Marvel Crossover Universe One-shots (Part 1)

The Bug Syndrome

  Agent P or Pyromaniac finished his work at the LMD with the lab crew. He headed to the MIB Cyber Communications Network and Database department which it was formerly known as the MIB Archives or Cyber Archives. He was now the head of that division while he was taking up his online doctorate studies in alien technology and astrophysics. He saw Agent Omega in the office and sitting on a chair.

" Well, it's good to have you back after those incidents in the previous months." he smiled.

" Yeah, I'm back in the field as a member of the Witness Intimidation Unit," Omega answered. " I've heard you're taking up online Ph.D. studies in two fields! Man, what school are you studying?"

" I'm currently enrolled to Intergalactic Open Studies program at the University of Vega. Miss O and the Lyrans have provided me a scholarship grant for my post graduate level. Well, I can manage my time in MIB, Champions, and Avengers mission and studying. The LMD restoration is one of my doctorate activity and thesis work. I'm done submitting it. I can't wait for another thesis. Someday, I want to work more Science and Tech related field in the MIB. Stark and Banner encouraged and inspired me to improve as an Avenger. It's an opportunity for me to fulfill my responsibility and knowledge as a class 1 senior agent."

" Well, that's good to hear. That's why they made changes in this department and updated your position. What did your girlfriend think of being a busybody like you?"

" She's happy with it. Y will address me as Doc Pyro or Dr. Pyromaniac. My time with her has never changed. Anyway in two years time, she's going with me in my graduation."

" And?"

" We're going to get married, but we will still work here."

" Great!" Omega happily exclaimed. " I'm very pleased at the changes. I'm so excited to be in your wedding! By the way, I'm sorry for bothering you. You might be going to work or doing your research for your next thesis."

" No, you're scheduled here for the evening shift. Miss O assigned you."

" Another late shift, but at least I have duty with you tonight, right Bud?"

" Let's just try to get through the night, hopefully it will be uneventful."

" I have an idea. Let's listen to the radio while we are working."

" We have to concentrate on securing the planet, Omega. We can't be distracted."

" Oh, I wasn't going to play any music. I was going to put on Coast To Coast AM."

" I have heard of that aside from Agent Y's DJ Yellow's World Mysteries."

" It's on now. It's about the paranormal, and it's considered as good as The Hot Sheets for information. So it's like we're listening to the news while we work."

Omega swiped on the holographic screen for the radio app tuner to AM frequency and music with rhythmic beat came on and a host spoke, "Welcome to the City of Angels! I am Geroge Noory and you are listening to Coast To Coast AM." There was a sound effect of thunder as an introductory part.

George Noory: Tonight, our guests are Gustav Triplette & Rochelle Daudier who have written a new book on the Cherry Tree Scare, No Brains in Washington. Welcome to our show, can you give us some back ground on what your book is about?

Rochelle: It's about the invasion of alien bugs that happened back in the early 21st century, and how they were behind the head explosions that rocked Washington.

George: I did a show on those head explosions. Are you saying alien invaders like the Chitauri were behind the head explosions? Congress had made a report that Russian backed Syrian forces were actually behind the head explosions.

Gustav: Actually, there was never any scientific evidence submitted on how the Syrian Forces were causing the head explosions. There were hidden reports and research however of alien insects causing the explosions within people's heads. The government has been keeping any information of the truth from the general public.

" Cherry Tree Scare?" P raised his pitch when he heard the topic.

" You were in the Army at the time this happened, however your late wife, Alice led the MIB Investigation into it." Omega answered.

" But weren't you not in MIB at the time?"

" I was assigned by the Knights to look after Laurel Healey."

" Senator Laurel Healey, She's the anti Inhuman politician and friend of Senator Nadeer. I've heard of her few months ago. She had something to do against the Global Inhuman Uprising."

" How did you know?" Omega asked.

" I watched the news about it. Well, it's not only in Washington DC or somewhere in our country. It also happened in Tokyo. They called it, Sakura no Kyofu. It was inspired and compared from the flowers' ephemeral blossom which the Japanese MIBs described. But it's a deadly Sakura from a Draconian technology. Only Beta-sacho and the others knew the real story behind it."

" Your friend, Agent SO told you that?"

" Of course, it"s when I visited his country several months ago. He explained everything about it. It's more than a decade-old case."

" Man, it's across the globe, but you're not in MIB at that time, too."

