MV1 COMICS PRESENTS		62
YEAR FOUR	by Travis George	MAR

Outline:

"What are you watching, Ariel?"

"They're televising this special. It looks like Xavier's running for the Senate and... look -- the X-Men are unmasking themselves!"

"Hmm. What'd you know? They actually figured out that running around in secret makes them look as bad as the mutants they're trying to take down."

"Well, they've done more for mutant rights than us for sure."

"Not that we should compare ourselves to them. We never set out to carry some idealistic and undoubtedly impossible dream to fruition. We've always been honest with ourselves about what we are. Out for number one. It's the only way to live. I mean look at the X-Men. They put their butts out on the line every day. And for what? Stupid flatscans who would probably treat them the same way the Klan used to do to the blacks if they got the opportunity. What's it all for?"

"Maybe what they're doing now will make an impact. It can't hurt to see."

"Yeah, right. Humans will never accept us. If they did, we wouldn't have had to go theiving for so long. Our own families treated us like dirt.

Opens with Chance and Ariel saying good-bye to X-Force, talking about Gomi's death with X-Force letting them know there is a mission in Nebraska they're about to go to.

Quasar just came from Avengers mission in Black Panther Annual #2

Kismet has to go on her destiny

Ken does training with Quas

Mention Starbrand in office

******************

The East Village

Ariel and Chance find the spot they talked about over the phone. It was outside a clothing store on Houston Street. There they were. They recognized Bill, being held by Tabitha, and Siryn, all three of whom were their teammates when they were the Fallen Angels. The other two were strangers.

"It's good to see you again." The two girls looked around to see where the strange, somewhat male voice had come from, perplexed. It wasn't from the long orange haired stranger with pony tails, unless he was code-named Ventriloquist. He hadn't moved his mouth at all.

"It was I who said that. Bill," they looked at the green cybernetic lobster. His voice was filled with static, not sounding quite human. Apparently, Gomi had made some alterations to his best friend's features, but he hadn't gotten a chance to work out the kinks before he'd passed away.

"You already know Bill and Siryn," Tabitha said, her voice trying to sound cheerful but even an insensitive person like Chance could hear the pain she was unsuccessfully trying to conceal in her voice. "This is Serendipity." Tabitha gestured to the gothlike woman in the group. "And Shatterstar." The guy wearing an NYU sweatshirt and carrying a case that could hold a violin stick.

"So what are you doing with the body?" Chance had learned how to feign diplomacy, but in situations like this, everything she learned would go to hell and she'd go back to her blunt self.

"It's being cremated," the goth girl answered back in an equally biting remark.

"What do you mean, bitch? Is that your idea?" Chance was now getting downright hostile. She didn't care for too many people in her lifetime, but besides Ariel, Gomi was one of the few she'd known long enough to learn to care about. She didn't always know how to go about it the right way, evidently."

"Let's calm down, now. Why don't we all get something to eat and sit down somewhere?" Tabitha said, trying to prevent any altercations.

"That's a good idea," the tone of the Irish accent denoted she was having a tough time. Siryn was looking down at her leg. There was an even protrusion from underneath the sweatpants she was wearing, clearly signifying she'd had bandages for injuries she must have incured. As they began to walk towards a nearby restaurant, her limp became more and more evident.

***************

Cortland Street, the offices of Vaughn-Tanaka Inc.

The elevator door opens to let Wendell Vaughn out onto the 15th floor. A quick walk down the hall leads him to the new location of his security firm. He enters, to find "H.D. Steckley" sitting at the reception desk, with a preoccupied look on her face.

"Hey! Are there any clients around?"

"No, the last ones for the day just left," H.D. informs him. "Ariel and Chance had to take an extended lunch break. They mentioned something about paying tribute to an old friend."

"Must be something important for both of them to leave at the same time. Thanks for covering."

"Of course. How was your mission?"

"It was interesting enough. I learned a lot about Wakanda and the traditions there.*" [Quasar is referring to the Avengers' journey to Wakanda in Black Panther Annual #2 - TG]

"Who was your opponent?"

"You know, we didn't really take on anyone."

"You've been absent a lot since you rejoined the Avengers*, but this is the first time an absence was required for a non-emergency." [* See the next upcoming issue of Avengers - TG]

"Yeah, it's too bad I haven't been around all that much. I hope it hasn't gotten in the way of things running smoothly around here."

"Actually, we seem to be amassing more clients than ever."

"That's good to know. Say, Kiz, is something bothering you?"

"There is something, actually."

Wendell Vaughn waits for a follow-up to Kismet's statement, but receives only silence. "Well, don't keep me in suspense, sweetie."

"I must go, Quasar."

"What happened?"

"I've been summoned. I can say no more."

"That... doesn't sound like you. C'mon, this is me you're talking to. Once upon a time, you got upset if I went somewhere without telling you. Now you have to go and can't tell me why?" Wendell pulled a chair from nearby and swung it behind the reception desk, alongside her. He put his arm around her.

"Please don't ask me questions I can't answer."

"All right. I won't pry. Will you at least tell me how long you think you'll be gone?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. It would be best if you didn't try to hold my job for me here."

"But..."

Kismet knew Wendell well enough by now to know what he was going to say next.

"What about... us?"

*****************

A Thai restaurant in the East Village

"Boots? The scum who killed Gomi was called *Boots*?!??" Chance wasn't taking the news well. It was almost funny seeing her venomous sarcasm actually directed towards someone out of concern, rather than insecurity.

