Midtown Manhattan:
'...then I say we give it to her' Medusa declares as she stands over the wide-eyed mysterious being called Singularity. 'Queen Medusa. Here? And Alive! So very, very alive!' But as Medusa places a clamp on Singularity's wrists, she thinks 'But not friend?', before asking 'Friend?'
She-Hulk storms over and asks Medusa what she thinks she is doing. 'What you apparently cannot, She-Hulk... I am taking control' Medusa replies. 'You can't “give it to her” - especially when what that thing wants is a human... ex- person-like-thing – just because you're annoyed a communication tower got wrecked.' She-Hulk reminds Medusa that this is New York City – 'And crap you don't like happening is the status quo!' she adds. Medusa folds her arms as She-Hulk tells her that they don't just hand people over like they are the Gestapo simply because they are irritated. Medusa suggests to She-Hulk that she is overly emotional, while the mystery energy being dubbed Antimatter blasts someone above them. She-Hulk points at Medusa and replies that she is exactly the right amount of emotional, and that this girl came to her for help. 'And she's getting it whether I have to step over your unconscious body to do it or not' She-Hulk warns Medusa, while Singularity looks skyward, 'Oh no. No no no' she thinks to herself.
'You dare?' Medusa snaps, leaning in closer to She-Hulk. 'I do!' She-Hulk retorts. 'Help!' Singularity exclaims. 'WHAT?' She-Hulk and Medusa yell, turning to Singularity, they follow her gaze upwards, 'Oh, no' they both utter as they see Antimatter, his form towering as high as the nearby skyscrapers, holding someone prisoner in a ball of energy.
'Interesting. This one is unlike the primary population of this planet' Antimatter remarks. 'Some striking similarities, but not technically human' he decides. 'No' Medusa utters as she sees an Inhuman in the ball of energy, while She-Hulk rushes forward, instructing Medusa to het those cuffs off Singularity and help her.
'Evacuate civilian population to safe distance – stage two protocol!' Medusa shouts into her communicator. 'Affirmative, my queen' comes the response. As Singularity's cuffs are removed, she thinks that Medusa is different, like Jennifer and Carol – not the Medusa she knew, but also somehow the same. 'I am sorry. Your friend...' Singularity begins. 'He is – was – a soldier. This... is the price' Medusa replies. 'Too high' Singularity tells her. Medusa doesn't respond.
'Ah, craaaap!' She-Hulk shouts as she is knocked backwards above Medusa and Singularity. 'Jennifer!' Singularity shouts as She-Hulk slams into the concrete nearby. Medusa looks horrified, while Antimatter drops down next to her and, pointing at Singularity, announces 'I require this blue one. It must be destroyed. Give it to me'.
'Yes, about that... I believe I have changed my mind!' Medusa responds, before Anitmatter grabs her and pulls her up closer to him. 'You are much more resilient than the base species of this planet. Similar DNA. And yet, more powerful than the Inhuman specimen I disassembled. Similarities in strength and stamina to the green one. Curious. Medusa wraps her long tresses around Antimatter's arm, as he adds 'Also much more... fur than others. Perhaps this one is... pet?' Wide-eyed, Medusa shouts 'Pet? PET? I am... a queen!' Medusa's hair covers more of Antimatter, then she uses her hair to propel the alien lifeform into the air, where he crashes into the building at the end of the street.
'Getting up' Singularity points out. 'Oh, you have got to be kidding me' She-Hulk mutters, announcing that they have to shut this thing down fast, or more people are going to be killed. 'What is this thing?' Medusa enquires. 'I don't know. But punching isn't working' She-Hulk points out. Medusa asks why it wants the little one, and She-Hulk tells her that she doesn't know, but that Singularity is the only one that seems to have hurt it so far.
