Issue #5 by Dan Dolan
February 2018
February 2018
"Loose Ends - Part Two"
The Hideout, NYC
In a flash of dazzling light, a figure was rushing forward out of the dimensional chasm. Much to the horror of Josiah, Riri, Tommy and Nico.
Before they could even register it a person burst forward in a flash of color: red, white and blue to be exact. The figure, soon seen to be a young woman launched herself at Tommy only be stopped at the very last moment as Josiah grasped her heel in an iron grip.
With all his strength he just barely pulled the girl back and tossed her to the ground by the now quickly closing portal.
“What is the meaning of this?!” He snapped, “Who are you?”
Now that they all had a moment, they could see she was a pretty young Latina woman dressed in glorified street clothes all brightly colored in patriotic colors and symbols.
“My name is America Chavez.” She grumbled through gritted teeth, “And I’m here to avenge my universe from the creature that destroyed it.”
She glared at Tommy and slowly all other eyes in the room turned to the meek young man as well, for his part he gulped audibly before just barely squeaking out a reply:
“Nice to see you again…”
# # # # #
“When was the most recent update made to the Young Avengers file?” Eli asked bluntly to a distracted Anne Weaver. The woman turned to him; equal parts amused and annoyed.
“Having trouble reading the file?” She quipped in her crisp British accent, “Start with the smaller words and work your way up.”
“Funny. No I can see when an electronic file was updated, I mean when did you last receive an update about us and from whom?”
This seemed to genuinely stun the senior agent.
“You know exactly who.” She said like Eli was the dumbest person alive, “You call him Uncle.”
# # # # #
Barreling down the streets of a suburb in a SUV was not really anyone’s idea of high adventure, especially not the three would-be Young Avengers Chanté, Teddy and Will. The three were shoved into the back seat with the Skrulls known as Evelyn and Mitchell Barber in the front; Mr. Barber white knuckling the steering wheel.
“You have a bedroom lock out of Men in Black but not some kind of spaceship we can use?” Will snapped looking kind of nauseous with every crazy turn they took.
“There is a limit to how much tech we were able to hold onto and how much we’re able to make use of and remain discreet.” Mr. Barber said, his tranquil tone contrasting his irrational driving.
Teddy hadn’t said a word since they left the house, this didn’t go unnoticed by Chanté or Will; but where Chanté was trying to keep the peace, Will was growing more and more annoyed by his dithering.
“Teddy when we catch up with this kid are you going to have your head in the game?” The red clad teen sighed but Teddy gave no indication of having heard, still staring dead ahead.
“Teddy!” Will snapped again but still no response. Chanté was about to step in and diffuse the situation when Mrs. Barber shouted. The African girl whipped her head back toward the road in front of them in time to see a young woman seemingly being attacked by a large green cloud as two men raged nearby. Before any of the Young Avengers could say anything the Barbers had parked/crashed the SUV off to the side of the road and had practically flew out of the car and launched themselves at their son, to the screams of all humans present.
“Shit.” Will sighed.
# # # # #
Eli was downloading diagnostics from the cryo tanks onto a flash drive, enjoying the silence apart from his own cacophony of thoughts raging in his mind, when said silence was broken by the sound of Victor Mancha clearing his throat behind him.
“Hey man. I just wanted to know if you were… alright?”
“I’m fine. It’s about the mission right? Mind on the mission.”
“Yeah but… I mean we’re called the YOUNG Avengers for a reason. It’s okay if you’re not perfect at this yet. It’s okay if you don’t know who you are.”
“I know who I am.” Eli snapped, “Is this about the file? I don’t care about a stupid asterisk.” He stood and turned to face the young android.
“No… I’m just trying to say.” Victor sighed but pressed on, “Take me for example: I was built to be a ticking time bomb. Everything I know about my life, about myself is a computer program designed to make me think I’m a normal kid. Sometimes… sometimes I consider turning it off and seeing…”
“What?!” Eli snapped interrupting the other boy before he could reach his point, “Why would you do that? Then you’d turn into some killer robot and destroy us all! We’ve had enough traitors for one team already.”
Victor seemed to realize he wasn’t going to be able to get across what he was trying to say and nodded complacently.
“Yeah you’re right… It’s nothing. I was just… rambling.”
“Good. Now that crazy time is over, I want you to compare the times the “glitches” in brain activity occurred,” He waved the flash drive, “To the times our group file was updated.”
# # # # #
“Miss.” Josiah said slowly and calmly, raising his hands, “I’m not sure what’s going on here or even where you’re from but if can just talk to us. No one needs to get hurt.” He said stepping slowly towards America.
“She’s…” Tommy started but America hurled an errant piece of Riri’s machinery at him, narrowly missing his head.
“He was talking to me!” She screamed before composing herself, “I’m from another dimension, obviously. One that was destroyed when that thing and his freak brother ported out of it!” She pointed angrily at Tommy.
“No! It wasn’t us.” Tommy cried dodging yet another piece of debris as he did so, Josiah stepping in front of him, “Your universe was already collapsing that’s why we left!”
