"So, we have to assemble a team to help us," Spencer was watching Midnight Dawns expressions and nods to make sure he was recapping properly.  He was.  "The people we recruit have to be willing to basically die to help us," a grave nod yes, "and something tells me that we have to chose people who won't effect the timeline by leaving it," an even graver nod yes, "and that we need people who are at least as powerful as ourselves, the more so the better," a wry smile and wink.

"Now, you fully understand what you need to do," Midnight Dawn bowed his head.  "So, where are you to start?"

Spencer looked at Colin, who helplessly shrugged his shoulders, making sure to drive the point home with an exaggerated "idunno" expression.  Spencer folded his arms and began to pace the room in contemplation.  He had thoroughly researched Solace before deciding to move there when he discovered his powers.  He knew well the city's history, and the history of most of it's heroes.  He remembered one in particular, and snapped his fingers.

"Majesta!" he blurted out.

Colin's expression of "idunno" deepened while Midnight Dawn looked down into the folds of his sleeves, hiding what looked like a whistful expression.

"Who's Majesta?" Colin asked, not noticing the far away look in Midnight Dawn's eyes.

"She was a promising heroine with mystical powers who was lost in a vortex during a battle with a villain known as Sorcerex," Spencer explained.  "Since she was lost in the battle, and was found many months later in a catatonic state, I think that is a good start.  We can try to save her from dissapearing, and see if she will go with us.  From what I've read about her, she was remarkably powerful for a new hero, she just never made it past being a rookie."

Colin nodded and agreed that it seemed like as good a place to start as any.  He turned to Midnight Dawn to ask about the ritual or rite that would send them back into the past.

Midnight Dawn was still lost in his revery about some hidden delights and pains long since past, and came to, for his part, without missing a beat of the converstation or chain of logic that Spencer was reasoning out.  He kept the subject of his deep thoughts to himself, however.

"If that is where you chose to start, then so be it.  I can make sure you arrive at exactly the time and place you need to, for I remember that day well."

"I feel bad for you young ones.  In the old days, we would've called this a cake walk.  Of course, back then people just wanted to take over the world, not kill every damn living thing on it."

The old hero walked back to the small table that held his tea and reached down and retrieved his cup.  He lightly blew at it's contents and then took a few measured sips.  When he was finished, he turned toward the duo and made a grand gesture with his free hand.

"However, we're not about to ride off into the great unknown without a little protection.  I took the liberty of already procuring our first 'displaced warrior'.  In truth, I didn't so much as find him as he found us.  Gentlemen, may I introduce you to one of Solace's newest heroes, the Saltwater Savage, Barracuda."

The air between the three men began to shimmer and swirl.  The room took on the scent of deep, clean saltwater.  Within the blink of an eye, a large humanoid shape stood before them, covered in fins, gills, and claws.  Most of his body was dark grey with green highlights.  His eyes were seemingly dark pits of deep black.  He folded his hands and bowed deeply at the waist.  The words that came from his mouth were English, but the kind of English that comes from a child just learning to speak - his accent and diction were off slightly.

"Friend."

Midnight Dawn came up behind the creature and helped him up to his full height.  Spencer noticed that the old man's eyes were set deep in concentration, the skin and wrinkles around them more pronounced.  The golden ager's lips were moving near where the creature's ear might be, but no sound came from them.

He must be speaking to the thing telepathically.  Man, I sure wish Icarus was here.

When he was done communicating to Barracuda, Midnight Dawn looked over to the duo and smiled once again.  As he placed his teacup back on the saucer that sat on the little table near his chair, he spoke over his shoulder.

"I've explained everything to Xavin - Barracuda - and he has promised me that he will guard you both with his life.  He has also promised to destroy the abomination that I and Doctor Colossus created with his own two hands.  As for the first promise, I have little doubt.  That second one though, that's the one that bothers me."

Something clicked and Colin raised an eyebrow as he interjected.

"You said 'guard you both'.  Are you trying to tell us that you're not coming with?"

The elder hero smoothed out the tight green plaid of his jacket and began to make his way toward the room's portal.

"Yes, you are correct.  You see, to travel in time and space, to traverse the universes in the way that you must - you have to have a solid point of origin, one that not only gives you the power to travel, but also the anchor with which you hold true to your home dimension.  I will serve as your connection to this, your home.  It's the only way I can assure your safe passage through the Well of Time and Space."

Spencer whispered.

"Well of Time and Space?"

The old man smiled and began to lead the three men through the sprawling darkness of the mansion.  Through shadowed halls and past looming doors they went, all the while being assailed by the guttural mewling of creatures best left unseen.  Soon they came to a dead end.  At their feet was a small stone well.  It was filled almost to overflowing with a green liquid.  Large masses of green and blue algae floated on it's surface.  Here and there were luminescent lily pads of varying color and size.  All of the men felt a chill come over their bodies, goose pimples cover their flesh, and the hair on the back of their necks stand up straight.  Midnight Dawn took a deep breath and coughed into his hand.

