Back to GatefoldIssue #2 by Ed Ainsworth
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"Adaptive Alloy Gravitas"
Middle America, A Diner
Sharon Ventura wiped the magma that flowed from her bottom lip with the back of her hand, smearing the hot liquid across her face, and her forearm. She was beginning to lose her temper.
Across from her, standing the other side of the chemical flames stood a young man. He was lithe in figure, with a streak of white in his otherwise brown hair. He danced in place, his footing unsteady and always moving, as though he were always looking for a fight.
Sharon could tell he was angry, and that was without knowing the quiet anger that dwelt inside her. She'd come to him twenty minutes before to try and talk to him, but he'd been so belligerent, and full of attitude and insults, he'd caused Sharon to loose her temper. Not exactly the hardest feat in the world, but not what you'd want from a potential recruit.
Sharon got to her feet, looking across the burning ground to her young charge. They'd been eating in a restaurant, but that was nothing more than a char grilled wreck. Fortunately, even before the beginning of their fight, people were filtering out because of Sharon's appearance.
"Maybe I can show YOU what it's like to be dead, huh? Then you wouldn't be so fucking hasty to criticise," Allen's hands burned with chemical fury, as he stepped towards Sharon. She just balled her fists and gritted her teeth.
"Maybe you can, but it won't take back the fact you were," Sharon spat, Allen stopped in his tracks. He was obviously traumatised by these events. He shook his head, a cold sweat forcing itself out of his skin.
"You don't know what it's like!" He screamed.
"You're damn right I don't. I don't talk in clichés either, Allen. I'm here to offer you another chance at your life, another chance to do something right, and you're reacting exactly the way I'd expect from a spoilt little kid who got taught all he knows by Magneto. You're not entitled to anything until you've damn well earned it," Sharon said as she lifted a large stony rock finger into the air.
"You do this for me, and I tell you, I'll let you have your chance at killing me. Who knows...you might actually start to appreciate being alive again, but you've got stiff competition from those who've tried before, Allen. If Doom can't do it, what makes you think you could?"
“That’s just stupid," Allen said, stepping forwards, a jet of burning sulphur shooting towards Sharon. She twisted her shoulder into the burning liquid and charged forwards, lifting a hand through the yellow fluid and grabbing hold of Allen’s face.
She pitched him forwards, his body turning to metal as he flew through the air, smashing through a few pieces of rubble.
“You know I’m stronger and better than you, Allen. Just give it up. I’d give you a fair chance to have a go at it. I reckon you’re too coward to play this the smart way. Too much a little child, and not enough man in there," Sharon sniped.
Allen got to his feet and wiped some soot from his metallic face, he lifted a finger and pointed to her his mouth open as though he were going to say something, but words seemed to fail him.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Come with me. You can take your bad moods out on Perro, I’m sure he’d be more than willing teach you how to not be a child," Sharon waved over her shoulder for him to follow, as she tapped in her co-ordinates for the Conquistador to pick them up.
~~~~~~~~~~
University Of Boston
"Mr. Wilson?" Josef Huber stood in the doorway of the student’s dorm room. James looked up from his book, sitting at his desk in his underwear, with a face of shock.
"H-Hello?" He asked, as Josef walked in, pulling his hood down to reveal his bald head, and producing a badge in his left hand.
"My Name is Josef Huber, I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Environmental Unit. I've come to talk to you about your powers, your professor and your place in this world. May I?" Josef gestured to the bed, and James nodded. The room was tiny, just big enough for a desk, and bed, parallel to each other, and a wardrobe.
"What can I help you with?" James asked turning in his chair to face Josef, who had now sat himself down on the edge of the bed.
"Primarily, we wish for you to put your abilities to use. We have a dedicated training area to allow you greater control," Josef put his hands together on his lap, as James looked somewhat confused.
"You want me to...control my powers? I just want rid of them so I can finish my degree, you know?"
"Yes, I am aware, but you have been given these powers, perhaps for a reason. I represent a group who need someone with your abilities. We are not part of the government, although in this instance it is not S.H.I.E.L.D," Josef added, glancing to the open door, with worry on his features.
"A group that wants me? It's not HYDRA or AIM is it?"
"No, it is not," Josef said, pushing the SHIELD badge onto the bed where he can see it.
"Double agent?" James asked, looking concerned.
"James," Josef held his hands up in a sign for him to calm down.
"Okay - What does this actually have to do with me, or the Professor,"
"Your Professor was quite insane, I am afraid. He only managed to gain a job here through deceit to the authorities of this University. He had a bi-polar disorder which made him very dangerous,” Josef said before pausing “Although his theories are quite intriguing,"
"You’ve heard of his theories?" James asked his interest piqued.
"Of course, I have. His theories of gravitational transformation, a personal Millis bias field and more importantly, dimensional augmentation of anti-gravity membranes are all ground breaking. It’s all very interesting work," Josef explained, a sparkle in his own eye to match James scientific vigour.
James smiled, and leaned back over his desk, producing a file of his own work.
