It was a relief to be free of the armor after having pushed it to near its limits in the battle with the Manhunters*. He would have to give it a diagnostic once-over to check for any fried circuitry or components that were about to fail.

*(You did get The Manhunter Agenda collection, didn't you?).

Before he could get his mask off, he received one final instant message on the screen that displayed itself in front of his eyes. It was from his rogue Iron Man robot, who had changed sides and helped the heroes defeat the Manhunters who were attacking NORAD.

The message read: "The Manhunter is not Pamela. It is someone closer to you."

After his armor had put itself away, Tony sat down in a plush chair and thought deeply about the few people he had actually allowed to get close to him during his life. He had lots of contacts, but he let few people get past the dashing playboy façade he kept up most of the time.

He had, of course, a great number of ex-girlfriends, so many that he would have to have seen them standing in front of him to guess their names. He thought about the line from Paul Simon's song "Kodachrome" that referred to getting all the girls he knew in one room together . . . they would probably have some notes to compare.

Still, he didn't see any of his old flames having the ability to steal a robot, let alone know the security codes to get into the area where it was being stored. He didn't give that information to hardly anyone.

It had to be someone with a close knowledge of Stark Enterprises, someone who was working or had worked at the company before.

After a few minutes of thinking, he came up with three people who would be most likely able to steal the Iron Man robot. The thought of any of these people being his enemy was quite fearful.

She had managed to escape Stark Enterprises without having to admit the sabotage she had performed on the company. Tony had apparently not had time to deactivate her security clearances, or to detain her in any way. She had simply left behind a letter of resignation. She had gotten out before any investigation had been started, and Stark would not be able to track her down.

As one final act of mischief, she had put a small amount of a plant toxin that had been specially requested by Lex Luthor into Tony Stark's personal supply of bottled water. She did not know why Luthor had not requested a more deadly concoction; he had suggested a mix of herbs and flowers that would put Stark into a mellow, suggestible state for a couple of days.

Oh well, she was just doing her job after all. However, a small pang of regret sounded in her heart that she was surprised to feel. Had all that time with Tony, and their trip to Kunlong, created something in her heart for him? It had been so long since she had felt anything for anyone that the feeling was hard to recognize.

Love was not a feeling that Pamela Isley . . . that Poison Ivy could allow herself. She frowned when she thought that it would have been better for her to kill Tony Stark, because that would forever preclude the possibility of her ever loving him. She pictured the many ways that she could have killed him, and relished each one as she went through it in her mind.

Her work was done for now, and it was time to visit Luthor to confirm that the work was done and to collect her money. Tony Stark would soon just be another one of the poor schmucks whose life had been ruined by Poison Ivy.

He probably deserved it, anyway, Pamela thought as she settled down to a restful nap.

The one with the finned helmet turned the ignition of the truck back on. "Okay, you know what the boss wants you to do and say, right?"

His partner, who had a helmet with owl-like fins, opened the door and stepped out of the truck. He put a compound bow on his back and quickly checked his equipment. "I'm all set on that, partner."

The finned-helmeted one's brow furrowed. "Funny that you and me should be working together again, isn't it?"

"After all this time, yeah. Fifty million has a way of bringing people back together, doesn't it?"

The other figure pointed his bladed weapon threateningly at the other out the window. "Hey. Rumor has it you've been going a little soft, Barton. When it comes down to the big thing we have to do, you better fulfill your bargain with Mr. Luthor. I don't want this conscience you seem to be developing to get the better of you."

"It won't . . . not this time."

"It better not. You just remember . . . I trained you. I know all your tricks. If you and me end up on opposite sides, like that time back in Madripoor, you know who's going to win!"

The bowman skulked off into the night as the pickup drove away.

Happy Hogan had been his chauffeur since Tony took over Stark Enterprises. He was a good friend, and had proven a loyal ally in a number of encounters with supervillains and common criminals alike. Happy was certainly not an overly intellectual person, so it was hard to see him hiding a Manhunter identity. Such deceit was not like his former boxing champ friend.

Oracle, Jim Rhodes, was another person who could have stolen the robots, but he had helped Tony so much during the battle against the Manhunters. Furthermore, he was, or at least seemed to be permanently a paraplegic, so the notion of him running into Stark Enterprises unnoticed and stealing the Iron Man robot was not very believable.

