Zanthar stared at the strange creature he had just put down. It had the vague humanoid shape like his race, but was more compact and squat. What hideous creatures they were! What was that outlandish protrusion between their small eyes and giant mouths? Even worse, there was a strange colored growth coming from the top of its ugly head!
In spite of the bizarre creatures he found himself in company with, Zanthar's spirits were high. Now he was free! He had physical form once more! He was alive and those who had crossed him in the past would now pay dearly for their actions.
The reborn alien could still vividly recall fleeing from the authorities. How his damaged ship had crashed on some backwater planet in an unexplored sector of the galaxy. How his physical form had been disrupted in the impact, forcing his sonic essence to be collected and stored in his personal containment device for safekeeping.
But how much time had passed since that dark day? Had it been months or years? How long had it been since his physical body had died and his containment device was found by another? Could whole centuries have passed him by?
Finally after many dark and maddening years, Zanthar's containment device had been discovered by one of this world's primitive inhabitants. The device compelled the primitive to put on the necklace, thus starting the transfer of essences.
But something had gone wrong. The process was not fully compatible with the primitive. It gave her sonic powers, but Zanthar was not reborn in her body. Instead he remained trapped inside the necklace and could only influence his new host. It was a less than ideal situation, but it was still an improvement.
For years Zanthar directed the primitive to carry out his actions in the small hope of finding more of his people so that he could be fully restored. On this day that task had been finally completed. No longer would Zanthar be a disembodied spirit. Now he was whole and eager to avenge himself on his enemies!
Putting these thoughts aside, Zanthar moved on. There was much yet to do. From what he observed while still confined the master of this ship had been injured in some manner and forced to retreat to his own containment device. That was good. With the other out of the way, that just made Zanthar's task that much easier. There would be no opposition to his taking command of this vessel.
In short order, Zanthar stepped onto the command center of this ship. It was a research vessel and sadly lacked any significant offensive capabilities. While Zanthar wished for a ship with more firepower to it, he was fortunate to even find another of his own race on this backward planet. He would have to commandeer a more powerful vessel at some point in the future.
The majority of the ship's power distribution system had been set up to maintain a multitude of overlapping preserves. The power drain was enormous as the ship was literally warping nearby space. This would simply not due. Zanthar cared not for the beings of this world. They were insects not worthy of his attentions. Perhaps one day he'd come back and destroy the planet that had served as his prison for so long.
Zanthar screeched the command codes that would cause the dimensional warp to collapse. Power would then be rerouted to the engines to permit space flight. Soon Zanthar would leave this backwater planet far behind him. He didn't care in the slightest if a few primitives should die in the process.
Many miles away, the Jade Princess was rapidly picking up speed. The husband and wife mutant duo of Panda and Raccoon had just reclaimed the vessel. Carlson had left on a skeleton crew of men behind to guard the ship. It was a woefully inadequate force to stop the mutant duo. Howler's personal assistant departed of his own free will, which was fortunate since neither Panda nor Raccoon had any great desire to harm the old man.
Panda stood at the wheel of the Jade Princess and was piloting the vessel. The ship was running at full throttle as they wished to put as much distance between Carlson's forces and the mercenary Daigon as possible. Raccoon had disappeared to the below decks area to make sure that no one else was on board.
For the first time since this whole ordeal had begun, Panda was beginning to feel at ease. Seemingly the troubles they had recently gone through had been put behind them. All was calm and tranquil. Panda couldn't help but sigh in relief.
The Jade Princess rapidly ate up the miles as the strange island and its bizarre creatures fell into the distance. There had been no sign of pursuit thus far. Perhaps they were going to get away without notice?
"I found it, Ginger!"
Panda turned to see Raccoon bound onto the bridge of the ocean going yacht. He had retrieved his captain's hat and donned the headpiece. His raccoon-like tail swished behind him in excitement. In his hands he held a small electronic device that Panda could not identify.
"Found what, luv?"
"I'm guessing that this is a tracking device," Raccoon explained. "That's how Carlson's goons found us, along with cat girl and her friends."
"A homing beacon, then," Panda added in her typical British accent. "Get rid of the bloody thing, Robin!" The last thing Panda wanted was some way for their former employers to track them!
"Consider it done, luv."
Raccoon stepped out onto the main deck of the Jade Princess. He reached the side railing and gave the small device a mighty fling. It sailed through the air for several seconds before crashing into the ocean's surface with a splash. It quickly sank and was gone from sight.
Raccoon dusted his hands off, satisfied with his efforts. He and Ginger were now home free at last! Or at least for the time being. Between the enemies both had made in their lives, neither could ever truly be free and relaxed.
As he stepped away, something astern of the Jade Princess caught his attention. There was a flash of bluish energy back over the horizon. Raccoon couldn't help but stare at it in wonder. Just what was going on back at that weird island? At least they weren't in the middle of it anymore.
With effort, Howler dragged herself to her feet. She felt strange. Tired, but there was more to it than that. She wasn't sure exactly what had compelled her to do what she had just done. The commands to activate the regeneration system just came into her thoughts. As did the notion to scream directly at the rejuvenation chamber. It was all over before she even realized what she was doing.
Howler looked about in confusion. She had blacked out momentarily. What had transpired while she was unconscious? Tempest was sprawled out on the floor. How did that happened? Was Tempest attacked? If so, then by whom?
It was at that moment that the realization hit Howler. There was something different about her. She couldn't put a finger on it at first, but now she felt-- alone. Howler had always thought that her amulet had wormed its way into her very physiology, making itself a part of her. She could sometimes feel it working in the back of her mind, causing her to do things that she would otherwise never do.
The paranoia that directed her actions for so many years was no longer there. She no long felt the fear of aliens finding her, nor that they, or anyone else for that matter, would take away her amulet. For the first time in a very long time she felt free. It was wonderful to feel so at ease.
At that thought, she looked down at her amulet. It still pulsated in an orangish color, but it seemed subdued now. Far less animated than normal. Could it be that whatever intelligence resided inside the amulet was no longer there? That its influence on Howler herself was gone?
A groan from Tempest interrupted Howler's thoughts. Acting without thinking, Howler went to assist her young friend. She reached down, offering her hand for support.
"Are you alright?", Howler inquired. Her incredibly seductive voice was still there. Maybe Howler wasn't quite as different as she had first thought?
Tempest sat up and looked around in confusion. "Other than the ringing in my ears, I'm fine. Hey! Where'd ET go?"
"I'm not sure what you mean. We are the only ones here."
After being helped to her feet, Tempest looked about the room as if trying to find someone or something. "After you did-- whatever it was you did, this creepy alien-thingy came out of the chamber. It screamed at me, kind of like the way you do when you're doing your thing, and then I blacked out. It's gone now. What the heck was that anyway?"
"Incredible," was Howler's sole comment. She ran the facts over in her mind as she rested her chin upon her gloved palm.
Inspiration struck Howler and she returned to the console where she had been standing before. She examined the displays and found that much of it was comprehendible to her. Apparently the knowledge that the being in the amulet provided her with was still there. The information Howler gleamed from the controls supported Tempests story.
"Zanthar," Howler muttered.
Tempest had followed Howler across the room and was looking on in confusion. "What's a Zanthar?"
"The being you encountered. According to the computer archives the being that was reconstituted was known as Zanthar. Earlier, the computer identified my amulet as belonging to Zanthar as well. I can only guess, but the essence of what Zanthar was existed inside the amulet. He was stored there until he could be released in a place such as this."
Tempest shot Howler a disbelieving glance. "That's pretty wild. Of course if you had told me that I could breathe underwater a few months back I would have thought you were nuts too."
"All these years he's been using me, manipulating me towards his ends," Howler continued. She stared straight ahead and was seemingly unaware of Tempest's presence. "All the horrible things I've done in his name..."
"So who is this Zanthar guy and what's his beef? I thought you were looking for someone called Azkan?"
"The two are of the same race," Howler explained, focusing back in on Tempest once more. "However, while Azkan was a scientist, Zanthar is a criminal. A terrible criminal that I have unleashed on a unsuspecting world."
"Well, it just goes to show you," Tempest countered sarcastically as she threw her arms into the air. "It's always something. Nothing on this job has been simple yet!"
