The statement, "human sacrifice", made in a matter of fact tone, shocked Checkered Flag. Her white on black uniform seemed to twitch in time with her fist as it pounded into her other hand.
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go get them!" she said, powering up her superspeed.
"We do not know where they are for one," Green Watch advised, "And we are not sure that the sacrifice must take place here."
"Well we do have some clues, " Nos Bwgan said, " I saw an Amber Alert on the net just before I left to meet you for a Charles Jenkins, a missing 14 year old boy. Now the sacrifice calls for a man who has never been blooded in combat before, and I think a 14 year old high school student fits that bill."
"How long do we have before the ritual must take place?" asked Checkered Flag.
"About 6 hours, it must be done at dawn on a night with the new moon." was Nos Bwgan's reply.
"Ok, I will go see the parents." Green Watch said, "Where does Charles live?"
"Galaxy City."
"Ok, Checkered, you scout around here, see if you spot anyone matching his description, Nos, start calling your contacts to see if you can dig up anything on what else the Circle might need." With his orders given to the group in clipped tone, Green Watch activated his flight pack and roared off into the clear winter night.
"Take charge kinda guy isn't he?" asked Nos Bwgan.
"Yes, but he usually makes sense." Checkered Flag replied, "Well I'm off to bust some Circle heads to see if I can get a lead on this thing." She sped off in a cloud of debris, her draft sucking the newspaper out of a hero's hand, arousing an angered comment and a rude gesture. Nos Bwgan chuckled to himself and started calling his contact, Cho Je.
About 15 minutes later, Checkered Flag was beginning to despair ever finding any information about the ritual, when she finally blasted a group of Circle thorn wielders in the EastGate Heights section of the Hollows.
"Ok, Ok I give up!! Sheesh lady, what are you so mad about?"
"A lot of different things, creep, so start talking!" Checkered Flag growled, powering up an energy aura around her hand under his nose.
"What about?" was the frightened reply.
"The summoning ritual going on tonight." Checkered Flag urged, waving her fist in a menacing manner.
"Ok, well it is going down in the Cherry Hills neighborhood, an old abandonded warehouse at Maple and Trident!"
"Good, punk." Checkered Flag then clobbered the Thorn Wielder into dreamland and grabbed her communicator. "Yo Fearless Leader, I found em!"
"Star Wars is adolescent nonsense; Close Encounters is obscurantist drivel; "Star Trek" can turn your brains to puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is Dr. Who! "
Harlan Ellison
Charles Jenkins awoke to find himself staring at a large light fixture that was hung from a large open ceiling. He tried to move but found his hands and feet were tied to the table he was on. He turned his head to the side and saw his friend, John Tyler sliding on a purple robe, along with the entire senior basketball team. When the hoods went over their heads, their eyes started to glow.
"Wh...What is going on?" Charles stuttered in fear. "You guys said it was an initiation into a club."
"Yes, you will be the sacrifice that gets in the Circle of Thorns, geek." Replied John, with a menacing tone in his voice.
While this was going on, in another dimension, there is a castle, in the basement of the castle, there was a prisoner. He was a humanoid about 6'7" tall with bright red skin, and blue hair, woven into a braided topknot, and a long blue goatee. He wore only a loincloth, and was reading a book. He looked over at the door as he heard footsteps approaching.
"Mar-Duuk, may I come in?" The voice said.
"It is your castle my lord." was the prisoner's indifferent reply.
The door creaked open, and a white skinned man entered, and almost seemed to glide to the bed. Mar-Duuk stood and bowed.
"To what do I owe the pleassure of this interview, my lord?" Mar-Duuk questioned.
"I have noted that a faraway city on the Prime Material Plane has been invaded by your old foes, The Circle of Thorns. Their meddling has attracted the interest of the Rikti, and Tiamat again." The pale skinned man replied. "Some young initiates in the Circle are trying to summon her, but I have changed the scroll so they will summon you instead."
