Waiting.
That's what he'd been forced to do for longer than expected. Thankfully, it was something that he'd become fairly used to over his years of confinement. Sure, he'd been given a taste of freedom recently, but he'd failed to make the most of that before it had been taken away yet again. It was his own fault, looking back. Maybe he'd needed that time away to truly realise that he hadn't actually changed as a person as much as he might have liked. The question was…how many more haikus was it going to take before he finally reached that heightened spiritual plain? At least he'd have plenty of opportunities to write them now, with nothing else to do in a giant glass prison, making him feel like some sort of zoo exhibit. He wondered how much the DODC would charge to allow people to look at him. He liked to think it would be a pretty penny.
They'd probably have to slash the ticket prices if they were left with an empty exhibit, which he hoped would be the case as soon as he saw the portal open to his right hand side. He didn't even bother to get up, so unimpressed he was now by the phenomenon after witnessing it so many times. Thinking back on the person he'd once been, he should have realised that his boredom technically signified that he had changed in some respects over the years. The military veteran of old would have baulked at the notion of magic existing; the monster that had taken his place didn't have the capacity to be surprised by anything anymore.
A person who likely constituted his only friend stepped out from the newly formed opening, looking haggard and worried. Still, he didn't sit up, too annoyed at the delay. "You took your time."
Wong stared at Emil Blonsky, dressed in a red and grey jumpsuit, in disbelief. Most people would have applauded at the feat of sorcery. He liked it when people clapped, especially since it very rarely happened when he spent most of his time with other sorcerers. The blunt greeting was enough to make him doubt whether this idea was a good one, though it was safe to say that he was running out of options. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Wong knew that he would likely get in serious trouble for this but he'd enjoy watching any form of law enforcement track him down. Would they really punish him for helping to save the multiverse? He doubted any average police officer would understand the concept.
He held up his hands, knowing how he needed to approach the man sitting in front of him. Blonsky had an ego, which needed to be catered to. "Emil, my apologies for the delay. If you'd just let me explain…"
"Hmm…you got sucked into another show, didn't you?"
Wong smirked. "We're really in a golden era of peak tv. But that's not what's been holding me back, I'm afraid. Your…predicament…will mean you won't have seen the news."
"Yeah, for some reason, they won't pay for my cable subscriptions. I've written several complaints, using my finest calligraphy skills, but I reckon the workers just throw the paper straight into the bin."
"You're going to have bigger things to worry about very soon if you come with me."
"It's not as if I have much of a choice. I'd take some excitement any day of the week."
"That's good to hear. Now…do you have all of your things?"
At last, Emil stood up, wrapping his arm through the strap of a pathetically light satchel. The policies in the facility didn't really allow him to keep a lot of belongings. "What's the guest policy at Kamar Taj? Is there a shared fridge?"
Wong was put on the backfoot by the question, such a trivial matter to be focused on with the events surrounding them. "We're…we're more a sort of 'one with everything' kind of vibe. But, like I was saying…"
Emil began to walk through the portal. "Wifi? Do you have wifi?"
"Of course we have wifi. We're sorcerers, not recluses. Again, that's something that you don't need to really concern yourself with, as you'll see that we're not going straight to Kamar Taj. We're making a quick stop-off."
Blonsky was surprised when his feet landed on a soft patch of grass. He was in a park, and it was much colder than he'd been expecting. They definitely weren't in Nepal, which was signalled by a big red bus driving past on the road beyond. It was advertising a comedy performance at the Hammersmith Apollo and his face went pale. Of all the places he'd thought of being taken to, this certainly had been fairly low down on the list.
"London? You've taken me to London?" He threw his bag on the ground, clearly unhappy with this latest development. "I did everything I could to get away from this blasted country. I'd rather go back to prison.
Wong had been anticipating this reaction. "You know I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't abundantly necessary. We need your help, Emil. I'd love to explain why but you're not the only person I need to collect, and that's undoubtedly going to lead to some even more awkward questions. I'll allow the others to debrief you."
The Sorcerer Supreme didn't leave any time for a response or argument, disappearing through yet another glowing gateway. Blonsky hadn't yet realised that they weren't alone. He was greeted by the sight of what was, from his outside perspective, an incredibly strange collection of people. There was a young girl clad in an odd purple outfit, though that was made to look normal by the guy dressed completely in white with a huge cape languishing behind him. The only person who appeared remotely sane was the guy standing off to one side, though he seemed nervous just to be there. None of this filled Blonsky with much hope. He was used to working with crack squads of highly-trained military men. The group before him was the clearest indicator yet of just how far he'd fallen.
"Is someone going to tell me what the bloody hell is going on?" he asked, feeling his temper rising, something he'd gotten good at controlling. When you thought you were being treated to a relaxing break away in the mountains, only to be plonked in the middle of the country of your birth, that was enough to get your blood pressure rising.
"Hey, he's from England!" Dan exclaimed happily. "It's about time that I had someone around me who I can understand. Not that I haven't enjoyed being with you." He looked sheepishly at the others.