"I'm working on perfecting these theories, in the hopes they can help me,"
Josef smiled and picked up the folder from James hand.
"Do you mind if I read these?" Josef asked, an excited smile on his features.
"No, not at all," James said, a blush flooding his cheeks with blood.
"Tell me, James," Josef asked, as he flicked through the documents. "If we could help you find a cure once we have put your powers to a good use, would you come with us?"
James nodded fervently.
"In a heartbeat."
~~~~~~~~~~
English Midlands
Mark's stood at the mouth of a large cave in the Midlands of England. This was one of his two stops. The technology that was held within the hold of the Conquistador was really quite astounding. Teleportation technology, that had previously been from other disparate sources was amalgamated by Karima and put to good use. Mark managed to convince Sangre that it was a good idea to put it all together; it'd help him in the long run when they finally found all of the other Children.
Mark cupped his hands around his mouth, and leaned into the cave, sucking in as much air as his lungs could take before yelling "FERON!"
He waited a few minutes, until he heard the soft patter of bare feet walking up towards the cave mouth. Mark waited, hands in his jean pockets for a few minutes until he appeared from the darkness.
"Yes?" The man in a dowdy brown cloak answered, pulling the hood down from his face.
"Feron. It's Mark."
The tiny pale man narrowed his eyes, holding a hand up to his brow to look at Mark.
"Oh. Hi Mark, not seen you for a while, have I, do you want to come in?" He waved down the mouth of the cave.
"Not for the time being, Feron. It's not really one of those visits."
"Oh?" Feron’s eyebrow twitched as Mark spoke.
"I came to ask you something," Mark began, wringing his hands together.
"Ask away," Feron replied, waiting for Marks seemingly important question.
"Do you want to help me help you out?" Mark asked honestly, a bit of pleading in his voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I've got this plan, it's quite involved, but basically, you know you're supposed to have the Phoenix force?"
Feron looked puzzled for a moment and stepped further out of his cave.
"Yes?" His interest was caught now. Could Mark get him the Phoenix force?
"I can make that happen."
~~~~~~~~~~
Tuscon, Arizona.
"This is like taking a damned sock to a knife fight!" Sangre leapt out of the way, his water body collapsing under its own weight into a puddle, as Cadena was thrown about like a rag doll, completely unable to control her form or any of her powers.
She hit the ground, hard, and the electrical containment sphere that held her suit together cracked. She looked pleadingly at Sangre, who had reformed himself and was staring at the perpetrator of this violence.
He was a former scientist called Will O'Wisp, a small time Spider-Man villain who was repeatedly beaten by the hero. He was throwing his weight around now, or what little he had of it.
"You can't take me in for just living my life!" He screamed, throwing all manner of metallic substances towards Sangre, who deftly moulded his body around the hurtling objects.
"We don't want to take you away, you prick!" He screamed, throwing his fist out into a powerful stream of water, that hit Wisp in the face, and knocked him off balance.
With soaking wet, shoulder length hair clinging to his green costume, Wisp hissed through his gritted teeth and shot forwards, alternating his density so he was intangible for Sangre's next blast.
"Idiot!" He yelled, bringing his now electromagnetically charged elbow into Sangre.
"I could remove your electron's one by one and take away your physical form, you complete idiot. If you're not here to take me away, why are you here, huh? Why?"
"Because..," Cadena managed her voice more like an electronic buzzing than an actual human voice. "Because we want to give you another chance. We want to give you a job."
Wisp let a smile write itself over his face, as he pushed some of his damp, clinging hair away from his field of vision.
"A job, eh? Well, I don't do work for hire crime any more. I don't do any of that, unless you're offering me something really lucrative, that is,"
Sangre smiled as he morphed out from underneath his elbow and reformed himself by Cadena's side.
"Well, it's not exactly well paid, but we need to help save the world," Shocked for a moment, Wisp's face turned back into a smile.
"You're trying to have me for a fool," Sangre and Cadena both shook their heads looking deadly serious.
"Oh. Well. Uh.,"
~~~~~~~~~~
Mark's foot crunched through the sand of the Cornwall beach, bare footed was the only way to go in environments such as this. Human constructs, like clothes and boots and all those things designed to make life easier for them, really let them down in the harsher climes. Nature provided for all, and with Mark, nature provided for him. A warm wind circled his form, keeping him at a pleasant temperature, despite the lack of sun, though his skin was already tanned and leather like. A melanistic resistance had built up over time, so he never really reverted back to his normal colouration. As he reached the top of the dune he was ascending, he saw the small town below, that stretched on to the beach front, around some dangerous and twisting rock faces. It was little more than a shanty town, a roughly built area where mutants lived, and thrived apparently. Compared to the last time he saw this place, it was barely a viable shelter, it had grown quite considerably.
Sliding down the remains of the dune, Mark locked eyes onto a party before him. He recognised most of the people, save a few younger ones. It appeared as though a number of the gene-nationals had hit puberty since he was last here. Running to the front of the group, Mark's old friend made his presence known.
