New York City, a crucial node in the economic engine of the United States, had been rocked by an entire day of chaos. Superpowered criminals and terrorist elements had seemingly picked that day to strike as one.

The United States responded.

On the dawn of the next day the twelfth US Carrier Strike Group sailed into New York Bay. A show of force. A threat that stability would be restored. A promise of protection for the citizens. Congress had suspended Posse Comitatus allowing military action in support of the National Guard in defense of the city. Their actions were limited to those directly called for by state and local civilian leadership.

The sun rose and bathed the deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford in a golden morning glow. The most powerful weapons platform developed by man. Carrying a complement of over 75 aircraft, armed with an array of defensive weapons, and powered by dual nuclear reactors. The mighty city on the sea was truly the greatest symbol of power.

Following his orders, the admiral had flight operations underway. Helicopters, ospreys, and intelligence aircraft. The fighters were being held back. The hornets were too much firepower in too urban a battlefield. A battlefield at home. An amphibious ready group was en route to support the Gerald Ford, but the Ford was deemed essential. Utilizing its mighty reactors it could restore power to the city if it was lost and it could desalinate enough water to keep the city functioning until the city had recovered.

The USS Gerald R. Ford was the ultimate image of power, sitting in New York Bay, on the day a pharaoh wanted to send a message.

The admiral was in his ready room when an alarm blared. As he rose to his feet he could hear steps as people ran past his door. The admiral took to the bridge calling to the ship’s captain, “Sit Rep.”

“Someone… Someone appeared on the flight deck. He… Looks like King Tut or something.” The captain stated, pointing down onto the flight deck where a man stood dressed like an ancient pharaoh. He was blocking the catapult that had an EA-18G Growler ready to launch. “He’s demanding to speak to you, sir.”

The admiral looked to his first officer then down at the man on the deck. The man looked up as if he knew the admiral was watching him from the bridge. The admiral gave a small shudder before controlling himself. Marines were already moving onto the flight deck and surrounding the man. “How did he get on this ship?” The admiral demanded to the room.

“He appeared, sir.” The captain repeated. “He just… stepped out onto the deck. From nowhere.”

The admiral sighed. The administration was still pressuring their officers to win hearts and minds. There were multiple squads of marines surrounding the man. “I’ll talk to him. Simmons, have the marines ready.” The admiral addressed the captain before turning to exit the bridge.

As the admiral stepped out onto the deck he placed his cover upon his head and a pair of marines took a place on his flanks as he marched toward the man who was too early for Halloween. One of the marines informed the admiral that the man had made no aggressive moves. He simply asked to see the “The one who commanded the power of the sea and sun.”

Reaching the ring of marines, the admiral stopped and called past them to the man in the center. “I’m Jeffrey Smyth. Admiral of Carrier Strike Group Twelve. You are trespassing on a United States military vessel. You will be detained and we can speak about how you got on this ship after you are locked in the brig.”

The man cocked his head, his odd headdress making the gesture seem larger somehow. “I am Ka, your new god and all you have will be mine as the world will be mine.” The voice didn’t match the mouth. It was as if the man spoke and the words entered the admiral’s mind directly.

“Every man is entitled to his religious views. However, here our gods are a bit… bigger.” The admiral said before gesturing to one of the marines beside him. “Arrest him.”

“Yes, sir.” The marine holstered his pistol and produced a pair of cuffs. He stepped forward and another marine shifted to let him through.

The moment the marine touched Ka, there was a flash of lightning. From Ka to the marine, and the marine was thrown back.

The second marine that had flanked the admiral moved to secure him. Blocking the admiral’s body from Ka and moving him further away. There was a bark of a rifle and more flashes of light. The admiral’s eyes were blinded by retinal burns as the light show and sound of gunfire continued for several seconds.

Finally the sound died down and the admiral’s vision returned. The marine who had put his body between the admiral and Ka lay on the deck. A massive burn on his back. The lights on the deck flickered and dimmed.

In the same spot he had arrived on the carrier, Ka stood. Electricity flowed, arcing through the deck to his body. The power of two nuclear reactors coursing through Ka. His eyes glowed and he smiled.

“With this, my kingdom returns.”

The alert came out. He had already been on standby since the day before. With what had happened, how could he not be? Something was clearly coming.

He had patched his wounds, rested and checked on his family. Wife, sister, child. He had contacted other people, as he had seen fit. Made sure to put down any baddies he encountered on his way home that day. Friends.

Aurum was fine. He had been home, baking a cake for a friend’s birthday. He had heard about the chaos on the news, and opted to stay inside. Aurum’s sister was fine too, he’d told Shin. She had been busy with work. Which was SUPER.

Today, would be another day. Chaos. Fights. He wanted it over. He just wanted to go home to his son, Michael. This was stupid. He was getting too old for this shit. But the alert came out.

