Previously: Janet, Bill Foster, and Hawkeye, alongside the new recruits of White Tiger, Elsa Bloodstone, and Rocket Racer trace an unknown energy source to the Microverse. Their investigation indicts that the energy can only come from Captain Marvel, a deceased hero. Travelling into the Microverse, the group is split apart, leaving Janet to speak to her own conscience, or more importantly, Rita DeMara, the Yellowjacket, and become Captain Universe, while Bill and the others attempt to deal with Captain Marvel from Counter Earth.
Upon their return from their Adventure, a small group of heroes has made themselves known…As the Avengers West Coast.
Upon their return from their Adventure, a small group of heroes has made themselves known…As the Avengers West Coast.
Back to GatefoldIssue #4 (Vol 2) by Ed Ainsworth
December 2017 |
The front room of the Avengers Compound, formerly known as Hydobase, formerly a place of relaxation, and communal conversation, was currently the source of a great deal of tension. The room, which had been known to house all the active Avengers of the time, now housed a confusing mixture of heroes, and unknowns. Clint Barton sat with his hand in his hands, shaking it slowly.
"Jan," Hawkeye said, "You know me. I'm a guy who likes simple things. Sandwiches. Whiskey. Arrows…but this?"
He paused and opened his crossed arms expansively, gesturing towards the collection of heroes before him.
The blonde woman, whom had been amongst the first to introduce herself to Tony Stark, sat patiently, her legs crossed and hammer sitting across her lap, as though it were some kind of metallic pet. A bearded man stood beside her, having refused to sit down, on the grounds of him being unworthy. Next to him stood, a man who wore a significantly bulkier and larger suit of technology than him, and Moon Knight, whom wore a much sleeker and more suit like version of his costume. Finally, playing with an unlit Cigarette, stood a man in plain clothes who appeared to be deeply uncomfortable. Stark kept eyeing the armoured man up from the corner of his eye.
"Please make this make sense. How can these guys be the Avengers West Coast? WE'RE the Avengers West Coast." Tony scratched his chin, he’d removed his armor and stood in a simply business suit. "Maybe I should have trademarked it?" He said.
Janet sighed and leaned forwards, resting her elbows on her knees and staring at the floor. It had been several hours since they’d all woken up after their ordeal in the Microverse, and Jan’s head was swimming with information, that was slowly leaking from her short-term memory. She was finding it difficult to grasp and frustrating. Even more so when she found herself unable to write down the memories and information she was losing. White Tiger was on hand to rub her back and offer support. Something the other Avengers appeared to have forgotten.
"Remember the Microverse?" Janet asked.
"How could I forget?" Angela said, pulling her White Costume mask away from her face.
"I saw things in there, before the Anti-Marvel came on the scene. I saw...these people...living in our old compound, calling themselves the Avengers. Thor, The Captain, Moon Knight. Even some horrid, lecherous bearded guy. He’s not here, I note."
The blonde bearded man rubbing the bridge of his nose and waved a hand.
“Sorry in advance. Apparently, he is necessary, but…”
“This all seems a bit more arranged than I am used to,” Elsa Bloodstone said, running a gloved hand through her hair. “Should I remove their facial features? I don’t trust them. Especially not the grinning blonde one.”
The blonde man shot Elsa a smile, and folded his hands behind his back.
"No thank you," Tony said, putting his hand on Elsa's shoulder, "Let's have less shooting, please. Janet?"
"Before I got to you, I was plugged into something. The Uni-Force? Captain Universe? Whatever it was, it showed me these people. I thought it was just a cosmic refocusing, but you all turning up makes me think..."
Angela held Janet's shoulder tightly. The Founding Avenger went pale, as though she might vomit.
"So, you're saying that some cosmic force in the Microverse told you that Thor-lita, bearded and brainless, the human sheet, and…whatever that walking Tony-Stark Lite version might be, over there were going to become Avengers?" Elsa asked.
"See! I’m not the only one that finds that insane," Hawkeye said, waving his hands in the air.
"I'm out," Elsa said, getting to her feet, "I came to hunt monsters, not get involved in this sort of insanity."
She gathered her weaponry off the sofa and downed her tea.
"Wait a moment," Bill Foster said. He'd been decidedly quiet while he reviewed the information in front of him, "Just hang on."
"No, you wait, Giant-Prat. Avengers used to mean something and now look at this?"
She thumbed over her shoulder. Hawkeye raised a shoulder and mouthed “Avengers used to mean something”, his features clearly displaying the international signal for “What the hell” at Tony. He shrugged.
"The flying skateboard kid I could cope with," Rocket Racer looked up from his position on the edge of the sofa, and made an effort to speak up, "just about. Also, little miss self-anxiety over there, but a Rule 34 Thor and a man who can’t even afford a costume? Nah, piss off. I'm done."
"Elsa," Tony warned.
"Save it, beard-tits. I'm. Done."
