RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Writer's Block Vanguard International [Issue 15] World of Darkness

5 Months ago.

A plane soared through the darkened skies around the Island of La Perdita, having missed the alert of a Hurricane by only minutes. The growing storm pounded on the side of the plane with a mix of hail and rain. The black clouds and fog made any visibility impossible.

Inside the cockpit, Jesse Stevenson, a second year pilot, turned to his co-pilot in panic, “We’re flying blind!” His co-pilot, Mark Franklin, froze with fear and knew that they had no way out.

In the passenger side of the plane, things were clam. The fear and horror of the situation had already begun to set in. Samuel Dawson sat in the fifth row; seat 6D to be exact. He could only laugh to himself about how things had turned out. His laughing caught the attention of the young woman next to him. Turning, her light brown hair fell over her eyes. From one look, you could tell that she was trying to be strong, and trying to hold back the tears that she simply wants to let break free.

A flash of lightening strikes outside.

“We are gonna die, aren’t we?”

Sam nodded his head, “Looks that way.”

Finally, she let her tears flow. There was so much that she wanted to do and so much of the world that she had yet to see.

Sam put his arm around her, “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“It’s ok. It was a stupid question.”

“I wish I could have given you a better answer…”

“You could have always lied.”

“Yeah, well, I did. We are going to be fine, I promise.”

“Thanks.”

There was a pause between the two, they both ignored the outside world.

“My name is Megan…”

“Sam.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, likewise.”

Sam cracked a half smile before a violent vision struck his head.

Bodies burning, innocents being tortured, people enslaved.

A world almost ripped out of time itself, huge columns and statues.

Gladiators and knights raged in a civil war.

An eye, almost serpent like and a voice, “One true order.”

Sam grinned his teeth as he came too, a rage in his eyes.

“Are you ok?” Megan asked, he turned to her, his face changed. His expression softened.

“We’re gonna wish this storm had taken us!”

Before she could react to his words, lighting struck the jet from all sides. A blue energy engulfed it for a few moments-

-Before silence.

The jet disappeared into thin air; without a trace.


Weeks ago

The members of Vanguard argued and were bickering like children. Over the past weeks, there had been a growing resentment between teammates and friendships began crumbling. Tobias grabbed Tayden by the throat and reached back for a punch when-

-lighting struck the center of the complex and rushed through every floor, finally striking the meeting table and sending everyone flying across the room. Phil got up and wiped the dust off his uniform, “That should not be possible-“

“It’s not,” was Grissom’s quick reply.

“What just happened?” Danny asked and shook off his nerves.

“Devine intervention?” Tobias asked Tayden.

“No, but I have a very weird feeling.” Tayden exited and was followed by the rest of the team, they entered the elevator and traveled all the way up, finally stopping on the top floor, the fourteenth floor.

Slamming open the main doors, Tayden stopped short, the rest of the team right beside him.

In the center of the floor, on some of the last remaining pieces of the original complex laid a blonde haired young man face down. Danny walked past Tayden and rolled the young man over. Half of his body was badly scarred, from his face down his chest and around his back. Danny’s eyes widened and a single word slipped through his lips…

“Sam?”


Yesterday

“Always remember that I love you.”

Michelle looked over the man she loves, her best friend, Samuel Dawson. For weeks his has laid in a coma and right when she found out that he was still alive, she dropped everything and came to be by his side. But now, it was time to go. Michelle got up and began walking out of the room. Stopping herself, she took one last long look at Sam.

Michelle smiled and left. A long moment passed. A monitor next to Sam began lowly beeping. The beeping began getting louder and louder, until-

-Sam’s eyes snapped open and he shot up into a sitting position, “AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~”

He breathed heavily and attempted to straighten his thoughts. He whispered to himself-
“…I need the MBL…”


Today.

In the office of Doctor Quantos, Samuel Dawson sat and began to tire of the rigorous examination that he was being put through. His scars were gone and he looked like his former “fake” self.

“Doc, am I alive?” Sam asked with a half smirk, before attempting to get up, only to fall back down to the bed, “Well, me legs are dead”

“Amazingly, your vitals are perfect and there seems to be no brain trauma.” Doctor Quantos looked at Sam for a moment and continued, “Well, no more brain trauma than you used to have.”

Sam’s eyes widened, “Doctor Q up and got a sense of humor? Whoa, I must have been gone for a while.”

“As for your legs, it is only normal. You’ll need months of physical rehabilitation to repair the damage. You’ve been off you feet for sometime, M’ boy.”

“No way, sorry Doc, that doesn’t fit in with my schedule.”

“Well, I have one theory that I have worked on while you have been under.”

“Anything to get me out of the ‘chair’ man.”

“Do to your powers, we might be able to manipulate…”


Outside the office

Two lone figures waited for word on Sam’s condition, the only two members of the team who are left from his time; Grimm and Danny. Grimm leaned on the wall, motionless… dead stiff if you will and Danny paced along the hallway. As he paced, Grimm followed him with his eyes.

“You don’t think he’s still mad? Do ya?” Danny asked out loud, “I didn’t know it was his Michelle. I really didn’t mean for it to happen, it was…”

“Not you fault.”

“Maybe because of the coma he has forgotten…”

Grimm just shook his head. Danny stopped pacing and leaned next to his teammate and friend, who just so happens to be the avatar of death. Kind fellow that death.

“I can’t believe that we are the only ones who remember him. Mick, TC, Larry, Dirk, Kristofer, Velo, Pete, Naecken and Turk…”

“All gone in there own ways.”

“It’s a shame that we have such a revolving membership.”

“People like change.”

“A little to much I suspect.”

“We’re still here.” Grimm shrugged, and Danny looked down.

“Any day, I just might be gone.”

Before Grimm could respond, the doors opened and out walked Sam, still weak, but on his own feet.

“What, no welcome back party?” Sam asked with a half smile.

“We still need repairs from the last one.” Grimm said as he carefully patted Sam on the back. He would wait for him to get better before giving him a bear hug to welcome him back. Sam turned towards Danny.

“Dan.”

“Sam, I’m sorry.”

A moment of silence crept by and Sam responded.

“Forgiven.”

“That’s it?”

“Yup.”

“Best friends?”

“Yup.”

The two friends shook hands and for a moment, it was like old times.

Grimm couldn’t help but ask, “Where have you been?”

“Long story, lets get some food and catch up, I need your guys help.”

“Any preferences?”

“I have a weird craving for fish sticks…”


Hours and a half a dozen boxes of fish sticks later

Sam, Danny, and Grimm have been joined by Tayden in the kitchen. Empty boxes of fish sticks have been scattered along the floor along will cookie wrappers, chip bags, popcorn, cake crumbs and anything else that was once in the cabinets.

“Okay, so MBL Consulting has been renamed Vanguard International? … We now do home security ... And you guys transformed the old Complex into a high-tech JLA style Headquarters? Have an evil wench as the president, but she was only to replace Kit who turned out to be a con man scumbag? And we have been doing jobs on both sides of the field?”

“Yeah, that’s how you can put it. But at least we’re not an evil law firm…” Danny added, but the TV reference obviously went straight over Sam’s head.

“We do good in the process and by taking the jobs of not so good people, we can in a way monitor them. If they are doing bad things, we’ll know and we’ll stop them.”

“Point.” Sam looked towards Tayden, “So, are the chicks in heaven really as hot as I picture them to be?”

“You know it.”

“Next time I’m under,” Sam spoke mock serious, “I want you to pull the damn plug!”

“Now, that you have finished our “hero FAQ,” why no let us into what exactly you have been up to?”

“Okay Grimmy, I was just getting there.”

Grimm, Danny and Tayden silenced as Sam began to tell them where he has been over the last few months.

“I was on a plane to Italy, a nice little normal university. An escape from the island, and from my problems. I’m not an adventurer, nor a hero. I wasn’t built for this stuff. So, like my usual style, I ran. To tell you the truth though, I would have been bored as hell after a few weeks and would have probably returned in disguise or some lame crap like that. Only, my plane was engulfed by a bolt of blue lightening and we were teleported to another universe.”

“We?”

“The whole freaking plane!”

“Oh.”

“Can I continue without interruptions please? … Thank you. As it turns out this other world never got past the whole medieval age and was way back in time yo. Anyhow, this wizard guy points me out of the crowd of the plane and calls me Shift. Bizarre, yeah, I know. An old fart from another world knows my MBL “secret” identity? But he caught my attention, and I listened to what he had to say. This world was caught in a civil war of sorts between, get this, the living and the dead. And the “Shift” was to be the chosen one who would lead them to victory and peace. I asked if any other passenger had the nickname, but apparently, the “Shift” is a blond haired scarred up lad. I told them I wasn’t scarred and he said he could see my true face, blah blah blah, push comes to shove I began to believe him and I tried. But as I said, I am no hero. Months pass, I do what the wizard says and I lead the army. I lead them to death. The wizard was not as friendly as he seemed and it was a trick. I wasn’t destined to be anything, he fooled the people and I led them into a slaughter. … But I’m not as dumb as I look… well, looked to him. I found my way back here. Okay, so I messed up the spell a little bit and wound up in a coma and, but, well, no one is perfect.”

“You want us to go to another world and liberate the people?”

“Yeah.”

“Nonpaying I guess, heh. But how in the world will we get there?”

“Well, this alone with be a journey. We’ll have to fight off heaven and hell a like, travel to the deepest cave within the deepest jungle and wrestling with lions and demons to acquire La Necronomicon…”

“The book of the dead?” Tayden asked, just to be sure.

“Yeah, how do you know about the book?”

Tayden laughed, “Well, a few months back, we can across a town over run with zombies and found the book thinking it was another ancient text and well, it’s in our library.”

“Oh. Well, that’s convenient. And takes off a whole lotta work/time. … Anyhow, do you guys think you can help me? Do you think that… Vanguard International would be willing to be Vanguard Universal and save a world of darkness?”

Vanguard International ROLL CALL:

• Danny Hearn
• Edulcore Cicciotto, aka "The Raptor"
• Grimm
• Phil Smith
• Priest
• Tayden
• Drake Marshall/Drax
• Brianna Fionghuala (Finula), aka "Banshee"
• Ozzy Baxter
• Adem Different
• Mason Templar

***

"Heh. I loved that movie," said Ozzy when the rest of the team heard the news straight from Danny's mouth. "So does this make Dawson 'Ash,' or is that role up for grabs?"

