Issue 10
Written by Gary Dreslinski
Edited by Ralph Angelo

To his followers, he privately liked to think of them as "loyal minions", although he knew enough to know that any remark like that wouldn't be taken with the proper gravity, he was known as the First One. What that meant was that he was the first to come across the holy head of Niles Caulder, that he was the one through whom the holy one imparted his wisdom.

Back when the Cult of the Unbroken Circle had worshipped at the foot of the ATM machine haunted by Enemy Ace, the First One had been someone different. But things had the habit of changing, new heresies had the way of turning into the "new way" in a matter of hours given the right circumstances.

He watched those taking care of the Redeemer - the Chosen One - with great care. The Holy Niles Caulder had asked her to be brought forth to him. He had preached that the little girl was going to help bring about a new tomorrow.

That put the First One, known to his co-workers at his new temp job running the file room at Equifax as Kyle, on edge. When the group could get a new purpose at the drop of the hat, paying too much attention to the Chosen One beyond the purpose of furthering the work of Niles Caulder was dangerous. There was too much chance that they could instead start fanatically worshipping the girl in and of herself, instead of what she represented for the greater glory.

Something would have to be done. The signs were coming nigh for the> time of choosing. Her role in the plan was explicted. From the lips of Niles Caulder the preparations had sprang and his First One had done everything he could to make things ready.

Now if the rest of the group could only hold onto their beliefs long enough for things to start happening... he resolved to call the Priests of the Nanite on break. They would be able to make sure the mystical safeguards were all in place. The greater the chaos their magic was able to cause throughout the world during the advent of the new, the more of a chance that the greater order envisioned by the man known as "The Chief" would come to pass.

He looked over to where the files were pigeon holed, imagining them all back in place at the end of the day. The greater the chaos, the more perfect the order that came from it. The wisdom of Caulder permuated even the dullest of tasks. Truly his work was holy.

"Hey Kyle," someone said, breaking his concentration. He realized that he had been staring at the same file for the past few minutes. He pretended to be glancing for its exact place on the shelf.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning with a smile.

A fist connected with his face, and all he saw was darkness. All he felt was the pain of his head hitting the floor.

---

The first sensation involved was an old one, a familiar one. Going from being aware of himself as a street, to then being a living, breathing world. Danny had done that once before, as he had expanded into a planet in and of himself. There was a moment of discomfort that which was then filled in with sheer wonder, with a sense of being and purpose unlike any other.

The second sensation to hit though was different. Maybe it was just because he was merging with another planet, a dying one that didn't want to expire. Maybe it was... "Something wrong" he almost allowed to drift to the surface of his thoughts, but then surpressed at the last moment. Thought like those from the planet were what started unrest, famine, plague. If the Earth were to be happy and healthy again, he had to direct the thought patterns along healthy and happy lines.

He allowed himself to go between the lines of history, seeing things as the planet saw it... feeling the people... being part of everyone that had ever lived, a part of everyone that had died... a part...

He screamed. Something was very VERY wrong.

He screamed for Dr. Fate to stop the spell. Something was going wrong. Something in the spell itself!

He wasn't just merging with the planet, it wasn't a partnership... he was... dying...

Danny the Earth tried to reach out to the only man he knew could help him - Cliff Steele. If there was anyone who could find a way to save him, it was Cliff. He tried to reach out... and saw a man dressed in mauve standing squarely in the way of his thought.

The man was larger than the Earth itself. "Older" Danny realized with a chill. He was shaking his head and pointing back in the other direction.

Danny pushed his distress against the man's will and found himself being shoved back beneath the crust as the last bits of what was left of him slowly faded away, forever.

No one heard the last screams of the being known simply as Danny. No one knew his pain, nor mourned his passing.
Except for the Earth itself, which held him in her arms as he went, her tears streaking the skies... her body slouching toward death.

---

A glimpse of crimson, passing it as was out of the ordinary and into the sublime could hardly be noticed. It could hardly be commented on.

And yet, it was there.

Just a fleeting glimpse of crimson, at the edge of being, well beyond the boundaries of not-being. Watching, waiting... making sure everything was right, making sure that everything, and everyone, was in place for what was to come.

