#11 - "Come Together"

Roll Call:

Black Diamond

Muskateer

Enchantress

Firestar

Nightingale

Thing

Guest Starring: Huntress

The Enchantress and the Huntress materialized in the Avengers' Med Lab in a flash of reddish light. Using a telekinesis spell, the sorceress set the Huntress on a nearby examination table. The Huntress had been neatly sliced across the belly moments earlier; blood flowed freely from her wound.

Gwen pulled out her comlink and contacted the team's butler. "Jeeves? I need assistance in the Med Lab."

"On my way, madame," was the response she received.

Taking a large cloth, the Enchantress cleaned the blood away from the wound. It didn't look as bad as it had first appeared. The heroine was leaping away from the attack when she was struck. The Dreadknight's blade did not bite deep enough to do significant internal damage.

"My word!" Jeeves entered the room and immediately began to assist the Enchantress.

"You have medical training?"

"Yes, madame," Jeeves stated proudly. "I have a great many talents, basic paramedic training among them."

"Excellent, Jeeves," the Enchantress said in a pleased tone. "Take over here. There are other injured that I shall be returning with shortly. Oh, contact Sanctuary and ask if Dr. Marin is available. If she is, then ask her to come to New York. I can transport her if necessary, so keep me informed of your progress."

"Understood, madame."

Casting another Spell of Transport, the Enchantress blinked out of existence.

Half an hour later, Muskateer roared through the dark streets in Hunter's Corvette. The Enchantress had teleported the Thing, Nightingale, and Firestar back to the Avenger's Mansion earlier. The sword-wielding Avenger was forced to wait for PRIMUS to arrive and take Ogre back into custody, lest the man-monster escape once more.

Thinking back, Muskateer found that this meeting with PRIMUS had proceeded smoothly. Major Thomas was not present. The squad was led by his aide-de-camp, Corporal Lewis.

"At least you captured one of the escaped prisoners," Lewis noted. "That's something."

"Well, if your boss hadn't been such a jerk, he wouldn't have gotten away in the first place."

The Corporal did a combination shrug and nod in agreement. Lewis was a soldier and trained to obey orders without question, in spite of not necessarily agreeing with those orders. "The Major did overreact. General Hawkins called him in on the carpet over the whole affair."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

"Since the whole incident was orchestrated by DEMON, no charges will be filed against you or your team."

"You guys are just all heart," Muskateer said sarcastically.

"Turns out that the report of Lightburst being at the Avengers Mansion came over a stolen cell phone. Until you pinned down DEMON as being the responsible party, we had no clue who our true enemy was."

"Now at least we know what we're up against. I think its high time we find these Morbanes and take'm out."

"You can count on PRIMUS backing your strike, Muskateer," Corporal Lewis responded. "Both of our organizations were given black eyes by DEMON. The men want to make up for that."

Muskateer nodded in agreement. "I hear you there, Corporal. We'll see if we can find out which rock they're hiding under."

"All in all, an unexpected turn for the good," Muskateer thought to himself, snapping back to the present. He rounded a corner, downshifted and then sped off into the night. The feel of the Corvette's power was intoxicating. "Taking out a DEMON base would mean running into lots of agents. We'll let PRIMUS deal with the small fries, while the Avengers take out the big boys." That idea had its definite appeal.

Many of the mysteries from the past few weeks had been revealed earlier this evening. The Crystal was not only intelligent, but also responsible for the destruction of the Avenger's Mansion, as suspected. This was now a fact. But it didn't explain what Firestar, or someone who looked like her, had been doing there. Unfortunately, the Crystal was now whole and had operatives of its own. What was its agenda? And more importantly, where would it strike next?

The Morbanes were clearly behind the robbery that Lightburst and Crusader had perpetrated. They had orchestrated the conflict with the Avengers to leave the PRIMUS Base relatively unguarded. The Stone Crown had been their target all along. But it did not reveal if they were the party responsible for the disappearance of Lightburst. They were either directly responsible, or they just took advantage of that situation. At any rate, Muskateer vowed to take the DEMON Priests down. Hard.

