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[Assistant]
London Falling: part 3
Union Jack is under attack by the mind-controlled Sabra, Arabian Knight and Val! The villain responsible for their condition, the Corruptor gloats that he could take control of Jack as well, but he doesn’t see why he should bother. He sees Union Jack as nothing more than a glorified acrobat, which shouldn’t be a concern to him. And with all the cameras around the battle field, Corruptor adds, it seems much more dramatic to have Union Jack’s allies murder the symbol of England before her citizen’s eyes... and then lay waste to London itself!
As Union Jack dodges the attack of his allies, he admits to himself that he can barely stand, and it feels like he has cracked at least two ribs, his left eye is swollen and now he’s facing three elite super-agents with nothing but a dagger and a World War One-era pistol. Joey can honestly say he never thought he’d miss fighting vampires. Joey fears that even with their minds addled, he can’t possibly go toe-to-toe with them. He’s certain that Sabra alone could tear his head off, even without her energy-quills. Dodging a slash from the Arabian Knight’s sword and also Val’s bullets, Joey realizes that the two are aiming to kill him. He knows he only has one chance at this, and that’s to take advantage of their confused state. He has to stay out of their way, long enough to make the puppets deal with the puppet master.
Joey jumps right in front of the Corruptor, who wants to finish Union Jack off with his bare hands. However, at that moment, Sabra, Arabian Knight and Val all aim at Union Jack at the same time. He sees this and jumps away, with the blast ending up taking the Corruptor down. Joey hopes that his allies are feeling like themselves again now, but they aren’t. They shoot and fire at Union Jack again, who jumps in a nearby standing empty car. Starting the car, Joey uses a device to contact MI5 and asks to speak to Director Gavin. A receptionist of MI5 claims that Gavin and asks Union Jack if it’s urgent. A blast hits the mirror of Joey’s car, and he shouts at the receptionist of course it’s urgent!
Sabra stops the car using her strength and slams it apart. Union Jack can just in time open the door and roll out of it. Gavin calls out to Joey asking what the problem is. Union Jack explains that the Corruptor turned MI5’s allies into enemies. He adds that he took out the Corruptor, but nobody is regaining their senses. He warns Gavin that unless he’s got some ideas on how to deal with the situation, their friends will attack London after killing him and they’ll have one hell of an international incident on their hands. Gavin asks Union Jack to hang on a moment. Dodging another slash from the Arabian Knight’s sword, Joey jokes that’s easy for Gavin to say.
Gavin reveals that according to MI5’s files, the Corruptor infects his victims with a toxin secreted by his skin. Once his victims are infected, it has to run its course, and taking out the Corruptor himself won’t work. Taking a kick in the face from Sabra, Union Jack mocks that he already noticed that. Gavin claims that the situation isn’t hopeless. The Corruptor’s toxin targets parts of the brain affecting anger and impulse control, making victims highly suggestible to the Corruptor’s orders. With him out of the way, Union Jack can take advantage of his allies’ impulsivity. He has to direct them at more natural enemies. Joey sees where Gavin is getting to, and also sees Sabra and the Arabian Knight teaming-up to take him down.
Union Jack tries to mock Sabra, taunting her that he’d never see her getting all cozy with an Arab, a comment which confuses Sabra. Arabian Knight powers up his sword and tries to hit Joey with it, but he jumps away and instead the blast hits Sabra. Joey tries to fake that the Knight has turned against Sabra, and that she fell for his charade like a stupid cow. Sabra gets angry, calling the Knight “terrorist scum” and tries to hit him with her blasts.
While Sabra and the Arabian Knight fight each other, Joey smiles that these odds are much more to his liking. He ducks away from a punch from Val. He grabs her arm, mocking that she sure is a great fighter in her mind, but thinks she really isn’t so great. With Val unsure how to respond to that, Joey knocks his head hard against hers, taking her out. Joey thinks that, with Val now down and Sabra beating up the Knight, it leaves him with Sabra, who once fought the Hulk one-on-one and lived to tell the tale. Sabra takes out the Knight, and wants to destroy Union Jack now, because he called her a stupid cow. Joey tries to joke that he meant that in the nicest way possible, but she doesn’t believe that. Sabra screams, and tries to hit Union Jack but ends up getting her fist stuck in a car that stands behind them.
Joey decides to use the only weak spot on Sabra he knows she has: breath. He takes out a pill out of his utility belt, and releases a green gas from it, which he hopes will knock Ruth out. However it doesn’t, and Joey gets a hard hit in the face to endure! But as Joey tries to get up again, the gas Sabra breathed kicks in, and she faints! Joey knew his new belt pouches would come in handy some day!
Some time later...
An ambulance has arrived and takes the defeated allies away on stretchers. Joey uses his communicator to inform Gavin about this. Gavin is surprised Joey defeated them all by himself. Joey sarcastically thanks Gavin for his confidence. He warns to have restraints ready at the infirmary because there is no telling if everyone will be back to themselves when they wake up. He asks where to go next. Gavin wants Joey back at the MI5 headquarters. He explains that the first strike force may have been suppressed, but they’ve still got enemies unaccounted for. They need Union Jack on standby and Gavin knows Joey needs some medical attention himself.
Joey suggests he help with the search and rescue himself, but Gavin doesn’t want to hear about it. He realizes there will be countless more people trapped if they don’t find every last member of RAID in the city. He demands Union Jack back at headquarters, and won’t take no for an answer. He reminds Joey about what happened last time he ignored one of his orders. Joey knows and promises to be on his way. As he walks to a car, people start cheering for Union Jack’s triumphs. Gavin hears it and asks what the noise is all about. Joey thinks it’s just some people not realizing what a cock-up he made out of things. A bystander denies that remark by saying that he was one of the people on the plane, and he is glad Union Jack saved his life.
Union Jack tends to the man, asking him if he booked the flight because he warned people on the telly about the terrorist attacks. The man confirms that. Joey informs the man it was also his fault that his life needed to be saved. The man thinks Joey must be daft. He mentions that he drives a taxi. All day, he and his mates are ferrying rich folks to the airport. The man asks if those people knew what was going on. Joey confirms that the word was being spread. The man says that blokes like him weren’t informed, not until Union Jack’s warning. The man admits that maybe he made a stupid choice, heading for Heathrow instead of hiding in his basement like Union Jack told him to do. But it’s because of Union Jack that he got to make a choice. And the man would rather die of stupidity than ignorance.
The man wants Joey to chin up, and mentions that they all appreciate somebody’s looking out for them. And thinks it’s about time someone did. He doesn’t want to hear Joey second-guessing himself again, as that hardly suits a leader. Joey tries to say he hardly is a leader, but now everyone starts cheering for him again, saying quite differently!
Later, at the MI5 headquarters...
Union Jack’s actions are praised on the television networks, but Joey knows people just appreciate his work. And he knows more people need his help, so he wants to know what he’s doing waiting around at the monitors. Gavin wants more information. They’ve got interrogators and telepaths working on their captives, but they don’t know much. However, Gavin is certain that, if they piece together what little they get from each captive, they may learn where the others are hiding. He also mentions to Joey that his allies should be waking up soon. Joey is glad to hear that, but he still doesn’t like doing nothing.
Gavin thinks Joey must have been asleep during the briefing with Fausaud. He reminds him there’s the villainess, Ecstasy, who’s unaccounted for, and not to mention that unidentified WMD. He adds that RAID launched these strikes to show the world they can inflict terror. Even though RAID has also shown the world they can be beaten, Gavin is certain they aren’t finished yet. On that moment, gunshots are heard on the monitors.
It’s Ecstasy! Ecstasy orders her minions to free the captors, which they set out to do. Joey tells Gavin to get to safety while he’ll go take care of things, but Gavin holds him back. He believes Joey doesn’t have a chance against Ecstasy. He suggests they let her have the prisoners, since most of them are useless anyway. Joey can’t believe his ears: those prisoners are mass murderers! Gavin corrects that those prisoners are also injured and unconscious, and more. But they can’t let Ecstasy free Fasaud, since his body is made of electromagnetic energy. If he gets into MI5’s systems he’ll cripple the company, and sent them back to the Stone Age!
Joey wants to hear a plan, if Gavin has one. He does. He explains that Ecstasy’s power comes from a dimension of darkness. The only thing that can stop her is a source of mystical light, such as the Arabian Knight’s scimitar. He wants Joey to go to the infirmary, to get the Knight mobile or use his sword by himself. Gavin’ll head to Fasaud’s cell and promises that if Ecstasy gets too close, he’ll use MI5’s EM pulse device to eliminate him.
Joey quickly rushes to the infirmary, where Val, Sabra and the Knight are lying on beds. After Val asks what’s going on, Joey explains the attack and asks a nurse how the Knight is doing. She explains the Knight has a concussion. He’s conscious but disoriented. Joey explains to the Knight that they are under attack and that his sword is the only thing that can stop Ecstasy. He asks the Knight if he can stand. The Knight claims he can, but he immediately collapses again once out of bed. The nurse corrects that the Knight is in no shape to fight, and notices that neither is Joey. Joey helps the Knight back in bed and asks to lean the sword. The Knight reveals that won’t word, adding that while the sword’s master lives, it’s magic won’t fuction for anyone else. But there is a way: Joey has to kill him!
Joey thinks the Knight still must be delirious. The Knight denies that, claiming that, if he dies, the sword can be passed on to Union Jack so he can do what is necessary. He would gladly give up his life to save so many others. Joey thinks about it for a while, but declines to do it. There’s got to be another way! Val suggests Joey to come with him, but he instead wants her to take care of the Knight. If he improves, they have to come find him. Val asks Joey what he’s going to do. He runs out of the infirmary, not having a single clue.
Union Jack runs through the hall and uses his communicator to be patched through to Avengers Tower. He knows they are away, but he’ll speak to Jarvis or anyone who’s available. Surprisingly enough, Joey gets to talk to Captain America! Joey asks Cap what’s going on, as he thought the Avengers were on a mission. Cap replies that Iron Man and Spider-Man are on their way to Washington, and that he’s there alone. Cap just saw the reports from London and can be there in ninety minutes.
Joey thanks Cap for the offer, but as he sees corpses lying around in the hallways, says it’s too late. It’s the Avengers’ database information Joey needs. He wants to know what they’ve got on Ecstasy. Cap explains that, according to Doctor Strange, Ecstasy steals her powers from a hero named Cloak, but there are reports of him being active as recently as last night. Joey is more interested in learning how to beat her. He thinks that, aside from overloading her with a magical light source, there has to be another way because he doesn’t really like that idea much. Cap adds that it’s not Ecstasy’s light her darkness feeds on. It feeds as much on life energy. Magic aside, it would take a superhuman who generates large amounts of energy, like Cloak’s partner, Dagger. Cap suggests they try to locate Cloak and Dagger but that might take a few hours.
