#yes that really is the name of rocket's homeworld

[momentofmemory]

fictober - day nine

Prompt #9: “It has a certain taste.”

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe (Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy)

Warnings: Grief

Rating: T

Characters: Thor Odinson & Rocket Raccoon

Words: 1674

Author’s Note: set in the near vicinity (1-3 months) post endgame.

>>Snøsøte on the Mountains

The Milano was scheduled for planet departure in a little over forty earth minutes, and no one had seen Thor in six hours.

They’d landed on Krylor three days ago so that Rocket could make some much-needed repairs to the ship—Krylorians were famous for their psionic-guided engines and other advancements in interstellar flight—and Rocket was convinced he could use his reputation as “savior of the universe” to schmooze as much free tech out of them as possible. In his defense, it had been going stunningly well until Drax accidentally offended half the local government being, well, Drax.

The need to leave on time had increased significantly after that.

Rocket sat in the copilot’s chair, inspecting the hyper-wave bomb he’d lifted off the security guard that’d escorted him out.

“Rocket.”

He vaguely registered Quill’s voice, but decided it probably wasn’t important. Instead, he turned the bomb around until his claws found the seam. He huffed in triumph, then flipped it upside down and pried off the base.

It immediately lit up and started beeping.

“Mother of—”

Rocket chucked it at Drax, but it bounced harmlessly off his head and rolled to the floor. It glowed briefly, then powered down.

Drax didn’t even wake up.

“Huh.” Rocket crawled out of his chair and snatched up the orb. He bet he could reverse engineer the power core with some of those lame lithium-ion batteries he’d stolen from Rhodey last week.

“Rocket!”

He winced and flattened his ears back against his head. “Geez, what, Quill? You trying to wake up the whole sector?”

“If that’s what it takes to get your attention, then yes.” Quill closed the map he’d been looking at and walked to the front of the ship, stopping in front of Rocket. “Thor still hasn’t shown up, and he isn’t answering his comm.”

Rocket poked at one of the wires and was immediately shocked for his efforts. He swore and shook his hand vigorously, glaring up at Quill. “Yeah, and?”

“And I’d like to leave this planet in one piece, which means on time. We’re not exactly on the hottest terms with the locals.”

Rocket frowned. “I’m sorry, I seem to remember that being Drax’s fault. I don’t see you asking him about electro boy.”

“That’s because Drax is an idiot.”

Rocket snorted and tried to slip past. “Guess that explains why you’re not doing it yourself, either.”

“Rocket.”

“He’s a big guy! He can take care of himself.”

“He is sad.”

Both Quill and Rocket turned as Mantis appeared in the doorway. “I do not know what is wrong.”

Quill gave Rocket his best I told you so look and Rocket crossed his arms over his chest. “I still don’t see why that means I have to go get him.”

Groot, who hadn’t even bothered to look up from his console the entire trip, chose that moment to stare at Rocket with his obnoxiously sincere eyes. “I am Groot?”

Rocket deflated and tossed the grenade at Quill, who yelped and dropped the datapad he’d been holding to catch it. “Use this if things go south before I get back.”

Groot smirked. “I am Groot.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it,” Rocket said, taking the datapad for himself. He sighed. “I’m the captain.”

_________________________

Krylorians are deathly allergic to all forms of alcohol, so that ruled out the normal kinds of places the Asgardian would frequent. Fortunately for Rocket, however, the Milano’s energy sensors are one system he’d managed to get updated before Drax blew his street cred. He tapped in a few commands and the system recalibrates to perform a city-wide search for the weird, low-grade electricity signature Thor always seemed to give off.

The wavelength was nowhere to be found in the city, but widening it to include the nearby geography quickly solved the problem.

“Hey Quill,” he said into his comm as he grabbed a jetpack from the Milano’s storage, “How long do you think you can delay that take off for?”

“How long do you like living?”

Rocket didn’t bother responding. Quill was an idiot, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t good at bullshitting excuses.

He exited the Milano and flew to the outskirts of town, keeping an eye on the map. It took him twenty minutes to approach the location, mostly because of the rain, and Thor’s marker didn’t move the entire time.

He knew Thor got moody around the anniversary of the snap—who didn’t—but that was reversed now and anyway, that date wasn’t for another three months.

He finally found the Asgardian sitting on the edge of a rocky outcrop, his legs hanging down and hands folded in his lap, looking out over the coastline. Rocket landed next to him, rain water soaking his fur and dripping onto the hard surface. Thor smiled in greeting.

“Rabbit!” The man spoke with the level of exuberance he reserved for when he was feeling truly miserable. “How goes your quest for the finest technology this side of the galaxy?”

“Not so great, actually,” Rocket said, hiding under one of the larger rocks and shaking off. "We kinda need you back at the ship.”

“…Ah.” Thor made no move to get up. “A shame, really.”

Rocket was still trying to de-clump his fur. “What? You got something against being dry?”

“No.” A chuckle, likely at the expense of Rocket’s struggling. “But nothing against being wet, either.”

Rocket gave up and stepped back into the rain, and noticed Thor was rotating something between his fingers. “What’s that?”

Thor blinked in surprise and looked down, as if he himself had forgotten the item.

“This is Yggdrasil,” he said, carefully placing it in Rocket’s palm so the raccoon could get a better look at it. “The great tree of life, out of which Asgard was grown.”

Rocket turned the figure from side to side. It was small, barely bigger than his own paw, and felt like Terran marble. The trunk of the tree fused into the bottom of a cylindrical city ringed with mountains, and three branches curved up and around its base to form a domed top. In the center of the city rose the spire of a magnificent palace, and out of that, the rest of the tree: nine branches in all.

Rocket handed the carving back. “Asgard, huh?”

“Mm. It was the crown jewel of the Nine Realms.” Thor looked at the tree, then tucked it away in one of the pouches on his belt. “Home of the first root of Yggdrasil.”

“Seems fancy.” Rocket curled his tail under him and sat down beside Thor, though his legs weren’t quite long enough to hang off the edge. “They just called my planet Halfworld.”

“Oh, I’m sure it was a very whole planet in its own right. Not anywhere near as impressive as Asgard, but still.”

“No, that was literally its—look, nevermind, that isn’t the point.”

The planet’s sun was beginning to set, casting the sky into deep shades of green, blue, and purple—a sharp contrast to the pale yellow of the day.

Thor sighed. “This place reminds me of my home.”

“…You sure?”

Thor laughed and clapped Rocket on the back, nearly hurling him off the ledge in the process. “My apologies, Rabbit! I forget sometimes that you, too, have seen Asgard.” His countenance fell. “But it is not merely the geography that makes up a place.”

Rocket’s eyebrows knitted together and Thor smiled. “My father said that to me, right before Ragnarok.”

“A what rock?”

“It’ll be six years tomorrow, actually,” Thor said, continuing as if Rocket hadn’t spoken. “Six years since I had to destroy my homeworld.”

Thunder cracked in the distance and Rocket suddenly wondered if the rain wasn’t just by chance.

“There are much more important things to mourn, of course. Mostly people. Lots of those.” Thor shrugged. “Still.”

Rocket shifted. His fur was completely soaked through, and the sunset meant the temperature was dropping. Quill probably needed them back to the ship as soon as possible.

But he was the captain.

“You said this place reminds you of Asgard?”

Thor looked at him in surprise. “So it does.”

“Gotta say I can’t see it, but, you were there longer, so.” Rocket leaned back on his paws. “Explain it if you want.”

The smallest of smiles appeared on Thor’s face. He turned towards the violet-coloured sea, watching the waves crash into the coastline. “It’s true that the appearances aren’t very similar. I’m sure you’re correct about Krylo being technologically advanced, but stylistically they seem very lacking.”

“Harsh, but continue.”

Thor laughed, and took in a deep breath. “It’s not about the visuals at all, really. It’s in the way the air feels.”

Rocket frowned. “The… air.”

“Indeed, Rabbit.” He closed his eyes. “There’s a certain… taste to it, almost. Fresh and crisp. Metallic, though not badly. The barest touch of salt from the sea.”

“Sounds like you knew the place pretty well,” Rocket said, thinking of his own distorted memories. “Shame I didn’t get to see more of it.”

A hopeful look appeared in Thor’s eyes. He rose to his feet, offering a hand to Rocket. “Perhaps I could tell you more on our journey back?”

“Better than listening to Quill whine, so sure.” Rocket accepted the hand and climbed up onto the man’s shoulder. “What was this Asgard of yours like.”

Thor thought of the palace, its golden spire glistening in the moonlight, even as the heart of the city cast its own light from below. The churning waterfalls at the edge of the world he and Loki had explored as children, always with the careful eye of Heimdal guarding them. Sunlight streaming through the great, gilded archways that had been so lavishly sculpted as his people bustled through. Lignonberry jelly on toast, shaved salads with dulse at the evening náttverðr, his mother’s pönnukökur for breakfast. Snøsøte blooming in the mountains, its rich, deep-blue petals stark against the fresh white snow.

Thor smiled, and twirling his hammer, launched both of them into the air.

“It was beautiful.”

[thelordofdarkreunion]

Magnificent Scoundrels- Seat of the Citadel

One last faction intro story, in which Shepard finally tells the Council what every Mass Effect player has ever wanted to tell them.  Unless someone specifically requests otherwise, or it is needed later, I won’t have any more “faction intros” as I’ve been writing them.  Next up is the meeting of the different governments.  As usual, I own none of these characters.  Enjoy the story.  

(A note on timelines: This takes place slightly more than halfway through the events of Mass Effect 2)

Mass Effect Galaxy

The Citadel, Capital of the Citadel Council

 The Citadel.  The beating heart of galactic power.  A glimmering jewel of elegance and culture.  An utterly massive 45 kilometer long space station, constructed by the long-extinct and highly advanced Prothean race, it was the capital of the aptly named Citadel Council, the galaxy spanning federation that ruled most of explored space.  

Discovered by the Asari in the human year 580 B.C.E., it had since remained the center of galactic power.  Open, airy, and utterly magnificent, it was a menagerie of elegant futuristic-style architecture and open water features.  Its beauty was unmatched by any other place in the galaxy; not the often conflicting human architecture of Earth, nor the sweeping elegance of Thessia, nor the simplistic, yet sturdy nature of the Turian or Salarian homeworlds.  Truly, it was a place unlike any other.  

Commander John Shepard sat in an elaborate waiting room at the base of the Citadel Tower, the large structure that housed the chambers of the Council itself.  Above was an artificial sky of brilliant blue.  Blossoming cherry trees were dotted around the large room in large pots, their blossoms adding to the Beautiful fountains trickled slowly, the sound of running water meant to calm and soothe visitors.  Shepard was anything but calm.  In fact, he was, to put it rather mildly, pissed off. 

The Council had done absolutely nothing in the two years while he had been dead.  He warned them of the coming of the genocidal synthetic race known as the Reapers, but, no, they apparently preferred the illusion of safety and calm instead of shoring up defenses and preparing for a war that was almost certainly coming.  Goddamn bureaucrats.  

Now, it was even worse.  There were nine new galaxies out there, and all of them had it together.  He shuddered as he remembered reading the briefings and documents provided by his various new colleagues.  Council will probably want to ignore that, too.  Goddamn bureaucrats, he repeated to himself.  And what did the Council do?  Invited them all over as if they were all newly discovered species.  As if they were peoples who newly discovered space flight, expected to be cowed by the might of the Council, instead of pan-galactic empires.   

Goddamn bureaucrats.

“John.  God to see you.”  Shepard looked up sharply as someone called his name.  He visibly relaxed when he saw who it was.  

Captain, now Councillor, David Anderson walked towards Shepard, a smile on his face.  Dark skin, a flat nose, and short cut hair highlighted an elegant but simple suit; the clothing of a Councillor.  Anderson was Shepard’s mentor, old captain, and still older friend.  Still more, he was the only of four Councillors that Shepard fully trusted.  

“It’s good to see you too, Anderson,” said Shepard, rising from his seat to shake his hand.  Anderson made a ‘follow me’ gesture, and the two started to walk through the extensive lobby.

“The information you sent me was quite helpful,” remarked Anderson.  Shepard rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous tick he’d picked up from somewhere.

“Ah.  Yes.  Well, my new colleagues are a bit… bizarre,” Wasn’t that the understatement of the century?  Really weird and slightly insane would probably be better.  “But, they are quite helpful.”  Especially if you want something very, very dead.  Anderson nodded in response.

“I’m sure.”  He glanced around the room, noting several Salarians hovering near a doorway.  “But the walls here have ears.  All part of the political game,” he sighed.  “Let’s take this conversation to my office.”  Shepard couldn’t agree more. 

Anderson’s office was, again, simple yet elegant, as a Councillor’s office should be.  Smooth walls and a large window, overlooking the Presidium, highlighted a maple desk.  Sitting on top of the desk, next to endless reports, was a single picture of Anderson wearing dress blues on his naval graduation day.  Anderson slid into the chair (with wheels, of course; humans in this galaxy weren't savages) and gestured for Shepard to take a seat opposite him.  

“Some of this data is, to put it bluntly, quite concerning,” opened Anderson without preamble.  He touched a button on his desk, and a hologram sprang to life, displaying three symbols: a blue triangle with a minimalized rocket taking off on it, a black and white six-spoked circle, and a double-headed golden eagle.  Of course we’d start with those three.  “These three in particular.  Tell me about them.”  He glanced at a data pad.  “The, uh, Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, who sound a lot like if the Alliance was ruled by Cerberus, and the Galactic Empire and Imperium of Man, who,” this was accompanied by a slightly incredulous chuckle, “Sound like some nightmare governments from a bad movie.”  Shepard rubbed the back of his neck again.

“...yeah.  Sure.  I… how should I even start,” he rubbed his neck again, “The IMC is what you think would happen if a super-corporation gained enough power to rule humanity, the Galactic Empire took power after a Galactic Republic kinda lost a horrible war.” He still wasn’t 100% sure about the politics from that particular galaxy.  He shrugged, then continued.  “But, uh, both of those governments are on the decline.  Their opposite, more freedom-loving numbers have recently beat them back.  It’s the third one that’s the problem.”  Anderson shot him a look that clearly said ‘explain’.  “You see… well, how should I put this…” He frowned as he considered what to say.  “The Imperium of Man makes Terra Firma look violently pro-alien.”  Terra Firma was the System Alliance's resident human supremacist group.  Often compared to the Nazis of old, they were uncouth, brutal, and, above all, close minded.  Anderson’s eyebrows shot up at this comment.  Shepard rubbed his neck once more.  “Yeah.  No slurs or racial barbs for these guys.”  Shepard leaned in closer to Anderson to get his point across.  “One of their mottos is, and I quote, ‘Suffer not the alien to live’.”  Anderson cradled his head in his arms.  

“Oh, God.  And we invited them to the upcoming first contact talks.”  

“Yep!” replied Shepard with slightly more relish than was actually necessary.  It would be a real shame if xenocidal zealots murdered the Council (maybe), but perhaps it would be a good thing if they shook things up a little.  Certainly, if Cain was anything to go by, they weren’t all bad.  

“How are the other three going to react to all of this?” moaned Anderson, head still in his arms.

“Not quite sure,” replied Shepard, “Although, this time, it’s all politics, so the illustrious Commander Shepard isn’t going to be able to save their collective asses, like I’ve done the last five or six times.”  His face took on a pensive look.  “Although, maybe this will actually get them to listen about the Reapers…”  Anderson and Shepard’s thoughts were broken by a blue-skinned Asari, who politely knocked.

“Excuse me, Councillor Anderson.  The Council is ready to see Commander Shepard,” said the Asari.  Anderson sighed and slowly shook his head.  

“Well, duty calls.  This ought to be interesting.”

The Council chambers were much like the rest of the Citadel: utterly beautiful with a simple and refined elegance.  Too bad such a wonderful room was squandered on the walking wastes of oxygen that were the Council.  At least, that was Shepard’s opinion.  He didn’t have much liking for politicians, and most definitely had no liking for these three in particular.  He looked up at the podium where the Councillors stood.  At least they bothered to meet in person this time.  

There were three Councillors, excluding Anderson, each from a different species.  The Asari, a graceful, elegant monogendered race of blue-skinned women, the Salarians, a short lived but extremely intelligent race of amphibians, and the Turians, a militaristic race descended from avians.  Humanity was the most recent addition to the Council, a move that many seem to resent, but thanks to Commander John Shepard saving the Citadel and the Council it housed, a move that no one could oppose.  

“Commander Shepard,” began Sparatus, the Turian Councillor.  “While we appreciate being given information about these new galaxies,” this was inflicted by a measure of sarcasm, “Some of this seems quite hard to believe.”  ‘Just like the Reapers’ remained unsaid, but everyone was thinking it.  Shepard sighed inwardly.  It’s going to be one of these meetings.  

“Yes.  You went off on your own, chasing some message, and just sent this data back.  Explain yourself,” said Tevos, the Asari Councillor.  Anderson looked like he was about to intervene on Shepard’s behalf, but was interrupted.  

“Some of this seems highly unlikely.  First you come up with Reapers, a race of immortal sentient machines hell-bent on killing us all, now this!” intoned Valern, the Salarian Councillor.  Shepard struggled to keep a straight face.  

Calm down! said one part of his mind.  Explain to them what’s happening out there!  Tell them what you’ve seen.  Getting angry will get you nowhere.

Or will it? asked another part.  They didn’t listen about the Reapers, despite being attacked by one, they didn’t listen about your involvement with Cerberus, preferring to label you a terrorist.  They haven’t listened to you about anything.  Maybe anger will help you!  Besides, continued to voice, it's not like you couldn’t find similar employment elsewhere.  The Scoundrels trust you more than these idiots ever have.  I’m sure there are plenty of people who would pay top dollar for someone like you.   

“You know what?  I’m sick of this bullshit,” said Shepard.  “I am goddamn sick and tired of this bullshit.  You can believe whatever you want to believe, despite evidence to the contrary.  I have never lied to you.  I saved your lives.  I saved the Citadel.  I died for you!” he thundered.  The Councillors seemed rather taken aback.  “Yes, still, you don’t heed my warnings!  You don’t follow my advice, even though I have not once lied to any of you.  You sit, on your comfy chairs, trying to keep a peace that will most definitely be shattered.  You do nothing because it is simply more convenient to ignore reality,” he hissed, words dripping with venom.  Spartacus bristled.

“How dare you-”  Shepard whirled around to face him.

“Shut.  The fuck up, Sparatus.”  The calm in Shepard’s voice was deadly.  The Councilors blanched.  No one’s ever talked to them like that before, I’d guess.  He would have laughed if he wasn’t in mid-rant.  “Apparently, what I gave you was good enough to invite all of these governments over for peace talks.  All of them.  You also apparently trusted myself and my new colleagues enough to give them these invitations, instead of contacting these governments directly.”  Which was probably a wise move, in the long run, considering some of the reactions would have been ‘piss off and die’ if the invitations weren’t hand delivered by galaxy wide heroes.  Were they invitations?  Or… treaties?  What was a document inviting someone to a peace talk called?  Shepard shook himself out of his tangent and continued.

“Also, it seems you trust eight unknown people more than you trust the Spectre who has never lied, saved your lives, and died for you.  Have I missed anything?” he spun around to the room, arms outstretched theatrically.  

“Fine then, Shepard,” said Valern.  “You are dismissed.  Apparently,” he threw the word back in Shperad’s face, “Our top intelligence gatherer isn’t loyal to us anymore.  Other Spectres or the STG can take care of finding out what we need to know.”  Tevos and Sparatus looked apprehensive at their colleagues's dismissal.  While they might have been bureaucrats, they knew Shepard was one of the best Spectres and intelligence agents they had.  Shepard gave a laugh; a full throated hearty laugh.

“Oh, yeah.  Have fun with that.  Have fucking fun with that.  Have fucking fun sending the STG or some lone-wolf Spectre against people who have entire armies of super-soldiers at their disposal and who can legally destroy planets*.  Have fucking fun.”  He sneered.  “This is now the intelligence game you’re playing.  You aren’t in complete control anymore.”  Shepard crossed his arms and looked up at the Council.  “So, only one question remains: do you want my help or not?  ‘Cause if you don’t, there isn’t much point in me staying, is there?”  There it was: the ultimatum was out.  Would they back down and realize that Shepard was their best shot, or would they allow their emotions to get in the way?  Honestly, it could probably go either way.  Spartacus shot a look at Anderson.  Anderson replied with a ‘hey, not my problem’ stare.  Tevos cleared her throat.

“It seems we have been remiss, Spectre Shepard.”  Shepard let out a breath he had been silently holding.  While he would have made good on his threat, this was his home galaxy, and he wasn’t particularly sure he wanted to be working for someone like Crossgrow or the Inquisition.  “As you are the only one who has had contact with these people, please give us your opinion on how we should handle this situation.”  Shepard was sure it had probably physically hurt the Council to say that.  He dismissed the thought and returned to his duty.

“First thing first: you have to present a united front.  You can’t disagree with each other.  Second, all of the species’ representatives should be here.”  Before anyone could make an objection, he continued.  “All of them.  Definitely the client races.”  The Council had four races as members, but many more that were under their jurisdiction and not full members.  Many of those races were trying (and, for the most part, failing) to get a seat on the Council itself.  It wouldn’t do if the more open minded government, such as the Federation or GA, came to the Citadel, then saw the Council treating other races as less than equals.  “Even some of the other races who aren’t officially part of the Council, if you think you can control them.”  Shepard paced the floor.

“In addition, you should probably beef up the Citadel fleet.  Send in more ships.  Turian, Asari, Alliance, I don’t care.  We need as much security as possible, and some of these governments will be impressed by shows of force.”  

“Yes… we shall think about this,” replied Tevos.  “Your input will be helpful.  Please stay on the station during the talks.”  Shepard nodded, then came to a realization.  Oh, hell.  The first meeting of all of these governments is only slightly more than a week away.  This was going to be interesting.  Or deadly.  One of the two.  

*ONI can call on Spartans, ISB has Death troopers, and the Inquisition has the Grey Knights and the Deathwatch.  In addition, ISB helped to create the Death Star and has sway over Imperial Navy battlegroups, enough to bombard a planet into uninhabitable-ness, and the Inquisition can enact Exterminatus.  Shepard and the rest of the Scoundrels would know about all of this, except for the Grey Knights.

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 8: Black and White (originally published on January 25, 2021)

Author's Note: At long last, the long-awaited conclusion to Part 1 of Steven Universe: Alternate Future is upon us! This may seem like an innocuous love letter to the mockumentary genre (I even watched This is Spinal Tap on HBO Max for inspiration), but the ending will change everything you will see in this chapter! But I'm through being dramatic, let's boogie!

Synopsis: A Black Rutile and her partner White Topaz want to get answers from Steven.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven, Onion

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Ocean Jasper

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Black Rutile’s Pearls

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Jennifer Paz as Lapis Lazuli, Zuli, Mean Lapis

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Kimberly Brooks as Cherry Quartz, Jasper

Ian Jones-Quartey as Snowflake Obsidian

Michelle Maryk as Little Larimar

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Aparna Nancherla as Nephrite

Grace Rolek as Connie

Crispin Freeman as Doug

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Priyanka

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Eugene Cordero as Jamie

Joel Hodgson as Mr. Dewey

Reagan Gomez Preston as Jenny, Kiki

Brian Posehn as Sour Cream

Lamar Abrams as Buck

Matthew Moy as Lars

Kate Micucci as Sadie

Alastair James as Rainbow Quartz 2.0

Shoniqua Shondai as Sunstone

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Olivia Olson as Black Rutile's Citrines

Featuring Noël Wells as Black Rutile

And Lauren Ash as White Topaz

--

"Is the camera ready, Topaz?"

"It's ready, my Rutile!"

"You idiot, you forgot to turn on the lens!"

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, my Rutile, let me fix that!"

A camera was turned on inside a black-colored dropship, where a matching-colored Rutile in a green visor and white cape sat down in a captain's chair, confident and charming. "Hello, universe!" the Rutile greeted. "My name is Black Rutile, and welcome to Eye on Era 3, the special interview show where we discuss with Gems about the changes a certain Steven Universe brought to our proud culture!"

"And I'm White Topaz!" the Topaz operating Black Rutile's camera turned the lens to herself and cheerfully waved to the audience.

"Uh, Topaz, over here." Black Rutile ordered.

"Oh, sorry!" White Topaz muttered and turned the camera back to her superior.

"Anyways, we've traveled across the stars to chat it up with all sorts of Gems." The Rutile continued ecstatically. "From Pearls free from slavery, to proud Emerald pilots! Agates with no one to order around, Lapis Lazulis thinking they're lost in the world, and even a few fusions here and there! But today, we're gonna get answers straight from the mouth of this so-called "new Pink Diamond" himself!" she stated, making air-quotes while calling Steven the new Pink Diamond.

"My Rutile, we are closing in on Earth." A Citrine piloting Black Rutile's ship announced. "Is there any good spot you'd like to land?"

"Let's try that Little Homeworld place I've heard so much about." Black Rutile suggested. "We're bound to get tons of special guests there."

"Yes, your clarity." The Citrine complied, and she returned to her station.

"In case you were stuck in a Kindergarten for the past couple hundred years, Little Homeworld is where tons of Gems formerly corrupted by the Diamonds at the end of the Rebellion have made their home." Black Rutile narrated over footage of Little Homeschool. "The number one hotspot of this little bit of home is Little Homeschool, where Gems from all over come to learn how to mingle with the life on Earth and let go of the old ways."

"Hey, you think maybe we could go to that place, BR?" White Topaz grinned eagerly.

"Don't forget about our plans." Black Rutile said under her breath to her Topaz bodyguard. "I mean, we should be nearing Little Homeworld any minute now, so stay tuned!"

--

Gems began to gather when Black Rutile's ship made its landing in Little Homeworld, and the landing door opened to reveal its owner and her sidekick strolling out.

"Oh my, we already have quite a crowd here!" Black Rutile laughed into a microphone. "Now then, I'll pick a few lucky Gems from our audience here to answer some questions about their experiences on Earth." Looking around, Black Rutile managed to pick out Bismuth, Peridot, and Lapis Lazuli from the huddling Gems. "Ah, you three, over there!"

"Us?" Lapis asked.

"Could you care to tell us how life has been on Earth for you?" Black Rutile asked, sticking her microphone out to the trio.

"I've actually been on Earth about as long as Lapis here." Bismuth answered, gesturing to Lapis. "I was one of the original Crystal Gems under Rose Quartz, chosen because I wanted to build whatever I wanted, with no uppercrusts to order me around! But my methods of dealing with the enemy was a bit more extreme than what she was used to, so Rose took one in particular a bit personally and had me poofed & bubbled. In hindsight, maybe Rose was worried that her cover would've been blown."

"As Bismuth said, I was on Earth for a very long time." Lapis began speaking into the mic. "I was supposed to be there for only a little bit to assist in terraforming, but then I got caught in the war and was poofed before being confused for a Crystal Gem. I was interrogated while my gem was stuck in a mirror, but that kind of got cut short when the Diamonds unleashed their final attack and forced everyone to flee. I was left behind by accident, and someone cracked my gem by stepping on it, and years later, I was found by Pearl, who kept me in her gem until Steven freed me."

"Aw, what a happy ending!" White Topaz cooed.

"Yeah, no." Lapis sardonically corrected White Topaz. "After I was freed from the mirror, I nearly drowned tons of people because I wanted to get home, but then home turned out to be a lot different from when I left it. I was once again made a prisoner by Peridot and Jasper, who then invaded Earth because I met the Crystal Gems that everyone thought were defeated in the Rebellion, then I fused with Jasper to protect Steven, which took a number on both of our mental states, I was freed yet again, then I left Earth because I was told the Diamonds might be coming, before coming back only to get poofed by Yellow Diamond."

"Much like Lapis, I was only supposed to be on Earth for a short while to perform my duties." Peridot began telling her story. "I was supposed to check up on the old Galaxy Warp, but then the Crystal Gems kept getting in my way no matter what. Before I knew it, I was without help, without any working technology, and then without my limb enhancers. I don't think I even bothered to ask where the Gems put them."

"A Lapis, a Bismuth and a Peridot. What an unlikely trio." Black Rutile mused. "Tell me, what was it that made you three decide to work alongside each other in the first place."

"Well, it all began when Steven and the Crystal Gems left Earth to convince White Diamond to help them cure corruption." Bismuth said. "I elected to stay behind on Earth to watch over these two."

"Ooh, ooh, can I do a reenactment?!" White Topaz asked, to which Black Rutile responded with a sigh.

"Proceed." Black Rutile muttered, tapping on her camera to produce a light shining on the surface of the dropship. White Topaz began to shapeshift her fingers into various characters, and started a shadow puppet show.

"Bye Bismuth, I'm gonna go to Homeworld and hope we can convince White Diamond to help us save the corrupted Gems." White Topaz said, imitating Steven. "You do you kid. I'm gonna watch over those other Gems while you're away." She continued, now impersonating Bismuth. "Have fun!"

Steven's shadow puppet was raised into the air as White Topaz made rocket sounds, followed by turning more of her fingers into Peridot and Lapis. Black Rutile just gave an annoyed glare to the camera.

"Hey, where's Steven?" White Topaz's impression of Lapis asked. "Oh, him? He ran off to Homeworld with the Diamonds." Her mimicry of Bismuth answered. "Oh my stars, are we too late?!" an aping of Peridot cried out.

"Do I really sound like that?" Peridot muttered as the shadow play went on.

"No little guy, he's fine!" White Topaz's impression of Bismuth continued. "Just something about corruption or whatever."

"Okay, I think we've seen enough!" Black Rutile laughed awkwardly as she interrupted the puppet show.

"Aw, but I was getting to the good part!" White Topaz moaned sadly.

"To be fair, you were almost spot on." Bismuth stated. "When Steven told us through some weird watermelon creature that looked just like him that trouble was indeed brewing on Homeworld, Peridot and Lapis reformed not too long after and we came together out of a desire to help him out."

"United by a common goal, how quaint." Black Rutile smiled and folded her hands behind her back, trying to hide their fidgeting. "Now then, would anyone else like to come up and chat?"

"I would, I would, I would!" Teal Zircon cried as she pushed her way through the crowd. "Hi, name's Teal Zircon, nice to meet you!" she greeted Black Rutile while rapidly shaking her hand. "So, you wanted to learn about my time here on Earth?"

"You're awfully excitable." Black Rutile pushed up her visor by the bridge with a grin. "More to the point, I'd like to hear your story Ms. Zircon."