Danny smiled and said, "That was just a movie, and this is either real life or, more likely, another fictional adventure of ours inspired by popular culture. In any event, let's try not to take this too lightly. This whole 'World of Darkness' idea is a bit beyond our usual scope."

Adem Different spoke up, wearing a frown on his face, "Let me understand this correctly: We're about to enter another universe? Not simply another planet in this galaxy or a planet in another galaxy, but an entirely separate universe in another dimensional plane altogether?"

"We think so," said Grimm. "In any case, it's hard to know fer sure since all we got is from Dawson's description. It don't seem like this is in our own universe, but there's nothing really ruling out either idea."

"The information you've just told is concerns me somewhat, however," Adem continued. "The state of technology is so primitive that there are no computers whatsoever? Hmm. This could be a challenge, but since I am the only one of us who has been off-planet, I may prove useful should we agree to take on this mission."

Mason Templar had been sitting and listening to the entire mission description and further discussion with a devilish grin on his face. Finally he spoke up: "Well, well, well, it sounds like my first official mission with this organisation was practically 'tailor-made' for your newest member..." He drew out his sword. "...and, of course, my Caliburn. Let us debate this no further. A challenge worthy of our talents awaits us!"

The room fell silent.

"Uh... yeah," said Danny. "Ummm... anyone else?"

"Uh, yeah." Drake spoke up from his space at the table. The hum of his hoverchar was just barely audible as it stayed in place a few inches off the ground.

Danny turned his attention to the young man "What is it Drake?"

"Well, it's this 'other universe' stuff. Things may not be quite the same there. The laws of physics and such. My ability to switch places with Drax may not work in another dimension. I mean, I know I'm a fun guy to be around, but if I can't do the old switcharoo with the big guy, all I'm going to be is an unbelievable handsome man who can't get out of his fancy chair."

Danny looked serious "We're all going to be taking risks going there. We don't know what's going to happen and that's why we need someone who thinks as fast as you do with us. Dragon or no dragon." Danny was smiling now. "Besides, I'm not going to let you talk your way out of this one. You promised one more mission."

"OK, chief. But you just volunteered to be the guy who carries me around if my chair breaks down."

"Who tell us this is not a trap?" said the Raptor, calmly, looking at Danny straight in the eyes. "The guy... Sam... said he was tricked into his role... what if he is tricking us, now? I know he was your friend... but he could have been brainwashed... or he could be possessed... like I was."

"So, you say no to the mission?" asks Danny, frowning.

"Sam disappeared 13 months ago, just before the Hurricane. I missed him by hours. No one of you did try to search for him, then he reappeared many months ago, in a coma, we put him in a bed and basically forget about him... now he awakes and we are ready to go to straight in a black hole to demonstrate him we are still his buddy..." continued Euro, without paying too much attention to Danny's question.

"You are not fair, Euro..." tried to say Danny, but Cicciotto continued...

"The place where we should go is an alien planet in a different dimension... Kristogar, if he would still be here, probably could have demonstrated that such a thing can't even possibly exist... thorn by a civil war among dead and living... where a mad wizard has convinced your Sam to lead a populace to doom... where no technology exist and probably there are diseases we have not ever faced and that will challenge our survival changes, if we could come untouched by black magic and steel blades". The words of the Raptor were falling over some of the listeners like an chilling, pouring rain.

"Things like that have never stopped us before, Euro, you know that" said Danny, an hard expression on his face.

"Plus, this is not a payed mission, we are going without assurances, and harming the profitability of the company itself." Ed's mouth's corner where bended down like he was profoundly disgusted.

"Enough with this speech, Euro. Just a yes or a no." Danny was enraged.

"It's a yes, obviously. The team stand for his members, old or new. What bothers me is to see this enthusiasm to go play superheroes in a forgotten dimension, while we don't move a finger for our planet, leaving it in the hands of Merlin and his Strikeforce. Not to mention George W."

Said that, Edulcore Cicciotto stood up, and walked trough the door. "I have an appointed meeting with Miss Xiang." The door closed behind him.

.........................................................

One minute later, Ed walked trough the door of Victoria Xiang' office. The ageless woman was sitting behind her desk, while, as usual, Nuriko was standing next to her, in a black suit with miniskirt of the same color and white shirt.

"Ed, I have called you for two things. First, I want to discuss with you a little idea from mine, that I hope should help counteracting the media attack that Merlin is orchestrating with the support of the United Nations, Usa, Russia and European countries included. i don't know if you had the chance of seeing his speech at new York on Christmas eve, but he is succeeding into merging our public image with that of the MBL metahuman terrorist. I guess what he is trying to obtain is having the various countries passing more severe laws to fight terrorism, and in the same time less controls over his own Strikeforce, and more founds. And to sustain this, he is fomenting metahuman hating all over the world."

"Like there is need for that" added, sadly, the Raptor.

"Exactly. That's the key. Merlin's long term plan for world domination lies over a foundation: the meta-hate. A strong, powerful foundation, but nevertheless single. If we can discard it, all his castle will rumble down. You understand what I mean, Ed?"

"Sure, Miss Xiang..."

"Victoria."

"Victoria, Ok. But telling the world to love the metahumans is not an easy thing. It's not an easy thing tell the countries to ban their anti metas laws, but even if that would be accomplished, the people at large will still hate the metagene blessed people. Who would like people able to peep trough the walls of your home, or able to get inside without being seen, or faster, smarter and stronger than you at whatever work?"

"Ed, that's what Merlin says at the people. We must let them know that there are people that will be able to protect them faster than any "normal" cop. People that can feel the location of their missing sons, that can smell the serial killer of the moment is hiding, that can capture a mad gunner before start to kill all of his hostages."

"Victoria, that's what the Strikeforce is for. Merlin has beaten us by time, if anything."

"Really, Ed? Had you ever seen the Strikeforce doing that? The Strikeforce save cities from meteors, fights demons... most of the time they do nothing at all, unless you count the parades across the biggest cities of the world. Merlin craves over the fear of people, the Strikeforce will never do anything to really clean-up the streets."

"Let me have this straight, Victoria: you want Vanguard to became the common man Strikeforce?"

"Bwhahahaha! No, Ed, no. Vanguard has higher purposes. Vanguard is studying to become what the Strikeforce should be. I am talking about the "superheroes" appearing everywhere in the world. People like our Drake Marshall. There are dozens, everywhere: the Technician in Russia, the Vulture in Spain... Merlin is enlisting a few of them for his new team, but many remains, doing a big work all buy themselves, inspired just by comics and movies."

"Strange. I never heard about them."

"You see? That's the problem. Nobody talks about them, so it's like they don't exist. There is just the Metahuman TV, trying to shed light to the hidden world of those meats, but it's not enough. That channel is outlawed in most countries, has a bad financial situations, I and a few others are financing it secretly, but it's all on the edge of bankruptcy. We need a long term plan, Euro, like Merlin. we have to work on many lever. Pushing the countries to ban the anti-meta laws. Fighting the metaterrorists like the MBL and the metamadmen like Rothman. Expose Merlin's liar about the Strikeforce. Let the people at large knows of the good deeds done by metahumans around the worlds. And I need a public face for this. One well known face that could, by experience, talks about all these issues to world leaders and to the common man."

"And that would be me? Edulcore Cicciotto, ex junkie, failed chef and wannabe world conqueror?"

"No. I am talking about Edulcore Cicciotto, ex track champion and proud father."

"Wouldn't that be too little?"

"No. Because you are another thing, that in media jargon means a lot: you are the first metagene carrying man that the world has known. True or not, you are the first known person to have carried the metagene. No one could claim more experience than you. And we'll capitalize over that. Are you with me?"

"You are tempting me, Victoria. What have I to do?"

"For now, nothing. We first have to rebuild your public image. Then, we'll see."

"And the second thing?"

"I don't know if you know this, but one of the victim of the War with naecken was a relative of you. A first cousin. See this." Miss Xiang handled Euro a paper, with a long list of names.

"Nicoletta Cicciotto? I never heard about her. I never heard about a relative of me that was not my mother or my father?!"

"I don't know nothing more than her name, Edulcore. I guessed would have been of interest for you".

"Yes, thanks" said Euro, standing up. Before leaving the office, he turned and said: "It all would be asier if there would be some big alien invasion. We fight it and then all the world loves us and the metas."

Xiang's eyes wideded. "But there is not an alien invasion coming."

"Maybe we should simulate one..."

"That's Merlin's way of doing things. We can't be like him. Remember that."

"He has a point, you know." Grimm looked over at Danny, who rolled his eyes. "I know." Right on top of his balding, Italian head. Danny thought to himself.

"If we do decide to go to this other world, we should seriously look at what we're doing here, when we come back." Grimm continued.

"I know." Danny answered again.

"Are we just going to remain hired mercenaries, or are we going to step up and try to improve things?" Grimm carried on. "Who else is going to do it? Strikeforce? The EPS? They're only concerned with their wants and needs. Do you think they're going to fight things like Naecken on their own? The Order is too remote. The Pantheon seem to have their own agenda."

"I kn-we're not mercenaries." Danny answered.

"Aren't we? We take jobs for money. Sounds kinda mercenary to me." Grimm folded his arms and looked at the table.

"Mercenaries don't care what they do or who they hurt as long as they get paid. All they care about is the bottom line. We're about more than that." Danny answered indignantly.

"Then maybe we should start acting like it." Grimm looked up at him. The expression on his plastic facemask was stern.

"What's gotten into you?" Danny answered, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll pay for the mission." Sam blurted out.

"What???" Everyone looked over at him.

"I have plenty of money. I'll pay for the mission. Look, I don't know most of you guys or much of what's happened while I was gone, but I know that there are people back in that world that need help. And you might be the only help they'll ever get. So if takes me paying for you do to the job, that's what I'll do." Sam stood and began walking towards the door. "I need to get some rest."

Sam shook his head as he left. What has the team come to? Have they sold out?

Sam got to the elevator , but hesitated.

Michelle?

Suddenly, a rush of images hit him.

