RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Writer's Block THE END OF THE MESSAGE BOARD LEAGUE

Last time we took a brief sight of the Courts of Light.

This time we go on the opposite side, the Circles of Darkness.

And if the former have nothing to be happy, down in Hell it’s time for celebration.

Many demons of the different ranks leaves their appointed Circles heading toward the lower point, the Mouth of the Pit, where the second in command of Hell, the lieutenant of the Abyss, the venomous Viper, is about to declare War on Heaven.

The horned, black giant stands on the distant part of the smoky cavern, appearing and disappearing between columns of yellowish sulfurous vapor.

What Viper is celebrating is a victory that he has waited since the moment of creation itself.

Viper, or, as many millions of years later would have been called, Lord Ahriman.

The Lord of Order.

And since the second after the Word has spoken, he had to divide the Multiverse with his twin, Ormudz, or, much more simply, the X.

The Lord of Chaos.

One force taught the stars and intellect. One taught fire and emotion.

Since that fateful moment, they were destined to fight forever, forever vying for the faith of the intelligent beings living on Earth.

The first of them were not humans. Sixty four millions of years ago, a reptilian race evolved on Earth. The Basilisks.

They at first followed the X. It’s the X that teach creativity, the gift that separates an intelligent being from an animal.

So, following the X, the Basilisks sewed and raised a civilization in a world trampled by the giant dinosaurs.

But then, their faith shifted to the V. Viper. Lord Ahriman.

Science and technology. The Basilisk became the lords of the planet Earth. The big dinosaur hunted to extinction, the planet polluted to the point that most of them starved to death, while some populations, the Basilisks nations richer and much more technologically advanced, built big space ark and began roaming the vastness of empty space.

Then, the Choir blown the planet with a big asteroids, to have evolution to begin anew.

Then, with Man, history repeated itself. Until now, we were at the fork, and humanity had to chose between the X and V. The choice only apparently was free to take, there were various powerful forces, secret societies, invisible government trying to impose one side or another.

But now that Pete McLebovich, the son of the former Moderator has been found, all these petty machinations have no justification. He is the key that will open the gates of Heaven to the forces of Hell, and the final War will be fought.

The winner will finally remodel the planet to fit their own agenda.

For it will be Heaven to win, Earth will be the home of the elected race, the bearer of the metagene, the sons and daughter of project Eden, the creatures that for the Courts of Light are intended to replace the imperfect, at their eyes, Human race.

While, if Hell will triumph, the demons will transform the Earth back into the perfect cradle for Viper’s race, the Basilisks, that right now are travelling the cosmos with their planetships heading toward our planet.

And now Hell is celebrating, because for the first time the V is not opposed by the X. The V and the X are allied, and nothing will possibly stand between the Darkness and victory.

That’s why all the demons are singing dark and revolting songs.

Because the War has begun.

And to see the probable outcome of it, we have only to go to one possible future of our Earth, in the Hyperboard Sector 4992150.3c.

There, the Klone Dome has just landed over the point where the computer has located Crush.

“What kind of place is this?” asks the young Eurostar.

“It is what’s left of Mandelovia” says a voice from the intricacy of the forest that cover nearly totally the soil.

The voice is of one tall man, with red flowing long hair and a bushy beard. He is dressed in red, with a hood. Near him, there are other men in red, and one boy.

“Crush!” exclaims Joker2, jumping in air and spinning on himself.

Eurostar marvels at such manifestation of joy, but for the other comrades of JAMB it seems normal.

“Guys, happy to see you, finally” says Crush. “These men saved me. They can actually be the last humans on Earth. We have to save them!”

“What happened here?” asks Eurostar, just an instant before the order Joker2 was to give to his team.

“What happened?” says hastily the tall man in red. “It happened that 26 years ago a great darkness covered the Earth. Just before, the MBL disappeared from the planet. Only Gooz, the leader of the tem survived, and gathered an army of heroes from all over the world. But one of his allies betrayed him, and his forces were destroyed at the final battle he had to fight with the Darkness.

Then, Hell appeared on Earth. Each bearer of the metagene was hunted and captured, and crucifixed on the wall of the Citadel, the headquarter of the MBL that became the residence of Viper. Every human, minus our group, which has found refuge here, under the ground, aided by some surviving TOMB members, was done slave, to work for Hell until death arrived to free them. Legions of demons began transforming our planet into the home of Viper’s race, the Basilisks. See there, up in the sky, that moon?”

The eyes of the kids go to the red sky. Near the red tainted face of the usual Moon, there is a slightly smaller different one, metallic and darker.

“That’s one of their planetship, they will land when the work of the demons is done” says the man.

“We have to prepare a plan to help these men” says Crush.

“Miss Hourlyquinn” says Eurostar, “ can you tell me if this is the future of my Earth?”

The girl smiles at the formal yet somewhat intriguing way the kid from the past has called her Miss: “Well, Eurostar, which Earth is YOURS?”

The boys is not unprepared: “The one in which I will die freeing the Message Board League from the Hyperboard Entity”

Hourly is impressed by the coolness with which the kid speak about his own future death.

She play a little with a device she produces from her belt: “Yes, this is a branch of time that’s sprouting from your past, Eurostar. It’s a possible future of a definitive past. A past where Hell will invade Earth”.

Eurostar is silent, seems to think hard.

Then he looks at Crush, then at the men, and then at Joker2.

“ We have to travel back to the year 2001 and go to help Gooz, Jo! It’s the only way to save the earth! Fight the demons here have no meaning, the Earth has been nearly all destroyed!”

“No way!” shouts Crush. We have to help these persons first, they have saved me! We can’t just leave tham here, at the mercy of the demon, while we go back in time. They will be destroyed!”

Joker2 leave that the two guys explains heavily their reasons, then take a big, deep breath and says: “Eurostar is right. It doesn’t make sense waste time here, when Earth has been nearly completely destroyed. Everybody back on the Klone Dome. Destination 2001”.

Eurostar doesn’t smile, and look at the red dressed men with a sad face. If the mission will be a success, the life of those men will be no more. Yes, a life of pain and struggle will be saved to those men… but can we really say that a better life await those men. If their life is change, can we rightly say that they are the same men?

Puzzled by the question, Eurostar gets on the Dome.

Joker2 jump at the commander seat: “Hourly, scan the signatures over Eurostar body. We have to retrieve his friends before to arrive at the year 2001!”

Hourlyquinn runs at the timelost boy, happy to have an excuse to be near him.

She touches Eurostar with her devices, and suddenly an expression of marvel mixed with fear appears on her face. “Jo, it’s unbelievable…”

“What?”

“The first person to retrieve is Max Yezpitelok… it’s on our own original homeplanet, in the Empire of Doctor Chaos!”

*A man named Reed runs into what appears to be a medieval village.*

Reed: A DRAGON! I SAW A DRAGON FLYING OVER THE FOREST!

Fred: A dragon? Are you sure?

Reed: Well, I don't think it was a bunny rabbit, that's for sure! It had big teeth and sharp claws and enormous wings!

Fred: And what was it doing?

Reed: Just sort of looking around. Probably looking for a maiden to eat or something. Dragons do that, you know.

Fred: C'mon! We'd better tell the Wizard!

Jake found himself sitting in what looked a Chucky Cheese restaraunt, only infinitely bigger. And there was only was one kid there. Well, 88 versions of the same kid.

"I'm in hell." Jake said as one of the kids came up to him.

"No, you were in hell." The boy said. "Now you're- Well, it's kind of complicated."

"Wait, wait.... No, I was right. I don't care." Jake said. "Just point me toward the exit."

"There is no exit." The boy said. "There are only beginnings and endings."

"Oh, great, I'm at the Fox Network."

"No, you're outside of the time stream. This is the Nexus, a place where time has no meaning." The boy said. "My name is Randy."

"Are... all of you named Randy?" Jake asked.

"No." Randy said. "Those are my brothers: Andy, Sandy, Dandy, our only sister Mandy..."

88 names later

"Dude, this is totally f*cked up." Jake said. "I've got to get back and help my friends."

"Sorry, but we can't let you." Randy said. "The cards are already dealt, the players already chosen."

"What in the name of Haley Joel Osment are you talking about?" Jake asked. "I can just wish myself home."

"I wish you to be powerless until I say MXLTPLK backwards." Randy said.

"And how do would you pronounce that?" Jake asked.

"Nice try." Randy said. "I may be only twelve, but I'm not stupid."

"Damn." Jake said. "Maybe you should tell me more about this place."

Doctor Chaos sits in his throne, facing the large window, admiring the twisted group of constructions he calls his city.
Suddenly, a large door behind him falls. Nowhereman, covered with the blood of his enemies and his allies, stands on the other side. His armor is severely damaged, but his helmet is intact.
Chaos remains undisturbed, still looking at his city.

Chaos: How is it possible for someone to hate this place...? I find it to be... perfect... almost...

Nowhereman stares at the back of his throne for a second, and then runs to Chaos, kicks him in the face grabs his body before it gets to the ground, and throws it to the other side of the room.
Chaos snaps his fingers, and he is teleported back on throne, totally unharmed.

Chaos: Are you done?

Nowhereman: Yes... yes.

Chaos: Good. And the point of your visit is...?

Nowhereman: I'm here to kill you.

Chaos: Ah, yes, of course... I have a question for you, Nowhereman...

Chaos stands up and starts walking slowly in circles...

Chaos: ...if you KNOW you CAN'T kill me... then WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BOTHER COMING HERE, DESTROYING MY ARMY, AND GETTING YOUR FUCKING TEAM KILLED WHILE YOU ARE AT IT?

Nowhereman: I'm here to kill you. The death of my team won't be in vain.

Chaos: "In vain"... They always were cannon fodder to you, weren't they?

Inside his helmet, Nowhereman's eyes stare at Chaos with hate for what he just said.

Chaos: You made a good plan, Nowhereman... you gathered a group of kids with powers, trained them, and now you finally used them to get here, and kill me. There's one little hole on your plan... I can't be killed. I was surprised to see that you didn't sacrifice the recent members only... you sacrified the ones that considered you a father as well... The first ones to fall were Joker1 and Hourgirl's son and daughter... when they dissapeared in a futile mission to erradicate me before I came to my senses and killed the MBL... as if you could have killed me, even then!

Nowhereman: You are wrong. You can be killed.

As Chaos prepares to tell him how stupid he is for believing that, Nowhereman picks a needle from his belt and quickly injects Chaos.

Chaos: What...? You little...!

Chaos tries to catch Nowhereman, but, instead, he falls to the ground, confused.

Nowhereman: When you are in this dimension, you have to use a mortal 3rd dimensional body. The only thing that makes you powerfull is your 5th dimensional mind, able to understand things we can't and therefore do things we can't. If your body is injected with a drug, you will be affected as if you were a human. If that drug is meant to confuse your mind, you are powerless.

Chaos looks at Nowhereman from the floor, as he attemtps to get back on his feet.

Nowhereman: That means, that now you can be killed. I putted drug to confuse you, but not too much, so you can understand what I say, and enjoy the last minutes of your life.

Chaos keeps trying to get up, but he's only able to get on his knees.

Nowhereman: Once, you told me that if for some reason your 3rd dimensional body died, your mind would survive, but it'd be really hard to get back to the 5th dimension. I did some research on the matter, to help you.

Chaos thinks "Didn't... say that... to him..."

Nowhereman: I found out that you were wrong. You'd die if that happened to you. I never got to tell you. You betrayed the team while I was off the roster.

Chaos thinks "He was on the roster... he should have died..."

Nowhereman: You "wished" that the MBL died... so they did. Since I wasn't part of the MBL at the time, I didn't die. You must be pretty confused about my identity now. Allow me to help you in that.

Nowhereman takes his helmet away, and Chaos sees a younger face than he expected.

Chaos: D... D... D...

Nowhereman: I think the word you are looking for is "Disco". Disco Steve.

The shock of Nowhereman's real identity makes Chaos start remembering something...

Disco Steve: I had to hide my identity, because, if you wanted to, you could have killed me by only thinking about it. When you spend time with a person, you can track their "signatures". That's how you destroyed the MBL.

Chaos starts remembering that... he isn't Chaos... he's someone else...

Disco Steve: If my identity wasn't clear to you, you couldn't kill me like that.

Chaos remembers where he comes from... he's Mister Mxypltk... Max Yezpitelok... he was taken to this Hyperboard when he was fighting Giant Spiders.

Disco Steve: Now... it's your turn to die...
Disco Steve takes a big sword from ht eback of his armor.

Mxy: I... Am... Am... Ammm...

Disco Steve, as he lifts his sword, says in a low voice "I know what you are, you killer". Mxy notices his eyes are wet.

Disco prepares to cut Mxy's head. Mxy looks at him in the eyes, trying to makin him understand the big mistake that's about to be made. Maybe if the young heroes that were his family for the last years hadn't just died, he'd understand, but the only thing he has in his mind now is seeing Chaos dead.

Disco is about to cut his head when they recieve unexpected visitors from another Hyperboard...

Gooz stood high over the Meeting room, which was now filled with Metas from all over the world, some good, while others not, but all here now for a common goal. To save what is left of Earth and to stop hell, from taking over all that there is. Since his encounter with a stranger that seemed to be Prometheus X, Gooz’s senses were overloading. The man was not “Little” Ritchie, his son, well… his future-selves’ son that he raised in the past. Complicated, I know.

