Crossover Earth '98

REVELATIONS
MICHAEL SURBROOK

"Herrick," Avalon's voice sounded slightly tired, as if this was a discussion that had been held before, "get in the cage."

"Growlf."

"Herrick, I was asking you politely, now I am telling you; get in the cage."

"Grrowf!" This time the tiny dragon shook his head in an emphatic 'no.'

"Yeah, Herrick," Manannan added, "get in the cage. It's not that bad. I mean, all you have to do is spend nine hours or more in an unheated cargo hold of a jetliner traveling at 35,00 feet. No problem."

"You", Avalon pointed at the dog, "are not helping. Out."

"But..."

"OUT!"

Manannan quickly left, wisely deciding any parting shot would only get him into serious trouble later.

"Herrick?"

"GRUMPH!"

Avalon sighed slightly. Stupid mutt and his smart mouth. Manannan's ability to speak - and read - nearly anything came in quite useful from time to time, but the Sheltie counteracted his usefulness with a smart-alec attitude that drove Avalon crazy from time to time. Time to try a different tact.

"All right, Herrick. I promise that you will only have to ride in the cage until we get on the plane." Avalon reached into his jacket and produced a small packet of cigars, "And I promise you can smoke as soon as you are able. Is that okay?"

"Growlf!"

========================================

"Uh... sir?" The stewardess ask hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Uh... rules state that all... pets, even carry on pets, must remain in their cages."

"Oh, I see. Well, Herrick is not considered 'carry on luggage', he is a passenger on this flight." Avalon glanced over to where Herrick sat in his seat, curiously looking out the window. "Herrick? Show the stewardess your ticket."

"Growlph..." Herrick nosed around in his carrying cage for a moment and produced a ticket stub, holding it up for the stewardess' inspection.

"Oh! Uh..." the woman was a bit flustered, but recovered quickly, "Why thank you. I... I'm sorry to have troubled you." Herrick nodded politely and tossed his ticket back inside the cage, before returning to staring out the window.

"Sir?" This time the flight attendant was looking at Avalon, and speaking in a whisper.

"Yes?"

"Where did you find such an unusual animal?"

Avalon grinned, "Miss, you would not believe me if I told you. Suffice to say that Herrick is as intelligent as you are I, plays excellent chess, will not bite anyone, and knows to wait until the 'no smoking' sign goes out before getting out any of his cigars. Does that make you feel better?"

"Uh... yes, sir." The woman stood and quickly made her way down the aisle, looking for a passenger who was far more conventional than the one she'd been speaking too.

Chuckling to himself at the sight of the flight attendant hurrying off, Avalon settled himself in his seat. Reclining it as far as it would go, Avalon laid back and closed his eyes. He'd flown to Hawaii to see Katsumi before, and knew he could count on spending the next six hours in the air before the layover in Los Angeles. Usually he passed the time sleeping, except that his time he found himself too concerned with Ms Netherland's words to attempt that.

The end of time. What did Ms Netherland mean by that? Katsumi herself dreamed constantly of a dark future some thirty years from now, where demons roamed freely and a paranormal police force had been assembled to combat them. So whose dreams should he believe? Both or neither? Except that Ms Netherland's visions hit too close to home for him to ignore. She 'knew' too much. As for Katsumi, her dreams were too consistent, too 'real' to be mere imaginings. Perhaps both were true, but Ms Netherland's would be averted while Katsumi's were fated to come to pass.

Poor Katsumi... to be constantly plagued by such horrific visions and nightmares. But all was not lost. The police force she spoke of was highly effective, and did as well as could be expected in the face of such fierce opposition. And then there was Midori.

Midori Liqueur was Katsumi's daughter, and like her mother, a potent sorceress. She was, according to her eventual mother, beautiful, driven and dedicated. She commanded one of the police units and Katsumi always spoke of her in glowing praises. Based on Katsumi's claims as to the time period represented in her dreams, Midori wouldn't be born until sometime after the turn of the century, since she was clearly in her mid-twenties. Avalon found it subtly disturbing that he had no idea who Midori's father was. He also found it disquieting that Katsumi never reported seeing himself in her dreams, although, on the other hand, she never saw herself either.

Avalon sighed quietly to himself. If he'd know Katsumi would have caused him this much anxiety he'd never taken her as an apprentice in the first place. No... scratch that. He would have, even if he had known. Avalon prided himself on not shirking his responsibilities, and the proper instruction of fledgling sorcerers was one of them.

