The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 - Chapter Eight (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Eight: Realm D1995

            “Pocahontas, this is crazy! We have to warn the village of him!”

            Standing in a clearing within the forest, Pocahontas and Nakoma observed the peculiarly dressed man that was Steve Rogers. Both native girls were baffled by his presence more than they were over his attire, yet Pocahontas remained the only one of the two of them to be heavily intrigued, circling around Steve with great curiosity. She lightly touched Steve’s helmet, her hand retreating when she felt its texture, which was unusual to her. Seeing how curious she was about the helmet, Steve removed it from his head and exposed his short blond hair to the surprised native girls.

            “It’s my helmet.” Steve said, handing it over for Pocahontas to analyze and even try on for herself. Rogers chuckled from the way Pocahontas looked with his helmet over her head. “It’s a good look for you.” His attention was directed away from Pocahontas as he felt something climb up his leg and onto the belt of his suit. Looking down, he discovered Meeko, Pocahontas’s raccoon friend, searching through the pockets on his belt; obviously, he was searching for food. Steve snickered, removing Meeko from his body and holding him up in his hands. “Won’t find food there, little buddy. I forgot to bring some with me.”

(Disney Note: Much of this scene mirrors the first meeting between Pocahontas and John Smith, the latter of whom also wore a helmet that fascinated the Disney Princess. Meeko even searches through Rogers for sustenance in similar fashion.)

            Hearing this, Meeko squirmed out of Rogers’s grip and went back to Pocahontas’s side. “Where did you come from?” Pocahontas inquired as she removed Steve’s helmet from her head.

            “Well, uh…that’s kind of hard to explain.” Steve honestly answered. “Where I come from is very far.”

            “He’s not like us, Pocahontas.” Nakoma warned. “This white man is an invader to our land. We don’t know what he might do.”

            “Ma’am, I assure you that I come in peace.” Rogers assured.

(Factual Note: "I come in peace" is a stereotypical phrase used in science fiction narratives, in most cases by extraterrestrial visitors upon first meeting the inhabitants of a planet, typically Earth.)

            Pocahontas looked long and hard at Rogers; there was something about this man that she trusted and, despite Nakoma’s warnings, made her want to learn more about him. Turning to her fellow native, she instructed, “Go back to the village without me. I’m going to take Steve Rogers somewhere.”

            Clearly, this idea was met with skepticism from Nakoma. “Pocahontas! You can’t…!”

            “I will be all right.” Pocahontas assured her.

            The confident smile on her face convinced Nakoma that Pocahontas knew what she was getting herself into. As much as Nakoma tried to keep her out of trouble, there was just no talking her out of situations that were clearly not the way of their tribe; after all, her name did mean “Little Mischief.”

(Biographical Note: According to colonist William Strachey, the name "Pocahontas" did mean "Little Wanton," due to her frolicsome nature. The 18th century historian William Stith claimed that the name was originally "Matoax," which the Native Americans carefully concealed from English settlers and changed out of superstitious fear, believing the English would do harm in learning her true name. She only revealed it to them after she had taken her Christian name, Rebecca.)

            “Fine.” Nakoma accepted. “But if you don’t come back when the sun sets, then your father will be looking for you!”

            With that warning established, Nakoma departed from the clearing and left Pocahontas to deal with Steve. Soon after her departure, Pocahontas focused her attention back on Rogers. “Come with me,” she beckoned. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

            Baffled by her request, Steve merely nodded and said, “O.K.”

Realm D2009

            Bruce would not have imagined himself to be standing in 1926 New Orleans when he woke up in the morning. What happened to him ever since he volunteered for this expedition was nothing short of astonishing. There he was, walking down a sidewalk and passing by people who were dressed for the era. It was New Orleans of a different time in a different world, and Bruce was taking it all in with a huge smile. Of course, he knew that he should have been looking for Tony Stark, who he figured was probably looking forward to the next Mardi Gras event.

(Authorial Note: The world of 1926 New Orleans that Bruce Banner has stepped into is based on the 2009 Disney animated feature The Princess and the Frog. Livingston had chosen this setting to place Banner in due to how much it reflects his character - an area with a sense of normalcy that hides a mythical yet monstrous side.)