In the not distant past, Gooz watched as his “son” gained control over both the forces of the X and V, becoming the Watcher and taking his place among the Gods. Yet, some time later, the V force returned taking over the body of Chewy Walrus, an old friend and teammate of Gooz. Now, it seemed as though the X was back too, but the X warned Gooz to stop the X. It just doesn’t make sense, than again, does it ever? And if Little Ritchie were still the wielder of the X, would Gooz really be able to lead an army against him? Having to kill his only son to save the world.

Looking over the crowd, Gooz felt the good and evil within everyone. Some of the people he recognized through old MBL profiles; like the four remaining Warriors, and the team of teen heroes known as the Young Boarders. Others he had no idea about who they were, he just felt like he couldn’t trust them. Escaped villains, mad scientists, creatures made in a lab. But they were here to help, and that fact, Gooz had to trust. There were many newer heroes, people not that well known, but still making their mark on the world anyhow; H2O-Man, Energie, the ShadowCoat. In fact there were dozens of super-powered men, and woman, that Gooz did not recognize.

The main thing that worried Gooz was the absence of older members; like Superfast-Know-It-All-Man, Captain Carrot and even Mad’67 himself. What has become of these men, or are they too busy to save the world. Even newer members like Daniel and Sir Justin were no where to be found. What has become of these strong men? Has another force made sure that they wouldn’t be able to enter the game? Things were looking pretty bad.

Gooz just wanted someone that he knew could watch his back, someone he knew he could really trust. Than the doors shot open again, walking through and towards where Gooz was standing was someone very familiar, yet fully different. His body much bigger and a pale gray, his suit mainly black and eyes glowing red. With him was a shorter yellow tinted man, a hero out of time.

Gooz: Kyle?

Changeling: Kyle is dead, has been so for a WHILE, I’m the Changeling.

Gooz: What?

Changeling: I died, remember?

Gooz was shocked. Not fully knowing what to say next, he only hoped that he could still trust his friend.

Gooz: Yeah…Well, welcome back, I really need your help. I can’t lead these men alone. The numbers here are too great.

Changeling: What do you mean?

Gooz: I could use you as Co-Leader. You up for the challenge?

Changeling looked over all of the heroes and villains who were preparing for the coming battle. He knew of what to expect in the near future. He knew just how bad it would get. In a way, the fate of the world would be in his hands.

Changeling: Yes, I am.

Gooz: Ok, first up on the agenda. Jack’s students are stuck in the Thunder Institute, under the Colony’s control. One student in particular, Peter, is very powerful. If delivered to the wrong person, we are all in trouble. He is top priority. We have to make our way through the huge spiders and then face the Colony. Only for the bigger threat to finally show his face, that being the Dark Prometheus X.

Changeling: Are you sure he will?

Gooz: Yeah, I am.

Changeling: How can you be sure?

Gooz: That’s what I would do.

Malvana, better known to loved ones as Mala, sat on her leather seat pondering what her next course of action would be. Looking out the large window that lined her office, she saw nothing except darkness, which sent a chill down her back. That is nothing compared to the feeling she received just a few short hours ago. Ritchie Stevens had sent out a telepathic message across the globe, a cry for help. Malvana has heard his words, the words from her future love, the man who will some day be known as Pala. The man who will save her more times than she could ever ask for, the man that will love her like no other.

After a quick glance at her clock, she notices just how much time has passed since she received the message. She wants to help… She feels the need to, a sort-of obligation to.

She picks up the phone, pressing a single red button on it. It rings but there is no answer. She continues to hold the phone up to her ear, but still there is no answer. Finally, a machine picks up.

[][]Hey, Bibbo here, sorry but TOMB is off saving the world or something and we can’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave your name and number we’ll be sure to return… Hey, Joker1 don’t press that- BEEP[][]

With a chuckle, she hangs up the phone.

Pala, where are you?

Once again she picks up the phone. The message repeats itself.

“<Pala…>”

Let’s take a look at the The Citadel, Edge Island

The Meeting Room in the Citadel, the MBL Headquarter, minutes after minutes sees new metahumans arriving. Eighty years old members of the All Ass Squadron, like DocFranta, slightly younger ex-Smart Ass Squadron members of the junior branch of that World War group, like Squire Speedy the Fin Head and JSA-Jim, rejected applicant to the MBL, like “the Heavy”, villains that opposes the MBL many time, like Thorax, the nemesis of Joker1, or like Master X, that was in the last incarnation of the Injustice Board Gang, even heroes from the future, as Dev Em, a Legionnaire just arrived with the Changeling. Janet, the MBL receptionist, and Bombshell, the android in charge of the infirmary, are busy handling everyone a MBL communicator.

Gooz, while planning the attack to the TIAMAT building with the angel, can’t stop to feel the mix of emotions rising from the crowd. Not that him had any telepathic power, but somehow the feelings of each being in the room can reach him. Most of the persons are proud to be in the building that represent for the whole world the role of the heroes in preserving the peace from the outside forces that menaces the planet. Many others, villains, or professional metahumans that usually do the job fro money and not for superior ideals, are busy trying to record in their minds the features of the fortress, that maybe one day, if the world will survive, they will try to intrude.

But suddenly, all what Gooz, still talking to the Changeling, feels, is lust. From every person present in the place, minus only the angel itself, a big push of adrenaline hits the leader of the MBL.

He, without turning his head, fix the Changeling in the eyes, and says: “She’s here, I presume”.

The eyes of the angel focus behind the head of Gooz, to the main entrance of the Meeting Room.

“You called her?” wonder the Changeling.

“I called everyone. I called Hammer, I called Doktor Klone, I called MstryLeaguer. They didn’t respond. She has.”

“I don’t know if it was a good idea”.

“We have to live with it”.

Gooz turns, to see the crowd dividing into two large group, to allow a narrow corridor open between him and the door. At the door, a young and beautiful girl smiles to the MBL leader.

Tall, with a big mass of curly raven black hairs, amber skin, eyes green like the Aegean sea. Her dress consist only of a pair of old and ripped blue jeans, and many necklaces, of pearls, pieces of red coral, shiny green and blue rocks.

“Thank you for calling me, finally” says the girl, looking Gooz in the eyes.

“Well, I tough you would have say something like now that you are shorthanded, finally you think I am useful or anything along the line”.

“I don’t know why since our first meeting you have to behave with me in this unpleasant manner. But I am really grateful for calling me. I hope to be useful and to fit among you. Nothing else”.

Gooz observes the young lady. “Maybe apologies are due. But now we have not time, we ‘ll talk at the end of the battle, if we’ll be alive then”. The eyes of the leader of the MBL goes down the body of the girl. “Nice new outfit, Mighty Aphrodite. You know that from now, this adventure will have a Mature Readers label?”

The Greek young woman smiles: “Yeah, I know, but since I think few child are calm enough to actually read things on the internet, I think there shouldn’t be any problem”.

“We’ll see. In the meantime, can you stop to use your powers over the crowd?”

“But, Gooz, I am not using my powers. They are only staring at me!” she says, smiling mellifluously.

Another Hyperboard

“Nowhereman, stop” shouts Hourlyquinn, appearing in the Throne Room of the Castle of Doctor Chaos:

Disco Steve freeze with the sword still raised above Doctor Chaos head.

“Joker2! Hourly!” exclaims Disco Steve. “You… you are alive!”

“But… your face… Nowhereman should have been older!” says Eurostar, looking at the face of Disco Steve!

“Parazuma! I’m really Disco Steve. I trained Joker2 and Hourly, to defeat Doctor Chaos… and now the time has arrived!”

Joker2 and Hourly shouts at the same time: “No! You can’t… there is Mr. Mxyptlyk trapped inside the body of Doctor Chaos!”

The future Disco Steve smiles and says: “I know! And I’ll kill him!”

On yet another Hyperboard…

Doctor Quantum shouts at the assembled MBL: “The Flying Saucers of Emperor Moon are attacking Kyoto. Quick… to the MBL Mobile Suits!”

At the order, each member of the team runs toward an hole in the floor, jump in it, and then falls along a long, twisted tube, that ends into the Command center of every Mobile Suit.

The voice of Doctor Quantum shouts from the Intercom: "MBL Mobile Suits…GO!”

[ 08-18-2001: Message edited by: The Eurostar ]

"Of course I know he's not Chaos" Disco says, without taking down his sword "The time traveling machine I've been developing since my previous plan failed detected the anomaly. He's a younger, uncorrupted version of Chaos, trapped in his future"

Hourly: Then... Then you must let him go! He's innocent!

Disco: He's innocent now, but in the future he will be responsible for the death of millions, including your parents, the rest of the MBL, and the Team MBL.

Joker2: You mean... they are dead...? Stu? '86?

Disco: Yes, thanks to this madman. I chosed this day to attack the Castle because I knew it'd be easier to confuse him. Now I will prevent this madness from happening, with one single strike of my sword.

Joker2 and Hourly look at Disco worried and scared. He was a father for them for years. To see him like this is a shock for them.

Joker2: Listen to me, Chief... This Mxy comes from another Hyperboard... He's not the one you knew... He's--

Disco (sweating and shaking lightly): NO! He-- He's-- HE MUST DIE!

Disco/Nowhereman swings his sword.

Eurostar: Enough!

The young Eurostar prevents Disco from killing Mxy with his super-speed. He pushes Disco to the ground. The impulse Eurostar used makes the sword fly in the air. Then the starts falling, attempting to kill Disco Steve.

Joker2: NO!

Joker2 catches the sword in the air before it hits Disco.

"Let's go away now, ok?" says Hourly, disgusted.
As the effect of the drug starts wearing off, Mxy asks: "But... my... my body..."

Joker2: Don't worry, as soon as we teleport to the next Hyperboard, you will recover your old body, and this one will stay here.

Joker2 throws the sword to Disco.

Joker2: Here, take this. Kill him if that's what you want. Let's get out here.

Disco catches the sword, and looks at Joker2. Joker2 turns his head the other way, to go away with the team.
When they fade away, leaving only Chaos's uncouncious body, Disco Steve stands up, and cuts his head with his sword.

"This is not over, Mxypltk" Disco says, wiping the blood out of his sword "This is not over"

Let’s see what TOMB is doing.

Mandelovia

In the sky over the City, standing on the flying carpet, Bibbo and LLance observe the horde of ten thousands demons riding over Hellish horses, lead by the dead Larry Lance, the evil “twin” of the Nerverian King.

Like a tidal wave over the flats of the French side of the English Channel, the army of demons covers yard after yard the the open country around the outskirts of the business district of Mandelovia.

The Border Guards, the Army of Mandelovia, even if armed with guns so technologically advanced to strike fear in every country of the planet, nothing can toward Hell’s Legions, and the soldiers falls down like firs under the chainsaw. The black sea of demonic horsemen closes around the city.

Bibbo, visibly dismayed whispers: “What can we possibly do?”

But LLance doesn’t seems alarmed, and says some incomprehensible words in his native toungue to his cousin Redros by the Communicator. Then LLance smiles to Bibbo, and he can’t stop to notice how the looks of the friends has changed from the wisecracking jokester that explores the Old Mandelovian market dressed as a woman with his friend Joker1, to the noble King of a distant dimension to which, not much time ago, Chewy passed the leadership of the team.

“Don’t get so upset, Bibbo! Sometimes, being the living nexus of space and time comes useful. I’ve just called reinforcements!”

A big thunder shakes the whole country, when a big hole opens in the middle of the rural country lying betweem the city and the mountains.

A rupture in the fabric of timespace, and from it a whole army of armored men, riding over six legged horses and holding strange shaped guns. In front of the army, a man with a completely different armor is shouting orders to the knights.

“That’s…”

“That’s the Nerverian Army. And to lead them, I’ve called from space the best man for the job, maybe the only one living being that love Mandelovia more than us: Heritage…!”

“…General D’goon! He’s back!”

Meanwhile, on the beach…

“I can’t suck blood from a zombie. He doesn’t have anything!” jokes Mordecai, looking at the face of the dead walking Hitler standing over the Nazi cruiser.

Captain Nemo stand silently, while his sword Ladnikia is champing at the impending battle. But the submarine hero knows that a magical swords that fed over the blood and drinks the souls of her victims, will be nothing more than a mediocre blade fighting skeletons and living cadavers.

“They are thousands and we are only two” whispers Nemo, while the Nazi warboats begins to shell the Old Town.

"Better two than nobody..." whispers Mordecai.

Thuner City, Terranova, Canada

“We are two thousands dinosaurs, and you are a Duracell guy, a tin boxed man and a plain clown, dudes” shouts Danny the Dino to Shock, Ghaleon, and Joker1, while destroyng the buildings lined along the docks.

“Shout your mouth, Danny!” exclaims Joker1. “What do you eat for breakfast? Canned Mandelovian cheese?”

The talking Dinosaur answers destroying the “Fisherman Inn” with a wave of the tail, and sinking three boats at their mooring with blasts from tits armor..

“That dragon is truly a worthy opponent” whispers Ghaleon.

“Yeah, maybe we three could even take him down” says Shock “but what of the other two thousands dinosaurs? They don’t talk and don’t shots missiles, but are as deadly as him!”

“Ehy, I’ve got an idea, guys!” shouts Joker1.

The two looks at him with very wide eyes.

“Ehy! Can’t I have ideas? Ghal, you are magic, right? And you can cross between dimensions, right? Quick, bring me somewhere else, and kill me during the crossing!”

