Nicholas Ares
Mr. Dusk
Captain Compass
Capt. Monica Kwok, M.D.
Warren Tether
Kell
Thresher
Capt. Dane Casey
Dr. Jackal
Electro Man
Bruise
Serenade
Lord Raze
#2
"City Under Siege, Part II: Stronghold Below"
Max, Rainier, Seahawk and Tinker are aboard the Mystic II, the crime-fightin’ hydrofoil of Seattle’s own Captain Compass, discussing what they know. As they’ve just met Rainier—first as Davis Alexander before he turned into a big rock guy—the first order of business is to find out his story, which he seems very relieved to finally be able to tell someone.
He tells them he’s an anthropology grad student, and was searching for evidence of the little known Seattle Native American legend of the spirit defender Ta-co-bet (which Max explains is the original name of Mount Rainier, giving to it by the indigenous peoples before Captain George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy came along and re-named it…and Max impresses Davis with this (he learned it in high school on a field trip)). During his archeological questing within the mountain, Davis came upon a hidden chamber, and an urn made of coal. Overcome by a compulsion he now knows was spirit-driven, he smashed the urn, releasing the trapped spirit of Ta-co-bet, which inhabited him and now doesn’t seem to plan on leaving.
After this, he pulls out all his notes, photos, etc., on the cavern, and the heroes try to find out how it all fits together…this ancient evil, these aqua people, and why heroes are being hunted down in Seattle. Captain Compass has been waiting on the Coast Guard boat to show up and tow Reagan’s boat away (and Reagan to jail…he’s still cuffed below deck on his boat). They finally do show, apologizing to the Captain, telling him they were delayed when a body was discovered floating out in the Sound. They had to pick it up first.
Lucy’s blood runs cold. She tries to ask some questions about the body. They explain it’s going to be hard to identify, having been out at sea and been gotten to by many sea critters (the fingers have been eaten off. Ewww). Lucy’s thinking Jass. Max is thinking Electro Man. Either way, it’s decided that they need to get this body I.D.’d right away.
Seahawk puts a call though to UNCLE. Captain Marie Dumont is on late night/early morning duty. He advises they need an autopsy right away, and knows UNCLE has the best people and equipment for it. Marie agrees, and says she’ll page their resident M.D. to come in and meet the heroes there.
An UNCLE van meets them at the marina to transport the body, and they all head back to UNCLE HQ. Captain Monica Kwok, M.D., (daughter for the former UNCLE Physician, Dr. Monice Kwok, who retired and went to work for Questar) is already on site, chugging coffee. She gets to work. Soon, she has the I.D., and the bad news. It’s Jass. Tinker is heartbroken, and angry. Sanction murdered her friend. Per Captain Kwok, he did it on land and then dumped the body out at sea. Lucy excuses herself, needing to be the one to give the news to Ekta, Jass’s wife. She makes the very difficult phone call.
Seahawk is enraged and wants to go beat down the doors at the Ares Global Enterprises plant in Bellevue, which seems to be connected to all this. Max is in agreement, if that’s their only way to get information on what’s happened to the missing Electro Man. Rainier says this is all just a bit beyond him. He’s not a super-hero, he’s an anthropologist. And he thinks they need to focus on whatever dark thing is coming that the Cassians seem determined not to tell them about. Seahawk feels that since these two things are starting to look related, this might be the best way to do that. Plus, with his monstrous rocky form, Rainier could really help with the intimidation factor over at A.G.E. Lucy returns and casts the deciding vote. It’s time to find out what’s going on with A.G.E. She wants to find out what’s in the “Special Projects” room she didn’t get to look into, and if Ares did have Jass killed, she wants to find the evidence to make them pay.
Just as the plant is opening, the four heroes show up, Max flying with Tinker and Seahawk struggling to stay in the air carrying Rainier. Security is all over them at the front gate. Seahawk insists on being let in, but the guards and a high-level P.R. man are having none of that and are threatening legal action if they don’t leave.
But then Nick Ares, the C.E.O. himself, shows up at the front gate. Nick is middle-aged, very charismatic (and cunning) and tries to find out what all the fuss is about. They heroes say they have information that there are weapons inside. He verifies that this is certainly true…weapons manufacturing and military contracts are one of the many parts of the business at Ares. That why security’s so heavy at the plant right now, he tells them, because of all the weapons stored inside. If that’s true, then he has nothing to worry about by letting them take a look around, Max offers. Nick agrees with a winning smile, annoying Max by referring to him as “young man”, and says he’ll be happy to give them a tour personally.
