The Guardians Volume II Chapter 3

by

Eric Metcalf

Chanting filled the old warehouse, with a circle of candles providing the only light. The candles stood on long sticks, surrounding a chalk circle on the concrete floor. The chanting came from a circle of robed forms standing in a larger circle beyond the candles. The words were almost unintelligible, but the sound and rhythm were reminiscent of a Gregorian chant. In the center of the circle stood a rectangle of black stone, four feet high and six feet long. At the head of the stone, a robed figure looked out over the assemblage. The figure pulled back his hood to reveal the weathered features of Arcanus.

More figures appeared in the flickering candlelight. Two dark-robes led a blonde girl in a white shift towards the circle. Her blue eyes stared over the scene without taking in anything. Arcanus could see her dilated pupils from where he stood. He turned and walked around the circle, inside the ring of candles, careful not to smudge the chalk circle, although he did not misstep.

As he reached the girl, two robed figures moved the candles out of the way. He stepped in front of her. She was tall, but he still had an inch or two on her. This close, Arcanus could smell the fragrance of the oils and her scent of arousal. In preparation for this, the two acolytes beside the girl had massaged special, hypnotic oils into the girl’s skin. The oils drugged her and aroused her, making her ready for the ceremony. Only one thing remained to be done.

Arcanus reached out and grasped the shoulder straps of the girl’s shift, then he pulled sharply down on them both. The thin fabric parted easily, baring the girl’s body to his gaze. Her skin was tanned and shining from the oils. Her breasts were small and firm with bright pink nipples that were hard with her arousal. She did not move at all as he pulled the shift away. She gave no thought to being naked before him; she gave no thought to anything but obeying her master. He would make her feel good. She remembered no other way.

Arcanus turned away and walked around the other side of the circle. The two acolytes moved the girl onto the black altar, with her head facing Arcanus. They moved out of the circle and replaced the candles. Arcanus glanced down at the girl then he rocked his head back as he began to touch the flows of magic. Energy flowed from the acolytes to him, focused by their chanting. He gathered the flow and began to change it, storing up most of the energy for what he had to do, but he sent a slender thread of power into the girl. He barely heard her gasp of arousal at the magic’s touch; he needed her aroused for her part in the ritual. His own blood was boiling with the power he now controlled as he began his spell.

His voice rang out, dark and foreboding over the chant as the words of power rolled off of his tongue. He felt the power begin to move, going outward to the dimensional barrier. The barrier resisted the power, but Arcanus knew just how much extra power he needed, and where to get it. He began to add his own personal power to the spell, but that would not be enough. He felt the energy he was getting from the girl; almost ready, her arousal about to peak. Her eyes were closed as she moaned her arousal; she didn’t see him raise his dagger above her, the point aiming for her heart.

He let a little more energy flow to her; he knew exactly how much from experience with her. The extra energy drove her over the edge. As she screamed out her orgasm, he drove the dagger into her. As she screamed in pain, her life energy exploded out of her enhanced by her orgasm. Arcanus gathered the rush of energy with the skill of a master and threw it at the dimensional barrier. The barrier buckled under the assault, then a section of it collapsed. Arcanus cried out the name of the demon into the void.

The blood and fluids staining the girl’s body began to drift up into the air, as if they were colored vapors. The vapors began to coalesce over the body, and a point of absolute darkness formed in their center. The vapors flowed into the edge of a massive oval with darkness inside. The oval grew until it reached to the darkened roof of the warehouse. A shape moved in the darkness. A massive leg, easily seven feet long and thickly muscled under dark red skin, pushed out of the darkness. The darkness seemed to resist the limb like the surface tension of water. An arm pushed through next, muscled like the leg with three clawed fingers on the hand. The torso and head of the demon pushed out next. The thing’s face was long and thick, with a snarling, lip-less mouth and two dark eyes. Ram’s horns crowned the demon’s head. Another arm and leg finally emerged from the portal, which then vanished behind the creature. The demon’s feet stayed within the circle, as if it could not leave the chalk outline.

"I command you, demon," Arcanus yelled at the creature. "Now, go forth and announce to the world that I have returned in power." The creature bellowed at the man, then stepped over the circle of candles. The acolytes in its path scattered out of the way, lest the demon grind them underfoot. The demon reached the wall in two massive strides then set its claws into the sheet metal. With a grinding crunch, the metal came away and the demon strode out into the bright sunshine. Arcanus laughed maniacally at the shriek of car brakes and yelling outside. The world would know he had returned, and no one would sleep well again.

* * *

Crimson Knight dove into a shoulder roll, dodging the robot’s fist as it slammed into the concrete floor. Rolling back onto his feet, he spun on one heel, tracking his right arm around. The silver robot had just looked up as the blaster in Crimson Knight’s right forearm tracked onto its head. Jake tensed a finger inside the power suit, and the blaster loosed a bolt of energy at the robot’s face. The robot flopped backwards as the bolt hit it full on, then lay still.

Jake looked around quickly. The bare concrete practice room was empty save for the four Guardians and their robot practice "partners". Wraith was a dark blur as he circled around his opponent, pounding the machine relentlessly. While the machine was barely able to recognize him, much less hit him, his punches were having little effect on the robot’s armored hide. Aria dodged out of the reach of her opponent, trying to time her sonic shriek so that she hit the robot, and not a teammate. So far, she had managed to stay one step ahead of the robot. Mind Mistress, on the other hand, was having problems. She staggered back with a yelp as her opponent ducked inside a sloppy side kick to deliver a right to her stomach.

"Mistress, drop," he yelled. She complied immediately, falling onto her stomach. The robot raised one foot to stomp on its now-prone target. Crimson was too fast for it; he blasted the robot’s other leg, toppling the machine onto the floor.

"Thanks," she replied in his mind. "I’m not really good at this stuff yet."

"Don’t sweat it," he thought. "That’s not your role. Still, you need to learn to defend yourself."

Aria broke Jake’s concentration with one of her shrieks. The force of the sound waves slammed her robot off its feet and into Wraith’s opponent, which Wraith had maneuvered into position. The crash of metal was almost as loud as Aria’s victory shout as the two robots collapsed to the floor.

"Got ‘em!" she yelled. Wraith beamed at her as he walked over to her and embraced her.

"Eeew, you stink," she said, wrinkling her nose at his sweat.

"You don’t smell like roses yourself," he replied.

"Good maneuver," Jake said as he and Lindsey walked over to them. "Thanks for not banging up the robots too badly. We won’t be able to replace those any time soon."

"Yeah, yeah," Aria replied. "You’ve already told us how expensive they are, and how the Foundation’s budget isn’t unlimited. Not that you’d guess that from the office."

"Cut it out," Jake said. "That’s not our responsibility. Now go get showered and we’ll talk about what to do better over lunch." He was reaching up to remove the armor’s helmet when the radio receiver buzzed at him.

"Crimson Knight, respond." The radio effectively masked the voice on the other end, especially when it was a long-range communication.

"Crimson Knight here."