"Mark!" The albino yelled, as the wind lashed his body with sand grains.
"Boost! How are you, man?" Mark clapped his hand around his friends and they both shared a manly hug before releasing each other.
For many hours, Mark and Boost caught up. He told Mark of how his little group had started off bargaining with the Cornwall council, something that was particularly difficult since they were stuck in their ways. Boost and his group had managed to gain rights to live on the beach, if they helped with the local villages - Which they did; they provided their produce and the villagers and villages left them alone to their business.
Mark kept Boost, and half of the mutant’s home enthralled with his stories. How he had escaped Otherworld, how he met and converted a Celestial Gatherer, and more recently his vow to help the Children of the vault.
As Boost's children and family and friends filtered into their own beds and homes, the pair were the only two left awake that night. Mark looked around to make sure he was the only one there, but before he could open his mouth, Boost spoke.
"I know you're here to ask something of me. I know it's probably pretty big considering it's you, Mark, but I want to make something clear first. I love my family, I love living here on this coastline. The life we've made for ourselves has been better than most lives mutants have had, we have food, we have a semblance of acceptance and we have respect for ourselves because we're living here,"
Mark nodded.
"That said, if you need me, Mark. I'm there. I'll do what I can to make my family proud," The albino beamed a big smile at Mark, who reflected it, and offered a hand to his friend.
"Well then, Boost. You're about to help me save human civilisation. How does that make you feel?"
"Pretty awesome, Mark. Pretty awesome."
~~~~~~~~~~
Ramp of the Conquistador, Arizona
"I'm still not a hundred percent sure on this," Sangre said, looking from Mark to Cadena. Again, Cadena showed the better half of their relationship by putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"It'll work out for us all in the end, Sangre," She said quietly, as the boarding ramp to the Conquistador lowered. Underneath them, stood five new arrivals with Mark and She-Thing. Josef had to return to the SHIELD Environmental Unit base so as to not arouse suspicions.
"On you all get," Mark ushered.
As they walked up the ramp, Wisp looked around the front of the ship, he headed straight to Cadena and Sangre.
"This is your ship, yes?"
Cadena and Sangre nodded. Wisp smile grew across his features.
"Incredible. I do apologise for the way I acted before. When you're treated a certain way, you become quite resistant to change, or new opinions," He offered them a hand.
"Dr. Jackson Arvad, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I hope we can start again,"
Sangre smiled. Finally, someone with manners. He took his hand firmly, and shook it.
"Sangre, and my partner, Cadena. Welcome Aboard,"
"Fascinating craft, would you mind explaining the propulsion to me..,"
Wisp was shortly followed by a distinctly unimpressed looking Chrome, muttering something to himself about Asteroid M being better.
Boost smiled widely to Mark, as he leaned over the guard rail on the edge of the boat, looking down on the surface, hundreds of metres below.
"Incredible," He offered, turning his attention to the obviously nervous, and slightly air-sick looking Monopole, who was right next to Boost, but emptying the contents of his stomach.
"OooOooooOoh God. We're so high up..," Boost grabbed hold of the young man's shoulders to help him stand up, and rubbed his back.
"Get it all out now, Kid. I think we're going to be on this thing for a while,"
Mark ushered Feron up the ramp and onto the Boat, as Sharon brought up the rear.
"You're sure that I am wanted here, Mark? Because I am tired of being in places that don't want me. It makes me feel old.”
Mark patted his old friend on the back, as they reached the deck of the ship, and pointed to the nearest door.
"Through there, down three flights of stairs, and first room on your left. We've got it set up. Go," He pointed over Feron's shoulder, and as the pale fae walked through the doors, Mark turned to a smiling Sharon and shook his head.
"Faeires, eh?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Meeting Room of the Conquistador
"Nice of you to eventually join us." Mark nodded to Josef as he came through the door, Marks comment rolling off his back as everything else did. Sometimes his uncompromising calm got on Mark's nerves.
"You knew where I was," He said calmly, sitting down in his chair.
"If I’d have known keeping the pretence of you working for Kate up was going to be so difficult, then I'd have got you kidnapped," Mark smirked, as he thumbed over his shoulder towards everyone.
"Pretty sure you're aware at least of everyone here, I'll just say, Dr.Avrad and Allen are the two you're going to be working with the most," He pointed towards the somewhat stoic form of the mutant known as Chrome, and then to the more studious looking Will O’Wisp who was quietly reading a document before him.
"Pleasure," Josef said, leaning forwards and offering a wide smile.
"Now, that’s out the way...Here's how we're doing the next phase. Josef, Dr. Avrad and Allen, you're all going to be paying a visit to everyone’s favourite unstable terrorist grouping, the Elements of Doom. I need you to infiltrate the group, which should be reasonably easy for Chrome and Josef. Will, you need to hang back with something, that'll give you later, until you're called in. It's all in the Document," Mark threw another folder towards Josef, and Allen Yuric hung his head in frustration.
"Why can’t you tell us out-right, Diering?" Chrome asked, his only statement since his time of boarding the Ship.