"This is the Well of Time and Space.  It is as old as the universe itself.  Legend says that the well is filled with the tears that God shed when he cast Lucifer and his demon legions out of Heaven.  It has the power to send anyone or anything across the expanse of known and unknown reality.  However, there has always been a drawback which made this fantastic artifact useless to me.  It can only be used by those who can trace their heritage back to the angels... or God himself."

Midnight Dawn turned toward Spectrum with a conspiratorial smile on his face.  He narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger toward the hero.

"That was until you came along.  The Map of Worlds lies within you, Spencer.  The pathways of reality itself are hardwired into your DNA - your very soul.  It is unknown to me how this came to be, but I can sense it in you.  You will be the navigator of the Well of Time and Space - your unconscious mind will plot the map that will lead you to those who will help Solace in it's time of need - wherever and whenever they may exist.  You are special indeed, Spencer.  Here, take this."

The grizzled hero reached out a hand, palm up.  In it was a small ring cast in iron.  Along the outside surface of the ring were arcane symbols of varying size and shape.  As Spencer reached out to take the ring, he noticed the micro-circuitry running along the inside of it.  Midnight Dawn followed his eyes and smiled.  Spencer spoke.

"What is this?  Is it magic or technological?"

Midnight Dawn took the ring and placed it on the young man's index finger of his right hand.  As he did so, Spencer as well as the others could hear the old man saying a prayer under his breath.  When the golden ager opened his eyes, he took both hands and brushed off Spectrum shoulders.

"Magic is just technology that our world has not yet understood - that is as much as I have time to explain right now.  This ring will keep you connected to me - your anchor here on our Earth.  When you have finished your recruiting upon each world, you must first return here to drop another dimensional anchor, then you can move on to the next time or place.  Think of the ring as a tether.  When you want to come home, simply gather your comrades in a tight circle around you and turn the ring counterclockwise.  I will hear the call and bring you back as quickly as I can."

Midnight Dawn waved a dismissive hand in Spencer's direction.  "As I have told you before, young man, there is nothing within my home that you need worry yourself about.  Those things that are a danger to you are well and far outside of your sphere of influence."

Spencer contemplated the meaning of the statement. 

Outside of my sphere of influence?  What's that supposed to mean?

Spencer looked about the room and its high ceilings that were lost in the shadows.  He was certain there were beings and creatures of other worldly origins floating about that he could not see.  But, could they see him? 

Spencer rolled his eyes, snapping out of his day dream, and looked back to Colin with a helplessly lost look.

"So, we need to use the mansion to recruit a team of time traveling multi-dimensional heroes that are willing to go to battle with an unstoppable monstrocity, the result of which will likely be a horrific death for most or all of us."

"Yes.  That's exactly what you are going to do," Midnight Dawn answered for Colin, who was still putting his thoughts in order.  "I will guide you in the process of assembling your team.  The strategy of the battle with Progeny, and the horrific deaths you spoke about," Midnight Dawn grinned slightly, "are up to you."

"So how long have you been keeping watch over all of this?"

The old man leaned back in his chair and took another silent sip of tea.  Looking over the steam that rose from the cup, he smiled.

"From the beginning.  I began to suspect that Dr. Colossus was losing his mind around the mid-nineties.  At that point, it meant nothing more than making sure he didn't hurt himself with one of his experiments.  What I didn't plan for was Progeny using the old man's failing mind as a means of gaining some form of independence."

Colin stood up from the chair and walked behind it, leaning on the large back with both arms.

"So you knew that Progeny was possibly a problem, but you did nothing about it?  I mean, he was leading the Dynasty for crying out loud!  You didn't think to intervene at that point?  I mean, he was partially your creation - your responsibility."

Midnight Dawn laid the cup and saucer aside and folded his hands in his lap.  Letting out a deep breath, the corners of his lips turning down slightly, he looked back at Colin.

"It would be in your best interest not to tell me what is or is not my responsibility - I am well aware of that.  You have to remember, that as far as I knew - and what I got from talking with Colossus, Progeny was well under both of our controls.  I see now that Progeny had already taken control of Colossus early on in this whole escapade.  However, as soon as I saw that he was becoming a danger to himself and the rest of Solace, I acted as best I could."

Spencer looked up from his cup of tea and his eyes brightened as something clicked within his brain.

"Even though you wanted the world to think you're dead, you've been helping us along this whole time.  It was you who somehow gave Furystar and the Dynasty their powers back in time to save us.  It was you who made sure that Cappie knew exactly where to send me to find Colin.  You've been moving the pieces on the board from the beginning, haven't you?"

The old man smiled and nodded.

"Guilty as charged.  However, I must warn you, my powers are not what they used to be, and I cannot stop Progeny and Colossus on my own - or even with you.  You're going to have to use the mansion's fantastic abilities to assemble a team capable of doing that.  You're going to have to have to assemble a team from across all time and the multiverse."

Colin looked to Spencer and then back to Midnight Dawn.

"Uh, what now?"

"Um, Mr. Dawn, is there anyone else in here, or more importantly, any thing else in here that's gonna pop out of the darkness on us?"

The old man grinned wryly and shook his head slightly, more to himself than to the two men with him.

