The Pendragons # 10
Written by Barry Reese

What Has Come Before: The Pendragons united with Ghost Rider in an attempt to defeat Blackheart before the demon could generate a barrier around Great Britain and plunge them into an age of magic. The heroes fought valiantly, with Albion and Gawain both perishing in the battle. When all looked its darkest, however, the wizard Wynter and the Ghost Rider made one final gamble by engaging Blackheart in conflict -- and they were aided by the timely arrival of Adam Crown, the reincarnation of King Arthur, and the long-lost Miracleman, hero of another age. These four destroyed Blackheart forever, but the evil being had succeeded in cutting off Great Britain -- and, by accident, most of Europe -- from the rest of the world. Now, in a land ruled by magic, the Pendragons must bury their own... and find the strength to press onward.

Lyonesse Island, Pendragons Castle

Once upon a time, a golden god soared above the British Isles. His two companions were full of bright power and mirth, cloaked in costumes similiar to his own. The three of them were seen as puckish heroes, protecting the realm from threats both alien and terran.

They were known by colorful names like Miracleman, Kid Miracleman and Young Miracleman. They were immortals, the next stage of human evolution. They flew so high that they touched Heaven.

And then it came crashing down. And now....

And now there was only one. 

Miracleman landed gently on his bedroom balcony, his eyes following the flight path of a dragon some four miles to the East. Gossamer-like strands of light followed Miracleman as he came to a resting position on the balcony and his enhanced senses heard the approach of Spitfire in the hallway outside. The rest of the castle was silent, save for Grace's sobbing in her own room. 

It was half past midnight, four days after the deaths of Albion and Gawain.

The golden god crossed the room and opened the door before Jackie could even knock. She wore an expensive houserobe, demurely cinched at the waist. "Miracleman! I'm sorry if I'm bothering you...."

"Not at all," he replied, brightly. He gave her a dazzling smile and Jackie's heart lifted. There was something about the man that just seemed to remind you of bright, sunlit days filled with great promise. "What can I do for you?"

"I saw your light on and I thought... Well, I guess I want you to know that you're not alone here. I understand a bit of what you're going through, after all. I'm not as young as I appear."

Miracleman laughed, a wonderful sound that seemed to echo through the drafty halls of the castle. "Thank you. You were a big hero of mine, actually. I used to read about your exploits with the Invaders... If not for you and those yanks like the Torch and Captain America, I never would have dreamed of being a hero."

"That's very sweet of you, Miracleman."

"Please. Call me Micky. Or Michael. Whichever you prefer."

Jackie nodded. "Alright. Micky, it is." She leaned against his door frame, watching him closely. Though she looked no older than twenty-five, she was actually in her eighties... and a lot of experience had taught her to look for signs of distress. "You miss your friends, don't you?"

A sadness came over his beautiful blue eyes and Miracleman looked away. "I found some newspaper clippings... both of them are dead. They were killed not long after I disappeared. It shouldn't have happened. No one ever got seriously hurt in our fights. Certainly not the blokes who fought on the right of the side of the law."

Jackie touched his arm and squeezed it reassuringly. She knew, from Wynter, that Miracleman was the opposite of her -- while she was older than she appeared, Miracleman was actually a young boy, housed inside the body of a celestial being. "It'll be okay, Micky. I've lost more friends than I can count, but you have to keep going and honor their memory."

Miracleman nodded, a smile playing upon his lips. "Thank you. I do plan to honor their memory... and I'm hoping that the Pendragons will help me catch up on the modern world."

"Such as it is," Jackie replied. "With half our technology on the fritz and all those stupid gits running about pillaging, it's not much a world, is it? Still... I hope you'll stay with us a bit." Jackie straightened and moved away. "See you in the morning. Get some sleep, Micky."

Jackie blew him a kiss and walked down the hall, waiting until she heard him shut his door. She then made a beeline past her own bedroom and straight to that of Joey Chapman. With a furtive glance to make sure no one saw her, she stepped inside.

