Slip the jab.
A rush of wind and a thunderous fist glance over my shoulder.
The fist, and the creature it was attached to, are much larger than me. Blue-green scales covering the flesh of what passes for a man. Bony ridges and fin-like protrusions from its skin. It looked like a human in a way, but this was a clone of the original. It was an Abomination.
Go for the knees, gotta slow him down.
As the Abomination clone cocked back its right fist, I dashed in close. Pivoting perpendicular to its body, I send my heavy left boot towards a bony knee.
CRAAACK!
What sounds like thunder rings out into the atmosphere. My kick landed, but his arms are as long as my legs. The beast's fist landed simultaneously. As he collapsed to a knee, I'm sent flying 30 or 40 feet backwards. My vision is hazy but recovers as I'm landing in the dirt. I take a close look around.
Nobody nearby. Can't have bystanders get hurt. Can't let him into the city.
"Gamma, do you copy? This is Alpha!"
I heard his voice but had no time to respond. Abomination was so fast, even if he was a horrid clone. The massive figure swings and swings, like a mindless animal, a relentless assault I could barely block and dodge. Its knee has already healed. A shimmering glow begins to pulsate from within, a big green reminder of why they sent me. As it radiates gamma energy, I begin to feel a second wind.
Just hold on a little longer...
I'm already hurt, and out of time in my other form, but if I can get him pissed off I stand a chance. As Abomination lunges forward I grab onto a massive wrist and swing from it like an ape. As I swing around, I let go at the apex of the spin, flinging myself up onto its massive shoulders. I tighten my legs around its neck and begin to pummel the back of its head. My hands bleed as I punch onto bony spines but I don't stop. He thrashes wildly at my assault, and the glow emitting from his body brightens. I can feel the gamma radiation, and begin to absorb it like a man at an oasis.
My eyes flash with righteous fury.
"Gamma, you have to take him out, NOW! If he keeps emitting gamma rays he'll kill everyone!"
I know but I still can't respond. I continue slamming fist after fist into the back of its head. I can see cracks form in its scaled hide. My bleeding hands begin to heal as I absorb the gamma radiation. My muscles swell as I begin to change. I elbow the side of its head and send it face first into the dirt. Abomination scrambles upright and ROARS with fury. When the beast turns around he sees the real me.
Titan Gamma
I've grown several feet in size, and muscle mass reflects that change. He's still larger, but not by much.
I flash a bright white smirk, the green of my eyes glowing like beacons.
The monster roars again and leaps into the air, my body mimicking his. As we rocket upwards, I cock my right arm into position.
It's now or never. Give it EVERYTHING you've got!
Abomination drifts closer in the air towards me.
"I'll show you what being a HERO really means!"
Both our bodies radiate gamma as we draw ever closer, hundreds of feet above the Earth.
"TITANIIIIIC...
Our fists shoot towards the other.
"PUUUUUNCH!
My resolve clashes with his, but an unexpected flash of light comes between us. I feel pulled through a void, and I can only imagine where I must be. The binding cold void threatens to smother me, but my fist is still shooting forward. I feel it break through to the other side of this in-between place. I see the sky again. I'm falling.
This isn't the place I was.
The ground beneath was different. Landscape was different.
How did I get here?
My eyes search for the hideous clone, but it is nowhere in sight. As I fall, I can see that there are people at the ground. Uniforms. Guns.
Military?
I turn upright and land on my legs, my huge form slowly deflating into my normal one, and the ground cracks beneath the impact. As the dust clears I can hear the beeping of tools and instruments, and the cocking of guns.
"Son, you need to come with us."
Of course I'd land right into a military base.
Just my luck...
A rush of wind and a thunderous fist glance over my shoulder.
The fist, and the creature it was attached to, are much larger than me. Blue-green scales covering the flesh of what passes for a man. Bony ridges and fin-like protrusions from its skin. It looked like a human in a way, but this was a clone of the original. It was an Abomination.
Go for the knees, gotta slow him down.
As the Abomination clone cocked back its right fist, I dashed in close. Pivoting perpendicular to its body, I send my heavy left boot towards a bony knee.
CRAAACK!
