#21 - The Price of War

By Gary Dreslinski

That was really all that needed to be said. It was sad really. But when the closest thing to God spoke, and told people to do what they wanted to do, deep down inside, it was somehow enough justification to let go. 

Wives killed their husbands. Husbands killed their bosses. Bosses killed their workers. The Russians launched the bomb, only to have it come right back at them in the hands of a group calling themselves the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The Brotherhood was led by a figure called Magneto, who controlled the force of magnetism. He was a mutant, but the moment he reduced Moscow to cinders, he might as well have been the hand of God himself. 

Dane Whitman stared as the pictures came in. There wasn't much to do other than stare. The Avengers had placed him in lock-up after his attack on Captain America. All he had wanted to do was prevent the Star Spangled Avenger from committing the murder of one of his oldest enemies, Baron Zemo*. He hadn't been successful. From the pictures he saw streaming over the Avengers monitors, the only one who was successful at the moment was the Beyonder himself. 

(* Last issue) 

"You're not supposed to be here are you?" 

It was the crippled bald prisoner that Giant Man had carried in earlier, literally throwing him into the cell next to his. Oh no, wait, the Avengers didn't have cells, Dane reminded himself, he was being held in a detention facility. The only problem with that is that he didn't recall the Avengers of yore having any sort of detention facilities. The fact that he seemed to be in one made him wonder if it was just another thing that was "off" with the world, or if there was just some things that the Avengers didn't like to talk about. 

"Why do you say that?" Dane asked. He'd seen the guy before, that much he knew, but he couldn't put his finger on... oh yeah, he was with the X-Men... he was... 

"Charles Xavier," the bald man answered, literally pulling the thought from his mind, "I can tell you're not supposed to be here by your brain patterns. Everyone has a unique signature for their time and place, making them easier to read. Your thought patterns are, different, harder to get a handle on. Which means either you're hopelessly insane, or from another time and place." 

Dane stifled a smirk, "There would probably be a pretty fierce debate on that topic," he answered, "But let's just say that your second choice would be the best one." 

"I see. Do you have any insight on this 'Beyonder'? How did we beat him in your time?" 

"He didn't come for years, and then he never launched this sort of assault on Earth. I really have no idea what we can do, especially since it seems we're both in the same boat – being put on a shelf until the Avengers are finished with their rampage against enemies real and perceived." 

"They told me that they were placing me in 'protective custody' until the conflict is over. With the X-Men dead at the hands of the Mandarin I let myself be taken. Now though, I wonder if I wasn't led to this place for a reason." 

"And what would that reason be?" 

"To help you Dane," Professor Charles Xavier replied, "Because I think you could really use some help clearing your head." 

"Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I really don't think this is the time or the place for that sort of thing. We need to be thinking about how we can end this..." 

Xavier nodded and reached out his hand, "I quite agree." 

Dane Whitman reached out and shook the mutant leader's hand, as he felt the other man's mind come crashing into his own. 

^ And there I was, outside of Avengers mansion, not even looking back. Charles Xavier, what had he done to me? It was something... he put something in me, something of himself. I felt it. Or maybe he just kicked something open inside me that was dormant. I looked at the door, really looked at it for the first time, and I knew how to open it. 

All of my inventions, all of my time in the lab, and I was still falling back at thinking with my fists. This was a puzzle, not a conquest. I could bang my head on the wall all I wanted, but it wasn't going to do anything. Seeing where the weak points of construction had been though... 

That proved frightfully easy. 

No wonder the Avengers don't like to talk about their early detention facilities. 

I remember, bits and pieces of what happened next. Just flashes, as if I was watching myself from far away, in the fog, and I was dressed to blend into my surroundings. 

I got outside. I have no idea why I thought I had to go outside to do IT, but it seemed like the thing to do. It was one thing screaming at the uncaring sky, it was quite another to scream at the uncaring ceiling. Something about it just wasn't the same. 

There was something different about this world. Something that had made the Beyonder come here. The only different thing that I can put my finger on is me. Maybe that's the difference. I can't imagine that I would be worth the trouble, but then again, I've been accused of thinking that it was all about me before – so maybe I'm not only self-centered but also, in this case, correct. 

I raise my uncle's lance in the air in defiance. "Beyonder!" I yell at the top of my lungs, "Here I am! You want me, come and get me!" 

Yeah, not the smartest thing I've ever done. But I'm hoping it won't be the last of the stupid ones. 

Oracle looked around at his teammates, wondering when they were going to move. Actually that was a misnomer. He knew when they were going to move, he had seen that they were going to be frozen in time in the first place. But what he didn't know was how he was supposed to kill time until they came out of status. 

"It's for the best," Immortus was whispering, as he slipped up out from comatose into nearly comatose in one move. 

Around them, the world changed and changed back again.* Oracle stared, every once in awhile looking over to where Hugo Danner was standing, perfectly still. 

(* See PENDRAGONS for details! But you're reading that anyway, right? – GD) 

"Um... Hugo, you do know that I know you're not affected by this – right?" 

Hugo's face cracked the tinniest of grins, but he remained in place. Just like almost every other member of his team. 

Oracle tapped his spectral foot and wondered when it would be time to leave. He had an appointment to keep in a few months back in London. If the days continued to advance in the outside world much longer, then he would have to just leave the time-pocket and take his chances... 

He looked back over to Immortus, trying to understand what was going on in that twisted time traveling mind. He turned back to waiting; there was just no figuring some people. 

^And just like that, he was there. The Beyonder himself. I'd seen him before, with the black flowing locks, the last time he came to Earth, looking to understand humanity better. Things didn't work out that time either. 