He had accepted Katsumi as his apprentice at the request of her father, Jean Liqueur, who, along with his Japanese wife Fuyuka, were the heirs to the Liqueur clan. As was the tradition among the Liqueurs, the clan heads were all magicians of some sort or another, although as far as Avalon could determine, Katsumi's abilities far out-stripped those of any Liqueur who ever existed. Katsumi herself had been more than happy with the arraignment, since it wasn't every day that one had the chance to study with the man who was possibly the most powerful magician on the planet.

Katsumi had stayed with him for three years, during which her fledgling powers had grown dramatically. Avalon himself had become quite smitten with her, an occurrence he knew he should have expected the moment he'd seen her slim figure, fine features and long black hair. They had been lovers for a good six months or more, before the two of them realized that any situation where the student sleeps with her teacher was bound to cause all sorts of problems. Not to mention the fact that Ashley, who liked Katsumi immensely, had flatly told Avalon it was entirely improper. And then there was the question of what to do if Jean Liqueur found out. Avalon felt that marrying into the Liqueur clan was one of the last things he wanted to do.

So now, Katsumi lived in Hawaii, working as a programming director at a local television station. She practiced her sorcery constantly, and although she didn't devote as much time to 'adventuring' as Avalon did, Katsumi still found enough mystical strangeness in Hawaii and elsewhere to keep her busy. As Avalon had told her before she had moved out, 'do not concern yourself with looking for mystical threats, most will find you soon enough'.

========================================

According to Avalon's internal clock, it should be after dark, and he should be asleep. Instead, he found himself standing in the late afternoon sun, a warm breeze blowing across his face. Forcing himself to stay awake, Avalon tried to spot Katsumi's face amid the press.

"Herrick?"

"Growlf?" Even the dragon was yawning.

"Do you see her?"

"Feh."

"Great."

"Herrick! Avalon!"

Turning in response to hearing their names called, both wizard and dragon saw a familiar figure amid the crowd of disembarking passengers. It was a woman, who stood perhaps 5'6", with a slim figure and long black hair drawn up in a ponytail that ended somewhere past her waist. She was dressed in a very business-like skirt, blouse and jacket ensemble, with a broad black belt and a thick spray of frills at the throat.

"Rrrouuurrr..."

"Cool it, dragon."

"Avalon, it's good to see you!" Katsumi said with a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek, "Did you have any problems with the flight?"

"It is good to see you too, Katsumi." Avalon dropped an arm over his apprentice's shoulders, "The flight was normal, although I think Herrick was giving one of the flight attendants fits."

"Naughty boy," Katsumi laughed, scratching Herrick under the chin and causing the little dragon to coo with delight.

Avalon grinned for a moment and then quickly sobered. "Katsumi, as much as I wish for this to be a more joyful visit, there is much we have to do."

"Yes, I know," Katsumi nodded, "and I've already prepared my room."

========================================

Unlike Avalon, who practiced most of his spells in a room in the basement, Katsumi's workshop was a separate building entirely. Avalon never could quite get over the size of the grounds that Katsumi's small house sat on, it was far too large for anyone on her salary to afford. Jean Liqueur had been responsible for the estate, having bought it for her as a present. Although he didn't care for the man personally - Jean Liqueur tended to meddle in many things he shouldn't - Avalon did admit that Jean Liqueur had more money then he personally ever expected to see in his life.

In deciding on the best way to determine the nature of Ms Netherland's 'end of time', both Avalon and Katsumi had agreed that a precognitive spell was the best course of action. This meant that they would need to get a least a day of rest, in order to prepare themselves mentally, and physically, for the very demanding spell, as well as devote the better part of a day to preparing the casting circle that would have to be drawn on the floor of Katsumi's workroom.

The pattern for the precognitive spell was drawn on the floor as a confusing maze of lines and curves, of circles within circles, of strange symbols and arcane words. It had taken several hours to create, even with the aid of modern drafting tools and a step-by-step diagram taken from Avalon's computer.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Avalon carefully backed away from one edge of the drawing and began tossing chunks of chalk into a small box. "Ready?" he asked.

Katsumi nodded and quickly set aside a small pile of papers and books. "Let me finish straightening up."

Within a few short moments the two magicians were seated inside broad circles set on opposite sides of the design. They sat facing each other, legs crossed, and arms resting loosely on their knees. Both of them were dressed casually, in jeans and button-down shirts, while their shoes had been set aside. Wearing any sort of formal dress while attempting a long-term casting such as this was usually a foolish idea at best. Better to wear comfortable clothing, especially if one didn't expect to be moving for several hours.

Settling herself, Katsumi nodded to Avalon. In unison, the pair began speaking, their voices combining together to form an almost hypnotizing sequence of words.

