Dedication

To everyone that has been reading this series and the Streaks of Purple Saga, thank you! You guys rock and make me continue to want to write these books! When I started these series' I was in high school in a creative writing class and I was on a Power Ranger kick so I was writing fanfiction based on Power Rangers when I created Alexis Darling (The Purple Ranger from the Streaks of Purple Saga) and then I started work on the Spectrum Force. As time went on, one of my friends suggested I start a website to put my fanfiction on (which we did) and then I found Bookrix.com! After all these years, I'm transferring my fanfiction into book format here on Bookrix to share it with a new generation of audience! I hope you all continue reading these stories! There's more to come!

Author's Note

This story takes place during "Uncanny X-Men -1", when Rachel Summers (a.k.a Phoenix, a.k.a Mother Askani) travels back in time to retrieve her ally Sanctity. I made up the year 1980 because of comic books' annoying tendency to never give the reader a date. The character Phoenix is owned by Marvel Comics Group.

Part One: Fire In the Sky

Chapter One

Circling high above the planet Earth is an asteroid. But, the existence of this asteroid is unknown to the vast majority of the population of the blue and green planet. The asteroid is actually a space ship, that has traveled throughout the galaxy, trying to conquer planets and absorb their life energy, all for the good of the Denebian Empire. Usually, the empire comes against little resistance, because the Denebians are a race of beings highly skilled in black magic. However, the Denebian forces aboard this vessel, who are lead by the empress Phaedra herself, are having a great amount of difficulty conquering this comparatively backwater world. The reason is because this planet has a small but mighty team of super-powered beings called the Spectrum Force. The Spectrum Force is nothing more than a group of young humans, who gain power from the force of white light, but they have successfully come between Phaedra and victory on several occasions. Now, the usually powerful empire is weakening, because of the vast amount of energy wasted in trying to defeat the Spectrum Force. So the empress has set her sights on a new goal--finding an unlimited power source, so her empire can defeat all opposition without depleting their energy supplies.

Not long ago, the empress sent her wizard Morose to the distant planet Edenia, where he was to lay claim to the infinitely powerful Pyramid of Power. However, the Spectrum Force managed to prevent Morose from bringing the Pyramid back to Phaedra. As a token of gratitude, the Pyramid bestowed the six young heroes with the Elemental Armory, allowing them to call upon the force of nature when battling evil. So the Spectrum Force has become even more powerful, and Phaedra is running out of options.

A short while later, Phaedra's youngest child Celea joined her in her battle against the Spectrum Force. Celea utilized an ancient spell she had mastered-- which sent its victims to the Limbo of Lucifer, where they will forever be tormented. But the Spectrum Force managed to escape Celea's magics by pure force of luck, and ended up in a parallel dimension, which also had a team of heroes. This event opened Phaedra's eyes to the possibilities of other universes. Inside the vast plane of the Multiverse, Phaedra found something shocking-- something that the Denebian Empire has been searching for for centuries. Existing in the Multiversal passageway is the energy signature of an interdimensional being, which is life incarnate. This being has been chased by Denebian forces for its powers, and over a century ago, it managed to escape them by means of a magical portal. The being could never be found again, and the Denebians eventually gave up, assuming that this creature had vanished forever. But now, Phaedra knows the truth-- it didn't vanish from existence. It only passed through a Multiversal portal, and took refuge in an alternate reality. Phaedra found traces of the entity's eternal flame suspended inside the Multiverse. This kind of power signature is only emitted when a being of immeasurable power passes through the Multiverse.

Presently, Empress Phaedra and Princess Celea await the arrival of a powerful ally. Acheron, the emperor of the Denebian Empire, is the one most obsessed with finding the eternal flame, and he is presently en route to Phaedra's asteroid from the homeworld of Deneb. A black, spherical space ship passes through the Hyperspace Portal within the atmosphere of Jupiter, and immediately flies towards Earth at a speed that defies the laws of physics. Only moments later, the sphere docks inside the asteroid ship, and an army of Denebian citizens stationed on the asteroid surround the sphere and stand in line, preparing to salute their leader. The gates open, and a tall man with pale gray skin, flowing forest green hair, and piercing blood red eyes marches down the red carpet. His long black cape flies behind him as he hurries past the royal guard, and into the throne room, where his wife and only daughter await. Acheron steps into the throne room, and finds Phaedra sitting upon her throne, adorned in the traditional black gown worn for occasions of celebration. Celea has also done away with her battle uniform, and wears a gown similar to her mother's. Acheron smiles at his family, and watches as they both descend from the platform, and greet him. Celea nods in respect to her father, while Phaedra herself places her hand on Acheron's shoulder, which is the traditional greeting of the Denebian Royal couple.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard your message, my dear," said Acheron, "After all this time, the Eternal Flame has returned! Wherever did you find her?"

"I didn't just yet," said Phaedra, "I merely found where she is hiding. You see, I recently tracked the Multiversal transit of a fraction of the Eternal Flame. Apparently, the Eternal Flame has bonded with a human, who presently lives far in the future of another dimension. She recently passed through the Multiverse, traveling back in time. Now she is in the past, but she will soon return to the future. In order to capture her, we must create a powerful portal that leads right here. I felt that you should be here, to assist Celea and me in the creation of such a powerful portal."

Acheron thought about it for a moment. "You say the Eternal Flame has bonded with a human?"

"Yes," said Celea, "The Eternal Flame is a being of pure energy, but she has infused a part of her energy into a human being, making her corporeal."

"Even a fraction of the Eternal Flame's energies will power the Denebian Armada for eons!" said Acheron, "And, if we capture the human host, we can surely separate the Eternal Flame from her! Who is the host, and where is she now?"

"She is called Rachel Summers," said Phaedra, "and she now exists in the year 1980, in South Dakota of Earth 616, by Roma's Multiversal Count."

"Once she leaves this 'South Dakota' on her way back to the future, we shall be ready."

Chapter Two

Rachel Summers has traveled back two-thousand years in the past to find her friend Tanya Trask, who is also known as Sanctity. Both young women are powerful telepaths, as well as time-travelers, and they both were actually born in the twentieth century. By accident, Rachel Summers was hurled into the distant future, and banded together a team of heroes called the Askani, which means "outcast". Rachel recruited Tanya Trask, whose natural time-travel mutant powers sent her into the future. Tanya came back to the past in an attempt to change a horrible future, even though she's risking disrupting the river of time by doing so. Rachel is here to stop her.

"We have to go now, Sanctity," said Rachel, "There's no telling how much damage our presence here has already done."

Tanya nodded silently, and the two young women were both immersed in flaming golden light. They vanished from their location, and passed through the vast expanse of the Multiverse. But, during transit, Rachel Summers was pulled into a strange tunnel, leaving Sanctity alone in the passageway to the future. It was only when she arrived that she noticed Rachel didn't come with her. Tanya found herself alone in the leafy forest that serves as the Askani base of operations. Once she arrived, other Askani warriors came from their hiding places, and surrounded Tanya.

"Sanctity," said one, "where is the Mother?"

"I... I don't know!" she cried, "Rachel's gone!"

Chapter Three

A black portal opened in the center of the throne room, and a young woman with curly red hair, wearing a red and gold bodysuit fell through. She landed with a thud.

"Ow," she moaned, touching her head, "I remember Multiversal transit being a little more bearable, Tanya."

Rachel Summers looked up, and to her surprise, she didn't see her companion. And, to add to her surprise, she didn't see the familiar wooden glade where the Askani Clan built its base. Instead, she finds herself in a dark room, elegantly decorated with dark gems and black marble.

"At last," said a chilling male voice, "After over a century of searching, I have finally found you, Eternal Flame."

"Who are you?" asked Rachel, rising to her feet. The source of the voice stepped out of the shadows, his face still darkened by the shadow cast from his forest mane. His red eyes glowed with an unnatural power.

"Come now," he chuckled, "You really don't remember me, Eternal Flame? Search deeply, child, and you will recognize me from years past."

Rachel studied his face curiously, until her eyes widened with surprise. Her green eyes glowed as memories that weren't her own poured into her mind, displaying scenes of relentless chases and obsessive exploits. Rachel gasped as the light dimmed, and the memories of the remaining essence of the Phoenix Force within her opened her eyes to the being standing before her. Rachel couldn't help but shudder.

"Ah," said Acheron, noticing her discomfort, "I knew you remembered me, Phoenix."

"What do you want, Acheron?" Rachel barked.

"What I've wanted since I first learned of your existence, Eternal Flame... I want your power. Your infinite life energy."

"I hate to break it to you," said Rachel, slowly stepping away from the dark emperor, "but the Phoenix Force separated from my body several months ago. The essence returned to the universe. I can't help you."

"But you can," said another voice, coming from behind her. Rachel spun around on her high heels to see a woman, dressed in a flowing black gown, with forest green hair similar to Acheron's. Her eyes also glowed with evil.

"And you are?"

"Phaedra, the Empress of the Denebian Empire. I am the one who finally found you. Even though you no longer have possession of the Phoenix Force itself, you have access to a portion of her limitless powers. It may not be as much as the Eternal Flame has, but half of infinity is still infinity. I'm sure you get the idea."

Rachel's eyes widened again as she realized their evil intentions. Her eyes glowed with orange flames, as she released the flames of the Phoenix through her skin, filling the dark chamber with incandescent light. Both the emperor and empress hid themselves from the powerful rays, and Rachel took advantage of the opportunity, and fired a beam of energy through the tainted glass window. The window shattered under the force of Phoenix's massive energy beam, and she leapt out of the window. The orange aura of flaming power surrounded Rachel's body, protecting her from the coldness of space, and it took the form of a flaming bird. In seconds, Rachel was hovering over the planet Earth, thinking of her next move.

"The Denebians followed me home!" she shrieked, "I need to find some help!"

Rachel let her mind call out, searching for one of her telepathic Askani followers. But none obeyed her unspoken calls.

"Maybe... I'm back in the 1900's?" she said, trying again. But once again, she couldn't find a familiar psi-print. Rachel frowned in frustration. "Where the heck am I?!" she shouted, "There must be some kind of mutants here!"

Rachel focused again, and swept the entire globe with her scan. She finally did discover a mutant telepathic mind, somewhere in California. But, it was so weak, it was barely noticeable.

"Well," she shrugged, "I don't know where else to go."

With that, Rachel descended to Earth, headed for California. From inside the asteroid, Acheron and Phaedra watched her depart.

"Where is she going?" asked Phaedra, "Who could she know on this planet?"

"I don't know," said Acheron, "But it matters not. I shall find her."

Chapter Four

Saturday morning, at nine o'clock, Christopher Greyson wakes up at the conclusion of a peculiar dream.

"It... it was a dream," he whispered, sitting up in bed, "But it seemed so... real. And I remember it so well, even after I'm awake."

Chris shakes his head, trying to clear his mind, and glances at the alarm clock beside his bed.

"I'm late!" he yelled, "I didn't even hear the alarm go off!"

Chris hopped out of bed, grabbing his bath towel, and headed for the shower. Five minutes later, the tall, tan young man hurried back into the bedroom, his tone body and curly dark hair dripping with water, and a white towel around his waist. He searched frantically through his chest of drawers, and the noise woke his roommate, Kevin, who was still asleep on the other side of the bedroom.

"A little less noise, please?" he muttered, opening his eyes and frowning.

"Sorry about that, Kevin," said Chris, selecting a green and blue UCLA T-shirt and blue jeans, "but I'm running late."

"Late?" Kevin yawned, stretching his arms, "Late for what? Its Saturday, isn't it?"

"Yes it is, and I'm going to breakfast with Rachel. I was supposed to be at her apartment at a quarter of nine!"

"Rachel, the Cuban girl downstairs?" asked Kevin, "She's hot! So, are you two serious?"

"What do you mean, 'serious'?" asked Chris, running back into the bathroom to get dressed.

"What do people usually mean, Chris? Have you fallen for her?"

"We only met last weekend!" called Chris, "This is the first time we ever went out without the whole gang going, except when I walked her to class."

"So, you're already escorting her around campus."

"We go to the same class," said Chris, stepping out of the bathroom and headed towards the door, "I'll be back later."

Chris waved goodbye to his roommate, and waited for the elevator just down the hall. While he waited, he began to think about the dream that disrupted his sleep last night.

What is wrong with me? Why am I letting this thing bother me? It was only a dream. Wasn't it?

Meanwhile, on the fifth floor of the same apartment building, Keith Maloy, Matthew O'Conner, Tamara Fox, and Craig Gillis sit around the kitchen table of the girls' apartment, waiting patiently while Jocelyn put the finishing touches on breakfast.

