Muskateer was antsy to get going. His adrenaline was already flowing, anticipating the battle that was to come for the group of heroes he was working with. "Man, this is gonna be one helluva fight comin' up," the Avenger thought to himself. In fact, adrenaline was about all he was going on. What seemed like a few days ago already, this evening had started with a simple date with Gwen at the Madigan's Masquerade Ball.
Once the fighting got started, everything would be much easier. For now, the waiting was frustrating. He had settled down quite a bit after his talk with Blade earlier, but now that the attack was imminent, he was getting jazzed up again. (Editor's Note: Back in Avengers #16)
Muskateer stood at the edge of the ledge watching the battle unfold below him, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Everyone present had already checked over their equipment twice. No point in doing it again. Muskateer had stashed a bunch of electronic equipment in a pouch attached to his belt. Who knew what they'd run into or need once they entered the Claw's portable domain.
Turning for a moment, the sword-swinging Avenger took a gaze at his teammates on this attack. He had lobbied to be placed in this group, as he filled the technological requirements needed. This Assault Group was going in to shut down the teleporter, as well as trying to take control of or disable the entire place. Another goal was subduing the Crimson Claw himself. Muskateer hoped to himself that he would get a chance to face the master villain of this so-called 'Great Supervillain Contest'.
The leaders of this team were Captain Lightning, head of the Superior Seven, and Defender, from Chicago's Champions. Defender and Warhawk, also a one time member of the Champions, had been idols of sorts for Steven Harper as he grew up. The man who would be Muskateer had been fascinated by powered armor. Now he was well ensconced in his Muskateer role, but perhaps someday he would design a suit of powered armor for himself.
Most of the group was quiet, except for the leaders and the armored Centurion, also from the Superior Seven, who chatted about some last second tactics. Normally, Muskateer would have joined in on the talk, but he was just another cog in the wheel on this team. That would be all right for now. The Avenger looked over the rest of his temporary teammates.
Ace, a member of the San Francisco-based Protectors, had a cool black costume, but Muskateer knew very little about her other than the abilities that were listed on the team roster: invisibility and martial arts. Ace could be, dare he think it, an 'ace in the hole' thanks to her powers. With luck, she could stay undetected for long periods of time. She was to be more of a guardian or watchdog for some of the others with more technical skills.
The Texas Ranger fit that same bill. He had no known technical skills to speak of, but without him the team was simply too small. It was one of the smaller teams as it was. Muskateer also knew little of the newcomer, but Black Diamond had vouched for him. So he couldn't be all bad. Of course, Di had vouched for Muskateer himself before, so who knows...
Silver Arrow and the Scarlet Sabre were from the Freedom League. Scarlet he knew pretty well, but the archer had been captured by the Black Paladin around three weeks ago as part of this infernal contest. Muskateer had never really met the man before tonight.
It was an odd group, but they fit the bill for the tactics that would be required of them. Muskateer had also wanted to join up with this group simply to get away from the rest of his team for awhile. So many things had happened tonight that he felt a need for some freedom. He could get it in this group. They were expecting to break down into smaller teams of twos and threes.
"You're awful quiet this evening." Muskateer turned to see the Scarlet Sabre stroll up alongside. She looked out over the battlefield as well. "Hard to believe that it's really you."
Muskateer turned to look at her for a moment, then back to the fighting. "Very funny," he said gruffly. If Scarlet had been expecting more of a response, she was out of luck.
"See what I mean? What's gotten into you, Musky? You're usually a lot more fun to be around than this."
"Nothin', really," he countered, his tone softening slightly. "It's just been one of those kinda nights. Very draining, if you know what I mean."
"You're not the only one from what Jaime tells me," Scarlet responded, her voice lowering as she spoke. "There was a police report tonight that Helena's apartment building was damaged by fire. She hasn't been located yet. Jaime monitors the emergency channels and recognized the address."
Muskateer turned with a start. "Did you tell Diamond about this?"
"Before she left I spoke with her about it briefly. She didn't have any luck contacting her either."
"Strange, I just saw her a few hours ago at a charity ball. I wondered where she had run off to."
"A lot can happen in a couple hours in this business."