The chant went on an on, a complex mnemonic designed to loosen the mind and allow the desired magical energies to flow through the body. Soon, the two sorcerers noticed the room getting darker and darker, until they sat shrouded in shadows. Images began to form in the air between the two, insubstantial phantoms that danced and spun before vanishing, only to be replaced by another. None of them lasted long enough to be fully identified, although Avalon was always left with the impression that somehow, he knew - or should have known - what the image represented...

Looking across the room, Avalon caught a quick glimpse of Katsumi. She was nude, lying amid a tangle of sheets, her long hair forming a black blanket beneath her. Her eyes were closed, her body was slick with sweat and her round breasts shuddered in time with each clearly heard gasp of passion.

Shaking his head with a start, Avalon quickly looked away. What the hell had brought that about? This spell was supposed to bring images of the future, not the past. Unless..., Avalon shook his head again, if it happened it happened, and besides there was no guarantee that he was the one making love to Katsumi in that vision.

Looking across the room, Katsumi caught a quick glimpse of Avalon. He was standing amid a dark and rocky landscape, the sky thick with clouds. His clothing was ragged, blackened and torn, and his hair hung in matted strands across at his face. At his feet Ashley lay in a crumbled heap. Her face was contorted in pain, and her arms were wrapped tightly across her middle and covered with blood. Bracing himself against the wind, Avalon summoned his spellsword with a brilliant flash of light. Standing upright, raising his sword high overhead, Avalon then screamed a name Katsumi knew all too well.

MORGANNNN!!!

*Katsumi?* Avalon's telepathic voice sounded hesitant.

*Y... y... yes?*

*Are you all right? You do not sound well.*

*Neither do you, Avalon.*

*What did you see?*

*I... I'll tell you later. What did _you_ see?*

*Ahh... ahh... nothing important.*

*Liar.*

*We can discuss this later.*

Now the images in the center of the circle slowed, become more solid, more... real. Snatches of sound were evident as well, although too distorted for anything to be understood. Finally, the images settled.

Thick clouds of black smoke billowed up into the sky, obscuring much of the landscape. Everywhere one looked there were burning buildings, wrecked cars and piles of debris. Standing in the middle of this warzone was a well-muscled, gray-skinned woman dressed in a tattered black bodysuit and fractured white armor. Her long golden hair fell past her waist and hung down over her face so that only the reddish glow of her eyes was visible. A brilliant yellow-white aura leaped and danced about her body, glowing brighter by the moment. Crouching down, the woman brought her hands together, forming a blinding ball of power that out shone the sun.

*What was that?*

* I wish I knew, Katsumi. All I could tell is that it is going to happen soon... temporally speaking.*

*That looked like an American city.*

*Yes... but which one?*

It was a booth. A bright and shiny telephone booth. Except no one made telephone booths anymore. And there were two of them, side by side, connected only by a thick bundle of cables. A tall, thin man, dressed in a long green lab coat and wearing glasses stepped into the booth on the left, closing the door tightly behind him. At a nearby control panel, a second man, shorter and thicker and dressed all in black, threw a switch. There was a bright flash, and the man in the lab coat then stepped of the booth on the right.

*Push the button, Frank,* Katsumi chuckled.

*I do not believe you said that.*

*And you want me to believe you don't watch that show? Hah.*

*...*

The hall was filled to capacity by a large number of angry and shouting people. The noise was deafening, rising in falling in great waves of sound as the assembled crowd chanted assorted slogans. Signs could be seen, held high above the press, declaring the new teleportation technology a death knell to the American autoworkers unions.

*Hmmm... I wonder what Niven would say.*

*Who, Avalon?*

*Larry Niven, he wrote a number of stories about the effects of practical teleportation on society.*

A quiet city street, somewhere along the water front. There were scattered shops and cafes all warmly light on what looked to be a comfortable spring evening. There were people scattered about, eating, shopping or simply walking along the water, enjoying the night air.

Without warning a horrific entity, all long tentacles and gaping maw, heaved itself from out of a narrow alley. Limbs flailing, it snatched up several screaming victims, crushing them to a bloody pulp within seconds. With shrieks of horror, the survivors fled, only to encounter more nightmarish creatures surging up from the ocean. Soon, the waterfront ran red with blood as the demons fought among themselves for the remaining scraps.

*Avalon! That was San Francisco, I'm sure of it!*

*Yes, I think it was. Look, there is more.*

Other cityscapes flashed by; New York, Chicago, Paris, London, Tokyo, Berlin. Each showed the same set of images. Incursions of demonic hordes tearing through crowds of defenseless humans. But all was not lost, for in many places the demons were opposed by metahumans, who quickly proved that not all of mankind was as helpless as the demons may have thought.

