"What the hell is that thing!?" Leo's question went unanswered as he and his pals were far too intent upon fleeing from whatever it was chasing them. The five young men ran with a reckless abandon, knocking over anything that got in their way. Occasionally, one gang member would brave a look back. That single glance seemed to make them run all the more faster.
Each of the five wore studded black leather jackets. It was the trademark of their gang, the Studs. Every time they won a fight, each member added another stud to his jacket. He who had the most studs was the gang's leader.
For weeks now, the Studs had been behind a minor crime wave in Central Park. Snatching purses, armed robbery, and occasionally grabbing unprotected girls had been their calling card. For the first few weeks they had been very successful. So successful that they had attracted the attention of some unknown superheroine in a dark red top and skirt with matching high boots. A group of Studs had made the mistake of jumping the blonde woman only to have themselves get trounced when she washed them away with a wall of water. The Studs swore to get even and planned a trap to deal with this annoyance.
However, tonight they had gotten far more than they had bargained for once more. It had been a beautiful set up: two old ladies with large purses out for an evening stroll. The Studs ran up along side, grabbed their purses and shoved the women to the ground. Easy as 1-2-3.
That was when they saw it. It came at them from the trees, moving so fast that they never got a good look at it. Except for its claws. Those they saw all too well. Johnny tried to stand up to the beast with his blade and had gotten squashed like a bug for his efforts. The rest just ran, the thing swooping menacingly after them.
The path forked up ahead. Leo turned right along with Slick. The others took the left hand fork. By splitting up, some of them might survive this night.
Leo's breathing was heavy by now. His heart was in overdrive, pumping blood to his muscles. There was a choked sound behind him, followed by a thud. 'Slick had fallen to this thing' was the only thought that Leo could form. He didn't dare stop to look or help his comrade. Leo was now all alone.
His heart seemingly on the verge of bursting, Leo stopped underneath a tree for shelter. His legs felt like lead. He couldn't take another step even if he wanted to. Backed against the tree, Leo watched and waited. Maybe the thing would be satisfied with Johnny and Slick and leave him alone.
There were screams off in the distance. Each time another Stud fell to this stalker. And each time Leo would turn in that direction expecting the worse. Finally all was silent. Nervously, Leo looked about, his eyes darting wildly from side to side, futily probing the darkness. Maybe if he was quiet it would just leave him alone...
But luck was not with Leo on this night. He turned again to find it standing right beside him! Leo screamed and tried to run until a clawed hand grabbed him roughly and shoved him back against the tree.
For the first time Leo could see his pursuer's appearance. It had the basic form of a man: A head, two arms, and two legs. But he also had the features of a bird. His body was covered in feathers, ranging from dark brown in color to lighter with splashes of gold mixed in. The creature's arms and legs ended in clawed talons and there was a sharp beak in the place of a mouth. Large feathered wings grew out of his back.
"I want you to spread the word to all your pals," the man-bird calmly explained. There was a definite underlying threat to his voice. "Central Park is my territory now and I will not tolerate your kind here. The next purse snatcher, drug dealer, or rapist I find will fall prey to my talons. Do you understand me?" To further illustrate his point, the man-bird's sharp talons slashed the tree creating deep scars.
"What are you!?", Leo managed to squeak out as his bowels released.
That seemed to make the bird-man pause. "Call me-- Aquiline!" Upon that announcement, Aquiline spread his large wings and flew away leaving behind a terrified Leo....
| Roll Call: |
|---|
 Black Diamond |
 Muskateer |
 Enchantress |
 Firestar |
 Huntress |
 Lightburst |
 Nightingale |
 Supreme |
 Texas Ranger |
 Thing |
| Guest Apperances by  Felina |
 Kor Hunter |
 Night Owl |
 Scarlet Sabre |
 Terra Fire |
 Willow Witch |
Introducing... Guardian Angel |
"Halt, villain!", Guardian Angel announced definitely as she landed. The heroine stood straight and true, her hands on her hips. She was a tall woman, standing 5'9" and had a muscular physique. Angel wore her trademark white, powder blue, and golden costume with red trim. She wore a blue cowl that covered most of her head, although Guardian Angel's long blonde hair emerged from the back of the cowl and fell halfway down her back. A matching blue cape was part of the cowl itself and fell just below Gaurdian Angels waist. The edge of the cape was trimmed in an Egyptian bar pattern of red and white with golden trim. The same bar pattern was repeated on her skirt, but this time in blue and red with golden trim.
