Marvel MK: CH 162 – The Initiative

Jack looked up at the sky, at the creeping, absolute blackness that was swallowing the sun, and he laughed. A wild, joyous, and utterly unhinged sound that cut through the sudden, terrified silence of New York City.

“Well, well, well,” he cackled. “If it isn’t the consequences of my own actions.”

Amaterasu, her form flickering, grabbed his hand, her grip surprisingly strong. “Jack, no…”

He looked down at her, his grin unwavering. “Don’t worry, darling. I won’t die from some Venom knock-off.”

“It’s not about that,” she whispered, her voice a fragile, desperate thing. “It’s the others. Loki… he got my brother. He’s under his control.”

Jack’s grin vanished. “He what? How?”

But Amaterasu couldn’t answer. Her eyes rolled back, and she went limp, passing out in his arms. Jack immediately realized the problem. She was a sun goddess, and the sun was gone.

“Zephyr!” he commanded. The cloud swooped beneath them, and Jack gently laid Amaterasu down on its misty surface. “Fly up. She needs the sun to heal, and Amatsu is blocking the whole damn Earth from it.”

With a silent, determined surge, they shot into the sky, a single point of light ascending into the encroaching, unnatural darkness.

…

The world plunged into a state of collective panic. Even on the other side of the globe, where night should have been a familiar, comforting blanket, the sky felt wrong. It was a deep, starless, and utterly suffocating black.

In New York, chaos erupted. A man wearing a cardboard sign that read “THE RAPTURE IS NIGH” began to laugh as he ran through the terrified crowds. “I’M RIGHT!” he shouted, his voice a manic, triumphant thing. “YOU’RE ALL FOOLS! I’M A PROPHET!”

The only calm area was the Golden Peach. The golden barrier around the territory shimmered to life, casting a warm, gentle glow that pushed back the oppressive darkness. Aunty Vivi walked out of her tailor shop, her expression grim. Hogan followed, his massive frame a silent, protective presence.

“Madam,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “My boy… Billy.”

Auntie Vivi didn’t hesitate. She put two fingers to her lips and let out a high-pitched whistle. In an instant, two Jack clones dropped from a nearby rooftop, landing silently before her. “Yes, Auntie?”

“Can you grab Hogan’s boy?”

“It’s okay,” one of the clones said, his voice a reassuring, cheerful thing. “He’s safe. This isn’t the only part of the world that has our barrier.”

As he spoke, the golden barrier shimmered, and a resonant hum seemed to echo from it. Far in the distance, in upstate New York, at the Xavier Mansion, another barrier, identical to the one protecting the Golden Peach, flared to life, its golden light a beacon in the unnatural twilight.

Scott Summers stared out the window, his voice a disbelieving whisper. “Holy… look at the sky.”

All of the X-Men gathered, their faces a mixture of shock and awe. Hank McCoy, his usual scientific composure gone, just stared. “Jack’s prediction… it came true.”

Professor Xavier’s voice was a calm, steady anchor in the storm. “Ororo, bring the kids down to the underground bunker.”

Ororo nodded and began to gather the younger students. Kurt teleported to her side. “Let me help.”

“It’s not the kind of thing you can teleport out of, Kurt,” Jean said, her voice gentle but firm. “Please, follow Teacher Ororo.”

Colossus turned to Xavier. “What do we do now, Professor?”

Xavier looked out at the darkened horizon. “We do Jack’s plan.” He paused, the weight of the coming storm heavy in his voice. “It will be a long week.”

…

High in the Tibetan mountains, the mystical city of K'un-Lun materialized from its pocket dimension, its golden-roofed pagodas and serene courtyards a stark, beautiful contrast to the rugged, earthly landscape. This was a joyous occasion, the first time in a decade that the champions of the Tournament of the Heavenly Cities could return to Earth, to reach out to long-lost families or even find their distant descendants.

Lei-Kung the Thunderer stood before the grand gates, ready to begin the opening ceremony. But as he raised his hands, a collective gasp went through the assembled warriors.

The sky was not the familiar, crisp blue of the Himalayas. It was a dark, starless, and utterly terrifying void.

