House of Agon #5 'Primordial Fear'

Crystal, Karnak, and Gorgon sat at a table with stoic expressions on their faces. Crystal had just finished giving them the worst news they could get when facing a threat like the Brood. Black Bolt and Medusa were both incapacitated. Luna and Crystal had found both of them passed out on Medusa's bed. Crystal was ready to leave them believing she may have walked in on a moment between the two, Luna, however, quickly noticed that they both were in the same state she put Medusa into. After having Luna check them Crystal quickly went to inform Gorgon and Karnak so they could plan around this unfortunate development.

Council Hall,

The Councilman Gorgon attacked was still fuming. He paced back and forth letting out mumbled swears through gritted teeth.

"I won't, I won't stand for this. They think just because they used to be royalty they can do whatever they want. Look where their leadership got our people before. We became an endangered species under their rule, and now they want a do-over. No, we can't let them, we won't let them."

"Calm down, we're all aware of the problem but your childish tantrum isn't going to help us solve it," the representative of House Utolan said.

"Yes, we do have a problem. Not only were they hiding one of these mythical Vox among us, but they also have all the power. Our people could not defend themselves due to them keeping the mists to themselves," the representative of House Orollan said.

"Considering what happened to the people of the original Aerie, it isn't wrong to hold back Primagen mists. And it isn't as if they are the ones controlling it, Panacea is the one researching that," the representative of House Aerie stated.

"And who is controlling her? How did she even get a seat on this council, three of the Council members are related to the former royal family, and they can bring all votes to a standstill with just a few words. We need to take control ourselves," the irate councilman shouted.

"House Aerie will not pursue or interfere with this matter."

"House Agon, Attilan, and Petragon also aren't likely to agree. That leaves three Houses. I assume since they haven't spoken out we all agree, so what's the plan?"

Genome Research Center, Panacea's Lab

Crystal lay on a table while a machine in the table scanned her body. Nearby the removed Vox Armor was also being scanned by a different machine. Panacea was studying the scans of Crystal's body paired with her ability.

"Are we almost done here, getting kinda cold?"

"You have resistance to the elements, and your body shows no signs of temperature change."

"Luna was right, this is embarrassing," Crystal muttered.

"I'm a physician," Panacea replied as she walked beside Crystal.

"The modifications the Kree made are haphazard, thrown together for results," Panacea said as she raised her hands and utilized her power, "It has damaged your body, perhaps it was meant as a punishment. I won't continue this study, I won't change anyone's body. But I will fix yours."

Light flashed in the lab and faded just as fast. Crystal got off the table and put on a set of clothing Panacea had prepared for her. It was her signature yellow suit with minor changes to its appearance such as light armoring around the limbs, chest, and back. Donning the suit she began to stretch when she noticed her hair had grown in length. Stroking her long hair she looked at Panacea.

"I'd forgotten how much I missed this. But why did my hair grow out? And I'm not complaining, but why do I feel... New, I guess?"

"You were the last Vox soldier they made and they rushed it. Your modifications didn't settle correctly when they sent you out, they've been doing damage to you all this time. From what I have seen, you were lucky they rushed, it's why you were still you and could be brought back. The armor was helping you handle the damage, but I'm sure you know that."

"So, now that I'm back to normal no more teleporting I guess."

"You're not normal, far from it. I fixed the damage the modifications did to your body, but they are still there. You can still teleport, and you're stronger, faster, and more reactive than a normal Inhuman. You'll have to figure out how different for yourself, but my guess is you should be near Black Bolt in pure physical statistics. Oh, and your normal elemental powers might be a bit different."

"Right, I have a favor to ask," Crystal said.

Crystal left Panacea's lab via teleportation and arrived back in her room. She flopped down in her bed and fell into deep thought. Panacea left her with a lot of information to digest. She was exhausted from the day's work. From fighting Brood to planning for city defense and what might just reach the level of war. But she was also happy, the biggest weight on her shoulders was finally lifted and she felt like she could breathe again.

[Tease Luna's connection to the Messianic Plane. Crystal and Luna will be at Panacea's lab testing Luna's powers from a health standpoint.]

Panacea's Lab,

Luna sat across from Panacea and Crystal not far away. Luna's eyes were shining gold as she stressed her power attempting to force excess emotions onto Panacea. Panacea on the other hand monitored Luna's health with her powers. Luna was brought here under the belief that Crystal was testing her powers to finally allow her to fight alongside the rest of the family. She fully believed that this was a test, so she grew annoyed and angry at the thought that she might be failing. Panacea's indifferent expression only worked to anger and annoy her more. Panacea started to notice that a change was happening in Luna's body. As her anger and annoyance became more apparent, something began to enter and flow through her body. Panacea's power made it possible for her to notice contaminates and other of such foreign entities in a person's body. Whatever entered Luna's body registered as a contaminate.

