Cap's Quest
Author - KidEternity
(12/28/00 10:38 pm)
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The Wizard has sent me on a wild goose chase for sure this time... thought Captain Marvel, as he strode out of Shazam's throne room, past the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, and out upon the Rock of Eternity. There the Mists of Time swirled slowly and murkily; and, not for the first time, the World's Mightiest Mortal felt somewhat unsure of himself.
The Mists of Time should have an unsettling effect upon a mortal... whispered the wise counsel of Solomon. And though Cap called on the Courage of Achilles, he couldn't help but feel a certain amount of trepidation.
Maybe Achilles didn't like the idea of time-travel anymore than Captain Marvel.
The Wizard had informed him that the Justice Society, in it's bid to put a halt to the Dark Lord, Mordru, had erred in one important area. Although they had protected the Fate child and brought Hector Hall back to life as the wielder of Nabu's helmet, they had failed to reckon with the destruction in Mordru's wake.
In particular, they did not know of one of Mordru's victims... one Kid Eternity by name, an alleged agent of Chaos. Mordru had believed himself responsible for killing the young man. But what Mordru had not reckoned with, the Wizard explained, was that Kid Eternity was already dead.
In other words, what Mordru had accomplished was to discorporate the essence of Kid Eternity, across the planes of time and space... whatever that meant. It might as well have killed him. But the Wizard insisted that this 'Kit Freeman' was important to the cosmic-wheel-of-life or something or other that Billy hadn't really followed.
The main thing was, Captain Marvel needed to locate Kid Eternity's essence and find a way to bring it back to the material plane.
"Or...?" Captain Marvel had asked.
The Wizard's eyebrows furrowed in a frown. "Or the natural order of things will slowly begin to unravel, and life as we know it will cease to exist. The spirit of Kit Freeman is tied to events in the Time-stream in such a way that even I do not wholly understand. But things in the cosmos are out of balance, and Kit Freeman's spirit is directly linked to that balance."
Captain Marvel reluctantly shook his head in understanding. "Okay great sir. Where am I going, and what should I be looking for?"
The Wizard clapped his hands, and brought the Historama to life. "Show me the essence of Kit Freeman!" his voice thundered.
The Historama wavered, and showed nothing at first. Then, dimly, it replayed an incident on the high seas.
A boy and his grandfather were fishing. Cap recalled that it vaguely resembled Freddy and Granpa Freeman, right before they pulled Captain Nazi from the water and changed their lives forever. At that thought, Cap began making a connection. Hey! Kit Freeman...?
But he didn't get far with that thought, as the scene on the Historama changed. Alongside the old man and the young boy rose a German U-Boat... which proceeded to blow them from the water, mercilessly, with a .50 caliber machine gun.
The scene on the Historama ended, as the Nazi deck crews laughed.
Captain Marvel turned back to the Wizard. "So... I have to go back in time and stop this from happening?"
The Wizard shook his head. "No. Unfortunately, that event must come to pass. But it is somehow tied into the whereabouts of Kit Freeman's essence. So it is there you must go, nonetheless. As for what you are looking for... it is invisible. An angelic messenger, called Mister Keeper."
As the flashback to moments earlier flew through his thoughts, Cap prepared to step off into the mists of time.
"Turn left at the North Star, and all the way until morning." he joked to himself.
(To be continued...?)
Re: Chat with an Angel
KidEternity
(1/23/01 9:57 am)
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The Historama made a noise it had never made before... as though it were trying to comply with Cap's request, but unable.
Slowly, it began to resolve a scene in which Cap himself was departing the scene of Freeman's murder. There, Rameriel stood looking after him.
More slowly, it began to resolve another scene...
...one of boiling, roiling Chaos.
Cap quickly looked away, as it was difficult to see and retain sanity.
Using the Wisdom of Solomon, it became apparent that - short of knocking on Heaven's door, a thing he was unprepared to do - the only place to find Rameriel was the point in time where the two had parted company.
It was also apparent that Freeman's essence was somehow, somewhere, or some when in the clutches of Chaos.
(To be continued...)
Date with an Angel
Val Armor
(1/23/01 12:36 pm)
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Captain Marvel shook his head and cleared last remaining vestiges of chaos from his mind. That had been a particularly unsettling experience, but Cap resolved that he needed to steady himself. The time may come when he would need to enter that place, and his resolve had to be strengthened enough that he could go in there without fear of losing his mind.
Still, there was no time for this idle thinking. Freeman's soul was on the line and he had to hurry.
Captain Marvel took to the air quickly, leaving the Rock of Eternity behind him as he ventured to the Mists of Eternity, heading to the spot he had entered before, though he made some minor alterations on his flight path so that he would arrive a mere second after his past self had left Rameriel's side.
The mists peeled away as Cap entered normal space and time again, and saw the angel standing below him, even as he watched his past self leave for a mission he was doomed to bungle. Captain Marvel sighed to himself. Sometimes he thought the Wizard had made a mistake by trusting him with the Power of Shazam. He had done a wonderful job of screwing up this entire mission.
Captain Marvel shook of his self doubt. Now was not the time for unfair self-accusations. The truth was, he had saved the world many times and was a good hero in his own right. He wouldn't let a little bad luck convince him otherwise.
Captain Marvel landed besides the angel, who turned and greeted him with a friendly, holy smile. Captain Marvel bowed his head respectfully, remembering that he was in the presence of an Angel of God.
"You have come to tell me you have lost the chalice," Rameriel said in a voice that seemed to expel any shadows or darkness in the area.
Captain Marvel nodded. Nothing really surprised him anymore. Rameriel's knowing of his botched attempt at universal salvation didn't surprise him in the least. He was an angel, after-all.
"Yes, Rameriel, I have lost the chalice, and I am deeply sorry for that," Captain Marvel said in his most formal and sincere voice. " But I have not lost hope. The divine Wisdom of Solomon bade me to come seek you out, in the hopes that you could help me to correct my error. Once again, I need your help in this matter."
Even with the seriousness of the situation, Cap couldn't help but think about how he felt like Princess Leia telling Obi-Wan Kanobi that he was her only hope.
Re: Date with an Angel
KidEternity
(1/23/01 10:19 pm)
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Rameriel smiled.
"Remember I am merely a messenger. There is much I do not know, but... I have been given a message for you: do not lose faith, either in Righteousness, in yourself, or in that which is Higher than All."
Cap knew that much of what happened here was beyond his ability to absorb without reflection, but he nodded anyway.
Rameriel continued.
"You will need the Chalice in order to contain the rest of Freeman's essence. Though this moment is Now, to you it is Past. You have captured the essence of Freeman's Past in the Chalice, and... unless the Chaos Keeper knows it's secrets... it should still be there when you retrieve it."
Rameriel stared off into space for a long, uncomfortable pause, as though listening to a voice that Cap couldn't hear, and bowed his head in that direction.
When he again raised glowing golden eyes to Captain Marvel, he resumed the message.
"The Chalice is on the Planes of Chaos, with the Chaos-Keeper and young Freeman's essence. This is difficult to explain in your words... but on the planes of Chaos, it is Freeman's Present, just as your Present is his Future. You must go there and battle the Chaos-Keeper for the Chalice, and retrieve Freeman's Present essence."
Cap couldn't help but be discouraged, given the scene he'd seen in the Historama; but Rameriel picked up on that instantly.
"Do not lose sight of your mission, and remember to rely on the Wisdom you possess. It will carry you through the unreality - the UnCreation - that the Planes of Chaos represent."
Once again, Cap nodded. Just hearing this message was enough to give new life to his spirit.
"Finally, if you are successful, you must return to your era - and you must travel backward in time just enough to be there when The Dark Lord attempts to kill young Freeman. When that occurs, you must not interfere... or else the Fate Child will not be born as is intended. But at the precise moment that Mordru makes his final strike, you must ready the Chalice to collect Freeman's essence before it is scattered in trillions of different particles throughout Hypertime... never to be retrieved."
Captain Marvel smiled. "No one asks much of me, do they? Of course, I'll do my best."
Rameriel returned the smile, and sheared reality open with his flaming sword. The most beautiful golden light poured through; and music, so beautiful Cap had no words to describe it, poured through the breach as well. Rameriel concluded, as he stepped through the breach and it began closing behind him.
"We are all asked, according to our ability. Know that Righteousness will prevail, if faith in it remains strong."
(To be continued...)
Double Date with Destiny
Val Armor
(1/24/01 12:35 am)
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Captain Marvel smiled to himself as the angel left, taking with him the heavenly music and light. Cap had never doubted his ability to do good and in the ability of right to prevail over evil. But if he ever found himself doubting anything ever again, he would think of this moment.
Then, the face of the World's Mightiest Mortal became serious, something that looked almost out of place on his normally jovial features. "Let's do this."
With that, he shot straight up into the air, at a velocity that left photon's standing still, and soon found himself once again in the Mists of Eternity. He shot through them at fantastic speeds, zooming straight to the Throne room of Shazam. He decided he was going to do something he should have done a long time ago. He picked up the immensely large book of spells that sat by the side of the throne, and opened it. With the speed of Mercury, he zoomed through the book picking up spells that he knew that might help him in his journey into chaos. The Wisdom of Solomon let him memorize them, while also letting him know that the Power of Zeus could back them and increase their effectiveness. However, Cap knew that he was no sorcerer. Not yet anyway. He hoped he wouldn't have to use any of the spells he memorized, mainly because, even with the Wisdom of Solomon, he wasn't sure he could cast them perfectly. Still, it was better to have as many 'weapons' in his 'arsenal' as possible.
Captain Marvel closed the book and placed it again by the side of the throne. He stared at the throne for a moment, remembering the Wizard, the kind father figure that had come into his life. He smiled to himself and quietly said," I won't let you down."
Somewhere, in some distant place, the Wizard Shazam smiled.
With that, Captain Marvel flew like a comet towards the Mists of Eternity, letting the Wisdom guide him to the spot that would take him to the exact time and place he needed to be.
He sliced through the mists like a knife, letting nothing stop him from his holy mission, vowing to return Kit Freeman to his right place, or die trying.
At the end of the 'tunnel' the mists seemed to form, Cap could see into the realm of Chaos. This time, he did not avert his eyes. He stared at it, forcing himself to look into the unnatural thing that was the Planes of Chaos. This time, Solomon and Achilles didn't need to help him, the Captain's own resolve allowed him to stare into Chaos without going mad.
Again, Shazam smiled, as did the other Gods of the Marvel Pantheon. They all silently nodded their approval.
Somehow, Captain Marvel felt better about himself and his chances. He zoomed towards the end of the mist tunnel with renewed hope and vigor, staring at the creature that was at the end of the tunnel. The creature that held a holy chalice in his eternally shifting grasp.
"MR. KEEPER," The Captain boomed, his voice rolling like angry thunder. The mistical nature of the mist let MR. Keeper hear the voice, and he turned in its direction, even as Captain Marvel rocketed through and slammed into the creature, knocking the Chaos creature to the side, rocking it with phenomenal force.
Captain Marvel hovered down to what passed to ground and stared down at the Chaos being.
"You will surrender the Chalice to me this instant 'Mr. Keeper'," the Captain said, the storm that was his voice rolling off his lips like a sonic boom, his eyes lighting up like lightning.
Even to this thing, Captain Marvel offered a way out, a chance for a peaceful resolution, though he wished to make certain that if he refused, it would get ugly for a certain Chaos creature.
"Return the chalice now, or be the first being to ever face the true and unrestrained power of Captain Marvel."