Blonsky folded his arms. "Who's the scouse joker? I haven't seen teeth that white since I raided a salon that was actually a front for a drug cartel."
Dan covered up his mouth. "Well, I was hoping that Wong would have found us someone who's a bit more pleasant."
"I'm normally a lot more zen than this but my meditation schedule has been properly messed up by my jailors. They have no respect for my lifestyle. I was hoping that moving into Kamar Taj, with its resplendent scenery and atmosphere, would give me the chance to find myself once again."
"Are we going to skip over the fact that he's been in jail?" Steven wondered as he came to the forefront of their shared mind.
Blonsky blinked in surprise at the sudden change in the man's appearance, though he should have known that the sorcerer would put him in league with some strange people. "We all have our past grievances that we should learn to overlook and move on from."
"That's exactly the sort of thing someone in prison would say!"
"To be fair, we've done a lot of stuff that should have had us locked away," Marc commented.
"You! You did that stuff! Not me!"
"Are you forgetting the number of people you fought in the streets in Cairo? I'm sure that's an offence in most countries, especially with the state you left them in."
"Bad people." Steven sounded as if he wanted the others to know that he wasn't the sort of person who went around bashing people's heads in just for fun. "People who were trying to kill us. Not to mention Harrow. It was basically self defence."
"Whatever you want to tell yourself…"
"You know, if you were looking for some counselling to bring your united souls more together, I'm exactly the guy you're looking for," Blonsky told them. "I've got a qualification in professionally easing one's chakra." He wasn't going to mention that he'd bought the certificate from an online website. "I come with great recommendations and I'd just love to examine someone like you, who's obviously at war with himself. It's incredibly interesting. I'll get Wong to take us to my retreat, as long as the authorities haven't seized it already."
"I think we're too busy for that, mate," Dan pointed out.
"I'm still to find out what I'm doing here. Why London? Why am I joining this apparent circus?"
"Funnily enough, we'd like to know the same thing. We were told we were getting a valuable addition to the team. And then you walked out, talking about meditation, feng shui and origami…"
"There are so many things wrong with what you just said. I'm actually aghast. Look, my mouth is literally hanging open at the cultural insults you just lambasted me with. It's on the floor. My jaw is on the floor."
"I'm not excited about working with him," Kamala said.
"It's nice to meet you too."
"Do you know him?" Dan asked.
"His face has been plastered all over the news for months," the girl explained. " He's Emil Blonsky. Just got out of prison for good behaviour, only to be sent right back because he defied the rules of his bail."
Blonsky smiled. "It sounds as if I've got a fan."
Kamala wrinkled her nose up in disgust. "Hardly. Not after the things you've done."
"Woah, woah, woah!" He held up his hands in what he hoped was a placating manner. "I think I've got an idea as to what's got you so tightly wound up, which could be easily solved with daily yoga and breathing exercises, by the way. Are you judging me for what he did?"
"If by he , you mean the great, big monster you turn into, then yeah."
Dan blanched. "Great…big…monster?" He took a nervous step backwards, now more wary of the rather weaselly-looking man.
"Abomination. You can get the jist of what he's like just from the name. He nearly killed the Hulk a decade ago."
Blonsky rolled his eyes. "Please. Is that still hanging over my head? I've done my time for that, for the actions of a creature I'm currently not. Is that fair? The imprisonment, I can accept, but I'll take less of the judgement, thank you very much."
"Is there a reason why Wong would want us to work with him if he's so bad?" Dan asked, wondering what a beast by such a name could possibly look like.
"I'm not bad! I…write poetry! I help other super powered individuals learn to be true to their real selves, rather than their alter egos. I shouldn't be defined by the behaviour of something I can't technically control."
"Wasn't part of your plea to get out of prison based on the fact that you could control how and when you change?" Kamala retorted.
"...I was hoping you might have missed that. But it doesn't change anything! Because that's now, whereas back then, I was hopped up on a cocktail of chemicals that I couldn't possibly understand. Tell me this, do you blame Bruce Banner for all the destruction the Hulk has caused over the years? All the death? Or does that not fit into your pretty little picture of your beloved Avenger?"
Kamala didn't have a straight answer. She hadn't anticipated needing to defend her beliefs when she'd agreed to come to London. "You claim to be nice but there's still a lot of anger there…"
Blonsky shrugged. "People are allowed to be complex and three-dimensional. I have layers. That's what I want people to understand. I deserve the chance to prove to people that I can do some good in the world."
"You might get the chance to do so," Dan remarked. "If we've got a fight to get to, then we'll probably need your help."
"Fight? No, I'm not about that anymore. Nope. No chance. I'm strictly a peaceful person nowadays."
Marc dragged a hand across his face. "That really isn't going to help us right now!"
"I'm not going to apologise for wanting to promote love instead of war."
"You might just be the most infuriating person I've ever met."
"That's it…channel that anger…voice your fury and it will no longer rule you."
"Would anyone complain if I punched him in the face?"