At that moment, the lights in the medical chamber dimmed noticeably. Active consoles began to shut down.
"Now what? Didn't they pay their electric bill?"
Howler ignored Tempest's concerns and studied the console before her. An expression of disbelief came over her features. "This is Zanthar's doing. He's shutting down non-essential systems and diverting power to the engines!"
"Then we've got to get out of here! I don't want to go up into space!"
"No, we've got to stop him," Howler corrected. "Everything that Azkan worked for will be destroyed unless we stop Zanthar before it's too late!" Howler started to run out of the medical chamber and then rose up into the air, taking flight. Tempest, shaking her head, followed a beat later. Now what had she gotten herself into?
"OWIE!", Nemesis loudly complained. The young woman in pink and blue sat up suddenly, a look of discomfort on her face. "That was not nice!"
Jennifer looked around questioningly. She had been laying in the high grass, her new friend Snuggles the baby Sabre-Toothed Tiger was close by. The great cat sat next to Jennifer, as if it were her bodyguard. The beast contentedly licked its paw. Standing nearby were Terra Fire, Gladiator, Sapphire, and Archangel. Upon hearing Jennifer's outburst everyone turned to face her.
"You all right, Jen?", Terra Fire inquired. The concern he felt was clear in his voice. "You sure gave me a scare." Jason reached down to give Jennifer a hand to her feet, but the offer was ignored. Instead, she gave her new friend a big hug.
"Snuggles! You're okay!"
"That is just too weird," Archangel muttered to himself, shaking his head. Turning back to Gladiator and Sapphire he added, "So what's next, Sarge?"
Gladiator was decked out in his ancient style armor. Sapphire was wearing a skimpy orange and silver trimmed spandex outfit. The two had been discussing options before Nemesis had recovered from being shot by Carlson's men. By now, the thugs that were conscious had retreated from the battlefield.
"We've got to find Tigress and Jess," Jason quickly added. "We didn't come all this way to not even try to find her!"
"We'll split up," Gladiator finally spoke up. "Archangel, escort Jennifer back to the Wave Runner. After what she's been through, she probably could use the rest. Then perform aerial recon. The rest of us will search for our missing companions here on the ground. Jason, you're with me. Everyone stay in contact!"
Acknowledgement of the orders was given. Sapphire flexed her mighty legs and leaped away. The large blue woman was quickly gone from sight. With her powerful leaps, Sapphire could cover a large area very quickly.
"Tigress headed off in that direction," Gladiator indicated by pointing towards a light forest. "Can you sense her presence?"
Jason closed his eyes and concentrated on his earthen sense. He was aware of every living thing touching the ground. However, the further away he was from his target, the less information he could perceive. "No, nothing. She might be out of range or off the ground."
Gladiator just nodded his understanding. "Let's be off." With that, Gladiator jogged away towards the nearby forest. Terra Fire followed a moment later, generating an earthen wave for him to ride upon. The two were quickly out of sight, leaving only Archangel, Nemesis, and her new friend in the clearing.
The winged Young Champion went to help the still woozy Jennifer to her feet while Jason and Gladiator stepped away. "Come on, Jen, let's get back to the ship."
"Okie," Jennifer giddily responded. The young girl stood up and then stooped down to pick up 'Snuggles'. The petite Nemesis easily collected the German Shepherd-sized cat into her arms. "We're ready to go!" Not waiting for a response, Jennifer and her friend flew up into the air.
"Hey, wait a minute!", Archangel called out. "Who said you could take that thing along? Jen! Come back here! Hey! You're going to get me in trouble!"
Seeing that Nemesis was completely ignoring him, Archangel also took flight. He couldn't help but mutter under his breath. "Sarge is not going to be happy about this."
Silently, Tigress made her way through the tall trees. Standing on a high branch, she paused to take in her surroundings. The terrain had inexplicably changed once more as she pursued Daigon. Tigress now found herself in a great forest of giant, interlocking trees. Using her natural leaping ability and agility, Tigress had taken the high road in her attempt to locate Daigon. The armored mercenary was close by. Tigress could sense it.
Her side throbbed painfully. While momentarily distracted, Daigon had landed a vicious cheap shot to the ribcage. It felt and sounded like one, maybe even two ribs had been broken. In spite of the pain, the Tigress continued her pursuit. She wasn't about to let Daigon get away from her now. As for the pain, that was something she would just have to endure.
Unfortunately, almost every movement was excruciating. In the months since her transformation, using her feline abilities had become second nature. Her normal regimen of acrobatics, running, and leaping just further aggravated the throbbing in her side. Taking to the trees to track Daigon didn't help, but staying on the ground versus an airborne foe was far too much of a disadvantage.
Tigress sniffed the air, trying to home in on the distinct scent of her foe. The woodland was alive with numerous sounds and smells, most of which Tigress could not readily identify. Strange and unusual creatures existed here in great quantities. So far they had ignored Tigress, which suited her just fine. Had she not more important plans, this would be a very intriguing and interesting place to explore.
"This island is like Wild Kingdom on steroids," Tigress grumbled to herself. "An Animal House gone mad. Unfortunately, there are lots of places for Ms. Creepy to hide."
The Tigress started to move once more. With ease, her legs propelled her thirty feet to another branch. She couldn't help but grimace in pain from the effort. Ignoring the burning sensation coming from her side, Tigress continued on. Leaping and swinging from branch to branch with feline ease she moved deeper into the great forest.
"Tarzan's got nothing on me," Erica laughed as she reached another high branch. Once more she scowled in pain, however. Every slightest movement she did just further aggravated her injury. There was just no way to avoid it, without abandoning her prey.
A sudden noise off in the distance attracted Tigress' attention. The clamor didn't sound natural. It sounded more like something being hit by metal. All thoughts of the pain she was feeling instantly fled from her mind. She had located Daigon.
Tigress continued to silently glide through the trees as she drew closer to the source of the noise. Sure enough, Tigress could soon see the mercenary in the ugly red and gold armor. Daigon was down on the ground of the forest now. A small pack of creatures that superficially reminded Tigress of wolves were attacking her foe. This would be even easier than she hoped.
Using the sound of the battle as cover, Tigress drew closer and closer. Down below, Daigon grabbed a leaping wolf-creature out of the air and flung it away. The gray furred creature struck a tree trunk with great velocity. Tigress could clearly here its spine snap even at this distance.
"Get away from me, you pathetic creatures!", Daigon angrily cried out. "I hate this stupid island! Bah! Why should I waste my time with these fleabags?"
As Tigress watched, Daigon activated her jet pack and boots combination. Fiery exhaust erupted from them sending Daigon up into the air. The mercenary was safely beyond the reach of the pack in a few moments.
Seeing that Daigon was distracted, Tigress made her move as a tingle ran up her spine. This would be a perfect opportunity, Erica thought to herself. She sprinted effortlessly across the branches towards where Daigon was coming up. The armored mercenary had leveled off and was getting ready to fly off when the Tigress leaped! The feline hero jumped from the tree, tumbled gracefully in midair, and then landed feet first on the top of her foe's jet pack!
"Is this a private party, or can anyone just drop in?", Tigress quipped as she made impact. The conflict was resumed!
It was all starting to make sense in Howler's mind. Now that she was free from Zanthar's influence, she could see just how she had been manipulated for all these years. It was a very subtle thing. A little nudge here, a minor alteration of goals there. In time Zanthar's agenda became Howler's agenda. The pain that the amulet induced served to further keep her in line.
"I guess I was right in one aspect," Howler thought to herself as she glided through the corridors of Azkan's ship. "My own personal situation has indeed changed." Howler had originally suspected that the Lost Realm was going to give her more power and knowledge. Instead, it had given her something infinitely more valuable: her freedom.
Tempest flew along just behind Howler. The corridors were really not wide enough for the two women to travel side by side while in flight. "So where are we going? And more importantly, what are we going to do to this Zanthar creep when we find him?"
"Our destination is the control center for this spaceship. Ideally, the plan would be to defeat Zanthar and restore ship operations back to normal. I dread to think what is going on out in the preserves right now."
