TIME: IMMEMORIAL

22.5 Divergences (1943)

*** Weekend Write-In for 1 Feb 2019 ***

"arrive": In 500 words, tell what happens when it arrives

FISTS OF FURY

I been outgunned, out-powered n just plain out-matched, but I gotta tell ya, one of the lowest points fer ol FT, was back in 43' when I got my ass handed ta me by a fourteen year old!

It was back during the business of that alternate earth - course there's more n one parallel world with its own America, but back then It was all new ta me, an I got myself dragged inta this big ol mess, by a ... whatchacallit? Set of unfortunate circumstances.

Believe it or not, before I was a grunt fer ol Uncle Sammy, an before that a two fisted vigilante, albeit one with a sycthe as a weapon ... before the life took aholda Larry Scott an made him Father Time, fer the duration, I was studyin' at college ta be a lawyer.

Yeah, I got the fancy words an the fancy education, so what? I just rarely choose ta use em.

The Cap'n though, he knew I was more n just a pretty masked face, n muscle. So once I was in, I was all the way in, an my orders were ta read up on that other world, absorb n analyse their history an work out what we was up against.

Trouble is, I soon realised that the journal volume of Doc Falcon, the inventor of the Fourth Dimension machine, was incomplete - somebody had made a copy an it was sparse on details about 1941, though enough was mentioned ta give yours truly the idea that some serious divergences had happened.

An seein' as how by this time we only had Black Fury's kid sidekick in our custody, that's where I went looking fer answers. An fer the second time in days a super strong brat whupped my mother lovin' ass!

*

The kid had broken free from his bonds so quickly, I didn't even have time ta react ta the first punch. We knew Black Fury and the kid was strong, but the assumption was the grown man was the more powerful. Turns out, they were at a level.

Kid Fury stood over me. 'No more questions masked man. I'm busting out and you're gonna help me.'

He had his boot on my chest, so I found it difficult ta speak. 'Easy kid. We're both Americans ain't we? Let's talk this out, over a soda pop, huh?'

'Don't patronize me soldier. I've read all about your America!' he spat. 'You guys had it easy - you never had to deal with the arrivals! We got invaded three times in 41' and that doesn't even count the Japs blitzing Pearl!'

Interesting. Divergences but similarities. December 7th 1941, was a date we had in common. The war too, but he was right, their earth had faced challenges we'd never had to ... no wonder they were paranoid as hell, especially if ya consider this all happened before their experiences with other parallel earths.

But at least I had the kid talking - delay him a bit an somebody comes an ... wait a sec, mebbe that was what he was waitin' fer. He knew he couldn't bust out of the reinforced steel cell on his lonesome. So, take me captive, wait fer them ta open the door an ... But he'd made a mistake. Didn't know that the Blue Diamond had been called in, an super strong or no, my old pal Prof Morrow had the muscle n invulnerability ta put this kid in his place.

So I resolved ta keep him talking ... about the Arrivals.

'Ya mentioned names kid, an I want ta understand. Falcon's journal speaks about the Fourth Dimension, but it don't say much about them other names ya said. Zoom ... an ...the Sorceress an this Stardust guy? Sounded like he was a hero.'

Kid Fury's face contorted into a scowl beneath his cowl. 'A hero? Maybe he thought so, but that was before... You know what, to hell with this and to hell with you.'

That was all I heard before the second punch.

When I woke up, Blue Diamond was there, with the Cap'n and the kid was back chained ta his chair.

'Looks like you've been in the wars Larry,' the Cap'n said, not unkindly, as we left BD on guard. '

I blinked and shook off the fuzziness. 'Ya know me Cap. Skull's thick as all get out. Ya don't need ta sideline me, an besides I got a few leads.'

He clapped my shoulder with a red gloved palm. 'Good man. We've got some leads too, on the second group, the ones that rescued the Black Fury. The sketch artist just got done with the witnesses ... a er certain private Rogers*. He uh ... showed me his work and I recognized one of the costumed individuals in question.'

'So where to now?'

'Back to New York. Riker's Island to be precise!

*In his civilian identity of Private Steve Rogers, Captain America is not only a soldier but a talented artist.

Note - Very interesting to see that someone has done a 'modern' version of the Sorceress. She is of course a Public Domain character so my version is rooted in the original stories.

Out of all the Fox heroes barring the original Blue Beetle and maybe The Flame, Stardust has been the most used with several versions of him done in recent years. The pic below is from one such modern rendition.