Thursday, October 29, 1987
Southeastern Police Division Headquarters
San Diego, Ca
It has been several months since Lt. Redmayne took a leave of absence to care for her sick husband. Redmayne’s interim replacement has been Captain Marston who is old school with the feeling that women have no place on the police force. Eileen’s job has become little more than a meter maid. That is fine with Eileen since after her run in with Hecate she has not even looked for her powersuit. Like most mornings she sits at her desk going over other officer’s reports looking for errors or unclear wording.
Unknown to Eileen a young man is on his way to see her as he sneaks through the police station trying to remain undetected. Deke Armstrong traveled on a Greyhound bus from St. Louis for nearly two days to San Diego. He goes in search of a stranger, Officer Eileen McCoy. Deke believes his friend Bruce has been kidnapped by an alien only she knows his identity. He enters the Police station feeling nervous because it is his first time in one. Back home he has done a few things that could have landed him arrested by it was only by dumb luck that he avoided that fate.
This quest began when he discovered a strange device on the floor of Bruce’s bedroom. It appeared to be some kind of camera, like nothing Deke had ever seen before on Earth. He even asked Bruce’s roommate Phil about it, but he didn’t recognize it either. At that point it had been a week since he had talked to Bruce. He had come over unannounced to see his step brother. All Phil knew was that Bruce was going to Philadelphia to help Master Warrior but never arrived.
After handling the strange camera device for several hours Deke began to learn more about it. This was not the same as when he touched the Nanny-ship’s Processor Core, but it was definitely similar. He couldn’t explain it but he knew the key to finding Bruce was a San Diego cop named Eileen McCoy who would know who took Bruce. Deke didn’t tell Phil or his Mother what he had planned as he boarded the bus later that day.
Having snuck up to the squad room Deke stands in the hall peering in not sure what to do next. He spots the nameplate on the desk, Officer McCoy. He is relieved to see that she does exist. The uniformed cop sits at her desk doing paperwork, her dark hair bundled up on the back of her head. Deke coolly walks over to the desk where officer McCoy sits. He takes a seat in the chair next to her desk to ask, “Are you Officer McCoy?”
Eileen McCoy sits back in her chair to display her name tag, “That is what my tag says.” Eileen looks around the squad room to see if anyone else is missing this kid. “How did you get in here young man this is a restricted area,” she tells him.
“I need your help to find my friend,” Deke says launching right into the speech he has practiced in his mind for the past day. “I think he has been kidnapped and you are the only one who can help me find him.”
Eileen interrupts the young man, “I’m sorry but I don’t do that, missing persons is down the hall to the left.” “You would know that if you stopped at the front desk.” “Did you sneak in here?”
“No, only you can help me find him,” Deke insists his piercing green eyes glaring at Eileen. “He has been missing for over a week.” “The last anyone hear of him was that he was going to Philadelphia.”
“Did you check to see if he bought plane tickets?” Officer McCoy asks the obvious first step, as she is sucked into the boy’s story.
“No, no, I think he was going to try to fly there on his own,” Deke replies.
“Your friend is a pilot then,” Eileen suggest. “There would still be a flight plan filed,”
Deke leaned in closer to the pretty female cop to whisper, “No, my friend is Olympian.” “He hates when I say it, but I’m like his Jimmy Olsen.”
“Olympian?” Officer McCoy repeats confused by the young man. She hasn’t been paying much attention to national News of late as she has been spending too much time on her own problems. She decides to play along not wanting to upset this strange young man. “So your friend was going to fly from San Diego to Philadelphia under his own power?”
“No, from St Louis, we live in St. Louis Missouri,” Deke explains wondering what rock this cop has been under not to know that. He digs is his inside jacket pocket for something making the Eileen nervous enough to look to the locked draw she put her gun in. “Look, here we are together.”
Deke shows her a Newspaper clipping of a tall athletic man dressed in a grey and marron costume standing next to the young man now sitting at her desk. Eileen doesn’t recognize this new hero but she can’t really be too surprised with everything going on in the world today. The masthead of the paper does read St. Louis, Missouri which makes her wonder, “So you came all the way to San Diego from St. Louis to report this guy missing to me.” “Why?” Officer McCoy asks bluntly.
“Because of this,” Deke says pulling something else from his jacket pocket. It is a small electronic device of some kind no bigger than an Oreo cookie. “I found it in his bedroom, hidden on the bottom edge of a lamp.” “It’s some kind of camera.” Deke gets quiet again as he whispers to the cop, “Sometimes when I touch things, they….” his sentence kind of trails off as he thinks of the right words to say. “They tell me things.” “I know it sounds crazy, but this thing told me your name and where to find you.” “I think you know who has been spying on my friend.” “I think that is who took him.”
Eileen McCoy has heard crazier stories over the past few years, like serial killers that can split into three and 3000 year old amazon mothers. Fortunately for this young man she does recognize the device. She has seen things like it before, he is right, it is a camera. Just like the one on that alien Benue’s spaceship. The real question is then, “Why would he be spying on your friend?” she asks.
“Then you do know who put the camera in his room?” Deke says with renewed excitement. “You can help me find Bruce!”
“Bruce is it?” Eileen comments. “I thought you were looking for this hero, Olympian?” she says holding up the newspaper clipping.
“Shoot, I didn’t want to use his real name,” Deke mutters to himself. “You see he is kind of my brother.” “That is why I need to find him, he saved my life once and I have to help him if I can.” Deke’s face is that of a sad lost little boy now as Eileen thinks over her options.
If she helps this kid she will need the suit again. The suit is the only way she will be able to find Benue’s ship. Problem is she has no idea where to look for the suit after she threw it away. Her Grandfather probably has it by now, cut into little pieces. Then a ridiculous thought crosses her mind, what if it followed her home? “Look kid I don’t know if I can help you,” Officer McCoy tells Deke. “But I might know someone who can.” “I just have to make a quick trip home first.”
“Do you think I could come with you?” Deke asks trying to look as pathetic as possible. “I’ve been on a bus for three days and I could really use a shower.”
Eileen stares at this gangly kid who seems completely sincere with everything he has told her so far. She looks to the new rookie on the squad, Leo Spencer who has also been a prisoner of this squad room for weeks. “Hey Spencer, come here a minute,” she calls to him. She holds up the Newspaper clipping to ask, “Ever heard of this guy?”
“Wow, yeah, he’s that new hero out in St. Louis,” the eager young cop replies. “I’ve heard reports that he is stronger than Master Warrior.” “Especially after what happened to him last week in Philly.” Spencer looks to Deke sitting at Eileen’s desk. “Hey aren’t you the kid in this picture?” he asks.
“Okay fan boy that’s enough,” Eileen says confirming that part of this kid’s story to be true. “Let’s go young man, step out of line and I put you in a cell for the night!” she says grabbing Deke by the arm to lift him out of the chair. “Tell Captain Marston I’m taking a long lunch.”
The stolen Spartain ship
Home to Prince Benue of Srann
Dazed and confused Olympian wakes strapped to a table. Groggy he tries to look around the space beyond himself. He does not recognize anything. The last thing he remembers is getting dressed to fly to Philadelphia to help Master Warrior. He had his costume on all except for his mask when he noticed a glimmer in the reflection in the mirror on his dresser. Turning to have a closer look at the lamp on his night table he saw a small glass bead of glass that reflected the light in the mirror. Lifting the lamp he found a small device the size of a cookie. He remembers examining it, not sure where it came from and then nothing.
