Exiles #2

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Exiles #2
Exiled
Part 2:
Hunted

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

I looked on at Cyborg. He hadn’t said much since I brought him here. His world... his universe was doomed before I even realized it was targeted. I seemed to be one step behind here. I needed a new strategy. I needed help.

“Where have you taken us?” asked the Green Lantern.

“Some place safe.” In truth, I’m not completely aware of where I am. I found this place a few months back. Can’t let on that I’m just as clueless as they are, though, can I? All I know is that I’m somewhere on the outside of time and space, and is perfect for monitoring the multiverse. It was here where I learned of the disaster. “You are a Green Lantern?”

“Yes. Yrra Cynril. Why are we in this ‘safe place’?”

Safe place? Maybe my headquarters could use a name. “I’ve brought you to... Haven because some months ago, I learned of a great disaster, destroying universes.”

“The multiverse?”

“Yes...” Interesting. She knew of the multiverse’s existence.

“I was sent by the Guardians of the... my Universe to the one which was destroyed. They told me there is a threat that must be stopped or my own universe may end up like this cyborg’s.”

“Good, Yrra. I may need allies.”

“I’m in,” were the first words Cyborg uttered. “This universe destroyer is going down.”

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“So, Norman Osborn’s now in bed with the Devil?” questioned Ben Reilly as he saw the demonic appearance of Kurt Wagner, also known as Nightcrawler. “Although, I guess it’s not too big of a stretch.”

The “demon” only grinned as his claws wrapped around Ben’s arm.

“Hey, not on the first date.”

Nightcrawler ignored Ben’s quip and before Ben knew it, they both vanished in a buff of dark, pinkish smoke, a bamf heard. Instantly, they both reappeared, also in a buff of a dark, pink smoke, on the other side of the room.

“Here,” is all Nightcrawler said when he pulled out Ben’s Spider-Man costume.

“So... you don’t work for Osborn?”

“Nine, mein freund.”

“Hitler, then?” Ben joked while he was putting on his costume.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

I was sitting at the monitors for a few hours, searching a few different worlds. I needed to bring a team together and fast. I was searching for beings who may not be missed. Outsiders. Rebels. Exiles. Kinda catchy, huh? I had found three candidates... in two separate universes. Meant we’d need to split up.

“Yrra, Victor,” I called to them.

Cyborg and the Green Lantern entered. “Ready to begin, Access?”

Cyborg seemed a bit too anxious. Maybe he was taking this too personal. I wish I had another option. “I think I’ve found some others who can help us. We may need to split up, though.”

“What’s this Earth like?” asked Cyborg.

Yrra scoffs. “Contrary to what you may believe, Cyborg, Earth is not the centered of the universe.”

“Yrra is correct, Vic. You two won’t be going to an alternate Earth.”

“Us two?” they both said in unison.

“Thought you said we were splitting up,” stated Yrra.

“What about you?” questioned Cyborg.

“I will, in fact, be going to an Earth. But I need you two together. Where you’re going will be dangerous. You’ll be seeking out a Predator.”

The look of shock in their faces. I think I got their attention.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Nightcrawler was running down a corridor as Spider-Man scurried along the corridor wall.

“Osborn was experimenting on you?”asked Spidey.

“Ja. He wished to learn how to unlock the X-gene,” answered the German mutant. “And I’m not the only one.”

“HALT!” a guard yelled as he saw the approaching duo.

Spider-Man shot a web-line to the guard’s rifle, yanking it away and Nightcrawler then took the opportunity to bamf in front of the guard, and came down hard, feet first, on his chest.

“Alright, we’re quite the team,” stated Ben, maybe too early as about a two dozen more guards began their advance.

“Mein Gott,” muttered Kurt.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The planet, on the surface appears to be a tropical paradise. This is where I open the doorway.

“It’s... beautiful,” was Cyborg’s reaction.

Yrra got right to business. “It’s here?”

