Podcasts about Bendis

Taki has written a njew series called Alienated that is coming out through Comixology. We also talk about cureent TV stories and the making of Powers TV show and more .Bendis joins the talk to promote some upcoming podcast appearances, and talk about the things he likes about Taki's book. 

A Butterfly wants to kill the World?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Although Love is both fire and shadow, we often forget to take comfort from the coolness of the memories when the burning flames are absentThere were precisely two things, okay, four things, keeping me alive. The fourth thing would come to her later when her 'furious was replaced by her 'curious' ~ as in how I knew her inhuman lingo ~ which would lead to my legacy with Grandpa.The top three reasons -She had poked my chest. It was a challenge, calling for one of my guardians to come out and play. The avatar knew I was the chosen heir of the Goddess Ishara and my goddess had devoted a good deal of time and effort to my survival and continued service in her cause. If Ishara made an 'appearance', it would be enough reason to not eviscerate me for my foul treatment of her august personage.Nope. It seemed Ishara was busy at the moment.Still, she most likely knew SzelAnya had shown a keen interest in me in Romania, though I'd never told Selena, or any other member of the 9 Clans, the Dragon's Daughter had killed Ajax for me. Figuring out SzelAnya, a storm deity, had helped me and Aya escape from our kidnapping in the midst of a cyclone in the Pacific Ocean wasn't much of a reach.But no bolt of lightning coalesced from my chest to singe her finger. No clap of thunder. Not even a cloud with a hint of disfavor appeared above us.Her obsidian fingernail began penetrating my shirt, touched my skin, then drew my blood, and something 'twitched'.That would be Contestant Goddess #3. She wasn't actually hanging around me. She didn't have to. She'd left me a memento of our last shindig before we parted ways. That was the nightmare-inducing episode where she, the chthonic goddess Sarrat Irkalli, had compressed one man's body into a dagger and then proceeded to suck another's soul into it to use as a power source for an Airbus 350 (a commercial airliner, if you didn't know).I still had that snaggletooth-looking thing at my back. Well who the Hell was I going to leave it with? Honestly, the only people I felt could keep it safe I loved too much to curse with it. Anyway, the second her divine claw touched my blood, the long dormant weapon whispered to me in a somewhat bored, lofty feminine voice from beyond the grave,Do you want me to discorporate this pathetic has-been for you?Quick check. Only the avatar and I, and her priestess-savant heard that. Of course, in downtown, New York City, noon Sunday, how weird would such a declaration be? The avatar's eyebrow arched. Her big bat-ears (still looking human to the normal viewing public) flicked this way and that, figuring out precisely where the threat originated from. Slowly, her once poking hand began to slide across my chest, along my ribs and around my back.She touched the dagger. Nothing.Gingerly, she drew it forth. I'd had a makeshift sheath made. As the blade made its journey around me, she took a half-step back to better observe it."Please don't kill him!" Theddy squealed. "We haven't had sex yet!"Being 'who' and 'what' she was, the avatar did what came natural. Fortunately for Theddy, I'd become accustomed to working with psychopaths.She stabbed the dagger at Theddy. I clamped my hand down on her wrist. The claws of her left hand came down on my constraining wrist. My free hand came down on that hand, trying to pry it free. It was a hopeless struggle, except.Yes, my old friend 'except'. Except the avatar was holding the dagger. As powerful as Ītzpāpālōtl was, she wasn't pushing against me. She was pushing against Sarrat Irkalli.Ītzpāpālōtl was a living, breathing terror machine who killed and received sacrifices on a regular basis.Sarrat Irkalli hadn't been actively worshipped in 3,000 years.Uneven contest? Oh yeah.See, Ītzpāpālōtl had spent the past 500 years continuously fighting against the Weave to keep her fingers on this side of reality.Meanwhile, for the most part, Sarrat Irkalli had sat upon her throne in the Sumerian Underworld with hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of souls toiling under her watchful gaze for eternity. Sure, her version of Hell wasn't getting any fresh deposits, but she knew how to milk the system well.Even the bad karma for the dagger's creation wasn't hers. She'd stolen it from the foolish Gong Tau sorcerers who had meant to enslave my soul, aka one-third of the Baraqu-Alal-Cáel deal she'd worked out millennia ago. It was the Weave giving her a 'freebie' for playing by the rules, if you considered the Weave sentient.And now Ītzpāpālōtl was touching it. Whoops. It wasn't as if Ītzpāpālōtl was stupid. It isn't like there are tons of magic weapons running around, much less soul-munchers like the one I had. Rationally, who would give a novice like me, a weapon like this? I say again, 'whoops'.Once I'd figured this out, I couldn't stop being me."Theddy, do you like girls?""What?" she squeaked. Here was this psycho trying to drive a Smilodon incisor into her bosom and I was giving her a sex quiz.Ītzpāpālōtl was really starting to struggle now."I, ah, are you okay?" she continued."Oh, I'm dandy. I'm serious. You think this chick is hot? I mean, would you do her in a three-way?" I proposed casually."Timothy?" Sovann."Bro?" Timothy to me."It's all good. Sovann, you want to know what my life is like? This lady who came to discuss business with me today is an immortal mass murderer. You give the word, I'll let go and this knife is going to cut her up like a Ginsu blade on market day because just cutting her heart out isn't going to be enough. Worse. Eventually she'll get back up.""Timothy?" Sovann repeated, this time with more concern. He thought I was nuts. I released my left hand. The blade flipped up, twisting in the avatar's grasp. That was the point her minions figured out something was wrong."El Amado?" the priestess-savant called out softly. The three goons began reaching for 'things'."Call them off, or I open my other hand," I cautioned the avatar. She spared me a swift, hostile look. My fingers tingled."Esten quietos!" she snapped. They stopped."Cáel, bad day, or not. This isn't you. Stop it. The girl's in danger," Timothy spoke up. He didn't mean Theddy. He meant the avatar."I'm being a real asshole, aren't I?" I sighed."Pretty much. You never let the bitches get to you before. Girl pops an attitude, you smile and move on. Life is too short," he reminded me. Too true."I'm going to put my hand over the blade," I told Ītzpāpālōtl. "When I do, you can let go."She didn't say anything for several seconds, even after my left hand covered the semi-serrated edge."Why should I trust you?" she sizzled."Because 'me' letting anything bad happen to you would make me a total, judgmental jerk. I don't know you. Whatever you did before you showed up today shouldn't matter to me. I acted stupidly. I should have stopped you. I didn't. I didn't even warn you and I could have. I was angry, and not even at you. Just angry and I apologize. Now, let go.""Why?""Hi. I'm Cáel Nyilas. Can I have my knife back? Please?"Blink. She released it. For a millisecond, it wanted to do something else because bitches are bitches. It didn't, so my palm wasn't sliced open. My right hand took the hilt. I carefully put the blade away."Yes," Theddy gulped."Huh?" Sovann shook his head at the sudden evaporation of the life and death tension. Welcome to my life. Theddy meant 'yes' to the 'girl-girl-guy' thing I had proposed earlier. It pays to keep things prioritized."What is this movie you were talking about?" Ītzpāpālōtl asked. Had she forgiven me for anything which had transpired? Bwahahaha, no way. She was taking the initiative and going with Option 1 from my earlier insane diatribe."Wait!" Sovann nearly shouted. "You nearly, I don't know, threatened Cáel's life and tried to stab Theddy and now you think you can go with us to a movie?""I told you," Timothy put an arm around his shoulder, "life with Cáel is rarely dull.""I thought you meant he was fun to party with, or something like that," Sovann looked up at his lover. "I thought his uncle showing up, and trying to kill him and then being blown the fuck away by those women and federal agents, and that other girl who pointed a gun at us, is this the new normal?""I love you, Sovann," Timothy grew compassionate. "Cáel is my best friend. He'd never deliberately hurt either of us and normal friends are something he has in short supply. Today being a great case in point."Ten seconds passed."The title is 'As Above, So Below'," Sovann addressed the avatar, "and what do we call you?"Since 'if you are not a worshiper and addressing me, I normally am about to kill you' would sound really cool in Olmec-ic, but I might be asked to translate,"How about we go with 'Obsidian', please?" I pleaded with her.She knew I was currying favor now ~ and behaving like a weather vane caught in the wall of a tornado ~ she gave a gracious bow of her head."Obsidian will do for now. Is the Legend of the dagger 'business'?" Translation: it had better not be."No," I smiled. "It's pillow talk." Rancor, 'how presumptuous', followed by 'but that dagger ups the count to three Goddess interested in him', and next to recalling all the trivial babble about me being a sexual dynamo (I prayed my PR was that good) having some relevance. Her chimera emotions allowed me to get a few more crucial words out, because even women who aren't sleeping with me are jealous."Esta mujer fue la primera en ofrecer bienes funerarios tras la muerte dee mi padre," I reinserted Theddy back into my close company. For some reason, Obsidian considered me unreliable thus had to verify what I'd just said."Did you make funerary offering upon his father's passing?" she asked Theddy. Let's think about this. The wacko chick questioning Theddy had tried to stab a huge freaking blade into her not a minute ago. Fleeing in terror while screaming for the cops? Nope."Yes. I baked him some walnut and caramel chip cookies," she nodded. "It is a family recipe." Sovann looked over the three of us, then back to Timothy."I told you 'that's impressive cocking like I've never seen before'," he explained."She may remain," Obsidian 'permitted'. Theddy wrapped up my right arm with her left and gave it a squeeze. She wanted attention/explanation."Obsidian is a Master Vampire, Theddy," I leaned in and whispered. "Before she was turned, she was captured in a raid by the fey, mentally, spiritually and physically raped and made into their sex-slave. Part of her spirit never healed properly. While this imperfection allows her to walk around in daylight, her heart can never hold on to any emotion for long, so she is forced to forever seek passion, no matter how dangerous, from the world around her."Revealing secrets? Ha. I had noticed Theddy had every work done by Laurel K. Hamilton in her place, including the comic book series."You are not supposed to know, so act like I didn't tell you anything, okay?"'Okay,' she mouthed back at me. I could see it in her eyes. My chaotic life suddenly 'made sense' to her because a best-selling fiction author said so.Obsidian thought the movie was; hilarious. She couldn't stop snickering, giggling and poking at me as horrible shit happened to the various actors. She thought the plot was 'insightful' and wouldn't stop whispering to me throughout the entire thing. During the closing credits, I told her I'd get her the DVD for Christmas ~ she knew the concept behind digital technology, but didn't own any ~ she kissed me.The first kiss was fierce and joyous with the added benefit of her tongue doing things no normal tongue could do, it stretched. Not sure how I felt about that. The second kiss was more sultry, longer and came with some accompanying body action which, I'm no virgin. Not even close. She was on my left side, so when she twisted in her seat, her left leg insinuated itself between mine. Her left hand cupped my jaw and held my head in place as her lips played along mine.A dance of the scorpion perhaps? Tender at first, then suddenly stabbing, dominant and brutal. My lips and tongue battled back, using my superior Kiss-fu to nullify her natural strength and agility. She liked it. By her moaning, she liked it a lot. As the kiss progressed, more and more of her flowed from her seat into my seat, body facing me. Her body rose over mine, forcing my neck back to maintain contact."So, Dot Ishara is hovering around somewhere close, isn't she?" I murmured as our lips separated barely a centimeter apart. One chick kissing you to make another one jealous. It's happened to me plenty of times. Obsidian didn't give a damn about Theddy, or any other mortal woman in close proximity so,"Yes," she purred. "Do you mate with her?""A man does not brag of such things, but no, unless heavy petting counts?""What will she do to you when I steal your seed?"'When'? Why was I not surprised? Why was I not surprised another concussion was in my immediate future either? Was it possible I was, learning?"Chastise me for not fighting harder," I breathed across her lips, "and, in case you forgot, I'm on a date with the girl beside me.""Who I care nothing for," she sent a cruelly playful look Theddy's way. Wisely, the girl shivered."Who I am indebted to and how I honor my debts might matter to you," I hazarded. My words hurt Theddy's feelings. That was on purpose. Obsidian took pleasure in me hurting Theddy because she was basically a vicious monster."Yes?" I pressed her gently."Yes," Obsidian allowed, easing up slightly both romantically and physically."And Theddy, if you believe I'm with you solely because of some sense of obligation, you clearly haven't been listening to your recordings," I shot the human girl a wink."Oh.""Am I, or am I not, a sex-obsessed little monkey?" I teased her. Theddy giggled. I paid for my diversion with four obsidian claws to my ribs outside of Theddy's view. After all, it wasn't like Theddy could possibly compete with her for my attention. Considering Obsidian's legendary ability to rip open her opponent's ribcages and feast upon their hearts, I slipped my left hand, the one next to her between her legs and stroked her cotton-slacks covered cunt.Theddy hugged my right arm and put her head against my shoulder. Not to be outdone," Qu  un centenar dee hombres se quemaron vivos como el sonido?" Obsidian inquired with sexually sadistic hunger. Ah, memories of burning 7P Commandos.Whoops. Theddy knew Spanish."No lo s . Ten an respiradores en," I replied casually. "Si lo desea, puedo describir lo que se siente al tirar de una flecha de guerra lanzar mi propio muslo.""Eep," slipped out of Theddy's lips."Why did you do that?" Obsidian looked over us both."Well, I was showing a little girl I believed in her,""And she shot you?" Theddy gulped."No. She hit the target I was standing next to. A co-worker mistook me for a cardboard cutout of a Jehovah's Witness and let fly. Seems she had issues with organized religion as well as a reaction to the oscillation effect of florescent lighting and ceiling fans.""But why did you pull the arrow out?" Theddy asked. "Couldn't you wait until you got to the hospital?""Mosquito," Obsidian menaced, insinuating Theddy was a pest."I wasn't thinking rationally at the moment, I work in an asylum, I had a hot date in a few hours, any of those three will do," I smiled at Theddy."Copil such as Cáel don't bother with petty human conventions," Obsidian turned my gaze back her way with her hand on my jaw. 'Copil's were 'god-touched' in her lingo."More than one girl?" Theddy mused."Four.""Okay," she sighed happily."Theddy, three under-age girls and the police office he was dating acting as their chaperone," Timothy intervened. "He hurried home so he could keep a promise to the children, not for sex." Bastard. He really was my best friend. He didn't mention my post-injury, pre-festivity sex with Odette giving me a few extra, urgently needed Brownie Points to suggest I might be a decent human being."You are a wonderful guy," Theddy ran a fingernail over my free hand. Clearly I was 'wonderful' enough to risk Obsidian's anger over. The screen went blank as the last credits scrolled away and the room was plunged into darkness. Five seconds later, the lights snapped on.Pain!"Fuck," I hissed. It wasn't any extra physical trauma causing me discomfort. No, a metaphysical dam had burst within and my stream of conscious thought had been turned into a white-water rapids. The competing cyclones of thoughts in my mind had stopped cooperating and my hypothalamus was letting me know I was in danger."Cáel", "Cáel", "Bro", and "Ishara" all came in rapid succession. I needed some space both tangible and social."I need to step outside," I eased Obsidian off me and stood up. My sense of my personal danger was ratcheting up. While I had been studying Obsidian, so I could screw her, I had discovered more and more Alal-badness.The light display had ignited a series of pressing implanted memories which had been clamoring for my attention. Things like not all 'divinities' were stewards of the Weave. Some even wanted its destruction, preferring risking all on a chaotic restructuring of reality over what existed now ~ things like Obsidian. They weren't attempting to do so because they thought they had no chance.But there was. A real serious chance to unravel reality existed; and it was staring her in the face. It wasn't 'me' as in 'I was the Anti-Christ'. But with the torrent of memories pouring forth, I knew where the peril lay and I was completely responsible for it. Hell, I was a prime ally of Armageddon and hadn't even known it.'Holy Shit!'I blinked. Timothy was shaking me. We were out in the lobby."Oh my God, Timothy," I nearly wept. "What am I going to do?""I have no idea what you are talking about. Is there someone you can talk to about this?" he suggested. Normal folks were around us. Obsidian was at my side. Sovann was behind Timothy with an arm around Theddy's shoulder."Theddy," I looked at her. "Can I catch up with you later? I just realized I've screwed up something fierce." I put my best 'really don't want to go but I gotta' face on. Her worried look brightened, she slipped around Timothy and gave me a tingling French kiss."I'll hold you to that, Cáel," she murmured when we parted."Timothy, go home, I got shit to deal with," I hoped my grin didn't become as feeble as I felt it to be."I," he started to say something. "Time not to ask questions?""Yeah.""Okay.""Wait." I pulled us to the side and went on to my toes, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Tell Pamela 'he' sent Ajax to kill the Professor, his family and the sisters. They were the targets all along. It wasn't me, or the other women. Just in case,""Okay," Timothy patted my arm. It was cryptic. It was the best I could do. See, I wanted to cry so badly.{2:09 pm Sunday, September 7th ~ Last day}Where to begin:Every mythology across the globe has some creature, or creatures, which threatens Existence. Usually a God, or a Hero-God, slays the creature and everything is right with the world, except such a being, being older than Existence itself, can't really die, so they are carved up, buried ~ what have you.Illuyankamunus was one such manifestation of this underlying cancerous desire to destroy reality. He'd had a far more real child, SzelAnya, and she's never quite given up on her dad. Of far greater critical importance, she was 'part' of Illuyankamunus, somewhat in the way I was part of Alal and Baraqu. And yes, that meant all the offspring of Bolu, the guy I'd praised a few hours earlier, held the seeds of that malignant deity as well.And Alal knew it. He hadn't been killing off the descendants. He'd left that task up to a group far more capable of the task, the Egyptian Rite, who knew a fucking threat to existence when they saw it. Lest I forget, No secret society are the 'good guys'. Also lest I forget, I alone decided to go after the Arinniti sons to fulfill Vranus' quest. I had no divine mandate I was aware of nor any real world orders.Inadvertently, I had rounded up the last five mortal remains of Illuyankamunus in one place for convenient disposal in a remote Transylvanian town. The only problem was: if someone didn't get to them quickly, I was also about to whisk them into the loving (and heavy-armed) protective embrace of the Amazon Host, where the completion of centuries of culling would have suddenly become a cast-iron bitch instead of a simple disposal.Enter Ajax. Yeah, I bet the Egyptians were trying to figure out how I stopped him as well as Alal. I thought I was being clever by not telling most of the world. In fact, they most likely suspected; and the reality of SzelAnya watching over me was much more terrifying. Ishara had put a serious curse on the Amazons, yet her curse only affected her followers, the Amazons, who were fair game.SzelAnya had killed someone for me, and I hadn't been one of her followers. Thus I had committed a blasphemous act only a magician of some significant ability could have managed. I wasn't a sorcerer, but I had a cornucopia of mystic knowledge rolling around in my noggin. Trying to figure all this out was one of my major headaches.The others?I even suspected I knew who betrayed me ~ kinda. They didn't do it on purpose. At least I hope they didn't, because my odds-on favorite was my Mother by way of Captain Delilah Faircloth. Realistically, there was only one secret society who might help her against Grandpa and that was the Egyptian Rite, and they did send three people to Dad's funeral including two 'somebodies'. I'm an idiot.I'd chatted away in fluent New Kingdom Egyptian and it never occurred to me how odd it was for two of them to also be so fluent in it. Know it, sure, but as fluent as Kimberly had taught me to be? That should have been a Red Flag.The Earth & Sky had sent Iskender, who should have been the benchmark I judged the other delegations by, damn it.Three Condos? They'd killed my Dad and their guys had been flunkies.The 7 Pillars had been nobodies, which they'd proven by their inaction.Now I had to question why I had 3 actual  9-Clans  assassins at my dad's funeral too. Holy Ishara, I wasn't nearly paranoid enough.Anyway, why would the Amazons be aiding and abetting the End of All Life on Earth? Normally, they wouldn't be, but 3000 years ago, the majority of Human life did a colossal dump on the Amazons. And when they needed help, they got it in the form of SzelAnya and her dual-sex followers. I seriously doubt they told the Amazons their purpose was to resurrect SzelAnya's daddy. I imagine the Amazons