Steven accepted his sword back from Gwen, then returned it to its scabbard. "Judging from your reaction, I guess I wasn't just imagining things."
"What exactly do you remember?", Gwen asked, still a little beside herself.
"Well, to cut to the Reader's Digest version," Steven began, "we had hacked our way down into the guts of the base. Ace and Scarlet and I had just trashed the teleporter for the Citadel. The Claw figured out what we were doin' and I guess he was pretty PO'd. He came in and messed us all up pretty bad. You could hardly lay a hand on the sucker." (Editor's Note: See Avengers #19 for the full story)
"Much like the Shadow Demons that had been summoned through the portal, the Crimson Claw existed only partially on this dimension and at the same time on his own home dimension."
"That's pretty weird," Steven commented.
"Yes, but it also made them nearly impervious to physical harm."
"We found that out the hard way. Ace and Scarlet went down faster'n you would've imagined. I had already been banged up a bit and the Claw almost put the kibosh on me too. I remember laying there in a heck of lot of pain, thinkin' about the last thing you said to be before we went in."
"I remember", Gwen quietly added. A kiss, to remember her by she had said, just before the big assault.
"I managed to come out in one piece, but that piece ended up pretty ragged. The Claw had me dead to rights. Then at the last moment, I saw... you." Gwen knew what he was about to say, but she still wasn't quite prepared to actually hear Steven say it. "There was something different about you, but it was definitely you. Unless I imagined it."
"Your sword does indeed contain a residual trace of magic, so it is certain that it was in fact imbued with power as you describe. According to the magical signature of the residue, it was indeed I who transferred this energy to you."
"And yet, you didn't do it," Steven said, conveying the obvious.
"No... Not in any way that I am consciously aware of, at the very least." Gwen's mind raced through the possibilities, none of them providing a satisfactory explanation.
"Another mystery between us then?" He was referring to the also unexplained matter of how he was able to unconsciously pierce her veil of illusion, magic the Enchantress used to conceal her true identity.
"That certainly seems to be the case," she answered. "Do you recall anything more specific about this encounter? Did she-- 'I'-- say anything to you?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it. Something about 'You always being with me', or something to that effect."
Gwen flushed slightly at the thought and glanced quickly away. "Anything else?"
"I don't really remember. You touched me and the next thing I know, I was charged up with adrenaline or something. I cut the Claw and the pansy ran off. He musta been surprised as heck that the tables were turned on him. After that a few demon things attacked and then the big wave hit."
Gwen considered again. "I don't believe I've ever used my powers in such a fashion before. Honestly though, it could certainly be in the realm of possibility to magically generate this 'adrenaline surge' you mention."
"So, now what?"
"I am not completely certain," Gwen stated after a contemplative pause. "I must explore this mystery further."
Just then, there was a light rap on the door and it tentatively opened. "What mystery is that?" Tanya, the Sorceress, peeked into the recovery room.
"Hello, Tanya," Gwen answered, as she rose to greet her friend. "Come on in. Steven, this is my best friend, Tanya."
"Hey, how's it going?" Steven could see that Tanya was about the same height as Gwen, but had long, lustrous red hair and sparkling green eyes. Her costume was dark green in color and her cloak was dark blue.
"Tanya, Steven."
"Pleased to finally meet you," Tanya stated as the two shook hands. "All Gwen could talk about the entire afternoon was you. I'm beginning to understand why."
"Tanya, please...", Gwen said, trying not to show her embarrassment.
"Relax, Gwendolyne. I'm just stating my approval in your choice of men. I thought I'd stop in for a minute before the team left. You mentioned something about a mystery?"
"I'll tell you later," Gwen answered. "After I get my thoughts together on the matter."
"I'm looking forward to it. I wish we could stay longer, but the Superior Seven have a prior commitment with the Young Champions."
"You mean the trainees on Sanctuary?", Steven asked.
"The same. We're going to be working with them for the purpose of field training."
"Oh, I see," Steven said. "Pairing each of 'em up with a veteran hero. Makes sense."
