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#9
MAY 11 |
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“God-Speak” or
“Atheists, Hooooo”
Previously: With the Big Four Defenders in space dealing with the Plodex kidnapping of Namors wife and the Herald War, and the Defenders team led by Nighthawk currently out of action, the Female Counterparts of the Defenders are led to investigate the weird happenings of the Wendigos across the country...
“Wendigo Queen?*” Namora asked, scoffing at the very idea of it. “I do not believe in such a thing. There cannot be royalty amongst animals.”
(*For the reveal see last issue)
“You're all technically animals, Namora,” Clea returned, closing her eyes to try and regain some self control of her stomach. The sight below was sickening.
“And I suppose that the high and mighty sorceress is not a lowly animal like us?” the Queen of the Ocean spat.
Clea sighed and looked over at the pouting Queen. “My Father was an animal, but my Mother is a being of energy as a member of the Faltinian race. I am part animal, part energy.”
The remaining women looked somewhat dumbstruck by the revelation. “Part energy?” Phyla asked, looking her up and down. “Why can't I detect that?”
Clea shook her head slowly. “Not sure…perhaps something to do with the fact that I’m magical living energy?”
“I should be able to detect that...” Phyla looked down at the ground.
She-Hulk put her huge green hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don't worry about it, Phy, you'll get a handle on it.”
“Phy?” she queried, looking up at the tall form of Jennifer Walters.
“Oh. Yeah. Did I over-step there? Bit too familiar?” she backed up, holding her hands up.
“No, I like it,” the young Kree woman smiled, uncrossing her arms and looking down at the writhing monstrous form below the quartet of women.
“Good, it suits you,” Jennifer smiled, putting her hand back in place.
Phyla blushed as Clea stood before the grouping. “Can we get back to the matter in hand here?” Clea asked, crossing her arms.
Jen shrugged. “Who here has experience dealing with Gods?”
Jennifer, Clea and Namora all raised their hands. Phyla said nothing and looked at the ground. “I'm still pretty new to this...not even sure on my costume design yet...”
“Who needs a costume?” She-Hulk joked, pulling at her own. “It's more like a damn swimmer’s costume than a super-hero’s.”
“As if there is something wrong with such a thing,” Namora quipped, shifting her weight onto one leg. “How do we defeat Gods?”
“We need to beat the Wendigo themselves first,” Clea began, sitting down in the dirt and reaching for a stick. “We need to plan this out. We've got no idea what they're working with in there; what raw magic they're using or technology.”
“Oh, I can do that,” Phyla said with a little head bob.
“You can do what? We're not expecting you to fly over there or try and infiltrate the hive or anything, Phyla. You don't have to prove yourself by doing something silly,” Clea said, trying to be supportive. She realized that the rest of the group were completely comfortable with their roles as heroes and rulers. Phyla was still adjusting to being a young woman, let along her role in life.
“No, no, I mean I have this…thing,” Phyla closed her eyes for a moment and then her skin turned black then, slowly but surely, twinkles and beads of light began to form over her features, some much larger than others, giving her the impression of the night sky. “It's like Genis's only not as powerful.”
“What is it? Who is Genis?”
“It's impressive is what it is,” Jennifer smirked. “That's some serious ex-foliation, right there.”
“It's the Cosmic Consciousness,” Phyla replied, with a brief nod from Clea.
“Part of the Way-Finder. It's like...being connected to Eternity. You can ask very specific questions and Eternity gives you an answer.”
“It's not always precise, though,” Phyla added, raising a black, starscaped finger. “Eternity gives me anywhere between a thousand and a million answers. It's up to me to try and figure out the relevant ones. Sometimes it's really precise, like down to the last detail, but mostly...it's not.”
“What good is something that cannot be guided...” Namora began before Phyla held up a finger to quiet her down. The Monarch of the Oceans narrowed her eyes and took a step forwards in anger. As if to meet the Queen in her own anger, She-Hulk stepped forwards and looked down at the mer-woman. The Green skinned giantess shook her head slowly, the pair’s eyes meeting in deadlock. “Very well,” Namora said, stepping back towards Clea. “For now.”
“There's someone else there…something is fuelling these Wendigos...” Phyla began, holding the side of her head, her fingers splaying over her face and forcing themselves into her hair.
