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We begin this issue seeing a very damaged and injured Night Thrasher walking back into the Ambrose Building, along side with Silhouette... They greeting they get isn't one they expected... or were ready for. Please meet, The Hellions. But both Night Thrasher and Silhouette are experienced fighters. A moment of surprise only lasts for a few seconds before they're already reacting to the threat. With her crutch, Silhouette slaps the "bad luck disc" from Roulette's hands, which lands in front of Beef and Catseye. Before either of them can react, the floor breaks beneath their feet, sending them to the next level down. Bevatron reacts next, by blasting Silhouette, who is now wide open, with an electrical blast. As he gloats, he finds his words cut short when Night Thrasher's helmet - thrown by Night Thrasher himself - crashes into his chin - literally shutting Bevatron's mouth... in a very painful, but very Night Thrasher'ish, fashion... Jetstream tries to move in next, but if there is one thing that Night Thrasher has on all of these folks; it is hard training and a great sense of combat skill. Awaiting Jetstream's charge, Night Thrasher merely lands out with his fist, sending the second rate Cannonball spiraling out of control. Dodging Roulette's disc again, Night Thrasher reaches for the controls to summon Chord and the other New Warriors - just as he reaches the panel, a giant man grabs Night Thrasher and tosses him as if he were a broken rag doll - a product from Tarot's deck of cards made real. Dazed and barely even able to think, Night Thrasher finds a powerful fist striking his face as Jetstream comes to strike him as he is down. Called off by the White Queen - ruler and teacher of the Hellions - Night Thrasher looks on in horror to see the fragile necks of Silhouette and Tai, in the bulks hands of the one called Beef. When the White Queen probes Night Thrasher's mind to find out where Firestar is, and how the New Warriors managed to hack into the Hellfire Club's Computer Systems - she is greeted by a series of mental barriers so strong and laid out that she stumbles backwards, unable to read the thoughts of Night Thrasher... When Chord receives the distress call put out by Night Thrasher, he turns the helicopter around and begins heading for base of the New Warriors. He goes to the back of the plane to explain the situation. Gearing up, the New Warriors get ready - not knowing what they are facing since the distress call was one way, and cut off before any message could be sent through. It is during this time that Firestar sews Vance's outfit without the top part covering the hair... and this is also the first sign of Vance's leadership. When discussing what to do; Vance - Marvel Boy - tells them they should go in hard and fast, mainly because the enemy may be waiting; but not realize that they knew of their presence. Robbie's mother makes a protest about Robbie going in there to attack, whether as Robbie or Speedball - but after some quick talking, Robbie convinces her that he will indeed be all right. They move quickly - their attack begins with Nova throwing Speedball through the window. Speedball bounces all over the place like a tiny ball completely out of control. He also manages to knock a few of their unknown enemies down and cause a stack of panic, fear and most important - confusion. Riding in on this confusion, the others burst through the window to keep their enemies off guard. With Speedball knocking out White Queen, the Hellions immediately lack their natural leader. But the first to react of the Hellions is none other than Catseye. Catseye lunges at Firestar as Namorita takes on Beef. Firestar - a former Hellion herself - hesitates and tries to talk to Catseye, who with her talons drawn and fangs baring down on her, shows no signs of caring. She would have been ripped apart had Night Thrasher not jumped between and tackled Catseye. Nova takes on Jetstream who makes a fool of Nova by allowing Nova to follow him at high speeds, then suddenly pull out of the wall of the wall, sending Nova who lacks the control of turning so sharply, through a wall. (Speedball remarks, "Hey - putting a hole in the ceiling won't stop 'Kid' Nova..." - Just then Nova bursts through the wall cursing loudly, and Speedball adds, "See? He' just put another hole there!"). With all of his jesting and joking, Speedball never sees Roulette's disc hit him until it is too late. Suddenly, and with no warning, all of Speedball's bubbles vanish, sending him crashing to the ground, powerless. Roulette smiles and throws one of her 'good luck discs' which suddenly makes Speedball's powers explode, as if it were a shaken