“What? I know you are mad, but this is not the moment to…”

But the eyes of Shock lights up: “Ghaleon, do exactly what Joker1 suggest! NOW!”

Ghaleon seems perplexed, but shaking his head opens a portal and disappears with Joker1.

A moment later, the portal reopens and Gahleon and Joker1 are back… and with them, every other Hyperboards version of Joker1.

Millions of clowns jumping and screaming at the dinosaurs.

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: The Eurostar ]

[ 08-19-2001: Message edited by: The Eurostar ]

The numbers were now much greater than Gooz could have ever hoped for. It was now time to set up the strike forces. As Gooz begins to address the crowd, he notices a man toward the back of the room. Someone he has never seen, yet somehow he seems fimilar. The man is dressed in an acient knight's armor, with a long ax draped over his shoulder.

Gooz brushed off the feeling and contiuned to explain the attack that would be following. A large Institute on the coast of Thunder City, had been over run by a creature known as the Colony. Gooz made sure to carefully choose his words and not tip it off that a MBL member had started the school to train the next generation of heroes.

Gooz went on to explain about the huge spiders which have been formed and how the MBL has been able to take them out in the past.

The objective that Gooz gave the team, stop the Colony at all costs. The true objective; save the boy named Peter from the Colony, if any of these villains in the crowd knew the boy's true power levels, on a dime they would switch sides.

Soon the strike would begin.

"It's no joke." The creature said. "This is... was Walker's girlfriend."

Tobias tried to hold back the tears as he looked at the grave marker. "How?" Tobias asked.

"She was killed by Burdette, just like all the Warriors." The creature said. "We buried all the remains we could find."

"Everyone's here except for me, Will, and Walker." Tobias noticed. "Will was a ghost, so who knows where he wound up, but what about me and Walker."

"You were never found." The creature said. "Walker... is another story."

Suddeny, Giovacchino came flying through, followed by a squad of robot drones.

"Li'l Jo?" Tobias asked.

"Run!" The creature said. "Before we are caught!"

"I'm not running from any tin can!" Tobias said as he got ready to fight off the coming enemy.

A small boy crouched in the darkness. He couldn't see a thing, but every time he tried to stand, he hit his head on something. So he knew not to stand.

He sat. Still and silent.

He squeezed his mother's hand again, which was gripped in his own. She squeezed back, but faintly. She no longer had the energy to talk. A large chunk of concrete lay across her back. She could no longer feel her legs.

The two had been trapped here, in the remains of their small apartment, ever since the earthquake that had crushed their building.

Suddenly, the boy heard a voice inside his head.

"...hello? Is anybody there?..."

"Hello?" The boy replied, softly and nervously.

"What's your name?"

"...Jake..."

"I know this probably seems a little strange. Don't worry. My name is Daniel. I'm a member of the message board league. Are you okay?"

"...Yes.. I'm hungry..."

"Is anyone else in there with you?"

"My Mom..."

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know... she's not talking..."

"I'm going to try lifting the rocks off you. Just wait a second."

The voice suddenly left Jake's head, leaving him confused.

A rumbling sound suddenly came from above Jake. The rubble was shifting. A crack of light shot through the concrete and illuminated his face. He blinked, and covered his eyes.

Slowly, one by one, the rocks were cleared. The concrete was lifted from Jake's mother's back. The two trapped people began to float out of the wreckage. Jake panicked, having never floated in mid-air before.

"It's okay, Jake... you're safe," The voice in his head, Daniel Page of the MBL, said to him, reassuringly. The boy and his mother were delivered to the waiting paramedics.

Daniel stood at the side of the wreckage.

"Thanks, Daniel. We probably wouldn't have gotten to them in time ourselves..."

Daniel turned around. A fireman stood behind him, with his hand outstretched. The two shook hands.

"All in a day's work..." Daniel replied.

"So, what do we call you?" The fireman asked.

"...Daniel..." Daniel replied.

"Yeah, but that's your real name."

"...and?"

"But... you're a superhero! You need a codename. 'Brainwave' or something."

"...let's just stick with 'Daniel' for now..."

"Fine. Anyway, see you later."

Daniel waved goodbye to the fireman. All of a sudden, he remembered Gooz.

He had received Gooz's telepathic message several hours ago. It had seemed urgent.

But Gooz and the rest of the team could handle it for a few hours. There were people here, innocent people, trapped by the earthquake. Daniel couldn't abandon them.

After hours of work, he had finally reached the last building. He had telepathically scanned all the collapsed buildings for trapped people, and used his telekinesis to free them from the rubble.

He was exhausted, but now the MBL needed him...

He launched himself into the air, and began to fly towards MBL headquarters. He sent a telepathic message as he flew.

"Gooz... it's Daniel. I'm-a-comin'!"

At the MBL Headquarter, the Citadel, Mighty Aphrodite is hering the orders of Gooz, when a handsome young man flyes through the huge open window, right in the midlle of the gather crowd the metahuman.

“Wow!” thinks Aphrodite, looking at the man. But he desn’t seems to notice her, and go straight to Gooz to shake his hands.

Meanwhile, on the JAMB Klone Dome , HourlyQuinn is scanning the bodies of both the young Eurostar (a things that requires the young man to be half naked) and Max Yezpitelok (strangely Hourly said that he could kept his dress on), to track the next Hyperboard where a TIAMAT/MBL members has ended up, fighting the Colony.

“Hmmm…” whispers Hourlyquinn, “Hyperboard Sector 3596784.5Z I sense two people. No, three. No, two… I don’t understand…”

“No time to wonders, miss Hourlyquinn” says Eurostar. “We have to resque our friends!”

“Route over H.S. 3596784.5Z, SuperSloth” shouts Joker1.

The Klone Dome trembles, as it phases out from the reality, to enter the Hybperboards borderline…

And we hear Crush saying: “Hey, where is Igor JR?”

On a different Hyperboard, DiscoSteve own, I mean, the one where he has been displaced, the anime style MBL Japan is preparing to attack the evil ordes of Emperor Moon, whose giant robots are menacing the old temples of Kioto.

The MBL Mobile Suits are flying fast toward that city, when one of them falls to the ground, exploding.

“An attack!” shouts Rypta Gud’n.

“No!” the voice of Doctor Quantum sounds from the Intercoms. “The sensors have registered an impossible fact! Joker1 has disappeared!”

In the same moment, that Japanese parellel version of Joker1 appears in the dinosaurs infested Thuner City, in the middle of millions other versions of Joker1…

Says you...[QUOTE]

[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: Igor ]

As the crowd of metahumans prepare themselves for the mission Gooz has given them, one of the heroes sees a familiar face...

Nobody Else: Walter!

Walter: Huh?

Nobody Else: Walter Simonson, it's me!

Walter: Who are you...? And I'm not Walter Simonson, I'm--

Nobody Else: --Walter Simonson's stunt doble, I know!

Walter: How do you...? Oh my Gob! You are... the puppet!

Nobody Else: Yes, yes! Jeez... it's been a while, huh?

Walter: Yes! And... look at yourself! You are... walking and talking and stuff! Last time I saw you, you couldn't even stay in a chair without falling down! What happened?

Nobody Else: Oh, it's a long story...

Walter: Oh. So...

Nobody Else: Yeah...

Walter: This whole thing...

Nobody Else: Yes, yes...

Walter: It's madness...!

Nobody Else: Yes... So, uh, see you later, OK?

Walter: Yeah, OK, bye.

Nobody Else: Bye...

Louise Simonson's Stunt Doble: Who was that?

Walter: Uh... nobody!

The forces are gathering. Even a puppet, a sawdust stuffed puppet will put his life at stake for the safety of the humankind...

But let's take a look at where JAMB is...

“We are entering this Hyperboard right now” says Super Sloth from his console, looking at the star filled space taking form on the main monitor. “Solar System at two parsec”.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes, Eurostar” says Joker2, turning his head to the right, where the time displaced young Italian hero sit.

In the pilot room of the Klone Dome, with SS, Jo and Ed, the newly coined nickname for Eurostar, are Jo’s sister, Hourlyquinn, that doesn’t stop to fix her eyes over the European runner, Ed’s teacher from the year 2000, Max Yezpitelok, and Crush, that watch a little worried the two guest.

The arrival of Eurostar coincided with the disapparition of one of their teammates, Jake the Warrior Sprite, and alos, the kid convinced Joker2 to leave the Hyperboard where they were fighting demons reigning over that Earth, to come back in time to stop Hell to conquest the planet. The plan could make sense, yet Crush is worried for the men and women that saved him when he was trapped there, and that now are totally at the mercy of the demons. And just a minute ago, they have found that another teammates, Igor Jr, has disappeared, at the same time of the resque of Max.

Are those two really heroes? Could they be enemy disguised? Is this a sort of elaborate trap? Crush promises to himself to keep his eyes wide open over those two.

“The Hypertrack signature is coming from Washington, DC” exclaims Hourly.

Joker2 stands up. “Ok, Ed. Now we’ll beam you down on the planet. Find your friends, and then call us with this iBell. We’ll beam you up. OK?”

Eurostar eyes are wide open. “Go there… all by myself?”

“Why? What do you mean? It would be easier for one person alone to meddle in the environment… we can’t go down in a dozen of colorful dressed guys… the people would be scared… And you are the European Phenomenon, one of the most famous superheroes of all the Galaxy… who would better suited for this mission?”

The young Edulcore Cicciotto is embarassed. Obviously thy don’t understand that he would be a great hero, but in the future, well, in his future, even if it is the past for Jo and Hourly. But he can’t say that he has fear. What hero in the World knows fear? “Ok, beam me down, Crush!”

The effect is not really different from what he has experienced many time, coming and going trough the timestream between the TIAMAT Institute in the year 2001, and his hometown of Bologna, 1984. But this time there is a huge difference. This time he doesn’t know whare he will end. A peaceful garden? A post-apocalict world? An alien invasion?

Then, the blurry crimson phantasms of the travel dissipates, and he finds himself… in Woodstock?

Thousands of young peoples are dancing on a field, others are sitting smoking weeds or from a pot. In the distance, among sulphoureus smokes, there is a stand, but it is not a rockband over it. There are two persons, tall men, tied up to two crosses, and another man, colorful dressed, fat and heavy, jumping all around them.

And Eurostar suddenly realizes that it is not a bandstand, it is a scaffold.

He needs to know more. He take out his mask, borrows a wooden necklace from a sleeping woman, and slowly, painfully slow for a superspeedster, try to reach the scaffold.

After some minutes, the amplificated words coming from the loudspeakers becomes understandable.

“…so the Hippie Non-Government is proud to present you the last two members of the hipocrite resistence to the Holy Anarchie, the last two soldiers of the Republican Underground: the Ultraconservative and his sidekik Ele-fantry. Now I, the Clown, Slave Supreme of the Happy People, will give the start to the reconditioning of these two poor marginal men, and in a few months they will embrace Peace and Love!”

The blabbering of the fat Clown continues, but the attention of Eurostar is all over the form of the two tied man. He has never seen them in these costumes before, but their features… the curl over the fron of the taller one… the chin of the other…

They are his teachers, John Grey II and Guy Smiley! Indestructible-Man and Brickhouse!

Larry LLance reached the first of the many buildings in Mandelovia and reared his great, dark steed on its hind legs. Brandishing his broad sword he spurred his demonic cavalry on to the heart of Mandelovia and their objective: transforming the Palace into a permanent gateway for Hell.

Suddenly large explosions rocked the charging lines. Red eyed horsed bucked in confusion and threatened to dismount their fiendish riders. More flashes of light, and more cries of pain, but he could not see the source of this newfound turmoil in Larry's men.

The cavalry was not yet in position, but someone had acted too soon. He would have to hope they were close enough to make his plan effective.

Avatar emerged from the alleyway where he had been crouched and saw the first knights just passing into the business district. He had wanted to wait longer, but their position would suffice. He pressed a small button on a device in his hand and waited.

Within seconds twelve explosions rocked the Mandelovian countryside, spilling flaming death in all directions. While the horsemen were not in prime position, the sheer size and radius of the explosions meant that most of the first wave had been decimated.

Avatar waded through the hundred-foot high flames his explosives had created and was greeted by a grey armored knight still trying to crawl his way through the death. A look of complete disdain crossed Avatar's features and soon thereafter a three foot glowing blade jutted from the knight's skull. He continued to stride through his destruction and dispatch any men who were unlucky enough to survive the initial onslaught. Then, as quickly as he had entered the flames, he arrived at their end. He saw the vast numbers still surging like a black tide towards the people of Mandelovia.

A rider rushed past him. His horse was large and powerful, its legs carrying it swiftly across the ground. There was triumph in the eyes as they beheld the shrinking distance between them and their goal.

But the horse was not swift enough, nor did its rider possess the power to deliver himself.

Avatar caught the man's leg and drug him from the horse. While in mid-flight Vigrid severed his head from his shoulders. Avatar passed his eyes acoss the landscape once more and was made aware of a glowing figure flying above the countryside.

"D'Goon...this changes things, thought not decidedly in our favor."

LLance and Bibbo floated down to Avatar's position.

Bibbo spoke first, "Where have you been? No, don't take the time to answer that. What have you done?"

"I've killed some of our attackers. I believe I will do much more of the sort in the time to come."

"You destroyed a quarter of the business district! I understand what you were doing, but there were people still in there!"

"The people still alive in that sector were few, and they were spared the worse suffering of death by those knights."

LLance spoke up, "We could have saved them first, then blown everything up."

