A Mutant Collector Quest

"Janet, you weren't at fault... it was an accident," I whisper quietly, trying to comfort her. "And look, I found you now. It is not too late. You can come back with me. I can ask my teacher — she can open a portal, and you can go back to Earth and be reunited with your daughter," I say with a hopeful grin.

"G-go back... sob... go back to Earth?" Janet murmurs, her voice distant as if she is struggling to grasp the idea.

"Yes, I can ask her right now. She is very powerful; she can surely bring you back," I say with certainty, my words laced with optimism.

"N-no," Janet says, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"No?" I repeat in confusion, not fully understanding her reaction."Why not?"

Janet takes a shaky breath, her gaze distant. "Luke… can you tell me about my daughter?" she asks, her voice trembling. "She must be… twenty-one now, right? She must have grown into such a beautiful woman." Her tone is bittersweet, her lips curving into a small, wistful smile even as tears continue to pool in her eyes.

I nod gently, sensing that she isn't ready to let go of her connection to this place yet. "She is beautiful, Janet," I say warmly. "She is even trying to copy your style — from her hair to the way she dresses, everything."

"Hehe... she must be a mini version of me then," Janet says, attempting a weak smile, though it's clear she is struggling to hold back her tears. "No... she is almost as old as me now," she adds, her voice breaking again. "Her school, high school, prom... College... her first period, her first kiss... I missed everything. She must have been so, so alone."

She murmurs, her hands gripping my arms as her head hangs low, teardrops falling onto the rocky floor.

"Uhm you defintely haven't missed her first kiss yet," I say awkwardly.

"Oh, ha ha, how do you know that, young man… are you after my daughter too?" Janet tries to laugh, wiping her tears. "Well, you are strong, you seem like a decent kid, and you even know magic. You could surely take care of her properly, much better than her useless father." she says, tapping my shoulder with her eyes closed, still tearing up.

"Yes, I can and I will, but even as a 21-year-old, your daughter still misses her mother very much," I reply firmly. Janet grips my arms again, starting to sob. "So let's go back, and you can ask her the rest of your questions yourself," I add with finality.

"I… I can't, Luke," Janet says, her voice trembling and choking with emotion. She releases my arms and wipes at her red, swollen eyes, clearing them of tears once more.

"Why?" I ask, my confusion evident. "Because of them? Because of the Queen?" My gaze shifts towards Pearla, who is overseeing the evacuation efforts. Her expression is a mix of distress and concern as she frequently glances in Janet's direction, clearly worried. "I am sure your daughter wouldn't mind a stepmom," I say with a small grin, unable to resist the teasing remark.

I certainly wouldn't mind the tall, red-hot queen as my mommy either, I think, barely holding back a chuckle.

"Pearla is not the only reason," Janet murmurs. Her voice is soft but tinged with a deep sadness. "W-when I was all alone here, the Queen… she gave me, an outsider, a thief, a place to stay and rest. I owe her for that. And she is definitely more than a friend to me. She broke me out of the shell I locked myself in because of… that man and his ego." Her voice carries a trace of bitter mirth.

I pause, wondering. Was she talking about Hank, her husband? Or someone else entirely? Oddly, Janet hasn't once asked about Hank since I brought up Hope.

"But that's not all, Luke," she continues, her weak smile fading. "All the people you see here have lost their homes. Queen Pearla lost her kingdom. Marionette… that's not even her real name. She is Princess Mari of Homeworld, here in disguise because her entire family was slaughtered. She is the only surviving member of their royal lineage." Janet's gaze drifts towards the blonde woman, pain evident in her eyes.

I follow her gaze to Marionette. My meta-knowledge confirms she is exactly who I thought she was. In the comics, Mari was indeed the Princess of Homeworld. And later, she would go on to join the Micronauts, a Guardians of the Galaxy-style group exploring the Microverse together.

"They will all die, Luke," Janet says, her voice heavy with despair. "They have survived this long only because I am here. Even with me, we are barely winning small victories. If I leave, they will perish—by tomorrow, or the next day at most. I can't abandon them. I have fought with them, eaten with them, laughed and cried with them for more than a year. They depend on me… I can't just leave them to die. I-I can't do that. I just can't." Her face twists in anguish, every word clearly painful to say.

