His father was the greatest of Heroes, saving the entire universe from subjugation time and time again! Now he must continue that tradition , his powers are the same, but his outlook is different. He wields the mighty Nega bands and has the Celestial insight of Cosmic Awareness. The universe is his inheritance, for he is its Protector as he struggles to find his place amidst the Heavens, his buds call him Genis, but he's known and feared by his enemies as....
"Wake up boy"
The voice gurgles as if it emanates from a wet and fleshy throat. A hard hand prods at
Genis like a pole. Jabbing him over and over.
Slowly, Genis opens his eyes, and the sight that greets his blurred vision as it
quickly leaps into focus is enough to chill the bravest of souls!
"Gaaahh! Wh-what are you?"
The Cadaverous being faces Captain Marvel, his face mere inches from Genis' own. His
right eye lays upon his cheek, as the other eye socket is barren. Flesh hangs in strips
from his ragged, rotting body, as the corpse beckons the young Captain on with a bony
finger.
"Come with me Captain Marvel, the mistress awaits."
"Wh-what is this place? Who, what are you?"
"I do not matter Captain, the mistress calls, that is all that matters. That is
something you will no doubt learn."
They begin to walk, through a dank, torch lit cavern, with no end in sight in either
direction.
"Where are we going? How'd I get here?"
The skeletal specter turns toward Genis and speaks, as it continues walking, its neck
bones crunching horribly as the head turns unnaturally around 180 degrees , until it is
facing Genis directly behind the still advancing corpse.
"You do not remember? That is typical. You died in combat. This is the death
realm."
Genis stops suddenly in mid walk, as images painfully flood back into his mind. He
grasps his head, and crumples to his knees as images play over again and again before his
troubled eyes.
"Chaos and Order! I remember! I remember dying! The pain... My God the pain.
Thanos killed me. "
The cadaver stares silently a moment, its torso still facing away from Captain Marvel,
as its head rests completely turned around behind the body. Finally it speaks again, the
gurgling voice horrifically magnifying the surrealism of the entire moment.
"Yes Captain Marvel, Thanos did kill you. You are dead. But the Mistress would see
you. That has never happened in all the millennia before. When a soul came to her always,
she merely pointed it in whatever direction it was pre-destined to follow. But because of
who caused your death, she would speak with you."
Genis slowly stands, and silently walks behind the dead thing , as it steps ever
forward, towards its waiting Mistress.
Finally after a seeming eternity, both finally enter a dimly lit chamber. On a huge
throne at its center sits a hooded figure in all black.
Genis stares, expressionless, at the apparition before him. "Death." Is the
only word he speaks
Around the throne, skulls lay at her feet, and her throne itself is composed of night
black stone. Behind her, two braziers made of bone burn brightly.
The figure stands silently. Slowly she allows her hood to fall back upon her shoulders
, as her night black eyes bore into Captain Marvels. Her chalk-white flesh in stark
contrast to the raven-jet hair that falls about her shoulders.
Then the corpse which until now has served as Captain Marvels guide speaks.
"Death bids you welcome to her kingdom. You are a revered guest ."
"Why?"
The skeleton stares at Genis with hollow eyes before speaking,,, "Because of many
things. You have acted as a hero in the past, as well as battling the Mistresses one true
enemy."
Genis breathes in deeply, noticing for the first time that there is no smell to the
air. Nothing at all
He replies hesitantly, but he replies nonetheless. "Tell her thank you."
The skeleton speaks again. "The Mistress would know why you failed?"
"Well, it wasn't anything I was trying to do you know. He beat me. I-I guess it's
all over."
The corpse cocks it's head sideways before speaking, "It?"
"Yes," Continues Genis, "My life everything I've worked for over the
years."
Death rises from her throne, to slowly walk down her stone steps that connect between
the throne and the floor.
The skeleton continues to speak.
"You are to be commended for your life, but your mission is not yet at an
end."
"How can that be? I'm dead. If I wasn't , I wouldn't be here"
"You have a choice mortal, one that will impact the universe itself. Only you can
stop the terror of Thanos. No one else alive has the ability to end his dominion over all
that is."
"Why is that? Why me? I still don't fully understand that."
The skeleton shrugs, a horrific popping and cracking sound emanates from his body as he
does so.
"When you defeated Black Sun many months ago, Thanos intervened at the moment of
your greatest victory. At that moment, you were hurled from this universes proper moment,
and into its past. When Thanos immediately began using his purloined power to manipulate
reality, you were not a part of that reality, and thus , immune to his effects on
it."
Genis stares at the dark woman before him, who has stood silently mere feet away.
