THE BEYONDER'S THRONE ROOM
…Naturally, the heroes and villains were perplexed with what they had just heard from Airdan. Especially T'Challa, who came from royalty, and his eyes were wide open with shock once he pieced together what the High King meant. "' Title Passing'?" The stunned T'Challa asked out loud, then turned his attention to the Beyonder. "Does he mean-?"
"Correct," The Beyonder replied, cutting the Wakadan King off. "What you all are witnessing is a ceremony that occurs in all the Kingdoms of Athia every twenty-five years. The 'Passing of the Titles' is when the King and Queen pass down their crowns. The title of Queen goes down to their firstborn daughter and her soon-to-be husband. And as the mage pointed out, it is not just Ava who celebrates this custom." With a simple wave of his hand, the Beyonder changed the image again and showed each of the kingdoms in Alandra. Starting with…
AMIA
… It was a lavish land filled with endless fields of green grass and a forest of tall trees. All were surrounded by a large body of water known as the Lake Amia. In the northern part of the lake was an island the size of Manhattan that was just a few miles from the mainland and had two steel bridges, both painted royal blue and had the nation's symbols of white circles with a royal blue silhouette of a woman raising her hands, connected both the island and Amia itself.
On the other side of the bridges were roadways that ran up to a mountain, and like Ava City had, the upper portion housed the land's capital, Amia City, which had tall, technologically advanced buildings, also painted blue and, just like Ava City, which contained cables that supplied energy throughout the city but were also painted white with the energy coursing through the transparent tubing was of the color blue. As for the city's citizens, the 'Alphas' wore white rings with Royal blue stones on top and had two bangs of the same color in their hair. They would generally go around via hovercrafts or the trains on the railways. But here on this day of 'Passing the titles', all everyday life in the city seemed to be put on hold as the majority of the populace gathered in front of the Amaian High Royal Skyscraper, which was high enough to rival that of the Central Park Tower and containing a royal blue bus-sized Athain Stone on top supplying the city with power.
Addressing the cheering crowd on a balcony above the Skyscraper's front doors were the four fair-skinned people who made up the Royal family of Amia, all of whom smiled and waved at the crowd. There was King Gaelin, a middle-aged man, appearing to be in his mid-fifties, with a slim body frame with broad shoulders, short auburn hair with greying sides, and hazel eyes. His traditional Royal garb consisted of a white shirt and pants underneath a blue robe, and on his head was a blue pointed crown with a blue gem on the front, as well as his eye-shaped ring, which was primarily white and with a blue pupil, on the ring finger of his right hand. Standing alongside Gaelin was Queen Amia, a blue-eyed woman with her long blonde hair in a braid and around the same age as her husband, but she was still seen as someone with great beauty and regal presence. She wore the same white and blue ring on her right hand, a blue robe over a white dress, and a white crown with a blue gem and blue wings.
Standing between the King and Queen were their two children, the Prince and Princess of the Kingdom. To the left of the Queen was the blue-eyed, blonde-haired, stunningly beautiful twenty-five-year-old Princess Amia, whose resemblance to her mother was so striking; the only thing that helped tell the two apart was the young princess's attire, which was a figure-hugging shining white dress with gloves, high-heeled shoes, and a tiara with a blue stone. Naturally, her beauty attracted all men within the country, and they all grew jealous of the man she was set to marry soon. Though her smile masked the nervousness of the struggles that came from her new role as Queen, Amia was nonetheless ready to face them, as she knew that she had the support of her mother and trusted family advisors, all of whom helped train her to this role.
Standing to the right side of the King was High Prince Belnar, a slim, hazel-eyed thirty-two-year-old man with auburn hair, wearing a distinguished blue jacket with glistening white shoulder tassels, gloves, pants, and shoes. His appearance was also similar to that of his father, and he was widely considered handsome by many women in the kingdom. Aside from his duties as a prince, he also served as the head general of the Amian Elite Guard, a position that he had to give his second in command, who was observing the event from one of the top floors of a nearby building. Regardless, Belnar turned to his sister, and his smile became more genuine as he watched her grow into a strong woman worthy of accepting the crown. He could not be any prouder of her. But still, whether as leader of an army or as an advisor, Belnar will never stop looking out for her.
Just as the people of Amia weren't the only ones enjoying this joyous occasion, they also weren't the only ones who enjoyed the waters of Lake Amia, as the water flowed down from the lake to a long river stream going to the southeast, which led the water from out of the Amia into…
SENSET
…where the water made its way through canyons until finally, it reached a sandy desert with some big trees and vegetation, a livable environment for the people who lived in two villages of stone huts located on both sides of the river and having built-in steel cables that flowed purple energy into metal huts and providing power to the families living inside of them. The water coursed through the desert for miles until it stopped, curved, and moved to the left side, thus earning it the name 'The Crescent River.' The place where it stopped to change this direction was that of a circular stoned wall that looked to be over fifteen thousand miles long and stood at around twenty feet in height. Despite appearing that it's been erect for over a thousand years, the wall did have some technical accessories, the first being a sliding silver door with the country's symbol, a gold symbol with a purple female silhouette, facing the river and villages and serving as the front entrance and exit. The second was a long, gold-painted cable built within the edges of the walkway on top of the wall, with the energy flowing within the clear tubing having a dark purple color.
Interestingly, the wall was built in the country's center and between the 'two sides' of the massive desert. On the right was the sandy portion, but it was the one that was brimming with life, thanks mainly to the river. On the left was that dry, endless barren wasteland, filled with nothing but a dusty, cracked rocked service, no visible signs of plant life or water, and was a place where no living being could last for a day. But whether it was the villages that thrived from the flowing waters of the Cresent River or the feared barren wasteland where no one would dare venture into, it was within the protection of the wall that was of genuine importance to the country.
And that something was Sunset City, with its tall, sleek buildings all possessing the gold, energy-flowing cables built into each building and connected to the wall. As for the city's inhabitants, they also possessed long pointy ears but, at the same time, had dark skin and black afro-textured hair. Their clothing resembled that of African and Nubian descent, with the males wearing multi-colored short-sleeved shirts with long bottoms over loose-fitting khaki pants, with the shirt bottoms hanging down to the knees and sandals on their feet, and the women wearing light-colored dresses with no sleeves and their hair, and ears wrapped up in cloths. As for the Alphas of this land, they had purple lines that ran down the center of their hair, with the female Alphas covering theirs with their headwraps, and on their fingers were golden singlet rings, each with a purple stone.
The city's streets were indeed crowded, but instead of usually purchasing items from small steel capsules, that made the marketplace. But on this day, whether it was watching it through small screen tablets or the large holo screens inside the local taverns, the citizens all watched part of something momentous occasion
that was the 'Passing of the Titles.'