She waved over her shoulder and walked towards the door.
"I've got monsters to kill."
The assembled group watched her leave and glanced amongst themselves.
Hawkeye looked from the door to Tony.
"This is insane, Tony."
Tony Stark, Man of the Future, Man of Iron, had never felt so confused.
"Avengers?"
Janet nodded solemnly.
"If I may?" Thor got to her feet and gestured behind her.
"Apologies if my, colleague, misrepresented us," she looked over her shoulder at the blonde man.
"Please, call me Thor. I represent, for the purposes of this conversation, our little gathering of Avengers, and we bring with us a grave warning of the Future."
"Oh, this old chestnut," Hawkeye said, leaning back. Bill got to his feet and walked towards Thor, adding a few inches to his height unconsciously.
"Why should we believe you?" he asked, "You're not any Thor we know."
"You're not exactly any Giant Man we know either, Pal," The plain clothed man said for the first time, revealing his English Accent, "I'm not saying this isn't a crazy story, I'm just saying, maybe you wait and hear us out before you throw us out. Oh, I’m Warren Curzon."
He flicked a card from his pocket at Bill, who took it and nodded, stepping back.
“Scotland Yard Detective?” Bill whispered. Clint sucked air into his cheeks and stared intently at the ceiling.
"Please, continue," he said, looking over his shoulder at Janet. She smiled at him.
"We each have a different story. Brother Nature helped repel the advance of Celestials against the Earth last year," Thor gestured out the window, "Although, I'd imagine you didn't hear about it. He's spent the last two months in SHIELD custody due to some...fictional charges."
“I believe he is being accused of…non-consensual activities?”
Janet recoiled, and Angela looked appalled.
"Hey, it's false,” The bearded man held up his hands, “He’s an incredibly unpleasant individual, but he isn’t a rapist.”
Tony nodded to Bill, who stepped forwards.
"I think perhaps you should leave."
Tony stepped forward this time, elements of his armour snapping into place.
"Please..." Thor begged, holding her hands up. Iron man stomped towards The Amoured man, who shot forwards and opened a palm, against the face plate of the Iron Avenger. He toppled back a step, knocking him off balance.
"Stop!" Hawkeye yelled. An arrow hurtled through the air, but was caught, inches from the Curzon’s shoulder by the bearded mans slender fingers..
“This is getting out of hand, these guys have missed the point the same way that Modern main stream heroes seem to miss an original metaphor for conflict and change.”
“Stop,” he said, stepping forwards, hands open. The arrow floated in place, gently twisting in an invisible breeze.
"I agree," said Thor. A bolt of lightning crackled through the air, separating the heroes, "Stop."
They all paused, while Thor lowered her Hammer.
"You saw the Anti-Marvel, did you not? He hailed from Counter-Earth. I myself have had dealings with this world. It's Gods, of Elemental and Mythology, are spilling over into our own, granted safe passage by the Vorgunus Koth. Brother Nature had been gifted with another mission from this Earths Elemental consciousness, which is where he is now. All of us, all of us, have been granted some form of agency by either Franklin,” Thor glanced over her shoulder at the bearded man, who winced at the mention of his name, “or by other extra-conceptual means. Even now the Counter Earth fires projectiles of its own Mythology and magic at Earth, in an attempt to colonise it. We are its last line of defence, Avengers. A second-rate Thor, a British Detective, a mentally ill assassain and a time traveller. We are not alone. We are not it, and in accordance with the Spirit of the Earth, the Uni-Force and The Gods, we will Avenge this world against that of Counter-Earth."
Tony got to his feet, his face plate swinging open.
"You're insane," he said, "Counter Earth? We're supposed to believe something like that exists, and it is attacking us with...what was it you said?"
"Mythology and Magic, to colonise this planet and terraform it into something more appropriate for itself. Counter-Earth, it hates Earth. It is our planets perfect rival. Her brother."
"You want us to believe this?" Janet asked, getting to her feet finally. The other Avengers around them slowly fell into place. Bill standing at the rear, and Hawkeye to Janets left, White Tiger to her Right, and Rocket Racer behind Iron Man.
"Believe what you want," another voice said. The armoured man spoke for the first time. His breathing was ragged. Voice Bitter. Gruffer.
"We're the Avengers and we're here to stay," the man said.
Janet shook her head and walked towards the group.
“Explain this to me again.”
# # # # #
“Don’t beach yourself, you idiot thing,” Mark Diering said as Mermaxx approached the shore. He leapt off into the water, with the Vindicator suit following behind him, floating on invisible currents.
-[ Take care in your journey, Mark Diering. I sense that there are things not of this world approaching. ]-
“Sweet Christ, Not only do I have a telepathic Whale as transport, but I’ve also got him giving me vague prophecies. What a world we live in!”
Mark swam carefully to the shore and began to walk up the beach, still completely naked and without shame. He looked up at the suit and shrugged.
