#2 - "Baptism"
Roll Call:
 Black Diamond |
 Enchantress |
 Firestar |
 Lightburst |
 Muskateer |
 Nightingale |
 Thing |
The man known only as Lord Thorne entered the vehicle hanger within the New York City Demonbase. His clothing was dark, almost a reflection of his soul. A dark green hooded cloak concealed most of his features. Only parts of his face could be seen. His eyes had a reddish glow to them, which almost matched his full beard in color.
Padding silently behind Lord Thorne, off to one side and several steps back, was the Chameleon. A master of disguise and commander of the Demonflux, the Chameleon was dressed in a plain white body suit. His entire face was covered giving him the appearance of not having any features at all.
Demonwarriors formed an honor guard as Lord Thorne entered the large garage. All stood perfectly still and at attention. No one dared to learn the wrath Lord Thorne.
They all had heard the stories, the rumors. Lord Thorne started out as one of the many Demonpriests, the Morbanes, but now was something for more than that. The most popular rumor was the he had located an artifact of great power and infused that power into himself. An even darker theory was that he had absorbed the essence of a forgotten god, an ancient creature of great power that had been imprisoned in the distant past. This forgotten god even had a name-- Xortec.
Whatever its source, Lord Thorne was now far more than a simple Morbane. His eyes glowed with a hellish light. Some said that he no longer had a reflection. That he now had some of the vulnerabilities normally associated with demons. That he himself was now a demon...
Within less than a year, Lord Thorne had secured his position as the unquestioned ruler of DEMON. A little over a month ago, the masters of this DEMON base had vanished without a trace. On this day Lord Thorne would install new masters.
A portion of the far wall of the hanger parted and a black limousine rolled in. Its darkly tinted windows concealed the vehicle's occupants. The car came to a stop and the driver's door opened. A tall, muscular man in a chauffeur's uniform emerged. He stepped smartly to the rear of the vehicle and opened the passenger door.
The first to emerge was a man in elegant Victorian dress. He was dressed in a frilly white shirt with French cuffs under a long double-breasted overcoat. The man wore tan knickers, complete with long, white socks that disappeared into square toe shoes. His long brown hair was tied into a queue with a black ribbon at the back.
"Lord Evil," Lord Thorne said as he shook his fellow Morbane's hand.
"A pleasure, as always, milord."
Lord Evil dismissed the chauffeur and offered his hand to the remaining passenger of the limousine. "I believe that you are familiar with my wife?", Lord Evil said as he helped his mate out of the car.
A hand covered in shiny black material accepted the greeting and a woman stepped forth. Unlike her comrade, her style of dress was very modern. It consisted of a seemingly one-piece skin-tight latex bodysuit, black and extremely shiny. It covered her completely from the neck down. A full-length leather trench coat was over her shoulders, but fell open. She rose and stood before the two Morbanes on outrageously high heels. Lustrous black hair played around her shoulders, matching her equally dark eyes.
"Lord Thorne," she said, offering her hand. "Such a delight to see you again."
Lord Thorne took the hand and gently kissed it. "As stunning as always, Lady Darkness. Your grace is most welcome here."
Lord Thorne gestured for the new arrivals to follow him. "This is quite an opportunity for you two," Lord Thorne said. "I trust that you will be more careful then your predecessors?"
"Lord Shadow was incautious in his dealings," Lord Evil commented.
"Continually took his magic far too frivolously," Lady Darkness added. "It would appear that was his ultimate undoing. Really, trying to assemble a magical artifact without taking any precautions. He was a power mad fool who got what he deserved."
"Have there been any new developments since we last spoke?", Lord Evil asked.
"After the incident with the crystal artifact, there has not been a trace of it or the four beings that disappeared along with it," Lord Thorne responded. "Until two days ago that is. We momentarily detected the same magical signature that led us to the first shard of the crystal. Only this one was far more powerful. Even more powerful then when Lord Shadow joined the four shards together."
"Really?", Lady Darkness said, obviously very excited at this news. This magical artifact might have slipped through the hands of those incompetents Lord Shadow and Lady Zee, but she and Lord Evil were not about to lose it! The acquistion of such artifacts was paramount for her to reclaim her lost throne.
"Yes. And more ominously, this occurred right around the same time and place as the destruction of the Avengers Mansion. Obviously there is some connection."
"Blast it all!", Lord Evil nearly shouted. "I had hoped to be free of interference from those do-gooders! This might hinder our plans, my dear."
"Worry not, my husband. I sincerely doubt that this world's Avengers are capable of truly comprehending just what is going on. In fact, they may become very useful in our plans. Very useful indeed..."