In the city square, a massive sea of cheering Senset citizens gathered in front of the royal palace, which had a lower level appeared to be a giant statue of a creature that looked like that of a maned lion but had the beak and large opened wings of a falcon, while the rest of the building looked like a pyramid, with a purple tip-shaped Athian Stone that was the size of a tank on top.
Standing on the balcony, located in the center of the pyramid, was Senset's Royal family. On the left was King Mova, who was a dark-skinned man with brown eyes, a grey beard, and an impressive physique for someone who appeared to be in his fifties. His attire consisted of a gold shirt with a long tail that went down to his knees and was complete with gold pants and shoes. His accessories were purple beaded necklaces with fangs, a gold crown shaped like a lion's head with purple eyes, and a long purple mane on top that ran to the back of his feet. Completing this look was that of his eye-shaped ring, which was colored gold with a purple pupil in the middle.
To the right was Queen Senset, a purple-eyed woman around the same age and skin tone as her husband and also possessed a lean and fit figure. She also wore a gold and purple dress with gold bracelets, a necklace, a gold headpiece that resembled the head of a lioness, and an eye-shaped ring of her own.
Standing in between them was the young Princess Sunset, a thin, beautiful, dark-skinned twenty-five-year-old woman in a purple cress, and along with gold bracelets and a necklace, also wore a golden headband with a symbol of a lioness's head in the center and two golden tassels on the sides that hung in front of her pointy-ears. Despite being nervous, she still maintained her proud composure for the sake of the people she would soon rule over.
The young princess's coronation was a moment seen by all the people of Senset, from the people in the city to those in the nearby villages, who watched the ceremony from inside their huts. All while the water within the Cresent River continued to flow through the sandy valleys through the twin mountains until it drifted into the waters of the Great Athian Sea and near the shoreline that belonged to…
PAIX
….in had a small beach town known as Aermis, which was both a place for those to vacation and deep sea fishing and finding and bringing Athain stones underneath the sea. At the boat docks located on the far side of the beach, two Athian seamen, who wore white hooded wet suits with worn-out grey heavy gloves and boots, guided two hovering crates containing their cargo, be it the stones they found and dug up in the sea floor or the sea life that they caught in their nets. They walked and placed the crates over to a ten-foot white pad with the nation's symbol, a silver dot with a white female silhouette in the center. A technician, a thin, light-skinned male Athian with balding red hair wearing clothing that was loose but durable for working the docks, typed down a sequence of keys on a podium built near the pad, which resulted in shiny silver energy emerging from the pad and enveloping the crates until, finally, they vanished in a red flash of light out of sight in a brief flash.
The crates later appeared on another pad, but one next to another loading dock building near the cliff just above Aermis. It didn't take long for two more workers to grab them by the corners and then push the crates over to a seventy-foot hovercraft in white paint and enter through the sliding rear door of its trailer, where six other crates had been loaded. Once the workers secured the last two crates, they left the trailer, where the door slid shut and the four giant hover jets underneath the craft powered on, which admitted silver energy as they lifted the craft off the ground. The craft then took off to the right side and flew over the large forest and towards its destination.
That being Paix City, a metropolis of skyscrapers on top of another mountain, and each building was painted white, with glowing silver energy flowing through the clear tubing with thin white painted cables to provide the energy its citizens needed, located at the very end of the forest. Like the rest of the kingdoms, they, too, were celebrating the 'Passing of the Titles' as the vast majority of the citizens, with the Alphas having silver bangs in their hair, gathered in front of the Royal Tower, which stood four hundred meters with a large silver Athian Stone on top. Joining the rest of the people on this joyous day were all four members of Paix's Royal Family. In the center was that of King Alwin, a pale-skinned, middle-aged, blue-eyed man with blonde hair and a thin frame and wearing a silver robe over white clothing, a white pointed crown with a silver stone in the center on his head, and a white eye ring with a silver pupil on his right hand. Right beside him was Queen Paix, a thin, pale-skinned, silver-eyed woman around the same age as her husband but still quite attractive. Her attire consisted of a silver robe over a white dress, an eye-shaped ring on her right finger, a white crown with silver wings on the sides, and long blonde hair tied in a long braid.
The other half of the royal family was the King and Queen's pale-skinned son and daughter. Standing by King Alwin's left side was Prince Paeris, a thin twenty-five-year-old male who shared his father's blond hair, blue eyes, and silver bangs. His attire consisted of a distinguished silver jacket with white shoulder tassels, gloves, pants, and shoes. He used his smile to mask his true feelings, which was a disappointment, as he wanted to be something more than just the country's prince. However, for the sake of the family, as well as his public image, he chose to keep these feelings to himself. For now, anyway.
And, of course, there was the guest of honor herself, Princess Paix, the tall, beautiful soon-to-be Queen of the kingdom with an uncanny resemblance to her mother, from her long braided blonde hair to her silver eyes. On this day, she wore a silver dress with white elbow gloves and shoes, her silver hair bangs hanging over the white tiara she wore above her brow.
Just as they shared this joyous day, Paix also shared its vast forests with its neighboring country…
BRITTA
…where trees stood tall, rivers flowed, and wildlife flourished. Also, within the woods was a small Athian town known as Artha, which stood behind a massive lake. Its sleek steel buildings were painted blue, and it had cables that channeled red energy into them. The cables ran from the city to a long bridge, which in turn was connected to a small island that contained a large, tall mountain that was almost as tall as Mount Ava but was short by only a few feet. This was Mount Britta, which, unlike other mountains on the planet, had the unusual feature of having its entire front section shaped into that of a city, Britta City, with its buildings all chiseled from the mountain but all had navy blue colored plates over them. The city also had cables that ran red energy into them. Deep within the city and in the very back of the mountain itself, the power source came from the city's tallest building, the Britta Royal Skyscraper, which at the top had a base that had the national symbol blue circle with apple red outlines and female silhouette. Right on top of the base was a tank-sized apple red Athian Stone, which was connected to cables that ran down the tower into all of the buildings and, finally, into the ground in front of the mountain. This not only supplied the city with power, but also channeled the energy under the ground and into Artha, as well as other nearby towns within the country.
On this day in particular, cheers could be heard echoing within the city, all coming from the citizens who had gathered in front of the Royal Skyscraper, with the Alpha citizens having red bangs in their hair. Like the city's prior, the country's Royal Family addressed their cheering subjects by standing on a balcony above the building's main entrance. Four made up this monarch family, from the fair-skinned, fifty-year-old King brown-eyed Respen and the red-eyed Queen Britta, who was the same age as her husband and had braided reddish brown hair. Both wore apple-red robes over blue clothing and blue eye-shaped rings with red pupils on their fingers. The only key difference was their red-painted headwear, from Aspen's being a pointed crown over his brunette hair and Britta's being a red-winged tiara.
