"Get a grip on yourself, Olson."
Jake looked up from his prone position, tears stinging his eyes. He'd just witnessed his fiance Hannah Fairmont being carried off by the supervillain known as Quicksand... but worst of all, he'd failed to force the transformation into Thor. He was helpless.
Until now.
Jake stood up quickly, staring in surprise at Susannah Flake. As Agent 34, she'd served as Jake's primary handler on SHIELD missions. "What are you doing here?" he asked, wondering if SHIELD had expected all this to occur.
"I was trailing you. Agent 13 told me to keep tabs on what you were up to." Susannah withdrew a small handheld communicator. "This is Agent 34. We have a situation. A woman named Hannah Fairmont has been kidnapped by a criminal I believe is called Quicksand. We need a visual, pronto."
"Roger that," a voice replied. "Satellite visual indicates the perp is moving westwards with her victim in tow. Waitaminute... lost 'em. They went into the sewer system."
Jake started to move away but Susannah put a halt to him, putting her hand firmly on his chest. She clicked off the radio and whispered "Calm down. You go off half-cocked without your powers and you're going to end up as dead as the old Thor." Agent 34 ran a hand through her long blonde hair and looked around. Sirens were beginning to wail in the distance and some of the frightened residents of the apartment building were streaming out into the streets, gaping at the hole where Hannah Fairmont's apartment had been. "Any clue as to why Quicksand would want Hannah?"
"No," he answered testily. "Did you know she was going to be here? This villain?"
"Of course not. Look, Jake... we can do this one of two ways. I can call in the rest of the super agents and let them handle it while you sit on the sidelines... or we can go get your girlfriend back, me and you. But you take orders from me, understand?"
Jake hesitated and then nodded. Alone, with no powers, he'd stand little chance of saving Susannah. He also knew that if Agent 34 called in the other heroes working for SHIELD, they'd do just as she'd said: put him someplace safe, away from the battlezone. "Why are you willing to help
me?"
"We're partners, Olson. I think you're an idealistic idiot most of the time, but I won't let your girlfriend get hurt.'
"Thanks... I think. I--"
"Jake!"
Jake glanced around to see Hannah's daughter Amanda running through the gathering crowd. A police officer was yelling, asking if anyone knew what had happened, but Jake didn't bother responding to him. There was nothing the cops could do in this situation. "Amanda, are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to touch her arm.
For once, she didn't pull away. The two of them had never been close, as Amanda saw Jake as a good for nothing who was trying to replace her deceased father... but under the current circumstances, he was the nearest thing to a friendly face that the young girl had. "I'm fine but mom was taken by some monster!"
"I got here just in time to see that thing taking Hannah away," Jake said. He knew that Susannah was watching him, counting every second. "Look, honey, I've got to go."
"But what about mom?"
"I was just called by the hospital," he explained, feeling like a heel. "Go over to the policeman and he'll watch over you, okay?"
Amanda stared at him shock. "I can't believe you... you're going to dump me here? You're going to work while mom is in trouble? You're a dickhead."
Jake frowned but didn't immediately reply... there was no excuse for how he was seeming to act.
Thankfully, Susannah came to the rescue. "Little girl," she began.
"I'm not a little girl," Amanda growled, turning on the other woman. "I'm twelve."
Susannah ignored the remark, instead choosing to flash her SHIELD badge. Jake could Amanda's eyes widen. "I'm an agent for the Security Hazards International Espionage Law-Enforcement Detection. You've heard of us?"
"Sure."
"Good. Then you know that when we're involved, there's major crap going down. Mr. Olson here isn't returning to work. He's coming with me. We believe he's got information that's essential to this investigation... so please cut the guilt trip you're trying to lay on him and go talk to that officer over there."
Amanda blinked but did as she was told, not even casting a backwards glance at Jake. Jake, for his part, wasn't pleased. "That was a little harsh. She's just upset."
"You'd rather I'd let her think you were a coward who didn't care about her mom?"
"Of course not, but...."
"Then let's stop wasting time and get to work."
Jake nodded, whispering "Thanks, Susannah."
Quicksand dropped Hannah Fairmont to the damp floor. The normally talkative villain stood stock-still, her eyes staring forward in a magical haze. "She is here," she said in a monotone voice.
