The darkness of the night was lit up by the fast moving Quinnjet. The bright exhaust of the aircraft's engines shown clearly in the sky like a beacon. The jet began to slow as it approached Central Park. Its destination, the Avengers Mansion, was drawing rapidly closer.
Black Diamond cut back on the main engines further and started to brake the craft. As the velocity of the Quinnjet lessened, Diamond slowly reduced the jet's altitude. By the time it passed over the landing pad, the Quinnjet was just two hundred feet in the air and was depending on its vertical thrusters to remain airborne.
Gently, but as quickly as she could, Black Diamond brought the Quinnjet in for a landing. The landing was surprisingly quiet. McNeil Aviation, the builders of the Quinnjets, had done a good job in quieting the roar of the craft's engines. A cloud of dust was kicked up as the jet drew closer to the ground. Finally, the Quinnjet touched ground bringing the Avengers home.
The team was returning from a most unusual mission. They had gone off after one of their own. Benjamin Grimm, better known to the world as the Thing, had been recently re-exposed to the same white radiation that had first transformed him. Twice now he had collapsed in the heat of battle.
Clearly, the radiation was doing something to the man. He tore through the Avengers Mansion in a rage and didn't even recognize his teammates and friends. Ben stole a Quinnjet and flew it north, up into Canada and beyond the Arctic Circle. Then he crashed on an island in the Queen Elizabeth group. The whole episode seemed senseless.
But then it somehow got stranger. The Avengers, following in a second Quinnjet, reached the crash site. The first Quinnjet had been destroyed in the crash. Spot fires lit up the cold arctic night. They easily found the Thing, or rather what he had become. His rocky hide had bloated into the shape of an oval rock. It was almost like a giant, rocky egg. Nightingale could just barely sense the mentality of Ben Grimm inside.
What the Thing had become was loaded into the second Quinnjet. The fires of the first jet were then carefully extinguished. Fortunately, the area of the crash was uninhabited. There was unfortunately nothing that could be salvaged. There would be red tape with the Canadian Government, but that would have to wait. All thoughts were centered on the strange metamorphosis of their teammate.
The Quinnjet cargo hatch opened moments after touchdown. The large rock containing the Thing gently floated out, under the mental direction of Nightingale. Black Diamond followed closely behind. Guardian Angel, Firestar, Supreme, and the Texas Ranger then emerged from the main hatch.
"'Gale and I are going to take Ben out to Sanctuary by way of the teleporter," Black Diamond informed her team. "Hopefully they'll have equipment that can tell us what's happening to Ben. The rest of you stay here. I'll return as soon as possible."
Not waiting for a response, Black Diamond positioned her right arm underneath the shoulders of Nightingale. Diamond rose into the air and quickly accelerated out of sight. 'Gale continued to telekinetically carry the transformed Thing with her.
"What a night," Supreme grumbled to no one in particular. "This team's been through the wringer the past few days."
First there had been the shocking beating received by the Huntress from the White Dragon. She would survive, but would be recuperating for months. The Enchantress had abruptly left on an unexplained leave of absence. And to top it all off this strange change to Ben had occurred.
"My prayers will be with your comrade," Guardian Angel spoke up. "He is a good man. I am sure that no matter how difficult the situation seems now that it will work itself out for the best. We just have to be patient. In the meantime, we should all get our rest. Evil will not be lax just because we are weary."
"Yeah, I'm kind of beat," Firestar mumbled as she started towards the mansion. "'Nite all." Guardian Angel and the Texas Ranger followed.
"Think ah'll mosey on down to the gym," Ranger drawled. "Work out some frustrations."
"Hey, that's okay, guys," Supreme called out as the others entered the Mansion. "I'll put the Quinnjet away. Don't worry about it. Rookies. Probably didn't know what button to press. Sheesh."
| Roll Call: |
|---|
 Black Diamond |
 Muskateer |
 Enchantress |
 Firestar |
 Nightingale |
 Supreme |
 Texas Ranger |
 Thing |
Guest Starring Felina |
 Guardian Angel |
 Scarlet Sabre |
 Sorceress |
Firestar made her way up to the second floor of the Mansion. The others had remained down below. Cassie was tired and conflicted. So much had happened recently, that she still hadn't sorted out her feelings on things. Her first kiss with Jason, the sudden appearance of Guardian Angel and the Ravager, all the things going on with her new family and in her private life, and what had happened to the Huntress and the Thing all weighed heavily on her mind. There was only so much one teenage girl could take.
