Solo Avengers #18

1st story:

The Palos Verdes Compound, home of the West Coast Avengers, where Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye, leader of the team is shirtless in the archery range. He readies his bow and fires the arrow towards the target. He never misses – never? The arrow is blown away from the target before it strikes.

'What the? Wind blew my arrow from its mark!' Clint exclaims. He doesn't remember the Good Morning America newsman predicting a hurricane for the Southern California region. 'No hurricane, Bowman – a twister!' a voice calls out, as Hawkeye looks up and sees a man in a mostly blue costume with a white cowboy hat spinning with a funnel of wind. 'A Texas Twister!' the man exclaims, introducing himself.

Texas Twister drops to the ground and Hawkeye goes over to him. They shake hands and Hawkeye remarks that he hasn't seen him since the rest of the Rangers fought the West Coast Avengers under a mystical spell, and asks him what brings him back to the West Coast. Texas Twister explains that he is still looking for Shooting Star. He reminds Hawkeye how Firebird broke that spell the Rangers were under and showed that Star had been replaced by some sort of demon, and explains that he hasn't been able to get much shut eye since that day, just thinking about his Star in the hands of some filthy demons. Twister declares that he swore he would figure out how to get her back – even if he had to march right up to the gates of Hades to do it. Hawkeye thinks to himself that he doesn't remember Twister reacting that way when they uncovered the demon, and that seems strange considering how close he and Shooting Star were. Twister adds that he has been searching all over, trying to figure out how to get her back, and he finally realized he had to see that demon face to face.

Twister asks Hawkeye where that demon is being kept, as he needs to get this over with straight away. Hawkeye frowns and asks Twister why he wants to see the demon after so long, to which Twister replies that he can't rightly say. Hawkeye turns and starts to walk towards one of the buildings, pointing out that Twister looks tired, he supposes he had a hard couple of months, and suggests that maybe it would be best if he got some rest instead of seeing the demon. Clint offers to put Twister up in one of the bungalows. 'Ah said Ah want ta see that demon – NOW!' Twister shouts as he suddenly begins spinning in another funnel of wind, knocking Hawkeye to the ground. 'He's out of control' Clint thinks to himself as he looks up at Twister, who tells Hawkeye that if he doesn't take him to the demon, he will find it on his own – 'And y'all can bet thar won't be more'n a pile of rubble left of this here mansion when Ah'm done blowing through it!' Twister adds.

Clint decides that Twister is completely over the edge, and he can't stop him – he doesn't even have any trick arrows with him, only the razor sharp ones that he uses for target practice – he wouldn't be able to stop Twister without killing him – and Clint would never do that to a friend or an enemy. Twister warns Hawkeye and his “fancy pants West Coast Avengers” that they will not be able to stop him. Clint wishes the rest of the team was around, but he is the only one holding down the fort today, so he will have to deal with Twister himself. Hawkeye gets to his feet and assures Twister that he will take him to see the demon, but he needs to calm down. 'That's more like it' Twister replies as he stops his twister and drops back to the ground. They walk past the swimming pool and Hawkeye tells Twister that he will take him to see the demon, but that he has to promise to get some rest afterwards. Twister tells Hawkeye not to worry, for after he is through with the demon, he will finally be able to rest! Hawkeye finds that comment odd, and wonders what Twister means by that.

Fifteen minutes later, in sub-basement level one, beneath the main building of the mansion, Hawkeye thanks Twister for waiting while he put on the rest of his costume, adding that he feels naked without it. Twister tells Hawkeye that it “ain't nothing” so long as they get to seeing that demon pronto. Hawkeye informs Twister that the demon is up ahead, and that the Avengers have been hold it down here since they captured it. He adds that he doesn't know why they haven't turned it over to Daimon Hellstrom yet, as demons are his speciality, and he could have sent it back to where it came from or something. Twister remarks that he has heard of Hellstrom, and that he is a right good man. Entering another part of the basement, they walk towards a globe-shaped cage, where the green demon, wearing the remains of the Shooting Star costume, growls at them and demands to be released. 'I'll strip the flesh from your puny bones and suck the marrow out!' the demon snarls. 'It's a mean one, ain't it?' Twister remarks, but Hawkeye tells him that the demon is all talk, and explains that this cage was carefully designed by Hank Pym to monitor the demon's every move.