"Tell me about it," Muskateer said with a small sigh.
"Hey, Scarlet," the Silver Arrow called out to his teammate. She trotted over to go over a set of plans for the attack again.
"Man, I don't know what they keep hashin' it out over and over for. Plans are gonna go right out the window as soon as we get inside," the Avenger thought to himself. He fingered the hilt of his sword as he turned back to the battle.
Looking across the valley to his left, Muskateer scanned the cliff walls for the Reserve group. They would be set up and waiting, much like this group was. His gaze traveled up and down the rock, but he was unable to locate them. It was simply too dark, even with the moon high in the clear night sky.
Gwen was in that group. As much as he had lobbied for himself to be in this group, he was determined to have Gwen join the Reserves. Fortunately, everyone agreed with his suggestion right off the bat. After all, she did fit perfectly with their function, that being to respond to whatever string of cataclysmic events the other teams set off. "With everything else that's been going down tonight, I'm glad I don't have to worry about her. At least for most of the attack," he thought. "This could get dangerous."
She had guessed that he had pushed for her to be in the Reserves. "I'm just not sure if she was upset about it, or pleased. Maybe both." He tried to make it seem that it wasn't just his idea, but Muskateer wasn't too sure she bought it. Gwen was a lot of things, but she wasn't stupid. Mostly he didn't want her to know how strongly he felt towards her. That left him too open; too vulnerable.
Muskateer was broken from his reverie by a loud, sudden crack. He turned back toward the rest of the team as a huge bolt of lightning suddenly shot out of their midst. Captain Lighting was on his way to the Dome. Muskateer watched as the bolt arced through the sky and slammed into the base. The Superior Seven leader's energy form played about the dome, seeking to find a way in. After a scant few seconds, the blue energy had faded. "What a cool way to travel," the Avenger said to no one in particular.
"All right everyone. Get ready to move," Defender commanded. "We'll be closing in with a 50 meter spread. Ace is with me. Ranger, you carry the Scarlet Sabre. Centurion gets Silver Arrow and Muskateer." Defender was beginning to sound like a broken record. They had already gone over this a million times. Even little things like this were getting on Muskateer's nerves. He needed a fight. Thankfully, it was coming soon.
Muskateer watched the Blue Dome, imagining Cap moving through the electrical system, searching for an entrance for the team. They had hoped to find one on the far end of the base, opposite the fighting. Captain Lighting would radio the team as soon as he was ready.
After a few long agonizing minutes, the message finally came. "We're a go," was the simple statement that came amplified over Defender's communicator. Without another word, Defender activated his boot rockets and, carrying the black-clad Ace, flew off.
"Ya'all ready, lil' lady?", Tex asked as he telekinetically lifted himself into the air.
"Times a wastin' and the Claw's a waitin'," Scarlet responded. "Besides, I want to check out the technology inside that ship!" A moment later, she was engulfed by a large, translucent sphere and lifted into the air. "Hey, Tex! You've got air holes in this thing, don't you?"
The Ranger flew off carrying the swordswoman, following the path led by Defender. "Yeee-Haw!", the Ranger shouted. Muskateer rolled his eyes, but held his tongue. Sarcasm just wasn't worth the effort it seemed.
The three remaining heroes watched the others head towards their target. "You guys ready?", Centurion asked in his deep voice.
"Are you kidding", the Silver Arrow quickly answered. "Now that I have my bow and quiver back, I can't wait to get back into the action. I owe some people big time for the last few weeks."
"I hear ya, bowman." Looking over to the armored Centurion, Muskateer pulled his sword from its scabbard. "I'm ready to kick some serious butt."
Centurion laughed. "We're gonna get along just fine. Let's rock and roll!" Centurion grasped the two heroes around their waists and launched them all into the air. His flight pack kicked in and Muskateer felt the only somewhat familiar sensation of flight again.
The trio rocketed over the valley, passing directly over the fighting. Most of it was ground-based and even the flyers were some distance below them. "Hey, big guy, move in and I can fire a few arrows off as we're going by."
"Why not?", the massive armored figure responded. He dove sharply before leveling off, much lower to the valley floor now. "You guys will have to be my arsenal for now. My hands seem to be full at the moment."
