Captain Britain, Betsy and Captain UK find themselves beset by the Cherubim, young mutant children sent by the RCX and inadvertently freed by Meggan.
Giggles leads the offensive by manipulating light energy patterns while the others attack in the confusion. The feral Quill attacks Captain Britain with razor sharp talons.
Fern, a creature consisting only of a cape and a helmet, traps Captain UK in a viscous sticky mass.
Then there are AC-DC, shocking Siamese twins. One positively polarized, the other negatively. They got for Betsy. But Captain UK stops them by tossing Fern at them.
Then there is Lump, who looks the part. He can confront you with your most feared nightmares. For Cap and his allies, that would be Mad Jim Jaspers and the Fury. Which in turn makes them fight even angrier and more furiously, and then take out the Cherubim all the more quickly.
Well, they soon polished them off, Captain Britain announces satisfied. How can he gloat? Betsy demands angrily. They are children!
Yeah, and here come their playmates! Captain UK announces, looking around. The next moment, they are swept up by the psionic whirlwind caused by the Cherub quintet. The RCX agents in the meantime look for cover. What now, tough guy? Betsy asks angrily. Brian is about to give a rude reply.
Jeeves leads the agents, Alison and a confused Emma, who thinks she is reliving World War 2 down the stairs and into the computer cavern. The agents are impressed as Jeeves explains that he is a solid light construct and is actually the computer surrounding them.
High above the clouds, Meggan bathes in silver moonlight, then drops, her new body howling with sheer joy. She heads straight for the quintuplets at the heart of the hurricane.
In the cavern, Michael asks Jeeves how he would feel about the RCX locating here at Braddock Manor? He does not feel anything, Jeeves informs him, but he computes a great many advantages in such a situation.
A grumbling noise interrupts their chat, as Meggan has broken the Cherubim apart. The hurricane disperses and the heroes fall.
Suddenly, there is no more wind. Everything is still. Alison, the RCX agents and the rest head outside again. C’est formidable, Gabriel remarks. It looks like pick-up-the-pieces-time, Michael adds. They find the five cherubim dead. She wiped them out, Michael finds. Yeah a proverbial fallen angel, Gabriel remarks as they all stare at her. Who is she?
Meggan! Alison calls happily. You did it! You changed! “Meggan?” everybody shouts in disbelief. She’s grown up, realized her potential, Alison continues happily. Potential? Brian mutters. Yes, as she tried to tell him between alien visitations and drunken sulks, Alison snaps. Meggan’s appearance as a werebeast was a state forced upon her by the superstitious fears of her people because she didn’t understand the true scale of her powers. Er, comes the reply.
How does she feel? Alison asks Meggan. Still dreamy, Meggan replies she’s not sure. At first it hurt… the children tried to possess her with their anger. But now she feels… warm… tingling… wonderful. She breaks out of her reverie when she realizes the kids are dead. Did she do that?
Gabriel tries to scan her while Michael draws a gun. This mutant’s power is incredible, Gabriel announces. She must be restrained… or eliminated, Michael adds. They can’t risk another Jaspers.
Cap steps between them and Meggan and warns them to stay away from her. They are the cause for all this.
Meggan tries to explain. She knows she did wrong but she couldn’t help herself. She’s never been so strong before. He understands, Brian assures her. Heknows how she feels. He leads her away as she complains that they all hate her, she can feel it. It’s not that they hate her, he explains. But they are afraid of her powers. He won’t let them take her away, will he? she asks agitated. He won’t let them hurt her? No one can hurt her now, he promises with a smile. She’s a match for them all!
Gabriel informs Michael that the body count on the assault group shows they are missing six. The big chap’s effective, but he gets the impression he’s rather fed up with them. Yeah, Michael agrees, he thinks they might have pushed him completely beyond the pale, but they do have other allies.
With a sheepish, apologetic smile, Gabriel asks Betsy what can he say. Annoyed, she suggests he can say he’ll go away and stay away. That’s a shame he continues smoothly. He had hoped that despite her brother’s prejudices, she might be more perceptive. What does he…?
