Cosmic Avengers #1

Title: Friends and Family

By Jorge Martinez

A NEW ORLEANS CEMENTARY

The Black Knight: A New Orleans funeral sure is different.

Priest: .....dust to dust.

Crowd: Amen!

Monica: Thank you all for coming.

Monica:(to self) There they are. My old teammates. Cap, Jan, Jen, Herc, Starfox, and Dane.

Mrs. Durpy(to Monica s mother) Monica's friends are certainly different. And those men are so big!

Mrs. Rambeau: They are...from her old security job.

Monica: Hey heroes! Thanks for coming. It means a lot to me.

Cap: No problem Monica. We are here to give you support.

Jan: We're more than just teammates. We are friends.

She-Hulk: Monica it has been awhile since we have talked, but I am sorry.

Monica: I know Jen. Thanks.

Dane, Herc, and Eros give Monica a hug.

Eros: Monica, you are a star and I am glad your father was able to see you shine.

Monica: Eros, I think it's your words and not your powers that make other feel good.

Monica: I must go and attend the family. I thank you all for actually leaving your lives just for me. It really means much. I hope to see you all soon.

They all say their good-bye's and leave. As Monica walks towards the others present she thinks how good it is to have friends. She also realizes how much she misses being an Avenger.

TITAN

A few days later.

Two young eternal children fly around the city in a game of cat and mouse.

Young girl: You may be fast Vanid, but I can turn any corner.

As the young boy speeds up after the girl she quickly turns a corner. After her successful turn she crashes into a man.

Young girl: Eros! I am sorry. Forgive me.

Eros stands and helps her up.

Eros: Child, I was once young too. Do not worry just go and have fun.

Young girl: Thank you, Eros. Goodbye.

He waves her off and continues to walk.

Eros:(to self) What would happen if father dies? Do I have what it takes to lead the Eternal of Titan?

Melqart a great warrior from the Earth Eternals who migrated to Titan years ago calls out to him..

Melqart: Good day Eros.

Starfox: Good day Melqart. I see you are enjoying this day with your daughter Dania.

Melqart: Yes, I am. Has she not grown? It was just yesterday we migrated to Titan. The first to be born on this planet since the migration.

Starfox: She has grown. And will continue.

Starfox: You best catch up or she'll fly away.

Melqart: True, noble Eros. I will talk to your father later about some matters concerning security here on Titan.

Eros:(to self)Mentor has raised hundreds of children and protected them. Who will raise and protect them when he is gone? The carefree Eros?

An alarm cries out. Starfox flies into the command center. His father is there with others.

Mentor: We are under attack! ISSAC did not see it coming!

Starfox: Who will foolishly attack a colony of powerful Eternals?

Mentor grimly looks to the sreen. It is Sanctuary II. His mad son Thanos' warship. An engine of destruction if there ever was one.

Starfox:(whispers)No...it can't be.

Melqart: I will lead a group against the ship.

He looks down to his daughter.

Melqart: Dania, fly to your mother. And never forget I love you.

She begins to cry as he flies away.

Mentor: I will supervise our efforts here. Eros I need you to protect as many people on the ground as possible.

Starfox: Yes father.

Eros flies out. He tails Dania making sure she gets to her home safe. Eros stops. He flies to a nearby communication chamber. He sets a frequency for Earth.

Starfox: Avengers! Titan is under attack. We need your assistance if possible.

That made him feel better. But the feeling does not last long. Chaos rains down on Titan. It is now an all out war zone. The Eternals on Titan scramble but many die. These weapons were made to kill Eternals. Eros sees the children scattering. He can only think of the children with all this death around him.

He begins to pluck them out of the air and send them down tubes that lead to the interior core of the planet. A safety measure that leads to protection. It is raining plasma as the blasts shred his fellow Eternals. He sees the young girl that flew into him earlier. Eros desperately narrows in on her. He remembers her innocence and now sees her frightened face. She dodges a blast but not fast enough. A blast strikes her down as Eros reaches for her. He stops and cradles her burned body. It has to be Thanos he thinks! Eros weeps as he puts the girl down. Then leaps back into action.

III. EARTH- NEW YORK CITY

A lavish apartment in Manhattan. Dane Whitman sits somberly in a chair.

Black Knight: You should have gone to the funeral.

Sersi: I don't even know the woman! It would have been an insult to her. Plus, I hate funerals. As a Eternal I don't attend much of them.

Black Knight: Well I will be leaving now.

Sersi: So soon I thought.....AAAAHHHH!!!!

Sersi screams in pain! She falls to the floor and holds her head.