On a plane, Sam puts his arm around a young dark blond haired woman. “My name is Megan…” “Sam.” “It’s nice to meet you.” “Yeah, likewise.”

The plane crashed down hard on a dark paved road. It violently rocks and shakes to a stop. Sam gets up right away, but many people are knocked unconcious. No flames, nor smoke are in view. He looks at Megan, who is unconcious, sleeping peacefully.

The survivors help the wounded and they make a mock shelter. Megan thanks Sam by giving him a long hug.

A army of knights surround them, and take them into a city surrounding by high stone walls. A castle of amazing structure and design.

Weeks pass and Sam and Megan grow closer, become friends and being there for each other during the hard times.

Months pass, they train and perpare for battle. Megan asks Sam not to do this, that they will never in. Sam says that after al his struggle, he finally believes that this is his destiny, to be a hero. She pulls him in for a kiss. It only lasts for a moment, but feels like a life time worth of memories.

Sam fights along with his army, but they are taken apart, returing to the castle, battle raved, Sam rushes through the dirt streets which have been decimated. He reaches Megan's room, but it has been burnt to the ground.


Sam presses the button on the elevator and realizes that he doesn't have an apartment anymore, that everything he has known is gone.

"Crap."

Miss X looks at the man standing in front of her desk. He's tall and muscular, with short dark hair and brown eyes so dark they seem black. He's dressed in an oddly familiar spandex suit with white metallic shoulder pads and a yellow utility belt. His legs, from the knee down, are protected by heavy armor-like boots, and his forearms covered by some sort of high-tech machinery, all white, that has a slot for the hands to come out.

"So, you say you want to apply for a membership in Vanguard International..." Xiang says.

"Yes, ma'am," the man replies with a short nod. He stands still and looking at the front.

"It says here you've been in the millitary..." Miss X says as she looks at a sheet inside the folder she holds in her hands. She turns the page, and her eyes widen as she reads something she wasn't expecting to read. Suddenly, the reason why the man's uniform seemed familiar becomes very obvious. "And you've been in the Strikeforce, too," she says, trying to disguise her surprise.

"Yes, ma'am. I resigned shortly before the Naecken war."

"May I ask why?"

"I realized the team wasn't what I thought it was when I joined it. I don't think I need to tell you about Jack Merlin's real personality..."

"No, I know about that. Why are you using the team's uniform, then?"

"Nothing else in my wardrobe goes with these things," the man replies looking at the equipment in his shoulders, arms and legs. He smiles, but the smile only lasts for a second before his serious expression returns. "I thought maybe a demonstration of my powers would be required, and I need this equipment to control them."

"Ah, right," Miss X says, looking at the folder again, "you're capable of 'causing natural disasters around you'..."

"Mainly small earthquakes. The scope and intensity depend on my concentration. My equipment helps me regulate that."

"Good," Miss X says taking one last look at the folder and then closing it and placing it on her desk. "Now tell me, why do you want to join Vanguard International?"

"I quit the Strikeforce before the war, but I got to the battlefield under my own means to fight for my planet. I saw Vanguard for the first time there and I was impressed by their performance. I don't care what the media says, I know for a fact that you were instrumental to the fall of Naecken and the whole planet is in debt with you because of that."

Miss X thought for a moment.
"Well, I'll tell you what; if your references check up, I have no problem with having you on the team. But that's not up to me, it's up to the team itself. I suggest you go out there and introduce yourself to them. I honestly hope you make a good impression, mister Matthews."

"Thank you," the man said with a smile, that this time stayed in his face as he looked at Xiang, "but please... call me Epicenter."

Brianna was in her room. She had decided to go on this crazy mission. "I don't know how you found that old doll," she said to Tayden. She was refering to the Christmas gift he had given her. Somehow, the ex-angel had managed to find Brianna's old childhood doll. He was sitting on her bed -- Brianna didn't have a chair in her bedroom. "But I wish you could have found my grandad's pipe as well. I think Brandon took it after I was sent to prison."

"Maybe for your birthday," said Tayden, only half-joking. "How did you get a hold of that old cedar chest?"

In front of Brianna there was an old green trunk. It was made of wood, and had a small brass lock to secure everything. "After I recieved some funds from the Vanguard missions, I sent some of it back to Ireland. A friend of mine used some of the money to send me some things from my old house."

"You have friends over there?" asked Tayden.

"Sort of." Brianna didn't want to mention Father Abben to anyone. He had risked his neck to free her from the prison. The least she could do was make sure no one found out about that. "Anyways, there were a few things I brought with me when I crossed the Atlantic." Brianna continued emptying the trunk of its contents. She tossed clothing a belts and shoes onto the floor, intent on finding something. "They may just be decorative, but if we're going to some Middle-Ages Universe they might come in handy."

She pulled out a long, thin sword. Right next to it was a small, sharp dagger. Both had old-fashion Celtic designs on them, and Brianna smiled as she held them. "Do you know how to use those?" asked Tayden.

The smile turned more into a wince. Brianna shrugged before going back into the trunk to look for the matching sheath. "No, but I'll figure it out as I go along..."

Sam Dawson felt like a stranger in the building he had grown up in and lived in for most of his young life. His family's old Dawson Apartments had been replaced by a cold, soulless "Vanguard Complex" which seemed more like something out of Star Trek: The Motion Picture than the familiar old brownstone in which the happiest -- and saddest -- memories of his life had been made.

"Sam!"

He turned and saw Danny, running after him down the corridor.

"Sam, wait a minute."

"What is it?" Sam asked, already knowing the answer, knowing that they were going to refuse to go back with him...

"We're going," said Danny, easily catching his breath after the sprint.

Sam blinked. "What...?"

"It was unanimous. Well, there were a few objections, and there still are, but they're all willing to do what they can to help." Daniel Hearn frowned as if in thought for a moment and then asked Samuel Dawson, "Say, Sam -- what about Adem's concern? Or Drake's? Will technology fail us there? Will those of us who have technology-based powers, such as myself, be 'utterly useless guys' in this world?"

"Hmm," Sam muttered, "I really couldn't say. I don't think so, though I could be wrong. We couldn't get the plane to work after it crashed on the World of Darkness, but that could have just been because all the equipment was destroyed. We didn't really have a chance to test any other things like that over there, y'know?" Sam smiled finally and said, "Well, thanks, man."

"Oh, no problem," Danny said with a grin.

Sam shook his head. "No, man, I really mean it. Thanks for agreeing to do this. It means everything to me."

Danny smiled and slapped his hand on Sam's shoulder. Then he began thinking out loud: "Still, we're concerned about transportation. The Stormloader might not be the best way to get about on that world, even if it does work. There's always Drax, of course -- he's our dragon as you may have gathered -- but Drake is worried about his not being able to switch places. I don't know. There must be some other option I can't think of at the m--"

"HO!"

"What the--?!" Dan and Sam said at the same time. They ran to the nearest window and saw an elephant-sized hawk landing in the Complex's parking-lot and causing a great deal of wind to be stirred up in the process. "Fuck."

"Another problem?" Sam asked.

"I hope not," Danny replied. "That's the last thing we need right now. C'mon, let's get out there and see what's up."

Within moments Dan and Sam were out by the parking lot, where they found most of the other Vanguardians already waiting, Mason Templar standing before them proudly as he calmly stroked the downy area behind the gigantic hawk's beak.

"What the hell is going on?" Danny shouted to them. "Templar, are you behind this?"

"Ho, Daniel!" Mason Templar said in his usual booming brogue. "This fine avian specimen of pigeon-hawk is my personal transport. His name is 'Erasmus,' or, more precisely, 'Erasmus VII.'"

"What the fuck IS he?" Danny shouted.

Mason Templar laughed. "He is the solution to our transportation problem upon the 'World of Darkness,' young Daniel!" He laughed again. "To answer your implied question, however: I discovered Erasmus during one of my many travels across this globe in an underground world of caves accessible though a volcano in Iceland, where many birds and reptiles have grown to gigantic proportions. Erasmus and his descendants before him have proven to be very useful as steeds for a knight errant as I have been in the past, though they're damned difficult to hide. I brought him with me when I arrived on this island and have been hiding him in a cave in the island's volcano these many days hence. I hope you approve."

Danny Hearn smiled at the absurdity of it and finally relented. "Thanks, Mason. 'Erasmus' may prove to be a big help." He mumbled an addition to that statement too low for anyone to hear, "Let's just hope he won't be a hindrance..."

Darkworld

The shaman awoke in the damp, cold cave. He stretched his aching legs and walked to the entrance. He looked out over the bleak, grey skies. Morning, at least as far as he could tell. There was no longer any physical way to tell the difference. The shaman went by his gut feelings.

He went out to the secret place he had consecrated days ago. He made a small circle and defecated in it. Then he urinated around the circle and prayed to his ancestors.

After praying, he built a small fire and stoked the flames. Sitting in front of the fire, he inhaled deeply the smoke. After many minutes, he began to receive visions. They were coming. Heroes from the other world. The dark riders. An epic battle. His prayers would be answered.

As a smile broke across his aged face, he felt a something enter his back and protrude from his chest. Looking down, he noticed the tip of a sword protruding from his chest. Blood covered the end of it. Blood flowed from his mouth as he felt himself lifted up off the ground by something stronger than he was.

A Dark Rider captain. Black armored, with fiery eyes shining from his helm. The captain lifted his kill up and flung him off into the distance with little effort. "One true order." he spoke before mounting his ride and charging off to whence he came.

"This is fucking retarded..." Ozzy breathed, ruffling his white hair.

Adem cocked an eyebrow at him.

"The bird, the loud fellow, or the situation?" he asked.

"...yep..." Baxter nodded, squinting as the wind began tearing in fitful torrents from the flapping of mighty wings.

Erasmus lifted into the air, Templar on his back howling like a mad bastard.

"TEMPLAR!" Danny yelled above the billowing breeze. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?!"

Mason's mouth widened into a guttural yell of something resembling ancient Scandinavian. He stood completely up in the booted saddle, flipping everyone off for no apparent reason.

"HA! HA! HA! FEAR NOT, YOU SPINELESS CHURLS!" his broad bellow announced, even as the bird rose higher and higher. "I WILL RETURN ONCE MIGHTY ERASMUS HAS SPENT HIS WASTE UPON THIS LAND!! HA! HA! HA!"