Re: Double Date with Destiny
KidEternity
(1/25/01 12:22 am)
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The Chaos-Keeper replied only with a laugh that would have chilled even stalwart Achilles, and by enveloping Captain Marvel within itself... within insanity personified.
Cap struggled against the grip, but it was like being held by resilient water. The more he pushed, the deeper he seemed to stride into the heart of this infinitely endless madness.
Then, he heard Kit Freeman's voice, as though far away, and from a dream - and the false-angelic Keeper's voice in response.
I'm scared, Keeper... I miss the Earth. I miss my grandpa.
Oh, Kit, you must be brave. You were taken before your time, this much is true; but Heaven has so much in store for you - to compensate you for your loss! We will return to Earth, but you will return with such power as any boy would dream of having! Why... you'll be able to fly, to make yourself intangible, invisible... but more importantly, I'll help you learn to use that miraculous power of yours to call upon any spirit of any person to aid you on the Earth!
Really? I'm sorry Mister Keeper... I'll try to be brave...
Cap tried to shout to Kit, but his voice sounded drowned and muffled, even to his own ears. It occurred to him that Kit might not even be anywhere near him, and that the Chaos Keeper was merely playing a maddening game.
At the moment, the hand seemed the Chaos Keeper's to deal.
And then, it spoke to him, in a voice like the sound of millions of maggots churning in a rotten corpse.
Captain... your war is futile. Freeman will be trained here, and unleashed upon the world of the future... a relative babe in the woods... thinking himself a dutiful agent of change for humanity. He will seek to help mankind... but this will all be a ruse. For in fact, his only reason to exist will be to use his summoning powers to weaken the barriers between this time and Hypertime - so that Chaos can flow freely between ALL universes.
Until there is but one universe of Chaos.
With that, the creature turned reality inside out. Suddenly he was standing before the throne of Neron once again... but was it Neron, or the Chaos Keeper? Or were they perhaps one and the same?
Neron chuckled ominously.
"Back so soon? I wonder if you've realized yet exactly what a dilemma you have on your hands? If you should succed in your mission and return Freeman to Earth, what then? His power will be untrained and unbalanced - manifesting itself at times beyond his control - and creating the very situation you wish to avoid. The breakdown of the barriers between this time and Hypertime."
Cap had no time to formulate a reply, before Neron continued.
"And if you should fail rescuing the boy, we will still have our victory, as his essence remains cut away from the Cosmic Balance your mentor is so fond of discussing."
Cap was furious, but it seemed that this liar was telling the truth. It looked like a no-win proposition.
"What shall you do, my Captain? What shall you do?"
Neron's voice echoed in his mind as the world changed around him once more - and Captain Marvel struggled to retain his grip on perception.
Seemingly back within the enveloping Chaos-Keeper, it spoke to him again.
Captain, oh my Captain. You are such a brave little soldier, and yet so lost. If you could defeat me anywhere, it would not be here - upon my home plane. Elsewhere I serve Chaos, but here...
...here, I AM CHAOS.
Cap saw his costume change from red with gold accents to gold with red accents, and then to purple and green. His body changed as well, from a rustic Marvel, to a tall Marvel, to a fat Marvel. Then he was turned inside out, as the creature attempted to place his guts where his brain should be.
For the first time in a long time, Captain Marvel truly felt pain.
And he screamed a horrible cry.
As Cap writhed in agony, he couldn't concentrate on Solomon's Wisdom, couldn't seem to use the Speed of Mercury to get anywhere, couldn't bear up under this assault with the Courage of Achilles.
Cap managed to gasp out a defiant cry. "You... can't... DO THIS!"
The Chaos Keeper chuckled in an infuriating manner.
Oh, but I can, and I have, and it will come to pass, dear Captain. For who is there in all the worlds to stop me?
Just then, with his very being twisted inside out, Cap began to feel the invulnerability derived from the Power of Zeus begin to counter the Chaos imposed on it. As the pain lessened, Cap began to realize that his body was mistically reforming itself into what it should be.
And with that breather, Cap knew without consulting the Wisdom of Solomon that he had to figure out a way to gain back the Chalice.
All that was apparent at this point was that the Chaos Keeper wasn't about to just hand it over.
How in the world could a mortal, even the mightiest of mortals, ever hope to get this entity to produce the Chalice?
(To be continued...)
Re: Double Date with Destiny
Val Armor
(1/27/01 3:49 am)
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Options sped through the mind of the World's Mightiest Mortal at the speed of light.
Spells weren't a good idea at this point. While the pain was lessening, he didn't have the mental clarity that he would prefer to cast magic. A mistic spell going wrong in the realm of Chaos would be too disastrous for words.
Doing things like spinning quickly to throw Keeper off of him likely wouldn't work here. In this realm, laws didn't behave like they were supposed to. By spinning to throw it off of him, something else would likely happen.
Retreat wasn't an option by any means. Not only would the Captain NOT run from this creature, but he wasn't in any condition to run if he wanted to.
That left his trump card.
Captain Marvel focused through the pain as best he could, concentrating as he never had before on the power of one deity.
Zeus.
Over the years, Captain Marvel had realized the potential of someone that had the Power of Zeus within themselves. Zeus was a Skyfather, lord of the storm and sky, master of lightning, and the most powerful of the gods. The potential uses for that ability were enormous.
And Captain Marvel had been afraid. Afraid of misusing that power. Afraid that the power of a god would be too much for even his pure soul to control. He had seen what too much power could do heroes. Hal Jordan. Hank Hall. Todd Rice. Henry King Jr. Teth Adam. All heroes that had fallen from grace because of too much power. Captain Marvel refused to go down that route, refused to dishonor himself, the Wizard and his parents memory by becoming evil because of the temptation of power.
So he had closed off the Power of Zeus, using it only to enhance his durability, or in times of emergency. He had purposely limited his abilities because he didn't want to travel down the path of injustice.
However, in recent weeks, Cap had come to a slow realization. He wasn't like those other heroes. Not even like Black Adam, who shared the same origin with the Captain. They hadn't grown up with this great power. They hadn't matured and lived with this power every day of their lives since they were 10 years old for the last 6 years. The ancient Wizard hadn't entrusted them with the greatest abilities of some of the greatest gods and heroes. He had.
He wasn't Hal Jordan. He wasn't Todd Rice or Hank Hall or Henry King Jr. He wasn't Superman or Batman or the Martian Manhunter.
He was Captain Marvel.
The World's Mightiest Mortal.
And he wasn't afraid anymore.
So Captain Marvel focused deep within him to find that infinite source of Power that was currently putting him back together.
The Power of Zeus.
Captain Marvel nurtured that Power. Added his will to that Power, pushing it, making it grow and build up within his being, like a storm that would build to a fever pitch before releasing a lightning bolt.
And it grew, the Power permeated every part of the Captain's being, until he felt like a storm, and the power within begged for an outlet, begged to be used in the name of good, righteousness and justice.
And Captain Marvel focused on the being around him, and released his hold on the Power of Zeus, and it erupted forth from him in every direction like an explosion of magic lightning.
Re: Double Date with Destiny
KidEternity
(1/27/01 12:00 pm)
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As the misterious Power of Zeus was pent up and then unleashed, the Chaos Keeper let out a scream of agony - mirroring Captain Marvel's earlier scream.
But it didn't let go it's hold of the champion.
Captain Marvel strained under the power, and noticed that the Wisdom of Solomon, under these conditions, seemed merged with his own thoughts. He was no longer hearing ghostly proverbs he hardly understood, he was thinking his own thoughts as he accessed that pool of Wisdom.
Can't keep this up forever. The Stamina of Atlas wasn't designed to handle this kind of power... it is for the physical, not the pinnacle of the meta-physical. And the trouble is - if this didn't throw off the Chaos Keeper, then here he is indeed as powerful as he proclaimed.
Cap began to realize that - as powerful as his potential power could be - it might not be enough for a direct confrontation with this creature.
The Wisdom kicked in again.
Got to figure out a strategy... this thing isn't going to be beaten with force, if the Power of Zeus can't defeat it here. Can't do anything to move it off the Planes of Chaos either. Got to do something about Kit, and the Chalice...
Then, it occurred to him.
Instead of using the power of Zeus to battle this thing, can I use it to draw the Chalice to me?
Letting go of his assault on the Chaos Keeper, Cap reached out... using the mistic Wisdom of Solomon to help him guide the Power of Zeus... he 'touched' the Chalice with his mind.
Now!
The Chalice was teleported into his hands, as though it were nothing. As though it happened every day.
Cap was exhausted. He could feel his energy having been drained well beyond the limits of Atlas's physical endurance... and a toll had been taken on his mistical form.
He knew deep down that he'd never be able to duplicate that feat anytime soon... if ever again. It was beyond the beyond of his maturity... and it had nearly killed his mortal form.
Worse still, the Chaos Keeper was beginning to shrug off the effects of the Power that Captain Marvel had unleashed.
In a voice like graveyard dirt being shoveled into six foot holes, it growled...
You HURT me, mortal insect... and for THAT I will DESTROY YOU.
Even as it spoke, Cap felt its grip tighten... his air began to be choked with the lack of oxygen and who knew what sorts of gasses...and he couldn't push back against the resilient liquid form.
Captain Marvel was nearly dead.
Then, the Courage of Achilles kicked in - along with the Wisdom of Solomon.
You're not dead YET, William. The Keeper once said that the Chalice was a weapon... you have it, now, and you must figure out how to USE it.
Cap couldn't even speak, now, so constricted was he within the grasp of the creature. There was no physical escape. There was no metaphysical attack. There was no mistical answer.
But there was hope. Captain Marvel remembered what Rameriel had said. "Do not lose sight of your mission, and remember to rely on the Wisdom you possess. It will carry you through the unreality - the UnCreation - that the Planes of Chaos represent."
There were only seconds left... The Chalice... had to use the Chalice as a weapon...
(To be continued...)
Re: Double Date with Destiny
Val Armor
(1/27/01 2:59 pm)
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Captain Marvel strained like never before, pushing the strengths of Hercules and Atlas to their limits to move within this Chaos creature. Slowly but surely he moved his grip until both hands were on the chalice, gripping it around the handle like one would hold a two handed sword.
And he prayed.
Through the pain and suffering, Captain Marvel humbly and quietly prayed to a force that was much greater than himself. To a God that was good and kind and just, whose messenger had sent him here. Prayed respectful, like the boy that he was, asking for a parents blessing in what he was about to do.
And as he prayed, Captain Marvel focused on the chalice, which was glowing with a holy light by this time.
He had seen what effects the Chalice had on Kit Freeman's soul. It collected it and stored it. It was possible that it could do the same to this demon. However, Captain Marvel didn't like the idea of putting this Chaos Keeper in the same realm as Kit. This jerk had messed up the Kid's life enough as it was.
So Captain Marvel hoped that in addition to absorbing and containing human souls, that the Chalice would absorb the demon into it and then send it somewhere else. Somewhere where it could be punished for its deeds.
It was either that or hope that a beam of holy light would shoot out the mouth of the chalice and turn the cup into a sort of holy lightsaber that he could use to smite this thing.
So Captain Marvel gripped the chalice more tightly and prayed that one of the above two happened, and hoped that, whatever would happen, it would happened quickly.
Re: Double Date with Destiny
KidEternity
(1/27/01 5:32 pm)
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Cap held on for all he was worth. He wasn't sure about the prayer, but he didn't know what else to do. The Wisdom of Solomon helped him note, with some chagrin, that that was the time when prayers were most honest, and most real.
