The Hellfire Club. Composed of London's elite, it exists in shadow, pulling strings from afar.
On this dark and dreary day, the Inner Circle sits together, planning the next phase in the group's rebirth...
"Things are moving too quickly... after the terrible defeat we suffered at the hands of Excalibur,* we need to take some time to regroup. The last thing we need to do is fill out our ranks with the unworthy."
* (in Excalibur #96-100 - Barry)
The Black Queen's voice was tight and filled with anger - she was well aware that her own personal power base had been severely eroded when it had been revealed that she was in league with the killer Mountjoy,( but she also knew that silence now would only lead to further problems.
* (it was revealed in Excalibur #100 that Mountjoy had been masquerading as the London Hellfire Club's Scribe - Barry)
Margali Szardos, the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club, smiled softly. Her long, lush red hair fell in ringlets about her shoulders, framing her face. How she had returned from her hellish torment she'd suffered at the end of the Excalibur debacle was still unknown and none dared ask - not even the Red King, the sword-wielding thrall of hers.
"Hush now... this Alec Drake will fill our empty Black King slot very nicely. And the fact that he is now in possession of the Ebony Blade makes him all the more effective..."
The Black Queen frowned. She didn't trust Margali a bit... "How do you know he's even got that bloody sword? He certainly didn't list it on his application!"
The Red Queen sighed. She was, unfortunately, growing used to dealing with such simpletons. "I am a master sorceress. I sensed its' taint on him during his last interview. He has the sword - or, to be more accurate, it has him."
The Red King shifted beside her. He wore his long hair loose down his back, his features covered by intricate tattoos. "I agree with the Red Queen. This Drake fellow is intelligent and wealthy - he's also a devoted collector of the arcane, something that may come in handy in the future. His ownership of the Blade only makes him more attractive to us."
The Black Queen sighed, knowing that the battle was lost. She had nothing against Drake in the least - it was the fact that Margali wanted him in so badly that worried her. "Very well. He's already been informed of his membership in the club, correct?"
The Red King nodded. "Yes. We'll send a second message to him this afternoon, requesting a personal meeting with him. His indoctrination into the Inner Circle will begin then."
Behind the three Inner Circle members, the mysterious Scribe recorded all. He was new, though to all outward appearances he was the same Scribe as always. His delicate white skin and long white hair made him look almost ethereal. He made a mental note to begin composing the Drake's invitation as soon as the meeting was over.
The Hellfire Club was returning to full strength...
"I've missed you."
Sersi's words hung heavy in the air as she and the Black Knight stared at each other. They were in one of the spacious rooms at Garrett Castle, each trying to feel their way through the conversation. Once they had been lovers, soul-mates bound together by the psychic power of the Gann-Josin bond. Now, however, they were uncertain as to what exactly they were...
Dane cleared his throat. He was dressed in his casual clothes, having dispensed with his armor upon returning to the castle after his battle with Trion.*
* (see last issue - Barry)
"I've... missed you, too. After spending so much time together, it's been odd not having you around."
Sersi smiled, a bit of life returning to her eyes. She was perched on a tabletop, her long legs dangling over the edge. "Good. I knew that we'd be able to pick up where we left off..."
The Black Knight held up a hand, "Whoa! Slow down a bit, Sersi. A lot has happened since we saw each other last..."*
* (in the Siege Of Wundagore storyline from Heroes For Hire & Quicksilver - Barry)
"I know some of what's gone on, Dane. I know that Hammond disbanded the Heroes For Hire group, and I've obviously heard about your coming into ownership of the Castle again..."
"There's more, Sersi." Dane stood up, clasping his hands behind his back. Sersi's smile never lessened as he spoke. She was enjoying the sound of his voice, the graceful way that he moved. For a mortal, he was stunningly handsome.
"I confronted Crystal* and... well, I learned that whatever I felt for her is in the past. Her future lies with Pietro and..."
* (in Quicksilver #7 - Barry)
Sersi interrupted, "Then it looks like I came at the perfect time. I'll be honest with you, Dane - I always knew that Crystal would choose Pietro over you. She was too devoted to him."
Dane frowned. No matter how much he denied it, he still had feelings for Crystal and thinking of her in Pietro's arms disturbed him.
"That's not the point. What I meant is that I realized then and there that I need to take some time off from relationships. I need to focus on my work at Sycorp and get my head together. There was a time when I was as level-headed as they come... but over the years I've become more quick-tempered and emotional. I want to slow my life down."
Sersi pouted, "And I make your life move too quickly?"
"Sometimes. You're not exactly a homebody, Sersi - you crave adventure, parties, an active social life... those are things I'm not sure I want to provide right now."
Sersi turned her head away, disappointment etched on her features. "So... I should leave, then."
The Black Knight let out a long sigh. He didn't want to hurt her in any way... "Sersi... Look, why don't you stay in London for awhile. We can go out together - start our relationship fresh. We'll see how it goes."
The Eternal paused before nodding, "Very well."
She stood, looking for a moment so soft and vulnerable that Dane had to restain himself from taking her in his arms. "I'm willing to start over...and this time I promise you - it'll work out between us."
The Black Knight started to reply but he held his tongue as she stepped outside. A part of him dearly hoped that she was going to be proved right...
"You seek the downfall of Avalon." The words rumbled out of the darkness, sounding like a thousand ancient voices speaking in unison.
Mordred the Evil nodded gleefully. He was outfitted in his emerald armor, his eyes alight with passion. He didn't like this place, this dark realm where no light could be seen, but he forced himself to smile nonetheless.
"Yes... I want to claim it and destroy it. I want to see everything connected to it smashed and perverted..."
