Book of Revelations Chapter 2
By: Jason Kenney
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"This is a WINN special report. WINN affiliates in Europe report that Latveria's civil war has crossed the country's boundaries. U.N. security council is now in session to determine what actions can be taken to handle the situation as many European nations send troops to the region.
"Again, what started as a civil war in Latveria has spread into neighboring countries and is threatening to bring war to Europe unseen since the Second World War. WE now go live to Sandy Berning in New York with an update on reaction from U.N. . . . "
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"We cannot stand aside as the Latverian governments, either of them, continue to attack neighboring countries," stated a man in the U.N. Security Council session in New York City. Other members silently nodded their heads in agreement.
"The United States will not intervene," said the ambassador form the U.S., the only one not agreeing with the rest of the council.
"How can you not?" said another ambassador.
"If the choice was mine . . ." replied the American, shaking his head. "But, this administration has stated a non-committal stance and we will follow it."
"So what are you saying?" asked the second ambassador.
"Latveria is Europe's problem, not ours."
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The man who first spoke of Latveria in the Security Council walked from the building with a smile. They had voted to go to stand against Latveria, only the United States didn't agree.
No matter, he thought, they'll join in soon enough.
No one would remember his name, or what nation he was an ambassador from. But one person did comment on the red Mustang convertable he drove.
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"I never thought you much of the church going type, Hank," said Jean Grey-Summers as she sat with her husband, Scott Summers, and Hank, watching the television.
"I'm simply a learned man and well versed in the Bible, my dear," replied Hank. "There are seven seals that will be broken, each one bringing us closer to the end."
"And you think that these are a couple of them?" asked Scott, looking at Hank through his ruby quartz glasses.
"Well, think about it," said Hank as he held his arms wide for effect. "Preliminary correspondences state that a man on a white horse rode through the capital of Latveria as war broke out. Revelations 6:1 speaks of a man on a white horse who goes out conquering and to conquer."
"Could have said that about George Washington if you wanted," said Jean as she sipped her hot tea.
"But then the world goes war-crazy practically overnight," said Hank. "Not just in Europe, but the Middle East and even over in Korea."
"Meaning?" said Scott.
"The second seal is of a man on a horse of red who will take peace from the earth."
"Oh, great," said Bobby as he walked into the living room with a bag of groceries. "Beast is off on his whole "end of the world" kick!"
Hank shot Bobby a look as Jean and Scott smirked.
"Hey, Hank," said Bobby as he walked into the kitchen, "add this to your list of 'revelations'. I just spent a fortune on food that didn't cost half this much a month ago."
"Like what?" asked Jean, turning in her seat to look into the kitchen.
"Three dollars for a dozen eggs and almost six for a gallon of milk," replied Bobby. "And don't even ask about fresh veggies."
"It's that crop problem they had out west this year," said Scott as he stared at the television.
"Third seal," said Beast as he sunk into thought. "Famine. '. . . a quart of wheat for a day's wage, and three quarts of barley for a day's wage . . .'"
"Don't you think you're looking into this a bit too much?" asked Scott.
"'It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority,'" said Hank. "'But you shall recieve power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witness to the end of the earth.' Acts 1:7."
The group stayed silent for a bit, letting that sink in.
"Damn, furball," called Bobby from the kitchen, "you really know how to get everyone in a good mood!"
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Explosions. Screams. Death.
He was six. This wasn't supposed to happen to six year olds. This was on the television, somewhere else, someone else. Yet, despite how he might want it somewhere else, it was here, and very real.
He cried for his mommy, but she didn't hear him. She didn't hear anything. She was dead, and he knew that. But he cried for her anyway.
"Don't worry, son," said a voice behind him. He turned to see a built man towering above him in red, white, and blue. "You're safe now. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!"
And so they did. Earth's mightiest heroes charged into battle against the invading infantry, tanks, and all other means of death that spilled over the Latverian border. And they triumphed.
Invading leaders questioned the involvement of the "American" team. Yet, they didn't understand that the Avengers did what they wanted when it came to protecting innocents, even if they were Latverian.
But the protecting and fighting would be in vain today. Perhaps the Avengers' leader, Captain America, the one in the red, white, and blue noticed it. Or maybe it was the team's android, Vision. Perhaps they all missed it. Either way, they didn't stop it.
The nuclear blast was effective in destroying everything within the city and a mile around it.
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It was late in the afternoon before Alex Summers left the police station. He had lost track of how many people he had told his side of the story to about the whole Burst and Boost thing. Now he just wanted to relax.
A taxi dropped him in front of his apartment complex. In typical New York fashion, he was overcharged for the ride. But, he didn't care at this point. It had been a long day and he was tired.
A quick glance at the answering machine as he walked into his apartment told him he had messages. Despite his own will to let it be, he walked over and checked them.
First one was a hang up.
Second was his brother Scott, seeing if he was going to come by Xavier's while he was in the area. He had planned to anyway, and Scott knew that. But that's Scott for you, always checking, over and over.
Last one was the one he didn't want. Valerie Cooper, pretty much begging him to return to X-Factor, the government funded mutant team he used to lead. Used to, until he burned out, screwed up, got people killed.
"Alex," she said, he voice low and concerned, "you can't keep blaming yourself for Lorna. It's not your . . ."
Alex hit the "delete messages" button and went to get something to eat.
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"Damn," said one man at the bar as he watched the news of Latveria's civil war that night. "For all we know the Yanks are losin'!"
"Well, you may change the channel whenever you wish," said a more normal looking Hank McCoy from his seat by the front window of Harry's Hideaway at the edge of Salem Center in New York.
"Well, thank you very much, your greatness," mocked the man at the bar with a bow as he got up to change the channel.
"Ah, the spitting sarcasm of drunken men," said Hank as he played with the Sh'air image inducer on his belt. "Always a match for my own."
"Heh," said Scott Summers, staring down into his beer. Bobby Drake just rolled his eyes as he sipped and leaned back in his seat.
"What's on your mind, Scott?" asked Hank.
"Yeah," said Bobby as he finished off his drink. "You've been spaced out all evening. Things all right with Jean?"
Scott ran his hands through his hair and exhaled heavily.
"Jean's late."
"Late?" asked Bobby, looking around a bit. "Was she supposed to be coming?"
"I believe, young Robert," said Hank, "that Jean's pregnant."
"MIGHT be pregnant!" corrected Scott, his head shooting up.
"You make that sound so bad!" said Bobby.
"Congratulations," said Hank as he lifted his glass a bit in a semi-toast.
"Yeah, sure," said Scott, picking up his drink, but only to drink, not toast. "With things as bad as they are in this world? You've got apocalyptic horsemen running around and mutant-human realtions are horrible as is. The kid's pretty much guaranteed to be a mutant! Would you bring a child into this world?"
Bobby and Hank stayed silent on that one.
"Well," said Bobby, lifting his drink and smiling a bit, "if she really is preggers, here's hoping the kid gets his looks from his mom, 'cause his dad ain't . . ."
"Don't bother finishing," said Scott with a grin as the three clinked their glasses together.
"Christ," yelled the man from the bar again. "It's on every channel!"
The trio by the window turned their attention to the television only to be shocked by the news.
". . . again, all reports coming from Latveria confirm that the Avengers, Earth's mightiest heroes, are dead. We will have more information as it is forthcoming . . ."
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to be continued . . .