Fanfiction.net has been having issues with their updating/alert system as of late...hmmm...
Anyway, chapter six is here on FF if you wanna read it there.
Warm-up
It didn't take them too long to find Nightwing's Gauntlet, but when the trio arrived, the arena was just a circular platform surrounded by what looked like a moat of some kind. And in the center of that platform, Torunn was going after James with her sword, while he was defending with a hard light construct-replica of Captain America's shield.
Flare-Up paused at the start of the bridge that went over the moat, blinking for a moment before frowning. "Those two look familiar, but I can't place where I've seen them...." She closed one eye, the open one following the fight as James threw his shield before materializing a second one, blocking Torunn's sword again as she dodged his attack.
Myra wasn't really paying all that much attention to Flare-Up at this point -- she was watching James and Torunn move around the arena, trying to find each others' weak points in order to win the match. Captain America, who had his arms folded across his chest, was watching them too, occasionally nodding in approval whenever James would block a strike or get one of his kicks, punches, or sword throws close enough to almost hit Torrun out of her semi-flying jumps.
"Ah. So that's where they're from."
Myra blinked, then looked over at Flare-Up, who had both eyes open again.
"What do you mean?" Myra blinked.
"I knew that those two looked familiar." Flare-Up nodded to the two in the arena. "They were featured in comics and a cartoon movie on my home world." She paused, then looked over at Captain America, her tone taking on something of a more suspicious nature. "But the reality where they lived had a good number of the Avengers killed by Ultron, leaving only the Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, and Iron Man alive."
"Their reality collapsed some time ago," Captain America responded without missing a beat. "They came over into ours and caused a little trouble before Fury reigned them in and figured out what was going on. That was a month before all this."
Flare-Up hummed at that, and said nothing else.
James pushed Torrun back after a moment, shield and sword grinding against each other and sending sparks flying. The two slid back from one another, panting heavily as they turned their heads to look at their audience.
"I'd heard that you'd been found, but I didn't think you'd be here so soon."
Myra turned her head sharply in surprise upon hearing the voice, and blinked in confusion when she saw a young man wearing a blue and black costume approach them. For a moment, she thought it was Seeker, but then she saw the hawk-like shape on his chest rather than the dog head-like shape and realized they were different people.
"I'm told that time has warped, making 'soon' more of a variable than it usually is." Flare-Up stepped towards the teenage boy. "Which explains why I was trapped for 75 years, but you live still."
Nightwing nodded. "What name are you using?"
"Flare-Up. World Jumper is my title, remember?"
"World Jumper?" James crossed the bridge over the moat, Torunn right at his heels. "That can't be right. The World Jumper was wearing armor when we found her...."
"You didn't think I was going to get physical upgrades?" Flare-Up raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you've upgraded your shield at least a little, James Rogers."
James stared at Flare-Up with wide eyes, but then they narrowed as he demanded, "How do you know who I am?"
Flare-Up’s eyebrow raised even further. "I have heard about you and your world. Is that really something that you should be surprised about?"
James blinked for a moment, then shook his head in order to clear the frown and surprise from his face. "I didn't think you knew, since you didn't show up when our world collapsed."
"I only show up where I know that I'm needed. Something else probably caught my attention at the time." Flare-Up paused. "I had been going to Captain America's world, but something forced me off course. By the time I had gotten off the world I had found myself on, something else caught my attention."
Myra blinked at that. "Then...where did you end up?"
Flare-Up considered the question, then shook her head. "It's not important."
Something in the look on her face made Myra wonder what exactly it was Flare-Up had done. She decided against asking when Nightwing spoke up again.
"You mentioned you had an upgrade." Nightwing looked Flare-Up over. "Do you have that Light Refractor active?"
Flare-Up shook her head. "I haven't attempted to access it yet. My systems have been...changed."
Nightwing didn't even need to consider what that meant. "You're looking for a spar to get back on your feet."
"Exactly."