Just as he thought he would lose consciousness... something happened. A warmth and a light began to emanate from the Chalice, and a voice which said a million things at once rang loudly through his ears... or was it his mind? He thought he caught a few words here and there... and it sounded strangely similar to Rameriel or Solomon, yet different. The light and the voice seemed to be the most wonderful thing Cap had ever felt or heard... but it was far too bright to look at. He closed his eyes and hung on.
Cap didn't know what the Chaos Keeper heard, or what it felt, but something happened to it when the growing light touched it - for it screamed like all the insects in the universe being burned by all the suns in the universe with some infinite lens.
It's grip loosened, and it fell away from Captain Marvel, quivering on the 'ground' of the chaotic landscape. Now, it was a small thing, whimpering; waiting to gather its strength.
But before Cap could react, another voice spoke. This time, a human voice.
"I remember you... you wore that same red suit. It seems like so many years ago... we had tea together. But the Keeper and I had to leave. Where is the Keeper?"
Captain Marvel looked up and saw the young boy in a white sweater with slacks and a red sash. Once more, he'd found a part of the essence of Kit Freeman.
(To be continued...)
Time for an Explanation
Val Armor
(1/27/01 10:50 pm)
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Captain Marvel smiled broadly as he faced his apparent savior. The Captain straightened himself out, shaking off the pain and weariness that seemed to permeate his being. While he planned on experimenting with the Power of Zeus some more, that little stunt he just pulled was now sent to a mental file he called 'Last Resort Options'. It'd be a while before he could try that stunt again. Luckily, Atlas and Zeus where helping him recover quickly.
"Hello, Kit," the Captain said in his friendliest voice.
Kid Eternity smiled back. "You remember me."
"I could never forget Kid Eternity," Captain Marvel replied "no matter how briefly we met."
Captain Marvel walked over to the place where the Chaos Keeper was writhing on the ground. He bent over and picked it up, so small was it that it fit in the palm of his hand. It did not resist, as it was weaker than the Captain was. Calling upon the Wisdom of Solomon, Captain Marvel sought out a spell that he had looked over in the Tome of Shazam.
"Imprisonment of Order," the Captain said quietly, and a clear block composed of mistical Order energy 2" x 2" x 2" surrounded the Chaos Keeper. Captain Marvel made sure that the spell was only imprisoning the creature, not harming him. He then used the Power of Zeus to reinforce the spell, making it more powerful. In his other hand, the Captain held the instrument of his salvation, the Chalice of God.
He turned back to Kit, who was waiting patiently for an answer.
"Kit, if you don't recall, my name is Captain Marvel, and I am an agent of good. Now, before I begin, I need you to promise to hear me out without interruption. If you do, I will make everything clear to you. Please?"
Kit thought for a moment, before nodding his head.
Captain Marvel smiled. "Very well, then. First, let's go to a bit more hospitable environment." Captain Marvel tied the dangling ends of his own golden sash around the chalice, so that he could pick up Kit in his arms without worry of the Chalice absorbing the Kid. While Captain Marvel still wanted to complete his mission, but Kit had a right to know what was going on. He lifted the Kit up and wrapped him up in his indestructible cape. "Don't worry Kit; this is just to let you survive the trip to light speed. Now hang on."
With that, Captain Marvel flew into the air and in the twinkling of an eye; he was once again at the Rock of Eternity. He uncovered Kit as the neared the Rock, Captain Marvel smiling at the irony of bringing Kid Eternity to the Rock of Eternity.
He flew to the Throne Room, and set Kit down, the boy looking quite amazed at the sights before him. Captain Marvel beckoned Kit to sit on the Throne of Shazam, which he did. Captain Marvel noticed how princely Kid Eternity looked sitting on a throne like that.
Captain Marvel untied the Chalice from his belt and held it in one hand, while his other held the Chaos Keeper, which was still imprisoned in the Cube of Order. Captain Marvel made sure to keep a constant flow of Zeus power to the cube so that the Keeper would not escape. It had much to answer for.
He looked at Kit and sighed. It was a heck of a story to tell. "Well Kit, it began a several hours ago, when the Wizard that gave me my powers summoned me and told me he had a mission for me......"
And Captain Marvel went on to recount the entire affair, from the first words the Wizard had spoken to him to the journey to Neron, to the brief tussle with Thor, to his battle with the Keeper to the present. He explained everything to the best of his ability, which was easy with the Wisdom of Solomon. After he had told the entire story, explained every detail, he looked at Kit.
"Any questions," the Captain asked, waiting for Kit's response.
Re: Time for an Explanation
KidEternity
(2/1/01 12:33 am)
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Kit seemed to be in a dreamlike trance now, and wasn't responding. Captain Marvel attempted to rouse him, but was unsuccessful. After debating the wisdom of such an action for a moment, Captain Marvel simply absorbed Kit's spirit-essence into the Chalice along with the first part. The portion of the past and present were linked.
Now, the only thing Cap had to do was link them with the portion of the future. And that existed in Captain Marvel's sort term past... a few months prior to his actual present... the point in time in which Kid Eternity was attacked by The Dark Lord, Mordru.
Even thinking of that name both gave Cap the chills and made him slightly angry simultaneously. It was a good thing for all involved that Shazam had decreed that Mordru not know of Cap's involvement... nor must Cap allow himself to be seen.
Before Cap could complete his thoughts and turn to go, the spell of imprisonment shimmered, shattered, and dissipated. The Chaos Kleper fell upon the 'ground', and immediately began to grow, no doubt taking energy from the living Planes of Chaos.
Captain Marvel didn't need the Wisdom of Solomon to see that now would be a good time to make an exit...
(To be continued...)
Date With Destiny
Val Armor
(2/12/01 6:16 am)
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Captain Marvel reached down and picked up the Chaos Keeper, who was still not that big and solid enough to grasp. He let the Power of Zeus funnel through his arm again, and the chaos creature spasmed as the mistic lightning wracked its body again. While Cap was unable to produce the massive amount of power that he had before, Mr. Keeper wasn't at the top of his game either, and was unable to nothing but writhe in the Captain's grasp.
Captain Marvel flew out of the Rock of Eternity, towards the Mists of Eternity, Solomon helping him plot a course already. He stopped mere inches in front of the mist and then looked down at the thing of Chaos. There was no way he was letting this thing have access to all of space and time. Besides, he deserved some kind of punishment for what he had put Kit through.
"Know this," the Captain said, his eyes flashing like lightning, his words rolling out of his mouth like thunder. "If you make it out of there in one piece, you will stay away from Kid Eternity. I'm not powerful enough to stop you now, but I swear to you, I'm going to explore all the possibilities of my powers now, and once I become everything I can be, I will be more than a match for you. So, leave Kit and myself alone, and never bother us again, or I'll make what's about to happen to you seem pleasant by comparison."
With that, Captain Marvel threw the Chaos Keeper into the Mists of Eternity, sending him hurtling through time and space, to a place the Captain had chosen to be suitable for his 're-education'.
The Keeper exited the mists and feel into the new reality the Captain had sent him too. The agent of chaos writhed in anger. No mortal had ever done to him what the Captain had. However, before any thoughts of vengeance could enter his mind, he looked noticed his surroundings, and for the second time today, knew fear.
He was in the Realm of the Lords of Order.
"Well, my fellow lords," Came a booming voice behind the Keeper "What do we have here?"
The Keeper turned to see an assemblage of the Lords of Order hovering above him, glaring down at him with both bemusement and contempt.
The Chaos Keeper screamed.
In the realm of Eternity, Captain Marvel smiled to himself. He was such a stinker.
Now, with the end of his mission in sight, the Captain flew to another section of Eternity, and plunged that section on the Mists. His plan was a fairly simple one. He would get right up to the edge of the Mists of Eternity, where he could see what was happening in that time period, but still not be a part of it. He would wait and watch as Mordru would disperse Kid Eternity, and at the moment of his discorperation, exit the Mists at the Speed of Mercury and collect Kit's essence, and get back to Eternity before Mordru could do see him. Cap was aware of Mordru's power and skills, that he was one of the most powerful mages of all time. However, he had no super-speed, and thus Cap should be able to move fast enough to escape his notice.
Still, Captain Marvel scowled at the prospect of having to witness the grizzly murder of Kit Freeman. All his life, the Captain had strove to help others and defend life in all it's forms. Now he would be forced to watch someone destroy another human being, merely for amusement. Still, the Captain relented, Kit wasn't really dying, as Cap would use the Chalice to 'bring him back to life' after everything was said and done. But it was totally against Cap's nature to simply watch such an injustice be done.
However, knowing what was at stake, Cap resolved not to get involved until the appointed time. Too much was riding on him to do this, and he had messed up enough for one day.
Cap came to the edge of the Mists, and could see into the time and place that he had come, though he could not do anything, as he was still in the Mist. To his surprise, he saw that he was looking at an underground sewage system. Kit certainly hadn't been given the most heroic setting for a final battle.
Captain Marvel's ears perked up. He could hear the sounds of battle coming from just around the bend in the sewer tunnel. And the sound was coming closer.
The Battle of Evermore...
(2/16/01 8:02 pm)
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The battle which Captain Marvel observed wasn't much of a battle. It was obvious that the Kid had no idea the extent of his powers and abilities, despite the undeniable power of his opponent.
A young adult Kit Freeman struggled through the sewers, pursued by a shadow...
...the Dark Lord, Mordru.
Cap gritted his teeth at the thought of having to watch this scene play out... but realized that further tampering with the Time-stream would only aid the machinations of Chaos.
Kit Freeman called on various figures out of history... heroes of myth... but all to no avail. Mordru dispatched each one with but a thought.
Finally, the Dark Lord grew tired of playing the cat to Freeman's mouse; and ended the game entirely. With but a wave of his hand, Mordru discorporated Kit Freeman... leaving nothing behind but a scream echoing dully in the dank underground.
Now was the moment... Cap had to act...
...but Mordru remained on the scene, savoring his victory!
How could he obtain Freeman's essence without alerting Mordru to his presence?
(To be continued...?)
Re: The Battle of Evermore...
Val Armor
(3/1/01 5:11 pm)
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Solutions raced through the Captain's mind, none of them seeming right for the situation.
Then it hit him like a thunderbolt from Zeus.
Mordru, for all his power, had the speed and reaction time of a normal person. If the Captain moved at 'invisible speed', a speed at which he's no longer visible to non-superspeedsters, he could gather the essence of Kid Eternity and be back in the mists of Eternity before Mordru could blink, let alone notice.
Captain Marvel readied himself, but felt a twinge of regret. He wished he could face this monster in combat, and bring him to justice for his crimes, but he knew that was reserved for the new Dr. Fate, in a battle that had already happened. However, the Captain swore that if Mordru ever escaped the Amulet of Fate, he would be there to stop the wizard.
With a deep breath, Captain Marvel shot out of the mist, at a velocity so fast that Wally West would have been suitably impressed. He shot towards the essence of Kit Eternity, hoping to bring this mad adventure to a close.
Re: The Battle of Evermore...
KidEternity
(3/17/01 8:20 pm)
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The splinter-spirit of Kit Freeman was drawn into the chalice, and then...
...Captain Marvel felt a strange occurrence... he was being drawn, against his will, into some sort of vortex. He struggled against it, but apparently flight was of no use. Time and Space bent inward, and Cap stood, with the Chalice, overlooking the Rock of Eternity.
But...
...on closer inspection, he could see there were a multitude of 'Rocks', superimposed each on the other...
Here, he was seeing the true nature of the Nexus that was Eternity. And he gasped at what this meant. Multiple worlds, multiple timelines, not just one time's history and future, converged on this point. The weight of the responsibilities of the old Wizard finally became clear.
