MV1 Annual #5 FEBRUARY Year 3

Too far, too far, and again he felt the powers pull back, a tug of war that threatens to suck him into...what? This time, worse than before; this time voices, whispering to him in a language he does not speak but somehow understands. He huddles in the corner for untold minutes...

Then the door opens; Rage and Silhouette talking. A moment before they spy him the voices stop; the tug recedes. And Speedball stands, waves, pretends it didn't happen. Again.

"Excuse me sir, I don't see your name on the guest list. May I ask..."

"Sure. I am a friend of Vance Astrovik; I suggest you let me by. He would be upset if I didn't show up today, alot of big preparations going on, you know?" The man speaking appears to be in his late 30's, sandy brown hair, a trench coat over stylish slacks and a stylish polo shirt.

"Quite, sir. I apologize. The second elevator on your left should bring you to the correct area." The man nods and gets on the elevator; by the time the door closes the security guard has forgotten the whole conversation.

A few moments later the elevator stops and the mysterious man in the trench coat exits, looks around. New Warriors headquarters, now bustling with activity as workers hurry to decorate for the wedding. Avoiding a group of florists, the man sidesteps into a study, looking about him for a second to catch his bearings. Just as he seems about to leave a voice comes from the other side of the room.

"Hey, you need anything? You look a bit lost?" The man turns to see Alex Power (aka Powerhouse); he had been seated, reading a book, but now is standing, looking a bit concerned.

"Actually, if you could show me around that would be a big help. I'm here for...the big event." The man does not smile at whatever his private joke is.

"Sure, let me just set this book down...I'm Alex Power, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Alex. I am John Kowalski." The two of them begin talking and Alex gives him a little tour of the area. Usually the headquarters is rather spacious, but now dozens of people are underfoot. Alex nods greetings to a number of other New Warriors, past and present; almost everyone who has ever been a Warrior is on hand for Justice and Firestar's wedding. Taxing the facilities to their limit, however, is the presence of not just the New Warriors, but also the Guardians of the Galaxy. Alex explains that they were brought here by Century to help in a recent battle [New Warriors #76...you knew that, right? -- Van].

"They originally intended to return home immediately, but changed their minds. Century had actually returned them to the future, but...I guess they wanted to see the wedding like everyone else." Alex shrugs, unaware of the grim look that has crossed Kowalski's face a step behind him. The two continue walking, meeting other Warriors (but not Dagger, who has left to attend pressing business) and Guardians and with each meeting Kowalski becomes grimmer...

That night: Firestar and Justice are sharing some private moments together before their big day. Firestar taks a bit about her past, how things have changed so much since she first joined the Hellions; Vance recalls his times wandering with the Thing and the two of them marvel at how strangely their fates brought them together. First the Warriors, and now the events at the Vault...[See recent issues of, duh, Vault -- Scott the Obvious]

"We'll worry about that after the honeymoon, honey. For now...what's wrong, Vance?" Firestar leans close, concerned, as a look of confusion passes over Vance's face.

"I'm not sure...I felt so odd there for a second...well, whatever it was, it's passed. Now, where were we?" With a tentative smile Justice shrugs off his momentary illness and the two begin kissing...

...while in another part of the building a much more somber group is gathered around Vance Astro, lying on a bed, pale, sweat forming on his brow inside the air conditioned room. Charlie-27 stands behind the bed, a look of suppressed anger on his face, while Martinex paces about. Starhawk, arms crossed, is at the foot of the bed, gazing at Vance's slack face.

"It grows worse. I can only hold it so long." Starhawk says.

"Dammit, we should go down to the New Warriors and tell them what is going on! We need..."

"No. The moment they find out all our fates are sealed. Accept the word of one who knows. It is far better to act is secrecy; there is still a chance the others can save him."

"Is there really a chance, O one who knows?" Charlie asks. Starhawk does not answer.

The scene of the wedding. Crowded onto the lawn of Avengers Mansion is a slew of heroes and friends. The New Warriors: Speedball (his powers now strangely tugging at him, tempting him to use them), Hindsight Lad, Turbo, Nova, Namorita, Silhouette, Rage, Darkhawk, Night Thrasher, Powerhouse, and of course Justice and Firestar, though both are inside the Mansion for last minute preparations. The Guardians of the Galaxy, looking none too festive, Vance covering his illness, his old containment suit hiding his face: Vance Astro, Martinex, Charlie-27, Starhawk. Hollywood has gone, the reminders of Wanda about the Mansion being too much for him, even after a thousand years; he has returned to the future. If the absences of Yondu, Aleta, Nikki, Replica and Firelord are noticed by anyone it is not commented on (except by Beast, who wants to shoot the breeze about old times but find little conversation among the somber Guardians). The Avengers: Captain America, Namor, Ms. Marvel, Yellowjacket (musing about the events of his own wedding here so many years before), Vision (thoughts of Wanda paramount), Beast, Dr. Amazing. Other heroes, gathered to see one of their own wed: Spiderman, Warpath, Wonder Man, Century, etc. A band is playing festive tunes; the sun is bright. The preacher, an old hand at dealing with superhumans from his days as Nightcrawler's confessor [Anyone recall X-Men #204? Neither do I. -- Hindsight Van] is chatting amicably with Jarvis, who has decked out the Mansion like never before. From inside, Justie and Firestar prepare, seperately, both looking out at the awesome spectacle. And in the rear of the crowd, unnoticed by all stands John Kowalski, thinking private thoughts as he frowns at what is to come.

"Any regrets, kid?" The Thing asks Justice, straightening his tie as the two of them look out at the throng.

"None. This is going to be the greatest day of my life. Even joining the Avengers wouldn't be as fantastic...uh..." Justice suddenly slumps forward, a hand raised to his head, but Thing catches him, steadies him.

"Whoa, watch out! Haw, your nerves must be playing kickball inside your gut, eh?" Thing gives Justice a pat on the back and after a moment Vance nods and straightens. Must be nerves...what else could it be?

"You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Justice says. With a nod the two head out for the ceremony.

Meanwhile, in another part of the mansion, a similar scene is taking place, as Firestar is discussing her last minute jitters with her old mentor, the White Queen. Though the two of them have had a little bad blood in the past thanks to Firestar's experiences with the Hellions, in light of the upcoming wedding they've put them aside to try and patch things over.

"I'm just not sure...I mean...I've never felt more sure about anything, right up until this moment, but now that it is here..." The White Queen doesn't say anything, merely stretches out a hand towards Firestar and a moment later smiles.

"A light telepathic scan reveals nothing more than the normal wedding day doubts. I sense your feelings for Vance are deep and true. Don't worry about anything." Firestar nods, somehow comforted even though she doesn't appreciate the invasion of privacy; a moment later the processional begins. With a nod to herself, Firestar gathers up her dress and heads towards the lawn.

