Across this strange and eerie void three travelers were moving. The leader of the small group walked boldly across the desolate landscape. Her normally sparkling green eyes now glowed white with magical energy. Her name is Tanya Chamberlain, better known to the world as the Sorceress, the mage of the Superior Six. She is also the possessor of the Shadow Cloak, a magical artifact that grants the ability to travel between the real world and the Shadow Plane, among other powers.
Dogging the heels of the Sorceress was the Muskateer. It was he who organized this group in his quest to locate his missing love: the Enchantress. Gwen had disappeared under extremely mysterious circumstances. Muskateer's investigation eventually revealed that Lady Darkness had kidnapped the Enchantress for some nefarious and evil purpose, which continued to remain a mystery. Thanks to the mental rapport shared between Gwen and Tanya and with a touch of magic, the Sorceress was leading the group towards the Enchantress' current location. It was because of this link and her close personal friendship with Gwen that Muskateer had summoned the Sorceress from Dallas.
Bringing up the rear of the procession was the Scarlet Sabre. Muskateer had roused the heroine during the middle of the night and met her out at the Kirby Estate. With Helena recovering on Sanctuary the estate would be deserted. Whether Helena would have approved of outsiders using the Hunter's Lair never entered into Muskateer's thought process.
Thanks to Jaime and the duo's computer expertise, they had been able to break into the Ryker's Island security system. The true fate of the Enchantress was uncovered along with what really had been going on at Ryker's Island. While the trio of sword wielders was attempting to rescue Gwen, Scarlet's cybernetic alter ego had alerted the Avengers to the situation at Ryker's Island. (Editor's Note: The Avengers dealt with the troubles at Ryker's Island in Avengers #33)
Muskateer's separation from the Enchantress and whatever Lady Darkness was doing to Gwen had put the Avenger into a foul and violent mood. He was easily irritated and made both of his companions a bit nervous. The Sorceress had only met Steven briefly before and really didn't know him all that well. However, he was currently nothing like the man Gwen had spoken to her about at great length.
The Scarlet Sabre had shared several adventures with Muskateer during the past few months. In fact, she had recently offered him a job in her normal identity of Jessica Flynn. Steven had yet to reveal his decision concerning the offer and given the current circumstances, Scarlet didn't believe she would be getting an answer anytime soon. She had never seen Muskateer so full of rage, so out of control before.
In a way she could sympathize with the Avenger's plight. She too had just begun a new relationship and was also feeling the pain of being separated from her lover. However, Kyle Sherwood was simply away on a business trip. Not kidnapped for some evil scheme by a domineering madwoman. There was still communication between the two, just no personal contact.
Once Gwen's location had been determined, Muskateer's first thought was to go there and slash his way through Lady Darkness' forces until he reached the side of his beloved. Ironically, the location was less than a mile from the Kirby Estate. Their destination was also in the Westchester Hills area! It was the Sorceress who offered a more sensible tactic.
Using the power of her Shadow Cloak, the Sorceress transported the trio to the Shadow Plane. Once there, she used a magical incantation to provide herself the ability to see back into the real world. The spell caused the heroine's eyes to glow with a white energy. All they had to do now was travel to where the Enchantress was being held, pop back into the real world, retrieve Gwen, and then make their escape via the Shadow Plane. All things considered, it was a more sensible and less dangerous plan of attack. After Gwen was rescued, then they could deal with Lady Darkness and her minions.
And so, thanks to the Sorceress' cloak, the group was dispatched to the Shadow Plane and was currently nearing their target. The Sorceress was most familiar with this dark place and seemed right at home. Muskateer had never been here before, but didn't pay much attention to his bizarre surroundings. Retrieving Gwen was all that mattered to him. His quest had blinded him to almost everything else.
The Scarlet Sabre had only heard stories about the strange realm accessed via the Shadow Cloak. Her Freedom League teammate Speedster had been here once before during a similar cloak and dagger operation. While his comments on the subject had somewhat prepared Scarlet for what to expect, the real thing was still quite awe-inspiring. (Editor's Note: Speedster visited the Shadow Plane in Avengers #17)
"How much further?", Muskateer growled in annoyance. The group had seemed to be walking for a long time now. It was difficult to judge distances in the Shadow Plane as there were no points for reference.
"We shall arrive at our destination momentarily, my friend", the Sorceress replied. "Even as I speak, we are making our way towards the main house of the estate."