“A likely frigging story!” She wailed.
Riri and Nico looked at each other unsure of how to proceed.
“There was a demon involved.” Nico sputtered, really just spit balling, “They had a lot going on? I’m sure everyone did their best…” The Asian girl shrugged.
America just glared at Tommy.
“You were friends.” Riri said suddenly, catching America off guard. She’d seen that look before. It was the same anger Kate had when interacting with Cassie Lang, “You were friends and you think he abandoned you.”
“I know he did. He left me to die.”
Tears fell down Tommy’s face but after a moment, he nodded.
# # # # #
Chanté had one legged wrapped around what she only barely assumed was Seth’s neck. If any such anatomy even applied anymore given the chaotic mass of emerald he had morphed into.
His parents were using their borrowed abilities: His father using Dani Moonstar’s illusions to try and placate is son and his mother using Alex Power’s gravity control to try and immobilize her son, but there was a pure desperation inside the boy that was causing him to put up quite the fight.
The girl, Tiffany Dow was still screaming and the two men: her father and uncle apparently, were pretty much trying to attack any Skrull they could get their hands on and frankly they seemed like they would settle for a Young Avenger or two. Teddy was struggling with the Uncle who had attacked him from behind mistaking him for the other Skrulls and Will was trying to accelerate Seth’s transformations beyond his control but with so much chaos already around them, his power seemed to be not making much of a dent.
“Seth! Please!” His mother cried.
“Seth… it’s okay.” Tiffany said finally starting to breathe herself.
“No! I don’t want to go!” The voice came from the swirling cloud of green despite their being now apparent mouth. It was the first time Seth had truly spoken in their presence and the Young Avengers were taken aback by how emotional and raw the teen’s voice was: how human.
“Seth don’t.” He father reprimanded.
“NO! You go! You leave! But I need to stay!” Seth cried, a vague face taking shape even as his tendrils wrapped around Tiffany… very gently Chanté noted.
“What does he mean stay?” Chanté questioned as she struggled to keep her hold on Seth, whipping her head towards Mrs. Barber.
“We…”
“Karis no!” Mr. Barber shouted, using his wife’s Skrull name.
“They want to go back to the Empire.” Seth hissed disdainfully.
Chanté, Will and Teddy all got mixed looks on their faces and eyed the Barbers warily.
“I need to stay with Tiffany!” Seth cried.
“You belong with us Feln.” Mrs. Barber cried but this caused him to rage all the harder, his whips of jade skin flying outward.
“My name is Seth! Seth Barber!”
“That does it.” Tiffany’s father grumbled running back into the house.
“We can all talk this out!” Chanté shouted trying to prevent herself from being thrown off the back of Seth’s wildly changing form.
“NO! I’m not like them. I don’t care about being a Skrull! I want to be human!” This last cry was partially drowned out by the sound of a shotgun and suddenly everything went quiet.
Mr. Dow stood on the front steps of his house, shotgun still aimed and smoking but the look on his face wasn’t rage… it was heartbreak.
He’d hit Tiffany.
Everyone scrambled, all Skrull’s present immediately transformed back into their human shapes. The Young Avengers seeing Seth in this way for the first time. A kind faced young man with long blond hair, eyes now welling up with tears as he ran to the girl’s side.
Chanté and Will were the first into action. Will ran towards Tiffany and assessed the wound, a deep graze in her shoulder. Chanté however back flipped toward Mr. Dow and knocked the gun out of his hand with one smooth motion, breaking the weapon in two as she righted herself.
“Will status?” She asked curtly.
“She’ll make it. It’s going to hurt like a bitch though.” Will held his hand over her wound and it glowed red ever so slightly.
“I thought you didn’t do magic…?” Teddy whispered.
“I don’t. I’m speeding up the coagulation process while you call 911.” Will said never looking up, Teddy internally kicking himself for not having called of his own accord. As he whipped his phone out he looked at the Barbers, they seemed sad but there was something else behind their eyes: resolution.
# # # # #
Kate bit her lip as they watched the dates line up one by one, point by point.
“What are we thinking this means?” Victor drew in his breath.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Kate said slowly.
Eli however stared dead at the images flying before them from Victor’s personal display.
“What was it you said Kate…?”
She turned to him, processing the cool demeanor he now projected rather than unstable immaturity he had been leaning on for weeks.
“If you mean that stuff about your uncle, I was mad… I wasn’t…”
“No the other thing.” Eli cut her off, “We need to put in the damn work.”
# # # # #
“You abandoned us!” America raged.
“No! There was nothing we could do! That world was collapsing, it had always been unstable.” Tommy desperately tried to explain.
“What does that mean?” Nico queried.
“Some universes are natural, existing since the beginning of reality and before. Others are created by other means, interdimensional crisises, time travel or cosmic cubes and the like. Her world. It was haphazard. Time made no sense. Her Earth’s entire history took place over a matter of minutes in real time. It was burning out faster than they could comprehend. Me and Will had to blink away… I wanted to take you with us.”