Out on the lawn Vance and the Thing have taken their places and wait nervously, the Thing adjusting his bow tie with a grimace. The Warriors, seated together, are speaking in low tones about the wedding, discussing Vance and Angelica's romance, what the marriage might mean to the team, little memories of the two from their years together. While some of the Warriors, such as Night Thrasher, have some reservations about the wedding for the most part they are simply happy the two are finally getting hitched. There is some concern, however, over another matter.

"Where is Timeslip?" Silhouette asks, scanning the crowd anxiously. "I can't believe she'd miss this, something must be wrong."

"She'll be here, she must have just..."

Suddenly conversations stops as everyone turns to watch Firestar. Holding her head high, looking at the grinning Vance, Firestar does not smile; she is concentrating too much. Time enough for happiness and celebration afterwords, she thinks. For now I just dont want to trip or forget my lines. She slowly proceeds, finally coming to stand next to Vance, and the two of them turn towards the podium.

"My honored guests..." The priest begins, and for a number of minutes he speaks, a moving testimony to love and heroism. The gathered heroes listen intently, knowing all too well how precious such moments are in their dangerous line of work. For some, though, attention is diverted.

"Where are they, blast it?" Charlie-27 whispers angrily to Martinex. "They should have been back long ago."

"He is not an easy person to find or command, Charlie. It will take time."

"We don't have time," Charlie says, looking pointedly at Starhawk. One of the most powerful beings in the universe, filled with the Power Cosmic, Starhawk does not answer or ackowledge, his brow furrowed in concentration, his right hand now curled ever so slightly into a ball as he wages some powerful private battle.

"And now we come to the part of the ceremony where, before God, these young people pledge themselves. Vance?" The priest nods over at Vance, who slightly turns to cue his ring bearer, Vance Astro. Astro nods, and begins walking towards the podium, ring outstretched...

...and Vance begins to stumble, reaching out blindly for the missing Aleta...

...and Vance begins to stumble, reaching out blindly for Firestar...

...and Vance sags, ring falling from numb hands....

...and Vance falls, eyes rolling into his head with a moan...

...and Vance screams...

"VANCE!" Angelica screams, reaching to catch Justice, who has toppled, a trickle of blood starting from his ear, while across the field the shout is echoed by a brief"AAAagh!' from Starhawk, who falls to one knee. A moment of shocked silence, then the horde of heroes surges forward, tuxes and dresses shredded and discarded as everyone switches into battle mode.

But there is no sign of danger, no sign of attack...save for the twin forms of Vance Astro and Vance Astrovik, stretched in identical poses of pain on the ground next to each other.

"Oh god...oh god...help me, I don't know what's wrong...Vance!" Firestar shouts, holding Vance's head in her lap. Captain America is the first to her side; leaping atop the podium he begins shouting orders. Vision, Ms. Marvel and Namor set up a defensive perimeter, in case of an attack, while the White Queen searches for signs of danger. With another order Century vanishes to collect the Avengers physician, Kieth Kincaid, and Wonder Man and Dr. Amazing rush back into the mansion for their emergency first aid supplies. Beast and Hank Pym are already at Vance's side, while Martinex tries to help Astro.

A brief moment later and Century returns, a disheveled Dr. Kincaid in tow. The Dr. rushes to Vance's side and begins his work...

...and with a frown and a sigh, John Kowalski stands from his seat and begins walking towards the group of heroes milling about helplessly. They dont notice him, or if they do they pay little attention. Only Spider-Man seems to have a clue, as his spider sense suddenly begins shrieking.

"Cap, something's wrong, I feel..." Kowalski is already past him, one hand outstretched towards the quickly fading Vance.

"STOP!" Kowalski pauses, then turns; Starhawk is standing, a bit unsteady. About them time has frozen, all the heroes in various poses of concern, Vance between tortured breaths, all unmoving. "This must not be. Vance Astro must not die."

"You know who I am, Starhawk. There is nothing you can hope to do to stop me." Kowalski says, a sigh evident in his tone.

"If Vance Astro dies our universe will be doomed, John Kowalski. I know not the fate of this world if Vance Astrovik dies, but I cannot risk the doom of two universes. You must not do this thing." John Kowalski peers at Starhawk for a moment, then:

"I have no desire to take either of them, Starhawk, but there is little I can do in such a situation as this."

"Then I will have to stop you." Starhawk gathers his cosmic power about him, a palpable cloak of energy. Kowalski merely shakes his head.

"This is pointless, Starhawk. I will do what I can for you, as I do not care to see either of our universes destroyed. But I cannot deny fate too long. You have 24 hours to save them and reverse this terrible mistake. If you do not, then I shall return and they will die." The two stare at each other for a few more moments, then Starhawk relaxes.

"So be it." With no further ackowledgement the two turn; time begins again and Starhawk moves to help Vance and Vance while John Kowalski turns and retakes his seat, all unnoticed by the crowd, lost in his own thoughts.

It is a somber gathering of Warriors who waits in the living room at Avengers Mansion. Both Vances have been moved to the Avengers high tech medical center deep inside the mansion, and the leading medical minds on the planet have gathered to offer their aid, but none of this helps asuage the concern of the Warriors, who now crowd about Angelica, vainly trying to offer support. For her part Firestar merely sits, staring with unseeing eyes at the luxurious furnishings, her thoughts turned again to the sight of Vance falling beside her.

"There has to be something we can do, blast it!" Powerhouse says, pacing. Night Thrasher merely shakes his head, knowing all too well that powers cannot always save the day. Behind them, Robbie hears none of the conversation, tiny voices whispering...things...

"They're doing all they can, Alex..." Turbo says, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But...I just don't understand any of this, really. Aliens I can understand, but this second Vance...he's got to have something to do with this." None of the other Warriors answer, but all eyes turn to the far side of the room, where Charlie-27 and Starhawk stand, deep in a private conversation.

"You cannot blame Century for this. He merely did what was foretold."

"Blast it, if that freak hadn't brought us back to help in his little battle, none of this ever would have happened!" Charlie says, seething. [see New Warriors #76]

"He could not know. Accept the word of one who does." Starhawk turns to meet the gaze of Night Thrasher, who has crossed the room. Before he can say anything, however, there is a sudden flash of light and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy appear: Yondu, Aleta, Nikki, Replica and Firelord. But it is to the sixth person who appears that all eyes turn to, in astonishment or gratitude.

"Dr...Strange?" Namorita says, puzzled.

"Once...now I am known as the Ancient One." His slight, ghostly form hovers before the astonished gathering. "My protege had other matters before him, but I sensed your need and have come. Now, quickly, lead me to Vance Astro." Charlie-27 nods quickly and the assemblage heads en masse towards the infirmary, the Warriors and Guardians all hoping that this could be the answer.

"One second." Night Thrasher says, putting a hand on Starhawk's shoulder. Starhawk stops and waits while everyone else leaves the room, then turns once they are alone.

