Manchester Black and his crew that he had called the Elite had been responsible for the deaths of several small scale super-villains that Ray and Al had fought during their heroing days. The police and the government were not sure how to react to Manchester and his form of justice.

The assault was quick and bloody, leaving Savage Dragon dead and the Elite doing interviews with all the media that had shown up.

“Manchester Black, under DEO authority I am placing you and your elite team under arrest,” Al Emerson said. He was wearing his full costume that he used to wear as JSA member the Atom.

Manchester and the Elite laughed at Al. “Well, we’re resisting arrest,” Manchester said in his thick British accent laughing.

“It is best if you surrender peacefully,” Al Emerson said.

“Scorn, take care of this relic please,” Manchester said.

Scorn charged at Al only to fall to the ground before he could get anywhere close. Ray Palmer grew to a partial height next to the collapsed Scorn.

“Well, isn’t this bloody lovely? We have two Atoms for the price of one,” Manchester said.

“Manchester Black, you and your team the Elite are under arrest for murder. Give yourselves up,” Al Emerson said.

“This is getting so old, do you want me to take care of them love?” Obsession said.

“Go ahead,” Manchester said.

“Listen, Miss, I don't like hitting ladies but you leave me virtually no choice.”

Obsession threw a punch at Al that he ducked easily. He threw a swift uppercut at her, striking her chin, rolling her eyes back, and knocking her out cold.

“I have had enough of this already,” Manchester said.

He closed his eyes and both Atoms went down. He had hit them with enough psychic backlash that they would both be waking up with a headache. He fiddled with a small control panel that he wore on his wrist. A glowing yellow door appeared. He walked over and flipped Obsession over his shoulder.

“Are the rest of you wankers coming or do I have to leave you here?” he asked.

Fringe walked through the door first, then Scorn, then finally Manchester with Obsession over his shoulder.

“What the hell was that?” Ray asked.

“Did he even throw a punch at us?” Al asked.

“Is your head pounding too?” Ray asked.

“I've never had one like this.”

DEO Director Mitchell Shelley was standing in the room with them, looking over them.

“Well, gentlemen. I see that the two of you have had your first encounter with Manchester Black and his group of Elite,” Shelley said.

“Yes, we met his Elite group,” Al said. “Now tell us what he did to us and why my head hurts so bad.”

“Manchester is a top rate telepath and telekinetic. He gave you what is equivalent to a mental gut punch. Our people are working on a device to neutralize that,” Shelley said. “The two of you were lucky we had a crew monitoring them. You both would be in a real hospital right now undergoing lots of tests that would take about five times as long as what we can do them in.”

“Please don't talk so loud, sir,” Ray said.

“I would like to see both of you in my office as soon as Doctor Tyler approves your mobility,” Shelley said.

“It seems the best attack you can deliver to Manchester involves a full force to distract him and then a miniaturization attack by Agent Palmer,” Shelley said.

“I am not sure I like what you mean involving a miniaturization attack, sir,” Ray Palmer said.

“Listen, Mr. Palmer. Do you have any idea the number of lives you may save by giving him a microscopic lobotomy?” Shelley said.

“But sir that seems a lot like violation of civil liberties,” Al said.

“He is a threat to the American Way, Mr. Pratt. He is violent and destructive and if he thinks about it could easily rule the world. I am willing to violate more than his liberties if it means protecting our way of life,” Shelley said.

“As you wish, sir,” Ray and Al said almost simultaneously.

“Good, the plan is a full assault squad takes out a Black’s team. If we can take them out quickly then we have a direct attack on Black himself. That is what I am saving the two of you for. None of our recruits our far enough along on their training to take a mission like this. Agent Emerson, you will assault Manchester head to head. Agent Palmer, you will enter his brain and scramble him. Hopefully the plan works. If not the assault force is there to kill him if need be,” Shelley said.

“Are we dismissed, Sir?” Ray asked.

“Yes you are. You both will be contacted as soon as we have everything ready.”

Al and Ray left the office.

“What’s your plan, Palmer?” Al asked him.

“I have been working on a neural scrambler. A little home defense device. I think if I raise the power on it that I will be able to neutralize Manchester without killing him or removing a chunk of his brain.”

“Are you sure that Shelley would approve of that?”

“Al, you said it yourself. He is moving into territory that just isn’t right. How far are you willing to go to stand up for what you believe?”

“Ray, I have a son at home. I don’t want him to grow up without his Dad.”

“Your son is a low level meta already, Al. If he gets to the same level as Manchester, who is to say that Shelley will not order his death?”

Al stood there stunned. “How did you know that Grant was a meta?”

“I am more than just a guy who runs around in tights. I am a doctor and one hell of a scientist. I see a lot of DEO files. Grant is what - five now? In about six years do you really want the DEO storming your house and taking him because he is a threat to the American Way?”

“Let’s take out Manchester your way.”

“Mr. Black, I will cut to the chase here. I would like to recruit you to a group I am building. And I think that you and your associates may want to side with me.”

“I’m listening but I seriously doubt you have anything of interest to me mate,” Black said.

“I know what gives you those intense mental powers. And I know how you live in fear that you may die at any time. Would a cure be worth your allegiance?”

“Would I keep my powers?”

“Mr. Black, I could amplify your powers,” Gog said.

“You have full use of my people and my ship then, mate.”

“Mr. Black, welcome to the Kingdom.”

“But I'm one of the good guys!” ShadowHawk screamed as Obsession and Scorn held him in place.

“The good guys don’t kill innocents, mate,” Manchester said closing his eyes.

ShadowHawk’s body grew stiff and then collapsed completely. Scorn and Obsession dropped him to the ground. Before the lifeless body could hit the ground, the DEO agents fired intense energy blasts at the two that had been holding him. Manchester saw his friends drop and lashed out with intense telepathic shockwaves at the attackers.

“I need a sweeping -- ” Manchester exclaimed as he was tackled by Al Emerson unable to finish his command.

Ray Palmer had hitched a ride on Al. He used the attack as a way to dive into Manchester’s ear making a straight path to the brain. When he got there he found something he was not expecting. There were tiny machine in there with him. They were around an abnormally large area of the brain. Ray tried to maneuver around them to get his neural disrupter in place. But he was turned back with every attempt.

“Al, we have a problem. There are some type of machines in there. I can’t get the disrupter in place.”

“Amp it up. Try to go through them.”

Ray Palmer used the failsafe that he had built into the small machine. He turned the switch from disrupt to destroy.

“It’s done, Al. Get away from him.”

Ray moved out of the brain cavity and through the ear. As he left the ear he enlarged and hit the ground running. The moment the device went off it was evident. Manchester screamed in pain and the blast was so intense that Al Emerson’s body, still locked in battle with Manchester, went limp.

“No!!!!!!!” Ray Palmer yelled.

Manchester was still standing. He closed his eyes to aim a psychic lash at Ray and nothing happened.

“Get me a sweeping door now, Gog.”

The yellow door, that always happened when the ship teleported, swept over the area and picked up Manchester, Scorn, Obsession, the dead body of ShadowHawk, and Al Emerson.

Ray Palmer fell to his knees. He was in shock. He had killed Al Emerson. His personal hero the man he named himself after. How would he tell Al’s wife or even his child Grant?

“Will these little robot things fix me up?”

“They will make you better than before.”

Al Emerson stirred awake.

“Hello, Mr. Emerson. Do you remember me?” Gog said.

“William?”

“Yes, I would like to make an offer to you. The way to change the world and save your son from the DEO. Are you interested?”

“I’m listening,” Al said.