Previously: The Ghost Rider of the future, a disembodied demon encased in a cybernetic body, had been on a quest to rescue a kidnapped child from a dark, mystical cult.
Injured in the course of his mission and escaping a squad of robotic corporate enforcers, he was aided by Hercules!
The prince of power is looking for allies to help him on a mission that ties in to his and Ghost Rider’s shared history…
Ghost Rider sat in a blocky, square chair, wires trailing from various points on his body connecting him to pieces of equipment in the cramped control room.
Hovering at his shoulder (one of them literally) was a young blonde woman, her hair done up in a ponytail. She wore a yellow bodysuit with pouches down both legs, and a spherical service robot that looked like a giant eyeball.
“Not a 100 percent,” The blonde said, not looking away from the monitors. “But, no serious system damage.”
“So, I will live to fight again,” The robotic spirit of vengeance said.
“Ties good news indeed!” Boomed the voice of the other occupant of the room.
While there were traces of grey in his hair and beard, the demigod had lost now of his energy and exuberance. He strode across the room and gave Ghost Rider a chuck on the shoulder that almost knocked the robotic hero out of his chair.
“I would have a word with thee,” Hercules said, leaning against a console, much to the blonde’s annoyance. “I am in need of comrades for an undertaking.”
Blaze, standing behind Hercules, stood up on tiptoe, to look over his shoulder and silently mouthed ‘No’ to Ghost Rider.
“What do you need from me?” Ghost Rider asked.
“First, we must collect the others,” Hercules said with a smile.
The A.I.M. Technologies building was a massive ziggurat of grey plasti-steel, connected to the city by a six-lane bridge.
The over-sized brown hover transport that functioned as Ghost Rider’s headquarters merged with the other delivery vehicles and service drones, making its way to the enormous delivery zone behind the building.
In the over-sized front cab, the Orb was nestled in a control cradle with Hercules and Ghost Rider sat on either side of him.
“Are you sure…whoever we are supposed to meet will be here?” Ghost Rider asked, glancing around. “A.I.M. Tech doesn’t have the best reputation. If security spots us…”
“Fear not,” Hercules told him. “They will be here. Trust in my friend, as I do. She understands the need for stealth…”
It was then that an explosion rocked the truck cab…
Inside and earlier:
The huge building was a warren of corridors, offices, workspaces and storage areas.
As well as miles of service tunnels, ducts and vents and it was there that the Black Widow was making her way through the A.I.M. building.
She was an enigma, a legend when it came to espionage, stretching back to before the heroic age. It was unknown if she was a single immortal adventuress or a long line of individuals, each taking up the mantle and continuing the legacy.
She was currently hanging upside down in a duct, looking down, through a mesh vent into a cavernous work area.
Encased from head to toe in shiny black plastic-wear, she was practically hermetically sealed. Her only adornments were a gun belt encircling her hips, a pair of wristbands.
Goggles rendered her eyes into two opaque circles.
She inched down and ran a gloved hand over the mesh, where it was sealed into the duct opening.
Squeezing past pneumatic tubing and pipes, she reached into a leg pouch and withdrew a finger thin metal rod.
It hummed faintly as she ran it around the edges of the metal panel.
As she began to pull the grate loose, the woman in black halted, hearing approaching voices.
Two men walked past the grate. One was thin and pale with hunched shoulders. He had receding hair and wore a pale blue bodysuit.
The other, a shorter man was stocky and darker, biracial rather then African-American. His orange bodysuit fit loosely on him. He also wore a belt made of multiple small pouches and an odd harness. It had several tiny blinking lights and a few wires trailed from it to the belt.
“Nigel, if you’ll just let us have a few more days…!” The darker man said, plaintively.
“Marcus,” The tall man interrupted quietly. “Your sections’ project is ten days past the contract date and we cannot be going over budget, not until after this merger with Cross. I’m sorry, but I’ve made all the allowances I can. You need to be shut down by end of business day and I’ll message you which of your team I’ll need reassigned…”
“But, my team has several other systems we are still testing,” Marcus protested. “We have several practical applications for…”
“Make an appointment and we’ll discuss your teams’ contributions, but that will not change your teams’ reassignment.”
They crossed the cavernous work area and Nigel stepped onto the transport disk.
“I appreciate your dedication and enthusiasm, Marcus, but taking this personally will not help the situation.” His supervisor said as he was lifted upwards by the anti-gravity device.
“But, I…!” Marcus stammered to the departing other man. “Oh dast…!”
His shoulders slumped.
“You seem unappreciated, Mister Garret” A voice above his head said, startling him. “Maybe you need a career change?”
Hanging upside down from the open vent, a woman had a pistol pointed at the stocky tech worker.
“Gahhh!” He exclaimed, raising his hands. “I…uh…?”
With a casual movement, the black clad women flipped, landed on her feet, without the gun wavering from Marcus Garret.
“I’m sorry,” She said, lowering her weapon. “Force of habit. Let’s keep this cordial. Marcus Garret?”
“What…?” He asked, wide-eyed. “Um…yes…but…?”
“Does that thing work?” She asked, gesturing with her free hand at the harness.
“What…?”
“Not helping, you starting every sentence with ‘what?’,” The woman in black sighed. “We’re on the clock, Garret.”
She then shot him in the chest.
The laser struck the harness, and suddenly Marcus Garret was enveloped in an orange force field. It was man-shaped and twenty feet tall. Marcus floated in the middle of it.
“Oh no…!” He muttered, frantically adjusting controls on the harness. “No, no,no! I am in enough trouble without industrial spies stealing my work!”
As the anxious technician moved, the force field responded, swinging a massive fist down towards the intruder. She easily dodged, and the fist crashed into the floor, shattering tile and cracking the concrete beneath.
“Yikes…!” Garret winced, pulling his fist free and making a lunge for the woman in black.
She spun and dodged, firing as she moved.
The shots had no effect on the orange force field, but each one caused its operator to flinch.
Garret swung wildly, not managing to land a blow, but driving the intruder back, away from his work area.
With a couple more swings he pushed her into a corner. She stumbled back between some large plasti-crates.
Garret raised his over-sized fists. The woman in black, gestured, re-holstering her guns almost faster then the eye could follow and raised her hands.
“Okay, you got me, I surrender,” She said.
“What…?” Garret said, his arms stopping in mid-swing. “Uh…what…?”
“I’m not here to steal anything,” She admitted. “I needed to see what you could handle.”
“What…?” Garret said, realizing he was probably sounding like an idiot but unable to think of anything else to say about this inexplicable situation.
“You have weak combat skills, but that force field can take some shots and is a pretty impressive piece of hardware. Inter-web chatter also says you are pretty sharp on the science side. Can I interest you in a little sabbatical from this place, Giant man?”
“Um…maybe…what did you call me?”
And that was when the heavily armed security drones arrived…
The siren rang through the Ghost Rider’s mobile HQ, Ghost Rider and Hercules nearly trampled each other racing down the narrow passageways. A flash of light from an open door and they stumbled into a small room with a raised metal circle on the floor in which now stood the woman in the black bodysuit and a slightly dazed looking Marcus Garret.
“This gets weirder by the minute,” He muttered, spotting the robotic demon and demigod.
“Blaze, how long have we had a transmat pad?” Ghost Rider asked, looking up towards the ceiling.
“Black Widow!” Hercules boomed, walking towards the woman with arms spread wide. “I knew my faith in you was well placed!”
“You try and hug me and I will shoot you,” She said, simply.
“Where next?” Ghost Rider asked. “Blaze wants to get moving before security spots us.”
“Did you find us a ship?” Hercules asked the masked woman, dropping his arms.
“I am quite capable of multi-tasking,” She replied, offended. “The day I can’t arrange clandestine transportation and an extraction in the same day…”
“What the dast is going on here…?!” Garret muttered, as everyone else exited the room.
Soon, the truck was parked next to a nondescript gray block of a building on the grounds of the Astrovik Space port.
The odd quartet stood outside, in various phases of confusion and concern.
“Let’s not stand around,” Black widow said, striding to a small side door. “You lot will attract attention.”
“WE attract attention?” Garret asked, watching the woman in skintight plasti-form. “I wish some of this would make sense…!”
“No worries, my friend,” Hercules smiled, clapping Garret on the shoulder, making him stumble. “Tis merely a transporter. Is easier to reach orbit then to take a shuttle.”
“But, this is where they transport freight,” Garret protested, anxiously. “Not people…!”
Ghost Rider, his hover disk tucked under one arm, stood behind the others. He glanced from the truck that was the only home he had on Earth to the transmat station.
“You sure about this?” Blaze asked, through the communication implant in his skull. “I’m not too sure where Hercules is taking you, and once you leave orbit it will be difficult for us to communicate.”
“Hercules helped me and I should return the favor,” He replied. “And someone needs to keep an eye on these…Champions of his.”
“Good luck,” Blaze said. “Hurry home.”
“Home…” He breathed, looking at the massive truck before joining the others.
Within were numerous crates and a larger version of the transmat circle in the truck.
“Is this a good idea?” Garret asked, nervously.
“You’ll be fine,” Black Widow chided him, as she went up to a control bank and inserted an info-wafer. “Let’s go. The attendant will be back from the ‘meal break’, I bribed him to take, soon.”
Another flash of light and they were standing in the cargo bay of a starship.
Garret blinked to regain his balance and then moved to dingy porthole.
“We’re in orbit,” He breathed.
“Not the prettiest vessel,” Hercules said, looking around, fists on his hips. “But it seems sturdy enough.”
“Come on,” Black Widow said. “Let me show you the command deck.
The bridge was low ceilinged, dimly lit and jammed with banks of instruments. A clunky gray coffin-shaped container dominated the room with a small workstation on each side.
“Who knows how to pilot one of these?” Garret asked.
“We have a pilot,” Black Widow said, walking over and leaning against the grey container. She rubbed a palm across a frosted, plastic panel on top. “Come say ‘hi’.”
Within the container, they saw a young man, who appeared to be sleeping. His blonde hair was spiked with ice and his face sported a thin layer of frost.
“This is a re-fited colony supply ship.” She explained. “Our pilot is an ‘ice man’.”
Hercules chuckled.