"Yes?"

"I think you should maybe explain exactly what is going on. You seem to know something about why this has happened and I think we have a right to know." Night Thrasher crosses his arms and waits while Starhawk considers him.

"It is as foretold. I cannot change our course at this juncture." Starhawk says, apparantly to himself, then turns his attention to Night Thrasher.

"Very well then, Dwayne. I shall explain to you what has befallen Vance Astro and Vance Astrovik, though the knowledge will aid you none. In our universe Vance Astro did not develop his mental powers while still on Earth. It was not until he became an astronaut that his powers developed, and that over the course of a 1000 year journey to a distant planet.

"This then is the main difficulty. While some beings have been known to travel safely from time to time and from reality to reality, the paradoxes inherant in the case of Vance Astro are extreme. When we first visited this reality I immediately became aware that should the two Vances come too close to each other the time/dimension barriers that separate our worls would be greatly strained. Something would have to give way in order to alleviate this strain, and the weakest point is not the universe itself, but of course Vance.

"Thus when we visited this Earth years ago in search of the monster Korvac, Vance was unable to accompany us, staying in orbit above the planet lest dire circumstances occur. [You've read the Korvac Saga, so you know that's all the gospel, straight from Avengers #167-177 -- KorVan] When Century unwisely summoned us from our reality to aid you in your battle against Firelord the two Vances met, causing the sickness they are dying from now."

"Wait a minute, now. Vance has met his future self before, a couple of times. Why is this happening now out of the blue, when everything was fine before?

"Dwayne, there is much you have yet to learn about this universe. While the meetings you speak of have happened for you, for Vance Astro those meetings yet lie in the future."

"Excuse me?"

"Some time in our future we will travel to your past and these meetings will occur; but when Century appeared and brought us to this place, he came to us at a time when we had yet to meet any of you."

"Well...okay...but doesnt that mean they are destined to survive? I mean, Vance Astro looked pretty healthy when he was here from your future, so..."

"Nothing is set in stone; accept the word of one who knows. The Guardians you met in your past may have come from another timeline, or may yet, depending on the outcome of today's crisis." Starhawk stops for a moment as Night Thrasher stares at him, frustrated.

"So, let me see if I'm following you," Night Thrasher says, cocking his head. "Due to some sort of time continuum thing, both Vance's are going to die? Isn't there some way we can reverse the effect, travel through time and fix it, or siphon off some of the energy, or something?"

"That is what we have brought the Ancient One to discover. I have taxed my powers to the limit and beyond to keep both Vances alive this long. I fear there is little time left. Know this, though: Vance Astro must not die or my universe will be destroyed. If there is a way to save him I will do it." And there is a warning in his voice that Night Thrasher can only feel a chill at.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, the Ancient One has completed his evaluation, and it doesn't look good. Turning to the two teams, the Ancient One explains that the two Vances have begun to deteriorate, their forms torn apart by the strain of the time continuum. There is nothing even his magic can do.

"This is beyond my abilities. Only a master of time could possibly hope to help these two; if someone with an intimate knowledge of the timestream itself were here, then together we may have a chance, but...." He stops, a shrug evident in his voice.

"...then thats it, I guess. We need to find Kang." Nova says, looking about him for support.

"I'm afraid that's not going to be easy," Captain America says, enterring the room, Ms. Marvel a step behind. He is immediately the center of attention. "Kang vanished in battle with Odin and nobody has heard or seen any sign of him since."

"Well...there are other time masters, right?" Charlie-27 says, wracking his brain for the information he once studied off of Vance's old computer files.

"There were, but during our last encounter with kang he apparantly murdered all of them. Every version of Kang, Immortus and the Scarlet Centurion appears to be dead." Cap says, frowning. [You'd frown too if you almost got killed in Avenegrs #418 -- Hot to Scott]

"So what are you saying, that we have no hope?!" Angelica fairly screams. Cap puts up a placating hand.

"There's always hope, miss, I'm just saying that the masters of time we know about are all dead. We're just going to have to find another way to..."

"There is one." Ms. Marvel's voice cuts through the conversation; everyone turns to her, Cap's eyes questioning.

"Marcus Immortus. My son."

The scene is several hours later, deep in the basement below Avengers Mansion. The New Warriors are gathered in full force: Speedball, Hindsight Lad, Turbo, Nova, Namorita, Silhouette (still wondering about the absence of Timeslip), Rage, Darkhawk, Night Thrasher, Powerhouse, and Firestar, her hands clenched into fists. Before them opens a portal to limbo itself. The intervening hours have not been wasted; spells cast, cosmic awareness stretched, conatcts called in, all have come together to point to a possible location for the long missing (and thought dead) Marcus Immortus: the time citadel of his alternate/father Kang the Conquerer, abandoned in insanity (go read Avengers #269 again, eh? -- CanadiVan). Now the powers of the Ancient One, combined with those of Century and Starhawk, have opened a portal to limbo.

"Remember, this portal will only be open for five hours," the Ancient One says. "Though time passes differently in limbo, the spells I have placed on you should prevent you from slipping too out of synch with time in this reality. But you need to be back within five hours."

"Three." Starhawk says. The Ancient One turns to look at him and there is an unspoked communication between the two; then the Ancient One turns to contemplate what seems like empty space to the gathering of heroes. None of them can see the somber form of John Kowalski standing in the shadows. Kowalski and the Ancient One regard each other for a moment, then the Ancient One turns back to the New Warriors.

"Three hours. Godspeed and good luck." Wordlessly the New Warriors file through the portal; Nova, last to go in, pauses on the threshold and waves once to the heroes left beind, then enters, and all sight of the New Warriors is cut off in swirling mist.

"If you need anything, let me know," Cap says, starting for the doorway. "I am going to assemble the Avengers and call in some reserves; if the Warriors aren't back in three hours we'll have to go in after them." With a nod, Cap and Ms. Marvel head out of the room, Carol's thoughts unguessable. The Guardians of the Galaxy (along with Century) wait by the portal.

"Answer me this, one who knows," Charlie-27 says, crossing his arms. "You said if we told them what was happening then all would be lost. So what's the deal?"

"We must prepare for what is to come, Charlie-27," Starhawk answers cryptically.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, the New Warriors have travelled untold distances in an unknowable time, and have stopped to catch their bearings, as impossible as that task seems. Night Thrasher stands at the front of the group, studying a small display screen that Martinex and Yellowjacket built; a faint reading on it points (hopefully) towards the citadel of Kang the Conquerer.

"What do we know about limbo, anyway?" Rage says, peering about him, nervously clenching his fists.

"Well, to begin with, time works differently here. Some reports..." Hindsight Lad begins an explaination of how limbo reportedly changes perception of time, but Namortia cuts him off.

"Remember Volx?"

"...um, yes, I should think so."

