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Issue #2 February 2004	“Saying Goodbye” Written By John Jones

(These events take place before 'Eve of Destruction' or other Altered Visions! A divergence of events from Avengers Vol. 3 Issue #22-
" This Evil Triumphant")

It was a beautiful day in New York City. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, children were playing and laughing, and there was not a cloud in the sky. It was just beautiful. And it was all wrong! Janet Van Dyne, also known as the Wasp, was looking out her bedroom window at Avengers' Mansion, observing the moment.

Today was to be the funeral for her best friend, lover, and former husband Dr. Henry Pym. Hank, as his friends called him, had died in a bone-crushing blow to the face in an attempt to protect one of the newest and youngest Avengers, Justice. The blow had been delivered by on of the Avengers' greatest enemies, Ultron.

Ultron had been created by Dr. Pym himself, using his own brain waves to grant Ultron sentience. And almost from the first moment of consciencousness, the robot had a desire to destroy Hank and the Avengers. Ultron continued to evolve himself, upgrading to complete his grisly task. And each time the computerized menace tried, Hank and the Avengers beat him back with little consequence.

But this time was different. Ultron was different. Instead of going after the Avengers first, he killed off the small nation of Slorenia, made their fresh corpses into cyborg zombies, and allowed the Avengers to come to him. Of course that was after Ultron sent clones of himself to kidnap several of the Avengers personally connected to the metal monstrosity, namely herself, Hank, Wonder Man, Vision, and the Scarlet Witch. Oh, and the villain Grim Reaper for good measure.

The remaining Avengers fought valiantly and proudly, first through the zombies, then the Ultron clones, and finally Ultron himself. It was a hard battle, one with many dangers, but the Avengers won again! But this time the victory was more bitter then sweet; this time the Avengers suffered a mighty blow: the Black Panther A.K.A. T'challa and Iron Man A.K.A. Tony Stark, were both crippled by Ultron, the Vision was damaged and shut down, Wonder Man A.K.A. Simon Williams lost his powers and was now completely human, and worst of all Hank Pym died saving another. Granted, Janet did destroy Ultron using the Antarctic Vibranium brought by Justice, but she felt no comfort in that.

And now, one week later, she was staring out at the beautiful day and feeling cold, empty, and that things were just not right.

"Ms. Van Dyne? Ms. Van Dyne, the others are waiting for you in the main study." A soft, kind voice said. Janet spun quickly with surprise, hope, and just a bit of fear, "Hank? Is that you." but upon turning around she saw it was Edwin Jarvis, the Avengers' faithful head butler. He had been with them since the beginning and could also be considered as a founding member.

Jarvis looked sadly down at his feet and barely whispered, "No Madame, but I wish that it was so." Janet shook her head in confusion. She could have sworn it was Hank calling her. 'No matter,' she thought to herself, 'Hank is dead and gone, never to come back.' "Sorry Jarvis. I was lost in thought. Lead on." Jarvis nodded and walked back out of the room. Janet looked once more at the beautiful, 'wrong' day and then followed Jarvis down stairs to the study.

"It's all wrong." Mumbled Iron Man. Tony Stark was in the sub basement robotics lab, halfheartedly looking over diagnostic screens. He was attempting to fix whatever was wrong with the Vision, whom was lying on a slab in the middle of the room, but had had no luck yet.

The Vision had been hurt, somehow, by Ultron, a week ago, by some type of prods forced into his neck. And whatever it was it had shut down the Vision, putting him into a robotic version of a coma.

In normal circumstances Tony would be enjoying what he was doing. But this was not normal circumstance. One of his best friends was dead, another lay before him inert. In truth, Tony would have felt more confident if Hank was beside him because Hank was a master at robotics, and even though the Vision was not technically a robot, a sythazoid in truth, Tony had no doubt that between the two of them they would have had the Vision back up and running in no time.

But that was not the only reason Tony was distracted. He could not move outside of his armor due to the damage done to him by Ultron. He had to be literally carried out of the battle zone by Thor. The Avengers had wanted him to go to the doctor but he refused, stating that once his armor was re-energized he could patch it up himself and go about normally. After all, the armor was originally produced to keep his damaged heart pumping. And furthermore he was the only one that could possibly fix the Vision now that Hank was gone.