Hawkeye continues, informing Twister that the bars are made of iron, which, they tell him, is the bane all demons – the demon won't even touch them. Hawkeye points out that since Twister has seen old ugly, how about he gets some rest now. 'Ah said Ah had ta see it face ta face – that means Ah'm aiming ta be inside the cage!' Twister exclaims. Hawkeye is surprised, and asks Twister if he wants him to let him inside the cage with that thing. 'I can't allow -' Hawkeye begins, to which Twister interrupts him and declares that he won't be stopped – that he is going in that cage with his help or without it. Hawkeye narrows his eyes and realizes that Twister means it, that he isn't thinking straight. He supposes he will have to let Twister in and control the situation as best as he can from out here. Hawkeye tells Twister that they will do it his way, but that he isn't leaving him alone with that thing for a second. Hawkeye hands Twister a key to the cage and tells him to go in while he has a chat with their smelly friend.

Hawkeye stands close to the bars of the cage and tells the demon that his friend is coming into the cafe. He pulls out his bow and readies an arrow, aiming it into the cage, while informing the demon that he is going to be standing here with this iron tipped arrow, pointed right at his throat. 'It won't kill you, but you'll be hurting'. Hawkeye warns the demon not to think about messing with him, while Twister tells the demon not to fret and that he just has to talk to him for a spell, and then it will be over. “All over?” Hawkeye wonders, remembering that is the second time Twister said that. He wonders if Twister is thinking about killing the demon, and knows that even if it is a demon, he can't let Twister kill it. 'Twister – stop!' Hawkeye calls out, but suddenly, Twister wraps his arms around the demon and declares that he can't stop now – he has to tell the demon how he feels, how he has always felt – then it will be over. 'Let go! What are you doing to me?' the demon asks. 'What Ah'm trying ta say is that – Ah love you!' Twister declares, as he kisses the demon.

Hawkeye is confused, and thinks that Twister is further gone than he thought, that he must be having hallucinations – he thinks the demon is Shooting Star. 'You know that Ah've always loved you. Ah'm sorry for everything Ah've put you through. Forgive me! Love me!' Twister exclaims, while the demon tells him to stop, and asks what is happening. 'What do you – I love you -?' the demon gasps, before it transforms into Shooting Star! 'Star! You're back!' Twister exclaims as Star collapses in his arms. Twister carries Shooting Star out of the cage, and tells Hawkeye that it worked, just like he read in those fancy books – he got his Star back. 'That's great, Twister, but – what the heck's going on here?' Hawkeye exclaims. Twister tells Hawkeye that he has a right to an answer, and reveals that it all started several months ago while he and Star were working the rodeo circuit.

Flashback:

Twister's powers began to fade, and he was feeling mighty low, like if he didn't have his Twister powers, he and Star would have to break up the act, and without the act, he thought he'd lose the only thing he loved – Star. Just when he thought his powers were gone, this demon showed up and told him he can get Twister's powers back – for a price. Twister didn't think to ask what the price was – he would do anything to keep his powers and his Star. The demon kept his word, and Twister's powers returned, and he and Star had the best week of his life – he thought that week with Star was worth anything – then the demon showed up to collect his price – Twister's soul. Twister doesn't know what came over him, but he pleaded with the demon, begged him – told him to take anyone else except for him. 'Whatever you say, fool! I don't need your soul – when I can have your precious girlfriend!' the demon responded, and right then and there he took Star from Twister, merged his being with hers, right before Twister's eyes.

Present:

Twister explains that the demon put some sort of spell on him so he couldn't tell a soul until this spell was broken, and all the while he was with the Rangers knowing that demon was putting Star under its control, and he couldn't say a thing – he would look at Star and knows it was reallt the demon, it just ate his innards up thinking about it. Twister adds that he spent the last few months searching for someone to help him get his Star back, but he couldn't say anything about the real story, so finally, he read a bunch of books on the occult and he realized his best chance ewas to go face to face with the demon and help Star drive it out of her. Twister adds that he knows now his powers never were fading, that it was all a trick by the demon. He looks at Star and tells her that he hopes she can forgive him for being so weak. Star smiles back at Twister, while Hawkeye announces that he has a question, and asks if Twister helped drive the demon from Star, then where did the demon go?

Suddenly: 'Here I am, foolish mortal! This is the body I should have possessed all along! Not that of the weak woman-thing!' Twister suddenly shouts, now green-skinned like the demon, as he reveals that the plan was to use Star's body as a vessel to get close to the Avenger known as Wonder Man, as possessing him would have made him unstoppable by human and demon alike! The demon admits that it was foolish not to have seen the power the mortal Texas Twister can give him, and starts to create a twister within the sub-basement. Hawkeye tells Star that they need to get out of here quick, as they don't stand a chance against him in close quarters. 'You don't have to tell me twice, Hawkwye!' Star replies as she follows Hawkeye into a locker room, where he hands her her costume and guns and suggests to her that she put them on as soon as she can, as he thinks she is going to need them. 'Much obliged' Star replies as they run out of the locker room.

