***
PREVIOUSLY IN 'DAZZLER':
Alison Blaire has been many things in her life: disco-singer, crime-fighter, X-Man, and queen to another dimension. Now, Ali's returned to her home on Earth, and sorts out her life and her goals as best she can as... DAZZLER!
Alison Blaire had been through much in these last few days. After returning back from another dimension where she was nearly killed by an old foe, she was chased by a fellow mutant that she would now have to save the life of. After finding assistance from a stranger, Dazzler was again within the extended ranks of the mutant superhero team called the "X-Men". A battle with another old foe alongside former teammates had found her within another state of mind, at the control of someone else. Finally, with the help of a former nemesis's daughter that now accompanied her, she freed herself, but would be forced to due battle with the very group that brought her into this mess so many years ago: The Hellfire Club.
***
New Marvel Presents:
DAZZLER
# 50: "Old Fire"
Written By: Pat Donovan
Edited By: Ben Kaine
***************************
"BOARDING FLIGHT 307, LONDON TO NEW YORK."
"Are you sure this'll work, especially in your condition?"
"Positive."
"Hello, and weelcome to Internation Airlines. Tickets, please? Ah, have a nice flight."
******
The door swung open as the owner of the house entered, and a duffle bag plopped onto the floor.
"Whatta trip!" she exclaimed, finally happy to be within her new abode, even despite its current conditions.
"I know that perhaps you need a bit of rest from your recent adventures, and even the flight we snuck aboard with the help of my abilities, but we must move soon," said Mastermind. The woman was the daughter of a notorious villain of the same name who had perished some time ago, and a recent ally of Dazzler.
"I need more than rest. I need a vacation! Anyhow, I'm sure it can wait a few hours. I've got to rally up some support. It's doubtfully that just the two of us can take on army of Hellfire foot soldiers, much less the Inner Circle," responded Dazzler, opening the fridge. "You want anything?"
Mastermind looked beyond the fridge door, finding little more than spoiled milk, a can of Spam, and a box of leftover Chinese food. "I'll pass. Thank you."
"Well, make yourself comfortable. It's still early in the day, and the most appropriate time to strike would be later in the night, even early morning. I'm gonna take a shower and try to contact whoever I can, then rest. Try to make yourself at home," said the Dazzler. Mastermind looked about the apartment, distinctly unimpressed.
Dazzler left the room, thinking. 'I can't help but be somewhat cautious with Mastermind. As much a help to me as she's been so far, I know too little about her, and way too much about her family, to do that.'
******
Beneath the ominous build that is the New York branch of the Hellfire Club, what the world at large believed to be merely a gathering place for New York society's elite, laid a stone-clad prison. Here, it was dark, and with the exception of one being the place was empty and silent. The exception was known merely as Caliban, former mutant Morlock turned the monstrous toy of Apocalypse, caught up in the games of too many too often.
Caliban was brought to the Club as a present, an unexpected one at that, from the former Black Queen of the Club's London branch, a woman now known as Damask. The Club permitted her affiliation with the Hellfire, but Damask coveted a place among the ranks of the Lords Cardinal, the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, and hoped Caliban would suffice to bring her into the Club's good graces.
Caliban was not meant to be Damask's only offer. The woman had brought together a plan to capture one who had caught the eye of the Hellfire Club once before: Dazzler. The plot had failed, however, and the Dazzler was able to free herself from Damask's clutches with the help of Mastermind. Yet Damask had escaped with the Dazzler's companion, Caliban, and headed for the New York branch for both show and protection, knowing that soon enough Dazzler would seek out her friend and avenge him.
Caliban tossed and turned, his mind racing uncontrollably in the mental state the psionic workings of Damask had imposed on him. Memories and images spread throughout his mind, fluttering about, as if they were thrown into the air and only seen as they randomly hit the floor in whatever order was foretold. Caliban had tried his best to free himself from the trance that crippled not only his mind and body, but there was no\ result.
He could only barely let out two words in his torture: "Help... Dazz..."