But it has been a week in the armor and no results. For what the rest did not know as that since that day, Tony's head was in constant pain, as if to make up for the lack of feeling in his body. It makes thinking very difficult. And considering he had to consciously think of every move his armor made, that took up a lot of his train of thought.
Tony again tried to focus on what the diagnostic screens were telling him but the letters and numbers were bleeding together in an unintelligent jumble due to the agonizing pounding between his ears. He sighed and looked over at the Vision. 'Maybe I should just call Reed Richards. He knows as much about robotics as Hank. Maybe I just need to admit that I need help!' thought the Golden Avenger. But as soon as the thought came into his head he shot it down fiercely! 'No! No, this is an Avenger matter Tony! Just concentrate. You don't need help. All I need to do now is CONCENTRATE! Plus,' thought the broken man, 'I need my two friends back!'

A beeping monitor stole what concentration he did have and with another sigh Iron Man turned it on. The sad and humble face of Jarvis stared back at Tony. "My apology for disturbing you Master Iron Man, but it is time. The others are gathered in the main study." The Golden Avenger nodded, "Thank you Jarvis. I will be up shortly. "Jarvis nodded in affirmation and then the screen went dark.

Tony turned back to the Vision and placed his armored hand on his friend's shoulder. "I will figure this out my friend; we're not losing you too!" He then took a computer cable and plugged it in the wounds of the Vision's neck and then activated the diagnostic program to run again for the umpteenth time. "I'll be back Vision. I promise." With that Tony turned out the lights and went back upstairs. All was dark and silent in the lab except for the blinking lights and beeps coming from the computers.

Captain America A.K.A. Steve Rogers, was in the main study talking to fellow Avengers. The room was packed, filled wall to wall with current and former Avengers that had come to see one of their founders laid to his final rest. And Captain America, as the Avengers' unofficial figurehead, was being swarmed by them all. Each one was offering their services, condolences, etc. Hawkeye alone offered to rejoin the team at least four times. And each time he politely thanked them for their concern, declined their help, everything was under control. Everything was all right.

But everything was not all right. In fact it was all wrong. Steve was mentally berating himself for the past week. All of the horrible things that had happened were on his watch. He felt responsible for after all he was in charge of the team, so it was his fault. At least he felt it was, and so he could not accept the generous offers of help from the others. He had to show that his Avengers team was strong enough to handle the situation.

But what was worse was that he was rapidly losing his team. T'challa was heading back to Wakanda, Africa after the funeral to seek a spiritual healing for his broken back. The Black Panther had no need for western medicines when his own native Africa could do so much more to restore his health. Steve had expected T'challa's departure actually, but he was going to miss his friend, especially now in this hard time.

He was also going to miss Simon. Simon Williams had been the powerhouse known as Wonder Man until very recently. His powers had been drained and given over to Ultron in a freak accident involving an intercepted hex bolt from the Scarlet Witch. Simon had resigned about a day after they had got back to Slorenia, saying that since he was now mortal he needed some time to think over his situation. No one wanted to say that without his super strength Simon Williams was no longer an asset but a liability. This too was not a surprise, but what was a surprise was the sudden announcement by Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, that she too was resigning. She said she too needed some time to think, and so was going to visit her brother Pietro on Genosha.

And now it left the two youngest and newest Avengers, Justice and Firestar. He slowly made his way over to the two, who were standing in one of the corners quietly talking to their friend Rage, a former Avenger and one of their fellow New Warriors. Rage extended a huge hand that engulfed the normal sized hand of the Captain. "Captain," acknowledged the black giant teenager.

Captain America shook hands as he asked "Rage, do you mind if I had a moment alone with Justice and Firestar?" Rage nodded back, "No problem Captain. Besides, I need to get back to the Warriors if you don't mind. I know I was an Avenger, but I feel that I need to stand with them today if you understand." Captain America smiled, "That I do. A soldier stands at attention with his current unit. It is fine. I am just glad you came." Rage smiled back and nodded to his two friends, "I'll be over with the Warriors guys. We will see you after the funeral. Going to be good to hang out again with you." With that the young hero made his way through the crowd to the exit.

Captain America turned to the two lovers and sighed, "So, you decided to leave?" Both Vance and Angelica looked sheepishly down at their feet. Vance cleared his throat and stammered "I.I.I'm sorry Captain. I just don't feel right being, well, I just don't think I belong anymore. Not after what I did."

