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The Last Days of Camelot – part one of three
The early sixth century:
They all lie slain, knights and innocents alike, in the ruins of what once was proud Camelot. The only one left moving is a man dressed in predominantly black armor with an equally dark mask, crouching at the side of his dying lord… King Arthur. The king moans his last words: Excalibur… you must…. With that, King Arthur dies and Sir Percy of Scandia aka the Black Knight closes his lord’s eyes. He walks over to the shining blade on which the words take me up are engraved and does so.
Garret Castle, present day:
An elderly lady talks to the castle’s current owner, Dane Whitman, admiring his move to turn the castle into a Black Knight museum. Dane replies that he’s glad the people seem to be enjoying it. As he and Miss Sterling walk past several exhibits, she asks how they couldn’t. The Black Knight lineage has quite a fascinating history after all. Whether it was the likes of Sir Ralston and Sir Eobar or lesser known knights, like Sir William and Sir Henry. Then, of course, there was Dane’s uncle, the infamous Nathan Garret and, of course, Dane himself.
Yeah, they’re quite a crew, Dane jokes. Miss Sterling remarks they shouldn’t forget the man who started it all, Sir Percy of Scandia, the original Black Knight himself. They walk up to a glass coffin, where the amazingly well preserved remains of Sir Percy can be seen. He is truly the centerpiece of the exhibition, Miss Sterling remarks. What a life… faithfully fighting alongside King Arthur, battling Mordred and the like…
When it comes to Sir Percy, Dane adds, he bets they don’t know half of it.
The sixth century:
Percy is in a tavern, glumly sitting alone at his table. At the other tables, men discuss the current wars. Hastings is nothing but a memory, one of them narrates. He heard it was wiped out in a quarter of the time Carlisle fell. At the rate they are going, nothing will be left of England but soot and ashes in a fortnight. Another adds that he thinks of taking his family and head off as far as possible, as far as Rome even. Yet another man admonishes him not to overreact. Overreact? The first man asks, angrily, asking if he has seen what they did to Arthur and his lot. If they can do that to Camelot…
An older man tells him to shush. Turning towards Percy, he asks the others if they know him. None of them does. They begin to wonder; they have heard tales of spies setting people up before the fall comes. Looking at a long wrapped object on the chair next to Percy, they wonder what that is. They are getting nervous; neither of them likes the look of the object or the man.
One of them gets up, trying to make a grab for the object. With one smooth movement, Percy takes it and reveals it to be the sword Excalibur. Nothing there but trouble for them, he threatens, as he holds it to a man’s neck. Is that so? another man asks, getting ready to attack. Percy grabs a second sword, his Ebony Blade, from the parcel and stabs both attackers simultaneously. Anyone else? he asks.
The other guests recognize the two famed blades and ask where he got them. A present from the new masters for betraying Camelot? Angrily Percy shouts that this whole affair has people acting irrationally. He threatens them, telling them to leave him to finish his supper and he’ll be on his way. And if they decide otherwise? the men ask, not willing to back down. They’ve been, warned he announces with a cold smile.
Not too much later, the tavern resembles a slaughterhouse and Percy can finally eat his supper in peace, or so he thinks, for a voice seemingly coming from nowhere chides him for letting the blade have too much say. He sighs that now he has her buzzing in his ears in addition to all his trouble. The voice admonishes him that he did not have to kill everybody. Sarcastically, he apologizes. Does Madam not approve? He did them a favor, he defends himself. Chances are, that man was right and they’d all have died within a fortnight anyway. The voice warns him that he is losing control again. Percy tells her to sod off. He’s eating. It will have to wait, the voice announces ominously.
Back at Garret Castle in the present:
Outside, a show tournament is being held while, inside, the present Black Knight, Dane Whitman, is receiving a phone call from an old friend, Captain Britain. Dane admonishes Brian not quite seriously for being late. He got held up, the other man replies. Likely story, Dane jokes, before turning serious and offering Brian condolences over his lost wife Meggan. Not right now, Cap replies. They can talk when they meet face to face.
A man is trying to touch Dane’s bag (holding the Ebony Blade) and Dane shouts at him not to touch that. The man apologies, he was just moving it out of the way of the exhibits. Dane apologizes in turn, but explains that the object is dangerous.
Back on the phone Cap asks if everything is ok and Dane shrugs it off as nothing. So when does Cap think he will be finished doing whatever he is doing? A few more minutes, Cap replies. He is floating on the air, stopping a bank robbery in progress. While he beats the robbers one-handed, he continues the conversation on his cell phone. He asks what is Dane’s story these days. No Avengers, Defenders, Heroes for Hire, boyscouts or whatever other group that’d be sorry enough to have him as a member? Not amused, Dane replies that he has nothing going on. The battle over, Brian hints that he may have a little offer to make him.
In the past, Sir Percy is standing at a lake. Ironically addressing the Lady of the Lake, he asks her to show herself. She replies that he must find Excalibur. Showing her King Artur’s sword, he asks what that is, if not Excalibur. The Lady tells him to look into himself. Only there will he find the true answer to his question. Always with the riddles! Percy complains angrily. Why can’t she ever speak plainly? From out of the lake, the voice announces that he is England’s only hope. Only he can stop this threat and restore Camelot and everything that was. Percy demands she stop the silly game of words and tell him how. Perhaps it is not how, but when the Lady hints. Percy is puzzled.
Suddenly, the lady emerges from the waters and pulls him down with her.
In the present, Percy awakes… in the body of Dane Whitman. He looks around, realizing he is in a castle, but certainly one looking different from any he has known. From the mobile comes the voice of Captain Britain, asking what is going on, and Percy drops it. He looks around, seeing portraits of other Black Knights, but none he has ever known. Where in the name of Merlin has that water cow sent him, he complains. He remembers her stressing the word “when and realizes he is in he future. Seeing a few pierced and tattooed teenagers passing by, he unhappily mutters that it’s no future he wants to be part of, that’s for sure.
He looks at himself in a mirror and realizes he is in another man’s body. He finds his own corpse displayed in another room and recalls the Lady telling him the answer lay within. He finds the Ebony Blade in Dane’s backpack. Kissing the blade and calling it “my love,” Percy, before the eyes of an incredulous guard, shatters the glass casket with his sword and takes away the scroll of parchment the corpse is holding.
Percy unrolls it and looks at it critically, wondering who the people depicted in it are. The guard tells him to stop. Deeming the other man’s move aggressive, Percy intends to strike with his Ebony Blade when somebody pushes his arm aside. Captain Britain demands to know what is going on.
Percy seems shocked, as if recognizing the Captain. He is joined by Excalibur. Percy starts that this is a misunderstanding. They are the people… who are gonna kick his sodding face in? Wisdom adds not so helpfully, as he fires hotknives at him. Percy wards them off with his sword. Dazzler fires a laserblast at him, which the blade reflects back at her.
Nocturne tries to possess Percy only to be repelled. Somebody’s already in there, she announces. Good, Juggernaut decides. Then he won’t feels too bad about doing this. With that, he simply knocks Percy out.
Captain Britain points out, somewhat annoyed, that just because the man is possessed doesn’t mean Cain can just hurt his body. He happens to be a friend of Cap’s in case Cain hadn’t heard.
Sage takes up the scroll and unrolls it, getting a big surprise. The scroll depicts the members of Excalibur, dressed in medieval clothing. All hail, Excalibur! Saviors of Camelot!


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[Assistant]
The last Days of Camelot – part 2
So let me see, Pete Wisdom ponders, not quite seriously. This friend of Captain Britain, what’s his face…? Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, Brian Braddock interjects. Right, Wisdom continues undeterred. He’s been possessed, by the original Black Knight fellow… Sir Percy, Brian adds. What a name, Wisdom mutters derogatively. Anyway, he continues his exposition. Sir Percy claims he’s somehow come into the future because Camelot, Camelot, mind you with King soddin’ Arthur and Merlin and bloody swords in stones has been destroyed before its time.
He’s got it, Brian agrees entirely without irony. And they are the only ones who can save it, continues Pete, but to do that they’ve got to go back through time. That would stand to reason, wouldn’t it? Brian agrees. Oh, and one last thing, Wisdom sighs, they literally have to go jump in a lake?!
They are voluntarily doing what people tell one to do when they want you to sod off. The rest of the team just stares at him and Cap explains patiently that this lake is the lake, as in “Lady of the”… Oh why didn’t he say that before, Wisdom retorts with a wide grin. Everything makes perfect sense now. But, calling Cap “Mr. McFly,” since he is such an expert in time travel all of a sudden, does anyone who ends up in this lake suddenly go Sherman and Peabody? Why are they so bloody special?
Cap retorts that Wisdom is just being a jerk now. Obviously, the Lady is opening a magic portal through the lake especially for them. Obviously, Wisdom repeats with sarcasm. And they’ll obviously end up in someone else’s body like Percy did, right? Like some prince with a big castle and an equally huge harem. Wisdom goes off on a tangent, quite liking the harem idea, but, of course, it could go totally differently and…
With another sigh, Cap reminds him that he explained this before. Sending someone into the future is harder than sending them into the past. They’ll be in their own bodies. He urges Wisdom to trust him. He has plenty of experience with that sort of thing. He has plenty of experience with friends going daft and believing they are possessed by Prince Valiant rejects? Wisdom asks, deliberately misunderstanding.
Drawing his sword, Sir Percy, still in Dane Whitman’s body, icily informs Pete that he has had enough fun at his expense. He may not know this Prince Valiant but he does known when he’s been insulted. Holding his blade to Wisdom’s throat, he suggests that maybe it is not necessary for all of Excalibur to make the journey in one piece. Help, Wisdom asks feebly. Crazy person with energy-absorbing blade here…
Juggernaut pulls Percy up by his jacket telling him to keep yer chainmail on, Braveheart. Petey may be a moron, but he’s their moron.