Also present were the Royal Couples' two fair-skinned children. From twenty-five-year-old Princess Britta, a thin woman with the same red eyes and reddish-brown hair as her mother, long hair in a braid and wearing a red dress with blue gloves and shoes, as well as a blue tiara with a blue stone and her red bangs hanging over it, and seven-year-old Prince Respen the second, a boy who shared his father's brunette hair and eyes. Though proud upon receiving the title of Queen, the young Britta would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. But luckily, she managed to mask these feelings from her people by smiling and waving at them. As for young Respen, he too had a smile and appeared happy to be there, but he was secretly waiting for this event to be over with, as he thought this royal gathering was just like all the gatherings that the young prince had attended since he could remember, in that it was long and boring.
And finally, the last country to participate in the titles' Passing was that of…
SHIN LA
…It was a land of crystal-clear waters and also had beautiful forests which, interestingly enough, had leaves that were not green but were lively bright orange. Standing tall above these vibrant trees was that of another mountain, but one that appeared to be in the shape of a horned serpent-like creature curled up and with his mouth open as if letting out a roar. And on top of the rocky serpent's head and between its horns was that of Shina La City, a metropolis of violet-painted buildings with golden orange energy flowing through the cables and hovercrafts move from the sky to either travel to other buildings or out into the forests below to make deliveries to the nearby towns.
The city's populace, be it those who lived and worked the buildings or walked the sidewalks, all of whom had tanned skin, black hair, and an appearance that resembled those of Asian decent on Earth, with the Alphas all having orange-colored bangs in their hair. On this day, most of the population gathered in the city's center, specifically, a fifteen-story building that seemed to mimic an Ancient Japanese design and in shining golden orange paint and purple edges and rooftop.
The roof had some features of its own, with the front having a giant painting of the Shin-La national symbol of an orange circle with a purple female silhouette, and on the top having the city's power source, which was a giant golden-orange Athain Stone which transmitted its energy through the cables connected to it and powered all mechanical devices and buildings within this city.
Standing on the balcony on the tenth floor and high above the cheering citizens stood the ruling family of the Shin La empire. From Emperor Murasakino, a middle-aged, brown-eyed, slim man with black hair, and the slender, black-haired Emperess Shin La, who gazed upon the people she ruled and protected along with her husband with her orange eyes. Both wore orange robes almost identical to Japanese clothing, with Muraskino resembling a Sokutai and Shin La's resembling a Kimono. They also wore distinguishable headwear, with the Emperor wearing a kanmuri, which was a purple cap with a long orange pennon, and the Emperess holding her black hair up in a bun and keeping it in place with an orange pin resembling a dragon's head. The final member and the most crucial person in the city on this great day was Princess Shin La, who donned a purple kimono and had her black hair in a bun. Like her mother, the young Shin La gazed upon the people she was destined to rule with wide open orange eyes, and with great poise and elegance that she learned from her years of training, she gave the people of Shin La city a bow as to show them that as their soon to be empress, she was to serve them.
Thus concluded the list of the kingdoms within the continent of Alandra who took part in this ceremony to pass their respected crowns to new rulers that would lead the Allied Kingdoms into peace and prosperity. However, little did the Royal Families and the people under their rule know that this joyous occasion would end in tragedy. An unfortunate fact known only by the heroes and villains watching the ceremony from…
THE BEYONDER'S THRONE ROOM
…where they all stood in hushed silence upon seeing this grand tour of Planet Athia. While the heroes looked on in awe and admiration at how the planet's inhabitants managed to create a paradise with their technology and usage of the Athian Stones, the villains had mixed reactions. Some of them wanted to hurry up and get this 'experiment' over with and get back home, while others like Victor Von Doom and Otto Octavius and the Red Skull were further enticed by the idea of using their resources for their own ends. And out of all the villains, it was a skeptic Karla 'Moonstone' Sefton who decided to speak her mind about this ceremony she and her comrades were watching, albeit after rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "And I take it that each princess has to marry a charming prince?"
The Beyonder couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head upon hearing this question, finding Karla's defiant demeanor and such 'simple thinking' amusing. "You earthlings and your fairy tales. No, in the case of who becomes an Athian king…" The Beyonder once again waved his hand and changed the image on the screen back to…
AVA
…Where back in the celebration in Ava City, three twenty-five-year-old Athian men stood in front of a squad of Avan Elite Guardsmen right underneath the balcony. All were Alphas, as evident by the yellow bangs in their hair, and they were eloquently dressed, each wearing gold jackets and white pants, gloves, and shoes, but each had different characteristics. The one on the far left had light skin, a portly figure, and blonde hair, and his gold jacket had blue shoulder tassels. The man in the middle had black hair but pale skin, cheekbones, a lean but fit frame, and was considered quite handsome by every woman in the kingdom. And the third and final man on the far right was that of a fair-skinned, brunette man with a very muscular physique, one in which his blue tasseled jacket could barely contain it.
"That title is given to one of the sons of three Dukes that rule over territories of each country."
On the balcony, the young Ava looked down at her potential suitors, and her pleasant expression hid a feeling of uneasiness and sadness. The person she loved and wanted to rule the country alongside was not present among the suiters, in fact, not even among the cheering crowd. Something that did not go unseen by those gathered back in…
THE BEYONDER'S THRONE ROOM
…and it was the ever romance-loving Jan who decided to point it out, all while looking at Ava with a sympathetic expression. "Does she have to choose between those three guys? Because she doesn't look interested?"
While also watching the screen, the Beyonder soon changed from joking and easygoing to intensely focused as he shifted his attention to the two Avas, who by now had just moved to two circles on the platform as part of the title passing ceremony. "That is not important," the Beyonder responded coldly, then lifted one of his hands as if to use his power again.
AVA
…As the two Avas stood in circles, the mother and daughter turned to face each other and held hands. For a moment, they stood and waited for a telepathic message from queens from other kingdoms. Within one minute, High Queen Ava received a message from each of her fellow Queens, all telling her that they were all ready to proceed with the passing, and thus shifted her attention back to her daughter, who was looking at her potential suitors and, despite smiling at the, also appeared to be discouraged. "Ava, is something the matter?" High Queen Ava asked via telepathy so as not to worry Airdan, Marrion Jonas, and the rest of the people gathered for this occasion.
The young Ava was shocked back to reality when she heard her mother speak to her mentally, and as she faced her, she turned to discouragement. Ever since she was a child, Ava knew that her mother could sense what she was really feeling, not to mention that since her mother was using telepathy, she could look inside her mind to find out what was wrong. And so, with a defeated sigh, the discouraged young Ava addressed her mother. "No, Mother," she answered with a returning telepathic call. "I assure you that what I am going through is something that I can deal with. For the sake of our people."
