Turbulent skies

[Deleted]

Energy reserves were rapidly being tapped into by the woman flying the friendly skies under Marvel power. the woman whose appearance resembled that of a thirty year old that was also one of the most powerful people left on Earth as she knew it. Don't ask her how it turned out this way but a battle that carried Mary Marvel from coast to coast against the unlikely team-up of Metallo and Doctor Sivana also dug up Sinestro and Magneto most unexpectedly. She had no idea what would bring those 4 together and she didn't want to know. The fight was over.

Fortunately she had unexpected allies to fight alongside in the X-Men and she was content to let them uncover the reasons the four of them were in cahoots but urged them to call her and let her know. The battle had been long and she was tapped out. Her energy reserves had mercifully already begun to replenish but getting back to New York and returning to normal, if she were so lucky to get home without further incident, would admittedly feel great.

She had just crossed the California state line and moving at all the speed within her was now surging through Nevada She'd be home within the hour at her speed. Too bad life is never that simple. The X-men had other enemies, one of whom had her in their sights unaware to the dark haired maiden of might.

[redqueen]

Madelyne sighed she was very happy with how things had turned out so far. Things where going her way she had a body again and not just any body but Jean Gray’s the woman she had been cloned from. She was slightly disappointed that Scott hadn’t been there to see it she would have loved to have seen the look on her ex-husbands face just before she killed him of course. She ran her hand through her hair before frowning at the Doomsday clone that seemed to have come out of no where “Well this just wont do at all.” she raised her hand at the same time the clone lifted off the ground with a flick of her wrist she sent the clone spinning head over heels upwards probably towards space or just really high up to come back down some place else far away from her and where she was at the time.

After the monster was gone she had a thought that caused her to stop and really think about it. Now that she was in Jean Gray’s body her body actually would the Phoenix Force come to her? Oh what a delicious thought that was she and Jean are one and the same are they not? Yes she wasn’t the good girl Jean had been well not anymore but that wasn’t her fault of course but still she’d be a better host then Jean had been she would fight it like her other did. She'd enjoy all that power it would give her this caused her to laugh.

[Deleted]

When the Doomsday clones started wrecking the world you couldn't turn a corner without bumping into one and with all her power and magical abilities even Mary Marvel wouldn't launch a direct assault on one of the monsters. Now they seemed to be getting fewer in number. They were indeed dwindling, perhaps that was the reason neither she nor the x-men had encountered any during the battle she just emerged from.

Her energy level was back at 95% by now. Not completely topped off yet but close enough if something arose. Something did arise. Seriously, it really arose and she barely had time to come to a screeching halt before it smacked her in the face. A Single, solitary Doomsday clone being heaved into the air against it's will like it was shot out of a cannon; flying helplessly to parts unknown and this Maiden of Might certainly wasn't going to interfere.

More concerning to Mary Marvel was the possibility of who had enough power to handle a Doomsday clone in such a way. It had not only been beaten it had literally been toyed with. Mary felt the mystic energy radiating for miles away and let the elders steer her course as she picked up on the magical trail of invisible energy that lingered and landed in search of the mystery person Eventually catching glimpse o9f a woman with long red hair. She seemed somehow vaguely familiar though Mary had never met Jean Grey before and didn't have a name to match with the face.

"I take it you're the one who just sent the doomsday clone sailing? Impressive work. Are you alright?" Mary's blissful ignorance of who she was really talking to and how dangerous the woman was allowing her to smile and extend a hand to shake. Otherwise she would have never have landed in the first place.

[redqueen]

By now Madelyne had created a throne for herself it was nothing super fancy but it did the job. She wasn’t one for flashy stuff like that. She already knew someone was coming being a high level telepath like she was she knew when anyone was coming human or Doomsday clone. “Never better.” she finally spoke after observing the young women in front of her. Maddie wasn’t alone however she had her pets that had been doing things but now had stopped to watch what was going on between the two women from the shadows. Who needed human’s when goblins where more useful? And worked for free.

“Your one of those people who’s going to stand around and ask me 20 questions about who and what I’m doing aren’t you?” She hated when people where like that nothing she did was anyone else’s business and the woman in front of her seemed the super hero type too so she knew this was going to be boring. They usually babbled on about this or that how you shouldn’t do this or you should do that because it was the right thing to do. She always laughed at that mostly because it usually came from Scott Summers the husband that had left her for another woman. He’s more then happy to force something on someone else but doesn’t follow it himself. She waved Mary off “You can go now I’m a big girl and can take care of myself. I don’t need a hero to save me.”