didn't pry too much either.It turned out almost to be okay. During the 2nd Betrayal, the Amazons betrayed SzelAnya and almost short-circuited her plans by exterminating her lineage.Except for the Arinniti elders and Bolu. Good old 'except'.I can imagine when the Egyptians heard about the 2nd Betrayal, they figured they were 'okay'. Those wacky Amazons had inadvertently done the world a favor. Except an act of maternal love kept a slender hope of Illuyankamunus' return alive. By the time the Egyptians realized they'd been prematurely hopeful, Bolu's descendants were all over the Balkans and hunting them down had proven difficult.But, it gets worse. Much worse.When those Gods shattered Illuyankamunus, they scattered him in the relative certainty no one would ever gather the parts back together.His flesh was scattered across the land, modern day Turkey, but encompassing everything from Pakistan to Italy and Egypt to Poland. The flesh became soil, then plants, the things that eat plants, then food for humans. Get the picture.Whoops. SzelAnya had been doing just that for centuries upon centuries every time she mated with a mortal of Illuyankamunus' line and had offspring, they accumulated his energy, which made hunting down the few remaining ones easier to find, since they were 'beacons of badness', except...There were two key pieces missing which SzelAnya could never get. After all, you would think burying them on the far side of the world would matter, right?The 'breath of Illuyankamunus' ~ his cosmic fire ~ they buried in a volcano in a distant land far across the Great Sea. His spirit 'body' they imprisoned in a great river, again, across the Great Sea.But wait, it gets worse.The being standing next to me knew precisely where the 'breath of Illuyankamunus' was. Seems Mesoamerica is laced with volcanos. They'd discovered 'the breath' long ago and used it as a weapon called Xiuhcoatl. Better yet, Alal suspected she and her buddies were more than happy to reunite it with the rest if they thought the Weave itself wouldn't annihilate them for daring to do so.In their current, weakened state they were vulnerable to such a karmic backlash. In theory, a reborn Illuyankamunus would have access to power beyond the bounds of the Weave, older and more terrifying. Still, without the mortal remains to anchor the energy, giving it to the spirit would be pointless.Alal knew where the spirit body was (in general), but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was where it was,Of all the places the Arinniti sons could have fled to, they had to choose Brazil, the burial place of the restive spirit body of Illuyankamunus. Mother-fucker.And Ildiko 'Alkonyka' aka Dusk Lovasz had sworn she'd travel to Brazil to fulfill Bolu's side of the quest in the same way I was holding up Vranus' end. If I tried to stop her, SzelAnya would know something was up. Fuck.I was processing all of this when Obsidian violently yanked me out of the way. A cabby had swerved to avoid a flurry of trash and nearly run over us. It was the third near-concussive experience in the past five minutes she'd help me avoid while she had walked by my side. I'd been mumbling like a madman."That would be my Goddess wanting to talk with me," I looked her way."I know," she gave me a clever smile."She's really not going to like that," I shook my head."I know that too," she kept smiling. "Where is your mind?""Five lives away from making the world a safer place," I sighed."Safer for who?" she purred. Where were all the bimbos? Not only was it an insightful question, it cut straight to the heart of my dilemma.What decision could I make? If I elected to help my fellow Amazons, I risked screwing with the world. In truth, I was risking everything even if I did nothing. Well Dad was always clear that things didn't change by themselves. You needed to do something that would have an effect. So, 'What are you going to do?'More to the point, I wasn't Grandad. Killing the last five of the line of Illuyankamunus wasn't 'me', so it wasn't going to be something I'd worry about.SzelAnya wanted to bring back her Dad, I could understand that. I'd have to figure out a way for her to believe this world sticking around was more important. How? Well, I had a goddess-like creature right in front of me to probe for ideas."You are an immortal," Obsidian commented. She'd been weighing her opinion for some time. I could tell by the wonderment with which she gifted each word."What? No. I can die.""No. I don't think so. Your wounds. Normally the wounds I inflict flow freely for some time. Yours have already scabbed over," her eyes flickered to the various minor scars she'd imparted to me in the few hours we'd been together.Of course, her idea was insane, Oh God No! I was in Grandad's body. Well Duh! His body was supposed to be immortal."Are you sure?" I looked deep into her eyes."You are a young immortal, the youngest I've ever met, but you are an immortal," she seemed to be convincing herself as much as me.Stupid Assumption (on my part)! I wasn't in Alal's body. I was in Cáel's. Because the Cáel soul shard was young, Alal hadn't been able to find it because it had moved through Time, to me, sonofabitch! 'I' hadn't been around for him to find. No! I was making yet another damn assumption.What did I know? When Pamela found Baraqu, it had been in an object, not a person, though she had been short on details. When the Alal-shard went to the Land of the Endless Black Sands to bring Saku back, the Cáel-shard had been in reality, so it had been allowed to create a body, 'me'. Still, the curse Sarrat Irkalli placed on Baraqu was on Alal and myself as well, which meant I might just be immortal.My Alal-mind agreed with Obsidian's assessment. In his first years, his healing had been slow, still taking days for what took mortal people weeks. I'd stupidly attributed my swift recovery to Amazon medicines, ugh. Because I got wounded more than most Security Detail trainees while concurrently entertaining two and three sex partners."Can you talk with Dot Ishara?" I asked her."Yes, but why would I?""Sex?""We are going to have sex anyway," she smiled. I'd tricked her. Set her up with the right so I could now drop her with the left."I can bring the mbo  tat  back to life," I pledged. That was not what she was expecting at all. "If you bring the Xiuhcoatl, I can bring the flesh and we can unite the three." Mbo  tat  was the Tupi name for the legendary 'fiery serpent' of the Amazon Basin. In Portuguese, it had become Boi-tat , a will-o-wisp with a confused, Christianized mythology ~ a serpent dwelling in darkness, devouring the eyes of corpses, glowing in the forests at night."Where is the flesh?" she whispered."In his mortal children," I replied."Who?""You are a monster, Ītzpāpālōtl. I'm not going to tell you and you don't have the time to drag the information out of my mind before my allies drop on you like a nuclear detonation," I drew my body tightly to her."Why would the Amazons do this?""They are not. This is a deal between you and me," I kissed her lips. I pulled back. A few seconds later she kissed me back."Why?""My grandfather had my father murdered and I would avenge him. In the end, despite my father's Amazon heritage, my 'Sisters' will let his death go unavenged for the greater good of the Host. He was a man and they will never look beyond that ~ they will never value his life as they would that of a woman.""Your mother's father?""Yes. Cáel O'Shea of the Illuminati.""We are not at war with the Illuminati," she murmured. It was a casual observation, not a protest."You are at war with Cáel O'Shea.""He was slain.""He didn't stay dead.""You know much more than you are saying," she was finally catching on."Absolutely.""I need much more than a few names to convince my kin to help," she purred, a cocktail of sexual immersion and flesh-flaying pain."I don't work for you. You are agreeing to work for me," I was hard as iron in more than one way. Why? Boundaries. She lived in a world where only the fundamentals of reality constrained her. Having a human, no matter how polished my pedigree, or how much I might appear to be 'special', tell her 'you are not the boss' in a reasonable fashion was new and very unwelcome."What would make you think that?""My mentor taught me knowledge is a curse. It is our inability to forget, and I can see into your soul, Ītzpāpālōtl. You care not one wit for the life of an assassin. But the thought of the other 'Factors' of the 9 Clans treating you as an equal galls you almost as much as the crushing reality that you need them."You have lived 500 years in chains and I'm offering you a desperate grab at freedom," I added."Your brief glimpse of immortality gives you no insight into my existence," she bristled."Oh, how many have given up? How many have decided the fight was no longer worth it and faded from the Sunlight to make their final trip into the Underworld, never to return? Do you even visit them?" I spoke with a voice tinged with compassion and loss. I pulled upon the pitiless, blank memories of a childless Alal all those centuries and imprinted on them my own fears of fatherhood and failure."How do you know so much?" she let her fa ade crack, then blow away, in the hollowness of her own sorrow. How could I pity such a monster? I could because I was me and I wouldn't surrender that to the barbaric past and most likely horrific future. I pulled her close, resting my chin on the top of her head."You are not the first, wonderful, very bright woman who has stepped into my life, Obsidian," I whispered. "You are not even the first divinity. For all the millions of differences enforced by power and time, I think love, hate and the conflict between the two wear upon us all. If anything, you face an endless parade of hope and misery. Even if you chose to ignore it, you have seen it and perhaps it leaves its marks ~ water scarring the rocks of a riverbed."We paused. I was able to peripherally scan about and realize we'd made it to Central Park ~ the Ramble and off the beaten path."Your Goddess is a fool for not keeping you closer," she murmured."She does keep me close. You have been actively keeping me from her," I reminded my guest. "She also plays by the rules, so is of limited help in my plans for vengeance."Translation: I could enlist Ītzpāpālōtl's aid while still remaining loyal to my matron Goddess. Ishara could not provide what I needed and my Amazons wouldn't agree with my scheme, so I needed her. Three hours ago, she wouldn't have considered me a worthy supplicant, much less an allied equal, yet here she was conspiring with me to shake the foundations of Creation.Personally, I was thanking Mamitu, Destiny. Had I not been having my worst Sunday ever when we first crossed paths and then acted like a total cockhead, pissed her off and led her to holding Sarrat Irkalli's dagger, thus putting her life in my hands, and not had Timothy as a best friend, I wouldn't have taken her to the movie, and my mind wouldn't have wandered down those dark corridors of Alal's memories to piece things together.Whatever itinerary Obsidian had approached me with, my abrasive behavior had forced her to it cast aside. Dagger, movie, revelations, I was now so much more in her eyes than she had envisioned."Share my need and share with me an ounce of your sorrow," I murmured to her as I gently curled my fingers in her hair and directed her head up until she faced me."The dagger," she rumbled. While she was stroking my hard-on, I knew she was using it as a double meaning."I was pinned to an onyx sacrificial table," I began my tale. We worked off pants to mid-thigh then 'got busy'. Penetration was only going to be possible by turning her around. Ground-breaking was her ready acceptance of my instruction. I leaned against a tree, then pulled her onto my lap. She guided my phallus home.One locomotion and I sunk in deep. It was warm molasses until I hit and pressed against her cervix. For a second Obsidian trembled, then her muscles clamped down tightly, gripping my manhood firmly in a vise, keeping me still."Ah," I groaned. Obsidian had her neck twisted, so we were kissing with eye contact as I described my adventures with the Gong tau sorcerers. She shot me a quick twinkle of delight, a connection. She'd relayed physical pleasure in the way I was giving her cerebral gratification, aka hope.I rolled up her shirt, and gave both nipples a brutal tweak in response. She gasped. I was applying a little 'rough' with my tender intercourse. She rolled her tush against my groin, an invitation to double-down on my nipple-play. I kept my left hand working over each tit while working my fingernails down her abdomen. As I described the terror in old Tsu's face as he shouted out 'M iyǒu! (Mandarin for 'No!') as he recognized too late the curse he was invoking. She relished the visual of the Han necromancer's terror.'Me' smacking two fingers down on her clit earned me a squeal and a small gush of fluids on my nut-sack. Her look of astonishment was something I'd always cherish. Before me, sex was something she demanded from her followers/victims and definitely orchestrated. Her partners being fearful/worshipful must have limited their initiative."A-a-a-ah, we are being observed," she groaned, her lips less than an inch from mine. It took me a second."Which direction?" I kept pumping her, strumming her clit and treating her tit like taffy on a hot Coney Island summer afternoon. Her hooded eyes flickered to our right. I gave it ten seconds. I had to get Obsidian refocused on what I was going to do to her next, in case this was innocent voyeurism. Nope. It was Chaz.Why Chaz? See, I'm an idiot. My cryptic warning to Timothy for Pamela had been good for all of one minute. He'd called her and she'd gathered what she could and come looking for me.Why was she concerned? I was babbling to Timothy then wandering off with a 'beyond-freaky' chick I had just met named 'Obsidian' who came my way courtesy of another chick with the name of Estere.Let me see, Estere was Hashashin and for Timothy to describe someone in my life as 'beyond freaky' was bad news. Timothy was seriously worried about me and Timothy was an emotional rock ~ he didn't panic. Lest we forget, I was in a federal taskforce. A quick peek into New York traffic cameras revealed me and Obsidian wandering into Central Park from the south, so in the rescue party went, splitting up and Chaz 'lucked-out'.I still had two, no, three problems. I was really enjoying my sexual excursion with Obsidian and she was seeming to truly enjoy her experience with me. Oh, and Central Park is big, Pamela had been pressed for people, so she had pressed some unlikely participants into my rescue party."He's," smooch, "my brother, by adoption," I headed off the whole idea she'd been briefed on me already."Visual, Peacekeeper Six, OS2, L-11," Chaz muttered into his headset before taking up a casual stance on the path overlooking our trysting spot. Sex with an audience didn't bother her, so, we worked out as much action from twist, turns and two inches of in-and-out motions (she liked to keep our bodies tight) as we could. Obsidian was humming along in no time. Her vaginal walls were undulating, wearing away at my self-control.Panting, not from us,"Is he o, are they, who is she?" huffed and puffed a trio of voices from Chaz's locale. Oh. Pamela had recruited my 'Hounds'.I accidently (from a timing perspective) took that moment to grind my nails into her left nipple, pinched her clit and hammered her as hard as I could. Obsidian howled. Her vocalization exited the human realm in a cataclysmic manner.The noise scared avians a mile away into terrorized flight. Cats hissed, then raced for cover. Dogs tucked tail and ran. Streetlights a hundred yards away shattered in sprays of glass. Better yet, for the entertainment of my viewing public, she lashed out with her right hand at the closest Black Cherry sapling, exploding it into a mist of sap and pulverizing the bark and wood fiber into pulp.On the downside, her cervix gave my balls an ultimatum ~ release my seed at once, or she was going to twist off my head. My cock and balls have a long history of making decisions without me. I began lavishing her. Before I finally got the feeling I was out of the danger zone. She was back to rubbing against me and purring in blissful satisfaction."Onun g zleri," whispered Belgin, one of the Turks. 'Her eyes'?"Cáel, are you aware of the alternative nature of your liaison?" Chaz coolly cautioned me. Translation: 'mate, do you know you have your cock in a demon?'"Yeah," I coughed. I had a face full of her hair. I was working on some post-coital nuzzling along with slowly helping her get her pants back up."Ininzqueoccehpa," she hummed to me, ignoring our gathering. That was 'let's do this again'."Tehuatlcochitlehua," I replied with some fondness. She studied me for a second before deciding my term was one of endearment, thus 'you are what dreams are made of', not 'nightmares'.Obsidian had another issue to deal with. Timothy would call it a righteous cocking. Whatever it was, her hold on her human mein had slipped and her inhumanity was slipping through, mainly in her glass-like, black, multi-facetted eyes and her fingers which now ended in molten obsidian talons. On the subconscious level, her predatory nature was setting everyone close-by on edge. I could also make out the high pitched, ultrasonic pipping of her chiropteran cries ~ purpose unknown.Obsidian made her way off farther into the underbrush leaving me a few precious seconds to appreciate her retreating posterior while holstering my equipment. More people were arriving. I had one more thing to take care of before, oh look, Nikita had brought her Mom along, the NYPD Sergeant."Chaz, I need to have a quick chat with Dot before I can explain things. She's been waiting and that's unwise," I looked to the Brit. He nodded."Cáel? Mr. Nyilas? Prince?" all came my way. I relaxed as best I could. Chaz went to a body blow to stagger me, then an epic upper cut to send me to Lullaby Land.Dot & the DragonessDot and SzelAnya, in dragon form, were waiting as I tumbled forward. By the state of my haziness, I knew my unconsciousness wouldn't last long."You gave her your seed," came the accusation."Yes," I staggered, "and now you should be able to track her," I pointed out the bonus part of the arrangement. No comment."I've got to make this quick, SzelAnya, I've found your father, geographically speaking," I dropped the bomb."Don't," Dot Ishara commanded. After all, she and her divine cohorts had done the killing and corpse-dividing eons ago. Undoubtedly, they'd executed their own oaths to one another to 'never reveal what they had done' as well."Too late," I shook my head. SzelAnya's attention was magnetized. "I owe you and I'm paying my debts. I'm not blind to the dangers, believe me.""You have no idea what power you are invoking," Dot's undercurrent of displeasure was the worst I'd experienced."Wrong. I've got thousands of years of Alal boiling around in my head, Plus the rest of you betrayed her 2600 years ago. It doesn't mean I have to. And now, given the chance, I'm not. Even if you kill me, she's got enough toBack in the Ramble"Really expect me to believe," Nikita's mom was growling."Man down," I waved a weak arm skyward."Mr. Nyilas, what is going on here?" the Sergeant addressed me. I was reclining in a circle of my 'Hounds'; most were kneeling. Chaz was in a tiny bit of trouble for having clocked me."Umm, thanks for coming out and looking for me. I assure you, Mr. Tomorrow did what he did as a matter of his professional duties ~ intelligence gathering." As I struggled to stand, my ladies helped me. I saw Pamela with three Hounds coming up fast from one direction and Virginia with three more coming from the other. The gang was all here.The mutterings in non-English tongues suggested a bit of explaining was already going on."You've been bleeding," Nikita pointed out with an unspoken 'again'."This?" I pulled my shirt out and looked at the first bloodstain of my encounter. "This is the just the start of the bad news." I shed my windbreaker and then t-shirt.The professionals shouldered aside the others to take a closer look."All of these are from noon and less than an hour ago," I identified the damage. Sarge was skeptical. Chaz, Nikita and Virginia less so."They look older," the senior lawman noted."I've been curious about that," Chaz frowned."I've inherited my Grandfather's curse. My soul fragment was in the 'Here and Now' twenty-three years ago while his was, 'over there', so I was allowed to come into creation. According to my recently departed guest,""You are immortal," Virginia mumbled to finish the thought. Had the speaker not been a member of the FBI, who knows how the thought would have been received."From the memories I've been gifted with," I tapped the tiny divot on my forehead, "his healing abilities started out rather slowly too. I certainly don't want to test this theory, so no worries there," I scanned the group."How do you explain seeing your Grandfather in Hungary and again in Rome?" Virginia wondered."Again, that woman who just left," I got out."Was no woman," Nuray, another one of my Turkish Hounds interrupted. "Her eyes..." she tried to explain, "and look what she did to that tree," she pointed to the greatest piece of evidence of supernatural wrongdoing. The other two witnesses nodded."We all saw the same thing. Her eyes were, bottomless, definitely not human," Belgin affirmed. The veteran players looked to Chaz."She had a collapsed nose-bridge, lacked a blink response, her dental work was carnivorous and her tongue was extremely clipped and showed prehensile qualities," he reported calmly. Pause. Chaz was a freaking intelligence operative, after all."If her hands were a type of glove weaponry, I've never seen it s like before. While I know it is possible for a human to exert the force-pounds necessary to snap a two inch diameter tree trunk in one blow, it is a rare skill and requires intense discipline. This appeared to be done spontaneously, without preparation of any kind and as a reaction to other stimuli," he added."It was also your assessment he needed to be knocked unconscious?" Nikita's mom countered."Mr. Nyilas' psychological constructs are something the whole team has to work around. At times, he seeks 'insight' from his mind in a deliberately unconscious/non-sleep state," he replied."He claims to be talking with spirit powers. I know when he returns to consciousness, he delivers useful intelligence. I'm not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychic. I don't know why his mind functions that way. I do know results. And I know I work with people who would achieve those results by other means if it were at all possible. Since we haven't found another method, we accept that from tim

