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durden
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Marvel: Legacies - One Shot: Tiffany Cage - Into the Light

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Luke Cage, formerly Powerman of the Age of Heroes, is missing. Tiffany Cage, taken in as Luke’s ward, is alone in a dystopian world with only a name to seek out, Bobby Drake. Making her way to the mutant island of Genosha, Tiffany encounters a unique crew of misfits. While her fate may very well be intertwined with these offspring of former heroes, Tiffany knows that her current quest will lead to so much needed answers. Tiffany embarks on a quest to control her animal nature and learn of the legacy she inherits. What are her ties to this thing called Ragnarock? Will she survive long enough to find out?

:: Tiffany soon locates Bobby Drake, her contact on Genosha, near the docks, where Emma Frost said he would be found. Drake is in ice form, managing two tall and beautiful ice sculptures you noticed while draining the deckhand of lifeblood just hours earlier. Drake seems to be rearranging the stance and attire of both statues with simply a thought. The closest statue is of a beautiful Asian woman. The plaque beneath reads “Opal Tanaka.” Drake turns and smiles ::

“Hey kid. Heard you were around. Cage told me you would come lookin for me soon enough. Ready to head home?”
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Amseriah
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Post by Amseriah »

::Tiffany had been thinking to herself as she was walking to the docks, while shadows danced around her leaping out as if to extinguish the ambient light. “Why didn’t I ask where Dad was? That really is the most important thing right now. I don’t know why I froze, why I felt the need to know what I was. Dad always taught me that it doesn’t matter where you come from, but where you decide to go. God, I miss him…it’s so damned hard controlling myself without him around.” The she saw Bobby Drake working on his sculptures.::

“Are you Bobby Drake? What do you mean, “am I ready to head home”??? Do you know where my Dad is?”
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Post by Amseriah »

::As she was talking to Drake, her leg spasmed uncontrollably. She reached down to massage it and to her horror saw that all of the muscles in her leg were flexed and it appeared growing! She barely stifled a scream as the spasm spread all over her body, and she fell over into a fetal position.::

"WHAT THE FUCK....IS HAPPENING....TO.....ME?!?!"

::Her clothing quickly began to tear against the strain of muscles, as her body continued to increase in mass.::
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durden
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Post by durden »

:: Drake is caught, for once, without words. The inexplicable turn of events, however oft putting, still amuses him. While the girl before him transforms, the moisture in the air around them coalesces as the temperature drops ::

“Er, kid? Gonna need you to hold together a bit longer. The trip will be more boring if I have to bring you along as an icecube…”
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Amseriah
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Post by Amseriah »

::As Tiffany's transformation runs it's course, she slowly stands up. The blood of the ship's mate sings in her veins. Looking down at her torn clothes she quickly covered herself with her arms.::

"Augh....what the.......just happened??? If....you don't know where my Dad is...what do you mean, 'Am I ready to go home?'"
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durden
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Post by durden »

:: Drake is a bit perplexed at the child's odd outburst and maintains the chilled air around them. Realizing the child knows little, Drake aims to clarify ::

"Well, actually... we have people out searching for Power, uhm, I mean Daddy Cage. Come to think of it, I think he actually asked me to call him that once...
Nevermind that, let's head over to the docks. You'll find out soon what I mean."

:: Drake leads Tiffany over to the docks nearby. You see the psychic barrier protecting Genosha twist and fade, offering a gap large enough for the two of you to pass. Drake offers a ride, stating that it might be hard to keep up. Once you climb aboard the ice bridge forming underneath the two of you, Drake wastes no time in taking off, heading North, Northwest toward mainland East Africa ::

“Ever been to Oklahoma, kid? It’s the Sooner State! Whatever that means.”
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::Tiffany takes Drake's hand and lightly steps onto the ice bridge. "I could probably fly faster than this, but he knows where we are going, so it wouldn't earn me any points by upstaging him", she thought to herself, and then giggled at his joke.::

"Dad can be kinda crude sometimes, but at least you never have to wonder what he thinks about you. So you have people looking for him??? Ummmm...wait, so you don't know where he is, but you asked me if I was ready to go home. What exactly is going on? What's in Oklahoma?"
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Post by durden »

“Answers”

:: In the distance, miles to the west, Tiffany spots two large figures rocket out of their stationary positions in a pursuit course. Drake turns his head slightly and nods ::

“Ah them? Don’t worry, kid. You see, I was one of the first heroes ever to register, back in the day when me and the original X-Men worked for the government. Those Sentinels are just coming along to monitor. We’ll lose them soon enough.”

