April 11th, 1986...

"Continuing with our coverage, this is Patricia Eisenhart, along with the host of 'WarZone', Tony Kendall, welcoming you back to our special news magazine expose' on the Avengers." Patricia was the Celebrity and Fashion Correspondent for the local Central Broadcasting Incorporated affiliate, and a somewhat-respected 'fluff' journalist and part-time anchor for the network. Tony Kendall, on the other hand, was a slimy 'trash' journalist who generally spent his time searching for the juiciest dirt he could find and broadcast it. This unlikely pair was teamed by the network to host the special report on the World's Mightiest Heroes.

"In our last segment, we chronicled the fall from grace of a long-time Avenger, Lightburst. Tony, after the bank robbery by Lightburst and Crusader, you staked out Avengers Mansion. You tell me there is a surprising addition to this story." Patricia smiled her trademark smile.

"That's right, Patricia," Tony began. "Despite the repeated claims that Lightburst was running rogue from the Avengers, he was sighted at the base almost immediately after the robbery. What we are witnessing is the beginning of a disturbing pattern of behavior, a downward slide of integrity and honor."

"We have more on this trend you speak of, Tony, but first, let's show our viewers the incredible footage two days ago from Avengers Mansion."

The scene switched from the posh studio set to a view of Avengers Mansion from outside the gates of the courtyard. The scene was extremely chaotic. PRIMUS agents filled the area inside and outside the gates. All were armed and their attention focused on the front door. There a PRIMUS commander was arguing with Muskateer, but the audio didn't pick up their animated conversation. The reporter's voice, that of Tony Kendall, described the action.

'...looks like the Muskateer isn't too happy with the PRIMUS commander. He just shoved him away.'

The scene panned haphazardly up to the roof of the mansion and zoomed in on Lightburst standing there. The crowd was going wild by now.

'Lightburst has returned to Avengers Mansion! He's firing on the PRIMUS agents! Oh my stars, one man is down!' The scene became unsteady as people ran every which way and the reporters struggled for a clearer shot. PRIMUS agents opened fire and a wild jumble of images of combat filled the screen before it went black.

The view returned to the commentators. "This is very disturbing footage, Tony."

"Yes it is, Patricia. And very frightening as well. I was close enough to hear some of the things that were said that our tape didn't pick up. Lightburst said that now 'everyone knows what the Avengers are about'. If what he says is true, then it is truly a dark day for our fair metropolis."

"Can you describe for our viewers what happened after the tape you just showed, Tony?"

"The fight was terrible, Patricia. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. Lightburst buzzed the Avengers Courtyard a few times, firing on PRIMUS agents, and then flew off. Firestar ended the fight with a fantastic display of her powers-- enveloping the entire courtyard in fire."

"However, that wasn't the end of the matter?"

"Not at all, Patricia. Right after that, the PRIMUS forces were summoned back to their base. Apparently VIPER operatives raided the PRIMUS base while most of their force were at the Avengers Mansion."

"Then it is possible, that this whole incident was orchestrated by VIPER? Including Lightburst's involvement?"

"Anything is possible, Patricia. Until Lightburst can be questioned by the authorities, we can only speculate on the situation."

"Have you been able to find out what VIPER took from the PRIMUS base?"

"Not as of yet, Patricia. PRIMUS has issued a statement that the incident took place, but at this time are not offering any details."

"What about the Avengers involved in the scuffle with PRIMUS? Have any charges been filed, Tony?"

"So far, no charges have been filed. I will be keeping on top of the situation. When I find out, our viewers be the next to know."

"Thank you for that revealing commentary. We'll now pause for these announcements. In our next segment, we will delve into the repercussions from this incident. Already talk of trying to pass the Paranormal Registration Act has been heard on Capitol Hill yet again. Representative James Mattheson has once again brought his controversial bill up before Congress. We'll have his commentary and a counter-point by Senator and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Paranormal Activity, Clayton Mansfield..."

"That's enough of that garbage." Muskateer stabbed a button and the monitor went blank. He looked over the others assembled in the Meeting Room. Clockwise, they were the Enchantress, Firestar, the Thing, Nightingale, and the Huntress.

