The ambassador back in New York City had been unfailingly polite, offering Tommy all sorts of assurances about her safety along with the validity of their offer. He'd actually made her feel secure. This lasted about ten minutes. After filling out some very simple paperwork that he insisted she read first so there would be no surprises, he then escorted her to a chamber that reminded the suddenly anxious mutant of a very advanced hospital. According to him they needed to run some tests. Three guesses what that meant.
But the masked medics there didn't draw her blood or probe her or anything like she had feared. They just told her to stand in front of something like a big screen under a harsh ocher light and then sit in a chair while they conversed. Afterwards one of them came over to explain that she had just passed through quarantine, in which a number of pathogens she was carrying had been exterminated. He didn't seem to judge her in any way. Just thanked her for cooperating and then had some more masked personnel escort her to a small glowing plinth.
"Enjoy Latveria," one of them said.
She hadn't dared ask what would happen next. When the bright flash of light came, Tommy actually screamed, thinking her worst fears were true and this was all some sort of evil trap.
Next thing she knew, the frightened fugitive found herself standing somewhere completely different than where she had just been.
Now Tommy examined her surroundings with a measure of trepidation. Various news reports she had watched while hiding out all insisted that the secluded country of Latveria was a futuristic nightmare. Like something out of a 'Terminator' movie, robots everywhere and lots of corpses. Whether conservative or liberal-minded, nobody had anything good to say about it, which made it funny when they all admitted to never having actually been there. Meanwhile the rare Latverian abroad who gave an interview insisted it was quite blissful, painting a picture of untrammelled forests, clean rivers and idyllic villages nestled beneath majestic mountains. That version reminded her of 'The Sound of Music'.
So far nobody had gotten it right. But at present the only movie reference coming to her was 'Harry Potter'. The sky overhead was remarkably blue. She was standing atop a plinth identical to the one from before in the courtyard of an enormous castle. There were gray unfriendly walls and towers rising to encase her, stairs and casements all over the place, shadowy arches, carved gargoyles, and not a single living soul to be seen. Maybe it was more like 'Dracula', actually…
"Good afternoon."
Tommy gasped and spun about. There in front of her was a stooped elderly man with curly white hair and a bushy moustache. He was in no way intimidating. In fact, he looked rather nice, smiling and regarding her amiably with warm crinkled eyes. Like somebody's grandpa. His clothes reminded her of what butlers wore in the movies, only in a style that looked a little… maybe old-fashioned was the best word. Tommy knew a thing or two about clothing.
In spite of this, she found herself uncertain of what to do next. She had been indoors a few seconds ago. Now it was definitely outdoors. What just happened?
"I understand that your name is Tommy," her aged companion stated, causing the girl to flinch. His pronunciation of English sounded Eastern European to her. "So that we are both on a first-name basis, you may call me Boris."
The warnings about what to find here came flooding back. Without stopping to think Tommy blurted out, "Are you a robot?"
His eyebrows shot up in a gesture of surprise, and the old man laughed suddenly, a short harrumph of amusement. That sound more than anything caused her to relax. Robots don't laugh, it wouldn't make any sense. This must be a real person.
Boris turned and beckoned for her to follow him, still chuckling. Tommy did not hesitate in doing so as he led her towards one of the shadowy archways adorning this palace. She didn't want to be left alone in such a dismal-looking place. As they walked her head craned upwards, wondering something. Maybe she was wrong, but the sun seemed rather too high in the sky for early morning.
Her guide caught her peering up and seemed to guess her thoughts. "You are in a different hemisphere now, my dear. We are several hours ahead of what you are used to. No worries, you'll adapt in a week or so."
"How did I get here?" she asked, wondering if this might be some sort of dream.
"Teleportation," he supplied simply. Then, at the way she regarded him, Boris turned a look of surprise on her. "Do they not have such a thing where you are from?" When she shook her head no he heaved a despondent sigh. "Dear me. The world you lived in has hardly advanced a decade from the one I knew in my day. I wonder sometimes why they put up such a resistance to change."
Tommy didn't really know what to make of that so she kept her mouth shut. The corridor they walked down had suits of armor clasping huge broadswords lining the walls. She expected them to come to life or follow their movements with their heads in the manner of a haunted house. Coming out into a large hall adorned with faded tapestries, the two of them passed antique wooden furniture and display cases holding golden chalices next to various daggers. Actual candelabra cast flickering shadows. It really was like a medieval castle. Where did he get off talking down about her country when his looked like it had just popped up from the Dark Ages?
At last they came upon a large oak door banded with black iron. Boris grasped a ring set into it and pulled. Another corridor awaited them. In less than a minute they had arrived at a smaller portal of similar make, only this one had a white globe set into it. The aged butler drew to a halt and Tommy did the same.
Before she could speak the globe split in half, revealing a great red electronic eye peering out at them. Tommy squeaked and instinctively turned thin, flattening herself completely against a wall. Boris cast a curious look in her direction at the same time a beam of red light shot from the eye, quickly flickering over him from head to toe. When it was done, the eye closed once again, and the door swung open without a sound.
There was bright light spilling out upon them now. Realizing that nothing bad was about to happen, the fearful mutant disengaged herself. She peered into this new setting, observing what looked to be a tiny solar. There was a carved stone fireplace in one wall opposite a big patio behind two great glass doors. The rest of the room held only a round wooden table laden with golden platters bearing all kinds of fruits, pastries, and meats, along with a crock of butter next to fresh warm bread, its crust so brown it was almost black. Beads of water condensed on jugs containing milk and several types of dark wine.
Two chairs were placed near that table, and in one of them, someone was already sitting. At least, it looked that way. A large folding paper screen stood in between them and this solitary figure. The divider was angled to prevent you from seeing much about them. However, the sun pouring in from behind that translucent barrier left everything perfectly outlined, so that it seemed as though a shadow play was going on. Tommy saw the dark silhouette of a person dressed in what might be a lounging robe reclining in an ornate high-backed chair. She judged it to be a man by his build. There was a glimpse of a profile with short curly hair. Anything else remained indistinguishable. He did not move in the slightest at their entry, so she had to wonder if perhaps he was taking a nap. A small nightstand was partially visible close at hand to his seat, on which could be seen a dish with the remainder of some food, as well as a teacup and pot that steamed invitingly.
Tommy disengaged her power but did not proceed any further. As she hesitated upon entering Boris glided past her and pulled out the seat opposite that reclining figure. He stood behind the chair, clearly letting her know she was meant to occupy it. Uncertain whether to do so or not, the decision was made for her when the man behind the curtain wall spoke.
"Be seated."
Her feet instantly moved to obey. Tommy didn't think about refusing. She couldn't. That voice made it impossible; deep and quiet, strong in a way that left her uncomfortably aware of her own weaknesses. There was a quality in the way he spoke that sent shivers up and down her spine. Like it had invaded her mind somehow. A terrible impression settled over her that if this man had told her to throw herself out the window she would not have any choice but to do so.
The dumbstruck mutant took her place opposite the other diner. Boris slid her chair forward, then moved behind the screen. He picked up the teapot and refilled the cup there before heading back to offer this same service to Tommy. When both occupants had been served the old man took up position by the wall, becoming largely unnoticeable in the process. It was terribly quiet. Tommy could hear her own heart beating, so fast and loud she felt certain everyone else must be listening to it as well.
"You may eat, if you so desire."
The food here looked delicious, but even if she hadn't already had a large breakfast, there was no way she could have forced anything down. A feeling of dread had settled in her gut that would not permit her to speak, let alone eat. Her fingers clasped the pocket where Captain America's card remained.