'Is that true, child?' Medusa asks. 'Yes?' Singularity replies. Medusa asks her if she can do it again, to which Singularity explains that it hurts, makes her weak. She thinks to herself that it is in her head sometimes, and she supposes she should tell them, but she doesn't. 'I don't know why. Maybe I don't want the sparkly hurty handcuffs again'. She-Hulk muses that if they could buy some time, they might be able to figure something out – but it just keeps coming.
'Time...' Medusa remarks, before pulling a disc from the pouch on her waist and throwing it into the air. 'Time I might be able to do' she announces, as the disc lands against Antimatter's chest. 'Interesting' Antimatter remarks, before there is a bright green glow and a popping noise, and Antimatter disappears. 'Yes!' She-Hulk shouts, before asking Medusa what that glorious thing was. Medusa smirks and reports that it is some new Attilan tech that they have been experimenting with, a sort of teleportation disc, but they are still working out the kinks, this was a prototype. 'Where did it go?' She-Hulk enquires. 'That is one of the kinks. I have no idea' Medusa replies, suggesting they figure this out fast.
Somewhere near the moon, there is a green glow as Antimatter pops into space. 'But I have already seen this puny Earth moon' he pouts.
Back on Earth, Medusa asks who they can call and suggests they focus on the opposite of punching. 'Opposite of punching?' Singularity thinks to herself, she realizes that she knows who, and she knows she can find her – she can take them to friend Nico for the opposite of punching. 'I can take us to this place called Japan!' Singularity decides, before smiling and announcing to Medusa and She-Hulk that she has found help.
'Wait -' Medusa starts to say, as a teleport glow opens around them – and transports them all into the middle of a large celebration in Tokyo, Japan. 'Crap' She-Hulk mutters, while party-goers look confused.
'Nico. I'm going to kill you' the bride calls out in Japanese. 'What? Ii didn't do anything' Nico replies, eyeing up the new arrivals. 'Friend Nico!' Singularity exclaims, rushing over to Nico Minoru, she throws her arms around her. 'Rei, I swear, I've never seen her before in my life' Nico exclaims. 'Nico, the crashers ruining my wedding are hugging you!' Rei declares. 'Who is this child?' Medusa asks, looking at Nico. 'I think she's one of those kids that ran away from their evil parents... whatta they call you guys?' She-Hulk replies. 'Runaways' Nico tells her. 'Yeah... wow. That's literal' She-Hulk points out. 'You should talk... She-Hulk' Nico mutters, hanging her head. 'Hey, now' She-Hulk tells her, while Nico sighs that her family will never invite her to anything again after this nightmare.
Moments later in a private room:
'...and they hate super hero stuff. Rei is like the only one that sorta liked me. I finally get the invite... and to be a bridesmaid no less!' Nico exclaims as Medusa, She-Hulk and Singularity sit at a table. 'Inner circle, man! I was making it happen – reunion with non-evil family members was within my grasp and some weird team crashes the damn wedding!' she adds. 'We're not a team' Medusa corrects her. 'Definitely not' She-Hulk agrees. 'WHO CARES!?!' Nico shouts. She-Hulk reminds her that they said they are sorry their little blue friend brought them here. 'Without asking, we should mention' Medusa adds, while She-Hulk explains that Singularity said she knew someone that could help us. 'That's you, Nico' she points out. 'But I don't even know her!' Nico declares. Medusa explains that they don't, either, however she seems to know all of them, somehow. 'That's... that's not my problem' Nico replies. She-Hulk stands up and tells Nico that she is sorry to be indelicate, pointing out that it is her problem now, for they are here, the wedding is already wrecked. 'Crap happens, let's move on' she suggests, adding that something they fought in New York is after Little Blue, it is powerful and has killed at least one person, and it seems to have a lojack on her. 'She believes you can do something about this thing. Is she right?' She-Hulk asks.