"D'Goon's attack forced my hand early, but Larry had already reached that section. Those people were lost and you both know it."

Bibbo's face became somber and he acknowledged what Avatar had said.

"I hate war..."

Avatar looked in the man's eyes and Bibbo saw an emotion in the other man's heart that he did not expect to ever see again.

"I've no great love for them either Bibbo, but this one has been forced upon us. Let us end it."

Avatar mounted the dead demon's horse and spurred it towards the approaching infantry.

LLance yelled after him, "What are you doing! You can't just charge in like that!!"

Avatar looked over his shoulder and called back, "If I die it will be no great loss. You two just help D'Goon and try to keep yourselves alive."

A world away, the MBL faced a similar problem. Gooz stood in front of the Message Board League, friends and foes now members of the same team… For this one day, the past didn’t matter at all.

The first strike had begun.

Gooz watched from the HQ, Daniel and Lucky by his side, as the Changeling led a small group into the Thunder Institute. Two heroes with teleportation powers brought the group directly into the Institutes auditorium, asides from the web covering the walls, it was clear.

[Gooz, we’re in…]

Daniel had created a mind link between Gooz and the Changeling, it the best way to keep the heroes in contact at all times.

Good, no sign of trouble yet?

[None. We’re going to make our way toward the Infirmary, which is the last known location of most of the children.]

Ok, just be careful, you never know what to expect.

[I’ll be on the look out…]

A few moments passed, before Gooz heard a single word in his mind, […shit…]. Than, the mind-link was dead.

Gooz: Daniel, status?

Daniel: Nothing, the mind-link is down, that can only mean…

Gooz: NO!

Gooz opened a portal.

Gooz: Danny-boy, watch things over here, I’ll be right back.

A Few Moments ago – The Thunder Institute

The Changeling was in front of the small group, containing two of the remaining Warriors, Howard and Jesse, a brute named Power-man, the villain known as Rampage, another bad guy known as Huge and Jessica Patrick, also known as vapor, and Tommy Gordon, also known as Ghost, both of whom have teleportation powers.

Changeling: Ok guys, we’re going to head east to the Infirmary, the space there is large enough to hold a good number of students.

The group slowly made there way towards the doors, which were covered in web.

Power-man: What is this crap?

The large hero pulls down on the web, but something is wrong.

The Changeling: …shit…

Out of nowhere, a sledgehammer strikes the Changeling in the stomach, than swings back around, cracking him in the back. The Changeling looks up, into the eyes of his attacker, Jonathan Hanks, the deceased man known as Hammer. His eyes, no color… fully black. Than, the heroes’ feel the full blunt of the attack. Shadow demons attack from all sides.

A sword rips through the stomach of Power-man, who continues to fight with the blade hanging out of his body. Howard takes to the air, as Jesse shoots out a blast of fire across the room, making sure not to hurt any of his fellow teammates, but frying many of the demons. Huge and Rampage are able to use their super strength and invincibility to their advantage, and rip apart the shadow demons. Tommy Gordon jumps in front of Vapor, saving her, but getting a sword into his chest in the process. The Changeling pulls out his sword and strikes it at Hammer, who uses his weapon of the same name to block it.

Hammer: It has begun, their time here is up angel. You of all people should know this.

Changeling: Dead man, I’m sending you back to hell!

The two continue to exchange blows, as the rest of the room is over run by the demons, who have one thought on their mind, to kill. Out of nowhere, Gooz appears. You can see the pain within his eyes as he uses his powers to absorb the shadow demons, clearing the room. As light now fills the room, Tommy Gordon and Huge are dead, Howard is bloody but ok, as is Jesse, Rampage is fine, standing in front of Vapor, whom is also ok. Power-man limps over to Gooz, holding his stomach as blood pours out. The Changeling is standing over Hammer’s body; he lets his sword fall, taking off the villain’s head.

Hammer’s voice can still be heard, “…it has begun…”

Changeling: We gotta keep moving…

Changeling busted open the door as the now smaller group raced toward the Infirmary, Gooz attempting to use his powers to hold back the shadow demons. With a single blow, the Changeling was able to rip the doors of their hedges, revealing a crowded room full of the institute’s students. Vapor made her way toward the front of the group, opening a big portal.

Changeling: Everyone in! No questions!

As the children began to enter the portal, the Colony ripped through one of the foot thick steel walls.

Changeling: That’s the target!

After the Changeling’s words, the remaining heroes turned their full blunt of power on the villain. He brushed it off with ease, shooting a blast across the room, into Howard’s chest, taking the hero off his feet. The Colony than shot a blast at Rampage, ripping right through his armor, taking a chunk of his arm off. The Changeling moved in between the Colony and the children, his sword drawn.

Move human.

The Changeling didn’t respond, but stood his ground.

I said move human.

The Changeling smiled, “I’m not human!”

Aboard the Klone Dome, Igor Jr. looked out the window at the red-cowled people standing below. He looked at Joker2 refusing to help them. He watched as Jo, Ed, and Crush walked back to the Dome. Igor’s fists tightened. His jaw clenched. Hitting a button on his gauntlet, Igor felt himself getting smaller… and his cold blood getting warmer.

Activating his rocket boots, he blasted into the shuttle bay, squeezing inside his own private shuttle, which was much smaller than any other shuttle. He and I-2 had made it especially for his use and this was the first time he had ever used it. The shuttle, like his armor, had size variation circuitry, which made it able to slip in and out of radar detection. Once he set off, there would be no way the Klone Dome would be able to track him.

“I can’t believe you, Jo,” Igor said as he initialized the launch sequence. “Refusing help to a Hyperboard in need… it’s against what JAMB stands for, and I won’t stand for it either.” Hitting the red launch button, Igor’s shuttle launched from the Klone Dome as the giant rotating semi-sphere disappeared into another Hyperboard.

Igor landed the craft at the feet of the hooded cultists assembled. As he landed, he started the enlarging process. As the ship grew, the men and women, thinking it to be a demon, dove behind rocks and began throwing spears and blasting at it with hand-held lasers.

Thank goodness for the adamantium-titanium alloy hull, Igor said, activating his personal force field and stepping out of the shuttle. The people became even more frightened and began to fire even more frequently. Holding up his hands, Igor addressed them, using the loudspeaker mic on his armor.

“Good people!” he said. “I mean you no harm! I am Igor Jr. of the Junior Adventurers of the Message Boards. I am the self-appointed liaison to this sector and will aid you in any way necessary.”

The young girl who had treated Crush dropped her cowl and took a step forward. “You are here to help?”

“Yes,” he said, feeling that he was gaining their approval. “If you will take me to your superior officer, I would be more than happy to discuss my aiding with him.”

The man with the red beard leaned over to a thin dark man beside him. “I don’t know if we can trust this one. Something seems all too convenient about him.”

“We’ll take him to the Sovereign, anyway,” the dark man said in a whisper. “If he is insincere, the Sovereign will know… and will dispose of him.” The bearded man nodded. He walked up to Igor and uttered the brusque words: “Follow me.”

Igor followed the cowled men through a series of caves. He noticed that he was passing the same landmarks over and over, obviously to confuse him if he were a double agent. A smirk fell across Igor’s features as the cave opened into a clearing. A large stone table lay out in the middle, cowled men sitting around it’s circular frame. At the head, a lone man sat elevated above all the others. His head was bowed, obscuring his face. His thin hands rested on the rests of his tall chair. The men leading Igor dropped to one knee as they entered the room, kneeling before their superior.

“What is it?” the Sovereign asked, not even bothering to look up. “Can you not see that the Council is in session?”

“Yes, Sovereign,” the bearded man spoke. “But this one came to us offering help, sir. I thought it wise to bring him before you.”

For the first time, the man’s head lifted, his gaze affixed on Igor’s location. Igor gulped audibly as he saw one yellow eye glaring at him from under the cowl. A white beard was also visible as the man’s head continued to rise.

“Heh,” the Sovereign chuckled, looking at the boy standing before him. “If it isn’t Igor Jr.” Igor’s mouth hung open at the mention of his name. How did this man know him? Was he a telepath? Was he a clairvoyant? As Igor’s mind raced, the man spoke again. “I never thought I’d see you again…”

“Sovereign,” the bearded man spoke again, “you… know this one?”

“Indeed,” the Sovereign said, pulling his cowl down to reveal his face. His hair was white and long, pulled back into a ponytail. The face’s thin high cheekbones and deep sunken eyes sent chills down Igor’s spine. A white goatee adorned the man’s face as his one good eye glared at him, it’s yellow iris cutting through the darkness. The other eye, covered with a patch with a scar visible beneath it, stared at nothing, and everything as well. “It’s has been a long time, has it not, Igor?”

“Yes,” Igor said, recognizing the man before him. Despite the change of eye color, the missing eye, and the hard-fought battle with old age, Igor recognized him. From his Hyperboard. From his world. From his TOMB. "It certainly has..."

And Igor Jr. stared into the face of Milliard Kreegan… the Avatar…

He opened his eyes again slowly, giving them a chance to adjust to the light.

He couldn't quite make out how large the chamber was... the light that seemed to be shining from everywhere at once made it hard to judge where the walls began and ended. He got the impression that it was pretty big.

What disturbed him most, however, was the four large men in shiny black suits and grim expressions surrounding him.

"I don't like this, Danny," Hal said.

"Uh... Hi..." Danny said to the men.

"Daniel Hearn?" One of the me said, the grim expression never leaving his face for a second.

"Depends. Who's asking?"

"...interested parties," The same man in black, obviously their elected spokesman, said.

"Right."

"There are several people in your proper time, Daniel..."

"Danny."

"...Danny... who disagreed with the research of Doctor John Feldman. I'm sure you can see their objections."

"Not really."

"Regardless. The world will be better off without the technology that currently inhabits your body, no matter which era you live in, and whether your agree or not."

"...right. How did I get here, anyway?"

"We ambushed and drugged you. We apologise for the heavy-handed tactics, but it was the only way to get you into a position in which you could be reasoned with."

"To be honest, that doesn't sound like the beginnings of a fair and even negotiation..."

"We see your point. But now, we must implore you to see reason. Please, return with us to your correct time..."

"This IS my correct time."

"...then return with us to the future. We will extract the nanites, and the beta-brain, from your body. Then you can rejoin society where you left off, and the world will be safer."

"You want me to go back to prison?"

"We can guarantee you a pardon, if that's what it takes for you to comply."

"No deal. TOMB needs me. And who's to say the world will be safer?"

"Trust us... Dr Feldman was an evil man. He had nothing but sinister intentions for this technology."

Danny noticed that they appeared to be nice to him. They were apparently offering him a choice. Maybe they were on the level...?

"Sorry. No. My home is here now."

Danny then noticed that the four men were looking at each other in turn, and occasionally sharing small nods. Telepathy, maybe?

"Very well," The man in black said.

One of them grabbed Danny from behind him. Another dove to the floor and grabbed his legs.

Now they're showing their true colours... should've known it was all bullshit...

"Cheetah's legs..." Danny said through gritted teeth, struggling for air. He immediately felt the muscles in his legs strengthen, and increase in mass.

He jumped upwards, slamming against the roof and knocking the man on his back unconscious. When he hit the floor, the man who was on his legs let go and rolled across the room.

"Bull's horns..." Danny said, as the two remaining men ran towards him. He rammed into one, breaking his ribs and sending him to the floor. He managed to dodge the other using the speed granted him by his new leg muscles.

Dannu ran across the room, to where one of the men was sprawled... the man who had grabbed his legs earlier.

"Tasmanian Red Tree Frog..."

He knelt down, and grabbed the injured man in a headlock. He turned to the other three.

"Did you know that in 2019, a frog is discovered in the Tasmanian bush that excretes a poison instantly deadly to humans with only the slightest contact? Just one of the many useful tidbits of information given to me by my this little second brain... and I've just grown some new glands."

Danny held up his hand next to his hostage's head. An oily substance was coating it.

"And before you ask yourselves why the poison isn't killing me... I've temporarily modified my immune system. And you say this technology is dangerous..."

The three men were hesitant. Danny must have appeared a fearsome sight... bull horns and cheetah's legs. And he had their colleague.

"Bird wings..." Danny said. Large, feathered wings sprouted from his back, tearing his clothing.

The man that Danny held suddenly reached upwards, trying to break the hold and strangle his captor. Danny clamped his hand against the man's face.

The man convulsed violently, and collapsed dead on the floor.

"I wasn't kidding about the frog poison," Danny said. He leapt upwards, using the wings to push himself the few metres to the roof. He used the bull horns to ram against, collapsing a big section. He clambered out, and began the flight back to Mandelovia.

"Who the hell were those men, Hal?!"

"I don't know... but I would advise caution from now on."

Tobias is trapped on an alternate Hyperboard where the Warrior's biggest battle, which they should have triumphed, has turned to tragedy.

The remaining Warriors in the real world have teamed with the world's greatest heroes and most dangerous criminals to battle the terrible evil that engulfs the world.

Jesse's arm is broken, and his body is sore. Andy and Grover are fine for the moment, but not for too much longer. Howard is dying, but still has some fight left.

Elsewhere, a hero by the name of Jake the Warrior Sprite is trapped outside of time, unable to help his friends. For now he must sit back and watch the events unfold.

Me? My name is Will, and I'm a Guardian Angel. And it is my job to watch over the aforementioned players, plus one other:

Lucky

A friend asked me to take special care of him, but I may have to go against Walker's wishes. Because to save Pete McLecovich, Lucky will have to make a great sacrifice.

