The Defenders Of Midgard, An MCU Fan Fiction:
Chapter 9: Memento MODOC! Memento Monica!
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Chapter 9
The Red Hulk Of Carnage… Memento MODOC!
The Black Smith Of LA… Memento Monica!
The war shuttle lands on the dock inside the submarine bay, as Iron Man and the Black Smith wait for them to regroup before proceeding. The hatch opens and they all file out to meet them on the dock in all their new found glory.
Iron Man:
I know I’m one to talk but… How the hell did a cosplay convention break out in the course of such a quick shuttle ride?…
Black Smith:
Fitz?… Are you sure Dr. Simmons didn’t make you into a vampire too?…
Dr. Spectrum:
I’m fine… We just decided to gear up a bit… For MODOC’s sake… I wouldn’t want to leave a bad first impression…
Iron Man:
Ned… By virtue of our mutual promise to your mother… you shouldn’t even be in here… So here’s what we’re going to do… You’re the man in the chair… Make this place your chair… I want you to colonize it… and own it… make it your special fracking fortress of Golem Master supremacy… I don’t care what you tell your self… This has to become safe home base… Or you can’t be here… Make it so… Now… Engage or whatever…
Ned:
Ai ai sir… Golem Master on it!… But my FSBs can already sense that much of the base nearby down that way… has already been colonized by the enemy…
Iron Man:
They sensed a disturbance in the force?…
Ned:
In the infrastructure specifically… It seems as though alterations have been made recently… any maps… any one may have… might be completely useless… But Shuri can help me with conquering and maintaining the beach head…
Iron Man:
So that’s what the kids are calling it these days…
Shuri:
The Golem Master has been teaching me things… And I can send my golem with you too… to fight remotely if need be…
Ned:
I can send a few too… I’ve already consolidated the big one from it’s five parts… With new upgrades just finished… I’ve given the Mega Golem the full Monty…
Iron Man:
The full what now?… Golem Master?… What have you been giving them?…
A single Hulk sized golem levitates up out of the water and lands on the dock.
Iron Man:
Well that’s a relief… With all the talk about the full Monty… I was bracing myself… Without inviting more locker room humor… Catch me up… What is the full Monty?…
Dr. Spectrum:
A ten double layer Power Prism… four hundred arc reactors… Like the one that the Black Smith is currently powering his armor with… But we have to stop calling it that… The full Monty part refers to the fact that it’s the human limit in terms of safely physically handling it while in use for someone with Black Box Extremis… But regular humans can use intermediaries… like golems… Shuri has one powering her little black cat…
Iron Man:
I beg your pardon there… Dr. Over Share…
Dr. Spectrum:
My own father has one stuck in his gargoyle…
Iron Man:
Okay… I don’t need to know this…
A Hulk like roar echoes throughout halls of the base, disturbing their conversation. The Black Smith’s matte black Hulk Buster armor grows matte black roller blades on the bottom of it’s matte black boots, and begins to speed down the halls to find the source of the roar. Captain Britain flies after him down the hall.
Iron Man:
Alright… Ned and Shuri stay here… And keep your golems here too… just in case that roar comes here… Everyone on foot that’s coming… just follow the sound of the Hulk howl… I really should have installed roller blades…
Iron Man flies down the hall after the Black Smith and Captain Britain.
Dr. Spectrum:
Roller blades are not a bad idea…
Matte black roller blades form on the bottom of his matte black combat boots, and he rolls around for a moment to test them out.
Dr. Spectrum:
Ride fast… or die in the slow lane slowpokes… You might want to try and change that thing into something you can ride dad… Or just wait here with the other statues… See ya in the rear view…
Dr. Spectrum takes off on his roller blades, then shimmers out of view, disappearing before getting too far.
Gen. Fitz:
Something I can ride eh?… sonny boy?…
In the central lab of the cube, the test tank with the cracked containment glass, filled with opaque blood red smoke, pierced and illuminated only be red and orange flames, unleashes another blood curdling Hulk like roar, completely shattering what’s left of the glass. The blood red smoke begins to empty out, revealing a vivid red Hulk like figure, ten feet tall, with short white hair and a bushy white mustache, like Sec. Ross, but resembling a red skinned Hulk like distortion of Sec. Ross. Matte black tubes come from out of the matte black slab that the red Hulk Ross is strapped to, as they animate, writhe, and move like snakes, digging into the flesh of the red Hulk, as he roars again in agony, with the writhing tubes beginning to drain the red Hulk.
The red Hulk begins to writhe and growl in agony, as he pulsates and glows red slightly, growing and flaming slightly as he does. Then he busts out of his bonds, and rips out the writhing tubes, before chasing after a grinning MODOC, howling as only a Hulk can howl. As the red Hulk chases after MODOC, MODOC simply grins at him and floats away backwards.
MODOC:
We have what we came for Dr. Golem… Our other guests are about to arrive… And we really must be going… I’m sure we can leave grandfather to his friends…
The matte black slab that Ross was strapped to, and the matte black Gamma Infuser attached to it, morph and shape shift back into the matte black Dr. Golem, who steps out of the tank and shimmers away, followed by MODOC shimmering away as well. The red Hulk roars in frustration, flaming up and pulsating red again, then he begins to trash and burn the lab, and everything in sight. The Black Smith roller blades into the lab, with Cap. Britain and Iron Man flying in behind him.
Black Smith:
What the hell?… Why is Hulk red?… Did you know he turned red?…
Iron Man:
Facial recognition says Red Hulk… is Sec. Ross…
Capt. Britain:
He’s Sec. Ross!?!… Sec. Ross!… Sec. Ross!…
Capt. Britain flies over to get in Sec. Ross’s face to get his attention. He succeeds in getting it, as the Red Hulk swats him away like a fly, smashing him against the far wall of the lab. Gabriel jumps the Red Hulk in his matte black Hulk Buster armor, and tries to grapple with him while he talks to him.
Black Smith:
Sec. Ross!… Sec. Ross!… Come to your senses!… Sec. Ross!…
Capt. Britain:
Come to your senses Sec. Ross!… You must try to calm down!… Sec. Ross!…
Capt. Britain comes back to grab the Red Hulk from behind as the Black Smith grapples with it, trying to reach Sec. Ross within the beast. As they grapple, Monica and Whitney appear in a flash of lightening, each holding matching matte black Power Prisms, with Monica donning her hood and her goggles, and Whitney wearing her mask. The Red Hulk shakes off Capt. Britain and the Black Smith, then starts to make an aggressive roaring rush towards Monica and Whitney, before Iron Man flies over and blasts the Red Hulk back into the wall of the lab.
Monica:
Interesting friends you have here… my angel Gabriel… Just how do you know Tony?…
Whitney:
Tony?… Who’s Tony?…
Monica:
Tony Stark grand mama… Howard Stark’s son… He’s the one in the gaudy red and gold armor there… We dated… But he’s in the past…
Iron Man:
I’m right here you know…
Black Smith:
Monica!… What are you even doing here?… Did you have anything to do with this?… Is this your plan?… or MODOC’s?…
Whitney:
We came here for you sweet Gabriel… You could sound a little more grateful for the help… So much for the angel…
Black Smith:
Who are you?…
Monica:
This is my grand mama… Whitney Frost… But who is your new friend?… Big red and flaming?…
Dr. Spectrum rolls up behind Monica and Whitney, shimmering into view, as he chimes in.