"Because it'd ruin the lovely little James Bond thing I’ve got going on, and everyone knows I love an ego massage," Mark shot Chrome a smile, and the young man just let his head fall again.
"Otherwise, Monopole, She-Thing and I are going to be paying a visit to some town in the mid-west that's on fire. Apparently, something that's "tangentially related"," He shot a look to Cadena, who smiled gently at him, much to Sangre's annoyance. "Needs to be investigated. So, that's what we're doing. It should be fun! Also, you've not met then yet, but we've got two other newbie’s on the boat. Feron's in his quarters preparing and I've got Boost going over all your files so he familiarize himself with your abilities."
"And for what purpose is that, the fact he can read our files, I mean," Chrome asked again. Mark was quickly becoming quite annoyed with his guys attitude. It wasn't the questions, it was the standoffish way he was presenting himself, pushing his chest out and trying to question Marks authority.
"Think about the Name "Boost" and come to your own answer, yeah?"
"Now...let’s get on with this. Dismissed," Mark got to his feet, and locked eye contact with Chrome for a moment. Yeah, this guy was going to be trouble.
As the rest of the group filtered out, Chrome was left stood before Mark, staring down his nose at the leader of the group.
“You don’t scare me, you know,” Allen said, walking closer to Brother Nature. Mark simply smiled a put a hand on Allen’s shoulder.
“What makes you think I won’t double cross you, Diering? What makes you think I won’t kill your ugly rocky friend in her sleep?” Allen asked, brushing Marks hand off his shoulder.
“Well, A) You’re too damn scared of dying again to even think about double crossing me, and B) there are fates worse than death, right Allen?” Mark winked at the young mutant and pointed towards his groin.
Allen took a harsh gulp, as Mark slapped him in the groin on his way out.
“Much worse things.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
FROM THE FILES OF BROTHER NATURE
Yuric, Allen (Chrome) is a young mutant with the ability of Alchemical creation. He is able to transmute elements into other elements, and transform things through touch. He is most commonly known as Chrome, given his ability to transform himself into metal and other substances. Having died once and been resurrected, Allen is a particularly angry young man. - I want to punch him until he stops moving, arrogant little bastard. Death's only made him more of a dick-head.
Wilson, James- (Monopole) was a physics student who unfortunately came into contact with a particularly highly charged, bi-polar Professor. Having created a machine which could reverse Gravitons, in an attempt to prove the Professors theory, James was given control over the particles. He now spends his time at the university, looking for a cure. – James has a lot of potential, which concerns me. With the potential to control and manipulate the very stuff that holds the universe together, he's terrifyingly powerful. However, his age and experience at what causes me concern. Could he potentially be one of the most powerful heroes on the planet, or become someone like Graviton?
Arvad , Jackson (PhD) (Will O’Wisp) was a scientist, a particularly talented one working on Electromagnetic research for Roxxon. Under the constant threat of being fired, he worked all night and day, eventually making a mistake and being caught in an electromagnetic field that turned him into a walking ghost. After regaining control of his physical form, Arvad learned a greater control of his electromagnetic powers and eventually left the life of crime he had started behind him – Get him and Sangre talking. They're both scientifically minded and ego-centric enough to feed off each other. Got to keep him sweet as well, he's not exactly the most stable of the deck.
BOOST (Real Name Unrevealed) is a second generation Gene National from the side dimension known as the Hill. When Mikhail Rasputin brought all those mutants back to Earth, Boost and a small group opted to leave the Morlock tunnels where they would have been subsequently murdered and chose to live, in comparative comfort, on the Cornwall coastline. Boost's primary mutant ability is to jump into the body of a mutant or meta-human and vastly augment their powers and control. - See if we can control his ability a little more, and get him ingratiated within the Children of the Vault. Be nice to see him more.
Authors Notes:
I’ve only just got around to reading Josh Reynolds very kind review of my first Fanfare issue for M2K, which basically kicked off this entire storyline, and I noticed that he thought the data-burst things that I have in bold were distracting, and rightly so.
Josh Reynolds –
Marvel Fanfare #69 by Ed Ainsworth
Ainsworth describes this as “Animal-Man Marvel-Stle” but, to be honest, I’m thinking it’s more like Jack Kirbys Eternals. Brother Nature is a c-lister with an a-listers power, and no super-hero baggage to tie him down. He’s a straight Silver Age gonna-save-the-planet type, and going toe-to-toe with agents of the celestials is a good start. Ainsworth has an odd style, jittering between Ellisan info-dumpage and Morrisonian show not tell, but it works well with the story he’s starting here. Brother Nature’s odd Compu-precise mental files on those he encounters are an entertaining way of introducing the audience to the characters, but it does disrupt the flow of the story a bit. However, considering the low profile of these characters, it’s a forgiveable bit of necessity in an otherwise joyful cosmic smash-em-up.
I like to experiment with form a little bit, although sometimes my ambition gets the better of me! So, the format has changed slightly – as you can see above, I have given you guys the same sort of data bursts, but at the bottom of the issue – along with Brother Natures notes in Italics by them.