And Cap realized that in this 'here' and in this 'now', he was a wraith; insubstantial. Ghostlike.
Had Cap been able to view the scene back in the sewers, he might not even have noticed the smile that crept across Mordru's face as he left the scene of carnage behind. "All is as it will be..." murmured the Dark Lord.
But Cap wasn't there. He was eveywhere, and nowhere, all at once.
Then the Chalice began to vibrate...
(to be continued...)
The New and Improved (?) Kid Eternity
Alexi Sivana
(3/25/01 2:24 pm)
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The vibration turns into sound and Captain Marvel hears a voice.... no, voices coming from the chalice. “Mr. Keeper? Captain Marvel? Anyone? Hello?”
A bemused Captain Marvel looks into the chalice. “Kid Eternity... Kit... Is that you?”
Three voices respond. “Uh hunh”. “Yeah”. “Present and accounted for. Is that you, Captain?”
A smile plays over the Good Captain’s face. “Why, of course, Kit. The good guys won again”.
Over a somewhat muffled “Cool!” and “Great!”, a stronger voice says “That’s wonderful news, but, umm.... it’s a little cramped in here for three. Could you pour us out?”
Captain Marvel realized that Rameriel hadn't told him how to release Kit and this seemed as reasonable way as any, so he did. Three ghostly cords flowed out and began to twine together, reminding Billy of the DNA double-helix he learnt of in biology, only with an extra strand. A triple-helix?
Then Kit Freeman floated before Captain Marvel. No… This was the oldest version, just before he was "killed" by Modru. He hadn't been Kit in years, this one. The skin color fading white, the sunglasses, the odd hair, the attitude present in his face and in the posture. This wasn't Kit. This was Kid Eternity.
Then Kid Eternity straightened up, relaxed his shoulders and smiled Kit Freeman’s smile. "Cap? Isthatyou?" His words ran a mile a minute and echoed as if doubled or tripled. Kid Eternity didn't seem to notice. He shifted the sunglasses up and perched them on his head. His eyes were a pale, milky blue. "Whatatrip! Notbeingadormouse, we'veneverriddeninacupbefore. Muchlessachalice."
The Good Captain looked about. "We?" There was no one else with them in the mists above the Rock of Eternity. Or ROCKS of Eternity, rather...
Kid Eternity looked around and over his shoulder, moving jerkily. "Say, where'dtheygo?" And then something happened. Kid Eternity… morphed. The shades disappeared, he lost a few inches and the clothing seemed to alter to an older style. His eyes had darkened to the shade Captain Marvel remembered seeing as he sat with Kit at tea.
"I'mrighthere". His voice was younger, but still with the odd echo. "Whereareyou? Icanhereyou, butIcan'tseeyou…". He changed again. Into the second Kit he had absorbed. Solomon whispered in the Good Captain ear, ‘Kit’s Hypertime powers are in flux and he is physically switching between the selves of the three essences that had been stored in the chalice’.
"Aaahh!! Icanhearbothofyou. Butinmyhead! You'reechoinginsidemyhead!!" Kit/Kid Eternity grabbed his/their head, trying to stop the echo, changing again as he hunched over in confusion and anguish. “Stopit!” “Stopit!” “Stopit!” “Getout!” “Getout!”
Getout!”
Captain Marvel moved closer and wrapped his left arm over Kit’s shoulders. He could feel them roiling and pulsing as Kit morphed again. “Kit! Listen to me. Focus. You need to focus on the Chalice”.
Kit looked up as the Good Captain brought the Chalice into view and grabbed at it with his/their hands, clinging to it in equal measures of hope and desperation. The Chalice sparked and light played over both it and Kit. And Kit sighed an exhausted, peaceful sigh. “Mmmmmm.... Feels like a good cup of joe first thing in the morning. Just what I needed.... We needed.... Whatever”. Kit shrugged his shoulders, and smiled at Captain Marvel, really seeing him for the first time since returning from his exile in the Chalice and laughed.
“What?” Captain Marvel asked, bemused, his infamous eyebrows knitting together. Which only made Kit laugh again.
“You. Me. Us. You’re my best friend and this is only the fourth time we’ve met. It’s funny. Thanks for saving my life... My death.... Whatever”. Kit shrugged and laughed again. “I think maybe I hung around a stand-up comic too long”. He stretched and
looked around and then down.
Big mistake.
“What the... Where the... How the...” Kit stammered.
Captain Marvel followed his gaze and sighed. “That is, or rather, those ARE our next problem. The Rock of Eternity. There should only be one, but it seems to have been split between the different realities of Hypertime”.
“Hypertime”, Kit muttered. “I heard that term while we were in the Chalice. Let me try to Sherlock this out. I have been named Kid Eternity. That’s the Rock of Eternity. Dumb luck or possible connection?” Lost in thought Kit let go of the Chalice. As the Good Captain (aka Kit’s Best Friend) moved to catch it, the Chalice stopped, as if sitting on a table and floated as the Captain and Kit were. Kit didn’t seem to notice and started pacing, still muttering to himself. “I mean what with the name and the Rock splitting up and me being three different Kits in the same body. And you!” Kit looked up at his Best Friend.
“You’re a little diffused yourself, like the Rock. Hmmm....”.
Kit stroked his chin in thought and after a few moments had the brilliant observation: “Times like this I wish I had a beard. I think it would help the whole process”. And he did. Out of nowhere a nice, trim goatee with a mustache to go with it. “Obviously, my powers are beyond my understanding”.
Kit snapped his fingers. “Hey, the beard worked!! Here’s my idea: The chalice is multi-tasking tool. You were able to use it to hold my essence and as a weapon against evil. You were able to use it to locate me in the first place and to get the three different parts of my essence to bind together cohesively (Did I just use the word ‘cohesive’ in a sentence? Mrs. Wormwood would be so proud of me). It’s a lens, don’t you see? I think we can use the chalice to bring the Rock and yourself into focus, like it did for me”.
“How do we go about doing that?” asked Captain Marvel, who was still unsure of how well the goatee suited Kit.
“The Chalice focuses God’s will and power with the desire of who-ever is holding it (well, the good guys, anyway) into the desired result. You see, time works funny in the Chalice and I’ve had plenty of time to contemplate my/our navel...”, Kit’s voice trailed off as his train of thought derailed, again. “If I’m dead, do I have a body? Do I even have a navel?” Captain Marvel rolled his eyes as Kit pulled up his shirt to check. “Whadaya know? Ghosts got navels! Where was I? Oh, yeah”, Kit tucked in his shirt as he continued, “with overhearing the discussion of Hypertime, I’m thinking I might be a lens, too. Or maybe a door... Whatever”. Kit shrugged and smiled.
“I can bring people from other times, other realities to me. If I can do that, why can’t I bring myself to them? And as I don’t know that I’m strong enough to bring the mountain”, Kit indicated the Rock with a wave, “to Mohammed”, and stroked his now-bearded chin, “maybe I should try to bring myself to the Rock of Eternity and you should use the Chalice to find me again”.
“But to which Rock of Eternity? There are a myriad and I think we’d probably want to go home, to our Rock”. The Good Captain caught himself absent-mindedly stroking his own chin and stopped.
Kit smiled again. But a different smile, a quiet smile. A private smile at a private joke. A smile that Captain Marvel knew Kit wouldn’t explain if asked. At least not yet. “Get back to your Rock of Eternity? There is only one Rock. Your fight has brought you to a place you’ve never been before, a point above the Rock, where you can see all the different realities within Hypertime it intersects. And your ghostlike appearance is because your here, at the Nexus and are diffused between the different Hypertime realities. You see multiple Rocks because you’re looking at it from multiple points of view without realizing it. The closer you get to the Rock, the more into focus it will become. Getting to the Rock of Eternity is dead simple. Finding the right exit, your universe, when you don’t have a map.... That’s where I come in.
“Between the two of us”, Kit paused and looks to the Chalice and glanced upward (Captain Marvel couldn't decide if it was reverently or irreverently), “three of us, we can click our heels and go home”.
Kit handed the Chalice back to Captain Marvel and wondered aloud “Say, you think He’s going to want that back? It’d be a great conversation piece. Oh never mind; I’d at least need a pair of them, otherwise it would look like I’m “batching” it. What am I saying? I am a bachelor. Captain, can you hook me up? Know anyone interested in dating a ghost? (Or am I a ghost of a ghost?) I don’t eat much and I’m housebroken”.
Captain Marvel rubbed the muscles in the back of his neck. “Kit?”
“Yes, oh Best Friend?”
“Can we go home now?” the Good (but muddled from all this banter) Captain asked with a sigh.
“Oh. Yeah. We were going to do that weren’t we?” Kit linked arms with the ghostly Captain. “There’s no place like home”. Kit clicked his heels together. “There’s no place like home”. Another click. “There’s no place like home”.
As the pair began to fade/move/flow away, into the universe Captain Marvel called normal, Kid Eternity’s voice, still with a bit of an echo to it, was heard. “That’s quite an arm you’ve got. Who’s you’re trainer? I’ve been thinking of getting a ThighMaster, myself.... Would you happen to know if sashes are still in? I’m thinking about a new look....”.
Re: The New and Improved (?) Kid Eternity
KidEternity
(3/25/01 6:54 pm)
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Kit and Cap 'materialized' within the throne room of the Wizard Shazam, and all seemed as it was before. Cap was a bit stunned by the experience, but relieved it was over.
For Kit, things were just beginning.
Before they'd had their chance to get their bearings, the Chalice burst into a flood of blinding light from which they both had to turn away. When the light subsided, the Chalice was gone.
It took a moment to recover from the experience. Cap stood erect once more, and helped Kit to his feet. Then, they heard the Wizard's voice.
"The Holy Grail has a tendency to return to its place, once its need on Earth is fulfilled. If only the knights of Arthur had understood this, they could have concentrated on more pressing domestic matters."
Cap turned to find the Wizard's voice, but he wasn't seated on the throne; nor was he standing anywhere in view.
"Who's that?" Kit asked.
"That's Sha... that's the wizard who granted my powers. But he doesn't seem to be here."
The voice of Shazam continued.
"As I am not. I have removed myself from your plane of existence. I have matters to attend to... elsewhere. You must carry on as guardians of Eternity, until I return."
Cap was surprised by the revelation.
"But wizard, what do we need to do?"
There was no answer.
Kit started to make a joke, but groaned and collapsed on the steps of the throne.
"Are you okay?" Cap asked, moving to his new friend's side.
"Unnh..." Kit groaned once again and then spoke. "It would seem that my 'powers' have a price now. I guess I need to rest for awhile."
Cap considered this, and decided to take Kit back home with him. Surely the Bromfields would understand.
"Historama, show me the whereabouts of Mary and Freddy."
Captain Marvel clapped and the Historama swirled in misty tones before revealing a split screen image. Captain Marvel Junior was descending on the Batson home, as was Mary, albeit from opposite angles. And Mary had someone in tow... a beautiful woman.
"Hmm. It's Freddy's birthday tomorrow... and I haven't even thought of a gift..."
Kit lowered his shades to show the pain in his eyes.
"I dunno who Freddy is, but a birthday sounds great. But.... unhh... a little help here, please?"
Cap turned once more to Kit Freeman. "Oh yeah! Sorry. Let's get going. There are some people you should meet, and we'll find you a bed somewhere there in the house where you can rest and recover your strength. Okay?"
Kit smiled and leaned back against the steps.
"Sounds homey. Sounds great. Lead on, Captain, Oh my Captain."
