Fear pervaded every cell in his body, fear brought on by the lack of anything physical or sensual about him. All was black, all was dark, all was nothing. The lack of substance and terms of reference was driving him insane and it was all he could do to keep his mind form shutting down. He could see the faces of all the people he had known as images entered his mind, as he tried to force himself to think of things to keep him going, but all he could see were pictures of those who had died in his service, under his command. People he had lost, and he would never see again and he wondered if he was crying because he had no sensations on his cheeks. He thought he was but he wasn't sure, and that was the one thing that bothered him the most - that he wasn't sure of what he was doing and he had spent a lifetime of being sure of his actions He'd been in tough situations before but none like this and he could hear a voice in the back of his mind, speaking to him, taunting him with it's words telling him that he was a failure, that he had not accomplished everything. The disembodied voice seemed to know what he was thinking of and was using his thoughts against him, and he could feel himself reliving the recent events of his life, the formation of Excalibur, the battle against the Empress, the disbanding and subsequent reformation and the debacle in Greece. The voice changed to laughter and he knew that all they had done and worked for was for nothing and that they had lost any chance of ever going home again with the death of Doctor Strange. YES GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR HOME AGAIN No, called Bridge, but it was too late and he could feel his mind shutting down. Must fight it, he tried to say but nothing happened and then his mind was as dark and empty as the world around him. "You ready, GW?" asked Forge, as Bridge shook his head. Had he just imagined what had happened? "Yeah," said Bridge, as he snapped on the harness connections. Reed Richards himself had designed them and Forge had worked on creating the devices that would offer the team protection in the Darkness Dimension. Strange had briefed the team on the problem - that the dimension was dying and it needed Laynia for the rebirth, but the rebirth would kill her. However if she did not go along with it the Darkforce Dimension would be gone and all those who used Darkforce powers would be rendered powerless. They had a difficult choice on their hands, but Bridge swore he wouldn't lose anyone else. "Good," said the SHIELD Director, "because this is the most dangerous thing any of us have done." "I would disagree, Forge," said Stephen Strange with a smile. "Of course," said Forge, realising there were things that even he was unaware of in the universe and that Stephen Strange would have saved the world, the universe and possibility reality itself several times over. "Gentlemen?" he asked looking at USAgent, Hauptmann, Savitar and Union Jack. "Let's do this," said Walker. "There's a lady in distress, we've work to do." "My sentiments exactly," said Rock. Hauptmann cracked his knuckles in readiness, and Savitar nodded. This wasn't something he had ever dreamed of dealing with. He wore a device, however Dr Richards didn't seem to think it was needed and that the radiation from his own body's mutant abilities would protect him. He wore the suit anyway. Bridge shook his head, thinking he had lived this moment before, and that it was all happening again, though maybe he could change what was going on here. Dr Strange's hands moved through the air as he chanted something and Bridge failed to understand the words the second time as he had done the first, but he was as impressed as he had been before to see a patch of darkness open in the room, growing larger until it became a portal. "We must hurry," said Strange. "Two way portal, right?" said Bridge. "Yes," said Strange. "An astute observation, Colonel." Bridge smiled and stepped through in to the darkness, followed by the others one at a time. He could feel the fear invading his body again as it had done when he had heard the voice in his head, and then the device kicked in, generating what Reed Richards had described as negative light. What that was exactly, he wasn't sure and he wasn't going to ask, but what it did was provide a light source in a place where no light should exist and he could see again. His hand went automatically to the neuro-weapon - an energy sword used by the Black Knight, formerly of the Avengers. He knew what was going to happen and he wanted to be ready. "Now what?" asked Hauptmann. "I don't seem to have any kind of inertia. Are we floating or standing?" "Damned if I know," said USAgent. "We could be upside down and never know it." "I can move," said Savitar, using his powers to push himself forward, by giving a thrust back. "The laws of physics seem to apply." "For every action?" asked Union Jack, and kicked back. "Ah, it's almost like swimming." "Interesting," said Strange. "I had wondered how people moved about here." Then he put his hand to his head as his brow creased. "Stephen?" asked Forge. "I can feel the Dimension calling out to us, to the intruders in his realm, through the Eye of Agamotto," the Master of the Mystic Arts answered. "It is worse than we realised - the Dimension is mad, driven insane by it's wounds and impending death." "Oh terrific," said USAgent. "We're not just trespassing in a god, we're trespassing in a dying nutso god." "What about Laynia?" asked Hauptmann as they all moved through the dimension, Strange and Savitar using their powers to move with an ease the others did not have. "Can you sense her presence, Doctor?" "I can feel a consciousness," said the Doctor, "but I cannot probe too deeply otherwise the Dimension would know where we are and come after us." "That's a cheery thought," said USAgent. "How is it our missions are never the