:: Drake picks up speed and banks left, over the mainland. You can see the Sentinels behind you, fading into the sunset. It is not long until Drake points over to a large lake, indicating you are near your destination. As you approach the African nation of, Wherever, you see a large and impressive cityscape.

The technology level seems to be high, not unlike that of Genosha. Drake sets down his ice slide on the open terrace of a large skyscraper. The terrace hosts a large and beautiful garden. Two guards nod at his approach. You see the long ice bridge evaporate before you, leaving no evidence of its existence. Drake waves at the guards as he enters building through a large, sliding-glass door ::
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Post by Amseriah »

::Tiffany waves to the guards as well, and then goes back to staring at the city in wonder before she walked into the building::

"So those Sentinels didn't try to kill us because you are already registered? So...ummmm...what is your part in all of this? I've never met you before, but you seem to know a lot about me. How do you know my Dad? Oklahoma??? Seriously? Is my father an Indian?"
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Post by durden »

:: Drake makes his way to a large, round table made from a gleaming, polished metal. He kicks away a seat and reclines back into a throne made of ice that continues to grow, placing him above the table. After getting comfortable, he considers your questions ::

"Well, let's see here. I have a special kind of clearance to travel, but I've had to promise to behave myself. The bucket-heads still watch me, but they are easy enough to confuse. 'Sides, they aren't supposed to enter Wakanda. Panther has some deal worked out with Stark.

As for Oklahoma, well it's not really the state I need to get ya to, but the place floating above it. It's a whole thing."

:: Drake begins to playfully create model ice scructures with his hands, forming what appears to be numerous towers and a growing base that might be representative of an island.

Moments later, a tall and powerfully built man enters the room with a pair of servants behind him. The man is African in descent and middle-aged in appearance, with bits of gray showing. He is clothed in colorful robes, probably meaningful somehow to the culture. His movements across the room are fluid and confident, like those of an experienced warrior. He approaches Drakes ice throne, standing close enough to cause frost his words ::

"Cute, Drake. Please do not leave a mess on the carpet. I suppose you are seeking transportation?"

:: Drake straightens his posture, as if to display his newly earned regal status ::

"Tiffany Cage, meet Bla-ack, er... meet T'Challa, King of Wakanda!"

:: T’Challa raises an eyebrow to you, as if there is a manner of recognition ::
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Post by Amseriah »

::Drake's playfulness was contagious, upon watching sculpt the city out of ice Tiffany formed a ball of heat in her cupped palms that became a miniature Godzilla. With a gleeful fanged smirk she sent the illusory monster after the ice city. Her concentration faltered and her little monster erupted into a fireball when T'Challa entered the hall.::

"SHIT! SORRY SORRY!!!"

::With effort she extinguished the fire before it could cause any real damage, but some of the ice was beginning to drip. As soon as the little emergency was taken care of, she turned her attention to the King and hurriedly and awkwardly attempted something that might have been a bow or a curtsy, or maybe a headbutt for all of the grace of the movements.::

"Your Kingness I didn't know that this was your castle! Please forgive our breaking and entering. I'm Tiffany Cage, and I guess we need to get to Oklahoma if it pleases yourself."
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Post by durden »

:: T’Challa’s stern expression holds for several long seconds, before the kingly facade cracks as he bursts into laughter. It is not long before he collects himself, though the smile that remains is comforting ::

“Drake, for all the good we have done over these years, our greatest accomplishment is our children. Never forget that.

Now, we shall address the mission before us. Tiffany, Mr. Drake brought you to me because I was entrusted with a particular item that allows for instantaneous travel to anywhere on this earth. It is a powerful item I keep secret here in my kingdom that powers a resistance movement against... Against powers that would have us suffer the indignities of slavery over freedom. Of protection over free will.

You inherit a world of our making. In trying to bring light to the world, fools like myself cast it into darkness. I turned from those that would manipulate events in the shadows. My noble objection proves to have been a folly of youth and arrogance.

