Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons

The Pendragons

Issue # 90

Brought together in defense of Avalon and the British Isles, the Pendragons are the officially-sanctioned heroes of Great Britain. Originally led by the Black Knight, the group is composed of surviving members of the old Knights of Pendragon group, as well as several other heroes. Willing to die for their beliefs, the Pendragons stand united as Britain's best defense against threats of a superhuman nature.

Special "Silver Anniversary" Pendragons logo created by Kell Carpenter, inspired by the logo created by Des Davies!

Written by Barry Reese

The Destiny Walk
Part Three
"All the Little Lies"

Did what I could
For one of us
I always thought it was for you
And when I lied
Oh I lied for us -- "Ghosts" by Robbie Williams

Linda McQuillan flew through the blue skies of Otherworld, almost grateful for the coming war. Since the death of her lover, she'd been unable to concentrate on even the most mundane of tasks. Her life was in a shambles and there seemed to be no way out of the mess. The fact that the woman who could have saved him was now lying comatose from the effects of the Barrier's removal did nothing to lessen the dull ache in Linda's heart.

Captain UK looked down at the mass of red, blue and white. The newly assembled Captain Britain Corps was an awesome sight to see and at the front of them was the youthful version of Brian Braddock that had served Slaymaster during his failed attempt to gain the throne of House Braddock. It was odd to see so many variations of people she'd come to know, but being a member of the Corps and the Dark Guard, not to mention the Pendragons, had taught her that there were more realities out there than could ever be calculated.

She spotted the Pendragons standing with King Brian and his queen, the shapechanging Meggan, on a terrace overlooking the assembled Crops. She hesitated before joining them, but there could be no turning back, not in the face of what was to come.

"Linda!" Union Jack shouted in greeting as she landed nearby. She could hear the genuine warmth in his voice and it made her feel guilty for having thought so many horrible things about them after Rick's death. "Good to see you again," he added, surprising her with a hug.

"Thanks, Joey. I got the letter you and Jackie sent after the funeral. It meant a lot."

"You know we meant every word." He pushed up the mask that usually hid his face, revealing handsome if somewhat common features. "If you're worried about bumping into Lorna...."

"I'm not," she replied, a little too hastily. "I heard about her condition. Brian's got her in the wing with the others who've been struck down?"

"Yep. She's in a bed right next to Lionheart and that little bloke who empowers him*."

"I never wished for that to happen to her," she whispered. "Not even... not even immediately afterwards."

Joey smiled gently, the lines around his eyes deepening. "Nobody would think less of you if you had. Believe me, I've thought daggers at old Whitman a time or two since he rejoined." Union Jack glanced over at the Black Knight, who was deep in conversation with King Brian. Betsy was standing off to the side, speaking up when needed, but it was all too obvious that the Knight was quietly usurping her role as leader. Or trying to, anyway, Joey thought to himself. This is Betsy's group, come Hell or high water.

"When are we going to start this?" Nocturne asked and Linda looked towards him. The dashing Gray Poldark had inherited the mantle of a hero from Night Raven and his love for Betsy Braddock had weathered many recent storms. Linda couldn't help but envy them.

Brian turned away from Dane, nodding. "Now that Linda's here, we can start." He smiled in Linda's direction and she wondered again why he'd asked her to join them on the terrace. She wasn't a Pendragon. Not anymore.

While Captain UK was lost in thought, Brian used his powers to augment his speaking voice, so that it would boom out loudly to the assembled Corps. "If I could have your attention," he began and his words were met with an immediate, respectful silence. "As most of you know, the 616 universe is facing a looming threat from outside the timestream. The two most powerful heirs of Kang have united their forces and are planning to bring 21st Century Earth under their control. This will be the culmination of their father's desires and will set the stage for a deadly war to follow... a war when brother will turn against brother for control of the reality."

The Black Knight stepped up, his voice sounding so full of confidence that Joey Chapman winced to hear them. "King Brian and I have come up with a plan that's sound, I think. While the Corps engages the bulk of the invading army, the Pendragons will bring the battle straight to the heirs of Kang -- Ramades and the Scarlet Centurion. Our theory is that if we can kill the head, the rest of the snake will falter."

Betsy nodded in agreement. "I think it's a bit more than a theory in some regards. Ramades has pulled soldiers from throughout the timestream, reanimating the dead to fight in his army. He has a preference for ancient Egypt so most of them will be recognizable from that period of history. If he's taken out, his power will no longer animate the undead... taking out over half their forces in one swoop."

