Pax Roma |
What's Been Happening: The fiendish Mandragon has assembled a Who's Who of former Captain Britain villains, each of whom has reason to desire revenge on the Braddock family. With these criminal masterminds at his side, Mandragon has launched a plot designed to bring down King Brian's reign in Otherworld. His first salvo in this war, a series of feints and misdirections, has left brave Sir Benedict with terrible injuries and the kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war. But there are signs that the Braddocks are not going down without a fight -- Betsy Braddock, the current bearer of the Captain Britain name, defeated Dr. Synne, who had masterminded the attack on Sir Benedict, while King Brian took down his oldest of foes, the Reaver, in man-to-man combat. Now, the bloodthirsty Slaymaster continues to take a time-displaced younger version of Brian Braddock under his wing, while Betsy returns to her childhood home, which now lies in ruins.....
Braddock Manor, England
"Are you going to be okay?"
Betsy Braddock stood in the midst of the ruins, a small flop-eared toy in her hand. It was a rabbit, stuffed full of cotton, that had once served to keep her safe and warm in bed... now a deep gash in the side of the toy had spilled stuffing out onto the ground and a large portion of its face was a blackened mess. She took one final look at Mr. Mopsy before tossing him to the still smoldering earth. "I'm as fine as can be expected, Meggan. This poor house has been through so much over the years -- all of Mastermind's antics, the Fury's attack on the grounds and now this... Who would have thought that old Dr. Synne could cause so much mayhem."
Meggan, dressed in the familiar green and black costume that had served as her Excalibur uniform, nodded mutely. She had one hand resting protectively on her swelling belly, inside which her unborn child kicked and turned. She felt sad and disappointed that this supposedly joyous time for her and Brian had become one of war and despair. As her empathic shapechanging powers usually reflected her moods, it caused her now to look wan and sick of heart. But there was still a beauty about her that could not be denied and she knew that Betsy valued her presence as a friend and a confidante. "Are you going to stay at the castle with Brian and I? You know you're welcome to."
Betsy -- clad in the bright red, white and blue of her Captain Britain uniform, flashed a grateful smile but shook her head. "Thank you, luv, but I plan to stay at Lyonesse until we can get the Manor rebuilt. It's a tempting offer, though."
"You're planning to rebuild after all, then?"
"Of course," Captain Britain replied. "We're Braddocks, you know -- Knock us down and we get right back up." She lifted off into the air, Meggan joining her in flight. Off in the distance, a couple of the Captain Britain Corps watched over them protectively. "I wish Brian hadn't insisted on giving us a guard like that... We're capable of handling most things on our own, I like to think."
"He's worried about the baby," Meggan replied. She waved to the Corpsmen, who saluted in return. She'd always found the various members of the Corps to be fascinating people, with many of them being variants on her own beloved Brian. "The idea that anyone would take those lies of Mandragon's and believe them is really bothering him. That's why he wants to go on a tour of the provinces and speak to the people directly."
"A good idea," Betsy agreed. The two women soared up high enough so that they could see the Manor from a better vantage point. From the sky, it looked like a war zone, which Captain Britain mused, it probably was. "But Brian should keep in mind that Mandragon's agents are using deception as their most powerful tool -- using illusion and charisma-augmenting devices to sway the minds of Otherworld's citizens."
"I tried to tell him that but you know Brian...."
Betsy smiled at that. She did know Brian and she was well aware of the incredibly lofty standards to which he held himself. The strains of leadership wore heavily on him, but she knew that he could handle it. But Meggan, though made of sterner stuff than most, was far more fragile -- especially in her current physical state. Reaching out with a hand, Captain Britain took her sister-in-law's fingers in her own. "Would you like to come to Lyonesse with me? I don't think you've been before."
Recognizing -- and eternally grateful for -- what was meant to be a distraction, Meggan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please. There are days when I wish that Brian and I could go back to being heroes... We'd love to be part of the Pendragons."
"Well, after the baby's born, you could always join us... Might make it easier than waiting for Brian to return from one of his meetings. You'd have something to occupy yourself with."
