Start the Fire
Chapter 2: Worst Day Ever
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The sun is just about to set as seagulls flew overhead. Waves gently flowed in and out from the sea, wetting the sand. Crabs moved up and down the beach with the rolling waves and moving tides. The beach stretched out a few feet before connecting to lush green foliage. Trees stretched towards the sky like spires.
A pelican flew down and landed on a brown-haired teen lying prone on the beach. Her hair is wet and caked in sand. Her blue clothing had serious discolorations all over, with holes beginning to form. It wasn't until the pelican pecked her on the head that she woke up.
"Whoa! I'm up Ammi!" Kamala Khan's head shot up with her eyes wide as dinner plates. Ammi was going to kill her for breaking curfew again. But it took her a few seconds to register her surroundings. "Wait! Where am I?"
Kamala looked around at her surrounding in utter bewilderment. This wasn't her bedroom in the Khan family residence on Grove Street. She wasn't in the suburbs of Jersey City or a classroom at Coles Academic High. The girl is stranded at a beach in the middle of nowhere.
"How did I get here?" Kamala wondered. "Wait…"
Several seconds later, everything came back to her. HYDRA's attack on Jersey City to get the Cosmic Cube from A.I.M. She and the Avengers saving lives and fighting the terrorists off. It all leads up to the point where the cosmic cube exploded. She remembered being bathed in the cosmic energy before blacking out.
"Well, I'm thankful that I haven't gone beyond the grave yet. But where is everyone?" Kamala states the absence of her fellow Avengers. She pressed a finger against the earpiece. "Hello? Can anyone hear me? I'm stranded Cap? Natasha? Tony? Thor? Clint? Hulk? J.A.R.V.I.S.? Anyone?"
Nobody responded on the earpiece. There wasn't even static. Frowning, Kamala took it out of her ear and looked at it. Shaking it, drops of water fell out before it fell apart. It appeared that the water had short-circuited it.
"One of the greatest minds in the world and Tony didn't think to waterproof this?" Kamala muttered as she tossed the now-useless piece of equipment. She was going to have to talk to the technological titan when she finds him. The thought of water made her blink and look at the state of her suit.
"Oh crud," Kamala cursed. Her suit is made of a biokinetic polymer, or as she liked to call super snot, a material that becomes extremely malleable when applied to a flexible substance. Namely, that would mean herself when she uses her polymorphic abilities. It allows her to focus less on transforming her clothing during her metamorphoses. Unfortunately, it is highly susceptible to damage from exposure to water.
"I'm going to have to change out of this fast," Kamala muttered, feeling her suit for stiffness. "It's getting late…first things first, I'll have to look for civilization and look for a phone to contact my parents. I need to tell them that I'm alright and that…whatever excuse Bruno comes up with. Hopefully, they won't be too mad. Then I'll contact S.H.I.E.L.D. and see if they can take me home before curfew."
With her plan in mind, she set off towards the forest. She didn't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere after dark. Night vision isn't part of her powerset. This reminded her of a nature walk she and her class went on once. As a precaution, their guide told them what to do if they get lost in the forest. One thing she's going to have to disregard is staying where she was. Sitting on her behind and doing nothing isn't going to save her.
Kamala remembered that the guide told them to ask themselves two questions: which way is downhill in this area? And where is the nearest water source? Unless you stumble down a trail, any source of water like a river should lead to people. The ocean behind her doesn't count and she isn't seeing a river anytime soon. Therefore, she's going to have to find an elevated area of land so that she can get a bird's eye view.
Immediately, she stopped in her tracks when that thought crossed her mind.
"I'm so stupid!" Kamala yelled as she palms her forehead. She can stretch and embiggen her limbs to various lengths and sizes. How had that not occurred to her? Her brain must've been scrambled from being dumped in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention her growing hunger.
As if to prove a point, her stomach let out a growl. Kamala rubbed it as if it would make a growing pain go away. Her powers are pretty much…well, powered by food energy. She already nearing empty and needs to gas up fast. Otherwise, she'll practically die of hunger.
"I'm going to have to eat soon," Kamala mutters. "Hope I won't be late for dinner. Whelp. Here goes nothing…"
Straightening herself, she stretched her neck upwards until it is high above the treetops. She felt her hair catching a few leaves. The polymorph stopped when her neck is long enough for her head to survey the land. Not too much where the air will become thin and make it difficult to breathe.
The view was breathtaking. The acres of trees stretching out before her. In the distance, she could make out green grass fields and hills. A flock of birds flew in V formation across the blue sky. She could've sworn one of them squawked when they saw her head. Add the light of the setting sun and it would've made a painting. But that's if it weren't for the column of smoke…
Wait…smoke…?