'Wait, lojack? You're bringing more people here to crash my cousin's wedding?' Nico asks. 'I do not think it is a “people”' Singularity tells her. 'Nico. Please. Focus. Can you help us or not?' She-Hulk asks, while the bride and several others are looking into the room where the heroines standing. 'They are all so mad. I thought I helped. But they are not a team. Not friends' Singularity tells herself, hanging her head. 'Yes, what can you do, child?' Medusa enquires. 'Pfft. Child' Nico mutters, while Singularity realizes that she does not understand it here. She looks out to the wedding, she can feel it again – it is close. Rei and others in the wedding party point upwards, while She-Hulk tells Medusa to be helpful or shut up. 'I said nothing wrong' Medusa replies. 'She's a witch, right? Witch... um... powers' She-Hulk remarks. '“She” is standing right here!' Nico exclaims. 'Here' Singularity calls out, pointing out to the other room, where Antimatter fires some energy at the party goers. She-Hulk asks Nico to work with her, and explains that this thing could arrive here any minute – and it shakes off punches like rainbows. 'Gah. Yes. Witch powers!' Nico mutters. 'I'm a total badass. I can solve all your problems. Is that what you want to hear?' Nico asks.
'Here. Here now!' Singularity calls out, grabbing She-Hulk's hand, she points out into the other room, where the large Anitmatter is now peering in at the heroines. They all turn and look in shock, 'Yes. Solving all our problems would be good' Medusa mutters. Nico pauses, before informing the others that she is in so much trouble.
Antimatter smashes the glass between the rooms down, 'Hello' he tells the women. 'You keep running. You see now it is futile'. He tells them that they will give the dark one that burns to him, or he will disassemble all that surrounds them. She-Hulk instructs Nico to get the civilians out of here, while they keep it busy. She-Hulk then calls out to Medusa, who calls back 'On it!' as she wraps her hair around one of Antimatter's arms, while She-Hulk punches him in the face. Holding her staff, Nico utters 'Exit post-haste' as energy wraps around Rei and the others. Singularity raises a hand towards Antimatter, but the strange energy creature knocks She-Hulk and Medusa aside with ease. 'Let me. Have it' Singularity calls out as she starts to fly towards Antimatter. 'What? No way!' Nico calls out. 'Only way' Singularity tells her. 'There's always another way' Nico remarks, as Medusa and She-Hulk slam into a table, causing a clatter as plates and glasses are broken. 'Not always' Singularity thinks to herself. 'Not gonna happen' Nico declares as she steps between Antimatter and Singularity.
'You are all so pathetic. How you fight. How you think. You matter. I matter. Give me... what I seek. The dark one. She burns' Antimatter orders, before he shoves his hand through Nico's body. 'UNG!' the surprised Nico utters. 'NO!' Singularity shouts.
As Nico's eyes glow, Antimatter tells her that one such as she should not get between him and what he seeks. 'You are weak. Fragile. Not like these others' he remarks. 'Aggh... really? You think so?' Nico replies. 'I know so' Antimatter responds as he continues to hold his arm through her body. 'Then you know nothing' Nico responds as energy glows around him. 'Be unmade' Nico snarls, and suddenly, energy crackles up from Nico along Antimatter's arm. He looks confused, then he starts to fade away in a purple haze.
'Who's weak and fragile now, dumbass? Ha' Nico asks Antimatter, before coughing as his arm is removed from her body. Nico falls into a chair, and Singularity rushes over to her. 'Hurt. Really really hurt' she remarks, while thinking that it is she who is hurting everyone. 'Paranema' Nico utters as she clutches her wound. 'What?' Singularity asks her. 'It's Estonian for “heal”' Nico explains, revealing to Singularity that she can only use each spell once, but she needs “heal” a lot, so she is working her way through languages. 'You are very smart' Singularity replies. 'What happens when run out?' 'An excellent question' Nico admits.
'What happened?' She-Hulk asks, rubbing her head as she and Medusa approach Nico and Singularity. 'Looks like I beat up the thing that beat up She-Hulk with my “witch... um... powers”' Nico announces. 'Don't start, kid. I was just starting to like you' She-Hulk replies.