"Gladly!" Teal Zircon exclaimed. "Like many of the Gems here, I was once corrupted by the Diamonds and became a long-tongued speedster that Peridot tried to capture no matter what, through hell or high water. Eventually, she did succeed, and I was stuck in the barn she and Lapis called home, until the Crystal Gems took me to their place. One day, I was healed by Steven along with a Cherry Quartz and shown around Little Homeschool. That same day, Steven took me along to see a Jasper who didn't want to go to school, and I was willing to become her friend, but I'm pretty sure she hates my guts."

"I'll have to check up on this Jasper sometime." Black Rutile commented. "Now then, anyone else care to share?"

"I'd like to." Zuli answered as she flew up and touched down next to Black Rutile. "I only came here a few weeks ago after Steven recommended the place to a former friend of mine and me. We were terraforming this moon called Aozul 2, but Steven and this other Lapis that we were buddies with back in our terraforming days told us that wasn't cool anymore, so they taught us new ways to express ourselves. I was a lot more accepting, but my ex-friend didn't want to change. To this day, I still don't know where she's at."

"May I go next?" Cherry Quartz asked Black Rutile.

"Sure, go ahead." Black Rutile answered, passing the mic to the Quartz.

"I was an average Quartz soldier made to fight in the war, but then I got corrupted, of course." Cherry began. "Then Steven came along and healed me along with TZ, and introduced us to Little Homeschool. I was a little nervous at first, but while Steven was away, I met up with some fellow Quartzes who told me all about how great it was here."

"I was the first corrupted Gem Steven helped defeat." Nephrite said, taking the mic from Cherry Quartz. "I was actually brought back out a few times, the first was a complete accident & I was poofed soon after, but the second time was when Steven thought he could try to heal me, but instead he reunited me with my old crew."

"Okay, we're running out of time here folks, I got other people to interview, and I haven't got all day!" Black Rutile yelled. "Which one wants to cap off this part?!"

"Little Larimar and I wanna talk." Snowflake Obsidian answered. "Hi, I'm Snowflake Obsidian. This is my buddy Little Larimar."

"We were corrupted Gems too." Larimar said. "I remember when Steven dropped us into that fountain, and we were all right as rain. Then years later, he helped us all find jobs that he thought were right for us, but then hilarity ensued."

"Wow, pretty much everyone here has such nice things to say about Steven." Black Rutile commented while putting on an eerie fake smile. "Isn't there anyone on this planet that doesn't love him?"

"Well, there is Jasper, kind of." Bismuth answered. "I say kind of because I have no idea what's even up with her ever since she was uncorrupted. I mean, she does express a teeny bit of gratitude for it, but she still would rather stay as far away from us as possible."

"To be frank, I wouldn't blame her." Lapis agreed. "Anyway, if you want to interview her, she's in a cave in the woods nearby."

"Good to know, Lapis." Black Rutile thanked Lapis. "I do hope we can see each other again sometime." She laughed as she and White Topaz began leaving Little Homeworld. "Perhaps even sooner than you think."

--

"We've all had our fun in Little Homeworld, but there's still a Gem we've yet to cover as we move on with our tour of Earth." Black Rutile continued narrating while walking in the woods. "This Gem, in particular, has been living in the woods ever since she was cured of an unfortunate case of corruption, and refuses to join her fellow Gems at Little Homeschool! Well, let's see if she can tell us why."

"Is that where she's living over there?" White Topaz asked as she pointed the camera to a cave with a tarp over the entrance.

"I think you might be right!" Black Rutile exclaimed as she raced over to the cave. "Excuse me, does Jasper live here?!"

"No she doesn't, now get out." Jasper's voice grumbled from within the cave.

"If Jasper isn't here, then who are you?" White Topaz asked, forcing Jasper to emerge from her cave.

"Someone who's going to pulverize you if you don't leave me alone." Jasper snarled.

"But we just wanted to ask about your time here on Earth!" Black Rutile nervously explained.

"Guess what, I'm not interested." Jasper added. "Now let me repeat myself, beat it, or I'm gonna beat you!"

"I think we should do as she says, my Rutile!" White Topaz began sweating nervously and slowly stepping away from Jasper.

"Righto." Black Rutile agreed before they ran away from Jasper. "But trust me, I think she might be useful to us."

--

"Well, that went horribly." White Topaz commented the farther she and Black Rutile got from Jasper. "Now where are we?"

"I'm not sure." Black Rutile answered while gazing at a terraced house. "But I do believe we have our next interviewee!"

"Which is?" White Topaz asked her superior.

"The residence of one Connie," Black Rutile declared, bringing up data on Connie on her visor, but then stopped at her last name. "Moo-hee-swear-ann. Seriously, how do you pronounce that?" The reporter decided to brush that off with a shrug and proceeded to knock on the door. "Good day Ms. Moo-hee-swear-ann, my name is Black Rutile, here to interview you about your experiences on Earth."

"It's Maheswaran, in case you're struggling to pronounce it." Connie's mother Priyanka corrected the Rutile. "Now, can I help you?"

"Oh, my apologies." Black Rutile said. "You look a lot taller than my data says."

"I believe you have me confused for my daughter, I'm her mother." Priyanka stated. "If you wish to speak with Connie, she's busy with college preparations, so you can only speak for 15 minutes."

"Uh, question!" White Topaz raised her hand. "What's college?"

--

"So you're doing all this for a TV show?" Connie asked Black Rutile moments later in the living room.

"You could say that." Black Rutile answered with a grin. "I'm working on an investigative report chronicling everyone's experiences with Era 3, and I'm working towards interviewing all the Crystal Gems and their allies, you included little girl. Now tell me, how did you first meet little Steven?"

"Well, it all started a few years ago." Connie began retelling her first meeting with Steven. "I was minding my own business, Steven was trying to get my attention because he wanted to be my friend, but one thing led to another, and we were stuck in a bubble together."

"Not how I'd expect your species to make new friends, but you do you." White Topaz commented with a grin.

"Anyways, it's all thanks to him that I was able to get out of my comfort zone a bit over the years." Connie continued. "I learned sword fighting from Pearl, became able to fend for myself, and we even fused!"

"Yeah, we still find that a little strange." Her father Doug interjected.

"Fusing with humans, just like they said." Black Rutile whispered to herself.

"Did you say something, miss?" Priyanka asked.

"Oh, nothing." Black Rutile covered up what she just said before moving back to Connie. "It seems like you two are just inseparable!"

"Well, mostly." Connie stated. "When Steven let himself get captured by Aquamarine to save everyone, we were all so worried sick for him. And even when he came back perfectly fine, I still felt like this all could've been avoided if we fought together."

"Oh, poor little girl." Black Rutile comforted Connie, though with a secret hint of condescendence in her voice. "It must be hard to lose someone so dear only for them to come back and disregard your feelings by acting like everything's fine."

"It's okay." Connie said. "We did get back together eventually, and now our bond is stronger than ever!"

"Woo, love wins!" White Topaz cheered, inciting yet another angry glare from her boss. "Um, can I do the shadow puppets again?"

"Go ahead." Black Rutile frowned in embarrassment.

"Wait, your documentary has shadow plays?" Priyanka wondered aloud.

"Don't ask me; this was all her idea!" Black Rutile replied grumpily. "What a childish clod."

"Hey Connie, I'm back from Homeworld! Hope no one missed me." White Topaz began another puppet show, this time of Steven and Connie's brief falling out, while trying her best to mimic Steven. "We did kinda miss you, you could've died!" she continued while imitating Connie's voice. "I don't see what the problem is, I'm standing right here!" the Steven puppet replied carelessly. "Well, we could've stopped Aquamarine together, but you gotta make everything about you!" the Connie puppet declared. "So screw you Steven, I'm going home!"

"Wait, I didn't say anything like that!" the real Connie said nervously.

"Sorry kid, I'm just making this up as I go." White Topaz apologized, and just as she was about to continue her show, Black Rutile cut it short. "Aw man!"

"Well, I think we've just about wrapped up here, friends!" Black Rutile announced. "We've got places to be, people to meet, and more opportunities for me to be humiliated by you, Topaz."

"Well, it was nice to see you." Doug said goodbye as the two Gems left the Maheswarans' house. "Hope your documentary is a big hit!"

"Thank you; you're too kind!" Black Rutile waved back and closed the door, allowing some privacy as she scolded White Topaz. "Was it really necessary for you to go all "love wins" on us, you softhearted fool?" she scowled as they began walking away from the house.

"I'm sorry, I just think they're so adorable together!" White Topaz tried to justify her actions, before Black Rutile pulled her down by her collar.

"We have no time for sappy romances!" the Rutile yelled in her bodyguard's face. "We are here to gather information, and that's final! Are we clear?!"

"Yes, your clarity." White Topaz bowed her head in shame.

"Good, now where were we?" Black Rutile tapped on the side of her visor and pulled up a map of the surrounding area. "Ah, yes! Beach City!" she declared while the map began pointing to the little seaside town.

"Ooh, that place sounds fun." White Topaz commented. "Think maybe we could take a vacation there some time, just you and me?"

"Apologies, but we're on a mission." Black Rutile declared as she put the map away. "We'll have time for fun later, but it'll be my choice of fun. Understand?"

"Yes, boss!" White Topaz gave a comical salute, and the two began setting off for Beach City.

--

"Now then, this place should be full of Steven stories!" Black Rutile announced as the duo strolled into town. "And maybe we could find some of his weaknesses too."

"Hey, check out this funny sign!" White Topaz said while gazing at the sign for It's A Wash. "What do you think is a wash?"

"Hey new Gems, welcome." They heard Greg greet them. "If you came here to sign up for Little Homeschool, you should take it up with the Gems first."

"Oh no sir, we already saw that school." Black Rutile said. "It's all part of a series of interviews I'm doing for my show, Eye on Era 3. Which reminds me, how would you describe your experiences with the Crystal Gems?"

"My experiences?" Greg wondered. "Well, it all started one night when I was just a young rocker on tour. I had arrived in Beach City for a show, and Rose Quartz was the only one who showed up."

"Ah yes, Pink Diamond always had a fascination with humans," Black Rutile interjected. "often at the expense of her own kind."

"Yeah yeah, Pink kinda stunk, but don't we all sometimes?" Greg philosophized. "Like I was saying, Rose was the only one who came to my concert at Beach City, and from then onward, I felt like it was destiny. I even wrote a song about it!" He then walked to his van to search for his guitar, and began to play. "Do you believe in destiny? Close your eyes and leave the rest to-"

"I'm sorry, we have no time for a song." Greg's interviewer cut him off. "Could you please continue, sir?"

"Sorry if I was any trouble." Greg apologized, putting away his guitar. "The Gems didn't have a very high opinion of me when we first met, especially Pearl, but we were still able to get along with each other. Amethyst in particular took a liking to me."

"Speaking of which, are the Gems in town today, or are they off on some magical mission or something?" Black Rutile asked Greg.

"Oh, they kinda retired from going on missions now that everything's at peace." Greg answered. "But, Steven's still at home over there." He then pointed over to the Crystal Temple not too far away from Beach City itself.

"Yes, pay-dirt!" Black Rutile grinned eagerly. "Come along Topaz, we shall hit ratings dynamite!"

"Coming!" White Topaz cried as she raced after her master. "Hey, maybe we can chat with some of the people here along the way! They might give us some good info!"

--

"It was kinda thanks to Steven that I died and came back to life." Lars admitted to Black Rutile. "But also thanks to him, I came back as a completely new man with my own awesome spaceship, a serious attitude adjustment, and ever since I came back to Earth, I've taken up some combat training in case I ever go back to space and fight new threats, like I learned musti-yuddha from Connie's dad for example!"

--

"Lars's disappearance got me kind of depressed for a while." Sadie said while her band prepared for practice. "But I found a new way of expressing it with horror-themed rock music!"

"We had trouble finding our sound before Sadie became our frontman." Buck Dewey stated.

"And since then, we became an overnight hit!" Jenny Pizza exclaimed.

"But I have a feeling our differing paths might cause a break-up." Sour Cream admitted.

--

"Steven had good intentions when he helped me run for re-election," ex-Mayor Dewey said. "but ultimately I lost. But hey, I did find a new calling at the Big Donut!"

--

"I was having stress dreams about my sister making me do her work, which took the form of a giant pizza monster, until Steven used his crazy dream powers to help me out." Kiki Pizza said.

--

"I'll admit, I had a crush on Garnet once upon a time." Jamie declared. "But really, can you blame me?! She was just so stoic and radiant and-"

"Get to the point!" Black Rutile sternly ordered.

"I'm sorry, got a little distracted." Jamie apologized. "But I had since moved onto better things, like my future career in the theater!"

--

"Okay, that should be all." Black Rutile sighed in exhaustion. "Now then, let's not waste any more ti-"

"Wait, I want to talk to you!" Ronaldo cried out as he raced to the Gems with a notebook in hand.

"What do you want?" the reporter grumbled. "We're wasting daylight here!"

"You've been going around asking people questions about Gems, but this time I want to ask you for a change." Ronaldo declared.

"Okay then, fire away little guy." White Topaz said with a smile.

"There are still tons of unanswered questions about your kind that I must inquire about!" Ronaldo said while flipping through his notebook. "Like, for example, do you know who created the Gems in the first place? How was Homeworld first colonized? When did they start colonizing other planets?"

"I don't believe we have time for your questions." Black Rutile snidely shut Ronaldo's questions down before making her way to the Crystal Temple. "Come Topaz, we have work to do."

"Yes, my Rutile!" White Topaz obeyed and followed behind, leaving Ronaldo in the dust.

"You can run, but I will get my answers!" Ronaldo declared loudly, but he was too late. "And they're gone."

--

"Okay, Topaz, we have to make a good first impression here, so no silly games or shadow puppet shows." Black Rutile commanded as they ascended the beach house's front steps and reached the front door.

"Aw man." White Topaz moaned in disappointment.

"Quit being such a child you moron." Black Rutile exhaled in disgust as she knocked on the door. "Hello, is anyone home?"

"Just a minute!" a voice the two Gems were eager to hear answered as its owner raced downstairs.

"Oh my stars, the moment has come; he's finally here!" White Topaz squealed happily before she received a slap to the face.

"Hello, what brings you here?" Steven greeted Black Rutile.

"Steven Universe, at long last!" BR exclaimed. "I'm Black Rutile, host of Eye on Era 3, and this is my camera-Gem/bodyguard White Topaz! We're here for an investigative report on the state of Earth in this new era, and have been interviewing many of your family and friends."

"You're a bit shorter than I expected." White Topaz commented.

"I see my reputation precedes me." Steven declared. "Come on in."

"Nice place you got here." White Topaz complimented the house as she and her boss were shown inside.

"Thanks, the Gems helped build this place." Steven accepted the compliment. "Hey, I got a question. I've met a Topaz and a Rutile before, but they sound nothing like you. Why is that?"

"We're just special Gems. Comes with being former members of White Diamond's court." Black Rutile answered while sitting down on the couch. "But enough about us, let's talk you! Could you give us a little life story first?"

"If you want." Steven answered while sitting across from the Rutile. "I remember first discovering my powers like it was yesterday. I was super bummed that my favorite brand of ice cream was discontinued, but then the Gems told me they got tons of it from other stores, and taking a bite out of one coincided with me summoning my shield for the first time, which led me to believe I could do so by eating Cookie Cat."

"Hahaha, oh the innocence of youth!" Black Rutile chuckled nostalgically. "I remember when I first emerged for White Diamond. A real young hotshot, a little arrogant even. Could you tell us more about these powers, kid?"

"Over time, I learned tons of Gem powers." Steven regaled. "Like shapeshifting, control over plant life, making bubbles, telepathy, sticking my mind in others' bodies, but fusion gave me tons of new abilities. This reminds me of a story."

"Ooh, shadow time!" White Topaz exclaimed, but her happiness was immediately put to rest.

"What did I tell you?! No shadows!" Black Rutile yelled strictly at her sidekick, and then immediately changed her mood. "Please continue."

"All right." Steven was a little taken aback by Black Rutile's cold behavior towards White Topaz before he began his story. "Anyways, it all started when I had to take care of Onion for the day, and Pearl helped out."

--

"Thank you Explorer Gal for saving us from that dastardly Bandit Guy!" Rainbow Quartz 2.0 said, taking the role of one of Onion's toys. Onion was playing with Explorer Gal, who thanked the other toy in Onion's unintelligible matter.

"For your heroic efforts, please accept money." Rainbow continued while handing Onion a dollar bill. "Our city was a mess before you came along, but now…." Rainbow then began to break character as they took notice of Onion's messy room. "Well, I suppose it's still a mess." They commented. "It's been so much fun playing, but now we have to clean, which is also fun!" they declared while making a rainbow with their hands. "Are you ready to tidy up?"

Onion stared blankly while slowly sticking a piece of broccoli out of his mouth.

"Oh Onion, don't you be that way." Rainbow 2.0 chuckled. "Your best friend Rainbow will help you tidy up!" Just then, they pulled a parasol out of Pearl's gem. "Let's make things a little more animated in here!"

With that, Rainbow made Onion's toys come to life, and they began marching to their proper places in his room while Rainbow started a song. "Stick by stick, the little blackbird makes a nest." They began singing while making Onion's clothes fly into his dresser. "A mess to some, but the little blackbird isn't stressed."

Rainbow then allowed Onion to give the umbrella a try, making one of the boy's toy cars come to life and race away. "Stick by stick, the little blackbird makes a nest." The fusion continued while Onion marveled at the parasol's powers. "And then he naps, cause even blackbirds need to rest. The fun won't stop if you have a friend around. The fun won't stop if you have a friend around."

As Rainbow began to finish the song, Onion kept playing with the umbrella, making more of his toys come alive, along with a Venus flytrap. "And when you laugh, it is my favorite sound." Onion then discovered some darts in his drawer, and used the parasol to make them fly. "And that's what life is all about."

"What the?!" Rainbow stuttered before dodging the darts, making them land on a dartboard. With that, they finally decided to take their weapon back from Onion while noticing a stack of dirty dishes. "Next time, please wash your dishes." They instructed before sending the dishes off to be cleaned, and then taking notice of a stuffed toy in Steven's image hidden near Onion's bed, eerily waving to them. "And could you please explain what this is?"

Onion didn't answer, aside from blowing Rainbow a few kisses.

"Alright, thank you for the kisses." Rainbow thanked Onion before Steven's phone began to ring. "Just give me five or so minutes."

Rainbow un-fused into Steven and Pearl, and Steven answered his phone. Garnet was on the other end, holding her cellphone extremely close to her face. "Steven, you're late." Garnet said. "I need you for the Sunstone Safety Geminar."

"Oh no, that was today?!" Steven began panicking. "But Rainbow Quartz promised to hang out with Onion today!"

"Don't worry; I'll handle the Geminar." Garnet stated confidently. "I'll explain every possible future where they could get hurt around the house."

"I don't know if that'll be a good idea, I'll be right there." Steven responded before hanging up and turning to Pearl. "Pearl, I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised. "Could you watch over Onion for me while I'm away?"

"Of course." Pearl agreed. "Onion loves Rainbow, I'm sure he'll love me as much."

--

"In hindsight, that wasn't my best idea." Steven took a break from his tale to confess. "Onion can be a real handful."

"Like, how much of a handful?" White Topaz asked.

"Let's just say, he's a real oddball who loves causing trouble." Steven stated. "I can never really get a read on that guy, no matter how much of a good friend he is. Heck, he doesn't even seem to age normally!"

"So, about this Geminar." Black Rutile began. "You said Rainbow Quartz is a fusion between you and Pearl, but who is this Sunstone running that event?"

"Oh, Sunstone is the fusion of Garnet and I." Steven answered. "They're all hip and radical and like giving important life lessons, kind of like those old PSA characters from the 90s. Speaking of which…"

--

"I slip on the stairs?" Ocean Jasper wondered while watching a television screen with Garnet, the Heaven & Earth Beetles, and a Nephrite.

"Indeed, and you shatter on impact too." Garnet bluntly replied, causing Ocean and the Nephrite to scream and hug each other in fright.

"Garnet, I'm here!" Steven called as he entered the house.

"Thanks for coming, Steven, but I need help." Garnet stated. "I think I'm scaring our guests."

"It's okay; we got this." Steven assured. "Let's get this safety Geminar started with a very special guest!"

Garnet got up from the couch, and the two began to dance, eventually forming the totally cool fusion Sunstone.

"Your rockin' pal Sunstone's here to shine!" Sunstone announced merrily.

"Watch out Sunstone, it's dangerous here!" Ocean Jasper cautioned Sunstone.

"Not unless you guys practice home safety." Sunstone assured the scared Gems. "Don't slip up. Clear objects off the stairs." They instructed by taking a water bottle off the steps to Steven's bedroom and throwing it like a ball. "Foul shot!"

The bottle landed in a trash can near Lion, which prompted another tip. "Be sure to cover up your trash, or else you'll attract bugs or hungry animals." Sunstone demonstrated as they shooed Lion away from the garbage. "Come on, let's go!" they declared. "Don't waste water. Turn off any faucet still running." Sunstone then shut off the sink. "Put protective covers over your electrical outlets, especially when kids are around." They added while doing just that. "And don't even think about sticking a fork in there! But most importantly, turn off motion smoothing on the TV."

Sunstone then used the remote to operate the television, allowing clearer picture and sound for everyone. "Okay, hold tight gang, gotta take a phone call." They said. "In the meantime, check out this commercial."

--

"Well, seems like you had things handled." White Topaz remarked.

"Famous last words White Topaz." Steven gravely informed. "Pearl later called me on my phone because Onion was giving her a serious headache, so I came back to her to calm Onion down. Then Garnet was trying to do a home safety obstacle course, but that went horribly wrong."

"Okay, color me wrong." The Topaz guard said. "I suppose hilarity must've ensued?"

"Oh so much." Steven declared. "I tried merging both the Geminar with playing with Onion, but one thing led to another."

--

"It's important to keep in mind that all of these horrible things did happen to you in alternate timelines." Garnet instructed her seminar attendees near the lighthouse. "Safety rules."

"Hey, Garnet." An exhausted Rainbow 2.0 called for their fellow fusion as they flew in via umbrella, with Onion in front. "Would you mind taking on another student?" they asked as Onion was let off the umbrella. "I'm feeling a mite PLPBBT."

With one last raspberry noise, Rainbow un-fused into Steven and Pearl. Steven just groaned tiredly.

"You shouldn't have brought him here Steven." Garnet forebodingly scolded the boy as Onion took a seat in front of her with the Gems.

"No, no, it's fine. It's good." Steven stuttered, having had enough of the stressful day he had. "No one needs safety training more than Onion! I'm combining all of my responsibilities into one responsibility! It's brilliant, it's brilliant! It's fine. I'm fine. Really, it's fine. I'm fine. I'm fine."

Onion wasn't paying attention the whole time, and instead picked up a blade of grass to play like a musical instrument, hypnotically commanding the other Gems to follow him. And Steven was too busy assuring Garnet and Pearl that he was fine to notice too late what had just happened.

A madcap chase soon ensued, with the three Crystal Gems following Onion and the Little Homeschoolers throughout Beach City, into the woods, and finally to a hill, where Onion let go of the leaf. Despite that, Ocean Jasper, the Beetles, and the Nephrite continued marching to the point of falling over the edge.

"Oh no!" Pearl cried as the Gems fell off the hill.

"Steven, we need Sunstone to save them!" Garnet urged Steven.

"Okay!" Steven yelped, and they fused into Sunstone.

"No, we need Rainbow to save them!" Pearl began arguing with her de-facto superior as she swiped Steven away to form Rainbow Quartz.

"I'll catch them with this!" Rainbow declared as they presented their umbrella.

"Can't all three of us fuse to save them?" Garnet wondered just as Amethyst raced up to them.

"Hey wait!" Amethyst cried. "I need Steven!"

Rainbow un-fused so Steven could speak. "What is it Amethyst?!"

"I miss you, man!" Amethyst yelled. "I haven't seen you in like, eleven minutes! But it felt like even longer!"

Steven couldn't take it anymore, and without a single word, he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"STEVEN!" Pearl screamed as she raced to Steven's side.

"I shouldn't have overbooked my schedule." Steven groaned one last time before passing out from exhaustion.

"Nooooooooo." Garnet unemotionally cried out in despair.

--

"Oh-hohohohoho, I know what it's like!" Black Rutile cackled as Steven finished his story. "Must be so hard to be so overworked at such a young age."

"Guess that's what happens when you're running a whole school." Steven chuckled in reply. "So, guess that should be it, right?"

"No, I'd like to speak with Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl first before we wrap up for today." Black Rutile answered, just as the Warp pad began glowing. "Oh, and look who should show up now!"

The core Crystal Gems stood at the Warp Pad, ready to kick back after the long day they had today. "Good thing it was so easy to get that crowd under control." Pearl exhaled. "Still, who was that interviewer they were talking about?"

"I believe that would be me." Black Rutile answered as she stood up from the couch to meet the Gems. "Hi, Black Rutile, intelligence officer of White Diamond turned news reporter. Pleased to meet you."

"I wasn't aware White had a court." Garnet said as the Rutile shook each of their hands. "Pleased to meet you too."

"I just got done interviewing Steven, and he told me the most hilarious story about his troubles with balancing two things at once." Black Rutile said.

"Yeah, things went kinda crazy that day." Amethyst reminisced. "But thankfully, everything went back to normal after that."

"Oh good, the way Steven ended things left me on the edge of my seat!" White Topaz exclaimed while positioning the camera to face the Gems. "One more question before we go, what would you say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?"

"A little oddly specific, but okay." Pearl remarked. "I pride myself on orderliness, swordsmanship, and intelligence. But I can be a bit doting and perfectionist at times."

"I can be kinda foolish and impulsive, but I'm pretty much past that." Amethyst added. "I'm also more street smart than book smart, and super tough too!"

"I'm a very stable fusion, which especially helps in battle." Garnet said. "My future vision is also seldom wrong, unless the current timeline becomes too unpredictable."

"Well, that should be enough for now." Black Rutile said as she entered all of her data into her visor. "Apologies if we couldn't talk anymore, but I've got places to be and missions to go on, so toodles!"

"Hope we can see each other again, Black Rutile!" Steven said goodbye as the two visiting Gems took the Warp Pad back to Little Homeworld.

"Maybe sooner than you think." Black Rutile smirked before they disappeared.

"She's right, we'll be seeing her again many times." Garnet predicted with an adjustment of her glasses. "But none of them will be friendly."

Steven, Amethyst, and Pearl just laughed at Garnet's prediction, ignorant at what could be to come.

--

Upon returning to Little Homeworld and boarding their ship, Black Rutile and White Topaz finally left Earth and launched into hyperspace.

"Wow, those Crystal Gems really are swell!" White Topaz commented while her superior sat down in her chair. "I don't see why we're plotting against them."

"It's because they've become far too powerful." Black Rutile answered gravely, a far cry from the persona she put up on Earth. "Does Steven really think he can change our entire society with just hugging, crying, singing, and a cheeky one-liner? Bah, I've done so much better without any of those!"

"My Rutile, we should be exiting hyperspace above Revanche 666 in approximately 15 seconds." One of the Rutile's Citrines confirmed. "Would you like to inform your allies of your coming?"

"Bring Emerald up." Black Rutile commanded, cuing a video screen to appear, showing the tall, green Gem pilot on the other side. "Hello there, Emerald."

"Your clarity, has your reconnaissance ended well?" Emerald asked with a bow.

"Indeed it has." Black Rutile answered with a grin. "Those clods never suspected a thing!"

"And we got it all on video too!" White Topaz added.

"Excellent, we'll soon have everything we need." Emerald declared. "We're all waiting for you at the base, hoping you won't disappoint."

"Oh, don't worry, Emerald, I won't." Black Rutile replied. "That will be all." With a clap, the screen disappeared, and the ship exited hyperspace to reveal the skull-like planet of Revanche 666 before them. "Prepare for landing."

--

When the dropship finally landed at Black Rutile's headquarters, two rows of Pearls patiently awaited their master's return.

"Ah, my Pearls." Black Rutile announced as she disembarked. "When I ordered Shell to create all of you, I knew it wouldn't disappoint."

"Thank you, my Rutile." The Pearls thanked in unison while one of them took the camera from White Topaz. "Your minions await."

"Perfect." Black Rutile purred before beginning her stroll to her meeting room. "Come Topaz, we have much to do."

--

"Geez, what's taking her so long?" Lapis Lazuli 1J9G-5KL complained as she, Holly Blue Agate, Morganite, Emerald, Aquamarine, and Eyeball kept on waiting for their boss while seated around a round, white table.

"Patience Lapis." Aquamarine soothed her fellow Gem's annoyance. "She did say that she'd be arriving soon."

"The sooner, the better!" Eyeball yelled, pounding her fist on the table. "I want revenge on Steven for making me a pariah, and I want it now!"

"You're awfully eager." Emerald muttered to her fellow eye Gem before turning to Holly Blue and Morganite. "So, how goes that Zircon's democratic campaign?"

"That navel gem Ruby we planted as her campaign manager has been feeding her lies, and the Zircon doesn't suspect a thing!" Holly Blue answered excitedly.

"More and more Gems have been unknowingly swayed to our cause." Morganite stated. "Soon, we shall have an army strong enough to topple even the Diamonds."

Just then, Black Rutile and White Topaz finally arrived in the meeting room, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and salute her. "Welcome, your clarity."

"You're all too kind." Black Rutile thanked them sarcastically as she took a seat between Aquamarine and White Topaz. "I suspect your missions have been going well too, no?"

"Indeed it has my Rutile." Holly Blue revealed.

"That brat has been controlling us all for too long." Aquamarine declared. "Now it's time we take back our planet from those tyrannical pacifists."

"Are you all sure this is a good idea?" White Topaz asked the other Era 3 insurgents. "I mean, the Crystal Gems have become far too powerful to be challenged, and the Diamonds will no doubt come for our gems if they find out!"

"The Diamonds are yesterday's news!" Black Rutile roared, forcing her Topaz into silence. "And speaking of which, Steven may not realize this, but he's no better than his brat of a mother! Thinking he can force all of Homeworld to obey him by being a controlling twerp! Thankfully, he doesn't do so by throwing tantrums left and right until the Diamonds do what he says to shut him up. For now at least."

A Black Pearl entered the meeting room with White Topaz's camera in her hands, and she set it down on the table.

"Thank you my Pearl." Black Rutile thanked the Pearl before turning it on to reveal all the information that she collected on Earth.