Now he was waking up here, wherever here is? His eyes clearing he inspects the room around him more thoroughly. There is only one door to the room that is sealed like some kind of iris airlock. The rest of the room is set up as some kind of alien laboratory with the exam table in the center on which he laid. The room was also curved from the top of the wall over the door down to the floor opposite. The size of the room was around that of his bedroom at the condo. The walls are a smooth grey, rounded at the top with no visible seams, with faint veining like on tree leaves.
Even though Olympian had recently learned he was from a planet other than Earth he doesn’t know much about alien technology. But one thing he is fairly sure of right now is that he is on an alien spaceship. Moving to escape his restraints he discovered something else, his power seemed weak, almost gone as he fought to break the strap across his chest to sit up. He continues to fight against his restraints for what seems like hours but in truth it is only about fifteen minute. Olympian quickly finds himself covered in sweat exhausted from his attempt to escape his bonds.
“I feel I have made my point,” a tall golden man says as he enters the room through the iris door that closes behind him. The prisoner looks to his captor for the first time not sure what to make of him. He is wearing only a pair of small blue shorts, his shoulder length blonde hair almost floating within the glow that is emitted from his body in the dim light of the room. His arrival heralds a brighten to the small laboratory.
“Who are you?” Olympian shouts from the table as he begins to struggle again. “What have you done to me?”
“What you are feeling is exposure to Magna-ore,” Benue replies stepping closer to the table where Olympian is strapped down. “I felt it best to keep you unconscious until we arrived here.” “The more you struggle the more the Magna-ore will affect you.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about!” Olympian says as he calms himself. “What is this Magna-ore?”
“Years ago when the Spartans invaded the Vegan-Sirius systems they started their attack by destroying your home world Damerax.” Benue explains. “At first we of the other worlds in the alliance believed it was simply a show of strength, but in time we learned it was the Magna-ore at the core of the planet they were after.” “They used the Magna-ore to build and power their fleet of invading ships.” “Of which this is one.” “Magna-ore can be lethal to Dameraxites in a high dosage.”
“So you have come to kill me then?” Olympian says not feeling much like the hero he wants to be.
“Not at all, I have saved you from the ones who want to kill you,” Benue explains. “When I fled to Earth years ago I was persuaded by Spartan ships.” “I believe that I had destroyed them but I have since learned that the Spartan Commander survived and went into hiding on this planet as I did.” “She has used her alien science to turn humans into her super powered pawns.” “When I learned of your existence on Earth I sought you out only to discover that the Spartan Commander had found you first.” “I managed to save you before she could enact her plan to kill you.”
“So you kidnapped me, drugged me, held me hostage?” Olympian suggests.
“Only by necessity,” Benue tells his captive as her stands over him. “You were acting reckless, putting yourself in danger.” “You were an easy target for the Spartans.” “I intend on changing that, get you the training you need to play your part in the Vegan-Sirius War properly.”
“You call this training?” Olympian asks pulling against his bonds.
“It is for your own safety,” Benue replies. “As I told you this ship uses Magna-ore to power it.” “I have kept you sedated and restrained to limit your exposure to it.” “Now that we have arrived at our destination it is time we left the ship.”
“So what is my place in this War?” Olympian asks starting to believe this strange golden man.
“I am not sure,” Benue tells Olympian. “But I am sure that you are the last of your race and that poses some kind of threat to the Spartan.” “I believe we can find out the answer to that question together, if you trust me.”
Eileen McCoy’s Apartment
Southeastern, San Diego, Ca
The ride to Officer McCoy’s apartment is a silent one. In the small space of her Honda Civic it becomes clear to Eileen that this kid is in need of a shower. It is then that she tries to make conversation with him to take her mind off of his B.O. “So you are friends with a superhero?” she asks uncomfortably. “How did that happen?”
Deke knows he can’t tell this cop the truth, that he and his friends were drinking and driving under age. “Like I said he saved my life.” “There was this tornado and he rescue the car I was in.”
“I thought you said he was your brother,” Officer McCoy quizzes.
“I really don’t know if I should tell you everything, he really doesn’t understand the secret identity thing but I do,” Deke says falling silent again.
“So tell me about your superpower,” Officer McCoy says turning onto the freeway. “When did you first discover you had it?” Deke doesn’t reply he seems to be afraid of revealing too much. “Okay, who about me, what do you know about me?”
“Not much,” Deke finally answers as she finds a question that seems safe. “When I found the camera it wasn’t as dramatic as the first time.” “I was fiddling with it for a couple of hours before I heard the words in my head.” “San Diego Police Officer Eileen McCoy.” “I didn’t know what it meant at first.” “It took another couple of hours to realize that you must know the guy who took Bru…. Olympian.” “You think I could remember that name, after all I made it up for him.”
Arriving at her apartment Officer McCoy shows Deke the bathroom and gives him a clean towel. Her young guest out of her hair Eileen heads for her bedroom where she reaches under her bed. Pulling the metal box out from under it. She hasn’t retrieved the box that was once her prized possession in nearly a year. Eileen stares at it for several minutes. Then reaching out to trace the Sentry insignia on the lid so that it slides open.
In her mind it was a long shot that the suit would somehow be returned to the box. To her surprise it has in fact found its way home. Lifting the fabric from the box like she did nearly a year ago she looks at it almost afraid to take the next step. This alien thing has brought her so much joy and pain in the past year, why would she even consider putting it on again? She lays the red and blue suit on the bed, it looks so silly and harmless.
She hears the water of the shower began to run and remembers why she has come home in the middle of the day. This other hero from St. Louis, if she can find him, it would be the last good thing she used this suit to do. After several more minutes the decision is made as Eileen strips down to her bra and panties. She reaches for the suit to put it on normally just as she did that first time she chose to use it.
World of Avalon.
Olympian and Prince Benue sit at a campfire, just finishing up their dinner as the sun sets in the east. The two small tents behind them appear very Earthly under the alien stars appearing above the meadow as day turns to night. “It has been a week since we arrived here,” Olympian says. “I feel as if my full strength has returned and I am eager to begin this training we discussed.”
“The people of this realm are very private and reclusive,” Benue explains. “The fear invaders from Earth.”
“But we are from Earth,” Olympian reasons.
“We are from the Earth dimension, but neither of us is Earth born,” Benue reminds Olympian. “If we were humans they would have captured us soon after we arrived.” “Instead they have chosen to watch us from a distance.”
“You mean we have been being watched this whole time?” Olympian questions looking around the area for any sign of people. “How do you know?” “I don’t see anyone.”
“I’m a telepath,” Benue says. “I’ve been aware of them for days now.” “The one called Ferin uses Witchcraft to cast a spell that cloaks them from our sight.” “He and Modine have been watching us from somewhere over by that large oak tree, isn’t that right Ferin?”
Olympian looks at his new friend wondering if he has lost his mind or if this has all been some kind of insane kidnapping after all. Then there is a movement of the grass nearby as if someone approaches their campfire. Benue smiles at the invisible presences as if it has taken a seat across from them. The fire in the ring of stones that they collected when they set up this camp flares brighter obscuring their view past it.