A few minutes later, Hawkeye and Shooting Star, who has changed into her costume, make it outside, when suddenly, 'You can't get away from me so easily!' the possessed Twister declares as he bursts up through the ground, sending rubble into the air. Hawkeye reaches into his quiver for an arrow, remarking that this time he is prepared. 'Let's see how you deal with a face full of tear gas, ugly! No offense, Twister!' Hawkeye calls out as he fires an arrow towards the raging twister – but the force of the winds simply knocks it back towards Hawkeye, who realizes that he will have to try and snare Texas Twister with a net arrow. But as Hawkeye fires the arrow, he realizes Twister is twisting too high a velocity for his arrows to penetrate, and there is only one chance left, and a proverbial longshot at that.

Hawkeye attaches a bola arrowhead to a shaft of a rocket arrowhead, he hopes the combination should carry the arrows straight through the tornado, unleashing the bola around Twister's legs – and as he fires the combination arrow, his plan works, as the bola wraps around the possessed Twister's legs, and he loses control, the winds stop raging and he falls to the ground. 'You don't think these flimsy bonds can restrain me, mortal!' the demon calls out, 'Sure I do!' Hawkeye calls back as he fires more arrows towards Twister, 'Just long enough for me to do this!' Hawkeye adds as several arrows land around Twister's arms and shoulders, pinning him up against a tree. 'You missed, human! Now I'll -' the demon calls out, before becoming weak.

'I see you noticed that each arrow has an iron head! Sorry for the discomfort!' Hawkeye declares. 'Well, not too sorry' he jokes. The demon reveals his true appearance as Hawkeye warns him that unless he does exactly as he is told, the next arrow will go through his heart. 'Nice try, human – but even if I wasn't possessing the body of your friend, you still wouldn't kill me!' the demon replies, freeing itself from the bolas wrapped around its body. 'This weakness will be your death!' the demon exclaims.

Hawkeye realizes that the demon is right – he won't kill him, when suddenly, someone shoots the demon. Shooting Star walks over to the demon, her gun still smoking and announces that Hawkeye might not kill it, but she would rather see her Twister dead than have him suffer the pain that the demon put her through. The demon asks her what she wants him to do, and Hawkeye motions to a statue of a soldier nearby and instructs the demon to leave Twister's body and move into that statue. 'But if I put myself into an inanimate object, I can't release myself!' the demon protests. 'I know! Now do it!' Hawkeye exclaims. The demon does as instructed, and Hawkeye thinks that he he will have to send that statue to Hellstrom – he never liked it, anyway. Twister is back tro normal, and Hawkeye watches as he and Star embrace. Hawkeye frowns and thinks to himself 'First Mockingbird, now Shooting Star – it's amazing how much more ruthless women can be than men sometimes!'

2nd story:

'I guess you couldn't really call me a yuppie anymore?' Pamela Douglas thinks to herself as she sits in a strange room, she sits on a sofa, floating robots bring her an unusual drink, and odd fruits sit in a bowl nearby. She wears a black spandex one-piece, with a green tunic and white belt. A red crystal hangs around her neck, and her hair has started to grow back – while the spirit of Moondragon watches her. Pamela leaves her room and walks among the citizens of Titan. She thinks how wonderful and scary it is – she is no longer living on the island of Manhattan, but on this moon of Saturn! Pamela has learnt that the Eternals of Titan are that – immortal, and strong enough to snap her in two – but everybody treats her with respect. Pamela plays a game of film trivia with the planet-wide computer called Isaac, and has even beat him a couple of times on some old Ronald Colman movies – she couldn't believe it. Pamela also sees a lot of Mentor, who rules this moon, and they play a weird kind of chess – only Pamela doesn't play, Isaac does – the other one – Isaac Christians a.k.a. Gargoyle, whose spirit resides in the crystal that hangs around her neck.

Pamela thinks that Mentor is a sweet old man, who has a lot of pain in his past. She was told that one of his sons went bad, and the other is traipsing around the galaxy running up credit card bills. Pamela decides that Mentor is awesome in some ways, but in other ways, he is just another empty-nester.

Pamela goes to a lab and watches where an embryo is hosted. She knows that everyone is treating her like a pregnant mother, even though the “baby” is floating in a tank and its mind is going to be that of her cousin, Heather, who she currently shares brain-space with. They spend a lot of time talking, or whatever you want to call. 'No, Soho was never like this' Pamela decides.