The technology in question was well beyond Howler's abilities to comprehend. Somehow Azkan had literally warped space around the island to create his preserves. Habitats existed on top of habitat, each being unaware of the other. With the power being transferred to the engines Howler feared that the habitats would simply vanish into nothingness and numerous extinct species would die out again.
Or maybe the preserves would collapse, spilling out all of their contents onto the island. Creatures that existed millions of years apart in history would now find themselves side by side. The results of this could just as catastrophic as predators and prey that never coexisted before now found themselves gathered together.
While she had been exploring the database of the alien ship, the floor plans for the vessel had kept coming up on the screen. Howler thought it odd at first, but now realized that it had been Zanthar manipulating her once more. He wanted her to know where to find the medical center so that he could be reconstituted. But because of this, Howler effectively knew her way about the ship and could find the command center with ease.
The duo reached the top level of the spaceship within moments. The plain metallic hallway entered directly into the spacious command center. But like the rest of the ship, the chamber was rather spartan in set up. There were a few control consoles and displays and little more. There wasn't even any place to sit.
"Get away from those controls, you monster!", Howler cried out. However, given the seductive nature of her voice, Howler's command didn't carry much of a menacing undertone to it.
The alien didn't respond to Howler's order. He showed no signs of having even heard her words. Zanthar continued to observe the screens being displayed before him. One was showing how rapidly the dimensional warp was being shut down. Another appeared to be a star chart but Howler couldn't be sure.
"I'll get his attention for ya!"
Tempest gestured dramatically at the alien and a jet of water erupted from her hands. The blast of water unerringly hit Zanthar directly in the back. The impact forced him forward, causing his face to collide with the display. Then the alien bounced back off the console and collapsed to the floor.
"I think you've done it!" Howler seemed genuinely impressed with her young friend's abilities. Of everything she had done on this mission, hiring Tempest seemed to be the best move Howler had made.
"That's why I make the big bucks," Tempest proudly responded with a grin.
"I shall see that you are well compensated for everything you've done here. But let's not celebrate so quickly."
Howler pointed back towards where Zanthar had been standing. The alien was on his feet again. He spun towards the two women, a hateful look on his face. He opened his tiny mouth and screamed!
A cone-shaped sonic bombardment erupted from the tiny alien. It buffeted both Howler and Tempest. Once more, Tempest was violently thrown back from the sound-based assault. But this time she was more prepared for the attack. She hit the floor dazed and disorientated, just barely remaining conscious.
Howler withstood the attack with relative ease. The transformation that had originally created Howler had also made her virtually immune to such attacks. The only indication that the attack even affected Howler was her hair and cape being whipped about on the sonic-created breeze.
Anger etched on her face, Howler screamed directly back at Zanthar! A piercing shrill filled the command center as Ruth Levy poured all the pain and frustration that the years of being manipulated by Zanthar had caused her. Howler poured everything she had into that one scream. She had never launched this powerful of an attack ever before.
And it still didn't matter. Zanthar withstood the sonic assault as easily as Howler did his. The sonic energy washed over the alien like it was nothing more than a gentle sprinkling of rain. It briefly reverberated around the command center and then faded, as if being absorbed by the strange walls.
Zanthar glared at Howler, hate being reflected in his oversized eyes. Then he turned his back to the woman he had controlled for the last few years. She was no longer of any great consequence. All she had ever been was a tool to be used and discarded when no longer needed.
Howler could almost feel the disdain coming from the alien as he turned away from her. It was if she no longer mattered to him any more. That she was no longer a threat. That was not too far off from what Howler was feeling. They were immune to each other's powers. It was a stalemate.
As sorrow started to overcome Howler, so did the germ of an idea. It brought an actual smile to her face. "Of course!", Howler remarked to herself as she snapped her fingers.
She spun, causing her white cape to twirl behind her. Howler reached Tempest in just a few steps and helped the young woman to her feet. "There still may be a way to defeat him! Come with me!"
Unsure just what was going on, and still a bit loopy from Zanthar's attack, Tempest allowed Howler to drag her back the way they came. As her thoughts cleared, Jess couldn't help but wonder what Howler was up to now.
Sapphire landed, creating a gigantic splash. A small wall of water rushed away from the large woman in every direction. Sapphire paused, trying to gauge her surroundings. The landscape had changed once more on her. She had leaped from a plains area with high grass. Now the Azurian warrior found herself knee deep in water.
Sapphire was standing a few yards off the shore in a small lake. The body of water stretched off for as far as Sapphire could see. There were no vessels on the surface of the lake. If there were creatures that dwelled beneath the water Sapphire could not see them.
Sounds and movement from behind made Sapphire spin. The large blue woman naturally assumed a defensive position. She had readily expected to be attacked but instead found herself the object of curiosity.
On the shore stood a primitive tribe of humans. They were not as large as their modern day ancestors and were just minimally clothed in animal skins. A few were dripping wet from the wave Sapphire had generated. The women cowered in fear and rushed to protect the children. The men, spears in hand, fearfully advanced towards Sapphire.
The chatter of their primitive tongue could clearly be heard by Sapphire. The magic spell that allowed Sapphire to understand all the languages of Earth failed in this particular instance. Perhaps the magic only applied to modern languages and not one long thought dead. In spite of not understanding the humans, their message was quite clear. They sought battle!
Several spears were hurtled and most struck Sapphire in the torso. She had made no attempt to avoid the damage and made an easy target. To the shock of the spear throwers, the weapons harmlessly bounced off of Sapphire. They were not powerful enough to cause even the slightest injury to the Azurian.
"You cannot hurt me with your primitive weapons," Sapphire announced as she started to wade towards shore. Fighting back her own automatic responses, Sapphire did not move to attack her foes. They were simply confused and were no serious threat to the woman. "I am not your enemy."
The villagers turned and started to run every which way as Sapphire reached the shore. A few of their words were translated by the magic spell. They considered Sapphire to be a 'blue demoness'. That notion actually pleased Sapphire. These primitive humans knew a powerful warrior when they saw one!
Now on the shore, Sapphire turned to take in the land around her. There was a heavy forest that surrounded what she could see of the small lake. A few primitive canoes were pulled up on shore. Spears, such as the ones that had been thrown at Sapphire, were in abundance.
The village itself consisted of nearly a dozen primitive huts. Woven leafs covered a wooden frame. Several fire pits were burning in the clearing between the village and the lake. One such fire pit had a spit lain across it, where skewered fish were being cooked.
Before Sapphire could explore further, a flash of bluish energy attracted her attention. The alien Young Champion spun and she found herself facing the giant pyramid located in the center of the island. Energy played about the grand structure.
But there was more going on in addition to that. Translucent barriers began to appear and just as quickly vanish. The scenery also inexplicably changed. The forest and lake were gone, but the collection of huts remained. But now the village was in the midst of a tropical jungle. It was a very bewildering experience.
The next thing Sapphire knew, her warrior instincts had taken over once more. The loud footfalls of some large nearby beast reached her ears. She spun, lowered herself, and prepared to meet whatever challenge would present itself.
Thundering towards Sapphire was a large and impressive beast. It superficially resembled the giant lizard encountered earlier, but this one was even more impressive! The beast's head by itself was six feet large and a pair of large horns emerged just above its head. A third and much shorter horn was at the end of its snout. The creature was massive! It growled and charged Sapphire!
With only a minor effort Archangel was able to keep pace with Nemesis. The pink clad young girl had gotten her directions slightly mixed up, but they had still managed to safely return to the Wave Runner. Somehow, Nemesis had managed to hold on to her new friend the entire way.
'Snuggles' the baby Sabre-Tooth wasn't too keen on flying at first. He clawed and tried to bite Jennifer at first with no significant reward for his efforts. Nemesis easily endured her pet's affections. Jennifer couldn't help but laugh and giggle at the efforts.
Finally, the pair landed on the deck of the Wave Runner. Jennifer set her pet down and Snuggles quickly explored the surrounding area. The great cat quickly figured out that it was surrounded by water and kept well away from the sides of the ship.
"There you go, snuggly-wuggly!", Jennifer cooed. "I know! You're hungry. Let me get you a nice bowl of milky-wilky!"
