Young Avengers Present: Patriot
"Wait, wait, wait, waaitt." Tommy complained, pointing at Eli. "Why does he have to go first?"
Because he was first in the Young Avengers Presents series. Don't worry, you'll get your turn too.
"Do I have too? I didn't even get an issue of my own in that! Will I have to share with Billy in this too?
Um…maybe.
There once was a retired soldier named Isaiah, who had a grandson named Eli. Although Eli possessed great strength, he used it rashly and did not think before he acted.
One day, while he was playing in the street, a young boy his own age bade him come near.
"Where is Josiah, son of Isaiah the soldier?" He asked
"He is gone," said Eli, "and Isaiah crippled. I am the man of the family".
"I have heard wondrous tales of strength from them. Have you inherited that?"
"Yes", said Eli, inwardly swelling with pride.
"Well, then, I need a favor. I can promise great wealth to one that can fetch me a treasured possession. However, it is perilous. Do you think that you could do it?"
"When and where?"
"This me is sort of big-headed," Eli complained.
Sorry, but hopefully you/he will learn.
"Hey, who's the boy?" Cassie asked.
Soon you will find out.
The boy, whose name was Nate-
"It's Iron Lad, isn't it?", Cassie asked.
He's 'Kang', not Iron Lad here.
"Do you normally date schizos, or is that only on weekends?" Tommy joked.
The boy, whose name was Nate, took Eli to a cave. The cave was unusually formed, looking like the head of a giant girl.
"I'm the Cave of Wonders?" Cassie asked.
You were the only one that I could think of to do it.
Nate said "Inside, you will find treasures many. Touch none but a vase, with two coiled serpents on the outside."
"It's a vase? The Genie Lamp is a vase?" Kate asked.
A Genie isn't inside that vase. And yes, I picked vase over lamp.
Eli went into the cave by means of being lowered by a rope, drawing deeper and deeper until he found the treasure chamber. It was easy to find the lamp – it was in the center of the room. He took it, bringing it back to Nate.
"Excellent! Now throw it to me!" Nate cried.
However, Eli had grown a distrust of the boy, and refused to do so. In fury, Nate pulled the rope up, abandoning the other boy.
"Iron Lad wouldn't do that!" Cassie said.
This is Kang, not Iron Lad.
Once a reasonable distance away, he removed the glamor he had chosen, reverting to Kang, the advisor of a lord and an evil magician.
Inside the cavern, Eli had begun examining the vase. He opened the lid, and, to his surprise, two ethereal spirits popped out.
"FREE! FREE! Boy, a few thousand years in that thing and it will give you cramps like you wouldn't believe!" The first spirit cried, in the form of a boy around Eli's age, with white hair and a mischievous smile.
"You saved me! For 3 thousand years, I was trapped in that thing with him! I'm your slave forever!" The other spirit cried as well, who bore a strong resemblance to the first, except with dark hair and an honest face.
"You made Billy and Tommy the genie?" Teddy asked.
I wanted someone with magic to do the part. Tommy gets the funny lines.
"Well, I understand the whole slave part at least. Compared to being with Tommy for 3 thousand years, it must be heaven.
"HEY!"
"Well, unless you can get me out of here, consider the deal moot." Eli said flatly.
"Wait, did I say we couldn't? Hold on, because we are OUT of here!" The dark-haired one suddenly snapped his fingers, and all of a sudden they were in…
"The Bahamas?" The other spirit raised his eyebrow.
"I needed a vacation, so sue me!" The first one snapped.
"Wait, wait, hold on…who are you?" Eli asked.
"I'm Billy and he's Tommy. We are ibeji's, twin spirits who are possessed with great power. Unfortunately, didn't come with great wisdom, so thanks to a few pranks on my brother's part…we got trapped in that vase."
"You called yourself my slave…" Eli mused.
"Yes, and that's not just part of my relief to be free." Billy explained. "The vase our home base. We only come from it when we are called. The first person to call us gets to use our powers for his will."
That got Eli thinking.
"Run for the hills!" Kate joked, while Eli made a face.
"There's a noble lady I've heard about, she's the daughter of a wealthy bishop…"
"Oh good grief. I'm the lady, aren't I?" Kate groaned.
Yes, and don't complain. You could have gotten worse.
"Worse part or worse guy?"
Both.
"Wait, wait, I can't make people fall in love with each other!" Billy cried. "If I could, I'd have done it a long time ago!"
"Well, then, can you make me meet her?" Eli asked, pleading, and then Billy sighed and nodded. He brought up a floating disk of blue energy, and placed the vase on it carefully, then summoning himself and his twin inside. Eli got on, and concentrated hard on his destination. Before he knew it, he was floating in front of the window of Lady Katherine. She was sulking, and throwing knives at a canvas she had placed for a target.
"Stupid rules. I will marry who I want, not who my father wants!" She cried out.
"Wow, look at her!" Tommy whispered from the vase. "Do you think a lady and a guy like me could-"
"No." Eli said firmly, then shut the lid on. "Kate?", he called out, stepping on the windowsill.
She saw him and called out firmly, holding on of her knives. "Who are you?"
"I am Eli. Do you want to…to go see the city or something?" he replied uncertainly. She looked skeptical at first, but she said yes, tucking a few weapons with her for protection.
"Where'd she hide the knives?" Tommy asked.
Don't ask, don't tell.
On the blue disk, high above, the city seemed so beautiful and her life so far away. She enjoyed the new company, and let herself be enveloped by Eli's stories. He too was very taken with her. During the ride, she asked if she could talk to her father about him and maybe being a suitor, and he eagerly agreed.
"On their first meeting, she asked him to marry her?" Kate questioned.
It was a better alternative than all the other ones. Besides, you take what you get, and you get what you need.
He finally took her back to her window, and promised to wait outside. But soon, he could feel himself being caught, and thrown into a river. For Kang was the advisor of her father, and he saw no better way to take power than to marry his daughter.
"Okay, that's just weird." Kate said, grimacing. "Iron Lad was Cassie's to begin with, but Kang's just…ewww."
For the record, I agree with you. Time traveling dictators may work for Princess Ravonna, but not for the rest of us.
However, the twin spirits had not abandoned him, and so quickly sped to his aid, saving him. It took very little time – perhaps due to some magic? – to convince Kate's father to get rid of Kang and to let Eli marry Kate.
However, Kang had figured what had happened, and stole the spirits, using them to make himself the ruler and to send Eli far away. Good thing that had happened was a lone traveler, a ghost of an oracle called the Vision, spirited him back just in time to see Kang and Kate arguing.
"Vision would definitely do that." said Cassie, relieved to have someone to defend in the story.
Kate saw Eli hiding for the right moment to strike, and cleverly distracted Kang. Finally, she found an old bow lying near the stairs where they were, and she ran and grabbed it, using an arrow to knock the vase from his arm. Eli grabbed it, and summoned the ibejis back to his possession, using it to banish Kang far away, into the cave where he had sent him.
"And so Cassie can be with him forever", said Tommy, making little kissy noises. Cassie, irritated by the whole situation, grew to giant size, and grabbed him, squeezing him enough to convince him not to tease the giant girl.
In repayment for their service, Eli freed the two spirits. Billy took off for a country that he had once, known, trying to find someone he had once loved. Tommy went…well, wherever the wind took him.
And so they all lived happily ever after.
Next Up: Young Avengers Presents…Hulkling!