“Which way? Also, does this mean I am part of Alpha Flight or some other stupid superhero team?”
The Suit swooped down and shot past him, leading up the beach to where a crater was already smoking.
“Yeah. Cool. Talking is for shitheads anyway.”
Mark began to look around properly, and sniffed the air, reaching out with his senses and his powers.
“Oh, hey. We’re on Madagascar? Shit, that Whale can move can’t he?” Mark padded up the beach, as a shriek of anger and pain rang out over the sand. He froze and sighed, brushing some of his wet hair off his face.
Slowly, carefully, with shaking legs and bandy limbs, a humanoid shape crawled out of the crater. It stared out at him, towering over him at almost 30 feet tall and spread its purple wings out around it. Mark froze, swore, and turned back towards the beach.
“I swear to God, being a superhero is massively shit.”
A stomping foot announced the creatures enormous strength, and
“Mermaxx, ol’ buddy, you still there?”
-[Mark Diering, I am still here. Although, I am ensuring that I do not beach myself, like an idiot thing.]-
“Fantastic, Whale sarcasm. You’re the treat that keeps on giving aren’t you? I figure by this point I’m not a single limb on the entity here am I?”
-[I am unsure of the intent of your question.]-
“There are others who’re going to have to deal with this shit, right? This isn’t just me. You don’t want me to fight a 30 foot tall angel from space, do you?”
-[It is not my want, Mark Diering. I am just a messenger…]-
“Fine, fine. Can you let someone know that I am probably going to die then? ‘Cause I don’t think I can fight a 30 foot tall…”
Sand blasted his back and knocked him onto his knees. The giant Angel had taken off, with the Vindicator suit in pursuit.
Mark shrugged and sat down in the sand.
“Whatever.”
# # # # #
Thor stood over the huge Wooden table, and allowed her Hammer to sit on the floor next to her. One Raven held down the edge of a piece of parchment and the other was quietly pecking at the tops of Hawkeyes Arrows.
“Can we not, with the pets?” He asked. Thor looked up, smiled, and then pointed at the parchment.
“I have a list, which has come from the future, yes?” She asked, looking at Franklin. He nodded and crossed his arms.
“I understand this is very confusing. I’m sorry, I haven’t figured out a better way to do exposition yet, and frankly, the narrative we’re weaving here is needlessly mysterious and complicated.”
Thor arched an eyebrow and pursed her lips.
“Ok, let’s continue that route. Rebel, here, is actually from Counter Earth. Alongside the Gods and Mythological entities which have been bred within the Counter-Earth Mythospatial Breeding grounds, we also have conceptual mythological missiles which have been shot by Counter-Earth herself. Rebel managed to get here before them, because…well, for one thing I helped him, and the second thing…”
“I shot myself through the Sun,” Rebel said, finally removing his helmet. He set it down on the table, as his suit began to come away in modular sections. Amber fluid covered his limbs and body, and dripped in puddles on the floor.
“Through…the sun?” Hawkeye said.
“That isn’t…”
“Counter-Earth operates on slightly different physical laws than yourself, Tony. For example, my suit was able to negate the heat of the Sun by not getting hot.”
Hawkeye held his hands up and crunched his eyes up.
“I can’t do this anymore, ” White Tiger said.
“Angela…” Janet started
“No, I tried in the Microverse. I really did. But I am a Detective, and I am a hand-to-hand fighter. I can’t be dealing with this. I just can’t. I’m sorry Janet, but it isn’t me.”
She touched the Jade pendant handing from her neck.
“I vowed to fight for the people who can’t defend themselves, against Landlords and Mob Bosses and rapists. Not Gods. Not people who fly through the Sun. I’m so sorry, but I am leaving.”
Rocket Racer got up as well, and swallowed loudly, aiming his gaze at Bill Foster.
“Dr Foster. If Angela goes, I am leaving as well.”
Angela looked over her shoulder at him, and smiled. He smiled back at her, eyes big and his grin a little lopsided.
“Oh,” Bill said, nodding once, “I can’t make you stay Robert, but…”
“I’m leaving,” he said, firmly, “I make flying skateboards, Dr Foster.”
“You saved us all in the Microverse,” he said.
“Yes, but it was close and I…” he hung his head in shame, “I don’t want to do that again. I didn’t like it. I’m not hero.”
Bill put his hand on the young mans shoulder.
“There’s no shame in that, Robert.”
Racer looked up at Bill and offered a weak smile, before walking up to Angela. The two paused in the threshold looking back. Thor smiled, gently at them.
“Wait.”
Hawkeye walked up to the pair and crossed his arms.
“You two are Avengers, right?”
Angela hesitated and locked her eyes on Hawkeyes.
“The Answer is yes, but you’re not trained properly yet. That is something I can help with,” Hawkeye said, thumbing over his shoulder, “They got two Iron Men, a Thor, Moon Knight, some British guy who smokes and swears, apparently a naked nature guy, plus Janet and Bill. They don’t need a Cirus Freak as well, right guys?”
