. This creature addressing Stingray was
no At’Lan’Tique clone. It was large and bulbous, with flaps of flesh
that were likely meant to fill with hydrogen so that it could travel
through the Jupiter atmosphere. This planet had natives! But no,
it had said they were of Earth.
“Our
race was devastated by a Celestial being. Many of us who survived
sought to give chase. We were struck down and sent screaming to
this planet, where we have adapted and waited.”
My
god, thought Stingray. These were Deviants!
“You
know of us. It is good that we still exist on Earth. If we do not
again dominate, the arrival of our numbers shall make it so. You
will aid us in this. We will not allow you to think otherwise.”
Stingray
then saw more of them, above and below and everywhere between. Thousands,
perhaps hundreds of thousands of Deviants. All were imposing their
will on him. Against such an onslaught, of course a normal man would
yield.
“I
will aid you,” Stingray said.
They dragged Karnak to where he’d intended to go, the caverns beneath
Attilan. He immediately noted the Alpha Primitives’ numbers. There
were far many than ever before, clearly due to the altered Inhumans
added. All of the Inhumans except for at least two, Karnak noted
as he glared at the preening Maximus.
“Cousin,
I’m so glad you were able to make it!” Maximus the Mad spread his
arms wide in a welcoming gesture. “I presume you have figured out
my actions. Of course you have, you were always closest to me in
intellect.”
Touching
some of the red hair to his finger, Maximus twirled it around as
he spoke. “It was so obvious, I’m mad to have never thought of it
before. Alpha Primitives are the only ones who have ever shown me
loyalty, so why not make all Inhumans into Alpha Primitives. Except
myself, of course.”
“In
the kingdom of fools the madman is king.”
It
wasn’t the joke that Maximus laughed at. “The Terrigen Mists were
the key. Did you know the Kree meant it to do more than empower
us? I detected a locked gene intended to compel obedience. Alas,
the gene triggers a mental and physical change, creating the far
less useful Alpha Primitives. Hence it was locked.” The laughter
grew louder. “Until I set it free!”
“Congratulations,”
said Karnak. “You rule over a race of sterile slaves. The Inhumans
are extinct!”
“Not
at all. Those untouched by the mist remain. The children for instance.”
Maximus indicated Luna and Ahura, caged off to the side with other
young Inhumans. “And yourself, of course. But that will be fixed
soon enough. Then my army of Alpha Primitives will be complete,
and entire generation to keep the youngsters in line for my glorious
rule.”
Maximus
made a gesture, and Karnak started to be dragged away by his cousins.
He had one last weapon to play however, and Karnak shouted it.
“You
are right, Maximus. My father never exposed me to the mist. Instead
I was trained to hone my body and mind, to recognize and exploit
any weakness in all obstacles. Including my own.”
“Oh?”
Another gesture by Maximus stopped the Alpha Primitives. “Tell me
this, cousin, what are your weaknesses?”
Karnak
looked his cousin square in those mad eyes. “My arrogance. The belief
that I can overcome all obstacles on my own.” Then, he gave a terrifying
smile. “But in recognizing a flaw, I am able to repair it.”
“No!”
In the time it took Maximus to get what Karnak was saying, the Avengers
had arrived. The section of wall behind the Inhuman children shattered,
and they were all gone in the blink of an eye. Captain America was
second through the opening, throwing his shield with all his strength.
The
Alpha Primitives holding Karnak were struck by Captain America’s
shield, allow Karnak to pull free. Warbird, Binary and Expirita
flew through the air, using their powers to corral the Alpha Primitives.
Photon then had them fixated with a succession of strobe lights.
As
for Quicksilver, he ran straight to Maximus and locked his arms
around the madman’s neck. “Give me a reason. I will scatter you
to the four corners of the Earth!”
The
danger was lost on the mad mind of Maximus. “Incompetent mommy gets
you sole custody,” he said in a rhyming tone. “You’re welcome.”
The
shield returned to Captain America’s arm, and his other arm was
pointed at Quicksilver. “Stand down Avenger!”
From
Quicksilver’s murderous expression and the purple shade of Maximus
the Mad’s face, that order was perilously close to being ignored.
Reason then seemed to prevail, and Quicksilver released. “You will
undo this.”
“That
requires knowledge and desire, of which I have neither!”
“Fine,”
Warbird said. She’d managed to get between Quicksilver and Maximus
just in time. “We’ll call one of the dozen smarter guys we know.”
“No,”
Karnak said. “I won’t permit outsiders to know the secrets of Terrigenesis.”
Quicksilver turned about to face Karnak. “You would refuse help?
Leave them like this? This is your family! This is my-”
“Your
nothing!”