An ancient-looking crone moved from the shadows, long strands of silver white hair hanging about bony shoulders. The old woman was naked, her mouth working in a chewing motion as she approached. "Excellent work," she hissed, staring at the prone figure on the ground before her. Hannah had passed out en route, her mind unable to comprehend all that had happened. One moment she'd been putting away the dishes and the next a woman formed of sand was bursting into her apartment. "I will awaken her," the old woman said, kneeling beside Hannah. The crone's knees cracked as she bent, eliciting a half-mumbled curse.
Quicksand stirred, her vision beginning to clear. "Where....?"
The old woman flicked a hand at her. "Go away. You have done my bidding!"
Quicksand turned, slowly shifting her form into a sandy one. She vanished down the long sewer tunnels, her mind already forgetting the recent past.
As Hannah began to stir, the crone poked at her, whispering words of ancient power. They stirred something in Hannah's blood, making Jake's lover jump with a start. She saw the naked witch and scrambled back madly, sending rats and cockroaches scurrying through the muck. The sights and sounds of this made Hannah's mental state worsen and she screamed long and hard.
"Hush, child!" the woman said, her eyes narrowing. "Answer me truthfully and I mean you no harm!"
Hannah swallowed, looking about in confusion. "Who are you? Where is this place?"
"We lurk in the bowels of your mortal city, far from prying eyes." The woman suddenly looked away, as if listening to something Hannah couldn't hear. "Do you hear the horns? The armies march for Asgard!"
"'Are you... the thing that came and took me from my home? Where's my daughter?"
"Your progeny is no concern of mine. And it was not I who stole you away... a mere pawn that I ensorcelled. Once I would have used a man for they make the most devoted of toys... but my beauty has faded, like the eternal wisdom of Odin."
"Guess it wasn't very eternal if it could fade," Hannah said testily. She was growing less afraid of the woman now, recognizing madness when she saw it. Hannah worked in admissions at the hospital and she'd seen all kinds come and go through her office door. "I'm getting the hell out of here -- and if you try and stop me, I'll tear you a new one!"
Hannah looked left and right, not sure where to go but determined not to remain where she was. Her first footstep never came, however, as an invisible force held her in place.
"Watch your tongue, little whore," the old woman said. "And answer me truthfully -- where is Thor?"
Hannah felt the force relinquish its hold over her face and she blinked in mounting horror. No matter how much she strained, no part of her body save for her face would respond. "I don't know what you're talking about... you mean the superhero? He died! Along with most of the Avengers, right?"
"I've searched this area, high and low," the woman responded. "I feel his power... his magic... it surrounds you. You've bedded him, haven't you? You teasing little bitch!" The old woman rushed forward, putting her hands about Hannah's neck. She squeezed, making her victim gasp in helpless terror... but the attack ceased as quickly as it had begun. "You know nothing, do you?" she said, backing away and covering her nakedness with her hands. "Nothing!"
Hannah found herself free to move again and she took off at a tear, running wildly through the maze-like confines of the sewer systems. She had to get home, had to make sure her daughter was safe... and she had to get away from the madwoman behind her.
Left alone once more, the woman named Amora fell to the muddy waters at her feet and began to sob. Her beauty had been torn from her, but worst of all were the gaping wounds in her psyche and her soul. Neither had been left intact and as such, the once-powerful Enchantress had been reduced to almost nothingness.
Jake tried to ignore the stench but it was almost impossible. He'd grown used to many sights, sounds and smells over the years he'd worked as an EMT but this... the sewers stank to high heaven and things scurried past his feet in tremendous numbers and size. "Why in the world would Quicksand come down here? Doesn't seem like the smartest place for a woman made of sand."
"Who knows?" Agent 34 responded. She was in the lead, holding a small pen-sized flashlight in one hand and her SHIELD-issued handgun in the other. Jake couldn't help but admire her professionalism. Beautiful and deadly... a potent combination to be sure. "Something's coming. Back up and--"
Susannah's words were lost in a roar of sound. Jake jumped back as the flashlight fell to the floor, disappearing in the muck. A sound like a heavy sack of wheat being thrown about echoed in the narrow tunnels and Jake thought he heard Susannah gasp in pain before falling silent. In the dark, he crouched, straining to see into the gloom. "Susannah?" he whispered.