“But you chose not to. My friends. My Moms. My Whole world is gone. You said you were my friend.”
“It wasn’t a choice. I couldn’t do that… I’d have had to use magic to amplify our powers like my mom did. I’d be opening a door that I may never have been able to close. Will said… He told me it was for the best.” As Tommy said this Nico eyed him warily.
“How’d you get here?” Josiah asked, taking the situation in.
“My powers had been acting unpredictability for weeks even before the cataclysm. When I would get emotional I’d get these bursts of extra… I don’t know… ‘oomph’. When those two traitors abandoned us after all we’d done for them… I go so mad. Everything was burning and dying and I just lashed out and kicked at the spot where they “vanished” and somehow… it opened.”
“You opened a dimensional tear by kicking really hard?” Riri asked flabbergasted to which the Hispanic girl shrugged.
“Miss… America, is it?” Josiah asked frustratedly, to which the girl nodded, “What is your plan here?”
This seemed to take the wind out of her sails a bit.
“I don’t… really know. I’ve been following them,” Her fire temporarily back as she thrust the word ‘them’ at Tommy like a dagger, “from world to world hoping to get my shot…”
“And kill them?” Riri gasped.
“What?! No I’m not a… well I thought… I don’t know. I’ve just been so angry and I had no one to be mad at, no one at all… literally, except them…”
Josiah stood and stared at her for a moment.
“Ms. could you please stay here with us for a moment, I have to do something but please don’t leave just yet.” With that Josiah turned and walked out of the room, swiftly but calmly leaving the rest in an awkward silence.
Nico was the one who broke it; looking from America to Tommy and finally to Riri:
“You people are crazy.”
# # # # #
As Tiffany was loaded onto the ambulance with her uncle and her father was being cross-examined by the police.
“The police talked to SHIELD, they couldn’t get a hold of Josiah, and they vouched for us thank god.” Chanté sighed crossing her arms, “That doesn’t go for you three though.” She said turning to the Barbers.
Tiffany getting hurt seemed to take all the fight out of Seth: flanked by his parents he sat on the sidewalk, head in his hands.
“So if you want our help: You better start talking.”
“We’ve been covertly planning… on heading home.” Mr. Barber practically whispered.
“Leading your son’s “attack”.” Will provided.
“I was just upset.” Seth cried, “I love Tiffany, we’ve been talking about marriage even… she knew what I was and she didn’t care…”
“Why the secrecy?” Chanté asked, ignoring Seth for a moment.
“The other Skrulls. The ones who stayed behind… wouldn’t be happy. We made a pact. The Skrull home world believes we died in the invasion. If one family goes back it would… raise questions but we’ve already made contact with understanding parties on the other end. We can re-assimilate. It is possible.” Mrs. Barber said calmly laying a hand on her son’s shoulder.
“Teddy… you could come with us.” Mr. Barber said suddenly catching all by surprise but none more so than Teddy himself…
# # # # #
Eli, Kate and Victor made it back to the Hideout first. Their heads filled with provocative thoughts: what was happening at the Freezer? How was Josiah connected and could they trust him? Could they trust any of the adults in their lives?
The sight that greeted them did not do much to alleviate this: the Hideout was once again in shambles with a stranger standing angrily in the middle of Riri, Tommy and Victor’s girlfriend: and Josiah nowhere in sight.
Kate looked to Riri while Nico ran into Victor’s arms.
“What’s going on here?” Eli asked, the bravado now gone from his “command” voice, replaced by a tired resignation.
“America is a survivor of a world me and Will visited… she followed us here.” Tommy said in a near whisper.
America glared at him but said nothing in response, choosing instead a more casual wave and roll of her eyes.
“Josiah asked us to wait for him here.” Riri said quietly, walking over to Kate.
“That was a gigantic waste of time!” Will shouted as he, Chanté and eventually Teddy filed into the Hideout as well. As Will ranted both Chanté and Teddy were quiet, she out of exhaustion where his silence came from pure distress. His knitted brows telling of the storm in his mind.
“YOU!” American shouted upon seeing Will.
“Oh shit.” Will grumbled.
Before anyone could move America hurled herself into the air at the crimson clad youth, who for his part raised his hands eliciting his trademark red power effect.
“America the beautiful… I’d rather not catch up on old times in the critical care unit…” Will sighed as some of America’s hair feel into her line of sight causing her to veer slightly off course, allowing the probability manipulator to dodge.
America stood and brushed herself off with Chanté, Eli, Victor and Kate all making their way forward to contain the situation. Will raised his hands again as he moved to punch him, causing picturesque five pointed stars to burst forth from the air where her fist flew… a sight that seemed to vex both Will and America equally.
“Listen I’m not sure how you got here and I know you never really “got” me but this seems extreme…” Will rambled.
“I got you alright. You’re a loudmouth know it all who uses mean humor to deflect from your own emotional and psychological trauma.” America said trying to take another swipe but Chanté catching her arm and Eli stepping in front of Will.