“Yes, he is here,” I answered.

“Predators are savages, Access. So primitive, the rings of power fail to translate their language. Why are we recruiting a beast that we can’t even communicate with?”

“Primitive he may be,” I start, “but he is far from savage.” I turned back towards my cosmic doorway. “I’ll be back, hopefully with our two other recruits,” I told them as I went through the door and it closed behind me.

“Swell...”

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

In the other universe, the duo of Nightcrawler and Spider-Man battle the faculty of the facility which imprisoned them. The demonic-looking demon bamfed his way all around the room, taking out guard after guard, as the webbed wonder leapt and flipped and somersaulted and webbed is way through the onslaught of attacking guards.

“Ach Scheiße,” muttered Nightcrawler. “They keep coming!”

“Yeah,” Spidey started, “Osborn certainly keeps his facilities well staffed. Can’t you just... bamf us out of here?”

Nightcrawler bamfed down hard on a guard and said, “Can’t.” As another guard charged him, he flung the guard into another, using his feet. “I must know where I’m going or we could end up in a wall.”

“Right,” Spider-Man said as he swung a guard by a web-line into three others. “This way,” Ben called as he started down a corridor.

Nightcrawler, running after him, said, “Right behind you, Netz-kopf.”

“Hey, watch the language, Elf.”

The duo kept running and running, until finally reaching the outside.

“Freiheit,” exclaimed the elf.

“Hold the celebration,” Reilly told him and gestured to the guards surrounded them.

“Stand down,” the duo hear from above them. Then they see a man in a ghoulish costume, green and purple, riding a bat-like glider.

“Osborn!”

And the Green Goblin’s laughter echoed into the night.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“What can you tell me about the Predators?” asked Cyborg as they move through a tropical jungle.

“They are a warrior race,” answered Yrra. “I don’t understand why the Guardians allow them to exist.”

“I’ve met a Predator once,” stated Vic. “He travelled to Earth on a quest to hunt my world’s greatest ‘warrior’. Nightwing. He killed him.” Cyborg continued to march on, not showing any emotion, but it was hurting him inside.

“I am sorry,” Yrra consoled, putting her hand on Victor’s shoulder.

“Don’t...” Cyborg started, but stopped as soon as he heard a noise. “Down!” yelled Cyborg and dived to the ground as a barrage of arrows are fired.

Yrra, however, relied on her ring creating a green shield to protect her. Unfortunately, the arrowheads were golden, piercing the shield, and allowed one to pierce her shoulder. “AARGH!”

“Yrra!” screamed Cyborg, crawling to her side. “What happened?”

“Yellow... ring’s weakness...”

Cyborg was unaware of the weakness of the Green Lanterns. He was aware of the Corps, but Sector 2814's Green Lantern, in Victor’s universe, was not a native of Earth. But Vic’s a smart guy. He quickly removed the arrow and bandaged her shoulder.

“The ring... will heal the wound,” Yrra assured him. “What attacked us?”

“Predators,” answered the half man, half machine.

“Then why aren’t they following up on their attack?”

Cyborg looked out from behind a bush they were using for cover. He saw two rather large Predators. The beings were brown skinned with dreadlocks in their hair and they wore what appeared to be tribal clothing and armor. “I don’t believe we are their target.”

“Nan-de than-gaun,” one of the Predator’s said to another.

“Your ring can’t translate?” asked Cyborg, whispering.

“No,” answers Yrra. “They are one of the few races the rings cannot translate.”

“Mei'hswei?” a Predator mutter.

One Predator kneeled and found blood on the ground. “Thwei. Pyode Amedha.”

“Tarei hsan,” one Predator said and turned to leave, his brothers following.

“They’re leaving. I think they believe we’re... unworthy.”

“So, what are they hunting?”

And the heroes hear from behind them, “So, what are they hunting,” in an electronic voice, mimicking Yrra.