Joey asks Cap if he really said biological energy, which he confirms. That just gave Joey an idea, and jokes that, if he survives the day, the drinks will be on him. He meets up with Gavin, who stands in front of Fasaud’s cell and asks Joey where the Knight’s sword is. Joey tells Gavin he’ll just have to trust him on this. Joey informs Fasaud about his friends’ rescue party, and that they can’t let that happen. Fasaud, while charging up some electricity in his cell, tells Union Jack not to open his cell door, if he values his life.  Joey mocks that if he would value his life, he would have gone home hours ago. He tells Fasaud to say his prayers, because he’s coming in.
However, on that moment, Ecstasy arrives and is ready to feast. Joey warns Ecstasy that she would better run away, claiming he’s got her old friend Cloak working on taking his powers back as they speak. Ecstasy claims that’s pointless, as she no longer needs to steal powers from that boy. She reveals that the darkness has decided it rather likes her, because she keeps it well fed on delicacies.
Joey opens Fasaud’s cell door and warns Gavin to get down, which he does. On that moment, Fasaud’s electrical light is fired, hitting Ecstasy! Ecstasy powers down completely and is left in her normal, female, naked form! Union Jack notices it looks like her darkness ate something that disagreed with it. He jokes that darkness must have gone back home to sleep it off. Joey gets ready to hit Ecstasy in the face, and she begs him to wait, but he won’t. Normally he’s more of a gentleman to defenseless, naked women but he had to step over bodies of some good people to get here. And he’s in no bloody mood to wait, so he punches Ecstasy in her face, which knocks her out!
Shortly afterwards, at Gavin’s office...
Val, Sabra and Arabian Knight are recovered and attend the briefing together with Union Jack. Gavin has read the preliminary report, and Joey wants to know how many people are now dead. “Sixteen,” Gavin confirms –  and Ecstasy teleported Shockwave away before Union Jack stopped her. But, Gavin would trade Shockwave for Ecstasy any day. Since she is RAID’s means of escape, she knows far more about their operation than the others. MI5’s interrogators have learned what the WMD smuggled: a disassembled Dreadnought.
Val isn’t impressed. She recalls that Nick Fury destroyed a Dreadnought robot all by himself. The robots are dangerous, but SHIELD has an exhaustive file on their weak points, from the original model to the 2000 series. Gavin adds that the Dreadnoughts have been improved since then. They’ve got adamantium alloy, stronger weaponry and system-wide upgrades. He’s certain the old tricks won’t work. Union Jack asks Gavin if Ecstasy knows where the Dreadnought has been stashed. Gavin denies that. She just knows the rendezvous point where she was to pick up the crew of RAID agents controlling it. But they can assume the robot itself isn’t far from there. For once, time is on MI5’s side. For RAID not to have unleashed the Dreadnought suggests that they’re still assembling it. They realize they launched their other attacks too early, but it seems this one is sticking close to the original timetable.
Gavin tells the group they’ll join MI5’s agents searching the area near the rendezvous point. That is, if they are all up to it. Arabian Knight says he’s fine, but Sabra strongly disagrees with that. Joey asks Sabra to stop speaking ill of the Knight, because he has proven himself in his eyes. Val agrees with that. Sabra has no choice but to join in. In that case, Gavin tells the group to go for it. After that, the men and women split up for a while. Sabra asks Val what all that was about, because she thought they had agreed on something. Val knows, but Sabra was still unconscious at the time and she saw what happened at the infirmary.
At the back of the room, while looking out of the window, Arabian Knight asks Union Jack if he’s alright, because he looks troubled. Joey isn’t sure: it could be that he’s done in, but asks the Knight if he noticed...
Suddenly, an explosion takes place downtown! The team rushes outside and steps into a flying car. Union Jack thinks the explosion means RAID is back on schedule. They fly to the battlefield, where they find a Dreadnought robot trashing part of the city!


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[Assistant]
London Falling: part 4
Trafalgar Square, England…
The Dreadnought robot fires a missile from his hand which rips through Union Jack’s flying car, tearing it apart. As Sabra flies out of the vehicle, she tells Joey to land it, while she’ll deal with the robot. Joey warns Sabra to wait as they need to work like a team, but it’s too late: the Dreadnought hits her with a blast, which freezes Sabra! Seeing this, Val explains to Union Jack Dreadnought hit Sabra with liquid nitrogen. Union Jack asks Val if laser torches are still SHIELD standard issue, which she confirms. Union Jack orders Val to melt Sabra an airway, thinking that if for as long as she can breathe, Ruth will be okay. He and the Arabian Knight then go off to deal with the robot.
As they run towards the huge machine, Union Jack mentions to the Knight that Gavin said the Dreadnought’s shell is adamantium alloy, meaning conventional weapons can’t pierce its hide. They’ve got exactly one unconventional weapon, and wonders if the Knight’s sword can do the job. The Knight explains that his swords has magical properties and he has yet to encounter a substance it can’t penetrate. Union Jack distracts the robot who fires more blasts on him, and the Knight sneaks up to it so he can stick his sword into the Dreadnought. He succeeds, but the robot quickly punches the Knight and his sword out of his hands, before it can do too much damage.
The Knight lands before Val and Joey asks how he’s doing. Val thinks the Knight’s just stunned, but since he was already recovering from a concussion, she thinks he’s out of the fight. Sabra manages to break herself free from the ice, and proudly proclaims that she’s back in. She immediately flies into action and Union Jack explains to her that they need to get at the innards of the armour. Sabra understands. She mocks that the “Saudi” unlocked the door, and now it’s her duty to keep it open. She flies towards Dreadnought and rips part of his armour open, using her super-strength. But the Dreadnought releases some gas from his glove, knocking Sabra out again, and then punches her far away!
Val panics, but Union Jack is certain that, if anyone can survive such a hit, it would be Sabra. Val agrees, but they’ve now lost their two strongest members. Joey says that strength can create opportunities, but exploiting them, that takes cunning. He takes a grenade out of his utility belt, which he nicked from Bombshell when he surrendered. He had been saving it for a rainy day like this. He adds that, when Captain America was in town, they destroyed a giant robot by tossing a bomb in it. And they can’t mess with success, he jokes. Val agrees but warns they’ll only get one chance at this.
Union Jack suggests they use the same plan as with the Knight. He distracts the robot, which quickly punches Joey out of his way and against a building. Val takes a shot and throws the grenade at Dreadnought, but he catches it and, though it explodes in the palm of his hands, he remains unharmed! Val tends to Joey who’s wounded, thinking he definitely broke some ribs this time. The Dreadnought walks over to his enemies and charges up electricity in his helmet, clearly intending to finish them both. However, suddenly, he is unexpectedly hit by a crane! Joey sees he’s being helped by several construction workmen, and warns them to get to safety. However, one of them tells Joey not to be stupid: he has been fighting for them all day, it’s time they returned the favour.
Joey looks at a flag nearby, and agrees with the worker. They hit Dreadnought again with the crew, and Union Jack climbs up on the robot’s body. He sticks the flagpole into the armour Sabra ripped open earlier, and jokes that the robot learned a valuable lesson today: don’t mess with working men! Val warns Joey to get off of there, but he thinks he can’t, as they won’t get another chance like this. The robot still stands, and Joey is sure it has a vulnerable spot somewhere. He finds the fuel tank of the liquid nitrogen power, and hits it with the flagpole. Dreadnought explodes, and Union Jack jumps away before getting hit.
Later...
The battle with the Dreadnought is reported all over TV. A reporter says that, even though this has been a tragic day in London’s history, there is also an unmistakable sense of elation. There’s relief that a loss of life could easily have numbered in the thousands has been held under two hundred, and there’s jubilation over the defeat of a massive terrorist attack. They thank Union Jack for all he’s done, and also the working crew that helped defeat the Dreadnought.
At the MI5 infirmary, Union Jack is getting stitched by a nurse, who hurts him a bit. She apologizes and suggests they anaesthetize him, but Union Jack refuses. Joey says that can’t be done because he wants to go help with the clean-up and relief work. Someone enters the room, telling Joey there’s no need for that as he’s been relieved. It’s Micromax! Joey and Scott shake hands, with Joey joking that Micromax is a bit late for the festivities. Scott agrees, and is brassed out about it. He and Excalibur were in the Mideast following a lead that turned out to be bollocks. It turned out the real action was right there in London but it looks like Joey handled it okay. Joey mentions he had help, and was sceptical about them at first, but now has to admit he couldn’t have asked for braver troops. Scott warns Joey that, if he wants to say goodbye to them he better hurries, because his allies are on their way back home now that help has arrived.
Joey goes out to shake hands with his friends. He thanks Sabra for everything she did for London, but she says that there’s no thanks needed, as she was just doing her job and that favours are for politicians. Joey compliments Navid that he’s a brass one and, if he ever needs help, he just needs to call. The Knight returns the favour. He and Sabra walk over to their cars together, without saying a word but look at each other. Sabra finally tells the Knight he fought well, and he says the same. They step into their cars, without saying anything else. Joey can’t thank Val enough. She kisses him on the cheek, saying it’s nothing, as this is the first real fun she’s had since SHIELD “reassigned” her. Joey doesn’t know why she puts up with that sort of treatment. Val says it’s because every now and then she actually gets to do some good. It’s at days like this it’s all worth it. Joey thinks he understands and tells Val to take care. She walks to her car as well.
Gavin walks over to Joey, telling him he has been arrogant, reckless and insubordinate. But he performed magnificently. They shake hands and Phil thanks Joey for all of his help. Joey says that’s just his job, and wants to go home to get some rest. Phil says that’s okay, and adds that Agent Scott will get him home, and that Joey certainly earned his rest.
Later...
Joey is back home and takes off his uniform, but his wounds still hurt a bit. On the news, reporters are interviewing Gavin, and Joey smiles that Gavin can go back playing politician now. He climbs into bed, and quickly falls to sleep.
The next day...
With his TV still on, a reporter says that, this morning, there are calls for the resignation of the Director General that have reached a fever pitch, and that deputy director Gavin would have been next in live. Joey hears that and quickly wakes up, and is shocked when he realizes something.
Back at MI5...
Lots of reporters have gathered outside Gavin’s office, wanting to know more about his new job as replacement director general. On that moment, Union Jack rushes into the reporters, looking a bit angry. Gavin’s secretary Amelia apologizes for not stopping him, but Gavin says he’d be glad to make time for their national hero. Joey, with a stern voice, warns Gavin that he’s on to him. Gavin glares quietly at Union Jack, and asks the reporters for a moment, who wait outside the closed doors.