The alert came out, and in full golden lion GARO armor, on a flying triangle, he had disembarked in a direction. To meet up with the rest of the champions.

”The world needs more heroes…” he muttered as he flew.

First, there was the message from the Lady in Red. Ahk had succeeded and her pharaoh once again walked the Earth. That had prompted a regrouping. Ranger had called Rex to meet up at Haven. It had become the base of operations for Ranger in Manhattan. Every available body Ranger had to throw at the problem was divided between Blac-Tac actual and Haven. So, it was the best place Ranger could think of to regroup and plan.

The next morning was when the call came in. Blac-Tac had been contacted by the DoD and Ranger directly by SUPER. Ahk and Ka were on the move. Ahk was a threat, but Ka was attacking the Gerald Ford, not only that he seemed to be feeding off of its nuclear reactors.

Without missing a beat Ranger was in action. Calling in assistance to help manage Ahk while he prepared for Ka. Gear, he needed gear. A ride, he needed a ride. Not just for himself, but also Rex. Helicopters were out. Large targets for a man with zappy hands to shoot down.

One call to Special Operations Command and a Mark V Special Operations Craft had detached from an Amphibious Assault Carrier and was on route up the East River. It would be a six block trip then onto the boat. Then they would turn and burn, back for the bay.

On the ride, Ranger checked his gear. Knowing his foe was using electric powers, Ranger had to plan ahead. His clothes and gear were not just able to stretch out for his strength growth but also shrink in for when he inevitably shifted forms. Beyond that he was carrying gear.

Ranger looked over to Rex as the boat bounced a little. 50 knots in the boat was not the smoothest ride. ”Ready f’r this?” Ranger tilted his head to indicate the flight deck of the carrier as it approached.

The boat spun around to quickly bleed off speed. It came to a rest beside a ladder that had been dropped. Ranger took hold of a rung and started climbing.

Rex knocked back the last of the plain, scalding black coffee and returned the paper cup to its cupholder. The last twenty-four hours had been utterly draining. Between running back and forth across the city, putting out fires, healing people, and stopping assorted mystics and mutants, he was nearly worn out. When he'd finally crashed, he'd slept like the dead for a handful of hours before getting the call to arms.

Two other empty coffee cups rattled around his feet as the boat skipped over the waters. He wasn't concerned about the small amount of litter like he'd normally be. He was in focus mode, steeling himself for what was to come and blocking out as many distractions as possible. He had to be smart about what he could do. Magic allowed him to do so many amazing things, but like all things, there was a price to pay. He had started facing heat exhaustion the night before, as magic had started burning him out through all the use. He couldn't afford to do that again.

Unless he had to.

Rex didn't verbalize a response to Hunter. He just grunted an affirmative and put his rosary back in his pants pocket. He did have on different clothes from the night before, but hardly anyone would notice. He still wore a flannel, jeans, and work boots. Now he'd added a utility belt filled with much of the implements he used on the job, including an ax. As they came up alongside the military vessel, Rex pulled an inscribed leather fireman's glove onto his right hand.

As Hunter started up the ladder, Rex began reciting a verse, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Invisible energy began to form in the unseen shape of a heater shield over his left arm. They were up against a mutant with electrical powers, according to intel. An energy-blocking shield was about all Rex could do.

"I've got your back," Rex said as he followed Hunter up to the deck.

He circled, high and out of reach. The triangular flying platform beneath him had shifted from its initial forest green, to grays and blues, to better blend in with the clouds and sky. No need to get sighted and shot down before they had even begun.

The carrier was beneath him, and the water. He surveyed the area, to see if He spotted anyone on the deck. Did He see the target? He had not yet noticed them, which meant they likely had not noticed him. Good. As for anyone else… look. He could tell you exact measurements and the layout of the ship down to tiny numbers, but his actual eyesight was not eagle sharp. He was high up, things below were small, and He did not get much of a read on troop positions or if Ra the sun god (or whatever his name was) had any goons. He saw movement, though. A ship. A boat.


That’s provably his team.
That was his thought.

They appeared the carrier, and someone started climbing a ladder. A second followed.

Shin was glad he had donned an insulated rubber suit beneath his armor. Kept him warmer, up in the sky. Kept him protected from whatever electricity may fall. He had heard about that, and prepared. One of his several armored white coats was beneath the shard armor, backup for him. The armor itself would not insulate against electricity. Maybe he should have invested in Amelia and her enchanted clothing powers… but the upkeep costs were insane.

He began a controlled descent, far away and out of sight, aiming to come close to the ship at water level. He skimmed the waves, aiming for stealth, then elevated himself up next to the ladder. He arrived just as the duo had made it to the deck, and had their moment to catch their wits and look around.