******
Dazzler hesitantly looked at her phone, unsure if she should call on the X-Men she had so recently made up with. Yes, they were her friends, maybe even a family, but should she rely on them for something like this?
Alison had been ready to fully join them once more, but had been interrupted by the workings of Spiral.* Perhaps she didn't make it to the mansion for some greater reason, maybe someone was trying to convince Dazzler she could do it on her own, pull through victorious all by herself.
'No, that's not true here. There's being independent and then there's being plane ole' stupid. I can't fight against the Hellfire Club all by myself,' thought Dazzler, picking up the phone and dialing. 'And it's not as if I didn't help them with that Sinister mess, only to be left by them in the middle of Siberia!**'
She dialed the number and listened as it rang twice, thought: 'Mental note: Have a little talk chat with Rogue about that.'
[[*Dazzler #44 and **Dazz #46-48, and #359-362 UXM -- Ben Actually Had To Look Up That Last One.-]]
The phone picked up.
"'Lo?"
"Uh, is this Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters?"
"No, we're 'Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning'. If you're lookin' for that place, try a Massachusetts number."
"Er, no, actually, maybe I've got the right place. Is the Professor there? Or maybe Storm or Cyclops?"
A pause on the other end, before whoever was on the other end of the line decided that Dazzler knew enough to speak freely to her. "Prof's MIA, Storm's in a coma, and One-Eye's busy makin' funeral plans."
"Funeral plans? For who?" Alison asked, as her heart sank in growing horror. Another X-Man, passed away?
'Could it be Rogue?' she wondered. Maybe her friend she had just been with so short a time ago could have not made it safely from the events of Siberia.
"Iceman," came the answer. "Listen, Luv, you know more'n I would think f'r a wrong number. You a member of X-Force or one of those teams? Maybe you want to talk to Wolverine, hey?"
"No. That's OK. Just tell Logan that Dazzler sends her regards and sympathies."
Maggott, a recent addition to the X-Men, didn't respond. He simply hung up the phone. Wolverine entered the room. "Who was that, Kid?"
"Dazzler or something or other?"
"What'd she say?"
"Nothin', really. Asked for someone. Told 'er that the Prof was missin', Storm be comatose, and Cyke was plannin' Popsicle's funeral."
Wolverine shook his head and walked away, wondering how the team had become filled with people possessed of logic like that. He wondered what Dazzler was calling for, hoped she would make it through whatever it was without the X-Men's help.
"Ali'll tough it," Wolverine finally thought to himself. "I trained 'er right. Heard about what I think was her and Shan on the news, too, not too long ago. If those two're working together, they don't need us. Not now. At a time like this, WE could use THEM."*
[[*All this stuff takes place after the events of X-Men #82. Check out Kari's great work with the team, by the way. I highly recommend it -KariFan Pat :)]]
******
"Impressive," muttered Sebastian Shaw. Below the Black King of the Hellfire Club's Lords Cardinal knelt the villainess Damask, a woman he had previously thought to be of little use to his cause. He would have to admit, however, that the new gift of Caliban would force him to rethink his position.
At Shaw's side stood the ever-present Lady Tessa, a woman who's resources and analysis had always proven an asset to Shaw's past endeavors. She watched Damask quietly.
"Thank you, Sir," responded Damask in a hushed tone. "I'm glad you're pleased."
"Now explain how Caliban has come into your hands," Shaw said. He circled Damask, like a predator about prey. "He is, after all, a being that has served Apocalypse, an ancient being of almost incalculable power."
Damask paused for a moment, despite her rehearsal of the fictitious tale she was about to tell. She had been going over the story she was about to speak for the last few hours, but lying to Shaw's face was more easily said than done.
"Using the technology once in the hands of Emma Frost and Jason Wyngarde, I found it easy to create a scenario for Caliban to become entangled within. I located him wandering the lands of Siberia for reasons unknown to me, and once I subdued him with my power I had him taken to the London Branch," Damask said, keeping her voice as confident as she could without letting out any hint of the terror in her heart. "Afterward, I used my trademarked 'psionic skinning' to rendered him unable to even help himself."