"Whata revoltin' development," the Thing muttered as he chewed on his stogie. Ben had been a member of the Gold Coast Guardians when that group dissolved under equally trying circumstances. He couldn't believe that the same thing could be happening to the Avengers.

"I would tend to agree with your assessment of the situation." The Enchantress gave the Rocky Avenger a disapproving look at the stench his cigar gave off. Gwen's time with the Avengers had been so unlike her stint with the Crusaders. This group seemed to be focused and didn't resort to extreme measures. The Enchantress also knew how the media worked. Granted the situation did appear bad, but all the facts were not known yet. They were leaping to rash conclusions in the name of ratings.

"Well, what happens now?", Firestar asked quietly. Firestar didn't know what to make of all this. In spite of everything, she was still just a teenager, away from home for the first time. Sure, everyone was nice to her, but everyone here was older than she was and had different tastes and ideas. Cassie felt home sick. Her daily calls to her stepmother only increased her loneliness. "I know that the NSC took our privileges away... Are we still a group or what?"

"Yeah, we're still a group, hot stuff," Muskateer said, as he leaned against the table. "The NSC stripped us of our official powers and designation, but for the most part it will be 'business as usual' for you guys."

"The Avengers were not officially recognized at the inception of the team," Nightingale wearily explained. She looked visibly tired from her nearly round the clock care of Black Diamond. 'Gale had caught only a few hours of sleep here and there since the vicious attack by Artemis. But there was more to it than that. The Psychnocaine was causing her powers to function oddly. The wisdom of having ever used the experimental drug was coming into question.

"In some ways, the group may be better off without those bureaucratic bozos," Muskateer continued. "In fact, there are less regulations and restrictions on us while we only lose some file access, basically."

"In my personal opinion, it is easier to fight and apprehend criminals," the Huntress spoke up, "without having to follow the strict legal code."

"Are you suggesting we engage in illegal activities?", the Enchantress interjected, visibly uneasy at the suggestion. She exchanged looks with Nightingale, who shared her obvious concern.

"No, not at all. What I am saying is that the rules you operate under have changed," the Huntress answered. "Law enforcement officers have to adhere to a stricter legal code than private citizens. In short, you'll have a bit more freedom than you had before. There are things that you can do now, legally, that you couldn't before. That's all I was trying to say."

"I experienced this first hand the other night," Muskateer explained. "I had a little encounter with some VIPER agents and had to make my appearance incognito. Otherwise, we might have had some legal troubles."

"Legal troubles? What did you do?", the Enchantress asked with another concerned look.

"Oh, nothing they didn't deserve. First we traded pleasantries, then discussed favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. You know, normal guy stuff."

"To use this example," the Huntress explained, "had Muskateer encountered these criminals in his normal Muskateer identity while the NSC privileges were in effect, the VIPER agents could have brought police brutality charges or at least harassment against him and the Avengers once the fisticuffs began. On the other hand, now Muskateer could do the same thing with basically no problem. Assuming the thugs attacked first, then legally there is nothing they can do. All Muskateer did was defend himself from assailants." Turning to Muskateer, she added with a smile, "Out gathering information, I take it."

"Yeah. Turned up a couple interesting tidbits of info too. Basically, that's why I called this meeting." Gwen didn't seem too thrilled with the Huntress' explanation, but she didn't pursue it any further. "I asked the Huntress to assist us in finding some information regarding the various mysteries that have been plaguing us. (Editor's Note: As seen in Muskateer #9 and Huntress #8) Now we're going to update the rest of you guys."

"So ya got Sprout fillin' in as the gopher, huh?", Ben said. The Huntress shot him a disapproving glance. Nightingale tried to suppress a smirk. The others just exchanged puzzled looks. Gopher had been a long time Avenger term for someone in the act of 'digging for information'. Hunter had been the Avengers' previous 'Gopher'.

"Sprout, huh? Junior doesn't sound so bad all of a sudden," Muskateer said with a chuckle.

"You had to mention that in front of him, didn't you, Uncle Ben?"

"What does rice have to do with any of this anyway?" Muskateer ignored the heavy sighs from around the table. Gesturing towards the Huntress, he added, "The floor is yours."