The hero turned into the Avengers Mansion rear courtyard. Dealing with the many foes of the Avengers would have to wait for awhile. Right now, he was eager to see how his teammates were doing. Nightingale had been launched right out of the factory by Lady Darkness, the Morbane backed by the power of the Stone Crown. The Huntress had been struck down by the silent Dreadknight.

Firestar had been attacked by the Crystal itself, but Muskateer disrupted it before any serious harm could be done. Or so he thought. The young mutant didn't even have enough energy to stay awake after the battle. She could just be tired, or it could be something far more ominous. The Crystal had no qualms about killing, so it could have done almost anything to Firestar.

It was Muskateer who was surprised when he reached the Med Lab. Dr. Marin of the Sanctuary medical staff was present, the Enchantress had filled him in on summoning her. However she was not alone. Looking on was none other than Black Diamond!

"Di! You're back!"

Diamond turned to face the arriving hero, a look of concern on her face. "I had to come back, Muskateer, after I heard members of my team had been injured."

"They let you come back? Or did you just leave anyway?"

"I'm alright," Black Diamond replied. "Still a bit weak, but only weak for me. I could probably just lift a car at the moment. I'm not ready for action yet, but I can still lend moral support."

"Any word yet on their conditions?"

"Not yet. Why don't you fill me in on what's been going on in my absence?"

"You better sit down, Ms. M," Muskateer said. "It's been pretty wild around here..."

After a time, Dr. Marin came out of the Med Lab. Black Diamond, Muskateer, the Thing and the Enchantress awaited her report.

"First the good news, all the injuries are relatively minor." A collective sigh filled the waiting area.

"So, what's the bad news, doc?", Muskateer asked.

"Nightingale is the worst off. She fractured two of her ribs. She'll be out of action for a few weeks most likely. The Huntress took forty-three stitches to close her wound. Fortunately, only layers of her epidermis were cut. No internal wounds. She'll heal in time. I've given both of them sedatives. They'll sleep the rest of the night. As for Firestar, I can't find anything wrong with her other than symptoms of exhaustion. She's sleeping comfortably."

"Thank you for everything, Dr. Marin." Black Diamond rose and patted Angelique on the shoulder.

"And you," Dr. Marin said grinning, pointing an accusing finger at Linda, "should be in bed."

"Soon, I promise. It's late, I suggest we all turn in for the night."

"That's one order I have no problem in followin'." The Thing yawned and stretched. Scratching his rock-like back, he headed off towards his room.

"I'll make sure Dr. Marin finds her way home," the Enchantress stated.

"Let me gather my things and I'll be ready, Enchantress." Dr. Marin disappeared back into the Med Lab, returning a moment later with her medical bag. "I"ll stop by tomorrow afternoon to check on the patients."

"Much appreciated, doc," Muskateer said.

The Enchantress cast her spell, leaving Black Diamond and Muskateer alone in the room. The two heroes regarded each other for a moment. Finally, Black Diamond said, "I want you to know, you did good."

"Not good enough," Muskateer grumbled. "We had'm and let'm get away."

"We're only mortal, Muskateer. In spite of what others might think. It's late, you need to rest."

"I will in a bit." Muskateer entered the Med Lab and came back with Cassie cradled in his arms. Seeing Black Diamond's puzzled look, he added, "Cassie'll be more comfortable in her own bed."

Black Diamond nodded and led the way through the mansion, opening doors for Muskateer along the way to Firestar's quarters. Muskateer gently sat the heroine down in her bed and pulled the covers over her. Quietly, he departed and Diamond shut the door.

"You care a great deal about her," Black Diamond commented.

"Yes, I do. But don't take that the wrong way. She's just a kid."

"In spite of your gruff exterior, you're a very sweet man." Diamond smiled and made her way to her own quarters.

Muskateer stood in the corridor, hands on hips. "I think you have me confused with someone else. Besides, that kinda talk would ruin my image!"

April 12th, 1986: Morning...

Black Diamond was up early the next morning. Her body didn't need much rest after spending much of the last week in bed. She stopped by her office to get up to date on things. She played with the Avengers Database, checking up on the improvements that Muskateer and the Huntress had made.

"Much, much easier to use," she mentally concluded. "Now that we've been un-recognized by the NSC, we can make all the improvements we want around here."