"Interesting," Shaw said. He finally paused in his relentless stepping. "Well done, then. You have served the Hellfire Club well, even in my personal absence. I've also been told that as the 'Black Queen' of the London Branch, you nearly single-handedly defeated the great Captain Britain. Though I disbanded the Inner Circle of that branch, I admit that you may have potential use to my newly-restored Lords Cardinal. In bringing Caliban to me, you have shown that potential is realized. You will serve as my Inner Circle's 'Black Rook', Damask. Welcome back to the Hellfire Club."
"I am honored, Shaw."
"As you should be. Now, then. I have business to attend to, Damask. I shall send someone shortly to show you around the club grounds and explain your duties. Until then."
With that, Shaw turned and departed, the Lady Tessa trailing him as always. Yet before they disappeared into the halls, Tessa gave a final, lasting look towards Damask. It was look that cut through her completely, disturbing Damask to her core, and as Damask waited she worried.
She had heard of the telepathic abilities that Tessa had claimed to have. Could she have used her powers to find out the real truth behind her words?
Damask sighed and rose from her position, finding herself beginning to shake. She had worked hard to secure this role in the Hellfire Club, but at what price has she paid? For if Shaw found the truth behind her story, all she had worked for would be nothing. Damask waite for an escort to arrive, and perhaps for the end when her rise to power had only just begun.
******
A knock on the door startled Martinique Wyngarde, waking her from her short slumber. As she opened her eyes, she found Dazzler already moving for the door.
"I've got it," Alison smiled. She opened it and allowed the Asian woman outside to enter.
"I still don't know why I'm here," commented Xi'an Coy Manh, shooting a glare at Alison.
"Like I've said before, Shan, we've all got to stick together. For whatever reason, some of us have been forgotten. We're the ones that slipped through the cracks while the X-Men were off saving the world. You, me, Caliban. Others, probably."
"I know there are others. Don't know if she'd count as one of us, but Mystique has sure slipped through the cracks. Again," Xi'an added. "Like I was starting to say on the phone, I found out just the other day she infiltrated the research center my siblings were admitted within. She was crazed, Ali, and for good reason. She's been infected by the Legacy Virus. She's become a desperate woman."
She peeked into the refridgerator, found nothing appealing to her.
"Wow. Mystique has the virus?" Alison blinked. "I don't know much about it, but it's got me creeped. I read even Moira MacTaggart died of that, and she 's human! It just kinda makes me feel.. vulnerable."
"My father died of it," Martinique said, finally rising from where she had slept. "I think he knew Mystique as well, actually."
"Who hasn't known her? And I'm guessing you're the new Mastermind I've heard about," said Xi'an, approaching her.
"Yes. I am."
"Nice to meet you," Xi'an said. She lowered her head, muttered: "A lot of lives have been lost to the virus. Illyana Rasputin, 'Magik', died of it. I couldn't bring myself to go the funeral, though. Madrox died of it. I've heard that even Pyro may have it."BR>
Alison nodded. "That reminds me, Shan. I was on the phone recently with some new X-Man recruit over at the school. He told me that funeral plans were being made for Iceman."
Silence enveloped the room as no one can form words to express the thought of another senseless death. The trio of women had each endured so much, and for another to fall now just seemed so senseless.
"Well, unless we want Caliban to suffer the same fate, we should get moving, right?" Shan finally said. She had morphed into a new mood, obviously ready to take care of business. And she'd do it again by the codename she'd taken as a student of the X-Men herself: KARMA.
Alison Blair, DAZZLER, and Martinique, MASTERMIND, nodded in assent.
******
Darkness had subsided over New York City, but the city never slept, and the trio of females had to hide carefully in an alley to avoid being seen by the many passerby. The Hellfire Club lay across the street.BR>
Sweat running down her forehead, Karma concentrated immensely, trying her best to telepathically penetrate the psychic defenses of the Hellfire Club without letting her mind be detected. For any novice, the task would have been impossible, but Karma was certainly no novice. Over years in training with the X-Men her control over her power had grown, and it was all of that experience that helped Xi'an now to achieve her goal.
