Recruitment Drive
By Michael Weyer
I don't own Marvel or DC, don't sue me.
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When one is hunted, one will do whatever it takes to survive. The dozen entities flying through the reaches of space knew that. Their sentience might be low but they still were thinking beings of a sort and survival was their prime directive. Their hunters were many and closing in but their missions had to be completed.
Their logic was simple enough: The only way to escape was to find a place their pursuers could not follow. In order to do that, they needed to bind their powers and open a portal, tearing through the rifts of space and dimensions to somewhere they were not known and thus could not be followed.
They did not notice the pain and agony of the energies or the aftershocks they left behind. All that mattered was entering the portal and finding themselves in a new space. It took seconds to analyze and discover this was not the universe they knew, the sectors they inhabited not recognizable.
That was immaterial. Fulfilling their primary objective was. Sensors went out, feeling for the criteria programmed into them. Some of the objects flew into the deepest reaches of space but some were drawn to the planet below. A planet teeming with candidates for them.
Who they were did not matter. What they believed in did not matter. They matched the criteria. That was all that mattered. The programming had to be fulfilled. And so they flew down to find their candidates…
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Two costumed men fighting on a rooftop was a common sight in Manhattan. One was clad in a red suit with a mask covering most of his face and head, with a pair of small horns at the top. His opponent was in a bulky purple outfit with long cape and a skull-shaped mask. He was not as skilled a fighter as the man in red but held his own.
"Give it up!" the first man said. "You can't win!"
The other man laughed. "Always so confident, Daredevil. I'm not one of those street punks you terrify every night. I'm Mister Fear."
"Not to me," Daredevil hissed as he let out another punch. "To me, you're nothing but another…"
He could not see the golden energy but he felt the sharp rise in ozone of the area. His nostrils flared as he felt his skin tingle as…something came at him. His radar sense suddenly went haywire, flashing about as something touched him. He could barely react before he was filled with some sort of power, a light that filled him up, turning his entire world white.
He staggered back, trying to fight it but it was far too strong. He could see Mister Fear staggering, some ring on his finger, see him try to struggle and…
He…could see him.
His shock at his sight restored was so great he barely noticed how his uniform was changing, still red but darker below the waist while yellow swept in around his shoulders and chest, the "DD" on his chest changing to a dark circle.
"Matthew Murdock. You have been chosen for your ability to instill great fear."
Before him, Fear seemed to be welcoming it, his own outfit changing, the cape and mask remaining but the same yellow and black colors as Daredevil. He seemed to giggle as if truly enjoying the power now filling him and the voice in his head.
"Larry Cranston. You have been chosen for your ability to instill great fear."
The light faded as the two men took in their new abilities before the battle was rejoined on a greater scale.
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The man in the black suit and coat saw the lights in the sky some distance away but ignored them. There was always some throw-down between costumed super-goofs and it was best to ignore them. Let the spandex crowd beat each other up all they wanted. It let him get to his important work.
He'd been casing the area out all day, watching as various men in suits with bodyguards entered. He'd counted ten names the FBI would love to get their hands on. But they would just cut deals for more info and such, letting these killers and monsters walk. He would see real justice done.
He walked up slowly toward the entrance. This was a dangerous way to do it with the sentries but also the most effective. He slowly undid his long coat, letting the skull emblem be shown. Usually, just one look was enough to freeze any wiseguy in his tracks with fear. That would be more than enough to take out the twin Uzis and open up.
He was almost there when the yellow flash filled his vision. He was instantly on guard but still not ready when the ring slid onto his finger. The power flashed around him, shaking him to the core as the voice spoke out.
"Frank Castle. You have been chosen for your ability to instill great fear."
He staggered back as the power filled him up, changing his clothing. He became aware of the two mobsters gazing at him, guns pulling out and instinctively raised his hand. A blast of golden energy ripped outward, cutting right through both men in a single blast, slicing them in half.
As their bodies fell, the Punisher gazed at the ring, realizing the power he now held in his hand. As he did, the symbol on his chest morphed into a yellow and black skull. And then Frank Castle did something he hadn't done in a long time.
He smiled.
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Solitude was something the man was used to, just not in this way.
Of course, it wasn't exactly true solitude. Yes, he had the glass cell to himself with a collection of books and even a DVD player. But he was aware of how he was monitored all the time by cameras and sensors, everyone alert to the slightest elevation of his vitals that could signal the chaos to come.
He did his best to ignore it although he was fully aware of the dangers that could come. At least he was under guard, kept out of people's way with less of a chance to become...that. And maybe even the opportunity to exorcise that demon once and for all.