“What happened?” Danny Rand asked, his voice a disbelieving whisper. “Master?”

Lei-Kung was just as confused. They had only just arrived on Earth.

…

Meanwhile, on the island nation of Genosha, Mystique stood on a balcony overlooking the sea, the unnatural darkness of the sky reflected in her yellow eyes. “Erik,” she said, her voice a low, urgent thing. “Jack Hou’s prophecy is right.”

Magneto, who had been staring out at the horizon, turned. “Ready the Quinjet.”

“Where to?”

Erik’s helmet materialized on his head, his armor assembling around him with a series of sharp, metallic clicks. “New York,” he said, his voice a low, powerful rumble.

…

High above the Earth, Jack and Zephyr finally broke through the thick, black fog that had cloaked the atmosphere. They were now in the silent, cold void of outer space.

Amatsu’s laughter, a dry, rattling sound, echoed from all around them. Jack created a clone. “Fly toward the sun,” he commanded. “Amaterasu needs to be awake for this.”

The clone shot off, a streak of light in the darkness.

“Alright, Venom knock-off,” Jack said to the empty space. “Where are you?”

“I am everywhere, little monkey,” Amatsu’s voice hissed, a chorus of a million whispers. “I am the silence between the stars, the darkness in your own heart.”

“Yeah, yeah, you sound like a bad emo poem,” Jack shot back. “Show yourself. Let’s finish this.”

“Finish this? Akhakhakhakha. Oh, we are just beginning.” A wave of pure, chaotic energy washed over him, a phantom blow that made his very soul ache. “Do you feel that, monkey? That is the despair of a billion dying worlds. I have consumed them all. Your little planet is just another meal.”

Jack gritted his teeth, his Golden Gaze piercing the darkness, searching for a source, a focal point. There was nothing. “You’re stalling,” he said, the realization dawning on him. “You’re not here.”

Amatsu’s laughter echoed again, this time with a note of triumphant, mocking glee. As he laughed, the black fog that had been shrouding the Earth began to recede, the first, brilliant rays of the sun breaking through.

“See you next time, Monkey King.”

…

Several hours later…

The world was in a state of high-alert panic. The sky had returned to normal, but the memory of the black void was a fresh, terrifying wound. Governments were scrambling to stabilize their people, to offer explanations they didn’t have.

In the World Security Council meeting room, the atmosphere was thick with a tense, fragile urgency. Nick Fury stood alone in the center of the room, surrounded by a ring of holographic projections. The five permanent council members were there, their faces grim. But this time, they were not alone. The holograms of the world’s most powerful leaders flickered beside them.

The President of Japan was the first to speak. “We, with the help of the Tiger Division, have now formally renamed our joint task force ‘the Zodiac.’ We have already moved our forces to begin stabilizing the situation outside of Korea, while the Rat Division is on its way to stabilize rural Japan.”

“We can see the benefit of a team in a crisis,” Nick said, seizing the opening. “In this moment, I would like to push the Avenger Initiative.”

Alexander Pierce’s hologram flickered. “Is this an appropriate time, Nick?”

“Our base just sank,” Fury shot back, his voice a low, gravelly thing. “S.H.I.E.L.D. can’t defend the world from a shadow of this caliber. Like it or not, the Zodiac has given us a perfect example of how much help the Avenger Initiative can be.”

The Korean President’s hologram leaned forward, his expression sharp. “Are you poaching the Zodiac right in front of us, Fury?”

“With all due respect,” Nick said, his tone even, “the Tiger Division is not part of any government. And my Avenger Initiative is also not part of any government. They could be a great boon for the Avengers’ reach. But as of right now, I will go through with the people I have already sent for.”

The Russian President’s voice was a low, suspicious rumble. “It has Captain America. You would like me to believe this isn’t America trying to use this route to spy on us?”

“We are in a crisis,” President Obama interjected, his voice calm but firm. “The world is relying on our vote to get through this. And let’s not act like you’re not sending your spies to our countries.”

Nick slammed a hand on the table. “Loki is on the loose! The more time we spend here, the more time he has to prepare!”