The costume left her stomache, arms, and legs bare. Angel wore battle-style sandals with golden armored plates on top of her foot with a matching heavy bracer protecting the ankle. White angel wings adorned her temples and were repeated on many of the pieces of golden jewelry she wore. Typically, the wings were part of a stylized scarab setting. The whole appearance had a Hollywoodized Egyptian flavor to it.
"I will tolerate your evil no more, you vile spawn of Chaos," Guardian Angel continued. "You have failed your malevolent masters and their diabolical plans of destruction have been foiled once more, while I stand victorious for the forces of goodness and order! In the name of the Foundation Stone, I swear that I shall put a stop to your evil for all team!!"
The Ravager loomed largely over the heroine. He stood a full nine feet tall and was ridiculously muscular. That was but a hint of the power this man-monster possessed. The Ravager appeared to be a giant cave man, complete with animal skins for clothing. His brown hair had grown wildly and merged with his full, unkempt beard. There was a gleam of evil in his malevolent eyes. Backed by the forces of Chaos, the Ravager sought to smash the Foundation Stone in order to plunge all reality into chaos. The massive Ravager considered the words of his arch foe... and started to chuckle uncontrollably to himself.
"Cut! Cut!", the director yelled, coming out from behind the camera.
"This had better be good!", Guardian Angel muttered in an annoyed tone. She had thought the take had gone perfectly. Obviously, the idiot playing Ravager had bungled the scene. Again.
"Raquel, angel, baby, it's time, not team," the director explained calmly. "...Stop your evil for all time"
"Whatever!", Raquel Hamilton shot back in anger. "Who writes this crap anyway?" Disgusted, the actress pulled off her cowl and its attached blond wig. Underneath, her short auburn hair could be plainly seen by all. Carelessly tossing her cowl/wig combination to the street, Raquel stocked off the set towards her trailer. One of the set hands rushed to retrieve the valuable headpiece.
"Raquel, honey, darling, where are you going?" The director chased after his fleeing star. "We've got five more scenes to shoot today!"
"Back off, Tony! I need a cigarette and a drink. I'll be back when I'm ready."
"But, sugar..."
"Zip it, Tony," Raquel interrupted. "I'm the star of this stupid show and I will do what I damn well please!" Before anyone could reply, the actress entered her trailer, slamming the door behind her.
"Take five," the director announced with a sigh. It would take a miracle to get this production back on schedule thanks to his temperamental star. He had been attempting to finish the climatic battle sequence between Guardian Angel and the Ravager on the streets of New York City to wrap up production on the current season of the Guardian Angel show. His bosses were not going to be happy.
"She's not what I expected," Firestar said to her dismay. "I thought she'd be more like the character she portrays."
"That's Hollywood for you, small fry," Ben Grimm explained. "Nothing is real." To further punctuate his point, the Thing pointed towards the Ravager. The giant's back had been unzipped and the man inside the costume climbed out for a smoke.
The two Avengers had watched the filming from the sidelines. Threats against the show's star had prompted the producers to contact Black Diamond. Guardian Angel was loosely based on the famous heroine and she had a steady income from royalties. In turn, Diamond asked for volunteers to attend the show's location shoots while here in New York. Firestar and the Thing had turned out for this morning's filming.
At first Firestar had been thrilled with the idea. Guardian Angel was one of her favorite shows on TV. But now she was getting a healthy dose of just what Raquel Hamilton was like off camera. She had even turned down an autograph request from the young Avenger.
"Another illusion of youth shattered," Firestar muttered in dismay.
The Thing just chuckled at the response of his younger teammate. "Get used to it, kiddo. The real world isn't as rosy a place as it appears on the tube. Looks like they're going to start filming again."
"Okay, people," the director announced. "Let's take it from the top." Raquel mumbled something under her breath as a set hand adjusted her cowl. Seeing that everyone was ready, the director yelled, "Action!"