"No, my young friend, nothing you need worry yourself about.  I assure you, all of my guests here are quite comfortable where they are."

Spencer didn't like the amibguity of the old hero's statement. 

I knew it.  There are things in here with us.  And what does he mean they are comfortable where they are? 

Spencer's mind was racing at a thousand miles per hour about what the things were, where they were, and why on earth would they be comfortable there.  He was so preoccupied with his nightmarish thoughts that he hadn't realised they had entered one of the many studies of the mansion, and that Colin and the old man were already sitting down in some anitque wooden chairs, with lavishly carved seraphims on the back rests.

Colin still had a perplexed look on his face as he accepted his tea with one lump and some cream.

Where did that cream come from?  Sure this old man doesn't run down to the local grocery store.  One of the things must lactate...

Spencer quickly shook his head back and forth to Colin, and tried discretely to wave his hand to and fro.  Colin's look became even more quizical.

"Don't drink the cream," Spencer mouthed, "one of the things probably secreted it."

"What!?!" Colin mouthed back as he spit out the sip he had just taken.

The skeletal old man leaned back in his chair and raised his cup to his lips.  He took a small sip and placed the cup back on its saucer, all with practiced grace and perfect etiquette.  Spencer had the sudden notion that the old man must think he was having afternoon tea and scones with the Queen of England. It was all so surreal, and it gave Spencer an involuntary shiver.

"My deepest apologies, you must be quite chill here in my old home," the old man said. 

Without so much as twitching a finger, a blazing fire ignited in the ornate stone fireplace that took up most of one of the study's walls.  The large room seemed to warm up with unnatural speed, and the fire, despite its ferocity, made not so much as a pop or crackle.  Spencer couldn't even see any wood within the hearth.

Yeah.  The old man is powerful.

"Now that we have the pleasantries and your comfort taken care of," the old man got to the point, "tell me what you expected to find here, so I can tell you what to expect."

"You'll never understand what your faith in me means right now - in this moment.  If we make it out of this alive, I promise you, I'll go to the ends of the Earth with you man."

Taking back his hand, Colin moved toward the edge of the room and a dusty old tome that was laying in the corner.  Picking up the old book, he opened it to a page he had obviously memorized.  As he turned the book around in his hands to hand it off to Spencer, both men jumped at the sound of a third voice in the room.  Neither man had seen or heard anyone enter, but there, standing behind Colin, was a grizzled old man.  He was draped in a seersucker suit and dark green trench coat that hung limply from his skeletal body.  His face was a mass of deep lines and wrinkles, dotted here and there with liver spots.  He wore a dark green domino mask that drew attention to his fierce gray eyes.  His sparse hair was slicked back with some kind of pomade, thin and shiny.

"I think it's time for you boys and I to have a little talk.  Do you like tea?  Let's head into the study and we can talk more there."

The old man reached out a gloved hand and shook each of the other heroes'.  He smiled sheepishly and began to walk toward the darker parts of the mansion.  As he did so he talked over his shoulder.

"I fear the accounts of my demise have been greatly exaggerated - and for that I am mostly thankful.  However, it seems to me that you both are in way over your head trying to clean up one of my messes - and for that I am truly sorry.  Oh, do you boys take sugar in your tea?  I've only got Earl Grey warm, and if we need sugar, we're going to have to stop over in the kitchen."

Colin tried to keep pace with the old man as he wound his way though the dark alleys of the great mansion.  Every second or two he would toss a glance Spencer's way and make a confused gesture with his hands and face.  The old man turned suddenly and stopped in the middle of the hallway.  It took all the dexterity both heroes had to not run into him.  The old man narrowed his eyes and turned his head slightly to the side.

"Is there something wrong?  You boys seem a little confused and slightly startled by all of this.  All I asked was whether or not you want sugar in your tea."

"Um..." Spencer didn't know where to begin, "you said that the magic works off an equal trade, of mass and power.  Does that mean that the person who must be sacrificed be super powered as well? Since, you know, Midnight Dawn was super powered?"

The dull, distant glaze and non-reaction in Colin's eyes confirmed Spencer's suspicions.

"So, what you are telling me, is that in order to bring back the only person powerful enough to deal with Prodigy and Colossus is to sacrifice a living person who is also gifted with powers?"

Colin lowered his head and closed his eyes hard, not saying a word.

No.  No... I can't accept this.  This is NOT what heroes do.  They don't perfom dark magic to resurrect dead guys using living humans as sacrifices.

"Colin, you know that I will fight at your side, no matter the odds.  You know that I want to use my powers to make this world a better place.  You know that I am willing to give my life to protect those I care about.  But, before any of this, I was a doctor, and I swore an oath to do no harm.  That oath is what made me who I am, what made me want to save people.  I, I don't know if I can, you know..." Spencer trailed off, not able to finish what he was saying.

Colin remained, frozen in place, eyes hard shut and out of tears to shed.  And Spencer knew, at that moment that Colin, maybe for the first time in his life, was in over his head. 