"Done. The defenses were not what they once were, now that Emma Frost's on the side of angels," said Karma, her face lessening in intensity. The steady glow of psychic energy about her head faded.
"Still can't believe she's running some academy now for the Professor. That's crazy to even think about," Dazzler said. "So much has changed while I was away."
"Anyhow, I've seized control over the mind of a maid by the name of Corrine. Seems I've hit the jackpot. She's been with the Club for quite some time. Like most of the help, though, she has no clue as to what truly goes on within the organization."
"What we need is information on Caliban, Shan. Anything on him in her mind?"
"I guess it is our lucky day. She brings food to something in the lower dwellings of the basement. She believes whatever it is to be an experiment of some type. But I'm sensing some tooling from another telepath involved. What's the game plan?"
"Any way you could simply make the maid spring Caliban?"
"Not without running the risk of being detected, especially considering she's been tampered with before by someone."
"Figured that," sighed Dazzler. "Alright. Mastermind, you and I are going in. Karma, you'll have to watch over both of us while we're inside. Any way we do this, we're probably going to be detected somehow, but if we can get in and out quick enough we'll have a better chance. With Mastermind's power, we might just pull this off."
"My powers will work. In the hands of my father, they deceived the entire organization about his appearance," said Mastermind.
"Good. When we go in, Martinique, I want you to take the guise of the maid, while I steal her outfit. I'll do my best to fit in and meet up with you. Hopefully, we won't cause any suspicion. We'll meet up downstairs and head for Caliban," Dazzler said. The orders were flying from her mouth with ease, even though she wasn't used to being the one in charge. Maybe her time with the X-Men's leaders had rubbed off a few qualities on her (not to mention acting as the queen of the planet Mojo World for a while).
"I can provide you both with what I can gather of a layout of the building from Corrine's mind. That should help some," Karma said. "Otherwise, I'll be observing as best I can through your own eyes. If I'm needed, I'll be in there."
There was the pink glow of Karma's telepathy activating and the two other two women suddenly felt a rush through their minds. Suddenly, their knowledge was expanded. They were instantly familiarized with the Hellfire Club building.
"Sounds good, Shan," Dazzler smiled. "What do you think, Martinique?"
Mastermind gave a simple nod from under her cloak.
******
A small laser ignited from the fingertip of Alison Blaire, slicing through a glass pane on a backdoor to the Hellfire Club. Circling her wrist, soon enough, there was a small hole, large enough for Dazzler to stick her hand through and twist the door knob open. The glass however hit the floor, shattering, as simultaneously an alarm rang. With a deep breath, Alison hurried inside, followed behind by Mastermind, who ran for a keypad across the room.
Mastermind pecked away at the keypad until the ringing halted, and as it did a maid entered the room, confused and startled. "What is going on here?" she questioned.
The answer Corrine received was not in the form of words, but instead in flash of light which as a result brings the woman to the floor, resulting in a slight smirk from Ali. "You head for the basement, I'll take care of her and anything else that might arise up her."
Mastermind gave no response, yet when Dazzler looked up to where her companion stood, there was nothing. "God, I hope she's freeing Caliban"
******
In the catacombs of the building, Mastermind walked hesitantly, even despite the illusion she was casting over herself of the maid Corrine. She stopped when she heard something ahead, almost a cry, and then continued cautiously.
The scream. It was intensifying.. Mastermind increased her pace..
Down a flight of steps, through a hall- Mastermind found herself in a dark cell, where a familiar woman stood over... Caliban! Mastermind instinctively recognized Damask, the woman who had for weeks used her as a pawn. Her guise as a maid still in place, she tried to remain calm and composed, waited to be noticed. She was.
"Who are you? And what are you doing down here? Do you belong in these reaches of the Hellfire Club?" snarled Damask. Why was a maid in the dungeons?
"I am just retrieving what was left of the experiment's dinner, Madame," Mastermind carefully responded.
