“Weakling!”
Binary’s head snapped back after being decked by Michael. She went sailing through the air and collided into Thunderstrike who barely was able to stop their momentum.
“Damn he’s strong,” Thunderstrike said.
“No kidding,” Binary said.
“I’ll go left. You go right.”
“Right.” Binary grinned to herself. It was a dumb pun that was really only was funny to her, but she needed to laugh to herself at the moment. The young man hovering above them had enough power to punch holes through mountains. The fact that she’d survived his blow showed Kate Bishop a lot about herself and the powers she’d yet to have explored.
Binary arced to the right and Thunderstrike flew in from the left. Both of the young heroes poured on speed as they approached the son of Korvac. Michael watched them, energy pouring from his eyes. Kate knew very little about Michael Korvac, senior. Spider-Woman had told them the basics- time-traveling cyborg linked to the Power Cosmic. He was a man who had nearly destroyed the Avengers, and had passed some of that power on to his son.
Kate grit her teeth and sped up more and more, cosmic energy pouring off her body. She thought of her own father, a wealthy and successful man who had always wanted a son. Charles Bishop had loved her, doted on her, but deep down, he blamed her for her mother’s death. If only he knew, about the drugs, the parties, the booze… The baby…
Impact. Thunderstrike and Binary hit Michael hard, waves of magical lightning and cosmic energy flowing outwards. Two figures flew backwards from the impact. In the middle of the nexus of energy one figure remained.
Michael.
Scorpion and the rest of A-Next were thrown to the ground as shockwaves rippled from Michael’s force field at impact. The team’s field leader jumped to her feet quickly and checked on her teammates. Redwing had been knocked to the ground from where he’d been hovering and both Hulkling and Mockingbird had been knocked on their butts. No injuries though. Carmilla rubbed her head and looked up at Binary and Thunderstrike then tapped the comm. link behind her ear.
“How’s it looking up there?!”
“Not good,” Thunderstrike replied. “We can’t get past his blasted force field. We could use some help.” Scorpion glanced around. Jessica had disappeared. Her guess was that she was going for help.
Another explosion of energy cut out their comm. links out before they could formulate a plan. Michael’s body started lancing out energy in every direction. Binary moved quickly to intercept the blasts. One of the things she knew for sure about her powers was that her body was an energy sponge. She’d be able to absorb anything Michael threw at her, at long as she would be able to discharge it soon after.
“Your struggles are futile!” Michael called. “I am destined to make this world a better place.”
“Yeah dude, whatever.” Thunderstrike swung his staff back and slammed it into Michael’s chest. Asgardian magic crackled and sparked as Thunderstrike hit Michael again. Billy Kaplan had feared the power he’d gained virtually from the moment he learned of them.
His DNA had been grafted with that of Thor, the Thunder God of legend, or so he’d been told. That connection had granted him a fraction of the Thunder God’s power, power that his mind was channeling even now. He punched Michael again, the blow sparking across the force field that protected Michael. His assault on their enemy had given Binary the break she needed.
She flew into the atmosphere and discharged the energy safely into the sky. Her thoughts drifted again to the child she had carried in her womb for a month. It had taken so much out of her, and the stress was unbelievable. Then suddenly, it was gone. She had worried about what to say to her father from the moment she’d found out and as soon as she had gained the courage, her child was gone. The doctor told her it was a miscarriage, which it was unfortunate, but it wasn’t uncommon. It didn’t make it any easier.
The energy spent, she spun and directed herself, fists first, back towards Michael. Billy continued to pummel Michael, and it seemed he was wearing down. Kate set her jaw and hit Michael in the back and drove him into Billy. Michael cried out in pain and spun to face her, and she saw with dismay that Billy began to fall, unconscious. Michael’s face twisted in fury and a blast of energy caught her by surprise and threw her to the ground.
Binary wiped the blood from her lip and picked herself up from the crater in the ground. She shot back into the air with her body radiating energy that she directed through her palms. That energy struck Michael and pushed him back. Thunderstrike was out and being looked over by Spider-Woman. The others worked to contain the damage and evacuate civilians as the battle moved further into the city. Things weren’t going well.