            Just as Bruce crossed a dark alley, he heard someone whistle his way. Turning his head in the direction of the whistling, he saw a rather tall and very slender mustachioed African American man with a gap in his front teeth, purple eyes, a dark maroon undertaker tailcoat, white spats over black shoes, a purple vest under his coat that did not completely cover his midriff, a necklace with two crocodile teeth, and a tall black top hat with skull and crossbones up front and a purple thin feather on top. This man brandished a cane with a purple globe on top that he pointed at Bruce with and said, “You look like a gentleman who’s been through quite a bit in his lifetime.”

(Character Note: Doctor Facilier's physical traits bear a resemblance to Jafar, the main antagonist of Aladdin. His purple eyes are a physical trait that has common association with the Devil.)

            Bruce laughed. “You have no idea.”

            “Of course I do.” The man stated with a grin. “I know all about you.” He removed his hat, showing off the huge hairdo he had beneath it, and removed a card out of it, handing it to Banner. Taking the card, Bruce saw the name “Doctor Facilier” printed on it with the terms “Tarot Readings,” “Charms,” and “Potions” below it, as well as the selling tagline “Dreams Made Real.”

(Disney Note: Since his first appearance as the villain of The Princess and the Frog, Facilier has gained critical acclaim and major popularity with Disney fans, making him one of the most popular Disney Villains and a primary member of their franchise.)

            Flattered by the offer, Bruce shook his head and politely declined, knowing a scam when he saw one. “Thanks, but…no thanks.”

            As Banner started to walk away, Facilier spoke up again. “A non-believer, I take it. But we both know what you believe in is much bigger…and greener.”

(Character Note: Facilier is the only pre-established Disney Villain featured in World of Disney so far to have complete knowledge of the realms outside his own, courtesy of his voodoo capabilities.)

            Banner stopped in his tracks once he heard Facilier give a close description of the Hulk, shocked to know that the voodoo bokor knew that the creature existed. “How do you know…?”

            “Ah, ah!” Facilier said, waving a finger at Banner. “If you wanna find out more, my friend, you’re gonna have to follow me.” He waved on for Banner to follow him into the alley. Bruce took the bait without having realized it, following Facilier deep into the alley until they came upon a courtyard.

            Facilier pointed his cane towards a set of skull-shaped candles, using otherworldly abilities in lighting all of them. Above the candles was a sign that read “Dr. Facilier’s Voodoo Emporium; and below the sign was the purple door that led inside the emporium of Doctor Facilier. He stood beside the door as it opened on its own and told Bruce, “Step inside, Doctor. We have much to discuss.”

            Almost in a trance, Bruce acknowledged Facilier’s command and moved inside of his emporium without the slightest hint of hesitation. Facilier wickedly grinned upon following him inside, slamming the door shut behind him to seal both himself and Banner into the dark, foreboding atmosphere of the emporium.

(UP NEXT: Two worlds, one family!)

The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 - Chapter Seven (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Seven: Project Geo Base – 2012

            It had been no more than fifteen minutes since Rogers, Banner, and Livingston left with the sorceress, Gigi, and Nick Fury’s suspicions were already growing. It was never specified how long it would take to find Tony Stark and bring him back to their world, but Fury figured that – with Gigi’s abilities – it would not be that long. With little knowledge on how the sphere worked, there was no possible way of returning them without the need of Gigi. Suddenly the idea of Bruce Banner hulking out on Gigi was beginning to sound very pointless.

(Narrative Note: The previous story, World of Disney, established that time between the Disneyverse and the world outside of it worked differently, with only seconds passing for "real world" characters while hours do in the Disneyverse. However, this fact hasn't remained consistent through the series.)

            As Fury stood alone in the observation deck and stared at the sphere the entire time, the silence that surrounded him was soon disrupted from commotion beyond the door to the room. The observation deck’s door opened, letting in the commotion that happened outside. Fury turned away from his view of the sphere and towards the open door to see a familiar woman enter with a pair of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that were attempting to stop her. Fury recognized the woman as Ciciley Livingston, mother of Agent Sean Livingston; she looked slightly older than when he last saw her with a few wrinkles around her face, which part of it covered from the black, graying hair she sported; at the moment of her surprise appearance, she wore a black leather jacket over a white tank top, dark blue jeans, and black boots. To Fury, Ciciley looked “young” for a woman of sixty-one years of age.

