FORCED AGROUND

Part II

By Ben Hobson

The airspace surrounding the Needle

Hot jungle air slides over Davis Cameron’s body with ease as he surfs along this reality. His dirty-blonde hair whips around his face as he sweeps his silver colored board underneath the tree line. Immediately he starts to sway and shift his weight, dodging trees, vines, leaves, and even the occasional remnant of some ruin. The physical aspect of his ride is almost all instincts – he barely pays any attention to the movements or his surroundings. Instead, Slipstream is focused on the jungle floor. He dives lower, sweeping through ferns and other plants, lost in his own thoughts.

It’s been two days, he thinks, slowing himself down by pulling up on the board. And we still haven’t seen or heard from Irene or Steve. Khan says that they’re most likely dead then, and I guess he’s probably right, but according to May, her spell shoulda protected all of us. And if they’re alive, I can’t believe they wouldn’t notice the gigantic red tower stickin’ into the sky. May is casting search spells, I’ve been surfing all over this jungle, and Khan’s had his men out looking 24/7. We should have found them by now.

Slipstream dips his nose down, allowing himself to gain some momentum. Twisting his legs, he pushes the board up, and begins a slow cruise over the trees again. Slash-ships – Khan’s red, angular aircraft that protect the Needle – cruise through the sky with the same purpose as Davis. They are hard to see in the setting sun, but he can hear them. There’s a tiny beep in his earpiece and Davis presses it’s button. “Evenin’, Doom.”

“A most beautiful one, I must say, presuming I had seen it.” Doom replies over the earpiece. “Have you had any luck?”

“Nah,” Davis replies, running a hand through his hair. “Nothin’ out here. What about you guys?”

“I wish I had thought to plant tracking devices on everyone,” Doom starts. “Then this would be no trouble at all. But I’m sorry to say that there’s been no luck here. May’s spells are quite ineffective, while Khan’s men report nothing new. I have finished my additions to the Excelsior though. We are now more than adequately defended.”

I’d rather have Irene and Steve back, Slipstream thinks to himself. Then he responds to Doom. “Good work. Once we find the others, you guys can finally get out of this reality.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Doom says, a hint of apprehension in his voice. “Exploring the Multiverse is sure to be more entertaining than sitting around in some idyllic little world drinking fruity drinks on the Khan’s tab.”

Slipstream actually smiles. “I’m sure it is – and that’s exactly why I’m not interested. I’m happy with my own reality thank you, I don’t need to go looking for a new one.”

“Fair enough. Quite frankly, I’ll just be happy to get the Excelsior out of this work bay.” Davis can hear the malice in Doom’s voice as he speaks. “I can feel the other mechanics eye’s on her. They’re like hungry sharks, just waiting for me to drop my guard or get some sleep. Jackals. I’ll show them though – oh, how I’ll show them. I’ve managed a full month without a recuperative cycle before! I can easily do it again! Ahahahahaha! Ha!” The madness in Doom’s voice is clearly evident and causes Davis to wince on his end. “Oh, and May informs me that dinner is ready for those of us who eat.”

“Alright,” Slipstream says, picking up speed. “Let’er know I’m gonna take my time gettin’ back. I’ll be a few minutes.”

“Check-check,” Doom replies, and Davis can see the man saluting in his mind.

“Yeah.” Slipstream mutters to himself. As he approaches the enormous red spire, various lights start to come to life around it – windows, guide lights, spotlights. It’s a compelling view, one that Davis just can’t seem to like. “Give me some kind of sign guys. Where are you?”

Inside the Needle
One of Khan’s private rooms

With the confidence and air of a king, Khan enters the room. He’s dressed formally, in close-cut black clothing, accented at the wrists and shoulders with gold inlay, matching the six buttons that hold the jacket closed. Matching pants are tucked into his leather boots, while white gloves cover his hands. A beautiful woman, alien of some sort, with large blue eyes and a dark green skin follows closely behind, dressed as a formal aide. She takes Khan’s gloves as he pulls them off. Looking across the room, Khan speaks to his guest. “Good evening Ms. Parker.”

