Xena of the High Seas – A Xena: Warrior Princess Story

[Quick note: This little story takes place before the events of the show when Xena was a pirate and still a villain]

Xena’s ship had been sailing the wide blue sea for days without seeing another soul. She and her crew were definitely getting restless, wanting some action and some blood. When they sighted a merchant vessel, they hurried to sail toward it. At the very least there would probably be good food aboard and a little bit of a fight to take it over. Xena sharpened her sword as she ordered her crew to get the ship to go faster. She glared across the waters, mentally preparing herself to take the ship. She was a fierce warrior and she knew that nobody could take her in a fair fight and this would not be a fair fight. These merchants had no idea what was coming.

The ship cut through the water and closed in. Her men lined the railing of Xena’s boat as they closed in and the merchant crew knew what the score was right away. Xena struck first. She had spotted an archer up in the crow’s nest and she tossed her chakram, downing the man with one shot. She grabbed a rope and swung over, drawing her sword with her distinctive war cry. Her strikes and moves would have been called beautiful if they did not shed so much blood. She was expertly attacking to injure, not to kill. She could not torture dead men for information later and she might sell a few into slavery. Her men followed her in an overwhelming force.

It was only a few moments until the guards and sailors started to throw down their swords. They sank to their knees in desperation which brought a fierce smile to Xena’s face. She sheathed her sword.

“Bring forward your goods for my inspection,” Xena called out. “And I’m warning you that you will die if you try to hide anything from me. I want to see your best.”

Some of the sailors started to look at each other but scrambled to fulfill her request when she touched the hilt of her sword. They went below decks to gather what they may.

“Let me talk to the captain if he or she still lives,” Xena called out.

A older man stepped forward, making sure not to provoke any punishment for himself or his crew.

“I am here,” the man said. “My name is Timolus and this is my ship.”

“You mean that this is my ship now,” Xena said, stepping forward to poke Timolus’ chest with her finger. “You have been boarded by Xena. You know what that means?” 

Timolus nodded, taking a deep yet shaky breath. “I’ve heard the stories,” he said. “We all have. We will not give you any more trouble. Please spare us.”

“I haven’t decided what I’ll do yet,” Xena said with a dangerous grin. “I could burn this boat. I could do a lot of things.” She paused. “Is there somebody important on this vessel?”

“Why do you ask?” Timolus asked cautiously.

“Remember when I warned you about hiding things from me?” Xena asked. “Answer the question.”

A young woman emerged from below decks, clad in fine silks. She was gorgeous and held herself with a noble bearing. Xena was immediately interested.

“It’s no use, Timolus,” the woman said. “She knows. I won’t try to hide and let you and yours be hurt by her or worse.”

“Hello, Beautiful,” Xena said with a smile. “So brave. What’s your name?”

“My name is Iphigenia,” the woman said. “I have heard of you. Have you heard of me?”

Xena laughed. “Yes, you’re a bonafide princess,” she said. “Your father will pay plenty to get you back. A ransom that will fill our coffers for a long time.”

Iphigenia scoffed. “I hate to disappoint you but my father wants nothing to do with me,” she said. “He has washed his hands of me. He tried to have me killed, sacrificed to Artemis but she changed her mind and saved me at the last moment. I paid for passage on this ship to leave a homeland I no longer wanted to live in.”

Xena frowned. “Very disappointing, princess,” she said. “I’ve been betrayed myself so your story has not fallen on deaf ears. I will decide what to do with you in time. I’m sure I can find some use for you yet. For the time being, you will sit beside me. Bring on the food and drink. My men deserve a feast.”

We Must Be Untethered – An Us Story

The Hands Across America Uprising as it had started to be called, had occurred and taken the United States of America by surprise. Many people had been killed by their doppelgangers but not everybody had died. Several had either escaped pursuit by their doppelgangers or had murdered them as they appeared. When the subterranean doppelgangers had joined together to mimic the Hands Across America fundraising event that occurred in 1986. While the doppelgangers had been distracted, they had been relatively easy to contain by what was left of the military joined with a quickly formed militia. For the moment, the doppelgangers seemed content to stand in the sunlight.

With the initial danger passed, the government started to take stock and see how bad the attack had been. The death toll was astronomical as many places were absolutely littered with dead bodies. The media investigated and this caused enough pressure for a full government investigation. The government was forced to reveal the obvious, the massive clone army had been caused by a government program. Unfortunately, most of the files regarding this program had been destroyed but excursions into the subterranean tunnels had recovered a few files. These files indicated the uncanny link between a person and their doppelganger or “tethered”. An investigation into who was responsible for this travesty began but few had hope that it would result in meaningful punishment.

