Something Beautiful |
What's Been Happening: Roma, fearing that Brian Braddock had lost his sense of moral direction, led a group consisting of the Black Knight and a revamped Ultraforce on a mission to stop Brian's attempt at curing his mad brother, Jamie. The conflict tore old friendships asunder and resulted in the death of King Brian's older brother. In addition to this, both the King and his wife were sorely wounded, leaving many to fear for the safety of Brian's unborn child... Meanwhile, the evil Slaymaster has become an agent of Mandragon, who seeks to depose Brian Braddock from the throne. To this end, they have brought a time-displaced version of Brian from the past, when he was of an age that could be more easily manipulated. They hope to twist his mind, making him their slave, and have him seize the power that only Brian Braddock can claim: the power of Otherworld itself!
Otherworld, Castle Braddock
"There's a dream that I keep having... It bothers me greatly and I'm not sure what to make of it. Is it a simple nightmare? Or is it something more? An omen, perhaps...."
"What happens in this dream?"
"I'm wandering through the halls of the castle, but it's entirely empty... There's no one about. The throne room is covered by a fine layer of dust... and the nursery... the nursery is filled with bloody sheets and blankets. I even run out to the stables, but find only bones littering the ground. I scream Meggan's name, but there's no answer -- I'm all alone."
Sammael, Keeper of Secrets, puffed on his pipe and regarded the bandaged man before him -- King Brian Braddock, ruler of the Omniverse. The blond adonis caused the hearts of ladies to flutter every time he made a public appearance, but he was no pretty thing to be admired from afar. This King was a warrior born, almost too eager to plunge headlong into conflict. That tendency had resulted in his current injuries -- and the injuries that had threatened his wife's pregnancy, as well. "When did the dreams begin?"
"Right after Dane and his Ultraforce left." Brian sat up, careful to avoid tearing the stitches that bound his chest together. The wound had been inflicted by a jagged piece of the World Tree, whose magic seemed resistant to his own innate healing abilities. Carefully, he moved to the window, staring out at the beautiful blue skies of Otherworld. "I still can't believe that he would turn against me like that."
"Who, my lord?"
"The Black Knight. We were friends, comrades-in-arms! How could he think I would turn away from everything I had ever believed in?"
"Sometimes power is very addictive... Greater men than you have drunk from its cup and been lost." Sammael blew out a long smoke ring, watching his King closely. "Perhaps this dream symbolizes your fear of losing the respect and love of your family -- as you lost it with your friend, Dane Whitman."
Brian sighed loudly, looking weary. "I have so little patience for this. I am no King. I am only an arrogant fool playing at the part."
"At your core, my liege, you are a good man. Though you are tragically flawed in so many areas, you always strive to do your best. You care for your subjects as if they were your own family. That is the most important quality a King may have -- Believe me, I know that more than almost anyone. I served under both Merlyn and his daughter, Roma. I saw their intelligence and their drive, but I also saw a calculated level of deceit that boggles the mind. It took the creation of a full office -- my position -- to catalogue and keep track of all the secrets they brought into being." The small, withered little man jumped down from his seat and leaned heavily on his walking staff. "You are a difficult sort of King. Time alone will tell if you are better or worse -- but I daresay that you are off to a better start than either of your predecessors."
Brian smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Thank you, Sammael. I'm going to need your assistance in the days to come and... I would like it if you and I could be friends."
Friends. Sammael fought to suppress a smile. Would Roma or Merlyn ever have suggested such a thing? Most definitely not. They had too much sense... Bowing low, he said "You honor me, my King." And you confirm my suspicions that you are altogether too trusting. If this reign of yours is to last, someone must be willing to get their hands quite dirty on your behalf. And I am more than up to the task.....
Braddock Manor, England
Betsy Braddock had to admit that having superpowered friends made life so much simpler. Without the aid of her Pendragons teammates, the Manor would have been months (if not years) in the rebuilding, but now it looked almost as good as new. There were few traces of the debris and horror visited upon the area by Dr. Synne, though Betsy could still picture the devastation in her mind.
"Well, what do you think?"
Betsy turned to see Shevaun Haldane walking towards her. As Dark Angel of the Pendragons, Shevaun possessed enough power to stand toe-to-toe with virtually anyone on Earth. But it was her open nature and solid friendship that Betsy had come to rely upon. "It's bloody wonderful, Shevaun. You and the others are the best mates a girl could have."