Dr. Spectrum:
That… seems to be the Sec. of State… Thaddeus Ross… under the severe influence of something Gamma Bomb related… giving the appearance of some extreme form of Extremis… MODOC’s doing no doubt… and or yours… Dr. Rappaccini…
Monica:
It does appear to be an implementation of a theoretical Extremis variant that I came up with and abandoned years ago… rejected by AIM!… Gamma Extremis!… MODOC seems to have raided my old work for a plan of action… or revenge… if that really is Thaddeus Ross… Where is MODOC now?…
Dr. Spectrum:
Unknown… Presumably absconded with his ill gotten data… maybe even samples…
Whitney:
Leaving us to deal with the big red aftermath of his experiment?… I like him!… The Big Red one… He’s interesting… Can I keep him?…
Monica:
Only if you can house break him grand mama… Only if you can house break him…
Red Hulk gets roaring back to his feet, then comes charging back after Iron Man. Gen. Fitz comes silently swooping in from behind Dr. Spectrum and the ladies, with his golem now in the form of a matte black winged griffin, with a Union Jack flag on it’s chest and a Power prism in the middle of it. Gen. Fitz rides in a matte black saddle on it’s back, with a new medieval style matte black helmet on his head, as he wields his great grandmother’s sword. Gen. Fitz levels his sword at the Red Hulk, and lightening arcs from the ground up to the griffin, it’s Power Prism, and the general’s sword, then shoots out at the Red Hulk, striking him, energizing him, causing him to grow slightly, and start to emit flames, as he pulsates a red glow.
Dr. Spectrum:
Wait!… Stop!… You’re making him stronger!… Nice bloody griffin by the way dad!… But you have to stop!…
Gen. Fitz:
Alright laddie!… But I hope have a better plan!…
Whitney:
I may have…
Whitney runs over to stand in front of Iron Man, as the Red Hulk charges at Iron Man, then removes her mask, revealing her famous face, more famous among men of Ross’s generation, than of today. The Red Hulk stops in his tracks, momentarily stunned with surprise, shocking him out of his rage, something impossible with the green Hulk, unless your name is Natasha Romanov.
Red Hulk:
Whitney… Frost?…
Whitney:
Oh good… You are a fan… I think it’s time to go now Monica dear… I don’t like being underground!… MODOC isn’t here… But Gabriel is… Lets blow this dump!… But bring that one too… I love the vivid red!…
Monica:
Very well grand mama… He is a patient now after all… Come along my angel Gabriel… It’s time for you to meet mama!…
Black Smith:
Wait!… Monica wait!…
Capt. Britain:
Gabe!…
Lightening arcs and erupts out of Monica’s Power Prism, and strikes the Black Smith, just as Capt. Britain is reaching for him, with Capt. Britain getting snagged and disappeared right along with him. Likewise, lightening strikes and disappears Whitney and the Red Hulk, as well as Monica herself.
Gen. Fitz:
What the hell just happened?!?…
Dr. Spectrum:
We just lost dad… It only remains to be seen… as to whether or not we’ve lost completely… Still calculating the probabilities… But the odds do not appear to be in our favor… And we have to go!… Gamma radiation is off the chart here… We’ll be fine… But we can’t linger… We can only hope the other group has better luck with MODOC… assuming they even have the scent… And we better hope they do… Because we sure as bloody hell don’t!… We have to get out of here and regroup!… No one’s coming back here… But Monica might still show up at the Johnson building!…
Gen. Fitz:
You’re right son… Time to regroup… You too Stark!… But first we regroup here… If they’re not here… it’s because they still have MODOC’s scent… with that Ghost Rider character perhaps… If we can find them…
Dr. Spectrum:
We can rejoin the hunt!… Got it!… And I think I got them!… Headed toward an underground cold war era rail station… Not far from here… Moving fast though… I’m sending you lot the coordinates… and my telemetry… Don’t take too long slowpokes… Vengeance waits for no one… Or so Daisy tells me… She speaks vengeance…
Iron Man:
I’m down!… Lets blow this dump!…
Dr. Spectrum:
I’m already gone…
Dr. Spectrum roller blades off and disappears, as the others begin to fly after, each by best means and speed. Elsewhere, the Ghost Rider’s flames grow with his agitation, and consequent temporary hearing loss, as he chases after a sense of darkness in the shadows of The Cube. Lady Sif and Mack the Executioner chase right behind, with Daisy and the Star God chasing behind them arguing. Spider Man and the Black Panther stay close to Dir. Mace and Gen. Talbot just in case, to avoid a repeat of Sec. Ross.
Star God:
Knowing the way doesn’t do us any good if vengeance won’t take direction… Does he even know what he’s after?… I thought you spoke vengeance!…
Daisy:
I do speak vengeance Ward!… But that doesn’t do any good if vengeance isn’t listening!… He only gets this way when he’s hunting something really really bad!… Whatever it is… it just came on like this when we first heard that Hulk like howl… And he won’t talk about it… It has to be MODOC!… If it’s not… then it’s something worse than MODOC!… Either way it needs to die!…
Gen. Talbot:
I want to see what that is regardless!…
Star God:
We seem to be heading for the old underground rail supply tunnel… left over from the cold war… MODOC could be making an escape…
Dr. Spectrum:
That would track… He’s already done his damage to Sec. Ross… Long story… No time… He’s most likely trying to make off with his samples and data… Which we can’t allow… or we’ve lost completely here… or near completely…
Dr. Spectrum shimmers into view as he roller blades up behind Daisy and Star God.
Daisy:
Fitz!…
Dr. Spectrum:
Short version… MODOC turned Sec. Ross into a big Red Hulk… Then Gabriel’s girlfriend showed up and abducted both Gabriel and the Big Red One… as well as Brian… with an actress from the golden age of Hollywood… bloody Whitney Frost if you can believe it… looking like she just stepped off one of her movie sets from the forties… Yeah… It’s been that crazy… And we’re losing ground fast here…
Iron Man:
Then hurry it up slowpoke!… Waiting on you now!…
Gen. Fitz:
Mind your heads!… Lads and lassies!…
Iron Man speed past them, flying over their heads, followed by Gen. Fitz flying silently on his matte black flying winged griffin golem.
Dr. Spectrum:
Last one there is a rotten egg head!…
Dr. Spectrum speeds past everyone on his roller blades with a jolt of lightening.
Dr. Spectrum:
Vengeance has a slowpoke for a wheel man Robbie!…
Ghost Rider:
We are vengeance!…
Dr. Spectrum:
We are not waiting!… Not for vengeance served cold!…
Dr. Spectrum shimmers away as he speeds away.
Ghost Rider:
We are vengeance!… Vengeance will not be denied!…
The Ghost Rider’s pace doubles, along with his flames momentarily, and the others do their best to keep up. Iron Man turns a corner to enter the underground rail station, followed closely behind by Gen. Fitz and his flying griffin, only to find MODOC and Dr. Golem entering the freight car of a fully FSB colonized and modified cargo train, surrounded by dozens of beekeepers carrying rocket propelled grenade launchers, aimed at Iron Man and Gen. Fitz, as the train begins to pull away.
Iron Man:
I’ve seen worse…
Gen. Fitz:
Me too laddie…
The beekeepers suddenly aim their grenade launchers up at the ceiling of the railway tunnel, and all fire away, exploding the roof of the tunnel, collapsing it.
Iron Man:
Crap!… Run away!… Run away!… Back the way we came!…
Gen. Fitz:
Roger that!… Running away ai!…
Iron Man and Gen. Fitz just make it back to the tunnel entrance they came from, buried in dust and darkness. The dust settles and Dr. Spectrum shimmers in to view next to them.
Dr. Spectrum:
Well… That equals a complete loss for the day… Time to go home… And lick our wounds… For now… We’re all dressed up with nowhere to go… MODOC is either long gone… or deeply buried… Most likely long gone… We need to regroup back at Daisy’s… Monica might still show up there… I’m processing data recovery operations… But these railways are old cold war infrastructure… long abandoned… records never completely digitized it seems… But I already know of several potential places for him to resurface… By no means a complete list… But It’s already too much to cover… We need to get ready for next time MODOC shows his big fat ugly head again… or even just Monica… Odds are… the next time we see MODOC… he’s bound to be further augmented somehow… And we need to be ready for that… I have a few ideas for that… But we’re all going to need upgrades…
A frustrated and extinguished Robbie catches up to Dr. Spectrum and the others, with Star God and the other pedestrians following close behind.