"Good, good," Muskateer muttered. He drew his sword from its sheath and was prepared for battle. Finally his goal was close at hand. It had been days since he had last had any significant sleep. Steven was physically and mentally feeling whatever was happening to Gwen via the link they shared. Between that and the lack of sleep, the Avenger had been on edge for days now. He was operating on pure emotion and determination now.
But the situation had changed right before the group had entered the Shadow Plane. The strange link he shared with Gwen was now gone. Somehow it had been severed. Perhaps by Lady Darkness and whatever she was doing to his love. Muskateer really hadn't noticed the link much before, just when he was in contact with the Enchantress and during the recent ordeal. But its absence was now quite noticeable. It was if he had lost a part of himself and was now desperately trying to get it back.
The travelers continued on their way. Unexpectedly, the Sorceress came to a stop. Muskateer hadn't noticed at first and nearly plowed into the mystical heroine. "This is most unexpected," the Sorceress casually stated.
"What's the problem, Red?" Muskateer was now beside the shorter heroine. The Scarlet Sabre joined them a beat later.
"Our foes have prepared for this contingency," the Sorceress explained. "They have erected a barrier here on the Shadow Plane. Our path is blocked." Tanya gestured toward the area ahead. It was much darker than normal.
Muskateer stepped forward, his hand out before him. Sure enough, after two steps he felt something solid before him. Something unyielding that he really couldn't see. "Damn!", he growled.
"You mean to say that not only did they know this weird place existed, but that they've set up defenses against this sort of thing?" Scarlet found that notion hard to believe. But then again, it was just this type of situation that gave her headaches when it came to magic.
"Precisely," was Tanya's answer.
"Then we just have to do this the old fashioned way," Muskateer announced. "It'll be much more satisfying anyway. How close are we to the actual house itself?"
"I can literally bring us back to the real world on their doorstep, my friend."
"Perfect," Muskateer nodded. "Let's make a house call and get my girl back!"
The Sorceress spread wide her cloak and opened the portal back to the real world. Upon Tanya's command, Muskateer and then the Scarlet Sabre passed through the cloak and vanished from the Shadow Plane. Once they were gone, the Sorceress drew her enchanted cloak about her and twisted out of the Shadow Plane. The dark and misty place was lifeless once more.
True to her word, Muskateer found himself a few feet in front of the entrance to the main house. Elegant hardwood doors with bright brass trim stood before him. Scarlet joined him a split second later. Tanya appeared from nothingness a moment after that.
Muskateer took a second to put on the night sight goggles he had borrowed from the Hunter's Lair. Both he and the Scarlet Sabre were armed with a large quantity of sleeping gas and smoke pellets. Given the shear number of foes they expected to be facing, the pellets would help even the odds. Likewise, Scarlet slipped her own pair of goggles into place.
The Sorceress stood a few steps behind Muskateer and the Scarlet Sabre. She cast a magic spell upon herself to increase her physical strength and give her enhanced vision as well. It was going to be needed for the battles to come.
Once ready, Muskateer pivoted back to the building, raised his right foot and slammed it into the front doors! "Knock, knock! Avon calling!"
The wooden doors burst inward, sending splinters of wood flying. Immediately inside the doorway was a small foyer. About ten feet away was a matching pair of wooden double doors. Standing on either side of the far doors were men in modernized executioners garb that consisted of shiny black pants and a leather hood. The men went bare-chested.
Also in the chamber were two costumed men. One wore a charcoal black bodysuit with a red 'T' on his chest. Muskateer and the Scarlet Sabre had battled the man known as Thunderbolt before. The other man was well known to Muskateer. The large man with greenish skin dressed in dark green with yellow trim was known as the Ogre!
"Talk about old home week!", Muskateer noted upon seeing the familiar villains. "This must be the place!"
Immediately after the door was kicked in, Scarlet lobbed several pellets inside. A combination of smoke and sleeping gas pellets exploded inside. In seconds thick black smoke obscured the guards inside the foyer. Cries of confusion and curses filled the air.
The heroes all stood back, giving the pellets time to do their work as they were not immune to the effects of the sleeping gas. Thanks to the goggles they were wearing, Muskateer and the Scarlet Sabre could see all four men inside the foyer in spite of the thick smoke. The pair in the leather executioners garb crumbled to the ground without a fight. However, both Thunderbolt and Ogre were made of sterner stuff!
Thunderbolt blindly gestured towards the heroes and sent forth a stroke of lightning. Muskateer saw the action and reacted accordingly. His sword slashed forward intercepting the lightning bolt. The electricity ricocheted off his blade and was re-directed towards a new target: Ogre!