Gavin asks Union Jack what he means. Joey explains that it was nagging at him yesterday, but he was too shell-shocked to put it together. Now that he’s had some sleep, it’s plain as day. He recalls that Gavin said the Avengers and the Fantastic Four were unreachable, but Joey got Captain America on the communicator on his first try. Gavin said that Excalibur, Micromax and all the others were away on missions, but they were all pointless because that’s how Gavin made them. Joey knows that Gavin planned all this. The attacks, the outcome... he orchestrated it all like a sick puppet master.
Phil doesn’t think anyone will believe he was behind the RAID attacks. Joey corrects that he didn’t say Gavin was behind the attacks. But he did found out about it a lot sooner than yesterday. And he didn’t lift a finger to stop it... to get exactly where he is now. Gavin gets a bit of a headache. Joey thinks Gavin sent Micromax halfway around the world, on a wild goose chase. He did the same with Excalibur so they wouldn’t be here to stop the attacks. But if RAID hadn’t struck early, the heavy hitters would’ve returned an hour or so into the action. They would’ve stopped it, but only after several hundred people had been killed. Joey’s certain Gavin wanted to undermine the director general so he could take her place. For that, he needed something to scare people. And he needed a serious enough attack to make her look bad, one he could crush to make himself look good.
Gavin wants to know on what theory Joey is basing all this. Joey thought it was odd that Gavin insisted on keeping him here before Ecstasy attacked. He knew it was coming. He knew RAID’s entire routine. He had detailed information on all the super-criminals, their powers and weaknesses, which he doled out when it suited him. Joey thinks Gavin couldn’t possibly have assembled, absorbed and analysed it all on the fly. And now, all those people are dead, to further his political ambition. Joey wants to know what he, Val and the others were to Gavin. Were they ringers, brought in when Gavin’s telepath found Fasaud and forced him to do something? Were they pawns, none of them too powerful or likely to ask questions? Or cannon fodder Gavin figured would put up a token resistance until they got slaughtered? Gavin asks Joey to admit that a man dressed in a flag makes an excellent martyr.
Union Jack threatens to expose Gavin, and he’ll bring him down. Gavin doesn’t think so, as Joey has no proof. Joey wants to go the press. He’s certain his story will provoke an enquiry, and thinks Joey had to have had some collaborators: and they’ll turn on him. Gavin mocks what that would do to England. They’re united; they faced the enemy and won. After some difficult times, they’re feeling good about themselves again. But, Gavin adds, if Joey insists on hurling these baseless accusations, it would scar their national psyche, like Watergate did to the Americans. And not to mention it would scar Joey’s relation with MI5. Whether they like him or not, Gavin is certain that nobody would trust Chapman after that. He adds that everyone who sits at this desk has to do unpleasant things at times. And they won’t want an operative who might betray them. He asks Joey how effective he thinks he’d be without them backing him. Shall he take the bus to disaster scenes?
Phil says that men of his class, his position, have to take the long view. And he thinks it’s time Union Jack did the same. He says that they’re safer now, with RAID crushed, than if they’d snatched up the first terrorist to enter the country and left the others out there to strike again. He tells Joey he needs to start looking at the bigger picture if he ever wants to be more than an errand boy. For once, he needs to do the smart thing.
Joey angrily hits Gavin into his face, shouting at him to go to hell! Joey shouts at Gavin that he would rather spend his life digging sewers than wallowing in them with Gavin. He proclaims that, if this whole disaster has shown him anything, it’s that most of the people Gavin claims to protect don’t have a voice. They don’t have anyone looking out for them. But now they do. And as of this moment, Joey won’t answer to anyone but to those people. Gavin, on the other hand, has two hundred innocent lives to answer for. Union Jack concludes that this is the most defining moment of his career, and now wants to lead Gavin into his.
Joey opens the door of Gavin’s office, and has him face the many impatient reporters outside.


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A Matter of Trust
The Superhuman Tactical Response Squad - STARS - is the watchdog that governs all aspects of super-powered crime and punishment. Members of STARS are in Seattle, at a conference center, watching Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America crash down through a glass ceiling. STARS are involved here because they were apprehending some low-level prison escapees and uncovered a smuggling operation - a Hydra base in Italy and a rebel outpost in Atlantis. Someone was trying to amass an army of loyalists by ingecting them with a mind-controlling bug. Agent Kali Vries supposes that that someone is the sucker cowering in the corner from Captain America - Curtis Jackson a.k.a. the Power Broker.
Agent Vries thinks to herself that Captain America is here because SHIELD entrusted him to retrieve the satchel of bugs that STARS liberated from Atlantis. However, John Walker a.k.a. USAgent, snatched the bugs first and brought the bag to the Power Broker - as John is under control of one of those bugs. Kali knows this because she is the one who planted the bug on his neck. ‘I’m the rotten spy appointed to STARS by my patron - Senator Warkovsky. And no, I don’t sleep well at night’ Vries thinks to herself, while Captain America’s shield slams into USAgent’s shield, knocking Walker backwards.
The Power Broker grabs the duffel bag and thinks to himself that Walker must have been followed, and steps into an elevator. ‘I can only blame myself! Well, when life serves up lemons, you make lemonade’ the Power Broker thinks to himself, while the elevator doors close, and Vries calls out to him, telling him to hold up, and that she is placing him under arrest. Vries quickly enters the stairwell, sighing that nothing is ever easy, and that she should know that by now.
The Power Broker adjusts his tie as he recalls that Vries is the Senator’s flunky, and wonders why she would bring Captain America to his doorstep, before boasting to himself that Senator Warkovsky will answer for this. Moments later, the Power Broker enters the Senator’s dressing room, where the Senator is combing his hair, and asks ‘Jackson? What the hell brings you to Seattle?’ Jackson approaches Warkovsky and declares ‘Never mind that! Tell me why your Agent Vries would bring one of the Avengers here, jeopardizing everything!’
Warkovsky spins around in his chair and points at the Power Broker, telling him that if an Avenger is here, the Avengers is after Jackson, not him. ‘I swear by the almighty, if they disrupt my trade conference…I’ll serve you up to them on a silver platter!’. Jackson looks slightly nervous, and tells the Senator to watch his blood pressure, reminding him that the USAgent is a former Avenger, and his puppet. ‘Rest assured, he will nip this in the bud!’ Jackson declares as he pats Warkovsky on the shoulder. The Senator replies that if diplomacy fails, Jackson can always introduce one of his “bugs” to his brain, unaware that a big has been placed on him.
‘Excellent suggestion, Senator. Now, go knock them dead with your velvet tongue!’ Jackson exclaims. ‘You just watch my poll numbers shoot up after this speech. I will own the five o’clock news today!’ the Senator boasts. ‘Of that, I have no doubt!’ the Power Broker replies, while thinking to himself ‘Especially since I plan on controlling your address to the media, dear Senator!’. The Power Broker looks down through a window, to the gathering assemblage of representatives and thinks to himself ‘Little do the assembled representatives below realize that they, too, will fall under my sway. Not from that windbag’s speech, but from the synaptic leech I placed within each and every person’s headset…allow direct access to a host!’ And at that moment, one of the dignitaries places the headset into his ear - and the mind control bug glows!
Meanwhile, Vries skulks about on a staircase, thinking to herself that she has searched just about every office, with no luck. ‘The Power Broker has to be on this level!’ she tells herself, before a voice calls out to her: ‘Hey, sweetness!’. Vries turns around and sees Walker - but he places her in a choke-hold. ‘But where’s -’ Vries begins, as John finishes her sentence for her: ‘-Cap? I gave him the slip’ Walker replies, before telling Vries that her pal Warkovsky is who he is after. ‘No, John - this has gone too far! He’s a United States Senator!’ Vries exclaims, before Walker shoves his energy-truncheon into Kali’s back, and kicking her in the head, causing her to fall to the ground. Walker then leaves the stairwell.
Shortly, the Senator stands on a platform before the various dignitaries and members of the media. ‘This is a fine day for Seattle, as we inaugurate this fabulous new facility!’ Warkovsky announces, before remarking that those who know him know he is not prone to bragging - ‘I heard that laugh’ he exclaims, before declaring that he worked tirelessly to make this structure a reality, just as he worked to bring this global conference here. ‘You see, I’m proud of what this state, first and foremost…and this country…have to offer the world’ Warkovsky declares.
The Senator continues his speech, declaring that he is certain that each and everyone before him feels the same way about their respective homelands. ‘That’s why you’re here’. The Senator exclaims that free trade, with no tariffs, and no borders, is the future. The Senator declares that modern communications have made their world a smaller, more immediate place, and global prosperity will make it a more hospitable place. ‘Our school-children already read books printed in China, wear shoes made in Malaysia, and play with toys made in Singapore. Their snacks are processed and packaged in Israel and in Germany. Is this - I mean, this is a good thing…I have no idea what I’m talking about. Somebody shoot me, please!’ the Senator mumbles.
‘Did I just say that?’ the Senator asks, rubbing his head. ‘What’s wrong with me - my brain?’ he asks. ‘Is it a stroke, or - the American system is antiquated!’ he exclaims. Clearly confused, the Senator nervously tells everyone to listen as he exclaims, that the United States has gone into half of their countries at one time or another, after a war or a natural disaster - and at great cost. ‘We rebuilt from the ground up then a few years passed, and we forgave the debt. You got back on your feet and stole the automobile from under our noses’. The Senator exclaims that you can insert just about any product in place of “automobile” and they can get the picture.
Several bodyguards move towards the Senator, while USAgent rushes at him from the other end of the stage. ‘None of us has the right to call ourselves “countries” anymore. We’re more like corporate subsidiaries. And I’ll -’ the Senator stops in his sentence, as USAgent knocks some people aside and exclaims ‘Hate to cut you off, Warkovsky, I kinda liked that last part!’. Suddenly, ‘Holster those guns, fellas!’ Captain America tells the bodyguards as he rushes towards USAgent, who has grabbed the Senator by the collar of his shirt. ‘Back off, Cap - I know what I’m doing!’ USAgent declares.
The Power Broker watches Cap and Walker battle, and he exclaims that he did not send Walker after the Senator. ‘Or did I? Has he picked up on my hostility toward Warkovsky and acted on it?’ Jackson wonders. He tells himself that it is possible, but reminds himself he does not want the Senator dead. He tells himself that he cannot see clearly into Walker’s mind, and supposes that USAgent’s will is stronger than he had guessed. The Power Broker crouches beside Vries and asks her how strong her will is. ‘I think we shall endeavor to find out’ he remarks as he reaches for her gagged mouth.