Cassie had been questioning her involvement with a group like the Avengers, but had managed to resolve that issue. She had come to regard the Avengers Mansion as her home. It had taken a long time, but she finally felt like she truly belonged here. It was a good feeling. Then all this other stuff had to go and happen.
As she walked along, Cassie glanced down the hallway that led to Black Diamond's office. The door was closed, but she could see light coming from underneath it. Maybe Muskateer was inside?
The last time Firestar had seen Muskateer was this morning during her training drills. With the sword wielding Avenger's help Cassie was increasing her combat prowess and stamina. Exercises and training drills that she thought impossibly tough were becoming easier. She could actually see and feel that she was making progress. It also helped her feel more at home as a part of the Avengers.
Since this morning, Firestar had received word that the Enchantress had gone on a leave of absence from the team. That came as a bit of a shock to Cassie as she knew that Muskateer and the Enchantress had been dating. She wondered if something bad had happened between the two.
Maybe she'd just pop in for a few moments to let Muskateer know that they had returned with Ben. Tentatively, Firestar made her way down the corridor and lightly rapped on the door. She opened it a moment later after not getting any response.
"Muskateer?" Firestar opened the door just enough to look inside the office. "Are you in here?"
Muskateer was seated behind the desk in full costume. He was busily typing away at the computer keyboard, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. Cassie could almost feel his intensity from all the way across the room.
"Muskateer?", Cassie called out once more, this time with more authority.
The Avenger looked up from his work this time and glanced over. "Hey, 'Star. Back already?"
Closing the door behind her, Firestar walked up to the front of the desk. "We just got back. You hear about Ben?"
"Jeeves kept me updated," Muskateer responded as he focused his attention back to the computer. "Is he alright? I heard he's a giant rock now."
"Something like that. Di & 'Gale are taking him to Sanctuary to be examined."
"The way things are going lately, we might as well move our base there." Muskateer continued to type away at the keyboard. Several minutes passed by in silence.
"Whatcha working on?" Firestar finally broke the long silence. Clearly, something was wrong with Muskateer. He didn't seem to be his normal self. Granted it could be the recent team troubles, but his own troubles seemed somehow even greater.
Muskateer kept typing for a few more moments and then stopped. He looked up for more than a few seconds but not at Firestar. Then letting out a bit of a sigh, he sat back and turned to his teammate and friend. "It's complicated, but there's something weird going on and it involves Gwen."
"Is she alright?", Firestar asked genuinely concerned.
"I don't think so," Muskateer managed to respond. "I have reason to believe that she was captured at Ryker's Island."
"Why would PRIMUS do such a thing?" Firestar had been to Ryker's Island when the team helped deliver the Ravager to the East Coast Stronghold.
"My guess is that they're not running the show any more."
"That's horrible! What about all the villains being held there? We turned the Ravager over to Ryker's Island!"
"I know," Muskateer simply answered.
"Well, can't we just go there and break her out?"
"I thought about that already, Hot Stuff. There's more to it than that and I'd like to know what I'm up against. I don't even know Gwen's still there. Been working on a bunch of angles already."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Under his mask, Muskateer smiled. "Thanks, Star. I'll keep it in mind. Right now, I am not sure. But I'll let you know when something comes up." Muskateer turned back to the computer, and then paused. "Oh yeah, Lightburst is in on this too."
Firestar was visibly confused by her teammate's comment. "I wouldn't think you'd be working with Lightburst on a case," she finally stated. "He really must have changed."
Anger flashed in the sword-swinging Avenger's eyes. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what...?"
Muskateer stood up so quickly and forcefully that Firestar took a surprised step back. "That bastard was part of Gwen's capture! He set her up!" Realizing his misdirected outburst, Muskateer looked away again. Then he slowly sat down. "If I find him again,..." He paused to contemplate the wording of his threat. "It won't be pretty."
Firestar was unable to speak for a few moments from the shock and strength of Muskateer's outburst. More questions flooded her mind, but seeing his reaction, she could see that they were not warranted right now. "I'm sorry, Musky. I didn't know. I just want you to know that if you need anything, I'm here for you. That's what friends are for after all." Firestar tried to find the words to comfort her friend, but none came to mind. "Don't stay up all night." Then she turned and headed for the door.
Muskateer stopped her just before she exited. "Thanks, Star." She smiled hopefully at him and closed the door behind her.
Friday, May 9th, 1986: Early evening on Sanctuary...
