Doom’s POV
Gruff stood up. “Fiana and Gallus are outside they can take you to Graywoth. I shall be at my shop when you are ready to leave. This moldy crow not the only one with tricks. I’m also bringing Kronk.”
“We will speak about this later Gruff. Flight Mother, we meet again at Grampa Gruff’s shop.”
“As you wish, our majesty.”
Doom had already dismissed them and headed out of the library and to the grand chamber. There he saw the two fledglings. They were looking at the panels.
“What does it say?” Gallus asks looking at the words beside the pictures.
“Don’t know, what makes you think I know how to read?”
“Your smart that’s why. We all know Grandpa Gruff trust you with numbers.”
Doom noted Fiana puffs up a bit with pride. “Well, I know some letters, but this is funny looking. None of the letters I know.” She points to one of the letters. “That looks like Urze, but it not slanted right.”
He makes note that he has to set up a public school system. Most schooling is either driven by trade apprenticeship or private tutors. “That because it’s accent Griffoneese.”
The two fledglings jump and spun around. “Gh.. how is a creature in armor so stealthy!”
“You two were quite focused on the writing and loud.”
“Grandpa Gruff always says that we need to be quiet and alert. Loud and careless fledglings get caught.” Gallus states nodding his head.
“Indeed, he’s correct if you two were up to something I would have caught you.”
Fiana punches Gallus’s shoulder. “It’s your fault, your a sneaker, I’m a watch!”
Doom shakes his head not sure if the fact these two children were being raised as thieves was good or bad. Repairing the social order of Griffonstone at this time will take months if not years. Using carefully-controlled selling of Aluminum; or as the beings of Equis call it Moon Silver, he was able to balance the budget of the nation. That and the government-funded construction provide the much-needed jobs. Those projects will take months to stabilize enough to begin social changes.
“Then you failed the most Fiana.” He could see the visible deflation of the girl’s pride. “As a watch, you should have been even more alert.”
“You won’t tell Grandpa Gruff would you?”
“No, when my plans are fully implemented his way of running things for your street urchins will change. I do not need thieves and watchers, however, those skill sets would be useful for spies and agents. What do you say? When I get my school operational would you two be interested in more learning to be my eyes and ears?”
Gallus rubs the back of his head trying to think things through. Fiana as Doom suspected was already done with the thinking. “How much do I get paid?” Sure enough, she was already in the dealing stage.
Doom crosses his arms and eyes the young capitalistic Eagleblooded Griffon. “You wouldn’t do it for loyalty to your Sovern?”
“Loyalty goes both ways and is earned not handed out because you can do scary shit. Loyalty by fear is not loyalty it’s cowardness. I refuse to be a coward!”
The saying ‘Out of the mouths of babes,’ sprang into his mind as he nodded with a touch of respect to the young griffon.
“Um… like she said what we get?” Gallus spoke up. Doom looks to Gallus and assesses the young male. He wasn’t dumb, just nervous outside of his area of comfort. Most likely prone to doing something to keep things the way he wants rather than risk unwanted changes. Something he would have to work on.
“Your rooms, with beds, here at the castle. Three meals a day, as well as proper training.”
“Pay! How many coins are we talking here?”
“How about one silver coin a month.”
The two Griffons eyes widen. Being orphans and used to surviving off of copper slivers this was big leagues. “YE…” Gallus beak was clamped shut by Fiana. “We will think about this offer and get back to you.”
Indeed the young Fiana was quite a mercenary. Gallus’ true loyalty would be easier to gain, kindness and praise could do it. Fiana mind was more predatory in her way she always looking for options. Getting her loyalty beyond just monetary loyalty will be a challenge. Doom smiles behind his mask it will be a worthy challenge.
“Very well enough business talk. Gruff told me you will lead me to this Owlblood Grayworth?”
Fiana slaps her forehead “AGh... I forgot! Wait… no Gallus forgot to tell me!”
“NO, I didn’t!”
“That right you didn’t remind me. It’s your fault.”
