Dane Whitman shivered slightly, pulling his covers tighter over his body. His every joint ached and his heart was heavy - thoughts of the Avalon War and the recent battle with the Ebony Knight* ran through his brain like old newsreels. It seemed that ever since his return to London, his life had been one endless fight after another.
* (see Black Knight #4-6 and Pendragons #1 for more - Barry)
A rather sleepy moan from his side made him smile, washing away the bitter mysteries of the Ebony Knight. He glanced over to see Sersi, her long dark hair lying in a swirl about her head. Her lips were parted slightly and were still moist from the kisses they'd shared only a few moments ago. Dane reached out a hand and lightly caressed her cheek, enjoying the silky softness of her skin. He'd had a lot of doubts about rekindling their relationship, but in hindsight he realized he'd been a fool. All that time he'd wasted chasing after Crystal*, never realizing that what he had with Sersi was just as vital and strong. Sersi had made some major mistakes in her life - forcing the Gann-Josin bond on him was one of them - but she loved him. And he loved her in return. Dane leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before lying back on his pillow, his weary body seeking sleep of its own.
* (Crystal is the wife of the mutant Avenger known as Quicksilver - Barry)
Had he been more alert, he might have sensed the ghostly figure who strode through the walls of the castle and paused at the foot of his bed. The figure was male and wore the stylized armor that was the hallmark of the original Black Knight - Sir Percy of Scandia. Sir Percy regarded his descendant with a look of open sadness, for he felt badly for all that Dane Whitman had been asked to do in his brief life - and he felt even worse for what would be asked of Dane Whitman in the future.
Without a word, the ghost of the original Black Knight disappeared from view.
The mysterious Blue Area of the Moon, constructed millions of years ago by an alien race in hopes of testing another, is unique among the lunar landscape - for it has an oxygen-rich layer of atmosphere. As such, it has been home to both the Kree and the Inhumans over the years - and it is now the captive residence of the Supreme Intelligence.
The sum of the Kree race's greatest philosophers and statesman, the Supreme Intelligence has guided the progress and evolution of his people for many years. At times, those actions have seemed misguided to many... but the Intelligence always has plans within plans, schemes within schemes. So it was that the so-called Operation : Galactic Storm had seeminly ended in defeat for the Kree, as the Nega-Bomb decimated their race. The Supreme Intelligence, however, knew that the Nega-Bomb would, over millions of years, provide the much-needed genetic spark to revitalize the Kree peoples. All it required of the Supreme Intelligence was patience. And so he waited, locked away here in the Blue Area of the Moon... waiting.
Unfortunately, not all of the Kree were so understanding of his plans. For the second time in only a few months*, a Kree warrior stood before him, his fist raised in a military salute.
* (a similar event took place in Iron Man (3rd series) #7, the first part of the Live Kree Or Die crossover, in which the Lunatic Legion attempted to destroy the Avengers - Barry)
Dar-Venn felt his heart swell with pride as he gazed upon the emerald features of the Supreme Intelligence. He was not a young man and never in his life did he ever dream that he would come face-to-face with the being who was the embodiment of all he held dear. His blue skin was somewhat scarred and pocked - the after-effects of the Nega-Bomb had not left him unscathed. "I come before you today, master, to swear to you that at long last the Seven shall know the pain and fury of the Kree's vengeance!"
The Intelligence felt a weariness settle upon his mind - he knew that many in the Kree race saw the Nega-Bomb detonation and the subsequent defeat of the Kree as its greatest failure - a shame that needed wiping from the books of history. To try and explain otherwise was only folly... their minds could not comprehend the scope of his plans. "Your loyalty is commendable, Dar-Venn. I must caution, however, that the Seven of which you speak are powerful foes. Those Avengers who chose to slay me - failures all, as you can see - are dangerous and beyond the resources of a mere research scientist such as yourself..."
"Ordinarily, I would agree, my lord... but I was working on an improvement to the Shatterax armor and I have now perfected it. A suit of armor that will me to paint the stars with the blood of our enemies!"
"You have completed the Quark project?"
"Yes! And I intend to test it against the terran who struck the final blow against you - the one that would have killed you, had you not out-thought the Avengers!"
The Supreme Intelligence smiled then, realization dawning upon him. Dar-Venn was interested only in personal vengeance, unlike the Lunatic Legion - whose dark schemes had conflicted with his own. "The Black Knight? Yes... I can foresee victory for you, Dar-Venn. Go, with the blessing of the Supreme Intelligence, and strike a blow for Kree Liberation!"
Dar-Venn nodded solemnly, the awful weight in his heart lifting. He had lost his family and his career in the war with the Shi'ar. His own body was now dying from radiation poisoning, betraying him at the end. But he would die with the knowledge that the honor of the Kree would be restored... "The Black Knight will die," he murmured.