With the revelation that these Tethered were actually victims of a sort, the idea of exterminating them became less and less popular despite their violent attack. They knew from anecdotal evidence that the Tethered could be killed without harming the human they were copying but ethical questions were raised once that killing would not be done in self-defense. The deceased Tethered were gathered in order to study them. Human survivors were interviewed. This was how Adelaide Wilson had been discovered.

First thought to be patient zero of the phenomenon, further questioning revealed that Adelaide had tried to cover up her true origins after killing her double. Addy was in fact a Tethered who had learned to speak and interact with society correctly. She had imprisoned her own human double in the tunnels. This led to the revelation that the original Adelaide had actually taught the previously aimless Tethered and turned them into a fighting force. This meant that the Tethered could be taught and could respond to normal human stimuli. 

If these clones could be ‘tethered’ to humans, perhaps they could be ‘untethered’ without either person getting killed. Scientists believed that the Tethered had a much better chance at becoming a more civilized society if they were separated from their counterparts. Such a procedure might also remove the uncanny sixth sense the Tethered had in finding their counterparts that they had been trained to kill. Violence did not need to be the answer. 

In the meantime, surviving humans had been encouraged to live in walled settlements in case the Tethered decided to attack again. So far they had turned docile but the Tethered could turn again at any moment. Scientists began to study the dead bodies of Tethered but these studies yielded few interesting results. Europe sent special military forces to help capture a few living Tethered to study. These volunteers would not have a Tethered and would be at less risk of provoking violence. At least, that was the theory. A lot of work went into selecting Tethered subjects that had living doubles for capture and study. The work was ongoing and those involved were confident that a solution could be found.

As for Adelaide Wilson, it was decided that she had been away from her fellow Tethered for too long to be of much help. She had been tried by a military court based on her kidnapping of a human citizen. The growing empathy for the Tethered made the military’s decision to acquit Adelaide easier. She was fitted with an ankle monitor and returned to her adopted family. 

The Wilsons are just one story in a sea of stories of that fateful night. Historians and reporters are working tirelessly to record as many stories as they can. Both the deaths and the survivals of humans and Tethered would not be in vain. The world could be fixed again. 

Media Update 4/25/24

Fallout (2024)

I have been a big fan of these games ever since I first played Fallout 3 and I was intrigued when I heard that the show was coming out. In a future USA 200 years after the bombs dropped, a young woman emerges from an underground vault to find a very different world. Ella Purnell plays the idealistic and optimistic Vault Dweller who is out of touch with the world and on an adventure. Aaron Moten plays a military officer who set out to prove himself but instead wants to save people. Walton Goggins plays a ghoul bounty hunter, walking around with a chip on his shoulder and a dry wit. Sarita Choudhury plays a steely and mysterious mercenary who is a total badass. I have only watched two episodes so far but I have loved what I have seen so far. The games provide a lot of world-building for the show to stand on and it really shows. The show is also being run by Jonathan Nolan, writer of many Christopher Nolan movies and showrunner of the Westworld and Person of Interest series. The show is a perfect mix of comedy, drama, and bloody action. I recommend this show even if you have not played the games.

Trolls: Band Together (2023)

I have really liked this franchise and I continue to be surprised by it. Poppy and Branch’s story continues as they are both confronted by their past in different ways which drives them to go on a desperate rescue mission. Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return as the main characters and their chemistry is still off the charts. Kenan Thompson returns as a comic relief side character. The movie introduces Daveed Diggs, Eric Andre, Kid Cudi, and Troye Savan as a boy band of Trolls who all have problems with each other. Camila Cabello is introduced as a manic pixie dream girl with a dark past. Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells appear as very funny villains who really fun to hate. After their absence from the second film, we also get the return of the Bergen race which was nice to see. The world-building is really great as we are introduced to even more races of creatures with interesting designs. The music is really fun as it heavily relies on boy band and pop music but includes plenty of other great tunes as well. The amount of songs is staggering but fits in a world that includes a race of musical-based beings. The animation is gorgeous and gives the impression of mixed media. I recommend this movie.

Very Important People (2023 -2024)

I am an avid fan of Dropout (the successor to College Humor) so I definitely had to check out this new show. In each episode, an improv comedian is transformed through makeup and costume into a character that they are not given time to prepare. They must then go on set and be interviewed by a presenter who also has not been prepared for what she is about to see. Comedians are transformed into ornery grandmas, psychic twins, aliens, weightlifters, beauty pageants, and many more. The interviewer is Vic Michaelis but the guest could be anybody associated with Dropout. The give and take is absolutely fascinating to watch. I also really enjoy the growth we see in Vic’s character as more is revealed in each interview. It is a very wild and amazing show. I recommend it.