Guardian Angel leaped off a milk crate and stood before her arch foe once more, arms akimbo. "Halt villain!", she proudly announced. But before she could continue on with her next line a loud boom echoed through the area! A spinning white vortex appeared behind the actors. Before anyone realized what was going on, the man playing the Ravager was pulled into the strange opening!
"Ben!", was all Firestar could manage, trying to overcome her shock. Fearfully, she pointed at Guardian Angel.
The powerful suction had a hold of Raquel as well. It slowly started to pull the actress inside! "Help me!", she screamed. For once, she was sincere and was not acting. "Somebody, please help me!" With a scream, the tug of the vortex pulled Raquel into the air. She plunged helplessly towards the strange portal!
"Holy cats!", the Thing cursed.
"I've got to save her!" Firestar leaped into the air and flew towards her television idol. Streaking towards Guardian Angel, Firestar reached out for her.
"Augh!!", Raquel screamed as her feet disappeared into the vortex. She desperately reached for Firestar's hands and managed to grab on.
Furiously, Firestar tried to fly free of the suction from the enigmatic vortex, but it was too strong for her. Ever so slowly, she continued to loose ground.
"Stay put, small fry!" Moving faster than his large, rocky frame would suggest, the Thing rushed towards the vortex. No one on the set had gone to assist the actress or Firestar, as they were more concerned about their own safety.
"I can't hold out much longer!", Firestar shouted to her teammate. "It's too powerful!"
"Reach for me!", the Thing yelled as he sprinted towards the spinning vortex. "I'll pull you out!"
Making sure that she had a good grip on Raquel, Firestar reached out with her other hand and managed to grab a hold of one of Ben's large rocky fingers.
The Thing strained against the pull of the vortex, trying to prevent it from swallowing the two women. Even with his great strength, Ben was unable to pull Raquel out. Instead, it was he who started to give ground. He slammed his feet into the pavement, giving him footholds and stopping his forward progress once more.
"Feels like my arms are breaking!", Firestar gasped. The pain of this tug of war was taking its toll on her young body. Sweat poured down the young Blood's face.
"Don't let me go!", Raquel screamed helplessly. "I'm too important to die!"
Those were the last words Raquel Hamilton said as Firestar reached her breaking point. The actress slipped free of Firestar's grasp and plunged into the vortex. A second later, the strange vortex completely winked out of existence all together.
With the suction gone, Ben's great strength caused him to go flying backwards, taking Firestar along for the ride. The two Avengers landed in the street in a pile.
Firestar was up in a flash, her hands on her face in a combination of fear and astonishment. "She's gone!", the heroine screamed. Her television idol had vanished. Claimed by the mysterious phenomena.
"It's all my fault!", Firestar cried. Earlier a quick call for aid had brought Black Diamond, Muskateer, and the Enchantress to the scene. "I should have lasted a bit longer. She might still be here if I hadn't messed up like that!"
"Nonsense," Black Diamond countered. "I've experienced this phenomena first hand. You're both lucky to have just made it out yourselves."
While Diamond tried to cheer up Firestar, the Enchantress assisted Muskateer. He worked his hand-held scanner and probe while the sorceress cast detection spells around the general location of where the vortex had appeared.
"It's the same type of energy as the previous two vortices," Muskateer announced as he checked his readings.
"I coulda told ya that, Junior," the Thing rumbled. "I was real up close and personal with the fersluginner thing!"
"The phenomena is not magical in origin," the Enchantress reported. "No traces of magic whatsoever. What are we dealing with?"
"Some type of unknown energy," Muskateer answered with a shrug. "A form of radiation that we never knew existed before."
"Energy that simply appears and disappears at random? And you claim that magic is peculiar?"
The sword-swinging Avenger just chuckled at the comment. The two had the old science vs. magic debates many times before. "I'm sure that this phenomena is behaving according to a specific set of rules. The problem is that we don't know just what those rules are."
Black Diamond and Firestar joined their teammates' discussion. "Then perhaps we can figure them out. What do we know so far about these vortices?"
"The first one we know of for certain appeared thirteen years ago while Ben was in orbit. The radiation knocked out his shuttle's systems and mutated him into the Thing," Muskateer explained as he glanced at his rocky teammate.
"On Monday afternoon it appeared over Central Park and claimed a Park Ranger named Harold," the Enchantress added.