The child-like strongman never saw it coming. He was too busy choking on the gas and waving his arms around blindly. The lightning bolt struck him squarely in the chest. The large man was launched backwards through the sidewall of the foyer. He landed somewhere in an adjacent room.
"Thanks for the assist, Thunderdolt", Muskateer taunted mirthlessly. "I couldn't have done it without you!" Not content to rest on his laurels, Muskateer ran after Ogre and leaped through the large hole he had made. "I'll take care of tall, dark, and gruesome, ladies. You've got the Energizer Bunny!"
While that was going on, the Sorceress rushed Thunderbolt. She had retrieved her own enchanted sword Reaver and swung it at the blinded Thunderbolt. Reaver passed harmlessly through the electrical villain, but he most definitely felt the effects! Thunderbolt fell to his knees while grabbing his head in a cry of pain.
"Batter up!" Scarlet followed up the attack with her lightsabre. With her weapon in club mode, Scarlet smashed Thunderbolt in the side of the head. Between the two attacks, Thunderbolt collapsed silently to the floor.
"Nicely done, my friend," the Sorceress complimented.
"Thanks, Sorceress. What the heck did you do to him? I could have sworn that your blade passed right through him!"
Suddenly the inner double doors were flung open and two more men in executioners garb rushed in. Thanks to the lingering smoke pellets, they didn't immediately spot the two heroines.
"Reaver is capable of many different attack forms," Tanya explained. Upon noticing the new arrivals, the Sorceress spun and leaped into the air, her Shadow Cloak swirling behind her. She landed a flying kick on the chin of one of the men. The guard went flying back into the chamber beyond the foyer. "I directly attacked his mind."
"That's a pretty handy attack," Scarlet noted. The heroine smashed the second man with her sabre. He also went flying back the way he came. "Nice and clean as well."
"It does have its advantages," the Sorceress agreed with the Scarlet Sabre. "I find your sabre to be a most interesting weapon. I'm sure that Captain Lightning would find it most fascinating."
"Do you really think so?" Scarlet smiled at the compliment.
"Knowing the Captain as I do, I am certain of it. Shall we assist our friend?"
"After you." The two heroines started towards the direction Muskateer had gone.
"Ogre smash sword-man!", the muscular man-beast loudly bellowed. Ogre had been hurtled back into an elegant study. The villain seemed oddly out of place in the stately chamber. Polished oak bookcases lined the walls. A large oaken desk dominated one corner of the room. Several easy chairs with adjacent tables filled the middle of the study. Ogre was just now getting to his feet.
"You remember me," Muskateer taunted. "I'm touched. Or more correctly, you're touched!"
Muskateer rushed the bellowing powerhouse. Oddly enough, the villain seemed to be moving even slower than normal. The Avenger connected with his sword and drove it squarely into Ogre's side. The blade did penetrate the skin and drew blood, but to someone like Ogre it was only a minor wound. A normal person would have been cut in half from such a blow.
Ogre bellowed louder than he ever had before and was consumed by intense anger. "Ogre crush sword-man!!" The muscular villain reached back and picked up the large oak desk with ridiculous ease. He swung the desk around before him like one would wield a bat. Muskateer tumbled backwards and safely away from the dangerous office furniture.
"I see you haven't improved your dialogue much," Muskateer noted as he rose up to one knee. "You're still as simple-minded and predictable as ever!"
Thumbing one of the buttons on the hilt of his sword, Muskateer brought his taser effect into play. Electricity leaped off of the blade and solidly struck Ogre. He bellowed in pain once more.
"Ogre destroy sword-man!" With that, Ogre flung the oak desk with all his considerable might at the source of his annoyance! The powerful move seemed very sluggish to Muskateer. It was as if Ogre's mind, what there was of it, was out of sync with his body. Could it be a side effect of the mind control Ogre was experiencing?
Muskateer simply ducked down and let the large missile pass harmlessly overhead. The desk connected with the back wall near the entry door. It slammed through the door and the wall surrounding it. The large desk came to a rest in the large hallway beyond the foyer and outside of the study with a loud crash. Surely everyone in the estate had heard that!
"Quiet! You'll wake the baby!" Muskateer thumbed another control and his sword became electrified. This particular attack mode had worked well enough during his other encounters with Ogre. Springing forward, Muskateer whacked the simple-minded beast with his sword. Electricity played about Ogre and he was finally overcome. Ogre fell to his knees first and then flat on his face.
"At least he doesn't have to worry about damaging his good looks." Muskateer spun to find the Sorceress and Scarlet Sabre entering the study via the new entrance from the foyer. Both ladies had their own swords drawn.
"Of that much we can be certain," the Sorceress added with a smile.
