Avengers
Chapter 21: Afterlife
The Avengers:
Captain America (Steve Rodgers) – Sentinel of Liberty
Thor (Jane Foster) – Goddess of Thunder
Hulk (Amadeus Cho) – Strongest There Is
Hawkeye (Clint Barton) – Unerring Marksman
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) – Mutant Speedster
Antman (Scott Lang) – Size Shifting Superhero
Human Torch (Johnny Storm) – Fantastic Adventurer
Nova (Richard Rider) – Galactic Champion
Smasher (Isabel Kane) – Superguardian Elite
Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) – Wielder of the Power Cosmic
Los Angeles. Outside Marlo Chandlers apartment. The Avengers crowd around a badly wounded Hawkeye.
Captain America: Hold on Clint, medics are on their way.
Clint: Saved the world again….that's so….
He breathes his last and vanishes.
Quicksilver: NO!
Nova: Where did he go? Worldmind can you track anything?
Worldmind: Negative. Hawkeye is gone.
The Hulk grabs the Grim Reaper and gets in his face growling.
Hulk: Where is he?! What did you do?!
Grim Reaper: Not me. But it's beautiful, isn't it? If only I could experience it, lucky guy.
Hulk: I'm going to-
A bubble forms around the Grim Reaper and pulls him away from Hulk. The Silver Surfer flies down and hovers over the team.
Silver Surfer: There is no need for further interrogation on this one. I know what is happening.
Captain America: Surfer we could have used your-
Silver Surfer: Across the universe Death has stopped. Instead of the Mistress Death's halls the dead are sent elsewhere.
Paradise. Hawkeye is led through green meadows by Michael Wright.
Hawkeye: Where am I?
Michael: I told you, you're in Paradise.
Hawkeye: You keep using that word.
Michael: Because it's the only accurate way to describe where we are. Look it's perfect.
They reach the edge of the meadow and walk into a village. A woman is assembling houses with a wave of her hand.
Michael: Nadia, how's it going?
A middle aged woman turns and smiles at the two of them.
Nadia: Almost done.
Hawkeye: How did you-?
Michael: We wish it.
Nadia: Whatever we wish for happens. I always wanted to live in a place like this, some days the thought of this is was all that kept me going. And now it's here!
Hawkeye: But where's the-
He's cut off, shade falls across the village as a planet moves over them. It's only ten miles above them but gravity has no effect.
Hawkeye: That's impossible! What is that?
Michael: There is no impossible here. That's one of the alien worlds.
Hawkeye: Alien worlds?
Nadia: Each species has its own world. You'd think there would some fighting but there isn't we all enjoy this place equally. One day I think I'll go on a tour.
Hawkeye: What's that?
He points to a golden tower in the distance. Even at a distance it's still huge dwarfing the planets.
Michael: That's the Citadel. It's where the Creator lives.
Hawkeye: Creator. They the one who made this place?
Michael: That's right. We don't know who they are but they did this all for us. They made a heaven for us to enjoy, all we have to do is stay out of the Citadel. If we step inside we could ruin Paradise.
Hawkeye: Hmmm….that sounds suspicious.
Earth. The Avengers talk with the Silver Surfer in Los Angeles.
Antman: Marlo, couldn't you use your death thingy to bring Hawkeye back?
Marlo: It doesn't work like that, hell I don't know how it works.
Antman: So how do you know if you haven't tried it?
Marlo: I just know ok!
Antman backs off.
Antman: Sorry!
Silver Surfer: But you can help Marlo. That is why I have come. I must travel to the source of this. To do that you have to kill me.
Smasher: Um what?
Silver Surfer: Death is gone. But beings still expire, the universe knows this is wrong so it expels them. To find where they have gone I must follow them.
Nova: So you have to die. Not going to happen.
The Avengers move between the Silver Surfer and Marlo.
Captain America: I appreciate this is a serious situation but we can find another-
Silver Surfer: This is the only way. I am sorry my friends, but there is too much at stake.
Hulk: We're not gonna let you do this.
Silver Surfer: You cannot stop me.
He fires a blast of energy at the Avengers, they are thrown aside by it! The Silver Surfer floats towards Marlo.
Silver Surfer: Do not be afraid Marlo. I will stop this. Until I do the Avengers will keep you safe.
Marlo: Don't make me-
WHAM! Mjolnir slams into the Silver Surfer knocking from his board!
Thor: No one will make you do anything Marlo. You have my word.
Nova: Our word.
Thor, Nova, Hulk and Smasher surround the Surfer Surfer.
Smasher: The others are down!
Thor: We will be enough.
Mjolnir returns to her hand.
Silver Surfer: You are mighty. But you do not want this fight. Please let me do what I must.
Hulk lunges forward and the Surfer extends his hand, energy flows from it and encases the Hulk and then flings him into Smasher! The two crash to the ground. Thor throws Mjolnir at the Surfer but his board moves in the way blocking the hammer and knocking it aside. Nova fires a blast of energy but the Surfer blocks it with one hand and hits Thor with another blast knocking her out!
Nova: Marlo run!
Nova rockets into the Surfer pushing them up into the sky.
Nova: Dammit Surfer! Don't make me do this!