The High Queen didn't exactly find this answer reassuring, but she nonetheless respected her daughter's decision, for regrettably, it was too late to turn back. As such, the elder Ava could only answer her daughter with a nod and silently hoped that whoever was chosen out of the three suitors below, the young Ava would find a way to love him once she got to know him. "All right then, let's get started," thought the High Queen with a small smile. Then, she turned to Watsa, who stood there waiting for her queen to give her the order to proceed with the ceremony. "Watsa, if you would?"
The loyal Watsa gave her High Queen a nod of acknowledgment and thus turned to the crowd. She then held up her hand, which had an Athian Stone ring, and channeled her willpower into it, causing her bangs to float straight up and a golden aura to consume her body. As Watsa concentrated deeper, the aura made its way down her hand. With a mental command, she formed the energy into a minor glyph and made it float in front of her mouth. "People of Ava!" Watsa said into the mystic glyph, which amplified her voice for everyone in the city to hear. "The Passing of the Titles shall now begin!" Watsa paused for a brief moment to allow the crowd to let out a loud cheer of jubilation, and once it subsided, she stood aside and presented the two Avas. "We shall begin with High Princess Ava receiving the title of High Queen."
Neither mother nor daughter wasted any time in getting things underway, and thus, both Avas turned back at each other and proceeded with the spell to pass the title of High Queen. First, they both closed their eyes and began channeling their essence and willpower into their rings, which not only caused the young Ava's bangs to float upward but also caused her and her mother to be encompassed within a large sphere of blinding golden light.
The light was so intense that many within the crowd, more specifically Betas, put on special visors to protect their eyes from the glare, but as for High King Airdan, his second daughter Marrion Jonas, as well as the royal officials on the balcony, they watched with no problems at all. They, along with many of those in the crowd, were Alphas, and thanks to years of training and learning how to control their energy through magic, their bodies were naturally enhanced, including their eyes. So much so that looking at such an intense light was as hurtful to their retinas as gazing at a nightlight.
After only a few seconds, the golden sphere soon began to shrink down and move closer to the right side, and in the process, revealed the elder Ava. However, she was no longer wearing her winged crown, robe, and eye-shaped ring, and instead had her white hair down and was wearing a relaxed white robe, a strong indicator that she had retired from her role as High Queen and passed it down to her daughter.
The golden light soon encompassed the young Ava until it hugged her and showed her body's shape like a full-body spandex suit. Usually, as part of the ceremony, the energy would transform into the robe, crown, and eye-shaped ring and thus complete the princess's transformation into the queen. But on this day, things took a shocking turn, as the energy suddenly burst into a massive, brilliant white light, and after a few moments, and after a few moments, the glow subsided, and the young Ava, who was about to take her mother's place as the country's High Queen, was gone and nowhere to be found.
Naturally, the new High Queen's disappearance caused great shock and disarray among the people. But no more so than the elder Ava, who stood horrified that her first was now missing. "What…?" The elder Ava whispered to herself in both disbelief and terror, then frantically looked around her surroundings in search of the young woman who, whether princess or queen, was, first and foremost, her child. "Ava? AVA?!"
THE BEYONDER'S THRONE ROOM
Both the champions of good and evil were just as confused at what they had just witnessed on the large screen, with the heroes being more worried about the citizens as this was affecting the day regarding who would rule their lands. The villains, on the other hand, just stood dumbfounded and confused as they wondered how the taking of future monarchs was part of the Beyonder's experiment and, more importantly, how it would affect them and their plans on going home.
The only person in the room who was the calmest was the Beyonder himself, as he was the one who teleported the High Queen of Ava out of the city. Moments later, he once again waved his right hand to change the image on the screen. Namely that of the younger Ava, who at this time appeared to be sleeping in a dark void while floating upright in a gold aura with her hands crossed above her chest. To make matters direr, the young Ava was not alone in this dark oasis, for with her were the other princesses of the Allied Kingdoms, all of whom were abducted just as they were made queens of their respected countries and all glowing in a variety of colors, mainly those belonging to the Athian Stones that powered their lands. All of which left the Beyonder satisfied, as this was part of his plan for the experiment. "There we are."
The sight of the future queens of the Allied Kingdoms did not sit well with the heroes, and it was visibly angry Logan who spoke up and asked the question they were all thinking. "What the hell did you just do?!"
"I transported the princesses out of Athia and into a pocket dimension," The Beyonder replied matter-of-factly, if not coldly. "As stated earlier, now that they are queens, they are the most powerful beings on their planet, and thus, I felt that they would give the side of good an unfair advantage in the early stages of the experiment. Especially when I send the villains down to the planet first and allow them to conquer it."
Naturally, this answer caused shock and panic among the heroes, and the next Avenger to make herself heard via a raised voice was that of the often vocal, as well as flabbergasted Jan Van Dyne. "YOU'RE GONNA DO WHAT?!"
After Jan's bewildered scream, it was the Wakanda King, T'Challa, who spoke up against the Beyonder and how he had just kidnapped the young queens of the Allied Kingdoms. "No! You cannot do this!" The angry T'Challa proclaimed in defiance because despite them being on a different planet, he was disgusted with how the Beyonder was interfering in the Athian's lives.
"I must," the Beyonder replied calmly, almost emotionless. "Upon prior observation, I've noticed that villains are at their strongest when they rule over others, as evidenced by Victor Von Doom, Apocalypse, Hydra, and so on. Therefore, for the sake of this experiment, I feel that this course of action is best."
Like his fellow heroes, Peter was disgusted with how the Beyonders discussed his plan while sounding like he had little to no regard for Athia's inhabitants. Speaking of them like they were expendable. And though Peter's recent actions have not exactly made him one suitable to talk about how to care for others, his anger was so great that he immediately forgot about what he had done and became the next one to speak up against this mysterious being who was forcing him, his fellow heroes and a gathering of villains that included his rogues gallery, to fight in his sick wargame. "Screw the experiment!" Peter roared as he walked up towards the Beyonder, all while receiving bewildered looks from both heroes and villains gathered. "I mean, kidnapping us, then forcing us to fight each other to satisfy YOUR morbid curiosity about good and evil was insane enough! But to do it by endangering innocent lives?! No one has that kind of right! Not even someone as powerful as you!"
Many on the villain's side weren't exactly sold on Peter's speech, primarily because they had heard news reports about how Peter hadn't been acting like his chipper self—something that made Peter, as he would put it, a 'Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.'
