Back in Africa, a shuttle arrived. This shuttle, however, differs from any one that humans have ever laid their eyes on. For one, it's made for underground travelling, for another it's not of human creation. So from a station within the hollow Earth, this shuttle was launched to the surface. Once it arrived, a door opened, allowing a green creature, which was about half the size of an average human, had wings, and was geared up with what would look like, to human standards, futuristic weapons. Once this little creature was out, it contacted it's base.

"Foaly, I'm at the site." it spoke.

"Good." the one on the other side replied, "Any sign of what's causing that ruckus?"

"Not yet." the creature answered.

It used a scanner on his helmet, hoping he'd get any wiser through that machine instead.

"This is weird." it said, "How can someone unleash so much magic and then just disappear?"

"Whoever it is, he must be much..." the one on the other side started.

"He must be what?" the creature suddenly sounded amused.

"Nothing." he insisted, "Just carry on."

"Smarter than you?" the creature asked.

"Impossible!" the one on the other side exclaimed.

"That's what you said about that Irish mudboy too, didn't you?" the creature laughed.

"He's still no match for me! Everyone knows that!" he kept shouting.

As he kept ranting on about the subject, the creature hears something. He turns to look, only to be faced by a man with a blue shining stone. One look at the stone suddenly had the creature mesmerized, upon which it froze.

"You are now under my command." the man with the stone, whom we can now refer to as Gargamel, spoke, "You will bring me to wherever I want with this machine."

The creature nodded, as it went back inside the shuttle, upon which Gargamel followed.

"What's going on up there?" the one on the other side inquired, but received no reply, "Respond! What's happening!?"

In Romania, Tamara was able to find the Earth spirit Gaia. Upon doing so, she opened her eyes again.

"We've got a problem." she said.

"What is it?" the Pie-maker asked her.

"The good news is that I know where Gaia is." Tamara answered, "The bad news is that she lives underground."

"How deep?" Selene asked her.

"Too deep." she replied.

"So unless we have some kind of vessel that could take us down there, we've got a problem." the Pie-maker deduced.

"You think?!" Tamara spoke with a sarcastic tone.

"Rorschach." Kenny turned to him, "How about some your friends? I mean, Nite Owl had his special equipment, the Comedian's supposed to be well-connected, Dr. Manhattan can teleport us, or maybe..."

"Dead, dead, missing." Rorschach interrupted, "And if you wanted to mention Silk Spectre, she died along with Nite Owl."

"There may be a way." Tamara spoke.

"What is it?" Kenny asked her.

"Remember when I transported us to New York over the internet?" she asked him in return.

"Yeah. Why?" Kenny wondered.

"I think I can transport us in the same way from here to Gaia." she answered.

"You think?" the Pie-maker questioned.

"I've transported someone from Vancouver to Seattle before." Tamara responded, "But I've never transported anything over greater distances."

"But you've just restored your powers from our last trip." Kenny reasoned, "Maybe it's best if you borrow my strength again."

"Along with mine." Rorschach brought up, "If Oysterman gave me powers similar to his, I should be able to do the same, I just don't know how."

"That still sounds risky." the Pie-maker responded.

"At this point, it's better than nothing." Kenny said, "The only other choice we have is to look for a digging machine back in the States, of which it's existence is only rumored. Either we waste time looking for that, or we use the means we know we have."

"And you don't have to come with us, if you don't like it." Tamara added.

"No." the Pie-maker responded, "I've come this far, I want to see it through."

"Are you sure about that?" Rorschach asked him.

"Other than my shop that's not running very well, I don't have much to lose." the Pie-maker responded, "Not anymore."

Selene seemed to be amused: "I've been itching for a fight for the past couple of years. Looks like I found myself one."

"One witch, one vigilante, one vampire, one... I suppose necromancer is the right word, and one crow." Kenny spoke, "I've seen stranger combinations."

"First, we should stop by my house, to pick up some things." Selene suggested, "Just in case."