Dane Whitman stared down into the bottom of his empty glass, the lager having been drained several moments before. He wore dark trousers, a white shirt and a wooly jacket that did little to protect him from the biting winds outside. It was raining cats and dogs, which only made the dreary conditions in Prague that much worse. Even so, the men and women in the pub were dong their best to celebrate the news that was flashing on the telly. The war and its aftermath was going well. Humanity would persevere and recover from the horrors of the Barrier and the Martians.

"He's hopeless," Captain Avalon said, striding across the snow covered grass. The rain storm had passed but everywhere she looked drops of water remained glistening under the sun. The rest of the Knights were waiting for her just outside town. Warren Worthington -- one of the newest of their group -- hoveered in the air, his beautiful wings spread wide, gently flapping. Kelsey felt the stirrings of long ignored lust whenever she saw the man and she knew she wasn't the only one. He was damned gorgeous and knew it.

Sean Cassidy let out a long sigh. During the past few months, he'd come to be regarded as a co-leader for the ragtag group, which had nearly drifted apart following the Collision. Luke Cage had fled to the United States as soon as the Barrier had fallen and Elektra had simply disappeared one morning. Lightning, Magma and the others had all taken their leave in the following weeks... and Sean couldn't blame them. With Dane's departure from Avalon, they no longer had anyone sending them on missions, forcing them to take part in minor skirmishes as the war rumbled to a close. "I'm not ready to give up on him," Sean said, a slight Irish hint to his words. Kelsey knew that he'd suffered a lot when his daughter had died and he was only now getting over the loss. For a brief time he'd taken solace in the arms of his teammate Magma but Kelsey had known that relationship was doomed from the start. The girl had been too young to understand Sean's grief.

The Angel set down on the ground, landing near Lorna Dane. The Pendragon known as Polaris, Lorna had sought out the Knights in recent days, bringing with her the Angel and Havok. with the X-Men no longer operational, the three mutants had been seeking a home and Lorna -- for reasons of her own -- no longer felt comfortable with the current Pendragons organization. "Did you mention my offer to fund the group?" Warren asked.

"I didn't bother," Kelsey replied, waving her hand dismissively. "He's become a bloody drunk!"

"Then we should do it without him," Polaris said, ignoring Kelsey's heated words. The mutant mistress of magnetism allowed her fingers to find their way into her lover's hand. Havok squeezed them in reply, nodding.

"Lorna's right," Alex said.  "It would have been nice to have Dane along for the ride but he's not essential."

"He would have been a link to the past," Sean muttered. "I don't want to let the Knights die... Theresa gave her life for the group and I want to see it continue. But it's looking more like an X-Men reunion tour!"

"We're not looking to highjack your team," Havok responded. "But you've got to admit that there's not much of a team to highjack at the moment."

Sean stewed for a moment and then nodded. "You're right there, I've got to admit."

"So are we a team, then?" Warren asked, flashing that bewitching grin of his. Kelsey felt her heart skip a beat and chided herself for it. She was acting like a schoolgirl!

"Depends on what the hell it is you're planning!"

The Angel looked past Sean to see Dane Whitman striding towards them. As he neared the group, his form shimmered and seemed to alter shape. By the time he'd reached the Knights, his armor was in place, making him look much more dangerous. "I didn't know that Kelsey was here to audition me for a role in a new version of the Knights. I disbanded you boys and girls, remember?" He let his eyes drift over the newcomers. "Actually, you probably don't."

Both Sean and Kelsey started to speak but it was Lorna who talked them down. She moved to stand directly in front of the Knight, so close that she could smell the whiskey on his breath. "You made me your first Knight, do you remember?"

"Yes."

"And I served you well, working as a spy inside the Pendragons. Then you made Toro and all the rest. There's still a need for a group who's willing to get their hands dirty, Dane. You were right about that. All of us want to do something to make the world a better place. Sean, Kelsey and I have all seen the glory of Avalon. We've all drank from its waters and eaten of its bread. We've been made something better because of it. And whether or not you're the Lord of the Lake or have any connection to Avalon anymore at all... you're better, too. Let's go out and save the world, shall we?"

"'What can we do that the Pendragons can't? Or Dragon's Claws? Or the Avengers?" Dane shook his head in disgust. "Go back and join one of those teams. The Knights of Avalon were nothing more than one more example of the things I've screwed up."

"Stop being such a baby," Kelsey hissed from over Lorna's shoulder. The green haired woman shot her teammate a withering stare and Captain Avalon walked away in a huff.

