Issue 34: Trials of Merlin Part V

"I can't stay here all night!" Gwen shouted in frustration. 

Peter looked to her and shouted in a threatening tone "Shut up and listen to me!" 

Her Symbiote reacted to her fear and struck out at him, thankfully it couldn't do squat to his suit.

"Sorry about shouting, but I needed to prove a point. You need to calm down, the Symbiote is reacting to your emotions and acting out. It doesn't understand what to do because you're overloading its senses."

Gwen quickly started to breathe in and out, while thinking "Calm down." over and over again.

The Symbiote responded to her and started to return to normal. "If you go out as you are now, you could endanger your loved ones by wearing that. Right now, the Symbiote is like an exposed nerve, sensitive to even the slightest change in your emotion. Oh, and if you get a craving for brains, I suggest using chocolate since what the Symbiote is craving Phenylethylamine or the Dopamine our brains produce when eating it. I'll see if I can get you some unstable molecules for that."

"Spider-Man, are you a scientist!?" Gwen's eyes went wide. 

Peter watched as her eyes went wide when he said, "I know my way around a chemistry set, alright."

Spider-Man and the new Spiderette started conversing about advanced biology for a while. Since Gwen was a studying to become a geneticist and was interning at Horizon Labs, he learned she was almost a year older than Peter in this world and was in her first year of college due to graduating early. 

While the two chatted about the genetic properties of the Symbiotes, MJ was walking through a large hallway with Doctor Strange.

When they arrived at a throne room that was mostly made of precious marble, they saw a woman with long red hair that almost touched the ground, sitting in her stone-like throne alongside the Inhuman leader known as King Blackagar Boltagon, or more commonly known as Black Bolt.

Standing next to them was Crystal who was staring down Maximus, Black Bolt's insane younger brother.

"King and Queen of the Inhumans, I am Doctor Steven Strange, Sorcerer Supreme." Steven bowed and MJ did so as well. 

"Raise your head Strange," Medusa said, nodding her head at Black Bolt, "Why have you come to Attilan?"

Strange looked at Black Bolt before he answered, "Many years ago, when Attilan was first built, the old Sorcerer Supreme and the first King made a pact. Should the world ever be threatened by their old enemies, they would once again unite." 

Strange looked at Maximus and frowned before continuing, "The key you took back, is part of that pact, can I ask why you chose to reclaim it?"

Maximus smiled and said, "Brother, we should we kill him, and we must punish Crystal! She actually brought a human to our kingdom."

Black Bolt looked at Maximus and shook his head in disappointment then suddenly back at Strange. After communing with his wife with whispers, Medusa turned to the Sorcerer and said, "I understand that this one is a Hero who protected the earth from invaders. However, we have no recollection of such a pact."

"That's because it took place around 25 thousand years ago." Strange pulled out a parchment and placed it out in front of them. 

When Maximus heard this, he recalled something that he had been searching of for a very long time. So, thinking Strange might know of the Prima Materia, he tried to peer into Strange's mind. 

Regrettably for him, there are consequences for trying to invade a Sorcerer Supreme's consciousness. 

Maximus screamed out as foam started gathering at his mouth. He clenched his head in pain and fell to the ground.

Seconds before when Medusa was about to attack Strange, Crystal suddenly jumped at Maximus screaming, "You bastard!"

Crystal punched him in the face while part of her body was engulfed in flames. Suddenly water and lighting surrounded her as she blasted towards Maximus with the intent to kill.

Just as she was about to strike the finishing blow, Medusa curled her hair at her and bound her up her sister while frantically asking, "Crystalia, what are you doing?"

"Let me go, sister! I'll kill him that bastard made me his slave, sealed my personality and made me do his bidding for the last 3 years, now let me go!" Crystal yelled.

Strange frowned, "I'm sorry but it appears your brother attempted to search my thoughts. He managed to make it through most of my defensive spells. Unfortunately for him, he broke one too many. Encountering my rebound spell is quite harmful for telepaths. Right now, his mind has fractured a bit."

