The man turned and said simply, "To the old country. To the place of your name Union Jack." His long blonde hair was pushed back and his eyes blank. His face didnÌt seem to have shown any emotion in all the time theyÌd been together since Adam had pulled him from the clutches of the Psycho Warriors. It was if Adam was constantly holding back.
Jack turned to look out the window and prepared to enter Jerusalem.
AWAKENINGS
Excalibur: MFS Issue 2
Written and created by Mark PeytonThe telecom buzzed loudly. Tangerine pulled the pillow over her head. "Go away," she whined. "Leave me alone." The telecom paid no heed and relentlessly kept up its ringing. Tangerine resigned herself to answering it and trudged out of bed, across to it. "Yes?" she said wearily.
Jack looked at her. "IÌd been told that you crash after a run, but I need you in England. This is off the books."
Tangerine rubbed her eyes and sat down. "Run that by me again."
"I need some help. Out of all the people involved on the last mission, I think I might be able to trust you."
"WhatÌs to stop me from telling you to stick it?" Tangerine asked plainly.
"Nothing at all. This is unofficial, but I think you like the truth. I canÌt tell you anymore, but youÌll be gutted if you miss out on this one."
Tangerine looked back at the bed and then at him, silently for a moment. "Give me a rendezvous point and a time. This better not be a wildgoose chase Union."
Jack smiled. "Call me Jack. I ask friends to call me Jack."
Black Air File #ZX763A21 Reportedly there is a Fae Queen living in the heart of the greenery of England. The stories have it that she planted the seeds of the trees, which spread throughout the country. The last sighting of her was clashing over the colonisation of the Antarctic.
In her chamber of green and silicon the Fae Queen sat. Her long blonde hair flowed off her shoulders and over the arm of the chair. She looked around at the moss and vegetation and smiled. Her gaze shifted further into the caverns. Something caught her eye and a wistful look crept over her. The silent hum of the cavern continued.
Tangerine sat amongst the passengers, trying to block out their thoughts. As a telepath she tried to keep away from large groups of people as their collected thoughts pushed through her barriers. She travelled normally alone or with smaller groups than this in her cover identity, but JackÌs message had required rapid movement. Only one transport left Italy bound for England fast enough and so here she was. Thoughts and conversations drifted in on her from all angles. She was going to be in a bad mood when they landed.
There are no Black Air Files currently on Adam Destine. There were.
Jack had gone off to make some form of requisition. Adam made his way slowly through the London metroplex. The constructs of metal and plastics rested uneasily with him. He had abided the cities when they had some aesthetic value. Now they seemed to sprawl in every which way. Up, Down. It mattered little. At least back in his home country he had the option of deserting the cities and moving into a more natural environment. HeÌd sat by and watched the trees sprout and grow into the barriers they were now. ÎCivilisationÌ in itsÌ wisdom had attempted to fight back against Nature reasserting itself, but technology can only accomplish so much. Especially when Nature knew the mechanics of the machine. The England of now was nothing like any of the Englands he had known. Large cities dotted throughout the country, connected only by the air. Well, that was not entirely true but the modern man was adverse to a long trek when a short flight would accomplish the same goal. He had to remember that most did not have his gift of immortality and so time was precious.
He walked along the pedways whisking the workers to their hives and headed to a costumer. He had need of repair to his sword and the costumer was a friend. He shortly arrived at the shop and spent a pleasant half hour having his sword sharpened. HeÌd lost count of the number of swords he had throughout his life, but he always felt more comfortable these days carrying one with him. Most of the Law Enforcement agencies didnÌt bother him about it. Maybe he was becoming foolish with age. He had wrestled aliens and other strange creatures, but it was always useful to cut a path. The pin Jack had given to him beeped. Adam considered it, as a God considers an ant.
He decided to press it.
A hologram of Jack extended two feet in front of him. The definition on the image was sharp, though the movement was not altogether smooth. "Adam, we need to arrange a meeting point. My business is done."
Adam nodded. "Mine too. Do you know the Churchill memorial?"
Jack paused a moment. "I think so, yes."
"We will meet there then. As quick as you can."