That left Mrs. Bambi Arbogast. She had been his father's secretary for a number of years before his death, and had always been more than loyal. Mrs. Arbogast had actually given Tony a lot of advice during the early days of his management of Stark Enterprises. He had trusted her judgment implicitly.

She had been a little secretive lately, sometimes even forgetting to say hello in the hallway. God, if she was the one, he would have to explain why he was firing her to the other employees who almost loved her, and maybe even to the Board of Directors. Would they even believe she was a Manhunter, without concrete proof? Would telling anyone else reveal his identity as Iron Man?

All of these questions made Tony almost break a sweat.

It was time for a drink of water.

Hawkeye picked up his bow, notched a special arrow, and aimed at a place on what he knew to be Stark's private office building. He then attached part of the arrow to the wall, and then pulled a small metal attachment from his belt and put it on the taut wire.

Hawkeye slid skillfully between the tree he had attached the line to and the building. He alit on the roof and waited. If he maneuvered quickly and quietly enough, the security system would not sense him. He took a tiny unit from his belt and attached it to the roof. A wireless ear attachment would let him hear whatever sounds were in the room below.

"Mr. Stark," a woman's voice said.

"Mrs. Arbogast! I wasn't expecting . . . "

It sounded like Stark, but his voice was very groggy.

"That's right you weren't expecting me. But you know about me, and about the Manhunters, and that's too much to know."

"Um . . . I guess you did steal the Iron Man armor, then . . . "

"No man escapes the Manhunters!"

Hawkeye's ears heard the cock of the hammer of a pistol cock. Tony Stark was going to be dead if he didn't act fast.

Hawkeye used his line to swing over the side of the building, and his momentum to crash through the window.

Both Mrs. Arbogast and Tony turned in surprise.

Hawkeye had done a flip and had pulled out his bow before Mrs. Arbogast could fire on him. He pulled out an arrow, notched it, and fired it at the floor in front of Mrs. Arbogast. A puff of toxic smoke blew into her face.

Hawkeye waited for her to get knocked out, but this did not happen.

"What the . . . ?? That was my best knockout gas arrow!"

Tony tried to get up quickly, which was difficult given his drugged state. "She's a robot, Hawkeye!"

And she was coming after him. Mrs. Arbogast charged through the cloud of gas toward Hawkeye.

"Run, Stark! I'll take care of her!" Hawkeye shouted.

Mrs. Arbogast leapt forward and seized Hawkeye's throat in an inexorable grip. Hawkeye struggled to break free.

Tony almost fell into his closet and tried to think of what to do. He had to shake a desire to just lie down and go to sleep, to just let things happen.

Tony thought that it might be a good idea to change into Iron Man now, if only he could think hard enough to signal his armor to emerge from its place in his secret closet.

"A little help . . . Mr. Stark . . . a little . . . " Hawkeye gurgled outside the closet. He was going to pass out soon from lack of air, even though he struggled with all his might against Arbogast's iron grip.

Iron Man's armor drifted on to him, coming slowly because of the lack of Stark's drugged willpower. Once the armor was on, Iron Man walked out to the room to see if he could remember what he was supposed to do.

Hawkeye did not look like he had much time left. Mrs. Arbogast had to be stopped.

Iron Man lifted his gauntlets and fired a repulsor array into Mrs. Arbogast's chest. Each connecting blast stripped away more flesh and revealed the inner circuitry of the Manhunter. She finally let go of Hawkeye's throat.

He rolled across the floor, and then looked up to see the Manhunter clinging to life, determined to kill one or both of them. The archer grabbed an explosive arrow from his quiver, notched it, and fired it straight into the Manhunter's mouth. He shouted at Iron Man.

"I don't care how much armor you've got! My arrow packs quite a punch! Duck!"

Both of them ducked as the arrow exploded inside the Manhunter. A ball of flame lifted out from her robot body, sending metal fragments everywhere. The sprinkler systems in the intact areas of the office went off and the Stark security forces could already be heard running up the hallway.

"Thanks for that last minute save, Iron Man." He clutched his neck. "Stark's secretary had quite a grip."

"I should thank you, Hawkeye. You saved Tony Stark's life."

"Well, I figured since I was around, anyway . . . you're going to ask me what I was doing sneaking around here, aren't you?"

"Well, now that you mention it . . . "

Hawkeye set his bow down on the ground and looked at Iron Man.

