The Defenders Of Midgard, An MCU Fan Fiction:
Chapter 10: Who’s Your Baby Daddy?
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Chapter 10
Who’s Your Baby Daddy?
Oh Crap! He Is? Is He House Broken?
Days pass relatively uneventfully, if not without tension, among other things. The Wakandans return home to make preparations for war, and experiment with the new FSB technology, courtesy of the new alliance. Gen. Fitz returns to the UK with Captain Britain to do the same, among other things, leaving Meghan behind with her other family for support. Stark and his interns return to New York, and begin to set up Stark’s east coast FSB lab, and prepare for another attack by MODOC and the new AIM. Dir. Mace recolonizes Shield West Coast with his FSB, and he and Gen. Talbot set up shop there as Shield Main HQ, given the significance of the circumstances of southern California, and the consequent executive order by the president. Gen. Talbot does the same with The Cube under Vandenberg AFB, with his FSB.
The streets around the Johnson Building remain cordoned off to car traffic by Shield. Various unlicensed street vendors and performers occupy the streets, and outnumber the Shield security personal and the national guard troops enforcing the cordon, with civilians flocking to it like an impromptu street festival, in spite of the feared danger for most, because of it for others. And the inhabitants of the Johnson Building settle into a routine of tests, tinkering, and hockey practice, among other things.
Daisy and Robbie practice skate boarding in the alley by the Johnson Building, to take their minds off of things by refreshing and sharpening Robbie’s board skills, in an FSB constructed half pipe in the alley, and other FSB skate park features extending right out of the Johnson Building itself. Various LA skate boarders and skate punks take advantage of the facilities almost continuously. Mack and Yo Yo test out Mack’s FSB bike mods by searching LA for signs of enemy FSBs with no luck.
A clear colored translucent gazebo sits in front of the Johnson Building, with Queen Karnilla, Dr. Laufey, and little Karny, sitting and having ice tea and ice cream, while they watch the ongoing festivities in front of the building. And a temporary matte black security barricade creates a sub-cordon around the front of the building, enclosing a street hockey field with two matte black street hockey nets, one on either end. Various other players in gear watch and wait their turns, while two teams from the Johnson Building face off on the field.
Coulson heads up one team, with Melinda May and the Warriors Three on one side, and Ward, Gabriel, Fitz, Dr. Simmons, and Lady Sif. Lady Sif occupies one net as the goalie, without skates, but with a matte black goalie mask, glove, and stick, plus her usual body armor. In the other net stands Volstagg, similarly equipped and armored. The remaining players all sport matte black roller blades and sticks, with the other members of the Warriors Three wearing their usual armor. Coulson sports a New York Rangers jersey, while Ward wears a Boston Bruins jersey, with Fitz and Gabriel wearing LA Kings jerseys. The vampires May and Dr. Simmons wear matte black gloves with the LA raiders hoodies they borrowed before, plus shades.
Ward and Coulson face off in the center, with Dir. Mace standing there in a stripped referee jersey, as he drops the rubber ball puck, in place of a regular hockey puck for the purposes of roller hockey. Ward wins the puck and passes to Fitz. Fitz skates ahead and passes over to Gabriel, to then pass it back to Ward, as they press forward with their attack. Ward maneuvers around the opposing defenders to take up a position behind the net, buying time for teammates to reposition for a shot on net. May comes out of nowhere and slams Ward against the matte black security barricade behind the net, after having already passed the puck to Dr. Simmons. Dir. Mace blows his matte black whistle, and calls May for an illegal check, as she skates away, and does a triple sow cow as she does, flipping Ward the bird as she glides away with one leg held up in the air in a classic figure skater pose.
Ward:
Aaggh!…
Crowd:
Wooooh!…
Ward:
Show off…
Coulson:
Nice check May… I’ll give you solid tens for that one…
Dir. Mace:
Now Coulson… You really shouldn’t encourage her… Let’s try to keep the rough stuff to a minimum… And May… There are children watching… Please try to keep all your fingers on your stick at all times… Thank you… Now line up for the face off!…
Dir. Mace drops the puck again, and Coulson wins the puck, passing it on to May rushing ahead and breaking into the other teams end. May passes to Fandral, who passes to Hogan, before Hogan passes back to Coulson for the shot on net. Lady Sif Catches the puck in her glove.
Lady Sif:
Not this time Son of Coul…
Several Valkyrie arrive on winged horses in the streets outside of Daisy’s building in downtown LA, conveyed by the Bifrost rainbow bridge, and accompanied by Lord Balder on foot. The various Shield agents in tactical gear, national guard, and police manning barricades, all level their weapons at the Asgardians upon arrival, as the Warriors Three and the other hockey players wave off the Shield of Midgard. Lord Balder, and the leader of the Valkyrie, head to the translucent gazebo in front of Johnson Building, as Shield waters the winged horses, all of whom appear to have cataract covered eyes, as well as wings. The Warriors Three begin to relate all that has happened on Midgard in Lord Balder’s absence. Daisy and Robbie come running to the front of the building to investigate.
Lord Balder:
A giant flying head!?!… Called MODOC!?!… Have you been drinking?… More than usual?… And this isn’t a foul plot of the Black Queen?…
Hogan:
No my lord… It seems to be the result… of a form of Midgardian black magic… known as… genetic engineering…
Lord Balder:
Ugh… That sounds just awful… Midgard is certainly living up to it’s reputation for the exotic… Is this your first time to Midgard?… Mistress Brunhilde?…
Brunhilde:
Yes… The Valkyrie seldom if ever get to travel except in service to duty…
Lady Sif:
Father… It is good to see you back with the Valkyrie… We have to talk father… in private…
Lord Balder:
Well… I believe I will be here for a while before I have to tend to matters elsewhere… Can this wait at all?… We do have the pressing matter of the expedition to Niflheim to tend to here… And I seem to have a lot to catch up on since I’ve been gone… Midgard may end up being quite difficult to keep up with!…
Lady Sif:
No father… It can’t wait… It’s personal… and urgent…
Lord Balder:
We don’t have that much time for the personal at the moment… Not everyone has time to play games in the street…
Lady Sif:
It is valuable training!… And this just can’t wait!…
Lord Balder:
Well daughter if it can’t wait then spit it out already!… Even if we must spend time on the personal… we certainly have no time for luxuries such as privacy… Just get to it!…
Lady Sif:
I’m pregnant!…
Lord Balder:
Pregnant!?!… I didn’t even know you were entertaining suitors!…
Lady Sif:
I wasn’t!… It just happened!… in the aftermath of battle… with a fellow warrior…
Lord Balder:
Oh… I see… It was one those things… Well… These things happen… Who was the warrior?…
Lady Sif:
His name is Grant Ward… The presumed wolfkin prince of Midgard… He’s the one over there… hiding behind Volstagg at the moment…
Ward meekly steps out from behind Volstagg.
Ward:
Hello sir… Remember me?… We met briefly… Fought together a bit… Sorry…
Lord Balder:
Sorry for what?… Succumbing to the hot passions of battle?… These things happen sometimes…
Lady Sif:
There’s more that you need to know father… For reasons and circumstances to complicated and sensitive to go into… he has also fathered two children… just recently… with my other half sister… Lady Amora…
Lord Balder:
What?!?… Brigand of hearts!… I’ll run him through!…
Ward steps back behind Volstagg, but Volstagg steps away out of the way.
May:
Oh well… Nice playing with you… I will always remember fondly… our time on the barricade together…
Lord Balder begins to stalk after Ward, slowly at first, with a berzerker frenzy beginning to build in his eyes, as he grips his swords. Lady Sif steps in front of her father as she draws one of her swords and bars his path with it.
