Interlude, New Orleans, LA.

The Collins Estate.

Clive Collins sat in his private library of the arcane, surrounded by musty tomes, bizarre
inhumanly shaped skulls, and various occult paraphernalia. He was staring into a glowing
orb on a pedestal in front of him. His wife sat on the floor in front of him, her head resting
on his lap as his hand stroked her brilliant red hair. The image within the orb showed the
Stormloader on its course to La Perdita.

“My plan was simple enough,” Collins mused to himself. “To take control of the avatars
of creation in order to remake the world as I wish it to be. Simple. . .”

“. . .simple enough to find the man who would become the next death avatar, Jeff Grimm,
a lowly killer, located right here in New Orleans. . .” (Grimm Tales #1) The image within
the orb shifted to one of Grimm’s head. His skull face clearly visible.

“. . .simple enough to take advantage of his confusion upon coming into the role and
capture him, depositing him in South America where those foolish former Revolutionaries
were investigating the creatures Aurochs was creating for me. . .” (HR#7) The image
shifted again, this time to a room where members of the then MBL Consulting battled a
large tentacled creature.

“. . .simple enough to teach those foolish vampires how to unleash the Beast entombed
under La Perdita. . .” (HR #10) Once more, the image shifted, to the caves underneath
La Perdita, where a massive demonic creature strode forth from it’s former prison.

“. . .simple enough to infect the one called Priest with a soul parasite. . .” (HR #11) And
again, the image shifted to reveal Collins, as he placed something small and dark red upon
Priest’s unconscious form in a cellar in Pennsylvania.

“. . .simple enough to catch up with Stephen Magnus and distract him from his Brazilian
ladyboy escorts long enough to attempt to steal his cauldron. . .” (HR # 13) And once
again, to Montecarlo, where the now Vanguardians stole Magnus’ cauldron from beneath
his nose.

“. . .and yet, I am foiled again and again. Grimm. He tasks me, my dear. He tasks me
and he doesn’t even know it.” As the image shifted a final time, to again show the
Stormloader, now arriving in La Perdita.

“Then perhaps, now is the time to do something about it. Why do you not contact this
Naecken being in Antarctica?” his wife purred, stroking his leg.

“Perhaps, I shall. . .my dear. Perhaps I shall.”

End Interlude.