Back on the podium, ‘John - stand down! You’re not yourself!’ Captain America shouts, while Walker prepares to bring his energy-truncheon down on the Senator. ‘Trust me for once, man - I’ve never been more myself! This guy is not getting away from me!’ Johnny exclaims as he pushes himself up on his hands, and kicks Captain America in the face, before lunging back at the Senator. Captain America races after Walker, telling him that his team thinks one of those bugs has taken a hold of him. ‘Don’t ask me to trust you, Walker - not today!’ Captain America exclaims. ‘No, no!’ the Senator shouts. USAgent grabs the Senator’s leg, while Captain America wraps himself around Johnny’s waist. ‘And not while you’re assaulting a United States Senator!’ Captain America adds.
‘This isn’t your perfect world! Politicians can be scumbags, just like anybody else!’ Walker exclaims. ‘I didn’t come here to fight you’ Captain America exclaims, before USAgent punches him in the face. ‘Tell me another story, “daddy”!’ Walker jokes, before Captain America punches back, knocking Walker off of him as he exclaims ‘This may come as a surprise to you, Walker, but I have a life!’ Cap declares. Bodyguards tend to the Senator, while Cap leaps towards USAgent, exclaiming ‘I don’t spend my days wondering if I’m better than you!’
‘Well I do! Ever since the Commission named me your successor!’ Walker shouts as he attempts to kick Captain America, but Captain America rolls with it, and flips Walker over himself, ‘Even after I stepped aside’ Johnny adds. Captain America lies on USAgent as he pins him to the ground, putting one arm under Walker’s chin, and holding one of Walker’s arms back with his other. ‘I’ll admit you do sound like yourself, John, but Agent Vries helped me track you here, and she’s -’ Cap begins, while USAgent interrupts: ‘Dirty as they come! She’s got the lot of you buffaloed!’ Walker shouts, ‘But not me!’ he boasts, as he forces himself up, knocking Captain America into the lectern.
Walker punches Cap and declares ‘See, I’m a pretty good judge of people, and I can picture Vries cozying up with the Power Broker or the Senator’. Captain America falls off the podium and into a crowd of reporters, while USAgent crawls back to the Senator, exclaiming ‘All the good I’ve ever done - as an Avenger, or as a member of STARS - and you take sides against me…believe someone you’ve known for less than a day?’ Walker asks Captain America. Walker grabs the Senator by the collar of his shirt, and holds his energy-truncheon towards the mind-control bug, telling him to hang on, as this won’t hurt a bit - but before Walker can remove the mind-control bug, Captain America grabs his feet, and Johnny falls to his stomach as Cap pulls him backwards along the podium. ‘No!’ Cap shouts. ‘You just don’t give up!’ Johnny exclaims.
Meanwhile, at Avengers Mansion, the Wasp and Edwin Jarvis are watching the situation with Cap and USAgent as reported by the media. ‘Oh, dear. Will you alert the others?’ Jarvis asks, but the Wasp replies that they will just keep an eye on them for now. At the Baxter Building, the Thing tells the Human Torch that watching Cap and USAgent is better than watching WWF wrestling. At STARS headquarters, Farley Mowat tells Allie MacGruder that they had it all worked out, so wonders why Cap and USAgent are fighting each other. ‘Unless…’ he begins. ‘Unless what?’ Allie asks. ‘The boss has one of those bugs on him, but I thought I took care of it before he left!’ Farley exclaims. ‘And now you’re thinking it’s not taken care of?’ Allie asks.
At the Commission on Superhuman Affairs, Dr Valerie Cooper watches the battle on her laptop, ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, John. Or we’ll both be looking for new jobs’ Valerie thinks to herself.
Back at the conference center, the Power Broker watches the battle also, and remarks ‘He’s not responding to my commands, Miss Vries’. Agent Vries swears to the Power Broker that USAgent is playing host to one of the mind-control devices, to which Jackson announces ‘Oh, I sense it on him. And I am not so bold as to lay claim to their creation. I merely discovered them’. Jackson reveals that a short time back when their planet was being used as an intergalactic penal colony by the Kree, he was recruiting some of those aliens into his employ.
Flashback, narrated by the Power Broker:Jackson explains that using the meager equipment at his disposal, he determined where the highest concentration of alien landings would occur, and foolishly attempted to communicate with the alien inmates. But the aliens were little more than savage animals - not at all what he had expected. Realizing his blunder, he offered them no resistance as he was attacked by them - and they assumed him to be dead, discarding him with some of their other victims - a platoon of SHIELD agents, who, presumably, couldn’t play dead, and now were so.
It was lying amongst the corpses that Jackson found what he had been looking for - an intelligent alien being. The parasitic alien had lost her host, and she sought a replacement - all she wished for was to survive and breed. And for that, the alien gave the Power Broker the power to control mankind.
Present:Jackson removes his suit jacket and shirt as he tells Vries that once the foreign delegation downstairs returns to their homelands, his influence will be felt across the globe. ‘Are you ready to join their ranks?’ he asks as he reaches around to his back, where the alien has lodged itself, covering his entire back, the alien pushes out a small mind-controlling bug, which Jackson holds up to Vries, ‘It - it’s living off of you?’ Vries asks, horrified. ‘I mean - it’s disgusting!’ she exclaims. ‘A minor discomfort, Miss Vries, for an infinite supply of these which she can secrete at an amazing rate’ Jackson explains, before telling Vries not to be nervous, and that she will make a fine host. The Power Broker announces that he must return his attention to USAgent, as he reaches down and places the bug on Kali’s neck, while Vries shouts ‘I can’t handle not being in control!’.
Back on the podium, USAgent holds the Senator and motions to the mind-control bug, asking Cap if that looks normal, before telling him to let go of his arm. Cap stops: ‘Okay. What’s the plan?’ he asks. Both men hold the Senator down as Walker exclaims that a little surgery might be able to save the Senator’s head. ‘Not funny’ Cap replies, while Walker uses the energy-truncheon to remove the mind-control bug. The Senator lets out a little cry, before Walker spins him around by his tie and crushes the mind-control bug in his hand. ‘Your pal the Power Broker pulled a fast one on you, scumbag!’ Walker exclaims. ‘Damn him! I use people - I am not used by people…especially Curtis Jackson!’ Senator Warkovsky declares, annoyed.
The media take photographs and film the goings-ons as Walker tells the Senator that the Power Broker has manipulated bigger fish than him in his day, to which the Senator replies ‘Jackson’s money bought campaign commercials, not me!’. Captain America motions to the reporters and tells Warkovsky to smile for the networks. ‘I suspect they’re interested in campaign finance reforms as much as I am’ Cap declares. ‘We can hope’ Walker mutters. Suddenly, the international delegation rushes towards Cap and Walker. ‘Now what?’ Cap exclaims. ‘The Power Broker must be controlling them, too!’ Johnny suggests. As the delegation begin clutching at the heroes, Cap tells John that they cannot hurt them, as they are innocent pawns.
‘That’s where we differ. I’m not afraid to cause a little international incident now and again!’ Walker exclaims as he throws one of the dignitaries into the air. ‘Walker!’ Cap exclaims, before telling his long-time associate to go, as he will manage the crowd. Cap clears a path with his trusty shield and tells Walker to go settle things up with Jackson. ‘Not to mention the conveniently absent Agent Vries!’ Johnny exclaims as he takes his leave.
Back in the control room, Jackson watches the proceedings, annoyed that his plan is not working, he wonders if a few lives need to be sacrificed to have some impact. ‘My brain’s getting fuzzy. But I’m almost…’ Vries thinks to herself, before shouting ‘FREE!’ as he breaks the bonds around her wrists, and leaps upwards. ‘Eh? I do admire your tenacity…’ the Power Broker exclaims as he spins around, before telling Vries that she serves him now, and she levitates off the ground. ‘I could easily instruct you to pluck out your eyes or hurl yourself out a window’ Jackson exclaims, before USAgent kicks his way into the room. ‘But I’ll throw you at him, instead!’ Jackson declares, and Vries is tossed across the room, knocked into Walker.
‘Nice, Jackson’ Walker mutters, before flipping Vries to the ground. ‘You may just as well had her cluck like a chicken for all the good it’s done’ Johnny points out, adding that Vries fights better with her own mind,and he shoves the energy-truncheon against the mind-control bug, causing it to release itself from Kali’s neck. ‘You behave, or I’ll put it back’ Walker warns Vries. ‘Do it. Put it back on her neck!’ the Power Broker exclaims. ‘I command you!’ he declares, staring at Walker. ‘Uhhh…get over yourself already, Curtis!’ Johnny exclaims as he smacks the Power Broker in the face, knocking him bacwakrds. ‘You’re not dealing with some greedy politician now. I’m a super-cope…and I’m authorized to bring you in - minus that nasty growth on your back, of course!’ Walker exclaims.
Walker tells Vries to hold the Power Broker steady, and she does so, as Walker uses his eagle-shaped shield to scrape the alien from the Power Broker’s back. ‘Whoa! You’re giving me a headache, slimy!’ Johnny exclaims as he holds the nasty alien up. ‘John - be careful’ Vries exclaims, while Captain America enters the room, announcing that the crowd suddenly stopped swarming, before he sees the alien. ‘Good God!’ he declares. ‘Beauty, huh?’ Walker asks. Walker asks Cap to cuff Vries for him, announcing that he is placing her under arrest, too. ‘Cap - no! We’re all on the same side!’ Vries protests. ‘She reports to the Senator, and infected me not once, but twice with those bugs! Cuff her!’ Johnny exclaims.
After Captain America cuffs Vries, USAgent tells her that he was on to her from day one. ‘I set you up with Val Cooper’s blessing! I needed to see just how dirty you were…so I played dumb with you’ Walker informs Vries. ‘You deserve the Academy Award then, “Peach”. I really thought you were dumb’ Vries tells USAgent. ‘Crack wise, Kali, but it tore my heart out again, to know you’d stooped so low’ Walker tells her, asking her what she sold her soul for - job advancements? Kicks? ‘The greatest risk I took was letting you plant the bugs on me!’ Walker declares., before dropping them alien. ‘Whoops. Slippery, ain’t she?’ he remarks, before thanking Cap, who puts a boot on it.
USAgent announces that he had one of his crew whip up a device that scrambles the neuro-signal that the mind-control bugs transmit. ‘So - you were never in its control?’ Cap asks. ‘Not completely’ Walker replies, explaining that he was just under enough to be drawn back to the “mother-alien” here, and discover who was behind all this. Walker holds his energy-truncheon to the alien, while Vries exclaims ‘Walker - don’t kill it!’
Suddenly, Dum-Dum Dugan of SHIELD enters the office, followed by some SHIELD agents. ‘Listen to the lady, hotshot. She’s part of a covert SHIELD operation!’ Dugan reveals, announcing that Vries has worked hard gaining the Senator’s confidence because he was their line to whoever was pushing the alien bugs. ‘My agents will take that thing from under your boot. That’s our prize’ Dugan declares, before ordering USAgent to uncuff SHIELD Agent Vries. ‘You covert jerks used STARS - used me - to track this case? I want to see documentation - signed orders!’ Walker declares, before holding up his energy-truncheon, pointing out that Vries killed one of the Power Broker’s operatives - Machete - to keep him from talking. ‘Tell Dugan about that’ Walker exclaims.