The Huntress stood up to address the assembled Avengers. "I've been unable to find any pertinent information on Artemis herself. My theory is that the attack on Black Diamond was actually her first appearance. I can only speculate on who she is and why she attacked." Muskateer looked down and frowned. He knew what the Huntress was going to say next, as they had compared notes earlier. This was not going to be a cut and dry case, as if that would be anything different from what was going on.

"Linda indicated to Muskateer that Artemis acted as though she was familiar with Black Diamond. As if the two had met before. It's possible, but more than likely Artemis studied her target-- got to know her-- and indicated as such to further confuse Black Diamond."

"That's a likely premise," the Enchantress spoke up, "but then what would her motivation for the attack possibly be?"

"She was either hired to do her task or she was out for vengeance. Being hired is a possibility. After all Mechassassin was hired as well. In spite of his claims, he has never worked for free. Someone with big money is behind this. If vengeance was her angle, that makes it even harder. She could be just about anybody. The wife of someone Black Diamond sent to prison perhaps, and that's just one of a multitude of examples."

"How do we stop them?", Firestar asked. "It's not the same as fighting a supervillain."

"Just point 'em out an' I'll bop 'em in the noggin'," Ben stated as he exhaled a lung-full of cigar smoke.

"We only know where the armor Artemis wore came from," Muskateer explained. "The Scarlet Sabre identified it as being manufactured by the Hanged Man, apparently an underground source for advanced weaponry and battle armor for small-time punks everywhere."

"Unfortunately, that doesn't help narrow down the list of potential suspects. It still could be nearly anyone. My advice would be to pursue the Hanged Man angle. Perhaps he can be persuaded to reveal just who is inside the suit."

"That was exactly what I had in mind," Muskateer stated.

"The more I spoke to the Enchantress about magic and the way the whole incident with PRIMUS and Lightburst went down," the Huntress continued, "the more I'm convinced that VIPER had nothing to do with it. Everything seems to have been one misdirection after another, right down to the use of VIPER agents."

"I would have to agree with the Huntress," Muskateer added. "In the past two days, I've had chats with a number of VIPER agents and none of 'em knew anything about the attack or knew anyone who knew anything about it. Publicly, the Nest was taking credit for the attack anyway."

"Much like they did when Hunter died," the Huntress added.

"Then who was actually responsible for the attack?", Nightingale asked.

"If I were to make a guess, I would say that DEMON was the true enemy in this." Muskateer looked over at the Enchantress as the Huntress spoke. She seemed to bristle every time the organization was even mentioned. "I am told that they are a organization that embraces both magic and technology. I'm sure that capturing the Stone Crown and PRIMUS Advanced Weaponry would appeal to them. Also, they are large enough to put an attack force together like the one that hit the PRIMUS base. Most importantly, DEMON operates by deception. They played their enemies off against each other and the plan appears to have worked to perfection."

"Sounds like ya took ta the Gopher job, Sprout," Ben interjected. "Ya done good, kid." The Huntress gave Ben a satisfied smile in return.

"So where does Lightburst fit into all this then?", Firestar asked.

"I would say that he was an imposter," the Huntress continued. "He committed the robbery to put PRIMUS on the Avengers' backs. When they arrived at the mansion, he made sure the two sides fought while the PRIMUS base was attacked. I'd say they knew what buttons to push to get the results they wanted."

"Not hard ta push Major Tom's buttons, if ya ask me," the Thing said. "Those awful stogie's he smokes musta fried his few remaining brain cells."

"If DEMON is truly behind this, then the rogue Lightburst could have been the Chameleon." Seeing the confusion around the table, the Enchantress added, "He's known to me as a DEMON operative. He has the power to mimic others and some of their powers. Have you looked further into the artifacts of Krim?"

"Way ahead of you, 'Tress," Muskateer said.

"The last anyone heard of Earthmaster was when he attacked several oil fields in Texas," the Huntress reported. "The Superior Seven thwarted his plans, but were unable to capture him. He's on the loose as far I can tell." Having concluded with her explanation, the Huntress took her seat once again.

"At this point," Muskateer said, "we need to pay a visit to the Hanged Man and see what we can learn. That's something that I plan on the Huntress and myself doing. We need to do a little more 'gophering' in that area first."

