Back to GatefoldIssue #3 (Vol 2) by Ed Ainsworth
September 2017 |
"Microversal Membrane"
Time had very little meaning in the Microverse. Despite being only minutes, Janet Van Dyne had seemingly for her entire life, walked forever.
Slowly.
It was hard, one foot in front of the other, like every other day of her life but it was the most difficult thing she’d ever done. Her calves burned, her legs ached, her feet were swollen and her toes felt bruised. Her breath came somewhere between ragged and calm, agonizing sucks.
In the space between realities, between Microverse and Macroverse, she felt the fabric of each, bombarding her with their concepts, hitting the back of her mind and explaining to her, as only molecules and conceptual entities can, in feelings, colours, smells and impressions. As she stepped, carefully and unsteadily across their membranes, they spoke to her, in the language of gravity, in poems of physics and in paragraphs of physical reactions.
Clinging to her short bob, her feet on Janet’s shoulder, hung Rita DeMara. Former Yellowjacket. Former Supervillain. Avenger. Guardian of the Galaxy and now Jiminy Cricket to Janet’s Wasp.
“You’re doing great,” Rita said, settling down in Janet’s collarbone, “I know this is difficult.”
Janet sighed.
“Sometimes,” she said quietly, “I’m not sure why I do this. I’m not a scientist, or a magician, or a God or inventor. I’m just a woman who shrinks.”
Rita scoffed and scratched at the edges of her Yellowjacket mask.
“You’re a founding member of the Avengers, Janet. Never take that for granted, but maybe take notice of it?”
Rita crossed her legs, as Janet stumbled a little on the edge of the membrane. Where her feet struck, star scape images scattered and spread out like cosmic lightning, fading away moments later.
“You asked me if I knew about two things before we started walking down this road, one what Counter Earth was doing, and two what Shamanism is. Start explaining.”
Rita settled in and stared up at the bottom of Jan’s chin.
“Magic, you know it a bit. You hung around Thor, and Druid and Dr. Strange, so you know that it exists, but Magic, and its form as extremely different and variable. Strange, for example, Masters all but the darkest of magic’s. Druid was…well…”
“Anthony was a Jerk,” Janet said, curling the top of her lips.
“Yeah. Yeah he was.”
“You have wizards, sorcerers, druids, mages, warlocks. Etc etc. A Shaman, aside from being a Member of Alpha Flight, is a medicine man. A healer.”
Janet nodded.
“So, you asked me if I knew what magical healer is? I guess so…”
“No, Shamanisn is a bit different to magical Tylenol. Shamanism is walking the walk. Understanding and seeing things from a different angle, and healing through knowledge, caring and understanding not through gestures and twinkly fingers.”
Janet frowned a little.
“What does that have to do with me, exactly?”
“Well,” Rita said, a grin on her face, “You know you said you weren’t anything other than someone who shrinks?”
Janet cast a glance down at Rita, whose miniature features beamed up at her.
“You’ve walked alongside Gods, Champions of Countries. Hulks, Giant Men, and Space Women. You’ve been to the other side of the Universe, fought countless evils, and you still see yourself as less.”
Rita balled her fists and shook her head, tears in the corners of her eyes.
“The Patriarchy continues to grind you under its feet,” she said, and looked up at Janet again.
“I…”
“You See! Janet, you can see. You don’t walk alongside Tony Stark, or Captain America, or the Hulk and see them for their powers, or their concepts. You know them as people because you, You Janet Van Dyne, you see them for who they are, not what!”
“Rita, I don’t think I…”
“You walked alongside Gods and Monsters and Superheroes. You walked between Worlds and now you’re walking between realities, Janet.”
Janet scrunched up her face.
“My superpower is walking?” she said quietly.
Rita huffed loudly, and slapped Janet in the collar bone.
“Your superpower is understanding, and seeing, Janet. Your superpower is being a person, not a superhero, and considering who you live with and deal with? That is something amazing.”
Janet nodded curtly once, and hugged herself. She suddenly felt very cold, and full of something she couldn’t put her finger on. A swelling feeling building from her toes up her legs.
“…and Counter-Earth?” she asked. Rita paused, and went still.
“Counter Earth, Janet,” Rita said, quietly, “Is very, very different. Counter Earth isn’t the same place. Counter Earth is…”
Janet tensed, the cold feeling rising past her knees and making her gasp as it began to swirl around her thighs and naval.
“Counter Earth is wrong, Janet. It is broken, and wrong and it wants to kill you. It wants to kill everything.”
# # # # #
Citrusville Swamps, Interlude 01
Man-Thing cocked its head once as the huge tree-antlered woman stumbled. She crashed into the Swamp water and mud, sliding forwards and coughing into a balled fist. She lay on her front for a few moments more, as the other Gods gathered around her.
The female Thor darted forwards, offering an arm for the tree-woman to hold onto. The other Gods, those whom were still beginning to filter through, stood in similar weakness on the Earth soil. Their bodies distended with malnourishment.
“Vorgunus Koth,” the Tree-Woman said softly, reaching out for him. Man-Thing did not react, and simply stared.
“We are the true Gods of Counter-Earth,” she said, “ I am…Cleito. I am also a Koth.”
She leaned heavily on Thor, whom let her sit down on a splitting, decaying log. She patted it affectionately, the other Gods around her began to swarm. Cleito was the tallest, and strongest, it appeared. Thor moved quietly to Man-Things side, and one of her Raven’s landed heavily on his shoulder.
“I’d listen to her if I were you, Manny,” Thor said, her hammer hanging from its leather thong from her belt of strength, “She has a story to tell.”
Man-Thing stared at Thor, and then turned his huge, crimson eyes back to Cleito. She bowed her head, slightly.
“I offer you thanks, Vorgunus. Our world…” she paused, holding her head. Another God, whom sat with his curving, fur covered fish-tail in the Swamp Water gripped her forearm tightly. She offered him a weak smile.
“Our World rebels against us,” she offered. Thor nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, “Our World has declared war upon such things as decency, and morality, and has opted for destruction, death and decadence. We have…looked for an escape for a long time, but only in our conversations with Thor here…”
Man-Thing flicked his head to the side, looking around. He looked for the Thor he knew and remembered and for a moment, forget that the woman beside him wielded that name. The blonde woman put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side. A Raven cawed.
“Man-Thing…Ted,” Thor said, pacing, “They need a safe place. They need protection. Their world…”
Thor bowed her head and looked up at the unfeeling, crimson Orbs of the Man-Thing.
“Their world hates them. Their world shunned them, and now, magic and nature has pushed them out. Will you, Man-Thing?”
The Swamp Creature stood still for a very long time. Long enough for the other Gods to go about their respective business. Thor’s Ravens even took to perching and foraging insects off his Verdant hide.
Almost an hour later, Man-Thing slowly inclined his head, and Thor smiled.
Cleito smiled a grand smile, and moved, unsteadily towards him. Slowly her fingers began to trace across his forehead, down the three trunks of thick vine that made up the structure of his face, moving in great whorls over and around, forming symbols of Counter-Earth Nature-Magick into his Nexus’ formed flesh.