"This is Foundation One. We have a code one emergency in progress. Assemble your team and get them airborne ASAP. I will brief you once you’re airborne. Out."

"Shit," Jake cursed. "Heads up," he called louder. "Showers and lunch will have to be put on hold. Get to the cars. There’s an emergency, and we’re moving."

"Now?" Aria said. "I mean, can’t we at least shower?"

"Now." Jake said. "Orders from the top. No time for argument. Move!" He broke into a jog as he headed for the door to the gym, and the others fell in behind him, matching his pace.

"I’m going to have to smell you all the way to the airport," Aria snarled at Wraith.

"Somebody remind me why I put up with this?" he said, with the air of an old line.

"Good head," Aria replied. "Really good head."

"Damn infrequent," Wraith snorted as they ran out of the gym.

"Hey, Mindstar." Mindstar activated his force field by reflex, since such yells usually presaged some falling piece of construction material. When nothing bounced off, he looked around more slowly. A man in a suit was standing by the door from inside the undamaged portion of Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport out to the repair crews working on the concourse that had been destroyed by a bomb late in the war. Strongarm, Firemane and Powergirl were helping with the reconstruction, acting as breathing construction equipment to offset the fact that all of the heavy equipment available was stretched thin, repairing all of the damage. Mindstar was taking a quick break to recharge his energies.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Some chick on the line. Says she’s with the Foundation, and it’s an emergency."

Mindstar looked puzzled as he jogged towards the door. Usually, it was Carpenter who called with Foundation emergencies, but he could be elsewhere. If he was elsewhere during an emergency, though, he would have a damn good reason.

The air conditioning hit Mike like a wall as he strode into the building. The man pointed to a phone near the door. Mike nodded and picked it up.

"Mindstar here."

"Mindstar, this is Foundation Control." Mike recognized the voice immediately: Jaime, the Foundation’s field controller. While she usually didn’t command the Guardians, they had worked together before, especially before the Guardians were founded. "We have a level one emergency in progress. Get airborne as soon as possible. You will be briefed en route."

"What about Crimson Knight’s team?"

"Bravo is already on the way, and they are closer. However, the nature of the threat is much more up your alley than theirs. This is not a matter for discussion."

He nodded. That meant the orders came from Carpenter, even if he wasn’t there himself. Of course, Jaime calling meant that the Foundation had activated their emergency procedures, which wasn’t a good sign. This wasn’t a bank robbery or hostage situation. "Acknowledged. We’re moving. I’ll contact you when we’re in the air for a full briefing." He hung up the phone and turned to the man in the suit. "An emergency situation has been declared. We’ve got to move."

He scowled, but nodded. "Yeah, yeah, part of the deal. Go on, get out of here. The sooner you’re gone, the sooner you can get back."

Mindstar nodded. "I hope it’s that simple." The advantage of working on an airport is that their plane was close at hand. However, Hartsfield’s infamous traffic delayed them taking off for fifteen minuites.

A massive, clawed arm punched through a police cruiser like it was a toy. The policemen near the car scattered away from the clams, some bleeding from flying wreckage. More policemen fired pistols and shotguns at the creature, but the bullets didn’t penetrate the red skin. Smoke from burning cars and buildings drifted through the scene.

"That’s the current situation," Jaime’s voice announced. Crimson Knight, Mind Mistress, Wraith and Aria were still strapped into their seats as the plane accelerated, pushing towards Mach one. The screen at the front of the cabin continued showing live video of the creature’s rampage through Chicago. "The police have formed three lines since the creature emerged, and it’s punched through each one with scarcely any effort. The National Guard is assembling to try and fight it, but I don’t think they’ll be any more effective. Conventional weapons don’t seem to faze it."

"Do we have any idea of where it’s going?" Jake asked.

"No pattern that we can see, Crimson," Jaime replied. "It’s just wandering around smashing stuff."

"It could be a diversion, then," Wraith said.

"We’ve thought of that," Jaime replied. "If so, it’s a damn good one. The regulars can’t handle this; we’re the only chance. Mindstar and team are airborne as well, so they could respond to a second threat, but they’re about an hour or so behind. You’re on your own."

Crimson Knight nodded. "What’s our ETA?"

"Approximately one hour, fifteen minutes to O’Hare."

"And if we don’t land at O’Hare?"

"One hour to an over flight, give or take a couple of minutes." Jaime’s voice had just the hint of amusement in it, as if she knew what his plan was.

"Direct the pilot to fly over the creature’s position when we arrive. We’ll take care of the rest." Jake settled back into his seat. "Try and get some sleep," he said. "You’re gonna need it when we get there."

"How do you expect us to sleep at a time like this?" Aria snapped.

"You don’t have any trouble normally," Wraith said.

"That’s it; nothing for you for a week."

"Ouch, that’s harsh," Mind Mistress said.

"You try putting up with him," Aria snapped.

"No thanks," Mistress replied. "I’m happy where I am."

"Does nobody want me?" Wraith cried in mock terror.

"Try the pound," Jake deadpanned. "Now shut up and get some rest." He lay back in his seat, as if asleep. Mind Mistress tried to imitate Jake, but she couldn’t get to sleep. Aria glared up at Wraith for a moment, then lay her head on his shoulder and promptly went to sleep.

* * *

"Here he comes, stand ready!" Sergeants and lieutenants repeated the shout up and down the line of National Guardsmen in their camouflage uniforms, with their M16s, M60s and missile launchers at the ready. Some of their commanders had argued for armor to be committed to the battle, but the plan had been turned down because of the property damage that would result from heavy armor simply driving around, much less shooting at anything. The fact that the creature itself was causing untold property damage did not seem as important.

An arm swung around a building on their right, then a leg stuck out. The bulk of the creature followed, almost as broad as the street itself. While the men had been told what the beast looked like, the first sight of the thing still froze them in place. "It's a demon," some whispered; others called it a devil. It looked at them, dark eyes blazing as it faced them across one hundred yards of pavement.

"Fire!" The one shout was enough; no one wanted to hold off once the first shot was fired. Lines of fire from tracers flew across the distance, impacting on the creature. While some shots went wide, most found their target. The beast bellowed, in pain or rage, then stomped forward.

One, then two rockets shot from the National Guard line. The first impacted on the creature's stomach. The beast bellowed and ducked around its wounded middle, causing the second shot to miss high. The beast reared up with a deafening roar then it glared down at the line. Opening its mouth, it breathed out a tongue of flame at the men. Those directly in the fire's path shrieked and died instantly; those soldiers closer to the edge dove away, their uniforms singed or burning. The line of green broke, as the soldiers scrambled away from the fire and death.

"Dammit," Crimson Knight snarled at the scene in front of him. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us people."

"Did they even hurt it?" Aria said, incredulous. "I mean, if the Army can't touch it, what can we do?"

"Plenty," Crimson Knight replied. "That LAW rocket hurt it, but the bullets just pissed it off. Hit it hard and keep hitting when we get in there. Pilot, what's our ETA?"