The two turn to see a Predator, even larger than the other two, towering over them. Yrra raised her ring hand, but Victor halted her. “No.”

“Ooman?” questioned the Predator, and he gestured toward Cyborg’s flesh parts. The Predator then pointed towards Cyborg’s mechanical parts. “'Awu'asa'?”

“I think he’s trying to communicate,” Cyborg told Yrra.

“Nonsense. He’s a...”

The Predator then turned towards Yrra, “Lou-dte kale.”

“Was that an insult?” Yrra asked Cyborg.

“Insult,” came the electronic voice.

Cyborg grinned. “Naw, it’s probably a term of endearment.”

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“Reilly, Reilly, Reilly.” The Green Goblin hovered on his glider in front of Ben Reilly. “You should know you can’t escape me.”

“You know me, always playing against the curve,” and Spidey shot webbing, covering the Goblin’s eyes. “Now!”

Kurt then grabbed Ben and bamfed in a cloud of dark pinkish smoke.

Osborn ripped the webbing from his eyes. “FIND THEM! Don’t let them get away!”

“Norman, Norman, Norman,” was heard right before a blue and red boot hit the Goblin in his face. “You should know by now that Spider-Man doesn’t run,” Ben stated, swinging back into a tree.

“You, clone, are not Spider-Man!”

“Liar!” yelled Reilly as he lunged at the Goblin.

While Reilly was attacking Osborn, Kurt was teleporting constantly, grabbing the guards weapons with each bamf. “Danke, danke, danke.”

“My boy,” Osborn said. “I thought you were smart. You are a copy. A fake. And you belong to me, since I created you!”

Reilly began wailing on Osborn. “Liar! I’m the real Peter Parker! I’m the real...”

And Osborn sent out a blast, forcing Spidey from him. “No, no, no,” the Goblin taunted as he stood over Reilly. “The real Parker I would have killed. You, however, hold the secret to the cloning process in your genes. I don’t want another Kaine, afterall.”

As Osborn began to charge his glove, Kurt saw this and bamfed over to Reilly, “Gotcha,” Nightcrawler said and bamfed away right before Norman blasted.

“Where?”

Osborn’s question was answered as the two heroes came down on top of him, knocking him out.

“That was easy,” Kurt stated.

Ben said nothing. At least until a cosmic doorway opened in front of them. “What in the world?”

And I stepped through. “Hey, guys, you’ve been drafted.”

The two only look at each other.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Predator was now leading Cyborg and Green Lantern into a cave.

“I believe the other Predators were hunting him,” Cyborg explained to Yrra. “He must be the Predator we are meant to recruit.”

Yrra looked on at the walls of the cave, seeing paintings all over. “Is this its... his story? The pictures appear to indicate he was one of the fiercest of his kind.”

“Then he just stopped. Forsaking his race’s violent ways.” Cyborg turned to the Predator. “Why?”

“Nain-desintje-de,” was the Predator’s response.

“I wish we could understand him.”

“Understand,” was repeated electronically.

“Can you understand us?” asked Cyborg.

The Predator did not reply.

“Shouldn’t Access be picking us up?”

“Yeah, but how do we get him to come with us?” asked Cyborg.

“Good point.”

“M-di h'dlak,” was heard from outside of the cave. “M-di h'chak.”

“They’re here!” exclaimed Victor.

The Predator rose to his feet and slapped his fist to his chest. “Ki'cte!”

“Looks like big boy is mad,” stated Yrra.

“Big boy is mad,” repeated the electronic voice.

“They’re at the mouth of the cave.” Vic turned to the Predator and asked, “Is there a back way out?”

“I don’t think he’s thinking of escape.”

“Dhi'ki-de,” was the Predator’s response, as if he was awaiting death.

That’s when I provided them a timely escape route, opening a cosmic doorway. “Ground floor, magic rings, cyborgs, and alien hunters.”

“Come on, big guy,” Yrra stated, pulling on the Predator’s arm.

