The ever-present blonde receptionist regarded the new arrivals. "Well done, Doctor. You are the first to complete your objective."
"Of course," the master villain stated in a matter-of-factual tone.
Black Diamond could only wonder what was transpiring here. "What is this place?" Looking towards the receptionist, she asked, "Who are you?" All present ignored her questions.
"They think they're too good ta talk ta us," the Texas Ranger quietly added. "Disrespectful varmints!"
"Silence!", Menton yelled. "You will speak only when told to!" As he concentrated on the Texas Ranger, his powerful mind reached out and smothered the western hero. Ranger lapsed into unconsciousness once more. Menton lowered both prisoners to the floor. "Keep a civil tongue," he instructed Black Diamond, "or I shall crush your mind as well."
"Who's the other one?", the receptionist asked as she prepared the paper work. "You were only required to capture Black Diamond."
"An unexpected complication," Destroyer answered. "Consider him to be a bonus."
"My master will be pleased."
"I thought as much."
The receptionist completed the paperwork and placed the necessary forms before Destroyer. Without any emotion, he signed the documents. As he did, several male Servants of the Claw appeared in the room. "You're all set, Dr. Destroyer. Congratulations on progressing to the third round."
Destroyer turned and started to walk away, Menton taking his place several steps behind his master. Suddenly Destroyer held up his hand. "Wait." He turned and retraced his steps to the captives.
The Servants paused and looked at the Destroyer. They had been preparing to take the prisoners away and now looked to the receptionist for guidance. She nodded for them to hold their action.
Taking a small device from his belt, Destroyer pointed it at Black Diamond. The heroine gasped and prepared herself for an agony that never came. Instead, the necklace Destroyer had placed around her neck snapped loose and fell free. Destroyed stooped down and retrieved his device.
"Farewell, Black Diamond. Enjoy your stay." Destroyer turned and strode away.
Angered, Black Diamond strained at the shackles holding her. Without the pain-giving necklace, there was no reason that she shouldn't try to break free. The heroine strained, feeling the bonds beginning to weaken. With one final push, the manacles shattered under her great strength! "I don't plan on staying here, Destroyer!"
Hitting a button on her desk, the receptionist activated an alarm. As the male Servants advanced on the heroine, Diamond easily tossed them aside.
Menton moved to rush forward, but Destroyer held him back with his arm. "Master?", Menton asked in a confused voice.
Not wishing to be recaptured so soon, Diamond grabbed the Texas Ranger and flew out the still open doorway of the dome. She accelerated and rapidly faded from sight.
"She's escaping!", the receptionist yelled. "Do something!"
Calmly, Destroyer approached the frazzled woman. "Is my capture still on record?"
"Yes. Yes, it is."
"Then her escape does not concern me." Without another word, Destroyer pivoted and departed the Dome, Menton trailing behind him. They entered Destroyer's craft. A moment later, it rose into the night sky and flew away.
"Of all the nerve!", the exasperated receptionist replied. Her master, the Crimson Claw, was not going to be pleased....
| Roll Call: |
|---|
 Black Diamond |
 Muskateer |
 Enchantress |
 Firestar |
 Lightburst |
 Supreme |
 Thing |
Guest Starring Density |
 Morning Star |
 Sorceress |
 Spinnerette |
 Texas Ranger |
 Warlock |
"You're joking, right?" Supreme couldn't believe what he was hearing. After spending nearly two months as a prisoner in the lair of the Crimson Claw, the super-strong Avenger had been freed earlier in the day by X-Factor. (Editor's Note: As seen in Spectrum #22 and X-Factor #1)
Now, Morning Star was filling him in on some of the events he had missed. Currently, they were in a private room inside the Guardians Headquarters.
"Believe me, I wish I were," Morning Star answered apologetically. She had taken upon herself the unpleasant task of telling Supreme that several of his teammates had died during his absence. "Black Tiger and Sargon were killed in the explosion. Hunter passed on about a month later. He had slipped into a coma and never recovered from his injuries. They never found Captain Valor."