Dane runs to her.

Black Knight: Sersi what is it?

Sersi:(crying) The Eternals on Titan! They are dying!

AVENGERS BASE

Hercules and She Hulk come in after a night on the town.

Hercules: Aye, giantess this night was worth a poem to say the least.

She Hulk: Herc, you can write your poem in the morning, now is when we...

Jarvis enters the room.

Jarvis:(AHEM) Master Hercules and Madame She-Hulk.

Hercules: Jarvis, didst we wake you?

Jarvis: No sir. There seems to be an emergency and Master Whitman is downstairs waiting for exactly you two.

The Meeting Room.

She-Hulk and Hercules enter the room. Waiting for them are the Black Knight, Sersi, and Photon.

Hercules: Dane, good friend what is it?

Black Knight: Titan has been attacked.

Photon: Starfox has called for reinforcements.

SheHulk: Well lets call the Avengers!

Photon: They are away on a mission as usual.

She-Hulk: How about some other reserves then?

Hercules: Nay, SheHulk. This is a family affair. Eros is like a brother to us. I am sure Dane and Monica feel the same.

Black Knight: I tried to contact some others such as Genis or Quasar but no luck. All that we need is right here. I have alerted the Earth Eternals and Thena states they will meet us on Titan. Let's go!

A Quinjet fires up and departs as Jarvis is left with instructions to inform the other Avengers once they return.

SPACE

The Black Knight pilots the quinjet with Sersi, SheHulk, and Hercules on board. Photon races next to them.

Photon:(to self) Just three days ago Eros was at my father's funeral comforting me. At that moment I realized that there was something special between us. Not just Eros but Herc and Dane too. We had a solid team that could compare to any other Avengers team of the past. I miss their companionship.

Photon: Dane, I am scouting ahead.

Black Knight: Fine Monica. Be careful.

Photon flies off at the speed of light.

Black Knight(to self) I didn't want to her to go one without us. Whatever threatened Titan must be dangerous. I pray it wasn't Thanos.

TITAN

Starfox lays unconcious. He begins to open his eyes and sees a bright light. Photon stand before him. She helps him up.

Eros: Monica is that you or.....

Photon: It's me Eros.

She looks around her and sees complete and utter destruction. The structure of the city is mostly intact. Whoever bombarded Titan went after the inhabitants. Their intent was to kill not conquer or loot.

Starfox: Quickly, we must find survivors.

Photon: I flew over the entire moon and did not see anything. But we will look. Thena and the other Eternals are here helping the survivors.

Starfox: I managed to save a few. They are safe in the interior. When are Hercules and Dane getting here?

Photon: They are on their way.

A while later an Avengers Quinjet lands. They are greeted by Eros and Monica.

Dane: Things don't look that bad.

Hercules: Aye.

Sersi:(crying) No, they are dead. Their bodies have been destroyed. It's the only way to kill them.

Starfox: I have found some other survivors. I managed to save a few during the battle and others saved themselves. They are in the interior of the city walls.

Hercules: And what of your father, Eros?

Starfox: I have not seen him....yet.

Sersi: Eros, how many died?

Starfox: Most of them. Most of the survivors are women and children. ISSAC our advanced computer system is also down. The men died battling the warship.

Black Knight: Warship?

Starfox: Sanctuary II.

Dane stares coldly at Eros.

Sersi: Once we are finished we must perform the ceremony.

Starfox: Yes. Your customs differ from my own but I have learned them.

The Avengers look for survivors with little success. It is a large moon with a large area to cover. Thena leader of the Earth Eternals tend to wounded.

Hercules enters a dwelling place. He hears some light moaning and begins to search quicker. Finally he finds a girl. She is Dania the daughter of Melqart. She is laying on her bed.

Dania:(she lets out a whisper) Father???

Hercules feels a wave of pity. The child is dying.

Hercules: No, child I am Hercules.

The son of Zeus cradles the girl. She closes her eyes and lowers her head. Hercules knows she has seconds to live. He looks up at the sky of stars in thought. He looks down at the dwindling life of the child. He prays for the impossible. He prays to his father Zeus.

Hercules begins to cry as he feels her slipping away. His prayers are not going to be answered this day he believes. Then an energy surrounds them both and flows into the child. Hercules knows what is happening. He feels the strength returning. A feat only a god could accomplish. His father has answered his prayer. Hercules is an immortal again as is the girl.

THE OUTER COURT

The group of Eternals stand in front of Eros, Thena and the Avengers.