“Congratulations,” Namora replied sarcastically. “This is truly worth our time.”
“No...” Phyla continued, opening her eyes wide and stumbling towards She-Hulk. “They have a power source. It's as though this was destiny...”
Phyla's eyes snapped upwards to lock with Jennifer’s as the green-hued woman held the alien girl close to her chest. “What is it?” she asked, looking down at a star filled face that had no astrological bearings for her.
“Are you aware of the ‘heroes’ called Starlight and Cloud?” Phyla asked, pushing herself up to her feet, using She-Hulk’s huge biceps to steady herself.
“I am,” Clea answered, stepping forwards.
“They're the power source. Somehow the Wendigo's are able to contain them, but how I don't rightly know.”
“Excellent,” Namora sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I assume this means we can now formulate a plan of attack?”
“I believe we can...as soon as we deal with this!” Clea twisted to the side as a blur of white shot past her, its thick fingers slicing across her costume and into her chest.
Namora opened her mouth to speak as a second Wendigo's feet ploughed into her head, bouncing the Atlantean woman off the ground.
“Namora!” Jennifer yelled, wheeling forwards and knocking the white creature into the trees behind them with a single well placed punch to its chest.
“Are you alright?” Phyla dropped down on her knee to help the Queen from the dirt. Namora's face was a picture of anger, her teeth on edge and chin jutted out as she shot from her flat position. Her momentum knocked Phyla onto her back. As the Kree woman opened her eyes, she noticed the saliva dripping onto her face from the Wendigo leaning over her.
“GREAT PAMA!” she squealed as the white monster looked up, its nose exploding into a gush of blood and cartilage from Namora's fist impact. It shot backwards and into the ground, completely unconscious, with a large part of its face caved in.
“Imperious Regina!!”
“Wow,” Phyla said, holding her shoulders tightly. “Wow.”
“Hey, you okay?” Jennifer knelt down next to Phyla and touched her shoulder gently. “You all right in there?”
“I've never seen...that happen before.”
She-Hulk looked up at Namora and Clea with concern.
“Just how green are you, Phyla? No pun intended.”
“I...I don't have a lot of experience in this...particular area,” she admitted, shyly. “I'm more of a...beginner hero?”
Phyla shrugged and looked at the others, as Namora deftly threw the remain Wendigo over her shoulder and rammed her foot into its head, knocking it unconscious.
“Now we have a pet one,” the warrior Queen said, crouching low and rolling the creature onto it's back. “You can begin your tests since you are clearly suited to that rather than battle, Clea.”
The white haired woman crossed her arms and sighed loudly.
“We’ll do that while Jen and Phy try and rescue Starlight and Cloud, Namora.” There was more than just friendly banter between the pair. While She-Hulk and Phyla appeared to be getting on well, a sort of mother/daughter dynamic, Clea and Namora were butting heads to try and gain control of the group and the situation.
“Shall we begin?”
“I remain unconvinced this is a good idea,” Namora said quietly to Clea, who hovered above the ground with her legs crossed and her eyes closed.
“I remain unconvinced that you're able to be quiet for a few minutes,” Clea retorted, opening an eye slightly in annoyance.
“I cannot help it if my role as a Monarch of the Ocean denies the ‘proper’ manners to the surface world. When the Imperial Regina wishes to speak, she does so.”
“Doesn't she?” Clea replied sarcastically, twisting to her side slightly, her head perpendicular to the ground. “This is a lot more difficult than I had previously expected.”
“In defence of a magician is hardly the way to employ the abilities of a Queen,” Namora replied off-handedly.
Clea snorted and grinned. “My time amongst humans has proven there is nothing that makes anyone more worthy of a task than anyone else. Humanity is about adaptation above nothing else.”
“I would not class myself as a human being, Clea. I am from much stronger stock.”
“You think you are but, in reality, you're just a slightly more fishy version of humanity.”
Clea felt a strong hand grip her wrist. As the white haired woman's eyes flicked open, she was met with the gaze of Namora. Strong, powerful and angry. “Stay your words and I'll stay my hand, Clea, else I'd suggest you prepare to be broken,” Namora pontificated.
