The Phantasm: A Marvel Dark Fantasy Epic
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Marvel Comics™. Any Marvel characters used in this story are solely owned by Marvel Comics and subsidiaries.
Foreword: This story follows the independent story of Selena Cruz, The Phantasm, a character created by Aferus, another FanFiction user here who has worked on The Phantom Trilogy on this website since 2014. Although I recommend that you guys check out those stories and read about it, there's no need for this one. This first chapter will be up for some time until the third story of the trilogy is complete, but please follow/favorite if you guys want to read more.
Much love and thanks,
Jack Montero
Prologue: Following Her Trail
No Man's Land…
Across a barren field, two figures gently rode on horseback, silently observing the bloodied remains of what appeared to be a violent battle between two warring armies. These strangers wore hooded cloaks, concealing their faces, and keeping them hidden within the blackened lands.
The sun was hidden behind darkened clouds of the dawn, which fortuned these strangers from allowing them to breathe in the dried stench from carrion strewn about. The wind flowed with their direction, keeping the smell forward.
Battle flags from the two factions lied about, bloodstains covering almost all of them next to giant piles of armored knights and soldiers.
One banner was designed with a black gauntlet that seemed to rise above a yellow background while their adversaries carried a standard of a white horse on a blue background, adorned with green vines around.
"The front moved forward," one of the strangers, his voice deep and gruff, pointed out.
"Aye. Emperor Magneto's army made short work of the humans," his partner, his voice smoother and not as gruff, agreed.
"Make no mistake. The humans put up a fight."
"They certainly fought to the last man. But, do you think she went this way?"
"I know she did," the stranger grunted, sniffing the air.
They stopped their black horses short of the edge of a path that cut through a forest filled with blackwood trees. Horse hooves were printed on the dried mud of the path.
The deep-voiced stranger got down from his horse and approached the hoof prints, kneeling to observe them for a second. He glanced up the path and took off his cloak, revealing a man with grizzled long, black hair, and beard. His eyes beamed a deep brown shade and his skin of a light tone.
"See anything, Wolverine?" his partner inquired.
He sniffed some more, getting back on his feet and walking up the path a few meters.
"She went this way," he answered.
"How can you be so sure?"
"These hoof prints lead straight out from the battlefield. Magneto's armies marched forward, not through this path."
"Perhaps it is a messenger? Towards the human capital city?"
Wolverine shook his head while glancing over at a dead mutant knight on the side of the path. His chest had exploded from the inside and his remains sprawled about alongside pieces of his black and yellow tinted armor.
"No," Wolverine affirmed, "Only she is capable of this sort of damage."
"Very well, if you believe so," his partner sarcastically answered.
"Now is not the time for you to be act like a knidget, Gambit."
His partner chuckled.
"Ah, but a faithful knave, I can act for you, Sir Wolverine," Gambit continued to sarcastically respond, "I am but a tool if I don't question every now and again."
Wolverine ignored him.
"The human capital is still a week's ride from here, past the mountains. With the winters coming, Magneto will undoubtedly race to get there."
"But the Queen will continue to resist," Gambit pointed out.
"As she always has," he agreed, "But, it is none of our concern. Magneto tasked us with finding Phantasm and returning her to him. Until then, let's try to avoid running into an active battle."
"Onwards then."
Wolverine got back on his horse and the two mutants gently rode into the forest, towards another human-controlled city of a different faction. As they departed the battlefield, the clouds opened up and the morning sun beamed its penetrating rays upon the land, showcasing the grisly scene with hundreds and hundreds of corpses lying about while crows feasted on their flesh.
Several hours earlier…
She sprinted through the forest, catching her breath every chance she could, but continuously moving. The sounds of charging horses and men shouting battle cries penetrated the ambience of the darkening dusk.
On black leather heeled boots, she ran across the blackened forest floor, accidentally running into a pair of human farmers trying to run away from the incoming battle. The three of them stumbled to the floor, but the two humans merely took a glance at her before getting back on their feet and running away.
"Well, excuse you," she murmured, doing the same and running opposite of their direction.
As she reached the edge of the forest, she found herself directly in the middle of the battlefield. Two massive armies charged on horseback, hundreds of meters afar, but closing in fast. She barely had time to react as she saw the closest army of black and gold armored knights nearly trample her.
Until, she charged up the mystical energy in her hands and opened up a portal into the ground.
Several of the horses and their riders fell into the dark portal, sending them to a far off reality. The riders behind circled around the debacle, giving her enough time to escape.
Once the first wave had passed her and the portal closed up, she zipped across the empty field towards what appeared to be a forest path away from the battlefield.
"Please be there, please be there," she anxiously told herself.
Suddenly, a green-colored rift opened near the path and a hooded stranger wearing a dark brown leather duster walked out, carrying the reins to a beautiful black mare who followed him through the rift.
The masked stranger spotted her and waved her over. She caught her breath for a moment once she met up with him, uncovering her black hood to reveal her long, sleek black hair.
"Here you are," he calmly greeted her, handing her the reins to the horse, "she's the fastest horse from the West, as you needed."
"Thanks, Drift! You're saving my ass here!"
He chuckled.
"Now you owe me," he pointed out.
She leaned close and kissed him on his masked cheek.
"We'll have to get dinner sometime! But, I've got to go!" she coolly assured him, swinging herself on top of the mare.
"Take care then, Selena."
"You too, Drifter."
He watched her caress the mare's face and ushered her to gallop forward, into the forest. Drifter watched her disappear into the blackness of the trail and returned to the rift, disappearing just before the next skirmish in the battle that raged on nearby.
Author's Note:
Well, there it is, guys! I hope y'all found it somewhat entertaining or cool enough to read more about. This is my own story, I'm not getting any framework notes from Aferus on this other than his advice. Please let me know what you guys think, what you guys liked/disliked, and where you guys would like to see this story go! I'd be super humbled to read it!
Also, if you're interested, check out Phantom, Specter Crisis: Zero by Sport21. The OC Drifter was provided by The Timeless Writer, not related to the series but check out his Dimension Wars story if you guys are a Spider-Man fan! =)
I'll continue this story at a later date, just publishing for now since I've got the time to do so!
Thanks again!
-Jack Montero