Kamala's head turned in the direction of the rising smoke. The teenage hero could make out the faint light of flames. That is never a good sign as it would mean there's a fire. A big fire if that much smoke is being produced. A swarm of birds flew away from the smoke in her direction. There was squawking as they passed her. Kamala had to spat out a few stray feathers. When they were gone, she refocused on the pillar of pollutant. Did some camper decide to start a fire and left it unattended? Or is it something else entirely?
It was only a few yards away from her position. Briefly, she considered leaving it be and letting the local fire department do its job. She needed to reunite with her fellow heroes. But she is a hero and an Avenger. It is her duty to help those who need it the most.
Making her decision, Kamala retracts her neck and took off running in the direction of the smoke.
The cause of the smoke wasn't a forest fire. No, it is a town in flames. The wooden rooftops sections of stone bricked cottages are set aflame threatening to spread. Those stone walls exploded when fireballs crashed into them. Anyone who would've put out the inferno was running for their lives. They pushed and tripped over each other to get to safety. Mothers carrying crying children sought shelter.
And for good reason. Entering their town are unscrupulous-looking men armed to the teeth. Several of them are adorned with light leather armor and are armed with swords and axes. Two of them who wore robes and point hats carried leatherbound tomes. Some are throwing torches.
Malcolm sneered at the panicking sheep before them. He is a burly man with medium-brown skin wearing leather armor that left his torso exposed and an animal pelt like a cape. On his head is an animal's skull he wore for intimidation. In one hand, he held an iron ax while the other held a flaming torch. Gleefully, he tossed the torch at a nearby cart. As expected, the flames began to spread.
"Alright lads, get to it!" Malcolm roars. "Grab anything shiny and put the rest to the church! And if you get bored of that…well, there's some sheep to the slaughter!"
He watched as some of them foolishly ran into their homes. The bandit knew they are barricading themselves inside their stone coffins in a feeble attempt at safety. He looked at one of the robed men and jerked his head at the house. Nodding, he opened his tome and spoke an incantation. Spell circles appeared around him as he cast a fireball that shot towards the cottage. The wall of the cottage exploded into shards of stone and wood. The explosion is followed by cries of terror within the house.
"Have at them, lads!" Malcolm directed with his ax. His fellow Brigands gleefully charged forward into the cottage. It was a shame he couldn't see it, but he can hear their cries as they begged for mercy.
"These Ylissean's make it so easy," one of Malcolm's comrades snickered. He agreed with him.
"Nice one job on the house," Malcolm said to his mage. He hefted his ax and walked down the street. His ears picked up a pained scream and turned around. It was a blonde woman in a yellow dress. In her arms, she held a crying baby wrapped in cloths. The woman noticed the brigands and stopped in terror.
"Well. Well," Malcolm drawls as he slowly approached them. "Look at what we have here! A little sheep with an even smaller sheep!"
"Stay away!" the maiden scrambled backward while trying to keep a hold on her baby.
"S-stay away from me!" The maiden cried again. "Please! Someone! Help me!"
"Hey!"
Just before he could kill the Ylissean sheep, a female voice called out from behind. The brigands turned to see a lone girl walking towards them. Despite her tattered blue clothing, her anger is fierce. "Is this supposed to be a World of Warcraft LARP event? Because this is taking it too far!"
Her words brought a look of confusion to her face. From her accent and skin tone, she's a Plegian like them. But what is she doing all the way over here? And what is this nonsense she's talking about? Even their mages, the smartest of them, are confused by her words.
"World of Warcraft?" One of them asked slowly. "What the Grima is she talking about?"
"Look, I get that World of Warcraft or whatever fantasy game you like the second most popular game online," the girl continued her pitch, holding up her hands. "To be honest, I am a player myself. But that is just a game! Not reality! Starting a fire and murdering people? If you want to play dress-up, you need to learn to draw the line!"
The brigands looked at each other in apparent confusion. None of them understood a word they said. But what they do know is that this girl thinks they are playing pretend. Either she is clueless, or something is wrong with her. Even the village maiden was looking at the scene in apparent confusion.
"Lass," A man in cloth armor and armed with a sword said. He spread his arms out. "What do you think this is?"
"Let me see," Kamala said, putting a hand to her chin. "A group of baddies who are taking live-action roleplaying a little too far. What else would I think this is?"
"Roleplaying? Is that a form of acting?" One of their mages asked himself.
"You think this is a theater?" The Brigand asked incredulously. He gestured to the burning village behind him. "We are PILLAGING a village!"
"And you are obviously deluded," Kamala shot back. "What part of that do you not get? Either you guys stop and turn yourselves into the police or I will make you."
Every brigand just blinked at her words. Even the villager was looking at the girl as if she lost her mind.
"You? Against all of us?" Malcolm sneered. He gave a short laugh before brandishing his weapon. "Enough of this! Let's just kill her and go back to burning this town to the ground! What the hell is police anyway?"