Since it first opened its doors nearly nine years ago, Sanctuary has existed to benefit those with superpowers. Whether it simply be a place to visit, to be among their own kind, or as a place to learn new skills and hone their talents. As the years passed, it also became one of the most advanced medical centers for superhuman medicine.
Being several time zones to the west of New York City, it was still early in the evening on Sanctuary. The sun had yet to make its descent into the western horizon. Black Diamond had contacted the staff while still returning in the Quinnjet. They were waiting for their newest patient to arrive. In spite of the warnings, Dr. Marin was still surprised by what appeared in the teleporter.
"Now this is something new," the pretty blonde doctor uttered upon seeing the Thing's condition. "That's what I love about this job. Nothing is ever typical."
"I can barely sense Ben's mind inside this," Nightingale explained as she telekinetically set the large orange rock on an extra wide gurney. "I would suggest taking an MRI to see what's inside."
"That's a good starting point," Dr. Marin agreed. "Then we'll see what we find from there."
Black Diamond followed as the two doctors wheeled their patient into one of the medical labs. At this point there really wasn't much for Black Diamond to do. She'd just be in the doctor's way.
"I'll let you know when we have something," 'Gale promised before disappearing into the lab. Diamond was preparing herself for yet another long and nervous night on Sanctuary.
The Huntress had been brought here in the middle of the night two days ago. The heroine had just regained consciousness for the first time earlier in the day. In fact Diamond, Supreme, and Nightingale had all been on Sanctuary when Ben had begun his rampage through the Avenger's Mansion and flew off in a Quinnjet. Thankfully the teleporters allowed them to travel the thousands of miles between New York and Sanctuary in the blink of an aye.
Having little better to do, Black Diamond made her way to the patients' area of the medical complex. Di would check up on Helena one more time. Diamond's thoughts were dark and troubled. First Helena, then Gwen, and now Ben. It seemed like the team was falling apart around her. What new tragedy was going to strike the Avengers next? How had Hunter dealt with all this pressure for all those years?
Diamond slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Seated beside Helena's bed was her mother, Felina. Helena herself appeared to be fast asleep. Felina looked up at the sound of the door opening and recognized Diamond. Rising from her chair, Felina quietly joined Black Diamond at the door.
"I am surprised to see you here at this late hour," Felina noted in a voice just above a whisper.
"Unfortunately, another matter brought me back to Sanctuary." From there, Diamond provided a brief recap of the events while she had been away from the island. "They're examining Ben right now."
"I am sorry to hear this. I know how fond Helena is of Mr. Grimm."
"I know. Given everything Helena has to deal with currently, there's no point in adding to her burdens. We'll keep this between the two of us at least until we know some facts."
"Agreed," Felina responded. "Helena has enough problems to grapple with just now."
"Has there been any change since this afternoon?"
"She was awake for a few hours. We did manage to get her to eat a little bit. Helena has been asleep most of the time, the poor dear."
"That's understandable," Diamond noted. Back when Artemis had attacked her, Black Diamond had been bedridden for several days. She had also slept a great deal of the time while her body healed itself. "Well, I won't disturb you any further. I'll stop and check up on Helena tomorrow."
Having little better to do, Black Diamond went for a walk to pass the time. The heroine wandered towards the bluff overlooking the beach below. This part of the beach was off limits to all but Sanctuary staff and was currently empty. Finding a secluded spot, Diamond sat down to relax. Backed up against a palm tree, Linda watched the waves roll up on the beach. Finally, she drifted off to sleep.
"Linda?"
The voice in her head jerked Diamond back to reality. She was still sitting underneath the palm tree, but night had fallen while she had slept. "Who's there?", Diamond wondered aloud.
"Its Chris communicating telepathically to you," the voice in Diamond's head explained. "We've completed our initial examination of Ben."
"I'll be right there."
Black Diamond rose to her feet and wiped the sand away. The nap had been refreshing, although nowhere near long enough. Once somewhat cleaned up, Diamond launched herself into the air and flew back towards the Medical Center.
"Based on our findings and what Firestar reported, it appears that Ben's body was undergoing changes even before he boarded the Quinnjet," Nightingale explained to Black Diamond.
"Somehow Mr. Grimm produced this second, oval-shaped shell around his body," Dr. Marin added. "The MRI clearly shows that he is inside this secondary shell and that there is fluid between himself and the outer shell. However, there were fluctuations all during our testing so our readings are not one hundred percent accurate."
Black Diamond considered everything she was hearing for a few moments. "Could this second shell have been generated to protect Ben during the Quinnjet crash?"