Nightwing nodded. "Got a line-up?"
"Most of the people in my 'line-up' are either up in the Watchtower or taken out by the MindTech." Flare-Up's voice came out in a slight snarl. "I do have some, but I need to understand the 'levels' that have been installed in my system first."
Nightwing inclined his head. "And the level you're at now?"
"One." Flare-Up hefted her staff. "Most likely, it represents my state before I was transferred into my Reploid form."
"Really?" Myra jumped a bit when she realized she had asked the question.
Flare-Up looked over at Myra and nodded.
"I think that fighting you as you are now would be pretty interesting." Nightwing's thoughtful expression gained a knowing smirk. "Especially considering our last fight had me at a disadvantage."
Myra stared at Nightwing as Flare-Up blinked for a moment. After a while, the World Jumper snorted and rolled her eyes.
"I think we were pretty evenly matched, even with my armor," Flare-Up said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, that tournament had hazards that were there to affect both sides. I saw Thor and Loki coming. You didn't. It's that simple."
Myra blinked in confusion while Torrun frowned.
"How do you know about my father and his half-brother?" Torrun asked cautiously.
"I met them." Flare-Up shrugged. "Is that such an impossible idea?"
Torrun frowned, then looked over at Captain America. "I suppose not...."
"We can discuss this later," Nightwing said. He gave Flare-Up an interested look. "We've got someone to break in." He started across the bridge to the arena. Flare-Up followed after him a moment later, her staff clacking against the wooden slats of the bridge.
Myra bit her lower lip worriedly as the two of them got into position.
"Don't worry."
Myra looked up when she heard Captain America's comment.
"Those two will be able to handle each other," the Avenger continued. "Just watch."
Flare-Up and Nightwing moved to either sides of the arena, shifting into crouching positions. Flare-Up held her staff in front of her at an angle, both of her hands gripping the wood tightly, while Nightwing kept his hands free of anything from his utility belt.
There was a crunch of sand under their feet, and Flare-Up and Nightwing charged at each other, the World Jumper bringing her staff back for a swing.
Nightwing ducked under the staff and brought a fist into Flare-Up’s gut, causing her to grunt and stumble back. “You’re too used to having your armor.”
“I’ve had it for three years at least; I don’t expect it to be easy to adjust back,” Flare-Up snapped in reply. She spun her staff in front of herself quickly, whacking Nightwing once as he moved back. “Why do you think I asked for a spar?”
Nightwing simply smirked, and he went in again in order to kick Flare-Up in the side, but she caught his leg on her staff and pushed him back, sending him into a backflip. When Flare-Up came at him and brought her staff forward, Nightwing dodged it again, only for the staff to suddenly be swung under his feet and caused him to leap up before a fist collided with his face.
Myra flinched back as Nightwing fell back, only to stare as he tripped Flare-Up and pushed himself back up again.
“You never picked up anything from the time we were on the same world, did you?” Nightwing asked dryly.
Flare-Up’s eyes narrowed wordlessly, and she leapt up to her feet and lunged for Nightwing again.
Orange sparks followed Flare-Up’s staff, and a moment later Nightwing was ducking a fire-covered staff.
Myra gasped, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of the flames.
“Whoa!” Torunn’s jaw dropped. “How didst she set her weapon ablaze? I see no technology with which to cause it.”
“There’s no friction in air.” Pym frowned, tapping his chin.
“Is she a mutant?” Azari asked.
“She’s a Reploid,” Captain America corrected.
“I was wondering when you were going to start tapping into that,” Nightwing commented. He ducked under Flare-Up’s lunging staff and tried to come in again for another punch, but Flare-Up’s clenched fists came slamming down on his back, sending him crashing to the ground.
“Level Two.” Flare-Up looked her hands over with slightly raised eyebrows as flames sparked across her fingers. “Hm.” She jumped back as Nightwing rose to his feet again, staff no longer in her hands as she clenched her fists. “Now this is more like it.”
