Maximum Carnage Issue 9 - "The Alt-World, part 1" by Justin Anderson Friday, February 23rd. 11:33 AM 'Journal Entry, Feb. 23- Two days ago, Carnage resurfaced in England and stole an old sword from a museum. 78 people were killed. Yesterday, he returned the same way he got over there- sneaking through in an airplane's hull. We've been following him since he returned, but we've lost him again. The symbiote has also now become independent of a human host and had become highly intelligent. It can still feel pain, however. End of entry- Jack' Jack sped down the road. They were heading back to the city after a long drive. They had just had a battle with Carnage a few hours ago. It was a hard one, and the symbiote got away. He was using the sword he had taken as his main weapon. His tolerance to pain and injury also seemed a lot higher than before. Cletus bent down and flipped on the radio. '....that ends the local weather report for today. In other news, the American Museum of Natural History will be unveiling a new exhibit today. Brought over by professor James Hartley from an expedition in the Middle East, a pendant entitled the "Heart of the Evil Armies" will be displayed for only three weeks before entering the professor's private collection. The pendant was lost many years ago, and has been sought after due to it's rare stones. It is believed to be related to "The Sword of the Evil Armies", stolen recently from the United Kingdom-" Cletus flipped the radio off. "Sounds like a possibility, Jack. I mean, there's no reason for Carnage to travel that far for a simple sword! It had to be a connection!" Jack turned to him. "Let's just hope we can get there before he does! Let's see.... 79th street... we should be there in about fifteen minutes" "But Jack, we're further away than-" He shut up as Jack floored the gas pedal. 11:45 AM, American Museum of Natural History, 3rd floor The Special Exhibition Gallery was filled with a few reporters. In the middle stood a large case, inside the glass a pendant sat. It was a small circular medallion, with a star inside. An early pentagram design. In each point of the star, a small red jewel was placed. The ring had an ancient writing. It was attached to a fresh gold chain. Professor Hartley stood to one side of the case. He had just finished a speech describing what he had to go through to get this, and how valuable it was to the world. A few of the reporters thought the guy was a self-centered, greedy man. He only seemed to care about it's monetary value. "Now, any final questions?" One of the reporters stood. "Where will you be taking this after the exhibit closes?" Hartley didn't bother to look over as he replied. "Simple, it will be going-" He stopped suddenly as a large sword poked through the ceiling. A red liquid ran down the blade and collected on the floor. Forming into the shape of a human, it pulled the sword through the ceiling. "It will be going with ME! RIGHT NOW!" Carnage walked forward, the large sword in his hands. The reporters had begun to scatter. "Now, see here! You just can't- erk-" Hartley was silenced as the sword pierced his ribs. Pulling it out, Carnage inspected the case. Forming an axe blade with his left arm, he smashed through the glass and grabbed the pendant inside. As he picked it up to look it over, bullets entered his back. Turning, expecting to see security guards, he almost jumped as he saw who it was. Jack and Cletus had found him. Jack drew his shotgun and pumped the slide. Cletus walked forward. "Okay, Carnage. Enough of this. Drop the sword and the pendant, and I'll allow you to bond with me again!" Carnage stared both men down. "Cletus.....dear, sweet, reformed Cletus..... I don't need you anymore! This form is proving more than enough. I don't need your....limitations!" Jack fired a few shells. But the creature didn't even react! Carnage simply used the hole in his chest to his own advantage. Shoving the pendant inside, he sealed it within his body. He turned to the outer wall, and shoving the sword through, ran into it hard, crumbling the brick material. Both men ran over to the hole. Carnage was gone. Jack turned to the reporters left in the room. "Okay people! It's over. Go on home. We can handle it!" Jack knew he was lying like a dog. He didn't even know what the hell was going on! He almost didn't want to know. Outside Both men walked to the small car. As Jack was about to get in, he heard a voice nearby. "He has the sword and the heart" Both men looked over. It was an old priest, roughly mid-sixties. Jack looked him in the eyes. "Excuse me?" "Pardon my intrusion, but I have something important to tell you concerning Carnage. May I get in?" Cletus opened the passenger's side door and pulled the small lever, sliding the seat forward. The old man entered, sitting in an empty space beside several boxes of shotgun shells. Jack got behind the wheel. "Okay, I'm assuming you don't want to talk here. Where to?" "West 52nd street" Jack turned the key. As soon as Cletus was in, he drove off. 12:07 PM, 21 Club, West 52nd Street, Manhattan The three men stood at the hidden entrance to the wine cellar. The old priest grabbed the meat skewer and pressed it