Later, Pamela is asleep, but wakes when a hand reaches down and strokes her face. 'Up, up, up, sleepy-head!' a man calls out. 'Today's the big day! Decanting!' the man adds. Pamela looks up at him and smiles at Demeityr. She thinks that he ie gorgeous and as playful as a teddy bear, although more a boy than a man, even if he is 700 years old – he doesn't understand that a woman needs her privacy to get dressed. Pam decides that Heather doesn't, either. 'But at least she agrees with me about Demeityr's... qualities' Pam thinks to herself as she watches Demeityr walk out of the bedroom. Pam tells Demeityr that she will join him in a second, and once she is dressed, she walks into the corridor, where Demeityr smiles at her and announces 'You've just gone into labor!'

Pamela and Demeityr enter the lab, where Mentor stands next to the stasis tank where the infant has been grown, hooked up to the computer Isaac. Several tall, slender males stand in green robes, and one of them shouts 'Let there be quiet in the gestation chamber! The mind-mother has entered!' Mentor instructs Pamela to step forward and tells her that there is no need to feel anything but peace here. Pamela stands in front of the stasis chamber, and the infant comes through the membrane of the chamber, just this red, wet thing – but something in Pamela was hushed, she thought she could hear the universe turning around her, around Heather, around them both. One of the slender men in the robes announces that the transference will begin, after which the infant shall be remanded into the care of the Priests of Shao-Lom, while Pamela will be free to return to Earth. 'Now wait a second!' Pamela – and Heather – shouts.

Heather takes dominance of Pamela's body and declares that she will not be remanded to the priests when she has proved herself a master of all they could teach her already – and Pamela announces that she will not be sent back to Earth wham-bam, thank you, ma'am! One of the priests tells Heather that she may have been an exemplary student, but that she fell far and fast by her ill-advised contact with the Dragon. Another adds that Heather's new body will need to be trained by them, or she will never attain the level of psychic mastery she once held. 'I don't care! I'm Moondragon – and I will not go back to being an inferior!' Heather shouts. Mentor steps forward and reminds Heather that was the pride that brought such disaster to many worlds – from the complete enslavement of a planet to the deaths of those she loved, the Defenders. 'I will not allow you out into the cosmos again “Moondragon” - not if you are going to repeat those mistakes' Mentor exclaims, warning her that she would be ill-advised to use her powers against him. His words send a chill up Pamela's spine, but suddenly, a voice speaks from the crystal hanging around her neck.

The voice is Isaac Christians, who tells Mentor that he thinks Moondragon is right. 'I know her better than you do – looked deeper into her soul and was present at her darkest hours. She has learned – but after being enslaved so long, she deserves some freedom – and respect'. Isaac asks Mentor to remand Moondragon to his care, aas he will vouch for her. 'But, Mentor -' one of the priests begins. Mentor interrupts the priest, deciding that there is wisdom in this, adding that he has come to know Isaac Christians and to trust him. Mentor then tells Heather/Pamela and Isaac that they shall have the same freedoms as any other citizen of Titan – all of them. He tells them to come so the transference can begin before the body begins to develop a mind of its own. 'A mind of its own' Pamela thinks to herself.

Sometime later, 'Pamela, please, at least you stay! I can get a surrogate – someone to care for your cousin!' Demeityr remarked as Pamela prepared to board Moondragon's spaceship. Demeityr frowns and tells Pamela that Titan is a sweet place, a good place and that she belongs here. He adds that he has a terrible feeling she is heading into great danger. 'Demeityr – maybe Heather and I are more similar than I thought. Stubborn' Pamela replies, hanging her head and closing her eyes. Her heart melts when Demeityr looks at her, and she tells him that even though Heather will mature at an accelerated rate, she can't even speak yet – she needs her. 'And maybe I need her' Pamela adds, looking down at the infant in her arms. Demeityr tells Pamela to return to them safely. '

Pamela takes off in the spaceship, and thinks that if Demeityr had said “return to me” she might have collapsed right then and there. Pamela sits in the pilot's chair and looks down at the baby, as Heather's voice speaks to her, telling her that Demeityr is handsome enough, but lacking in the brains department. Pamela remarks that she doesn't care. 'And we've got brains enough for both of us – three of us – four of us' she adds. Isaac Christians thanks Pamela for including him in her perverse little relationship, and suggests that she might want to pay attention to the big object approaching at trans-light speed. 'Huh?' Pamela asks, while Heather instructs her cousin to lift her up so she can see. But when Pamela lifts the infant up, Heather quickly orders her to cloak them. Where? How? Which button?' Pamela asks, confused as she looks at the ship's console. 'Too late! Pamela, you little ditz -' Heather exclaims. 'It's too late for that either, Ms Moondragon. Justy sit tight – we're being pulled in!' Isaac calls out, as the spaceship is drawn in towards a much larger, spherical spaceship.