When the fire dies back the fragrance of burnt herbs fills the air and a large man with short cropped black hair sits opposite them at the fire on a log. He is dressed in a knee length kilt and copper chest plate with three Red stone mounted on it in the shape of a triangle. Ferin appears shirtless as if the metal plate is somehow attached to his flesh. “So you have returned to Avalon, Sun Boy,” Ferin speaks in a deep voice. “You left here as a friend it is not wise to tempt that fate.”
“Sun Boy?” Olympian repeats.
“Bringing another alien to our world was a risk that perhaps you should not have taken,” Ferin says looking to Olympian, “He is even more ignorant than you where.” Olympian immediately takes offence at the stranger’s words, standing up to glare down at the uninvited man sitting at the fire with them.
“Please sit down,” Benue says reaching out to touch Olympian’s leg. “I have been here before,” he tells Olympian who does as he instructs. “It was years ago that I found my way here by mistake.” “I was looking for a way to travel to the Spartan’s home world but ended up here.” “Your people helped me then, trained me how to use my powers wisely.” “I was hoping you could do the same for Olympian here.”
The man in the kilt stands up eyeing Olympian, “Modine has suggested to me that you do have great power, raw as it is,” Ferin confesses. “Taking the name Olympian says that you have an ego to match.” “I fear it would be too much of a struggle to train one so arrogant.” Ferin turns to walk away calling back to them at the fire, “Go home Sun Boy your welcome is worn out here!”
Olympian stands up clearly angered by what has transpired, this time Benue does nothing to stop him. “I am the arrogant one?” he shouts after the man. “We came all this way, camped here nearly starving for a week to have you turn your back on us?” Ferin turns back to the men at the fire as the larger of the two rants. “I get kidnapped by a total stranger, get held prisoner on a spaceship made of a deadly poison and he tells me he wants to save my life by bringing me here!” “That makes me the arrogant one?” “Clearly it makes me the biggest fool of two worlds!” “All I wanted to do was use my powers to help people, make the Earth a safer place to live!” “It would appear that trusting any of you was foolish!”
Ferin smiles slightly at the Dameraxite’s anger. He looks to his left and a second man appears from behind the cloak of his spell. “I am Modine, Knight of the Metal, welcome to Avalon,” the second man says glaring at Benue out of the corner of his eye. This guy is fair haired and dressed much differently than Ferin. He wears tight denim jeans and a heavy sweater with thick putter wristbands adorned with blue stones at the end of each sleeve. He looks like a clean cut lumberjack from a paper towel ad back home. These two men standing side by side making it hard for Olympian to believe they are even from the same country let alone world.
It is clear to Olympian that Modine is welcoming under deres, to which he replied in confusion, “Yeah thanks, I think I’ll take my chances and go home now.” Then he turns to Benue, “Take Me Home!” “This was a waste of time when I could have been helping Master Warrior!”
“You must understand we had to be sure of your intention here, before welcoming you,” Ferin tells the would-be hero from Earth. “Since you have made it clear that Sun Boy brought you here without your consent you are clearly no threat to us.”
“You have passed their test, now you can start your training,” Benue says reaching out to grab Olympian by the arm.
“But first do you have another name we can call you,” Modine asks. “Olympian will breed mistrust among our people.” “Avalon has a history with an Olympian that is not a good one.”
“Bruce, Bruce Stacey is my real name,” Olympian says not even sure he wants the training they now offer so willingly.
Earth
Eileen McCoy’s Apartment
Southeastern, San Diego, Ca
She enters the bathroom wearing only her bra and panties. Quietly she watches the figure as he moves behind the thin shower curtain. His body is tall and slim as he washes the days of travel from it. Patiently she waits, eager to see it for herself with no obstruction.
Young Derrick Armstrong is startled to find her standing in the bathroom after turning off the water to open the shower curtain. Instinctively his hand moves to cover his genitals as she smiles as him. “What are you doing here Officer McCoy?” “Where you watching me?”
World of Avalon.
The meadow not far from where other travelers camped
Sentry arrives on a hill at the center of several large stones that tower over her. This place reminds her of the photos she has seen of Stonehenge, but this looks different somehow. She has never used the suit to create a warp portal before, honestly she didn’t know it was even capable of such a thing. It was only moments ago that she stood in her bedroom concentrating on the alien technology of the camera Deke found to locate Benue. Next thing she knew she was stepping into a swirling abyss of light. Going back the way she came would appear to be impossible without something from her bedroom to trigger another portal.
Beginning to walk down the hill she would say that it is early morning here, unlike the mid-afternoon it was at home. Something else is different too. The air is different, more crisp, cleaner even. Breathing it in makes her lungs tingle slightly. It is almost euphoric making her realize that something about her has changed. Sentry no longer feels as depressed as she was at home. Moreover she feels confident and secure in her role as Sentry, something she has never felt so fully.
Sentry is not sure why she chose this side of the hill to descend but she is sure it is the right way. At the bottom of the hill Sentry comes to what appears to have been a camp sight not too long ago. There is a ring of stones with burnt logs in the center of it. Nearby there are two square spots of dead grass that would clearly signify tents once rested on them. Scanning the surroundings she spots a large oak tree at the edge of a forest that looks lush and beautiful.
Making her way to the trees, there is a well worn path down through the wooded area. Flowers line the path almost as if planted in place. As the wind changes she picks up the scent of something burning. Ahead of her she can see the end of the path at the edge of the forest, it all appears clear. Then Sentry turns back to see the source of the odor. Behind her on the path looms what she can only describe as a fifteen foot tall Dragon!
The shock of seeing this impossible winged reptile leaves her frozen in her footsteps for a moment. Sentry’s instincts tell her that she is no longer on Earth. The portal that took her from her bedroom has taken her to a very different place indeed. The smoke rising from the creatures large nostrils are clearly the source of the burnt smell. When the smoke ends the large scaly beast takes a deep breathe. Its exhale can mean only one thing. The fire spews out from its mouth down the path at Sentry. Like an old instinct a force field appears to shield the Earth Sentry from the flames that blow through the trees. Upon striking her shield the flames flood in all direction sparking the flowers and trees along the path to burn.
Sentry surprises the beast by leaping up into the air avoiding its flames. The dragon did not expect her to take flight as she swoops around it to hit it with an energy blast. The dragon turns swiping its long thick tail through the burning trees. The trees tumble to the ground in a burning heap as the creature follows Sentry back into the meadow.
High above Sentry can see that her energy blast did affect the dragon, opening a large wound on its back. She knows she must act quickly before it completely clears the trees to pursue her into the sky with its large wings. Holding her hand flat she aims to let a thin flat beam out at her attacker. The beam of energy slices through the creatures wings like a knife through butter. The dragon’s left wing drops to the ground as it roars in pain. The call of agony echoes across the meadow like thunder. It flaps its one remaining wing trying to get off the ground. The dragon tumbles back to the grass as Sentry moves in to end the creatures misery.
“HAULT!” a voice cries out from behind Sentry who suddenly find herself also tumbling back to the ground like a lead balloon. Held fast to the ground Sentry looks up at the man who arrives to stand over her. He has black hair and a neatly trimmed mustache and beard, little more than a week of stubble. He is dressed in shin high brown leather boots, leather pants that are a slightly darker brown with a light weight green linen shirt. In his right hand he holds a five foot long wooden staff with a large brownish orange stone mounted at it tip, that he plants in the ground next to Sentry’s head. “I am Ethan, Knight of Avalon and you are under arrest Earth woman,” he states firmly glaring down at her. “Dragons are protected here not hunted!”
