The Vespidian

Arc 1 Contamination

Chapter 3

The Spore. My eyes lingered on the tendrils that drifted out from the moon. Slowly, effortlessly they shifted, groping through the black sky, beyond them stars twinkled. It was normal, seeing that space jellyfish thing up there in the sky. It had been up there since the first time I had looked to the sky and even before that. However, apparently it had not always been there. I tapped at my head trying to remember history lessons from high school. Oof, that was a few years back. Hard to remember that stuff. I frowned. My memory was rather blurred of that time. Or rather I didn’t want to remember it.

At any rate, I liked the Spore. There was just something about it that seemed, familiar. Calming even. Might be because I would come out here and cry alone when I was a kid, always be looking up at that thing. Guess I was feeling nostalgic after wallowing in my own woes for a bit. On the other hand it might also be because of my gratuitous tentacle porn collection. Who knows?

I sighed, the brisk night air misting away. It was getting cold, I should probably go home and sleep. I stood up, patting my knees. That was when I noticed the noise. A low dull droning. Where was it coming from? I squinted looking about the dark forest. A slight movement above caught my attention drawing it to the stars yet again.

A strange dot appeared far away on the horizon right above the nearby mountains. It was red and it was moving. I started to think it was a comet, watching as it drew closer and closer skating across the sky. A low rumble began to echo at first I felt it crawl up through the ground and shudder the air. At this point, even I could figure out that it was not some cosmic thing, rather it was something man made. A strange sound echoed and the clouds parted around it. It streaked right overhead, trailing metal pieces spiraling away from it as it plunged into the forest with a terrible crash. An explosion rang out and orange plumed up, billowing smoke. The mountain loomed in the background. I stared in disbelief something had actually happened way out here. I should have run back home and hid under my bed, but how often did something like this happen? If I was lucky I might even get to meet Captain Metal or something. I could get his fucking autograph!

I held out my phone, shining light on the path. The crash did not seem that far away. It looked like it was just over the hill. I climbed along the trail that had been frequented back when I was just a snot-nosed kid. It wound its way up the hill like a serpent, but at last, the trees gave way and I stood, gazing down at a small valley that started up the side of the mountain. Nobody lived out here and only the hardcore hikers and backpackers would bother to come out here. The fire filled my eyes, burning brightly against the black of the forest. It seemed to have hit one of the meadows that lead into the bogs out here. I might be a basement dwelling nerd now, but I know this place well enough, after all I spent my childhood running around out here. The walkway was overgrown, though, it was not too bad to descend.

All the flames had died down a bit by the time I muddled my way through the undergrowth. The clearing that the wreck lay was filled with the snaps and crackles of the twisting metal. The craft was tube like in its structure. A thought crossed my mind, it looked like it was a section of a space station. Maybe, kinda hard to tell with how messed up it was. The end that hit first was crushed into the ground. It was not very likely that anybody survived that unless they were a Super. I had heard of a few that were borderline indestructible, let's see there was Atomic Train and Armadillo, but that was about it. There could be a lot more, but I don't follow Supers that much, kinda like football, I never really got into it. I don't really know too much about them besides what I see in the news every now and again. Most of the time it was about the subhumans in the slums, all of it was bad.

I stared at the flames, not really knowing what to do. The whole of the area was lit up and while aimlessly circling the crash I saw a strange metal canister lying about fifty feet away along with a trail of debris leading off into the woods. This is the type of thing you see in movies. So I did what anybody in my position would, got a large stick and poked it. An idiot would have just ran up and grabbed it bare handed. I was not going to just go up and touch that shit. If it was important or something I could turn it in for a reward, but I did not trust it as far as I could throw it. Seemed alright, so I gave it another prod and it rolled out of the depression it made, that was when a green glow filled my eyes. The damned thing had already been broken open by the crash. This is exactly why I did not walk up and grab it.

I had seen enough horror movies to know where this was going. When has a fluorescent goo ever been a good thing? Oh god are those fumes?! This is how you get cancer. Just about everything gives cancer these days, but something tells me this might be super cancer. Back away, not today! I was getting a very bad feeling about this place. The inclination that I was in way over my head came to mind and that this was something that I should not be involved in. Uneasily, I stepped back, giving it a wide berth. I turned around getting ready to leave when I noticed that trail of destruction leading off into the forest away from the crash site.

It wasn’t where the station had come down rather it was going north deeper into the woods. I pondered on it, hearing a crash resounding out there along with a yell. It was a little far away to hear the words but it sounded like somebody was hurt. I hesitated looking between the deep depths of the woods and the trail back home. Acha, well fuck me. What if somebody is actually hurt? I looked at my phone, no signal. I should help right? Eh… I should but what if something happens to me too? This would be a nope moment I suppose, but damn it. If that was me out there I would want somebody to help me.