“Very funny.” Will smirked, “Says the girl cracking jokes at my expense because her whole world’s dead.”
At this the room fell silent, Tommy raising a hand to his mouth aghast.
“You know: what is wrong with you?” Teddy snapped taking Will by surprise, “Do you think you’re funny? Can you even grasp when someone else is in pain…?”
Will stuttered, “I…”
“That’s what I thought.” Teddy groused.
“Enough.” Josiah’s commanding voice cut the tension in the room as he reentered it, “I’m glad you’re all back, they’ll be here soon.”
“Who will?” Eli’s eyes narrowed.
“The Avengers.” Josiah said simply, pinching the bridge of his nose, “They’re sending an envoy; they should be here any moment.”
The children all looked at each other at a loss for words.
# # # # #
Back at the Freezer Anne Weaver, flanked by a Dum Dum Dugan and Diamondback LMDs, and surveyed the data that the Young Avengers had reviewed, including timestamps of which documents were opened in what order. She smiled to herself satisfactory.
“Check and double check the stats on every tank.” She barked to the two androids, “I want things to run like clockwork when we need them to wake up.” The two automatons nodded and left the room.
Anne went over to one of the desks and typed a command into the computer quickly bringing up a seemingly blank screen.
“Everything went just as you said it would. As always you are twelve steps ahead…” Anne smiled adoringly at the screen, “we should be good to go for the next phase.”
# # # # #
“Everyone,” Josiah said raising his voice louder but not in anger, “please stay here: get something to eat, use the training room, or whatever you like but please don’t leave the premises the Avengers would like to talk with you all.”
“Uncle…” Eli started, locking eyes with the older man, “Can I speak to you alone for a moment?”
Josiah sighed.
“Not just now Eli. Soon enough. I need to think.” The older man said with a sad smile before turning and walking back to his office.
The group began to slowly disperse; Kate slung an arm around Riri and they wandered off, Nico dragged Victor off having a frantic conversation in theatre whispers, Eli and Chanté approached a still tense America while Tommy stared awkwardly from afar.
Teddy sighed and started walking towards the training arena but Will caught his arm.
“Teddy we should talk.” Will said firmly.
“Look I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier…” Teddy started.
“No. I… I’m not good at connecting with people.” The sincerity in the other boy’s voice took Teddy by surprise, “When I say these things… it’s because I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to let people in and...”
“I get it. I do. Do you know why I didn’t go with the Barbers? It wasn’t because I didn’t want to. I did. It was because I know how to live on Earth and I know nothing of being a Skrull. Even though I’m miserable here and lost… I know how to do that so I do.”
“Teddy listen. Being miserable isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: trust me I know. It may make you wildly hilarious like I am,” He smiled causing the other Skrull to smile slightly in return, “But that only gets you so far.”
Will smiled and turned to go join his brother but this time Teddy stopped him.
“Would you… like to go out with me some time?” Teddy asked uneasily.
Will cringed slightly to himself before turning back to face Teddy.
“Uh wouldn’t that be awkward since I look identical to…”
“No I know… I just thought… You’re the only other gay teen superhero I know and I thought…”
“I’m truly flattered to be your last resort…” Will snarked before catching himself. Old habits.
“No! I didn’t mean…” Teddy started to internally shut down again, the ennui written all over his face, “Forget it.”
“No, uh no: It’s cool. It’s great.” Will said trying to smile as sincerely as possible, “Let’s do it. After this whole envoy mishegas is over will totally hit the town okay?” Will clasped him on the shoulder.
“Okay.” The Skrull agreed.
The two would be team leaders: Eli and Chanté stood on either side of America. Trying to maintain a friendly tone but also working to ascertain her intentions.
“I’m not here to join up.” The Latina said bluntly, “I’m just not passing up the chance to meet the Avengers of any reality.”
“Good to know but what about this universe? Are you going to try and jump again?” Chanté asked intently.
“It’s your choice but if you do you could open up our dimension to god knows what. So if you do maybe a heads up?” Eli asked with a shrug.
America shook her head noncommittally.
Nico had harangued Victor as close to the exit as possible without actually going out.
“We should just go.” She sniped, looking at the others suspiciously.
“Nico you came when they asked you to help for the same reason I feel I should stay. You know deep down these are good people.”
Nico grunted:
“They’re part of it Vic. Part of the machine. The man=The Avengers=The Young Avengers. You think they won’t chuck you into a fancy space age cell the minute you give them an excuse?”
Victor thought of Eli’s reaction to his question of identity.
Just as he was about to reply the door buzzed and soon the familiar hiss of the electronic door was heard as it slid open revealing Victor’s fear made flesh, so to speak:
Hawkeye stood tall, flanked by Ant-Man and Jocasta. The three of them sauntered casually into the room. They were soon followed by four young people: headed up by Cassie Lang herself, along with two young black men, one in blue and white spandex, the other in a red and gold power-suit that looked mostly homemade, and finally a young Hispanic woman in a white jumpsuit.