"Be clearer in your explanation sorcerer," Madusa demanded.

"Imagine if you could take all of your mental energy and form it into a punch. I simpler terms, he essentially just punched himself in the brain, really hard. I knew something was off with the princess, but I only figured it out when I saw him interacting with her."

Crystal looked to the Sorcerer Supreme and bowed, "Thank you! You freed me from that bastard's thrall."

Medusa looked conflicted. She, a superior Inhuman of the Royal family had no idea that Crystal was being controlled, yet this stranger was able to do so upon a simple glance. However, since her sister was confirming the story, she had no choice but to believe it was true.

The Queen turned to Maximus and fury could be seen radiating in her eyes, "WHY?" Medusa shouted as she wrapped Maximus up, "Why did you betray us?"

"Because you follow a madman! He killed our parents! He doesn't deserve the throne!" Maximus shouted as she tightened her grip around his body, "It was your fault that he had to use his powers, do you think I know nothing of what happened, do you think Black Bolt never told me of your betrayal. The only reason we kept you close, was to keep an eye on you in case you tried to sell your own people again, I just didn't know your powers had manifested, you did well hiding it."

Black Bolt stood up and looked disappointed in his brother, when Strange said, "I'm sorry to interrupt this heart wrenching family moment, but I can offer my assistance."

"If is communication you seek from my husband, it'll have to go through me. His power..."

"Not necessary. Your brother-in-law isn't the only one who can commune with telepathy," The Sorcerer Supreme declared as he sent a telepathic message to Black Bolt.

The two conversed for a while, and after reaching some kind of agreement, Strange's hands lit up and powerful red bands came out and surrounded Maximus before the Sorcerer brought out a strange-looking artifact that looked like a metal spine.

He threw the Crimson Shackles of Cyttorak on to him and they watched as the magical relic imprisoned his body and mind in a metal exoskeleton. "These shackles will seal in all his mental abilities and is quite unbreakable, only those who speak the keyword will be able to release him."

Medusa was still holding back a pissed off Crystal who was doing everything she could not to blow up and attack her uncle again when MJ walked up said, "Are we finished here?"

Strange sighed before he turned to MJ and explained, "The King has allowed us to keep one of the keys to their city, but in exchange, I have to do something for him. He wants me to create a barrier for magical protection around Allitia. This task will take me a couple of days to complete, so why don't you help young Crystal." 

Strange looked to Crystal and said, "Couldn't you accommodate young Spider-Woman here. Perhaps you should show her around. After all, it's not often that a human gets to walk around Allitia."

"If you don't mind answering, could you tell me why you're taking back all the keys to your city?" MJ asked.

"It's because we are moving. We've recently gotten into a spat with the Atlanteans, we either risk war or move again." Medusa explained. 

"I was ordered to gather them up because they were only designed for us to travel around the earth." Crystal continued.

"Where are you taking this place?" MJ asked.

"To the moon," Medusa said, looking at MJ with interest. "Tell me what kind of human are you? Are you a mutant?"

"No I'm a Mutate; just your everyday lab designed superhuman mutation formula, although… some other things, such as my suit, really kind of blur that line!" MJ answered.

"It's as we thought Husband, the human's technology grows too powerful. Soon they would easily be able to find us. It appears your decision to leave the planet was the right choice." Medusa claimed.

Black Bolt nodded his head when Medusa asked Crystal, "Could you give us some time with the Sorcerer?"

Crystal nodded her head and led MJ out of the Throne room. As they walked away The Princess turned back and apologized, "Please forgive my behavior earlier, my mind was not my own."

MJ waved her hand, "It's no problem, can't say I've ever had my mind controlled before, but having done so must be the best excuse for rude behavior." MJ held out her hand, "Let's try this again, I'm Spider-Woman."

Crystal smiled and shook her hand, "My name is Crystal."

The two chatted for a while, mostly about what it was like living in a city, and what the other species were like.