(Biographical Note: "Ciciley Livingston" is based on and inspired by Cici Valdez, who was featured in World of Disney as "Ciciley Thomas," the twin sister of the secondary protagonist Sean Thomas. Other than Sean, she is the only returning cast member from the first story to have an entirely different role in The Marvelous World. The description of her appearance in this introductory scene is based on that of her real-life mother.)

            “Nick!” She shouted upon shoving her way past the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who dared to confront her.

            “Cici,” said a welcoming Fury, “Surprise to see you here after all these years. Never thought you’d show up.” He raised a hand to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, beckoning for them to leave the both of them alone in the room.

            As soon as the agents departed, Ciciley commenced in her business, which she was all about at the moment. “Where’s my son?”

            Fury was surprised that she knew about Sean having arrived there at the base; immediately, he feigned ignorance: “I have no idea what you’re talking about. He’s in Anaheim where he…”

            “Cut the bull, Fury!” Ciciley snapped with her hands on her hips. “I know he’s here. He called me earlier, saying something about coming here to take care of some ‘top secret’ business or whatever crap you’ve got him calling it.”

            Fury moaned in aggravation. When is that kid gonna learn to keep his mouth shut around his mother, he angrily thought.

            “And don’t you dare put me being here on him!” Ciciley demanded. “I showed up because I’m scared for my boy!” She gestured to the sphere that she could see in plain sight from the observation deck window. “We’ve had this thing in stock for thirty-five years! Nobody knows what it does! And you bring my son…my son…here to do some investigation or whatever!” She looked Fury deep in his one good eye. “What have you got him doing, Nicholas?”

(Authorial Note: Evident from the name of his character, Livingston had integrated bits of his personal life into him, including much of the personality of his real-life mother, who Ciciley's character is predominantly based on.)

            When she called him “Nicholas,” he felt like he was in Sean’s position as the kid in trouble. Ciciley was merely a decade older than he was; she was almost in line of becoming director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had she not gone into retirement by the time she reached the age of forty-eight. There was no getting past such a tough-as-nails former agent without making himself look like a total fool; so Fury opted for the best choice – telling the truth.

            “You’re right. He is here on investigation.” With this confirmation, Ciciley briskly turned away but stopped when Fury quickly added, “But he’s not here.” He knew that last comment totally contradicted his previous one, thus doing exactly what he not wanted to do in front of Ciciley – make a fool out of himself.

            She looked to him in confusion with a hint of frustration. “He’s here but he’s also not here.” Fury stammered on an explanation for his puzzling words; his behavior was something Ciciley had not seen in him since he became director, which was an obvious clue to her that something was up. Irately, she commanded, “Tell me what’s going on, Nicholas…right now.”

            Fury sighed. “He’s out…with someone…someone who’s working on the investigation with him.”

            “Who is she?” Ciciley asked in suspicion.

            He did not know where to start, so he went with the most obscene part first: “Well, from what she’s told us, she’s…his mother.” He saw Ciciley’s eyes grow wide – the fire in them clearly evident. Fury had dealt with many intimidating figures in his time, but none intimidated him like Ciciley did. A mother’s wrath was about to unfold, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Realm D1999

            Gigi did everything in her power to prevent herself from punching Clayton right across that bulbous chin of his after minutes of him constantly apologizing for firing upon Sean while he and Archimedes Q. Porter, an eccentric biologist and father of Jane Porter, helped bring him to their camp and assist in treating Sean’s wound. They took him inside of a tent and laid him upon a cot where Archimedes began treatment of the wound. Gigi knew that she could handle treatment much quicker with her magic; unfortunately, in the rush to get the wounded Sean to the English explorer group’s camp, she had forgotten that she left the hat back in the jungle.

            “Is he going to be alright, Daddy?” Jane asked with great concern.

            Archimedes took one look at Sean’s wound to provide Jane with a clear answer. After looking, he frowned and answered, “Oh, dear. This young man has certainly quite an injury. Thankfully, the bullet wasn’t lodged, but he will require surgery if we’re to stop the bleeding.”