---

Music of the Week:

SixSaidIt – Japa 2 Japan

Nylophone – More of the Same

Tristan Dolce – King of the Arroyo

Orchards – I Feel Terrible

Mashup of the Week:

Monkeyfeesh – MY NASTY WAY

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Meeting New People”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I watched more Ellsbeth Season 1
• I watched more SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I watched more Brooklyn 99 Season 5
• I watched more Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 2

Viridian Dreams – A Wizard of Oz Story

Dorothy Gale had been caught in the tornado and she could have sworn she had flown through the air. Something had hit her head and when she had looked out of the window of their small farmhouse, she could have sworn she had seen terrible visions. She had then felt weightless as the house had started to fall. Dorothy grabbed her dog, Toto, and hugged him tight. Then there was a horrific crashing noise and everything went black. When she woke up, the house seemed to still be intact. Toto wiggled out of her arms and circled her as she stood up. She brushed herself off and headed toward the front door. 

When she opened the door, the light was blinding. The world out there was like nothing on Earth and, as she stumbled into the light, she saw a little village. Little was the operative word as all of the buildings were smaller than anything she had ever seen. As soon as she had that thought, a crowd of three-foot-tall people came streaming out of the buildings, surrounding her. She was startled but she stood her ground.

“You killed the witch!” One of the small people yelled out.

“Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead!” Several people yelled out in response.

“Wait,” Dorothy asked. “What’s going on here? Who are you?”

One of the most authoritative-looking of the group stepped forward. “We’re the Munchkins,” he said. “This is Munchkinland.”

“Munchkinland,” Dorothy said with wonder. “Wait, you said that somebody died. Who’s dead?”

The Munchkins all pointed at two feet sticking out from under Dorothy’s house. Dorothy gasped and started shaking.

“I didn’t mean to!” Dorothy yelled out. “Oh God, I can’t believe I killed somebody. Wait, this was the tornado’s fault.”

“I don’t think the Wicked Witch will see it that way,” one of the Munchkins said. 

Dorothy looked back at the Munchkins. “Who?” she asked. 

Instead of answering, the Munchkins looked expectantly at the sky.

“What are you all looking at?” Dorothy asked.

“We’re waiting for Glinda, the Good Witch,” one of the Munchkins said. “We summoned her, she should be here soon.”

Dorothy looked up as well which is why she was so surprised by the explosion of fire and smoke a few feet away. She was briefly knocked off of her feet and the Munchkins scattered while screaming. Dorothy looked up at a green woman glaring down at her. She scrambled to her feet.

“Are you the one who killed my sister?” the woman asked. “I should pull you apart right now, girl.”

Dorothy struggled to speak but then she gathered her courage and stood up. “I didn’t kill anybody,” she said. “It was a freak accident.”

“You’re wearing my sister’s magic slippers,” the woman said. “That means you defeated her.”

Dorothy looked down and she was indeed wearing the slippers that she had seen on the feet sticking out from under her house. They shimmered and sparkled with something more than the strange material they were made from. They also fit perfectly which surprised and disturbed Dorothy greatly.

“Look, just give me the slippers and I’ll consider letting you live,” the woman said. She reached to pull the shoes off of Dorothy but some force stopped her hands inches away. She cried out in pain. “Curses! I must defeat you to win the slippers.”

Dorothy shook her head. “I don’t want to fight you,” she said. “More importantly, I don’t want to die. I never wanted these slippers and I don’t remember even putting them on.”

Dorothy bent down and unbuckled the slippers and took them off. She stood back up and held the shoes out to the green woman. 

“What?” the woman asked in surprise.

“Take them,” Dorothy said. “Please just take them.” She shook the slippers at the woman.

The woman reached out slowly and grabbed the slippers. When the woman first touched the slippers, Dorothy felt a surge of heat that hurt but also felt good. The green woman clutched the slippers and there was something in her eyes that told Dorothy that she had felt something similar. The woman disappeared again in a sudden burst of flames. Dorothy looked down at her hand and watched as it shimmered and turned green for a moment and then returned to normal.

“What’s going on?” Dorothy asked nervously.

“It looks like freely giving the slippers had some unforeseen side effects,” a voice said. “What happens next is uncharted.”

Dorothy turned around and saw a woman in a resplendent pink gown with vibrant red hair. She also had a horrific bruise on the right side of her face.