"Very well, then."
Mastermind continued into the cell, kneeling down to pick up a tray. Suddenly, Caliban erupted in a fit of pure rage. Damask saw the beast regain some sense of its being, despite her telepathic work, as the mutant began to miraculously increase in size, something his mutant abilities were not capable of doing. The monstrous being now stood at least ten feet tall before her eyes.
It roared at her. "DOES DAMASK WANT CALIBAN TO SLICE HER HEAD UP LIKE DAMASK DID TO CALIBAN?!?!"
Mastermind smirked, her maid illusion dropping, enjoying the entertainment she'd created for Damask to endure. Damask looked back to see her former captive and began to cry tears of terror. Mastermind reveled in the feeling and let her illusion of Caliban's attack continue, enjoying the revenge that was everything she'd thought it'd be.
It was then that Dazzler arrived in the cell, outfitted completely in the maid uniform. Mastermind snickered. It was a good look for her.
"Martinique! What's going on?" Dazzler yelled, looking to the agonized Damask. She noticed Caliban lying in slumber. Mastermind smiled.
"We've succeeded."
Dazzler was unsure of herself, of Martinique, and of what just took place, but there was nothing to do now but complete the mission by leaving.
"Good, then let's go. I didn't find anyone upstairs except a butler and a few other maids. Everyone's either not around or asleep at this late hour. That gives us the chance we need, if we split pronto."
Dazzler walked to Caliban's limp body. She could only feel more pity for her newfound friend. What pain had Caliban endured once more at the hands of Damask?
Alison suddenly felt a twinge of pain in her head, then a familiar voice speaking within her mind. Karma was contacting her telepathically.
"Ali, I've lost Mastermind.. Something's not right," Karma broadcasted. "Her powers are blocking my telepathy. She did something to Damask too, but I can't tell what!"
"Okay, Shan, we're coming out. We'll worry about it later. I just want out of here right now," responded Dazzler, rubbing her head to ease the pain. She expected a further response from Karma, but didn't receive it, feeling the mind-link disappear.
"You grab an arm and I'll grab the other," Dazzler sighed, looking back at Mastermind.
The two women began to drag the body of Caliban slowly through the hallways, though the mass of the monstrous mutant was too much to carry with ease.
"Indeed you should have," answered another voice. "But then, you should have thought of the consequences for breaking into my abode as well. A bigger mistake."
SEBASTIAN SHAW towered over them, and despite the threats that the two women had faced in their lives, neither could keep from letting Fear wash over their faces.
"Leave him," Shaw said. "And perhaps we can come to an accordance easily. Refuse and you will be destroyed."
Dazzler regained herself then, leaping into the air. "Come on, Shaw! Do you really expect us to just give up after such a convincing demand as that?!"
She activated her mutant power, allowing blasts of solid light energy to emerge from both her palms. The devastating attack hit Sebastian directly. Dazzler had never met the man before, but felt an almost-overwhelming anger fill her as she attacked. Shaw had been head of the Hellfire Club for many years, and though they had never confronted each other directly, Dazzler realized that the order to attempt to capture her and forcefully enlist her into the Club's ranks* years ago must have come from him.
[[We all remember UXM #130, don't we? The very first appearance of the disco-groovin' Dazzler -70s Pat]]
"Your quip doesn't amuse me as much as your feeble attack does. You do not know my power as I do yours, Dazzler, but the explanation is a simple one. The photon-blasts you wield against me I absorb and use to fuel my power! Thus, while you may admittedly tarnish a very expensive suit- You only fuel my POWER!"
Shaw's crushing fists rose, slamming down hard upon the floor beneath them all, and the two women were hurled from their feet.
"Ngh! Shaw.. Wait!" cried Mastermind, trying to rise from the floor. "You- You don't not understand my presence here!"
"I know of you, Child," Shaw growled. The giant of a man was advancing...
"And of your relation to my once-associate Mastermind," he continued. The fists were raised again. "I know you came to free Caliban and tool with that simpering Damask. What else can you share with me then, Little Girl- That would stall my attempts to end your LIFE?!"