A sand-covered arm snaked about his waist, lifting him off his feet and squeezing so hard he thought his insides would burst. Quicksand brought her face close enough that even in the gloom, her malevolent eyes were visible. "Hello there, handsome. Want to play?"
Jake struck hard, driving his fist into her face. Unfortunately, it did not damage, sinking easily into the sandy features and then being forcibly expelled. "Where is she?" he yelled. "Where's Hannah?"
Quicksand laughed, relaxing her grip slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about but I like that mouth of yours."
"Get your hands off him," Susannah said from behind Quicksand.
The villain tossed Jake to the ground and turned to face the SHIELD agent. "You again? Listen, toots... he's moving up in the world. Going after a girl who show him a really good time." A harsh laugh came once more Quicksand but it disappeared quickly when Agent 34 unleashed a hidden weapon against her: a force beam projected from a glove she'd slipped on during the melee.
Jake saw Quicksand throw herself at Susannah again and then the gloom overtook him, preventing him from seeing what was happening. His helplessness returned and he cursed both himself and his mysterious benefactor, Marnot.
It was then that a familiar voice intoned "Missed me, young mortal?"
Jake felt a stillness to the air and recognized the handiwork. He looked up to see the glowing figure of Marnot emerging from thin air....
Demitrius pulled his coat tighter against him and shivered in the harsh wind. He'd kept his word to Jake, dropping off their ambulance back at the station, but from there he'd gone in directions that his partner would never have believed. The two of them were tight, but Demitrius knew that Jake would never understand some of the harsher facts of life.
And so he had come here, to one of the harshest slums in Manhattan. He looked and felt a bit out of place, having the appearance of someone who didn't belong. He'd grown up in a rough neighborhood but his parents had found middle-class success and moved them to a better area of the city. It was in high school that he'd meet Jake Olson, a nice enough guy who never quite got over the hump because he lacked a killer instinct. The two young men had clicked but there had always been areas of their lives that hadn't been shared. Lately, Jake had been keeping his own secrets -- of that, Demitrius was sure. It couldn't be another woman besides Hannah -- Jake was way too straitlaced -- but it had to be something.
"I'd almost given up on you," a man said, stepping up next to Demitrius. He was tall and thin, with short-cropped blond hair and a haggard look to him. He walked stiffly, leaning on a cane. His gaunt appearance was not from drug use but from some other demons that kept him moving day and night.
"I told you I might have to work late," Demitrius answered. He looked around and dipped his hands into his pockets, retrieving a small box of medicine. "Same price as before?"
The man picked up the box and examined its contents. "I'm going to need more than this. And I want equipment to properly sterilize my instruments."
"I have to watch what I take, man... somebody's gonna notice."
"Then you better be more careful," the blond man replied. He pushed a wad of bills into the other man's pocket. "Next Tuesday. I'll increase your pay."
"Why are you doing this?" Demitrius asked, curiosity getting the best of him. "I've seen the patch jobs you've done on folks... you're a hell of a doctor. Did you lose your license? Is that why you're running a black market clinic? You don't seem to be in with the gangs or the mob."
"I..." the man began, looking momentarily confused. "I really don't know what I'm doing here."
Demitrius stared at him. He finally shrugged, realizing it didn't matter. "I'll be here. Six o'clock sharp."
"Good." The blond man hurried away, putting the box of badly needed medicines into the inside pocket of his own heavy coat. He was disturbed the other man's questions for they were at the core of something that truly bothered him: who was he really? Before he'd arrived here and started doing what came naturally, what kind of man had he been? What had stolen his memory from him?
Perhaps, Donald Blake mused, It's better that I just don't know.
"Where the hell have you been?!" Jake exploded, his ire rising by the second. "My power's gone!"
Marnot chuckled, his oddly featured face looking highly amused. "How quickly you've grown used to them! A few hours without and you're fit to bursting with anger!"
"Hannah's in trouble," Jake answered, clenching his hands into fists. "Why give me those powers if you're just going to take them away whenever you want?"