"Are you sure you don't want help, Joce?" asked Tamara.

"Nah, I can handle it," said Jocelyn, mixing the pancake batter, "Just be patient."

"Where's Rachel anyway?" asked Matt, "Studying the weekend away at the library again?"

"Actually, she's in her room," said Tamara with a grin, "getting ready for her date."

"Date?" asked Keith, "Really? With that Chris guy?"

"Uh, huh," said Tamara, smiling widely, "I knew they'd make a good couple."

Just then, Rachel stepped out of her bedroom.

"Well," she said, turning full circle, "what do you think?"

Rachel was wearing a deep purple sleeveless "V" neck sundress, with white flowers decorating the lightweight fabric. The skirt nearly reached her knees, and she wore high heeled white sandals, to match. Her hair was worn free, cascading around her face and neck in dark waves with some reddish highlights from the California sun.

"Wow," said Craig, "you look great, Ray."

"Aren't you a bit overdressed for breakfast?" asked Keith.

"I'd say," said Matt, "she must really like this guy."

Rachel blushed slightly, and then frowned at Matthew.

"For your information, I just felt like getting dressed up, is all."

"Sure you did," said Matt with a knowing smile.

"Uh, when is Chris coming?" asked Jocelyn, trying to change the subject.

"He should've been hear about twenty minutes ago," said Rachel, glancing down at her watch, "I wonder what's keeping him."

"He's twenty minutes late?" said Matt, "That's pretty bad, since he lives like six flights of stairs away."

Before Rachel could yell at her opinionated friend, there was a knock at the door. Rachel shot Matt a disapproving glare before she opened the door, and smiled up at Chris.

"Uh, sorry I'm so late," he said sheepishly, "I had some trouble sleeping--"

Chris stopped talking as his eyes ran up and down Rachel's tall, stunning form.

"Uh, wow, Ray," he stuttered, "You look... fabulous!"

Rachel smiled brightly at the compliment, and took Chris' hand.

"See ya later, gang," she called, stepping out the door.

"So," said Keith, "what are the rest of us going to do today?"

"I was planning on jogging a bit," said Tamara, "Its great exercise, and its such a beautiful day!"

"That's an idea," said Craig, "How much do you jog? A mile? Two miles?"

"Actually," she said, "I jog around the campus."

"Around the whole campus?!" said Matthew incredulously, "As in the whole UCLA campus?! That's like twenty miles!"

"Its seventeen miles," said Keith, "and believe me, she means it."

"Ah, come on, gang," Tamara said excitedly, "It'll be fun!"

"Yeah, right," grunted Craig, "and I'll spend the rest of the weekend in a hospital!"

"I'm game," said Jocelyn, "So long as we're back by four, though. I have diving practice at four-thirty, and we have a competition tomorrow against Drexford University."

"Don't worry. We'll be back in plenty of time."

Chapter Five

Rachel Castaneda and Christopher Greyson walkleisurely down Hamilton Walkway, which cuts through the center of the UCLA campus. The walkway is lined with colorful trees and bushes, as well as classroom buildings and stores. Presently, the couple is walking to the International House of Pancakes, which is just off campus. They walk in relative silence, and Rachel, being a very observant person, can tell Chris' mind was somewhere else, from the far-off look in his dark eyes.

"Chris?" she said finally, stopping, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" he said distractedly, "Oh, I'm fine, Rachel. Why do you ask."

"Because you haven't said a word since we left the High Rise! I know you're not that much of a talker, but still, that's not like you."

"Well, I was just thinking. That's all."

"About what?"

"Nothing important. It was just a... dream I had last night."

"Care to share?"

Chris looked at Rachel, and saw that she was genuinely concerned for him.

"Okay, what happened was, I saw this ball of flames coming at me from the sky. It kept getting closer, but for some reason, I didn't run away. I was... too curious, I guess. Anyway, once the flames came close enough, I could make out the shape of a bird. It was flying right at me, but I couldn't move. Just before it slammed into me, the bird took on another shape... of a girl, with red hair. But not red like Matt's hair--red like fire. Pretty weird, huh?"

"Not necessarily," said Rachel, taking Chris' hand, "I mean, since when do dreams make sense?"

"I guess you're right. But, the funny thing is, I can remember it so clearly. I mean, I have the girl's face blazed into my memory. I think I'd recognize her if I saw her."

Just then, a ball of blazing flames streaks across the sky, and lands in an alley nearby. Both Rachel and Chris are stunned by the event. The first to recover is Chris, who immediately began running to the crash site.

"Chris!" Rachel called, running after him, "Wait! It could be dangerous!"

But Chris didn't pay attention to Rachel's calls. He ran into the alley, and stopped when he saw a tall young woman with curly red hair, lying on the scorched ground. He stayed where he was, and watched as the girl moaned, and sat up. She pushed the red curls from her face, and shook her head.

"Two crashes in one day," she said aloud, "I must be losing my touch."

The girl looked up, and her green eyes locked with the dark ones of Chris, who just stood there and watched her. She rose to her feet, and studied his face.

"You..." Chris said, "You're the girl from my dream!"

"Dream?" she asked.

"Yes! The girl inside a ball of flames! The... the firebird..."

"Phoenix," she said with a smile, "Yep, I guess that would be me."

"Chris?" called a female voice. Rachel Castaneda stood behind the young man, and stared curiously at the red-headed visitor. She gasped.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Phoenix," she said, "and I appear to be lost..."

Phoenix once again looked at Chris. Her eyes began to glow with orange flames, startling both Chris and Rachel. She then gasped.

"You're the mutant!" she declared, "The one that I felt in outer space!"

Rachel looked from Chris to Phoenix, her face the very picture of confusion.

"Uh, do you two... know each other?" she asked quietly.

"No," said Phoenix, "but his powers called out to me. Are you a mutant, Chris?"

"What's a mutant?" he asked.

"Mutant? Homo-superior? Super beings?"

"The only super beings are the Spectrum Force," said Rachel.

"Spectrum Force?" asked Phoenix, "No, they aren't mutants. If they were, I would've sensed them when I scanned the planet. Chris is the only mutant I found."

"But, what exactly is a mutant?" Chris asked again.

Before Phoenix could answer, the ground began to quake.

"Oh no," Phoenix gasped, "The Denebians!"

"The Denebians?!" shrieked Rachel, as the ground opened up, letting the three youths fall into the deep, dark earth below. They screamed in alarm as the hole from which they came slowly closed, and Rachel didn't notice as her purple and silver ring slipped off her finger during the plummet.

Part Two: The Darkest of Hearts

Chapter Six

After what seemed like an eternity of falling, Christopher Greyson landed on the cold, hard dirt with a thud.

"Ow," he muttered bitterly, lifting himself up on his elbows and peering into the bleak darkness. Where the heck am I?

he thought. And more importantly, where's Rachel? And Phoenix?

"Interesting," said a deep voice, "So, you are the human Phoenix sought out when she arrived. A kindred spirit, perhaps?"

"Who's there?" Chris called. He jumped when he saw two small red orbs glow, illuminating the room with an eerie red light. Chris quickly realized that the two orbs were the eyes of a tall man with flowing green hair, and wrapped in a black cape. The man stepped over to Chris, and stared down at him.

"I am Acheron, Lord of the Denebian Empire," he announced, "Tell me, boy, why did Phoenix fly around the globe to find you? What kind of powers do you possess?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Chris snapped. Acheron frowned, and bent down. He grabbed Chris' collar and pulled him up until his feet dangled a foot off the ground.

"Do not speak to me with insolence!" Acheron roared, "You'll only anger me, and then your chances of surviving this ordeal will diminish."

"What... what do you want?" choked Chris, trying to wriggle free of Acheron's vice-like grip.

"I want power," Acheron said, dropping Chris, "I brought Phoenix here through the Multiverse because she possessed the power of life incarnate. The Phoenix Force, the source of the girl's power, is limitless life energy. Such power will surely empower my armies forever."

Chris tried to catch his breath, and once again lifted his face from the dirt. He turned to the evil emperor, and touched the stream of blood pouring from his nose. "What does this have to do with me and Rachel?"

"When I found Phoenix, she was with you," Acheron said, stepping away from Chris, "There must be a reason for this, young man. I intend on finding out what it is."

With that, Acheron made a gesture with his right hand, and the shadows cast by the red glow seemed to move. Four black shapes took the form of men, and surrounded Chris, who was still lying on the dirt.

"Bring him," Acheron said, walking into the darkness. Chris struggled against the four Shadow Warriors, but he stood little chance against their superior strength. Acheron led the Shadows through a dark tunnel, until they reached a large iron gate. The gate parted as the emperor approached, and a dull red light poured forth. The Shadows carried Chris in, and the latter looked around in surprise. The room was a large cave within the rocks beneath Langstrum Alps. There were dozens of Shadow Warriors throughout the chamber, as well as two translucent spheres, each just large enough for a person. Between the two spheres is a row of large cylinders, each one metallic, with wires connecting them to the two spheres. Inside the sphere on the left was the silhouette of a woman suspended in the center. Every so often, the pulsing red light coming from that sphere increased intensity. Acheron laughed.

"My dear Eternal Flame," he said, "don't waste your energy. The sphere was designed to contain your primal energies, so the incandescent rays you emit will not affect me. Put the boy in the other sphere."

The Shadows obeyed, and roughly tossed Christopher inside the second sphere. They closed it, and then Acheron stood beside it, staring at Chris from the outside.

"If you are a mutant like Phoenix, then your energies will be a nice addition to what I can absorb from her. If not, at least I'll have your personal life force."

"You won't get away with this!" Phoenix cried from her own sphere, "I'll find a way out of here! I swear once I get my hands on you I'll--"

"Your arrogance is astounding," chucked Acheron, turning on the machine. Instantly, life energy began pouring through the cables into the batteries. Phoenix didn't feel the power drain at first, because her life energy is infinite. But Chris, on the other hand, shrieked in pain and curled into a fetal position on the bottom of the sphere. He clenched his teeth as tears poured down his cheek.

"I guess he doesn't possess the powers of Phoenix," Acheron said, watching the young man's plight coldly, "Oh well, whatever. In a few hours, I'll have every drop of Phoenix energy!"

Phoenix gasped as she let herself drop to the bottom of the sphere. There's no point in fighting the energy drain,

she thought, concentrating her powers, Acheron's been planning this moment for centuries. One would think he'd be prepared to deal with the Phoenix Force. He can't kill me, no matter how much energy he takes. The Phoenix always rises from the ashes. But Chris is another matter... *Chris, can you hear me?*

Chris' eyes were squeezed shut, but he couldn't help but hear the gentle voice in his head. Who's there?

*It's me, Phoenix. Look, I'm really sorry I got you into this. If I didn't seek you out, Acheron wouldn't even have known about you.*

What's... happening to me?

*Acheron is absorbing your life energy. He assumed that, because you are a mutant, you'd have a vast amount of life energy. That's not the case. The energy drain you're experiencing now will kill you. I'll try to help you, but you're gonna have to help me, too.*

What do I do?

*You have telepathic powers, Christopher. That's how I sensed you from outer space. They are latent, but the Phoenix Force can activate them, if you try. You have to open your mind, and reach out to me. If I can create a psionic rapport, I can share the Phoenix Force between us. That should keep you alive. For a while, at least.*

Psionic rapport?

*Yes. Its a mental link. Through it, I can send you some of the energy of the Phoenix Force. Trust me, Chris. Its your only hope.*

I'll... try...

Chris concentrated to the best of his ability, given the circumstances. Despite the fact that his telepathic powers were latent, the presence of the Phoenix Force within him ignited his potential in a matter of seconds. Chris' eyes shot open and he took a deep breath, as he could feel the burning flames coursing through his veins. His heart began pounding painfully, and his eyes watered.

Acheron turned around, and noticed that Chris' chamber was also glowing with a faint, fiery light. He smiled triumphantly.

Excellent,

he thought. By sharing the Force with the boy, Rachel Summers is inadvertently speeding up the absorption process. She'll soon be feeling the energy drain. She can keep the boy alive for now, but it's only a matter of time before I absorb all the energy the Phoenix Force had left in the woman. No one can save them here. Phoenix has no allies in this dimension.