"You guys really want to do this?" the girl asked. Seeing them raised their weapons at her, she shook her head. "Alright. You asked for this…"
The girl reared back her arm and threw it out. They were several feet away from her and her arm was able to reach her. How? Because it stretched over to them. Her long arm covered the distance while her hand embiggened a little bit. Her hand grabbed onto Malcolm and pulled her to him. Her free and embiggened and smashes into his stomach. Malcolm felt the air leave his lungs before he was sent flying. The brigand leader crashed into a stone wall and slid down.
The other brigands stared at the girl in shock. Taking the opportunity, the girl pivots on her heel. As she spun, her arms stretched out with embiggened fists. The girl was like a tornado as he swinging fists clocks the stunned brigands. They were knocked to the ground from the oversized fists. When she stops spinning, she placed her hands on her hips and stared them down.
"You guys had enough?"
"What kind of monster are you?" A mage demanded. His fellow brigands are groaning as they struggled to get up. The mage had an expression that is a mixture of anger and fear. Anger at how a little girl is beating them. Fear of her strange abilities.
"Close," the girl said. A look of hurt crossed her face but it was brief. "I'm Inhuman. Now, do you guys want to give up?"
"Never in your life, you freak!" A Brigand snarled.
"Alright then, guess I can go another round," the girl said. "Could you give me one second? Thanks. Ma'am, you might want to clear out. Things are going to get messy."
She said that to the village maiden, who was still sitting on the ground watching the fight with shock. At her word, the villager numbly nods and picks herself up. Carrying her child, she ran away from the fight. Seeing the mother return to safety, the girl turned back to the brigands.
"Okay then," the girl cracked her neck and held up her hands. They embiggened as she taunted. "Where were we?"
The first brigand came running at her with a sword. He brought his sword for a downward slash. The girl lowered herself to evade the strike. Stretching her arm, she knocked the swordsman away. Spinning her body, she threw out her leg and whip kicked another into a wall. She faced the other brigands, who are keeping their distance.
"Anybody else?" The girl asked.
"Aren't you idiots mages?" An ax-wielder yelled at the two robed men. "What are you waiting for? Torch this freak already!"
Without needing to be told twice, their mages conjured up fireballs. He sped towards the girl. Their jaws dropped when the girl bent her entire body to avoid the flaming projectiles.
"You guys do magic?" the girl exclaimed. "Boy, you really are taking this roleplaying seriously! Just out of curiosity, did you study under Baron Mordo? Because I know for a fact that Doctor Strange didn't teach you to suck."
"Do you ever stop spouting nonsense?" the Mage growled out as he and the other kept trying to burn her to a crisp. To their annoyance, she kept evading their attacks. Having enough, the girl stretched out her arm and grabbed one of them in an embiggened hand. With a grunt of effort, she slammed him into his comrade. Their tomes flew out of their hands as they hit the ground.
"Funny, I was going to ask you that," the girl muttered as she charges forward. She slid on the ground and swept a brigand of his feet with an embiggened leg. Then she launched forward in a shoulder charge to knock another off his feet.
Meanwhile, the brigand leader was regaining consciousness. He could still feel the pain that little freak had given him. It was jaw-dropping to see her throw his men around like they were rag dolls. Where in Grima's name did she come from?
It was painfully obvious that they weren't going to beat her. The freak was beating his men down as he knew it. King Gangrel ordered him to attack a village and raze it to provoke Ylisse into a war. All to break their façade of peace-loving sheep and slaughter them in retribution for the slaughter of their people. If he returned like this, Gangrel will have his head in failing his mission.
At the corner of his eye, he saw the maiden with the baby earlier. She was hiding behind the corner of a building watching the fight without blinking. Getting an idea, he marched right over there and wrap his arm around her neck. Dragging the struggling villager out into the open, he called out to the girl.
"Hold it right there you little freak!"
The girl had just punched another of his fellow brigands before looking in his direction. Her eyes widened when she saw his hostage. She was giving her a face that said what the heck are you still doing here?
"Unless you want this lass head to roll, you'll stand down right now!" Malcolm ordered, pressing the tip of his ax against the trembling hostage's chin. He knew all about these heroic types, especially the Shepherds that he'd been hearing about. Perhaps this freak of nature is one of them? If so, she is so predictable. The moment she stands down, his men will surround her and bind her. Malcolm knew a place willing to purchase a freakshow like her. She'll make a lot of gold coins.
The girl turned around to see him holding his hostage. A flash of hesitation appeared on her face. Then it became realization before transforming into a smirk. What the heck is this girl smirking about? Before he could ask, she threw out her arms to the sides. Each hand gripped the top of a cottage tightly. Crouching down, she slingshots herself high into the sky. The brigand's eyes followed her up.
"What's she doing?" Malcolm asked. He and his brigands waited for her to come back down. Her form got smaller and smaller by the minute. After a few seconds of waiting and nothing happened. She didn't return to earth.