Not long after that, Black Diamond had gone the Med Lab to check up on the patients. Nightingale was still asleep, but the Huntress was up and gathering her things. After a short talk, the Huntress departed. Black Diamond was concerned about the Huntress' condition, but Helena just laughed off the seriousness of the injury. (Editor's Note: See Huntress #9 for more details.)

"We used to be that carefree." Turning, Black Diamond could see that Nightingale was now awake. "What happened to us, Linda? We used to be the new kids on the block."

"We got old, my friend." Linda moved to the side of her friends bed and took her hand. "A new generation of supers are here. Now we are the teachers rather than the students."

Nightingale struggled to sit up. She grimaced in pain, but made it upright. "I got old; you've stayed the same." It was true. Linda looked every bit the same as when Chris first met her on that fateful night in Buffalo in the summer of '78. "Broken ribs?"

"Two fractures," Black Diamond responded. "What did you make of Helena's abilities?"

"She has parts of Hunter in her," Nightingale said. "But other parts that he didn't have. She's too much of a loose cannon."

"Chris, you'd be surprised by some of the things Hunter did. And the lengths that he would go to achieve them. He just kept them to himself."

"Really?" That surprised Nightingale a bit. Rarely was anything kept from her.

"He knew how you felt about such things. Hunter wasn't afraid to bend the rules to accomplish a goal. He just picked his moments better than Helena, from what I hear."

Nightingale gingerly lowered herself to the floor. She was in a great deal of pain. Linda stepped forward to lend aid. "Here, let me help you."

"Thanks. I need to get some things from my quarters." Christina paused for a moment. Then she looked directly into Black Diamond's eyes. "I'm going on a leave of absence. I don't know for how long."

"You can recover here at the mansion..." Linda was confused. Nightingale might be out of action for a few weeks, but there was no need for her to leave. "You don't have to go."

"It's not that simple, Linda." Nightingale paused, as if gathering her courage. "There's something wrong with me, and I don't mean the ribs. The Psychnocaine is having unexpected side effects on me. My powers are not functioning properly."

"Maybe that Morbane did something to you? The attack she hit you with was pretty powerful. Powerful enough to do this," Black Diamond gestured towards Nightingale's injury.

"Linda, the Morbane didn't do anything to me. My own powers backfired on me. I took the brunt of my own attack. As long as I can't control my telepathy, I'm a menace to the Avengers and every one else I come into contact with."

Black Diamond was quite taken aback by this development. "I didn't know... Of course, I understand your reasons perfectly. Where will you go?"

"Sanctuary seems the logical place. The drug was developed there and I can be monitored by Dr. Marin. Help me pack some things and I'll be on my way."

Later on that morning, Muskateer was checking in on Cassie for the second time. "Knock, knock, anyone home?" Cassie was awake this time, but still in bed.

"Oh, hi, Musky," she answered softly.

"How are you feeling, kiddo?" Muskateer lingered in the doorway for a moment.

"Okay, I guess." After a moment, she added, "I'm not quite sure what happened to me. Sorry I let you down."

Muskateer moved closer to her bed. "What are you talking about? You didn't let me down. We had everyone beat, they just managed to slip away from us, that's all."

"No thanks to me." Firestar could hardly even look at her teammate. "I don't belong here with you guys."

Muskateer considered her words for a moment. "Okay, so you had a bad day. Everyone ends up with one of those now and again. Comes with the territory, you know?"

Firestar looked up for a moment, then looked away again. "Maybe I should spend some time in the Young Champions program or something. Get a handle on my powers and my limits before putting others in danger."

"Now, what makes you say that?"

"I don't feel like I'm ready for all this." She paused for a moment. "I still can't figure out why I was even asked to join."

Muskateer had to think quickly. He couldn't tell her the real reason. That would only make things worse. Muskateer sat down on the bed next to Cassie. "I'm not exactly sure why they picked me either, kiddo. The fact is: they did and we're Avengers now. And you know what?" He reached out and touched her face gently, moving it so she looked at him. "Whatever their reasons, they made good choices. You helped kick PRIMUS' butt, right?" She didn't answer right away. "Right?"