Lady Sif:
Now wait there father!… I can’t allow that!…
Lord Balder:
You would cross swords with your own father?!?… over this brigand of hearts?!?…
Lady Sif:
If necessary father… if necessary…
Ward:
Now wait a minute!… That is happening over my dead body!…
Ward rushes over to Lady Sif’s and Lord Balder’s position to stand in between them, to the shock of both of them. Dr. Laufey stands up as she stares intently at the ongoing potentially fatal family melodrama. Little Karny makes a move to get up and go after her father, but Queen Karnilla grabs her arm, as little Karny looks over to see her shake her head no.
Ward:
I am not having this!… Understand?… I would rather your father run me through with his sword!… Than have you two fight over me!…
Lady Sif:
Didn’t you kill your own father?… And your brother?…
Ward:
Yes… And I don’t regret it… But you will… if it comes to it… And how do you think your father is going to feel if he causes a miscarriage… or worse… Like I said… this is happening… over my dead body…
Ward grabs the bare blade of Lady Sif’s sword with his bare hand, close to the cross guard, cutting his hand in the process, as he grips it firmly, as if preparing to run himself through with Lady Sif’s sword.
Ward:
I will not be the cause of this!… Understand?…
Lady Sif:
I understand Grant Ward… As you wish… It’s your funeral…
Lady Sif pulls her sword back as Ward releases it, wipes his blood off, then resheaths her sword. Lord Balder grins as he and Brunhilde glance at each other, seemingly and begrudgingly in mild admiration.
Ward:
Well… Lord Balder sir… What’ll be?… Do you want to run me through here?… Or can we at least do this somewhere where children can’t watch?…
Lord Balder:
Do you really care so little of your own life?…
Ward:
Yes… I’m nothing… I deserve to die several times over… But the last time didn’t take… Maybe this time will get the job done permanently… I don’t matter… I don’t care about anything anymore… but my kids… and what they need…
Ward glances over at Lady Sif as he says this, then looks over at the still standing and still transfixed Dr. Laufey, before returning his attention to Lord Balder.
Ward:
Run me through if you need to Lord Balder… I won’t stop you… I don’t deserve to… even if I could… But please… just… don’t hold any of that against my kids…
Lord Balder:
Well… I don’t see how that’s really necessary at this point…
Lord balder places his hand inside Grant’s bloody cut hand, and shakes his hand firmly.
Lord Balder:
At least not yet…
May:
So he’s not going to die again?…
Coulson:
Not this time… Probably wouldn’t take anyway…
Lord Balder releases Ward’s hand, and they all begin to file in to the Johnson Building to catch up, plan, and prepare, as other players take to the hockey field in their absence. The Mega Golem flies from New York back to the Monterey Trench, with Stark and his interns as it’s crew, and with Stark wearing his own FSB colonized and upgraded Hulk buster armor with deep sea mods, but colored yellow with orange and red hot rod flames.
Ned:
So… let me get this straight… We detected with our sensors… down in the Monterey Trench… the same kind of sensor anomaly… as the queen’s shuttle… on the far side of the moon… But we’re still not going to the moon?…
Iron Man:
No… We’re still not ready for the moon… And we can’t really leave while the MODOC situation is still an ongoing issue… waiting for the next AIM shoe to drop… Besides… The Monterey Trench is much closer… which means that… if it’s a problem… it’s a much closer and more immediate problem… Clear and present and everything… This isn’t a shake down cruise this time… We might actually be going to war here… I know that I said no heroics for you Ned… But I need you in the Mega Golem… And in this war with the Kree… there is no safe… I’ve been perusing the Kree database that came with the Ned’s FSB… The Kree are seriously nasty pieces of work… They have weapons powerful enough to destroy a planet… as an afterthought… to clean up the neighborhood… clearing out any neighbors they don’t like… And that’s not even among their more powerful weapons… So consider yourself called to restricted active duty… How restricted exactly… I don’t know yet… In fact… forget what I said about not having a suit of armor of your own… I still don’t like the idea of you suiting up unnecessarily except to run away real fast… But go ahead and make two more sets of this armor… and keep them on standby… One each for you and Peter just in case… I took the precaution of calling in reinforcements… we should be in contact with them soon in fact…
Peter:
Mr. Stark… Am I on body guard detail again?… Or am I suiting up?… in some way?…
Iron Man:
Go ahead and mask up now… I don’t know exactly who’s going to be coming… King T’Challa just said he had people he could trust… whatever that means… But you are on body guard detail for now… But you might end up using one of the armors… If push comes to shove…
A familiar voice chimes in on coms.
Shuri:
Wakanda shuttle to Mega Golem… Golem Master do you read me?…
Ned:
Yeah… We read you… Nice to hear from you again Shuri… Are you part of our reinforcements?…
Shuri:
That would be an affirmative… Permission to come aboard?…
Ned:
Sure thing… just give me a second to create a hanger bay in the gut of the Mega Golem… It’s a mod I’ve been working on… Please standby…
The back of the Mega Golem opens up to allow the Wakandan shuttle to fly in and land, then closes up behind them. An elevator forms connecting the cockpit and the hanger bay, and the crew of the Mega Golem make their way down to greet them. In the hanger bay, the Wakandan delegation is already waiting for them. King T’Challa stands next to his sister, fully armored up in his Black Panther armor. A bald African warrior woman wearing the armor of the Dora Milaje, the Wakadan Imperial Guard of the King of Wakanda, carrying a traditional looking spear, stands on the Kings other side. Standing next Shuri on her other side, is a somewhat muscular man, with long brown hair, and matte black tactical gear and combat boots, with a matte black robotic left arm, and a matte black FSB replica of a Kree plasma pistol strapped to his side, the infamous Winter Soldier, Sargent Bucky Barnes. On the other side of Sgt. Barnes, stands a large muscular African man in body armor stylized in a traditional looking manner suggestive of a white furred gorilla, holding a matte black staff with a small light gray metallic gorilla head at the top. Upon recognizing the Winter Soldier, Ned has a miner geek fit and wraps Spider Man’s arm with his knuckles.
Spider Man:
Ouch!…
Ned:
Dude… Is that Bucky Barnes?… The Winter Soldier?…
Spider Man:
Yeah… But I’m not sure if he likes that name…
Sgt. Barnes:
I don’t… It’s Sgt. Barnes to you… But they like to call me the White Wolf…
Ned:
Oh my god!… That’s so much cooler!…
Iron Man:
Ned… Settle…
Ned:
Yes sir Mr. Stark… Sgt. Barnes…
Gorilla Man:
This one must be the Golem Master by your description… I am Chief M’Baku… of the Jabari Tribe… The bald one over there… is General Okoye… of the Dora Milaje… Wakandan Imperial Guard… And you must be the amazing Spider Man… or at least that’s how T’Challa describes you… But he’s more easily impressed than I am… Do you really stick to walls?…
Spider Man:
Certainly do…
Spider Man jumps straight up, and sticks to the roof of the hanger, as a demonstration.