"She can fly as well?" One of the brigands asked in astonishment.
"No one can fly you fool!" A mage scolded. "You need a Pegasus or a wyvern to do it!"
"But it could be," the brigand who suggested it in the first place shrugged. "What she did wasn't natural."
"Will you two shut up and keep a lookout for her, you idiots?" Malcolm interrupted. His eyes scanned the sky warily. He kept a tight grip on his hostage. Where was she?
"Want to see me up close?"
Her voice was right next to him. SHE was standing right next to him. How did she get next to him without being noticed? He didn't have time to wonder as an embiggened hand grabs his ax handle and yank it out of his hand. Throwing it to the side, she covers his head with her large hand and applied pressure. The crushing sensation around his head forced him to let go of his hostage. Malcolm was suffocating from the lack of air as he was thrown from the girl. He crashed into two brigands who tried to catch him. The girl stood in front of the maiden protectively. From her breath and sweat, she was getting tired.
"Okay guys," the girl said as the brigands help Malcolm get back on his feet. She had to end this now. "Let me make this interesting for you."
In front of the brigands, she grew. The Brigands jaws dropped open as the girl is now the size of a mountain. Her form blocked out the moon and cast her shadow over them. When she took a step, the ground shook. Looking down on them, she smacked a fist into an open palm. The impact can be heard miles away.
"Ready for the big leagues?"
Her question was met with the sounds of weapons falling to the ground. Including Malcolm's ax as the leader of the brigands was sweating in terror. On second thought, he would rather take death. He can handle villages and wannabee soldiers. This is beyond what King Gangrel paid him for!
"Run for your lives!" Malcolm cried out, turning tail, and running like Grima himself is at his heels. His men followed him, screaming in terror. All of them were eager to get away from the gigantic girl that can crush them underfoot.
Back at the village, the giant watched the fleeing forms of the brigands. Then, she began to sway. Slowly, she began shrinking down to her normal size. By the time it was done, she collapsed on the ground unconscious.
Kamala groaned softly as she stirs awake. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at a ceiling. Turning her head, she is in a bedroom. It was like the one at the Guild Hall in World of Warcraft.
How did she get there? The last thing she remembered was rushing over to a town that looked to be made in the Middle Ages. Then she fought a group of baddies that are dressed like they were in World of Warcraft. She got into a scuffle with them and embiggened herself to scare them off with her powers taking their toll and fainting.
If Cap were here, he would be scolding her for that reckless stunt she pulled. In all her training, she wasn't prepared for a hostage situation. Improvising, she launched herself into the air hoping to confuse him and keep his eyes on her. Taking advantage of the night sky, she shrunk herself down to size. It's an ability opposite of embiggening her entire body. It was an ability that she used when she first got her powers. She had forgotten about it until now. It came in handy in masking her approach. While she was in the air, she shrunk herself to give the illusion of disappearing. Then gravity took hold and pull her back to earth. She broke her fall by grappling onto the leader's ax handle. After getting it away from him, she forced him to let her go by cutting off his air supply. When she was released, she let her go.
Kamala was lucky that the plan went well, otherwise, the hostage would've been killed. She didn't want someone's death to be on her conscious. The last time that happened, it ignited a civil war that would've forced her to give up her secret identity. The last thing she wants is another Stamford, Connecticut.
"Mental note, seek hostage situation training," Kamala muttered as her upper body sat up. The blanket fell revealing her attire. She is wearing a white nightgown instead of her suit. Feeling her face, she's no longer wearing her mask. Her bracelet is missing as well.
"Where're my clothes?" Kamala asked. At that moment, she heard voices from outside the room. The door opened and in came the lady that was taken, hostage. In her hands is a tray of food. She stopped when she saw Kamala awake.
"Oh, you're up," she said with a small smile. She walked to the bed with a tray. "Thank Naga. I was getting worried that you won't wake up. You would've missed dinner."
"Dinner?" Kamala asked slowly. "I've been out for a day?"
"You've only been out until last night," the maiden answered. "Right about now, it's midday."
"Midday? Don't you mean lunchtime?"
"What is lunchtime?" the maiden asked, her smile becoming replaced with confusion. Kamala stared at her as if she lost her marbles. Then she shrugged. Whatever country she found herself in must have different mealtimes.
"Never mind," Kamala sighed. Then the battle from last night occurred to her. "Wait. What happened to the rest of the civilians? Are they alright?"
"They are. It appeared that what you did scared them back to Plegia," if she was frightened of Kamala embiggening herself, she didn't show it. "Regrettably, a few of our townsfolk were killed in the attack. The Clergy came to send them off and heal everyone else. We thought that something was wrong with you, so My husband and I carried you to our house to rest. I'm glad to see that you weren't sick."