I bit my lip and gave the way home one last glance before I trudged along the wide path of upturned trees. Yeah, the more I looked the more this was looking like a fuck this kinda situation. I mean what the fuck even did all this? I found a hint of it, or rather I fell face first into it as I stumbled into a depression in the soggy ground. It was deep. Ugh, now my pants were all muddy. This stupid hole! I stood back and gave it a good look. It was oddly shaped, two long outward marks going out from the top section and one going to the back. Ah there were more of them, a trail going down the path. I glanced at the much smaller depressions going along between them, foot prints. For the distance between them, they were either very tall or running.

It must be big whatever the hell it is. I mean the prints are bigger than me… well about the same size as me. Was it an experiment that escaped from the station when it crashed? Although with how big it is, it could be a mecha I mean these don’t really look like animal tracks. Oh giant robot that sounds cool. I wonder who made it? Could have been Adamantine or maybe Mecha Man? Though I thought Mecha Man was in Japan?

I should go-

A scream echoed and an explosion went off deeper in illuminating long shadows for a moment. The trees quivering and shaking as the ground rumbled. It was just ahead. I froze for a moment debating between fleeing and going the last few tree lengths forward to see what the hell was happening. The thought gnawing at the back of my mind, compelling me. Finally, I moved forward edging my way quietly to the side of a tree peering out into the clearing ahead.

Cratered glass still smoking reflected the moon’s light around a figure. It was facing away from me. Blackened, glistening blue like velvet in the silvered light. Something about that figure sent tingles and shivers all through me. Terror, a primordial fear from my very depths. I should not be here. Yet my body would not move. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. It was immense, tall, taller than the trees looking down upon something as the tentacles slowly weaved through the air behind it. An orange material flowed from the back dragging on the ground to create an immense cape. It covered the majority of the figure though shadows pierced through the almost see through material.

It- She spoke, “Finally we end this game of cat and mouse. No more running. Pitiful, foolish little one. Tell me, what is it that you sought to accomplish by coming to this place?”

That, that sounded like some Villain shit right there. Typical monologue. Who was she talking- ah I could see a much smaller figure in her hand. You know that bitch sure is big, I mean there is some person being squeezed to death in her hand. Oh god that is a villain isn’t it? I should really go huh? I could hear the cracking of the man’s bones from here as he screamed… No, NO. NO. I should go. I mean what am I even gonna do? Look at that fucking thing. I am unarmed, no super powers, nothing. I just wanted to help somebody if they were injured, not get involved in a super hero battle.

I turned to escape as quickly and quietly as possible. The voice caused me to freeze. “You, over there behind the tree. Come out and prostrate yourself before my magnificence, I might let you live.”

How did she- She was still facing away from me. I stared at her in silence, a slight glisten made me give the back of her head a better look. It almost looked like a lens or a… my heart hammered in my chest harder as the massive eye on the back of her head blinked. The iris seemed to glare at me. Reflexively I gulped even though my mouth had dried in an instant.

“Come, I have little patience for insects such as humans.”

It was about this moment that my survival instincts slammed into high gear. The first instinct was to run as fast and as hard as I could. But my legs would not move. The eye of the predator had me firmly in it’s sight. Remembering my earlier run and how I was not in the best of shapes my inclination of running withered away. Slowly I stepped out, crunching along the glassed ground. It was odd how it glowed with a slight heat.

At my approach the immense figure turned revealing an unnerving sight. It was uncanny, human yet… not. The haunting face of bone white creased into a smirk that cracked the hardened features. Eyes, many, many eyes gazed down upon me. Oddly, unsettlingly she had an alluring, feminine body sculpted from some sort of hardened material. Plated like armor. Was it some sort of suit?

With a finger she motioned down, “Bow before your better little human.”

Well, when she put it that way… I lowered myself to the ground.

“Tell me, who are you? Where is this place?” she asked, I could hear the tentacles sliding over one another.

I stammered, “I- I am Vesper.”

She paused thoughtful, tapping her chin… the movement seemed familiar to me. It reminded me of what I would do when thinking, well I know a few others that did that too so I guess even Villains do that. “That is an unusual name. And?”

“And?”

“Where is this place?” she asked.

“Bronson, California.”

“Bronson?” she scowled in disbelief. “Impossible it has been years since-”

“I swear I am not lying.” I pleaded and the words just kept spilling out, “I don’t know who you are or what you want but, but just let me go. I swear, I won’t say anything to anybody I will just forget this all happened. Just, just let me go.”

