Ultimate Avenger: Into the Sun

Ultimate Avenger

Smoke poured out of the broken wreckage of skyscrapers. Thousands of Chitauri littered the blackened streets of Detroit. Above the embattled city a giant world-ship floated, Chitauri sky-chariots streaming from it's hangars. The mad Titan Thanos gazed down upon Earth, below him he beheld a circle of tiny specks, the Avengers, this planet's pitiful guardians. All the might of his armies was concentrated on them. Soon the only beings capable of stopping him would be slain.

Thanos settled back in his floating throne and flexed his arm. There was nothing so satisfying as conquering a planet, watching millions of life-forms plead for mercy. . .and then destroying them. A lowly slave approached him, not daring to look upon him. She presented him with his golden Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos slipped it on, admiring the Green stone gleaming in it's center. He had not used this in a while. Thanos decided he should test it, no good going into battle with a faulty weapon. He turned to the slave and smiled. "Run". She only got halfway to the observation deck door before a green beam of energy melted her. The gauntlet still worked.

On the streets of Detroit the battle for Earth raged. Captain Steve Rogers caught a dozen laser blasts on his shield and threw a grenade into a squad of Chitauri. A block away The Vision's forehead shone as his Mind Gem took control of a huge floating space wyrm. The wyrm turned and plowed through a squadron of sky chariots. Hawkeye leaped from rooftop to rooftop, pelting the alien invaders with arrows. Thor landed beside Captain America and blasted a chariot out of the air with a streak of lightning. The Asgardian was grinning. "It has been to long since I fought such a glorious battle." Steve glanced around and saw a dozen civilians lying dead outside a mall. "The longer this battle lasts the more people will die. These things just keep coming, just like New York." Thor lost his smile and threw his hammer, knocking a space wyrm into a building. Iron Man landed behind them. "We need to take down that world-ship. We do that and every one of these aliens will go kaput." Steve looked up at the vast starship casting a shadow over the city. "O.K. Barton, Romanov, Scarlet and me will hold down the fort while Thor, Hulk, The vision and you fly up and get that ship into space. If it gets destroyed here half the city will go with it.

Thanos glanced down through the observation room force field and noticed the little heroes blasting through the atmosphere towards him. They had finally deduced that this ship was the key to his conquest. In a way he was pleased. They would almost be a good challenge.

Thor arrived first. His mighty hammer carried him through the force field and onto a balcony. A few yards away Thanos floated in his chair. Thor fired lighting at him. The green gem glittered and a lightning rod appeared between them, channeling the bolt into the world-ship. Thanos smiled. Tendrils of energy whipped out of the gauntlet, swirled around Thor's defenses and stabbed at him with piercing blades. Iron Man rocketed into the room and fired bursts of power from his palms. Thanos was hurled out of his chair. Now he was annoyed. A gleaming green T'Mirak crystal raced across the room and latched onto Thor's chest-plate, burning with unbearable heat. Iron man raised his arms for fire again but green tendrils slammed him into the wall, holding his arms in place and tearing apart his armor. Thor tore at the slippery crystal and toppled off of the balcony into space.

Vision had taken a little longer to get to the ship because he was giving the Hulk a boost. He flew into the room and took in the scene at a glance. He tossed Hulk at Thanos and caught a battered Anthony Stark as the tendrils released him. Hulk lashed out, catching Thanos by surprise. The Titan slammed through a wall, but was ready for the follow up punch. He caught the Hulk's fist and held it there, seemingly without effort. Hulk kicked at him. Thanos sidestepped it and kicked the beast's other leg out from under it. He had memorized several hundred pressure points for every type of humanoid species. As Hulk leaped back to his feet Thanos threw his first punch of the battle, right under The Hulk's chin. The green beast's head snapped back and Dr. Bruce Banner sailed through several walls and out into orbit.

Back on the ground the Avengers regrouped in a warehouse. Steve leaned against a crate and shook his head. Clint Barton and Romanov were busy helping the National Guard to hold a perimeter. Thor lay propped up against a forklift, burn marks all over his chest, his beard burned away. Tony Stark tried to rise and sank back with a cry. Scarlet Witch was using her telekinetic power to hold shut his stab wounds and stitch them shut. The Vision flew into the warehouse, holding the sleeping form of Bruce Banner in his arms. He told Steve about the being they had fought in the ship. Steve tried to think, although the laser burn on his leg made it tough. They had to stop the aliens, but more would always come from the ship. They had to destroy the ship, but a being in the ship had stopped them. So, they had to destroy the being.

As Steve shared his thoughts with the remains of his team Stark raised his hand. Steve knelt, removing the Billionaire's oxygen mask so that he could speak. "I've got a crazy plan." Steve looked around at the others. "Right now I would try anything."

Thanos flew across the room and sat back in his chair. The invasion of Earth was going well. He decided to send some space wyrms over to the country named Japan. Shake up Asia a bit. Several laser batteries fired up and spewed streams of energy into the sky, shooting down the missiles that the earthling army had been sending up all day. Even if any got through they would not penetrate the energy shield surrounding the world-ship. He noticed another figure flying up straight towards him. Another hero come to challenge the invincible Thanos. He signaled the laser turrets to leave it alone and sat back in his chair to wait.