The current heir to the legacy that was Union Jack was lying in bed, a glass of bubbly in his hand. The lilting sounds of Kylie Minogue filled the room and Joey cast her a devilish smile. "Thought you'd changed your mind."

Jackie stepped forward, moving slowly. She undid the tie at her waist, opening her housecoat and letting it fall off her shoulders with a shrug. She watched Joey's eyes widen and smiled to herself. The poor boy had grown up knowing her as the mother to his best friend... but since her recent rejuvenation, they'd become quite attracted to one another. "I just stopped in to say goodnight to Micky."

"Who?"

"Miracleman," she said, crawling on all fours onto his bed. She noted with some inner glee that he'd removed the photograph of Romany Wisdom from his bedside table. They kissed lightly. "Let's not waste any more time, luv. Life's too short."

Joey Wilson pulled her to him, awash in the smell of her skin and the feel of her body. The son of a dockworker, he'd never dreamed of holding such a luscious creature in his arms... Trying very hard not to think of his off-again, on-again girlfriend Romany, he took refuge in the moment. 

Life was too short.

And these two lovers would not squander another second of it.

The Next Morning

"Twenty thousand dead," Betsy whispered. "It's bloody astounding when you think of it, isn't it?" The heir to both the Braddock fortune and the heroic legacy of Captain Britain, Betsy Braddock had seen and done things that would have blown the minds of most Britons. She had died and been reborn on more than one occasion, adventuring with the both the X-Men and the Pendragons. But nothing compared to the team's recent battle with Blackheart and the horrible effects it had wreaked on her homeland.

"That's one way of describing it," Kate McClellan replied. The single mother of a teenaged son, Kate had been working non-stop since the horrible events being dubbed "The Black Mass." When she wasn't working to help the wounded as a Pendragon, she was on the telly working as a reporter for the BBC and Astra News. "Tea?"

"Yes, that would be lovely."

The two women were in the castle's kitchen area, warmly bundled against the morning chill. It wasn't just the cold that made them shiver, however, for the castle had taken on a melancholy air as of late. Betsy set down the newspaper and took a sip of warm tea, groaning appreciatively. "Very nice."

A sudden flickering of the lights made both of them look up. After a brief second of seeming indecision, the castle's electrical system gave up the fight and the room was left in semi-darkness, illuminated only by the pale morning sunlight. "Oh, bugger," Kate murmured. "I wish everything would just settle down one way or the other -- do we have technology or not? It's this waffling that kills me."

"The fluctuations will resolve themselves with time."

Kate turned to see Wynter and her son Cam entering the kitchen. Cam looked sullen and tired, as he had every day since he'd learned of Peter and Gawain's deaths. The boy had angrily asked why Gawain couldn't be rebuilt, as he had been once before... but there was too little of the sentient android to even hope for such a thing. 

Kate moved over and kissed her son's forehead, smiling warmly at the mage, as well. "You really think so?"

Wynter nodded, casting a brief greeting at Betsy, who had given up reading her paper in the dim light. "What we are experiencing now is a series of eldritch after-shocks. The magic in the air is at odds with our world of science and the two forces are warring with one another for dominance."

"You make it sound like they're alive," Kate said.

"There are forces which embody such things... and they have often been in conflict."

Cam glanced at his mentor, looking curious. "But you say they'll work it out?"

"Invariably," the mage replied. He moved towards the window, staring out over the island's lush forests. In the distance, the Cathedral of Owls was alive with movement. "But as to which side will win... I know not."

Betsy let out a little cry, drawing the mage's attention away from the owls. The butterfly effect that accompanied her telepathic powers was in full display, illuminating her eyes. Her Captain Britain uniform shimmered into view as she said "I'm sensing something...."

"As am I," Wynter stated. "We are being summoned."

Throughout the Pendragons Castle, a familiar sensation overtook them. From those in the kitchen... to Grace, slicing through battle-droids in the training room... to Adam Crown and Miracleman, in conversation on the beach... to Jackie and Joey, still locked in a slumbering embrace... all save Cam were touched by the glory and power of Avalon.

And all were gone, in a shimmering of blue and green.