“Um, I’m Dorothy,” Dorothy said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Glinda,” the woman said. “The wicked witch you just met jumped me before I could arrive to help you out. We have a lot to figure out.

Under Siege in Kamar-Taj – A Marvel Age of Apocalypse Story

Dane Whitman was fleeing on horseback through the streets of Atlanta from pursuing Infinite soldiers. He had been able to avoid the mutant threat for a long time by laying low and keeping his head down as much as he could. He would use the magic of his sword to save a few people here and there but he would keep things low-key. Then the announcement had gone out about the European Council’s evacuation of humans from the eastern seaborn of the former United States of America. He knew that he could do more good by joining up with the other humans in Europe rather than in the chaos of America. He had tried to travel slowly and quietly but he had been found out. The Infinites had then given chase.

As he rode, he wished he still had his winged horse Aragorn. Having wings at his disposal would make short work of getting to an evacuation point. The Infinites started to fire on Dane and his horse and the countryside started to explode around him. He spurred the already tired horse into a faster gallop, knowing that his end had come. Even with his armor reinforced by Marc’s power, he knew that he was no match for such an overwhelming force. That was when a portal opened in front of him and the horse leaped through without a second thought. It was suddenly very quiet and the air felt thinner. He encouraged the horse to come to a stop as soon as he noticed that the gunfire had stopped.

A bald man was waiting nearby with a smile on his face.

“Who are you?” Dane asked. “Where are we?”

“My name is Wong,” the man said. “And I have brought you safely to Kamar-Taj, currently a refuge for magical beings away from the violence of the world. By order of the Sorcerer Supreme, I brought you here with a portal.”

“Why me?” Dane asked. “There are so many people to save out there.”

“We only have so much power and space here,” Wong said. “It forces us to be selective when choosing whom we save. You carry and wield a very powerful magical artifact and we have sensed that you have had your powers altered and amplified recently.”

Dane looked confused and nodded. “Yes,” he said. “I recently inherited the mantle of the Moon Knight and I combined it with my own mantle as the Black Knight. The Black Moon Knight. I’m still workshopping the name but I haven’t really socialized a lot lately.”

“You have suffered much,” Wong said as he nodded. “We wish we could have located you earlier.”

“How did you find me?” Dane asked.

“I located you,” a woman said. She was clad all in armor and had long blond braids. “I felt Marc Spector’s passing and discovered you while investigating. You may call me Valkyrie.”

Dane’s eyes went wide. “As in Norse mythology? That Valkyrie?” he asked.

“As you can see, I am very real so please refrain from calling me ‘mythology’,” Valkyrie said. “I am indeed a Valkyrie under the banner of Odin. I was cut off from the other nine realms when the rainbow bridge went down and I was stranded here on Earth.”

“How many magical beings are here?” Dane asked.

“There are very many magical beings here and also people who are not innately magical but wield magic such as yourself,” Wong said. “We have managed to save quite a few.”

“Then we should use the force that you’ve gathered to save even more people,” Dane said. “We shouldn’t be hiding on some mystery mountain.”

“What you propose is dangerous,” Wong said. “We could put magic in the hands of Apocalypse’s forces and he would use it to dominate the entire planet. Perhaps even farther.”

“But your plan is also something that I have also proposed,” Valkyrie said. “It seems I have a new ally to help rally the troops.”

“This will have to be an ongoing conversation,” Wong said. “No decisions are to be made lightly. I will lead you to meet some of the others including the Sorcerer Supreme himself. Doctor Druid will be very interested in you.”

“I’m also very interested,” Dane said. “Let’s get the meet and greet over with.”

Torchwood Debriefing – A Doctor Who/MIB Crossover Story

Agent M was there to meet Agent O at the airport. Of course, Agent O would never travel by any commercial airline as that would both draw attention and would take a long time. Instead, she flew at night in an experimental craft combining Earth and Byvoidian technology. She touched down with no human observers and M was waiting for her on the tarmac. Agent O looked graceful getting out of the small craft but she looked graceful doing anything. She was the head of the US office of the Men In Black and the woman that hired M. The two of them shook hands and then hugged gently.

“It’s good to see you again, Boss,” Agent M said. “How was your flight?”

“Exhilarating,” O said. “How are you doing here in London since the last time we met? How are you finding my home country?”

“I’m enjoying it,” M said. “Things have been going a lot smoother here after T was caught. I feel like this is a good fit for me and I’m adapting to the local culture.”