Thor's hammer Mjnolnir hit his chair, shattering it into a thousand splinters. Thanos smashed through the ceiling, and another, and another. His head felt rather sore after blasting through all 300 stories of the world-ship and into orbit. Thanos turned to observe his new attacker. Before him hovered a suit of powered armor, forged of a gold-titanium alloy. The armored figure held in one hand the hammer Mjnolnir, in the other hand the vibranium shield of Captain America.

The Iron Man helmet opened. The calm purple eyes of The Vision gazed back at him. He looked about to say something. No doubt some appeal to his humanity or reason, thought Thanos. He had no time for this. The tendrils of green energy streaked from the gem towards Vision. The android fired his suit's thrusters and whirled aside. Vision tried to find an opening. But Thanos surrounded himself with a whirling mist of green. Vision darted forwards, but but the mist swirled towards him and he pulled back. Thanos was playing a cautious game, analyzing his enemy's abilities. Vision pulled away as if retreating, then raced forwards, sheltered by his shield, and smashed through the net of energy. Thanos turned to recieve a blow from Mjnolir that made his head ring and hurtled him out into space. The Titan stopped his tumbling, just in time to receive another blow from the hammer. Vision hit him again and again. Thanos lashed out with his gem, forming a huge hammer sweeping through space. Vision took the blow on his shield and struck Thanos again. He reeled, somersaulting through space before the moon stopped his fall. Thanos rose to his feet. He had never lost a fight, and he never would. He formed a wall of green energy between himself and Vision. The android struck it with his hammer, to no effect. Thanos began to recover confidence. Vision could not pierce his defense. Soon he would find this challenger's weakness and destroy him. Then he noticed that his world-ship was no longer hovering above Earth.

Captain Steve Rogers gazed through the porthole as the world-ship blasted past Venus. He wore one of Stark's suits of armor to protect him from the cold of space. Falcon had flown him up to the world-ship while Thanos was busy. It had taken Steve a few minutes to take out the Chitauri guards on the bridge. The navigation system was very strange, but J.A.R.V.I.S. had talked him through it. Now the world-ship was on a new heading, straight into the sun. Steve sighed, he would miss his friends back on Earth, but he HAD insisted on carrying out this plan himself. A dozen Chitauri warriors came clattering down a hallway towards the bridge. Steve was ready for them.

Thanos saw in an instant how he had been deceived. He made his decision, dropping the unbreakable wall and racing after the world-ship. Vision followed him, blasting at the Titan with his mind gem. Thanos focused all his power on speed and slowly began to pull away. Vision threw Mjolnir. Thanos felt it coming and barely dodged it. Vision was still losing the race. He was too bulky. The android launched every missile in the armored suit at Thanos. The space around him was filled with a ripple of explosions. Thanos lost control again and tumbled off course.
Steve kicked the last Chitauri warrior into the wall and turned back to the porthole. The sun now filled his view, a unimaginably gigantic yellow orb. Dozens of warnings flashed on the alien control panel. Steve looked away, studying some strange markings on the wall. This was the part about being a soldier he liked least.

Thanos had lost the race to the world-ship. Vision floated between him and the receding spacecraft. Thanos reactivated his energy wall, keeping it between himself and Vision as he circled around towards his ship."Do you think losing that ship will hurt me?" He taunted the implacable android. "I will return with more Chitauri, or simply conquer your planet alone. You can do nothing against my power." No reply. Thanos got between Vision and the ship. Now he backed towards his prize. Vision closed the helmet over his face, but then noticed a warning. Steve Rogers was in the world-ship. If he did not act Steve would die. Thanos felt the enormous gravity of the Sun tugging at him. He shifted away. To bad about the world-ship, but it was replaceable.

Vision struck, slamming into the energy wall. Thanos watched calmly as he hammered the wall with Mjolnir and his mind stone. Vision drew back to plan. The world-ship was gleaming red now, shaking apart under the strain of gravity. Vision forced himself to focus, focus all his power on one square inch of the energy wall.  He blasted it with all he had, his hammer, his mind stone and the arc reactor on his chest. And the energy wall broke. Thanos did not have time to cringe before Vision streaked forwards and kicked him into the Sun.

Vision flew towards the disintegrating world-ship, he pierced the shattered hull and plunged to the bridge. The glare and heat were terrible. Steve lay on the floor, sliding towards the view-port in the grip of the Sun's gravity. His armor was flaking away in charred embers. Vision grabbed him and boosted away. The world-ship peeled away around him, plunging into the sun. Vision strained, the boosters on his suit failed. He was held in place by gravity, unable to retreat an inch from the rippling ball of gas that was cooking Steve to a turn. Vision felt his strength ebbing, slowly he slid backwards, away from Earth. The blue planet was just a speck now, another point of light in the enormity of space. The Vision looked down at Captain America, who he held tucked under one arm. Any moment now the armor that stood between his comrade and space would chip off and Steve would die.
Vision slid back another centimeter and looked away from the searing sun. There on his wrist hung Mjnolnir. He threw the hammer away and lurched forwards a few feet. Again he threw it, and again. Steve must have regained consciousness because his boosters came on. Faster and faster the two Avengers pulled away. And then they were streaking away, carving through space towards Earth. Three minutes before they landed Steve Roger's suit fell apart, blowing away like leaves in the autumn. On the ground Hawkeye and Thor rushed over to see the Captain. Steve blinked and coughed on some ashes. "I guess I'm gonna have a pretty good tan." He said. Thor thwacked Vision on the back. "Truly, you are a mighty warrior. Can I have my hammer back?" Everyone smiled in spite of themselves. Wade Wilson, the Falcon and the recovering Dr. Banner joined the group. The Avengers were again united and the Earth was free.