He does so, showing them around the plant. Lucy makes sure they steer the tour near the room she almost got into. The others cover for her and let her slip away. This time she messes with the security camera in the hall by making it go snowy. With no guard this time, she gets to the doors and doesn’t make the same security bypass mistake. She gets them open and slips in.
Inside is a huge room that causes her jaw to drop. There are items stored all over that defy imagination. There seem to be the things from other worlds…plants like none seen on Earth, items of technology far beyond anything she’s seen…plus a huge collection of objects the far history of this world, ancient scrolls and tapestries, handwritten books from ages past. It’s a mind-boggling sight.
She doesn’t have much time to ponder it all, though. She walks around the corner to another wing of the room, and finds she’s not alone. Standing there are a number of large blue men. They look like the Cassians, but these men are wearing armor and are covered with tattoos of glyphs looking like the ones Rainier found. They’re all at least seven feet tall, and massive with muscle. Some of them are armed with sharp weapons. One, who appears to be the leader, doesn’t look armed. They’re all standing near three humans…a man and a woman in costume, obviously super-villains, and one man in a stylish suit matching the description Rainier gave of the man in the cavern. Just as she came around the corner, she heard the lead blue man refer to him as “Mr. Dusk.”
And now they’re all staring at her.
Oops.
Lucy comes running back out the double doors at top speed, with two tattooed blue screaming warriors and two super-villains chasing her. Yelling for help, she speeds back to where the others heroes last were. She’s about to round a corner when a piercing, deafening sound causes her to grab her ears.
The other heroes, and Nick Ares, spin around as they hear the same unnatural sound. They see Tinker leap around the corner just as the wall next to her blows out into the courtyard, blasted by some kind of sonic attack. The source flies around the corner after her, spotting the others. It’s a hovering villainess Seahawk recognizes from his villain researching as Serenade. Along with her comes Bruise, a really big fella with muscles of steel that looks a little unstable behind the eyes. And with them, the tattooed blue boys, blades at the ready.
Seeing Lucy near to one of the warriors, still dazed, Max flies without hesitation at the group and right into the warrior, and the pair soar through the hole to the outdoors. Seahawk yells at Rainier to follow, and does likewise, rocketing toward the big guy. But the big guy is faster than he looks…and, sadly, just about as strong as he looks. He grabs Seahawk out of the air and throws him through a chunk of wall.
Bruise beckons for Rainier to come and get him, looking a little too ready for a fight. Rainier is pretty new at this, not used to fighting. He hesitates for a moment, the figures what the heck, this is sort of what Ta-co-bet had inhabited him for, right? Fighting the temptation to shut his eyes first, he charges Bruise. Delirious to see it, Bruise charges right back at him. But, more being the more advanced fighter, Bruise drops at the last minute and slides, taking Rainier’s legs out from under him and sending him tumbling.
Tinker comes back to her senses to see Serenade floating above her, smiling. The villain tells her she’s been a bad girl, sniffing around where she doesn’t belong. And that she has to sing her to sleep now. Serenade opens her mouth to let loose with more sonic fury, and Tinker whips out and fires her Fire Ant Launcher. Yes, it’s just what it sounds like. Fire ants are sprayed right into Serenade’s face, and into her mouth, causing her to gag and recoil. She staggers, coughs and thrashes all at once, trying to catch her breath, get ants out of her mouth, and ants out of her costume. She’s bitten time and again.
Seahawk sits back up and finds himself charged by a bladed warrior. He gets his armored wrists up just in time to block the swinging sword, and sparks fly. The two grapple and fight hand-to-hand. The warrior Max knocked down is already back up, swinging at Max, but Max manages to dodge long enough to get a punch in. One good punch is all it takes, and the warrior tumbles backward and lands in a heap.
Bruise picks up Rainier and throws him outside, then leaps out and lands on top of him brutally. He lands a couple of heavy punches, too, before Rainier kicks him off. Rainier stands up, really feeling the effects of the beating. Bruise is up, ready for more. Seahawk has dropped his warrior, and yells at Rainier to quit screwing around and hit the son of bitch. Bruise charges. Rainier punches, and connects. Bruise flies across the quad and through the opposite wall. Seahawk and Max cheer the blow. Rainier stares at his fist, more shocked than anyone.