The epic bird turned, veering out over the driveway, gaining altitude.

"...'spent his what'...?" Adem frowned.

A sudden crash erupted from down the drive, as the assembled Vanguardians peered into the distance.

"My car!!" Phil barked, speeding by them.

Down the driveway, the fractured remains of a BMW sat spitting engine fluid, drizzles of smoke wafting with curls along the wide aftermath of turbulence. Cratered directly in the middle of the vehicle, a three-ton lump of feces sat steaming....

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Mason's broad, obnoxious laughter drifted into the distance.

"....oh...." Different nodded.

And, even as everyone peered down the drive, a tall figure, decorated in white metallic-mix-spandex armor walked up behind the group. Peering over everyone on his tip-toes, he looked on at the smelly car with an expression of neutral perplexion.

"Was that me?"

Phil watched as Mason Templar rode Erasmus over the beach in a wide arc that would take him over open sea before returning to land. "Y'know, that guy is really over-the-top."

"I think that's intentional," replied Dan with a grin.

"Hey." Epicenter stood awkwardly at attention while also trying to get the Vanguardian leader to notice him.

Danny finally turned and walked over to him. "Who the hell are you?"

"I've come to join your team. My name--"

"You've come to join our team?" Danny questioned.

"He's come to join our team?!?" the entire team sang as one, joining hands and dancing around in a jig. "Oh, he's come to join our team... he's come to join our team... YEE-HAW! Hey-ho, the merry-oh, he's come to join our team!"

Phil: "Woo!"

Epicenter: "..."

Danny Hearn shook his head. This kind of thing never seems to happen when he writes his own posts. "So... what's your name?"

"It's... well, you can call me Epicenter."

"Look, we don't really use code-names here, 'Eppie,'" Dan said. "I mean, if we started calling you 'Epicentre'..."

"That's EpicentER -- I use the American spelling."

"Whatever! What I'm saying is that, if we called you 'Epicenter,' then everyone would start calling me 'Animalman' again, and all hell would break loose."

"'Animalman'?" Epicenter repeated, utterly confused.

Dan held up a finger and wore a serious expression. "Don't you start!"

"O-okay..."

"We still need your name for all the Perditian immigration and employment forms, though. La Perdita doesn't have any income tax, but it requires proof of legal immigration before allowing employment on the island. What's your full name, and while we're at it, tell us your background."

Epicenter scratched his head and said, "Well, as I was telling Miss Xiang, I--"

"Whoa. Stop there, pal," Danny said. "You went to Miss X first?"

"'Miss Sex'?"

"I warned you once, pal -- don't start with me. Hm. This is worse than I thought. The only thing worse you could tell me is that you used to belong to Jack Merlin's Strikeforce."

"Uhh... well..."

"Oh bloody hell!" Dan said, suddenly gaining a very strong headache. He sat down for a moment and shook his head, laughing at the absurdity of the day so far. "Well, anyways, 'Eppie,' you can at least tell me your name. We'll have to have you checked out, of course."

"It's Matthews, sir."

"First name or last?"

"That's my surname, sir."

"Don't call me sir. What's your given name?"

"It's..."

PLOP!

"CRAP!" Epicenter stood back and found himself covered with enough bird-shit to fill a large bucket. In the near distance, a man laughed heartily.

“So? You read the book, and, puff, we are there?” asks Danny to Sam, some time later, when the young man seems less tired than before.

“Well, yes. At last, it’s how it should happen” responds Sam Dawson.

“Good. Time to prepare ourselves, guys and gal” hurries the Vanguard leader.

“I don’t think we could use the usual gear, right, Sam?” says Raptor.

“Uhm, right. We need something less futuristic that your kind of wardrobe… no plastic, aluminum… and we need sacks to carry food and rugs”.

“Sacks?” wonders Phil. “You want us to carry all on our back? We have all terrain vehicles that would operates perfectly in any environment!”

“And be pretty useless when we’ll end the gasoline. We could stay there for months, probably. I don’t think a few days would be enough to free an entire world. By the way, I don’t think twelve… thirteen people would be able to free a world, anyway, but I hope I will be proven wrong. In any case, I concur with Phil on not being thrilled to have to bring all on our back. Brianna can’t fly with much other than her own weight. For me is a little different, due to the residual of my density altering powers, but still a big backpack would make impossible to me to fly.”

“Mhhh… we could rent horses. Are you able to ride?” suggest Epicenter, trying to give his contribute to the preparation of the mission.

“I don’t think there are horses trained to go through real battles anywhere in this world, Michaells” says Grimm.

“It’s Matthews, actually…”

“Why don’t we use a carriage? With just an ox to draw it!” says Euro. “The natives on the other side of the island have carriages and oxes, we could easily buy one.

“Mhhh…” mumbles Sam. “We could pose as gypsies. That would explain our assortment of different faces and colors of skin… or no skin at all” he adds, looking at Grimm. “Acrobats. Ciarlatans . Wandering from castle to castle to enjoy the rulers. A… company. With strange animals like the big bird, and magical things, like Drake’s chair. And gypsies are poor peoples, so nobody will try to harm us before we reach the castle.”

“And when we get to the castle?” asks Grimm.

“The castle is in the hands of the wizard. We first kick his butt, then we’ll free the world.”

“Sounds a little too simple to me, Sam!”

“Am I the only one to have faith in this team?” wonders Sam Dawson.

"And you are the newest member of our team, then? Crap Matthews, is it?" Mason Templar laughed loudly.

"My name's not--"

Templar put one beefy arm around Epicenter's shoulder (who, though tall, looked smaller in comparison with the tall and stocky Mason Templar) and continued, interrupted what the man began to say: "It never ceases to amaze me how much trust this organisation seems to grant membership to any old stranger who knocks on their doorstep and asks for admission to their team. Why, they're even accepting new members recruited from enemy organisations such as the Strikeforce!"

Epicenter tried to speak, "Yes, but..."

"Now, you wouldn't happen to be a filthy spy, would you? A rapscallion sent by Jack Merlin to watch our every move until he has enough power to strike against us? Not that I have anything against rascals or rapscallions -- hell, I proudly consider myself to be one -- but in the old days we used to execute spies immediately. No trial whatsoever. Can you assure me that you are no spy, Mr. Crap Matthews?"

"I'm not a spy, and my name's not 'Crap,' it's--"

Templar frowned and pointed a finger at something dangling from Epicenter's hair. "Oh, dear me. There's something in your hair."

"--SHIT!"

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" Mason Templar laughed loud and long as Epicenter got the last piece of bird-shit off of his head.

Priest brushed his hand over his bald head and enjoyed the fresh air outside the Complex. Opening his button down shirt, he dropped it to the floor and let the sun’s rays hit his chest and reflect off the metal plate on the upper left side of his chest.

If machinery fails on this world, he’ll be left without a beating heart. But by all the common laws of physics and nature, there should be no issues with tech. Just because it is another world, another universe, should make no difference.

Unless of course if it does.

And to travel to another World, right after accepting this world… to risk never coming back, just as it feels like home? Is it really worth it? To help a friend… Of course it is.

And Drake is risking his legs and taking a leap of faith. Priest, is willing to do the same.

He’s fought in the future, and the present, why not the past too…

So, do you think we really may be cut off, Drake?

"I don't know. I mean, for a lack of a better word, our bond is magical. I don't know how it works, so there's no telling how going to another world will change it."

Well, it way be better for you. You know, if we aren't linked. Maybe your healing powers can...

"Look Drax, if we get cut off my first concern is going to be getting it fixed. This team needs you."

They need you too, Drake. And they're not the only ones.

"You're right, but there's nothing I can do."

Maybe there is. Maybe, if the world we're going to has all this magic, you can find a way. The team could still have me and you can be with the people who need you.

"We'll see Drax. But I think we're going to be too busy for me to worry about that."

Drake's chair was nearly spun around as Mason slapped him on the shoulder. "So! Soon we shall meet battle together! I look forward to seeing how your draconic friend handles the miscreants of this new world!"

"Uhm, thanks?"

"Indeed! I believe he and I shall be more comfortable there than the rest of this lot!"

"Yeah, he's looking forward to it too."

I didn't say that!

"Yep, he's sharpening his claws in anticipation."

You're gonna pay for this...

"Aha! It would take a dragon to match my lust for battle!"

I don't suppose you're going to correct him this time...

"Oh yeah, get ready. He says that the "world of darkness" is going to see battles like none before!"

"Ha ha! Good!" Mason went off to talk to some of his other teammates.

I hate you.

". . .so then she says, not with MY donkey, you don't! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!" Mason Templar's boisterous laughter echoed across the lot of the Vanguard compound while Erasmus cooed contentedly as his master held him by his bridle. Drake and Danny exchanged looks of mild bemusement.

"If that bird even looks like he's thinking about crapping on me, we'll be eating drum sticks for a year." Grimm said to one in particular. Priest unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a laugh.

"Why should we wish to consume something for so long a period of time?" Adem asked as Ozzy rolled his eyes. "You are joking again, aren't you?" Baxter asked him. Adem smiled uneasily. "Uhm. . .Yes?"

"We need someone here to read the incantation from the book." Sam informed Tayden as the angel flipped through the pages. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, it's just that I noticed the pages are written in Sumerian." Tayden replied, studying a particular passage.

"Can you read it?" The meta sometimes called Shift asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, yes, it's just I don't see it very often these days. I need to brush up a bit." Tayden smiled at the young man and Sam's fears and anxieties seemed to wash away.

"Ho, Mr. Grimm! That appears to be a fine weapon you have there! Might I take a closer look at it?" Templar asked strolling up to the undead biker. "Yeah, just be careful with it." Grimm handed the heavy weapon over to the man.

To his credit, Templar only seemed mildly surprised by the weight. He turned it over in his hands, noticing a small inscription written on the handle. "Eh? What's that?. . .Godslayer. . ." His eyes grew wide as if he had a sudden epiphany, his jaw went a little slack.

"Is there a problem?" Grimm asked, eyeing the newcomer intently. Templar's smile quickly returned as did the gleam in his eyes. "No problem! A fine weapon, indeed!" He exclaimed, handing the axe back to it's owner.