"That's the general idea," Tanya answered. "We're supposed to be in El Paso on Wednesday. I thought I would just pop in to say goodbye." (Editor's Note: As seen in Young Champions #1)
"Thanks for the visit," Steven announced. "I've heard a lot about you. Nice to finally meet you. Although, it coulda been under better circumstances."
"Perfectly understandable," Tanya responded. "I'm sure that we'll meet again."
"Let me escort you to your transport," Gwen said as she opened the door. Turning back to Steven, she added, "I shall return shortly. I wish to think more about our conversation."
"I can see that. I'll be waiting right here."
Steven exited the recovery room that held Ace. It was now late Tuesday morning and he was making his own rounds, checking on the injured members of his 'team' from the battle at the citadel. He was finally feeling a little stronger and managed to get around the clinic on his own.
"Man, everybody said I was in bad shape," he commented to himself after closing the door behind him. Ace seemed in even worse shape than he was. She was recovering slowly, but now beyond any worry that her injuries at the hands of the Crimson Claw would prove fatal. There was talk however that Ace may retire due to the severity of her injuries. "Things like this make you realize we're not always playing a game here."
Steven shook his head and then started down the hall towards the next door. Checking the name of the occupant listed next to the door, Steven turned the handle and entered.
Jessica Flynn was lying quietly in her bed. She didn't seem to stir when Steven entered, so he silently approached, so as not to disturb her sleep. The woman who was the Scarlet Sabre was in better condition than Ace, but still apparently bed-ridden. Steven watched her for a few moments and then deciding not to wake her, headed for the door again.
As he opened it, a voice spoke out from behind him, "Well, this is a first. You actually have nothing to say? This is a historical event."
Steven stopped and turned around. "Very funny, Jess. I thought you were sleeping." Letting the door close, he moved back to the side of her bed.
"I wasn't sleeping; I was concentrating on my work," Jessica explained. "Getting caught up on a few projects that I've fallen behind on."
"Neat trick. Looked like sleeping to me. But I guess it's different when you share a symbiotic link with a computer, huh?"
"It makes laying around doing nothing a lot less tedious."
"Tell me about it. I've been going stir-crazy myself," Steven responded. "So, does this mean you'll have my scooter done soon?"
"I've been done with my part of the project since the day you dropped the plans off at CII."
"Why the hell didn't you tell me?!", Muskateer interjected. He would have loved to gotten his hands on the scooter weeks ago.
Jessica flashed a momentarily confused look, before she realized Muskateer's error. "You honestly didn't think I was going to build it myself?"
Muskateer thought back to the conversation they had at the CII plant in New York City. Apparently, he had taken 'we' to mean her and Jaime. "So, where is it then? And exactly who is building it?" (Editor's Note: That conversation was back in Muskateer #9)
"After I went over the plans, they were sent over to Tyler Labs for construction. It's a research and development company Sheryl bought a few years back. We routinely send them projects such as yours. So, other than casually monitoring the project, I haven't been directly involved since then."
"Okay, so when will they be done then, smarty pants?" Sometimes Jessica was way too literal for his tastes. It was likely a by-product from her connection with the computer that created Jaime. The phrase 'garbage in, garbage out' came to mind.
"Assuming it remains on schedule, your prototype should be completed early next week. I should be back in town by then. As promised, I'll give you a call when it is done."
"Well, that's a relief." Steven made a mental note to be more specific when he asked questions of Scarlet. "I'd like to shed the land-bound tag."
"Understandable. The Sky Sabre was the first real piece of equipment that I built."
"Sure beats taking the bus, huh? So, anyway, how are you feeling?"
"Other than itching all over, I'm getting better. Bryn's releasing me Thursday. Luckily I was wearing the improved ballistic cloth underneath my costume. Its increased protection spared me from severe injuries." (Editor's Note: This new cloth appeared in Huntress #11)
"Yeah, Ace is still in pretty bad shape, but they say she's through the worst part of it. That Claw didn't mess around," Steven added.
"No, he didn't." After a short pause, she added, "You must be feeling better to be up and about and causing mischief."
