A light flashes in the middle of Death Valley. Our heroes, that would be the Champions, stand in the hot sun and sand.

"What do you mean you won't go home just yet?" Access looks flabbergasted.

Hal Jordan turns to face Access. "I told you I wouldn't go back until I took care of A.I.M. and I meant it. Plus I want to get Barry back too."

"How many times do I have to tell you I can't send the Flash back with you? It would cause irreversible damage to both universes." Access starts to pace. Why can't this job ever be easy? He could go back to his normal life if only Green Lantern would go back to his rightful universe.

"Haven't we heard this argument enough? Look Hal, you should go back to your reality, universe or whatever it is. Meanwhile, we'll have people work on sending Barry back. Until then we have to wait." Natasha is sick of the bickering between Hal and Access. Both of them mean well, but they are viewing the situation from completely different angles. The solution she just gave has been the agreed upon solution for quite some time now.

"Sorry Natasha, but I get emotional when I remember that Barry can't go back with me. We're best friends and up to this point I thought he was dead. Put yourself in my shoes."

"We know Hal, but you have to deal with the fact that he can't go home just yet. But hopefully something can be worked out." She thinks about the minds that can work on this problem: Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Dr. Strange and Hank Pym. Natasha knows that if anyone can do it, those four can.

"Well we can still take care of A.I.M. can't we?" Barry Allen looks a little depressed.

"I really should send Hal back now guys."

"Shut up Access! Ze Champeeonz shall help ze Green Lantairn fight his tormentairs." Batroc raises his fist for no apparent reason.

"By Zeus, Batroc is correct! We shall smite the captors of Hal Jordan!" Hercules slams his right fist into his left hand. "The base.."

"We get the point Herc. Can we get going now?" Diamondback asks.

Techno/NM-E flies over the Arizona dessert. "I've got to figure out how to stop this thing from absorbing me completely. Right now I'm losing this battle badly." Techno can feel the commands that NM-E is following. He knows that they are headed to destroy the Champions.

"I wasn't able to completely erase NM-E's programming. There was only one part of his construction that I didn't figure out, but all my tests showed that it did nothing. I shouldn't have rushed into this."

His mind is racing when he comes upon a startling conclusion. "He's going after the Champions? Why'd it have to be the Champions? The Avengers or the FF could save me, but my salvation rests in the hands of Hercules and Batroc? Ant-Man is the only tech guy in the group. I'm ruined! The Widow, Firebird and Diamondback have no knowledge of this stuff. Why'd it have to be the Champions!?"

"Sir our sensors indicate that the Champions are back."

"Thou hast done well. Prepare our forces to attack." Ares smiles. This time Green Lantern won't get away. Maybe I'll get lucky and kill that damn Hercules.

"I don't think that will be necessary."

"Why?" Ares looks perturbed.

"It appears like they're headed for us. I suggest we prepare our defenses." The agent looks a little scared.

"Thou art correct. The base fools are coming for us. Prepare the defenses. This makes things much easier for us." Ares smiles once again. The fools, his lair is much more than they can handle.

Green Lantern is carrying the non-flying members of the Champions on an energy disk. "We aren't too far away now. I recognize this area from when I escaped."*

*Green Lantern escaped from A.I.M. in Champions #22 - Self-Referencing Baloo

"Good. I can't wait to get this over with so I can check up on Cassie." Scott Lang, AKA Ant-Man, is worried about his daughter.

"Oh my God! I forgot about..." Diamondback's words are cut short as a figure flies out of the sky and destroys the disk they are standing on. "Help!!"

Firebird and Green Lantern move to save the others when Firebird notices their enemy. "Oh no! Guys we're in big trouble." NM-E stands before them on the ground. Firebird and Green Lantern are able to get the members to the ground before NM-E can attack again.

"He seems to be hesitating." Natasha mumbles.

"I noticed eet too. Could zere be zomething wrong with his programming?" Batroc looks to Natasha.

"Maybe, but I don't' want to wait to find out. Champions attack!" Natasha lets loose with her Widow's Bite. NM-E isn't fazed by the attack. NM-E slowly moves forward looking for mechanical and electrical objects to absorb. None are around. Hercules charges the robot monster and lands a punch. NM-E is knocked back a step but Hercules is grabbed by the beast and thrown a few miles to the west.

"Hercules!!" Firebird flies off to help the demi-god.

"Bonita! Come back!" Natasha's cry is ignored. Natasha thinks to herself that Firebird's powers were needed here. She's one of the more powerful members. Natasha whispers to herself, "I'll have to have a talk with her when she gets back. Her heart's in the right place, but sometimes you need to ignore your heart in battle."

Diamondback, Batroc, and Black Widow circle to the left of the robot while Ant-Man, the Flash and Green Lantern move towards the right. NM-E launches itself at the Black Widow. A green hand made of energy lashes out and strikes NM-E square in the side.

The robot looks dazed. "Help <skzzt> I need <skzzt> chno.." The robot goes silent.