            That was one diagnosis Gigi did not want to hear. She stormed out of the tent in anger, a gesture that caught the eye of a still-shaken Clayton, who followed her out of the tent. “I really am sorry for this,” he told her. “I saw movement past the trees and I…”

(Disney Note: Clayton is the main antagonist of Tarzan. He has the appearance of many classic Disney Villains, hungry for money and power. What makes him much colder in character is his cruelty to animals, a trait he shares with Cruella De Vil. As uncharacteristic as it seems for him to show sympathy in shooting Sean, his chivalry makes him somewhat human in this case.)

            “You thought he was a gorilla!” Gigi snapped, glaring at the hunter.

            Her spot-on deduction surprised Clayton. “Why…yes…yes, I did.”

            “And that’s the problem we have here!” Gigi bellowed. “You thought with your bullets instead of your brain!”

            “Now see here, madam! I refuse to be talked down to by some oddly dressed woman! What gives you the right to…?”

            As he scolded her, Gigi saw that he still had the rifle he shot Sean down with in hand, which only made her angrier. “The right? The right? I’ll tell you what right I’ve got! The same right to do this!” She then snatched the weapon out of the hunter’s hand and used her remarkable might to snap the rifle in half over her knee. Clayton witnessed the incredible feat of strength in wide-eyed disbelief; never had he seen a woman capable of such force, especially one that shared the same size and frame as Jane Porter.

(Authorial Note: Gigi's action in this scene was one of Livingston's favorite to write in The Marvelous World. He loves taking the established Disney character into a scene that is literally outside their parameter of "ordinary," which was done quite often in World of Disney.)

            Throwing the two pieces of the broken rifle down to ground, Gigi walked out of the campsite afterward, not once looking back at the shocked and infuriated Clayton. Near the scene, Jane had peeked through the tent entrance, having witnessed the entire spat from there. Like Clayton, Jane was shocked to see how Gigi broke apart his rifle with such amazing ease and strength. Clearly, this was no ordinary woman they had discovered in the jungle; that much was obvious from the way in which her male companion was dressed. When she saw Sean’s attire, Jane figured him to be part of some secret government agency in America in which such bizarre clothing were required; of course, it did not explain why Gigi was dressed even more bizarrely to Jane and possessed strength that surpassed Clayton’s.

(UP NEXT: An enemy from the other side!)

The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 - Chapter Six (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Six: Realm D1995

            Rogers did not quite know what to expect after Gigi conjured up her magic to teleport him, Bruce, and Agent Livingston to the unspecified location where Tony Stark was. He assumed the disorientation he felt subsequent to it was normal, although no one was around to confirm that. When his eyes opened to the new world around him, he discovered that he was somewhere in a lush forest. Considering how the Mojave Desert lacked much vegetation, there was no doubt in his mind that he was in the other dimension – the “Disneyverse” as Gigi called it. Once his disorientation had passed, Rogers got to his feet to begin his mission.

            He looked around to find no sign of the others; he arrived in the forest alone. At first Rogers wondered if there was a fault in Gigi’s magic that caused the team to scatter across this new world, but then he expected the worse – she accidentally spread them across separate dimensions. Even though he knew very little about parallel universes (his only real experience having been with the “Loki Incident” not very long ago), Steve knew that to be trapped in one was the worst thing possible. He only hoped that his assumptions were wrong and that the others were somewhere in that dimension with him.

            After a moment of recollecting, Steve soon heard what sounded to be a horn blown in the distance. Its sound echoed throughout the heavens and worked as an auditory compass for Rogers to follow and lead him to whatever civilization might have been near. It was possible that Tony Stark was picked up by the locals of this world. With that thought in mind, Rogers trekked through the forest. Leaping over logs and splashing across creeks, Rogers soon happened upon a river that was occupied by a series of canoes. The passengers were all Native American, most of who were of muscular build, paddling across the waters to reach what Steve could only assume was their village.

(Authorial Note: Livingston based his decision in placing Captain America into the world based on Pocahontas from a curiosity in seeing a history-based Disney character like Pocahontas interact with Cap, who is a historical figure in his own right. There's also a sense of irony in Rogers, an icon of America, on the soil before it was even founded.)