"She was... nice." Dane Whitman fought to keep a smile off his face as he peered through the microscope. Being at work in a lab again was wonderful. It always took his mind away from his troubles as the Black Knight. If things had gone just a little bit differently, in fact, Dane would have been a scientist full-time and never gone into the hero business at all. The death of his uncle Nathan had thrust the role of the Knight upon him and a sense of obligation had kept him there.
Franklin Wright leaned forward, rolling his eyes. "Nice? Did you get a good look at her? Miriam is gorgeous... and she's got a good sense of humor to boot."
Dane sat back with a sigh. "Look, Franklin, I appreciate that you're trying to find this old bachelor someone special. But, truth be told, I'm seeing someone already."
"You are? Since when?"
"Actually she's an old girlfriend who's just come back into the picture. I'll introduce you sometime."
Franklin shrugged, throwing his hands up. "Okay, okay. I'll take a hint. But I think you're missing out on something special with Miriam. She's a prize catch - if I weren't happily married myself..."
Dane nodded. "If it weren't for Sersi, I'd ask her out in a second. But Sersi is pretty jealous and..."
"Jealous, Dane? Moi?"
Both men jumped in their seats, turning to see Sersi leaning in the doorway. She wore a short skirt and a dark blouse, her hair styled perfectly. She looked like she'd stepped off the cover of Vogue.
"Sersi! I wasn't expecting you..."
"Obviously not." Sersi breezed into the room, passing by Franklin and bending at the waist to kiss Dane lightly. "I thought I'd take a look at this place you were always talking about..." Sersi turned back to Franklin and smiled in a kittenish manner. Dane just sat back and watched her at work - nobody worked a room quite like Sersi. "You must be Franklin. Dane didn't tell me how handsome you were..."
The flush on Franklin's cheeks spoke volumes to Dane. Though Franklin was happily married, it was hard to resist Sersi's charm. "Well... thank you."
Dane glanced at his watch and stood up. "Come on, Sersi - I'll take you to lunch. I'll be back in an hour, Franklin."
Franklin Wright watched his friend leave, shaking his amazement. Something about Dane seemed to attract gorgeous women like flies. "Lucky yank..."
Dar-Venn coughed, the sound echoing in his helmet. He was growing more ill by the day, the sickness that was ravaging him moving inexorably towards its gruesome conclusion. Dar-Venn closed his eyes once, making the mental switch from scientist to Quark, and then sighed with relief. Quark was the embodiment of everything he'd ever wanted - strength and nobility. Clad in a white variant of the Shatterax suit, Dar-Venn was more than just a dying scientist. He was a warrior.
Quark took to the air, reveling in the power of flight. He knew it was all too easy to draw out the terran heroes... Gliding over London, he picked out a building at random and fired a powerful stellar blast. The explosion echoed for miles...
Dane Whitman felt the ground beneath his feet rumble even before he heard the noise. His grip on Sersi's hand tightened as the two stood in the Sycorp parking lot. "What in the world was that?"
Sersi's form shimmered as she used her Eternal abilities to transform her clothes into her red-and-black costume. "Something that bears investigation, obviously. Perhaps we should summon the other Pendragons..."
Dane shook his head in reply. He didn't want to make a habit out of the calling the group as backup. "Avalon." At the sound of his magic word, Dane's form was suddenly wrapped in the armor of the Black Knight. In his hand he held the Shield of Night and at his side was the Sword of Light. A neigh signaled that Strider, his winged horse, was overhead. When the mighty beast landed, Dane mounted it quickly. With a cocky smile, Dane quipped "Go on to the restaurant and wait for me, Sersi - it's been too long since I handled something on my own."
The Eternal bristled at the thought of sending her lover into battle without her, but she saw something in his eyes that made her pause. He'd been even more sullen than usual as of late, refusing to shave the way he'd done in the old Ultraforce days. He needed to prove something - to her, to the Pendragons, to the Lady of the Lake and, most of of all, to himself.
Quark had decimated nearly a block of residental homes before the Black Knight arrived. Amazingly enough, it didn't look like anyone had been killed though there were numerous injuries. He narrowed his eyes as the Knight came into view.
The Black Knight drew the Sword of Light, the sun glinting off its polished surface. "Stop immediately or I'll be forced to take you down." Dane stared at the armored figure as he spoke, trying to place the design. When he remembered where he'd seen it, his mouth dropped open in surprise.
Quark noticed the reaction and laughed. "So... You recognize the armor of Shatterax? It is similar, yes, but in this case it has been modified - You may call me Quark. I think it fitting that you should know the reason behind this attack - the attempted murder of the Supreme Intelligence is punishable by death!"
Dane threw the Shield of Night in front of him just in time to block the energy barrage. His mind was reeling - it'd been ages since he'd thought about that horrible day, when he and six other Avengers had chosen to take the life of the Supreme Intelligence. That decision had driven a wedge between team members and had led to many a sleepless night for all involved. The fact that the Supreme Intelligence had later turned up alive hadn't really lessened the impact... "Listen to me, what happened that day isn't as cut-and-dry as you seem to think. The Supreme Intelligence killed millions of Kree in the name of some mad evolutionary scheme!"
