Champions #25

Natasha (The Black Widow) is sitting in front of a computer terminal. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are scurrying around her. Natasha is intent on her screen until she notices something odd.

"Fury! I think I have something." Natasha quickly hits some buttons to bring up more information.

"What is it, cutie?" Fury asks while walking up behind Natasha.

"What did I tell you about patronizing me Nick?"

"How wuz I bein' patronizin'?" Fury says with a grin.

"Whatever. The attacks by the Living Laser and Whirlwind were timed at the same time as the robberies of specific equipment from nearby labs." (See Champions #21 and #22 - The Ever Lovin' Baloo Eyed Thing)

"You don't say. That is most interestin'. Maybe you should have a little talk with those two to see who set them up." Fury grimaces as he thinks of who could have set them up and why they would need this specific equipment. "Have the boys in the lab figure out what these parts can be used for!"

"I'll go talk to Whirlwind and Laser. Having been setup they should be most cooperative." Black Widow starts to get up as her communicator starts to beep. "Oh no!"

"Hi mon chere." Batroc's voice comes through the communicator.

"Hi Batroc. Did you find anything?" Black Widow asks. She had sent him to look over the scene where the explosion occurred during the pay per view match between Hercules and Thor (Champions #22 - Baloo Shield).

"I didn't find much evidence az to who cauzed ze explozion but I did find two interesting things. Ze first eez that the whole complex appearz to be made of gold and copper, but mostly gold. Ze zecond thing eez zat eet waz an A.I.M. base."

"We knew it was an A.I.M. base but who blew it up?"

"Eet lookz like eet waz their own self destruct. Eet waz not just a base though. Eet appearz to be more of a prison cell."

"That is odd. Very odd." Black Widow is lost in thought.

"Very odd indeed, sweetie" Fury adds while grimacing.

The Silver Surfer is flying deep in outer space when he notices an energy pattern that is strangely familiar.

"This energy trail is one I have seen before. Why would he be here again? Is Thanos playing him for a fool again?"

The Silver Surfer follows the trail which will lead him to Earth.

Fast Forward is coming out of an ice cream shop in New York City. Still unsure of who he is, he has decided that he must try to make the world a better place. For some reason he knows that is a part of who he was. While lost in his thoughts a lady across the street yells that her purse has been stolen. Fast Forward looks up quickly and sees a figure running off with her purse. One small problem, this person is running at super speed. Fast Forward takes off after him. The runner in front of him stops.

"Thou shalt stop thy chase now!"

"Well since you stopped I don't need to chase you anymore do I?" Fast Forward replies. All the while thinking to himself that if he is going to do this super hero thing, he will have to work on his dialogue.

"Buried Alien, or should I callest thou Fast Forward? I wanted to make sure thou didst notice me. For this world will soon need thy assistance."

"Who are you? And why should I listen to a simple purse snatcher?"

"I am Hermes and I have a message for thee from Zeus himself."

"Sorry Widow but we ain't helpin' you. Ya see we both want to live. The Laser may be a little crazy, but he ain't stupid. Now leave us alone. The guy who hired us could get us both killed. I'll do my time thank you very much. No hard feelings?" Whirlwind shakes hands with Natasha and then turns to leave. The Living Laser doesn't even look at her before he leaves the room.

"Damn it! Who could scare those two?" Black Widow stands dumbfounded. While turning to leave she notices a piece of paper in her hand. Whirlwind must have slipped it to her. She keeps her hand closed so that no one will be able to see it.

Three hours later at the residence of the Champions.

"It is about time you got back. We were getting worried." Scott Lang gets up from his chair.

"Scott, I think I have some important information. I know who set us up." Black Widow pushes Cerberus down as he jumps on her to greet her. "Where is everyone one?"

"They are getting ready to go to New York. Rachel said that Mentallo needed our help with something. Since he helped save us from being chimps for the rest of our lives we figured we should help him."

"I don't know about this. Mentallo isn't someone I trust." Natasha goes outside to see where everyone is.

Scott Lang (Also known as Ant-Man) follows Natasha. "Diamondback vouches for his need."

Black Widow storms past Hercules and Firebird to confront Diamondback.

"What the heck do you think you're doing? Mentallo is a known felon and I don't trust him!" Black Widow gets in Diamondback's face.

"Calm down Tasha. Mentallo helped me save you guys and if he needs our help I think we owe it to him. Plus, he didn't do anything to make me suspicious." Rachel tries to back away but Natasha won't let her.