She placed the tray on Kamala's lap. It had a bowl of thick soup with bread and cheese on the sides. Her stomach growled with ravenous hunger at the sight. But there was just one problem.
"I figured you might be hungry, so I made you some pottage," the maiden said, gesturing to the tray of food. Kamala just stared at it for several seconds. Her host began to sense that something was wrong.
"Is something wrong?"
"It's the bacon," Kamala said, pointing to the strips of bacon floating in the soup. The smell was tantalizing to her, but she reluctantly pulled herself together. "I'm not allowed to eat any kind of pork."
"Why not?"
"It's against my religion," Kamala answered sadly. "I'm not as devout as my brother, but I can't drink alcohol or eat pork. I'm sorry. I know you must've gotten through the trouble to make this…"
"It's alright. We have foods that are forbidden to be eaten as well," the maiden said, picking up the bowl. "I'll cook another bowl of pottage without meet for you. May I ask what else you can eat?"
"Just something with no meat for the moment, thank you," Kamala said politely. Her family's religion is very strict about infidel meat. There was this one time that she longed for a BLT sandwich, she can't eat it.
"I can make a vegetable pottage if that's what you want. It will take a while so please eat up while waiting," The maiden moved the doorway only to stop. She turned back and said, "By the way, my name is Agnes. May I ask yours?"
"Kamala Khan," the Pakistani American teen answered. Normally, she wouldn't give out her secret identity so easily. But the lady already saw her face and gave her a bed and food to eat. As far as she's concerned, the damage is already done. The least she could do is be honest.
"Kamala…Khan?" Agnes repeated the name slowly, rolling it off her tongue. She thought about it then shrugged. "That's an unusual name for a Plegian."
"What?"
"Nothing. Please enjoy your meal."
When Agnes left the bedroom, Kamala dug into the bread. It felt warm like it was fresh out of the oven, but it didn't satisfy her hunger. So, when Agnes came back in with a meat-free bowl of pottage, whatever that is, she immediately asked for another one. For some reason, she was more than happy to oblige. Kamala lost count of how many bowls and loaves of bread she had eaten. By then, they were joined by a man with chestnut hair tied in a ponytail and a goatee. He is dressed in simple clothing. She introduced him as her husband, Kaleb.
"Boy, you sure eat a lot, Kamala Khan," Kaleb said, his wide eyes staring at the pile of bowls.
"Just Kamala, Mister Kaleb," Kamala said as she finished her latest bowl. She lost count after thirty. "And thank you for the food. I only get this hungry whenever I use my powers like that."
"You mean when you turned yourself into a giant?" Kaleb asked to which Kamala nods. "I can see why you would be hungry. Someone that big must eat a lot. Glad that the rest of the townsfolk pitched in."
"Wait…did I eat out all your food?" Kamala asked, stiffening up. She became apologetic. "I am sorry for the inconvenience."
"No worry," Agnes waved her apology off with a small laugh. "It was the least we could do for the one who saved our town."
"Speaking of which, I want to express my thanks," Kaleb said, bowing his head with his wife as well. "If it weren't for you, my wife and baby daughter wouldn't be alive. This town wouldn't be still standing without you. Thank Naga that you came when you did."
"It's no trouble. I was just doing my duty as a hero," Kamala said. "Speaking of which, can you tell me where I am? I've been washed ashore just yesterday. It's a long story."
"You're in Ylisse, young lady."
"Ylisse? I've never heard of the country," Kamala said. "Is it close to Europe or something?"
The husband and wife shared looks of confusion.
"Europe? I've never heard of a country with that name. Is that where you are from? I thought you'd be Plegian from your accent and your complexion."
"Plegian? I'm an American thank you very much," Kamala said, a little offended. "Pakistani American to be exact but you get the picture."
"American?" Agnes asked.
"Okay, can you drop the act, please?" Kamala asked a little peeved. "It's bad enough that those thugs pretend to be stuck in the Middle Ages, but you too? I get this must be some medieval attraction but, can you get me a phone? I need to contact someone to take me back to America. I also need to contact S.H.I.E.L.D and ask about the whereabouts of the Avengers."
"Kamala please calm down," Kaleb said, holding up a hand. "you're saying things that don't make sense to us. Phone? America? Shield? Avengers?"
"How can you not know what I am saying? It's like you don't know what I am…talking about…" Kamala stopped talking when she found their unchanging looks of confusion. It was too genuine to be considered acting. It occurred to her that there was no electrical lighting in the room. Not to mention those sorcerers using magic last night. Just like in a fantasy game. A horrifying realization occurred to her when she recalled a genre in Fanfiction that commonly used fantasy worlds such as this.
"Have you heard of the United States of America?" Kamala asked slowly.
"I haven't. Is that your homeland?" Agnes asked gently now that Kamala had calmed down.
"Yeah. But have you heard of any of these counties? France? Pakistan? Wakanda?" Kamala asked. Her questions are met with the same response. Fear began to grip her heart.