“Billy!” Jessica exclaimed. “Billy!” She had separated herself from the team for several minutes earlier to try to fine any advantage the team had against the young man sparking energy above her. Willoughby had informed her of one that she had no clue about, an advantage Billy Kaplan held. Jessica sighed; realizing her efforts to wake her charge wasn’t working. She knew she had no other choice than what she was about to do.
“Hunh?!” Billy sat up straight as Jessica excreted a whiff of pheromones from her hands. He looked at her and smiled.
“Damn you’re gorgeous,” he whispered.
“Whatever Romeo,” Jessica replied. “Get up!” She stood and pulled him to his feet. Billy stood groggily. She looked around for a moment until she spotted the gnarled staff he’d been given. She jumped to it and threw it back to Billy, who caught it easily.
“Hit the ground!” she exclaimed.
“What?” Billy replied incredulously.
“Hit the damn ground Billy!” He shrugged and swung the staff at the ground. As it struck, a bolt of magical lightning struck Billy Kaplan. Jessica grinned.
Willoughby was right.
“This is not going well!” Redwing exclaimed from above. The African-American youth dodged a blast of energy and held the young girl he’d rescued close to his chest.
“You think I don’t know that?” Scorpion replied as she sprinted behind a pair of pedestrians. “They’re getting our asses handed to us up there and we’re useless!” The couple ran into cover, and Scorpion looked up at Redwing as he descended next to her. Kyle sat the little girl down, and she ran into the arms of a worried woman.
“We need something to give us an advantage,” he said.
“Or calm him down…” Kyle and Carmilla looked at each other in surprise.
“The girlfriend!” they exclaimed in unison.
He sat in his office and looked at the files of the SPB’s that were accounted for and a thinly veiled smile formed on his lips. He tucked the file away and sat his briefcase on the table. Upon opening briefcase, a monitor lit up showing a shadowed figure.
“Well?”
“They are as predictable just as you said they would be.”
“Do you have the coordinates for the other SPB’s yet?”
“No, not yet. But I do know where Willoughby’s little trouble makers are stationed.”
“Good. I’m sure that you are quite capable of getting rid of them, yes.”
“Consider it done.”
He shut the briefcase after the monitor shut off and leaned back in his chair. He steepeled his fingers together and enjoyed the brief moment of relaxation.
“Binary, you good for a few minutes?” Scorpion asked in her earpiece. Kate set her jaw and pushed harder against Michael.
“I can handle him till you get back,” Binary exclaimed. “Why?”
“Kyle and I had an idea,” she replied. “Are you sure you can go it alone?”
“There’s no need,” boomed Billy’s voice over the communicators. Binary turned to see Billy soaring towards them, but in place of his staff was something less familiar. She couldn’t tell what it was for a few moments until she recognized it from images of a hero long forgotten.
Billy Kaplan wielded the mace called Thunderstrike.
Michael turned and sneered as Billy stopped and hovered in front of him. He began spinning the mace with the leather thong at the end of the handle.
“You do not understand!” their adversary cried. “I am the son of celestial beings. I am meant to rule this world. I am the son of gods and by extension, I am a GOD!” Billy smiled and grabbed the end of the handle of the mace mid-swing. The battleground fell silent for a few moments, as if the world was waiting for Thunderstrike’s reply.
“SO AM I!” He swung the mace and connected, overloading Michael’s force field and destroying it. He swung again, striking the young man in the jaw.
At that moment, the tide turned.
A pair of dark eyes looked over the file of Katherine Jean Bishop aka Binary. Those dark brown eyes focused on the top-secret details of her mysterious powers, her training, and her flamboyant attitude. With a simple keystroke the file was copied and downloaded onto a round mini-disc and a white gloved hand took that disc and placed it into his pocket as he slipped out of the Department of Defense records room.
Redwing sat Carmilla down on the helipad of the hospital and flew around the parameter before setting down on one of the nearby roofs. Carmilla looked around and tapped her comm. link.
“See Marianne’s room?” Carmilla asked.
“Yeah, they’ve moved her,” he said. “Out of the ICU, on the fourth floor.”
“Gotcha. On my way.”