"This is the place where the wraiths were sent during the wraith war. Namor spoke of his dealings with Rom (No kidding, check out Rom #34 -- Remus). We must be on guard at all times." There is silence for a few moments, then Nova replies that in a creepy place like this they're sure to be on guard already. Rage starts to respond with a joke, but abruptly Firestar cuts them off.

"Shut up, shut up already. This talk is pointless, we need to find Marcus Immortus now! Lets go." Without another word, Firestar blasts ahead into the mist.

"Dammit, thats the wrong way. Darkwhawk, Turbo, catch her before she gets lost," Night Thrasher says angrily, clipping the display screen to his belt. With a nod, Darkwhawk and Turbo launch themseleves after, Firestars signature flight trail already fading in the mist. The two fly for a bit, becoming a bit concerned, but then they see a light ahead of them.

"Angelica, thank goodness. You've got to..." Turbo's greeting dies in her throat as she gets close enough to see the horror before her: a hundred hundred dire wraiths, clawing and shrieking at Firestar, who battles furiously and desperately among them.

"Firestar!" Turbo shrieks, while beside her Darkhawk shouts into his helmet mike to Night Thrasher for backup. Turbo's cry cuts through the battle, and as one the wraiths turn to look at her, Firestar forgotten by all but those few who are battling her. A moment, then a horrifying scream, a scream filled with bloodlust, arises from the horde.

"It is the Torpedo! The Torpedo!" The shouts of "Torpedo!" ripple accross the mass of wraiths and as one they surge towards Turbo, who is paralyzed with a sudden terror.

"Oh god..." Turbo can only stare at the slobbering mob as they bear down on her. Suddenly left alone, Firestar makes quick work of the few who still face her, then looks about, trying to find why they abandoned the fight. She turns just in time to see a panicked Turbo, too late, begin firing at the wriaths; then, with a cry, Turbo is swept under.

"Mickey!" Darkhawk screams, diving in, arms tearing at the pile of wraith flesh. A moment later Firestar is beside him, the two blasting away; the attention of the wraiths on the fringe is turned towards them, and the battle begins anew. Beyond them, a shrieking horde where Turbo stood.

Meanwhile, standing somewhat back from the battle, the cloaked form of a hunched wraith sorcerer watches for a few moments, then turns and hastily retreats into the mist. "The master must know of this..."

"Where's Turbo?" The voice of Hindsight Lad calls; Firestar cannot spare a moment to answer, or to look and see if there are other reinforcements. A moment later she knows, as the form of Nova blasts by her into the heart of the battle, then Namorita and Rage are beside her.

"Where's Turbo?!" Hindsight Lad asks again, his voice raising a notch as the rest of the New Warriors attack; all but Speedball, who stands, uncharacteristically motionless beside him. "Robbie, where's Turbo?"

"...mmm..." Speedball stares at the fight, a small smile on his face. Carlton can only wonder at his friend's strange behavior, but he doesn't spend much time thinking on it. Instead, he races to the front of the battle, heedless of the fact that he has no super powers.

"For gods sake, Hindsight, get back!" Nova screams, blasting a wraith apart mere moments before the wraith would have killed Hindsight Lad.

"I've got to find Mickey!" Hindsight Lad says, turning to Firestar for some sort of help. Firestar merely looks grimly at the main horde of wraiths, still just out of reach, where Turbo vanished. A horrible sinking fills Hindsight as he realizes what has happened. He staggers back, watching the battle, as the New Warriors fight slowly towards the center.

"Mickey...no..." Suddenly, a movement, a flash. "What..." A moment later the pile of wraiths erupts, flesh and blood flying in strange arcs through the mist. Standing among the bodies is Turbo, her costume torn and her helmet cracked, blood coming from a gash along her arm, her eyes wild behind her visor.

"Get off! Get off!" Turbo screams, laying about her in a frenzy. A moment later strong arms grab her from behind; whirling to strike once more, Turbo cuts off as she sees the concerned face of Nova. Nova assures her that she's safe now, and a moment later the New Warirors stand together once more, regrouped for the battle. Night Thrasher points out that they dont really have time for this, but Nova points out that they dont really have a choice. Grimly Night Thrasher agrees, and the Warriors set themselves for a protracted battle.

One that never comes. Suddenly breaking out of his reverie, Speedball walks over to where the Warriors are preparing themselves for the next wraith assault. Looking about him with oddly unfocused eyes, Robbie smiles, then stretches out his hands. A moment later a cascade of kinetic bubbles, blue, yellow, red and green, all with a strange black corona, streams from his hands. While the other astonished Warriors watch, Speedball sends a wave of energy crashing ahead of him like a ram; the wraiths, off balance, are swept away, bounced like super balls into the mist.

"Nnnnn..." Speedball falls to one knee, his hands still outstretched as wave after wave of increasingly dark kinetic energy streams from him and wipes away the gathered wraiths. A few moments; then there are none left to oppose the Warriors.

"Robbie, what the hell..." Speedball grimmaces and stands back up.

"Ah...I've been practicing alot, learning how to control my powers, you know...I've had a much deeper connection to the kinetic dimension since I was imprisoned there..." Robbie's voice fades as he notices his costume has taken on a shadowy aspect. He frowns for a moment. "Ah...sorry, I should have...mentioned this i guess..." His voice fades as other voices begin talking to him, congratualting him on saving his friends. The other astonished Warriors ask him a few questions, but he hears none of them.

Night Thrasher is very concerned but doesn't have time to worry about Robbie; only an hour and a half are left and they still haven't reached Kang's citadel. Moving to where several injured wraiths lie, Night Thrasher interrogates one. The wraith is very unwilling to speak, despite Night Thrasher's threats, and it appears the New Warriors are going to be frustrated, but suddenly the wraith jerks and begins talking, giving them precise direction to the citadel. The Warriors look at each other for a few moments; this seems like too much of a setup. But, since they have little time and few other options, they decide to follow the directions, using their computer tracker to make sure things are right. With one final look about them, the Warriors continue on.

Behind them, in the mist, the wraith sorcerer relaxes, his mind control of the injured wriath having accomplished what the master wished. Soon...

Back in Avengers Mansion, tension mounts. Above, Captain America calls in his reserves, the Wasp, Quicksilver, Thor, with current house guest Wonder Man along. Ms. Marvel broods about her son, wondering if she hopes they find him...or not. Below, Martinex and Keith Kincaid keep watch over the stricken Vances, while Charlie-27 and Century each brood, separately. No one speaks or moves. There is nothing to do but wait.

In limbo, the New Warriors have reached the citadel of Kang. On most occasions they would stop, in awe at the technological marvels and architectural wonder, but there is no time for this now. All there is time for is a bit of wonder and suspicion at the fact that the front door is open and there are no guards or defenses visible. On their guard, the Warriors trek through the deserted hallways, finally finding themselves in Kang's main hall.