"I wish to join you."
Dazzler's mouth gaped. Her situation had just gone from bad to extremely worse. She attempted to recover from the surprise before anything more could be said or done, let a flurry of light ignite from her hand.
'Gotta dig deep and pull out some energy! Caliban and I have to get out of here now!' thought Dazzler, flipping through the air and grabbing at Caliban's body.
Dazzler looked back, seeing Shaw momentarily blinded, but Mastermind staring at her. Behind Shaw on a staircase, the silent Lady Tessa waited, in case she was needed by her master.
"Child-!" Shaw cried. "Stop Dazzler and your place at my side is granted!"
And then, a new woman dropped down from the top of the stairs, sending Lady Tessa to the carpet with a loud crack. KARMA smirked as she landed.
"Is Tessa really waiting upstairs?" smirked Karma, landing beside Dazzler. Dazzler immediately heard Karma speaking through her mind: "We definitely shouldn't have trusted her, Ali. Now look what we've gotten ourselves into!"
"I was optimistic. I figured that the X-Men helped Rogue, so maybe I could help her. I don't know!" Dazzler replied. "Let's think, though. We need to get out of this before any more members of the Lords Cardinal arrive!"
A psionic field of energy appeared in front of the two women, the work of Karma.
"Psionic shield is something we need first of all," Karma said. "Mastermind'll be trapping us in some nightmare otherwise. Shaw's going to be the problem. We have no way of stopping him that I know of. Your light powers might make a difference, but his mind is closed to mine."
"Fine. You take Martinique, I'll see what I can do about Shaw," replied Dazzler, as the energy field dissipated. Dazzler charged Shaw, while Karma flew through the air, nailing Mastermind with a kick to the jaw.
******
Shaw had fled the scene, Dazzler doing her best to keep on his track, having kicked off the high-heels that went with her maid costume. Dazzler took a deep breath as she ran and began to use the mutant abilities born to her to create a light-show of great intensity. All about Shaw, globes of color shined, to the point where even when Sebastian closed his eyes he was unprotected from the burning of the intense light.
Shaw growled in anger, stopping in his tracks to meet eyes with the oncoming Dazzler.
"Ms. Blaire, you should have departed while you could. To this day I recognize the pity it was to lose you to Xavier, but you only annoy me now with this current situation. You break into my home, blind me, attack one of our newest recruits. Now, you seek to do.. What? Capture me? Stop me where so many others have failed?"
"Don't act like this wasn't all brought on by you and Damask! She kidnapped me, along with Caliban, using Mastermind's powers! We only broke in here to set things right!" Dazzler retorted, her hands glowing all the brighter.
"Damask did wha- Hm. You've just presented interesting new developments in what I thought was a simple case, Dazzler," Shaw said. "However, your stupidity is still what prevails. You should have used my leaving to escape this battle alive, instead of chasing me. Soon, the rest of the Lords Cardinal will join me, and then what? Do you truly believe you and Karma alone can defeat a force that have defeated the X-Men?"
Dazzler paused and sighed, the light about her diminishing in its intensity. Shaw was right. They could have escaped. She had been so caught up in all the action that she had missed her chance at getting away from the battle alive with Caliban. What could she do now? Could she really defeat Shaw? Could she take on the rest of the Inner Circle, as well?
******
"I know your powers now, Martinique!" Karma cried, landing after yet another kick. "Sure, you blocked my telepathy before, but your illusions will have no influence on me. Seems hand-to-hand combat is gonna win this fight, and that's where I'm coming out on top!"
She unleashed a karate chop to Mastermind's side, used the momentum to spin a kick across her face. Mastermind recoiled with a cry of pain.
The villainess clenched her side with one hand, held her jaw with the other. She attempted an illusion again, but for all Mastermind tried, her illusion powers had no effect on the heroine whatsoever.
"Like I said, no result," grinned Karma, crouching to the ground and sweeping the legs out from under Mastermind. As she hit the ground with a thump, Karma turned, and walked away.