Lord Thorne just smiled as the Demonpriests departed the underground garage. With Lord Evil and Lady Darkness in control, the New York City operations were in good, if not diabolical, hands...
Roll Call:
Black Diamond |
Enchantress |
Firestar |
Lightburst |
Muskateer |
Nightingale |
Thing |
March 17th, 1986 - Avengers Mansion
"All things considered, I'd rather take on Dr. Destroyer any day," Benjamin Grimm, better known to the world as the Thing, muttered as he closed the door to the Mansion.
After being grilled by the press for over two hours, the weary heroes sought refuge within their headquarters.
"Dealing with the press can be trying at times," Black Diamond commented.
"I love it!", Lightburst chimed in.
"You would, lightbulb," the Thing growled.
"The press knows who the real star is around here," Lightburst countered.
"Oh, brother...," Muskateer groaned.
"Well, if you want to get technical, I'm the only 'Star in the group," Firestar said quietly.
"It's getting deep in here," Nightingale said as she walked off. "Personally, I'm going to get washed up. I always feel unclean after dealing with 'journalists'. You would not believe the headache I have from dealing with so many minds."
"Oh come now, Nightingale," the Enchantress responded. "Not all journalists are bad. Some of them are very nice people."
As the team started to go their separate ways, Black Diamond turned towards the newest recruits. "There's some things that I need to take care of with you newcomers."
"Don't worry," Muskateer said, "We're house broken."
"Right, no newspapers in Muskateer's quarters," Diamond countered. "Anyway, we need to get your ID cards set up so that you can have access to the Mansion. Then I'll provide you each with your team communicators."
"You're not going to make us stand in a long line, are you?"
"Keep it up and you're going to be at the end of that line."
"Sheesh, what a grouch. Lead on, Oscar."
Firestar tried desperately to keep from laughing, but failed.
"I think I'm going to like this group," the Enchantress said with a smile. "Certainly not as grim as the Crusaders were."
"We have our moments."
"Not as grim as Ben, either." Muskateer couldn't help but chuckle at his own joke. Firestar was almost choking.
"I really should have taken the Buffalo instead," Black Diamond said while shaking her head.
Less than an hour later, the newest Avengers have their ID Cards...
"Wow, my very own license," Muskateer said. "Gee, mom, can I borrow the car?"
Ignoring these latest comments, Black Diamond said, "Whatever you do, don't lose these cards or the communicators. That's really about it for now. We'll have a meeting tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. Be there."
"Guess I should unload my belongings," Firestar said.
"Oh, that reminds me. The personnel rooms are not finished yet..."
"Now isn't that inconvenient," Muskateer complained. "Is there a Motel 6 around here?"
"Sorry, but it'll be a few more days before the rooms are completed. You can store your gear on sub-level 1. There are secured storage areas there."
"I have guest rooms at my residence if you would like a place to stay," the Enchantress offered. "It would give us new folks a chance to get to know each other better."
"If it's not a bother," Firestar said. "I just want to avoid roaches."
"It's not a bother at all. It has been a while since I've had guests. And I promise you'll not find a single roach."
"Certainly sounds better then camping out on the frozen tundra," Muskateer quipped. "Count me in."
"Have a good time. See you all tomorrow," Black Diamond said.
"You're just happy to get us out of your hair."
"Probably just you, Muskateer," Firestar said with a grin.
"Hey! Whose side are you on anyway?"
"Mine, of course."
"Enchantress, you have one long evening ahead of you," Black Diamond said sympathetically, as she walked off.
"At least it will not be dull," 'Tress replied.
"Anybody up for pizza?", Muskateer asked. Just as Black Diamond was almost out of sight he added, "Bye, Oscar!"
"You're terrible!", Firestar scolded.
"Just trying to live up to my press."
"Let me get my stuff stored and I'll be ready to go," Firestar said. "Seeya in a bit."
"Very well," the Enchantress replied. Turning to Muskateer she added, "I had something a bit more-- refined-- than pizza in mind. Do you like seafood?"
"Love it! Most kinds anyway. What did you have in mind?"
"Either cracked crab or lobster."
"Decisions, decisions. I think I could live with either one."
"You know, I get the feeling that we've met before. But I think I would have remembered someone with such a-- unique-- personality."
"We are one of a kind... I think I would have remembered you as well. You're pretty unforgettable..."
From the outside, the Avengers Mansion appeared much like any other similar structure in the area. Once inside, however, all the similarities end. While appearing to be like any other three story building, this one also went down several levels as well. Most of the sensitive areas were located far beneath the earth.