Clea swallowed and nodded. “Apologies.”
Minutes of silence passed between the pair as Clea struggled to find a comfortable groove.
“What is so problematic?” Namora asked, her foot firmly planted on the back of the Wendigo's head, pushing its unconscious form into the dirt.
“I have a cure for the Wendigo Virus, thanks to the sample you obtained. It's a Cannibalism Curse, so in order to cure it you must defuse the fire within that creates the need to feed upon the same species. That is a simple repression spell, an exchange of human meat with something else...such as pork or beef or something readily available.” Clea ran a hand through the thick, white curls that made up her hair.
“You describe to me a solution. Unless I am deeply unfamiliar with the prattle you've learned under humanity, it seems as though you have no problem at all.”
Clea nodded thoughtfully. “See, that might be no problem for Stephen…he'd just cast up something incredible and thrust it down there, save the day and we'd head back to Greenwich Village for some tea,” Clea responded, dejectedly.
“But you are not Strange, are you? Is that what you're saying? You are not Strange so we must think of something else?” Namora asked, frustration sneaking into her voice.
“Yeah,” Clea admitted. “Basically that.”
Namora paused, looking over the ridge at the battle below. “It appears as though you require a delivery device.”
“Like what?”
“Imagine for a moment that you need to place this cure within the ‘belly’ of the Beast,” Namora suggested, grabbing the hair of the Wendigo and yanking its face up. “We have something to ‘infiltrate’ their lair. Why not impregnate this creature with your spell?”
Clea's eyes widened. “Namora...You're a genius.”
“No, I am a Queen. We are designed to be above reproach and above the basic levels of intelligence of our subjects.” Namora released the white monster and allowed it to flop into the dirt again. She placed her hands on her hips and eyed Clea, whose pink boots touched the ground as she moved over to the Wendigo.
“What exactly can we use? I can impregnate the spell inside this Wendigo but...I don't think that will be enough.”
“Perhaps we can be of some assistance?”
She-Hulk stood covered in bruises next to Phyla, who carried the limp form of Starlight. Cloud's semi-formed body wafting over the edges of the space based woman's cloak.
“How did you?”
“I'm not entirely convinced this is the best course of action,” She-Hulk replied as she ploughed through the back of the make-shift building that had been erected to house the Wendigo's power sources.
“Do you have any better suggestions?” Phyla's energy blasts ignited the fires around Jennifer that kept the Wendigo's at bay and the creatures away from her. She needed the distance; Phyla wasn't strong and she wasn't a fighter…hell, she was barely even a hero.
She-Hulk looked up at her with big, green eyes and smiled. It didn't feel as though it was that distant in her past that she was as new to all this as Phyla was. “Any ideas on direction?” she asked, shoulder barging another wall down inside the huge complex. Surely it couldn't be that large, as it had seemed barely the size of a barn when they’d entered.
“Oh, Kur-Gels guts...” Phyla swore, covering her mouth as she did so. They had entered a huge room filled with the innards of Wendigo, dripping and dangling from the ceilings and walls. Within it sat a figure, its white fur stained red, arcane markings burnt into the fur as branding.
“WEEEENNNDDDIIIRAAAKKK!” it screamed, crimson bands erupting from its finger tips and binding She-Hulk in place. The jade giantess fell to the side, a look of minor annoyance on her face.
“Magic Wendigo? Seriously?!”
“Seriously! What the D'ast am I going to do?!” Phyla screamed, attempting to avoid the bolts of Bedevilment aimed at her from the Wendigo in the center of the room. As she darted about she noticed a glow from above and the two Wendigo with blue and gray fur apparently assembling a creature above her.
“This is it!” Phyla screamed, twisting to the side and allowing the energy to build in the golden bands that sat on her wrists. “This is the God-Factory!”
Phyla twisted up through the air and smashed through the plating that held the colored Wendigo's in place and Starlight as well, encased in a frozen version of Cloud.
“We're here to save you!” she shouted excitedly as one of the Wendigo scientists grabbed her foot and threw her towards the ground. She bounced on her shoulder, the gray creature’s heels landing directly in her back. “UGH!” she screamed, energy blasts ricocheting from her wrists and bouncing off the decaying offal that lined the walls. Explosions of grease, bile and excrement fired off around the room, spraying the magician Wendigo with faeces and knocking the gray creature off her back.