Chapter Seven

Meanwhile, about a mile above the caverns, four UCLA students jog down the Hamilton Walkway. In order, a fair ebony-haired girl dressed in yellow passed a bench, followed by a tan, blonde young man in red, a slim, orange-clad girl with caramel hair, and finally a tall, muscular, dark young man in blue. The one in blue panted uncontrollably, and dropped onto the bench, stretching his tired limbs. He pulled the white towel from around his neck, and began to wipe the beads of sweat forming on his bald head. Seeing that he had stopped, the girl in orange also stopped running, and lay down on the grass along the walkway. The young woman in the lead turned around, jogging in place.

"What's wrong, guys?" she asked.

"I... I can't... take it... anymore... Tamara," panted the dark man, "It's... been... over an hour..."

"So?" asked Tamara, "Did you think this kind of run would be easy? Its seventeen miles!"

"I agree... with Craig," said the brunette girl, "I can't... feel my legs."

"You're exaggerating," said the blonde man with a smile, "right, Jocelyn?"

"Not really, Keith," she panted, lying her head on the grass, "Go ahead without me. I'll call a cab."

"Me too," said Craig, "I won't be able to move in the morning!"

"Where's Matthew?" asked Tamara, stopping her jog and looking back into the distance, "He was right behind you, Craig."

"I... I think he stopped at Seven Eleven," said Craig, "Something about a French Vanilla Cappuccino?"

"I think we've run enough for today," said Keith, sitting down on the bench beside Craig and stretching his legs, "We're halfway around the campus. That's plenty of exercise."

"Let's go find Matt, and catch a cab," said Jocelyn.

"We could always fly home," said Craig with a smile, "We have our rings, right? Its more convenient, and cheaper, too."

"I don't think Spectra would like that," said Tamara, "We have these rings to preserve the planet, not make our lives easier."

"Well, she didn't say we couldn't

." Craig pointed out.

"Still--" started Keith, when he noticed his red Spectrum Stone began to glow purple, "Uh, oh."

"Rachel's in trouble!" said Tamara, glancing around her, "The coast is clear. We'd better get to Cloud Castle and find out what's happening!"

"What about Matt?" asked Jocelyn, "Shouldn't we find him or something?"

"No time," said Keith, "He can catch up with us."

The four young men and women raised their rings to the sky, and each was immersed in his/her signature color. Then, they all lifted off the ground, and flew up into the clouds. They stopped at one cloud, which was tangible, and walked into the large, golden castle upon it. Once they entered the castle, they were in a large hall, with a golden podium, and a throne sitting upon it, decorated with gemstones of varying colors. Sitting on that throne was a snow-white woman with curly pink hair, wearing pale robes.

"What's happening, Spectra?" asked Keith, stepping forward, "Where's Rachel?"

"I don't know," said Spectra solemnly, "She hasn't answered any of my telepathic calls. What I do know is that, a short time ago, a being of great power arrived in Langstrum Alps. The power signature was familiar, but before I could investigate, it vanished. I'm detecting magical activity beneath the city, in the caverns deep in the planet's crust. The Purple Stone is there as well."

"What would the Denebians be doing underground?" asked Tamara.

"Well, they can't survive in sunlight," stated Craig, "Maybe they're waiting until sunset?"

"It doesn't matter," said Keith, "We need to find Rachel anyway. If she's not responding to Spectra's call, then something must be wrong."

"Isn't she supposed to be with Chris?" asked Jocelyn.

"I guess. They may both be in trouble."

Just then, a streak of green light passed through the large open window in the throne room. The light took the form of a young, slender man, with short red hair.

"Matt," said Keith, "where the heck have you been?"

"For your information, I was helping a damsel in distress. Veronica needed some help carrying her shopping bags to her apartment, so I volunteered."

"You're so chivalrous, Matt," said Jocelyn sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Aren't I, though?" Matt said with a grin, "So, what's going on? What happened to Rachel? My ring was glowing purple..."

"We're about to find out," said Keith, "Okay gang, let's sync, and then explore those underground tunnels. Hopefully, we'll find Rachel and Chris. Spectrum Sync... RED!!"

"Spectrum Sync... ORANGE!!" called Jocelyn.

"Spectrum Sync... YELLOW!!" cried Tamara.

"Spectrum Sync... GREEN!!" yelled Matthew.

"Spectrum Sync... BLUE!!" bellowed Craig.

In seconds, each Spectrum Enforcer was wrapped in bright light, and dressed in their colored uniform, with black leggings and sleeves, white boots and gloves, a colored face mask with blue visor, and a golden belt. The Red Enforcer rose to the sky, the wind blowing through his long blonde hair.

"Let's move," he said, "We have to find Rachel, before something bad happens."

"Why do I have the feeling something bad already happened?" whispered Tamara.

Chapter Eight

After what seemed like forever, Rachel Castaneda's perilous plummet into the Earth's crust comes to an end. However, she was fortunate enough not to land on hard rock, which would've surely broken her spine. She landed in a relatively soft pool of mud.

"Eugh," she muttered, wiping the mud off her face and dress, "this dress is history. I should learn to never dress up!"

Rachel climbed out of the mud, and felt around in the darkness.

"Chris?" she called, "Phoenix? Hello?"

Rachel sighed, and gave up trying to find her missing companions.

This looks like a job for the Purple Enforcer,

she thought, raising her hand to the sky. She then noticed that the silver and purple Spectrum Stone, which allows her access to her super powers, was no longer on her hand.

"Oh no," she moaned, "I don't believe this! Where is it?!"

Rachel immediately fell to her knees, and searched the sandy dirt and mud for the missing ring. It must be here somewhere! I know I had it on when I left the apartment! Without it, I can't contact the rest of the Force!

After a few minutes, Rachel found the wall. She sighed again, and rose to her feet. She kept one hand on the wall, to orient herself.

Its no use! I'll never find it in this darkness! I can't even see where I'm--

The sound of footsteps broke Rachel's thoughts. She listened in complete silence, her entire body freezing.

"Are you sure there was a third person?" she heard a female voice say, "And it is in this direction? Who is it, Father, just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Oh, I see, a hostage. In case the human male doesn't cooperate. I'll find it."

That's Celea!

Rachel thought with dread. This isn't good. Who knows what she'll do if she finds me?

Rachel quietly lay down on the ground, in an attempt to hide from Celea. She felt around, and located a small boulder sitting before her. She hid behind it, and peeked out. From her position, Rachel could see two small red orbs glowing slightly, illuminating the surrounding area with red light. She could make out most of Celea's face easily.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Human," Celea called, walking around the black tunnels, "So long as your boyfriend cooperates, you'll both get out of this alive. You can't hide from me forever!"

Celea scanned the tunnel with her red vision, but she didn't see anyone. She sighed aloud, and brought her hands together They began to pulse with a soft yellow light. She threw the sphere of light into the air, and it attached to the ceiling, dimly lighting the room.

"I can't summon Shadows without shadows!" Celea said aloud, snapping her fingers. Fourteen Shadow Warriors slinked out of the shadows cast by the boulders in the chamber.

"Search the surrounding tunnels for a human female," Celea ordered, "Once you find her, bring her to me and my father in the main chamber. And hurry up!"

With that, Celea left the chamber, and continued down the hall. The Shadows split up into seven groups of two, and each group went into a different cave. Two remained in this chamber, and began searching for the missing girl.

At least I can see now!

Rachel thought as she peeked out from her hiding place. All I have to do is take out these two Shadows, and find my ring before reinforcements come.

"No sweat," she assured herself aloud, rising to her feet. She leaned flat against the wall, and watched as the two Shadows searched the other side of the chamber. While their backs were turned, she slowly made her way towards them, moving as quietly as a cat. But before she could strike, the one closest to her turned around. Rachel managed to deliver a quick hit to its face with her right elbow, startling the creature a bit. The other Shadow immediately became amorphous, and therefore intangible. Rachel continued her attack on the stunned Shadow, following up her initial attack with a quick blow to its stomach with her knee and a snap-kick. Then, the other Shadow materialized behind her, and grabbed her by her forearms. It lifted her clear off the ground, and held her over its head. Rachel's head tilted back, until she could see the ground behind the Shadow. As luck would have it, she noticed a flash of purple light. Only a few yards behind the Shadow was her Spectrum Stone, half-buried in dirt. Rachel yelled when she realized the Shadow was carrying her out of the chamber.

"Oh no you don't!" she shrieked, struggling with all her might. She managed to stick the Shadow's blood red eye with the sharp heel of her white sandal, stunning the creature. In instinctively became amorphous, letting Rachel drop the seven feet to the ground. She landed on her back painfully, but she wasn't too injured to quickly recover. When she did, she noticed the other Shadow, that she had attacked first, was coming towards her at a frighteningly quick speed. Rachel remained on her back, and waited for the creature to run within her reach. When it did, she raised her knees to her chin, and pushed up with her hands, launching her feet into the creature's chest. It became amorphous before her feet could hit, so she ended up leaping to her feet. She quickly caught her bearings, and ran to where she had seen her Spectrum Stone. She found it, and slid it onto her finger, just in time to create a Spectrum Shield around her body before the relentless Shadow Warriors could attack.

"Now you're in trouble," Rachel said with a grin, "Spectrum Sync... PURPLE!!"

The energy bubble encasing Rachel Castaneda was filled with blinding purple light. Then, the bubble exploded, reducing the two Shadow Warriors to ashes. The Purple Enforcer smiled at her work, and floated off the ground.

"I've got to find Chris!" she said, "There's no telling what the Denebians will do to him!" *Guys, its Rachel. Do you hear me?*

Chapter Nine

Not far away, the five other members of the Spectrum Force walk slowly through the winding tunnels of the underground labyrinth, searching for any clue to their leader's whereabouts.

"This is hopeless!" cried Craig in frustration, "These tunnels are endless! We'll never find anything here!"

"Well," said Jocelyn, "look on the bright side: at least we haven't bumped into trouble yet."

"If we did, then we'd know that we're going in the right direction," Matt pointed out.

*Guys,*

rang a voice in their heads, *it's Rachel. Do you hear me?*

"Did you hear that?" asked Keith, "Rachel's okay!" *We hear you, Rachel.*

*Where the heck are you?*

thought Craig.

*I... I don't know. I fell through a hole up in the alley, and I ended up here. I'm in a cave, but there're tons of them!*

*Is Chris with you?*

asked Tamara.

*No, but he's somewhere down here. So is Phoenix.*

*Who?*

asked Matthew.

*Phoenix is some kind of super-powered woman that the Denebian Empire has been trying to capture. I don't know exactly what's going on, but she's in trouble. She's also a telepath. If we call out to her, maybe she'll hear us.*

*But, we've never 'mind-spoken'

with anyone other than another Enforcer,*

thought Jocelyn. *We don't even know her psi-print! How will we find her?*

*Search for a really powerful human mind. That'll be her. I'll see you soon.*

"Okay, gang," said Keith, "let's give it a try. We're looking for a very powerful human mind..."

Chapter Ten

Rachel Summers, the young woman granted the power of the nearly all-powerful Phoenix, has survived many challenges throughout her young life. She has thrown asteroids out of orbit with an after-thought, or even reconstructed the human DNA double-helix instantly. But presently, Rachel is fighting with all her might, merely to stay conscious. She could feel the drain on her powers, and the bond that she created with Christopher Greyson, in order to keep him alive, is making her even weaker. She is so dizzy, she nearly misses a soft telepathic whisper.

*Hello?*

it said. *Can anyone hear me?*

Rachel's bright green eyes widened instantly when she realized the voice wasn't coming from Chris. Rather, it was someone whom she has never mind-spoken with.

*Yes, I hear you,*

she responded. *Who are you?*

*I'm the Green Enforcer, a member of the Spectrum Force. Are you Phoenix?*

*Yes,*

thought Phoenix, perking up a bit. *Where are you?*

*We're in the tunnels, but we can't seem to find you.*

*Listen to me, Green Enforcer. I'll try to send out a telepathic signal to lead you to me, but in my weakened state, I don't know how long I can keep it up. You'd better hurry, because I'm the only thing keeping Christopher alive, and I can't do it for much longer!*

*Roger Wilco!*

*What?*

*Nothing. Nevermind.*

The telepathic connection was broken, and Rachel looked around her. The battery that was being charged with her Phoenix energies was glowing with fiery energy, and she could feel the emptiness from within. But, her own life-force wasn't in danger. The Phoenix Force will keep her alive, even without her guidance. But, she would need to remain conscious in order to maintain the link with Chris. Rachel muttered a silent prayer, asking for the strength to send out the beacon, while at the same time keep Chris alive. This was no easy job, but Rachel Summers prided herself in her ability to do the impossible.