The Churchill Memorial had many names. It stood by Westminster near to what had been the old Houses of Parliament. It stood as a monument to the lives given in previous World Wars, but also in the service of the country. A large, burly man with the manner of a Bulldog looked down on Adam, who looked back almost petulantly. Jack arrived shortly, his long green/grey cloak packed away. He looked almost presentable, masking his physique under normal clothes. His short brown hair and features presented a very serious persona. Adam stared off into space, again cut off. Jack stopped a little way off and looked at him. Was this a man with a lifetime of regrets or a man who had no way of expressing any true feelings? Jack shook his head and walked to stand in front of Adam. "Present and accountable."
Adam nodded out of his trance. "You have arranged the meeting on the city limits?"
"Yes to the West."
"Good then we will be off to give us plenty of time to make the rendezvous."
Tangerine walked along the street, breathing in the attention. The flight had gotten to her. All the pettiness enclosed had pressed in on her. SheÌd gone and done the first thing that came to mind when she landed - shop. The purchases had been stored and up the street she walked in a new dress, orange hair tied back. Jack sat on a railing, a long green travelling coat gathered around him. He nodded to Tangerine. "About time."
"ItÌs a long way from Italy and paved with bureaucracy. Shall we get going?"
Jack smiled. "Lets stop by the cafe and pick up our travelling companion."
"WhoÌs that?"
"IÌll introduce you enroute." Jack stepped down and strolled briskly across the street.
Adam sat at the window, reading news reports from his datapad. He looked up and rose, walking out. "West," he said simply.
Black Air File - Classified Braddock Manor is lost in the forests of England. It blocks attempts to locate it on all known imaging, satellite and directional device. We know it is there, but all attempts to find it has led our operatives into realms of madness.
The vegetation was supposed to be dense, almost impenetrable. Jack had never been into the forests of England. Rumours abounded of fierce creatures roaming them, escapees from genetic labs. It was if the trees were letting them pass.
Tangerine walked along, looking around. She kept expecting to find a row of animals sat watching them. Her mind pushed out a little probe. There was a presence here. Not hostile, watching, waiting. She should be taking notes. No one that she knew had ever been into this part of England. Since Nature had fought back during the 22nd Century certain areas of England had become impenetrable to technology. It was if someone or something had been keeping them out. Well, that seemed to be true. She looked over at Adam, leading the party. Adam was a strange one. He rarely spoke, displaying no reaction to cold, discomfort or tiredness. It was almost as if he were some kind of robot. Yeah, but a robot would have displayed probably more human warmth than Adam did. She couldnÌt take to him at all. There was nothing to like about the guy, no emotional hook to provoke a pleasant reaction. ThatÌs why was definitely not going to psi-scan him. Her attention shifted. And then there was Jack. SheÌd heard so many tales about his past sheÌd been very surprised when she had met him. Black Air was a strange group, but Jack was a strange one within it. People joked of the Green Knight when they talked of him, until someone would bring up an incident of rage. Jack noticed her attention and nodded to her, smiling. Can I trust either of them the way I trusted Cham? she thought.
Scratch was nervous. Two meetings in the same number of days with Albion. Scratch wasnÌt a man who enjoyed uneasiness in himself. In others he probably savoured it, but he did not like not being in control. He felt like a rabbit caught in the glare of headlights. What was worse was that Albion was being inordinately pleasant to him, smiling probably more than was natural. Albion was a large man and derived his name from a resemblance to a Lion. His long blonde hair had once been his trademark, until it cost him a scar and almost an eye. He kept what had been cut off as a pelt on his belt. Scratch had met him in a bar in New Berlin. HeÌd been careful so far not to talk of the figures he had seen [in Excalibur 1- Mark]. Secrets were being kept and who was he not to indulge. The little people milled around as he and Albion talked.
"How loyal do you feel to Black Air?" Albion asked softly. The words drifted to Scratch and hung like a dagger.
Scratch paused. "How do you mean? Black Air are my brothers and sisters."
Albion nodded. "Good, good. And what if one of these brothers were to betray the brotherhood?"
Again the question hung laced with intent. "Then the brotherhood must decide his punishment."
"Spoken like a true brother, Scratch. Is that your only name?"
Scratch looked at him seriously. "It is the only one I will answer to. IÌve made certain of that." Albion considered his comment.
