Disclaimer: I do not own these properties and make no claim on them, this story is written purely for amusement and not for profit.
Author's note: Real life has been conspiring to stop me from getting any writing done this week, and shows no signs of stopping. Next chapter may be slightly delayed.
Issue Three
They didn't look like much; so small as to be nearly invisible to the naked eye. On the sensor plate of the Situation Room's main computer, they looked like nothing more than motes of dust.
And the hopes of everyone in the room rode on them.
The sensor plate lit up as it scanned the pollen, and a magnified image of one of the grains appeared on screen, complete with cutaway. "It's scanned in," announced the tech, "Running it through the main Avengers database now."
Luke stared at the image like a man dying of thirst might stare at a glass of water. Beside him, Tony muttered, "This might not lead us straight to them, you know - it might just be the first clue."
The black man didn't look away. "It's a start. It gives us something to do instead of spin our wheels and hope Doom doesn't do anything that might force us to wait on a rescue." A pause. "I've worked with regular law enforcement, Tony. I know how a kidnapping case like this normally plays out. If you can't find 'em in forty-eight hours, you never will. And we're damn close to that time frame. Even if this is just the first clue, it gets us moving."
Watching the scan proceed, Jack Power, already looking nervous, turned. "I can't help much here, I'll go start the preflight on Friday." His brother nodded absently, his more scientifically aware eye going over the details carefully.
OoO
If it wasn't me they were menacing, this would almost be funny.
Since he wasthe subject of Skrull menace, Franklin Richards merely settled for glaring at his captors. Six regular Skrulls held guns on him, two others were manhandling him with the kind of delicate, deliberate action one normally associated with bomb squads, and the group was headed by a full-on Super Skrull. The other prisoner they'd brought out; a kid a few years older than him with a surly glare and hair made of porcupine quills; had a single guard, and wasn't being manhandled at all.
Frank wished he could dosomething, but his powers were locked down so totally he couldn't draw on anything. Not even the just-barely-in-reach feeling he got with his Father's dampeners, but as if they were on the other side of a canyon he couldn't cross. But if they were really sure of their dampeners, they wouldn't be handling me like a walking bomb.
The thought wasn't as much comfort as he'd hoped.
He turned his head, looked to the other boy. "So, what are your powers, anyway?"
The Skrulls all stiffened for a moment, but didn't do anything rash, just kept him marching down the hall. The older boy waited a moment, as if fearing some strike, then answered, "Pretty much just the quills. They're kind of poisoned but... nothing too dangerous. They just knock people out."
Frank looked at the Super-Skrull, eyebrow raising. The Super Skrull looked back, very blandly. "We never know how useful something will be until we've tried it, little man."
"Sure, sure," he replied. I hope they don't decide to hurt him for not having a good power to steal...
0o0
The tension of waiting, after that little burst of hope, is almost worse than it was before,thought Luke Cage as he sat at a console in the situation room.
The Avengers had a very, very powerful computer system. They also had a very, verymassive database for those computers to sift through. The nervous energy was starting to get to him, and the temptation to pace was building. Jessica was doing somewhat better, talking in low tones with Sue Richards, Carol Danvers and Margaret Power. The women all seemed seemed... calmer, thanks to that.
He envied them their outlet.
He resisted the urge to pidgeonhole one of the science types. Right now, none of the big minds were in the mood to chat. Hank was busy helping the scanner sift data, and had patched his Shi'ar database into the system to check it simultaneously. Reed was absent, offworld on some prior venture, and the others had been unable to reach him - he wondered how much that was eating at Sue and Ben, given the circumstances. Stark was divided between the scanner and the situation plot; still focusing on the possible blow-up in Latveria - under normal circumstances he'd be a lot more concerned about that himself, but right about now, Doom could be left to his tin-can self.
Logan drifted up. "How you holdin' up, Cage?"
"I'm managing. You come up with any hints at all, on your end?"
The mutant shook his head, scowling for a moment. "Whoever did this was damned good at their job. Once the brains track 'em down, I intend to come along. I wanna ask the guy what done it a few questions. Then I'll hold him, while you hit."
Coming from Logan, that was no small concession - Cage new the X-man had an odd 'grandfatherly' streak to him, so any kidnapper would not do well in Logan's hands. Between that and the number of mutants this perp had taken, and Cage had figured the man would have wanted first crack at him. Hell, just based on his words, the self-declared 'best there is at what I do' was hurting from being beaten like this. "I think that works for us both."