"Is this all we need to know about the Gems in time for Phase 2?" Morganite asked her black-colored superior.

"You bet it is." Black Rutile declared with a sociopathic grin as she gazed at one of the holograms of Steven and plucked it out to hold in her hands. "You can have your happily ever after as much as you like, Steven." She declared evilly. "Cause your little Universe will soon be mine."

END OF PART 1: LITTLE HOMESCHOOL

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2: GRADUATION

--

At last, Part 1 is finally complete! And here, unfortunately, is where I must go on hiatus. Second semester of college and all that, and I think my classes might be harder than last semester. But hopefully, this cliffhanger should tide you over until we come back. Anyways, Black Rutile is finally upon us! A character that I think I'll have fun writing since I consider her to be like the Lex Luthor to Steven's Superman, the Frieza to his Goku, the Megatron to his Optimus Prime, the Aku to his Samurai Jack, etc etc. In other words, Steven's got a new archenemy coming and he doesn't even know it yet. Stay tuned! (evil laughter)

[codylabs]

The Nomads: Part 2

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

“So how do these even work?” She poked at one of Keeleeticktick’s thrusters.

“Hey, don’t touch that!” He laughed, and slapped her hand away. “Your glove could be dirty. You’ll tarnish it.”

“Oh! Yeah. Sorry.” She pushed away from him to a slightly further handhold. “You asked about legs last week, so tonight I was curious about you.”

“Of course, of course…” He’d been in the middle of some task on the hull, and now put away his tools, and turned one eye around to regard his own propulsion. “…There aren’t any creatures on your world that move with thrusters, are there?”

“Nope. Legs to the last.”

“Huh.” He considered that. “Well… Sure, take a look, I guess.” He lifted his silk dress forward, so she could see his thrusters in full.

He had about twenty of them, in 4 clusters. Four were larger booster types, pointed all backwards, and with longer bells to improve efficiency. The others were smaller, more flexible, and were clustered around the bases of the larger. The roots of his 8 tentacles were set in the gaps between clusters, and in front of each cluster was a pair of large bulbous organs. It was a strange, radially symmetric arrangement, that called to mind the designs of jellyfish or a squid, or perhaps even that of a human spacecraft.

The dress (his only clothing besides his tool belt and pack) looked a little strange and silly to her, but it was about the only type of garment that could cover such a shape. It had a hole on the front for his ‘head’ to stick out, sleeves for his tentacles, and was open at the back, so that his thrusters could safely fire.

As for the engines themselves, each one was a fleshy, translucent bell with a shiny liquid film on the inside surface. At the base of the bell, where artificial human rockets had their fuel mixer and combustion chamber, there was some hard structure resembling a snail shell, which, aside from his beak, appeared to be the only bone in his body.

“Does the fuel burn inside these things?” She pointed to one of the shells.

His eyestalk stretched to see where she was pointing. “Yes. Those are the combustion cores.”

“And what are these, are these fuel tanks?” She pointed to the bulbous organs.

“Yes. Oxygen in these ones, hydrogen in those… Or maybe it’s the other way around, I can’t remember. The hearts pump it into the thrusters.” He pointed to a great number of muscular tubes joining each of the fuel bladders with each of its thrusters. “Four hearts for every thruster.”

“Could you show me one firing?”

“Sure.” He gripped his tentacles onto the hull, and ignited one of the smaller thrusters. The fleshy bell inflated to its full shape, the hearts contracted violently, and a tiny spark inside the combustion shell grew into a cloud of dim blue flame that flared up through the bell, and pushed him forward slightly. The hearts throbbed again, and the thruster flashed again, as cyclic and as steady as a heartbeat.

“That’s so cool…” She held out a glove behind the jet, and felt the hot gases thump against her palm.

“Don’t do that!” As soon as he noticed her sticking her hand in, he spun it away from her. The hearts stopped beating and the bell curled up. “You’ll burn yourself!”

“It didn’t feel very hot.” She shrugged. “…I didn’t feel much of anything.”

“Really…?” His eyestalks shifted up and down, which she’d gathered to be equivalent to a frown. “…Those must be pretty thick gloves, then.”

“I guess so…”

“Hmm… Uh… Well. I’d better be getting back to work, then.”

He straightened his dress and turned away.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“You want to help?”

“Sure. I’m sick of being a passenger, I can work. What’re you doing?”

“Just… Inspecting the nets.” He gestured to the woven sheets of silk which were keeping the cargo in place. “If you want to help, feel your way around the edge of that one, and tell me if you see any damage. It will be very small, some fraying around the ends at the junctions where it joins. Use this.” He handed her a marker.

“Got it.”

Twenty minutes later, she finished the inspection, and was happy to report no frays or damage whatsoever.

He made her do it a second time, because there had to be some tears, and besides, the inspection was supposed to take about an hour. She gathered she just wasn’t looking closely enough.

Two hours later she straightened back up, blinked her sore eyes, and replaced the cap on the marker. “Okay, 49 frayed ends!” She reported back. “All marked in red… And there were 32 more that I wasn’t quite sure about, and I marked those a little higher up.”

“Alright, very good job.” He nodded with approval. The lenses of his eyes extended and narrowed as he peered down at one of the ends she’d marked. “Excellent job. Yes, we’ll have to replace this whole net.”

“Couldn’t we repair it?”

“…I guess. But repairing is a lot of time and work. And replacement is easy, and we recycle the silk anyway, so no point in having a hassle.”

“Makes sense.”

“Get around to the other side and hold it tight to keep the cargo from floating off. I’ll start cutting this side. You have a knife?”

“Yep.” She hooked her fingers into a rib in the hull, clambered her way around to the other side, and retrieved her knife from her belt. “Ready when you are.”

Half an hour later, the net had been folded down and stuffed into Keeleeticktick’s pack, and they were unfolding a new one to replace it.

“So.” She spoke up. “What kind of world do your people come from?”

“Hmm?”

“I guess you didn’t come from the surface of a planet, so where did you come from?”

“Oh… Yes…” He paused for a moment, as his mind sifted back through memories of stories and stories of memories. “It was a very large planet.” He related. “Orange and yellow, with storms and clouds of gas always swirling over its surface… I don’t think it had a surface though, I think it was just gas all the way down. But it was surrounded by small moons, and in a great many rings of rock and ice. We lived on the rings.”

“Huh.”

“It orbits that star there.” He pointed toward the heavens off their aft-starboard, and there was no possible way she could have been able to tell which of the points of light he was indicating. “The rings were green and blue, and filled with all manner of life. There were creatures with thrusters, others that drifted, others that lived their whole lives clinging to and burrowing in the rocks… The vapor their thrusters sprayed was absorbed by plants in the shapes of sheets, each one invisibly thin, and the width of a moon. The plants made it back into ice, that they used to shell their eggs and spores and organs, and other creatures fished for the spores again, to use for thrust again, which the plants absorbed again… I heard there was enough vapor floating about the rings that it looked like an atmosphere in places. And so cluttered with rocks and ice and soil and life and things that if you set off in a straight line, you would find something in not more than a night, and sometimes things could even be hidden.”

“Wow.” She hadn’t understood half of the words in his description, but got the gist that it was a complicated, exciting, and varied place. Similar in composition, perhaps, to the rings of Saturn or Uranus, but as different from those lifeless wastes as the Earth was from Mars. “But… You’ve never seen it?” She clarified.

“No… No. That was a long time ago, and only the start. Only the place where we began. We’ve been to so many other places now… That one. That one. That one.” He pointed out other stars, all across the sky. She could never tell which he was pointing to, but he obviously knew their names, could tell their distance, had them mapped in his mind’s eye. “I think I heard that our tribe’s heritage goes back about eight or nine homeworlds. All unique. All of a different feel. All around different stars… All of them abandoned when they got too crowded, or when more violent tribes appeared, or when the life we brought along became too wild and strange. My grandfather’s generation was the one that selected this star.” He pointed ahead of them, toward the brightest star in the sky, whose system they were now entering. “He and his sons spent a lifetime constructing the heavy ion engines needed to move the tribe, and then they set out.” He nodded toward the massive ion thruster glowing on the bow of the tribe’s largest ship, alongside which all the others were being towed by silk. “And it’ll be my generation that finally arrives there, and my son’s that will civilize it… And then maybe his grandchildren will leave it again. Who knows?”

“You were born on the way?”

“Yes.”

“How long do your people live? The length of a life?”

“Hmm… I think by your measure, it would be around 700 years. So, not very long.”

“It sounds like a long time to me.”

“My father said it doesn’t feel very long.”

“…Does it ever get boring?”

“We can sleep for years. We often do.”

“Ah.”

“So yes.” He twisted up his tentacles as a human would fold his arms, and stared out at the distant, intangible starscape. “Yes. It gets boring. It really… Really does. Nothing to do most of the time except… You know. Chart stars, tell stories, try to stay warm, and replace perfectly good nets.”

“Huh.”

“Your world sounds exciting though. Everything close. Everything hidden. Everything dense and different. I bet they had a lot of good stories there.”

“Yeah…” If she recalled correctly, her ship’s database had backed up all its files to the escape pods during the attack. “Yeah, my pod might have a few. I’ll take a look around.”

“That’d be nice.” He agreed. “We could always use more stories.”

“Yeah.” She was about to leave when one more question surfaced in her mind. “Hey wait, your grandad’s generation, did you say they built multiple ion engines? I only see one.”

“Yes, there are many… This isn’t all the tribe. There’s others.” He pointed off into the blackness in a few different directions. “Here. There. All around. We’re all traveling together.”

“Really?” She squinted around, feeling very blind indeed. “I can’t even see any of them.”

“Not all of them are far off. See? There’s the Likokisis family convoy.” He pointed to a bright speck off to port that looked to her like nothing but another star. “HEY! HEY TIFOKOTO LOOK OVER HERE! HEY!” He waved his arms. “TIFOKOTO! I’M TALKING TO YOU! See, he heard me! He’s waving back, see? He’s my best friend.”

His eyeballs were the size of grapefruits and hers the size of grapes, and she couldn’t see anything no matter how she squinted. For something as large as their own convoy to be so faint, it must have been hundreds of miles away at least. And if one additional ‘nearby’ convoy had escaped her notice so completely, how many were there around here? “…How many ships… How many people are in this ‘tribe’?” She asked, and wondered if she’d been mistranslating the word; perhaps what she’d been taking as ‘tribe’ meant something more like ‘nation’ or ‘army’…?

“I…” Keeleeticktick hesitated. “I’m not sure I’m supposed to tell you that.”

“You’re not sure what?”

“Well…! Look Missus Fikes, you’re my friend, but you’re the first alien we’ve ever met. There are many who don’t trust you. Many who don’t want you to know the strength, size, location of our people…”

“You think I’m gonna hurt you guys?”

“No.”

“Man!” She sassed. “If I wanted to hurt you, you’d be hurt! You’ve seen how strong I am! Your cells are just filled with gas, I’m-”

A sniper round pierced a hole in the net, with such infinite precision that it grazed the tip of the finger of her glove but didn’t puncture it. A warning.

“GEEZ! WHAT!” She jerked her hand back with a start.

“CALM DOWN SIKTICKSIS YOU THICK-HEADED WAR-MONGERING IDIOT!” Keeleeticktick yelled in the direction of another invisibly distant convoy. “YOU KNOW FULL WELL THAT HE WAS JUST JOKING, RIGHT?!?” He glanced back at her. Right? He spoke in sign language.

Right. She hurriedly signed back.

Good. He replied. I know. He amended.

They continued to work on the net for the next hour or so, but it was dreadful. An uneasy silence hung over their conversation, and the other nomads besides Keeleeticktick kept their distance from her, and a strange mix of anger and fear and vague, aching sorrow followed after her.

As she lay down in her fragile pod that night, she realized that she’d learned an important lesson: that strength and power and raw capability were no real cause for pride and were no real virtue in the eyes of the universe, for they can be so easily supplanted and surpassed by greater powers, they can so easily lose their power when separated from their element, and there were many greater powers in the universe.

“Missus Fikes.” She whispered to herself, and she spoke in the nomad’s language, for it was becoming her own. “I think you are a very, very long way from home.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 “MASS HO!” Came the call.

In her haste to get outside, she accidentally pumped the airlock and buckled her helmet in the wrong order, and was gasping for air a few seconds as she stepped out onto the hull. She managed to find Keeleeticktick amid the ruckus. “What’s up? What happened?”

“Radar picked up an asteroid in our path, closing fast. Deep scanning shows a composition of ice, ore, and carbon.”

“Is it going to hit us?”

“Not literally in our path, I mean it’s close enough to catch!” She could hear in his voice the annoyance at how new she still was to everything. “Ice means fuel, so it’s sure to be worth the maneuver. The ores and other elements are a nice bonus too. But we don’t have much time before we pass. An hour.”

“Uh… Alright then, let’s rock!”

“Rock?”

“I mean let’s go! How do we do this?”

“You want to make yourself useful, you can volunteer.”

“Volunteer for what?”

“ALL RIGHT!” The family elder thrusted up onto the bridge, and raised high a curled tentacle in the air with an excited cry. “WHO’S WANTS TO GO FISHING?”

“I do!” Her hand shot up, along with basically every other tentacle in the crowd.

“READY THE SHIPS!” He waved them all onward and outward. “LINE AND NETS! WINCHES AND FUEL! YOU KNOW THE WAY!”

“What can I do?” She called to Keeleeticktick above the excited shouting of the others.

“You won’t get action following me, I’m a helmsman!” He turned and hurried away. “Stick with Thilykto; He’s done this before!”

The boy rushed past, slapping her helmet as he did. “Let’s rock, Missus Fikes!” It was a phrase he’d learned 15 seconds ago, from her.

“What can I do?” She repeated.

“I don’t know, follow those guys and score us some line! I’m going to get some weights!”

“Some what? Alright!” She followed a group of nomads to an open cargo sphere, pushed and shoved along with them to get a long roll of silken thread, and then kicked off again in the direction she’d seen Thilykto heading. He met her going the other way.

“Where are you going?” He demanded.

“I was following you, where are you going?”

“To the ships!”

The family’s convoy was composed of some 30 vessels, all tied to each other in a loose formation about half a mile across, rotating just enough to keep the structure rigid. The ship at the center contained the main ion engine, and it towed all the rest. Other ships were cargo vessels, their surfaces crowded with packs of equipment and supplies. Some cargo ships carried nothing but ice, others nothing but ore, one had nothing but a single enormous cannister. Some smaller ships were more enclosed, and served as homes for smaller groups. Others were packed with telescopes and imaging equipment, others carried mining augers and refineries and a manufacturing facilities, one was just a straight-up gymnasium, one of them had her own human-made pod tied to the side.

But there was a last type of ship, of which there were five, that she’d never seen used and had never asked about, and it was to these ships that the nomads were now flocking.

They shared the same basic design and layout as all the others; 8 spherical fuel cells, and 8 main engines in 4 clusters, and a crows nest and comm center on top; all tied together by metal lattice, silk, and foil plates of alien wood. But these five ships had no cargo space. Instead, they had a mining talon on the bottom with spikes for gripping into rocks. And between the talon and crows nest, they sported a trio of long cannons. And all around the ships’ circumference, like a pair of semicircular wings, were hung two massive trusses whose purpose she couldn’t guess.

She found Thilykto just underneath the crows nest, bouncing around excitedly and saying something she didn’t make out. Some of the other nomads untied the ship from the convoy, and the hull shuddered beneath her hand as they began to drift away. A group of engineers got the engines primed up, and with a flash, they sparked alive into smooth blue flame.

In her helmet radio, she was overhearing chatter from the helmsmen coordinating. It sounded pretty routine until one of the other ships sounded out. “Aim good, receiving good, powder and ignitor good! Hold onto something and shield your eyes!” And, (catching that last bit a second late) she turned just in time to see its largest cannon fire.

It was an enormous jet of flame and smoke, uncooled and undampened by air, which spiked from the barrel and discharged through every direction of space before the white of the blast faded to red. As she blinked to clear the spot from her eyes, she thought she could see the projectile cresting the tip of the jet, hurtling off into space. Except it wasn’t one projectile, she saw it was many. And each of them was trailing a silk line behind it…

“Missus Fikes, you got that silk, right?” Thilykto was at her elbow. “Got to hurry now, not much time!”

“Yeah, yep!” She pulled it out. “I didn’t know how much we’d need, so I grabbed a whole roll.”

“Perfect! Let’s thread it into one of these winches.” He led the way out onto one of the ship’s wings, where other nomads were busy bolting down motors and spools. He helped her tie the end of her silk into the drum of the nearest one, and they spun the winch backwards to wind it up. When they were done the winch must have had about a mile and a half of silk in it, and the roll in her hands was barely depleted. Now Thilykto cut the silk short, and tied the end around a small metal weight. “There we go. Onto the next one.”

“What are these for?”

“Once we get the ship spinning, the weights will fan them all straight out. Then you’ll see.”

“What’s…? I…? What’s even going on? What was that other ship using its… Its weapons for? What were they shooting at?”

“It was shooting at the Likokisis family.” He pointed off into the blackness.

“WHAT?”

“And the Likokisis family shot at the Waskleskiki family, who shot at us. These are to catch the Waskleskiki’s lines.” He slapped the winch. “And the Likokisis will catch our lines, and the Waskleskikis will catch theirs. We’ll get all three families tied together into a huge triangle. That’s step one.”

“Oh…”

“We’ve gotta hurry though! The Waskleskikis already fired! The lines are on their way!”

“Right! Right…”

They managed to get three winches threaded up before the helmsman sounded the alarm that they were beginning their spin. By that point other people had already gotten the other winches prepped, so all that was left to do was climb back to an enclosed space behind the cannons, and wait and watch.

The ship’s maneuvering engines fired, and it began to rotate. The winches all unlocked and reeled out, and the weights stretched the silk out in every direction, like the spokes of a wheel.

Then, contact! The many projectiles from the Waskleskikis gun sailed past, each trailing a line straight in between their own whirling threads. The two sets wrapped around each other, the weights all swung around and tangled themselves up in knots, and the winches reversed.

The nomads all rushed back onto the wings now, to cut through the sudden tangle and collect the Waskleskikis’ threads. She was right there among them, cutters in hand, trimming and sorting and untangling, and have a great deal of fun at it, even if she wasn’t quite as practiced or precise. Thilykto was among those collecting the scraps and discarded pieces for recycling. Others were unloading the ends of enormous nets, or something like nets, from the ship’s storage locker.

The ship which had fired on the Likokisis was now approaching right off their starboard, and people were flying back and forth between them, exchanging lines, sorting and rearranging and tying and re-tying knots.

A few more minutes of confusion and untangling, and things were starting to make a sort of sense. Some of the Waskleskikis’ threads were tied down securely, others were tied to the ends of their nets, and others were attached into winches. The Waskleskikis seemed to know which these were, and began to reel in the ones on the nets, and give slack to the ones in the winches. They themselves began to reel in certain threads from the Likokisis, and let out certain others. The smaller winches from earlier had been taken down, and the winches that replaced them were quite a bit larger, and spun at enormous speed. Cables in each direction were taken in and let out, the nets followed the ones that went out, thrusters flashed to keep it tight, and before she knew it, the nets all disappeared into the distance.

Half an hour longer, and the winches finally stopped spinning. The silk was all spliced strongly together, and bolted directly to the wings. She helped stow the winches, and then there was nothing to do but wait. Most of the nomads hooked a tentacle or two into the wings, and sat back to relax in exhaustion.

“How long are these lines?” She asked Thilykto. She was feeling less exhausted.

He pointed to the left. “From us to the Likokisis is about… Eighty Tikakikos?” He pointed to the right. “And it’s about seventy to the Wasklekikis.”

“Tikakikos… Which is…?”

“One hundred thousand Tikaki. Which is about this far.” He held his tentacles up to a width of about eight feet.

She did some brief math and some gross rounding in her head, and arrived at a figure of about a thousand miles or so.

A thousand miles.

In the course of less than an hour, the tribe had spun a spider web a thousand miles wide. And they’d used nothing but silk, a few brief bursts of fuel, and three shells of gunpowder.

And she thought that was just plain impressive.

“You did really good. Missus Fikes.”

“Oh yeah? Well you did great too, man! Gimme five!”

He held up a tentacle and slapped it against her glove. It pushed them away from each other and they had to grip the hull again to keep from drifting off.

“Yeah.” He agreed. “You have a lot of energy. Are you even tired?”

“No, not really. This is easy work.”

“Huh.” He laughed. “Once we get further into the system, and start mining and building and fishing in earnest, you could have your own woman in no time.”

“I what?”

“Oh, uh, ha ha, nothing. I mean ship.” He slapped the hull. “Have your own ship in no time. A fishing ship. Like this one.”

“No, you used another word, what was the word you used? I’m still learning this language, you know.”

“Oh, geez. Ha ha. Ugh. It was just a dump joke. Calling a ship a woman. Like you become captain of a ship, it’s like you get a woman. I dunno, ask my dad. And don’t tell him you got it from me.”

“But what does that word mean? I kid you not, I have never heard it. Is it a cuss or what?”

“Did you not have women on your planet?”

“Well I don’t very well know if you don’t give me a hint or something!” She scoffed. “Describe it! I have no clue-”

“I’m not gonna describe a woman! Go ask my dad!”

“Oh come on, kid.” Somebody slapped Thilykto over the head with a teasing laugh. “Stop before you embarrass yourself.”

“I think I’m well past that point by now!” She swatted the tentacle away. “And quit laughing! You describe a woman then, smart guy!”

“Maybe I will!”

“What is the joke?” She was laughing as well now, despite herself. “It is a cuss, isn’t it??”

“Ask my dad! Like I told you!”

“Okay, you little snot.” She waggled a finger at him with a smile. “But I’m signing your name to the question.”

He broke down laughing at his own expense before he could find a retort. She shook her head and took a sip of water from her suit’s bladder.

And ten minutes later, the asteroid hit.

Whatever this silk material was, it was able to stretch a phenomenal distance, especially so over 500 miles of net in every direction, so they in the fishing vessel felt it as less of a shock and more as a gradual sort of pull. A strain gauge they’d clipped to the line began to climb.

“We’re hitting 240 over here.” The family elder read of the gauge. “HOW ABOUT YOU?”

“430.” The Likokisis elder reported.

“510.” Wasklekikis’s elder called.

“It’s getting too dangerous.” He assessed. “Detach yours before it peaks. We’ll wrap it up tight so you can re-catch it when it comes back around.”

“Aye.”

“Aye, but you owe us.”

The other two families severed their lines, and the elasticity of the silk sprung their ends inward, and wrapped them tightly around the asteroid, engulfing it completely in thread. Meanwhile, their target remained tethered to the last remaining ship, and they began to swing around each other in a pair of enormous arcs.

“Hold on to something Missus Fikes.”

“What’s happening?”

“We’re slinging the asteroid around, while the other ships make a new net to slow it down the rest of the way. It’ll put our ship adrift for a little while, but that’s okay. This has to happen sometimes, when we catch more mass than we anticipate, or when the asteroid is denser than it looks.”

“Adri- wait.” She glanced back at the convoy, which they were accelerating away from faster and faster. “WAIT! Oh crap, I can’t live inside this suit for more than a night!”

“Oh no! Missus Fikes, you have to jump!”

“I can’t make it! I don’t have thrusters!”

“You have to jump now! Before we’re too far or too fast!”

“You’ll have to toss me!”

They tossed her.

“But I still don’t have thrusters!”

“Take my squirt gun!”

They tossed her a rocket with a handle on top.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me.” She stared back at them, and saw they were all laughing.

“Don’t worry Missus Fikes, it’s easy to use, just point it and squirt!” They were sailing away from her, faster and faster.

“You’ll be fine! You can get back to the convoy!”

“The gun has eight hundred tikaki per second of delta-v! You can make it back easy!”

“If I die out here, it’s you guys’ fault!”

“No, no, you’ll be fine, Missus Fikes, don’t worry!

“I know you can do it!”

“Oh, go get a woman, you lunatics!” She cussed at them, with still no clue what the word meant. They all burst into the loudest, most contagious laughter she’d ever heard, because they too could tell she didn’t.

It took an hour or so, but she got back to the convoy just fine. It wasn’t too hard.

She was surprised by how comfortable and reassuring the silk net felt beneath her hands when she finally made it. And when she clipped the safety tether on her belt into a truss, she trusted the hull of that alien craft just as intimately as she would’ve trusted the concrete foundation of her own home. Perhaps that’s because it was her home now, and she hadn’t yet realized how much she’d forgotten.

She’d almost made it back to her pod when she heard the call. “Missus Fikes?”

She glanced over her shoulder at the fading dot of the fishing vessel. “What’s up?”

“We finally got the asteroid on telescope and… It’s not an asteroid.”

“…What is it then?”

“It’s a piece of your ship.”

“What… But? My ship was completely aluminum. I… I thought you said… Said… I thought you said the asteroid had ice and carbon…”

“It does.”

“…Oh.” She got it.

“They’re all dead.”

“…Yeah. I know.”

“I’m sorry, Missus Fikes.”

“It’s okay… I know.”

“If I had my way, Missus Fikes.” Came Thilykto’s voice. “You and I would go out together, lure that leviathan in, and kill her. I don’t care how long it takes, we would FIND her and KILL her!”

“My lifespan is too short to spend on monster hunts, Thilykto.” She sighed. “And you shouldn’t be hasty to spend yours either… I’m going to sleep now. I’m tired.”

She closed the door behind her.

[majingojira]

Superman Real-Time Aging Timeline

As a followup to my Batman Timeline, here’s Superman!  

After this, it’s either Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, or The Flash, but I don’t think any of them will be this complex.  After all, it’s Superman! 

A thing to understand, just as a general rule, there are other Kryptonian and Kryptonian like species running around.  Sort of.  There are basic species and then several derivatives, which have since become their own cultures, but all hold to the same general roots of which Kryptonians are a part of.  These include, but are not limited to: The Kree, The Kherubim, The Viltrumites, and The Daxamites.  There are others, of course, but that should give you an idea of what’s out there in the vast reaches of the universe.  

As before, I won’t really go into villains that much (unless people ask me to do a quick rundown, at which point I’ll do my best).  

Another thing to note is that, for the purposes of the crossover timeline, things are a lot less powerful than the comics would have you believe.  A lot of people who engage in crossover timeline work tend to work from a “World Outside Your Window” approach.  So, while weird things happen, they aren’t well known or accepted.  

But we live at a time when flat-earthers and all sorts of reality denial run rampant.  

But the short of it is, ya know how the Golden Age Superman couldn’t fly and could only jump 1/8th of a mile? That’s basically where we are at.  Artillery shells can harm him, but bullets can’t.  He has amazing senses and laser-eyes, but only his descendants who study advanced Chi-altering martial arts can exceed the limits of flesh and they are the ones who truly fly.    

This is also why things that would normally be a joke for Superman to face in a crossover turn out to be actual threats.  

But the comics do exaggerate in part to inflate Superman’s abilities to avoid conflicts if at all possible.  Yes, as Watson to Holmes, DC is to Superman as far as this timeline is concerned.  So, we get to take everything with a grain of salt. 

I mean, remember last time when Cass pissed of the editors? Same deal. 

Okay?  Here we go! 

The Crisis: The Crisis is an Even that is, was, and will occur across the multiverse (or segments of it).  It occasionally seeps into time and space at different points.  Since we are here, it can be assumed that the villain was defeated.  It’s a weird time-space thing.  

Pre-history: A humanoid space-faring race suffers through many rises and falls over several thousands of years of development.  This leaves strange pockets where their descendants become their own race on different planets.  Krypton was one such planet.  A heavy gravity mining colony orbiting a red sun.  The species race, now called Kryptonians, managed to maintain some technology of their glory days but did not explore much outside their homeworld.  They augmented themselves into a race of “Supermen” to survive the harsh environment of the planet and the dangers of mining.  This included nanites which acted as solar energy storage for emergency lighting and welding.  However, the mining had begun destabilizing the planet...

1894 - Hugo Danner born. 

Lex Luthor born.

1900 - The overlord Shao Khan (a.k.a. Mongul) of another realm known as “Outworld” challengers Earth to Mortal Kombat for control over its lands.  He is tricked into doing this, as Earth isn’t another realm, but a whole planet that he could not absorb into his own even if he tried.  For the next 10 years, champions are selected to battle his champions.  10 victories on one side will ‘seed’ territory to the other.  Or, so Shao Khan thinks. 

1910 - Hugo Danner fathers Arnold “Iron” Munroe.  

1916 - Kal-El is born. 

1917 - The destruction of Krypton, leaving only a handful of survivors.  Among them are Kal-EL and the city-ship Argo.  Kal-El is found on earth by the Kent family who adopts him and names him Clark. 

The Argo City ship is affected by space-time and moves slower than Kal-El’s warp rocket.  As it travels to “Pick Up” the stray (Kal’s rocket), they encounter a parasitoid alien life form (”Xenomorph”)that manages to slaughter many of the Kryptonians after assimilating their genetics. Kara Zor-El is the only survivor and manages to destroy Argo before heading to the only family she has left.  The time-dilation effects mean she still thinks of Kal would be a defenseless baby.  (modified Superman vs Aliens) 

1930 - Clark Kent’s growing powers truly start to develop.  He helps out in secret most of the time with the odd ‘disaster’ or two.

Hugo Danner fakes his death.  

1932 - On a visit to New York for the first time, Clark runs into an early instance of true “Supercrime.”  A group of criminals uses terrifying prototype mecha to cause all kinds of hell for law enforcement and people alike.  The young Clark does his best to put a stop to them, but the true end for the gang comes from in a hail of bullets from the vigilante known as The Spider. (Satan’s Murder Machines/Superman (Comic Strip) “The Bandit Raiders of Metropolis”)   

1937 - Clark Kent moves to New York City, THE Metropolis, to work at the Daily Star paper (later renamed the Daily Planet).  He also debuts as Superman later in the year. 

1938 -  The Sarmaks of Mars, responsible for the 1898 invasion of earth, land a small invasion force in New Jersey.  The Military is brought in to put it down, but are unable to accomplish much until a “Man of Action” (Superman) appears and routs the Invaders as they reach the edge of the Hudson River. (The War of the Worlds/It’s That Time Again 3: Even More New Stories of Old-Time Radio  “War Between Two Worlds”/Superman: War of the Worlds).  The event is broadcast partly by Orson Wells but is forced to say that it was all a Halloween radio play by a group of “government agents.” (Funny story, James Moriarity formed a group to aid the Martian Invasion and the thing went so badly for him that he created an organization specifically to make sure no one ever found out how big a mistake he made which eventually evolved into a general ‘coverup’ NGO.  Nothing is more fragile than the ego).  