Young Cam McClellan uttered an oath of such profanity that his mother would have swatted him a hard blow to the head had she heard it. 

"Well now, I bet your mum doesn't know you talk like that."

"Who?"

Cam whirled about, coming face-to-face with the woman of his dreams. She was perched in the open window but quickly dropped to her feet. How she had bypassed the island's security, he had no idea -- and wasn't very concerned with.

Slightly taller than Cam himself, this stranger was blessed with a trim figure, cupid-bow lips and shoulder-length red hair that peeked out from under her mask. That wonderful package was wrapped up in a green leotard, a costume that was famous throughout the British Isles. "Shamrock!"

The lass gave a sweetly engaging smile and nodded. "That's my name, laddie. And I've come to sign up on the dotted line."

"What do you mean?" Cam asked, suddenly aware that he was clad only in his pajamas. He felt color come to his cheeks and he kicked himself for not having gotten dressed.

Shamrock stepped forward, took his hand and shook it. "I've come to join the Pendragons, o'course!"

London

"Stupid git! Get away from there!" The older woman's voice was raspy from years of smoking and drinking, but she still managed to maintain an air of aristocratic dignity that made those around her jump at her words. The Vixen she was called and if she had any other names, she had long since cast them aside. At various times in her life, she had ruled England's underworld with an iron fist -- but each time had seen her empire come crumbling down around her ears thanks to costumed superhumans like Captain Britain and Excalibur.

The young man stepped away from the window quickly, turning back to face the assembled men and women who sat uneasily around a circular table. This meeting was comprised of the underworld's chief figures and each of them had come hoping to see their own piece of the pie increased.

The Vixen took a drag off a cigarette, finishing the fag and then crushing it beneath a high-heeled shoe. Dressed in a tight-fitting skirt and blouse, her neck adorned by gaudy jewelry, she looked like a beautiful woman fighting the ravages of time in hopes of hanging on to her youth and sexuality. She cast a smile at those around her, continuing where she'd left off before her driver had taken it upon himself to watch the bobbies at work outside. "...As I was saying, now is the time for us to consolidate our power. It won't be long before Europe begins to suffer from widespread shortages of certain goods and services. We have to be ready to control the black market that results."

Dante, an olive-skinned Greek who controlled the remnants of the Hellfire Club now that its Inner Circle had been locked away, cleared his throat. When he saw the others turn to look at him, he said "All well and good, but my former employers ran into a bit of problem when they tried something similiar. The Pendragons. As long as they're about, we're in danger."

"Not to mention that Ghost Rider bloke... He's put a real dent into the plans of my cartel," said another.

The Vixen waved a hand dismissively. "There are always costumed types about. We can't run in fear from them."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" countered Dante. "I would have thought you'd have more respect for them -- how many times have you been bested by the likes of Cap'n Britain?"

"No one needs remind me of that," she snarled. "I've suffered more than my share of indignities at their hands." Smoothing down her skirt, she said "What I mean is that we deal with them as we would any other problem. We eliminate them."

"Easier said than done," Dane whispered.

The Vixen drummed her fingers on the table, narrowing her eyes. This Dante was a persistent one and would have to be silenced before he spread his distrust of her to the others... "Actually, my dear boy, I've already contacted someone to handle this situation for us. It was pure luck that she was within the barrier when it arose, otherwise her services would be unavailable to us." Plucking up a photograph from her pocket, she pushed it forward onto the table. "I give you the solution to our problems -- Maguire Beck, aka Jack O'Lantern*!"

(*Maguire, the widow of the original Mysterio, was revealed to be the current Jack O'Lantern in The Mysterio Manifesto limited series.)

Dante and the others stared at the photo, which depicted a garishly dressed villain with a flaming pumpkin atop its shoulders in place of a head. "You expect some second-rate Spider-Man villain to take out the Pendragons? Have you gone daft?"

The Vixen's nostrils flared at the insult, but she kept her tone as neutral as possible. "Ms. Beck is not quite the same as she used to be. Thanks to the effects of Black Mass, she is now one of the so-called Altered. What once were mere tricks and illusion are now reality. Aren't they?"