*That... that will happen at the turn of the century.*

*Are you sure?*

*As sure as I can be about such things, Katsumi.*

*What can we do?*

*I... I am not certain.*

Once gain the image of a city street came before them, but this street was unlike any they had seen so far. The buildings to either side were towering structures which rose high into the air. The sky was dark and strewn with clouds, from which a hissing, acidic rain fell. At the far end of the street stood a tall, broad creature, vaguely humanoid in shape, with great wings and far too many limbs.

*What is that?*

*A rusifua houku, Avalon. A demon of high rank.*

Opposing the demon were four individuals grouped about sleek and highly streamlined police car. The tallest was an American Indian woman dressed in a long duster and wielding a spear. Standing next to her, was a man in some form of uniform, a katana flickering with energy held before him. The third was another man, dressed in the same uniform as the second, with long flowing black hair. Unlike the other two, he didn't hold a weapon, but instead displayed a sheaf of paper strips, each marked with an intricate network of kanji.

The fourth figure was of a stunningly beautiful woman of average height with long, dark blue-gray hair. This figure Avalon recognized as Midori Liqueur, Katsumi's daughter. She held a no-dachi with deceptive ease in her left hand and made a rapid series of gestures with her right. A moment later a swarm of bright arrow-like objects arced from her hand and down the street to slash into and through the rusifua houku.

*Katsumi, Midori appears to command a great deal of mystical power.*

*Yes, she does, doesn't she?* A mother's pride for her daughter was quite evident.

*Why does she carry a sword?*

*It is a gift from her father. It is named 'The Emperor of Blades'.*

*I see... Katsumi, have your dreams given you an idea as to who Midori's father is?*

*Yes...*

*Would it be anyone we know at this time?*

*Yes...*

*And are you going to tell me his name?*

*I... I think Midori's father is you, Avalon.*

*WHAT?!!*

========================================

"Katsumi..." Avalon took a deep breath and decided to start over. "Katsumi, how can you be sure that I am Midori's father?"

The precognitive spell had long since run it's course, and the two sorcerers, tired and drained following their exertions, had retired to Katsumi's patio, over looking the crashing surf of the Pacific. Avalon and Katsumi now sat in soft chairs, drinking from tall glasses of Coke - the better to restore depleted blood sugars - while Herrick flitted from rafter to rafter, chasing after the small island lizards that seemed to find their way into anything.

Taking a deep swallow of her soda, Katsumi shrugged and set the glass down. "Avalon," she began, "recently I've begun to see some of Midori's childhood. I see the two of us teaching her the ways of magic. I see you and Ashley teaching her how to handle a sword. I see her joining the anti-demon police and showing us how her new uniform suits her. And in all of this, I don't see anyone else I'd consider a likely candidate as her father."

"So you've decided to apply Occam's Razor to the question, eh?" Avalon turned to look at his apprentice directly. "Since I am the one featured most prominently in your dreams, then I must be the one who fathers Midori."

"Well..." Katsumi paused for a moment, "Yes."

"And I though you said you had never seen either of us in your dreams."

"I do now," Katsumi shrugged.

"I see..." Avalon gave a slight sigh. "Katsumi, if you do not mind my saying, you seem to be quite calm about this."

Katsumi shrugged again. "It's my mother's fault really. She's a Shintoist at heart and believes that the way of the universe takes precedent over everything else."

"Un hunh..." Avalon sipped from his glass. "In other words, since your dreams seem to indicate I will be Midori's father, who are you to decide otherwise?"

"Exactly."

"I still do not like it. I do not like the implications of such a union."

"Avalon..." Katsumi rose from her chair and walked over to where her former teacher sat, "Midori is a powerful sorceress, that much I know. She is also a influential leader, a key defender of humanity, and one of the worst enemies the demons have. In my eyes, she must be born if our future is to have any hope, and I cannot think of too many men I'd rather have as her father than you."

"I... uh... I am honored," Avalon replied hesitantly, feeling a touch nervous at Katsumi's suddenly direct manner.

"Besides," she continued, leaning forward over his chair and brushing her lips across his, apparently oblivious to his words, "I'll bet you can't look me in the eye and tell me that you don't still want to make love to me."

Finding himself looking deep into Katsumi's dark bluish-purple eyes, Avalon felt any response he might of had slip away like a wisp of errant smoke. "You're right," he finally managed.

"I thought so." Katsumi leaned back, looking rather pleased with herself.

Silently, Avalon sighed. His daughter was right, women were going to be the death of him some day.

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