“Excellent,” O said. “I had a feeling that assigning you there was the right move. How is Agent H doing in charge so far? His probationary period is almost ended.”

“He’s doing great,” M said. “He’s just really busy cleaning up T’s messes all of the time. It will pass eventually, I hope.”

“That’s why I asked you to meet me here instead of him,” O said. “A problem has arisen at Canary Wharf that needs attention and he has very little attention to spare. I left Agent K in charge back in New York. Would you like to team up with me?”

“I would love to,” M said. “I’ll drive.”

The two of them drove from Heathrow Airport out to Canary Wharf elsewhere in London. With O’s guidance in navigation, the pair had shown up at a large white building with a large sign out front that said “Torchwood Institute”.  The building had seen better days. It had a few holes in it and there were scorch marks everywhere. The building bore signs that it was soon to be condemned and demolished. 

“What happened here?” M asked. “It looks like a war zone.”

“Some are calling it the Battle of Canary Wharf,” O said. “But you won’t see it on the news.”

“Neuralyzers and a clean-up crew, huh?” M asked. She knew all too well about that.

“Some of that was employed,” O said. “But we also had some local help from UNIT, a governmental group that acts discreetly against alien threats. This was a very nasty affair. Two techno-organic species went to war with humans caught in the middle.”

The two of them walked carefully through the front door of the building. Their heads were on a swivel just in case there was still a threat in the building.

“How did anybody survive?” M asked. “Normal humans caught in all of this?”

“They had abundant help from an alien that we have been tracking for some time without being able to meet him,” O said. “He is known only as The Doctor. I’ve heard that he has mastered time travel, something that I thought we had locked down after Agent J confiscated the Price devices.”

“He sounds pretty crazy,” M said. 

“So far he seems to be on the side of good,” O said. “I would like to think that we could catch him if he started to be a threat but I am not sure we can catch him. He does have some contacts in UNIT who assure us that he is on the level. On the other hand, this Torchwood is meddling in things they do not understand and have become dangerous. They were apparently set up by Queen Victoria but they have strayed from the path.”

“What do we need to do about it?” M asked. “Track them down? Convince them to stop?”

“By whatever means necessary,” O said. “And we have to contain their path of destruction to keep them from alerting the public to the existence of extraterrestrials.”

“Sounds like a normal day with the MIB,” M said. “Let’s get started.”

“Yes,” O said. “Let’s.”

SOLDIER – A Final Fantasy VII Story

[Open Shinra Proprietary Chat Function]

Heidegger: Subject under review is Cloud Strife. Report.

Lazard: Cloud Strife claims to be SOLDIER. There are no records of him in SOLDIER.

Hojo: Subject has been observed. Subject is Mako-infused like SOLDIER members but not through our process.

Lazard: Cloud Strife shows above-average fighting skills, reminiscent of Sephiroth.

Hojo: I would not go that far.

Heidegger: Recommendation?

Lazard: If he thinks he is SOLDIER and remembers being in SOLDIER then let him be SOLDIER. If he messes up, we shoot him in the back and bury him deep.

Heidegger: So be it.

[Close Shinra Proprietary Chat Function]

---

Cloud Strife’s helicopter touched down at the Junon Base flight deck and he jumped out almost as soon as the blades started to slow. He grabbed up his Buster Sword and headed for the locker room reserved for SOLDIER. He was not about to mingle with regular Shinra soldiers. He was better than that. He got into the elevator, sighed, and waited to arrive at his floor. He wanted to get some sleep before shipping out again. The bosses had been running him ragged lately and he had just gotten back from clearing out a nest of monsters single-handedly. He often worked alone.

As he entered the locker room, he started taking his armor off and locked his sword against the wall with a magnetic holder. He headed for the showers and climbed in, turning the water as hot as it could get. His cure materia and potions kept him healthy but nothing beat a shower. He let the water pour off him, flattening his hair that was naturally spiky. The water felt good spilling down his body and he could see the dirt circling the drain. He turned the shower off and grabbed a towel and started to dry off. He reached into his pack for a clean pair of pants and put them on. He went back into the main locker area and there was a woman standing there, stowing a staff in one of the lockers. She had mousy brown hair tied into a very careful single braid. She looked regulation military.

“Who are you?” Cloud asked. “I thought I was alone.”

“You were alone,” the woman said. “At least until I got here right after you did. The name’s Aerith Gainsborough.”

“Why are you here?” Cloud asked. “This locker room is only for SOLDIER. You should go to a lower level.”

Aerith smiled politely. “I am SOLDIER,” she said. “I was just promoted three days ago. I was just with the Turks before this. They said I showed promise. I’m a natural healer but I can fight too.”