Come on now, get it together.  He knew I was coming.  He knew i was the only one coming.  He waited for me.  He needs me?  Yeah, he needs me.  Pull it together, Spencer.  I'm a doctor.  I've seen death.  I've held the hands of the dying as they took their final breaths, and told them it would be okay.  I've witnessed the creation of a monster that I once called a mentor.  I've faced battle with an unstoppable foe, and come out alive.  I can do this too.  For him.

"Colin," Spencer placed his hand on Colin's shoulder, grasping tightly, "I've followed you this far, and you haven't let me down.  I, I'll follow you until the end, where ever that may take us."

Colin lifted his head a little.  The words were getting through.

"Cappie told me that the heavy hitters of Solace are all busy with some invasion of Solace, and that we're it.  He also told me that I'm likely to end up dead from all of this.  I accept that.  I don't like it," Spencer searched for a sign of a smile... there it was... "but I accept it. And I'm damn sure not going to allow Prodigy or Colossus to destroy the city, or the world, or whatever these guys do, while all of the other heroes of Solace are busy."

Colin lifted his head, and looked Spencer in the eyes.

"Now, tell me about this magic ritual, and what's required."

As he neared the concrete portal into the next room, he could see some source of light casting flickering shadows across the opposite wall.  The sudden presence of a light source, even a small one like a candle or fireplace, gave him a small amount of peace.  As he stepped into the room, he could feel his heart rate slowing and his nerves begin to settle.  His stomach was still tossing and turning audibly, but there was little he could do to quell that.  Eyes adjusting to the light, he took in the small room.  It was fairly nondescript, similar in style to the rest of the mansion.  The floor of the room was carved with a circle, surrounded by intricate symbols.  There was a small candelabra in the corner of the room holding two small tapers.

Toward the back of the room, facing the circle in the middle of the floor, was a large throne built from solid granite.  It was not ornate in any way, save of its sense of size and weight.  Furystar sat upon it with his body draped across one massive arm.  The other hero's eyes were weary and his breathing was shallow.  If it wasn't for the fact that his head moved just enough at the sound of his entrance, Spectrum would have assumed he was asleep or perhaps unconscious.  Moving more into the light of the candle, Spectrum could now make out the red outlines and puffiness around his friend's eyes.  He had been crying.

"Colin?  Are you alright?"

Furystar sat up straight in the chair and tossed a large mass toward Spectrum.  He caught it both hands, unrolled it, and held it out in front of him.  It was some kind of harness.  It was mostly reflective straps held together in certain places by small flat circles made out of some kind of black material.

"It's a solar harness – it absorbs energy while you're outside in the sunlight – stores it up for when it gets dark."

Spectrum awkwardly tried to fit the contraption over his costume.  He cast a glance toward Furystar and nodded.

"Where did this come from?"

Furystar got up from the throne and walked the edge of the circle, keeping his eyes on the floor, following the symbols around the room.

"There was a hero named Maelstrom – he's been dead a few years now – had powers similar to your own.  When he passed away, he willed much of his old equipment to his friends and family.  I knew you would eventually follow me here – there was nothing I could do to stop that, so I figured I would stop at the clubhouse and pick that up – at least make sure you would be able to fight if something happened."

Spectrum continued to struggle with the harness, but his ears perked up.

"Clubhouse?"

Furystar was now almost face to face with his partner.  He reached out with both hands to help Spectrum get the rest of the harness set.  When that was done, he placed a hand on the other man's shoulder and frowned.

"The clubhouse is just a name that some of my friends and I use for an inter-dimensional dump site.  Think of it as a very large closet set outside of this dimension.  If we make it out of this alive, I'll have to take you there.  We could have a drink, maybe talk about forging a permanent partnership."

Spectrum put his hand on Furystar's shoulder and tried to force a smile.

"Colin, what's wrong?  Have you been – crying?"

Furystar took the back of a costumed hand and ran it over his nose and eyes.  He rubbed his temples for a few moments and then glanced back toward his partner.  He had the look of a defeated man.

"It's so bad Spenser – it's so much worse than I thought."

"What do you mean?  What's wrong?  I heard you were trying to dig up or raise Midnight Dawn."

Furystar knelt near the edge of the circle, tracing the edge with his index finger, and looked back up at Spectrum.

"Yes – Midnight Dawn is the only chance we are going to have of stopping Progeny and Colossus, also bringing Zeppelin alive and okay – but – I don't know if I can do it – this."

Furystar rubbed his index finger and thumb together, a little bit of dust floating into the air near his hand.

"What are you talking about man?"

"Bringing him back.  This kind of thing - resurrection - magic - works on an equal exchange of mass and power.  In order to bring back Midnight Dawn, we're going to have to sacrifice a human life."

Cappie took the man's hand in a hearty and heartfelt two handed grip, and shook his head slightly.  "You don't have to thank me.  We're all on the same team here, right?" 

Spencer nodded in agreement.

"But," Cappie grinned slyly, "you do owe me one."  Cappie stood up, and smacked Spencer on his back as he walked off toward a vixen dressed in black.  "And I always call in my debts, sooner or later."

Wait, huh?  What the hell does that mean?