"We have need of your abilities and loyalty, Scratch. A brother has gone rogue endangering one of the libraries. We must act swiftly or much knowledge might be lost."
"Who is the rogue?"
"Spitfire. I believe you know him?"
Scratch nodded, keeping his face composed. "I trained him."
AlbionÌs voice oozed sympathy. "It is always hard when we are undone by one close to us. Will you help me?"
Scratch looked at him, hoping for more information before the decision. Do I have any choice?
They had arrived at a doorway set into stone. Windows looked down from the greenery from a house shrouded in nature. The stone was white, a crisp white, not one dulled with age or disrepair. Adam smiled, the first time either Jack or Tangerine had ever seen him do so, and looked to the door. "Tell your mistress she has guests." The door swung open neither too fast, nor with exaggerated slowness. Jack stood expecting creaking door sounds and a hunched butler. He was disappointed.
Inside the door stood a tall blue and red robot holding open the door. It looked over Adam slowly sweeping its gaze over his body. "Designate Destine. The Mistress awaits you within the caves." Adam nodded, slipping off his coat, handing it to the robot and walking in. Tangerine followed intrigued, while Jack walked in slowly looking over the Robot. It considered him, noting his staff with special attention.
Adam led Tangerine through what appeared to be a large stately home. Within its confines there was no sign of the dense forestation they had passed through to get here, nor of any decay. Its decor was archaic, she would guess ranging from the Twentieth to Twenty First Centuries. A large number of paintings, portraits and pictures hung on the wall. One room seemed covered in works in a similar style, of various weird and wonderful characters. She made a note to look back in that room later.
Adam didnÌt stop once to look around, while Tangerine noted rooms she would die to look around. Jack was far behind, lost in his own investigations. AdamÌs route brought them down a staircase and into a cavern of green and silicon. Tangerine had run to catch up. The cavern hummed with an intelligence sheÌd not felt before. The sensation of someone watching was strong here. Adam stopped abruptly and looked around. "Will you grace an old traveller and his companions with your presence?" he said loudly.
A small giggle sounded and a light, almost elfin voice spoke from all around. "You always could bring a smile to my face Adam, with your seriousness." The voice seemed to be slowly centring with the caverns, no longer all around. Tangerine looked to see a throne appear in the branches of a tree. The wood glistened with fibres and datastreams running through it. From behind she felt a presence and turned to see a long blonde haired woman with almost ethereal beauty float past. The air seemed to carry her. She had on long green flowing robes, but was barefoot. Tangerine looked at her as she passed. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with wonder. The woman floated to the throne and descended into it. She looked over Adam. "YouÌve not changed."
Adam nodded. "I would not expect to now. And you, how are you after your battles?"
"Still resting and deciding on my next course of action. The fighting in Arctic cost me a great deal, but has slowed the colonisation a little. Piece by piece the planet is fighting back." She stopped and looked at Tangerine. "Who is your friend, Adam? SheÌs not one of your clan."
Adam was quiet at the mention of his family. "No, she is not. The name she has given me is Tangerine. We travelled with another, but the house seems to have waylaid him."
The woman nodded. "IÌll have Mastermind hurry him along." She looked at Tangerine as if recognising a part of her. "Pleased to meet you. YouÌll hear all kinds of names for me, but the one I still prefer is Meggan." She smiled a smile of one who was still innocent within the world.
Tangerine smiled warmly. She might have found no emotional hook to connect with Adam, but Meggan had them aplenty. Behind her she heard the scuffle of feet and Jack was shooed into the room by the large robot. He stood poised for combat, until his eyes rested on Meggan. All protestation stopped and he was quiet. Adam looked back. "And that is Jack, otherwise known as Union Jack." Jack bowed, low and graceful, his eyes fixed upon Meggan.
Meggan looked over them all. "So why have you come into my kingdom, Adam?"
Adam looked back at his companions. "To show these two a little of the world hidden from them and to ask a favour."
"A favour Adam. ThatÌs unlike you."
"IÌm involving myself in the affairs of mortals, Meggan, that is also unlike me. I swore off any more connections a long time ago. This Jack seeks answers though he does not know it and a sword though he would not reveal it." Both Jack and Tangerine looked unnerved to each other.
Jack protested. "What sword?"