Pete thanks him and Nocturne urges Pete to come on. They used to do this stuff all the time when she was with the Exiles. Where’s his sense of adventure? Not to mention his sense of romance, chirps Dazzler. Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin… to actually get to meet these people face to face? She can’t wait to get there.
Pete holds his head in exasperation, calling them all lunatics and moaning for a cigarette. Calmer, he announces that he is playing his “team leader “ trump card and pulling rank. They are not going.
The others look at him wordlessly, before beginning to laugh loudly. They turn away and walk into the water, as Dazzler suggests he can stay here and play leader and they will send him a postcard from Camelot. There’s gotta be one with Merlin in a bikini saying, “wish you were here,” Juggernaut adds.
Hello? Team leader here! Wisdom shouts enraged and orders them to stay only to be summarily ignored by everyone with the exception of Sage who has remained behind. At least he can count on her not to get sucked into all this madness, he complains. Fortunately, she is far too intelligent a woman to allow that to happen, unlike the rest. He really can be such a bore, she simply announces before walking towards the lake.
Wisdom shouts they can all sod off. He isn’t jumping in after her. This is a new suit. Sage carefully takes off her glasses and then throws him in.
Moments later, they arrive in the past, the castle of Camelot towering over them. Reluctantly, Pete admits that he was wrong. First time for everything. Still ruined his bloody suit, though, he mutters, sarcastically thanking Sage who ignores him.
Dane Whitman, himself once more, stumbles for a moment. Percy’s out of his system, he realizes. The next moment, he finds the Ebony Blade and Excalibur are gone as well. Not quite, another voice announces as Sir Percy joins them in full Black Knight regalia. He explains that, since there can be only one version of the sword in one time-period the Lady’s magic has seen them returned to their rightful owners. Arthur has Excalibur and the Ebony Blade is back with him. Where she belongs, he adds with a smirk.
The Lady of the Lake mentally interrupts Percy, pointing out that she sent him further back in time, one day before the battle for Camelot. Donning his mask, Percy runs towards Camelot quickly, announcing that they have to hurry. The wench might have actually given them enough time to prevent it… the assassination of Merlin.
He and Dane run towards a precipice. Near them, they see an ancient wizard in flowing robes, battling dragons. As Percy springs into action, he explains that, before Camelot was attacked, Merlin was murdered, presumably as he was the biggest threat. Ignoring Dane’s warning, he lashes out at one dragon with his Ebony Blade. He barely manages to ricochet the fire blast the beast spits at him, but falls, stunned. Standing between the fallen Percy and the monster, Dane grabs the sword and whirls it around, using its energy-absorbing proportions as a shield.
The rest of the team catches up with them. Dragons? This is what this is all about? an unimpressed Cain Marko scoffs, attacking the green dragon up front, only to have the beast grab him with its claws and toss him to the other dragons who use their tails to throw him far away. Pete begins to bellow an order only to be interrupted by Captain Britain, who orders Sage to get Merlin to safety and Dazzler to run interference with one dragon, while he will take Dane’s dragon and Nocturne and Wisdom handle the rest. He notices Wisdom just standing there and sharply orders him to help Nocturne. Wisdom throws him a filthy look. Walking towards Nocturne, who is tossing energy balls at the purple dragon, he mutters, Never mind a cigarette. It’s times like these I need the whole soddin’ carton.
Sage helps Merlin to stand up as she remarks that dragons are ordinarily solitary creatures. These dragons aren’t normal, are they? Merlin agrees.
Standing close to them, Dazzler (busy repelling the green dragon with a laser) geeks out over being in this time period and meeting Merlin, until Sage gently suggests she get his autograph later. Amused, Merlin calls her Madame Tessa and suggests she let the girl have her fun. She allowed him to regain his strength, after all. He begins a spell against the dragon. Confused, Sage asks if they have met. Before this very minute, Merlin enquires, no.
Then how’d he know…? The wizard looks at her with an amused smirk. Madame, please, I’m Merlin.
With his spellcasting and the members of Excalibur using their powers, the dragons are soon driven off. However, they’ll be back by that time the next day, a recovered Percy grimly predicts, and they’ll have many more with them. They must notify Arthur at once.
Dane extends a hand, intending to help him up. Instead, Percy brutally hits him and takes back his weapon. Coldly, he orders Dane to never touch his sword again. Told you he was nuts, is Wisdom’s only comment.
Later at Camelot, Percy and Excalibur have finished their report to King Arthur himself. Percy ends it with announcing that the next day by this time Camelot will be destroyed by an army of dragons and all of them will be killed. What does the king suggest be their first course of action? A feast, of course, his monarch announces, leaving Percy nonplussed. Touching his shoulder, Arthur asks what they are supposed to do. Camelot is blessed with the finest defenses available in any kingdom. It is not as if they can improve on them… especially not by the next day. They cannot ambush their would-be attackers either, for their location remains a mystery – even to Merlin. He has already dispatched his finest scouts in hopes of uncovering their lair. All they can do is wait, welcome their new friends in proper fashion and hope they are truly the saviors Percy claims them to be.
Later that night (with all of Excalibur now dressed up in medieval fashion), Alison dazzles the knights and ladies of King Arthur’s court with a rendition of Soft Cell’s hit “Tainted Love.”
Juggernaut sighs forlornly, causing Nocturne to acidly remark that something must be wrong with him. He hasn’t eaten, hasn’t drunk the beer and not even Ali singing can cheer him up. What’s up? Cain admits that he feels troubled about the reduction of his strength. It’s starting to get to him and, even worse, it’s starting to hurt the team. TJ helpfully points out that he is still the toughest guy in the group. Except for Cap, she mutters.
On TJ’s other side, Brian Braddock asks what’s wrong and Nocturne tells him Cain is just not feeling like his old self, before jealously muttering it’s better than watching him moping about the divine Miss Thang all the time. She observes that Ali seems to be having a great time. Brian retorts that it’s not every day one gets to cavort with actual historical legends like Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere.
Glancing at Arthur’s queen and his first knight, TJ asks if Brian has ever considered telling Arthur that those two are going to go all Desperate Housewives on him. Brian admits that he considered it. But he’s always taken a kind of Star Trekky “don’t screw with the locals” kind of policy when dealing with this stuff. Didn’t they have a similar policy when Nocturne was with the Exiles? Not really, they used to screw with the locals all the time, Nocturne retorts and they both laugh.
Brian turns to Dane sitting to his other side. The former Avenger intently stares at his predecessor Percy, who – more relaxed now – is talking to Merlin. With a smile, Brian remarks that Dane is a borderline stalker now. Not amused, Dane explains that Percy was never like that in all the times they had contact before. Admittedly, he was a ghost those times, but still…
Brian suggests that maybe this is what Percy is really like. He thinks that Dane is worrying too much over someone not living up to Dane’s image of him. Dane reports that it’s not that but rather the Ebony Blade. Sometimes having it can be a little… intense. Brian suggests Dane talk to Merlin about Percy and Dane admits this is a rather good idea.
Wisdom asks Dane to pass the wine and returns to his discussion with Sage, who remarks that it would be great to just stay there. While she cannot believe she is actually saying this, she is finding disconnection from her computer to be somewhat… liberating. Welcome back to the real world, Pete jokes. Maybe that’s it, Sage muses. That this is not the real world. In a land of dragons, giant ogres and Lord knows what else, mutants aren’t even on the radar. No mutant-hunting robots, no M-Day, no anti-mutant bill… and no indoor plumbing, Wisdom reminds her and suggests she try a cold ceramic pot at three in the morning, then tell him how liberated she feels, before laughing raucously.
More wine? he suggests, after composing himself. Back to her cool collected self, she informs him icily that his pitiful attempt to get her drunk in order to seduce her is as transparent as his jokes are hideously unfunny. Wisdom is not in a mood to give up though.
Alison, in the meantime, regales the king and queen with tales of her early career including her roller skates gimmick. The king laughs out loud. Later, Merlin commends for him trying to keep up the mood for everyone and keeping the people calm despite his worries over the next day.  He knows him to well, Arthur admits sheepishly. Merlin is about to assure him that nobody else has noticed the ploy when he trails off. He explains that he senses that one of the scouts has found the lair of the dragons. Then there is a cause for celebration, after all, the king exclaims. No, Arthur, there is not, his mentor replies somberly. Elsewhere, the scout, a dead man, sits on his horse.


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The Last Days of Camelot – part 3
Dane Whitman visits Merlin in his chamber. He apologizes when he sees the strange magical images that Merlin has conjured. Merlin makes them stop and Dane asks him what that was. He thought he recognized…
Nothing he should concern himself with, the wizard replies. Not yet anyway. How can he assist him? he asks, while he feeds his owl. A knight is what he can assist him with. Sir Percy, Merlin remarks. It’s obvious the way Dane looks at him. He doesn’t trust Percy. Dane explains that he believes his predecessor to be dangerous and that the sword’s taken control of him. And Dane would know this because? Because in the past it has taken control of him, Dane admits.
And yet he still wields it, Merlin observes. That blade always seems to find its way back to him. Does he ever wonder why? Does he ever wonder why, when Sir Percy appeared to him as a ghost centuries later and continuously told him to destroy the sword, he has never done it? What if he told him it was right not to destroy it, Merlin continues… that the sword must never be destroyed, that it is one of the single most important objects man has or ever will possess. What if he told him that Percy’s ghost was lying? That he will become so corrupted by the sword that it will affect him beyond the grave… to the point where he would rather see it destroyed than held by another? Dane wouldn’t be surprised by any of this… would he?
No, Dane admits. Deep down, he’s always known. But if Merlin knows Percy will lie about the sword, that he will try to destroy it, why does he still allow Percy to possess it? Why doesn’t he ask Percy himself, Merlin suggests to an astonished Dane.