"And the motive for his murder was because he couldn't keep doing the things this drug dealer required from him in return for the financial aid he was receiving from the scum?" Ariel continued.

"#&!@ mob bosses! Think they can take out anyone whenever they please!"

"You're beginning to sound like the Punisher, Chance," Siryn had been struggling to manuever around her old acquaintance since the ad hoc reunion of the Fallen Angels had begun.

"We should have gone up there, Ariel. You know Gomi's not the type who can fend for himself. We could easily have dealt with the murderous $#!+bag."

"Don't take this so hard, Chance. Gomi didn't even tell me about his indemnity towards Boots. And you can be sure I would have dealt with that %$#@^& had I known," Shatterstar attempted to reassure.

"Yeah. So where are you headed off to now?" Ariel desperately seeked to change the subject, almost uncomfortable with seeing Chance this emotional.

"Nebraska. Something's up with our former leader, Cable," Meltdown replied.

*************

"I don't want to leave you... Wendell. But I must."

"Well, can you let me come along with you? I could take a leave of absence from the Avengers. Ken can easily run things here now that he's better, and with the sliver of the Starbrand protecting everyone in the office, I won't have to worry on that account."

"I wish that were possible. But this is something I must do alone. I'm sorry I can't disclose what the nature of this emergency is after all we've been through, but..." Kismet flashed back to a few weeks earlier. There had been a candlelight dinner, romantic music... it had been the first time the two of them had made love.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Forget about me. Go on with your life. Whatever works best for you," Kismet was now shedding tears. She was losing her composure and decided it was enough for the fasaud of H.D. Steckley. She removed the image inducer from her business suit pocket, and placed it on the table. The appearance of the 5'7" woman in professional attire was replaced by the golden-skinned woman wearing a leotard. The tears had not been manafactured by the image inducer, however. Kismet got up out of the receptionist seat and used the entrance-way to the building's freight elevator the firm had recently installed using the Starbrand energies. "Good-bye... Quasar." Kismet said as she looked back at Wendell Vaughn one last time and walked out of his life. Maybe forever.

He didn't know what to do. He'd considered following her, but something told him it wouldn't help. He simply looked in the direction Kismet had gone, speechless. He simply didn't understand what had just happened.

************

"You haven't said a thing since we said good-bye to them," Ariel broke the long, enduring silence.

"I was just thinking," Chance answered after letting nearly half a minute go by.

"About?"

"About... us. Where we were heading before Vaughn found us and where we might have wound up if he hadn't decided to make us that offer. It's not easy being a mutant in this world.

"That's a fact and a half."

"Most of us don't get lucky. Any of us could have wound up like Gomi."

"You're right."

Chance didn't say anything else. She just did something unexpected. She kissed Ariel.

*************

"No. Not that way, Ken. Use your momentum to carry your weight down. Don't worry about falling. It's daunting I know. You just have to get used to the idea that the Starbrand will protect you, no matter what."

"Right. Like this?"

"Now you've got it.

"Yippee. Let's see... flying, energy projection. When do we get the resurrection lesson?"

"Heh. Bite your tongue, Mr. Tanaka. I remember it wasn't that long ago you didn't think you'd ever walk again, and now you're setting your sights on getting killed just so you can do your best impression of Mr. Immortal."

"Nah... I bet I do the coming back to life thing with way more panache than that third-rater."

Quasar and Ken both chuckled.

"So she's really gone, huh? Just like that?"

"Yep. Just like that."

"What's up with women? Walking in and out of your life like that?"

"No, it wasn't like that. She was nearly bawling when she left. There was something getting to her. I just wish she felt like she could tell me. How bad could it have been, that she thought I couldn't help her with it?"

"So. You ok?"

"I don't know. To be honest, I don't even want to think about it. I just keep hoping that if I don't process it for long enough, I'll be able to block it out. At least long enough for her to handle whatever it was that was so obviously bothering her and come back to me."

"It's the It won't be an ordinary job. You may also have the opportunity to use your powers to help out. "You'll be administrative assistants at my firm, Vaughn-Tanaka industries."

"Really? My dream job!" Chance replied, sarcastically.

"But that's not all," Quasar continued. "Both of your powers could come in handy. I realized recently I made some mistakes when I founded Vaughn Inc. I didn't have much experience in the hero biz, but when you're a superhero, you put everyone you care about in danger every day. I can't look out for everyone. If someone like Vanguard could die because of the threats I face, then I don't see how I never took any precautions to take care of the 'normal' people in my life. The ones that can't fly or project force beams or form cocoons to protect themselves when they're about to go into critical condition. It should have only taken once for me to realize. Maybe if I had, my father would still be alive, or Kayla wouldn't be stranded on a parallel Earth. And Ken wouldn't be missing."

"I don't know about Chance, but I know what it's like to lose loved ones. I wouldn't mind watching out for your friends and family, Quasar."

"Thanks, Ariel, you won't regret it. I'll make sure you have the means to afford a decent place. No more living in abandoned warehouses like this. Chance?"

"Well, if Ariel goes, I guess I will too."

"Great. It's settled then. I trust I don't have to worry about any more tricks if I let you go?" Both women nod. Quasar dissipates the quantum bubbles.

"So you'll have someone to protect your staff while we go out into space."

NEXT ISSUE: The next issue of CPU will skip ahead about a year so we'll see what changes Quas has made. We'll also see the return of some familiar faces, some well known and others (in true Quasar fashion) pretty obsecure!

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10.3.00

That pretty much wraps up all the dangled subplots from Gru's series. From here on in, there'll be some deviations in the status quo.