"On Wednesday it appeared near a construction site and we lost Vinny to it," Black Diamond continued.
"And on Friday morning, it appeared on the set of the Guardian Angel show. The actors who play Guardian Angel and the Ravager were the next to go," Firestar explained gloomily. "It doesn't make much sense to me."
Muskateer tapped his chin thoughtful. "Maybe it does make some sense after all, hotstuff."
"You have an idea?"
"I just noticed a pattern is all," Muskateer explained. "The vortex appeared around noon Wednesday. Don't you get it? It appeared around 2 PM on Monday, noon on Wednesday, and about ten Friday morning."
"It's appearing approximately every 46 hours!", the Enchantress realized.
"If that is true, then the next vortex should appear around 8 AM on Sunday morning," Black Diamond rationalized. "The only question is where?"
Black Diamond paced the Main Meeting Room on Sub-Level Two of the Avengers Mansion. It was mid-afternoon by now. Joining her was Muskateer, the Enchantress, and the Huntress. Diamond had summoned Nightingale from Sanctuary to examine Firestar and the Thing. She wasn't sure what exposure to this strange radiation had done to them, if anything.
"There's only one problem with your 46 hour theory," the Huntress noted after being updated with the latest information. "If this phenomena appears every 46 hours, then why is there no report for last Saturday around four in the afternoon? Or the previous Thursday at six? Or any other possible time since its last known appearance thirteen years ago?"
"I never claimed my theory was perfect, Sprout," Muskateer objected. "It just happened to fit the facts as we know them. Maybe it just opened in a unpopulated area before? It could have been underground for all we know."
"Possible, but it doesn't seem likely," the Enchantress observed. "Maybe it only appears a couple of times every thirteen years?"
"That is a more reasonable assumption," the Huntress said in agreement.
"Then I'm going to throw a monkey wrench into everything." The four Avengers turned to find Nightingale standing in the doorway.
"You have something to add?" Diamond wondered just what it could be.
"Are you familiar with Terra Fire of the Young Champions?", 'Gale questioned of the group as she approached
"Cassie's boyfriend?", Muskateer answered. He had heard of the lad but had yet to actually meet him. "What's he got to do with any of this?"
"Terra Fire, Tempest, and Nemesis were all forcibly mutated by VIPER. Dr. Marin found residual traces of the same type of radiation that mutated Ben in Terra Fire's DNA. He was found in El Paso by the Superior Seven." (Editor's Note: Revealed back in Young Champions #8)
"Oh, boy," the Huntress muttered. "That shoots down most of our current theories. Unless VIPER is somehow behind all of this."
"How are our patients doing?", Diamond asked of her friend.
"I've found minute traces of the radiation in both Ben and Cassie. At this point, I can't be sure whether that is harmful to them. Neither one shows any signs of radiation sickness thus far. I'll have to keep them under observation for the next few days."
"In the meantime, what are we going to do about the next vortex?", the Enchantress asked of the group.
"If it's an artificially induced phenomena we'll have to discover who is creating it and stop them," Muskateer stated. "After we finish kicking their butts, we'll ask them what the heck they were doing."
"And it if is occurring naturally, then I don't know what we can do about it," the Huntress added sullenly. Neither did anyone else.
"I want everyone here by seven on Sunday Morning," Black Diamond stated, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "If the forty-six hour theory is correct, I want to be ready. We'll spread out across the city and see what develops."
Vincent DeFalco wandered aimlessly through the dark alley. Lost, dazed, confused, and disorientated perfectly described the man's current mental state. He didn't know where he was or how he even got here. His recent memories were a blur. There was the vague feeling of falling, but he couldn't be sure if it was real or not. Unfortunately, it was far too real to Vinny at this moment. He tripped over a bag of garbage and fell unceremoniously to the pavement.
"Hey, check this out Fin!", a man's voice called out laughing from the distance. "There's a drunk on our turf!"
The other boys around Fin just laughed when they spotted Vinny laying amongst the garbage. All of the gang wore gray clothing. Fin stood apart from his gang by virtue of being more than six inches taller than anyone else. His bright red hair had been cut into a thin mohawk.