Cassie forced a weak smile. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I'm right. And we clobbered those Retaliator twits in the armored car. You helped drive off Artemis. From what Gwen said, she ran like a scared puppy dog."

"I've been knocked around a lot too, Musky. I'm just not sure I'm up to all this. Maybe I'm in over my head? I didn't even have the strength to stand up by the time the fight was over."

"How do you know that didn't have something to do with the Crystal zapping you?", Muskateer countered.

"I was wasted by the time Thermax froze me," Cassie explained. "Just freeing myself was an effort."

"You can't give up just 'cause you got tired, hot stuff. We can work on that easily enough."

"Oh?"

"Sure, this place has got a heckuva cool training room. I'm good for more than just algebra, you know."

"You're probably right."

"Probably right? Me? Muskateer, probably right? Of course I'm right. Tell you what: I have a proposition for you. You join me for a month of training sessions, three times a week. If you still feel like you do now, you can tell Di you quit. Deal?"

"You can be really stubborn when you want to be."

"All just part of my charming personality. Better be careful, you almost smiled again."

Cassie couldn't help herself this time and broke into a smile. "Okay, you win. I'll try it. Otherwise, I might never get rid of you. I think I should get dressed now, huh?"

Muskateer picked up the clock and showed it to his reclining teammate. "It is almost noon, for crying out loud."

"Okay, okay..."

Muskateer got up and headed for the door. "We start on Monday, so you have a couple days to get ready. Catchya later, kiddo. I've got Monitor Duty anyway."

Out in the hallway, the Enchantress had been listening in on the conversation. Smiling a satisfied smile, she quickly teleported away as Muskateer exited the open door and closed it behind him.

"Somebody there?" Muskateer looked around for a moment. "Guess not?" With that he headed for the staircase up to the third floor.

"As near as I can tell, Firestar, there's nothing wrong with you." Dr. Marin had returned as she had promised. "I'd have to say you just over-taxed yourself last night. You may want to consider a conditioning program to prevent this from happening again."

"Thank you, doctor. I am feeling much better." Firestar seemed to be back to her normal, cheerful self. Once she got out of the shower after being visited by Muskateer, Cassie's next guest was Black Diamond. The sight of her idol up and about and seemingly in good shape was enough to bring the young heroine out of her funk. "Conditioning has already been suggested to me and I'm going to try it."

"Good," Dr. Marin said as she put her instruments away. "I wish all my patients were as reasonable as you." The physician sent a critical eye towards Black Diamond.

Linda just sighed and accepted the stare. It was hard to argue with Angelique when she got like this. "I am relaxing, not to worry."

"What about my other patient? You just let her wander off." Nightingale had visited Dr. Marin earlier in the day out on Sanctuary Island. While not showing, Angelique was greatly concerned with the idea that the Psychnocaine was having unforeseen side effects with her telepathic ability. However, the Huntress had left early this morning. While her condition was stable, Dr. Marin still wished she could have checked up on the heroine.

"You told me not exert myself," Black Diamond said with a grin. "I'll give you a lift back to the United Nations." The secret teleportation system that linked Sanctuary to the mainland was located underneath that famous structure.

"Excuse me, madam?" The Avengers' butler, Jeeves, poked his head into the room.

"Yes, Jeeves?" Black Diamond turned to face the Avengers gentleman's gentleman.

"Mail call, madame. I think you and Firestar will find these two pieces of particular interest." Jeeves handed an envelope to Black Diamond and one to Firestar. As he departed, he added, "I have deposited the rest of your mail in the usual location."

Slightly confused, the two heroines opened their envelopes. The contents were quickly read. Now even more puzzled, the two Avengers looked at each other, as if asking, "What's this all about?"

"Come on! Hit the fershlugginner ball!"

It was Saturday afternoon and Benjamin J. Grimm was in his favorite easy chair in front of the large screen TV in the rec room. A New York Yankees ball cap was on his head, several of their pennants in his hand, and a brew in the other.

"Fer the luva pete, you guys make millions and can't hit one lil' baseball!?" In spite of everything, the Thing, sports fan extraordinaire, was enjoying every moment!

"Your sandwich, sir." Jeeves entered the room and maneuvered himself around the gyrating Yankees fan.