The others looked at him puzzled.
“Thought you’d like that,” Black Widow said. She then nodded towards the far wall. “You might want to see that, as well.”
A grease and dirt smeared metal plaque was bolted to the wall. It contained the ship’s name and registry number.
“Sandalphon…?” Hercules muttered. “I cannot say it rings any bells.”
“It is the name of an angel, if that helps.” Ghost Rider said, reading over the demi-god’s broad shoulder.
Hercules’ roar of laughter startled everyone in the room.
“Glorious!” He roared, turning to leave the room. He patted the pilot’s chamber on his way past. “Cast off! We have work to do!”
“I don’t understand any of this,” Garret muttered, shaking his head as he followed after the Lion of Olympus.
Seen from the outside, the Sandalphon was a blocky craft with a trio of large bowl-shaped propulsion units. A few tracking lights blinked listlessly on its hull.
The propulsors flared and the ship made its sluggish way out of Earth orbit and past the moon.
There was a drab common room, where Hercules gathered his makeshift team. They sat around the metal table or perched on nearby banks of equipment.
“You have questions,” The Demigod said. “And the time has come to explain our mission. In the distant past, there was a of team of heroes, the Champions!”
He paused for dramatic effect, only to be met with blank stares.
“You would think I would get used to that,” Hercules muttered, before continuing. “During our time as a team, the Champions we encountered, an immortal being of cosmic powers that dwarfed even my own. Three times did we encounter him, the first two in conflict and the third as uneasy allies. During that third encounter,” Hercules explained. “We realized the threat we faced could not be halted, only…diverted, and we two as the only immortals had a responsibility to keep watch. That time has come.”
“So, where is this ‘bad thing’ due to occur?” Black Widow asked, in a tone of boredom.
“Europa,” Hercules replied.
“We’re going to Jupiter?!” Garret exclaimed.
“Europa!” Blaze gasped in Ghost Rider’s head.
“How long are we going to be in space?” Garret asked anxiously.
“If we can get this junker to maximum speed,” Black Widow shrugged. “Forty Eight hours.”
Garret sighed, and his shoulders slumped.
Ghost Rider stood, arms crossed, metallic features blank and stoic.
“Well, I could use a drink,” Black Widow said, straightening up. “I’m going to find out if the auto-chef works.”
She sashayed out of the room.
“It is unlikely, there will be mead…” Hercules muttered, following after her.
Hours passed, and the various Champions had settled in, found their own corner of the ship. Hercules, a mug in his hand most of the time, found the sturdiest chair on the bridge and sat watching the planets drift by as he studied the ships’ charts.
Black Widow claimed a cabin and spent most of her time behind its closed and locked door.
That left Garret and Ghost Rider at loose ends.
The technician took to using a tablet to work on his resume and the auto-chef to play with how fancy a recipe he could coax out of its basic supplies and ingredients.
Not needing to eat, Ghost Rider took to lingering, by a viewport, struggling to keep in touch with Blaze back on Earth, and watching the stars.
It was a good-sized room with a few pieces of furniture, so both of them would find themselves there. Both socially awkward in their own ways meant little conversation occurred.
“Writing your memoirs?” Black Widow asked, suddenly appearing at his shoulder.
“Gah…! No, just need to fill the time and the odds of my having a job…if we get back to Earth...” Garret said. He sighed and peered towards the viewport. “Never been off world before…thought I’d enjoy it more…”
“Maybe if you’d stop moping?” The Woman in black suggested. “You’re on an adventure.”
“Yeah, well, maybe this is another day on the job for you,” Garret said. “But, I don’t do this kind of thing much…heck, the holo-dramas I watch are science and nature…. I’m no hero…!”
“Maybe you aren’t and maybe you are,” She shrugged. “Who knows? None of us are born ready for this life…well, maybe Hercules…but nobody else. How about you, tin man?”
Ghost Rider looked over at them, thought for a moment and then shrugged.
“I’ve never been off Earth before,” He said. “While I spend most of my life trying to get her to shut up, I’m no longer receiving communication from my friend Blaze. It feels very…strange to be on my own…”
“So, why are you here?” Garret asked. “Seems you volunteered.”
“I felt I owed Hercules,” Ghost Rider said. “And…maybe, I saw a chance to get away from the world as a good thing.”
He shrugged his metal shoulders and turned back to the window.
A meteor swarm caused the Champions a less then restful night.
Though, Garret would say it was the only fun he had on the trip, as he in his over-sized force field joined Ghost Rider out on the hull, and they cleared debris, checked for damaged and Garret got the singular joy of punching large, floating space rocks.
Their cryo-frozen pilot was only capable of communication with updates on small screens scattered about the crew quarters. It was mostly mundane information, at least for the majority of the trip.
Hour forty-three had a new alert as the ship approached orbit of the largest planet in the solar system.
First was the image of a large ship of no recognized terrain design, in orbit around the moon Europea and then there was the second alert that their flight path was blocked by a human figure floating in the cold emptiness of space.
Garret smacked the control on his harness and found himself having to hunch forward to keep from bumping against the ceiling.
“Okay, how do we take him?” He asked, pounding his energy-encased fists together.
“He is a she,” Hercules explained, reaching up and placing a hand on Giant man’s orange, over-sized arm. “And, she is on our side.”
“I’ll see about opening the cargo bay,” Black Widow said.
“Nice try,” Ghost Rider said to the chagrined Garret.
Once they ushered the new arrival in and resealed the cargo hold, the others joined Hercules.
“May I present, Darkstar!” The Demigod announced.
The young woman floated several inches above the metal deck. She was clad in a white bodysuit with black piping on the seams, black boots, gloves, and a small, black diamond symbol on her chest.
A white headband held her mane of platinum hair away from her face. Her features were attractive, but her expression blank and neutral, her eyes were pupil-less and black as polished midnight.
“Hercules,” She said in a monotone.
“Thank you for coming,” The prince of power replied with a smile. “I’ll show you to your quarters.”
The two left the cargo hold, Hercules walking, Darkstar floating.
The rest of the makeshift Champions milled about before realizing they had been dismissed and drifted off to their own corners.
Once again, Garret was at the alcove by the viewing port, tapping away at his tablet. He started when he glanced up and found Black Widow standing there.
“Wish you’d stop that,” He muttered.
“Sorry, old habit.”
“We should be there, wherever that is, in another hour,” Garret said. “What is this all about?”
“From what I’ve figured out,” The Widow shrugged. “There is someone on that ship that Hercules made a promise to do something for, and it had something to do with the original Champions…so, here we are.”
“And you think that’s it?” Garret asked, wide-eyed. “That’s all that’s going on?”
“You’ve met Hercules,” She replied. “You are looking for complexity where it doesn’t exist.”
Garret frowned in thought over the Widow’s assessment.
“What about Darkstar?” He then asked. “How is she connected to the original?”
“She is the original,” Hercules replied, striding into the room as the technician turned hero was speaking. “Ilayona is the only other member of the Champions still alive.”
“What…?” Garret exclaimed. “ I thought she was just a mutant?”
“Just…?” Black Widow muttered.
“Oh, she is so much more,” Hercules said, with a broad smile. “Darkstar does not merely channel her dark energy. She has always been a conduit between our universe and the dark dimension.”
“What happened to her?” The Widow asked. “She seems a bit stilted, not quite human.”
Hercules’ smile faded and he nodded.
“Aye. There was a…battle, many years ago,” He said, peering out the view port, but giving the impression he was looking, not into space, but deep into the past. “The boundaries between dimensions were razed and one of the realms endangered with total destruction was the Dark Dimension. In trying to save it, we learned the dark force is not merely energy, but tis alive in its own way. Both it and…Ilaynia were on the verge of death. The only hope either had of surviving was…to…um…”
Hercules made vague gestures, his scant scientific knowledge reaching its end.
“She became a host for the surviving dark force…?” Black Widow prompted.
“You put an entire dimension inside…a person…?” Garret exclaimed. “I don’t…that’s not…am I the only one that has a problem with that…?”
“I do not know if my friend is in there anymore,” Hercules said, with quiet sorrow. “But, the dark force remembers the actions we took to save it and has agreed to aid us.”
“How is it I’ve never heard about her?” Black Widow asked. “If there’s a god-like being operating in free space?”
“The merging was not…easy,” Hercules said. “We felt it best if her…Darkstar’s healing occurred far from…well, mortals can be very fragile. Once the merging was complete, Darkstar chose to stay and explore the outer worlds. I understand she is quite a legend amongst the Ba-Bani.”
“Every question I ask just makes my head hurt more,” Garret sighed.
“On the Brightside,” Black Widow told him. “It killed enough time that it looks like we are moving in to dock.”
“To the bridge!” Hercules announced, walking off. The others hurried to follow.
The heroes all crowded onto the bridge, the urge to see their destination fighting with their unease about being around each other.
Hercules leaned against the Iceman’s containment pod, peering intently at the view screen.
“That ship is massive…!” Garret breathed.
“How did that reach Jupiter without setting off every alarm in the system?” The Widow asked. “I’d rather not have to deal with the Earth Fleet on top of everything else.”
“We are docking,” Darkstar stated, blandly.
The ship hung in orbit around Europa, dwarfing the Champions transport. It resembled an enormous art exhibit, giant slabs and blocks of grey metal fused together.
“I don’t recognize that ship design,” Black Widow muttered, her professional detachment slipping for the first time. “No recognition marks either.
“What race built that?” Ghost Rider asked.
Hercules merely smiled.
“Calm yourselves,” He said. “This ship belongs to an ally. Look!”
As he spoke, a block the size of a two-story house slid aside, revealing a docking bay, roomy enough for the Sandalphon and six more ships its size.
The hum of the ship’s engines lowered to a faint purr and the cargo ship drifted into the bay as though guided by invisible hands. It settled with a thump and the heroes looked around, for either a welcoming committee or a hint of what their next step was.
Hercules straightened up, clapped his hands with satisfaction and strode out towards the nearest hatchway.
The team followed and they all soon stood in the vast empty space.
“This isn’t an Earth ship,” Ghost Rider muttered.