“Vorgunus Koth. Man-Thing,” she said, as her hands began to move across his shoulders. The other Gods mimicked her movements, surrounding Man-Thing.
“You protect the status quo of a place which changes every millisecond. You are the natural worlds first line of defence against the un-nature of the reality-Convergence.”
Thor leaned in and whispered to Man-Thing.
“She means Nexus…”
“You are the Protector of the Counter-Earth Gods, now. Our own Convergence thanks you, it thanks your mind, soul, and body. I offer you this then, Koth. I offer you the basis of our magic, which you may consider Counter. You may find it does not mix well with your own, but we offer it freely without obligation or recompense. Go forth, Koth. Go with Thor.”
She stumbled backwards into a four-armed Pig God, with the body of a Pufferfish, and the limbs of an ape.
“Go forth and protect us, Koth. Save our world.”
# # # # #
Microversal Membrane
“Rita,” Janet said, “This makes no sense to me.”
Rita sighed and clambered to her feet.
“Shaman, they understand. They walk. They become one with things. Shaman of tribes understand what the nature of the tribe is, of the forest, of the flow of energy, life and emotions around them. They’re aware.”
Running across Janet’s shoulders, she appeared at the heroes other ear and whispered quietly.
“I touched the edge of this when I travelled back through time, when the Guardian’s let me go. I touched the very frayed edge and I saw…”
Rita gestured expansively out into nothing, which Janet saw, was slowly becoming. A dawning. It was difficult to comprehend against the Starscape, but something was resolving itself.
“In the Microverse, there was a man called Wayfinder. Warrior Prince, Hero of the Microverse, and protector. Over time, he became more and more powerful and more and more at one with the nature of the Microverse. He became a Star, and with it, he became…I guess, the Microverse’s Eternity.”
Rita hopped down to sit on Janet’s Collarbone.
“Eternity, is a conceptual cosmic entity…”
“I know what Eternity is, Rita. What does this have to do…”
“With you?” Rita said, emboldened, “I’ve tried to be as explicit as I can, Janet. You’re the Shaman of the Microverse. You shrink, you grow, you put your mass here. You are part of it. You have created so much in the Microverse without your knowledge. If Wayfarer is Eternity, then you are Infinity. Forever creating, forever giving yourself to the Microverse’s continual creation.”
“But Hank…Bill…”
“They grow, Janet. They draw from the Microverse every time, pull a bit of it into them to bolster their mass. Sure, you may have grown, a handful of times, but you are forgiven, because every Shrink. Every time you become a hero, the Wasp, you give your body to the Microverse.”
Rita clapped her hands together and giggled.
“And the Microverse? She thanks you.”
# # # # #
Interlude 02 – Brother Nature
Mark Diering hit the water of the Atlantic Ocean with a splash so great, it reached nearly twenty feet in the air. His body, reacting to the surface tension of the water, had the moment before hitting, reached out instinctively and told the sea to “go easy”.
As a result, Mark was conscious, and scrabbling to prevent himself panicking as the black water around him showed no signs of life. His body consciously accepting the fact that he’d never make it to the surface in time to breath.
No sooner had he resolved to face his fears like a man, a face once again appeared to him.
-Find my Captains, Brother Nature. Find Delroy Garret. Find the Patriot of the World.-
Mark felt the edges of his vision blur and slowly fade out. Moments later he felt something nudge at his feet and the rush of water around him. The pressure eased itself and the light he had desperately needed to navigate up and down slowly filled his vision.
Casting a glance underneath him, Mark saw the form of a huge whale, its eyes staring at him. He nodded a thanks, as he broke the surface, the whale throwing its head back to cast him on its back.
-[You OK, Brother Nature?]-
“…You what?”
-[Are you OK? Are you feeling acceptable?]-
“Talking Whale. Sure. Why not.”
-[Well, it is better than being an ape whom threw himself from a flying metal box into the ocean with no greater plan, is it not?]-
“You sort of have me there, Whale.”
-[Mermaxx,]- it said, directly into his mind, -[My name is Mermaxx, and my friend is the Validator.]-
“Sounds like crap TV,” Mark said. The Vindicator suit landed unsteadily next to Mark on the Whale, folding itself in a way to mimic a woman, but very obviously, it was an empty, sentient suit.
-[You have received your message, yes?]-
Mark nodded slowly.
“I have received a message. We need to find Delroy Garrett. That ring any bells?”
Mermaxx said nothing, and simply changed his course in the ocean.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Mark sat down heavily on the Whales hide and began to trace circles on his skin. The Validator suit looked down at him. Mark grinned, an angry, vicious grin.
“Thanks for the save, and all,” He said, looking up at the Suit, “but I’m not so sure that I shouldn’t be back there. People seem to have a…bad opinion of me.”
The suit said nothing, and the Whale bucked a few times. Mark was sure it was laughing at him.
-[Gaia seems to think you are worth the trouble, Mark Diering.]- Mermaxx said, -[She knows best, I suppose?]-
Mark nodded once.
“Yeah, we suppose. After all, we do not know how Gods and Goddesses work, right?”
The Whale bucked again.
# # # # #
Microverse
Mar-Vell stepped up the hill and stood over the fallen form of Elsa Bloodstone. He knelt low to touch her face, a warped grin written over his, stained blue with the unnatural light of the Microverse.
“Rob,” Bill said. He’d stepped in front of the young scientist and the White Tiger, to offer his body as a shield, growing several feet taller as a result. Hawkeye stood next to him, an arrow drawn across the length of his bow.
“This is looking increasingly like a bad day, High-Pockets,” Clint said.
Bill nodded and took a step forward.
“Marv?” he asked.
Mar-Vell stood up, the slits on the side of his neck flaring. Bill recoiled slightly. He was a hero and had seen things that would make other men turn and run, but the warped face of his friend staring back at him, obviously altered by something other worldly was enough to throw him off. Bloated features and deadened waxy skin.
“You know of me?” he asked, stepping forwards. A Starscape cape blew behind him, the bands of energy on his wrists, digging into his flesh with blades and spikes, glowed with black-purple energy. Hawkeye drew back his arrow.
“I knew you,” Bill said, “You died. From Cancer.”
Mar-Vell took another step forwards and pulled his cloak around him. His minions, gathered around him. The giant insectoid creatures bearing his banner and wielding twisted versions of his bands, either around their limbs, or their mandibles shuffled and settled while Bill addressed their leader.
“Bill,” Rocket Racer said from behind the group. Bill held up his hand.
“One moment, Rob,” Bill inclined his head to Hawkeye who looked over to check if Bill was correct. Hawkeye nodded.
“Mar,” Bill said, “Is this really the route you want to go down?”
Mar-Vell threw his arms open and his cloak billowed around him.
“I do not know you, human,” he said, carefully, “I do not know any of you. The Bowman…you look...perhaps? Like someone I know. Hawkeye. But you are not he. He…He is the owner of a Green Suit.”
Clint spocked an eyebrow and stared.
“I haven’t worn Green for years,” he said.
“’Cause Purple is a definite improvement,” Elsa mumbled from underneath Mar-vell. She winked once at Bill.
