by Stan Lee
“Someone’s coming,” Thiago said.
Jasmine levitated in the air, feeling the energy course through her body. The glistening Dragon shape surrounded her, its glow lighting up the entire cavern.
Carlos knelt next to the machine, adjusting switches and touching control screens. “Careful,” he said. “You’re tethered, remember?”
Jasmine felt a tugging on her arm. She looked down, only then remembering that one of the machine’s manacles was strapped to her wrist. It glowed with power, tiny electrodes inside it feeding energy from Carlos’s machine into her body.
She concentrated hard, and a faint image of the second Dragon—Maxwell’s Dragon—came into view next to her own. But as soon as it appeared, it vanished again.
“Is it working?” she asked. “Are we drawing the energy away from Maxwell?”
Carlos looked up from the machine. “A little bit. But until we get to Phase Two, it won’t be enough to make a difference.”
Phase Two, Jasmine thought. She cast a grim glance down at the second, empty manacle, hanging loose on the other side of the machine.
“Can you handle it?” Carlos asked. “The power, I mean?”
Jasmine felt a pang of fear despite herself. “I have to,” she said.
“I’m worried about you, Jaz. Back at headquarters, you almost burned yourself out. If we pull this off, you’ll be absorbing more energy than…”
He trailed off. Jasmine looked down, through the halo of light. “What is it?” she asked.
Carlos was staring upward, past Jasmine’s hovering form. Slowly he lifted a finger and pointed.
On the jagged ceiling, a circle of rock was glowing bright. As Jasmine watched, its color shifted from gray to red, then white.
Then the stone began to melt into liquid slag. Molten drops fell like thick rain in the center of the room. One of them struck the Vanguard ship, denting its surface with a deep hiss.
A white-hot radiance seemed to fill the hole in the ceiling. It burst through, dropping into the chamber at a measured, unhurried pace.
Jasmine’s eyes, her mouth, seemed to well up with fire. She wafted back down to the ground and raised her free hand to point toward the ceiling. The Dragon’s sharp energy-talon rose in unison, and it opened its mouth to spit fire.
“Showdown,” she whispered.
Inside the glow, a familiar Dragon shape glowed like a thousand suns. And at its center, barely visible through the blinding light, stood the confident, menacing figure of Maxwell himself.
“Easy, guys,” Nicky said. “It’s just me.”
Josie breathed a sigh of relief. She reached up to help Nicky, the Dog, down into the cockpit. He was pretty banged up, his fur singed and dirty.
Celine turned to her partner, her eyes glowing with annoyance. “When you said ‘someone’s coming,’ I assumed you meant an enemy.”
Thiago shrugged. “I guess you’re not always right.”
Josie ignored them. “You all right?” she asked Nicky. “What’s going on out there, anyway?”
Nicky brushed off his fur. “Let’s see,” he said. “The Tiger and his buds gave me a beat-down. I think Jasmine’s up to something. Oh, and Maxwell’s here.”
Josie and Celine turned to him in shock. “He’s here?” Josie asked.
Nicky nodded. “Just arrived.” He didn’t sound happy about it.
“That wasn’t in the plan,” Celine said.
A smirk played at the corners of Thiago’s lips. “Maybe it was. Maybe you just didn’t know the whole plan.”
She glared at him. “Did you?”
Thiago just shrugged again.
Josie cleared her throat. “The question is, what do we do now? I think—”
“What do we do?”
They all turned around. Vincent—Monkey—stood at the pilot’s console, staring at them. His eyes blazed with power and righteous indignation.
“We go help him,” Vincent said. “He’s our leader. We owe him everything.”
Celine frowned. “Of course we have to help him,” she said. “But it’s a question of strategy—”
“Not me,” Dog said. “I’m through.”
Everyone turned to face him.
“You heard me,” he continued. “Since I got this Zodiac power, I been dropped out of an airplane, frozen half to death, and bashed in the head more times than I can count. I’m out. I’m gone. All love to Maxwell, but he’s gonna have to find a new whipping boy.”
Thiago turned toward Nicky, a menacing look in his eye. “You think you can just quit?”