easy ones?" "Because that's not what Excalibur's about," said Forge, and then he looked at Bridge. "You're a rather taciturn. Problem?" "No, just thinking about what happens next," said Bridge. "What if something goes wrong and what can be done about it." "Very little, I suspect," said Forge. "But I'm not intending to die in here." "There are worse things than death," said Bridge, remembering the fate that awaited Forge. He looked at them all and he saw what happened to them, how he was powerless to do anything but watch until the device failed and he was cast in to the living darkness. "..., don't you Bridge?" said a voice, shaking him from his thoughts, and he inwardly cursed himself. This wasn't like him, to dwell like this and if he'd lost people when he was on top of his game, then if he was off his game, he was going to be of no help to anyone. "Yeah," he said, not knowing what he'd said yeah to. "It's risky," said Forge, "but if Bridge agrees, then let's try it." What the hell have I just agreed to, Bridge wondered as they started to head in another direction. "Something is amiss," said Strange and he focused his mystic senses. "We're heading in to a trap..." Bridge's heart leapt to his throat, this wasn't supposed to happen yet - somehow he'd changed things, it was different, which meant this wasn't memory as he'd suspected, but then again if things went as they had done so before. "HELP!" They all turned to see USAgent struggling against something, shadow hands touching the device, trying to remove it. "Not again," said Bridge, igniting his neuro-sword and throwing it, watching as the darkness recoiled from it. He hoped his aim was truer than it had been before, the last time he'd missed by a fraction and it had struck USAgent instead of just glancing his energy shield, and activating it. This time he made the shot, the shield flared to life and the adapted energy field struck the shadows and there was an unholy cry, as the others activated their blades. "Good shot," said Forge. "Yeah," said USAgent. "What if you'd missed?" "Agent'd have been unconscious while the shadow hands ripped off the device and took you over," said Bridge. "How do you manage to chill a place that's so cold already?" asked USAgent. "Natural talent," chuckled Union Jack, then he felt the tugging at his own device. "Gentlemen..." he started, but the others were in trouble as well, except Savitar and Strange who were using their own abilities to keep the shadow hands at bay. "Neal!" shouted Bridge. "Wide spread flame burst!" Savitar nodded and let the radiation in his body generate and build and it released away from his skin by about a centimetre as flame which he then directed as a spread at Union Jack, the towards USAgent. Rock was protected by his suit, Agent by his shield, the others were protected thanks to a spell from Strange and the shadows melted away. "You're thinking fast," said Forge. "Maybe you should do the taciturn routine more often." "Funny," said Bridge, and then noticed something. "Hauptmann..." "You have got to be kidding me!" said USAgent. Hauptmann wasn't there. "HAUPTMANN!" "HAUPTMANN!" shouted Rock, concerned for his friend. Bridge's earlier words had put doubt in their hearts. "I can't sense him," said Strange. "I'm sorry." "I'm getting a signal," said Forge. "You put trackers on the devices," said Bridge, thinking that things had changed, because Forge had been the second to go after they lost Agent. "Yes," said Forge. "It's tracking is over that way." He pointed and they went over to the device, which was damaged and no light came from it. "Damn," he said. "I should have considered that." "It's not your fault, Forge," said Union Jack. "We all should have been more careful." Bridge said nothing, thinking that he should have done something, been more alert. He'd focused on Agent and let Hauptmann go. LEAVE ME Everyone looked about at that. Darkstar's voice had echoed and they had known it was her. "Stephen?" asked Forge. "Her physical form seems to be nearby," said Strange. "However that was part of the darkness itself. We may be too late." "I don't accept that," said Bridge, suddenly. "If you lead us to her body, then we might find Hauptmann." "And USAgent," said Savitar, quietly. "He's gone as well." The energy shield floated in the darkness, but of John Walker there was no trace. "It's picking us off, one by one," muttered Forge. "Stephen is there anything you can do?" "No," said the magician. "There is not, however I believe the Colonel had the right idea. If we find Darkstar's physical self, we may find the others as well. The darkness may give them to her." "What for?" "Food. The Dimension is a living entity, and as such it needs to consume things. It works on a different level to ourselves and will transfer the souls of people who should not be here in to itself, adding to it's strength. The bodies would be broken down in to inert matter and become one with the darkness." "Do they feel themselves being digested?" asked Bridge quietly. "I do not know," said Strange. "I've never spoken with, or found, a survivor." "Let's go then," said Forge. "Lead the way, Doctor." Strange nodded and they took off to where Strange sensed Laynia's body to be. The light from the devices illuminated her, and Strange examined her. PLEASE LEAVE ME THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO "No, Laynia," said Bridge. "We can't let you die, do you understand?" I HAVE NO CHOICE BRIDGE, YOU MUST GO BEFORE YOU ARE ALL KILLED. "Stephen?" asked Forge. "How is she?" "Alive. It has not begun yet. I suspect the darkness may be too weak to begin." "Unless he's using the others as his avatars," said Bridge, who had come closer to him. "Interesting concept," said Strange. "In which case, we must be careful..." He didn't get to say anymore as suddenly Darkstar came to life and her hands gripped Strange's throat, but Bridge