"Oh, man..." The reality of the situation hit Supreme like a ton of bricks. They had been his teammates, his friends for years. Sure, they could be annoying, even egotistical, but there was an unspoken level of respect between Supreme and his late teammates. He just wished that he had told them that while they were still alive.
"The team carried on as best it could," Morning Star continued. She couldn't be sure Supreme was even listening to her words any more. "A new team was assembled after a few weeks. Black Diamond was promoted to team leader. Joining her were former Avengers Nightingale, the Thing, and Lightburst and a trio of newcomers to the team, Muskateer, Firestar, and the Enchantress."
Supreme hung his head. He wiped away a tear with his hand. "I disappear and the world goes to hell." Angrily, Supreme stood, shaking his fists. "I should've been there! I could have made a difference!" His anger fading, he sat down once more. In a small voice he added, "I could have helped Di through this..."
Morning Star rose silently. She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and made her way out of the chamber. There were no more words to say...
Black Diamond flew at her top speed for several minutes before finally slowing down.
"Ah don't see any of them rustlers tryin' ta head us off at the pass." During the flight, the Texas Ranger had recovered from Menton's assault.
After examining the area for herself, Black Diamond located a good spot to land and set down. She took a hold of Ranger's shackles and easily broke them open. "There you go, cowboy. All ready to roam the range once more."
"Thank ya kindly, ma'am." The Ranger looked about, but couldn't see all that much. The pair were in a mountainous region, but the night obscured most of the details. "Any idea where that coyote brought us to?"
"You're really heavy into the western lingo, aren't you, Ranger."
That brought a smile to the Texas Ranger's face. "It's just my way," he answered without his thick accent. "Been talking that way so long that I tend to do so without thinking about it."
Black Diamond flew up into the air and tried to get her bearings. The surroundings seemed vaguely familiar, but she could quite place them. Ranger floated up beside her. "We had best keep moving," she added. "Just because we don't see signs of pursuit does not mean there is none. You mentioned something about meeting the Avengers before-- that you 'owed' them?"
"That's right, ma'am," Ranger answered in agreement, slipping back into his accent. "Ah reckon it was about eight years ago when you, Hunter, Captain Valor, and the Golden Avenger broke up PSI operations in the Buffalo area."
"I get it," Black Diamond stated. The pieces of this puzzle were starting to fit. "You were one of the students that we rescued."
"Yup. 'Course Ah filled out a might bit over the years."
"We'll go this way." Black Diamond pointed off to her right. City lights could be seen in the distance. She flew off, letting Ranger set the pace as she was unsure if he could fly as fast as Diamond could. "Then your powers must be psionic in nature."
"I'm a telekinetic," Ranger conceded. "Can move things with mah mind. I can also create transparent solid objects-- things like walls, battering rams, and the like. The rest of the story you know. After being freed from PSI, I moved to the southwest and lived away from the big cities. When I heard that Hunter and the others who helped me had perished, I decided then and there to return the favor by comin' up and helpin' ya'll out."
"He possesses a great deal of courage," Black Diamond thought to herself. "But he needs some work..."
To her companion, Diamond said, "Those are noble sentiments, Ranger. I can't make any promises at the moment, but I'll see what I can do. Right now, we need to reach civilization and alert my teammates as to my whereabouts."
"Lead the way, ma'am."
The Avengers Quinnjet streaked high across the Kansas sky traveling at nearly twice the speed of sound. Having received a call for assistance from the long-missing Supreme, the team was en route to Los Angeles. Under the expert piloting of the Thing, the craft would reach its destination very shortly.
Muskateer sat quietly in the passenger compartment. On the one hand he had come to like being in charge of the team, but on the other hand when he was in charge it was because something had happened to Black Diamond. It wasn't worth being in charge at Di's expense.
The Enchantress sat close by, Firestar a bit further away. The young mutant was fast asleep. The Thing was up in the pilot's compartment, of course. With him was the just returned Lightburst.
The Enchantress moved closer to Muskateer. "Hi. Tonight is not turning out quite as I had hoped."