"What about the rest of us, Musky?", Firestar asked.

"Not to worry, hot stuff. One thing we could really use right now is some good PR. I want you and Ben to make some public appearances doing positive deeds."

"So what are you two gonna be doin' while me 'n 'Star are out rescuin' kitties from trees?"

"Reorganizing the computer database," Muskateer explained. "Since we've been cut off from the Government, we're free to re-vamp the system and make it more user friendly."

"That would be a blessing," Nightingale commented.

"Since I know my father's thought process," the Huntress added, "I'll be able to save Muskateer a great deal of grief. Additionally I'll be adding information from Hunter's system to the team database."

"I guess rescuin' tabbies doesn't sound so bad now." Ben wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but he could see the wisdom in it. The Avengers needed to make the public realize that they were not what the media had made them up to be. "Awright, if we hafta, then we hafta."

"With the supervillain contest going on out there, everyone keep an extra eye out for ambushes. Villains could be attacking from almost anywhere." Turning to the psionic Avenger, Muskateer asked, Nightingale, I figure you are going to be returning to Sanctuary to oversee Linda's move home?"

"She should be strong enough to transport by the end of the week," Nightingale explained. "Linda is out of danger and just needs to rest. My attention is not greatly needed. In the meantime, I am available to join Ben and Firestar."

"Great," Muskateer answered. "Enchantress, looks like you have the focal point on the magical aspects. Any suggestions?"

"I have cast a spell that will alert me when the strange alien magic appears again. We didn't have any luck reproducing it, but I will be able to notice it again if the Crystal exerts its power."

"That sounds good," Muskateer said. "There hardly seems enough time get to everything lately."

"Now you know why Black Diamond worked so many late nights," Nightingale said.

"No kidding. Can you find out anything else on DEMON's involvement in all this?", Muskateer asked the Enchantress.

"I have a few avenues open to me. Let me see what I can uncover."

"That's pretty much it for now. If anyone finds out anything interesting, I want to know about it," Muskateer said. "Let's do it. And no one talks to any reporters!"

As the Avengers and the Huntress filed out of the room, the Enchantress placed her hand on Muskateer's arm, stopping him. "Can I speak with you for a moment, Muskateer? In private?"

Muskateer sat on the edge of the table, with his foot propped on one of the chairs as the Enchantress shut the door to the meeting room. "What's on your mind, Gwen?"

"It's in regard to our new 'ally'," Gwen stated.

"The Huntress?"

"Yes. How much do you really know about her? Can we trust her?" The Enchantress stood there accusingly, her hands on her hips. "I don't particularly care for her methods."

"I can understand your apprehension, Gwen. I didn't hit it off with her right off the bat either," Muskateer said. He stepped towards her and put his hands on her shoulders and stared into her blue eyes. "Frankly, I wouldn't have anything to do with her right now, except she can do things the rest of us can't."

"Are those things that we really want to be doing as Avengers?" Muskateer considered her words for a moment. Nightingale and the Enchantress were clearly the most conservative members of the team.

"I can imagine that the Huntress' outlook and actions have some of the team a little ruffled. But, she's not an Avenger. She's just helping us through this mess. Besides, Diamond and Ben vouched for her. That's gotta count for something."

The Enchantress frowned for a moment. "I still don't have to like it."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm not exactly pleased with the situation myself, but I have to deal with it as best I can."

"I hope you know what you're doing?"

"So do I, Gwen. So do I."

Molly Berkowicz was very excited to be allowed to 'play superheroes' with her older brother and his friends. The seven year old had begged them to let her be Spinnerette for many months now. She even had a costume that her mother had made for her. The boys finally gave in, just to stop her pestering of them.

Molly was determined to act out her Spinnerette identity as best she could. She had always enjoyed playing on the monkey bars and jungle gym at the schoolyard. Molly thought that the fire escape that the boys were playing on would be a perfect chance to show off her 'clinging' abilities.

Stepping over the edge of the railing, Molly started climbing up the outside of the fire escape. Higher and higher she climbed, passing more and more floors, as she closed in on the boy playing as 'Doctor Destroyer'. The 'Doctor' stood on the roof, taunting the 'heroes' to come and assault him in his impenetrable lair.