"Two minutes," the man replied over Crimson's radio. "I'm opening the jump doors now." Two doors on either side of the cabin unlocked and pushed out into the jet stream on either side of the aircraft. The doors would create a small pocket of relatively still air for them to jump into. "Starting descent to one hundred feet."

The plane nosed down and dove through the cloud cover. When it emerged, it was flying equal to the tops of the tallest skyscrapers. The pilot continued diving, lining up with the street that the beast was last reported on.

"Stand ready," Crimson said. He moved over to the right door with Mind Mistress. Aria and Wraith moved over to the left.

Aria gasped at the sight of buildings and windows flashing by at three hundred miles an hour. "You want us to jump into that?"

"Just don't break too many windows," Wraith cracked.

"Keep it up and we'll see how you fly," Aria replied.

"One minute," the pilot called over the public address system.

"Keep it simple," Crimson Knight said. "Drop the two non-flyers, then engage from the air. Wraith, move in close and see what you can do around his knees. Mistress, keep the crowd out of the way and see if that thing's got enough of a mind to mess with."

"Oh shit," the pilot yelled. "Target has advanced, in sight now. Deploy now, now, now!"

"That's our cue," Crimson said. He locked his arms around Mistress's shoulders so that she stood in front of him, her arms out. Aria and Wraith got in the same position, with Wraith hanging down in front.

"Crush my tits and I drop you," Aria snarled.

"Go!" Crimson Knight called then he stepped out the door. Aria took a deep breath and jumped out the other door. With its passengers gone, the pilot banked the aircraft up steeply as he closed the two jump doors. The creature looked up at the plane flying over it and breathed flame at it, but the plane banked sharply down another street and avoided the blast. The creature looked back down the street, watching as the brightly-colored gnats landed near the green ones that had hurt it, then two of them took off again.

Wraith blurred as he took off, running at full speed for the creature's legs. He didn't know what he could do, boxing with tree trunks, but he was going to try. His fists blurred as much as the rest of him as he danced around, throwing flurries of punches into the thing's hard flesh. Aria came in above him and loosed one of her most powerful shrieks, shattering the few remaining windows for a block in every direction. The creature stumbled back, howling in pain and reaching for its ears. Crimson Knight flew in and fired his blasters at the discolored blotch on the creature's middle that showed where the LAW rocket had hit it. The creature bellowed again, doubling over again in pain.

"They're doing it," one of the National Guardsmen called out.

"Keep your people back," Mind Mistress barked. She reached out to the beast, searching for a mind. She touched, something, briefly. She shrieked as images of pain and heat washed over her, thoughts of rage and destruction and killing. She stumbled to her knees, trying to get the images out of her mind.

The creature swung its massive arms, trying to bash Aria and Crimson Knight. Both dodged nimbly, avoiding the massive swipes that smashed concrete as the creature's wild strikes slammed into neighboring buildings. It breathed a tongue of flame at Crimson Knight, who dove sharply under the cone. He pulled up scarcely ten feet from the ground, then flew right into the spot he had been hitting with his blasters. The impact sent the creature stumbling back as Crimson flew up and away.

Wraith darted out of the way as the creature stepped back from Crimson's impact. His punches were having no effect; the thing didn't even seem to be feeling them. "Fuck this," he swore. "Time to take off the kid gloves." He ran at the massive leg, then he passed through it as he tried to absorb the thing's life force. Instead of the usual, almost sexual, rush of energy, Wraith felt as if he had tried to drink a sewer. He came out the other side and fell to his knees, retching as his body tried to expel the disgusting energy the only way it knew how.

"Ray!" Aria shrieked as she saw him fall. She nosed over and flew down to him, landing by his side. The creature saw her fly down near it, and saw the dark one for the first time. Reaching down with one long arm, it swung its fist like a wrecking ball, knocking both Wraith and Aria away and down the street. They landed hard, and neither got up quickly.

"No," Crimson Knight yelled, then he blasted the creature again in the same spot. The blasts staggered the creature, but it didn't fall. Instead, it reached one massive claw towards him. He took his eyes of the creature briefly to look for Wraith and Aria, and that was all the opening the creature needed. Its claws snapped closed around him, pinning him in its grip. He pushed at the claws with all of his enhanced strength, but it was no use. The creature swung its arm towards one of the buildings on its side then it let go of Crimson at the last second. Unable to react in time, he slammed into the building full force. Stunned, he couldn't activate his jets in time to stop himself from falling to the ground, impacting near the National Guard line.

"Crimson," Mind Mistress cried as she ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Alive, yeah," he croaked, trying to sit up. "Okay, not hardly. I broke at least a couple of ribs that time, and the armor's pretty badly damaged. Can you reach Aria and Wraith?"

She nodded, but her face was still frightened. "Yes, but they're both in bad shape. Aria's hurt and Wraith's still messed up from trying to drain the thing's life force."

"Looks like it's just you and me, kiddo," he said as he got to his feet. "Jets are busted, but the guns still show on-line. Hope that's enough."

"I, I can't help," she said, head hung now. "I tried to touch its mind, but it's so, evil. I can't bear to touch it, and I can't affect it. I', I'm sorry."

He nodded. "Right. Looks like it's David and Goliath, except Goliath's already taken David's best shot." He stood up as straight as he could. "Still, I've got no choice."

No one noticed the clouds overhead suddenly get much darker than before. The creature took a stride towards the National Guard group, opening its mouth for a flame burst. A lightning bolt lashed out from the cloud, slamming into the creature with million's of volts of power. The creature shrieked almost loud enough to drown out the crack of the thunder. The creature staggered back, its red skin smoking from the blast.

"Look," one of the Guardsmen called. All eyes looked overhead. A woman in a silvery-gray body suit and cape drifted overhead, as if she was walking on the air itself. From below, all they could see was the suit and dark hair billowing behind her. Crimson Knight swallowed as he recognized the uniform. "Wind Shear," he muttered to Mind Mistress.

"Lake Effect," she breathed in reply. "But I thought you, I mean, they were all killed during the war."

He shook his head. "Most of them were, but she got away. She went underground after the defeat, so we didn't pursue her. Still, she's probably not going to like this suit too much."

"Monster," she cried with the voice of the wind itself. "You do not belong here. Let nature destroy what man has wrought." She held out her hand, and another lightning bolt slammed down from the clouds into the creature. Shrieking, the creature fell this time, disintegrating as it fell. By the time it hit the ground, its body was nothing but a pile of red dust on the sidewalk and street.

Mind Mistress came up to Crimson Knight and moved under his arm just before he slumped down. He nodded to her then looked back up at their savior. The woman drifted down regally, as if a person walking on air could look anything but regal. She landed softly in front of Crimson Knight and Mind Mistress. The National Guard survivors and the civilian onlookers were cheering her wildly, but she paid them no heed. She was staring right at Crimson Knight.