Doom was now wondering if picking on each other as a form of flattery, Gruff, and the Flight Mother seemed to pick on each other as well. Shaking his head he spoke out. “Enough, we got work to do.” He noted that the children were indeed told to take him to Grayworth. That meant Gruff had anticipated him getting the knowledge. He had to wonder what angle the old griffon planning.
“Right! Um.. can you fly? It is faster that way.” Fiana asks trying to think of how a wingless being fly.
“Of course he can fly he did when he cast that magic that summoned the army of nightmares.”
“That’s magic stuff! He walks around when he not casting spells.”
“My armor can fly. Lead the way.”
“See I told you,” Gallus smirks as he races outside, avoiding the swat to the head Fiana tried. Then she ran after him leaving Doom behind.
“Children.” He headed out of the castle and activated the anti-gravity disks on his belt and the thrusters in his boots to follow the two children.
His eyes noted how Fiana flew differently then Gallus. With her smaller body and proportionally larger wings, she had an easier time gliding. He noted that the smaller form would need less magic to keep airborne. Where Gallus' flight pattern was more for speed. He was racing ahead only to have to fall back for Fiana and him to catch up. The truth was Doom could easily reach Mach-1 the anti-gravity reducing the effects of gravity, and his force shield creating a more streamlined form he could push Mach-3. Something in the back of his mind thinks this might be wrong as if he had multiple different calculations to his speed. Perhaps it was different upgrades and setups to his armor.
Doom looks down as the three came to land in the plaza of the Owlblood section in the upper roots. The first thing he notices was the difference between the other sections. Between the buildings were colorful fabric cloths layered in integrate patterns over the streets and alleys providing permanent shade. The fabrics give a colored rainbow effect to the light that does filter through. It was a beautiful display of using shadow and light to make a canopy of colors. One spot where the fabric canopy wasn’t was the plaza. The other difference was it was quiet.
In a much softer voice then she used at the castle Fiana states “We need to be quiet, owls can be very annoying if awoke before sunset.”
Gallus nods confirming Fiana statement. It was clear she was telling Doom not Gallus about the Owls’ sleep habits. The fact these two fledglings were thieves working for Gruff he wondered how many times they were caught, or heard of someone caught making too loud a sound trying to break into an Owl’s home.
As they zig-zag among the buildings to they come to one that was in even more disrepair than the others. Doom didn’t even think such a thing was possible but the evidence was before him. The building was small with one wall plaster wall destroyed and a wooden shack-like room was build as an addition. He couldn’t help compare it to a shack house build in the latest Fallout game.
Fiana walked up to the door and knocked. A few hisses came from other buildings as the sound of the knocking echoed off the walls.
“Keep it down… I’m coming.” A mumbled voice called out as Doom picked up the sounds of someone moving inside. Soon the door open and the face of a Burrowing Owl headed Griffon peaked out. Doom also noted this adult was one of the Runt varieties. Shorter than most griffons he was a whole foot shorter then Gilda. “What do you want? I already paid my mortgage.”
“Grandpa Gruff calling in your debt Grayworth. Let us in or Kronk coming next.” Fiana stated easily. Interesting how a short young girl could inspire such fear in the older Griffon. Then again perhaps it was the threat of Kronk coming next, or whatever debt Gruff had over this Grayworth.
“Oh… um… yes… coming, I mean come in.” The Owlblood Griffon opened his door and backs up. “I… Don’t have the funds for Gruff. I need more time, my research isn’t complete.”
“Relax Grayworth, Gruff calling in a favor. His words, Tell that overgrown feather duster to tell Doctor Doom everything he knows about the Dens. If he forgets anything… well, I might make him remember later.”
“But… the council. They kill me if they find out I know about the…”
Gallus speaks up. “Where have you been? The Council was overthrown a week ago. Heck, the Chamberlain was blasted into dust!.”
Outside the building a loud. “QUIET We trying to sleep!”
“Shut up yourself Gregory!”
“Up yourself, Norman!”
“QUIET ALL OF YOU!”
Fiana wacks Gallus upside the head. “First rule of business in Owlsection?”