Muskateer snapped out of his reverie, as he turned toward the sorceress. "Yeah, well, it was pretty good while it lasted. The burden of a round-the-clock profession." He took a moment to gaze at the lovely heroine, wondering just what it was she had hoped for.
"Pretty good?", she asked disappointedly. "You call that 'pretty good'?"
"Sorry. A lot has happened in the last few hours." He sat back in his chair and thought about their earlier encounter. A smile formed for a moment under his mask. "Actually, it was pretty damn incredible," he muttered, barely audible. He quickly caught himself and sat back up straighter again forcing the memory from his attention. He looked over at his companion again. Muskateer wondered if he would ever look at her the same way again.
"I think I understand," Gwen answered. She looked away, a trace of disappointment marring her flawless features. "This all happened so fast for the both of us. Good relationships take time." The Enchantress rose and moved away to another seat. "Perhaps our young teammate has the right idea. A short nap before we arrive in Los Angeles would be prudent."
"Yeah, maybe you're right." Muskateer leaned back in his chair, but he couldn't help stealing a glance or two at his magic-wielding teammate before he finally dozed off.
The city lights grew brighter and brighter as the pair started to leave the mountains. Black Diamond suddenly came to a halt. "We're in Los Angeles!"
Ranger likewise came to a stop. "Are you sure?" He had never been to the West Coast before. In fact he had only seen it on the television.
"Positive. I lived out here for nearly two years when I was with the Guardians." The heroine continued to hover, trying to get her bearings. It had been several years since Black Diamond had been to Los Angeles. That, coupled with the nighttime darkness, made the task of determining her location all the more difficult. "I think it's this way..." Diamond started to fly off once more, but stopped. "Come here, Ranger."
The Texas Ranger moved closer, puzzled by the request. Black Diamond reached, out, putting her arm under the cowboy's shoulder. "No offense," Diamond explained, "but I can fly much faster than you can."
Before he could answer, Black Diamond accelerated to speeds well beyond what Ranger could achieve. "Ya made yer point, lil' lady. Ah'll jus' sit back and enjoy the ride. Yee-haw!"
Back in the Avenger's Quinnjet, its pilot, Ben Grimm, regarded Lightburst who was seated in the co-pilot's chair. "You sure yer ready for this, Seymour?"
Lightburst turned to face his longtime teammate. Both had served on the Avengers and the Guardians at the same time in the past. While no one would consider them to be good friends, they were never on bad terms either.
"I just want to help out, Ben. I've had a lot of time to think lately. I've realized what an ass I've been." The light-based Avenger looked downward, as if he was ashamed. "I've hurt Linda a lot, Ben. I don't know how she ever forgave me."
The Thing made a minor course correction and returned control of the Quinnjet to the autopilot. While he tended to avoid the dating aspect of his teammates lives, Ben couldn't help but notice the brief love affair between Lightburst and Black Diamond. And also how it ended. "I know, kid."
"So, maybe, in some small way, this will help make up for all the things I've done." Lightburst gestured towards the passenger cabin where the other Avengers were seated. "I don't really know those guys back there. I just felt more comfortable up here with you. If you don't mind that is."
"No problem, kid. Just sit back and enjoy the ride."
At her top flight speed, Black Diamond reached the Guardians Base in less than ten minutes. She landed with her burden near the front door. To her surprise, the outside of the base looked like a warzone. Large areas of the property had seen fire damage, a few areas still smoldered. Numerous holes littered the yard. The Skycruiser, the team jet for the Protector's was sitting close by.
"What hit this place?", the heroine wondered aloud. She knew about the destruction of the Freedom Squad's base, but wasn't aware that the Guardians had been hit just as bad. (Editor's Note: From back in Spectrum #20)
"As far as bases go, I think the Avengers Mansion is finer," the Texas Ranger remarked.
"This is the original Guardians Base," Diamond explained. "We used another headquarters during my stay here in Los Angeles." Thoughts of her days in Los Angeles and with the Guardians came flooding back. She remembered the good times most of all. Perhaps she would come back out west someday. "Anyway, it looks like someone is still up. I need to contact my team and let them know I'm all right."