What sounds like thunder rings out into the atmosphere. My kick landed, but his arms are as long as my legs. The beast's fist landed simultaneously. As he collapsed to a knee, I'm sent flying 30 or 40 feet backwards. My vision is hazy but recovers as I'm landing in the dirt. I take a close look around.
Nobody nearby. Can't have bystanders get hurt. Can't let him into the city.
"Gamma, do you copy? This is Alpha!"
I heard his voice but had no time to respond. Abomination was so fast, even if he was a horrid clone. The massive figure swings and swings, like a mindless animal, a relentless assault I could barely block and dodge. Its knee has already healed. A shimmering glow begins to pulsate from within, a big green reminder of why they sent me. As it radiates gamma energy, I begin to feel a second wind.
Just hold on a little longer...
I'm already hurt, and out of time in my other form, but if I can get him pissed off I stand a chance. As Abomination lunges forward I grab onto a massive wrist and swing from it like an ape. As I swing around, I let go at the apex of the spin, flinging myself up onto its massive shoulders. I tighten my legs around its neck and begin to pummel the back of its head. My hands bleed as I punch onto bony spines but I don't stop. He thrashes wildly at my assault, and the glow emitting from his body brightens. I can feel the gamma radiation, and begin to absorb it like a man at an oasis.
My eyes flash with righteous fury.
"Gamma, you have to take him out, NOW! If he keeps emitting gamma rays he'll kill everyone!"
I know but I still can't respond. I continue slamming fist after fist into the back of its head. I can see cracks form in its scaled hide. My bleeding hands begin to heal as I absorb the gamma radiation. My muscles swell as I begin to change. I elbow the side of its head and send it face first into the dirt. Abomination scrambles upright and ROARS with fury. When the beast turns around he sees the real me.
Titan Gamma
I've grown several feet in size, and muscle mass reflects that change. He's still larger, but not by much.
I flash a bright white smirk, the green of my eyes glowing like beacons.
The monster roars again and leaps into the air, my body mimicking his. As we rocket upwards, I cock my right arm into position.
It's now or never. Give it EVERYTHING you've got!
Abomination drifts closer in the air towards me.
"I'll show you what being a HERO really means!"
Both our bodies radiate gamma as we draw ever closer, hundreds of feet above the Earth.
"TITANIIIIIC...
Our fists shoot towards the other.
"PUUUUUNCH!
My resolve clashes with his, but an unexpected flash of light comes between us. I feel pulled through a void, and I can only imagine where I must be. The binding cold void threatens to smother me, but my fist is still shooting forward. I feel it break through to the other side of this in-between place. I see the sky again. I'm falling.
This isn't the place I was.
The ground beneath was different. Landscape was different.
How did I get here?
My eyes search for the hideous clone, but it is nowhere in sight. As I fall, I can see that there are people at the ground. Uniforms. Guns.
Military?
I turn upright and land on my legs, my huge form slowly deflating into my normal one, and the ground cracks beneath the impact. As the dust clears I can hear the beeping of tools and instruments, and the cocking of guns.
"Son, you need to come with us."
Of course I'd land right into a military base.
Just my luck...
I stand there with guns aimed at my body.
Military weapons. Could be harmful. Don't do anything dumb.
I slowly raise both hands up to the sky. I can take some bullets in my normal state, but not many. I don't want to transform again, in case that damn clone shows up. But however unnerved I was, these guys looked worse. Fear in the eyes. Uncertainty. If I'm here, Abomination was here too.
"Where am I?" I speak in a calm voice.
"You're at a United States military base, and your partner came crashing through here days ago. You're under arrest," said the gruff, mustachioed commanding officer.
"My partner?"
"Huge, scaled, strong. He smashed through this place like the incredible fuckin' Hulk, son, you're not going anywhere."
"I was fighting that creature, and then wound up here. It is not my partner. But we were just fighting, not days ago."
Well over the course of several hours, and too many cups of coffee later, they explained my new situation. I'm not even in my own world anymore. Not even my own universe. I was caught in the rift longer than the clone was, even though we went in simultaneously. Will my Earth be okay without me? They've still got Titan Alpha and Beta, and some others, but I can't help but feel guilty. I never brought my sister to justice. I never stopped her from cloning some of our worst villains. To make it worse, I brought one with me.
I just have to hold the line. Here.