Serenade has ants all over her, and is in blind panic, screaming “Get them off me!!!”. Suddenly, Lucy stands there with a fire hose. “You want it?” she asks. Half-crazed, Serenade screams yes. Tinker lets loose with the high-powered hose, blasting Serenade back into the wall, pinning her there. Finally she cuts the water flow, and Serenade drops to the floor, half-drowned, sputtering and pacified. Taking the chance while she can, Tinker whips out some zip ties and binds the villainess’ hand and feet, hog-tying her. Quick use of a roll of industrial tape binds her mouth as well. Lucy turns to Ares, who’s backed up against the other wall, looking frightened. He asks her what in the world is going on.
Before she can get into it, she hears commotion outside. She runs out to find out what’s happening with the others. Bruise is back, and is slugging it out with Rainier in the quad. Rainier gets knocked back. Seahawk jumps in and slugs it out with him for a bit, too, then gets swatted away. Max’s turn. The kid does good, but Bruise finally catches him with a good one in the face. Staggered, Max drops. Bruise pulls back to finish the job. Max lets loose with a yell and holds out his hands. Suddenly Bruise is slammed by an invisible force, and flies back through a wall, through the plant, out into the parking lot and through a few cars before a Chevy S-10 finally stops him. He’s quite out.
Max falls over, exhausted from whatever he just did. Tinker rushes over to make sure he’s okay. As Rainier and Seahawk try to pick themselves up, they all hear a voice. The lead blue guy, who appears more wizard than warrior, is floating in the hole where Tinker came from, with Serenade floating beside him, obviously due to his own power. He’s already levitating his fallen warriors to him. He tells the heroes they have this one victory, but they’ll find it hollow. They, like the rest, will be but a memory lost in sorrow. With a gesture, his men and Serenade disappear.
Seahawk radios UNCLE for villain pickup as the heroes confront Nick Ares. He insists he has no idea what’s happening, and doesn’t know those people. Lucy demands to know about the Special Projects room. She leads the others there. Rainier is speechless (momentarily) at the unbelievable collection of ancient artifacts. Nick seems pretty perturbed that they broke in and found it. He explains, though it’s not any of their concern, that A.G.E. has many interests, and explores all areas of development and profitability. He says unlike so many others in business, he’s not blind to the kind of world they live in—a world of super-heroes and magic and aliens—and also unlike them, he’s not afraid venture into the unknown. He assures them there’s nothing illegal in the room, which they can feel free to verify, and the worth of this collection should plainly show them why those villains were in there in the first place…obviously to steal things. When asked about Mr. Dusk, he claims to have no knowledge of such a man. He can only assume he was with the other thieves and snuck away during the fight.
UNCLE shows up soon enough, and the heroes have nothing on Ares but speculation. Seahawk warns him they’ll be keeping an eye on him and his company. Looking around at the destruction, Nick requests that they try not to stop by too often.
The heroes ride to UNCLE HQ with the bound Bruise. He’s put into a cell in restraints designed for villains of his strength and size. He eventually comes to. The heroes try to question him. The villain just grins and snickers madly, telling them only that “Something’s coming”, and that he’s on the good list. More questioning yields nothing but more laughter.
Seahawk storms out, frustrated and angry, wanting to hit something. Tinker follows, saying she knows how he feels, but that really isn’t going to get them anywhere. They have to figure out what to do next. It’s starting to sound like they don’t have much time. Rainier points out that the blue guys they just fought were much the same as the ocean-dwellings ones, but different. He talks about the tattooing, and gives a talk about the cultural significance of such decoration, and relates some of the markings he saw to the glyphs. This appears to be a warrior people, cult-like in their devotion. The lack of markings on the Cassians suggests two different sides of the same race, two different peoples and philosophies. Max wants to know what the warrior guys were doing hanging out with human super-villains. That part didn’t seem to make much sense to him.
Seahawk decides the Cassians are about the only lead they have left. They know what’s going on, and he’s going to go find them and beat it out of them if he has to. He and Rainier have a little debate about the proper way to deal with such different cultures. Tinker thinks it might be a good idea if they all went. They’re all involved in this now, and he could use the backup. And maybe a couple of cool heads besides. Max reminds them that they all can’t go underwater like Seahawk. So how are they going to get there if they all go?
Convinced now that numbers are better, Seahawk tells them to hang on while he makes a call. He gets on the radio to his boss, Warren Tether. He quickly explains he needs some kind of underwater transport. He knows there were some leftover projects from the Deep Sea Division—the one that designed the Seahawk armor, originally for deep-sea exploration—when the project got put on hold for other endeavors. Tether says he’s got just the thing. He gives Seahawk coordinates and entry codes, and tells him to be discrete on approach.