And no one knew this more than Otto, who looked at the young hero with pure disdain as he remembered the last time he and Peter faced each other. Namely, the time that the young man wore a different suit and, along with it, a newer, more aggressive, unforgiving personality, one that made him give Otto a severe beating that nearly killed him and forced the usual ruthless scientist to beg for his life, hence why Otto looked at Peter with pure contempt and found his speech about preserving life on the planet as a performance to suit his own ends. One that, along with a change in his original red and blue costume, did nothing to convince the metal-limbed scientist that Peter was no longer the monster that nearly ended his life. "Given your actions as of late, arachnid, you are hardly one to give lectures on preserving any life! Much less the lives of those on another world!" Otto barked with intense hatred in his voice, then turned his attention back to the mystic screen, which by that time showed the image of Ava City, where its inhabitants were still in a state of panic after the disappearance of the country's new High Queen. However, it was the planet's highly advanced technology that caught Otto's eye, which immediately changed his mood from anger to fascination as he used his thumb and index finger to rub his chin in contemplation. "Still, I wouldn't mind going down on the planet to get a closer at their technology. As I find it very…intriguing."
Another villain showing interest in what Athia resources was Hydra's new leader, the Red Skull, who also watched the screen with a devious smirk, as this planet's technology and magic could help him not only defeat Steve and his comrades but also take control of the Earth that he was supposed to rule, but was denied such glory with Hydra and the Axis Powers defeat in the second World War. "Indeed."
Other villains, such as Mac 'The Scorpion' Gargan, did not find their current situation so promising. Despite having the chance to fight and beat Spider-Man and increase his 'street cred' by fighting and defeating the other heroes, he found this whole experience with the Beyonder and battling on another planet to be too much, even for him. "Hey, not me, Ock," Mac said nervously as he held up both hands to help symbolize that he wanted no part of any of the Beyonder's over-glorified battle royal on an alien planet. "You ask me; this whole business about killing each other on some alien planet freaks me the hell out! And I want to get back to Earth and pronto-!"
By this time, the Beyonder found this bickering among the champions irritating and slowing down the process of beginning the experiment. And so, to grab everyone's attention, he mentally caused the screen to flash a brilliant white light that filled the room and momentarily stunned the heroes and villains. "ENOUGH!" The Beyonder bellowed with a loud, booming voice and waited for them to regain the barrings. Once they did and all faced him, the Beyonder let out an irritated sigh before continuing. "Now, I can see that my bringing you here is…undesirable for some of you." As he continued, the Beyonder briefly turned to the heroes. "Be it your sympathies towards the people of Athians," he then shifted his attention to the villains, more specifically, to the cowering Mac Gargan, who by this time was receiving disgusted looks from the other villains who were supposed to be his comrades. "To your simple desire to return to Earth. So, I shall add an incentive." With a simple mental command, the Beyonder once again changed the image on the screen, but this time, it did not show what was happening on the surface of Athia but was instead an image of what could be.
Namely that of Mac, who by now was out of his Scorpion armor and now wearing sunglasses and a black bathing suit, sitting on a tanning chair on a beach of a tropical island and surrounded by a group of beautiful women in bikinis, with one of them serving him a Bloody Mary. Then, he changed to that of Peter Parker, dressed in regular clothing and still eighteen years old, but appeared a bit skinnier and was wearing glasses, as if he had never been bitten by the spider that gave him his powers. Moreover, he seemed to be on Christmas break from Empire State University and was now spending it at the Parker house, along with his aunt May and a now-living Ben Parker! Other images followed, from Steve Rogers, in a ceremonial army uniform and being married to a younger and long since passed Peggy Carter, to Victor Von Doom, still clad in his steel armor with green cloak and sitting in a throne room located in his headquarters that was not located in his castle in Latveria, but instead was the building formally called the United Nations, but was now Doom Tower as he now supreme ruler of Planet Earth!
Now, seeing that he had the attention of both sides, the Beyonder went on to explain the images he had presented to them. "What you see before you are my intended prizes to those who not only take part in this conflict but also succeed in defeating their enemies. Your heart's greatest desire made into reality. Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish."
While many of the villains found this offer very enticing, not all of them seemed optimistic about it. Namely, Apocalypse, who was still bound to the floor. "COWARD!" Apocalypse roared at the Beyonder while struggling to get free. "You dare to insult us further with a so-called prize to fight in your pitiful mock battle?!"
Out of all the villains to agree with the immobile ancient mutant, it was none other than Victor, who still looked down at Apocalypse with disgust. "As much as it pains me to admit this, the mutant is correct," said Victor in an irritable tone, having to agree with, in his mind, a living relic who proved to be undeserving of the power he possessed. He then turned his attention to the Beyonder and addressed him with narrowed eyes. "Whatever I desire, I am perfectly capable of achieving them on my own! However, I imagine that you won't send us back to Earth unless we play this little game of yours. So, Beyonder, to this, I say, stop wasting Doom's time, send us to this planet, and let's get this over with!"
On the heroes' side, Reed couldn't help but be left nervous upon hearing Victor's harsh remark about this omnipotent being. He felt his old roommate's brash words would only make the situation worse for the Athians. "Victor, wait-!"
"So, bet it," said the Beyonder with a smirk, then pointed his left at the villains and with just an ounce of concentration, he used his immense power to create white auras for each of the villains, and a split second later, they all flashed and consumed the throne room in blinding white light. After a few moments, the light subsided, and the heroes were all dazed and holding their eyes in pain. But the villains themselves, they were nowhere to be seen!
A disoriented Peter waited for a few moments for his vision to clear, and once it did, he looked around. His eyes grew large with horror behind his eyepieces when he noticed the villains, especially those in his rogues gallery, were gone. "Ock?! Gargan?! Oh no, NO!"
Other heroes began to stir as well, including the 'Iceman' Bobby Drake, who was stunned to see that Erik, Mister Sinister, and the rest of the villains were gone. "W-What?! What happened to Magneto and the rest of the baddies?! Where'd they go?!"
Logan's sight had recovered earlier due to his healing factor, and he had long noticed the villains' disappearance before anyone else did. Moreover, they glared at the white suit as being responsible for their enemies. "Where the hell do you think?"
As for the Beyonder, he was now looking back up at the screen, which showed the image of Victor and the rest of the confused villains standing in the middle of the dried-up, derelict prison island that was Goblok. "Now for the next phase…" With a mental command, the image on the screen changed into an image of that of the planet Athia itself. He then moved his left hand in a circular motion, which resulted in the planet glowing white and rotating at a much faster rate, as evidenced by the moving clouds. As it progressed, Athia's clouds began to undergo a strange transformation. Namely, they changed from brilliant white to dark green that grew so large that they consumed the entire planet, and after less than a minute, the Beyonder stopped the planet from spinning. Athia had now transformed into a world covered with unusual jade-colored clouds with a small round white spot on the lower right side. Something that left the Beyonder surprised but intrigued. "Hmmm, interesting development."
Like his comrades, Tony felt just as uneasy upon seeing the planet's transformation and the Beyonder going about it like a child playing with a building block set. "Okay, I know I'm going to regret this, but what did you just do now?"