Across the room, May Parker floats in front of the room’s large window. Gone is most of her clothing – the skirts, the jackets, the odd collection of clothing she had accumulated. They are scattered around the rest of the room, a clear path from the bathroom. Her current style is actually quite Spartan. A loose skirt of white covers her crossed legs, with her Agamatto necklace turned into a belt. Her red jacket, laced with gold, covers her torso. She wears nothing below it, but with her back turned to Khan he can’t see anything. The small blue glasses she treasures are tucked into her brown hair. May’s hands rest on her knees in a pose of meditation – although her left hand does hold a half-eaten banana. She’s chewing as she responds. “Whashup whasup?”

“Trying another search spell?” Khan asks as he shucks off his jacket, also handing that to his servant. A finely pressed white shirt lay underneath, hugging his muscular chest. He stands beside a large table, covered with food, and undoes his sleeves.

“Trying being the key word.” May replies with a sigh. “I just can’t seem to get my internal energies in synch with this world. There is no groove here. Every spell I cast is just off by like, a degree.” Settling herself back down, May tucks her jacket over her chest more tightly.

“I do have magicians on hand here,” Khan says, pulling out a chair for himself. “Perhaps you should consult with them.”

“It’s just so frustrating!” May practically shouts, stomping her way across the room. “I’m the Sorcerer Supreme for the-nonexistent-God’s-sake! This should be a cakewalk but I’m choking at the starting line.” Finishing off the banana, she plops down into a chair and then kicks her bare feet onto the table. “I’m BETTER than this.”

“We all have our flaws and faults Ms. Parke,.” Khan replies, tucking a napkin into his neck. “There is no shame in that; only in failing to find ways around them.” His servant pours him a glass of wine, which he starts to swirl slowly. “Shall Davis be joining us?”

“He’s coming, he’s just gonna–” May stops, suddenly standing. “Hold that thought – I gotta pee.”

Once she finishes crossing the room, Khan turns his head slightly towards his servant. “I see that Master Magician Willis is earning his pay; make sure to give him my thanks. Considering that neither May nor Davis are elated and celebrating, I assume he’s had no luck finding his compatriots.” He fixes with her a angry glare. “Tell me we are doing better.”

“We’ve covered about 60% of the forest,” the servant replies, tapping on her own small circlet for information. “And no luck so far. The guards at the gate have seen no one matching the descriptions that we were given, however, we have had several…occurrences within the lower levels.”

“That sounds promising,” Khan replies coolly as he pours himself a glass of wine. “What kind of problems?”

“Several public computers have been hacked – and destroyed. We haven’t been able to recover any information from the destroyed stalls at all and all security cameras were smashed before the hacking occurred. The computers themselves have been melted. Maintenance has run several system checks and there are no virii or problems,” the servant says, watching the entrance to the bathroom carefully. “The incidents are, however, moving up with each hack – our last report was on the last of the public levels.”

“I have a feeling that our missing wanderers and the problems are connected,” Khan replies with a cold smile. “Get our best trackers on the next ten levels and increase the surveillance on that ship of theirs. If they are trying this hard not to be found, then I can only assume that they have a reason not to immediately contact the rest of their crew. We must find them before Mr. Cameron or Ms. Parker are able to.”

Nodding, the servant relays the commands on her circlet. “Of course, your majesty.”

The Needle
Davis’ room

As Davis exits his slipstream, his room goes dark, and it seems like the whole world is black. Slowing as he lets his board drop, Davis lets it fade back into reality and eventually stands on only the floor. With a sigh he heads for the bedroom area, preparing to change for dinner, but something stops him. A hand suddenly presses over his mouth and Davis can feel someone behind him!

“Davis,” Irene says quietly, whispering into his ear. “Don’t react. Stay calm, it’s me.” Legacy can feel his body start to relax, but she doesn’t remove her hand from his mouth. “I have to talk to you, but we have to be quick. There are cameras and listening devices everywhere on these floors – I’m sure that Khan knows I’m here already. Has he taken you to the Gallery room yet?” Davis nods and although he can’t see it, Irene smiles. “Okay. Good. I need you to take us there. Can you do that?”