Star God:
Do they include a set of those slick roller blades?… I’m sick and tired of running everywhere… Even flamer boy’s been extinguished… Now that his hunt has been frustrated… We could all use some wheels to get out of here…
Dr. Spectrum:
I’ll send you my specs… But be forewarned… Part of the upgrades that we need to deal with… is a new more potent power source… that we all need to manage one way or another… But non augmented humans can only handle so much… But even Ned can manage if it’s in a golem… Or some equivalent FSB mass… A preshrunk large FSB mass to counter balance and buffer the Full Throttle FSB Power Prism… Like the one powering Gabriel’s armor… and my father’s flying griffin… Ned has upgraded his Mega Golem with one… The practically manageable maximum by the way… The human mind can only manage and maintain control over so just so much… How you choose to manage them is up to you… I suspect Asgardian physiology may be resilient enough to handle one… the same way someone with Black Box Extremis can… But I can’t vouch for that… For now I would adopt the same caution as an unaugmented human FSB user… And use them the same way… mostly in the form of some golem… or some golem equivalent FSB mass… like a flying car… or dad’s flying griffin… Do you even skate Ward?…
Star God:
Not since I was a kid… And then only with real skates…
Dr. Spectrum:
Great… Another bloody hockey snob like Coulson… I only ever learned roller hockey!… I did my rehab in southern California… after what you did to me!… Roller blading and roller hockey are really big there… So sue me… I like the cardio… and the gliding…
Iron Man:
Full throttle full Monty?… Has Ned been naughty?…
Dr. Spectrum:
Only by necessity… The Full Throttle Power Prism… is what we were referring to previously… as the full Monty…
Iron Man:
That is way better…
Dr. Spectrum:
Your welcome… The one that Ned has… is just an upgrade of his existing Mega Golem… and represents the practically manageable limit for this sort of thing… as I said…
Star God:
Can I power fancy skates with it?…
Dr. Spectrum:
Of course… But if you don’t skate… by one means or another… then my specs won’t do you any good… You could do the same with your weapons… I’ll send you the specs… Just be careful… Don’t make anything you can’t handle or use…
Robbie:
Great for them… I don’t suppose you have a magic skate board in that bag of tricks?… that I could borrow for a hour?… do ya?…
Dr. Spectrum:
Do you even skate?…
Robbie:
Yeah… But not since I was a kid… Even won a few competitions… But then I had to grow up and get a job… and a better set of wheels…
Dr. Spectrum:
I can make you a temp basic version… But Daisy can do better… I may have a design for her to use by the time we get home… If you can really ride that thing…
Dr. Spectrum’s Power Prism begins to emit and stream white sparkles that for a simple matte black skateboard.
Robbie:
Watch me…
Lady Sif:
The griffin is tempting… But I have something else in mind…
Lady Sif holds up her FSB cube as it begins to stream white sparkles of it’s own and forms a matte black life scale statue of a winged horse, like a matte black statue of the kinds of winged horses ridden by the Valkyrie, with a matte black saddle on it’s back, then it pulsates with a red glow for a moment. Lady Sif jumps on to it’s saddle, then turns to say something before floating off on her winged steed.
Lady Sif:
I’ll send you the specs as they say… It’s time we remove ourselves from this underground hell maze… And prepare to meet the enemy elsewhere…
The Star God forms a set of roller blade boots like Dr. Spectrum’s, but custom fitted to his wolfkin feet, and rolls out after Robbie and Dr. Spectrum. Gen. Talbot and Dir. Mace form their own matte black winged horses, then float over to pick up King T’Challa and Spider Man, before floating away. Mack forms a matte black chopper underneath himself and rides away. Daisy forms a matte black motorcycle similar to Mack’s, then pulls up along side the skating Robbie.
Daisy:
Come on skater boy… The whole skate punk vibe really works for you… But we’re not waiting… Hop on… Don’t worry… I think I know what Fitz has in mind for an upgrade later… For now just get on… I’m sick of this death trap already… We’re blowing this joint…
Robbie:
You got it… I’m keeping the board though…
Daisy:
I’ll make you a better one…
The parties split up and head back the way they came. Dr. Spectrum, Iron Man, and Gen. Fitz head back to the submarine bay, and the others head back to the Vandenberg entrance. The colonization, cleanup, and recycling efforts continue, while most of the group takes a combination of shuttle, car, motorcycle, flying griffin and winged horse rides back to the Johnson Building. Iron Man rides along in the shuttle with Ned the Golem Master, comparing notes on the new tech, while the Mega Golem sits on the dash of his war shuttle, like a bobble head without the bobble.
Ned:
I hope you’re not upset with me Mr. Stark… It was an emergency call… I didn’t make any more… I just upgraded…
Iron Man:
Yes… And consolidated… So now your maxed out… Understand?…
Ned:
Yes Sir…
Iron Man:
Make sure Shuri here can do all the same stuff okay… Transfer specs and all that jazz…
Shuri:
Oh… He already has… Everything but your armor… He said you would be particular about that… I have a full Monty now as well… All piled into my little T’Chaka…
Iron Man:
Is a that what you’re calling it?… Cute… Well… He was right about the armor… But go ahead and give her the specs for the Hulk Buster armor that Gabriel was rocken earlier… The one with the deep sea aquatic mods… Paint it yellow and you can have your own yellow submarine… I have a feeling she’ll need it…
Shuri:
Neat…
Iron Man:
How about you Gen. Griffin Master?… Are you going full Golem Master as well?… But flying the Union Jack?…
Griffin Master:
Something like that… I have already upgraded as well… Sec. Ross was abducted partly under my watch… Because I couldn’t handle what he became… I’m not getting caught unprepared like that again…
Dr. Spectrum:
Here here… Lady Sif went straight for it as well… with Mace and Talbot both following suit…
Iron Man:
Understandable… It was beyond frustrating… I’ll admit… This MODOC thing is only getting worse… Now Monica’s made off with Sec. Ross as the Red Hulk!… not to mention Gabriel and Capt. Braddock… Gabe’s brother is gonna flip out when he finds out…
Dr. Spectrum:
Perhaps we can head that off a bit… I’m going to chase down a few leads to see if we can get a handle on this situation at least…
Iron Man:
That sounds good I’m down… anything beats sitting around…
Dr. Spectrum:
You can’t come… This isn’t an Avengers thing… This is more a Black Air thing… You can’t be a party to it… You’d be in the way… You should probably check in back at Stark Industries first anyway… Then Meet us back at the Johnson Building… I sent an old friend of mine to look into it for me… He is headed straight there… My dad and I… will deal with this…
Back at Giuletta’s Malibu estate, lightening erupts out of nowhere near Giuletta, Silvio, and Betsy, seated at a table on the patio surrounded by hell hounds, and materializes Monica, Whitney, and the Black Smith in his matte black Hulk Buster armor, along with the Red Hulk and Capt. Britain.