"Why?" Mar-Duuk asked. "I thought you wanted to keep me here for enternity since I had angered you by pursuing Tiamat back to Lucifer's realm."
"No, I feel you have learned to respect me better now, and since I cannot be seen to interfere, I need someone who.." The pale man said.
"Can be the pawn in the game again, as usual." was Mar-Duuk's reply, in a tone barely hinged with sarcasm.
"Will you go?" the pale skinned mans asked.
"Yes, my lord."
"Come then, my sister will guide you there."
"Oh my lord, she makes me uneasy."
"As well she should, but the boy on the table must die so that you can be summoned, those are the rules." the pale man said, sadness in his voice.
"Ah yes, your precious balance." Mar-Duuk spit. "Well let us go, we do not have all eternity."
Meanwhile, back at the warehouse, Green Watch, Nos Bwgan, and Checkered Flag prepared for the assault. They approached the door with caution, but Green Watch saw no obvious traps. He picked the lock, and the group entered.
As they came around the corner, Checkered Flag's white suit reflected a stray beam of moonlight, which was spotted by a Circle Guard.
"Capes!!!" He shouted a warning.
"Well that tears it." Nos Bwgan muttered, "Oh well, let's get them!"
"For Scotland the Brave!" shouted Green Watch, blasting a sentry in the back of the group of assembling Thorn Wielders with a force field knockback blast, slamming him up against the wall. The fight was on.
"Star Wars is adolescent nonsense; Close Encounters is obscurantist drivel; "Star Trek" can turn your brains to puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is Dr. Who! "
Harlan Ellison
With that shouted phrase, a loud wailing started coming from the helmet speakers on Green Watch's head. It was instantly recognized as "Scotland the Brave" played on the bagpipes at the usual decibel level of a loud car stereo. Even Nos Bwgan winced, and Checkered Flag just laughed and charged a group of Thorn wielders. Blasting several off their feet with a cone attack, she soon found herself backed into a corner by a sword wielding cultist. He struck her across the face with the hilt of the sword, rocking her back on her heels.
"Ok, pal you hit hard but I hit harder!!" She shouted, slamming the thug across the hallway with an energy punch.
Nos Bwgan, meanwhile, waded in with his dark melee powers, punches flying faster than a hummingbird's wing. He battled through the group to Checkered Flag's side, and ducked as Green Watch catapulted another Thorn wielder through the air.
Then the air grew still except for a slight breeze. Suddenly materialzing out of the air were 3 dozen spectral knights. Green Watch threw up a forcefield, and shouted, "Checkered Flag, see if you can flank'em, Nos and I will go up the middle."
"Gotcha, o fearless leader!" was the energy blaster's reply, as she kicked in the superspeed, seeming almost to teleport to the top of some cargo containers, and taking up a sniper's nest.
Back at the sacrifical chamber, Charles Jenkins watched the last few moments of his life flash by with ever increasing speed. The chanting started and he struggled against the silver chains holding him down, but it was all in vain. He felt a burst of agony, and then blackness.
Charles then found himself standing in front of two people, one a giant man with three eyes and red skin, wearing only a loincloth. The other was a pretty lady in a black dress.
"Who are you?" asked Charles, " Am I.."
"Yes, Charles you are dead." said the man with red skin. "I am Mar-Duuk, an ancient god of Babylon, who defended that city long ago from the Circle Of Thorns. The lady will escort you to the Sunless Lands."
"Why are you here?" asked Charles of Mar-Duuk.
"Well, I need to borrow your corporeal essence to manifest on the prime material plane , young sir."
"Hunh?" was the puzzled question.
"What he means child is that he needs your body, minus your soul so that he can come back to the world and fight the evil of the Circle of Thorns." The lady explained in a melodious voice.
"Oh, I see, well I am not using it anymore go ahead then."
Charles and the lady in the dress then vanished leaving Mar-Duuk alone. He headed toward the gate from limbo to Paragon city transiting through in a blast of white light that consumed and changed Charles Jerkin's body into Mar-Duuk's.