“Definitely,” Garret added, nodding absently as he peered around. “Fuse wielding on a structure this size…and arc energy nodes…”
The Black Widow nudged him, as she stepped by, to get his attention. They all began following Hercules as he headed for a large round door at the far end of the hanger.
Like some kind of surreal school trip, the Champions followed after Hercules, wide-eyed with awe over their surroundings. The Demigod strolled along, apparently familiar with the ship and sure of his destination.
Large as the ship had appeared from the outside, the inside seemed, impossibly, even bigger.
Most of the way was bare gunmetal grey walls and the occasional round, over-sized door. Every now and then there would be a round window or view screen, showing another world or some incomprehensible piece of machinery.
“Hold on,” Ghost Rider said, planting a cybernetic hand on Hercules’ broad shoulder. “
What, demon?” The demigod asked.
“We’ve been hiking for fifteen minutes,” Ghost Rider replied. “At what point were you planning on telling us what we are doing here? Maybe we should know before we encounter whatever it is that requires a team to handle.”
“Finally!” Garrett muttered. “Nobody listens to me…!”
Hercules turned and faced his teammates, his arms crossed, his expression thoughtful.
“Of course, I would be remiss as a leader…” He began. “I spoke earlier of a great battle that tore the barriers between realms. Many heroes gathered to fight this menace and to see that reality was restored. We lost many good and noble comrades, as well as saw the devastation of several otherworldly realms. When the universe was restored there were…weak spots…not all the …seams, I am not a scientist, so would not know the terms, fit. Several times a century, it is required that these “soft places” receive maintenance.”
His explanation was met with stunned silence.
“I, along with several other immortals,” Hercules continued, gesturing towards Darkstar. “Swore to see to this duty and we have, for nearly seven centuries. When it has fallen to the Prince of power to serve my term, I have taken to gathering the Champions to aid me.”
“I understand recruiting someone like them,” Ghost rider said, gesturing at Garrett and Darkstar. “But, why do you need me or the mercenary…”
“Freelance operative,” Black Widow corrected him.
“The ‘seams’ where you patched up the dimensional barriers are unstable,” Garrett suggested. “Then…stuff…gets through…?”
“On occasion,” Hercules nodded.
“And that ‘stuff’ needs to be punched back where it came from.” The technician added.
Hercules nodded.
“You want us to fight other-dimensional monsters and couldn’t be bothered to tell us?” Garrett asked. “Are you trying to get us killed…?”
“He has a point,” Black Widow added.
“I…apologize,” Hercules shrugged, looking contrite. “Mortals come and go and I tend to forget who has had experience in this task before.”
He then turned and walked off, as if that explanation settled everything.
His teammates all stood for a moment, dealing with this new information in their own unique way.
“Well, let’s go fight some monsters,” Black Widow said, matter of factly, drawing her guns.
“Wish he’d just said that’s what we were going to do,” Ghost Rider nodded, cracking his metal knuckles. “Not comfortable with space travel, but I fight monsters all the time.
“Humph,” Darkstar added, enigmatically as she floated past.
“Ah, so it’s just me who has a problem with that part,” Garrett nodded, anxiously, before following after his teammates.
“So, is this ship from another dimension?” Black Widow asked, as they walked.
“No,” Hercules replied. “It was not just the heroes of Earth that worked to repair the fabric of reality, but cosmic beings and deities, besides myself. I first met him when I was with the original Champions…ah, here we are! He shall help with…Zeus’ beard…!!”
A round door slid aside and the Champions entered some kind of control room, but geared towards a crew that had to have stood fifteen feet tall.
Besides his height, the man looked human. His white hair was trimmed short and his mustache was thin and pointed.
His red tunic left his arms and legs bare. His wide sash, cloak and boots were green. He lay sprawled and unconscious, floating six feet above the floor.
“What…?” Darkstar breathed, showing a flicker of emotion.
“That’s our contact, isn’t it?” Black Widow asked, glancing about.
“Yes, that is the Stranger.” Hercules said, with grim concern.
“The Stranger?” Black Widow asked, still scanning their surroundings. “He was a villain! The Champions fought him.”
“It was…complicated,” Hercules said, taking his golden mace from his belt. “When we first encountered him, we fought…the first few times, actually, but later, we became uneasy allies and later still, during the great conflict, the Stranger joined the heroes of Earth to preserve the fabric of reality.”
“What happened to him?” Ghost Rider asked, taking up a defensive posture, his hands flaming up. “What could knock out someone that powerful?”
Garrett slapped the chest plate on his harness and once he was encased in his force field, he was tall enough to study the Stranger at eye level.
“Not sure,” Garret muttered. “Is he ill or was he knocked out?”
Darkstar floated upwards to join him. Hercules leapt onto a console.
“There is an unusual energy residue present,” She intoned.
“You think something came through one of the…uh…rifts, the soft spots…and attacked him?” Garrett asked, thoughtfully. His over-sized energy fist went up to stroke his force field chin.
“Who could have done this?” Hercules asked.
“That would be me!”
They looked around, struggling to locate the owner of the voice. There was a flare of crimson energy and a figure appeared, fluttering about the massive chamber. He was tall and unnaturally thin. He was clad in a light blue bodysuit with purple long gloves, boots, sash and cowl.
He had an over-sized dome of a head. His eyes were pupil-less and his mouth was stretched in a manically wide smile.
“Who…?” Garrett asked.
“Maelstrom.” Darkstar said.
“Should we know that name?” Black Widow asked, moving her guns to keep a bead on the newcomer as he flitted about the chamber.
Maelstrom flew about, examining the various heroes as he went. He suddenly swooped down until he was floating inches from Ghost Rider’s metallic face.
“Which one are you?’ He asked, curiously. “The one with the…let me think…the car?”
“I have no idea who you are,” Ghost Rider replied, raising a metal hand that held a ball of fire. “ But, I dislike you being this close to me.”
“Anybody going to explain what’s going on?” Garrett asked, confused. “I take it he’s the bad guy…?”
“Aye, Maelstrom is a base villain,” Hercules said, leaping back to the floor. “He was present at the multi-dimensional conflict!”
“Not on the side of the angels?” Black Widow suggested. “So, he’s one of the ‘bad things’ that slips through, that you were worried about.”
“He is not alone.” Darkstar stated intently.
The Champions encircled the floating villain, who feigned overly dramatic anxious fear.
“Oh no! They are on to me!” He said, dramatically bringing a hand to his mouth and then flying upwards. “Whatever shall I do???”
“So, not only is he one of the ‘bad things’ we have to stop, but he’s only the…uh…what…warm up act?” Garrett asked.
“What have you done, miscreant!” Hercules shouted, fists clenched.
“Did you think I was just going to cool my heels in the outer realms for all eternity?” Maelstrom chortled. “That I’d be content with some dank corner of the Omni-verse? Pee-shaw!”
Darkstar suddenly floated across the room, unleashing a whip of ebony energy, which encircled Maelstrom and yanked him towards her.
“Whom have you allied with?” She asked, her tone still bland, but her black eyes blazing with dark force.
“We’re idiots!” Black Widow announced. “He’s the advance scout, sent to take out the big guy for his boss.”
“Boss..?” Maelstrom exclaimed, indignantly, swooping around the heroes. “Hardly!”
“Which means all this foolishness is to distract us,” Ghost Rider added.
“And the penny drops!” Maelstrom announced, flying about wildly. “Give the gentleman with the metal head a cigar!”
“If he could take out Hercules’ big friend, then how do we handle him?” Garrett asked. “Does that mean the Stranger is what Maelstroms’ boss was afraid of…?”
“Now, you’re getting too smart,” Maelstrom said, grimly, as his hands began to glow with other-dimensional energy. The blasts from his hands scattered the Champions like bowling pins.
Black Widow landed on her back and immediately returned fire at the menace. Her guns were not powerful enough to stop Maelstrom, her shots served as a distraction.
Ghost Rider leapt to his feet and then onto his hover board, hurling fireballs as he raced towards the villain.
Hercules climbed to his feet, ready to join the fray.
An over-sized orange hand on his muscular shoulder stopped him.
“Hold on,” Garrett said. “If he’s keeping us busy, then there must be something bad happening…out there…we need a plan!”
“You speak truth,” Hercules nodded. “Darkstar!”
His shouted attracted the powerful being’s attention. Hercules gestured at Maelstrom. Darkstar cocked her head to the side in thought, and then she turned and blasted at their foe. The dark force energy formed into a midnight black sphere, trapping Maelstrom.
“That will not hold him long.” She explained.
“So let’s avoid the usual banter and get to work,” Black Widow said, grimly. “We need to split up.”
“Who can deal with the rift?” Garrett asked, thoughtfully.
“Hercules and I,” Darkstar replied, matter of factly.
“Keep Maelstrom busy until we have dealt with his allies,” Hercules commanded. “If at all possible, see to the Stranger!”
Darkstar used a dark energy construct to scoop up the Prince of Power and then flew away.
“What’s our plan?” Ghost rider asked, eyeing the cracks forming in the black sphere.
“Keep him busy while I try to figure out these controls?” Garrett suggested. “Even if we can’t help the Stranger, he must have something here to deal with the rifts?”
“We’ll get you the time you need,” Black Widow nodded.
Ghost Rider flew upwards and began to push the sphere in the hopes of getting it away from the Stranger and his teammate, if not off the massive ship entirely.
Black Widow ran to catch up. Using special disks in the soles of her boots, she ran up the wall, trying to keep pace.
The black sphere finally shattered, and Maelstrom glared at the two heroes.
“I was quite content to just play with you until they got here,” He sneered. “But, now, I’m irritated and think I’m going to have to kill you!”
“Fair enough,” Ghost Rider said, swooping in and punching Maelstrom full in the face with a blazing metal fist.
Maelstrom somersaulted backwards through the air, colliding with the far bulkhead.
He shook his head and growled, deep in his throat.
“Maybe you weren’t there when I faced the Riders,” He snarled.” But I will take a certain satisfaction in twisting your tin head off like a bottle cap…!”
“Lord, you do love the sound of your own voice,” The Black Widow said.
Now standing on the ceiling, she was hanging upside down, and face to face with the villain. She brought up both guns.
“Don’t you dare…!” Maelstrom screeched, seconds before she fired directly into his face.