He was in the middle of his latest equations when he heard some alarms going out. He was alert at once but tried not to panic. He had any number of enemies who would love a shot at him and even the military would be hard-pressed to stop them. He did his best to ready himself against anything…other than the yellow ring that flew into the area, right through his cell and attached itself to his hand.
He cried out when the pain hit him, not of agony but of fear. Fear as he knew what was happening, the transformation he could not stop. It was different this time, though. It wasn't just the rage filling him but a sense of great power and even intelligence. It was as if he was more in control but the monster still at its most powerful, along with the voice.
"Bruce Banner. You have been chosen for your ability to instill great fear."
The cells crushed under his power as he leapt forward, flying upward to smash through the desert floor. He kept on flying, his huge body bulging with muscles, black pants highlighted against his yellow skin as a new Hulk stepped forward.
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It disgusted him having to walk among these sheep, as if he was one of them. His powers were back, but much lower than they had been. Until he could control them more, he needed to keep under the radar and this was as good a place as any. In a way, it felt good to be back in Europe, his homeland from so long ago.
He was just another elderly white-haired man in a dark suit and coat walking along the streets. No hint at all that he was the most feared and hated among those these simpletons called mutants. It still rankled him, that after being so close to dominance, their numbers would be cut down so greatly. He would have to find a way to change that in order for evolution to continue its course.
The flash at the corner of his eye alerted him in time to turn just as the ring found him. The surge of power was familiar, like when Xorn had bestowed all those mutant energies on him in Genosha. But there was more to it than that, a sense of power that even at his greatest strength he had never reached. He was aware over the din of people around him screaming as he rose up and it fueled him more.
"Erik Leshnner. You have been chosen for your ability to instill great fear."
The uniform flowed around him but he managed to shift it, bringing out a gold and black cape and a golden helmet. He heard the screams grow as people knew who he was now and he exalted in the knowledge that once more the world would tremble under the might of Magneto.
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There were nights he needed to hunt. To get away from the mess of the school, of the pressures of saving the world, away from the Avengers and all that. He needed time alone to refresh, reflect and recharge.
And to have a beer and cigar in peace as well.
He was taking a brief break in the woods near the school, enjoying the fresh night air. He sensed some deer nearby and thought it'd be good to give them a chase, get close enough to touch and back up. That was hunting to him, not mere killing but the skill of the chase.
It was also good to get away from people now and again. It wasn't often but he did feel the pressures of having everyone be afraid of you. With enemies it was fine but your teammates, the people you considered family to be scared crazy of what you'd do was something else. He'd made his bed with it long ago but still didn't quite like it.
His senses came alert at something coming at him, that sixth sense of danger warning him. He clenched his fists to let the steel claws pop out as he looked about for the source. Before he could really see it, it was upon him, blasting him with power.
"James Howlett. You have been chosen for your ability to instill great fear."
He growled, his claws popping as the yellow dominated his suit. He didn't know what made him angrier, the power coasting through his veins uninvited…or how good it felt.
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Contrary to what many believed, he did sleep. He was human, after all, rest was required, no matter how he could deny it. It was actually one of the few times he could find true relief, to set aside the heavy armor and mask, to be himself...even if it was a scarred visage.
He did not dream often. He had no use for them. Only a fanciful man dreamed and he was not one of fancy but one who did what he wanted. His dreams, his desires, they would become reality soon enough. The world would bow down to him and all would tremble even more than they did now.
His eyes snapped open at a golden flash as something flew into the room. He briefly wondered how anything could break through his shields and was reaching for his armor when it reached him. He stared at it, a golden glowing ring upon his bare hand. Before he realized it, he was surrounded by a blinding glow, his body filled with energy as his mind welcomed a voice.
"Victor Von Doom. You have been chosen for your ability to instill great fear."
The first taste of the power was enough for him to ignore the pain. Even the Silver Surfer did not possess such ability. He let it flow around him, felt a new suit of armor grow about his body. It was black from the waist down with yellow top and shoulder coverings. A burst of vanity came as he let it work on his face, repairing those scars of long ago. Then he let his mask come forth. He would keep that.
He could feel the power now, power he knew belonged to others. Power he knew he could use. He also felt others with this power and knew that if he could add theirs to his…Nothing could stop him.
With a loud laugh, Doctor Doom thrust his hand up and let the golden shimmer light up his nation.
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"Recruits found."
"Indoctrinations complete."
"Welcome to the Sinestro Corps."