Wide-eyed, Kali announces that the truth is, Machete’s death was an accident. ‘And you want to know why I’m ashamed to admit it?’ she asks, pointing out that, alive, Machete could have led them to the Power Broker, and she would not have had to use USAgent like she did. ‘I apologize for that’ she claims. ‘A trait we have in common. Hope you like your meat well-done!’ USAgent exclaims as he shoves the energy-truncheon against the alien creature. ‘Stop him!’ Dugan shouts, but Cap holds him back. ‘You tin-star son-of a -’ Dugan begins, before Walker removes his helmet: ‘You want a piece of me, old man - get in line!’ he shouts. ‘That was evidence!’ Dugan exclaims.
Walker reaches to his neck and pulls off the small mind-control bug, declaring ‘I got a theory, and you’re going to hear it! These things aren’t alien at all. I think your genetics lab cooked ‘em up to mind-control the alien riff-raff dumped here by the Galactic Council!’. Walker suggests that something went bad, and the mother-bug disappeared. ‘In the wrong hands, it’s a pretty dangerous concept. So you want it back’ he suggests, slapping the small mind-control bug into Dugan’s hand, adding that the trouble is, he doesn’t think it can be trusted in anyone’s hands, and presses down as he shakes Dugan’s hand.
Dugan tells Walker to save his self-righteousness for the bleeding hearts. ‘This is the real world!’ he exclaims. Walker takes the Power Broker, telling Dugan not to lose sleep over it. ‘I have no proof - which is why Curtis Jackson is the only one destined for prison greys today’ Walker declares, adding that even the Senator has a “stay out of jail alibi”, as he was mind-controlled on national television. ‘Can you believe that jerk?’ Dugan mutters. ‘Actually yes, I do’ Captain America declares as he picks up the duffel bag of mind-control bugs. ‘Hey - Cap! Where do you think you’re taking that satchel?’ Dugan asks/ ‘Someplace safe, Dugan. Someplace safe’ Cap replies.
Later, USAgent sits at the kitchen bench in his quarters, looking at a photo of himself an Kali Vries, back in their younger days. A letter sits on the bench, from Vries, asking Walker to forgive her. Johnny looks at the photo, before setting it alight, and putting it in the sink, where dishes are piled high. Suddenly, Walker’s wrist-communicator goes off - it’s Valerie Cooper, who informs John that she has two bits of business for him, announcing firstly that Warkovsky is officially out of their hair. ‘Second…it’s about your suspension’ Val begins, ‘Warkovsky losing the election warms my heart, Val. Don’t ruin the moment with bad news’ Walker exclaims.
Valerie informs Johnny that his suspension has been lifted by the Commission, and she has another assignment for him. ‘What is it? A bail jumper? Tell me it’s some big, dumb ape with a nasty attitude!’ Walker exclaims, before declaring that he is not picky. ‘I love this job!’ he tells Valerie as he races off, leaving the photo smoldering in the kitchen sink.


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Strange Aeons, part 1
The Maria Wheelock Cancer Center which is located within the McCarthy Medical Institute, in New York City, where cancer survivor Dr Jane Foster, now the last of the Valkyrior, is, for her sins, a morgue assistant, working under the supervision of Dr Rudy Gillespie:
 They stand over the corpse of a man, and Dr Gillespie remarks 'Full fathom five, thy father lies... of his bones are coral made. Those are pearls that were his eyes...' before Jane interrupts him, asking him why he is reciting poetry to the corpse. 'Well... I thought he might like it?' Dr Gillespie replies, looking up at Jane. Jane thinks to herself that Rudy Gillespie is one of New York's authentic oddities, and she doesn't know if he failed up or down, but somehow, he is the mortician here. From Jane's point of view, Dr Gillespie is erratic, eccentric and slightly exasperating – someone to put up with, but the Valkyrie side of Jane appreciates him, as Rudy Gillespie respects the dead – even if it's more than the living.
Rudy tells Jane that the corpse was an actor who died onstage, and that the current suspect is an emolism, but that they will find out more when they go anyone. He adds that he thought “The Tempest” would be appropriate. Jane smiles at Rudy and tells him that is sweet, in a way, but that it is not like the corpse is going to respond. 'Even so' Rudy replies, before clearing his throat and continuing: 'Nothing of him that doth fade...but doth suffer a sea-change...into something rich...and strange'. Suddenly, the corpse opens his mouth, and his eyes glow red, as he utters 'And with...strange aeons...even death...may die!' as he reaches up and grabs Rudy by his throat. Jane's first reaction to this is that she is surprised it took so long, and while the all-weapon pulses on her wrist, Jane can't let it free, because if word gets out that she is the Valkyrie, she can kiss a normal life goodbye, but she thinks it is fortunate that she was dealing with this brand of trouble when she was still in chemo. Jane is a doctor, and she knows how bones break, so she slems her hand against the corpse's elbow, forcing him to release Rudy, who stumbles backwards.
The reanimated corpse turns his attention to Jane, 'Death... sickens...death... is diseased, dying...' he exclaims. Jane doesn't think the corpse wanted to hurt Rudy, though – it was just lashing out, trying to get their attention – her attention – to pass on a warning. 'Heal... her...' the reanimated corpse utters, before collapsing. 'Death is dying...?' Jane utters, before Rudy coughs and asks her what she is waiting for. 'Say the magic word. Find a phone booth. Whatever you do' he mutters. 'Go save the universe!' he exclaims. Jane tells him that she doesn't know what he is talking about, to which Rudy tells Jane that he knows she thinks he is a fool, and perhaps she is right, but that he is very far from being stupid. He moves closer to Jane and reveals that when a troupe of dead Valkyries rode out of his morgue on ghost horses on his lunch break, he noticed who was minding the store – and he noticed when a new Valkyrie turned up after. Rudy points out that it had to either be Jane or Lisa Halloran – but Valkyrie was seen talking to Halloran.
Jane hangs her head, and Rudy asks her if she is going to take care of what is obviously a threat to the balance of life as they know it, or if she is going to continue to insult him with this charade. 'All right, Rudy. You asked for it' Jane thinks to herself as she suddenly glows with energy, and transforms into Valkyrie before Rudy's very eyes. Rudy falls back to the floor and looks up at Jane – Valkyrie – in shock. 'Good Lord' Rudy utters. Valkyrie apologies to Rudy and tells him that sometimes the transformation can be violent. 'Oh, no. Not at all. I was being very rude. Obviously, feel free to take the rest of the day off' Rudy responds. Valkyrie smiles and tells Rudy not to take what she says as Jane personally, as she does see his value. 'You treat the dead with kindness' she remarks. 'You have the right attitude'. The still wide-eyed Rudy watches in shock as Valkyrie turns and walks away.
Jane Foster knows that she is still herself, but when she is Valkyrie, too, there is a different perspective – she thinks like a god, sharper, clearer, filled with hidden knowledge – like she knows exactly what she is doing, and exactly who can help with it. Having transformed into her Valkyrie guise, Jane Foster arrives at the Sanctum Sanctorum of Dr Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme. She leaves her winged horse – called Mr Horse – on the sidewalk as she approaches the front door, thinking that Dr Strange owes her a favor. 'I wasn't sure you'd call it in quite so soon...' Dr Strange remarks as he appears at the front door. 'Like you, I'm always on call, Stephen. Things come up' Valkyrie replies. She follows him into his home, and asks if she interrupted his studies. 'I suppose you did. After a fashion. I'm learning magic' Dr Strange replies. '... you?' Valkyrie replies, surprised.
Dr Strange smiles and tells Valkyrie to watch carefully. 'Nothing up my sleeve... until I utter the word of power... one I've never dared use in this context before... ABRACADABRA!' he exclaims, and a ace of diamonds playing card suddenly appears in between his fingers. 'Ah, that kind of magic' Valkyrie remarks. Dr Strange explains that recently he was forced – in saving the life of a child – to cross a line that he had never dared to before – and he restored his hands. He informs Valkyrie that it was a gamble and the cost for losing would have been incalculable. 'But my hands are everything they were. I am everything I was' Strange adds. 'A little prestidigitation – literally “nimble finger work” - keeps the joints supple... and lets me now I'm ready. Ready to be a surgeon again...' Dr Strange smiles. Valkyrie tells him that if he is a medical doctor again, then she has a patient and needs help forming a diagnosis. Strange pauses, before asking the patient's name.
Valkyrie tells Strange the patient's name – Death. Strange creates an illusion, showing Valkyrie the patient's face – the face of Death. Or rather, faces, as three forms appear before them. Valkyrie wasn't expecting Death to have one, much less several faces. 'There. Death herself. The Last Enemy. The Undiscovered Country. From Whose Bourn no Traveler Returns. The High Wind in the Trees...' Strange calls Death. 'The High Wind in the Trees is looking very glam today. Who does her makeup?' Valkyrie jokes. 'Ah, yes. And so we come to the crux of the matter. Who does do Death's makeup? Why does Death wear these illusions of humanoid form? These are questions that separate simple philosophy from the true magic. And yet...perhaps philosophy holds the key' Strange replies, before suggesting that perhaps, as humanity searches in the dark, as sentient beings the unvierse over try to understand the fundamental forces that rule them – those same fundamental forces also seek to understand them.
Dr Strange turns to Valkyrie and informs her that Death takes suitors and lovers, that she has friends and foes, brothers and sisters, servants and warriors. 'So Death is a person – with at least a simulated personality, judging by the goth getup' Valkyrie replies, before asking if Death has an immune system, too. 'An excellent question...' Strange remarks. Valkyrie tells him that she is just stating the obvious, and that she has to assume that these ties to humanity are what make Death vulnerable – human form, therefore human weakness. Valkyrie points out that at the same time, they don't really know if Death is sick – it's not like they can call her in for a check-up, and they can't make a house call. 'Wait. Death has a face. Death has makeup and clothing. Stephen...does Death have a house?' Valkyrie asks. Dr Strange confirms that she does, but that to reach it alive, he thinks they will need some specialist help.
Shortly, after Strange has made a call on the Astral phone, inside the hour, Valkyrie and Strange are on Orchard Street, gathering their army. A police officer walks past Mr Horse, and looks a little perplexed, as Mr Horse stands still outside a non-descript building known as the Clinic, which is a place for eroes to have their on-the-job injuries treated, no questions asked – the exact location is strictly guarded, because too many villains would kill – literally – to get this kind of drop on their enemies. Valkyrie knows that the doctor in charge is Linda Carter, who calls herself Night Nurse. Valkyrie jokes to herself that presumably her nurse is called Day Doctor.