"Well, my Pe..er...Spider-Man told me that there is no real difference in race. You may be Inhumans, but from what I can see you're no different than any other Human, Mutant, or Alien that I've met…though, the only aliens I've met so far tried to take over the world."

Crystal then replied, "But I have powers and am genetically different and superior to most of mankind."

MJ shook her head, "So what? You feel and have desires just like the rest of us. The only difference that matters is how we act, and what we choose to do. It's our actions that define us as a 'person' not our race." 

Crystal smiled, she had always been curious as to what living outside would be like, and Mary Jane was a wellspring of information. 

As she was showing MJ around the city's many sites, the Inhuman Princess told the Heroine about the various other races and kingdoms hidden from Earth.

"Wait, so, you're telling me Atlantis is real? Why the sudden decision to relocate to the moon of things? I mean it's the freaking moon?"

Crystal looked a bit flustered and upset when she responded, "Actually, yes there are quite a few highly advanced socities living amongst the normal people. Atlantis is very real, and the person who rules over it, is a total..."

"What!? My father is a total what?"

A young man with long black hair leapt down from a nearby building with a furious expression on his face. He wore a scaled armor, with black vestments, had green eyes, and dark black hair.

The newcomer marched up next to Crystal still wearing the frown as he pointed his finger and shouted, "You're going to become my wife someday. So, you better learn to respect my father. I won't tolerate any disrespect coming from a mere concubine."

"Kamar!!! I have already told you countless times, the Inhuman's do not marry outside their race! Why does your father insist on forcing this matter?! You do know that I would sooner run away than becoming your bride, do you not?"

"Then father would just wage war on the Inhumans, there is nowhere you can go that we can't find and follow. If you run, Atlantis's armies will rise up and destroy Attilan." Kamar reached for her arm and frowned when MJ grabbed his wrist.

"Could you go away? You smell like fish," MJ seeing the situation had answered her own question, then looked to Crystal wanting to help her out.

Kamar looked at Spider-Woman in disgust, "Filthy land dweller, remove your hand. Crystal what is this human doing here?" he pulled his hand back and spoke with venom in his tone, "Atlantis will deal with you disgusting land dwellers in due time, so until then, butt out of my business."

MJ frowned when Crystal snapped back. "She is a guest of mine. You have no right to decide what friends I being to my home. What are you doing here anyway, and how did you get past our defenses?"

"Your Attilan has no magic training, while our kingdom has spent thousands of years perfecting ours. Even my dull sister could get in here without even needing to try." Kamar boasted like the spoiled child that he was.

MJ laughed while thinking of the deal Black Bolt just made. They may not currently have such defenses, but soon would.

"You can't just come here uninvited! You think we are afraid of you just because you know magic doesn't mean you can follow us anywhere," Crystal started to walk away while dragging her guest beside her.

Kamar reached out for her collar and was about to start demanding things. 

However, before he could, MJ webbed his mouth shut and said, "You know I really hate pushy guys. Come on Crystal lets go." 

Spider-Woman webbed over to a nearby high rise before grabbing Crystal and swinging away.

Kamar was about to give chase when he fell on his face. He looked down at his feet to see webbing around them holding him to the gound.

"Did I misjudge, is she an Inhuman too?" A blue light pulled the webbing from his body before he frowned and saw them miles away already.

As they swung across the city Crystal cheered happily, "I can fly, but this is really fun for some reason!" 

"I know, I can use my suit to fly, but something about the fall and becoming weightless for a few seconds is really exciting," MJ replied as she landed on a nearby building. "So, your family is planning on running away because of an arranged marriage?" 

"No, they are relocating because they don't like or want war. There are these beings called the Skrulls, and Kree, they are enemies to all of humanity, and we can't afford to lose our people with such a treat looming over us."

At the discovery of such powerful enemies, the Spider-Heroine became upset the more the princess informed her about the enemies that existed outside of earth. The desire to grow stronger was gnawing away at her more than ever before.

MJ then swallowed her pride and asked, "Crystal how strong are you?"