Eros: Mentor is lost. The attacker knew how to kill Eternals. Only by scattering their molecules. These blasts did exactly that. Therefore no bodies are left. I believe Mentor lives. I suspect Thanos. Only he would know how to kill us so effectively.

Sersi: We must unite and perform the ritual. We must pay respect to our dead brothers and sisters.

The Eternals all hold hands and fly up to the sky. An energy surrounds them. The bodies of the dead may be gone but their essence isn't. The Eternals present draw the essence of their slain relatives and form the Uni-Mind.

SheHulk: That is...awesome.

Hercules:(to self) Eros has a great responsibility now with Mentor missing.

Photon: This sure is different than a New Orleans funeral but just as beautiful. No, it's more beautiful.

The Unimind is broken. The Eternals find a peace for now. Everyone including the Avengers comfort each other.

TITAN: THE MEETING HALL

Dane is in the hangars. Monica and Sersi comfort the survivors. Eros takes to the various control rooms checking maintenance. He ponders his new role as ruler over his people. In his gut he knows his father is dead despite not finding his body but he does not want to believe it. He is unsure he can handle the responsibility. Eros stands in front of the view window staring at the Titanian terrain and the vast space above. He wonders if his father would approve of his first action as ruler? To leave his people on a mission of revenge.

Mentor: Son you must do what must be done.

Eros turns around and a apparition of his father floats in front of him.

Starfox: You are ....

Mentor: My physical body has died son. I have moved on to a new existence much like my father before me.

Eros looks down.

Starfox: Father you have always been a man love and logic. Logic escapes me now.

Mentor: Eros, a ruler that follows his heart will always be a good one. Son follow your heart and destiny. Our people have been slaughtered and you must seek retribution. You will be tested alongside your companions. Revenge is but a momentary motive. Soon you will learn there is more to this than what you can see or even feel.

Starfox: Father, how do you know all of this?

Mentor: I have learned these things from another. I am a guide and will not be able to tell you everything. Death cannot be conquered. The Eternals are immortal yet they can die. Their is only one true Eternal among all of us.

Starfox: Death always conquers father. Thanos will always win. Entropy is the way of the universe. He is the Eternal that cannot die. He has conquered death! He is Death's lover!

Mentor: Son, I struggled many years. But your struggles are about to begin. Thanos is death but you are love. Your role begins now. You must strive to keep the balance or death will truly win!

A larger apparition of a figure semi transparent figure composed of what appears to be space itself.

Mentor: My father Kronos. Follow your heart son. I love you.

Both Kronos and Mentor disappear.

Eros is left with many questions. He feels his every move is being observed not just by his father. Something of cosmic proportions surrounds the recent events. Hercules enters the room.

Hercules: Eros, I have been searching for you. It is like a maze within these walls.

Starfox: What is it Hercules?

Hercules: That girl I found.

Starfox: Dania, yes her father was a Earthen Eternal a great warrior much like yourself. I heard she thinks you are him and even calls you father. Melqart did bear a resemblance to you.

Hercules: Aye, but the girl may have another reason to call me father.

Eros is puzzled.

Starfox: What do you mean?

Hercules: The girl was on the brink of death. I used my own immortality to save her.

Starfox: But were you not stripped of your immortality.

Hercules: Aye, but I refused to let the girl die and prayed to my father Zeus. My prayer was answered. I am an immortal again. My father took pity on me and did not wish the girl to die. Eros she is as much Olympian now as she is Eternal.

Starfox: Hercules you saved her and I am grateful. That is all that matters.

Hercules: Eros, I ask thee one more thing. The girl calls me father and it fills me with happiness. I was wondering if I can adopt the girl as my own daughter.

Eros pauses a second with a concerned look on his face.

Starfox: Hercules I believe this attack will have further implications. We are departing for a dangerous journey. When we return we will talk about this further.

Hercules pauses then nods.

THE INTERIOR

They have been talking for quite a while. There is no question what they are planning. They are not called the Avengers for nothing. Thena is at the meeting as well. She offered to help but Eros declined the offer kindly. The five Avengers prepare to leave. The surviving Eternals go to watch them leave. Eros looks at them still uncertain if he should leave during this crisis. Thena waves him off assuring him they will be protected. Hercules looks at Dania with sadness and lets out a small smile.

Eros: Fellow Eternals I am departing to find our murderer and to make sure that this never happens again. I do not know if it was the mad Thanos or another but whoever it was the Avengers and I will make them pay. Thena from Earth will rule while I am gone. I leave you all in good hands.

The survivors watch the ship takeoff. Dania watches as the man that has given her life again, her new father leaves with the chance he will not return.

End of Chapter I