Wisely, Archangel kept his distance from Jennifer's newfound friend. While the beast's teeth and claws where insufficient to harm Nemesis, the same could not be said of Archangel himself. He had nightmarish visions of the beast trying to take a bite out of one of his wings.
Jennifer disappeared into the ship and after a pause Snuggles padded after her, much to the relief of Archangel. "Snuggly-wuggly?", he parroted in disbelief. "That girl is certifiable!"
Having completed his assigned task, Archangel turned and prepared to proceed to his aerial reconnaissance assignment. That's when a flash of blue energy caught his attention. The discharge was coming from the great pyramid. The energy played about the structure before finally dissipating.
Archangel's first thought was to fly off and investigate. Instead, he opened up the communication circuit and spoke into his headset. It would be better to contact Gladiator first and get an update on his own situation.
"Archangel to Gladiator. Come in please."
The reply came in a moment later. "Gladiator here. What do you have to report?"
"There's a strange energy discharge surrounding the pyramid. Do you want me to investigate? Over?"
"Negative at this time," Gladiator responded in his always steady and even voice. "Very peculiar events are transpiring all around the island. Stand ready to fly in and render aid if necessary. Do not go exploring on your own."
Mildly surprised by this turn of events, Archangel paused before answering. "Acknowledged. Archangel out."
"That's pretty weird," Archangel grunted to himself. He stepped up to the railing and rested his hands on it. The winged hero stared hard at the island, trying to make out any details he could with his superior vision, but all he could see was tropical jungle. Just what was going on out there on the island?
Gladiator closed his own radio and stored it once more. He wearily scanned the sky, sticking his head just above the earthen wall. Another attack could come at any moment from almost any direction. Terra Fire was crouched closer to the ground, not believing what had just happened.
"This is insane!", Terra Fire flatly stated. "None of this makes any sense! It's impossible!"
"It's been my experience that the impossible is usually feasible in this profession. It is something you'll just have to get used to."
"How can you get used to being attacked by things that died out millions of years ago?", Jason countered.
Terra Fire and Gladiator had been exploring the plains on foot. They too had noticed the blue flash of energy and everything inexplicably changed around them. At one moment they were in a light forested area, the next they were smack dab in the middle of a tropical jungle.
But that was not all of it. Cries of bird-like creatures had attracted Gladiator's attention. He spied a flock of pterodactyls circling overhead. The winged dinosaurs had spotted the two men as well. They dove straight at the pair, talons bared!
If not for Gladiator's warning it might have been much worse. At Gladiator's direction, Jason erected a circular wall of earth to protect them. It helped, as they now had cover to duck behind to escape the flock of pterodactyls. Some of the bird-like creatures ripped holes in the wall with their talons. Rips that Terra Fire worked to repair.
Now he was just tired and confused on how something long dead was trying make a meal out of him. It was only a matter of moments before the pterodactyls would swing back to make another pass. There were to many of them to fight, so fleeing and hiding made the most sense. While Jason could easily escape by merging with the earth itself, that still left Gladiator out here all alone.
"Here they come again!", Gladiator called out. As he made his announcement, he ducked down into the protective earth barrier once more.
The cries of the creatures were the first thing Jason heard. Since they were airborne, they could not be picked up by his earthen sense. Next there were quick glimpses of the beasts as they sailed overhead. Once more their talons ripped into the protective barrier, dropping more earth upon the two. Neither man knew just how much longer they could hold out under this onslaught.
Daigon was so surprised from Tigress' sneak attack, that she didn't even have time to respond. The unexpected impact sent the armored mercenary careening wildly. Before she could regain control, Daigon collided headfirst into one of the giant trees.
Having used Daigon's body like a springboard, Tigress leaped towards a nearby branch. Erica grabbed the limb with both hands, swung on it and propelled herself back up onto a larger branch. The heroine gritted her teeth in pain again. It took all her will not to cry out in agony, but she was determined not to show Daigon just how hurt she was. Tigress would never give her enemy that satisfaction.
Turning back to her foe, Tigress could see that Daigon was back on the ground now. The self-styled demoness had deactivated her jets and had crashed back to the forest floor. Daigon appeared dazed and disorientated. She shook her head trying to clear it. This was an opportunity that Tigress was not going waste.
Fighting back the pain, Tigress leaped from branch to branch as she moved lower to the ground. Given her present condition, Erica was proceeding with more caution than normal. She could have effortlessly leaped directly to the ground. It was easier and less painful to make several smaller jumps. Besides, Ms. Creepy wasn't going anywhere at the moment.
The Tigress leaped once more. There were only two more branches between her and the ground. While she was in mid-leap, the very air in the giant forest shimmered. There was a momentary flash of light and energy.
"Now what?", Tigress cried out in annoyance and disbelief.
In the blink of an eye everything changed. The forest was gone and had been replaced by a rough and rocky terrain. Even more ominous, the branch Tigress had been leaping towards was no longer there! Erica was forty feet above the ground!
Panic momentarily overcame the Tigress as she realized that she was now falling and that there was nothing between herself and the hard earth. Her catlike eyes grew wide and she screamed in shock. An impact with the ground was rapidly approaching!
Her natural instincts took over and the Tigress made a four point landing on her hands and feet. The feline heroine tumbled forward across the rocky landscape, using up the momentum from her fall. The pain in her side flared to overwhelming proportions after the impact. Erica couldn't help but cry out in agony and curl up on the ground in pain. Tears involuntarily rolled down her face. The pain was nearly overwhelming.
After a few moments, Tigress forced herself to her feet. Daigon was still out there somewhere. She couldn't let her guard down for an instant. It was just like the armored mercenary to kick an enemy when they were down. Erica couldn't help but use her arm to support and shield her injured side.
The Tigress spun, trying to regain her bearings and relocate Daigon. As she did so, a gauntleted fist struck her across the face. The force of the blow sent Tigress flying backwards, further aggravating her injury. Her face felt warm. Reaching up, Tigress discovered that she was now bleeding.
"Not so fast with the smart-ass remarks now, are you?" Looking back, Tigress could see Daigon advancing on her. "Your life is now mine to take. Plead for me and maybe I'll show you mercy. I like it when they beg for their lives. I find it so amusing. Will you amuse me?"
"Up yours," Tigress spat back fiercely. "If it wasn't for your cheap shot this fight would have been over long ago."
"But because I hurt you," Daigon corrected, "this fight is over now." Daigon had reached Tigress and was now looming menacingly over her. "You have no hope of defeating me with your present handicap. It was our own ego that was your undoing. I laugh because it was so easy to goad you into following me into the jungle. I hurt your precious little ego and now I shall do far worse!"
Tempest slowly regained her wits as Howler led her deeper into the alien spaceship. Only a minute or two had passed since being rebuffed by Zanthar. The interior lights inside the ship continued to dim. It was like twilight right now and was becoming harder to see. Fortunately, Tempest's night sight helped her out in this instance.
"We're almost there," Howler advised as she briskly flew along. There was unmistakable excitement in the woman's voice.
Up ahead in the distance, Tempest thought she saw something. There was a blue light down near the floor. It was pulsating in a manner similar to Howler's orange amulet. A moment later Tempest could make out the bones of an intact skeleton.
"Well that's creepy!", Tempest complained. "So what's the deal here?"
Howler landed beside the skeleton and bent down over it. Tempest landed several feet away a moment later. As she got closer, Tempest realized that it was not a human skeleton she was seeing. That just made her all the more nervous.
"Unless I am mistaken, these are the remains of Azkan himself. I found something like this several years ago when I acquired my amulet from Zanthar's body." Howler tentatively reached for the glowing blue choker. She inadvertently winced as if expecting to feel pain like before, but this time there was none.
"Do you know what you are doing?" Tempest couldn't help but wonder. Was Howler really going to allow herself to be taken over by another alien after just being let free?
"I sincerely hope so. Azkan is a scientist. He will not permit Zanthar from carrying out his destructive plans. Besides, this was all my doing. I was the one who freed Zanthar. I knocked over the first domino that started this long string of events. Making amends for all the trouble that I caused is the least I can do."
"But what if you're wrong? What if Azkan isn't the saint you're making him out to be?"
Howler did consider this for a moment. "If Zanthar succeeds, then it won't matter."