Sentry feels like every inch of her body weighs three hundred pounds. She can’t even move a finger as she lays held tight to the ground. It is a struggle even to speak as she asks, “Avalon, is that where I am?” “Like from King Arthur?”
“The very same,” the Knight replies. “You have committed the most heinous of crimes coming here and then you dare injure a Dragon?”
Friday, October 30, 1987
Earth
Eileen McCoy’s Apartment
Southeastern, San Diego, Ca
Derrick Armstrong sleeps soundly in Eileen McCoy’s bed having dreams of his most recent experience with Officer McCoy. His dreams are quickly ended with the shout of a voice, “Wake up kid, it’s road trip time!” Derrick opens his eyes to see Officer McCoy dressed in the tightest red leather mini dress he has ever seen, standing at the foot of the bed. “Get dressed, time for some more fun!”
Groggily, Derrick replies with a grin, “I’d rather just stay here and have some more fun.”
“There will be plenty of time for that in Vegas!” she replies.
“Officer McCoy, don’t you have to get back to work?” Derrick asked sitting up in bed only the thin sheet covering his body.
“I’m done with that and call me June,” she tells him. “I need more adventure in my life and Las Vegas is the place to do it!”
“Look this has been really fun but I need to get home, my mother is probably worried by now,” Derrick replies. “Besides, I’m only eighteen.”
“Then I guess we need to get you a fake I.D. first,” June replies putting on make-up in the mirror. “I know just the guy to do the job.” “Best forger in San Diego.”
Derrick is confused by everything that has happened since Officer McCoy brought him back to her apartment. First she seduced him in the bathroom and then the things she did to him last night. This is going to be the best how I lost my virginity story ever told, but something is clearly wrong here.
“Come on, I’ve washed your clothes now get dressed,” June says leaving the room.
Derrick’s clothes lay on the end of the bed. When he climbs out of the bed to retrieve his underwear he catches sight of the sunlight from the window reflecting on something under the bed. Putting on his boxers Derrick kneels down to look under the bed. He finds a metal box. He reaches under the bed to touch the box. Instantly he knows that his suspicions are true. Somehow June McCoy is not the same person who brought him to this apartment. Moreover, he now knows why Officer McCoy is the one to help find Olympian, she too is a hero, the one called Sentry.
“Come on Kid, what are you doing in there, I’ve already called to meet the guy I was telling you about!” June calls from the other room. “Shake that cute ass of yours if you want to get some more of my ass tonight!”
Derrick jumps to his feet and into his jeans to throw on his T-shirt. Using a pen he scribbles a message on the bed sheet before grabbing his backpack to leave.
Avalon
Castle of the Queen
Ravenhope
“Ahhh Squire, you have returned,” the Queen greet the armored man who enters the throne room. “What news do you bring?”
The man’s face hidden behind an iron helmet as he kneels at the foot of Queen Ammora’s throne. “I bring news of an arrival, your majesty,” he says in a sad tone.
“Now Squire, there is no reason for that tone,” Queen Ammora replies. The Squire bows his head before the Queen. “You know the law as well as I.” “Now tell me of what has happened.”
“Knight Wylie and Knight Ethan have been dispatched to the sight of the rift,” the Squire explains.
“They should be more than enough to bring any intruder into custody,” the Queen replies. “Now shall we retire to more pleasurable endeavors.” The Squire stands to take the Queen’s hand to lead her down from the throne. He leads the Queen of Avalon to a door at the back of the throne room.
The room on the other side of the door is that of a lounge with a large daybed. The Queen smiles at the Squire as she speaks a spell, “Poqu motsg om wya, Xpigsomt og ydyd.” A wave of her hand and she is nude, her long blonde hair freed from her ornate crown it tumbles down over her breasts.
The Squire looks on through the eyeholes of his helmet as she brushes her waist length hair back over her shoulders. His helm remains in place as he slides his pants down to mid thigh. The Queen steps forward reaching out to touch the iron helmet. “How I wish my magic could remove this helmet, to gaze upon your handsome face and kiss your lips again.” “But this will have to do,” she says.
Avalon
Hope’s Peak
Outside Ravenhope
It has been five weeks now that the Knights of Avalon have trained Bruce Stacey to better use his powers. As it stands, Bruce feels as though all they have done is kick his ass. Each has trained him individually using their own element to stress the importance that his Null-force power need be second nature to him and not a tool. Up until now his persona of Olympian has only come up against normal human street criminals. Now facing these mystic warriors he has learned just how lacking he has been in his abilities.
Today Bruce meets all five of the Knights of Avalon high atop the mountain called Hope’s Peak. He has been told that only the most skilled Knight can pass this final test. Bruce can’t help but wonder what these men have in store for him. Benue had been very vague in what his training would be and this final test is just as much a mystery to him.
Bruce has not seen Benue for weeks, he can not help but also wonder what has become of the man who brought him here. They had attended a large royal banquet for Bruce to gain approval from Queen Ammora to begin this training by the Knights. It appeared to Bruce that the Queen was completely occupied with the return of Benue to Avalon with little concern to him beginning to be trained.
Bruce wears armor that consists of six pieces, each of them giving to him my one of the Knights of Avalon as he completed their tests. From Ferin, the Knight of Fire Bruce was given a cape of woven copper strands that is resistant to his elemental flames. From Ander, the Knight of Air he was given a shield of Crystal to ward off changes in the atmosphere. Ethan, the Knight of Earth gave Bruce a chest plate to defend him against assault on his body. Wylie, the Knight of the Water gifted him with a helmet to shield his mind. Lastly Modine, the Knight of the Metal gave him two gauntlets to defend against weapons of deadly force.
Bruce is confident that the armor is all he will need in this final test to succeed. He stands at the center of a flat field with the Knights standing around him like points of a star. When he finishes his sessions with each of these men they advised him that they would not speak to him at this final test. This would be a test of will and skill, not words. Bruce is prepared for whatever it might be they intend to throw at him.
While in Avalon he has had little contact with any of the other residents of the world. It was only at that Royal banquet that he spoke with the wife of Ethan. It was after she had a few glasses of wine that she explained how when the Knights of Avalon take on a single task they are unstoppable. He thinks about her words now like unraveling a puzzle he has been given in the recent weeks. When training with each of the Knight they too gave him advice that lead him to believe that they are not as invincible as they portray themselves to be. Unlike Bruce their powers come from Runes. While training with the Knights Bruce noticed that they all have internalized the power of the Runes, showing no signs that the power came from an outside source.
The Knights stand reaching out their hands to each other. For the first time Bruce sees the gems on their Runes glow as the magic within them as it reaches out to close the gap of space between the Knights. Soon the magic of the Knights is joined as one taking in a new aspect of power that Bruce has not seen before. The red, silver, orange, blue, and white energy merges becoming a twisting kaleidoscope of raw magic power. On an individual level Bruce was barely able to survive the test put forth at him by these Knights of Avalon how can he defeat the combined power of all five of them. He watches the wall of swirling magic that surrounds him arches up to close, forming a bubble around him as they stand outside of it.