“Enough.”
Captain America was studying his identicard. “Stingray has checked
in. There may be a solution if we get everybody topside.”
The Quinjet was passing the orbit of Jupiter’s farthest moon when
Stingray’s communicard automatically transmitted. Tethered to the
Quinjet and trailing behind it in a wide swath were the whole of
the marooned Deviants. A highly adaptive species, their bodies resisted
the vacuum of space and carried sufficient hydrogen to breath for
the journey. As evolved were their minds, each one hooked into Stingray’s
brain to ensure full cooperation.
His
armor tied into the Quinjet’s systems, Stingray observed many of
the Deviants releasing themselves from the collective. The propulsion
had only been required for escape velocity, and now that they were
free of Jupiter’s pull the Deviants would allow their own momentum
to carry them to Earth. That would take time, so a smaller force
remained tethered to the Quinjet to prepare the way for the larger
invasion force. Only a few hundred thousand from the hundreds of
billions.
Working
with the diligence of a man not in control of himself, Stingray
guided the Quinjet toward Earth. He had departed Jupiter well ahead
of schedule, so the planets were still lined up in their respective
orbits. With proper thrust on the engines it was less than an hour
before Stingray had visual on his home planet. He approached the
sleeping half of the world, toward a high mountain region set between
two dense population centers.
Yes.
We shall rain over them from the mountains. The lead Deviant
was pleased at this act of initiative. Billions will feed us,
and when your people counter-attack we shall be too ingrained to
remove. Then the true assault will commence!
Before
entering the atmosphere, Stingray needed to activate the heat shields
to risk being vaporized on reentry. He did this, but did not set
the shields on the broad setting he was instructed to do.
What
are you doing? Expand your shields or we shall all – Aaarrghh!
Before
the atmosphere, the Quinjet and Deviants needed to navigate the
ring of debris that orbited the Earth. Pieces of satellites, meteorites,
spacecraft and orbital weapons, the ring was the result of recent
space exploration and grew larger each year. But in the time
before the Deviants had first left Earth it had not existed, and
Stingray had neglected to tell them of it.
“I’m
no puppet,” Stingray told his so-called masters as many of them
were ripped apart. “The psi-shielding in my armor won’t allow it.
Thank you Xavier Protocols.”
The
Quinjet ripped into Earth’s atmosphere with screaming Deviants dragged
behind it. Extreme heat ignited the hydrogen bags within their bodies.
The sky over the Himalayas became awash with flames.
Captain America looked up at the star-filled sky. “Are all the Inhumans
out in the open?”
“Yes,”
said Karnak. He was looking around, hesitating before he said, “I
cannot tell who were originally Alpha Primitives.”
“It
shouldn’t matter,” Captain America said. “But the rest of us had
better take cover.”
The reasoning behind Captain America’s words soon became clear.
Fire spread across the sky and ash began to fall. The Avengers had
gathered in a crystal-domed coliseum to watch the spectacle, with
a restrained Maximus and all the Inhuman children. Thousands
of Alpha Primitives…of Inhumans were outside, standing in place
because Karnak the last Inhuman had told them too. He was watching
them all, fully aware of the flaws in any solution.
“There
is a reason not all Inhumans are exposed to the Terrigen Mists,”
Karnak said. “The effect is random, and in some cases are…unfortunate.”
His brother, Triton, was one of those, unable to breathe outside
of water. “It was the reason my parents never exposed me. Even if
this…you claim they’ll no longer be Alpha Primitives. But they’ll
all still have undergone Terrigenesis.”
“We’ll
deal with one crisis at a time,” said Captain America, then he corrected
himself. “Two at once is where I draw the line. Stingray encountered
Deviants on Jupiter.”
Through
Photon’s eyes, the falling ash was seen in a multitude of spectrums.
“That’s what this is. He’s somehow burned them up in our atmosphere.”
Having realized the solution, she suppressed a shiver. “It was Stingray
who sent you that transmission. Do you think this will work?”
“We’re
going to find out.”
The
ashes of Deviants settled over the primitive Inhumans. At contact
they each screamed and began to physically change. Karnak started
forward but Warbird grabbed his arm. As she wasn’t even touching
the floor, Karnak had no leverage. He could only watch helplessly,
trusting in the judgment of his fellow Avengers.
“Espirita,
you go first,” Captain America said at last. “Burn as much of it
out of the air as you can.”
When
Espirita did so, the other Avengers emerged to survey the results.
All except for Quicksilver who would not leave his daughter’s side.
Karnak immediately went to the man he’d earlier identified as his
brother. If Karnak retained his abilities he would need to be submerged
in water immediately.
