The Mighty Thor 2099UG
Issue #2
"A Day in the Life of..."
Written by Jason C. Smith
The woman straightened her back as she tried to stretch out the ache.
She began rocking her baby and looking to see how much longer the wait would
be. The line had started soon after the Mighty One had returned, and she had
decided to see what all the commotion was about. She didn't know if this man
was really Thor or not, but she did know one thing for sure: her child was sick
and she would do anything for her child. She had her most valuable belongings
with her to trade for her child's well-being, as was usual Fenris custom.
Finally, she picked up her things, moved up in line, and kneeled before. . .
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"Good evening, Lord," the woman said as she looked down upon
the ground.
"What is thy name, my lady?"
"Heidi. Heidi is my name. And I need your help, Master."
"Please stand up. You have no reason to grovel before me,
woman," Thor said as he helped her off of the ground.
"Thank you."
"Now, pray tell me what all of this is," he asked as he
motioned toward her belongings.
"Well, these are my sole possessions, and I am leaving them for you.
They are my only means of offering for the healing of my son."
The Mighty Thor let out a hearty laugh, "Well, now. Dost thou
thinkest you can bribe one of Asgard, especially Odin's son?"
"Well, no my Lord. It's just that. . ."
"Stop. Now thou must listen to me, young one. Take the child to
Kabal. . ."
"But My Lord! Kabal is Bloodsword's witch doctor! Surely there is
nothing that he can do for Anthony!"
Thor flashes a stern look at the woman and offers to take the child.
Heidi reluctantly hands over her son and watches the Thunder God in
anticipation. After looking at the young one and glancing back at his mother, Thor says, "Kabal, take this child and see what can be done."
"Yes, Master," Kabal said as he took the child. "Well,
aren't you a healthy one? Aw, I can take care of this one easily, Sire. 'Tis
only a small infection."
As Kabal walked back toward his house with the child in his arms, Heidi
flashed a frightened look back at Thor and said, "But, Master! What is
Kabal going to do?"
"He's going to heal him. Young Anthony shall be safe, so I
promise."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much," she exclaimed as she began
picking up various objects, attempting to hand them to Thor.
"What manner of behavior is this? Hast I not told thou, tis not
necessary?"
"But Lord, it is all I have to offer you!"
"Nay, little one. You may also offer one more thing, tis more
important."
"Name it, and it's yours," she whispered.
"Faith alone," he answered as he sat back down.
"You shall have it! You have it, I swear upon my own life!"
Heidi began gathering her things and muttering various praises in
Thor's name. She continued broadcasting Thor's return and his understanding all
the way back to Kabal's house, igniting the rest of the line's agreements and
tributes to the God of Thunder.
Thor sat back in his "throne" as he met and greeted Fenris
after Fenris. They all said the same thing: asking him to heal them, or take
them to Valhalla, and so forth. It was only after he had demanded that they go
back to their normal ways that they finally left him alone. He sat and thought
about the evening's festivities to come and everything that had happened since
his return.
Everyone had been working to prepare a huge feast tonight to celebrate
his glorious return. They kept asking him to show them the way, but to where???
He knew that they meant safety more than anything else. They were constantly at
war with other cliques, even more so since the "Aesir" incident.
Apparently, the news of the Aesir returning and then suddenly disappearing again, with all the destruction that occurred during the escapades, had worsened the
religious scrutiny that the Fenris and other Thorites had been living under.
Thor felt personally responsible for this, and his honor bid him to always do
that which is right. In this particular case, it meant protecting the Fenris, to
watch over them.
He heard the rambling about one known as the Vulture, who sounded like a
devilish creature in the form of a man. Except for one thing: this man could
fly, albeit by metallic wings. His pack of followers was the one that the
Fenris warriors referred to as Freakers. Thor was prepared to lead the Fenris
away from trouble anyway he could. But he had other things to take care of
first. Bloodsword had disappeared since Thor had decided to stay with the
Fenris. He had basically exiled himself to his apartment. Thor especially
wanted to talk to the Fenris leader to simply explain his own intentions. The
Thunder God didn't want to take away Bloodsword's position; he only wanted to
help the Fenris and protect them. Apparently, Bloodsword misunderstood, for he
showed ill will toward the God of Thunder.