"Just hiding from the nursing staff, really. Mentally I'm through convalescing, but they tricked me into staying here a few more days."
"Tricked? You? Oh, this sounds good," Jess answered with a grin. "Tell me all about it and don't skimp on the juicy details."
"Depends which side of it you're on. Officially I'm here to be in charge of the Avengers who are still hanging out here. Truth is, Diamond left the Enchantress behind to baby-sit me," Steven explained.
"Boy, what did Gwen do to get Di so mad at her?"
"Thanks a lot," Steven responded defensively. "I had forgotten that you and Gwen had worked together for awhile."
"It wasn't really that long. Two months and five days to be exact. I'll spare you the exact number of minutes and seconds."
"Oh." Steven trailed off.
"Why? Is there some kind of problem between the two of you?" Steven smiled widely at that comment. "I always thought Gwen got along well with everyone. Most everyone, anyway."
"Well, to be honest, 'problem' is a relative term, I would say."
"I'm not quite sure what you're getting at, but if it's something you want to talk over..."
"It's sorta complicated, Scarlet."
"We both seem to have a lot of time on our hands just now," Jessica offered. "The completion of the Lore 3000 chip can wait another hour or two."
Steven considered for a moment. Maybe a chance to talk things out with someone now would be a good move. He wasn't getting very far on his own, that much was certain. "Yeah, maybe you're right."
Letting out a long breath, Steven grabbed a nearby chair, pulled it up to the side of Scarlet's bed and settled into it. "I'm not really sure where to begin, to be honest. I guess 'it' all started when Gwen asked me to the Madigan's charity ball last Saturday."
"You and her? At the charity ball? That's a bit of a surprise."
"What makes you say that?", Steven responded, suddenly getting defensive again.
"On the surface, the two of you seem like such different types."
"Tell me about it. That's part of the problem actually." Steven made a face as he thought back about everything that had happened between Gwen and himself the past four days. Was it really only that long ago?
"What exactly is this problem?"
"That's a very good question."
"You're not being very helpful", Jessica noted. "It's kind of difficult to offer advice when I don't even know what you're talking about. Come on, spit it out."
"Well, in a nutshell, Gwen and I may or may not be on the verge of a romantic relationship. At least it was going that way at the ball, until we were rudely interrupted by having to save the world from alien invaders."
"Oh", was all that Jessica could say, a bit dumbfounded. "Ohh!", she added finally understanding just what Steven was trying to say. "I see. As they say, opposites do attract. And if it's any consolation, Gwen is a woman of excellent taste."
"She is at that," he responded with a grin. "It's just that I seem to be caught between how fast everything is happening and actually believing that it really is happening. I don't know what to think."
"Now that much, I guessed," Jess answered, trying to suppress a grin. These two as a couple was not something she would have imagined. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Are you trying to help, or just making witty remarks at my expense?"
"It's just my charming personality," she answered with a shrug. "But when it comes to romance, you can usually throw logic out the window. Sometimes even the most seemingly mismatched people can just hit it off. That's amore'!"
Steven thought about that for a moment. "I guess that sorta makes sense. Maybe I've just been thinkin' about it too much. Tryin' to make sense outta everything."
"Of all people I would think you'd be one to just simply 'go with the flow'."
"Hey, I'm just full of surprises."
"Yes, indeed," she answered with a smile.
Steven wasn't sure how to take that, but he let it pass. "The biggest thing is every time I convince myself that she's just trying to be friendly, she goes and surprises me," he continued, shaking his head slightly.
"Perhaps, then, you are trying to convince yourself more that this can't happen than it can," Jessica offered.
Steven stood up quickly. "You know, you've given me something to think about, Jess. A different angle anyway. Thanks."
"You're welcome." After a pause, she added, "And good luck."
"Yeah, really. I'll catch ya later, Red." Steven exited the room, a little bit more of a spring in his step then when he had entered.
It was now Wednesday morning and Steven had just finished dressing. He had discarded his arm sling yesterday evening, much to Bryn's annoyance, and was feeling even better today. Most of his limp had faded. He still moved somewhat slowly, but Steven was determined that his convalescing was rapidly coming to a close, regardless of what anyone else thought.