Thanos floated in the center of the Sun. His mighty eyes watered in the heat of the plasma exploding all around him. His stomach cramped in the gravity. If he had required air to breath it would have burned in his lungs. He would not die, but could not bear to live in this burning maelstrom of pain. The green stone in his fist glowed, brighter than bright and slowly, ever so slowly, an inch at a time, Thanos began to move, out of the heart of the Sun

Thanks for reading my story. It's just a first draft. Please comment below and tell me how I did. 

Ancient Avengers

Ancient Avengers

The Shawarma restaurant was crowded that evening. Captain Steve Rogers stopped at the door, glancing up at the skyline of New York. The city had not changed much in the past hundred years. He winced at the pain that shot through his back and stepped inside, breathing in the spicy aroma of the Turkish eatery. He glanced around and saw them, sitting in a table corner, giving orders to the robot waiter. Steve strode over and smiled. The hundredth anniversary reunion of the Battle of New York was in full swing.

Steve sat down slowly and glanced around at the familiar faces. Anthony Stark was wedged against the window. He was wearing his iron man armor. But Stark had to wear it these days. He was nearly 150 years old and his health was not the best. He had designed a suit that monitored his vital signs and carried all his medical equipment. It would even shock him if he went into cardiac arrest. But Stark was still perky. He glanced up, fixing a cybernetic eye on Steve. "Hey, the old man made it. You look good for 200." It was true. Steve's skin might be a little wrinkled, his frame a little thinner, but he still carried himself tall.

The robot turned to Steve. "What shall it be Mr.Rogers?" Steve started, he was still not used to how they knew his name just by scanning his bio-metrics. "Uh, the usual." The robot instantly recalled Steve's profile and ordering history. "Shawarma? Very good sir." A old man across from Rogers spoke through a bushy white beard. "Hey, Steve. Earn any medals lately?" Steve smiled, that old easy smile of his. After New York he had stuck with S.H.I.E.L.D. but eventually rejoined the U.S. army and served for four tours in the Middle East. He had quickly become the most decorated soldier in the service, earning several Purple Hearts, the Medal of Honor and the Silver Star, as well as several medals from other nations. He had saved the lives of countless soldiers and personally captured or killed hundreds of enemies. Soldiers had written books full of his exploits. Finally the army promoted him to major general and stuck him behind a desk, reluctant to lose their most valuable soldier. Steve had had enough of the army anyway and had retired, married an old friend from S.H.I.E.L.D. and settled down. But he still made the headlines when he stopped a armed robbery and was given the keys to the city of Brooklyn by the mayor. "No medals these days. How about you Dr. Banner, they run out of awards to give you yet?"

Banner stroked his white beard and adjusted his glasses, which he still preferred even though ultra-compact contact lenses were now available. "Well, they gave me my second Nobel Prize last year. For physics of course. I just published this paper on radiation effects on the Mars colony and the consequences for communication. And they drag me to Switzerland and give me a little gold man for it." Stark broke in. He was always the center of attention. "Of course you would have been spared that if I hadn't built that colony ship for Mars Industries and practically gave it away to them."

Banner looked around at the patrons enjoying their meals, people from every walk of life. "I don't enjoy thinking about the battle of New York, but if it had never happened, if we had never become a team, the world would be much worse off." Stark grinned. "Yeah, when everybody in the universe saw what we could do, they got real quiet. This guy called Aldreich Killian came to my place a week after the battle and asked if I would please help him with this radical treatment called Extremis. The guy was a nut, the stuff was unstable but he had given it to a bunch of ex-army guys. But he couldn't make a move, knowing we would all show up and trash his party. We managed to stabilize a mild form of Extremis, practically cured cancer." Steve nodded. "Thanks for helping me out when H.Y.D.R.A. activated project Insight. If it wasn't for Stark those helicarriers would have gotten airborne." Stark nodded modestly, which was hard for him to do.

Steve took a drink of water. "They offered me a cameo appearance in our movie." Banner looked up. "What movie?" Stark took up the slack. "You know all those documentaries they did, about how we saved the world? Well now they are making a 4D movie about it. They just finished picking the cast. It's called "Earth's Mightiest Heroes". Don't worry guys, our rights are well protected, we get a dollar every time someone goes to see it."

The robot arrived and served their Shawarma. Steve looked up from the saucy meat pastry. "So, is Clint showing up this year?" Stark suddenly looked older. "You still don't follow the news, do you Steve? Clint Barton died last month in Ontario, from a heart attack."