Thor shook his head as he walked toward Kabal's house. Such hostility
and ignorance in Bloodsword were impossible to work through. He didn't like the
way things were running, but he had a pretty good idea as to how they were
going to work out. If the Fenris had their way, then it wouldn't matter whether
or not Bloodsword stayed or walked. Thor knew better. Such a man with that kind
of determination and hatred makes a dangerous enemy and an even more dangerous
friend. But yet Thor was positive that he could keep this one under his eye and
keep him out of trouble.
He continued thinking about all of the praise he had received since his
return, but in the back of his mind was the image of a beautiful young lady
with whom Thor had a deep connections with. He knew that she was in trouble, or
had been if she was still alive, but he couldn't stop blaming himself for her
predicament. She was still there because he failed to save her. He couldn't
save her! He was powerless without Mjolnir, and the one named Avataar had been
the one to bring on the pain, and that was all the mighty Thor could remember.
He had never felt such pain in all of his life, that of which he could remember. Then, the unholy Avataar, who referred to himself as the All-Father,
told him where to find Mjolnir and sent him on his way. Thor's threats had
meant nothing to Avataar, who refused to let him help the beautiful young lady,
his Lady Sif. She must still be there, he thought. And I am going to help her
now. And this time I will not fail!
As the god was thinking he didn't see the priest, Kabal, with whom he
almost ran into.
"Excuse me, Kabal. I must have lost myself. Forgive me."
"You have no need to apologize to me, My Lord. I have set a place
for you to stay within my own house, if that is what you wish," Kabal
said.
"Thank you, Kabal. You are surely a kind and just man. I will show
myself to these quarters," he replied as he walked toward Kabal's house.
The priest stood and watched the God of Thunder as he made his way to
his house. I can't believe the Lord of Lightning is staying with me, he
thought. Kabal turned and began walking off to Central Park to see how the
preparations for Thor's celebration were going. He hadn't seen Bloodsword since
they parted earlier yesterday, but Kabal was thankful for this. Bloodsword is a
complete fool, he thought. I don't see how he ever gained control of the
Fenris.
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On The Other Side of Downtown
The Vulture sat in his lair, eating as usual. He didn't use utensils;
only the high-brows did that. He never went without food, for his was only as
far as outside the door. With a knock at the door, his new right-hand man,
Zarek, entered with a long bow.
"Good evening, Master," he said.
"Come in! Have some," the Vulture asked as he chewed his food
and gestured to the other plates.
"Uh, no thank you, Sir," Zarek said in disgust. He looked at
the food on the table and thought about the "benefits" of his job. He
was almost positive that the food that the Vulture consumed was Patsy, his old
friend and assistant.
The Vulture slurped and mumbled, "You don't know what you're
missing, Zarek. So what can I do for you, can't you see I'm busy!"
Zarek gulped and replied, "Well, Sir, I have assembled the Freakers
at your request. Shall I tell them to wait?"
The Vulture wiped his mouth with a piece of cloth and rose to his feet.
"No, I'll be right out. We have much to discuss. Tell Mepho and
Confucius to join me here first. We have plans to make."
"Yes, sir!" Zarek replied with a grin. He was happy to see
that his Master had every intention of taking the Fenris and their land. But
there was one little thing that the Vulture had failed to mention to Zarek or
the rest of his Freakers, which was the return of Thor, the God of Thunder. It
was only a small detail really. . . .
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Back In Central Park
Kabal stood on the platform where he had began to sacrifice the one
called Patsy, a few hours earlier. He overlooked the Fenris who had
volunteered to help prepare the feast and celebration surrounding the return of
their savior, Thor, God of Thunder. He watched as the men set up the huge
wooden tables that would be used to serve the Fenris. He also directed the
ones who were setting the table that Thor would be seated at. Thor in the
middle, himself at the god's right, and Bloodsword at his left. Bloodsword
should have been seated in the middle, seeing as how he was the Fenris leader,
but the Thunder God was, after all, the guest of honor. Wait a minute, Kabal
thought, where is that dolt, Bloodsword!?!?!