"I was saving this speech for your boss, but since he's not around, I'll give it to you. I wanna go straight, Iron Man. I've been doing the mercenary thing for a while, and it pays pretty good here and there . . . but, I just kinda discovered I got some responsibilities to take care of . . . "

Iron Man was surprised at Hawkeye's tone. Did he discover he had a family or something that he didn't know about previously?

"Anyway, I figured I should come to you, since we've fought a couple of times in the past. You know what it's like to be a hero . . . I always envied that of you. You could show me a few pointers . . . maybe your boss could help me get back on my feet . . . "

Iron Man could not believe that Hawkeye was rather humbly asking for a loan.

"Judging by your actions today . . . and what I've seen a few times before . . . I would recommend you to my boss, Hawkeye. Maybe we could set up some training for you, with the Avengers League or something . . . "

Hawkeye extended his hand to the Iron Avenger. "Thanks, Iron Man. This is the beginning of a new direction for me . . . "

"Hawkeye reporting to Swordsman. My mission is a success."

"Then we'll both go to New York soon . . . to proceed with the second part . . . "

"Over and out."

Tony was still trying to shake whatever had come over him. He wanted to do some paperwork, but he couldn't clear his head. Maybe he needed something stiffer than water.

He pulled some fine Puerto Corto rum from a cabinet that he hadn't opened for quite a while. As he poured some into a glass, the indicator for a new message signaled on Tony's laptop.

It was Oracle. Oracle told him that after having searched through numerous law enforcement resources, he had found that Pamela's face was a close match to the super-villainess Poison Ivy. Ivy had previously been involved in an attempted takeover of Wayne Enterprises, as well as in numerous other crimes. Her power over men was legendary.

Tony looked out of his doorway toward the empty desk where Pamela used to sit. Even know, knowing everything he knew about who she was and what she had done, he still felt something for her.

Well that was no surprise, Tony thought. What an easy mark he was, especially for a woman with pheromone powers.

But he wondered why Poison Ivy would come after him. He had never fought Poison Ivy before as Iron Man, so there was no existing grudge between them. And Pamela had gone to painstaking lengths to protect her identity, as well as to establish herself as Tony's right hand woman.

In an e-mail response, Oracle said he was dumbfounded as to why Poison Ivy would be sending money to terrorist groups, since she had been working independently every other time she had appeared.

Tony thought about the number of times he had walked in on Pamela unexpectedly, only to have her put the phone down. Stark had pretended not to notice, but maybe there was something more there.

Maybe Pamela wasn't working alone when she had signed those checks to terrorist groups like ULTIMATUM. She had to be doing this for someone, someone who wanted to see Stark ruined. But who could it be?

"Hello, Mr. Stark? Lex Luthor here. Pleasant to speak with you. I know you're going through troubled times . . . if you don't mind, I'd like to talk a little business with you."

Iron Man swooped down and dived at the robot. He rammed it with all the cybernetic strength his armor possessed. The robot was knocked backwards and Iron Man continued to pummel it with his metal-gloved fists. The robot unleashed a blast of energy from it's chestplate, which momentarily disrupted Iron Man's armor. In the few moments it took for his systems to go back online, the robot swatted him away. Iron Man fell to the ground, but quickly got back up. "Okay, C-3PO, let's try that again!"

Before he could act, an arrow hit the robot from behind. The arrow exploded with formidable power. The robot teetered slightly. Iron Man saw the notorious archer Hawkeye, whom he had met again recently, rushing into the fray. "Let's take this Battlestar Galactica reject down!" Hawkeye yelled.

Iron Man let loose with another burst of repulsor rays. The robot was forced ten feet backwards. Another arrow from Hawkeye hit the robot and released a corrosive acid. The acid started to eat its way through the robot's metallic outer shell.

"Tally ho! Make way for the Swordsman!" yelled a voice, as a costumed swashbuckler leapt into action. Iron Man had heard of the Swordsman. However, in the moment that Iron Man and Hawkeye were distracted by the Swordsman's boisterous entrance, the robot ejected a tiny pod which escaped the area unseen.

The Swordsman leapt towards the robot, and evaded a blow from its metal limb. Then, the Swordsman thrust his sword into the area of the robot's armor coat which was being eaten away by the acid. The sword pierced into the robot's insides. The robot began to jerk around and stagger. It then fell to the ground and didn't move again.

Iron Man landed on the ground next to the Swordsman. Hawkeye joined them. They looked down at the robot. It was defeated. Iron Man looked at his two new allies. "Nice work, you two. I appreciate the help."