"It is a possibly that I had considered," Nightingale admitted. "It does fit in line with my earlier theory about the nature of this white radiation. At the present it is impossible to say for sure. That could be the reason, or it was generated to protect Ben while whatever process he is undergoing takes place."
"The outer shell is porous," Dr. Marin added. "His vitals are strong, if not erratic. Physically, Ben is not in any danger right now. However, we are hesitant to interrupt whatever process is currently taking place. To do so could be potentially dangerous."
"So, in other words you suggest just waiting to see what happens?" Black Diamond was leery of the suggested course of action she was hearing. "Do you think that's wise?"
"Unknown," Nightingale admitted with a shrug. "Nothing like this has ever occurred before. There is no previous case history to reference. We have no precedent whatsoever. If this white radiation is reactionary, as I believe then what is happening to Ben could be by his own design. Until we have evidence that Ben is actually in danger inside this shell, my advice is to do nothing. Our interfering with the process could be more dangerous to Ben than the procedure itself."
"At the moment, I'm too tired to disagree with your line of reasoning," Black Diamond finally stated. "For now, we do nothing."
"Why don't you go back to the Mansion?", Nightingale suggested. "There's nothing more you can do here. I promise, I'll call should something happen."
Black Diamond just nodded in agreement. It was true. In spite of her great powers, there was nothing she could do to help Ben or Helena. It made her feel just like she had back when Hunter had been in the hospital: helpless and powerless.
Back at the Avenger's Mansion, Muskateer's search for information had carried on late into the night. The search consumed him. The clue that would lead to him reuniting with the Enchantress had to be here, somewhere. It was just a matter of digging deep enough to find it.
Muskateer had been running on adrenaline for days now, ever since Helena had been attacked. Sleep had eluded him ever since. But even with his enhanced constitution he couldn't run at this pace without rest for this long. In spite of his best efforts, Muskateer had drifted off to sleep at the keyboard.
But his sleep was not restful. His mind was plagued with dark and troubling images none of which he could make out or understand. He could feel pain and suffering. There was a dark, formless shape looming over him, covering him, threatening to devour his soul. In the next moment, the curtain of darkness fell and Muskateer was struggling to stay afloat in a sea of pure jet. The currents were strong and pulled him under ever so slowly. Then everything turned to black for Muskateer.
Before retiring to her room, Black Diamond decided to stop by her office for a moment. She wanted to touch base and check up on anything that might have transpired while she had been away. Much to her surprise, the light was still on at this late hour. The clock on the wall displayed the time as being 3:54 AM.
Muskateer was seated behind the desk, but was currently sleeping. Apparently he had been working at the computer and had fallen asleep. As quietly as she could, Black Diamond moved closer.
Unexpectedly, Muskateer's eyes shot open and he screamed! "AIGGHH!"
Black Diamond couldn't help but scream also. Muskateer looked around wildly for a moment and grasped the table, as though he were trying to prevent himself from falling. Then everything returned to normal. "Whoa."
"You must have had a nightmare," Diamond said, recomposing herself as well.
"A humdinger of one I'd say, Di." For a few moments, he looked off, considering the strange feelings that played over him. "But enough of that." His voice was much sterner this time.
Muskateer started to shut down the equipment and stood up. "I'll get out of your way." The hero felt an uneasiness continue to hover about him.
"That's quite all right," Diamond responded. "I just stopped in to check up on things. You're up awfully late. What are you working on?"
"Take my word for it. Right now, you don't want to know."
Muskateer seemed quite on edge. Black Diamond considered what to say next. "If there's something important going on, I think I should be informed."
Muskateer didn't say anything. He simply collected up all the printouts he had made and started to head for the door.
"Muskateer", Black Diamond vainly said as she tried to head him off at the door. "What's bothering you? I've never seen you like this before. Is it about Gwen?"
The Avenger tried to compose himself before speaking, but what had started as a vague uneasiness had built into something more. It was difficult at best to hold his emotions in check. Everything seemed to be boiling just below the surface waiting to burst. "Yeah, Diamond, it's about Gwen. Okay? Are you happy now?!"
"Hold on a sec..." Black Diamond put her hands up to try and ward off the verbal assault before it started, but it was futile. "There's no need to get angry at me. I just want to help."
"You know what this is?!", Muskateer shouted excitedly as he held the papers up, crumbling the stack in his fist. "This is everything I've been able to piece together about Gwen's disappearance! Including how I found out that ratbag bastard friend of yours set her up!" With that he threw the stack of papers against the far wall.