-Fini- (For Now)
Author - KidEternity
(12/28/00 10:38 pm)
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The Wizard has sent me on a wild goose chase for sure this time... thought Captain Marvel, as he strode out of Shazam's throne room, past the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, and out upon the Rock of Eternity. There the Mists of Time swirled slowly and murkily; and, not for the first time, the World's Mightiest Mortal felt somewhat unsure of himself.
The Mists of Time should have an unsettling effect upon a mortal... whispered the wise counsel of Solomon. And though Cap called on the Courage of Achilles, he couldn't help but feel a certain amount of trepidation.
Maybe Achilles didn't like the idea of time-travel anymore than Captain Marvel.
The Wizard had informed him that the Justice Society, in it's bid to put a halt to the Dark Lord, Mordru, had erred in one important area. Although they had protected the Fate child and brought Hector Hall back to life as the wielder of Nabu's helmet, they had failed to reckon with the destruction in Mordru's wake.
In particular, they did not know of one of Mordru's victims... one Kid Eternity by name, an alleged agent of Chaos. Mordru had believed himself responsible for killing the young man. But what Mordru had not reckoned with, the Wizard explained, was that Kid Eternity was already dead.
In other words, what Mordru had accomplished was to discorporate the essence of Kid Eternity, across the planes of time and space... whatever that meant. It might as well have killed him. But the Wizard insisted that this 'Kit Freeman' was important to the cosmic-wheel-of-life or something or other that Billy hadn't really followed.
The main thing was, Captain Marvel needed to locate Kid Eternity's essence and find a way to bring it back to the material plane.
"Or...?" Captain Marvel had asked.
The Wizard's eyebrows furrowed in a frown. "Or the natural order of things will slowly begin to unravel, and life as we know it will cease to exist. The spirit of Kit Freeman is tied to events in the Time-stream in such a way that even I do not wholly understand. But things in the cosmos are out of balance, and Kit Freeman's spirit is directly linked to that balance."
Captain Marvel reluctantly shook his head in understanding. "Okay great sir. Where am I going, and what should I be looking for?"
The Wizard clapped his hands, and brought the Historama to life. "Show me the essence of Kit Freeman!" his voice thundered.
The Historama wavered, and showed nothing at first. Then, dimly, it replayed an incident on the high seas.
A boy and his grandfather were fishing. Cap recalled that it vaguely resembled Freddy and Granpa Freeman, right before they pulled Captain Nazi from the water and changed their lives forever. At that thought, Cap began making a connection. Hey! Kit Freeman...?
But he didn't get far with that thought, as the scene on the Historama changed. Alongside the old man and the young boy rose a German U-Boat... which proceeded to blow them from the water, mercilessly, with a .50 caliber machine gun.
The scene on the Historama ended, as the Nazi deck crews laughed.
Captain Marvel turned back to the Wizard. "So... I have to go back in time and stop this from happening?"
The Wizard shook his head. "No. Unfortunately, that event must come to pass. But it is somehow tied into the whereabouts of Kit Freeman's essence. So it is there you must go, nonetheless. As for what you are looking for... it is invisible. An angelic messenger, called Mister Keeper."
As the flashback to moments earlier flew through his thoughts, Cap prepared to step off into the mists of time.
"Turn left at the North Star, and all the way until morning." he joked to himself.
(To be continued...?)
Re: Chat with an Angel
KidEternity
(1/23/01 9:57 am)
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The Historama made a noise it had never made before... as though it were trying to comply with Cap's request, but unable.
Slowly, it began to resolve a scene in which Cap himself was departing the scene of Freeman's murder. There, Rameriel stood looking after him.
More slowly, it began to resolve another scene...
...one of boiling, roiling Chaos.
Cap quickly looked away, as it was difficult to see and retain sanity.
Using the Wisdom of Solomon, it became apparent that - short of knocking on Heaven's door, a thing he was unprepared to do - the only place to find Rameriel was the point in time where the two had parted company.
It was also apparent that Freeman's essence was somehow, somewhere, or some when in the clutches of Chaos.
(To be continued...)
Date with an Angel
Val Armor
(1/23/01 12:36 pm)
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Captain Marvel shook his head and cleared last remaining vestiges of chaos from his mind. That had been a particularly unsettling experience, but Cap resolved that he needed to steady himself. The time may come when he would need to enter that place, and his resolve had to be strengthened enough that he could go in there without fear of losing his mind.
Still, there was no time for this idle thinking. Freeman's soul was on the line and he had to hurry.
Captain Marvel took to the air quickly, leaving the Rock of Eternity behind him as he ventured to the Mists of Eternity, heading to the spot he had entered before, though he made some minor alterations on his flight path so that he would arrive a mere second after his past self had left Rameriel's side.
The mists peeled away as Cap entered normal space and time again, and saw the angel standing below him, even as he watched his past self leave for a mission he was doomed to bungle. Captain Marvel sighed to himself. Sometimes he thought the Wizard had made a mistake by trusting him with the Power of Shazam. He had done a wonderful job of screwing up this entire mission.
Captain Marvel shook of his self doubt. Now was not the time for unfair self-accusations. The truth was, he had saved the world many times and was a good hero in his own right. He wouldn't let a little bad luck convince him otherwise.
Captain Marvel landed besides the angel, who turned and greeted him with a friendly, holy smile. Captain Marvel bowed his head respectfully, remembering that he was in the presence of an Angel of God.
"You have come to tell me you have lost the chalice," Rameriel said in a voice that seemed to expel any shadows or darkness in the area.
Captain Marvel nodded. Nothing really surprised him anymore. Rameriel's knowing of his botched attempt at universal salvation didn't surprise him in the least. He was an angel, after-all.
"Yes, Rameriel, I have lost the chalice, and I am deeply sorry for that," Captain Marvel said in his most formal and sincere voice. " But I have not lost hope. The divine Wisdom of Solomon bade me to come seek you out, in the hopes that you could help me to correct my error. Once again, I need your help in this matter."
Even with the seriousness of the situation, Cap couldn't help but think about how he felt like Princess Leia telling Obi-Wan Kanobi that he was her only hope.
Re: Date with an Angel
KidEternity
(1/23/01 10:19 pm)
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Rameriel smiled.
"Remember I am merely a messenger. There is much I do not know, but... I have been given a message for you: do not lose faith, either in Righteousness, in yourself, or in that which is Higher than All."
Cap knew that much of what happened here was beyond his ability to absorb without reflection, but he nodded anyway.
Rameriel continued.
"You will need the Chalice in order to contain the rest of Freeman's essence. Though this moment is Now, to you it is Past. You have captured the essence of Freeman's Past in the Chalice, and... unless the Chaos Keeper knows it's secrets... it should still be there when you retrieve it."
Rameriel stared off into space for a long, uncomfortable pause, as though listening to a voice that Cap couldn't hear, and bowed his head in that direction.
When he again raised glowing golden eyes to Captain Marvel, he resumed the message.
"The Chalice is on the Planes of Chaos, with the Chaos-Keeper and young Freeman's essence. This is difficult to explain in your words... but on the planes of Chaos, it is Freeman's Present, just as your Present is his Future. You must go there and battle the Chaos-Keeper for the Chalice, and retrieve Freeman's Present essence."
Cap couldn't help but be discouraged, given the scene he'd seen in the Historama; but Rameriel picked up on that instantly.
"Do not lose sight of your mission, and remember to rely on the Wisdom you possess. It will carry you through the unreality - the UnCreation - that the Planes of Chaos represent."
Once again, Cap nodded. Just hearing this message was enough to give new life to his spirit.
"Finally, if you are successful, you must return to your era - and you must travel backward in time just enough to be there when The Dark Lord attempts to kill young Freeman. When that occurs, you must not interfere... or else the Fate Child will not be born as is intended. But at the precise moment that Mordru makes his final strike, you must ready the Chalice to collect Freeman's essence before it is scattered in trillions of different particles throughout Hypertime... never to be retrieved."
Captain Marvel smiled. "No one asks much of me, do they? Of course, I'll do my best."
Rameriel returned the smile, and sheared reality open with his flaming sword. The most beautiful golden light poured through; and music, so beautiful Cap had no words to describe it, poured through the breach as well. Rameriel concluded, as he stepped through the breach and it began closing behind him.
"We are all asked, according to our ability. Know that Righteousness will prevail, if faith in it remains strong."
(To be continued...)
Double Date with Destiny
Val Armor
(1/24/01 12:35 am)
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Captain Marvel smiled to himself as the angel left, taking with him the heavenly music and light. Cap had never doubted his ability to do good and in the ability of right to prevail over evil. But if he ever found himself doubting anything ever again, he would think of this moment.
Then, the face of the World's Mightiest Mortal became serious, something that looked almost out of place on his normally jovial features. "Let's do this."
With that, he shot straight up into the air, at a velocity that left photon's standing still, and soon found himself once again in the Mists of Eternity. He shot through them at fantastic speeds, zooming straight to the Throne room of Shazam. He decided he was going to do something he should have done a long time ago. He picked up the immensely large book of spells that sat by the side of the throne, and opened it. With the speed of Mercury, he zoomed through the book picking up spells that he knew that might help him in his journey into chaos. The Wisdom of Solomon let him memorize them, while also letting him know that the Power of Zeus could back them and increase their effectiveness. However, Cap knew that he was no sorcerer. Not yet anyway. He hoped he wouldn't have to use any of the spells he memorized, mainly because, even with the Wisdom of Solomon, he wasn't sure he could cast them perfectly. Still, it was better to have as many 'weapons' in his 'arsenal' as possible.
Captain Marvel closed the book and placed it again by the side of the throne. He stared at the throne for a moment, remembering the Wizard, the kind father figure that had come into his life. He smiled to himself and quietly said," I won't let you down."
Somewhere, in some distant place, the Wizard Shazam smiled.
With that, Captain Marvel flew like a comet towards the Mists of Eternity, letting the Wisdom guide him to the spot that would take him to the exact time and place he needed to be.
He sliced through the mists like a knife, letting nothing stop him from his holy mission, vowing to return Kit Freeman to his right place, or die trying.
At the end of the 'tunnel' the mists seemed to form, Cap could see into the realm of Chaos. This time, he did not avert his eyes. He stared at it, forcing himself to look into the unnatural thing that was the Planes of Chaos. This time, Solomon and Achilles didn't need to help him, the Captain's own resolve allowed him to stare into Chaos without going mad.
Again, Shazam smiled, as did the other Gods of the Marvel Pantheon. They all silently nodded their approval.
Somehow, Captain Marvel felt better about himself and his chances. He zoomed towards the end of the mist tunnel with renewed hope and vigor, staring at the creature that was at the end of the tunnel. The creature that held a holy chalice in his eternally shifting grasp.
"MR. KEEPER," The Captain boomed, his voice rolling like angry thunder. The mistical nature of the mist let MR. Keeper hear the voice, and he turned in its direction, even as Captain Marvel rocketed through and slammed into the creature, knocking the Chaos creature to the side, rocking it with phenomenal force.
Captain Marvel hovered down to what passed to ground and stared down at the Chaos being.
"You will surrender the Chalice to me this instant 'Mr. Keeper'," the Captain said, the storm that was his voice rolling off his lips like a sonic boom, his eyes lighting up like lightning.
Even to this thing, Captain Marvel offered a way out, a chance for a peaceful resolution, though he wished to make certain that if he refused, it would get ugly for a certain Chaos creature.
"Return the chalice now, or be the first being to ever face the true and unrestrained power of Captain Marvel."
