Eventually, the concrete gave way to metal, and the ramp evened out and widened, opening into a huge, bunker-like chamber. The main lights had stopped working for some reason, but there were dim backup lights. Each of the three walls had a number of open doorways to choose from. Angel started to say that Halo Knight could be hiding anywhere, down here, and that it'd be tough to find him...but Daredevil inexplicably sniffed the air and picked one of the doorways on the left. Daredevil seemed to know what he was doing-and he was the adult in this situation-so Angel simply followed him.

The doorway led to something completely unexpected: as far as Angel could tell, it was a shrine to an era that had never actually existed. He found himself looking at a future that had been sabotaged before its time.

This room was made of marble, and it was spacious, laid out like a museum wing. There were paintings on the walls and carefully-arranged displays. Everything was devoted to the General, the would-be dictator that the Fantastic Four had defeated. There were oversized portraits of him, and statues, and plaques. The plaques featured quotes that were probably supposed to be brilliant or inspirational, but instead came off as creepy. "If you've tried and failed to conquer yourself, put your trust in someone who has conquered nations, and let him rule you." A series of overly-optimistic paintings showed him marching on Washington, D.C. with an army of soldiers and robots, defeating US forces, and planting his "G" flag above the White House.

(The General wore a green and red uniform, and he had a green hat, cloak, and mask. His soldiers were dressed in similar colors. In addition to full-sized tanks and fighter planes, he used miniaturized remote-control versions of those same vehicles. Angel sort of remembered reading about him in the papers, but he hadn't been a big story, for some reason. He was American, though the government hadn't said whether he was actual military or just some guy in a costume. The General was against Communism, but he liked the Russians' style, and he wanted to be America's very own dictator, "saving" the public from the horror of rulers that weren't him.)

"Looks like we found one of the General's bases," Angel said quietly.

"...yeah, looks like," Daredevil said, a little uncertainty in his voice.

"So, what, do you think Halo Knight and the General are working together?"

"At this point, we can't rule out anything."

Not all of the "museum" was devoted to the General. Paintings and intricate models showed new cities that the General planned to build-presumably to replace the ones he'd destroy-and there were also schematics and models of the buildings that he planned to rule from. These included "The Emperor's Citadel," various types of "Martial Centers," and "The Ministry of Obedience." (The Ministry seemed to be just for women, and all of the people in the paintings were white.) There were also mannequins that modeled specific types of uniforms. In addition to the standard green-and-red one, there were camouflaged, full-body uniforms designed for jungles, deserts, icy regions, and forests. Angel noticed a midnight-blue one that was somehow darker than the color black, which was probably for night-work.

"Halo Knight hasn't been in this part of the base. Come on, we need to keep looking," Daredevil said.

Angel had gotten tired of asking Daredevil how he knew these things, so he just nodded.

For an underground facility, the place wasn't cramped at all: so far, everything that Angel had seen was spacious and wide-open. A cylindrical metal corridor led out of the museum and into an auditorium. As they walked from one to the other, Angel noticed that there weren't any doors between the two. It was strange. Also, the architecture didn't really feel American. It wasn't geometric enough. There were a lot of sweeping, billowing curves, almost as if they were on some sort of mod spaceship.

They entered the cavernous auditorium and gradually made their way through it. Flags lined the stage-each of them containing a red G on a green background-and there was a red G on the podium, as well. Like the rest of the facility, the auditorium only had backup lights.

"What do you think's wrong with the lights?"

"Some massive piece of machinery is straining the system," Daredevil said, cocking his head. "It's a few levels below us."

Angel also cocked his head, trying to hear it. He couldn't. But, when he let himself be still for a moment, he noticed that the floor was just barely vibrating. Humming, almost.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's a great sign," Angel muttered.

"Keep your eyes peeled for another way out of here. We know about the basement entrance and the elevator, but there might be a third one, too."

"Because Halo Knight might try to get out that way?"

"That, and because we might need to use it, ourselves. If the CIA man shows up, we could have a problem on our hands. He or his bosses might turn the cops against us."

"Um-wh-if you'd already thought of that, why didn't we leave the cops out of it entirely?"

"There's only two of us, Angel. We needed the cops to keep Halo Knight pinned down in here. Besides, they would have seen us go into the building, so they would have surrounded it anyway."