Capt. Britain:
Betsy!?!…
Betsy:
Brian!?!… What are you doing here?… Were you involved in Gabriel’s kerfuffle?…
Capt. Britain:
It was MODOC’s!… Dr. Rappaccini’s creation!… Is this really the same Monica from your college days?… I can’t believe this is the same person… I can’t believe your the same person for that matter… What happened to you and Monica?… Or were the two of you always this crazy?…
Betsy:
I’m not crazy brother!… I’m sorry for what I did to you… But you’re no worse for wear… You’ll live… Get over it… Revanche will not have it…
Giuletta:
Who’s the Big Red One?… Daughter… Are you collecting strays as well as charges…
Monica:
You’re the one who collects hell hounds mama…
Whitney:
Giuletta… This is Sec. of Sate Thaddeus Ross… He’s been through it a bit… But I will not tolerate such ill manners from my own children towards my special guest…
Giuletta:
Special guest?… That is Sec. Ross?… Traitor!… My own daughter!… The terrorist traitor!…
Whitney:
Calm yourself Giuletta!… My granddaughter is no such thing!… The MODOC creature is responsible for it’s own actions… My granddaughter is only responsible for the breakthrough science that allowed it to happen!… I’m sure Sec. Ross doesn’t feel this way now… No one likes to be an involuntary guinea pig… But I for one like him as is!… Although I didn’t know him before…
Red Hulk:
I’m not Sec. Ross anymore… Sec. Ross is dead!… I’m just the Thunderbolt!… Or a mockery of one… Living stomping karma… splashed in vivid blood red… What went around… came back around… and stuck to me… hard…
Whitney:
Hmm… That sounds interesting…
Monica:
Grand mama!…
Whitney:
Oh hush!… Giuletta dear… This one in the black armor is Gabriel… The father of your grand children… according to Monica…
Monica:
Do you doubt me grand mama?…
Whitney:
I’m from Hollywood dear… We know to wait for the test…
Monica:
I’ve run my tests…
Whitney:
Good for you dear…
Gabriel’s armor opens up in front, as the front of his armor morphs and shape shifts in the front to put his Power Prism in his right hand, then the remainder of his armor disappears in a flash of lightening, leaving Gabriel standing there in a matte black tailored suit and tie with matte black loafers and socks.
Giuletta:
Well he is handsome at least… Too bad he’s supposed to be an angel…
Gabriel:
I’m not that much of an angel… I’m starting to think Monica grades on a severely impacted curb when she talks like that… It is nice to meet you… But we can’t stay… Not unless Monica wants her family to be dragged into problems way more severe… and extreme… than a mob war at the Dunbar Hotel… With all due respect… to Madame Masque and Silver Mane…
Giuletta:
Well… With all due respect to the Black Smith… You and the Captain are severely outnumbered… And Big Red isn’t going anywhere all that easily I’m guessing… Not if he doesn’t want to…
Red Hulk:
I’m not leaving my doctor…
Silvio:
It’s hard to be an angel… Isn’t it boy?…
Gabriel:
Who’re you calling boy?… Hiyo Silver?…
Whitney:
Now now Gabriel… I’m sure that Silvio is just forgetting his manners… Honestly… Even back in my day… that manner of address for darker people was considered boorish and ill mannered…
Silvio:
I wasn’t addressing his race mama… So much the fact that he’s barely shaving…
Gabriel:
My personal grooming habits… are of no concern to wanna be Bond villains…
Silvio:
Careful boy… Past a certain point… even my own mother won’t be able to stop me from killing you…
Gabriel:
Lovely…
Monica:
This melodrama is entirely unnecessary Gabriel… I fully plan on returning with you immediately… But I didn’t want to decide for grand mama… whether or nor she comes with us… I didn’t really plan on all of this… But a lot of things happened… And our return was delayed by unavoidable circumstances… Including yours and Sec. Ross’s… We really should be going grand mama… But you don’t have to come with us…
Whitney:
Well I insist!… I’m not letting you face this alone!…
Giuletta:
Over my dead body!…
Silvio:
Agreed!… That is unacceptable!… You have only just returned to us!… And now you expect us to just hand you over to the authorities?… Over a pile of dead bodies!… Never mind Giuletta’s!…
Gabriel:
I’m not the authorities dude… I don’t have a badge… And I don’t want one… I was offered a Shield badge… And I turned it down… I don’t need it… Not to deal with you… If you don’t believe me… Your welcome to try your luck anytime… Otherwise… Get over it… I’m not going anywhere…
Monica and her grand mother both smile at her angel’s attitude in defiance of authority. as well as Silvio. Giuletta smiles at Gabriel’s defiance of Silvio, as Silvio begrudgingly grins, impressed with the new addition to the family.
Whitney:
My grand daughter is not leaving here without me!…
Red Hulk:
I’m not leaving here without my doctor…
Silvio:
See?… I told you… Not so easy is it?…
In a flash of lightening, Star God busts through the front gate, blasting through with lightening erupting from his shield, while being electromagnetically accelerated on his roller blades as he does so. Star God veers and weaves a path through the hell hounds on the lawn, like some demonically medieval hockey enforcer, checking each one of them, with the forceful cross check from his Shield on one arm, while wielding the butt of his sword as a cudgel with the other, knocking them all unconscious.
Gabriel:
Ninja Wolf!?!… For real!?!…
Star God then veers back over to the table, then pulls up and stops next to the Red Hulk. Star God speaks with Ward’s voice coming from his FSBs.
Star God:
Are you okay?… Sec. Ross?… Do you remember what happened to you?… Can you speak at all?…
Red Hulk:
I can speak just fine… Whoever you are… Whatever you are… And stop calling me by that name and title!… I’m no secretary of anything anymore… I’m just a Red Hulk!… And what are you supposed to be anyway?…
Star God:
Sorry sir…
The Star God transforms from his wolfkin appearance back to the normal appearance of Grant Ward, and his armor adjusts itself automatically to his normal human proportions and anatomy.
Ward:
Sorry sir… But hopefully you remember me… from earlier today… the fanboy that made you and Gen. Talbot so uncomfortable… I wasn’t kidding about turning into a monster myself… Do you remember what you and Talbot promised me?…
Red Hulk:
That we would bust you someday… if it was called for… Are you here to return the favor?…
Ward:
If necessary sir… If that’s what you want… Honestly… I have no badge or authority here… If you want to run off with the mafia… I’m cool with that plan… If that’s what you want… If you think that’s what you need… Is it?… General?…
Red Hulk:
Don’t call me that!… I’m no general… I’m no secretary… I’m just Red Hulk… And I don’t know what I want… Except to die!…
Ward:
Well… That may take some doing… But if that’s what you really want…
Dr. Spectrum:
Don’t be daft Ward!… It’s far to soon to be talking about euthanasia… Big Red here needs proper examination and treatment… Not mafia melodrama and sepuku at sunset…
Dr. Spectrum shimmers into view hovering just over Giuletta’s shoulder, with static electric discharges emanating from his roller blades as he hovers.
Giuletta:
My estate here affords all the room and privacy necessary to treat someone with Big Red’s special needs… Why can’t all of that happen here?… My daughter Monica is already the big one’s doctor… And why exactly should we let you take anyone again?… Especially since he’s not interested?…
Dr. Spectrum:
That’s not what he said… And as far as this gaudy Tuscan eyesore is concerned… he could really do better… Not to be an architecture snob or anything… but really… Everyone with a brain and some taste knows… that old Spanish colonial is the only way to go in southern California… This is bloody Malibu for Christ’s sake!… Not the set of the Godfather… Isn’t that right dad?…
Gen. Fitz:
I’ll take your word for it son… But I thought they went in for more of that modern architecture here…
Dr. Spectrum:
Yes… But not anyone with any taste…
Gen. Fitz shimmers into view likewise hovering on the back of his matte black griffin with the Union Jack on it’s chest, but without visible discharges, just over Silvio’s shoulder.
Gen. Fitz:
Didn’t someone say something… about us being outnumbered?…
Dr. Spectrum:
A premature assessment clearly… But they didn’t know about us… clearly… And what was with that entrance Ward?… You could have killed the bloody hell hounds!…
Ward:
They’re all still breathing…
Dr. Spectrum:
Barely… But I can’t get over this bloody architecture… Mr. Kong hates it even more than I do!… And he gets so upset with bad choices in architecture… Fit to climb the side of buildings and everything… He gets so upset… Isn’t that right Mr. Kong?…
Dr. Spectrum reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a tiny matte black figure of a gorilla, wearing a tall wide brimmed top hat, then tosses the gorilla over his shoulder, before it enlarges to become thirty feet tall, and begins to beat it’s chest.