“No yelling.”
Doom turns to look at the crouching adult Griffon. Compared to more so-called normal griffons he wasn’t much taller than Gallus was now. Indeed if he figured right Gallus would have a growth spurt soon reaching adult size in a few years.
“Grayworth, it is true I took over the nation I am now your sovereign ruler. Given your interest in the Dens, I’m surprised you haven’t heard that I restored the Idol of Boreas and it revealed the history of the Griffons.
There was a flare of interest in the griffon’s eyes “That so? I have been seeking our history, a bit of research. Seems before Griffonstone we had at least five main habitats our former Dens built underground in hills.”
“Yes, I know all that. What I don’t know, and need to know now. Is where are they?”
The cowardness returns as Grayworth fiddled with his talons. “Sure… hmm.” Then he went rapidly among books and scrolls scattered around the chamber. If there was any order in the place Doom couldn’t decipher any. Books were left open in one area, in others they were stacked up to the ceiling. It possible the ceiling sank some and the only reason it still stood up was the book pillar.
With a wave of his arm, Grayworth cleared a table that had perhaps the clutter of three former meals on it. It seems that this Grayworth was a hoarder of scrolls and books. Valuing knowledge… no not knowing if he did he would have kept it more protected. This Griffon valued research, once he was done following whatever curiosity feed his research he discarded the books or scrolls as he chases a new research subject.
“I got in debt from Gruff getting my Talons on this… A map.”
He unrolled a scroll revealing an old map of the area. “Even this didn’t have the Dens listed, but I noticed oddities.”
“Explain.” Doom looked down at the hand-drawn map. It was a map that should be in a museum where it would be studied safely. He made a mental note to collect Grayworth’s collection. Perhaps allow this Griffon to visit the castle library anytime he wanted would be reasonable compensation.
“If you noticed there are six locations that are in more detail then other areas. Including possible food sources.” Grayworth motions to the south near where the land is broken by the channel from the other landmass south. “Here there records of fishing areas and details of the cliffs.”
Gallus yawns and fiddles with a book. “How can griffons read this? It has no pictures.”
“I can read it,” Fiana says puffing up her chest in pride.
“Oh? Try then.”
Fiana looks at the words only able to understand a third of them. “It’s boring. Do you think he has Daring Do somewhere in here?”
Both Doom and Grayworth ignore the children as they look at the map.
“We see similar things here near the mountains. Details about trees and the deer that could be hunted.”
“Yes I see that, what does it have to do with the Dens?”
“That’s it… why would the griffons know this unless it information gathered from Griffons that lived there.”
Doom’s eyes widen then he hid the flash of surprise and insight. “I see, yes indeed the survivors would still remember hunting and where the crops were, even if the Dens were inaccessible.”
“There more... “ He laid down another paper. “This is from Cliffside. A town right near where the map records fishing locations. It’s our primary port city. Around thirty years ago there was an attempt to expand the city. Then for some unknown reason, the Council at the time shut down the project. Even outlawed anyone going to that location. A week later a massive landslide happened, that was when they said they canceled the project due to the unstable rocks. From what I can find, there no other mention of a landslide in that area, nor were there any beforehand.”
“Only logical conclusion is they found something they didn’t want others finding out.”
“Right where the map records where the best food is located.”
Doom nods, “good work Grayworth. It seems this is valid information. Try to find other locations, I want to find all five of the former Dens.” He turns and heads out. “Gallus, Fiana, stop fooling around. My next stop is Gruff’s shop.”
He stops and looks to Grayworth. “I will be sending castle personal here to retrieve your records. You will continue your research at the castle library. This isn’t negotiable, refuse and you will find being in my debt far worst then Gruff’s”
Doom didn’t think feathers could go pale but Grayworth did a passible reaction to his degree. “Y..ye...yes your majesty.”
The three soon were flying again heading to the Eagleblood section. There they landed at the storefront. Kronk had on a backpack and even some pouches on belts. Doom spotted what could only be a black powder keg.