They left the auditorium and stalked down another metal corridor. A thought struck Angel, but he tried to force it out of his mind. No, Warren, you can't think like that. That's wrong. It's true, though...if that CIA assassin guy killed Halo Knight, your life would be lot easier, and the world would be a lot safer.

This was the exact opposite of what Angel had been hoping for. He'd been praying that the hotel would be as exciting as it got, and that things would get calmer from there. Not for his sake-not just for his sake, anyway-but for the sake of all the mutants out there. They didn't need this kind of attention.

Halo Knight had terrorized a bunch of wealthy people, and that was bound to get some headlines. But Angel had hoped for a nice, boring ending to the story, where they captured Halo Knight without incident. New Yorkers would read about it and shrug, accepting it as part of their everyday lives. Just another crazy person in a costume. No mention of mutants, nothing out of the ordinary. Instead, the two of them had found a secret underground fortress in the heart of Manhattan, and Halo Knight might be in league with the General. The more exciting this became, the more curious the public would be. And it would result in more scrutiny for Halo Knight.

If this ends up capturing the public's imagination, and the Times and the Bugle really investigate it thoroughly, Halo Knight could end up being the first known mutant. He could screw it up for all of us. People could think that we're all criminals, or in league with world-conquering maniacs like the General. And, for all you know, most of us could be like that. He's the only other mutant you've met. We've both got the same problem, so he should be helping me, not trying to kill me. So much for solidarity. But I haven't tried to help him, either. I keep waiting to feel some kind of connection to him, since we're the same...race, I guess? But it isn't happening. Be careful what you wish for, Warren. You always wondered what it would be like to be known for something other than your last name. Well, if they find out what you really are, nobody will care that you're a Worthington.

"We're getting closer," Daredevil whispered. The hallway had led them to some sort of rec area, which had billiards tables, dartboards, and even pinball machines. "There were people here. Dozens of them, less than an hour ago."

"Dozens?" Angel was still learning how to fight a few crooks at a time; he wasn't ready to take on a small army...

"Use your eyes-what do you see?"

Angel glanced around the room, playing detective as best he could. Some of the chairs had been knocked over, and none of the glasses were empty, most were at least half-full. The billiards hadn't been racked, and the darts were still in the boards. "It looks like they left in a hurry."

"Exactly...but was it because of us, or because of Halo Knight?"

Angel didn't have an answer to that question.

"Come on, they went this way." The rec area led to a mess hall. Beyond that, Angel saw what looked like a briefing room.

Yeah, sure, let's go toward the group of renegade soldiers...and while we're at it, let's save the guy that wants to kill us, and make sure he lives long enough to tell the world about mutants.

Angel couldn't see Daredevil's eyes, but Daredevil had this one look, one that said "I know exactly what's going on with you." He seemed to know what you were feeling, somehow. Angel was starting to get used to it. Still, he jumped a little when Daredevil said, "This is the job. It makes our lives harder, not easier, and it puts us at risk. It isn't for everyone. If you want to quit, there's no shame in that."

"No, it's just...I don't know..."

"We're in a tough situation. Halo Knight wants to kill us, and he can hurt you in other ways, as well. You have to ask yourself this: who do you trust to deal with that situation? The authorities, maybe? A government agent you've never met? Or yourself?"

Yesterday, Angel would have gladly dumped it all on someone else. He was a kid, an amateur-he'd felt like he was in over his head. But the fight at the hotel had changed him. Angel had more confidence, now. And a mutant would be more discreet than a non-mutant. The government wanted to cover this up, too, but they weren't as motivated as he was. They were worried about their careers; he was worried about his life. He tried to imagine walking away, and letting the adults handle things, but it made him feel uneasy. Angel wanted to be there, so he could make sure that the problem was taken care of.

Halo Knight is using me to act out some apocalyptic fantasy. First, he had me as a hero, and when I wouldn't play along, he decided that I was one of the villains. I'm sick of it. I want to keep him from hurting anyone, and I want to make sure that he doesn't blow the lid on mutants. Being Angel is the best way to accomplish those things.

"Sorry," Angel said. "I'm still with you. I want to deal with this myself, and I'm ready to end it. This superhero thing just takes some getting used to."