As if sensing his thoughts, Logan looked him in the eye. "I want him, real bad, but you got a stronger claim." A pause. "'Course, right about now I ain't to sure I want to get between him an' Sue. Or him an' your wife. Ain't gonna be pretty, when they get ahold of him."
Luke's smile was grim. "I'm not planning to lose any sleep over it."
"Me, either."
0oO
Katie Power had had her powers suppressed before. Once upon a time, when Professor Xavier went crazy and turned into Onslaught, the Pack had (very, very foolishly, she had to admit) ignored the Avenger's instruction to sit on the sidelines and just save people from Sentinels. They'd tried to rescue Franklin, kidnapped by Xavier. It hadn't gone well.
That time, it felt like her powers had been just beyond her reach. Just far enough removed that she couldn't really doanything with them, but she could still feel them. The Skrull device around her neck...
She could still feel her powers. When she tried to use them, it felt like they were responding, but almost instantly there would be a feeling of... almost pressure; as if a wall pushed her mass back into its 'proper' form. It didn't interfere with her costume, either. Not much she could do about it at the moment but... food for thought. I'm not quite as locked down as they probably want.
For the moment, it was time to rest. It had been a long, long day - possibly more than that, since they didn't really have any way to tell the time in here. Across the way, Klara and Molly had both fallen into fitful looking sleeps. She made brief use of the facilities, then tried to find the least-uncomfortable spot on the metal cot.
A voice she didn't expect sounded from the other side of the wall. "Power. Are you awake? I would speak with you." The Asian girl, her tone oddly neutral, compared to its usual acid.
"Yeah, I'm awake," she replied, voice quiet but pitched to carry - she didn't want to wake any of the others.
"Your escape attempt did not go terribly well. Given your powers and your vaulted status as a hero, I cannot say I am impressed."
Katie scowled, but kept her tone neutral. "I'm not super happy about how it went either. But there'll be another chance."
There was a long moment of silence, then she continued, her voice lacking its snide edge. "Back in the hall, when that Skrull gave his ultimatum... were you bluffing when you said you could escape even then?"
Katie wondered a moment at the change in tone. "No, I wasn't. I probably could have gotten loose. If nothing else, I could have created lots of mayhem."
"Then why did you surrender?"
She blinked, turned and stared towards the source of the voice, even knowing that the other girl couldn't possibly see her through the wall. "Because he was going to kill you. I mean... I've fought some nasty types before, I don't think he was bluffing."
Another pause; the Asian girl's voice was quieter, almost strained, as it continued. "But... why? Why care for me? You do not know me, you do not even know my name... since we have met, I have done nothing but speak bile and venom at you and Richards and the others. What possible reason did you have to give yourself up for me?"
Katie again blinked. "I... couldn't let him kill you. I mean, yeah, you were being a jerk, but I don't think you're totally bad or anything." A pause. "I figured there'd be another chance; a chance to get away without getting anyone killed."
"And that chance is now lost." She sounded almost... wistful.
"It might be. It might not. I've been a hero most of my life-" All thirteen years of it "-and I'm not nearlyout of tricks yet." A pause. "Besides, I don't care how careful they thought they were when they did their little snatch. The heroes won't stop looking for us, and they will find us."
There was a long pause before the other girl answered. "They will not be looking for me; they know nothing ofme."
"When they get this far, I don't think they'll onlybe taking back kids on some list."
"...I do not understand people like you. The Order that raised me would never exert themselves like this, not for any child not their own." A pause, but before Katie could formulate a question - Order?
Like monks or something?- she continued. "Certainly not one they did not know."
"Well, I know for a fact they'll be looking for me, and I won't let them leave mehere without my friends." A pause as she let that sink in a moment. "Would you like to be my friend?"
The silence stretched for a long moment, then, "I... perhaps I would."
Katie smiled. "Hi there. My name is Katie Power. What's yours?"
The other girl gave a short, surprised laugh, then, "Cynthia."
OoO
Hank McCoy's whoop was triumphant.
A grin that could only be described as catlike split his features. "I've got a match. The pollen matches up with a sample taken from a planet near the Shi'ar border. It's inhabitable, but the survey report shows no strategic resources."
"Uninhabited?" Stark's voice cut through the beginning cheers.
"According to this. It may not be the place they're holding the kids, but it's certainly a possibility. And it's a fine first step."
As cheers filled the room, Luke Cage enveloped McCoy's furry hand in both of his, and shook it. "Thank you, Hank. This is just what we needed."
"My pleasure. Go get your daughter back, Luke."