Panacea tried to cleanse it with her power, but it responded violently. Luna's faced warped displaying her anger and annoyance, the golden glow in her eyes intesified. Pancea for the first time since becoming an Inhuman felt fear, and not just any fear. She felt the inherent fear people have of the unknown, the sinking feeling of staring into an abyss, the sudden sense of insignificance when confronting absolute truth and power, the primordial fear inherent in life. Crystal who had been watching her daughter also felt it, but her's soon warped into anger that could rival the Hulk at his worst.

The golden light in Luna's eyes died down after the reaction from Panacea and Crystal. Luna stared expectantly at Crystal. Crystal exchanged glances with Panacea, neither one knowing what happened and they noticed Luna seemed oblivious to what happened. Thankfully, Crystal was saved by the bell, her communicator chimed.

"Sorry, please look after her I need to get to the Council a crowd is gathering in the Atrium. Luna stay here," Crystal said and teleported before Panacea could respond.

Panacea looked at the dishearntened Luna and asked her a question.

"Do you have any idea what that was?"

"What do you mean," Luna asked curiously.

"I saw something entering your body when you started to get upset, at first I thought it was a contaminate. But when I tried to get rid of it, it reacted and I felt... I can't explain it, it was so much more than fear, I haven't felt anything even close to that since the terrigen cloud," Panacea was speaking to Luna at first but soon, started to muse to herself aloud.

"That's weird I stopped using my power but you're still acting weird," Luna's eyes shone gold as she studied Panacea.

"What is that," Luna let out a surprised shriek, then fell unconscious.

***

Crystal arrived at the Council building and was instantly assaulted from all sides by shouts from the crowd. With so many people speaking at once not much was clear, but, from what she could pick up on they were asking for a leader, a queen or king, and a ruler.

"What's going on here," she hissed at the gathered Council members.

"We are facing troubled times and the people are hoping for a ruler," one of them answered.

"Yes, despite our efforts during the attack they feel that the Council has failed them. They believe that too many voices are making our decisions take too long, resulting in this," another continued.

"Their faith in the Council is shaken. We may have no choice but to move up the selection of a new ruler," another stated loud enough for those at the front of the crowd to hear.

Those at the front of the crowd became rowdier. Within seconds the last Councilman's words were spread through the crowd and they shouted in opposition. Crystal looked between the crowd and the Council members. Their machinations were as clear as day to someone as experienced in this game as her. Not willing to entertain them and worried for Luna, stormclouds gathered above the council building and lightning quickly followed, cracking like a whip in the air, stunning the crowd silent.

"You are all correct we need a ruler. Our history has been passed down to you all in full, you know your situation and origins well. The Royal Family created most of you in test tubes from the DNA of our deceased friends and family. But we never claimed you, we never intended to sit on the throne again. The Council was my idea to give you all a choice, to try something new. I was a princess for a long time, later a fighter, a mother, a fighter again, a princess to a foreign race and long-time enemy, and finally an ambassador. But this won't work anymore, we can't have so many opinions and individual agendas when we might be going to war. We don't need a Council, right now we need a Commander, and if that's what you want fine. I'll give everyone the choice right now, the Council is gathered, so choose who you want to lead you."

The crowd remained silent for a few moments, taking in Crystal's speech.

"To Queen Crystal," someone shouted from the crowd.

"Queen Crystal," another one followed.

"Queen Crystal."

"Queen Crystal."

"To Queen Crystal."

The many voices echoed far beyond the Council Atrium, someone in the crowd had been broadcasting the event live around the city secretly. His original purpose in doing so will be lost to history, but it will remain as firm memory of failure for some.

Crystal looked at the crowd bowing their heads to her shocked. She had hoped they would pick Black Bolt or Medusa, both were already experienced in ruling and their history was well known. What she hadn't counted on was that she has been the face of the Royal Family for some time, the people knew her, they had seen her defend them on the frontlines during the attack, and more over the years. Black Bolt and Medusa were strong and well known, but they had been absent for far too long, they hadn't even appeared during the attack until the end. While Crystal had been there from the beginning.

"Even though I tried to avoid it so many times, I still ended up becoming a Queen," Crystal muttered.