Chief M’Baku:
Well… That is worthy of being called amazing… But you sound like a child… How old are you?…
Spider Man:
Well… I don’t like to give out to much personal information normally… to preserve my secret identity… for security reasons… But… lets put it this way… I’m old enough to drive… But I don’t have a license… And I’m way too young to drink yet… Sorry… I don’t mean to be secretive Chief M’Baku… But it’s not just about my safety… I hope that you can understand…
Chief M’Baku:
That’s fine… I prefer it this way… beneath the mask your probably not nearly as interesting as the amazing Spider Man…
Spider Man:
Ouch… That’s harsh… But it’s cool… I like your outfit too… And that staff looks awesome…
Chief M’Baku:
It is not just for decoration Spider Man… It holds my Power Prism… My chief weapon in this war…
Iron Man:
You got one too… I thought T’Challa said that the Jabari were strict traditionalists… no technology… no Vibranium… But FSBs are okay?…
Chief M’Baku:
In addition to being the chief of the Jabari… I am also it’s high Shaman… When Shuri told me that this device supposedly bridges the gap between science and magic… I had to at least try it… So far I must admit that I am quite enjoying it… But I am not yet convinced that it is in the interests of the Jabari yet… I am… as Shuri says… field testing…
Spider Man:
Wow… Do you really know magic?… Actual magic?…
M’Baku’s staff begins to emit a pulsating white glow. Then M’Baku starts to emit the same pulsating white glow, before transforming into a twenty foot tall white furred gorilla, still holding his staff in his hand.
Chief M’Baku:
Is that magical enough for you?…
Spider Man:
Cool!…
King T’Challa:
I have also taken on the power and the burden of this experiment… But I just wanted a golem of my own I must confess… But I used it to colonize and power a state of the art prototype Wakandan war shuttle… It should be more than capable of traversing the Monterey Trench… We have been going over the data you sent us… And we’ve found some interesting similarities in terms of the sensory anomaly’s energy profile… Not just with Kree technology… But with Wakandan technology as well… Which suggests that the technology in the trench could be stolen Wakandan technology… But that doesn’t explain the similarities between Kree and Wakandan technology… Nor does it explain the anomaly on the far side of the moon… This matter is extremely sensitive for Wakanda… In ways that I can’t even begin to discuss… Suffice to say… it has us all very concerned…
Chief M’Baku:
I’m not concerned… I’m field testing…
King T’Challa:
Okay… everyone but Chief M’Baku is extremely concerned…
Chief M’Baku transforms back into his normal self.
Chief M’Baku:
I am only concerned potentially… if this hypothetical alien invasion is actually real… And I will need more than your precious senor anomaly and a few Kree bodies… To be convinced… That is why I am here… plus field testing…
Iron Man:
Cool… Solid motivations all around… Go team… Given the special sensitive concerns of the king… how does the king wish to proceed?…
King T’Challa:
Well I would like to test my new shuttle in the trench while we’re down there… So we probably go down in separate vehicles… Shuri has her own Hulk Buster armor that she’s been playing with now… so she can go down in her own armor… And I assume that you could do the same…
Iron Man:
That sounds like a solid plan… I concur… But we better keep a fairly tight group down there… with the buddy system at a minimum…
King T’Challa:
Agreed…
Chief M’Baku:
Mostly agreed… But I wish to go with the Spider Man… You are all boring… And far too serious… Besides… I’ve already ridden in your precious shuttle T’Challa… Now I want ride the Mega Golem that I’ve heard so much about…
Ned:
Mr. Stark… We’re coming up on the trench now… Looks like it’s time to divide up and take the plunge…
Iron Man:
Cool… You and Spider Man take the chief up to cockpit and let us out down here… Shuri and I can go ahead fly out now too… Better suit up… have you been practicing with it at all?… Especially flight?…
King T’Challa:
She’s become something of nuisance with it actually… They’ve started calling her the Yellow Panther…
Shuri:
Your just jealous of my skill brother…
Shuri is engulfed in golden sparkles and a lightening flash, then she instantly becomes fully enclosed in a yellow Hulk Buster, with two matte black fang like marks on it’s shoulders pointing down to it’s chest, and two more pointing up from a matte black belt with various matte black cubes attached to it. The fangs point toward a matte black panther head icon on it’s chest, with a translucent Power Prism within it’s open jaw.
Iron Man:
Nice look… Racing yellow with black stripes… Classic…
As some defenders of Midgard take deep dark plunge down the Monterey Trench, other defenders prepare for an expedition to Niflheim, while an African woman in green and black leather, riding on a green Ducati, with a Wakandan Embassy badge, is waved past the cordon surrounding the Johnson Building, along with a standard issue pale white dude in a red and blue leather road racer outfit and helmet, riding a red Ducati, with US State Dept. credentials. They pull into the alley that remains unblocked by the now red, white, and blue sparkling FSB skate park, and makes her way to the open garage, where newly returned Yo Yo and Mack are waiting for them.
Yo Yo:
It’s about time… Sorry… But we’re late too… And we were waiting for you two… You’re here to set up the Wakandan consulate?… here in the building… right?… among other things… You’re Nakia?… right?… And Ross?… The fed?… from state?… Sorry… But things move pretty fast around her sometimes… There’s a conference in the gallery right now… Come with us if you want to keep up…
Nakia:
That’s okay… I expected as much… The consulate here is only temporary… The king wants his own building… But things can move fast around here as you say… And we can’t wait… Right behind you…
As they make their way into the gallery, a Shield quinjet cruises it’s way to the roof of the Johnson Building. Inside the cockpit, former Avenger Natasha Romanov man’s the controls, with fellow former Avenger Clint Barton next to her in the navigators position. Behind them stands Gen. Talbot, arguing with previously burned Shield agents, Bobby Morse and Lance Hunter.
Gen. Talbot:
Oh please!… Nobody gives a flying flugelhorn about Russia anymore!… Nobody really did back then… You two just weren’t worth the trouble you caused… But now with looming intergalactic war… even Russia doesn’t care… We told them already… At the same time we told them about the Kree… All they said was spaceeba and dosvidanya… Get over it… You’ve been drafted… You could always go the run again… and sit out armagedon while the geddons good… You could always just disappear when we get to Los Angeles… I know we can’t stop you… So if you’re okay with that… By all means good riddance… I have zero time right now for hand holding a bunch bitchy ass spies… And dammit Lang!… Show yourself!… What did I tell you about doing that shrinky thing in my presence when not on mission!?!…
Scott Lang enlarges from he previous ant size, to assume his full normal human size, wearing the helmet and suit of the Ant Man.