            The emergence of these natives was a surprise for Rogers, who expected to find beings that were a lot stranger than the Chitauri in this parallel dimension. It raised many questions, the most crucial one being whether or not if Stark was with them. Not wanting to attract any attention, Rogers swiftly moved away from the riverbank and went through the forest once more. He trekked for what felt like hours before coming upon yet another river.

            How many rivers are in this place? Rogers thought in frustration.

            Thankfully, this particular river was not filled with natives on canoes; however, he did spot a young native girl standing upon a nearby cliff and letting the fresh breeze of the morning wind to pass her. Steve was not sure why she was up there; he figured it was for the breeze; but she looked so peaceful that he could imagine himself being up there and doing the same.

            “Pocahontas! Your father’s back! Come down here!”

            He heard another young girl shout close to his location. Looking down to the river, he spotted a lone canoe arrive at the scene, handled by another native girl – the one who shouted to the other on the cliff. Rogers was surprised to hear that the girl on the cliff was in the fact a historical figure like him, except she did not look a thing like the actual Pocahontas. It made him wonder if he traveled back in time rather than between worlds; of course, there was one thing that contradicted the idea: this Pocahontas did not look like the one recorded in history books. She was much prettier than the actual Pocahontas – just as pretty as Snow White from Steve’s perspective.

(Marvel Note: Being a "man out of time," Rogers is more capable of accepting the "alien" nature of circumstances akin to the one he finds himself in here, especially after experiencing the events from The Avengers.)

            Could I have arrived in the history of this new world? He thought curiously.

            As he pondered on the matter, he almost missed the spectacular sight of Pocahontas diving off of the cliff and into the waters below with a mild splash. She did not come back up through the surface for a while, which worried Steve a little. Her fellow native did not seem very concerned as she saw it as Pocahontas playing games. This turned out to be true when the canoe the native girl occupied had been turned over, putting her in the water with Pocahontas. Once they had their fun, they worked together in turning the canoe back its proper place and board it.

            Rogers noticed that the two native girls were leaving for their village to meet with the father of Pocahontas, and he figured on that being the perfect opportunity to follow them to see if Stark was with them. Just like before, he moved swiftly from the riverbank to avoid being detected; unfortunately, in the process, he stepped on a twig that created enough of a sound to possibly attract attention. Steve hoped that the attention of Pocahontas and her companion were not on him; but, as he turned towards them again, he saw how they both were looking in his direction in wide-eyed surprise.

(Factual Note: The stepping on the twig is similar to a "Butterfly Effect." In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. By example, Captain America has created a butterfly effect through his action on the twig, thereby altering the timeline of events from Pocahontas. This has been a common issue with many characters outside of the Disneyverse that interact with the Disney Worlds.)

            Judging from their expressions, it was certain to Steve that these girls had never seen a white man their whole lives (especially one dressed as he was at the moment) and it was also possible that they were not fluent in the English language. Rogers swallowed hard; he could not find any other way of communicating with these girls other than what he remembered from the old westerns he would watch at the movies. Though it sounded like a stereotypical maneuver to him, it was his best option at the moment.

            Raising his right hand with the palm facing the girls and smiling sheepishly, he uttered one word: “How?”

(Factual Note: "How," or "Howgh," is a greeting or particle in the sense of "I Have Spoken" in some Native American languages and their popular representations.)

Realm D1999

(Narrative Note: By the "D1999" subheading, which is The Marvelous World's way of identifying different locations in similarity to the Time/Realm Zones of World of Disney, readers who are true Disney fans can correctly presume the scenes with Sean Livingston and Gigi take place in the Tarzan realm.)

            A second gunshot rang through the air while Sean and Gigi dashed through the jungle, following after the sounds. Livingston did not lose sight on their primary reason for being there – searching for Tony Stark – and the young agent appeared to have a hunch that the shots would lead them directly to the Armored Avenger. Gigi was surprised from how much the young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had recovered from his arrival and how weak she began to feel after running close to two miles through the jungle. She figured the exhaustion had to come from her usage of the magic that brought them there, and it was taking a toll on her new body.

(Narrative Note: Gigi's exhaustion was due to the fact that she is still in the early stages of her reincarnation and her new body is still "breaking in," making the life energy required in traveling between worlds limited. Although the Guardian is virtually immune to pain or illness, her first few hours of living in a new reincarnation are when she is at her most vulnerable point.)