Re: Double Date with Destiny
KidEternity
(1/25/01 12:22 am)
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The Chaos-Keeper replied only with a laugh that would have chilled even stalwart Achilles, and by enveloping Captain Marvel within itself... within insanity personified.
Cap struggled against the grip, but it was like being held by resilient water. The more he pushed, the deeper he seemed to stride into the heart of this infinitely endless madness.
Then, he heard Kit Freeman's voice, as though far away, and from a dream - and the false-angelic Keeper's voice in response.
I'm scared, Keeper... I miss the Earth. I miss my grandpa.
Oh, Kit, you must be brave. You were taken before your time, this much is true; but Heaven has so much in store for you - to compensate you for your loss! We will return to Earth, but you will return with such power as any boy would dream of having! Why... you'll be able to fly, to make yourself intangible, invisible... but more importantly, I'll help you learn to use that miraculous power of yours to call upon any spirit of any person to aid you on the Earth!
Really? I'm sorry Mister Keeper... I'll try to be brave...
Cap tried to shout to Kit, but his voice sounded drowned and muffled, even to his own ears. It occurred to him that Kit might not even be anywhere near him, and that the Chaos Keeper was merely playing a maddening game.
At the moment, the hand seemed the Chaos Keeper's to deal.
And then, it spoke to him, in a voice like the sound of millions of maggots churning in a rotten corpse.
Captain... your war is futile. Freeman will be trained here, and unleashed upon the world of the future... a relative babe in the woods... thinking himself a dutiful agent of change for humanity. He will seek to help mankind... but this will all be a ruse. For in fact, his only reason to exist will be to use his summoning powers to weaken the barriers between this time and Hypertime - so that Chaos can flow freely between ALL universes.
Until there is but one universe of Chaos.
With that, the creature turned reality inside out. Suddenly he was standing before the throne of Neron once again... but was it Neron, or the Chaos Keeper? Or were they perhaps one and the same?
Neron chuckled ominously.
"Back so soon? I wonder if you've realized yet exactly what a dilemma you have on your hands? If you should succed in your mission and return Freeman to Earth, what then? His power will be untrained and unbalanced - manifesting itself at times beyond his control - and creating the very situation you wish to avoid. The breakdown of the barriers between this time and Hypertime."
Cap had no time to formulate a reply, before Neron continued.
"And if you should fail rescuing the boy, we will still have our victory, as his essence remains cut away from the Cosmic Balance your mentor is so fond of discussing."
Cap was furious, but it seemed that this liar was telling the truth. It looked like a no-win proposition.
"What shall you do, my Captain? What shall you do?"
Neron's voice echoed in his mind as the world changed around him once more - and Captain Marvel struggled to retain his grip on perception.
Seemingly back within the enveloping Chaos-Keeper, it spoke to him again.
Captain, oh my Captain. You are such a brave little soldier, and yet so lost. If you could defeat me anywhere, it would not be here - upon my home plane. Elsewhere I serve Chaos, but here...
...here, I AM CHAOS.
Cap saw his costume change from red with gold accents to gold with red accents, and then to purple and green. His body changed as well, from a rustic Marvel, to a tall Marvel, to a fat Marvel. Then he was turned inside out, as the creature attempted to place his guts where his brain should be.
For the first time in a long time, Captain Marvel truly felt pain.
And he screamed a horrible cry.
As Cap writhed in agony, he couldn't concentrate on Solomon's Wisdom, couldn't seem to use the Speed of Mercury to get anywhere, couldn't bear up under this assault with the Courage of Achilles.
Cap managed to gasp out a defiant cry. "You... can't... DO THIS!"
The Chaos Keeper chuckled in an infuriating manner.
Oh, but I can, and I have, and it will come to pass, dear Captain. For who is there in all the worlds to stop me?
Just then, with his very being twisted inside out, Cap began to feel the invulnerability derived from the Power of Zeus begin to counter the Chaos imposed on it. As the pain lessened, Cap began to realize that his body was mistically reforming itself into what it should be.
And with that breather, Cap knew without consulting the Wisdom of Solomon that he had to figure out a way to gain back the Chalice.
All that was apparent at this point was that the Chaos Keeper wasn't about to just hand it over.
How in the world could a mortal, even the mightiest of mortals, ever hope to get this entity to produce the Chalice?
(To be continued...)
Re: Double Date with Destiny
Val Armor
(1/27/01 3:49 am)
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Options sped through the mind of the World's Mightiest Mortal at the speed of light.
Spells weren't a good idea at this point. While the pain was lessening, he didn't have the mental clarity that he would prefer to cast magic. A mistic spell going wrong in the realm of Chaos would be too disastrous for words.
Doing things like spinning quickly to throw Keeper off of him likely wouldn't work here. In this realm, laws didn't behave like they were supposed to. By spinning to throw it off of him, something else would likely happen.
Retreat wasn't an option by any means. Not only would the Captain NOT run from this creature, but he wasn't in any condition to run if he wanted to.
That left his trump card.
Captain Marvel focused through the pain as best he could, concentrating as he never had before on the power of one deity.
Zeus.
Over the years, Captain Marvel had realized the potential of someone that had the Power of Zeus within themselves. Zeus was a Skyfather, lord of the storm and sky, master of lightning, and the most powerful of the gods. The potential uses for that ability were enormous.
And Captain Marvel had been afraid. Afraid of misusing that power. Afraid that the power of a god would be too much for even his pure soul to control. He had seen what too much power could do heroes. Hal Jordan. Hank Hall. Todd Rice. Henry King Jr. Teth Adam. All heroes that had fallen from grace because of too much power. Captain Marvel refused to go down that route, refused to dishonor himself, the Wizard and his parents memory by becoming evil because of the temptation of power.
So he had closed off the Power of Zeus, using it only to enhance his durability, or in times of emergency. He had purposely limited his abilities because he didn't want to travel down the path of injustice.
However, in recent weeks, Cap had come to a slow realization. He wasn't like those other heroes. Not even like Black Adam, who shared the same origin with the Captain. They hadn't grown up with this great power. They hadn't matured and lived with this power every day of their lives since they were 10 years old for the last 6 years. The ancient Wizard hadn't entrusted them with the greatest abilities of some of the greatest gods and heroes. He had.
He wasn't Hal Jordan. He wasn't Todd Rice or Hank Hall or Henry King Jr. He wasn't Superman or Batman or the Martian Manhunter.
He was Captain Marvel.
The World's Mightiest Mortal.
And he wasn't afraid anymore.
So Captain Marvel focused deep within him to find that infinite source of Power that was currently putting him back together.
The Power of Zeus.
Captain Marvel nurtured that Power. Added his will to that Power, pushing it, making it grow and build up within his being, like a storm that would build to a fever pitch before releasing a lightning bolt.
And it grew, the Power permeated every part of the Captain's being, until he felt like a storm, and the power within begged for an outlet, begged to be used in the name of good, righteousness and justice.
And Captain Marvel focused on the being around him, and released his hold on the Power of Zeus, and it erupted forth from him in every direction like an explosion of magic lightning.
Re: Double Date with Destiny
KidEternity
(1/27/01 12:00 pm)
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As the misterious Power of Zeus was pent up and then unleashed, the Chaos Keeper let out a scream of agony - mirroring Captain Marvel's earlier scream.
But it didn't let go it's hold of the champion.
Captain Marvel strained under the power, and noticed that the Wisdom of Solomon, under these conditions, seemed merged with his own thoughts. He was no longer hearing ghostly proverbs he hardly understood, he was thinking his own thoughts as he accessed that pool of Wisdom.
Can't keep this up forever. The Stamina of Atlas wasn't designed to handle this kind of power... it is for the physical, not the pinnacle of the meta-physical. And the trouble is - if this didn't throw off the Chaos Keeper, then here he is indeed as powerful as he proclaimed.
Cap began to realize that - as powerful as his potential power could be - it might not be enough for a direct confrontation with this creature.
The Wisdom kicked in again.
Got to figure out a strategy... this thing isn't going to be beaten with force, if the Power of Zeus can't defeat it here. Can't do anything to move it off the Planes of Chaos either. Got to do something about Kit, and the Chalice...
Then, it occurred to him.
Instead of using the power of Zeus to battle this thing, can I use it to draw the Chalice to me?
Letting go of his assault on the Chaos Keeper, Cap reached out... using the mistic Wisdom of Solomon to help him guide the Power of Zeus... he 'touched' the Chalice with his mind.
Now!
The Chalice was teleported into his hands, as though it were nothing. As though it happened every day.
Cap was exhausted. He could feel his energy having been drained well beyond the limits of Atlas's physical endurance... and a toll had been taken on his mistical form.
He knew deep down that he'd never be able to duplicate that feat anytime soon... if ever again. It was beyond the beyond of his maturity... and it had nearly killed his mortal form.
Worse still, the Chaos Keeper was beginning to shrug off the effects of the Power that Captain Marvel had unleashed.
In a voice like graveyard dirt being shoveled into six foot holes, it growled...
You HURT me, mortal insect... and for THAT I will DESTROY YOU.
Even as it spoke, Cap felt its grip tighten... his air began to be choked with the lack of oxygen and who knew what sorts of gasses...and he couldn't push back against the resilient liquid form.
Captain Marvel was nearly dead.
Then, the Courage of Achilles kicked in - along with the Wisdom of Solomon.
You're not dead YET, William. The Keeper once said that the Chalice was a weapon... you have it, now, and you must figure out how to USE it.
Cap couldn't even speak, now, so constricted was he within the grasp of the creature. There was no physical escape. There was no metaphysical attack. There was no mistical answer.
But there was hope. Captain Marvel remembered what Rameriel had said. "Do not lose sight of your mission, and remember to rely on the Wisdom you possess. It will carry you through the unreality - the UnCreation - that the Planes of Chaos represent."
There were only seconds left... The Chalice... had to use the Chalice as a weapon...
(To be continued...)
Re: Double Date with Destiny
Val Armor
(1/27/01 2:59 pm)
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Captain Marvel strained like never before, pushing the strengths of Hercules and Atlas to their limits to move within this Chaos creature. Slowly but surely he moved his grip until both hands were on the chalice, gripping it around the handle like one would hold a two handed sword.
And he prayed.
Through the pain and suffering, Captain Marvel humbly and quietly prayed to a force that was much greater than himself. To a God that was good and kind and just, whose messenger had sent him here. Prayed respectful, like the boy that he was, asking for a parents blessing in what he was about to do.
And as he prayed, Captain Marvel focused on the chalice, which was glowing with a holy light by this time.
He had seen what effects the Chalice had on Kit Freeman's soul. It collected it and stored it. It was possible that it could do the same to this demon. However, Captain Marvel didn't like the idea of putting this Chaos Keeper in the same realm as Kit. This jerk had messed up the Kid's life enough as it was.
So Captain Marvel hoped that in addition to absorbing and containing human souls, that the Chalice would absorb the demon into it and then send it somewhere else. Somewhere where it could be punished for its deeds.
It was either that or hope that a beam of holy light would shoot out the mouth of the chalice and turn the cup into a sort of holy lightsaber that he could use to smite this thing.
So Captain Marvel gripped the chalice more tightly and prayed that one of the above two happened, and hoped that, whatever would happen, it would happened quickly.
Re: Double Date with Destiny
KidEternity
(1/27/01 5:32 pm)
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Cap held on for all he was worth. He wasn't sure about the prayer, but he didn't know what else to do. The Wisdom of Solomon helped him note, with some chagrin, that that was the time when prayers were most honest, and most real.