"I accelerated time on Athia to six of your Earth months," The Beyonder explained to the heroes, who were astonished that he was capable of such a feat. "But as to the green clouds that consume the planet, you'll have the villains to thank for that." The Beyonder could see both horror and disbelief within the heroes. Still, knowing that they had to know what they were up against for the sake of the experiment, he once again waved his hand to change the image, showing the image of how much things have changed since he transported the villains to the planet he chose for them to do battle. First, he showed what was now transpiring on…
AVA (SIX MONTHS LATER)
…with the dark green clouds blocking the sun, turning the planet's once beautiful atmosphere into an eerie, almost sickly appearance, and its once lavish lands were now a barren wasteland, with the trees and other plant life withered up and dying and no wildlife to be seen. Other things that changed dramatically were the nearby rivers, as well as the ponds, seas, and oceans of the entire planet, in that they had gone from a healthy crystal clear to the same haunting green color as the clouds that filled the sky, but were a lighter shade and glowing as if it were a radioactive waste.
Moments later, the screen soon changed again to another location in Ava, but this time, it was a labor camp located just underneath Mount Ava. The Athain workers wore green jumpsuits and masks and appeared to be tired and drained of energy and life due to long hours of hard, backbreaking work digging up Athian Stones, which by now were no longer gold but, this time, a light green, then loading them and pushing them on hover crates.
Observing the tired slave workers were muscular, grey-skinned humanoids known as Ultamen, all of whom wore black jumpsuits with silver boots, gauntlets breastplates, and headpieces with faceplates that covered their heads and upper half of their faces, minus their jawlines and neon green hair. Just below the breastplate and on top of the sternum was a hand-sized green Athian Stone glowing bright green with their eyepieces glowing the same color. And it was these Ultamen who made up the army of the Ultimate Empire, the new regime established by the villains that ruled over Athia. And though they appeared to be living humanoids, they acted without emotion, as if they were machines.
The Ultamen were not the only ones watching the Athians work down to the bone against their will. In the center of the work camp was a stone statue of the country's new ruler, Victor Von Doom, standing triumphant and with his arms crossed to project superiority. However, the statue's best feature was the eyes, which housed mini cameras that watched the enslaved worker's every move as they worked. It was a sight that did not sit well for those back in…
THE BEYONDER'S THRONE ROOM
…where the heroes all looked at the planet's condition with pure horror, especially that of the usually upbeat Jan, "Oh my god," the distraught Jan whispered as she placed her hands over her mouth and stared at the screen with shock.
Another hero who stood horrified by this development was the wide-eyed Sue Storm, who was even more shocked by how long it took for Victor and the other villains to damage the planet that, from the looks of it, seemed damaged beyond repair. "Good lord! They did all THAT in a matter of months?!"
"Yes," the Beyonder replied, still staring at the screen with intent. "And thanks to Victor Von Doom and other villains that have great mastery in science and magic, the villains not only learned the Athains' ways in a short amount of time but also used their resources for their own gain and succeeded in conquering the planet and seizing control. And as for the Athains' themselves, they are now trampled underfoot. Which confirms evil's cruelty and lust for total conquest."
Just like the Beyonder's prior actions, his last remark from the cosmic being did not sit well with the heroes, and it was the enraged X-Girl, Kitty Pryde, who spoke up about it. "'Confirm?' Are you serious?! You had to send a bunch of psychos to wreck an entire civilization to make sure that evil is bad?!"
Suffice it to say that all of the heroes agreed with Kitty's impassioned comment, namely Tony Stark, who glared at the Beyonder as he stepped forward. "Girl's got a point!" Tony proclaimed boldly. For such an all-powerful being, you're a few stars short of a galaxy, pal!"
The Beyonder turned and looked at Tony with a stern expression, clearly not impressed by the Armored Avenger's bravado. "Then it will be you and your comrades who shall have the pleasure of making all that is wrong right again, Tony Stark. For as Champions of good, your task will be to defeat your enemies and restore this planet to its rightful owners or perish trying. But fear not, you will not participate in this conflict alone." With the heroes giving him confused looks, the Beyonder waved his hand once more and changed the image to what was transpiring on…
AMIA
…Where three armored hovercrafts were moving in a straight-line formation as they hovered over the now-dead fields as they made their way to Ava. These heavy trailers were filled with enslaved people who were no longer fit to work the mines due to their sickly appearance, and two Ultamen in each guard them. Two more Ultamen filled the driver and passenger seats and were given orders to drop the sick slaves off at a checkpoint in front of the bridge and allow the Ultamen stationed there to take them to Ava's new top scientist so he could make some use of them by performing 'enhancement experiments' on them. However, it was the middle hovercraft that contained a mysterious item that an Ultamen squad had discovered just a week prior. Something which was seen as great value to Victor Von Doom, and thus was being transported to his country so he could study to further his plans in dealing with not just the Athains that remained free and saw as 'minor annoyances,' but also dealing with the Beyonder himself.
Suddenly, however, this routine escort of prisoners and a potential weapon took a dramatic change, for the hovercrafts all soon came to a complete halt. As hard as the Ultamen tried to continue moving, their vehicles did not budge, as if some invisible force was holding them down. This, of course, caused the Ultamen to stop and hover in mid-air, and as they looked forward, they saw the reason for the vehicle's sudden stoppage.
Standing in front of the hovercraft ahead of the line was a team of four people: three men and one female. Two of the men and woman were Alphas who hailed from Ava due to the yellow bangs in their hair, while the man in the center wore a pure white jumpsuit, gloves, boots, and belt, a large white cape, and his face hidden by a white helmet with a black 'T' shaped visor, stepped forward with his right hand reaching forward. This mysterious man was known throughout the planet, be it the enslaved workers and the villains ruling the planet, as the 'White Knight of Ava,' one of the leading soldiers of the Alliance to restore the Allied Kingdoms. And it was he who was responsible for stopping the hovercrafts as he held his hand out and admitted a large electromagnetic field that brought the vehicles to a complete stop. All so, he and his teammates carry on their mission of rescuing the prisoners and taking the Athian stones.
Obviously, this action was witnessed by the Ultamen, all of whom were just about to fly in and attack the Knight and his friends so they could resume the transport.
This prompted the action of one teammate standing on the White Knight's left side, one who was a tall, thin, dark-skinned man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, had a gold stripe going down the center of his hair, and was wearing white goggles with golden lenses. His attire consisted of a white chest plate, fingerless gloves, and boots. He was also wearing a gold shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows and matching gold pants. Knowing that he and his comrades couldn't afford to be in a needless dogfight for everyone's sake, Casmas channeled his willpower into his ring; white had a white Athian Stone on top as opposed to a gold one. Naturally, this produced an energetic aura that covered his body, but strangely, instead of glowing gold like the Athian Stones of his homeland of Ava, the aura that came out of his ring was pure white, which, in turn, caused the stripe in his hair to glow the same color. Once he felt that he had enough power, the dark-skinned Athian threw his arms out and turned his aura into a bubble that grew large and encompassed the three hovercrafts and the Ultamen. And most astonishingly of all, once the Ultamen were in the bubble, they seemed to freeze entirely in place.