1939 - Lex Luthor and Superman begin their rivalry.  But at the time it is overshadowed by the so-called “Ultra-Humanite” who desired a new body to host his amazing mind.  Superman and Batman meet for the first time stopping one of the Ultra-Humanite’s plans. 

1940 -  The Masked Vigilante Boom of the 1940s begins in earnest, with many people taking to vigilantism to battle crime. Black Canary and Green Arrow get their start among many others.

The Rocketeer: The Cargo of Doom - The Rocketeer deals with people smuggling animals from Skull Island, Superman lends a hand with the Megaprimatus kong brought with them that the comics later dub “Titano.”

The first Toyman, Winslow Schott, starts bothering people. 

1941 - Formation of the Justice Society.  As a social club for vigilantes and superhumans to unwind in.  They mostly share stories and shoot the breeze, but occasionally teamed up for larger missions, especially when America entered WWII. But it’s primary purpose is networking and recovery.

Many of the Fleischer Superman cartoons occur around this time, except when noted. 

1942 - All-New Collectors’ Edition #c-54 “Superman vs Wonder Woman” - Diana of Themyscira learns about the Manhattan Project and is utterly horrified.  Clark and Diana have a confrontation about it, that does get briefly physical.  They put their differences aside afterward (the threat of a Nazi bomb is a good reason to do so), but Diana starts to grow warry of the American Government. 

1943 - Puck first bothers Superman as Mister Mxyzptlk.  

Clark learns the full story of Krypton and first encounters Kryptonite (World’s Finest #271)

1944 - Superman creates his own “Fortress of Solitude” to hold dangerous things he encountered before it evolved into a general “Home Away from Home” he could visit. 

1945 - The Last Days of the JSA

1946 - Alexis Luthor, son of Lex Luthor, is born.  

1948 - Superman: Terror on the Midway/Mighty Joe Young - A large gorilla is brought from Africa to perform at a nightclub in Los Angeles.  Lois is doing a report on it for the Planet when three drunks manage to get backstage and manage to both get the gorilla, Joe, drunk, but harass him to the point he breaks out of his cage.  The gorilla goes on the rampage, breaking lions out of their cages as he does so.  Lois helps people escape as Clark changes into Superman to subdue the Lions.  He also assists in getting Joe back into his cage as the police arrive to shoot what lions Clark had not yet rounded up.  When the incident goes to court, Clark covers the case. The court, however, rules to have Joe destroyed.  His owner, the nightclub owner, and several others sympathetic to joe engineer his escape -- only to be stymied by a burning orphanage.  Joe’s rescue of the orphans, Superman rounding up the drunks who sparked the conflagration, and Clark’s editorials sway public opinion and Joe is brought back to Africa.  

Clark Kent and Lois Lane wed.  

The House of Un-American Activities starts to target Costumed Vigilantes.  The Justice Society disbanded in response.  Diana Trevor, Wonder Woman, starts working from inside the system to counter McArthy and J. Edgar Hoover.  Subtly and openly, be it the Holiday Girls (secretaries make excellent spies) or secretly abetting other superhumans. Still, most costumed vigilantes retire at this point.  As for the rest… Some are apprehended, others sign up with the government, and others still are killed in FBI Raids.  

As Superheroes are under fire from the government, several class-action lawsuits also hound more public figures of superheroes, and only a few survive with their reputations and resources intact.

1949 - Joel Kent is born to Clark and Lois Lane-Kent.  Clark scales back his Superman work to take spend more time with his family. Joel is born without Superman’s fantastic abilities, but he is better than average almost everywhere else.  

1950 - Jonathan Kent jr. was born to Clark and Lois Lane-Kent.  Jonathan, however, is closer to his father than his brother. This causes some animosity between the boys as they grow older. 

1952 - Richard Tyler, Hourman, is arrested as part of the FBI crackdown on costumed vigilantes.  Very few remain active.  Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Shadow, and The Avenger are the most prominent.  Superman and Wonder Woman working with the Government, The Shadow, the Avenger, and Batman operating outside the law.  

1953 - The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms/Superman “The Arctic Giant”/Batman #104 “The Creature from 20,000 Fathoms”  – A prehistoric monster is awakened by nuclear testing in the arctic and proceeds to swim down to New York, sinking ships along the way. Superman confronts the beast as it lands in New York, driving it off for a moment before the military arrives to deal with the creature. When they manage to injure the creature with an anti-tank weapon, they release a deadly bacterial agent among the populous. Batman (Bruce Wayne) is able to deduce a method for dealing with the agent and the creature hosting it: radiation treatments.  The man who first saw the creature manages to introduce a radioactive isotope to the monster’s system. The creature dies from its wounds in the midst of a roller coaster fire at Coney Island. The film omits the interference of costumed vigilantes, the Batman story, in particular, doing its best to be as far off as possible to the point where it doesn’t even make sense as a Batman story. 

Clark Kent becomes the editor of the Daily Planet after Perry White retires. 

1955-1975 - The Vietnam War. 

1955 - John Henry Irons is born. 

John Wilson and his family are lynched. He survives, dons a mask and grabbing a hammer, he hunts the Klan as the vigilante John Henry.  

David Xanatos born. 

1956 - Clark Kent first discovers the Phantom Zone Projector, a device from his homeworld, and learns of the various criminals held in there, such as Faora and General Zod.  Some of which escape from time to time.  

1958 - John Wilson is killed, but his legend as the civil rights defending, Klan smashing vigilante John Henry endures.  

The malicious data life form known as Brainiac firsts demonstrates an interest in Earth.  

1959 - The Centre incident occurs.  (DC: The New Frontier)

Diana Trevor works out a government organization to better employ multi-mystery-man operations in the future with her at the head and thus limiting access to their identities or technologies by the other branches.  This is often called “The Justice League” or “The Avengers” among other things.  The laws about costumed vigilantism are changed somewhat.  

Kara Zor-El’s rocket finally lands on earth.  The press dubs her “Supergirl” when she joins in the “Family Business” and, being from a highly enlightened society that’s generally moved beyond barriers of gender or race, is extremely frustrated by the primitive mudball that is 1960s earth. 

1960 - Wilson Fisk, who often claims to be a son of Lex Luthor, becomes the “Kingpin of Crime.”

1961 - The first appearance of the Parasite.  

1963 - Incredible Hulk vs Superman - Superman attempts to apprehend the Incredible Hulk, but finds more dangerous foes about. 

1964 - The children and relatives of many World War II heroes; including Jennifer-Lynn Scott (Jade), Iron Munro, Dee Tyler (Phantom Lady II), Tsunami (Miya Shimada, a Deep One), and Artemis Crock (Tigress II, daughter of Paula Brooks, Tigress I) among others; form a short-lived adventuring group called the Young All-Stars or All-Star Squadron. An adventure to the Maple White’s Lost World and meeting Hugo Danner (and his superhuman progeny) ends the team.  Hugo Danner survives the encounter but is left brain-damaged.  His later rampages are given the moniker of “Bizarro.”

Alex Luthor ‘takes over’ as the primary Luthor giving Clark and his family hell. 

1965 - To battle monstrous threats, robotic sentries dubbed “Sentinels” or, more aggressively, “Terminators” are created.  Though defeated early in their lifespan, they are often re-created in various models.  The Data Life Forms these shells attract are often genocidal and highly dangerous.  This is the start of the aggressive timeline of the rogue A.I. known as “Skynet” that continually attempts to ensure its creation and the destruction of humanity. 

1966 - Kara Zor-El changes her moniker to “Power Femme” to coincide with the feminist movement she supports.  The press still calls her “Power Girl.”  She sometimes shows up to aid protests and has several clashes with the police.  And by clashes, I mean “People hurt themselves trying to hurt her while she protects as many as she can.”  It doesn’t help as much as she’d like. 

Darkseid first shows an interest in earth. 

Natalia Luthor, a niece of Alex Luthor, finds herself involved in her uncle’s business when she clashes with Supergirl. 

1969 - Lois Lane passes away.  

1970-1971 - Joel serves in Vietnam, and is generally horrified at what happens.  he does his best to help where he can, but the system works against him.  He rescues many people, one of them, Mei-Li, eventually becomes his wife.  Together, they have a son.  They name him Conner Kent.  The experience mellows him significantly.  He reconciles with his brother. 

1970 - The Kent State Massacre occurs.  Kara takes it very hard, having missed the protest to deal with other disasters.  

Jack Nimball takes over as the second Toyman. 

1972-1977 - A covert war against various demonic and subterranean attackers is waged primarily across east Asia, the front line of defense being various ‘Super-Robots’ such as Mazinger Z and Getter Robo.  These use a modified ‘spirit engine’ to essentially use raw willpower to make up for what the technology lacked, but it had terrible side effects and the technology was eventually abandoned, if not outright banned. It is likely these helped in the creation of the Biomegas.  

1972 - Lex Luthor passes away.  

1973 - Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Clark Kent take the time to comfort each other after the deaths of their spouses.  This results in the birth of Athena Prince/Eiko Megami.  She is raised primarily in Japan for the education system.  Her power is best described as “Ungodly.”

Birth of Biko Daitokuji/Kiri Fujikawa, daughter of Tony Stark and Rumiko Daitokuji/Fujikawa (last name dependent on adaptation).  They do not marry but keep open ties to each other.

1974 - Jonathan Kent takes over primarily as “Superman II” Though Clark still helps out where he can. 

1975-1984 - The Biomega War is waged in Japan and in its coastal waters.  It appears to end with the death of Doctor Shinka in 1984.  Parts of him, however, survive, and biomega drones, beasts, and kaiju occasionally rise up from the depths after his defeat.  They appear to be derived from the Centre.  

1975 - Karen Kent Jr, named for her aunt, is born to Joel Kent and Carol Star-Kent.

David Xanatos receives instructions on how to become rich from his future self, as well as the coins to do it.  

Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man: A Duel of Titans - Superman (Clark Kent) and Spider-Man (Peter Parker) are tricked into fighting each other by their foes, Doctor Octopus and Lex Luthor. The two heroes quickly team up and defeat the evildoers.  

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #9 “Truth, Justice, and Scooby Snacks” - Clark Kent brings in Mysteries Inc. to help solve a haunting at the Daily Planet. 

1977 - Jonathan Kent trains with Muhammad Ali to better handle opponents who are as strong or stronger than himself.  

1980 - The being known as Lobo first appears on earth.  

Shao Khan challenges earth to Mortal Kombat and picks up an unexpected “Kombatant” - Jonathan Kent.  Appalled by the entire thing, he, as Superman, smashes not just the competition, but the entire contest of Mortal Kombat that cycle.  The whole thing is thrown out, but Shao Khan is infuriated by this insult.  Since the contest is considered a wash, his win streak remains unbroken...

Spider-Man and Superman: The Heroes and the Holocaust - Doctor Doom has a plan, involving the Parasite, Wonder Woman (Diana), The Hulk, and Superman (Clark).  The timely interference of Spider-Man, however, disrupts his plans for world conquest.  

1982 - Natasha Irons, daughter of John Henry Irons, is born.  

The first true Arm Slave, the M4, is developed.  Military use of giant robots (they tend to max out at 8 to 10m tall without exotic materials).  

David Xanatos has his first clash with Superman in one of his dealings.  The comics dub him “Lex Luthor” in many of his appearances. 

Superman has his first encounter with a Banshee.  

1983 - The “Doomsday Plan” to destroy several different superheroes begins forming.  It culminates in elements from Project Metalbeast/Weapon X and Project Cyborg being applied to the original Mr. Hyde and lacing his body with radioactive substances such as Kryptonite.  They dub this creature “Doomsday.”

The Terminator - The Skynet timeline sends two robotic assassins after its greatest foes.  Against John Connor, it sends a T-800 Terminator. Against the Academy of the Strange/The X-Men/The Doom Patrol, it sends TN-001 Nimrod.  

1984 - Superman Annual #11 “For the Man Who Has Everything” - Shao Khan/Mongul attempts to get revenge on Superman, but is stopped by the combined efforts of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Robin.  

1986 - Doomsday is unleashed.  Superman I and Power Girl I are crippled.  Superman II is killed.  The monster is killed and, in the light of the full moon, Hyde rejects the implants and continues on his horrible path restored to his former pre Doomsday glory.  In the wake of the tragedy, Conner Kent tries to fill in for his Uncle and Grandfather and is dubbed “Superboy.”  John Henry Irons creates a powered armor for himself and helps out as “The Man of Steel” or just “Steel.”   The Skynet timeline also sends an agent, a “Cyborg Superman” to try and defeat its future foe.  

1987 - Biko Daitkouji gains a controlling interest in her father’s company. 

Project A-Ko - The daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman, under the pseudonym “Eiko Megami”, or just A-Ko, enrolls herself in a Japanese school, where she meets up with (and gets into a rivalry with) “Biko Daitokuji”, the daughter of Tony Stark.  An intense rivalry develops over a ‘friendship’ one has and the other desires.  It eventually devolves into a routine of Biko building a large machine or powered armor and getting into a fight with Eiko before school on a regular basis.  Even an alien invasion (a single rescue ship causing havoc over one city) goes unnoticed until the target of their friendship is revealed to be their target.  They put aside their differences briefly to get her back.  The alien ship is crippled and can’t leave without heavy repairs.  The aliens may be the Zentradi from the Macross series – the all-female Meltrandi side of their species at least.  Its timeline placement is only here due to another crossover cameo and it may be set in the year 2009, but the only real available/likely time for both the character parentage to occur places it here.  The newspaper her father is seen reading contains a reference to the Fleischer Superman short “The Bulleteers”.

Project A-Ko: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group – 3 weeks after the events of Project A-Ko, during summer break, Biko and Eiko continue their rivalry as Biko’s father’s company tries to find the alien ship and raid it for technology.  Unfortunately, every agency imaginable interested in alien technology trips over themselves trying to get the technology, and they end up with nothing once they anger Biko.   The aliens once again manage to escape and hide amongst the populace, resigning their fate to earth until rescue can come.  Eiko’s father is once again seen reading a “Daily Plenet” newspaper with a story discussing another Fleischer Superman short (the very first one, in fact).

Predator

Superman vs Predator - When the “Predator” self-destructs, his ship does not. when an alert signal is sent, another Predator comes to earth to clean up the mess but finds humans using the technology to insidious ends, as well as a worthy opponent: Superman (Conner Kent).  In his first real big case, Conner is kept off-balance by the experienced hunter, but the plot is foiled and Conner manages to defeat the predator.  

1988 - Karen Kent Jr. starts acting as Supergirl II. “Cir-El” is created by a cloning project.

Biko Daitokuji, in an effort to impress someone, starts acting more heroically and takes the moniker “Iron Woman” (as the band Iron Maiden didn’t want the name on a superhero).   She also sometimes refers to herself as ���Rescue.”

Project A-Ko: Cinderella Rhapsody – Biko and Eiko clash again over summer break, but this time over a guy.  Ciko, the girl who had their ‘friendship’ earlier, feels left out until it turns out the guy Eiko and Biko are chasing likes Ciko instead of them.  The JSDF is called out over the two girl’s squabbling, including weapons employed against the Frankenstein Brothers Sanda and Gaira (War of the Gargantuas). A brief appearance from the leads of the anime/manga Yawara! The Fashionable Judo Girl occurs in one scene where Eiko is working at a fast-food restaurant.  They were customers. 

1990 - Project A-Ko: Final – Kei’s arranged marriage drives Eiko and Biko into more of a tiff than usual, but they are left to themselves when a battle group of ships finally come to rescue the trapped aliens and their princess Ciko.  She is taken back home and the fleet leaves.

Mortal Kombat - Shao Khan is defeated in Mortal Kombat.  

Superman and Batman vs Aliens and Predator - This story is a mess, but here’s what is known from it: Batman (Bruce Wayne Jr.) and Superman (Connor Kent) are drawn into the ritual hunting of some Xenomorphs by Predators on earth.  It goes sideways, Batman and Superman intervene and help the predators get back home with a “And Don’t come back!” message.  The Predators take it as a challenge. 

1991 - Mortal Kombat II - Shao Khan decides to just invade the earth anyway.  He does so while EIko Megami is on vacation.  The Invasion ends swiftly and Shao Khan slain.  This forces a change in how the magical realms handle their conflicts.  A year later, the Unseelie Accords are adopted by most major supernatural ‘nations’.  

1994 - Karen Kent Jr. becomes Power Woman/Power Girl II. Conner Kent becomes “Superman” in the public eye at long last. 

Arm Slave technology filters down to the public sector.  Heavy construction mecha, known as Labors begin to see use in Japan and later the United States.  These machines are 6 to 10 meters in height.

1995 - The first known instance of Labor-based crime occurs.  After this, police forces with heavy labor use in their districts adopt Special Vehicles Units, police squads that pilot labors, to counter labor crime.  These “Patrol Labors” eventually get nicknamed “Patlabor” Military contractors see this as an excellent testing bed for many technologies that would later be employed on military labors and arm slaves.

Conner Kent and Cassandra Sandsmark wed, but she keeps her name as is. 

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Superman vs Terminator - Parallel to the events of T2, Terminators are sent after another foe Skynet foresees--Superman (Conner Kent).  Working together with Sarah and John Connor, Superman is able to put down the threat from the Skynet timeline, as well as finish it off in the future.   At least, one future...

Shock-Jock Leslie Willis becomes Livewire. 

1996 - An angel with the ‘human’ identity of Linda Danvers aids the Super-family and becomes known as Supergirl III.

Buffy Anne Summers is called as the next Vampire Slayer.   

Wilson Fisk passes away, and his mantle as Kingpin of Crime is taken up by “Gentleman” Johnny Marcone.  

The formation of “Young Justice” - a friendly hangout of many second and third-generation superhumans.  Members include Conner Kent, Cassandra Sandsmark, Tim Drake, Carrie Kelly, Helena Bertinelli Jr, and Bart Allen.  With many others joining the group as time goes on.  Their exploits are occasionally disseminated as either the “JLA” or “Young Justice” depending on the tone of the adventure. 

1997 - David Xanatos, after marrying and having a son, reforms. 

1998 -  Superman/Gen13 

Savage Dragon/Superman -  Superman III (Conner Kent) and Savage Dragon work together on a case in Chicago involving criminals being mind-controlled by parasitic worms. 

Superman/Savage Dragon - Superman and Savage Dragon battle a New God known as Killroy.  

1999 - The third generation of Arm Slaves begins the prototyping phase.  The development of the Lambda Driver alters the development of this mech.  Many of the early bits of technology are taken from prototyping the technologies in police Labor units.

The vampire known as Angel sets up “Angel Investigations” to help the helpless.

Hiro Okuamura attempts to be a “Heroic” Toyman.

JLA/Witchblade - Sarah Pezzini, wielder of the Witchblade, goes to the “Justice League” for help understanding her artifact (primarily Cassie Sandsmark).  The Witchblade then jumps around the group’s female members to find ‘better’ hosts before Sarah shames it into coming back to her.  

2000 - Linda, has taken to calling herself “Lee” leaves the material world behind and moves to the mystical between-worlds city of Bette Noir and eventually becomes its ‘mayor’.  

Conner Kent and Cassandra Sandsmark/Wonder Woman III have a son together, Jon Kent III.  

Natasha Irons takes over her father’s mantle as Steel II.   

Superman III (Conner Kent) confronts the darker actions of his contemporaries who call themselves “The Authority” ... and schools them.  (“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and The American Way?”)

2003 - Cir-El/Mia Kent is adopted by Conner Kent and Cassandra Sandsmark, starts operating as Supergirl IV.

Sunnydale is destroyed and the number of Vampire Slayers goes from a single lineage to over 2000 at any one time. 

The Darkness/Superman - Superman confronts the current wielder of the Darkness, Jackie Escatato.  

JLA/Cyberfoce - An informal group of heroes aid a covert cyborg team with some cyborg-zombies.  

2004 - Fallen Angel Reborn- In order to regain her lost powers, the Old One in a Human Shell, Illyria, travels to Bette Noir to reclaim her icons, and battles Lee the Fallen Angel for them.  Illyria learns something about her new state and accepts that she, herself, has changed. 

The Circle of Black Thorn (also known as The Pride) and Wolfram & Hart are defeated by a group of Runaways, the vampire Angel and his allies.  Angel and his cohorts are caught in a temporal loop as punishment while the children escape.  Massive destruction is initially wrought, but undone via time loop. Many people in LA have vague memories of what happened, eventually leading to the production of the film “Last Angel in Hell” starring Nicholas Cage. 

DC Comics insists Mia wear a blond wig to better display the “Iconic” supergirl.  She really doesn’t like the new look.  

2005-2015 - The Biomega Kaiju menace trickles through with various attacks until it comes to a head in 2015 when it revives the Centre.  The beast is destroyed, ending the Biomega threat...for now. (Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire, Pacific Rim)

2008 - The Cellphone camera becomes common.  This means that supernatural events are part of common knowledge, but a combination of factors (not lining up with common religious beliefs, the “Somebody Else’s Problem Field”, charlatans continuing to operate regardless, etc) mean that while people ‘know’ they don’t really do much about it, deny its existence, or think of them in completely wrongheaded ways.

Livewire’s powers are finally put under control and she is allowed to perform “Community Service” with her abilities as a hero.  

2010 - Jon Kent starts adventuring as Superboy III.  

*

And that’s where things have left off.  

[rickrakontoys]

INFINITY WAR Spoiler talk

Random spoilery thoughts and rating of the movie

Things I liked:

- Thanos. This is his movie. A sad, lonely, yet terrifyingly driven villain. His relationship with Gamora helped humanize him, but he’s still a genocidal monster through-and-through… One of the best MCU villains (though I feel Killmonger is more relatable since his motivation is grounded in our reality, and Loki since we’ve spent so much time with him and witness his struggles) - Loki saying “we have a Hulk” - The various team-ups throughout the movie in general. - Tony butting heads with Dr. Strange, and his continued mentoring of Peter Parker. - Dr. Strange demonstrating more of his mystic arts powers, and going toe-to-toe with Thanos and holding his own quite well. - Ebony Maw is the only member of the Black Order worth remembering…. creepy and intimidating. - Thor managing to remain humble and mostly-level headed despite losing everything he was protecting and fighting for in Thor: Ragnarok. His bonding with Rocket of all people was endearing. - Kevin Bacon in the Avengers - Rocket matured a bit since GOTG vol. 2. He’s still Rocket as we know him, but more willing to step up and “be the captian” now than before. - The Invisible Drax. Stupid… but i liked it. - Gamora’s flashback to her homeworld and meeting Thanos, and her scenes with Thanos on his ship. We finally get to see her confront her father directly, and the dysfunction lends weight to both their plot threads. - Thanos to Quill: “I like you” - Seeing Vision and Scarlet Witch’s relationship play out on the big screen. - Hulk not coming out to play due to the beating he received by Thanos. He’s still got a child-like mind, and it’s totally believeable that he’s pout and whine and not want to come out. Banner still gets some heroism in nonetheless in the Hulkbuster. - Seeing Wakanda again with the Avengers there alongside Black Panther and Okoye. - All the cameos… always good to see Pepper Potts. Peter’s friend Ned. “Thunderbolt” Ross has an obligatory scene. The Collector appears. M'Baku returns to help T'Challa and the Avengers. Shuri gets to banter with Banner. - the Red Skull’s return… even though he has only a brief scene, it confirmed he was only teleported away and not killed by the Tessaract. - The entire battle with Thanos on Titan. It’s just cool to see heroes all battling a single enemy as opposed to another faceless army. - Nebula confronting Thanos on Titan, and her inclusion at all in the film. I hope she plays a bigger role in the next part. - Thor’s adventure with Rocket and Groot to get a new hammer. He is still obsessed with hammers…. - Giant Peter Dinklage… - “Thor, you’re about to take the full force of a star… it will kill you.” “ONLY IF I DIE!” …“Yes, that’s what killing you means…” - “WHY IS GAMORA?!” - Thanos getting more and more somber and depressed as the movie went along, especially after sacrificing Gamora, the only person he cared about. - "Tell them about the dance-off to save the galaxy." Footloose. - Quill’s angry reaction to Thanos killing Gamora and screwing the heroes… it’s perfectly in character. He’s always been an immature man-child, even with the development he received in the previous films. Part of his curse of being raised by the Ravagers. Likewise, who would NOT have an emotional outburst like that? Stark had one in Civil War. - War Machine back in action. Blowing shit up. - Winter Soldier/White Wolf alongside Rocket Raccoon……. - Thanos throwing chunks of a moon at the heroes. Tony: “If you throw another moon at me…” - Thanos’ admiration of Stark. “I hope they remember you” - Later he tries to comfort Scarlet Witch after she kills Vision. If he wasn’t a maniac hellbent on universal genocide with a history of child abuse, he might be an ok guy… - Thor’s heroic return with Stormbringer. Seeing him back to full power was great, though… it takes away a bit from his development in Ragnarok… He’s not a god of hammers… why does he need one so much? - Thor keeps calling Rocket “rabbit” and Groot “tree”. Didnt bother to learn names - “This is my friend, Tree”, “I am Groot”, “I am Steve Rogers” - Okoye + Black Widow + Scarlet Witch vs. Proxima Midnight - Vision sacrificing himself, and Wanda having to witness him die twice. - “You should have gone for the head!” - The ending… the fingersnap. The dissolve into ashes… The character’s reactions to these deaths is what makes it all work, even if we the audience know it probably won’t be permanent. - “Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good…” and “I don’t wanna go I don’t wanna go… I’m sorry”…… - Knowing what Tony must have felt when Peter disappeared… probably adds a whole new level to his current PTSD… - Dr. Strange clearly playing the long game, even at the sacrifice of himself and half the universe. “Tony, it was the only way”… Witnessing their deaths 14 million times must have been rough. - Cap gets the last words in the movie: “Oh god….” - The simple end credits, playing almost like an “in mermoriam” - The fact that we have no idea where the heck Avengers 4 is going plotwise…. will those who became dust in the wind return? Seems likely since Homecoming 2 and GOTG vol. 3 are filming soon… and like they’d kill off Black Panther after he made ALL THE MONEY before this movie made all the money again. - “Motherfu-”

Things I didn’t like:

- Heimdall again gets kinda shafted… after getting such a prominent role in Ragnarok. At least he got a last heroic gesture by sending Hulk home. - Loki dying so early to be motivation for Thor. Unless he has more up his sleeve in a long play, having him try to stab Thanos in the face felt like sloppy storytelling. What if he succeeded? The Black Order is RIGHT THERE. They would’ve killed both him and Thor anyways. Loki probably knew death was imminent and wanted one last act of defiance and proof of loyalty to Thor and Asgard. I don’t mind him dying early on, but I feel the writers should have been smarter about his actions. - The GotG felt a bit flanderized. I get it though since they need to share screentime here. Quill remains immature and childish and it leads to disaster. Drax merely spouts comedic lines and is generally useless. Mantis is not much of a fighter but at least managed to subdue Thanos a bit. Groot barely registered at all until he makes the handle for Stormbreaker. Groot meeting Captain America was amusing though. - No one during the Wakanda fight calls attention to the talking raccoon… - Cap, Falcon, and Black Widow also didn’t get a whole lot to do. Their fights seemed to devolve into shakey-cam BS. - Vision was nerfed for sake of the plot. Guess he’d otherwise be too OP. - What was the point of Red Skull being there at all… if you replace him with someone else, would it have affected the plot in any way? Why was he floating like a spectre of Death? - Rocket just gives Thor a new eye…. guess they got tired of CGI-ing that eyepatch on Thor. - The fake-out of Gamora killing Thanos in Knowhere… of course they’re not killing the villain in the first third of the movie. - Gamora’s death… when she asked Peter to kill her, I knew she’s probably going to die. Of course not by Peter… the scene of her, Peter, and Thanos was a good one though. - Something about the scene on Vormir felt… heavy-handed. Maybe the music? The silly fade to Thanos’ crying face when Gamora is falling to her doom? Something just took me out of the moment… maybe the awareness that i was looking at a purple, ballsack-chinned, CGI space man crying CGI tears. - The Black Order… generic looking scary alien people… They didn’t amount to a whole lot. Just excuses for more fight scenes. They all die inglorious deaths. - The final battle in Wakanda was another giant brawl with faceless alien monster people… there’s nothing creative about it. - There is no build-up to that battle either… it just happens. Take a page out of Peter Jackson’s The Two Towers… the build-up is just as, if not more important than the battle itself. - Hawkeye and Ant-Man being convieniently written out of the movie… - Where is Valkyrie? and Korg? Not even enough time to give them a mention? Valkyrie might’ve been helpful in the ensuing fight… - Thanos didn’t seem to use the Gauntlet to its full potential despite demonstrating some wild powers. He mostly just shoots purple beams at people… - Thanos is “burdened with knowledge” and thus knows who Stark is…. ok…. what. - The pacing of the movie felt too relentless. Let the movie breathe a bit dammit. - The CGI in some scenes screamed of “reshoots”… Banner in the Hulkbuster comes to mind. Iron Man and Spidey’s Iron suits looked very cartoonish. The Black Order’s CGI looked very off in a few scenes. Could they not have achieved Proxima, Corvius, and Maw using prosthetics? Thanos looked very convincing though, even if his look was a tad simplistic. - The music… you hear the Avengers theme occassionally… but there’s no memorable new music. We don’t hear any of the respective themes of the various characters. No Guardians theme, no Dr. Strange theme, no Iron Man or Captain America or Spider-Man or Thor themes…. Music should factor into this “culmination movie” as much as the characters. Least we got the Black Panther theme when we see Wakanda again. If somehow the different themes get interwoven into a new melody…. plz Avengers 4? -Knowing that this was a part 1 of a 2-part finale sort of robbed the movie of a sense that the deaths will be permenant… but I would like to be surprised in Avengers 4. The question is seemingly “how” they will defeat Thanos and revive their allies, and not “if” they do…

Overall, there is a lot of good in this movie. It’s not as… “fun” as the previous Avengers movies or even Civil War. They tried to be a lot darker, and for the most part they succeeded. The issues I have are mostly nitpicks to the plot, and minor issues with the craft involved.

After two viewings, I don’t feel the need to really watch it again… until Avengers 4 next year.