Dr. Spectrum:
Meet Mr. Kong… First name Donkey…
The giant matte black gorilla howls and beats his chest, then does a back flip landing on the roof of the main house crushing it. Then proceeds to smash and mash the remaining ruins.
Dr. Spectrum:
Oh… Donkey… Say it aint so Donkey… Oh Donkey… Poor Donkey… Poor Donkey’s had another episode… Oh… He’s so upset… Poor Donkey…
Gen. Fitz lowers his head into hand as his son gives his performance.
Dr. Spectrum:
See what happens when Mr. Kong gets upset with stupid so and so mafioso?… Eh?… Dr. Rappaccini?… It’s good thing that there wasn’t anyone in the house… I guess it’s convenient that all those mafia idiots got themselves killed in that gangland massacre at the Dunbar Hotel recently… when they were stupid enough to pick a fight with each other at one of our friend’s favorite hangouts… And they had to be permanently bounced from the establishment by my friends as a result… Like swatting flies really… by our standards… Now… I’ve just about had it… With all this running around… chasing after the consequences of your actions… I don’t care what any one else has to say about it… not even Big Red here… Now cut the cutesy crap!… Or do you need… another lesson… about collateral consequences?… unintended or otherwise?… more blowback… than hollaback… I appreciate you wanting to get back in touch with your family and everything… But we don’t have time… for your personal time… And we have Power Prisms too… So don’t go thinking that your untouchable… just because something you care about hasn’t been touched yet!… Do we understand each other?… Dr. Rappaccini?…
Monica:
We understand each other perfectly… It’s mama and Silvio that might have a problem… And they won’t listen to me… They never have…
Dr. Spectrum:
And I officially don’t care… But I’m sure they understand the concept of collateral consequences… The mafia make very extensive use of it… So if they insist on being a problem for you… making you more of a problem for me… then I’ll just have to fix that problem… By becoming a problem for them… Me and Mr. Kong… And the IRS… And Interpol… And Shield…
Gen. Fitz:
And Black Air… Perhaps the mafia are due for some of the Hydra treatment… black ops style… scorched earth seek and destroy… That sort of thing… One of Black Air’s specialties… Your precious rackets have never really been of serious concern for us in the UK… We have our own piss ant mobsters to deal with… But we have been watching… Silvio… Your operations in Europe have not escaped notice… only concern… You don’t want me to be concerned… You wouldn’t like me… when I’m concerned…
Dr. Spectrum:
Do we make ourselves clear?… Dr. Rappaccini?… Goodfellas?… We’re not playing keystone cops with you goons!… You pikers are just collateral damage of a war you know nothing about!… And that’s the best case scenario for you lot… Worst case… You’re involved… And you’re as good as dead already… You’re just not that important… And right now?… Right now you’re just in my way…
The giant matte black gorilla finishes up with the house and then jumps up, seemingly to come down on top of the table where Giuletta and Silvio sit, causing them to cover their heads in reaction, before the gorilla shrinks down and lands in the palm of Dr. Spectrum’s hand, which he then casually just puts back in his pocket.
Dr. Rappaccini:
We’re leaving grand mama… Mama and uncle Silvio will just have to understand… or get over it…
Whitney:
Agreed…
Dr. Spectrum:
To be clear miss Frost… While your presence is not required… It is nonetheless appreciated… Your real name… Agnes Cully… appears all over the source material documentation of the FSBs… But you’re not wanted for anything… that I know or care about… So you don’t have to come along… You can stay here if you like… Or we can drop you off anywhere you like… if you don’t want to come with us… But we’re leaving… Now…
Giuletta:
You can’t just take our mother or my daughter anywhere you like… to some black site… to make them disappear…
Dr. Spectrum:
No one’s disappearing anyone… At least not yet… Unlike your daughter… who’s made a habit of it recently… We’re going to the Johnson Building downtown… Home of my vampire girlfriend who slaughtered most of your goons at the Dunbar Hotel… And Robbie Reyes… Gabriel’s older brother… someone you probably know better by his street name… The Ghost Rider?… the one with the flaming skull problem?…
Gabriel:
Dude…
Dr. Spectrum:
They’re the mafia dude… They’re gonna find out any way just looking into you alone… Which is guaranteed anyway at this point… If you think you can do so without getting yourselves killed… by all means… pay us a visit… By the way… I took the liberty of letting Robbie know where his little brother was… And who he was with… Not only are we not staying here… But neither are you… if you know what’s good for you… Enough of this crap… Lets go… We should probably gather up the hell hounds too… We certainly can’t leave them with this lot… Dad… Can you help Ward with the hell hounds?… They’re victims here too…
Gen. Fitz:
Sure thing son…
Dr. Spectrum pulls out a small matte black toy car, and tosses it behind him. It enlarges to become a full sized flying matte black Impala convertible.
Dr. Spectrum:
Capt. Braddock… I’m assuming you can take your sister… Dr. Rappaccini… Miss Frost… Gabriel… Big Red… My chariot awaits…
Red Hulk:
That might be a bit small for me…
The Impala begins to morph and stretch, adding a third row of seats.
Dr. Spectrum:
How’s that?… Please… Permission to come aboard granted… In fact… I insist…
Robbie Reyes escorts Dir. Mace across the campus of UCLA, to a lab with a plaque on the door that reads ‘The Prophegnostics Project: Dr. Elias Morrow.’ Robbie knocks on the door, and a middle aged Hispanic man with short black hair and a goatee opens the door.
Dr. Morrow:
Robbie?… What are you doing here?… Who’s your friend?…
Robbie:
This is Shield Director Jeffery Mace… And for reasons too crazy to explain… He needs to take you in to protective custody…
Dr. Morrow:
Shield!?!… Protective custody!?!… You must have finally crashed and hit your head Robbie!… You know what Shield did to me!… You know what I went through because of them!…
Dir. Mace:
I beg your pardon Dr. Reyes… But didn’t you work for Shield before?…
Dr. Morrow:
You mean before it turned into Hydra?… And destroyed my life?… Did you read the sign on my door?… The Prophegnostics Project?… That’s just a reapplication… a rebranding… and hopefully rehabilitation… of what used to be Project Insight… Which built my career… And then destroyed it!… Thanks to putting my trust in Shield… Never again Robbie!… Never again!… I don’t know how he convinced you to trust him… But I never will… Get him out of here… And don’t come back here with this…
Robbie:
But there are gangsters… that might be gunning for you… including Madame Masque…
Dr. Morrow:
Madame Masque?… What the hell kind of trouble did you get yourself into with Madame Masque?…
Dir. Mace:
Mr. Reyes has not gotten himself into trouble with anyone that we can talk to you about without clearance… But you should know that your nephew Gabriel has become romantically entangled with her daughter… Dr. Monica Rappaccini… And they have become involved… with much greater concerns of a classified nature… Not simply a mafia style Romeo and Juliet story…
Dr. Morrow:
So what?… I’ll take the mafia over the feds any day… I’ve stared down barrio losers with gang colors hopped up on PCP… I’m not about to be impressed by a bunch of Guidos in tailored suits… let alone intimidated… Not by them… And not by Shield… I don’t know what you got yourself into with all this classified noise… But you can’t trust Shield… Don’t bring this to me again… Keep Shield away from me… If you don’t like the fact that Gabe seems to wanna live dangerously… then maybe you should have been a better role model… I’d be more worried about Shield if I were you… Not to mention your nocturnal commissions…
Dir. Mace:
I don’t think you properly understand…
Dr. Morrow:
I don’t care to!… Keep your damn secrets!… Your classified bullshit is nothing but a liability to me… I don’t need or want it… or to have anything to do with it… Watch your back Robbie… No matter who’s behind you…
Dr. Morrow slams the door shut on his nephew Robbie and Dir. Mace, and they begin the walk back to Robbie’s Charger.