"Can you get me a map…please?" Kamala asked in a small voice. "I want to know where I am."
Her pleading voice must've shown how desperate she was. Sharing a look with his wife, Kaleb left the room. Several minutes later, he came back with a rolled-up piece of paper. He handed it to Kamala who rolled it out on her lap. What greeted her was the drawings of unfamiliar continents in a language she couldn't understand at all.
The good news is that she didn't time travel.
Bad news, she landed smack dab in another world.
"No!" Kamala gripped her head. The Cosmic Cube explosion had sent her into another world!
"Are you alright?" Agnes asked carefully.
"No, I'm not alright! I'm in a place where I'm separated from my friends and family who don't even know if I'm alive," Kamala screamed, not daring to use the term 'another world'. They already think she's crazy as it is. Suddenly, she remembered something from her near-encyclopedic knowledge of the Avengers. Specifically, Thor and his ties to Norse mythology.
"Is this place part of the nine realms?" Kamala asked more calmly. Her question is met with more confused looks. "Let me guess…you don't know about Asgard?"
"I'm not familiar with any land named Asgard," Kaleb affirmed.
That sentence dashed away all the hope left. Kamala's shoulders hunched in depression. So that was it. She's in an unfamiliar place and with no way to get back to Jersey City. She won't be able to see her friends and family again. The polymorph can already picture their looks of despair when they can't find her in the aftermath of HYDRA's attack. The thought brought tears that threaten to fall.
She felt arms wrap around her shoulders. It was Agnes. The woman was giving her a calming hug and holding her close.
"There. There. You'll be alright," Agnes whispered. "You'll see your parents again. I promise."
"Y-you really think so?" Kamala sniffed.
"Nothing keeps loved ones apart," Agnes said. "If your love holds, you'll find your way back to them eventually. So don't lose hope, Kamala. I'm sure your family and friends are looking for you as well."
Kamala felt herself glow with hope at those words. She berated herself for losing her composure that easily. She's Ms. Marvel. An Avenger and one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. If there is a way home, then she will find it.
Then it occurred to her. Her teammates were caught in the cosmic explosion as well! That would mean they're somewhere in this world as well. And two of them are some of the greatest scientific minds on Earth. They could find a way to get back home!
"I have to go," Kamala said, throwing off the covers. "I need to find my teammates. My friends."
"Now? You just got up!" Agnes pointed out in concern.
"I know," Kamala said, standing up from the bed. "Thank you both for taking care of me while I was unconscious. And for giving me enough food to satisfy my hunger. But I need to see if any of my friends followed me to Ylisse. If not, I need to look for them."
"Can't you at least wait until tomorrow?" Agnes asked, blocking her. "Just until we make sure that you're fully recovered at least."
"I'm afraid that she won't be staying for long," Kaleb said much to his wife's surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say that It might not be a good idea to go outside at the moment," Kaleb said regrettably. Agnes seemed to have understood his words because she frowned.
"I thought you were going to talk to the chief."
"I did, but he wouldn't budge," Kaleb said with a sigh. "He may be old, but he's stubborn as a mule."
"But she saved our lives!" Agnes protested. "We wouldn't be alive if it weren't for her! This is how we're going to repay her?"
"Um, hello?" Kamala interrupted. "I'm still here. What's going on?"
"Kamala, please understand that most of the town is thankful for what you've done for us," Kaleb said. "But some of them have misgiving about you. Because of them, the town chief wants you out before nightfall."
"What? Why?" Kamala asked.
"It's because…well…" Kaleb spoke as if he wasn't sure how to say it. Seeing Kamala giving him the look that said to just spit it out. "You look like a Plegian. And our people have bad blood between each other."
"But I'm not a Plegian!" Kamala protested. She was a Pakistani American for crying out loud!
"You certainly look and sound like one," Agnes said. Seeing her about to protest, he quickly added. "But you didn't seem to act like one. I've never heard of a Plegian that doesn't eat meat. But the similarities are all they see."
"Kamala, who do you think sent those Brigands in the first place?" Kaleb asked calmly. "Trust me, they can paint their faces all they want, but I know a Plegian when I hear one. Most of them have the same skin tone as yours."
"So, I'm being run out all because of the color of my skin?" Kamala asked heatedly, remembering her world's history of this matter.
"I know it's unfair Kamala," Kaleb said regrettably. "But humans aren't simple creatures. Plegia has been sending soldiers disguised as brigands into Ylisse, attacking towns."
"I have some friends that I never saw again," Agnes said sadly. "Some of the people have come from towns destroyed by them. They too lost loved ones to the Brigands. That kind of pain doesn't go away so easily."
"I take it this kind of thing happens often?" Kamala asked. Both nodded. The girl sighed before sitting back down. "Why is Plegia sending Brigands into Ylisse? It doesn't make sense."