"I told you I'd be watching your back, didn't I?" Hawkeye said. "This is my bud the Swordsman. He's my partner. Where I go, he goes. I'm going straight and so is he!"

The Thinker brought one thing with him when he moved into that lab . . . The Adapting Gene. It had been brought to Earth by the mysterious alien called the Collector, who used it to create the Carbon Copy Man, a being who had all the powers of the WWII superteam, the Justice Society. The Thinker had been wanting to create a new android, one with the power of the newest super guys on the block . . . the Avengers League. Even when the Avengers League broke up several years ago, the Thinker continued his research on the Adapting Gene. Recently, the Avengers League reformed and the Thinker redoubled his efforts to master the gene. Days ago, he succeeded.

He knew how to make the Adapting Gene work. He only needed one more item. An isotope that Stark Enterprises had. He had his drones build a very advanced robot, one powerful enough to deal with Iron Man if he tried to stop the mechanoid. The pod was designed in case of an emergency. Apparently it wasn't a wasted effort. Iron Man must have destroyed the robot. No matter, The Thinker mused. I have what I need.

The Thinker ordered his robots to complete the preparations for activating the dormant Gene using the Isotope. When they were done, all the Thinker's scans proved that the Adapting Gene was ready to be used. It could recreate any type of strength, speed, energy or ability.

The Thinker had also spent the past few months building an android. It was a large, impressive creation, basically humanoid and designed to be eye catching and colorful. But it was no great marvel. Not yet. Not until the Thinker put the Adapting Gene into it. Now it had the ability to recreate any super power the Thinker could program into it.

The Thinker been gathering information on the Avengers League. He tapped into government records, took energy readings of their power levels during a recent public brawl, filmed them, downloaded newspaper articles, anything at all that he could find out about them. He believed that he had a completely accurate picture of what each of the Avengers Leaguers could do. He programmed that information into his android, and the Adapting Gene kicked to life, remaking the androids synthetic body and systems until it was a walking gestalt of the powers of the Avengers League. Anything they could do, the android could do equally well, if not better.

There was one last thing to do. The Thinker downloaded his mind into the cybertronic brain of the Android. Now he was the Android. The Thinker/Android sat up. He/it looked at his/its hands.

"After all these years, to have limbs again. To walk and touch again. And best of all, to have power! Power enough to crush anyone! The combined power of the Avengers League! I am the most amazing creature in the world! I will call myself . . . Amazo, the super android! And to prove to the world that I am it's ultimate marvel, I shall destroy the Avengers League!"

"They each have unique abilities that could be very useful to us," Iron Man said. "I've seen them work, so I know. I also know that they have the courage of true heroes."

"It isn't their courage or abilities we're questioning," Captain America said. "The problem is that their reputations are hardly spotless. We have to maintain the public faith."

"Especially now," Wasp added. "With this whole mutant thing going on. People need to know that their heroes are above reproach."

"And anyone who's not above reproach isn't good enough for us?" Iron Man asked. "Have we become so elitist that we aren't even willing to give anyone a chance unless their past has been covered with glory?"

Batman, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke. "It has nothing to do with glory. I was never covered in glory. I've been called a vigilante. Don't twist our words around. What this boils down to is a question of trust. Can the public trust us if we have two suspected criminals on our team, and more to the point, can we trust them not to betray us? If someone offered them enough of an incentive, would they revert to type?"

"They just helped me out of a tough spot," Iron Man said. "I'll vouch for them. Or don't you trust me either?"

"As much as I trust anyone," Batman answered. "But that still doesn't mean you're not making a mistake. Perhaps the fact that they've helped you out is clouding your judgement."

"And perhaps you're just paranoid and overly suspicious," Iron Man said, then looked at the other team members. "What about the rest of you? What do you say?"

"Well since you asked," Flash said. "I'm up for giving them their shot."

"Your naivete is showing," Batman said.

Flash winced. He was intimidated by Batman.

"Let everyone have their say," Iron Man insisted.

"He had his say," Batman countered. "And I have my opinion of that say."

"What about you, J'Onn?" Captain America asked.

"I'm unsure," Martian Manhunter said. "On one hand, I wish to give them the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, Batman has a valid point."

"You could read their minds," Batman suggested.

"No," the Martian insisted. "That I will not do! Not without their permission. I do not like to violate the private thoughts of others."

"I could use my magic lasso," Wonder Woman said. "It will give us the truth."

"What if they refuse to submit to it?" Iron Man asked.