“You’ve got your power split up.” Nightwing started circling around the sparring field, Flare-Up mimicking him a moment later.
“Indeed.” Flare-Up held out one hand, and a blast of flames formed the staff again, and she raised it high before slamming it into the ground. “Icy Terrain!”
A wave of ice suddenly blasted out from where the staff hit the ground, covering the platform in a slick surface.
“Whoa!” Pym’s jaw dropped. “She can take heat out of things, too?”
“I didn’t see her use this technique.” Captain America frowned. “Unless….”
“Unless?” Myra looked up at the Avenger in confusion.
Captain America shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”
Nightwing hit the ground and his legs slipped out from under him. “Where did this come from?!”
“An old trick of mine I haven’t done in years,” Flare-Up replied, twirling her staff in one hand. “And there’s more where that came from.” She lunged forward, swinging her staff back before swinging it forward, causing a blast of cold wind to fly across the battlefield. Nightwing was caught in the blast and blocked it from hitting his face, but that didn’t stop what looked like snow forming on his arm.
“Looks like she’s giving him a thorough beating.”
Myra jumped at the voice that came from behind her, and she turned quickly. “Seeker!”
Captain America glanced back as Seeker stepped forward to join him, Myra, and the others in watching the spar. “Didn’t you say that you had some things that you needed to take care of?”
“I’ve taken care of them; we’re still off the radar.” Seeker shrugged. “Besides, there was someone here who wanted to know where the World Jumper was.”
“Flare-Up,” Myra corrected. “She said we should call her that.”
Seeker’s eyebrows rose at that. “Flare-Up? It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name.” He smirked and chuckled. “I should have thought that she would want to go by that.”
“Is that her, then?” A short, green man walking on log-like stilts waddled over to the group, leaning on a staff as he looked through a pair of glasses perched on his nose at Flare-Up and Nightwing as Nightwing managed to find his footing on the ice and lunged for Flare-Up, intending to trip her up. “I was under the impression that she was a mechanical being of some kind.”
“She is, Samos,” Seeker replied. “She appears to have gotten some upgrades recently.”
The staff disappeared from Flare-Up’s hand right as her right hand clenched into a fist, and suddenly she was back in the armor she had been wearing when Myra had first seen her.
Only this time, her right hand had been replaced by the barrel of a cannon.
“I think that’s enough,” Nightwing said.
Myra blinked. Was he speaking a little more quickly than normal?
Flare-Up paused at that, then her right arm glowed for a moment as her right hand came out of the cannon and returned her arm to normal. “Very well then.”
“How do you know she isn’t rusty with her Reploid form, Nightwing?” Seeker asked, raising his voice.
Flare-Up whirled sharply at Seeker’s voice as he stepped onto the bridge and started coming over towards them. Her eyes widened slightly when they locked with Seeker’s.
“She spent most of her time in it; I wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn’t,” Nightwing replied.
“She’s been in cryosleep for a long time; I would expect her to be a bit sluggish at first. You could still have the advantage.” Seeker smirked at Flare-Up, who had schooled her expression into something more serious. “But if you don’t want to take her on, then I’ll spar with her myself.”
“I had to train you when we first met,” Nightwing replied. “What makes you think that you would be able to handle whatever she throws at you?”
“Because I know what she can do – probably better than the rest of the people here, in fact.” Seeker nodded to Flare-Up. “Are you up to the challenge?”
Flare-Up inclined her head slightly at the question, then gave a slight nod.
“All right.” Seeker slammed a fist into an open palm as Nightwing slipped across the iced-over platform and over to the bridge, getting out of their way. “I should have you know that I’ve picked up a few things since we last saw each other. You probably won’t be able to read me very well.”
“I don’t mind.” Flare-Up shifted into a ready position, bringing her fists up in front of her. “Seeing how you’ve improved will be interesting, to say the least.”