"I see." The darkness seemed to shift and twist, the voices containing a note of interest. "And why should we aid you in this mad quest? What would we gain from such a thing?"
Mordred pursed his lips - he'd expected this. Nothing came for free, after all. "When Avalon falls... I shall give you the Lady of the Lake to do with as you will."
The voices stopped for a moment, considering. "We are surprised that you do not have designs upon her yourself... What better way to destroy Avalon utterly than by raping the very personification of it?"
Mordred shrugged, "Pfeh! Seeing Avalon lain waste to is enough for me - the Lady is yours if you aid me. Will you do so?"
After a pause, the booming voices that sounded ageless pronounced their decision. "We shall aid you, Mordred. We shall hunt down and kill those who would oppose you..."
The darkness coalesced, becoming a solid mass of ebony. He stood almost seven feet tall, his body inky black and full of malevolence. His eyes shown with an eerie red glow and his fingers were curved into claws.
"And when all is said and done, the Lady of the Lake shall belong to the Parliament of Darkness... and her torment will last for an eternity!"
Mordred the Evil nodded eagerly, his heart thudding in anticipation. Finally, after all these centuries, victory was going to be his!
"I need your help, my lady."
The Black Knight stood before the Lady of the Lake, the warm air of Avalon filling his lungs.
The Lady of the Lake, in all her ethereal beauty, floated in the air before him. Her voice was soft and lush, carrying a note of uncertainty in it that Dane had never heard before.
"You know the name of our enemy?"
The Black Knight nodded, "Yes, m'lady. It is Mordred who threatens all of Avalon - he came to me in a dream and later sent a demon to slay me."*
* (this all took place last issue - Barry)
"He and Morgan Le Fay have always hated Avalon... It comes as no surprise that he would once again seek our downfall."
Dane took a step closer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, "I want to find him and take care of this before he can do any real damage. But I need your help, m'lady. Can you use your magic to find him?"
The Lady of the Lake shook her head sadly, "I cannot. The spells that have been weaved about him are very strong and I must save my strength for what is to come... My visions have told me many things, some contradictory..."
The Black Knight backed away suddenly as the Lady of the Lake began glowing with mystical energy. Her head tilted back and her voice took on a faraway note, as if she were recounting a long-forgotten piece of poetry.
"From the past a
threat shall come
to threaten the future of all
The Knights of Pendragon shall be shattered
and Avalon shall fall to the enemy
A new covenant shall be formed
and its actions will carry the day"
The Black Knight frowned... This was obviously some sort of prophecy or warning, though its meaning was lost to him. He felt a momentary burst of anger - the Lady of the Lake often spoke to him in riddles and he had little patience for them.
"What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that Avalon is doomed no matter what?"
The Lady of the Lake looked at him placidly, "The answers you seek will be revealed to you, my Knight. All of our actions are writ long before we are born... We are but players on a stage."
The Black Knight shook his head. It was pointless seeking any more substantial response that that, he knew. "So there's nothing for me to do except wait for Mordred to attack?"
"You shall find yourself busy enough in the days ahead, Black Knight. But know this - I shall summon you when you are needed. Until then, let Mordred put his plans into action... for I shall counter with my own."
With those mysterious words, the Lady of the Lake sent Dane Whitman away. He found himself back in Garrett Castle, his fists clenched in rage. He'd never asked to be made the protector of Avalon, but once he'd been given the title, he'd embraced it. But now she was telling him to do nothing while Mordred plotted and schemed...!
"If you think I'm going to just sit around and wait, m'lady, you're wrong. Even if you won't help me find Mordred, I bet I know someone who will..."
The Knights of Pendragon were hardly household names... Captain Britain and Union Jack were the most well-known of them, perhaps, though neither Brian Braddock nor Joey Chapman visited their former teammates much these days. In point of fact, the Knights of Pendragon were no longer an official group at all. They had scattered to their respective directions months ago, not associating with one another save for the occasional emergency.
What would always bind them together, however, was the fact that every Knight of Pendragon held a portion of the Green Knight within their soul. It was this unusual element of their nature that made it easy for the Parliament of Darkness to trace them. An emerald hue surrounded the Knights, invisible to all but those of a mystical bent... it marked them all as defenders of Avalon, as protectors of the Old Code.
It marked them as prey...
Breeze lay in a London alley, her body shriveled like a mummy. Her eyes were sunken into her skull and her once-beautiful features were now horrific to look at. Above her, twisting in darkness and hate, stood the Parliament of Darkness. It had savored her soul, devoured the portion of the Green Knight that had resided within her. She had sought to damage the Parliament with her Pendragon-granted powers, but to no avail. There would be no stopping the Parliament now... it had developed quite a taste for Pendragons.
Dane Whitman woke up screaming. The images in his head were vague and unusual, but he knew immediately what had happened - a Pendragon was dead, and that could mean only one thing... the war for Avalon had begun in earnest.
He got out of bed, ignoring the stubble on his chin and the ache in his bones. He had a meeting to attend in the morning at Sycorp but that was unimportant compared to this. Most of the Knights of Pendragon were not exactly close friends of his, but they had their ties nonetheless.
"Avalon."
As soon as the word escaped his lips, Dane's armor appeared about him. He could hear Strider flapping his large wings outside his window, eager for his master to come to him. The Black Knight opened the window and jumped onto Strider's back, pulling the steed high into the air. It was obvious now that he alone wasn't the only target of Mordred's... he'd targeted everyone associated with Avalon - and that meant that the Knights of Pendragon would have to be warned...
In Black Knight #3: The Black Knight continues to deal with the ongoing threat to Avalon, as another Pendragon falls to the evil of the Parliament! Plus: Dane goes on his blind date, and is surprised to find out just who he's been hooked up with!