Medusa asks Nico if she destroyed it, but Nico replies that the thing was too powerful, she just sort of unmade it, but really just bought them some time. 'And I can't do it again' she adds.
She-Hulk announces that they can't keep running, that they have pulled two lucky aces now, but that is not exactly a long-term strategy. Medusa agrees that it is time to call in some help. She turns to Singularity and warns her not to dare teleport them again without asking. 'As you mentioned, it is not particularly vulnerable to punching. We need a more comprehensive attack plan and solution' Medusa adds, suggesting the Avengers. She-Hulk tells her that the Avengers would be a good start, but first she thinks they need to know more about this thing – what it is, what it wants, and why. 'Time for you to start talking, Little Blue' She-Hulk tells Singularity, leaning over her.
Wide-eyed, Singularity wonders what she tells the others – everything? Nothing? Perhaps something in between. She looks at them and decides that they are not the same. She can see this. But Singularity decides that somehow, they are still the same. Still brave, still selfless, still heroic. But they are not her friends, they are not even friends to one another – not yet. 'Singularity. It is what I am called. Singularity' the mysterious being informs the others. 'Kind of a mouthful' She-Hulk tells her. 'It's not great' Medusa admits. 'We can work on it' Nico tells her, before She-Hulk asks her where she came from. Singularity explains that she came from somewhere else, somewhere called Arcadia, and she thinks it doesn't exist anymore, but she thinks that might be okay, for maybe this world can be better. 'It has you. Still alive. So beautiful and alive' Singularity declares, taking the surprised Medusa by her hand. 'I have only just arrived here... your reality... dimension... planet?' Singularity informs the others. 'You do not know the difference?' Medusa asks her. 'Between where I was. And where I am? No. Not really' Singularity confesses, adding that she is very new. 'I buy that' She-Hulk remarks.
Singularity informs the others that she doesn't know what the other thing is, but that it is in hr head sometimes, she can feel it. 'It is...like me' she adds, explaining that it wants to live, to learn, to know all there is, only it learns through violence and pain, so it is the same and also not the same. 'Something about. Me. Hurts it? I think, maybe, it thinks I can make it die' Singularity adds. 'Can you?' Medusa asks. Holding a rose, Singularity apologizes, and admits that she doesn't know. She wonders what words are better than “sorry”, but finds none. She tells the others that she is sorry she brought it to them, to hurt them. 'And you did this because you felt you knew us. You do know us...somehow. Some place where we're different?' She-Hulk asks. Singularity replies that she thinks that is what it is, but that this is her problem, not theirs. 'No, you did the right thing' She-Hulk assures her. 'We may not exactly be a team...but this is what we do, right ladies?' She-Hulk smiles. 'Yes' Nico agrees. 'Right' Medusa smiles. Suddenly, Rei storms into the room, 'Hey!' she shouts, holding a phone. 'Is one of your jerks who ruined my wedding expecting a call from Captain Marvel?' she snaps. The women all look puzzled, before She-Hulk announces that she will take it.
Aboard the Alpha Flight Space Station, in low-orbit around Earth:
'Carol?' She-Hulk's voice can be heard over the communications system. 'Hi, Jennifer. I'm here with Dr Tempest Bell' Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel announces. 'How did you find me?' She-Hulk enquires. Carol informs her that they have been tracking the creature – Antimatter as they are calling it – that She-Hulk has been tussling with. 'And we're on a space station... so you know, we can do some stuff' Carol explains, adding that about a hundred wedding guests tweeted photos of Antimatter throwing her like a rag doll. 'Just great' She-Hulk mutters. Dr Bell introduces herself to She-Hulk and asks her if she can tell them what happened to Antimatter, as it bounced to the moon briefly, then zipped on over to them in Tokyo, and then it just vanished. She-Hulk reports that she is with Medusa and Nico Minoru, who used a spell on it, but that they are confident it will be back.