Nicky raised a sharp claw. “Who’s gonna stop me? You?”
Josie watched the confrontation. Thiago’s powers were probably greater than Nicky’s—but they were less physical, too. After a moment, Thiago stepped back, holding up his hands and smiling.
Vincent stepped forward, right in Nicky’s face. “You little worm,” Vincent said. “After all Maxwell’s done for you!”
Nicky stared at him. “Yesterday you were ready to bolt, too. You called Maxwell ‘a big loud pretend-soldier pain in my butt.’ What happened to you?”
“Maxwell will never let you go,” Celine said, stepping between them.
Nicky shrugged. “He’ll prob’ly try to come after me, I guess. But I got friends all over.” He smiled. “You ever try to catch a stray dog?”
Celine didn’t reply. She just stared straight at Nicky, and her eyes started to glow. A green energy glow rose above her, resolving into the image of a coiled, hissing snake. Nicky froze up, his body becoming rigid.
She’s hypnotizing him, Josie realized. Using her power. She’ll make him stay, make him carry out the mission.
Suddenly Josie knew: I can’t let that happen.
She grabbed Nicky, wrenching him out of Celine’s line of sight. Nicky shook his head, disoriented.
Celine cocked her head dangerously at Josie. “What are you doing?”
“If he wants to go,” Josie said, “let him go.”
Everyone froze. Josie and Celine stood face to face, both of them grim and impassive.
“And I’m going, too,” Josie continued.
Vincent threw up his hands. He glared at Josie for a moment, then stalked back over to the pilot’s console. He picked up his cell phone and started dictating again.
“Agents one and two,” he barked, “have turned traitor. Recommend immediate, severe sanctions, up to and including termination…”
Josie watched Celine carefully. The Snake woman’s eyes still glowed, but not as brightly as before.
“Maxwell is out of control,” Josie said. “You know what he did. To him.” Josie gestured at Vincent. “But maybe that’s okay with you. After all, you mess with people’s minds all the time.”
“Not like that,” Celine said. Above her head, the energy-Snake whipped and lashed around angrily. “I can give people commands, make them obey me. But I don’t change who they are.”
“Well,” Thiago said, “it seems our new power creates fragile alliances.” He held up both hands and backed away, smirking slightly. “I’ll leave you ladies to sort this out.”
He strode past Duane’s body, pausing only to give it a light kick. He ducked down and flipped open a small portal leading to a hidden passageway. Then he paused, turning back to address the others.
“One bit of advice,” Thiago said. “If you defy Maxwell, you’d better have a Plan B.”
Then he was gone, scuttling like a rat into his hole.
Josie and Celine stood, staring at each other, for a long moment. Nicky watched; Vincent spoke softly into his phone. Josie struggled not to blink.
At last Celine leaned forward, placing her head right next to Josie’s. “Go,” Celine said.
Josie pulled back. “Will you—”
“I can’t go with you.” Celine turned angrily toward Nicky. “Both of you, get out. Now!”
Josie eyed Nicky nervously. But he just took a step back, shrugging. Vincent stayed at the pilot’s console, di
ctating his angry report.
“Come on,” Josie said to Nicky.
She ushered him up into the hatchway, then climbed up behind him. The whole time, she could feel Celine’s eye on her back. She half expected Celine to attack her, to grab her by the hair or club her on the back and pull her back down. But nothing happened.
As soon as they were out of the cockpit, Nicky turned to her. “S-so what’s our Plan B?”
“Malik,” Josie said. “We’ll talk to him outside. If he’s still in one piece.”
Nicky nodded. Then, quick as a dog, he scurried ahead of her down the passageway.
Josie swallowed nervously and moved to follow.
KIM TELEPORTED to the other side of the Vanguard ship. Steven watched her vanish with a deep, sinking feeling in his stomach.
He’d made his decision. He hated to admit it, but Jasmine was right. Nothing was more important than the power-draining procedure.
He cast an uneasy glance over at the ship. Sorry, Duane, he thought. We’ll come for you as soon as we can.
Then he turned to Liam and Roxanne. “Come on,” he said.