Steeling herself, Howler reached out and grasped the metallic choker with one hand. It snapped loose upon her touch. She rose to her feet once more and regarded the choker now resting in her palm. Yet another life-altering decision literally rested in her hands.
Tempest couldn't help but watch in admiration. The woman before her had changed greatly in the short time Jess had known her. She was now a dependable person who would do what was needed. Those were qualities that Tempest was sure that she herself did not possess.
With a sigh of resignation, Howler reached up and placed the choker near her own throat. As she did, the blue crystal set into the choker started to pulsate just a little bit faster. The piece of jewelry snapped into place around her neck of its own accord. A flash of blue energy surrounded Howler and she was momentarily overwhelmed by it. Her knees buckled, but she managed to remain standing.
"Are you all right?" Tempest moved in to help, but Howler gestured for her to stay back.
Howler straightened up once more, using the wall for support. "I'm okay," she finally answered. Howler sure sounded the same as before. The only change was the pulsating blue choker that beat almost in time with her orange amulet. However, now that Azkan was in control Tempest couldn't be sure if Howler was friend or foe. "There is much to do and little time."
Turning, Howler now faced the wall she had been using as support. She screeched a series of unintelligible sounds. As if in response to the vocal commands, the wall shimmered and became what Tempest guessed to be a computer display. More commands followed as Howler quickly navigated through the system.
Tempest drew closer to better observe what was going on. "What are you doing?"
"I was correct. The choker held the essence of Azkan. I-- we are working to slow down Zanthar's plans to divert the ship's energy. To buy us more time."
A series of readings came up on the display, but they were meaningless to Tempest. In another window, something that resembled a map appeared. It reminded Tempest of an overhead view of the mysterious island that had appeared between the three outer islands.
"This is unexpected," Howler commented. "Your friend Tigress is on the island, along with several others I do not recognize."
"It's probably the rest of the Young Champions," Tempest realized. "They must have been looking for us!"
"A most fortuitous circumstance. Perhaps they will prove more effective against Zanthar than we were. Activating teleportation sequence."
"You're bringing them here? How can you be sure that they will help?"
Howler shrugged in response. "They are heroes, are they not? Given the gravity of the situation they will help. You must convince them."
"Me? But-"
"There's no time for discussion. You're friends will arrive two levels above. Lead them to Zanthar and let's hope that they will be powerful enough to stop him."
"I'll try", Tempest answered, but didn't seem particularly confident. "Where are you going to be?"
"I have my own task to carry out. Hurry! Little time remains!" Howler turned and flew off down the passageway. Tempest considered for a few seconds and then rushed off back the way she had come. It looked like she was going to be seeing her old teammates much sooner than she had ever expected.
Sapphire braced herself as the triceratops charged at her. It was a magnificent beast! The long horns were clearly weapons to gore opponents with while the armored crest behind the head protected the body from damage during charges. Sapphire considered it to be a well-designed creature.
"You will not find me easy to trample, beast!", Sapphire called out in warning.
The triceratops paid no heed to the Azurian's warning. Instead it continued on its attack run. The beast lowered its head to make better use of his twin horns. The earth shook as the massive creature charged.
Sapphire continued to hold her ground. As big and powerful as this beast was, it lacked her strength and speed. With ridiculous ease, Sapphire reached out and grasped the charging dinosaur by its two large horns. By sheer force of strength, she brought the beast to a dead stop. Its legs continued to try to propel it forward, but it could not move the Azurian warrior. Like a car stuck in the mud, it was just spinning its wheels.
"Back beast!", Sapphire called out between clenched teeth. "You will not defeat me this day!"
The idea that he could not run over his prey finally creeped into the dinosaur's mind. It ceased trying to run and brought its stubby legs to a stop. The triceratops raised its head in an attempt to fling away the subject of its annoyance.
But even that simple task would not be permitted by Sapphire. She held fast to the triceratops horns, not allowing it to budge. Then she herself began to lift. Slowly the rear legs of the great dinosaur found themselves being lifted off the ground!
And then Sapphire spun, hurtling the triceratops away from her with a mighty heave. For probably the first time in its existence, the dinosaur was flying through the air. A moment later it crashed unceremoniously into the jungle foliage.
"You cannot match my might, beast! You face a warrior born, not some helpless creature!"
Sapphire turned with her throw to watch what the creature would do next. She was unsure just how intelligent this beast was. Would it foolishly continue to attack or would it wisely depart to lick its wounds?
That question would remain unanswered as a bright beam streaked out of the sky and struck Sapphire. At one moment Sapphire stood in the jungle, in the next she was gone as if she had never been there. The triceratops had made it back to its feet and looked around trying to relocate its prey. The dinosaur's search would be in vain.
"Ya know, Ms. Creepy," Tigress said to the armored figure hovering menacingly over her, "there is only one thing about you that really frightens me: the idea that you actually believe all that garbage you spew! You're just a pathetic bully with a gothic twist. And ugly armor to boot!"
As she spoke, the Tigress suddenly rolled back and then kicked out towards her foe. The unexpected maneuver took Daigon by surprise. Tigress struck thrusting both of her bare feet into the breastplate of the armored villainess. The force of the impact lifted Daigon into the air and sent her back five feet into a nearby boulder.
Using her momentum, Tigress leaped to her feet and rushed after her flailing foe. Daigon bounced off the rock and back towards the waiting Tigress. The Tigress leaped into the air once more and landed a drop kick on Daigon, forcing her back once more. This time she glanced off the boulder and stumbled away to the left of Tigress.
"You tricked me!", Daigon accused after regaining her bearings. "You're not as wounded as you pretended to be! You lured me in!"
"You catch on pretty quick for a creepazoid! It appears that I lulled you into a false sense of security. What a combination: ugly and stupid."
Tigress did her best to put on a brave front and not show the slightest effect of the pain she was feeling. The throbbing from her broken ribs was flashing up and down her whole side by now. At least by concentrating on Daigon, Tigress could put some of the anguish out of her mind.
Furious, Daigon moved in with a flurry of blows. Tigress stepped away, ducking and weaving to avoid them all. Daigon continued forward, desperately trying to strike her hated enemy. Tigress felt herself being backed up to another boulder.
"I've got you cornered now," Daigon cried out in triumph. "There's nowhere left for you to run."
Putting all her strength into one punch, Daigon swung. But Tigress reacted even faster. She leaped into the air, tumbled backwards and landed on top of the boulder in a crouch. Below her, Daigon's punch connected with the boulder resulting in a loud, crunching clang. Small chips of rock were sent flying from the impact.
"I bet that smarted, Ms. Creepy," Tigress said in a mocking voice. "You know, there are easier ways to get a piece of the rock!"
Using her hands for support, Tigress lashed out with her feet once more, striking Daigon across the helmet. The armored mercenary fell over backwards, tumbled, and then rose once more. However, Tigress was already upon her. Another kick connected and Daigon was sent flying back yet again.
As Daigon flailed backwards out of control, there was another flash of light and energy. Once more the landscape had changed around the combatants. The rocky terrain was gone and had been replaced by what one would expect on this tropical island. The combatants now found themselves in a swampy marsh. Vines and foliage were everywhere.
Daigon landed with a splash and momentarily disappeared under water. While there were trees all around them, the immediate combat area had been replaced by a small pond. The hard ground that Tigress had been standing on was now soft mud. Daigon had cleared the mud and struck water.
"This is getting ridiculous," Tigress called out in aggravation. She gingerly picked her feet out of the mud. There was a loud sucking sound as her bare foot popped free. The mud had covered her ankles. "Pick a terrain and stick with it!"
While Tigress freed herself from the mud, the area of water where Daigon had disappeared under began to swell and surge. Suddenly, Daigon burst from the water, but she was not alone! The armored mercenary's right leg was held fast in the mouth of what, at first glance, appeared to be a gigantic crocodile!
Tigress had never seen a crocodile in person, but this did look like the few she had viewed on television. But unlike the real world version, this croc was massive! It was easily thirty feet long and could probably swallow Erica whole!
"Cripes!", Tigress cried out in astonishment. Instinctively, Tigress backed further away from the thrashing combatants.