Spencer let that last remark go, for now.  He had the erie feeling that he just placed himself in the employ of Cappie at some future date.  Oh well, he would deal with that when the time came.  Right now, he had to figure out where the Werthram Mansion was.  That shouldn't prove to be too hard.  He was certain that a quick internet search would turn it up.  Besides, that gave him a reason to fly home, clean up, get a fresh costume on, and a quick bite to eat.

Spencer was able to absorb all the nutrician he needed from sunlight, much the way a plant does, due to the nature of the photo-sensitive nanites coursing through him.  But there was a limit to how long he could forego actual solid food, and he just reached that point. 

As Spencer took off and began to fly home, he had the strangest thought pop into his head.

Why doesn't Solace have any fly-through burger joints?

It made sense, after all.  With all the super powered heroes and villians, it would seem reasonable that someone would have opened up a spot on one of the high level floors of one of the many sky scrappers in Solace.  Spencer thought he may be onto something, and thought that he would run the idea by Colin after he found him later.  Heck, if it were successful, maybe they could fund a nice secret headquarters, like the ones Prestige and some of the other famous heroes had.

Spencer made it home, cleaned up, scrounged up some left overs, and did a quick search on his computer. 

Strange...

The mansion was not on Canton Isle like all the other mansions were.  It was up in Joliet Isle, near the national cemetary.  He had flown over that part of Solace a few times before, and decided to leave it alone.  Joliet Isle, like all places in Solace, had some pretty remarkable neighborhoods, but those were all close to the water.  The further away from the water you went, the seedier it became.  The areas of Joliet that were near the Rimrocks (what the locals of Solace called the quartz cliffs that surrounded the city) were flat out ghettos. 

Yet, what made Solace's ghettos different from those in the rest of the world were that the gangbangers here were super powered.  Spencer had heard more than one story of rookie, and even veteran heroes venturing into the slums of Solace, only to come out in body bags, pieces, or not at all.  Even flying over the slums was not a good idea, as you would likely be the target of pot shots and sniping attacks.  Only the most powerful of Solace's heroes tread there at will.

And like Cappie said, with all of Solace's top guns tied up with the whole US invasion thing, and the strange absence of The Keeper, the slums of Solace had become more dangerous than ever.

Spencer checked the time.

It's gonna be close, but I'll regret it if I don't do it now.

Spencer went into his lab, and prepared some equipent, turning switches on, retrieving syringes, and fetching sterile vials.  He retrieved a standard stainless steel syringe, and a few empty glass vials, and stepped into his dark room.  He put on a pair of night vision goggles so he could see what he was doing, and rolled up his sleeve.  Taking a rubber tourniquette, he wrapped up his bicep and tapped his arms a few times until he could see a vein.  It was difficult to work in the dark like this, even with the night vision, but still, it was far easier than trying to take blood in the light, where his skin was as hard as steel.

He drew three vials of blood, removed the needle, and stepped back into the light of the lab.  Within seconds, the needle hole closed up and he could literally feel the surge of regeneration coursing through him as his blood and nanite supply replenished.  He placed the vials into a centrifuge and let it spin for five minutes, while preparing a saline solution in a beaker.  He placed the beaker in a large appliance that resembled a microwave, and turned the machine on.

Once the centrifuge stopped, he removed the vials, and used a large guage syringe to draw off the blood that was on top, leaving only the concentrated nanites behind.  He removed the beaker from the microwave machine, and carefully pured the nanites into the saline.  The nanites, responding to the ultra-violet saturated solution, became hyperactive, and quickly dispersed through the liquid in a self induced boil. 

Once the reaction settled, Spencer filled two syringes with the nanite serum, capped the ends of the needles, and placed them in a small case he slid into his belt.

Two doses.  It will have to be enough.  I just don't have time to make more.

As prepared as he though he could be, Spencer slid open the glass door to his patio, locked it behind him, and took off into the red and purple hued skies of Solace.  The sun was setting and the city below was colored in a palette of soft warm hues. 

Spencer was keenly aware of the danger he was flying into.  He knew the area around the mansion would be dangerous, and for all he knew, the mansion itself would be full of dead things that wanted to eat brains.  And to make matters worse, he was going into it at night.  The chances of getting caught in a position where he was in complete darkness were pretty high, or so he imagined. 

He banked over the Rimrocks, and did his best to skirt the edge of the cliffs, trying hard not to make himself an easy target for anyone on the ground as he neared Joliet Isle.  He saw the massive Solace National Cemetary spread out before him, and started to look for where the mansion should be.  From the satellite imagry, he knew that the mansion's property backed up to the cemetary grounds, separated only by a thin tree line.  The mansion looked to be as large as a city block, and should be easy to find.

And there it was.  Dark as the graves of the dead in the cemetary.  Either it was abandoned, or the deranged caretakers liked keeping the place completely dark. 

Great.  Just great.  This is all out of a bad horror movie.

As Spectrum decended, he decided he needed to find a techie that could make a portable ultra-violet lamp strong enough to negate the devastating effect complete darkness had on his powers.  If he lived through this.  Spectrum did a few circles of the mansion to see if he could detect movement.  None.  Great.