Such was the power of Casmas Jenna, which was to produce energy bubbles that could stop the motion of anything and anyone inside of them. However, as valuable as the power was, it had also caused him great stress on his body, more notably the head, as evidenced by blood coming out of his nose. All so he could mentally stop the movement by the Ultamen in the dome, but not for him and his comrades, all of which made him pray his teammates would make this attack fast before his head literally exploded.
A fact that was well known by Vecan Falar, the Athian male standing on the right of the Knight. He was a fair-skinned, athletically fit male with blue eyes, platinum blonde hair with yellow bangs, appeared to be in his mid-twenties, and wore the same armored uniform as Casmas, whom he had fought with in this conflict for so long; he now considered him a brother. Thus, he concentrated his energy on his ring, and as he glowed in the same white aura, his bangs rose and changed from yellow to white. Once he was 'charged up,' Vecan pointed both fists at the two Ultamen floating above and fired two streaks of what appeared to be a white flame, hitting his intended target, which was the Athian's stones on the Ultaman's chests.
The stones were the source of the Ultaman's power, as it granted them incredible strength. But it was also their weakness, for any damage to them could destroy them, as was proven when Vecan's blast hit and shattered the stones, and thus, green flame consumed them and burned them into dust.
As for the two Ultamen inside the driver's seats, who were frozen just as they opened the doors, they too were dealt with by the female, who was an attractive brunette who appeared to be the same age as Vecan and Casmas but wore her hair in a pony-tail and wore a white robe over matching white loose clothing, followed by gold fingerless gloves and boots. This unique style of clothing is worn by Maylin Daehorn, former prize apprentice of the Avan Royal Family's grand mage, Watsa, and now one of the few sorcerers aiding in the Alliance's fight for freedom. On this particular mission, Maylin focused her energy into her ring to give her a white aura, and as her now white bangs rose upward, she held her hands forward and just a few inches apart to create a small white ball. Then, with one mental command, Maylin made the ball shoot out of her hands to the left side, then circled around and sped through the left open door, hitting and shattering the two Ultamen's Athian stones, which resulted in making them dissipate.
As for the Ultamen in the second hovercraft, they would soon find out that the Knight and his three comrades were not the only ones here to stop them. Two more white auras appeared on both sides of the craft and suddenly leaped up into the sky. While in mid-air, the auras transformed into two Athains, one male and the other female.
The glowing male who came from the left possessed fair skin, blue eyes, brown hair with raised white bangs, and a confident smirk on his face, as he usually felt at home in battle. His uniform was the same as Casmas's, with the only unique difference being numerous tallies on the left side of his chest plate, which showed how many Ultamen he had defeated. All of which earned Ascaal Damos the nickname 'The Ultimate Slayer.'
As for the glowing female leaping from the right side, she was shown to have angelic beauty with white skin, platinum blonde hair that matched her standing white bangs, and fortunate enough to wear a gold and white uniform fit for a female of her slim frame. Aside from beauty, her devotion to freeing the planet and skill in battle was what described Anara Ulanora, a former member of the Avan Royal Guard and another one of the Rebellion's leading soldiers.
While they were in the air, both Anara and Ascaal threw their right arms over their left shoulders, formed their hands in a knife-edge fashion, and, with pure concentration, caused their auras to move from their bodies, down the arms and stop at their hands which formed energy-like daggers. Just as they were close enough to the frozen Ultamen, the female soldiers each threw a right-handed slash as they passed through each other and ended up landing on the opposite sides from which they leaped. Just as both rebels landed on the ground, it was revealed that the targets for their combined slash attack were the Ultamen's Athian Stones, which caused them to each fall off their chest in two halves and the Ultamen themselves to evaporate into nothing.
However, even when dealing with the Ultamen in the air, Anara and Ascaal knew that they were done yet. As they stood up, they looked over their shoulders and saw that the two Ultamen in the driver and passenger seat had opened their doors and were just about to step out. And so, in one quick motion, as if they both shared one mind, both Anara and Ascaal threw their right arms backward in an overhead motion, and in doing so, threw the energy daggers from out of their hands and hit the Ultamen's stones, causing them to shatter and the Ultamen themselves to evaporate.
As for the Ultamen in the third and final craft, they too found themselves in the presence of more Athian rebels, two males and one female, all wearing colored uniforms which consisted of white chest plates over blue short-sleeved shirts, blue pants along with white fingerless gloves and boots. Colors that were associated with Amia, one of the countries also under the control of the Beyonder's chosen Champions of Evil, were fighting to rebel against them. And, just like the rebels who dealt with the eight other Ultamen, they too were Alphas but possessed blue bangs and, upon utilizing their rings, produced white auras of their own.
One rebel, who was a large, bulky, dark-skinned man in his mid-thirties with a glowing white stripe going down his bald head and whose upper body could barely be contained in his custom-made chest plate, decided to be the one who took care of the Ultamen in the air. He did so by entering into a deep concentration, and soon enough, the energy from the aura caused his massive bulk to grow even larger until, finally, the man himself was as big as a small building. This made it all too easy for the now literal giant to spread his arms out and clap his massive hands with the two Ultamen in between, squashing them like they were mosquitos. Naturally, this resulted in Ultamen's stones, as well as their bodies, being crushed, and as the giant pulled his hands apart, all that was left was fiery dust.
This larger-than-life display was pulled off by Hagen Lando, an Athian man who used his ability to change his size for construction. But now, thanks to this new war that had been waging for a year, he often had to use his gift to demolish Ultamen and other enemy forces.
As for the two last Ultamen piloting the craft, who had exited the vehicle at this time and turned around to face the Amian Rebels behind him, it didn't take long for them to meet their end. For the Ultaman on the passenger side, he met his end at the hands of Jak Samus, a brown-haired, fair skinned Amian with hazel eyes and an athletically chiseled body and veteran of the Amian Royal Guard. And it was here that Jak channeled the power into his right arm until he formed a white triangular shield. Once materialized, Jak threw a right jab, which caused the shield to shoot off his arm like a laser beam, with the tip hitting the Ultaman's stone, turning him into ash.