Daigon landed blow after blow on the side of the croc's head in an attempt to force it to release her. Not meeting with any success, the armored mercenary reached out and grabbed the beast's jaws. She applied all of her mechanically amplified strength to the task of forcing the croc's mouth open. Finally, she succeeded and pulled her leg free!
Daigon's victory was short lived, as the pre-historic crocodile continued its relentless assault. It lunged at its prey, snapping its jaws in an attempt to lock on once more. The demonic villainess barely sidestepped the croc's quick lunge. She spun towards the gigantic reptile and threw her arms around it in a bear hug. The croc struggled wildly and then dove beneath the water once more, dragging Daigon with it.
Nearly thirty seconds later, a weary Daigon rose from the water. Her once clean armor was now caked with mud from the conflict with the crocodile. A short distance behind her, the reptile itself floated to the surface. The struggle underwater had been fierce. Daigon had triumphed by snapping the neck of the beast, slaying it.
Exhausted, Daigon trudged through the water towards the muddy shore. The mud splooshed and splurshed as the armored mercenary walked along. It would take hours to get the mud out of her armor! Her boot jets were probably clogged full by now. Finally reaching dry land, Daigon came to a stop to try and catch her breath.
Daigon's rest lasted approximately three seconds. Seemingly out of nowhere, a makeshift club slammed into the back of her helmet. Daigon was sent stumbling forward before crashing ungracefully to the ground face first. Glancing back as lights flashed before her eyes, Daigon could see the Tigress standing there, a large tree limb in her hand. The limb was nearly five inches in diameter and Tigress was wielding it like a bat.
"Don't tell me you forgot about lil' ole me," Tigress taunted in a sing-song voice as she closed in for the kill. "I'm just glad that walking set of luggage left me something to play with! Let's see if I can hit one out of the park!"
The Tigress was on Daigon before the mercenary could realize what was going on. The makeshift bat repeatedly slammed into the armored woman. She managed to block a few of the attacks with her forearm, but several still got through her defenses. Splinters went flying every which way from each impact.
In desperation, Daigon rolled away and managed to scramble to her feet. She spun back around half expecting to be attacked at any second. Much to her surprise no such attack came. Daigon looked around in bewilderment. Tigress had just been here! Where was she now? What was her game?
Cautiously, Daigon tried to locate her hated foe. But to her bewilderment, Tigress was nowhere to be found. The makeshift bat was lying on the ground, but its wielder was gone. The armored mercenary even tried calling out and taunting the feline heroine but received no response. Extremely puzzled and exhausted, Daigon turned and began the long walk back to base camp.
Panic began to creep into Jason's mind. He was having difficulty rationalizing just what was happening. He was holed up in a glorified foxhole, pinned down by a flock of pterodactyls. Such a thing was simply not possible! Pterodactyls had died out millions of years ago!
Even worse his earthen sense was useless in this instance. When it came to airborne foes, he was as helpless as the next man. Not being able to rely on his earthen sense made him almost feel blind. Given the circumstances, panic was almost inevitable.
"How can you be so calm?", Terra Fire cried out. "This is insane!"
In spite of the situation, Gladiator was calm and collected. There was no fear coming from the man. No panic could be found in his seasoned eyes. Calmly, Gladiator kept watch, waiting for the next attack to come. He also was planning his next move. Their temporary cover would not last much longer.
"Because to give in to fear and panic is to invite disaster. It is easier to make mistakes when one is acting irrationally. It could even lead to one's own demise."
"That's easy for you to say," Jason shot back.
"Only because I have more experience in dealing with such situations, Jason. You are young and have not learned such lessons yet. Close your mind. Block out all outside sensations except for my voice. Focus only on my voice. Our defensive position is rapidly weakening. After the next flyby we will be forced to move. On my signal, I want you to tunnel away to your right. The jungle is thicker in that direction and will impede our attackers. Do you understand?"
"I think so." Terra Fire breathed deeply, trying to calm himself. He could sense that the jungle was indeed thicker off to his right. It would be impossible for such large flying creatures to reach them in there. "I think I'm ready."
Before Gladiator could even respond, a strange flash of energy came over the two men. A moment later, they both simply vanished. The pterodactyls came winging in a few seconds later only to find that their prey had mysteriously escaped. Any further search would be for naught.
Tempest reached the area Howler had designated just as three doors appeared along one of the walls. The area seemed similar to Jessica. It was where she had first arrived on this ship. The Young Champions had been teleported into examination rooms and immediately released.
"What the hell is going on here?!" The cry, a combination of annoyance and anger, came from the middle of the three openings. A moment later, a disheveled and bloodied Tigress stepped into the corridor. Her feet were covered in mud. The feline heroine looked around and locked her eyes on the approaching Tempest. "Jessica! What's the meaning of this? What have you done to me now?"
Sapphire emerged from the first door, equally confused. "I was in the jungle...", she started to say.
"Hey, guys," Tempest greeted nonchalantly. "No time for small talk, we've got a serious crisis on our hands here."
"I don't care about that," Tigress angrily responded. "Send me back! I had Daigon right where I wanted her!"
"I didn't bring you here, so I don't know how to send you back! Just chill out! This is more important than some stupid personal vendetta. You can play in the mud later!"
"Tempest?" The query came from the remaining room where Gladiator had just emerged. "What is this crisis you spoke of?"
"Jess!" Terra Fire circled around Gladiator and approached his sister. After everything he had been through, the dinosaurs, the strange teleportation that had brought him here, he was still happy to see his sister and see that she was okay. Jason moved closer to give her a hug. "I'm so relieved that we found you!"
"Hey, back off, Jason! I told you never to touch me again!" Tempest actually moved away in an attempt to avoid Terra Fire and held up a hand to ward him off. "We're not going through that togetherness bit again!"
The last time the two had physical contact the twins had merged into one being. Fortunately, it was a short-lived condition and they were soon separated back to their own selves once more. Still, it was a situation that Tempest wanted to avoid ever going through again. (Editor's Note: Covered fully in Young Champions #9-12)
Jason stopped, realizing just what Jess was going on about. "You're right. I forgot. I'm sorry."
"I believe you owe us an explanation for all of this, young lady," Gladiator added a moment later. "There is a great many questions that we have for you. For one, what is transpiring here?"
"No time for all that now," Tempest spoke up, getting back to the business at hand. "Okay, here's the Reader's Digest version of what's going on. We've got a nutty resurrected alien trying to take control of this spaceship that we're inside. It looks like a pyramid from the outside, but it's a spaceship inside. If we don't stop him, he's going to destroy all the lost animals and creatures you found outside."
"Who brought us here then?"
"Howler did. She's trying to save all of this. This alien was controlling her for years and now he's on the loose. Look, I don't care much about the critters outside either, but if we don't stop Zanthar we're all going on a long space flight!"
"Forget that," Tigress cried out, still greatly annoyed that her fight with Daigon had been interrupted. "Major Tom I'm not! Just show me where this alien creep is. I'll rip his eyes out!"
"Follow me, then!"
Tempest took flight and started down the passageway. The Young Champions all paused to exchange looks. Sapphire and Tigress set out after Jessica with Gladiator following a moment later. Terra Fire brought up the rear.
"This just gets stranger and stranger..."
Elsewhere in the spaceship Howler landed before the doorway to the medical center. Her hunches had proven correct thus far. Azkan was much easier to deal with than Zanthar had been. Once she explained the situation to Azkan, a course of action had been immediately decided upon. Tempest's allies were called in to battle Zanthar while Howler saw to the reconstitution of Azkan himself.
Azkan had no interest in controlling Howler. He only wished to continue his work. It would be a great loss if all the specimens he had collected were to be destroyed through Zanthar's arrogance. Centuries of work would be gone. That was not something that he could permit.
Howler walked up to the operations console and screeched the activation codes. The machinery hummed to life. Power to run the device had been diverted earlier when Howler had teleported the Young Champions onto the ship. By now it was ready to perform its task.
Bright energy filled the inner chamber again. Steadying herself, Howler screamed once more. Bluish sonic energy erupted from the woman as the essence of Azkan was transmitted to the reconstituting chamber. After what seemed like a small eternity, Howler ceased screaming and collapsed to the floor.