"Someone has been here, this place may be empty as a tomb, but I can feel it..." Rage says, peering about him uneasily.

"I think we're about to meet that person." Silhouette nods towards the far end of the hugeroom, where a bearded man in a long robe sits atop a throne. Night Thrasher calls out a greeting, but the man does not move or answer. With a wary look about him, he starts forward, the other Warriors behind. Again he calls out, asking if the man is Marcus Immortus, but there is no answer.

Finally they get close, and are shocked at the appearance of the man before them; a once powerful form now emaciated and broken, his hair thin and his beard ragged. Black and blue marks streak down his face and arms, and a slow trickle of blood runs from one open eye that stares at them.

"Oh my god," Silhoutte says, her hands covering her mouth in horror. With a quick step Nova is accross the floor and to the throne, reaching out for the man.

"Is he...dead?" Alex Power says, his eyes shifting nervously about the room. Nova checks him, then calls back.

"No, he's still alive. We have to get him help now." Nova turns towards the others, but suddenly, with shocking speed and strength, the man reaches out and grabs him. Nova turns, trying to break the grip but cannot.

"...you must leave! Go, it is too late..." the man says, his one open eye staring into Nova's face, blood trickling slowly from it. "GO!" With what appears to be a tremendous effort the man pushes Nova away. "God help you all, go! Go!" The New Warriors can only stare in shock, unable to move, at the mans words. Then, it is too late. With an agonizing wail the man collapses, and moments later the New Warriors follow, falling to the ground in agony as their minds are torn apart. They can only lie on the floor and scream...then it stops, and they lie there still, unable to do more.

From where he lies, whimpering on the floor, Alex Power can see a grotesque foot as someone enters the room...a hideous stench...a sandpaper laugh...and Alex Power lifts his throbbing head to look full in the face of the horror called Hybrid.

"So...new pawns, new playthings. I see you've already met my little friend Marcus here. Marcus isn't, I'm afraid, much fun these days. But, we'll see if we cant get one more rise out of him, eh?" Hybrid walks about the room, looking down at the New Warriors, helplessly writhing on the floor. "Of course, i don't really have long to play, as I gather from your minds that you have foolishly opened a semi-permanent portal from limbo to Earth. That was very unwise, though I thank you for it. I doubt any of your friends at home will thank you when I am done, hoever.

"Still, I think I have a little time to show you how much I appreciate your kindness." Hybrid says, waving his arm; a moment later the pain wracked Namorita finds herself crawling towards Hybrid.

"Hmm, you're a little strnage looking, but...Ha! That must sound pretty odd coming from me." Hybrid laughs at his own joke, his horrifying face wrinkling in mirth. "Still, I like my women strange. Too bad that blue woman and her skunky friend turned me down, the three of you would make a very fine harem." (He's referring to Mystique and Rogue in Rom #31 -- Scott) Hybrid continues talking as Namorita crawls to him; when she arrives he pats her on the head like a dog. The other Warriors can only watch in horror, while Marcus Immortus turns in disgust and shame.

"Now then, lets see...eh?" Hybrid suddenly cuts off, looking over Namorita's head. The other Warriors, those who can, turn to see what he is looking at. All are astonished to see Speedball standing once again.

"You are standing." Hybrid says matter-of-factly, letting Namorita drop to the floor. "This seems unlikely, and I don't care for it. Die!" With that, Hybrid sends a thousand psychic blades tearing into the mind of Robbie Baldwin. It only takes a moment for the tortured, confused mind of Robbie Baldwin to be destroyed. And less time for the vacancy to be filled. Where once there was a voice, speaking to Robbie in a strange language only they understood, now there is a full conciousness, pulled through with Robbie from the kinetic dimension. A conciousness that now appraises the situation coldly. Though it is sure it could easily defeat all those present, to do so might seal him in this limbo, a place little if any better than the kinetic dimension he has been trapped in for far too long. Saving these Warriors, then, is his best option, for they can bring him to their dimesnion, to Earth...and the face of a man once known as Robbie Baldwin begins to smile.

Hybrid, however, is anything but smiling. Something is seriously wrong. Hybrid, well aware of his own awesome power, knows that this Speedball must be much more than he seems in order to stand up to him. He weighs his options for a moment, then attacks, releasing the New Warriors from his thrall in order to concentrate his energy on the foe standing before him.

"Die!" Hybrid screams, pouring his energy towards Speedball; a half second before he would have been obliterated, Speedball throws up a shield in front of himself, a black wall of kinetic force and more. The shield drops and Hybrid strikes once more, but Speedball is already on the offensive, launching a stream of kinetic balls towards Hybrid.

"Warriors...we've got to help Speedball, now!" Nova says, standing, ignoring the pain. The other Warriors all try to stand, some doing a better job than others, and a moment later they are all up, attacking Hybrid.

"Gnats, I have no time for you now! Minions!" Hybrid calls, not even sparing a glance at the Warriors who strike at him. A moment later the walls erupt and two Growing Men enter, followed by a cadre of wraith troops. Night Thrasher calls out instructions, telling the Warriors to split into groups to battle them, but ordering Firestar and Nova to concentrate on Hybrid. "Rage, Silhouette, Powerhouse, take out those wraiths! Turbo, Hindisght Lad, Namorita, get that construct there, Darkhawk, you and I will take this other one!"

"Right!" Silhouette moves, her frail body forgotten as she begins to slip into shadow, her mind concentrating on the sorcerers before her until suddenly a white hot pain erupts in her back and she falls forward, sticky blood spraying about her. behind her stands her attacker...

"Silhouette! Oh my god, Turbo, what have you done?!" Hindsight Lad screams, crouching next to the fallen Silhouette, his horrified eyes looking up at Turbo. Turbo sneers, her face melting...and Hindisght Lad sees his death in her eyes.

"Fool, the girl you called Mickey made a tasty feast!" The wraith in Turbo's armor says. "But not as tasty as you will be, plump one!" Hinsight Lad knows full well the power of the Turbo suit and knows he is dead.

"Now, fool...AAAARRRRRGH!!!!" The wriath screams in agony as Alex Power, breaking free of the shock of Turbo's attack, plunges his hand through the chest of the wraith, his energizer power distenegrating the wraith's heart. "AAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!" For several long moments the two stand locked, eyes fixed on each other, Alex Power's hand deep inside the wraith, burning all it touches; then the wraith is gone, consumed, and the cracked and broken Turbo armor falls empty to the ground.

"Oh god...Mickey...oh god..."Hindsight Lad begins rocking in place, he eyes on the husk before him, the Turbo armor he so wanted to wear himself. "Oh god..."

"Pull it together, see if Silhouette is going to make it..."Alex says, his eyes blank, thinking on a day long ago in the morelock tunnels. "This isn't going to happen again, dammit. Make sure she lives." Alex turns to where the wraith socerers fight, his eyes black, and Hindsight Lad feels a horrible chill run down his spine. This is not what he thought being a hero meant...this was all wrong.