"T'anks, Jeeves." He took the large sandwich and shoved it into his mouth, devouring it in a few bites. All the while he never took his eyes off the television screen.

"My word. How undignified!" Jeeves had seen much in his lifetime, but his latest position was easily the most unusual. He had never seen anyone eat as much, and as ungracefully, as the blue-eyed Thing.

"You guys are killin' me! Ya bunch o' bums!" Turning to Jeeves, Ben added, "Jes keep'm coming, Jeeves."

"As you wish, sir. Oh, this came in the mail for you." The butler handed the rocky Avenger a envelope. "I was told that you would find it most interesting."

"Hmm? Oh, sure." Jeeves departed after handing over the envelope. During a commercial, Ben opened the envelope and was startled by its contents. "Fer the luva pete!"

Muskateer sat in the Communications Room his feet propped up on the console. An open mailbag was on the floor next to him. "I never thought I'd get this much mail-- not ever!" Being a member of one of the more popular hero teams in the country did generate a huge amount of fan mail for its members.

The hero pulled a letter from the bag and opened it. "Let's see what this one is. It'll either say how great I am or how much I suck..." Muskateer unfolded the letter and began to read it out loud. The letter was crude and written in crayon.

'Dear Musakter,

"My name is Jeffree. I am fore years ol.

Why do you call youreslf Msukatear? You don't hav a muskette."

"Yer fan, Jeff."

"Oh man," Muskateer groaned to himself. "I guess it beats hate mail."

Muskateer set the letter off to the side. Then he remembered the envelope that Jeeves had especially mentioned. It was expensive in appearance. Other than saying 'Muskateer' in a stylish handwriting on the front, it was blank. "Wonder what this is all about?"

Inside was an invitation on fancy paper. It read:

"You are cordially invited to an evening of fine food and good conversation at the home of Gwendolyne Alarice Kingston (Enchantress) this evening. Dinner will be served at seven o'clock. Informal attire is suggested."

"Huh?" Muskateer read it again just to make sure.

Black Diamond entered as he did, followed by Firestar. "Muskateer! Do you know anything about this?" In her hand was a matching invitation. Firestar had one as well.

"I'm as much in the dark as you are, Di. But offhand, I'd say that we've all been invited to a dinner party."

"Wow," was all that Firestar could say. "I've never been to a dinner party before. I wonder what I'll wear?"

"Hey! There you guys are!" The Thing stormed into the Communications Room, waving yet another envelope. "What's the big idea?"

That evening, a nondescript van pulled up before the Enchantress' Manhattan town house and the four occupants disembarked. The woman better known to the world as Black Diamond eyed the structure.

"Not a bad little place Gwen's got here." Linda had not visited Gwen's home before, but was quite impressed by it. She had heard that the Enchantress was wealthy, and this home was proof of that. Linda had decided to dress up for the occasion. It had been a long time since she had been to a party, even a small one and she wanted to let loose.

Black Diamond cut a very attractive figure in the black mini-dress she wore. It made her legs look that much longer. Linda's hair was done up in an attractive style. Jewelry, hose, and matching black pumps rounded out the ensemble.

"Better be careful, Ben," Cassie said. "Everything inside here is breakable." Firestar was far more conservative than Linda. She wore khaki dress slacks and a red blouse. Her hair was much curlier than she normally wore it. A heart-shaped pendent was about her neck.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ben grumbled. "Ya'd think I don't have any culture 'r nothin'." Last out of the van was Ben Grimm. The huge hero wore a large trench coat to conceal his form and a hat.

"We like ya anyway, Big Guy." Steve poked fun at his large teammate, but was having a difficult time taking his eyes off the Avengers' leader. He simply wore a teal polo shirt and light gray slacks.

As the quartet made their way towards the town house entrance, the door opened and Gwen stepped out onto the front steps. "Glad to see that all of you could make it. A pity that Christina was unable to attend." Gwen wore a royal blue silk jacket and knee-length skirt and strappy high heels. A white ascot graced her slim neck and her silvery hair framed her flawless features.

"Maybe next time," Linda offered. "She's very concerned about her condition."

"Do come in." Gwen showed Linda and Cassie into the foyer.

