#2 - Faith and Deliverance, Part Two

By Barry Reese

"Thanks for the tour, Linda. The lab here's almost equal to the one the Avengers have. And the room that all of you have given me here is impressive, even if I plan on spending most of my time at the castle." The Black Knight strode down the Tower's main corridor, glancing over at his tall, blonde companion.

Linda McQuillan, the otherdimensional hero known as Captain UK, smiled. "It's no problem, Dane. Do you miss your Avengers friends very much?"

"Sometimes. There are a lot of bad memories associated with my last stint...But as the saying goes, 'Once an Avengers, Always an Avenger.' This is off the topic, but I was thinking that we have a lot in common."

Linda glanced over in surprise. "Really? Such as?"

Dane stopped in the hall and appraised her. "You're away from home, on a strange earth and in a strange time. I've had experience with both. I've spent time in the Crusades and I've spent months on an alternate earth. So...if you ever need to talk to a kindred spirit, I'm available."

Linda's expression softened at Dane's words. "Thanks. It is hard sometimes...I lost so much. But this is my home now."

Dane nodded, glancing down the hallway. "I hope it'll become mine too. The Crusaders have a nice operation here and with the rising amounts of superhuman activity in both England and Europe, it's important that there be a group like this."

"Well, other nations have their own heroes, of course...as I'm sure the other Crusaders will attest when they return from the G8 summit*. I imagine they're getting their fill of international heroes."

(*Check out Crusaders # 14-15 for more.)

"And there's going to a European Union team, too, right?" Dane rubbed his chin. "I wonder who'll make the cut...I haven't worked with most of the European heroes..."

Linda shrugged. "I haven't worked with most of this world's heroes, though I met many at Brian's funeral*. I imagine that the European Union team will get a lot of press and a lot of headaches, trying to keep nationalism from affecting their duties."

(*Back in Crusaders # 5.)

"Probably true. So what's next on the tour?"

Linda began walking again. "Well, I think that's about it actually. You've got a good handle on security protocols?"

Dane nodded, his mind returning to the prophesy given him by the Lady of the Lake*...What had she meant. 'A sickly love,' she had said. Dane suddenly hoped that his already convoluted love life wouldn't get any more difficult."

(*You didn't miss our last issue, did you?)

Bloodwraith stared at his former home with a mixture of hate and amusement. He'd expected to find the Castle abandoned and in disarray after Victoria's death, but the place was showing definite signs of being lived in. Lights shone in the windows and he could see several cars parked on the castle grounds.

The man who had once been Sean Dolan fingered the Ebony Blade that lay in its scabbard against his leg. It pulsed with life, enfusing him with its eldritch energies. He began walking towards the castle, intent on reclaiming what he now felt should rightfully be his.

Prime flew over London, holding Ghoul in his grasp. The living corpse stared down below, maggots writhing in the decayed flesh that he still wore. "Would ya look at that? We must be a hundred feet up! If I still had guts, I'd be puking them up..."

Prime sighed. Inside, he was a little boy and it was sometimes hard to act older -- as old as his Prime body looked. When he'd first met Ghoul, he'd thought him gross as anything he'd ever seen but now he knew that Ghoul wasn't as disturbing as he liked to act. "I wonder where the Black Knight is? The Dimension Band brought us here, but it doesn't lead us right to him. Why would he be in England? I thought those Avengers friends of his were American..."

Ghoul waved a hand. "I toldja it don't matter none to me. I don't even understand why Mantra sent us after him. He wanted to go home, he went home. End of story. Let the poor sap get on with his life."

"Mantra says he's related to that menace back home and that only he can stop him."

"Yeah, yeah. And if Mantra told ya you'd go blind from staring at your weenie too long, would you believe that too?"

Prime frowned, embarrassed. "Of course not!"

Ghoul chuckled. "Tell ya what, big guy -- you set us down in the middle of a street somewhere and I'll bring Dane a-runnin'. If he's playing hero in this burg, he'll come to investigate a walking, talking corpse I'll bet!"

Strider carried Dane Whitman home, the winged horse streaking through the air. For the Black Knight, it evoked memories of his early career, when he had ridden the horse Aragorn. Stephen Strange had eventually restored Aragorn to being a normal, non-winged horse, but Dane still thought of the beast fondly. He wondered idly if the horse were still stabled at the castle.

As he approached the castle, a sense of apprehension went through the Black Knight. He couldn't put his finger on the reason for it, but he felt as if something terrible were waiting for him. Could there be aspects to my new Avalon-based powers that I've been unaware of? I wouldn't turn a 'Spider-Sense', that's for sure...Or maybe I'm just getting paranoid in my old age.

But when Strider set foot on the castle's roof, he immediately began snorting and stamping. "Whoa, boy...what's the matter?" Dane managed with great effort to calm the horse down but he remained agitated. "Maybe it's not just my imagination..."

The Black Knight drew the Sword of Light and moved to enter the castle, his senses on alert.

"Hey, c'mon -- ain't ya never seen a dead guy before? Geez!" Ghoul and Prime were standing in the middle of a busy London intersection, a light rain falling in the evening air. People were giving them a very wide berth -- only a few were gasping or screaming. Most Londoners had grown accustomed to oddities over the years, having been hardened by living amongst Captain Britain, the Crusaders, Union Jack, and others. But even so, the sight of Ghoul -- with his rotting flesh and maggot-ridden body -- was quite disturbing. And his hulking friend was just astonishing, with huge limbs and veins popping out over almost comical muscles. Ghoul turned to Prime and grinned. "Now this has to get SOMEBODY'S attention!"