To Betsy's surprise, Meggan looked like she'd been waiting for just such an invitation. "I think I may take you up on that, Betsy. I'd want to be with the baby as much as possible, but getting away from Otherworld and its stresses might be nice sometimes."
"Okay -- I'm sure the other members of the group won't have any problem with it. Until the baby comes, you can just consider yourself a reserve member of the Pendragons -- and after that, you're welcome to join us more frequently." Though I wonder, Betsy mused, if Brian will share your enthusiasm over this decision.....
Otherworld -- Braddock Palace
King Brian, clothed in the dark blue costume once worn by his father, sat upon his throne and gazed steadily at the four beings before him. They were all survivors of what Merlyn had called the Chamber of Failures, part of a genetic experiment to create the true Guardian of the Omniverse. That experiment had resulted in the eventual birth of Brian and Betsy Braddock, but not before some four dozen or so attempts had failed -- of which Jamie Braddock was one.
The three men and one woman who stood before the King were the elected leaders of the Failures, ones who, for whatever reason, had been deemed eloquent enough to speak on their behalf. The one who stood in the forefront bore an eerie resemblance to Brian's dead father, which unnerved the King. The woman at his side had shockingly pink skin and purple hair, with delicate features. Behind them were two more men -- one, a black man dressed in a white body suit, had yet to speak a word to Brian, though his eyes betrayed a keen intelligence. The other was smiling with such wide-eyed innocence that it was hard not to laugh... Which was almost disturbing, considering that the man was none other than the mastermind of the whole affair -- Merlyn himself.
Clearing his throat, Brian said "Of course, all of you are welcome to call Otherworld your home for as long as you like... but I take it that some of you are anxious to return to your own realities?"
The man who wore the face of Brian's father nodded sagely. His given name was William and he'd petitioned to speak to the King late last night, as soon as Brian had returned from quieting the rebellions in Everpeace. "Some of us had family that we'd like to locate again. It's difficult to know how much time some of us spent in that Chamber... for all we know, our loved ones could be long dead. But we have to know."
Brian nodded. "Understandable, but you don't have to leave Otherworld for that. I'll have Sammael and some of the palace mystics show each of you what's become of your realities since you left them. A word of warning, though -- there have been a number of multiversal incidents in recent years and some realities have been destroyed, revised or otherwhise altered."
The pink-skinned woman, Gilda, touched William's arm, her eyes narrowed. "Don't forget the other," she whispered, drawing a frown from William.
Brian settled back, glad they had finally gotten around to the true point of the meeting. They'd all made small talk for far too long and Brian was anxious to get on with locating Mandragon. Benedict, newly freed from his coma, was in charge of interrogating the Reaver and Brian wondered how much he'd gotten out of him... "Is there more?" he asked, with mock innocence. His eyes strayed over to Merlyn, who was playing with a strand of his own white hair.
William paused before answering the King. All of them, with the exception of Merlyn, seemed a bit uncomfortable around Brian -- and he could well understand why. They were all considered "failures" while he alone was a "success." They must wonder what sets me apart, he realized. "My Lord, some of us have expressed an interest in what will become of... him." The dark haired man gestured towards Merlyn, who smiled at the suddent attention. A small bit of spittle escaped the mage's lips and pooled in the corners of his mouth. "He is obviously mad... but he is the one responsible for our imprisonment. There are many amongst us who want to see justice done."
"Don't you think it has been?" Brian asked, his voice taking on a sharper tone. "The man has lost his sanity. He is nothing more than a child now -- considering how great his intellect used to be, it seems to be quite a fitting punishment."
"Most of us agree. But that is not what I was referring to."
Brian stared hard at William. "Go on."
"We know of your attempts to cure your brother... And we are fearful you will try to do the same for Merlyn. We ask you to not do so."
"I see." Brian looked away for a moment, wondering over the charge he'd been given when he'd become king. Use the power to heal, not to hack. He'd tried to live up to that, but he'd drawn much criticism for trying to help Jamie. Didn't people understand that the man was brother to the King? Brian had a responsibility to him... And Merlyn, for all his crimes, was responsible for much good as well -- the Captain Britain Corps, for one thing. I wonder what Roma would think of all this. I haven't seen her since she appeared to me in the whole Infinitus affair*. Would she think I should heal Jamie and Merlyn?