"Close enough you expect to get?" someone shouted from below. Linda leaned forward and saw that it was Captain Airstrip-Two, the brave lad who taken over the role from the dead Captain Airstrip-One. His odd way of talking, in Newspeak, made it easy to pick him out of a crowd.

Betsy silenced Dane with a glare before he could speak up. "We have a plan, but it’s not one that we’d like to share publicly. All we can do is ask that you trust us… and do our duties as members of the Corps. Though Linda and I won’t be going into the same battle as you, please know that our hearts will be with you. And feel emboldened by the fact that my brother will fly at the head of your forces!”

A tremendous cheer went up from the crowd below and King Brian raised his arms, basking in the moment. He could feel the heat of his wife’s gaze upon him but ignored it for now. Meggan would be furious that he hadn’t shared his decision with her but what else could he do? The Corps would need him.

While Brian finished addressing the Corps, Betsy felt herself pulled to the side by Captain UK . “Betsy? What’s going on here? Why am I not going with the Corps?”

“We need you,” Betsy replied, looking distinctly apologetic as she said it. Linda saw something else in her manner, as well. Hesitation. “Brian captured one of the Scarlet Centurion’s men. You’re going to free him, with word that you want to bargain with his leader.”

A cloud passed over Linda’s face and she found that she couldn’t hold her friend’s gaze any longer. Looking away, she whispered “What sort of bargain?”

“You want Rick back and you’re willing to betray us to get it. He’ll hopefully give you a location where you can meet… and we go with you.”

“I don’t think so,” Betsy replied gently. “I think he’d approve of it if it meant saving lives. It was my idea.”

Linda sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it. But once this is over, I don’t want to ever hear Rick’s name from your lips again. You don’t deserve that right.”

The spirit of Peter Hunter watched the actions of his friends and he fairly shook with impotent fury. “I should be able to rejoin them.”

The spiritual entity known as the Green Knight looked down upon him, pity in his heart. He loved humanity and had suffered much on its behalf. Of all his champions, Peter Hunter was one of the most devout. His death at the hands of Blackheart had inspired the other Pendragons to greater things, but the Green Knight had always regretted the man’s death. “The Age is coming to an end. You can sense this.”

Albion didn’t answer immediately, but he knew it was true. The cyclic nature of things had become clearer to him since his death. The war between the Green and the Bane ebbed and flowed, with long periods during which both sides licked their wounds and gave pause. The current group of Pendragons had come together during a terrible assault on Avalon*, forging themselves into possibly the greatest set of champions yet. They had laid siege to the Bane, coming as close to destroying the Green Knight’s ancient enemies as was humanly possible. But an ending was coming and already the forces of Avalon were being pulled back. “We should tell them,” he said quietly. “Let them know how close they are to the end.”

“And what would that serve?” the Green Knight asked. “For some of them, this is not the end. It is only a new beginning.”

Peter looked away, knowing the truth in the ancient being’s words. “I should go and make preparations for those who are going to fall. It’s always frightening when you die.”

The Green Knight watched his beloved Albion exit the Chapel and he sighed, a sorrow greater than any human could bear weighing down his soul. The wheel must always turn, he knew, and there was a season to all things. The time of the Pendragons was coming to a close.

“Did she do it?” Shevaun asked, stepping closer to the study’s fireplace. The castle in Otherworld reminded her of the place she’d grown up in, the keep that belonged to her father Ranulph Haldane. It was in ruins now, like so much else in the world.

Spitfire nodded, warming her hands in front of the fire. The two women were alone for now, as Joey had gone up to join the rest of the team in planning the offensive. “Linda played her part perfectly. I’m sorry to see it tearing at her so. I was hoping that making Rick’s death mean something might help the matter.” Jackie shivered in the chill air. “I’ve buried husbands so I know how hard it is… but life must continue.”

“I wish we’d had more time before throwing ourselves into this mess,” Shevaun said. “I don’t even know what’s happened to Killraven. Or Suzie. Or so many of the others. I don’t even know if they’re alive, or if they’re dead like poor Breeze.” She took a deep breath, fighting back tears. “It seems bloody unfair to have to die twice.”

Spitfire reached out and held Shevaun, urging her to let the tears come. She agreed with Dark Angel, for young Breeze had been slaughtered twice now: once by the Parliament of Darkness and now by the Martians. There would be no more resurrections. “A year from now,” she whispered into Shevaun’s ear, smoothing down the other woman’s hair, “We’ll all be sipping tea together and wondering when the new Oasis album is going to hit.”

Shevaun snorted in laughter, pulling away and wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry. This isn’t like me. I’m usually much stronger than this.”