Jake couldn't help but ogle her a bit. On the ground, she stood about five-foot-four in height, with a slim, athletic build. Her face had the golden skin and eyes of Asian blood, and her jet-black hair, worn straight to her shoulders, matched that background. Her body was filled out nicely; she was about equal to Mind Mistress, less developed than Firemane or Aria. She held her head high; she was confident, but Jake didn't think she was arrogant. With that kind of power, a woman could be a little cocky. Girl, he thought; she didn't look over twenty-one, maybe younger.

"Thank you," he said, trying to keep his throat from catching even though breathing hurt like fire with his broken ribs. "I am Crimson Knight, and we are the Guardians. You saved our lives, and the lives of those around here."

"The Guardians?" she replied. "Where are Mindstar, Firemane and the others?"

"On their way," he replied. "We just happened to be closer."

She nodded. "Why does a Guardian wear a Black Knights armor? The color may be different, but I saw to many of them to ignore the styling. Granted, it isn't the same as the suits that hunted down and killed my friends, but it is close enough."

"It's under new ownership," he replied steadily, trying to keep anger from rising now.

"I'm not sure I believe that completely," she said.

"Hey, back off," Wraith shouted. She turned around to see Wraith and Aria coming up, each supporting the other. Aria fixed Shear with a level gaze. Wraith continued, "you saved our lives, and we're grateful. But that doesn't give you license to come down here and go after Crimson. In case you didn't notice, he was ready to go another round with big ugly there, even though he was probably pounded pretty good. It could have killed him, but he was willing to go back in there anyway, on the chance that he could save the lives of these people. Don't question that kind of sacrifice."

She swallowed, color rising in her face. "You are, right. You all have the hearts of heroes. My apologies."

Wraith grinned at her. "No sweat. The name's Wraith."

"Aria." She smiled a little at Shear, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Ahem," a man in a gray suit coughed as he stepped inside the ring of onlookers. "I'm with the Department of Justice. Perhaps you all would like to come with me? We have medical staff on station to deal with any injuries."

Crimson Knight looked to Wind Shear. "Please come with us. We can continue this discussion there."

She swallowed, then nodded. "Very well."

He turned slowly and moved towards where the suit indicated a large van. He really wanted to get out of sight before these ribs gave out any further. He didn't want to yell out, but he could only stand so much pain. A lot, but only so much.

* * *

Arcanus looked up from his desk at the shuffle of feet behind him. Three candles lit his study, throwing light over the cluttered wooden desk, table and bookshelves that were the room's only furnishings. Papers and books covered almost every exposed space.

"Yes?" he called without turning.

"My Lord," Takaza's voice called. "I have returned."

Arcanus turned around. The man was wearing his robe with the hood pulled forward, smooth cotton instead of coarse wool marking him as one of Arcanus's apprentices, not merely a follower but a magician himself.

"Did you find what you sought?"

The man's hands moved out from under the robe, holding an ancient scroll-holder. "Just as you said, my Lord. It was a simple matter."

Arcanus smiled, a grim sight in the flickering candlelight. "Give it to me."

Takaza moved silently over to Arcanus and handed him the tube reverently. Arcanus hurriedly removed the cap and slid the scroll out of the case. His smile widened as he unrolled the ancient papyrus scroll and read the first line of symbols. "Yes, this is it. You have done well, Takaza. The time is almost ripe for you to begin learning another incantation."

"Thank you, my Lord," Takaza said hurriedly, bowing deeply. "I am humbled simply to serve you."

"And serve me you do, Takaza," Arcanus said. "You have served me well. Were there any complications?"

Takaza straightened. "A few guards. They were not a serious impediment." He slid a dagger out from under the robe, the blade shining wetly.

Arcanus nodded. "Good. The fools did not even know what they held, or they would have held on more closely. I will not make the same mistake. When I am done translating this, I will entrust it to your care. Now that the Guardians know that it was stolen, they may deduce its importance. It will be your task to keep it safe."

Takaza nodded. "As you wish, my Lord."

Arcanus smiled. "However, that will not be for several hours yet. Go, and take your pleasure with the concubines. You have earned a few hours rest."

Takaza bowed deeply. "You are a most gracious master. However, there is yet activity in my bones, if there are concubines about. Rest will come later."

Arcanus laughed. "You are a most capable servant, Takaza. Go. I will send for you when I am finished here. We shall begin your teaching soon." Takaza bowed and walked out, as silent as when he came again. With a chuckle, Arcanus turned back to the scroll, reading and scratching words down on another scroll.

Jake walked into the lounge that the Justice department had turned over to them. He was wearing a dark blue DOJ jogging suit instead of his Crimson Knight armor. He could feel the bandages around his injured ribs with every breath, every step. They had wanted to give him enough morphine to put him flat on his back, but he refused anything that would mess up his thinking. Right now, the team needed a leader, not an invalid.

The rest of his team lounged on the couches and chairs set around the room, sipping from sodas and, in the case of Aria and Wraith, gingerly checking bandages on scrapes and cuts. Neither was seriously injured, but both were blooded, and their eyes showed it. Wind Shear looked a little uncomfortable, as if trying to maintain some distance from them. Mind Mistress was working on her, trying to loosen her up. He didn't know if it was working, but Wind Shear didn't look as nasty as she had when she saw his armor before.

Mind Mistress saw him enter the room first. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, then winced. "I'm not going to keel over, if that's what you mean. Take my advice: don't get your ribs broken if you can help it. It's not fun at all." He sat down at one end of the room, where he could look at all of the others without turning his head much. "Now we have to figure out what to do next."

"Why not start with explaining why you're really using Black Knight armor?" Wind Shear said. "You use that too well; you were a Black Knight, weren't you?"

Mind Mistress glared at her, but Jake called her off with a shake of his head. "Yes, I was," he said simply. He heard Aria gasp at that; Mind Mistress knew, but the others had never asked, and it wasn't something he advertised. "I was a Shadow Guardsman before that, before the war. I was in close to the beginning, right up to the end.

"I wasn't a thug, though. I was a soldier, an Airborne Ranger, the best light infantry in the world. The US Army trained me to be a leader and a killer then they decided they didn't need me anymore after Desert Storm. I'd joined the Army at eighteen; I didn't know how to be or do anything else. I kicked around for a while, getting more depressed and a bigger drunk everywhere I went. I ended up in Dallas, out of money and out of luck.

"That's where they found me. Turns out they were tracking down all the combat troops who got cut out in that draw down, seeing if they turned out like me. They gave me a reason to keep going, gave me a cause again. Turning the country back into what it was, that sort of line. For me, it was a reason to live and a chance to do the only thing I was really good at. They trained us on their equipment, most of which I knew because it was ex-military, and we started running missions for them. After one operation, they promoted me to Corporal because I knew what I was doing in a fight, and they needed that. A couple more, then the Guardians got wise to us, or just lucky. Mindstar wasn't with the team, and we managed to get out with our objective, but they captured our backup. Turns out the objective was a new armor type for the Black Knight suits. We made the delivery ourselves, and then they trained us on the new suits. Promoted me to Sergeant, and we ran up against the Guardians a couple more times before the coup.