(*See issue 18 of Pendragons.)
"Perhaps you need not look so far for answers, Brian Braddock."
All eyes, including the King's, turned to look at the doorway. There, standing in pale-colored robes, was a man who bore an amazing resemblance to Merlyn himself. But this man's eyes were keen and observant, totally lacking the clinical detachment that had characterized Merlyn. Brian rose, feeling foolish that he had not thought of summoning this man before. He forgot his annoyance that the wizard had peered into his private thoughts, exclaiming "Wynter!"
The sorcerer-mage of the Pendragons moved forward, ignoring all but the man who had birthed him. Brother to Roma, son of Merlyn, Wynter had spent years running from his father's disapproval. He came to a halt before Merlyn, staring at the child-like being before him. "Father," he whispered, "I've come back for you. May the omniverse never know your tyranny again."
Elsewhere
Roma looked away from the holographic images that floated before her. She waved a hand through them, causing them to break apart and float away like smoke. She didn't need to watch the "tender reunion" any further to know that it only cemented what she'd known for far too long: Brian was allowing himself to fall into the same old traps that she herself had.
When she'd appeared to him months ago, urging him to take up arms against his brother, she had told him that he would have to sometimes raise up arms in order to fight for peace. He'd done so then, but it appeared that he was taking her advice to feel rather than think to the extreme. Jamie Braddock posed a threat to everyone in the multiverse -- he had already tampered with reality to such an extent that not even Roma could fathom all the changes. But Brian was willing to risk his kingdom to try and save him... A noble cause, perhaps, but not a very smart one. Sometimes the few -- or in this case, the one -- had to be saacrificed for the good of the many....
Jamie's genetic makeup is unstable -- even if Brian's plan to heal him succeeds, he'll only be all the more dangerous. At least now he's insane -- but if he had intelligence to guide his awful powers...!
And now this business with Merlyn!
Roma felt conflicting emotions tear through her heart. A part of her -- the loyal daughter who had dutifully sat at her father's side through thick and thin -- was overjoyed. She wished to run back to Otherworld and embrace him, welcoming him back to the world of life.
But another part of her -- the part that thought rationally -- remembered the lies and the deceptions. Her father had held lofty ambitions and had sought to safeguard the multiverse, that was true, but he had thought of individual beings as nothing more than pieces on a cosmic chessboard, to be discarded at will.
Merlyn's full return would spell ruin for Brian's rulership, even if it was not already tainted by foolish notions... Merlyn, despite his plans, would never stand aside and follow another. And, perhaps, Roma mused, neither can I. Once one has drunk from the cup of ultimate power, it is all too easy to second-guess the actions of your successor....
Roma moved through her chambers, her mind working over the things she had recently done. It had occurred to her to work with Mandragon, perhaps use him a pawn of her own, but she had discarded that notion. He was a fool and a zealot... but he had successfully distracted Brian from the truer threat.
She stopped in front of a large shelf containing several realistic figurines. Reaching out to pluck up one in particular, Roma brought it closer to her face, studying the steely look of determination etched on the figure's face. Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, had a quite a history with Brian Braddock... partners in a long, drawn-out affair that included a mystic uprising, the two had become quite close over the years. So close that Brian entrusted Dane with a dangerous mission*, one that had succeeded up to this point. "But it won't go any further, Brian. I'm going to see to that. And I'm going to use your friend Dane to make sure it doesn't...."
(*Back in Pendragons # 6.)
Otherworld, Braddock Castle
"Blimey, but I'd love to bash his head in!"
Opal Luna Saturnyne smiled at her companion, the hulking brute known as Sir Benedict. With his red skin and fierce expression, it was difficult to recognize that beneath it all lurked the heart of a poet. Opal found him remarkably charming. "So did you get anything new from him?"