Back with the Highlanders, the group had defeated the Circle minions and Green Watch was interrogating the last conscious man.
"Where is the boy!" Green Watch shouted, "Tell me you sassenach!!" He slammed the man's head forcefully into the metal side of the cargo container. "Tell me!!"
Just then Nos Bwgan collasped to the ground with a groan.
"Nos!! What is wrong!" Green Watch said, rushing to his side.
"I think he senses a disturbance in the Force, Luke." was Checkered Flag's wisecrack.
"This is no time for joking lass, " Green Watch said, "The last time I saw him like this was when those giant snowmen invaded town last winter."
" Oh Great." said Checkered Flag, " What next the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?"
"No," said Nos Bwgan, "But Mar-Duuk is here."
"Star Wars is adolescent nonsense; Close Encounters is obscurantist drivel; "Star Trek" can turn your brains to puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is Dr. Who! "
Harlan Ellison
After a brief flash of light, Mar-Duuk's vision cleared to see a group of seven cultists standing around the sacrifical stone. They were all in shock at the transformation of a 16 year old boy into a man standing 6'6" tall with red skin and three eyes.
Mar-Duuk flexed his arms and shattered the chains holding him to the stone slab and stood up. Immediately, one of the cultists stepped forward.
"Hold oh mighty Mar-Duuk, you cannot leave the circle until I give thee permission demon!!" The brave words contained a slight tremor of fear.
"So boy, you think I am a demon? Well let me change that notion, I am not a demon, but a deity of old, brought into exsistence to fight those such as you." was Mar-Duuk's reply. He quickly stepped across the circle that surrounded the stone table and clouted the leader of the cult hard with the back of his fist, sending him crashing into the far wall. Just then with a loud boom, the door blasted in, clobbered Mar-Duuk in the back and smashed him to the floor. Nos Bwgan charged in, swatting another cultist into unconciousness, and Checkered Flag jumped up on the door.
"I got Mar-Duuk!" Her cry of victory was short lived, as Mar-Duuk stood up, knocking over Checkered Flag. He then slammed his fists together, smashing everyone with the shockwave.
Green Watch then entered, just in time to see a thorn guide materialize in the middle of the room.
"You mere mortals dare to meddle in our affairs!" the thorn guide bellowed. "We shall see who is left to defy us when we are finished with you!!"
"Meddling mortals, that is us alright, but we are missing the talking dog though." Quipped Checkered Flag.
"Enough talk!" Bellowed Mar-Duuk. "You may not know of me, Circle scum, but your predecesssors have. I am Mar-Duuk, defender deity of Babylon, and fighter of evil wherever it is found! So do your worst , I fear nothing and no one!"
"So be it!" The guide screamed. "H'vrtishumpterim, kill them all!" With those words, the wall of the warehouse burst into flames and a large winged demon emerged, incased in fire.
"Dear Lord, what is that?" asked Green Watch.
"Bad news." replied Nos Bwgan. Checkered Flag just blasted it with a sniper blast, kocking it off its feet. Mar-Duuk grabbed the stone table off of the floor and hammered the guide into the floor with it. Green Watch fired a sonic attack at the demon, who roared in defiance, and smashed Green Watch with a giant fiery fist, knocking him back into the hallway outside of the room.
Checkered Flag dashed over with superspeed, and landed a flurry of blows on the demon, and dodged a fiery cone of breath from its mouth. Nos Bwgan pounded it with some dark energy from his fists, and then Mar-Duuk waded in and with a gigantic double fisted strike, clobbered it down into the floor. The demon passed out, and faded from view, banished back to the plane from whence it came.
Green Watch staggered back into the room, and said "Anyone get the number of that truck?"
Mar-Duuk turned to face the heroes.
"So, are ye enemies or allies?"
"Allies, Mar-Duuk, at least I hope so." said Green Watch. "Where is the boy we were hoping to rescue?"
"Sorry Green, but in order for Mar-Duuk to be here, the boy must be dead." Nos Bwgan said. Green Watch punched the wall.