8.25/10

[bowandarrowgirl]

You’re Not As Lonely As You Think You Are (I’m Trying to Tell You) - Chapter 8: Golden Girl (I’ll Keep You Forever)

Read on AO3 

A/N: Sooooooooo, I thought about if they were all teenagers in real life, which actors would portray them. To be honest, I couldn't really come up with any for Drax, Rocket and Groot are both CGI anyways so they're good, Shuri and Little Peter are already considered 'teens'. So I came up with Megan Nicole as Gamora (yes, I know she has kind of a higher-pitched voice than Zoe does, but I still think she'd make a really cute Gamora), Madilyn Bailey as Nat, and imagine Nat Wolff WITH STRAWBERRY BLONDE HAIR, as Peter?! Idk, it was just an idea! XDD Anyways, enjoy! <3

They run. They leave Homecoming and run. They had managed to wake Drax from his unconscious state, but Gamora was still in a state of shock before they left, causing Peter to pull her to her feet and hold her upright as they ran.

Peter digs around in the pocket of his pants for the keys to the performing arts building. Once he finds them, he unlocks the front door, immediately guiding the group to the choir room.

After everyone is safely inside, Peter locks the doors and turns on the lights. Luckily, the only windows in the room are attached to the doors.

Nat and Shuri guide Gamora to one of the chairs, Peter's maroon, leather jacket loosely covering her bare shoulders. Her arms are still wrapped around her abdomen, trembling slightly.

"Gamora, what is going on?" Nat asks in a tone in what seems like she had asked for the hundredth time.

"It's my sister-she's insane." Instead of looking at the girl in crouched in front of her, her gaze is towards the dirty floor.

"Gamora, you told me Thanos-"

"She's adopted." She snaps, immediately regretting it and finally giving Nat an apologetic look. Her eyes rip away from Nat's and shift back to the floor. "I'm not the only one Thanos took from their homeworld."

Shuri crouches down besides Nat, resting an assuring hand on Gamora's bare knee. "Your sister-what does she plan to do?"

"I don't know exactly what she's up to, but I know she's after this orb. I was on a mission to find it before I crashed here. She thought I had it-" Gamora takes a deep breath before standing up and walking towards the piano. "If it's anything like I think it is, we might be in trouble."

"Then, we need to stop her." Peter chimes in, slowly approaching her.

"It's not just her we need to stop-she joined Ronan."

"Wait, who's Ronan?" Peter asks with a raised brow, the rest of the group watching their conversation intently.

"A Kree fanatic who works for Thanos."

The mention of the name sends chills down Peter's spine. Gamora has told him of the pain Thanos inflicted, not only on her, but millions of innocent people around the universe. She has told him what he's capable of and his one and only goal: to eradicate half the universe.

"Ronan may have killed my lover, Hovat, and my younger sister, Kamaria, but Thanos is by far the strongest being in the universe. I will accompany you on your quest to find this orb. Then, I will kill Ronan and avenge my family's deaths." Drax was very silent until that moment. He crosses the room to join Peter and Gamora near the piano.

"What exactly is this orb?" Peter asks, completely brushing off Drax's entire speech. "From what it sounds, it seems like some kind of weapon."

"I don't know what it is."

"If it's a weapon, we should use it against Ronan."

Gamora's head whips around to Drax. "You fool! You'll destroy us all!" Maybe snapping from a comment as small as that wasn't her best move, but it was too late.

"Or just you, MURDERESS!" Drax steps closer, pissing Gamora off even more so.

"I LET YOU LIVE ONCE, PRINCESS!" Gamora finds herself looking straight up at him, baring her teeth.

"I AM NOT A PRINCESS!" The tattooed boy stands up straighter, glaring at the smaller girl in front of him.

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! Nobody is killing ANYBODY in my CHOIR ROOM!" Peter puts himself between them as they continue to glare at one another.

"It ain't your choir room, dumbass." It's that stupid raccoon and giving tree whom always manages to find themselves in the same room as him.

Peter rolls his eyes and turns his head to said duo. "Can we help you? What are you even doing here?" The raccoon doesn't reply, giving Peter a vexing smirk instead. "Let me guess? Profit?"

"Oh, hell yeah!" Rocket crawls off Groot's shoulder and scales up the piano to gain the attention of the others. "I know someone who's very trustworthy and is willing to pay a whole lotta units for that orb."

"How much?" Peter asks in curiosity, oblivious to Gamora's annoyed eye roll.

"Four. Billion. Units." The emphasis on the three words captures Peter's attention as his eyes widen.

"Holy shit!"

"Yup! About a hundred thousand times the amount of Yondu's bounty on you. Groot and I were gonna go after it, but when we heard Greenie over here mumbling somethin' about the orb, we thought we could use a few extra humies."

"And what makes you think we'll help you?" It's the first time Gamora speaks up since Rocket started talking.

"Cause', I have a big gun that could disable your mods and kill you in an instant."

"I am Groot."

"Shut up, Groot."

"I. Am. Groot." The tree says with more force.

After a few moments, Rocket crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. "Fine. Groot says we'll split the profit between everyone who gives us a hand."

"If I gave you my hand, it would require me to sever it off, disabling the ability to be helpful with it still attached." Everyone's jaws drop at the amount of stupidity they had just heard.

"It's an expression, dipshit." Rocket explains with another eye roll.

"I will never understand Terran sayings."

"It's not exclusively from Terra. People say it all the time."

"We're getting off track!" Gamora interrupts, watching as Drax and Rocket exchange a look and shrug their shoulders in unison.

"Are you in or not?"

Gamora's brown eyes find Peter's. He looks at her with the same grave expression, subtly nodding at her. There's that look in his eyes. The same look he had when she came out of the dressing room at Forever 21 in the outfit he picked out for her. The same look he had when he noticed she was finally able to start reading paragraphs on her own. The same look he had when she finally joined in on the choir ritual. The same look he had when he finally had the guts to ask her to homecoming. The same damn look he had when he kissed her. That genuine, caring look in his hazel eyes that she trusts more than anything in the universe. There's nothing selfish in them either, meaning he has a ethical reason behind agreeing, and he would explain later. She knows him and she trusts him.

With that, she turns to Rocket and sighs. "Yes, but if you do not undertake your part, I will be sure to skin you alive, Rodent. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Greenie, I do."

"If you guys are really considering this, you better make sure this buyer is trustworthy. If something happens that this 'orb' is a weapon and it's in the wrong hands, who knows what could go wrong." Nat states, putting a hand on Gamora's shoulder. The green girl nods in unison with Peter.

"How do we get off this dumb planet without confronting the director?"

"Well, Big Guy! I have a plan-"

Although Nat is training to be a spy for S.H.I.E.L.D., she has very awful plans, which is why Gamora, Drax, Peter, Rocket, and Groot are fully equipped to leave Earth and are on their way to headquarters. The entire building is built underground as a bunker at the edge of the city. The only section visible is a small dome-shaped structure made entirely of one-way glass, and the secret hangar roof behind it. Two men in S.H.I.E.L.D uniforms, guard the steel double doors to the structure.

It was a long drive from their dorms to headquarters-approximately four hours to be exact. So, yeah. It was a long drive. Not to mention being in a small Volkswagen van with seven people, three of which were not as friendly as the others (well, the tree's okay). It's a miracle to get out when they arrive.

Nat's plan was simple: she and Gamora will gang up on the guards and knock them unconscious. Then, they would all sneak into the docking bay and board Peter's ship.

Therefore, they put the plan into effect. Within seconds upon reaching the small structure, Gamora and Nat sneak up behind the guards and kick them square in the back of their heads, watching as their bodies fall limp to the ground.

Peter flinches a little as their bodies hit the pavement. "Ooh, that's gotta hurt." He whispers as Nat grabs a key card from one of the guard's pockets and unlocks the door, following the group inside.

They all scuttle into a confined elevator, uncomfortably close to one another as they ride down to the docking bay. As they exit, they are spotted by two more S.H.I.E.L.D agents, who immediately get swept off their feet, due to Gamora's quick reflexes.

"What does your ship look like?" Shuri asks as they spread out, scanning each of the unique aircraft.

"It's the Milano-the blue and orange M-ship."

"The Milano?" Nat asks with a raised eyebrow. "Like the cookies?"

"No, Alyssa Milano, duh!" Nat pinches the bridge of her nose.

Gamora crosses her arms and glares at Peter. "So, who's this 'Marissa Milano'?" She asks skeptically. Of course, it wasn't out of jealousy. Gamora wasn't the type to be 'jealous'.

The boy gives her a small smirk, notching the hint of jealousy in her brown eyes. "Alyssa Milano." He corrects.

"Whatever."

"She's an actress. I had a huge crush on her when I was a kid."

"You're still a kid." She points out, glaring at him more intensely.

"No reason to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"Okay."

"Can you makeout later, Lovebirds? We found your ship." Rocket announces, rolling his eyes.

"This is your ship?" Peter nods his head proudly. "No offense, but it looks like a piece of shit."

"Wow. Thanks Nat." Just then the alarms start blaring, meaning that somebody spotted them. "Hurry! Get on the ship!" Peter yells over the alarms as he lowers the ramp. Groot, Rocket, and Drax quickly obey, the original four staying behind for a moment longer.

"Go." Shuri says, gesturing to the ship with her head. "We will stay behind and cover you."

"Thank you." Gamora wraps her arms around their necks as Peter makes his way up the ramp, not completely entering the ship until Gamora follows him. The ramp closes behind them as Nat and Shuri start running for the exit.

They arrive at the temple on Morag, only to find out that Ronan's right hand beats them there. Luckily, it seems as if they haven't exited their ship yet.

Gamora whips her head around to the group. "Korath is here."

"Lemme guess? Ronan's henchman?" Rocket asks, crossing his arms.

"You could say that."

Peter eyes Gamora again as if they read each other's minds. "Okay." He says, staring her in the eyes a moment longer before focusing on the rest of the group. "Here's the plan: Gamora and I will break into the temple and steal the orb. Drax, you'll follow and cover us. Rocket. Groot. You two will stay here, protect the ship, and get ready to take off as soon as we get back. Got it?" Everyone nods. "Good. Let's go!"

It's eerily easy to obtain it, only requiring the use of a gravity mine. However, there's never any sign of Korath or his Sakaaran soldiers. That's what puts Gamora on edge. "Peter, something isn't right." She states, reaching for her Godslayer.

"Okay, well, let's go!" He begins to walk out of the temple bumping into a Sakaaran soldier. "Oh, shit."

"Drop it!" A deep voice booms as a man, who looks partially like an android, enters.

"He will do no such thing, Korath!" Gamora spits through her teeth, extracting her sword and charging towards the man with a loud war cry. Drax follows suit with his daggers. "DRAX! PETER! GET TO THE SHIP!" Drax jabs one of his daggers into one last soldier and obeys almost immediately. "PETER!"

"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!" Peter shoots another Sakaaran that had entered the temple.

"GO, PETER!"

Peter hesitates. "Shit." He mutters under his breath, shooting one last soldier before bolting to the ship. With one last cry, Gamora drives her sword into Korath's abdomen, immediately following Peter. The boy pulls out another gravity mine, throwing it at the Sakaaran soldiers running after them. Gamora ducks and rolls her eyes as Peter yells back an apology. As soon as they have boarded the ship, Rocket turns on the thrusters and flies them to safety.

After the coast is clear, Peter meets Gamora on the lower deck. She watches as he places a small box into a weird contraption built into the Milano.

"What is that?" Gamora asks in curiosity with pursed lips.

"It's called a cassette. It plays music, see?" Peter presses a button and turns a dial as music begins to fill the ship. A huge grin creeps onto his face once he notices the corners of the green girl's lips twitching up. It only grows when she begins to subconsciously bob her head to the beat.

"What?"

It doesn't take long before Peter realizes he's staring. "Nothing." He scratches the back of his neck. "Um...just-do you trust them?"

"The only one I trust in this ship, is you."

Peter glances up at the stairs leading to the cockpit before focusing back on Gamora. "How much you wanna bet they'll ditch us after we receive the payment?" He asks almost inaudibly.

"As long as they don't give us a reason to be suspicious, we shouldn't worry too much about it."

"So, we're partners then?" Peter closes the distance between them.

Gamora crosses her arms and stares up at him. "We had an agreement, but I would never be partners."

"Does that include me?"

The green girl leans in as if to kiss him. She pauses, lips only millimeters away from his. "Especially you, Peter Quill."

He feels her breath against his lips and opens his eyes to see that she had snuck away before they could kiss. A slight chuckle escapes from him as he turns around to see her walking up the stairs with an extra sway to her hips. "Oh, it's on."

Knowhere is practically a place for outlaws, or so Gamora says. It's a grungy place and highly polluted. The streets are packed with aliens of all species, most of them looking homeless, mean, and dirty. They pass a building with a colorfully lit-up sign as a bouncer throws a patron out.

"The buyer's in there?" Peter asks staring as the patron slowly gets up.

"He told me we have to wait for his representative or whatever." Rocket explains as they continue walking.

"This is no respectable establishment. What do you expect us to do while we wait?" Drax asks with a hint of a pout.

"The museum is inside of a bar." Rocket states, stopping in his tracks and turning towards the group.

"There's no way they're going to allow us to drink. We're underage."

The raccoon bats a paw at her. "Psh! They don't care as long as they get units." He starts walking back to the bar with Groot following closely behind.

Drax shrugs and follows suit, leaving Gamora and Peter alone. "I'm gonna fill up the Milano. You coming?"

A sigh escapes the Zen-Whoberian's mouth. "I would, but I still don't completely trust those three. I'll keep an eye on them and meet you inside." Peter nods and plants a quick kiss to her temple before walking back in the direction of the Milano.

It's barely half an hour when Peter returns to the bar, finding her out on the balcony as she cleans her sword. He walks out casually and stands next to her. "Man, you wouldn't believe what they charge for fuel out here. I might actually lose money on this job."

"Doesn't surprise me." Gamora says dryly. "They're making us wait." She sheathes her sword and turns towards Peter with a perturbed expression. "Why did we agree to this, Peter?"

"You wanna escape from Thanos. I wanna escape from Yondu. We're gonna want to leave the academy eventually." He takes a deep breath and sets his forearms on the top of the balcony railing, leaning against it. "I also thought maybe we could leave together." He mutters it under his breath, hoping Gamora would hear it as much as he didn't want her to. He stares out into the void and snaps out of his thoughts as a green hand is gently placed on top of his. Turning his head slowly, he realizes that Gamora is gazing at him with a soft smile upon her lips.

"I-" She was cut off by the sound of a rousing bar fight, involving Rocket, Groot and Drax.

"Oh no." Peter moans, walking past Gamora and entering the bar. She follows suit, noticing Drax being strangled by Groot.

The muscular teen rips himself free of Groot's vines as Rocket powers up his gun. Before he can go after Groot again, Gamora pulls him up by his arm. "STOP IT!"

However, it doesn't stop Rocket from aiming his weapon at Drax. Peter steps in with a defensive hand, blocking his view. "WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"THIS VERMIN SPEAKS OF AFFAIRS HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT!" Drax yells trying to push out of Gamora's grasp to get to Rocket.

"THAT IS TRUE!"

"HE HAS NO RESPECT!"

"THAT IS ALSO TRUE!"

"HOLD ON! HOLD ON!" Peter steps closer to Rocket as he starts to aim his gun again.

"KEEP CALLING ME VERMIN, TOUGH GUY! YOU JUST WANNA LAUGH AT ME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!"

"Rocket, you're drunk, alright? Nobody's laughing at you." The Terran does his best to calm the raccoon down, but the small creature continues.

"HE THINKS I'M SOME STUPID THING! HE DOES! WELL, I DIDN'T ASK TO GET MADE! I DIDN'T ASK TO BE TORN APART, AND PUT BACK TOGETHER, OVER AND OVER AND TURNED INTO SOME...some little monster-"

"Rocket, no one's callin' you a monster."

"HE CALLED ME VERMIN! SHE CALLED ME RODENT!" He screams, pointing to Drax and Gamora respectively. "Let's see if you can laugh after five or six good shots to your FRICKIN' FACE!" Rocket starts firing up his weapon again, causing Drax to try to go after him again.

"NO, NO, NO, NO! FOUR BILLION UNITS! ROCKET! Come on, man. Hey! Suck it up for one more lousy night and you're rich."

The raccoon hesitates for a moment, finally lowering his weapon with a sigh. "Fine." He says with a slight crack in his voice. "But I can't promise when all this is over I'm not gonna kill every last one of you jerks."

Peter rubs his temple until he hears the last part of the sentence and throws an accusing hand in his direction. "SEE! THAT'S EXACTLY WHY YOU THREE DON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS!" He looks around at the other two, finally giving Gamora a sympathetic glance. "Five seconds after you meet somebody, you're already trying to kill them!"

"We have traveled halfway across the quadrant, and Ronan is no closer to being dead." Gamora pushes him away as he pulls out of her grasp.

"Drax!" Peter calls, watching as the musclebound teen walks away in anger.

"Let him go." Gamora says, placing a gentle hand on his arm, not taking her eyes off of the direction in which Drax was headed. "We don't need him."

"The beings they call Rocket and Groot," A pink Krylorian calls from a doorway near them. "I'm here to fetch you for my master!"

[technogeist1890]

Brood

From the Audio Journal of Dr. Henry J. Caldwell.  This journal was discovered in the remains of the [redacted] facility after a rescue team was called to the scene over concerns of smoke being seen above the facility in copious amounts.

Entry 1

“The field team brought in some new specimens today.  They’re charming little creatures; almost beautiful in a way.  They’re the size of an average human six-year-old, with bluish-grey skin and abnormally large crania.  Their eyes...dear Lord, how do I describe their eyes.  It’s like an entire galaxy is embedded in two small orbs.  They’re mesmerizing.  I’m currently speculating that they have some sort of cognitive alteration abilities, judging from their effect on me.

*unintelligible speech in the background*  Yes?  I’ll be out in a minute!  *sigh*  I have to go.  Dr. Landau is calling me.  I suspect he wants to take a closer look at the new arrivals and wants my help with it.”

*End of recording*

Entry 2

“I hate that I haven’t been able to make an entry for a few days.  I’ve just been so busy in the containment ward that by the time I finally make it back here, I’m too exhausted to do much more than pull on some pajamas and collapse into bed.  

I do have to note, I feel as though Dr. Landau--Austin--has become more attached to me than I initially suspected.  He kept me late in the lab last night, analyzing tissue from one of the juveniles.  I mean, I know we’re friends, but his interactions with me border on flirting.  We’ve dubbed the juveniles ‘mimics’, since part of their genetic makeup apparently allows them to replicate the appearances of other creatures.  One of them reacted to seeing a picture of a cat by...turning into a cat.  Further analysis would be necessary to determine if their internal processes actually change to match their outward appearance or not.  But for now...I think I just need to sleep.”

*End of recording*

Entry 3

“Dr. Ashford approached me with some concerns today.  I told her it was none of my business, but she insisted on telling me, since I’m ‘so close’ with Dr. Landau.  Seriously, it’s only first-name basis, it’s not like we’re snogging on the regular.  Well...according to Dr. Ashford, the mimics have been recorded as speaking perfect English.  Austin’s been spending time with them more and more over the last week, and they’ve allegedly started calling him ‘elder brother’.  Chalk it up to Austin somehow being able to find a rapport with everyone he meets, I suppose, but Ashford seems to think it’s suspicious.  

Ordinarily, I would consider her concerns to be born out of mere jealousy.  She’s liked Austin for years, and he doesn’t seem to know she exists.  However...I can’t shake the feeling she’s right.  He has been spending considerable amounts of time in their enclosure, to the point where he barely comes out to sleep or eat.  I’m getting a bit concerned for him.  Honestly, I feel like I ought to speak to him about it, just to make sure he’s all right.”

*End of recording*

Entry 4

“Well, I spoke to Austin about how much time he’s been spending with the mimics over the last week.  It...went as expected.  Of course, he said he was fine.  He’s always like that...the bastard never admits when something’s wrong.  I did bring him some leftover risotto from the cafeteria to assuage my conscience, and he promised he was going to break for the day and go to bed soon.  I haven’t heard his door opening though, so he must still be in the lab.  I’ll bring some food for him tomorrow.  Call me naive, but I can’t tell whether this is just Austin being Austin or, as much as I doubt it, some advanced form of covert flirting.  Whatever it is, he’s certainly not acting like himself.”

*end of recording*

Entry 5

“Spoke to Dr. Ashford again.  I don’t know why she thinks I’m responsible for Austin’s wellbeing.  He’s my boss, not the other way round.  I asked her why she thinks I know everything there is to know about him, and she just laughed and winked at me.  Which tells me nothing.  Honestly, not to sound blatantly misogynist, but I utterly fail to understand how women seem to be able to communicate solely through gestures.  It’s crazy.  

*background speech, presumably Dr. Landau*  

“Right, give me a minute!  ...again?  I just got done with a full workday with him.  

*scoff*  

“Just buy me a bouquet of roses and ask me to dinner, you sod.”

*end of recording*

Entry 6

“Something is definitely off with Austin.  I happened to catch him interacting with one of the mimics today, and I noticed something really strange.  All of them have taken a very convincing human form...and they all look at least a little bit like him.  Furthermore, when I saw him with one of the mimics, he was making this...odd clicking noise.  It seemed like he was communicating with them in their own language.  I didn’t think humans were capable of making that noise.”  

*odd clicking noises; Dr. Caldwell attempting to replicate the noise he heard*  

“Ah, I can’t really do it justice.  Probably an obscure talent.”  

*chuckle*  

“Oh well.  Anyway...I’ll have to keep an eye on Austin.  Either the mimics are influencing him in some malicious fashion...or he’s going mad.”

*end of recording*

Entry 7

“I can’t shake the feeling something big is going to happen soon.  Austin was on edge all day today, and he acted incredibly brusque when I asked him what was wrong.  If something happens tomorrow, I’ll be keeping this device on all the time just in case.  If something happens to me...I want someone to know.”

*end of recording*

Entry 8

“I knew it.  What did I say?  What did I say?  They’ve escaped.  The mimics--I don’t know how.  Someone must have let them out.  Seems my hypothesis was correct...not that it matters now.  I think they’ve killed everyone else in the facility.  Ashford I know for sure is dead...I found her body in the hallway, they tore her head clean off.  I think she was coming to warn me…too bad for her.  I can only worry for myself now.  There’s no way out of this facility without a special keycard, and that’s on the third floor.  I’m on the ground floor, there’s absolutely no way I’ll be able to--” 

*screeching and clicking in the distance* 

“Shit!  They know I’m here.  If I go out in the hallway I’m dead--”

*more screeching and clicking, this time closer*

*nervous laughter*

“I guess...I guess this is goodbye.  To whoever finds this, my name is Henry James Caldwell.  My home address is [redacted].  Please, get this recording to my family--”

*The recording abruptly cuts out to static for several moments before cutting back in*

????:  “Now, now, what did we agree with regards to Henry?”  

*inhuman clicking noises*  

“That’s right.  Go and find the others.  I’ll join you shortly.”  

Henry Caldwell:  “Austin?  W-what’s going on?”

Austin Landau:  “You can come out from under the table now, Henry.  You’re not in any danger.”

*rustling*

HC:  “All right, I’m out from under the table.  Now what the hell is going on?”

AL:  “You’re a smart man, Henry, what do you think is going on?  Take a good look around.”

HC:  “You...you’re one of them, aren’t you?”

AL:  *laughter*  “I knew you could figure it out.  You’re absolutely correct.  These creatures are my brethren, not fully grown but with so much potential.”

HC:  “What are you going to do with me?”

AL:  “Do with you?  Nothing.  Nothing at all.  Well, except take you with me.”

*muffled sniffling*

“What?  Crying?  Oh...poor, dear Henry.  Come on, dry those tears.  I’m not going to hurt you.”

*more muffled sniffling, rustling of fabric*

“Come here--don’t flinch, I said I’m not going to hurt you.”

*long pause*

HC:  “Can...can I at least see what you really look like?”

AL:  “Eh, I don’t see why not.”

*unintelligible noises*

HC:  “Dear God.”

AL:  *chuckle*  “Not exactly, but I appreciate the sentiment.  Now then...this facility is on the verge of collapse.  Even if you managed to get out of the building, there’s no way off the island.  If you wish to live another day, I suggest you come with me.”

HC:  “But...what will happen to me?”

AL:  “Nothing, if you don’t wish it.  But...I think you’re going to like what I’m going to suggest.  I have an offer for you.  Something our esteemed colleagues never managed to figure out about us; we’ve got this way of splicing our genetic material into other species in order to reproduce.  A little less messy than the human way of doing it.”

HC:  “What are you saying?”

AL:  “I could make you one of us, Henry.  I could make you immortal...I could make you a god.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that I’ve become quite fond of you.  I’d like to keep you with me...forever.”

HC:  “Well...it beats death, I suppose.  At least let me leave this recording behind.  I doubt anyone from the outside world will believe it, but I at least want to give my family some sense of closure.  You can’t deny me that.”

AL:  *laughter*  “How could I deny you anything, darling?  Meet me outside when you’ve finished, yeah?  I sense my brethren growing...impatient.”

HC:  “Yeah...yeah, I’ll do that.”

*receding footsteps*

HC:  *sigh*  “Well, that certainly took a turn.  I suppose I had better wrap up this recording before the battery dies.  I’m not sure what lies in store for me.  From what I’ve gathered, the mimics, or whatever they’re called, are attempting to return to their homeworld.  I can’t help feeling sorry for them.  But...God, I need time to process this.  My best friend...he’s been one of them this entire time.  And now he wants to whisk me away and turn me into one of his own kind.”  

*nervous laughter*

“Not sure how I feel about that.  However...if by doing this I could somehow stop an alien invasion or avert some other disaster...well, I suppose I have to do what is necessary for the greater good.  That’s all I’ve ever wanted, to help people.  And if this is how I have to do it, so be it.  Now this is really goodbye.  To my family, should you ever get to listen to this recording;  Mum, Dad, I’m sorry I couldn’t see you one more time.  I’ve been so distant since I began working here, and I regret that.  You deserved to have a better son than I ever could have been.  And Emily...dear, dearest little sister.  I regret that I won’t be able to see you grow up.  I can only hope you get to be an artist like you always wanted.  I love you all, and I hope that one day, if there is an afterlife, that we can see each other again.  Farewell.”

*end of recording*

There was no sign of Dr. Caldwell, dead or alive, at the scene, barring his lab coat and identification badge.  Investigators are still looking into his disappearance.

[pentomic]

ger

“I saw a big vision, and it was a fence that was as bright as the sun, and behind the fence there was a scroll of Torah, and a big voice spoke, in the voice of the mother, and it said ‘I am your god, and everyone else’s god, and I made all this, and this is my law’”

From the Testimony of Rav Koach

The Daromi Jews most resemble man-sized millipedes. They are large, with brightly coloured, segmented exoskeletons that betray their poisonous natures. They recognize each other by face and name, though their faces are composed of approximately six hundred thirteen small mandibles and two compound eyes with over thirty-six facets each. They can grow beards.

I am the third human rabbi sent to the Daromi Jews’ homeworld, an “earthlike planet” near star M33. The other two have been here for years, and Rabbi Elhanan Sabati, the oldest, is nearing his retirement and return to Earth. He meets me at his office at the Greatest Synagogue of the Capital City, so-called because humans can not pronounce the Daromi name, which translates roughly to “place of places, greatest dreamer, avenues of commerce”. “Daromi” is itself the Hebrew name this group of Jews chose for itself, because they are, in their own words “very far south”. The real name of their people is “those who crawl and walk upon the planet’s face consuming that which grows and sneaks upon the land and build verily up into the stars upon the heights” which they can say with a few screeches and a complex pattern of mandible clicks.

Rabbi Sabati is a tower of a man, made lanky by years in the reaches of space. He is 67 now, and the cutoff age for spacefaring is 72. He wants to see Jerusalem again, to return to earth and his family in Ramat Beit Shemesh. He greets me in a soft voice.

“Rav Kemelman. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Rav Koach, the leader of the Daromi Jewish community, stands behind him. His mandibles are arranged into a pattern that my brain sees and instantly interprets as a sort of hello. I nod.

This is the first time I’ve seen a Daromi Jew in person. They are much more imposing up close, the glittering compound eyes inspecting me with what I hope is a friendly interest, mandibles softly clicking. Rabbi Sabati watches the Daromi rav watching me. Daromi Jews, or more accurately, their people, are very sensitive to signs of early weakness in first impressions. Apparently it was the past custom of the people of this planet to mark any creatures who showed weakness in their presence as “edible”.

Times have changed, I have been told, and the Daromi Jews follow the laws of Torah, which forbid the eating of rabbis. Yet if I am sized as inadequate, I will surely prove to be an ineffective rabbi.

After a long while, Rav Koach performs a weird sort of full-body shiver and breaks eye contact. He and Rabbi Sabati exchange a look, and Rabbi Sabati smiles wearily.

Rav Koach speaks. He speaks by clicking and screeching, but I understand all of it. I am not wearing any simu-translation gear, nor do the Daromi Jews possess any kind of telepathic ability— rather, they seem to speak a kind of universal ur-language, very roughly Semitic in structure and grammar. While other beings never truly grasp the full meaning of what the people of this planet say, they can— humans included— at least grasp a few of the meanings.

WELCOME HONOURED STRANGER RABBI FRIEND says Rav Koach.

Then Rabbi Sabati shows me to where my office will be.

The intervening weeks are a whirlwind of documents, bureaucracy— there are three hundred billion members of the curious race who inhabit this planet, and their public service is as vast and labyrinthine as the cast-iron towers where they live— and a long and and involved goodbye service for Rabbi Sabati, where one of the lesser rabbis compares him floridly to Ben Zakkai and Moses.

As the rocket rises into the cyan sky, and I turn back to the small honour guard from the Terrestrial Embassy, my mind involuntarily flashes to the Daromi Jews, squirming, wiggling, chittering, and a rush of loneliness and doubt hits me like a hammer. How on earth are these beings Jews? Yes, their conversions en masse have been approved by the Extraterrestrial Beit Din (Orthodox), and their top rabbis, including Rav Koach, have distance learning smicha from Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. Yet still— did Hashem really call these creatures, these strange and profound creatures, to his service? Earth suddenly seems very far away, and I take a deep breath and steady myself against the wall of the departure terminal.

“Hitting you now, huh?” one of the Embassy officials asks sympathetically. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. This planet’s large, and the people are mostly ok.” He pauses at my expression.

“Well, it ain’t Earth, but it is what you make of it.”