After getting all secret I.D.’d out, Jared, Bobby, Lucy and Davis head to a warehouse not far from the waterfront. Finding the hidden code-key pad, Jared punches in the right combo and gets them inside. A hallway leads to another set of doors, and another keypad. After deciding to suit up first, the heroes enter, and find something unexpected.
The center of this warehouse is a pool of ocean water, which appears to lead straight down into the earth. There are computer banks and technology all over, most covered by plastic and long out of use. There’s a glass-walled room above that looks down on the ocean chamber. And floating in the ocean pool itself is a very sleek and snazzy looking craft that makes Lucy’s mouth water.
A large video screen on the wall comes on, and it’s the face of Warren Tether. He welcomes the heroes to the Mariner Base, the secret headquarters for the construction and testing of the Mariner, the craft they see before them. It was all part of Tether’s hush-hush project to further undersea exploration and eventually create and underwater city (well, town, at least). The project yielded the Mariner, the prototype Seahawk armor, and a number of other technologies, but it also started getting too expensive, and other concerns had to be moved to the forefront. The Mariner has been sitting here for some time, with only him and the few techs at Tether International that work on the Seahawk armor knowing about it. It should be fully functional. The craft is both a jet and a sub, designed for flight out to remote aquatic locations and then travel deep beneath the waves.
Lucy (officially a kid in a candy store now) crawls all over and in the Mariner, powering it up, checking its systems, seeing what it can do. Seahawk asks if she can pilot the thing, and she’s pretty sure she can (very encouraging). Max takes the time to check out the abandoned base. There are a number of rooms, including sleeping quarters for the techs and what appears to have been their rec room (several outdated videogames, a pool table and a dart board are here).
Soon they’re ready to give it a go. Seahawk thanks the boss for the loan, and promises they’ll try not to scratch it. The heroes strap into their seats and seal the Mariner. Lucy quickly figures out the computerized controls (very user-friendly) and the Mariner begins to descend. The saltwater tunnel goes down a good ways, then opens into a horizontal tunnel. This tunnel then comes to another vertical one, and she gets them rising. As they approach the ceiling, it starts to slide open. It appears to be a hidden doorway built into the sea floor. It seals behind them again as they ascend into the Sound, and, with Seahawk navigating, the Mariner cuts its way through the cold, deep waters.
They head toward the area of contact—where they last met the Cassians, which also isn’t far from where Seahawk first encountered Kell and Thresher. They cruise around for a while, with Seahawk getting impatient. Soon enough, they’re surrounded again, below the ocean this time. More sea beasts, more warriors. And Kell and Thresher again. Kell and Thresher float in front of the forward viewport. Kell motions for them to go. Seahawk shakes his head and points down. Kell disagrees. Seahawk sits back down in his seat and crosses his arms, a gesture suggesting they’re not going anywhere.
This awkward standoff ends when a large warrior comes swimming up to Kell and speaks to him. It looks like he’s delivering a message, and Kell doesn’t look too happy with it. He stares down Seahawk, then motions for them to follow. He and his fellow Cassians (and Thresher) turn and descend. Tinker gets the Mariner following them. They slip into a deep cavern in the ocean floor, going deeper and deeper. Lucy starts checking the readings and wonders just how much depth the Mariner’s supposed to be able to take. Seahawk says he guesses they’re going to find out. Max doesn’t much appreciate the remark.
Finally, they reach the bottom of the cavern, and the Cassians are waiting. Kell makes a broad gesture and, much to the heroes’ surprise, the sea floor starts to split open. Another cavern is revealed, and the Cassians enter. Nervous about the tight fit, Lucy carefully angles the Mariner in after them. As soon as they’re in, the sea floor above seals again, closing them in. Now Max is getting really nervous. Seahawk tells him to relax. Max reminds Seahawk that he’s the one in the deep-sea suit, of course he can relax.
Things start to get brighter and brighter. They come around a bend, and the cavern ends in a wall of very bright light. The Cassians enter it, and are gone. The heroes look at each other. Rainier says they wanted answers. This looks like where the answers are. Lucy takes a deep breath and pilots them into the light.
