Ken Connell walked with Jenny Swensen through the Shakespearean Gardens in Central Park proper. Their loving relationship has taken a turn for the better since they were reunited after long years of separation. True, they only met once or twice in the past; when Jenny was thrown in jail, Ken tried to convince her of being not so bull-headed. At that time, they had a very tense friendship but that relationship finally turned to love when they met again after being members of the National Security Council.

“I feel bad about leaving my Spitfire suit back at headquarters,” Jenny began to say, brushing through her long, thick reddish hair. “If Derek Shiningstar and his accomplices or other terrorists should find us here in plain sight… I don’t know what I’d do to protect myself and the innocents here.”

Ken laughed. “Don’t worry about that, babe. I think we saw the last of Derek and his people. When Dave and Stephie stormed his place and erased his CD-ROM of his files to duplicate paranormals… well, let’s just say that we put him out of business for quite some time.”

“We?! Where were you during all this?’

“With you, of course. ‘Member we were in my apartment in SoHo.”

Ken stopped walking and looked Jenny straight in the eyes, his hand in her hair. They kissed.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted their bliss. “Now, ain’t this sweet?”

They turned to the source of the voice. It was a Native American in a black three-piece suit. They recognized him immediately. It was Michael Proudhawk.

“So, Shiningstar is still in business,’ Ken said. “What do you want this time, Michael?”

“You, Connell! I only want you!!” Michael Proudhawk concentrated to his utmost and released the Psi-hawk that he could create on his own, apart from Gene’s Psi-hawk or Emmett’s for that matter. Controlling the Hawk from a distance, Michael used Wayne Tucker’s push power to peer inside Connell’s mind.

Ken screamed inside his mind and out. He then collapsed. His body glowed fluorescent and two other beings exited him. They were the Old Man and the Star Child, Ken Connell’s son.

While Jenny was confused as to what was really going on and wishing that her Spitfire suit was on her, a second female rushed to her aid. She had orange hair, thin, and very well built.

“You’ve got to get out of here, miss,” Jenny said, gripping her shoulders and pushing her back towards the clearing.

“No, I can help. I’m the only one who can. My name is Kayla Ballantine and I once possessed the Star Brand.”

“I know who you are. What are you doing here?’ Jenny asked. “This is not safe.”

“Neither are you,” Kayla said. “You are without your Spitfire suit. It’s back at NSC headquarters, right? I don’t possess the Star Brand anymore. So we’re both powerless. We got to run and hide and let Ken fight off this monstrosity.”

Grabbing Jenny’s hand, Kayla led her female companion to the wilderness of the woods.

“Derek Shiningstar has mighty plans for you,” Michael Proudhawk said to Ken Connell. “Now with you split into threes, you are not as powerful as you once were. So it should be easier for me to bring you in.”

“I don’t think so, Michael,” Ken said. He thought that the best way to fight his enemy and the enmy of his team was to gain flight over this matter. But he had to think this over; Proudhawk just had the powers of the Psi-force children, while the limit to his powers were his imagination.

Michael changed into Psi-hawk and launched into battle, hovering over Connell. He then used Wayne Tucker’s and Emmett Proudhawk’s push powers to freeze Connell in his tracks. It seemed to work for the moment.

Then, Psi-hawk used his telekinetic powers to hurl Ken against the trees in the forest. When he fell down, Michael pummeled him with his fists before Ken had a chance to recover.

But Ken was a fast learner, so he was able to retaliate while he was being hurt by his opponent. From his own fists, he released bursts of pure energy to drive Psi-hawk back.

Ken wasn’t sure what could harm, hurt, or even kill this third Psi-hawk. He seemed to be all powerful because he could summon all the powers of Psi-force without being in their presence.

Ken stood up. The Old Man and the Star Child were recovering from the jaunt of their separation. They were confused as to what had happened to them for a moment.

The blast that Connell had directed at Psi-hawk had disoriented him. He grabbed his outfit and lifted the man up. But the Old Man, sensing Proudhawk’s plan, had separated the two.

“Shall I pound them for you, Michael?’ the Old Man asked pleasantly.

“Yes, now!”

The Old Man did as he was asked to and floored Connell. “I’ve waited for this for a long time, Connell.”

But before the Old Man could pummel Ken into submission any more, Psi-hawk lifted him in the air and flew off, with the Old Man yelling in protestation.

Kayla and Jen joined Ken who had been wiped out from the fight.

”Ken, are you all right? What happened just here?” Jenny Swensen asked.

Ken scratched his head. ”I didn’t know Michael could do that, separate the Old Man, the Star Child from me. With the Old Man on the side of Derek Shiningstar, who knows what kind of power they could possess?” Ken turned to Kayla. “You, Kayla Ballantine, you once possessed the Brand from your friend, Quasar. You don’t need to be involved in this. I think I know of a way you can go home to your own dimension.”

Kayla was stunned. “How?! The Living Tribunal set a barrier between our two worlds and said the Star Brand couldn’t get through. If not by you, then who?”

Ken smiled. “You remember Randy O’Brien, the one we call Antibody. He has recently acquired dimension hopping abilities with his antibodies. The Living Tribunal said nothing of him, did he?”

Kayla was ecstatic. “I would love to see my Wendall again.”

“And I’m sure him, you.”

Carrying each female under his arms, Ken flew back to NSC headquarters.