"What's up, good lookin'?", Steve said to Gwen as he climbed the steps to the door. "Man, she'd probably make a burlap sack look great," he thought to himself. Ben brought up the rear as they all entered the lavish dwelling.

Gwen led her guests into the sitting room. "Make yourselves comfortable. Would anyone care for a refreshment?" Gwen sauntered over to the wet bar and poured drinks. The rest of the Avengers looked around at each other, still somewhat unsure why they were here. "The bar is fully stocked, including non-alcoholic fare for our designated driver or those not desiring alcohol."

"I hate to sound unappreciative," Linda spoke up, "but I'm sure we're all thinking the same thing: What's this all about? Why did you invite all of us here?"

"I imagine you're all confused," Gwen responded as she served the refreshments. "Please, sit down. Relax. Everything will be explained momentarily."

"Awright, I'm game," Ben said, removing his trench coat. Under his coat Ben was dressed in a dark green and brown striped sweater and brown pants. Clearly he didn't buy his clothes off the rack. The large hero gingerly sat down on a love seat. The small couch groaned under the strain.

The others took their seats as well. "Is this a special occasion or something?", Steve asked.

"I hope it turns out to be so," Gwen replied, taking a sip of white wine. Gathering up her courage, she looked around the room and began, "I truly enjoy my association with each of you in the Avengers. However, I seem to have been outside the team's social circle. I thought: What better way to get better acquainted with each of you than a dinner party?"

The guests exchanged nervous glances. Finally Linda spoke up. "I am sorry, Gwen. It never even occurred to me that we were making you feel like an outsider."

"Yeah, and here I thought I was the social misfit of the group," Steve said.

"Naw, you're just the misfit of the group," Cassie said with a smile.

"I'll remember that on Monday, kiddo," Steve taunted.

"Considering all the distractions the Avengers have had to contend with, it is not unreasonable to believe that such a circumstance could develop." Gwen took another sip of her wine. "I simply took matters into my own hands."

"Whata we do ta get this here shindig started then?", Ben asked, somewhat uncomfortable in his dress clothes and the elegant surroundings.

"Apparently, I am not the only one who has felt somewhat out of touch. I was thinking that we could start by introducing our private selves to each other," Gwen answered. "Dinner will be served shortly."

"You got midget butlers around here, or what?", Steve joked. Cassie couldn't help but giggle. Linda just shook her head and groaned.

"An' you guys said I was uncultured," Ben said with a chortle.

"You're just mad I thought of it first."

"Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself in for tonight?" Linda asked Gwendolyne.

"I have given this a great deal of thought," Gwen responded. "If everyone would just indulge me for a few moments?"

"Sure thing," Steve answered. "I never could refuse a lovely lady."

"I will remember that," Gwen responded with a smile. She looked around the room for answers from the others.

"There's nothing on the tube tonight anyway," the Thing grumbled.

Cassie thought for a moment. "If everyone else is willing, I'll go along."

"I'm game," Linda added. Getting to know her teammates better could only be a positive thing in her mind.

"Great," Gwen replied. "Here is what we'll do: one person will speak about themselves and possibly field questions from the others. Try to imagine that you are speaking to yourself and that there's no one else around. And be honest with yourself. After all, if you can't tell the truth to yourself, who are you going to tell it to? Most importantly, don't be afraid to say something. Because I will turn anyone who laughs into a toad! Who'll be first?"

The heroes exchanged glances until Linda finally said, "This is your idea. You go first."

"As you wish," Gwen said. "My full name is Gwendolyne Alarice Kingston. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 2nd. My father is Karl Kingston, a self-made millionaire. He made his money in the sales and distribution of the King Crab line of sea food, which he founded. My mother is Anita Kingston. I have two brothers and one sister. Allen is the oldest. As you all know, he is a reporter for a local branch of World News Network here in New York City. Both my sister and younger brother are in high school. Their names are Monica and Thomas."

"So, how'd you get your magic powers," Cassie asked.

