"You know it's hard to imagine he's gone. There's been too much death," Crystal said somberly as she drank from her glass of tea. Across the little café table from her was Sersi.

"Though I didn't know all too personally I've heard of his outstanding service and bravery. For him to have died the way he died just doesn't seem right," Sersi replied trying to sympathize with Crystal as much as possible. Vision's death would leave a gaping hole in the Avengers for years to come.

Crystal sighed deeply as she gripped her cup of tea with both hands. She stayed silent for quite a bit before she spoke up again, "I always figured if Vision or any Avengers was going to go down it was going to be in the blaze of glory. Not killed by an ally or person you considered friend. Just like Storm. Murdered by her best friend's son. How tragic is that?"

The Eternal woman reached across the table and grabbed Crystal's wrist, "I know it's hard Crystal, but those kinds of things are just part of the world we're a part of. When Proctor massacred all those innocent Shi'ar I felt in a way partially responsible. But you can't keep badgering yourself. You have to move on."

"I just don't want to move on. I know it sounds crazy, but after I found out Pietro was cheating on me I tried my hardest to never let go of my anger and resentment towards him. I wanted to stay mad at him forever. Now that angers gone. I can never forgive him, but I no longer hate him. And I can only imagine that the Shi'ar must be feeling what I'm feeling a thousand fold at the moment," Crystal sighed thinking of how shamefully that once grand race was bought so low.

A short, pudgy waiter with short brown hair and a tiny moustache came to the table with a receipt in his hand. He placed it on the table and asked, "Will that be cash, check, or credit ladies?"

Sersi pulled out a Visa card and gave it to the waiter who looked to be in his mid-30s. "That'll be credit my good sir."

The Eternal then turned her gaze to a shocked Crystal and with a wink she said, "Never leave home without it."

"And to think immortals would have Visa? What is the world coming too?"

"Don't know Crystal. But I'll tell you this. Last time I was in Greece I think I maxed this thing out. I was kinda scared the thing wouldn't go through. So where we're headed next?" Sersi asked as she rose from her chair.

Crystal pulled out some red lipstick from her tiny blue purse and re-did her lips. As she put the lipstick back in her purse she smacked her lips together and replied, "I'd love to go somewhere else with you Sersi, but I'm about to head back home to Attilan and visit Luna. I've barely been around since the start of the whole Shi'ar/Proctor thing so I think a visit is long overdue."

With a assuring touch on the shoulder Sersi said, "I understand completely Crystal. Your child has to come first. Besides what's the point of saving the planet if you can never spend time with the one who you're fighting to save it for?"

Crystal let out a weak smile that quickly faded, "I guess you have a point there. Well, let me get out of here. Once I start flapping my gums I'll never stop."

"Girl do I know it!" Sersi exclaimed as she gave Crystal a hug before she left the coffee shop.

Guam

"Would anyone care to explain to me how attacking Guam is going to get the Avengers to come to us?" Carnivore complained as his fellow Exemplars and himself approached the small town of people below.

Carnivore was one of the eight Exemplars that had been granted special powers. The first Exemplar to receive their power was the man known to many as Juggernaut. He gained his powers from a mystical ruby. Count Andreas Zorba was granted his powers by his possession of Farallah's Fearsome Fist. He now has powers that make his name very suited for him.

On the right of Carnivore was the man known as Decay. Anything that Yoshiro touches decomposes instantly. His touch is quite the deadly weapon. It was Spider-Man who had used that power against him though to destroy their god machine. Looking at Yoshiro disgusted Zorba. He looked like a dried up mummy. Hachiman was quite the disgusting sight to behold. Decay had gained his powers from the artifact known as the vial of Valtorr.

To the left of Carnivore an adult woman was levitating off the ground with her feet crossed in the fashion of many an Asian monk. She was known as Bedlam, but before she gained her powers she was an 8-year old ward of the state. Olisa seemed to have prematurely aged once she acquired the Ringed Ruby of Raggadorr. That item gave her the powers of levitation, telekinesis, telepathy, and the ability to direct powerful psychic bolts into the minds of others. She had managed to pull off the tremendous feat of ripping Xavier's physical form through his astral form. No one had ever managed to do something like that to him before. That's why Carnivore was cautious of the girl and Decay gave her a great deal of respect.

Samantha McGee discovered a door that allowed her to enter the temple of Balthaak. Touching the blazing brazier of Balthaak, McGee was transformed into the powerful being Inferno and became the first of the Exemplars. Though in this bunch being the first didn't entail respect along with it. She was making up the back of the bunch just in case any thing unexpected happens. Her heat energy plasma blasts could pack quite the punch and give a good deal of protection if necessary.