“Those creeps?” Cloud asked. “They think wearing a suit is so cool. You’re better off in SOLDIER. Congratulations, I guess.”

“What’s your name?” Aerith said.

“You’re promoted three days and you think you can interrogate me?” Cloud asked. “I don’t think so.”

“I was just making small talk,” Aerith said. “I’m getting to know the players around here.”

Cloud side-eyed her for a moment. “The name’s Cloud Strife,” he said. “SOLDIER First Class.”

“First Class, Wow. Where are you from?” Aerith asked which was met by deafening silence from Cloud. “I’m from the Sector 5 Slums. I used to sell flowers. But the Turks found me and recruited me.”

“A flower girl, huh?” Cloud asked. “Very intimidating. If you must know, I grew up in Nibelheim. I trained hard and got into SOLDIER the normal way.”

“Which makes you better than me?” Aerith asked.

“That tone sounds close to insubordination,” Cloud said. “Which is fine by me, I like bending the rules.”

Aerith smiled. “Such a rebel,” she said. “I’m happy to know that considering that I’m supposed to be teaming up with you.”

“You’re what?” Cloud asked with surprise. “No way. I work alone.”

“You did work alone,” Aerith corrected him. “And now you’re working with me. We’re supposed to join up with a bunch of S-Class Infintry. We’re tracking down a terrorist group named AVALANCHE.”

“Sounds beneath me,” Cloud said. He pulled on a shirt and then ran a comb through his hair. Aerith was staring at him and it made him uncomfortable. Something about her made him want to open up. It was annoying.

Aerith shrugged. “Orders are orders,” she said. “So I’m with you.”

Cloud grunted. “Don’t slow me down,” he said.

Rockin’ Roxy Rides Again – A The Winchesters Story

Roxy set down the letter again and sighed. Her fingers trembled a little as she reached for a whiskey bottle that just was not there anymore. She had been sober for weeks, ever since the last time she had met with Lata and Carlos. That was when she had decided to turn her life back around and not drink herself into oblivion. If she had crawled into the bottle to die, the Akrida really would have won. Still, the whole ordeal had lost her everything except for her life, her car, and just a little bit of cash. She really missed her girlfriend but how do you explain alien possession to somebody who has lived a normal human existence? She also had no job and no apartment. She was sleeping in her car. That was why she had been confused about how the letter had reached her. It had just appeared on her dashboard one morning with no postmark.

The letter had been from Lata and it was not very long. It informed Roxy that, due to outside interference, the battle against the Akrida had been won. All of the Akrida were either destroyed or banished from the world. The first time Roxy had read the letter, she had been filled with conflicting emotions. She had felt joy, exhilaration, relief, and spite that the Akrida were gone. She also felt disappointment and a little bit of sadness that she had not had more of a hand in their defeat. She had wanted to hurt them as much as they had hurt her but that boat had sailed. Now she was left worrying about what her future held. She started the car down the road again.

A mile later, she saw a man in sunglasses was on the side of the road with a sign. Roxy was going to keep driving until she saw that the sign simply had her name on it. She quickly pulled to a stop on the side of the road and rolled down her window. The man slowly walked up.

“What’s your deal, man?” Roxy asked. “I’m up to here with weirdness already.”

“I’m an angel,” the man said. “We need to talk.”

“Nope,” Roxy said and stomped on the accelerator and swerved back onto the highway.

A mile later and the man suddenly appeared in her passenger seat.

“What the hell?” Roxy asked. 

“Not hell,” the man said. “I’m an angel, remember? My name is Anael.”

“Alright,” Roxy said. “And what do you want?” She kept driving, her eyes firmly on the road.

“Most would spend time bickering back and forth on whether or not I really was an angel,” Anael said. “You’ve just accepted it?”

“Well, Annie, I recently spent some time possessed by a creature from beyond,” Roxy said. “And I met somebody who can cast magic spells. It’s not much of a leap to accept angels too. You also just teleported into my car. What do you want?”

“Heaven is quite aware of your recent trials and tribulations,” Anael said. “I’m also aware of your present dilemma. I’m here to offer you a purpose.”

“A purpose?” Roxy asked dubiously. 

“We need you to travel this land and resolve threats beyond the understanding of normal human beings,” Anael said, looking out the passenger side window.

“Heavent’s assassin?” Roxy asked. “Is this like Carlos and that whole group?”

“It would not be dissimilar,” Anael said. “I believe you are suited for this mission.”

“I’m not a killer,” Roxy said. 