He led them around the ship, creeping quietly along its hull. They passed the spot where they’d fought the Vanguard team, almost tripping over Ox’s unconscious body. The other two agents, Horse and Dog, were gone.
Great, Steven thought. More guys to watch out for—
He stopped short, almost colliding with Kim, and Liam bumped into him from behind. Steven motioned for the group to stay low, hidden behind a corner of the Vanguard ship.
Kim pointed upward. Above, Maxwell hovered in the air, facing the huge carved dragon on the wall. He glowed brightly, chanting to himself, surrounded by his huge, raging energy form. Steven had to strain to make out his words.
“I am the Dragon,” Maxwell said. “I am the storm, I am the whirlpool. I am power and patience. I forge the future.”
As Maxwell spoke, his energy Dragon snapped its flaming head toward Jasmine—who stood on the ground, one hand outstretched, trying to draw the power back into herself. Sweat glistened on her forehead. Her other hand was wired to Carlos’s machine, which hummed and shook, its lights flashing.
Kim pulled in a sharp breath. “Two Dragons,” she said softly.
“A real battle of the bands,” Roxanne said.
Jasmine’s energy form raged and snarled, power flowing from its mouth to Maxwell’s. “Carlos,” she gasped. “Is it working?”
Carlos popped up from behind the machine, shaking his head. “He’s just too strong. He’s managed to reverse the energy flow, drawing the power back into himself.”
Jasmine gritted her teeth. “We can’t let that happen.”
Maxwell didn’t even look down at them. “I am strong,” he chanted. “I am fire, I am chaos. I am the Dragon.”
Carlos stared grimly up at Jasmine. “It’s gotta be Phase Two,” he said. “That’s the only way!”
Jasmine turned to look up at Maxwell with an expression Steven had never seen on her face before. She seemed utterly full of dread, yet resigned and determined at the same time. She turned back to Carlos, smiling sadly, and unsnapped the manacle from her wrist.
“Remember me fondly,” she said.
She leapt into the air, riding the current of Dragon energy. Maxwell half turned to meet her, raised a hand—
—and swatted her across the room.
Jasmine cried out as she struck the wall, chipping one of the minor Zodiac statues. The ram’s horn broke free and fell to the ground.
“Ouch,” Liam said.
“Okay,” Steven said, gathering his team together in a huddle. “It’s up to us now.”
Roxanne’s eyes went wide. “‘Us’?”
Steven glanced up to see if Maxwell had heard them. But the Vanguard leader was still turned away, hovering and chanting again.
Jasmine had landed in a heap on the floor. Her energy form flickered, its shape indistinct. Energy flowed out from it even faster now.
“There’s no choice,” Steven said. “Roxanne, you assault him from the ground. Liam, you’re with me. Kim, poof in above him.”
Kim touched his shoulder. “I don’t know…”
“We can do this. Remember, we’re a team. He’s just one guy.”
“One crazy-powerful guy,” Liam said.
“Just remember the plan. GO!”
Steven took off at a run, thinking: I hope they’re behind me.
They were. As Steven reached for Maxwell, Liam planted himself in position, grimacing. Roxanne crouched low, aiming tight-beam sonic cries at Maxwell’s head.
Maxwell whirled in response—just as Kim poofed in above. She perched on the head of the wall-mounted horse statue, poised to leap down.
Steven leapt up and grabbed hold of Maxwell’s floating legs. He swung Maxwell around through the air, toward Liam. The Dragon energy flared bright, and Steven thought he saw a ghost of a smile appear on Maxwell’s lips.
Then Maxwell simply wasn’t there anymore. Steven found himself falling to the floor. He landed hard on his shoulder and cried out in pain. Dimly he saw Roxanne crash down next to him, followed by Kim.
Then Liam hit the ground, shaking the entire chamber.
That’s impossible, Steven thought. Nothing can take down all four of us that fast!
Then he realized: Nothing but the Dragon.
Steven struggled to rise, but his limbs wouldn’t obey. A wave of Dragon energy covered him like a thick blanket, pressing him down against the ground.
He heard a muffled cry and turned to see Roxanne struggling beneath another wave of Dragon power. Kim and Liam were caught as well, each in a separate energy prison.