The main conference room was located on Sub-Level 2, some fifty yards beneath the pavement. It was an ultra-secure room with a large conference table in the middle. Numerous monitors, screens, and computer stations circled the walls of the room.
Black Diamond stood at the head of the table, checking over her notes, trying to hide her annoyance at the meeting's delay. Ben Grimm relaxed, his orange rock-like feet resting on the table, a cigar in his mouth. Nearby the Enchantress used her magic to create a small breeze that drove the offending cigar smoke away from her.
Firestar sat in her chair, seemingly unsure about what to do. Muskateer was busy checking out the hardware that ringed the room.
"Man, this is pretty impressive. It's even cable ready!"
Nightingale just sat back in her chair. Muskateer's strange sense of humor was beginning to wear thin on her, not that she would show it. While she greatly disliked using her abilities to scan Muskateer and Firestar, it had revealed to her that the fears about both of them were unfounded.
Muskateer had even spoken of Iron Maiden without the slightest hint of deception. If he was involved with her then even he was unaware of it. The swordsman from Chicago might have an aggravating personality, but he was not in league with the French supervillainess.
Firestar was a different story. Not only could it be proved that she was in St. Louis at the exact same time as when she was caught on tape in New York, but she truthfully revealed that she never had even been to the Big Apple. Black Diamond and Nightingale had come to the conclusion that Firestar had nothing to do with what happened to the old team. The question now was, why was someone impersonating her and what was his or her involvement in all of this?
But those were mysteries for another day as Lightburst finally shuffled into the meeting room. Diamond glanced at the clock on the wall, saw that it was 9:10, then stared back at Lightburst.
"What?", he said with a hint of annoyance. "I was in the shower, okay?"
"The meeting was supposed to start ten minutes ago," Black Diamond growled at the tardy Avenger.
"But you'll still love me anyway."
Black Diamond let that comment go as she brought the meeting to order. "First off I would like to officially welcome our new members to our organization. Welcome aboard. I can only wish that it was under far more pleasant circumstances."
"Has there been any leads on the explosion?", Ben Grimm asked. "And what about Hunter? There's no word about him anywhere."
Black Diamond paused for a moment, as if considering her words very carefully. "There have been some leads, but so far they've all turned up empty. Some of the security footage survived the fire. We have formed a rough picture of what happened."
"As for the Hunter, he's been secreted away in a local military hospital. He's been in a coma since the incident. His chance of survival does not look good. Captain Valor was never even found."
"What did happen to the other Avengers?", the Enchantress asked.
"I'm hoping that you'll be able to shed some light on this."
"Me? How?"
Black Diamond worked the keyboard before her and an image appeared on the main monitor overhead. "This is a still from the security camera, enlarged and enhanced."
On the screen was a chaotic image. Part of it showed Captain Valor holding some large crystalline object in his hands.
"Any idea on just what this is?", Black Diamond asked.
"No-- does it have any special meaning?"
"A few seconds after this still, it exploded."
"You mean a hunka rock blew up my drinkin' buddies?", the Thing said incredulously.
"HA!", Lightburst said with a laugh. "The great Captain Valor off'd by a paperweight!"
No one else in the room was remotely amused.
"As sensitive as always, 'Burst," Nightingale said.
"Oh come now. You have to admit that there's a certain irony to it." Seeing the stone-faced looks that he was getting, Lightburst quickly added, "Hey, I miss the big lug too."
"Did the video show Valor getting blasted?", Muskateer asked. "Or did he just seem to disappear?"
"The tape is inconclusive. The cameras went out just as the explosion occurred. There's a flash and then it all goes black."
"So he still could be alive?", Muskateer concluded.
"Anything's possible. He's considered 'missing' at the moment."
"Vanished without a trace," Firestar added.
"You suspect that magic was involved?", the Enchantress asked.
"Sargon was the one who first appeared with this object. In fact he seems to add a piece to it. A portion of the audio has him commenting that the object was 'magical' and he claims that it's 'not of this world'."
"Martian magic?", Muskateer said to no one in particular.
"If it was magical, then I might be able to find some trace of it," the Enchantress offered.
"The boys from PRIMUS were all over the rubble with a fine-tooth comb. They couldn't find anything," Black Diamond explained. "Perhaps your abilities can succeed where theirs failed?"
"I will try."