At her question, a cloud of smoke seemed to spontaneously generate in the center of the table, out of which flew the Jack O'Lantern, crouched atop a flying disc. A black cat was curled about her shoulders and it hissed at Dante. A woman's voice came from within the flaming pumpkin, which seemed to somehow leer at the assembled group. "The Pendragons are going to burn, my friends. I promise you that!" She held out a gloved hand and flame appeared in her palm. With a maniacal laugh, she hurled the flame at the wall and it burst into a powerful display of pyrotechnics. "Do you need any more demonstrations?" she asked, leaning forward so that her flaming head was mere inches away from Dante's face.

"No," he whispered. "No, I don't think I do."

The Jack O'Lantern laughed again, a haunting sound that unsettled everyone who was present. "Then let's get down to business, shall we?"

The Otherdimensional Realm of Avalon

Joey Chapman couldn't help but feel a momentary sense of confusion. One moment he'd been snuggled up to Jackie and the next he was standing next to a large fountain in Avalon, clothed in the legendary costume of Union Jack. 

The others were there, too, looking just as confused as he. He moved forward, towards Adam and asked "You have any idea what happened?"

The dark-haired youth shook his head. The mystically-empowered sword known as Excalibur was buckled at his waist, glowing softly in the presence of this realm. "Not a clue, chum. Miracleman and I were just having a chat when we were summoned here straightaway."

"I'd imagine it's her doing," Grace said. The fiercest of the team, she wore her battle armor proudly, but her face looked ravaged by inner turmoil. The death of Albion had hit them all very badly, but Grace had been his lover and she was still suffering from the loss. 

Joey followed her gaze, letting out a gasp as his vision locked into the shimmering form of the Lady of the Lake, rising up majestically from the water. Impossibly beautiful, the Lady had a profound effect on all who viewed her. Joey was surprised to find a lump in his throat and he joined some of the others in kneeling before the Lady.

The Lady of the Lake spoke softly, though her voice carried great weight. "Arise, my children. There is no need for such ceremony -- I am, like you, a servant in many ways, of something far greater. Do not seek to worship me."

Adam was the first to rise and the first to speak. He sounded nervous, like a schoolboy about to ask the prettiest girl in the school to dance. "Thank you, m'lady. I did not properly put into words the gratitude I feel for your role in my resurrection."

"No thanks are necessary, great king. You have an important role to play in the days ahead."

Grace stepped forward, past Adam. Her voice was cold and sharp. "Are you going to resurrect Peter, too? Or are you just playing favorites?"

"Grace!" Adam said, shock registering in his every word. "How can you speak to her like that?"

"I can speak to her any damn way I please! I want my man back... Are you going to give me what I want, great Lady of the Lake?" she demanded, spitting out the Lady's name as if it were a curse.

The Lady paused, finally answering in a tired voice. "I wish that I could. But Adam's return was dictated by greater forces than I -- he is Arthur returned, in the hour of Britain's greatest need. His injuries against the Red Lord* were unexpected and required the expenditure of my power to save him."

(*See the final issue of Knights of Pendragon, vol. 2)

"And Albion isn't worth an 'expenditure of power?' Bloody hell, he gave his life for you! He defended this realm and all of England for seventy years! And all you can tell me is that he's not worth your effort? Kiss my arse!"

Spitfire placed a hand on Grace's shoulder. "Luv, you're not helping anything."

Grace whirled on her, her eyes ablaze. "Get your hands off me, you old cow! It's not enough that you got your son killed, now you've got to bed his best friend, too?"

Spitfire slapped Grace across the face before anyone could react. In the silence that followed, Jackie whispered "Oh, Grace, my girl... I'm sorry."

Grace backed away. "Sorry... That's all I hear. But my Peter is dead and nothing will bring him back, not even the powers of Avalon. It's not fair," she said, tears once more coming to her eyes.

"Would you like to say goodbye to him?"

Grace looked sharply at the Lady, blinking. "What?"

"The defenders of Avalon, those who give their lives in battle, have their spirit-forms housed here in Avalon. Though I may not return him to life, I can allow you to say your goodbyes."