Maxwell wasn’t even looking at them. His eyes were fixed on the dragon statue again, and he had resumed chanting.
“This is my place,” Maxwell said. “This is my Destiny Palace. I am the Dragon, and I am born to rule.”
He’s so powerful he can stop us with barely a thought, Steven realized. He knows we’re no threat.
It’s over. He’s won.
Then a flash of energy streaked overhead. It slammed straight into Maxwell, smashing him against the outer hull of the Vanguard ship. Maxwell flared bright, and the two energy sources slowly fused together, merging into a single blinding ball of light.
Steven was still pinned down. He struggled to roll onto his back, squinting upward. As the energy ball moved off of the ship’s hull, it drew apart, separating into two pieces again. Now Steven could see two distinct Dragon shapes, coiled around each other in a death-grip.
And inside the second Dragon: Jasmine.
“If this is your Palace,” she said, “consider me the Women’s March.”
Maxwell laughed. “So fierce,” he said. “And a historical reference, too. Extra points for that.”
“You know me. Full of surprises.”
She slashed out with flaming hands. He dodged them easily. “You are a Dragon, Jasmine. I’ll give you that.”
She kicked out, landing a blow on Maxwell’s stomach as they tottered in midair. He doubled over, groaning.
“Better believe it,” she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small metallic object.
Maxwell backhanded her across the face. His hand swept through the air, leaving a trail of Dragon fire in its wake.
Jasmine cried out and tumbled backward. Her Dragon form shrieked in pain. The metal object slipped from her fingers, tumbled down, and clattered to the ground.
“A Dragon,” Maxwell repeated. “But not a leader.”
“Jaz, no!” Carlos called. He pointed at the fallen metal object—from this angle, Steven couldn’t see what it was. “Phase Two!”
Jasmine raised a hand to her face, wiping away blood.
Maxwell turned away, raising his hands toward the dragon statue. “I call on the star Sha Qi,” he said. “I accept the chaos, the power. I accept this—”
Jasmine leapt forward, clawing and ripping at him from behind. Her Dragon
coiled around his thicker, stronger one, seeking to cut off its energy-breath. Maxwell whipped around, reaching out to throw Jasmine off—but she managed to rake her hand across the front of his shirt. The garment fell, tattered, through the air, fluttering like a dying bird.
Maxwell turned slowly to face his attacker. Jasmine reared back, ready to attack again.
Then she caught sight of his chest, and froze. It bore a long, red, jagged scar.
Maxwell hovered, drifting slowly closer to her. “Remember?” he said, gesturing at the scar. “Do you remember the day your mother gave me this?”
Jasmine said nothing.
“The day she died?”
Jasmine’s lip quivered. “I remember,” she said.
“She was a lot like you,” Maxwell continued. “Fiery—full of power. But she never knew how to use that power.”
He was moving closer to her as he spoke. Jasmine seemed paralyzed, unable to move. Her eyes flicked from Maxwell’s face down to his scarred chest, and back again.
“And neither do you,” he said.
“Jasmine!” Steven called, struggling to speak. “Snap out of it!” But his voice was barely audible, muffled by the Dragon energy that held him tight.
“You killed her,” Jasmine said, almost in a whisper.
“I did,” Maxwell replied. “And you know what?”
He reached out and grabbed her by the throat.
“That was before I had this power.”
Jasmine cried out. Maintaining his grip on her neck, Maxwell reached out with his other hand and closed it over her face. She struggled, quivering, but he held her tight.
“Relax, Jasmine.” Maxwell’s voice was soft now, almost kind. “I don’t need to kill you. All I need to do is drain your power. In that way, you’re lucky. Luckier than she was.”
Jasmine let out a series of strangled cries. Maxwell’s outstretched hand glowed bright, his fingers spread wide like the Dragon’s talons. He seemed to be drawing more and more of her energy, her very life force, out of her body. Above and around them, their Dragons mirrored their actions, mimicking the battle being fought by their hosts.
“JAZ!” Carlos called out. He tossed something up at Maxwell—one of the grenades that Jasmine had used back in the Convergence room.