Doom Patrol - Part Two
A R E A L I T Y V E R Y D I F F E R E N T T O O U R O W N
The land that my people endure is hard and fierce, certainly no place for those without wings, the ground is barren and dry with occasional forests. The flocks make their nests atop great perches, made by the great winds of our ancestors’ time. The perches are the result of rocks gathering together and have been known to give way when the winds change. However, they are the safest areas in our land and so the flocks make their nests there away from the predators and other vermin of the world.
We were no longer atop a perch.
After snapping my father’s neck Doom had led me to the edge of the great perch where my flock nested; the flock had not migrated since before I hatched, because of my wingless body I had never left the perch in my lifetime. Doom bade me clutch onto his strong frame, I did so and found it cold, hard and unnatural, not at all what I had imagined when seeing the embraces others in the flock had enjoyed. With me holding fast, Doom stepped over the edge of the perch and let us fall.
As we plummeted from the great height of my flock’s perch I felt sensations I had only ever dreamt of. The rush of the wind as it grasped and clawed at every inch of my body, the world spinning and twisting in unnatural directions as Doom and I spun in the air and the unbelievable pounding of my heart in my body. It took me a moment to realise that I was shrieking, not in terror, it was as though some primal urge had been awoken in my very being and I now realised why all the others in my hatch year were so willing to abandon their studies and to give themselves over to their wings and the skies.
Even as I clutched onto him Doom was working, ignoring the very act of falling so he could manipulate a compartment in his wrist that I had not previously recognised.
With a gentle jolt the falling ceased, we hung in the skies as I slowly relaxed my grip on Doom’s body and stared around us. We were suspended in the air, below us was the barren ground of my land and just in front of us was part of the rock that made up my flock’s perch. I stretched out a hand and brushed a surface that had remained untouched by thinking hands since the very formation of this perch. The sensation was difficult to categorise but I quickly removed my hand, feeling like I had intruded on something sacred.
With another touch to his wrist, Doom set into motion a gentle descent towards the ground. I studied him as we gently floated down. His visage was, as ever, unmoving, he moved little, judging it unnecessary perhaps, in the fall his hood had not once been flung its raised position so I was in no way able to tell if his face was as man-made at the rear.
My bare feet touched down upon the coarse ground. Despite the heat I shivered, I had only ever walked upon the rock of a nest and so this surface was alien to me. Doom released me and took a few steps past me to gaze into the distance.
“Your land is vast; our journey will not be swift.”“Where are we going?” I enquired at his side.
"I told you child," Doom turned to look at me,
"In the history of your people a whole generation was eradicated. We go to find what did this." With that, Doom began to stride purposefully into the wastes. I took a look back to the nest of my flock. I supposed it was possible for me to climb back up; there were clear grooves in the stone likely made by some animal trying its luck at reaching the nests. I could climb up those to reach the nests; if any of my flock still lived I could always try to rebuild my life. I shook my head, the death of my father had removed any such possibility, if any others in the flock lived I would be lucky to be thrown from the nest compared with what other things they might try.
For good or ill the choice was made, I would have to remain with Doom.
I turned back to where Doom had been, only to find that in my reverie I had allowed him to walk into the distance at quite a speed. I ran to catch up. When I reached him Doom gave no sign that he even noticed I had not followed him from the start. Instead he kept walking.
We walked,
And walked,
And walked,
And walked,
And walked,
By the end of the day as the suns were setting my flock’s perch was little more than a speck in the dust behind us. We were now surrounded by a series of rocky outgrowths; they were reminiscent of the rocks in a perch but appeared broken and scattered.
I was exhausted, my people are incredibly durable physically but I am by no means a prime specimen. I had not eaten nor drunk since before I had commenced the Song and so my body was flagging. If Doom was tired he gave no sign. For the first time in hours I spoke up.
“Please, may we stop a while?” At least that was what I meant to say, in my parched state what emerged from my beak was little more than a series of groans and wheezes before I fell to coughing.
Doom halted immediately.