Fin just grinned and advanced on the prone man. The others goaded him on. "Take a bite outta him, Fin! Teach'm to stay outta the Shark's waters!"
The next thing Vinny knew, he was being hauled up by his shirt and dangled before Fin. "This is Shark turf!", his assailant announced to Vinny. "You want to swim in our waters, ya gotta pay the lifeguards! Otherwise, you'll get bitten!!"
The rest of the Sharks circled about Fin and Vinny. They almost seemed like their sea-dwelling namesakes stalking prey.
"Where am I?", Vinny muttered, not truly aware of the peril he was in. "Who are you?"
Violently, Fin slammed Vinny into the alley wall. "Man, don't play games with the Fin!" Pulling Vinny away from the wall, Fin tossed him further down the alley. Vinny hit the ground and tumbled helplessly for several feet before coming to a stop in a pile.
Slowly, deliberately, Vinny pulled himself to his feet. Remarkably, he didn't feel as hurt as he should have. He put his hands up to defend himself.
"Oh, we got a tough guy here." Fin casually approached the wobbly man. "I don't think he wants to pay us, boys. I think he wants to do this the hard way."
"Cheapskate," one of the gang members yelled.
"Drag'm down, Fin!", another shouted.
Fin smiled malevolently at the shorter Vinny. He certainly didn't appear to be any threat to the leader of the Sharks. "Tell you what, fish bait, I'm in a good mood tonight. I'll let you land the first punch. Now is that sporting or what?"
"Huh?"
"I said hit me, you worthless piece of--!!"
Unexpectedly, Vinny swung and connected with Fin's chin. A tremendous BOOM filled the alley from the punch. It sounded like the crash of thunder during a rainstorm. Fin flew back over twenty feet while the other Sharks all raised their hands to protect their ears.
"He waxed, Fin!", a Shark said in astonishment. Fin was out cold on the pavement. "He's one of those supercapes!"
"Let's get the hell out of here!"
Pausing only to pick up their fallen leader, the Sharks beat a hasty retreat to safer waters.
Behind them, Vinny stared at his hand in dazed amazement. "How did I do that?"
"And here we are!" Nightingale gently touched down before the Avengers Mansion. Using her telekinesis, the psionic Avenger deposited a very nervous Terra Fire on the ground. Firestar landed close by. All three were dressed in their traditional costumes. Gesturing towards the building, 'Gale added, "The world famous Avengers Mansion!"
Less than fifteen minutes ago, the three had been on Sanctuary Island. Using the secret teleporter located under the United Nations building, they arrived in New York City in a heartbeat. Nightingale had used her telekinesis to carry an unsteady Terra Fire the nearly thirty blocks from the UN to the Avengers Mansion.
"Wow...", was all that Terra Fire could muster in response. The Young Champion had never been to New York City before. All he knew was what he had seen on television. The real thing was mind blowing. The buildings were far taller than he ever imagined. He wished that he could have traveled under his own power, but being carried aloft in the air was faster.
"I know what you mean," Firestar added, placing her hand on Terra Fire's shoulder. "I'm still not used to it. Come on, I'll introduce you to the others."
Terra Fire audibly gulped at the prospect. He had been nervous enough around Firestar and Nightingale when they first met. Meeting the rest of the world famous Avengers just brought those feelings back with a vengeance. Having Firestar at his side made the prospect a little bit easier however.
The front door of the Mansion opened on its own as the trio approached. Standing inside was Jeeves, the team butler, impeccably dressed as always. "Good afternoon, ladies, gentleman," Jeeves stated in greeting. "I have been instructed to inform you that you should change into your party attire and report to the carport as soon as possible."
"You guys have a butler?" Terra Fire couldn't believe it. The Avengers had a mansion that sat across from Central Park and had their own hired help!
"Yes, we do," Firestar answered. "This is Jeeves."
"Ah, you must be Ms. Firestar's young beau," Jeeves continued, holding the door wide for the new arrivals to enter. "Welcome to the Avengers Mansion, lad."
"Uhm, thanks."
"We better a get a move on," Nightingale urged. "It sounds like Ben is getting hungry."
The comment went over the head of Terra Fire. Firestar took him by the arm and led him up the stairs. "Come on. I'll show you a place where you can change."