Steve put his hand on Justice's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Son, look at me." Vance looked up at Captain America; his eyes shimmering from unshed tears. "Son, you did nothing wrong." Vance broke in "But if I had moved or done something Dr. Pym would still be alive!" Captain America shook his head "You don't know that Vance. It wasn't your fault. You and I both know that every time we put on these uniforms we put ourselves at risk. It is the name of the game son, and Hank knew that. You are no more responsible for his death then I." Steve stopped what he was about to say because deep down in his gut he knew that he was responsible because he was the field leader.

Steve continued before Vance could interrupt again "Vance, I want you to know that you are an Avenger and you do belong. I know you need some time off, and I recommend that you take some, but consider it as that, time off. You are an Avenger and will always belong."

Vance nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Tha..thank you Captain. I really do appreciate it." He sniffed and wiped at his eyes, looking down at his feet he mumbled "Thank you Captain. Would you excuse me now? No offense Captain but I think I will stand over with the Warriors. You coming Angel?" Angelica frowned and looked from Vance to Captain America. She finally said "I will be with you in a moment Vance. You go ahead." Vance nodded and with one final look at Captain America and around at the room, he too made his way to the exit.

Firestar turned to Steve and took his hand in hers. "Thank you for what you said to him Captain. Just give him time. It is very painful to him what happened. He does feel somewhat responsible and he will have to work that out in time.as I am sure that others will too." Angelica looked into his eyes and seemed to see what Steve was struggling with.

The Captain grunted and replied "Yes, I am sure that in time he will be alright. But what about you Angelica?" "What about me?" she asked. Captain America looked her in the eyes and shook his head "I do not say this often because I feel that an Avenger will already know this in her heart, but Angelica you are a great Avenger and will be one of the best. We really need you right now. I understand that Justice needs time, but what about you?"

Angel looked at Captain America in astonishment. With tears streaming down her face, she suddenly threw her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. In a whisper she said, "Thank you so much Captain! That does mean a lot to me, and if the circumstances were different I would say yes! But Vance needs me and I need him! I can't turn my back on him now! We will be back one day Captain! I promise!" She squeezed even harder and kissed him on the cheek.

She let go quickly and made her way through the crowd to the exit, following Vance out to where the New Warriors were standing. Captain America watched her depart. "So," he whispered to himself, "it is just 4 of us. Thor, Iron Man, Wasp, and me. Just four Avengers. Well, I guess if the Fantastic Four can make it, so can we. Only it just seems." Steve did not finish aloud but inside he felt that it was still all wrong.

Simon Williams and Wanda Maximoff sat outside on the patio, silently looking at anything but each other. Both had agreed to come outside to talk privately, but once they had gotten outside neither seemed to have anything to say. Or at least neither wanted to be the one to start.

Simon was dressed like the other Avengers, in their own personal, colorful uniforms, but it really did not fit him anymore. Physically it still was its comfortable snug cut, but that was the only way. Now Simon felt vulnerable, helpless, and like a target with it on. It was namely because of his power loss. For the last several years, when he was awake or alive to see them, he had incredible strength and invulnerability. Nothing hurt him and he could literally lift mountains. But now, he was a normal man with a normal man's strengths and weaknesses. And it terrified him. After all, he had died once as the all-powerful Wonder Man, how much easier would death be now that he was human!

And the person responsible, or at least partially, was his love Wanda. She was more then aware of how she had crippled her friend, and she felt bad about it, but she wasn't about to start experimenting on Simon with hex bolts and chaos magick to see if she could get back his ionic powers.

And there was the crux of the problem. One felt vulnerable and the other felt responsible. And both had something to say to the other but did not want to be the first.

Simon cleared his throat and finally spoke "So.You are going to do what now? Stay with the Avengers?" Wanda almost seemed startled by the sudden change from silence to speech, "Uh, no. No, I decided that I need some time off to think. I am going to go and visit Pietro in Genosha. And this is why I needed to talk to you actually Simon."

"Before you say anything Wanda, I really need to tell you something." He waited until she nodded her head. "Wanda, I would really like to go with you," Wanda began to say something but Simon continued on "but I don't think that would be a good idea. I need some time to myself. Some time to think clearly and see what I need to do now that I am.normal. I am sorry Wanda, I love you but right now I need some space."

Wanda sat back and looked at Simon in silence for what seemed like forever to him. Finally she spoke, "Simon.I know that you are upset with me for robbing you of your powers. I hope you can forgive me in the future." Simon took her hands into his and squeezed them. "I am not upset with you. Honestly. How can I be upset with the person that brought me back from the dead! It is just that I am not anxious to return to the other side. And Genosha and your brother are not exactly a good combination for a man who wants to stay alive."