“We make camp here.”With that, he reached out and muttered some words under his breath. A blue flame sprang up beside me, as I leapt out of the way in alarm the fire extended its reach until it was the same height and width as a cooking flame that would not be out of place in a flock’s perch. Next, Doom strode to the nearest rock, beat it with his fist while muttering again and, as if by his command, the rock split and a stream of clear water trickled from the crevice. I ran to the liquid and greedily drank. Water had never tasted so good.
Doom did not partake in the water he provided; instead he sat cross-legged by the fire and went into a meditative pose I had seen my father adopt many times. I sat opposite him on the other side of the fire and waited for him to speak. I was never a confident sort and left it to others to begin a conversation, not that my flock ever did with me.
“You wish to ask me something.”It was not a question.
“I-” My voice shook, “I do not understand why you came here and what you hope to achieve, why you wished me to come with you and what the purpose of this journey is.”
“So ask your questions.”My eyes narrowed in frustration, “Who are-”
Doom raised his hand and I fell silent, he studied me with cold eyes before finally speaking.
“A question for a question; you too have information I wish to know.”I nodded slowly, Doom gestured at me to begin.
“What are you?”
“I am Doom.”“But that is-”
“I have answered.” His tone brooked no argument,
“Why is your world barren and inhospitable?”I swallowed, “It has always been so, ever since the monster came to sate his appetite with the life of our world.” I thought hard, “What brought you here?”
“I am a ruler of a land far away, I work to ensure safety and prosperity for all my people and out of all the worlds in the multiverse my quest has led me here.”“But why?” I was confused, “There is nothing special here.”
Doom raised a gauntleted hand,
“My question, girl.” I nodded hurriedly.
“The monster, has it been seen in recent memory?”I thought back in the Song of my flock and tried to pick out any verses that might be relevant. However, I could not think of any, I shook my head. “The last time was when many flocks came together to fight it off. Our world has been dying ever since; there would be no reason for it to return.”
Doom nodded slowly, he rose and strode from our small camp. I stood and turned to watch him, I was struck by a realisation and called after him. “I get another question!”
There was no response. Doom continued walking until he was beyond the light of the flame he conjured and, as if recognising that its master had no further need of it, the camp vanished in the blink of an eye.
I was alone in the dark.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I spotted the silhouette of Doom in the distance, he had knelt to the floor. I hurried to him. He was engaged with a small handheld object. The object cooed with a low tone and flashed many colours.
As if guessing my curiosity he began to speak,
“This is not the first land I have visited in my hunt, on another I acquired this device, it should bring our quarry back to us.”“Bring him back?” I was incredulous, “Why would you do that?”
“My reasons are not your concern,” “You must stop this,” I felt my heart racing as I spoke and a frantic edge came into my voice, “This monster left our world to die the last time, what do you think will happen if it comes twice?”
“Enough! Doom does as he will!” Doom came to his feet once more, he raised the object above his head and made a twist of his wrist. The device exploded into a shower of colours which leapt into the sky and out of view.
Doom began to laugh, a cold metallic laugh that felt perfectly at home on my barren landscape.
Even as he laughed a shadow filled my vision, a shape whose outline was etched in my memory from the descriptions given in many verses of the Song. An angular form that loomed beyond the horizon, eyes gazed down with the force of the stars themselves.
Doom’s laugh died in his throat.
“It is glorious.” The words came out in a whisper beside me.
The skies shook and the very earth beneath began to shudder as a sound came towards us, a sound full of might and unknown power, a sound that formed itself into speech.
“I…”
“Look at you,” Doom spoke softly,
“After years of searching I have found you at last.”“I…”
“What…” I was overcome by the sheer size and scope of the huge figure looming above the horizon itself. “By all the Gods, what
is it?”
“The great devourer,” Doom gazed unblinking,
“the world eater. It has many names in many tongues, Imperiex, Relic and the Anti-Monitor; but I have been hunting it and I know my prey. Doom knows you, ancient one, knows you as Galactus!”“I H U N G E R.”