Guardian Goddess in Manhattan.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels."Our Princess grew up around a woman whose keen intellect we rely on to protect us from unseen enemies," Saint Marie's voice became deeper and more threatening. "At the age of ten, she," Saint Marie looked my way as my hand shot up mimicking Aya's identical plea for attention."Yes Ishara?" Saint Marie chose to acknowledge me."She's nine.""Fine. At the age of nine, she earned an honorific, Mamētu me eda, which I didn't accomplish until my 19th year." 'Yes Ladies, I'm an epic bad-ass and I've been out-performed by a child'."She was kidnapped along with the Head of House Ishara. They tortured her by clipping off two of her digits, one at a time, then seared the damage with a blowtorch. She gave them nothing. At the end of the encounter, the two of them managed to defeat thirty Seven Pillar's commandos, over fifteen she disabled personally.""After killing nearly half as many enemies as the 35 I have personally dispatched in my entire career, she crossed a mile and a half of barren rock in the midst of a Category 4 Typhoon. Cáel Ishara only helped her half of the way because he was engaged with the last two members of the Seven Pillar's team.""I have utter confidence the madness here today, while assisted by House Epona and Ishara, was the brainchild of Krasimira. I say 'assisted' because Cáel Ishara spared Kwenhamai's life on the battlefield. Katrina Epona removed Kwenhamai from Romanian custody to keep her out of the hands of those who wished us harm. I was aware Kwenhamai was in New York, but not her precise location.""My read on the situation is this:"Aya of Kururiyahhssi was aware of Kwenhamai and Krasimira's plot to adopt her into the bloodline of the first Amazon.""She was not aware of Kwenhamai's plan to exit the Host in the manner she chose. I read the shock and pain in, Aya's face.""Our Princess has not given me a single order and I am the only voice here today that matters, I am the Golden Mare and the Council has consistently failed to agree on a Regency.""Krasimira, why have you done this?" Saint Marie abruptly asked for either a denial, or acquiescence of her perception of events."As directed by the Ancestors, the statute of a goddess of a First House was recast then returned to her perpetual spot. It brought new light to a dark, sacred and painful place. In that moment I realized that for the first time in nearly 3,200 years, the descendants of every Amazon gathered before the walls of Wilusa (Troy) had been reunited.""I was troubled. Was this a portent the augurs couldn't divine? In their council (the augurs) then came up with the words 'speak to our eldest'."Oh shit, the rest of the Council was racking their minds trying to figure who was the oldest surviving Amazon. I knew for a fact they were overlooking the two top candidates."I sought out the eldest Amazon alive. They claimed to not have the answer for my worries. She had far more numerous things weighing on her mind such as her intimate demise. Though I hated sharing the same air with her, I asked her to tell me her greatest regret.""I had given up on the Amazon Race until an Amazon reminded me, through martial effort, valiant spirit and a kind heart, I was wrong to abandon my faith with my people. Now I will die, unable to pass on my renewed hope because the one Amazon I would trust with my legacy is equally childless.""I asked her the name of this Amazon she felt was worthy of her legacy. Then I informed her she was wrong and the Amazon in question did indeed have a daughter. She asked to meet the daughter,""Last night I requested the presence of a female child residing with members of House Epona," the Keeper of Records looked up at the Golden Mare. "I provided neither the resident female (Caitlyn, Aya's Mother), or the House Head with an explanation."Female childSince my revival, Amazons were using 'female' child a lot more often. This meant, the motheer had never told her daughter farewell. The true fate of Aya of Epona would never officially be recorded. She has been born, but never recorded as an Amazon of her true House."The three of us met alone. The two embraced; birth mother and daughter. The eldest of us proclaimed she saw the light of Kururiyahhssi in her daughter's eyes. Words were exchanged. The child agreed to be adopted then departed. Further arrangements were made without the child's knowledge as we have recently observed.""I testify that there is only one Amazon alive today who knows what transpired and I will take those conversations to my grave. Does that suffice?" Krasimira finished. I was already regurgitating my mental quandary with my Isharans. Was Aya really a daughter of Kururiyahhssi?"I will leave it to the others to contemplate your, bizarre actions, Krasimira," Saint Marie frowned. "As for the rest of you, Aya has impressed me. If she has not impressed you, I do not care. I think she is definitely influenced by those two," Saint Marie motioned to Katrina and me. "It is a given since Katrina was of her blood and she has risked much in the presence of a man she calls 'Atta' and he calls 'Duma'.""Katrina is a cold, heartless snake and I am convinced she is one of the best 'First Bearer of the Sun Spear through the Halls of Night and Death' the Host been served by in a long, long time.” Saint Marie paused then looked at me while she said; “ Cáel is a fool who leads with his heart when he should let better women take charge. Fortunately for the rest of us, he is reliably successful despite his multitude of handicaps."Was I upset about being insulted? No. The truth hurts and a Man needs to learn to roll with the punches. Buffy I could deal with. Katrina most likely appreciated being associated with a dangerous reptile. Saint Marie hadn't forgotten Katrina threating Saint Marie's daughter that was for sure."I am considering much of what our Princess would like me/us to do, because it is based in keen insight and well-reasoned thought. She wishes to spare our sons so we will have more warriors in the fight. We have already added men to Havenstone and one to the Council, as was the Will of the Ancestors.""Let me see, she wishes a bodyguard of fourteen (2 First House and 1 from Africa, Asia, Europe and North & South America, the Amazon presence in Australia was minimal and I doubted they would bring someone up from Antarctica, plus the seven matching Runners) without removing permanent members of any House and allowing all Houses to have access to our future Queen. I approve. It is a fine idea and I wish I had thought of it.""Should we add Runners directly into the Royal House? She doesn't think so and I feel this decision shows a remarkably insightful into the long history of our People and protects the Council's sensitivity on such matters. I approve.""Placing our sons into the care of the Royal House? We need to free up as many sisters as possible. Men under the care of the Royal House will be tradesmen and help-mates. Not a single weapon will be in their hands. If none of you have realized herlike will take two decades to implement, it only increases my eagerness to see her become 'casted'."Aya's hand shot up again.Yes?""I would hope the Council, or the Regents, will consider a 'like' which is not mine. It is a man's and it should be of no surprise the idea is Cáel's.""If you feel it holds merit, Aya, tell us," Saint Marie deferred."The 9 Clans have shown some interest in a children exchange programs among our youth as it would provide new techniques we can add to our arsenal an a new avenue to experiment with new ideas. I find the idea to be promising as the Host takes part in affairs beyond our own immediate needs. It would also supply partners between families to be shared for a season or two."Translation: Amazon women could breed with men of allied Secret Societies to reduce our dependence on our own, much smaller, male population. In the short term, it would go a long way to rectifying the Host's child-bearing problems.The Council's quarrelsome behavior was biting them in the ass big time. Saint Marie was right, the only opinion that mattered was hers until the Council elected a Regency. Had we not been at war, the Council would have ruled, but we were, so we took orders from the Golden Mare. Even if the High Priestess had been alive, she would have deferred to our designated War Leader on most things."Cáel Ish, Cáel Wakko Ishara is a very dangerous and devious male, Aya. Be careful of any council he gives," Saint Marie's caution was more playful than menacing."I'll be okay," Aya peeped. "He doesn't have sex with any woman until she is eighteen." That wasn't what the Golden Mare was cautioning her about. We all knew it. Aya was working to defuse a sticky bit of mental juggling, listening to a man's advice."On that we can agree," Saint Marie conceded. "Back to what I would 'like' to say. The New Directive is being implemented. I feel it goes beyond the purview of my mandate. I will leave it for the Regency to deal with. Katrina and Tessa have already invested in the groundwork in this endeavor, so I will endorse it if that is the decision of the Regency.""I have zero desire to add a single Runner to the Security Detail. I will open up slots in the training program if that is what the Regency demands. Each House's policy for dealing with the First Directive is their business, not mine. If any of you wish to consider something the Princess considers to be important, so be it. The idea of 1,000 Isharans does not appeal to me. Look how much trouble their tiny numbers have already caused us and take heed."Buffy began growling, which amused/worried the Houses on either side of us. Unlike me, Buffy didn't 'roll with the blows' and considered all manner of insults to me, House Ishara and her Isharan sisters to be answerable with violence. I loved her so. There was also no way I'd let her go after Saint Marie. The Golden Mare would crush her; I had no doubt."The unwelcome blood feud: are both House Heads ignorant of my forbiddance of such things? Apparently so. Both defied me by tossing insults back and forth. Considering we are at war with two of the most powerful Secret factions, I am angered by both for their idiocy.""The solution the Princess likes is rather novel," Saint Marie was punishing both Messina and me with her low voice and fiery gaze. Krasimira coughed."Yes?" Saint Marie suspended her anger."The suggested resolution is not without precedence," Krasimira spoke with a scholarly detachment. "In our early days, the Host settled such disputes in Spring and Fall gatherings by contests of foot speed, hunting, horsewomanship, archery and wrestling. If we revive the tradition, the competing Houses could nominate one woman for each contest to settle the matter. Only the hand-to-hand match would risk either contestant's health.""I will consider it and render judgement before the Sun sets today," Saint Marie nodded. "The final like pleases me greatly. Dealing with the 52 of you is, Cáel?"I was on the spot. I couldn't let down my fan base of one, Aya. Perhaps it was five, Buffy (who would never admit it), Daphne (who liked me), Katrina (because she liked fucking with my head) and Desiree (who was less likely to admit she found me funny than Buffy).I felt I gave a decent effort."'A ginormous pain in my hemorrhoids?' the basic one.""'More painful than having my cornea scrapped with a spoon?' more gruesome.""'Enough to make me want to give Sakuniyas a surprise French kiss?' most likely to be fatal.""'Worse than waking up to discover I'm related to Cáel Wakko Ishara?' most horrifying, for both of us.""'Inspiring me to toss it all away and take up Professional Bikini Mud Wrestling?' a personal fantasy of mine.""Why do we put up with him again?" one House Head remarked."Because I am worried that one," motioning to Buffy, "will stab me in the elevator after a meeting.""My First, are you acting psychotic around the Council members?" I looked over my shoulder at Buffy."Wakko Ishara, it is not an act. I am psychotic," she responded deadpan."Are you still packing that thermite grenade?""No Wakko Ishara. Daphne stole it from me and hid it," was her quick delivery."I love working with you two," Daphne whispered."What is it with you, your unsubtle sexual innuendo and me in a bikini?" Saint Marie stared at me."I find the combination of brilliance and lethality sexy. Just ask Elsa," I grinned. Then I grimaced as Buffy stomped on my toes. The House Heads and Apprentices on either side of me noticed and clearly expected me to do something, like to show outrage (because she was my underling), or start crying (because I was a guy)."Prestige," Daphne hissed quietly. "Prestige." She was reminding Buffy that beating me up in public made the other Amazons think even less of me than they already did."I will go with (B), the cornea scrapping," Saint Marie gave me a nod."Damn it," I muttered. I also got my foot out of the way before someone did any more damage to my phalanges.'Best Daddy Ever,' Aya mouthed to me. Back to the main action."It is not my place to order the rest of you to elect Shawnee, Rhada and Buffy to be the Regency. I do admit I admire the mixture of candidates," Saint Marie declared. I shot Rhada a quick look. She seemed really, really enamored of the idea of being part of the Regency, thus staying in New York for the next decade, or so."Before the idea is rejected out of hand, I suggest we ask the three people our Princess would like to be part of the Regency if they would accept the nomination," the Golden Mare continued. "Shawnee Arinniti?""I bow to the logic and reason of the proposal," Shawnee replied."Rhada Meenakshi?""I wish to join my sisters in battle, yet I accept the reasoning behind the proposal," Rhada nodded. "If my Head of House agrees, I will stay and do my part for our People." What was she saying to me? 'You are going to whip me, beat me, torture me, humiliate me and push me to beyond the limits of any pain I have experienced until I pass out ~ repeatedly'."I despair of finding any other compromise," Mahdi frowned. "If my Apprentice understands the greater difficulty she will face gaining prestige among her House-mates, I will consent to this proposal." Essentially a 'yes'."Buffy Ishara?""I was really looking forward to ripping the spines out of still living foes, but I would be a fool to go against Aya of Kururiyahhssi's smarts. If Wakko Ishara wants to walk out of this room unassisted, he will see the wisdom of this decision as well," she gave me a shark's smile. Daphne had surpassed her limit and punched Buffy."Hell ya, I agree," I exclaimed. "Now I know there will be certain times of the day when she isn't stalking me.""I'll work more pain into our limited schedule," Buffy grumbled."Are we sure he is the House Head and she is the Apprentice?" Yet another House Head joined the 'shit on me' train.It was telling of our group dynamic how we accepted the Pyramid of Pain. The underlings dispensed advice and violence as they felt necessary without their 'superior' getting pissy about it. Buffy felt totally justified hitting me and accepted being hit by Daphne, who continued to act unimpeded as Buffy's rapid-fire translator."If I was House Head, I'd handcuff him to me," Buffy clarified for her."What she said," I pointed a thumb Buffy's way. I'd have used a finger, but she might have grabbed, twisted and made me scream in pain."Perhaps the Council can vote on this as their second order of business," Saint Marie cloaked her command as a suggestion."Cáel Wakko Ishara, can I ask you a personal question?" Kohar of Marda caught my attention."Shoot, wait, probably not the best terminology in this crowd. Ask away," I replied."Have you faced a House challenge yet?""Yes. Just last night in fact. We free-climbed the north-face of Havenstone. I beat the next closest contender by three floors. I also had Princess Aya on the roof dropping bricks on anyone who attempted to get past me.""That means he isn't going to answer you," Beyoncé  interpreted for my audience."Can't you ever take these meetings seriously?" Febe Mielikki glowered."La, Febe, in the past few minutes I have watched the person I love most in the world get her life shat on," I shook my head."The only thing worse than seeing this happen to Aya is knowing this is her sole opportunity to not lose her soul, so I'm sucking up my heart's pain and putting forward a jester's persona so I don't put any more pressure on her than she's already been subjected to. Like me, she doesn't want the distinction of being a Person of Note.""Like me, she knows she must sacrifice her dreams for the sake of our People, the Amazon Host. Trust me, you would rather have 'me, the jester' than 'me, the Amazon' furious with the destiny that has foisted this pain on her'. Do any of you take responsibility for forcing the events of this morning?" I growled. If they wanted to see the other side of the Janus, so be it."Had you chosen a Regency in the fucking weeks you've been bickering, Kwenhamai could have been dealt with privately. The fate of the Royal House could have been put off a few years. Had you not all been so dead-set on being heroines of the Host, three of you would have sacrificed your bloodlust, your birthright and the future accolades you could recite on your final night (before taking themselves to the cliff), but none of you did.""Instead, you set the stage for dumping all of your indecisiveness on the slender shoulders of a nine year old girl most of you had written off as too fractured and frail to survive her 12th year only three months ago. So Febe how do you like the honest 'me'?" I finished off furiously.It was not lost on anyone in the chamber I was an Amazon raging against the cruelty of fate. Every other bitch in the room knew they had discarded my daughter's life as trivial and I was prepared to unleash violence on the next one to show an ounce of disrespect over Aya's surrendering of her destiny and my grief at failing to find a way to stop this from coming to pass. St Marie had just reminded them that I was 'reliably" successful despite my handicaps. Not an enemy anyone in the room wanted any part of. Saku would have been proud.A Note:I have been remiss in informing my readers of the names of the 53 Houses, even though I created it some time ago. I have made a few alterations to the original version as I've had to rethink certain parts of this tale, but here is the list I now use.List of Goddesses:The First Twenty Houses in no particular order :1) Ishara, Oaths, Medicine and War (to North America) (died out 450 CE; Reborn in 2014)2)   (Deceased) Anat, Goddess of War, Fury and Blood Sacrifice (died out 6th cent. BCE) ~ possibly resurrected by Sakunyias3) Anahit, water, wisdom and war (to North America)4) Arinniti, Sun Goddess (to North America)5) Hanwasuit, Sovereign Goddess6) Illuyankamunus, Dragon God (to North America) (Special Case)7) Inara, the Hunter Goddess8)  au ka, fertility, War, healing9) Kamrusepa, Healing medicine magic (to Africa)10) Lelwani, Goddess of the Underworld (to Africa)11) Hapantali, Pastoral Goddess.12) Hatepuna, Sea Goddess (to India)13) Hannahannah, Mother Goddess14) Moirai, Fate15) Selardi, Lunar Goddess (to Africa)16) Nammu, Primordial Sea, sailing, sailors (to India) (to Indonesia)17) Uttu, Goddess of plants (to Africa)18) Lahar, Cattle Goddess (to Africa)19) Ereshkigal, Queen of the underworld (to India)20) Istustaya and Papaya, Twin Goddesses of Destiny (to North America)Additional Houses, founded in Europe:(Code: Sc = Scythian; T = Thracian, P, Phrygian, C = Celtic, R = Roman, Sl = Slavic)21) (Sc) Marda, the One-Eyed Goddess/Vengeance {fantasy creation}22) (Sc) Farānak, A Scythian Goddess also known as the Lynx Goddess and the Silent Huntress (Dora)23) (Sc) Stolgos, Monstrous Slayer of Greeks (known to the Greeks as the Gorgon Stheno) {semi-historical}24) (T) Cotyttia, Thracian Goddess of Sex, War and Slaughter (to North America)25) (T) Bendis, Thracian Goddess of the Moon and Hunting.26) (T) Semele/Rajah, Thracian Goddess of the Earth and Birth (to India)27) (T) Hylonome, Centaur Goddess28) (P) Cybele, Phrygians Earth Goddess on Lion's throne (to the Amazon)29) (C) Andraste, War Goddess; also Goddess of the Moon and Divination; 'the Rabbit Goddess'30) (C) Epona, Horses (to North America)31) (C) Cyhiraeth, Goddess of springs whose war cry precedes death (to Africa)32) (C) Maeve, War Goddess, the Enslaver of Men33)   (Deceased) (C) Nantosuelta, Earth, Fire and Fertility (died out 1st cent. BCE)34) (C) Artio, the Bear Goddess (to North America)35) (C) Nemain, Goddess of War and Panic36) (R) Minerva, Roman Goddess of War & Strategy37)   (Deceased) (R) Diana, Hunting and Archery (died out in India 16th cent. CE)38) (Sl)  iva, Love and Fertility49) (Sl) Morė, Goddess of harvest, witchcraft, winter and death (to North America)40) (Sl) Zorja, The