"Dane," Polaris began. "Just listen to us, okay?"

The Black Knight held his tongue. Deep in his heart, he wanted what she said next to be incredibly moving, to be something that he could latch on to and find purpose in. Perhaps it was egotism that had driven him into this downward spiral, the realization that he was no longer the fulcrum around which so much revolved... that the world could go on and be protected without him ever lifting sword or shield. But damnit... it hurt.

This time, Lorna deferred to Sean, who seemed a bit surprised -- but pleased by the recognition of his spot in the hierarchy. "We've been thinking. There's a lot of people out there who gained powers when the Barrier went up. Normal gents who could suddenly lift cars over their heads and ladies who could fly faster than the speed of sound. Many of them ended up crossing paths with the Pendragons as time went by... but an awful lot of them hid their abilities or have tried to figure them out on their own. We'd like to find them and offer them a place to stay -- a place to be trained -- before people who aren't as amiable as we are find them first."

"You're talking about the X-Men thing?" the Black Knight responded. "Find the mutants, give them a place to live if they need it, train them in how to use their powers?"

"Only it's not just mutants," Havok piped up. "We'd be willing to help anybody who needed it. The Barrier was a big equalizer in human/mutant relations in Europe. It wasn't just some genetic difference that granted powers. Suddenly, anyone could manifest at any time."

"Are we really equipped to do this?" Dane wondered.

"I think we are," Sean said. "Several of us have experience working with the young."

"And you know how it seems to go," Kelsey murmured. "Most of the time we'll be fighting killer robots over London anyway."

There were a few knowing chuckles at that and Dane slowly joined in. "That's for damned sure," he said. "Who's leading this motley crew?"

"Kelsey's been doing field work while I've been serving as a behind the scenes leader," Banshee replied. "But if it's okay with everyone, I'd like to suggest that you take over."

Captain Avalon narrowed her eyes at the suggestion but said nothing. Polaris and Havok both nodded their agreement while the Angel shrugged, not caring who claimed the role. He'd been on enough teams to know that the importance of that role varied widely.

"I... don't know what to say," Dane whispered.

"Say yes," Lorna laughed. "You founded the Knights. You should lead us."

"Do we have a headquarters?"

All eyes turned towards the Angel. "If you want a grand tour, I'd be more than glad to oblige." Warren gestured to the skies above. From behind the heavy snow-laden clouds emerged a sleek vessel that reminded Dane of the one Kathryn Janeway had commanded on one of the Star Trek series: Voyager.

"Warren," Dane said with amazement in his voice. "You have way too damned much money."

Eddie Brock wondered where and when it had all gone wrong. Was it back when Spider-Man had ruined his career? Was it when his marriage had gone south? Or was it when he'd gotten trapped under the Barrier, leading to a succession of defeats at the hands of the Pendragons? Regardless, it was undeniable that his life was currently a big steaming pile of shit.

As Venom, he was bonded to an alien symbiont that allowed him to become something more than human. But even after a recent power upgrade at the hands of Blackheart*, he was still reduced to being locked away in Darkmoor Prison. He was kept under constant sonic bombardment from tiny projectors lining his cells, a desperation move by his captors after they'd discovered that he'd been permanently bonded to the suit, meaning it couldn't be taken from him any longer.

(*Back in the classic "Sinister Motives" storyline that ran in Pendragons # 77-80)

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

Eddie looked around in surprise, noting the oddly dressed man who was standing in the center of his cell. The sonics had ceased, giving Eddie the first taste of peace in weeks. "Who are you?" Eddie wondered aloud, rising to his feet. He summoned his Other, letting its embrace warm him. His tongue elongated and danced madly in the air, extending out from a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

The stranger grinned. He had pale white skin and a nose ring whose chain extended to his right ear, forming a loop. He wore a purple suit and a orange tinted button up shirt. Dark shoes rapped against the cold ceramic floor. The stranger's hair was short and spiky, his eyebrows plucked to almost nonexistence. "My name's Glory."

"That's a woman's name."

"And Venom is the name for something poisonous. Are you poisonous?"

"Are you a woman?"

"Such an intellectual, Mr. Brock. Simply astonishing." Glory pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Maybe you're not the man for the job after all."

Venom moved towards the door to his cell, studying the adamantium laced bars. "You're like Blackheart, aren't you? Offering us freedom in exchange for me doing something for you. We're not interested."

"But Mr. Brock... I'm not just offering you freedom. I'm offering you the chance to do something quite amazing. Astonishing, even."