He stopped when he noticed Wanda glaring at him. "I am sorry Wanda. I am just so.scared. I do not know what to think, much less say." Wanda got up and crossed over to him, kissing him lightly on the forehead. "Simon, it is okay. Honestly it is. So, where are you going?" Simon shrugged, "I guess out west. I was always happy in Hollywood. I mean, I can't do what I used to. You know the super stunts and all. I guess I will see how the critics like plain old Simon Williams."

Wanda nodded and looked off in the direction of where the memorial services were to be held. "We're not going to make it are we Simon. If we are trying to be honest with one another let's be honest now. You are going to the West Coast and I am going to a small African nation. Neither of us really wants to say it but we do not really want the other person to come with us." Simon looked down at his feet as Wanda stood behind him. "Simon, I want you to know that I love you too, but maybe it is best to just let go. You are a great guy and I know that the critics are going to love you." And with one final kiss on the head, Wanda went back inside leaving Simon staring down at his feet.

Back in the study the Avengers were getting ready to proceed to the memorial service when Janet came into the room. Soon all of the conversation came to a halt as everyone turned to watch her. She paused as she entered the room, looking at one Avenger to another, Hawkeye, Hercules, Tigra, She-Hulk, as well as others. As she was scanning the room her eye fell on a newly made display case and the nameplate at the bottom. On the plate was the name Dr. Henry Pym.
Inside the display case was various artifacts from the Ant-Man helmet to the oversized gloves of Dr. Pym's Giant Man persona. But what caught Janet's eye more then anything else was the white lab coat. It was the coat of a scientist. It was as a scientist that he started off as, and it was as a scientist that he ended his life. She placed her hand on the case and hung her head.

A red gloved hand rested on her shoulder. "I am sorry Janet. I thought that it would." Captain America was interrupted by her whisper, which was only audible do to the absolute silence in the room. "It is a good idea Captain. It is just a surprise. That is all. Please, go ahead. I will follow you out in just a moment."

Captain America nodded and motioned everyone else to leave the room. As people left they turned to see Janet standing motionless at the display case, staring at the lab frock.

When everyone had left the room, Janet opened the display and reached in. She pulled out the lab frock and hugged it to her chest. "Hank, why did you have to die?" she seemed to ask the coat. Janet then closed the case and left the room.

"Can you believe it Stretch?" asked an orange-stoned giant known as Benjamin J. Grimm A.K.A. the Thing. "Hank is gone. I am going to miss our Wednesday night poker games. He wasn't much of a bluffer, I always made a killin'!"

The man being questioned, Reed Richards, nodded "Indeed. I will miss much of our dearly departed friend. This world has lost a brilliant mind." The Fantastic Four talked quietly amongst themselves as Ben landed their Fantasacar in the heavily wooded area of Avengers Compound. They choose to land there so not to attract attention on this sad day, but it is very difficult for the Fantastic Four not to attract attention, especially when they fly around town in a flying bathtub.

As soon as the Fantasacar landed, the FF were surrounded by reporters and cameramen, snapping pictures and asking questions, such as 'Dr. Richards, can you tell us about your newest theory?' and 'Johnny Storm, are the rumors true about your dating Brittney Spears?' or 'Mrs. Richards, what would you say to young women looking to make their own way in the world without men to tell them what to do?' or 'When are you going to join the NWO Mr. Grimm?' and even questions for the smallest of the FF, Franklin Richards.

Dr. Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic, stretched his arms out of his modest suit to gather the crowd's attention. "Please folks. Please. My family and I are always thankful and willing to answer your questions. But please think of your actions and what you are doing. Today is a day not about us, but our dear friend Henry Pym. Right now is not the proper place or time. Again, I ask you to think of this and desist."

The crowd of reporters and cameramen shuffled around and mumbled. Finally one of their number spoke up in a rushed apology "I am truly sorry Dr. Richards, Mrs. Richards, Mr. Storm, Mr. Grimm." She nodded and turned to go back to wait for the service. Soon the others were offering apologies and going back to the service as well.

After the last one departed and was out of earshot, Johnny spoke up in disgust "Can you believe it? A hero is being honored and all they can do is ask me about my date with Brittney?" Ben huffed in agreement. "For once Match Head you and I are in perfect agreement!"