They all sat silent for a moment, First Natasha Romanov, now Barton. Even Colonel Rhodes was dead, killed in a hovercar collision in D.C. Every year it seemed, another familiar face was gone.
The silence was broken by a rumble outside. A beam of pure energy struck the ground outside. Dust billowed into the street. Then, as suddenly as it had come the beam vanished and Thor Odinson, king of Asgard, breezed into the restaurant and dropped his hammer by the table. The Asgardian looked much the same as ever. A majestic golden beard spilled over his silver armor. "So my mortal friends, another of our company has gone to Valhalla. This is a grim day, but we should be happy for them." The robot came over as Thor sat down. "What shall it be today Mr. Thor?" For a moment the king was confused, curiously examining the machine. "Bring us tankards of strong ale, mechanical servant." Now it was the robot's turn to be confused, it hurried off to consult the owner on the best course of action.

Banner took off his glasses and polished them. "So Stark, how is miss Potts doing?" "You mean Mrs. Stark." Tony replied. "She is doing O.K.  She had to have a artificial spine implant last year. Now her arthritis is much better." Thor nodded. "Be sure to treasure your years with her my friend. I remember every moment with Jane Foster, from the moment I met her to when she died in my arms. For the good of the realm I had to marry Lady Sif, and we love each other. But when I am troubled the memories of Jane comfort me." Steve sighed. Thor had always been good at talking about emotional subjects.

The robot came back to the table with four steel cups of beer. Steve took his and sank back in his chair. "So, what are you doing tomorrow Stark?" The multi-trillionaire adjusted his glove. "I'm working on a quantum computing algorithm." He waved it away. "You probably wouldn't understand it." Bruce Banner slowly straightened in his chair. "I have to fly to Malaysia. There is a new super-flu outbreak there." Thor shrugged. "The work of a ruler goes on as usual. What about you Captain?" Steve opened his mouth to answer and his phone rang, a metallic male voice echoed through the restaurant. "Steve Rogers, you are late for the veteran's reunion, repeat, you are late for the veteran's reunion." Everyone erupted into laughter as Steve silenced his phone reminder.

Thor raised his cup of beer in a toast. "To our friends, those still with us, and those who have moved on." They all drank. Dr. Banner began hiccuping. Steve finished his Shawarma and stood. "So long then. See you all next year."

One by one they all left. Steve roared off on his ancient motorcycle. Doctor Banner called in a hovercar taxi with his phone. Stark clicked his helmet in place and roared away. Thor stood carefully in a parking space and vanished in a beam of light as the Bifrost launched him back to Asgard at the speed of light.

I hope you liked this short story. This is just the first draft. Please comment and tell me what you think. How could I have made this better? 

Disney League of Exploited Pirates

Disney League of Exploited Pirates

The tavern was loud and smelly. Dozens of sailors bellowed for rum or gambled their money away. But there was a back room for those who craved privacy, past a door planted in the sagging wall. In this room sat Captain Hook, his scarlet coat muddy and in tatters, a brilliant red hat hung in shreds on a hook in the wall. Hook glanced at his first mate, a chubby, short-sighted fellow named Mr. Smee. Smee glanced at his captain's stained brass hook, tapping on the table.

The door swung open and in walked a man with a friendly smile beaming upon his countenance. In one hand he held a tray loaded with steaming food, the other hand held a crutch to support his one leg. The man hopped into the room, laid out the food and touched the brim of his hat in salute. "Good evenin' to e' Mr. Hook. My name be Long John Silver." Hook groaned. "Can't ye shut the door man? I have a splitting headache." John Silver set out the silverware. "I told ye I'd recruit some swabs to join us. They will be coming soon."

In moments another pirate strode in and slammed the door shut. Silver beamed all over again, radiating conviviality. "This be my friend Wing Ti'p. He don't speak English very well but he be with us." Wing Ti'p was an Asian, swarthy and suntanned from years in the China sea. He flaunted a jaunty headband and fine blue coat, but looked downcast. Silver began carving a roast goose. "There be but one more to come, be kind to him mates, he be obscure but his heart be true."

The door squealled open again, admitting hot rum-infused air and a sturdy dutchman. The dutchman dragged a wooden chair across the room and leaned over the table. "I presume you are the grieved parties that I was asked to meet here. My name is Captain Hoseason. I am not a pirate captain properly speaking, but I wish to have justice, and if I must break the law to get it so be it."  Long John Silver snagged a seat at the now crowded table. "Alright men, we are all assembled, so I hearbye call to order the first Captain's council of Exploited Pirates."

Captain Hook twirled his mustache with his hook. "I demand to speak first." There were tears gathering in his eyes. "I have suffered most. It's that flying fiend Peter Pan and his Lost boys that are the cause of me woes. I have been beaten to shreds by those airborne brats. My crew was helpless. In the film "Hook" directed by Steven Spielberg, my men were defeated by paint guns and a very fat boy." Hook rose to his feet, voice shaking with intensity. "For most of the film I was left to try to make Peter's son abandon him. I killed one boy at the end of the film, just one, and Peter promptly outfought me and sealed me in that crocodile. Why couldn't I pull a pistol on that name-calling wretch? It isn't fair." Hook sank into his chair sobbing. "It isn't fair at all."