Venom stared at the bizarre little man, wondering if he should bite the man's head off and be done with it. He stopped the sonics, Brock realized. If I don't play along, I'm going to be stuck here. "Tell me what you want."

"The Emissaries--"

"Again? We're tired of those losers!"

"The Emissaries are being rebuilt from the ground up, Mr. Brock. And I think you'd make for the perfect leader for the little group I'm building."

"Leader...?" Brock leered at the thought, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth. "Would we have say over what they did?"

"I have one mission I'd ask of you... and then you may send the Emissaries against whomever you wish. Including Spider-Man."

Venom laughed madly. "It sounds like we might have a deal."

Alex rolled over onto his back, staring at the mosaic tiles on the ceiling above his bed. They showed images of Avalon, pastoral scenes that spoke of peace and love. "Did it really look like that?" he asked, his voice still husky with lust.

Lorna kicked the sheets off her legs, letting them cool off. "More or less. Not sure why Warren went to the extra expense to put those tiles up."

"He couldn't find a mirror, I suppose."

Lorna chuckled. "It's good to be with you again, Alex."

"Same here. I was worried you'd have moved on while you were under the Barrier."

"I did. A thousand times. But not really. I can't quit you, it looks like."

Alex turned his head to stare into her eyes. They were sparkling in the dim lighting of the room. "This is going to be great. I can feel it."

"I think so, too. It's an odd group... but I think we all have something in common. We've all lost so much over the years. And we all have family issues to spare."

"Maybe that's we can be for each other. A surrogate family."

Lorna kissed him on the mouth, their embrace turning from light and playful to hot and heavy in seconds. She pulled away, grinning. "You're insatiable."

"Just making up for lost time," he replied.

"The three of us are the parents of this little group, y'know." Banshee stood on an exterior terrace, the wind whipping through his red-hued locks. With him were the Black Knight and Captain Avalon. All three were in uniform, staring down at the beauty that was London. It had suffered much during the Black Mass Barrier but it was a proud city in a proud nation and it would endure.

"They're not children," the Knight said. "I don't think we need to baby them."

Captain Avalon crossed her arms. "No, Sean's right. They think this is going to be fun. A chance for Lorna and Alex to renew their love affair and for Warren to flip around with his buttocks looking all shapely."

Dane cast a glance at Avalon, wondering at her choice of words. He decided not to pursue the matter of Warren's buttocks, instead saying "So how are we going to find these magical beings in need of training?"

"The Angel paid to have a device made that's based on the old Cerebro designs," Sean answered. "That machine would take a telepath's brain waves and allow him to track down mutant energy signatures."

"Too bad we don't have a telepath onboard."

"Not really," Kelsey said. "This one tracks magical energy. So all we need is someone who's been touched by the Pendragon spirit to power it. I could do it -- and so can Sean, Lorna or you."

"Sounds easy enough... so when are we going to give it a try?"

"Whenever you're ready. You're team leader. You put on the sparkly hat first." Kelsey's words were laced with scorn but Dane didn't take offense. He knew better than most how hard it was for Kelsey... and how her prickly facade was a mask for the truly caring woman who lay underneath the costume.

"I'm eager to get started."

Sean clasped Dane on the shoulder. "Then let's take you down to the command center, shall we?" The trio walked together through the ship, which contained enough living quarters for a dozen people. A fully stocked kitchen and dining hall were mixed in with training facilities, meeting rooms and a full theatre equipped to show movies. Wherever Dane looked, he saw televisions and laptops filling wallspace shelving.

"This thing have a laboratory?"

"It has two," Sean replied with a laugh. "Here's the first one."

The Black Knight followed the mutant into a fully stocked lab that sent his heart racing. The level of sophistication rivaled that of the Avengers' private lab. "Sean, I may have just died and gone to heaven."

Warren Worthington knelt on the floor of his room, his wings folded back behind him. "I did like you asked. They're assembled."

"Even Dane?"

Warren nodded at the woman before him, who appeared in a shimmering halo of light. She was beautiful, looking so regal in her full Otherworld regalia. "He's our leader. Care to fill me in on why we're doing this?"

"I want to keep Dane where I can watch him. And he can do some good this way, I'm sure."

"I missed you."

Betsy Braddock smiled softly. "I missed you, too, Warren. It's good to have everyone back where they should be."

TO BE CONTINUED

Next Issue: The Knights undertake their first mission as a revamped unit, coming face to face with a young girl whose out of control powers might threaten all of England. Plus: prepare yourself for the debut of the new Emissaries... a group whose lineup will haunt the hearts and minds of our heroes for some time to come.