Benedict looked down at Opal, grinning so that all his teeth showed. They were outside one of the dungeon cells, in which Joshua Stragg sat chained to a wall. The so-called Reaver had led the uprising in Everpeace, but was nothing more than a cog in the great war machine of Mandragon. "Not much, m'lady. Most of what we know still comes from Lady Betsy's mind-swipe of Dr. Synne. There was one thing that caught my ear, though... He made some reference to Slaymaster being in charge of the armies -- and that his chief pupil was 'young Brian.' He wouldn't open up any more from there, though. Not even after I... encouraged... him."
Benedict's coarse laughter left little doubt as to how he'd tried to persuade Stragg. Choosing not to press for details, Opal changed the subject by saying "So... Do you think Brian's right in going out for these town hall meetings of his?"
Benedict looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well... I think it'll help. The worst thing a King can do is appear that he doesn't care about his followers. And King Brian's been so wrapped up in this Infinitus mess that it might have come across that way. But with him out there, showing how much he thinks of 'em...."
"Glad you agree, Sir Benedict." Brian strode into view, smiling to let them both know that he wasn't deliberately eavesdropping. "How goes the interrogation?"
Benedict bowed low before responding. "It would go much faster, sire, if you hadn't ordered so many restrictions on the punishments I could use."
"We're not savages, Benedict. We have to set an example."
Benedict crossed his arms over his massive chest but did not respond.
Opal watched as Brian crossed over to the door of the cell, peering inside. "Are you going to talk to him yourself?"
"No. I'm down here to visit Jamie actually."
That brought both Opal and Benedict to a sudden halt. They looked quickly at one another before Opal turned back to Brian and said "So... Have you found a way to cure his madness?"
"I sent Dane Whitman on an errand ages ago. I think now's the time to see if it paid off." Benedict coughed slightly and Brian glanced his way. "I take it you're as against this as everyone else seems to be?"
"I know he's your brother, sire," Benedict began. He drew himself up to his full height and tried to appear both firm but full of acknowledgement that the King was his superior. "But there have been stories going about that... Well, even before he went daft, he was a womanizer and a cheat. He betrayed his friends and embarrassed the family honor."
"Yes. That's true." Brian sighed. "I admired him so much growing up, Benedict. I wanted to be just like him. He was so smooth and exciting... But then I found out the truth about him. I want to have my brother back, even if he is flawed. I'm no paragon of virtue and neither are the two of you."
The King stepped away from them, leaving both to stare at his retreating back. When he rounded the corner, headed to the cell where Jamie was kept, Opal whispered "He's not thinking clearly."
Benedict shrugged. "I don't know. It is a family issue, isn't it? Maybe he's right and we're basing too much on what Jamie's been like since he lost his mind. Maybe once it's restored, he's just a bit of a black sheep. Every family's got one of those."
Opal nodded, but she was hardly in agreement. Infinitus was dangerous and Brian's steadfast insistence on curing him was one of the things that had alienated the populace. Tread carefully, my King. These are dangerous waters in which you're swimming.
"Do you remember nothing of who I am?" Wynter asked. He and his father were seated outside, in one of the Royal Courtyards. The sun shone down upon them both and the small fairies that flew amongst them were laughing merrily, making little tinkling sounds like water falling on crystal.
Merlyn, whose brilliance had steered the collective destinies of entire universes, smiled at him with no hint of self-awareness. "You look like me. Are we brothers? Maybe we're twins like the King and his sister?"
Wynter felt a profound sense of sadness as he looked at the man before him. Long ago, they'd parted on poor terms, sending Wynter on a journey of self-discovery that took him to a dozen different worlds and times. He'd secretly hoped for a new beginning with his father, though he'd never expected it to come. But this... This was like a mockery of what he'd dreamed of. "You're my father. I have a sister named Roma."
"Oh, really" Merlyn asked. He seemed interested in a distracted sort of way and Wynter realized that his father was staring after the pack of fairies that were buzzing about. "Is she here, too?"
"No..." The enigmatic wizard ran a hand through his long white hair and thought of Kate McClellan. The Pendragon had become his lover of late, sharing her life -- with all its ups and downs -- with him. But he hadn't told of this. It was too personal, at present. Guilt hung heavy on his heart. "Brian has asked my opinion about you. About whether or not he should cure you. Restore you to the way you used to be."