Pery reveals himself, apparently having witnessed the entire exchange. Without a word, he hits Dane. Merlin remarks that they apparently have some issues to work out and he has someplace to be. As he teleports away, he warns them not to break anything.
Dane gets up, looking coldly at the other man. The first punch the other day was free. This one wasn’t. He hits back.
Merlin has joined the King and the rest of Excalibur at the stables where they retrieved the scout’s horse. King Arthur explains that the scout himself was reduced to smoldering bones. Clearly, he must have found the dragons’ lair. For all the good it does them.
It does them plenty of good, Merlin points out. The scout wasn’t the only one who found the lair. He reads the horse’s mind. Half a day’s journey in a cave by the sea… the dragons, he announces. Is she seeing things or is he doing some crazy Vulcan mindmeld with the horse, Nocturne asks Juggernaut. What’s he gonna do next, Cain remarks. The Macarena with some cows? Annoyed by their lack of respect, Captain Britain orders them to be quiet.
Merlin announces that it is already too late. The dragons are already on their way. Sage suggests that something of value might nevertheless be learned from examining their lair. Arthur announces that he hasn’t got the men to spare. Sage replies that she will go. Patronizingly, Arthur thanks her, but he cannot permit it as the journey will be far too dangerous. Removing his hand from her shoulder, Sage coldly reminds him that she isn’t one of his subjects. She’s going. But if it makes him feel better, she’s taking Wisdom with her.
She leaves the stable and Dazzler asks where Wisdom is. With a smirk, Nocturne informs them that he didn’t make it back to his own room last night. The others jump to the obvious conclusion regarding Sage and Pete.
Back in Merlin’s chamber, Dane kicks Percy in the face, as he announces that he was taught by Captain America. Meaning, he’s been shown moves Percy doesn’t even know yet. In other words: he is out of his league.
Percy reaches for the Ebony Blade. Bringing swords to a fistfight? Figures that’s Percy’s style, Dane scoffs. Dane reaches for the blade. Percy grabs his arm and actually pushes the sword’s handle into Dane’s hand. Touch it. feel it, he orders Dane, and Dane begins to understand.
The sword feels… different. More powerful. Taking the sword away, Percy explains that it is still new. Its hunger is still fresh. Not like in Dane’s time. Does he think he could handle this? He never knew, Dane admits… and he didn’t’ want him to, Percy explains. Does Dane think Percy doesn’t know what the thing is doing to him. That it will eventually cost him his soul? Then why…? asks Dane. Because someone has to, Percy explains. Someone who can. He has to tell Dane a secret. He isn’t the first Black Knight…
Riding along a beach with Sage, Wisdom believes he has made a romantic conquest that night. After all, he woke up in her room. Poor, poor deluded Peter, she sighs pained, before setting him straight. She found him lying in a pool of his own body fluids in front of Queen Guinevere’s chambers. Sage took pity on him, not wanting to see Pete take another thrashing and hid him in her room. He slept on the floor by the chamber pot.
Another thrashing? asks Peter, not recalling where he got his black eye from. That’s from King Arthur, Sage reveals, and several knights after Pete tried to stab the King with a carving knife. Sarcastically, she congratulates him for getting his butt handed to him, by one of England’s greatest legends.
Pete still doesn’t recall and Sage mercilessly reminds him how, after his pedestrian attempt to seduce her failed, he turned to Guinevere. Arthur was not amused. Neither is Pete. He remarks Sage should have left him in front of Guinevere’s chamber. He’d have loved to face Arthur again without his knights…
Sage reveals it wouldn’t have been Arthur leaving the Queen’s chamber. It would have been Lancelot. He and the queen left together after the feast. She was distraught over Pete’s unpleasantness and needed a shoulder to lean on… first time too, she believes. Pete gets it, but Sage nevertheless spells it out. Pete Wisdom is responsible for driving Guinevere into Lancelot’s arms, which will one day cause a civil war, which will weaken Arthur so much that he will die in battle with Mordred, destroying Camelot. But, she adds, has Pete actually caused this? Perhaps, perhaps not. They cannot really know. That’s the thing about time travel. Why they must be careful not to make drunken fools of themselves and create a greater catastrophe that the one they’re here to prevent.
Holding his hands to his ears as if not wanting to hear anymore, Pete pouts that she should be thanking him. Now they don’t have to change the history books. Time travel… nothing but a big headache… Speaking of which… haven’t these Neanderthals invented Aspirin yet? Not for another 1400 years, give or take, Sage informs him promptly, eliciting a moan.
Back at Camelot, the heroes and knights are waiting at the battlements, fully armed. Captain Britain chitchats with King Arthur, mentioning that he will meet him in the future, though Arthur was sort of dead at the time. A rather one-sided conversation, the King imagines. Brian hurries to reply it wasn’t the case and adds it was always an honor for him to meet the king. Even more so since seeing him action. Arthur interrupts him, assuring Cap that if they are indeed the saviors Percy claims them to be the honor is his.
Nocturne notices that Juggernaut is tense and asks if he is okay. He usually doesn’t do tense. He brushes her off brusquely, something Dazzler doesn’t miss either. TJ tells her that for the first time in a long time Cain is actually afraid.
Inside the castle, Percy continues his tale, revealing there were eight men to hold the blade before him.
Percy’s tale:
Each was honorable, good, yet each was driven mad by the sword… and each eventually had to be put down. After the last of them, Arthur’s own cousin, the formerly gallant Sir Reginald, fell, Arthur and Percy were the only ones deemed noble enough to wield the blade. But Arthur is the king and, if Merlin were to be corrupted by the blade, no power on Earth could stop him, so Percy was the only one left, the burden had to be his.
Present:
Dane realizes why Percy hit him the day before. He wasn’t worried about him taking the sword; he was worried about the sword taking Dane. He has seen eight fellow Black Knight brothers buried, Percy elaborates. He had no desire to bury another. Calling him “brother” and shaking his hand, Dane assures him he won’t. Percy, however, warns him that the day is still young and tells him to look outside: A swarm of dragons has arrived and attacks the castle.
Sage and Wisdom have arrived at the dragons’ lair. Pete lights their way with hotknives, hoping the dragons aren’t there. They’d be dead then, Sage points out practically. He isn’t worried about a few overgrown lizards, Pete scoffs. Sage schools him, explaining that in every culture dragons have been a force to be reckoned with. She doubts they would fret much over a hung-over Englishman. Pete is about to retort but Sage tells him to enhance the light. She’s seen something. Before them is a pile of slain dragons, hundreds of them. But if they are dead, then what exactly is attacking Camelot?
Speaking of which, the heroes, Merlin and the knights are fighting valiantly. Nevertheless, though Excalibur has delayed Camelot’s fall, the king worries that their presence will change nothing. Captain Britain insists that something will turn the tide. The cue for the two Black Knights to join the fray. Dane explains they had some family issues to resolve as he joins the battle. Which brings Cap back to his recruitment spiel, asking if he won’t consider joining the team. Oh, shut up and fight, the Knight retorts.
That’s the spirit, Juggernaut remarks as he throttles a dragon. Sure, they are all going to die horribly that day, but at least they can take some of those pumped-up geckos with them.
The next moment, Juggernaut is snatched up in the jaws of a purple dragon. Nocturne hurries to his side, scales the beast and attempts to possess it. She disappears, only to be spat out from the dragon’s jaws a moment later. Cain catches her and they both fall with Cain taking the brunt of the impact.
The barely conscious Nocturne begins to mumble that they are not dragons. No, they bloody well aren’t! comes the voice of Pete who just returned with Sage. The living computer orders Merlin to conjure up some Formosan Herb. Ignoring the oddness of her request, the wizard complies. He tosses the herbs at the dragons, who instantly drop.
While the others still wonder what just happened, Sage begins to explain what happened at the dragons’ lair.
Sage’s narration:
She and Wisdom were baffled to find the real dragons slain, but everything became clear as day when they found the spaceship. They are aliens, Makluans, to be precise. Does the name Fing Fang Foom ring any bell?
The present.:
Foom and other Makluans like him are dragon-like beings who once invaded China around this time period. It stands to reason that there might have been other ships sent as part of a global invasion. Formosan herb was used to put them to sleep in China.
The knights begin to cheer, as Excalibur saved them. Later, Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere and Percy accompany them to the lake for the Lady of the Lake to return them. Final goodbyes are said. Dane asks Percy to keep an eye on things there and Percy suggests he do the same on his side, calling Dane “brother.”
As they leave, Merlin asks Percy if he believes Dane is ready for what now awaits him. Is he ready to discover what being a Black Knight truly means? Percy is optimistic. The heroes step into the lake and one artist begins to draw the picture of them that Percy took along to the future.


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Unredeemed – part 1
London:
The Juggernaut finds himself on the receiving of the beating of a lifetime. Man what the hell happened to you? asks his attacker, the Wrecker, leader of the Wrecking Crew, half disgusted, half disappointed, while his teammates Bulldozer, Piledriver and Thunderball stand behind him and smirk at Cain’s predicament.
Thor stopping him he could see, Wrecker continues. The Hulk maybe, Avengers, X-Men, FF… but them? Come on, they are the Wrecking Crew, for crying out loud. Hey! Bulldozer protests. Wrecker tells him to shut up. He knows what he means. Time was Cain would wipe the floor with them with as much effort as it would take to tie his own shoes. But after this pathetic display…geez. How embarrassing. He’s embarrassed for him, he remarks accusingly. Guess he’s gotta change the “un” from “unstoppable Juggernaut” to “very,” Piledriver quips to the others’ amusement. Only Wrecker doesn’t laugh. Thunderball addresses him, remarking that Juggernaut has gone soft, went all hero on them. He’s a traitor.