Sue gathered Franklin into her arms as she gently addressed her brother and friend. "Remember, we all make mistakes guys. They got carried away in the moment. That is all. They have apologized about it, so let's let it go. Let us also remember who this day is about." Both Johnny and Ben sighed, "Sorry Sis," and "You're right Suzy Q!"
Reed walked over to his wife and kissed her gently on the cheek. Putting his arm around her shoulders he addressed his family, "Come on. Let's go say goodbye."

Spider-Man was swinging over to Avengers Mansion as fast as he could. And as usual the Wall Crawler's life did not want to cooperate with his schedule! Peter, Spider-Man's real name, was supposed to be at Avengers Mansion over an hour ago because he was an official Avenger, or had been at one time. But it seemed that did not matter to the Nasty Santa Gang! Nothing more then a bunch of insane human crooks that dressed up as Santa, they weren't really a threat to Peter but they were an annoyance!

And now Spidey was running late and he didn't like it one bit. Especially considering he needed time to scout out a location to set up his camera. After all, what better way to make a buck then a few snapshots of Spider-Man at an Avenger's funeral! Heck, old JJJ would probably think that the 'webbed menace' had somehow brainwashed the Avengers to get in. Peter laughed at the lunacy of the idea, but he really did not care what Jameson thought, after all he would still purchase the pictures and the money would cover his rent!

Spider-Man stopped at the Avenger's gate and dug his badge out of the backpack he was carrying. After he found it, he flashed it at the sensors to deactivate the security and leaped over the wall. He then ran toward the back of the mansion toward the memorial site.

"Got to hurry Spidey! Need to get this camera up and get over to the funeral!" grumbled the Wall Crawler. He leapt into the trees and began to look for a good angle for his camera to be hidden from sight but still take good pictures. When he found it, he stuck the camera to the limb of the tree by some webbing and adjusted the zoom so it could pick up the pictures from a distance. Peter looked into the camera once more and saw it gave a great view of the entire site, picking up monument, dignitaries, heroes, and the temporary stage where the eulogies would be given. "Great job Petey! These pictures will pay for rent and also let get a nice steak dinner! Heck, I probably could get a baked potato with it!" Peter could already taste the meal!

His focus on his future meal was interrupted as he heard some commotion coming from below on the walkway. He lowered himself on a web line to see what was going on! What he saw made his blood boil in anger!

Janet Van Dyne was coming down the path to get to the service when two men from The Inside Dirt jumped out at her and began to berate her with horrible questions! "Ms. Van Dyne! Ms. Van Dyne! Kirk Saltze from The Inside Dirt. Isn't it true Ms. Van Dyne that your former husband, Dr. Henry Pym suffered from many mental breakdowns? That actually one of the Doctor's breakdowns actually led to the creation of Ultron? And that very Ultron went on to destroy Slorenia and its entire people! And since Dr. Pym was an Avenger wouldn't that mean that the Avengers are personally responsible for genocide? Wouldn't mean that you, Janet Van Dyne, are responsible for all those deaths? What do you say to that?" fired out the offensive reporter!

Janet, who was hugging some white coat in her arms, tried to walk around the reporter, but the cameraman stepped in front of her, blocking her way! The reporter continued, "Don't you dare try to dodge us Ms. Van Dyne! The people deserve to know!
The poor dead souls of Slorenia demand an answer!"

That was all Spider-Man could take! With a flick of his wrist the Wall Crawler snagged the camera from the cameraman's hand, yanking it away! The two turned in surprise at the sudden turn of events and saw a very angry Spider-Man! "Hey! You have no right! That's ours!" screamed Kirk Saltze. "You give that back to us now!" Spider-Man sneered, "I have no right? You sleazes are harassing a poor woman who has done nothing but sacrifice for the world time and again! You are insulting the name of a good man for what? A story? You slugs are what give media a bad name! You want the camera back? Here, catch!" and with that Spider-Man gave the camera a mighty throw, smashing it into the ground!

"OOPS! Looks like I dropped it! Well, you know what they say about cameras and putting them together again. Oh wait. That's eggs!" mocked the super hero. The cameraman growled and rushed at Spider-Man, fists flying! Spidey easily flipped over the man, turned, and unleashed enough webbing to plaster the man to the trunk of a tree!

Suddenly his spider sense went off, warning him of danger! He turned quickly, seeing Kirk Saltze swinging his microphone at him like it was a hammer. This time Spider-Man easily caught the mic in his hand, and with a gentle squeeze turned the microphone into dust. The reporter's face paled and his jaw dropped at the display of speed and strength. And then the Inside Dirt reporter decided on the better part of valor and ran.

