by Madam Marvelous and Midgardsormr
ID 26130 and 11112
Round 2 went far better for the Star Force: Junior League than I expected, and I felt badly for it. We were slotted to fight against the MacGregors!!, the league one of my first heroic friends, Angelus, was a member of. I knew the team, as I joined them during the Heroic Olympiad several month ago. Fighting against them was contrary to my ideal of fighting as a hero. I was supposed to fight with them at my side, not as adversaries.
But, league wars were most importantly about training and being prepared to fight against threats like Legion when they imperiled the world. We all needed the experience of fighting others with a variety of abilities. That was what it took to be prepared, and I wasn't going to hold back. I just needed to keep telling myself that it was necessary.
I shocked myself at the end of it all. I kicked ass. Round 1, I barely succeeded. Round 2, I chewed bubble gum and took names. We won 106 to 55, and that was after some of my teammates let our opponents use them as practice dummies. Arcane Ace put it best. "It doesn't do the world any good only some of us improve and others don't. We have to help strengthen every link in the chain, or live with the consequences of it breaking when we need it the most."
More than just League War was on my mind, though. As usual, I got another invitation from Midgardsormr on my message board in my quarters.
"GOOD DAY AFTER LEAGUE WAR 11 OPENING BATTLES. ONCE AGAIN LITTLE ONE YOU AND YOUR LEAGUE ARE INVITED TO WMD'S LUXURY BOX AND PRIVATE TRAING GROUNDS. SINCE NOVA BROUGHT THE ARENA TO EARTH WE REALLY CAN GO ALL OUT .FOR ENTERTAINMENT FOOF AND BEVERAGES . FRANKLY MANY CHEFS AND ENTERTAINERS DID NOT WANT TO TRAVEL TO SPACF TO ATTEND US .THIS LEAGUE WAR WE ARE ALSO OFFERING LUXURIOUS SUITES FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR LEAGUEMATES .ALONG WITH ALL OUR HEALING AND REJUVENATION FACILITIES. THIS EXTENDS ALSO LITTLE ONE TO YOUR FAMILY AND MRS. DOBTWIRE (LOL SERPENT HUMOR) UNFORTUNATELY SINCE WE SPARED NO EXPENSE THIS IS A MANDATORY INVITATION IF ANY OF YOUR LEAGUE OR YOUR FAMILY TURNS IT DOWN I WILL PERSONALLY CONSIDER IT DISRESPECT AND AN AFFRONT TO ME. THERE IS ONE HUNDRED PERCECT GUARANTY OF A GOOD TIME AND SAFETY .ALSO ONCE AGAIN SOME PRIVATE TRAINING SESSIONS WILL BE PROVIDED TO YOU AND ANY LEAGUEMATES .AND SOME SELF DEFENSE CLASSES OFFERED TO YOUR FAMILY BY SOME OF EARTH'S FINEST NON META FIGHTERS . COME RUNNING FLYING TELEPORTING OR ANY QUICK MEANS AFFORDED TO ALL INDIVIDUALS INVOLVEDIF YOUR PARENTS NEED IT WE WILL SEND OUR PRIVATE SPACE YACHT TO PICK THEM UP AND AFTER LW RETURN THEM HOME. BUT BE A LITTLE LEARY OF OUR PRATICAL JOKESTER THE WIZAED HE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO GIVE CURSED PETS AS PRESENTS JUST POLITELY TURN THEM DOWN ( EXCEPT PERHAPS A FIRE SPRITE OFFERED TO WYLDEFYRE ( I DON'T LIKE THAT ANNOYING FIREFLY. ALL OF YOU BETTER SHOW UP OR HUGS AND KISSES MIDGARDSORMR"
I enjoyed meeting with him and his league in the past, as well as bringing my teammates along. I appreciated Midgardsormr's interest in me and our growing friendship, but bringing my parents into my superhero world worried me. My first priority was to keep my secret and to keep them safe. How could I bring them here and not have people figure out who I was and, more importantly, who they were to me???
My second concern was the Secret Santa exchange with the other heroes. What if none of them liked what I got for them? I couldn't create things out of thin air like Ms. Fae. My efforts as an artist were basic at best. I could paint a mean all white canvas, but beyond that, I don't think many adults would appreciate my glitter-bomb skills.
A second message came in from Midgardsormr as I sat at my desk and tried to type a message inviting my parents.
"I WAS WALKING PAST THE SORE AND POUR A SALOON NEAR THE EDGE OF THE BATTLE ARENA I HEARD OL BURNED MATCH HEAD IN WHINING ABOUT HIS LEAGUEMATES.......SO I WENT INSIDE NOT BOTHERING WITH A DOOR I JUST WALKED THROUGH THE TRI TUNSTEN MAKESHIFT WALL AND WALKED UP TO HIM .....FUNNY NO ONE NOT EVEN THE POWER ARMORRD MORPHONMUSCLE HEAD BOUNCERS GOT IN MY WAY.