Ant Man:
Sorry general… I just really didn’t want to be a part of that conversation… I can’t relate… And I’ve already had more than enough of politics and intrigue… I don’t even need to be here… I was free and clear finally… But I volunteered… I’m not about to sit out a war that could potentially destroy the planet!… and my daughter Cassie with it… Even Hank Pym gave his blessing to use his suit and his Pym particles… I’m all in no matter what… for Cassie… So I honestly couldn’t care less about any of that other noise… But you two are awfully quiet…
Romanov:
That’s because we’re the smart ones…
Ant Man:
Not smart enough not to get caught…
Romanov:
I surrendered… for personal reasons… The rest doesn’t bother me because I’m used to it… And if war really is upon us… then this is where I belong…
Barton:
I was under house arrest for life effectively… But I was enjoying it to be honest… I got a pretty big house… with a lot of work to do… And a brood of kids to help me with it… And now I have to be here for the same reason you are Scott… I can’t be anywhere else right now either… In fact… when this is all over… if we survive… I hope they put me back!…
Romanov:
You want to be under house arrest?…
Barton:
Oh yeah!… It’s a great excuse for not being involved… and not getting involved… Sorry can’t help you… House arrest… Better call Tony… Here… I'll give you his number…
Romanov:
You would… Wouldn’t you?…
Barton:
I’ve already done it!… Tony sent me a thank you note… He was probably joking… But it was very thoughtful anyway… for him…
Ant Man:
Hey… Does this mean that the Avengers are getting the band back together?…
Romanov:
Extremely unlikely… Thor and Bruce are still missing… Tony pretty much still hates us probably… in spite of his thank you note… Even Rhodes is on the DL… The rest are who knows where… Even Visions gone missing somewhere with Wanda… personally I would love to get the band back together… They were like my family… But that family isn’t about to have a reconciliation anytime soon… So it’s just us and whoever we can find… But I wouldn’t call that the Avengers… I’m fairly particular about my family…
Hunter:
Well I don’t care about any of that legal political noise either… If there’s a fight going on that makes sense… get me in the fight… I just don’t trust glorified politicians and bureaucrats in uniform… Pretty much anyone above the rank of colonel…
Morse:
No crap… Honestly none of that bothers me nearly so much as what we have waiting for us… And I don’t mean the war… with May and Simmons being vampires supposedly…
Hunter:
Not to mention Grant Ward of all people being back from the dead!… as bloody werewolf!?!…
Barton:
Doesn’t Coulson being back from the dead bother you at all?…
Hunter:
Oh we already knew about that… It was Dir. Coulson that first made me a Shield agent… after he came back from the dead the first time… How many times has it been now?…
Morse:
I think it’s just the one time… But we’ve been away awhile…
Romanov and Barton start to look concerned, as they glance nervously at each other. The quinjet lands on the roof of the Johnson Building, with Meghan upstairs with little Karny, and Whitney Frost and the Red Hulk continuing to make themselves extra scarce for personal therapeutic reasons. Betsy and Monica take a break from vampire research to join the others downstairs, as some family melodrama interrupts the otherwise professional gathering. Yo Yo and Mack, as well as Nakia and Ross, enter the gallery from the garage just as it picks up.
Lord Balder:
No daughter!… You cannot go to Niflheim!… And you damn well know why!… You’ve known for centuries now!… I’m sorry daughter… I know it was your dream… But you are a berzerker… like your father… daddy’s little girl… And berzerkers cannot be Valkyrie!… And they cannot go to Niflheim!… Even if they’re not pregnant!…
Yo Yo:
Lady Sif is pregnant too?… When did that happen?… Is that another time compression thing?…
Dr. Laufey continues to hang her head down and stare at the floor.
May:
No… That’s a Grant Ward thing… There’s a lot of that going around apparently…
Yo Yo:
No wonder Lady Sif wants to go to Niflheim…
Dr. Laufey’s head lifts up suddenly, and glares at Yo Yo.
Yo Yo:
Sorry… Just saying…
Lord Balder:
And who might you two be?… Are one or both of you local to Los Angeles?… Or are you with Shield?… Are you possibly from Wakanda too?… I understand that I only just missed the king as I was away from Midgard during his recent trip to Los Angeles… dealing with some strange flying ogre with a big giant… uh… What did you call it again?…
Gabriel:
Potato Head…
Lord Balder:
There you have it… A potato head… I have no idea what that is… But by all accounts… it was a very big one… I am Lord Balder… leader of the Asgardian armies…
Nakia:
My name is Nakia… I am a diplomatic representative of Wakanda… Working out of the Wakandan Embassy in Washington DC… I am here to set up a temporary consulate here in the Johnson Building… and to establish a permanent one elsewhere…
Dir. Mace:
Miss Nakia is also on the diplomatic team that I have assembled to present the evidence of the Kree incursion on Midgard… along with the Everett Ross… An old colleague of mine from the US State Department…
E. Ross:
It’s okay Lord Balder… Even I don’t notice me sometimes…
Lord Balder:
Excellent!… I look forward to working with both of you… The diplomatic effort to present that evidence… is crucial to avoiding a much wider war than the one that is already upon us…
Nakia:
It is an honor Lord Balder… The king sends his regards… But he is currently assisting Iron Man on another mystery…
Lord Balder:
The Monterey Trench mission… I just heard of it… The pace of events do seem to be quickening all around us…
Dir. Mace:
They are also assisting me with some of what you called… the shadow side of politics?… They are helping me and Shield out with some of the shadow side of Midgard politics… They both come with the trust of King T’Challa in that regard… and mine as as well… We’re soon to have reinforcements in that department as well…
The party from the quinjet on the roof finally makes it’s way to the gallery. As they enter, Romanov and Barton turn white as they catch first sight Coulson, as he notices their entrance, while Morse and Hunter stare intently at Ward, with Ward averting his eyes.
Romanov:
Hey there… dead man walking… Long time no rot…
Coulson:
You’re not shocked?…
Barton:
We’re only shocked that Fury did it!… We helped you set up that stupid experiment… It was canceled for good reason… On your recommendation… Are you okay?… As I recall… there were all kinds of problems with that…
Coulson:
It was difficult for awhile… Quite intense actually… But I got it sorted… Then other problems came along… Life goes on… sometimes whether it should or not…
Ward looks up again to see if old acquaintances are still glaring at him. He makes eye contact with Morse and Hunter, then awkwardly and hesitantly raises his hand to meekly wave at them, as he strains to force an awkward smile at them.
Morse:
Oh hell no… I’m out…
Hunter:
Right behind ya babe….
Morse and Hunter storm out into the garage, as Romanov and Barton start to get reacquainted with their old friend.
Mack:
Bobby!… Hunter!… Wait up!…
Mack chases after Morse and Hunter, followed by Yo Yo, Daisy, May, Fitz, and Dr. Simmons. Coulson, Romanov, and Barton quickly follow suit. Ant Man removes his helmet and holds it under his arm, as he walks over to the Warriors Three standing guard by the door.
Ant Man:
Hi… I’m Ant Man… Well… Scott Lang really… Are you Asgardians too?…
Fandral:
Indeed we are… man of ants… We recently met the man of spiders… Do you stick to things too?…
Ant Man:
Well… Not intentionally… Woh!… Who or what is that?…
Volstagg:
That is Daisy’s father…
Ant Man:
Daisy’s father!?!… Who’s Daisy?… Does she look like that too?…
Hogan:
Not at the moment…
Gen. Talbot walks up to Ant Man and whispers something in his ear.
Ant Man:
Alright… If you say so…
Ant Man puts his helmet back on, and presses a button on his glove with his thumb, shrinking down to nothing out of sight. In the garage, Morse and Hunter are fit to be tied, while their friends attempt to tie them down long enough for them to calm down.
Morse:
How can you all be so blase about this?… That psycho tortured me!… just to please his Hydra brainwashed psycho crush!…
Fitz:
Look… I understand… more than most… Hell… he did more actual damage to me… than anyone who’s actually still alive to complain about it… except Werner Von Strucker… But he can’t complain about anything anymore… except not dying… I wanted to kill him myself when I first saw him alive again…
Daisy:
I nearly did… But the Ghost Rider of all things stopped me… He didn’t feel evil enough…
Morse:
The Ghost Rider!…
Hunter:
Wait!… He’s not here is he?… I had a run in that thing once… I was doin some shady… back in the day… He busted up an arms deal… Hard… and with extreme prejudice… with everyone but me… Me he spared… partly… But he gave me this awful stare… Messed me up in the head real bad… Scared me straight in a way… partially… After that… Izzy called with a slightly less shady gig with Shield… So I called it progress and moved on… Seriously… He’s not here is he?… Just the memory of that stare chills my bones…
Daisy:
He’s here… He’s my boyfriend now… We have a kid… He’s in the Gallery right now… His skull doesn’t always catch fire… His name is Robbie Reyes… The Rider’s proper name… is Zarathos… If you want I can introduce you?… To Robbie… Not Zarathos…
Hunter:
Okay!… That’s it!… Were out!… We don’t do freaks anymore!... Nothing personal…
Dr. Simmons:
No problem… Even Fitz thinks I’m kind of freaky now…
Hunter:
We’re strictly freelance NGOs now… We do gangsters… a rare hostage rescue on occasion…
Morse:
Terrorists….
