Issue Number Four
Written by Barry Reese

"Hunter and Hunted"
Part One

Cassie Lang knew about sex.

Not firsthand, of course, but she'd read a lot about it and sometimes she'd snuck to see R-rated movies. That had given a fair bit of knowledge about what went on, though some of the details were a bit nebulous. A good bit of her information came from something that had happened when she was nine years old and visiting her mom. The girl next door, Lacey, was a year older than Cassie but she was pretty cool so they ended up spending a lot of time together. 

One afternoon when no one was home at Lacey's, the older girl had pulled a stash of magazines out from under her dad's bed. The covers had immediately caught Cassie's attention, especially the ones that Lacey said were her dad's favorites -- Hustler's Barely Legal. 

"Some of these girls don't look much older than us," Cassie had whispered, turning the pages with an almost reverent air. She knew she shouldn't be looking at this, but she couldn't stop, either. Not only were there naked girls in there, but in some of the pictures they were making out with naked men....

"My dad says that's when girls are prettiest," Lacey had confided. "When we're changing from girls into women."

Cassie had stared at her. "Your dad knows you look at these?"

"Sure. Sometimes when mom's not home, he looks at them with me."

Cassie had frowned. She couldn't imagine sitting next to her dad looking at stuff like this... she couldn't imagine him looking at these things at all. The thought of him ogling girls barely older than her made her feel slightly queasy. She set the magazine aside, its images burning into her brain. "I better go, Lacey."

"You sure? You don't have to be scared. I thought it was weird at first, too. It's cool, though." Lacey had smiled at her, with that kind of gleam to her eye that Cassie recognized. They were friends, sharing a naughty secret. It pleased her to share that feeling with someone... being with her dad meant traveling a lot, moving from place to place. She didn't have many real friends.

"Okay," she had finally relented. "I'll look at a few more."

They'd spent most of that afternoon talking about the magazines and the things in them. When she'd finally gone home, Cassie had felt both elated and terrified. Is that what sex was all about? It didn't look that great to her -- in fact, it looked kind of scary -- but there was definitely an appeal there, she had to admit.

She never discussed those books with her mom or her dad, but she'd never forgotten them either.

As Cassie lay in bed now, her thoughts returned to them. She could her dad on the far side of the house, trying to be quiet, but failing. It sounded like him and Cassie's mom were doing it, but she didn't see how that was possible... her mom was dead and rotting. She smelled funny and looked even worse. 

But she's still my mom, Cassie realized. And my dad never stopped loving her.

She swallowed hard, hearing her mother calling out her dad's name. 

Sex was weird.

Scott lay in the dark, his eyes tightly closed. He felt Peggy's weight move off him, but her scent clung to him. "I... don't know about this."

"It's okay, honey." She nestled against him, her head on his chest. He had to admit she felt good and his arm went around her automatically. With the lights off and his eyes closed, Scott could almost pretend she was normal again. "You and I are going to make up for lost time. All three of us."

"You're dead," he said flatly. "How can we have a future when you're dead?"

"I don't know how this happened, Scott... but I'm here now. And I want to put all the bad stuff in our past behind us. Don't ruin it. Please?"

Scott lay there quietly, not answering. She'd remarried... she'd been married when she'd died. Why wasn't she with him in Heaven? Why was she here, in his house, trying to be a mother to Cassie?

An ant moved past him in the bed. He kept his window open these days, which sometimes let in a draft, but he didn't mind. Phoenix was hot, after all... besides, it let his friends come and go as they pleased. They were all over the house now, making themselves at home. 

"I'm going crazy," he whispered, knowing how all this would appear to an outsider. 

"Don't be silly," his dead wife whispered.

The next morning saw the sun hanging high over Phoenix, bathing the city in heat and light. Colin Davies squinted up into the sky, his mouth feeling dry. He was wearing a new suit, bought for him by Morlun, but he couldn't help but feel naked in the older man's presence... he had a way of looking into you that made Colin feel exposed and vulnerable. "He lives about a mile from here, on the right. Nice place. His daughter lives with him."

Morlun stood beside his pawn, his long coat whipping in the breeze. He liked this place, with its dry air and open landscapes. It reminded him of other places and times, when he had lived as a king among men... he had hunted his prey like a jungle cat, stalking them for weeks -- sometimes months -- before striking. But the avatars were harder to find now, with more and more pretenders. The pure ones -- the ones that could satisfy his hunger more than any other -- were rare. "We will give him the opportunity to send his young one to safety."

Colin looked over at the handsome man, whose age seemed difficult to determine. "That's very nice of you."