Sharon Ventura wiped the magma that flowed from her bottom lip with the back of her hand, smearing the hot liquid across her face, and her forearm. She was beginning to lose her temper.
Across from her, standing the other side of the chemical flames stood a young man. He was lithe in figure, with a streak of white in his otherwise brown hair. He danced in place, his footing unsteady and always moving, as though he were always looking for a fight.
Sharon could tell he was angry, and that was without knowing the quiet anger that dwelt inside her. She'd come to him twenty minutes before to try and talk to him, but he'd been so belligerent, and full of attitude and insults, he'd caused Sharon to loose her temper. Not exactly the hardest feat in the world, but not what you'd want from a potential recruit.
Sharon got to her feet, looking across the burning ground to her young charge. They'd been eating in a restaurant, but that was nothing more than a char grilled wreck. Fortunately, even before the beginning of their fight, people were filtering out because of Sharon's appearance.
"Maybe I can show YOU what it's like to be dead, huh? Then you wouldn't be so fucking hasty to criticise," Allen's hands burned with chemical fury, as he stepped towards Sharon. She just balled her fists and gritted her teeth.
"Maybe you can, but it won't take back the fact you were," Sharon spat, Allen stopped in his tracks. He was obviously traumatised by these events. He shook his head, a cold sweat forcing itself out of his skin.
"You don't know what it's like!" He screamed.
"You're damn right I don't. I don't talk in clichés either, Allen. I'm here to offer you another chance at your life, another chance to do something right, and you're reacting exactly the way I'd expect from a spoilt little kid who got taught all he knows by Magneto. You're not entitled to anything until you've damn well earned it," Sharon said as she lifted a large stony rock finger into the air.
"You do this for me, and I tell you, I'll let you have your chance at killing me. Who knows...you might actually start to appreciate being alive again, but you've got stiff competition from those who've tried before, Allen. If Doom can't do it, what makes you think you could?"
“That’s just stupid," Allen said, stepping forwards, a jet of burning sulphur shooting towards Sharon. She twisted her shoulder into the burning liquid and charged forwards, lifting a hand through the yellow fluid and grabbing hold of Allen’s face.
She pitched him forwards, his body turning to metal as he flew through the air, smashing through a few pieces of rubble.
“You know I’m stronger and better than you, Allen. Just give it up. I’d give you a fair chance to have a go at it. I reckon you’re too coward to play this the smart way. Too much a little child, and not enough man in there," Sharon sniped.
Allen got to his feet and wiped some soot from his metallic face, he lifted a finger and pointed to her his mouth open as though he were going to say something, but words seemed to fail him.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Come with me. You can take your bad moods out on Perro, I’m sure he’d be more than willing teach you how to not be a child," Sharon waved over her shoulder for him to follow, as she tapped in her co-ordinates for the Conquistador to pick them up.
~~~~~~~~~~
University Of Boston
"Mr. Wilson?" Josef Huber stood in the doorway of the student’s dorm room. James looked up from his book, sitting at his desk in his underwear, with a face of shock.
"H-Hello?" He asked, as Josef walked in, pulling his hood down to reveal his bald head, and producing a badge in his left hand.
"My Name is Josef Huber, I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Environmental Unit. I've come to talk to you about your powers, your professor and your place in this world. May I?" Josef gestured to the bed, and James nodded. The room was tiny, just big enough for a desk, and bed, parallel to each other, and a wardrobe.
"What can I help you with?" James asked turning in his chair to face Josef, who had now sat himself down on the edge of the bed.
"Primarily, we wish for you to put your abilities to use. We have a dedicated training area to allow you greater control," Josef put his hands together on his lap, as James looked somewhat confused.
"You want me to...control my powers? I just want rid of them so I can finish my degree, you know?"
"Yes, I am aware, but you have been given these powers, perhaps for a reason. I represent a group who need someone with your abilities. We are not part of the government, although in this instance it is not S.H.I.E.L.D," Josef added, glancing to the open door, with worry on his features.
"A group that wants me? It's not HYDRA or AIM is it?"
"No, it is not," Josef said, pushing the SHIELD badge onto the bed where he can see it.
"Double agent?" James asked, looking concerned.
"James," Josef held his hands up in a sign for him to calm down.
"Okay - What does this actually have to do with me, or the Professor,"
"Your Professor was quite insane, I am afraid. He only managed to gain a job here through deceit to the authorities of this University. He had a bi-polar disorder which made him very dangerous,” Josef said before pausing “Although his theories are quite intriguing,"
"You’ve heard of his theories?" James asked his interest piqued.
"Of course, I have. His theories of gravitational transformation, a personal Millis bias field and more importantly, dimensional augmentation of anti-gravity membranes are all ground breaking. It’s all very interesting work," Josef explained, a sparkle in his own eye to match James scientific vigour.
James smiled, and leaned back over his desk, producing a file of his own work.
"I'm working on perfecting these theories, in the hopes they can help me,"
Josef smiled and picked up the folder from James hand.