"Tell me about it," Daredevil said. "And no apology necessary."

The old man was dead-on...Americans really are up-and-down, bouncing back and forth between extremes. Earlier today, you were actually entertaining the idea that Halo Knight might be right, at least about you being some kind of cosmic-destiny hero. Now, you're caught up imagining all these mutant-panic situations. From best-case to worst-case just like that. You need to stay calm, remember that nothing is as good or bad as it feels in the moment, and focus on what's in front of you.

They'd already walked through the mess hall, and they were now in the briefing room. The unusually-shaped rooms flowed right into each other. Angel said, "Have you noticed how they don't really have doors down here?"

Daredevil nodded. "Yeah, it's weird."

"Why do you think that is?"

Daredevil moved on to the next room, but he seemed to be thinking about the question. "Maybe the General was overconfident, and he thought that no one would ever find this place, so he didn't worry about being able to seal off parts of the base. Or...maybe he just didn't see any point to it, because his enemies are too powerful. If the Thing was rampaging around in here, doors wouldn't do anything to stop him, so they'd just be a waste of money."

When Angel thought about the General having incredibly powerful enemies, a strange sensation crawled through his brain. It made him shudder. Angel tried to remember the term for what he was experiencing-déjà vu-but he couldn't. He ignored the eerie feeling and kept going.

"I have something," Daredevil said.

They'd entered a room that seemed to be empty...except for a big, metal, vault-style door at one end. "Hey, is that the other side of the elevator door?" Before Daredevil could respond, Angel noticed that there was blood on the floor, along with a syringe and a big paper wrapper. "Whoa, what happened here?"

"Halo Knight was here, along with the General's troops...they bandaged him up and shot him full of chemicals. Painkillers, probably."

"So, they're definitely working together, then?"

"They are now...but something about this isn't right. If they were helping him all along, why was he fighting us by himself? And the General wants to rule the world, not end it," Daredevil said. "It doesn't add up."

"Well, maybe the General's goons thought that they could take advantage of him. They probably figured, hey, he's crazy, but he has powers, so maybe he'll be useful. Without the General around, they need some help. All they'd have to do is tell Halo Knight what he wanted to hear."

"But it doesn't explain why he came after us solo...or why the General's men are avoiding us. They have the numbers, and this is their home turf. They should be surrounding us and attacking. No, they're acting defensively, for some reason, and we need to find out why."

Daredevil walked around a curving corner, and when Angel followed him, he saw that there were stairs on the other side. They led down.

"The entire group went down these stairs, along with Halo Knight. Come on."

"...so, you're a tracker, too?"

They cautiously made their way down the stairs. As they descended, the vibrations became stronger, and Angel could hear the noise that Daredevil had mentioned. Some big piece of equipment was running. It had to be mechanical, but it sure didn't sound like a normal machine. He didn't hear gears, or pistons, or anything like that. It was more of a deep-pitched humming noise.

For some reason, Angel had expected the base's steps to look like the steps in his father's factories: a basic-but-rugged industrial grille. They were metal, but they were smooth and sleek, and the stairway spiraled and stretched out in an unusual way. Part of Angel thought that it was meaningless...and another part of him thought that it said something about the General. He was a detail person, clearly. The General was creating his own vision for society, and everything was different, no matter how minor it seemed.

One villain that wants to build-and one that thinks building is pointless. Daredevil's right, it doesn't make any sense.

They came to a floor that was one giant room. It was ridiculous; it was almost the size of a football field. The room had weightlifting equipment, a firing range, an obstacle course, a boxing ring, and an area that was covered with gym mats. It must have been some sort of training area. Daredevil simply shook his head, continuing down the stairs.

The next floor was more standard. Corridors, smaller rooms. Again, Daredevil shook his head...but, this time, he left the stairs to look into one of the rooms. This room actually had a door, though it had been left open. Angel joined him and peered inside. The walls were covered with metal pegs, and tons of metal racks were crammed into the room. In the distant past, the Worthingtons had been hunters, and Angel recognized gun-racks when he saw them. This room must have been an armory, which had (just?) been cleared out.

They returned to the stairs and went down another level. Suddenly, Daredevil tensed up, and he motioned for Angel to stop. He then made a motion for silence.