"Any questions on that subject before moving on to other business? Okay, next on the agenda: all the strange things going on with the supervillains; the senseless attacks and the disappearances of heroes. Just a few days ago Oculon assaulted Peregrine in Chicago. The two had never fought before. Before that Firewing took on Powershift in Atlanta. There are over a dozen such incidents in the last few months. Villains appear to be randomly attacking heroes with which they have had no previous contact."
"Maybe there's a new Supervillain of the Month Club," Muskateer commented. "You know-- once a month you get trashed by a new villain? The first six are only a penny."
"And you have the nerve to complain about MY sense of humor?", Lightburst said to Nightingale.
"I hadn't noticed that you had a sense of humor," Muskateer said.
"Mind your mouth, rookie!"
"Boys, knock it off right now," Black Diamond reprimanded. "I will not tolerate such childish behavior in meetings."
After a moment of silence, Black Diamond continued. "Strange things are going on with these attacks and disappearances. Everyone just be careful. Don't hesitate to withdraw if a situation seems very peculiar. I don't want any of you to disappear. If a heavy hitter like Supreme can just up and vanish, then I'd say that we're all at risk."
"Since most of you are either new to New York or have been away for a time, there's a new problem that we think has ties to VIPER. They've been dumping faulty weaponry on to the street for the last few months."
"'Faulty weaponry'?", Muskateer questioned. "Is that so the street toughs have a HARDER time fighting us?"
"That's not quite what I meant. I've been working with the Scarlet Sabre on this over the last few months. The weapon is called a Retaliator. It's an automatic laser pistol that's very nasty. The problem is that its laser pulses generate back feed into the pistol. In short, it explodes if you use it too long. It's already killed a few people. Others have lost hands or have been blinded. Just a few months ago there was a vigilante calling himself the 'Slaughterizer' who was killed when his Retaliators blew up. It left quite a mess. They didn't find most of his head."
"Gross!", Firestar exclaimed.
"Lasers don't bother me one bit," Lightburst said.
"Who said anyone was worried about you, Lightbulb?", the Thing responded. Lightburst was about to respond, but then thought better of it.
"I'm just curious what you want us to do about these VIPER guns," Muskateer stated.
"First off, be careful of them . If you see someone using one, try to get it away from him, if possible. Any information you can learn would be extremely helpful. We need to find where the weapons are coming from and shut them down."
"Anyone have anything else to add? No? Then that pretty much brings this meeting to a close. Oh, and the Monitor Duty roster is posted."
A collective groan filled the room and the team began to file out, leaving Black Diamond alone with the new members.
"I guess that you really don't know what to do next," Black Diamond said.
"Beat up the bad guys?", Muskateer quipped.
"Did he do this all night long?", Black Diamond asked the Enchantress.
"What?", Muskateer said as he threw his arms out wide as if he had been insulted.
"Oh, he wasn't the worst house guest I have ever had."
"You wouldn't believe the place that she has!", Firestar said. "I was afraid to touch anything. Everything looked so expensive."
"They were very polite house guests, although it was an awkward situation while trying to conceal their identities."
"I figured that no one would know who I was anyway," Firestar said, "So I just tried not to think about it."
"Our official policy is that revealing your true identity is up to you. I do know some of the team's real identities, some I don't. It's a personal preference of the individual."
"I'm not that overly concerned about it," the Enchantress said. "You can call me Gwen in private. I've always felt that a team should be on friendly terms with each other. A first name is a step in that direction."
"Gwen, it's a pleasure to meet you," Black Diamond said. "I don't really have a high profile secret identity. Being Black Diamond is my full time job. But my first name is Linda."
"Cassandra is my real name," Firestar added. "Black Diamond already knows it, so what's a few more folks in on the secret? It's not like I'm anyone, like the Enchantress is. I mean, you have to be a millionaire or something."
"You can say that I'm very secure financially," the Enchantress said with a smile. "My father is a seafood tycoon."
"That explains the lobster and crab we had last night," Muskateer added. "Good stuff."
"Since we have some free time," Black Diamond continued, "how about I give you a tour of the Mansion?"
"Great!", Firestar replied. "It'll be nice to find my way around here."
Black Diamond began the tour in the lowest level of the Avengers Mansion, Sub-Level 3. Half an hour later, the tour ends on the third floor of the mansion.
"When it's finished," Black Diamond explained, "this floor will primarily serve as a recreation area. Apart from the communications center, the rest will be for relaxation. An English conservatory will take up most of the space along with a game room. There's going to be a small sun deck as well. I might even plant a garden if I get the ambition."
"Gardening is one of my hobbies," the Enchantress said. "I just love the view up here. It's breathtaking."
At that moment Nightingale joined her teammates up on the roof.