My first Shabbat with the Daromi Jews approaches faster than I’d like, and I practice my sermon to the vast and empty spaces of the Greatest Synagogue, a brightly painted cast-iron structure that vaguely resembles a termite nest. Jewish symbols and quotations, in Hebrew, from our holy texts cover the interior, a touch that makes me feel oddly at home. I remember suddenly that Rav Koach has invited me to his house after the sermon: SHABBAT LUNCH TO BE CONSUMED GREATEST DELICACY OF OURS FULLY DIGESTIBLE BY HUMANS. The last part was a nice touch.

The service itself sees the synagogue packed to its full capacity of 70 million Daromi Jews of all shapes and sizes, from joyfully squealing larvae to aged pillars of the community. The Torah is read (somehow) and my sermon, on Lech Lecha, the week’s parasha, is well-received but slightly on the nose.

Rav Koach announces that we will sing Etz Chayim Hi, and the kahal hakadosh rustles to its feet. Two strapping board members curl tightly around the sifrei Torah. The air is thick with tension, and I notice with some shock that my arm hairs are standing on end.

The congregation erupts. It is not a song so much as a barrage— the air goes wavery before my eyes and I see colours humans do not have names for. In this moment, I do not see the Jews around me, or the synagogue, but a vast and unending love, for each other, for Torah, and ultimately for the Kadosh Baruch Hu. It is like the stars themselves are singing.

Rav Koach meets my eyes, and I see him smile (in his way). BTZELEM HASHEM he says, and I match his grin and nod assent.

Not for the last time during my stay here, I believe, I cast my eyes skyward, to where I know The Holy One is watching us, and whisper to myself “who is like Your nation Israel.”

The Shabbat meal, a sort of mushroom type thing, is delicious.

[perilinpeace]

Defining Us, Part I

12 Days of Starmora Day 1: “Tradition” 

This story is part 5 of my series at https://archiveofourown.org/series/776979. 

Defining Us, Part I

Rating: T (very mild language)

Word Count: 2912

The only “label” that ever really meant anything to Gamora was the word “family.” The things that went along with it… home… love… belonging. Those who made a family real and not some forced, manipulative thing like Thanos had--

Her family had once been her parents. Her Mother and Father. She knew there were others. Her brain told her that… some small thread in her heart told her that, but she didn’t remember. She tried, thought she owed them that. To remember. But had to admit, she couldn’t… Even her mother and father’s faces had smudged and faded, the sounds of their voices so distant, that she couldn’t tell between what she really remembered and what she made up for the sake of feeling like she did.

Her family was Nebula. Her one real constant for so long... the anchor in the swirling storm of misery and pain and grief and rage between lifetimes. And learning with her, how to really be a sister, since.

Her family was Drax, who laughed a little too often, but sometimes still surprised her with the depth and wisdom of his words; and Rocket, whose nods and darkened eyes beneath biting wit spoke of a shared understanding every time he fixed a misbehaving mod of hers or she one of his; and Groot, who still looked up to her (figuratively) when she tried to teach him something, even though he pretended not to.

It was Mantis, who delighted in being helpful to those she loved, because she wanted to and because she loved them; and Kraglin, who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, quietly looking out for Peter all while giving him shit because that’s what brothers do. And it was even an old dead Centaurian Ravager whose little trinkets still littered the bridge and occasionally surfaced in the engine room.

Her family was Peter, whose mere presence slowed her heart and cut her strings and eased her nightmares away.

So when Peter’s grandfather asked Gamora one night, on the long haul back to Earth from Xandarian space, if she was Peter’s wife… she was unsure how to respond.

It was a term she had simply not considered.

Of course, she was… familiar with the concept. Marriage was ubiquitous throughout the galaxy, a legal and sometimes religious rite on the vast majority of worlds.

But they were spacers. With no real allegiance or citizenship, for that matter, to any established governing body to even oversee such a thing. None of them had any religious affiliation to demand a formal union. (Notwithstanding Peter’s harried invocations to the “Jesus” from his Spirit in the Sky song in times of crisis or frustration--which, she had learned quickly, his grandfather similarly made… perhaps it was a family thing?)

Drax had Hovat, of course. He’d told them of the cultural significance of the traditional family unit on his homeworld. Marriage and procreation were practically an expectation of his people.

Gamora thought her own parents were married. It was hard to remember, but they had all lived together, she knew… they had been happy. Before. She had a very vague, hazy, snapshot of a memory of her mother presenting her father with a gift to commemorate some kind of milestone in their relationship…

“Gamora?” Pops asked gently, pulling her out of her own head. She looked up, squinting at him.

“Hmm?”

“You okay, kiddo?”

She nodded quickly and got up from the too-deep chair she’d sunk into and made her way toward the door of the common room, half forgetting that they’d been in the middle of a conversation.

“Take that as a no…” she heard him mumble after her.   

__________________

“Are you… satisfied with our… arrangement?”

Peter stopped just shy of shorting out the new control panel for the repulsor array and flipped up his goggles.

“Huh?”

“Us.” Gamora continued, her face a little crossed between frustrated and confused. “What we… have… our… I don’t know, status.” Peter could practically hear the air quotes around the word. “Are you happy with the way things are?”

He sat back on the wing of the Milano and dangled his legs, fiddling with the arc spanner as he looked down at her, then around the hangar, as if Rocket or Groot were going to jump out to take a picture of the look on his face. Where the hell was this coming from?

“Where the hell is this coming from?” he asked incredulously.

She rolled her eyes. “Can you just tell me?”

Peter resisted rolling his eyes too, but didn’t manage to hold back an uncomfortable shrug.

“I-- well, yeah… Wait--no? Is this a trick question?”

Gamora groaned and threw her hands up, turning on her heel and stalking away. He clearly heard her grumbling about his being of no help at all.

“Wait! What’d I--” he made to slide down to go after her, before realizing that Drax was inconveniently below him, ready to pass up the power meter he’d asked for moments ago.

“Imbecile,” Drax stated, shaking his head. Peter did roll his eyes at that, waving Drax out of the way.

“Asshole,” he bit back, landing hard with both feet on the deck. He pointed at the ship and glared at Drax. “Don’t touch anything.” Drax opened his stance and held up his hands innocently.

Satisfied, Peter jogged after Gamora, slipping through the blast door and into the corridor just as it was closing behind her.

“Gamora! What the hell… can you stop, please?” he huffed. She paused a few paces ahead of him and turned around. He held up a hand at her in thanks as he leaned up against the wall and caught his breath. “You just… ask me a loaded question like that out of nowhere, and expect me to… what… quote Shakespeare?”

“I…” Gamora had the grace to look a little guilty, her arms uncrossing a little and her face softening. “What?” Her forehead creased back up as she registered a reference that she didn’t know.

Peter waved his hand and shook his head, pushing off the bulkhead and stepping toward her. “Nevermind…”

“I’m sorry, you’re right, I…” she bit her lip and looked everywhere but at him. He wanted to hold her, but she had gone from having her arms standoffishly folded over her front, to awkwardly held around her, sort of hugging herself.

Whatever this was, it was actually either really bugging her or really important to her.

Peter studied her face, her stance, the way she clenched her fingers around her own arms. He took a deep breath and leaned back on the wall.

“Okay… ask me again. I want to make sure I really understand the question.”

She quirked an eyebrow, then visibly relaxed. “Are you… happy with the way things are… between us… as… partners?”

Peter frowned and watched her watch him for a second, before swallowing hard and staring at his boots. “Honestly? Right now, I kinda feel like if you even have to ask a question like that after all this time, I’m doing something wrong.”

He looked back up at her, to see her arms dropped at her side and her face drooping and contorted. She hadn’t meant it like that. Peter sighed.

“If you’re asking if I’m happy with you, that’s a dumb question. You know that,” he said softly. Gamora stepped toward him and leaned against the bulkhead beside him. She curled her fingers between his as they slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

“I love you so much,” Peter whispered into her hair. He could feel her smile and relax a bit against him. “Of course… of course I’m… you’re my world. You and our whole… messed up crazy awesome family... There’s no place I’d rather be than with you.”

He paused, thought for a moment, then hesitantly asked, “Are you? You know…? The same?”

“Yes.” And really, it was all Gamora needed to say. She squeezed his hand, though, and he smiled slightly.

“Then why did you--”

She shook her head. “It’s silly.”

He eyed her. “Probably not, knowing you.”

Gamora ran her thumb over his knuckles. “I… was talking with your grandfather. Relationships came up… he asked about my family, my parents, Nebula… told me a bit about his family--yours--back on Earth… your mother and grandmother… and then… he asked me if we were married...”

The oohhhh formed on Peter’s lips almost involuntarily.

“...I hadn’t actually thought about it before,” she continued. “But once he said it, I--”

“Started thinking about it?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Gamora nodded.  

Peter’s eyes narrowed.

“So, wait… was all that, like… a proposal, or something?”

“A what?”

“Are you asking me to marry you?” He enunciated each word carefully and distinctly, like a statement of fact instead of a question.

Gamora’s face scrunched up like she’d just sucked on a lemon. Peter couldn’t help but sit back and grin.

“Yes?” she answered after a moment. Peter quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

“Was that a question or an answer?”

Gamora groaned and let her head fall back against the bulkhead. “This is foolish.”

Peter thought for a moment, then nudged her shoulder, trying to steal her attention away from the ceiling.

“Is it?”

______________________

It wasn’t that Peter had never thought about it before.

But honestly, it was much more when he was a kid.

He very, very fuzzily remembered attending exactly one wedding in his entire life. Back on earth, when he was maybe five or six… a friend of his mom’s, one of the few other single mothers in town. He’d played with her son a lot, but didn’t remember his name. Their moms took turns watching each other’s kids while they were at work.

He remembered sitting on a hard wooden pew in the church where he had to go to Sunday school on Christmas and Easter. But all he could see was the backs of people’s heads. He’d pretty much gotten through the ceremony by squirming and when his mother shushed and glared, he got on by making up stories about the scenes in the stained glass windows… and the weird strangers seated nearby.

For some reason, his most vivid memory of the boring church part was the terrible toupee on the guy sitting right in front of him. Probably only because when he pointed it out to his mom, she’d tried really hard not to laugh.

Peter remembered a bit more of the reception.

There was a good band and a dancefloor. And his mother took off her high heels and danced with him for what seemed like hours and hours.

The point was… after the wedding… they didn’t see those friends much anymore. The boy he’d played with… had a dad all of the sudden… and from Peter’s little kid point of view… his friend’s whole life had changed. They might have even moved away.

He was embarrassed, thinking back on it now… Peter had gone through this whole phase after that, of pathetically trying to set his mom up with any guy remotely in her age range that smiled at her as they passed. He wanted her to get married, so that he could have…

Peter shook his head. “God, are all kids morons, or was I just special?” he murmured, checking their heading one more time before kicking his feet up onto the console and unwrapping the earbuds from around the Zune.

He heard a distinctly Pops-like snort behind him.

“You don’t get to comment. Do you have any idea what you started?” Peter said without looking back.

“Yeah. Drax was real… animated in the retelling of the ‘hangar tift.” Peter twisted around and glared at his grandfather with the one eye that could peer over the back of his seat. Pops raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m not the one draggin’ his feet, here.”

“Dragging my… we’ve been together for four years, man.”

“Exactly. What’s that song by that famous lady… Put a Ring on It?”

“Huh?”

“Lock it down, kid. You’re never gonna find another girl like her.”

“I’m not looking!”

“Then what’s taking so long?”

“Look… things just… don’t work that way out here. Maybe for regular people who never leave their homeworlds, have holidays and traditions and... who live regular lives and know that space is out there but never… we… Gamora doesn’t have a homeworld anymore and I coul-- wouldn’t… couldn’t… go back to mine. Things are different for people like us.”

“People like you,” Pops deadpanned. “You say that like you’re--”

“What? Not normal? We’re not, Pops.”

Peter quit fiddling with the earbud cord and dropped the Zune to his lap as Pops slowly walked up and stopped next to his seat, hands in his pockets and staring out the front viewports.

“What’s so wrong with that?” Pops said casually, shrugging. Peter’s eyes flicked up.

 “So, you’re scared of screwing it up, ‘cause it’s not something you’re used to. Your whole life has been getting used to new things.” Pops looked over at him. “Tell me you’re really opposed to it.”

Peter shook his head. “No, I’m not. We, uh… we talked about it.”

“And?”

“And… and…” Peter lowered his voice, dropping his feet from the console and leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “I think we kinda started to like the idea… and then I realized I had no clue what to do.”   

Pops took a deep breath and strolled over to the co-pilot’s station a couple meters away, dropping into it and mirroring Peter’s pose before looking over at his grandson, then back down at the deck.

“You know… I got no illusion here, that once we finish with this job, you’re not gonna swan back off and I may never see you again--”

“Pops--”

“No, don’t tell me it ain’t the truth. You’ve got a life out here, and no one’s expecting you to play house back on Earth. And you’ll say you’ll visit, and you’ll have every intention to… but weeks’ll turn into months, and then years, and... hate to break it to ya kid, but I’m damn old.”

Peter tried to find something to disagree with, but if he was honest… he sighed.

“So what, this is a guilt trip now? ‘Missed everything, so let me see you married off before I die’?”

“What? No--” Pops gritted his teeth and took a deep breath before continuing. “No,” he said firmly. “I’m saying that you missed everything. And maybe I was reading things wrong, but… something about being home did you some good. And if I’m not overstepping… it did Gamora some good too. Maybe you guys need a little normal, need to feel a little like you’re home, and now that you have one again, can spend some time there, you oughta make it count… maybe you’re not so different from those folks who have homes and traditions and holidays and shit… or you don’t have to be, anyway… ” Pops trailed off; losing steam, but having made his point.  

“We should get married on Earth,” Peter concluded quietly, absently twisting the earbud cord around his finger.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Peter couldn’t help but consider the possibilities.

He thought about Gamora in a white dress, like in a movie. Rings. Music. Dancing with her on the green grass of Pops’ yard. Tying cans to the bumper of the Mustang… wasn’t that a thing?

He smiled a little to himself.

__________________________

“What do you think?”

Gamora secretly loved it when Peter got excited about something. The way his hands moved just a little bit more, and how his eyes got just that much more wide and expressive.

“I mean, it’s not like we have to do some crazy huge, like, Princess Di thing,” Peter waved his hand around, and she knew he was imagining something elaborate from his memories of Earth. “But… there are all kinds of little things… nice things.” He smiled at her, shifting so suddenly to a look of quiet sincerity that she almost felt compelled to cry.

“Meaningful,” he said, taking her hand. “Like rings. We give each other rings, and it’s all symbolic and sappy, but… you wear it, and everybody knows; ‘Hey, that guy’s married to her.’” Peter grinned and she shook her head, trying to hide a smile of her own.

“And you gotta stand up in front of everybody and do the vows part. That’s not so different from say, on Xandar or Shi’ar or anywhere else… but… here, you can bring up as much backup as you want.”

“Backup.” Gamora raised an incredulous eyebrow.

“Yeah, brothers, sisters, best friends, whoever… can stand up next to you through the whole thing.”

Gamora considered this. “I… like that. Making the others you care about part of your expression of commitment.”  

“And…” Peter continued. “We get to throw a party afterwards.”

“Naturally,” she teased.

“Hey, do you wanna do this right, or not?”

Gamora drew closer to him, brushing her hand down the side of Peter’s face and pulled him in for a slow, long kiss. She waited for him to weave his fingers into her hair at the top of her neck, then waited some more, digging her fingertips into his back.

She finally pulled away, with a whisper of a smile at the bleary, satisfied look on his face.

She secretly loved doing that to him.

“Yes.” She said. “Let’s do this right.”

A/N

Okay, so... I don’t know about ya’ll, but I worked 8 years in retail through high school and college, and even years later, I am still straight up scarred by the holidays. I have reached a point where I tolerate Christmas music (in moderation), but I still don’t see a day where I will ever again put up a tree or lights, and I truly abhor going anywhere near a mall in December.

So call me a stick in the mud, but my work with the prompts will be mostly holiday agnostic (holiday adjacent, at best... some of those prompts were hard to twist). But all about the Starmora (and isn’t that what really matters?).

Part I is “Tradition,” Part II will be “Dancing.”

[domina-alba]

Seditionis Adamas

XVI Family was a human concept that Domina always assumed she would never truly grasp. When her father had still been alive he had talked about the family that was left behind on Earth over 4000 years ago. His voice never failed to give out as he spoke about his mother, his father, his sisters and brothers.

Gem’s didn’t have family though. The closest thing Domina ever had was her father and maybe Pearl if you were being particularly loose with the term.

Seeing Steven interact with not only the Crystal Gems but also Connie, Greg, and Sabina redefined it for her. Her father had never used the term ‘family’ to describe the gentle teasing that went on, the genuine interest in each others lives, the care for each others safety. But this had to be what he meant right?

Also tacos were delicious.

The evening faded, Lapis and Peridot took off back to the barn, Connie and Sabina went home,Greg following them after an encouraging pat to Domina’s shoulder and an awkward nod to Yellow Diamond. And soon enough the next day dawned and the group divided. Domina, Yellow Diamond, her pearl, the Renegade Pearl and Steven would actually make the trip to the moon. The rest would stay behind and attempt to contact the rebellion.

“Sure you don’t want to come with us?” Domina asked Pearl. Pearl was reorganizing the medical supplies while Domina quickly made sure there was actually going to be space for everyone.

“Quite sure.” Pearl snapped the box back into position over the bunk opposite of the one Domina was smoothing out. “I’d rather not revisit the moon base if it’s all the same to you.” Her words blurred together and stopped before she could say ‘my diamond’. They needed to talk about everything still. Though Domina certainly didn’t want to bring it up.

“Of course, of course,” Domina said quickly. “I don’t really blame you, I’m not looking forward to this. I’m almost positive the renegade is still irritated with me and Yellow has been...” Domina sighed. Pearl set a hand on her shoulder.

“White will eventually blow herself out, and as for Yellow Diamond...” Pearl trailed off, Domina looked at her, expecting her to say something, anything really. Instead Pearl patted her shoulder. “Good luck.”

****

It was like everything that happened in the last few days was fighting for the chance to be the worst thing ever. Visiting Pink’s moonbase though? That might have the bump that fracked the ruby’s crack. Yellow Diamond sat on one of the beds towards the back of the ship, attempting to ignore Domina trying to teach the Quartz Hybrid to fly her death trap of a ship, along with the Renegade Pearl’s squawking.

“Steven no you need to watch your thrust!”

“He’s fine, just ease off the throttle a bit.”

“Um guys, is that light supposed to be flashing?”

“It’s fine it’ll turn off in a second, now pull off completely and just hit that button for the landing cycle when the door opens.” Domina turned from the screen and busied herself with some menial task as the ship landed. That was another thing, Domina had been acting off the last few days, normally Yellow barely saw her walk, but lately she hadn’t even been floating, something to do with her injury perhaps? Though Steven had healed it...

The door to the ship opened onto the ground floor. Yellow Diamond stepped out first. It was dark and pristine. Pearl stepped out slightly behind her, illuminating the wall bearing her mural with her gem. The silence was broken by Steven leaping through the air.

“Woohoo!” He cheered as he gently floated to the the ground and then rocketed back up.

“Really Steven, you don’t need to be on a planet with a lower gravitational pull to do that anymore.” The renegade Pearl called.

“I know but it’s still fun-”

“Frack!” Domina shouted, Yellow Diamond whipped around to see, thankfully that she had just tripped and was ungracefully scrambling to right herself while floating in mid air.

“Really Domina.” She said with a sigh. The other diamond eventually managed to pull herself up by grabbing on to the ship.

“What? Not all of us adjust automatically to the local gravity.” She muttered, then looked around at the murals. “Ah.. the old ones.” She said quickly moving her illumination from the mural of her mother to the one of Pink Diamond.

“Let's be quick about this.” Yellow Diamond said with a frown walking over to the stairs, they activated and began to shift, underlit with a pale yellow light. The stairs opened up onto the middle floor and Yellow Diamond paused briefly. The sphere was still there. And more importantly it was still recording. How in star’s name was it still recording.

“Oh wow, we haven’t used these in centuries.” Domina said delicately stepping off the stairs and flailing to regain her balance.

“What is it?” Steven asked.

“It’s not what we’re here for.” The renegade said and though she wouldn’t admit it Yellow was inclined to agree with her.

“It’s a Colonization Sphere, they’re in all the moon bases to record transmissions, along with colony plans, warp network logs  and, all kinds of other stuff.” Domina said oblivious to Yellow Diamonds irritation. “This one’s still on though, I wonder if it’s connected to the local geode.” She reached up to touch it.

“Leave it alone!” Yellow Snapped. Domina jolted back from the sphere and spun, or rather attempted to spin, to look at her. She looked irritated but nodded after a moment,and very carefully walked back to the stairs. Yellow Diamond actually felt herself relax,  a outburst like that would have never slid by with White. But Domina wasn’t White.

****

All Diamond bases were built on the same schematic, even the ones that the fleet set up during the preliminary building phase. Nowadays though, they all came with gravity regulators. Domina felt sick, she hated being in minimal gravity under normal circumstances, but she couldn’t even fly to avoid it.

The top floor of the moon base was the control room, even that hadn’t changed that much, though normally the chair was much bigger, and console wasn’t completely smashed. Yellow Diamond seemed to be ignoring that part of the room and instead looked over the floor for the access panel to the generator. She found it a few moments later and the piece rotated into the room.

“Woah.” Steven said. “It kind of looks like the Crystal Heart.” He said.

“The what?”

“It’s a thing in the temple.” Steven said with a shrug. Domina looked at the Renegade instead.

“A geo ther-”She began

“It’s a geothermal power source that can rectify dimensional inconsistencies and hold them in relative unison to a singular access point.” Yellow Diamond cut the pearl off from where she was carefully looking over the power system, “I designed them a few thousand years before you were born.”

“You designed it?!” Steven asked “That’s cool!” Yellow Diamond stopped and looked at Steven with a blank expression before turning to her Pearl. “I need a molecular seperator.” Yellow Pearl blinked.

“My Diamond, I apologize I don’t have one with me,” She said.

“There’s one on the ship,” Domina said. “I’ll show you.” though she wasn’t relishing the climb back down the stairs.

“Get it.” Yellow Diamond said, plainly ignoring the renegades irritated look. Yellow Pearl bowed and practically ran out of the room. Domina followed, doing her best to ignore the churning of her stomach. Thankfully she could close her eyes and carefully float most of the way down.

“I could have found it myself White Diamond,” Yellow Pearl said. Domina shook her head.

“It’s fine, besides this chest is a mess, Pearl stays out of it most of the time.” She searched through her tools,the molecular separator always fell to the bottom. “She told me that if I was going to complain when she reorganized it then I could take care of it myself.” Domina said with a laugh. Yellow Pearl looked at her in shock.

“You...I’m sorry, you let her...” Yellow Pearl trailed off, as if she wasn’t sure exactly how to phrase it.

“Talk to me like that?” Domina prompted, the pearl nodded. “Yes, though I mean, it’s not like she does very often,” Domina handed over the seperator. “Do you want me to tell Yellow to stop ordering you around?” She asked hesitantly “I’ve been meaning too, she needs to be careful.. And she can be a little ridiculous, I mean where were you supposed to get a molecular separator if I didn’t have one?” Yellow Pearl shrank back from her.

“It’s my job,” She said. “No disrespect intended my diamond but I am capable of dealing with her... moods,” Domina snorted slightly.

“That's the nice way of putting it. Alright I’ll stay out of it, just.. let me know, She decides to listen to me every once in a while.” She said. Yellow Pearl Nodded and saluted her, then stopped when she saw Domina’s frown. “You don’t have to salute me.” She said.

“I...” Yellow Pearl sighed. “Yes White Diamond, Thank you for your assistance.”

“Anytime.” Domina said. Yellow Pearl raced up the stairs and Domina began her shaky ascent. She entered the Sphere’s room again and paused. Yellow had told her to leave it alone, but, She could hear the sound of the supports on the generator being seperated. They wouldn’t need her until it was time to go back. She could take a look through the Colony’s logs. This kind of information wouldn’t be available in the empires databases anyway.

Domina reached out and touched the sphere. Like all Homeworld technology it was smooth to the touch for the brief moment before it began to glow white along geometric patterns in the surface. A screen appeared in the far side of the room, taking of the whole wall. Domina scrolled through the information idly, before finally landing on ‘Transmissions’. There were only a few recorded entries and Domina opened up the first one.

The screen changed to show the control room, tinted by a pink light. A gem, about the size of a jasper, with wild unkempt hair wearing puffed sleeves leaned on the console with her knees on the chair behind her. On her stomach was a clearly visible diamond.

“Testing one two three, Homeworld can you hear me!?!”

[ask-the-phan-site]

Phan Cam: From Here to Eternia

WARNING: This post could get a bit long.

>After learning the truth about Adam, Prince Adam to be precise, we decided to take him back to his homeworld of Eternia. However, due to circumstances, travel to another world is impossible, and we can’t use the Velvet Room because Adam would figure out we’re the Phantom Thieves, even though he has no idea about that... Fortunately, Crow says Peter knows some people who can help us get to Eternia... But from what I can tell they can be... Unusual.

>The Milano in space on the way to Eternia.

I know we just got tested, but we still need space. I think Ann’s elbow just hit my back.

Sorry. I think Ryuji’s foot is on mine.

I’m right over here.

He’s right, it’s actually my foot. Sorry, Lady Ann... (whisper) I’m totally not. I love our feet touching like this.

>Suddenly, someone comes in.

I know it’s not so roomy here... But quit your complainin’! It’s bad enough we have to deal with one royal, now we got two. At least we’re gettin’ paid for this one.

I’m not sure will. You guys seem to give that kind of impression.

Rocket: Whatever. When they see we brought back the Prince of Eternia, they’ll have to reward us.

I am Groot. (Translation: They’re a warrior planet. They’re reward might just be honor.)

Rocket: A guy can dream, can he?

Solving this case is reward enough... But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask for something to pay the rent.

I guess I’m no longer the one short on money.

Because love doesn’t cost a thing.

Rocket: (confused) I’ll never understand why Earthling youths’ attraction to those of the same gender.

Give it time. You will.

>Adam looks at me and Fox... He has a look of longing.

Man’s voice: This is your Star Lord speaking. We are now approaching Planet Eternia. Please buckle your seatbelts and set your trays to an upright position. And thank you for choosing GOTU Line.

Woman’s voice: Since when did we get trays?

Star Lord’s voice: Just trying to make this official.

Gruff voice: Just focus, Quill.

>I look out the window.

>I see Adam is also looking out... He definitely recognizes this place.

>We arrived at Eternia’s capital city, Eternos.

And here we are. Bet you’re glad to be home, huh?

Adam: Yeah, I guess.

Let’s just not try anything. I’d like to actually visit a new world without any trouble.

I doubt it. Trouble always seems to find us no matter where we go.

Maybe things will be different this time. I doubt anyone here knows who you are.

Voice in the distance: It’s the Guardians of the Galaxy! Seize them before they destroy anything!

>We see several men in armor coming up. Most likely soldiers.

Drax the Destroyer: You were saying?

>Then, one of them runs ahead of them and stops them.

Wait! The prince is with them!

>The guards stop.

Head Soldier: Sorry, but we know about the Guardians of the Galaxy and their escapades.

Star Lord: Even here? Guess we’re getting real popular.

And not in a good way.

Head Soldier: And our allies on Planet Arus told us you were coming. My real name is Duncan, but I am known as Man-At-Arms, Head of the Royal Guards.

Joker: A pleasure.

>Man-At-Arms goes over to Adam to take a closer look. I guess he wants to make sure this really is their prince. Then, he sees Crow leaving the ship with the sword. Man-At-Arms’ eyes widen. He turns to the guards.

Guard: Is it really him?

Man-At-Arms: It sure seems that way. But just to be sure, we should let the king and queen know. Come.

>With that, we follow him... None of us noticed someone else coming out of the ship.

>In the palace, we are greeted by a group of powerful-looking men and a woman. At the head of a room, a man and a woman in regal clothing, a tiny creature in red robes and a pointy hat, and a green tiger with yellow stripes. Then, the tiger leaps up on Adam... and licks him.

Adam: (laughing a bit) Alright, alright, I missed you, too... Cringer.

Mew.

Adam: (silent for a moment) Cringer? ... Now I remember! You’re my ‘fearless’ friend.

If Cringer recognizes that that’s really Adam, that’s good enough for me.

Hold on, he coulda just masked his scent to smell like Adam. I wouldn’t put it past the Guardians of the Galaxy to try a stunt like that.

Drax the Destroyer: (getting ready for a fight) You doubt us?

(grabbing his friend) Both of your, calm down.

Groot: (restraining Drax) I am Groot. (Translation: Don’t start anything.)

Ram Man has a point, though, Man-E-Faces. How do we know this really is Prince Adam? Lately, we’ve had a lot of imposters here claiming to be the prince... But we knew right away they were fakes... We won’t say how, though.

But we can tell not all of them were happy to take his identity. Like Stratos said, we won’t say why.

Man-E-Faces: But this guy’s really good at the prince roll. I know this from my acting days.

Still, he’s really giving off that vibe. I can believe this really is Prince Adam.

I can sense it, too. I really believe it, too.

I just did a scan of his biosignature. It is a perfect match to the king and queen.

Yes, every bit of this points to this young man being our son. But neither me or Marlena will truly believe it until we look for ourselves.

>With that, King Randor and Queen Marlena go up to Adam. Things were silent. Then, Queen Marlena takes Adam’s arm and finds something under it.

Youn man, this scar. Can you tell me where you got it?

Adam: I... I don’t know. They told me I already had it when they found me. At first, they thought I got it when I was found, but the scar was really old. They assumed I’ve had it a long time... Like when I was only a baby. They said that this meant that I was... That I was...

Queen Marlena: That you were attached to something at birth?

Adam: Yes.

>Queen Marlena begins tearing up. Even King Randor looked moved.

Queen Marlena: It... It is you! Adam, our son!

>The king and queen embrace their finally found son who was also beginning to tear up. He’s remembering.

Rocket: Sweet. Now about our reward.

Gamora: (stern) Rocket.

Rocket: Just making sure we get our cut. We don’t take Earthling halfway across for just anyone for nothing.

I have a feeling these Guardians will be a handful.

King Randor: Guardians of the Galaxy and our new Earth friends, for bringing our son home to us, you shall have... the honor and gratitude of our kingdom.

Groot: I am Groot. (Translation: I told you.)

Rocket: (unimpressed) Shut up! No offense, but we were kinda expectin’ somethin’ a little more... materialistic.

Sy-Klone: I knew it.