"You got it, C," Muskateer answered. Now that the fighting had begun, he was his old self again. He aimed his sword and fired a couple of taser blasts into the fray, as they passed.
"Take that, ya losers!" Silver Arrow fired three explosive arrows at the same time. They erupted in a spread over the battlefield, giving Renegade and Warlock each a needed reprieve from the villains attacking them.
Muskateer fired again, plucking the Griffin from the sky with a well-placed blast. The monstrous villain never saw the attack and spun towards the ground. "Good shootin'!", Centurion replied. "But we better catch up with the others."
"One more shot," Silver Arrow protested. He nocked his bow again and fired, catching Bulldozer in the face with a flash arrow. "Bullseye!"
Centurion cut in the afterburners and raced towards the back of the Dome. "We got bogeys on our tail," Muskateer offered. Behind him a pair of villains flew after them and a few others moved to intercept them on the ground.
"Hurry up, Centurion!", Defender chastised the Superior Seven member.
"I knew we should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque," Muskateer offered. Silver Arrow just smirked and shook his head.
"Hey, all you had to carry was Ace." Centurion protested, but the others were having none of it.
"The other teams are for fighting outside," Captain Lighting interrupted. "We have our own job to do."
Centurion landed in front of the opening Captain Lightning had created. It must have been some sort of airlock or something. He dropped the two heroes at the door and rushed inside. "We're here already. Let's get movin'."
As the last two heroes entered the dome, Silver Arrow turned to see a group of villains moving to intercept them. "Baddies! Five o'clock!" As he spoke, he effortlessly nocked a smoke screen arrow and fired it into the villain's midst. He then slipped into the dome.
Muskateer stepped back out and fired a taser blast into the swirling smoke. Shouts of surprise at the unseen attack let the Avenger know that he had hit someone. He smiled to himself. "Muskateer, we are leaving without you!", Defender cajoled.
"I'm comin', I'm comin'." He stepped into the dome and the airlock spun shut.
Inside the heroes were readying themselves for the impending conflict. They had entered through what must have been a vehicle docking and storage area. A number of various odd-looking craft filled the large chamber.
Nearby, Captain Lightning was informing the Scarlet Sabre and Jaime about the alien circuitry of this ship. "The ship seems to be equipped with a number of anti-virus circuits and defenses. It took me a long time just to take control of the air-lock here and it's only a peripheral system."
"So you don't think that Jaime can infiltrate safely?", Scarlet asked, a touch of concern in her voice.
"I wouldn't recommend it," the Captain responded simply.
"But you're planning to 'go back in'?", Defender accused the co-leader of this team.
"Oh, absolutely," he answered with a grin. "Besides I have the advantage of being able to corporally exit the system. Jaime would be stuck in the systems and potentially cut off."
"We'll just have to get her to the main computer itself," Muskateer offered, walking up to the trio.
Scarlet gave him an approving nod. "I must agree. I won't risk losing Jaime in some alien computer network."
"How do you plan to reach the computer's core?", Defender asked.
"One miracle at a time," Muskateer answered. "Besides..."
"Heads up!", Centurion suddenly shouted. "We got company!"
Muskateer turned to where Centurion indicated and fired a blast from his sword. At the same time, Defender, Centurion, Silver Arrow and Texas Ranger all unleashed attacks of their own.
The Leaper and Fire n' Ice, who had been hoping to catch the heroes unawares, were both thrown back at the sudden barrage of power and crashed to the ground. They each skittered away, sliding along the metallic floor and rolling to a stop upon reaching the edges of the room.
"That was almost too easy," Silver Arrow stated.
"Bring the varments on," Texas Ranger agreed.
Just then a door at the far end of the chamber slid open. Beyond the opening the heroes could see a number of villains: Annihilator, Armadillo, Hammerhead, the Remover, the Monster, Oculon, Mentalax, Void and Wyvern, among others.
"Ya just had to go an open your mouth, huh, Arrow?", Muskateer asked sarcastically.
Defender kicked in his jetpack and took to the air at the villains' arrival. "Get moving, Cap. Anyone else who can bust through, get on with the mission! Don't get caught up with these losers!"