The front door opened right before Diamond could knock on it. Inside was Warlock, with his wife, Density. "Black Diamond! A pleasure to see you again," Warlock greeted.
Density slipped around him and gave the startled heroine a hug. "We're all glad that you're safe. When we heard what happened, we feared the worst."
"Well, this is a very friendly greeting," Black Diamond remarked. In fact, she had missed the company of Warlock and Density herself. "How did you find out what happened so fast? Oh, where are my manners? Density, Warlock, this is the Texas Ranger."
"Howdy, pahdners," Ranger greeted, tipping his hat to the lady.
"That's something of a long story, Di." Turning, Black Diamond saw Spinnerette standing in the open doorway. "How did you get away from the Crimson Claw?"
"The Crimson what? Sorry, but I think we need to compare notes here. I'm not sure--"
"Di!" Everyone turned as Supreme emerged from inside the Guardians Base. "Man, are you a sight for sore eyes!"
"Supreme?! But how--? Why?"
Supreme didn't answer, instead he strode towards Black Diamond, took her into his arms, and gave her a long kiss. "You have no idea how much I missed you; how much I wish I had been there for you."
Black Diamond was taken aback by the whole turn of events. "I missed you too, but I don't think that this is really the time and the place..." Her face was turning red.
"Why don't we go inside and we'll explain everything?", Spinnerette offered, her mask concealing the amused look on her face. Slowly, everyone made their way inside the Guardian's base.
"Say, ma'am, might Ah impose upon ya fer some vittles?", Ranger asked.
"Sure thing, Hopalong." Turning to Black Diamond, the web-slinging heroine added, "Where did you find him at?"
"Actually, he found me."
"Up 'n at'm, boy and girls," the Thing announced over the Quinnjet's intercom system. The Avengers jet had reached Los Angeles and was making its approach to the Guardians headquarters.
Muskateer awoke with a start, as did his teammates. The sword-swinging Avenger was up first and made his way to the pilot's cabin. "What's shakin', Ben?"
"We're about a minute from touchdown," Ben Grimm reported. "Looks like a regular convention down there." The Thing pointed a rocky finger towards one of the monitors in the cabin. On it was an magnified view of the Guardians headquarters modified to cut down the darkness. Several other jets were already parked on the lawn beside the structure.
"Looks like M'Star wasn't kiddin' about calling in a whole bunch of people," Muskateer observed. "I recognize the Champions Slingshot from my days in Chicago. Know who any of the others are?"
"That's one of the Lone Stars," the Thing answered, pointing to one of the other jets. "It belongs to the Superior Seven. There's the Protector's Skycruiser. Sheesh, it's a like a family reunion down there."
"I hope someone brought the jello."
"You have no idea how worried I was about you, Terry." Black Diamond sat on a couch inside the Guardians base. After comparing notes with Spinnerette, Morning Star, and Spectrum, the heroine had retired to one of the private rooms to be alone with Supreme.
Supreme sat beside her, holding her hand. "That means a lot to me, Linda. I've had more than enough time to think about things while in that damn cell. To think about us." The two had been on several dates before Supreme mysteriously disappeared. Both were very cautious about rushing into a potentially disastrous romance.
"I care about all my teammates--- You know that."
"I wish I had been there for you when you needed me. Been there to help the others---"
Linda looked away. "Believe me, I know what you're going through. I've had those feelings myself. That I should have been there. That I could have made a difference. We really don't know if we would have mattered at all. If things would have turned out differently-- or if we would have perished too."
Supreme reached out and gently felt the left side of her face. He forced her to look at him. "I'm not good with words. I think that we-- you and I-- can work. I'm not like that creep Lightburst. I'd never do anything to hurt you."
Diamond looked deep into Supreme's eyes. She hoped that she could believe him. The two drew closer and closer, until the moment was shattered by someone knocking on the door. Morning Star stuck her head in a moment later.
"I just thought that I'd let you know--" Morning Star paused, realizing that she had intruded upon something. "Oops! Sorry, I didn't-- This seems to be my day for bad timing."