Now eight stories off the ground, Molly was intent on sneaking up and ambushing 'Dr. Destroyer'. As she reached the rooftop, Molly climbed from the iron railing and reached for the ledge of the roof.

Just then, her grip slipped and Molly lost her balance. Her scream echoed through the streets. Barely managing to grab the bottom of the fire escape railing support, Molly dangled precariously, nearly 80 feet off the ground.

A crowd started to form in the street. People watched and pointed at the little girl hanging from her fingertips high above the ground. Suddenly a collective gasp escaped their lips as the girl's grip failed her and she began to plummet to the ground. Molly's high-pitched scream even drowned out the screams of the crowd.

"Don't worry, I have you."

Then suddenly, Molly felt like she was floating. She opened her eyes tentatively and saw that she was being held by what must be a flaming angel of some kind. A cheer came up from the crowd far below.

"Wow!," Molly said in wide-eyed amazement. "You can fly!"

"Yes, I can. But you can't." Firestar rose into the air and landed on the roof near Molly's astonished playmates. The heroine gently sat the child on the roof. "You're lucky I was flying past--"

"I'm Spinnerette," Molly proudly stated.

"Of course, silly of me not to notice," Firestar said with a smile. Bending down on one knee, Cassie looked eye to eye with 'Spinnerette'. "Only the real Spinnerette can stick to walls."

"Doctor Destroyer hit me with an unsticky ray!" The girl pointed at the boy in the cape (a curtain actually) and ominous (hockey) mask.

"Did he now? Well, we'll just have to teach him a lesson!" A small ball of fire grew in Firestar's hand.

Molly jumped up and down and yelled, "Yeah! Spinnerette and Firestar are going to trash Doctor Destroyer!"

The boy in the makeshift Doctor Destroyer costume made a large gulping noise and quickly discarded the outfit. "I'm just a kid! Don't hurt me!"

"That's right," Firestar said to the group of children. "You're all just kids without super powers. It's okay to pretend to be your favorite heroes, but you have to realize that you don't have their powers. You can't fly or stick to walls."

"We'll be more careful next time," Molly answered.

"That's good to hear." Firestar stood up and flew off of the roof. "Bye kids!" A chorus of 'byes' rang out as she soared out of sight.

Molly turned to the boys and said, "Gotta go!"

"Where are you going? We're not done yet!"

"I gotta get me a Firestar costume!"

Down in the Village, in Lower Manhattan, Wesley Gordon was feeling desperate. The shakes were beginning to come back and he needed another hit soon. The drug addict needed cash fast and he didn't care where it came from.

Heading into O'Brian's Pub, Wesley screamed at the couple of patrons to hit the floor. He waved his gun around wildly as he spoke. "Money! Give me money!"

Wesley pointed his weapon directly at the cashier. His hand shook as he spoke. The woman opened the cash register and then stopped.

"What do ya think yer doin'?! Give me the cash, ya dumb broad!" The cashier just smiled at him.

"Yer crazy! I'll kill ya!" Wesley cocked the hammer on his pistol. Just at that moment, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He spun around and fainted straight away at the surprising sight before him.

"If that don't jus' take the cake," the Thing said, standing over the prone robber.

"Mr. Grimm! Looks like you showed up at just the right moment," the cashier said.

"I hate ta rescue kitties on an empty stomach." The woman gave him a strange look, not understanding what he was talking about. Ben reached down and relieved the felon of his weapon.

"Well, can we get you something? On the house?" The cashier had put a call in to the police to come and pick up the captured robber.

"Now yer talkin', hon. Gimme a couple pies with the works. Just hold the anchovies this time."

Across town, the sound of gunfire broke the relative silence of the night. Nightingale picked up the hostile intentions behind the attack with her telepathy. More weapon discharge followed and Nightingale flew to investigate. She silently glided over the rooftops until she finally found the source of the disturbance. Moving rapidly down Lexington Avenue, the psionic Avenger could see several police cars chasing a rapidly fleeing automobile. The felons were firing automatic weapons at their pursuers!