in the lock. "Fancy place to discuss stopping Carnage, ain't it? I mean, I would have expected a church, or something." This had only served to further Jack's belief this day was getting stranger. The three entered, none of the nearby employees paying any attention to them. Locking the door, the old man walked over to one of the wine racks. Removing one of the bottles, he reached in and turned something. The rack opened up to reveal a stone staircase. Replacing the bottle, he motioned for the two to enter. He followed them both, closing the hidden door behind him. "I knew this place had those hidden passages, but this tops it all!" The old priest turned to Jack. "Yes. Well, this sanctuary was here before the club was opened. As of now, the management and employees have granted access. They don't know what's here, only that it is significant to the Church. We don't bother them about the business above, and they don't interfere with this place. Even at that, I'm the only one who knows how to enter that door we just passed through" They reached the bottom of the staircase. Old torches served as the only light source. Inside, the scene resembled an ancient castle. A place lost in time. "Have a seat" Both men pulled out on the old wooden chairs and sat at the large table. "You two need to be told the truth. By all outward appearances, you are fighting the alien being known as Carnage. But the form hides the real truth. You are not fighting Carnage" Cletus looked up. "Then who are we fighting?" "Domientius" Jack and Cletus looked at each other, and spoke in unison. "Domientius?" "Yes. The Dark God. He who has existed since the beginning of time. He who desires to reign over this world, making everything below him suffer. We thought he was banished from this realm, but we were wrong. Cletus, it all started many years ago. The day you were born. August 11th, 1974. You do not remember anymore, but we pinpointed the date. You were possessed by the Dark God that instant. It is why you were evil your entire life" Cletus sunk in his chair. What was this guy saying? He hadn't been insane at all? He was possessed? He stood. "Whoa, whoa....hold it, pal.... you're saying I should blame this 'thing'? But why? It served no purpose other than meaningless murder! IT MAKES NO SENSE!" The old man walked over to a book shelf and pulled down a large volume. "It makes perfect sense. You were merely a vessel. A thousand years ago, Domientuis was banished from this world by the ancient priests. His followers were either destroyed or left. He was sent to an eternal prison. Sub-Nizzuran. Some call it 'Alt-World'. A parallel world to our own, with nothing. He was left alone as punishment for the deaths he had caused. But unfortunately, it was temporary. The gate opened somehow, and he got out. But with no body, no army, and no power, he needed a physical form. You" Jack stood up this time. "So....how do we fight Dommy-whatever? And what's with the sword and pendant?" The old man opened the large book. On the pages were old drawings of both. "The sword is his weapon. The pendant is his power source. The Sword and Heart of Domientius. He has those now. Meaning, this room is the only thing standing between freedom and destruction" "Heh? I don't think this room will do much. That is, of Cletus ever stops mumbling to himself!" "There is one more artifact. His book. It contains the spells and incantations he needs. If he gets that, he can open a gate to Alt-World. Many of his army were sent there as well. But now that he has a body..... he can shape Alt- World into a physical form. A form based on what he is. But there is hope, even if that happens. You see, the symbiote is alive, and has a mind.... a soul of its own. It influences Domientius, and limits him. He needs a new body, one with no soul. It would have to be made. Defeating him before that happens would stop him" Jack thumbed through the book. Mostly old writings and a few drawings. "Is this his book?" "No. The book is well hidden. This is just a reference on many evil Gods" Jack stopped on one page. It had a drawing of a long bodied creature, two arms featuring long, tattered wings. No legs, and the mouth appeared to be covered with something. The eyes were small and dark. "That, my dear boy, is Domientius" Cletus stood from his seat. "All right. We have to stop Carnage. Jack, we should visit doc Kafka. I may have said something in my ranting which may be important" "Very well, you two. Do what you must, but remember- failure is not an option. I've done all I can for now. There is an exit to the surface on the other end of this room. It leads to a subway station. It's only a one-way door, otherwise I would have brought you in through there" Both men got up and walked across the room. Opening the door, they walked through a small passageway and out into a nearby subway station. Had they stayed longer, they might have seen the trail of red slide under the door. 12:39 PM, Dr. Kafka's office Jack and Cletus walked into the room. "Doc, we need to look over some of my old records. It may be-" Cletus stopped speaking as soon as he noticed the military general in the chair opposite Dr. Kafka. "Gentleman. A