They fed the co-ordinates into Friday's navigation program, and the Smartship gave a double beep. "Interesting. Referencing my star charts and calculating a least-time course for that planet now."
"Thanks, Friday. We'll load up." Alex straightened up from the console he'd been hunched over. "Okay, he's working on it." A look around the cabin. "I don't think we'll be able to take more than eight people, though."
Ben Grimm gave the cabin a look himself and nodded. "We'll have to jack the bad guy's ship for the trip back."
"Oh yeah. I think we're justified at this point." Luke Cage growled. Beside him, Tony Stark nodded.
Jack smirked at the adult's tone. I admit, I'm looking forward to a little Grand Theft Spaceship, too. "Obviously, me an' Alex are coming, who else?"
The grownups gave one of those little hesitations that always meant they were debating how to talk him out of doing something superheroic. Before they could start on their arguments on why he should stay behind, he growled, "I don't care that I'm under age. These bastards kidnapped my kid sister, and I will be damned before I get left out of a rescue mission for her."
Alex backed him up. "And it's our ship. Which you wouldn't be looking at for transport if you had anything of your own with the range or speed to get there. Jack and I are not negotiable."
At the back of the group, Dad met his sons gaze in turn, giving nods of support - though Jack could see the pain and fear in it, and felt a tiny twinge.
Another look bounced between the adults. Finally, Ben Grimm spoke. "They're young, but they're good. T' Power kids are a solid bunch."
His vote of confidence seemed to break the deadlock. Luke thought for a moment, then nodded decisively. "Good enough for me. So, me and Jessica, Sue and Ben, and the Power boys. Who else wants in?"
Miss Marvel spoke up immediately. "I wouldn't miss this for anything." She and Jessica Jones exchanged nods.
Logan and Hank gave each other a look; Hank nodded. Logan turned to the main group and said, "I'm in too. I want a piece of these bastards."
OoO
"Well, we're getting about the results we expected from our scouted targets, but the targets of opportunity are much more... mixed."
Z'aadw stiffened. "You told me to capture powered children I could reach without risk of detection. That's what I did."
The scientist gave the Super Skrull a quelling look. "Yes, you did. Just as ordered. And for all some are without powers that can truly aid us, a few of them have very interesting abilities." A pause. "And was not the secondary goal of this exercise to cause as much pain to the humans as possible?"
The Super Skrull gave a grunt of agreement. "I suppose it will work for that still."
F'klr spoke up then. "As far as our targeted children, how does your research proceed?"
The scientist brought up a page of impenetrable Techniclese on his screen. "I am still working on that. My primary focus has been on the Richards children. The girl's uncanny ability with technology and engineering, while not terribly useful in combat, should be reproducible. I suspect while it will not be terribly useful in a traditional Super Skrull, it could make for an excellent... Support Skrull, I suppose. A super tech."
"And the boy?"
"Franklin Richard's power... is interesting, and much more complex than we'd first thought. We may be able to duplicate it in parts, but not the whole of it." A pause. "Frankly, given what he is in theory capable of if he ever doesreach full power, that's probably for the best."
"So he does have the potential to become a full-on reality warper?"
"Yes. Sirs, I know you have your priorities, and they override the scientific goals of this expedition, but I would urge you, once we've got a full array of samples, and have them all analyzed, kill him." The normally soft-spoken scientist's voice filled with conviction as he reached the end of that statement.
"His powers are thoroughly dampened, and we owe his parents far more pain than most." F'klr's tone suggested devil's advocate more than anything else.
The scientist took that as his cue. "The Richards boy has a history of overcoming checks on his powers. However satisfying taking a little revenge on his family on the boy might be, the risks, I think, outweigh the rewards."
Z'aadw spoke quietly. "He's got a point. And his sister is much more easily kept under control."
"Your points are well taken. All right. Make studying Franklin Richards your priority; once he's done, we'll eliminate him."
OoO
The Smartship Friday was designed to transport small teams over long distances. It had a great deal of range, and its systems were impeccably designed for those purposes; but seven adults and one teenager stressed it's capacity almost to its limits.
Friday had come through in impeccable style - plotting a course that used multiple wormhole shortcuts and would have them at the planet in a matter of hours. Laden with people, supplies, and as many assorted portable scanners as could be crammed in, he was, proverbially, loaded for bear.
The planet might not be their destination, but it would be, bare minimum, a good first step. Whoever did this might have been incredibly careful on Earth, but this far from their objective, they might not be so cautious.