Bright light fills the room as a slipstream opens up beneath them, a board appearing under them immediately. In seconds they’ve moved from one room to the other, slowly lowering to the floor. Irene hops off the board quickly, moving to open the door. She does, allowing Rogers to duck into the room – the unconscious body of two guards being dragged behind him – and then shuts the door. “Seal it.”

Flashing into the Geist, Rogers extends his arm and flames course out, burning along the frame of the door. “Done.”

“Where have you been!?” Davis asks, smiling at seeing the pair, but battling confusion. “I’ve been looking all over for you, May has too, and we even got Khan to help! Have you been here the whole time? What took you so – “

“Davis,” Irene says, walking back to the center of the room. “You’ve spoken to the Khan?”

“Yeah, lots of times,” he replies.

“I assume he’s offered to help you; promised you the world, literally? Been nothing but a pleasure and a nice guy?” she asks.

His joy turned to apprehension, Davis watches as Irene leans on the projector in the center of the room. “What’s going on, Irene?” He turns to look at Rogers. “What am I missing here?”

“Khan isn’t what you think, Davis,” Irene starts, fixing him with her most serious gaze. “He’s a monster, a murderer, and we need to get out of here immediately.”

“Look, maybe you’re confused,” Davis replies, anger tinting his voice. “But Khan has been nothing but helpful to us. I know that he’s killed people, but he’s also helped a ton of people, whole WORLDS of them. I’m not some naïve little kid.”

Irene scoffs. “Naïve no, but stupid, most likely. What’s he promised you?”

“That he’ll get me home.” Davis says forcefully. “Which, you might have forgotten, is all I wanted out of this trip.”

“I’m confident that he will take you back to your own reality,” Irene retorts. “But he’ll do so as a conquering dictator. He’s trying to take over everything Davis.”

“My reality has protection, so long as I cooperate.” Davis shoots back, confused now. “Look, I don’t see what the problem is, I really don’t. If you have a point, make it Irene.”

“My point is that you’re putting yourself in league with a monster.” Irene says as she manipulates the controls of the projector. “You’ve seen the worlds he’s ‘saved’ right? Did he show you any of the realities that fought back?” She looks up at him. “I’m going to guess “no.” Well take a look.”

Circular windows pop to life above the machine. With quick movements, Irene selects one of them and suddenly the three of them are standing above a charred world. Davis would be hard-pressed to guess that the ball of bare rock beneath him was any kind of Earth. The world is totally bare – no water, no plants, no clouds in the atmosphere. There is nothing there at all.

“Khan does bring peace and prosperity,” Irene starts, moving to stand next to Davis. “But if someone doesn’t WANT his rule, if they want to remain free, this is what happens. Total destruction. And not just of Earth – this whole branch of reality is dead. There is no Galactus, no Skrulls, no Kree, not even bacteria.”

“Nothing I can do about that. And even then, what about the people he helps?” Davis asks, now looking at her. “I’ve talked to the people here and he’s done amazing things. Cured cancer. Brought equality to mutants. United whole galaxies! That has to count for something.”

“It does,” Irene says, pulling them back to the regular projection. “It counts for the 32 realities he rules. But it does not count for this.” Her fingers playing with the windows, she pulls up a general index. Flipping through the pages, she explains along the way. “These are his master files. Every reality he’s passed through is in here, for better or worse. Detailed files, reports, census’ – and yes, he does indeed rule 32 realities for the better.” She finally stops, bringing up one screen specifically. Turning the projection toward Davis, her expression is grim. “And he’s killed 108.”

“I can’t believe that,” Davis says, crossing his arms and turning away from her.

“You HAVE to,” Irene says, her eyes watching him pleadingly. “Davis, with your powers, the advances he could make in inter-planar travel would revolutionize his conquests. I-I can’t even put a number on the amount of people that will die because of you!”