Silver and the other pirates looked grave. Wing Ti'p stood. "In Disney movie "Swiss Family Robinson" we were plenty beat by wimpy Robinson Family and the boy. My men attacked rocky hill and got plenty beat. We walked right into pits, got scratched by tiger, shot by ridiculous crossbow device, walked on collapsing bridge, hit on head by plastic logs and blown up by coconut bomb. So many things go perfectly for Robinson family. We happen to walk right on traps, happen to be spotted by boy on zebra, happen to be trapped by admiral's ship that come by just in time. It no fair. Movie director not give us a chance."

Long John Silver let that sink in for a moment before nodding to Captain Hoseason. The Dutchman stood and took a drink of wine. "I lost my brig, my crew and my first mate in the Disney film "Kidnapped". Hook barged in. "You are no pirate. What ships have you sunk? Who have you killed? You aren't even a privateer." Hoseason put down his wine. "I kidnapped a boy, I schemed to murder a passenger for 30 guineas and kept a first mate who was a drunk. I will not beg for help, and I was only in one film, but I stand for fair, unbiased treatment of pirates. I do not mean that pirates should win, but they deserve better than to be used as canon fodder.

Long John Silver stood last, shining his confident grin. "Gentlemen, capn's all. I have not been wronged like the rest of ye. I lost my crew and the ship I commandeered, but in true pirate style I turned the tables and went on to star in a sequel and a television series. I be what every pirate should have a chance to be, a pirate with style, with intelligence." Long John pulled out a rum-stained paper covered in handwriting. "Here be the charter for the League of Exploited Pirates. If ye cannot write sign with an x. Together we will fight for equality for all villains of the sea."

Hook, Wing Ti'p, Hoseason and Silver huddled together, writing their names in ink and hashing out the perticulars of the article. Behind them the door swung open. A man in a brown jacket slipped in, followed by a older fellow with grey sideburns. As the pirate captains turned the man touched the battered tricorner hat perched atop his dreadlocks and backed out the door. "Sorry." Said Captain Jack Sparrow. "Wrong room". 

I hope you enjoyed reading this article. I will try to post more often in the future, which due to current developments seems more likely. Please take a moment and tell me what you thought of it.

The Invisible World

The Invisible World

"Base, this is the Constellation, we are experiencing some unexpected gravitational pull." Captain John Connors wished that he could wipe away the sweat that was trickling down the visor of his spacesuit. His spaceship, the Constellation, was just outside of orbit with Saturn, performing a search of the moon Cletus for water. The grainy reply of the base on earth came through. "It is probably just Titan, you are drifting close to it's gravity field. Compensate your course." Captain Connors glanced back at his fellow astronauts, Teak and Alice. "O.K. base, compensating course."

The gravitational pull grew stronger and stronger. Connors activated booster rockets, but not on full, he needed to conserve fuel. Alice spoke on the personal communication channel. "Captain, this gravity field is almost exactly like reentry. If we weren't clearly thirty thousand miles from the nearest moon I would say there was a planet right in front of us." Connors nodded, even though no one could see it from inside his helmet. "Base, we are having trouble breaking away from the field, booster rockets on full, please advise." Static filled the channel. Connors threw some switches, trying to filter out the interference. "Base, come in base. I say again base, please respond." Static. Suddenly Captain John Connors felt very small, a tiny actor against the vast backdrop of space who had forgotten his lines.

The Constellation shook and began pitching down, despite the booster rockets. The three astronauts gasped as, where moments before there had been only a splendid view of Saturn's rings, the surface of a planet, blue with water and green with life, suddenly appeared before them. Connors cut the booster rockets and angled the ship to give him some control. Teak began rattling off the landing sequence checklist. Connors scanned his instruments, looking for a good place to put down. As the Constellation flew in decaying orbit within the atmosphere he considered a wavy purple forest, or a small desert framed by crescent-shaped mountains. Alarms began beeping. A indicator showed that the outside of the ship was flaming hot from reentry, in a few minutes the ship would disintegrate like a shooting star. "Teak, put us down over on that continent, if we can hit it." Connors sat rigid in his seat, unable to do more. Calling for base again and again over the static-choked channel. Parachutes flared out of the Constellation, slowing it to a few hundred miles per hour. The wheels extended, Teak pulled back gently on the stick and the spaceship gently demolished a giant mushroom farm.

Connors, Alice and Teak stepped out of the airlock, dropping slowly to the ground. John Connors didn't think of anything historic to say, he just bent down and ran his hands through the light, pinkish soil. Teak broke in on his profound thoughts. "We have company John."
The alien farmer was staggering towards them. He stood ten feet tall and hopped slowly on a single leg. Three eyes stared out of his blue, filmy, stunned face. Connors held out his hand slowly. The alien hopped forward and looked carefully at it. The strange person from space seemed to be offering him something, but he could not see it. He politely pretended to take something from Connors palm. The alien farmer was relieved, at least these person's were not hostile. His mouth curved downwards in a smile. Teak bounded up in the less-than-Earth gravity and grabbed the alien's hand, shook it, and let it go.