"So we'll attach this portable communicator to your wrist, and in theory, we'll be able to communicate with you. . ." Montag explained as he wrapped the unit around Danny's wrist.

{Would you like me to download some music for your trip, Daniel? I have all the latest Backstreet Boys songs. . .} Jym stated from Grissom's laptop unit.

"Ignore him. I do." Montag went on, rolling his eyes slightly at the AI. "No, thanks, Jym. I don't think we'll have time to listen to music." Danny answered.

"Ye sure are fond of this Jenna Jameson lass, Grissom." Banshee stated, looking at Griss' laptop screen.

"Dammit, Jym, I said file B14, not B41!" Montag yelled with a hint of embarrassment.

{Sorry. I'm terrible with numbers. Would anyone like to hear my new haiku about Freddie Prinze Jr.?}

"NO!" Vanguard exclaimed in unison.

"A communicator...that will connect audio or digital signals between dimensional planes?" Adem frowned, whispering to Ozzy. "They're joking, right?"

Ozzy shrugged, looking at him.

"I mean....we don't even have tech THAT powerful or complex on my home world....don't tell me that they've built it within a few hours..."

"I don't know..." Ozzy sighed. "...let them believe what they want...we'll find out when we get there..."

"Still..." Adem shook his head.

"Ah, yes....I was afraid of that..." Tayden sighed, flipping a few pages.

"Tayden?" Danny asked, turning away from Grissom.

The sunlight bathed the gathered metahumans, as the entire assemblage stood waiting along the wide, circular parking compound.

"There seems to be no Ankorajah Gravitas attachment to this spell...." he explained, his lips curling in concentration, as his vivid eyes scanned the imprinted black text.

"Meaning?" Sam asked.

"Meaning....there's no return value in these equations..."

"I'm sorry....'equations'? What are you talking about, Tayden?" Raptor peered over his shoulder at the pages.

"Oh, well, sorcery....magic...the supernatural....whatever you want to call it...it's all just higher-plain mathematics, you see. Algebra of the gods, as it were." the ex-angel shrugged. "Originally The One created sorcery as a sort-of 'Service Entrance' to the backdoors of reality. Harmonic keys set within sixty-six consecutive plains of existence, allowing breaches to be made between dimensional walls, without having to go through the irritating divine bureacracy of The Courts, and that sort of thing...."

Ozzy glanced over at Adem.

"...does my head look like it's about to explode? Cause' it feels like it..." he drolled sarcastically to the alien, before turning back to the conversation at hand.

Adem continued to stare at his head with interest.

"What's your point, Tayden?" Danny asked.

"Simply? This will get you where you want to go...." he explained. "....but, the equation that would give you a return path is.....missing. Curious, that..."

"We were prepared for that contingency already." Sam announced. "It changes nothing."

"Agreed." Raptor nodded.

Tayden took a deep sigh, even as his smile broadened from it's usual gleam.

"...magnificient bastards...all of you..." he chuckled, returning to his reading.

"Let's go." Danny said.

Tayden looked back up.

"I'm working on it..." he sighed. "...you do realize that this is a very complex set of equations, right? I mean, it will take me about an hour to effect the transition matrix....go drink some coffee, or something..."

"An hour?!" Danny exclaimed. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"

Tayden cocked an eye up from the pages.

"I'm sorry? Were you talking? I was attempting to calibrate a dimensional breach? Nothing important, mind you. Did you want to bitch about something?"

Danny just sighed.

"Fine...okay...." he said. "...everyone...we have one hour to prepare for the journey..."

Danny walked through a corridor mumbling something that included the words "every fucking time" when he bumped into Epicenter.

"Hey, umm..." Danny said, "Matt, are you ready for the mission?"

"Matthews is my surname..." Epicenter corrected, "And, yes, I'm ready. I'm just surprised that I was accepted into the team so quickly."

"Well, all your references checked up, and... what the hell, we do this stupid shit all the time." Danny said. Epicenter smiled and was about to laugh when he noticed Danny's expression was serious. "But, anyway, you're still on probation period, so don't expect us to tell you any secret recipes or trust you our lives."

"I understand," Epicenter said with a nod.

"Do you know the details of the mission?"

"Yes... freeing earth in another universe, right?" Epicenter said.

"Yeah," Danny replied, a bit shocked by the naturallity with which Epicenter accepted the concept. Part of him thought it was nice to finally have a newbie who wasn't shocked by the things they had to face. "We'll leave in about an hour. See ya then."

"Okay." Epicenter and Danny continued on their ways. When Danny was far behind him, Epicenter smiled and shook his head. "Other universe..." he mumbled, "right. Like I don't know a test when I hear it..."

"Nah nah, you're doing it wrong." Ozzy grabbed Brianna's hand. "This is how you make a proper fist." He rearanged her fingers, so that her thumb only touched the pointer and middle fingers.

Brianna made a clumsy attempt to swing a punch. However, she leaned to far forward and nearly fell on her face. "Maybe I should just stick with the knife."

Ozzy looked confused. "I thought you had a sword as well."

Brianna turned away, slightly embarassed. "Yeah, I did, but I accidentally stuck the tip in Grissom's foot. Grimm said I leave it behind or loan it to one of the guys."

"That makes sense," said Ozzy. So far, his crash course in boxing was not working on the girl. "Look, maybe you should stick to that sonic cry of yours."

Brianna corrected her fist by herself and practice punching some invisible target. "Yeah, but what if I'm in another situation where it doesn't work? What if I cry myself hoarse again? Even if I just knew how to punch a nose--"

"Now, lass, what are you thinkin'?" Mason Templar had seen the two.

"Oh God," began Ozzy. "I hope that fucking bird's not going to shit on me."

"Thinking what?" asked Brianna, not sure what Mason meant.

"Seems to me you're jumping into a boiling pot of danger, young Miss." He held up her hand and kissed it. "A lady of your nobility shouldn't wrap herself up in vagabond's business. Now, off to find my bird a small calf to feast on!"

"What an ass," said Ozzy, after Mason was out of hearing range.

Brianna shrugged. "I think he's sweet. He called the daughter of peasents 'noble'. Very sweet. Now come on, and show me how do an upper-cut. Sweet or not, he does that again and I'll give him vertigo with a scream."

"...again..."

Beads of sweat trickled down Brianna's face, as the sunlight cut past her vision again. She turned, coming around with a wide swing, meeting only air as Ozzy dipped his head back a bit. A hard grunt, and her right knuckles clipped Baxter's flat palm with a short jab. A wisp of air, and a balled fist came to a dead stop a bare inch from the tip of her nose, halting her in place.

"...shift your weight on your back heel...." he said, his voice low and calm, dropping his fist.

She panted a bit, nodding.

"...you think he's sweet?" Ozzy asked.

Bri shrugged.

"Why not?" she asked, balling her fists up again.

Ozzy crinkled his nose in a frown.

"...again..." he said.

A jab...blocked. A thrust...uppercut....jab.

Blocked.

She grunted in exertion, her bare feet slapping the hot pavement of the driveway.

"...watch your balance..." he commented, as she took a few steps back. "...what's sweet about him? He's an obnoxious ass..."

Ozzy's feet were solid, twisting and shifting only on his heels. He dodged an uppercut with a calm ease, allowing her arm it's full extension. He spun his torso left, her other fist slipping past.

Brianna's teeth were clenched, her patience dwindling.

She leaned in again, throwing all of her weight behind a right-cross. Ozzy kicked his head back, the swing missing his jaw by a fraction of an inch.

Her body came to a sudden stop, his cocked fist holding position against her sternum as she fell completely forward against it.

Bri exhaled sharply. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to get her attention. Enough to stop her.

She panted heavily, strands of red sticking to her sweaty forehead. Still leaning against his fist, she looked up at him...

"...use your momentum....not your weight..." he added with a calmness that none had yet witnessed from the man. "...and lose the anger....it will always be your enemy..."

This was his element. This was his forte'. His 'happy-place'. His expertise.

For the first time since arriving on this island, Ozzy felt....

...useful...

She came back up to the proper stance he had shown her. She balled her fist up, ready to go again.

He smiled a bit, impressed with her determination.

"Again." he said, his voice growing a bit harder.

She held her stance this time, eyes sternly fixed on his.

...and the fists began to swing...

Red-hued knuckles cut the air, hard and sharp. Her jaw firmly clenched in place. Her center of gravity fixed.

She jabbed twice, the third time faking out, with a right-cross to meet. Ozzy's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise as he instantly adapted his weight to dodge the attack.

"Come on!" his voice barked, goading her. "Do something! Get into it!"

She started fighting harder....faster. Her grunts came louder, the two beginning to circle each other. Ozzy's feet shifted left, as she slid right. Her fist cut the air around him, and Ozzy began to feel the excitement boiling in his blood again.

The old itch. The passion.

"Bring it! Let me feel it!"

Brianna was swinging with precision, now. His voice only intensified her concentration, as he ducked and parried. He jerked left and right, both of her fists meeting nothing but the tail tips of his white t-shirt.

...magnificent... he thought, admiring the passion flowing from her adapting form.

And the two....danced.

They danced like all fighters....like all boxers...

Shifting and sliding, their feet moved with grace and precision. Moving and stopping. Finding anchor. Attack and defense.

And Ozzy's form was a blur, rolling and dodging with every punch she threw....every jab....every thrust...every uppercut.

Her fists flew faster....and faster....

"Stop trying to hit me....and hit me!"

And, with a sudden yell bursting from her lungs, her left wing came around, ramming him in the chest.

Ozzy's slammed into the pavement, skipping like a stone against the fragmenting asphalt.

"Oh! Bloody hell! Ozzy!" she suddenly exclaimed, running to his side.

Baxter lay there, chuckling as her shadow cut over him.

"Are you alright?!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I don't know how I--"

"Bri...Bri...Bri!" he said between laughs, finally beginning to calm her. "It's okay! Really!"

"I...I don't know why I did that....I--"

"Hey!" he said getting her attention, even as she helped him up. "Listen....tell me....what just happened, eh?"

She paused, her face still concerned.

"I...I don't know....I guess I just got so into it...I didn't mean to use them...but, I flexed my shoulder muscle...it was purely unintentional..."