"It's because of the last war," Kaleb answered. "I'm getting the feeling that you're not kidding about being someplace far away, so I'll explain. Fifteen years ago, Ylisse was at war with Plegia. The previous Exalt, the ruler of our country, launched a brutal campaign against Plegia. He wanted to wipe out the Grimleal, a cult that worships Grima."
"Grima?" Kamala asked. She felt the temperature of the room drop at that name. He spoke as if he was talking about the devil.
"The Fell Dragon. You'll hear more later. Anyway, the Grimleal wanted to resurrect Grima and the previous Exalt didn't want that. So, he rallied the Ylissean military and waged war on Plegia. It got to the point where he started conscripting untrained townsfolk. Most of them didn't last more than five minutes in a fight."
"You sound like you know from experience," Kamala points out.
"That's because I used to be a soldier," Kaleb admits, earning a small gasp from Kamala. "I used to serve in the Ylissean military before it was dissolved. That war was horrible. I remember being ordered to raze villages simply because they had Grimleal hiding among them. I…I can remember the terrified faces of the women and children during that campaign. They've haunted me in my dreams."
Kaleb stopped talking, his face filled with remorse. His wife placed a comforting arm on his shoulder. Kamala couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the man. She once talked to Captain America about his experience in the second world war. Even when he became the first super soldier and the living symbol of freedom, he refused to kill. He saw plenty of dead bodies and atrocities on the battlefield. Despite seeing such horrors, he still fought to defend the American way. War isn't pretty, that is a lesson she learned.
"The war ended when he died, and his eldest daughter became the next Exalt. One of the reasons I'm thankful for our Exalt is that she called the Ylissean troops home," Kaleb said, looking at his wife and taking her hand. "I wouldn't have met Agnes and started a family. After she dissolved the military, she sought to repair the damage her father inflicted upon us. She became a symbol of our prized quality—peace."
"Thanks to her, Ylisse is prospering," Agnes said with a soft smile. But then it faded. "But Plegia hasn't forgotten the atrocities inflicted upon them. Their king would send soldiers disguised as brigands to attack towns to provoke another war so that they can exact vengeance. Whenever the Exalt confronts the King about this, he would deny it. We nearly collapsed from the last war. I don't think our country could survive another one."
"I can sort of relating," Kamala said, recalling her history lessons. "Where I came from, we had a war, no two wars, that would put yours to shame. Those wars nearly brought countries to ruin. The first one brought our country into a state of depression that spread everywhere. Just as we had recovered another war was started by one man. One evil man and his gang of cronies. He took over a country and turned it into a fascist regime. The war began when they started invading countries. They committed countless atrocities such as working people to death and flat-out genocide. Thanks to them, everybody hated that country and its people."
Kamala stopped to take a deep breath. Her hosts were listening to this intently. The voice stressed the severity of the World Wars, drawing looks of sympathy and horror from them. What war that could cause a depression on a global scale wouldn't? She cleared her throat and continued.
"But not all of them were like that. Some people resisted that man and his regime. They sabotaged their war efforts, disclosed information, and attacked their authority. These people wouldn't take his oppressive rule. Without them, I don't know if we would've won against them."
"I'm sure that there are some Plegians that don't want another war. From what you've told me, the king must be a cruel man that would stamp out any who don't share his twisted view. He and his people have every right to be mad about the war. Just like your people have every right to be with Plegia for sending those brigands to pillage you. But that doesn't give anyone an excuse to hold everyone accountable and bully them in return. The only one who should be accountable is the person responsible. Otherwise, it will just continue the cycle. I'm not saying that you shouldn't retaliate, but hate will only breed more hate. Just like fighting fire with fire, we all get burnt, which is exactly what they want."
Kamala is firm with her words. Back in her world, she experienced too much hate and persecution for being Inhuman. That nearly faded away when she became an Avenger. People are slowly but surely accepting Inhumans like her. Some sought refuge at the Inhuman city of New Attilan.
"Your words are as wise as the Exalts," Agnes said with a smile. "Maybe you're right. I'm sure that the people of Plegia want this to stop as well."
"Yeah. But you should be standing up for yourselves as well," Kamala said. "Maybe getting rid of the military wasn't a good idea."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Luckily, we aren't defenseless," Kaleb said. "There is a militia called the Shepherds who patrol Ylisse to protect us from the Plegian encroachments. They're led by our very own Prince Chrom. So, you don't need to worry about us Kamala."
"The Shepherds, huh," Kamala murmured in thought. That sounded an awful lot like the Avengers. The Avengers, well avenge, the people who've been wronged. From the sound of it, the sheep are the citizens of Ylisse. But she remembered that this world is a medieval fantasy one, and transportation was horses.
"But they can't be everywhere at once."