After explaining who I am, at least in my universe, they put a call into SHIELD on my behalf. I'm not sure why. I wait around for a day and a half in this poorly lit barracks for more answers. I know they're still watching me, but that's to be expected. Every now and again some pretty lady comes by with food for me, and to check on my injuries. I tell her I'm fine, I heal pretty fast. Inside my head is still spinning. I'm not sure what this world entails, or how much it differs from my own.
Is it better? Is it worse?
Do they even need me?
"He's here," the commanding officer interjects between my thoughts. I didn't even realize he'd walked in.
I stretch my legs out and stand, following behind the older man. I ignore the stares I get while I walk by. We hoof the pavement for what feels like ages, silently, until reaching the outside of the base once again. A shorter man, mid-fifties, with black and gray hair stands at the nearby fence gate. His right eye is torn and scarred, an old battle wound surely, with a silent blue glow taking its place. I recognize this man, but I have not seen him in years. Where I'm from, he is long dead. And he's the reason my sister became what she is.
Dad...
Military weapons. Could be harmful. Don't do anything dumb.
I slowly raise both hands up to the sky. I can take some bullets in my normal state, but not many. I don't want to transform again, in case that damn clone shows up. But however unnerved I was, these guys looked worse. Fear in the eyes. Uncertainty. If I'm here, Abomination was here too.
"Where am I?" I speak in a calm voice.
"You're at a United States military base, and your partner came crashing through here days ago. You're under arrest," said the gruff, mustachioed commanding officer.
"My partner?"
"Huge, scaled, strong. He smashed through this place like the incredible fuckin' Hulk, son, you're not going anywhere."
"I was fighting that creature, and then wound up here. It is not my partner. But we were just fighting, not days ago."
Well over the course of several hours, and too many cups of coffee later, they explained my new situation. I'm not even in my own world anymore. Not even my own universe. I was caught in the rift longer than the clone was, even though we went in simultaneously. Will my Earth be okay without me? They've still got Titan Alpha and Beta, and some others, but I can't help but feel guilty. I never brought my sister to justice. I never stopped her from cloning some of our worst villains. To make it worse, I brought one with me.
I just have to hold the line. Here.
After explaining who I am, at least in my universe, they put a call into SHIELD on my behalf. I'm not sure why. I wait around for a day and a half in this poorly lit barracks for more answers. I know they're still watching me, but that's to be expected. Every now and again some pretty lady comes by with food for me, and to check on my injuries. I tell her I'm fine, I heal pretty fast. Inside my head is still spinning. I'm not sure what this world entails, or how much it differs from my own.
Is it better? Is it worse?
Do they even need me?
"He's here," the commanding officer interjects between my thoughts. I didn't even realize he'd walked in.
I stretch my legs out and stand, following behind the older man. I ignore the stares I get while I walk by. We hoof the pavement for what feels like ages, silently, until reaching the outside of the base once again. A shorter man, mid-fifties, with black and gray hair stands at the nearby fence gate. His right eye is torn and scarred, an old battle wound surely, with a silent blue glow taking its place. I recognize this man, but I have not seen him in years. Where I'm from, he is long dead. And he's the reason my sister became what she is.
Dad...
Although I was initially shocked, I had to resist the urge to punch him in the face. It wasn't that I hated him, no, it was more that he was selfish and inept as a parent. So one track. I had to grow out of his shadow. I didn't mind training at a young age, but I didn't get to be much of a kid.
At least until he learned my mutation was dormant. He pretended I couldn't fight the fight after that. I knew he cared but he didn't need to act like I was helpless. Especially since he doubled down on Faith's training after that.
I blinked a few times and cleared my throat.
"So you're this universe's Johnny Diego," I said, dryly, "What an immense honor."
"Jesus you sound like my actual kid," he responded with a small smirk, "To be honest this is as strange for me as it must be for you. Let me get to the point though..."
He went on to explain that he's a high ranking member of SHIELD and he was willing to help me adjust to this world. Provide a place to stay, maybe even a job if I wanted it.
SHIELD does not exist where I'm from, not anymore. My father never joined them. They were both ultimately destroyed when Faith, merged to the consciousness of Trevor Lancin, assaulted their headquarters. I was relieved to learn that the 'Ghost' never made a reappearance in this world. Faith is healthy and well adjusted. I was glad to know Jerich and Aurora were alive and healthy. Carlin was gone, off on his own adventure though. I'd miss him but that checked out for his usual personality.