The bubble begins to shrink moving in tighter to Bruce. Their plan is to crush him he thinks as he tries to use his control of the air inside the space to force the barrier back. It is a pointless attempt. As the barrier shrinks the lack of increasing air pressure inside the bubble makes it clear to Bruce that the air is escaping on its own. Is this all a trick, an illusion, he thinks until he reaches out the crystal shield to touch the barrier and it is crushed as though it was struck by solid stone. They do intend to crush him if he can not escape this trap of their combined powers. He looks to each one of the Knights hoping to see a weak link. But there is not one, these men have trained together using their power like this for decades.
That is it! Bruce suddenly realizes. If they use their powers as one so should he! Up until now he has always used the aspects of his Null-force powers individually. All along the Knights have told him the key was to use his power on a more primal level. “To use it as one!” he shouts as the tightness of the bubble presses against his shoulders. Like a wave of destruction after a bomb blast the vibrations of his Null-force blast out from his body. The barrier that nearly crushes him is destroyed and the Null-force blast continues on to take down the Knights of Avalon as well.
Saturday, October 31, 1987
Earth
Castaways Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV
Although the fake ID that June managed to get Derrick into the Casino with worked perfectly he soon found himself sitting at the bar alone. He had been drinking beer for years but never imagined he would be doing it in a Las Vegas Casino at eighteen. He watches the reflection of the Casino floor behind him in the mirror over the bar. The dark haired beauty with whom he drove all night to Vegas has now found a new diversion. Gregory Fulton is a middle-aged man closer to her own age, that plays high stakes poker.
Derrick watches the woman calling herself June closely as she fawns over the poker player. Derrick knows this is not the woman he left the police station yesterday. Somehow this person has taken Officer McCoy’s place and he intends to find out why. He fears that it has something to do with his step-brother Bruce’s disappearance back in St. Louis. Why else would the woman secretly known as Sentry suddenly vanish to be replaced by a perfect duplicate?
At the card table the couple giggled and cooed as the cards are dealt. June sipped her drink leaning on the Highroller’s shoulder as he glances over at Derrick. Derrick is sure the guy is plotting to make a run for it when he leaned over to whisper to June. That Highroller has everything going for him why would June even bother with a kid like him. There is no doubt in Derricks mind that he is telling her to ditch the boy and leave him. Derrick knows he has no right to be jealous but he still can’t help to feel an attachment to this woman. More importantly he needs to find out who she is and where she came from to find Bruce.
Derrick can’t help but watch the Highroller’s hand under the table as it slides up June’s bare thigh. From his point of view it is clear that she has nothing on under that shirt. Then to his surprise June gets up from the poker table to walk toward him. “Gregory wants to know if we would like to go to dinner with him at the Las Vegas Grande?” June tells Derrick as she climbs onto the stool next to him.
“We or you?” Derrick says slugging down the last of his beer.
“Don’t be that way Ricky, we came here to have fun,” June says taking hold of his arm. “How much money do you have on you?” she asks as he pulls out his last five dollars for another beer. “That Highroller has five grand laying on the table.” “What would be wrong with him spending it on us?” Derrick takes his beer from the bartender to take a big swing. He glares at June past the bottle. “I could have gone without you.”
“My name is Derrick!” he replies, “Not Ricky!” “What is your game, anyway lady?” Derrick asks. “Why bring me here?”
“Because I like you Ricky we have so much in common,” June replies edging closer to him to slip her hand into his lap.
“That is ridiculous, we met only two days ago, you know nothing about me!” Derrick retorts. “Plus you are nearly ten years older than me what could we possibly have in common?”
“We are both in our sexual prime for one,” June replies with a sly smile squeezing his package under the bar. “Now lets have some fun together with Gregory or I will go alone!”
“Hello there,” the Highroller says coming up behind Derrick, his hand outreached. “Gregory Fulton,” he says as Derrick stands up from his stool to shake his hand trying to crush his knuckles. “I hope June extended my invitation to dinner.” The Highroller stands several inches taller than Derrick and his handshake is like a vice. He smells of cologne and his brown hair is full on product to hold its waviness in place. “I am so looking forward to getting to know you both better.”
Derrick doesn’t feel intimidated by the man anymore for some strange reason. The man’s warm brown eyes put him at ease. “Well I guess I could use something to eat with all the beer I drank.”
“Good, glad to hear it,” Gregory says putting his arms around both of them. “The Grande is just a few blocks down the strip we can walk.”
Avalon
The Castle Dungeon
Ravenhope
Always the Officer of the law, Sentry went quietly with the Knights to find herself jailed in the dungeon. The question in her mind now is should she stay here of just break out and go home. For whatever reason Benue brought Olympian here she is beginning to believe it truly is none of her business. She has sat in this medieval dungeon overnight contemplating her next move when she hears the dungeon door at the end of the cells open.
A large broad shouldered Knight strides into the corridor between the cells. He is dressed in strange mismatched armor and a helmet, like she would have thought the Knights of Avalon would wear. But unlike the other Knights his lack of a weapon bearing a gemstone makes him look out of place here. “Excuse me, sir,” she calls out waving her arm through the bars. “Could I speak with you for a moment?”
The young Knight stops to look at the bright red and blue costumed woman in the cell. She truly does seem out of place in this dungeon. He thinks that the helmet is playing tricks on his eyes so he removes it to get a better look. His shaggy brown hair flies free as he peers into the cell. “Sentry?” he questions. “It is you, isn’t it?”
Sentry is surprised that this young Knight would know her name as she looks at his stubbled face in the dim light. “Who are you?” she quires. “How do you know my name?”
“I came here from Earth too,” the Knight replies. “I am a hero back home too, I called myself Olympian.”
Sentry is in shock at the appearance of the young man. He looks nothing like the photo Derrick Armstrong showed her. His hair is long and he has nearly a full beard. “Olympian what are you doing here?” she asks.
“I’m here visiting a friend,” he replies.
“No, no, what are you doing in Avalon?” Sentry questions. “And where is Prince Benue?”
“You know of Prince Benue?” the armored Olympian replies as he moves as if standing is an uncomfortable act. “He brought me to Avalon months ago for special train to better defend myself against the Spartan Commander Edma.”
“Months ago, I thought you had only been missing for a week or so,” Sentry replies.
“Time is different here,” Olympian explains. “Twelve hours on Earth is a week here.”
“Well now that I found you we need to get Benue and go home, there are people worried about you!” Sentry employs as she bends open the bars to squeeze through.
“Getting Benue is not going to be easy and returning home will be even harder,” Olympian reveals as they now stand face to face. “I don’t understand why you came here after us, I’ve never even met you.”
“Your brother came to me and asked for my help in finding you,” Sentry explains.
“My brother?” Olympian queries in confusion.
“Yes, Derrick,” she tells him.
“Derrick came to see you?” he asks leading her down the corridor to the cell at the end. Another prisoner lays on the floor of the cell near the back. Sentry can’t make out the features of the thin man until he sits up. Then there is no mistaking his identity even if he looks haggard after his months of imprisonment.
The Las Vegas Grande Hotel
Restaurant
Las Vegas, NV
“I make my living in the Casino,” Gregory Fulton brags to his dinner guests.
“Sounds risky to me,” June comments.
