And now the first visit to an alternate dimension.
DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and, subsequently, Zombie Derrick. The characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.
Chapter 7: The Only (Hazardous) Way to Travel
One month passed after Nico's trip to the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Runaways' bouts with Scorpion and Kraven. Their time was mainly spent playing board games, taking on the occasional powerless gang, or dealing with supervillains from New York. One night, however, was going to be different. Very different.
At first, it seemed to be as average a night as the Runaways ever had. The group was staring down an odd pair of supervillains. One had dark grey skin, wore a blue jumpsuit, and had his long white hair tied back in a ponytail. The other was a large man with long shaggy hair and an equally shaggy beard.
"So, you guys are Bloodscream and Roughouse, right?" Gert said.
"You would be correct," answered the dark grey-skinned Bloodscream.
"So, what exactly do you want?" Karolina asked.
"You," answered the shaggy Roughouse. "We are but mercenaries. Our client would like a word with you."
"Here's his word," Derrick said, placing one hand on a lamppost, allowing electricity to drain from the lamp and into his hand. "No."
Derrick fired lightning out of his other hand, but the two supervillains managed to avoid it easily. Bloodscream leapt at Karolina, but she fired a blast of energy square into his chest. Roughouse charged towards Chase, only to receive a similar fate.
Both villains were on their feet again rather quickly, however, and Roughouse lifted a car above his head as Bloodscream bounded on top of it. Roughouse threw the car, Bloodscream preparing to jump off of it. Nico, however, countered.
"Right back at you!" Nico cried, aiming the Staff of One at the car. The car suddenly redirected itself in mid-air, rocketing back at Roughouse and slamming into his chest. Bloodscream had fallen off of the car, though he did land on his feet.
"Surrender yourselves now," Bloodscream warned, "or the consequences will not favor you."
"Not happening," Nico growled, pointing her staff at Bloodscream. "You're a vampire, right? Then you won't like this. Sunburst!"
Instead of the ball of sunlight Nico had intended, however, a flash of light engulfed all of the Runaways, but left Bloodscream and Roughouse untouched. The two mercenaries blinked for a moment, before Roughouse turned to Bloodscream.
"I'm descended from Frost Giants," he said, "and you're caught between dead and alive until you drain the blood of an immortal, so nothing should surprise us, right?"
"Yes," Bloodscream nodded.
"So, how come I suddenly need a drink?" Roughouse asked.
"Likely because Black Tarantula will not be pleased," Bloodscream answered.
"Oh, I get it now," Roughouse groaned. "That's why I need a drink!"
****
"Okay, could someone explain to me what just happened?" Nico asked, the Runaways suddenly standing in a desert wasteland.
"You already used that sunburst spell," Karolina explained.
"Really?" Nico said. "When did I use that?"
"On Storm back in New York," Derrick answered. "Trust me, I'd know. You guys picked me up there."
"Oh…sorry, guys," Nico said, rubbing the back of her head embarrassedly. "I kind of have a hard time remembering what spells I've already used. Anyone know where we are?"
"Simple," a voice rasped behind them. "You're in another reality."
The Runaways turned, and found themselves face-to-face with zombie versions of themselves, minus Gert and Old Lace. The Zombie Runaways looked significantly more untidy and ragged, and Zombie Chase had no Fistigon gloves.
"Somebody please tell me this is a nightmare," Derrick groaned.
"Yeah, it's a nightmare, all right," said Zombie Nico. "Probably your worst one. I know it's ours."
"Gert?" Zombie Chase said upon catching sight of the time travelers' daughter. "What the hell? You died!"
"Alternate realities are all different, Chase," Zombie Karolina explained.
"Wait, back up," Gert interjected. "You're telling me that, in this reality, I died?!"
"Yep!" Zombie Molly said.
"See, some time ago, this guy called Sentry punched out of his reality and into ours," Zombie Nico explained. "Literally. He brought this virus with him that turned everyone that he touched into a pseudo-dead person."
"Gert got killed by some enemy of the Pride before Sentry did his catastrophic entrance, so she didn't get infected by all the craziness," Zombie Derrick sighed. "Lucky her."
"And before you ask, yes, we did eat her," Zombie Karolina said.
"And Old Lace, too!" Zombie Molly added.
"What?!" Gert shrieked.
"I still say that was a bad idea," Zombie Chase glared at his teammates.
"You're a zombie, Chase," Zombie Nico rolled her eyes. "Much as I regret it, we just have to learn to live with it. And with Morbius."
"What about Morbius?" Derrick asked.
At that moment, a zombie version of Morbius flew overhead.
"I am a vampire! I am a zombie!" proclaimed Zombie Morbius. "I AM A VAMBIE!"
"Did the virus lower Morbius' IQ or something?" Karolina asked as Zombie Morbius soared away.
"It might have," Zombie Karolina shrugged. "Who knows?"
"Aw, man, I'm freakin' hungry!" Zombie Molly groaned.
The Zombie Runaways began to glare hungrily at their living counterparts, all trace of sentience vanishing from their eyes.
"This can't be good," Nico observed, backing away slightly alongside her teammates.
"Gee, you think?" Chase said sarcastically.