"Which way to Gwen?", Muskateer asked simply. Tanya pointed towards the hall that led deeper inside the house. "Then lets keep moving!" Muskateer led the way towards the enlarged entryway courtesy of the Ogre's tantrums.
"Hold a moment, my friend," Tanya quickly spoke up. "I'm sensing that our foes have prepared to ambush us in the chamber beyond."
"How about we ambush them instead?", Muskateer countered.
In the large and grand hallway beyond the study there was a flurry of activity. The double doors at the far end of the hall were flung open and a collection of individuals came forth. Four more men in executioner's garb rushed to defend their mistress' estate. The chamber they were exiting appeared to be a grand dining hall.
A woman in a bright red costume came bounding forth. Small explosions beneath her feet propelled the woman quickly across the chamber. Yellow sparks of energy played about her hands like miniature fireworks. Sparkler easily sprang past the normal guards and reached the far end of the hall first.
The mutant Frost emerged next propelled along by an ice slide. He wore a blue and white costume and was the first to catch up to Sparkler. Frost's brother, the orange and black costumed Deathsinger chased after the pair. At one time the twins had been the driving force behind the Destroyers. Well, Deathsinger primarily, but now they only lived to serve Lady Darkness.
Bringing up the rear was Thermax. The villain wore metallic gray armor with red flame and blue ice patterns all over it. He flew after the other three villains and was content to allow them to engage the enemy first. Once they had been defeated, it would be Thermax who earned Lady Darkness' favor.
A smashed oak desk greeted the mind-controlled enforcers once they reached the far end of the hallway. It had been hurtled out of one of the studies. Its passage had created a huge hole in the wall. The foyer doors were flung wide open and several more executioner guards were snoozing on the floor. A cloud of dark smoke was slowly beginning to dissipate. The front doors themselves had been smashed in.
"The intruders are in there", Deathsinger announced, pointing towards the new opening. Even while mind controlled the man was accustomed to being in charge. "Follow me. The invaders shall fall before my God-like might!"
With Deathsinger leading the way, he and Sparkler stepped into the study in search of the men foolish enough to invade their mistress' estate. Frost followed closely behind them, while Thermax continued to hang in mid-air back in the hallway. They immediately spotted the defeated Ogre lying on the floor.
As they entered the study, Deathsinger and Sparkler couldn't help but notice crunching sounds coming from underneath their feet. In their rush to find the invaders, they had stepped on something. What it was they didn't know. They couldn't help but pause in confusion.
A combination of smoke and sleeping gas issued forth from the pellets the villains had stepped upon. By the time they realized that they were in danger, it was too late. Sparkler crumbled to the ground without a word, while Deathsinger and Frost could barely stand on their own two feet.
Muskateer rushed out from his hiding place and advanced on the group. He leaped into the smoke that obscured the villains and sent Frost and Deathsinger back out into the hallway with a flying tackle. Deathsinger was dazed from the sudden impact with the floor and Frost was little better.
Before either twin could gather their wits, Muskateer struck Deathsinger in the head with a forearm smash. The blow caused the villain's head to bounce off the hall's polished marble floor and render him unconscious.
The Scarlet Sabre leaped through the foyer doors and smacked Frost with her sabre before the man could recover. He quickly joined his brother in dreamland.
"There's nothing like a well executed plan," Muskateer noted.
"You have to love villains who defeat themselves," Scarlet quickly added.
"It looks like Thermax, the Master of Temperature gets to be the fly in your ointment once more heroes! In the name of my mistress, die!"
Looking up, Muskateer and Scarlet could see Thermax hovering above them in the hallway. He pointed the gauntlets of his armor at the pair and fired. Razor sharp icy projectiles came issuing forth!
Undaunted, Muskateer and the Scarlet Sabre drew their swords and deftly deflected the icy missiles safely aside. "You'd think this goofball would be getting tired of getting his butt kicked by me," Muskateer taunted.
"Maybe he's a masochist or something," Scarlet offered.
"Don't you dare taunt me!", Thermax screamed in response. Like the others, Thermax's actions seemed a tad slower than normal. It was as if he couldn't decide what to do next.
"In that case, you are certainly taking on the wrong group!", the Scarlet Sabre shot back. "Taunts and put downs are our main claim to fame!"
Unexpectedly, Thermax screamed in pain and plummeted from the air. He struck the marble floor with a resounding thud. The self-proclaimed Master of Temperature seemed dazed and disorientated. Muskateer didn't give him a chance to recover. He rushed forward and touched the armored man with his electrified blade. Thermax went rigid as the energy played about his form. Finally, Muskateer removed his sword and the villain collapsed to the hallway floor.