“I’m barely hanging on myself,” Jackie assured her. “I haven’t even seen my babies since we returned. I know that Kenneth will look out for them but it’s not the same. I want to hold them.”

“We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” Shevaun said with a grin. “Do you think the blokes are going to have a good cry before going to war or is it just us?”

“They’ll be fine, I’d wager. Betsy, too. She’s made of sterner stuff than you and I.”

“And by the authority I possess as the ruler of Otherworld and as the Omniversal Guardian, I pronounce you man and wife.” Brian smiled as he spoke, amused that his sister and Gray didn’t wait for him to tell them to kiss. They were in each other’s arms, their lips coming together. The impromptu wedding had been Betsy’s idea, just in case one or both of them didn’t come home from the battle with Kang’s children. Brian had initially balked at the suggestion, thinking it implied the day wouldn’t go well in battle… but the more he thought about it, the more he relented. His sister wanted this and her happiness meant more than anything to him.

“I suppose you’ll want us to postpone the war while the two of you consummate this?” he teased as his sister came up for air.

She flashed him a good-natured mental slap that made him blink. “No thank you, my lord,” she answered.

Betsy squeezed her husband’s hand before stepping away to accept Meggan’s embrace. “I hope you’ll have lots of marital advice for me,” she whispered.

“I’ll do my best but I don’t think Gray will be as hard-headed as my Brian is.”

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Dane Whitman said as he entered the room. The Black Knight’s armor and weaponry clinked as he walked, announcing his presence even before he spoke up. His eyes traveled from Betsy to Gray and Brian thought he detected a small spark of jealousy.

“Joey and I have been consulting with the leaders of the Corps and they’ve come up with some good plans of attack. But I wanted to let you know that Linda’s gotten an answer back.”

“Time doesn’t mean much for people like the Centurion or Ramades,” Brian reminded her. “What did the reply say?”

“He gave us coordinates in Limbo. He said he has a base there that’s secure and where they can discuss an alliance.”

“I used some of the equipment in Brian’s lab to look into Limbo. There is a structure right where Marcus said it would be. And both Ramades and the Centurion are there.”

“It’s too convenient,” Betsy countered. “Why would they be so far away from their troops?”

“Because the troops aren’t based in Chronopolis anymore,” Dane answered. “They’re in Limbo, not far from the Centurion’s fortress. Looks like they’re ready to move, too.” He strode forward, dropping a small block of light onto a table top. The light flickered and began showing images of an army, composed of millions of troops. Their attire marked them as from all periods of history, with some dressed as World War II-era soldiers, while others looked from the far future and all in-between. But most horrible of all were the walking dead, their Egyptian clothing hanging in tatters from their desiccated bodies. “I think we should make our move now. Throw the full weight of the Corps against the troops while the rest of us hit the citadel.”

“This was the plan we agreed on,” Dane hissed, his frustration level reaching its peak. “He’s given Linda the coordinates. We arrive en masse and take care of them. Then you can run off with your second-rate Night Raven wannabe.”

Nocturne stepped forward, his own ire raised, but Brian stepped between them all. “That’s enough,” Braddock said. “We have a plan and we’ll follow through on it. I’ll lead the Corps while the rest of you take on their leaders. We’ve run out of time to do anything else. If they attack now, they’ll be able to wipe out both the Martian forces and the bedraggled defenders of humanity. They have to be stopped before that can happen.”

“What about Ravonna, their mother?” Meggan asked. “Even if you stop Ramades and Marcus, won’t she do something?”

Brian shook his head. “She’s not a real leader, despite all her attempts. Her power base is predicated on the power left behind by Kang… and without her sons’ armies that’ll be gone. Besides, there's someone who's watching her. Kate Pryde-Rasputin*. I imagine she'll occupy Ravonna when the time comes.”

Betsy ran a hand through her purple-tinted hair and finally nodded. “Let’s call everyone together then. It’s time.”

Linda sat on the floor of her room, a photo of Rick in her hands. He looked so handsome in the picture, a big boyish grin on his face. He'd always been an optimistic person, lifting her up out of the frequent depths of despair she'd find herself in. Without him, so much color had faded from the world, leaving her in a place of gray and black. When her world had been destroyed by Jim Jaspers, she'd found hidden reserves of strength within herself... but this time had been harder. To have been given a second chance and then have it snatched away was cruelty beyond measure*. She only wished that their child had survived, but the infant had been stillborn**. Most of the Pendragons hadn't even known about her pregnancy and the pain it had left her with. She and Rick had hoped to try again but then came all the concerns of being members of the Dark Guard and then their awful stint with the Pendragons. "Lorna could have brought you back, Rick. She had the power in her hands and let it slip away. How could she?" she whispered.