I take in her words, the weight of her guilt and loyalty pressing heavily on her. Finally, I ask, in a serious tone, "Who is it that destroyed their homes and kingdoms? Who are you fighting, Janet?"

"The Conqueror," she replies, her voice almost trembling. "He is too powerful, and his armies are vast. He doesn't stop—he relentlessly pursues every place, every land, until everything and everyone is under his rule."

"He must have a name," I prod, my lips twitching at such a clichéd title.

"I don't know much about him—his personal details, even his looks. I have only seen him once, from far away, destroying an entire city on his own. But he never lets go of those he is after, even if it means searching the entire Microverse for them," she sighs.

"Then he could literally be anyone," I mutter, holding my forehead. The comics and movies were riddled with convoluted plots, leaving me with four or five potential candidates for this 'Conqueror.' If only I had a photo or distinct physical characteristic to narrow it down.

"Anyway, as I said… I can't leave them. I-I will come back as soon as I finish this war," Janet says, her voice low with guilt.

"Maybe instead of fighting, you can just go someplace else?" I suggest, sighing. "You said the Microverse is vast, right? Then take all these people somewhere far away, beyond his reach."

"I-It won't work, Luke. We have tried everything. We went as far as we could… but he finds us every single time. Somehow, he can track people—special people, like Queen Pearla, Princess Mari… and me," she says, her voice weary.

Eh? He can track beautiful women? I suddenly find myself very intrigued by this mystical tracker he is supposed to have.

"Just go back and take care of Hope for me, alright? Promise me, Luke" she pleads, gripping my arms and looking up at me with swollen, tearful eyes.

"There is no need for me to promise," I reply gently. "I will always take care of Hope. But your daughter is just as stubborn as you, Janet. She hasn't forgotten her mother. In fact, she is working hard to crack the Pym Particle code so she can come down here and rescue you herself," I say with a wry smile, meeting her beautiful blue eyes.

"No! That cannot happen!" Janet exclaims, her voice rising in panic. "If she comes here, she could be in danger, and if the Conqueror gets hold of the Pym Particles, he could find a way to Earth. Then everything would be ruined, Luke. There would be no home to go back to!" Her body trembles as fear takes hold.

"Sigh. Let's just kill this 'Conqueror' clown, then," I say in exasperation. "You saw how powerful I am, right? That was just a small fraction of my power. Take me to him. I will pummel him and conquer him instead. Problem solved," I declare confidently.

"Thank you, Luke. My daughter is lucky to have someone strong and righteous like you after her," Janet says with a faint smile. She reaches up, cupping my face. "When you go back, tell her that her mother loves her very much," she says, kissing my right cheek. "Tell her she is the best daughter in the world," she adds, kissing my left cheek. "And tell her… her mother will come home soon, jellybean," she whispers, kissing me softly on the lips. Her salty tears mingle with the touch of her lips, and her deep love for Hope is clear in every word and gesture.

I was taken off guard by the brief kiss, but as I look at Janet's beautiful face, twisted in pain, her tear-streaked expression and the sorrow in her voice, the kiss feels anything but enjoyable. It is a bittersweet moment, heavy with the weight of her emotions.

"You can tell her all this yourself," I say, looking at her seriously, as it seems she still doesn't have much confidence in my power.

"Luke… he will send his armies to Earth to follow me. That is who the Conqueror is—he won't stop," she whispers, her body shaking as she wipes her tears and turns away. "Please, don't bring this up again. I-I am not strong enough to reject the chance to see my jellybean again and again," she sobs quietly, her shoulders slumped.

As if I would listen to her. "I am strong enough Janet. Let me at least try. Think about your daughter—she is waiting for you back at your real ho—"

Before I can finish, I feel a familiar tug and am abruptly pulled back.

In an instant, the forgotten pain returns, sharp and fleeting, leaving my body drenched in sweat as if I have just endured a marathon. "Haaa… haa… fuck, so painful," I mutter, struggling to catch my breath back in the kaleidoscope of paths.

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