Part Three: Fire in the Soul

Chapter Eleven

The Yellow, Blue, Green, Orange and Red members of the Spectrum Force continued to walk through the narrow tunnels beneath the city of Langstrum Alps. The Green Enforcer, who has been unusually quiet the past few minutes, stopped walking.

"Guys," he said, "I've made contact with Phoenix."

The remaining members of the Force turned around in surprise.

"Really?" asked Tamara, "Is she okay?"

"Where is she?" asked Jocelyn.

"Is Chris with her?" asked Craig.

"Easy, gang!" said Matt, holding up his hands, "I've still got her psi-trace. I think she's trying to lead us to her. We'd better hurry up, though. She said Chris' life is at stake."

The Spectrum Enforcers all took on a grim expression, as they linked their minds telepathically. Through the link, Matthew relayed the information Phoenix had given him at the speed of thought, as well as the exact print of the psi-trace she was leaving behind. When the link was broken, the five heroes hurried in the direction of the source of the psi-trace. Matthew called out to the remaining member of the Spectrum Force, who was lost somewhere within the maze of tunnels that surround him.

*Rachel? Can you hear me?*

*Matt?*

came the reply. *What's going on?*

*Where are you now?*

*In the tunnels! I have absolutely no idea where I am!*

*I established communications with Phoenix. Follow this psi-trace...*

Matthew transmitted the message to the Purple Enforcer.

*I'll meet you there!*

was her reply, and she broke communications. Matthew, and the four other Enforcers, sped through the tunnels as quickly as they could, desperately hoping they weren't already too late.

Chapter Twelve

Meanwhile, within the crystalline sphere that imprisons her, the mysterious Phoenix is fighting to stay conscious. Presently, the energies of the Phoenix Force are being drained from her body by some strange machine the Denebians created specifically for this vile purpose. At the same time, she is sharing the Phoenix energies with Christopher Greyson, a young man who just learned of his gift of mutant powers. Also, she is straining herself beyond limits by emitting a psionic beacon, to lead the Spectrum Force to her, in the hopes that they will be able to stop Acheron from stealing the Force from within her. Usually, Phoenix is excellent at hiding her telepathic exploits, masking them from others. But today she is barely able to stay conscious, much less prevent the telepathic Denebian emperor from listening in on the little conversation. But Acheron didn't reveal the fact that he had heard the telepathic passage between Phoenix and the Green Enforcer. He discreetly moved away from the energy-draining spheres, towards his daughter, who was blocking the doorway.

"Celea," he whispered, "I believe the Spectrum Force has decided to rain on our little parade. Tell me, did you ever find the third human, who was with Phoenix and Christopher at the time of their abduction?"

"No, Father," she replied, "I sent a group of Shadow Warriors to search for her, but they have found no trace of her. It is indeed peculiar."

"It matters not. Phoenix is asking their aid. They must not be allowed to reach this chamber! If a fight is carried on in here, damage may be done to the delicate machinery!"

"Do not worry, Father," said Celea, "I'll deal with them within the tunnels. There will be no sunlight to replenish them! Shadows! To me!"

The twenty Shadow Warriors who stood guard around the chamber obeyed Celea's command, and followed her as she moved through the darkness as swiftly and purposefully as a shark who has sensed the presence of blood in the water. Acheron remained inside the chamber, waiting patiently as the last nuances of energy were passed through the wires and into the batteries. Acheron smiled, and approached Phoenix, who was trembling with exertion.

"Why do you fight me so?" he asked her, touching the glass of her prison with his gray hand, "You will survive the experience. The Phoenix Force within you will replenish itself given enough time. You shall be a slave of the Denebian Empire, our very own rechargeable battery."

"You've... got to... be NUTS!" Phoenix muttered between clenched teeth, "If you... think that... I'll help you... without... one heck... of a fight!"

"You're brave, Eternal Flame, but you are powerless against me."

Chapter Thirteen

The Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Red Enforcers were moving through the tunnels. At this point, there was more room in the tunnels, easing their flight. Keith led the group, following the telepathic call of Rachel Summers.

"We must be close!" said Keith, flying through the dark tunnel, "I can sense Phoenix's beacon getting stronger!"

Without realizing it, Keith pulled away from the rest of the Spectrum Force, leaving a gap between them.

"Keith!" called Tamara, the one right behind him, "Wait up!"

Keith rounded a corner, and suddenly he was struck by an arrow of energy. He was momentarily stunned, and he reverted back to human form. Keith landed on the ground with a thud.

"What?" he said aloud. He could hear a cold laugh.

"Keith!" called Tamara, flying over to him, "what happened?"

Before Keith could answer, three Shadow Warriors appeared from nowhere, and tackled the unprepared Yellow Enforcer to the ground. Before she could react, another arrow sailed through the blackness, and struck its target accurately. Tamara also was disconnected from her powers, and therefore an easier target. Another crawled out of Keith's shadow, and grabbed him, stopping him from once again syncing with his powers.

"I happened," said a female voice, stepping out of the shadows. She was wearing a black leotard with golden belt, boots, and arm bands. She was holding a long bow.

"Celea!" snarled Keith, struggling agains the Shadow that held him tight.

"In the flesh. Quickly, Shadows, lets get out of this large passage. The others will be arriving shortly."

Celea and the four Shadow Warriors stepped into an ajoining tunnel, that was far narrower, and more difficult to maneuver in. She listened closely as the other three Enforcers rounded the corner, and looked around curiously.

"That's funny," said Craig, landing on the ground, "I could've sworn Keith and Tammy were right in front of us!"

A pulse of light from Craig's hand surprised him. He looked down, and took off his white glove. His blue Spectrum Stone was flashing with yellow and red light.

"Uh oh," he muttered, "Guys, Keith and Tamara have wandered into trouble!"

Celea smiled to herself, and pointed down the tunnel. The Shadow Warriors carried the two Spectrum Enforcers through the darkness, covering their mouths to prevent any screaming. Celea remained behind, and kept an eye on the other three.

So far, so good. The longer I delay them, the less energy they will have. Soon, they will be weak, and I will have the advantage!

Chapter Fourteen

Inside the darkness of a tunnel not too far from Acheron, a dim purple light guides the path of a young woman, who flies through the maze with determination. She is more frightened now than she has ever been before. Although she has yet to admit it to anyone, or even herself, she cares deeply for the young man who's life now hangs in the balance. She won't let anyone, or anything, stand between her and Christopher Greyson. As she flies, she sometimes passes Shadow Warriors, who were charged with the duty of searching for her. But Rachel has no time to waste on the mindless drones. She has bigger fish to fry.

Bands of yellow, green, red, blue, and orange light pulse from beneath her white glove. Rachel stops for a moment, and takes off her glove. Sure enough, her Purple Spectrum Stone is glowing in all the colors of her teammates. This can only mean one thing.

"Danger..."

*Keith?*

she called telepathically. *What's going on?*

Rachel stopped her flight, and hovered just above the stony ground. She frowned when she got no response.

*Craig? Can you hear me?*

*Rachel!*

came the answer. Rachel sighed in relief.

*What's going on? My stone's glowing in all five of your colors!*

*Keith and Tamara have vanished. And I think we're being watched.*

*Do you need my help?*

*No, I have a better idea. We'll distract whatever monster Phaedra sent against us. You find Phoenix and Christopher. Good luck.*

*You too.*

Rachel continued her flight, and soon, she detected a faint red light.

*Phoenix? Can you hear me?*

*Yes,*

responded Phoenix. *Barely.*

*I've found your energy signature. I'll be at your location in a flash. How many Shadows are in there?*

*None. There is only Acheron.*

*Who?*

*The Emperor of the Denebian Empire. Trust me, you'll know him when you see him.*

Rachel flew through the tunnel, and landed just outside a large iron gate. She stood right in front of it, and examined it carefully.

I don't think a blast of my purple energy will penetrate this iron, she thought, but, maybe if I tighten my blast into a laser beam, I can dislodge it...

Rachel brought her open palms together, and folded her fingers, with the exception of her index fingers. She pointed them at the top of the iron door, right where it connects to the rock above. A tight beam of bright light streamed from her fingers to the spot, and smoke and sand poured forth. She moved her hands around the door, destroying the hinges that kept it in place. The door fell inwards, and Rachel flew into the large chamber. She saw two clear spheres of glass, each one with a silhouette of a person within. Between the two spheres were numerous large metallic cylinders, that were connected to the spheres by piping. Lastly, she saw a person through the corner of her eye. She turned around quickly, and saw a tall, dark man wrapped in a long black cape. His eyes glowed red, and they stared at Rachel intently.

"So," he said, "You are one of those Spectrum Enforcers my wife is constantly complaining about?"

"And you are Acheron, I presume?" Rachel answered, not taking her eyes off her opponent. He smiled.

"I see my reputation precedes me. Yes, I am the Emperor. And you, Human, have dared interfere with my plans. For that, you must be punished."

Twin beams of light shot forth from Acheron's eyes towards Rachel. Rachel set up a shield to protect herself, but she could feel the energy beams cutting through her force field. Sweat began to form underneath her mask as she focussed her power, trying to reinforce the shield. But, it didn't work, and the beams cut through, striking Rachel on her knee. Rachel cried out in pain, and fell to the dirt. She looked up at Acheron, who remained where he was standing.

"I can't believe Phaedra cannot destoy you," he said, "You aren't even fully protected against my dark magicks."

I don't believe his blast penetrated my shield! Rachel thought in panic, Oh no! My stone must be running short on power!

Rachel lifted herself off the ground with her powers, and floated in the sky. She frowned at Acheron, and raised her hand high.

"I summon the Elemental Armory!" she cried, "Lightning Sabre!"

A silver blade with electricity sparking throughout the metal appeared in her hand, and she pointed it at Acheron. Acheron moved quickly before the lightning energy could reach him. To Rachel's surprise, Acheron moved so quickly that he vanished from her view. She looked around in surprise, wondering where the Emperor went. Her answer came in the form of a powerful blast of black energy, which crashed into her unsuspecting form. Rachel was thrown clear across the chamber, and crashed into the stone wall, creating a dent in the rock. She fell limp to the ground below, and moaned in pain. Her Lightning Sabre landed beside her.

Chapter Fifteen

The Orange, Blue, and Green Spectrum Enforcers wander through one of the tunnels, searching for their missing friends. The Orange Enforcer stops in her tracks, and floats off the ground.

"Guys," she said, "The bad guys can be anywhere!"

Just then, over a dozen Shadow Warriors leapt out of the shadows that danced throughout the cave. The Spectrum Force immediately began to counter-attack with skilled martial arts moves. Jocelyn, who was hovering above the ground, just managed to catch someone move from the corner of her eye. She turned around quickly, but saw nothing but darkness.

"Time to shed some light on the subject," she said aloud, focusing her energy. She managed to project powerful rays of orange light, which illuminated the entire cave. The Shadow Warriors were not affected by the bright light, but Jocelyn did see a tunnel in the direction where she saw movement before.

"Guys," she called, "can you take it from here? I think I found something."

"These guys are a piece of cake," said Matthew, leaping out of the way of a Shadow's punch, "Go for it!"

Jocelyn converted herself into a beam of orange light, and flew through the tunnel at light speed. She soon caught up with the being she had seen before, and slammed into it, causing it to fall to the ground hard. Jocelyn converted back into human form, standing on top of her opponent.

"Okay, Celea," she snapped, "where are Keith and Tammy?"

"Little brat!" muttered Celea, throwing the Orange Enforcer off her, "You've just bitten off more than you can chew!"

Jocelyn flipped in the air, and landed on her feet a few yards away from Celea. Celea formed a long bow in her hands, at Jocelyn summoned her Ice Bow. The two women were at a standstill, with their weapons prepared for firing.

"Do you honestly think you are as good a shot as I?" asked Celea, "I've been hunting with this bow for centuries!"

"Probably not," answered Jocelyn, "But I'm certainly gonna try!"

With that, Jocelyn fired an ice arrow. Celea deflected it with one of her dark arrows, and quickly fired another arrow at Jocelyn. Jocelyn leapt out of the arrow's path, and delivered a ferocious flying kick to Celea's jaw. Celea grunted in pain, but she quickly recovered, and elbowed Jocelyn in the stomach. The Orange Enforcer doubled over in pain, and Celea used this opportunity to retrieve her bow. But before she got a chance to fire, a bolt of orange light energy crashed into the low ceiling, causing the tunnel to collapse around Celea. Jocelyn protected herself with an orange force field, but Celea didn't have that option at her disposal. She frowned down at Jocelyn, who was smiling.