"What are you talking about? Settle down for a minute and talk to me," Black Diamond pleaded.
"I don't have time to talk!", Muskateer continued to shout. "Gwen's been missing for over a day already! The time for talk is finished! You want to know what's going on, talk to Lightburst." Muskateer angrily threw open the door and stepped through it. "But if you don't find him before I do, there won't be anything left of him."
Black Diamond's jaw dropped wide when she heard the words. It was hard for her to believe. Inside her own anger and frustration over recent events was growing. "Hold it right there, mister. I don't know what is going on around here, but if you think you're going to walk out on me after this outburst, you're sadly mistaken. Now, tell me what has been going on from the beginning. I just want to help you!"
"I told you that you didn't want to hear about this, but you had to go and push! You want proof? It's all right there!", Muskateer yelled while pointing towards the discarded papers across the room.
"Proof? Proof of what? Are you suggesting that Lightburst had something to do with this?"
"Haven't you been listening to anything I just said!? Gwen was captured at Ryker's Island! Lightburst set her up, then ran off laughing about it! How many times do I have to say it!" This time the hero had enough and stalked out the door and down the corridor.
Black Diamond stepped out into the hallway and called out to him. "You never said that Gwen was captured!" Then when she saw that Muskateer was not stopping, she went down the hall after him. "Talking to me is far more effective than screaming at me."
Muskateer suddenly turned and came to a brief stop. "Hey, who do you trust?! Your second in command, or some selfish nitwit who has caused more problems for the team than he ever solved?!"
"It's not a matter of trust! You're shouting and making vague accusations. I know that you're upset about Gwen and your dislike of Lightburst is well documented. But right now you're not being rational. Raving like a madman isn't going to solve anything. If Lightburst is somehow involved in Gwen's disappearance, then I will happily help you take him down. But you have to talk to me and tell me what you've found out. Trust is a two way street."
Muskateer was silent for a moment. His wild gesturing came to a sudden stop, but his anger was almost palpable. His voice was even when he spoke, but he was not calm. "I can do this by myself. I don't need your help. Just leave me alone."
Diamond watched her teammate turn and continue to walk away from her. She wanted to stop him, say something, get him to explain things better, but thought better of it. "Where are you going?", she called out after him. "What are you planning on doing?"
There was no response from Muskateer. He kept on walking and disappeared around the corner. For a moment, Diamond considering going after him, but ultimately decided against it. In his current state of mind, listening to reason did not seem to be an option. "Maybe he'll be easier to talk to after he calms down," she muttered to herself. "I hope."
Black Diamond quietly stood before the door to her office. She was tired, but sleep was something she didn't have time for right now. Maybe the papers that Muskateer had thrown would clear up this mystery. But first she would stop at the kitchen for a cup of coffee. This already long day was going into overtime.
A little later Muskateer could be found behind the steering wheel of Hunter's car. It had been stored in the Avengers garage for past few days. Muskateer was rapidly on his way to the Kirby Estate. He pushed the car to its limits, weaving his way among traffic. He broke traffic laws and regulations without any regard. Right now, he simply didn't care about such minor details.
Now that his mind had cleared some, Muskateer was a little more rational. The rage that manifested itself with Diamond had faded. Even he wasn't sure just where it had come from. Still, he couldn't shake the terrible feeling that gnawed at him from the inside of his guts.
Gwen had spoken about a link she felt with Steven. Perhaps this link worked both ways? Maybe his trouble sleeping and violent mood was a direct result of what Gwen was experiencing? That just made him even angrier. If Lightburst's bosses were hurting Gwen, then they would pay dearly.
As he drove along, Muskateer realized that in spite of what he had said back at the mansion he did need help in rescuing Gwen. The names of two people in particular came to mind, both of whom were friends with the Enchantress.
Muskateer punched up the phonebook function of the onboard computer. He scrolled through the list of numbers until he located the one that he desired. With a push of a button, Muskateer put through the call.
A few moments later a famous voice with a thick western accent drawled, "Ya'll have reached the Ranch. How c'n I help ya?"
"Is that you, Duke?" Muskateer had only heard tales of the Superior Six's robotic major domo up until this point. He had been built by Captain Lightning and given the unique speech patterns of the famous western actor John Wayne.
"Right square, pardner. 'Cept I know this ain't Hunter calling, even though it's his horse."
"This is Muskateer,... of the Avengers." He almost didn't add that last part. Given everything that had transpired tonight, he couldn't be sure where he stood with the team. Until he had Gwen back, it simply didn't matter. "I need to talk to Tanya."