"A good question, Cassandra. When I was eleven years old, I learned from my grandmother, Mirabel, that my family held a very old secret. That certain females possessed magical powers. These powers date back hundreds of years, possibly thousands. The women kept this a secret out of fear. It was then in the 1600's that one of my ancestors let the secret slip. This led to the witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts. The powers I now possess have been passed along every other generation from grandmother to granddaughter. I was the oldest daughter, so it was I who inherited the family gift."

"Not exactly your typical family inheritance," Steve offered.

"No, not at all. I learned what I could from my grandmother, but it quickly became apparent that my abilities far exceeded hers. After I graduated from high school, I traveled to New York and sought out the Master. I became one of his students; a member of the Circle. My powers grew under his tutelage. I still associate with the Circle to this day."

"Was that about that time you joined the Crusaders?", Linda asked.

"Quite correct. I thought it was a good decision. Giving me a chance to put my powers to good use, but it turned out quite the opposite. I joined with Crusader, Morning Star, Radiance, and Speedster to form the Crusaders. I quit less than a year later..."

"So, what happened?", Steve asked with growing interest. He had no idea that there was so much to the Enchantress. "Isn't that when Shrinker went bad?"

"Morning Star and I both left before that tragic debacle. But let's just say that a few of the members had some very drastic outlooks when it came to fighting crime. The different philosophies clashed too strongly for my tastes."

"I have some experience with teams fallin' apart around ya," Ben said glumly.

"So, what did you do between the Crusaders and the Avengers?", Cassie asked.

"I took a bit of a break from the superhero scene and attended college at Princeton. I still kept my contact with the Circle and assisted them on occasion. Sargon was a friend of mine. When he was killed, I vowed to find his killer and bring him to justice. Warlock and Morning Star suggested my nomination to the Avengers to take Sargon's place."

"I would imagine that covers my story sufficiently. Now if you would all accompany me into the dining room, dinner will be served."

"Great!", Ben said, "I'm starved!"

Once seated in the exquisitely furnished chamber, talk turned once again to the social introductions as the appetizers were served.

"Hey, these are pretty good," Steve said, between bites of his salad. Gwen had laid quite a spread out-- shrimp cocktails, salad, soup, and seafood hors d'oeuvre.

"Okay, who goes next?", the hostess asked before taking a taste of her clam chowder.

"I'll go next," Cassandra said, without much enthusiasm. "There's not really much to tell. I never knew my real parents. My mother died in childbirth, no one knew who my father was. I spent time in an orphanage before I was adopted by the Shepards. They were great parents, although my foster-father died a few years back."

"Let me see-- my powers started to appear when I was 13 or 14. I found out I was a mutant when a operative of IMAGE tried to recruit me."

"I've had unfortunate dealings with IMAGE myself," Linda inserted, thinking back to her past dealings with the organization that believed in the superiority of mutants and their eminent rise to global dominance. "What did you do, Cassie?"

"Flew away as fast as I could. To finish up, about a month ago Black Diamond came to St. Louis and asked me to join the Avengers. And here I am."

"Nice to have you, Cassie," Gwen stated. She rose and made her way to the kitchen. "Dinner is served."

Linda rose as well. "I'll give you a hand."

In short order, the main dish was brought out and served. Cassandra eyed it wearily, as did the Thing. "Not to be rude or anything, Gwen, but what is this?"

"Pasta Primavera with seafood in basil cream."

"Oh, of course. How silly of me not to notice." It didn't look all that appealing to the young mutant. She experimentally took a bite and found that it was at least tolerable. The others began to eat as well.

After a time, Gwen said, "Who wants to go next?"

"I'll do it," the Thing grumbled as he tried to manipulate the silverware with his oversized hands. Ben was a more down-to-earth eater. This spread was way too fancy for his tastes, the portions too small.

"'Sides I don't really have much to tell, bein' that I was changed inta the Thing in front o' the whole blamed world. I was testin' a prototype space module when I passed through a whitish light. The ship was damaged an' fell ta Earth. I mutated into what ya see here-- it's how I managed ta survive the crash."

"I went through some bad times when I was first changed into the Thing. I could never be a normal man again. That's somethin' that hurt real bad. There's no known way to change me back, so I have ta live with it. It took time. Since I had this new body, I figured I might as well put it ta use. There's not much else ta add. I only wish I could be normal again."

