#1 - Faith and Deliverance, Part One

By Gary Dreslinski

GARRETT CASTLE

"So it's all mine again?" Dane stood in one of the castle's great rooms, staring out at the English countryside with unabashed glee.

Miriam Ross, his personal attorney, smiled. "Yes indeed, Mr. Whitman. Your ancestral home was willed to you by the late Ms. Victoria Bentley. Upon her death, the castle -- as well as a sizeable settlement -- was bequeathed to yourself. While her death is obviously a great tragedy, perhaps some good can come of it."

Dane's heart dropped somewhat at her words. He was starting to think that no good could ever come from death. He'd seen too much death in his lifetime -- both in his stint during the Crusades and in the twentieth century as well. "Well, Victoria was a good friend. It's hard to accept that she's gone." He glanced over at the attractive brunette and noticed that she was returning his glance with obvious enthusiasm.

"Well, I am sorry for your loss. I'm also apologetic that it took so long to get into contact with you. You're a hard man to pin down. If someone at our firm hadn't had contacts with Oracle, we might never have discovered that you were working there."

Dane nodded at that. "Well, I was...away for a time. But I'm no longer with Oracle, actually. We've parted ways already."

"Ah. So you will be staying in England, then?"

"Yes." He stepped towards her and offered his hand. "Thank you for everything, Miss Ross. I appreciate all the work you've done for me. Now I've got to start moving my things inside. It's been years since I lived here."

Miriam took his hand and squeezed. "I noticed quite a few large boxes and such...you're a scientist, aren't you?"

"Amongst other things." Dane took a deep breath. He knew she was flirting but he really wasn't interested. After everything that had happened with Crystal and then Sersi..."But I have to get to work. I'm sorry. Do feel free to stop by anytime."

Miriam's eyes shone with disappointment, but she nodded. "All right. Enjoy your return home, Mr. Whitman. You have a full staff all ready on the payroll so you should have plenty of help getting settled in. Good day."

Dane watched her as she walked out, admiring the view but knowing he'd done the right thing. The last thing he needed right now was a romance. Not with all the changes in his life anyway -- joining the Crusaders*, returning to England, and now moving back into the castle that had once belonged to his uncle Nathan**. Times were changing and Dane knew that right now he needed to concentrate on finding himself in the midst of the wreckage.

(*See Crusaders # 13.)
(**Nathan Garrett was the evil Black Knight who fought the Avengers.)

Abby Rose ran a hand through her short black hair and frowned. "I hope to hell I didn't drive all the way over here just to look at some haunted sweater or a stain that looks like the Queen, Henry..."

Henry Quinn laughed. He was older than Abby by about twenty years and heavier by about a hundred pounds. He was a big, jolly man with a pencil thin moustache. His home was decorated in what could be aptly termed "early eccentric." "No, no...this is a real find, Abby. You'll be thanking me for the opportunity to fondle this sword of mine."

She rose her eyebrows at his words and grinned somewhat naughtily. "Oh so is that what this about? Well, why don't you whip out the mighty sword so we can get it over with..."

Henry laughed harder at that. "Oh, you minx. If I were just a bit younger...Ah, well." He led her through the living room into the den and smiled as she saw the black scabbard lying on the tabletop. It gleamed with an evil light.

Abby could feel its presence from across the room. "Henry, you dear...You finally found a real mystic relic, didn't you?" She hurried over, both frightened and tantalized. She hesitated, "Where did you get it?"

"It was sold to me by a private collector -- very hush, hush." Henry was enjoying showing off his find, but Abby didn't rush him. She was enjoying it, too. "It's the Ebony Blade."

Abby gasped. "The Ebony Blade? But I thought that the cursed sword was used by the Black Knight -- that Avenger from America?"

"Not anymore. Gave it up or so I heard. Then some bloke named Bloodwraith had it or something, but he's disappeared now. So that means it's mine." Henry smiled. "I've heard that once you've drawn blood with it, you're cursed forever."

Abby reached out and touched the hilt of the blade, slowing drawing it from the scabbard. It slid out with a soft, metallic hiss and its blade shone with an inner fire. "Bloody hell, Henry...it's beautiful." Abby could see her own reflection in the blade's surface.

"Touch the blade." Henry's excitement was making his voice grow husky. He licked his lips. "Touch it...and tell me what you see."

Abby did as Henry asked, touching the blade's surface gently with a finger. The sensations were overwhelming. "Henry! I feel...God, I can see it...a mind...inside, trapped...absorbed into the very body of the blade!" She stood up, her hands locked tightly around the sword. Henry ducked as the blade swung wildly. "He's using my mental energy...AAAAAAGH!" Abby's scream made Henry's heart skip a beat. Psychic tendrils of energy flowed from her nose and her mouth, wrapping around the blad
An image began to literally rise out of the blade, shaping itself into the form of a man. A man with black, ebony skin and glowing red eyes. Armor formed around his form as he stood above the convulsing form of Abby Rose. Henry heard more screaming and realized that it was his own voice.

"AT LAST! I'M FREE AGAIN...BLOODWRAITH IS FREE!!!!"