For several minutes, until her guns clicked empty.
The force of the blasts sent Maelstrom colliding back against the wall, repeatedly. He then slid down several feet, before collapsing in a heap on the floor below.
“That went easier then I’d expected,” Black Widow said, absently, as she thumbed the recharge switches on her guns.
“I don’t think we’re done,” Ghost Rider intoned, swooping past her.
Maelstrom’s body trembled and began to spark. He then lurched to his feet, roaring incoherently, energy pouring from his eyes and mouth as his fingertips flared and sparked.
Maelstrom shot upwards, blazing with energy. The shockwave alone sent the two heroes tumbling across the over-sized corridor. Blasts from his fingertips scorched the alien material that made up the walls.
Her feet still stuck to the ceiling, the Black Widow was knocked about, rocking back and forth like a wind chime caught in a hurricane.
Ghost Rider threw up his hands attempting to create a protective wall of flame, which the energy burst blew through. Sending the demonic automaton tumbling through the air, until he hit the far wall, leaving scorch marks as he slid down to the floor.
Outside, Hercules stood on the hull of a Stranger’s craft and peered up into infinity. Despite, the current crisis and his own godly nature and advanced age, the wonder of the starry, night sky still gave him a pleasant sense of awe.
“There.” Darkstar said, with her same vaguely disinterested tone, as she pointed upwards.
Hercules squinted and could make it out, a swirling patch of black, like a ripple in a pond.
“It doesn’t look too large,” He nodded. “Will it be tasking to seal?”
“It shouldn’t be,” She replied with a faint shrug.
Darkstar raised her hands and tendrils of dark force energy snaked their way across the void of space.
Using the dark force, she was able begin to push at the dimensional rift.
Slowly, amazingly, her expression began to change. Her forehead lost some of its smoothness and her line of a mouth went down slightly at the corners.
Her eyes narrowed and the amount of energy she unleashed upon the rift increased.
She could feel something pushing back, something within the rift struggling to force it open.
They pushed their way through, creatures resembling beetles made of steel, each the size of a mini-van. They trampled over each other in their rush, like maggots from a corpse, eager to enter a new universe!
“The Horde…!” Hercules frowned. “Cosmic vermin! Prepare to receive…the GIFT!!”
The prince of power leapt off from the hull of the starship, propelling himself towards the grotesque other-dimensional insects.
As he did, he took his golden mace from his belt.
He landed on the back of the nearest creature, bashed down with his mace, cracking its metallic shell!
The son of Zeus leapt from enormous bug to enormous bug, striking vigorously. Soon, a half dozen of the Horde were floating, twitching, their shells split and seeping.
Within minutes, the space around the rift was littered with pieces of the silver invaders, but there seemed an endless number, waiting to push their way into our reality.
Darkstar trembled with the effort, but it seemed even that had only reduced the rift by inches.
Hercules was covered in scratches, bathed in sweat and grinning like a child on Christmas.
Despite the imminent danger to all reality, he hadn’t had this much fun in decades!
Back inside, Garrett was glancing from the various floating globes that served as view screens to the unconscious floating giant in the center of the room.
“Hnn…none of this seems to be going well,” He muttered, attempting to study the console in front of him, while being constantly distracted by events around him.
“Where to start…? Close the rift…? Wake the big guy up…? Stop Maelstrom…? I hate having to multi-task!”
He had managed to activate the viewing globes, but had also turned off the lights twice and activated some kind of food dispenser, so there was now a large puddle of some green liquid on the floor.
Garrett raised a giant hand, scratching his head in thought.
He made a decision and pushed a button.
“I will fry you from the inside out!” Maelstrom ranted, blasting at the two heroes.
Ghost Rider, his jacket in smoking tatters, swooped and dodged, hurling fireballs back at the other-dimensional villain.
One of his cybernetic eyes was blinking, he was missing two fingers from his left hand and wiring was sparking from a gash in his right side.
Black Widow ran across the ceiling, occasionally leaping to the wall, firing her guns the entire time.
It seemed that their efforts were doing nothing more then distracting Maelstrom, making him even more frustrated and angry.
The walls and ceiling were scorched and in some places the white plastic had melted and run like wax.
“I hope the others are having better luck!” Black Widow shouted as she and Ghost Rider crossed paths.
“They couldn’t be having worse luck.” He grunted in reply.
Suddenly a barrier slid down from the ceiling, coming in-between the Champions and their opponent. Maelstrom could be heard, raging on the other side, while they slumped, grateful for the rest.
“Well, that was convient,” Black Widow said, joining Ghost Rider on the floor, recharging her guns. One screeched and smoked. She tossed it away, pulling another gun from her belt.
Ghost Rider sat on the floor, flexing his damaged robotic hand. The joints whined in protest and a jet of flame emerged.
“Hello…?” A voice said, from the ceiling. “Can you hear me…why aren’t any of these buttons labeled?”
“Giant man…?” Ghost Rider muttered, not looking up from his hand.
“Garrett!” Black Widow shouted upwards. “What’s going on?”
“I…um…think I told the ship’s computer there’s a radiation leak, so it’s sealing compartments. Hopefully, that’ll keep Maelstrom contained…for a couple minutes. I’m going to try and help Hercules…he’s fighting aliens….”
“Of course he is,” The masked mercenary breathed.
“Wonder how long that will hold him?” Ghost Rider asked.
Outside, Hercules was forcing back the Horde and Darkstar had shrunk the rift, so that they could only emerge into our universe two or three at a time.
Darkstar’s face was damp with effort, her arms shaking. Even she had her limits.
She glanced over her shoulder, frowning at the Stranger’s ship, then back towards her teammate.
“There is an…energy reading from the ship.” She said, through clenched teeth.
From one of the ship’s turrets, a beam of sapphire blue energy shot out, slicing through the Horde like they were made of paper.
Hercules nodded with approval, until he realized he was in the path of the beam.
He leapt off the battered creature a heartbeat before it was incinerated. The prince of power winced as his back was seared and he was sent tumbling off into space.
The beam plowed through the Horde, striking the rift. The two kinds of cosmic energy sparked off each other, creating an ethereal fireworks display.
“I…cannot…close the rift…!” Darkstar grunted, her eyes aflame with dark force energy, her entire body trembling. “The beam…is pushing it open…!!”
Back in the control room, Giant man was frantically scanning the panels of buttons and monitors in front of him.
“How do I turn it off??” He asked, anxiously. “Don’t want to save my teammates only to destroy the solar system…come on…!”
A large hand reached past him and pushed a cube-shaped button, which then glowed blue.
“What are you doing on my ship?” The Stranger asked, intently. “And where is Maelstrom?”
Outside, the beam faded, and with a final effort, Darkstar sealed the rift.
She hung in space, her body limp and trembling. The dark force collective had always been concerned with the frailty of their host, but for the first time since melding with her, they had encountered something that taxed their own abilities and power.
It was a troubling feeling.
Darkstar’s contemplation was halted by the sudden realization that Hercules was tumbling away through the void of space.
Haltingly, she flew after him, aware that even a god could survive only so long in the cold of eternity.
It too two tries before she was able to create an ebony hand and pull the prince of power back to her and then could struggle back to the Stranger’s ship.
“My thanks, fair maiden,” Hercules said, managing a weak smile. “I will have to think of some suitable manner in which to show my appreciation…”
“Perhaps.” She replied, allowing one corner of her mouth to go up in the briefest of smiles.
Maelstrom raised both hands and with an angry grunt, blasted his way through the wall.
“Come out, come out…!” He chortled. “Time to finish what we started…oh…!”
On the other side of the wall, stood the Champions and the Stranger, all sporting crossed arms and grim expressions.
“Maelstrom,” Hercules said. “We would have words with thee…”
Soon, Maelstrom was contained in some kind of energy bubble.
Apparently, the Stranger’s ship was so big it had its own zoo, and the other-dimensional villain was the newest exhibit.
Everyone had been given a turn in the med-bay and hospitality cubical, so wounds were tended to, costumes repaired and Garrett even figured out how to get the food machines to make a burrito.
The Champions then gathered in the main control room, as the Stranger repaired the damage to Ghost Rider’s robotic body.
“Considering the clashing energies contained within this shell,” The Cosmic being said, absently, while squinting into Ghost Rider’s metal torso. “It’s a wonder you’ve survived this long.”
He directed several servo-drones to finish the work and turned to face Hercules and the other heroes.
“I thank you for your help,” He nodded. “Hard to believe even Maelstrom being mad enough to usher the Horde into this universe…”
“I doubt he had a ‘grand scheme’,” Black Widow suggested. “He just seemed desperate to get from…wherever he was back to our universe. He probably figured the Horde would keep everybody busy.”
“It would seem his own ego proved his downfall,” Hercules nodded. “As he could not resist bragging when we arrived and allowed himself to be goaded into conflict.”
“He didn’t seem to like you much,” Garrett added, peering over the Stranger’s shoulder to observe the workings of Ghost Rider’s robotic body.
“Never laid eyes on him until today,” Ghost Rider said, sitting up. He flexed his hands and rolled his shoulders before nodding his approval of the repairs. “But, I’m not the first to use the name.”
“So, what now?” Garrett asked. “We heading home?”
“I should,” Ghost Rider nodded.
“Not I,” Hercules replied, to most of his new teammates’ surprise. “Earth has grown small, with its corporate rulers, and while I am happy to see it has Avengers, they are strangers to me. I think I will continue on my way and see if the new frontier has any need of the Lion of Olympus!”
“We am not returning to Earth either,” Darkstar said, quietly. “I have a need to learn more about…being…human.”
“Excellent!” Hercules exclaimed, placing an arm around her slim shoulders. “Together we will see what the stars have to offer!”
“If you wish,” The Stranger said. “I could convey you out beyond this solar system. It is the least I could do, to repay your assistance.”
“Well, boys,” Black Widow said, glancing from Giant man to Ghost Rider. “Guess it’s just us heading back to Earth.”
“I can work on my resume’ on the way back,” Garrett said. “Doubtful my employer will believe I was too busy saving the galaxy to show up.”
“If you need a reference…!” Black Widow said, nodding towards Hercules, who had Darkstar perched on one of his broad shoulders and was asking the Stranger how to get the food machines to make mead.