King Randor: Very well. Fisto?

Yes, Your Majesty.

>A little later, Fisto came back with a large sack of gold.

King Randor: Would this be enough? There should be enough here to last you a long time.

Rocket: (happy) Now that’s more like it!

I could have a beef bowl party with that much.

Rocket: (holding the gold) Get your own!

Panther: (upset) Ryuji!

Queen: We’re sorry about that.

Queen Marlena: It’s alright. It’s only natural. I’m just glad to know that those from Earth are as lively as ever.

Queen: It sounds like you know much about Earth, Your Majesty.

Queen Marlena: I was actually from Earth. But I arrived here in Eternia and lived here happily ever since.

Yup, looks like you had quite the happy life... Marlena Glen.

Queen Marlena: So you know who I am.

Futaba chan has her sources.

>After a long explanation, we learned what had transpired. Apparently, Prince Adam had run out of the palace... Though, no one would tell us why. But as he ran, a strange light engulfed him and he was gone. They’ve been searching for him ever since. Also during that time, many Adam imposters came and gone. When they finally reached their wit’s end, they contacted some of their closest allied planets. From a world called Third Earth to Arus. Arus already has allies on Earth and thought they could help. The Voltron Force already had some friends on Earth and call them. We were one of those friends. Guess they thought right.

Teela: Now if only we knew what caused it.

Orko: I asked the Sorceress. All she would tell us is that it was caused by a great concentration of energy. There was another surge, but it was small.

>If only we could tell you.

King Randor: Either way, my son has returned at last. And just in time, too.

Crow: What do you mean?

King Randor: This year is Prince Adam’s 21st birthday. By royal tradition, this means I can step down as king and Adam can ascend the throne.

For real!? Adam, you’re gonna be king!?

Adam: (looking down) ...

Too much?

>Mona just shakes his head in embarrassment.

King Randor: Of course, he doesn’t have to accept right away if he feels he isn’t ready. He can take all the time he needs. But he has to accept the throne before his 60th birthday, or the crown goes to the only living heir available.

Adam: (stroking his scar) My... My sister... Adora.

Joker: You remember more.

Adam: (nodding) Yes.

King Randor: I’m so glad you remember her. However, Princess Adora is already the leader of her own kingdom and must defend it. The only other heir we have now... Is my nephew, Prince Jeremy. But my brother feels that his son may not be up to the task.

>Adam was just silent grimly.

(whisper) Something tells me you don’t want to be king, do you?

>Adam continued to be silent.

King Randor: (who heard me) It’s not that he doesn’t want to be king... It’s the people who have a problem with Adam becoming king.

Adam: NO! I DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER THAT!

>Everyone just stared as Adam gasps for breath... But then...

Guard: (rushing in) Your Majesties, we have a problem!

King Randor: What is it?

>Suddenly, the palace shakes violently.

Man-At-Arms: We’re under attack!

>We all rush outside to see what was the matter... There was someone firing energy everywhere.

So it’s true. The real Prince of Eternia has returned. Now let’s see if he still has what it takes to stop me.

>The wizard began firing spell after spell.

Man-At-Arms: Damn. At this rate, Count Marzo will destroy the city. Masters of the Universe, we must protect the people!

Orko: Then Adam is going to need this.

>Oroko gets Adam’s sword and tries to bring it to him... But Adam backs away.

I think we should give Adam some time. He just returned to us.

Oroko: Oh, right.

>Orko puts the sword down.

Star Lord: Mind if we help out? We’ve dealt with a few magic men in the past.

Mekaneck: Alright. Just try not to go overboard.

Groot: I am Groot. (Translation: You might want to tell that to Rocket.)

Moss Man: Yeah, I think he’s like that, too.

Rocket: (angry) Hey!

Man-At-Arms: Let’s go!

>With that, the Masters and the Guardians leave to deal with Count Marzo.

Joker: I think we should help. Panther and Crow might at least have a chance against that wizard, but the rest of us can still help the people.

Mona: I agree. We can’t just sit here.

Violet: Right, we can do it!

>With that, we leave... I stay behind with Adam.

Joker: Adam, I don’t know why you would choose to stay here, but, in case you change your mind, we’ll be in town.

>I leave for real.

>Adam looks to his sword. He thought for a moment...

Adam: ... I must be out of my mind.

>He takes his sword and runs out the door.

>In town, Man-At-Arms and Gamora already have Count Marzo on the ropes.

Gamora: I think we have him!

Man-At-Arms: Yes, keep going!

Count Marzo: I’m afraid I have improved on my magic.

>With a wave of his hands, stone hands grab hold of the two warriors.

Count Marzo: You can’t break out of this. I’m too strong.

Don’t bet on it!

>A fireball flies at Count Marzo and hits him in the back. The stone hands vanish, setting Gamora and Man-At-Arms free.

Gamora: Ann, are you crazy!?

(this is all I could find) I had to do something.

Gamora: Fine, but be careful.

Panther: Right.

>Panther raises her arms and glowing chains of magic bind Count Marzo.

, Count Marzo: Hmph! Fairy Magic.

>Count Marzo breaks out of the chains, sending them everywhere and almost hitting the others.

Count Marzo: Do you really think that an all-powerful sorcerer can be stopped by a foolish fairy who hasn’t even gotten her wings yet?

>The stone hands grab Man-At-Arms and Gamora again. Count Marzo then goes over to Panther and lifts her by her neck.

Count Marzo: You must have a death wish. You are nothing more than a distraction.

Panther: True. I don’t have what it takes to stop you...

But that’s where having friends come in handy. Now!

>Two things fire across Count Marzo, surprising him. In his surprise, Panther took the chance and hits the side of Marzo’s chest with her leg, forcing him to let go of her. She flips off from him. He looks up to see who fired. On the building on either side were me and Crow.

I know what you’re thinking, no I’m not Stark. This is just a gift from a good friend.

Same here. I wonder if Bucky would be upset to see me dressed like this.

Count Marzo: Hmph! A cheap trick. Now, here are my friends.

>With a snap of his fingers, skeleton soldiers appear around me and Crow. They get closer... Thankfully, something cuts them down.

I wonder if this is what they mean when they say “black is the new blue”.

Joker: That’s orange is the new black. That saying makes you sound like a bruise...

Though to these soldiers, you might as well be.

No doubt about that.

>With Crow, he tries his best against the skeleton soldiers. They seemed to be getting the more upper hand when something rams through them.

You okay?

Crow: I’ll be fine. Thanks for coming, though.

>Back down, Panther, Gamora, and Man-At-Arms are fighting Count Marzo. He summons more skeleton soldiers. Thankfully, Queen (dressed like Ms. Marvel) and Noir (dressed like Wasp) join in.

Queen: Need a hand?

Man-At-Arms: Sure you can handle it?

Noir: It won’t be easy, but we have help. (to the communicator in her ear) Oracle, can you read us?

>On a nearby roof, Oracle (as Ant-Man), Mona (as Black Panther), and Violet (as Ironheart). They are later joined by Sy-Klone.

I’m so glad you can fight alongside us.

I can be just as good, too, you know.

Oracle: You’ll get your chance.

Sy-Klone: Still, I will do what I can for you.

>Suddenly, skeleton soldiers appear. Violet, Mona, and Sy-Klone fight them off to keep them away from Oracle.

Mona: Nice wind moves. I’m actually an experiment myself on the element.

Oracle: (unimpressed) And so is Makoto.

Sy-Klone: Thank you.

Gamora’s voice on the communicator: Yeah, so nice you actually got one of them over here.

Sy-Klone: (confused) What do you mean?

Panther’s voice on the communicator: I don’t think it’s Sy-Klone.

>Back with us, the skeleton soldiers were being blown away by...

Did I come at a bad time?

Wind Dragon!?

Skull: What the eff are you doin’ here!?

And did you get tested before all this?

Wind Dragon: I snuck on the ship with you guys. And yes, I was tested. I'm clean. Now that that’s settled, let’s finish here.

>Raising his arms, Wind Dragon creates a tornado that sucks up all the skeleton soldiers and completely obliterate them.

Count Marzo: Impressive... But not impressive enough.

>Count Marzo sends a wave of energy that knocks us down. Then, the stone hands grab us.

Count Marzo: As I have just said, I have improved on my magic. The only thing that can stop me now is...

????: Put them down!

>Adam comes in with his sword pointing at Count Marzo. Marzo seems a bit unfazed.

Count Marzo: At last, the time has come. Will you resort to that?

>Some of the townspeople came out to see.

Relieved Woman: The rumors are true. Prince Adam has returned!

Doubtful Man: Oh great, the Prince of Weaklings to the rescue.

Wide-eyed Boy: Mom, is Prince Adam going to fight Count Marzo?

Unsure Mother: He might if he uses his powers.

Count Marzo: (laughing) Already, everyone is questioning whether you will fight me as is... Or become the you they think you should.

>Adam just raises his sword, a little nervous, but willing.

Count Marzo: (summoning a sword) Very well, if you wish to fight me as is, so be it. I won’t even waste my powers on you.

>The two of them clash their swords. Count Marzo seemed to be getting the upper hand, but Adam wouldn’t give up. He kept going until Marzo finally started waning.

Wide-eyed Boy: He’s doing it! Prince Adam is winning!

Doubtful Man: I’m not convinced. He can’t hold him off forever. C’mon, let the real hero out!

High-spirited Man: Don’t give up, Prince Adam! Keep going!

Relieved Woman: You can do it! Don’t surrender!

>Adam keeps up the fighting. Count Marzo was finally starting to get weaker.

Adam: I’m... I’m doing it!

>Adam was ready to deliver the finishing blow... But a glowing force stops him.

Count Marzo: Well, maybe I’ll use a little of my powers.

>He throws Adam on his back.

Unsure Mother: Oh no!

Doubtful Man: I knew it.

Wide-eyed Boy: But, he can’t lose. He’s the prince.

Doubtful Man: Grow up, kid. That’s our future king. We need a real warrior as our ruler. Someone powerful and can get things done around here. Hey, you stupid jerk, quit being a dumbass and let the big guy out already! That’s all you’re good for! Just hurry up and change so we can go on with our lives!

Adam: N- N-

>More and more people started joining in the jeers. It was one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen. Poor Adam was now in tears.

Adam: N- N- NOOOOOOO!

>Adam was broken... He finally remembers everything. The rest of his memories have returned. He takes his sword and gets back up.

Count Marzo: (with a wicked smile) You want more?

Doubtful Man: You still even bothering?

Adam: (panting) Alright! You win! I’ll become him once again!

>Adam readies himself.

Adam: By the Power of Greyskull!

I have the POWER!

>We were speechless. Did Adam really just transform?

Man-At-Arms: Now he remembers. The strongest man in the universe... He-Man.

Doubtful Man: (excited) Oh, boy! Now you’re in trouble!

Count Marzo: Finally, a challenge.

>Count Marzo charges his sword.

He-Man: You want a challenge? I’ll give it to you.

>He-Man charges his own sword. The two clash as the ground shakes with their parries. Almost like lightning strikes. Count Marzo beings casting spells, but He-Man just knocks them aside like they were nothing.

Count Marzo: Being stuck on Earth has made you sloppy. I would be too if I got stranded on such a backwater planet.

He-Man: (angry) That’s my mother’s homeworld you’re speaking ill of!

>He-Man swings his sword at Count Marzo but blocks it with a shield spell that breaks after the hit. He-Man once again swings his sword as Marzo blocks it with his own. Finally, He-Man knocks Marzo’s sword away.

He-Man: Had enough?

Count Marzo: Hmph! In the end, it’s only as He-Man you can actually do anything. How the people will love you. They don’t love Prince Adam. They don’t want him to become king. They want you, He-Man, to be king.

He-Man: (firm) I said, “Had enough?”

Count Marzo: (smirking) Stop denying it. You know it’s true. It’s He-Man they love. They despise Prince Adam.

He-Man: (nervous and sweating) That’s... That’s not true!

Count Marzo: If you don’t believe me, just listen to what they have to say.

Doubtful Man: Actually, I have to agree with him. He-Man would make a much better king than Prince Adam. No offense, but He-Man is strong and powerful and would never keep secrets from us.

Wide-eyed Boy: Mom, you can’t agree with him, can you?

Unsure Mother: I’m sorry, dear, but I think he might be right.

>More and more jeers come in. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He-Man was starting to turn a fury red.

Count Marzo: See? You should just stop being Prince Adam altogether. No one loves him. They only love, only have loved, and ever will love He-Man... Stupid barbarian.

>He-Man, Adam, was getting worse... I can’t handle this anymore.

Don’t listen to him! I think you’ve had enough!

>I don’t think he heard me.

He-Man: Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!

>He-Man swings his sword down to the dark wizard... But a swirl of wind stops it.

Wind Dragon: (walking up) You heard him. That’s enough.

>He-Man looks up to Wind Dragon. Something told him he should listen. So He-Man puts the sword down and changes back into Prince Adam. Count Marzo tries to escape.

I don’t think so!

>Crow fires his gun at Marzo’s feet, making him stop long enough for Man-At-Arms to slap some cuffs on him that keeps him from using his powers. I go help Wind Dragon help Adam up.

Doubtful Man: That damn prince got soft. He should have stayed as He-Man and finished him off. While he’s at it, he should finish off Skeletor.

>Adam began crying and runs off. Panther goes to the man and slaps him in the face.

Idiot. How could you be like that?

Doubtful Man: Tch! I don’t have to take this from an Earthling. Least of all a fairy.

>He walks off.

>Back at the palace, me and Wind Dragon catch up to Adam.

Joker: Adam, are you alright?

Adam: I’m... I’m fine.

Wind Dragon: It doesn’t look like you’re fine. You look like you just got a large bucket of dirty water dumped on you.

>Adam was silent for a bit... Then laughs a bit.

Adam: I guess I do look like that.

Wind Dragon: (also smiling) No doubt.

Joker: Still, I can’t believe it.

You’re like a superhero.

>Adam was a little down.

Joker: But I guess you’re not happy about it.

Wind Dragon: Won’t you tell us about it?

Adam: I’m... I am He-Man... But I don’t want to be... I don’t want to be He-Man anymore.

>Adam walks away... Suddenly, something flies in through the window... It was a falcon... Something projects above it.

I believe an explanation is in order.

No doubt.

[roxywashere]

Eighth Wonder

Aradia Furst calls a summit of the most powerful people in the world

Aradia Johanna Christa Scomparsa-Prince-Furst was one of the most powerful women in the world, and not just in terms of influence or wealth, though she was very influential and wealthy. She was the confluence of two powerful magic bloodlines: the ancient Scomparsa witch bloodline and the almost as ancient Merlin/Le Fay bloodline.

Aradia was taught witchcraft from her mother Romana from as soon as she could speak, as was the ancient Scomparsa tradition, but when her Merlin-descended grandfather Robert Prince discovered her penchant for sorcery he began teaching her that as well. Her grandfather had learned to cast magic through martial techniques, but Romana forbade Robert teaching Aradia how to fight, so instead Robert taught her to cast through dance.

Aradia took to both disciplines with a skill rarely seen before. She never became as powerful a witch as her mother, or as powerful a sorcerer as her grandfather, but through both combined she surpassed nearly every magician of any kind on Earth. She learned dozens of other varieties of magic after dropping out of school to travel the world and learn from the masters of magic themselves.

Along the way, she picked up more traditional skills, and discovered an additional penchant for electrical engineering. She began experimenting with using minor spells to replicate electric circuits, and with using circuitry to act as hermetic geometry for casting spells. Through these endeavors she invented the field of Magitech.

She returned home at the wizened age of 23. She started a technology company with her father David and aunt Alice to design and sell her Magitech, and made billions in deals with the US government and various superhero organizations. When FursTech started selling to the public, it became a household name almost overnight. Aradia rocketed to the top of the list of wealthiest people in the world.

It was then that Aradia first made contact with Yggdrasil, an organisation of Demigods and Angels tasked with defending the Multiverse, and visited their home universe of New Jerusalem. The leader of Yggdrasil, the Archangel Roxanne, bore the name and face of Aradia’s other aunt, who had died of cancer before Aradia was even born. Roxanne explained the nature of the Multiverse to Aradia, and showed her that all of the fictions in her world were real events in others, and vice versa.

But all of that was well in the past. Aradia now was 82 years old, though thanks to both magical and spiritual training only looked 40, and more importantly only felt 20. She was tall, and wiry, and in the face she was the spitting image of her grandmother, Johanna Furst. She grew her brown hair long, well past her hips, though she often held it up in buns and braids so compact she needed to use magic to hold them together. Her eyes were a shining gold, the only obvious sign of her immeasurable ability.

She dressed almost exclusively in gold and black, primarily ornate dresses and robes, with gold and onyx jewelry, all the better to embrace her public perception as a powerful witch and sorceress.

On the night of the eve of the year 2101, Aradia meditated in her private workshop at the peak of FursTech Tower in Danesville, Wisconsin. She sat, cross-legged, three feet above the floor, with her robe hanging down into the empty space beneath her. She contemplated the events of the last week.

The Harlequin’s Rampage. The Salamanders’ Revenge. The Reappearance of the Demon King. The Approach of the Blackstar. The So-Called Death of Doctor Lazarus. Countless other smaller incidents.

She lamented how she had been at the Mansion of Jo Kerr a mere hour before the Harlequin had detonated a bomb underneath the mansion, killing nearly 300 people. She had aided Xena Noble in imprisoning the Salamanders in Xena’s mind. She had fought the Demon King in the desert of Eden alongside her grandfather, her aunt Alice's ex-wife Karen Reis, and the Archangel Roxanne. She had advised Astra in her ongoing preparations to face the Blackstar. She had bought out Lazarus’s laboratory and discovered the unholy things he had done in the name of achieving immortality.

Aradia had been at the center of a lot of events across 80 years of life. But this last week had set a new high for such events in rapid succession. It consternated her greatly.

She sighed and lowered her feet to the ground. She opened her eyes, and walked towards her workbench. She rapidly signed her spellpass and unlocked her computer, turning on a full room’s worth of holograms and illusions. She searched them for her digitized comic collection, and with a beckon of her hand she pulled that set of lights towards her. She scanned her collection for anything that could help her understand, and frustratingly found too many possible reasons.

Aradia, frustrated, thought about her next vector of approach to this problem. She contemplated going to the highest authority on metanarrative directly... She shook that thought off. She had vowed to never abuse her greatest powers in such a trivial manner. But would it be trivial? If Aradia’s bad feeling actually amounted to something, it would indeed be wise to ask for aid. She had just given that advice to Astra not 5 days ago.

Aradia silently crossed herself, and then muttered her summoning incantation. “Forgive me, Paragon of Light, but I wish to ask for advice.” Despite having whispered the request, Aradia’s summoning voice shook the room, and echoed long after she had silenced.

A handful of seconds later, a portal opened in the room. Through it Aradia saw the Archangel Roxanne, sitting at the foot of a lounger, on a beach, holding a golden remote in her hand. Beside her was her human wife, Karen Furst, a triple amputee holding a glass of ice water in her left hand, the only of her four organic limbs she had left. They were both in revealing bathing suits; Aradia knew that in their religion sunbathing was a popular form of worship to their all-powerful Sun-Goddess. Karen’s skin was covered in deep scars and well-tanned, but Roxanne’s was flawless and pale.

“What is it, Rad?” the Archangel asked, with a tone of familial concern. “What do you want to ask?”

“I... I have this immense feeling of dread. So much has happened this past week, and I don’t have an understanding why. I need help understanding what is happening. I need guidance.”

“Of course.” Roxanne turned to her wife, and told her “I’ll be right back.”

Karen shrugged and sipped her water. “I’ll be fine without you for a few minutes, I guess.”

Roxanne chuckled, and stood up, and walked through the portal. Once she had passed completely through, she pressed a button on the remote and the portal apertured shut. She sighed. “There has been a lot happening, in your world and mine. In New Jerusalem, there have been reported sightings of... me, in places I definitely was not at the times reported.”

“That sounds familiar,” Aradia noted. “It’s like when Alice started seeing you appearing in this world. Are these other yous avoiding interacting with you, like you did with Alice?”

“That’s the thing. One of them is. There’s more than one other me in my world. I met face to face with the other one, and while she did avoid speaking to me to avoid breaking the metanarrative, she did give me meaningful looks and acted like she had seen everything in that instance before. It’s not unreasonable to assume she’s the future me.”

“But what about the other one?”

“That’s where the reports become deeply troubling. The other has been invariably sighted coated in a permanent layer of blood, dried and fresh. Witnesses claim she has the crimson eyes of a Demon. Both of them, they are an order of magnitude more powerful than me at least. They tear through Adamantium with an ease I can’t. They even have the Touch-Telekinesis that I frustratingly never developed.” Aradia knew that that was saying something. She had seen Roxanne rip through a plate of Adamantium like it was a piece of cardboard.

“And how do you know this?” Aradia asked, already knowing the answer.

“Exactly. These two other me’s have been coming to my homeworld to fight. Or, one of them has, and the other is there to drag the first away.”

“Well, my problem seems insignificant now. You’ve got a War of the Gods on your hands. All I’ve got is a spike in supervillain activity in one city.”

“That’s nothing to shake a stick at, though. With your world’s scale of supervillains that still threatens the lives of millions if nothing is done. It warrants bringing together Astra’s League.”

Aradia hesitantly started casting the spell to summon the other League members, bringing up an illusion of a big red button, but stopping just short of pressing it. “Are you sure?”

“I’m not a member, you are. You make the choice.”

“You’re only not a member because your purview falls above ours. Astra deemed our problems smaller than your Doctrine of Multiversal Protection.”

“Even so, I will not make you press the button.”

Aradia thought deeply about her bad feeling. Was this really an omen of upcoming events? Or was it Aradia overthinking a brief rise in activity? The Metanarrative could swing either way, and Aradia knew that.

Aradia closed her eyes, and pressed the holographic button.

Astra’s League had 50 official members, of which 12 were deceased. The rest of them all fit handily in Aradia’s spacious workshop. Aradia, as the one who summoned the rest, stood at the center of the circle of extraordinarily powerful superheroes.

“The last week in this city has seen a spike in superpowered crime that hasn't been measured since the invention of superpowered crime.” Aradia began. “All of it, individually, falls very far below the scope and scale we operate at, yes, but it has come hand in hand with not one, but two appearances of the Demon King in this plane. I told you all that a few days ago Karen Reis unwittingly lead him straight to my workshop, and that with the aid of her, my grandfather, and our friend the Archangel we banished him. But in a seemingly unrelated incident a dozen days ago, our trusted associate Xena Noble tangled with a pair of Pseudodemons connected to a string of arsons and captured them within her mind. Two days ago she suffered a waking nightmare where the Demon King threatened her with subjugation if she did not release them. So, it seems that even the threats we deemed ourselves unprepared to face without divine intervention are embroiling themselves into the street level crime of this city. I will admit barely any of the crimes committed this past week have been so obviously interconnected, but it has given me reason to suspect that they may be at least metanarratively connected, and the Archangel agrees with my assessment.”

Roxanne stepped forward. “Events on my end have not been encouraging, either. Metanarrative players I believe to be from the distant fringes of my personal timeline have started intruding on my temporal locality. If they are in any way relevant to the events Aradia described, then this could possibly inflate to not only my scope and scale but even beyond my and my people's capability to contain. This could even become an multiversal Omega event, like the Infinite Crisis of legend. That is, of course, the very worst case scenario, but something to be kept in mind.”  

Astra, the founder and namesake of the group, stepped forwards. She was in her costume, blue and red with a giant gold cape. “What, then, do you propose to do, Aradia?”

Aradia thought for a moment. “Even though you would never hear any of us admit it, we have neglected our duty to aid the smaller-focused members of the superhero community. It would behoove us, I think, to bring a powerful street-level hero of the city into the fold. Allow them to be the link between our scope and scale and theirs. I know Neon in particular has become frustrated lately with our lack of intervention against the Harlequin and the rash of arsons, and thinks herself more than skilled and powerful enough to join our ranks. I don’t disagree with her assessment: She’s at the same age and level my father was when he joined.”

“Things have changed since your father joined,” Paladin remarked. He was one of the few heroes still in his civilian clothes.

“But he was the greatest of us by the time he died. His sacrifice protected us in ways none of us could truly understand. Neon has that same potential he did. If we nurture her as you nurtured him, instead of stifling her like we are now, she could very well become one of the most powerful of us.”

Aradia’s sister Thrud the Half-Golem stepped forwards. When Thrud was mortally wounded in the crossfire of a battle between Yggdrasil and Demons, Aradia saved her life by grafting her into a magic life support system, built with holy materials provided by the Archangel Roxanne. Thrud, in the process of rehabilitating, revealed that she had her own untapped magical ability, which could be used to power not only the life support but also spell-bound artifacts. Being of the same union between witches and sorcerers as Aradia, she became almost as powerful, if more combat focused than her sister. “I second my sister's proposal. Our ranks have grown stale and stagnant. The last addition to the group was Aranea 30 years ago, and we have lost 3 members in that time. We need to revitalize.”

Astra sighed, switching to a more monotone managerial voice. “The motion moves forward. Would anybody like to nominate any additional non-members to be considered for membership?”

Aranea Arachne, with her striking blue eyes, raven hair, and six arms, stepped forwards. “I know Neon’s team members all have particularly rare powers, which would certainly be a boon to us. Scratch and Elle Ectric were two of the most powerful kinetics I ever taught in my tenure at the Academy. And as for Roadie, there’s just never been anybody else like her.”

“Are you proposing we bring all four of them into the League?” Astra asked.

“Everything Aradia said about Neon applies to them, too. It would seem arbitrarily petty to elevate one and leave the rest.”

“Very well. Any others, while we are at it?”

The room remained silent.

“Then we will vote immediately. All for accepting Neon AKA Rey Walker into the League?”

34 of the 38 said “Aye.”

“Motion passes. All for accepting Scratch AKA Shailene Octavia into the League?”

26 of the 38, the minimum for the 2/3rds majority required.

“Motion passes. All for accepting Elle Ectric AKA Elana Etric into the League?”

33 of the 38.

“Motion passes. Lastly, all for accepting Roadie AKA Hilda Furst into the League?”

36 of the 38.

“Motion passes.” Astra smiled ever so slightly. “Aradia, since you introduced the motion, would you do the honor of summoning our new members?”

“Of course.” Aradia focused and incanted her summoning charm. “Rey Walker, Astra’s League requires your presence. Bring Elle, Hilda, and Shay to my workshop, please.”

It took Neon all of 30 seconds to appear on the balcony to Aradia’s workshop, trailed by her trademark streak of iridescent light.

“I said to bring your friends, Rey,” Aradia told her.

She bolted back down the building, and returned another 60 seconds later with Scratch and Roadie carried under her arms.

“Where’s Elle?”

“She’ll get here,” Neon said.

A crack of lightning later and Elle Ectric was standing beside Neon. Neon put down her other two friends and they all hesitantly waited on the balcony.

“Well, come inside,” Astra beckoned.

Neon switched off her power, absorbing the nearby segments of her plasma trail, and walked into the workshop. Neon was in her “costume”, which was a pair of neon-blue jeans, with a neon-pink leather jacket, and she had her pixie-cut hair dyed white. She bore an almost uncanny resemblance to Roxanne, though much taller, which subtly took the Archangel aback. Scratch followed her, with her deep violet side-cut accentuated by more subdued black leather. After her was Roadie, with her dark blue fauxhawk matched by her dark blue hoodie and old-fashioned denim jeans. Last was Elle, who had sparks jumping through her bright yellow spiky hair, and through the pair of copper chains wrapped around her arms, which grounded to her copper mail blouse.

The four of them looked the epitome of punk in an age when it had long ago fallen out of fashion. But they didn’t care if it was in fashion, because they were punk enough to rock it.

Aradia herded them into the middle of the room, and Astra started speaking. “I would assume you know as much or more about this recent wave of superpowered crime in the city as we do, is that correct?”

“Is that what this is about?” Neon asked. “Because yeah, I would say we know a lot about it.”

“And that is why you’re here. We will admit that we have been negligent in lending aid to help stem this, and for that I personally extend my apologies and would like to make it up to all of you.” Astra turned to Aradia. “Would you forge a set of coins for them, please, to mark their membership?”

Neon stepped back. “Membership? No, you didn’t...”

“Didn’t what?” Roadie asked. “What’s going on?”

Aradia walked up to Roxanne. “My regular supply is in storage in the basement, may I take some directly from the source?”

“Of course.” Roxanne held out her arm, and Aradia twisted her hands around it. Soon, microscopic strands of golden Celestial Adamantium were pulled from the Archangel’s bones, and flowed into four deposits orbiting the arm. Once the deposits were the size of a common challenge coin, Aradia took them and hovered them over to the new members.

“You crazy sons of bitches,” Scratch said, telekinetically reaching out for the coin approaching her.

The four of them each took their respective coin, and at the same time everyone else in the room except for the Archangel held out their own coins.

“You four are now the newest members of Astra’s League,” Astra announced. “Welcome to the team. We hope that now that we have a more tangible connection to the problems of the city we will no longer be so negligent in protecting it from superpowered crime, no matter the scope and scale.”

An alarm on Aradia’s workbench went off. “Oh, it’s about to cross into the new year on the east coast,” she announced. With a quick flick of her wrist, Aradia brought up a holographic screen showing the countdown to the ball-drop in Times Square.

“How apropos,” Astra noted. “May this new year signify a new age of peace in this city and the world, with you four’s help.”

The entirely of Astra’s League gathered around the screen, and Aradia passed around glasses of champagne to toast with. The countdown hit zero, and the ball dropped, and there was much cheering. The League as one drank their champagnes, and the camera in New york panned over the cheering crowd.

And Roxanne saw something that should not have been. In the center of the cheering crowd was a woman, with white hair and red eyes, wearing a crown with a thick crack running through the front of it. She had Roxanne’s face. Besides her was a handsome man, also with red eyes, who was laughing.

“THE DEMON KING!” Roxanne yelled, pointing at the screen. As she watched, the woman drew a large golden knife, and grabbed the Demon King’s hair. She yanked his head back and ran the knife through his neck, cleanly severing his head. Roxanne watched as the woman mouthed: 

“Come and get us, you angelic whore.”

“We gotta get to New York ten seconds ago,” Roxanne said, panickedly punching buttons on her portal remote.

On the screen, the body of the Demon King started it’s unholy transformation. The crowds of people in Times Square started screaming, and running, and the woman laughed. His body grew and grew, and started sprouting wings and a tail and seven snake-like necks.