" Yes. After my Army years, I went to college in UCLA with that existing issue. My normal campus life rocked when some of my classmates and other students acquired that sickness. It became worse when I had my internship in Japan around 2001. There was an outbreak of a mysterious airborne virus that controlled people. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi declared the state under quarantine. The increasing number of mind-control cases alarmed the public. The Japanese parliament and health sector could not even rule out the disease's origin. So, they announced the public to do some necessary preventive measures. I spent the few months protecting myself from getting infected in the workplace."

" That was even worse than SARS in China around 2002 to 2003." Omega nodded. " At least, you survived your on the job training semester from those bugs."

" Yeah, I learned the Japanese way of health precaution. Thanks to that incident."

" What are you guys up to?" the blonde MIB agent named Y entered the office as P and Omega turned their attention to her.

" Working late on the night shift again, Sunshine. Hopefully it won't be eventful and maybe we can get an early morning breakfast later." P kissed his subordinate-girlfriend's cheek. Agent Y smiled and kissed him back on the cheek.

" It's so lucky to work with your girlfriend, P. " Omega said.

" He's not the only one! Have you met our new attache from the Knights?" Y curiously asked.

" Who? What? No way! " Omega widened his eyes and got surprised to see another lady in the office. She reached over to her boyfriend and hugged him.

" Settle down, Big Boy! " Agent Kitty Pryde beamed and laughed.

" Is it okay for you to associate with the natives of this dimension? " Omega asked and scratched his head.

" Since, I am native here, I don't think its a problem. I am providing security for Agent KM & RS's new intrusion detection project. I shouldn't be a problem for me to pursue a personal life." she replied.

" Hey? What are they talking about? Cherry Tree Scare?" Y asked as she was curiously listening to the online radio show.

Gustav: There are alien bugs from the Draco Constellation. They actually modify people's brains and rebuild them so they act through those bodies.

George: I thought you mentioned in your book that they turned people into zombies.

Gustav: Not really zombies. They infest the brain and move into the brain to replace certain decision making areas of the brain.

George: Replace parts of the brain?

Gustav: Quite literally, the enter through the ear and push unwanted parts of the brain out through the ear canal.

George: How come they don't kill people?

Gustav: The Bugs are made of nano technology, created of microscopic cybernetic parts they use to effect and modify those they infect.

" Did that really happen? Were there bugs infecting people's brains?" Y asked again.

" Yes, there was an alien invasion of cybernetic bugs that were infecting people and controlling their brains. " Omega answered.

" Syria, the United States, and Japan were affected. According to our database, the Republic of Remnant had minor infection cases. Thanks to Schnee Tech Corporation, their scientists have been developing a vaccine or an antibiotic against the dreadful disease." P explained.

" Oh good!" Y replied and smiled.

" The drug research and development is still in process." he continued and turned to Kitty. " You can ask Agent W about it. She's working on her doctorate thesis related to that case."

" That Schnee heiress. She's too egoistic." Kitty sighed and then glared at her MIB boyfriend.

" What?!" Omega exclaimed.

" Isn't that where you met Laurel Healey?!" She moved her hands to accentuate the female curves.

" It was job to look after her, monstrous bugs were looking to devour her brain. It was my job to check on her!"

" I saw the way you looked at her! "

" I had a heavy eye because I admit I found her attractive, but she meant nothing to me when compared with you, Babe!"

" I am not a 'Babe'! " Kitty angrily said and crossed her arms. "Don't talk to me right now!"

" Kitty?!"

" I said; Don't talk to me! "

" Wow, they have such tempestuous relationship! " Agent Y stared at the other couple when she sighed. " When will they ever reconcile?"

" Ah, they enjoy fighting. Its how they show they care!" the man smiled and joined in their conversation.

" Sub Director Coulson, What brings you to MIB Headquarters so late?" P asked.

" I came by to drop-off some evidence at the labs here for Agent W's research. It's related to the Cherry Tree Scare." Coulson replied and turned to the other couple. " I see Agent Pryde has settled in with Omega. How have things been going on with the MIB Lovebirds? I heard you're setting a date."

" Yes!" Agent Y hugged her superior-boyfriend's arm. " We're planning to eat in a Filipino, Chinese, or Japanese restaurant 16 hours from now!"

" Despite of our busy schedule, we still have our time for each other." P replied and smiled. " Agent Y is also helping me in our work here. We're sorry for our absences, lately."

" Yeah, we've got some pending jobs to do after Doom's havoc." Y added.