"And how was that?"
"You were smarter than you are now -- a genius, really. But you were also cold and calculating. You played roles, sometimes that of an aged old man, sometimes of a young and direct arch-wizard. You always had plans within plans within plans. Even for my sister and I. Your own children, nothing more than tools for the task at hand."
Merlyn's smile faded for the first time since Wynter had seen him. "I was..." he seemed lost for words and Wynter wondered at how much of the man's intellect truly remained. He was fairly lucid, but beyond that.... "... a bad man?"
"I wouldn't say that. You were just... driven. And nothing else really mattered."
Merlyn nodded as if he understood, though Wynter doubted that he did. "So what are you going to do? Am I going to be like I used to be?"
Wynter looked hard into the eyes of his father. He saw none of the old, familiar aspects that he was used to. Was it fair to condemn his father to life like this? Or was it really a blessing in disguise, a second chance for his father to learn to live -- to love?
"Well?" Merlyn pressed. He leaned forward, like a young boy eager to hear some wonderful secret that he could share with his friends.
"No," Wynter said, reaching out to press his hand atop that of his father. "You're not going to be like you were. I'm going to see to that. You're going to be better."
"Jamie?" Brian asked, staring into the dim lighting of the dungeon cell.
His brother stirred, looking up at him with fear and hate in his eyes. Jamie wore only a pair of small briefs, freshly changed by the staff who looked after his needs, but a form-fitting helmet hid the upper portion of his head. It blocked some of Jamie's reality altering powers and prevented him from summoning the gem that had turned him into Infinitus. "Let me gogogogogo. I hate it here. I hate this. I hate you!"
Brian watched as Jamie lunged towards him, being brought up short only when the length of chain that bound his foot to the floor caught hold. "Stop it, Jamie. You'll only hurt yourself."
"I want to you hurt you, Brian. I really do." Sulkily, the insane Braddock turned back to the wall, staring at it. "I want to make you a little skinny boy again, like you used to be. Then I'd hurt you. Bad."
Brian looked about, at the filthy floor, and found a fairly clean place upon which to sit. "Do you remember that Christmastime when Betsy and I were both about seven? All the snow we had that year?"
Jamie looked over his shoulder at him. "Deaddeaddead. I want you deaddeaddead."
Brian closed his eyes, ignoring the way Jamie lunged for him again, like a crazed dog. He ignored the rants, as well. He'd heard them all before. "We had a huge snowball fight that you won. You always won, Jamie. I admired that. It was so easy for you... If it all works out, Jamie, I'll have made up for all the mistakes I made with you."
"Mistakes?"
Brian looked up, to see Jamie watching him intently. "Yes. I ignored the truth about you for far too long. It should have been obvious. The drinking, the women, the drugs... I bloody ignored it all. You were the one who destroyed yourself, but I should have been more aware -- more willing to reach out. I'm going to rectify things, though. You're going to be whole again. And what remains of my family will be restored." He smiled, hoping to see some understanding in Jamie's eyes. "The Braddocks. Together again."
Jamie said nothing.
Next Issue: First things first -- check out Black Knight: Destiny Walk # 18 and Pendragons # 25, both of which feature the continuation of certain subplots used in this series! Then, come back here as the man known as Slaymaster takes center stage! The mercenary's attempts to mold the younger Brian Braddock into something perverse take a major (and nasty) turn! Join us, as we enter the mind of a madman in "Come Undone."
Author's Notes
Portions of this story lead into Black Knight: Destiny Walk # 18 and Pendragons # 25, which are part of a big crossover to celebrate the anniversary of the Pendragons Universe. There's some question as to whether we're four or five years old, but what the hey -- any excuse for a party, right?
Next issue will focus on one of our more popular cast members, the suave killer known as Slaymaster. Ever since Alan Moore reimagined him in the 1980s, he's been one of my favorite characters and his death was such a terrible waste. Having him restored to life in the Pendragons Universe is my way of reminding everyone how intriguing (and deadly!) he really was.
And what he's planning for the young Brian is so vile even I'm uncomfortable with it. :-)
Keep in touch,
Barry Reese