“It is, but I live for the thrill of the game,” Gregory smiles at the brunette. He looks over the young man sitting next to her, he hasn’t said much since they arrived. “So are you two brother and sister or what?”
“No, just traveling companions,” June replies coolly.
“And lovers!” Derrick blurts out bluntly.
Gregory smiles at the kid, “Aren’t you the lucky man?” “I think we need another round of drinks here, Waitress!” The smiling girl comes to the table her eyes on Gregory the whole time, it is as if the other two people don’t even exist. “Shots of tequila all around!” he tells her. “And another beer for my friend Derrick here, he’s earned it!”
“Right away Gregory,” The Waitress replies as she leans in to give him a kiss on the lips.
Derrick feels very relieved to see the girl kiss the Highroller. “Is that your girlfriend?” he asks.
“You might say that,” Gregory grins as the waitress leaves the table to get their drinks. “I have a lot of friends all over town.” He winks his eye at the couple as he takes another drink of his whiskey on the rocks.
Avalon
Castle of the Queen
Ravenhope
Sentry spends another night in the dungeon after Olympian explained what had happened since he and Benue had arrived in Avalon. It would take a well thought out plan to get them all home safely. It was best if she played along with her captures until the time was right. Magic is a powerful force here in Avalon and none of them have any experience with it. Olympian has been working most of the time he has been in Avalon to gain the trust of the Knights to help free his friends. Only when he can gain the full trust of all of the Knights of Avalon could they hope to move on the Queen to send them home.
The other prisoner she met at the end of the corridor has remained quiet since Olympian left. She understands he has no reason to talk to her, they are strangers, but she fears he has fallen into a bad state of mind over his imprisonment here. Sentry wishes that there was something she could do to lighten his spirits but she knows it would only be words. Getting out of this place is the only thing that will truly save him.
The dungeon is just as anyone would expect it to be, cold and dank. Strangely there are no guard at least not to be seen. The only light in the cells comes from a single magical torch that burns in each. The magic that creates and sustains the torch also makes it impossible to touch. Sentry turns her attention to the flicker of the flame. It is almost hypnotic as it dances on the post in the stone wall.
Then suddenly the torch flares brighter, leaping from the post to the floor. Sentry backs away from the fire growing on the floor of the cell. She isn’t sure if she is impervious to mystic flame. The fire flares for only a few seconds before dying back to reveal a dark haired man dressed in a kilt and copper chest plate. “I am Ferin and I have come to retrieve you Earth woman,” the tall man tells her as the flames continue to burn in a ring on the floor at his feet. “It is time you and the other went home!”
Sentry isn’t sure if she should even trust this man, but she really has little other choice. “I thought I was to be put on trial?” she questions.
“Bruce has convinced a few of us differently,” the deep voiced man explains. “He has shown us that our Queen betrays one of the first laws of Avalon.” “All of you people from the Earth realm must leave so that we my deal with her crime.” “Now come your trip home awaits.” Sentry cautiously steps forward into the ring of fire on the floor. Taking Ferin’s hand he mumbles a few strange phrases, “Vpynuh iv gjegs ymw jotsg xyjja eh gsjiets gsu motsg!” “Gi gsu lpyxu gsyg muuwh zu jotsg!” The flames flare up again blinding Sentry making her question her decision to trust this Knight of Avalon.
When the flames die away Sentry and Ferin stand in the throne room. The throne sits empty as another of the Knights of Avalon approaches from a room behind it. Sentry recognizes this man as one of the two Knights that arrested her in the meadow. He is tall and slim with wavy brown hair wearing only swimming trunks and a terry robe, the swirling blue tattoo on his chest peeking out from underneath. “Where is your Queen?” Sentry asks looking around the throne room.
“Your friend, Bruce is distracting her while Modine and I have restrained the Squire,” Wylie, Knight of the Water answers. “But Modine says he has never seen anything like the Helm the Squire wears.” “It possess a magic unheard of in Avalon!”
Sentry and Ferin follow Wylie back to the chamber behind the throne. The room is set up like a luxury suite. The decadence is beyond anything Sentry would expect in this rather primitive land. The room is divided into sections that appear to have different motephs. Off to the far left a man dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater stands with his back to the door. As they approach him the area of the room is clearly used for some kind of interrogation. In front of the man wearing thick putter wristbands with pearl inlays the Squire in the iron mask sits shackled to a large metal chair. The shackles that hold the Squire appear to be part of the metal that forms the chair with no visible release.
“Who is this man, what is going on here?” Sentry asks the Knights as she approaches to see that he is unconscious.
“You must be the one Bruce calls Sentry,” Modine says turning to greet the woman. “This is your friend Benue, who has soiled our Queen.” “If not for the use this Iron mask on him I would have crushed him to mush by now.”
“Oh my God!” Sentry exclaims. “I thought you were going to help us leave!” she shouts at Ferin.
“That is our intent,” Wylie explains. “Modine speaks out of turn.” “When our people first came here from Earth centuries ago many laws were put in place using spells and curses to bind there enforcement.” “First and foremost was the spell to punish any Earth-born person to come here.” “Secondly the Queen may only bare children with the chosen Knights of Avalon.”
“I was to be her first!” “But this alien has taken that honor from me!” Modine announces to Sentry’s embarrassment. “By planting his alien seed he has broken the second of our most important laws!”
Sentry has no idea what to say to the statement as she looks to the man restrained in the metal chair who begins to regain consciousness. “I do only as my Queen commands!” Benue shouts at them through the heavy metal mask.
“Jugejm gi hpuul!” Ferin commands using his witchcraft skill to leave the prisoner unconscious again.
“What did you do to him?” Sentry demands lifting the head of man in the heavy iron mask.
“I have only put him to sleep, but the spell will not last long, the magic of that Helm resists it.” Ferin explains. “Our Queen Ammora took a liking to this alien years ago when he found his way here by accident.” “All were glad when he left, she was about to violate the law if he stayed.”
“I knew it was a mistake to allow him to stay this time!” Modine grumbles pacing back away from the metal chair. “I should have castrated him before agreeing to train his friend, then that helm would have been of no use in making him the Queen’s slave!”
“Sounds to me like Benue has not been the problem, sounds like it is your Queen who is the real problem here,” Sentry surmises. The three Knights of Avalon glare at the Earth woman with not a word of disagreement. “So how do we get this thing off?”
“I believe that the magic of our world is useless against it,” Modine says. “It is an ancient relic, most likely brought here from Earth hundreds of years ago.” “Earth magic is something that most of us here have long forgotten how to use.” “We need your help.”
“Then you are out of luck because I know nothing about magic,” Sentry replies.
“We know that, but magic and science are two sides of the same coin,” Ferin replies. “We hoped that the science of that suit you wear will be able to reach Benue’s mind, together the two of you can fight the control of the helmet.”
“I don’t know if the suit can do such a thing,” Sentry protests. “In truth I’ve never even really met Prince Benue, only a mental projection of him on his ship.”
“Then you have witnessed his power,” Wylie argues. “Just concentrate on what it was like to have him in your mind and follow that trail back to his mind.” Sentry looks at the tall, slim man who appears to be dressed for a swim meet in confusion. “Benue’s powers worked inside your mind, the projection you saw was not in the real world, but in your mind.” Wylie explains. “Surely you can remember what that felt like?”