had been waiting for that, and he struck her as hard as he could, but there was no effect on her and he felt hands grab him from behind. He struck back with his elbow, praying that he was going to do the right thing, but he felt himself be lifted and he knew his attacker was Hauptmann, under the control of the darkness. "SAVITAR!" he called, needing help, but Neal was unconscious and floating in the darkness, where USAgent was lit up by his residual energy. He could see the Agent looked like Hauptmann, there eyes gone and filled with darkness, the veins under their skins rippling as the darkness controlled them. Forge was trying to fight off Darkstar, as Strange struggled for breath under her assault, and he knew he had little choice but to unleash the powers of the Eye of Agamotto and beat back the darkness with it's light. Then they heard the snap as Darkstar broke his neck, and Stephen Strange went limp in her hands. "NO!" cried Bridge, seeing everything happen again. There was nothing he could do and he reached for his gun, a tear forming in his eye and he shot Hauptmann and the German's head shot back as the bullet entered his brain and Bridge was released. He turned to where Forge had been, knowing that the maker was the next to fall, as he was being attacked by USAgent, as Savitar was attacking Rock and. "God forgive me," he said and he tried to shoot again, but something blocked his shot and he was forced to watch as Forge's device was stripped from him and he went in to the darkness, leaving just Union Jack, who was fighting Savitar with a fury as intense as the flames he was braving and then in a moment he too was gone, leaving Bridge alone, a shining beacon in the darkness. I SAID YOU SHOULD LEAVE Darkstar's voice echoed about him. "We couldn't leave you," he said. "I couldn't leave you. I'd die trying to save you or any of my team." AND NOW YOU WILL. I'M SORRY, COLONEL He felt the brush of soft lips against his own and he felt himself fall back in to the darkness, as the light of the device faded leaving him alone, but he could feel the tendrils of darkness invade is body, but then depart and fear pervaded every cell in his body, fear brought on by the lack of anything physical or sensual about him. All was black, all was dark, all was nothing. The lack of substance and terms of reference was driving him insane and it was all he could do to keep his mind form shutting down. He could see the faces of all the people he had known as images entered his mind, as he tried to force himself to think of things to keep him going, but all he could see were pictures of those who had died in his service, under his command. People he had lost, and he would never see again and he wondered if he was crying because he had no sensations on his cheeks. He thought he was but he wasn't sure, and that was the one thing that bothered him the most - that he wasn't sure of what he was doing and he had spent a lifetime of being sure of his actions He'd been in tough situations before but none like this and he could hear a voice in the back of his mind, speaking to him, taunting him with it's words telling him that he was a failure, that he had not accomplished everything. The disembodied voice seemed to know what he was thinking of and was using his thoughts against him, and he could feel himself reliving the recent events of his life, the formation of Excalibur, the battle against the Empress, the disbanding and subsequent reformation and the debacle in Greece. The voice changed to laughter and he knew that all they had done and worked for was for nothing and that they had lost any chance of ever going home again with the death of Doctor Strange. YES GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR HOME AGAIN No, called Bridge, but it was too late and he could feel his mind shutting down. Must fight it, he tried to say but nothing happened and then his mind was as dark and empty as the world around him. "You ready, GW?" asked Forge, as Bridge shook his head. Had he just imagined what had happened? RELEASE THEM! Darkstar demanded as she watched the members of Excalibur relive their own private hells, as they had done from the moment they entered the Darkness Dimension. THE FOOLISH CREATURES WILL DIE AS I DIE. THEY SEEK TO THWART THE NATURAL ORDER, TO PREVENT THE REBIRTH. THEY ARE DOING IT FOR ME. THEN WE WILL ALL DIE TOGETHER. NOW CHILD OF DARKNESS, SURRENDER YOURSELF TO ME. YOU WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A DIMENSION, TO A NEW PLANE OF REALITY. BE HONOURED BY SUCH A BEQUEST. She could feel the Living Darkness start to consume her, every cell of her body slowly being taken and possessed, the power of the darkness filling her, and she resisted, struggling against this taking. TO STRUGGLE WILL INTENSIFY THE PAIN AS I CONVERT YOUR BODY Her cells began to alter and she could feel her body fading in to the darkness atom by atom. The process was slow and painful, and she fought, intensifying the pain. She had no choice, she did not want to die, no matter the cause or the so-called honour. She could feel herself slowly merging with the dimension and she knew once she was taken whole, they would implode and release a new form of darkness. PLEASE NO YOU KNEW THE PRICE WHEN YOU CALLED UPON MY POWERS, NOW YOU MUST PAY YOUR DEBT The Darkness was unrelenting and the more she struggled the more it hurt and she tried to cry out in pain but no sounds came and she knew that soon she would be destroyed and that her friends would be destroyed along with her. "Leave her alone!" came a voice and the pain subsided. WHO DARES? The Darkness was as surprised by this as she was. "I dare," said the voice and there was the appearance of something that neither the Darkness nor Darkstar expected. Water. "I am Leyu Yoshida, of the Clan Yoshida, and I will fight you for the life of Laynia Petrova and all the others you hold."