“Elsa…”
A gloved fist smashed straight into Mar-Vells crotch. His eyes bulged and he stumbled forwards. Elsa was on her feet, a kick into the insectoids face before her, and a roll to the left. She was already running towards the Avengers.
“Fight! Fight! God! This is like WWII all over again.”
Clint let his shoulders sag, as the wave of Insectoids surged forwards.
“I really hate this woman.”
“Rob!” Bill yelled.
Slamming his fit down onto something, a sphere of energy exploded into place, shooting streamers of sparks into the skies. The insectoid wave crashed against it, losing limbs and parts of their faces to the energy. Bill recoiled as a fragment of carapace rebounded through the makeshift shield and hit him in the chest.
“This isn’t going to last long,” Bill said, “We need a new plan.”
“Well, I would suggest negotiation, but Elsa seems to have thrown that away,” White Tiger said. Elsa scowled at her.
“He is a baddie. He has things on his neck that frill out like a Dinosaur. I will not lay down and allow us to negotiate with someone who is evil because it might be easier than trying to strong arm our way out of here.”
Bill turned to her with fury on his face.
“We’re here because of you, Elsa! We’re stuck in the Microverse because you couldn’t wait, and now we’re going to possibly die because you have no self-control.”
Elsa eyed him as the corner of her mouth turned upwards.
“I have enough self-control to not punch you in the dick.”
Bill grew a few inches and Elsa laughed.
“I’ve fought monsters the size of buildings, mister-compensation, I don’t care if you’re a bit taller than me. I’ll still…”
White Tiger put her hands-on Elsa’s shoulder.
“We need to work a way out of this, not fight each other. We’re also thinking in too many directions. If I remember Captain Marvel…”
“You never met him,” Clint said.
“Not what I mean,” Tiger replied, “I have been reader. I am an Avenger, correct? I have been reading about the Avengers and your history. Captain Marvel was an alien. Could that compensate of his neck?”
Bill shook his head and Clint crossed his arms.
“Marvel was a Pink-Skinned Kree. They only come in Pink and Blue flavours, kid, and they’re as human as you or me, otherwise.”
Tiger nodded.
“This only looks like Marvel, then. His powers came from his Nega-Bands, right? Which is what Rob is playing with to create this shield?”
Rob was fiddling with the remains of his board, and fighting an array of sparks and small bursts of electricity. He was quietly sweating and whispering under his breath.
“I don’t really…” Elsa said.
“No, hang on a second…” Clint said, turning to Elsa, “You need to let her speak.”
Bill leaned in closer to Tiger.
“Go on,” he said.
“Marvel, if this is him, or some…alternate version of him, perhaps? Is powered by the bands. He is either the source of the power, or the leader. Either way – We take him out, we take out the rest of it. We focus on him, and the best way to take out a cosmic guy is...?”
“Punch him in the face.”
“Arrow to the face.”
“Throw him.”
Tiger sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
“He’ll have loads of defenses for everything. Except his own power, right?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Rob.
“Rocket Racer becomes Rocket Bracelets. Rob, can you make your board into a missile to shoot at Marvel?”
He looked up at the assembled group, staring down at him and swallowed loudly.
“Maybe?”
# # # # #
Janet stumbled for a moment, her feet slipping on something.
“Rita?”
Janet began to fall, the universe around her rushing to meet her form.
“RITA!” she screamed. Jan hit the membrane she was balancing on and fell. She fell straight into the path of a Star. A burning, white hot star that accelerated towards her. She threw her hands over her face, and yelled out, her throat raw with fear.
She burst through the surface of the star, as though she were passing through a soap bubble, and hurtled through the core. She was ejected out of the other side with an increased velocity. She gripped herself tightly.
“Wh-Wh-What?”
“You’re looking for “What just happened to me, Rita?”
Janet said nothing, her eyes burned with white light and fear.
“Microverse is thankful, Janet. I told you that. You know what the Microverse has, aside from horrors upon horrors?”
Janet said nothing once again.
“It has the Uni-Force.”
Rita quietly, walked up Janet’s shoulders and sat in her hair.
“Look at yourself. Properly.”
Janet blinked a few times and looked down. Her hands glowed with power, with a Starscape pattern she recognized. Her clothing and skin tone had become blue, and a stretch of white down her left-hand side broadened out into a white costume that stretched over her chest, and down her torso to her legs.
“I..’” her mouth opened and closed rapidly, and she gasped a few times.
“Forgive the swearing, Janet, but Captain-F*&%ing-Universe, Janet Van Dyne. Now, do you want to kick some alien ass and get out of here?”
Janet nodded and closed her eyes, tears welling at the edges.
“Lets.”
# # # # #
The shining sphere around the group was beginning to fade. Bill twisted around to stare at Rob, whose face was glistening with beads of sweat. He was swearing softly now.
“Rob?”
“I’m not there,” he said, “I’m not there yet. I need...”
“Time, we don’t got, Kid,” Clint said, crouching down next to him. Rob looked up at the Avenger who grinned.
“We need it now. This shield is going down and Marvel is still struggling with the socking Elsa gave him to his special area.”
Rob nodded, and held his board up.
“If I rush this?” He said, looking Clint in the eye, “Then dying becomes definite instead of possible.”
Clint rolled his eyes and looked at Bill.
“Everyone’s got to sass Ol’ Briar Haweye these days, right?”
Bill shrugged and pointed to the insects. Huge pieces of carapace were falling through now, alongside Maws biting at the energy. Their own corresponding bands were glowing, creating heat spots around the shield. Behind the rabble, Marvel could be visible, staring in Anger.
“Rob,” Bill said, “When I say so, I need you to drop the shield.
Tiger’s attention snapped up.
“Bill?”
Elsa grinned widely, and Hawkeye simply knocked another Arrow. Tiger grabbed Bills wrist.
“I can’t fight them. This is cosmic level. Way above me!”
Bill gripped her wrists tightly in his own and smiled.
“No, this is yours. Do what you do, Angela. Use your head. That’s where your real power lies.”
She swallowed loudly and nodded, uncertain.
“I don’t think I can do this, Bill.”
He closed his eyes and nodded.
“I don’t think I can either, but I’m not sure we have a lot of choice.”
He released her wrists gently and stood in the center of the bubble. He began to grow, his mass forcing him to his knees, and his shoulders pushing against the ceiling of the sphere.
“Rob,” he said, warning in his tone, “Now!”
Rob released the shield and Bill shot upwards, growing massively. His increased size immediately threw the insects outwards, but a handful gripped his skin painfully, digging their claws and mouths into his flesh, drawing blood.
Hawkeye growled and loosed his arrow. It slammed directly into Marvel’s shoulder, knocking him off balance. His response was fierce and instant.
A blast of energy took Hawkeye off his feet and sent him hurtling into the dust, he was unconscious before he knew it. Moving forwards now, Marvel met Elsa’s fist with his own. She feinted to the left, gripping her hand. Her knuckles had blown on impact, and numbness was spreading up her arm. She twisted again, as the back of Marvels fist collided with her cheek.