I wonder if he remembers any of that, or if this Beyonder never went through any of..." ^ 

"I REMEMBER, DANE WHITMAN. I REMEMBER IT ALL. THE FIRST TIME I BECAME AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE UNIVERSE AROUND ME. I REMEMBER SUMMONING THE HEROES OF YOUR WORLD, AND THE VILLAINS, PUTTING A PRIZE IN FRONT OF THEM THAT NONE COULD RESIST. I REMEMBER HOW THAT ENDED... BOTH TIMES." 

^Both times? Was he talking about when he came to Earth? Or was there a time that nobody told me about? All together possible that it happened, but no one thought to brief me. It's not like I memorize everything in the Avengers files. It's just as likely that it happened, and was completely erased from everyone's memory. That's the problem with dealing with all-powerful extra-dimensional beings. 

Another problem being, now that I'm got him here, how do I get him to undo everything he has done here? All the death, all the destruction, how do I get him to make things right? ^ 

I TOO WANT TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT 

^ Oh great, that's just what I need, the Beyonder's reading my mind. Of course he is you idiot, he's the freaking Beyonder... if I get out of this, I really need to kick myself a few times for not realizing that one right off. 

"I'm glad to hear that," I offer, wondering if it was really going to be that easy. ^ 

I HAVE BEEN STUDYING HUMANITY, LEARNING ABOUT YOU, HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIVES, HOW YOU INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER 

^That can't be good.^ 

LOVE I FIND INTERESTING. PRIDE I FIND INTERESTING. THERE IS ONE IDEA THOUGH, THAT I LEARNED FROM HUMANITY THAT IF USEFUL. 

^ Come on 'mercy'... come on mercy.^ 

REVENGE 

^ Shit. 

I'm not sure what I can do, but something big is about to happen, I can feel the energy in the air. The fact that the Beyonder has started to glow a dull yellow might also be a clue. I test the balance of the Sword of Light in my hand. It's a thin hope, but it's all that I have right now. If the Beyonder is going to try something, the least that I can do is die trying to stop him before he can do it. 

He's staring at me. But he hasn't made a move yet; of course he doesn't have to. He's the Beyonder, he blinks his eye and I'm dead. Why haven't I attacked him then? What am I waiting for? Is he holding me here? Yeah, that's it, he's holding me in place..." 

I AM, DANE WHITMAN. YOUR ACTIONS ARE NOT THWARTED, ONLY DELAYED. I DO NOT WISH TO KILL YOU. I WANT YOU TO DELIVER A MESSAGE FOR ME. I WANT YOU TO TELL YOUR FRIEND BRIAN BRADDOCK THAT HE CAN NOT HIDE IN OTHERWORLD. HE CAN NOT PLAY HIS GAMES WITH THE WILL OF THE BEYONDER AND NOT PAY THE PRICE. I WANT YOU TO TELL HIM THAT, WHEN NEXT YOU MEET. 

"Your information must be out of date. Somehow I don't think Brian's in any mood to listen to anything I have to tell him these days." 

HE WILL HEAR THIS MESSAGE. ALL WILL HEAR IT. HE WILL KNOW THAT THE TIME IS COMING WHEN I STRIKE HIM DOWN FOR TREATING MY AFFAIRS SO LIGHTLY. 

^Brian getting in over his head, with massive schemes within schemes. Doesn't surprise me at all. Somehow I can't even pretend that I'm all that surprised that somehow they've shown up on MY doorstep. From the sound of it though, the Beyonder is going to be landing on the steps of Otherworld sooner or later. Brian may have power, but I'm not sure he realizes what he's unleashed against him. 

At any rate though, it looks like all the Beyonder wants from me is to be a messenger. I ease my grip on the sword. Things are looking up. If you use a loose definition of the term "looking up". 

Or at least I TRY to ease my grip on the sword, I can't. The next thing that I know I'm moving forward, swinging with abandon... "your actions are not thwarted, only delayed." He's making me go through with my attack, but why... and when did I get my sword back anyway? I had the lance, and now... 

That's when I see that he's starting to shift, the energy that makes him up is parting, making way for the coming of the blade, its... entering the blade... making it stronger... is that even possible? Why would he want to... 

YOU ARE MY MESSAGE. BRADDOCK WILL HEAR. 

The sword strikes something solid in the midst of the energy. Something's behind all of that. 

Things around me are turning... becoming... oh no; I know this place.... 

I'm home. I'm in Avalon. I'm standing in the sanctuary pool of the Lady of the Lake. 

"Dane?" she whispers, "what..." and the smile falls from her face as the blade, enchanted with her own essence, and strengthened by the power of the Beyonder, strikes home, skewering her. 

I pull the blade out quickly. Maybe there is still time. I grab her body, now heavy with mortality, pushing it beneath the pools healing waters... there has to be a way... she can't be... please oh god... oh god... this can't be... 

The light of the Pendragon issues forth from what is left of her, flowing through the sword, up into me. The light of the Lady herself. I don't have to ask. I don't have to wonder. 

All I have to do is mourn and wonder what is to come next. 

No, that's not true. I have to tell Brian what he just did. ^ 

Author Notes

So we have "Dane of the Lake", and the gift from Charles Xavier. Trust me, this is all going somewhere. Remember all those old subplots? Might be a good time to go back and reread, because everything's coming together as we wind our way to our 25th issue. 

Look for old friends, and new threats - and old friends who are old threats, and old threats who are new friends, and... well, just stay tuned. 

Dane's life has always been a little complicated, and let's just say that things that have been building up for a long time are finally going to come to a head once and for all. 

Hope you have as much fun as I plan on having! 

- gary