Injured in the course of his mission and escaping a squad of robotic corporate enforcers, he was aided by Hercules!
The prince of power is looking for allies to help him on a mission that ties in to his and Ghost Rider’s shared history…
Ghost Rider sat in a blocky, square chair, wires trailing from various points on his body connecting him to pieces of equipment in the cramped control room.
Hovering at his shoulder (one of them literally) was a young blonde woman, her hair done up in a ponytail. She wore a yellow bodysuit with pouches down both legs, and a spherical service robot that looked like a giant eyeball.
“Not a 100 percent,” The blonde said, not looking away from the monitors. “But, no serious system damage.”
“So, I will live to fight again,” The robotic spirit of vengeance said.
“Ties good news indeed!” Boomed the voice of the other occupant of the room.
While there were traces of grey in his hair and beard, the demigod had lost now of his energy and exuberance. He strode across the room and gave Ghost Rider a chuck on the shoulder that almost knocked the robotic hero out of his chair.
“I would have a word with thee,” Hercules said, leaning against a console, much to the blonde’s annoyance. “I am in need of comrades for an undertaking.”
Blaze, standing behind Hercules, stood up on tiptoe, to look over his shoulder and silently mouthed ‘No’ to Ghost Rider.
“What do you need from me?” Ghost Rider asked.
“First, we must collect the others,” Hercules said with a smile.
The A.I.M. Technologies building was a massive ziggurat of grey plasti-steel, connected to the city by a six-lane bridge.
The over-sized brown hover transport that functioned as Ghost Rider’s headquarters merged with the other delivery vehicles and service drones, making its way to the enormous delivery zone behind the building.
In the over-sized front cab, the Orb was nestled in a control cradle with Hercules and Ghost Rider sat on either side of him.
“Are you sure…whoever we are supposed to meet will be here?” Ghost Rider asked, glancing around. “A.I.M. Tech doesn’t have the best reputation. If security spots us…”
“Fear not,” Hercules told him. “They will be here. Trust in my friend, as I do. She understands the need for stealth…”
It was then that an explosion rocked the truck cab…
Inside and earlier:
The huge building was a warren of corridors, offices, workspaces and storage areas.
As well as miles of service tunnels, ducts and vents and it was there that the Black Widow was making her way through the A.I.M. building.
She was an enigma, a legend when it came to espionage, stretching back to before the heroic age. It was unknown if she was a single immortal adventuress or a long line of individuals, each taking up the mantle and continuing the legacy.
She was currently hanging upside down in a duct, looking down, through a mesh vent into a cavernous work area.
Encased from head to toe in shiny black plastic-wear, she was practically hermetically sealed. Her only adornments were a gun belt encircling her hips, a pair of wristbands.
Goggles rendered her eyes into two opaque circles.
She inched down and ran a gloved hand over the mesh, where it was sealed into the duct opening.
Squeezing past pneumatic tubing and pipes, she reached into a leg pouch and withdrew a finger thin metal rod.
It hummed faintly as she ran it around the edges of the metal panel.
As she began to pull the grate loose, the woman in black halted, hearing approaching voices.
Two men walked past the grate. One was thin and pale with hunched shoulders. He had receding hair and wore a pale blue bodysuit.
The other, a shorter man was stocky and darker, biracial rather then African-American. His orange bodysuit fit loosely on him. He also wore a belt made of multiple small pouches and an odd harness. It had several tiny blinking lights and a few wires trailed from it to the belt.
“Nigel, if you’ll just let us have a few more days…!” The darker man said, plaintively.
“Marcus,” The tall man interrupted quietly. “Your sections’ project is ten days past the contract date and we cannot be going over budget, not until after this merger with Cross. I’m sorry, but I’ve made all the allowances I can. You need to be shut down by end of business day and I’ll message you which of your team I’ll need reassigned…”
“But, my team has several other systems we are still testing,” Marcus protested. “We have several practical applications for…”
“Make an appointment and we’ll discuss your teams’ contributions, but that will not change your teams’ reassignment.”
They crossed the cavernous work area and Nigel stepped onto the transport disk.
“I appreciate your dedication and enthusiasm, Marcus, but taking this personally will not help the situation.” His supervisor said as he was lifted upwards by the anti-gravity device.
“But, I…!” Marcus stammered to the departing other man. “Oh dast…!”
His shoulders slumped.
“You seem unappreciated, Mister Garret” A voice above his head said, startling him. “Maybe you need a career change?”
Hanging upside down from the open vent, a woman had a pistol pointed at the stocky tech worker.
“Gahhh!” He exclaimed, raising his hands. “I…uh…?”
With a casual movement, the black clad women flipped, landed on her feet, without the gun wavering from Marcus Garret.
“I’m sorry,” She said, lowering her weapon. “Force of habit. Let’s keep this cordial. Marcus Garret?”
“What…?” He asked, wide-eyed. “Um…yes…but…?”
“Does that thing work?” She asked, gesturing with her free hand at the harness.
“What…?”
“Not helping, you starting every sentence with ‘what?’,” The woman in black sighed. “We’re on the clock, Garret.”
She then shot him in the chest.
The laser struck the harness, and suddenly Marcus Garret was enveloped in an orange force field. It was man-shaped and twenty feet tall. Marcus floated in the middle of it.
“Oh no…!” He muttered, frantically adjusting controls on the harness. “No, no,no! I am in enough trouble without industrial spies stealing my work!”
As the anxious technician moved, the force field responded, swinging a massive fist down towards the intruder. She easily dodged, and the fist crashed into the floor, shattering tile and cracking the concrete beneath.
“Yikes…!” Garret winced, pulling his fist free and making a lunge for the woman in black.
She spun and dodged, firing as she moved.
The shots had no effect on the orange force field, but each one caused its operator to flinch.
Garret swung wildly, not managing to land a blow, but driving the intruder back, away from his work area.
With a couple more swings he pushed her into a corner. She stumbled back between some large plasti-crates.
Garret raised his over-sized fists. The woman in black, gestured, re-holstering her guns almost faster then the eye could follow and raised her hands.
“Okay, you got me, I surrender,” She said.
“What…?” Garret said, his arms stopping in mid-swing. “Uh…what…?”
“I’m not here to steal anything,” She admitted. “I needed to see what you could handle.”
“What…?” Garret said, realizing he was probably sounding like an idiot but unable to think of anything else to say about this inexplicable situation.
“You have weak combat skills, but that force field can take some shots and is a pretty impressive piece of hardware. Inter-web chatter also says you are pretty sharp on the science side. Can I interest you in a little sabbatical from this place, Giant man?”
“Um…maybe…what did you call me?”
And that was when the heavily armed security drones arrived…
The siren rang through the Ghost Rider’s mobile HQ, Ghost Rider and Hercules nearly trampled each other racing down the narrow passageways. A flash of light from an open door and they stumbled into a small room with a raised metal circle on the floor in which now stood the woman in the black bodysuit and a slightly dazed looking Marcus Garret.
“This gets weirder by the minute,” He muttered, spotting the robotic demon and demigod.
“Blaze, how long have we had a transmat pad?” Ghost Rider asked, looking up towards the ceiling.
“Black Widow!” Hercules boomed, walking towards the woman with arms spread wide. “I knew my faith in you was well placed!”
“You try and hug me and I will shoot you,” She said, simply.
“Where next?” Ghost Rider asked. “Blaze wants to get moving before security spots us.”
“Did you find us a ship?” Hercules asked the masked woman, dropping his arms.
“I am quite capable of multi-tasking,” She replied, offended. “The day I can’t arrange clandestine transportation and an extraction in the same day…”
“What the dast is going on here…?!” Garret muttered, as everyone else exited the room.
Soon, the truck was parked next to a nondescript gray block of a building on the grounds of the Astrovik Space port.
The odd quartet stood outside, in various phases of confusion and concern.
“Let’s not stand around,” Black widow said, striding to a small side door. “You lot will attract attention.”
“WE attract attention?” Garret asked, watching the woman in skintight plasti-form. “I wish some of this would make sense…!”
“No worries, my friend,” Hercules smiled, clapping Garret on the shoulder, making him stumble. “Tis merely a transporter. Is easier to reach orbit then to take a shuttle.”
“But, this is where they transport freight,” Garret protested, anxiously. “Not people…!”
Ghost Rider, his hover disk tucked under one arm, stood behind the others. He glanced from the truck that was the only home he had on Earth to the transmat station.
“You sure about this?” Blaze asked, through the communication implant in his skull. “I’m not too sure where Hercules is taking you, and once you leave orbit it will be difficult for us to communicate.”
“Hercules helped me and I should return the favor,” He replied. “And someone needs to keep an eye on these…Champions of his.”
“Good luck,” Blaze said. “Hurry home.”
“Home…” He breathed, looking at the massive truck before joining the others.
Within were numerous crates and a larger version of the transmat circle in the truck.
“Is this a good idea?” Garret asked, nervously.
“You’ll be fine,” Black Widow chided him, as she went up to a control bank and inserted an info-wafer. “Let’s go. The attendant will be back from the ‘meal break’, I bribed him to take, soon.”
Another flash of light and they were standing in the cargo bay of a starship.
Garret blinked to regain his balance and then moved to dingy porthole.
“We’re in orbit,” He breathed.
“Not the prettiest vessel,” Hercules said, looking around, fists on his hips. “But it seems sturdy enough.”
“Come on,” Black Widow said. “Let me show you the command deck.
The bridge was low ceilinged, dimly lit and jammed with banks of instruments. A clunky gray coffin-shaped container dominated the room with a small workstation on each side.
“Who knows how to pilot one of these?” Garret asked.
“We have a pilot,” Black Widow said, walking over and leaning against the grey container. She rubbed a palm across a frosted, plastic panel on top. “Come say ‘hi’.”
Within the container, they saw a young man, who appeared to be sleeping. His blonde hair was spiked with ice and his face sported a thin layer of frost.
“This is a re-fited colony supply ship.” She explained. “Our pilot is an ‘ice man’.”
Hercules chuckled.
The others looked at him puzzled.