Black Diamond stood up, facing her old teammate. "It's all right. You have news?"
"Oh, yes. The rest of the Avengers are here."
The Quinnjet slowly descended to the ground, supported by its VTOL thrusters. The craft gently touched down on the lawn. The hatch opened and Muskateer led the Avengers out into the grounds.
The doors to the base were already open and several of the occupants had emerged to greet the new arrivals. To the great surprise of the Avengers, Black Diamond was already there!
"Look!", Firestar said in an excited tone. "Di's here!"
"Well I'll be...", Muskateer muttered. "Supreme was actually right."
Black Diamond, Supreme, and the Texas Ranger approached the Quinnjet. Di waved as she approached. "Hello! Glad you could join us!"
"I could say the same thing, fearless leader," Muskateer offered. "Word had it you'd been captured. What the hell's going on anyway?"
"Why don't we go inside and I'll fill you in on what I know," Diamond offered. "By the way, this is Supreme and the Texas Ranger."
"Howdy, ya'll." The Ranger tipped his hat to the female Avengers.
"Yippee-ki-yay," Muskateer responded sarcastically. "This place looks like a warzone already. How come you didn't wait for us?"
"I just got here a little while ago myself, Muskateer," Black Diamond said, as she led the heroes into the base. Then the heroine noticed Lightburst standing in the back of the group. "Lightburst!?"
Lightburst took a few tentative steps towards Black Diamond. Supreme looked on with obvious disdain for the light-wielding hero. "I got the emergency call-- I just wanted to help."
Slowly, a smile formed on Diamond's face. "Glad to have you back, 'Burst."
After a round of introductions, the team gathered in one of the large rec rooms in the Guardians HQ. Supreme recounted his capture at the hands of Iron Maiden and subsequent escape with the help of X-Factor. Black Diamond then took some time to describe her recent adventures to the rest of her team and the Texas Ranger's involvement. Spinnerette and Warlock had joined in on the conversation.
"Dr. Destroyer?!", Firestar asked incredulously. "I'm glad I didn't have to face him."
"That explains the mess we found back at the mansion," the Enchantress added.
"Believe me, I'd rather not have to take him on myself again," Black Diamond responded. "I did warn you that the Avengers deal with some pretty powerful foes."
"You ain't kiddin', Di," Ben agreed. "'Course the whole team's here this time."
"So what're we waitin' for anyway?", Muskateer asked, impatience filling his words. "When do we beat up the bad guys?"
"Patience, my friend," Warlock cautioned. "You will have your wish soon enough, I fear."
"Yeah, we're just waiting for the Freedom League to show up and we'll start planning our assault," Spinnerette explained. "In the meantime, everyone please make yourselves at home. And don't mind the mess." The last comment was in reference to the internal damage that had been caused by some of the earlier fighting at the base.
"Sounds good ta me," Muskateer said, as he popped to his feet. "Let me know when the meeting's happenin'. I'll catch you guys later." The Avenger quickly exited the room, leaving the rest of the team behind.
"Don't let the door whack you on the way out," Supreme said sarcastically, seeing how quickly Muskateer had vacated the room. "Where did you find these guys?"
"Hush," Diamond stage whispered to Supreme. To the others she said, "Actually, I think he's got the right idea. Everyone should take some time to get to know the other heroes here. In a few hours we'll be fighting alongside them. Many of us have friends that we haven't seen in a long time."
"I have a feeling this is going to be a long night," Firestar offered to no one in particular.
Black Diamond watched the team slowly file out of the Rec Room. Hesitantly, she called out to the Enchantress. "Gwen--?"
The sorceress turned and slowly walked towards the Avengers leader. "Something I can do for you?"
"I don't wish to pry, but is there anything wrong?" After a pause, Diamond added, "Muskateer doesn't seem to be himself. Did something-- happen tonight?"
The Enchantress smiled softly. She struggled to find the words to describe what this evening had been like. "It has been a very-- draining evening. The emergency signal came at-- shall we say-- a most inopportune moment. If you'll excuse me, I have some old acquaintances that I wish to rekindle."