“We do not need a killer,” Anael said. “It doesn’t all have to be killing in order to save people.”

“I’ve never prayed to your boss before,” Roxy said. “Why me and not somebody a little holier?”

“Don’t tell too many people but you don’t have to be godly to be good,” Anael said with a smile. “If you choose to accept, you won’t be alone.”

“Who is going with me?” Roxy asked.

“You’re accepting?” Anael asked, a little surprised.

“I don’t really have a lot of options right now,” Roxy said. “So I could give this a shot. Who do I work with?”

“Pull over into this parking lot,” Anael said and pointed. “That van, do you see it?”

Roxy nodded and pulled up next to the van. She and Anael got out of the car and walked up to the sliding door of the van. Anael knocked and then opened the door. Inside was lined completely with books. A young woman in glasses sat cross-legged in the middle of the van reading. She was sitting on a large sigil of some sort.

“Hello,” the young woman said. “I am The Librarian, how can I help you?”

“Hey, my name is Roxy,” she said. “You don’t have a name?”

“I don’t,” The Librarian said simply.

“The Librarian is a tulpa, an idea given form,” Anael said. “She has a vast knowledge base and can help guide you on your journal. She is just the first of your companions.”

“I’m going to call you Janis,” Roxy said with a smile.

“Okay,” The Librarian said.

A Quick Substitution – A Marvel Comics Story

Jennifer Walters, Doreen Green, Kate Bishop, and Natasha Romanoff left the restaurant in a hurry, after paying of course. Natasha still had her Avengers credit card on her. Doreen and Kate headed toward their cars for their costumes and gear. Natasha had her gauntlets in her purse and Jen luckily had her costume on under her dress. Jen took off her dress and transformed into She-Hulk stretching out her back and neck.

“You had your costume on under your dress?” Natasha asked.

“I told you before dinner that I was on call,” Jen said. “Besides, I’m not the one getting ready for a fight in my dress.” She carefully folded her dress and put it in her purse.

“I can fight wearing anything or nothing,” Natasha said. 

“Please let it be the former, not the latter,” Jen said. 

“No promises in the heat of battle,” Natasha said with a smirk.

Doreen and Kate caught up to them, now dressed as Squirrel Girl and Hawkeye.

“Do we want to know what Natasha is talking about?” Doreen asked, concerned.

“It’s best to leave it alone,” Kate said. “She has a devious mind.”

“My mind is relatively normal,” Natasha said. “I still think we could have stayed in the restaurant and had a coffee and some dessert. What’s the rush?”

“I’m on call,” Jen said. “I promised Spider-Man that I would handle his business. He’s on a second honeymoon with his wife.”

“Aww,” Doreen said with excitement. “That’s a great reason for us to lend a hand.”

“What I’m hearing is that Jen was on call, though, not us,” Natasha said.

“If Jen is going to go have some fun, we might as well all join in,” Kate said. “Besides, Spider-Man mostly deals with goofs.”

“Dangerous goofs,” Jen said. 

“They’re still goofs,” Kate said. She readied an arrow in her bow.

“I don’t know,” Doreen said. “I had a good experience with Kraven the Hunter that one time. At least I got him to leave New York. She shrugged.

“Not all villains are a hundred percent bad,” Jen said. “We’ve all had our moments where we’ve been able to connect to the bad guys.”

“I haven’t,” Natasha said, clearly a lie as she smiled wickedly as she said it.

“Yes, yes, you’re a monster,” Jen said with a smile. “Thank you for coming with me. Again, you guys could have stayed at the restaurant.”

“If we help, you’ll get done earlier and we could have a movie night,” Doreen said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Jen said. “Start thinking of movies you want to watch.”

The four of them turned the corner and there was Rhino, Scorpion, and Vulture. They took a moment to take stock of the three villains.

“Well, it’s only half of the Sinister Six,” Jen said.

“This shouldn’t take long,” Natasha said and then she called out to the criminals. “Hey! Surrender now or face the Avengers!”

“Or you could, you know, just go quietly back to prison,” Dorreen said. “That would be cool too!”

“Also, we’re not all currently Avengers right now,” Kate said. “For the sake of accuracy.”

“Once an Avenger, always an Avenger,” Jen said. 

“Piss off!” Scorpion said and shot a stream of acid at the four women which they easily dodged.

Rhino charged and Jen met him head-on, grabbing him by the horns and holding back his charge. She then redirected his momentum down into the pavement, temporarily stopping the villain.

The Vulture swooped down and Doreen jumped up on his back and rode him back into the air. She struggled to hold on but was definitely getting ready to attack the old man.