Valkyrie and Dr Strange walk into the waiting room, where Ava Ayala the White Tiger is sitting on a bench, one of her arms wrapped in a sling. 'Stephen...?'  Linda Carter the Night Nurse calls out as she sees Strange and Valkyrie walking towards her. Valkyrie watches Dr Strange and Night Nurse hug, and realizes that Linda Carter must know Strange from days gone by. 'My dear, dear Watson. How long as it been?' Strange asks as he kisses Linda. 'Long enough that pet names don't work the magic they once did, Stephen' Linda replies. Linda tells Strange that she hopes this isn't him trying to rekindle old flames. 'Strictly business. I promise' Strange replies, before asking Linda who she found. Linda leads Strange and Valkyrie through the Clinic and tells Strange to be impressed. 'It's the room on the right' Linda adds. Valkyrie remembers thinking of how she said “army” earlier, but decides that isn't the right word when dealing with super-people – the right word is “team”. A medical team.
In the room on the right, Valkyrie and Dr Strange find three others waiting for them. Linda Carter smiles and tells them all to sound off. A man in a black and white costume sits with his arms crossed on a chair. 'Cardiac. I strike at evil's heart' he declares matter-of-factly. A woman at the back of the room wearing a bullet-proof vest and holding a large sword waves and smiles as she introduces herself as Dr Faiza Hussain. She explains that people call her Excalibur, but Excalibur is actually the sword she carries, and that it is sort of alive, so it seems a bit odd. 'Like calling Thor “Mjolnir”' Faiza points out. A young man wearing a yellow and black jumpsuit sits on a table as he nervously introduces himself as Dr Whitman Knapp – or just Whit. 'I used to be Manikin. I mean, technically, I still am. But... well, it's been a while...' he adds.
Valkyrie gives each of the doctors her “death stare”, deciding she likes that name better than “Valky-eyes”. As she does, god-knowledge floods her human mind – knowledge of their lives, and their deaths. She looks at Cardiac, and learns that he hunts down corruption – and in this world, there is plenty to be found – so it keeps him busy, and angry – and Death is always near him. Looking at Faiza, Valkyrie learns that, by contrast, she is full of life, a beacon of faith and hope, the voice of the community. Valkyrie also senses a healing power in Faiza, one that is separate from the sword. Turning to Manikin, Valkyrie learns that he is powerful – more powerful than he knows, but she is getting multiple signals from him, like he is about to die – and about to live. While Valkyrie approaches Manikin, Dr Strange goes over to Faiza, who holds up her sword for him to look at. 'The true Excalibur. It's been many years since I last beheld this treasure. The sword that heals...' Dr Strange remarks. 'Don't be ridiculous. How can a sword heal?' Cardiac snarls.
Deciding to find out more about Manikin, Valkyrie asks him what he was told about this mission. 'You and Strange need a team of doctors to diagnose Death and stop the universe from breaking' Whit replies, before telling Valkyrie not to worry about him, as he handled weirder stuff when he was in Alpha Flight. 'Are you sure?' Valkyrie replies. 'Because I think this will get weird for you. You can still back out' she offers him. Whit hangs his head, pauses, and then tells Valkyrie that he doesn't think he can, as Night Nurse said they needed a doctor, and that is what he is – and he has never turned a patient away yet. Cardiac suggests that if none of them are sitting this out, then they should get moving. He assumes that Strange is their transport, to which Dr Strange confirms that he is. 'Brace yourselves... for the way is dark' Strange informs the others.
Valkyrie, Night Nurse, Manikin, Faiza and Cardiac gather around Dr Strange as his hands glow with magical energy, and he begins a spell: 'By the hangman's gait and the graveyard's gloom, where bitter winds must blow...by the hidden date on the waiting tomb, that all must one day know...I see Death's own gate in this very room, and through it we must go...Let fall our fate! Bring forth our doom! Doctor Strange wills it so!' The room goes dark, and the surprised Valkyrie asks 'Wait – there's a gate to Derath's realm in here?' Strange looks over to a poster  on the wall that consists of a dark forest with the words 'Perseverance: The journey of a million miles begins with a single step” and tells Valkyrie that, as he said, it is in this very room, for Death is waiting in every room.
The landscape around the group of doctors changes, and they appear before a dark forest, like the one in the poster, as if the poster is the gateway Strange motions to a path in the forest and tells the others that the invisible hand of Death is all around them, but especially in the mundane. He warns theym to be careful, for once they cross this threshold, there is no going back. Doctor Strange informs Night Nurse that this will be difficult for those with no special abilities and tells her that he would prefer if she remained on this side. 'Well, I'd prefer not to' Night Nurse declares as she steps through the portal into the forest.  'Of course. I suppose I expected nothing less' Strange replies. The others follow, and Valkyrie tells everyone to read carefully, as they are beyond the fields that even she knows, adding that she isn't even sure if this territory has a name. Faiza's sword glows as she tells everyone that this reminds her of Barzakh – the barrier between life and death, but she doesn't think they could be there and keep their physical bodies. 'So it's probably just a horrible scary forest in another dimension' she adds quietly.
Manikin begins to glow as he tells his new companions that this might help, explaining that he can become three different versions of himself from up and down his own evolutionary tree, so if anyone's going to help them find their way, it is “Highbrow”, mankind's future potential. Having transformed into his future self, Highbrow looks around and remarks that he appreciates his present self's faith in him, he has no data available on their location, but that his scans are picking up something of informational value – movement, all around them. The doctors move closer to each other, while zombie-like creatures begin to emerge from the woods aorund them. 'The minions of Death. Servants of the power that rules this realm. Not souls – more representations of the various ways of death. Death in battle... death by ambush' Dr Strange explains. 'Like antibodies. Massing to prevent any intrusion, any infection. We're going to have to fight' Valkyrie tells the others. 'Assuming Homo Erectus configuration for increased combat prowess in three...two...' Highbrow begins as he readies himself for the coming fight by switching into one of his past evolutionary selves, Apeman, growling as he leaps at one of the minions of Death and knocking them backwards.
Faiza suddenly throws her sword to Night Nurse and tells her to swing it around a bit, that Excalibur does the rest. 'What about you?' Linda replies. Faiza assures her that she is all right, and as she raises her hands towards several of the minions of Death lunging towards her, they begin to be torn apart, as Faiza explains that she is a living scalpel, that she take people apart, and that heals them, but while she is “operating” they can't move, and the minions of Death are suddenly frozen in place. 'Heal them – bury them – whatever works!' Cardiac exclaims as he knocks three of the minions of Death back with a charge of energy from his battle staff. But Valkyrie decides that it isn't working, that they are holding their own, sure, but the minions of Death have the advantage of numbers. Night Nurse shoves the Excalibur sword into one of the skeletal beings, but Valkyrie realizes that her allies are being blocked in from every direction – except for one. 'Strange – they can't fly!' Valkyrie calls out to Dr Strange, who remarks 'Then – as Yazz so memorably sang – the only way is up!' and casts a spell around himself and his allies, levitating them above the minions of Death, while Valkyire uses her own wings to fly herself up to safety.
'Wait, Yazz?' Cardiac asks. 'You don't like Yazz?' Strange asks. Cardiac tells Strange that he is just surprised that he knows them, before asking if he ever listens to M People. 'Oooh! I remember M People!' Night Nurse exclaims, before Valkyrie tells her allies that she doesn't mean to interrupt the pressing discussion, but that they have a new symptom. 'By the Vishanti!' Strange utters as he looks over at what Valkyrie is seeing. 'What am I seeing?' Strange asks. 'We're looking at what that means. We are – putting it generously – five mid-list super-people. This is something that could destroy the universe as we know it' Valkyrie thinks to herself as they all stare at a huge skeletal figure looming over a dark castle. The figure carries a large scyth and a glowing energy can be seen under its chest, as Valkyrie thinks to herself that this is the Death of Death.


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Strange Aeons, part 2
Jane Foster is a doctor, a cancer survivor, a widow – and the last of the Valkyries. Right now, she stares up at a large skeletal figure that glows with energy while carrying a huge scyth. His name is... the Death of Death. Death itself, the anthropomorphic personification of Death, is sick, infected by something, and so the Death of Death has come to see if...if Death may die. Jane Foster decides that the Death of Death is an aspect of the Living Tribunal, the living judgment of death as a function of the universe – it is an aspect, but it is separate – or perhaps it is both. Jane can't quite comprehend it all. The all-weapon on her wrist feeds her the knowledge of the gods when she needs it, but this is too big for the gods. 'So big there aren't words... ants... we... we're like ants... just...' Valkyrie's thoughts wander, as blood trickles from her nose, before Dr Stephen Strange, floating near her in a mystical field, calls out to her. 'Jane. You are Jane. Remember. Remember your true name. Your human name'.
Valkyrie turns to Dr Strange, 'Yes. Jane. I'm Jane' Valkyrie replies, to which Strange tells her that he could feel her mind breaking, and remarks that the higher perceptions of an Asgardian can be useful, but that in this place, seeing too much can destroy you. Strange adds that the human mind has defense mechanisms against seeing what may not be seen – mental filters that prevent madness, or worse. Strange tells Jane that here, her humanity is her anchor -and her life jacket. 'So it's good that I don't believe any of this?' Dr Whitman Knapp a.k.a. Manikin asks as he hovers alongside them in the mystical field. Linda Carter the Night Nurse is also in the mystical field and asks Manikin what he means by that. '“Whit” is fine, Night Nurse. Nobody's called me Manikin in years' Whit remarks, before realizing that that is the problem – it has been too long since he has experienced anything this dreamlike. 'I mean, how can Death die?' Whit asks. 'How can any of this be real?' he wonders.
Dr Faiza Hussain, sometimes called Excalibur, smiles and tells Whit that she is the same, that it is all people needing help at the end of the day, though, just through a sort of filter. She adds that she just gets on with it, and it generally goes all right. 'When it goes all right, I mean. We're all doctors, yeah? We've all had it not go all right' Faiza remarks, looking up at Valkyrie, Dr Strange, Whit, Night Nurse and Dr Elias  Wirtham a.k.a. Cardiac. Manikin frowns, while Night Nurse hangs her head. Dr Strange closes his eyes, and Cardiac goes wide-eyed, 'Well, I believe it' he utters, while Valkyrie glances sideways, and thinks 'Yes. We all have'. Cardiac looks up at the Death of Death and tells his companions that it is right there – a power that can end Death. 'How could that not be what it is?' he asks. Dr Strange pauses, before telling his companions that he is worried they haven't been attacked up here.