"We'd probably be put in a difficult position if you did, because he'd turn into that beast I mentioned earlier," Kamala warned him.
"I'm the master of my emotions," Blonsky persisted. "One hit wouldn't be enough to make me change. Or would it? Do you want to find out?" He was wearing a goading grin, practically begging Marc to instigate something. From his demeanour, they wouldn't have guessed that he was there to promote any sort of peace.
Thankfully, at least from Dan and Kamala's point of view, the portal reopened, preventing the fight from breaking out just in the nick of time. Blonsky appeared rather disappointed, as did Marc, though they were sure that Steven was currently strongly debating the merits of his plan to attack their latest recruit. Wong calmly stepped through, silently surveying the scene that he was coming across. The tension could have been picked up from a mile away, it was that blatant. He should have known that it was never going to be easy. Emil wasn't the sort of person who got on well with others straight away, unless they were paying his wages as a therapist.
Their attention wasn't directed at the sorcerer, but at the woman who followed closely behind. Dan was growing more confused by the minute as he saw the short figure join them. She appeared perfectly normal, dressed in a smart business suit with wild, curly brown hair. She seemed particularly intrigued about what she'd been called for, wide-eyed excitement consuming her. The last thing she looked like was the sort of superhero that they needed at the moment, but Dan had learnt from recent experiences that you really couldn't judge anyone from what they looked like. The young girl standing next to him was testament to that.
"Wong," she was saying, the others catching them mid-conversation. "Are you going to tell me what you want? I had a really big day planned. Do you know how rare it is for me to have a day off? Do you know how many box sets I've got waiting for me? You can't just escape to appear in the middle of my front room and…" Her eager energy dissipated in an instant, a scowl colouring her face. "What is he doing here?"
"Jennifer," Emil greeted the woman gentilly. "How lovely to see you again! So soon as well. I thought this would only happen if you came during visiting hours."
"I wish I could say the same thing. Wong !" Jennifer turned to the sorcerer. It was the first time the others had seen him remotely scared. "Please tell me that I'm imagining things…"
"I can explain…" he attempted to say, but was quickly cut off.
"Because, from the looks of things, I'd hazard a guess that you've broken Blonsky out of prison again ! Why would you drag me into this? You could be throwing my entire reputation down the garbage can!" She was clenching her fists tightly. "You better have a damn good reason for this."
"Have you not caught the latest news?"
"San Francisco? I thought that was sorted."
"Sadly, that was only the beginning. There's another threat. Or two, at least. I've brought you here because you're perfectly suited for the task at hand."
"Is it kicking Blonsky's butt? Because I'd really like to do that."
"I'm going to need you to take down a Hulk."
"Bruce? What's he doing this time? Why would I need to fight him? The only time he ever gets mad now is when someone knocks over his test tubes or tells him that he doesn't suit jogging bottoms. And why would he be in London? I've always wanted to come, though I felt it'd be under more…you know…romantic getaway vibes, you know what I'm saying?"
"There's nothing romantic about London," Dan said to her. "Everyone's much friendlier in the North."
"I should probably ask who these guys are as well, shouldn't I? But can we circle back to the Hulk?"
"It's not your cousin, but a version of him from a different universe," Wong explained, getting straight to the point.
She narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure I left you for basically five minutes and this is the sort of trouble you've gotten yourself into?"
"Tell me about it," he grumbled. "It's been an incredibly long day, and it's not going to end anytime soon."
"So you brought me here to…?"
"Don't make me say it…"
"Come on! I want you to say it. Please. Otherwise, I go home and leave you to it. Although I guess I'll have to find the nearest airport for that, which means you could save us both a lot of time if you just say it !"
"Jennifer…I need you to smash."
Kamala, whose eyes were sparkling at the interaction, nudged Dan. "You're going to want to watch this. I've seen it on Twitter…but to get it right in front of me…if the world wasn't ending, I'd say this has been the best day of my life."
Dan was going to respond about how he knew how such a contradictory mindset could be reached after finding enjoyment in life despite being chased by Daleks and Sontarans, but was stopped in his tracks by the sight of Jennifer transforming before his very eyes. She cocked her head to the side and, in one swift movement, every part of her body was growing and elongating. Her hair became longer and straighter, though the most noticeable change was definitely the fact that her skin was now a bright green. At least he'd been proven right not to prejudge her arrival.
"I had a mate who could turn green like that," he said sarcastically. "Though that was because he never listened to us when we told him the fried chicken shop down the road was giving him food poisoning."
"I like you," Jennifer remarked.
"That's a relief. I wouldn't want to be on your bad side right now." He was talking to a giant woman. This shouldn't have been normal.
"Unlike this guy who wants to be my relative" She was already walking away. "Wong, point me in the direction of this imposter." A roar in the distance gave her all the answers she needed. "Well, that's slightly terrifying. Blonsky, I'm giving you one free pass. If you don't help me, you'll be back in that cell before you can spit out another haiku. And I'll be personally delivering you."
Emil rolled his eyes. "Since you asked so nicely…"