However
when Karnak reached his brother, Triton’s skin was smooth and pale.
The Terrigenesis had been reversed, not only on Triton but on all
the Inhumans.
“My hair.” Medusa’s hands felt over her bald head, her eyes holding back tears. A tall and broad Black Bolt comforted her in silence, not out of necessity but of habit.
Everyone
had been transformed, even those who had always been Alpha Primitives,
clones of Inhumans who had suffered the unfortunate fate millennia
ago. If possible, they would have to be acclimated back into proper
lives.
“Something
of a success,” Captain America said. “Though you’ll need to confirm
if the Terrigen Mists will work again.”
“If
so, then everybody who desires it can undergo the process again,”
said Karnak. Watching as his brother breathed air, he hoped that
Triton would not be one of those.
“We sent a full briefing to SHIELD and NASA about those Deviants
in space,” Jennifer Walters told the committee. “They’ll be keeping
watch.” She didn’t tell them how pointless watching would be. A
couple hours after Sersi had been told she’d informed the Avengers
that her people the Eternals had dealt with the matter.
“Yes,
a deep study of one should be interesting,” said Senator Engel.
“However Ms. Walters I can’t help but suspect you’re being less
than truthful with us. Do you expect this committee to believe that
two Avengers managed to deal with separate crises on their own?”
Jennifer
smiled. “Captain America, Thor and Iron Man do it all the time.
The public calls them Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for a reason, Senator.
Each member is a capable force in their own right, always active
against threats that aren’t too great for one hero. These situations
happen every day, dangers almost too great to imagine. That is when
the Avengers are at the door, keeping this planet save.”
“Even
if it’s at the cost of this nation?” Senator Dickerson asked.
“Last
I knew, this planet included these United States.” Jennifer Walters
rose from her seat. “Gentlemen, I have answered all of your questions
on this too long day. Unless you’re prepared to revoke their security
clearance, the Avengers need their liaison in Manhattan.”
They
weren’t. In minutes Jennifer Walters was outside the Capitol Building
on a clear day with few clouds. Swarming around her were throngs
of reporters, all eager to know what had gone on in the closed sessions.
Through a sniper’s scope, Jennifer appeared to simply smile as she
gave the answer she’d prepared on the ride down that morning.
“The committee will be issuing a statement shortly. But whatever
their decision, the American public can sleep soundly knowing that
the Avengers will always be there to-”
*BANG*
NEXT ISSUE: The fate of She-Hulk! A conspiracy reaches someone who
is madder than he’s ever been before! The Avengers call for help
in a desperate last stand!
But first, enjoy the beginning of a regular backup feature starring
the most cosmic hero of all!
Part One
Written by Steve Crosby
Captain Mar-Vell’s welcome to Titan was not unexpected. Understandable
even, considering his son Genis had trapped the Titanians in the
Negative Zone. They had been freed by Iron Man, and Genis have been
imprisoned for his safety as well as the safety of others. To them,
Genis would have suddenly disappeared, and if a man in the uniform
of Captain Marvel had suddenly appeared near Titan, of course they
would attack.
Heh.
They think I’m crazy. I could have killed them all but I didn’t.
Maybe that was crazy.
There
was little that Captain Mar-Vell understood about his son’s actions.
He’d hoped the Titans could elaborate, maybe even help free Genis
from temporal stasis, heal his fatal injuries and stabilize his
mind. First he would need to deal with the quartet attacking him.
Not fight if he could avoid it, they didn’t seem able to fly on
their own and jet packs were relatively simple to maneuver around.
“Please,
there is no need to shoot,” Captain Mar-Vell said as he avoided
blasts from ray guns. “I am willing to surrender for an audience
with your leader. I’m told that Mentor knows me. Please, just tell
him it’s Mar-Vell traveling from the past.”
None
of the four Titans answered. They simply kept shooting at Captain
Mar-Vell. He continued to dodge, and maneuvered so that when
one Titans fired he inadvertently shot the jet pack of another.
He plummeted toward the surface of Titan, with none of the other
three moving to aid him. And when Captain Mar-Vell did fly down
so that a death would not be on his conscience, they fired on him!
So
that’s why they’re so angry with me. They want to die!
No,
Captain Mar-Vell realized they were fighting with a complete lack
of emotions. It was as though he battled robots. Grabbing the falling
Titanian, Captain Mar-Vell neared the surface and slowed before
release. He then flew up suddenly with a powerful burst of speed.
It was regrettable, but there was no reasoning to be done. Captain
Mar-Vell struck swiftly at the final three Titans, using his strength
and Kree training to quickly knock them out. He then gentle deposited
them on the surface of Titan.
It
doesn’t matter if robots break.