Wrecker asks Cain to tell him it ain’t so, to tell him he ain’t sold out. He’s heard the stories, Thunderball reminds him He heard what Rhino’s been saying to anyone who’d listen. He couldn’t bring himself to actually believe it, Wrecker replies. Until now. He still doesn’t want to believe it. Not Cain. He was one of the great ones. One of the guys they could count on to clobber Iron Man or put Captain America in his place, even get that friggin’ Spider-Man to shut up for once.
I hate Spider-Man, Piledriver remarks unnecessarily. Everybody hates Spider-Man, Bulldozer agrees. Thunderball interjects again that Cain has done something even worse. They said he turned his back on Black Tom. Bulldozer now directly accuses Juggernaut too. Juggernaut and Black Tom were more than friends… they were like brothers. How could he do that? Man turns his best friend in, he’s capable of anything, Thunderball tells Wrecker. Bulldozer and Piledriver suggest they make an example of him.
Wrecker orders them to shut up. The guy’s a friend of his, ok? Addressing Cain directly, he informs him that everybody else has given up on him, deleted his name out of their cellphone and crossed him off the Christmas card list. Bullseye even said he’d whack him for free, adds Bulldozer.
Kneeling down besides Cain, who is slowly recovering, Wrecker remarks that maybe he is mindcontrolled. Xavier maybe… He didn’t look mind-controlled to him, Thunderball insists. Then maybe he got tired of the life, Wrecker continues. Happens to all of them sooner or later. Ya get tired of always living outta ratty motels, of not being able to eat in a freakin’ restaurant because you are afraid of someone recognizing you or jumping every time you hear a siren. Just plain tired. The hero life? He could see where that might be attractive. But it ain’t Cain. So how about he pick himself up and they hit one of these pubs or strip joints or something… like the old days… talk this thing out. What does he say?
Cain hits him in the stomach. That’s what he says. Holding his stomach Wrecker agrees with his team. Frowning, he tells them Juggernaut is all theirs and orders them not to be gentle like before.
The Wrecking Crew proceeds to beat him up, finishing it with tossing a bus on him. That’ll be enough of that, a voice announces as they are fired at with hotknives, courtesy of Pete Wisdom. The other members of Excalibur (plus the Black Knight) have arrived. They don’t really take too kindly to their teammates getting literally “thrown under a bus” Nocturne continues. Unless it’s Wisdom, Sage adds.
Captain Britain begins to bellow orders, telling Nocturne to handle Thunderball. Oh no, he won’t do this again, Wisdom spits. What’s the problem? Cap asks while Nocturne, Dazzler and the Black Knight are fighting the Wrecking Crew. Seeing the more immediate problem, Sage tries to suggest this is the wrong time.
The two ignore her as they fiercely glare at each other, while Bulldozer is about to attack. Cap asks whether this is about this stupid “who’s the leader” thing again. It’s not stupid if he’d caught the hint the first soddin’ time, Wisdom retorts. It’s not his fault everyone automatically recognizes him as the superior field leader, Cap points out. They all “recognize” him because he never stops belting out orders, Wisdom accuses him. Both of them ignore the Bulldozer coming at them and Sage’s attempt at a warning, as their argument grows more heated.
Cap spits that this isn’t about leadership but about Pete being sore, as Brian never wanted him on the first Excalibur. If Cap is saying he was a tosser then and is a tosser now, he’s finally starting to get it, Wisdom retorts. Calling Wisdom “cigarette breath,” Cap suggests he get out of his face. He quit, Wisdom points out.
Bulldozer is almost upon them. Sage shouts at them. Simultaneously, Cap hits Bulldozer and Wisdom tosses hotknies at him. They tell her to cut down on the caffeine. Those two are gong to be the death of her, Sage sighs as she turns to her virtual computers, checking data. She informs the others that Wrecker is the source of the others’ power. They must take him out.
Piledriver has snuck up on her. With a smirk, he announces that he realizes she is letting those two goofs argue about who is boss, while she is actually the one calling the shots. Using martial arts moves to keep him off-balance, she smilingly tells him not to spoil her secret.
The Black Knight is facing the Wrecker, who inquires how Dane went from Avenger to Excalibur. Did he flunk the Power Pack try-outs? Technically he hasn’t joined yet, Dane replies. “Yet” being the key word, Cap chimes in.
Focusing on Thunderball, who is swirling said ball around, Nocturne advises Dane not to mind Wrecker. He’s one to talk, hanging around a guy who is named after a stupid James Bond movie. Wisdom takes offence at this. “Thunderball” is a Connery Bond movie after all. What is it with men and their Bond movies? Dazzler sighs. Shaggin’ eight chippies per film might have something to do with it, Wisdom points out. Thunderball interrupts their banter, protesting that he is not named after a Bond movie. Maybe the giant ball he is whirling around might have something to do with that. The three take him out.
Only Wrecker or “Captain Skimask” as Dazzler calls him is left. Bring it on, X-Men lite, he goads them. Suddenly, there is an ominous rumble. The heroes and Wrecker look astonished, a moment before the bus from before lands squarely on the Wrecker.
The others hurry to Cain’s side, Nocturne being the first. She asks him if he is okay. Groggily, he assures her he is, calling her “Alison.” As TJ is taken back at this, Dazzler points out he is probably just a little shell-shocked. “Yeah, whatever,” Nocturne announces with a sour smile.
Now you did it a voice remarks in Cain’s head. No smurf action for him. Not after he called her the wrong name. Damn, not this again, Cain swears. And don’t give me that “you don’t see her that way” crap, the voice continues. Cause he’d have to be blind not to notice how she sees him.
Dazzler addresses Cain and the voice continues that she is the one he really wants. The one that teases him. Wouldn’t he just like to rip her clothes off right here and now? The friggin’ tease. Would serve her right.
Cain stutters as his teammates surround him and the voice continues, giving vent to all his darker feelings about them, suggesting he kill them. He could have done that… in the old days.
Captain Britain asks Cain what is going on. Without looking at him, Cain mumbles that he’s fine, just a little dazed from the bus landing on him. Sage wants to examine him, but Cain insists he is fine. It’s not like anything can hurt him anyway. He’s the Juggernaut. You used to be the Juggernaut, the voice corrects him.
Hours later at Wormwood Scrubs prison, Cain visits an old friend … his former partner Black Tom Cassidy.
Tom admits it’s good to see Cain, though he believed the other man would never want to see him again. A part of him still doesn’t, Cain admits. Tom doesn’t blame him. He asks about Cain’s beaten-up face, but Cain is evasive. He admits that Tom is his best friend and, as somebody told him today, he’s his brother. It took a while, but he’s forgiven him for what happened with Sammy. He knows Tom wasn’t in his right mind. Tom has enough bad in him, but not something like that. Not like …well …
That boy’s death is a stain upon his soul, Tom admits. He never killed a child before. He sees Sammy’s face when he sleeps. He sees that terrible day over and over. Tom taking his life but it’s like he’s watching some kind of terrible movie. And he’ll be watching it in his mind for the rest of his days. And he’ll have to live with that. But they both know that’s not why Cain is there. He knows him too well. Cain is there because he is hearing the voices again, because he’s getting weaker every day, is wondering if it’s all worth it.
Well, is it? Can asks. Tom hasn’t got an answer That ain’t for mere mortals like him to decide. But if he he’s wondering whether Tom thinks if he can be truly redeemed? No. They can pretend there’s redemption for the things they’ve done, but is there really? Can he ever redeem himself in the eyes of Sammy’s mother? He took that woman’s child away, Tom continues. What can he possibly say to her? “I’m sorry?” He doesn’t want her forgiveness. He can’t possibly earn it.
Then what the hell’s the point, Cain wonders bitterly. Why should he even bother? Tom asks him about one last thing. Do the members of Excalibur know all the things he’s done? The full ugly extent of it? Cain doesn’t reply and lowers his head. He didn’t think so, Tom remarks. Watching his friend stride away, Tom wishes him good luck, wishing he had better answers for both of them.
Outside the prison, the voice accosts Cain again, mocking that this was a grand waste of time. Shut the hell up, Cain shouts. C’mon now, pal, the voice continues. He’s been through this before. He knows there’s only one way to do this and only one place he can go to for it.
Back at Excalibur’s HQ, while some members are sure they shouldn’t have let Cain leave, Wisdom tells them they are worrying over nothing. Cain probably just wanted to clear his head over the walloping he took. That’s all. Working on her computers, Sage sharply asks how it feels to be wrong all the time. She just located Juggernaut and he is heading to Korea, and more than likely his destination is where the Juggernaut was born, the Temple of Cyttorak. And Lord only knows what awaits him there.
At the Temple of Cyttorak, several armed masked warriors dressed in crimson arise from the Earth, waiting…


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Unredeemed – part 2
the past:
There was a time when the concept of religion was just a baby. Early man in those days had a lot of choices as far as who or what he wanted to worship. Gods. Demons. And even beings who were a bit of both.
Cyttorak is such a being. There came a time when Cyttorak’s influence on Earth was limited… he had been banished to another dimension known as the crimson cosmos. He wanted to change that. So, the hulking, juggernaut-like being tore a part off his chest and created the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak from it.
Through the gem, he sees an East-Asian village. A moment later, the gem appears there and a man picks it up. As he touches it, the Earth swallows him whole. Moments later, he is reborn, granted immeasurable superhuman strength and invulnerability. Unstoppable. A Juggernaut.
The present:
Cain Marko aka the current Juggernaut has walked through the ocean floor. Emerging from the waves, he tears through a Korean fisher village, ignoring the stones hurled at him. Cain muses that these days he isn’t so invulnerable, let alone unstoppable. Sure, these fishermen don’t pose much of a threat to him, but if things keep heading where they are heading… who knows. Every day he gets weaker and weaker, all because he no longer does the bidding of Cyttorak.
In his path stands a frightened old woman. Juggernaut looks at her, then turns away, walking off. He doesn’t want to be bad anymore. Only he’s learned that that isn’t so easy.