"I believe that Dazzler could use a hand. Try to not to miss me too, much, Traitor," Karma said.
Mastermind attempted to rise from her spot on the ground, only to find the possessed eyes of Caliban meeting her own. She gulped.
******
Dazzler was completely frozen in her tracks, the panic setting in as Sebastian Shaw merely smiled. She said nothing, she did nothing. Her situation seemed hopeless, impossible. It was Shaw that broke the silence.
"Ms. Blaire, I am a man of many sides, sides that would surprise most. I give you the singular opportunity to leave this place. You will not be harmed. You and your companions will live. But only if you leave now."
Dazzler blinked. What was this? A trick?
'He's right! He has me!' Dazzler thought. 'Why would he let us go? Could it be Karma's influence? Maybe- Maybe it's all a bluff! Maybe the Inner Circle's not coming! Maybe he has no other choice.'
"We'll take it, Shaw," announced Karma, putting a hand to Dazzler's shoulder. Dazzler almost leaped at the surprise touch. "We'll meet again, though, will we not?"
"Perhaps, 'Karma'. But for now, go. Before I change my mind," Shaw said.
'But Shan, I can't just let him go! I can't let him stay here and let him play with so many different mutants, like- like he tried to do with me, and just before with Caliban! He's got to be stopped!' Dazzler thought, unable to tear her eyes from Shaw or move her position.
"Ali, we can't do anything. Not now. We got Caliban. He's why we're here. Let's just go," Karma telepathically whispered.
"I know we'll meet again, Shaw," said Dazzler finally, turning away.
"We very well may," said Sebastian Shaw. And he was gone.
******
The sun had began to rise and shine through the windows of the apartment of Alison Blaire.
"Was that you, Shan?" asked Dazzler, now adorned in sweats, yet still confused by Shaw's move in letting them escape. "Did you seize his mind for even the shortest instant?"
"No. I tried, but I really don't think it was anything I did," Xi'an said, the mask of Karma left on the coffee table. She sipped her tea. "However, I might have a theory on what could have happened if Shaw did not free us of his own will."BR>
"Mastermind?"
"You got it. The last moment I saw into her mind, she wanted more than revenge on Damask. There was a greater goal in all of this, but I'm not sure what just yet."
"I shouldn't have trusted her," sighed Dazzler. "But what could I have done? I was desperate and still a little woozy from all that Damask did. How's Caliban going to be?"
"Hopefully, he'll recover. I took control of him to keep Mastermind at bay, but she was able to breach his mind. Used a butterfly to lure him away from her. I've done my best to undo Damask's work on his psyche. We'll just have to see what happens, but I do know that his mind is still and perhaps always will be more than a little susceptible to mental attacks."
"Makes your work easier in fixing the problem, but also makes him an open target. Great. I'm going to keep him here with me, try to watch over him while I do my best to get a direction of what I'm going to do with my life," said Dazzler, looking towards Caliban. The monster lay asleep, his body consuming the entire couch.
"I see. But I should be going," said Xi'an. She rose from her chair and headed for the door.
"Thank you, Shan. I know how much you've grown sick of all this stuff, and I do appreciate you lending a hand. If you weren't with me, I could've ended up the new White Queen."
"I am glad I could help. As much as I have gotten sick of dealing with evil mutants and the like, it kind of gives me a rush lately, for some strange reason. Take care, Ali. Maybe I'll see you around."
They hugged.
"I'll give you a call when I get a chance," smiled Alison. She waved goodbye as Xi'an headed down the hallway.
Dazzler shut the door, realizing that she.. felt different. A sensation ran up her body, but it wasn't so easy to place it. Alison was in a position now where many emotions were running through her head. There was a fondness for Karma and her ability to cope so well, relief for getting out of the Hellfire Club alive, worry for Caliban's safety, but most all: Dazzler was anxious.
She knew that this was the beginning of something, or perhaps a rebirth of something, of the life she had lost. A life she felt more and more close to gaining back each day.
THE END
******
NEXT:
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THE END (or the Beginning?)