"So what do you know about these energy beings?" asked Hawkeye.

"Not much." Free Spirit slowly walked to the parapet along the roof of the Kings Plaza Shopping Center, where the three had gone once the NYPD and SHIELD arrived to take away Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. "The one thing I do know, is that those damn things are the reason Summoner and I broke up."

"How did that happen?"

Free Spirit shut her eyes, her jaw stiffened. It looked like she tried to keep herself from crying.

Wonder Woman walked over to her, holding up a hand to Hawkeye. He nodded. He got the feeling this might be something best handled woman-to-woman.

"I don't understand." Wonder Woman put an arm around Free Spirit. "You two had been together for so long. How could it just end like that?"

"It started a few months ago. We were having dinner at Summoner's cabin when he thought he saw one of them hovering outside the window. We went out to check, but couldn't find anything."

Free Spirit paused for a few moments. "A couple of weeks later he told me he saw those things outside his cabin again. We looked all over, but couldn't find them. Then he started seeing them elsewhere. We'd search and search and search, but we never found any sign of them. Summoner started getting so frustrated. I told him maybe we should go to you guys or SHIELD or the Fantastic Four for help, but he said he could deal with it. I got more insistent the longer we went without finding them, but he kept saying we could do this on our own. Then there were a couple times Summoner went looking for the energy beings without me. When I asked why he didn't call me to help him he . . . he said, 'I don't need you for this.'"

Free Spirit's jaw quivered. Somehow she kept from crying.

"Then . . . then there was that day. We were in Albany fighting Jack O'Lantern when Summoner said he saw an energy being. He actually stopped fighting and pointed at Jack O'Lantern, saying it was right next to him, that they had to be working together. But . . . but I couldn't see anything."

She wiped at her right eye. "Jack O'Lantern almost got him with an electro-blast, but I pushed him out of the way just in time. Right after we took down Jack O'Lantern, Summoner he . . . he just started screaming at me."

Free Spirit's voice broke. Hawkeye grimaced and turned away. Part of him felt like he shouldn't be here.

"He said how could I not see it, that I thought he was lying about them, that I was useless and . . . and to stay away from him."

Now the tears came. Wonder Woman pulled Free Spirit into a hug. Hawkeye shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking at anything else but the two superheroines.

"I'm so sorry," Wonder Woman said in a soothing voice.

Free Spirit sniffled and pulled away from Wonder Woman. Again she wiped her eyes. "Two years. Two years we were together. And then these damn things show up. I can't even see them. And he . . . I've never seen him so mad. I still can't believe he said those things to me."

"Um, Free Spirit." Hawkeye stepped toward her, more than a little hesitant. "Did you ever think these energy beings can only reveal themselves to Summoner? That they maybe manipulating his mind?"

"I guess. I don't know, this whole thing has just been so . . . I don't know. There's something wrong with him. There has to be for him to act like that."

"I agree," said Hawkeye. "And I'm really starting to believe whatever these things are, they're messing with Summoner's head, big time. Why else would a guy like that keep flying off the handle?"

Wonder Woman nodded. "I think you might be on to something."

"Only one way to find out for sure. We grab a Quinjet and head back to Utica."

XXXXX

They landed about a mile from Summoner's cabin and hiked the rest of the way. Hawkeye knocked on the door and stepped back, pulling out a taser arrow. He prayed he didn't need to use it, but given Summoner's behavior of late he wanted to be ready, just in case.

No one answered.

Hawkeye knocked again, harder.

Again, no answer.

"Looks like we wait."

The three heroes sat on the porch, Free Spirit looking the most uncomfortable of them all. Not for the first time Hawkeye wondered if it was wise to bring her here. Wonder Woman had argued that Free Spirit might be able to get through to Summoner better than either of them. He had his doubts, given how their relationship ended, but ultimately agreed. Any chance to resolve this with words was better than having to taser his fellow hero and friend.

Hawkeye found himself nodding off a couple of times. He forced his eyelids back as far as they'd go. His stomach grumbled, sounding as loud as a roar from the Hulk. My God, he was starving! He cursed himself for not grabbing something back at Avengers Mansion before they flew to Utica.

If people could see me now. Most of the public only saw superheroes on TV or read about them in newspapers or online news sites battling some supervillain. How many ever considered that, despite their powers and abilities, they were still flesh and blood people? They needed food and sleep to keep going, just like regular folks.

His eyelids slid shut. Hawkeye felt himself drifting off to sleep. Maybe a five-minute cat nap wouldn't be so –

A rush of wind brought him fully awake. He sprang to his feet, gripping his bow. Wonder Woman also rose, as did Free Spirit, who swallowed as she looked up into the night sky.

Summoner descended through the trees and landed twenty feet away. He stood his ground, glaring at them.

"What are you doing here?" His focus shifted to Free Spirit. "What are you doing here?"

Free Spirit actually took a step back. She then drew a deep breath and straightened her back. "S-Summoner, we're just here to help."

"Help?" he snapped. "Why would I want your help?"

Free Spirit opened her mouth, but remained silent.

Wonder Woman stepped forward. "Summoner, these energy beings, we think they might be affecting your mind."

"They're not. I'm fine."

"No you're not," said Hawkeye. "All these outbursts you've been having, especially with Free Spirit, it's not like you. Something is wrong and we want to help you."

Summoner took a step back, shaking his head. "No. No, you don't want to help. You just want to stop these things yourselves. It's always about the Avengers. You want people to think you're the only ones who can save the world. You want everyone to forget that there are other heroes out there like me, who work just as hard as you do to protect everyone."

A bewildered look formed on Hawkeye's face. What the hell brought that on? Summoner had never been concerned about fame or recognition. He had become a hero because he believed it was the right thing to do.

It was further proof something was seriously wrong with Summoner.

"Look, just take it easy," said Hawkeye. "Let us take you back to New York. We can go see Reed Richards. I'm sure he can figure out what's wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong with me! You're not . . ." Summoner's eyes widened. His left hand shot up, pointing to the cabin. "There! They're here!"

Hawkeye looked to his right. He saw the porch, Wonder Woman and Free Spirit. Nothing else.

"Summoner," Free Spirit spoke in a hesitant tone. "I-I don't see anything."

"Dammit, they're right next to you! How can you not see them?"

Again Hawkeye looked around. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. The hair on the back of his neck did not stand on end like it normally did when he felt things weren't right.

Summoner slowly turned his head left to right. His shoulders rose and fell with deliberate breaths. Hawkeye pulled the string of his bow back a couple of inches.

"Yes, yes," Summoner said. "It's all clear to me now."

"What is?" asked Wonder Woman.

"The energy beings. You're in league with them."

"What?" Hawkeye just stared at Summoner in shock.

"You're helping them to take over the world. Well I won't allow it!"

Summoner thrust his Elemental Stick forward.

Hawkeye brought up his bow.

A hurricane-force wind screamed around him. Hawkeye flew backwards and slammed into the cabin wall.

TO BE CONTINUED