"I'd best lend a hand before someone gets hurt!" Nightingale joined the pursuit. While not the fastest of flyers, she was fast enough to catch up to the speeding vehicle. 'Gale drew closer to the vehicle.

Once within fifty feet of the criminals, she brought her awesome mental powers into play. By the force of her mind, she raised the speeding car into the air.

Inside the vehicle, the criminals were stunned at the sudden turn of events. One moment they were doing eighty down the street, the next they were at a dead stop and twenty feet in the air!

The Avenger flew closer and circled the suspended car. "Gentlemen, I suggest you discard your weapons and wait for the authorities to arrive."

The criminals would have none of that. "Waste the broad!" A multitude of weapons sought to lock on to Nightingale!

Sensing the criminals' intentions, Nightingale gave the hanging car a telekinetic push. The vehicle began to spin in a circle, slowly at first, but with ever-increasing speed. A few wild shots were fired off, but none came close to finding their mark.

By now the pursuing police had gathered below to watch this spectacle. People in the street watched and cheered at the criminals' comeuppance.

Nightingale willed the vehicle to slow and then finally come to a stop. She could sense the occupants were so disorientated as to not be much of a threat to anyone any longer. Telekinetically shifting the car into park and then shutting the engine down, Nightingale lowered the vehicle to the pavement. Unnoticed by all, sweat was pouring down her face.

NYPD was all over the vehicle a moment after it touched down. A few of the officers waved in appreciation. One yelled, "Thanks for the help, Nightingale. We'll take it from here."

Chris smiled and waved back. She then rose higher into the air and flew off into the night. In spite of everything, she was very concerned about her performance.

"That stunt took a lot out of me," 'Gale thought to herself. "Far more than it should have. What's wrong with me?"

The Enchantress appeared underneath a small country bridge out on Long Island. Gwen had departed the Avengers Mansion shortly after her conversation with Muskateer, pausing only long enough to chat with Jeeves and collect what she needed.

The bridge didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. However, the Enchantress walked up to the wall supporting one side of the bridge and passed directly through it!

The Enchantress found herself in a familiar, nondescript tunnel. Gwen came to a stop and stooped near the wall. About waist high in the tunnel was a small depression in the side of the wall. Taking out a small package of foil, Gwen unfolded it to reveal leftovers.

"Here you go, Elwood. Enjoy."

The Enchantress rose and continued on down the tunnel. Back at the small shelf, a tiny, scaly figure came out of the darkness. It licked its lips and eagerly went to work devouring the snack.

After about fifty feet, the tunnel ended at a brick wall. Once more the Enchantress paid it no mind and walked through the apparent barrier.

Beyond this 'barrier' was a huge, hexagonal shaped chamber, some seventy-five feet across. In the center of this chamber, high on a knoll was a small cherry tree next to a large block of polished obsidian. A circle of red rose bushes surrounded the knoll. Around the red roses is a circle of white rose bushes, which in turn are encircled by a row of yellow rose bushes. Soft grass covers the rest of the chamber. Overhead, the ceiling is a dome of some polished material. Blue sky could be seen overhead.

Seated on the knoll, was a ancient looking Japanese man. Before him was a black man in a purple body suit with black accessories. Gwen approached the two without hesitation.

"Welcome, Gwendolyne," the ancient man said. "What brings you to the Garden this day?"

"I seek knowledge, Master." Gwen bowed in respect to the elder figure. "Nice to see you again, Blackfire." Blackfire nodded in return.

"A wise man always seeks knowledge," the Master stated. "Only the fool thinks that he has learned all that can be learned."

Gwen knew very little about the Master. Only that some two decades ago he created the Circle, a small, private school for those who aspired to learn the arcane arts and those who had related powers. The Enchantress had joined the Circle some eight years ago to refine her natural talent for magic.

The Circle was not a superhero group, rather a school for those with magical talents. The Enchantress had successfully learned her craft from the Master and was no longer considered among the current student body. Still she liked to return once in a while for guidance and wisdom. Her time with the Circle was an important one in Gwen's life. She had forged strong friendships with the Sorceress, Warlock, and the late Sargon during her studies.