"After the coup, they made me a field commander, leading groups of Knights and Guards against any resistance; supers, gangs, you name it. I didn't like the situation, but I was in too deep to back out. That's when we took out Lake Effect. I was the tactical commander of the group that took down your team. Just a few more deaths I have to answer for when I buy it. Not too long after that, I was called back to DC. Mindstar and company were making hay of our operations in Northern Virginia, and I was supposed to hunt him down. I tried, but they kept slipping away. In the last days, I was given command of the defenses of the White House, when we knew the fleet was close, but we couldn't do anything about it. That's where the Crimson Knight armor comes from; the only Black Knight Mark III suit in existence. During the Battle of Washington, I was the last line of defense at the White House. Our paranormals trapped the Guardians outside, but Mindstar punched through. We had it out, but I couldn't finish him. When you fight someone as much as we went up against each other during the war, you either really hate them or respect the hell out of them. I didn't know why we were fighting each other, but I had my duty. Then Mindstar got into my head, showed me what was really happening. I couldn't take it; I just passed out for a few minutes. When I came to, Mindstar was having it out with the Black King in the Oval Office. I just couldn't sit by, I had to get in it."

"And saved my life in the process," Mindstar interrupted. He and the Guardians had slipped into the room while Jake was telling his story. "And, he missed something else. In the hall, he had me dead to rights. One shot, and I was a gonner. But he didn't fire, and I took that opening to make mental contact. What I saw there convinced me that he was a good man in a bad position. He was right about respecting someone you've fought; if he had the same kind of people I had, the battle would have been dead even. As it was, Jake got a lot closer to catching us than he had any right to. So, when it was all over, I made Jake an offer; work for me on the side of the angels, or face the electric chair for his crimes. He knew that I could get into his head any time I wanted, but he agreed. There's a thick case file in Foundation HQ on the case against one Jacob Pryor. But it's going to stay right where it is as long as he keeps doing what he's been doing. I'm Mindstar, these are the Guardians you're probably more familiar with."

"Uh, hi," she said, suddenly very nervous. "I'm, Wind Shear. It's an honor to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you," Mindstar said, walking over to her to shake her hand. She gulped in surprise as she shook his hand. "I mean, you're the Guardians."

"So are they," Mindstar said, "and you may have saved their lives, and definitely made a big contribution to them all being here in one piece. You have my thanks, personally, and I'm sure that goes for the whole team." The others nodded, the second team a little more vigorously than the first. "And, I have an offer for you. With magical threats like Arcanus running around, we need more magical firepower. I offer you a place with the Guardians."

Wind Shear gaped at him, her white teeth bright against her golden skin. "What? Magic, a Guardian? I mean, I'd love to be a Guardian, but I don't use magic. Firemane uses magic, I just control weather."

"That is where you are wrong, child." A woman with long silver hair strode into the room, her full-length white dress just off of the floor. A silver cat sat in her arms, intently looking around the room.

"Lady Alyina," Mindstar said, bowing to her. The others did the same, except Jake. He tried to bow, snarled as his ribs ground together, and settled for a salute.

"Magic powers your weather controlling abilities. Firemane is a warrior. She uses magic, yes, but her ability to learn new magics is, limited at best. You, on the other hand, are a sorceress. Your powers right now are confined to weather control, but only because that is all you have taught yourself. With the right instruction, you can become a powerful magic wielder, more versatile than Firemane, if not more strictly powerful."

Wind Shear swallowed hard then sat down heavily. "Wow. I mean, after Lake Effect, all I wanted to do was try to be normal. I just couldn't stand by, though, and watch that creature destroy everything. I didn't even know you were there, I had left to get my spare costume. By the time I arrived, you were fighting it. I stayed back a minute, but then I saw you all getting hurt. I got so mad I couldn't think straight, I just flew down and drew the lightning with all of the power I could get. Now, I'm a Guardian and a sorceress. All I wanted to be was normal."

Aria laughed. "That's just like some of the rest of us. Wraith and I, we just wanted to get married, live together, the normal bit. But our powers won't let us, so we use them for good, try to control them. You're lucky; you don't have any curses with your powers."

Alyina cut off Wind Shear's question. "We will have enough time for getting acquainted later. There is another situation developing."

Mindstar took over. "While we were in the air and you all were duking it out with the big ugly, somebody broke into the Art Institute of Chicago. Only one thing was stolen; a papyrus scroll from Babylon. It was listed as part of an exhibit detailing the ancient Gilgamesh legend. Somebody wanted it badly; four guards were killed during the theft. They were killed with a dagger, but the forensics people say that they never saw their attacker, even though all the stab wounds are from the front."

"Magic," Wind Shear said.

Alyina nodded. "Arcanus, most likely, or a servant of his."

"Not Arcanus himself," Firemane said. "He wouldn't have slashed them; he would have thrown fireballs or something else showy. He's not subtle."

Alyina continued. "We thought that the scroll detailed part of the Gilgamesh legend, but there is the possibility that there is something else. Arcanus does not steal for historical import; he steals things of magical value. The thief was after this item specifically; nothing else was touched. Therefore, we must assume that this item has magical value, and get it back from Arcanus as soon as possible."

"Do you know what the scroll says?" Jake asked.

Alyina shook her head slowly. "I can find the translation, but I believe that there is something there that the translators missed. We will need all of you well; we need fighters, not invalids." She strode over to Jake, putting the cat down on the table. The cat walked over to Wraith and Aria.

Alyina placed her hands on Jake's sweatshirt, over his ribs. He winced a little, but her touch was very light. "Hold still," she said. "This may hurt." She closed her eyes and muttered a few words to herself, too quietly for even Jake to hear. A light glow enveloped her hands, then flowed into Jake's torso. Jake gasped at first; it felt like she was pouring ice water right into his chest. Then he snarled as he felt his ribs shift, snapping back together like children's blocks. Then the pain vanished, leaving him with only cool comfort.

"Are you all right?" Mistress asked, concern evident on her pretty features.

He nodded. "Just like setting a separated joint; it hurts like the devil when you put it back, but then it feels much better."

Alyina nodded. "Your ribs are repaired. Hopefully, your pride is bruised enough to remember the lesson: courage is an admirable trait, but it can be taken to excess."

Jake snorted. "Tell Mike that; he'd have done the same thing."

Alyina turned to Wraith and Alyina, but Carlysa shook her head, a disturbingly human gesture from a cat. "You two are not seriously injured, just bruised. You will be fine in a short time."

Mike nodded. "Okay, here's the game plan. Firemane, Wind Shear, I want you two to follow the demon's track back to its start. I'll be in telepathic contact with you all the way. Once you find the summoning point, I'll track down the ownership record on the property. My gut says that Arcanus won't use the summoning site itself as a base, but he won't be smart enough to put the summoning building and his real headquarters under two different names. Once we find the name he's using, we can find his real base."

"Right," Firemane replied. Wind Shear nodded, beaming with pride. They both rose and went over to the window.

"Give me a sec, and I'll join you," Jake said, standing up.

