Hotshot's Crusade by Ben Church All major characters are owned by Marvel Comics except for Hotshot who is owned by the author. Chapter 2 Hotshot studied the computer in the grand hall of Paradise Omega. He was in awe of the level of technology displayed, but at the same time he felt disillusioned. He'd not expected technology in heaven, or indeed for God to require technology. But then, he'd also not expected God to be a woman. He'd always believed that God was neither male or female, that God just was. He really didn't know what he had expected. Angels with wings? Dead presidents? As he let these thoughts run their course he finally thought, "Ahh who cares." He looked up as the Goddess began to explain their purpose for coming here. She stood against a wall that bore the symbols of every religion he'd ever heard of, and even some that he didn't recognize. "Behold the grandeur of Paradise Omega, My followers! Greet the second coming, the dawn of the Goddess! From this temple we will cleanse the spirit of the universe my chosen ones! The sins of the past will be purged, and once again the Supreme one will smile on this reality. "Ah ha," Hotshot thought. "So she's not God per se, just one of his many servants. Sort of like Jesus' twin sister I guess." "My children, prepare yourselves for enlightenment!" Not everyone was listening, Hotshot noticed. Most were too much in admiration of the building itself which was indeed awe inspiring. It was larger than any cathedral he'd ever seen on Earth. Suddenly he began to wonder, were they in Heaven? Or on another planet? He forced himself to pay attention, which was not actually all that difficult, and began to listening with rapt attention. "No ordinary cathedral is this we stand in, my flock." the Goddess continued. "Within these walls rest all that we require to accomplish our holy mission." Hotshot once again found himself distracted. This time by the sight of Fire Lord and Silver Surfer. These were heroes that he had heard of, but had never seen. Then his attention drifted once more to the computer. "This is so cool." he thought grinning. Then, when the Goddess began to explain the computer, he began listening again. "I present thee with the most advanced communications equipment to spread the good word." "Of AT&T's new calling plan." Hotshot thought. "There are also teleportation banks so that the Supreme One's will can be carried out anywhere in the galaxy. Any need shall be satisfied." "_Any_ need?" Hotshot silently told himself to get his mind out of the gutter. He responded with, "Bite me." "We stand ready, my Goddess to take up this hallowed trust." Moondragon said. "Tell us how we may serve you." Jubilee looked sadly at the list of missing heroes: Storm, Phoenix, ArcAngle, Invisible Girl, Dare Devil, Namorita, Silhouette, Spider Man, Quicksilver, Dr. Strange, Wonder Man, Captain America, Puck, Shaman, Talisman, Windshear, Sasquatch, Thor, Sersi, Sleepwalker, Crystal, Hercules, U.S.Agent, Multiple Man, Wolfsbane, Scarlet Witch, Black Knight, Living Lightning, Moon Knight, Mr. Fantastic, and Hotshot. She heard the remaining heroes spout off their theories on what had caused the disappearances, but she was too upset to listen. Black Cat sat with her, she too was too worried to pay much attention to what was going on. "Figures," she thought. "I finally meet a guy I really like, and I lose him." "I just got off the comlink with the Mentor of Titan. Fire Lord and Silver Surfer are also missing." Jubilee distractedly added them to the list. "It never rains but pours." Suddenly, there was a large commotion in the center of the room. Drax, Pip, Mr. Fantastic, and another man she didn't recognize had materialized in the room without warning. "Greetings, my fellow doers and shakers." Pip said. Hulk was the first to recover from his surprise. "It's Drax!" he growled. "And that Troll Pip!" "And they've got a brother with them!" Night Thrasher added. "Not ta mention my missing buddy, Reed!" Thing didn't hesitate, as far as he was concerned, he found the culprits. "Doesn't take a genius ta figure we're finally meetin' the baddy behind all our current problems!" Thing shoved the unfamiliar man. "You talkin' to me?" the man asked, surprised. "Ya got some nerve kidnappin' a member of the F.F., Bub! I oughta-" Thing broke off when the man suddenly grew several inches taller. "Holy cow!" "You ought to what?" the man challenged. "Go to sleep." Drax said, and brought his fist down on Thing's head, smashing him into the floor. "Bad move Drax." the man chastised. "I don't think Lumpy's friends are going to take kindly to it." Wolverine, Hulk, She Hulk, Rouge, Speedball, Strong Guy and Night Thrasher glowered menacingly at them. "See what I mean?" "Hey, no one treats the Thing like that except me!" Hulk said. "'Bout time something started happening around here!" Wolverine grinned. Eager to be doing something, Jubilee joined them. She blasted at Pip with her fireworks, but he teleported out of the way. Wolverine and