They’re all speechless. They’ve just come upon an underwater city. A massive underwater city…a vast metropolis with structures of crystal and corral. There are thousands and thousands of the Cassians…maybe more than that. They can be seen swimming around, riding steeds, moving inside the crystal walls (which appear to have breathable air inside). Rainier is beside himself. This is beyond his dreams, his imaginings. The lost civilization he was looking for not only exists, but is still thriving.
What looks like an entire garrison escorts the heroes, and the Mariner, through part of the city, and they get a lot of stares along the way. Besides Thresher, they’re probably the first humans to ever come here in all these countless years. Their journey ends at an ornate and important-looking building, where a gate opens to allow them in. They follow their escorts in, and rise up to a chamber where their craft breaks water and floats on the surface of a pool. Lucy pilots them to the pool’s edge, to what looks like a dock, and shuts down the Mariner. Their escorts, having left the water, now wait for them next to a large hallway. The heroes give each other a last look, and Lucy mentions that this wasn’t what she had in mind when she got up this morning. Seahawk pops the top on the Mariner, and the heroes climb out and follow.
They’re led to a sprawling chamber with ornate statues of coral. At the front sits a group of serious-looking Cassians, male and female, varying in age. Some varying greatly. One in the middle looks about a thousand years old.
A woman introducing herself as Cana of the Council of the Watch asks why it is they’ve come, and what they’re looking for. She adds that this is a very grave thing, humans being allowed into their city…which she explains is actually a tesseract city, existing on Earth but just outside the laws of physics, allowing great space within a small space. The city is called Stronghold. And they never would have been allowed into it if the Cassian’s existence wasn’t already known to them all, and if the situation weren’t so serious.
Seahawk tells her the “situation” is exactly what the heroes have come about. They want to know what’s going on, what’s coming upon Earth, what was up with the other blue tattooed guys, the cavern Davis found, and just what the Cassians are trying to hide. Kell steps forward to tell Seahawk to show the councilor the proper respect, and Cana tells the “prince” that it’s all right. The news about tattooed warriors seems to rattle them all.
Rainier tries a different approach. He steps forward, respectfully, and explains he’s simply a seeker of knowledge that was searching for evidence of their people when he came upon the cave. He assures the council that he and the other heroes are friends and are only trying to help both the surface world and the Cassians. He asks to know who they are, and what happened in the cavern.
After the council confers among themselves, waiting mainly on a nod from the very old Cassian who watches the heroes carefully, Cana begins to tell their story. Kell, with Thresher at his side, tells portions of it along with her.
In the time before Earth’s written history, there was an age of magic. The different races that ruled the Earth were mystical beings that could wield great power. They were all the progenitors of the race of Homo Magi that would come much later and bring magic back to the Earth (see the story of the Scions in Forte #71). The Homo Magi all left Earth hundreds of years ago when magic began to fade and the laws of science took over. This was the second magic exodus. The first, thousands of years before, was not so quiet.
The races--of which the Cassians were one, living in the waters off what is now Seattle--began to war. Something of a magical cold war began. It eventually turned into a magic world war. There were two sides, one group of races and kingdoms wishing to dominate, the other believing in freedom and peace and co-existence, forced to fight the other side to avoid subjugation and annihilation. The side of the conquerors unleashed powerful, forbidden magics. Magics that nearly destroyed the Earth. In the end, the defenders turned the tide, and the final piece of that victory was when the Cassians rose up against their own brothers, the Karrigon, and stopped their final attempt to unleash a force that would have destroyed an entire continent.
The Cassians and Karrigon, in the history before this, were all one race living under the sea. But a faction of their people weren’t satisfied with the sea, and coveted what the surface races had. There was a bloody civil war, and the Karrigon seceded, leaving their home and taking over the land nearby (right where Seattle is now) and joining the surface nations. They became a warrior offshoot, violent conquerors, covering themselves in tattoos and teaching their children the ways of war from birth. The enmity between the brother nations never healed.
But it was when all was about to be lost for the defender races that the Cassians bravely risked all and stormed the city of their brothers, nearly destroying it in the magic battle that ensued, wizards and warriors alike meeting on the field of war. A heroic few stormed the dark ruler’s tower and stopped the ceremony that almost ended the war…and much of the world.
When all was ended, the Cassians were hailed as heroes. A great coalition meeting took place to decide the fate of the now-conquered conqueror races. The final decision by the great and wise coalition leaders, after much debate, was that magic had overwhelmed the Earth, and threatened to destroy it. The powers used had grown too great, had saturated the land and air, and the world was not meant to contain it. And no race, good or bad, could be trusted to have access to such power. Their final decision was that their time on Earth had ended. They would all have to leave. Earth had to be left alone to develop on its own, without their interference, without the chance of them destroying it. It was time to move on.