'You what?' Faiza asks. Dr Strange tells Dr Hussain and Dr Knapp that they are right – this is not a real place, it is a symbolic realm. 'Which doesn't mean we can't all get killed, obviously. But it does mean the realm of death shapes itself subtly, with our thoughts as a guide. And we are all medical practitioners...' Strange adds. Valkyrie tells Strange that she takes his meaning. 'When we fought the minions of Death in the dark forest...I identified them as antibodies to the immune system. If we are no longer being attacked by them...' Valkyrie's voice trails off, and she drops to the ground, followed by Strange and the others as Strange removes the mystical barrier around them. 'Indeed. Death's immune system is failing – and time is running out' Dr Strange tells his companions, adding that he fears they will see no more such “antibodies” during their time here.
The group then walks towards the large mansion in the dark forest, and standing before a door, Strange tells the group that through the door, there is only the disease. 'A disease that speaks in metaphor. That will try to speak to us. Be ready for...' Strange begins as he opens the door, 'Ah. Well, this is on me. I had a classical education' Strange mutters as they find a figure with a long beard carrying a staff standing on a small platform which is surrounded by a yellowish moat. The figure introduces himself as Charon, boatman of the great Acheron, that which separates life from after-life. He tells the group that there is a toll to cross his river. 'Those whose hearts beat. Whose lungs fill with air. All who would meet with Death...must pay the ferryman'. Cardiac remarks that he thought Charon sailed the Styx, and puts his battle staff into the yellowish liquid, asking what it is. But when he pulls the battle staff from the liquid, he goes wide-eyed with disgust: 'Dear lord. It's pus. A river of pus!' he exclaims.
Valkyrie tells the others that this is the disease taking form, before asking if Charon should be on their side. 'He basically did my job' she adds. As Cardiac tries to flick the pus off of his staff, Strange tells Valkyrie to look again, to look with her true sight. Valkyrie's eyes glow, and she sees “Charon” as he truly is – not Charon, but a manifestation of the disease, sticking up from the river, some sort of worm-like creature with a glowing jewel on top of it. Valkyrie tells her companions that Charon ferried heroes across the river of death, but that he also ferried them back, so he is a symbol of how Death may be defeated. She adds that Cardiac is right that most link Charon with the Styx, the river Achilles was bathed in, and that made him immune to Death's touch. 'If we want to heal Death...this isn't a good sign' she points out. The disease then speaks from the glowing jewel: 'Healing always has a cost. The price to cross my river is high... but one of you must pay it. Who?' the disease asks.
Faiza steps forward, 'Let me take a look at it. Night Nurse – scalpel' she calls out, taking her sword, Excalibur, from Night Nurse. But Dr Strange tells her that this is a magical bargain, that the price the disease speaks of may be her life, or worse. But Faiza raises her sword overhead and tells her companions that this is Excalibur, and that she is not just a doctor, but a National Health Service Doctor. 'So unlike you lot, my healing – is free at the point of delivery!' With that, she plunges Excalibur into the pus-filled river, causing the disease to scream, and the worm-like creature shrivels up, the jewel on top of it breaking open. The river of pus then disappears, leaving Faiza clutching the Excalibur sword, while Manikin reminds her that he is from Canada. 'hmm. Every taxpayer in Britain just felt a barely noticeable twinge in their little toe' Dr Strange jokes, before remarking that this is interesting. 'Yeah, the bad news is, I have to pull very long shifts. I can feel the disease fighting back' Faiza replies.
Faiza stands up and reports that she is going to have to stay here and sort of hold the virus off, and that she will need to keep Excalibur with her, as well. 'Forget the sword – are you going to be okay? I'm not going to sacrifice someone for -' Cardiac begins, but Valkyrie assures him that Faiza will be fine, she can sense it. Valkyrie thinks to herself that it is the rest of them who need to worry, especially Dr Knapp. She sees multiple balls of death hovering over him, but she doesn't know what that means. She recalls that she warned him this could get weird, but he chose to come anyway. Valkyrie hopes that she doesn't regret not forcing the issue. Dr Strange leads the others on and tells Dr Hussain that they will leave this operation in her capable hands, while they go to treat the other symptoms.
'Or we could turn back' Cardiac mumbles as the quintet make their way down a dark corridor in the mansion, but Valkyrie tells him not to joke. She instructs the others to stay behind her, because if the disease wants to take more active measures, she can shield them. Suddenly, the group comes to a stop in front of a painting of a car that has burst into flames after crashing into a tree. 'I wasn't joking' Cardiac declares, before asking what this place is – a gallery with only one painting. 'Should we expect more pus?' he wonders. He then reminds Valkyrie that she is the one with the Asgardian knowledge and asks her if she knows what this is. 'Valkyrie?' Cardiac calls out when she doesn't respond to him, her gaze drawn to the mysterious painting in the room. 'Yes. I know what this is' the wide-eyed Valkyrie utters.
Valkyrie covers her face with her hands as she informs her companions that she was divorced, that it was stupid – she was stupid – she was still in love with Thor, and her ex-husband had custody of their son, she saw him every other weekend. 'Keith would drop Jimmy off at my, at my – Keith was bringing him – they were on the freeway and –' Valkyrie cries. 'Jane...you don't have to...' Strange begins, but Valkyrie tells him that she does, and reveals that she was told Keith must have dozed off, that the car went through the guardrail and they could have lived – except there was the tree. 'There was a tree' Jane declares, still covering her face with her hands. 'God. Why are we even doing this?' Cardiac asks, shocked.
Night Nurse tells Valkyrie that she is sorry, but that she doesn't think she is seeing the same painting. As she looks at the painting, she sees the unmoving body of Jack Monroe, the hero known as Nomad, slumped against a brick wall. She explains that the reason she helps heroes is that a hero once saved her – Nomad – he saved her life, and then he vanished. 'I think I'm seeing why' she utters. Manikin tells his companions that it is different for him, too, but he doesn't understand it – the painting just shows a pink puddle. 'But what am I looking at?' he asks. Cardiac looks at the painting, which for him shows his brother, Joshua, hooked up to life support, and tells the others that they should not be doing this. When Dr Strange looks at the painting, he sees nothing but a blank space. He tells his companions that the disease is attempting to discourage them, showing them the true face of she whom they seek to cure – Death as she has touched them.
Dr Strange continues, revealing that for him the canvas is blank, pure nothingness – the death of an entire reality. 'A sight I have seen too often as the Sorcerer -' he begins, when suddenly, Cardiac stuns him from behind with a surge of energy from his battle staff. 'Sorry, Doctor. But I had to take you out, and a surprise shock to the brain was the only way to do it. Hope you're okay...' Cardiac declares. A sword forms in Valkyrie's hand as she angrily asks Cardiac if he is insane. Tear stains line her face as she tells Cardiac that Dr Strange was their guide to this realm. 'If we're going to save Death's life, we need him!' she exclaims. Cardiac holds his battle staff at the ready as he tells Valkyrie to listen to herself: 'Save Death's life? It's like a sick joke! We can save an infinity of lives – like your son, like my brother, just by withholding treatment! Letting this happen! Why? Why do we need Death?' Cardiac asks, shouting.
Manikin grits is teeth and reminds Cardiac that they are doctors and Death is their patient – and he has never turned away from one yet. Manikin's body begins to shift again, 'Have you met Proto?' he asks, as he transforms into the form of pink plasma which is the representation of the earliest form of life. Manikin adds that Proto is the best way to disarm Cardiac before he hurts anyone else. 'Stick is bad! Eat stick! Eat bad stick!' Proto exclaims as it hurls itself through the air, and lands on the end of Cardiac's battle staff. 'No! Get off, Knapp! If you damage my staff – I can't control the level of – voltage!' Cardiac explains, but too late, as Proto began to eat through the battle staff, the voltage control was ruined, and the energy emitted from the end of the staff tears Proto apart. Proto then drips to the ground, a pool of pink gunk.
Cardiac kneels over Proto's remains and utters 'No, no, no, no. get up. Pull back together, do – do something!' The shocked Cardiac claims that he was doing the right thing, and explains that if Death dies, they can bring Manikin back, they can bring everyone back, surely. 'And if we can't, then we can still – people won't die! Nobody will die anymore! That's worth it – that's got to be -' Cardiac babbles, clearly disturbed, before he lies on the ground, covering the back of his head with his hands, 'Oh god. Oh god, I killed Dr Knapp' he gasps. Valkyrie, her eyes glowing, pauses, before telling Cardiac that it is his lucky day. Crouching beside the remains of Proto, Valkyrie informs the others that she saw four deaths over Manikin's head – and only one was imminent, while she can still see three deaths. 'His amobea-self might be dead...but...ah...there you are' Valkyrie utters as she puts a hand on Proto's remains, and sees Manikin, Highbrow and Apeman reflected back at her.
Valkyrie turns and starts to walk out of the chamber, while instructing Night Nurse tell Dr Strange when he wakes that he has three patients who need rescuing from a dead puddle. 'He'll probably enjoy the challenge' she adds, before telling Night Nurse to also keep an eye on Cardiac, who continues to lie on the ground, huddled over. 'I don't think he's a threat now, but... he might hurt himself' Valkyrie explains. 'Right. Okay. Where are you going?' Night Nurse calls back to Valkyrie. 'I'm going to see my patient' Valkyrie declares as she opens the doors to another part of the mansion.
Stepping through into the next room, a voice calls out to Jane Foster and Valkyrie finds herself appearing as her human form again, walking through darkness towards Death of Death, still glowing, and hovering over a bed where Death herself lies. 'That's my name. I wasn't aware these were visiting hours. Are you a relative?' Jane asks. 'I am what your mind can grasp. I am a point of decision' Death of Death responds. The strange being holds up a green glowing door and a yellow glowing pod as it tells Jane Foster that a green door swings open and Death is irrelevant, while a pod grows new life and Death is without meaning. 'So many have returned from Death. More and more. Even you. So Death grows weaker... sicker... until the question must be asked. Do we need Death? Any death? Convince me' the Death of Death declares.
Jane hangs her head, she remarks that Cardiac asked the same thing – and so has she, so many times. Jane rubs her head and remarks 'Imagining a world where Kevin and Jimmy didn't die. Where nobody ever had to...to go through that...but that's not a world without any death, is it? That's a world without people dying. That's not what you asked'. Jane states that she is not thinking like Valkyrie here – Valkyrie sees death as a journey. 'You'd think I'd take some comfort in that' Jane remarks, before deciding that she has to think like a doctor – and nobody respects Death like a doctor. Jane looks over at the physical manifestation of Death and tells Death of Death that if there was no death at all, if nothing died – not people, not animals, not plants, not germs, not cells – a universe of living cells that didn't die, but still reproduced, she would call that the Cancerverse, and she doesn't think she wants to live there. Jane's appearance changes to how she used to look when she was undergoing treatment for her cancer. 'The end of pain... and fear... and sorrow... these are things to strive for. For all our days. The end of Death... I don't think that means life' Jane utters.