Shevaun playfully took a bow, but her eyes were serious as she said "We figured we owed it to you. You haven't had the easiest time as of late."
"Have any of us?" Betsy countered, sounding strangely defensive. "My problems are no worse than anyone else's."
"Never said they were... But at least we don't have the added burden of being both leader of the Pendragons and the heir to a uniquely British heroic tradition."
Betsy moved forward, walking into the small courtyard that lay behind the main house. Her beautiful features, which had graced so many magazine covers, betrayed the stress that she now felt. Her eyes were encircled by dark lines and her lips were set in a look of distress. "Being Captain Britain isn't so hard, Shevaun. Brian and I have never had the widespread appeal that Captain America has in the States. Taking that mantle would be much harder, I would think."
"Then you're wrong." Shevaun put a hand on her friend's shoulder and stopped her in her tracks. Their eyes locked and for one long moment, Betsy realized how very different -- and yet how much alike -- they really were. Children of brilliant, but distant, men, both women had discovered that their fathers held dark secrets. For James Braddock, it was his membership in the Captain Britain Corps and his participation in a vast breeding experiment designed to produce the true heir to Otherworld. For Ranulph Haldane, it was his membership in a cult that spanned centuries, selling the souls of innocents to Mephisto in exchange for eternal life. Both women had become heroes, adventuring both alongside the X-Men and the Pendragons... but where Betsy had started out sheltered and protected before moving into high-fashion and the intelligence community, Shevaun had been a wild-child from the start. Tattoos, piercings and occult studies had helped her cope with a lack of attention at home. "Captain Britain -- whether it's been Brian or you in the costume -- is an important part of the British national identity. Since Miracleman disappeared in the 1960s, England's never been a hotbed of superhero activity. We were left far behind in the superpowers race... It was just one more sign of how we were no longer one of the great forces in the world. But then came Brian... and damn it all if he didn't show everyone that we could have heroes every bit as brave and powerful as any yank. And now with the Barrier in place... You're an icon, more than ever. Britain looks up to you. We look up to you."
Betsy felt a warmth spread over her cheeks as Shevaun's words hit home. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the other woman, smiling behind tears of happiness. "You're too good to me. You all are."
"We give what we get, Betsy. You're always there for us... Each and every one." Shevaun pulled back and wiped away her friend's tears. "You still upset over Warren?"
"Yes," she admitted. "I was so excited when I thought he'd returned to me*, but then the truth came out** and I felt like such a fool."
(*Back in Pendragons # 13. **See Pendragons # 23.)
"Oh, Betsy. There are so many men out there who'd kill themselves for a chance to be with you. Don't cling to the past so much. You and Warren may never be together again... that Barrier might see to that. So, let go of the past... and live."
Betsy nodded silently. Shevaun was right... Ever since Brian had used his powers to restore her to her true appearance and given her the mantle of Captain Britain, she'd lost herself in her work with the Pendragons. Maybe the time had come for her to take a step back and look inward. She deserved a chance at love and happiness... But Dark Angel was also right in that Captain Britain was a symbol of a nation that remained unbroken. She could never give that up. Smiling impishly, she asked "So. Do you know any attractive, single men who wouldn't mind dating a superhero?"
"Actually," Shevaun replied. "I know just the person...."
The Township of Gravemound, Otherworld
Mandragon breathed in the sweet scent of victory and a playful smile touched his lips. Since his downfall at the hands of Brian Braddock and Opal Luna Saturnyne all those years ago, he'd been forced to reevaluate much of his life. He'd been forced to admit defeat and his own inadequacies. He'd been forced to rise above it all.
And now another township on the edge of Otherworld had fallen to his relentless hordes. His army was comprised of the worst turncoats in the omniverse, each of whom were dedicated to seeing House Braddock fall. They had ransacked Gravemound over the past 48 hours, hiding their activities thanks to a cleve ruse devised by Sat-yr-9: a cosmic plague that threatened to ruin another of Braddock's kingdoms. This was the latest in a series of such events, all of which were aimed at spreading Braddock's precious Captain Britain Corps and Dark Guard to their furthest limits.
It had succeeded beautifully. Now he stood on a floating platform, hovering above the township that was now flying his banner. Smoke streamed upwards into the sky and the screams of those still resisting were music to his ears.