"I guess that's your cue," said Jocelyn, standing up, "Unless, of course, you don't mind being buried alive."

"We'll finish this some other time, Human," snapped Celea, as she vanished in a cloud of black mist. Jocelyn continued down the collapsing tunnel, running as quickly as she possibly could.

Meanwhile, just down that same tunnel, Tamara and Keith were being held by a group of Shadow Warriors. So long as their Spectrum Stones were held be evil, they could not Spectrum Sync, and escape. But, the ceiling suddenly began to collapse, giving them the opportunity to escape. The Shadows were momentarily distracted, giving Keith the chance to wriggle his hand free, and smack the Shadow holding him in the chin with the bottom of his open palm. The Shadow was momentarily stunned, and Keith leapt away.

"Spectrum Sync... RED!!" he cried, holding his red stone into the air. The light cascaded from the stone, and filled the entire tunnel with pulsing red energy. The energy was harmless to Tamara, who was still being held by a Shadow, but the Shadow Warriors were injured by the primal release of radiant energy. The Shadow holding Tamara was forced to let her go, so she quickly stumbled behind Keith, and gave him the thumbs up. The Red Enforcer first erected a force field around himself and Tamara, to protect them from the falling ceiling. Then held out his fists, and powerful beams of red light shot forth. He swept across the chamber, the energy creamating any Shadow it touched. Soon, Tamara and Keith were alone, surrounded by the charred remains of the Shadows, which instantly began to evaporate.

"Great job!" said Tamara, "Now, let's go find the others. Spectrum Sync... YELLOW!!"

Tamara was bathed in a bright yellow light, and transformed into the Yellow Spectrum Enforcer again. The release of energy only served to quicken the collapse of the ceiling. Keith grabbed Tamara's hand, and lead her through the tunnel back the way they came.

"We have to catch up with the rest of the Force," he said, "Before this entire underground maze falls apart!"

They didn't run for long before they saw a faint orange light coming from down the tunnel.

"Joce?" called Keith.

"Keith?" she answered, quickly flying over to them, "Tammy! You're both okay!"

"Where are the others?" asked Tamara.

"Last time I saw them, Matt and Craig were fighting some Shadows. They should have finished them off by now."

"This whole tunnel is falling apart," said Keith, "We have to go find the others!"

The three Enforcers raced down the tunnel, protecting themselves from the falling debris with force fields. Soon, they reached the end of the tunnel, where it joined with the much larger tunnel where Matt and Craig were just destroying the two remaining Shadow Warriors.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Craig, "The sky's falling here!"

"We realize that," said Tamara, "Celea jumped us, and used her black energy arrows to block our connection with the spectrum."

"Don't worry about her, though," said Jocelyn, "I think she went home."

"Let's get going," said Craig, leading the way, "Phoenix's psi-beacon is still going strong!"

"We'd better hurry," said Matthew, glancing down at his green Spectrum Stone. It was emitting bright bands of purple light. "I think Rachel needs us!"

Chapter Sixteen

Acheron was busy disconnecting the full batteries of energy that had been absorbed from the Phoenix Force residue inside Rachel Summers. The Phoenix herself is barely conscious, just barely managing to uphold the telepathic beacon. Christopher Greyson is out cold, and the only thing keeping him alive is Phoenix's link. Acheron ignores the Purple Enforcer, who is lying unconscious on the other side of the chamber, leaning against the stone wall. The chamber begins to shake gently, and dust and small pebbles begin to fall from the ceiling. Acheron looks up in surprise.

"Seems like the cavern will be collapsing soon," he observed, "I believe now is a good time to leave. I have plenty of energy from Phoenix, and I shall bring her with me to the ship, where we can keep her as prisoner until we need energy again."

Acheron deactivates the energy draining machine, and begins to prepare for departure. He fails to notice as Phoenix's green eyes open slowly, and a sly grin crosses her face.

He turned off the machine! he doesn't realize that now I can release Chris from my psi-link, and utilize that energy against him. But, I know I can't break this sphere from the inside. Its especially constructed to withstand my powers. *Purple Enforcer! Wake up!*

Rachel Castaneda's eyes shoot open underneath her blue visor, but she remains motionless.

*Who's there?*

she asks.

*Phoenix. Listen carefully. I can't destroy this sphere. You're going to have to do it.*

*But, if you don't have the power, how can I?*

*Perhaps your sword can help. All magic is susceptible to iron.*

Iron... thought Rachel, as she slowly reached for her sword, which lay beside her, half buried in dust. She grabbed the purple hilt, and leapt up as silently as a cat. But, it wasn't silent enough, and Acheron turned around quickly.

"You're more resilient than I first believed, Human," he said, firing twin beams of energy from his eyes, "But that still doesn't mean you'll survive this escapade!"

Rachel dodged his energy beams, and flew towards the sphere containing Phoenix. She lifted her Lightning Sabre high, and sliced downwards with all her might. To Acheron's surprise, the blade managed to chip the glass. Rachel smiled, and prepared for a second swing.

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Acheron, concentrating a powerful pulse of energy in his hand. He then released this energy as a continuous beam, and aimed it for the Purple Enforcer. She turned around, and managed to block the energy by placing her sword in its path just in time. The energy was deflected, and struck the stone wall just to the side of Phoenix's crystalline prison.

If I can redirect the blast just a little,

thought Rachel, who was being pushed back by the force of the energy beam, I can free Phoenix and Chris with Acheron's own magic!

As Rachel was pushed backwards, the deflected beam got closer and closer to Phoenix's sphere. Rachel then sharply turned the sword, sending the blast right at the weak spot in the glass, which she had created with her sword earlier. To Acheron's horror, the crystal shattered, and Phoenix floated out of the glass remains. She turned towards Acheron, and released the Phoenix fire in a blinding beam of hot flames. Acheron leapt to the side, and he tried to protect himself from the scorching rays with his cape. He scowled angrily, and faded away in a cloud of mist.

"You may have escaped me, Eternal Flame!" he cried, "But, I still have the energy I stole from you!"

Phoenix turned around, and saw the batteries that contained her energy slowly disappear into nothingness. She lowered herself to the ground, and fell to her knees weakly.

"Phoenix?" asked Rachel, helping her stand, "Are you okay?

"I will be," she whispered, "once the Phoenix Force recovers. But, Acheron stole a great deal of power from me..."

"Quick," said Rachel, "we have to get out of here. Wait here, and I'll free Chris."

"Okay..." Phoenix replied, just managing to stay on her feet. Rachel ran over to the intact sphere, and began chipping it with her sword. Just then, the five remaining Spectrum Enforcers ran into the chamber through the hole where the iron door was.

"Whoa," said Matthew, "what happened in here?"

"Acheron," called Rachel, preparing for another swing. With each hit, the glass cracked slightly.

"Who's Acheron?" asked Jocelyn.

"We'll discuss it later," said Rachel, "Quick, get Phoenix out of here, before the entire place falls apart! I'll get Chris!"

"Do you need help--" started Craig.

"GO!!"

The Blue Enforcer gently lifted Phoenix into his arms, and the team of heroes ran out of the chamber. Once they left that room, Keith looked up, and saw a crack in the ceiling.

"Sunlight!" he said, "We can't be far from the surface!"

"Here," said Craig, giving Keith Phoenix, "take her. I'll make us a passageway."

Keith took Phoenix, leaving Craig with his hands free.

"I summon the Elemental Armory!" he declared, "Earth Lance!!"

A silver and blue lance appeared in his hands, and he pointed one end of it upwards. The rocks obeyed his command, and separated, creating a narrow tunnel all the way up to the surface. One by one, the Spectrum Enforcers flew up the tunnel, and landed on the grass above. Keith put Phoenix down, who shook her head slightly. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yes," she answered, but the universe isn't. Not if Acheron has so much power...

Phoenix stood on her two feet, and everyone waited by the hole Craig created.

"Where is she...?" asked Matthew.

Just then, a bright purple light heralded the arrival of the Purple Enforcer. She was carrying Chris, who was unconscious. Rachel lay him on the ground, and turned to Phoenix.

"Is he--?"

"He'll be fine," said Phoenix with a smile, "He's just tired. He needs his rest. When he recovers, though, he'll never be quite the same. By bonding with me, I'm afraid the Phoenix Force jump-started his latent mutant powers."

"What kind of powers does he have?" asked Tamara.

"I don't know," said Phoenix, "but they are at least partially psionic in nature."

"Okay, then," said Rachel, picking him up again, "I'll take him home. Wait for me here."

The Purple Enforcer lifted off the ground, and streaked through the sunny sky at a speed near that of light. The other Enforcers watched her go, and then turned to Phoenix.

"So," said Jocelyn, "do you need help home?"

"Yes," she answered, "but not yet. We must deal with Acheron! You won't be able to do it alone, and I don't think I'll be much help, until I recover. We'll need help."

Phoenix closed her eyes, and suddenly her invisible psi-form floated out of her body. Craig caught Phoenix's body just as it began to fall to the ground.

"What happened to her?" asked Tamara.

"We said that we needed help," said Craig, laying her on the ground, "I wonder what she meant."

Just then, the Purple Enforcer returned. She landed on the ground not far from the rest of the Force, who were standing in a circle around Phoenix.

"Chris' roommate is gone," she said, "so hopefully he'll be... what happened to Phoenix?"

"She just fainted dead away," said Matt, "Maybe the power drain was too much for her."

"I guess that's possible," said Rachel, "Acheron had huge batteries filled with Phoenix energies. With that kind of power, the Denebians can cast a spell powerful enough to destroy the solar system..."

An Addendum: Wings

Part One

High in the sky above Langstrum Alps, California, a figure as bright as a star soared through the air. However, most didn't even notice her as she passed through the clouds, at a phenomenal speed. Usually, she would be flying at the speed of light, but she couldn't when she had a passenger.

Rachel Castaneda, the Purple Spectrum Enforcer, was carrying in her arms the limp form of Christopher Greyson. For the past week, she and Chris had been seeing each other regularly, and she was hoping that this was the start of a relationship between them. Lately, the idea of having a steady boyfriend was as foreign to her as any one of us would view the idea of being a super hero. To put it another way, the simple pleasures of a normal life didn't seem to have room in her extremely hectic schedule. And once again, the life of a super-heroine has interfered with her attempts of living like a normal person.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, as she descended once the High Rise came into sight, "If it weren't for me, this whole nightmare wouldn't have happened."

She hovered in front of Chris' bedroom window, and gently forced it open with a force burst. She sailed through the window, and lay Chris in his bed. She took a quick glance around the apartment, to make sure they were alone.

"Good," she said, "I guess his roommate is out. I'm sorry to leave you here like this, Chris, but I have a feeling this isn't over yet."

Rachel leaned over, and gently kissed him on the cheek. She then sailed through the open window, and into the sky. She silently prayed that Chris would be okay, and that he'd forgive her for getting him involved with the Denebians' latest plot to conquer the galaxy. Rachel didn't realize this incident wasn't her fault. Acheron, the emperor of the Denebian Empire, was solely after Phoenix, and he used Chris as a hostage. The implications of this day's events were beyond what either Chris or Rachel, or even Acheron himself, expected.

Part Two

While the young members of the Spectrum Force gathered around her prone body, the astral form of Rachel Summers floated in the sky, perfectly invisible to human perception.

In this form, separated from her body, it was far easier to span the Multiverse. The Astral Plane was a realm connecting all of existence.

The specter flashed out of the universe she was in, intending to find someone who could help her prevent the consequences she feared Acheron's thievery of her powers would create. With all her strength, she reached into the endless void, searching for a psi-print of one of her trusted allies.

She was stunned when she felt a familiar, nearly omnipotent, force of telepathic might.

"Roma?" she called into the black void of the realm-beyond-realms, "Is that you?"

A form materialized before her. A simple ivory gown cloaked her body entirely, and a golden shield enclosed her chest, shoulders, and neck. Her dark eyes gazed at the familiar entity, completely devoid of an emotional reaction.

"Rachel Summers," Roma stated, "I know what you are trying to do. I am here to stop you."

The Phoenix frowned. "I thought you had refrained from interference in the world of the mortals."

"In this case, I am trying to prevent

interference," Roma stated grimly, "I shall not allow you to parade your numerous allies through the Multiverse, Rachel Summers. You are one gifted with the ability to manipulate the gateway. You know how dangerous such transport is."

"But Phaedra and Acheron have stolen my powers!" Rachel argued in frustration, "If I don't stop them..."