Everyone turned as dozens of three-legged pods bounded into sight and towards them. The pods formed in a circle around the Constellation. Forty tall aliens in black suits bounded out of them and rushed towards the ship, slipping on inter-species communicators and flashing badges with their slender hands. The chief alien approached the farmer. "Mr. Vitzala. I must ask you to forget everything that just happened to you. A Rumosta demolished your mushroom crop." He handed the farmer nine gleaming silver stones. "Fortunately the government is more than compensating you for your loss." The farmer nodded and began hopping away backwards. Teak waved at him. The alien waved back and hopped out of sight. The chief turned back to the astronauts. "You will be taken care off. Your ship will be repaired and readied for launch back to your world. You will be blindfolded and you must forget ever finding this planet." The Connors tried to protest but the black-suited aliens forced him into one of the pods and he was to a isolated facility hidden deep in a waving purple forest.

Four months later Alice, Connors and Teak found themselves four thousand miles from Earth, traveling aboard the repaired Constellation. The communication channel conveniently cleared and the control station came through. "Hey Constellation. Nice to see you back. That solar storm really messed up our comm's." Teak broke in. "Base, you will not believe what's happened out here. . ." A stern voice cut him off. "Teak, save it for the debriefing." Teak sat back in shock. Connors spoke. "We are beginning our approach for reentry, base. Please advise."

The landing went smoothly, without incident. The astronauts were hurried from the spaceship by black-suited men and debriefed separately. Connors was ushered into a lavish room bedecked with ribbons and left alone. Through a window he saw a massive crowd by a stage, waiting for the return of the heroes from space. A clean shaven man in a black suit and dark sunglasses stepped into the room. "Captain Connors. I must warn you not to speak to anyone about what happened to you in space." Connors bristled. "I am tired of people telling me what not to do. What are you going to do to stop me, huh? I'm a hero to these people. You gonna kill me? Or hide me away in some bunker?" The man in black shook his head and chuckled softly. "No John. We are not going to hurt you or threaten you. But nobody will believe you. What will you achieve? At most an official inquiry that we can effortlessly misdirect. Sure, it might make your biography sell better." John paced to the window and looked out. His wife and little boy were standing in the front row, beaming, waiting to see him. He turned back to the man. "But somebody has to tell the truth, even if nobody will believe." The man smiled, threw an arm over John's shoulder and led him to the door. "The world is not ready for this truth John. Go have your moment of triumph, see your family. Collect your generous retirement bonus and spend quality time with your son. Make memories on this planet." John Connors put his hand on the doorknob and sighed. "Alright, I won't go encouraging the conspiracy theorists. But I will never forget what really happened out there."

A cheer roared to life as the astronaut ran onto the stage and into his family's arms. The man in black headed for the back room where the spacesuits were being decontaminated. To anyone else it seemed he was frowning and upset, but inside he was smiling.





I hope you all enjoyed this short story. Please feel free to comment and tell me what you think.

Ten Favorite Screen Characters Tag

Sarah at http://howtowatchamotionpicture.blogspot.com/2015/05/10-favorite-screen-characters.html has tagged me to make a list of 10 of my favorite screen characters.

Instructions: For this quick, fun blog hop, you just name your 10 favorite characters from movies or TV, then tag 10 friends (if you can) to do the same!
This is such a fun tag to do. I hope you have fun with it also. Here are my ten most off-the-top-of-my-head favorite screen characters. P.S. I will try to avoid copying anyone else's picks.

"I come with glad tidings, of a world made free."

Loki is a wonderfully funny and well-played villain. He is one of my favorites and is hard to get down, always smiling and joking even as he plots world domination and treachery. It could almost be argued that he is an antihero, except he is so evil in his own happy way.

"Get Off my plane."

John Marshal, the heroic president of the United States in Air Force One, played by Harrison Ford. Marshal is a guy you would want by your side in a firefight. At once a loving family man and determined fighter, he never rests until the ones he loves are safe and the terrorists are brought to justice. Would our current president act so selflessly? John Marshal is a character worthy of emulation and has some great movie lines.

"There are a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep em' all away from you, that's never possible."

Atticus Finch, the lawyer in To Kill A Mockingbird. (Played by Gregory Peck.) Is a inspiring man who stands up for what is right but is never a stuffy prude about it. He is a solid citizen who loves his children and does all he can as defendant of Tom Robinson, a unjustly accused negro. Faced with a prejudiced jury, murderous southerners and the villainous Mr. Yule, Finch faces certain defeat but never turns back and wins his childrens respect.

"We both know I have to kill you now. You'll just have to imagine the fire."

Bane is another of my favorite villains. Every one of the baddies in the Dark Knight trilogy bring something special to the screen. Ra's Al'Ghul. (Am I spelling that right?) is the one who taught Batman, who gave him a path and lifted him from darkness. He had the calmness of a man completely dedicated to his cause. The Joker is a completely insane madman with real personality and lines, along with his own catchphrase. But ultimately I chose Bane, a brutal terrorist who can not only outsmart but outfight Batman and delivers some of the most memorable, deadpan quotes of any movie villain.

"Guys, I told you, call me Sully."