twin Guardians (Evening/Morning Stars)41)   (Sl) Oźwiena, fame and glory (died out in 1944)42)   (Sl) Koliada, Sky Goddess and deity of sunrises/dawn (died out 17th cent CE)43) (F) Mielikki, Goddess of the Hunt44) (N) Ska i, giantess, Goddess of bow-hunting, skiing, winter, and mountainsAdditional Houses, founded in In dia:45) (I) Mookambika, Demon Slayers46) (I) Bhadra, Goddess of the Hunt (to Indonesia)47) (I) Meenakshi, The Liberator (Rhada and Madi's House)48) (I) Durga (Dark Mother) (to Indonesia)49) (I) Chandala Bhikshuki, Queen of Night, Death, Destruction and Rebirth50) (I) Jaya (Goddess of Victory)51)   (I) Chelamma, the Scorpion Queen (died out 16th cent.)Additional Houses, founded in Africa:52) (A) Oshun, (Yoruba Goddess of Love, Sexuality, Beauty and Diplomacy; Lady of the Orisha ~ life spirits)53) (A) Yemonja, Mother of Rivers (to the Amazon)54) (A) Oba, Goddess of Betrayal and Exile55) (A) Ox ssi, Goddess of Hunting, Forests, Animals and Wealth56) (A) Jengu, Goddess of Jungles and Water SpiritsAdditional Houses: founded in North America(NT = Native Tribal)57) (NT) Uusheenhiton (noo'uusooo' heeninouhuusei hitoniho') (Arapaho), Storm Horse Sister {fantasy creation}58) (NT) Gahe, Apache (supernatural spirits who live in the mountains)Prospective House:59) New, (Hittite) SzelAnya, the Dragon's DaughterCurrent Number of Central Houses:12 in North America (9+Ishara from Europe and 2 native)10 in Africa (6 from Europe and 5 native)3 in Amazonia (1 from Africa and 2 from Europe)8 in India (3 from Europe and 7 native)3 in Indonesia (2 from India and 1 from Europe)17 in Europe6 Deceased{7:35 am Sunday, September 7th ~ Last day}Right where we left offMy rage over Aya wasn't called into question or challenged. Practicality had trumped tradition in the inevitable Amazon fashion. The only one elevated in anyone's eyes was Aya. Krasimira's apparent political adventurism was probably hard for the others to deal with. But in context, only Mahdi, Katrina and Saint Marie had seen her denounce Hayden, so this seemed a new side of Krasimira to most people in the room.Krasimira wasn't the spiritual authority, that was Hayden. She wasn't the Generalissimo, that was Saint Marie. Katrina and I were both appointed officials, we retained our House status. Saint Marie would die a member of House Inara and join her ancestors with pride. Her litany of accomplishments were well known to the Host.But Krasimira? She would die a member of House Cybele unheralded. The Keeper of Records recorded the feats of others, not their own. Nearly two generations ago, a young Krasimira had joined the Keeper's House as a guardian to an un-remembered (save by her) augur. The augur passed and she took up other duties within the house.When the old Keeper faced her final months, she elevated Krasimira to her spot. High Priestess Hayden had approved the choice without really knowing who Krasimira was. (No one outside the House of the Keeper had personal bonds with her anymore.) Seamlessly, she had sat in the old Keeper's seat and the Council kept chugging along.For the past eight years, she had sat quietly at Hayden's side and only speaking when addressed. Mostly, she did nothing overt. The actual note-taking was done by an underling. The Keeper took her own private notes squirreled away in her mind, to be written when she was by herself. Those notes would be handed over to her successor, for the Keepers' eyes and theirs alone.I don't think Krasimira knew me in particular when she dutifully followed Hayden into these chambers the day my death, or life in a cage, was bantered about. It was the day we first crossed paths. She would have known of Shawnee's request for the tooth of an Isharan, though she lacked the authority to ask why. (She wasn't a voting member of the Council.)But when Shawnee made her claim, Krasimira hadn't balked in her support, despite the oddity of Shawnee's declarations, I was indeed Ishara and my sisters could not dispose of me. The outrage of the others meant nothing to her. She pursued her obligations with true Amazon fearlessness both inside and outside of the Council.On the night of the 2nd Betrayal, a Keeper had sat there in silence as her fellow Amazons, the Ash Men, were sentenced to an unjust death. She'd had neither the numbers nor the authority to alter events, what else could she have done?So the Keepers kept track of the names of nineteen 'unaccounted for' Ash Men. For what purpose? An episode of Amazon history no one would ever want to revisit? Yet in my hour of need, coming back 2,600 years was the name 'Vranus of Ishara', sitting only a few keystrokes away. No one, save a few Arinniti diehards, wanted to know the truth of the Amazon Ash Men; and even they didn't want to remember us as individuals. To them, Vranus existed as a notation on the secret Charter of the Arinniti Sons.To Krasimira, Vranus had been a living, breathing warrior of the Host, not even dead, still mythically fighting the enemies of our race because his death had never been officially recorded. With my appearance, I stood in mute testimony to his death, and that of his sons and their sons for a damn long time.Still, I hated playing catch-up.With the Amazon custom of adoption, had no one asked if another possible Isharan heritage still persisted?I would bet they had. And I'd bet they had sought for that knowledge in the Rolls of the Host, always finding that pathway devoid of hope. But if the Keeper had known, why had she kept quiet?Pride, shame, Krasimira's words: we show anger when we should show humility. We are proud of our shame. We are arrogant of our weaknesses. We have heaped insult upon insult on our ancestors, yet are now aghast that they turn away from us, I had confused her soliloquy with that of an accusation, not the long held understanding of her office.Even staring extinction in face, the modern Host hadn't truly accepted the answer, the line of Vranus. Faced with the truth, the Amazons would have 'forgotten' the descendants of Vranus all those centuries ago in the same way they 'forgot' all the other Ash Men on the day I was brought into the Host.But the Keepers did something more than maintain the rolls and records of the Amazons, more than watch over the augurs and make sure their messages made it to the proper ears. They safeguarded the truth. No matter what the Council decided and the High Priestess commanded, the Keepers remained honest stewards of the real history of the Amazons.Why?The Amazons were terribly practical and the truth could run contrary to the needs of political reality. Honesty wasn't a highly stressed Amazon virtue, loyalty was. So was bravery. And thus generation after generation of Keepers had lied to the Council and the High Priestesses. Every time those august personages had committed something to 'the nothingness', the Keepers had defied them and not forgotten.The first heads of the first twenty houses had surrendered their names for the unity of their people, but the Keepers remembered. All twenty of those women had been of the Amazon tribe of the Pala people living on the southern coast of the Black Sea when the Trojan Wars began. Over time, their true blood descendants had founded new houses and been adopted into others.Aya was truly a daughter of Kururiyahhssi; I had no doubt of that anymore. Had she not shared the same blood as the first Amazon, Krasimira wouldn't have brought Aya and Kwen together. Resurrecting an ancient tradition in a complicated fallacious coup attempt wasn't in her; nor was such a maneuver even a necessity. The Host would elect a Regency eventually and Saint Marie was handling the war in a highly competent fashion.So Krasimira hadn't sought out the heirs of Vranus, yet when one appeared, she welcomed 'him'. And when she stepped into the President's office with Hayden while waiting for me to be brought upstairs to face judgement that night, I imagined sending Hayden to the cliffs was the farthest thing from her mind.The rest were playing politics, gender politics, and couldn't see the truth staring Krasimira in the face. The truth was a bitch and didn't play favorites, or worry about the sensibilities of others. Krasimira had seen her sisters refusing to acknowledge the ugly reality they had created for themselves.Krasimira wasn't an advocate for Ishara, that was my job, and my crappy performance was something between Dot and me. She wasn't an advocate for the males and the New Directive. That was what Katrina was for. No, like a hundred Keepers before her, Krasimira was the silent sentinel for the Truth and, the Truth didn't care about anything but the Truth."The assassin is indeed in this room. Its name is Amazon was a rather grand pronouncement from the Chief Librarian, wasn't it? Krasimira didn't chastise Hayden. That wasn't her place. Technically, neither was she disputing Hayden's ability to rule.This wasn't the climax of a dinner-theater 'Who Done It'. The crime before the High Priestess was High Treason and I was the pre-ordained guilty party. My 'ally', Katrina Epona, had not been an advocate for my defense. No. Again in my Hour of Need it was Krasimira.Lacking any true authority, she had defied her sisters and made her definitive statement. What truly transpired was Krasimira staring Hayden straight in the eyes and saying 'you cannot lie your way out of this one, High Priestess. We (as in all the Keepers past and present) will not let you'.Had she used those words, Saint Marie would have gotten around to asking what Krasimira meant. Krasimira would have rather died, because once those bitches discovered their nerdy sisters hadn't erased a damn thing in 3,000 years, they would insist they do so immediately. Krasimira wasn't about to do that. Thanks to the chaos surrounding Hayden's departure, no one had confronted her over her crucial action.To put it more precisely, the Golden Mare had been too busy and Mahdi had been wrapped up in Hayden's Decree and the resulting pressure on the Heads of House to pick the Regency. Katrina was probably a case of I'm not going to ask you so you don't have to lie to me. The only other living person in the room when Hayden's fate was sealed was me, and I'd had my hands full as well.I had to think about what I should and could do. I couldn't beat her up over Aya anymore than I could punish my Isharans for their misplaced arrogance. I decided to extend a 'thank you'; and not only for myself, but for every conceited bitch who had ever sat at this table, or all the other physical mediums the Council had used before this one.We held three votes: The Council couldn't collectively decide on how to implement Aya's other likes (1), so they agreed on her suggestion for a Regency instead (2). The final vote was to set a date for the next Council meeting (3). A date within 9 days of the Winter Solstice with the Regency to decide the precise date and give the House Heads two weeks warning.The last calamity at the meeting was initiated by a question of etiquette."How do we address the Princess at Council meetings?" the Head of House Hanwasuit inquired of Krasimira."There is no precedent for addressing the Iwaruwa alone. By our laws, she is not truly Dumalugal Aya either. She is Nasusara," Krasimira responded. Queen."She is a child," a third House Head declared, "not an Amazon.""No," Mahdi shook her head. "A, Aya is 'un-casted'. She bears an honorific presented to her by the leader of an established stronghold (Summer Camp) and confirmed by the Golden Mare minutes ago.""Congratulations my mamētu me eda," I winked to my past and present Princess, "you've just become a single-digit aged teenager.""Go Aya," Daphne and Buffy whispered behind me. Aya raised her hand, waiting for Saint Marie's recognition.However, Saint Marie moved steadily forward, declaring: "Until the Regency alters my decision, I decline assigning anyone to the Iwaruwa (heiress) whose sole purpose would be to stop her from sneaking off to endure her 12th Year Test. I judge it to be better we know where we placed her as opposed to failing to outsmart her as she needlessly proves to the Host she is, in fact, already an Amazon of the Host." Aya lowered her hand.Thus,'Yes, Aya is an Amazon of the Host' and 'Aya will take her 12th Year Test because she wants to take it, won't let us talk her out of taking it and the rest of us had better accept it'."So, she is our Queen then?"No one appeared to have an answer. Aya raised her hand once more."Yes?" the Golden Mare smiled down at her."Am I in charge?" Aya's other hand squeezed Saint Marie's as she spoke in a barely audible voice."Perhaps.""If I was in charge, I would like it if there was a law that declared the Queen of the Amazons would be officially represented by a Regency until she becomes casted, and antedate the law by one hour so this never, ever comes up again," Aya kept looking up at Saint Marie."Aya," Katrina exhaled.The council chamber was a mixture of awe, resentment and amusement. If Aya was Queen, she could make such a law. The Queen-ship was a Bronze Age autocratic institution designed to provide leadership to a 'state' in near-constant warfare with is neighbors.It was guided by oral traditions and military necessity, not written laws. As long as the queens provided successes on the battlefield and through diplomacy, she was deemed fit to rule. The traditional way of choosing a House Head was the same for the Royal House, the ruling Queen chose an heir.In the long list of Queens, less than half had been the 'eldest' child. No, those ancient War Leaders picked the bravest, smartest and most successful daughters to succeed them. Their wisdom in those selections showed in the fact the Amazons had held off a male-dominated world for over 600 years before fatally marching off to answer an ally's call to fight in the Trojan War."I advise against it," Saint Marie shook her head. "You are young. You are also the only Royal we have. Duty demands and sisters must always answer their sister's call."Translation: Aya was an adult now. It was similar to the first lesson Pamela gave me upon learning I was Ishara. We lived with bitches, it doesn't pay to play nice with bitches."Thank you," Aya nodded. She was 'thanking' Saint Marie for the lesson, no matter how hard it was to accept. Krasimira coughed."Now that the matter is settled," she spoke. The matter wasn't settled. Krasimira was steamrollering the discussion. "What do we call you?", to Aya."I, oh," in a very small voice. Aya's brow furrowed and her tiny nose wiggled. "I wish to be known by the legacy of my Anna (mother) and Atta (me, Cáel). I will be Assiyai hamai.""Love song?" Daphne murmured to Buffy."Assiyai hamai?" Krasimira asked for clarification. 'Love-song' was hardly the name of a 'fierce' Amazon Queen."The only other name I could come up with was Markappidusmene, which seemed less auspicious," she meeped. Markappidusmene meant 'Tiny Smile'."Perhaps Talliyahulla would be more auspicious?" Saint Marie nudged Aya. 'War Cry'."Oh no!" Aya balked. "That's your job.""What do you think your job is?" the Golden Mare questioned, suddenly realizing she'd made the mistake of making assumptions where Aya was concerned."To go to the cliffs with twice as many Amazon daughters, each equal to the likes of Saint Marie, Katrina, Oneida, Buffy, Elsa, Kohar and Tad fi as exist today. We must not 'survive', or simply replenish our numbers."We must become stronger because the World is a terribly messed up place," she raised her wounded hand and splayed her digits for the others to see the two she was missing, "and has become too small for us to seek safety in hidden freeholds any longer. If we cannot hide, we must rule openly. We are Amazons. Having no equals, we must rule alone. The only people we can trust, really trust, are the sisters at our sides."My job is to advance my People's cause with both compassion and cruelty and I will do so alone, because the Amazon Queen has no equals, only daughters."Not a sound. I could count out the individual fan blades recycling the air."Let our enemies tremble," Saint Marie nodded, repeating an earlier declaration."Assiyai hamai," Krasimira intoned, making Aya's royal name official before adding, "Assiyai hamai, you are mistaken about one thing. You are not alone. You have a mamētu me eda.""Oh," she perked up, shedding the gloom which surrounded her. She looked at me, our eyes met and we both grinned, then she giggled...and yet again, up her hand went."Yes?" Saint Marie looked upon Aya respectfully and then at me with much suspicion."Is the mamētu me eda of my mamētu me eda also my mamētu me eda?" Aya asked.Just like old times, only Katrina was ahead of the game. "Oh, by Epona," the Spy-mistress snorted."Cáel Wakko Ishara, who is your mamētu me eda, oh no," Saint Marie bristled."Ah, indeed," Krasimira nodded. "An unlooked for bonus.""Does someone care to enlighten the rest of us?" the head of House Nemain prodded."Oh!" That was Elsa."That's right!" Oneida, she was definitely a fan of me and my spasmodic lifestyle."Wakko Ishara's mamētu me eda, other mamētu me eda, is Temujin, Great Khan of the Reborn Mongol-Turkish Khanate and ally of the Host," Saint Marie let them know. "They are bonded by Cáel risking his own life to save Temujin's. It is actually a privately understood and publically declared fact.""In Temujin's words to the international press when our Cáel and our new Queen were kidnapped : I believe Cáel is still alive. If he wasn't, we would be seeing piles upon piles of dead enemy around him and his 'boon companion', clearly visible from orbit. Until they discover this carnal pit from Hell, I am sure they are both still alive," Oneida added. Rhada flashed ill-distilled hate her way."Shawnee, is your Apprentice's mind addled with the birthing hormones of their child?" Mahdi snipped. That was merely a cultural zing, not an attempt to expose my sinister erotic misdoings. Unfortunately, she was somewhat correct. Okay, she was totally correct."That was uncalled for," Shawnee graciously chided Mahdi, thus demonstrating her ignorance of the facts soon to be in evidence."Yes, I am carrying a child of Arinniti and Ishara," Oneida proclaimed loud and proud. "We share a Warrior's Love."I wasn't really sure how anyone else reacted to the news because House Ishara exploded into violence. That is the politic way of saying Daphne and Juanita were trying to stop Buffy from beating me to death. Here was yet another Ishara-baby and it wasn't gestating inside her. I was too stunned to defend myself.And the old refrain: 'and then it got worse'."Ta  ah kattanda!" (IN HITTITE for 'you pig's ass'), Rhada howled. I missed her drawing her blade, vaulting to the top of the table and lunging at Oneida. Most of the Amazons in the room stood, yet held their ground.They weren't shocked into indecisiveness, only trying to understand the nature of the conflict before intervening. This was not the first 'your Amazon did something my Amazon found infuriating' public threat they had to have dealt with. Rhada was more volatile than the average woman of her breed and station, true, but a violent in-chamber assault?That wasn't the 'worse' though. Oneida drawing her blade in an open challenge to Rhada wasn't the worse either, nor was her shouting."He loves me! He merely saved you!"Saint Marie yelling 'Ishara! Ishara!' over and over again, demanding I put my house back in order wasn't the end of my woes, nope.Me being yanked free of my House fur-ball into the volcanic gaze of Elsa as she seethed, "Rhada?" Oh yeah, Elsa's people and Rhada's people had a bit of a blood feud going on, how could I have forgotten that?But wait!"Not Fabiola!" gasped Messina, bizarrely assuming I slept with, okay, not such a huge assumption."Gael?" voiced by the Head of House Bendis, followed by Gael's "I'm late.""Damn it!" I pulled away from Elsa (slightly)."No. She only lets me ejaculate on 'safe days'," to Messina, Fabiola's Mom."Oh, come on! We had sex one time!" to Gael of Bendis, and finally,"Stop it!" to Rhada and Oneida, (deep breathe). "Really?" with my most believable happy face plastered on. "This is great news!"No. No it wasn't, and I could read the ugly emotional undercurrents on the faces of everyone present, except Aya, who kept the faith."Ishara," Saint Marie rumbled. I held up one finger to forestall her wrath."Oneida, Rhada and I have already decided to name our daughter Parvati. My daughter by Tad fi, ordained by the Goddess to be the first born, will be named Shala while my first son will be called Harki heni (White Hair, I'd call him Raider when we were in the 'outside' world).""My daughter by Miyako Yuri will be named Suwais-urāni, Fushichou in her Mother's tongue, in honor of Sakuniyas. My, other relationships," I would have liked to say 'none of your business', except Amazon mothers, or not, those children would be of Ishara's blood and potentially their kin.