Or tried to run. Peter was not in the mood to let the man go so with another flick of his wrist he webbed up Kirk to another tree. Spider-Man was observing his handy work when a small delicate hand touched his wrist. He turned to see a smiling Janet. "Thank you very much Spider-Man, but I could have taken care of the likes of them. I have been doing it most of my adult life. But thanks again." Spider-Man nodded to her, "It was my pleasure. Really. It is just guys like that." He stopped, realizing he was about to say too much but Janet took it differently. "I understand Spider-Man. You have been on the media's bad side more then the good so you probably do not like reporter's much." Peter nodded his head just to let her keep on thinking what she wanted. The real reason he was mad was that scum like Kirk Saltze and his camera man was what gave legitimate media such a bad name, plus the fact of the harassment that they were giving Janet.

Spider-Man looked down in her arms and saw that the coat was a lab coat, and he was pretty sure whose coat it was. "Ms. Van Dyne, are you okay." She smiled sadly, "I am fine. Thanks for your concern Spider-Man." She looked down the path in the direction of the service. "I have to go. Are you coming?" Spidey looked over at the bound up men. "I think I better deal with this first. No telling what type of mischief they would get themselves into once the webbing wears off. I am going to dump them outside of the compound and then I will return." She nodded in agreement, "Okay Spidey. And thanks again." And with that she turned back to her sad path, disappearing around the corner.

Spider-Man gathered up the two men and deposited them on the street outside of the gate. As he turned back to go to the service Kirk Saltze gained back some of his former courage and attitude "You jerk! Jameson was right about you! You're nothing more then a menace! Wait until the Inside Dirt reports this!" Spider-Man shot back, "Yeah and your viewers will believe that as much as they believe that report you made that Elvis is nothing more then a parasitic worm from the planet Pluto. Yeah, you do that Saltze. I am sure my popularity will soar after your 'journalism'!" But before he could get back into the compound the camera man spoke up, "You just don't get it do you? That piece you destroyed was a paycheck! I could have paid my rent and took my lady out for the night! You know how hard that is? Huh?"

Spider-Man stopped and looked at the man. For what seemed an eternity the two just looked at one another. Finally Spidey spoke up "I do know. And all I can say is that I am sorry." With that he went back into the Avengers compound.

Peter slowly walked back to the site of the skirmish. Was he really so different from those men, he thought. He found the tree his camera was in and climbed up. He looked into camera, seeing the wonderful shots his camera was already getting. There was the Fantastic Four, sitting together as a family in mourning. There was the President giving his speech now that Janet had joined them on the stage. There were the Avengers honoring their lost friend.

These pictures were golden. They would do more then just make the rent and a steak dinner. These pictures could possibly even earn him some respect in the world of journalism and photography. But, he wondered, was he any different then Saltze.

Spider-Man sighed. No he was not like Saltze. He reached over to the camera and switched it off. He flipped it over and unlatched the back and with one pull, he exposed the film to the bright sunlight. Peter sighed again. "So much for rent and a steak." With that Peter made his way to the service, hoping to slip in the back without being noticed.

The services were being held in the back of the Avengers compound. And to mark the resting-place of the deceased hero sat a large monument made by the blind sculptress Alicia Masters. It was a representation of the four distinct personalities that Henry Pym was in his life. There was the small, yet resourceful Ant-Man, the arrogant Yellow Jacket, the towering Giant Man, and in the center was the scientist himself, Dr. Henry Pym. It was a beautiful, moving piece of work that made a wondrous backdrop for the ceremony that was currently going on.

An hour had passed. It was an hour of well wishing, pomp, memories, and sadness. It was an hour of dignitaries, honored guests, and heroes. Some of the most notable so far had been the President of the United States saying what an honor it had been to meet such a man as Dr. Pym; Dr. Reed Richards and Dr. Henry McCoy grieving the scientist and man the world lost; and the lone survivor of Slorenia, an Ambassador to the United States stating that Henry Pym was now an official Slorenian and would forever be mourned by them as one of their own.

But now that hour passed into the final part of the ceremony, the part that involved the eulogies of the remaining founders of the Avengers, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Wasp. Thor stood up with a determined look on his face. In his powerful hand he clutched mighty Mjornor as if he was striding into battle instead of walking to a microphone. His strong body seemed as if it was ready to spring into war, but then again it always did. Once at the podium he adjusted the mic to his considerable height and placed his hammer down beside him with a heavy thump.