Inside the chamber, the bluish energy merged with the existing energy. Soon it would take on a definite shape. The computers worked to carry out the task with unearthly speed. In short order, Azkan would walk the Earth once more.
"ET is at the end of the hallway," Tempest reported. The teal-clad woman gestured towards the opening at the far end of the passageway. Beyond laid the ship's command center and the alien Zanthar. As the group moved along, Tempest filled in more details and fielded additional questions.
There were many things that the group wanted to ask Tempest, but those questions would have to wait. If what Jessica was saying was true, Howler was actively trying to stop a potential disaster. Could it be that they were mistaken about Howler's motives and Tempest's involvement with her?
"Then let us take the battle to this enemy!", Sapphire vowed as she surged forward. At last she would engage an intelligent foe in battle! No more of these mindless creatures that simply attack without any strategy.
"Hold on there, Big Blue," Tigress called out. "There's something weird going on here."
"This whole place is weird," Tempest interjected. "Let's do this and get out of here. It smells just like a hospital."
Sapphire paused and turned back to her associates. She looked towards Gladiator for guidance. He returned a 'hold up' sign to her.
To Tigress, Gladiator asked, "What are you sensing?"
"Something...", Erica mumbled but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She tentatively stalked ahead of the others, searching for that elusive something her senses detected. Tigress reached out with her right hand. Unexpectedly, she felt something blocking her path. Some invisible force was barring her path.
"There's definitely something here," the Tigress announced after more experimentation. "Maybe it's a force field or something. It covers the entire hallway."
"Looks like our boy learned his lesson from our last meeting," Tempest replied. "Howler and I tried to take him on before, but he was too much for us. Which is why she brought you guys here."
"So how do we get past this force field?", Jason wondered. Terra Fire was in the back of the group. The higher they had moved through the spaceship, the weaker Terra Fire had become. He was too far away from the ground to make use of his powers. His earthen sense had gone numb once more.
"Stand back," Sapphire said confidently. "I shall rend the barrier, allowing us passage. Then we shall engage this foe!"
At Sapphire's suggestion, everyone else moved back to give the large blue woman room to operate. Tempest and Terra Fire looked on with interest. Neither had really seen Sapphire in battle outside of the training exercises. Would her strength be enough to break down this force field?
Sapphire prepared herself for the task at hand. She took several long and deep breaths to put herself at ease. She stood before the invisible barrier, locked in deep concentration. Then she acted.
Moving almost faster than the human eye could follow, Sapphire struck the barrier with all her might. Not just once, but several times in seemingly a split-second. A flurry of punches was unleashed on the barrier.
The energy of the force field became visible as Sapphire struck it. It was bright and powerful after the first punch, but grew noticeably weaker with each successive blow. This continued until the force field could no longer hold Sapphire back. The barrier had been breached!
The Tigress moved past Sapphire like a shot. Gladiator was close behind, followed by the Azurian. Tempest and Terra Fire brought up the rear. Jessica was not eager to be blasted by this alien for a third time, while without his powers, Jason felt useless.
"EEEWWW!", the Tigress called out upon seeing Zanthar. "What an ugly spud!" The feline heroine leaped at the alien, wincing slightly in pain. Her ribs throbbed painfully, but the heroine tried not to show it. Unfortunately, she bounced off a protective force field that surrounded the creature.
"It is a Screamer!", Sapphire called out. "I've encountered these aliens before! Normally, they are a peaceful race."
"Take my word for it, Saph, this guy is not nice!", Tempest called out. "Knock his block off!"
Zanthar, having been alerted by his defensive field failing, was prepared for the intruders. He turned towards them and opened his tiny mouth. Once more, a cone-shaped blast of sonic energy was unleashed. The attack washed over all of the Young Champions.
More by reflex than intent, everyone raised their hands to cover their ears. The sonic energy was more than Tigress could endure and she crumbled to the deck. Likewise, the elemental twins were put down by the powerful attack.
Gladiator too was overwhelmed by the sonic outburst. His highly tuned sense of hearing made such attacks all the more effective. Gladiator dropped to his knees in pain, but somehow managed to remain conscious.
Yet in the midst of the sonic onslaught, Sapphire not only remained standing, but she was actually continuing forward towards her target! The Azurian was made of sterner stuff than her companions were and the attack was more of a nuisance than a real threat.
Zanthar continued to scream at Sapphire, seemingly amazed that the woman would not fall. Desperation began to creep into his black oversized eyes. Finally he ran out of breath and the screaming stopped.
"You will be silent, villain!"
Sapphire struck Zanthar with a backhanded slap that propelled the alien across the chamber. While he had been protected by a personal force field, the force of the blow was so great that Sapphire uprooted the alien, force field and all! It was as if he was a tennis ball that had been smashed by a racket. The bluish-gray alien hit the wall at great velocity and his body was seemingly vaporized. The orange jumpsuit Zanthar had been wearing fell harmlessly to the deck.
"Smeg!", Sapphire cursed. "I killed him! I did not mean to strike him so hard!"
That's when Sapphire noticed that a cloud of orange and yellow energy hovered over Zanthar's empty jumpsuit. It hovered there for a beat and then moved towards Sapphire. She tried to shoo it away with little success.
"You only disrupted Zanthar's material form," an incredibly seductive voice announced. "These aliens are very fragile beings. However, the essence of his being is not so easily destroyed. Even now it seeks the safety of a containment device. A situation I shall now remedy."
Sapphire spun to find Howler standing in the entryway to the command center. There was an over the shoulder bag flung over Howler's right shoulder. Beside her was another Screamer. In Sapphire's eyes, they all looked alike. She prepared herself just in case another attack was coming.
After making her announcement, Howler screamed. Unlike the previous sonic assault, this was a tightly woven screech that only impacted upon Zanthar's essence. Howler's attack further dispersed Zanthar's essence until it started to thin out. Slowly, what remained of Zanthar faded into nothingness. Zanthar was truly gone.
"I am finally free," Howler announced in a voice just above a whisper. Gaining revenge on Zanthar greatly pleased Howler. It would help her deal with all the years she had been manipulated by the fiend.
By now, Gladiator was back on his feet. He had gathered his wits as Howler was disposing of her old master. The master of the Young Champions recognized the villainess and couldn't help but notice a second alien standing next to her. "What is your intent here?"
"Forgive my rudeness," Howler quickly apologized. "I am Howler and this here is Azkan. He is the master of this vessel. We are all his guests."
While Howler spoke, Azkan moved deeper into the Command Center, around Sapphire, and stood before the control console. He quickly checked the readouts and started to screech a series of commands. The process of shutting down the dimensional warp was too far along to rectify. Azkan had little choice now but to conclude his grand experiment.
"I am Gladiator, instructor of the Young Champions. This is Sapphire, one of my students. The lad is Terra Fire. I believe you've already met Tempest and Tigress."
"A pleasure," Howler nodded with a smile. She closed the distance between herself and Gladiator to shake his hand. "You have much to be proud of. Both young ladies are fine individuals, even under very trying circumstances."
"You are not what I was expecting," Gladiator admitted as he released the sonic villainess' hand. This seemingly nice and polite woman was the notorious villainess Howler?
"I haven't quite been myself these last few years. You have the ear of those who run Sanctuary, do you not? I wish asylum on Sanctuary until I can figure out what I'm going to do with myself now that my life is my own again."
Before Gladiator could answer, Azkan turned towards Howler and screeched a series of commands at her. Even without understanding the strange language, Gladiator could tell by the alien's posture that something was terribly wrong.
"What is happening?"
Howler turned back to face Gladiator after absorbing Azkan's message. The situation was far worse than she had imagined. "There's a problem. Azkan is sending us away for our safety. Prepare yourself!"
Miles away on the Wave Runner, Archangel tried his communicator one more time. Greatly concerned over the fate of his teammates and associates, Archangel tried to raise them once more. "Archangel to Gladiator! Come in! Damn it!"
Once more silence was his only response. The blue energy continued to gather around the distant pyramid. Then there were those bursts of energy that were fired off from the top of the pyramid. What was that all about? Were they attacks?
"That does it! I'm sick of playing wallflower. I'm going in!" Archangel spun towards Jennifer and her pet. Both were laying on the deck of the Wave Runner playing. "Jennifer, you stay here. I'll be right back!"