“Thought you’d like that,” Black Widow said. She then nodded towards the far wall. “You might want to see that, as well.”
A grease and dirt smeared metal plaque was bolted to the wall. It contained the ship’s name and registry number.
“Sandalphon…?” Hercules muttered. “I cannot say it rings any bells.”
“It is the name of an angel, if that helps.” Ghost Rider said, reading over the demi-god’s broad shoulder.
Hercules’ roar of laughter startled everyone in the room.
“Glorious!” He roared, turning to leave the room. He patted the pilot’s chamber on his way past. “Cast off! We have work to do!”
“I don’t understand any of this,” Garret muttered, shaking his head as he followed after the Lion of Olympus.
Seen from the outside, the Sandalphon was a blocky craft with a trio of large bowl-shaped propulsion units. A few tracking lights blinked listlessly on its hull.
The propulsors flared and the ship made its sluggish way out of Earth orbit and past the moon.
There was a drab common room, where Hercules gathered his makeshift team. They sat around the metal table or perched on nearby banks of equipment.
“You have questions,” The Demigod said. “And the time has come to explain our mission. In the distant past, there was a of team of heroes, the Champions!”
He paused for dramatic effect, only to be met with blank stares.
“You would think I would get used to that,” Hercules muttered, before continuing. “During our time as a team, the Champions we encountered, an immortal being of cosmic powers that dwarfed even my own. Three times did we encounter him, the first two in conflict and the third as uneasy allies. During that third encounter,” Hercules explained. “We realized the threat we faced could not be halted, only…diverted, and we two as the only immortals had a responsibility to keep watch. That time has come.”
“So, where is this ‘bad thing’ due to occur?” Black Widow asked, in a tone of boredom.
“Europa,” Hercules replied.
“We’re going to Jupiter?!” Garret exclaimed.
“Europa!” Blaze gasped in Ghost Rider’s head.
“How long are we going to be in space?” Garret asked anxiously.
“If we can get this junker to maximum speed,” Black Widow shrugged. “Forty Eight hours.”
Garret sighed, and his shoulders slumped.
Ghost Rider stood, arms crossed, metallic features blank and stoic.
“Well, I could use a drink,” Black Widow said, straightening up. “I’m going to find out if the auto-chef works.”
She sashayed out of the room.
“It is unlikely, there will be mead…” Hercules muttered, following after her.
Hours passed, and the various Champions had settled in, found their own corner of the ship. Hercules, a mug in his hand most of the time, found the sturdiest chair on the bridge and sat watching the planets drift by as he studied the ships’ charts.
Black Widow claimed a cabin and spent most of her time behind its closed and locked door.
That left Garret and Ghost Rider at loose ends.
The technician took to using a tablet to work on his resume and the auto-chef to play with how fancy a recipe he could coax out of its basic supplies and ingredients.
Not needing to eat, Ghost Rider took to lingering, by a viewport, struggling to keep in touch with Blaze back on Earth, and watching the stars.
It was a good-sized room with a few pieces of furniture, so both of them would find themselves there. Both socially awkward in their own ways meant little conversation occurred.
“Writing your memoirs?” Black Widow asked, suddenly appearing at his shoulder.
“Gah…! No, just need to fill the time and the odds of my having a job…if we get back to Earth...” Garret said. He sighed and peered towards the viewport. “Never been off world before…thought I’d enjoy it more…”
“Maybe if you’d stop moping?” The Woman in black suggested. “You’re on an adventure.”
“Yeah, well, maybe this is another day on the job for you,” Garret said. “But, I don’t do this kind of thing much…heck, the holo-dramas I watch are science and nature…. I’m no hero…!”
“Maybe you aren’t and maybe you are,” She shrugged. “Who knows? None of us are born ready for this life…well, maybe Hercules…but nobody else. How about you, tin man?”
Ghost Rider looked over at them, thought for a moment and then shrugged.
“I’ve never been off Earth before,” He said. “While I spend most of my life trying to get her to shut up, I’m no longer receiving communication from my friend Blaze. It feels very…strange to be on my own…”
“So, why are you here?” Garret asked. “Seems you volunteered.”
“I felt I owed Hercules,” Ghost Rider said. “And…maybe, I saw a chance to get away from the world as a good thing.”
He shrugged his metal shoulders and turned back to the window.
A meteor swarm caused the Champions a less then restful night.
Though, Garret would say it was the only fun he had on the trip, as he in his over-sized force field joined Ghost Rider out on the hull, and they cleared debris, checked for damaged and Garret got the singular joy of punching large, floating space rocks.
Their cryo-frozen pilot was only capable of communication with updates on small screens scattered about the crew quarters. It was mostly mundane information, at least for the majority of the trip.
Hour forty-three had a new alert as the ship approached orbit of the largest planet in the solar system.
First was the image of a large ship of no recognized terrain design, in orbit around the moon Europea and then there was the second alert that their flight path was blocked by a human figure floating in the cold emptiness of space.
Garret smacked the control on his harness and found himself having to hunch forward to keep from bumping against the ceiling.
“Okay, how do we take him?” He asked, pounding his energy-encased fists together.
“He is a she,” Hercules explained, reaching up and placing a hand on Giant man’s orange, over-sized arm. “And, she is on our side.”
“I’ll see about opening the cargo bay,” Black Widow said.
“Nice try,” Ghost Rider said to the chagrined Garret.
Once they ushered the new arrival in and resealed the cargo hold, the others joined Hercules.
“May I present, Darkstar!” The Demigod announced.
The young woman floated several inches above the metal deck. She was clad in a white bodysuit with black piping on the seams, black boots, gloves, and a small, black diamond symbol on her chest.
A white headband held her mane of platinum hair away from her face. Her features were attractive, but her expression blank and neutral, her eyes were pupil-less and black as polished midnight.
“Hercules,” She said in a monotone.
“Thank you for coming,” The prince of power replied with a smile. “I’ll show you to your quarters.”
The two left the cargo hold, Hercules walking, Darkstar floating.
The rest of the makeshift Champions milled about before realizing they had been dismissed and drifted off to their own corners.
Once again, Garret was at the alcove by the viewing port, tapping away at his tablet. He started when he glanced up and found Black Widow standing there.
“Wish you’d stop that,” He muttered.
“Sorry, old habit.”
“We should be there, wherever that is, in another hour,” Garret said. “What is this all about?”
“From what I’ve figured out,” The Widow shrugged. “There is someone on that ship that Hercules made a promise to do something for, and it had something to do with the original Champions…so, here we are.”
“And you think that’s it?” Garret asked, wide-eyed. “That’s all that’s going on?”
“You’ve met Hercules,” She replied. “You are looking for complexity where it doesn’t exist.”
Garret frowned in thought over the Widow’s assessment.
“What about Darkstar?” He then asked. “How is she connected to the original?”
“She is the original,” Hercules replied, striding into the room as the technician turned hero was speaking. “Ilayona is the only other member of the Champions still alive.”
“What…?” Garret exclaimed. “ I thought she was just a mutant?”
“Just…?” Black Widow muttered.
“Oh, she is so much more,” Hercules said, with a broad smile. “Darkstar does not merely channel her dark energy. She has always been a conduit between our universe and the dark dimension.”
“What happened to her?” The Widow asked. “She seems a bit stilted, not quite human.”
Hercules’ smile faded and he nodded.
“Aye. There was a…battle, many years ago,” He said, peering out the view port, but giving the impression he was looking, not into space, but deep into the past. “The boundaries between dimensions were razed and one of the realms endangered with total destruction was the Dark Dimension. In trying to save it, we learned the dark force is not merely energy, but tis alive in its own way. Both it and…Ilaynia were on the verge of death. The only hope either had of surviving was…to…um…”
Hercules made vague gestures, his scant scientific knowledge reaching its end.
“She became a host for the surviving dark force…?” Black Widow prompted.
“You put an entire dimension inside…a person…?” Garret exclaimed. “I don’t…that’s not…am I the only one that has a problem with that…?”
“I do not know if my friend is in there anymore,” Hercules said, with quiet sorrow. “But, the dark force remembers the actions we took to save it and has agreed to aid us.”
“How is it I’ve never heard about her?” Black Widow asked. “If there’s a god-like being operating in free space?”
“The merging was not…easy,” Hercules said. “We felt it best if her…Darkstar’s healing occurred far from…well, mortals can be very fragile. Once the merging was complete, Darkstar chose to stay and explore the outer worlds. I understand she is quite a legend amongst the Ba-Bani.”
“Every question I ask just makes my head hurt more,” Garret sighed.
“On the Brightside,” Black Widow told him. “It killed enough time that it looks like we are moving in to dock.”
“To the bridge!” Hercules announced, walking off. The others hurried to follow.
The heroes all crowded onto the bridge, the urge to see their destination fighting with their unease about being around each other.
Hercules leaned against the Iceman’s containment pod, peering intently at the view screen.
“That ship is massive…!” Garret breathed.
“How did that reach Jupiter without setting off every alarm in the system?” The Widow asked. “I’d rather not have to deal with the Earth Fleet on top of everything else.”
“We are docking,” Darkstar stated, blandly.
The ship hung in orbit around Europa, dwarfing the Champions transport. It resembled an enormous art exhibit, giant slabs and blocks of grey metal fused together.
“I don’t recognize that ship design,” Black Widow muttered, her professional detachment slipping for the first time. “No recognition marks either.
“What race built that?” Ghost Rider asked.
Hercules merely smiled.
“Calm yourselves,” He said. “This ship belongs to an ally. Look!”
As he spoke, a block the size of a two-story house slid aside, revealing a docking bay, roomy enough for the Sandalphon and six more ships its size.
The hum of the ship’s engines lowered to a faint purr and the cargo ship drifted into the bay as though guided by invisible hands. It settled with a thump and the heroes looked around, for either a welcoming committee or a hint of what their next step was.
Hercules straightened up, clapped his hands with satisfaction and strode out towards the nearest hatchway.
The team followed and they all soon stood in the vast empty space.
“This isn’t an Earth ship,” Ghost Rider muttered.
“Definitely,” Garret added, nodding absently as he peered around. “Fuse wielding on a structure this size…and arc energy nodes…”
The Black Widow nudged him, as she stepped by, to get his attention. They all began following Hercules as he headed for a large round door at the far end of the hanger.