I was telling you about my younger self, which right now is in front of the Indestructible Man and Brickhouse, bruised and beaten, and tied up to crosses in the midst of a crowd of thousands hippies.

Jack and Guy, you see, were displaced by Pete McLebovich in a particular Hyperboard where the Indestructible Man ended up before, last year I think, during the battle with the HE that saw my death. America, here, in the sixties was overrun by the FlowerPower revolution, and the organized anarchy that ensued, was challenged only by a few rebels, under the the Republican Underground flag. Their heroes, the Ultraconservative and Ele-fantry.

Now, bear in mind that I am, or maybe I was, in my native Italy, a communist, so don’t ask me to take side in this war; but when I was seventeen, and ended up in that Hyperboard to rescue my two professors, I only saw my teachers caged by a strange fat clown.

So I attacked wildly. But let’s see that live.

The young Eurostar charge at the Clown, which is the head of the Hippie Non-government. His title his Slave Supreme of the happy People, but basically he is the Emperor of America. Fat and heavy, he keeps jumping on the scaffold haranguing the crowd.

He doesn’t see the approaching Eurostar, due partially to the supervelocity of the hero, partially to his drug induced madness. But his bodyguards are well aware after a few seconds, and strike at Edulcore with all their armaments.

But Eurostar is totally focused over his goal. It was the first lesson John Grey taught him at TIAMAT: it is not the powers, but the experience that makes you a hero. He can’t fight all those men, but he can surely free one of the men.

And since their obvious most valued prey is John, he goes at full speed toward Guy Smiley, which is less guarded. To avoid being hit by the bodyguards, he must be as fast as he never has been before. His iron strong body can shed the bullets, but the lasers can cut his skin.

So, when he feels his body hitting the cross where Guy is tied, he is relieved, and can roll away, far from the scaffold, in the distant darkness.

The collision was hard, and he is about to loose his senses. The last thing he hears his the noise of a fight, and than the darkness wrap him.

After a time that seems to last forever, the rays of the rising sun warm his body. He opens his eyes, and in front of him are standing the familiar figures of John Grey and Guy Smiley.

Eurostar manages to sit. “Prof… professor Grey… Professor Smiley! You are alive!”

“Yes. And you, Cicciotto, had a big part in that” says Guy.

“Yeah, Edulcore, we owe you our life”.

“I… I don’t remember…”

“Oh, your stunt did freed Guy, and he quickly untied me, all while fighting those freaks, then we take flight. This morning we came to search for you, after the crowd had left” explains the ex-Indestructible Man.

The young Eurostar looks around. He had ended his blind run in a dry ditch, behind a hedgerows.

“Doesn’t have dogs, them? Dogs could have smell me even here…” wonders Eurostar.

“No, they don’t use dogs, or any other animal. They say that animals shouldn’t work, so they haven’t any trained dog, or horse, for that matter…” says Guy.

“Hey, I’m starting to like them” whispers Edulcore, so low that the two don’t understand.

“What?”

“Nothing important. Anyway, I found you, so now we can come back to our Hyperboard. Get ready, I am about to signal our position to…”

“Stop!” shouts the Indestructible Man. “We are not coming with you!”

“What? The MBL is decimated, stranded away in the Hyperboards, the Colony has captured all the kids at TIAMAT and Hell is about to break loose of the planet. How can you possibly refuse to come, Professor Grey? They are your students…”

“First, call me Jack. Jack Eimann. Grey is a name that I don’t want. As for Hell, don’t you see that here hell has spread before?”

“But… but JAMB, heroes from the future, are coming to help, and you, the most powerful metahuman of the planet, don’t want take your place on the upcoming war?”

The Ultraconservative sighs, and sits near Eurostar.

“Edulcore, life asks us sometime to take hard decisions. I have been in this place one time before, and was brought back before I could do anything good. Then, casually, I’ m here for the second time, and with Guy, which is, maybe you don’t know, my matter-counterpart from your planet, being me originally from the anti-matter uniboard. Well, this time I can’t leave without at last try to rectify the evil that permeate this world”.

“But the Earth need the Indestructible Man…”

“No. Even if the whole MBL has been displaced, there is always TOMB. And the ex Leaguers. And M.A.N. And the Young Boarders. And many heroes we never heard of. This Earth has only the two of us. I can’ t feel being a coward for my decision, Edulcore, because that would be meaning that I consider all these heroes good for nothing, and that I think the war could be won only by me.
But, Edulcore, that’s not the case. I trust Gooz. I trust Prometheus. I trust Avatar. I trust LLance. I trust Tobias. I trust you, Eurostar. You can win that war. Only I and Guy can win this”.

Eurostar stand up, without a word gives his hand to Jack and than to Guy.

Then he is about to talks into the Intercom, when, abruptly, asks: “Why I should call you Jack, and not John?”

“Because, you see, Grey was the surname of my father, Lord Entropy. Before I arrived here, he and me were amalgamated, like two mind into one body. Here, is mind is shut down. I don’t know why. And, without his influence, I am able to see that he was about to take control. I did things that I would have never done, like brainwashing that reporter or leaving Klone deaf and blind in the sewers of Athanon. Stupid things, I can see now, other than pitiless. So, for the time I will be here, I’m sure Lord Entropy will not harm anymore Earth.
But, sadly, I know my future. I saw it more two years ago, during a meeting of the MBL. In the future I will fought with my father to the end, and will be forever lost in the Hyperboards. So, I’m sure I will return, one day. Farewell, Eurostar”

“Beam me up, Crush”.

One second later, Eurostar is in the Tactic sector of the Klone Dome.

“You are alone, Eurostar. Didn’t you find anyone?” asks Joker2.

“I didn’t find any leaguer. But I did find a great hero. The greatest of them all".

Hourly then notices something on the rim of Eurostar's mask. She goes near him, and wipes something off the eyelids. She observes her finger: “Eurostar… you are crying…”

Recently, Heaven had been under siege by forces from Hell, and forces from other dimensions. The walls between the hyperboards were breaking down, and Hell was eager to claim the Earth as it's own in the ensuing chaos. It was war. And the remaining members of the Courts of Light were certain that it had something to do with the sudden absence of the X and the V, in addition to Ry-Chard, the Watcher... the middle ground between the two.

When such cosmic forces disappear, and then havoc ensues which could very well mean the end of the world on Earth, it was not good news.

Inside the throne room, alone, there sat a being who had been known at various times as Rypta Gud'n and Daniel Elwyn Boy, but was now generally referred to as The Rhymer.

He had once been a God. Then he was a man. And now he was a God again. He wasn't sure which suited him better.

Recently, he had spent most of his time fighting. Fighting interdimensional creatures. Fighting the hordes of Hell.

And now, he was resting.

Not because he was lazy. Or too tired to go on. Simply because the fight didn't need him. It had almost finished.

The forces which had amassed at the gates of Heaven in recent months had almost all retreated. A few stayed, desperately trying to break into Heaven, but it was nothing that the perimeter guard couldn't handle.

This action by the enemy forces had prompted Dan into pulling most of Heaven's forces out of Hell, where they had been trying to stage a similar coup, simply with the roles reversed. There didn't seem to be any point anymore.

If the forces of evil had retreated from Heaven, that could mean only one thing.

The fight was not over. Such creatures had no concept of quitting. No... the fight had merely moved. Dan was certain that they were regrouping, and preparing to resume the fight elsewhere. To take the direct approach to their planned conquest of the mortal plane.

The fight would move to Earth. Heaven and Hell were irrelevant locations in the coming battles. The war between good and evil... between Heaven and Hell... between order and chaos... between the X and the V... would soon shift to Earth. To the mortal plane. It would very well mean the coming of the apocalypse.

The signs had already appeared. The dimensional barriers had broken down. Creatures from various hyperboards had begun to invade each other. Soon, the entire war would spill all over Earth.

And, however much faith he had in them, Dan sincerely doubted whether the protectors of humanity would be able to handle it.

He was worried.

Yet.

Avatar swung and there was another spray of blood followed by an equally grotesque scream of horror. The demon's dying face was twisted not in rage, not in triumph, not in sardonic glee, but in fear. Fear of the blood-soaked, howling reaver that had torn like a hurricane through his chest.

Four hundred and sixty-one...

The corpses lay piled around Avatar and their blood drenched his body. He had lost track of the time he had spent slogging through black metal and putrid flesh, but he did decide to count the slain. He wished that he had started before he lost his mount.

The number would have been much higher.

The rest of the company began to falter and run as they saw more than half of their number fall. But Avatar was a man possessed and would not allow any of them such an easy escape from their fate.

He brought his axe around and it bounced off a knight's laquered mail, but the force knocked the demon from its feet. It rolled over and whimpered for mercy; pleaded as Avatar stood atop it. He brought the axe down once again, horribly mangling the demon's face and splitting wide its skull. Avatar tried to remove his blade but it had stuck fast in the bone and gore.

The axe had lasted him longer than most others, he cursed and grabbed a short sword which lay nearby. Any weapon would suffice, a slayer takes no preference.

Four hundred and sixty-two...

He had lost Vigrid much ealier in a particularly frantic melee. He had in turn hefted a massive broadsword and continued his wholesale slaughter of anything and everything in his vision. If it was meant to be he would find it again. In truth he cared little if he ever laid his eyes upon the scythe, it was a painful reminder of what he had lost and why.

In the slight pause granted by the fleeing troops around him, Avatar began to feel his exhaustion and his pain. His breath came in short ragged gasps and the protruding white bone told him that his right arm was hopelessly broken.

He saw the troops being regrouped and turned by their commanders to once more assail the "Red Reaver" as Avatar had heard some of the demons refer to him.

There was no cantrip or spell this time to save him. He knew he was going to die.

He knew he deserved it. He knew he had been wrong; had seen the results of his actions.*

Avatar knew that only hell awaited him, but he could take as many of the demons as possible back there with him. He wiped the blood from his brow and remembered his fair Delilah. He would never see her again, her pure soul would recoil in horror from his dark taint. For all he fought against the demons, he had become one of them now.

He raised his sword in his left hand and shouted his pain to heaven. He fought the evil that was himself and knew that no redemption could be found.

"Blood and souls! Death for my dark lords!"

Avatar lept forward with insanity in his eyes. Madness claimed his heart as he laughed at his destruction.

Four hundred and sixty-three...

Four hundred and sixty-four...

Four hundred and sixty-five...

A peal of thunder loomed over the vast, desert plain. The echo rolled with a burst of wind, kicking up spools of choking dust, writhing and twisting in an aerial dance of chaos and speed.

Clouds. Thick. Dark. Pulsating with something more than rain. Something more than weather.

Clouds. Blanketing the sun. Clouds, stretching over the nigh-endless desert of Cairo, Egypt.

Nature clawed at the planet Earth in unbridled agony.

She blocked the plume of sand from her eyes, a small scarf wrapped tightly over her mouth. Still, a line of grit etched between her clenched teeth, as she strode forward against the beating.

Each booted footstep sank ankle-deep. Each step, a chore against the turbulence.

Her ebony hair whipped along the back of her neck, caked with layers of entropy's signature.

Still, she pushed forward.

It had taken two hours of maxing-out the M-X's turbines. Two hours of cresting the atmospheric chaos at sub-sonic speeds, riding the waves of turbulence. Two hours, to make the sub-orbit position. Two hours to jump from her private New York airfield, to make a VTOL-drop in the middle of the Egyptian desert.

For anyone else, two hours was a short-hop of a trip.

For anyone else.

For Malvana, it was an eternity.

Not really being able to define when exactly the cramping pain had started, in her lower abdomen, she responded on impulse, knowing what it meant.

The deep lull in her stomach. In her chest. In her very heart. The pain wasn't the physical kind. More the meta-physical. The undefinable. The sense of paranoia-mixed-urgency that throttled her senses was something wholly unique to her as a being.

It was The X within her. Driving her. Forcing her physical being to understand that which her ulti-conscience already knew.

He was back.

Here. Somewhere. Calling to her with his imagination. Craving her presence with his daydreams. Reminding her that he would always need her.

He was here. In the desert.

Slowly, she made her way to a shadowed wall of stone that predated almost everything on the planet.

Almost everything.

The sand billowed against her squinted eyes, her lashs layered with dust. Her hand crept along the wall, searching for a vague, thousand-year-old memory.

A small chunk of stone quietly pressed inwards at her touch, accompanied by slow rumble. A small entrance exhausted a gust of air that had been trapped for nearly seventeen centuries. She quickly turned, refusing to breathe the toxic burst.

Then, slowly, the hissing air died away.

The crack of her boot heels became evident against the stone floor, as she left the chaos of nature to enter a long, dark tunnel.

Creeping down with purpose, feeling her way along the darkness of the tomb, she caught a pinprick of light coming into view.

An open chamber spread before her in luminous beauty. Sanscript carvings and gold figurines lines the room. Seven torches along the wall burned with an odd, unearthly white.

As if they had been burning forever....

Pulling the scarf from her face, she shook the dirt from her hair, eyeing the sarcophogus that sat still in the middle of the chamber.

She eyed the inscriptions briefly, noticing a few familiar symbols that spoke personally to her soul.

Then, with a sharp prick of opal-light hued within her iris, she spoke a few selected words in a language that had been ancient when the Old Gods where crawling from the celestial primordiance.

The tomb slowly slid open, the stone grinding against itself.