"What will be will be," Roma interrupted, holding up her hand.

"I can't accept that," Rachel said indignantly, "I'm not leaving, knowing full well that I've brought Doomsday upon this Earth!"

Roma smiled mysteriously. "You may be the Phoenix, child, but you do not know the full workings of reality. What will happen was inevitable. It shall set into motion a string of events that will forever change this universe... that had

to happen in order to fix a breach that happened millenia ago. What will occur is necessary

. However, the inclusion of other heroes is not."

Roma's smile fell. "You must leave, Rachel Summers. Your own dimension needs you. The longer Mother Askani is separated from her followers, the greater chance the forces of destruction will end your noble attempts."

Rachel swallowed hard. She felt that the choice was not hers to make. Her duty was elsewhere.

But... what would become of the Spectrum Force.

The mighty Phoenix shuddered at the thought.

"How will I get back to my own world?" she asked quietly, "I'm still rather weak."

"I shall create a portal for you," Roma responded, "Return to your body, and let the pieces fall into place... as they will."

Part Three

Wearily, Phoenix opened her bright green eyes, and groaned slightly as consciousness once again flooded her mind. She sat up weakly, and watched as the six Spectrum Enforcers circled her, watching her worriedly.

"Are you okay?" the Green Enforcer asked, offering her his hand. She accepted his help, and let him lift her to her feet.

"I'll be fine," she whispered, shaking her head to focus her thoughts.

"So, did you... find the help you were looking for?" the Yellow Enforcer inquired.

Rachel glanced up at the young woman, and let a sigh escape her. "Guys... I'm afraid I can't help you with this dilemma. I don't want to sound cruel or anything, but it's not my choice. I... I can't interfere."

"Says who?" the Blue Enforcer practically demanded, folding his arms.

Rachel bit her lower lip. "Someone even the Phoenix can't disobey."

Almost as soon as those words slipped through her lips, a strong wind gathered to a focal point just outside the enclosed circle the heroes formed. The Spectrum Force watched in surprise as the focus became a flash of black energy, causing a hole in space and time to iris open.

"A Multiversal portal," the Orange Enforcer whispered in awe, "Did you create that, Rachel?"

The Phoenix shook her head. "Not this time. But, this is my ride."

She stepped pasted the teens towards the portal, and prepared to leap in. She then stopped herself, and turned to them once again.

"Believe in yourselves," Phoenix said quietly, with a smile on her face, "and you can face any foe." She then winked. "And something tells me I'll see the six of you again... some day."

With that, she waved at the rather startled teens, and leapt through the portal.

Part Four

As the sun slowly crept under the horizon, Chris' dark brown eyes opened for the first time since he was released from Acheron's crystal prison, since he was separated from the Phoenix Force that sustained him during the energy drain. The room was dark, but Chris noticed there was an eerie white light casting shadows around his apartment. What he didn't realize was that his eyes were the source of this strange illumination.

"What... what happened?" he asked himself, sitting up and rubbing his temples, "How did I get back to my room? Was it all... just another weird dream?"

Chris thought about the day's events-- going to breakfast with Rachel Castaneda, the ball of flames that crashed into a nearby alley, Phoenix asking him if he was a mutant, falling down a dark tunnel into a base inside the Earth's crust, and finally being encased in a spherical cage by an alien emperor. Everything went black after only a few minutes of the energy drain, and Chris' last memory was a fiery aura surrounding his entire body, along with Phoenix's telepathic words: *I can send you some of the energy of the Phoenix Force. Trust me, Chris. It's your only hope.*

It couldn't have been only a dream,

Chris decided as he rose to his feet and turned on his lamp, I don't have a vivid enough imagination to come up with that story. But how did I get back here? What happened to Phoenix... and Rachel?!

Chris nearly panicked when he thought about the last time he'd seen Rachel Castaneda, when they were falling through a dark tunnel into the Earth's crust. Chris immediately picked up the telephone, and dialed a number he'd been using quite often the past few days. He waited impatiently as the telephone rang.

^Hello,^

said a recorded voice. ^You've reached the residence of Jocelyn, Rachel, and Tamara. Sorry, but we're busy women, and we can't always be by the phone when someone calls--^

^Tammy!^

interrupted another voice, ^I'll take if from here. If you'd like to leave a message, please wait for the tone.^

^You're so boring, Ray!^

"Uh, hi, this is Chris, and I'm calling to check on Rachel. Please call me, or drop by my apartment, whenever you get in. Its important."

Chris hung up the phone, and suddenly, his hands began to glow white. Chris gasped in fear as his eyes began to shine with white light, and suddenly, images began to take shape in his head.

The first image was of his roommate Kevin, who was purchasing this very telephone from an electronics store nearby. Then, he saw himself talking on the phone with his mother while sitting at his desk. Kevin had just gotten out of the shower, and his head was covered with a towel. Kevin tripped over the long cord, and fell onto the carpet. Chris quickly drew his hand away from the receiver, and the images faded.

"What... what was that?!" he asked, rubbing his eyes. But everything appeared normal. Chris walked into the bathroom, and examined his face carefully.

"Something must have happened in the tunnel!" he reasoned, "But, why can't I remember?"

Chris ran his fingers down his cheek, and he suddenly realized there was a faint bronze lipstick mark on his cheek. Chris touched it curiously, and his eyes widened in surprise as the strange white light returned, being visible through the mirror.

This time, Chris saw Rachel Castaneda and her roommate and friend Tamara Fox in a department store. He then saw Tamara select a tube of lipstick, and Rachel tried it on. Then, another image took shape. Chris saw the Purple Spectrum Enforcer flying through the sky, carrying him in her arms. She flew into his window, laid him on his bed, and gently kissed his cheek, leaving the lipstick mark. Chris blinked in surprise as the images faded.

"I don't understand," he whispered to his reflection, "Somehow, when I touch something, I see... memories of that object? But, they aren't my memories. I wasn't even present in some of the visions..."

Chris suddenly realized the implication of the last memory he saw.

"Rachel is a Spectrum Enforcer?!"

Chris walked out of the bathroom, and into his bedroom. "I've... I've got to find her. Maybe she can explain what's happening to me--"

Suddenly, Chris felt sharp pains in his back. He cried out in pain, and fell to his knees beside his bed. The feeling of dozens of knives ripping through the skin of his back was excruciating, and he felt weak and dizzy. He collapsed onto his stomach, and from his back, a pair of shimmery six foot long wings, glowing with energy, ripped through his shirt. Chris could see the wings as they stretched out before him, radiating bright white light. The shock and pain soon overwhelmed him, and passed out on the floor.

Part Five

Early that morning, and a few flights of stairs down, Tamara Fox, Rachel Castaneda, and Jocelyn Armand returned to their apartment after a truly harrowing day. After the Phoenix had left that plane of existence, the Spectrum Force had convened at Cloud Castle for a few hours, in the hopes of Spectra discerning what had happened to the energies Acheron had siphoned. All their efforts had yielded nothing, and all the teens were advised to go home and rest. Grudgingly, the heroes obeyed. Both Tamara and Jocelyn instantly collapsed onto the couch, leaving Rachel to close the front door. Rachel turned to her roommates, and grinned.

"How are you guys holding up?" she inquired.

"This has been a day from Hell," Jocelyn groaned, stretching her limbs, "The last thing we needed was a new Denebian nutzoid to deal with."

"And now Phoenix is gone," Tamara observed, "I hope she got home okay... but I do wish she had stuck around for awhile, at least until we got her energies back."

"She's the Phoenix Force," Rachel said, putting the tea kettle on the range, "She's got unlimited energy. Spectra assured us that she'd regenerate completely. Anyone want some lemon herbal tea? Caffeine free."

"Sure," Jocelyn said, pushing herself to her feet, "You need help?"

"No, I can handle it," Rachel answered, "Take a load off."

Jocelyn nodded, and prepared to sit back down. But a flash of red light caught her eye. It was coming from the answering machine.

"Hey," she said, walking to the machine, "I think we have a message."

"Who cares?" Tammy groaned, pressing her temples, "Its probably my mother again. I'll call her tomorrow."

"We might as well check it," Jocelyn argued, playing the tape, "After all, it could be important."

The three girls listened as their greeting played, which was followed by a short pause. Then, the new message played.

^Uh, hi, this is Chris, and I'm calling to check on Rachel. Please call me, or drop by my apartment, whenever you get in. It's important.^

Rachel looked up sharply, and nearly dropped the tea mugs she was laying out. "Chris?"

"What's the big emergency?" Tamara asked, sitting up, "I mean, you brought him home safe and sound, right?"

"Well, I guess so," Rachel said, "He was still unconscious when I left. But I had to get back to the rest of you guys, to figure out how to get Phoenix home. I should have checked on Chris the second I had the chance!"

"You didn't have the chance before," Jocelyn said, "so don't worry about it. But get going!"

"You want us to come with you?" Tamara asked, watching Rachel hurry out the door.

"I'll call you if I need you," she replied.

Part Six

"Where... where am I?" Chris whispered, slowly opening his eyes. This time, he easily saw the familiar ceiling of his apartment. The light of the morning sun poured into the window, brightening the entire room.

"Sheesh, Chris," said a voice, "I told you to lay off the Tequila! But no, you had to go all Spring Fling on me!"

Chris' eyes widened, and he sat up on his bed. He smiled wryly when he saw his roommate sitting on a chair beside his bed.

"What happened?" Chris asked.

"I think you should tell me, Man," Kevin answered, "When I got back last night, I found you on the floor! I put you back in bed, figuring you should just sleep it off. I heard you moaning just now, so I came to check on you. And then, you woke up. You were out like a light all night. What did you do... OD on sleeping pills?"

Chris grinned slightly, and shook his head in the negative. "I guess all that Shakespeare is getting to me," he replied, running his hands through his hair. He noticed Kevin looking at him suspiciously.

I don't think he believes me, but I can't tell him what happened,

he reflected, the events of the previous night sending a chill up his spine. Slowly, he reached behind his back, half expecting to find wings there. But all he felt was his back, and the shreds of his shirt dangling on his skin.

"I guess Fruit of the Loom don't make 'em like they used to," Kevin quipped, glancing at Chris' tattered shirt, "or maybe you and that girlfriend of yours had some fun last night that you're not telling me about."

Before Chris could object, the doorbell sounded.

"I'll get it," Kevin said, rising to his feet, "You get some rest, Chris."

Chris nodded, and lay back on his bed, folding his hands on his chest. Seconds later, Kevin returned to the bedroom, with Rachel beside him. Chris breathed a sigh of relief, and sat up once again.

"Rachel," he said, "where have you been?"

"I got your message," she answered, "I... I just got back. I had to help a friend of mine get home."

Kevin grinned mischievously, and walked out of the bedroom. "I figure you two should be alone. I'll go visit Luke down the hall, or something. Have fun!"

Rachel gave Chris a puzzled expression. Chris rolled his eyes, waving away the comment his roommate had made. Once Kevin had left the apartment, Rachel closed the bedroom door, and turned back to Chris, hugging him tightly. The sudden display of affection startled Chris, but he soon returned the hug.

"You don't know how worried you had me!" Rachel said, "I didn't know what happened to you after Phoenix showed up."

Chris suddenly frowned, and pulled away from Rachel's embrace. He looked right into Rachel's eyes, and observed her hurt and confused expression. "Chris," she said quietly, after a long silence, "what's the matter."

"I don't like being lied to," Chris responded, his eyes never wavering. Rachel's eyes widened with surprise, and she stepped away from Chris' bed, choosing to stand up instead.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You knew what happened to me after Phoenix showed up," he answered, rising to his feet to meet Rachel's gaze, "You're the one who brought me here. You flew me through the window."

Rachel's jaw dropped. "Wh... what?" she managed to say. She barely managed to hold back a scream as a pearly white glow exuded from Chris' dark eyes.

"Look," Chris whispered finally, taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I understand why you didn't come out and tell me you were the Purple Enforcer, but I've been having one hell of a day. I'm confused and stressed out. That's why I called you. I hope you can help me."

Rachel remained silent, her focus still fixated on Chris' eyes. The glow had only lasted for seconds, but the impression remained. "What's wrong with your eyes?" she managed to say.

"I... I don't know," Chris confessed, "Ever since I woke up, weird things have been happening, that I can't understand... much less explain. I don't know what's wrong with me. All I knew is that I had to reach you. You're the only one who may be able to help--"

Suddenly, Chris stopped in mid sentence, his eyes widening significantly. Rachel froze as she saw the light shine from Chris' eyes once again, this time brightly enough to light the entire room. Then, he clasped his abdomen tightly, and nearly fell to the floor in pain. Rachel let instinct take over, and quickly rushed to his side, catching him before he hit the ground. She watched as Chris ground his teeth, trying desperately to keep from screaming in agony.