"Firestar," she said to the youngest Avenger. "It's time."
"Time for what?", Firestar asked. After a beat she added, "OH. For that." A doomed look came to her face . "Alright, let's get this over with." The young heroine dreaded the tutoring that she was going to be receiving from Nightingale.
The two walked off leaving an amused Black Diamond and Muskateer and a confused Enchantress.
"Anyway, Gwen," Black Diamond said, "you mentioned something about trying to see if there was magic around here."
"Ah, yes I did. I'll make the attempt right now."
The Enchantress moved away from the two to an area by herself. She went into spell casting, her hands making mystical gestures and her mouth uttering strange words. The actual spell casting lasted for only a few seconds. After that the Enchantress began to look about the Mansion. She flew off into the air and circled the building, eventually re-entering it. About ten minutes later she returned and landed next to Muskateer and Black Diamond.
"There are some odd magical traces," the Enchantress reported.
"And...?"
"They are most unusual. Let me put it this way-- Magic can be organized into many different styles and categories. Imagine this spectrum to be similar to music. There are different styles of music; there are different styles of magic."
"So what kind of magic does polkas bring out?", Muskateer quipped.
"What style of magic did you find?", Black Diamond asked, ignoring Muskateer’s comments.
"That's just it," the Enchantress said. "Imagine discovering a totally new style of music. Sargon was right. Whatever that crystal was, it was not of this world."
"Techno-polka?"
Even Black Diamond couldn't hide her amusement at that line and let out a small laugh. The Enchantress smiled.
"Now that was funny," Black Diamond said, "and a most horrifying thought."
"Whataya know? I finally made her smile." Muskateer was proud of himself.
"I'm unable to track this magic. It seemingly begins here and ends here."
"Pity, I was hoping that it might provide us with the one clue that solves this mystery."
"I'm not totally out of options yet. I have some people that I would like to confer with. Can you give me a picture of the crystal?"
"Not a problem," Black Diamond said. "I'll get it for you right now."
The two women walked off leaving Muskateer alone to admire the view.
Later that afternoon, Muskateer is trying out the facilities in the weight room. He struggles with a large barbell as Black Diamond walks in.
"Hello," Black Diamond said. "Trying out the gym I see."
"Uh, yeah," Muskateer responded as he struggled with the weight. "... uhn, this place is better than Club Med."
"It's also much cheaper."
"Good Point," Muskateer said, as he dropped the weight to the floor.
"So, what do you press?"
"That was 890 pounds. I've never really tested myself like this before. Not bad."
"No, it isn't," Black Diamond said in agreement.
"Thanks. I do my best."
"If you're done with it, I'll put it over here on the rack." Black Diamond lifted the bar up with one hand, twirling it like a baton, and effortlessly carried it over to the weight rack.
"Oh brother...! Showoff!"
"Nothing to it," Black Diamond said with a smile as she sat the weight in its holder.
"Yeah, sure that's..." Muskateer never finished his thought as an alarm went off. "What is that racket?! Sounds like somebody just hit the jackpot," he asked.
"Trouble. Looks like you're going to get your chance to trash some bad guys."
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Guess I hit the jackpot!"
Within a minute, the team has gathered at the Meeting Room on Sub-Level 2...
"Alright!", Lightburst exclaimed. "Action at last!"
"What's the emergency?, Nightingale asked.
"I don't know yet," Black Diamond said as she worked the keyboard at the head of the table. "It's from the NYPD. A robbery is in progress at the Henderson Electronics Warehouse. The police report several supervillains on the scene. Among them Sparkler and Power Crusher."
"Just like old home week," the Thing rumbled. "I haven't wrassled with the Crusher in a long time."
"Looks like you're going to get your chance, Ben," Black Diamond replied. "Alright team, let's go!"
Black Diamond rushed out of the Meeting Room and made her way to the outside of the mansion. "Our destination is in the warehouse district. We can get there faster by flying."
"I still can't fly," Muskateer said.
"No problem," Black Diamond replied. "Hold on!"
Taking a hold of Muskateer with one hand and the Thing with the other, the mutant heroine streaked off into the sky. The other Avengers took flight and tried to keep pace.
"Watch out for my hat!", Muskateer shouted, hanging on for dear life.
Meanwhile at the warehouse in question, the villain known as Power Crusher placed the last crate on a truck. The Power Crusher always stood out in a crowd. First off, he measured a solid 6'7" in height. Secondly, his costume was almost a walking nightmare. His hood was jet black in color. The tunic was separated by a purple strip that bore a red gauntlet on it. The part above the tunic was orange, below was dark blue. As if that wasn't enough of a fashion nightmare, his trunks and boots were dark brown separated by light tan pants with a wide white side stripe. Fashion had nothing to fear from the Power Crusher!