Like some kind of surreal school trip, the Champions followed after Hercules, wide-eyed with awe over their surroundings. The Demigod strolled along, apparently familiar with the ship and sure of his destination.
Large as the ship had appeared from the outside, the inside seemed, impossibly, even bigger.
Most of the way was bare gunmetal grey walls and the occasional round, over-sized door. Every now and then there would be a round window or view screen, showing another world or some incomprehensible piece of machinery.
“Hold on,” Ghost Rider said, planting a cybernetic hand on Hercules’ broad shoulder. “
What, demon?” The demigod asked.
“We’ve been hiking for fifteen minutes,” Ghost Rider replied. “At what point were you planning on telling us what we are doing here? Maybe we should know before we encounter whatever it is that requires a team to handle.”
“Finally!” Garrett muttered. “Nobody listens to me…!”
Hercules turned and faced his teammates, his arms crossed, his expression thoughtful.
“Of course, I would be remiss as a leader…” He began. “I spoke earlier of a great battle that tore the barriers between realms. Many heroes gathered to fight this menace and to see that reality was restored. We lost many good and noble comrades, as well as saw the devastation of several otherworldly realms. When the universe was restored there were…weak spots…not all the …seams, I am not a scientist, so would not know the terms, fit. Several times a century, it is required that these “soft places” receive maintenance.”
His explanation was met with stunned silence.
“I, along with several other immortals,” Hercules continued, gesturing towards Darkstar. “Swore to see to this duty and we have, for nearly seven centuries. When it has fallen to the Prince of power to serve my term, I have taken to gathering the Champions to aid me.”
“I understand recruiting someone like them,” Ghost rider said, gesturing at Garrett and Darkstar. “But, why do you need me or the mercenary…”
“Freelance operative,” Black Widow corrected him.
“The ‘seams’ where you patched up the dimensional barriers are unstable,” Garrett suggested. “Then…stuff…gets through…?”
“On occasion,” Hercules nodded.
“And that ‘stuff’ needs to be punched back where it came from.” The technician added.
Hercules nodded.
“You want us to fight other-dimensional monsters and couldn’t be bothered to tell us?” Garrett asked. “Are you trying to get us killed…?”
“He has a point,” Black Widow added.
“I…apologize,” Hercules shrugged, looking contrite. “Mortals come and go and I tend to forget who has had experience in this task before.”
He then turned and walked off, as if that explanation settled everything.
His teammates all stood for a moment, dealing with this new information in their own unique way.
“Well, let’s go fight some monsters,” Black Widow said, matter of factly, drawing her guns.
“Wish he’d just said that’s what we were going to do,” Ghost Rider nodded, cracking his metal knuckles. “Not comfortable with space travel, but I fight monsters all the time.
“Humph,” Darkstar added, enigmatically as she floated past.
“Ah, so it’s just me who has a problem with that part,” Garrett nodded, anxiously, before following after his teammates.
“So, is this ship from another dimension?” Black Widow asked, as they walked.
“No,” Hercules replied. “It was not just the heroes of Earth that worked to repair the fabric of reality, but cosmic beings and deities, besides myself. I first met him when I was with the original Champions…ah, here we are! He shall help with…Zeus’ beard…!!”
A round door slid aside and the Champions entered some kind of control room, but geared towards a crew that had to have stood fifteen feet tall.
Besides his height, the man looked human. His white hair was trimmed short and his mustache was thin and pointed.
His red tunic left his arms and legs bare. His wide sash, cloak and boots were green. He lay sprawled and unconscious, floating six feet above the floor.
“What…?” Darkstar breathed, showing a flicker of emotion.
“That’s our contact, isn’t it?” Black Widow asked, glancing about.
“Yes, that is the Stranger.” Hercules said, with grim concern.
“The Stranger?” Black Widow asked, still scanning their surroundings. “He was a villain! The Champions fought him.”
“It was…complicated,” Hercules said, taking his golden mace from his belt. “When we first encountered him, we fought…the first few times, actually, but later, we became uneasy allies and later still, during the great conflict, the Stranger joined the heroes of Earth to preserve the fabric of reality.”
“What happened to him?” Ghost Rider asked, taking up a defensive posture, his hands flaming up. “What could knock out someone that powerful?”
Garrett slapped the chest plate on his harness and once he was encased in his force field, he was tall enough to study the Stranger at eye level.
“Not sure,” Garret muttered. “Is he ill or was he knocked out?”
Darkstar floated upwards to join him. Hercules leapt onto a console.
“There is an unusual energy residue present,” She intoned.
“You think something came through one of the…uh…rifts, the soft spots…and attacked him?” Garrett asked, thoughtfully. His over-sized energy fist went up to stroke his force field chin.
“Who could have done this?” Hercules asked.
“That would be me!”
They looked around, struggling to locate the owner of the voice. There was a flare of crimson energy and a figure appeared, fluttering about the massive chamber. He was tall and unnaturally thin. He was clad in a light blue bodysuit with purple long gloves, boots, sash and cowl.
He had an over-sized dome of a head. His eyes were pupil-less and his mouth was stretched in a manically wide smile.
“Who…?” Garrett asked.
“Maelstrom.” Darkstar said.
“Should we know that name?” Black Widow asked, moving her guns to keep a bead on the newcomer as he flitted about the chamber.
Maelstrom flew about, examining the various heroes as he went. He suddenly swooped down until he was floating inches from Ghost Rider’s metallic face.
“Which one are you?’ He asked, curiously. “The one with the…let me think…the car?”
“I have no idea who you are,” Ghost Rider replied, raising a metal hand that held a ball of fire. “ But, I dislike you being this close to me.”
“Anybody going to explain what’s going on?” Garrett asked, confused. “I take it he’s the bad guy…?”
“Aye, Maelstrom is a base villain,” Hercules said, leaping back to the floor. “He was present at the multi-dimensional conflict!”
“Not on the side of the angels?” Black Widow suggested. “So, he’s one of the ‘bad things’ that slips through, that you were worried about.”
“He is not alone.” Darkstar stated intently.
The Champions encircled the floating villain, who feigned overly dramatic anxious fear.
“Oh no! They are on to me!” He said, dramatically bringing a hand to his mouth and then flying upwards. “Whatever shall I do???”
“So, not only is he one of the ‘bad things’ we have to stop, but he’s only the…uh…what…warm up act?” Garrett asked.
“What have you done, miscreant!” Hercules shouted, fists clenched.
“Did you think I was just going to cool my heels in the outer realms for all eternity?” Maelstrom chortled. “That I’d be content with some dank corner of the Omni-verse? Pee-shaw!”
Darkstar suddenly floated across the room, unleashing a whip of ebony energy, which encircled Maelstrom and yanked him towards her.
“Whom have you allied with?” She asked, her tone still bland, but her black eyes blazing with dark force.
“We’re idiots!” Black Widow announced. “He’s the advance scout, sent to take out the big guy for his boss.”
“Boss..?” Maelstrom exclaimed, indignantly, swooping around the heroes. “Hardly!”
“Which means all this foolishness is to distract us,” Ghost Rider added.
“And the penny drops!” Maelstrom announced, flying about wildly. “Give the gentleman with the metal head a cigar!”
“If he could take out Hercules’ big friend, then how do we handle him?” Garrett asked. “Does that mean the Stranger is what Maelstroms’ boss was afraid of…?”
“Now, you’re getting too smart,” Maelstrom said, grimly, as his hands began to glow with other-dimensional energy. The blasts from his hands scattered the Champions like bowling pins.
Black Widow landed on her back and immediately returned fire at the menace. Her guns were not powerful enough to stop Maelstrom, her shots served as a distraction.
Ghost Rider leapt to his feet and then onto his hover board, hurling fireballs as he raced towards the villain.
Hercules climbed to his feet, ready to join the fray.
An over-sized orange hand on his muscular shoulder stopped him.
“Hold on,” Garrett said. “If he’s keeping us busy, then there must be something bad happening…out there…we need a plan!”
“You speak truth,” Hercules nodded. “Darkstar!”
His shouted attracted the powerful being’s attention. Hercules gestured at Maelstrom. Darkstar cocked her head to the side in thought, and then she turned and blasted at their foe. The dark force energy formed into a midnight black sphere, trapping Maelstrom.
“That will not hold him long.” She explained.
“So let’s avoid the usual banter and get to work,” Black Widow said, grimly. “We need to split up.”
“Who can deal with the rift?” Garrett asked, thoughtfully.
“Hercules and I,” Darkstar replied, matter of factly.
“Keep Maelstrom busy until we have dealt with his allies,” Hercules commanded. “If at all possible, see to the Stranger!”
Darkstar used a dark energy construct to scoop up the Prince of Power and then flew away.
“What’s our plan?” Ghost rider asked, eyeing the cracks forming in the black sphere.
“Keep him busy while I try to figure out these controls?” Garrett suggested. “Even if we can’t help the Stranger, he must have something here to deal with the rifts?”
“We’ll get you the time you need,” Black Widow nodded.
Ghost Rider flew upwards and began to push the sphere in the hopes of getting it away from the Stranger and his teammate, if not off the massive ship entirely.
Black Widow ran to catch up. Using special disks in the soles of her boots, she ran up the wall, trying to keep pace.
The black sphere finally shattered, and Maelstrom glared at the two heroes.
“I was quite content to just play with you until they got here,” He sneered. “But, now, I’m irritated and think I’m going to have to kill you!”
“Fair enough,” Ghost Rider said, swooping in and punching Maelstrom full in the face with a blazing metal fist.
Maelstrom somersaulted backwards through the air, colliding with the far bulkhead.
He shook his head and growled, deep in his throat.
“Maybe you weren’t there when I faced the Riders,” He snarled.” But I will take a certain satisfaction in twisting your tin head off like a bottle cap…!”
“Lord, you do love the sound of your own voice,” The Black Widow said.
Now standing on the ceiling, she was hanging upside down, and face to face with the villain. She brought up both guns.
“Don’t you dare…!” Maelstrom screeched, seconds before she fired directly into his face.
For several minutes, until her guns clicked empty.