James T Sullivan is the lovable furry protagonist from Monsters Inc. He is an average joe who is the top scarer at the company. He meets, is terrified by and eventually charmed by the human child, Boo.
Sully is a friendly fluffball who has it all, a great job, admiration from his peers and his best friend, wisecracking Mike Wazowski. But he risks it all to rescue his human friend from his boss Waternoose and the sneaking reptilian Randal.

"No, I am your father."

Darth Vader is one of the most classic villains of all time. The powerful lord of the Sith, with his menacing black suit, helmet and cape he brings terrifying presence to every scene. His stern voice pronounces the will of his emperor as his red lightsaber cuts down all who oppose him. Few can match Vader, who wields the dark side of the Force. In the end he is redeemed and sacrifices his life to save his son. Star Wars would not have been the classic it is without Darth Vader.

"The price of freedom is high, always has been. But it's a price I'm willing to pay."

Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America, is my favorite Avenger, barely beating Thor. He was once a skinny kid from Brooklyn who was enhanced to the height of physical perfection. Now he fights injustice as the shield-throwing paragon of freedom. Steve has a firm moral code which he always adheres to, always doing what he sees is right. So this brave, noble, handsome and strong hero easily claims a place on my list.

"If one isn't willing to pay the price one shouldn't play the game."

There is not and probably will never be as great a detective as Sherlock Holmes. I really enjoy the modern incarnation as played by Benedict Cumberbatch. But my favorite is the Holmes of Basil Rathbone. Who can top that penetrating gaze, that snapping delivery, that energy? Sherlock seems to have been made for mysteries. He is bored to death with the life of average people, but give him a case, a puzzle or a crime and he does not rest until it is solved. But though his intellect is razor sharp he is not an emotionless robot. Holmes has few friends but to those he has he is understanding and fair. If something unexplainable has happened, the man to call is Sherlock Holmes.

 "Always remember, your focus determines your reality." 

Qui-Gon Jinn is a jedi knight who is a very rich, likeable character. Behind the lightsaber he is a stalwart friend, a wise warrior and a teacher. Qui-Gon is very practical, doing his best to get his friends out of danger. Throughout his adventures he always has a plan, but never controls or commands others, but rather persuades them, sometimes with the Force when necessary. Although he is cautious and prudent Qui-Gon has his own ideas, sometimes even defying the jedi council to support his gut feeling. When push comes to shove Qui-Gon Jinn is the man you want by your side.

"Hammond, after some consideration, I've decided, not to endorse your park." 

And finally, there is a noble model of the scientist-adventurer in Doctor Alan Grant. I wanted to put Indiana Jones here but decided it not to. Doctor Grant is a archaeologist who fights for survival against dinosaurs while he's not digging them up. When most people run for their lives, (and are quickly eaten.) Grant is the one who stays behind to help those who need help, using his knowledge of dinosaurs to stay one step ahead of the vicious reptiles. He is not just a survivor but a leader, taking care of everyone. When people all around him are losing their heads Grant stays calm. 

Well. That is my top ten favorite screen characters. I regret that it took so long to finish and my list is far from perfect, but I hope you enjoy it.

I cannot tag anyone right now because I just want to get this done and I don't know enough people to tag ten of them. I may tag someone later.

Power of the Digital Pen

The Power of the Digital Pen

How much can you write in a year? I decided to find out. This is how I arrived at my conclusion. For 

those who are not mathematically minded just skip to the bottom.

There are 365 days in a year. I subtracted 65 days (36.5%) for holidays, sick days etc.

I worked out a average typing speed of 25 words per minute and subtracted 25% for thought and 

word corrections. That leaves 18.75 word per minute.

If you typed for four hours every day you would get 1,200 hours of work done in a year. 

18.75 word per minute times 60 =1,125 words per hour. Bear with me.

1,200 hours per year times words per hour 1,125 =1,250,000 words typed in a year. But I didn't stop there.

My softcover edition of The Fellowship of the Ring, first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is 8" tall and 5" long. I roughly estimated that there are 12.6 words per line in my book and 37.75 lines in an average page. There are 378 pages in my book not counting covers and introduction. Those pages all together are 1.5" thick. 

So 12.6 words per line times 37.75 lines per page equals the words per page, so 12.6 (37.75) =475.65 words per page. 

Next lets take our words per year and see how many pages we can type. 1,350,000 divides into 475.65 to equal 2838.221381 pages per year. And 2838.221381 divided by 378 pages that comprise the Fellowship of the Ring equals 7.508522172 or about seven and a half volumes every year (7.5) 

The thickness of the book, 1.5" times number of volumes, 7.5 equals 11.25" of writing. Given books 8" high and 5"wide one could turn out nearly a foot of books every year.

If one wrote poetry one could probably get even more.

That is 8" times 5" times 11.25" =450^3 cubic inches of literature.

As always I enjoy your comments so please tell me what you think. And thanks to my mother for the typing speed average.

1800 Union Jack

This is it, the long in coming alternate reality Avengers. I hope you enjoy it and as always I 

appreciate all comments. I am thinking of making a separate page for Marvel and DC one-

shots.