As Captain Lightning once more reverted to his pure energy state, the numerous villains swarmed into the storage chamber. "Watch who yer callin' a loser!", Armadillo shouted. "Get 'em!"
"Look at all the gadget-laden scum!", Annihilator yelled. "I'm gonna have a field day destroying all their toys!" With a roar, the villains charged.
"And so by mutual consent," Silver Arrow dead-panned, as he fired a concussion arrow into the midst of the throng of villains, "The battle was joined." The place erupted in a swirl of combat.
Muskateer barely noticed Captain Lightning re-enter the ship's network of computer systems, as he moved in on the attack. He cartwheeled between a pair of energy blasts and moved into close combat range.
Picking out a target, Muskateer slammed into Annihilator, who was trying to line up Silver Arrow for a blast of his equipment destroying energy. The villain was bounced into the nearby bulkhead, but remained on his feet.
"You'll do just as well as a target," Annihilator threatened. "I'll enjoy killing you." Summoning up a burst of energy, the villain thrust his fist at the Avenger.
Muskateer was simply too fast however. He nimbly ducked the blow and before Annihilator could even realize that he struck air, Muskateer reached out with the electrically charged blade of his sword and discharged it.
With a loud crack, Annihilator was thrown back and hit the bulkhead again. His padded costume was unable to shield him enough from the attack and he staggered, barely on his feet. "Ironic isn't it. Taken out by what you hate."
Muskateer moved in and grabbed Annihilator by the front of his costume. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement coming towards him. He thrust the stunned villain in front of him and Annihilator was the unwitting shield to a fist from the Monster. Annihilator's helmet shattered under the impact and the villain was torn from Muskateer's grasp by the incredible force of the blow.
"Sheesh, you're an ugly cuss, ain'tcha?" The Monster just roared and lunged forward, but Muskateer leapt over the attack. "Sorry I can't stay and trade chocolate chip cookie recipes."
Looking around for a moment, Muskateer saw the chaos swarm around him. It was almost too much to keep track of, even with his recent training in the Avengers Combat Simulator. Explosions erupted all around and energy beams shot harmlessly past his head. "Man, I hope Cassie and the others aren't caught up in something like this."
Scarlet Sabre was making good use of her nimbleness over the battleground. Muskateer watched as her weapon slammed into some villain in a purple costume that he didn't recognize. A moment later, he leapt in and neatly deflected an energy blast away from the heroine.
"Thanks, Musky." She moved to her left and raised her weapon. "This one's mine!" She turned the discharge from Armadillo's gauntlets and redirected it at a surprised Plague.
Firing a blast from his sword, Muskateer moved toward the doorway that the villains entered through. "I think I can cut you a path through, Scarlet."
"You're right. We can't keep fighting in here all night." The pair saw three more villains enter into the combat.
"Not if we plan on winning this little shindig." Muskateer swung his blade viciously at the armored Armageddon who barred his path. The blade rang out with a metallic clang as it hacked into the villain's armored suit. The force of the blow knocked him aside. "Coming through!"
Oculon had been standing near the entrance firing off eye beams from a safe distance. Seeing Muskateer having just hacked down the villain before him, Oculon wisely moved away from the entrance. Muskateer fired a taser blast at the villain anyway, sending him staggering even further away.
Looking back over his shoulder, the Avenger saw Scarlet Sabre's energy weapon slash down the newly arrived Darkon. "That wasn't so bad. Now we just have to find the computer." The pair had managed to hack a swath through the villains to the exit.
"Get moving!", Muskateer shouted as he deflected away more incoming blasts. "I'll cover you." Muskateer moved into the doorway as Scarlet headed down the corridor leading away.
"You expect me to leave all of you behind?"
"I'll be there in a sec. See if you can find one of those elevators they were talking about."
As the Scarlet Sabre reluctantly ran off, Muskateer battled to fend off villains intent on halting their escape. He slashed and tasered furiously, beating back any assaults, while deflecting incoming fire.
During a brief respite, Muskateer grimly watched the Texas Ranger struck down from an attack by Armadillo. The cowboy never saw it coming. He also caught a glimpse of Centurion being swarmed over by Boa Constrictor and the Monster, but lost track of him as Wyvern swooped in. The villain's leathery wings obstructed all of Muskateer's view.