Dir. Mace:
Well that went about as I expected… given the history… I’ll have Shield agents watch him discretely… But your uncle is never going to trust us with his safety… There is only so much that you can help people that don’t want your help… If I can get clearance for him I could tell him more… But the history is still a problem there too… You didn’t hear this from me… But maybe you might have better luck later without me… And just tell him what you think he needs to know… In which case I will completely disavow any knowledge of it… should it ever come to light…
Robbie:
Now I know why Uncle Eli won’t trust you guys…
Dir. Mace:
I wouldn’t say that your uncle is entirely unjustified in his distrust… given his experience… Just inconveniently stubborn about it at the moment…
Back in Dr. Morrow’s lab, Giuletta’s voice sounds out from behind a rack of computer servers.
Giuletta:
Guidos?…
Dr. Morrow:
You’re not offended are you?… I have much worse things to say about those barrio losers I mentioned… At least the Guidos can shoot straight… Gangbangers like to act cool… and hold the gun sideways with one hand… barely aiming… They tend to manage to shoot just about everybody but the scum they’re aiming at… Often if you just stay calm and run fast… They’ll never hit you… Get one of those trucks with a sturdy bumper… and you can always run em down later… That’s what I like to call the neighborhood watch… I like to watch them fly… Especially over top… Bonus points then… You can always dump the truck later… If you wear gloves when you steal it…
Giuletta:
Cold as ever Dr. Morrow… Cold as ever…
Dr. Morrow:
To what do I owe the dubious pleasure?… Don’t get me wrong it’s always a pleasure… But I’m trying to keep up appearances here… That’s the only reason I’m even keeping office hours still… But now with all this attention suddenly… I may have to disappear… All for the best probably… Were in the home stretch now… There’s almost nothing anyone can do now… Time to gas it!… But seriously… On a personal note… How do you really feel about my nephew Gabriel?… and your daughter?…
Giuletta:
Honestly… I probably like him better than I like her… She only just came back into my life again… In large part I think because of him… But I can’t trust her… She’s a fanatical true believer in salvation through science… Zealots of that nature cannot be trusted… No matter what they believe… But she restored mama to me… So I have to cut her slack for that… But only so much… And mama may be another problem… I’m still absorbing and assessing…
Dr. Morrow:
Whitney Frost is back?… I thought she’d been institutionalized… for decades…
Giuletta:
She’s back alright… And she definitely seems to be restored… to lucidity… if not sanity… But I’m not sure how much we can trust her… even if she is sane… For the time being… you can’t meet with her…
Dr. Morrow:
Even though we’re working on something based partly on her work?…
Giuletta:
Yes… At least not yet… But Robbie is another problem as it urns out… Besides his nocturnal commissions… he recently fathered a child… with Daisy Johnson… The one known to the papers as Quake… Who just happens to the daughter of the Black Queen Selene herself…
Dr. Morrow:
Daisy?… Daisy is the daughter of the Black Queen?… Wow!… I knew that she was the Inhuman called Quake… But it never occurred to me that she could be Selene’s daughter… Small world… It’s a meta convergence!…
Giuletta:
A meta what?…
Dr. Morrow:
A metaphysical convergence of the patterns of complex causality… an emergent phenomenon… born of chaos… An illusion born of infinite complexity… Which veils causality from us partially… Enough to render it almost completely unpredictable… except for over simplified patterns that we recognize… but cannot rely upon… because they are unavoidably incomplete… relative to the infinite complexity of the universe… These oversimplified patterns become mystified over time… Seemingly supernatural… Magical… It’s what mathematically ignorant normies who don’t know chaos theory call… synchronicity… ignorant morons reading tea leaves and entrails… Patterns converge and become synchronous to some extent… And people call it Zeitgeist… or God’s will… They anthropomorphize causality… And call it divine when it goes their way… Then they call it demonic when it doesn’t… But it’s all the same beneath the surface… Patterns converge because they are all connected to begin with… But the connection is veiled… by the infinite complexity of causality… The human mind simply cannot comprehend it… even if we had all of the infinite information required… Which would be impossible… But mathematically… we can process enough of what we have… to make powerful predictions about what we don’t… And Direct it… In order to exploit it!…
Giuletta:
I love it when you talk all mathematical… It makes me want to… multiply…
Dr. Morrow:
Are you saying that want to play with my slide rule?… I thought we could go check on the project together… But I do like your plan better…
Giuletta:
We can always check on the project later… For now just take off your pants… I have something I want to give you…
Dr. Morrow:
Something more?… Is it something new?… Is it a new game?… Do I need a safe word for this?…
Giuletta:
No… And you already have one… It’s potato!… We’ve talked about this… Several times… But You always forget…
Dr. Morrow:
That’s because I never use it… I’m not that much into safe… You know me… Safe never gets me what I want…
Giuletta:
Well… Agreed… But I’m not simply talking about sex… That too… But not just that… I have a new quid pro quo of the flesh for you… More than our usual… My daughter Monica has given me a special gift… Called Black Box Extremis… It has already given me unbelievable power… And I’ve only just scratched the surface… It has rendered me young again… And effectively immortal… Maybe it’s all in my mind… But I feel fertile again… And I want more kids… In spite of my daughter coming back into my life again… I’m worried that her recklessness and her zealotry… may make it so that I have to kill her some day… So I’ll need more… Just in case…
Dr. Morrow:
I’m game… What do we have to do?…
Giuletta:
Just take off your pants and hold on…
Dr. Morrow:
Anything special you want me to hold on to?…
Giuletta:
Anything you like… But be firm… You know I like it firm…
Dr. Morrow:
Potato!…
Giuletta:
Cute…
White sparkles begin to flow in Dr. Morrow’s lab, among other things, as Dr. Spectrum arrives in his flying stretch Impala convertible on the roof of the Johnson Building. Gen. Talbot and Dr. Simmons are waiting for them on the roof when they land, with Dr. Laufey and the queen’s war shuttle conspicuously absent. Capt. Britain flies in carrying his sister Betsy in his arms, and lands next to the flying stretch Impala, then sets her down.