Captain Marvel remarks that they figured it was too much to hope that this mess was over, while She-Hulk informs her that she has something – someone – called Singularity here with her, and she seems able to hurt the Antimatter creature, but it can hurt her as well. She-Hulk adds that it also seems to be tracking her. 'Good, good' Carol replies. 'Good?' She-Hulk asks. 'Well, we know what it wants. You game to set a trap?' Carol asks. She-Hulk informs Carol that they are invested at this point, and are also sick of running. She declares that setting a trap and making a stand would be a nice change, as long as Singularity is okay being the bait. 'Just what I hoped to hear' Carol responds, before starting to say 'Here's what I'm going to need you to do...'. Carol explains that Dr Bell needs data, and unfortunately, that means engaging Antimatter again, and this time, they need to bombard it with an insane amount of light particles for as extended a period as possible. She adds that they are scouring their databases right now for someone who can handle that. She-Hulk interjects, and informs Carol that her little blue friend is jumping up and down here telling her that she knows just the super-powered light source for her. 'Excellent' replies, before announcing that Dr Bell is cooking up another surprise that she hopes will slow Antimatter down after they get their data. Carol asks Jennifer to send her coordinates, and she will join her.
'Ladies' Carol calls out as she drops down behind She-Hulk, Medusa and Nico who have arrived in Miami. Singularity hovers over them amongst the star-filled sky. 'Captain' She-Hulk responds. The quintet approach an old building, and She-Hulk remarks that they should probably have called ahead. 'She's a bit off the grid of late' Captain Marvel points out. 'Somewhere inside this run-down warehouse is the answer to all our problems?' Medusa asks. 'Yup. Ali-Stun Blaire, jammer for the Elm Street Nightmares Roller Derby team' Captain Marvel announces, adding that to most of the world, the pop star Alison Blaire is known as Dazzler, but to them, she is a super hero with the power to transmute sound into light – a.k.a. just what they need.
The quintet stand on the edge of the ring, 'There!' Singularity exclaims when she sees Dazzler knock an opposition player over. Singularity suddenly vanishes, 'No, wait!' Carol calls out. 'That's not gonna be good' She-Hulk remarks as Singularity re-materializes in front of Dazzler on the ring, bringing Dazzler to a screeching halt, she then slams her fist into Singularity who falls to the floor. 'Uh... sorry' Dazzler remarks as she removes her helmet, revealing her punk appearance.
Ten exposition-laden minutes later:
'All right, so just when is this Ant-Matter person supposed to arrive?' Dazzler asks. 'Antimatter. And we're not sure when' She-Hulk replies. Captain Marvel reports that she will be alerted by the Alpha Flight Space Station as soon its unique energy signature appears again.
Looking around the warehouse, Dazzler suggests to the others that, if they don't mind, she would like to move this to another location, as she would rather not destroy her place of work. 'This is your... work?' Medusa asks, surprised. 'Judge much?' Dazzler mutters, before adding that it is her work, she is figuring some things out. 'And you know, not all of us can be queens' she adds, before pointing at Singularity, who scowls at her, and asks 'What's with this one?' 'It's complicated' the others all reply at once. 'Uh-huh. I'll bet' Dazzler mutters.
Suddenly, Singularity touches Dazzler's face. 'So angry. Alison. What happened to you?' she asks. The wide-eyed Dazzler is lost for words, when suddenly, there is a pinging noise on Carol's communicator. 'Whelp. Too late. We've got incoming' Carol announces. She-Hulk reminds the others that Dazzler is the point – she hits it with everything she's got, then they get the information they need. Dazzler asks Nico to give her some music, and to make it loud.
The warehouse wall is suddenly torn open, as the giant Antimatter announces 'That experience was... unpleasant'. He adds that it was like before, when it was dark, when there was nothing. 'It will not happen again!' he boasts. Antimatter towers above Dazzler, 'You are new. You are sparkly' he adds as energy glows around Dazzler's hands. 'Hell yeah, I am!' Dazzler shouts as she casts brilliant blinding light towards the enemy!