[Deleted]

Mary just shook her head as she made conversation but trythfully was stydying the other woman. She knew she had seen her somewhere before or at least a picture of her. With her mood and still slightly exhausted state however she wasn't in the moiod to deal with the woman's attitude.

"No I was just going to compliment you on the way you handled the doomsday beast. That was impressive. I was on my way back home to the East Coast after a battle against a few supervillains, fighting alongside the X-men when I saw Doomsday monster cut off my flight path. Very well I leave you in peace."

She raised a hand to wave the woman off and turned away when suddenly it dawned on her. The name and the face of the woman standing before her, though Mary would have no idea it wasn't the real Phoenix just someone borrowing her body.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead though, Miss Grey?" Mary asked after turning back and facing the woman again, an eyebrow raised in suspicion and curiosity.

[redqueen]

Maddies eyes narrowed at what the girl had said she was friends with the X-Men. Her frown turned into a smile oh this was just to good to pass up. And then it happened the girl recognized her or who she looks like of course if she wasn’t in Jean’s body she would still look like Jean as horrible a thought that was. Of course she always did think she was better then Jean why? Because she wasn’t scared of what she was unlike Jean who feared what she might become Maddie just embraced it. No point in fighting something you can’t stop from happening.

She shrugged “I got better…much better as you can clearly see.” with that the goblins that had been hanging around in the shadow’s attacked they leapt from their hiding places heading towards Mary intending on ripping her apart and Maddie just sat there watching she wasn’t going to try and help in any way just watch to see what would happen. Would the girl die would she be able to beat them?

[Deleted]

Before fate allowed her the time to react, and Mary being a step off her game and unaware the goblins were even watching, they dogpiled & tackled her in massive numbers. Going for the arms and legs first trying to pin her down while others smothered her beneath the weight, all of them attacking and punching but She was still who she was and her superpowered prowess picked exactly the right time to finish topping off. For a woman that had battled Darkseid before toe to toe and in the past had a dark side of her own that nearly destroyed her, she was more than capable of taking down the creep, crawling rugrats from the big woods. This wasn't a battle she was in the mood for dragging out either. This woman, if she was really Jean Grey or not, a fact the Maiden of Might now had a few reservations about, she had questions to answer even if Mary had to beat them from her.

Screaming with a voice flushed with anger as she made it to her feet, Mary Marvel swung her arms altogether, knocking the goons that refused to let go together and senseless while others went flying. They were slow to lean however and twice as dumb as they were ugly but she was in rare form now.

Fists flew faster than the normal eye could keep up with as she landed knuckles after knuckles to their nasty faces, sending them down as they kept coming and then with fierce determination greeting them with a magically enhanced zap when they hit the ground that left them each a solid stone copy of themselves. Statuesque goblins one and all after perhaps 10 minutes of violent exchanges before Mary angrily cracked her knuckles and shot Jean an icy glare.

"I don't know what your deal is but you picked the wrong woman to mess with and the wrong day. Be grateful I have better things to do than waste more of my precious time on you and that you haven't really committed a crime I can apprehend you for." She added and started to rise from the ground, still willing to wash her hands of the witch and her little playmates.

[redqueen]

Maddie sat there and watched she didn’t care what happened to the goblins there was always more where they came from. All brawn and no brains figured as much how disappointing but maybe she’ll have some use in some way. A watch dog maybe the first thing the hero’s would have to deal with should they ever decide to come after her. There were things to be done and she didn’t need anyone getting in her way and trying to stop her again. She had been foolish enough to use Scott’s brother Alex in the past she should have known he wouldn’t go along with the things she wanted to do in the end. He couldn’t bring himself to kill his big brother just went to show how weak Alex really was.

“Oh I’m terrified truly.” she created a telepathic illusion of the moon the illusion its was so powerful that it would make Mary believe she really was on the moon and no longer on earth. “I do wonder though how long can you hold your breath?” she’ll toy with Mary for a little while to see if she was worth keep around or not then decide what to do with her if she survives that is.