Bloodsword was in his apartment, drinking heavily. He had broken out the
ale after he had secluded himself within the old Penthouse. Some life of
luxury! He sat at a table with a fantastic view, but what did it overlook???
Central Park!!! And what was going on in Central Park? Well, the preparations
for Thor's bloody party, that's what Bloodsword was forced to watch! Did the
Fenris ever praise him or thank him for all he had done? NO! They simply
doubted him and betrayed him. They betrayed him after his defeat at the hands
of Spider-Man, who had mocked the Fenris and all he stood for. Some called
him barbaric, but Bloodsword knew that he had shown the Fenris how to survive,
no matter what you might want to label it. And what do they do? They start
throwing around their worthless praises to a man who merely shows up and claims
to be Thor! But what could Bloodsword do? What could a mere man do against a
god, he thought. Nothing, he answered himself, and besides this, Thor was no
god. And you're no man, he told himself. Bloodsword took a long swig of his ale
and leaned back in his seat. What's a man to do, he thought. Then he chuckled
and thought, perhaps I could ask one.
Thor was lying down in his room trying to rest. A god didn't rest, but
what else was he to do? He felt compelled to stay with the Fenris, especially
since they were working very hard to prepare a celebration in his honor. He
tossed and turned and finally got to his feet. He walked over to the window and
began watching the people walk by as he crossed his arms behind his back. All
of this seemed familiar, this hustle and bustle of Downtown life, but the
Thunder God couldn't possibly see how. He didn't remember any of this, but he
felt as if he had a connection with this place. This is where he was meant to be
by the grace of Odin himself, he thought. But there was something that weighed
heavily upon his mind that he could remember.
He mourned for his Lady Sif. He wasn't sure if she was dead, but he
couldn't just leave, and how would he defeat the evil Avataar anyway? Last time
that he had tried to help his love, he had been beaten and sent back on his way
to Valhalla. Ah, Valhalla, what had happened to his sweet Hall of Heroes? And
where was everyone? Where were Baldur, Heimdall, and Hela? Thor was being
bombarded by these rampant memories. He sighed and realized that he would even
be pleased to see the troublesome Loki at this point in time. He sat down and
tried to think about what had happened. So much had changed since he had come
back. Where had he been anyway? He wasn't sure, but there was one thing that he
was absolutely sure of. And that was the fact that he couldn't just let Sif
stay in captivity. He must save her, and he vowed upon his own soul to do
whatever it took to free her, and soon.
He walked over and lay down upon the bed that had been provided by Kabal,
the Fenris' priest and a witchdoctor of science. Thor shook his head and
thought about the mysteries of this modern art. It was something that he had
never really been able to understand completely, but then again, he wasn't sure
if the humans of Midgard really understood what they were doing. But one thing
was for sure: Thor liked Kabal. He had a quality that Thor had found relatively
hard to find in his brief time in Downtown: individuality. Sure, everyone did
what they could to survive, basically coming together and assimilating others
into their clique. But Kabal was different. He treated the Thunder God with
the respect he deserved, but he didn't bombard him with praises and questions.
He simply accepted and went on with his normal routine. The rest of the Fenris
were likeable enough, just tired of constant fighting and harassment,
something that Thor intended to put an end to, for good.
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In The Outskirts of Fenris Territory
As the daylight began to fade and the neon lights from Uptown began
replacing the day's final rays of sunshine, a group of wandering Fenris were
searching for some flowers to help decorate the evening's festivities. A shadow
passed above the ground and silently perched upon an old park bench. The
creature's skin was pale, and he was barely visible when compared to the hazy
horizon behind him. His wings wrapped around himself, creating a type of cocoon
effect as he waited.
"Hey, Brit, didja' find anything?"
"Not yet- Wait a minute, here are some flowers over here," she
responded, pointing toward a patch of vegetation near the park bench.
"That's not flowers, you dope! That's a patch of weeds. You want to
praise the God of Thunder with a patch of weeds???" The others burst out
into laughter.
"They are not," she exclaimed as her face began to turn a
bright red. The laughter continued, and Brit stormed off toward the flowers to
prove herself. As she approached the park bench, the creature shifted his
weight and tensed his muscles in anticipation.