Later at National Security Council Headquarters…

“Are you sure you can bring me back home to my Earth?” Kayla Ballantine asked of the assembled paranormals at the government institute. “Back to my Wendell. I should probably be angry at him from deserting me but I’m not. I guess that’s what true love is all about.”

Antibody approached Kayla and gestured with his arms, creating an interdimensional vortex with the energy of his antibodies. “I believe I can. It worked with Michael Proudhawk and now we are going to use all our paranormal muscle to beat him once and for all. With the Old Man on his side, he and Derek Shiningstar could be unbeatable.”

“Stop babbling, Randy. Just do it.”

Kayla stared at the vortex and saw Quasar talking with Guardian and Solarman of Alpha Flight. “I didn’t know that Quasar hung out with the Canadian heroes.”

“He does now, in your present time. All you have to do is walk through and all will back to normal for you.”

Kayla walked through the vortex and joined Quasar and Alpha Flight. Randy started to close the vortex, as the paranormals listened to the conversation of the reunion between woman and hero.

“Kayla, what are you doing here, I thought you were gone forever. I am so sorry for abandoning you. You know I love you.” Quasar blurted out in one breath.

The two lovers embraced. Then, they kissed.

The vortex closed. All was right with the world.

In the new universe, there was an explosion, Randy reeling from the impact hoping that that didn’t affect the vortex. It was Michael Proudhawk and the Old Man.

Kenneth Connell, still weakened from his earlier fight, was ready to renew his attack on the giver of the Star Brand. “What do you want with me?”

“Dear Derek does not want you, Ken,” the Old Man said, “but he does want your child, your Star Child.” The Old Man pointed at Ken’s offspring. “He has deep dark experiments in mind to find out the true nature of the Star Brand. Better him than me. So give it up, Ken. You’re finished.”

The NSC agents heard Ken Connell scream in pain.

“Ken, what is it? What’s wrong?’

“Spitfire, get back. He has just been separated from his two other selves. He’s not in his right mind—he doesn’t even know who we are!”

Ken Connell turned his head and faced the agents enraged. Ken lashed out at the agents. He choked Spitfire. He grabbed Nightmask and slammed the dreammaster against the wall. Tyrone Jessup, in his energy form, soared around Ken until he grabbed his neck and he was transformed into his human form. With a single blow, Ken flattened Justice, Stephanie Harrington, and Dave Landers. As Randy O’Brien soared towards his agent friend, Ken smote him with a slap. Jack Magniconte hurled his fist and Ken caught it, throwing it back at Jack. As Jack screamed in pain, Ken punched him. With most of the agents defeated, Ken turned to the rest of his family.

Meanwhile on his reservation, Eugene Proudhawk exited his tee pee and for the first time in his young life, he had fashioned a costume that is similar to Psi-hawk’s.

“Well, grandmother, how do I look?”

Beside him laid Emily the shaman on a bed, who nodded in satisfaction. “You need to stop the madness that has claimed Kenneth Connell. Only you can stop him and Michael. Go, my grandson. Fare you well.”

Ken Connell raised his hand to punch the Old Man but a feathered arm caught it. “It’s me, Ken. Psi-hawk. I advise you to stop this senseless madness.”

“No one shall stop me from killing him.”

And the battle began. The two semi-mortals battled. Punch after punch, no side seemed to be giving way.

The Old Man pondered. “This stranger seems to be the equal of Ken. Possibly the NSC agents can be the only ones who can turn the battle in Ken’s favor. Bu they are my enemies. Very well, I know what to do.”

The Old Man used the Star Brand to try to revive the agents but o no avail. They were beyond help. Then, the Old Man teleported Emily before him.

“Shaman, I order you to heal the NSC agents. Do it!!”

“Yes.”

Emily gathered the agents to her hut and started to convert part of her life-force to each of the agents.

Psi-hawk finally downed Ken Connell. He raised his hand for the final blow.

“Ken, no! You shall not die by Psi-hawk. “

The grassy area where the two paranormals fought exploded. Only Ken Connell was spared by the Star Brand. Psi-hawk was also unhurt by the power of the Psi-force children.

The Old Man’s blast helped Ken to regain his sanity and he charged at his other self. Ken punched him and Psi-hawk hurled a telekinetic blast at the Old Man and he collapsed.

“Old Man, what have I done?”

“Think not of injuring your other self, Ken, but think of that maybe the Old Man’s madness will dissipate and your friends will finally be healed of their injuries.”

Moments later, the Old Man awakened and embraced Ken Connell.

“Ken, can you muster the strength to forgive me for being a fool of a fool. It was Michael Proudhawk who used his push powers to make me think you were my enemy again.”

Ken laughed. “Don’t you realize that it is too dangerous for the three of us to be separated?”

Using the Star Brand, the Old Man and the Star Child merged with Ken Connell to form one being. The nightmare was over.

In the hut of health, Emily divided her life-force amongst the NSC agents. For long moments, they did not move but suddenly they arose together.

“Thank you, grandmother, for healing myself and my friends. I can never repay you.”

“Eugene, knowing that Ken Connell and you are healthy is all he payment I need.”

Eugene Proudhawk stormed out of the hut of health. “It seems that Michael Proudhawk has escaped for the moment. We must be on the guard for his master Derek Shiningstar’s next plans. We must be prepared for what must come next.”