He looked over his shoulder at Janet, who conceded a small smile.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So, by all means, you two leave.”
Hawkeye grabbed his bow and slung it over his shoulder.
“But I’m coming with ya, OK?”
“But…”
“No buts, Rob,” Hawkeye said, pointing towards the doorway, “You wanna make it on your own, that’s fine, but if you want to make it on your own as an Avenger? Ex, or otherwise, well, that means you gotta learn to walk the walk.”
“Well, congratulations. If you wanted the Avengers, you now have me, Janet and Bill,” Tony said with a snarl.
Franklin grinned.
“We don’t actually need any of you. We have our own Avengers.”
“Can we…focus?”
Rebel gestured towards the Avengers.
“Now, we have about four hours before the Mythological entites start to arrive and create problems for us. The first will be an American based Mytho-entity, modelled after Captain America, but it ias actually a kind of…isolationist mythological entity. It comes from the Mythos-Continent, which I guess you might call, Australia?”
Bill stared at Rebel, and pulled a chair to sit on. Janet just leant on the table.
“I realise that this is complicated for you, but Counter-Earth runs on a different internal logic. Each country, or indeed continent, is a different conceptual idea. So, Europe runs exclusively on Magic, Australia is where the Mythologicals grows, Antarctica is where Monsters roam. You get the idea.”
“I’m starting to,” Bill said, crossing his arms, “So why here? Why the Avengers? Why not your own team, like the Champions or something like that?”
Rebel nodded.
“Good Question. When you’re dealing with Mythology, what is the best thing to do?”
Bill looked at Thor, then at Janet. There was silence.
“No, honest answer here.”
“Logic,” Tony said, nodded once as though he was correct, “You defeat it with logic and science.”
Rebel shook his head and pointed at Tony.
“Wrong thinking, but right sort of track.”
“So, if I may,” Bill said, settling himself in the seat, “Mythology is basically, Gods and Goddesses. Magic and Folklore grow from those, right?”
“Correct,” Thor said. In the background, Moon Knight was quietly eating some oranges from the fridge. He did not remove the skin. Curzon was looking in through the Kitchen window, a cigarette in each hand as he smoked like a man possessed. He looked harried, confused.
“So, if you want to deal with something Mythological, like magic, you need a counter-spell? So, you counter mythology with…. the opposite conceptual mythological point? So, a God of War is quelled by a God of Love, or Fertility or something.”
Thor clicked her fingers and slammed the table with her other hand.
“You are correct. The name Avengers is as much a weapon as my Hammer, when fighting against Mythological constructs. You use whatever is at your disposal. That is why we wield the title Avengers like a sword instead of Champions, like an arrow head.”
“So, what do we do next?”
Warren Curzon swore loudly as the windows of the Kitchen exploded inwards. A gust blew the parchment off the table and threw it against the far wall. Bill immediately shifted in size, putting his huge body between the others. Rebel began to pull together his suit, but Franklin and Thor were already through the wall – literally.
Franklin had pulled the wall apart at a molecular level to allow them to pass through.
There, standing before them, was a 30 foot Giant. Bill immediately matched its size, but its huge Purple Wings stretched out a further 60 feet either side of it.
Bill looked down at Thor, who held her Hammer tightly. The Ravens, sat on either shoulder, cawed in unison. The Giant, clearly recognising Thor knelt down and spoke to her in a voice that was so deep it reverberated through the ground.
“Tiny Template, are you here as Emissary?”
Thor straightened her back.
“Template I may be, P’ym, I am not your Emissary. I am my own woman, with my own purpose. Stand down and return.”
The giant angel grinned with purple teeth, flagella wove sinuous paths along its lips, and its eyelids. Thor held her hammer aloft, and sent a jolt of power through it to light the creature before the Avengers.
“Behold, our Enemy. Mythological Construct P’Ym, The Giant Angel. Bringing of Doubts and Advancement.”
The Angel, was modelled on Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man. His body was Red, save for bands of purple which ran as a “V” across either temple to his chin, while a similar pattern went from shoulder to shoulder. Each individual feather of his wings were tiny Dragonfly wings, a buzzing so quiet that it was barely perceptible. The hair which should have been on his eyelids, where antennae, which corresponded with those which former a carpet inside his mouth. Like some huge baleen whale.
“I bring doubt to this world, Tiny Template. My Siblings will bring their own style and their own power. You cannot defeat us. You will not defeat us. Not with…a tiny smoking Englishman and a mentally ill mask wearing pervert.”
He spread his wings wide and laughed into the night sky.
“Tell me, Thor, Goddess of Shock and Confusion. Your leader, the small bearded one. What does he say?”
Thor looked to Franklin, a confident smile on her face.
“Tell me, Franklin, how do I defeat this arrogant monster?”
Franklin looked up from his hands to Thor, and spoke, softly.