Adam looked back. "I know who you work for and the secret they supposedly keep. That is why I brought you to Meggan." He turned back to face Meggan. "The sword they supposedly seek is Excalibur."
Meggan smiled. "What goes around comes around as an old friend would have said. You need my help in this quest?"
Tangerine and Jack stood silently, not breathing a word of the questions running through their minds. Their eyes flitted from Adam to Meggan and back.
Adam spoke once more. "I need no help. IÌm asking for passage and an introduction for Jack to the Dark Angel." Jack looked perplexed at Adam.
"You really are taking them around Adam. Why?" Meggan asked.
"ThatÌs my business. Will you aid the boy?"
Meggan nodded "Of course. He has a good name. Brian would approve. I will contact Ms Haldane and tell her she can expect company. But until then please stay a while and tell me of the outside world." Chairs rose from the ground behind each of the three travellers. Jack sat quickly, his eyes on Meggan, but his mind no longer on her beauty, but on what lay ahead and questions to be asked.
And in the next cavern lay the form of a large man resting. Not asleep, nor awake. His name was Brian Braddock. He had had many names. He was MegganÌs beloved, from a time when she had existed guided by the moon. He slumbered as England continued. His fate seemed bound up in it since he had taken the mantle of Captain Britain. He was the Once and Future Captain. Legend had it he would rise in EnglandÌs hour of need. Legends donÌt always tell all the truth.
NEXT ISSUE - We focus on Nocturne as we see more of the group that is Black Air. Questions abound as truths are questioned. The fate of Spitfire is revealed and the others head towards Cornwall and a mysterious Castle. Come along and see for yourself.
LETTERS
IÌm probably more shocked than anyone the instant reaction the series had. No sooner had it gone out than we had letters. And more surprisingly letters that liked the series. The other letters I get on the first issue will probably go in issue 3. If someone comes up with a letter column title weÌll think of some prize.
I loved this first issue, both the overall writing/atmosphere and all its assorted teasers, and am really looking forward to more. It has so many elements of what i find too little of in most fanfic: originality, new combinations and fleshing out of less-known characters, etc...
Yes!! i have been waiting *forever* for somebody to do some Knights of Pendragon in fanfic!! Yay!!! I actually don't know all that much about a lot of the Marvel UK titles (i have maybe 3-4 Mys-tech issues and i think 1 Dark Angel)but I carefully hunted down and collected all the Knights of Pendragon issues i could. But it wasn't near enough, i want more stories with them and I'm looking forward to learning more about the other Marvel UK characters that I have only a brief acquaintance with -- fanfic is usually a great way to do that so, looking forward eagerly to more :-)
-- luba
HOW OBSCURE WILL I GET WITH CHARACTERS. I DON'T KNOW YET. MY MAIN SOURCE SO FAR IS MARVEL UK AND I WILL TRY AND EXPLAIN EACH CHARACTERÌS HISTORY IF ITÌS IMPORTANT. ANYTHING YOU DONÌT UNDERSTAND TELL ME AND IÌLL TRY AND EXPLAIN IT IN A COLUMN. KNIGHTS OF PENDRAGON IDEAS WILL SURFACE IN HERE. THE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION WERE STATED RIGHT AT THE START OF EXCALIBUR 1.
MY GOD! Finally someone who shares my same vision of "Excalibur", right down to the little embroidered DC-isms! Fucking excellent stuff, I always loved the Marvel UK stuff more than anything (especially Death's Head
La Tristesse Durera, Jac
SO THEREÌS A CORRELATION BETWEEN LIKING THE SERIES AND LIKING MARVEL UK SO FAR. WEÌRE DOOMED 8) NOW JAC WROTE THIS LETTER LITTLE REALISING HEÌD GET ROPED INTO DOING A SERIES. SO YOU CAN SEE HIS EXCELLENT FANTASTIC FOUR ON FUTURE SHOCK WITH ISSUE 2 OUT SHORTLY, BEING THE SECOND EUROPEAN FUTURE SHOCK TITLE. THINK DOOM PATROL WHEN YOU READ IT. IT IS REALLY TWISTED HEHEHE.
Right thatÌs it for now. Please write to me at Starman26@hotmail.com
And try some other of our lovely Future Shock titles
see ya
Mark