“Well,” Hawkeye said with a sigh, fixing his glare on the Young Avengers, “Let’s see what the problem is here.”
In a flash of dazzling light, a figure was rushing forward out of the dimensional chasm. Much to the horror of Josiah, Riri, Tommy and Nico.
Before they could even register it a person burst forward in a flash of color: red, white and blue to be exact. The figure, soon seen to be a young woman launched herself at Tommy only be stopped at the very last moment as Josiah grasped her heel in an iron grip.
With all his strength he just barely pulled the girl back and tossed her to the ground by the now quickly closing portal.
“What is the meaning of this?!” He snapped, “Who are you?”
Now that they all had a moment, they could see she was a pretty young Latina woman dressed in glorified street clothes all brightly colored in patriotic colors and symbols.
“My name is America Chavez.” She grumbled through gritted teeth, “And I’m here to avenge my universe from the creature that destroyed it.”
She glared at Tommy and slowly all other eyes in the room turned to the meek young man as well, for his part he gulped audibly before just barely squeaking out a reply:
“Nice to see you again…”
# # # # #
“When was the most recent update made to the Young Avengers file?” Eli asked bluntly to a distracted Anne Weaver. The woman turned to him; equal parts amused and annoyed.
“Having trouble reading the file?” She quipped in her crisp British accent, “Start with the smaller words and work your way up.”
“Funny. No I can see when an electronic file was updated, I mean when did you last receive an update about us and from whom?”
This seemed to genuinely stun the senior agent.
“You know exactly who.” She said like Eli was the dumbest person alive, “You call him Uncle.”
# # # # #
Barreling down the streets of a suburb in a SUV was not really anyone’s idea of high adventure, especially not the three would-be Young Avengers Chanté, Teddy and Will. The three were shoved into the back seat with the Skrulls known as Evelyn and Mitchell Barber in the front; Mr. Barber white knuckling the steering wheel.
“You have a bedroom lock out of Men in Black but not some kind of spaceship we can use?” Will snapped looking kind of nauseous with every crazy turn they took.
“There is a limit to how much tech we were able to hold onto and how much we’re able to make use of and remain discreet.” Mr. Barber said, his tranquil tone contrasting his irrational driving.
Teddy hadn’t said a word since they left the house, this didn’t go unnoticed by Chanté or Will; but where Chanté was trying to keep the peace, Will was growing more and more annoyed by his dithering.
“Teddy when we catch up with this kid are you going to have your head in the game?” The red clad teen sighed but Teddy gave no indication of having heard, still staring dead ahead.
“Teddy!” Will snapped again but still no response. Chanté was about to step in and diffuse the situation when Mrs. Barber shouted. The African girl whipped her head back toward the road in front of them in time to see a young woman seemingly being attacked by a large green cloud as two men raged nearby. Before any of the Young Avengers could say anything the Barbers had parked/crashed the SUV off to the side of the road and had practically flew out of the car and launched themselves at their son, to the screams of all humans present.
“Shit.” Will sighed.
# # # # #
Eli was downloading diagnostics from the cryo tanks onto a flash drive, enjoying the silence apart from his own cacophony of thoughts raging in his mind, when said silence was broken by the sound of Victor Mancha clearing his throat behind him.
“Hey man. I just wanted to know if you were… alright?”
“I’m fine. It’s about the mission right? Mind on the mission.”
“Yeah but… I mean we’re called the YOUNG Avengers for a reason. It’s okay if you’re not perfect at this yet. It’s okay if you don’t know who you are.”
“I know who I am.” Eli snapped, “Is this about the file? I don’t care about a stupid asterisk.” He stood and turned to face the young android.
“No… I’m just trying to say.” Victor sighed but pressed on, “Take me for example: I was built to be a ticking time bomb. Everything I know about my life, about myself is a computer program designed to make me think I’m a normal kid. Sometimes… sometimes I consider turning it off and seeing…”
“What?!” Eli snapped interrupting the other boy before he could reach his point, “Why would you do that? Then you’d turn into some killer robot and destroy us all! We’ve had enough traitors for one team already.”
Victor seemed to realize he wasn’t going to be able to get across what he was trying to say and nodded complacently.
“Yeah you’re right… It’s nothing. I was just… rambling.”
“Good. Now that crazy time is over, I want you to compare the times the “glitches” in brain activity occurred,” He waved the flash drive, “To the times our group file was updated.”
# # # # #
“Miss.” Josiah said slowly and calmly, raising his hands, “I’m not sure what’s going on here or even where you’re from but if can just talk to us. No one needs to get hurt.” He said stepping slowly towards America.
“She’s…” Tommy started but America hurled an errant piece of Riri’s machinery at him, narrowly missing his head.
“He was talking to me!” She screamed before composing herself, “I’m from another dimension, obviously. One that was destroyed when that thing and his freak brother ported out of it!” She pointed angrily at Tommy.
“No! It wasn’t us.” Tommy cried dodging yet another piece of debris as he did so, Josiah stepping in front of him, “Your universe was already collapsing that’s why we left!”
“A likely frigging story!” She wailed.