"Ya'll realize it's only 3:28 in the mornin' here!", Duke drawled with as much surprise as his metallic voice could muster.
"Then wake her up! It's that important."
"No need to go plumb loco on me, pardner. I'll get 'er. Just you hang on." Duke then put Muskateer on hold.
A few minutes later, a half-asleep Tanya answered. "Tanya here, Muskateer. What's wrong?"
"I need your help. Gwen's been kidnapped."
"I'll be in New York as quickly as possible."
"Thanks."
Details with the Sorceress were quickly ironed out. It would only take about two hours for the heroine to arrive by way of one of the Superior Six's jets: the Double J. Tanya explained that it was a small long-range transport ideal for this situation. She would pilot the craft directly to the Kirby Estate.
Once he disconnected from that call, Muskateer quickly made another. The other number was one that Hunter frequently used. "Hello," the familiar female voice said after picking up.
"Hi, Jaime. It's Muskateer."
"Good evening, Musky," Jaime cheerful responded. "Given the late hour, I doubt that this a social call?"
"'Fraid not. I need Jess and your help. It's about Gwen. She's been captured."
"I'll wake Jess immediately. Tell me what we can do for you."
Epilogue:
Blaise Morgan walked down the dungeon corridor, the naked form of Lady Zee floating before her. Since having her will broken by Lady Darkness, Zee had been total docile. The passing of the nude voluptuous woman seemed to go unnoticed by the others in the hallway. None of them could react had they even wanted to. Blaise was only one of a handful of people at the Carrington Estate who still possessed her own will.
As usual, Blaise was wearing her form-fitting black catsuit. Lady Darkness had this thing about tight black clothing and insisted on it being worn by almost everyone. Lady Zee had been wearing a similar outfit, but it had been removed earlier at the direction of Lady Darkness. Blaise had no idea why, but was in no position to question her mistress' wants and desires less she suffered a similar fate.
Darkness had spent most of her time preparing the Enchantress like she had done Zee. The purpose for all of this was the upcoming 'Joining' that Darkness would speak of. Blaise had no idea just what she meant by this, and didn't ask for any further explanations.
Moving ahead of her charge, Blaise opened a door and directed the floating Zee inside. Lady Darkness and an equally docile Enchantress were inside. The silver haired sorceress was lying on top of a large table, completely naked. The chains that had been holding her down were gone and the gag that prevented spellcasting removed. The Enchantress stared blankly at the ceiling, arms at her side.
"Ah, and now we have Lady Zee," Lady Darkness noted with glee. "Excellent! Quickly now Blaise, place her beside the Enchantress on the table. The time of Joining is mere moments away!"
Without comment, Blaise completed her task. Zee was placed beside the Enchantress. Both women stared blankly off into space. That seemingly unnatural sight creeped Blaise out.
"Now stand back, Blaise," Lady Darkness instructed. As usual she wore her own black skintight outfit. However hers was impossibly form fitting, as if it had been painted onto her flesh. There were no seams from the tips of her toes to her neck. It made Blaise wonder just how Darkness got in and out of the garment. Blaise did as ordered and stepped away from the table.
Lady Darkness circled around her victims before arriving at the bottom of the table. She reached down and touched the foot of the Enchantress with her left hand and Zee's foot with her right.
"You should feel honored, Blaise," Lady Darkness continued. "Very few outsiders have ever witnessed a Joining. Perhaps someday, should your powers continue to grow, you will have the honor in participating in one. As the Empire grows others will be required."
Lady Darkness closed her eyes and appeared to be locked in deep concentration. Blaise looked on with interest. She had no clue as to what Lady Darkness was attempting to do. Was this Joining come kind of spell that Darkness was going to cast?
Finally after long minutes, Lady Darkness opened her eyes once more. "The time is now!", she announced.
Blaise continued to watch, waiting for something, anything to happen. That's when she became aware of movement around the hands of Lady Darkness. Blaise's eyes bulged in shock and she couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
The impossibly form-fitting outfit that Lady Darkness wore was flowing off of her hands and was beginning to cover the feet of the Enchantress and Lady Zee! It moved as if it was liquid, but somehow was being controlled. Instead of dripping off onto the table, the darkness actually moved up along the legs of the docile women! Slowly the blackness inched up Zee's and the Enchantress' legs, coating them completely with a layer of blackness just like that of Lady Darkness. It would only be a matter of time before it completely covered their bodies...
Muskateer's Story continues into Muskateer #23 !