*Contiene Spoilers*. Con motivo del estreno de la serie de Disney, nos adentramos en una de las grandes etapas del héroe de la Cocina del Infierno. Brian Michael Bendis, acompañado de Alex Maleev, trazó su auténtica bienvenida al siglo XXI con 55 números históricos que cambiaron el modo de entender a Daredevil. ¡Acompáñanos en este recorrido! Suscríbete a nuestro podcast en… iVoox - https://bit.ly/znpivoox Spotify - https://bit.ly/znpspo Apple Podcasts - http://bit.ly/znpapple Google Podcast - http://bit.ly/znpgoogle Y búscanos en tu app de podcast favorita. Colaboradores: Ángel García-Tetuá, Raúl Gutiérrez, Pablo Sánchez Música de entrada y salida: "IkouZe ! - acoustic" de Sumashu (https://bit.ly/ZNPintro) Para estar al día de todo el mundo del cómic y sus galaxias cercanas, ¡visita Zona Negativa!

A mere 16 years after the Kingpin learns Daredevil's secret identity in Frank Miller's Born Again, that secret becomes front page news in 2002's Out, by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, published by Marvel Comics! Returning to his indie crime-comic roots, Bendis puts attorney Matt Murdock through the wringer in this compelling story grounded in street-level atmosphere by artist Maleev and colorist Matt Hollingsworth. Is gaslighting your friends and loved ones okay if it means you can put on a costume and fight crime? Just how much are we supposed to root for a hero who doubles down on lying to the entire world? And can Matt Murdock get a fair shake from that sleazy tabloid known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       Homicide: Life on the Street ·       A few words from our sponsor ·       Some random podcast ideas ·       The Origin Story podcast ·       The Big Empty by Robert Crais ·       To Live and Die in L.A. ·       Daredevil: Underboss ·       Amazing Spider-Man: Civil War Join us in two weeks as join ol' Hornhead behind bars for The Devil in Cell Block D (issues #82-87), by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