Riri and Nico looked at each other unsure of how to proceed.
“There was a demon involved.” Nico sputtered, really just spit balling, “They had a lot going on? I’m sure everyone did their best…” The Asian girl shrugged.
America just glared at Tommy.
“You were friends.” Riri said suddenly, catching America off guard. She’d seen that look before. It was the same anger Kate had when interacting with Cassie Lang, “You were friends and you think he abandoned you.”
“I know he did. He left me to die.”
Tears fell down Tommy’s face but after a moment, he nodded.
# # # # #
Chanté had one legged wrapped around what she only barely assumed was Seth’s neck. If any such anatomy even applied anymore given the chaotic mass of emerald he had morphed into.
His parents were using their borrowed abilities: His father using Dani Moonstar’s illusions to try and placate is son and his mother using Alex Power’s gravity control to try and immobilize her son, but there was a pure desperation inside the boy that was causing him to put up quite the fight.
The girl, Tiffany Dow was still screaming and the two men: her father and uncle apparently, were pretty much trying to attack any Skrull they could get their hands on and frankly they seemed like they would settle for a Young Avenger or two. Teddy was struggling with the Uncle who had attacked him from behind mistaking him for the other Skrulls and Will was trying to accelerate Seth’s transformations beyond his control but with so much chaos already around them, his power seemed to be not making much of a dent.
“Seth! Please!” His mother cried.
“Seth… it’s okay.” Tiffany said finally starting to breathe herself.
“No! I don’t want to go!” The voice came from the swirling cloud of green despite their being now apparent mouth. It was the first time Seth had truly spoken in their presence and the Young Avengers were taken aback by how emotional and raw the teen’s voice was: how human.
“Seth don’t.” He father reprimanded.
“NO! You go! You leave! But I need to stay!” Seth cried, a vague face taking shape even as his tendrils wrapped around Tiffany… very gently Chanté noted.
“What does he mean stay?” Chanté questioned as she struggled to keep her hold on Seth, whipping her head towards Mrs. Barber.
“We…”
“Karis no!” Mr. Barber shouted, using his wife’s Skrull name.
“They want to go back to the Empire.” Seth hissed disdainfully.
Chanté, Will and Teddy all got mixed looks on their faces and eyed the Barbers warily.
“I need to stay with Tiffany!” Seth cried.
“You belong with us Feln.” Mrs. Barber cried but this caused him to rage all the harder, his whips of jade skin flying outward.
“My name is Seth! Seth Barber!”
“That does it.” Tiffany’s father grumbled running back into the house.
“We can all talk this out!” Chanté shouted trying to prevent herself from being thrown off the back of Seth’s wildly changing form.
“NO! I’m not like them. I don’t care about being a Skrull! I want to be human!” This last cry was partially drowned out by the sound of a shotgun and suddenly everything went quiet.
Mr. Dow stood on the front steps of his house, shotgun still aimed and smoking but the look on his face wasn’t rage… it was heartbreak.
He’d hit Tiffany.
Everyone scrambled, all Skrull’s present immediately transformed back into their human shapes. The Young Avengers seeing Seth in this way for the first time. A kind faced young man with long blond hair, eyes now welling up with tears as he ran to the girl’s side.
Chanté and Will were the first into action. Will ran towards Tiffany and assessed the wound, a deep graze in her shoulder. Chanté however back flipped toward Mr. Dow and knocked the gun out of his hand with one smooth motion, breaking the weapon in two as she righted herself.
“Will status?” She asked curtly.
“She’ll make it. It’s going to hurt like a bitch though.” Will held his hand over her wound and it glowed red ever so slightly.
“I thought you didn’t do magic…?” Teddy whispered.
“I don’t. I’m speeding up the coagulation process while you call 911.” Will said never looking up, Teddy internally kicking himself for not having called of his own accord. As he whipped his phone out he looked at the Barbers, they seemed sad but there was something else behind their eyes: resolution.
# # # # #
Kate bit her lip as they watched the dates line up one by one, point by point.
“What are we thinking this means?” Victor drew in his breath.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Kate said slowly.
Eli however stared dead at the images flying before them from Victor’s personal display.
“What was it you said Kate…?”
She turned to him, processing the cool demeanor he now projected rather than unstable immaturity he had been leaning on for weeks.
“If you mean that stuff about your uncle, I was mad… I wasn’t…”
“No the other thing.” Eli cut her off, “We need to put in the damn work.”
# # # # #
“You abandoned us!” America raged.
“No! There was nothing we could do! That world was collapsing, it had always been unstable.” Tommy desperately tried to explain.
“What does that mean?” Nico queried.
“Some universes are natural, existing since the beginning of reality and before. Others are created by other means, interdimensional crisises, time travel or cosmic cubes and the like. Her world. It was haphazard. Time made no sense. Her Earth’s entire history took place over a matter of minutes in real time. It was burning out faster than they could comprehend. Me and Will had to blink away… I wanted to take you with us.”