"Now, let's see what they're serving around here for breakfast. I'm starved." Normally, Cassie and her cousin Yrsa delivered meals prepared by Blade. But today, they seemed to be running late. Just as he stepped out into the hallway, Steven saw a familiar face. "Gwen!"
"Good morning, Steven," the lovely sorceress stated with a smile. "I was just coming to see how you were feeling." She was casually dressed for the warm Los Angeles sunshine. Gwen wore a white halter-top and a pair of light blue dress shorts. White sandals completed the outfit.
"I feel pretty good actually, gorgeous. I've got to get away from that room though. Care to join me for breakfast?"
"Are you sure you're up to it?", Gwen asked. The pair started down the hall, arm in arm.
Steven tried hard to conceal his impatience. "Gwen. I'm doing fine. I know you're concerned and I do like all the attention. But frankly, I'm not used to laying around all day. I need to do something before I go crazy."
"Good," she responded with her charming smile. "I was hoping you would say that. Then you are interested in joining me for a day on the town? I have a car waiting and I've already cleared it with Bryn. Provided that you behave, of course."
"A day on the town? Sure!" Just about anything would beat another day cooped up here. "Lead on, fair lady. Whose car did you borrow anyway?"
"Oh, I decided not to bother any of our hosts when we can make do well enough on our own." After a short walk to the front of the estate, Gwen gestured to the long black vehicle waiting in the driveway. The driver stood waiting for his passengers to arrive.
"A limo?", Steven asked. It was definitely not what he had been expecting.
"Why not? Neither of us really knows our way around the city, so we need a driver. Plus this way we have our privacy and anything else we may desire."
"I like the way you think," Steven commented, as they embarked on their journey.
After an involved day of sight-seeing, shopping and just enjoying each other's company, Steven and Gwen had left the car behind as they strolled together hand in hand under the moonlit sky.
"It is a beautiful night," Gwen sighed as she gazed at the stars overhead.
"Yeah, and what a view." The Griffith Observatory was located on the south slope of Mount Hollywood. This Los Angeles landmark had been made famous in the movie 'Rebel Without a Cause'. It gave an unparalleled view of the city, which on a clear night like this, reached all the way to the ocean. With the city lights twinkling below, it was one of the most romantic places in Los Angeles.
"You know, we do not really know a lot about each other's private lives," Gwen commented casually. "Other than the brief introduction made at my little dinner party." (Editor's Note: Back in Avengers #11)
"Well, to be honest, I've been so busy working on being Muskateer and then joining the Avengers that I haven't had much time for a private life lately," Steven responded. "You know as much about me as just about anyone else on the team."
"Oh, come now, you're not Muskateer twenty four hours a day."
"No, that's certainly true. But I did just move to the Big Apple when I joined the team. I don't exactly have a regular job or even a place of my own. I'm just starting to get my bearings around the city as it is. It seems like anyone I've been hanging out with have been super-types. Of course, that's about 95% of the people in New York that I know anyway."
"So I have noticed."
"Is it that obvious?", Steven asked.
"Just an observation. You always seem to be engaged in some endeavor with the Huntress, or Black Diamond, or the Scarlet Sabre, or Firestar." After a pause, she added teasingly, "You certainly seem to be popular with the ladies."
Steven smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Hey, Ben and I put away some pizza a couple times. We even caught a Knicks game together."
"You do not have to be so defensive," Gwen responded. "I wasn't implying anything necessarily."
"Are you sure? I thought maybe you were going somewhere with that."
"I am simply attempting to learn more about the man in my life." She squeezed his hand slightly as she spoke.
Steven looked over at Gwen with a start. He hoped it wasn't as obvious as he felt it was. He had a hard time suppressing a smile every time he looked at Gwen. "The man in her life," Steven thought. "I like the sound of that."
"After all, it would be in poor taste to bluntly ask for such personal details," Gwen continued.