"True," Kaleb admitted. "Fortunately, there happened to be veterans around to defend their towns until they arrive. The ones with Nobles have their own private guard that they can afford. We are lucky to have a prince that prioritizes us common folk."
"Indeed, you are. If I didn't know any better, you guys have Ylisse's mightiest heroes," Kamala said with a smile. The couple raised an eyebrow at Kamala's choice of words. The teen stood back up. "Now if I remember correctly, I have to get going. Even if your town would let me stay, I need to go. I need to find my friends and a way home."
"I understand," Kaleb said. While he seems to understand her intentions, there was a twinge of sadness in it. "Even so, a young lass like yourself doesn't deserve to be sent off like this. You're our town's savior."
"It's alright," Kamala said. "Now, if it's alright, I need to change. Do you have my clothes?"
"Your clothing was destroyed in your fight with the Brigands," Agnes said. "But I have some spares if you want. I'm still washing them, but I had to stop to make you dinner."
"Thank you for your kindness," Kamala said. "Which reminds me. Do you have my mask and bracelet?"
"I take it your mask is to hide your identity?" Agnes asked. Kamala slowly nodded. "I won't ask why but it might come in handy. You'll never know when anyone with a grudge against Plegian might mistake you for one. Is your bracelet important as well?"
"It belonged to my great-grandmother Aisha," Kamala answered. That and a few things that are hidden inside it. Agnes' eyes widened at the family history behind it.
"Oh…I see," Agnes said carefully. "I'll bring it back to you right away. It'll take a while for me to finish washing your clothes."
"I'll see if anyone is willing to transport you to Ylisstol," Kaleb said as his wife left the bedroom. "It's the capital of Ylisse. It would be the best place to start looking for your friends. Maybe some of the townspeople will be willing. I can't make any promises."
"That's okay," Kamala said with a sad smile. "If no one is willing to take me, then I can just go myself. It may be a long walk, but I can go the distance."
"I pray to Naga it never comes to that," Kaleb said meaningfully. "I'll see you in a few hours. Hopefully, my wife will finish making you look more decent."
He was not so subtly referring to her borrowed nightgown. When he left the room, Kamala sat back down on the bed, drawing her knees to her chin. Soon, a journey is about to begin. One that will be long and filled with challenges that she'll need to overcome. Voices outside the window drew her attention. Looking out, she saw three people huddled together. From their hushed words, they were talking about her.
"What are they thinking, keeping a Plegian girl here?"
"Did you hear what Agnes said about her? She said that she grew as big as a mountain!"
"Okay, now that's got to be Pegasus dung."
"How else would you explain the ground shaking? Whatever hocus pocus that those Plegians have come up with…Naga! There she is!"
They finally noticed her looking out the window. Kamala saw their expressions of fear and anger directed at her. She withdrew her head and closed the window. The room became dark without the light of the sun, but she didn't care. She was in for a rough time in this world.
"It's official…this is the worst day ever."
[~][~]
Greetings and Bienvenu readers.
Kamala has landed in the world of Archanea and fend off a few brigands. While she saved the town, they are prejudice against Plegians and mistake her for one. Just to make one thing clear, the town isn't Southtown. That is a town entirely made up of me. The next chapter is when her journey to find and reassemble Earth's Mightiest Heroes begins. She will need them to combat the upcoming threats. But don't take my word for it though. You can find out for yourself in the next chapter.
About the upcoming prejudice that Kamala is about to face, allow me to explain. After some research, Plegia is based on the middle eastern countries, though primarily Egypt. Although there are splashes of African influences as well, like Ethiopian. Pakistan shares a little bit of middle eastern with maybe a hint of the subcontinent with India due to sharing a border. So, it's easy for Kamala to be mistaken for Plegian by the Ylisseans. And considering that Plegia has been sending people disguised as bandits to instigate a war, it's no wonder that there will be some prejudice against Plegians and those that look like them. While some of them, like Henry and Tharja, are different, there are some with a medium-brown complexion that is more common than them. Examples include Validar, Gangrel, Aversa, and their commanders. Please remember that Frederick picked out the Plegian Brigands by their accent. No offense intended.
Before you point out Flavia and Basilio, Regna Ferox is based in Eastern Europe. Primarily Russia and Ukraine but with a hint of influence from Austria and Germany in terms of clothing and culture. Some of their politics are inspired by old Germanic customs like trial by combat which inspires choosing their next ruler through military strength. Not to mention their accents sound very close to Russian (like Gregor).
Lastly, regarding Bacon, believe it or not, Bacon existed in medieval times. The salted pork belly first appeared thousands of years ago in China. It spread throughout the Roman empire, and the medieval peasants cooked with bacon fat. One time, in the 12th century, a church in the town of Great Dunmow promised a side of bacon to any married man who could swear to God that he hadn't quarreled with his wife for a year and a day.
Let me know what you think and thank you for reading.
Until next time.