The young Archangel spun back towards the island when something else suddenly caught his attention. The energy building around the pyramid had grown in intensity. It was almost too bright to look at. Even more astonishing, the pyramid began to rise into the air. Slowly at first, but rapidly gaining in speed.
As if that was not enough, more bright flashes erupted from the top of the pyramid. A few at first, but then dozens more followed. The beams were lashing out faster than the eye could follow. They were striking all over the island. Unexpectedly, one beam shot towards the Wave Runner and impacted on the deck behind Archangel!
Jean-Paul spun, fearing that the ship was under attack. Instead after the bright discharge faded, Archangel was shocked to find seven mostly familiar individuals there. Standing near Gladiator was a woman Archangel guessed to be Howler. Beside her was an older tall and swarthy man. Sapphire was not too far away, while Tigress, Tempest, and Terra Fire were unconscious on the deck.
"What's going on here?", Archangel demanded in exasperation.
Instead his query was ignored. Howler said, "Look!" and pointed directly behind 'Angel and back towards the island. Jean-Paul had to admit that it was the most incredibly seductive woman's voice that he ever heard. Just hearing it made him excited. Too bad the body of the speaker didn't fully live up to the expectations of her voice.
Forcing himself around, Archangel could see that the pyramid had risen even higher into the sky. The sheer number of beams being fired from the top of the ship had slowed and then finally stopped. The island itself shimmered briefly, disappeared for an instance, and then solidified once more.
The great pyramid that was Azkan's ship hovered for a moment, as if taking one last look around. The blue energy that surrounded it faded. And then the ship accelerated once more, straight up into the sky and was gone from sight in seconds.
"Safe voyages," Howler whispered as she watched the pyramid fly off. Akeem stepped beside his employer and watched in awe. Just a moment ago, he had been on the beach waiting for Howler's return. A bright light struck him and now he was here.
"What did we just witness?", Gladiator demanded of Howler. It echoed the thoughts of everyone else present. By now, Tempest and Terra Fire had regained consciousness. Snuggles had picked up a familiar scent and was closing in on Tigress. "And who is this man?"
"This is Akeem, my assistant. Azkan sent him to your ship along with the rest of us. As for your first question, the damage that Zanthar caused was too far along to repair," Howler explained. "Azkan had created this place to observe creatures in their natural habitats. He did this by using the energy from his ship to warp space around the island. However, the warp was too unstable to remain safe. He teleported us to safety and then teleported all the creatures he could onto his ship and stored them as energy. Azkan is returning home. His experiment is over."
"What about all those creatures?", Jason wondered. "What will he do with them?"
"I honestly don't know," Howler admitted ruefully. "Perhaps he will transport them to another world. Would it not be ironic for the first beings to exist on Earth to also be the first forms of life on some distant world? Regardless, they are lost to us once more."
A sudden noise from behind attracted everyone's attention. It was Tigress who was not pleased with the greeting she was getting from a recent acquaintance.
"OW! Hey! What's the big idea? Get off me, you smelly furball! That smarts!"
Turning, everyone could see Snuggles the baby Sabre-Tooth had his front paws standing on the Tigress' chest while he licked the blood off her face. The sight couldn't help bring a chuckle from everyone present.
"Off hand, I would say that they are not all lost," Jason said with a laugh. "We've got our own living and breathing relic right here."
"So help me, I'm gonna kill the nitwit who brought this thing along," Tigress cursed. "Get it away from me!"
Epilogue:
She sat in darkness. The darkness matched the color of her soul. In a small way it was a comfort to her. Without a light to see by, she could only see herself as what she thought she really was. In the darkness there was no Francis Rothchild, the weak and pathetic alter ego of the mighty demoness, Daigon.
The only sound was the hum and rumbling of the engines of the Jade Prince. The submarine was on a course home now. Home being in this case the Malachite Islands off the coast of Europe. The device they used to track the Jade Princess had been discovered and thrown overboard. The yacht was lost to them for the time being. The voyage home would not be a comfortable one on board the Jade Prince.
Enveloped by darkness, the demoness plotted and planned her future endeavors. At some point there would be sweet revenge for everything that had transpired during this mission. Tigress, Howler, and Tempest would all suffer, as would the misfit mutants Panda and Raccoon. Even now the demoness could imagine her armored gauntlets locked around their necks as she squeezed with all her might. It would be most pleasing to watch as the light of life faded from their eyes.
There was a light wrapping at the cabin door. A moment later, the portal opened a sliver allowing the outside light to pour in. Instinctively, Daigon moved away from the light.
"I have just received a communication from the Master," Carlson stated after a pause. For the very first time, he caught a glimpse of Daigon out of her fearsome armor. The woman inside the armor was plain to look at. No attempts had been made to make herself more presentable for public viewing. Her hair was short cropped and her skin an unhealthy looking pasty white.
"The Great Malachite is not pleased with our failure. The Jade Princess was lost as was the opportunity to capture living specimens. However, the Great Malachite was mollified by the tissue samples we did manage to acquire. Thus, our lives will be spared for this particular failure."
The strange beams of energy that had taken Tigress away from Daigon had also claimed all the creatures that had been captured. Carlson ordered the Jade Prince to move away from the island in fear of being attacked. Some of his men had been left behind in the confusion, but mysteriously they appeared on board the submarine shortly thereafter. None of them had any explanation for what had happened to them.
The same had happened to Daigon as well. She has been in the jungle walking back to the Jade Prince when a bright flash had claimed her. One moment she was in the outdoors, the next she was inside the Jade Prince. It was just another mysterious happening on this very weird island.
"What of my reward?" Daigon demanded. Without her armor, Daigon's voice lacked any serious authority to it. It seemed small and puny to Carlson. "I served to the best of my ability and expect compensation."
"There will be no reward." Carlson let that hang and started to close the cabin door once more. After a pause, he stopped and gazed back into the darkened cabin. "However, the Master is in a gracious mood this day. He has another task for you to perform. Succeed and he may very well grant you your reward." Upon receiving no reply, Carlson shut the door once more and walked away.
She sat in darkness once more for she could not bear the light. A rare skin condition that Francis was born with made her extremely susceptible to ultraviolet radiation. Even a few seconds exposure to sunlight would cause great discomfort and painful blisters to form on her skin. Francis had no idea what it was to feel the warmth of the sun on her face and not feel any pain. Without her armor, Daigon could not survive outdoors.
But maybe that would all change with this next mission Carlson spoke of. Maybe she would succeed and then Malachite, the master geneticist, would grant her reward. Perhaps he could cure her so that she wouldn't have to live in darkness any more. But until that day, Daigon would just have to wait far away from the light.
Hundreds of miles to the south and west, the Jade Princess sat at anchor off the shore of a small island. After nearly three days, there had been no sign of pursuit thus far. Finally, the mutant couple felt that they could relax.
Panda had changed into a bikini and was currently sunbathing on the deck of the Jade Princess. A CD player played music close by. Ginger felt very much at ease. No deranged armored mercenaries or heroes around to cause trouble. Even their eternal nemesis's VIPER and PSI hadn't caused them any trouble for months now. For once, all seemed right in the world.
"Ginger! Check this out!"
Panda cracked opened her eyes to find Raccoon standing over her. He had also discarded his costume was wearing only a pair of swimming trunks.
"What you going on about now, luv? I thought you were going to rub lotion on me back?"
"In a minute dear. Take a look at this!"
Panda fished for and grabbed her sunglasses from an adjacent table. She donned the spectacles and sat up. Her mouth dropped open in shock upon seeing the stacks of hundred dollar bills being held in Raccoons hands. Raccoon tossed a few stacks to his wife.
"I imagine that you can buy some nice things with this loot."
"Blimey, robin! Where'd you find all the folding stuff?"
"Found it in a hidden safe," Raccoon explained. "I figured that Howler got all her cash from Carlson, so that suggested that he had a place to keep it. Anyway, I've been looking around and found a safe. Took me a bit to break in, but boy was it worth the effort!"
"It's about time we got the rub of the green," Panda agreed as she hugged and ran her fingers through the money. There was much more here then they had been promised for going on this mission. "All in all, this little jig paid off quite nicely for us!"