As Elsa stumbled, White Tiger threw herself over her shoulders, both feet smacking into Marvels chest. He twisted and stumbled, throwing a leg out without any real skill. Tiger avoided him, as Bills huge fist clattered down on him. Marvel caught it and threw Bill backwards. A burst of power and of will threw the group backwards. Tiger hit Bill in the chest, and they were both sent sprawling.
Rob charged forwards, throwing his board outwards. The rockets burst into action on its back, sending a payload of energized bracelets towards Marvel. The board hit the Avengers enemy in the chest, throwing him backwards before it exploded.
Marching through the dust, with a singed costume, Marvel aimed a finger at Robert, and directed his minions down.
“Enough,” he said. The insects, previously sat watching their master battle, surged forwards again, over whelming the Avengers. Tiger screamed.
“No,” A voice spoke from above the group. A woman, clad in white and surrounded by Starscape floated down.
“You!” Marvel yelled, blasting forwards, no longer operating under the pretense he wasn’t powered by the stars. Janet dipped underneath his punch and arose the other side. The Starscape pattern subsided for a moment, showing her face to the Avengers, before it flooded upwards once more.
“Oh,” Janet said, information flooding her mind as she stared at him, “You’re not our Marvel.”
He snarled, spittle dripping from his chin.
“You’re…an invasive force,” Janet said, stepping forward. Marvel send a blast of force towards her, which she batted away into a group of Insectoids. He froze in place, as Janet continued to walk towards him.
“This was the plan, wasn’t it?” She said, her eyes totally unfocused, “You’re from there, aren’t you? Counter Earth. You’re coming to invade.”
Marvel shot forwards, his hands invisible with glowing energy. Janet caught him around the wrists, the ground underneath them shattering into shards of rock. The energy released between the two caused the smaller, loose pebbles to float and orbit the fighters.
“Invading our Earth. Why?”
“Because you don’t belong,” Marvel spat, “Your Earth is unordered and broken. Your Earth…it hurts ours.”
He headbutted Janet in the face. She released him, stumbling backwards, as he released a column of energy as thick as a man’s torso into her chest. She hurtled backwards, and he shot after her, his cape ragged already from the fighting.
“Counter Earth...” Bill said, sitting up slowly. He made a mental note to ask Janet what she meant when they got back. The Insects were fully engaged in watching their Master, and he had no intention of stirring their attention now. He picked up Tiger and cradled her in one huge hand.
“Avengers…Assemble?”
Marvel slammed into Janet again, his blows vicious. They targeted her head and neck. She absorbed most of the blows, her senses shattered as she read the Cosmic Destiny from Marvel. A moment later, a hand blocked one of his blows, and then another.
“Marvel,” she said, placing a hand on his chest. He sucked in air through ragged, angry teeth, jutting his jaw out, “It is over.”
“It is not!” He screamed, pouring more energy into Janet, “It is never over! Counter Earth has already won. I am but the first…”
Janet smiled, a wave of concussive energy bursting through her palm. It fired Marvel across the ground and shattered a trough into it where he stood.
“Emissary for Counter Earth? Your diplomacy sucks,” Janet said. “I am possessed by the Wayfinder entity, Marvel. It has let me see…whatever it is that I have seen. I have walked the Shaman walk, of the Microverse.” Janet sighed and let her shoulders hunch for a moment.
“I sound so pompous, Marvel,” she sighed and sat down in front of him, legs crossed, “I’m Janet Van Dyne.”
She crouched down, and reached out her hand. He stared at it.
“No? Ok. I’m not going to kill you,” she said suddenly, reading his expression, “I’m not. I don’t do that but…you have to stop, OK?”
Marvel hissed at her in frustration.
“Are you denying what is rightfully Counter Earths? You will condemn us all to die?”
Janet shook her head.
“Your thinking is too binary, Marvel. There is more than one option, or two options. We can solve this if we work together. I’m willing to.”
Marvel stared in disbelief.
“This doesn’t happen on your world, does it?”
Marvel stared at her still.
“Thought so. We’re cut a little different from Our Earth,” Janet said. She pushed herself to her feet.
“I’m sealing this path off from you, though. No Marvel and not Captain Marvel Insect Army on my watch. The Microverse is under our guard and control, Marvel.”
Janet began to walk away from him, towards the Avengers.
“Bill, get them together. We’re going home.”
Elsa gathered Hawkeye up in her arms, and Rocket Racer hung around Fosters Legs.
“It is good to see you,” Bill said, smiling. Janet nodded once.
She turned to the Insects and Marvel, who was pulling himself to his feet.
“I don’t expect to see you again. But If I do, and it is violent? You won’t win. We’re the Avengers…”
“West Coast,” Elsa said, quietly.
“We’re the Avengers, and we don’t take this sort of thing lightly. Pass that on to your leaders, or whomever on Counter Earth. It isn’t that you won’t win, it’s that you simply can’t. You never had a chance from the start.”
The Starscape effect over her body expanded to encompass the whole group, and with a burst of energy, the group were gone.
# # # # #
Bill opened his eyes what seemed like a few moments later, to find himself, alongside the rest of the Avengers in the team’s medical bay. Tony Stark was pacing up and down in front of them, his armor open and his features grim.
“Tony?” Bill asked.
His head snapped around, and his face lit up.
“Bill. Finally. I was getting tired of staring at a group of prone bodies.”
Bill winced and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His eyes struggled to focus, but he noticed Tiger to his left, her face badly bruised and swollen, and Janet to his right, looking serene but exhausted.
“Is everyone...?”
Tony nodded and sighed.
“But we have another situation,” he said, quietly, looking over his shoulder.
“Oh?” Bill asked, getting up slowly. He felt dizzy and his eyes faded out again. He gripped the edge of the bed.
“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. Tony nodded.
“Well, it has to do with the people behind me.”
Bill stared for a moment, as a few forms resolved themselves.
A small group of disparate people, none of which he recognized.
“Who are these people,” he asked wearily, rubbing his eyes.
“Well, Thor,” Tony said, with sarcasm and doubt in his voice, as he gestured towards a woman in a War Helmet holding a giant stone mallet, “Said that Janet would know.”
“Well, that’s useful,” Bill said. Janet was still totally unconscious. “You may be slightly early, though. She’s had a long day. Maybe come back another time?”
A kind faced man, with a long beard, and even longer hair stepped forwards. He opened his hands, and Bill saw something familiar about him, but he couldn’t place it.
“Dr. Foster,” he said, his voice even and good tempered, “We don’t need to come back, we’re the Avengers West Coast.”
Next Issue: Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why are they the Avengers West Coast? Join us for the beginning of a brand-new arc; Angels of Death and Mercy
Authors Note: It’s taken me far longer to conclude this than I would have liked, but this is my farewell to Meri’s AWC. I enjoyed Meri’s work, as most people do. He’s not just a solid writer, but an exceptionally talented one. To conclude his time on the title was both terrifying and great fun. The cast he put together…it isn’t necessarily one I would put together (‘cause you look at mine and wonder where my brain is at) but it was fun to write, and it challenged me to try and get their distinct voices down, particularly Tiger and Racer. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. At any rate, Farewell Meri’s Avengers West Coast, you were amazing.