“I don’t know.”
Bill turned to look down at Franklin, the other Avengers gathering on the edges of the battleground, awaiting some form of action.
“Thor, I don’t know. This isn’t supposed to happen this way, we’re supposed to confront the Captain America Angel in four hours. There isn’t even supposed to be a Pym one!”
Franklin looked to the group and swallowed loudly, backing away from the Angel of Doubt.
“Ah,” Tony said, the faceplate of his armour snapping down, “Well, this might end badly for us then.”
Next issue: More Angels! More Avengers! More Brother Nature! Probably more exposition…
"Jan," Hawkeye said, "You know me. I'm a guy who likes simple things. Sandwiches. Whiskey. Arrows…but this?"
He paused and opened his crossed arms expansively, gesturing towards the collection of heroes before him.
The blonde woman, whom had been amongst the first to introduce herself to Tony Stark, sat patiently, her legs crossed and hammer sitting across her lap, as though it were some kind of metallic pet. A bearded man stood beside her, having refused to sit down, on the grounds of him being unworthy. Next to him stood, a man who wore a significantly bulkier and larger suit of technology than him, and Moon Knight, whom wore a much sleeker and more suit like version of his costume. Finally, playing with an unlit Cigarette, stood a man in plain clothes who appeared to be deeply uncomfortable. Stark kept eyeing the armoured man up from the corner of his eye.
"Please make this make sense. How can these guys be the Avengers West Coast? WE'RE the Avengers West Coast." Tony scratched his chin, he’d removed his armor and stood in a simply business suit. "Maybe I should have trademarked it?" He said.
Janet sighed and leaned forwards, resting her elbows on her knees and staring at the floor. It had been several hours since they’d all woken up after their ordeal in the Microverse, and Jan’s head was swimming with information, that was slowly leaking from her short-term memory. She was finding it difficult to grasp and frustrating. Even more so when she found herself unable to write down the memories and information she was losing. White Tiger was on hand to rub her back and offer support. Something the other Avengers appeared to have forgotten.
"Remember the Microverse?" Janet asked.
"How could I forget?" Angela said, pulling her White Costume mask away from her face.
"I saw things in there, before the Anti-Marvel came on the scene. I saw...these people...living in our old compound, calling themselves the Avengers. Thor, The Captain, Moon Knight. Even some horrid, lecherous bearded guy. He’s not here, I note."
The blonde bearded man rubbing the bridge of his nose and waved a hand.
“Sorry in advance. Apparently, he is necessary, but…”
“This all seems a bit more arranged than I am used to,” Elsa Bloodstone said, running a gloved hand through her hair. “Should I remove their facial features? I don’t trust them. Especially not the grinning blonde one.”
The blonde man shot Elsa a smile, and folded his hands behind his back.
"No thank you," Tony said, putting his hand on Elsa's shoulder, "Let's have less shooting, please. Janet?"
"Before I got to you, I was plugged into something. The Uni-Force? Captain Universe? Whatever it was, it showed me these people. I thought it was just a cosmic refocusing, but you all turning up makes me think..."
Angela held Janet's shoulder tightly. The Founding Avenger went pale, as though she might vomit.
"So, you're saying that some cosmic force in the Microverse told you that Thor-lita, bearded and brainless, the human sheet, and…whatever that walking Tony-Stark Lite version might be, over there were going to become Avengers?" Elsa asked.
"See! I’m not the only one that finds that insane," Hawkeye said, waving his hands in the air.
"I'm out," Elsa said, getting to her feet, "I came to hunt monsters, not get involved in this sort of insanity."
She gathered her weaponry off the sofa and downed her tea.
"Wait a moment," Bill Foster said. He'd been decidedly quiet while he reviewed the information in front of him, "Just hang on."
"No, you wait, Giant-Prat. Avengers used to mean something and now look at this?"
She thumbed over her shoulder. Hawkeye raised a shoulder and mouthed “Avengers used to mean something”, his features clearly displaying the international signal for “What the hell” at Tony. He shrugged.
"The flying skateboard kid I could cope with," Rocket Racer looked up from his position on the edge of the sofa, and made an effort to speak up, "just about. Also, little miss self-anxiety over there, but a Rule 34 Thor and a man who can’t even afford a costume? Nah, piss off. I'm done."
"Elsa," Tony warned.
"Save it, beard-tits. I'm. Done."
She waved over her shoulder and walked towards the door.
"I've got monsters to kill."
The assembled group watched her leave and glanced amongst themselves.
Hawkeye looked from the door to Tony.
"This is insane, Tony."
Tony Stark, Man of the Future, Man of Iron, had never felt so confused.
"Avengers?"
Janet nodded solemnly.
"If I may?" Thor got to her feet and gestured behind her.
"Apologies if my, colleague, misrepresented us," she looked over her shoulder at the blonde man.
"Please, call me Thor. I represent, for the purposes of this conversation, our little gathering of Avengers, and we bring with us a grave warning of the Future."