He landed in the large courtyard, lavishly decorated in the gothic style, just in front of the mansion.  Still, no movement.  He thought of yelling out to Colin, but decided not to.  There was no telling who, or what else might answer. 

Spectrum walked silently up to the immense wooded double doors of the mansion, and noticed that they were slightly ajar.  He peered through the small opening, and saw nothing but blackness inside.

Oh, come on.  Really?  Not one light in there?

Spectrum glanced back over his shoulder, and saw that the sun had already dipped below the Rimrocks, the purple hues of the sunset quickly deepening into blues and blacks.  There was only a few more minutes of light, at best.

So, here I am.  About to be completely powerless and in the dark.  Walking through a creepy old mansion, trying to find Colin, who is digging up the body of a creepy dead sorcerer.  And not an hour ago, Cappie told me that my suit says I'm going to die.

Spectrum just then realized something and cocked his head to the side as the thought passed through his mind.

Wait a minute, Cappie said my suit was begging me to go home and hang it up.  That's exactly what I did.  This is a new suit.  Cappie didn't read or sense or do whatever with this one.  Does that mean I'm going to be okay in this one?  Or that I'm still going to die in the other one?  Screw that, I'm not wearing that one anymore.  Maybe I should go back to his bar real quick and see what this suit says... 

Spectrum shook his head. 

Nah, I don't want to know.  It may be worse.  I'm stalling.  Just go in.  Just go in.  If I die, this is all Colin's fault.

Spectrum, taking a deep breath, steeled himself and passed though the gap in the door.

"Hi, the name's Cappie.  I heard from Rex that you were looking for me.  What can I do for you?"

Spencer was shocked at first to be face to face with someone of such infamy.  Cappie may have been a bar owner and a constant part of the hero subculture on Solace, but he was also a man who had defended the isle on many occasions, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the world's most popular heroes, using his powers to protect those who couldn't defend themselves.  As he pondered the man before him, Cappie reached past Spencer's shoulder and took a handful of macadamia nuts out of a bowl sitting on the bar.  Popping one in his mouth, he put a hand on the young hero's shoulder.

Cappie's eyes glazed over for a moment, maybe glazed over was not the right word; his eyes began to glow from within, a deep shifting blue filled with stars - a little like an early summer night.  His face was frozen in thought for a moment as his eyes continued to shift.  Spencer wasn't sure what was happening, and made a move to pull away, but was held in place by Cappie's firm hand on his shoulder.  After another few seconds of silence, Cappie pulled his hand away and motioned for Spencer to sit on an empty stool next to him.

Spencer hadn't realized, but as Cappie had held him in his grip, the cacophony that was the inside of the bar had faded into the background.  As he sat on the stool, keeping his eyes on Cappie, the noise, lights, and colors of the establishment began to come back into focus, sharp and intense.  It was then that Cappie's voice cut through the static and refocused Spencer's attention.

"Sorry if you feel violated at all.  I find that sometimes it's a lot easier to simply read a person as much as I can before I sit to talk with them.  It cuts out a lot of the bulls#!+; helps get things right to the point."

Tossing another nut into his mouth and crunching down on it, he held up a hand to silence Spencer.

"Hold on there.  Let me tell you what I know before you try and mess it up with too much talking.  I know you're looking for Furystar - and I can tell you this much - from what I can see, he really does need your help.  I can also tell you that if you're not careful, both of you are going to end up in a pine box.  You see, I can read objects, see into their past and future - and your costume, it's practically begging me to tell you to just go home and hang it up, forget this whole thing.  But I know you're never going to do that."

Cappie offered Spencer a nut and popped another one into his own mouth, rolling it around the inside of both cheeks, enjoying the high salt content.

"Look kid, you and Colin - along with the Dynasty - you've gotten yourselves into a whole world of trouble with this Dr. Colossus and Progeny thing.  Were talking high-level smarts and devastating power against one well-seasoned hero and a bunch of busted up rookies.  And the worst part?  There aren't any big guns I can call in to help you."

Cappie glanced around the inside of the bar, going from the bandstand to the front doors and back to Spencer.

"You see, all these guys are small potatoes, villains and heroes alike.  All the big guns are tired up with this possible invasion by the US.  Simply put, you and your little band of heroes are all there is standing between those psychos and possible world domination.  But you have to understand, if you're not careful, well - the future looks rather bleak for all of you - and us."

Spencer was overwhelmed.  As if it wasn't enough to have Furystar on his conscience, now he was sitting face to face with a living legend, being told that he might just die if he wasn't careful.  This wasn't what he had signed up for.  He was just looking for a way to use an accident in his own life to help those less fortunate than himself.  It was about being seen, signing some autographs, and maybe rescuing a few cats from trees - it was never about death, war, and loss.  It all really was too much.  But what choice did he have?  If what Cappie said was true, he and Furystar were the only two people in the world who could stop Colossus and Progeny from fulfilling whatever it was their goals were.  He frowned a little and stared at the worn planking that lined the floor - the next words that came out of his mouth almost a whisper against the din of the inside of the bar.

"What should I do?"