“Jen..” she offered weakly as she pushed herself to her hands and knees.
“Phy.” She-Hulk was already on her feet, hands stretched out to catch the falling form of Starlight.
“Now...let’s get the hell out of here.”
“God-Factory?” Namora repeated, “Absurd.”
“No, it's true!” Phyla squeaked. She shrunk down again once she was met with a withered gaze from Namora.
“What happens now?” She-Hulk asked, casting a quick glance over her shoulder.
“Now we put the next phase of our plan into action,” Clea said, calmly. “If Cloud is willing, I'll treat this Wendigo with the cure I've distilled, as well as his...her...form with my magic. When she spreads across their hive, she will revert everyone there, including their Gods and Queen, back to their human forms.”
Cloud nodded slowly in acceptance to this. “I have no physical form, so I cannot be harmed,” the living nebula replied, drifting gently towards Clea.
“Hate to break it to you, Clea,” Jennifer said, thumbing over her shoulder, “but I think we missed the party.”
“What?” the magician rushed past She-Hulk to the edge of the ridge where they had observed from earlier.
“Where did they go?” she asked, searching the ground around them for any signs of retreat. “How could they move something as big as the Queen so quickly?”
Phyla sighed and dropped her head. “They had a magician. I didn't do anything to stop him after the...walls started to explode.”
Clea looked up at the sky in frustration before she turned her attention back to the group. “Magic it is then…I can see it now, clear as day. They had it as a back up plan. DAMN! How did I not notice this? How did it escape me?” Clea gripped the bridge of her nose.
Phyla touched her shoulder gently. “It's not your fault. You did a good job,” she turned to She-Hulk and Namora and smiled. “We all did.”
“No. No we did not, child,” Namora said, putting her hands on her hips. “The enemy got away, our plan broke down and now we stand here like new born fry wondering what to do next.”
Clea's head snapped up, locking eyes with Namora. “What we do next is fill the gap. The Wendigo gods will turn up again and we'll be there to stop them from causing any more harm.”
“How do you expect us to do that, Clea? We could not stop them the first time around, due to incompetence from our supposed leader...”
“Because, as I said if you were listening, we fill the gap; we're the Defenders now. We're replacing Stephen and Namor and Bruce and Norrin.”
Namora snorted and turned her nose up at Clea. “You cannot replace the Sorcerer Supreme, any more than this one can replace the Hulk.”
“You're right,” Jennifer said with a sneer. “We're better.”
“Pfft,” Namora scoffed, turning her back to the group, and lifting herself into the air. “Do not call upon me again, ‘Defenders’; I do not need to be surrounded with such incompetence.”
Epilogue 1
A thin hand knocked against the front door of the huge mansion in Bleecker street. After a few moments it opened slightly and an Asian man poked his head through the gap. “Yes?” Wong asked, looking the woman up and down.
“Don't you recognize me?” the woman asked, gesturing up and down her body. Her costume had changed; she was no longer dressed in pink but now a form fitting black body sock. It clung to her form as she gestured behind her to the two other women standing in the pouring rain, occluded by the long, red cloak she wore. She-Hulk offered a little wave to Wong as Phyla blushed and pulled her hood closer to her face. Behind them still stood a woman in a torn Red costume and a living mass of what appeared to be cloud.
“Mistress Clea!” Wong threw the door open and grabbed hold of his form mistress in a tight hug. “Where have you been? Stephen will be pleased to see you when he…returns.”
Clea nodded and held Wong by his shoulders. “Can we come in, Wong? I get the impression that we're going to be around for a little while.”
The man-servant bowed and waited for the trio to pass. “It appears as though we have unfinished business.”
Epilogue 2
“The Barriers are broken,” a woman’s voice spoke as it watched the events transpiring on Earth through the viewing portal. “The Daughter has made an impressive début on Earth, but...” she looked across at the flames cast from her sibling not to far away.
“But the walls between worlds are crumbling. They're barely functioning. I believe this is our time, Brother. This is where we strike.”
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To Be Continued...
Next: In Defenders #10: Hell. Seriously.
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