"Who said I took them away at all?" Marnot queried. "There are forces outside this realm, Jake Olson... forces who covet the power you wield. They see you as the last heir to a throne they wish to see smashed beyond repair. And so they attempt to siphon away what has been given to you... the powers will return -- are returning, even now -- but a dangerous bloodhound has been unleashed. The Hammer Bearer comes."
"You never make any sense....."
"I make perfect sense, you just don't have the knowledge yet to assimilate my words."
"Then give me the knowledge!"
"Your mind cannot cope. Not yet. You are a mortal, Jake Olson, and I speak of things that can slay gods."
"Look... I want to help you with whatever it is you're talking about. But Hannah--"
"Is fine," Marnot interrupted. "She has escaped her captor and even now makes haste to you."
Jake relaxed somewhat, his anxiety dissipating quickly. "Thank god," he whispered.
Marnot reached out and clasped Jake by the arm. "Deal with this trifle and prepare yourself. At midnight tonight I shall come to you again... and I shall take you to the Realm Eternal so that the nature of the threat shall be revealed!"
Jake started to respond but Marnot was gone in the blink of an eye... and Jake's own body was transformed. He now stood taller and more broad of shoulder. His garb was a majestic mix of blue, black and red and in his right hand he held a hammer of Uru metal. Time, which had been held in stasis, was now restored, leaving a very confused Quicksand and Agent 34 staring at Thor in disbelief.
Jake smiled and his voice rumbled like rolling thunder. "Let's rock."
Hannah was literally running towards the light. The sounds coming from up ahead were confusing to say the least -- several voices, intermingled with the crackling of electricity -- but it had to be better than dealing with the naked crone behind her. She sped around a corner and came to a sudden stop, her eyes widening.
Quicksand -- or whatever that monster's name was -- was lying face down in the watery mucck, her form slowly changing to mud. Standing above her were two people: a very dangerous woman holding a pistol and Hannah's lover, Jake. Hannah didn't even bother asking any questions. She ran straight into Jake's arms and accepted his embrace. "I am so glad to see you," she panted.
"Same here," he responded. He pushed her away gently. "Honey, I think it's time to tell you a few things."
"About her?" Hannah asked, glancing at Susannah. "Or her?" gesturing towards Quicksand.
"Would you believe both?"
"Baby, right now I'd believe almost anything."
Jake nodded, smiling softly. "Then let's go and pick up Amanda... and then I'll tell you a story about Thunder Gods and SHIELD. But we'll have to hurry."
"Why?"
"I have a date at midnight."
TO BE CONTINUED
Next Issue: "Shaking the World Tree" concludes as the new Thor gets his first glimpse into the fallen glory that was once Asgard! Plus: Who or what is the Hammer Bearer and why does their arrival spell doom for Jake Olson?
AUTHOR'S NOTES
We have our first review of issue # 1 and it comes from David Golightly:
Very intriguing start to this new series. We get a healthy dose of how things could have been in the real MU had Marvel followed through with bits of their plots. Barry really takes the torch and runs with it, as we get a nice little battle and insight into who Jake Olsen is. Nice to see it playing off the site's unique setup, too.
The Good: A fresh perspective on an old character. Fans of Thor will be pleased with this characterization and newbs will feel like they're getting in on the ground floor (which they sort of are). Since Barry has a lot of followers I'm sure this will get Avengers Reborn the attentoin it deserves by bringing in a slew of new readers. This title could be treated as the flagship of a site relaunch.
The Bad: There's an awful lot going on in this first issue. I wasn't confused but I think that some things could have been expanded on (like Jake Olsen's personal life) while others could have waited until #2 (like the scene with Perrikus). Honestly, this is almost a compliment hiding inside of a complaint...it's like "Hey! You're giving me too much for my money!"
Overall: Can't wait for #2! A first issue should always introduce the reader to characters as if for the first time and Barry does that. 8 out of 10.
Thanks, David! I really like the concept of the World Without Heroes imprint and the opportunity to present a Thor who's familiar and yet radically different intrigues me. After this opening storyline, we'll take things in a surprising direction, so I hope you'll stick around as I set the stage for what's to come.
Sorry you felt there were too much going on -- I hope to give all my ideas room to breathe as we move along.
Barry