[Deleted]

"Kiss off, witch..." Mary looked over her shoulder while she made her ascent, still hardly in a mood to waste her time on the woman that apparently had a different opinion. Mary rose about 50 feet before things started getting weird. It was clearly a telepathic attack but it felt real enough even for a woman with godly abilities. Whoever her attacker really was, she was far from a slouch in her own right

The telepathic blast was sudden and direct. One minute she saw herself rising toward the clouds, the next she saw blackness enclosing around her like a spider's web. It was a familiar feeling. She'd been in space before but she quickly squeezed her eyes shut. She may not have a great deal of experience in dealing with telepathic attacks but she did have the godly guidance of the elders and the wisdom of Solomon on her side.

Bitying her lower lip, she focused hard to block the woman back out of her mind the way she came in but with all her power, that of Jean Grey was stronger. She fought for only a few minutes before she found herself floating completely in space, then landing on the moon, it seemed that real to her.

She had no trouble breathing though, that was the biggest advantage that kept her from going berserk at the moment. Yes it did all seem real but in the end she still knew who was responsible. Wisdom said she still had to be somewhere close by.

"My turn now!" She bragged, closing her eyes yet again and fighting once more to break through but with little success, able to hear someone else breathing but able to see nothing but the moon and stars. She wouldn't give up this easily however

[redqueen]

“You forgot one thing child this world I created belongs to me I control everything that includes your breathing.” with that she used her powers to make Mary believe she couldn’t breath. She did find it amusing the girl was trying to fight her she give her a little bit of slack before taking it away from her it was all just a game to make Mary think she stood a small chance to break free but it was just a lie. Maddie appeared in front of Mary this time standing “This is my playground I rule here your fists wont do you any good.”

She walked around Mary “Although you may have some use…if only a little. Or I could just let you die. So hard to choose to.” she stopped in front of Mary waiting to see what the little superhero would do now if anything at all. Would she beg for her life or just be to stubborn and not say a thing and die a painful death?

[Deleted]

Mary Marvel had more going for her than her fists. She had speed, she had cunning, she had gobs of magical energy, fuel for spells at her fingertips. More than anything else however she had the wisdom of Solomon and each of the godly elders that supplied her powers to rely on. Even now she cast a silent prayer in hopes of finding the means to deal with an enemy unlike any she'd dealt with before. Mystic attacks were an anomaly to the Maiden of Might but there had to be a way to break through.

She then stopped talking; she waited and watched, knowing if she grew silent, the woman would grow frustrated and slip up in some way. Sure enough Mary only needed a few moments of wait before she actually saw the woman appear in front of her in this illusion of the moon's environment that felt real only to Mary.

That was all Mary thought she needed before she lunged forward like a shot, trying to bearhug the woman into submission. She fell short and gasped as she dropped to her knees, the feeling of being unable to breath seeming real. Her hands grabbed at her own throat as she felt the feeling of asphyxiation overwhelm her.

She couldn't breathe and air was needed to speak. The ability to speak was needed to create a mystic incantation capable of freeing herself. One of the world's most powerful heroes had met their better. Outdone by someone more powerful

"N-n-ne-v-v-v-er s-s-s-serve you...." The letters took forever to finish leaving her lips but she was determined to prove, even for the last time, that she was still capable of being a hero, even if it meant dying like one.

Her body was starting to feel weightless however and not even a Marvel could survive without breathing. Her eyes rolled back into her head when she finally surrendered. She would die someday probably but not today.

"Enough. What...d-d-d-do you want from-m-m-me?" If she could lead the tramp into thinking she was giving up it was the best chance of having opportunity to get her to lower her guard and earn an opportunity to strike back. Anything was better than death though.

[redqueen]

Madelyne stood there watching Mary still try and fight her well she’ll give the girl points for trying but it was useless. Being such a high level telepath meant very few had the ability to block her out and those were other telepaths. By now Madelyne’s eyes have gone all white and wagged a finger at Mary like she had done something wrong. “For shame plotting against me. I’m inside your head child I know your thoughts thinking you were going to attack me once I release my hold on you.” She bent down reaching out she grabbed Mary by the hair on the back of her head so she would be forced to look at her. “You might have the power to level a city within seconds might even have magical powers but that doesn’t do you a damn bit of good when the person your dealing with can get into your head.” she brought up her free hand placing it over Mary’s mouth as her eyes started to glow red “They say everyone has a dark side to them even someone like Superman. The thing is most of the time they just need a helping hand someone to give them a push if you will.” her eyes grew brighter as she used her powers to bring out the dark side of Mary’s personality. It didn’t take her long to do it before she released the younger woman standing up again to wait and see what would happen.