"Then, that's a shame, luv'..." he breathed, sitting propped against his knees. "...I mean, I told you to hit me, and you did..."

"But, I didn't want to hurt you...and it wasn't a proper fighting move..."

"Bullshit!" he exclaimed with a smile. "It worked, didn't it?"

She thought a moment, finally nodding.

"...yeah..."

"Listen, I'm just teaching you the basics....that's all..." he explained. "...fighting isn't about following the rules, you know. Not real fighting. In a serious situation...a life-and-death situation....there are NO rules. You use what you got..."

He tugged lightly against the tip end of her wing.

"...and, with you, that means these big, broad things..." he explained. "And, hey....you can't hurt me....remember? The whole invulnerability-thing?"

She blushed a bit. Not that he could tell, given the redness of her cheeks born from exertion.

"...oh...right..." she smiled sheepishly.

She helped him to his feet.

"You learn quick, luv'....I'll give you that..." he sighed.

He arched his back, stretching it out a bit. Then, with a devilish smile, turned towards her.

"...besides...we both know you can't do that again..."

She stared at him for a moment, finally breaking out with a sly smile.

...Brianna balled her fists up...

Ozzy's mouth crinkled into a smile, holding his flat palm up.

"...again..."

Sometime later, just minutes prior the appointed time for the departure, Edulcore Cicciotto returned to the parking lot pulling a big white hunchbacked ox, attached to a large, wooden car, covered with a very dirty canvas top. At the driver seat was sitting a very happy Eddie. The two daughters of Kit Piper ran out of the Complex, laughing loud at the sight.

While Luchadore and Blackwulf where stuffing foods, rugs, medicines and other useful things in the carriage, Euro took his son under the arms and put him back on ground. Then, he kneeled in front of the little kid, that turned the head away, not to look at the face of his “father”.

“Eddie, I have to go away for sometime. Charley and Henry and Axel and Kit will take care of you, and I am sure Uncle Baaagh will come to play with you. I will return as soon as possible”. The eyes of Ed were wet, and tears were trembling on the rim of the eyelids, uncertain if to stop there or run down.

The kid was silent as always. Denice was looking at him.

“I wish you could say something, son…” said Euro with a very saddened expression.

Denice said, smiling, to the kid: “Eddie, say hallo to your dad!”

“He can’t speak, Denice” explained Ed.

“Oh, yes that he can!”

“What?”

“Yes, he speaks a lot with us kids. Speaks very funny, too!”

Eddie ran away, toward Kit, which was leaving the building, looking for the two girls.

“He does speak? How’s that possible?” Ed wondered, walking toward his kid. But a voice stopped him: “Euro, it’s time, we have to leave”.

The Italian man stopped, and then, looking back toward the kid, returned to the gathered assemble of the Vanguard members, preparing for the departure.

"It's not as easy as it looks. I have to spend thirty minutes everyday with the creams and gels and such," Phil said to Epicenter as the new possible member examined the telepath's hair.

"Yeah, but do you think it would look good on me? Seriously. I've always been somewhat self concious when it comes to my apperance," the former Strikeforce member replied.

The Stormloader set down next to the congregation of Vanguardians. The door at the front lifted up as Danny stepped out. "Let's not make this anymore complicated than it already is," the leader said as he came to a stop on the bow of the modified hovercraft. "Divide up between the Loader, the cart, and the bird."

"Erasmus!" Mason yelled out.

"Yeah. Erasmus. So, let's get going."

"Danny," Raptor said, walking up to the hovercraft. "It's not a smart decision taking the Stormloader over to the other universe. Can we really risk losing it in another dimension?"

"More than we can losing our team over there," the Aussie replied.

"But...," the Italian began to argue.

"This isn't up for discussion, Ed. This team will need all the help it can get over there. If we're willing to risk our fucking lives for this, we can risk a damned machine. The ox and cart can move a disguised team along the ground to gather intel while the Stormloader and the bird...."

"Erasmus!" Mason called out again.

".... Erasmus, protect us from the air." Danny looked over at Tayden as the team prepared to depart. "Ok, Tayden. Do your stuff."

The former angel cleared his throat and began to recite a long dead language. The lines of the giant triangle he had drawn on the ground around the team began to glow. The concrete outside of it began to crack and break. A low hum turned into a rumble. Tayden's voice was joined by an invisible chorus that grew louder and chanted faster with each passing moment.

The world beyond the triangle disappeared from the team just as the world within it disappeared from in front of Tayden. A rainbow of lights engulfed the Vanguardians. Their stomaches felt like they were being twisted and bounced around inside their bodies. Then, it stopped.

The world came into focus once again. This time the concrete triangle sat in a clearing surrounded by what was obviously an ancient woods with trees towering up into the sky.

"Is everyone ok?" Danny asked the rest of the team in the hovercraft.

"I'm not sure," Adem replied. "My head aches, and my eyes can't focus." The alien tried to stand, but wobbled a little. "I should be fine in a bit, though. Jym. Jym, are you receiving?" Adem spoke into the unit on his cuff which linked to Jym's main CPU, now connected directly to the team's mainframe. The AI did not respond.

Nor did Adem adjust. His eye were still unable to see and his balance was still a little off. "I don't like this one bit," Different said as he realized the situation that he was quite possibly in.

The Stormloader's gate opened and most Vanguardians walked down and started walking around the clearing, making sure their equipments and body parts still worked. Epicenter stood in the grass with his jaw dropped and eyes wide open, looking at the impossibly tall trees that surrounded the clearing.

"Brianna, get up there and tell us what you see," Danny ordered. He turned around and noticed the petrified look on Epicenter's face. He was pale. "What's wrong?"

Epicenter looked at Danny, and as he moved his hand to point at the australian, a smile appeared on his face. He started laughing. "You guys are good. You guys are fucking good."

Danny looked at the newbie, puzzled.

"You had me going there for a second. I didn't know you had this kind of technology. I don't think even Merlin knew you had this kind of technology." Epicenter looked around. "This looks very real. Oh, you guys are good."

"What do you mean, this looks very real?" Danny asked. "It is real. What else could it be?"

Epicenter stopped laughing. "...a test...?"

Danny shook his head. "No. I'm sorry."

"You mean..." Epicenter said as his face paled again, "...that we're actually in another dimension?"

Danny was about to reply when Raptor came out of the 'Loader. "Danny! Adem still can't see. He doesn't feel too good. I think there's something wrong with him."

"Shit..." Danny said. He looked at the other people outside the ship. "What about the rest? Does anyone feel anything else?"

Drake had broken out into a sweat, Danny looked concerned. "Drake are you OK? Can you contact Drax?"

Drake concentrated for a moment, he seemed to be in discomfort "I can't, but that's not all. My legs...hurt. My feet...I can feel them. I've been cut off from the radiation and my healing powers seem to be repairing the damage it did, I can even feel the muscle mass being built back up. So I guess there's bad news and there's good news. The bad news is that you won't have Drax for this mission." Drake stood up, not even leaning on the arms of is chair. "The good news is that Nightwatch is here to take his place."

Ozzy grinned from his place on the ramp "All right!"

Brianna's eyes widen. She could see Drake rise from his chair. "Well," she said, thinking back to when she first saw him. "The duck has legs of his own again."

"Enough chit-chat, Bri," said Danny. "What's the layout?"

Brianna was using the thermals to make a small circle above the team. She had to get several feet above the treeline to get enough warm air to avoid heavy flapping, which would tire her out. "Visibilty's fairly good, I can see at least two miles out here. We've got forest around us, mostly. Moutains due north-northwest of us, with a river coming from the mountain that goes east of us. I can't see through the trees--"

Danny could see Brianna was tensing up in the air. Her flapping became more stuff. Without any warning, she dove down from the treetops and setttled on a branch. Her wings were shaking. "Danny, I think I flew too high. Our cover might be blown!"

The tree in which Brianna perched suddenly shook a bit. Jerking her arm out for support against the trunk, she quickly realized that it wasn't just the tree that was shaking...

"...what the hell..." Danny mumbled, as the ground quaked again.

It was rhythmic....steady....

Bri narrowed her eyes a bit, searching out over the horizon. Her face grew a bit ashen....

"...oh...dear..." she whispered. "Ed! Ed, get up here!"

As everyone braced against more quakes, Raptor leapt into the air, circling up to her vantage point. He paused, hanging effortlessly in the air, scanning the lands with her.

"Oh...crap..." he said. "Danny! Everyone! Take cover!"

Danny opened his mouth to question, when a shadow suddenly began to loom over the forest.

Templar's eyes widened, as a familiar spark of memory surfaced in his mind.

"Gods!" he yelled, everyone beginning to run for the cover of the forest. "Vanguard...SCATTER!!"

And, even as everyone leapt into the thick foliage of the green forest, Ozzy didn't move, looking back and forth for the cause of the tremors.

"What the hell's happening?!" he exclaimed. "What do you see?!"

Immediately, an enormous booted foot slammed directly down on top of him, driving him into the earth....

"...holy shit..." Grimm muttered.

The shadow of a giant...standing well over one-hundred stories tall....covered the field...as it never paused, continuing on its' trek. Seemingly oblivious, the epic-scale foot lifted from the field, moving on...

....giving no notice to the group that huddled in the treeline....

The quakes created from the footsteps slowly began to fade, as everyone began to get their bearings.

"...I...I didna' see it..." Bri said to Ed, as they both watched the golem-like creature continue into the distance. "...he...it...came from behind that mountain range..."

Danny cocked an eyebrow at Sam.

"...giants...?" he asked calmly.

"I...sorry....I guess my memories are too fuzzy....I had forgotten about them..." he stammered apologetically.

"...anything else you want to tell us....?" Hearn asked.

Drake stood over a small hole in the massive footprint left in the giant's wake.

"....Ozzy?" he said, peering into the darkness of the hole.

"...someone get me out of here...." came the muffled voice from deep within the ground.

"Where's Griss when we need him?" Phil remarked.

"Oh crap!" said Danny, looking at the next footprint of the giant, while Drake Marshall was throwing the end of a rope, taken from the carriage, to Ozzie, to let him outside the deep hole.

The feet of the giant had set exactly over the Stormloader, squashing it totally. Nothing could be salvaged from it, as it was now like a tin foil.