Dr. Spectrum:
Well… Here we are ladies and gentlemen… Welcome to the Nornheim Embassy of Midgard… Also known as the Johnson Building…
Whitney:
You didn’t say we were headed to an embassy…
Dr. Spectrum:
Oh didn’t I mention it?… Must have slipped my mind… What with all the not giving a crap and everything… Chasing after mad science experiments gone wrong has a tendency to do that to me… Nothing personal Thunderbolt…
Red Hulk:
I take it personally… Very personally… And I deeply thank you for your efforts Master Fitz… But I’m not worthy of them…
Whitney:
I’ll be the judge of that… Monica dear… Say something… Your the man’s doctor…
Dr. Rappaccini:
I plan to grand mama… But this is the point in the process where he will need a second opinion… from Dr. Simmons over there…
Gen. Talbot:
As far as I’m concerned… Dr. Simmons is the only doctor we need here… If I had my way Dr. Rappaccini would never see patients again… except while in prison… for murder…
Dr. Rappaccini:
Nice to see you again too Gen. Talbot…
Gen. Talbot:
You should have been behind bars for AIM… long before today… Long before Gamma Extremis… and MODOC… Sec. Ross… Are you okay sir?… Did this woman do anything else to you when she abducted you?…
Dr. Rappaccini:
I did not abduct him you fool!… If anything I rescued him… Or tried to… to examine and maybe treat him… And I would have been getting on with it right now… But Leopold Fitz and the werewolf had other plans…
Gen. Talbot:
Well you can forget about your plans…
Red Hulk:
Put a sock in it Talbot… And don’t call me Sec. Ross… I’m no such thing anymore… I’m just a big red Hulk…
Dr. Rappaccini:
I still need to have a proper examination and tests of my own… But for a variety of reasons… not just Gen. Talbot… Dr. Simmons will have to take the lead on this I suspect… The primary question I have in my mind at the moment… Is if there is a reversal process to his condition?…
Dr. Spectrum:
Well of course there has to some cure possible right Jemma?…
Dr. Simmons:
Certainly… With time… Although the original Hulk’s condition has yet to have a cure found for it… I’m sure with enough time we can figure something out… I have to believe in that…
Dr. Rappaccini:
I did not say cure… I said reversal… Banner’s transformation is triggered by anger… And when he calms down enough… he changes back… But Big Red here seems perfectly calm… But he’s still big and red… So if there is a reversal process within his condition… it must work by a different mechanism at a minimum… Assuming there is any such process… And there is no reason to presume that just because that was the case with Banner… then it must always be the case… We have a data set of only two elements… as far as I know… One green… One red… The trend tells us almost nothing here… Until it becomes pattern… And with all due respect to Big Red… I don’t think we want to see a pattern… And we cannot wait for it… And we must also remember… that this is Gamma Extremis… While it was designed to recreate the Hulk… It does so by slightly different means… With Extremis replicating what the original Gamma Bomb did as fluke of nature… The Extremis is gamma enabled… It resonates with gamma wavelengths of energy… And will most likely become stronger when bombarded… But that is an experiment of last resort here… If there is a reversal mechanism… it could be energy related… as opposed to emotional… except indirectly perhaps… as a function of metabolism…
Dr. Simmons:
That is quite a hypothesis… Do you have anything other than brainstorming speculation to back that up?…
Dr. Spectrum:
When dad attacked him with an all out barrage of energy… He seemed to absorb it… and grow slightly bigger and stronger from it… It was just lightening then… But maybe it’s all forms of energy… not just lightening and gamma waves…
Dr. Simmons:
Your dad?… Your dad was here?… And you spoke to him?… How did that go?…
Dr. Spectrum:
Far better than could have been expected… But we didn’t talk about much… At least nothing I can tell you about till later… He’s helping Ward with the hell hounds that we found at Madame Masque’s estate… I have to go help out there myself as soon as I drop off my precious cargo here… But we can’t really talk about that now anyway… For now… we need to look into this hypothetical reversal…
Red Hulk:
All that’s nice and promising and all… But can I just take a bath somewhere… I need to wash The Cube off of me… if nothing else…
Dr. Simmons:
We don’t have a bath tub big enough at the moment… But we can probably make one… With Daisy’s FSB building… That shouldn’t be a problem… Best for all concerned really… we could use a good hot tub…
Dr. Spectrum flies off of the roof, roller blading in mid air, as if he were skating on an invisible platform, with sparks flying off of his roller blades as he is electromagnetically propelled at high speed, speeding towards another family reunion. Then Big Red gets out of the car and follows the others down to the second floor med lab. Lady Sif cruises at high speed to a ranch in Ojai California in the queen’s war shuttle. Inside the shuttle, Lady Sif sits at the controls with Dr. Laufey in the navigators chair, and little Karny sitting on her Aunty Amora’s lap, hugged tightly by her Aunty Amora. Princess Meghan sits next to Queen Karnilla behind them.
Little Karny:
Aunty Amora… Not so tight…
Dr. Laufey:
Sorry little Karny… But with all that’s going on… I seem to be a little clingy…
Meghan:
That… seems more like a lot clingy… Like static cling… That doesn’t come off… Are you okay sister?… You seem upset… Is clinging that bad?…
Queen K:
It’s not the clinging that’s bad Princess Meghan… It’s the reason for it… Perhaps my daughter has something she may wish to unburden herself with…
Dr. Laufey:
I’m pretty sure that now is not the time for such indulgences… mother…
Lady Sif:
We’re being hailed… It’s Master Fitz…
Dr. Spectrum:
I’m coming up behind ya… Care to open the hatch and let me in?…
Lady Sif:
Opening the hatch now…
The hatch opens and Dr. Spectrum glides into the back of the war shuttle, and takes his seat in between Princess Meghan and the queen.
Dr. Spectrum:
So we’re off to see the wolfkin are we?… Mind if I tag along?… Dr. Laufey?… I kind of asked my dad to help Ward out with the hell hounds… Naturally I have to check on them… It’s only proper… Right Dr. Laufey?… Us being family and all… Wouldn’t you say so?… your majesty?…
Queen K:
Quite so Master Fitz… That is what family does… Or is supposed to do…
Little Karny:
Aunty Amora… Not so tight…
Dr. Laufey:
Sorry…
Meghan:
What’s your dad like?… Is he a wizard too?…
Dr. Spectrum:
I suppose so now… Must run in the family… What do you think Dr. Laufey… Doesn’t that sort of thing run in a family?…
Dr. Laufey:
Not always… And one doesn’t necessarily need to inherit it… Evolution does not necessarily play by such neat and tidy rules…
Lady Sif:
Are you implying that I’m somehow deficient?… Because I’m not as skilled as you?…
Dr. Laufey:
Please sister… I did not mean to restart an old fight… I just meant that there are no guarantees… And one can not necessarily infer any… Scientifically speaking… And mother has made the point to you over and over again that you are not deficient just because you focus on other things… You should stop being so insecure about it… Or practice more…
Queen K:
Agreed… I’m more interested in hearing more about Master Fitz father… Gen. Alistair Fitz was it?… A strong man to be sure… Have you met him yet?… Lady Amora?…
Dr. Laufey:
I can’t… say that I have…
Little Karny:
Aunty Amora… Not so tight…
Dr. Laufey:
Sorry…
The queen’s war shuttle lands at the ranch next to Ward and Gen. Fitz, surrounded by tied up sleeping hell hounds. Numerous nurses and orderlies watch over the hell hounds, supplying them with blankets, while they wait on the lawn outside of the ranch turned private clinic. The hatch opens and Dr. Laufey holds little Karny’s hand, and leads her out to help the hell hounds. The others follow behind, as they come into sight of Gen. Fitz, standing by his matte black griffin. Gen. Fitz’s face turns white as he sees Dr. Laufey, and Dr. Laufey begins to teer up slightly.