"That's the last one!", the Crusher yelled. "Now beat it, ya wimp!"
Power Crusher closed the door and moved back inside the Henderson Electronics Warehouse. This was turning out to be some sweet caper. Hired by mysterious employers, the Power Crusher had put together this group of hired muscle. Whoever they were, they paid a lot of up front cash for just a few boxes of prototypical electronics. The Crusher didn't get it, but he knew an opportunity when he saw one.
With his obligations out of the way, he and his crew could now further loot the warehouse. Plus if any heroes showed up he could earn even more Hero Points! All in all, it was a good day.
"You-- Turkeybolt!", Power Crusher shouted at Thunderbolt. "Watch the door!"
A man in a charcoal black body suit with a large, red 'T' on his chest and a matching belt turned towards the Power Crusher. His only visible feature was his short blond hair that was uncovered by his outfit.
"Who do you think you are?!", Thunderbolt yelled back. "Muscle-bound oaf!"
The Power Crusher got into the much shorter man's face. "Lissen, wimp, I could splatter you all over this warehouse, ya see. So stay in line!"
"You and what army?!" Brave words from Thunderbolt who absolutely detested being told what to do.
The two criminals glared at each other until the villain known as Darkon interrupted. Darkon was another fashion offender. His body suit was pea soup green in color. The gloves, belt, and boots were black. His headpiece was quite bizarre. It mainly consisted of a piece of cardboard, cut into an lightning bolt-like shape and painted black. No one knew why Darkon choose that, but he thought it looked cool.
"Hey! The lady's got the safe open. Like, you want to get your dough, eh?", Darkon said with an obvious Canadian accent.
"Yeah...," Power Crusher said. "Sure thing..."
Thunderbolt just watched as Power Crusher stomped off. "Moron!", he thought to himself.
Before Power Crusher could travel more then a dozen feet, another of his motley crew stepped out of the shadows. "We've got company!"
The speaker was a woman in a skin-tight silver body suit with black trim. She was very beautiful and looked to be in her mid-twenties. The only thing that marred her beauty was a star-shaped stone that was lodged in her throat and a silver-yellowish glow that came from her eyes.
"It's the Avengers," Esper added.
"Alright!", Power Crusher said. "Spread out and trash'em!"
Outside Black Diamond landed, with the Thing and Muskateer, and waited for the rest of her teammates to catch up. "Looks very quiet," she said.
"If Power Crusher is here, then it's an ambush," the Thing added.
Lightburst arrived on the scene next followed closely by the Enchantress. But instead of landing, Lightburst continued straight on into the warehouse. Firestar was further behind, Nightingale far off in the distance.
"Wait for us, Lightburst!", Black Diamond shouted. "Damn that man!"
Lightburst streaked into the warehouse and his attention was immediately drawn to a scream from Esper. The mercenary mentalist was down on one knee screaming about her "mind being on fire". Unknown to Lightburst, Nightingale had sensed Esper's mind scan and used it to unleash a mental blast back to its source. Esper was unprepared and nearly rendered unconscious from this attack.
"You might as well give up now!", Lightburst said, a bit surprised just how easy this job was going to be. They were cowering in fear without his having raised a sweat! "Lightburst is on the scene!"
"Not for long, señor!" The speaker was a young Hispanic woman in a bright red body suit with a coruscating fire burst in bright yellow across her chest. Bright light and flashing sparkles went off around her body focused primarily around her hands.
However Lightburst was much faster then Sparkler and fired first. His lightburst hit and the villainess was dazed. "Here's light in your eye!", he quipped.
Thunderbolt stepped out from behind some crates to the left of Lightburst. "You talk too much!", he shouted at Lightburst. Raising his hands, Thunderbolt shot a lightning bolt at the surprised hero.
"Whaaa...?" is all that Lightburst is able to say before being hit by the lightning bolt. He is blasted further up into the air and right through the roof of the warehouse!
Back outside the warehouse, the Avengers look up as Lightburst explodes through the roof.
"Enchantress, catch Lightburst!", Black Diamond shouted. "Everyone else, follow me! See what happens when you try and grandstand?"
"He deserves to fall on his head!", Muskateer shouted as he ran towards the warehouse.
The Enchantress casts a spell and Lightburst's trajectory changes. His fall slows and he lands without a sound. "Now that's not a nice thing to say, Muskateer," the Enchantress said, concentrating on her task. "Even if it might be true."