Just as he thought he would lose consciousness... something happened. A warmth and a light began to emanate from the Chalice, and a voice which said a million things at once rang loudly through his ears... or was it his mind? He thought he caught a few words here and there... and it sounded strangely similar to Rameriel or Solomon, yet different. The light and the voice seemed to be the most wonderful thing Cap had ever felt or heard... but it was far too bright to look at. He closed his eyes and hung on.
Cap didn't know what the Chaos Keeper heard, or what it felt, but something happened to it when the growing light touched it - for it screamed like all the insects in the universe being burned by all the suns in the universe with some infinite lens.
It's grip loosened, and it fell away from Captain Marvel, quivering on the 'ground' of the chaotic landscape. Now, it was a small thing, whimpering; waiting to gather its strength.
But before Cap could react, another voice spoke. This time, a human voice.
"I remember you... you wore that same red suit. It seems like so many years ago... we had tea together. But the Keeper and I had to leave. Where is the Keeper?"
Captain Marvel looked up and saw the young boy in a white sweater with slacks and a red sash. Once more, he'd found a part of the essence of Kit Freeman.
(To be continued...)
Time for an Explanation
Val Armor
(1/27/01 10:50 pm)
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Captain Marvel smiled broadly as he faced his apparent savior. The Captain straightened himself out, shaking off the pain and weariness that seemed to permeate his being. While he planned on experimenting with the Power of Zeus some more, that little stunt he just pulled was now sent to a mental file he called 'Last Resort Options'. It'd be a while before he could try that stunt again. Luckily, Atlas and Zeus where helping him recover quickly.
"Hello, Kit," the Captain said in his friendliest voice.
Kid Eternity smiled back. "You remember me."
"I could never forget Kid Eternity," Captain Marvel replied "no matter how briefly we met."
Captain Marvel walked over to the place where the Chaos Keeper was writhing on the ground. He bent over and picked it up, so small was it that it fit in the palm of his hand. It did not resist, as it was weaker than the Captain was. Calling upon the Wisdom of Solomon, Captain Marvel sought out a spell that he had looked over in the Tome of Shazam.
"Imprisonment of Order," the Captain said quietly, and a clear block composed of mistical Order energy 2" x 2" x 2" surrounded the Chaos Keeper. Captain Marvel made sure that the spell was only imprisoning the creature, not harming him. He then used the Power of Zeus to reinforce the spell, making it more powerful. In his other hand, the Captain held the instrument of his salvation, the Chalice of God.
He turned back to Kit, who was waiting patiently for an answer.
"Kit, if you don't recall, my name is Captain Marvel, and I am an agent of good. Now, before I begin, I need you to promise to hear me out without interruption. If you do, I will make everything clear to you. Please?"
Kit thought for a moment, before nodding his head.
Captain Marvel smiled. "Very well, then. First, let's go to a bit more hospitable environment." Captain Marvel tied the dangling ends of his own golden sash around the chalice, so that he could pick up Kit in his arms without worry of the Chalice absorbing the Kid. While Captain Marvel still wanted to complete his mission, but Kit had a right to know what was going on. He lifted the Kit up and wrapped him up in his indestructible cape. "Don't worry Kit; this is just to let you survive the trip to light speed. Now hang on."
With that, Captain Marvel flew into the air and in the twinkling of an eye; he was once again at the Rock of Eternity. He uncovered Kit as the neared the Rock, Captain Marvel smiling at the irony of bringing Kid Eternity to the Rock of Eternity.
He flew to the Throne Room, and set Kit down, the boy looking quite amazed at the sights before him. Captain Marvel beckoned Kit to sit on the Throne of Shazam, which he did. Captain Marvel noticed how princely Kid Eternity looked sitting on a throne like that.
Captain Marvel untied the Chalice from his belt and held it in one hand, while his other held the Chaos Keeper, which was still imprisoned in the Cube of Order. Captain Marvel made sure to keep a constant flow of Zeus power to the cube so that the Keeper would not escape. It had much to answer for.
He looked at Kit and sighed. It was a heck of a story to tell. "Well Kit, it began a several hours ago, when the Wizard that gave me my powers summoned me and told me he had a mission for me......"
And Captain Marvel went on to recount the entire affair, from the first words the Wizard had spoken to him to the journey to Neron, to the brief tussle with Thor, to his battle with the Keeper to the present. He explained everything to the best of his ability, which was easy with the Wisdom of Solomon. After he had told the entire story, explained every detail, he looked at Kit.
"Any questions," the Captain asked, waiting for Kit's response.
Re: Time for an Explanation
KidEternity
(2/1/01 12:33 am)
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Kit seemed to be in a dreamlike trance now, and wasn't responding. Captain Marvel attempted to rouse him, but was unsuccessful. After debating the wisdom of such an action for a moment, Captain Marvel simply absorbed Kit's spirit-essence into the Chalice along with the first part. The portion of the past and present were linked.
Now, the only thing Cap had to do was link them with the portion of the future. And that existed in Captain Marvel's sort term past... a few months prior to his actual present... the point in time in which Kid Eternity was attacked by The Dark Lord, Mordru.
Even thinking of that name both gave Cap the chills and made him slightly angry simultaneously. It was a good thing for all involved that Shazam had decreed that Mordru not know of Cap's involvement... nor must Cap allow himself to be seen.
Before Cap could complete his thoughts and turn to go, the spell of imprisonment shimmered, shattered, and dissipated. The Chaos Kleper fell upon the 'ground', and immediately began to grow, no doubt taking energy from the living Planes of Chaos.
Captain Marvel didn't need the Wisdom of Solomon to see that now would be a good time to make an exit...
(To be continued...)
Date With Destiny
Val Armor
(2/12/01 6:16 am)
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Captain Marvel reached down and picked up the Chaos Keeper, who was still not that big and solid enough to grasp. He let the Power of Zeus funnel through his arm again, and the chaos creature spasmed as the mistic lightning wracked its body again. While Cap was unable to produce the massive amount of power that he had before, Mr. Keeper wasn't at the top of his game either, and was unable to nothing but writhe in the Captain's grasp.
Captain Marvel flew out of the Rock of Eternity, towards the Mists of Eternity, Solomon helping him plot a course already. He stopped mere inches in front of the mist and then looked down at the thing of Chaos. There was no way he was letting this thing have access to all of space and time. Besides, he deserved some kind of punishment for what he had put Kit through.
"Know this," the Captain said, his eyes flashing like lightning, his words rolling out of his mouth like thunder. "If you make it out of there in one piece, you will stay away from Kid Eternity. I'm not powerful enough to stop you now, but I swear to you, I'm going to explore all the possibilities of my powers now, and once I become everything I can be, I will be more than a match for you. So, leave Kit and myself alone, and never bother us again, or I'll make what's about to happen to you seem pleasant by comparison."
With that, Captain Marvel threw the Chaos Keeper into the Mists of Eternity, sending him hurtling through time and space, to a place the Captain had chosen to be suitable for his 're-education'.
The Keeper exited the mists and feel into the new reality the Captain had sent him too. The agent of chaos writhed in anger. No mortal had ever done to him what the Captain had. However, before any thoughts of vengeance could enter his mind, he looked noticed his surroundings, and for the second time today, knew fear.
He was in the Realm of the Lords of Order.
"Well, my fellow lords," Came a booming voice behind the Keeper "What do we have here?"
The Keeper turned to see an assemblage of the Lords of Order hovering above him, glaring down at him with both bemusement and contempt.
The Chaos Keeper screamed.
In the realm of Eternity, Captain Marvel smiled to himself. He was such a stinker.
Now, with the end of his mission in sight, the Captain flew to another section of Eternity, and plunged that section on the Mists. His plan was a fairly simple one. He would get right up to the edge of the Mists of Eternity, where he could see what was happening in that time period, but still not be a part of it. He would wait and watch as Mordru would disperse Kid Eternity, and at the moment of his discorperation, exit the Mists at the Speed of Mercury and collect Kit's essence, and get back to Eternity before Mordru could do see him. Cap was aware of Mordru's power and skills, that he was one of the most powerful mages of all time. However, he had no super-speed, and thus Cap should be able to move fast enough to escape his notice.
Still, Captain Marvel scowled at the prospect of having to witness the grizzly murder of Kit Freeman. All his life, the Captain had strove to help others and defend life in all it's forms. Now he would be forced to watch someone destroy another human being, merely for amusement. Still, the Captain relented, Kit wasn't really dying, as Cap would use the Chalice to 'bring him back to life' after everything was said and done. But it was totally against Cap's nature to simply watch such an injustice be done.
However, knowing what was at stake, Cap resolved not to get involved until the appointed time. Too much was riding on him to do this, and he had messed up enough for one day.
Cap came to the edge of the Mists, and could see into the time and place that he had come, though he could not do anything, as he was still in the Mist. To his surprise, he saw that he was looking at an underground sewage system. Kit certainly hadn't been given the most heroic setting for a final battle.
Captain Marvel's ears perked up. He could hear the sounds of battle coming from just around the bend in the sewer tunnel. And the sound was coming closer.
The Battle of Evermore...
(2/16/01 8:02 pm)
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The battle which Captain Marvel observed wasn't much of a battle. It was obvious that the Kid had no idea the extent of his powers and abilities, despite the undeniable power of his opponent.
A young adult Kit Freeman struggled through the sewers, pursued by a shadow...
...the Dark Lord, Mordru.
Cap gritted his teeth at the thought of having to watch this scene play out... but realized that further tampering with the Time-stream would only aid the machinations of Chaos.
Kit Freeman called on various figures out of history... heroes of myth... but all to no avail. Mordru dispatched each one with but a thought.
Finally, the Dark Lord grew tired of playing the cat to Freeman's mouse; and ended the game entirely. With but a wave of his hand, Mordru discorporated Kit Freeman... leaving nothing behind but a scream echoing dully in the dank underground.
Now was the moment... Cap had to act...
...but Mordru remained on the scene, savoring his victory!
How could he obtain Freeman's essence without alerting Mordru to his presence?
(To be continued...?)
Re: The Battle of Evermore...
Val Armor
(3/1/01 5:11 pm)
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Solutions raced through the Captain's mind, none of them seeming right for the situation.
Then it hit him like a thunderbolt from Zeus.
Mordru, for all his power, had the speed and reaction time of a normal person. If the Captain moved at 'invisible speed', a speed at which he's no longer visible to non-superspeedsters, he could gather the essence of Kid Eternity and be back in the mists of Eternity before Mordru could blink, let alone notice.
Captain Marvel readied himself, but felt a twinge of regret. He wished he could face this monster in combat, and bring him to justice for his crimes, but he knew that was reserved for the new Dr. Fate, in a battle that had already happened. However, the Captain swore that if Mordru ever escaped the Amulet of Fate, he would be there to stop the wizard.
With a deep breath, Captain Marvel shot out of the mist, at a velocity so fast that Wally West would have been suitably impressed. He shot towards the essence of Kit Eternity, hoping to bring this mad adventure to a close.
Re: The Battle of Evermore...
KidEternity
(3/17/01 8:20 pm)
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The splinter-spirit of Kit Freeman was drawn into the chalice, and then...
...Captain Marvel felt a strange occurrence... he was being drawn, against his will, into some sort of vortex. He struggled against it, but apparently flight was of no use. Time and Space bent inward, and Cap stood, with the Chalice, overlooking the Rock of Eternity.
But...
...on closer inspection, he could see there were a multitude of 'Rocks', superimposed each on the other...
Here, he was seeing the true nature of the Nexus that was Eternity. And he gasped at what this meant. Multiple worlds, multiple timelines, not just one time's history and future, converged on this point. The weight of the responsibilities of the old Wizard finally became clear.