Black Diamond nodded and watched as the Enchantress departed, unsure of what to make of the situation.
The Avengers slowly went their separate ways and mingled with the rest of the heroes present. Supreme approached the Thing, shaking the rocky hero's hand. "Glad to have you back, Ben."
"Same here, Supes. How 'bout a drink?"
"Right this way!" Supreme led his teammate from the room and towards the kitchen.
An impromptu card game was already in progress inside the kitchen. Imperial was currently dealing. "Five card stud,", the hero said as he puffed on his cigar. "Nothing wild but the dealer."
Seated around the table were Helios and Renegade of the Protectors. Captain Lightning, leader of the Superior Seven was in the game as well.
"Hey, it's Ben!", Captain Lightning observed as the two Avengers entered the room. "Have a seat, big guy."
The Thing smiled. "Now yer talkin', Cap."
"So good to see you again, Gwendolyne!"
The Enchantress hadn't taken more than a dozen steps outside of the Rec Room before encountering her old classmates. Warlock of the Guardians and the Sorceress of the Superior Seven approached.
The Warlock wasn't all that much taller than the Enchantress. He wore a blue, yellow, and red costume. The golden helm that obscured most of his face seemed to add a couple of inches to his height.
The Sorceress was an extremely beautiful woman. Her costume consisted of a dark green body suit, armless, legless, with matching high gloves and boots. A dark hooded cloak was draped over her shoulders. Lustrous red hair nearly reached her waist and offset her bright green eyes.
"Tanya!" The Enchantress gave her friend a hug. Unlike most heroes, the Sorceress didn't conceal her true identity of Tanya Chamberlain. "So good to see you."
"It has been too long, my friend."
"Aye," Warlock added in agreement. He took Gwen's hand and gently kissed it. "Welcome to Los Angeles. I only wish it could be under more pleasant circumstances."
"Thank you, Wendell," the Enchantress added. "How is Margaret?"
"Doing well." The Warlock gestured off towards one of the many private chambers. "Come, let us get out of the hallway and into something more appropriate for conversation."
"Agreed," the Sorceress answered. She walked in the direction that Warlock suggested, placing her arm around the shoulders of the Enchantress. "You must simply tell me everything that's been happening, Gwen. What's new with the Master? The new students? Your adventures with the Avengers? Are you seeing..."
Muskateer managed to find the Combat Chamber and Gymnasium in the Guardians base. It was one of the few areas that had been completely spared damage from the earlier conflicts. There were a few heroes here engaged in a friendly target practice contest.
The hero known as Blade was firing pistols at a makeshift group of targets some distance away, as Maverick of the Superior Seven, Goshawk lately of LA's Freedom Squad and the Silver Arrow, one of Scarlet Sabre's teammates, looked on.
After a couple of shots, Maverick commented on the heroes' marksmanship. "Not bad for a tenderfoot," she said in a western accent, but not as severe as the Texas Ranger's. The dark blue clad heroine accepted her special six-shooters back from Blade.
"I've learned about quite a number of combat weapons in my many travels," Blade commented, not particularly thrilled with his shooting. He could do better if he really practiced with firearms more.
"If I had my bow, I'd show you a thing or two about marksmanship," Silver Arrow commented.
"Yeah? Well, ya'll take a gander at this!" Maverick turned and rapidly fired at the targets without taking time to line up her shots. The heroine spun in place, firing her weapons behind her back and finished up with a pair of over the shoulder shots. Once finished, the blonde heroine blew imaginary smoke away from the barrels and spun the weapons on her fingers before holstering the pistols.
"Ha!", Goshawk stated arrogantly. "You missed!"
"On the contrary," Maverick answered coolly. "My shots went through the holes Blade made."
"Most impressive," Blade responded.
"Well done," Silver Arrow added, clapping lightly. "You're a cowgirl after my own heart!"
Goshawk looked at Maverick, awestruck. He re-examined the target and then turned back to the Superior Seven's expert marksman. "Damn!" Once he regained his composure, he added, "I'm up next against Blade. Let's see how good he is with throwing knives!"