Hello Ed’s, AWC – I hope I can live up to the history.
Slowly.
It was hard, one foot in front of the other, like every other day of her life but it was the most difficult thing she’d ever done. Her calves burned, her legs ached, her feet were swollen and her toes felt bruised. Her breath came somewhere between ragged and calm, agonizing sucks.
In the space between realities, between Microverse and Macroverse, she felt the fabric of each, bombarding her with their concepts, hitting the back of her mind and explaining to her, as only molecules and conceptual entities can, in feelings, colours, smells and impressions. As she stepped, carefully and unsteadily across their membranes, they spoke to her, in the language of gravity, in poems of physics and in paragraphs of physical reactions.
Clinging to her short bob, her feet on Janet’s shoulder, hung Rita DeMara. Former Yellowjacket. Former Supervillain. Avenger. Guardian of the Galaxy and now Jiminy Cricket to Janet’s Wasp.
“You’re doing great,” Rita said, settling down in Janet’s collarbone, “I know this is difficult.”
Janet sighed.
“Sometimes,” she said quietly, “I’m not sure why I do this. I’m not a scientist, or a magician, or a God or inventor. I’m just a woman who shrinks.”
Rita scoffed and scratched at the edges of her Yellowjacket mask.
“You’re a founding member of the Avengers, Janet. Never take that for granted, but maybe take notice of it?”
Rita crossed her legs, as Janet stumbled a little on the edge of the membrane. Where her feet struck, star scape images scattered and spread out like cosmic lightning, fading away moments later.
“You asked me if I knew about two things before we started walking down this road, one what Counter Earth was doing, and two what Shamanism is. Start explaining.”
Rita settled in and stared up at the bottom of Jan’s chin.
“Magic, you know it a bit. You hung around Thor, and Druid and Dr. Strange, so you know that it exists, but Magic, and its form as extremely different and variable. Strange, for example, Masters all but the darkest of magic’s. Druid was…well…”
“Anthony was a Jerk,” Janet said, curling the top of her lips.
“Yeah. Yeah he was.”
“You have wizards, sorcerers, druids, mages, warlocks. Etc etc. A Shaman, aside from being a Member of Alpha Flight, is a medicine man. A healer.”
Janet nodded.
“So, you asked me if I knew what magical healer is? I guess so…”
“No, Shamanisn is a bit different to magical Tylenol. Shamanism is walking the walk. Understanding and seeing things from a different angle, and healing through knowledge, caring and understanding not through gestures and twinkly fingers.”
Janet frowned a little.
“What does that have to do with me, exactly?”
“Well,” Rita said, a grin on her face, “You know you said you weren’t anything other than someone who shrinks?”
Janet cast a glance down at Rita, whose miniature features beamed up at her.
“You’ve walked alongside Gods, Champions of Countries. Hulks, Giant Men, and Space Women. You’ve been to the other side of the Universe, fought countless evils, and you still see yourself as less.”
Rita balled her fists and shook her head, tears in the corners of her eyes.
“The Patriarchy continues to grind you under its feet,” she said, and looked up at Janet again.
“I…”
“You See! Janet, you can see. You don’t walk alongside Tony Stark, or Captain America, or the Hulk and see them for their powers, or their concepts. You know them as people because you, You Janet Van Dyne, you see them for who they are, not what!”
“Rita, I don’t think I…”
“You walked alongside Gods and Monsters and Superheroes. You walked between Worlds and now you’re walking between realities, Janet.”
Janet scrunched up her face.
“My superpower is walking?” she said quietly.
Rita huffed loudly, and slapped Janet in the collar bone.
“Your superpower is understanding, and seeing, Janet. Your superpower is being a person, not a superhero, and considering who you live with and deal with? That is something amazing.”
Janet nodded curtly once, and hugged herself. She suddenly felt very cold, and full of something she couldn’t put her finger on. A swelling feeling building from her toes up her legs.
“…and Counter-Earth?” she asked. Rita paused, and went still.
“Counter Earth, Janet,” Rita said, quietly, “Is very, very different. Counter Earth isn’t the same place. Counter Earth is…”
Janet tensed, the cold feeling rising past her knees and making her gasp as it began to swirl around her thighs and naval.
“Counter Earth is wrong, Janet. It is broken, and wrong and it wants to kill you. It wants to kill everything.”
# # # # #
Citrusville Swamps, Interlude 01
Man-Thing cocked its head once as the huge tree-antlered woman stumbled. She crashed into the Swamp water and mud, sliding forwards and coughing into a balled fist. She lay on her front for a few moments more, as the other Gods gathered around her.
The female Thor darted forwards, offering an arm for the tree-woman to hold onto. The other Gods, those whom were still beginning to filter through, stood in similar weakness on the Earth soil. Their bodies distended with malnourishment.
“Vorgunus Koth,” the Tree-Woman said softly, reaching out for him. Man-Thing did not react, and simply stared.
“We are the true Gods of Counter-Earth,” she said, “ I am…Cleito. I am also a Koth.”
She leaned heavily on Thor, whom let her sit down on a splitting, decaying log. She patted it affectionately, the other Gods around her began to swarm. Cleito was the tallest, and strongest, it appeared. Thor moved quietly to Man-Things side, and one of her Raven’s landed heavily on his shoulder.
“I’d listen to her if I were you, Manny,” Thor said, her hammer hanging from its leather thong from her belt of strength, “She has a story to tell.”
Man-Thing stared at Thor, and then turned his huge, crimson eyes back to Cleito. She bowed her head, slightly.
“I offer you thanks, Vorgunus. Our world…” she paused, holding her head. Another God, whom sat with his curving, fur covered fish-tail in the Swamp Water gripped her forearm tightly. She offered him a weak smile.
“Our World rebels against us,” she offered. Thor nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, “Our World has declared war upon such things as decency, and morality, and has opted for destruction, death and decadence. We have…looked for an escape for a long time, but only in our conversations with Thor here…”
Man-Thing flicked his head to the side, looking around. He looked for the Thor he knew and remembered and for a moment, forget that the woman beside him wielded that name. The blonde woman put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side. A Raven cawed.
“Man-Thing…Ted,” Thor said, pacing, “They need a safe place. They need protection. Their world…”
Thor bowed her head and looked up at the unfeeling, crimson Orbs of the Man-Thing.
“Their world hates them. Their world shunned them, and now, magic and nature has pushed them out. Will you, Man-Thing?”
The Swamp Creature stood still for a very long time. Long enough for the other Gods to go about their respective business. Thor’s Ravens even took to perching and foraging insects off his Verdant hide.
Almost an hour later, Man-Thing slowly inclined his head, and Thor smiled.
Cleito smiled a grand smile, and moved, unsteadily towards him. Slowly her fingers began to trace across his forehead, down the three trunks of thick vine that made up the structure of his face, moving in great whorls over and around, forming symbols of Counter-Earth Nature-Magick into his Nexus’ formed flesh.
“Vorgunus Koth. Man-Thing,” she said, as her hands began to move across his shoulders. The other Gods mimicked her movements, surrounding Man-Thing.