"Hold on, Chris!" Rachel commanded, gently lying his head on the carpet. She glanced back down at him, tightening her hand into a fist. "Spectrum Sync... PURPLE!!"

A bright pulse of purple light transformed Rachel into the Purple Enforcer. Immediately, Rachel scooped up Chris, who was still writhing in pain, and ran towards the window. She used her mental control of light to open the window, and then she sailed into the sky, heading upwards to Cloud Castle. On her way, she opened up her mind, sending out an emergency alert to her fellow Enforcers.

*Guys, this is Rachel. We have an emergency! Meet me at Cloud Castle ASAP!!*

Part Seven

In the throne room of Cloud Castle, a young man hovered a few feet off the golden tiled floor, his entire body surrounded by a thin cloud of glowing white mist. A few yards away from him, the six members of the Spectrum Force were gathered, all in their uniforms, watching him curiously. He didn't seem to realize he was under observation, as he continued to moan in pain and thrash about feverishly.

The young man's actions disturbed all the Enforcers, but none more so than the Purple Enforcer. Rachel bit her lower lip, and cringed visibly every time it looked like the pain he was enduring increased. Finally, Rachel gave into her frustration, and turned towards the throne.

"Spectra, what's wrong with him?!" she demanded.

"That is what I am still trying to ascertain," Spectra answered, not moving from her throne. She flicked her wrist, and the white mists surrounding Christopher increased in speed. "From what I can gather, he is undergoing a transformation."

"Into what?" Jocelyn asked quietly.

"That I do not know," Spectra answered, "but something has triggered this mutation. His brain patterns are significantly different from any other human I've seen. I believe this has to do with your encounter with Acheron and the Phoenix."

"What did Acheron do to him?" Craig pondered aloud.

"This isn't Acheron's doing," Spectra announced, descending the stairs from her throne to the floor, "At least, not directly."

"How can you tell?" Keith inquired.

"There is no black magic involved. Not even trace amounts. Everything that is happening is completely natural, without any help from outside sources. My only hypothesis is that what happened to Christopher triggered something that was bound to happen eventually. It just hastened its oncoming."

"The oncoming of what?" Rachel asked, "What is this transformation?"

"Perhaps 'transformation' isn't the most accurate word to describe what is occurring. It is more like a mutation or metamorphisis, something that changes a being on the most basic level, forever."

"Oh God," Rachel gasped, choking back a sob.

"But what is he changing into?" Tamara asked, "And why is it hurting so much?"

"I don't know the answer to either," Spectra admitted, "However, I doubt the pain he is enduring is going to be continuous. Once the transformation is complete, and he becomes accustomed to his new being, the pain will lessen. It is much like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, but much quicker."

To add strength to Spectra's comparison, Chris arched his back, and released a howl of anguish. Then, quickly and mercilessly, two bright gleaming wings broke through his skin, and stretched to their full length. As soon as the wings appeared, Chris' cries of agony lessened, and he passed out completely. All the witnesses remained in mute shock for a moment.

"W... wings?" Rachel asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Spectra's eyes narrowed, and the whirling white energy quickened in speed yet again, transferring its scanned information to the sorceress at the speed of thought. "Yes," she said finally, "Chris' alteration has been completed. He should be awakening shortly."

Spectra nodded her head, and Chris slowly descended to the floor. He groaned quietly, and then opened his eyes weakly. His eyes widened quickly when he realized he was no longer in the comfortable surroundings of his bedroom.

"Where--"

"It's alright, Chris," Rachel said quietly, pulling off her facemask, "You're safe."

Chris relaxed when he saw Rachel, but he looked around the chamber, still perplexed.

"You're in Cloud Castle," Tamara said, answering his previous question, "With the Spectrum Force. We're trying to help you."

"What... what's wrong with me?" Chris whispered, trying to sit up. He then felt his wings brush against the floor, and his jaw dropped. Slowly, he reached behind his back, and touched them with his fingers. The wings felt warm, but they didn't really resemble feathers. "So, it wasn't a dream," he muttered.

"Chris, it's going to be okay," Rachel said quietly, kneeling on the floor beside him. She grasped his hand tightly with hers. "How... how do you feel?"

"Better," he said quietly, "I mean... the pain's mostly gone."

"Christopher Greyson," Spectra said suddenly, stepping into his field of view, "can you explain to me exactly what you feel?"

Chris stared at Spectra in surprise, and then closed his eyes tightly. "It's... like fire. Fire in my veins, coursing through my whole body. But, its not burning me, like when the Phoenix Force passed through me in the tunnels..."

"Wait," Spectra said, "The Phoenix Force passed through you?"

"Yeah. Phoenix told me it was the only way to keep me alive. The fire, burned. But at the same time, it soothed. The fire in me now is kinda like that. But it doesn't burn anymore, now that the wings have surfaced."

"That is the explanation we needed," Spectra said, nodding. Rachel turned from Chris to Spectra, her hand never letting go of his.

"Then what's going on?" Rachel asked. The rest of the Spectrum Force turned to Spectra as well, waiting for her to once again provide the answers to their questions.

"Christopher is more than human," Spectra announced, "He was born with special abilities, which have been dormant all his life. The limitless energy of the Phoenix Force, which passed through his body, has triggered his mutation. His inner power has been released."

"So... am I even human?" Chris asked weakly.

"You are. You have just been granted abilities that no other human yet has. At least, in our dimension."

"Look at it this way," Keith said, helping Rachel pull Chris to his feet, "You're one of a kind."

Chris frowned. "Then... I'm a freak of nature."

"Think of this tranformation as a gift, rather than a burden, Christopher," Spectra advised, her eyes glowing bright white. She stared intently at the wings, as they flapped rather clumsily from Chris' back. "These wings are composed of psionic energy. That selfsame energy runs throughout your system, which is the 'fire' you spoke of earlier. Your are psi."

"So, what does that mean?" Matt asked. Spectra turned her gaze from Chris' wings, to Chris' eyes.

*Can you hear me?*

Spectra inquired.

"Yeah," Chris answered.

*Answer me with your mind,*

Spectra instructed. *Broadcast your thoughts.*

"But... I don't know how."

*Try.*

Chris nodded, and closed his eyes tightly. Rachel looked at him curiously, and then at Spectra, whose stoic expression didn't divulge any answers.

*Hello?*

a psionic voice called, touching the minds of Spectra and all the Enforcers.

"Chris?" Craig stammered, "How... did you do that?"

"His abilities include telepathy, to a limited degree," Spectra said, "What is interesting is that the psionic energy isn't focused in his occipital lobe. If it were, than he would be a pure telepath/telekinetic, such as the Phoenix is. However, Chris' psionic energy has no stamped focus. Instead, it has several smaller foci, including his back. The energy takes form as wings."

"Amazing," Tamara whispered, staring at Chris' wings.

"What else can I do?" Chris asked, "And how do I control these powers? Can I fly?"

"I cannot answer all these questions for you," Spectra said, "However, I can help instruct you how to regulate your telepathic abilities. This is only because I have mastered telepathy. Unfortunately, the other abilities you have must be discovered by you, and honed by you."

"Can I do that?"

"Sure you can," Keith said, "After all, these abilities are natural for you. Just like a hatchling bird learns how to fly, you'll have to figure it out."

"But, how can I possibly teach myself?" Chris asked no one in particular. Rachel took his hand once again, and smiled up at him.

"Don't worry," she assured him, "we'll help you through this."

To Be Continued In:

The Spectrum Force:

Nightfall

Excerpt from The Spectrum Force: Nightfall

"Keith," said Tamara, glancing at the young man sitting next to her on the row of cushioned seats, "are you okay?"

Keith glanced up at his girlfriend, a weary smile on his tan face. "Sure I'm okay. Why do you ask?"

"Because if my parents were visiting me for my birthday, I'd be ecstatic!" the energetic teen stated, tossing her long ebony braid behind her back, "But you seem... anxious. Aren't you looking forward to seeing your family?"

"Well, I haven't seen them in a while," Keith admitted, "Since... I left for Japan for a semester abroad. I am looking forward to spending some time with Mom and Connie, but Dad..."

"You don't get along with him, do you?" Tamara inquired. Keith sighed, shaking his head in the negative.

"He's been on my case for years, ever since middle school. He thinks I'm a slacker, with no direction in life. He also thinks I don't care about anything but myself, and that the word 'responsibility' isn't in my vocabulary."

"You're exaggerating," Tamara said, a smirk on her face, "I'm sure he loves you."

"I'm not," Keith mumbled, folding his hands tightly, "He always finds a way to criticize me. It makes it really hard for me to tell him anything, or even be in the same room with him."

"Well, I hate to admit it, but you did slack off a little..."

Tamara smiled at Keith's reaction: a surprised and displeased raised eyebrow. "..but you've changed," she finished, taking his hand. She brushed her fingers against the silver band on his finger, with a fiery red gemstone encrusted on the elegantly-designed ring. "Ever since you've become a superhero, you've learned levels of responsibility most people will never even know exist! I mean, the entire world is resting on our shoulders!"

"It's not like I can tell Dad I'm the Red Enforcer," Keith said grimly, "After all, we all decided to keep our identities a secret. Besides Chris, and the Power Rangers, no one has seen the Spectrum Force without their masks."

"True," Tamara admitted, "but you're a different person. I'm sure your father will see how you've grown up since you saw him last."

"I doubt it," Keith muttered, "My Dad only sees what he wants to see."

"Keep your spirits up!" Tammy said, tightening her grip on her boyfriend's hand, "Be respectful to him, and he'll see you've matured. And remember to keep your temper in check... no matter what he says."

Keith chuckled, and gazed at Tamara in amazement. "You know me better than anyone, Tammy. What would I ever do without you?"

In answer, Tamara kissed Keith gently on the lips. "Let's hope you'll never have to find out."

^Flight 345, direct from Austin Texas, now arriving at Gate 13,^ the intercom signaled. Keith glanced up at the gate, where people were already congregating, excited to greet friends and family members. Keith rose to his feet, not letting go of Tamara's hand. Tamara followed, and together, they walked to the gate. Keith's grip tightened as he saw three familiar people walk into the airport.

"Keith!" called a tall woman, apparently in her late forties, with sand-hued hair streaked with a few strands of gray. "Happy Birthday!!"

"Hi, Mom," Keith said, hugging his mother tightly. Tamara stepped away from the reunion, a sentimental smile on her face. After a few moments, his mother let go, and kissed him on the cheek.

"We've missed you so much!" she declared.

"I've missed you too," Keith replied.

"Hey, Big Brother," called a slender girl dressed in blue jeans and a baby-tee. Her vibrant ocean-blue eyes glimmered past the blonde bangs that hung over her forehead, and the dark eyeliner she wore only made them look larger. She grinned widely at her older brother, and spread her arms open to greet him as he stepped closer.

"How are you, Runt?" he asked, hugging his little sister tightly.

Constance Maloy sighed, rolling her azure eyes dramatically before focusing them on Tamara. "How on Earth do you put up with him?" she exclaimed, "He's three years older than me, but I'm more mature!" She then turned her potent gaze upon her brother. "And for your information, I'm not a runt! Five foot three is a perfectly respectable height for a young woman."

"If you say so," Keith said, his grin widening.

Connie then smiled, punching her brother in the shoulder. "So, how does it feel to finally be old enough to drink legally? That

should keep the campus cops off your back, eh?"

Keith groaned. "Don't make me tickle you in public," he warned.

Connie stifled a giggle as she stepped out of arm's length from her brother.

Keith then looked up, and his grin fell sharply. Standing a few feet behind Connie was a man in his early fifties, with a full head of graying blonde hair, cut short and neat. He was dressed in a navy blue blazer, button down shirt, and jeans, and he stood tall and straight, with his hands behind his back. His expression was a deeply entrenched frown, as if it was the only expression his face could display. Keith stood up, and walked over to greet him.

"Hello, Dad," Keith said quietly. He suddenly felt extremely nervous, as he always did when he met his father's scrutinous gaze.

Stephen Maloy III nodded in response, and walked around his son in a circle, examining his appearance carefully. Keith practically held his breath, virtually frozen by the feel of his father's cold ice-blue eyes on his back.

"So, you're letting your hair grow," Stephen observed in a brisk voice. He shook his head at the short golden blonde ponytail, reaching the base of Keith's neck.