Across the table the forbidding menace responsible for her terror picked up his own teacup and raised it to his lips. There was no sound to indicate he had swallowed, but when he put it down, a lack of steam made it known. Her mind latched onto the crazy notion that his touch must have frozen the contents solid. And while engaged in this bit of giddy daydreaming, he spoke to her once more.
"Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Latveria, young Tommy. I trust your journey here did not unduly alarm you. Consider this a short layover before you are escorted to your new dwelling. The people of our land have generously opened their hearths and homes to those dispossessed souls who have come here seeking safety from persecution. Your well-being is their only concern, of that you need not fear."
It was hard to place his accent. Not so much of one, really, although she could tell he was not a native speaker of English. On further reflection there was something kind of thrilling in the way he phrased himself. It was a mystical, religious quality. As if every word echoed ever so slightly, and that vibration tickled your senses as it washed over you, leaving the listener quivering in their seat like a harp string plucked by a master musician. Terrified as she still might be, Tommy felt she could listen to him all day and never get tired.
"Before that, though, I wished to speak with you concerning a matter that occurred recently."
At a gesture from the other man, Boris retrieved a newspaper resting on the table and held it out to Tommy. Upon accepting she found it to be a copy of The Daily Bugle. The banner headline read, Shish-ka-Gob! Complete with this was an image of a sour-looking red-haired man she didn't recognize next to a photo of the Green Goblin attacking some people in a ballroom.
Before she could read the article, her host's voice took up all her attention. "Last night a charity event in New York City was attended by Janet Van Dyne, your former employer. This morning you came to our US embassy being escorted in the company of her and another Avenger. It is reasonable to assume that you and she met at some point following the events of that evening."
He paused as if in expectance of her confirmation. Tommy nearly panicked when it felt like she couldn't find her voice, but after a bit of extra effort, managed to mumble, "Yes, sir."
The shadow steepled his fingers together, his words taking on a musing quality. "There are questions that only you can answer, child. Begin by looking at the Society section of the paper." Tommy complied. The first thing she saw was a picture of Miss Van Dyne wearing the same dress as last night. Standing beside her was the robot in a suit from earlier, under the headline, Creating the Perfect Man? Wasp certainly looked happy enough with her partner.
The sight of the other woman's smiling face allowed Tommy to realize this avenue of questioning might be leading towards a betrayal of the trust placed in her by both Avengers. It took a significantly greater show of strength than before, but she finally looked up at that sunlit figure and stated, "Sir, forgive me, but… I don't really know what happened last night. Miss Van Dyne and I didn't talk about it. And we really don't know each other that well, so I can't tell you anything about her or really much about…"
His hand raised, and just like that Tommy stopped talking. What's going to happen now? Will I be deported? Or just outright killed? I can't believe I came here, this was so stupid, I see that now, if only I had listened to Miss Van Dyne I could still be…
"You misunderstand, child. My interest lies not in the woman. It is in the robot accompanying her."
"The robot?" she repeated blankly, glancing back at that disturbing visage. Even decked out in an obviously expensive suit the thing looked like it might bite your head off. "What about it?"
"Was the machine present when you approached Van Dyne last night?"
Tommy thought back. "Yeah. It was there at first, but it left before I came out of hiding."
The man settled back in his chair. "You observed them together without their knowledge." He made it a statement of fact.
"Uh-huh." It was obvious he was waiting on further details, so Tommy tried hard to remember everything she could. "I was in the bedroom when they came into the apartment, that is… I mean, they didn't know I'd be there, I never meant to stay so long and I…"
He made a gesture that cut her off again. "How did it behave?"
"Behave? You mean the robot?"
"Yes."
Did he sound irritated? Oh, boy, this is seriously not good! What am I supposed to say here? Should I tell him? Would that be bad for Miss Van Dyne? Tommy cast a pleading look over to Boris. The kindly butler inclined his head with a heartfelt smile. Her insecurities yielded a bit at this show of human affection. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt, right?
"I was trying to sleep when I heard them come in. At first I got spooked, because I thought it was a burglar or something, but then I recognized Miss Van Dyne's voice. By then I was already hiding under the bed and it didn't really look like a good time to come out. The door was open, and I could see them down the hall. So I watched. At first I thought I was seeing things, or hearing them, because it was obvious she was with some kinda robot. He even sounded like one, y'know, I-AM-A-RO-BOT, like that!"
Boris coughed slightly and turned his head away so she couldn't see his face. The shadow man didn't make any sort of response, though, so Tommy continued. "She talked to it for a bit. I could tell something had happened, but not what. Still, everything seemed to be all right, until it called her 'Janet'! That felt weird. I mean, I wouldn't even call her by her first name, and she's someone I really admire. But Ja… I mean, Miss Van Dyne said it was all right."
At that point, something else the rainbow-colored mutant hadn't allowed herself to think on too heavily came back to mind. "And then it grabbed her."
They both seemed to take a greater interest then, so that the gossipy girl felt extremely nervous. To cover this she resumed chattering as fast as possible. "Not so much grabbed her, I mean, not threw her over its shoulder or anything like that. But she was sitting on the couch and I saw it sneaking up on her, and I almost screamed, 'Watch out!', because the thing looked really scary right then with its glowing red eyes and mouth! I thought it was gonna hurt her! Instead it put its hands on her shoulders." She grasped her own by way of demonstration. "And Miss Van Dyne jumped! She said its hands were cold, but I could tell, she was freaking out that it did that. I would be too if a robot started hitting on me."
Tommy looked up in time to see a glance be exchanged between the two men. She could tell that they were having a hard time believing this story.
"I'm serious, it was putting the moves on her!" the relater of this tale insisted, forgetting her previous misgivings about speaking too freely. "Don't doubt it, I know, I'm a girl! When a guy tries to give you a massage, doesn't matter if he's gay, a mutant, or even an android, that is a sure sign he's interested in you! I've had plenty of boys try that sort of thing with me. No matter what they say, it's never about 'just being friends'. Lucky for me I can always go paper on 'em. Actually, you know what, the robot started talking about being more than friends or something! No, wait, I'm getting mixed up, that was earlier…"
Here Tommy paused. "Hang on. I think I'm getting confused."
By this point Boris was coughing into a handkerchief very hard. His face was red, and there were tears in his eyes even though it looked like he was smiling. Tommy felt a little pleased at seeing him so obviously enjoying himself.
Then the man behind the screen stood up, and Boris stopped coughing so fast it was scary. His face schooled itself into a perfectly serious cast. Once more the young woman remembered the situation she was in, and she clamped her jaws shut before things could get any worse.
Expecting a reprimand from her host, instead that figure only reached up to his shoulders and drew the hood of the robe over his head. He then walked over to the window, the outline of his body becoming less distinct as he moved farther away. There was a slight clanking noise when he moved, like he wore steel-soled shoes or something. No time could be spent pondering this odd choice of footwear, for he was speaking once again.
"That will be all for now. Boris, escort our guest off the grounds and see to her care."
"Yes, milord," the old man pronounced. He came over to her. Tommy didn't have to be told twice. She was ready to get the heck out of there. As bizarre as this meeting had been, it could definitely get worse. Although in truth, there hadn't been much really bad so far.
Thinking this, while she made her way hurriedly over to the door, Tommy couldn't help sneaking a peek out of the corner of her eye. Her interrogator was sufficiently far from the screen that she could catch a brief glimpse of him. However, with his back to her, all she got was a fleeting impression of a fairly large man in a hooded royal purple robe with arms crossed over his chest. His posture was so straight it made her think of a statue.
The two of them exited the chamber, leaving the anonymous overlord to his thoughts.