Roxanne finally finished summoning a portal, which opened up to a rooftop above Times square, where the Demon King’s transformation was even more apparent. He was growing so fast that he was crushing people running away.

Roxanne ran through the portal without hesitation, and Astra and most of the rest of the League followed. Aradia and the four new members were the last ones left to go through.

“I won’t expect you to throw yourselves into the thick of it this suddenly, but your aid would be greatly appreciated,” Aradia explained.

“Well,” Neon replied, “if you’re going to help with our problems, we'll have to help with your problems. I did ask for this, after all.”

“It’s all our problem, now, Rey,” Roadie noted before duplicating herself and sending the four duplicates of her through the portal. Shay hovered through after her, and Elle jumped though with a clap of thunder.

Neon chuckled. “That it is.” She ignited her power again, sending glowing plasma through her veins, and then bolted through the portal with speed, leaving a trail of neon iridescence behind her.

Aradia smiled and walked through the portal herself, and then with a quick motion of her wrist shut it behind her.

[trashpandaorigins]

Gideon’s Bible Track Eleven The Things We Forget

As a fanfic writer I cannot express how much comments mean to me! These fics do take an exorbitant amount of time to write with flash fics taking me anywhere from an hour to two hours and longer fics taking three hours to five or six. I write for free and all I ask is comments/feedback in return when you like and or reblog!

—-----

“You ain’t coming and that’s final!”

“I AM GROOT!” The tiny tree screamed, his vines curling in frustration. Rocket would have picked anytime, any place, to have an argument with Groot, anytime, any place besides right here. Right as he was about to disembark the Milano, right here as everyone was gathered around him, their pointed gazes causing his already frayed nerves to split.

“Because it ain’t safe!”

“I am Groot!” Those large brown eyes burrowed into Rocket’s anger.

“Well that’s why I’m packing extra!” He roared, gesturing all around him to the various guns, ammunition cases, bombs and three grenades he had strapped to himself.

“I am Groot! I am Groot! I am Grooot!” Baby Groot’s voice reached a nearly deafening crescendo before it cracked and tiny tears of sap formed from the corner of his eyes.

“Because I can’t lose you again!!” The shaking truth was out of Rocket’s mouth before he could stop it.

“Aww.” Peter cooed.

“Shut up!” Rocket snapped, brining his attention back to Baby Groot. He settled himself on his knees and put a hand on the small flora colossus.

“I have to do this buddy,” he said as gently as he could. “For both of us. Stay here and I’ll be back.” He picked up Baby Groot, his heart nearly cracking as his best friend turned child gripped his fur tightly, burying his face in Rocket’s shoulder. He glared at the rest of them and their sentimental silence. Mantis stepped forward, reaching out, Rocket swiftly put Baby Groot in her arms and…

You are scared…Mantis’s voice spoke to him in some strange manner. Was it in his head? He didn’t know. You are scared that you have come all this way and that you will not find it. It makes you want to weep, the possibility that there is no reason. The raccoon like creature went stiff, that there was no reason for your pain. No greater plan, no motive besides boredom. You are afraid that all your suffering was for nothing. But that is nothing compared to the fear that they may trap you again…that…with a few choice curses he wrenched himself away, growling so that he could not hear Baby Groot’s tiny whines.

“Last call flarknuts,” he said over his shoulder as the ramp was let down. “I told yah I don’t need you to come.”

“We’re coming with you Rocket.” Peter said, strapping his gun to his hip. Rocket rolled his eyes, took a deep breath and almost recoiled as the dry clumpy yellow soil of Halfworld hit his foot.

Abandoned. Or so it seemed. Rocket held his gun at the ready, taking his eyes away from the specs only to glance around between the encroaching vegetation. Decrepit buildings stood in the distance and while he could see nor hear any inhabitance, the stench of blood, feces, urine and chemicals still hung in the air.

“Wow Rocket,” Peter said all too lightly. Your homeworld isn’t that bad!”

“It’s not my home!” Rocket snarled, pushing back all the memories. Some of which he had entirely forgotten. He’d forgotten that Halfworld had anything outside the laboratories and the cells for the patients. He was rarely allowed outside. He had forgotten that anything could exist here besides pain and shadows. Every building they entered was the same. Broken equipment, stains on the walls, roofs falling in, vines and flowers struggling to grow between the concreate. Groot would appreciate that.

“I know this smell,” Drax whispered as they turned down another dark hallway. Rocket scanned the area with his latest vision goggles. No trace of thermos-radiation at all. “It is the smell of dead bodies. Angry creature, did you kill all of these people?”

“Wish I had,” Rocket managed through his fear. But no, most of the guards and scientists had actually been killed by mental patients or the subjects after he had flipped the switch and freed them.

“Do you have any idea where it may be?” Gamora asked several hours later. They had gone around perimeter three times already and inside every stinking, dark building. Almost every builing. But they were now in Building #73H9. The building that sent torrents of memories of agony back into his heart. It was where he was…manufactured.

I know you play like you’re the meanest, Yondu’s voice echoed in his ears as they crossed the threshold into the wide-open lobby area now dark with broken windows. No longer the white sanitary impersonal place it once had been.

“Rocket,” Gamora’s voice jolted him and he rounded on them, gun aimed. “Hey! Ranger Rick calm down!” Peter said, arms flying up defensively.

“You should not be so loud. Your loud voices are scaring him.” Drax said matter-of-factly. It continued to stun Rocket that out of all of them, the least socially inclined, socially awkward brute possessed the most emotional intelligence of all of them. Besides Mantis perhaps.

“I apologize, it was just that…” Gamora cut her words and stared straight ahead. Rocket didn’t have the courage to come up with some snarky reply. Instead he turned, gun still aimed and…

A small dark brown, white and black creature stood before them, it’s large eyes expectant.

Hope. Hope alit in Rocket’s chest, something he had forgotten. Was it possible? No. It couldn’t be. An audible gasp came from Rocket as the creature spoke.

“Who are you?” the hope stirred within him.

You push away anyone who’s willing to put up with you because just a little bit of love reminds of how big and empty that hole inside you actually is. That hole that Rocket had filled with hate, alcohol, explosives and defensiveness. Never to be filled, until now…?

“I’m….” Rocket faltered, his gun dropping. “I’m Rocket…” The creatures nodded.

“I heard rumors about you,” it said. “I had hoped you would come. I thought I was all alone in the universe.”

“….me too.” Rocket whispered.

“Rocket,” Peter said hesitantly, “Rocket I don’t think that’s….”

“Shut up!”

“If you come with me, I know what you’re looking for!” The other strange creature said happily. “Gideon’s Bible! It’s here! I’ve read it, come I’ll show you!” Without hesitation Rocket darted after the creature, down the shadowy halls but now his mind was not filled with terror, now there was hope. There was someone else like him in the world after all. He wasn’t alone. That was why he ignored Star-Dork, Gamora and Drax who ran after him, shouting at hime to stop.

Rocket stopped as he entered the last room at the end of the all. Rubble and broken equipment lay scattered. An over turned medical table and vials of liquid spilled out on the floor.

“Rocket! Listen to me!” Peter begged, “I know this isn’t what you want to hear but I don’t think that’s a…”

“Subject 89P13,” Rocket’s ears flicked backward as he looked around for the creature who had ran ahead of him. At the sound of that name…no…term, he stared straight ahead.

The creature that resembled him smiled, a cruel and twisted smile that made Rocket’s hackles rise.

“Subject 89P13,” it repeated. The creature, the one creature who was like him in the entire galaxy laughed. “I’m sorry, it’s just…it’s too funny that look on your face.” No one moved. Rocket’s hyperactive mind whirles between confusion, fear and hope. “It’s just very cliché isn’t it rat? A tortured soul, trying to do the right thing.” The creature shook it’s head. “You really thought you, a test subject could be anything more than that? Your screams were always amusing to me but this,” he gestured to where Gamora, Drax and Peter stood behind Rocket. “This is truly something else.”

“I…I don’t understand,” Rocket whispered.

“You will soon enough,” the animal reached behind itself, drawing forth an unassuming book. Jacketed in silver faded metal, nearly as thick and three bricks. An alien language read across the top but Rocket didn’t need to read it to know what it was. Oddly enough the giddy sensation of anticipation he was expecting never came. Instead Rocket felt bile quiver in his stomach. “I’ve already read it. It’s quite entertaining. It contains all sorts of information about this place.” Rocket only stared as the fellow lab animal hoisted the book on its hip and walked closer. “You thought you could have a family. You thought you could forget all this? I know you try to forget.”

I know them scientists what made you didn’t care a rats ass about you.. Yondu’s words echoed in Rocket’s mind. The creature was inches from him now but Rocket couldn’t bare to follow its gaze at it circled him. “Do you want to know the answer to your question? The one question that haunts your every step?”

“Rocket…” Peter’s whisper of conscern was a ghost to him as the raccoon like creature felt the emptiness inside him swell up, threatening to break him. He was frozen. Guns, grenades all around him, the rest of the guardians crew behind him and he could do nothing but stand in empty dread. “I know the answer to that awful question: am I all alone?” Rocket didn’t even flinch as the creature picked up his ear and whispered with a tongue of oil:

“Oh yes, you are very much alone.”

“Wh…what?” Rocket turned as it stepped away pressing something on its back and watched in anguished fear as the fur, ears, tale and red-brown eyes melted away. Beneath it was a creature very unlike himself.

Blackjack O’Hare, it barely registered in his befuddled mind. He felt himself tremble.

“Flarkface!” Peter’s voice shouted somewhere far away. Mumbles. Sounds, smells, blood, viscera, chemicals, emptiness. Nothing like him except him. Nothing at all. Whatever small shrouded heart Rocket had, it cracked.

“Don’t worry you can still have your book,” Blackjack thrust it at Rocket who took it without repute. “I have all I want. That is what you deserve for what you did to me. You’re no better than them Subject 89P13. You let them torture me. You are just as bad as them.” The anthropomorphic rabbit pointed two long fingers at his empty eye sockets. “You did this to me, you and them.” Run. Rocket’s mind was beyond logic. Anything to get away. He had been on this damn planet far too long and now all of it was swirling around him like a cyclone of all the things he had kept repressed. Gamora had a hand on his shoulder and he turned his back to the rabbit, eyes searching for an exit. His finger curling around the book. Some small part of his mind that remained in-tact whispered that he’ go after Blackjack, first thing. After he read Gideon’s Bible.

“Subject 89P13, I want you to know one last thing.” Rocket stopped in the door way, turning his head over his shoulder. Blackjack smiled, “no matter what happens…no matter what words of comfort they pretend to give you. You will die alone…or not die. Death is for living things. But you were made, manufactured. You will expire alone and terrified the same way you have functioned.” Death is for living things. But you were…manufactured….the thought pierced him with truth, a truth he had always known but had chosen to try to forget. Before he could turn or reach for his own gun, something loud sounded off and an excruciating jolt burst forth. He took an involuntary breath in and his eyes blinked rapidly.

“ROCKET!” Voices. Electricity. His arm jerked painfully and he watched as dark blood came through his armor. His cybernetics…the panel on his back, it sparked. Rocket stumbled forward, but fell backward, clutching the book to his chest. He coughed, and fell forward into someone’s arms. The last thing he saw was the ceiling of the long hallway. He was going back. He could see them, those masked faces with their strange gloves. He was being taken apart and something in the depths of his chaotic mind had a feeling he would never be put back together.

[freezing-kaiju]

Survivors of Shards

Chapter 11

written with @apollowuzhere @irazel and @grilledwatermelon

tho this part is all @apollowuzhere

this one’s a long one and imma post the next part later today also!

WILLA FLASHBACK TIME

“Are you sure about this Yellow?” I questioned, following closely behind my fellow tanzanite. “Positive!” they assured me, signature crazy smile in place.  “Once they know this planet has tons of life on it, they’ll turn around and we can go back to homeworld without an issue!  No more stupid mission, no more cramped ship, no more annoying crew mates.” “But….there isn’t tons of life on this planet….” “Yeah but they don’t know that.  Who’re they going to trust, themselves or the psychics?” I smiled and giggled quietly behind my hand.  I sometimes forgot how clever my sibling was.  “Yes ok, let’s do it!” --------------- “Look, we can explain,” Yellow said.  They held up their hands in surrender as the rest of our crew surrounded us. I wrung my hands while my eyes darted from gem to gem.  “Yes...uh….we were just….” “Trying to trick us into turning back,” our supervising Agate finished.  She marched through the crowd and circled around us, her footsteps echoing off the metal walls.  “Let me ask you this.  Do you really think we’re that stupid?” A pause.  “Honestly, yeah kind of,” Yellow replied.  I kicked them in the shin, earning a small “ow” in return. “You two are going to be in a lot of trouble when we get back to homeworld,” the agate said, getting closer with each word.  She looked down on us like scum, her gaze seeming as though it saw through my entire form.  A wicked smile stretched its way across her face.  “I wonder what the diamonds will do to you.” That’s when it happened.  Yellow scooped me up in their arms, and ran.  They pushed through the wall of gems and swerved every which way, trying to get away from the angry yelling and horrible threats.  I could hear them accusing us of terrible things, both out loud and in their minds.  I tried not to listen. “What are you doing?!” I screamed.  Though I didn’t make any attempt to get away, in fact clinging to their collar with all of my strength. “Saving our asses, Blue,” they responded.  “Now shut up and hold on!” We took a turn down a corridor filled with crew members, who noticed us immediately.  We turned around only to be met with more coming on our right.  Yellow ran to the left, dodging weapons as they came flying at us from every tunnel and passageway around us. We reached the escape pods just as we were about to be overwhelmed.  Yellow threw me in full force then dove after me, shutting the door behind them.  They slammed their back against it while the gems outside pounded on it, trying to get in. “Hurry!” they yelled, straining under the force of all the gems. I frantically punched in random coordinates, somewhere far away from this wretched ship, and hit the launch button.  We shot out of the room like a comet, and I went flying back into Yellow while we rocketed out of the solar system. It took a few hours for us to slow down enough to where we could actually move around the little pod.  I crawled over and sat in a corner next to the control pad while Yellow sat cross-legged in the center.  They ran their hand through their hair and smiled a little.   “Well,” they started, “that could have gone better.” I didn’t say anything for a while, choosing to start at a rivet in the floor instead.  I felt fear and sadness prick at the back of my mind.  I was sure Yellow could see it too. “Hey, hey it’s ok,” they assured me. “No it’s not!” I yelled, startling Yellow back a bit.   “It’s not ok!  You had to have that stupid idea to get out of that mission didn’t you?  You couldn’t just go along with it!  Well congratulations, we got out of it!  Now we have no clue where we’re going, everyone hates us, and we can never go home!”  The tears were coming full force now.  Yellow let out a sigh and came to sit next to me.  I tried to turn away, but they wouldn’t let me.  They cupped my cheek with one hand and wiped away the steady stream of water. “I know this seems bad now Blue,” they said, “but think of it this way.  We don’t have anyone telling us what to do anymore.  We never have to listen to another agate brag about how important she is, or be put down my another sapphire for not being ‘real psychics.’” They put emphasis on the air quotes, making me laugh just a little.  “Wherever we end up, we can be whoever we want!” “Yeah, I suppose.” We sat in silence for a while, watching the stars go by outside. “Hey Blue?” Yellow called. “Hmm?” “Who do you want to be?” “....I don’t know….but I don’t want to be Blue.” “Mmm.” “Who do you want to be?” “I don’t know either, but I don’t want to be Yellow.” We both laughed softly and I scooted in closer to lean on my sibling’s shoulder. “So what do we do?” I asked “You know, I read the mind of a hematite once.  She had just come back from a pretty densely packed planet.” “Yeah?” “Yeah, there were plenty of names in there.” “Oh?  Like what?” My sibling replayed the memory for me in their mind.  There were a lot of names to choose from, but one in particular caught my eye. “Willa,” I said. “That’s what you’re going with?” they asked. “Yes.  I quite like that one.” “Alright Willa.” I relaxed a little more at my new name.  “What about you?” “I’m trying to decide between two.” “And they are?” “Oluwakanyinsola or Billy.” I snorted.  “You can barely even say the first one, how do you expect anyone else to?” “Aw, but I like that one!  I think it captures my complex personality.” I punched them lightly in the shoulder.  “You’re so dramatic.  Besides, Billy is a nice name.” “Fine, fine, I’ll go with Billy.”  Billy leaned back and crossed their arms.  “So that’s it, eh?” “What do you mean?” “We’re finally more than just tanzanites.  We’re people.” “Hmm, guess I didn’t think about it before now, but yeah.” “Yeah…” We sat there for a while longer before both of us lied down and fell asleep.  I had never slept before, but it was really nice.  I even had a dream….about what our new life was going to be like.  I had a feeling we’d be doing a lot of sleeping for a while. ----------- Finally, after a decade and a half of flying through space, we finally reached our destination.  We weren’t sure what it was or what to do about it, but we were here!  I stepped out and looked up at the big blue sky, small white fluffy things floating around aimlessly.  A soft breeze blew my hair out of my eye, as if the world wanted me to get a better look.  I felt the soft plant life between my toes and did a little twirl as Billy climbed out of the pod.  They took a deep breath, which was weird since we didn’t even need to breathe, and sighed. “So this is what we’ve been waiting for for so long,” they began, surveying the area.  They looked up at the taller plants growing around, which almost touched the white puff balls in the sky.  “I’ve got to say, I’m impressed.” “Oh wow, something impresses Billy and it’s not themselves,” I teased.  “Are you feeling alright?” “Oh hardy har Willa, you’ve got to admit this place is cool!” “Yes, it’s very cool.” I took in the nature around me for a good few minutes before Billy lost their patience.  I was awoken from my daydreaming by getting slammed into and tumbling down a muddy hill, laughing hysterically.  When we reached the bottom, I smeared mud into my sibling’s face. “What was that for?” I asked between laughs. “I haven’t been able to move more than three feet at a time for fifteen years!” Billy complained.  “Let’s play!”  They jumped back on top of me and we wrestled for a bit before laying back and watching the sky. Suddenly, we heard a rustle in the nearby plant life.  Billy and I sat up and watched it carefully, Billy with their hand already reaching for their gem. Out comes a older looking person with skin the same color as the trunks of the tall plants, long grey hair pulled back in a ponytail, a walking stick, and a simple white button up and cargo shorts. “A human!” I exclaimed without meaning to.  I remembered memories of humans from gems who had gone to a planet called Earth.  This was where the rebellion had happened!  Billy and I never told anyone, but we had always been rooting for the Crystal Gems.  The old woman jumped back, and I apologized for startling her. “No, that’s alright,” she said.  She had a very warm smile that could light up any room, and I instantly felt comfortable in her presence.  I could tell Billy felt the same, but they didn’t show any sign of it outwardly.  “I saw your ship land out here and wanted to make sure everything was ok.” “You’re….not afraid of us?”  Billy asked. “Not at all!” the woman explained cheerfully.  “We get a lot of weird stuff out here, and innocent until proven guilty I say!  Your journey must have been long, would you like to come back with me and I can give you some food and get you cleaned up?” At this point Billy had dropped their hand back down to their side, feeling safe in the woman’s company.  We could both tell she had no hostile intentions towards us. “What is….food?” I asked. The woman gave us an exaggerated gasp.  “Well allow me to show you!”  She began to walk back the way she came.  Billy and I smiled at each other and ran to catch up with her.  She stopped for a second, scoffing at herself.  “Where are my manners?  My name is Trinity.  Do you have names?” “Yes, I am Willa,” I replied, “and this is my sibling, Billy.” “Hiya!” Billy waved. “What beautiful names!  Well, I’d like to welcome you to Earth!” “Where exactly are we on Earth?” Billy questioned. “Well, we’re heading back to a little town called Gravity Falls.” ------------ I sat out in the summer sun, letting it warm my skin soothingly.  The wind rustled the pine needles and sent waves through the grass around me.  The sweet scent of fresh berries swirled around in the breeze.  I hummed at the comfort and calm this planet provided me with everyday for the past few decades. Billy came out of the woods with an armful of peaches and let them roll to the ground around me.  They kneeled down next to me, picking one up and taking a big bite out of it, pit and all. “Anything interesting today?” Billy asked me. “Not really,” I answered.  “Lazy Susan dropped by today.  She said she had a new bottle of gin for you at the diner.” “Oh what?!” They jumped up and yanked on my arm.  “What are we sitting here for?  Let’s go!”  Without letting go of my wrist, they ran down the path towards the town.  I stumbled as I tried to keep up, yelling at them playfully. We almost fell into the local diner and took a seat at the bar.  We both giggled while we came down from our running high.  Lazy Susan, the old waitress with a lazy eye and teased brunette hair, came and greeted us happily, setting down our menus on the counter. “What will you have?” she asked, taking out a pad and pencil. “Can we have some pancakes please?” I wondered.  I twiddled my thumbs nervously, even though I had known her for years.  I was always a little uncomfortable around people. “Of course dear!”  She scribbled down our order and turned around before stopping and snapping her fingers.  “I almost forgot!”  She plucked a large glass bottle filled with clear liquid off of a nearby shelf and placed it in front of Billy. “Ah yes!” they cheered.  “Thanks a bunch Susan!” She laughed at Billy’s excitement.  “I’ll go get your pancakes.” The diner was pretty empty for a Saturday, but that just meant we got our food faster.  We chatted about little things we liked and little things that bothered us.  Our food came and Billy poured some of their gin into the syrup, then proceeded to drench the fluffy cakes in it. I heard the little bell at the door jingle.  I looked over Billy’s shoulder to find a young man I had never seen before walk in.  He wore glasses, khakis, and a simple black t-shirt.  He had his nose in a journal, scratching a pen into the paper at a speed I have never seen.  As I looked closer, I noticed this human had six fingers instead of five. I projected my observations to Billy telepathically while they chewed their pancakes.  They looked up at me with wide eyes and full cheeks, then glanced over at the newcomer.  He sat down on my other side, still writing in his book.  Billy and I couldn’t help but stare at the strange man and his detailed drawings. “Who is that?” Billy asked me through our thoughts. “I don’t know,” I said.  “Can you get anything from his mind?” Billy took a minute.  “He’s new to the town.  He’s here to study all the crazy stuff that goes on around here.  The weird creatures in the woods and stuff.” “You mean like us?” Billy and I made eye contact and I heard a gasp behind me.  The man had finally noticed us.  His eyes were wide and his mouth agape.  We stared at each other for a few minutes in complete silence. After a few minutes, the man began to slowly reach up towards me.  His six fingered hand got closer to my face, but he only seemed curious, not hostile.  I had never had someone act this way around me. I came out of my trance when he pressed a thumb to my gem, yelping and covering it with my hands. “Fascinating,” the man whispered. “What was that?” I complained softly trying not to offend him. “I’m sorry, it’s just….what are you?” “Excuse us?” Billy questioned. “Well you’re clearly not human,” the man observed.  “So what are you.” I looked down, blushing deeply and rubbing my gem.  “Rude,” I mumbled. “We’re aliens,” Billy deadpanned, face still.  “Gems more specifically.” “Incredible.  Tell me more.”  The man lifted his journal up, pen at the ready. “Um,” I began, “we don’t really talk about ourselves like that….with….humans….” The man furrowed his brows and grunted in frustration.  Instead of apologizing, he just got up, and left, telling us quietly, “come to the shack in the woods when you change your mind.” We watched him go in shock.  No one had ever been so direct with us about our anatomy.  I felt we wouldn’t see the last of that man. ---------------- Billy sipped a glass of wine from the rocking chair on the porch.  Stanford had just returned from studying fairies out in the woods and watched as I grew frost on the surrounding grass.  He jotted down little things in his journal while I twirled my fingers around. “Very good!” he exclaimed.  “Now, can you frost the flower over there?”  He pointed to a violet growing about a foot away. “Um, yes, sure.”  With a wave of my hand, the flower was frozen. “Amazing!  Billy, could you get me some more ink?” “But I just sat down,” Billy whined. “Come on,” he ordered, snapping his fingers.  “My pen’s almost out and I need to get a sketch of this.” “You know what?  You get it,” Billy grumbled. A pause.  Ford looked up at my sibling.  “What?” “You heard me.  I’m tired of being treated like a servant.” “You can’t do that!  I let you stay in my house, I kept you safe, I gave you food.”  My chest tightened. Billy threw their hands up in exasperation.  “We don’t even need to eat!” “We thought you were helping us….because you liked us….” I said quietly with tears in my eye.  I was so afraid.  Was our friend not really our friend? “Of course I like you!” Ford retorted.  “You’re a fascinating specimen!  I’ve never seen anything like you!” “But….don’t you like us for anything else….than what we are?”  I sniffled. “What are we to you?!” Billy demanded. “An experiment!” he yelled.  “An observation!” I gasped and placed my hands over my mouth, a small trickle of water falling down my cheek.  The ground around me froze solid and Ford stumbled back.  I glared through the tears. “I thought you cared about us!” I shrieked.   Billy stood up, scowl on their face, and cried, “Why?!  All these years you projected thoughts of real friendship!  Why work so hard to deceive us?!” Ford jumped to his feet.  “I told you not to read my mind!” “We can’t control it all the time!” I yelled through my tears. “Shut up!”  Ford smacked me across the face.  This was the first time I had ever seen such hostile thoughts in the mind of my once-thought-friend.  I curled in on myself, spikes of ice growing out around me. “You get away from Willa!” Billy screamed.  Fire curled around their hands and swirls of sand formed around Ford. “I’m done with this!”  Ford pulled a small gun out of his jacket and fired it at my sibling.  They crumpled to the ground, clutching their gem and wailing in agony.  Their form flickered and popped.  Pained tears came pouring from their eye. “No!” I cried, and I jumped on Ford.  I placed a hand on his, the one holding the gun, and sent a burst of cold through my fingertips.  Ford yelped and pushed me off.  I hit the ground only a second before I was shot as well. Fiery pain exploded in my chest, the feeling of molten lava seeping through my form and clouding my vision.  I felt myself scream, but I couldn’t hear anything except a high pitched ringing.  I couldn’t summon my weapons or use my abilities to protect myself.  I was completely defenseless. With all the strength I had left, I tried to crawl to a suffering Billy, but Ford was quicker.  He took out his switchblade, the one he kept “in case of emergency,” and stabbed it into their back.  I heard a loud poof and covered my eye and gem with my forearm.  When I looked back up, Ford was standing over me with his weapon in one hand and Billy’s gem in the other. “Hopefully one day you’ll learn to be more courteous guests,” he growled.  Somehow that sentence was crystal clear to me. There was a flash of silver, a poof, and everything went black.

[ofstxrsandgalaxies]

RULES.  

repost, don’t reblog. tag people. TAGGED. I kinda stole this from @sonofsuperman TAGGING. ​YOU, YOU BEAUTIFUL PERSON

BASICS.

FULL NAME. Sam Alexander  NICKNAME. Sammy, Buckethead, Rocket, Space Child,  AGE.  15-16 (His birthday is in a few weeks according to my headcanon, so really 16) BIRTHDAY. June 27 ETHNIC GROUP.  Hispanic/Latino  NATIONALITY. American LANGUAGE. English. Some Spanish SEXUAL ORIENTATION. Biromantic Bisexual  RELATIONSHIP STATUS. Single (canonly for now) CLASS. Low-middle class. HOME TOWN / AREA. Carefree, Arizona  CURRENT HOME. Carefree, Arizona and space PROFESSION. High School Student; Superhero; Intergalactic Cop  

PHYSICAL.

HAIR. Black  EYES. Blue  NOSE. Refined  FACE. Diamond Face; High Cheek Bones; Defined Jaw  LIPS. Sharp and usually smiling COMPLEXION. Olive colored skin that is usually tanned due to being out in the sun often BLEMISHES. None. SCARS. Burn scar on his side from a cauterized wound and one on his bicep from a blaster TATTOOS. None. HEIGHT. 5″6′. WEIGHT.  140 lb BUILD. TINY AF compared to a lot of people  FEATURES. A couple of scars?? ALLERGIES. None.  USUAL HAIR STYLE. Messy, spiked up hair USUAL CLOTHING. Short sleeved shirts with a jacket and shorts or pants 

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR. Losing someone he loves ASPIRATION. To do some good and to find his father and bring him home  POSITIVE TRAITS. Loyal; compassionate; selfless; witty; optimistic; clever  NEGATIVE TRAITS. Short temper; impulsive; self-doubting; anxious; distrusting; secretive  VICE HABIT. Drawing FAITH. Agnostic  GHOSTS? Yes AFTERLIFE?Maybe  REINCARNATION? Maybe  ALIENS? Does this need to be answered really? This one is kinda obvious, ain’t it?  POLITICAL ALIGNMENT. None EDUCATION LEVEL. Sophmore/Junior 

FAMILY.

FATHER. Jesse Alexander  MOTHER. Eva Alexander  SIBLINGS. Kaelynn Alexander  EXTENDED FAMILY. Abuelity, Tío Sergio, Tío Silvio, Grandma Alexander NAME MEANING. Samuel means “name of God” or “God has heard” and Alexander means “to protect men” loosely.  HISTORICAL CONNECTION. The name Alexander could be a play on his father’s possible (and highly likely) alien heritage since he is suspected to be Xandarian (the race’s homeworld being Xandar). So AleXANDER

FAVOURITES.

BOOKS. War and Peace  MOVIES. Star Wars  MUSIC. Depends on his mood tbh  DEITY. ?? HOLIDAY. El Día de Los Reyes  MONTH.  May  SEASON. Autumn  PLACE. Among the stars  WEATHER. Gentle rain  SOUND. Old music  SCENT.  After the rain  TASTE. His mom’s cooking  FEEL. his family’s hugs ANIMAL. All animals tbh  NUMBER. 7 COLOR. Orange 

EXTRA.

TALENTS. Art, getting into tight places with no explanation as to HOW, literature/writing, skateboarding, getting into bad situations and somehow thinking of a clever way out of said situation, creative problem solving, chess BAD AT. Patience, math, expressing emotions to some degree, lying  TURN ONS. TURN OFFS. HOBBIES. Drawing, writing, reading, skateboarding  TROPES. A hell of a lot of tropes that I am too lazy to look for AESTHETICS.  PE and skateboarding 

FC INFO.

MAIN  FC. Davi Santos ALT  FC. Probs Matthew Daddario (maybe for like when he’s a bit older and going to college??) OLDER  FC.  Miguel Angel Silvestre YOUNGER  FC. None VOICE  CLAIM.  Whoever does his voice on Avengers Academy bc it is so cute and I can listen to it all day omg