Meanwhile, the other Warriors are not faring well. Hybrid and Speedball, locked in their struggle, barely notice the efforts of Nova and Firestar, while the two Growing Men have a distinct advantage over the three Warriors left to fight them. Rage, meanwhile, is up to his neck in wraiths.

"Guys, I need some help here!" Rage shouts.

"Blast it, stop growing!"

"I'm serious, I need some major help," Rage says again, a hint of panic in his voice; half the wraiths lie broken beneath him, but they are wearing him down now, pulling him closer, their mind sucking tendril groping for him..."Guys?" Suddenly a burst of lightning and the wraiths are blown back as Powerhouse leaps in beside Rage, his mouth a thin line.

"Thanks Alex, great timing," Rage says, taking a moment to recompose himself. Alex doesn't acknowledge, instead rushing forward at lightspeed at delivering a punch at 10 G's that tears the head off of an attacking wraith. The battle swings back and forth, with Powerhouse and Rage taking the upper hand in their fight while Night Thrasher, Darkhawk and Namorita find themselves in deep trouble against the Growing Men; finally Nova and Firestar have to break off their fruitless efforts to help Speedball and instead rush to help the other Warriors.

"Fall...blast it..." Hybrid pants, turning more and more of his psychic energy on the still sweetly smiling for of Speedball, his costume almost entirely black now, his hands and eyes a blur as they shoot kinetic streams of energy. "Fall..." Abruptly a voice, haggard but with a commanding tone, calls out something in a foreign tongue, and the two Growing Men turn and wander off. The Warriors, startled, turn to see the still battered but much healthier looking Marcus Immortus standing by his throne.

"Hybrid has pulled too much of his energy into fighting your comrade, he does not have enough left to keep me in thrall. Go, help your friend defeat this monstrosity." The Warriors take a few moments to chase off the last of the wraith warriors, then fall into step beside Speedball.

"Give it up, you freak," Nova calls to Hybrid. "You can't take us all down." Inwardly he knows this is mere bravado, as Hybrid did just that only minutes earlier.

"Fool...I...am...Hybrid! I can take...anyone down." A moment later Marcus Immortus, now nearly whole and healed, steps up beside Speedball.

"You are done, fiend." Hybrid realizes he has been defeated; with a cry he breaks off his battle with Speedball and, releasing one final, massive psychic blast that momentarily stuns everyone, Hybrid turns and flees into the mist.

"After him, we can't let that thing get away!" Rage says, starting after, but Night Thrasher calls him back. There is no time for such things, only a few minutes remains until the portal closes. Night Thrasher quickly explains to Marcus why they are there, and Marcus hesitantly agrees to help them, since they freed him from Hybrid. First, though, there are more pressing things: Silhouette. Suddenly remembering her, the other Warriors race to where she lies in a pool of blood, Hindsight Lad still crouched beside her. She is still alive, though barely; with a series of commands Marcus Immortus summons a number of robots who quickly place Silhouette into a stasis field and load her onto a anti-gravity sled.

"She'll live until we get back to Earth," Marcus says, "but once there she must get immediate care or else she will surely die." The Warriors nod grimly and they begin moving back towards the portal, Hindisght Lad carrying the bloody Turbo armor in a tight embrace, his eyes vacant.

"How much time is left?" Charlie-27 asks once again. The mood in the basement lab has turned grim as time ticks away. Martinex replies that there are ten minutes left and Charlie-27 shakes his head. They aren't going to make it...he turns and looks at Starhawk, but Starhawk is once again engaged in his own private thoughts.

"The portal!" Nikki suddenly shouts, pointing; everyone whirls to see the form of Nova stepping from the portal.

"You made it! Thank goodness!" Aleta says, rushing for the portal. A few moments later the rest of the team comes through, and the joy in the room is snuffed out as the form of Silhouette is pulled through. Night Thrasher tersely speaks about the death of Turbo, but then there is no time for words, as Dr. Kincaid begins to work on Silhouette and the Ancient One pulls Marcus Immortus in for a consultation. The two confer for a period, with Marcus Immortus using his inborn chronal powers to feel the timestream.

And while they do, the creature once known as Speedball stands in the center of the room, feeling about him for lines of power, drawing ever more kinetic energy from his home dimesnion into his body. Slowly he extends a microscopic layer of kinetic energy outwards, a thin film that creeps along the floor and under the door, and all unnoticed Speedball seals the room in a case of black kinetic energy. His smile is ever more in place. Soon...soon...he continues to spread his energy wide...

...and in his corner, John Kowalski looks at Speedball and frowns at what he sees...

"Is she going to make it?" Darkhawk says, standing beside the bed that holds Silhouette. Dr. Kincaid shakes his head, though whether in answer or frustration Darkhawk doesn't know. While accross the room Angelica sits with Vance Astrovik, holding his hand.

"...it's no good, Ancient One." Marcus Immortus stands, his words grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. " It is too far progressed. I can possibly keep the time stream itself from being damaged, but saving both these men...no. If it were just one or the other, I may be able to do it, but with two of them, and so closely interconnected, I cannot. It is beyond my abilities, even with your power at my disposal. I'm sorry."

"You have to save him! You have to!" Angelica shouts, leaping from the side of the bed where she sat. "Don't tell me its not possible, it has to be."

"I'm sorry, but the two are too closely connected for me to save them both. At this point if I tried to save them they would immediately fall ill again because of the existance of the other. I don't see..."

"There is a way." Starhawk says, suddenly turning from his own private reverie to face the rest of the room. They all stare at him. "Know this," he says, slowly walking accross the room. "In our timeline, Vance Astro must not die. Therefore, I must save him. There is a way he can be saved."

All eyes are on him.

"How? " Marcus Immortus says simply. Starhawk walks slowly to the bedside of Vance Astrovik, Justice.

"You have said you could save one were it not for the existance of the other. Vance Astro must live. Thus..." Angelica barely has time to begin moving as she realizes, but it is too late. With an outstretched arm, Starhawk channels the cosmic power and blasts a hole through the chest of Vance Astrovik. His body jerks once, spasms into the air, then settles gently back onto the bed, bloodless, a gaping hole as big as a basketball where once the noble heart of a hero beat.

It is a full second before the screaming begins.

"VANCE!!!" Angelica screams, lunging to the side of her lover, already dead.

"Starhawk, no!" Charlie-27 shouts, taking a half step forward. The others can only stare in open mouthed horror, with the exception of Century, who whirls into action, swinging Parllax like a sword at Starhawk.

"Villain/traitor!" Century shouts, but Starhawk merely raises his arm and sweeps Century into the wall with a wave of cosmic power. Century leaps to his feet, but Nikki holds him back.