The force of the blasts sent Maelstrom colliding back against the wall, repeatedly. He then slid down several feet, before collapsing in a heap on the floor below.
“That went easier then I’d expected,” Black Widow said, absently, as she thumbed the recharge switches on her guns.
“I don’t think we’re done,” Ghost Rider intoned, swooping past her.
Maelstrom’s body trembled and began to spark. He then lurched to his feet, roaring incoherently, energy pouring from his eyes and mouth as his fingertips flared and sparked.
Maelstrom shot upwards, blazing with energy. The shockwave alone sent the two heroes tumbling across the over-sized corridor. Blasts from his fingertips scorched the alien material that made up the walls.
Her feet still stuck to the ceiling, the Black Widow was knocked about, rocking back and forth like a wind chime caught in a hurricane.
Ghost Rider threw up his hands attempting to create a protective wall of flame, which the energy burst blew through. Sending the demonic automaton tumbling through the air, until he hit the far wall, leaving scorch marks as he slid down to the floor.
Outside, Hercules stood on the hull of a Stranger’s craft and peered up into infinity. Despite, the current crisis and his own godly nature and advanced age, the wonder of the starry, night sky still gave him a pleasant sense of awe.
“There.” Darkstar said, with her same vaguely disinterested tone, as she pointed upwards.
Hercules squinted and could make it out, a swirling patch of black, like a ripple in a pond.
“It doesn’t look too large,” He nodded. “Will it be tasking to seal?”
“It shouldn’t be,” She replied with a faint shrug.
Darkstar raised her hands and tendrils of dark force energy snaked their way across the void of space.
Using the dark force, she was able begin to push at the dimensional rift.
Slowly, amazingly, her expression began to change. Her forehead lost some of its smoothness and her line of a mouth went down slightly at the corners.
Her eyes narrowed and the amount of energy she unleashed upon the rift increased.
She could feel something pushing back, something within the rift struggling to force it open.
They pushed their way through, creatures resembling beetles made of steel, each the size of a mini-van. They trampled over each other in their rush, like maggots from a corpse, eager to enter a new universe!
“The Horde…!” Hercules frowned. “Cosmic vermin! Prepare to receive…the GIFT!!”
The prince of power leapt off from the hull of the starship, propelling himself towards the grotesque other-dimensional insects.
As he did, he took his golden mace from his belt.
He landed on the back of the nearest creature, bashed down with his mace, cracking its metallic shell!
The son of Zeus leapt from enormous bug to enormous bug, striking vigorously. Soon, a half dozen of the Horde were floating, twitching, their shells split and seeping.
Within minutes, the space around the rift was littered with pieces of the silver invaders, but there seemed an endless number, waiting to push their way into our reality.
Darkstar trembled with the effort, but it seemed even that had only reduced the rift by inches.
Hercules was covered in scratches, bathed in sweat and grinning like a child on Christmas.
Despite the imminent danger to all reality, he hadn’t had this much fun in decades!
Back inside, Garrett was glancing from the various floating globes that served as view screens to the unconscious floating giant in the center of the room.
“Hnn…none of this seems to be going well,” He muttered, attempting to study the console in front of him, while being constantly distracted by events around him.
“Where to start…? Close the rift…? Wake the big guy up…? Stop Maelstrom…? I hate having to multi-task!”
He had managed to activate the viewing globes, but had also turned off the lights twice and activated some kind of food dispenser, so there was now a large puddle of some green liquid on the floor.
Garrett raised a giant hand, scratching his head in thought.
He made a decision and pushed a button.
“I will fry you from the inside out!” Maelstrom ranted, blasting at the two heroes.
Ghost Rider, his jacket in smoking tatters, swooped and dodged, hurling fireballs back at the other-dimensional villain.
One of his cybernetic eyes was blinking, he was missing two fingers from his left hand and wiring was sparking from a gash in his right side.
Black Widow ran across the ceiling, occasionally leaping to the wall, firing her guns the entire time.
It seemed that their efforts were doing nothing more then distracting Maelstrom, making him even more frustrated and angry.
The walls and ceiling were scorched and in some places the white plastic had melted and run like wax.
“I hope the others are having better luck!” Black Widow shouted as she and Ghost Rider crossed paths.
“They couldn’t be having worse luck.” He grunted in reply.
Suddenly a barrier slid down from the ceiling, coming in-between the Champions and their opponent. Maelstrom could be heard, raging on the other side, while they slumped, grateful for the rest.
“Well, that was convient,” Black Widow said, joining Ghost Rider on the floor, recharging her guns. One screeched and smoked. She tossed it away, pulling another gun from her belt.
Ghost Rider sat on the floor, flexing his damaged robotic hand. The joints whined in protest and a jet of flame emerged.
“Hello…?” A voice said, from the ceiling. “Can you hear me…why aren’t any of these buttons labeled?”
“Giant man…?” Ghost Rider muttered, not looking up from his hand.
“Garrett!” Black Widow shouted upwards. “What’s going on?”
“I…um…think I told the ship’s computer there’s a radiation leak, so it’s sealing compartments. Hopefully, that’ll keep Maelstrom contained…for a couple minutes. I’m going to try and help Hercules…he’s fighting aliens….”
“Of course he is,” The masked mercenary breathed.
“Wonder how long that will hold him?” Ghost Rider asked.
Outside, Hercules was forcing back the Horde and Darkstar had shrunk the rift, so that they could only emerge into our universe two or three at a time.
Darkstar’s face was damp with effort, her arms shaking. Even she had her limits.
She glanced over her shoulder, frowning at the Stranger’s ship, then back towards her teammate.
“There is an…energy reading from the ship.” She said, through clenched teeth.
From one of the ship’s turrets, a beam of sapphire blue energy shot out, slicing through the Horde like they were made of paper.
Hercules nodded with approval, until he realized he was in the path of the beam.
He leapt off the battered creature a heartbeat before it was incinerated. The prince of power winced as his back was seared and he was sent tumbling off into space.
The beam plowed through the Horde, striking the rift. The two kinds of cosmic energy sparked off each other, creating an ethereal fireworks display.
“I…cannot…close the rift…!” Darkstar grunted, her eyes aflame with dark force energy, her entire body trembling. “The beam…is pushing it open…!!”
Back in the control room, Giant man was frantically scanning the panels of buttons and monitors in front of him.
“How do I turn it off??” He asked, anxiously. “Don’t want to save my teammates only to destroy the solar system…come on…!”
A large hand reached past him and pushed a cube-shaped button, which then glowed blue.
“What are you doing on my ship?” The Stranger asked, intently. “And where is Maelstrom?”
Outside, the beam faded, and with a final effort, Darkstar sealed the rift.
She hung in space, her body limp and trembling. The dark force collective had always been concerned with the frailty of their host, but for the first time since melding with her, they had encountered something that taxed their own abilities and power.
It was a troubling feeling.
Darkstar’s contemplation was halted by the sudden realization that Hercules was tumbling away through the void of space.
Haltingly, she flew after him, aware that even a god could survive only so long in the cold of eternity.
It too two tries before she was able to create an ebony hand and pull the prince of power back to her and then could struggle back to the Stranger’s ship.
“My thanks, fair maiden,” Hercules said, managing a weak smile. “I will have to think of some suitable manner in which to show my appreciation…”
“Perhaps.” She replied, allowing one corner of her mouth to go up in the briefest of smiles.
Maelstrom raised both hands and with an angry grunt, blasted his way through the wall.
“Come out, come out…!” He chortled. “Time to finish what we started…oh…!”
On the other side of the wall, stood the Champions and the Stranger, all sporting crossed arms and grim expressions.
“Maelstrom,” Hercules said. “We would have words with thee…”
Soon, Maelstrom was contained in some kind of energy bubble.
Apparently, the Stranger’s ship was so big it had its own zoo, and the other-dimensional villain was the newest exhibit.
Everyone had been given a turn in the med-bay and hospitality cubical, so wounds were tended to, costumes repaired and Garrett even figured out how to get the food machines to make a burrito.
The Champions then gathered in the main control room, as the Stranger repaired the damage to Ghost Rider’s robotic body.
“Considering the clashing energies contained within this shell,” The Cosmic being said, absently, while squinting into Ghost Rider’s metal torso. “It’s a wonder you’ve survived this long.”
He directed several servo-drones to finish the work and turned to face Hercules and the other heroes.
“I thank you for your help,” He nodded. “Hard to believe even Maelstrom being mad enough to usher the Horde into this universe…”
“I doubt he had a ‘grand scheme’,” Black Widow suggested. “He just seemed desperate to get from…wherever he was back to our universe. He probably figured the Horde would keep everybody busy.”
“It would seem his own ego proved his downfall,” Hercules nodded. “As he could not resist bragging when we arrived and allowed himself to be goaded into conflict.”
“He didn’t seem to like you much,” Garrett added, peering over the Stranger’s shoulder to observe the workings of Ghost Rider’s robotic body.
“Never laid eyes on him until today,” Ghost Rider said, sitting up. He flexed his hands and rolled his shoulders before nodding his approval of the repairs. “But, I’m not the first to use the name.”
“So, what now?” Garrett asked. “We heading home?”
“I should,” Ghost Rider nodded.
“Not I,” Hercules replied, to most of his new teammates’ surprise. “Earth has grown small, with its corporate rulers, and while I am happy to see it has Avengers, they are strangers to me. I think I will continue on my way and see if the new frontier has any need of the Lion of Olympus!”
“We am not returning to Earth either,” Darkstar said, quietly. “I have a need to learn more about…being…human.”
“Excellent!” Hercules exclaimed, placing an arm around her slim shoulders. “Together we will see what the stars have to offer!”
“If you wish,” The Stranger said. “I could convey you out beyond this solar system. It is the least I could do, to repay your assistance.”
“Well, boys,” Black Widow said, glancing from Giant man to Ghost Rider. “Guess it’s just us heading back to Earth.”
“I can work on my resume’ on the way back,” Garrett said. “Doubtful my employer will believe I was too busy saving the galaxy to show up.”
“If you need a reference…!” Black Widow said, nodding towards Hercules, who had Darkstar perched on one of his broad shoulders and was asking the Stranger how to get the food machines to make mead.