Yelling inside the store and the two Crowblood Griffons outside informed Doom that the Flight Mother was there as well. “You can’t take that with us! You blow the whole hill up!”
“It what in the hell I’m worried about blowing up. You hear him that Discord guy got something nasty in one of those dens. Well, I got my nasty surprises as well.”
“Grenades are no surprises! Besides they are unstable everyone knows that!”
“I have been making improvements. See the outside shell is segmented making the explosion easier, as well as adding shrapnel to the discharge. It’s a work of art.”
“Work of a mad griffon you mean.”
“More reliable than your bottled hocus pocus!”
“My potions are the result of hundreds of years of study from Zebra shaman! Your stuff just ground rock and lit on fire.”
“Enough!” Doom walks into the shop sure enough Gruff and the Flight Mother were faces to face. Really what is it with these two old griffons.
“Our first location is near the city of Cliffside. We are leaving in an hour from Old Decker’s workshop. If you aren’t there you have to catch up.”
He then left and flew for the castle. There where he needs to get his preparations ready, as well as send staff to Grayworth’s for those old books and scrolls. As well as any other possible valuable knowledge he had hoarded.
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Hans POV
Stopping on a building’s edge he looks down. “Let see, if I remember right the Sanctum Santorum was located in Greenwich Village. ****, where am I exactly?” looking around he could see the statue of liberty to the west. “Spiderman… of course I’m in Brooklyn. Spiderman’s operating grounds.”
Looking down he spotted a few shops. “Right, information gathering. Damn wish this was a game I would have some hud map.”
He leaped down to the ground level. The people on the street stop, stare and then started pointing. “Excuse me, can someone tell me how to get to Greenwich Village?”
Nope seems the Populus chose that time to panic and run. After all, a 7-foot tall thin creature that had tentacles out of it’s back just landed on the sidewalk. Even in Marvel’s New York, that’s not a good sign.
That when Hans’ noticed what was in one of the stores. Moving closer he saw a DELL computer. Not a new 2020’s Dell but a 90’s ugly tabletop style complete with 3 ¼ inch floppy disk drive, an Optiplex.
“Those things were for sale during the ’90s… wait.” He looked around and spotted a phone booth. “Not only am I in one of the Marvel Universes, but I’m also in the ’90s?”
“What are you suppose to be a new symbiote?” A voice says from behind and to the right of him. As well as slightly above.
Turning his head he looked up. Typical of Hans his head turned a little too far for a human to be able to and angled just a little wrong to be normal. There on the wall of the building was the red and blue spandex suited Spiderman.
“Ah… now I understand. Judging by the costume… what was this earth called in the database? Earth 92something, Discord sent me into the Animated Series didn’t he?”
“I don’t know who this Discord fellow is but, you are not human” Spiderman fires a web at Hans only for Hans to leap up and dodge it.
“Hold up there webhead. I know typical comic behaver for this is some fight between the main character and the guest happens, then we join together for some adventure or something. I just don’t have time for that crap.”
“You came to my neighborhood and cause trouble, and complain?”
Hans mumbles as he leaps again this time using his tendrils to block the webbing. “Either I have to fight back due to some stupidity or… yup here comes the distraction.”
A large black and red spider-like robot fly overhead. “The Black Widow. I wonder is this the mark one or mark two?”
“It’s back! But I destroyed that thing in acid!”
“Ah, that would be the updated version then. The Black Widow two… AGH!” Lasers shot through his shoulder. Unlike Celestia’s sword, he was still magically taking shape when she struck. Now that his form had stabilized he developed a weakness to heat and cold. The Lasers were strong enough to melt his physical form.
“Yup so a symbiote, weakness to heat!”
“I’m not a Symbiote. I have no host, this is all just me.” Leaping up and away from another blast of laser fire. “Smythe would have improved the design. Its computer brain is still simple though if you provide a distraction I should be able to remove its head.”
“How do you know all…” doges a blast as the giant robotic spider lands. Crushing two cars in the process “That?”
“I was on my way to the Sanctum Sanctorum home of Doctor Strange. I’m a magical being, and from another reality. I know things.”