"Nicely done, my friends." Overhead, the Sorceress shimmered into existence, Reaver securely in her hands. She had used her Shadow Cloak to render herself invisible to the naked eye and had flown in the hallway with the idea of striking the enemy from behind. Thermax had tasted Reaver's mind assault and was momentarily overcome.
Guessing what Muskateer was going to be asking of her, the Sorceress quickly pointed Reaver down the long hallway and towards the open double doors. The four guards in executioner's garb were still there as well. They began to advance. "The Enchantress is that way."
"Let's get moving before more of these goofballs show up." Muskateer began to dash down the long hallway, the Scarlet Sabre chasing after him a moment later. The Sorceress continued to remain airborne and followed after her companions.
The guards proved to only be a few seconds distraction for Muskateer. He had laid three of them out before Scarlet could even join the festivities. It was going to take far more than their meager efforts to stop the Avenger now. Not when he was this close to his beloved.
The group nearly reached the end of the hallway before the next line of defense appeared. A loud and brutish voice filled the hallway with a very distinct Brooklyn accent. The heroes cast their gaze up to the second story walkway that ringed the grand hall. Standing there was a tall man in a very gaudy, multicolored costume. His red gauntlets glowed with yellowish energy.
"Hey, youse bums! Nobody breaks inta here like dis! Yer gonna have ta answer to da Power Crushah!"
"Just call us 'nobody'!", Muskateer called back. "Man, do you believe how easily some of these crooks set us up?"
"Well, we're not exactly dealing with Mensa applicants here," Scarlet noted. "And don't even get me started about that outfit. I'm going to have nightmares about it as it is!"
"What truly horrid attire," the Sorceress noted in a shocked voice. "I'm glad that this Neanderthal has yet to visit Dallas. Who is he?"
"I told ya! I'm da Power Crushah babe!", the villain roared. As he spoke, Power Crusher leaped the railing and landed with a loud crash before the three heroes. The gaudily garbed criminal now blocked the way through the double doors. He virtually towered over the women and even had nearly six more inches of height on Muskateer. "And none of youse crumbs are gonna get past me!"
"Not the most eloquent of speakers," the Sorceress noted.
"Is it me or do I always get the big dumb strong guys?", Muskateer wondered aloud.
"Don't let him hit you with those gauntlets", Scarlet advised her companions. "They'll drain your strength and transfer it to him!"
"Big deal," Muskateer grunted, as he rushed the gaudily garbed powerhouse. He electrified his blade once more and touched the weapon to Power Crusher's hip. The attack was far more effective than Muskateer could have hoped and the big man was disorientated. The swordsman then tumbled away from Power Crusher and out of his reach, moving behind the large man. The villain made a half-hearted swing at the hero but didn't come close to striking him.
While this was going on, Scarlet had noted other movement behind Power Crusher. Still more villains were arriving on the scene! "There's more of them coming!" Scarlet pointed towards the advancing criminals. The heroine lobbed a handful of pellets towards the new arrivals.
Leading the way was a man in a purple bodysuit with arrow patterns on his arms, chest, and legs in crimson. He was Arrowhead, another member of the Destroyers and the group's muscleman. Trailing behind him was the man known as the Mechassassin. The mercenary wore his standard outfit of red and orange. He bore a small shield in his left hand and a pistol in his right.
"When it rains it pours," Muskateer muttered as he saw Arrowhead and Mechassassin approaching. A second later, the pellets exploded around the men and smoke began to obscure them. Just before they faded Muskateer saw Mechassissin's finger tighten around the trigger of his pistol.
The Avenger launched himself to one side just in the nick of time. A taser beam was fired from the weapon and unerringly struck the spot where Muskateer had just been standing. With the target now gone, the electrical energy continued onward and struck Power Crusher in the back! The gauntleted strongman's body went rigid as the energy leapt and arced across his body. He screamed in pain and collapsed to his knees.
The Sorceress swept in and drove Reaver harmlessly into Power Crusher's chest. The villains' eyes rolled up in his head and he fell backwards with a groan. Power Crusher hit the polished marble floor with a muted thud. "Is there no end to these malcontents?", the Sorceress couldn't help but wonder.
Hearing heavy footsteps behind him, Muskateer turned to find Arrowhead bearing down on him. It was too late to get out of the way as the Destroyer strongman plowed into Muskateer. Both men continued on from the collision. Their feet tripped over the prone Power Crusher and both men went sprawling to the marble floor.