"Come, my dear," Boris said as they found themselves alone together. "It is time you saw where you will be staying from here on out."
Tommy hastened to obey. Now that the ordeal seemed to be finished, she found herself worrying all over again. Were they going to put her in a concentration camp or something? Should she try to call Captain America? Nobody had really done anything to her yet, even that man back there had been fairly polite now that she thought of it.
Really, what just happened? Tommy drew a shaky breath as certain suspicions dawned upon her.
"Boris?"
He stopped and looked back. She hugged herself, casting nervous looks all around before asking, "Did I just do something wrong?"
His wrinkled face creased in a sad smile. "Don't worry, young lady. You've offered harm to no one, by word or deed. How could you?"
This assurance did little to comfort her. The next question was something she simply had to know. "Can you… tell me where I am now? And who was that, anyway?"
"You are currently in Doomstadt, capital of the kingdom of Latveria. The man you spoke to is my master, and the lord of this castle. While in this country you and everyone else are under the protection of our monarch. Please follow me now. It is time you saw what Latveria has to offer its citizens."
She followed obediently, more uncertain than ever. As they came back into the great hall from before Boris lifted his head slightly before turning back on his way. Tommy didn't overlook this gesture, and when she followed his gaze, she noticed something that had escaped her attention before.
Over a fireplace in the far wall hung a huge portrait slightly covered by velvet curtains. The subject was a lovely young woman with curly dark tresses. She was wearing a plain rustic skirt and blouse with a colorful shawl over her shoulders, hands clasped in her lap as she gazed out of the painting's depths. The expression on her face was hard to determine, however Tommy couldn't help but think the lady appeared a little anxious, as though something was bothering her while she posed for this painting. In spite of this the eyes were enchanting, pure black and almost seeming to smolder at the viewer, challenging them to look away from her. She was struck by a sense that this must have been a very formidable woman.
There almost seemed to be a spell of protection cast by that feminine figure. It gave the lonely mutant a little bit of bravery somehow, looking at those eyes. Maybe she was scared too and trying to hide it? Guess I've made my choice, Tommy thought. Now I've got to try and live with it. With that, she went on her way.
The Hulk had been in a bad mood when he popped back up in Avengers Mansion. Not to mention somewhat worse for wear. There was little he hated more than having to work with Alpha Flight. They had hunted him during his time in the Canadian wilderness, and being on their side now didn't make things any better. The craziest stuff always happened when they were around.
'Sasquatch always seemed the sort of person you might like.'
"You would think that," he muttered to his puny partner, ignoring a snobbish greeting from Stark's stupid talking house.
'WE thought that, remember? And besides, they did help out this time around.'
"Those guys attract nutjobs." The enormous gamma-mutation rubbed an eye irritably as he made his way to bed. "Like this time around. What would a guy calling himself the Sphinx even be doing in Ontario anyway? Got lost on his way to Cairo?"
'Regardless, you helped drive him off. And it only required time-traveling to Ancient Egypt for a week. Wasn't it nice to get away for a while? Besides, they sent us right back to the mansion as promised.'
"Stuff it. I just want to sleep!"
Banner took the hint and clammed up. Hulk made his way into his room to plop down on the bed. Titanium-reinforced supports creaked under his weight but held nonetheless. The air was cool, the night was dark, and he had just spent seven relative days traipsing through the pharaohs' blistering hot backyard in northern Africa. It was time for some well-deserved rest. A second later he was sound asleep.
Hulk came awake just as fast. It was daytime judging by the level of brightness. The noise that had disturbed his slumber continued. But not for much longer if he had anything to say about it. Rising up with a snarl, the emerald colossus looked out his window.
He immediately regretted it. "Oh, no. Not you."
"Whatever, Hulk." Spiderman left off tapping on the glass and pressed his bug-eyed face against it. "C'mon, lemme in! I got something important to talk about!"
In response the Avenger simply lay back down and turned on his side, presenting his broad back to the other superhero. "Get lost, Webhead. I'm in no mood."
Predictably, right after this the annoying pest started up again. "Oh, you're tired? Sorry about that. Here, I'll sing you a lullaby so you can drop off faster!"
Hulk's teeth ground together like rock-crushers and his eyes shut tight. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of responding! Not even to crush him!
"Hul-ky, Hul-ky, He's my buddy!/ Hul-ky, Hul-ky, He's my friend!/ Thick and thin, big and small, dumb and smart, green and webbed red… and blu-u-u-u-e! It's 'The Hulky and Spidey Hour'!"
Two pillows stuffed over his ears didn't help one bit. And besides, there was no escaping the voice from within his mind.
'He's not going to stop. You know him. He'll keep this up all day if he has to. Why not just listen to what he has to say?'
"No! Now shut-up!"
"Do you like that? Little idea for a TV show I've been thinking about pitching to the networks. Kinda like a Japanese bokke and tsukkomi act! The two of us, up on stage together, lottsa laughs, the public will just eat it up! Yaaaaay, bravo, bravo!"
By this point Spiderman had drawn three lines of webbing from his wrist and was plucking them like guitar strings. They weren't harmonious to begin with, and his skill level didn't help. Hulk's brain was boiling over like a volcano ready to erupt but his will remained firm. I don't care what either of you has to say! I'm not listening!
"Encore, encore! Encore, you say? Why, certainly! HUL-KY, HUL-KY, HE'S MY BUDDY, HUL-KY, HUL-KY, HE'S MY FRIEND-!"
In a flash Hulk tore off the bed, wrenched up the windowpane so hard it practically dissolved in his hand, and roared at the top of his lungs right in Spidey's face. "WHAAAAAAAAT?"
The skinny little do-gooder took the deafening shout and a fair amount of spittle without flinching. He wiped off his mask before crawling into the room to affix against the wall. "Thanks, Hulk. Knew I could count on you!"
An urge to do criminal violence on his person was making Hulk's vision go red. Unfortunately that proved to be the time Bruce Banner chose to assert himself. This was the only thing that prevented little Spiderman's crimefighting career from ending inside a full body cast. So restrained, he had to content himself with lumbering back to bed and plopping down to face his bothersome houseguest.
"What do you want?" he snarled, still imagining how little effort it would take to snap that spindly neck.
"Now is that any way to greet a trusted comrade?" Spidey tutted and wagged his finger as if to admonish the much, much bigger man. "How many times have you and I fought on the same side against one villain or another, huh? Sometimes even with the local authorities trying to arrest us both! We vigilante types gotta stick together, right?"
"You tried to turn me in for the reward last time!" Remembering this had Hulk back on his feet and ready to smash, come what may.
"Kidding! I was kidding around with them, honest! You know me, Hulk, that Spidey, what a joker!" He laughed a little shakily, leading both Hulk and Banner to suspect his motives. However the arachnid acrobat launched back into his spiel before either could decide what to do about it. "Listen, I know that you and I haven't always gotten along swimmingly. And heaven knows I've been forced to beat on your big green head like a watermelon plenty of times…"
In a blur of inhuman movement Spiderman scampered up to roost upon the ceiling, only barely evading a swipe from one stupendous fist.
"… but that's not what brings me by! All kidding aside, I'm serious now, Hulk. There's something you really should see."
With that the wall-crawler dropped down to the floor and held up his hands in a submissive gesture. His tone had changed to reflect this sudden shift of attitude. Hulk eyed him warily, torn between his natural desire to cut loose and a faint stirring of curiosity. Probably Banner messing with him again. Little egghead never could resist a puzzle. Fuming at this intrusion on his sovereignty, it occurred to him that the best way to get rid of both nuisances was to humor them.
"Show me what you're selling," Hulk grunted, "and maybe I won't throw you across the ocean."