"That's fine, Ben. We're down to two, so who's going next?" Gwen looked at the only persons to not have spoken yet, Linda and Steven.

"Ladies first," Steve said with a grin.

"You coward....", Linda said in mock surprise. "Okay, let's get this over with. My real name is Linda Susan Taylor. I was born here in New York City, on February 15th. My father is Joe Taylor. He's a contractor. My mothers name is Marie. I'm a only child"

"I'm also a mutant and my abilities also surfaced in puberty like Firestar's. My powers horrified my parents... They didn't have any more children. We don't really speak to each other much any more. I made my debut in 1976, so I have been at this for a long time. I enjoy being Black Diamond. A whole lot more than being Linda Taylor."

"Sorry I'm rambling-- I'm not used to this sort of thing. Anyway, I joined the Avengers when Hunter was forming the team. I'm a founder along with Chris, who is also my best friend."

"I've had a few lousy relationships in my time. Including one with Lightburst."

"Lightburst," Cassie said in amazement, nearly spitting out her fettucini. "You mean you--? And he--?? With that creep?"

"Unfortunately," Linda said blushing. "That's me in a nutshell. Now, Mr. Harper it's your turn."

"Alright boys and girls, better take notes, 'cause I'll be quizzing you afterwards. My given name is Steven Anthony Harper. I've been Muskateer for a little over 6 months now."

"Is there a reason why you spell Muskateer with an 'A' instead of an 'E', as in the Three Musketeers?", Gwen asked.

"Artistic license?", Steven said, shrugging.

"And here I thought it was something significant."

"Just something to bug the media's spell checker, I guess. I'm an only child and like Firestar am also an orphan. My father was a well-traveled archaeologist and historian. I imagine that's what fostered my own love of history. We lived all over the globe when I was little."

"When did you lose your parents?", Gwen asked, sympathetically.

"It's been quite a few years now. Once I entered high school, I stopped traveling with them much. It happened during my first semester at college. My father was searching for evidence that the Vikings had sailed to South America before Columbus was even close. They both disappeared during that expedition. Only the ship's wreckage was ever recovered."

"I am sorry to hear that," Gwen offered.

"Like I usually say, it's been awhile. I've gotten over it. Anyway, I attended college at MIT. Up in your neck of the woods, Gwen. I've always loved working with electronics, computers, and high-tech gizmos. As if anyone couldn't tell by now."

"I started working for Kord Industries on a couple co-op positions while in school and they eventually offered me a full-time position. They moved me to Chicago and I worked there about a year and a half before the accident."

"Accident?", Cassandra asked.

"Yeah, a squad of Iron Maiden's goons broke in to the Kord Complex late one night. I was burnin' the midnight oil, tryin' to finish a series of tests on our current project. IM's flunkies weren't expecting anyone around and frankly neither did I."

"What did you do?"

"Well, seeing as how I was a normal person back then and they were packing some fancy hardware, I tried to get my butt outta there. I ran back into the room where the testing was being done with the goons hot on my heels. The grenade they threw should have finished me off. Instead, somehow, the explosion that came from all the equipment goin' up caused a mutation in my physical abilities."

"It's hard to imagine you any different than you are now, Steve," Cassie commented.

"Thanks, I think. After I recovered, I went back to work for Kord, but I also discovered these new abilities. I decided to start training even more and designed my sword and all its toys. About six months after the accident, Muskateer made his first appearance. The rest is history in the making."

It is nearly midnight by the time the door to the Enchantress' town house opens. The guests begin to shuffle out and make their way towards the waiting van.

"I just want to say thanks for having us over," Linda said to Gwen. "I had a great time."

"Me too. Let's not be strangers. Good night everyone!"

Epilogue:

Jeeves enjoyed a quiet night at the Avengers Mansion. With the team gone for the evening, he had the place to himself. He moved through the mansion, reducing the number of lit lights in the house. After shutting off the dining room lights, Jeeves made his way towards his quarters. A nice spot of tea and a good book were the order of the evening.

Had he remained a moment longer, Jeeves would have been shocked as a ghostly figure in orange and yellow appeared in the dining room! Its features sharpened into that of a man and then, just as quickly as it appeared, the apparition faded away....