”And what about the people I’ll end up helping?” Davis argues back. “And even more important than that is the fact that this isn’t my fight! It never was! I don’t want this Irene!” He shouts, gesturing at the screens. “Sailing through realities? Living in some weird science experiment of a ship with-with Mr. Crazy, hippie-chick, Captain Depression and-and a depressed widow? I DON’T WANT THAT. I want to go home God damn it! That’s it!” Letting out an angry breath, Davis steps back from her. “I’m…I’m just a surfer.”

Irene looks at him sadly. “But…you can be so much more.”

“Look,” Davis says, walking away from the projector towards Geist. “If you guys want to leave, that’s fine. You don’t have to stay here. Just take the ship and go, Doom says it’s fixed.”

”It’s not that simple, Davis,” Irene says. “I…I can’t let you do this. I can’t let you undo everything that Cameron and I fought for.”

“What are you talking about?” Davis asks, still riding high on his anger.

“Cameron and I…” Irene starts, looking at the floor. “We were running from Khan. Davis, Cameron is – “ A loud explosion at the doorway cuts off Irene’s sentence!

Instincts taking over, Geist pushes Davis to the ground, his shield covering them both. Several canisters of gas suddenly fill the room as troops covered head to toe file into the room. Four of them stop at Geist, their rifles keeping him covered, as another unit moves towards Legacy. Knowing she’s outmatched, Legacy puts her hands in the air, allowing the men to force her to the ground.

“Nobody move!” The captain of the unit shouts, his foot resting on Legacy’s back. “Twitch and we put this all to an end.”

“Don’t worry,” Irene says, shooting at sad look at Davis. “It’s over already.”

“Glad to hear it,” Khan says as he enters the room. “How ironic that you’ve brought back the very man I needed, Irene. As a thank you I won’t kill you.” Turning to the captain, he nods. “Make sure she has a power inhibitor and is sedated. Put her somewhere dark.”

With a curt nod, the captain begins to handcuff Irene. “Your majesty.”

“And you, Mr. Cameron.” Khan says, turning to the young man. “Thank you for keeping her occupied. I was quite surprised when she had you take her here. I appreciate your loyalty.”

“I want an explanation for all this,” Davis demands, standing next to Geist, the pair of them eyeing the guards.

”And you’ll get one,” Khan says, looking at Geist. “Tell me young man, are you intending to start a fight? Do you really care to get embroiled in a personal fight between me and that woman or do you want to move on?”

The empty eyes of Geist stare at Khan. A vortex of souls surround the conqueror, screaming, crying, pleading for aid. Nothing that this version of Steve Rogers hasn’t heard before – and nothing he has inured himself to. He looks at Irene as they drag her out of the room and powers down. In a burst of light, he’s just a tired soldier again. “No.” He says quietly. “I just want to leave this place.”

Khan smiles and claps both men on the shoulders. “Well then. I have some catching up to do with Irene as I’m sure you gentlemen have as well. Davis, as soon as I’m able I’ll schedule a meeting and explain all of this.”

“Thank you,” Davis says, suddenly very tired. “It seems like everywhere I go I have no idea what’s going on. I thought that I could trust Irene.”

“You’re traveling between worlds, boy,” Khan says brusquely, the first time he’s been anything but polite to Davis. “No one is who you think they are and nothing is what it seems to be. If you learn nothing else, learn that.”

As Khan and his men leave the Gallery, Davis can’t help but feel like utter shit. He had trusted Irene, but very clearly, there was something more going on there that he didn’t know about. To lesser degrees he was trusting May and Steve and Doom as well – but both May and Doom were slightly off. How much did Davis really know about them? Their powers? Their intentions? Were they just friends? Allies? Were they using him? Khan’s final words echo through Davis’ mind as he turns to watch the last of the soldiers file out.

If he can’t trust the men and women he had allied himself with…could Davis really trust Khan?

Next Issue: In which we learn the history of Legacy. In which there is an escape. In which we set sail once more…