Prime looked uncertain. "I don't know. Maybe we should have just flown around until we'd run into somebody familiar looking -- maybe Captain America or the other Avengers are here*."

(*Prime met the Avengers in the Avengers/Ultraforce crossover, amongst other places.)

"This ain't Kansas, junior. London's a big place. It's better that he come to us." Ghoul waved at a startled looking elderly woman. "Hey. How ya doin'?"

"Better than you shall be, if you don't tell me who you are." The woman's voice startled Ghoul.

He turned to see the colorful form of Captain UK floating above him. Prime gawked. "Are you an Avenger?"

The question seemed to catch the woman off-guard. "An Avenger? No, I'm one of the Cru--"

The rest of her words were drowned out as a powerful energy blast struck her, sending her flying backwards. She nearly lost her grip on her star sceptre, but finally righted herself. "What was the meaning of that?"

The two strangers, however, were nowhere to be seen.

Captain UK frowned, rubbing her injured side. "Sigh. Another unanswered mystery."

"Did you see that eldritch blast, Ghoul? That means that they've come after us -- they know what we're trying to do."

Ghoul held onto Prime as the two flew high above the streets, trying to put behind them the source of that energy blast. "Yeah, I saw it, pal. But if those guys think they can scare us, then they're wrong."

Prime nodded, encouraged by Ghoul's bravado. "Yeah, you're right...but I swear, I hope that when all this is over, I never have to see any of the GATHERERS again...

The door to his bedroom was open. He could hear the kitchen staff below, so he knew that whomever had broken in had done so carefully, so as to not disturb the staff. He pushed the door open all the way, frowning when it creaked loudly. There goes the element of surprise, he mused.

He saw some of his clothes lying strewn over the bed, just as he'd left them. A picture of Crystal sat on his nightstand, near a necklace given him by Sersi. He winced at the sight, remembering how torn he had been between the two women. Stepping inside, he held his sword at ready. "Who's here?"

"Dane...It's you. I knew it. Somehow, I knew it." The voice sounded like someone from beyond the grave, but the Black Knight recognized it with a start.

"Sean...?" He lowered his blade slightly. "Dear god...I thought you were dead."

The figure emerged from the walk-in closet, the Ebony Blade in its grip. Its armor was dark and dented, its face a mask of shadows and dark evil. "Not Sean. Bloodwraith. You remember, Dane -- I embraced the Blade in the way you never had the guts to do."

Dane Whitman frowned, lifting the blade again. "I remember that you made a mistake, Sean. You gave into the blade's evil and you killed Victoria. But I know you're still inside there and I don't want to fight you."

"Then don't. Stand still and let me run you through!" Bloodwraith stepped forward, swinging the Ebony Blade in a downward arc. The Sword of Light met the blow, however, and the two mystic blades clanged together.

Dane stepped back, bringing his shield forward. He slammed it into Bloodwraith's body, knocking him off-balance. "Stop this, Sean. I know people who can try to cure you. Dr. Strange might be able to take the curse from you..."

Bloodwraith ducked, slashing at Dane's legs with the blade. It cut deep into Dane's right calf and the hero gritted his teeth in pain. "Who wants to be freed, Whitman? Not I. For the first time in my life, I have power -- I have the ability to take what I want. You were so noble, taking me under your wing....laughing at me, the whole time. Poor little orphan Sean, needing so much care and nurturing. Well, now I'm not the one needing help, Dane -- you are!"

Dane ignored the pain, tossing the Shield of Night aside to allow himself better use of his sword. He parried Bloodwraith's viscious thrusts, letting Sean press the attack. "I'll kill you if I have to, Sean. I won't let you hurt anyone else. But I don't want to -- I want to help you."

Bloodwraith laughed madly and Dane suddenly realized that Sean Dolan was nowhere to be found in that laugh. "After I've killed you, the Castle will be mine. Your life will be mine, your sword, even your women...Maybe I'll visit that girl in the picture, Dane...Would you like that? To know that after you're dead, I'll possess everything you have?"

The Black Knight slashed quickly, cutting deep into Bloodwraith's shoulder. "You're not Sean, are you? It might be his spirit driving you, but your mind and intellect is the sword...You're the Ebony Blade came to life. A horrid, hateful thing that covets that which it can't have!" Dane cut again, his superior swordsmanship pushing Bloodwraith back towards the window.

"I'm Bloodwraith, Dane...I'm your better...Your superior."

"No you're not." And Dane swung his blade once more, gutting Bloodwraith. The force of the blow sent the villain crashing through the window, hurtling to the ground below.

The Black Knight fell forward, gasping from exertion. He closed his eyes. It wasn't Sean. It wasn't Sean.

When he rose, he moved to the window and peered down below. Not surprisingly, there was no one there, no sign of Bloodwraith or the Ebony Blade. "You're still alive. Damn it."

He gave a start as his Crusaders communicator buzzed again. He picked it up almost disdainfully. "Whitman here."

Linda's voice came through. "Sorry to bother your rest, Dane -- but I just got a message that we're to head for Scotland. Something's gone wrong at the G8 summit and we're needed."

"Got you. I'll meet you at the Tower." He paused. "Are you okay, Linda? You sound beat."

"I had a strange evening. Maybe I'll tell you about it if I don't push it from my mind intentionally."

"Yeah...I had a strange evening, too. See you soon."

He stared down at the ground, hearing servants rushing up the stairs to check on him. "Sean, I'm so sorry for letting it come to this. I'm sorry."

Written In Black

Hi Barry,