“You protect the status quo of a place which changes every millisecond. You are the natural worlds first line of defence against the un-nature of the reality-Convergence.”
Thor leaned in and whispered to Man-Thing.
“She means Nexus…”
“You are the Protector of the Counter-Earth Gods, now. Our own Convergence thanks you, it thanks your mind, soul, and body. I offer you this then, Koth. I offer you the basis of our magic, which you may consider Counter. You may find it does not mix well with your own, but we offer it freely without obligation or recompense. Go forth, Koth. Go with Thor.”
She stumbled backwards into a four-armed Pig God, with the body of a Pufferfish, and the limbs of an ape.
“Go forth and protect us, Koth. Save our world.”
# # # # #
Microversal Membrane
“Rita,” Janet said, “This makes no sense to me.”
Rita sighed and clambered to her feet.
“Shaman, they understand. They walk. They become one with things. Shaman of tribes understand what the nature of the tribe is, of the forest, of the flow of energy, life and emotions around them. They’re aware.”
Running across Janet’s shoulders, she appeared at the heroes other ear and whispered quietly.
“I touched the edge of this when I travelled back through time, when the Guardian’s let me go. I touched the very frayed edge and I saw…”
Rita gestured expansively out into nothing, which Janet saw, was slowly becoming. A dawning. It was difficult to comprehend against the Starscape, but something was resolving itself.
“In the Microverse, there was a man called Wayfinder. Warrior Prince, Hero of the Microverse, and protector. Over time, he became more and more powerful and more and more at one with the nature of the Microverse. He became a Star, and with it, he became…I guess, the Microverse’s Eternity.”
Rita hopped down to sit on Janet’s Collarbone.
“Eternity, is a conceptual cosmic entity…”
“I know what Eternity is, Rita. What does this have to do…”
“With you?” Rita said, emboldened, “I’ve tried to be as explicit as I can, Janet. You’re the Shaman of the Microverse. You shrink, you grow, you put your mass here. You are part of it. You have created so much in the Microverse without your knowledge. If Wayfarer is Eternity, then you are Infinity. Forever creating, forever giving yourself to the Microverse’s continual creation.”
“But Hank…Bill…”
“They grow, Janet. They draw from the Microverse every time, pull a bit of it into them to bolster their mass. Sure, you may have grown, a handful of times, but you are forgiven, because every Shrink. Every time you become a hero, the Wasp, you give your body to the Microverse.”
Rita clapped her hands together and giggled.
“And the Microverse? She thanks you.”
# # # # #
Interlude 02 – Brother Nature
Mark Diering hit the water of the Atlantic Ocean with a splash so great, it reached nearly twenty feet in the air. His body, reacting to the surface tension of the water, had the moment before hitting, reached out instinctively and told the sea to “go easy”.
As a result, Mark was conscious, and scrabbling to prevent himself panicking as the black water around him showed no signs of life. His body consciously accepting the fact that he’d never make it to the surface in time to breath.
No sooner had he resolved to face his fears like a man, a face once again appeared to him.
-Find my Captains, Brother Nature. Find Delroy Garret. Find the Patriot of the World.-
Mark felt the edges of his vision blur and slowly fade out. Moments later he felt something nudge at his feet and the rush of water around him. The pressure eased itself and the light he had desperately needed to navigate up and down slowly filled his vision.
Casting a glance underneath him, Mark saw the form of a huge whale, its eyes staring at him. He nodded a thanks, as he broke the surface, the whale throwing its head back to cast him on its back.
-[You OK, Brother Nature?]-
“…You what?”
-[Are you OK? Are you feeling acceptable?]-
“Talking Whale. Sure. Why not.”
-[Well, it is better than being an ape whom threw himself from a flying metal box into the ocean with no greater plan, is it not?]-
“You sort of have me there, Whale.”
-[Mermaxx,]- it said, directly into his mind, -[My name is Mermaxx, and my friend is the Validator.]-
“Sounds like crap TV,” Mark said. The Vindicator suit landed unsteadily next to Mark on the Whale, folding itself in a way to mimic a woman, but very obviously, it was an empty, sentient suit.
-[You have received your message, yes?]-
Mark nodded slowly.
“I have received a message. We need to find Delroy Garrett. That ring any bells?”
Mermaxx said nothing, and simply changed his course in the ocean.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Mark sat down heavily on the Whales hide and began to trace circles on his skin. The Validator suit looked down at him. Mark grinned, an angry, vicious grin.
“Thanks for the save, and all,” He said, looking up at the Suit, “but I’m not so sure that I shouldn’t be back there. People seem to have a…bad opinion of me.”
The suit said nothing, and the Whale bucked a few times. Mark was sure it was laughing at him.
-[Gaia seems to think you are worth the trouble, Mark Diering.]- Mermaxx said, -[She knows best, I suppose?]-
Mark nodded once.
“Yeah, we suppose. After all, we do not know how Gods and Goddesses work, right?”
The Whale bucked again.
# # # # #
Microverse
Mar-Vell stepped up the hill and stood over the fallen form of Elsa Bloodstone. He knelt low to touch her face, a warped grin written over his, stained blue with the unnatural light of the Microverse.
“Rob,” Bill said. He’d stepped in front of the young scientist and the White Tiger, to offer his body as a shield, growing several feet taller as a result. Hawkeye stood next to him, an arrow drawn across the length of his bow.
“This is looking increasingly like a bad day, High-Pockets,” Clint said.
Bill nodded and took a step forward.
“Marv?” he asked.
Mar-Vell stood up, the slits on the side of his neck flaring. Bill recoiled slightly. He was a hero and had seen things that would make other men turn and run, but the warped face of his friend staring back at him, obviously altered by something other worldly was enough to throw him off. Bloated features and deadened waxy skin.
“You know of me?” he asked, stepping forwards. A Starscape cape blew behind him, the bands of energy on his wrists, digging into his flesh with blades and spikes, glowed with black-purple energy. Hawkeye drew back his arrow.
“I knew you,” Bill said, “You died. From Cancer.”
Mar-Vell took another step forwards and pulled his cloak around him. His minions, gathered around him. The giant insectoid creatures bearing his banner and wielding twisted versions of his bands, either around their limbs, or their mandibles shuffled and settled while Bill addressed their leader.
“Bill,” Rocket Racer said from behind the group. Bill held up his hand.
“One moment, Rob,” Bill inclined his head to Hawkeye who looked over to check if Bill was correct. Hawkeye nodded.
“Mar,” Bill said, “Is this really the route you want to go down?”
Mar-Vell threw his arms open and his cloak billowed around him.
“I do not know you, human,” he said, carefully, “I do not know any of you. The Bowman…you look...perhaps? Like someone I know. Hawkeye. But you are not he. He…He is the owner of a Green Suit.”
Clint spocked an eyebrow and stared.
“I haven’t worn Green for years,” he said.
“’Cause Purple is a definite improvement,” Elsa mumbled from underneath Mar-vell. She winked once at Bill.