"These animals are perfect. Can you tell me why we limited ourselves to chimpanzees in the past?" Dr. Plexico looks at Dr. Bousquet.

"It's quite simple actually. Chimpanzees and other primates have genetic codes very similar to man's and therefore they are the best to work on if you want to eventually work on humans. Plus, for some reason villains and primates have a bond that defies explanation."

"Too true, good doctor. Even though I think marketing plays a role. Primates sell." Dr. Plexico looks at the stable of animals in front of him.

"I can't believe the zoo had such little security. I mean why would you leave animals unprotected when scientists run free?" Dr. Bousquet rubs his hands together in glee.

"Fools! As long as one scientist exists that won't be stifled by society's silly rules, animals should be kept under lock and key."

"Dr. Plexico, they were kept under lock and key." Both doctors laugh. "Now shall we begin our second run of experiments? The giraffe looks anxious to carry a bazooka."

"Yes! Yes! We must get moving. I still want to get to the anteater by dinner time." Dr. Plexico takes out a vial of orange liquid and moves towards the giraffe.

NM-E throws sand in the air to blind his opponents and then leaps in the direction in which Hercules was thrown. He sees Hercules in the middle of a small town. NM-E lands and faces the Lion of Mount Olympus.

"Firebird, get thee to cover!. I shall destroy this monstrosity!"

"Hercules, I can take care of myself and there's no way I'll let you fight this thing alone." Firebird swoops down at NM-E and shoots flame at the robot.

"Women!" Without another word Hercules leaps at NM-E. He lands a blow to the robot's midsection. NM-E is knocked into a parking lot.

"Help me <skzzt> your <skzzt> get the Avengers you stupid <skzzt>" Once again the robot goes quiet.

The other Champions arrive on the scene to find that NM-E is adding the cars around him to his body. He's getting larger and the cars are becoming a variety of weapons. Natasha thinks that if they don't act soon they won't have much of a chance.

"Natasha, the last time we faced NM-E he didn't speak. Could he have absorbed someone?"

"That is exactly what happened." A blond man stands outside the battle. "My friend was in a hospital that was wrecked by this creature and he absorbed him. You've got to save my friend." The man looks scared for his friend's life.

"We'll do what we can." Scott Lang tries to think of a way to save the person trapped inside.

"Of course you will. You heroic fools always try to save people. I need Techno alive and I'll use you to save him." Zemo leans against the wall. Pain shoots through his body. He wasn't ready to move around this much, but Techno had to be saved. A little pain wouldn't stop a Zemo.

Machete' has been playing "Tomb Raider 2" for the last 3 hours straight. "Hey Machete', I was going to go out for a movie, want to come?" Cassie Lang asks.

"Oh sure. Let me save my game."

Cassie, Machete' and Zaran leave the house to go to the movies. "Are we going to see Waterboy?" Zaran asks.

"I want to zee Pleasantville."

"We're going to see 'Varsity Blues'." Cassie tells them.

"On no young lady. You are too young for that movie." Zaran says.

"You sound like my dad." Cassie wonders where he is right now. He usually calls in if he's going to be away this long.

Back to the big battle.

NM-E grabs Hercules and throws him into Firebird. Firebird loses consciousness. Meanwhile the Flash runs straight at the robot. He changes his vibrational frequency and runs right through the mechanical monstrosity.

"Aaargh! That friggin' hurt!" The Flash falls to the ground.

NM-E turns to face the Flash. It looks like the Flash did some damage but the robot is repairing itself. Hal Jordan uses that moment to grab NM-E by the arms. Before Green Lantern can do anything other arms are created by the robot and cut the energy connections. "Damn it! This thing's too fast. Before I can think of my next move he's countered it."

Ant-Man runs to Diamondback. "Tell the others to keep it occupied. I think I have a way to save the man inside."

Diamondback throws an ice diamond at the robot. NM-E is encased in ice. When he breaks through the ice Batroc kicks it in the face, which does absolutely nothing.

Natasha looks at the man who said his friend was trapped inside NM-E. Why does he look familiar? He looks like a relative of... "Thinking about who he is, is a waste of time. I've got to help with NM-E."

Ant-Man meanwhile runs into the local grocery store. "Where's the sugar?"

The Gatherer's Vision continues to clean off his costume. "I can't believe how I had to exit from that damn dog! It took two days for him to pass me! I'll get those Champions if it's the last thing I do. Fortunately the Pym particles seemed to wear off an hour after I exited the dog. I know they're headed towards the A.I.M. base, so I'm going there too." The Vision turns intangible and flies off towards the west.

"I hope Ant-Man gets here soon. We are in a bad situation." Natasha looks around to see Hercules unconscious, Firebird is down, and the Flash seems to be recovering slowly. Green Lantern has been doing his fair share, but Diamondback, Batroc, and herself aren't much use against this thing.