"See, right here-"
As she began to lean forward and jerk the flowers, roots and all, out of
the ground, the laughter turned to horror as the creature spread its wings and
launched itself at the small girl.
"What is that!?!?!"
"Oh My God! It's got Brittany!"
The creature plowed into her with all of his power, crushing her spinal
column as her body hit the ground. The creature looked up at the others as he
gave an evil grin. His eyes burned a bright red as he crouched over the fallen
girl. She began moaning as she fought to regain consciousness. She finally came
to as he began leaning forward to sink his teeth into her fleshy neck. As she
began to shriek, she became even more terrified as she realized that she
couldn't move. The creature's blow had paralyzed her. She screamed into the
night as the others ran back toward Central Park and the Fenris. She could only
lie there and take the pain, the pleasure that the creature took in his feeding.
Finally, the creature dropped the girl's lifeless body to the ground and
lifted off into the air, his blood lust quenched. The night air streamed across
his wings as he flew off in search of the next fix, the next feeding. The
lumination beneath him wasn't enough to break his concentration. He was hungry
and free.
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Central Park
Thor was in his room at Kabal's home when he heard the shouts. He heard
Kabal's commanding voice over all the others, and after a brief silence, a small
group of Fenris burst through his door with Kabal tailing behind them.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, My Lord. I told them that you
requested not to be disturbed until the feast was ready, but they sort of
insisted," Kabal said.
"Tis quite all right, Kabal. Now what is it which thou dost
require?"
"She's dead! That creature just killed her!"
"Now, slow down, young one. Who's dead and what hast killed
her?"
"Brittany was killed! We were out picking flowers for your
celebration when this flying creature just leaped out and threw her to the
ground. Then, as we began to run, I saw him take a bite of her neck; he was
eating her!"
"Sounds like the Vulture," Kabal said, shaking his head,
"It sounds as if he's resorted to terrorizing the commoners."
The lone silent wanderer spoke up, finally. She was old and wrinkled, and
she whispered without looking up from the ground, "It was not the one
called Vulture, it was the Angel of Death, feeding off of her life
forces."
Thor looked over as Kabal shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, what exactly did this 'Angel' look like?"
Kabal inquired.
"He was twisted and pale; he looked like he could barely stand up
straight. He had very little hair, and he had fangs!!! And that stare! It was
awful, I felt hypnotized for a moment. Finally, broke away, and we all ran back
here."
"Well, fear not, young one. I, the God of Thunder, will surely take
care of this matter. It is my job alone to protect the innocent Fenris, my lone
servants. Go and enjoy my festival and rejoice for the one you call Brittany is
now resting in the Halls of Valhalla."
As the girls left, Kabal closed the door behind them. Thor sat down at a
table and motioned for Kabal to join him.
"I believe that this 'Angel of Death' was the Vulture,
for sure. It sounds like his style. That weird description sounded more like
someone in shock than anything else. All we have to do is take the fight to the
Freakers. . ."
"All in due time, friend. All in due time."
"But what of this recent attack on us, Master?"
"The Vulture is not to blame, Kabal. You know that as well as I.
You have heard the various reports, Uptown and Downtown alike. I shall go forth
and find the villain who has laid his hands on one of the Fenris," Thor
replied.
"I understand. The Fenris are waiting as we speak."
"Well, let's not keep them," Thor said as he stood to his
feet. The two walked out of the house and made their way to the Park. Kabal
took his seat, as did the Mighty Thor. As the food was being served, Kabal
looked over and noticed that Bloodsword was not present. Thor shook his head
and cursed the leader's incompetence and ego. Kabal was fairly glad of his
leader's absence, for he knew that it would have been Bloodsword's style to
cause problems and make a mockery of this sacred event. It wasn't long before
Bloodsword kept true to character, showing up on the platform, drunk, and therefore
not letting Kabal down. The priest lowered his head in disgust.
"Please, sit down, Sir," Kabal whispered under his
breath.
Bloodsword turned and glared, while slurring, "So, this imposter
shows up, and you think you can start telling me what to do? I'll show you. I'll
show you all!"
"Please, sit down, Bloodsword. There is no need for such violence
or accusations."
"Kabal, we're going to have a long talk."