"That much I already know, but what about the Silver Surfer? What about Galactus
himself? They could take on Thanos. What about the elders of the Universe? There're tons
of others out here who could battle him."
Death turns her back to Genis, and waves her right hand through the air. Instantly the
air before him shimmers, and a devastated planet scape comes into view. Upon its barren
surface lie the rotting corpses of Galactus and all his Heralds. The Silver Surfer, Mogue,
Terrax, Air Walker, Nova. All dead. Long Dead.
Captain Marvel covers his face with his right hand, and involuntarily shudders.
"He killed them all. Every last one of them. And probably easily as well. Damn
him. "
He turns quickly to face the Dark Lady, Death herself, and continues speaking.
"Why are you so interested in what happens in the world of the living? Or is that
because of Thanos' great gift of immortality to the Universe? "
She stares silently, not blinking. No emotion upon her face whatsoever. Even the
skeletal aide stands silent.
"So that's it."Genis continues, "You're not ushering any more souls
through this corridor to heaven and hell. That's Thanos' revenge on you for spurning his
love. And I'm the guy who can change all of that huh? What if I say no. What if I decide
to go on to the afterlife and leave all the fighting behind?"
Again the Dark Lady waves her hand, and an image of Genis' new love, Angie appears.
Alone, and frightened in the "Rapier Wits" cockpit . Sitting there crying.
"So you're telling me she'll have no future if I don't go back and finish this
off. Some choice I have here."
The Skeleton speaks...
"I understand your hesitancy to return to the mortal world, Protector. All spirits
on the final journey are ever inclined to journey forwards , and not back to whence they
came. But in your case , the results of such a decision would be catastrophic for all
involved. For all the Universe."
Genis-Vell laughs, "You know how to hit a guy where it hurts don't you
Bones?"
The Skeleton quizzically cocks its head to one side, not understanding the meaning of
Captain Marvels words.
Genis waves him off. "Forget it Skeletor, it's not important. Why does your
mistress think I can fare any better against Thanos now, then I just did, I mean, we may
be replaying this scene over and over forever."
The Skeleton, with its one eye hanging on its cheek, turns to its mistress, who merely
stares expressionlessly at Genis. Then the Skeleton turns back towards Captain Marvel.
"The Mistress asks for a boon."
"What now? What does she want of me?"
The skeleton is silent, its raggard flesh quivering with each of its most minor
movements. Finally he speaks.
"She wishes for a...dance."
Genis looks between the two before him, his head swiveling back and forth repeatedly.
"You're kidding , right?"
The Skeleton meets his glare silently, as does the Dark Maiden.
"Oo-kay, if it's what she wants. Who am I to say no?"
Death waves her hand in the air, and suddenly a symphony orchestra appears, all
skeletons play the instruments, as death Approaches Genis-Vell, his stomach tightens up
into a knot, but he takes her cold, cold hands, and holds her close, as the band begins to
play. She stares into his eyes silently, as the "Blue Danube" is played by the
corpses.
They begin their dance, the surreal majesty of it all begins to overwhelm Captain
Marvel, for minutes they continue the slow waltz, her arms wrapped tightly around his
body, his own slowly getting comfortable against her cold form.
Then , she leans forwards, and kisses him. Passionately. With a fire he's never felt in
a woman before. He opens his eyes as the kiss breaks, and pulls his head back slightly. As
he does, her visage changes to that of a skull.
Genis merely smiles, and activates his cosmic awareness, his own face changes as well,
to reflect the cosmos. His flesh becomes as unto the stars themselves. And then, slowly,
tenderly, he leans forward, to kiss her once more.
After another moment, they break their kiss, and she stops the music with a slow wave
of her arm, sending the musicians back to the grave.
The skeleton steps forward again.
"The Mistress thanks you young hero. You are the first in many a millennia to
dance with her so."
Captain Marvel smiles. "Tell her she's welcome. Just ask her to answer my
question: How am I to defeat Thanos if he already killed me the first time around?"
The skeleton doesn't hesitate in his answer.
"The Mistress says the power is within, as is the knowledge to end his rein of
terror. Only you can end this "Revisionist War", only you can set things aright
again for the cosmos. Only you."
"Geeze, talk about putting pressure on a guy..."
Death nods at Genis one more time, and then waves her right hand in a slow arc, a she
does mist fills the space around Captain Marvel, and he slowly disappears in its
wake."
The skeleton turns to his Mistress and speaks.
"He returns as much for the girl as anything else, Mistress. He does not yet know
her true nature."
Death says nothing, merely turning and slowly ascending the steps leading to her
throne. As she does, a single tear falls from her left eye, to strike the stones beneath
her feet, and then fade away ...
Next : The Final Chapter!
Kree-Lore