She looked down into the face of her eternal love.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open, as he lurched up into a sitting position, gasping for breath.

She cradled his shaking form in her arms softly, as he began to pull himself up and out.

Standing shakily for a moment, he held onto her for support. Then, with a burst of energy, suddenly jerked upright, folded his hands behind his back, and began pacing, almost oblivious to her presence.

"Right!" he announced, staring at the floor, as he paced. "That was a nice nap...now, down to business."

She stared at him with slight bemusement.

"There was a flicker in the Hyperline-1148....I must have Bibbo look into that......the S.A.T. probe in the third-lower orbit needs to be prepared and refit with luminal scopes......the 4th and 12th MAN can take care of that.....and, let's see....OH YES!....the end of the world is coming soon.....right. Okay. That all seems quite clear. Really, just three small problems: Where am I? Who am I? And...who are you?"

He suddenly shot his gaze up into Malvana's eyes for a fraction of a second, before they rolled into his sockets, as he crumpled onto the floor, unconscious.

Malvana merely shook her head with a sigh.

"<...oh, Pala...>"

[ 08-25-2001: Message edited by: Prometheus of The X ]

"Tobias?" Giovacchino said as he jumped into the boy's arms. "You'll never believe what I found!"
**************************************
"So everyone's dead in this reality?" Giovacchino asked.

"Yes." The creature said. "After the Warriors were destroyed, Burdette set his sights on the rest of the world. He conjured a spell to block out the sun, which is why the sky is this evil red color."

"And the MBL? And TOMB?" Tobias asked.

"Burdette used a spell to banish them. No one knows where they went. All sentient life on the planet was soon captured and sold to other alien species as slaves. Whatever life remains here are hiding." The creature said.

"But how did Burdette defeat Walker?" Tobias asked. "Before Burdette killed me, I was going to give the bastard a lobotomy by vibrating into his skull and pulling the plug. But he had some sort of fail safe designed to fry me in place and... then I told Walker what I saw in his mind... and the next thing I knew everyone was alive. Except Walker."

"I saw your skeleton, Tobias." Giovacchino said. "You had a knife in your back."

"I wasn't stabbed." Tobias said. "At least not in our world..."

There is turmoil in Hell, soon we’ll see why. For now, let’s go to the Klone Dome. Many heroes are stranded in unknown Hyperboards, and their only hope is JAMB.

So, let’s take a look to the Tactic Section of the Dome, where…

“The next signature is coming from Hyperboard Section 7894561.23K” says Hourly, with her open hand over the bare chest of the young Eurostar. “I can discern even a name… Lo… Lorelei! Ehy, but is a female name!”

“Yeah, she’s a friend of mine from the Institute” explains innocently Edulcore.

“OK, Ed” says Joker2. “Get ready for…”

“No!” shouts Hourlyquinn. “For this mission the best suited are you, bro, with me and Max Yezpitelok which knows the girl. Eurostar will stay here. He is… he is quite emotionally challenged from his previous mission”.

“But I’m fine. And Lorelei is my…”

“Not a word more, Ed. Joker2, Max and myself are the appointed members of this rescue mission. You will stay here, take care of yourself. Jo?”

“OK, sister. ” exclaims Joker2, which as for now is willing to surrender to any of his sister request, fearing to have her back into her junk food behaviour .

“Beam us down, Crush!”

“The dead nazi Army is following the direct orders of the dead Hitler. Killing him, the troops will be lost. At last, that’s my hope” I said to Mordecai. “You can swim there undetected, Nemo, the mission is obviously yours. I will give you cover, somehow”.

And then the water. The salty, warm water of the Adriatic sea, the sandy bottom, the Posidonia prairie where many fishes hide. Colorful fishes, and starfishes, and many other forms of marine life.

I remember the few times I had time to wander the Oceans. I remember the time I fled from the MBL to find refuge in the Ocean. Oh, how time has changed. Now I have many friends, Pro, Bibbo, Mordecai, LLance, Joker1, Shock, Danny, even Avatar… and a woman, Gaia, which maybe a goddess, but that form me is only a marvelous girl needing dedication and love. And now Hell want to stole all of this from mine, and not only Hell, Heaven has the same goal.

Well, I swear this will not happen.

I’m under the cruiser.

There is something strange, unreal. At first, I can’t understand it, than, all of a sudden, I know.

I don’t feel any mind. There are no toughs, like it should be near a boat full of people. But these peoples, skeletons, decaying corpse, mortally wounded bodies, can’t think. Because they are all dead. They can move, shouts orders, obey. They can fight, shot, sail a boat, aim to the ‘copters and fire. But they don’t think. They are dead. They are zombies, resurrected by the power of Hell.

And I feel powerless. What I have, now, to fight them. Only a superdense skin, that will shed my body from their bullets, and my magical sword Ladnikia, that will be severely limited, dueling with dead men. Because she fed on blood and drinks souls, and my enemies have neither.

So I jump, out of my element, and over the cruiser deck. Hundreds of bullets bounce off my skin, while I whirl my sword cutting many heads and skulls.

But the sheer number of my opponent could easily overcome me, if not for flying sportcar sweeping up the deck with the lasers. One of the car from the palace, and it seems that no one is driving it. Mordecai. The Nazi zombies fall like wheat stands under the scythe, but many more are coming their way. The car has to fly back, before the soldiers take it down with their gun.

But there is a tough in my mind. “To guide this invasion, Hitler can’t be without a mind. His soul must be inside his corpse. Find him, Nemo, you can… you must…”

Who is that is giving me advice? It’s a voice I don’t recognize. Not the Dark Dwarf, not the Last Troll, and obviously not Gaia. Who?

Anyway, at the words, Ladnikia awakes. She is alive inside my hook, and thirsty of blood and of a soul to swallow, to cage into her personal Hell. And the memories of my two ancestors that millenia ago were bearer of Ladnikia, surface in my brain. And I know, finally, how holding this sword with an artificial limb means immensely depowering her. I know how the true power of the blade lies in the intimate relation between the sword and the swordsman. A power that has been negated to me in the same moment the sword has been given to me, because the price to acquire Ladnikia was the hand itself.

A price it was asked to me to preserve my soul from the possession of the sword. But now, for the first time, I know that one day I will need the true power of Ladnikia, and I will have to sell my soul for.

And while the blade begins her dance in my hook, images of a crimson sea of blood, where a sel appointed god shouts at the world from a desert island, hit my mind. One time I saw an image like this, it was inside the head of Eugene, the man that killed the wife and the adopted son of Rypta Gud’n.

And I know that’s the mind of Adolf Hitler.

Fiend, I’m coming…

As an angel battled one of hell's horsemen, screams could be heard. His comrades had fallen, this creature, possessed by hell itself would not fall. But that would not stop the Changeling, the Collector, the man once known as Kyle Hargrove. He moved forward, trading blows with the Colony, one of the most powerful entities ever to walk the earth, or any known planet, giving the children a chance to escape. With the grace of a cat, the Changeling’s large gray built moved across the room, keeping one step ahead of his enemy at all times. He had to, or the fight would have ended before it had begun. A small gap appeared on the palms of the Colony’s top two hands, a silk like fluid shot out, knocking the sword from the Changeling’s hands, leaving his defenseless. The Colony used this opportunity to strike at the Changeling, hitting him in multiple spots at once, never giving the hero a second to regroup. The Changeling attempted to form four extra hands, but it was too late, the Colony had him right where he wanted him. More of the silk-like web shot out, holding the Changeling tightly to the ground.

Any last words Angel?

The Changeling smiled, the glow of his eyes spoke volumes, “Look behind you asshole…”

As the Colony slowly turned his huge body, he was bombarded with energy blasts, sound waves, lasers, solid light, spikes, bone and about every throw-able weapon possible courtesy of the students of the Thunder Institute.

Lesson # 2; never leave a teammate or friend behind if you have the power to help.

The villain was knocked through the steel floor, crashing back toward the subbasement where he was “born”. The Changeling freed himself and signed for the children to escape through the portal. He knew that the Colony would only be down for a short amount of time, and that they had to escape while they could.

A few moments passed.

The Colony once again ripped through the thick steel, but this time, he found the room was empty.

NOOOOOoooooooooooooo

Panicking, the creature ripped through wall after wall searching for anyone. Finally, he reached Jack’s office, where he had left Pete, the room was empty. Furious, he threw his arms into the air, and screamed an unholy howl that could be heard throughout the city.

Meeting Room, MBL HQ – Power River

The Changeling regrouped with Gooz and Daniel. Little Pete was at Gooz’s side, clutched onto his real mother, who was unconscious. Vapor stood behind the Changeling.

Vapor: The children are ok, I sent them to the HQ’s subbasement as asked. That was close.

Gooz: Good job. Changeling, nice distraction, it gave me just enough time to slip through a portal and retrieve Pete.

Close by, Jesse was holding his teammate and friend, Howard’s hand. Blood was pouring from an open wound on his chest. Grover and Andy also gathered around their fallen friend, tears in their eyes.

Howard: Once a Warrior, always a Warrior…

With those last words, Howard, the once leader of the Warriors was dead.

Gooz hit a button on a close by panel. The huge steel walls split apart, creating a large window that looked over Thunder City. Gooz could feel the darkness, the X, within his body ripping at his soul, that’s how he knew it was time.

Gooz: It’s time…

For a few moments, peace covered the city, no sound, no light, almost like the gentle slumber of a child. Below this huge city, which was populated by millions, thousands of spiders created by the darkness were finally in position. Another earthquake rocked the city creating huge gaps across the land, from underground, gigantic masses of shadows ripped high into the air, replacing buildings and killing by the dozens. In the middle of the city, straight across from the Citadel, a castle formed high in the air, matching the side of the MBL’s home. The city had been turned, replaced with that of an unholy nature. The remaining citizens fled for their lives as an army of shadow demons, zombies, skeletons and the undead was formed. The army marched straight for the Citadel, with two objectives; obtain Peter McLebovich and kill all others.

Gooz: It’s time!

Bob Newheart had a large house just outside the city, you know the kind with a white picket fence, trees as far as the eye could see, and the small town was the kind that all got together for a barbecue every Memorial Day weekend.

Bob Newheart had a wife, whom he loved with all his heart, and twin sons, born on Independence Day some 10 years ago. Both young boys doing great in school, little league would only be a few months away.

Yes, Bob Newheart had it all. Bob Newheart wasn't a real superstitious man, he didn't believe in horoscopes, nor 'Miss Cleo', but he never would step under a ladder or break a mirror, more out of habit than fear. Bob Newheart wasn't that open minded about strange things, only stories were told to him, and what he had heard on the 'box' before bed. Zombies? Ghosts? The Undead? No, Bob Newheart didn't believe in them.

Bob Newheart was wrong.

The sun went dead, Bob Newheart didn't know what to think. Hours passed, Bob Newheart panicked, but stayed in his corner office, because in his corner office, he was safe from the outside world.

Once again, Bob Newheart was wrong.

A shadow engulfed the outside of his office building, the walls bled, as the floor boiled. That's when Bob Newheart saw his Father, the same man that beat him and his mother for most of his adolences, the same man that Bob Newheart put two bullets into the chest of. The bullet holes were still in Bob Newheart's father's chest, blood still poured from the wounds. This was strange. Seeing how Bob Newheart's father was placed six feet under the ground some 25 years ago.

This sent Bob Newheart over the edge. From his desk, Bob Newheart pulled out a .45, he than shot his dead father in the head, blowing away what was left of it.

Bob Newheart then placed the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger again.

Bob Newheart was dead.

Bob Newheart had a good life.

He felt the wind rushing through his feathers as he flapped his giant wings. Normally, this sort of sensation pleased him immensely. But he had no time for simple luxuries now... trouble was brewing. That much was obvious. Strange things were happening... the barriers between dimensions were breaking.

After what seemed like forever, the Mandelovian coastline was in sight. Danny's wings were aching, and he couldn't continue much longer. But he kept going.

As he got closer, he noticed a black dot in the harbour. As he got closer still, the dot began to resemble a ship.

"What the hell is that, Hal?"

"It looks to be a World War 2 era Nazi warship."

"I knew there'd be trouble..."

As soon as he said this, he flew into a cloud of blackness that he was certain wasn't there a moment ago. He couldn't see... nothing but darkness surrounded him.

He slammed into something solid with a thud.

He began to plummet, something clinging to his back.

The could of blackness dissipated, and Danny noticed two red arms wrapped around his chest.

He also noticed the ocean, rising towards him at an alarming speed.

Both of these things worried him.

"The hero... the time traveller, he is... tasty fish bait, he makes..." A voice from right near Danny's ear said. Obviously the owner of the red arms.

Danny tried to twist around within his captor's grip, to get a better look at him. He managed to get into position to get a good look. It was quite possibly the ugliest thing Danny had ever seen.

It almost seemed like a man, but it's skin was a sickly red... almost like horrific scars covering it's whole body. It's face was contorted into an evil grin, it's featured barely recognisable. And it's tongue, swollen and purple, hung limply from it's thin, malformed lips.

"Flew through portal, hero did... collided with Carriel..."

"Carriel?" Danny said, short of breath.

"Lord of Hell, Carriel is. Come to Earth, paid a visit, he did. Kill the hero, Carriel will."

Danny struggled to break the demon's grip, but to no avail.

"Hal... increase my skin's density...then... fins, gills, and whale blubber," Danny said, still struggling. Hal did as instructed. Carriel looked confused.