Dr. Laufey:
Alistair… It’s nice… to see you again… Grandson… Sorry… for my absence… and most of all… for my secrets…
Gen. Fitz:
Nice to see you?… Sorry?…
Dr. Laufey:
I’m sorry to you and Leopold… I just… thought that is was best… Midgard is not kind to those who are different… even less to those who are truly alien… I’m so sorry… Can you forgive me?…
Gen. Fitz:
Forgiveness is not in my nature grand mother… But the only thing I care about… is the secrets… But not about you… To be perfectly honest you were a wonderful grandmother… You had your secrets… But that in and of it self doesn’t bother me… Not about you… But I want to know… what happened to mother… I know you did something… Her death was inexplicable… And a Dr. Laufey… signed off on the death certificate…
Dr. Spectrum:
I always thought that was strange… Grandmother always looked ridiculously young for her age… Then she just died suddenly… That never tracked with me… even as a kid… What really happened?…
Queen K:
I happened… Alistair’s mother was failing to show mortal age… So I invited her to come back with me to Nornheim… So that I could teach her myself… Lady Amora did what she had to do to allow me to do that for my granddaughter… You met her your self Leopold… When I took you to Nornheim… Do you remember the old hag Ursula?… You didn’t recognize her because she was showing her age…
Dr. Spectrum:
That was her?… No wonder she was always calling me little Leopold… Just like grand mother…
Queen K:
She has spent a lot of time in what you and Dr. Simmons call… ‘time in a bottle’… Centuries worth of study… Just so that she could teach you some day… She’s working on a grimoire… Her life’s work… She’s dedicated herself to completing it… to pass on to you… both of you… She’s taken up your task somewhat and added it to her own… to bridge the gap between magic and science… A difficult task that she is working away at as we speak… Even with time in a bottle… She may never finish… I’m concerned she may succumb to prophecy before she has a chance…
Gen. Fitz:
Succumb to prophecy?… What the bloody hell does that mean?…
Queen K:
Asgardians do not mature the way mortals do… It’s not just a question aging slower… When an Asgardian gets old enough they don’t experience the same sort of dementia that a human would… And may become prone to bouts of visions… often debilitating… but often prophetic… always confusing… We call this… succumbing to prophecy… Your mother is getting close to the physical age where she’ll be susceptible to the condition…
Gen. Fitz:
Can you take me to her?… I need to see her!… I need to know!…
Dr. Spectrum:
Know what dad?…
Gen. Fitz:
I don’t know son… That it’s all true?… That it’s all real?… I’ve been lied to my whole life about this… But I knew because I could see things… I could notice things… I could always see through your glamours grand mother… Back when you would still visit… I always knew there was something different… something off about our family… But I never really knew… I knew but I didn’t know… I could never be sure… And knowing you’re being lied to… doesn’t mean you know the truth… I need to see her…
Queen K:
She is currently spending time in a bottle for her study sabbatical… And won’t come out of it for a few days… You won’t be able to see her till then… But I gave strict orders that she is not to go back in… Even if she’s not finished… But she can be quite willful… One might even say it runs in the family… Doesn’t it?… Lady Amora?… Do you have anything else that you would like to share?… Any other family news perhaps?…
Dr. Laufey:
I’m getting to it mother!…
Gen. Fitz:
Getting to what grandmother?… How much more is there?…
Dr. Laufey:
My mother is referring to the fact that I’m now pregnant…
Gen. Fitz:
Pregnant!…
Ward:
How is that even possible?… You have the least in the way of a social life… than anyone I know… except for me… Was it artificial insemination?…
Dr. Laufey:
No Grant… It was you… I’m sorry…
Dr. Spectrum:
Grant Ward!?!… My great grandmother is having a baby!?!… with Grant Ward!?!… There is just no way… to process this…
Dr. Laufey:
Two babies actually… twins…
Lady Sif:
We’ve had our differences in the past sister… But I cannot believe that you would actually sleep with one of your patients!… That is against the rules here… I know the rules… Right?…
Dr. Spectrum:
Right… And it’s a pretty big rule too…
Lady Sif:
Yes… You see… It’s a big rule… And I knew that…
Dr. Laufey:
I didn’t mean to… It just happened… during our sessions… He probably doesn’t remember a thing… as he was clearly delirious…
Ward:
Oh I remember… I didn’t believe it… Because I thought I was delirious… I thought that I hallucinated the whole thing… That my mind was just playing tricks on me again… I couldn’t ask about it because I thought it would make things weird… But I remember… And now it’s kinda weird… Oh… did you say… twins?…
Ward starts to rub his head slightly, as if nursing a migraine.
Lady Sif:
Ward… do not trouble yourself with my sisters actions… She made a mistake… But life goes on… Doesn’t it?…
Lady Sif puts her hand on Ward’s shoulder to comfort him.
Dr. Laufey:
Oh my… You… and Grant… Oh… Oh my…
Lady Sif:
Now wait here sister… This isn’t what it seems… And he’s not your boyfriend… He’s your patient… Remember?… We only just sought comfort in each others arms… in the aftermath of battle… with passions still high… and blood pumping… These things happen… And then they keep happening… I checked the rules… after it happened the first time… And he was your patient not your boyfriend… They put that distinction in the law here… I checked…
Dr. Laufey:
Your due diligence is admirable sister… But your excuses are lacking…
Lady Sif:
They are not excuses… It is the law…
Dr. Laufey:
The law is your excuse…
Lady Sif:
I need no excuse sister… Unlike you… And your sessions… And why do I need an excuse?… if he is just your patient?… and it was all unintended?… and you don’t have those feelings for him?… What do I have to excuse if you don’t have feelings for him?… Oh you do… Don’t you?…
Dr. Laufey:
I don’t know!… I never intended for this to happen!…
Lady Sif:
You should know sister… and Grant Ward even more so… that I’ve checked with my FSBs… And confirmed… That I am pregnant too… I checked yesterday… Because I realized that I had been foolish in the throes of passion… and neglected to exercise the proper care…
Ward:
Oh… Boy…
Lady Sif:
A girl actually…
Ward clutches his head in his hands and passes out, collapsing to the ground.
Little Karny:
Daddy!…
Dr. Spectrum:
That he is… little Karny… That he is… And then some… Say… little Karny… Your dad’ll be fine… Can you help the doctors and nurses with the hell hounds again… Like we did before… Try to get them back to normal… And see if you can get them talking… Just like before… The adults need to have bit of a private family conference… Your dad can just sleep it off… He’s had a bit of a rough day… A lot to absorb…
Little Karny:
Okay Uncle Fitzy…
Dr. Spectrum:
You should probably start calling me cousin Fitzy… Little Karny… To be accurate…
Little Karny:
No!… You’re my Uncle Fitzy!… I don’t care what any one says!… I don’t want you to be accurate!… I want you to be Uncle Fitzy!…
Dr. Spectrum:
Okay little Karny… You win… I’m Uncle Fitzy…
Little Karny:
Right!… Uncle Fitzy is Uncle Fitzy… Daddy is daddy… Aunty Amora is Aunty Amora… Aunty Sif is Aunty Sif…
Meghan:
Ooh! Ooh!… I know this one!… I’m Aunty Meghan!… or… Aunty Meghan is Aunty Meghan!… And that’s me!… Right?…
Little Karny:
Right!… Aunty Meghan is Aunty Meghan… And Grandma is Grandma… And…
Little Karny points her finger at Gen. Fitz.
Little Karny:
Who are you again?…
Gen. Fitz:
I’m Gen. Alistair Fitz… I’m your Uncle Fitzy’s daddy… wee lassie… But you can just call me Cousin Fitzy if you like… He can be Uncle Fitzy… So I can be Cousin Fitzy… Fair enough?…
Little Karny:
Perfect!… Now I have two Fitzys!… And that’s how it’s going to stay!… Right?… Aunty Amora?…
Dr. Laufey:
That’s right little Karny… Always…
In the second floor med lab of the Johnson Building, the room is filled with steam from an extra long and tall bathtub, filled with hot steamy water, and a big Red Hulk, submerged up to up to his neck with his eyes closed, trying to calm down in the hopes of changing back to normal. The room is cleared out of everyone except the Thunderbolt for privacy. But a lone blonde female figure in a bath robe enters the room quietly, and makes her way over to the tub. She disrobes, then slowly and gently climbs into the tub with the Thunderbolt, and she begins to climb the Thunderbolt.
Red Hulk:
Wha?… Who?… Whitney Frost!?!…
Whitney:
Hi Big Red… Take it easy… Take it easy… I come in peace… Unarmed… You can search me if you like…
Red Hulk:
What?… What are you doing?…
Whitney:
I’m here to help… I believe we can help each other… I find you intriguing… And I believe I can help you… I have a theory of my own when it comes to your potential reversal… I can’t make any promises… But I suspect it’s just a question of relieving pressure… Releasing excess energy… But that might be difficult without someone to help you with that… And lets face it… How many other women can handle the process… Let me handle… your process… Trust me… Thanks to my granddaughter… I’m virtually indestructible… I believe I can help you… And I believe you can help me…
Red Hulk:
Help with what?… exactly?… I don’t mean to act like a choir boy… But just what are you after?… exactly?…
Whitney:
Don’t worry about that for now… Lets just say… that I have a weakness for powerful men… And you were powerful even before you transformed… Just put your hands on me… And don’t concern yourself with being gentle… I can take it… Let me handle the rest…
Red Hulk:
How?… How can this possibly work?… This is ridiculous!…
Whitney:
You let me worry about that… I’ll figure something out… Now shut up and kiss me!…
Politics Are Poison!
Poison That Never Ends!
Battles Of Shadows And Mist!
That Forever Never End!
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