The massive woman’s eyes flashed with understanding as her voice boomed into an evil cackle, that sent shivers down my spine, “Oh. Muhaha Hehehahaha! Is that what you did. I guess you finally lived up to your name, Timeskip. So it worked then, and here I was thinking all this rumored time jumping was just a ploy. A clever ruse, misinformation during the war. To think it was real, so this was the Great Reset I had heard of. Here I was thinking that you humans were going to destroy the world just to spite me. Yet this, this is far more interesting. Is this all going according to your plan? Did this already occur?”

The man, Timeskip replied, “Third time is the charm.”

“So, now that you have my undivided attention,” She leaned in face to face with the man, “Tell me. Why here? Why now? What did you hope to accomplish here, now?”

“As if I would tell you. Even if I were to die here you would learn nothing,” Timeskip spit in her eye, she didn’t even blink.

The massive wasp woman seemed amused, “Is it a loop? So we have done this before? Does it change? Or is it the same every time? So many questions, though I doubt you will answer me willingly. I suppose I will just have to eat your brain to find out.”

“Vesper Walda Vasska,” choked out the man.

“Yes? Wait how do you know my name?”

“You will pay dearly for all you have done, Eva!”

“Empress Eva. Get it right you disrespectful primate.” She sneered back.

“Empress, bah you are no ruler. A tyrant. A fiend. You don’t even care about your own children’s lives You sacrificed them all and for what?”

Though confused the face of the giant woman seemed to come to a realization. Her grip tightened as she snarled. She hurled the man into the ground, audibly bones broke and the glassed earth shattered. She stepped on him her talons gouging deep into the ground as blood shot out.

“All I have done? You humans were the ones who started this! Slaughtering my children! Burning my home! Murdering my mates! The earth is stained with the blood of billions. You wretched fiends did this. There will be no quarter. No mercy!” her claws scraped and flexed cutting at him, “You have failed child of Man. To think you would bring me back, how ironic, your last hope has become your ruin. This time I know better than to try to coexist. Seeing how Bronson is still here, this is clearly before the War of the Wasp, before the Day of Descent. The Spore yet sleeps, and I will awaken it once more. Today Humanity ended thanks to your failure and my Vesperium begins!”

She bent down grasping him even as his lower half was pinned pulling him between massive fingers all four arms, pulling, crunching, tearing I could hear every bone in the man’s body breaking. Even though he screamed he started to laugh, “My future is just beginning, but yours ends here!”

Lost, confused. No idea what the hell is going on here. I sat up and looked at him. I couldn’t see his face behind the cracked helmet but his voice had felt accomplished? The hands around him glowed and evaporated as a bright light filled my vision. It faded to black as heat rushed through me. I felt numb all over. Vision blacking in and out as I lay there. Is this how I die? Caught in a pissing match between supers. Death by laser. At least it doesn’t hurt all that much. Can’t really feel much of anything. I knew I should have just stayed home.

Vaguely, I heard a crunching, tearing noise as the massive form rose back up from where it had fallen. Only the bottom half was there. The rest melted off. Flesh and muscles rapidly growing, circling and entwining as they pulsated and bulged. Soon the bluish white skin faded below that familiar black hard armor. The haunting visage of Eva reformed glistening in the light of the Spore above. Slowly she turned gazing down in my direction.

“So he ran again.”

She bent down placing that cold hardened hand on me, almost affectionately, “Poor, poor little thing. And they call me Evil.”

The world blurred, fogged? I couldn’t move. I could feel a dull stinging perhaps? Burning? Was I dying? Everything felt weird, like I was watching some sort of movie playing out.

“Do you want me to end your suffering?” asked that white face that loomed before me, filling my vision.

“I want to-” I choked and felt something hot roll out, oozing out of my mouth, “live.”

“To live is to suffer.” Eva smiled, at least I think that is a smile.”Very well. Life is my gift to you little one. My Child.”

Woozy. Faint. Vaguely I could see the mouth gaping. The maw extending out as though to swallow the world. A tendril came forth and thrust forward. That face the bone white mask filling my eyes as they glazed over. Every second a pulsing sensation radiated through my head. Slowly it grew in intensity as the tube throbbed it was pumping something into my head. The world around me seemed to fade. Everything became white and red and yellow.

Scenes, broken distorted views of a distant frozen hellscape materialized, a ruined world burning. It was burning and yet it was so cold. The sky was black with bodies moving a swarm shifting as it descended. The ground was littered with the dead or dying wasp, machine, and man piled together. Mountains of the bodies raining down with every boom as the guns below thundered relentlessly. The snow was died yellow and red as the two sides clashed endlessly. Great and terrible machines of war and super powered beings cutting desperate swathes through the endless horde. Every flash swiping back the tide of carapace and the screams silenced for a brief moment. The great clawed hand motioned them forward more and more descending as the clouds of wasps parted around a titanic tentacle that came crashing down shattering the world.

Pain.

Rage.

Sorrow.

Black.

Quiet.

Nothing.