"Um, yeah," Keith responded, "I... I like it long, Dad."

"Are you some kind of Hippie?" Stephen practically barked, "Keith, you're a business man! How will anyone take you seriously with that ponytail?!"

"Dad, I'm not

a business man!" Keith yelled, turning to face his father, "I'm a college student! And it's fine to have a ponytail in college!"

"It's rebellious and immature," Stephen replied in an equally loud voice, "It is not fitting of a Maloy!"

"I'll wear my hair how I want to!" Keith yelled, his ocean blue eyes flashing.

Tamara gazed at the two Maloy men in shock. She then glanced at Connie and Monica, who stood quietly to the side, frowning. They weren't the least surprised by this tense argument. Tamara finally decided to intervene, and tapped Keith on the shoulder.

"Keith," she said, "you haven't introduced me to your family."

"Oh," Keith said, grateful for the intervention. He suddenly felt embarrassed for having argued with his father in front of her. "Um, Dad, this is Tamara Fox, my girlfriend. Tammy, this is my father, Stephen Maloy III."

Stephen's expression remained harsh and enraged, but it didn't phase Tamara. She flashed him her most brilliant, disarming smile, and extended her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mister Maloy."

"Hello," he said gruffly, shaking her hand. Keith then took Tamara's hand, and walked away from his father to the rest of his family.

"Tammy, this is my mother Monica, and my little sister, Connie."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Tammy," said Monica with a warm smile.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Mrs. Maloy."

"Please, call me Monica."

"Hello, Tammy," Connie said, shaking the taller woman's hand.

"Hi, Connie," Tamara greeted warmly. She then turned to Keith. "So this is your whole family?"

"No," Keith answered, "my older brother Stephen couldn't come for the weekend. He's at Johns Hopkins University studying to be a neurologist, and he's got a presentation to prepare for Monday."

"Yeah," Connie piped up, "fortunately for Keith, one of his siblings was sacrificing enough to bring her books with her, so she could study for her classes without missing his birthday. I told you about that nightmarish microbiology exam I have this upcoming Wednesday, right?"

"You only mentioned it about four times," Keith said with a grin.

"Microbiology, eh?" Tamara said, grimacing slightly, "I think Matt took that class. He said it was murder, and that he would never had taken it if he didn't have to."

"Well," Connie said with a shrug, "I'm a bacteriology major, so I don't really have choice on the matter."

"Wow," Tamara gasped, "that's an unusual major."

"I guess I'm just an unusual person," Connie responded with a humored smile.

"So," said Stephen, interrupting the conversation, "shall we leave the airport and get settled in the hotel?"

"You took the words out of my mouth," whispered Keith, as he and Tamara led the way to the baggage claim. As Keith's family searched for their luggage, Keith turned Tamara to face him, and lightly brushed his lips against hers in a delicate kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked, somewhat surprised.

"For saving my life," he said with a smile, "I told you, he always criticizes me!"

"Is there a reason why he's so hard on you?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah. My brother, Stephen Maloy IV, is everything Dad wanted in a son. He's smart, resourceful, obedient... you name it. But Stevie didn't want to inherit Dad's company. He wanted to be a surgeon, meaning I'm next in line. I guess Dad's trying to make me into Stevie, so he can be confident enough of me to let me have the company without worrying. I just wish he'd just accept me for who I am. I may not be the most scholastically accomplished man on Earth, but I do get decent grades, even with being an Enforcer. I guess he'll never see me as anything but a jock."

Character Thesaurus

The Spectrum Force

Rachel Castaneda - The Purple Enforcer

Full Name:

Rachel Castenda
Enforcer Designation:

Purple Enforcer
Age:

21
Date of Birth:

February 24, 1978
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Brown
Eyes:

Brown
Year in College:

Senior
Concentration:

Legal Studies
Hometown:

Miami, Florida
Vital Traits:

Practices kick-boxing; active in various university organizations; studious; very private; fluent in Spanish.

Keith Maloy - The Red Enforcer

Full Name:

Keith Maloy
Enforcer Designation:

The Red Enforcer
Age:

21
Date of Birth:

July 11, 1978
Height:

6'1"
Hair:

Blonde
Eyes:

Blue
Year in College:

Senior
Concentration:

Business Management
Hometown:

Houston, Texas
Vital Traits:

Achieved black-belt level in karate; enjoys water sports; mostly light-hearted and energetic; proficient in Japanese.

Craig Gillis - The Blue Enforcer

Full Name:

Craig Gillis
Enforcer Designation:

The Blue Enforcer
Age:

21
Date of Birth:

December 17, 1978
Height:

6'3"
Hair:

Black
Eyes:

Brown
Year in College:

Junior
Concentration:

Psychology
Hometown:

New York City, New York
Vital Traits:

Member of Dreiser University Varsity Basketball team; all-around athlete; often clownish; enjoys mostly laid-back lifestyle.

Jocelyn Armand - The Orange Enforcer

Full Name:

Jocelyn Armand
Enforcer Designation:

The Orange Enforcer
Age:

17
Date of Birth:

November 9, 1982
Height:

5'2"
Hair:

Light Brown
Eyes:

Hazel
Year in College:

Freshman
Concentration:

Undecided
Hometown:

San Francisco, California
Vital Traits:

Extremely intelligent, with excellent memory and problem-solving skills; participates in intramural beach volleyball and Dreiser University Women's Swim Team.

Matthew O'Conner - The Green Enforcer

Full Name:

Matthew O'Conner
Enforcer Designation:

The Green Enforcer
Age:

18
Date of Birth:

August 25, 1981
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Copper Brown
Eyes:

Green
Year in College:

Freshman
Concentration:

Biology (Pre-Med)

Hometown:

Greenwich, Connecticut
Vital Traits:

Tends to be impatient and often sarcastic; volatile temper; sensitive.

Tamara Fox - The Yellow Enforcer

Full Name:

Tamara Fox
Enforcer Designation:

The Yellow Enforcer
Age:

19
Date of Birth:

April 21, 1980
Height:

5'5"
Hair:

Black
Eyes:

Brown
Year in College:

Sophomore
Concentration:

Theater Arts
Hometown:

Savannah, Georgia
Vital Traits:

Highly energetic, optimistic, and creative; athletic (particularly jogging and softball)

; artistic (sculpting, singing, dancing, and composing)

.

Rachel Summers

Rachel Summers is the mutant known as Phoenix. She is the daughter of the X-Men Cyclops and Jean Grey, who came from the future. She had bonded with the celestial avatar the Phoenix Force, which is life and fire incarnate. When Rachel bonded with the Phoenix, she became the second Phoenix to join the X-Men. As Phoenix, Rachel is a mighty telepath and telekinetic, with the ability to traverse space-time and fly through outer space at light speed. Later, Rachel and the Force separated, returning the avatar to the universe, and leaving Rachel with the infinite power the Phoenix possesses. Rachel remained the Phoenix until one day, where she was lost in the time stream while attempting to save a teammate from being trapped in the Multiverse. Rachel was thrown into the distant future, one in which Apocalypse reigns supreme, and the X-Men are long dead. So, Rachel forms a band of rebel mutants, and dubs them the Askani Clan, askani

meaning "outcast"

. She is called Mother Askani in the future, since all Askani view her as a mighty and respected savior.

Mentors and Allies to the Spectrum Force

Spectra - Mentor to the Spectrum Force

Full Name:

Spectra
Designation:

Mentor to the Spectrum Force
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Black with red highlights
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Lumina City, Fesp
Vital Traits:

Determined to help the Spectrum Force complete their task in protecting the Earth, Spectra herself was once a member of her own Spectrum Force when she lived on Fesp.

Gaius – Mentor to Spectra and the Spectrum Force

Full Name:

Gaius
Designation:

Mentor to Spectra and the Spectrum Force
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

5’10”
Hair:

White
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Lumina City, Fesp
Vital Traits:

He was the mentor of the original Spectrum Force. Passing his knowledge onto Spectra, he was on his way to returning to help her with this new generation of Spectrum Force when Phaedra struck him done with a virus called the Blight. Currently, he is in the care of Spectra and the Spectrum Force and has yet to awaken.

Luminus – Guardian of the Gateway Between Worlds

Full Name:

Luminus
Designation:

Guardian of the Gateway Between Worlds
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

5’12”
Hair:

White
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Unknown
<font_bold>Vital Traits: Not much is known about Luminus at all. All that is known is that he guards the Gateway the divides different Worlds.

Chris Greyson - Friend of the Spectrum Force

Full Name:

Chris Greyson
Designation:

Friend of the Spectrum Force
Age:

19
Date of Birth:

December 25, 1978
Height:

6'2"
Hair:

Black
Eyes:

Green
Hometown:

Miami, Florida
Vital Traits:

Polite manner, has the ability of telepathy, determined personality.

Mentors and Allies to Rachel Summers

Roma - The Multiverse Guardian

In Otherworld lives Roma, the Guardian of the Multiverse, who is charged to rule and protect all of existence. The only beings who can travel through the Multiverse are certain magicians (i.e. Spectra, Celea)

, Roma herself, and those with the power to create time portals/dimensional portals (i.e. Nate Grey, Phoenix)

. Anyone else who travels the Multiverse cannot control where they are going, and any normal human would be killed.

Enemies of the Spectrum Force

Phaedra - Empress of Denebia

Full Name:

Phaedra
Designation:

Empress of Denebia
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Blonde
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Denebia
Vital Traits:

Determined to take over the Earth, Phaedra is empress of the planet Denebia. Violent and Deadly when she is angered, she is truly dangerous to approach one on one.

Celea – Princess of Denebia

Full Name:

Celea
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

5’6”
Hair:

Black
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Denebia
Vital Traits:

Celea is Phaedra’s daughter. She is spoiled and when she doesn’t get her own way she is known to fly into severe temper tantrums. She was raised to be a warrior which she uses those skills to their fullest when fighting her enemies.


Acheron - Emperor of Denebia

Full Name:

Acheron
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

6'2"
Hair:

Black with Red Highlights
Eyes:

White with Black pupils
Homeplanet:

Denebia
Vital Traits:

Acheron is the Emperor of Denebia and one not to be trifled with. He is the husband of Phaedra, Empress of Denebia and father of Celea, Princess of Denebia. When he sets his sights on what he wants, he is known to not give up easily until he wins.

The Phoenix Force

Born of the void between states of being, the Phoenix Force is a child of the universe. In the dying moments of the previous universe, the Force saved all existence from eternal damnation, enabling Eternity to preserve the humanoid Galan, ensuring his re-creation as Galactus. The Force was subsequently reborn from the cosmic fires of the “Big Bang.”

Later, it encountered the malevolent Le Bete Noir and trapped it in the center of a still-cooling planet Earth. The Force was drawn back to Earth when it was awakened to reality by Feron, a sorcerer from an alternate Earth who had traveled with his master Necrom to a tower on Earth-616 to witness an alignment of dimensional interfaces. The Force joined with Feron, allowing itself to be shaped by his dreams into the form of a giant fiery bird and experiencing a spectrum of new sensations. At the moment of the alignment, Feron bade the Force to project the essence of the tower throughout the multiverse, so that it existed on every plane of reality simultaneously, creating an energy matrix. Necrom sought to access the matrix to allow him to compress all alternate Earths into a singularity, the energy released from which would endow him with godlike power, and to that end he tore out the portion of the Force that had bonded to Feron. In agonized confusion over the violation of its essence, the Force fled. Necrom bound the stolen Force with a portion of his own essence, and left it to incubate in a corpse he dubbed the Anti-Phoenix.

On its return to Earth, it sensed the astral form of the time-traveling Rachel Summers, the daughter of Earth-811's Jean Grey. After returning Grey’s missing life-force, which was instead received by Grey’s clone Madelyne Pryor, the Force followed Rachel back to the future of Earth-811. There, it revealed itself to Kate Pryde, who asked the Force to give Rachel a new lease on life. The Force agreed and took Rachel as its host, supercharging her ability to time travel and causing her to physically travel back in time to Earth-616. Rachel was unaware that she hosted the Force’s essence until she took on the codename Phoenix. The Force then bonded to her fully and ensured that Rachel could only access as much power as she could safely wield, having learned from its past mistake. Adventuring with Rachel and the British super-team Excalibur for a time, the Force ultimately encountered Necrom’s Anti-Phoenix. After a cataclysmic battle, Rachel allowed Necrom to possess the Force, gambling that its infinite power would be too much for him.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 28.07.2012

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