“Please just give up!” Doreen called out. “I don’t want to hit an old man!”

Kate and Natasha squared off against Scorpion. Natasha ran in and dodged Scorpion’s flailing strikes as Kate started to pelt him with arrows from a distance.

“We came for Spider-Man!” Rhino shouted as he climbed up out of the pavement.

“Learn to handle disappointment,” Jen said and punched Rhino hard, sending him tumbling.

Vulture could just not shake Doreen from his back and Doreen started to mess with his wings. Smoke started to come out of the Vulture’s gear.

Natasha and Kate were quickly tiring out Scorpion and Natasha was able to land her Black Widow venom sting. The strike took all of the wind out of his sails allowing Kate to finish him off with a net arrow that pinned the Scorpion to the pavement.

Vulture was on a collision course with the grown but Jen stepped in at the last moment and swung Rhino like a club as Doreen jumped off and landed safely on the ground. The impact launched Vulture into a nearby tree where he got tangled.

Finally, Jen slammed Rhino back to the ground and he actually did a smart thing and decided to stay down.

The four women regrouped as police sirens approached in the distance.

“Told you it wouldn’t take long,” Natasha said as she caught her breath.

“So what movie do we want to watch?” Doreen asked.

Media Update 4/18/24

X-Men ‘97 (2024)

I was a huge fan of the original series so I was excited to hear about this sequel series. This is a continuation of the story with a return to a lot of characters from the original lineup. Many voice actors have been replaced but some have returned. In particular, I am so glad that Cal Dodd returns as Wolverine, Lenore Zann returns as Rogue, and Alison Sealy-Smith returns as Storm. Some other voice actors from the original have unfortunately died recently. Some voice actors from the original have changed their roles. The new voice actors do a great job of approximating the voices while still doing their own thing. In particular, Holly Chou has taken over playing Jubilee because the original actress expressed her wish for an actual Asian American to play the role. The show also has the real return of Morph as a character adding some much-needed comedy. I am excited to see how the show continues to adapt storylines from the comic books while also doing its own thing a bit. I recommend this show.

The Wheel of Time (2021 – 2023)

This was a recommendation from my cousin who knows that I like fantasy stories. As the forces of darkness close in, a mystic may have found the world’s savior but it is one of four young people. Rosamund Pike plays the imposing channeler of magic who has been tasked with seeking the one who will save everyone. Daniel Henney plays her bodyguard, absolutely dedicated to protecting her and her mission. Madeleine Madden plays a mayor’s daughter who is suddenly out of her element away from home. Josha Stradowski plays a shepherd who may be destined for greater things. Marcus Rutherford plays a blacksmith who is suddenly joining in battle. Barney Harris plays a gambler who might have to get serious. Abdul Salis plays an insidious religious zealot who is dangerous. I am interested to see where this series goes. I really like the magic system but this is a very dark and gritty world. I recommend this series.

Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury (2023)

I will probably keep watching Power Rangers series until they stop making them. With the return of Lord Zedd, a group of rangers must recover from their most dire circumstances. This show largely follows the cast from Dino Fury but with an entirely different tone. The show also brings back David Yost as Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger. Jared Turner returns but now as a good guy. Ryan Carter returns from Dino Charge now as a good guy. This series more than any other references previous series, confirming a lot of past seasons as canon in the same world. It also has a lesbian romance in it which is wild to see in a Power Rangers show. It is always seeing rangers being pushed out of their comfort zone and seeing tons of callbacks to ranger lore. I recommend this series.

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Music of the Week:

Slaughterhouse – Poison

After Fiasco – Blueberry Hill

RADICAL KITTEN – Afraid to Die

Brimheim – Literally Everything

Mashup of the Week:

Ifthiswasamoviestan – Dancing With Our Thumbs Tied

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Weekly Update:

• This week’s theme is “Fighting Together”
• I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling,  LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Some More News, Games Done Quick, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Phelous, Game Theory, Jesse Cox, Super Beard Bros, Drawfee, Nick DiRamio, Sad Boyz, Jarvis Johnson, KallMeKris, Dropout, Swell Entertainment, Amalee, IronMouse
• I watched more Hawai’i 5-0 Season 5
• I watched more NCIS Season 21
• I watched more NCIS Hawai’i Season 3
• I watched more Ellsbeth Season 1
• I watched more FBI Season 1
• I watched more Bluey Season 3
• I started SWAT Season 5
• I watched more The Blacklist Season 10
• I watched more Matlock Season 2
• I started Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 1