"Do you mind if I read these?" Josef asked, an excited smile on his features.
"No, not at all," James said, a blush flooding his cheeks with blood.
"Tell me, James," Josef asked, as he flicked through the documents. "If we could help you find a cure once we have put your powers to a good use, would you come with us?"
James nodded fervently.
"In a heartbeat."
~~~~~~~~~~
English Midlands
Mark's stood at the mouth of a large cave in the Midlands of England. This was one of his two stops. The technology that was held within the hold of the Conquistador was really quite astounding. Teleportation technology, that had previously been from other disparate sources was amalgamated by Karima and put to good use. Mark managed to convince Sangre that it was a good idea to put it all together; it'd help him in the long run when they finally found all of the other Children.
Mark cupped his hands around his mouth, and leaned into the cave, sucking in as much air as his lungs could take before yelling "FERON!"
He waited a few minutes, until he heard the soft patter of bare feet walking up towards the cave mouth. Mark waited, hands in his jean pockets for a few minutes until he appeared from the darkness.
"Yes?" The man in a dowdy brown cloak answered, pulling the hood down from his face.
"Feron. It's Mark."
The tiny pale man narrowed his eyes, holding a hand up to his brow to look at Mark.
"Oh. Hi Mark, not seen you for a while, have I, do you want to come in?" He waved down the mouth of the cave.
"Not for the time being, Feron. It's not really one of those visits."
"Oh?" Feron’s eyebrow twitched as Mark spoke.
"I came to ask you something," Mark began, wringing his hands together.
"Ask away," Feron replied, waiting for Marks seemingly important question.
"Do you want to help me help you out?" Mark asked honestly, a bit of pleading in his voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I've got this plan, it's quite involved, but basically, you know you're supposed to have the Phoenix force?"
Feron looked puzzled for a moment and stepped further out of his cave.
"Yes?" His interest was caught now. Could Mark get him the Phoenix force?
"I can make that happen."
~~~~~~~~~~
Tuscon, Arizona.
"This is like taking a damned sock to a knife fight!" Sangre leapt out of the way, his water body collapsing under its own weight into a puddle, as Cadena was thrown about like a rag doll, completely unable to control her form or any of her powers.
She hit the ground, hard, and the electrical containment sphere that held her suit together cracked. She looked pleadingly at Sangre, who had reformed himself and was staring at the perpetrator of this violence.
He was a former scientist called Will O'Wisp, a small time Spider-Man villain who was repeatedly beaten by the hero. He was throwing his weight around now, or what little he had of it.
"You can't take me in for just living my life!" He screamed, throwing all manner of metallic substances towards Sangre, who deftly moulded his body around the hurtling objects.
"We don't want to take you away, you prick!" He screamed, throwing his fist out into a powerful stream of water, that hit Wisp in the face, and knocked him off balance.
With soaking wet, shoulder length hair clinging to his green costume, Wisp hissed through his gritted teeth and shot forwards, alternating his density so he was intangible for Sangre's next blast.
"Idiot!" He yelled, bringing his now electromagnetically charged elbow into Sangre.
"I could remove your electron's one by one and take away your physical form, you complete idiot. If you're not here to take me away, why are you here, huh? Why?"
"Because..," Cadena managed her voice more like an electronic buzzing than an actual human voice. "Because we want to give you another chance. We want to give you a job."
Wisp let a smile write itself over his face, as he pushed some of his damp, clinging hair away from his field of vision.
"A job, eh? Well, I don't do work for hire crime any more. I don't do any of that, unless you're offering me something really lucrative, that is,"
Sangre smiled as he morphed out from underneath his elbow and reformed himself by Cadena's side.
"Well, it's not exactly well paid, but we need to help save the world," Shocked for a moment, Wisp's face turned back into a smile.
"You're trying to have me for a fool," Sangre and Cadena both shook their heads looking deadly serious.
"Oh. Well. Uh.,"
~~~~~~~~~~
Mark's foot crunched through the sand of the Cornwall beach, bare footed was the only way to go in environments such as this. Human constructs, like clothes and boots and all those things designed to make life easier for them, really let them down in the harsher climes. Nature provided for all, and with Mark, nature provided for him. A warm wind circled his form, keeping him at a pleasant temperature, despite the lack of sun, though his skin was already tanned and leather like. A melanistic resistance had built up over time, so he never really reverted back to his normal colouration. As he reached the top of the dune he was ascending, he saw the small town below, that stretched on to the beach front, around some dangerous and twisting rock faces. It was little more than a shanty town, a roughly built area where mutants lived, and thrived apparently. Compared to the last time he saw this place, it was barely a viable shelter, it had grown quite considerably.
Sliding down the remains of the dune, Mark locked eyes onto a party before him. He recognised most of the people, save a few younger ones. It appeared as though a number of the gene-nationals had hit puberty since he was last here. Running to the front of the group, Mark's old friend made his presence known.
"Mark!" The albino yelled, as the wind lashed his body with sand grains.