Black Diamond and Firestar both fly into the warehouse passing over the Thing and Muskateer. They immediately spot Thunderbolt, Sparkler, and Esper.
"Firestar, you've got Thunderbolt!", Black Diamond said. "I'll take Sparkler."
"Yes ma'am!"
Black Diamond flies further into the warehouse towards Sparkler. The villainess, still a bit groggy, starts to rise to her feet. Diamond passes over her and slams her fist down on the unsuspecting Sparkler's head.
"I don't usually hit a helpless foe," Black Diamond thought to herself, "but you're a special case. Your sparkles are just too deadly."
Sparkler staggers for a moment and then falls to the floor unconscious.
Elsewhere, Firestar sends a burst of fire at Thunderbolt, but is wide. Thunderbolt returns in kind.
"You better not have hurt Lightburst!"
"You should worry about yourself, flame-thrower!"
About this time, the Thing and Muskateer have entered the warehouse. Looking around, they spot Firestar and Thunderbolt trading energy blasts and Esper, who seems unaware of their presence.
"Better take her out, junior," the Thing said. "Before she drop-kicks yer mind."
"Well, I don't normally fight women, but if you say so...," Muskateer aimed his sword at the psionic villainess and pushed a button on its hilt. A taser-like arc of energy erupted from the blade and connected with Esper. The energy played around her body as the villainess fell to the ground unmoving. "That was almost too easy..."
In the back of the warehouse, Black Diamond closes in on yet another villain....
"Well, well, if it isn't the 'Amazing Darkon'."
"Jest now, Diamond, but my dark bolts shall, like, defeat you, eh?"
A black beam is fired from the Canadian villains hands striking Black Diamond. It does little to impede her progress.
"No dice, Darkon!", Black Diamond said. "Your blast has no effect on me."
Black Diamond winds up and punches Darkon in the face. He flies into the back wall of the warehouse, makes an impression, and then slowly collapses to the floor.
"To bad you can't say the same."
Elsewhere, Firestar and Thunderbolt continue to exchange discharges of energy.
"I'll bet you're a real charge at parties!", Firestar quipped.
"More like a real blast!"
Firestar is struck by a bolt of lightning and is sent sprawling out of the warehouse. She sails helplessly over Muskateer and the Thing before crashing to the pavement.
"'Star!", Muskateer shouted. "That sucker is mine!"
Muskateer ran towards the electrical villain, only to have him change into an arc of electricity and shoot into a nearby light fixture! A small glow speeds away in the wiring.
In the back of the warehouse, Black Diamond's sixth sense tells her of a figure lurking in the shadows. She lands before it.
"Alright, friend, you're under arrest. Don't try anything funny."
"I wouldn't think of it, deary." A fist shoots out of the shadows smashing into Black Diamond's mid-section! She crashes into a storage rack sending boxes and crates everywhere. Weakly, Black Diamond tries to stand.
"My powers! Fading... So weak..."
Power Crusher steps out of the shadows. "Your strength makes me stronger, fool!" The Power Crusher has the unique ability to absorb physical qualities, such as strength, dexterity or quickness, as he drained them from his target. All it took was a touch.
"Oh, no... Power Crusher..."
Crusher steps forward and grabs Black Diamond by the neck, draining even more from her. He lifts her up and then slams her into another storage bin.
"Dat's right, babe-- Dah Power Crushah!"
Back at the front of the warehouse, the Enchantress and the revived Lightburst fly in. "It's party time!", Lightburst shouted. Nearby, Sparkler tried to stand once more. "Now I'm mad! And when Sparkler gets mad, Sparkler gets even!"
A volley of sparkles shot toward Lightburst and the Enchantress. Lightburst is totally unaffected by the sparkles and the Enchantress' magic aura protects her from harm.
"Your sparkles can't hurt me, Señorita!", Lightburst bragged.
"My magic can likewise shield me," the Enchantress commented. "And still allow me to do this!"
A burst of magic flowed from her hands and dropped Sparkler again.
"Good work, beautiful!"
"It was nothing."
By this time, Power Crusher had reached the front of the warehouse. He spotted Ben Grimm coming towards him. "Well, if it isn't my old sparin' partner-- The Thing!"
"So ya finally come outta hidin', slime ball! Why doncha just give up an' save yerself the embarrassment?"
"There's a difference this time, Grimm. This time I'm gonna win! With Di's power, I'm stronger!" To prove his point, Power Crusher landed a double fisted punch on the Thing knocking him into a pile of crates.