“But you chose not to. My friends. My Moms. My Whole world is gone. You said you were my friend.”
“It wasn’t a choice. I couldn’t do that… I’d have had to use magic to amplify our powers like my mom did. I’d be opening a door that I may never have been able to close. Will said… He told me it was for the best.” As Tommy said this Nico eyed him warily.
“How’d you get here?” Josiah asked, taking the situation in.
“My powers had been acting unpredictability for weeks even before the cataclysm. When I would get emotional I’d get these bursts of extra… I don’t know… ‘oomph’. When those two traitors abandoned us after all we’d done for them… I go so mad. Everything was burning and dying and I just lashed out and kicked at the spot where they “vanished” and somehow… it opened.”
“You opened a dimensional tear by kicking really hard?” Riri asked flabbergasted to which the Hispanic girl shrugged.
“Miss… America, is it?” Josiah asked frustratedly, to which the girl nodded, “What is your plan here?”
This seemed to take the wind out of her sails a bit.
“I don’t… really know. I’ve been following them,” Her fire temporarily back as she thrust the word ‘them’ at Tommy like a dagger, “from world to world hoping to get my shot…”
“And kill them?” Riri gasped.
“What?! No I’m not a… well I thought… I don’t know. I’ve just been so angry and I had no one to be mad at, no one at all… literally, except them…”
Josiah stood and stared at her for a moment.
“Ms. could you please stay here with us for a moment, I have to do something but please don’t leave just yet.” With that Josiah turned and walked out of the room, swiftly but calmly leaving the rest in an awkward silence.
Nico was the one who broke it; looking from America to Tommy and finally to Riri:
“You people are crazy.”
# # # # #
As Tiffany was loaded onto the ambulance with her uncle and her father was being cross-examined by the police.
“The police talked to SHIELD, they couldn’t get a hold of Josiah, and they vouched for us thank god.” Chanté sighed crossing her arms, “That doesn’t go for you three though.” She said turning to the Barbers.
Tiffany getting hurt seemed to take all the fight out of Seth: flanked by his parents he sat on the sidewalk, head in his hands.
“So if you want our help: You better start talking.”
“We’ve been covertly planning… on heading home.” Mr. Barber practically whispered.
“Leading your son’s “attack”.” Will provided.
“I was just upset.” Seth cried, “I love Tiffany, we’ve been talking about marriage even… she knew what I was and she didn’t care…”
“Why the secrecy?” Chanté asked, ignoring Seth for a moment.
“The other Skrulls. The ones who stayed behind… wouldn’t be happy. We made a pact. The Skrull home world believes we died in the invasion. If one family goes back it would… raise questions but we’ve already made contact with understanding parties on the other end. We can re-assimilate. It is possible.” Mrs. Barber said calmly laying a hand on her son’s shoulder.
“Teddy… you could come with us.” Mr. Barber said suddenly catching all by surprise but none more so than Teddy himself…
# # # # #
Eli, Kate and Victor made it back to the Hideout first. Their heads filled with provocative thoughts: what was happening at the Freezer? How was Josiah connected and could they trust him? Could they trust any of the adults in their lives?
The sight that greeted them did not do much to alleviate this: the Hideout was once again in shambles with a stranger standing angrily in the middle of Riri, Tommy and Victor’s girlfriend: and Josiah nowhere in sight.
Kate looked to Riri while Nico ran into Victor’s arms.
“What’s going on here?” Eli asked, the bravado now gone from his “command” voice, replaced by a tired resignation.
“America is a survivor of a world me and Will visited… she followed us here.” Tommy said in a near whisper.
America glared at him but said nothing in response, choosing instead a more casual wave and roll of her eyes.
“Josiah asked us to wait for him here.” Riri said quietly, walking over to Kate.
“That was a gigantic waste of time!” Will shouted as he, Chanté and eventually Teddy filed into the Hideout as well. As Will ranted both Chanté and Teddy were quiet, she out of exhaustion where his silence came from pure distress. His knitted brows telling of the storm in his mind.
“YOU!” American shouted upon seeing Will.
“Oh shit.” Will grumbled.
Before anyone could move America hurled herself into the air at the crimson clad youth, who for his part raised his hands eliciting his trademark red power effect.
“America the beautiful… I’d rather not catch up on old times in the critical care unit…” Will sighed as some of America’s hair feel into her line of sight causing her to veer slightly off course, allowing the probability manipulator to dodge.
America stood and brushed herself off with Chanté, Eli, Victor and Kate all making their way forward to contain the situation. Will raised his hands again as he moved to punch him, causing picturesque five pointed stars to burst forth from the air where her fist flew… a sight that seemed to vex both Will and America equally.
“Listen I’m not sure how you got here and I know you never really “got” me but this seems extreme…” Will rambled.
“I got you alright. You’re a loudmouth know it all who uses mean humor to deflect from your own emotional and psychological trauma.” America said trying to take another swipe but Chanté catching her arm and Eli stepping in front of Will.
“Very funny.” Will smirked, “Says the girl cracking jokes at my expense because her whole world’s dead.”