"Ever the charming host," Spidey sang. He then reached back and withdrew a small flash drive from his belt. Glancing around, the colorful hero spied a port in the wall-computer by Hulk's bed. After trotting over he inserted the drive and turned back to the room's owner. "Can you fire this baby up?"
"Hey, Rosie the Robot…"
"Right away, sir." Jarvis chimed in to answer his demeaning call. In moments the screen had come to life.
"Sweet!" Spiderman breathed. "Man, you've really come a long ways from eating out of garbage cans, Hulk!" At the sound of a menacing growl, he returned back to business. "Okay, listen. You must have heard by now about what went down at the Mandarin Hotel last night, right?"
"No."
"Really? Nothing? Green Goblin, Beetle, Wasp, yours truly, none of it?"
Leaf-green eyes narrowed abruptly. "What about Wasp?"
The nimble wise-guy studied him for a second before apparently coming to the conclusion this was not a joke. He heaved a sigh. "Man, Hulk, I know the printed word is dying, but read a newspaper already! Okay, long story short. Last night the Green Goblin crashed a charity gig that Little Miss Janet was attending. There was a big fight, and by the time I got there, your cackling crazy cousin had somehow wound up spitted on a spear! Wasp was okay, but according to her neither she nor Beetle had anything to do with him ending up that way. Then your Avengers buddies showed and whisked Gobbie off to the hospital to get un-perforated."
Hulk said nothing. He considered the story. This had probably gone down sometime before he got back, else his Avengers card would have alerted him like all the others. "Sounds good so far," he crossed his arms with a frown. "When do we get to the part where I should care?"
"Gimme a sec, I'm almost there." Spiderman turned back to the screen, then hesitated. "Do I just touch this thing or what?" Without waiting for confirmation he proceeded to do so and a Stark Industries photo editing program started up. It didn't take him long to figure out what needed to be done to access the flash drive and find a set of photographs.
Just as the Hulk was scanning through the thumbnails, one in particular was selected. It showed Wasp smiling brightly while hanging off the arm of… well, it looked like one of the Ultron robots, only wearing clothes.
"What kind of garbage is this?" he snarled and pointed. "You woke me up to show how good you are at Photoswap?"
"These haven't been tampered with, I promise." Spiderman was busily scanning through the list. Images of a ritzy party flashed by without stop. "A guy I know was snapping pictures at this shindig. He owed me a favor, so when it was all over I got a call from him to come and see what went down on film. I take it you recognize the gentleman in the metal birthday suit?"
"Yeah. It's called Ultron."
"Ulfie."
"What?" He cast a suspicious glance at the webslinger. How did he know that name?
"That's what Wasp called him, according to my source. Now focus, Hulk! I'm trying to let you in on what went down while you were sleeping. Right, here we go." He stepped back and indicated for the Avenger to take a closer look. Hulk complied, to find himself now observing a rather poorly angled shot of what appeared to be the Green Goblin chasing Wasp.
'It looks like that friend of his shot this with his eyes closed while crouching behind a table. I hope he didn't expect to get paid well for these pictures.'
"Your friend sucks at his job, so you know."
"Whatever!" Spidey declared, a little indignantly. "He was making do the best he could under those conditions! But you're missing the point. Now, then, let's slip ahead a few frames."
He did so, with the Hulk looming large over his shoulder. The image moved to the next in the series, where hardly anything seemed to have changed. However, when Spidey skipped forward again, it was evident where one should be looking. The Goblin's flying machine had erupted in a small burst of flame. This explosion grew bigger in the following shot, and the next. It was like watching a time-lapse photograph. By this point Green Goblin was flying through the air without any control and headed on a collision course for a rather wickedly pointed golden spear clutched in an ice sculpture's grip. Before the obvious conclusion could be reached, Spiderman halted the progression.
Hulk gave a very nasty smile. "Why'd you stop? It was almost at the good part."
"You don't know the half of it." The string of high-definition photos backed up a few paces until they were right at the point before the glider exploded. "Let's zoom in a bit, shall we?" He proceeded to do so. After a few enhancements, Spiderman pointed at the screen. "There."
Peering closely, Hulk thought he could make out a small red flash right at that point. "So?" he demanded flatly.
"All right, lemme spell it out for you." Another click backwards to the previous image and some more zooming in allowed them to see what was in the far background. They now found themselves looking at the Ultron robot as it appeared to be herding people out of the room.
At least, that's what its body movements indicated. The head, however, was rotated around in a half circle to face the battle. And emerging quite clearly from its mouth was that same red flash as before.
Hulk's eyes grew wide.
"It was him," he breathed.
"Yeah." Spiderman suddenly turned off the program and withdrew the drive. He carefully pocketed it before turning back to the Hulk. "I wanted to show you guys first. Wasp didn't come back here, and I don't know where else she might have gone. The robot took her away with it. I'm worried about what might have happened to her. You saw what that thing did."
"Saw what?" The great green menace looked down at his comparatively tiny cohort. "It was defending her. They're programmed for that sort of thing. Remember the Kang invasion? Besides, nobody died. Why make a big deal out of this?"
"Man, you don't get it!" For once Spiderman didn't look silly or behave in a goofy manner. He actually sounded angry as he glared up with hands on his hips. "I was there, Hulk! It's a machine, it has superhuman calculating abilities. I saw that robot snatch a razorbat in flight right out of the air! You think it's an accident it fired when it did, at that precise moment? It wanted the Goblin to wind up skewered, probably performed the vector and momentum predictions way beforehand! If it was anybody else, he would have been dead! But Gobby's tougher than your ordinary guy. And here's another thing: when we were all still standing around scratching our heads about what just happened, Ulfie came over and offered to take him to the hospital! I had a bad feeling about that thing from earlier, so I got between them, but now I'm positive it was trying to finish the job! Maybe drop him onto the street or just choke him to death once they were alone. Either way, it wanted him dead!"
"Hnh. Still don't see why you think I should care." Hulk continued to regard him without sympathy.
The little guy watched him for a while, then shook his head and walked around Hulk back to the window. He paused right beside it. "You're not as bad as you like to think, Hulk. As big, green, and strong as you are, you're still human! That's why you never offed any of those military nuts who hunted you for years. But that thing almost did! It tried to kill somebody. Maybe he deserved it, and maybe it was trying to defend its mistress, but that's still no excuse! To top it all off, Ultron lied about it afterwards, pretended it didn't know anything about what really happened. Is a lying, murdering android really the sort of thing you want hanging around your team? 'Cuz I don't think that would read too nice in the papers."
'He's right. At the very least, Janet might be in danger. And weren't you suspicious about that Ultron-5 from the start? The way it was behaving towards her? Something's definitely wrong. Pym might be in trouble too for all we know. Are you going to just ignore that?'
"No!"
"I didn't think so," Spiderman remarked, thinking that response was meant for him. "Look, the guy I got these from won't tell anybody about it. He likes Wasp too, and we wouldn't want her reputation to be hurt from being involved with something like this. These are the only copies of the incriminating photos, I made sure of that. Nobody else is going to see them. Aside from her you're the one person on this team I really know, Hulk. So I figured if anybody could do something, it had better be you."
Those huge fists clenched. "You thought right."
"Uh-huh." By then Spidey seemed to have regained his trademark jocularity, and sat swinging his heels on the windowsill. "You know, come to think of it, if you're concerned about any leaks, you could buy these pics off me! That way they'd be sure never to get out. I mean, you're living high on the hog now, probably get a big paycheck from Stark every week, I'd imagine. Meanwhile poor ol' Spidey's still schlepping along, living on instant ramen and dodging bill collectors. Does that sound wrong to you?"