The spaceship sets down in a large hangar bay, and as the hatch opens, Pamela peers out, realizing that the air is breathable. She wonders if they should go investigate. 'Wow – this is big. I – wow!' Heather thinks to herself, while Heather exclaims that she knows this style. 'It can't be wat I think it is – it can't be – by the great Pama, no! We've been captured by the Dance!' Heather announces. 'The Dance -?' Pamela wonders as a large red-skinned, slender alien wearing a long purple cloak appears before her. Heather reveals that they are the remnants of an ancient race, few in number but unbelievably powerful. She adds that no one can figure out their motives and explains that they will land on a planet and plant a tree, or kill a being or disintegrate a continent or move a stone from there to there, and leave. She adds that the Dance have some sort of biew of a pattern of the universe, and are maintaining it, at least that's the theory. Pamela wonders what the Dance want with them, and as the strange alien raises a hand overhead, Heather tells her cousin that she is afraid they are about to find out.

'Can't you -' Pamela thinks, but Heather reveals that even at the height of her powers, she couldn't do anything to them. 'At least they haven't hurt us – yet!' Pamela supposes as she finds herself following the alien, who has placed her in a glowing pink energy field, and takes her to where more of the Dance aliens are surrounding a strange, towering column. 'What – what is that? Heather? Isaac?' Pamela asks. Isaac replies that he is just an old earthman in a piece of costume jewelry, and Heather adds that she is paralyzed, looking up at the bottom of Pamela's quivering chin. Heather tells Pam that she will have to take over her eyes, but that she would rather not. 'For Pete's sake, do it!' Pamela snaps. Heather does so, and is shocked when she sees the glowing column. Heather informs Pam and Isaac that it is a fusion-level plasma column, and must be what powers their ship.  Heather is shocked as the energy surrounding Pamela, herself and Isaac moves towards the column. 'And you're too young to die again' Heather exclaims. 'We all are, dear Heather' Isaac calls out.

'But why? Why?' Pamela wonders. 'Who knows?' Heather replies, wondering if they will add a random boost to their engines' drivers and take them somewhere different – perhaps their deaths will balance some karma somewhere – but the important thing is that they have got to do something about it. The baby Heather glances sideways, while Pamela thinks that the priests are right – Heather's brain is still an infant, and has no powers, and while Isaac has some powers from the crystal, but not enough. 'And I'm just a poor yuppie from Soho!' Pam exclaims. The projection that Heather appears as over Pamela scowls and tells Pamela to shut up. 'I've lived in your brain for months! There's plenty of stuff there – as much as I had! You've got to tap it!' Heather urges her cousin. 'But how?' Pamela asks, confused. Heather tells her that she doesn't know. 'It took me years to figure out my mind!' Heather explains. The pink energy pulls them even closer to the fusion-level plasma column, and Pamela begins to sweat. 'Oh, Heather, help me! Oh Heather, Isaac, Mentor, Demeityr help me!' she thinks to herself, wide-eyed.

Suddenly, Pamela, Heather and Isaac are thrust into the fusion-level power column. 'Fire light power delight terror wonder desire fulfillment dream awake dream awake dream awake' Heather exclaims, while the Dance aliens watch. Within the energy column, 'By the power of our two minds stop and let us be delivered from this place of danger!' Pamela exclaims. She gasps, as energy from the crystal diverts into the infant. 'I've done it!' Pamela gasps, while, on the deck of the ship, 'Pamela!' Demeityr shouts as he materializes amongst the Dance. 'Pamela! Thank Kronos you're safe!' Demeityr exclaims, while Pamela moves through the fusion energy and declares that she knew Demeityr would come. They embrace as Demeityr asks 'You knew?' and, calling Pamela darling, explains that he followed her in his own ship, then found himself here. 'Say that again – the “darling” part!' Pamela exclaims.

Pamela looks up and sees that the Dance are watching her, but not doing anything. She wonders if this is what they intended all along, but they can't know that for sure. Pamela hands the baby to Demeityr and suggests that maybe the Dancce saw that they have a little dance of their own going on. 'It takes three to tango, you know' she jokes. 'Pamela – you said “we don't know”!' Demeityr points out. Pamela tells Demeityr not to worry, and assures him that she is still here. 'But something pretty impressive happened back there, no?' she remarks, before she, Demeityr, baby Heather and Isaac in the crystal head back towards Moondragon's spaceship, observed by one member of the Dance, as Pamela asks Demietyr whether he thinks the universe is ready for two Moondragons?