Seeing the men coming, the Sorceress had moved off to the side and away from Power Crusher. She didn't wish to become entangled in their collision as well.
Muskateer tumbled with the impact and was back on his feet in a flash. "As I was saying, why do I get all the big dumb strong guys?"
"Mess with the best, die like the rest," Mechassassin declared as he stepped out of the smoke cloud. Neither of the pellets Scarlet had tossed had any significant effect on the mercenary. He simply continued forward in his mission to defeat those who dared invade the home of his mistress. A grenade was launched from his armor towards his enemies!
The Scarlet Sabre dove forward and tumbled across the marble floor. She came up, sabre at the ready. The plucky heroine swung and batted the grenade back towards its sender. "You first!", she called out as she watched the grenade go flying back.
Mechassassin raised his shield to protect himself a split second before the grenade went off. A tremendous explosion ripped through the dining room and Mechassassin was flung backwards with terrific force. The mercenary landed hard on the large dinning table causing it to crack in places. Chunks of plaster from the ceiling pelted the man and one of the large chandeliers came crashing down to the floor.
The effects were felt out in the hallway as well. Scarlet tumbled backwards away from the explosion, riding out its shockwave. The Sorceress was spared the effects of the explosion by virtue of having the hallway wall block it. Further away, Muskateer remained on his feet, his dark green cloak twirling behind him on the shockwave breeze. Arrowhead stumbled and fell to the marble floor once more.
"I'm really getting sick of these guys!" Muskateer spun and swung his sword down hard on Arrowhead. The blade bit deep into the Destroyer's shoulder drawing blood. Arrowhead couldn't help but cry out in pain. Had he been a normal man, Arrowhead would now be dead.
Thumbing a button on his sword, Muskateer electrified the blade once more. Current flowed directly into Arrowhead via his wound. His body twitched and convulsed unnaturally from the assault. "You're not going to stop me!", Muskateer angrily declared. "None of you can stop me!"
Finally, the Sorceress moved in and landed a powerful kick to Arrowhead's face. Arrowhead went flying backwards, breaking contact with Muskateer's electrified blade. The Destroyer collapsed to the marble floor in a heap. Wisps of smoke rose from his body.
"That is enough, my friend," the Sorceress said, turning back to Muskateer. "I feared that you were going to cause him permanent injury."
"Whatever," Muskateer mumbled. "Come on, let's keep moving!" With that, the swordsman was off running once more.
"Muskateer! Wait! You must listen to me!" However, the Sorceress' pleas went unheeded. Reluctantly, she trailed after the hero.
Up ahead, the Scarlet Sabre had moved to engage Mechassassin. The mercenary was still groggy and flat on his back on the dining room table. He raised his head and realized that Scarlet was bearing down on him.
"Nice try, bimbo, but it takes more than that to stop the Mechassassin!" The mercenary raised his arm and launched a steel cable from his gauntlet. The line streaked towards the Scarlet Sabre. If all went according to plan, the steel cable would wrap up the heroine effectively removing her from this fight. Then she too would serve Mechassassin's mistress.
"The same can be said of me!", Scarlet defiantly responded. She reached out with her lightsabre and batted the cable away. The heroine didn't even break her stride.
Mechassassin was off the table by the time Scarlet reached him. She slashed at him with her sabre, but he deflected the blow with his shield. Mechassassin lashed out with his left foot and kicked Scarlet solidly in the stomach. The heroine was propelled backwards by the force of the blow.
"I always wanted another crack at this twit," Muskateer noted as he rushed him. He raised his sword high overhead and brought it down in a powerful two-handed strike. Wisely, Mechassassin sidestepped the attack. Muskateer's sword ripped into the dining room table, smashing it in half.
"Of course you wish to test yourself against the best," Mechassassin taunted. In spite of his reduced reflexes and response times, the mercenary was still incredibly fast. "Like all comers you will find yourself lacking."
A blade popped out of Mechassassin's gauntlet. Using it like a large knife, the mercenary slashed at Muskateer's chest. The Avenger raised his sword up once more and blocked the attempt. The two men struggled, pitting their strength against each other. Slowly, Mechassassin forced Muskateer's blade to lower. The mercenary's strength was incredible!
"You're not as powerful as I am!", Mechassassin gloated.
"Yeah, but at least I've got friends!"
A split second later, Mechassassin was struck in the back of the head by Scarlet's lightsabre. The heroine had recovered and returned to the conflict. The villain's armor protected him from injury, but the attack was enough to distract Mechassassin's attention away from Muskateer. He was forcibly moved a few steps away from Muskateer.