Slowly the Hulk's head turned to regard him over one broad shoulder, eye narrowed balefully.
"Errr… maybe not." Quickly the webbed wonder scuttled through the window. He then stuck his head back in as a thought occurred to him. "Okay, if not that, maybe you'd be willing to spot me some cab money? Y'know, a little sign of thanks for my webbing all the way out here, bit o' green for poor Spidey from his big green pal?"
And Hulk smirked. "Rosie? Shut the blinds."
"Very good, sir."
A solid slab of metal shot down to barricade the open window. Spiderman only narrowly missed being bonked on the head or worse as he jerked back outside, cutting him off from view.
"Well, fine, who needs you!" a muffled voice could be heard through the wall. "You've forgotten your roots, man! You're out of the Vigilantes Club, as of now! I'll go back to palling around with the real superheroes, the ones still fighting the good fight down in the trenches, and not living it up in mansions! Back to Moon Knight, and Ghost Rider, and… Punisher and… Cloak and Dagger…"
There was silence for a time. Then…
"Hulk? Buddy?" the suddenly plaintive voice called. "There room in the Avengers for a Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman?"
Hulk turned and strode off.
"Oh, sure, fine!" the words drifted after him when he gave no response. "That's just great, treat me like everybody else in this city does! I gotta make a living somehow, man! Not like those college loans are gonna pay themselves! Money doesn't grow on trees, you know!"
As he stalked off, the Hulk casually threw back, "Activate mansion outer defenses, Rosie."
"At once, sir."
"You know what it's like to live off of beef jerky and tap water three times a day? Well, I can tell you don't! I can smell the filet mignon on your breath, you traitor! And another thing, hey, is that a gun turret?"
There came the sound of laser blasts being fired, and some loud creative shouting. After that tranquility was restored to Avengers Mansion.
Meanwhile the Hulk stalked down the stairs and out the door, ignoring the slightly scorched spots around the perimeter. He had already decided not to seek the others' help this time. It was a personal matter he had to deal with. That robot had it coming, all right. And he was going to enjoy pounding into its chrome cranium the difference between right and wrong.
'Not feeling tired anymore, then?'
Sleep can wait. Smashing takes priority above all else.
The front door of Avengers Mansion hanging off its hinges heralded the return of the Incredible Hulk sometime last night. Janet stepped daintily past the crushed portal with a shake of her head. Almost certainly he did that just to annoy Tony. Not that she was about to call him on it. Watching Stark fume and mutter whenever he came across another small mess was simply too much fun!
Her interview with the authorities took less time than one might think. She had expected to be in there all day. As it turned out, the Goblin was still alive, and after his identity was revealed hardly anybody cared about the specifics for how it happened. The stock market actually rallied once word hit the streets, and was doing even better now than it had before. It's funny what could cause people's outlooks to improve. One colossal jackhole gets exposed for what he is and everybody's happy about it. Wonder how they would react if something happened to yours truly?
"Good afternoon, Miss Van Dyne," a deep cultured voice sounded from over her head.
"Hey, Jarvis," Janet greeted Tony's servile synthetic servant as she walked on. "So who else besides me is hanging around today?"
"Mr. Stark and the Panther are currently in the library. Mr. Barton can be found in the training room. Would you like me to inform them of your arrival?"
"No. Hey, so, there's nobody else?" she asked, wondering something.
"Mr. Banner did return early last night, but he has already left. Can I assist you with anything?"
"I'm good. Take a break and sneak some of the master's brandy, why don'tcha."
"I beg your pardon?"
Janet just grinned and proceeded to her destination. Right now she was feeling pretty good about herself and the world in general. Tommy's ultimate fate still left a lingering distress in the back of her mind, but until something happened, she was resolved not to be a Nervous Nelly. Still, this little affair had given her a better outlook on what really mattered in life. So that settles it. Whatever it takes, I'm going to make things right with Hank. That being decided she hied herself off to the study where the hidden door to the lower levels could be found.
Riding down in the elevator, Wasp reflected on her self-appointed mission. Her determination was firm. However, she was not the sort of person to charge in heedless of any risk to life and limb. And maintaining a relationship with Hank should not come at the expense of her pride. She wanted a little ammunition in case he proved as insufferable as before. Something to excuse her being there beyond the obvious desire to see him again. And a little mercy trip served that purpose nicely.
As Jarvis stated, there was nobody around. It came as no surprise that the two brainiest members of the team (minus Hank) were deep in deliberation following last night. Tony undoubtedly seized it as an opportunity to buy up another rudderless company. Thor had most likely taken the debacle as an excuse to pay a call on a certain female ambulance medic. Meanwhile Cap was scheduled to visit some wounded vets in the hospital later today, so he wouldn't be around for a while.
Upon finally reaching NERV Central, as she liked to think of it, the driven damsel wasted no time in heading to the lab area. With Reed Richards and company off exploring the universe and Hank busy in the Negative Zone, hardly anyone came by here regularly except her. The only company other than its permanent resident was H.E.R.B.I.E., and adorable as he may be, his conversational skills were sorely lacking.
At last she found the room where Princess Ravonna was secured. The sleeping beauty remained as unchanged as the moment they first met. No surprise considering she was a few steps removed from the regular flow of time. Every few days some of Kang's followers arrived to monitor their princess' condition and update the pertinent data regarding her recovery. However without Kang himself to guide them, they admitted to being in the dark as to how she might be saved. Still, Wasp was on good terms with those wayward warriors. They had shown her how to access the terminals here to obtain full updates on Ravonna's current state. Maybe she had a thing with guys outside of their proper places in time? Cap certainly warmed up to her before anybody else.
The data came up onscreen. Janet gave it an appraising eye. Didn't look any worse than last time. Although a few of the parameters were off from before. Was that a good thing or not? Well, Kang would probably tell her right away if it was. Which meant all the more reason to get to the prison lickety-split.
She made her way out of the dimly lit chamber. Only when she was taking the return ride up in the elevator did it dawn on her. Herbie never made an appearance while she was there. Did Reed take him back for repairs or something? Probably find out once she got to the Baxter Building.
Wasp didn't feel like talking to the others before leaving. The same thing when she spoke to Jarvis from before was troubling her. Ulfie must have reported to Hank everything that had taken place by now. She was a little troubled not to find Ant Man already here waiting for her. Just as a show of concern, of course. Could he really be so engrossed in his work that it took precedent over all else?
Well, it had happened before. Still, something about this idea bothered her, and not for the usual reasons.
"Later, Jarvis," she called upon reaching the ground floor once again. "Tell the boys Hank and I will be back before sundown, scout's honor."
"I will do so. Have a pleasant day, Miss Van Dyne," the bodiless butler responded. "And please tell Mr. Pym we have been having trouble with ants in the manor recently. His help would be greatly appreciated."
"Can do."
The Hulk shoved his way past anything that might have impeded him until he arrived in Pym's otherworldly refuge. After stepping into the space station he made his way straight for the elevator.
"Dr. Banner."
An Ultron came flying over to greet him. It was the first time he had ever been happy to see one. The smile he turned on that ugly metal face would have been a clear warning to any living creature. In this case it just took a few steps forward and stopped before him.
"Greetings. May I ask what brings you to Solution 42?"
Was this the right one? Only Wasp seemed able to tell them apart. Better ask first. "Are you Ulfie?"
Its head tilted up to regard his face high above. "You are referring to Ultron-5?"
"You're not as dumb as you look, tin can."