"Dost thou truly thinkest that I, Master of the Storm and Lord of
the Lightning, is a mere fake? Dost thou care to prove such rambling?"
Thor said as he stood to his feet.
"So, you are challenging me for leadership, eh? I knew your true
agenda would come out soon enough!"
The crowd began to cheer at this statement, supporting the Thunder God's
claim to the Fenris. Bloodsword began to turn red, conceiving the outcome that
wasn't looking as promising as he had originally thought. Thor only stared at
Bloodsword, as he blocked out the applause of the Fenris and Kabal's calming
words. He slammed Mjolnir on the table as he turned the table to its side. He
was sweating, and his face was turning various shades of red. Kabal backed up,
frightened, wondering if this was the "berserker madness" that legend
had passed on all these years.
Thor approached Bloodsword without speaking. The two began circling each
other. Bloodsword merely tried to sum up his opponent's abilities, but the
combination of his own self-doubt and the effects of the strong ale he had
ingested earlier that evening wasn't helping his nerves any, nor did he expect
the god to make the first strike. Thor attacked without thought; he blindly
grabbed Bloodsword by the throat, forcing him off the ground with one hand,
as if he were nothing.
Bloodsword grasped Thor's hand as if he thought he could actually pry
the god's hand loose. He was sadly mistaken. Thor slammed Bloodsword through
the platform, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the stage. The crowd
grasped as Kabal watched in anticipation. He had always thought that a battle
involving Thor would be glorious, but not so vicious. Thor had succumbed to the
warrior madness, a state of mind where he focused on nothing but the battle and
the kill. He had been programmed that way, and he could do nothing to prevent
it.
Bloodsword crawled out from under the stage into the open space directly
in front of it. Thor saw him and leaped to the ground. Bloodsword staggered to
his feet, picking up a loose piece of lumber from the destruction of the stage.
As the god approached Bloodsword, the Fenris leader brought the club crashing
down over Thor's head. The blow didn't even faze the god, as he grabbed his
foe, his mind filled with an unexpected vision. His fist was wavering in the
air above the bloody form of Bloodsword as he envisioned a lone man, a simple
reverend. He didn't understand why, but his rage had ceased, and he could
clearly see that his opponent was beaten. Somehow, an odd side effect had taken
place during his rage; he had "remembered," if you will. Well, the
vision seemed like a memory, but he was sure it wasn't one of his own.
Thor's own thoughts and the silence of the crowd were lost in an earth-shattering explosion. Thor dropped Bloodsword and looked over in the direction
of the explosion. Where Kabal's house had once been was a smouldering crater, and through the destruction and smoke could be heard the cries of many men. The
Fenris instinctively knew what was happening. It was a raid by the Freakers,
but no one quite knew how the stakes had been raised by the destruction of
Kabal's house and potentially the priest as well. Only the Vulture had known
that the God of Thunder was living in Kabal's house, for the rest of the
Freakers didn't even know of his return. Well, one had, and that was Patsy. But
that was in the past.
Bloodsword began to crawl away as the Vulture and his followers began to surround the celebration-goers. The Vulture landed on the platform and
grinned down upon the crowd. No one had actually ever seen the Vulture attend a
raid before, and they knew that this wasn't a mere raid; this was something
much more.
"Thanks for keeping the place warm for us," he chuckled.
The crowd murmured, and the Vulture shouted above the crowd, demanding
their silence.
"Now, from now on, we do things my way or else! This is the
Freakers' land now, and there's nothing that you can do about it. So what do you
have to say for yourselves?" the Vulture inquired.
Thor turned to the Vulture and shouted, "Thou hast made a fatal
mistake."
The Febris cheered, reinforcing their new leader's statement. They would
fight to survive, and so would Thor. The Vulture shook his head. This isn't
going to work, he told himself. And as the color raced to the god's face,
the tension thickened. This wasn't good at all. Thor's face was turning
various shades of red as the madness began to take over again.
The Vulture looked down and saw Mjolnir, Thor's hammer.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here," he sneered as he
bent over to grasp the hammer. . . .
The Battle for Downtown! Who will win? Place your bets! Also, just who
is this "Angel of Death" anyway? Find out all the answers to those
burning questions in the next issue!
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