His feet made little sound as the golden armored hero stepped off the platform. It shifted colors and shape as he stuck out a hand, transforming into a long black sword. Took a few seconds. Then he was ready.

Shin nodded at them both.

Rex was ready. Well, Ranger assumed he was a s ready as Ranger was, which was to say—as ready as they could be to fight someone who was the closest thing to a god on Earth in their time. However, to Ranger a god on Earth was still a man and Samuel Colt made men equal.

Ranger started up the ladder as Rex recited a line to empower a spell before stating he had Ranger’s back. There was so much unknown about what they would find atop the carrier’s flight deck, Ranger was glad he had someone he had worked with at his back.

Throwing himself up onto the deck, Ranger quickly scanned it as he moved to allow room for Rex. There were signs of struggle. Scorch marks across the flight deck, sailors and marines lay scattered. From his perspective, Ranger could see some of the techs hiding behind aircraft that sat on the deck. They were keeping their heads down. Down aft, towards the lift, Ranger saw a man who looked misplaced in time. Powerfully built and wearing a headdress. Ka.

Ka was running his hand along the side of an F-35C that had been preparing for flight operations. A glow passed from Ka’s hand to the aircraft as it moved. Electricity. The same electricity that could be seen arcing up to Ka’s feet from the deck. The aircraft’s canopy was open and a pilot lay on the ground.

It was an understatement to say Ranger was pissed. His city had been attacked. His home, his family were endangered. Now those who had been his brothers in arms were being cast aside and put down like lame horses.

When Rex reached the top of the ladder, Ranger looked at the man with fire in his eyes.Ka was going to pay. It was then that another landed on the deck. Approaching from the water, up the path of the ladder. Golden armored, but shifting to a sword.

Shin?

Ranger had never formally met the man, but had been in the same place as him a couple times. Clandestine missions using the X-Men for cover were interesting to say the least.

With only a small hitch in his giddyup from the appearance of the X-man, Ranger spoke, ”Backup has arrived… Hope yall play with tasers f’r fun. This fight’ll be shockin’.” Ranger took a deep breath, ”Looks like he’s drawin’ power from the nukes through the ship itself. We gotta get him off th ship 'r shut down the reactors. Also need t' clear the deck. Not sure if the sailors 'r' dead 'r incapacitated”

Ka felt invigorated as he never had before. The metal island the people of this new time had constructed was something he couldn’t have dreamed of. The hum of power he could feel from within, the power that he could draw forth into himself. It felt endless. It felt like he was touching the very Sun for power.

Despite the ability of modern man to construct such power, man himself was still weak. The soldiers and their metal sticks were nothing. Ka had been able to brush them aside, ridding them of their pain and burdens, forever. Save one. The man they called, Admiral. That man Ka did not send to meet Osiris. Instead he put him to sleep and left him. He may prove useful later.

More of the men had arrived and Ka unleashed the lightning to dispatch them. Eventually the men stopped coming. That was fine. This metal island was his now. A new throne would be built upon this ‘Ford’ and he would rule from it.

Beyond just containing the power of a Sun inside it, Ka had learned of the power the island could project. They called it a carrier and it was able to project its power through machines that flew through the air, Ka found these airplanes fascinating.

It was while Ka was running his hand along one of the marvels and casting his power into it as a way to understand it that Ka became aware of a new presence on his island. Three new presences.

Ka turned from his new flying machine to look at a trio of men that stood on the edge of his island. Raising his hands in greeting, Ka called out, “<You must be champions of this world. The ones they have summoned to stop me.>” Ka strode forward, halving the distance to the three new men. This left him in the middle of the island, on the flight deck as they called it. “<Kneel before me and I may let you live to serve me.>”

Ka raised an arm and rolled his hand over to slowly point a finger at the deck of the ship. “<Kneel before your new god.>”

Rex pulled himself onto the deck and assumed a standing position to Hunter's right. From there, Rex could more easily extend his shield in front of the man or himself as needed. He laid eyes on the man they were sent to stop, the man who dressed like some ancient pharaoh.

Then Rex saw the bodies.

He glared across the deck. It was sickening, what happened there, and firelight began dancing in his eyes as he prepared to call upon fire.

The armored man he'd met just the day before arrived and Rex ceased glaring just long enough to give an acknowledging nod. His glare intensified as Hunter...joked. Then Ka claimed to be a god.

It was not the first time Rex had met a man who claimed to be a god, but this man was no Hercules. This man was all the worst parts of a mortal's fleshly desires.

The Catholic laughed, a sharp bark of humorless mockery. "You're no god, but I'll happily introduce you to Him. Now stand down!" Rex said, his voice raised with the authority of a man used to taking charge in a life and death emergency.