Speedball had no better luck. Jubilee looked around the room for Pip. She'd never liked the obnoxious, rude little asshole. "One of us around here is enough." she said. The strange man easily defeated Strong Guy and Night Thrasher with one punch each, and She Hulk's blow had no effect on him. Naturally, Hulk and Drax were duking it out. The fight did not last long though. Mr. Fantastic put a stop to it quickly. Jubilee sank back into her chair. She felt a little better, and started paying closer attention. She crossed Mr. Fantastic off the list. She found out that the strange man's name was Maxam, and that he and the Infinity watch were on their side. It seemed that Warlock, MoonDragon, and Gamorea were missing as well. "Big deal. We were never to fond of them anyway." Hotshot stood with the other heros and listened to the words of the Goddess. It did not occur to him that she'd not stopped talking since they got here. He doubted the Apostles had ever called Jesus on his tendency to prattle. So he wouldn't worry about hers. "I have already brought peace and tranquility to this region of space." "How?" Silver Surfer asked. He seemed to have the most doubts and questions of all of them. "My mere presence is responsible." the Goddess answered. "But I alone cannot bring about such bounty throughout the entire universe. Only with your aid, my true believers, can such a miracle come to fruitation. Universal will can bring about galactic salvation." "How can we tap into this will?" "How should I know?" Hotshot asked. "With the help of divine guidance." The Goddess ignored the snickers that Hotshot's joke inspired, though a quick smile crossed her face. "With the aid of heavenly gifts!" Behind her, a large irregular sphere appeared. It looked like a... "Behold the Cosmic Egg!" "Now there's a name to inspire people to action." Hotshot thought sardonically. "The Cosmic Egg. He he. No one ever made a Cosmic Omelette without breaking a few Cosmic Eggs. Okay I'm done." "I did gather 30 cosmic containment units from a dozen different realities!" The Goddess explained. "My spirit forged them into this single force you see before you! They are now far more than the sum of their parts! "This be the reflector through which cosmic group consciousness shall become universal change! "There are certain dreams no one entity should force upon reality. But billions of believers can alter the heavens. "With your help, my children, this union shall be forged. Believe in me and we will deliver this universe from all the pain and sorrow which is now it's lot." The Goddess broke off when she saw the doubtful expression on Silver Surfer's face. "Do you trust in me, Silver Surfer?" Silver Surfer, surprisingly, did not hesitate. "Yes." he said. "But I still must ask _how_ this wonderment will be realized. Experience has shown that the Cosmic Containment Units are nearly all-powerful...but not quite! "The collected Infinity Gems are a far more potent force." "True," the Goddess agreed. "But the Supreme One's servant, the Living Tribunal, has ruled that the Infinity Gems may never again be used in unison. "Linked with a group soul the Cosmic Egg becomes the most powerful tool in this reality." "But," Invisible Girl broke in. "Is there not a chance that Eternity, The Living Tribunal or some other cosmic entity might interfere with our great work?" "We serve the Supreme will." "Not me Will, but the supreme Will." Hotshot thought. The Goddess continued her sermon, explaining that neither Eternity or Infinity would interfere. Then, she slowly entered the egg, and assumed a Lotus position. "From within the Cosmic Egg I will awaken the Holy Spirit in every enlightened being in the heavens. I shall guide this collected consciousness to true bliss and holy salvation!" Finally she explained what would be required of her followers while she worked. She explained that they were needed to guard Paradise Omega while she used her power to bring about the same miracle to the rest of the universe. "That's it? I'm a security guard?" He got a vision of himself, walking through the complex holding a flashlight and whistling. He grinned in spite of himself. "Let our holy crusade begin!" yelled Moon Dragon, the appointed leader while the Goddess resided within the egg. The room resounded with inspirational cries. "Kill Whitie!" Hotshot shouted. Wolfsbane, and several others turned and stared at him. Some had expressions of shock, some of confusion (better), and even more, to his relief, amusement. "What?" he asked innocently. Jubilee awoke from her doze as Nomad entered the room. She was amazed to find out that every crook in New York had gone strait. "What the hell is going on around here?" she thought. Before she could wonder further, a cry erupted from the middle of the room. "Northstar! Your sister!" Northstar turned in shock. "Aurora? Oh lord!" Aurora was lying on the floor, holding her head. "What transpires?" Vision asked. "Aurora is experiencing an identity shift!" someone explained. "Multiple