I stood and exchanged information with this version of my father. His eyes dart around like a computer, always calculating something. I silently wondered if he was analyzing my life story for things he could do to avoid similar outcomes. Even so, it was just his way of protecting us all. I'm not from this universe but he still wanted to treat me like his kid.
"So where do we go from here?" I asked.
"Well... most of the family is around Seattle. I'm on the move a lot but if ya wanted to set some roots, that's the place to go, Judge," he said.
"Max," I corrected, "I prefer to go by my middle name."
"Max," he nodded.
"What's the chance I run into my counterpart?" I wondered.
His eyes looked down briefly before staring back at me, "It's possible but he's kind of a drifter. Judge and I ain't on the best terms. But I'll try and get the word out to him so he ain't too surprised if you pop up somewhere. God forbid if another me comes through a rift."
"Pretty sure this universe is only big enough for one of you," I chuckled, mockingly putting my hand over the top of his head.
"I may be short and old but I can still take you on, smartass," he responded with mild irritation.
I believe you.
Well he managed to yank me out of the military base without too much effort, and we spent the next several hours flying over to the Pacific Northwest. He gave me space on the flight, whether that was consideration for my situation, or his, I don't know. It was strange to see so much of the country still intact, even after the damage from the Collision. Maybe they need someone like me after all...
As we're landing Johnny comes over to my seat and sets a folder down at my lap, saying nothing before walking away.
I silently open it and look at the first page.
EDE #64552-34. Last known location: Seattle.
The picture showed the clone I was fighting.
Abomination.
At least until he learned my mutation was dormant. He pretended I couldn't fight the fight after that. I knew he cared but he didn't need to act like I was helpless. Especially since he doubled down on Faith's training after that.
I blinked a few times and cleared my throat.
"So you're this universe's Johnny Diego," I said, dryly, "What an immense honor."
"Jesus you sound like my actual kid," he responded with a small smirk, "To be honest this is as strange for me as it must be for you. Let me get to the point though..."
He went on to explain that he's a high ranking member of SHIELD and he was willing to help me adjust to this world. Provide a place to stay, maybe even a job if I wanted it.
SHIELD does not exist where I'm from, not anymore. My father never joined them. They were both ultimately destroyed when Faith, merged to the consciousness of Trevor Lancin, assaulted their headquarters. I was relieved to learn that the 'Ghost' never made a reappearance in this world. Faith is healthy and well adjusted. I was glad to know Jerich and Aurora were alive and healthy. Carlin was gone, off on his own adventure though. I'd miss him but that checked out for his usual personality.
I stood and exchanged information with this version of my father. His eyes dart around like a computer, always calculating something. I silently wondered if he was analyzing my life story for things he could do to avoid similar outcomes. Even so, it was just his way of protecting us all. I'm not from this universe but he still wanted to treat me like his kid.
"So where do we go from here?" I asked.
"Well... most of the family is around Seattle. I'm on the move a lot but if ya wanted to set some roots, that's the place to go, Judge," he said.
"Max," I corrected, "I prefer to go by my middle name."
"Max," he nodded.
"What's the chance I run into my counterpart?" I wondered.
His eyes looked down briefly before staring back at me, "It's possible but he's kind of a drifter. Judge and I ain't on the best terms. But I'll try and get the word out to him so he ain't too surprised if you pop up somewhere. God forbid if another me comes through a rift."
"Pretty sure this universe is only big enough for one of you," I chuckled, mockingly putting my hand over the top of his head.
"I may be short and old but I can still take you on, smartass," he responded with mild irritation.
I believe you.
Well he managed to yank me out of the military base without too much effort, and we spent the next several hours flying over to the Pacific Northwest. He gave me space on the flight, whether that was consideration for my situation, or his, I don't know. It was strange to see so much of the country still intact, even after the damage from the Collision. Maybe they need someone like me after all...
As we're landing Johnny comes over to my seat and sets a folder down at my lap, saying nothing before walking away.
I silently open it and look at the first page.
EDE #64552-34. Last known location: Seattle.
The picture showed the clone I was fighting.
Abomination.
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