soda - and sends him sprawling away, out of control. Marvel Boy finds himself continually being out numbered as Tarot summons more and more from her deck of cards. While attacking what appears to be an angel, another creature - appearing to be a demon, strikes Marvel Boy from the back. It is all that it takes for him. Screaming that he is tired of holding back, he sends the demon crashing into the third creature standing on the floor using his telekentic powers. He turns to Tarot and explains, "That's it. I am tired of holding back. I don't care if I have a headache for the rest of my life. So come on, girl... You're going to have to do better than that." That's when Tarot drew her next card. It only takes one blast from Firestar, and Bevatron standing on the edge of the roof, falls backwards... Dazed and confused, he doesn't do anything but scream all the way down, with Firestar chasing right behind him... trying to save him from... As Jetstream flies through the house, Nova suddenly bursts through a wall and grabs his ankle. Trying to blast his way free of Nova's grasp just as Nova lands a solid punch, sends them both to the ground... motionless and unconscious. The White Queen gets up and immediately blasts Tai with a mental bolt, asking why the New Warriors broke into the Hellfire Club's computer systems. Tai explains that they sought more information about Firestar. When asked who broke into the Hellfire Club computers the second time, Tai confesses that she does not know. (What neither of them knew was that it was the Mad Thinker, as seen in New Warriors #3). Tai makes a deal with the White Queen that beginning then and there, depending on which team wins - the victor gets to keep Firestar on their team. The first fight is Night Thrasher and Catseye. Breaking Night Thrasher's stick as if it were nothing, Night Thrasher jumps on Catseye's back trying to get in a choke hold, confident his armor will protect him from Catseye's deadly talons. Having withstood an Uzi from the Punisher at close ranger, Night Thrasher's confidence in his armor was boosted... but foolishly so. Catseye's talons ripped through Night Thrasher's armor as if it were made of wrapping paper - and the bleeding flesh beneath was the warm present to be found! Grabbing hold of Night Thrasher, Catseye then throws him against a wall, where his unprotected head slams into a concrete wall, cracking it behind him after having struck it with such force... sending Night Thrasher into darkness. Next to fight was Jetstream and Nova... both slowly standing after rendering one another unconscious, Nova asks if Jetstream is "up and about" - and just as Jetstream answers, Nova punches him with all his might, sending him through a wall... and sending him into darkness. Speedball faced off with Roulette. Still bouncing out of control from Roulette's previous disc, Speedball jokes that his stomach is upset from bouncing around and that she should turn off the ride. She does so, with another bad luck disc. Sending Speedball ounce again to the ground, landing roughly and once again, without powers... Speedball slipped into darkness. Next in the line of fighting was Marvel Boy against Tarot. Having drew her Death Card, Marvel Boy found himself facing what he had always imagined the Reaper to look like. Taking blow after blow, Marvel Boy knows that going toe to toe with the Reaper is the wrong way. Turning to Tarot he comments, "I don't know what the strain of using my full-fledged psychokinetic burst is going to do... to the both of us!" A blast from Vance's mind sends them both to the ground, unconscious and into darkness! The next fight is over as soon as it began. Beef came falling through a new hole in the ceiling with Namorita right on him... Beef's unconscious body had clearly been knocked out by Namorita, who landed, still standing, right next to him. It would seem the fates would play this night in the most interesting of ways... The very last fight depended entirely on the one who they fought for... Firestar. When she sailed in, carrying Bravatron, who had fallen to the ceiling and was in critical condition, she could not believe that the entire fight had been over her. Firestar delivers a speech about being manipulated, and that true friends do not manipulate one another, White Queen admits her loss and turns to Firestar and says, "If you insist. When you learn that all your idealistic views are untrue, I will be waiting for your apology, and perhaps I may even accept it." Prologue: Egypt... a pyramid not visited in ages, until recently... by one woman... one woman who plans on shaping the world... and shaping all time to her whim and wishes... and so a stunning three party story begins... |