A voice inside of him calls him a wuss. He should have trampled that old broad. That voice isn’t a demon or even Cyttorak; it’s Cain himself. Those thoughts people have from time to time in the back of their heads. The ones you usually don’t act on, brought to the front of his mind by the gem. They are constant, unfiltered and intense. After a while, they start to influence you and that’s what Cyttorak wants. Cain only wants the thoughts to stop and the only way he is going to get that is by confronting the big guy himself.
Cain has reached a clearing. He pronounces, “By the living heart of Cyttorak,” and from the ground a temple rises in response.
Inside a helicopter, the other members of Excalibur are impatiently waiting for Sage to get some results on their teammate. Defensively, Sage points out that South Korea is a big country. And she’s come across nothing that fits Cain’s description.
TJ complains that the others aren’t taking this seriously enough. Captain Britain points out that Cain is probably just blowing off some steam… his way of adjusting to his power loss. He never does anything small. TJ stresses that he is not adjusting. Dazzler butts in, remarking that Cain is the toughest guy she knows. He’ll be fine. Like she cares, TJ scoffs under her breath. Excuse me? asks an annoyed Dazzler.
Captain Britain steps in between the two, trying to change the subject as he remarks how lucky it is that Sage is fluent in Korean. Sage rattles off that she’s fluent in over 123 languages. Here we go, mutters Wisdom, rolling his eyes. Sage begins berating him. Perhaps she could be more entertaining if she didn’t have to comb through every Korean news channel and website because of their lack of intelligence. That is supposed to be Wisdom’s department, right? Pete tells her to just be thankful Cyttorak’s temple is in South Korea, not North.
Suddenly, there is breaking news from a news channel and Sage believes to have found something. The Black Knight asks them to stop bickering for a minute and look out the window. There’s a path of destruction leading through the village. He believes they’ve found him, he adds unnecessarily. My God, Cap murmurs, while Wisdom remarks that as Cap said the man does not do anything small.
At the temple, the voice of Cyttorak welcomes the Juggernaut home. Can the sweet talk, Cain replies. He knows what Cain is there for. Yes, the voice replies. The question is, though, does Cain?
Juggernaut walks to a hand-shaped altar. On it is the ruby-red gem. There’s the solution to Cain’s troubles. That which he believes will stop the voice in his head and return him to his former glory and power. Cain reaches for the stone greedily, but a forcefield appears and engulfs the gem. Mockingly, the voice announces he knows it’s not that simple. He knows he’ll have to earn it.
Another man in a Korean-styled Juggernaut armour, armed with a sword appears behind him. Who is he? Cain demands. A labourer from Seoul, who’s run into a bout of bad luck, Cyttorak explains. Even has a background in martial arts, he believes. Cain announces that he won’t do this. He can’t. He doesn’t want to do these things anymore. For old times’ sake, he asks Cyttorak to please just give him the gem. He needs it. The voice inside of him protests. Since when does the Juggernaut say “please?” Cain shouts at it to please shut the #$%& up!
Cyttorak remarks that Cain’s inner voice may be crude but he echoes the sentiment. Cain has become disloyal and weak. Perhaps the time has indeed come. Perhaps he really needs a new Juggernaut. After all, it’s not like Cain was his first choice anyway. What’s that supposed to mean asks Cain, genuinely confused.
In the meantime, the team is following Juggernaut’s path. A disgruntled Dazzler keeps on pressing Nocturne to explain her previous comment while the younger woman is trying to ignore her. Captain Britain tries to make peace as he steps between the women, suggesting that TJ is just worried about Cain. Wisdom interrupts, suggesting Brian let them work it out by themselves. Cap snaps back that Wisdom should take his own advice.
Dazzler remarks that she’s had enough of this. All of TJ’s dirty looks and mumblings under her breath lately. Staring her in the face, she suggests that if she has a problem with her she should have the guts to say it to her face. Fine, TJ agrees with a nasty smirk. You ‘re the phoniest person I know.. Confused, Dazzler tries to interrupt her, but Nocturne tells her she isn’t done. Ali wanted this. Now she’s gonna get it.
She always talks about how she is finished with the biz, how she doesn’t want another record contract or another shot at the big time, but it’s all bull. She doesn’t only want it… she needs it. She is as addicted to it as Cain is to that gem or Wisdom is to his cigarettes. Wisdom begins to protests and is summarily ignored as TJ continues that Ali absolutely craves that look she gets from fans… the blind adulation, the little kick that being a celebrity gives her. And these days, Cain is the only one she still gets that from.
Stepping closer so that she is close to Ali’s face, TJ remarks that’s why Ali’s never once deterred him, even though she clearly doesn’t feel about him the way he feels about her. Stepping away, she accuses Ali of being a tease and a pathetic fame junkie. And she makes her sick. Helplessly, Cap tries to tell the fuming Dazzler that she doesn’t really mean it, only to be ignored as well. Ali grabs TJ by the hair. The younger woman in response slugs her in the face.
Good, Alison smirks and fires laser beams at TJ. Cap protests that this is ridiculous. Holding him back, Wisdom tells him to let this go. Nothing wrong with a little catfight to clear the air. Cap orders him to be quiet as he violently shoves him away. Just like Ali before Wisdom smirks and remarks “good.” A little later, they are embroiled in a fight as well.
Shouldn’t they do something? the Black Knight suggests to Sage, who remarks that she is… with Wisdom. Probably best to get this all out into the open, but if he’s feeling all hero-y, he can knock himself out.
Dane gets between the two parties. In an attempt to get their attention, he slams his sword into the ground and cries “enough,” wondering  the next moment that this didn’t feel right.
As the others look at him, puzzled, he shouts at them, demanding to know what’s wrong with them. They had fights when he was an Avenger, but nothing like this. The Champions weren’t even that bad. And they want him to join? HA!. He sheathes the blade and continues on his way with the others wordless. Oh, I like this one Sage smirks. They follow unaware of the fact that warriors dressed in crimson armour watch them.
Back at Cyttorak’s temple, Cain shouts that Cyttorak is just saying that. Cyttorak replies with a question. Why would he have wanted to pick Cain, who was a complete failure up until that point in his life? He urges Cain to remember that day… remember who he was with. He was never meant to be the Juggernaut, he was. And Cain beholds an image of his step-brother, Charles Xavier.


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Unredeemed – part 3
“Not Apocalypse. Not Sinister. Not the Shadow King. Not the Brood or the Brrotherhood or the Hellfire Club. But you.” The image of Cyttorak makes Cain Marko relieve the moment when Onslaught took his Gem as he asks those questions. Commenting on the memories, he asks Cain why Xavier of all the enemies he had considered Cain the most dangerous. After all, he was the one who needed his immediate attention upon his becoming Onslaught.
Cyttorak also provides the answer: Xavier was afraid of Cain… or to be more precise, he was afraid of what spawned him… the gem. He knew. Knew that the gem which he was still called to even then, was intended for him all along. That he, Charles Xavier, was Cyttorak’s first choice to become the Juggernaut. After all, wasn’t he the most powerful telepath on Earth?
Flashback to Xavier and Cain coming upon the temple of Cyttorak:
Wouldn’t he have been a better choice than a lifelong failure with father issues? Cyttorak asks, as the memories are replayed.
Younger Cain triumphantly grabs the gem, while present Cain comments that, if Cyttorak was so friggin’ great, how come he is stuck the lifelong failure with father issues?
Because being the Juggernaut was the one thing in life he didn’t fail at, Cyttorak replies suddenly.
Past Cain is buried in the temple as Xavier flees. And Cyttorak continues that he was angry at his father. Angry at Xavier. Angry at the world. It made him strong. It made him ruthless. That anger made him a perfect agent of destruction.
And past Cain was reborn as Juggernaut.
Present:
Cyttorak concludes that Cain’s disloyalty has left him not other choice but to seek out his replacement. And behind Cain appears another man in a more Oriental-style Juggernaut armor.
Not too far away, the members of Excalibur silently follow the trail of their missing teammate. Captain Britain and Pete Wisdom shoot each other filthy looks and so do Dazzler and Nocturne. Non-member Black Knight is the first to break the oppressive silence, as he shouts at Sage that this is ridiculous. How are they supposed to find Cain and face whatever it is they’ll have to face when no one is even talking to each other?
Working her computer interface, Sage replies that she finds it quite nice actually. Tranquil. Allows her to concentrate better. Is anyone in this group sane? he sighs. Says the man who is addicted to a sword, she deadpans. With a smile he admits she’s got him there. Besides, she continues calmly, they’ll have plenty of time to act like a team in about 14,6 seconds.
Dane wants to ask what she is saying only to notice, as do all the others that they are surrounded by crimson-clad swordfighers. He thinks she was off by a second or two, the Knight observes. Well perhaps if a certain someone wasn’t talking her ear off, whining about morale… she replies as she draws a gun. He recommends she just shut up and fight.
Watching the two Juggernaut aspirants fight, Cyttorak remarks that this is how it was meant to be. Two warriors, the power of the Juggernaut for one… death for the other. The Korean challenger hurts Cain with a sword stroke to the back and Cain falls, bleeding. As the other man gets ready for the killing stroke, Cain grabs the blade and breaks it, before pummelling the other man with it. He begins to wildly hit him, while Cyttorak remarks that this is the Juggernaut he knows.
Not far away, the members of Excalibur fight the guardians of Cyttorak’s temple. Sage assumes that they are part of the reason for the fights the others had earlier. She believes Cyttorak and his minions have the ability to bring the negative thoughts and emotions to the forefront.
Shooting hotknives, Pete admits that, in his case, they didn’t have to go all that far to have him take a swing at Braddock. He notices one of the guards trying to sneak up on him. While the guardian fires throwing stars at him, Pete precisely shoots off hotknives and then blows up the man’s Nunchaku in his face. Believing he is the man in charge, he orders him to call off the others and tell him were Cain is. He emphasizes his point by heating up the man’s face.