Myra looked between the two of them as Nightwing came over. “They know each other? The World Jumper has a lot more connections than I thought….”
“Flare-Up has been to multiple dimensions and has managed to meet more people than any one of us ever could in a single lifetime.” Nightwing raised an eyebrow. “Almost everyone here knows who she is and what she is capable of.”
Samos snorted. “We could have used her assistance in the resistance here against the MetalHeads. I don’t understand why she would have not come here in order to assist us in keeping balance when we needed it most!”
“You had Jak to handle it!” Flare-Up called back.
“Concentrate on me!” Seeker held up his hands as blue fire erupted from them, and he threw a fiery sphere at Flare-Up, who ducked and let the ball go flying harmlessly over her head.
“Jak?” Myra repeated, confused. “Who’s that?”
Samos sighed irritably. “Our missing king.”
“Who you haven’t let me get back!” barked another voice.
Myra looked down and jolted in surprise when she caught sight of a orange weasel-like creature wearing pants on its hind legs and goggles perched on top of its head.
“You would only end up in the same place that he has, Daxter!” Samos snapped in reply. “I would rather keep you here so that you can maintain this gauntlet rather than let you run rampant and get caught by the very monsters that caught us all off guard and took off with Jak Mar!”
The weasel creature – Daxter, apparently – ducked his head at Samos’ scolding and muttered something under his breath, only to get whacked over the head by Samos’ staff. He scrambled off and disappeared from sight.
Flare-Up and Seeker slammed into each other right at that moment, arms covered in red and blue flames. The clash and fireworks show that resulted caused Myra to look up sharply in surprise.
Flare-Up and Seeker slid back from each other, both smirking, which caused James to do a double-take.
“Is it me, or does Seeker look like he’s enjoying himself?” James asked.
“He looks like it,” Torrun replied, frowning.
“You’ve picked up a few tricks,” Flare-Up noted as she and Seeker started to circle each other.
“You really think that I’m not going to pick things up when I saw you throwing fire around, little sister,” Seeker replied.
Myra stiffened in surprise at that as the others did a double-take.
“Sister?” Torrun repeated. “Seeker, thou art the World Jumper’s sister?”
Seeker and Flare-Up paused in their movements, then looked over at their audience.
“Is that really such a crazy idea?” Seeker asked, raising an eyebrow. Flare-Up mimicked his expression a moment later, but her smirk dropped while his stayed.
“W-well, I was not aware that World Jumpers could have….” Torrun’s voice faded, and she ducked her head under the stares she was getting from them both. “Could have families.”
“I did not simply come into existence,” Flare-Up said. “Someone did not simply say a command word and summon me from nothing, or create this shell and give me life. I…” She paused, then looked away and shook her head. “I am not like X and Zero.”
Seeker put a hand on Flare-Up’s shoulder. “No; you’re not.” He looked over at Nightwing. “Now that we’ve got my sister back, we can start making more moves against the Dark Arms and take people back.”
“Myra and I will be working together,” Flare-Up said seriously. Myra swallowed nervously in response and shifted from one foot to the other; the movement caught the World Jumper’s attention. “Don’t underestimate yourself. You know the lay of the land more than I do.”
Myra blinked a couple times. “U-uh—“ She shook her head rapidly. “I don’t have any sort of power like you do, though! I wouldn’t be able to keep up as well as—“
“Look at your hands.”
Myra looked at Maria sharply, wide-eyed.
“Myra,” Flare-Up’s tone was strangely, slightly softer than it normally sounded like. “Look at your hands.”
Myra blinked in confusion, then looked down at her hands. Her eyes widened, and she scrambled back with a squeak, shaking her hands as purple fire danced on her fingers. “Wh-what is this?!”
“You’re manifesting!” Azari exclaimed.
“I’m what?” The purple flames started to pick up even more so, causing Myra to squeak again as she tried to shake her hands out.
A pair of gloved hands grabbed her wrists.