---

"She's all right as long as she didn't go in there."

"She went in there."

"Damn"

"Does that mean that she's not all right?"

"Pretty much"

"Should we go in after her?"

"Have a death wish Katt?" Agent Holland Golightly asked, leaning back against the car. He looked back at the abandoned warehouse with a heavy sigh, "I wish she would have just answered her phone."

"Agent Chase is one of the best. If anyone can handle herself in this situation, its her."

"Call for backup yet?"

"Of course." His partner Agent A. Katt replied, "I'm not suicidal." he
raised an eyebrow meaningfully, "At least not this week.""I know the feeling," Golightly answered, "Why do they always end up in the here?"

"Pardon?"

"The abandoned warehouse. Why is it that every two bit psycho ends up setting up shop in one? Do realtors offer some sort of group rate? An underground discount plan? Or is this sort of place the only thing they can think of?"

"Maybe the rent's just cheap"

"Maybe that was what I was getting at"

"Then why didn't you just say that?"

Golighty rolled his eyes and looked back at the warehouse. "How long did they say it was going to take?"

"Reinforcements?"

"Yeah"

"As soon as possible"

"Oh god," he muttered and checked his weapon. "I guess we better get in there then." Kat shrugged, "Might as well..."

---

Doctor Trap.

Chase had spent years wondering what she would do if she ever came face to face with the madman who killed her father. He was in every nightmare, coming for her. Wanting to hurt her, wanting to kill her. He was the bogeyman.

She had long ago decided that he would die at her hands. Nothing was going to stop her from exacting her revenge.

Except perhaps someone doing it first.

When she had tracked him down to the warehouse, she had known that it was a trap. She had expected to have to fight her way out, perhaps even dying in the process.

The dying didn't bother her, not completely at least. What did was the idea that she might not take him with her.

She held his severed head in her hand, "No threat of that," she muttered to no one in particular.

She stood in the middle of the warehouse, holding the head that she had found there, with the words "For Chase" engraved on his forehead.

The only thing missing was the silver platter.

The only thing missing "is closure," she muttered to herself as she stared at the head.

Gone was the chance to avenge her father's death.

The lifeless eyes of her sworn enemy didn't stare back at her. They had rolled back. She couldn't even look him in the eye. He would never know that she had won.

In the end, maybe she hadn't.

She felt in under the surface. The anger... the frustration.

It had been building for years. She had stored it all up to take the monster under the bed out once and for all.

But someone had beat her to it.

She felt the power building up inside of her. The power she didn't talk about. It was her ace in the hole, the thing that nullifed the powers of others... it was the force that had saved her life more than once when nothing else could.

It was the force of grief and disappointment, and as she sank to her knees sobbing, absently tossing the head of her foe to one side, it was the force that grew within.

---

"Isn't the pinkie the darnest thing?"

Kyle looked into the smiling face of the man he knew to be Cliff Steele, the human, smiling one. The other one, the Robotman, was standing calmly with his arms folded, watching. Kyle could see his hand in the hand of the Cliff addressing him but he couldn't feel it anymore. It was as though the entire world of sensation was a foreign experience.

"I mean, they don't really do much. Sure, they're a neat place to put pinkie rings. Only real place when you get right down to it. Can't go around putting pinkie rings on your index finger now can you? Pretty much useless for anything other than that though. But try keeping your balance without one huh? Can't really do it. Throws off your entire system. One little pinkie, the smallest digit on your hand and it makes you fall down a lot."

"What do you want?" Kyle managed to get out.

Cliff's smile grew broader, "I want to make sure you don't fall down a lot.

A fella could get hurt that way".

---

Leah stood guard outside with the others. She wasn't sure if she should be glad or upset about it. In theory, it meant that she was responsible for keeping the rest of the group in line. Or, more to the point, she was the one that would have to stop them if they tried anything. She was glad that Cliff hadn't let them come in with him. There was simply too much danger in bringing them in to find out the whereabouts of the cult. There was no telling what they would do.

She glanced over to where Punch and Jewelee were speaking to the one called Kudzu. He wasn't replying, but it didn't seem to stop them from continuing their animated conversation.