pleasure to meet you" The man stood. He was also in his mid-sixties, but looked younger than the old priest they had just left. "My name is Peterson, US Army. I know who you two are. And I've been looking for the both of you. I believe I may be able to help you stop Carnage" Jack sat down. The driving and excitement had tired him. Cletus walked forward. "How can you help us? An army of two and an army of two hundred is no different to this creature" The general removed his hat. "Simple. The fighting will be left to you. However, we are going to offer you some special weaponry" Several soldiers entered the room. Two of them were carrying a large class cylinder. "This is a VCU- Vacuum containment unit. It is used for holding liquids in an airtight seal for transportation. The piece on top is a vacuum unit for sucking in the liquids. If you can get close enough, it should hold him. That casing is shatter-proof. Shoot at it if you don't believe me" Another soldier sat down a large black bag. "And this is an area demolition explosive. It can level an area of three square city blocks. A bit much, but if you want something done right, it's best to go overboard than to underestimate" Cletus looked across the desk. "I know, Cletus. I checked your records. I didn't find anything that might help" Jack stood up. "Cletus, these new weapons could come in very useful" General Peterson stepped closer to the two. "Speaking of weapons, we have more" He handed Jack a belt. "A shotgun belt. It should make carrying that thing much easier. Also, hand grenades with a torso belt, and torso belts for pistol and shotgun ammo. All right, men. Get that VCU down to their vehicle. Bring in the rest" The general left. Men walked in with the rest of the equipment and left. Jack walked over to the desk and pulled out the tube. "Doc, put this up for us. Don't open it, don't remove any, don't tell anyone you have it! We'll get it later" She took the tube from the young man. Jack and Cletus put on their belts and loaded up on the available ammunition. Cletus put the black bag on his back by means of the shoulder straps. Both men left the room. Outside Both men walked towards the car. Before they could get to it, however, a loud scream cut through the air. Looking over, they saw the source. It was Carnage. "Hello, 'Maximum Carnage'! Tell me, how does it feel to have lost?" The nearby soldiers raised their weapons. Nearby pedestrians had gathered around to watch, from a safe distance. Carnage pulled a book out from behind his back. "What the.... Jack....he got the book!" "What? How?" Carnage stepped forward. "You led me right to him! I saw that door open. I couldn't help but walk in and talk to that old relic. The last of a religious army that once stopped me. AND NE IS NO MORE! This world.... IS MINE!" Carnage opened the book and began to utter a passage in an ancient language. Soldiers opened fire, but the bullets dissolved as they hit an invisible field. As he recited more of the passage, the scene grew worse. Winds had picked up, and lightning filled the air. "....and as I raise my weapon to the sky, I grant that the door to Sub-Nizzuran....SHALL BE OPENED!" As Carnage finished the passage, a bolt struck the tip of the sword. Turning around, Carnage pulled the sword back and jabbed it forward. It literally pierced the air. A beam of light went out from the entry point, as if the air was cracking open. And it was. The crack grew, and the sky began to shatter, as if it were a brick wall breaking open. Opening into a large hole, Jack knew what it was. It was an interdimensional vortex. Only this one was not the result of a computer image. It was real. They watched helplessly as Carnage walked through. After he entered, the winds increased. A vacuum effect. The winds increased. Several bystanders had been pulled in already. Struggling, Jack lost his footing and was pulled in. "JACK! NO!" Cletus did the only thing he though reasonable. He ran forward and into the vortex. With a bright flash, it closed. The sky was once again whole. Jack slowly got up from the street. He looked over to see Cletus making his way up as well. "Hey, weren't we just....." Jack cut his sentence short as he looked around. It looked like the area they were just in. Same street and buildings. But it was all wrong. The area was filthy, the buildings aged considerably. And the sky. The sky was a dark red. "Cletus......I think we're in Alt-World....." THE END Author's Notes: I used the official websites of the AMNH and the 21 Club for information. I've never been to either establishment. http://www.amnh.org/ and http://www.21club.com/, respectively. I also made up the extra hidden passage in the 21 Club. It does not exist. General Peterson is based on actor Kevin Tighe. Domientius is pronounced "dome-ee-in-chiss". Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's universe will be special occurences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non- Marvel licensed characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories. Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may not be altered, and especially NOT TO BE SOLD, unless Marvel wishes to license this series from me.