Mike shook his head. "Not this time, partner. The Knight armor is still under repairs; it'll be fixed soon, but they need to get moving now. Why don't you head down to the basement and make sure that it's going right?" Jake nodded.

Firemane sniffed. "We'll be fine."

Mike nodded with a half-smile. "Oh, you'll find what you're looking for, but I don't put it past Arcanus to leave a few traps around the summoning site. You can get a little over-excited when he's involved. Stay frosty."

"With a wind wizard along, that shouldn't be a problem," Firemane grinned. "Fly as the Eagle!" She bounded out of the window, and she was flying away. Wind Shear stepped out of the window onto a gust of wind, and she swooped along after Firemane.

"What was that about?" Aria said.

"Firemane puts a lot of stock in her experience during the war," Mike said. "She likes Wind Shear because Wind Shear looks up to her, but she trusts the core group a lot more than any others. Don't worry, she'll get over it, it'll just take a good side-by-side fight to make her shut up. Come on, let's get the computer fired up. At the speed those two can fly, they'll be on the trail in minutes."

Firemane couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she flew. She loved all of her powers, but it was flight that gave her the most joy. The gray concrete below her and the skyscrapers around her couldn't diminish that joy in the least.

"You love this, don't you?" Wind Shear asked as she flew alongside Firemane. Unlike Firemane, who flew by magic and will, Wind Shear manipulated winds to hold her up and carry her along. Alyina said that Wind Shear used magic to control the wind, which made them sisters, in a way.

"Of course," she replied, "don't you?"

"More than anything," Wind Shear said, smiling. "Still, we need to get to work. We defeated the monster this way." She snapped through a tight right turn. Firemane arched her back as she followed the turn, cutting in behind and above Wind Shear. The winds buoying Wind Shear blew her red hair back from up here.

"Race ya'," Firemane yelled as she cut in front of Wind Shear.

"Firemane," she squawked, "I can't race you and follow the track."

"Aww, you're no fun," she replied.

"But she's right," Mindstar said in both of their minds. "Pay attention, you two. That thing probably didn't follow a straight path from where it appeared to where Wind Shear destroyed it. You'll have to be on your toes to track it."

"Ah, that saying doesn't work right when you're flying, Mindstar," Firemane thought.

Laughter echoed in both of their heads, "Well, pay attention anyway. Let me know when you get to your target."

Mindstar shook his head. "If Firemane doesn't get her killed, she'll certainly loosen up Wind Shear."

Mind Mistress chuckled. She had been listening into the link with her telepathy. "Firemane is certainly a free spirit."

Strongarm grunted. "Maybe a little too free at times."

Powergirl elbowed him in the stomach hard enough to make him grunt. "Let the girl have fun. She's fifteen and having the time of her life. Let her run a little."

"So long as she doesn't run into a trap," Jake added.

Mindstar held up his right hand, signaling for quiet. "Okay, they're on the trail. Just as I thought, it's weaving a lot. Still, they're making good time. That thing moved pretty slowly, naturally. The path is tracking back towards the docks; that figures, it would take a warehouse to hold that thing for long enough to come into this world. Right, they're getting close. Okay, that's it." He started typing at the computer rapidly, typing in an address. "Gotcha. The name is one Hieronomous Acker. Not terribly original, that one." He typed furiously, cross-referencing the name with the list of all properties in the city. "Bingo. Only three properties owned. One was the warehouse; one is a high-rise apartment that I bet is just a mail drop; the third is a storefront building down by the river. Why there?"

"The river?" Wind Shear thought. "The underground!"

"Underground?" Firemane asked.

"The city built underground levels to two streets by the river to try and ease traffic congestion. They didn't put enough lights down there, so few cars use it. It's all but abandoned. That would be the perfect cover."

"You're right," Mindstar replied. "No traffic to see who enters and leaves, coming in and out at the basement level of the storefront. Okay team, scramble. Get ground transport prepped; Firemane and Wind Shear, return to base. Jake, get back into your suit. Let's move, people. Arcanus isn't going to sit around and wait for us."

Arcanus sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He had finished translating the scroll, and now he was getting his due pleasure from the redheaded slave kneeling between his legs. Her lips worked exquisitely on him, but his will would let him continue this for as long as he wished. Right now, he wished for it to go on for quite some time.

He sat up as he felt a snap in his mind, like a wire being broken. Someone had stumbled across the warehouse where he had summoned the demon. And not just any person; only a magician would trip that ward. So, Firemane was looking for him, was she? While he doubted that she alone could track him down here, he knew that some of her allies were able investigators.

Reversing his earlier inclination, he climaxed, spending himself into the girl's mouth. She coughed and choked at first, but Arcanus held her head firmly until he was spent. He pushed her away roughly, pulling his robe around himself.

"Find Takaza, and send him in," he commanded. "Then tell the others to make preparations for attack. I have work to do." He waited until she had scrambled out from underfoot, then turned back to the table. He didn't spare a glance at her bare body as she pulled her robe on hurriedly. He was busy rolling up the two scrolls, the original and the translation, and putting them into scroll cases. He had much work to do before Firemane and her friends arrived.

Mindstar grimaced as his view shifted sharply, from bright sun to the dark of the lower streets. The fact that his view was shifting as well didn't help, but that was a fact of the situation. He and the rest of the Guardians were crammed into the back of an unmarked FBI panel van, so the only way he could see out was to telepathically link his perceptions with those of the driver. While it did let him see out, having his view move under someone else's control was a good recipe for motion sickness.

Any thoughts of motion vanished as he spotted what he was looking for. A big man too well dressed to be down here for no reason, lounging beside a door. The man had the look of a nervous sentry: trying to blend in but too excited to succeed. "Here's where we get off," he said. The van pulled smoothly over to the curb across the street.

"Okay gang, its show time," Mindstar said, returning to his own senses. "One guard on the door. I want him taken down quick and quiet."

"That's my cue," Wraith said, moving over to the sliding door. "I can have him on his ass before he knows we're here."

Mindstar nodded, and moved over to the sliding door. "Strongarm, as soon as Wraith drops the guard, you check the door. Alpha team and the White Queen go in first; Bravo and Wind Shear back us up. For those of you who haven't dealt with Arcanus before, watch it. He's tricky and very powerful. Invisibility is something he's used a lot in the past, both for a tactical advantage and retreats. So stay alert; just because we just passed an area doesn't mean we won't get hit from there. Ready?" A chorus of nods replied. "On three: one...two..."

Wraith started as soon as Mindstar pulled the door handle; Wraith was at full speed within two strides of leaving the van. The guard raised his head just before the gray blur slammed into him, Wraith's shoulder hitting him in the breastbone. The force of the impact slammed the man back into the wall. He rebounded and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Mindstar and the others ran up as Wraith rubbed his shoulder. "Good work," Mindstar said. Wraith nodded in response.

"Door's clean," Strongarm pronounced quickly. "If there's anything on it, it's on the other side."

"Arcanus is not likely to use mundane traps," Alyina said.

"Nothing to do about that now," Mindstar replied. "Strongarm, open it."