At one point, Punch had tapped him in what would have been the creature's shoulder. The plant-life that made up his form simply allowed his hand to pass through, but Kudzu's hissing response had been enough to keep either of the motley clad duo from further personal contact.

Zone stood away from the others, simply staring off into space as if waiting for a sign.

"Perhaps it is," Leah observed, wishing that she knew how she was going to keep the group in line if anything did occur.

The Geek kept flicking her head around, frantically on the lookout for any threat. Leah silently approved of the notion if not the method.

She looked around for the creature called Blue Snake only to see it looking back at her, its energy eyes sparkling with anticipation.

---

They were not Cold. Nor were they Niles Caulder. She wondered why she felt an attraction toward them.
They stood guard at the place where she had been told to come. Perhaps that was the reason. Perhaps they were the people who kept Caulder from her despite her pleas. Perhaps, Killer Frost thought as she licked her lips, perhaps she should kill them all just in case.
She watched and waited for a sign.

---

"The pieces are in place"

"The pawns are on the board"

"Shall we play then?"

"Or should we wait?"

"Why?"

"To see what happens next"

The Other considered for a moment, images of what might be flashing through his mind, wondering where the paths might indeed go if they were to break off now. Wondering at what speed the universe would play, wondering if it would simply be eaten in the reel to reel of reality.

He shook his head, "It has begun." he said simply, "We take another step toward destiny."

---

Every once in awhile, Cliff Steele noted, it worked to his advantage that his metal features didn't betray what was going on in his head.

He stood, arms folded, watching his alternate self threatening the leader of the Cult of Niles Caulder, thanking the powers that might be for not putting him through whatever had made his counterpart so hard inside.

There was no hesitation in his eyes, no signs of a bluff.

Were the situations reversed, Cliff knew that he would be bluffing.
After all, that was what heroes did, there was a line you just didn't cross... a line missing from eyes that reminded him so much of home.

These were the eyes he had grown up with, the eyes that had seen his 5th birthday party, the ones that had peeked through the lids when he had promised not to watch the girls change clothes. They seemed so different now though, tainted. His other self had gone through a lot of pain, maybe even more than he was telling. They were the eyes of someone who had made unpleasant decisions and grown used to making them. Cliff wondered how long that look had been there, and why it had taken him so long to truly see it. Maybe it was the tone in a familiar voice that added to it. One that he used to joke around in school, now sharpened to a cruel edge.

He looked at his old face again, and wondered what fate was better.

---

Kyle stared for a moment before responding, trying to figure out how much he should tell. Then the human Cliff Steele increased the pressure on his pinkie. He told them everything he knew, some of the things he suspected, and most of behind the scenes information he had seen about magic tricks he'd once seen on a FOX special. Afterward, he wasn't completely sure why he had added the last bit, other than the fact that he thought Cliff might be interested. He nodded at all the right places at least.

The human Cliff turned to the metal one and smiled, "See, I told you that he would be willing to cooperate."

The metal one nodded in the affirmative and turned to walk away to join the others outside.

The human Cliff's smile grew wide, "I know you're probably pretty bummed that you've betrayed your little cult Kyle, but don't worry. Once this is all over, I'll be coming back to properly thank you for everything you've done."

Cliff lunged forward at him, fire in his eyes.
Kyle tried to move backward. Cliff kept a firm grip on his pinkie, twisting as Kyle jumped. Kyle heard the snap and felt the jolt of pain running up his hand.

"That little piggie went to market," Cliff quipped, pushing Kyle away from him, "I can't wait to get all the way home."

---

The Blue Snake felt it in the air before it came, a charge in the air.

"It comes" he announced to the assembled group moments before they felt the ground beneath them shake, knocking all but the Zone and Blue Snake off their feet.

Leah watched them as she picked herself up. The Blue Snake seemed to be glowing brighter. Was it just a trick of light? Or something more sinister? She wasn't sure about anything other than the fact that she had a deep rooted instinct that said that she wasn't going to like the answer.

---

At the center of it all, Cameron Chase lay on the ground, spent. She had held the energy in check inside her, until it had burst out of the seams. The last thing she saw before everything went black was the head of Dr. Trap. It seemed to laughing at her.

NEXT: The Doom Patrols against the Cult of Niles Caulder - really