“Dtai'k-de?”

“I can’t understand you. But you need to come with us.”

The Predator looked to the cave’s entrance and saw his brothers, then to Yrra. “Lou-dte kale.” And the Predator follows Vic and Yrra through the cosmic doorway.

“I really hope that’s not an insult.”

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Elsewhere within the multiverse. On a world where the heroes and beings of power did not dress up in colorful costumes, a woman has experienced great pain. This woman, however, was not ordinary. For 6 years she had studied the art of witchcraft. Spells and incantations. Over those years she had become powerful and had always fought the good fight. Not any longer. Her love was just killed. Was this love killed by a demon, a warlock, or a vampire? No, she was killed by a simple bullet. With all the Wiccan’s power, she couldn’t save her love from an ordinary hand gun. That was the breaking point for Willow Rosenberg.

The pain was too great. First she absorbed great magics from many spellbooks. The dark magic within darked her red hair to a raven color, it made her eyes as dark as night and dark veins were showing all over her body. Then she sought out the trio of boys responsible. Willow’s friends stood in her way long enough for Willow to come to a conclusion. She couldn’t live with the pain. And if she couldn’t live with the pain, neither could the world.

The witch sought to raise an ancient temple. One she would use to end creation.

“Hey, Black-eyed girl,” stated Willow’s best friend, Xander Harris as he stepped in the way of her magic. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Get out of here,” was the witch’s response..

“Oh, no,” repliedXander. “You’re not the only one with powers, you know? You may be a hopped up uber-witch, but this carpenter can dry-wall you into the next century.”

“I’m not joking, Xander. Get out of my way. NOW!” Willow ordered as she sent a magic blast at her friend.

Xander was sent flying back and Willow continued pouring her magic into the temple, but Xander got back up and stood in front of the temple once again.

“You can’t stop this.”

“Yeah. I get that,” was Xander’s response. “It’s just... where else am I going to go? You’ve been my best friend my whole life. We’re all gonna end... where else would I want to be?”

Willow smiles. “Is this the master plan? You’re gonna stop me by telling me you love me?”

“Well, I was gonna walk you off a cliff and hand you an anvil,” Xander joked, “but it seemed kinda cartoony.”

“Still making jokes.”

“I’m not joking,” Xander said. “I know you’re in pain. I can’t imagine the pain you’re in. And I know you’re about to do something apocalyptically evil and stupid, and hey... Still want to hang. You’re Willow.”

“Don’t call me that,” Willow demanded.

“The first day of kindergarten. You cried because you broke the yellow crayon,” Xander told her, trying to make her remember. “And you’re too afraid to tell anyone. You’ve come pretty far. Ending the world not a terrific notion, but thing is... yeah, I love you. I love crayon breaky Willow. And I love scary veiny Willow. So if I’m going out... it’s here,” he said with a croak to his voice. “If you want to kill the world, then start with me. I’ve earned that.”

“You think I won’t?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll still love you.”

“Shut up,” Willow said between gritted teeth and with a wave of her hand, slashed Xander across his face.

“I love you.”

Willow once again blasted Xander with her magical energy, slashing his stomach that time.

Xander got to his feet, his knees unsteady. “I... love yo...”

“SHUT UP!” Willow yelled as she poured her magic into Xander, but the magic stopped suddenly.

Xander began walking forward. “I love you, Willow.”

Willow began to get shaky and her eyes began to water. “Stop!” she shouted, trying to stop Xander. But nothing happened.

“I love you.”

“Sssstoo...” Willow stuttered as she began to cry, falling to her knees.

Xander kneeled and hugged Willow. “I love you,” he said softly.

The pain and hurt and sorrow then surged in Willow. “STOP!” she screamed as her power poured out of her. The power kept surging and surging, Xander spasming on the ground, the flesh on his body being burnt and scolded, until he laid there dead. Willow looked on at what she had done. “No,” was all she said as she turned and ran away.

Continued...