Binary waded through the outpour of energy that Michael and Billy generated, in awe of her teammate. Billy punched him in the jaw, then swung the mace and hit him in the side of his head. Michael backhanded him in response. Kate took the opening, swooped in, and uppercutted him. He cried out as his head snapped back, but he then threw it forward and head-butted her in the nose with a snap. She clutched her nose by reflex and Michael blasted her away from him. She skipped across the ground and came to a stop before Spider-Woman. Michael landed and stood stoically. Thunderstrike landed nearby, holding the mace at ready.
“We’ve got him on the ropes!” Spider-Woman muttered happily. She suddenly raised her hand to her ear and nodded.
Binary nodded her head and struggled to get up. Spider-Woman placed a hand on her shoulder, leaned forward, and whispered in her ear. She then walked over to Michael and he seemed instantly entranced by her.
“Calm down, Michael. No one wants to hurt you. We just want to help you.” The young man’s stiff façade broke down and he began to sob.
“I-I don’t know,” he cried. “It’s so difficult to control it. I just want to be normal.”
“Shhhh,” Jessica hushed, “I know how you feel. Just remain calm. We have someone here for you…”
“Michael!”
“Marianne?” The young man’s face lit up, and the sparking energy around him dimmed. Thunderstrike realized what was happening and lowered his mace.
“Yes Michael, it’s really her.” She motioned Marianne to come closer. She took her hand and together they walked up to him.
“Are you alright Marianne?” he asked.
“Y-yeah,” she replied with a hint of a smile. “You really scared me back there, Michael.”
“I-I’m sorry. I lost control. I…”
“Its okay,” Spider-Woman said, setting her hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to be all right.” The raging energy around him had stopped and the son of Korvac collapsed onto his knees, took the hand of the girl he loved, then fell forward on his face. Binary backed away, her body crackling with energy. Spider-Woman nodded and Binary flew into the air to expel the excess energy she’d absorbed.
“What are you going to do with him?” Marianne asked,
“Hopefully teach him to control his powers,” Jessica replied, “and find out what his father did to his mind. Then perhaps he can live something that resembles a normal life...”
Scorpion stood on the roof of their hotel. Carmilla always tried to catch the sunrise if she had the chance and this provided her with the perfect opportunity. The sunrise was gorgeous in San Diego- it always was. She held her arms out from her body, closed her eyes and tilted her head back, taking in the sun.
“You’re a freak for the sunrise too hunh?” She opened her eyes and spun around, looking at the speaker. Kyle Snapp grinned at her and walked closer.
“Dammit Kyle, you scared the shit out of me,” she laughed.
“Whoa!” he laughed. “Watch it there fire tongue!” Carm laughed and turned back to the sunrise. He walked up to her side and looked over the already busy city.
“They’ll be rebuilding for a couple months,” she said. “Just like always with powers.” Kyle nodded.
“It’s like we’re used to it now,” he said. “I hear some cities have even taken out Hulk insurance.” Carm snorted in response.
“That’s awesome,” she said. “Hulk insurance.” She turned to him, smiled and took his hand.
“You did well yesterday,” she said. “Damn good.” Kyle grinned, and glanced down at her hand.
“Oh really?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she replied and drew close to him. The two closed their eyes, and their lips touched, softly at first, then firmer. The embrace continued for a few moments until someone started gagging at the roof entrance. Kyle and Carmilla jumped back from each other and turned to see Mockingbird and Thunderstrike laughing at them.
“Didn’t see that coming!” Bobbi exclaimed. She turned to Billy. “If he got that for what he did, just imagine what you’ll be getting for your reward.” Billy raised his eyebrows.
“So much for coming up here to have a moment,” he said. “We’ll leave you two be!” Thunderstrike turned and dragged Mockingbird back inside. Bobbi laughed and waved as she disappeared in the doorway. Scorpion and Redwing turned back to each other; each gave sheepish grins, and then turned back to the risen sun.
“I meant what I said,” she said.
“Good,” Kyle replied.
“And you’re a damn good kisser.”
“You too.”
In Project A-Next #7: The team gets some much needed down time and we learn some secrets about Director William Reid.