"So close!!"
Mar-Duuk walked over and said, "Aye brave warrior, I have been there, fighting in the trenches trying to save lives, but sometimes things do not always work out."
"True," stated Checkered Flag, " Look folks I gotta run, I'm bushed. She bowed to Mar-Duuk, and sped away down the hallway toward the door.
Nos Bwgan said, "Go home GW, try to get some rest. Things might look better in the morning. I will call the Paragon PD, and try to straighten this mess out."
"Right." said Green Watch, "Well, Mar-Duuk welcome to Paragon City, home of the best and the worst humanity and a few parallel dimensions has to offer, I hope you are staying for a while?"
"As long as I am needed." Is Mar-Duuks reply. "I do have one question?"
"Yes?" Green Watch inquired.
"Where can I get some clothes?
"Star Wars is adolescent nonsense; Close Encounters is obscurantist drivel; "Star Trek" can turn your brains to puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is Dr. Who! "
Harlan Ellison
It was a cold day in February in Paragon City, and Green Watch, leader of the Highlanders was standing in Skyway City by the tram station, watching his breath steam in the air from the vents in his helmet.
"Where is the crazy Sassenach, he is always late." Green Watch muttered under his breath in a thick Highland Scottish Brogue, his green and blue armor, the clan colors of the Urquhart tartan, reflected the bright winter moon. Soon, a tall figure, almost as wide as the door of the train that just arrived entered the station easily parting the crowd with his foul smelling cigar clamped in his teeth. Green Watch adjusted the filters on his armor, and said "So Nos Bwgan, what did you find out about that scroll I passed along to you."
"Well, I don't mind telling you, Watch, It has got me a little nervous. It is a ritual for summoning deitys from Babylon. Where did you say you got it again?"
"I didn't." was Green Watch's reply, his hand unconciously flexing in his glove. "I was teamed with Checkered Flag over in the hollows, you remember her, the little lass with the hyperactivity problem?"
"Yes, I do." replied Nos Bwgan, "As you were saying?"
"Well, we were scouting some of the caverns for possible base locations for the Highlanders, when we ran smack into a group of Circle Ruin Mages. Well after that row, we found this photocopy on one of the guards."
"Well this certainly bodes more investigating," was the dark scrappers reply.
"Yes which is why I asked Checkered Flag to meet us in the Hollows." With that Green Watch leaped into the air, and shouted back, "Are you coming or not?"
Nos Bwgan shrugged, "Sure I got nothing better to do tonight."
Meanwhile across town, a young high school student by the name of Charles Jenkins, was following one of the star jocks on the basketball team of Paragon City East high to an initiation rite. Charles had never fit in well, more interested in history and archeology, than fitting in with the popular crowd. After the start of high school though, he tried to make friends, and John Tyler, the star forward on the senior basketball team started letting him hang around. Charles wasn't sure what to make of it, but he liked the attention. This night of the new moon, though, John had called him and asked if he really wanted to join the club. Charles of course said yes, and snuck out to meet John and his friends. They took him to John's house, and offered him a soda. That is the last thing Charles rembered for a very long time.
When Green Watch and Nos Bwgan entered the Hollows, Checkered Flag was waiting for them. She sped across the street at full speed, nimbly dodging passersby.
"So what took you so long guys?" She asked in a calm tone of voice, which is in contrast to the nervous energy causing her to pace up and down the fenced in area, her black and white checkered cape flashing behind her.
""An arson fire back in Skyway, started by some Trolls, Green Watch rescued the people, I beat up the trolls." Nos Bwgan replied, " Why are you in a hurry or something lady?"
Green Watch laughed at that. "We should go, Nos, is there any place in particular that the summoning ritual might work better than others here?"
"Well ,I would think an indoor area would be best, one other thing you folks should know, the ritual involves a human sacrifice."
"Star Wars is adolescent nonsense; Close Encounters is obscurantist drivel; "Star Trek" can turn your brains to puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is Dr. Who! "
Harlan Ellison