(*Rick died in issue 73. **Linda's pregnancy was revealed back in issue 17 and the child died at some point after that)

A knock at the door made her jump and she hastily put the photo back into its frame. She was on her feet when the door swung open to reveal Union Jack. "Wanted to let you know they're sounding the alarm," he said. "Ready to go save the world one more time?"

Captain UK put her mask in place and smiled weakly. "It's always something, isn't it?"

"We've seen worse," he laughed. "When this is all over and we've sent the Martians packing, you should come stay with Jackie and I. We have room."

"That's nice of you to offer." Captain UK paused before stepping out of the room. "Stay close to Jackie during all this. Don't let her out of your sight... love's too precious to let go of."

"You're talking to somebody who was erased from time, remember? I'd never take Jackie for granted."

The Pendragons emerged from Dark Angel’s teleportation spell just as the Captain Britain Corps materialized above the assembled armies of Kang’s children. The Black Knight drew his sword, bellowing “Quickly! Inside! For Avalon!”

The Pendragons surged forward as the Corps – with members numbering in the thousands – came to blows with an army that was comprised by millions of fanatical followers of Kang. It seemed certain death unless the plan to eliminate Ramades and his brother paid off.

Captain UK found herself near the front of the pack and she was the first to attack an enemy, backhanding one of the guards until his neck snapped cleanly. It was a viscous blow and not much like her usual nature, but she knew how important this day was. It would decide the future for both herself and for so many others.

Once the interior was breached, madness seemed to reign. Guards appeared from every corner, but found themselves facing a very angry and powerful group of Pendragons. Nocturne felled two with his electrified tendrils, while Union Jack’s pistol proved as effective here as back on Earth. Spitfire rocketed forward, returning with news that the brothers were still inside and that the Pendragons were not far from reaching their goal.

"Remember what we discussed," the Black Knight said. "Take out Ramades first -- that removes the undead soldiers from the field of play. Marcus can wait."

"I'm picking up a small energy buzz in the background of this place," Shevaun stated. "Can't quite place it but it doesn't look harmful to us -- at least not on a cursory scan."

"That's good enough for now, then." Union Jack reloaded his pistol. "Wish Lorna had come with us."

"I wish the Hulk were with us," Spitfire murmured. She took her husband's hand. "Love you," she whispered.

The building shook as the forces began to clash outside. The sounds of energy bolts and the thundering of millions of booted feet were clear, even through the din of the interior battles. From somewhere up ahead, the taunting voice of Ramades proclaimed "Come forward, Pendragons! It's fitting that you'll have the honor of being the first to fall this day! Our father's victory is at hand!"

"Let's go... before they have time to flee." Dark Angel soared ahead of the others, leading the way towards two men who had inherited their father's lust for power.

Captain Britain hung back as her teammates pressed onwards. That feeling was back again, the one that had been nagging at her. Something was wrong and its presence seemed overwhelming here, in this place.

“Something wrong, Betsy?” Linda asked, for she too had remained behind as the rest of the Pendragons moved around the corner and out of sight.

“I can’t put my finger on it,” Betsy answered, closing her eyes for a moment. Her telepathy extended outwards, trying to find the source of her discomfort. It seemed to be so close… “We’re in danger here. I’m sure of it.”

Betsy continued to reach out with her powers, barely registering what she’d heard. “What did you say?”

“Your plan was a sound one. I was the obvious one to have as the traitor. I have something very definitive I want returned to me… and they can do it.” Linda’s voice cracked slightly. “You don’t know what it’s like... if the Green Knight would let us suffer like this, he must not care about us at all. Not at all.”

Betsy slowly turned about to face her old friend, her eyes flying open. “No. This isn’t possible. Not you….”

A tear rolled down Linda’s cheek. “This isn’t about you or me. It’s about the future. It’s about Rick.” She reached into a pocket, pulling forth a small curved dagger emblazoned with the Kang family seal. “Your forcefield’s been deactivated. There’s a specific electromagnetic pulse here that neutralizes your suit.”

“I don’t need your help. I’ve already gotten the assurances I need. Besides, if I didn't betray you, he would have.”

Betsy channeled all her energy into one last psychic blast -- one directed not at Linda but at the other Pendragons. Traitor! There's another traitor! You have to--

Captain UK thrust the dagger into Betsy's chest with all her strength. As the blood sprayed outwards, coating her arm, she hoped that Rick would understand what she'd done.

The Destiny Walk Part Three "All the Little Lies"

The Destiny Walk
Part Three
"All the Little Lies"