Myra looked up and locked gazes with Flare-Up, who was glaring at her with a determined expression that made her flinch back.
“Calm down. Breathe; take it slow.” Flare-Up’s grip on Myra’s wrists tightened slightly, then released them when the purple flames tried to jump from Myra’s hands to the World Jumper’s. “This power is a part of you; it’s not going to hurt you.”
Myra stared at Flare-Up with wide eyes, then looked down at her hands and stared at the purple flames. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply in and out, forcing her heart to slow its panicked pacing.
When she opened her eyes again, the purple flames had gone down to embers, then disappeared entirely.
“Looks like we’ve got another reason for you to be working with my sister,” Seeker remarked. “You have the same power she does.”
“Not entirely the same.” Flare-Up shook her head. “Those fires are Psychic attacks made physical – a Mental Flare.”
“Mental Flare…” Myra tried the word out, hesitant.
“I’ll teach you what I can, but it will have to be quick lessons while we’re winning the multiverse back,” Flare-Up said. “Nightwing; keep me posted. The first sign of a MindTech in the area, send me out.”
“You’re sure about that.” Nightwing folded his arms across his chest. “What if this is a Brainiac event?”
“It won’t be.” Flare-Up’s eyes narrowed as Myra looked between them in confusion. “They can’t use me.”
Nightwing and Seeker exchanged looks at that as the others stared at Flare-Up with wide eyes at the implication of her statement.
“Y-you mean…..” Myra swallowed. “You’re immune to the MindTech?”
Slightly shorter chapter this time. Gotta get them to a safer place, you know?
( @krehe, I saw your screaming. There is no escape when you’ve gone too deep. :3)
Mar’s Haven
The Zoomer started picking up speed, causing Myra to stiffen up sharply.
A corner of the tarp was lifted up. “We’re coming up on the Time Barrier. Do you guys have your talismans?”
“T-talismans?” Myra repeated in confusion. “Time Barrier?”
James sighed as Azari, Pym, and Torrun pulled out various items and gripped them tightly: Torrun’s sword, Azari held what looked like a worn, old mask of some kind of black cat, and Pym holding a similarly worn mask, but with antenna sticking out of the top of the mask instead of cat ears. “The pink barriers are Time Barriers; you’re going to need something that’s been infused with energy can protect you from getting abruptly older or younger – Dad, do you or the World Jumper—“
“She’ll be fine.” Cap gripped his shield and held it in front of him.
Myra blinked, then lifted her head up to the lifted side of the tarp. She caught sight of a flash of pink before Torunn pushed her back down. “Oh, those? I’ve gone through those before.” She reached under her black shirt and pulled out a necklace. Attached to it was a crystal that glowed with a purple-white light. “This usually reacts to them.”
“Then that’ll work.” James dropped the tarp.
“Where did you get that?” Torunn stared at Myra with wide eyes, her face appearing strange in the light coming from the crystal in Myra’s hand.
“I don’t know.” Myra noticed the curious look she was getting from Cap and quickly hid it under her shirt again, leaving them in darkness. “I don’t really remember what…what before was like.”
“You don’t know which world was yours before they collided together?” Pym asked in surprise.
“No, I—“
Suddenly everything was glowing pink.
Myra gripped at the necklace hiding under her shirt as the crystal glowed brightly in response, the purple and pink merging and clashing together. The others gripped their own items tightly, yellow, red, black, and dark blue clashing and merging with the pink as well.
Something gleamed in the World Jumper’s chest, and she was suddenly encased in a glowing, blue-white light. Myra stiffened up in surprise and stared as the woman’s face seemed to shift a little, but she didn’t open her eyes.
Then they were suddenly in the dark again, colors still dancing in their eyes but quickly fading.
Myra let out a sigh of relief and relaxed her grip on her shirt. “That felt…different, from the other times.”
“Where’s the World Jumper’s talisman?” Pym asked. “I didn’t see anything….”