Oo0
Julie Power had taken her time flying in, collecting her thoughts and preparing to come home, for the first time in a long time. A home she'd never wanted to return to. She wasn't looking forward to this confrontation with her family. She wasn't looking forward to it at all. Katie kidnapped... They'd be frantic. Tempers would almost certainly be ready to flare.
But now New York was filling her line of sight, and she was out of delays.
In silence, she flew into the city. The family apartment building came into sight. Now or never.
She landed on the roof. The spare key was exactly where she remembered it. She let herself in through the roof access, and from there into the apartment. Her parents were in the living room, sitting together. She braced herself as they looked up.
She braced herself for nothing. "Julie!" her mother shouted, jumping up and wrapping her in a big hug. Her father was barely a step behind.
"Thank you for coming - we were worried."
"Worried that I'd been taken, too?"
"Worried for you in general - We've missed you."
Julie felt her eyes tear up. She was home. She hadn't expected that, when she started. "Do they know where Katie is yet?"
Daddy replied, "They think so. You missed their takeoff by about an hour." A pause. "I'm sorry."
Julie screwed her eyes shut. "So am I."
Oo0
"And here we are," said Susan Richards as they came out of hyperspace.
The target planet turned below them, blue and green and brown, and the Smartship's sensors began to probe it. "I am detecting a large scale comm jamming field on the southern continent. Visual scans show a facility there, and I am detecting multiple life signs, including roughly thirty humans."
That got everyone's attention. "Can you identify it?" Asked Luke Cage.
"The field seems to match Skrull energy patterns. As do the non-human life signs."
The mood was grim. "Take us in."
0oO
Alarms began to wail inside the facility. They had been found.
Oo0
In his cell, Franklin abruptly sat up. "Katie!"
She glanced over. "What is it?"
"I think... I have a feeling... I think my Mom is nearby."
"Are you certain, Richards?" asked Cynthia.
"Yes. Yes, I am."
Katie smiled. "He'd know. I knew they wouldn't be able to keep you down for long, Franklin." Her grin turned into a smirk. "Time for me to pull out a trick."
Then she sat down, closed her eyes, and focused on the string of energy that bound her original power to her soul.
OoO
In his seat, Jack stiffened, then swore under his breath. Alex glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. "I think Katie just got bored of waiting for us, bro," he muttered
"She just took back the Energy power?"
"She just took back the Energy power."
Alex swore, too, then spoke up to be heard by the planning adults. "Uh, We've suddenly got a time limit. The prisoners are about to try a breakout."
Cage raised an eyebrow.
Mrs Richards came to their rescue. "The Power children's powers are strangely linked. It wouldn't surprise me if they could tell at this range, if Katie was trying something."
A glance shot around the cabin between the Avengers. After a moment, Cage said, "Well then. We got a time limit. Let's roll."
Ben Grimm ground one fist into the opposite palm, nodding, as did Mrs. Richards. "Two minutes, and we're ready here," said Alex, then murmured, "Julie, wherever you are, I really hope you're close to the ground..."
OoO
Julie Power was sitting on the living room sofa, staring at the set of portraits her mother had done of the Power children years ago. One of each, in costume. She remembered posing for it. In many ways, those portraits were the most sincere statement of approval their mother could have made to the children. They demonstrated that she not simply accepted their superheroics, but was proud of them.
She was lost in thought, her emotions a swirl. Regret played a much bigger part than she'd expected. Her eyes moved from her portrait to that of Katie. If I was still here, would I still share a room with my baby sister? And if I'd been here... could I have stopped the kidnapper, or would I have been taken too?
She rubbed at her forehead, sighing. And for all the fighting when I left... they'd still take me back.Another sigh. And right now, I'm sitting useless. I can't go help, because they already took Friday, and all I'm doing here is spinning my wheels between bouts of pestering the Avengers...
Suddenly, she felt a tugging at her power. For a long moment, her teeth clenched in old, remembered anger and hurts. Alex, you swore you'd never do this to me again...Then, breath releasing, she relented. And you wouldn't unless something had gone wrong.The tug was more gentle than normal, not even trying to take the power for almost a full minute, and even after that draining away slowly. Her big brother, still trying to look out for her, giving her enough time to get landed if she'd been airborne. Clear of most threats if she'd been pursued; her full speed, these days, came a lot closer to making her moniker true than it had back in the day.
Hugging herself tightly, she fought down the instinctive feeling of betrayal and the bile that came with it. After this, you better get my little sister back, Alex.