Ñoñomame de la semana: Funando a la prota de Emilia PerezLa Mesa se reúne a platicar sobre Daredevil el hombre sin miedo con la escosa del reboot/continuacion que habra en disney plus. Que nos parecio la serie original de netflix? Que nos gusto y que no? Ademas hablamos de nuestras etaps favoritas del comic, Miller, Bendis, Smith, Brubaker, Zardisky, Wait. Igual recordamos un poco la pelicula del 2002 y hablamos de nuestras esperanzas para Born Again. La Mesa:: Cesar “Enano de la guarda” Castañon e Issac “Hombre sin miedo” DeLa Rocha,¡Conviértete en miembro del canal de YouTube desde $9 al mes, y ayúdanos a seguir creando contenido: https://t.ly/rnHbhSuscríbete al Podcast de La Covacha en: Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2XJDQq2​Apple: http://apple.co/2KkWpOb​Amazon Music: http://amzn.to/3qjUUzm​Google Podcast: https://t.ly/l3wOYI Heart Radio - https://t.ly/CSbu4nSíguenos en:www.lacovacha.mxTwitter:   / lacovachamx  Facebook:   / mxlacovacha  Tik Tok:   / lacovacha.mx  Instagram:   / lacovacha.mx  Twitch: https://twitch/lacovacha.mx

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Plus, Superman memories,  the MTV Spider-Man cartoon, Brian's thoughts on the Diamond situation and more

En el momento más bajo y peligroso que tuvo Marvel Comics, llegó un joven Brian Michael Bendis con ambición suficiente para romper y cambiar por completo el status de los Héroes Más Poderosos de la Tierra. Hoy nos toca saldar cuentas con el repaso de toda esta era marvelita de los 2000, que permaneció activa durante más de ocho años y que estuvo marcada por una nueva estructura narrativa, así como una interconexión en el Universo Marvel que no se había visto hasta la fecha. Repasaremos las diferentes series de Vengadores que iban entrando y saliendo, así como todos los eventos y acontecimientos importantes que las iban afectando. Hoy más que nunca, queridos oyentes, nos reunimos para hacer justicia y poner en valor la figura que fue Bendis durante toda esta época.