Angel didn't see anything special or unusual about this floor...there was just a single corridor that veered to the right at a 90-degree angle. He didn't hear anyone, either. Granted, the machine-noise was incredibly loud, down here, so it was hard to hear anything. It was impossible to tell what was around the corner.

Daredevil crept forward even more cautiously than before, a man walking on thin ice, and Angel followed suit. That was when Angel saw him. There was a green-uniform-wearing guard posted at the corner, and he thankfully had his back to them. He was holding some weird kind of handgun. The guard was acting like he was about to start patrolling, but he seemed afraid to leave his position, or even to look toward the stairs. In fact, he was practically shaking. Angel just barely heard someone yelling at him, and the guard gestured in an angry, defensive way. He then turned on one heel and started to pace toward the stairs. The guard immediately saw them, of course, but fear made him freeze up for a second or two, and that was more time than Daredevil needed.

One spinning jump-kick knocked him senseless. He was around the corner, by that point, so anyone in the main part of the room couldn't have seen it happen. The guard would have crashed onto the floor, but Daredevil reflexively caught both him and the gun. Angel guessed that it was because of his training. Normally, the sound of a body or a gun hitting the floor would attract attention, but that wasn't the case here. Not with all the machine-noise. Old habits are hard to break, I guess.

Daredevil handed Angel the gun, and then he dragged the guard further back, stashing him by the stairs. Angel took a moment to study the gun. It didn't have a hammer or a chamber, so it must have been a beam weapon, one of those new "blasters" he'd heard about. It had "KR-B" imprinted on one side, and there was a flat dial on the other side. The dial contained the numbers 1-5. It was set on 5, at the moment. Angel hesitated, not sure what to do with the gun-his own guns were low on ammo, but he didn't want to kill anyone, and he had no idea how powerful this thing was. He played with the dial a bit. Daredevil walked over to him, casually grabbed the gun, turned it down to 2, and shoved it back into his hands, nodding. (When Angel had first messed with the dial, Daredevil had cocked his head a bit, but Angel hadn't noticed.) Then, Daredevil gestured for him to follow.

The two of them went to the corner, just barely peeking around it...and Angel was shocked at what he saw.

There were at least sixty or seventy of the General's goons, and they all had the same blasters. They were just standing around in this massive, high-ceilinged room, apparently waiting for something. More than a few of them looked nervous. There were also men in white coats...and some of them were on the floor, either dead or dying. Whatever was going on, at least some of the scientists hadn't wanted to do it, but they'd been forced to. There were other corridors leading into the room, with guards posted by them. A bank of controls on a far wall had been reduced to smoking wreckage. Also, some of the soldiers were gathered around a person on the floor-Angel initially assumed that it was another scientist, but his superior eyesight enabled him to see that it was Halo Knight. He was sitting up, but he was moving in a groggy way.

But that was only half of the picture. The floor was transparent, and Angel gasped when he saw what was underneath. It looked as if a massive metal wheel had been laid on its side. There was a solid "hub" in the middle, an outer ring that was as wide as the entire room, and nine or ten spokes connecting the two. Some kind of orange energy was shooting through the spokes and making the ring glow brighter.

Angel and Daredevil withdrew around the corner...and, despite the noise, Angel could hear his own heart pounding in his chest. They were facing a ton of soldiers, and god only knew what they were planning to do with that machine. Daredevil, on the other hand, didn't look scared at all. He was wincing, though. The noise seemed to be bothering him.

Out of nowhere, there was a commotion, which Angel could actually hear over the noise. He held his breath, assuming that they'd been discovered. But, when he and Daredevil looked around the corner again, he saw that the soldiers were moving toward a different corridor. Some of them were, anyway. Others were waving them back and shouting arguments.

Everyone's backs were turned, and the group seemed to be moments away from splitting up. They'd never have a better chance.

With all the noise, they couldn't talk about the details of what they needed to do, or even have any sort of conversation at all. It came down to fight or flight. Daredevil looked right at Angel, and Angel hesitated...and then nodded.

It only took a minute for some of the soldiers to break off and run down the other corridor, but it felt like an eternity. Once they were gone, Daredevil and Angel charged, unseen and unheard.