"Let's see how powerful you really are!" Muskateer raised his sword once more and slashed at Mechassassin. Somehow the mercenary deflected the strike with his shield. Muskateer's blade was forced away from Mechassassin's body and ended up striking him in the thigh. Muskateer's sword bit deep into the fleshy part of Mechassassin's leg. Blood welled up in the wound and the arrogant hireling cried out in pain.
Muskateer's allies didn't give Mechassassin any reprieve. Scarlet struck with her sabre once more, aiming her blow directly at the criminal for hire's throat. The Sorceress followed up by stabbing him with Reaver. Like many a criminal before him, Mechassassin couldn't withstand the Reaver's assault on his mind. The powerful Mechassassin collapsed to the dining room floor without any further resistance.
"I was beginning to think that clown would never go down," Muskateer panted.
"I know what you mean," Scarlet added. She too was breathing heavily. "I've been keeping track and this should be the last major villain we have to face. That doesn't include Lightburst."
"They're all the same to me," Muskateer simply stated. He looked towards the Sorceress for guidance. "Which way now, Tanya?"
"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier," the Sorceress answered. "Gwen's location has changed! We need to head back the way we came! I believe she is now on the second floor of the mansion."
Muskateer cursed in response and raced back the way he came. His companions followed along as best they could. Muskateer emerged from the dining room and took in the surroundings of the grand hall. Back at the far end of the hall, flanking the double doors the led to the foyer, were stairs leading to the upper level. Without hesitation, Muskateer ran for them.
Unexpectedly, an energy blast slammed in the Avenger's chest. He had never even seen the attack coming until it was too late. The force of the blast flung Muskateer backwards into the dining room. He skidded twice across the polished floor before sliding to a halt.
The Scarlet Sabre leaped to avoid Muskateer's flying body. She just managed to jump high enough to clear him. With a flip, Scarlet landed on her feet once more, her sabre ready for business. The Sorceress was by her side a moment later. Her path from the dining room had placed her away from the action.
Scanning the grand hall, the heroines discovered two new arrivals to the house trashing party. One was the very familiar and well known as the former hero Lightburst. He hung high in the air over the hall in his familiar purple and white costume with gold trim.
"Well, well," Lightburst taunted. "If it isn't the Scarlet Wench! You too shall serve our mistress. Including your-- your most charming companion! I don't believe that we've been introduced yet, my dear."
"Considering your reprehensible reputation, there is a reason why we have not exchanged pleasantries", the Sorceress countered. "I have no desire to associate with one such as yourself."
"Just wait until you get to know me," Lightburst shouted back. The mutant fired off another light blast towards the Sorceress. Tanya nimbly tumbled away from the attack. The Sorceress rolled back to her feet and held Reaver before her.
The second person was a woman in black. She was standing in the walkway overhead. Scarlet did a double take as for an instance she thought it was Lady Darkness. Instead it was the other woman from the videos she and Muskateer had seen. The real Lady Darkness had called her Blaise.
"Quite ogling and stop them, Lightburst," Blaise Morgan called out in irritation. "We must prevent them from reaching the mistress! Our very lives depend upon it!" As Blaise finished speaking, she started to make arcane gestures and speak strange words. Upon the completion of her spell, mystical energy leaped from her fingers and streaked towards the Scarlet Sabre!
Scarlet was prepared for the attack and unerringly reflected the magical attack back towards its source. "I don't think I want that, thank you very much," Scarlet taunted as she watched the arcane bolts streak back towards their caster. "You keep it!"
Blaise's jaw dropped in shock. She stood there dumbfounded, her wide eyes watching as her own assault was sent back towards her. The spell caught Blaise in the chest and slammed her back hard into the elegantly trimmed wood walls. The apprentice sorceress slid to the floor and landed in an unmoving pile.
"And then there was one," Scarlet said as she turned back to Lightburst. The traitorous Avenger was still high over the Grand Hall. There was no easy way to reach him without inviting an attack. Scarlet waved her lightsabre before her in hopes of redirecting an attack back towards Lightburst.
"I'm not dumb enough to play that game," Lightburst called out. "I'm not going to defeat myself!"
"That pleasure belongs to me," Muskateer declared as he came back on the scene. "I promised that I'd stick you like the sick pig you are and I always keep my word."
"Only if I foolishly let you get close enough to me," Lightburst taunted. "In the wide open spaces, it is I who has the advantage!"
"Keep on believing that, you freak! This'll bring you down to Earth!" Muskateer grunted as he hurtled a handful of pellets towards the airborne mutant.