Blackfire was among the current crop of students, the others being Moonsilver, Kor Hunter, Aureole, and Willow Witch. Gwen was only casually acquainted with the current assemblage.

"That is true, Master, but I come in search of information." Gwen proceeded to explain the situation to the Master and to Blackfire. "Is there anything that you can add to confirm or deny our suspicions?"

"Word has it that new Morbanes arrived a few months back," Blackfire replied. The young hero had access to the eyes and ears of the street, hearing things that Gwen would otherwise be unaware of having happened. "I haven't been able to find out what happened to Lord Shadow or Lady Zee. Might have been transferred, but rumors say there was an accident."

"Who are these new Morbanes?"

"Evil and Darkness," Blackfire answered. "A pair of bad mothers from what I've been able to hear. I haven't heard much from my contact after they took over. I wouldn't put past them what you're suggesting. Oh, the Chameleon is supposed to be active in the New York Demon lair as well."

"That's what I suspected. Thanks, Blackfire."

"No problem, babe. In the meantime, I better catch up to Moonsilver. He seems to think we've got vampires on the loose, so we're going hunting tonight."

"Sounds like fun."

Blackfire moved off with a wave and a smile. He disappeared through yet another hidden entrance in the wall leaving Gwen alone with the Master. The Enchantress sat down on the ground near her mentor.

"Master, have you learned anything about the crystal since our last talk?"

Later that evening, the Avengers Mansion is nearly empty. Only the Huntress and Muskateer, in addition to Jeeves, were currently on the premises.

"Man, I'll be so happy when this reorganization is finished," Muskateer stated, more to himself than to his 'partner'. They were busily engaged in a complete reorganization of the Avengers computer database. "The whole thing'll be a lot easier to deal with when we're done with it. What a crazy mess!"

"I actually have to agree with you there, Muskateer," the Huntress replied. "Even though my father is the one who designed the system, it doesn't make much sense to me either. You should have seen the trouble I had when I broke into his system."

Muskateer cast the Huntress a disapproving glance for a moment. "Actually, I can relate to that, now that I think about it."

"Could be we're a bit more alike than either would like to admit?"

"Don't push your luck, Sprout." Much as he hated to admit it, the Huntress had a point. While their personalities were vastly different, both of them were more concerned with the results rather than the means to achieve those results.

"How would you like a crossbow bolt up your-- nose. Ben's the only one I let call me that," the Huntress protested. After a pause, she added, "After all, its not like I'm really going to get anywhere arguing with him."

"Tell me about it." Muskateer had finally gotten used to Ben's 'Junior' tag for him. He had almost been insulted at first, but now it was a sign of acceptance. Ben was often like a favorite uncle. An eccentric uncle, to be sure.

The computer signaled it had completed its current task. "That takes care of reclassifying the access levels on the database," Muskateer said, as he punched a few keys on the keyboard.

"Now we can begin augmenting the existing files with the information from Hunter's private database. I can begin uploading..."

"Hold that thought, Huntress. There's a message coming in. Computer says it's from the Enchantress." Muskateer opened the communications channel. "Tony's Pizza," he said simply.

"What?" The Enchantress was clearly caught off guard at Muskateer's quip. "How...?"

"Sorry, Enchantress. Just me being me." Muskateer thought he could hear Gwen's sigh.

"Remember I told you that I had a spell active that would detect any emanations from the crystal and its magic?"

"You're getting a signal from it?" Muskateer leaned forward expectantly toward the microphone.

"Correct."

"Can you give us a location?"

"I've identified it as somewhere in the vicinity of Queens. As I get closer, I can update everyone else on the Crystal's location."

"Fantastic. Get moving. I'll contact the rest of the team. Muskateer out." Muskateer turned to the Huntress. "Guess the rest of our computer work will have to wait."

"Count me in," the Huntress said. She was already gathering her things. "That Crystal holds answers to a great many questions."

"How about we take your car?" Muskateer shut down the computer link and headed for the door. "Mind if I drive?"

"Don't push your luck, Junior."

The Huntress had a change of heart and allowed Muskateer to drive her father's car. Besides, it would get her into the hero's good graces. Perhaps well enough to go along with a idea she had in mind. Instead, the Huntress worked the computer system in the car.