"What in the name of Yancy Street is keepin'em?", the Thing grumbled loudly. He was seated in the back of the van, the sliding door wide open. The large rocky Avenger had skipped lunch today planning to gorge himself at Helena's party. He wore a very large and very loud hawaiian shirt with matching shorts. A huge straw hat rested on his head.
"Ha!", Supreme responded. The tall, incredibly muscular man had squeezed himself into a tight pair of bright orange swim trunks. "They're doin' you a favor, Benjamin! There's no way yer gonna be able to out eat me. No way!"
"Izzat right, wise guy?" The Thing pulled his cigar from his mouth and leaned towards Supreme. "Ya wanna make a little wager on that?"
Reaching forward, Supreme grasped the Thing's hand. "It's a bet! To the biggest pig goes the victory!"
"I've been known to put a few vittles away in mah time," the Texas Ranger casually added. He had discarded his costume and wore only blue swimming trunks, mirrored sunglasses, and his cowboy hat and boots. "But I think ah'll jes be staying well out of the way of ya'll hungry coyotes."
"Here they come now," Black Diamond announced as she saw the back door of the Mansion open. She too was dressed casually for the occasion, but sharply, in a black two-piece swimsuit. Over this Diamond wore a loose fitting white blouse and sunglasses.
Nightingale led the way out of the Mansion. The psionic Avenger also wore black, but a much more conservative one-piece. Firestar followed in the tropical version of her costume compressed into a bikini. Trailing nervously behind her was Terra Fire. He had ditched his bodysuit for blue trunks with yellow side stripes.
The waiting Avengers looked over the lad as the trio approached. "Not bad. Not bad at all," Black Diamond whispered approvingly to Supreme, Ranger, and the Thing. "Our Cassie has done well for herself."
"Bah!" Supreme answered. "He looks like a pansy to me."
Diamond spun and pointed directly into Supreme's face. "Behave or you will regret it."
The large man just flashed teeth. "That could be fun, too."
"That goes for both of you," Diamond added, moving her finger towards the Thing.
"Fer the luva pete," the Thing wondered aloud. "What did I do?" Ben, like most of the Avengers, regarded Firestar as a younger sister and tended to look out for her. This extended to checking out her boyfriends as well.
"We're here," Nightingale announced, reaching the van. The mentalist could sense what the others had been talking about. She hoped that Jason was up to the task of being around her teammates. He always seemed like such a shy and reserved boy.
"'Bout time, too!", the Thing complained. "Let's get a move on, boys n' girls. There's food ta be eaten n' brews ta be drained!"
"Hi, guys," Firestar waved in greeting. "I'd like you to meet Terra Fire."
"So this is the boy we've been hearing about all week." Black Diamond walked up to the visibly nervous Young Champion. He was a hair taller than she was and had an impressive physique. "It's nice to finally meet you." She offered her hand, which Terra Fire accepted after a pause.
"Uhm, thanks. It's a really great honor to meet you all."
"Oh, geez," Supreme moaned. "He's already sucking up to the boss."
"Pay them no mind, Terra Fire," Black Diamond explained. "They're just anxious to eat. Everyone on board!"
"Where's Lightburst," Firestar wondered. "Isn't he coming too?"
"Nah," Supreme answered. "He'd rather be on Monitor Duty than have fun." Not that it bothered Supreme one little bit.
"Let's mount up and ride!", the Texas Ranger shouted as he took his seat in the van. "Ahm lookin' forward to see how you city folks do up a barbecue. So, let's move them doggies out! Rawhide!!"
An hour later, under the guidance of Black Diamond, the team van pulled into the Kirby Estate. Terra Fire stared out the window in wide eyed wonder. Firestar and the Texas Ranger were as equally impressed. "A might fair spread," the Ranger announced. "Not as big as the ones back in Dallas, but..."
"I knew the Huntress had an estate, but that description doesn't do it justice." Firestar Diamonded at the grand main house as the van approached it. "It must be wonderful to be wealthy."
"Yeah, really," Terra Fire added. "Oh my-- Check out those cars!" Forgetting all about the estate, the Young Champion pointed at the other vehicles already here. There was a scarlet red RX7 and two black Mercedes; a brand new two door and a late model four door. "I'd love to look under those hoods!"