Cap tells him this is enough; he’ll kill the man! Now he’s getting it, Pete replies. Either this joker ends this all right now or he’ll have to go through life as a soddin’ jack o’ lantern. Cap tries to order him off but suddenly all the guardians disintegrate. So it’s mass suicide over interrogation, Wisdom remarks. Whatever works. He strides off. Looking after him, Ali assumes that he was bluffing. He wasn’t, Sage replies. As much as they all like to tweak him on occasion, they shouldn’t forget that Pete Wisdom can be a very dangerous man.
In the temple, Cyttorak still urges Cain to kill the pretender to regain what he once was. What is he waiting for? Yes, what is he waiting for? asks Captain Britain, as the team has caught up with Cain. Cyttorak directly addresses them, about to enlighten them what it means to be a Juggernaut.
Flashback:
Cain has had predecessors to the Juggernaut’s mantle. One such individual was Jin Taiko. Jin had served Cyttorak well for decades, but then came a day when he did not. On that day, Cyttorak did what he often does when confronted with a disloyal Juggernaut. He chose to have him replaced. Cain Marko had touched the gem of Cyttorak, which gave him the right to challenge for the mantle of Juggernaut. To actually become Juggernaut however there is only one way to accomplish that. Cain fought and killed Jin Taiko.
Cyttorak continues that he is a demanding master, requiring his name to be spread throughout the world through endless violence and destruction. He is also not without his jealousies. So when Jin Taiko’s village began to worship another in his stead, he demanded the village be razed to its ground and for everyone and everything to be annihilated. Taiko’s refusal became the source of their disassociation. Fortunately, his replacement had no such reservations.
Present:
The team watches in horror the past replay as Cain Marko destroyed the village killing everybody. Without a word they leave. Only Nocturne remains behind. She touches his face as she insists he’s not that person anymore. Does it really matter? he asks. TJ insists it does. She’s gotten to know him and believes he is really trying to be a better person now. He’s got to put his past behind him. Swatting away her hand he tells her he appreciates it, but this might not be the best time to sort out this thing between them whatever that thing is. Jerk! she announces and leaves as well.
Cain looks at the gem that is now his for the taking.
Two days later, back in London at Excalibur’s headquarters. Cain walks out on the balcony to find Pete out there smoking. Taken aback, Cain apologizes. He didn’t know anyone was out there…
Out there smoking? Pete finishes his sentence. His smoking is the worst kept secret around here, he adds. With a smirk, he admits that he’s glad Cain came, so he can be Pete’s witness. This is his last cigarette ever. He’s seen a lot when it comes to this team lately… he and his smokes, Cain with his gem, Ali with her fame… even that Whitman tosser and his blade. They’re all a bunch of dirty little addicts, aren’t they? But not him, he adds forcefully as he extinguishes the cigarette. This rot is not going to get the best of him. His mum raised him a tad tougher that that.
Good for him, Cain replies, not really interested. Pete notices that and remarks that Cain is probably more interested in the little meeting they had. For starters they all had to clear the air a little bit. He heard they did a little bit of that in Korea. Can points out. A little, Pete agrees. This time it was a tad more civilized. He and Brian? They’re never gonna be “buddies” as the yanks say. But he’s not going to sneak in his room tonight and slit his throat either (much as he may want to). Maybe they can all recognize that they’re all here for the same purpose and they don’t have to be the best of friends to get this done.
Sort of like the ’78 Yankees, Juggernaut remarks. Whatever that means, Pete continues undeterred. The bottom line is they are trying to help mutants post M-day. Nobody says they can’t help themselves along the way. But that’s not it, is it? Cain asks. He can’t figure all that “Kumbaya” talk included him.
Well, Pete admits after what some of the other members saw, with the things Cain did, even though he said he left the gem behind… there’s something of a trust issue here. And some awkwardness. And maybe a little anger. OK, maybe a lot of anger. Cain asks him to give it to him straight. Is he off the team? Well, Pete admits, there was some talk of a vote. Cain interrupts him, no need for that. He’ll have his stuff out there by morning.
Pete tells him not to jump to conclusion. There was talk of a vote, but that was as far as it got. He saw to that. Here’s the thing: they can go back and forth about who’s in charge or not, but the reality is the guy who pays the bill get the only vote that counts. Otherwise, he just takes his ball and goes home. They understood. Things may be a bit bumpy at first, but they’ll work it out… happy family that they are.
Cain doesn’t get it. They aren’t exactly close so why would Pete do this for him? Wisdom hints that he knows what it’s like, to have some things in your past you aren’t too proud of. Horrible things even. Turning his back on Cain, he warns him not to let him down. He wouldn’t want him to have to experience what some of those horrible things are like first hand…
Cain looks down the balcony at Brian Braddock, saying farewell to Dane Whitman. Brian jokes that all their infighting and half their members being murderers probably made Dane’s decision a bit easier. Nah, Dane retorts. If anything, it made him want to join the team more. He likes a challenge. With all their fighting about leadership, maybe he was actually the guy who could get them straightened up. They could certainly do worse, Brian admits.
All joking aside, the real reason for him not joining? This. Dane shows him the Ebony Blade. And states that it isn’ t the Ebony Blade. It’s something he’s come to realize only recently. Somehow, the sword he touched in Camelot and this one are not the same. And now he needs to find out why that is. Not to mention how this is even possible. Brian offers to have the team help. Dane declines. This he has to do on his own. He asks him to say goodbye to everyone and give his best to Meggan when e sees her. Brian begins he’s not able to…
He will be, Dane states simply as he gets into the car. If anyone can do whatever needs doing, it’s Captain Britain.
The car leaves. Cain steps into his room and opens his bag. Within it is the Gem of Cyttorak. He looks at it, an unreadable expression on his face.


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Fallen Friend – part 1
London, a day that starts much like any other for Excalibur. Masked robbers are holding a bank and the people in it hostage. Enter Juggernaut, Dazzler and Nocturne, amused by the gangsters’ naivete, trying to pull this caper in their hometown.
Dazzler informs the goons that Juggernaut used to follow their line of work. Makes him kind of cranky when it isn’t done well. And you really don’t want to make Juggernaut cranky, adds Nocturne.
Not impressed, one of the gangsters fires a weapon at Juggernaut. The impact hurls him through the wall of the building and into the waiting arms of Captain Britain. Concerned, he asks about his teammate’s health and Cain informs him curtly that he’s taken worse. Looks like these slugs are packing dangerous hardware. They better get back inside. The girls may need their help.
Inside, the “girls” actually handle things fine on their own. As Nocturne uses martial arts moves to disable several goons, she remarks that she and Dazzler are doing them a favour. Cause if they made Juggy angry, he’ll want some payback. They can feel free to thank them later.
Dazzler can’t match her teammate’s fighting skills. Instead, she uses her power to control light to coalesce it into a blade stronger than steel. With it, she disables an opponent. Another one fires at her and she creates a light shield to block it. Just as she takes out one man, she is shot in the back by the woman they believed to be a hostage. She exults that she just killed a superhero. Angrily, Captain Britain tosses her at Juggernaut’s feet and advises her to start praying.
Cap orders Nocturne to check on Alison while he secures the rest of the gang. As T.J. complies, Cap quickly makes short work of the men’s hardware, by literally stripping them of it (and everything else they are wearing).
Meanwhile, down on the underground vault level, Sage elegantly dispatches of the rest of the robber crew without even breaking a sweat. Pete Wisdom claps in applause, remarking that he would have pitched in if it looked like she needed help.
A little later, the hospital staff find Dazzler fine and angry at all that attention. Captain Britain sternly reminds her that she was dead. Again.
So she got better, Alison shrugs. Their friend from the hospital agrees with her, but points out that this is the third time this has happened, so she’d like to run a complete set of exams on Alison. Which means at least a night in Royal Victoria Hospital. She thought she was her friend, Ali moans. A friend who hopes so see her live a very long life the doctor agrees.
Royal Hospital, the following day. Nocturne enters, dancing to the music from her iPod to where the others are already waiting. Pete asks her to have a heart. This is a hospital. Why does he think she’s wearing headphones, she retorts. Get better ones, he suggests.
Nocturne stays in the hospital room with Al and the doctor. While she fiddles with her headphones, she suddenly finds she can’t control her motions anymore. The iPod falls. She cries out for the others that something is wrong before falling. Alison runs to her side and T.J can just mumble that something is wrong with her head.
The doctor makes a crash call to Holland four. Down in the Lobby, the others realize that this refers to Ali’s room. As they run up, they see hospital staff getting in front of them. What they see is not as expected, an injured Ali, but a panicked Talia who can’t feel her arms or legs.
She cries out in fear, believing she is going to die. The members of Excalibur watch helplessly as T.J. is transported away, the staff asking whether they can tell them anything about possible physical differences of Nocturne’s, considering her different looks.
Ali tells the others that she doesn’t understand what happens and their doctor friend explains that she believes Nocturne has suffered a stroke. Given the fact that she appears s different from anyone else, they need all the information Excalibur can give them about her physiology. They might also try prayer.
A little later, Cain finds Alison crying on a couch. She confides that she pretty much thought that was her new shtick. Drop dead, get rushed to the hospital, get better. Talia was the one she counted on to save her. What the hell is happening? Life pure and simple, he tries to comfort her.
Elsewhere, Sage phones the Xavier Institute’s headmistress, Emma Frost, asking for Nightcrawler. Emma just replies that this isn’t possible. Uncharacteristically upset, Sage shouts that T.J had a stroke and may die. Emma explains that Kurt Wagner isn’t on Earth. Charles Xavier took him, Rachel and a team of X-Men to help save the Shi’ar. They’ve had no contact since. She’s sorry.