Some of the leaders looked at the representatives from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The Norwegian Statsminister just shook his head. “Don’t look at us as if we have a direct phone line to Odin. We are not even sure this figure who attacked you is the so-called Loki, god of mischief.”

Alexander Pierce’s voice cut through the bickering. “Those in favor of the Avenger Initiative?”

…

Tony Stark stood on the landing balcony of his new Stark Tower. The former Pan Am Building had been gutted and reborn in his own image, a monument of glass and steel and swagger. The giant, glowing “STARK” sign was a beacon in the twilight, powered by the miniaturized Arc Reactor that made the entire building self-sustaining.

But the world seemed to hate him for it. The day his tower went online was the day the sky turned black. The “Rapture,” as the internet had so creatively dubbed it, had made his grand opening feel less like a triumph and more like an ill-timed joke. He drank wine from a delicate glass, looking out over the city. The panic, the restless, anxious energy of millions, could still be heard, a low, constant hum beneath the usual city noise.

His squads of automated armor, controlled by J.A.R.V.I.S., were already out, a fleet of red-and-gold peacekeepers trying to calm the restless city. Then, a sliver of wind and cloud caught his eye, a familiar, chaotic presence.

It was Jack Hou.

He leaped down from Zephyr, landing on the balcony with a soft, silent thud.

“Ah, Monkey Man,” Tony said, his voice a dry, weary thing. “Tired of getting hate for not making a barrier for the whole world?”

“Kekeke, it’s not my job,” Jack said with a cheerful grin. “Who do you think I am, Joan of Arc?”

Tony took a long sip of his champagne. “I’ve spent a night with a French woman before,” he said, a reminiscent smirk on his face. “Too eager.”

Jack grabbed his gourd and took a drink from it. “What, the great playboy Tony Stark can’t handle one girl?”

“What, did I say one?” Tony shot back, his own smirk returning. “I meant a dozen of them.”

Jack chuckled and raised his gourd in a toast. “Kekeke.”

He looked past Tony and saw Pepper Potts inside, her expression a mixture of focus and frustration as she monitored a bank of satellite feeds. “Heeellooo, Gwyneth!” Jack called out, waving his hand enthusiastically.

Pepper looked up, confused, and gave a hesitant wave back.

“It’s Pepper,” Tony said, his voice flat. “Her name is Pepper.”

“Kekekek, I know,” Jack said.

Just then, a voice, calm and impossibly patient, came from Tony’s phone. “Sir, my protocols have been overwritten.”

Tony groaned and took out his phone. “You’ve reached a live model decoy of Tony Stark,” he said into the speaker. “Please leave a message.”

From the side, Jack leaned in and added enthusiastically, “And a Jack Hou clone, but please don’t leave me any messages!”

“This is urgent,” Agent Coulson’s voice said.

“Then leave urgently,” Jack shot back.

“I was about to say that,” Tony muttered.

The elevator to the penthouse chimed, and the doors slid open. It was Coulson. He walked right out onto the balcony, stopping to chat cheerfully with Pepper. She offered him a glass of champagne, but he politely refused.

Jack walked back inside, Tony following him.

“Mr. Stark, Mr. Hou,” Coulson said, his tone all business now.

“Phil,” Jack said, a familiar grin on his face.

“His first name is ‘Agent’,” Tony corrected.

“Ooh, is it about the Avengers?” Jack asked, his eyes lighting up.

Tony looked at him, surprised. “You’re invited?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Of course,” Tony said with a dismissive wave. “But I refused. Ended up doing them a favor and becoming their consultant. Which is not the time now. Go back to me in ten hours.”

“It’s urgent,” Coulson said, holding out a data pad.

“Come on, open it,” Jack urged.

Tony sighed, took the data pad, and connected it to his holographic display. The air in the penthouse filled with a swirl of images and files. A grainy video of the Hulk’s rampage. Files detailing Captain America’s wartime achievements. A chaotic, almost unbelievable montage of Jack Hou’s own absurd feats. And lastly, a shimmering, 3D model of the Tesseract itself.