            It was so much easier doing this before…even when I was an old lady! Gigi thought amongst panting heavily.

            “Sean! Wait!” She cried to the relentless young agent, who began to disappear from her sight as she felt herself slowing down. “Sean! Hold up, kiddo!”

            Of course, he did not bother to oblige to her demands, being too focused on his mission in finding Stark. Gigi had no other choice than to stop before she collapsed, stopping in one place in the jungle to bend down and catch her breath. She allowed her pointy blue hat to fall from her head and land on the grass; it instantly lost its majestic glow, drained of the same powerful energy that its wearer carried. Gigi stared upon the lifeless hat; she wondered how long it would take her to get used to traveling in and out of the Disneyverse with her new form. During her moment of deliberation and recuperation, another gunshot – which sounded much closer than the previous ones – rang through the air; it was soon followed by the agonized screams of her young companion.

            “Sean!” She yelled with a look of horror while rushing through the jungle. In her panic, she forgot about her hat, leaving it still lying on the ground.

            Gigi came upon a section of the jungle that was cut down, signifying that someone or something had slashed their way through the thick bamboo trees. She also smelled the gunfire in the air, which served as her key to tracking where Sean was. Of course, as the young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent let out another scream, she knew exactly which direction to go. Pushing hard through the bamboo, she arrived at a clearing where Sean was sprawled out on the grass and writhing in pain. Gigi saw how he clutched the right side of his torso with blood seeping through his fingers. Near where he was lying, some bamboo had been blown away from the gunshot.

(Character Note: Even though this is an entirely different incarnation of Sean, this is the second moment of the series that a version of the character has been severely injured while venturing into a Disney World. The first was in the final chapter of World of Disney when Sean Thomas attempted to rescue Diana Navarro and his other family and friends in the Snow White realm.)

            Rushing to his aid, Gigi placed her hands atop of his to apply pressure on his wound. “Just relax, hon.” She instructed him amid his agony. “Everything’s going to be fine, sweetie.” Although she told him this to help put him at ease, she was saying it mostly for herself; she needed to keep calm for his sake.

            Soon Gigi heard approaching footsteps and looked up to see a cutlass slice through a section of the bamboo trees collected around the clearing. A slender, muscular, mustachioed man with graying brown hair and yellow clothing enter the clearing with his cutlass in one hand and a rifle in the other. Gigi recognized the man instantly, and he was even a major clue as to which part of the Disneyverse she and Sean arrived in – a world that she had visited before in her previous life. His name was John Clayton, a gorilla hunter and the villain of Tarzan…and, at the moment, the man responsible for shooting down Sean.

(UP NEXT: The fury of two mothers!)

The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 - Chapter Five (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Five: Project Geo Base – 2012

            With her hands in pockets located on opposite sides of her red robe, Gigi stared long and hard at the sphere from Bruce Banner and Erik Selvig’s open laboratory. The sight of it was bittersweet for the sorceress; she truly believed to have been rid of it after the nightmare it put her and her family through during her previous venture with it. Although it was the sphere that granted her with the powers she continued to possess in her new body, she knew it was a danger to all realities and had to be disposed of. She altered time and space to be rid of the troublesome mechanism, leaving only her memories and those of her mother and friends from the Muppet Theater in the year 1977 intact, as well as her connections to the Disneyverse. Neither her son nor anyone from the year 2010 would recall those events, which was how she intended it to be to keep them and the new timeline to come out of it all safe.

            But the nightmare was far from over with S.H.I.E.L.D. harboring the sphere within the top secret base. She felt furious whilst glaring at its structure, wondering what would drive S.H.I.E.L.D. into tampering with it so much that it had left a man – or an “Iron Man” as they referred to him – trapped somewhere in the Disneyverse. Now it was up to her to literally bring him back to reality with help from Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, and the young man she continued to believe was her son. While she waited for the men to ready themselves for the rescue mission, Gigi continued staring upon the sphere with agents moving about around her. Nearby, Fury observed her curiously with Maria Hill, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton standing beside and watching along with the S.H.I.E.L.D. director.