A second later, the two slammed into the ocean, with force enough to kill an ordinary man.

The fall broke Carriel's grip on Danny. Obviously, it had been intended to kill the hero. Carriel had obviously been ill-informed when it came to the exact nature of Danny's powers.

Danny swam around in the water, searching for the demon. Carriel was nowhere to be seen.

Comfortable with his fins, gills, and whale blubber, but uncomfortable with the sudden appearance and disappearance of a demon from Hell, Danny began the swim in towards Mandelovia's shore.

The words raked against his dry throat, as his shivering form slumped into the leather seat.

The cabin began to shake a bit, as Malvana surged the M-X into the upper atmosphere.

"<Only four days...>" she replied in a distracted tone. She adjusted the VID-link on her temple, atmospheric ratios spreading before her visual cortex at the speed-of-thought.

"<...only...>" he replied, tugging his coat tight. "<I'm out of touch for four days, and the Earth goes to Hell-in-a-handbasket.>"

Pro's weight shifted in his seat suddenly, as a wave of turbulence jostled the jet.

"<Well, you're just THAT important, love...>" she dryly commented with a trademark smile.

Prometheus just pursed his lips into a tight curl, rolling his eyes.

She cut her eyes over at him with a wicked grin. "<...see, the poor planet just couldn't bear to go on without you...>"

Pro slowly rolled his eyes towards her, cocking his eyebrow.

She began lightly scratching the edge of his knee with her fingernail.

"<...the entirety of everything just hangs precariously on the neo-narcissistic drama of your day-to-day lif--->"

"<I GOT IT the FIRST time, you sodding cow!>" he sharply interrupted her, thumping at her finger.

Malvana just broke into a giggle, throwing her arms over him with a wild hug.

"<Oh!>" she squealed with delight. "<You are so easy....>"

She cooed at him playfully, burying her nose against his neck, kneading him with the top of her head, until he finally cracked into a smile.

"<GET off...>" he mumbled, shrugging her laughing form back into her own seat.

A fresh cigarette gripped between his teeth, smoke drizzling up along his right cheek. His head rested comfortably against the cockpit window, giving a glinted view of the unnaturally dark atmosphere.

It wasn't the darkness that bothered him, however. Fear brought on by the absence of visual stimuli was an interpretive paranoia that he never conceded himself. No, it was the hint of power behind such a change. The change itself, be it good or bad, was, he was ashamed to admit, irrelevant when it came to this particular addiction.

The power.

The gloriously horrific taste of creation.

Power on this level. To open Hell onto the mortal plane.

The sly ardor of electrons colliding on the molecular level, in the same spot, in every plane of existence, simultaneously.

Power that breathed like The V. Moved like The V. FELT like The V. But....

...but...

His heart beat cold, as he finally placed all of his senses into focus. His eyes closed, as he softly mumbled to himself.

"...oh...god..."

It was The V.

But, it was also The X.

Malvana had melted her concentration back into the controls, preparing to make a sub-orbital jump, as Pro subtley placed the tele-link into his ear.

|||||Come out|||come out|||wherever you are||||| he thought 'loudly' into the wide ocean of cerebral noise that made up the sum total of humanities neurological consciousness.

There was brief pause, as the ocean became a field of static. And then, a cool, somber voice entered his head.

|||||It's about time you showed your mind|||||

|||||Been busy|||||Fill me in|||||

|||||Understood||||Get ready for enlightenment in 3||||2||||1|||||

Pro winced a bit, as Klarion tele-bombed his cerebral cortex with the situation.

|||||Fuck|||||

|||||That's what I said|||||What's the plan?|||||

|||||Plan?|||||What plan?|||||

|||||Hey, you're The Boss||||You've always got a plan|||||

||||Klarion, you JUST sent me the information|||||Do you really think I can come up with a plan for something like this in ten seconds flat?|||||

|||||It's been thirty seconds|||||

|||||Well, okay||||NOW I've got a plan|||||

|||||Didn't mean to rush you|||||

|||||Alert every agent, on every level, that M.A.N. is now on E.L.E.-1 status||||Assume all required global positions, and take every defensive posture needed to make sure all the continents remain the same shape||||Inform all higher-branch agents to wait for tactical orders from the 4th MAN|||||Tell Nuriko it's her show, but the 2nd and 3rd Agents have solo status during the conflict, and will be needed elsewhere|||||

|||||Understood|||||

|||||And Klarion?|||||

|||||Yes?|||||

|||||I'll only tolerate sarcasm from the people I sleep with. Understood?|||||

|||||Is that a proposal?|||||

|||||I hate you. Carry out my orders.|||||

|||||You're such a tease. Klarion out.|||||

Pro withdrew the tele-link, ashing his smoke as a sear of lightning flashed a few miles under them, briefly illuminating the cockpit.

"<That was pretty low for lightning...>" Mala commented.

A smile came to his face.

"<How close are we to Mandelovia?>" he asked.

"<ETA, less than two minutes...>"

"<Ah...>" he nodded his head with the same smile. "<...then that was a pissed-off Shock...>"

"<From one party to the next.>" Malvana shook her head in disbelief, studying the controls. "<Your family never ceases to amaze me.>"

"<You should see us at weddings. We do a great 'Pull-Joker1-out-of-the-cake' act that kills...>"

"<You should take it on the road.>"

"<...except it's more of a 'lawsuit' kind of act, than a 'situational comedy'...>"

"<Both, I would think.>"

"<...and a supervillian usually shows up...>"

"<Uninvited?>" she mockingly gasped.

"<Shocking, I know...>"

"<Dinner, tonight?>"

"<Sure...>"

"<I was thinking maybe a little Italian, a little seafood, evil amounts of wine...>"

"<Mind if we save the world first?>" he asked nonchalantly, brushing down the lapels of his coat, as the M-X made touchdown.

She leaned over, lightly kissing his lips. Then, standing up from her seat, motioned to the door with a smile.

"After you..."

For some minutes I have been happy: my son, with all the others kid of TIAMAT, has been resqued and brought to safety by Gooz, Changeling and their allies, down the basements of the Citadel.

For some minutes, I said. Because now a ginat, dark castle has sprout out from the city, and is as tall as the Citadel itself, one mile high. And the worst, is that an army of undead, zombie, devils and shadow demons are marching toward the MBL Headquarter.

Some hundred kilometers north, on the island of Terranova, the city of Thuner is under the attack of some thousands of dinosaurs, lead by the talking T-Rex Danny the dinosaur.

To fight them, there were only three men: Ghaleon, Shock and Joker1. Then, after a desperate gamble, the weight of the forces on the field have exchanged side, because all the Hyperboard variants of Joker1 have arrived here, and ten minutes ago they were jumping on and screaming at the giant reptiles.

“I can’t still understand why these dinosaur have appeared here” said Shock, sending electronic pulses toward Danny the Dino, pulses that were easily neutralized by the armor of the reptile.

Ghaleon, the mage, looked at Shock with an interrogative face.

“I mean, the Nazi and the knights are attacking directly Mandelovia, heading to the Palace. These beast simply roams all around, but it seems they haven’t a definite goal…”

In that precise instant, the darkness fell over the island. Danny the T-Rex stopped, and looked to the sky. Then the violet clouds began to rotate, and a powerful vortex appeared over the city.

“It’s a magical portal: There are demonic forces at work, here!” whispered Ghaleon.

“It’s time, brothers!” shoueds Danny the Dino, and began to laugh, while being sucked into the portal. The other dinosaurs followed, and with them, the thousands of screaming Joker1s.

“Where are they going?” said Shock.

“We’ll find that soon!” shouted Ghaleon.

And after they were the last two to be swallowed by the vortex, the portal closed, while the darkness covered the city, like the rest of the world.

Now,, Shock opens his eyes. The vortex has brought them al, dinosaurs, screaming Joker1s, him and Galeon, in Mandelovia.

His gun was cocked over his shoulder, and his face remained expressionless.

This could be due to the fact that most of the flesh had rotted off, but it also served to make him look loyal and determined.

A small splash alerted him to the water's surface, directly beneath him. He leaned over the rail and aimed his gun towards the water. Staring up at him was the face of Danny Hearn.

Danny ducked back underwater as the soldier fired.

Bullets struck the water in a wide circle, sending up a spray of sea water that almost coated the deck.

Satisfied that the intruder was sufficiently dead, the soldier resumed his post, looking back towards the shore.

Behind him, a battle raged on... a low flying craft of some sort and a naked man that had appeared from underwater were terrorising his shipmates.

But he had his orders to guard the front of the ship. And, lacking all initiative or independent thought, here he would stay.

He heard something else in the water beneath him. He leaned over the rail again, and cocked his gun. Something flew in front of his and he stepped backwards. It was a tentacle... like something you'd see on an octopus.

Had the soldier possessed the ability to be started, he probably would have been startled.

The tentacle wrapped itself around the railing.

Before he could react, Danny Hearn, the man he thought he had shot, pulled himself up to the ship's deck with his tentacle. He leaped forward, and tackled the dead soldier.

Danny soon realised that the soldier was a zombie... already dead. The rotting flesh and lack of emotion was a dead giveaway.

So, Danny had no problem with killing the man again.

"Rhino horn..." Danny said, then ducked downwards, crushing the Nazi's skull with his newly grown horn.

He stood up, and began to move down the ship, to where the rest of the fighting was taking place. But then, something on the shoreline in the other direction caught his attention.

The ship was close enough now to get a good look at the beach, and the nearby areas of the city.

And what he saw disturbed him deeply.

"Hal... are those dinosaurs?"

"I think so, yes."

Danny paused. He could fight the Nazis, or the dinosaurs...

A closer look at the prehistoric visitors revealed a multitude of heroes fighting them... practically all of them resembling Joker1.

A look down the ship gave him the impression that only Nemo and Mordecai were there to fight the Nazis.

He decided to help against the Nazis.

"Shit... lives are being lost already," Gooz said, his head down.

"This might not be a good time to mention it..." Daniel said, "But I'm picking up a strong psychic force on the mental plane. Actually... it feels like two strong psychic forces, merging... and a moment ago, I heard a voice that seemed to be close to them..."

"Do they seem familiar?" Gooz asked.

"Maybe... that last voice sounded like that Prometheus guy that I met at TOMB's party. And... what do you know about a couple of things called the X, and the V?"

"I know they mean trouble," Gooz answered.

"I thought so. And I think they somehow have something to do with all this... this... mayhem."

"I'd be willing to be money on it."

"But anyway... Gooz, with your permission, I'd like to lead the first wave of attack against these things," Daniel said, looking back down at the hordes of Hell.

Gooz paused.

"I'm coming with you," The MBL leader finally answered.

"I think you should stay here and co-ordinate. The League needs you more than it does me," Daniel said.

"Who's in charge here?"

"Point."

Moments later, Daniel streaked through the sky above the city, followed closely both in the air and on land by much of the MBL, and it's new recruits.

Daniel dove down into the centre of the large cluster of creatures, using his telekinesis as something of a defensive force field.

He tried a quick telepathic scan, but it yielded no results.

Okay... no minds... telepathic attack is out. That leaves good old fashioned skull crushing...

And, with that, Daniel began to squeeze tightly on the creatures just by thinking about them.

He flew upwards, levitating above the mob. A few demons leapt upwards, trying to grab him. Daniel remained above their grasp. Several more of them continued their march, towards the rest of the MBL.

Looking around, he noticed a lot of rubble... steel girders, pieces of concrete, that sort of thing... that had been left scattered in the streets following the recent earthquakes.

Cool... weapons.

Picking up a slab of concrete that was about five metres across, he dumped it onto a group of demons, crushing them into Demon-Slurpees.

That worked rather well.

Mandelovia was in chaos. To put it lightly.

Prometheus gripped his smoke tightly between his teeth. Surveying the lower steel district of the town from the roof of an abandoned apartment building, the thirty-floor height gave him a perfect view of the morbid dance that his team currently engaged.

To his far right, where the ocean bled into the Cassady Waterway at the foot of Mandelovia's mountain range, Bibbo and LLance continued strafing runs against LL's arch-nemesis, Larry Lance.

Pro wasn't worried about them. They were the senior officers. Old hands at the games of death. They could hold their own for the moment.

Battalions of the undead Third Riech continued to swarm the southern shoreline. His favorite vampire was ambitiously finding new ways to keep a percentage of the corpses at bay. And, with a few of the battleships smoking in the harbor, logically Pro knew that 'Hell's Navy' must be having encounters with the ocean's true master.

But, even with all of their efforts, they were going to need back-up. Soon.

Near the Palace, in the center of 'Old Mandelovia', Shock and the newcomer, Ghaelon, seemed to be doing okay with a few Triceratops and some very nasty looking T-Rex's, but what suprised, and, some would say, horrified, Pro the most was what seemed to be something in the range of ten thousand Joker1's.

The combined laughter was deafening.

Thick, black smoke melted into the already black sky, billowing from sporadic fires. Ruptured water mains flooded entire blocks. Power lines flailed with searing sparks along disaster areas that used to be homes.

And the bodies.

Most of the population had already fled, or was in hiding. But, not all had made it.

And yet, as Pro began to scan towards the Palace, he noticed the amount of corpses began to shift from human, to sprawling, mutilated members of the invading legion.

And in their pulsating midst, near the front gate of the Palace, one ex-mage stood his ground with fury and grace.

"...we're not ready for this..." Pro sighed, standing straight up, as another loud explosion rocked the city, three blocks away. "We need back-up."