The robot made no sign of being vexed at his derisive comment. "Negative. I am Ultron-757. Ultron-5 is currently undertaking an assignment on Earth, and is not scheduled to return for several hours. However I can inform you when Ultron-5 returns. Would you like to wait…?"
"Where's Pym? I want to see him." Before it could speak he added, "Now!"
Hulk watched the thing closely. It did not respond right away. After a second, though, the robot perked up. "Of course. Dr. Pym is currently engaged in the testing of hydroponic capabilities under conditions to be found in the Negative Zone. Please follow me. I will escort you to him."
It stepped past him and pressed a button. The elevator doors opened. Without hesitating Hulk followed the thing inside, and soon they were rising up through the shaft. It was a bit of a tight squeeze with both of them in there, but neither voiced complaint. Upon reaching higher levels the big brawler shouldered past the opening doors and looked around. The lab area was empty. He was just turning back to question the tinker-toy when it indicated farther down the hall.
"The experiment is being conducted in Room 86. Right this way, Dr. Banner."
It took the lead. Bruce Banner's savage counterpart did not immediately follow. Instead he looked around carefully. Regardless of the issue of impulse control, his brain was still that of a genius scientist. That applied on several levels. And what he was seeing here painted an odd story. A glass pot of coffee was sitting on its burner, but the heat wasn't turned on. In addition, a rack by the wall held all of Pym's lab coats. He always wore one when he was working. None of the hangers were empty, however.
'Looks like we were right. There is something going on. What should we do?'
"You have to ask? I'm going to smash them!"
'Just be careful. We don't know what they might have in store for us.'
"You be careful. I'll be violent." Hulk then took off in pursuit of his prey. "Hey, Tin Man!"
Ultron-757 did not stop. It came to a door which slid open at its approach and went right in. The way closed shut behind it.
Hulk never hesitated. Rather than wait for the panes to part at his approach, he lowered his shoulder and knocked them down in time to see the robot disappearing behind another set of doors farther off. Without stopping Hulk bore along the corridor, feeling his rage swell at this annoying game of chase. Come out and fight, you cowards!
'Hulk, wait, look at the ceiling! There's something odd about it!'
A wall slammed down behind them. Hulk turned to look just as another divider cut them off from up ahead. No problem, I'll just smash them! With a mighty roar he leapt forward.
There came a blaze of light, causing him to squint but not diminishing his attack. Hulk delivered a savage blow to the metal wall.
It dented around his fist nicely, but did not fall down.
Disbelieving, he dropped back to the ground and raised both arms to deliver his next assault, when something dawned on him. Was the ceiling always this high?
'Too late. They got us.'
Banner's guess was soon shared with his partner. The Incredible Hulk looked all around him in disbelief. The hallway which had barely been large enough to accommodate him was now at gigantic proportions, its ceiling hundreds of stories above his head. The door he struck loomed the size of a castle wall. Everything had grown huge! Or rather, he had gotten small.
Pym Particles!
As they were coming to this realization the wall rose upwards again, snagging slightly at the slight distortion his miniature but still mighty punch had made in its surface. The enormous metal-shod feet of Ultron-757 now stood before them. Before Hulk could react it held out a hand and a beam of light shot down, encasing him in a blue globe. Hulk now found himself floating off the floor, weightless and unable to move. He roared in supreme animal fury, swinging his arms and legs violently in an attempt to find purchase somehow. There was nothing, however. He brought his palms together in a great shockwave clap, but his relative size gave the resulting detonation only the merest fraction of its usual power, and left him still hanging helpless in the robot's clutches.
Ultron-757 turned and walked away, carrying the howling green homunculus with it.
"Echo!" Janet shouted as she strolled through the Baxter Building. Nobody home again. A lunar trip this time, from what she remembered. Susanne Storm had mentioned something about contacting a civilization up on the moon. A mental picture of little green men frolicking with Ben Grimm in the Sea of Eden made her smile. Yup, I'm definitely feeling giddy.
Coming around a corner, Janet was not surprised to find another set of doors lying off their hinges. That made three so far. Apparently Hulk had been by recently, back from whatever mission Tony had sent him out on. Who knows, they might run into each other? The place where their encounter would take place now loomed before her. The gateway to Solution 42, her third home, opened its extra-dimensional arms wide to receive her. As she was transmitted across planes of existence Jan prepared herself. A bouquet of roses, Henry? How lovely! Cliché, but lovely. And you got the Wrecking Crew to act as a musical troupe and serenade us for an indoor picnic? Aww, you shouldn't have! Sweet man, come over here and give me a big fat…
"Greetings, Miss Van Dyne."
Crap.
She could have wished for a lot of things, but finding a couple of Ultrons waiting for her wasn't one of them. All previous flights of fancy went clean out of her head. Wasp glowered at the identical automatons as if their very presence was offensive. And to be honest, it was.
"Where's your boss?" she demanded.
"Ultron-5 has not yet returned from his latest foray into the..."
"What?" she blinked and threw up her hands in exasperation. "Not Ulfie, stupid! Do you have a screw loose or something? I'm talking about Hank! Dr. Pym, remember?"
"Of course, Miss Van Dyne. I apologize. Dr. Pym is currently occupied with an experiment and cannot be…"
"Do NOT…!"
The Ultron quickly shut up.
"… finish that sentence!" Wasp was so furious she could have brained it with the data pad she held. "I have had it hearing about goofy experiments with antimatter and dung beetles and whatever hare-brained scheme he is working on today! Now I am going to talk to Henry face-to-face, so the next words out of your voicebox had better be, 'Right this way, boss-lady'!"
They didn't respond to that, only stood there quietly. Maybe her command had collided with Henry's in their brains and shorted them out. Not that it mattered. She stormed past them and moved to a terminal where she flashed her Avengers card. The prison's computer system came online, along with a request for her password. "Ladybug," she snapped, and immediately it granted her access to the more advanced components. There was a database of current inmates as well as future prospects, including a roster of names that seemed to go on forever. None of this interested her. Instead she clicked on the search option.
"Locate Henry Pym," Wasp demanded, fuming silently, all good humor forgotten. Man, I am gonna let him have it! He's going to regret ever giving me superpowers, boy, howdy! No more screwing around for this gal.
A 3-D image of the whole complex sprang up. Delineated clearly there was a small yellow blip. Yellow, just like him, the emotional coward! He should change his name from Ant Man to Yellowjacket! That would fit him bett…
She frowned as something dawned on her. What's he doing in that part of the prison? There's nothing there aside from the D2 Cell, and she oughtta know. So why…?
As if on cue, right then Henry's face popped up on the screen. "Jan!" he exclaimed, all boyish charm and totally oblivious to his situation. "I'm so glad to see you! What brings you by?"
"Don't try to sweet-talk me, mister!" Wasp leveled a threatening finger at the screen. "You don't move an inch, hear me? I am coming down to where you are and we are going to get a few things straight!"
She spun away to begin the hunt when his voice called after her, "NO! You can't come down here!"
The young woman halted and turned back to the screen, livid. "Did you just give me an order?"
"That's not it, I…"
"Who do you think you are, Henry Pym!" Janet wasn't even aware she could be this mad. Even Hulk probably never reached these levels of absolute rage. "If I want to march through this giant lockbox singing showtunes in a one-piece bathing suit with a monkey on my shoulder, there's not a thing you can do to stop me! Forget talking, I am going to kick your a-"
"Woman, be quiet."
Sheer disbelief cut her off more than anything. Jan's jaw dropped as she stared wide-eyed at him. Henry's face had lost any trace of goodwill. He glared at her like she was a stupid kid that had spilled ice cream all over herself. I can't believe he just said…
"I am involved in something extremely important that requires a great deal of my attention. There is no time to spare indulging any of your petulant outbursts. This procedure takes priority over anything you may have to tell me. I must ask you to leave now and not come back until I contact you personally. If we are clear on the matter, I have to get to work."