(Authorial Note: In most of their scenes together in this story, particularly in the early half, Livingston had Maria Hill, Black Widow, and Hawkeye standing beside each other or Nick Fury to represent their unity as trustworthy S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. From a post-Winter Soldier perspective, this unity seems stronger now.)

            “What the hell is she doing?” Barton inquired after some time of observation.

            “She claims to have a connection with the sphere.” Fury answered. “My guess is that she’s ‘communicating’ with it.”

            “Looks more like she’s giving it the ‘evil eye’ to me.” Natasha sarcastically deduced.

            Fury almost chuckled from Romanoff’s comment. “Whatever it is, let’s hope it’ll take us directly to Stark.”

            “You think we should really trust her with Banner, Cap, and one of our own?” Barton asked Fury.

            “If she values her own life, she wouldn’t think twice of turning on us…especially when Banner is near.” A smug expression masked Fury’s face as he mentioned Bruce Banner in his answer; neither he nor anyone else, including Sean, had told Gigi the truth about why Banner was allowed on the rescue mission; they merely told her that his “scientific expertise” could be of some value to them.

(Marvel Note: S.H.I.E.L.D. uses Bruce Banner and his alter-ego for separate purposes - Banner for his mind and Hulk for his muscle. They see the Hulk more as a weapon they can use than a destructible monster, which is the reason why he was recruited for the Avengers.)

            Of course, what none of them realized was that Gigi was already aware of Banner’s “condition” – the powerful green monster that lied within him; and if Fury really thought that “The Hulk,” as she heard one agent in the base call the beast, could somehow stop her, then he was certainly mistaken. Gigi had faced worse monsters when she was still known as Joanie Navarro, working as protector of the Disneyverse, from Maleficent in dragon form to the Hydra in Hercules. She kept her awareness of the “secret” to herself in order to allow Fury to continue letting her be trusted in finding Tony Stark.

(Narrative Note: The reference to the Hydra from Hercules is an unintentional side-reference to the terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe, which posed as a major threat in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as well as in Marvel Mayhem.)

            For the first time in the hour she spent gazing at the sphere, she finally turned to Fury and made a strict request. “I’ll take my hat now.” She extended her right arm towards him and opened her hand for emphasis. Fury remained hesitant in acknowledging her request until she exclaimed to him, “I’m serious, man. I’m gonna need it to find your guy.”

            Her word was all Fury had to go with; he walked over to her, removing the unusual pointy hat from beneath his coat and handing it over. With a smile, Gigi placed the hat upon her head; as he watched her do so, Fury could have sworn that her body emitted a radiant glow for a brief moment. He would have pondered over it further had Rogers, Banner, and Livingston had not entered the scene, appearing ready to leave. Rogers was donned in his Captain America uniform, which got quite a surprised reaction out of Gigi.

(Marvel Note: In the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Captain America has undergone five different costume changes, counting Avengers: Age of Ultron. At the time The Marvelous World was written, he underwent only three, and Livingston envisioned the look from The Avengers to represent the version of Cap in this story.)

            “Oh, w-wow.” The sorceress stammered. “Captain Rogers, you look quite…um…very…erm…”

            Rogers looked to himself in confusion. “What? Would this outfit compromise our mission?”

            Gigi quickly shook her head. “No! No, of course not. It’s just…”

            Sean saw the amused grin on Gigi’s face as she was eyeing Cap’s suit from top to bottom – mostly the bottom – and he shook his head in disgust. Quickly, he moved in between the two and said, “May we please get on with the mission now?”

(Narrative Note: We will see this type of reaction again from Sean later in the story with his real mother. It is a known pet peeve of his character to be irritated in the face of flirtation between older people.)

            As soon as she saw Sean, Gigi refocused on the task at hand. “Hmm? Right! Well, uh, you gentlemen just gather around me…but not too close.” She winked at Cap while adding that last instruction, only driving Sean even battier by doing so. “Now just shut your eyes and trust me.”

            Sean began to realize how much that command was easier said than done with the zaniness that Gigi displayed ever since she was brought to the base, but he did as she said nonetheless and closed his eyes. Rogers and Banner did the same and, shortly after them, Gigi did as well. Fury, Natasha, Hill, and Barton watched closely as Gigi outstretched her arms and tilted her head back, allowing her hat to point towards the sphere. The stars on her hat glowed and, once she opened them, her eyes also had glowed ghostly white. A peculiar humming noise radiated from the sphere itself while Gigi conjured up what Fury, Natasha, Hill, and Barton could only call real sorcery.