The Enchantress was homing in on what her magic had detected. Her location was relayed to the cars on board computer which in turn updated the other Avengers. Firestar had already caught up to the Enchantress. Nightingale was proceeding much slower as she had stopped to pick up the Thing. Holding the two aloft with her telekinesis, they flew after their teammates.

Muskateer was enjoying his opportunity behind the wheel. "I gotta get me one of these!"

"Say what you want about Hunter, but he had some very cool toys." The Huntress continued to coordinate the search. "The Enchantress is heading towards an industrial park." Helena punched a few more keys and the street map that Muskateer had been using to navigate by was updated.

"At least you'll never get lost in this thing!" Muskateer took another corner on two wheels and then rapidly accelerated down a straight away. The car streaked out of the residential area and closed in on Firestar and the Enchantress. The two heroines were waiting for them on the ground.

The car power slid to a stop. Muskateer and the Huntress got out a moment later.

"And I thought I drove like a maniac," the heroine stated.

"Hey, a fine machine like this needs to be pushed."

"It's inside that abandoned plant," the Enchantress reported. Gwen gestured to a small factory in the distance. The plant covered only two city blocks and had three main buildings and many smaller ones.

"What do we do now, Musky?" Firestar asked. "Where's the others?"

"En route," the Huntress responded. "They should be here in a couple of minutes."

"We check the place out, hot stuff," Muskateer said. "Then we get answers from that alien rock."

"The plant is secured and posted for no trespassing," the Enchantress noted. "You're not suggesting that we break in, are you?"

"Well, --"

"There's nothing wrong with looking in the windows," the Huntress explained.

"Besides, we can't let it hide behind a 'No Trespassing' sign, can we?", Muskateer asked. "Can you pinpoint the location of the thing, if you get closer? Flying overhead is technically not trespassing."

Gwen concentrated for a few moments. "From what I have been able to determine, the crystal is located in the tallest of those three buildings," she said, while pointing in the general direction.

"While we're waiting for Ben & 'Gale, Enchantress and Firestar fly overhead and see if you can find out what's going on. Invisibility would be a definite bonus, if you get my drift," Muskateer ordered.

"As you wish." With a gesture, Firestar and the Enchantress faded from view.

"You can make me visible again, right?" Firestar seemed to have a trace of concern in her voice.

"Don't worry, kiddo," Muskateer 'reassured' her. "It's almost as safe as teleporting to Sanctuary."

"Oh great...."

After making sure that the heroines had departed, the Huntress complained to Muskateer. "She sure does everything the difficult way. I wouldn't think twice about looking around."

"That's what I was hoping you would say, Huntress." Muskateer looked over the area for a moment, forming a plan. The Huntress looked intrigued. "I expect this to come to us busting into the place, but I would like an ace in the hole, so to speak. Keep a channel open and see if you can find an alternate access point."

A wide grin broke out on the Huntress' face for a moment. "Now you're talking. I won't disappoint you."

"Get moving. There may not be much time before we have to attack."

"On my way." The Huntress slipped off into the shadows and quickly disappeared from view.

A few moments later, Nightingale and the Thing appeared. "Whatcha doin' out here by yer lonesome, Junior?"

"Waiting for you guys to get here."

"Sorry for the delay," Nightingale apologized.

"No sweat. I bet you had a lot on your mind." It took Ben a moment to realize what he was referring to.

"Hey!" The Thing protested. "All I can say is, ya better get those scooters done soon, Junior."

"Sure, right after I invent the 30 hour day."

"I sense an incredible mental presence in the vicinity." Nightingale finally said. "It is extremely powerful."

Meanwhile, the Enchantress hovered above a ceiling window. She peered in through the grimy glass. Firestar was a short distance away attempting to view the interior from another angle.

There were figures inside and she was able to pick up some movement, but the glass was too dirty to see clearly. Gwen could see a cloaked figure which was holding the large crystal in its hands, but was unable to make out the two other figures. Moving over to the next window, Gwen tried for a better view. Her eyes grew wider as the two figures stepped from the shadows into the dim light. One of them was wearing the Stone Crown of Krim.

"Morbanes!", she hissed under her breath.

...To Be Continued!

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