The revived heroes, Watt, Magus, Red Sun, Khan, Supercop, Mighty Man, Nuclear Man, Red Star, Fire-Master, Cosmic Kid and Rhiannon flew through the empty void of space in pursuit of the giant form of Darkmagus. Every android inside Darkmagus’ base on Mars had been destroyed. All that was left was for them to capture the ringleader. But it would not be that easy. “Can’t you hit him with a blast or something?” asked Watt.
“He’s swerving about too much.” said Magus. “I probably wouldn’t hit him!”
Suddenly a massive energy burst ripped into them, scattering them. This stunned everyone.
“Is everyone alright?” asked Magus. “My magic protected me.”
“I managed to transmute the force for everyone else.” said Nuclear Man.
Suddenly the huge form of Darkmagus appeared in front of them.
“Here he comes!” warned Watt.
“You have cost me the fruit of a thousand years!” Darkmagus boomed. “You thought even I would die!”
“Prepare yourselves everyone.” said Magus. “Johangas, I think you know what I have in mind!”
Khan was soon beside Magus, and they soon cast a spell which encased the form of Darkmagus. The tactic did not work. Darkmagus reversed the spell, making the space debris Magus had used to encase nearly everyone else except for Watt and Supercop.
“We’re the only ones left Jim.” said Supercop.
“We’re enough.” said Watt. “We have to be!”
Watt and Supercop began to fly towards Darkmagus, who seemed to be gloating at his triumph. Then Darkmagus extended his arms and fired another energy blast at Watt and Supercop. Again they were stunned.
“There will be no more interference from mere agents as I hunt down the Acolytes in their hidden realm!” Darkmagus boomed. “The Istari’s cause is not won yet! Neither is mine fully lost! Not even the Istari can escape those whom they have betrayed!”
Darkmagus then began to move away. Just as he did the others began to escape from their prisons.
“Blast it!” cursed Red Sun. “We’ve lost him!”
“No!” said Khan. “There is still a chance!”
Khan extended his hand and aimed it at the direction Darkmagus was flying in. He then cast his spell. It seemed that the very space around them began to shake and tremble. Explosions rocked them. It had dire consequences for the heroes. It did them more harm than good. It caused them a great deal of harm.
“Khan!” said Supercop. “We’re dying!”
“The spell was wrong!” said Khan. “I thought I knew!”
Khan paused for a moment.
“Listen to me!” he said. “I can concentrate our life energies into one…no, two of us!”
“Magus and Watt!” cried Supercop. “They are the best ones!”
“So be it!”
Khan then cast another spell, and a glow appeared around Watt and Magus as the very life energies from their comrades flowed into their bodies. Afterwards Khan slipped into a sort of coma. Watt turned to Magus.
“I don’t believe it!” he said. “They trusted their very lives to you and me!”
“And there is only one way we can give them back.” said Magus.
“Isn’t that what we came here for?” asked Watt.
With their comrades lying helpless in space Watt and Magus took off after their enemy.
Marlin and Gandalf watched as the Acolytes slept in the grounds of the mansion.
“The Acolytes have lain in their transcendental states for longer than I expected.” said Merlin.
“It is the most critical time.” said Gandalf. “As their minds draw more and more from the seeds we planted there clearer and clearer grow their visions of the unity permeating the universe and their united places in it, and what they see now will shape them and all the universe for years to come.”
That is indeed what the Acolytes were dreaming of. Each dream was unique, no dream was the same. Alan Sear began to move and groan.
“At some point in time I believe Alan Sear will betray us.” said Merlin.
Solo watched as Daniel Reid continued to examine Darkmagus’ space-craft. He was deep in though, so deep in fact that he did not notice Lug approach him.
“Solo! I hope you and the others were not too disconcerted by my sudden departure from your gathering. Events in the Land of the Gods took me away.”
Solo turned and stared coldly at Lug.
“I have no time for this.” he said. “While you were away two of our team were badly injured. At the moment I am more concerned about them.
Solo them marched away into the mansion, leaving an annoyed Celtic god behind.