CAPÍTULO #383… Hoy nos enfundamos nuestros pijamas más superheroicos para repasar toda la Era Bendis de los Nuevos Vengadores. Hablaremos al completo de una de las etapas más significativas e importantes que ha tenido Marvel en toda su historia, que supuso un cambio total en la concepción de las historias dentro del género superheroico. También nos toca repasar toda la actualidad y noticias del mundo del cómic, con uno de los anuncios más importantes que hemos tenido en los últimos años. Y no podemos irnos sin el bombardeo de esta semana de algunas de las novedades más interesantes. Hablaremos de títulos como lo nuevo de Terry Moore en Serial, la reciente adaptación del Monstruo de la Laguna Negra, la conclusión de Este del Oeste, la segunda revista que nos ha llegado de Lowreader y muchísimo más. Gracias por estar al otro lado agentes ¡Nos oímos! NOTICIAS [00:04:37] Panini Comics se alza como la nueva licenciataria de DC en España Doug Wagner y Daniel Hillyard vuelven con una nueva asesina en serie Slott y Albuquerque lanzan Superman Unlimited DC anuncia su primer evento de la etapa All In Plan Editorial Moztros para el primer semestre de 2025 Próximos avances editoriales NOVEDADES Y RELECTURAS [01:10:11] Marvel Must Have Patrulla-X Exterminio Excepcional Patrulla-X Este del Oeste 3 Poderosos Vengadores The Ends. Vidas en guerra Serial Los últimos días de Robert Johnson Carcayú Peter Parker: El Espectacular Spiderman de Chip Zdarsky Lowreader El monstruo de la Laguna Negra vive Nuestros cuerpos alquímicos Feral - Salvajes Spiderman; La sombra del Duende Verde Mega LOS VENGADORES DE BENDIS [03:09:44] En el momento más bajo y peligroso que tuvo Marvel Comics, llegó un joven Brian Michael Bendis con ambición suficiente para romper y cambiar por completo el status de los Héroes Más Poderosos de la Tierra. Hoy nos toca saldar cuentas con el repaso de toda esta era marvelita de los 2000, que permaneció activa durante más de ocho años y que estuvo marcada por una nueva estructura narrativa, así como una interconexión en el Universo Marvel que no se había visto hasta la fecha. Repasaremos las diferentes series de Vengadores que iban entrando y saliendo, así como todos los eventos y acontecimientos importantes que las iban afectando. Hoy más que nunca, queridos oyentes, nos reunimos para hacer justicia y poner en valor la figura que fue Bendis durante toda esta época. CORREO DEL AGENTE [05:25:40] Leemos todos vuestros mensajes dejados en las redes y nuestra sección de la voz de los Agentes de Hydra, ¡Habla pueblo Habla! ¡Muchas gracias por escucharnos y todo vuestro apoyo y participación! Nuestro PODCAST ya está en el CANAL SECUNDARIO ¡Inflate a contenido comiquero aquí! https://www.youtube.com/@tomosygrapaspodcast Tomos y grapas es un medio de comunicación transmedia, disfruta de nuestros contenidos también en nuestra web, YouTube y redes sociales. VISITA TAMBIÉN NUESTRA LIBRERÍA En la Calle Alcalá 211 o nuestra TIENDA ONLINE con el mejor servicio y atención tiendatomosygrapas.com

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are talking the creator-owned apolitical but political thriller comic Scarlet by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. They discuss how a middle-aged white guy from suburban Ohio created a comic in 2010 that eerily resembled the protests and anti-establishment sentiment in the decade to follow, its trademark Bendis thumbprint of heavy dialogue, and Phillip gives an impromptu review of the movie It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively.

More comics Tv and Film recommendations from all of us to all of you 

Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming are back for a fun free for all talk about comics film and TV 

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! In our 2024 Book Club Annual, we close out the Brian Michael Bendis NEW AVENGERS SAGA with… BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS?!?! Join the Book Club Bois as they sit down with Bendis to discuss his time writing the Avengers, his pathos while writing Marvel's premiere team, and answering the MOST IMPORTANT questions we've had this year! Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Join the Book Club Bois for the last ride in Brian Michael Bendis' epic NEW AVENGERS SAGA! With a new age dawning on the Marvel Universe, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones are at a crossroads. Their lives as superheroes are clashing with the lives they want to live… and it's time to say goodbye. But before they can step into their next chapter, a grudge from beyond the grave threatens to bring their world crashing down. Will they survive their last day as Avengers? Covers New Avengers (2010) #31-34 by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos, Carlos Pacheco, Michael Avon Oeming, Mike Deodato Jr., Chuck BB, Ming Doyle, Farel Dalrymple, Lucy Knisley, Becky Cloonan and Yves Bigerel Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets

Os dejamos nuestro repaso semanal de novedades y recomendaciones para que tengáis la pila de lecturas siempre ocupada y al día. El Zorro: Regresa de entre los muertos Canary La Imposible Patrulla-X (2024-) Dead Rock Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Soul Eater Perfect Edition The Nice House by the Sea Todas las mañanas Vampiro La Mascarada: Las fauces del Invierno Lowreader New X-Men de Grant Morrison Mitos del Huerto de los Huesos: El Bloque Locke & Key. Master Edition Daredevil de Bendis Koschei en el Infierno Batman; Las diez noches de la bestia Dragon Ball Legend Mañana será otro dia Battlefields Blast. Edición integral The Cull Barbecho Una Revolución llamada Rasputin El Depravado Yomotsuhegui Spiderman Fake red Gokurakugai Dos Espadas

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Join the Book Club Bois for the penultimate episode of the Brian Michael Bendis NEW AVENGERS SAGA! In the aftermath of AVENGERS VS X-MEN, the Avengers are taking a much needed break. However, they won't be able to rest for long… a distress beacon originating from the Microverse brings our heroes back together to tie up a loose end… and save one of their own! Covers Avengers (2010) #31-34 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Mayhew, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, Mike Deodato Jr, Walt Simonson, Scott Hanna, Leinil Francis Yu, Jim Cheung, Mark Morales and Olivier Coipel Actual Book Club starts at 00:59:05 Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! This week… the war ends. Join the Book Club Bois as they dive into the conclusion of AVENGERS VS X-MEN! Three have fallen… and two remain. Scott Summers and Emma Frost each hold half of the Phoenix Force, and they are beginning to lose control. The Avengers gather every remaining hero they can for a final push against the wielders of the Phoenix, and Hope Summers steps into her destiny! But who will remain when the dust settles, and what consequences await those that do? Covers Avengers vs X-Men (2012) #10-12 & AvX Consequences #1-5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, Kieron Gillen, Olivier Coipel, Adam Kubert, Tom Raney, Steve Kurth, Scot Eaton, Mark Brooks and Gabriel Walta Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

This week on Back Issue Bloodbath, Andrew and Petula look back on one of Bendis's 90s crime comics, Goldfish! The post Back Issue Bloodbath Episode 473: Goldfish appeared first on Geek Hard.

This week on Back Issue Bloodbath, Andrew and Petula look back on one of Bendis's 90s crime comics, Goldfish! The post Back Issue Bloodbath Episode 473: Goldfish appeared first on Geek Hard.

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! In Round 4 of AVENGERS VS X-MEN MONTH, the Book Club Bois dive back into some tie-ins on their way to the conclusion of this monumental event! Luke Cage is at a crossroads. With the world getting more dangerous by the minute, he must decide which is more important: being an Avenger or being a father? Then, driven to the brink by the reign of the Phoenix Five, Captain America assembles the ILLUMINATI for a hail mary plan that may be their last chance to survive this war! Covers New Avengers (2010) #24-30 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato Jr and Will Conrad Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

Fecha de Grabación: Jueves 14 de noviembre de 2024. Algunos temas comentados: La notable evolución de algunos autores y artistas de cómics Equipos creativos de ensueño, o a quién quisiéramos ver haciendo qué series Algunas (bastantes, en realidad) recomendaciones de cómics de horror Los (muchos) problemas de la serie semanal de DC Comics 52 Además: Calvin and Hobbes, Doctor Destiny, Civil Wars (Bendis y varios), Hellblazer (Delano y varios), Moebius, ¡...y mucho más! Comentario de cómics: Absolute Batman, cómic escrito por Scott Snyder, con arte de Nick Dragotta, color de Frank Martin y rótulos de Clayton Cowles. (DC Comics) Absolute Wonder Woman, cómic escrito por Kelly Thompson, con arte de Hayden Sherman, color de Jordie Bellaire y rótulos de Becca Carey. (DC Comics) Absolute Superman, cómic escrito por Jason Aaron, con arte de Rafa Sandoval, color de Ulises Arreola y rótulos de Becca Carey. (DC Comics) Pueden escuchar el podcast en uno de estos reproductores: Descarga directa MP3 (Botón derecho del mouse y "guardar enlace como"). Peso: 110.1 MB; Calidad: 128 Kbps. El episodio tiene una duración de 2:00:02 y la canción de cierre es "RISE" de Extreme. Además de usar nuestras redes sociales (Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram), también puedes interactuar con nosotros en nuestro servidor de Discord, donde una pequeña comunidad comparte recomendaciones, arte, ofertas, memes y más, y la conversación gira alrededor de muchos temas además de los cómics. ¡Únete a nuestro servidor en Discord! También tenemos una página en Patreon. Cada episodio se publica ahí al menos 24 horas antes que en otros canales, y hay un especial mensual exclusivo para suscriptores de esa plataforma, con contenido adicional exclusivo a partir de cierto nivel de aporte. Puedes convertirte en uno de nuestros patreoncinadores™ con aportes desde 1 dólar, que puede ser cada mes por el tiempo que tú lo decidas, o incluso un aporte de una sola vez. También puedes encontrar nuestro podcast en los siguientes agregadores y servicios especializados: Comicverso en Spotify Comicverso en iVoox Comicverso en Apple Podcasts Comicverso en Amazon Music Comicverso en Archive.org Comicverso en I Heart Radio Comicverso en Overcast.fm Comicverso en Pocket Casts Comicverso en RadioPublic Comicverso en CastBox.fm ¿Usas alguna app o servicio que no tiene disponible el podcast de Comicverso? En la parte alta de la barra lateral está el feed del podcast, el cual puedes agregar al servicio de tu preferencia si éste ofrece la opción. Nos interesa conocer tus críticas y opiniones para seguir mejorando. Si te gusta nuestro trabajo, por favor comparte el enlace a esta entrada o a nuestro perfil en el servicio de tu preferencia, cuéntale a tus amigos sobre el podcast, y recomiéndalo a quien creas que le pueda interesar. Deja tus comentarios o escríbenos directamente a comicverso@gmail.com

The ASLOK interviews continue with an interview with Alan Findlay of Broken Ground Design. Alan walks us through all of the amazing new products that are available. He gives us a super close up look. Thank you Alan.  Remember to volunteer to playtest the Chaco Wars scenarios for Steve Swann and Alan.  Box Art Review makes it's return featuring the art from Journal #14. We end with a brief look at a game that Bendis and Summers (they're famous) played at ASLOK. SHOWTIMES0:02 MASH Parody Song (lyrics by D. Donovan, Performed by The 2 Half-Squads Singers)3:34 Greetings 12:00 Interview with Alan Findlay 27:00 Contest Drawing29:00 New Contest Announced (Entrants due by December 13)31:50 Box Art Review40:45 Bendis and Summers Play at ASLOK45:05 Total Running Time                                                    M*A*S*H  KOREA SONGLyrics by Dennis Donovan, performed by The 2 Half-Squad SingersThe Forgotten War is here you seeA new venture for MMP It's Post World War 2, you see The Korean War in the ‘50s [REFRAIN]:In Forgotten War the scene is The UN, ROKs and MarinesVersus the KPA and the ChineseThe Chosin Few designers knowThey put into it heart and SeoulIf they screwed up module 15That they'd be in some deep kimchiThere are new rules pages Updated Chapter H is Included with 16 scenarios The 4 new maps have rough terrainWhich Chapter W explains There's 7 brand-new counter sheetsThe jet aircraft are pretty neatForgotten War will cost usAbout one hundred dollahsAnd I will take three copies if you pleaseI brave man once asked PerryTo tell us “When will it ship, please?”Is it to be or not to beWhy oh why ask me?Did you see the new box?Papyrus font really ROKsand you can figure the rules out with some ease. Download this episode (right click and save)

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Round Three of AVENGERS VS X-MEN MONTH features a return to the main event book, as the Book Club Bois discuss the reign of the PHOENIX FIVE! The Phoenix Force has been split into five hosts: Scott Summers, Emma Frost, Namor, Piotr and Illyana Rasputin – now known as the Phoenix Five. With this newfound power, they have set about to reshape the world to create Utopia with a simple message: No More. No more war, no more poverty, no more suffering, and most importantly… No More Avengers. Covers Avengers vs X-Men (2012) #6-9 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, Olivier Coipel and Adam Kubert Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