personalities?" Reed asked, interested. "How many?" "Just two." "Is Aurora's other self religious?" Vision asked Northstar. "Very." Northstar answered. Just then, Aurora rose shakily to her feet. "The Goddess... needs me..." she started. "Bruce!" Reed shouted. "Grab her!" Hulk grabbed Aurora by the arm, restraining her. For some reason this sent Northstar into a rage. "You lumbering Brute," he shouted, rushing at Hulk. "Take your hands off my sister!" Northstar bounced off Hulk. "Somebody ought to cool Northstar down before he hurts himself!" Reed caught Northstar and restrained him. "Settle down, Northstar. No one's going to harm your sister. In fact, we're going to help her." Jubilee had a sudden adrenaline rush. This was her ticket to find Hotshot! She ran up to Reed. "You're going to follow her aren't you." she said. "Yes Jubilee we are. But I'm afraid you can't accompany us." Jubilee started to protest. "Look I know how you feel, but this is just a reconnaissance mission. We need to find out who we're up against before we do anything else." Hotshot was monitoring the activity of the unchosen heros, and was therefore the second to know that they were coming. He would have been the first, but the Goddess had already known. He approached Moon Dragon with the news, but heard the Goddess tell her. "Moondragon, have the faithful take up their assigned stations. We have company on the way." "Duh, of course the Goddess would know." he thought. "But isn't she busy with something else? Oh well, I guess she doesn't need to focus as much attention on her task as she let's on." Suddenly the planet upon which he stood was no more. Instead he found himself and the others standing on asteroids hovering in the void. He stood ready for action should the visiting heroes; Richards, Iron Man, or Vision try anything. "Greetings non-believers." the Goddess said. "Welcome to Paradise Omega!" "Or what's left of it anyway." Hotshot thought. "YOu have been allowed to touch down upon holy soil, unharmed, for one reason only. Know you that we are about the work of the Supreme One and no interference will be tolerated." Then, as suddenly as they had left, he and the others were returned to the planet's surface. "You have seen how impregnable our defenses are." The Goddess continued. "Return to your world and tell your fellow sinners that to cross our will would prove instantly fatal." "You can cross any of the others," Hotshot thought. "But not me." "We'll be more than glad to do that, you Goddess-ship," Richards replied. "But if you're really so all-powerful, why do you need all these followers?" "I do not claim omnipotence." The Goddess said. Hotshot was impressed that she was ignoring the patronizing tone in Richards voice. "I too am a servant. I welcome and cherish the aid my faithful friends have given to me freely and of their whole hearts." "My instrumentation indicates otherwise." Richards said. Hotshot started. "You dare question my word?" The Goddess was finally beginning to lose her temper. "My scanner is picking up heavy telepathic energies being directed from your containment unit to the individuals in your retinue." Richards said. Hotshot was stunned. He could understand how Richards would have doubts, he could only hope that Lee was half as understanding. But to stoop to such trickery to try to lure them away from their holy purpose? "Wait, what was our holy purpose again? Oh yeah." Hotshot had not thought Richards capable of it. "Lies!" Moondragon shouted and snatched the instrument from Richards' hand. "My mind gem would have picked up on any such telepathic activity. Moondragon is no one's thrall!" "Are you certain?" Richards retorted. "Yes." she replied without hesitation. "Goddess, if you are truly about the Supreme One's work, let me extend an offer." "Speak." Goddess said patiently. "Present are some of the Earth's finest minds. Let us help you in your labors." Hotshot crossed his arms and quietly snorted with derision as Richards tried to trick the Goddess into letting them help. "We're not that stupid, Richards." he thought. "And neither is the Goddess." Indeed, the Goddess was not fooled. "You would sabotage our loving labors at your first opportunity, Infidel." In her anger at being so insulted, she blasted the infidels back to Earth. "Damn right." Hotshot thought. Jubilee had long since stopped listening to the endless bickering among the remaining heros. She was surprised though, that not all thought the Goddess had to be stopped. She'd thought that that would be the one thing they would agree on. "I go now to fulfill my part in the Supreme One's master plan." the Goddess said. "Through Moondragon I shall be with you." "We shall not fail you!" Moondragon promised. "Then Fare thee well, my children! I shall rejoin you on the other side of ultimate enlightenment! Pray for me, my little ones! Pray for the universe! And be strong!" With that, she vanished. "Bye Mom." Hotshot said. Once again everybody turned and stared at him. "What?!"