“World Jumpers like her pass through time and space when they travel,” Captain America replied. “She is her talisman.”
The Zoomer jumped suddenly, causing the tarp to flap upwards for a moment. Cap, Torunn, Azari, and Pym grabbed the corners before it could go flying, and as they pulled it back down, Myra caught sight of buildings that were made of hard-packed dirt – nothing like the tall, wrecked steel towers that Myra had been hiding in before.
And yet, she knew the name of the place. “Spargus?”
“Passing through?” Captain America ventured.
“No.” Torunn’s voice was grim. “We are in Mar’s Haven now.”
Captain America fell silent.
“Um…” Myra’s brow furrowed as she felt the others’ gazes move over to her. “I haven’t heard of Mar’s Haven before.”
“H-hey, are we sure that bringing her is a good idea?” Azari spoke up. “I mean, she’s a straggler – the last one from the Dark City as far as we know! They’re gonna be coming after her and then we’re gonna be—“
“I doubt it,” Captain America spoke up shortly. “They’re looking for new fodder, not to clear an area out. There’s probably still some people left in there.”
Torunn muttered something that Myra didn’t catch. A moment later, she said, “She has to come. She’s seen us.”
“What are you talking about?” Myra frowned. “You said I’d be going somewhere safe – where are you taking me?”
“You will see,” Torunn replied.
The hovering truck slowed, then came to a stop. Myra fidgeted in her seat, wondering what was going on outside the tarp.
The doors on the sides of the truck’s cab slammed shut, and a moment later the tarp was pulled off, revealing what looked like a thin alleyway between two buildings.
James bundled the tarp up and tossed it into the cabin through an open window as Captain America gathered the World Jumper in his arms. “We’re almost there. We have to go on foot the rest of the way.”
Seeker folded his arms across his chest and looked up. “Grey, I know you’re there.”
A red-haired woman in a dark blue and yellow outfit jumped down and landed on the truck bed where the World Jumper had been lying a moment ago.
Myra yelped and scrambled back, bumping against the side of the truck bed.
Azari rose to his feet and gave a nod in greeting. “Jean Grey.”
“Prince Azari.” Jean returned his nod, then looked over at Seeker. “Aura Seeker, that was a dangerous move going out in the open to bring them back.”
“I know. But I think you’ll find that I had a good reason for it.” Seeker nodded to Captain America as the man rose to his feet, the World Jumper cradled in his arms.
Jean turned and locked her gaze with Captain America, whose shoulders stiffened in response. She took another step towards him, then raised a hand and put her fingers on his forehead; Captain America took in a shuddering breath as his eyes flickered shut in time with Jean’s.
After a moment, Jean removed her hand from his forehead and stepped back, her eyes wide as Captain America opened his eyes again. “How did you break free of their control? You don’t have—“
“It’s got more to do with her than anything else.” Captain America shifted the World Jumper’s position in his arms, causing Jean’s attention to shift.
Jean blinked, then put a hand at the World Jumper’s head first, paused, then moved it to the girl’s chest. After a moment, she pulled her hand back. “I didn’t think that she’d look so young.”
“She can have a mechanic change her physical age if she wants,” Seeker replied. “She’s going to need it. Her presence is weak.”
Myra blinked in confusion. How did Seeker know?
“And Batman is going to want to talk to you.” Jean looked around at the group.
“I am not surprised,” Captain America replied dryly.
“He is also going to want to see this girl you brought along with you.” Jean turned and looked at Myra, who hadn’t stood up yet.
“She’s a Straggler,” Pym said, in a tone that suggested that explained everything. “She doesn’t know where she came from, either.”
Jean’s eyebrows rose at that. “You don’t?”
Myra shook her head. “I know I know how to survive, and…and what’s happened, but….” She shook her head again.