Pete asks whether Talia isn’t a bit young for something like this. Sage explains to him and the others that a stroke involves a blockage of one of the blood vessels to the brain. It’s more common with age, but can actually occur any time. The fact that Nocturne is from an alternate Earth somewhat complicates matters.
Brian suggests contacting the group she belonged to or perhaps her home dimension. Wisdom sensibly asks how they could do that. Brian swears a being so helpless. After all they’ve been through, to lose one of their own like this… Hey! Cain protests. They ain’t lost anyone yet! Nocturne’s a fighter. She ain’t gonna quit and she ain’t gonna get beat. His teammates don’t reply.
Nocturne’s dream / memory
She dreams of her past. Talia knew from the beginning she was going to be a superhero. Considering that her father is Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler of the X-Men, and her mother Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch of the Avengers, it’s in her blood. But in all her dreams, her wildest fantasies she never considered herself among the casualties.
She recalls being stranded on an alternate Earth where she met Blink and the rest of the motley crew that was to become the dimension-travelling Exiles, whose job was to protect the structural integrity of all the worlds and dimensions. She fell in love with one of her teammates, Thunderbird. Only to learn the hard way that victory sometimes came at a terrible price, as her lover sacrificed himself.
In time, it became her turn to move on. She didn’t go home, though, part of her wondering if she ever would. Her new home is officially listed as Earth 616. It even has a Nightcrawler… who isn’t married to the Scarlet Witch, but in every other way that matters is a perfect match for her father. And the longer she stayed, the more she began to wonder if her placement there was no accident. But those were all thoughts from another time. Right now, there is too much going on inside her head.
Reality:
She awakes slowly, realizing she is still alive. Brightness hurting her eyes, she blinks and slowly takes in her surroundings, a hospital room with get-well-cards and gifts, a huge window showing her the Thames outside and Sage sitting in her room. T.J feels tired and about to go back to sleep, but first she wants to see.
She is confused, as she finds she can barely move, her body feels all wrong and she can’t find the words to describe the medical equipment hooked up to her. Her left leg is hard to move and her right doesn’t move at all. Talia panics, trying to shout for help, but the words that come out are gibberish. The doctor comes in, glad to see she’s awake, as are her friends. However, Talia herself is horrified at the fact that she can’t talk properly and can’t even recall her friends’ names.


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Fallen Friend – part 2
London: the intensive care wing of the Royal Victoria Hospital. For Excalibur, the wait is over, for their teammate Nocturne has woken up from the stroke she suffered. While her friends are elated, Talia feels less so; she can only make out parts of what her excited friends are saying. And during the next day, she learns in frustration during physical therapy that she cannot move her right leg and arm.
While Sage sits in her hospital room and waits and watches, the hospital staff try to get TJ to squeeze her hand. More frustration for Talia.
The doctor asks her to say her name. While Nocturne remembers it, she can barely pronounce it and screams in frustration. The doctor comforts her that the damage seems to be minimal. Once her body recovers and finds its new equilibrium, they can re-establish the neural passageways. There has been neural damage, but their job is to find how bad it is and the best ways to cope.
Again, Talia only understands part of it, as she sinks back exhausted. Suddenly, she gasps. Before her, invisible to the others, she sees a healthy ghostly version of herself, which tells her she’s there to help her get better. Ghost Talia tries to encourage her to come play, as she dances around. She can’t, Talia thinks, but the other one tells her she just isn’t trying. T.J shouts out that she can’t. Sage takes all of this in and says nothing.
At Excalibur’s headquarters, Brian Braddock is phoning Courtney Ross, telling her that the doctors are still evaluating Talia’s condition. Courtney muses that it is strange to think of her like that. People are used to heroes being so much better than the rest. Being killed in battle with super-villains and the like that’s one thing. But something like a stroke is so… human? Brian asks. That’s the situation in a nutshell then.
He notices that she’s preoccupied. Just some business she has to complete, she replies evasively and promises to swing by the hospital when she’s done here.
Inside the bank, several men are expecting her. One of them announces that, with her signature, she will sever all connections with Fraser’s Bank. Signing, Courtney advises them to enjoy their victory.
A day later back at the hospital, there are more tests for Talia. The doctor announces that the swelling’s going down. Her body has taken a hard hit. It’s been working overtime to deal with it. She chides her for not eating decently and then asks her what her name is. Nocturne, TJ replies, while the therapist is urging her to lift her leg. Again, the doctor asks: Talia Josephine Wagner, what’ s your name? Impatiently, TJ repeats it’s Nocturne. The doctor repeats her question in German and TJ finally gives the expected reply. Is she satisfied?
The doctor asks her how her hand is to use. And Talia cries out that it’s awful. She can barely hold a pen and her writing… she couldn’t remember her own name!
Later in her bed, she sees her invisible other-self dancing again and angrily asks her to stop. Her other self asks her to join her. Suppressing a tear, TJ replies that this isn’t funny. She had a stroke! She can hardly move her right leg. Her right arm’s a joke! No matter how well she recovers, she’ll never be what she was. Sage interrupts her conversation with herself and tells her to go to sleep.
Yet another day and Pete Wisdom has taken over some physical therapy, asking her to squeeze his hand as hard as she can. Now the other. How does she feel? Angry, sick she admits. She wants to hit something. Well that’s a start, he tells her. He then gives her a steel rod to hold and she wonders if he has done this before. He didn’t always hang with skintights, Pete jokes. But he is one, TJ suggests, he has powers. So he should run around in a costume like them? he asks amused. No thanks. His mates would never speak to him again. The few mates that are left.
Has he done this before for one of his friends? she asks, still holding the rod with both hands. Wisdom reveals that his mate took a headshot. A miracle he made it to the hospital, much less out of surgery. He had to help him get back up and running. And after that? she asks.
Yet another night of TJ being bothered by both her other self and Sage’s presence. Rudely, she tells her to stop staring and finally to go away. Make me, the other woman surprisingly replies. What’s that supposed to mean? TJ asks surprised. Sage repeats her order. Furious, Talia snarls whether Sage doesn’t believe she’s crippled. Does she want proof?
Sage replies that she knows the girl is hurt. “Crippled,” though, that’s something else. Talia hides beneath her pillow and tells her to go to hell.
Unfazed, Sage asks why Talia hasn’t tried to use her powers. She can’t even walk, Talia spits. Sag replies Talia knows what she is talking about. TJ admits something might go wrong. Suppose she can’t go back…. In a small voice, she adds, suppose she doesn’t want to. She’s afraid, Sage states. Of hurting innocents? TJ asks. Wouldn’t Sage be? That’d mean she’d actually have to care about somebody she adds cruelly.
The following day, Alison gives TJ a sponge bath and tries to cheer her up. TJ grumpily observes that, two weeks ago, she could have done that herself. Ali suggests she wash her arms herself, while Ali does the legs. She recommends that she give herself time to heal. TJ admits that her whole life before she felt like her body had no limits. Now she’s broken.
Towelling her, Ali asks if she is giving up, then. TJ sighs that she and Sage should give her a break! But, she confides, she thinks she can’t be a superhero anymore. Poor baby, Ali replies in mock-pity. First thing, TJ doesn’t know that. And even if that’s true, so what? Find another path, learn something new adapt, evolve. But don’t ever give up. Yes, Ma’ am, TJ replies sarcastically.
Later, Cain visits TJ with some fast food. TJ thanks him, but claims she isn’t really hungry. Her problem is something else, though. While she recognizes him, she cannot recall his name. Cain chides her; she needs her strength. Putting up a cheerful façade, TJ jokes that it’s the near-dead diet. Satisfaction guaranteed or you can complain to God. Not buying it, Cain asks why she is making fun. He thought they were friends. Talia finally admits that she can’t remember his name. Breaking down, she adds that it isn’t just him. She can see memory pictures of her mom and dad inside her head. She knows it’s them, but she can’t remember their names.
The following night, she is having another discussion with Sage about the use of her power. Sage is trying to convince her to try her powers by possessing her, as she figures she is the only one who can handle it. Suppose something goes wrong, Tala frets. Sage seriously replies that they both must be prepared for those risks. Why now? Tj asks. Isn’t it too early? Sage explains that, if they wait too long, the window will close and then Talia will be crippled. TJ reminds Sage that she will be in complete physical control of Sage’s body. She’ll have complete access to her brain. Is she willing to trust her that much? She is willing to take the risk, Sage replies gravely. She takes her hand.
Moments later, Talia luxuriates in the sensations of having a healthy body again. Letting the other woman’s hair literally down, she marvels that Sage is actually beautiful and wonders why the other woman hides it. She admits, though, that she is whole lot tougher than anyone she’s possessed. She may run Sage’s body, but she can’t touch the other woman’s memories. Her life is still totally private. Which TJ is kinda glad about. She’s not sure she ever wants to lean her secrets. She owes Sage, so she prays the other woman won’t kill her for what comes next, namely a shopping trip to get some skimpy clothing plus a trip to the hair-dresser to get some dreadlocks.
Walking the streets of London, she enjoys the feeling of being attractive again, to be able to use the right side of her body without trouble. She jumps up a building and dances across rooftops.
However, suddenly her hand starts to shake and her right leg stops supporting her. She falls, the next moment she separates from Sage’s body and the other woman catches her, remarking whether Talia really thought she’d cede control over her body without the ability to take it back?
Suddenly, Captain Britain shows up, catching both of them, before they fall to the ground. As he brings them back to the hospital. Talia is somewhat miffed at her two teammates planning this behind her back. Cap reminds her that lately he lost both his wife and his twin sister and it’s probably only a matter of time before he loses somebody else. That, sadly, is the nature of the lives they are leading. But he won’t lose anyone without a fight. Sage could have been killed, TJ reminds him. It was a risk she was prepared to take, he replies. Why? Talia demands. She’s Excalibur; Talia’s Excalibur; we’re Excalibur, Brian simply states.