YOU WHINING LITTLE MATCH BEING A PART OF A LEAGUE IS BEING A PART OF A LEAGUE YOU WIN BECAUSE YOU STICK TOGETHER YOU NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE ANOTHER IN PUBLIC .....GOT ME I HEAR YOU PUKING OUT NONSENSE FROM YOUR PIEHOLE AGAIN I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT HOT STUFF YOU AREN'T.ONCE AGAIN WE WILL SPARE LATER AND I WILL SHOW YOU .ONE THING I WILL TELL YOU I WON'T SNUFF OUTYOUR FLAME FOREVER BUT IT MAY BE DIMMED AWHILE AS I LET MADAM KNOW THIS IS MANDATORY AND ALL OF B.A.D.G.E. AND YOUR MERC BUDDIES CAN STOP ME FROM FINDING YOU AND TRACHING YOU A LESSON .NOW SHUT UP FINISH YOUR DRINK AND GO TRAIN.
ANYONE HERE OBJECT TO WHAT I SAID........DIDN'T THINK SSSSSSO .BARKEEP OPEN A TAB FOR MIDGARDSORMR FREE DRINKS ALL NIGHT ON ME EXCEPT FOR CANDLE BOY HERE HE GETS 1 DRINK THEN HE IS CUT OFF THE MIDGARD SERPENT THEN ORDERED THE DRONE THAT FOLLOWS HIM TO STAY HERE TO MAKE SURE MY REQUESRS ARE FOLLOWED WYLDEFYRE GERS ONE DRINK THEN FOLLOW HIM BACK TO THE TRAINING AREA WMD HAS SET UP FOR THE JUBIOR STARFORCE . GOOD NIGHT FELLOW METAS MAY YOU HAVE HONORABLE SHOWINGS IN THE SECOND ROUND. WYLDFYRE WE WILL SPAR AFTER THE FINAL ROUND OTHERWISE I THINK YOU WOULD MISS THE REST OF THE LEAGUE WAR 11"
I wasn't surprised that Wyldfyre didn't mention his latest encounter with Midgardsormr, but I hoped he made arrangements for some healing with Ms. Fae for after his training with the World Serpent. Wyldfrye wasn't actually a bad guy, underneath all his bluster and bad attitude. Unfortunately, he wasn't really a good one either.
The chime for 15:00 hours rang. I'd have to wait and see about inviting my parents later. Maybe I could find someone like Astra to teleport them to the station after tomorrow's matches. If they were brought right into the WMD-Black Order rooms, that would cut down on the number of people who would see them. Right now, I needed to get my presents to the arboretum for the Secret Santa event. I gathered up the boxes of Retro Warrior kits I'd wrapped and headed to the doorway, shapeshifting into an elk with large satchels draped on my sides to hold the packages.
As I headed to the arboretum, I didn't understand why so many people asked me where Rocky was as I made my way through the corridors. As far as I knew, I didn't know anyone named Rocky beside Sylvester Stallone from the movie. A few other people made comments about moose and squirrels as I passed by. A mystery for later.
Several of my hero friends were in the massive space arena's garden area. Twinkle light were hung off every bough and an enormous Christmas tree filled over half of the central platform. Pine and cinnamon filled the air as robots and elves meandered through the growing crowd handing out cups of cocoa, hot cider, and sugar cookies. Seeing the elves was endearing, with their bright colorful garb and cheerful mirth, but the station's robotic staff sort of creeped me out. Their frozen functional faceplates topped by red Christmas caps was actually a bit like looking at walking shiny corpses. I did my best to avoid walking too close to any of them.
Santa wasn't in the room yet, so as I approached the tree one of the BADGE field agents met me. "Whoa, Bullwinkle."
I shifted back to my superheroic Madam Marvelous persona. "I'm not Bullwinkle. I'm Madam Marvelous and I have presents. Where should I put them?"
"Right over there would be fine," he said as he pointed at an empty nook under the beautiful tree. "Director Nova and all of BADGE appreciates your service and hopes you enjoy the event, Madam."
"You can call me Kitt'n," I said as I tucked the gifts under the tree. It felt wonderful, being surrounded by so many heroes and such a beautiful environment. Snow blew over the thick space-worthy glass that encased the room, creating an ever shifting pattern of white on exterior surface. I grabbed a cup of cocoa and cookie from the nearest elf passing by and nibbled as some of my friends approached with gifts of their own.
*****
A knock shook not only the door, but the entire house. Having just finished dinner, Mrs. Talri and her husband were at the kitchen sink washing dishes side by side. The tremor surprised them both, causing her to drop a plate she had just picked up to dry to the floor. It bounced one before it cracked and shattered into dozens of small pieces.
"What the heck was that?" she asked. "Did someone drive into the house with their car?"
"It sounded like someone was at the door," he answered, pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the camera mounted to their doorbell. "Somebody is at the doorstep, but I can't tell who it is from how they are standing."
The knock came again, this time the wood of their home cracking and groaning in protest to the repeated pummeling.
to be continued...
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