"I'm sorry to say this Rachel, but right now I don't think you are the most capable person to be determining our course of action. Your mental state has been quite questionable lately. Your obsession with Steve worries me."

"Yeah right! Could it be that you're jealous? I seem to remember you not liking me while you were out failing as the leader of the Avengers. Maybe it was because I was with Steve and you wanted him. "

"You couldn't be more wrong!" the Black Widow glares at Rachel.

"Sure I am. Everyone on the team knew you liked Cap. Could you have stood any closer to him? Don't try to say I'm the unstable one, when you have had your own actions affected by your feelings for Steve." Rachel doesn't shrink away from Natasha's cold stare.

"Everyone on the quinjet. We're going to New York just so I can prove that Rachel has no clue about what has been happening to her." Natasha storms up the ramp into the quinjet and throws a piece of paper onto the ground.

"This should be a fun trip." Scott Lang says.

"Scott, may I speak with thee?" Hercules asks.

"Are you sure I'm man enough to talk to you?" Scott Lang then walks up the ramp. Hercules looks up after him.

On the quinjet that the Champions borrowed from the Avengers.

"Hercules, how could you seriously consider yourself a god? With all of the superpowered mortals, can't you see that you are simply very powerful mutants?" Firebird asks.

"Ha! Thou art arguing for thy religious beliefs which stole from the stories of other gods." Hercules says.

"What?"

"The flooding of the world was done by Zeus. Thy devil is portrayed as a serpent which is the enemy of the Norse gods. Plus, a serpent tried to kill me while I was but an infant."

"I believe you are confusing different situations Hercules. While your people are very powerful beings, there had to be something there first. God created everything at the beginning and you came out of that creation. Your own myths suggest that you came later." Firebird says.

The two of them continue to argue religion. Both are enjoying the discussion.

Batroc and Ant-Man are sitting next to each other.

"First we see a fight between ze Widow and Rachel, and now we must hear ze religious argumentz." Batroc throws his hands into the air.

"Well, we could start talking politics. That would complete the uncomfortable talk." Ant-Man says. Both start to laugh.

Natasha walks over to Batroc and Ant-Man. Cerberus follows on her heels.

"Whirlwind gave me a note that said who hired him. But the person's name he gave is dead."

"Yeah, like anyone stays dead these days." Scott Lang jokes.

"If it is who he said, we're in for a rough fight somewhere down the road."

"Zo? You have me on your zide." Batroc says smugly.

The quinjet lands at Avengers Mansion. Jarvis greets the Champions as they leave the craft. After some small talk, the Champions leave for their meeting with Mentallo.

The Champions stand outside a large building somewhere in New York City.

Hercules knocks on the door.

"Be prepared for a trap people." Natasha says while eyeing Diamondback. Diamondback gives her a disdainful look. Mentallo comes to the door.

"Please come in. We weren't expecting you so soon. By the way, nice dog"

The Champions follow Mentallo into the building. Natasha and Batroc think to themselves about what Mentallo meant by "we".

"Mentallo, I thought we were here to help you?" Natasha asks.

"You are. Why do you ask?"

"Because you said "we"."

"Ah. I asked for your help, but it isn't just for me that I need your services." Mentallo continues to lead them down the hallway. They come out into a large room. A man sits in a massive chair in the middle of the room. Speed Demon, Dr. Spectrum, Nomad, the Super-Adaptoid, Spiral (who didn't know it was her doing the teleporting? - Not very good at Keeping Secrets Beaulieu) and Ben Grimm, a lizard man from another reality (Want to know more about how these guys got together? Check out Marvel Team-Up #176-178 and Super Villain Team-Up #23-28 (all coming soon). The man in the chair turns towards the Champions.

"Oh my God!" Natasha says in shock. "You're alive."

Cassie Lang is back at the house in Arizona when she notices a crumpled piece of paper. She opens it up. On the piece of paper is one word:

Nefaria

Next Issue: The Avengers/Champions Crossover kicks into high gear. Nefaria offers the Champions a chance to help him in his mission. Will the Champions help him? Find out next time in Part One of "The Cult of Personality."

Note: If this had been a comic book you would have seen Nefaria sitting in his chair while Cassie's hands held the note with "Nefaria" on it right below him. But without the use of pictures you lose some of that comic book magic.