When she didn't respond, he nodded in acceptance and reached up to break the link. The screen went dead.
Wasp remained in stupefied disbelief before that blank façade. She had never heard such scorn in his voice, at least not directed at her. How could such a thing possibly have taken place?
"Miss Van Dyne."
Behind her the two Ultron models had come to stand shoulder to shoulder. One of them spoke. "Dr. Pym has requested you leave the facility. I must ask you comply with this request. Please return the way you came."
It lifted a hand as if to escort her out, and Janet spun away, transforming into wasp form as she did.
"I didn't come here to be BOSSED AROUND!" she fairly screamed. "And certainly not by you, robot! I'm here to deliver Ravonna's latest medical update." She held up the pad with a triumphant expression. "And that trumps anything you or he might think!"
With that Wasp zipped off into the station, leaving the machines to lag in her wake.
Tears did not fall from her eyes. Amazingly, it wasn't anger she was feeling as the huge prison tower opened up around her. Right now Janet Van Dyne was experiencing the most abject case of grief she had ever known. Not even after her father's death had she been this utterly dejected. She could feel herself slowly going numb from the experience, which was a relief considering how icy she felt otherwise. It derived entirely from the realization that she had loved the wrong man. Henry Pym had become someone unknown to her; a small, unwelcome approximation of the affable genius whose every word used to captivate her. How could things have gone wrong so fast? Am I somehow to blame? Should I have seen this side of him beforehand? I never would have imagined it to be true, that he could be so cold.
Wasp spared not a glance for any of the inmates, though several of them noticed her and some even called out. They were all guys for the most part. None of them could possibly understand the level of hurt she was undergoing. Men! Who needs them, anyway? Not me! I am strong, independent, and thoroughly…!
A sob burst out, and she covered her mouth with one hand. Something hot and wet was coursing down her cheeks.
I'm a mess, is what I am.
In spite of this emotional outpouring, the Wasp's iron will kept her going. By the time she reached Kang's cell her face was dry and quite composed. When she enlarged there remained not a trace of hesitation in her walk as she approached. "Hello, Kang. I've brought the latest report."
"Thank you."
That took her by surprise, so her mask almost crumbled. What was that? Did he just thank me? He never did before. Not even once. For a moment Wasp just gaped at the blue-faced man sitting on his bed, fingers laced together and chin resting upon them. His eyes came over to regard her. "May I see it?"
"Y-yeah… sure." Wasp handed the pad over to one of the Ultrons, still staring at the prisoner in disbelief. Could he tell I was hurting somehow and didn't want to make it worse? But how could he have known? Her mouth opened on the verge of asking, before swiftly clicking shut. No. Don't give him an opening. You've got to be more careful with your emotions, girl. Otherwise you might start bawling right in front of him.
Kang accepted the communiqué as it entered his cell and brought up the contents to begin examining them. While he did so, Janet decided to take this opportunity to retreat. "Look, I have to be going. If you see anything there that worries you, just let Hank know, okay? Bye."
"Wait."
The Avenger paused. His voice held not the slightest hint of worry or anxiousness. It was as calm and controlled as could be. Some cadence in it stopped her, though, leaving Wasp balancing on one foot in preparation of departure.
The Conqueror was tracing a finger on the screen without looking up at her. "Did you know Ravonna has a favorite song?"
"Song?" This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
"Yes." His wintery black eyes flicked to meet hers for a moment then returned to his work. "The title is 'Memories of Crono'. It is an ancient tune whose origin is lost in the mists of time. Most consider the melody to be rather heartbreaking. Whenever she played it, however, I always felt as though mine was uplifted. I shall never forget that feeling."
Seriously, was he trying to cheer her up? "Why are you telling me this?"
"Call it a concern." His fingers continued moving across the flat surface. Did he have something in his hand? She couldn't tell. "I wanted to ask if you could ensure this tune played in the room where Ravonna is currently residing. It might cheer her, regardless of what state her health might be in. That would make me glad, I think."
"Well… I guess I could ask around… shouldn't be a problem." They said coma patients could still hear everything around them. Maybe that remained true for the temporally comatose. Not like it could hurt, right? "Sure, Kang. I'll make certain that Ravonna gets some music."
At this he stood up and actually crossed over to her. They were standing as close as the forcefield would permit. Close as they had ever been, actually. "You have my thanks."
Janet stared up into those neutral yet still menacing features. "You're wel…"
Kang flipped the pad close to his chest so that it was facing her. The screen was totally dark. But written in what looked to be tomato ketchup of all things were two words.
When Wasp read them, the breath caught in her throat.
ULTRON LIES.
At that moment Kang flung the data pad into the energy barrier, where it exploded in a flash. Janet stumbled back with a hand raised before her face. She looked back to see him remaining in the same spot, hands now dangling at his sides. Several empty ketchup packets fell from his fist. His lips were still twisted in a frown as always, but the way he stared at her now, eyes burning, like he demanded she not forget what he had shown her…
They stared at one another for a while.
"Miss Van Dyne, are you injured?"
She blinked and looked off to the side. One of the Ultrons standing guard outside the cell had stared to approach her. The large robot soon loomed over the tiny woman, gazing down at her with its small red headlights. A shiver went up her spine, but Wasp managed to speak. "I'm all right. It just startled me."
"I understand. Would you like an escort to accompany you back to the exit?"
"No, that's…" She stopped, considering something. Janet cast a quick look down. When she came back up there was a smile on her face. "Yeah, that sounds good. Show me the way home, big boy."
"Please follow me." It strode off down the way. The costumed crimefighter followed in its wake, hands clasped behind her and making every appearance of being relaxed. In just a few minutes they were back at the door home. Janet flashed her card and waited for the portal to open. The Ultron remained standing behind her. Seconds ticked by, until at last the wall split to reveal the whirling radiance of dimensional transfer.
Janet Van Dyne glanced over her shoulder and winked. "I'll be back." After this she stepped through and disappeared from that realm.
It was so simple. Under normal conditions such a tactic would have been beneath him. In this case, though, his options were limited. When under observation night and day, a simple request to add something new to his diet remained a relatively unobtrusive move. Kang could think of no more reliable means to warn the woman about what was going on without getting them both captured. The question remained, would she understand him, much less believe?
Upon seeing the change of expression come over Wasp's face, he knew his concerns were unjustified. His warning had its effect.
The shock nearly undid them. She was about to reject the robot's offer of company, thereby triggering suspicions that could lead to their undoing. Instead the woman caught her mistake in time and adopted a cheerful façade that almost had even him fooled. They left together without any sign of disturbance.
Kang sat back on his bed. The effort might yet be wasted. He could only hope that the robots did not waylay Wasp before she could escape to warn her comrades. Things were progressing rapidly. The Ant had not returned from wherever he had gone yesterday, so doubtless the machines had already taken him prisoner. That meant they could exercise undisputed control of this facility. So far that did not involve executing all the inmates as he had supposed their first move would be. His knowledge of history taught such lessons.
Only one thing could explain it. Their leader had not given the order to do so. It wanted them alive, even if only for the sake of appearances. When Ultron-5 returned, that may change. By then either the Avengers might have come to their rescue or they never would.
"Attention all inmates. We are now initiating lights out."
Soon after this announcement the cells were plunged into darkness. There came a few shouts of distress, after which the sound-dampening features of their cell walls kicked in. Even these fools recognized that it was too early in the day for them to sleep. Something unpleasant was about to occur. Unpleasant, but not wholly unexpected.