Hunter:
Oh… We love doing terrorists… It’s our favorite… The mafia… and gangsters in general really… are a fairly close second… Hostage rescue would be a highlight… But it’s always complicated… But without hostages in the way… we can just cut loose… unbridled pest control… to improve the gene pool…
Morse:
We love pest control…
Daisy:
Okay fine… Look… This isn’t your scene… I get it… So you probably don’t belong here anyway… But there’s no safe place in this war… Because the entire planet is potentially in the cross hairs of weapons capable of destroying the whole damn thing in one shot… But rather than force the issue… why don’t you focus on the mafia angle… one of your new specialties…
Morse:
How the hell is the mafia involved in a space war?…
Daisy:
We don’t know exactly… But the mafia are tied up with The Hand… Who are tied up with the Kree… and my ultra evil bitch of a mother who’s also back from the dead… and supposedly unkillable… and worse than I ever knew before… I have to stay… But you don’t have to… They know us… But they don’t know you… just your bad reputations probably… Hell… If you just hang out at some mafia joint… they’ll probably recruit you… They’re having a severe manpower shortage at the moment… We crossed paths in fairly bloody fashion recently when a bunch tried to shoot up the Dunbar Hotel’s jazz club with us in it… just because the place is owned by some other mafia losers… In particular… Madame Masque… mother of Dr. Rappaccini… also in the other room at the moment… the hot mess girlfriend of Gabriel… Robbie’s little bother… Some of them were led by a cyborg… with Cybertek parts and everything… Then The Hand and a bunch of their hell hounds showed up on the other side… with Madame Masque… And it was The Hand with some of their hell hounds who were backing the Kree when they showed up here to abduct Queen Karnilla of the Norns… So it’s all connected one way or another… Robbie calls it a pressure cooker of evil… building…
Morse:
Wait… That massacre at the Dunbar was you guys?…
Daisy:
Well… Simmons mostly…
Dr. Simmons:
Well… They had it coming… and… no… hostages…
Morse and Hunter stand and nod their heads in appreciation, while they do the polite quiet opera clap for Dr. Simmons. Dr. Simmons curtsies in appreciation.
Morse:
Are you two really?…
May:
Vampires?… Oh yeah…
May and Dr. Simmons both raise their hands and flash the peace sign, while they smile an extra wide and open smile to show off their extra large canine teeth.
Hunter:
Cool… Mafia… Mafia sounds good… Right love?…
Morse:
That’s our battlefield… We love mafia…
Daisy:
Mack… they don’t really know you either… So you should go with them… If they have the connections to know who you are through channels… all they’ll know is that you’re a recently sacked Shield agent… which will probably just make you too good to turn up to them… You can also fill them in on whatever I left out or forgot…
Mack:
Wait… If you think I’m letting you go to Niflheim without me… Then you’ve got another thing coming Tremors…
Daisy:
Mack… You heard Brunhilde… Penises can’t go to Niflheim… only vaginas… and no berzerkers… So you’re disqualified on both counts now… Yo Yo and I… will deal with Niflheim… We will get our kids back… But you can’t come any more than Lady Sif… even less so actually… double disqualification…
Mack:
Alright Daisy… But if they know my address… They know my connection to you…
Daisy:
And to Gabriel and her daughter Dr. Rappaccini… You can use that if it comes to it… Be their inside man…
Mack:
Okay… I can be disgruntled… I’m pretty much cranky all the time now anyway…
Morse:
Wait… Kids?…
Daisy:
Mack will catch you up… You better get going… you might try and check in to the Dunbar… to sell the disgruntlement… like you’ve been kicked out of your home or something… Since there are Shield everywhere now… We have to get back to the Valkyrie… before they take off without us…
Mack:
Okay Daisy… We’ll handle it… Hell… It’ll be like old times for us…
Romanov:
We can do mafia…
Barton:
Yeah… I’ve got a lot of experience with the mafia… inside and out… and I wasn’t even undercover at the time… Hunter’s not the only one here with a little extra shade…
Romanov:
Not by a long shot…
Daisy:
Oh please… We can’t send famous Avengers after the mafia… Sorry… But celebrity has it’s price… I’m starting to feel that too now…
Romanov:
That’s what you get for calling yourself Quake…
Daisy:
I didn’t call myself that!… I hate that name!… Tremors is at least cute… We’d better get back…
Mack:
Alright… We’re out too… Let’s take the bikes…
Mack, Morse, and Hunter hit the road on iron horses, while those remaining behind filter back in past Dr. Laufey, leaning against the wall of the gallery next to the door to garage. Dr. Laufey then whispers something to her self.
Dr. Laufey:
Werner… Von Strucker?… If I can fix you… could you be… the salvation of my love?…
Dr. Laufey watches as Lady Sif comforts Ward, obviously distressed by some of his ghosts coming back for a visit, then she grits her teeth and glances at her mother, and sees her mother watching her intently.
Dr. Laufey:
If you’ll excuse me everyone… I have patients to see in Ojai…
Dr. Simmons:
Would you like any help with that?…
Dr. Rappaccini:
Indeed… I would be very interested in assisting in that…
Dr. Laufey:
Would you now?… I don’t need any assistance!… I need to check on sensitive patients without overwhelming them in their fragile states… So not this time I’m afraid…
Dr. Laufey turns abruptly and walks quickly towards the elevator, where she is intercepted her mother Queen Karnilla.
Queen K:
Are you well daughter?… I sense that you are distraught…
Dr. Laufey:
I am fine mother… Or I will be… My personal issues are of my own making… And I will deal with them personally… and privately… and without any further interference or interventions… from busybody relations…
Dr. Laufey pushes past her mother into the elevator, taking it up to the roof, leaving her mother looking puzzled.
Queen K:
Busybody?… What exactly is… a busybody?… Sounds like some Midgardian medical condition… But who was she diagnosing?…
The queen begins to feel about her body with her hands, searching for anything unusual that might be going around. Satisfied this is not the case, the queen decides to get the attention of Lady Amora’s sister Prying her from Ward’s shoulder.
Queen K:
Lady Sif… A word with you and your baby daddy…
Lady Sif:
Baby Daddy?…
Queen K:
Yes… baby daddy… The one known as Mack the Executioner explained it to me earlier… It’s what they call them here on Midgard… Your sister seems unduly distraught at the sight of the two of you… I believe her feelings for Grant Ward run far deeper than either of you realize… I fear for the state of her judgment under the circumstances…
Dr. Laufy reaches the roof, where little Karny and Princess Meghan toil in the queen’s rooftop garden.
Meghan:
Sister!… Sister!… Look what I can do!…
Meghan rushes over to Dr. Laufey with a small potted plant in her hands to show her.
Meghan:
Look!… My power works here on Midgard!… It didn’t work at all in Niflheim…
The small flower in the pot suddenly grows rapidly, becoming taller than Meghan and overflowing the edges of the pot to hang down to the ground.
Dr. Laufey:
I knew it would sister… Keep practicing… and you’ll make proper Daughter Grimoire yet…
Meghan:
Really?…
Dr. Laufey:
Really… I have to run an errand for our sister… I have to go fetch someone… I know I can count on you to look after little Karny for me… whenever I’m not around… for whatever reason… Right Meghan?…
Meghan:
Absolutely!… You know me!…
Dr. Laufey:
I know Meghan… I know…
Dr. Laufey then gives Meghan a sudden strong hug, catching her off guard.