"Are you all this ugly in here?" Muskateer fired an electrical blast at the oncoming villain, who responded with nothing more than a guttural howl. "Charming conversationalist."
The electrical attack only slowed the monstrous Wyvern, whose wings continued to carry him into Muskateer. The villain's powerful claws raked the Avenger's armor as Wyvern slammed into him.
The force of the impact caused Muskateer to topple backwards, Wyvern still feverishly clawing at his chest. "Aaagghh!" Muskateer's armor rended under the monstrous attack and blood seeped from the fresh wounds.
Muskateer frantically swung his sword at the bloodthirsty villain, toppling it with a nasty blow to the head. "Get off of me, Fido!" Scrambling up from under the fallen villain's bulk, Muskateer regained his feet. The wound wasn't as bad as it originally looked, but he still put his free palm against his chest to stem the flow of blood. He fired another blast into the chamber, but wasn't sure if he hit anyone.
"Musky! I found it!", he heard Scarlet call from down the corridor. Turning he saw her appear around a corner. "Look out!"
There was only time to notice an orange and black streak suddenly slam into him as Muskateer was knocked halfway down the hallway towards the Scarlet Sabre. "Man, somebody get the license plate of that truck..." As he rolled onto his back, the orange and black clad villain was upon him again. The Remover was large and heavily muscled. He locked his hands about the Avenger's throat.
Trying to pry the villain's grasp apart was futile. The Remover was simply too strong. "I don't care who ya are, I'm gonna remove ya," the Remover threatened. His sword having been knocked from his grasp, Muskateer was regulated to fist fighting. He slammed an uppercut into the Remover's jaw, who's only response was a powerful head butt into the Avenger's forehead, causing him to see stars.
At that moment, the growling and grappling villain's weight was forcibly removed and he heard the familiar sound of Scarlet's lightsabre overhead. "Au contraire, it is you who shall be removed!"
Shaking his head to clear it, Muskateer saw the Remover crash into the Scarlet Sabre, taking her to the floor. Scarlet struggled, repeatedly whacking the villain with her solidified sabre and barely avoided a powerful haymaker, just sliding her head aside at the last moment.
"My chance to return the favor, Scarlet." Not taking the time to reclaim his sword, Muskateer leapt at the villain with a flying tackle and pulled him off his comrade. He rolled the Remover onto his back, but the villain, being a master alien gladiator, was able to turn the attack back to his favor.
It was a futile move however, as two well-placed strikes from the Scarlet Sabre's energy weapon put the villain down for the count. "Sheesh, this guy's a load," the Avenger said, as he pushed the unconscious villain aside and regained his own sword. "We should get moving, but I hate..."
He was suddenly and rudely interrupted by an incredible series of explosions. "Get down!" Throwing his body over his teammate's, Muskateer shielded her from the blast. Parts of the ceiling rained down in metallic shrapnel. After a moment the blast subsided and the two heroes looked around in the now-darkened area.
"Are you all right, Jess?", Muskateer asked in a low tone.
"I think so. A few cuts and scrapes, nothing serious."
"That coulda' been nasty."
"Something flammable must have exploded," the Scarlet Sabre offered, examining the wreckage. The end of the hallway leading back to the vehicle storage room had collapsed.
"Somebody must have hit a fuel tank for one of those vehicles in the hanger." He looked back at Scarlet. "I think I can cut through the wreckage. Some of our guys may have been hurt in the explosion."
"This place is going to be swarming with villains and the Claw's minions in a few minutes. As callous as it sounds, the only logical thing to do is keep moving."
Muskateer looked back at the debris and hoped he wasn't making a mistake. "If there was another Avenger in that group," Muskateer thought, "I'd be trying to save them, instead of just hoping everyone's all right."
Turning the hero started to follow Scarlet down the corridor. Suddenly a dark form coalesced before him. The hero prepared to strike with his sword but stopped himself when he realized it was: "Ace!"
"I made it past the villains, using your attacks as a diversion," the Protector explained. "I prefer to remain unnoticed but thought it prudent to make you aware of my presence."