Behind Bedlam was Utama Somchart. He had been a 17 yr. Old worker in the country of Thailand till he came across the powerful object known as Ivory Idol of Ikonn. It was then that he became the being known as Stonecutter. He had been the engineer of the Exemplar's god machine and he is quite adept at shaping stone into fantastic machines capable of doing great things. He could potentially be one of the most powerful Exemplars. His stony face showed enough drive behind it to make him just that.

In front of all the Exemplars was their unofficial leader. Though Zorba doubted just how good she could lead since she was French. While his people, the Greeks, had been great warriors the French could just as easily consider a white flag their national one. Nicolette probably wouldn't take kindly to that at all and in a fit throw Zorba out into the Pacific with some massive tornado. When Giroux found the wondrous waterfall of Watoomb she was transformed into the crazy powerful elemental Tempest. Her elemental powers were more than enough to give Thor a run for his money. She was definitely not one to be underestimated.

"It's simple really Zorba. There are too many superheroes team in America so attacking somewhere there and expecting the Avengers to show up out of all the heroes there would be foolish. But everyone knows the Avengers are global and Guam is a possession of the U.S. so I'm positive once it's attacked the government will call in the Avengers. Then we'll have what we want," Bedlam explained.

"To become gods of all this wrecked planet," Tempest smiled as she made hundreds of lightning bolts fall from the sky and striking a bunch of homes.

Zorba growled, "What if we get Excalibur instead?"

"If they do show up you act as if they'll be a challenge," Decay said with a laugh.

"And let's just say Excalibur was to show up. Once we whup up on them the Avengers would have to come and face us," Inferno said as she finished walking and finally caught up with her fellow Exemplars.

"Then it's settled. Let the games begin," Stonecutter said in his deep voice as he picked up a tiny pebble and with his powers molded it into a fantastically complex gun composed of stone.

Avengers Mansion

Mantis walked into the room of her sleeping son and kneels down silently by his bedside. He looked so innocent and tender yet he was meant to be the savior of the entire universe. His amber colored skin and the large patches of brown grass that surrounded his forearms and calves still amazed Mantis. Her son, Sequoia, was the perfect blend of plant and human life. He could absorb any and all types of energy and then convert that energy into any type of energy he desired. His power was potentially one of the greatest the universe had. That's why he was the Celestial Messiah. That's why he was meant to save everything.

Was she wrong for having joined the Avengers along with him? Should she have just let him strike it out on his own and become his own man? After all she wasn't going to be able to be around for him forever. He had a destiny and it was one he was going to have to fulfill without her. She did have a tendency to prod into business where she didn't belong, but this was her son here. Shouldn't he be different?

Suddenly a black shadow surrounded the entire room taking over everything in Mantis's sight even her son was enveloped in the blackness. The woman knew exactly where she was. Why she had been taken here though she couldn't be sure.

"Your only doing what any mother would do," Supreme Evolutionary said stepping out of the blackness. He looked like a bald Kree, but in truth he was a creation of the child Franklin Richards much like the cosmic being Cosmicus.

Mantis laughed at Supreme Evolutionary's attempt at trying to connect with her, "Perhaps that is what any mother would do, but you really wouldn't know would you? I don't even know why the Priests of Pama would even make the deal they did with you anyway. You're a disgusting creature."

The Supreme Evolutionary didn't even seem in the least fazed by what Mantis had said to him. He continued on as if he never even heard her, "But Quoi maybe resent your overprotective nature. Though you're only acting as his guardian until the Celestial Sentries can be assembled. I'm already on my way to bringing the Celestial Queen into being. Deathbird and I edge ever nearer to the Celestial Ring."

Mantis stood up and said, "That's all good and well Supreme Evolutionary, but I hope that's not the reason you bought me to one of your little pocket dimensions."

Supreme Evolutionary smiled, "No I have an order from the Priests of Pama. They say your time on the Avengers will be very temporary. Sequoia must be allowed to grow on his own. Understood?"

"Perfectly," Mantis murmured as all the black disappeared and she was in her son's room again.

Scarlet Witch burst into the room of Thor where he was once again watching wrestling. With urgency in her voice she said, "The Exemplars are attacking Guam and they say they won't stop until we come to fight them!"

"Thee foul Exemplars shalt have their fight the milady! Let the cry ring out to Callisto and Gilgamesh. Battle is to be joined!"