And Cap realized that in this 'here' and in this 'now', he was a wraith; insubstantial. Ghostlike.
Had Cap been able to view the scene back in the sewers, he might not even have noticed the smile that crept across Mordru's face as he left the scene of carnage behind. "All is as it will be..." murmured the Dark Lord.
But Cap wasn't there. He was eveywhere, and nowhere, all at once.
Then the Chalice began to vibrate...
(to be continued...)
The New and Improved (?) Kid Eternity
Alexi Sivana
(3/25/01 2:24 pm)
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The vibration turns into sound and Captain Marvel hears a voice.... no, voices coming from the chalice. “Mr. Keeper? Captain Marvel? Anyone? Hello?”
A bemused Captain Marvel looks into the chalice. “Kid Eternity... Kit... Is that you?”
Three voices respond. “Uh hunh”. “Yeah”. “Present and accounted for. Is that you, Captain?”
A smile plays over the Good Captain’s face. “Why, of course, Kit. The good guys won again”.
Over a somewhat muffled “Cool!” and “Great!”, a stronger voice says “That’s wonderful news, but, umm.... it’s a little cramped in here for three. Could you pour us out?”
Captain Marvel realized that Rameriel hadn't told him how to release Kit and this seemed as reasonable way as any, so he did. Three ghostly cords flowed out and began to twine together, reminding Billy of the DNA double-helix he learnt of in biology, only with an extra strand. A triple-helix?
Then Kit Freeman floated before Captain Marvel. No… This was the oldest version, just before he was "killed" by Modru. He hadn't been Kit in years, this one. The skin color fading white, the sunglasses, the odd hair, the attitude present in his face and in the posture. This wasn't Kit. This was Kid Eternity.
Then Kid Eternity straightened up, relaxed his shoulders and smiled Kit Freeman’s smile. "Cap? Isthatyou?" His words ran a mile a minute and echoed as if doubled or tripled. Kid Eternity didn't seem to notice. He shifted the sunglasses up and perched them on his head. His eyes were a pale, milky blue. "Whatatrip! Notbeingadormouse, we'veneverriddeninacupbefore. Muchlessachalice."
The Good Captain looked about. "We?" There was no one else with them in the mists above the Rock of Eternity. Or ROCKS of Eternity, rather...
Kid Eternity looked around and over his shoulder, moving jerkily. "Say, where'dtheygo?" And then something happened. Kid Eternity… morphed. The shades disappeared, he lost a few inches and the clothing seemed to alter to an older style. His eyes had darkened to the shade Captain Marvel remembered seeing as he sat with Kit at tea.
"I'mrighthere". His voice was younger, but still with the odd echo. "Whereareyou? Icanhereyou, butIcan'tseeyou…". He changed again. Into the second Kit he had absorbed. Solomon whispered in the Good Captain ear, ‘Kit’s Hypertime powers are in flux and he is physically switching between the selves of the three essences that had been stored in the chalice’.
"Aaahh!! Icanhearbothofyou. Butinmyhead! You'reechoinginsidemyhead!!" Kit/Kid Eternity grabbed his/their head, trying to stop the echo, changing again as he hunched over in confusion and anguish. “Stopit!” “Stopit!” “Stopit!” “Getout!” “Getout!”
Getout!”
Captain Marvel moved closer and wrapped his left arm over Kit’s shoulders. He could feel them roiling and pulsing as Kit morphed again. “Kit! Listen to me. Focus. You need to focus on the Chalice”.
Kit looked up as the Good Captain brought the Chalice into view and grabbed at it with his/their hands, clinging to it in equal measures of hope and desperation. The Chalice sparked and light played over both it and Kit. And Kit sighed an exhausted, peaceful sigh. “Mmmmmm.... Feels like a good cup of joe first thing in the morning. Just what I needed.... We needed.... Whatever”. Kit shrugged his shoulders, and smiled at Captain Marvel, really seeing him for the first time since returning from his exile in the Chalice and laughed.
“What?” Captain Marvel asked, bemused, his infamous eyebrows knitting together. Which only made Kit laugh again.
“You. Me. Us. You’re my best friend and this is only the fourth time we’ve met. It’s funny. Thanks for saving my life... My death.... Whatever”. Kit shrugged and laughed again. “I think maybe I hung around a stand-up comic too long”. He stretched and
looked around and then down.
Big mistake.
“What the... Where the... How the...” Kit stammered.
Captain Marvel followed his gaze and sighed. “That is, or rather, those ARE our next problem. The Rock of Eternity. There should only be one, but it seems to have been split between the different realities of Hypertime”.
“Hypertime”, Kit muttered. “I heard that term while we were in the Chalice. Let me try to Sherlock this out. I have been named Kid Eternity. That’s the Rock of Eternity. Dumb luck or possible connection?” Lost in thought Kit let go of the Chalice. As the Good Captain (aka Kit’s Best Friend) moved to catch it, the Chalice stopped, as if sitting on a table and floated as the Captain and Kit were. Kit didn’t seem to notice and started pacing, still muttering to himself. “I mean what with the name and the Rock splitting up and me being three different Kits in the same body. And you!” Kit looked up at his Best Friend.
“You’re a little diffused yourself, like the Rock. Hmmm....”.
Kit stroked his chin in thought and after a few moments had the brilliant observation: “Times like this I wish I had a beard. I think it would help the whole process”. And he did. Out of nowhere a nice, trim goatee with a mustache to go with it. “Obviously, my powers are beyond my understanding”.
Kit snapped his fingers. “Hey, the beard worked!! Here’s my idea: The chalice is multi-tasking tool. You were able to use it to hold my essence and as a weapon against evil. You were able to use it to locate me in the first place and to get the three different parts of my essence to bind together cohesively (Did I just use the word ‘cohesive’ in a sentence? Mrs. Wormwood would be so proud of me). It’s a lens, don’t you see? I think we can use the chalice to bring the Rock and yourself into focus, like it did for me”.
“How do we go about doing that?” asked Captain Marvel, who was still unsure of how well the goatee suited Kit.
“The Chalice focuses God’s will and power with the desire of who-ever is holding it (well, the good guys, anyway) into the desired result. You see, time works funny in the Chalice and I’ve had plenty of time to contemplate my/our navel...”, Kit’s voice trailed off as his train of thought derailed, again. “If I’m dead, do I have a body? Do I even have a navel?” Captain Marvel rolled his eyes as Kit pulled up his shirt to check. “Whadaya know? Ghosts got navels! Where was I? Oh, yeah”, Kit tucked in his shirt as he continued, “with overhearing the discussion of Hypertime, I’m thinking I might be a lens, too. Or maybe a door... Whatever”. Kit shrugged and smiled.
“I can bring people from other times, other realities to me. If I can do that, why can’t I bring myself to them? And as I don’t know that I’m strong enough to bring the mountain”, Kit indicated the Rock with a wave, “to Mohammed”, and stroked his now-bearded chin, “maybe I should try to bring myself to the Rock of Eternity and you should use the Chalice to find me again”.
“But to which Rock of Eternity? There are a myriad and I think we’d probably want to go home, to our Rock”. The Good Captain caught himself absent-mindedly stroking his own chin and stopped.
Kit smiled again. But a different smile, a quiet smile. A private smile at a private joke. A smile that Captain Marvel knew Kit wouldn’t explain if asked. At least not yet. “Get back to your Rock of Eternity? There is only one Rock. Your fight has brought you to a place you’ve never been before, a point above the Rock, where you can see all the different realities within Hypertime it intersects. And your ghostlike appearance is because your here, at the Nexus and are diffused between the different Hypertime realities. You see multiple Rocks because you’re looking at it from multiple points of view without realizing it. The closer you get to the Rock, the more into focus it will become. Getting to the Rock of Eternity is dead simple. Finding the right exit, your universe, when you don’t have a map.... That’s where I come in.
“Between the two of us”, Kit paused and looks to the Chalice and glanced upward (Captain Marvel couldn't decide if it was reverently or irreverently), “three of us, we can click our heels and go home”.
Kit handed the Chalice back to Captain Marvel and wondered aloud “Say, you think He’s going to want that back? It’d be a great conversation piece. Oh never mind; I’d at least need a pair of them, otherwise it would look like I’m “batching” it. What am I saying? I am a bachelor. Captain, can you hook me up? Know anyone interested in dating a ghost? (Or am I a ghost of a ghost?) I don’t eat much and I’m housebroken”.
Captain Marvel rubbed the muscles in the back of his neck. “Kit?”
“Yes, oh Best Friend?”
“Can we go home now?” the Good (but muddled from all this banter) Captain asked with a sigh.
“Oh. Yeah. We were going to do that weren’t we?” Kit linked arms with the ghostly Captain. “There’s no place like home”. Kit clicked his heels together. “There’s no place like home”. Another click. “There’s no place like home”.
As the pair began to fade/move/flow away, into the universe Captain Marvel called normal, Kid Eternity’s voice, still with a bit of an echo to it, was heard. “That’s quite an arm you’ve got. Who’s you’re trainer? I’ve been thinking of getting a ThighMaster, myself.... Would you happen to know if sashes are still in? I’m thinking about a new look....”.
Re: The New and Improved (?) Kid Eternity
KidEternity
(3/25/01 6:54 pm)
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Kit and Cap 'materialized' within the throne room of the Wizard Shazam, and all seemed as it was before. Cap was a bit stunned by the experience, but relieved it was over.
For Kit, things were just beginning.
Before they'd had their chance to get their bearings, the Chalice burst into a flood of blinding light from which they both had to turn away. When the light subsided, the Chalice was gone.
It took a moment to recover from the experience. Cap stood erect once more, and helped Kit to his feet. Then, they heard the Wizard's voice.
"The Holy Grail has a tendency to return to its place, once its need on Earth is fulfilled. If only the knights of Arthur had understood this, they could have concentrated on more pressing domestic matters."
Cap turned to find the Wizard's voice, but he wasn't seated on the throne; nor was he standing anywhere in view.
"Who's that?" Kit asked.
"That's Sha... that's the wizard who granted my powers. But he doesn't seem to be here."
The voice of Shazam continued.
"As I am not. I have removed myself from your plane of existence. I have matters to attend to... elsewhere. You must carry on as guardians of Eternity, until I return."
Cap was surprised by the revelation.
"But wizard, what do we need to do?"
There was no answer.
Kit started to make a joke, but groaned and collapsed on the steps of the throne.
"Are you okay?" Cap asked, moving to his new friend's side.
"Unnh..." Kit groaned once again and then spoke. "It would seem that my 'powers' have a price now. I guess I need to rest for awhile."
Cap considered this, and decided to take Kit back home with him. Surely the Bromfields would understand.
"Historama, show me the whereabouts of Mary and Freddy."
Captain Marvel clapped and the Historama swirled in misty tones before revealing a split screen image. Captain Marvel Junior was descending on the Batson home, as was Mary, albeit from opposite angles. And Mary had someone in tow... a beautiful woman.
"Hmm. It's Freddy's birthday tomorrow... and I haven't even thought of a gift..."
Kit lowered his shades to show the pain in his eyes.
"I dunno who Freddy is, but a birthday sounds great. But.... unhh... a little help here, please?"
Cap turned once more to Kit Freeman. "Oh yeah! Sorry. Let's get going. There are some people you should meet, and we'll find you a bed somewhere there in the house where you can rest and recover your strength. Okay?"
Kit smiled and leaned back against the steps.
"Sounds homey. Sounds great. Lead on, Captain, Oh my Captain."
-Fini- (For Now)
posted by Alexi Sivana | 2:12 PM
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