"I'm not a monster, Mr. Davies." Morlun smiled at him, showing straight white teeth. "I've survived many centuries by simply doing what needs to be done. I grow hungry; I eat. It's that simple, really. I have no interest in harming innocents, though I won't hesitate to do so if necessary."

"And then you'll let me go?"

Morlun reached out and stroked Colin's hair. "Such a lost and frightened thing you are," he whispered, never losing his predator's smile. "What else do you have that calls to you like I do? Your meaningless job, where you put numbers to deaths? Or your string of broken and failed romances. You need this, Mr. Davies. You need me."

Colin closed his eyes, not wanting to face the truth. He felt lost and scared, it was true...but he also felt more alive than he had in months. "I don't like hurting people."

"You won't have to," Morlun explained. "You can leave that to me."

You should be careful. Something dangerous is coming.

Scott knelt in his backyard, ignoring the trickle of sweat that was running down the middle of his back. His garden here was shaping up nicely, though the ants were doing a real number on the tomatoes. He would need to talk to them about that. Right now, though, he was more concerned with whatever had gotten Steed so agitated. The winged ant was buzzing all about in Scott's face, his 'words' coming across in a hurried fashion.

"What is it?"

Can't you feel it? Predator!

Scott frowned. He could feel... something. It was at the periphery of his consciousness, hanging out in that nebulous neighborhood where he crossed over from the world of man into the realm of insect. He let his mind drift in that direction, smiling unconsciously as he felt ants all over the world sensing him and responding in kind greeting. He had saved them from the Ant-Lord and they'd recognized him as their champion. It filled him with a sense of pride. 

That pleasant emotion was drowned out the presence of something else, something whose mind was separated from the Field that united all things; but was perversely a part of it, as well. "I won't let anything harm you guys. You know that," he promised, hoping to calm Steed down.

Not coming for us. For you. It is following your trail, your scent. He is a Hunter.

"I don't have any enemies who would feel like that," he said aloud, not noticing that someone was moving up behind him. "You guys seem to know him, though." He looked about, at the small army of ants at his feet. They seemed agitated and almost concerned. "Is he really that dangerous?"

You are not the first to bear our blessing. Our histories are full of such champions. Most have died at his hands. He feeds on the pure Totems. They make him fat and sleepy.

"Mr. Lang?" someone asked, their voice full of concern.

Scott glanced behind him, seeing a slightly overweight middle-aged man in bermuda shorts and a floppy hat. "Yes?"

"My name's Doug Sinclair. I live across the street?" 

"Hi, Doug. Sorry about the mess. I was just doing some gardening." Scott shook the man's hand, but he noted the way Doug's eyes kept looking about the yard. There were ant hills everywhere, along with treats that Scott had left out for the insects. An ant-covered peanut butter and jelly sandwich lay nearby.

"Uh-huh." Doug cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "Some of the neighbors wanted me to come over and welcome you to the area. And, uh, to ask about your yard?"

"What about it?"

"You seem to have quite an ant problem." Doug smiled sheepishly. "I've got some great weed and ant killer if you want some help getting things under control. Because, uh, the insect problem is getting pretty bad around here."

Scott wiped his forehead off with the back of a hand. "I appreciate that, Doug. I really do. Maybe we can all get together and have a big cookout or something once I've got this place looking better."

Doug seemed relieved. "Hey, that sounds great. And don't worry about the yard -- when me and Suzi first moved, it was all we could do to get all the boxes opened and unpacked. I understand letting the yard go a little bit."

"Thanks. Hey, you wanna come in for a drink or anything?"

"Nah. Can't. But I'll see you around, okay? And don't be a stranger!"

Scott smiled until Doug was out of sight, then he let his face fall into a frown. "Buddy, I don't think I could get any stranger."

Doug didn't pay much attention to the handsome black man who was standing on the Lang's front porch. He wore a dark suit, but didn't seem fazed by the heat. He rang the doorbell, watching as Doug crossed the street.

Inside the house, Cassie looked up from her playstation and sighed. Her dad was out back, so he wasn't going to get the door -- and she was right at the end of Kingdom Hearts. "Coming!" she yelled, hitting the pause setting on the game. Her chest ached today and she rubbed at it absently as she headed to the front. Her breasts -- what there was of them, anyway -- felt tender. And bigger. 

She stopped in the foyer and admired her profile in the mirror. Nothing looked different, but she felt different. "Cool," she whispered.