"The MBL?" Malvana asked, watching Danny Hearn plummeting into the bay, a dark creature from the bowels of the pit, clinging to his back.

"Incommunicado." Pro shook his head.

Malvana frowned.

"How do you know that? You've been in Egypt for the past four da--"

"JUST trust me..." Prometheus waved impatiently, racking his mind for a solution.

He turned quickly towards Malvana.

"Listen, I need you to go wait in the plane--"

Malvana opened her mouth to protest, Pro quickly cutting her off.

"--JUST IN CASE we need to get out of here in a hurry. Okay? Please? Just trust me."

She paused, studying him, then nodded, slapping him sharply on the ass for no good reason, and headed for the stairwell.

Pro slid his wrist communicator on, and quickly adjusted the settings.

"Bibbo!" he yelled over the growing chaos. "Listen, I've got a plan to--"

"Pro! Good to hear your voice man!" Bibbo yelled through the static. "But, I'm a little busy at the--UNGH!--moment! If you've got a plan, then do it!"

"Just following protocol..." Pro smiled.

"Fuck protocol! We need help!"

"Back-up's already on the way....just hold out for a little longer..." he said, placing the tele-link into his ear.

|||||Klarion||||Update|||||

|||||The 4th MAN is headed for Port-Pad C with a contigent of agents as we speak||||the 9th and 15th are already deploying their squads across the Canadian and African borders, respectively|||||Three more assualt teams are entering Chinese air space and Titan's group is holding Germany|||||

|||||Good||||Get ready to patch-link me|||||

|||||To whom?|||||

|||||TOMB||||All of them|||||

|||||Ask a silly question||||Get ready||||3||||2||||1|||||

|||||TOMB, this is Prometheus, pardon the mental intrusion, but there is no time for formalities||||We are not going to stop this horde with brute force||||I've got a plan||||The strategy is as follows|||||

|||||Danny, pull yourself away from the harbor, and give LL some back-up|||||

|||||Nemo, I see from your thoughts that you have a plan of your own for the commander of these forces||||Continue with your original plan||||I've got your back just in case it fails|||||

|||||Joker1, head for the harbor and assist Mordecai|||||

|||||Shock, find a fortified position, and begin an internal power build-up||||Force all of your will power into crunching your electrical forces into a coherent electro-magnetic pulse||||Don't release it until I give you the word||||Don't doubt yourself||||I know that you can do it|||||

|||||Bibbo, extract yourself from the situation, and ring-up a flying whatever to swing by and pick me up|||||

|||||Ghaelon, converge on Avatar, near the front of the Palace||||Bibbo and I will meet you there|||||

|||||We can do this, guys|||||

|||||We're TOMB|||||

Immediately, everyone sprang into action. They all had their doubts. About themselves. About each other. But, any plan was a good one. And, it gave them something they desperately needed at the moment.

Hope.

Pro had barely replaced the tele-link back into his pockets, when the whine of belt-thrusters roared across the rooftop. Instantly, Bibbo's strong, rough hands scooped him up by his collar, flying both men down towards the center of town.

"Nice thrusters..." Pro smiled.

"Yeah...a 'Simon Williams' special..." Bibbo nodded with a grin.

Ghaelon was running to meet them as they landed only a few feet from the front gate.

"Bald one! I have come. What is to be our victory?" Ghaelon asked, his unearthly accent curling every vowel with an odd hum.

"'Bald one?!'" Pro winced.

"HOW DARE YOU enter my mind without permission!!" Avatar yelled with indignation, as he made his way, wearily, through the flames.

"Now is not the time, Kreagan..." Pro commented.

Avatar raised a short sword.

"Perhaps it IS, Prometheus....perhaps it is the perfect time..."

Pro stopped, studying the man's eyes.

They were glazed with a feverish torment. One so enthralling, it could only be self-induced.

"Or..." Pro began, staring at the man, "...perhaps your current battle-lust is opening painful wounds that cut deeper than a sword...."

Avatar narrowed his eyes at him.

"...perhaps, you wish to lose yourself to it. Fall into a suicidal malaise, maybe. Perhaps, you hope that death here...now...will quench the torment you flail your soul with constantly..."

Avatar lowered his sword, sighing deeply.

And, for the first time in a long time, Kreagan's eyes...softened.

"Death....death would be no different than my life..." he muttered.

"Did you learn nothing from your experience during the 'Know' conflict?" Pro asked. "Everyone makes mistakes, Avatar. Everyone. Stop tormenting yourself. Because, quite frankly, I haven't the time, or patience right now to convince you of this. You need to beleive it yourself. Here. Now."

Avatar studied Pro a bit, shuffling the hilt of the sword in his palm.

"We need you." Bibbo stated flatly, staring at the ex-mage.

Avatar finally sighed, quickly swinging the sword behind him, decapitating a lumbering zombie.

"What's the plan?" he said in a flat voice.

And Pro knew that was all he was going to get from the man right now. It was enough.

"First, Bibbo..." he turned to TOMB's leader. "I need you to shunt all of the Joker1's back into their realities..."

Bibbo's mouth hung open.

"Excuse me?" the sailor asked wide-eyed.

Pro folded his hands together, becoming exasperated.

"The ring, Bibbo. Use the ring. Conjure portals. Gateways. Honda Civics. WHATEVER. We need to re-balance the dimensional quotient here."

"But, Pro, even if I can do this, I don't know HOW to send each one back to their original timeline." he explained, briefly cutting his eyes skyward as a fleet of demons flew over.

Prometheus turned towards Avatar.

"But, Kreagan here, does. Don't you?"

Avatar stared at him.

"I renounced my abilities--"

"DID YOU RENOUNCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE? YOUR EXPERIENCE?" Pro shouted becoming irritated. "You DO still have memories and knowledge of the multiverse, through the ethereal planes, do you not?!"

"Well, yes, I--"

"Bibbo will provide the power! YOU just guide him with the details!" Pro stated, quickly turning to Ghaelon.

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes. You. You're a sorcerer, are you not?"

"You are correct, in that I am master of neo-mystical arts tha--"

"Right, right, right! You're a sorcerer." Pro nodded, quickly lighting a cigarette. "How are you on physiological dampening fields, attuned to electromagnetic frequencies?"

Ghaelon cocked an eyebrow, completely baffled at the words.

Pro just gritted his teeth, rolling his eyes.

Avatar turned from his conference with Bibbo, speaking a few words to Ghaelon, spelled with letters that don't exist.

Explaining what Pro needed. In mystical terms.

"Ah. Yes. I can do that." Ghaelon nodded.

"Then, get ready to wrap every living being within a fifty-mile radius...EXCEPT the dinosaurs..." Pro stated, flipping his wrist-comm on. "Shock! How are you holding up?"

The frequency rolled with static, as Shock's energies were becoming apparent.

"ZZZZHZZHZHHZ***ust hurry upZZZZZHHHHH" his voice seeped through, obviously under alot of strain.

"Bibbo?" Pro turned.

Bibbo held his hand up, looking at Avatar for a brief moment. Kreagan just shook his head.

"Okay...as long as Av' has his sums right....here goes..." he mumbled, before closing his eyes.

Instantly the ring flared white light, spraying out across the city.

Hundreds of dimensional 'Boom-Tubes' began opening within the vicinity of all the cackling Joker1's. Pulling them through with gusts of dimensional turbulence.

Bibbo gritted his teeth, straining as he held all the portals open.

"...that's it..." Avatar guided him. "...three levels below life....four above idea....like baseball, Bibbo...like baseball..."

The tubes began collapsing as the last remaining Joker1's disappeared.

Bibbo fell to the ground, heaving for air.

"Son of a BITCH! You ARE the best, o' fearless leader!" Pro smiled, quickly turning towards Ghaelon. "Ready?"

The Mage nodded, flinging his fingers into the air. Unlike Avatar's normal blue-mix-green mystical signature, Ghaelon's energy appeared a reddish muddle of exploding micro-stars and whistling snowflakes.

All across Mandelovia, anything with a heartbeat suddenly found themselves surrounded by a pink aura.

Except the prehistoric nuisance of the dino-hordes.

Pro flipped his comm-link on.

"NOW SHOCK!" he yelled.

There was a funny, dizzying white strobe-flash of light from some six blocks away. It lasted half-a-second.

But, that's all it took.

Every dinosaur within fifty miles suddenly convulsed, their heart's natural rythym interrupted by the EMP pulse.

Danny the T-Rex choked out some nasty curse words, before collapsing from a massive heart attack.

"YES!!" Shock yelled with glee, jumping up and down.

"I KICK ASS!!" he yelled over the comm-link.

"Yes you do..." Pro laughed.

"I'M THE BOMB!!"

"Yes you are..."

"I'M GOING TO LOOK LIKE A TOOL IF I KEEP YELLING INTO MY WRIST LIKE THIS!!"

"Yes you will..."

"Well, that takes care of the dinosaurs, and the Joker1's..." Bibbo began. "But, what about the Nazi battalion, and Larry Lance's horde?"

Prometheus took a drag from his smoke, calmly slipping his gold pocket watch out, flipping the piece open.

"Well...." he mumbled, studying the time. "...that's going to take a bit more of a direct approach..."

Instantly, teleportation discs began to appear all over the city. First, as sizzling white lines of energy, then, slowly rising up, revealing their occupants.

And Mandelovia was invaded for a second time today.

By the meta-human forces of M.A.N.

"Right on time...." Prometheus smiled.

[ 08-26-2001: Message edited by: Prometheus of The X ]

Yet Another Hyperboard

"ATTACK!" Thucker, ex-general of the Kamethian forces shouts.

A group, leaded by Shadow Man, Spin Man and Crow Man responds to his order.

"Oookay..." Xeno Man says "This is it. Get ready, team"

A large group of armored-robot-fighters do as Xen (formerly known as Xeno Man") says, and prepare to confront Thucker's team.

R-Q (formerly known as "Native-American Man") notices Theer's unusually large teeth and claws get even bigger as he sees his brother Thucker coming.

Ack (formerly know as "Hyper Man") looks at the young armored warrior on his left side and says "Are you sure you want to do this?"
He answers "Yes. I want to do this"

Ack then looks to the group of robots running to them. When he sees Shadow Man, he smiles.

As the to groups collide, most warriors look for their respective nemesis, except for the young newbie, that tries to attack whoever he sees, and Ack, that runs straight to Shadow Man.

"Shaw! How is it going, old friend?" he says, as he charges the mega blaster in his left arm.

Shadow Man answers "Pretty good, Hyper Man, how's the family?" as he connects a punch in Ack's head.

When Ack gets back on his feet, he says "Don't call me Hyper Man. And they're OK, thank you. Romy says Hi"

The young newbie is distracted by the oddity of this scene, and is attacked by Elektro Man. Xen, seeing this, leaves Thucker to his brother and kicks Crow Man in the face.

"Watch your back, kid" he says, as he throws himself to Crow Man.

Watching from a high place, Zeek, master of Thucker's army, says in a low voice "You should worry about your own back, Xeno..."

A hologram appears next to him and says "Be patient, Z. Remember you can't get involved directly in this fight"

"I know, Thenz, I know..." he replies. He is about to say something else, when he sees a group of three strangers teleporitng into the scene.

The young newbie also notices this, and says: "Mr. Yezpitelok...?". A closer look to his helmet reveals feline eyes. Young, feminine feline eyes...

I’m not alone on this ship full of skeletons, zombies and undead WWII German soldiers. Until some minutes ago I felt the double minds of Danny Hearn; than he fled away, replaced by Mordecai and Joker1, which have landed on the ship, and are killing soldiers after soldiers. The scream of the clown shakes heavily the ship.

Then, the ship moves under my feet. Not the usual rolling of a boat, but a fast movement toward the bottom… the ship is sinking! Could Promethus and his men have gunned the cruiser?

Then the truth hit me. They are sinking the ship to protect Hitler. Being dead corpse, these soldiers can stay under water as well as out of water… I can, also, but Joker1 and Mordecai will have to leave. Hitler will continue to shout orders from under the water, mentally, to all the invading forces.

Ladnikia, my magic sword, seems dead. Usually the excitement of the battle awakes her, and it so it was at first, when we saw the invading fleet from the beach. But from the moment I arrived on the boat, she stopped to tremble, and now she is like any other blade, a cold piece of metal inmy hand, or, well, in my hook. My superdense skin helped me in my fight with the Nazi, their bullets bounced off my body, and the blade was sufficient to cut their heads away, but they were senseless monsters, corpses without a mind.

But Hitler is another story. He is not just a walking cadaver. His mind… his soul… inhabits his decaying corpse. He is not just a damned soul, he is a demon, maybe of the higher ranks. I need the magical abilities of Ladnikia to confront him, I’m sure. But Ladnikia is dead in my hand.

How can I fight him? How will I fight him? If I will fail, who will take down him? Danny can come down here, but will he be able to track the fiend? Maybe even one or some of the operative agents of Prometheus are able to survive underwater, but how much experienced they are? What understanding of the mystical forces at works here they have?

Meanwhile, the water is filling the ship. The deck I’m on, the mid level of the cruiser, now is completely underwater. I took a big, deep breath of salty water. My fears are fading, washed away by the sea.

My lungs finally breath freely, not having to measure with the capacity of Doc Quantum breather. I untie my ponytail, and tear away my dress.

My old, savage self is returning.

Where are you, Hitler? I’m coming…