“Hopefully
I’ll have dealt with the cause of their condition before they wake
up,” Captain Mar-Vell said aloud. “Genis, you can help me learn
more about the Titans before I encounter more of them.”
Titans
are the fathers. These are children.. There is only one Titan on
Titan.
That
would be Mentor, Captain Mar-Vell knew. He’d read some if Titan’s
history in the Avengers database before leaving Earth. Mentor as
an Eternal, a being of incredible power who had journeyed to Titan
and discovered a society almost wiped out by war. A woman, Su-San
had been the only survivor, and with her Mentor had sired two sons
and created a population of randomized clones.
Two
sons. Too powerful sons. Like me. I was too powerful so I got trapped
here. Will you make sure the others aren’t too powerful, father?
“Trapped,
of course.” It didn’t matter that the moon Titan didn’t have an
atmosphere, as it seemed the Titans didn’t have to breathe. But
they would prefer to stay hidden. Captain Mar-Vell felt the ground
of Titan, and with an awareness struck hard. Stone broke with a
hollow clang that exposed metal. ”I won’t risk decompressing a moon,
Genis, so I’ll depend on your memories.”
Ha!
Even I can’t do that!
Nevertheless,
Captain Mar-Vell did, and teleported into an open courtyard deep
beneath the surface of Titan. He instantly took note of the beautiful
gardens, sophisticated equipment, and more Titans shooting at him.
Captain Mar-Vell rushed at them with almost inhuman speed, deflecting
each blast with a pinpoint burst of photonic energy. A stronger
burst of pure light served to blind them.
Surprisingly,
this did not appear to impede the Titans as Captain Mar-Vell had
hoped. Their eyes were unseeing but they attacked as though able
to see their foe perfectly. Captain Mar-Vell wondered at this as
he overwhelmed his opponents hand-to-hand, and the glint of a lens
told him everything he needed.
“Just
like the Kree, Titan relies on a computer!”
Me
they lock up, but ISAAC they forgive every time it turns on them!
Recalling what he’d read in the Avengers database, Captain Mar-Vell knew he couldn’t destroy a computer as large a moon. Well, you could. At least not without destroying the moon itself and killing all inhabitants, something Captain Mar-Vell had no desire for.
As
he flew along the corridors, he considered how ISAAC would be able
to sap all Titans of emotions, and stretched his awareness to find
a prisoner.
You
can’t do it like that. You’re supposed to keep it on all the time!
It has to drive you mad!
“I
regret using you as a buffer, Genis.” Captain Mar-Vell blasted through
a set of thick metal doors. “Even the small glimpses I allow myself
almost seem too much. It may be that Cosmic Awareness granted by
the Supreme Intelligence is tainted, or it requires clarity of mind
and soul to use safely. What is your opinion, ISAAC?”
Inside
the chamber were three pods and massive android based off the Kree
Sentry. As it lumbered toward Captain Mar-Vell it answered, “An
opinion is of no value. Fact: Eon granted Mar-Vell Cosmic Awareness
after testing your mind to near the breaking point. Fact: Genis-Vell
was granted Cosmic Awareness by the Supreme Intelligence without
having his mind tested. Conclusion: not enough data. Fact: Captain
Mar-Vell is dead.”
The
punch thrown by ISAAC’s automaton was incredibly fast, but Captain
Mar-Vell jumped over this with little effort. He threw photonic
bursts that found the cables connected to the pods. That was from
one hand; the other hand Captain Mar-Vell charged with energy and
punched ISAAC’s automaton in the torso with a tremendous explosion.
Pieces collapsed to the floor and Captain Mar-Vell faced the three
freed Titans.
Mentor
raised one hand over his head and energy from his fingers suffused
into ISAAC’s core. “It took me by surprise, but now the virus has
been expunged.” His other hand was raised at Captain Mar-Vell.
Next
to Mentor, his good son Eros shook his head. “This isn’t an imposter,
Mentor. I can feel in his soul, this is Mar-Vell.”
“And
you’re Starfox,” Captain Mar-Vell said. “ISAAC was using your power
of empathy to strip the Titans of all emotion. To what purpose?”
“ISAAC
had decided that emotion was bad.” It was the woman on Mentor’s
other side, Elysius, who spoke. She couldn’t take her eyes off Captain
Mar-Vell, and her voice trembled as she continued. “Or at least,
the one who inserted the virus did. ISAAC had been programmed to
build an army of living machines, perfect soldiers some would think.”
Among
those the Kree, Captain Mar-Vell knew. He didn’t want to know who
had inserted the virus into ISAAC. But in his head, Genis gleefully
answered the question.
It was me!
TO BE CONTINUED... |