Meghan:
Okay… Sister I love you too… Are you okay?… You seem not okay…
Dr. Laufey:
I’m okay sister… Or I will be… There’s just a lot to deal with lately…
Dr. Laufey begins to walk over to little Karny, as little Karny gets up and rushes over to her Aunty Amora, and gives her a big hug around her waste.
Dr. Laufey:
There there little Karny… I love you too… Now I have to go… You be good for your daddy and Aunty Meghan now… No matter what you hear?…
Little Karny:
Yes Aunty Amora… I love you too…
Little Karny releases her Aunty Amora, as Amora pulls out a small matte black griffin just like her grandson Alistair’s, sans Union Jack, from one of the pockets of her doctor’s lab coat. She tosses the griffin aside, and it enlarges to a full size flying griffin golem. Dr. Laufey steps into the stirrups, and climbs into the saddle. The griffin lifts off and begins to fly away, as Dr. Laufey begins to tear up. Little Karny and Meghan wave goodbye, as Dr. Laufey and the griffin shimmer away and disappear.
Mack, Morse, and Hunter make their way to the Dunbar Hotel on three of Mack’s bikes. As they pass the cordon, Mack pipes up and starts talking to his shoulder, as Morse and Hunter take notice and look at Mack as if he’s lost it.
Mack:
Alright… I know your there… I’ve known since my FSB detected it as you landed on my back… So you might as well talk to me… and introduce your little friend there… Ant Boy…
Ant Man:
It’s Ant… Man!… Sorry… Gen. Talbot ordered me to spy on those other two… just in case they came across anything useful… And to provide backup… or an SOS… In case anything got too crazy… Honestly… I think he just wanted to get rid of me… I don’t think he likes me… I’m not his kind of soldier… But I was glad to out of that place too… I don’t really belong there either… I’m strictly a freelance NGO too… I don’t mix well with authority… Oh… This is my girlfriend and partner Wasp… She and her dad can’t really show their faces around the badges because they’re still wanted by the feds… They were never here by the way… Is that cool?…
Mack:
Cool… Does that mean Hank Pym is around here somewhere as well?… I don’t need specifics…
Hope:
He’s around… Honestly… He should have stayed home… But as soon as heard about the war… We couldn’t keep him away… It’s like his old cold war mentality got rebooted… He’s started talking in almost nothing but tactical and strategic military jargon… He’s like Dr. Pym and Sgt. Hide now…
Outside the Dunbar Hotel, a white utility van pulls up in front, with the logo and sign for ‘X-Con Security Consultants’ painted on both sides. Inside, X-Con Security Consultants Ceo Luis, a Hispanic man with short black hair and a goatee, rides shotgun, with with his partner Dave, a black man with short hair and stubble, behind the wheel. Immediately behind them is another partner Kurt, a white man with black hair held gravity free by various hair products, wearing a pair of shades with orange lenses, manning a computer and surveillance station behind the driver’s seat. In the back of the van sit their principle patrons, an elderly man and woman, Dr. Henry Hank Pym his wife Dr. Janet Van Dyne.
Kurt:
Babo Yaga… We are headed for Babo Yaga… into the lair… of the witch… Babo Yaga…
Dave:
Awh man… Not that again…
Dr. Pym:
The owner of the hotel… is named Guiletta Nefaria… AKA Madame Masque… Not Babo Yaga!… But I suppose it might as well be… by reputation… I’ve seldom had dealings with the mafia… except for reasons of national security… whenever they would branch out into terrorism… or would simply do business with the enemy… I’ve never had dealings with this Madame Masque character… But I have heard of her… One of the last hings I did in the suit… was kill her husband… Count Luchino Nefaria…
Dr. Van Dyne:
I don’t remember that…
Dr. Pym:
It was some time after you had disappeared… I don’t think she ever knew it was me… Not even as Ant Man… And they were estranged at the time… So I’m not sure how much that matters… But Hope said they’re on their way here now… So the die is cast… But that’s not the worst of it here… Besides this Kree enemy… I’ve heard that she’s in league with The Hand… Something I have come across… and still gives me nightmares… But no one ever believed my report… This is fourth generation warfare… with alleged black magic… and supposed aliens… And I’m not even talking about Thor… Trust me… Pretty soon you may wish it was Babo Yaga… Look we better get a move on… before the others get here… Now… I’m only going to say this once… You knuckleheads aren’t heroes… If I find out that you’re acting as heroes on my dime… I’ll more than fire your asses… Understand?… Your legitimate security consultants now… And this hotel just had a gangland massacre in it… Go ahead and check into the hotel… the three of you… and see if you can sell them your services while you’re at it… Do you usual spiel… Pass out business cards… But don’t get carried away… And don’t be too enticing… The last thing you want… is to be hired by the mafia… Because then… There goes your legitimacy… If they become a problem for you…
Dr. Van Dyne:
Then we’ll become a problem for them…
Dr. Pym:
Exactly… I’ve killed mafia before… It’s not by preference… But I have no problem with it… Maybe I’ll just feed them to my ants…
Luis:
Now your starting to sound like this Babo Yaga…
Dr. Pym:
This is war!… Potentially all out war for the survival of the entire planet and the human species… Get used to it!… Those are the stakes we’re playing for here… And we’re playing for keeps… Now get going… Janet and I are going to check in on an old scientist colleague of ours who stays at the hotel here full time… and can’t leave because of a special condition of his… Dr. Jason Wilkes… He’s probably not involved… But he has a condition and might be in harms way… And we need his help for other reasons…
In a white room with black curtains at the ranch in Ojai, where Werner Von Strucker lies in the dark, with the shadows in his mind running from themselves, Dr. Laufey unlocks the door to his room, and enters, closing and locking the door behind her, as Werner continues to drone on in the dark.
Von Strucker:
Kill me… Kill me… Please kill me… Please let me die… Why can’t I just die… Please just let me die… Please kill me… Kill me… Kill me…
Dr. Laufey:
I’m sorry Werner… But I can’t allow that…
Dr. Laufey walks over and draws the black curtains aside, letting light in and startling Von Strucker, intensifying his droning.
Von Strucker:
Kill me!… Please please kill me!…
Dr. Laufey:
Now now Werner… I’m afraid I need you to live… Where there’s life there is hope… Even for those damned to a hell of their own mind… I have to believe that… It may seem a forlorn hope for some… But I can never accept that… My love demands a salvation from his own hell… And I need yours to help with his…
Von Strucker:
Help me… Kill me… Help me die… Kill me…
Dr. Laufey:
I’m sorry Werner… But I can’t help you with that… Hopefully you will understand some day… Hopefully you will agree… that with life there is hope… And hopefully with that… also forgiveness… If you can hear me Werner… I hope someday you can bring your self to forgive Grant Ward… Neither I nor Grant are entitled to any such forgiveness… But there are no guarantees of salvation in any form… to begin with… Not for anyone… no matter how deserving…
Von Strucker:
Please kill me…
Dr. Laufey pulls out her shrunk down matte black griffin, and holds it up to Werner’s face, as Werner looks intently at the small idol.
Von Stucker:
Can you kill me?… Please kill me…
White sparkles begin stream into Werner’s eyes, nose, and mouth, before he begins to emit a pulsating blue glow for a few moment.