Lightburst didn't see them coming at first since they were so small. Not believing them to be a threat, the former Avenger didn't bother moving. Several of the pellets struck Lightburst in the chest. The black smoke generated by the smoke pellets began to surround the hovering mutant.
"Blinding me will do you no good," Lightburst cried out. "A wasted effort on your part."
"Nah, I just set you up for this!"
Muskateer whipped Mechassassin's pistol out from the back of his sword belt and fired. While Lightburst was momentarily blinded, Muskateer could still see his target perfectly thanks to his goggles. Lightburst was a sitting duck. Bolts of electrical energy repeatedly struck Lightburst and the mutant plunged to the floor of the grand hall.
Before Lightburst could gather his wits, the Scarlet Sabre was on him. She smashed him in the side of the head with her Sabre. "That's for calling me a wench!" Lightburst was sent sideways from the impact and was visibly dazed.
The Sorceress trailed after the crimson-clad swordswoman. She leaped into the air and landed a solid kick to Lightburst's chest. Once more he went sprawling back and collided with hallway wall. Somehow, Lightburst managed to remain on his feet.
Before he could recover, Muskateer was on him. Punch after punch rained down on Lightburst. He was mercifully unconscious after the second blow. Muskateer didn't seem to notice and continued to hammer away at his hated foe.
"Muskateer!", the Sorceress called out. "Steven! We are very close to Gwen now. I can almost hear her thoughts in my mind. It's difficult, but I think I can reach her. They--- They're leaving! We must hurry!"
With effort, Muskateer pulled himself away from Lightburst. He relinquished his grip on the light-based mutant and let him crumble to the floor. "Let's move!"
Muskateer was off once more, with his companions chasing behind him. Muskateer took the stairs four at a time and was quickly up them. He reached the second floor before the Sorceress could even reach the stairs. The Scarlet Sabre was only a few steps behind Muskateer.
"Down the hallway and to the left," the Sorceress called out from behind.
Without a response, Muskateer was running once more. He reached the intersection Tanya had indicated and changed course. There were only a few doors in this area. He noticed a flash of reddish energy from underneath the doors at the far end of the hall. The Avenger collided with the thick wooden doors at full speed, shattering them with his passage.
Muskateer stumbled into what must have been the master bedroom for the estate. The room was large, elegant, and spacious. It was also currently empty. "They were just here!"
Scarlet also entered into the room, her sabre at the ready. She looked about in confusion. "Maybe they went into one of the other rooms?" A quick search revealed those rooms to also be empty.
The Sorceress finally caught up to the Muskateer and the Scarlet Sabre. There was a grim look locked upon her face. "I am so sorry, Steven. They're gone. I can't detect Gwen's presence any more."
"What happened?", Muskateer demanded. "Where did they go?"
"I could make out something about transporting," Tanya tried to explain. "Then there was nothing."
"I didn't come this far to let them get away like this!"
"What can we do now?", Scarlet asked.
The Sorceress considered the matter for a few moments. The germ of an idea was beginning to come to her. "Perhaps there is a way we can follow them after all! I must act quickly!"
Muskateer and the Scarlet Sabre exchanged puzzled glances while the Sorceress cast a magical spell. They waited until Tanya had completed her spell to speak. "What are you doing?", Muskateer demanded.
"The act of casting an enchantment leaves behind traces of magic. Magic that I am attempting to locate and identify. If the spell they used to whisk themselves away is still fresh enough, I might be able to identify the spell's parameters and duplicate it."
"I get it," Muskateer said, excitement coming back to his voice. "Gwen showed me that once. The residue of magic can be seen and identified." (Editor's Note: Back in Muskateer #10)
"I have the information I need," the Sorceress stated a few moments later. "I believe I can duplicate the spell used, but there is some measure of risk involved."
"What kind of risk?", Scarlet wondered.
"I don't care," Muskateer interrupted. "Let's get Gwen back!"
"Unfortunately, I am not as powerful in magic as Gwen is. I can only transport myself and one other to where they have gone. Otherwise, my spell will fail."
"Go," Scarlet said to her companions. It was obvious to the heroine that she was going to be the odd man out in this mission. She stepped away. "I'll hold down the fort here. You just find Gwen and make those who took her pay."
"Count on it, Scarlet," Muskateer said with a nod. "Let's get this show on the road."
The Sorceress began to cast another spell. Upon the completion of it, she and Muskateer had vanished. The Scarlet Sabre was now alone in the Master Bedroom of the Carrington Estate.
Scarlet's story is continued in Avengers #34!