A short time later the Acolytes began to awaken. Merlin and Gandalf watched as Leacock began to wake.
“Magus was wise in choosing young Thomas as his apprentice.” said Merlin. “His knowledge will take him far.”
“I am still sorry we lost Jonathon Clawman.” said Gandalf. “His insight would have proved most useful.”
“It is Mother Nature who worries me the most.” added Merlin. “I worry about her stability.”
“Yes.” said Gandalf. “But I worry more about Duncan McCloud.”
The two wizards watched as McCloud walked off towards the mansion. The immortal did not notice them. His mind was on all that he had been told about the universe. He still, however, had one nagging doubt in his mind.
Everyone failed to notice Mother Nature leave their group and move towards the woods. Soon she met up with the dwarf Kon. Kon did not seem happy.
“It is time for you to begin disrupting them.” he said. “The heroes have destroyed our uplink near Loch Ness so we don’t know what’s happening on Mars. We’ve lost so many of our sleeper agents that the people we’ve been blackmailing have began to bail out on us. But the hunt is not over until the kill. Until the Acolytes are completely prepared for transformation we can still beat the Istari, and we will! I want you to assassinate one of the Acolytes, whoever you want, but make it messy and terrifying!”
“Nature must be allowed to run it’s course.” said Mother Nature.
“I know.” said Kon.
“You misunderstand me dwarf. Nature must be allowed to run it’s course, and the Acolytes will soon become one with nature, as will I!”
Kon did not look happy as he drew his sword.
“Just stay where you are.” he said. “If you mean what I think you mean…”
Mother Nature raised her hand.
“I’m not one of you anymore!”
Slowly the undergrowth and the bushes began to grow until they grabbed the arms and legs of Kon, making him drop his sword. Then, struggle as he might, Kon was pulled to the ground by the plants. His cries for help were heard nearby by some of the heroes and the Acolytes.
“I’m one of them!” Mother Nature said over and over.
“What’s going on here?” asked McCloud.
“Look at that emblem!” said Leacock. “It’s the emblem of Darkmagus!”
“I knew it!” said White Knight. “I knew that Mother Nature could be gotten to!”
“Only by myself!” said Mother Nature. “The Istari have taught me much. I have taken the wrong direction!”
White Knight grabbed hold of Kon and dragged him into the mansion where he was soon helped to a seat.
“You don’t have to be that rough Arthur!” said Marvel Boy.
“Rough?” said Solo. “This man and his friends corrupted and killed our friends. So he’s going to tell us where every remaining sleeper agent can be found.”
“No!” shouted Kon.
Solo then moved behind him and placed his hand on his shoulder.
“It’s not open to debate.” he said. “You’re going to tell us, or I’m going to kill you!”
This shocked some of the other heroes. They began to wonder if he was bluffing or not, while some knew that he was bluffing. Solo was then stopped when someone called out to him. It was Daniel Reid. Not far behind him was Stingray.
“We have some news about the space-craft.” he said. “There was something about it that bothered me, so I asked Jock here to help me study it. After some kind of drone attacked us we got inside and found that the ship’s designed for a place where all iron is polarized in one direction, and it’s designed to withstand heat, not cold.”
“There are a number of places that could qualify.” said Stingray.
“But since it was actually discovered at the bottom of the ocean we think it came from the centre of the Earth!”
“And there’s your proof!” said Solo, pointing to Kon.
“There are only rumours of lands beneath the ocean floor.” said Poseidon. “But if they exist the most direct way of reaching them is through a volcanic rift.”
“It was lying next to a rift.” said Aldair.
“Then even though the threat from space was real we almost missed the real significance of the ship.”
“Khan said he couldn’t detect any more sleepers on Earth.” said Stingray. “But I bet he didn’t look inside it!”
“It’ll be their final hiding place.” said Reid. “The last place we’d ever look.”
“They’ll be like rats in a trap down there.” said Stingray. “Perfect for us to attack, and I’ve got something at Muir Industries that might help us!"
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