"How many townships does this make it, Slaymaster?" Mandragon glanced to his right, to the yellow-suited man who stood at attention beside him. Slaymaster was in charge of training Mandragon's troops and had taken great pleasure in leading them into battle.
"Three, not counting Everpeace, which still has a number of sympathizers to our cause." Slaymaster scanned the smoking ruin of Gravemound, his nostrils flared. "Allah is pleased with us."
Mandragon sighed. He had no abiding faith in gods, of any kind. Men made their own destinies, in his experience. "We were wise to strike during Roma's failed gambit. She has distracted King Brian far more than I ever dared dream."
"His family is a crutch for him," Slaymaster agreed. "Strike at them and he grows careless."
"It can also make him stronger," Mandragon countered. "When you blinded his sister Betsy, Brian returned stronger than ever." Mandragon watched his companion closely. "He smashed your head in with a rock, if I recall correctly."
Slaymaster chewed his lip angrily. "I have no recollection of that."
"Of course you don't. You were pulled from a time period before you died... Though you never tire of making it sound as if you were resurrected by that god of yours."
Slaymaster narrowed his eyes. "Do you have some point to this?"
Mandragon turned to face him fully. "My point is that you have much in common with our young Brian. Both of you are men out of time, aren't you? I entrusted you with his well-being. His training. We need him. But you have gone too far," he roared, his voice deepening. He waved a finger in Slaymaster's face. "You have wounded him. You have maimed him. He will never trust us now!"
"That's where you are wrong," Slaymaster muttered. "He will trust us. He does trust us. I am well-trained in the techniques of breaking someone's will. He will serve us well on the throne."
Mandragon drew himself up fully. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, but Slaymaster did not flinch. "From now on, you will not so much as speak to him in the hallway without my leave. Do you understand?"
Slaymaster paused before answering. He was considering all the myriad ways he could end Mandragon's life right now... Leaving him free to seize control of the entire war against Otherworld. No. This is not the time, he thought. Forcing a look of compliance upon his face, Slaymaster bowed low. "As you wish."
"Good." Mandragon stepped away, nodding. "Then we understand each other. I am the master. You are the cur on the leash."
Seething, Slaymaster said nothing in response. Mandragon's day was coming, he knew. All that was required was patience.
Castle Braddock
Brian Braddock stepped past Sir Benedict, entering the lavish bedroom that he shared with his wife, Meggan. Every step hurt him, causing the wound in his side to flare with pain. He still found Dane's actions hard to fathom, but he knew that pondering them now would not make them any clearer. It was just focusing on Dane... and Mandragon... and all the rest... It kept his mind from the rest of his problems.
The worst ones.
"Brian? Is that you?"
Meggan, looking haggard and weary, lay in the bed, pillows piled beneath her head. A bandage hid the head wound she had received and her hands were clasped over her swollen belly.
Brian sat down beside her and placed his hands atop hers. "How are you feeling?"
"Not very good. They said you tried to heal me earlier...."
"I tried -- and failed. The World Tree has hurt me, Meggan. My powers are barely keeping me going as it is. I'm not strong enough to heal you right now."
Meggan smiled softly. "It's okay, Brian. As long as the baby is safe, I'll be fine." The sudden tightening of Brian's expression did not go unnoticed. "Brian...? What's wrong?"
"I just spoke to one of your doctors. They're worried that... That your fall might have damaged our child."
Tears welled up immediately in Meggan's eyes and she clutched at her stomach all the tighter. "No. Please, Brian... Don't say anything more."
"But Meggan, you have to know--"
"No!" she screeched, her form shifting to a bat-like appearance. Her claws raked at the air, forcing Brian away from her. She looked at him with tearful, but angry, eyes. "The baby's fine. I can feel it!" Sobbing, she turned over on her side and buried her face in the pillows.
Brian stood there, dumbfounded. Meggan was ever the innocent, never able to hide her feelings with the concealment that most men and women master before adulthood. And now he saw the depths of her pain... and knew that he could do nothing to stop it. "Meggan... When I'm healed, I can try to make it better. I can use my power...."
"Go away! Just go away," she whispered.
Hanging his head, Brian stepped back out. He ignored the averted stares of Sir Benedict and the others who had gathered outside their chambers. None moved to stop him, for rumors of the queen's condition were beginning to spread.