"Dan, better to leave the place quickly. I don't know what the probability engine of the Loader could release, but I fear it would be very dangerous" said Euro.

"Everybody, away from here. Drake, help Adem to go in the carriage. Sam, with him. The others run!"

The Vanguardians followed the orders of Danny with no discussion, moving in the direction of the river. Just Euro and Templar, the latter riding his fabled bird, remained high above the spot to see if anything would happen to the aircraft.

And something happened. It simply disappeared, with all the footprint and a small portion of the surrounding forest.

"It imploded! Like a mini black hole!" yelled Mason. Edulcore simply nodded, and then the two headed for the rest of the team.

Tayden held the book tight against himself, his arms clutched around it.

"You going to keep hold of that thing the whole time?" He heard Danny ask him.

Tayden nodded in reply.

"I thought it didn't have the roadmap back home?"

"It may help," Tayden said resolutely. Danny just nodded in reply.

Sam dressed himself in the garb of the locals just by thinking about it. He and his teammates would need as much discretion as they could provide themselves. Showing up with a giant bird and a hovercraft probably didn't help matters in that regard, but it was a necessary burden. He grew his hair out just because he felt like it.

"Danny?" Sam asked.

"What?" Danny replied.

"I was thinking I should head for the nearest civilised place. See if I can..."

"...arrange some clothes for the rest of us," Danny finished.

"Exactly."

Sam watched as Danny looked himself up and down. They'd dressed as inconspicuously as possible, but some authentic clothes would probably go a long way towards fitting in.

"Right. Do it. We'll set up a camp somewhere. Uh..." Danny scanned the horizon, and his eyes settled on a shady point beneath the trees, open enough to move freely but secluded enough to be hidden. "There. Go."

Sam nodded.

"Everyone else! Camp! There! Now!" Danny yelled.

"FOR THE TRUE LORD!" Came a cry from the trees.

"...the hell?" Danny said, and looked over his shoulder. Storming from the cover of the forest, in a hailstorm of noise and bad intentions, there was what appeared to be a troupe of knights.

"Knights? Already? Seriously?" Ozzy asked.

"It would appear so," Grimm replied.

The knights themselves were clad in armour that gleamed silver in patches, as if they'd gone for quite some time without being washed and the shiny parts were fighting for stage time against the dirty parts. Their swords were several feet long and being brandished above their heads like Olympic torches, and many of them held wooden shields across their torsos.

"Hey, it's the fight scene! Cool!" Danny said. He instantly grew himself a thick, black exoskeleton and charged towards the attackers.

"Wait!" He yelled suddenly, and held out a steadying hand to his teammates.

"Maybe they just want to talk. Let's try diplomacy," Danny said with mock seriousness.

"DIE, INVADING SCUM!" Shouted the knight who led the pack, and he smacked his sword against his shield threateningly.

"FINALLY! BATTLE!" Shouted Mason Templar.

"Right. So that's how pointless this scene is going to be, then," Ozzy said.

Danny sprinted forwards to meet his opponents, brandishing huge claws on each hand. He tackled one of them in the midsection, sending them both sprawling to the ground and managing to knock over two more of the armour-clad men in the process. Danny smacked his claws ineffectually against the chain mail across the chest of the man he had tackled, and screamed in frustration. He felt another man's sword strike him in the back. He paid no notice as the sword slipped off the sleek exoskeleton without doing any damage.

Danny's claws slipped through the top of the chainmail, where it met the man's helmet. He felt the soft flesh of the man's neck give way and blood spurted out. Some struck Danny in the face.

"Ha!" He yelled.

Another knight rose his sword high above himself and aimed it at Danny.

"Well, you can try..." Danny said.

The knight never got a chance to strike, as Brianna rocketed down from the sky and bowled him completely off his feet.

"This might make me a bad person... but I found that really hot," Danny added.

Brianna kept going into the sky, clutching the man she'd grabbed for the first few feet. His weight soon proved difficult to carry and maintain speed, so she dropped him on top of one of his comrades. They both fell to the ground, dazed.

"Cool," She said.

"WINGED HARLOT!" Another knight yelled at her, brandishing his sword at the air.

"Hey!" Came a voice from behind him. The knight turned around to find Ozzy Baxter's fist coming straight at his face.

"You couldn't even get one o' them helmets with the face bit? I mean, look at you. You're unconscious now. You're like Batman versus a criminal with a gun. Just aim for the bloody face!" Ozzy yelled, then felt a sword deflect off his shoulder.

"Oh, that's right, I'm in a fight. Lengthy pieces of dialogue just don't work in this setting. Sure, they can sound cool, but when you think about how a fight would go realistically, you just wouldn't have time to crap on about this sort of thing..."

Ozzy soon realised the irony inherent in the last paragraph. So he shut the hell up and punched this second opponent in the face. He heard the sound of splintering wood to his left, and spun around to investigate. He found Grimm dropping his axe into the centre of a man's shield, breaking it into countless tiny pieces.

Grimm grabbed his opponent by the neck, and threw him backwards. The man landed awkwardly on his neck, and didn't get up again.

"DEMON! SKULL FACED DEMON!" Another man yelled.

"WANKER! STUPID HEADED WANKER!" Grimm yelled, and knocked the man unconscious with the side of his axe.

Sam looked around at the KOed Knights and nodded his head. He formed a goatee on his face simply so he could rub it as if he were in deep thought.

"So, I guess this means that I really don't have to get us clothes."

Ozzy picked up one of the knight's chest plates. The reflective silver glew in the midafternoon sun.

"This works for me."

Other knights, twenty at the least, charged with the spears pointed at the Vanguardians, while most of them were trying the robes of the few that they has previously beaten.

"Matthews, make a quake! Phil, blind the ox!" shouted Raptor, which was rotating above the trees.

Phil got instantly the meaning of Edulcore words, listening to his yelling though. Epicentre simply did what he was order to: a small heartquake that shook the hill up to the top of the trees.

The horses instantly became frisky, unsaddling their riders. The ox, calmed by the peaceful vision Phil suggested to his simple mind, didn't run off.

"Now it's fair" smiled Euro, flying away from the place, far down the hill, while the other Vanguardians jumped at the dismounted soldiers.

"...dodge...parry...punch..." Ozzy mumbled, laying another knight out, with another to replace him. "....dodge....parry...punch..."

Sparks spit to his right, as Banshee swooped paste, her mace and short-sword glinting off the knights armor with ferocity. Even as the armored figure turned to meet her next dive, Ozzy clothes-lined an attacking warrior, while wrapping his thick arm around the neck of Banshee's prey.

"...dodge...parry.....snap...." the ex-boxer mumbled, a small, muffled crack of vertabrae meeting his last word. The knight slumped to the ground.

"Hey! I had 'em, Oz!" Bri's words trailed past him. "Leave some for the rest of us!"

"...sorry..." Baxter grinned.

And that's when he noticed it. His eyes, cutting directly over his left shoulder, he found a strange....color....on his arm...his back....splotched haphazardly over his body.

"...what the hell...?" he murmured, staring down at himself.

Peeking out from the tattered edges of his clothes, his bare skin glinted a dirty, metallic gray. He began wiping at his skin, trying to feel it....trying to get it off. His fingers merely slid against the gray skin, the faintest of tapping noises coming from the impact of his fingertips against the material.

"...I...metal...?" he breathed.

And, even as Baxter's bewildered state held his attention firmly fixed on his own body, the battle raged around him. Another of the seemingly endless knights leapt at him, charging with the usual sharp broad sword.

Ozzy paid no attention to it's shattering blade, as it impacted harmlessly against his chest. But, what did capture his attention, was the imprint the blade's impact left.

Another streak of bronze now painted his chest.

"What the hell's going on here?" he asked himself, finally seeing that every physical impact....from anything....seemingly transmutated his skin to the metallic state.

The puzzled knight, dropping his broken sword, began backing away from the man.

"...demons....you're all demons sent by Ouhaman himself!!" he screamed in a primitive rage of fear and anger.

He turned to run, a firm roundhouse dropping him to the ground instantly.

"Baxter?" Drake asked, pausing over the dazed knight. "You okay?"

"I...." Ozzy began staring with confused eyes at the splotches of metal, lining with inflections of what he could see of his torso. "....I don't know...."

"Get down!" Grimm's axe roared past Ozzy's head and slammed into another of the attackers, knocking him backwards onto the ground.

"He couldn't hurt me, you know." Baxter said, deflecting a swordstrike with his forearm. A forearm which glinted with another streak of metal as the sword shattered against it.

"I know. . ." Grimm answered, embedding his weapon in another attacker. The Avatar faltered slightly, stumbling a bit. If anyone noticed, they had no time to comment as they battle with the on rushing horde of knights continued.

"Then why. . .?" Baxter started again, his boxing training beginning to take over his reflexes as he effortlessly dodged, struck, and weaved through his opponents, his skin taking on more of a metallic gleam the whole time.

"Instinct. . .?" Grimm started to answer, his voice becoming lost in the roar of the battle. He took another swing, but this time he missed. The dizziness again. The light headedness that had plagued him since they arrived in this universe. This time it was too much. He momentarily blacked out, dropping his weapon.

His head jerked upwards, suddenly coming out of the blackout as another attacker charged him, sword upraised. Pain in his abdomen gripped him from nowhere, as he reached him arms around himself. "Urk. . .oh, gob, not now. . .shit. . ." The knight charged forward as Grimm doubled over in pain.

The knight reached him and prepared a decapitating blow. Grimm merely looked up and loudly projectile vomited a murky, viscous black liquid directly into the man's face.

The knight screamed in agony, the liquid eating into his flesh. He stopped screaming as a half metal/half flesh fist impacted his face, breaking his jaw and knocking him unconscious. Ozzy Baxter peered downward as the vile liquid continued dissolving flesh.

"That's just disgusting." The boxer said.

"Tell me about. . ." Grimm answered right before he passed out.

A form wrapped in tattered robes hobbled down a dark corridor. It's body hunched down over itself. Torchlight danced off the moss covered stone walls.