Cappie's eyes lit up again as smile broke out across his face.  He reached out with a reassuaring hand and patted Spencer on the back.

"First things first, kid - relax.  I mean it, reallly - relax.  You're going to be fine.  Second, get yourself cleaned up and head for the old Werthram mansion."

Spencer began to feel his spirits pick up in a almost supernatural response to Cappie's words.  So the rumors about his powers were true.  Thank God for small miracles - hell, thank God for Cappie.

"Why the Werthram mansion?  What's there?"

Cappie leaned back on the stool and popped another nut into his mouth, holding it in place with his front teeth and speaking around it.

"Because that's where Furystar is - trying to dig up the body of Midnight Dawn."

The man who called himself Rex walked behind the bar, reached up and grabbed a bottle off the shelf.  With practiced dexterity, he retrieved two shot glasses with one hand and poured the tepid liquid up to the brims.  Rex raised his glass to his lips, waiting for Spencer to do the same.

Truth be told, Spencer was never much of a drinker. He liked the occasional beer, the kind that local pubs brewed up in basement breweries, but hard liquor was not really his thing.  Not wanting to be rude, he raised the glass to his lips, nodded at Rex, and downed the shot the way he thought men downed shots.

Mistake.

The fiery liquid went straight down the wrong pipe, and Spencer began to choke and gag, eyes bulging from his sockets as he tried not to cough the shot up in an embarracing eruption.

"Whoah, you okay there son?"

"Yeah" *cough* "I'm good" *hack* "I'm just..." *wheeze* "Whew, yeah, I'm good, I'm good," Spencer finally managed to get some air.

Rex placed the bottle back on the shelf while giving Spencer a cock-eyed look.  "Maybe you 'aughta just stick to water or somethin'."

Spencer waved his hand. "No, that's okay. I'm not really all that thirsty anymore.  Really, what I need is some help.  I was hoping that someone here could point me in the right direction."

Rex hunched over the bar, placing his elbows on the polished wood.  "Hell, ya come to the right place for that.  Whacha looking for?"

Spencer gave Rex the Reader's Digest version of the story, giving him just enough to help, but not enough to meddle.

Rex scratched his head and thought for a moment.  "Yeah, yeah, I know Furystar.  Nice guy.  Far as them other two, heard of em, never met em.  Midnight Dawn was before most of our times anyhow.  Can't say that I've seen ol Fury recently, couldn't tell ya where he is.  Lemme see if some of the other guys know anything 'bout this."

"No, no, that's okay. I um, I really don't want word getting around to too many people right now.  To be honest," Spencer glanced around the bar and the multitudes of multi-colored costumed individuals, "I'm still pretty new to all of this, and I don't really know who I can trust right now."

Rex leaned back on the bar and nodded.  "Yeah, I getcha.  You come to see the man then, right?  You come in here hoping to see ol Caps like they all do.  Alright then, lemme go get him for ya.  Sit tight son, and watch your back.  Things are pretty peaceful right now, but there's a game on, and if the Solace Sentinels start losin', well, your get up there is gonna look a whole lot worse than it already does."

Rex walked into a back room behind the bar.

Spencer, suddenly feeling very alone and very vulnerable, started looking around, trying to size up the other patrons of the bar.  After a few quick glances, and some not too friendly glares back in his direction, he thought better of it and simply stared down at the wood of the bar. 

I knew this was a mistake. Who am I kidding? Some supervillain is gonna figure out that I'm fresh meat and come over here and...

Tap tap tap. Spencer could feel someone tapping on his shoulder.

Damn...

"Here goes."

As he pushed open the doors, his senses were assaulted on all sides by the activity within.  Costumed men and women stood in groups and sat huddled at a scattering of tables, their garish outfits and powers assailing his eyes.  There was much yelling, talking, and laughter - all of it competing with a live band playing on the small stage opposite the entrance.  All of the members of the band were in full costume, and Spencer was fairly certain that it was made up of both known heroes and villains.  A few younger costumed folks jammed to the ragged music, jerking back and forth and up and down to the furious beat of the drummer.  The place was a mixed bag of smells - fried food and hot wings, perfume and cologne, sweat and fur, and that distinct smell of alcohol hovering over all of it.  He could feel the place in his body - and fell in love at that moment.  He then felt a tap on his shoulder and a rough voice in his ear.

"Hey man, you're gon' need to move over to the bar or siddown or somethin' - you're blockin' the door - people are havin' to walk 'round you."

Spencer turned and was face to face with a grizzled older man wearing a pair of dusty blue jeans, an orange t-shirt with a logo in the shape of Saturn stitched into it with black thread, and at his side - a sure as shootin' raygun.  His skin was the kind of dark that comes from being out in the sun too much, and the deep lines on his face made him look ten years older than he probably was.  To Spencer's eyes, the man seemed a contradiction - a science hero from a brighter future with seemingly little hope in his heart and only darkness in his eyes and face.  As he pondered this, the man took a gnarled hand and grabbed the shoulder of Spencer's costume, pulling him away from the doorway and more toward the middle of the room.  Spencer could tell the other man was giving him the once-over, and wasn't surprised when the older hero spoke.