Von Strucker:
What?… What?… was that?…
Dr. Laufey:
That… was something called… Black Box Extremis… I wish I could have asked for your informed consent… But your condition would not allow it… And I was desperate… for personal reasons… But those few words that you just spoke are already a vast improvement for you… Do you have anything else to say?…
Von Strucker:
Where am I?… Doctor… Laufey?…
Dr. Laufey:
You are at my private clinic… I have been seeing to your care for some time now… But without success… until now… How are you feeling exactly?… Any confusion?… or discomfort?…
Von Strucker:
No… I feel better than I ever have… As far as I remember… And I seem to remember things pretty well… perfectly in fact… except for how I got here… or what happened to me… Can you fill in the blanks?…
Dr. Laufey:
Well… I don’t think that I should fill in too many blanks… Part of your recovery process should be to work through it yourself gradually… Otherwise the process itself can become too traumatic and cause a relapse… You experienced severe physical and psychological trauma… including some brain damage… Do you remember Grant Ward?…
Von Strucker:
Yeah… I remember him… He taught me a lot… More than my father ever did… I owe him a great deal…
Dr. Laufey:
What was the last thing you remember about him?…
Von Strucker:
I remember that he had me tortured nearly to death… But I had that coming… He used me… And I failed him… Then I betrayed him out of fear and weakness… I wasn’t ready to be truthful… That much is on him… the rest is all me… But he did teach me a great deal… I do owe him a great deal… Is he still alive?… He seemed like the kind to live fast and die hard… Hydra style… Hydra… That name makes me laugh now… Is that weird?…
Dr. Laufey:
Kind of… But laughter is at least healthier than wishing for death… Which was the only thing we could get out of you before… Grant Ward is alive… but not as you knew him… And that is a bit of a complicated story in and of it self… You might want to work your way up to that… Do you remember any of that at all?…
Von Strucker:
Only vague memories of some people… putting me into some machine… being trapped in it… But that doesn’t seem real to me… Did you put me in a machine?…
Dr. Laufey:
I didn’t… I want you to see if you can recover some of that lost memory if you can… Work it through on your own… At this rate… You’ll no doubt soon be discharged from here… But we can’t take anything for granted here… I have to leave on an errand to fetch my sister… And I may not return for some time… Before I tried my experimental treatment… I left word for you to be evaluated by another doctor for potential release in case the treatment worked… I’m sorry… I wish I could stay… But your miraculous recovery has filled my heart with hope young Werner… Now I will leave you to it…
Von Strucker:
Thanks Dr. Laufey… for everything… really…
Dr. Laufey goes to the door and unlocks it leaves, then locks the door behind her, to the annoyance of Werner.
Von Strucker:
Is that really necessary?… What?… Father?… Is that you?… Where is that coming from?… Oh… I see… Cool… Now I finally get your undivided attention… even though it’s just these… What are they called?… FSBs?… Fits Simmons Boxes?… Interesting… So that’s what stabilized the failed Extremis prototype… You’re filled with all kind of interesting information… Aren’t you?… Daddy?… That was a rhetorical question… Enough of this… I’m not staying here… With all due respect to Dr. Laufey… We’re blowing his joint… I want to take a look around… get back into the world and get my damn life back… Whatever you say dad… Hail flipping Hydra!…
Werner laughs at his own mocking salute, then walks over the door, and rips the door knob right out of the door.
Von Strucker:
Woh!… That is some treatment!… Lets see who else is here in need of treatment…
Werner puts his boots on, and he walks on down the hall, to a pair of cells with heavy reinforced doors. Werner hears howling and growling coming through the bars of the doors, sounding more like humans in agony and torment, than beasts in a cage, but just barely. On the two doors are plaques that read, respectively, ‘Hell Hound Subject: Logon: Wolverine’ and ‘Hell Hound Subject: Victor: Sabretooth.’
Werner walks up to the door for the Sabretooth, and looks inside. Only to nearly have his eyes and face ripped to shreds by a large light ginger haired naked man, with unnaturally long finger nails, resembling claws more than fingernails, as he lunges at the door and thrusts his claw through the door to swipe at Werner’s face. The Sabretooth growls and drools at Werner like a hungry dog eyeing raw meat. Wrapped snug around his neck is a light gray metallic chain, holding a light gray metallic dog tag reading ‘Victor: Sabretooth.’
Werner chances a peak into the other cell, and sees a sort, squat, and stocky naked man with black hair, with a similar light gray metallic chain around his neck, curled up into ball with his head in the corner.
Von Strucker:
Hey there… Are you okay?… Or do you like to rip faces off too?…
The figure in the corner turns to look briefly at Werner only to howl in mournful agony, then turn back to his corner curling into an even tighter ball with his head in the corner.
Von Strucker:
Wow!… I don’t know which of you has it worse… This place is more of a zoo than a clinic… I think I may be able to help you hard cases out… If not… it should be interesting anyway… memorable even… Shush father I having fun… And I could use some new friends… Now… How do I do this again?… Is there an instruction manual for this thing… All my other memories are perfect… beyond perfect… Except for this extended gap… I don’t remember exactly how Dr. Laufey did this… Oh… Then do it… Both of them… I want to see what happens… It’s like… for science… or whatever…
White sparkles begin to stream out from Werner’s eyes, nose and mouth, and flow through the bars of the two cells, and into the eyes, nose, and mouth of Logan and Victor. The white sparkles stop flowing and the two recovering hell hounds begin to emit a pulsating blue glow for moment.
Logan:
Aaggh… My head…
Victor:
Where am I?!?… Who are you?!?…
Von Strucker:
I’m Werner Von Strucker… Were in some sort of private clinic… But I don’t know where… I’m a patient here too… Hey… Do you know who has the key to these doors?… They’re pretty heavy looking… I’m much stronger now than I was before my recent treatment… But I don’t know that I can manage these doors without a key… I’m getting out of here… I wouldn’t mind taking you two with me…
Logan makes his way to the door to take a look at his benefactor through the bars.
Victor:
I’m sick and tired of being caged!…
The Sabretooth grabs the bars of his cage, and screams a beastial howl, as he rips the door out of it’s doorway and tosses it aside.
Victor:
Rrraaaarrrrgggh!!!…
Logan grips the bars and braces himself, then he breaths in slowly and deeply, tensing up as he does, before giving out a loud forceful exhale, as he wrenches the door out and tosses it over his head against the back of the cell.
Logan:
Haaah!!!…
Logan walks out of his cell, and glances at Victor and Werner.
Logan:
Okay bub… Now what?…
Von Strucker:
Well for starters… Clothing… seriously… along with a serious consideration of the fine art of manscaping… seriously…
Instinctively, without really knowing how. The two recovering hell hounds use their FSBs too fabricate authentic Civil War era Union Army uniforms.
Logan:
Are we in the army?…
Von Strucker:
From about a hundred and fifty years ago maybe… Those are a bit out of date… This magic trick is part of the treatment… But I got mine less than an hour before I gave it to you… So we’re learning together… Ditch the hats and the other gear… They’re too conspicuous… We need to be discrete… That’ll have to be good enough for now… Lets blow this joint and find out where the hell we are… The clinic is in California I think… At least that’s what it looks like out the window…
The X-Con Security Consultants crew make their way to the bar of the jazz club after checking in. They hand out their card to the bartender, and give their most incompetent spiel ever to the bartender, as he listens politely and nods with raised eyebrows. In a booth in the back sits Dr. Bill Foster, a middle aged black man in glasses with short salt and pepper hair and stubble, along with a black woman with long black hair in a white hooded overcoat, as the woman’s hands shake around a glass of whiskey, straight.
Dr. Foster:
Looks like Hank is here… Time to go… How are you hanging in there Ava?…
Ava:
Barely… The last treatment has already worn off… It’s working less and less… This Dr. Wilkes better have something… I’m at the end of it here…
The two make their way to Dr. Wilkes apartment, and run into Dr. Pym and Dr. Van Dyne just outside the door. Dr. Pym looks at Dr. Foster and Ava as they approach them.