From outside the room, Sage listens in on their conversation via her cyber-shades. Wisdom notices her new look, remarking that he thinks he is in love. She was letting Talia indulge herself, Sage explains. Juggernaut and Dazzer also join them, noticing Sage’s hair. Local reggae band stopped by, Wisdom jokes. Turns out that steel drumming’s one of her powers. How’s Talia, Alison asks.
Inside the room, Brian continues to hold Talia’s hand and tells her that they stand together in common purpose to take care of those around them. And as they look after the world, best they can, so too they take care of their own. He knows it’s hard learning new limits, new ways to cope, not in terms of being Nocturne, but just to have a decent shot at being Talia Josephine Wagner. But she has to remember throughout his journey that she isn’t alone.
As he talks, Talia work her way to her wheelchair and wheels outside to her friends.


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To Rise Again, This Day! – Albion prologue
Excalibur’s headquarters. The team (without their recovering teammate, Nocturne) is gathered around a holographic image of the mystery enemy who recently attacked them – the strange warrior who calls himself Albion. Sage summarizes that what they see is what they’ve got. He has Captain Britain’s height, weight and physical structure. He wears a variant of his costume and exhibits much the same power. The fact that he seems to have bonded with Lionheart suggests the Captain Britain Corps, but why are their uniforms so different from Brian’s? And if he is a Captain, why does he consider Captain Britain an adversary?
Brian recalls that he chose Kelsey Kirkland – Lionheart – as his successor the same way he was chosen, by offering her a choice between a sword and an amulet. She chose the sword … fight first, talk later. Those who choose the amulet hold to the opposite course. They’ll fight as a last resort.
Dazzler points out an obvious question. Why does he think Kelsey is the only one who ever made that choice? For all anyone knows, there could be a whole other corps of Captains who chose the sword over the amulet.
Brian is astonished at the idea. In all the time he’s worn the uniform, he never once thought of that. The corps is so huge. He supposes that they simply took the status quo for granted. Sage remarks that everything has a balance: life and death, good and evil, light and dark. The questions are… is Albion alone and is he a rogue?
Elsewhere, Albion trains Lionheart in battle. Though she is new to her role, he notes with satisfaction that Kelsey never makes the same mistake twice and is determined not to yield. While he bests her, he admits that she has come farther faster than he expected.
After training, she asks him why his uniform is like hers. They’re a lot like Captain Britain’s and yet different. The two men are so alike… Albion disagrees. They are as far apart as two men can be in concept and execution. Does he know him then? Kelsey asks. He knows of him, Albion replies. He supposes she could say, same origin, different choice….
Albion’s story:
He comes from another Earth, the broad pattern of history is the same. But their war that began in 1914 did not end in 1918. A hundred years later, it was still going strong, had spread across the entire world. He was a ranger captain. They were tired and starving, dressed in rags, using weapons they’d scrounged from the dead. Victory was just a word. It didn’t have any real meaning. They would fight because that was what they did. Until the day they died. And then the war was over. He was caught in an explosion.
However, he found he wasn’t dead. Instead, two floating figures were standing before him, introducing themselves as Roman and Merlyn. They offered him a challenge. Merlyn pointed to two objects hanging from a tree, explaining that his world was wounded, mayhap unto death. They offer a choice. The Amulet of Right and the Sword of Might. His challenge is to choose one as a hallmark. The Captain immediately goes for the sword. Roma is horrified, Merlyn intrigued. The energies in the sword change the man. In an instant, he is consumed and reborn as Albion.
Roma, however, remarks that this was not the choice they expected. They seek those who follow the path of the amulet, for whom the weapon is a last resort. They must reclaim the powers he has manifested.
Furious, the newly born Albion demands to know how they dare tease him with such a gift, then snatch it away. This world’s been at war for his lifetime, his father’s and his grandfather’s. It’ll likely never end until all of humanity is slaughtered. These powers change that. They give them a chance, they give them hope! But she would condemn them? How dare she?!
Roma stays adamant. Their obligation is not to his world but to all the worlds of the omniverse. Albion challenges her to kill him then but he swears that, before she does, he will bury the blade in her heart!
Merlyn suddenly holds his daughter back. Albion spits at him not to do him any favours. Roma warns her father that Albion is dangerous. This is wrong. Beginning to emit an eerie light, her father remarks that his is the will that rules. This creature is human and mortal and utterly alone. His world may just need the sword. Let him go. The decision is his and Roma will obey.
Turning to Albion, he warns him that the gift is unique. He should not waste it. As they begin to vanish in the light, he tells him farewell and tells him to hold on to what wisdom he has. It may yet save him. Roma instead remarks that her father makes a mistake and she aims to correct it, but Albion has Merlyn’s blessing… for now. Both sigils represent unimaginable power. The sword is grounded in destruction, the amulet in reason. He will use his gift to take lives. That is its nature and his. She cautions him to take care, lest it cost him his very soul.
A little later, the enemy troops find him. Thinking little of his fancy-dress, they attack. Without a word, he kills them all easily. Standing on their corpses, he vows that this isn’t over. However long it takes, wherever his quest leads him, he will find Roma and claim full vengeance… not only for his world, but for all the innocents she’s abandoned to their cruel fates.
Albion continues his narration. When he returned to his base with uniform and sword, he was met by laughter. What is a sword against modern weaponry? Then he went into battle and showed that his blade could cut through steel. That was just the beginning. In the air, on land, at sea… nowhere was safe any longer for their enemy. Albion led his troops and, though the war wasn’t ended in a day or even a year… the end did come… after they cleansed the entire world.
And then they had to stock of the little that was left. No cities worth the name, just trash heaps of rubble. Precious little transport, precious little to transport. After a century of global combat, most of the world’s farmland had been destroyed, the oceans poisoned or stripped of fish. The medical corps tried its best. But their skill was repairing battle wounds. They had far less experience with disease. They weren’t killing one another anymore in battle. But still they were dying of starvation and disease. An Albion could only weep in despair and rage, as his courage and strength were useless against these enemies.
Elsewhere, a warlord in his fortress furiously lashes out at certain purple inter-dimensional merchants that they had promised him victory. The merchants point out that they provided the tools. What he does with them and how well he employs them is his concern. Can’t blame the vendor if the opposition comes up with a better officer. The warlord demands they give him something new. Disgusted at the word “give,” one of the merchants suggests in a whisper that perhaps this is a good time to close shop. Another one reminds the warlord that his army no longer exists. The warlord insists that there is still a chance. That moment the roof caves in as Albion comes through.
He’d busied himself, scouring the world for the last remnants of the enemy, those who were living a wealthy life among the poor and starving. He would show them the same mercy they had bestowed on the rest of the planet.
He turned his bodyguards’ number against them. They were more used to massacring helpless captives than any kind of real fight. Trying frantically to get Albion, they only cut down their own men. Albion’s sword does he rest.
The warlord comes at him with a blade of his own and manages to disarm Albion. He mocks the hero, asking what chance he has without his weapon. The sword is nothing, Albion replies. He is the weapon! Holding his foe’s swordarm with one hand he hits him with his other.
In a room next to that one, the alien slavers decide to leave through a dimensional gate. However, when it is activated, instead someone comes through from the other side – a member of the Captain Britain Corps.
The Captain quickly takes care of them and drags one of the slavers with him for questioning. He tells his captive to stop complaining. His kind is wanted throughout the pan-dimensional schema. From the looks of things, he’d bet, they’ve been pillaging this poor world for generations. Fun’s over now.
He exclaims when in the next room over a heap of corpses he beholds Albion holding the warlord by his throat. The warlord pleads for mercy. And the Captain calls to Albion to spare his life in the name of the Captain Britain Coprs. Never! Albion replies as he decapitates his foe.
Calling him a monster, the Captain attacks and beats Albion into a wall. When his foe loses his mask, the Captain stops in surprise, as before him he sees the face of “Lord Captain Brian Braddock.” Albion uses his foe’s confusion and counterattacks brutally. He’s about to kill him, when under his foe’s torn uniform he sees a familiar amulet. Grabbing him by the throat, Albion orders the Captain to explain to him where he has the amulet from. Was it given to him by Roma?
Later, Albion and his men question the slavers. Their speaker claims they are humble traders and mean him no harm. Albion replies that he wants explanations. Who are the Captains? What is their purpose? Why did he attack the traders? The trader is taken aback when he sees Albion’s face, then gathers his wits and claims that the Captains are despotic warriors who terrorize the decent people of the omniverse. Before he can continue his tale, Albion decapitates him and orders the next trader to tell him the truth.
The slaver explains that he is a member of the Captain Britain Corps, their enemies. They claim to be the defenders of all the dimensions of crosstime.
A long night later, Albion has his answers. The following morning, he takes his captives and goes to see what is on the other side of the doorway. The Captain – in chains – asks for his understanding and forgiveness. He made a mistake, thinking him the enemy. Albion snarls that he fights to protect his people and his home. How does that make him the villain? The Captain admits that he doesn’t know. Perhaps it has to do with the nature of the amulet and its relationship with the sword. Albion is the only one he knows of who made that choice. When he saw him, when Albion killed that man, he acted without thinking. He couldn’t help himself. He made a mistake. Yes, he did, Albion agrees. And beheads him. And now he’s paid for it.
Turning to his men, he announces that today they take this world for their own. They shall strip Roma of her precious Captains, and then her champion Brain Braddock. Henceforth, the future belongs to them.
The present:
So, what’s next? Lionheart asks. They fight, they win, Albion states simply. They are but claiming what is rightfully theirs. Roma’s Corps of Captains has but become a shadow of their former self. The time has come for him to face her champion and fulfil the destiny he has proclaimed for himself.
That moment, the butler announces that his guests have arrived, namely Agent Scicluna of Black Air and the evil X-Men from another dimension.