"Oh, this old chestnut," Hawkeye said, leaning back. Bill got to his feet and walked towards Thor, adding a few inches to his height unconsciously.
"Why should we believe you?" he asked, "You're not any Thor we know."
"You're not exactly any Giant Man we know either, Pal," The plain clothed man said for the first time, revealing his English Accent, "I'm not saying this isn't a crazy story, I'm just saying, maybe you wait and hear us out before you throw us out. Oh, I’m Warren Curzon."
He flicked a card from his pocket at Bill, who took it and nodded, stepping back.
“Scotland Yard Detective?” Bill whispered. Clint sucked air into his cheeks and stared intently at the ceiling.
"Please, continue," he said, looking over his shoulder at Janet. She smiled at him.
"We each have a different story. Brother Nature helped repel the advance of Celestials against the Earth last year," Thor gestured out the window, "Although, I'd imagine you didn't hear about it. He's spent the last two months in SHIELD custody due to some...fictional charges."
“I believe he is being accused of…non-consensual activities?”
Janet recoiled, and Angela looked appalled.
"Hey, it's false,” The bearded man held up his hands, “He’s an incredibly unpleasant individual, but he isn’t a rapist.”
Tony nodded to Bill, who stepped forwards.
"I think perhaps you should leave."
Tony stepped forward this time, elements of his armour snapping into place.
"Please..." Thor begged, holding her hands up. Iron man stomped towards The Amoured man, who shot forwards and opened a palm, against the face plate of the Iron Avenger. He toppled back a step, knocking him off balance.
"Stop!" Hawkeye yelled. An arrow hurtled through the air, but was caught, inches from the Curzon’s shoulder by the bearded mans slender fingers..
“This is getting out of hand, these guys have missed the point the same way that Modern main stream heroes seem to miss an original metaphor for conflict and change.”
“Stop,” he said, stepping forwards, hands open. The arrow floated in place, gently twisting in an invisible breeze.
"I agree," said Thor. A bolt of lightning crackled through the air, separating the heroes, "Stop."
They all paused, while Thor lowered her Hammer.
"You saw the Anti-Marvel, did you not? He hailed from Counter-Earth. I myself have had dealings with this world. It's Gods, of Elemental and Mythology, are spilling over into our own, granted safe passage by the Vorgunus Koth. Brother Nature had been gifted with another mission from this Earths Elemental consciousness, which is where he is now. All of us, all of us, have been granted some form of agency by either Franklin,” Thor glanced over her shoulder at the bearded man, who winced at the mention of his name, “or by other extra-conceptual means. Even now the Counter Earth fires projectiles of its own Mythology and magic at Earth, in an attempt to colonise it. We are its last line of defence, Avengers. A second-rate Thor, a British Detective, a mentally ill assassain and a time traveller. We are not alone. We are not it, and in accordance with the Spirit of the Earth, the Uni-Force and The Gods, we will Avenge this world against that of Counter-Earth."
Tony got to his feet, his face plate swinging open.
"You're insane," he said, "Counter Earth? We're supposed to believe something like that exists, and it is attacking us with...what was it you said?"
"Mythology and Magic, to colonise this planet and terraform it into something more appropriate for itself. Counter-Earth, it hates Earth. It is our planets perfect rival. Her brother."
"You want us to believe this?" Janet asked, getting to her feet finally. The other Avengers around them slowly fell into place. Bill standing at the rear, and Hawkeye to Janets left, White Tiger to her Right, and Rocket Racer behind Iron Man.
"Believe what you want," another voice said. The armoured man spoke for the first time. His breathing was ragged. Voice Bitter. Gruffer.
"We're the Avengers and we're here to stay," the man said.
Janet shook her head and walked towards the group.
“Explain this to me again.”
# # # # #
“Don’t beach yourself, you idiot thing,” Mark Diering said as Mermaxx approached the shore. He leapt off into the water, with the Vindicator suit following behind him, floating on invisible currents.
-[ Take care in your journey, Mark Diering. I sense that there are things not of this world approaching. ]-
“Sweet Christ, Not only do I have a telepathic Whale as transport, but I’ve also got him giving me vague prophecies. What a world we live in!”
Mark swam carefully to the shore and began to walk up the beach, still completely naked and without shame. He looked up at the suit and shrugged.
“Which way? Also, does this mean I am part of Alpha Flight or some other stupid superhero team?”
The Suit swooped down and shot past him, leading up the beach to where a crater was already smoking.
“Yeah. Cool. Talking is for shitheads anyway.”
Mark began to look around properly, and sniffed the air, reaching out with his senses and his powers.
“Oh, hey. We’re on Madagascar? Shit, that Whale can move can’t he?” Mark padded up the beach, as a shriek of anger and pain rang out over the sand. He froze and sighed, brushing some of his wet hair off his face.