"Hands off," Nikki says, hand on her gun. Century grimaces and flings her aside. A moment later bedlam sweeps through the makeshift hospital room; as Charlie-27 leaps to help Nikki, Night Thrasher, enraged by the Guardian slaying his friend, strikes Charlie-27 in the back of the head. Moments later the two teams are at each others throats, the day's carnage and loss too much for the Warriors to take any longer.

"Vance...Vance..." Angelica sobs, oblivious to the furor. Then, her tears still flowing, she turns and flies accross the room, striking Starhawk in the chest. "You bastard! Bastard!!" Shrieking incoherantly, Angelica unleashes all her power into Starhawk's face, waves of microwave enrgy pouring into him.

"This is madness! You fools!" Martinex screams, "Replica, go get the Avengers, this has to stop, we have dying people in here!" Replica nods and rushes for the stairway, while on the fringes of the battle Rage, Alex Power and Yondu try to calm things down, to no avail; Alex manages to deflect a stray shot just before it strikes Dr. Kincaid, who is bent over Silhouette, trying to stabalize her.

And Speedball begins to grin.

Replica reaches the top of the stairs and confronts a sight beyond her understanding. At the top of the stairs a thin wall of a dusky but transparent substance stretches across the door. Stopping a few inches away from the membrance, Replica peers through, to see the Mighty Avengers on the other side, gathered in the hallway, Yellowjacket in the middle of setting up some sort of device. They stop when they see her.

"Help! Can you hear me!" Replica shouts.

"Yes!" Cap shouts back, his voice distorted but audible.

"We need help, they're killing each other down there!"

"Stand back, miss, we're doing all we can! Someone has set up some sort of kinetic force barrier, we'll be through very soon!" Yellowjacket shouts. Replica nods, then rushes back down the stairs, her mind whirling...kinetic energy...?

Meanwhile, chaos reigns in the basement. Martinex has erected a wall of ice around Vance Astro and Silhouette; Marcus Immortus and the Ancient One are bent over, heads nearly touching, feverishly working to save the life of Vance Astro. In the far corner, John Kowalski waits, watching Speedball with a deep frown. In the center of the room the battle still rages, with Starhawk doing nothing to defend himself and Angelicas attacks having no effect on him. To the side, Hindsight Lad holds the Turbo armor, wondering...

And Speedball stands, smiling, in the center of the room. "Robbie, use your new powers to stop this fight!" Darkhawk says, hovering in front of him. Speedball looks at him blankly for a moment, then smiles.

"Martinex! The Avengers are stuck on the other side of some sort of kinetic energy shield, they cant get in to help!" Replica shouts. Martinex has only a second to ponder this pronouncement before a scream cuts through the sounds of combat; the scream of the man called Darkhawk.

All eyes turn to look at Darkhawk (except for Angelica, her powers exhausted futiley, who now beats at Starhawk's chest with her hands, weeping, while he looks on stoically); a moment before he had been flying in front of Speedball, now he was crumpled on the floor, curled into a ball, his screams rattling the room.

"Darkhawk! What is it?" Alex Power takes a step towards him, but is stopped by the cold voice that comes from the mouth of what once was Robbie Baldwin.

"Kinetic energy...you know, there is so much more to kinetics than your fool of a friend ever realized...everything has a kinetic potential, the possibility of movement, of action. All of this can be controlled, if you know how. Take your friend Darkhawk, here, for instance..." He nudges the whimpering Darkhawk with a toe while the stunned teams look on, unable to act, caught up in the power of his voice.

"Darkhawk's power comes form an amulet, a wonderous device that springs his armor upon him in a flash, in an instant. There is potential for other movement, however...the amulet can be made to work in reverse, if you know how. Let me see, what would happen if the amulet were to activate itself against his will?" A moment, then a scream, and the Darkhawk armor is gone, replaced with a writhing human form, naked and bent.

"Chris!" Nova cries, breaking free of his stupor, blasting at the man who was Speedball. His scream seems to free the others from their shock. Rage and Night Thrasher are behind Nova in a moment, rushing towards Speedball, and the others break off their in fighting to help...

"We've got to help them, this is..." Yondu begins, but a moment later is cut off by Martinex's shout.

"Guardians, come quickly! Vance needs you now!" The Guardians stand, caught between the need to help their friend and the battle beginning before them. Again Martinex screams, the urgency in his voice now palpable, and the Guardians (subtly nudged by Starhawk) make their choice, turning from the fight to run for Vance's side.

"Fools!" Speedball is shouting as the New Warriors assault falters. With a wave of his arm, Nova suddenly finds himself veering off course. He barely has time to raise his hands for protection before he slams into the guerney where Silhouette lies dying. Dr. Kincaid never has a chance; he is smashed into the wall head first and falls, unconcious, while the guerney topples in a bent wreck, Silhouette's broken body flung hard to the ground and buried by debris.

...and John Kowalski stirs himself, and begins moving towards the wreckage...

...while Starhawk, the Ancient One and Marcus Immortus work feverishly over the faded body of Vance Astro, their arms linked, drawing residual chronal energy from the Guardians and channeling it through spells...

...and Firestar finds herself doing whatshe had never thought possible, standing and blasting her microwaves, directing her lethal energy toawrds her own teammate. Speedball barely notices; the microwave energy never reaches him, slowing and stopping inexplicably just inches before him. An energy ball flung by Alex Power veers to one side and blasts Rage from his feet; as Rage tries to stand, Night Thrasher and Namorita rush past, while Hindisght Lad crouches by the form of Darkhawk.

"Chris, you're going to be alright, can you hear me? Activate the amulet, maybe..."

"This is preposterous! You truly think with your feeble 'super powers' you can stand against the Avatar of kinesis? Fools..." Ignoring Namorita's fist clsoing on him, Speedball reaches out a hand and waves it towards Darkhawk, who suddenly clutches his chest and falls motionless, the Darkhawk amulet clattering to the floor unheeded.

"No!" Carlton screams, banging on Chris's chest helplessly.

"With a wave I can stop your hearts, I can break limbs..." and he does so, as Rage's arm grinds suddenly to an impossible angle just as it was about to strike Speedball down. "Surrender or perish!"

...and behind a shield of ice, Vance Astro's face begins to show a hint of color, though those bent over him are too engrossed to acknowledge it...

...and Kowalski reaches Silhouette. Bending over her, he places his hand over her eyes and channels his power and the two are gone from the realm of man, transported to the world of death...

...and Nova, still groggy, pulls himself up beside Firestar. "He's lying, Angelica. If he could do all that he'd have done it. I think he doesnt have the power, or the concentration, maybe, to handle so many of us at once. We need to pour it on..." Firestar just nods, her tears evaporated from the heat of her blasts, salty streaks down her face. She stops her firing while the alien known as Century, suddenly standing beside them unnoticed, begins to speak...