He did not stop until he was alone in the throne room, where he sat down heavily in the great chair from which he made his most weighty decisions. Lowering his head into his hands, he could only close his eyes.
And pray.
Braddock Manor
Betsy Braddock stepped out of the bath, wrapping a towel about herself. The Manor was mostly unfurnished now, but she'd gone on a shopping spree with Shevaun and Jaqueline in the afternoon, purchasing enough to make the house livable for a bit.
Despite herself, she couldn't stop wondering whom Shevaun wanted to set her up with. She'd had a lone line of failed romances, dating back to poor Tom through Warren and beyond. But she couldn't deny the loneliness she felt. Shevaun had rather bluntly claimed that Betsy "was in bad need of a shag," but Betsy preferred to think that she missed the companionship and enjoyment of a lover more than the physicality of things.
Such thoughts teased her as she dried her hair and then slipped under the sheets in her bed. She felt so tired, but she was restless as well. There were so many things pressing on her right now -- Brian's problems, the mysterious appearance of someone claiming to be a new Lady Mandarin* and the destruction of the Manor. It all combined to give her a tremendous headache.
(*See Pendragons # 26-28.)
After several moments of tossing and turning, she had come very close to deciding to head downstairs for a snack. She was saved from breaking her diet by the ringing of her phone. Betsy sat up with a sigh and reached for the handset. As soon as she had the phone cradled between her ear and her shoulder, she said "Yes?"
"Betsy? I'm sorry for calling so late but--"
Betsy felt a sudden burst of happiness overwhelm her as she placed the voice on the other end of the line. "Alison? Alison Double? It's been so very long! How are you?"
"Employed with W.H.O.* these days. Exciting work, but dangerous. I'm just glad I was able to catch you. Can you come meet me?"
(*The Weird Happenings Organization, re-instated during the Black Mass affair.)
"Of course... Is something wrong?"
"Very much so, I'm afraid... I'm near Hyde Park, in that little cafe that we used to like."
Betsy heard the sudden click of the line being cut and she wondered for a moment whether Alison had simply hung up -- or if someone had ended the call for thhem." Alison had been part of STRIKE'S Psi-Divison during Betsy's tenure there... and she had been lucky enough to survive both an assassination attempt by Slaymaster and the madness of Jim Jaspers.
"You've been through too much because of your association with me, Alison. I won't let it happen again."
Slipping from the sheets, Betsy began to hurriedly dress.
For once, all thoughts of Brian and Warren were far from her mind.
Next Issue: A new storyline begins, one that will lead us towards our senses-shattering conclusion of the Mandragon/Slaymaster arc! The action turns away from Otherworld, as Betsy Braddock is forced to confront a ghost from her own past... Be here for "Every Little Thing" Part One.
Author's Notes
Back when I was first conceiving of this series, it was meant to be a Betsy Braddock-centric title. I felt that the Pendragons' leader deserved a chance to shine on her own... but before I got around to actually starting work on it, I began to wonder if I shouldn't spotlight Brian Braddock instead, since he didn't have a series of his own. In compromise, I decided to feature the entire family... hence, the name "House Braddock." Unfortunately, the first few issues seemed very Brian-heavy to me, with Betsy as a major supporting character. This issue and the next arc will tilt things back towards Betsy for awhile, setting us up for a status-quo altering time in issue 12. Hope you enjoy!
Last issue got quite a bit of attention on the AV2K mailing list, so here are some of the comments I received:
From Gary Jones:
All I can say about
this issue is oh! thats gotta hurt. I don't think a comic book has ever made me
wince like that before, I re-read the issue with my legs crossed. A disturbing
insight into the warped mind of the Slaymaster.
PS What you had happen to young Brian was nothing to what I thought was
going to happen when Slaymaster took off his clothes.
Glad you found the issue as disturbing as I intended, Gary! Slaymaster is a great villain and I really wanted to spotlight the character's past and madness.
From Gary Halpin:
I've already told
Barry how much I enjoyed and was disturbed by this issue, but let me just say
this to every one: the next time there is any kind of category for most
shocking/unexpected moment in a series,
this will get my vote. What makes it so effective is that it is not just
shocking - it makes perfect sense for the character to behave that way.
Definitely one of Barry's highlights.
Thanks for the kind words, Gary!
Keep in touch,
Barry Reese