Slowly, carefully, with shaking legs and bandy limbs, a humanoid shape crawled out of the crater. It stared out at him, towering over him at almost 30 feet tall and spread its purple wings out around it. Mark froze, swore, and turned back towards the beach.
“I swear to God, being a superhero is massively shit.”
A stomping foot announced the creatures enormous strength, and
“Mermaxx, ol’ buddy, you still there?”
-[Mark Diering, I am still here. Although, I am ensuring that I do not beach myself, like an idiot thing.]-
“Fantastic, Whale sarcasm. You’re the treat that keeps on giving aren’t you? I figure by this point I’m not a single limb on the entity here am I?”
-[I am unsure of the intent of your question.]-
“There are others who’re going to have to deal with this shit, right? This isn’t just me. You don’t want me to fight a 30 foot tall angel from space, do you?”
-[It is not my want, Mark Diering. I am just a messenger…]-
“Fine, fine. Can you let someone know that I am probably going to die then? ‘Cause I don’t think I can fight a 30 foot tall…”
Sand blasted his back and knocked him onto his knees. The giant Angel had taken off, with the Vindicator suit in pursuit.
Mark shrugged and sat down in the sand.
“Whatever.”
# # # # #
Thor stood over the huge Wooden table, and allowed her Hammer to sit on the floor next to her. One Raven held down the edge of a piece of parchment and the other was quietly pecking at the tops of Hawkeyes Arrows.
“Can we not, with the pets?” He asked. Thor looked up, smiled, and then pointed at the parchment.
“I have a list, which has come from the future, yes?” She asked, looking at Franklin. He nodded and crossed his arms.
“I understand this is very confusing. I’m sorry, I haven’t figured out a better way to do exposition yet, and frankly, the narrative we’re weaving here is needlessly mysterious and complicated.”
Thor arched an eyebrow and pursed her lips.
“Ok, let’s continue that route. Rebel, here, is actually from Counter Earth. Alongside the Gods and Mythological entities which have been bred within the Counter-Earth Mythospatial Breeding grounds, we also have conceptual mythological missiles which have been shot by Counter-Earth herself. Rebel managed to get here before them, because…well, for one thing I helped him, and the second thing…”
“I shot myself through the Sun,” Rebel said, finally removing his helmet. He set it down on the table, as his suit began to come away in modular sections. Amber fluid covered his limbs and body, and dripped in puddles on the floor.
“Through…the sun?” Hawkeye said.
“That isn’t…”
“Counter-Earth operates on slightly different physical laws than yourself, Tony. For example, my suit was able to negate the heat of the Sun by not getting hot.”
Hawkeye held his hands up and crunched his eyes up.
“I can’t do this anymore, ” White Tiger said.
“Angela…” Janet started
“No, I tried in the Microverse. I really did. But I am a Detective, and I am a hand-to-hand fighter. I can’t be dealing with this. I just can’t. I’m sorry Janet, but it isn’t me.”
She touched the Jade pendant handing from her neck.
“I vowed to fight for the people who can’t defend themselves, against Landlords and Mob Bosses and rapists. Not Gods. Not people who fly through the Sun. I’m so sorry, but I am leaving.”
Rocket Racer got up as well, and swallowed loudly, aiming his gaze at Bill Foster.
“Dr Foster. If Angela goes, I am leaving as well.”
Angela looked over her shoulder at him, and smiled. He smiled back at her, eyes big and his grin a little lopsided.
“Oh,” Bill said, nodding once, “I can’t make you stay Robert, but…”
“I’m leaving,” he said, firmly, “I make flying skateboards, Dr Foster.”
“You saved us all in the Microverse,” he said.
“Yes, but it was close and I…” he hung his head in shame, “I don’t want to do that again. I didn’t like it. I’m not hero.”
Bill put his hand on the young mans shoulder.
“There’s no shame in that, Robert.”
Racer looked up at Bill and offered a weak smile, before walking up to Angela. The two paused in the threshold looking back. Thor smiled, gently at them.
“Wait.”
Hawkeye walked up to the pair and crossed his arms.
“You two are Avengers, right?”
Angela hesitated and locked her eyes on Hawkeyes.
“The Answer is yes, but you’re not trained properly yet. That is something I can help with,” Hawkeye said, thumbing over his shoulder, “They got two Iron Men, a Thor, Moon Knight, some British guy who smokes and swears, apparently a naked nature guy, plus Janet and Bill. They don’t need a Cirus Freak as well, right guys?”
He looked over his shoulder at Janet, who conceded a small smile.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So, by all means, you two leave.”
Hawkeye grabbed his bow and slung it over his shoulder.
“But I’m coming with ya, OK?”
“But…”
“No buts, Rob,” Hawkeye said, pointing towards the doorway, “You wanna make it on your own, that’s fine, but if you want to make it on your own as an Avenger? Ex, or otherwise, well, that means you gotta learn to walk the walk.”