"'Tis difficult for me to sayth words that comfort for I being immortal doeth make it hard to comprhendth such short times you mortals do have. And that it being even more difficult when thou hath such a short time already to see it snuffed before its completion. But this man I did know and I doeth feel some of the pain thou feels for he was a friend of mine." Thor paused and looked out upon the mixed crowd of dignitaries, heroes, and media. He sighed and continued "But take heart good citizens of Midgard for Henry Pym was a warrior brave and true! Many a time he rushed into glorious battle to wage war on evil. He was brave for verily did he know his mortality better then most, yet he would not hesitate to rush to the aid of anyone. And brave warriors who die on the battlefield are taken to the Halls of Valhalla who shall then live forever in paradise! And when the Day of Ragnorrok comes Hank shalt ride forth to battle the minions of Hel!"

Thor spoke in rising fervor, his words speaking true to his own spirit. But unaware to him was that his words were having an effect on the listeners. Soon many were caught up in Thor's speech of the glory of battle and the honor of falling is said battle. Finally Thor finished by raising his hammer Mjorin over his head and bellowed "To Hank! To Valhalla where he shall live forever!" So caught up was some of the listeners that they too raised their fists to the heavens and also shouted "Valhalla!" which issued a few snickers from some in the crowd.

One of those snickering was Iron Man. He looked nervously beside him, hoping that no one heard him. If they did, however, no one made as if they had. Tony waited for Thor to take his seat before rising to go the podium. Once at the podium he made a few minor adjustments to his armor's own amplifiers, as to not cause a violent feedback in sound, and began his speech.

"I am not one that has much belief in the spiritual, being a man of science. I am not saying that the spirit does not exist and that there is not such a thing as an eternal paradise such as Heaven or Valhalla," he looked back at his friend Thor to make sure he had not insulted the man. When Thor gave a small nod to Iron Man he continued, "but I believe in another way to eternity, and that is one's accomplishments. And I can't help but believe that Hank believed in that too. Most scientists by nature believe in that so it wouldn't surprise me at all. After all Hank was responsible for the discovery of Pym Particles, making it possible to either shrink down to microscopic size or rise up to gigantic proportions. He was a master in all things robotic and had a love for all sciences. Likely to say his accomplishments will help his name live on forever, so if eternal paradise fails him, science shall not."

Tony began to continue with his speech when his headache rose to new levels of pain. The Golden Avenger clutched the podium and fought to keep from dropping to his knees in dizziness. Captain America stood and crossed over to Tony but was shrugged off gently. "I am sorry. I grieve the loss of my friend and colleague. The past days has been a tremendous pressure on.us all. And it is no wonder that it will surface today. Please forgive me if I do not continue with my speech." With that Tony turned back to his seat, thankful that his faceplate hid all signs of stress and pain so obvious in his face.

Captain America stood at the podium, looking back at Iron Man in concern. He knew something was up, that Tony was in a lot more pain than he was willing to admit to any of them. 'But if he does not want our help there is nothing I can do. At least not right now. Okay, come on Avenger, get to work!' Cap cleared his throat and began.

"I was not there the night the Avengers were founded but I have had the extreme fortune to be considered a founder of this great institution. So it was with extreme honor that I was allowed the opportunity to speak today about Henry Pym. Hank was one of those individuals in life who wore many masks, figuratively and literally. He had many sides to him, as the statue behind me shows. Hank was a good representation of mankind in general."

He pointed at the Ant-Man part of the statue. "He was the little man that was often overlooked, seen as not as important as some of the other Avengers. But I tell you now that without his presence many times the Avengers and the world would not have lived to see another day."
Captain then pointed at image of Giant Man. "He was the strong shoulder that we put our burdens upon and that we could trust not to complain of the heavy load. He seemed bigger then life and we were glad for it. Yellow Jacket is the image of our dark sides, our arrogance and pride. But he was also a representation of our ambitions and goals."

Captain America stopped and looked at the statue of Dr. Henry Pym. Clearing his throat once again, he continued. "But what to say about the man himself? He was a soldier, and a friend. He fought bravely day in and day out, seeking no reward. When one of his fellows went down he was there to pick him or her up. We will miss him dearly." Captain America made a sharp turn and saluted the statue. "Rest in peace soldier. Rest in peace."