“Elsa…”
A gloved fist smashed straight into Mar-Vells crotch. His eyes bulged and he stumbled forwards. Elsa was on her feet, a kick into the insectoids face before her, and a roll to the left. She was already running towards the Avengers.
“Fight! Fight! God! This is like WWII all over again.”
Clint let his shoulders sag, as the wave of Insectoids surged forwards.
“I really hate this woman.”
“Rob!” Bill yelled.
Slamming his fit down onto something, a sphere of energy exploded into place, shooting streamers of sparks into the skies. The insectoid wave crashed against it, losing limbs and parts of their faces to the energy. Bill recoiled as a fragment of carapace rebounded through the makeshift shield and hit him in the chest.
“This isn’t going to last long,” Bill said, “We need a new plan.”
“Well, I would suggest negotiation, but Elsa seems to have thrown that away,” White Tiger said. Elsa scowled at her.
“He is a baddie. He has things on his neck that frill out like a Dinosaur. I will not lay down and allow us to negotiate with someone who is evil because it might be easier than trying to strong arm our way out of here.”
Bill turned to her with fury on his face.
“We’re here because of you, Elsa! We’re stuck in the Microverse because you couldn’t wait, and now we’re going to possibly die because you have no self-control.”
Elsa eyed him as the corner of her mouth turned upwards.
“I have enough self-control to not punch you in the dick.”
Bill grew a few inches and Elsa laughed.
“I’ve fought monsters the size of buildings, mister-compensation, I don’t care if you’re a bit taller than me. I’ll still…”
White Tiger put her hands-on Elsa’s shoulder.
“We need to work a way out of this, not fight each other. We’re also thinking in too many directions. If I remember Captain Marvel…”
“You never met him,” Clint said.
“Not what I mean,” Tiger replied, “I have been reader. I am an Avenger, correct? I have been reading about the Avengers and your history. Captain Marvel was an alien. Could that compensate of his neck?”
Bill shook his head and Clint crossed his arms.
“Marvel was a Pink-Skinned Kree. They only come in Pink and Blue flavours, kid, and they’re as human as you or me, otherwise.”
Tiger nodded.
“This only looks like Marvel, then. His powers came from his Nega-Bands, right? Which is what Rob is playing with to create this shield?”
Rob was fiddling with the remains of his board, and fighting an array of sparks and small bursts of electricity. He was quietly sweating and whispering under his breath.
“I don’t really…” Elsa said.
“No, hang on a second…” Clint said, turning to Elsa, “You need to let her speak.”
Bill leaned in closer to Tiger.
“Go on,” he said.
“Marvel, if this is him, or some…alternate version of him, perhaps? Is powered by the bands. He is either the source of the power, or the leader. Either way – We take him out, we take out the rest of it. We focus on him, and the best way to take out a cosmic guy is...?”
“Punch him in the face.”
“Arrow to the face.”
“Throw him.”
Tiger sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
“He’ll have loads of defenses for everything. Except his own power, right?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Rob.
“Rocket Racer becomes Rocket Bracelets. Rob, can you make your board into a missile to shoot at Marvel?”
He looked up at the assembled group, staring down at him and swallowed loudly.
“Maybe?”
# # # # #
Janet stumbled for a moment, her feet slipping on something.
“Rita?”
Janet began to fall, the universe around her rushing to meet her form.
“RITA!” she screamed. Jan hit the membrane she was balancing on and fell. She fell straight into the path of a Star. A burning, white hot star that accelerated towards her. She threw her hands over her face, and yelled out, her throat raw with fear.
She burst through the surface of the star, as though she were passing through a soap bubble, and hurtled through the core. She was ejected out of the other side with an increased velocity. She gripped herself tightly.
“Wh-Wh-What?”
“You’re looking for “What just happened to me, Rita?”
Janet said nothing, her eyes burned with white light and fear.
“Microverse is thankful, Janet. I told you that. You know what the Microverse has, aside from horrors upon horrors?”
Janet said nothing once again.
“It has the Uni-Force.”
Rita quietly, walked up Janet’s shoulders and sat in her hair.
“Look at yourself. Properly.”
Janet blinked a few times and looked down. Her hands glowed with power, with a Starscape pattern she recognized. Her clothing and skin tone had become blue, and a stretch of white down her left-hand side broadened out into a white costume that stretched over her chest, and down her torso to her legs.
“I..’” her mouth opened and closed rapidly, and she gasped a few times.
“Forgive the swearing, Janet, but Captain-F*&%ing-Universe, Janet Van Dyne. Now, do you want to kick some alien ass and get out of here?”
Janet nodded and closed her eyes, tears welling at the edges.
“Lets.”
# # # # #
The shining sphere around the group was beginning to fade. Bill twisted around to stare at Rob, whose face was glistening with beads of sweat. He was swearing softly now.
“Rob?”
“I’m not there,” he said, “I’m not there yet. I need...”
“Time, we don’t got, Kid,” Clint said, crouching down next to him. Rob looked up at the Avenger who grinned.
“We need it now. This shield is going down and Marvel is still struggling with the socking Elsa gave him to his special area.”
Rob nodded, and held his board up.
“If I rush this?” He said, looking Clint in the eye, “Then dying becomes definite instead of possible.”
Clint rolled his eyes and looked at Bill.
“Everyone’s got to sass Ol’ Briar Haweye these days, right?”
Bill shrugged and pointed to the insects. Huge pieces of carapace were falling through now, alongside Maws biting at the energy. Their own corresponding bands were glowing, creating heat spots around the shield. Behind the rabble, Marvel could be visible, staring in Anger.
“Rob,” Bill said, “When I say so, I need you to drop the shield.
Tiger’s attention snapped up.
“Bill?”
Elsa grinned widely, and Hawkeye simply knocked another Arrow. Tiger grabbed Bills wrist.
“I can’t fight them. This is cosmic level. Way above me!”
Bill gripped her wrists tightly in his own and smiled.
“No, this is yours. Do what you do, Angela. Use your head. That’s where your real power lies.”
She swallowed loudly and nodded, uncertain.
“I don’t think I can do this, Bill.”
He closed his eyes and nodded.
“I don’t think I can either, but I’m not sure we have a lot of choice.”
He released her wrists gently and stood in the center of the bubble. He began to grow, his mass forcing him to his knees, and his shoulders pushing against the ceiling of the sphere.
“Rob,” he said, warning in his tone, “Now!”
Rob released the shield and Bill shot upwards, growing massively. His increased size immediately threw the insects outwards, but a handful gripped his skin painfully, digging their claws and mouths into his flesh, drawing blood.
Hawkeye growled and loosed his arrow. It slammed directly into Marvel’s shoulder, knocking him off balance. His response was fierce and instant.
A blast of energy took Hawkeye off his feet and sent him hurtling into the dust, he was unconscious before he knew it. Moving forwards now, Marvel met Elsa’s fist with his own. She feinted to the left, gripping her hand. Her knuckles had blown on impact, and numbness was spreading up her arm. She twisted again, as the back of Marvels fist collided with her cheek.