Jane rubs her forehead and asks the Death of Death if that is good enough – after all this – is he convinced yet? 'Are you...?' Jane begins, before looking shocked as she turns to see the Death of Death has vanished, and Death hovers over her, wearing her dark robe, pulled over her face, Death announces that she is healed, and that it has been decided – the process of death will continue, and this plane will not transition to a Cancerverse. Death explains that the Death of Death was convinced of the need for her existence. 'Are you?' Death asks Jane. Jane pauses, before replying 'Of course not'. 'But “ours is not to reason why,” is it? Boss' Jane remarks, before rushing to a flickering door nearby, excusing herself, 'It's a long way back to -' she begins, before stepping through the door as Valkyrie, and finding herself in Night Nurse's clinic.
'Hey! You're back!' a voice calls out. Valkyrie looks around and sees Cardiac sitting on a chair, his arms folded, while Night Nurse stands behind him, and Dr Strange next to her. Faiza Hussain stands next to Strange and tells Valkyrie that they all got back here ages ago, and they were starting to get worried. 'So... yeah. How'd it go? Did we win?' Faiza enquires. Finally, Manikin leans against the table, while two of his other selves – Apeman and Highbrow – stand nearby. Valkyrie tells her companions that Death is still with them, that Death will always be with them. 'We did not lose. But did we win?' she asks, uncertain.
Now, or perhaps earlier, Death stands over a car that has crashed into a tree and has been set alight with flames....


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Broken Eggs
Three months ago:An old man in a bar watches Steve Rogers trying to calm a riot on TV. The other patrons discuss what the hell Rogers is wearing and whether these super teams are all useless. Pretty much, the old guy announces and decides he can’t do nothing anymore, not when they are all staring down the barrel of no future.
Now:A trendy dance club:A young man with spiky white hair with striking tattoos on both his arms, wearing a bleach tunic reminiscent of Captain America, is dancing with both pop starlet Sugar Kane and former X-Man Stacy X. Stacy asks him if he recognizes her friend. She is famous. She wants to take this to the next level. He up for it?
They are unaware that they are being watched by a white-haired gentleman in a purple suit…
1944, Germany:Adolf Hitler addresses a subordinate, explaining these are trying times. They have eliminated the rot that existed within. Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators are no more. Skorzeny awaits his fate.
He is wary of the Americans in France and the resistance uprising there. They will destroy all bridges over the Seine and devastate the city. But it is not these things that preoccupy his thoughts… The Red Army moves on Poland. For the Russians, this is but an opening salvo. They have a renewed confidence that suggests a greater agenda. They think the Germans are weak. They are far from weak!
Schellenberg has confirmed the secret eugenics program to tip the scales of human evolution in their favor. They are close to achieving their goals and that must be dealt with. He has decreed that they be eradicated. It should be as though they never existed.
The man he is talking to is a soldier of the Reich. Perhaps the greatest they have ever produced. He knows he can count on him. There is no other who could fulfill this assignment. This will be their proudest achievement. The Red Skull accepts with pleasure.
the present:Nevada, Groom Lake adjacent:A young woman in a star-spangled outfit walks in and looks down. Spooky, she remarks. Are they sure this is the right place? Per comm., she is told they have their very own Deep Throat and he’s been right on the money about everything else so far.
Scanners are reading some weird interference about twelve levels down, Barnell Bohusk, formerly the X-Man Beak, tells her. He is in a computer room with lots of other young people, among them his girlfriend Angel Salvadore, also a former mutant.
The young woman asks if anyone has checked if the automatic security is still functional. She hates surprises. In that case, remind her to cancel her Sweet Sixteen party, Angel retorts. They are showing her nothing clear, but why the hell would she be worried anyway? She is Miss America, isn’t she?
Damn straight, she replies and jumps down the silo. And that’s Miss America Chavez to her!
Looking at the blueprint, Beak tells her to take the silo all the way down. Follow it as it levels out and it should take her right to--
To a big-ass door. Miss America interrupts. Beak warns her of a sort of timelock. Give him a minute to— Never mind, she replies and uses super-strength to tear it open.
She’s in, now what? Detention unit #AA-23, she is told. The only one with an actual occupant. Barnell remarks this one has a sonic frequency lock. Only sound at a certain register opens it. Can she whistle? However, Miss America again opens it the old-fashioned way.
Lying inside is a young boy, half completely white, half black. Score another one for Mr. Deep Throat, Barnell mutters. Angel points out it doesn’t sound as good when he says it.
America kneels down next to the unmoving boy, noting the hair on her neck is tingling. He’s not radioactive or anything? Angel orders her to grow a pair. The clock is ticking!
America lifts him up. The boy mutters: two sides… same coin… it’s all out of balance… lucky thirteen… they’re coming… all of them…
Angel hopes their fearless leader returns from his play time in time to figure out what to do with this.
An apartment in Beverly, Wilshire. Stacy X uses her mutant power to pleasure Sugar Kane. Stacy asks the young man if he has any special talents he feels like sharing. He’s holding back, he replies, watching the two women.
Suddenly the window pane shatters. Magneto is floating outside. They claim they’ve come so far, he scoffs. There are even moments he’s inclined to agree. And then he hears whispers of something like this. This sordid behavior… they should be ashamed of themselves!
Stacy snaps at him to mind his own business. He tells her that her behavior is his business. She is neglecting her responsibilities to her—
And here he thought irony was dead, the young man remarks. Then again he doesn’t go for fads. He’s always dug the classics. He draws a futuristic gun and aims it at Magneto, who tells him unless he is a mutant, this is not his struggle. He is here to maintain a standard of order. By any means necessary. He magnetically slams them around and warns them this is just a parlor trick. There are so few of them now. They cannot afford such vulgar displays of promiscuity. They are counterproductive to their ultimate aims.
He’s out here to recruit another round of Evil Mutants? Stacy asks. Despite her reputation she tends to side with the angels or rich. Her ignorance is only matched—he begins.
They young man shouts he really doesn’t know who he is and fires his weapon. Magneto is hit and realizes horrified his powers are neutralized. The boy spells it out, adding he couldn’t get rid of his prudishness though. Not surprised he doesn’t know him. He keeps things on the D-L as much as possible. But he is badass, so Magneto really should know his name. Ultimate Nullifier at his service.
Angrily, Magneto goes for his throat. Ultimate Nullifier slaps away his arm, telling him not to break a hip. He fires one of his weapons at Magneto, who finds his powers are gone. The women leave.
Magneto berates the boy and urges him to finish him. Let him get him a tissue, Ultimate Nullifier mocks. He’s here to protect the snake girl. So is he, Magneto replies. It’s not the first time such scandal has involved his kind. There are so few of them left. And everyone matters.
Ultimate Nullifier clarifies that he was protecting her from Magneto. So he inferred, Magneto replies wryly. He has adapted to the times. But as he said, do as you will.
Ultimate Nullifier realizes Magneto has taken a break from his whole terrorist stance. And he figured all that Kate Kildare crap was just a PR two-step. Go figure!
Magneto realizes the boy is not as brash as he lets on and then notices his power is coming back. Ultimate Nullifier explains the trick was temporary and adds he is not a mutant. Magneto warns him, should they meet again his tricks will not save him. Whatever he says, UN replies and sends a text message to Angel he’s coming back. Time for a band meeting …
in New York City, Kyle Richmond aka the former Defender Nighthawk meets with former SHIELD agent Fritch, who tells him Joaquin Pennyworth vouched for Richmond. He warns him about highly sensitive information. Kyle learns someone, another ex-SHIELD agent, he presumes, is feeding classified intel to some third party. More of a homeland security matter, Kyle figures. Fritch replies the chain of command is a bit confused right now. With Rogers back in the outfit, he doesn’t know. He prefers his national security heads when they don’t wear masks. No offense. Kyle tells him he gave up on it.
Fritch continues this is something stranger than stealing secrets. Maybe he and Joaquin can peel the onion. Speaking of, what is Joaquin up to these days?
Joaquin is Kyle’s successor as Nighthawk, and with his team of Defenders (She-Hulk, Son of Satan and Krang) is fighting the Dragon Man.
Returning to the Teen Brigade’s HQ, Ultimate Nullifier complains what the world is coming to. He thought Magneto was the oldest of old-school. How and when does he turn out to be a good guy? Just because they went to school there doesn’t mean she and Barnell get an alumni newsletter, Angel remarks. They are out of the club, remember?
He’s well aware, he remarks as he sinks down into a comfy chair. She and Barnell still hold the title ‘power couple’ around here. Maybe start acting like one.
Barnell protests that’s not fair. Angel tells him to let Ultimate Nullifier pout. Another misunderstood teenager screaming at the world from behind his video game chair.
If only, Ultimate Nullifier remarks. It’s just getting tougher to do this gig in secret but that’s the deal, right? So much for glamorizing subversion. No more moaning, he decides and jumps up, it’s about tradition, right? Get ready for another history lesson, Angel mutters.
Ultimate Nullifier continues they don’t live in the big towers and the Baxter Buildings and whatever other swanky places they live in, do they? They do what they do and no one ever knows. That’s how these crews have always done this. Except of course for good ol’ Rick Jones…
Flashback:Rick Jones orders the Teen Brigade to go ahead and send an encoded message to the Fantastic Four. He met them once when ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross tried to recruit them to take down the Hulk. This time they can actually help him!
Present:Sure, Jones and his guys got the glory. How many Teen Brigades have existed since the First World War, nine? Ten maybe. Each one committed to aiding the heroes of their era without hem ever being aware of just how much happens behind the scenes. They are just the latest iteration.
Angel yawns and announces she‘ll check in with the real powerhouse of the gang. Ultimate Nullifier asks why Chavez isn’t back by now. Ms. America checks in. Nullifier asks if she’s got the package. Belligerently, she warns him not to start with her. She thinks the package is a lot more than they bargained for.
No more masters, the semi-unconscious boy in her arms mutters. The Ankh is dead. Disparate rivers of chaos merging into one…
Elsewhere, a stony-faced being announces his idol screams across the extra dimensions… wailing decay… and so he awaits his sacrifice.
In New York, the Defenders’ work is done. She-Hulk asks for Damage Control. Nighthawk calls Richmond, who tells them he has something else lined up for them.
In Latveria, Doom’s adoptive son Kristoff Vernard has been crowned ruler and wants a more appropriate celebration, something in which all of Latveria can participate.
The new Young Masters of Evil have new backing and plans to recruit.
The boy warns America that out in the open they can find them …The Brak’mhüd! Black demons suddenly surround them…