"Then they're hiding something," Batman said.

Quasar headed for the door. "Look, I'm just a rookie, so the rest of you decide. I'll go along with whatever you say."

"No, don't go," Cap said. "You're an equal partner in this team. You have an equal say. We want to hear your opinion."

"All right, then," Quasar began. "I'm inclined to let them in. I don't think we should condemn them without giving them a chance."

"Thank you for being a reasonable human being," Iron Man said.

"Another novice," Batman muttered.

"We need to settle this!" Captain America insisted. "So far the vote is three in favor, three opposed, and one undecided. What about you Diana? You haven't voted yet."

"I don't like to rush into such important decisions," she said. "I reserve judgement for the moment."

"Another undecided," Cap said. "A tie."

Iron Man was getting impatient. "So how do we . . . "

The sound of a loud impact and the intruder alarm interrupted the debate. Flash instantly zipped over to the read-out screen. "Someone just put a hole in the wall of the section A, front."

"Avengers League Assemble!" Captain America shouted, and the team quickly slipped into formation. They headed for the sector in question.

They came in force, eight of the worlds greatest heroes! At the sight of Cap's hand signal, they spread out into an attack formation. "Who or what is that?" Iron Man asked.

The Martian Manhunter strained to come up with an answer telepathically but failed. "I can't read it's thoughts clearly. There seems to be a human mind there and yet I'm not sensing a normal brain."

"A cyber intellect?" Batman suggested. "An Artificial Intelligence?"

The intruder spoke. "You knew me years ago as the Thinker, Captain America."

"The Thinker?" Cap repeated. "You're the Thinker?"

"No longer, you shield slinging simpleton," the intruder responded. "You can now call me Amazo!"

"Amazo?" Flash repeated snickering. "What a goofy name!"

"I'm glad you're in such a cheerful mood," Amazo said. "You'll die happy!"

Amazo unleashed a burst of Martian Vision in the direction of Iron Man and Flash. Flash managed to avoid it with his speed, but Iron Man was rocked and leveled by the blast. Flash charged Amazo faster than the human eye could follow, but incredibly, Amazo side-stepped the attack and backhand slapped Flash to the ground. Flash past out, and the rest of the team was shocked.

"I should warn you, you imbeciles," Amazo said. "I have all your powers combined. That means I have the combined speed of Flash, Wonder Woman and Quasar. To me, even Flash is a slow moving sloth! You pathetic cretins have no chance against me!"

"We have to hit him from all sides," Cap yelled. "And hit him hard! Break and attack!"

The Avengers League made a valiant attempt to stop the Android, but none of them could touch Amazo. The android played with them like a cat with a mouse. He easily evaded their every attack. Even Wonder Woman and Quasar couldn't touch him.

"You fools don't realize that I can read your thoughts!" Amazo said. "I know what you're going to do before you do it! And with my speed, I can avoid any assault!"

"Try to . . . " Cap began.

Amazo interrupted. " . . . Pin me down with a crossfire! That's what you were going to say, my dear Captain! Good luck!"

Iron Man tried a wide dispersal of his repulsor array but Amazo was still too fast. Quasar tried a similar move and was similarly unsuccessful. Amazo blasted them with their combined powers. Wonder Woman tried to lasso the android but Amazo caught it in the air and, with a speed that even she couldn't match, tied her up with her own lasso. He swatted Wasp out of the air and then went for Captain America. Cap tried to use his shield to defend himself, but Amazo became intangible and past through it. He lifted Cap off the floor. "What should I do with you, oh great leader?" Amazo said.

Amazo was stunned for a moment by a blast of Martian vision from behind. He dropped Cap to the floor. Cap rolled clear of the android. Amazo looked around. He didn't realize until this moment that the Martian Manhunter was using his own telepathic power to block Amazo's telepathy.

"Clever little green thing!" Amazo said.

At super speed, Amazo launched himself fist-first into the Martian. With the combined strength of Wonder Woman, Iron Man and J'Onn himself, Amazo punched J'Onn through the wall, and out of the building.

Batman had retreated into the shadows to observe. There was no way to beat this thing in a battle. Amazo's telepathy was a big problem, but he couldn't be too proficient at using it yet. Batman believed that by staying far enough away and by keeping his thoughts calm and under control, his thoughts would be lost among so many furious, scared, desperate minds. He didn't think that Amazo was reading his mind for the moment. When J'Onn was knocked out of the building, Batman saw a chance to plot some strategy outside of Amazo's scanning range.