Muskateer watched absentmindedly for a few moments and proceeded over to the gym equipment to see what they offered. Spying a large, heavy-duty punching bag, Muskateer let loose a couple of jabs on the bag. "That felt better," he thought to himself.
This night was turning out to be an emotional roller coaster. He needed to get away from the rest of the Avengers. Between Di being here and Gwen and Lightburst and Supreme...
He steadied the bag again and began vigorously punching it with quick combinations. Using the workout to release a great amount of pent up tension, the Avenger increased the force of his punches.
"What did that apparatus do to you to deserve such a beating?"
Muskateer paused for a moment and looked over, breathing heavily. He saw that Blade was approaching. Focusing his attention back on the bag, he steadied it with one hand. "Just happened to be convenient!" With a loud grunt, he let loose another punch and embedded his arm up to his elbow in the bag. Stuffing went flying in an explosion of fluff.
"Something you care to talk about, lad?", Blade asked, putting his hand on the younger hero's shoulder.
"What makes you think anything's wrong?"
"I've taken out my frustrations like that enough times to recognize it in another," Blade explained.
Muskateer thought for a moment, then looked around the room at the contents of the bag which had been strewn about. He let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Awright, you win."
"Come let us retire outside. The air is cool and inviting."
The three students of the Circle were enjoying their reunion.
"A real demon?", Warlock repeated incredulously. "Were those Morbanes insane?? Don't they realized what evil they've unleashed?"
"They surely must have realized that demons can't be controlled," Tanya added.
"If they did not before the summoning, they surely do know now. I--" Gwen stopped in mid-sentence. She could feel something magical very close. Her companions could feel it as well.
The door to the room slowly opened. A small, baseball-sized object floated into the room. It was a multi-faceted, transparent crystal. Behind the crystal was a beautiful young woman. She stood about 5'10, with green eyes and auburn hair. The young woman wore a dark rose, ankle length hooded cape and thigh-length boots over a shiny body suit of a similar color. A golden cloak pin with a large, red crystal forced her cape together at the shoulders. She didn't wear a mask.
"Oh," the new arrival stated, surprised by the room's occupants. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude..." The door began to close once more.
"Wait!" The Warlock stood up and advanced towards the woman. "Aren't you Solitaire? Newest member of the Champions?"
The woman paused. "Yes. Yes, I am. Widget sensed magic and I thought I'd investigate...."
"Come on in," the Enchantress offered with a smile. "We are all mages here. It's rare that we get the chance to meet another of our kind. And especially one who was trained outside of the Master."
"I... I wouldn't wish to impose...", Solitaire shyly stammered out.
"Nonsense!" The Sorceress came up and took the young woman's arm. "We want to know all about you! I just love your costume. Did you make it yourself?"
"I--"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a Vril Crystal?", Warlock asked, taking the other hand. Together, they led a bewildered Solitaire into the room.
Gwen closed the door and followed. This was going to be interesting.
Outside, the Muskateer and Blade were walking the grounds behind the base.
"What a night," the Avenger commented, while gazing up into the night sky. While having never met Blade before in person, Muskateer felt a certain affinity to the older hero. He reminded Muskateer something of an older version of himself. He felt a little more at ease around the veteran super.
"So tell me of your dilemma."
"Where do I begin?" Muskateer thought back over the night's events. It seemed like two whole days rolled into a few short hours. Make that long hours. "First of all, Supreme isn't exactly making things easy. I spent a lot of time proving that I belonged in the Avengers and this knuckle-head shows up and starts questioning all that again."
"I see your point." Blade walked alongside the younger hero. In a blindingly quick move, he unsheathed his sword and struck at the Avenger's chest.
Muskateer barely had time to react. He ducked under the blow and rolled backwards, unsheathing his sword as he tumbled. He brought it up to block the second strike. Blade grinned widely as they held their swords locked in place. "Very good," he added approvingly. "Do you belong in the Avengers?"
Muskateer stepped back a few steps and regarded the older hero with a wary gaze. "What kind of question is that?"