And for the final Ultaman who jumped out of the driver's seat, he was the target of Makaela Yinna, a tall, fair-skinned woman around the same age as Jak who had long, flowing, fiery blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slim but muscular figure. With her mind on saving the enslaved people inside the craft and getting them out of the area as quickly as possible, Makaela wasted no time in taking action as she threw her right hand out in an underhand motion and, in the process, formed a white whip-like construct with a tip that shattered not just the Ultaman's stone, but also pierced through his chest and out of his back. It wasn't until Makaela pulled her whip back that the Ultaman dissipated thus wiping out the entire Ultamen Squad.
With their opposition out of the way, Casmas seized his concentration and made the bubble disappear, the white stripe on his head to turn back to gold, and fall to his knees in exhaustion, with blood dripping from his nose to the charred ground. It wasn't long before his comrades stopped concentrating as well, and soon their bangs returned to their respective colors, from the Amian's bangs turning blue and Vecon Ascaal and Anara's turning gold.
The enslaved people inside the hovercrafts witness all of this through the barred windows in the trailers, and their nearly dead husks of bodies, due to working long hours in the mines, are soon filled with life as they cheer in jubilation for their saviors.
Admiration to which a smiling Ascaal appreciates and bows to his audience that was the rescued people and, in the process, causes Anara to roll her eyes in aggravation.
The rest of the Athian rebels shared in Anara's embarrassment, but it was Casmas who chose to vocalize his thoughts as Vecan helped him up on his feet and wiped the blood from his nose. "Even in a life or death situation, you just can't resist being a showman, can you, Ascaal?" Casmas asked with strain in his voice as he struggled to stand on what strength he had left.
Ascaal was brought out of his good mood when he heard Casma's pained voice. As he turned around, he grew worried for his comrade and thus ran towards him and assisted Vecan in helping him stand, proving that while the great Ultimate Slayer may have an ego, he also had a heart when it came to his friends. "Nothing wrong with basking in celebrating a successful mission, my friend," said Ascaal with a smile. "Especially when it's one YOU made that way with that time bubble of yours! In fact, it sounds like it would make a nice chapter in that novel you said you wanted to write…provided you mention how amazing I am and split the profits."
"I'll keep that in mind," Casmas replied to his boastful comrade with playful sarcasm despite his weakened state. Thanks to his intuition, something that helped him out as a journalist before the villains took over, Casmas could always tell when people were genuine. Thus, despite Ascaal's arrogance, Casmas knew that he was a hero, but one who often tested his and other people's patience.
One of those people who was often annoyed by Ascaal's antics was that of the White Knight, especially given that this was not the time to celebrate. "Stroke your ego later, Ascaal!" The Knight said sternly, with a voice that sounded old but strong, then turned to Maylin, the one person who right now was their only hope for escape, as he knew that one of the Ultamen from any of the hovercrafts must've sent a request for back up before being destroyed. "Maylin, it's time we took our leave."
With a nod, Maylin once used her ring, causing her white aura to return and her bangs to change back to white as they rose. She then spread her arms outward, and at that moment, a large circular glyph appeared underneath the team and the hovercrafts containing the enslaved people. In one brief but brilliant flash of light, they all disappeared…
THE BEYONDER'S THRONEROOM
…naturally, the heroes couldn't help but look on in astonishment at seeing the rebels handle their enemies. But none so more than Logan, as he stared intently at the White Knight, for the sound of his voice and the way he held down those hovercrafts seemed…hauntingly familiar.
Regardless, the Beyonder went on to introduce the heroes 'help' in this conflict. "As you can see, the Athain's that managed to escape the villain's take over of the continent have all come together and formed a resistance movement known as the Alliance to restore the Allied Kingdoms." As he continued, the Beyonder changed the image to the planet itself but zoomed a bit closer to the blue circle. "And their headquarters, which is soon to yours, lies here." With a mental command, the Beyonder zoomed closer to the blue spot on…
PLANET ATHIA
…where it was revealed to be a massive cylinder-shaped shield of white mystic energy located in the middle of the glaring green seas and was so tall that the top actually pierced through the green clouds and absorbed rays from the sun. Inside the cylinder, the sunlight was transmitted into the interior wall, which admitted a soothing blue light with white energy waves moving downward, almost resembling that of clear blue skies. Once more, the seawater that was inside the cylinder also absorbed its energy, which, in turn, changed from the eerie, unnatural neon green to crystal clear before the villains took over. Also benefitting from the cylinder's positive effects was a small island with tall palm trees, clean beaches, and a white energy beam rising upward from the far eastern front.
This section of the island contained small villages, where people farmed and gathered edible fruits from their fields and water from the lakes and ponds. Many of the farmers would utilize small hovercrafts, many stolen from the villain-occupied cities by rebel forces, and used them to transport these fruits, water, and other supplies over to the top of the mountain, where the top was a vast circle that contained a city of small buildings and in the center was a fifty-foot tower, with the top contained large White Athain Stone that projected the white beam that created the shield that protected the island and its inhabitants. The city itself was composed of six sections known as 'Micro Countries, in that each building was colored and contained unique designs resembling those of the buildings from each nation that many of the inhabitants were forced to flee from, from one section's buildings having the silver and white colors of Paix, to another section of buildings having the Asian-like design and the violet and orange colors of Shin-La, and so forth. Thus, the citizens, many of whom escaped the villain's tyranny, are given their home away from home until Alliance can take back their continent and the planet.
"In the city of Avalonia, located on the island of New Alandra, which served as a haven for the Athians wanting to retake their home world from your enemies." The Beyonder narrated, naming the island and city that was intended to be the hero's base of operation. Before continuing, the Beyonder stared closer at the image as if he spotted something of great interest. "And it looks like it's going to stop being safe right about…"
Suddenly, the energy shield immediately disappeared, causing the green clouds to fill in the hole it made and the ocean inside it to revert to green. This caused fear and panic among the Athains on the island, from the farmers living in the villages to the citizens living in the city…
THE BEYONDER'S THRONE ROOM
…which did not sit well with the heroes, and it was the ever-vocal Clint Barton who let the Beyonder know it. "What the hell did you do now?!"
"Nothing," The Beyonder calmly replied. "It appears that someone on the island has shut down the shield from the inside. Perhaps what you earthlings call a 'mole' is doing the bidding of the Champions of Evil. Whatever the case, the lives of the Alliance, as well as the people that they've liberated, are now in great danger, and it is up to YOU to save them!" With that said, the Beyonder waved his hand once more to make the screen disappear, then turned his attention to the heroes, who still gave him looks of anger and disgust. "It is now time to begin. Whether or not you want the prize, consider this. Your only chance to save the planet and return home is for you, the Champions of Good, to take the fight to the Champions of Evil…and win." With those parting words, the Beyonder held his right hand outward, and before any of the heroes could voice an objection, they were soon covered in auras, and just like the villains before them, they vanished out of the Beyonder's sight and throne room. And with that, the Beyonder's experiment, in the form of a war between good and evil, had gone underway.