The doorbell rang again, interrupting her train of thought. She'd been wondering about the makeup argument she'd been having with her dad... how could he refuse to let her wear something as innocent as lipstick when she was getting her breasts and all? I'm practically a woman, she mused. Next thing you know, I'll have my first real boyfriend and I'll be engaged and--

The doorbell made her mutter under her breath, using words her dad didn't even know she held in her vocabulary.

"Don't open the door."

Cassie stopped in place, glancing to her left. Her mother was standing there, looking just as gruesome as ever... and smelling even riper. The bluish cast to her skin was worse today and the wound in her midsection was leaking some kind of fluid. Cassie recognized it as the fluid that had been staining her dad's pajamas this morning. She averted her eyes from the wound, but her mom could still be seen in the periphery of her vision. "Why not?"

"He's going to try and hurt me." 

Cassie heard fear in her mother's voice and it chilled her to the bone. What could scare someone who was already dead? An ant crawled past Cassie's reflection in the mirror, struggling to keep its grip on the smooth mirrored surface. "Why do you think that?"

"Because I know, Cassie. Please."

The doorbell rang out again and Cassie heard her father stepping in through the back door. She hesitated for a moment but in the end her hand went to the door, despite the fact that her mother made a pained noise when she did so. There was something on the other side that was calling to Cassie, something that spoke of answers to questions not even asked yet. She felt a compulsion that was too strong to ignore.

The door swung open and an absolutely gorgeous man stood there smiling at her. He looked like Denzel Washington, only with a streak of white down the middle of his hair... and eyes that seemed far more serious than she'd ever seen Denzel's. These were the kind of eyes that young girls could fall into and swim around in for quite awhile.

"Hello," the man said. "Ben Grimm sent me. My name's Jericho Drumm. I understand you're having problems with the dead?"

Cassie's expression was full of surprise, but she found herself mouthing the words "My mom's dead but she's living here with us."

Jericho nodded sagely, as if this sort of thing was commonplace. "I'd say that's a problem then. But we'll get it all sorted out, I promise. Is your father home?"

Scott stepped into view, looking curiously at the stranger. "Can I help you?"

Jericho nodded, his smile staying firmly in place. He held out a card that Scott took with an unsteady hand. He'd passed Peggy in the hall... she'd been sobbing, her tears falling in rivulets down over her swollen blue breasts.

The card read Jericho Drumm, Houngan.

"Brother Voodoo," Scott whispered. He thought of his wife, whose love he'd lost all those years ago. He thought of last night, when in the dark she'd come to him... he thought of how it had felt to hold her in his arms again.... "Go back to Haiti, Mr. Drumm." He crumpled up the card and threw it back into the man's face, slamming the door for added emphasis.

"Dad? Why did you do that?" 

Scott sighed, not facing his daughter. "I... I don't know. I just know that I want us to work this out on our own. We owe that to your mom."

Jericho Drumm walked away slowly, his smile long gone. This was worse, far worse, than Ben had let on. 

If something wasn't done soon, it would be too late... and then there would be no hope for any of the Lang family.

He never noticed the ant that was crushed beneath his heel.

Morlun sat in Doug Sinclair's living room, paying no attention to the television that Colin was staring at intently. He knew that Davies was trying to avoid looking at the two shriveled beings in the kitchen, both of whom had fed Morlun's unending hunger. "The man who just visited Mr. Lang... he is a wizard. I've seen his kind before."

Colin picked up the remote, turning up the volume on Jerry Springer. Doug Sinclair wasn't quite dead yet, though his wife thankfully was. Morlun had saved the middle-aged man as a 'snack for later.' The thought made Colin nauseous. "I... I don't think I can do this. I think I'd rather you just killed me and was done with it."

Morlun ignored him. He could smell this 'Ant-Man' on the wind. It was a delicious scent, one that promised a feast like none other. This human was losing himself in the Field, was growing more distant from humanity and becoming one with the insect within. Given time, who knew how powerful this Scott Lang could become?

A pity that he would not get that opportunity, Morlun mused.

TO BE CONTINUED

Next Issue: Morlun summons Ant-Man to a meeting, hoping to test the limits of the avatar's power. The battle will be one that Phoenix won't soon forget. Meanwhile, Cassie agrees to a clandestine meeting with Brother Voodoo, one that will eventually reveal much about her mother's fate.

Author's Notes

The title of this storyline has many meanings -- there are quite a few hunters and hunted in this series, with some characters filling both roles simultaneously. By the end of it all, we should know a good bit more about the Field, about what being an Avatar of Ants means and what Peggy's future really is.