"So what you're saying is that you're trying to weasel 'em outta me," Steven kidded.
Gwen laughed deeply at the comment. "I think I like my description better, but essentially, guilty as charged. There are so many things I would like to know."
Steven stopped and turned towards his companion, taking her other hand in his as well. "Hey, if you have something you want to ask me, just come right out and say it. I really don't mind."
Gwen considered for a moment. "Well, um... I was just kind of curious..." She looked down and fidgeted as she spoke. "What I'm trying... poorly... to ask is..." She looked up again and into his eyes. "Is there anyone else? A rival for your affections?"
An uncomfortable silence followed for a lingering moment. Steven's mind raced briefly back to his recent encounters with the enigmatic Glitter. Now it was his turn to look away. "I, uh,..." How was he going to explain this and not lie to her? He looked back into her eyes deeply. "There is no one else who makes me feel like you do."
She smiled again briefly. "A feeling that I share, but you didn't exactly answer my question."
"You're right, of course." Steven let go of her hands and turned away, taking a few steps toward the vista.
"I see," he heard her say, a trace of disappointment in her voice as it trailed off.
She really seemed genuinely interested in a very serious relationship, Steven thought to himself. Helena was annoyingly right, it would appear. "This shouldn't be such a problem," Steven lamented silently. "But it is rather sudden."
Steven took a deep breath and turned back towards Gwen. She was gazing up at the stars, her back now slightly to him. "Look, I want to be totally honest with you."
She glanced back at him. "I had hoped that would be the case."
"This is really very sudden for me," he started to explain. "It's all happened virtually overnight."
Her eyes dropped again. "I understand," she answered quietly. "I should not have pressed you."
"Maybe, maybe not." Steven closed the distance between them and touched her face gently. "I've been mentally bouncing back and forth between hoping that maybe you actually saw something in me and believing that you were just trying to be friends. Until Saturday night... I pretty much convinced myself I was just making this all up."
"Perhaps I was being too subtle?"
Steven chuckled at that. Thinking back, he should have seen the signals all along. "Or maybe I'm just thick-headed sometimes."
"Perhaps. It is possible that I have been mistakenly reading more into situations than actually exist."
"What do you mean by that?"
Gwen bit her lip slightly, more than a little embarrassed. "I am beginning to regret bringing this subject up," she said with a smile. "We're still in the 'awkward to talk openly' stage." After a pause, Gwen continued. "For instance, you have been spending a lot of time with Cassie. I was getting... jealous."
Steven was rather surprised at that revelation. "Really? You were jealous? Of me and Cassie? Okay, so maybe we have spent a lot of time together. Cass was my first real friend on the team. I guess I think of her as my little sister or something now."
Gwen seemed a bit relieved to hear that. "I understand. As I suspected, my emotions were making things worse than they really were. It was foolish for me to even bring up the subject."
"Hey, don't worry about it. If there's anything at all that ever concerns you, I'd like to know about it." Steven took her hands into his again. "I mean that."
"I was just worried that there was someone else."
"Gwen, there really isn't anyone else." Steven's mind raced back and forth whether to mention his time with Glitter. "I have to admit, there have been a couple of 'romantic encounters' since I've been in New York, but when I look into your eyes there's nothing else that even exists to me." It all came out of his mouth before his brain realized he said it. "I've never felt like this about anyone before." He looked away. "I guess now it's my turn to be embarrassed."
"I appreciate your honesty. Is it... anyone I know?", she asked tentatively.
"No. At least, I doubt it very seriously. We had some fun together, but I never considered her to be the type of gal that I could ever have a serious relationship with."
"That's a relief, I suppose. It certainly sets my mind at ease. You don't have to explain further if you choose not to do so. I will respect your privacy."
Steven let out a sigh. He took Gwen's words to mean exactly the opposite of what she actually said. She wanted to know more, but wasn't going to come right out and ask him for the information. "Well, it all kinda started on Sanctuary..."