“It felt fuzzy, like when you get Novocain,” Sentry says thinking back to when Benue helped her contain that alien, Xanian. The Knights look on having no idea what Novocain is. Thinking back on it, why did she so easily trust Prince Benue? Clearly he was manipulating her mind to some extent. Sentry looks to the bound man in the metal chair. She peers into the eyeholes of the iron mask to his closed eyelids. She can remember his strange golden eyes clearly, even before they open. Stepping closer she gazes deeply into his golden irises. Sentry feels a slight twitch in her head causing her hand to reach to her hairline over her cowl. The power of the Argoian suit has definitely activated something as she begins to feel his pain. She feels his embarrassment, something not even he believed he was capable of experiencing. He had trusted Queen Ammora, even felt an attraction to her in years past. But she tricked him, betrayed him, used him like her own personal slave.
Sentry can feel the tears run down her cheeks as she shares his pain. But there is something more, a physical pain that holds him prisoner of the iron mask. Prince Benue has not only been a prisoner of the iron mask but also of this castle. He has been starved of sunlight, for good reason. Sentry looks to the three story cathedral ceiling over their heads. Raising her arm she lets loose an energy blast that blows a hole in the roof and continues straight up into the morning sky like a beacon burning all of the debris before it can fall back on them.
The light of the large Avalon sun baths the man in the iron mask in sunlight that is his sustenance. Instantly the mental connection between them is broken. “It is not enough, we need to get these heavy clothes off of him!” Sentry announces to the Knights. Wylie and Modine step forward to tear Benue’s shirt off to expose more of his skin surface to the daylight. The men step back as his skin begins to glow with the energy of the sun.
“What is the meaning of this intrusion?” Queen Ammora announces as she enters her private chamber.
“Voju, dygoj, ymw nygyp zomw iej Keuum’h liduj” Ferin turns to shout a spell at his Queen before she can cast one of her own. Each of the other two Knights in the room feel the spell draw on the magic of their Runes to prevent the Queen from using her own magic.
Queen Ammora is staggered by the spell as it instantly overwhelm her preventing her from using three of the magic elements of Avalon. Stepping back to take her head in her hands she tries to shake off the powerful magic of the three Knights of Avalon combined. Then she sees the weakness in the spell. Brushing her blonde hair back over her shoulders she gazes up at them with a smile. “You’re powerful in deed my Knights,” she laughs. “But there are only three of you who stand against me, I still have the magic of Air and Earth at my command!”
The royal born sorceress Queen has no more need for words to cast a spell as she calls up the wind. A breeze blows strongly through the large stained glass window high over the group as it shatters the century old glass sending it to the floor. On that wind another man glides into the room. This fourth knight touches down to the floor three stories below the broken window.
“No, I think not,” Bruce says removing his helmet to throw it to the floor at the Queen’s feet. “I many not be a Knight of Avalon but my mastery of the wind has outgrown yours in the time I have spent here.”
“Then I shall command the very ground we stand on to open and swallow you all down to the pits of hell!” Queen bellows as she swings her arms and hands to cast an even more powerful spell of Damnation.
Again Queen Ammora’s spell appears to go unanswered. “Sorry, no to that too,” Bruce says as he casts off the rest of his Avalonian armor to stand with his Olympian costume exposed again. “I chose to convince Modine, Ferin, and Wylie to become my allies because I knew they could stop your magic where I couldn’t.” “Your power over metal, fire, and water bound it is easy for me to suppress the other two.”
“It doesn’t matter!” Queen Ammora erupts. “I have already conceived the child that will forever change the rules of Avalon!”
“Well, not exactly,” Benue speaks at last. Standing behind him Sentry reaches out to easily lift the iron helmet from his head.
“What!” Queen Ammora shouts. “The magic that held that helm in place was unbreakable, not even I could reverse its spell!”
“That is as it should be,” Prince Benue says as he stands up after Modine releases him from his metal restraints of the chair. “The iron mask was designed to hold a renegade Prince of Avalon in check.” “Once I was recharged by the sun, it was clear to the mask that I was no Prince of Avalon and the spell was broken.” “It was rather clever of you to keep me inside away from the sun.” Queen Ammora struggles as Ferin and Wylie take her arms. “As for the child, I may have been your slave in body, but I was still able to cast a small illusion.” he grins. “Sometimes things aren’t always as they appear or feel.”
“What do you mean by that!” Modine demands as he takes the helmet from Sentry.
“Let’s just say Queen Ammora is still a virgin in the front,” Benue suggests.
“Gross, can we go home now?” Sentry asks as Modine moves to place the iron helmet on Queen Ammora’s head. Its spell instantly sealing the helmet on he renegade Queen.
“That should hold her nicely until we can find an adequate replacement,” Ferin says as he and Wylie release the soon to be former Queen.
“Yes, I would very much like to go home now,” Olympian says.
“I agree Olympian, it is time you all went home,” Ferin says somberly. Bruce is shocked at the mention of the title. “But be warned you must still face your curse, Sentry.”
“Curse, what curse?” she asks.
“When you came here, part of you was left behind on Earth in the form of all of your inner conflict,” Wylie explains. “She will look just like you but most likely not act like you.” “The curse is meant to make trouble in the Earth born intruders life.” “Acting out their worst fears.”
“Is that why I felt different when I arrived here?” Sentry asks. “More confident?”
“Yes, any fears that you may have had have remained on Earth in that doppelganger,” Ferin instructs her. “Once you realize those fears, the doppelganger will vanish and that inner conflict will not return to you, but that doesn’t mean you won’t ever feel it again.”
“I have a question,” Olympian says. “Modine when we first met you asked to call me something else other than Olympian, why?”
Modine does not look happy to tell the story but he feels this young man has earned the right to hear it. “Centuries ago, the second Queen of Avalon, Juliana became mad with power, dabbling with dark magic.” “She nearly killed all of the Knights of Avalon, only two survived, it was only with the help of an Olympian goddess that she was defeated.” “The name you have chosen for yourself brought with it a bad omen that I tried to avoid.” “As you can see, my fear was realized.” “But now I must admit you have truly earned the name Olympian.”
Sunday, November 1, 1987
Earth
Eileen McCoy’s Apartment
Southeastern, San Diego, Ca
Olympian and Sentry arrive back at her apartment building holding hands to transfer Sentry’s invisibility power to him. “I can’t believe that there is a doppelganger of me running around in my life!” Sentry grumbles softly as they stand in the hall outside her apartment door. “But I guess I can’t deny the proof I’ve seen of it.”
“So this is where you live?” Olympian asks.
“Could you keep it down, I still have a life here,” Sentry says jerking his hand as she opens the door to slip inside. Entering the apartment and closing the door she releases his hand to become visible again. The two look around nothing seems out of place.
“Kind of small, huh?” Olympian comments.
“I live on a cop’s salary, what did you expect a Condo in La Jolla?” Sentry retorts as the man’s obvious dig at her lifestyle.
“No, it’s just I thought all the people in the California live extravagantly,” Olympian naively plows on not at all winning favor with his hostess. The apartment appears much more lived in that his condo in St. Louis. There are personal photos and knickknacks of which he has none. His father rarely took photos when he was growing up and if he did Bruce was never in any of them, so he has no physical record of his childhood. Olympian follows the woman through her apartment as she looks for anything out of place. The bathroom is something of a mess with wet towels laying on the floor.