Strongarm nodded. Standing in front of the door, he drove both of his hands into the edges of the door. The metal groaned and deformed around his hands, giving him a grip on the door. Pulling back, he snapped the door off of its hinges and dropped it. He and Powergirl charged into the opening, with the others behind them.

The foyer inside the door was wide enough for four people to stand side by side comfortably and twice as long. A single bulb overhead lit the room, and shadowed the four robed figures that shot up out of their folding chairs as the Guardians ran in. Strongarm, Powergirl, Firemane, and Mindstar shook out into a battle line, with the others stacked up behind them.

"Die," one of the robed figures screamed in a man's voice, and the two sides charged forward. Mindstar slammed his opponent back with a bolt of telekinetic force. Firemane snapped off a karate kick to her opponent's midsection, jackknifing her opponent around her foot. Powergirl slammed a straight right hand into the hood of her opponent. Her fist connected with a crunch, and the figure slumped at her feet. Strongarm swung a left hook at his opponent, but the figure ducked under the punch and struck out with a black knife. The blade bit through Strongarm's armored costume and deep into his flesh. He reached back to punch the attacker, but Powergirl stepped in behind his opponent and slammed her elbow into the back of the hood. With a grunt, the robed figure collapsed.

"Are you all right?" Firemane said as she rushed over to him, eyeing the blade on the floor. The blade was about eight inches long, curved and dead black. In fact, she couldn't even see blood on the blade.

"Yeah," he said. "That sucker burns like fire, though. I thought I was tough enough to take a knife."

"A normal knife, yes," the White Queen said, "but not a blade enchanted by Arcanus's dark magic. Firemane, heal his wound and we need to be moving. Arcanus did have a ward on the door. He knows someone is inside that is not supposed to be here." Even now, they heard the sound of running feet behind a heavy door on the opposite wall from the outer door.

"Powergirl, get that open while Firemane patches Strongarm." Firemane squinted at the wound, making some motions with her hands. Strongarm winced, then smiled as the flow of blood stopped. Powergirl stood still a moment, pushing up her density then she slammed a fist into the door. The metal deformed around the impact, pushing the door back and straining the hinges. She slammed another fist into the door, and the metal gave way, falling backwards into the hall.

The hallway looked like a place out of time. Rather than lights, torches along the walls lit the halls, which looked more like old stonework than modern concrete or sheet rock. There wasn't anyone else in the hall then, but they could all hear the pounding of running feet coming closer. There was another problem: the hall split shortly into two corridors, going off in different directions.

Mindstar glanced at the split for a second, then grimaced. "Split up. Bravo, take the left branch; Alpha has the right. Move it." Strongarm and Powergirl led Firemane, Mindstar and White Queen down the right branch; Wraith and Crimson Knight led Mind Mistress, Aria and Wind Shear down the other.

Arcanus silenced the wailing in his head that signaled an attack. So they were coming for him. He still had a few surprises. He pressed the original scroll case into Takaza's hands. "Take this, and go to the gateway chamber. You are to escape with it at any cost. I will take the other and join you in New York."

Takaza nodded. "Your trust delights me, my lord. I shall not fail you."

"Go, and do not fail me. Remember, all are expendable when true power is at stake." Takaza nodded and ran out the door. Arcanus smiled. Truly, all are expendable.

Mindstar slashed out with his hands, driving the sorcerer back. The man raised his hands, obviously about to cast another fire blast. Mindstar beat him to the punch with a spinning kick that snapped the man's head back and dropped him to the floor.

The others were busy with the six dagger-wielders that the sorcerer had brought with him. The hallways were narrow, only allowing two to fight side-by-side, and they contained numerous side passages and secret doors that allowed Arcanus's followers to get around behind them time and again. This was the third group they had fought off, and the going only got tougher. Mindstar and Firemane were rarely using their long-range attacks anymore, relying on their martial arts in order to save their strength. The White Queen stood in the center of the group, watching for the right moment to use her own magic. Sweat plastered her silver hair down showing that even she was tiring.

Powergirl grabbed one of her opponents and threw him into the two figures menacing Strongarm. Firemane jumped into a split-kick, striking both of her opponents and sending them stumbling back. Strongarm spun forward and landed a shot on the fourth acolyte in front of them, dropping the figure like a sack. The White Queen loosed a bolt of fire at Firemane's opponents. The flames caught their robes on fire, and they ran down the hallways, screaming.

"Was that necessary?" Strongarm scowled. "We had them on the run."

"They have given their souls to evil," the White Queen replied. "Besides, they will not be seriously injured. The flames will go out in moments; they are simply painful, not fatal."

"Let's get moving," Mindstar said. "The longer we sit here and jabber, the more time we give them to come after us. I just hope Bravo's having an easier time."

Crimson Knight threw a robed figure into the wall, and barely dodged back out of the way of a knife strike from another. The attacker was off balance as Aria loosed a shriek, slamming him back and knocking him off his feet. Wraith slammed another acolyte, this time a woman from her shriek, into a wall, dropping her.

"That was what, round four?" Wraith asked, breathing hard. "How many of these acolytes does Arcie have?"

"Too damn many," Crimson Knight said. "Let's keep moving. With any luck, we're drawing off enough of their grunts for Mindstar and company to make their objective."

Arcanus snarled. The Guardians were attacking in two places at once. He had dismissed the newer Guardians as a minor threat, but they were heading directly for the gateway chamber. On the other hand, Firemane and the original guardians were heading directly for him. He could warn Takaza and have him leave immediately, but that would allow the second team to regroup faster. No, better to keep them divided and risk losing the original scroll than to face defeat because he was so severely outnumbered. He called the remaining acolytes to him. He would see just how powerful these Guardians were on his terms.

Mindstar looked around warily. Since the attack several minutes ago, there had been no further resistance. A quick telepathic message from Mind Mistress told him that Bravo team had also been unopposed for several minutes. That screamed ambush. "He's waiting for us," he said quietly.

The White Queen nodded. "Yes, you are probably right. In fact," she pointed just ahead, "I believe he is waiting in there."

Mindstar nodded. "Let's not keep the man waiting, shall we?" The others nodded and moved quickly to the opening. On the other side was a vast room, far larger than any other they had seen down here was. In the center of the room stood Arcanus, with his robes pulled down so they could see his face. Six robed acolytes stood in front of him, knifes bared.

"Ah, Firemane," Arcanus said. "I see you brought your friends, as have I. Shall we dance?" His arms came up, his hands crackling with energy. With a pushing gesture, the energy coalesced into a ball of fire and flew at the Guardians. Fire burst from the spot where Mindstar had been standing, but the Guardians had all jumped clear before the explosion. With a roar, the acolytes charged the divided Guardians.

Crimson Knight led Bravo team around a corner into a large room. At the far end of the room, a tall, stone arch stood. A robed figure stood in front of the arch, with his back to the team. Four robed figures stood facing the door, forming a semicircle around the arch.