Grace stood there mutely for a moment, before great sobs overtook her. "Yes... Please. I miss him so...."

Captain Britain moved forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Grace. "I'll take you to him, Grace." She looked at the Lady, who pointed towards a small chapel not far from them. "May I accompany her?"

The Lady nodded once and the assembled Pendragons watched as they moved away, to allow a grieving woman one last moment with her love.

Joey tried to take Jackie's hand, but she pulled away, obviously shaken by Grace's words. He wanted to comfort her, but wasn't sure if she wanted the others to know that Grace had been right -- that they were, indeed, lovers now.

Miracleman, his expressive face full of sorrow, gained everyone's attention by addressing the Lady. "Why did you bring us here? Was it just to let Grace say goodbye?"

The Lady of the Lake smiled then, and all felt their hearts being uplifted. "I have brought you here to show you that Avalon is restored -- the power of the Green flows outwards once more and is stronger than ever. Your battles were not in vain." Pausing, she moved forward, the water rippling around her. "And I desire to remind you of the duties you have taken on. The power of the Pendragon -- the undying spirit of Great Britain that empowers its defenders -- resides in each of you. It pulses strong and sure... and England has great need of you now. The great enemies... the Bane, the Parliament of the Dark and more... will mass and seek to gain favor in this new age. You must stand strong and sure, as true Pendragons."

Kate, at times the most reluctant of the Pendragons, smiled at the Lady. She brushed against Wynter, enjoying the closeness of him. "You don't have to worry, my Lady. We're not just soldiers in defense of the realm. We're family. And we'll stand beside one another to the end." She looked over as Betsy and Grace returned from the chapel. The warrior-woman looked more at peace, as if saying goodbye to Albion had given her a new strength. "Through the good times... and the bad."

A murmur of "hear, hear" seemed to rise up from her friends and teammates. 

And the Lady of the Lake knew that the realm was well defended, indeed.

Otherworld

Brian Braddock stared at the floating images before him, showing the England of his birth world -- Earth 616 -- struggling through the magic-induced turmoils of Black Mass. He was dressed in his kingly attire, befitting the man who served as regent and protector of the Omniverse, but he wished strongly that he could wear a different suit entirely: his old Captain Britain garb, now being put to good use by his sister, Betsy.

"What's wrong, Brian?"

The king glanced up to see his wife, Meggan, hovering nearby. The faerie changeling landed beside him, giving him a quick, much-appreciated hug. "I was just spying on our old stomping grounds. Things aren't going well, I'm afraid."

"Betsy and the others look like they're doing swimmingly to me...."

Brian smiled. "They are... And Adam seems to be using Excalibur to the best of his abilities. It almost makes me feel good about giving it up*."

(*Brian gained the sword in the Excalibur limited series, released in 2000)

"Almost?"

"I just wish that I could help them more directly. I would have liked to have told them more when they were here*."

"You did all you could -- and you sent Dane and Sersi on their mission. Everything else is up to them." Meggan kissed his cheek, knowing that her words did little to still his passions. Brian Braddock was a man of action and he hated having others perform duties he'd rather do himself.

"I suppose you're right," he murmured, but he felt anything but satisfied. The Black Mass was just the beginning for the Pendragons, for something larger than they could ever imagine was moving towards them, with only one thought on its mind:

Destruction.

Coming Up Next Issue: Shamrock auditions for the team, while the evil Jack O'Lantern launches her assault against the Pendragons in a most shocking manner! Plus: The truth about Wynter comes closer to being revealed....

AUTHOR'S NOTES

We've got an honest-to-goodness letter this time around, so let's get to it:

Nick

Thanks for writing in, Nick! I'm glad to know that some old-time fans of the Pendragons Universe have followed me to our new home. I think it's safe to say that I enjoy spending time in this little universe, as well -- these are characters I really love and it's fun to share that with the world. And getting feedback is always nice, so thanks again!

You can reach me at aric_dacia@yahoo.com

BACK TO THE PENDRAGONS PAGE