As Elsa stumbled, White Tiger threw herself over her shoulders, both feet smacking into Marvels chest. He twisted and stumbled, throwing a leg out without any real skill. Tiger avoided him, as Bills huge fist clattered down on him. Marvel caught it and threw Bill backwards. A burst of power and of will threw the group backwards. Tiger hit Bill in the chest, and they were both sent sprawling.
Rob charged forwards, throwing his board outwards. The rockets burst into action on its back, sending a payload of energized bracelets towards Marvel. The board hit the Avengers enemy in the chest, throwing him backwards before it exploded.
Marching through the dust, with a singed costume, Marvel aimed a finger at Robert, and directed his minions down.
“Enough,” he said. The insects, previously sat watching their master battle, surged forwards again, over whelming the Avengers. Tiger screamed.
“No,” A voice spoke from above the group. A woman, clad in white and surrounded by Starscape floated down.
“You!” Marvel yelled, blasting forwards, no longer operating under the pretense he wasn’t powered by the stars. Janet dipped underneath his punch and arose the other side. The Starscape pattern subsided for a moment, showing her face to the Avengers, before it flooded upwards once more.
“Oh,” Janet said, information flooding her mind as she stared at him, “You’re not our Marvel.”
He snarled, spittle dripping from his chin.
“You’re…an invasive force,” Janet said, stepping forward. Marvel send a blast of force towards her, which she batted away into a group of Insectoids. He froze in place, as Janet continued to walk towards him.
“This was the plan, wasn’t it?” She said, her eyes totally unfocused, “You’re from there, aren’t you? Counter Earth. You’re coming to invade.”
Marvel shot forwards, his hands invisible with glowing energy. Janet caught him around the wrists, the ground underneath them shattering into shards of rock. The energy released between the two caused the smaller, loose pebbles to float and orbit the fighters.
“Invading our Earth. Why?”
“Because you don’t belong,” Marvel spat, “Your Earth is unordered and broken. Your Earth…it hurts ours.”
He headbutted Janet in the face. She released him, stumbling backwards, as he released a column of energy as thick as a man’s torso into her chest. She hurtled backwards, and he shot after her, his cape ragged already from the fighting.
“Counter Earth...” Bill said, sitting up slowly. He made a mental note to ask Janet what she meant when they got back. The Insects were fully engaged in watching their Master, and he had no intention of stirring their attention now. He picked up Tiger and cradled her in one huge hand.
“Avengers…Assemble?”
Marvel slammed into Janet again, his blows vicious. They targeted her head and neck. She absorbed most of the blows, her senses shattered as she read the Cosmic Destiny from Marvel. A moment later, a hand blocked one of his blows, and then another.
“Marvel,” she said, placing a hand on his chest. He sucked in air through ragged, angry teeth, jutting his jaw out, “It is over.”
“It is not!” He screamed, pouring more energy into Janet, “It is never over! Counter Earth has already won. I am but the first…”
Janet smiled, a wave of concussive energy bursting through her palm. It fired Marvel across the ground and shattered a trough into it where he stood.
“Emissary for Counter Earth? Your diplomacy sucks,” Janet said. “I am possessed by the Wayfinder entity, Marvel. It has let me see…whatever it is that I have seen. I have walked the Shaman walk, of the Microverse.” Janet sighed and let her shoulders hunch for a moment.
“I sound so pompous, Marvel,” she sighed and sat down in front of him, legs crossed, “I’m Janet Van Dyne.”
She crouched down, and reached out her hand. He stared at it.
“No? Ok. I’m not going to kill you,” she said suddenly, reading his expression, “I’m not. I don’t do that but…you have to stop, OK?”
Marvel hissed at her in frustration.
“Are you denying what is rightfully Counter Earths? You will condemn us all to die?”
Janet shook her head.
“Your thinking is too binary, Marvel. There is more than one option, or two options. We can solve this if we work together. I’m willing to.”
Marvel stared in disbelief.
“This doesn’t happen on your world, does it?”
Marvel stared at her still.
“Thought so. We’re cut a little different from Our Earth,” Janet said. She pushed herself to her feet.
“I’m sealing this path off from you, though. No Marvel and not Captain Marvel Insect Army on my watch. The Microverse is under our guard and control, Marvel.”
Janet began to walk away from him, towards the Avengers.
“Bill, get them together. We’re going home.”
Elsa gathered Hawkeye up in her arms, and Rocket Racer hung around Fosters Legs.
“It is good to see you,” Bill said, smiling. Janet nodded once.
She turned to the Insects and Marvel, who was pulling himself to his feet.
“I don’t expect to see you again. But If I do, and it is violent? You won’t win. We’re the Avengers…”
“West Coast,” Elsa said, quietly.
“We’re the Avengers, and we don’t take this sort of thing lightly. Pass that on to your leaders, or whomever on Counter Earth. It isn’t that you won’t win, it’s that you simply can’t. You never had a chance from the start.”
The Starscape effect over her body expanded to encompass the whole group, and with a burst of energy, the group were gone.
# # # # #
Bill opened his eyes what seemed like a few moments later, to find himself, alongside the rest of the Avengers in the team’s medical bay. Tony Stark was pacing up and down in front of them, his armor open and his features grim.
“Tony?” Bill asked.
His head snapped around, and his face lit up.
“Bill. Finally. I was getting tired of staring at a group of prone bodies.”
Bill winced and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His eyes struggled to focus, but he noticed Tiger to his left, her face badly bruised and swollen, and Janet to his right, looking serene but exhausted.
“Is everyone...?”
Tony nodded and sighed.
“But we have another situation,” he said, quietly, looking over his shoulder.
“Oh?” Bill asked, getting up slowly. He felt dizzy and his eyes faded out again. He gripped the edge of the bed.
“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. Tony nodded.
“Well, it has to do with the people behind me.”
Bill stared for a moment, as a few forms resolved themselves.
A small group of disparate people, none of which he recognized.
“Who are these people,” he asked wearily, rubbing his eyes.
“Well, Thor,” Tony said, with sarcasm and doubt in his voice, as he gestured towards a woman in a War Helmet holding a giant stone mallet, “Said that Janet would know.”
“Well, that’s useful,” Bill said. Janet was still totally unconscious. “You may be slightly early, though. She’s had a long day. Maybe come back another time?”
A kind faced man, with a long beard, and even longer hair stepped forwards. He opened his hands, and Bill saw something familiar about him, but he couldn’t place it.
“Dr. Foster,” he said, his voice even and good tempered, “We don’t need to come back, we’re the Avengers West Coast.”
Next Issue: Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why are they the Avengers West Coast? Join us for the beginning of a brand-new arc; Angels of Death and Mercy
Authors Note: It’s taken me far longer to conclude this than I would have liked, but this is my farewell to Meri’s AWC. I enjoyed Meri’s work, as most people do. He’s not just a solid writer, but an exceptionally talented one. To conclude his time on the title was both terrifying and great fun. The cast he put together…it isn’t necessarily one I would put together (‘cause you look at mine and wonder where my brain is at) but it was fun to write, and it challenged me to try and get their distinct voices down, particularly Tiger and Racer. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. At any rate, Farewell Meri’s Avengers West Coast, you were amazing.
Hello Ed’s, AWC – I hope I can live up to the history.