Surfer: If I fail, protect them.
Nova: SURFER DON'T-
The Surfer fires a blast of energy at Nova which hits him in the face, Nova crashes to the ground unconscious. The Surfer falls but his board catches him in mid air. He flies towards Marlo.
Surfer: This is not your fault Marlo. Do not blame yourself.
He touches her and vanishes.
Paradise. Reality shakes, the people scream in pain. Nadia's houses are ripped apart and some of the worlds crash into each other.
Hawkeye: AAAAH!
Michael: PAIN! WHY?! This is heaven! Why does it hurt?
Then it stops. Hawkeye helps Michael up and then walks over to Nadia.
Hawkeye: Are you ok?
Nadia: My homes, all my work…..it's gone.
Hawkeye: You can rebuild it with a wish right? Now what happened?
Something flashes across the sky. A bright light extends from the Citadel across the sky. A golden glowing head appears in the sky, its features shift depending which sphere it is above. On the human sphere it is human, on the skrull sphere it is skrull, etc.
Nadia: It's him! It's the creator!
Creator: Did you feel that my friends? Do you know what that was? That was Death. To create this haven for you all I chained Death but a shard escaped me. Those who remain in the old universe are ignorant and fearful. They will use this shard to destroy us. Will you let that happen?
Across the spheres the same cry rings out.
Residents: NO!
Creator: Then we must stop them. I would do this for you if I could, but if I leave Paradise ends. I have located the shard. It is on Earth. Humans I require volunteers to go and destroy this shard. If we send warriors from the other races they will see it as an invasion or worse. This is not that. This is salvation, both theirs and ours. Now who will stand and save us all?
Six stand forward and raise their hands. And then Nadia does as well.
Hawkeye: What are you doing?
Nadia: I was happy here. I had all I ever wanted and they took it from me.
Hawkeye: They didn't mean to-
Nadia: But they did.
Creator: My warriors. All of us here owe you a debt. I shall open a portal. Once you arrive on your world you shall find that you will have retained some of the abilities you have grown used to. You shall encounter resistance but do not let them deter you. One way or another they will join us in Paradise.
Portals open in front of the seven men and women and they step through.
Creator: Rest easy. Rebuild what you have lost. All will be well I promise.
His visage vanishes. Hawkeye strides away towards an open clearing.
Michael: Where are you going?!
Hawkeye: I want to try something.
Once he is alone, he stretches out his hands.
Hawkeye: Ok so I can imagine anything I want right? Let's imagine.
He closes his eyes and concentrates. An Avengers quinjet appears before him. He grins.
Hawkeye: I could get used to this.
Earth. Los Angeles. The Avengers regroup and help each other up.
Hulk: First we get our asses kicked by the Grim Reaper then the Silver Surfer! I'm getting tired of this!
Smasher: Calm down Hulk. We'll figure this out. We will figure this out right?
The team share looks but no one says anything for a moment.
Nova: The Worldminds searching all news across the galaxy for anything that can help.
Thor: What have you found?
Nova: Everyone's as confused as we are.
Antman: Great. So short of touching Marlo and following the Silver Surfer we've got nothing. Not that touching you would be a bad thing of course.
Marlo: Excuse me?
Antman: I'll shut up now.
Captain America: We don't know where the Surfer went. Until we do I don't want to lose anyone else.
Quicksilver: I might know a way to find out about that.
Captain America: You do?
Quicksilver: Ask them.
He points up towards the sky. A portal has opened and seven armoured angels armed with flaming swords fly out towards them.
Paradise. The quinjet flies towards the Citadel. Inside it Hawkeye concentrates.
Hawkeye: Can't let him see me. Think invisible thoughts.
The quinjet vanishes from sight.
He lands on the edge of the citadel and cuts open a hole in the side. He jumps through and as he lands he has his bow ready. But no one is there.
Hawkeye: Hello? Anyone?
No response.
Hawkeye: Ok. It's just me. All alone in this creepy hallway.
He runs through the Citadel. For a while all the corridors are the same, but then he sees something. He turns off and into a room. Inside the room is a large mural. Drawings are on it and he studies them.
First he sees a drawing of a woman with flowing hair gesturing at growing plants. As he looks across the mural he sees the plants grow larger into tall trees. The trees then wither, a hooded women with the face of a skull touches them and they die.
The next drawing is of these two women chained while a blank figure looks on.
Hawkeye: Pretty art. Could use some captions.
He notices a glowing light from a door on the other side of the room. He peeks through it and what he sees makes his eyes widen.
Hawkeye: What the hell?
SHWAK! A blast of energy hits the wall next to him. Hawkeye jumps and rolls back into the mural room drawing an arrow to his bow as he does. In the room with him is The Creator. He is human shaped but glowing golden light masks most of his features.
Creator: YOU DARE?! I made a heaven, allowed you to come and enjoy all its splendour. All I asked is one simple thing and yet you defy me? You spit in my face, you spit in the face of heaven.
The light around the creator fades. Hawkeyes jaw drops.
Hawkeye: Oh shit.
The light fully fades and the Creator is revealed. It's the Mad Titan: Thanos.
Thanos: Indeed. No one who has spit in the face of Thanos has lived to tell the tale.