Jean put a hand on Myra’s forehead, and the teenager stiffened as she felt something dig around in her head for a moment, there but also not there. The feeling faded after a moment, and Jean pulled her hand back. “Well, you’re not experiencing mind tunnel vision, so you’re not a sleeper agent for them. It almost feels like there’s something blocked; Charles is going to want to have a look at you.”
“Wh-who?” Myra swallowed.
“A friend.” Jean turned to look at the others, then motioned for them to follow her as she jumped off the truck bed and walked over to the wall at the end of the alley. The others followed after her, Myra bringing up the rear with Torrun again.
Jean put her hand on the wall as she neared it, paused, then pushed. Myra’s jaw dropped as the wall collapsed in on itself, revealing a doorway just barely big enough to fit Captain America through.
Jean looked back, motioned for them to follow, and stepped through without another word.
“What just—“
“Didst thou think that we would leave the entrance open for anyone to pass through?” Torrun asked.
“You’re doing it again,” Pym called over his shoulder as he went through the entryway ahead of them.
Torrun ducked her head as she and Myra passed through, Myra looking at her with a curious expression as they left the alley and the orange, tamped clay buildings behind…
…and entered a large, cavernous space, with vaulted ceilings that went up so high that Myra had to crane her neck in order to see where it was that they went. Carvings of strange people with large, pointed ears fighting against creatures with metal coverings; one that was purple-skinned made his appearance the most often.
The entire chamber seemed to be filled with smaller hutches as well, with people milling about between them. Myra caught sight of some sort of large, mechanical construct off in one corner, while it looked like some sort of miniature arena had been constructed in an opposite area.
“It’s so quiet,” Myra said, keeping her voice low.
“We don’t have as many people as we used to,” Seeker said, looking back at her and startling the girl. “That’s going to change soon, though.”
Myra blinked a couple times out of confusion at that comment. “H-how?”
“You’ll see.” Seeker looked over at Jean and Captain America. “I’ll take James and Myra to talk to the Dark Knight. Jean, you go with Cap to the mechanical bay to help explain what’s happened. The rest of you should report to Nightwing for another round in his Gauntlet for going out there unsupervised.”
“Seeker—“
“Don’t ‘Seeker’ me, Pym; you know the rules.” Seeker fixed the boy with a meaningful look, causing him to duck his head in response. “Come on, you two. Let’s go talk to Batman about what’s just happened.”
James nodded, then looked back at Myra and motioned for her to follow him. She remained where she was for a moment, but then Torunn gave her a nudge forward.
“Go on.” Torunn grinned. “The Dark Knight doesn’t bite, especially when Seeker’s there to back you up.”
Myra swallowed, then looked up at Captain America.
The man noticed her gaze and gave her a slight smile in response that was probably meant to be encouraging. “It’ll be all right.”
Myra hesitated again, then nodded a little and followed after James and Seeker. As she followed after tem, she looked back and watched as Captain America and Jean went in one direction and Azari, Torunn, and Pym went in another.
“S-so, what now?” Myra asked.
“Let’s cover what you know about the world first,” Seeker replied. “I’d rather not have Batman or any one of us be forced to cover everything if you know most of what’s going on already.”
Myra swallowed. “Okay then. Well, I know that a bunch of worlds were merged together in a World Collision, but they didn’t merge right in some places, and that’s what’s basically causing the Time Barriers that tend to warp the time of whoever goes through them. I know that whatever monsters were in charge of causing that also didn’t come from any of those dimensions, and they’ve basically been attempting to rule with an iron fist ever since.”
“You mean the MindTech,” James interrupted.
“I was getting to that.” Myra frowned at him. “The MindTech was something they came up with when people tried to rise up against them – I don’t really remember much of that point in time, but I remember that it happened.” She scratched her head. “I don’t really remember what before was like either, but that doesn’t matter when nothing can go back to normal, right?”
Seeker said nothing in response, but he cocked his head to one side.