"You seek to spread more propaganda, Terran! You were nothing more than the tools of the Shi'ar oppressors! The blood of the Kree is on your hands..." Quark fired again, moving closer. He wanted to kill the Black Knight with his own hands, make him pay for his role in the desecration of the Kree.
The Black Knight felt energy flooding into the Shield of Night. The Shield could absorb almost anything and it was all channeled into the Sword of Light. Dane raised the blade and pointed it at Quark. "I'm sorry you can't listen to reason."
Energy flared out from the Sword of Light, encasing Quark. The Kree warrior howled in pain, fluttering awkwardly in the air. For a moment, Dane Whitman felt total confusion. That energy blast shouldn't have hurt him, the Knight pondered, at least not that much...
Quark regained his equilibrium and glared at the Black Knight. "My wife and children died in the Nega-Bomb blast - but not quickly. They lingered, dying before my very eyes..."
"I'm sorry - but killing more families isn't the answer. The Supreme Intelligence isn't as innocent as he'd have you believe. I'll go with you to the Blue Area of the Moon if you want - I'll make him tell you the truth."
Quark hesitated, sensing honesty in the Knight's words. But anger rushed in and overwhelmed his doubts - it was too horrible to picture the Supreme Intelligence as the man behind all this. "No! Someone has to pay - first you, then the others...!"
The Black Knight braced himself for another attack but it never came. Instead, a feeling of extreme disorientation overwhelmed him. It was a feeling of detachment, from his body and from all reality. The sensation washed over and into him until there was nothing else.
Quark blinked. The Black Knight was gone, vanished into thin air! The cold, hard anger burned even brighter in his heart. "Run all you like, Black Knight. I promise I'll find you and make you pay..."
Kelly La Croi hated her job. She hated it with every fiber of her being. Especially on rainy days. The sky in New Manhattan was dark and ominous, doing nothing to improve her mood. She was a Tracker, using her mental abilities to find things of value in a world gone mad since the end of the Genoshan Wars.
"No, XL - move it a little to the left. I'm sensing a mystical object about 30 feet below the soil." Rain fell on her curly red hair, plastering it to her dark bodysuit. A sub-dermal patch in her cheek kept her abreast of the latest updates from the Galaxy Newsnet - not that there were any updates she wanted to hear. More riots in the Martian Colonies as a Mutant Rights group was causing trouble again. Kelly silently wished them the best, but she knew that mutants would probably never get back the freedom they lost in the early 21st century.
The robotic digging unit paused as it hit paydirt and the unit raised its humanoid head, peering at its mistress with something approximating curiosity. "You-Are-Correct-Madam. We-Have-Struck-Something."
Kelly knelt by the muddy hole and peered inside. "Good. Let's hope it's worth more than that piece of junk we hauled in last week. What did you finally identify it as, XL?"
"It-Was-The-Right-Arm-Of-The-Avenger-Known-As-The-Vision, Madam."
"Yeah - in other words, junk." Kelly watched as XL began extracting a very large box - it was made of a dark, polished wood and Kelly recognized it for what it was right away. "Yuck. A coffin. Unless it's got Captain America's bones in there, we'll never be able to sell it. Still - open it up."
The coffin's lid came off surprisingly easy - the intense rains that had drenched Manhattan almost constantly over the last few summers had probably weakened it considerably. When the lid was aside, Kelly peered in. She was only 22 years old but she was a hardened Tracker who had seen death many times. Still, what she saw now made her blood freeze.
"What in Thor's name..." Kelly's hand went automatically to the tiny hammer-shaped sigil she wore around her neck. Inside the coffin, perfectly preserved, was a man dressed in dark armor. His skin was smooth and clean, showing no signs of death or decomposition. Indeed, he looked like he was merely taking a well-deserved nap.
Kelly stared at his handsome face for several moments before turning to XL. "Who is he?"
The robot whirred for a moment as his positronic brain sought out the answer. Kelly knew he was comparing the man's features against all the old photographs in his memory banks.
Before the robot could answer, Kell felt a strong grip on her wrist. She turned in horror, staring at the impossible. The man in the grave was sitting up, a look of determination on his face. "Where am I? Where's Quark?"
Kelly stammered, "You're in New... Manhattan... and I don't know where Quark is..."
"I-Have-His-Identity, Madam. I-Believe-We-Have-Discovered-The-Man-Called-Black-Knight..."
In Black Knight #8: Dystopia Part 1! It's the year 2065 and the world is in shambles following the Genoshan War! In the midst of the darkness, however, rises a hero - the legendary Black Knight!
A couple of quickies - the Supreme Intelligence contains several lines that were 'borrowed' from Iron Man #7 by Kurt Busiek. What can I say - Kurt described the Supreme Intelligence perfectly...
The tone of this issue is a bit different from the last few, I think, and that's deliberate. I wanted to have a slight break from the mysticism of the Avalon War storyline.