No me on this one besides the intro. I put Gerry Conway and Bendis together for this online comic con in 2020. Some sunshine at the height of covid. They shared DC and Marvel Observations 

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Amidst a week of turmoil, the Book Club Bois come together to laugh, to commiserate, and to seek solace in each other as they discuss the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! The Phoenix Force is on its way to Earth. A strike force has been assembled by Captain America to head into space and be the last line of defense against this cosmic threat. But will they be enough when even the stars themselves are dying? And back on Earth, the Red Hulk makes a choice that will have dire consequences in the war between the Avengers and the X-Men! Covers Avengers (2010) #25-30 by Brian Michael Bendis and Walt Simonson Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! WE'RE GOING TO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR… AGAIN! Join the Book Club Bois as they enter the final round of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! The Phoenix Force. A destructive and godlike entity that hails death and rebirth. One of the most powerful forces in the Marvel Universe… is back. And with the Avengers and the X-Men disagreeing on what to do with potential new host Hope Summers, the superhero community will ONCE AGAIN fracture as its two most prominent communities come to blows! But what will happen when the Phoenix finally arrives? Covers Avengers vs X-Men (2012) #0-5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, John Romita Jr. and Frank Cho Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! In our last stop before the next big event, the Book Club Bois discuss X-MEN: SCHISM! With the world's remaining Mutant population slowly getting back on their feet, a new threat emerges that could finish the job that the Decimation started. Sentinels around the world are awoken to challenge the X-Men all over the globe, but back at Utopia… a different war is taking place: a war of ideologies. As Cyclops and Wolverine come to blows over the direction of their people, one decision will fracture their community and set the stage for everything that comes next! Covers X-Men: Schism (2011) #1-5 by Jason Aaron, Carlos Pacheco, Frank Cho, Daniel Acuna, Alan Davis and Adam Kubert Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Join the Book Club Bois as they discuss the first MCU Synergy tie-in and the reunion of Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley in the 2012 miniseries AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! The Avengers follow the trail of The Zodiac, a shadowy group hellbent on seizing the most powerful items in the Marvel Universe! But when their pursuit leads them into space and headfirst into a war with the Mad Titan Thanos, they'll need to team up with the flarkin' Guardians of the Galaxy if they want to stop Thanos from tearing reality apart! Covers Avengers Assemble (2012) #1-8 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! This week, the Book Club Bois conclude the Revenge of Norman Osborn in the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! In the aftermath of FEAR ITSELF, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark must set out to reassemble the Avengers. But before they can publicly unveil this new team, they must face the return of Norman Osborn and the resurgence of H.A.M.M.E.R! With the world turning against them and Osborn harboring a dark secret, will the story of this new Avengers team end before it gets the chance to begin? Covers Avengers (2010) #18-24 by Brian Michael Bendis, Daniel Acuna and Renato Guedes Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

Bendis returns in JinxWorld --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allnew52/support

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Join the Book Club Bois as they begin the final lap of the Brian Michael Bendis NEW AVENGERS SAGA! He's baaaaaaaaaaaaack! Norman Osborn has broken out of prison and assembled a NEW Dark Avengers. He is hellbent on retaking the power he once held, and will stop at nothing to seize the power he seeks. And that's not the only threat to the New Avengers! As public opinion shifts to distrust and anger directed at Earth's Mightiest Heroes, it's the New Avengers versus the world! Covers New Avengers (2010) #16.1, 17-23 by Brian Michael Bendis, Neal Adams and Mike Deodato Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! After last week's intermission, the Book Club Bois dive back into FEAR ITSELF in the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! We all know the story of the day the hammers fell. How the heroes of the world rallied to challenge the God of Fear. But not every hero made it to the final battle. Not every battle made the headlines. This is the story of the day fear won… and how men and women WITHOUT fear survived. Covers Avengers (2010) #13-17 & New Avengers (2010) #14-16 by Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita Jr., Chris Bachalo and Mike Deodato Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

Yup, it's our 300th episode, and it's super-sized! But if you're expecting a full write-up of the career of Brian Michael Bendis, well... we'd probably run out of server space. Instead, let's just tick off some of the amazing books he's developed and worked on over the past 30 years: Jinx, Sam and Twitch, Powers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Daredevil, Alias, New Avengers, House of M, Secret Invasion, Secret War, Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers, Spider-Woman, Siege, Scarlet, Brilliant, Moon Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy, All New X-Men, Age of Ultron, Action Comics, and Superman. Phew!Now, he's back to writing his own stuff, with titles like Masterpiece, Phenomena, Joy Operations 2, and the upcoming Fortune and Glory: The Musical. You can follow Bendis at his Jinxworld headquarters, jinxworld.squarespace.com, or all of the socials @brianmbendis. _____________________Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits.If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. And if you really like this podcast, support what we do as a member of the Dollar Bin Boosters: buzzsprout.com/1817176/support.Looking for more ways to express your undying DBB love and devotion? Email us at dollarbinbandits@gmail.com. Follow us @dollarbinbandits on Facebook and Instagram, and @DBBandits on X._____________________Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing. Check out their fine publications at twomorrows.com.Support the show

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! The Book Club Bois FINALLY cover the next (and darkest) chapter in the Young Avengers saga, as they search for the SCARLET WITCH! Billy Kaplan. Tommy Shepherd. Two young boys who may be connected to the most powerful mutant on the planet… who has been gone since the events of House of M. But when Billy's powers begin to spiral out of control, he rallies his Young Avengers teammates to search the globe for Wanda Maximoff, who may hold the key to mastering his abilities… and who may, in fact, be his mother. But where is the Scarlet Witch? And does she even WANT to be found? Covers Avengers: The Children's Crusade (2010) #1-9 by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! It's time for the first event of the HEROIC AGE! Join the Book Club Bois as they discuss the latest chapter in the Brian Michael Bendis NEW AVENGERS SAGA! The world is in chaos. Heroes are overwhelmed. All seems lost. And just when you think it can't get worse… The Serpent returns from his eons of exile to raze the Earth to the ground. Every hero in the Marvel Universe will be called upon to battle this threat… and not everyone will make it home. Covers FEAR ITSELF #0-7 by Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, Stuart Immonen and Scot Eaton Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

Hay situaciones, donde un resbalón, trae consigo una bendición!!!!

Join Mac and Scott as they discuss the latest news in pop culture and life. Such topics as: Deadpool and Wolverine, GI: Joes latest figures, Superman's outfit, Bendis work being erased immediately, Thing's outfit on Fantastic Four, Mac's life changing TV and mini series suggestion, and so much more. Look for more at The Forever Adventure Network

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! The Book Club Bois are back together again, just in time for the sins of the past to haunt the present in the latest chapter of the Brian Michael Bendis NEW AVENGERS SAGA! 1959. A team is assembled by Nick Fury to pull off a black ops mission that will put them in the crosshairs of the RED SKULL. What happens in that mission will reverberate into the present, as the NEW AVENGERS get ready to tie up a loose end from the previous era. Secrets will be revealed, alliances will be tested, and broken trust… may just cost an Avenger their life. Covers New Avengers (2010) #7-13 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, Daniel Acuna, Mike Deodato Jr and Howard Chaykin Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! This week, join Aeric and Malcolm as they discuss the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! The Infinity Gems. Six stones of unimaginable power – each one giving the user control over life and death. For years they have been hidden, kept safe by the Illuminati… until now. Parker Robbins, desperate to grasp at the power he has lost, has acquired one of the Infinity Gems… and he's hungry for more. A race against time begins as the Illuminati scrambles to collect the remaining stones before Robbins can – but can they keep their existence as a group a secret as the world closes in around them? Covers Avengers (2010) #7-12 by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! This week, join Aeric and Malcolm as they discuss the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! The Infinity Gems. Six stones of unimaginable power – each one giving the user control over life and death. For years they have been hidden, kept safe by the Illuminati… until now. Parker Robbins, desperate to grasp at the power he has lost, has acquired one of the Infinity Gems… and he's hungry for more. A race against time begins as the Illuminati scrambles to collect the remaining stones before Robbins can – but can they keep their existence as a group a secret as the world closes in around them? Covers Avengers (2010) #7-12 by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! This week, the Book Club Bois discuss the reformation of the New Avengers, just in time for the end of the world! The Eye of Agamotto. A relic from the world's FIRST Sorcerer Supreme, handed down to every subsequent holder of the title throughout the centuries. Today, it rests in the hands of Jericho Drumm aka Doctor Voodoo, the current Sorcerer Supreme. But when invaders from another dimension arrive seeking the artifact for an unknown reason, Voodoo will need to call upon a newly-assembled team of heroes to defend the mortal realm from being ripped apart at the seams! But why do they want the Eye, and what secret is the former Sorcerer Supreme - Stephen Strange - keeping from the rest of his allies? Find out here! Covers New Avengers (2010) #1-6 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Join the Book Club Bois as they usher in a new age! The final act of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA begins here! In the aftermath of SIEGE, new TOP COP Steve Rogers sets forth to assemble a new Avengers team for a new HEROIC AGE! But before the team can even officially debut, they are attacked by a returning Kang the Conqueror! However this time, Kang has approached the Avengers… for help? What could be threatening the time stream so badly that Kang would seek help from his greatest enemies? And what do the future children of the Avengers have to do with it? Covers Avengers (2010) #1-6 by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! As one era ends… a new age begins! Join the Book Club Bois as they discuss the reformation of the Big Three and officially end the Dark Reign in the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! While the SIEGE rages among the ruins of Asgard, Parker Robbins makes one last grasp at power. Then, when the fighting ends, the remaining New Avengers make their way to the west coast to tie up a loose end – but find themselves in the clutches of Count Nefaria! And while all this transpires… three men decide the fate of the Avengers at the crossroads between life and death! Covers New Avengers (2004) #61-64, New Avengers Finale, and Avengers Prime #1-5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, Daniel Acuna, Mike McKone, Bryan Hitch and Alan Davis Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City “Burn” by 2WEI

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Eisner-nominated Tony Fleecs returns to talk about news from SDCC, MCU and Deadpool & Wolverine (SPOILERS!),Masterpiece by Bendis, Maleev and Herring, Brubaker and Martin's Friday, Blood Hunt #5, a Fleecs-O-Rama with Local Man and Super-Pets Special: Bitedentity Crisis #1, Braba: Brazilian Comics Anthology curated by Rafael Grampá, X-Force #1, Ryder's Intergalactic Guide to Robots, Saga, and much more!

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! This week, the Book Club Bois are going to WAAAAAR! Join Aeric, Jacob and Malcolm as they discuss this climactic chapter in the Brian Michael Bendis NEW AVENGERS Saga! With his grip on the world slipping, Norman Osborn has one last ace up his sleeve: Asgard, now hovering above Broxton, Oklahoma. In a bid to take care of this “Asgardian Problem”, Osborn has assembled an army and begun a SIEGE. But Thor Odinson will not have to defend his home alone… STEVE ROGERS has returned, and is leading the charge to defeat Osborn and his Dark Avengers. The fate of the Marvel Universe is decided HERE! Covers SIEGE (2010) #1-4 and Dark Avengers (2009) #13-16 by Brian Michael Bendis, Olivier Coipel and Mike Deodato Jr Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City “Burn” by 2WEI

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! The Dark Reign era hits a fever pitch as the Book Club Bois discuss the latest chapter of the Brian Michael Bendis NEW AVENGERS SAGA! After the events of UTOPIA, Norman Osborn is looking for a win. Whether it be against an unknown threat in the small town of Dinosaur, Colorado or against the renegade Avengers in New York – Osborn is out for blood. But if the Secret Avengers get their way… it may be Norman's blood that gets spilled. It's the last stop before all-out war next month! Covers Dark Avengers (2009) #9-12, Dark Reign: The List - Avengers, New Avengers #55-60 and Annual #3 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato, Marko Djurdjevic, Stuart Immonen and Mike Mayhew Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City “Burn” by 2WEI

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! The Book Club Bois discuss the first Dark Avengers crossover in the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! Norman Osborn assembles his Dark Avengers and travels to the west coast to deal with the “Mutant Problem” in San Francisco. But what he finds there may be too much for one team to handle… so he decides to bring TWO. It's the debut of the Dark X-Men! With all of San Francisco as the battlefield, Norman Osborn clashes with Scott Summers for the chess match of the century! Covers Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: UTOPIA by Matt Fraction, Marc Sylvestri, Terry Dodson, Luke Ross and Mike Deodato Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City “Burn” by 2WEI

THE BEST BOOK CLUB IN THE MULTIVERSE! Join the Book Club Bois for the debut of Earth's NEW Mightiest Heroes, as they discuss the latest chapter of Brian Michael Bendis' NEW AVENGERS SAGA! The Dark Reign has begun. But WHO will enforce it? Enter: THE DARK AVENGERS! Assembled by Norman Osborn to defend the world from itself, this new super team will need to learn to work together before a threat from the past tears them apart! Covers Dark Avengers (2009) #1-6 and Annual #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato Jr. and Chris Bachalo Send us your questions for the Book Club Mailbag! Email: geeksplained@gmail.com Follow us! Twitter: twitter.com/geeksplainedpod?lang=en Instagram: www.instagram.com/geeksplainedpod/?hl=en Music Sampled: "Alive" by Warbly Jets “Fight as One” by Bad City “Burn” by 2WEI