Large oaken doors slid open into an enormous chamber. Bones decorated the floor. At the far end sat a throne made of metal forged from broken armor and swords. The disembodied remains of a knight lay at the base of the throne. Gnawing on an arm like a Thanksgiving turkey lay the lord of the castle. Half rotted flesh hung from the exposed face muscles. Dried blood caked around his mouth.

"Lord Godbolt," the mangled form shyly called out. A horrid construct of man and beast, but no longer being either. "Sir Langtham and his fellow knights disappeared into the Ancient Wood two days ago. He has not been seen or heard of since."

A low growl could be heard coming from the undead lord. "Does Langtham believe that he can hide from me in the wood? I accepted the alligance of that fleshbag because his fortress gives me access to the Golden Meadow. If he refuses to appear in my court, I shall not show him mercy again. Send out the wraigs. Bring me Langtham so that I may feast on his soul."

The servant hesitated. His master's attention seemed to have focused somewhere else. "Th-The wraigs and the Dark Riders, lord?" he asked after a few moments.

The monstrous lord looked at his minion with annoyance. "I said the wraigs, you worm, the wraigs alone. The Dark Riders are reserved for matters of more importance, you should know that."

The servant didn't want to question his master's orders, but he had to. He was sweating profusely. "...Lord? N-Need I remind you what happened the last t-time the wraigs were unleashed without guidance?"

The dark lord growled like a beast, though he was more annoyed than angry. He grabbed his servant's collar and pulled him to himself. "Send the Red Archers with them, then! Do I have to think of everything?!" he yelled, the minuscle green drops of spit that jumped from his mouth burning the servant's flesh as they landed on his face.
He threw the servant against a distant wall. "Now GO!"

"Y-Yes, Lord!" the servant replied as he quickly stood up, ignoring broken ribs and running outside the chamber to carry his master's orders.

*******

For a guy who was in the military and in Jack Merlin's Strikeforce, Epicenter wasn't acting very profesionally. In fact, he was very close to pissing himself.
He limited himself to sending small earhtquakes that kept the knights away from him. He would have sent bigger quakes, but he couldn't concentrate enough to do that.
As it became apparent to the Knights that he was the one less prepared for the fight, most of them swarmed around him. Epicenter, full of panic, no longer sent small quakes to each Knight that approached, instead he simply caused as many quakes as he could in all directions.
At the same time, Priest was fighting with a couple of Knights and winning... when one of Epicenter's quakes reached him and made him lose his ballance.
Priest fell on his back, and before he could attemp to stand up, he saw a heavy sword coming down on him on the hands of one the Knights he was about to defeat seconds ago.

"NO!" Epicenter yelled when he noticed what he had caused, and that moment of distraction allowed the Knights that surrounded him to get closer. With the heavy warriors literally all over him Epicenter somehow managed to stretch his right arm on Priest's direction and open his palm.
On that moment, not by coincidence, a cloud that wasn't in the sky moments ago produced lightning that fell on the Knight that was about to kill Priest. However, the Knight reacted quickly and got out of the lightning's way in the last second, making the full stroke of electricy land on Priest.
Epicenter's eyes widened as he observed what he thought was his teammate's death. But, he wasn't counting on Priest's power...
To the Knights' and Epicenter's surprise, a hulking Priest covered in smoke stood up, having absorbed the lightnings energy. The Knight that almost killed him seconds ago took a step back. Priest just grinned.

"Epicenter," Priest said, "duck."

Epicenter didn't hesitate for a moment and did as his teammate suggested, causing further confusion in the Knights.
A moment later, Priest released the power he had just absorbed, and the Knights went bye-bye...

Just minutes later, Edulcore returned riding one of the knight's horse, plus six others attached to a rope, and running behind him.

"See, Phil, we'll not have to go by foot, after all."

Ed get off the horse, holding something under one of his arms. Looking at the lying knights. "Are they all dead?" he asked.

"No, some are just badly beaten up" responded the special agent. "That one is their leader. Sir Langtham. He owns a fortress near here."

"Sam told you that?"

"No, I read it in his mind."

"Now that I think of... how's possible that they speak American English?" asked Euro, perplexed, looking at the landscape, obviously not terrestrial, although very similar.

"They weren't. I was reading their though and feeding them to the brains of our teammates."

"Very good move. That trick will help us a lot to meddle among the population of this place."

"Yeah, but I don't know to which extent will work. I mean, with how many people it will function. Probably I can't let a crowd believe we are talking their language. It's better if Sam teach us the local language.

Euro nodded, and went toward Brianna. "You can't wear those armors, there is no place for your wing, and also would weight you down. I... found... these hanging outside a farm, near the river." Clothes of peasants. An ample gown, with a white shirt and a black bodice.

"I would have preferred an armor, but thanks" said Brianna, with an half smile.

"I think all the guys would have preferred the same, but this will let you fly, Bri".

"And this what is?" The girl was holding a long pair of white trousers.

"I guess that's the underwear, Bri" laughed Euro.

"Uhrg!"

"Are you feeling any better?" Danny asked Adem as everyone else attempted to don their disguises.

"I don't know," the alien answered. "Have you always been green?"

"Umm.... no, not that I recall."

"Well, at least I can see you. It's strange. My anatomy allows me to see beyond the range of human sight. There's something here that I can see, but my brain can't process. The nanites are trying to compensate, but the required work involves a massive overhall of my brain, which is forbidden. So they're redirecting impulses through themselves, which helps; but I still can't see properly."

"Adem," Danny said, looking at the alien. "When someone asks if you're feeling better, a simple yes or no is usually expected."

"Oh. Sorry."

Ozzy stood examining his patchwork skin next to a fallen suit of armor. Several feet away Sam stood next to the ox and cart talking with Phil and Raptor. "But I never learned the language."

"Then how were you able to talk to everyone?" Raptor asked.

"First three months in a Japanese sewer, and now this," Baxter lamented to himself.

"When we showed up here, a magician or wizard or shaman or something waved a big stick around and mumbled a bunch of nonsense. From then on out I understood them and they understood me," Sam continued to explain.

"And how do they wear this shit?" Ozzy said while examining the armor.

Phil rubbed his chin as all people rub their chins when thinking. Yes. All people. "A magic spell lets you speak the language? Kind of far fetched, isn't it?"

"How did they go to the pisser in all this?" Ozzy continued on with his conversation to himself.

Sam shrugged his shoulders and then said, "Not more than fifteen minutes ago we saw a giant stomp that Ox guy in the ground."

"Ozzy," Raptor corrected.

"What?"

"His name is Ozzy."

"Oh. My bad."

"And what if you had an itch? It doesn't leave much room to reach in and scratch." Ozzy's constant barrage of questions drowned out the whistling noise. It grew louder and ended in a *tink* against his metal chest. "What?" he asked yet again.

Baxter bent down to inspect the object that had struck him. The broken shaft of and arrow laid in the grass. The tip had shattered and lay jagged. At the end of the other piece , strange crimson feathers acted as rudders through the air. Ozzy's gaze now peered at the woods from which it came.

Raptor's keen ears detected a whistling noise and pushed Sam and Phil to the ground. "What the....!" Sam began to shout out before seeing an arrow embed itself into the side of the cart.

"We're under attack!" Raptor shouted to the rest of the group.

"Again!" Ozzy added.

"Awe, for fuck's sake," Danny cursed as strange howls echoed from within the treeline.

"HA HA HA!" Templar shouted as he unsheated his sword. "Today IS a great day."

Years of experience allowed Drake to quickly conclude where the arrows were being shot from, he quickly ran to circle around them. He quickly climbed a tree once he left the clearing and moved rapidly but silently from one tree to another until he could see a couple of the archers below him "Hey guys, I'm really hoping one of you has some clothes that'll fit me. Everything we've found so far has been too tight in the crotch."

He took just a moment to enjoy their stunned expressions as he dropped down on them. He kicked one on the face as he came to a landing and quickly turned to face the other. With no other alternative, the archer swung his bow like a club, Drake easily dodged the clumsy attack and elbowed the attacker in the back of the head while lifting his knee into his stomach at the same time. He then kicked him in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him out. Acting on instinct, Drake dodged to the side and an arrow lodged itself in a tree exactly where he'd been standing, missing him by inches. Drake turned to see the archer he'd hit on the way down quickly drawing another arrow, Drake ran straight at him and did a quick roll to the side as the arrow was shot, Drake hit the archer as he sprung back to his feet, knocking him out this time. "All that time to take out two guys. Man, am I ever rusty."

The party inched backward as the howls drew closer. The fliers could now see a small pack of wolf-like creatures cresting a low rise and galloping toward the Vanguardians.

"Just keeps on going, doesn't it?" Ozzy asked sardonically.

"I assumed they'd throw whatever they had at us," Sam answered. "I expect these are the wargs coming at us now."

Templar grinned. "Should be an apt challenge for Caliburn and myself." He paused. "Gods!" he cried. "What's he doing?"

Phil Smith was slowly walking toward the onrushing beasts.

"He'll get himself killed!" Brianna cried. "Ed! We have to get him out of there!"

The Raptor shook his head. "No," he answered. "He knows what he is doing."

The wargs came closer. Phil was less than a hundred yards from the first few.

"How do you know?" Epicenter asked nervously from behind them.

"We don't," Baxter replied. "All we can do is trust him."

The pack of wargs reached the spot where Phil was standing - and began running right past him.

"The hell?" Epicenter muttered, aghast.

The huge, crazed-looking canines were speeding by on either side of the telepath as though he wasn't even there. They wheeled around chaotically and began running about as one, but aimlessly, like a flock of birds trying to decide on a spot to roost.

One animal, which looked to be the largest, finally turned and charged toward Phil, whose head was down and didn't appear to be paying attention.

"Shit," Ozzy gasped.

The warg was less than twenty feet from crashing into him when Phil's head snapped up in one fluid motion to face the animal.

He stared at it blankly.

The warg stopped in its tracks one step short of him.

The rest of the Vanguardians froze, and the other wargs began milling about behind the apparent leader of the pack.

The warg growled at Phil.

Phil simply stared back.

The warg growled again, less intently.

Phil just stood there staring back at it.

The warg whimpered, sat down on its haunches, and put its head to Phil's chest.

Smith lightly patted the animal's burly head. "Good dog."

Epicenter's jaw dropped.

"I'll be damned," Ozzy murmured in astonishment.