Some races were banished, sent off to other dimensions. Those of the coalition left by choice. But Earth could not be left unguarded…not with the vast mystic potential within her that could be exploited should any of their races, with such knowledge, return. A barrier was created, a mystic wall that would allow none of them to return to Earth.
But one race was chosen to be left behind. Theirs was the job of watching over the Earth and making sure none of the other races returned, to protect the Earth and its people if any ever should. For their bravery, the Cassians were the chosen ones. The key to this gate was set up in the cavern that Rainier found. It could only be opened from one side, from Earth. And this could only be done by collecting the group of crystals, hidden throughout the Earth, that would activate it. The Cassians were to stay behind, stay hidden from the world of men and their affairs, to watch over them and the Earth and its magical potential. So the elder races left the Earth, and the Cassians entered their hidden city below the sea. And they stayed hidden for thousands of years.
In recent centuries, changes took place in the politics and social structure of Cassian society. Many no longer saw the need for staying hidden, for letting humanity have the earth all to itself. Cassians began to branch out and swim and hunt the oceans they once called their domain, and they would occasionally be spotted. But as the centuries passed, man began to conquer the sea above, and soon began even to descend to the depths. So the Cassians began to withdraw again, and not all were pleased.
Many Cassians (most, it seems) aren’t that pleased with humanity as a whole, actually. They’ve watched man from afar all these years, watched him evolve, watched him fill the western coast near their home. They’ve monitored the wars, the atrocities, the pollution and destruction. On a couple of occasions when man seemed bent on destroying the world itself (like a time when a certain President Kennedy was in the White House), there was even discussion of rising up against mankind and stopping them from such madness. But the crises always subsided. They even monitored times when individuals or groups attempted mass destruction, but the so-called super-heroes of Earth intervened. Even during the Saoshyant invasion, the Cassians remained below, letting man fight his own battles and choose his own destiny, since it did not fall under their mandate of protecting Earth from magic and/or the elder races.
As Seahawk learned during his first encounter with Kell and Thresher (his human girlfriend), the newest generation of Cassians is angry and especially tired of hiding. They’ve taken to the sea again, a much-debated topic in the council and among their people. And they haven’t taken kindly to humans polluting the seas. Some of them have taken to fighting back against it, with the prince, Kell, leading this movement by example, much to the consternation of many councilors and his ailing father, who remains in bed undergoing a prolonged spell of healing. Kell’s not fond of those above at all…and neither is Thresher, who left that world behind to be with him and join his people.
A direct descendant of their royal line, Kell is especially attuned to magic, and it was this extra sense that allowed him to pick up on something going on in the gateway cavern. It appears that the crystals had been placed over time, not all at once as to alert any of the Cassians who could sense in this way, but it was Rainier’s strong mystical presence that added to it and drew Kell in.
He and the council explain about the gate chamber. They can’t explain how a human, even one that appears to wield magic like Mr. Dusk, would know about it, about the crystals, or where to find them all. Obviously the human is in league with the Karrigon. He, or whoever his masters are, must have access to the dimension that the Karrigon were sent to, and were given the information. Mr. Dusk opened the gate. That’s now apparent since the heroes seem to have seen and fought several Karrigon, also in league with humans (villains and Mr. Dusk). In answer to Max’s question, the heroes are told that closing the gate isn’t a simple process. It takes a massive spell, and the rituals, already underway, take many days. They fear their spellmen are casting in vain. It may already be too late to matter.
So it’s begun. The Karrigon are already here. The Cassians can tell the heroes that the Karrigon have no greater desire than to conquer, and they especially want the Earth, feeling it belongs to them. What their plan is is anyone’s guess, but it will surely involve their mages drawing on Earth’s vast store of magic potential. With it, they will be supremely powerful and destructive, given enough time.
So this begs the question…what are the Cassians going to do about it? Isn’t this sort of what they hung behind to stop? Several councilors look uncomfortable, others look defiant. It’s explained, awkwardly, that they are currently debating that very question as they prepare to defend themselves and their city from attack. One of the defiant councilors stands and explains clearly. Many of them believe humans aren’t worth saving. Especially since it appears humans invited the Karrigon here and helped them enter. Perhaps man has chosen his own destiny once and for all. After all the evils man has brought upon the Earth, perhaps Earth is better off without man. Maybe the time for the Cassians’ vow has past. Maybe man is on his own.