Dr. Pym:
Well Bill… here goes nothing…
Dr. Pym knocks on the door, and Dotty answers the door.
Dr. Pym:
Um… Is this the residence of a Dr. Jason Wilkes?…
Dr. Wilkes:
I’m here…
Dr. Wilkes opens the door wider, and stands next to Dotty in the opening.
Dr. Wilkes:
Dr. Pym?… Your here?… Aren’t you wanted by the feds or something?…
Dr. Pym:
The feds are of no real concern to at the moment… We all have much bigger problems than them to worry about… But we have a more immediate and personal problem to deal with… Along those lines… If you don’t mind me asking… how are you solid?… Did you have a breakthrough?…
Dr. Wilkes:
Not really… Something just sort of… fell into my lap… You know how it is sometimes… Can’t take credit for everything… Real science doesn’t work that way…
Dr. Pym:
Where can we get some of that?…
Dr. Wilkes:
What do you need it for?… Did something happen?…
Ava:
I happened…
Dr. Wilkes looks at Ava and sees her trembling in and out of phase hands and body.
Dr. Wilkes:
Well… At first glance your condition seems a bit different than mine… But it might be similar enough for what I have to work… Come on in… Ava…
Ava begins to walk inside, and face plants against some invisible barrier in the doorway.
Dr. Wilkes:
Oh!… Sorry!… I forgot that was still on… I don’t need it anymore… But I’m so used to having it on constantly… I forgot to turn it off…
Ava:
Don’t apologize Dr. Wilkes… That’s the first solid thing I’ve felt in weeks…
Dr. Van Dyne:
Maybe that’s a sign that we’ve come to the right place…
Dr. Foster:
We can only hope…
Mack, Morse, and Hunter make their way into the bar of the jazz club at the Dunbar, with diminutive friends literally piggybacking clandestinely.
Ant Man:
Don’t look now… Those three guys at the bar… are with me and Dr. Pym… Which means he’s here already… Dr. Pym has some other business here of a personal nature… for the sake of a friend of a friend… But why the hell are they sitting at the bar?… This is enemy territory… I don’t know what Hank’s thinking… I need to have a talk with those guys…
Mack:
We can’t be seen with them… Do you two have coms?…
Ant Man:
Yeah… Why?…
Mack:
Why don’t you go keep your friends at the bar company… And leave your other friend here… And let me know if you hear from Dr. Pym… And be careful… This place has been known to break out in gangland massacres recently…
Ant Man:
Roger that…
Ant Man jumps off Mack’s shoulder and makes his way over to the bar to touch base with his friends. Mack and company make their way to a booth, and settle in for a reverse stakeout, hoping to be noticed by the wrong people. Seeking an air clearing private conversation with her sister, Lady Sif reaches roof to see if Dr. Laufey has returned, with Ward following along in confused support.
Lady Sif:
Princess Meghan… Has our sister Lady Amora returned from Ojai?…
Meghan:
Is that where she was going to fetch someone for you?… She didn’t say where from…
Lady Sif:
Fetch someone for me?… From a private clinic?… Are you mixed up again?…
Ward:
Why would she want to fetch someone?… It almost looks like the covering behavior of a double agent… which is ridiculous… Unless she has something in mind… that she doesn’t want anyone to know about… besides recovering hell hounds…
Lady Sif:
Are you accusing my sister of something Grant Ward?…
Ward:
Yeah… Of being desperate powerful and pregnant… And I don’t want to see how that turns out when I’m not around to put the pin back in… We have to check out Ojai…
Little Karny:
She flew off west on her griffin!… Is she Okay?… She seemed upset!… Aunty Meghan felt it too!…
Ward:
I’ll see to it Karny Girl!… You have my word!… No matter what!…
Lady Sif:
As will I!… No matter what!… No matter where!… And we’ll take my golem to Ojai now!… for starters!…
Lady Sif pulls out her shrunk down matte black winged horse golem and tosses it up in the air slightly, before it begins to float there for a moment, pulsating with a red glow as it grows bigger, beyond the point of riding, to the point of entering like a matte black winged trojan horse shuttle, pulsating red. The winged horse shuttle golem opens up, morphing and shape shifting as it grows bigger, with a ramp for them to climb on board.
Lady Sif:
Grab your gear Grant Ward… We may end up going to war chasing after my sister’s broken heart…
Ward:
I’m ready to go anytime… anywhere… You just say the word…
Lady Sif:
Let’s go!…
Grant Ward and Lady Sif climb in to the growing golem, as it lifts off the roof and swallows them up inside the gut of her giant winged horse. Windows open up in front of the now giant winged horse golem, with Lady Sif in the pilot seat of the cockpit. The giant winged horse shimmers out of view as it flies away towards Ojai California. Werner Von Strucker makes his way alone to the Johnson Building Attempting to track down Grant Ward, but catches the attention Dr. Simmons, who escorts him alone down to her lab, burning with scientific curiosity, and brimming with questions.
Dr. Simmons:
So Dr. Laufey administered Black Box Extremis to you?… And it worked?… You have no idea how gratified I am about that… That damn memory machine should have been destroyed long before you went in… But then you gave it to two hell hounds?… and it worked?…
Von Strucker:
I don’t know that they were hell hounds… I just know that they were labeled hell hounds… ‘Hell Hound Subject: Logon: Wolverine’… and ‘Hell Hound Subject: Victor: Sabretooth’… at the clinic… I thought it all kinds of kinky and twisted… I thought I could help these two hard cases with whatever had helped me… And it seemed to work… till around Malibu… Then they seemed to remember who they were…
Dr. Simmons:
Well… Isn’t that a good thing?…
Von Strucker:
Normally it would be… except that they remembered that they hate each other… and want to do nothing but kill each other now… I lost track of them somewhere over the back hills of Malibu… And I gave up… Last I saw of them… the smaller one… the Wolverine… was chasing after the big ginger one… the Sabretooth… screaming ‘Silver Fox’… whoever or whatever that is… But Grant Ward isn’t here after all?…
Dr. Simmons:
Not at the moment… they just left in fact… But you’ve come to the right place… You should stay here anyway for a while… till you get your bearings… When Grant Ward left… There was some concern for Dr. Laufey’s emotional state… How did she seem to you when you saw her?…
Von Strucker:
She seemed fine… hopeful… She said that she had to leave on an errand to fetch her sister… And that she may not return for some time… That’s all…
Dr. Simmons:
But her sisters are here… Or were… Lady Sif just left hours ago looking for her… Why wouldn’t she come here for them?…
Von Strucker:
Does she have any other sisters anywhere else?…
Dr. Simmons:
None alive…
With sudden horizon spanning arcs of emerald lightening, an emerald and Loki green sparkling green metallic FSB colonized mass, of what used to be Nova Roma in Niflheim, appears and floats in the sky above the sea just off the beach of the LA Coast. It just floats there like the magical continent of Asgard, but smaller, city sized, surrounded by a high emerald green sparkling walls, but with no bridge of any kind, rainbow or otherwise. Along the watch tower, watches a young teenage girl with long black hair and a matte black hooded cloak. She stares out at Los Angeles, as the city lights flicker on, and her emerald city grows dark except a dim green sparkling glow. Just as the lightening dies down, the roar of the Hulk is heard echoing in the LA early evening sky, echoing through the Johnson Building, and rattling one Avenger in particular.
Romanov:
Bruce?…
Politics Are Poison!
Poison That Never Ends!
Battles Of Shadows And Mist!
That Forever Never End!
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