"You're into cars?", Black Diamond asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm pretty good when it comes to motors."
After parking the van, Black Diamond led the way around the back of the estate. The party was already in full swing. Night Owl, Kor Hunter, and Willow Witch were taking advantage of the indoor pool. They playfully splashed water at each other. Predictably, Night Owl wore a skimpy black two-piece string bikini. Kor Hunter wore golden trunks, while Willow was dressed in a more conservative maroon two-piece.
Muskateer, Scarlet Sabre, and the Enchantress were engaged in a conversation at one of the tables just outside the pool area on the back patio. Scarlet was in red, of course, while the Enchantress wore a one-piece in white. A pastel blue satin wrap encircled her waist. Muskateer wore dark blue trunks, a white tank top and sunglasses.
Noticing that more guests had arrived, the Huntress moved to greet them along with an older woman. There was a very strong resemblance between the two. Helena wore a dark blue one piece, while Felina was in black.
"Welcome everyone!", the Huntress announced as she reached the new arrivals. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Jes show me ta the chow, Sprout," the Thing announced. "I brung my appetite.
"In a moment, Uncle Ben," the Huntress answered. "First, I would like you all to meet my mother, Felina. Mom, this is Ben Grimm, better known as the Thing, Supreme, Texas Ranger, Firestar, and Terra Fire. Black Diamond you've already met." (Editor's Note: back in Huntress #18)
"Hello everyone. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Felina smiled and waved.
"Hi," Supreme responded as he stepped forward. "Now let's eat." The large Avenger made a beeline towards the food, the Thing dogging his heels.
"Those two," Black Diamond muttered to herself, shaking her head. "They're going to turn into food someday."
"Come on in and mingle." The Huntress gestured back over her shoulder. "The pool is already in use and I've set up a volleyball net as well. So, enjoy yourselves."
Firestar took a hold of Terra Fire's hand. "Come on, I've got some friends I'd like you to meet!" The young Avenger led her boyfriend towards the patio and the waiting Muskateer and Enchantress. For the next several hours, none of the guests had a care in the world.
Black Diamond glanced at the LCD readout on her comlink. It informed her that it was 7:35 AM. She sighed and maintained her watch. Much of Manhattan unfolded beneath her as she hovered high in the sky. The rest of the Avengers were spread out over the island as well. Some on the tops of buildings, a few airborne, and still others at street level. If they planned this correctly, then they should be able to spot the expected vortex. At least Diamond hoped so.
"I've spotted something!" Lightburst's sudden voice over the comlink startled the heroine. The light-wielding Avenger had been positioned near the Empire State Building.
Grasping her comlink Black Diamond barked "Report!" into it. "What do you see?"
"Someone is falling from the sky! I'm going to investigate."
"Falling from the sky?", Diamond repeated to herself. This was not what they had been expecting. The heroine turned to the northeast in an attempt to spot this falling person. However, the Empire State Building was too far away for her to make out such a minute detail. Puzzled, she flew off in that direction.
Lightburst streaked off in the direction of the body he had spotted. Strangely enough, the woman was just there. As if she had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. If it hadn't been for the bright blue cape the woman wore, he probably would have never spotted her.
He lost sight of the woman as she fell behind other buildings. There was no way Lightburst could reach her in time. Whoever she was, she was going to make one heck of a stain on the concrete below.
With a tremendous 'WHAM', the woman hit ground. Tentatively, Lightburst flew onto the scene, expecting the worse. Instead of a shattered body on the concrete, he found that it was the concrete that had been smashed. A small crater had arisen around the impact point.
"Incredible!", Lightburst vocalized to himself. He landed a short distance away and stepped towards the crater, looking over the edge.
At the bottom was a woman in a white, gold, and powder blue costume with red trim and golden jewelry. To the astonishment of Lightburst, not only was she in one piece, but the woman was actually beginning to stir!
Hopping over the crater wall, Lightburst went to assist the costumed woman. "Are you all right, miss--?"
The woman sat up at the sound of Lightburst's voice. Groggily, she faced him. "How can you not recognize me? Everyone knows who I am," she calmly stated. "I am the champion of justice... The defender of the weak... I am Guardian Angel!"