" I understood then," the SHIELD agent nodded and turned to Pyromaniac. " So, you made yourself absent in the previous Champions duty and your Avengers mission for your first doctorate thesis and practical work. Mr. Stark had understood it too. Don't worry, I've realized your most effort in your extensive study."

" Yes, I was with Fitz and the others in reactivating Penny Polendina as an LMD for the MIB and SHIELD headquarters. I submitted that requirement in the Open Studies course. Sir, the Cherry Tree Scare is not included in my scope."

" I know but I think it will help you to understand more." he added. " I'll tell you the events that you missed few days ago."

" Oooh! It's a story telling from Mr. Coulson!" Y eagerly beamed which she was very interested to hear. Omega and Kitty ceased their argument and listened. " This will be so Yangtastic!"

Coulson cleared his throat and spoke, " Senator Healey was working with Nadeer for the anti-Inhuman brigade. She was not even aware of her colleague's Watchdogs involvement. She was elected as a president at that time. Well, we sent some MIBs, SHIELD agents, and the other Champions members as undercover bodyguards. Suddenly, the protesters came to hinder her inauguration."

" Healey was involved with HYDRA?" P asked.

" No, it's just a rumor," Coulson continued. " After the event, she was kidnapped by the Vanisher, a mutant terrorist for hire who worked for CIA Agents controlled by the BUGS. Daisy and Team JNPR along with Agents J, K, and E traced and investigated the scene. They interrogated some witnesses, but no one had given them pertinent answers."

" What happened to Senator Healey?" Y raised another question.

" Her captors tortured her by placing a terrigen dust into her eye and had threaten to smash it to turn her into an alien."

Agents P and Y glanced at each other which they remembered something related to that torture.

" We understood that experience, Mr. Coulson," the Inhuman MIB couple said in unison and nodded.

" But someone helped the Champions to rescue Healey, it was her half-bug niece Grace. She understood of the bugs' transmissions and lead them to her aunt's captivity. "

" Transmissions..." P muttered. " I've studied the Draconian's transmission from my Astrophysics course. They were using gamma-rays in atomic levels. The cybernetic bugs emitted that kind of radiation. It might be a very delicate for a human brain to use it."

" It seems related to your Ph.D lessons, Pyromaniac," Coulson smiled and continued. " Because of Grace's ability, The Champions and the others came to Healey's whereabouts. However during the fight, the crystal was shattered when a bullet struck it, causing Senator Healey to go into terrigenesis. When she discovered herself as an Inhuman, she attempted to commit suicide. However her half alien niece convinced to live for her, and not to abandon her as her parents never understood what she went through."

Suddenly, there were other three male voices heard on the radio. Everyone paid their attention as Noory interrupted the interview to his guests. Omega turned off the holographic screen and sat down.

" Guys, I understood that reference," he said. " J, K, and E are neuralyzing them to stop that broadcast. You know what they mean."

" Hey, that reminds me of my first encounter with a handsome MIB agent. " Y turned to P as they were both blushing. " You're preventing me to expose your secrets. That's why you neuralyzed me."

" That was before, Sunshine. " P touched his girlfriend's face and hugged. " I won' t do that to you, anymore."

" I know. I'm part of this secret organization. Thanks to you!" she hugged him back.

" MIB Lovebirds...." Kitty sighed. " It's time to get mushy again!"

" Well, Agent J revealed the Sakura no Kyofu was real and on-going. Senator Laurel Healey was a survivor of this case." Coulson said.

" So, Laurel Healey is an Inhuman like us? " Y asked. " Where is she now?"

" Yes. She's under MIB and SHIELD's custody along with her niece. Agents Rodriguez,Johnson, Arc, and Nikos are in-charge in training them for using and controlling their Inhuman semblances. We will take them to Remnant after their 2 week rehabilitation program. Director Mace made a press conference that Senator Healey took her resignation after the kidnapping incident last week. This is the only way to protect them from Nadeer, HYDRA, and the Watchdogs. I have given them aliases: Laura and Gina Belladonna."

" Do you have any intentions to give them a superhero initiative like I have signed for the Avengers and the Champions?" P asked.

" Laurel and Grace have thought of that too, " Coulson answered. " But right now, they set their minds to have a new life in another country. Grace or Gina has decided to study at Atlas Academy. For Laurel or Laura, she wants to a have a private life and change into a Remnite citizen. She's also planning to be a huntress like her niece someday before she comes back to us. She will be known as Domino for her black eye has left a mark as an Inhuman."