That moment, small buses stop in front of the mansion. My God, not more! Betsy exclaims, as several RCX agents, male and female, and all dressed in cutting edge clothes, reveal their passengers, more young Warpie children with the strangest mutations. Raphael’s refugee army, Michael calls them. Despite herself, Betsy can’t help but be charmed by the kids.
Poor things, bombed out weren’t they? the still confused Emma asks. You could say that, Michael agrees. Never mind, Miss Elizabeth will look after them, Emma promises. Lifting one of the smaller children, Betsy decides to get the kids inside. Maybe Alison can calm them down...
Raphael remarks to his colleagues that it’s strange how the women go for these Warpies in such a big way, isn’t it? Touchingly maternal, Gabriel agrees. Yes, and if they work quickly enough they should be able to cut the Captain right out of the picture, Michael announces, unaware that Jeeves has just manifested behind them. Short of destroying the Captain, which would be both difficult and wasteful, he announces, he doesn’t think he could be forced to leave the manor, although h might be persuaded. Uh, he’s all ears, a surprised Michael replies.
Inside the house, the agents try to make things habitable for the kids, carrying blankets. Betsy still carries a particularly small Warpie. Brian looks on sourly, a drink in his hands.
They certainly seem to trust Betsy, Gabriel observes. The rest will be arriving soon. They’ve been gathering them for months… from all over the country. Part of the RCX’s function is to give them sanctuary and learn about them. They got a place in the city, but funds are short and other factions are pressing them hard. They need their help.
Betsy shoots Brian a beseeching look. Please, she asks. No! he replies forcefully. He doesn’t trust them, they are dangerous! But they are children, Betsy protests. Warp children, he stresses. They’re destructive. And in their hands, he points at Gabriel, corrupt. He won’t have these children or the RCX in his house. Betsy puts her foot down. It’s her house too, and she says they stay! They’re living beings. They need protection… education… love. They can give them that. It’s their duty. Here, here, Michael applauds.
He is forced to bow to the rule of democracy. But heroes are not by nature patient men. He finds for example that the bathroom is occupied when he needs it. A hero’s sense of humor is not his greatest attribute (A warpie kid sneaks up on him waiting and scares him with a huge bellow). They are private people (He shoos a group of Warpies out of the bathroom). They need their dignity (He is about to step into the tub, when he finds an amphibic warpie in there, giving him a scare).
Wearing only par of trousers, he walks into the den, where Meggan sits in front of the TV set. It’s too much! he complains. The house has been turned into an asylum. They’ve only been here two days and already he’s nearly insane.
Meggan tells him to shush. Ignoring that, he pours himself a drink. He’s serious, he announces. He feels like he’s being squeezed out of his own house. Either they go or he does!
Meggan asks him to be quiet a minute. There’s something on there about his brother Jamie!
Elsewhere in the building, Jeeves serves Michael and Gabriel drinks as he asks if they did as he suggested. Yes, Michael, replies. Their contacts were extremely helpful. With the Captain’s somewhat intractable presence removed they will be able to develop their influence much quicker, Jeeves explains. With a female Captain Britain as a national figurehead. Gabriel and Michael toast with their glasses. To Elizabeth. Long may she reign!
In the living room, Brian and Meggan follow the news: The authorities of the state of Mbangawi, in whose territory Jamie Braddock was last seen during the trans-African rally, have promised full cooperation in the search for the missing playboy racing driver…
That moment, the phone rings. Brian takes it. It’s Jamie, desperate the elder Braddock brother asks Brian to just listen.
Chained to a chair, surrounded by an armed guard, a witchwoman and a strangely reptilian looking man with cyborg parts, a frightened Jamie tells him his captors say if Captain Britain isn’t there by Wednesday they are going to do something savage and unpleasant to Jamie...
Brian promises he will be there.
The cavern under Braddock Manor. Mastermind: So simple to guide them. To align them. Such basic intellect. Their desire for treachery is innate.