[Deleted]

Respect

It's all Mary Marvel had ever wanted for herself since the day she first discovered she had access to the power of Shazam. Second to that of helping save lives of course. Respect and being thought of as a hero in her own right. not just a carbon copy of her brother as much as she loved him, and not just a hero that constantly had to ride on his cape so to speak. To go from 21 to 30 by speaking one magic word and using her power to the best of her ability was amazing and in her eyes she had proven herself repeatedly yet never had gotten the respect she felt she deserved.

Now she was in the clutches of someone she couldn't hold a candle to by comparison of raw power. She'd met her match and her life was literally hanging by a thread but she would never beg for it.

The woman she still thought was Jean Grey had her fingers entwined in her hair and forcefully grabbed her head to make direct eye contact with her. Still on the moon as far as she knew and unable to breathe, she would have screamed if she could have otherwise.

To her shame there was a twinge of satisfaction but for only a moment as Jean acknowledged how powerful Mary was but facts were facts, compared to Jean's power Mary might as well be powerless.

The woman's hand clamped over her mouth tightly, effectively cutting opff what bit of breathing Mary was still capable of and there was no chance to resist before her mind was invaded to a greater extent. Walls were broken down, inhibitions shattered and just as the Red Queen exclaimed, Mary's dark personality took over. Her eyes even became a darker color, changing from blue to red to match Jean's. When it was all said and done, Mary seemed able to breath again standing there as her costume took on a darker color also, transforming from white to black while Mary stood with her arms crossed and frowned.

"What was the point of this stunt and Who do I get to kill first?"

It was all about respect and now she'd get it the old fashioned way. She'd kill for it.

[redqueen]

Madelyne looked at Mary “To make you more useful I didn’t need a hero it was either that or rip your mind apart and left your body nailed to the brick wall until you died or someone found you if you were that lucky.” She wouldn’t count someone finding Mary in time unless it was a Doomsday clone not that they would help her any probably just leave her there or kill her. She wasn’t all that worried over what Mary might try and do now she could still crush her with a thought at any given time.

Madelyne turned her back on Mary “Come we have much work to do and little time to do it all in.” she walked off heading for a building near by there were things that still needed to be done before they could go ahead with her plans for taking over her soon to be new home as well as another area that has been fought over for years long before the clones came along and destroyed everything. Madelyne stopped in front of a building that had two massive boulders in front of it she raised her arms close together then pulled them apart as her arms moved away from one another the boulders moved as well until they were out of the way. She had boulders around the building just to keep unwanted guests out and poking their noses where they didn't belong.

[Deleted]

With her dark side being unleashed came a flurry of different emotions in a neatly bundled multitude. Hate, greed, unbridled anger, lust for power and other things, but mostly freedom. Yes that was it. Freedom. For the first time in her life Mary Marvel was free. No Marvel Marvel was history. She never liked that name anyway. Black Mary had a better ring to it and it fit her new attitude and costume. No more living in her brother's shadow. No more living by the wizard's rules. It was her way or the highway from now on. Her way and the Red Queen's apparently. Mary wasn't going to complain however. She had freed her and Mary would walk alongside her for that reason alone, although she hoped there was something in it for her in this mission her new mentor had her heart set on.

"What is this place? Where exactly are we?" She asked. In all the confusion of Madelyne Pryor's mental games Mary had lots her sense of direction, unable to remember exactly where she was when she landed. Fortunately she had remembered that Madelyne Pryor was a dead ringer for Jean Grey. The guidance of the gods feeding her wisdom clued Marty into the fact this was the red queen instead of Jean Grey, not that it mattered to Mary either way.

Again a slight smile of appreciation crossed Mary's lips as the Red Queen seemed to use telekinesis to move the boulders out of the way that barred the entrance to this place without exerting an ounce of physical muscle. "Impressive feat and and interesting place you have here. I'd like to learn how you do that some time."