“Well, congratulations. If you wanted the Avengers, you now have me, Janet and Bill,” Tony said with a snarl.
Franklin grinned.
“We don’t actually need any of you. We have our own Avengers.”
“Can we…focus?”
Rebel gestured towards the Avengers.
“Now, we have about four hours before the Mythological entites start to arrive and create problems for us. The first will be an American based Mytho-entity, modelled after Captain America, but it ias actually a kind of…isolationist mythological entity. It comes from the Mythos-Continent, which I guess you might call, Australia?”
Bill stared at Rebel, and pulled a chair to sit on. Janet just leant on the table.
“I realise that this is complicated for you, but Counter-Earth runs on a different internal logic. Each country, or indeed continent, is a different conceptual idea. So, Europe runs exclusively on Magic, Australia is where the Mythologicals grows, Antarctica is where Monsters roam. You get the idea.”
“I’m starting to,” Bill said, crossing his arms, “So why here? Why the Avengers? Why not your own team, like the Champions or something like that?”
Rebel nodded.
“Good Question. When you’re dealing with Mythology, what is the best thing to do?”
Bill looked at Thor, then at Janet. There was silence.
“No, honest answer here.”
“Logic,” Tony said, nodded once as though he was correct, “You defeat it with logic and science.”
Rebel shook his head and pointed at Tony.
“Wrong thinking, but right sort of track.”
“So, if I may,” Bill said, settling himself in the seat, “Mythology is basically, Gods and Goddesses. Magic and Folklore grow from those, right?”
“Correct,” Thor said. In the background, Moon Knight was quietly eating some oranges from the fridge. He did not remove the skin. Curzon was looking in through the Kitchen window, a cigarette in each hand as he smoked like a man possessed. He looked harried, confused.
“So, if you want to deal with something Mythological, like magic, you need a counter-spell? So, you counter mythology with…. the opposite conceptual mythological point? So, a God of War is quelled by a God of Love, or Fertility or something.”
Thor clicked her fingers and slammed the table with her other hand.
“You are correct. The name Avengers is as much a weapon as my Hammer, when fighting against Mythological constructs. You use whatever is at your disposal. That is why we wield the title Avengers like a sword instead of Champions, like an arrow head.”
“So, what do we do next?”
Warren Curzon swore loudly as the windows of the Kitchen exploded inwards. A gust blew the parchment off the table and threw it against the far wall. Bill immediately shifted in size, putting his huge body between the others. Rebel began to pull together his suit, but Franklin and Thor were already through the wall – literally.
Franklin had pulled the wall apart at a molecular level to allow them to pass through.
There, standing before them, was a 30 foot Giant. Bill immediately matched its size, but its huge Purple Wings stretched out a further 60 feet either side of it.
Bill looked down at Thor, who held her Hammer tightly. The Ravens, sat on either shoulder, cawed in unison. The Giant, clearly recognising Thor knelt down and spoke to her in a voice that was so deep it reverberated through the ground.
“Tiny Template, are you here as Emissary?”
Thor straightened her back.
“Template I may be, P’ym, I am not your Emissary. I am my own woman, with my own purpose. Stand down and return.”
The giant angel grinned with purple teeth, flagella wove sinuous paths along its lips, and its eyelids. Thor held her hammer aloft, and sent a jolt of power through it to light the creature before the Avengers.
“Behold, our Enemy. Mythological Construct P’Ym, The Giant Angel. Bringing of Doubts and Advancement.”
The Angel, was modelled on Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man. His body was Red, save for bands of purple which ran as a “V” across either temple to his chin, while a similar pattern went from shoulder to shoulder. Each individual feather of his wings were tiny Dragonfly wings, a buzzing so quiet that it was barely perceptible. The hair which should have been on his eyelids, where antennae, which corresponded with those which former a carpet inside his mouth. Like some huge baleen whale.
“I bring doubt to this world, Tiny Template. My Siblings will bring their own style and their own power. You cannot defeat us. You will not defeat us. Not with…a tiny smoking Englishman and a mentally ill mask wearing pervert.”
He spread his wings wide and laughed into the night sky.
“Tell me, Thor, Goddess of Shock and Confusion. Your leader, the small bearded one. What does he say?”
Thor looked to Franklin, a confident smile on her face.
“Tell me, Franklin, how do I defeat this arrogant monster?”
Franklin looked up from his hands to Thor, and spoke, softly.
“I don’t know.”
Bill turned to look down at Franklin, the other Avengers gathering on the edges of the battleground, awaiting some form of action.
“Thor, I don’t know. This isn’t supposed to happen this way, we’re supposed to confront the Captain America Angel in four hours. There isn’t even supposed to be a Pym one!”
Franklin looked to the group and swallowed loudly, backing away from the Angel of Doubt.
“Ah,” Tony said, the faceplate of his armour snapping down, “Well, this might end badly for us then.”
Next issue: More Angels! More Avengers! More Brother Nature! Probably more exposition…