Heading into the bedroom Sentry announces, “This bed was made when I left for work.” She lifts the sheet to find a message scrawled in pen on the sheet, “She is taking me to Las Vegas,” Sentry reads out loud.
“That looks like Deke’s handwriting,” Olympian comment. The two heroes look to each other knowing what the message means. “I guess we are going to Las Vegas,” he states.
Castaways Hotel and Casino
Room 214
Las Vegas, NV
It is early morning and three drunken Casino goers enter the room. June McCoy quickly slithers out of her mini dress, giggling as she throws it at the younger of the two men. “What are you waiting to get out of those clothes for me!” she challenges the two men.
Gregory Fulton is a gambler in every sense of the word and he doesn’t need to be told twice to antes up, pulling his button down shirt up over his head. His bare chest heaves in anticipation for what is to come. He is down to his hundred dollar bill printed boxers in an instant.
Teenaged Derrick Armstrong is not so eager to join this party even with all the beer he drank. Things have quickly steam rolled out of his control. He only came on this road trip to keep an eye on this San Diego cop who appears to be spinning out of control. Back at her apartment the metal box under her bed gave him a clear feeling that this is not the woman he has asked to help find his friend Bruce. That all seems like a hundred years ago now with everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours.
Derrick just stands there watching as June begins to kiss Gregory right in front of him. He can’t help but to feel jealous, it was only a few days ago that this hot woman took his virginity. Now he his going to be forced to watch her with this guy? What can he do? This Highroller is twice his size!
“Come on kid, don’t be shy,” Gregory says to Derrick with a strange look in his eye. June steps back over to Derrick giving him a deep passionate tongue kiss. She teases him for several minutes before reaching down the front of his pants.
Derrick was the only virgin left on the Basketball team the other players have always taunted him. He always told them it was just because none of the High School girls were good enough for him. In his heart he knew it was because he was scared. Since arriving in San Diego this woman who now unbuckled his belt to open his pants has taken all of that fear away.
Things move forward quickly with the three people, a little too quickly as lust is turned to violence. June can see the pain and fear on Derrick’s face as she speaks up, “Stop it, let him go!” “You’re hurting him!” She was just looking for some fun, not anything like this. She grabs Gregory’s arm trying to stop him.
The Highroller lashes out at the young woman, back handing her to the floor. “You’ll get your turn next!” he growls his eyes flashing with anger.
In shock June is overcome with terror as she sits on the floor, her eye throbbing with pain. “I said STOP!” she shouts raising her hand to the man on top. A bolt of pure mystic Bio-energy strikes out from her palm hitting Gregory Fulton mid thrust. The Highroller is sent across the room to hit the wall by the bolt. June looks to her hand as the nude man slumps to the floor unconscious. June rushes to Derrick’s side to help him up. “Oh my god!” “I never thought this would happen!” “I just wanted to have some fun, believe me I promise,” she tells the crying teen. “I never knew he was like that.”
“I told you I didn’t want to do it,” Derrick sobs from the pain and humiliation. “Why did you make me do this?”
“I just wanted to have fun with the two of you,” June repeats looking to the blood that stains the sheet where Derrick sits. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
Suddenly the hotel room door burst open and Sentry steps inside. “What the hell is going on here?” she asks surveying the room to see the three nude people.
When Olympian steps in behind Sentry, Derrick jumps up from the bed pulling the bedspread loose to hide himself as he runs out the door past the two heroes. Sentry quickly moves into the room using the blanket from the floor to cover her doppelganger’s nudity, embarrassed to have Olympian see her body.
“What happened here?” Sentry asks again as June stares blankly at her face as if she doesn’t recognize her alter-ego.
“I just wanted to get laid and have some fun,” June mumbles again. “I never thought anything this bad could happen.” They both look to the blood stain on the bed where the boy sat. “I just wanted to have fun,” she repeats again sobbing on Sentry’s shoulder.
“I understand now,” Sentry says looking up to Olympian. “She is everything I have suppressed since my husband was murdered.” “Between work and being Sentry, I have shut everything else out.”
Olympian looks at the two women sitting on the bed realizing that Sentry is not the woman he met in that haunted house years ago. This woman under the mask is clearly not Diana. But he still feels sorry for both of them.
In the hallway Derrick staggers down along the wall his body sore and his spirit broken. Then he looks up to see another young man standing in the hallway. He recognizes the other young man’s bruised face instantly when he asks, “What happened?”
“Oh my god, I’m one too,” the traumatized young man says as he crumbles into his doppelganger’s arms. The two teens slide down the wall to the floor as one sobs uncontrollably. “He raped me.”
Deke Armstrong holds his doppelganger in his arms as he cries. Deke doesn’t need the ask anymore questions as his power shows him everything that has happened to his mystic duplicate during the time he spent trapped in an Avalon dungeon. “You just wanted to be a hero like Olympian,” Deke says as the young man nods his head against his chest. “It is that jealousy of Bruce that led me to stowaway on that alien ship.” “Thinking that I could save him from his kidnapper.”
Back in the room Olympian asks, “Who is this guy anyway?” as he stands over the Highroller. “What did you do to him?”
“I don’t know, I just wanted to stop him,” June cries trembling in Sentry’s arms. “It was like my soul attacked him.” “I’m just so sorry.”
“I know you are, you were just so overflowing with pent up desire,” Sentry comforts. “I understand how I can’t do that anymore, I need to live my life, not just work through it.” She squeezes her doppelganger created by the Avalon curse to her chest. Soon the sobbing quiets and the blanket falls empty to Sentry’s lap.
“His name is Gregory Fulton,” Deke Armstrong says standing at the door. “And he is a total asshole!”
“Deke we told you to wait in the lobby,” Olympian tells his step-brother.
“I had to see him,” Deke explains. “To know what happened to him while I was gone.”
“Where is he?” Sentry asks standing up from the bed laying the blanket down.
“Gone,” Deke replies a tear in his bruised eye. “Like your doppelganger the events that took place in this room exhausted his mystic substance.” “This bastard raped him,” Deke says spitting on the unconscious man on the floor. “He needs to pay for what he has done!”
“How is that possible the only other people who know what happened in this room are gone,” Olympian suggests.
“I know what happened here, I saw it through his eyes before he left,” Deke tells them. “I will press charges against this Highroller, he will never know the difference.”
“There will be a medical examination,” Sentry tells the young man. “You need to show evidence of a rape.”
“I spent a long time in that dungeon, things happened that I wish I could forget,” Deke says sadly.
“Oh my god, Deke no,” Olympian says in shock. “This is all my fault.”
“No, no it’s not, Bruce,” Deke insists. “It was my idea to stowaway on Benue’s ship to save you.” “You had no idea that the Knights of Avalon would find me when they searched the ship or what would happen to me in that dungeon.” “I did what I had to do to survive in that place.” “Now I must do what needs to be done to see this man pay for his crime.”
“I can’t let you do that, your mother will kill me!” Olympian insists.
“No, all she thinks is I ran away from home,” Deke explains. “You go home to tell her what happened here, have her get me a lawyer.” “There is no need for her to know anything about Avalon.”
“Derrick, I know we just met but are you sure about this?” Sentry asks.
“It is the first thing in my life I have ever been sure of,” Deke tells her. “Now you two need to go so I can call the police.”