"Hey, Crusher! I'm just shakin' in my booties!", the Thing replied as he unburied himself.
Muskateer was still chasing Thunderbolt who eventually emerged from an electrical outlet. Finding his path was blocked by Power Crusher, Musky circled around and whacked Crusher in the back with his sword. "Out of my way, fool, I want Thunderdolt!" Muskateer moved further on, without another glance at the gaudily clothed villain.
"Hey! Come back here, punk! Nobody does that to Power Crusher!"
"Fergit about, junior. You should worry about me!", the Thing said as he executed a flying tackle on Power Crusher. The two powerhouses grappled with each other as they rolled across the warehouse floor.
"You've done it now, Grimm! I'm gonna pound you into the pavement!" Power Crusher said, the two locked face to face.
"You've been eatin' onions!", the Thing shouted back.
Lightburst flew over the pair. He paused long enough to fire a dazzle blast at Crusher, blinding him. "Need some help, Ben?"
"No, hotshot."
"That was a dirty, wimp trick!", Power Crusher shouted.
"Yeah! Wasn't it though?", Lightburst offered.
Meanwhile, the Enchantress silently floated overhead and was joined by Nightingale. "Power Crusher has already absorbed Black Diamond's power and each punch he lands on the Thing adds to it. We've got to do something before this gets out of hand...," the Enchantress explained.
"Perhaps, a little teamwork is in order here," Nightingale said. "Are you capable of weakening Power Crusher's defenses in any way?"
"That's a great idea and quite ironic, I might add."
The Enchantress makes a series of gestures and a soft glow surrounds the Power Crusher. At the same time, Nightingale attacked his mind and the soft sound of birds singing filled the area. This sound was the by-product of an intense usage her mental powers and an inspiration to her heroic identity; the song of the nightingale.
"I feel so funky..." Power Crusher staggered around drunkenly, still partially blinded.
"Now, Ben! Strike him now!", the Enchantress shouted to her stony teammate.
"Whatever ya say, pretty lady! As my dear old Aunt Petunia used ta say-- IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!!"
The Thing wound up and unloaded on the unsuspecting Power Crusher. He was unconscious before coming to rest nearly ninety feet away.
Nearby, Muskateer and Lightburst closed in on the remaining villain. "I owe you one, Dunderdolt!", Lightburst yelled.
"All he ever does is get in everyone's way," Muskateer thought, disgustedly, as Lightburst flew past him firing a beam of light at Thunderbolt, but missing.
"You'll have to better than that, twit!", Thunderbolt taunted.
"Then let me have a shot, Turkeybolt!" Muskateer stepped forward, swinging his sword. "This is for Firestar!!"
Muskateer's sword connected and upon contacting the electrical villain's body there was a minor explosion, accompanied by a momentary spark. When the smoke cleared, Thunderbolt lay on the ground in poor shape.
"I think you over did it," Lightburst said.
"Jerk deserved it," Muskateer said, standing over the fallen villain.
An hour later, the Avengers are gathered outside. PRIMUS had already removed the captured villains and most of the news crews were dispersing.
"All in all, the first mission was a success," Black Diamond said to her team. "Only Darkon got away."
"Have they determined what was stolen?", the Enchantress asked.
"According to PRIMUS, it was a selection of electronic prototypes," Black Diamond explained. "Henderson Electronics is keeping the specifics confidential."
"They mostly work in computer hardware, but dabble in all sorts of things," Muskateer offered. "It pretty much coulda been anything."
"Well, let's get goin'," the Thing growled. "I'm missin' dinner!"
Later that evening at the Enchantress' townhouse, Cassandra is in the sitting room, watching 'Risky Business' while trying to do her homework.
"God, he is SO gorgeous," Cassie said, dreamily referring to the movie's star: Tom Cruise.
"Thanks for noticing," the Muskateer said, entering the room.
"Huh? What?" Cassie was surprised to find that she wasn't alone. "Geez, don't sneak up on me like that, willya Musky?"
"Sorry. I thought a toast might be in order. Gwen still up?"
"She 'retired for the evening' about half an hour ago."
"Just the two rooks, then, eh?" Muskateer set three champagne glasses on the coffee table and popped open the bottle in his hand.
"You know, I'm really not old enough to drink that," Cassandra said.
"No prob," Muskateer said, showing her the bottle. "Sparkling grape juice. I don't drink much myself." He poured two glasses and offered one to her.
"In that case, I'll take one. So what are we toasting to?"
"Our first success as Avengers and many more to come."
The two heroes raised the glasses together and they rang with a crystal chime.