Seahawk is hostile and accusational about this, bringing more teen anger from Thresher. Tinker tries a calmer voice, explaining that mankind isn’t perfect, but doesn’t deserve to be destroyed because of it. Max, with a bit of Seahawk’s anger, wonders how they can just take an oath like that and then throw it all away. Max wonders what the other races who trusted them would think? This raises many tempers and a lot of shouting debate in the council chamber. The same angry councilor leading the opposition party, Notoh, spells out in detail one example after another of man’s evil and destructive nature throughout history.
It’s Rainier who steps forward and calms things down. Speaking carefully and calmly—but poignantly—he agrees with Notoh, and even adds a few more of his own, citing examples in history both ancient and more recent. The councilors listen, as his knowledge of history and civilization impresses them. He discusses what history and the study of civilization teach about man. And he cites mankind’s achievements, how far man has come. He also talks about what man has learned from the past, and how the world is changing, even now, because of that. He talks about the twentieth century, the remarkable time of global change, and that growing pains are inevitable in any great expansion. But he firmly believes that man—as a whole, not as just one nation or another—is headed for a new age of enlightenment and growth. He believes man is only just beginning to fathom its new age, and will, in time, come to see what is within their reach, see the promise of the world that could be.
For effect, he transforms back into Davis Alexander, to show that he is fully human. He talks about the Cassians’ own story, their own pre-history, how even wise and ancient races fell into folly. How the wise among them rose up and stood for what was right and what was best for the world. Man deserves the same chance, and the Cassians can help, can keep the dream of this new world alive. All this growth man has been through, all this potential, will be wasted and lost if the Karrigon are allowed to conquer and destroy mankind. He implores the council, calling upon their wisdom, to answer their calling, to take up their pledge.
The council quietly absorb his words. Cana says the matter was about to come to a vote when they arrived. She asks that they all wait outside while the vote is cast.
The heroes are led out into a waiting chamber, and the more time passes, the more anxious they grow to get back to the surface and see if anything new is going on. Seahawk’s radio doesn’t seem to work down here in Stronghold. Finally, they’re called back. The council waits, standing behind their table.
Cana tells them that she’s sorry. This matter has been decided. The Cassians cannot interfere.
Seahawk lets her know what he thinks about their decision, and when a guard approaches to tell him, again, to hold his tongue, Seahawk decks him. The heroes are quickly surrounded by guards, and Davis turns back into Rainier in preparation for a fight. But Cana calls off to the guards, telling them not to attack. She tells the heroes again that she is sorry, but that they have to leave. Seahawk says fine. He says he’d rather be up there, fighting, putting his life on the line for his world instead of hiding under the waves. He invites them to monitor all they want, to see for themselves that if mankind is going down, it’s not going down without a fight. As they’re led out, Rainier stops and thanks Cana for their consideration, and hopes that they’ll see that they were wrong.
The heroes load back up in the Mariner as Kell and Thresher watch them go. Seahawk’s upset that all this did was waste precious time. Tinker offers that at least they know a lot more than they did before. As riders lead them back through the portal into the undersea cavern, Max asks what they’re supposed to do now. Tell other heroes? Rainier says that sounds like the best idea. The more people that know, the better, especially ones who have had experience with this kind of thing before. Maybe trying to contact some of the Forte heroes would be a good place to start.
When they’re in the open ocean, Seahawk uses the Mariner’s radio to call UNCLE, thinking they’ll ask them to get someone from Forte on the horn. He reaches Corporal Dane Casey, who wonders where they’ve been. All hell is breaking loose. First, a tip came in on the location of the hidden Mandate base, and the whole UNCLE office mobilized, rounding up as much FBI support as they could draw as well, and headed out to Lake Stevens to raid the place. He’s the highest-ranking agent left in the office, and just has a couple of desk-jockey agents with him.
He also tells them, quickly, that something big is happening downtown. It looks like some villains are trying a daylight robbery in the financial district and are causing lot of destruction. Dr. Jackal, Cincoflex and Nightsable have all been seen at the scene. Dane was starting to wonder where the newest Seattle heroes were. He tells them to turn on the TV if they’re near one, as it’s all live.