The next day, Steven lay in his bed. He was alone now, Cassie having just left after collecting the breakfast dishes and a short chat. "She really seems to be enjoying herself here in LA," Steven thought to himself. He wondered briefly if her newfound family on the West Coast would cause her to leave the Avengers and move out here on a more permanent basis.
"Funny, it wasn't two weeks ago I was thinking that if Cassie left, I wouldn't be more'n a few steps behind her. Now it looks like I have a very big reason to stay no matter what." As he thought, visions of his silver-haired beauty filled his mind's eye.
"Things sure have been changing fast for me lately," Steven said out loud to himself. "I join the Avengers, then all of a sudden, I'm second in command. Nothing sits still for a second. Now I'm falling for the most incredible, gorgeous and wonderful woman in the universe and she actually is just as interested in me. How could life be any better?"
"It's almost hard to believe that someone like Gwen could fall for a regular guy like me." Of course, 'regular' was a relative term in the superhero business. "Like Scarlet said, opposites do attract. I just hope we're not too opposite." Steven leaned back and relaxed into the pillow. As he lost himself in the thoughts and memories of his time spent with Gwen, a smile formed on his face and a far-off look in his eyes.
It was many minutes before he snapped back to reality. "Oh man, what am I going to do about Glitter now?" He hadn't planned on spilling all the info on his rendezvous with that enigmatic beauty to Gwen, but he figured that he owed her the explanation. Except for a few details he had told Gwen everything.
"That pretty much means our fun and games are over, Glitter." He thought for a moment. Was he really willing to make the sort of serious commitment that Gwen required of him? "Gwennie seems genuinely interested in a serious one-on-one. Helena sure saw that coming. Too bad I didn't. It would've made things a lot easier." Or maybe he just couldn't admit that it was all right in front of him all along.
Steven smiled again as he thought of Gwen. He had been doing that a lot the past 24 hours. "Life's just full of surprises, but I think this is one situation worth serious sacrifice and commitment. Heck, I feel like a high-school kid again!"
"Frankly, I hope I just don't run into Glitter again for a LONG time. 'Course with my luck, she should be knocking on my door any time now." Steven tried to put that thought out of his mind. He thought he put all that to rest last night when he told Gwen about everything that had happened. She was very understanding, of course considering it all happened before they were serious made it that much easier.
"Maybe it's time for an outward change to mark the occasion. Gwennie just changed her costume and I have been thinking about a new one myself since my old one was shredded by Shadow Demons. After all, change is good." He lay there a few more moments and then pulled himself out of the bed. "You know, I think I'll do just that. There's a Super Starz here in LA on Rodeo Drive. We went past it yesterday on our little excursion." Steven quickly dressed with purpose and headed out the door. Time to do some shopping.
Friday had finally come and the Avenger Muskateer was more than anxious to be on his way. "Are you ready, Steven? Ben is due to be landing any moment now." Muskateer looked over his shoulder to see the Enchantress standing in the doorway. He was just finishing the last of his packing.
"Pretty lady, I've been ready all week." He turned to face her, giving Gwen a full view of his new costume. "So, whaddaya think?"
Muskateer's costume was similar to his last one, but the colors had been changed slightly. The orange areas on his arms, torso and legs were now white. The blue remained the same, but now had a dark green trim along the edges. His cape was now the same dark green and a green plume graced his white hat.
"It is a noticeable improvement. Not quite so loud any longer. The colors are more complimentary. I like it."
"Thanks. I was getting tired of wearing orange pants every day. And the white cape was cool, but not very practical."
"Yes, I would imagine." Gwen crossed the distance between them. "I am sorry if this little vacation was so... distressing to you."
"Actually, it wasn't so bad. Thanks to you anyway." He gave her a big hug, lifting her off the ground. "I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for putting up with me through this whole thing. And just for being there."
"It hasn't been easy," Gwen remarked, with a smirk.
"All right, I deserved that one." Muskateer put one arm around Gwen and tossed the borrowed luggage over his other shoulder as they headed out of the hospital "Anyway, I'm just itching to get back to the Big Apple and get everything back to normal."
"When has that ever happened?" The two shared a long laugh and strolled out of sight.