Men and women, heroes, fought evil on the front lines while others make their plays behind the scenes, creating a complicated network of alliances and adversaries, all the while toying with powers beyond comprehension without burdening themselves with accountability or worrying about the … what is the word…

:: T’Challa turns to Drake ::

:: Drake responds by pointing his index finger toward the king, keeping his other fingers tight in a fist with the thumb pointed up to mimic a gun. Ice lances forth suddenly as Drake drops his thumb. The lance halts abruptly, near the king as a humanoid shape quickly forms at the end. Drake peeks over the simulacrum’s shoulder at T’Challa and winks. With that gesture, the ice form, strangely detailed down to the pointed ears, protruding and wrinkled chin, and alien visage, explodes harmlessly. T’Challa does not blink at the action, waiting for Drake to utter the word they were searching for, a word Tiffany has heard Luke Cage say in the past :: “Blowback.”
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durden
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Post by durden »

“Yes, Mr. Drake, blowback. On a universal scale…

However, I digress. We live in this world. It will take outsiders, a generation not indoctrinated in the old ways, to restore, no … To advance it. My part for now is small. I will open the door, without much further ado.”

:: T’Challa reaches into the folds of his robes and produces an item that brightly illuminates the immediate area while casting the rest of the room in ominous darkness. The smile worn by the powerful man now seems almost threatening as he holds up a cube-shaped object, crackling with ambient energy. The glow is almost mesmerizing and Tiffany finds herself entranced. It takes every scrap of willpower to steal her attention away from the artifact to look to Drake for reassurance. His appearance does not inspire calm. Ever in his ice form, Drakes features appear jagged and inhuman. Did he have a mouth before? Can he even resume his human form? These thoughts are broken as T’Challa speaks, raising his voice as if to speak over the artifacts “voice” ::

“The Cosmic Cube is an artifact of great power. It has raised armies of darkness that ravaged empires and extinguished stars. It has also felled malevolent deities and brought light to our darkest hours. Now, it offers a portal to the gods…”

:: Energy leaps from the cube like wild lightning, crashing into the nearby wall. As more and more bolts of light pour forth, Tiffany begins to see spires. Spires, like the ones Drake sculpted just minutes earlier. A final, violent burst from the cube brings a clear image, a window, to another place. Drake moves near the portal, holding his hand out to Tiffany ::

Asgard, kid. Home of the gods, right here on Earth. This is where your true father was from. Let’s go find out the rest of the story.”
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Post by Amseriah »

::Tiffany looks from T'Challa to Drake and back while they interact unsure of what she should do. When the king begins speaking to her though she listens intently, wanting him to think that she is smart. Her expression is one of horror and amazement as the cube activates. She is terrified of its power but also hungry for it. "With that I could overthrow Stark, I could become the ruler of this planet and bring a new era of peace and prosperity". She subconsciously reaches for it before she rips her attention away. She apprehensively puts her hand in Drake's as he steps through the portal. After she crosses she lets out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, and looks around her in dumbfounded awe before what Drake said finally reaches her brain.::

"Say what?!?! I am the daughter of a god??? He lives here??? Are you playing a joke, cause if you are it ain't funny!"
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durden
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Post by durden »

“No joke. We need to mind our p’s and q’s here for just a bit to get in, but uh yea I guess that’s the case. What then, I guess you are a demi-god. Think that’s how it works. But now, your “biological father” :: Emphasized with finger quotes :: is kinda well, dead and everyone is real happy about that cause he was not really exactly a friend more like the sorta villainish-type of god and so … yea. But hey, he was him and you are you. I mean, my dad was an uptight Conservative that voted for Reagan and supports Stark. Look how I turned out!”

:: Drake realizes his example was not rightly inspiring and wisely chooses to remain silent as the two travelers traverse the field in their approach to the floating city in the sky. Cows lazily graze the field and off to the distance, you see plump rain clouds slowly rolling across the afternoon sky. Tiffany recalls that the sun was setting back in Wakanda. She has come a long way.

Drake stops a good distance away and cups his hands to shout ::

“Heimdall! We require entry! It is time!

:: Moments pass and Drake looks to Tiffany, offering only a shrug. Soon enough, a voice booms down ::

“Icelord! The door is open to you and your guest.”

:: It seems there will be no theatrically grand entrance. Again, Drake shrugs as he forms an ice platform beneath that quickly rises toward the gates of Asgard. If it were not situated in Oklahoma, Tiffany imagines it might just look like heaven. Perhaps, the general sense of calm and permanence still can be found peaceful, even pacifying. Any sense of that is broken as several large, heavily armed and armored men greet the two upon their departure from the platform. A large man standing tall at the edge of the precipice, turns on his heel to face Drake and the new guest ::
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