The dockside tavern was not a pleasant place. Unwashed sailors hobbled and staggered across the
floor, stepping in piles of leftovers from the tables. Two one-legged sailors at the bar turned to stare
at the stranger as he entered. His overcoat, fresh from the tailor and a beaverskin top hat marked him
as a gentleman, someone of importance, perhaps a captain hiring hands.

The gentleman scanned the dimly lit room for a moment and walked to the bar, boots thudding on the rotting boards. He leaned over the bar and called to the barkeeper. "Wine." Then he turned to look at the man beside him. The man was a strapping figure, finely tuned muscles bulging from under a faded blue jacket. His face was cleanshaven and two piercing blue eyes gleamed from under a tricorner hat. He noticed the gentleman's gaze and extended his hand. "I am captain Steven Rogers, what can I do for you?" The gentleman showed a soft smile. "I am Philip, an employee of a organization which desires your services. Steven frowned. He was not used to flowery words. "What king do you serve?" Philip drank his wine and glanced searchingly around the tavern. "We serve no king, but are nominally under George the third, king of England." Steve swallowed a draft of ale. "The king does not want the services of a Yankee privateer. If it was known I was here in England I am sure that redcoats would be swarming this place." He smiled a little. "You didn't bring any redcoats did you?" Philip looked Steve straight in the eye. "You are a great patriot captain Rogers. You carried out several daring smuggling runs to bring vital supplies to the colonies during their struggle for independance. We need a man who believes in freedom."

Steve furrowed his brow in thought. He took another swallow of the potent ale. He had already had three mugs of the potent brew, enough to make a grown man staggering drunk, but it didn't seem to affect him. Finally he spoke. "Who are your employers? I like to know who I am working for." Philip nodded. "We call ourselves Aegis. Imagine a large company, like the East India Trading Company, dedicated to stopping enemies who threaten the peace of the entire world. We will pay you well and you can walk away at any time, there is no contract to sign." Steve straightened and held out his hand. Philip gripped it and shook it warmly, but the smile on his face was fixed. "Don't look around. There is a man dressed in black on the stairs, he is very dangerous. We need to leave now, slowly."
Captain Rogers turned, slid a silver piece to the tavern keeper and strode purposefully towards the door. He detected a sound above the belching of sailors, the sound of the man in black flying through the air. Steve ducked. His assailant went over his back and crashed into a table, spraying ale everywhere. As he staggered to his feet Steve got a better look at him. A hood covered his face. His shirt was emblazoned with a white skull and crossbones. He was obviously in top physical condition. The man in black lunged at Steve, his fist flicked out and hit the captain. Steve crashed into a wooden post and threw a return punch with practiced ease. His foe evaded the blow with equal skill and rained punches on Steve, who protected his face with his arms. Philip called out in his quiet voice. "Crossbones, but your hands over your head and surrender." The man in black turned and saw Philip holding a double-barreled pistol at his head.

Crossbones leaped behind a post. The pistol discharged a moment later, clipping the post and spraying wood chips over the staring spectators. Crossbones leaped over a table and through the door of the tavern, Philip's second shot whistling past his ear. Steve grabbed a shield from the bar where he had left it. It was a simple round affair, made of metal with leather handles.
Steve slipped it on his arm and exited the tavern. As his eyes adjusted to the dark dock he saw Crossbones and two sailors aiming at him with blunderbusses, nasty close range guns loaded with metal fragments. Steve threw himself into a crouch with his shield covering him. A storm of shrapnel hissed towards him and bounced off of the shield. Philip dove back into the tavern as the sailors grabbed muskets from the ground and cocked them. Steve saw the new threat and stayed down. Crossbones aimed at the doorway where Philip had gone and signaled his men. The sailors began circling around behind Steve. Philip knew that Crossbones would shoot him if he showed himself, but he had to help Steve, he braced himself and cocked his backup pistol.

From the roof of the tavern a wild figure leaped into space and blasted one of Crossbones men in midair with a pistol. The figure hit the ground running and knocked out the other goon with one punch. As Crossbones aimed at this unexpected threat captain Rogers stood and threw his shield. The whirling arc of metal broke Crossbones musket in half. The villain turned and sprinted down a quay towards a waiting boat. Steve started after him but a cry brought him to a halt. Redcoats, british soldiers dressed in red uniforms, streamed onto the dockside and aimed their muskets at Steve. The figure who had rescued him stepped forward. In the dim lamplight Steve saw that it was a man dressed in pantaloons, boots and a thick jerkin. He also wore a cape emblazoned with a double cross. The man stepped forwards, his rugged face breaking into a smile as he adressed the soldiers. "Hey boys, uncock those muskets, you are letting that villain Crossbones get away." Aparently the soldiers knew this man. They slowly uncocked thier pieces and hurried along the quay after Crossbones receding ship. The man held out his hand to Steve, who warmly shook it. "You must be Cap'n Rogers, the Yankee privateer. It's a good thing mister Coulson had me stand by as backup." Philip stepped forwards. "Well done agent." He turned to Rogers. "This is Jack. He is quite a hero in England. He is working with Aegis for a while as security detail." Steve attached his shield to his back by a leather cord. "So when do I start work?" Coulson gestured towards a sloop moored to the quay where blinking lanterns winked. "My men are loading your ship with provisions. We can sail with the morning tide."