The figure facing the arch spun around, then yelled, "Attack them! I must open the gateway." He began gesturing wildly at the arch, and the arch began to glow softly, with lights beginning to swirl inside.

"He's going to split," Crimson Knight called. "Hit 'em hard!"

Mindstar ducked down as the acolyte's knife sailed by his head. He struck with a sharp palm strike to the back of the acolyte's arm. The man squawked in pain from his suddenly numb arm, and the knife dropped to the floor. Mindstar spun as he rose, delivering a palm strike to the man's chest that sent him back wards. Mindstar ducked again as an acolyte went flying past his head, propelled by a shove from Powergirl. Catching a precious second, he glanced around quickly.

The battle had split when Arcanus hit them with the fireball. Mindstar, Powergirl and the White Queen had jumped to their left, Strongarm and Firemane to the right. The acolytes had split into two groups to engage them, with Arcanus standing back. Strongarm and Firemane were engaged hand-to-hand with their opponents. Powergirl was handling their third opponent, and the White Queen was readying a shot at Arcanus.

The White Queen's fireball struck a force field a few inches in front of Arcanus, and the explosion only staggered him a bit. Several parchments on his working table caught fire in the blast. He looked at the table, then turned back. "Tsk, tsk, you know how I hate those who can not control their fire." He loosed another fireball at them, aiming at Mindstar.

Mindstar saw that Powergirl had her back turned; she didn't see the ball, and the White Queen couldn't move out of the way fast enough. Concentrating, he raised his force field and pushed out with his telekinesis, sending both women flying away just before the spell hit his force field and erupted. The force slammed him back and stunned him, leaving him exposed.

Firemane saw Mindstar take a fireball that would have injured Powergirl and Alyina if he hadn't pushed them out of the way. She also saw Arcanus loading up another spell to blast Mindstar, who was kneeling and shaking his head rapidly. She had one chance.

"Oh no you don't," she yelled as she jumped into flight, launching herself directly at Arcanus. She raised her force field just before she hit. He didn't see her until she impacted. She slammed into his shoulder, throwing him to the ground three feet away and disrupting his spell. She hit the ground about a foot from him, and was on her feet quickly.

The magician took longer to rise, and his aged face was a mask of rage. "So, you little bitch, you resort to physical attacks because your magic is no match for mine. So be it. Adieu." She raised her force field again, expecting an attack, but Arcanus traced his finger in the air in front of him. When he completed the trace, the air shimmered into a black oval between him and Firemane. He was trying to escape.

"Fire Bolt," she called, extending her right hand and loosing a tongue of flame at the oval. The blackness absorbed the energy, then vanished, along with Arcanus.

Strongarm leveled the last acolyte with a left uppercut as Arcanus disappeared. "Dammit, he got away again."

Mindstar shook his head, rising to his feet. "No use worrying now. That wasn't our first objective anyway. Start looking through what's left of that desk, see if he left the scroll or a translation behind by mistake." He turned to Firemane. "Good move, Firemane."

"Thanks," she replied, then went to see if Strongarm had acquired any more knife wounds.

"That was dumb of you," Powergirl snarled, "taking that fireball. I can stand up to more damage than you can, even with your force field."

"Not your call," he replied evenly. "If you and Strongarm can still move, let's see if we can find Bravo in this rat's maze. They may need help."

Wraith dodged past one acolyte for a run at the guy in the center, but another acolyte managed to tackle him. The acolyte reared up to stab with his knife, but Wraith shifted to intangible and stood up right through the man. The acolyte slumped to the floor, while Wraith shook his head a bit. Absorbing from men never felt right, but his life force absorption was a weapon, to be used when necessary. He turned to find the head guy, but he saw one of the acolytes going from Aria. She didn't have any real defenses, other than the armored costume, nor any hand-to-hand skills. He turned back to help her out.

Wind Shear could feel the power in the room, especially in the arch. It was obviously some sort of gateway, and the man was activating it. She snarled as she stepped back from the battle. She hadn't said anything, but she felt helpless inside a building. Most of her powers were based on controlling weather, so all she could do in here was blow things around by creating wind, and even that wasn't as strong as she could do outside. Still, she was a Guardian, and she had to help her team out.

She saw her chance. The gateway was open, that much she could feel, and the man in the center was about to step through. Wraith and Crimson Knight were busy defending Aria and Mind Mistress from the remaining acolytes. It was up to her.

"Winds, do my bidding," she said, and thrust her hands at the man in front of the gateway. She felt the rush of air flow past her, and saw the man leap sideways as the wall of air hit him. As he landed, a long tube rolled out of his robes. He looked around hurriedly as he felt the tube roll away, his hands grabbing the floor searching for it.

"Stop," Mind Mistress called to him. His eyes glazed over slightly, and he stopped moving. "Stand up." He rose to his feet woodenly.

When he was standing, he shook his head, and his eyes cleared. "What, what did you do to me, you bitch?" He turned to the gateway, which he was now standing beside. "If I can't escape, neither will you." He raised a hand, and energy began crackling around his fingers.

"No," Wind Shear yelled, "if he destroys the gateway, it'll release a massive surge of energy. We'll be killed."

"Go," Wraith yelled as he turned into the room. Crimson Knight shoved Aria out the door as the man's spell fired. A heartbeat letter, a sickening crack and a thunderous explosion announced his suicidal gesture. The concussion of the blast rocked the entire building, throwing the Guardians to their knees.

Aria spun around, "Where's Wraith? Where's Ray?" The gateway room was destroyed, with rubble from the upper floor sticking out through the entry. Dust swirled in the air.

The sound of coughing came from inside the cloud then Wraith staggered out, holding the tube. "Gotta thank Mindstar for the armored uniforms," he coughed. "Saved my ass that time."

"You, heroic, asshole," Aria snarled as she marched up to him, then slapped him across the right cheek with enough force to spin Wraith's head around.

"Hey," he protested, one hand going to his wounded face, "that hurt."

Mind Mistress gaped at the scene then started chuckling. "After that blast," she said, laughing harder, "getting slapped hurts?" The others started laughing as well, except Aria, who just stood and snarled in embarrassment.

When Mindstar and the others came running up, Bravo team was almost crying with laughter. "Do I want to ask?" he said incredulously.

"Mission, accomplished, boss," Wraith said as he held out the tube to Mindstar, chuckling as quietly as he could at Aria's burning red face.

"Come on," Mindstar said. "Tell us about it back at the DOJ. The local cops will be here soon enough. They can clean up that mess."

"This is the original scroll," Lady Alyina announced as the team rested back at the Department of Justice building. "After this incident, the museum is happy to have it off their hands for a few weeks. That should be more than enough time for me to translate it again, to see if where the original translation was incorrect."

"What about me?" Wind Shear asked.

"You'll go back to the base with Bravo Team," Mindstar replied. "There, you'll start studying magic with Lady Alyina, and combat tactics with the rest of the team. I'll have the staff start on an armored version of your costume, so that you'll have some protection in a fight. Welcome to the Guardians. If Arcanus did find out something interesting on that scroll, we'll need the help."