...and Carlton hastily puts on the Turbo armor, his mind grim, remembering his friends who had worn it and died. If he could live up to their memory...

"Aaaargh!" Rage cries out, both legs broken now, lying helpless at Speedball's feet. A half second later Namortia connects with a crushing backhand that rocks Speedball but does not do any noticable damage, as the force of the blow is redirected, sending Namorita bouncing madly accross the room. Her attack buys another second, as Night Thrasher takes the opportunity to strike, but it has no effect, and a moment later he is down, his helmet cracked apart from a nearly lethal spike of kinetic energy; only his amazing reflexes keep it from killing him, rather than merely glancing off the side of his head with enough force to daze him.

...and the Guardians continue their vigil, Vance's breathing more normal now, his face full of color, his heart rate steady. "...I think we're going to do it..." Marcus pants out...

...and in another realm, Silhouette stands before John Kowalski.

"What...where are my friends? This isn't limbo...?"

"I am John Kowalski. I am death. It is time for you to..." Suddenly John Kowlaski stops, astonished at something he sees in Silhouette's face.

"What...what?!" Silhouette can only scream in surprise as Kowalski suddenly lunges forward and places his hand on her head. She struggle's momentarily, but then stops as his power overwhelms her. The two stand thus for an untold time, before Kowalski abruptly stands back, an unbelieving expression on his face.

"You...you are the one, the one I have been searching for. My replacement. But, not yet, you are not ready and my curse is not yet expired." He says, more to himself than to Silhouette. He abruptly breaks into a smile. "But finally...finally..."

And back in Avengers Mansion, where in the corner Silhouette's body lies unnoticed beneath a twisted pile of medical equipment, the New Warriors have gathered to make their final attack. "Don't let up, keep fighting, we cant give him a moment's respite," Nova says to the Warriors gathered before him; Firestar, Powerhouse, Namorita and Turbo (while Speedball still taunts and mocks the efforts of Night Thrasher, the broken Rage and Century, who strikes again and again, Parallax boucing him around the room at lightning speed to avoid Speedball's counterstrikes). "Let's do it. Remember..." Nova grows hoarse as the day's events strike him. "Remember...we're New Warriors."

And they strike.

From a half dozen sides they strike at once, Nova's power blasts, Firestar's microwaves, Powerhouse's lightning balls, Turbo and Namorita flying in to strike at close range, while Night Thrasher picks himself off the ground once more and throws himself into combat. Speedball reacts lightning fast...but he is too distracted to notice Century has stopped his flitting and is concentrating, holding Parllax before him...

Speedball reacts lightning fast, his kinetic shields deflecting the lightning ball into the far wall, stopping the microwave blast, rerouting the Nova energy into Namorita long enough to knock her back several feet. Turbo is the first to get through, Speedball busy with the others, and he connects with a roundhouse that staggers Speedball momentarily. And in his mind Carlton is at peace; he has finally made it, he is pulling his weight. He thinks of Mickey...

... and dies, a shaft of kinetic force blasted through his neck in a fraction of a second. His body falls, spewing blood, and Speedball shoves it away with a wedge of energy. The other Warriors dont even have time to cry out his name, now; they are working. The few seconds it takes Speedball to kill Turbo are all Namorita needs to get back to her feet and in the air; for Firestar to redirect her microwave blasts at the ground where Speedball is standing; for Night Thrasher to reach Speedball's side; for Alex Power to activate his lightspeed power and fly accross the room; for Nova to cut off his Nova blast and fly for Speedball; for Century to finish his calculations and begin to open a portal...

"..fools, you..." Speedball has to cut himself off, faced with too many Warriors in his face. Angrily he throws up a kinetic shield, but is a fraction late; Nova bounces harmlessly away, but Powerhouse and Night Thrasher are already inside. As Night Thrasher strikes, Powerhouse drops from lightspeed and activates his mass power, building up the power in his right arm. Speedball drops his kinetic barrier and instead focuses his power on deflecting Night Thrasher's attack, leaving himself open to a massive blow from Powerhouse. Speedball staggers back...

...towards a portal that, unnoticed, has opened directly behind him. Beyond, the chaos of the kinetic dimension beckons...

...and Speedball angrily rights himself, a flick of his wrist sending Alex Power flying accross the room. The time spent doing this, though, is enough for Namorita to arrive; flying full speed she rams into Speedball, knocking him further backwards. Speedball is off balance now, flailing about with his power, now sending Namorita spinning into the nearest wall, now shooting a wedge of kinetic energy at Nova moments before he could strike...

...and now falling, as the floor suddenly buckles beneath him, melted by the ceasless waves of microwave energy Firestar is pouring into it. Thrown to the ground, Speedball staggers, attempting to right himself, only to be dragged down by the unbreakable grip of Rage. Ignoring the pain, the tearing in his arms and the blood seeping from where exposed bone pokes through superhuman muscles, Rage pulls Speedball to him crushing him in a vice.

"Not...gonna take us down like this, no way..." Rage growls, panting.

"Fool! Fool! You are nothing!" With a wrinkle of his brow Rage's head wrenches backwards, audibly snapping, his head now spinning to one side and dropping flaccidly against his shoulder as tortured arms relax their grip. Speedball pushes himself free of the dead Warrior's arms, standing unsteadily...

...and Night Thrasher tackles him. Totally off guard, Speedball is swept from his feet and the two of them tumble back, through the portal to the kinetic dimention (which even now Century labors to keep open, stretching his powers far beyond their normal limits).

"Close it now!"

"Dwayne, no, you..." Firestar shouts, stepping forward, but too late. Century and Night Thrasher share a knowing look, a billionth of a second(as Speedball, in his home dimension once more, regains his balance and begins his attack) and with a roar of displaced air the portal slams shut, a sudden scream of pain from Dwayne cut off before the others could see what was being done...

...and behind a wall of ice, a ring of friends relaxes.

"We have saved him. He will live." Marcus Immortus pronounces, rocking back on his heels, exhausted. Starhawk nods assent -- and possibly thanks -- and quickly points out that it would be best if the Guardians left immediately, before further trouble is caused. Marcus Immortus has the knowledge, but no tthe power; however, Starhawk and the Ancient One have power to spare. The three link their minds, and a moment later the Guardians of the Galaxy, along with the Ancient One, fade away, returned to the future.

John Kowalski take shis leave of the assemblage. The carnage is of no account to him one way or another; but the girl called Silhouette...that is another matter. He takes his leave, vanishing from the room, leaving behind him the words "We will meet again..." Words heard only by Silhouette, who stands slowly from the wreckage, healed completely, and more, her once broken and bent legs now healthy and strong. She gives off an astonished gasp at her newfound health...

...and the Avengers rush into the room...

..too late, too late.

What happens to the survivors from here? Be sure to pick up Avengers #428 to find out what happens in the aftermath.