“Okay, now I believe you aren’t a Symbiote,” Spiderman says as he uses his webbing to sling a tire into the robot’s face.
Hans sprang up using four tendrils like Doctor Octopus’ arms to rise in the air. Then two more came down aiming for the spider’s head as they fell they shift forming a curved ax blade. The robot was designed to fight Spiderman, It was armored against most attacks even bulletproof. Hans was made by Doctor Doom using the Infinity Gauntlet, made to fight against magically enchanted armor. The Spider-Slayer didn’t stand a chance.
As the giant robot crashes to the ground the sounds of police sirens were heard racing to their location.
“So… Spider-man care to lead me along the way? I’m new to New York and your reality after all.” Hans picks up the head of the Black Widow. “So keeping this as a keepsake!”
“Okay, well where is this Sanctum?”
“Oh, that’s 177A Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village.” The two start swinging away as the cops’ cars stop at the scene.
“I need to ask Doctor Strange, who lives in 177B Bleecker Street.”
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Gilda’s POV
“**** **** ****** *** “A string of curses both in Griffonese, Ponish, as well as a few other languages escaped her beak as she was fired on by three of those giant Golems. “Leave me alone you giant ***” Little did Gilda knew she was flying out of the Bronx and heading north.
She spun around so she was looking up and cast the only spell she knew and a flash of blinding light appeared. It might have distracted an organic foe, but to the calculating AI in the sentinel, it was not even a minor blip. “****”
Spinning around again she noted clouds forming rapidly ahead of her. Perhaps she could use them? She angled her flight fleeing the giant mech not even wondering where the clouds were coming from.
“AGHHHHH” A blast hit her in the back and she started falling only to be caught by a woman with brown hair that has a white stripe in it. “Careful there sugar,” The strange human says with a bit of accent. Gilda noticed then she was flying without wings. Her outfit was yellow and green, her jacket was forest green.
“It’s still coming!”
“That’s alright my friend is handling it.”
A second human woman was flying from the storm. Dark skin and white hair, dressed in a white outfit. As they passed Gilda noticed the woman’s eyes were white. The storm was also now all around them. “LIGHTNING FURY I CALL UPON THEE!” Suddenly the sky lit up with lightning striking the giant golems over and over till it exploded. Out of the clouds, a bright red beam was seen slicing one of the Golems in half.
“See Sugar, Storm has it all under control.”
“Let… me go, I can… fly.”
“Oh no, you don’t I saw that blast. I’m surprised you are even breathin’ ah there our ride.”
An airship, unlike any Gilda, has ever seen came out of the clouds. Black with swooping wings, almost as if it was a predator of the night sky. The side opens up and a large blue hairy creature stood in the doorway. “Bring her in I already prepared the medical bench.”
Her vision was weakening as she fought against passing out. “Need… to find… X-men.”
“Sugar, you already found us, or should we say we found you.”
Once in the X jet, Rogue set her down on the bench with her back up.
“Interesting mutations. Her form is similar to the Gryphons of mythology.” Beast puts on a pair of glasses as he examines the wound. “Low energy blast wound, they were trying to capture her and not terminate.”
He went to work and looks to Gilda. “Forgive me I need to damage your garment a bit further.” He cut the jumpsuit more clearing it of the burns. “Fur growth as well as feathers.”
“Beast treat her, study her physiology after.” Cyclops states from the pilot chair. “We are already home and coming in for a landing.”
The jet settles down landing horizontally into the hidden bunker. Once the door opens the X-men see Charles Xavior entering the chamber. “Well done my X-men. I dread to know what would happen if she got captured.”
“The Sentinels seemed to be even more determined to capture her. I wonder why?” Cyclops says as they exit the plane.
“Before she passed out, I got a glimpse of her mind. She’s not from earth, she’s not even from this universe. What was at the forefront of her mind was more surprising. It was Victor Von Doom, Doctor Doom.”
“Whatever her secrets are, we need to defend her. If the Sentinels find out how to access her reality, I fear they could become more powerful then we can ever imagine.”