At this the room fell silent, Tommy raising a hand to his mouth aghast.
“You know: what is wrong with you?” Teddy snapped taking Will by surprise, “Do you think you’re funny? Can you even grasp when someone else is in pain…?”
Will stuttered, “I…”
“That’s what I thought.” Teddy groused.
“Enough.” Josiah’s commanding voice cut the tension in the room as he reentered it, “I’m glad you’re all back, they’ll be here soon.”
“Who will?” Eli’s eyes narrowed.
“The Avengers.” Josiah said simply, pinching the bridge of his nose, “They’re sending an envoy; they should be here any moment.”
The children all looked at each other at a loss for words.
# # # # #
Back at the Freezer Anne Weaver, flanked by a Dum Dum Dugan and Diamondback LMDs, and surveyed the data that the Young Avengers had reviewed, including timestamps of which documents were opened in what order. She smiled to herself satisfactory.
“Check and double check the stats on every tank.” She barked to the two androids, “I want things to run like clockwork when we need them to wake up.” The two automatons nodded and left the room.
Anne went over to one of the desks and typed a command into the computer quickly bringing up a seemingly blank screen.
“Everything went just as you said it would. As always you are twelve steps ahead…” Anne smiled adoringly at the screen, “we should be good to go for the next phase.”
# # # # #
“Everyone,” Josiah said raising his voice louder but not in anger, “please stay here: get something to eat, use the training room, or whatever you like but please don’t leave the premises the Avengers would like to talk with you all.”
“Uncle…” Eli started, locking eyes with the older man, “Can I speak to you alone for a moment?”
Josiah sighed.
“Not just now Eli. Soon enough. I need to think.” The older man said with a sad smile before turning and walking back to his office.
The group began to slowly disperse; Kate slung an arm around Riri and they wandered off, Nico dragged Victor off having a frantic conversation in theatre whispers, Eli and Chanté approached a still tense America while Tommy stared awkwardly from afar.
Teddy sighed and started walking towards the training arena but Will caught his arm.
“Teddy we should talk.” Will said firmly.
“Look I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier…” Teddy started.
“No. I… I’m not good at connecting with people.” The sincerity in the other boy’s voice took Teddy by surprise, “When I say these things… it’s because I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to let people in and...”
“I get it. I do. Do you know why I didn’t go with the Barbers? It wasn’t because I didn’t want to. I did. It was because I know how to live on Earth and I know nothing of being a Skrull. Even though I’m miserable here and lost… I know how to do that so I do.”
“Teddy listen. Being miserable isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: trust me I know. It may make you wildly hilarious like I am,” He smiled causing the other Skrull to smile slightly in return, “But that only gets you so far.”
Will smiled and turned to go join his brother but this time Teddy stopped him.
“Would you… like to go out with me some time?” Teddy asked uneasily.
Will cringed slightly to himself before turning back to face Teddy.
“Uh wouldn’t that be awkward since I look identical to…”
“No I know… I just thought… You’re the only other gay teen superhero I know and I thought…”
“I’m truly flattered to be your last resort…” Will snarked before catching himself. Old habits.
“No! I didn’t mean…” Teddy started to internally shut down again, the ennui written all over his face, “Forget it.”
“No, uh no: It’s cool. It’s great.” Will said trying to smile as sincerely as possible, “Let’s do it. After this whole envoy mishegas is over will totally hit the town okay?” Will clasped him on the shoulder.
“Okay.” The Skrull agreed.
The two would be team leaders: Eli and Chanté stood on either side of America. Trying to maintain a friendly tone but also working to ascertain her intentions.
“I’m not here to join up.” The Latina said bluntly, “I’m just not passing up the chance to meet the Avengers of any reality.”
“Good to know but what about this universe? Are you going to try and jump again?” Chanté asked intently.
“It’s your choice but if you do you could open up our dimension to god knows what. So if you do maybe a heads up?” Eli asked with a shrug.
America shook her head noncommittally.
Nico had harangued Victor as close to the exit as possible without actually going out.
“We should just go.” She sniped, looking at the others suspiciously.
“Nico you came when they asked you to help for the same reason I feel I should stay. You know deep down these are good people.”
Nico grunted:
“They’re part of it Vic. Part of the machine. The man=The Avengers=The Young Avengers. You think they won’t chuck you into a fancy space age cell the minute you give them an excuse?”
Victor thought of Eli’s reaction to his question of identity.
Just as he was about to reply the door buzzed and soon the familiar hiss of the electronic door was heard as it slid open revealing Victor’s fear made flesh, so to speak:
Hawkeye stood tall, flanked by Ant-Man and Jocasta. The three of them sauntered casually into the room. They were soon followed by four young people: headed up by Cassie Lang herself, along with two young black men, one in blue and white spandex, the other in a red and gold power-suit that looked mostly homemade, and finally a young Hispanic woman in a white jumpsuit.
“Well,” Hawkeye said with a sigh, fixing his glare on the Young Avengers, “Let’s see what the problem is here.”