As Seahawk pops on the video monitor in the Mariner and checks local footage, they see the fight going on. One of the villains is Serenade. They quickly realize this isn’t a random robbery. This has something to do with what’s going on. And isn’t it a little convenient, Tinker voices, that this tip comes in and all of UNCLE and the FBI in Seattle are drawn away from the city, right as this is going on? Max points out the trying to get rid of heroes, and the company people and mob families in the know getting out of town. How does is all fit together?
Suddenly, while they’re watching the monitor, Dr. Jackal, Cincoflex and Nightsable, all standing near each other on a downtown avenue, are caught in some kind of mystical field that seems to be magically electrocuting them. They all shake and spasm against it, obviously in agony. One by one they fall to the street, unmoving. The camera cuts to the villains landing on a short building nearby, looking down and laughing.
Behind them, reality bursts open and a portal widens. They seem to be expecting it. Several robed Karrigon mages float out. And with them floats the unconscious and bound form of Electro Man. One of them conjures, and the other unconscious heroes float up to the building top. A mage waves, and a magical web erects. The fallen heroes are cast against it, and are held fast, arms out at their sides, trapped.
Lucy yells for everyone to hang on takes the Mariner up, blasting out of the ocean. She points the craft toward Seattle and pours on the speed. Max agrees, they should go help the other heroes as fast as possible. She says it’s more than that. They have to get to Seattle as fast as possible. She has a hunch.
Out of the portal, a huge Karrigon steps out, his stature betraying his position as leader of his people. He looks at the Forte heroes, then looks around until he finds the camera that’s pointed at him. Behind him, his mages form a circle. A large crystal (about basketball-sized) floats out of the portal and to the center of them. A protective force field drapes down around the mages, and as they chant, the crystal starts to glow, brighter and brighter.
The large Karrigon speaks to the camera. In a chilling voice, he tells the people of Earth that their masters have returned.
There’s some confusion and the camera jerks around, aiming toward the skyline. A red beam has shot up from the center of the mages’ protective field. As it reaches a certain altitude, it starts to spread out, slowly at first, then starts picking up speed as it reaches out across the city. It seems to be a wall of energy that’s cascading downward, slowly.
Like a giant force field, covering the entire city of Seattle.
Lucy pours it on, pushing the Mariner to its limits, racing toward the city, roaring over the water. They’re close enough to see the field coming down, headed toward the ground, and the water.
“We’re not going to make it,” Rainier points out.
Lucy says they are. The field envelopes the city, the base of it reaching land as the heroes rocket toward it. Lucy yells, again, for everyone to hang on. The field hits the ocean in front of them, and she plunges their craft below the water. They shoot underneath the force field just before it hits the ocean floor. With that, the entire city is closed off.
They notice the TV monitor again. The Karrigon leader is yelling something in another language, already sounding victorious. The camera pulls back again, and they can see dozens of portals opening on crowded Seattle streets. Out of them, armies or Karrigon pour out. Thousands of them, swarming into downtown Seattle, roaring in blood-curdling battle-lust. Seattle citizens scream in terror and flee, pursued by the hordes.
“Oh my God,” is all Max can say.
Thousands of them. What are the four of them supposed to do against thousands?
The camera goes back on the leader.
“Here me, peoples of Earth. I am Lord Raze, leader of the Karrigon, and new master of your world. We have taken this city, our birthright from eons past. We will make it our own again, and our kingdom begins here. Not your armies, your magic, not even your mighty defenders…” He gestures at the lifeless forms of Jackal, Nightsable, Cinco and Electro Man. “…Can penetrate this barrier we’ve raised. Your efforts will be in vain. From here, we will make our preparations. From here, we will rise up and conquer your nations. Know that any nation that surrenders before us now will know a measure of mercy. Those that will not will taste our full wrath. A sampling of this wrath is coming, a sampling of our power, and your fate. Let this day be remembered as the end of the age of man, and the new dawn of the Karrigon!”
Dane is on the radio, freaking out, asking the heroes if they can still hear him. Seahawk, still staring at the screen, tells him yes. Thank God, Dane says, because all radio communications coming into Seattle seem to have stopped at once. Signals are going out, but can’t come in, can’t seem to get past the field. He can’t raise anyone else from UNCLE. He doesn’t know what they’re supposed to do.
Before he can finish his thought, he suddenly cries out, and the sounds of destruction are heard in the background. Seahawk urgently asks him what’s going on. Blaster fire can be heard, obviously from Dane’s weapon. Then, a loud blast.
A blast that sounds like UNCLE HQ just exploded.