"Look son, you seem to be a lil' shell-shocked.  I know this is your first time, seein' as I have a photographic memory and I've been workin' here since the place opened - let me get your name and I'll buy you a drink - the name's Rex Saturn, Alien Ace."

The elder hero held out his hand to shake Spencer's.

"You can tell me all 'bout your troubles over a shot a whiskey.  How 'bout some Johnnie Walker Green?  I love the damn stuff, and truth be told, it sure helps your troubles seem a whole lot less troublesome - if'n you drink jus' enough."

Ugh, that was stupid.

Rubbing his head, Spencer struggled to sit up without disturbing the wires that were stuck to his body, monitoring his vitals.  He pulled up the sleeve on his patient's gown and looked at the part of his wrist that he had torn open.

Completely healed. I've been out for a while.

Spencer swung his feet over the edge of the bed and gingerly placed his feet on the cold tile floor. Nothing hurt except for his head.  A glass of water was sitting on the table next to his bed, and he drank it down in one long pull.  His head started to feel better immediately.

Having come to his senses, Spencer stood up and looked around for his suit. He found it hanging in a small closet.  It was tattered, blood stained, and looked as though it had seen a war.

Not wanting the staff to be aware of his movements, Spencer turned off the monitors that he was connected to, then removed the adhesive pads stuck to his chest and arms.  He took his suit into the bathroom, and washed it up as well as he could.

I can't just stroll though the place like this...

Spencer slid a window open, and glided out into the air, three stories above the parking lot below. He flitted from window to window, searching for the room where Dash was being treated.

At the fifth window, he saw her, resting peacefully in her bed, eyes closed with her hands folded across her chest.  Icarus was sitting in a chair at her side, reading a news paper.  Spencer tapped on the window.

"Hey, over here."

Icarus lifted his head from the paper with the strangest of expressions on his face.

There must be some odd stuff in today's print.

Icarus slid the window open, strange look on his face still present, if not deepening.  "What are you doing out there?"

"I don't want to make a big deal out of this with the staff.  If they try to find out who I am, and find out that I am a licensed physician here in Solace, I may have more explaining to do that I care for."

Icarus nodded, even though Spencer was pretty sure he didn't quite get it.

"Look, anyway, where is Colin?  I need to talk to him and find out what our next move is."

Icarus explained that Colin hadn't told him where he was going, just that he was going to raise and angle or something like that.

Crud. I'm no detective. I have no idea where to start looking for him before he gets into trouble.

Icarus, seeing the troubled expression on Spencer's face offered him a place to start looking.  "Look, I'm worried about Colin too.  He didn't want me to go with him on this one.  He just told me to look after you and Dash.  I think he may have some hair brained idea of trying to fight Progeny alone.  I can't leave Dash here alone, but I can tell you where to start looking."

Spencer nodded and mentally placed the spot where Icarus had told him to go.  He had heard of it before, of course.  Hell, it was practically a legendary spot around the globe.  Still, he had never summoned the will to actually go there.  Spencer just didn't feel like he had the street cred to stroll in like he belonged.

It didn't matter though, not now.  This was his only lead, and he had to try.

Spencer thanked Icarus and clasped his hand tightly before he flew off in the direction of Cappie's Bar and Grill.

"We have to get both of them to a hospital now – we're dealing with only a few moments difference between life and death here."

The other hero glanced toward the mountainside and the great clouds of dust that were now rising from the landslide that was now beginning to slow.  Colin was the poster boy hero of Solace, the post-post modern superman – but right now, he felt like nothing more than an overwhelmed general in an unwindable battle.  Looking back toward Icarus and the fallen heroes surrounding him, he violently shook his head back and forth and snapped to his feet.  He had a way to stop this monster, and the loss far outweighed what would happen if he didn't act now.  Real heroes have to make tough decisions, and maybe, just maybe, none of this would have happened if he would have acted sooner.

"Icarus, fly both of them to the nearest place you can find that can stabilize their conditions.  Make sure you take a route that will bring you in contact with as much sunlight as possible.  Hopefully that will give both of them just enough of a push in the right direction in the meantime."

Icarus struggled to handle both bodies, gripping them by the collars, his crackling green mental wings beating strongly to get all three of them aloft and heading toward the open sky.  As bits of sweat began to run into his glowing eyes and mix with tears, he yelled toward the other hero.

"And what are you going to do?"

Furystar frowned and straightened his costume, his eyes never leaving the site of the giants impact with the mountain.  Running a hand through his soaked hair, he glanced back toward Icarus.

"I'm gonna go raise an angel… and then I'm gonna kick that demon's @$$ dead."

6  6  6

6  6  6

6  6  6

18  24

Dispersal: 12, Energy Blast: 12, Flash: 12, Flight: 12, Force Shield: 12, Gravity Decrease: 12, Gravity Increase: 12, Sealed Systems: 12, Skin Armor: 6

Artist (Photographer, Writer): 6*

Attractive, Insta-Change

Age: Young, Serious Rage, Secret Identity

Wealth: 2