Blade's answer came in the form of an overhand strike, which Muskateer blocked aside with a grunt. "Do you belong in the Avengers?", he repeated. He struck again with a wide blow that Muskateer leapt over to avoid.
The Avenger turned to the attack and struck a few blows of his own, which Blade deftly turned away. Muskateer stepped back again after the attack. A smile formed under his mask as he realized what Blade's game was. "Yeah, I belong in the Avengers. I earned my place there." The two circled each other, engaging in attacks and counter-attacks. It was an unusual exchange, but for the two swordsmen a positive bonding experience.
"Then I fail to see the problem. If you indeed belong on the roster as you say, then your ally will realize that soon enough. If not, it's a moot point."
"Let me guess, you're some kinda psychologist too..."
"Actually, no," Blade responded in between parries. "Just the product of many years of experience. There is no better teacher."
"Ya know, B, I'm feeling better already." The two continued their swordplay as the conversation continued.
"One problem solved. What's the next?"
"You're pretty observant," Muskateer answered. "Okay, the next thing I'm not exactly proud about. Too be honest, I'm a little disappointed that Di ended up here already. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's not being held by Destroyer somewhere, but I was really gearing myself up to run this team."
"And you feel your opportunity is gone with Black Diamond in command of the Avengers."
"Exactly. I like her a lot, but I'm chomping at the bit to run the Avengers. I know I can do it."
"I'm afraid I don't have any magical advice for this dilemma. She is a good person and a strong leader. You may have to bide your time or venture out and start a team of your own. You have to decide which is more important to you at this time, being an Avenger or leading a team of heroes."
Muskateer stopped for a moment to consider the words of advice. Blade didn't give him much time to remain idle however. He was on the attack again. It was all Muskateer could do to defend against the strikes. The Avenger struggled mightily to hold his own and block each thrust and slash.
Just as suddenly as the attacks began, Blade stopped dead in his tracks. He sized up the young man with an approving grin and resheathed his sword.
Walking up alongside Muskateer once more, Blade put his arm around the Avenger's shoulder, "So let's get to the heart of the problem, shall we? Who is she?"
Muskateer looked over warily and sheathed his own weapon. "People ever confuse you for a mind reader? How'd you know it involved a woman?"
"It always does," Blade added, his grin growing wider.
"See, that's part of the problem. There's not just one woman. There's two," Muskateer answered somewhat sheepishly.
"Do tell."
"If you're just gonna razz me about it, then we can go back to sword fighting."
"So tell me about these fair maidens that have captured your heart and your mind."
"I wouldn't exactly go that far," Muskateer said. "But there is something special about the both of them. The one, she's so dynamic, so sexy, so..." Muskateer's mind filled with images of the enigmatic Glitter. "She's got an edge about her, you know what I mean?"
"Indeed, I think I do. She makes your blood boil then?"
"Yeah you could say that."
"And what of this other woman?"
"Oh geez. She's almost the total opposite personality. She's very refined, very beautiful. She's caring and compassionate and has the most incredible blue eyes you've ever seen." He paused for a moment. "She's also entirely out of my league. I mean, it's like I'm hamburger and she's filet mignon."
"I see. You don't feel that you're worthy of her love?"
"It's not quite that. We just come from two different worlds. I hope there's enough in common between us, but it seems so unlikely. And to top it off, she's a teammate."
Blade's eyes grew with realization. "Aha," he answered knowingly. "A fine choice I might add. I am beginning to understand your dilemma."
"And your advice is...?"
Just then, the two turned as a voice called out to them from closer to the base. Victrix was flying slowly towards them. "Hey, you guys, they're looking for you inside. The Freedom League's here, so Spinnerette asked me to go find you."
"Looks like you found us all right," Muskateer answered.
"Tell the others we'll be right there." As the two approached the base, Blade offered these final words of wisdom: "Never let it be said that two lovers from completely different worlds will never find happiness. My wife and I are examples of that. In fact, we literally did come from two different worlds!"
Muskateer looked at the older man curiously, as Blade burst out laughing. The Avenger shook his head and entered the base.
And Check out X-Factor #2 as well!