“A-anyway, they’ve been looking for people to stick up in that tower that’s in the middle of everything ever since, and it’s been getting harder and harder to avoid them dragging you off to their Trials. I was pretty sure I was going to be taken when…when that girl—“
“You don’t need to say any more.” Seeker turned and looked over at Myra as they passed a small group of huts. “You’ve got enough street smarts to know that life was different before this and what exactly is going on. That’s good.”
“It is?” Myra blinked.
“Yes. Because it means you can help, even in some small way. In fact, you already have. By rescuing—“ Seeker stopped moving for a moment, looking like there was something in his mouth that he really wanted to get out but had to keep in at the same time. After a moment, he continued, “By rescuing the World Jumper, you’ve done us a pretty big turn.”
Myra blinked slowly a couple times, absorbing that. “I…wait, is this the same World Jumper who was said to have been some kind of fox in a past life?”
Seeker raised an eyebrow at that. “Past life? I think you might have misheard. She was transformed into a Vulpix, then had it reversed.” He chuckled as Myra ducked her head. “It’s all right; things have been more than a little vague about her for a while. I think a lot more details are going to become solidified over the course of the next few days, however, so don’t be surprised if a lot of what you thought before ends up getting dashed to pieces.”
“You knew her from before, Seeker?” James spoke up.
“Something like that.” Seeker started moving towards the pile of technology in one corner of the large chamber. “Step lively, you two. We have to talk to the Bat before he gets out of range for communication again, and who knows how long that’s going to be for, what with all the time warping around us.”
Myra and James both picked up the pace as they followed after Seeker, exchanging odd looks before focusing on him.
Whatever was going on, Myra was starting to wonder if she was ever going to get answers.
Next Avengers headcanon/thoughts under the cut (because no one cares about Next Avengers but me).
Next Avengers is one of my favorite Earths, despite it existing only in a (terrible) movie and about five 616 comics. I think there are a LOT of flaws with this universe, which is why I find it so fascinating. I think what Bendis did with it--show it for the dark, dark place it really is, sans the Disney-fication of it in the cartoon since it was aimed at kids.
I have a few headcanons (one of which, that James is actually Bucky's kid, seems to be shared with the fandom at large), but I just thought of something this evening that I think I'm going to stick with. Probably my biggest problem with the universe is Torrun's existence on Earth, and also Asgard having entirely abandoned the planet in its hour of need. I cannot see Thor abandoning his friends so callously, and I absolutely cannot see Thor leaving his daughter and sole heir on a planet still experiencing a robot Apocalypse. It makes no sense in my head.
But then I was thinking about Thor: The Dark World and everything clicked into place for me--because what if Loki finally did it? What if he finally killed Thor? In that case, why on earth wouldn't he abandon Earth? it would only make sense. And in this case yet again, why wouldn't he stick the only living heir to Asgard on a planet that lacks the technology to send her back? Best case scenario, something big kills her--worst case scenario, she comes back one day but, not knowing what her father would typically act like anyway, would have no idea her 'father' is really Loki in disguise. As to Sif in all this, who I would think would notice if her husband was suddenly much more like Loki, I imagine she is dead and gone. I don't remember her appearing in the cartoon at the end when Thor invites Torrun home (though I could be wrong) and this would explain why we always see Torrun praying to Thor, her father to bring her home, and never to her mother.
Just a thought I had and couldn't keep it to myself.
We went to ParaCon a few weeks ago. You wanted to go as Torrun, daughter of Thor. So I bought you a Thor outfit and we spray painted the helmet gold. You won a light-up headband and a notebook for your costume. The entire weekend you would only call us by our character names. I became Babydoll, Tiss was Rogue, Brink was Wonder Woman, and Maelea a Timelord. We also went to an Equinox Festival, were you dragged all of us up to the instruments to play. During what was easily half an hour of non-stop drumming, you looked at me as you banged away on your drum and shouted, "I'M SO HAPPY!!" My heart swelled at that, and I, too, was overcome with happiness. It was an amazing weekend, and I'm so glad I got to spend it with you.