(Narrative Note: This method Gigi uses is rare in the case that both the Sphere and Yen Sid's hat are within proximity of each other, intensifying the power of the Guardian, since both objects are connected to her.)

            Within seconds, the bodies of the sorceress and the three men were engulfed in a golden flash of light and rapidly atomized, vanishing into thin air. Fury and the other agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. reacted to the phenomenon with immense astonishment; it was enough proof to them to show that all of what Gigi said about herself and the sphere was the truth. Of course, that did not necessarily mean Fury fully trusted her; even though she possessed great power, there was still a chance of her betraying them all. It would not be the first time Fury dealt with a being capable of wicked magic.

----------------------------

            At the moment he reopened his eyes, Sean was taken aback from how discombobulated and nauseated he was from whatever Gigi had done to him, Rogers, and Banner. Everything appeared blurry to him, although it did not take much detail for him to see that he was outdoors in an area with lots of tall trees. Sean made an effort to stand up, but the nausea kept him from succeeding. Soon after his attempt, he felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder and Gigi’s voice softly tell him, “Try to take it easy, hon. Your body’s gonna need a little time to recover from traveling between dimensions.”

(Narrative Note: Disorientation is a usual side effect from real world subjects transporting to a Disneyverse realm, as shown in World of Disney. The only notable objections are Guardians or sorcerers from the Fantasia realm, who are accustomed to the inter-dimensional travel.)

            “Where are we?” Sean managed to say in the midst of his recovery.

            Gigi looked around them; it was indeed a jungle as she figured upon first setting eyes on it. “I’m not sure,” she honestly answered.

            Sean frowned in frustration. “What do you mean you’re not sure? Didn’t you know where you were sending us before you did your mumbo-jumbo?”

            “Well, I’m…a little rusty?” She sheepishly explained herself, but it was not enough to calm the angry young agent down.

            Just as he started to get his vision back and feel the nausea drop, Sean shot up to his feet and furiously shouted to Gigi: “A little rusty? What kind of sorceress are you anyway?”

            “Hey, at least I got us here, didn’t I?”

            It was then that Sean realized that Rogers and Banner were not anywhere near them. “Wait. Where’s Cap and Doctor Banner?” Gigi looked about them as well and appeared surprised, expecting the two men to have arrived in the same space. She tried to give Sean a straight answer, but she had nothing for him. Her lack of an answer only made him more frustrated to the point where he drew out his Screaming Eagle and aimed it at her head. “Tell me where they are!”

(Narrative Note: By this action, we get a clear understanding of how dramatically different Agent Sean Livingston is from Sean Thomas - one being a trained killer, the other a simple man living in simple times.)

            Gigi stood shocked by his sudden action, raising her trembling arms up in protest. “S-Sean…h-how could you pull a gun on your own mother?”

            “You’re not my mother! You’re a threat to our mission and you need to be eliminated!”

            Gigi was at a loss for words; tears started to stream down her eyes upon watching the young man’s finger begin to squeeze the trigger, showing exactly how serious he was about “eliminating” her. Not wanting to watch herself be gunned down, she shut her eyes tight and braced herself. There was a loud gunshot that made her jump instinctively, but she felt no extreme pain. Slowly she reopened her eyes and saw how Sean lowered his gun and looked upward curiously. The barrel of the Screaming Eagle was not smoking as she thought it would be, signifying that the gun had not been fired; of course, she was aware of that from the fact that she still alive and unharmed. That only begged the question as to where the shot came from.

            Following the sound, Sean disappeared into the jungle. Gigi watched him leave, still shaking from the incident that just occurred between them. As much frightening images as she had witnessed within the Disneyverse, the sight of her own son pointing a gun at her head scared her the most. It was clear that the young man she arrived back in the Disneyverse with was not her real son; but her heart continued to reject the truth. That was why she followed after Sean with little hesitation, because she had to watch out for him while there in the yet-to-be-identified Disney world.

(UP NEXT: He's no John Smith!)