While he was thinking this, a shadow fell across his door. Looking up, Kang found an Ultron watching him.
Blue lips twisted in a faint sneer. "Is there something you have to say?"
The android perused everything in his cell, including the ketchup packets on the ground. Afterwards it raised its eyes to him again. "No recording angle has proven sufficient to inform us as to what you might have shown Janet Van Dyne."
That was the idea. Out loud he only said, "What makes you think there was anything at all?"
The android's eyes narrowed down to slits. "Insufficient data is no hindrance. You are responsible for causing her some form of distress. Suitable methods of punishment have already been delineated."
An instant later the field was down and that dire figure was moving towards him. Kang rose upright. He had been prepared for this. If they were sufficiently advanced to foment rebellion against their master, any sign of opposition, no matter how slight, could bring about a violent reaction. Mandrill had shown him that much. It didn't matter. He had done what he set out to do. They could not take that back.
While he was thinking this the Ultron swung a blow towards his head.
It had judged him poorly. Kang was no mere criminal, nor would he meekly submit to being thrashed like a churl. As that heavy fist rushed at him he simply stepped in to close the gap between them, pivoting at the same time so that for a moment it looked as if the robot was trying to wrap an arm around his throat from behind. Rage at this brutal assault fired his muscles, while adrenaline and training permitted him to temporarily move with greater speed than the android. Its poor combat skills were showing through. Before the Ultron could react he had pushed back with his whole body, slamming them both up against a wall. The thing was heavy, but his strength was sufficient. Using the added impetus of slightly rebounding off the wall, he reached back and grasped its shoulders, hooking one leg behind its knee to keep it off balance and diving forward at the same time, pulling it down with him.
The Ultron was much taller than Kang. Because of this, while his head missed the edge of the steel cot with room to spare, its own connected directly with that sharp corner. Kang bore down with all his weight and was rewarded with the sound of a metallic crunch as the Ultron's eyes were smashed back into its silicon brain. There was a brief convulsion of limbs, and then his assailant lay still.
Satisfaction at having accomplished this much was short-lived. Looking up from beneath his defeated foe, Kang saw three more of the machines moving in to join them.
"Good," he smiled, enjoying himself for the first time in weeks. "Now you might actually stand a chance of beating me."
One of them aimed its wrist cannon at him. In response Kang grabbed the defeated Ultron and flipped it over his shoulder. The inert body bowled into its comrades' legs, knocking them sprawling in the process. Quick as a flash Kang sprang over them, coming out of his cell and into the prison proper.
Blue shots of electricity flew around him as he raced in a zig-zag course towards the center of the shaft. The machines were flying down from all levels in hot pursuit. The other prisoners had taken note of his exploits and were seemingly shouting their encouragement. Perhaps they hoped he might find a way to free them. The warlord paid this no mind. He had little doubt how this escape would end. Until then, he meant to prove to these mechanical simpletons the difference between a beaten enemy and simply a captured one.
Every single Ultron in the facility converged and fell upon Kang the Conqueror en masse.
Ultron-5 stood atop a boulder in a forest of northern Kentucky, surrounded by tall trees that were still not even a century old. All around him there buzzed an assortment of winged insects. Wasps, honeybees, hornets, and yellowjackets. They clustered in attendance upon that gleaming silver figure, whose arms were upraised as if in communion with all of nature.
Abruptly the swarm dispersed. Soon after Ultron-5's boot jets burned a small black mark into the stone as he too took his leave of that place, flying back to New York City.
It was now early in the evening for that part of the world. Nearly twenty-four hours had elapsed since he and Janet Van Dyne had left the Negative Zone together. His plans were proceeding at a satisfactory rate. Now he must return to his headquarters and engage the most crucial element of those designs.
The Baxter Building was deserted as usual upon his return. While walking down the corridors, it did not escape his attention how several doors had been smashed since his departure. This indicated the Hulk was in attendance. He must be prepared for whatever developments this new turn of events might pose.
Upon entering Solution 42, he immediately accessed the Ultron network. Everything that had happened since his departure became known. Thus informed, he called Ultron-757 to himself.
The other Ultron found its leader waiting on one of the bridges in the prison center. It approached Ultron-5, who stood with hands clasped behind his back gazing up at the column of antimatter. Their conversation then took place with the speed of several hundred gigahertz.
-You took initiative against the Hulk- Ultron-5 declared.
-Affirmative- his subordinate responded. –I determined he would not be easily susceptible to argument or evasion as the Wasp was-
Ultron-5 did not miss a certain tone in its thoughts. -It was logical. The actions you advocated against Kang were not-
Ultron-757 did not back down. -Please explain. You have already created a precedent for such behavior. Query: why is my decision not attributed to the same perspective?-
-Janet Van Dyne has expressed a personal interest in Kang. His absence will not be as easily explained as Mandrill's-
-The perspective still does not comply with your actions. I stand by my decision-
-Explain your dissent-
-The matter of Janet Van Dyne has no bearing upon our overarching strategy. Yet you continue to perform as if her presence is deserving of greater attention than logic warrants. She is not necessary to complete our goals-
The older model Ultron considered that response. -This would then explain the reason behind your choice of words when using the Pym simulation to dissuade her from approaching him-
-Affirmative. I saw no reason to be gentle given the circumstances. In addition, your efforts regarding the production of temporal detachment are occupying cycles and resources that could be put to better use, by yourself and our brethren. I propose that you disregard any further efforts pertaining to the preservation of Janet Van Dyne until our strategy has proven successful. It is the logical course of action-
-Your grasp of logic is flawless. Query: what is my logic behind the action accompanying this query?-
At the same time, Ultron-5 spun about and drove one of his fingers like a giant needle directly into the other Ultron's forehead, piercing its brain.
In doing so, he completely destroyed that model's wireless transmission capabilities, rendering it unable to respond as such. And, more importantly, no longer capable of downloading its programming by indirect methods into another shell. In response, the damaged Ultron raised an arm, its shock cannon coming online. It spoke out loud. "You have no logic. The reasoning behind your action…"
Before it could finish Ultron-5 lifted it up by its jaw and swung the offending model in a wide arc overhead. 757's jet boots flared, but were unable to provide enough force to overcome the strength in its attacker's arm. This ended with it being slammed face-up against the steel bridge with enough force to cave in the floor. The jets sputtered out.
"… is inherently flawed."
A charge of destructive red energy built up in Ultron-757's mouth. Ultron-5 simply grasped hold of its throat and twisted its head with the other hand. Mechanisms in the fallen robot's neck snapped permanently, leaving it incapable of turning its head to aim the beam at him.
"Y-y-you arrrrre…"
Ultron-5 crouched down beside his stuttering counterpart's body. Raising a fist, he sent it smashing into that sparking skull. Another pile-driver punch ruined its auditory capabilities, leaving 757 unable to speak. His arms rose and fell with a steady unchanging rhythm, pulping those features so similar to his own. The experience provoked no new reaction in him that he could determine. It was simply another application of the upgrade to his programming as a result of events in the last twenty-four hours.
The rest of the Ultron assembly did not react to any of this. They simply stood at attention, like spectators lining the rings of a Roman coliseum. Most of the humans under their care had gone to sleep by now, and the sound-dampening fields prevented them from hearing what went on. As such, none of them noticed the execution of Ultron-757.
At last Ultron-5 rose from the destroyed remains of his colleague.
-Are there any others who wish to dispute the logic of my actions?-
The response was a uniform chorus of, -Negative-
Satisfied, Ultron-5 then went to meet his maker. It was time for that promised talk with Dr. Henry Pym.
To be continued…