"Help <skzzt> Where's Reed Rich.. <Skzzt> you need him!" NM-E once again goes silent and focuses his attacks on Green Lantern. Hal Jordan has been fighting a defensive battle for the last few minutes. The machine is too quick for him to do anything else. Barry looks hurt and Firebird took quite a shot. Hal knows it's up to him if they are going to win this. The others just don't have the power. Hal erects a wall of energy that stops NM-E in his tracks. But the barrier only lasts for a few seconds.

NM-E starts to move awkwardly. Pieces of the robot start to fall to the ground. Zemo runs up to Natasha. "What happened? Did you save my friend? Is he still trapped in there?"

"I don't know. But you should get back. This is no place for civilians." Natasha eyes him quickly wondering why she thinks he looks familiar.

"Sorry." Zemo finds it amusing that they can't recognize him. He can tell that Natasha recognizes something. But it is probably his resemblance to her former teammate.

Ant-Man grows to full height. "We did it!"

"Just what did we do, Scott?" Diamondback asks.

"I called on the ants of this area to help me carry sugar into NM-E. I shrunk the sugar bags down so the ants could carry a whole bag and then after the ants and I got in there we placed the wet sugar on all of his circuits. Once the sugar was placed I let the sugar grow and it blocked his circuits. Basically I gummed him up. By the way, I think this piece of hardware has the brain patterns of the man that was trapped in there. It is the only part still active."

"Can I have that? I'd like to take it to the hospital to see if they can save my friend."

"I'd rather bring it to the Avengers." Scott Lang says.

"No not the Avengers!" Zemo almost spits the words. "I mean, I'd rather let the doctors handle it."

"Ok, but if you need help I'd suggest calling Hank Pym at Avenger's Mansion.

"I'll do that Ant-Man. I must go now." Zemo leaves the scene.

Batroc still groggy from the battle staggers over to Natasha. "Why'd you guys let Zemo get away?"

"What? That wasn't Zemo!" Natasha yells.

"I've worked with ze Baron. Every movement he made suggested he was Zemo. Looks like he found a new body." Batroc rubs his shoulder.

A sleek jet takes off and flies towards the East.

"Damn it! He looked a little like Steve Rogers too. Could he have cloned his body too? Just like the Red Skull did? But there was something else that didn't look anything like Steve. He looked more like a kid of Steve's than a clone." Natasha starts to think that maybe she wasn't wrong when she thought he looked familiar.

The Gatherer's Vision continues to fly towards the A.I.M. base when he sees a plane coming his way. The plane uses its special engines to come to a stop by the Vision. "Come inside. I have a proposition for you."

The Vision phases through the plane and sees Baron Zemo and Techno sitting in front of him. "What do you two want?"

"I'm going to form a new Masters of Evil and I'd like you to join." Zemo leans forward to look into the android's eyes.

"I don't care about the Masters of Evil. All you ever do is go after the Avengers. I want the Champions."

"Then we shall kill the Champions first. Think of it as a warm-up for the real thing." Zemo smiles.

"You got a deal. What's wrong with that guy." The Vision points towards Techno.

"I've just been put back into my own body. I don't feel so good." Techno starts to move a little.

"Hey I know what it's like to be put in a new body." The Vision thinks of how took the body of this world's Vision. "Speaking of which, Zemo, why do you look so different?"

"I had Techno clone me a body from the two people I hate the most. I am now a combination of the DNA of both Captain America and Moonstone."

"Why?" The Vision looks at him warily.

"I want to be reminded of my two most hated enemies at all times. I want my hatred to burn hot. My purpose in life is to see them both destroyed and I will never waver from that purpose so long as I see their faces everytime I look in the mirror." Zemo pauses to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Every moment of everyday I see their faces. My hatred grows and my purpose becomes clearer. Captain America shall pay for killing my father and Moonstone shall pay for killing me."

The Vision starts to wonder if he should've joined up with these guys. Zemo is nuts. Of course he'll do anything to kill the Champions and Zemo can't be any worse than A.I.M. was.

Hal Jordan turns to the Champions. "Let's go get A.I.M.!"

The Annual: The assault on A.I.M. takes place in Champions Annual #1. Kell Carpenter will write the tale that ends Hal Jordan's time in the MV1. The Squadron Supreme show up and they aren't happy when Access refuses to send them home. Don't miss this one.

Fan Mail:

First a little note from me. I haven't printed letters in these pages for a few reasons. The main reason though is that I don't get a whole bunch of mail for the series. So please write in. I don't care if you hate what I'm doing, write and let me know. I know I can use a good dose of constructive criticism. Well that's enough from me.

This letter is actually about this issue. I gave TJ the pre-HTML'd version of the story. Does anyone like the new Machete' and Zaran? I'm debating on doing at least a one shot with them, but I don't know if there is any interest in them. I used TJ's letter because he sends me one every issue. What a guy. Btw, TJ writes Liberty Legion.

The following letter actually went to the MV-1 list but I thought I'd use it anyway. The issue he's discussing is Champions #30.

Baloo