Dane Whitman stood atop Garrett Castle, a glass of wine in his hand. He took a sip and sighed, smelly the damp English air that he'd almost grown to forget. Maybe it was fitting he come back here...as the Champion of Avalon, it was only fitting that the British Isles serve as his base again. But he would miss the Avengers...and Sersi...and Crystal...Dane smiled at his self-pity and set the glass down. He touched the medallion around his neck and whispered, "Avalon."

The Sword of Light appeared in his hand as the Black Knight armor slid around his body. The Shield of Night appeared in his land hand. Beside him his winged horse Strider pawed at the surface of the castle, snorting a hello to its master. Dane touched the noble beast's head. "Hello, old friend. Ready to fly?"

Strider flew hard and fast over London, as Dane pushed the steed to its limit. He wasn't sure exactly where he was going but he knew that when he and Strider were flying like this he could forget his troubles. In the last few years, Dane had fought in the middle ages, took part in Operation Galactic Storm, spent months in the Ultraverse, and was now the Champion of Avalon. It was all a bit much to take.

Dane slowed the horse's flight as he felt a strange sensation in his mind. He recognized it just as the world around him faded into nothing and he found himself, once again, in the presence of the Lady of the Lake.

He slid off Strider and fell to one knee. "My Lady. Why have you called for me?"

The Lady floated in the air before, impossibly beautiful. She was so ethereal as to defy any desires to touch her, but she was so achingly feminine that it was hard not to contemplate.

"Dane Whitman...You were cut off from my guidance during the recent crisis*, but you acquited yourself well. I must warn you, however, that I have foreseen difficult times for you."

(*See "AvalonQuest" in Crusaders # 11-13 and Crusaders Annual # 1.)

Dane stood, his hand on the hilt of his blade. "Difficult times? How so? Can you explain what you mean?"

The Lady smiled gently, her face full of love. "My Knight...so full of questions. Listen to my words, O Knight, for in them your future is shown : Yourself You Have Faced Before, Yourself You Shall Face Again. A Sickly Love Will Be Offered Anew, A Treasured Heart Gone Forever. Gather Your Forces, For He Gathers His."

Dane frowned. "Why do you speak in riddles? I don't understand."

"Ponder my words."

"All right. I'll do as you ask."

The Lady looked upon him in silence for a moment. "You are troubled. What ails thee?"

The Black Knight looked away. "I can't stop thinking about Crystal. Not even after all that we've been through. She's with her husband now and I should accept that. But again and again I think about her."

The Lady was silent.

"And then there's Sersi. I've never been sure how I've really felt about her...when she forced the Gann-Josin on me..." He stopped and looked up at the Lady, who was watching him with understanding.

"All will be dealt with in time, Dane Whitman. Be patient. Nurture your heart and it will flower in time."

Dane sighed inwardly. The Lady was right but it didn't make this any easier. "Thank you."

IN THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

"So THIS is where he came from? Looks just like home if ya ask me." The figure speaking was a literal walking corpse, his greenish, maggot-ridden flesh held together by a tight frame. He glanced over at the hulking figure who stood next to him. "Whatcha think, Prime -- we in the right dimension or are we about to run into Spider-Ham again?"

Prime shrugged his massive shoulders. Inside he was just a little kid but outwardly he wore the idealized adult form of a superhero. His cape flapped in the breeze. "I'm pretty sure this is it, Ghoul." He glanced down at the wristband computer that he wore. "The Dimension Band says there's a 96.4% chance that we're in Dane's world."

Ghoul rolled his eyes. "Oooooh. The 'dimension band.' What the hell kind of name is that. And why are we even here? If Dane wants to go home, let him go home. Guy deserves some time off from the Ultraforce."

Prime sighed. "Because Mantra says we have to find him." The big man looked about. "Is this England? I didn't know Dane was English."

Ghoul glanced at him. "Yep. And I'm Greek, so kiss my ass! Who cares if he's a yankee doodle or a Mr. Bean...let's find him and go home. All this wet weather is going to be terrible for my decomposition!"

Bloodwraith stepped out of the apartment home of Henry Quinn and pulled down the brim of his hat. He was feeling very pleased with himself. "I think it's time to go see how the old castle is doing these days..."

Author Notes

Welcome to the first issue of THE BLACK KNIGHT. January Year Four is 'Black Knight Month' here at MV1 as Dane Whitman joins the UK's premier superhero team in CRUSADERS # 13 and launches into his first-ever ongoing series! Over the next few months, look for some guest-appearances by various Crusaders, as well as an attempt at straightening out Dane Whitman's somewhat confusing personal life.

Thanks go to Neil Gow, without whom none of this would be appearing. His inspirational work on Crusaders has spawned no less than three spinoffs already (the Captain UK limited series, Crusaders : Shadows, and Black Knight) with more on the way (look for the upcoming Union Jack series). Neil's vision has proven so popular that an entire branch of MV1 was created to house the ever-increasing Crusadersverse. I hope to make the Black Knight a worthy companion series to Neil's own work.

Write and let me know what you think of my efforts so far. You can reach me at aric_dacia@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Barry Reese