Once Steve had returned to his seat the last speaker, Janet Van Dyne, stood and slowly made her way to the podium. In her arms she still clutched the lab coat. At the podium she stood in silence, staring at the frock. The only sound you could hear was the sounds of breathing, birds chirping, and a soft breeze through the trees. A minute passed and then another. Just when Steve was about to stand and go to her, Janet finally broke her silence.

"I am supposed to say something about Hank to honor his memory, to show how bravely I am taking his death. But all I can think of is that today is all wrong! All the days since his death have been wrong!" She looked up with tears in her eyes. Tears of anguish but also anger. "A good man is gone. Taken from us! But look around you and see how wrong it is! Why should the sun shine when Hank is gone? The sun should hide itself in mourning; the sky should be heavy with dark clouds bearing rain, thunder, and lightning! The wind should scream in anguish! The sky should be weeping! Thunder and lightning should beat upon the earth! But it is not! It is as if the world just wants to go on when it should all stop! It should." She stopped and once again hung her head. She whispered to herself, "It should feel like I do. Dead inside. Just dead."

A heavy hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up in surprise. Thor had walked up to her while she whispered to herself. "I doth not understand thy request when he is in paradise but verily shalt I honor it!" With that he raised Mjornir once more over his head and concentrated. The skies above began to lose their brightness as clouds far off to sea rushed toward land.

The mutant known as Wolverine, who was out with the heroes assembled, elbowed his tall, dark friend Storm. "Hey 'Ro, do you think you can give Goldilocks a hand there?" The ebony amazon nodded and lended her powerful mutant gift of the weather to the Norse god's attempt to darken the sky. Thor noticed the additional ease to summon the clouds and, knowing instantly the only other person present that could help him with his attempt looked at Storm in gratitude.

Soon the winds were indeed howling, threatening to blow down anything in the way. The clouds blocked the warm rays of the sun and replaced it with cold frigid drops of rain that seemed to burn the skin. The day became night as the harsh storm rushed in and only the lightning leaping from cloud to cloud gave any type of light.

The dignitaries, celebrities, and media all began to run for any type of shelter to get out of the torrential rain. However the heroes stood nobly, braving the weather to stand beside their comrade and friend.

Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor gathered around Janet as she stood clutching the coat in her trembling arms. And as the rain fell nobody noticed the tears streaking from Janet's eyes.

Elsewhere in the world, in a darkened tavern shone a television monitor. On it was a female reporter that if it were not for the hard rain making her resemble a drowned rat would have been beautiful. "Only a hour ago New York City was having a beautiful day, one for the record books. Now we have another type of record instead. Hard winds and rain just short of hurricane levels are slamming into Manhattan, but only Manhattan. And this is all due to the Avengers."

The reporter went on but was being ignored by one of the current viewers, a dark man in a hooded jacket. He stared at the screen as it showed the Avengers Mansion and mumbled to himself. His mumbling, while incoherent, was irritating one of the other patrons. "Yo, buddy! Shut the hell up!" bellowed the large drunken man.

However the dark man kept on with his mumbling. The drunk rose from his stool and stood over the mumbler. "You deaf? I said shut the." He never finished his sentence as his throat was suddenly torn out by the dark one!

The others in the bar gasped in horror as they watched the large drunken man desperately grasp his throat to stop the blood flowing out. It was all in vain for before his knees hit the floor, the drunk was dead! Upon his striking the floor, the other patrons came to their senses and began to run for any exit available.

They did not get very far before the dark man began to glow with a dark energy. Within seconds it struck out at the fleeing individuals, wrapping each within its dark embrace! At first the trapped bar goers tried to escape their bondage but the longer they were wrapped up in the glow the weaker they became. And once where healthy, plump, juicy bodies were now stood dry, desiccated corpses as their life energies pumped back to the dark man!

With a wave of his hand the energy bonds were released, dropping the brittle shells to the ground. Some were so brittle in fact that upon contact with the floor they shattered into clouds of dust, the only thing showing that there had once been a human being was the clothes piled on the floor.

The dark man went back to his stool, nursing his beer, staring at the screen, and mumbling. He ignored the corpses lying around him as if they did not exist. The reporter's image was replaced by Captain America; stating that the Avengers would make it past their tragedy and still stand strong. The dark man sneered at the image of the Sentinel of Liberty "You will not be standing much longer Avenger! All you Avengers will soon follow the way of Pym. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust!"

Next Issue: It's Avengers Season!

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