Hopefully the first scene didn't seem too pandering -- Cassie's development is actually an ongoing facet of the series. Her transformation from girl to woman is meant to parallel the changes going on in Scott himself, with both suffering both physical and mental effects. 

Meanwhile, the comments keep rolling in -- thanks to everyone who's been reading and supporting this series!

The first two letters were posted to the Avengers 2000 list by Mark Anderson and are reviews of issues 2 & 3:

Ant Man in Houston. Watch out for the cockroaches.

The description of Scott exploring the yard makes me think of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids." The scenes where the kids have to cross the backyard are very underrated. And Barry brings it to me, sights and smells.

The dead and rotting ex-wife is creeping me out. Eww! Good stuff!

Wow! Poor Cassie. Reese, you are a bastard. That scene at the smoothie place is greatness. One of the best horror scenes I have seen or read in a year or so. Kudos.

Surprises me that Colin reappeared. I figured that he was an expository foil for the first issue and gone. Should have known better.

Seems to be a lot of nudity in this series. Is this the first Av2k MAX series?

The Ant Lord's entrance is very Clive Barker-esque. Nicely done!

I wonder who the other avatars of the field are?

Wow! Did he kill the Ant Lord? That's intense. Guess we'll find out in an issue or two.

I give it 10 out of 10 cigars.

and

So the Ant Lord's not dead...yet. that sure looked like a judge, jury and executioner moment at the end of #2.

Fire ants in south Texas. I almost feel sorry for Wilmon. Almost.

Soggy meat?!? We temporarily interrupt this Smoking Lamp while puff throws up! Thank you!

So Moondragon-style telepathy. Well as long as he doesn't shave his head and start wearing skintight green swimsuits. HA!

Okay. The ants named Gary and Des was a good smirk.

So now Scott's talking to Peggy in front of people. I wonder what the inside of a super hero insane asylum looks like.

I'm hoping that Ben is going to maintain some presence in this series.

Okay as I've said before, I am creeped out by the whole zombie Mom thing. Cassie is going to have to spend so much time in counseling.

Morlun. The Ant Lord. The dead ex-wife.

Creepiness abounds. Great bad guys. Good stories.

Thanks Barry, keep up the good work.

I give it 10 out of 10 cigars.

Thanks, Mark! For those who don't know, Mark "Puff" Anderson writes some really groovy stories at Avengers 2000 and DC Heroes, so be sure to seek out his work. If you like creepiness, Puff, you're in the right place. I see this series as a cross-genre project, with elements of traditional superheroics and plenty of horror, as well.

Next up is Ben W., who also posted to the AV2K mailing list:

Well. I'm sort of at a lack of positive adjectives to give Barry's Ant-man. I think I've used them all up. But yeah, I just read issue number three, and it's the best one yet. It's difficult to truly say what I enjoyed without giving stuff away, and it's better if you read this in the dark and let everything hit you through the way that Barry writes it. Scott's entire attitude during his meeting with Hank is awesome, and reveals what could be a much more...interesting side of the title character. Cassie's acceptance of what's going on with her mom is an interesting twist, although not as
much of a twist as what happened with everyone's favorite lawyer. Or maybe no one's. Anyways. I'm interested to see who this "friend" is that's going to show up and help Cassie. I like how these issues are quick reads. I have a short attention span, and these issues are perfect. Something I should work with on the X-men title...hehe, those are like marathon reads compared to these Ant-man issues. Keep up the fast pace, I can't wait to see what happens next!

Now I'm blushing! :-)

I appreciate the kind words, Ben. I have to admit, I think this is the best thing I've ever written.

Next up is Michael Watkins:

I don't know if it's new or not. I check in every once in awhile for new reads. But I'm liking Ant-Man and Pendragons series. Keep up the good work. That's all I have to say so later.

Short and to the point -- I like that! Yes, Ant-Man is new and it is something that I plan to update fairly frequently in the near future. Thanks for the kind words on this series and Pendragons.

Finally, we've got C. William Russette:

Ant Man 3 keeps the pace of fluid, clear storytelling that I'm learning is Barry Reese's style and trademark. How disturbing is it that Cassie has to go to the decomposing ghost of her mother for some girl - talk? She Hulk was
busy?

I'm feeling for Ant Lord. I'd like to say he has it coming but they were just  ants. (Sorry Emma and Steed)

I think Lang is losing his moral perspective but it is great reading about  him doing it.

Great work, Mr. Reese.

Thank You! Good eye noticing that Scott's losing touch with certain aspects of reality. Where it all leads should be pretty interesting.

Keep in touch everyone!

Barry