"Boost! How are you, man?" Mark clapped his hand around his friends and they both shared a manly hug before releasing each other.
For many hours, Mark and Boost caught up. He told Mark of how his little group had started off bargaining with the Cornwall council, something that was particularly difficult since they were stuck in their ways. Boost and his group had managed to gain rights to live on the beach, if they helped with the local villages - Which they did; they provided their produce and the villagers and villages left them alone to their business.
Mark kept Boost, and half of the mutant’s home enthralled with his stories. How he had escaped Otherworld, how he met and converted a Celestial Gatherer, and more recently his vow to help the Children of the vault.
As Boost's children and family and friends filtered into their own beds and homes, the pair were the only two left awake that night. Mark looked around to make sure he was the only one there, but before he could open his mouth, Boost spoke.
"I know you're here to ask something of me. I know it's probably pretty big considering it's you, Mark, but I want to make something clear first. I love my family, I love living here on this coastline. The life we've made for ourselves has been better than most lives mutants have had, we have food, we have a semblance of acceptance and we have respect for ourselves because we're living here,"
Mark nodded.
"That said, if you need me, Mark. I'm there. I'll do what I can to make my family proud," The albino beamed a big smile at Mark, who reflected it, and offered a hand to his friend.
"Well then, Boost. You're about to help me save human civilisation. How does that make you feel?"
"Pretty awesome, Mark. Pretty awesome."
~~~~~~~~~~
Ramp of the Conquistador, Arizona
"I'm still not a hundred percent sure on this," Sangre said, looking from Mark to Cadena. Again, Cadena showed the better half of their relationship by putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"It'll work out for us all in the end, Sangre," She said quietly, as the boarding ramp to the Conquistador lowered. Underneath them, stood five new arrivals with Mark and She-Thing. Josef had to return to the SHIELD Environmental Unit base so as to not arouse suspicions.
"On you all get," Mark ushered.
As they walked up the ramp, Wisp looked around the front of the ship, he headed straight to Cadena and Sangre.
"This is your ship, yes?"
Cadena and Sangre nodded. Wisp smile grew across his features.
"Incredible. I do apologise for the way I acted before. When you're treated a certain way, you become quite resistant to change, or new opinions," He offered them a hand.
"Dr. Jackson Arvad, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I hope we can start again,"
Sangre smiled. Finally, someone with manners. He took his hand firmly, and shook it.
"Sangre, and my partner, Cadena. Welcome Aboard,"
"Fascinating craft, would you mind explaining the propulsion to me..,"
Wisp was shortly followed by a distinctly unimpressed looking Chrome, muttering something to himself about Asteroid M being better.
Boost smiled widely to Mark, as he leaned over the guard rail on the edge of the boat, looking down on the surface, hundreds of metres below.
"Incredible," He offered, turning his attention to the obviously nervous, and slightly air-sick looking Monopole, who was right next to Boost, but emptying the contents of his stomach.
"OooOooooOoh God. We're so high up..," Boost grabbed hold of the young man's shoulders to help him stand up, and rubbed his back.
"Get it all out now, Kid. I think we're going to be on this thing for a while,"
Mark ushered Feron up the ramp and onto the Boat, as Sharon brought up the rear.
"You're sure that I am wanted here, Mark? Because I am tired of being in places that don't want me. It makes me feel old.”
Mark patted his old friend on the back, as they reached the deck of the ship, and pointed to the nearest door.
"Through there, down three flights of stairs, and first room on your left. We've got it set up. Go," He pointed over Feron's shoulder, and as the pale fae walked through the doors, Mark turned to a smiling Sharon and shook his head.
"Faeires, eh?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Meeting Room of the Conquistador
"Nice of you to eventually join us." Mark nodded to Josef as he came through the door, Marks comment rolling off his back as everything else did. Sometimes his uncompromising calm got on Mark's nerves.
"You knew where I was," He said calmly, sitting down in his chair.
"If I’d have known keeping the pretence of you working for Kate up was going to be so difficult, then I'd have got you kidnapped," Mark smirked, as he thumbed over his shoulder towards everyone.
"Pretty sure you're aware at least of everyone here, I'll just say, Dr.Avrad and Allen are the two you're going to be working with the most," He pointed towards the somewhat stoic form of the mutant known as Chrome, and then to the more studious looking Will O’Wisp who was quietly reading a document before him.
"Pleasure," Josef said, leaning forwards and offering a wide smile.
"Now, that’s out the way...Here's how we're doing the next phase. Josef, Dr. Avrad and Allen, you're all going to be paying a visit to everyone’s favourite unstable terrorist grouping, the Elements of Doom. I need you to infiltrate the group, which should be reasonably easy for Chrome and Josef. Will, you need to hang back with something, that'll give you later, until you're called in. It's all in the Document," Mark threw another folder towards Josef, and Allen Yuric hung his head in frustration.
"Why can’t you tell us out-right, Diering?" Chrome asked, his only statement since his time of boarding the Ship.