"Sounds good to me, Ace," the hero answered as he started trotting down the hall. "This place'll be crawling with baddies before we know it!"
Just then, an announcement rang out over the loudspeakers of the ship. "Attention all villains. The ship has been invaded by heroes! The Crimson Claw will reward those who succeed in capturing the heroes. They are to be brought to my master alive. He will not compensate you for dead bodies."
"Darn, they figured out we're here," Muskateer responded sarcastically.
"We'd better keep moving," Ace stated nervously.
Arriving at the elevator a short distance away, the three heroes came to a brief stop.
"I thought they said these things open for you automatically," Muskateer grumbled impatiently. The elevator doors remained stubbornly shut.
Ace pointed toward the flashing lights above the doors. "Perhaps it's occupied?", she offered.
"If that's the case, there isn't any place to run or hide," the Scarlet Sabre stated looking around. "We'll have to fight through them. Assuming that it stops on this level, of course."
"Perhaps if we plan an ambush?", Ace suggested.
"I have a better idea," Muskateer interrupted, pushing past the heroines. A quick slash of his sword laid open the interior of the elevator shaft. Looking down into the tube, Muskateer could see the elevator car some distance below, but rapidly approaching. The system used a smooth monorail track, much like that of a roller coaster.
"Get in and climb up!", Muskateer said, as he reached in and grasped the rail. He watched a moment as the heroines climbed onto the rail system and quickly pulled themselves up. "I'll be back in a flash." With that, he slid down the rail, much like a fire fighter and landed atop the outside of the elevator car.
Pulling his sword from its scabbard again, the hero quickly sliced the electronic cables to the elevator. The car came to a sudden and abrupt stop. Using the weapon like a crowbar, Muskateer pried back the cover of the control box, exposing the circuitry below. It was a bewildering mass of sparking wires. "I think I overdid it," he lamented briefly.
"Need a hand?" The Scarlet Sabre arrived atop the car a moment later, courtesy of the energy line from her lightsabre.
"Can Jaime reroute the controls to send this thing down?"
"Only one way to find out," Scarlet answered. She pulled out the interface on her belt that currently contained Jaime and attached it to some wires that Muskateer stripped free. "She's in."
A moment passed and nothing. The villains inside were going to be getting antsy any moment now. "Come on, come on," Muskateer prodded, under his breath.
"Give her another couple seconds. This is delicate work. Fortunately, the ship's systems are remarkably compatible with what I'm used to."
Just then, a beam of energy ripped through the roof of the car, barely missing the heroes.
Muskateer jammed his sword through the roof of the car and fired off a blast of electricity. "Sorry guys! Equipment troubles," he yelled to the entombed villains below. A moment later the elevator car started to drop at an alarming rate.
"Hang on!" Knowing that the car was about to plummet, the Scarlet Sabre had latched the end of her weapon to the monorail track. Grabbing Muskateer with her other hand, the pair were suddenly hanging in midair.
"All done," Scarlet offered. "The car's locked into its decent."
"That's gonna hurt when it hits bottom," Muskateer responded. A moment later a resounding crash echoed up the shaft as the car made contact with the shaft's lowermost point.
"Ace! You around?!", Muskateer called up the tube a moment later. The heroine's response indicated she was a few floors above yet, but moving closer.
Using his sword once more to hack through another set of elevator doors, Muskateer opened a passage back into a new area of the ship. The trio exited the elevator shaft not much later and found themselves on a darkened level.
"Looks like some place that the Claw doesn't normally give access to," the Scarlet Sabre surmised as she switched on a small flashlight taken from a belt pouch. Muskateer activated one as well a moment later.
"Now let's see what kind of mischief we can get into," Muskateer offered.
"Perhaps we can find a computer access terminal on this level," Scarlet offered, "If this area really has been cordoned off. I'd like to get Jaime closer to the core systems, but we're running out of time."
Just then, a portal slid open in the hallway and a large metallic form strode into the hallway. "Indeed, you are almost out of time," the deep voice boomed.
The heroes trained their lights on the form and found themselves face to face with:
"Dr. Destroyer!!"
In Avengers #19!