"Because it'd ruin the lovely little James Bond thing I’ve got going on, and everyone knows I love an ego massage," Mark shot Chrome a smile, and the young man just let his head fall again.
"Otherwise, Monopole, She-Thing and I are going to be paying a visit to some town in the mid-west that's on fire. Apparently, something that's "tangentially related"," He shot a look to Cadena, who smiled gently at him, much to Sangre's annoyance. "Needs to be investigated. So, that's what we're doing. It should be fun! Also, you've not met then yet, but we've got two other newbie’s on the boat. Feron's in his quarters preparing and I've got Boost going over all your files so he familiarize himself with your abilities."
"And for what purpose is that, the fact he can read our files, I mean," Chrome asked again. Mark was quickly becoming quite annoyed with his guys attitude. It wasn't the questions, it was the standoffish way he was presenting himself, pushing his chest out and trying to question Marks authority.
"Think about the Name "Boost" and come to your own answer, yeah?"
"Now...let’s get on with this. Dismissed," Mark got to his feet, and locked eye contact with Chrome for a moment. Yeah, this guy was going to be trouble.
As the rest of the group filtered out, Chrome was left stood before Mark, staring down his nose at the leader of the group.
“You don’t scare me, you know,” Allen said, walking closer to Brother Nature. Mark simply smiled a put a hand on Allen’s shoulder.
“What makes you think I won’t double cross you, Diering? What makes you think I won’t kill your ugly rocky friend in her sleep?” Allen asked, brushing Marks hand off his shoulder.
“Well, A) You’re too damn scared of dying again to even think about double crossing me, and B) there are fates worse than death, right Allen?” Mark winked at the young mutant and pointed towards his groin.
Allen took a harsh gulp, as Mark slapped him in the groin on his way out.
“Much worse things.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
FROM THE FILES OF BROTHER NATURE
Yuric, Allen (Chrome) is a young mutant with the ability of Alchemical creation. He is able to transmute elements into other elements, and transform things through touch. He is most commonly known as Chrome, given his ability to transform himself into metal and other substances. Having died once and been resurrected, Allen is a particularly angry young man. - I want to punch him until he stops moving, arrogant little bastard. Death's only made him more of a dick-head.
Wilson, James- (Monopole) was a physics student who unfortunately came into contact with a particularly highly charged, bi-polar Professor. Having created a machine which could reverse Gravitons, in an attempt to prove the Professors theory, James was given control over the particles. He now spends his time at the university, looking for a cure. – James has a lot of potential, which concerns me. With the potential to control and manipulate the very stuff that holds the universe together, he's terrifyingly powerful. However, his age and experience at what causes me concern. Could he potentially be one of the most powerful heroes on the planet, or become someone like Graviton?
Arvad , Jackson (PhD) (Will O’Wisp) was a scientist, a particularly talented one working on Electromagnetic research for Roxxon. Under the constant threat of being fired, he worked all night and day, eventually making a mistake and being caught in an electromagnetic field that turned him into a walking ghost. After regaining control of his physical form, Arvad learned a greater control of his electromagnetic powers and eventually left the life of crime he had started behind him – Get him and Sangre talking. They're both scientifically minded and ego-centric enough to feed off each other. Got to keep him sweet as well, he's not exactly the most stable of the deck.
BOOST (Real Name Unrevealed) is a second generation Gene National from the side dimension known as the Hill. When Mikhail Rasputin brought all those mutants back to Earth, Boost and a small group opted to leave the Morlock tunnels where they would have been subsequently murdered and chose to live, in comparative comfort, on the Cornwall coastline. Boost's primary mutant ability is to jump into the body of a mutant or meta-human and vastly augment their powers and control. - See if we can control his ability a little more, and get him ingratiated within the Children of the Vault. Be nice to see him more.
Authors Notes:
I’ve only just got around to reading Josh Reynolds very kind review of my first Fanfare issue for M2K, which basically kicked off this entire storyline, and I noticed that he thought the data-burst things that I have in bold were distracting, and rightly so.
Josh Reynolds –
Marvel Fanfare #69 by Ed Ainsworth
Ainsworth describes this as “Animal-Man Marvel-Stle” but, to be honest, I’m thinking it’s more like Jack Kirbys Eternals. Brother Nature is a c-lister with an a-listers power, and no super-hero baggage to tie him down. He’s a straight Silver Age gonna-save-the-planet type, and going toe-to-toe with agents of the celestials is a good start. Ainsworth has an odd style, jittering between Ellisan info-dumpage and Morrisonian show not tell, but it works well with the story he’s starting here. Brother Nature’s odd Compu-precise mental files on those he encounters are an entertaining way of introducing the audience to the characters, but it does disrupt the flow of the story a bit. However, considering the low profile of these characters, it’s a forgiveable bit of necessity in an otherwise joyful cosmic smash-em-up.
I like to experiment with form a little bit, although sometimes my ambition gets the better of me! So, the format has changed slightly – as you can see above, I have given you guys the same sort of data bursts, but at the bottom of the issue – along with Brother Natures notes in Italics by them.