"This is our chance to score some brownie points!" Hawkeye said.

"Charge!" Swordsman yelled.

Swordsman and Hawkeye ran to the fallen Martian Manhunter. J'Onn groaned as they tried to help him to his feet. "Steady big fella!" Hawkeye said.

"Who are you?" the Manhunter asked weakly.

"I'm Hawkeye and this is Swordsman."

"I see," J'Onn said. "I'm glad to see you. We need some help."

"The calvary is here," Swordsman said. "We'll save the day!"

"Tell us what you need us to do, and we'll get it done!" Hawkeye said.

J'Onn was still shaken from the blow, and was rubbing his left temple. "I'm not sure . . . "

"I am!" said Batman, who was suddenly among them. "There is one slight hope. If it fails, we won't get a second chance!"

"All too easy," he said. The android looked around and noticed something. "Batman! Where is Batman?"

"Here!" the authoritative voice said. Batman had returned. "And as long as one Avengers Leaguer is standing, you haven't won."

"You won't be standing in a moment," Amazo said confidently.

Amazo tried to read Batman's mind, but couldn't. "You're blocking me? How?"

Batman had placed himself in a position where the Thinker would have to face away from the hole to look at him. An arrow came sailing into the hole, heading for Amazo. With J'Onn's hearing and Wonder Woman's instincts, Amazo detected the arrow coming. He snatched it out of the air easily. But the impact of the sudden stop caused the arrow to activate. It emitted a pulse of electro-magnetic energy.

"An arrow?" Amazo said. "Which of you uses . . . ?"

Amazo stopped talking. He felt his systems being disrupted. Too late he realized that the arrow had released an EM pulse. He tried to run out of range, but he was momentarily unable to access his super-speed. He tripped trying to run.

Swordsman leapt in through the hole in the wall. "Good night, sweet prince!" he said as he swung his broadsword and cut off the android's head.

The head rolled on the floor and the android's body collapsed.

"And that, as they say, is that!" Swordsman said.

"How exactly did you pull this one off, Batman?" Iron Man asked.

"Simple logic," Batman said. "I knew that the Thinker couldn't yet have mastered his powerful new body, and that the disrupting effects of an EM pulse would render him temporarily helpless. From the research I've done, I knew that Hawkeye had such an arrow. I got J'Onn to create a telepathic screen to keep Amazo from reading my mind. Since he wouldn't be expecting anyone else, Hawkeye and Swordsman would be a total surprise. While I had Amazo distracted, Hawkeye shot an arrow at him. I knew Amazo would easily catch it so I instructed Hawkeye to set the arrow to activate when it's motion stopped. The EM pulse disrupted Amazo's body and while he was helpless, Swordsman cut its head off. The Thinker's intellect was most likely placed in the cybernetic brain and so I guessed that decapitation would stop it. I was right."

"Is the Thinker alive?" Cap asked.

"In a relative sense," Batman said. "His mind is still active but it's trapped in the severed head of Amazo."

"Good thinking," Cap said. "Nice work."

"I guess this proves what I was saying earlier," Iron Man said. "Hawkeye and the Swordsman could be valuable commodities. They saved our bacon today."

"They were useful today only because they were not members," Batman said.

"So stubborn," Iron Man muttered.

"Well, after the events of the day," Cap said. "I'm going to back Iron Man and switch my vote to yes. I think we should give them a chance at membership. I have a hunch that some of the other nay-sayers will also have changed their tune."

"It looks like we've got two new members," Iron Man said.

"I'm still against it!" Batman said.

"Suppose we keep then as reserve members for a while, limiting their classified access," Cap said.

"Better," Batman said. "Not ideal, but better." He turned to J'Onn. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," J'Onn answered. "Although I have a slight headache, and I'm seeing some strange lights. Probably just battle fatigue. I'll be fine."

"We're in, Mr. L!" The Swordsman said. "We have met the enemy, and we have suckered them."

"Perfect!" Luthor said. "Step one is complete. Now for step two. The total destruction of the Avengers League!"

"I don't like this," Batman muttered. "The League should not be a place to reform criminals."

"Batman, I believe that they have already reformed. They just want a chance to prove themselves," Captain America replied, standing up and facing his teammate.

"It's bringing bad press. You know, we're already under a lot of government influence as it is. If we start letting criminals in . . . "

"Reformed criminals . . . "

" . . . then we'll raise the hackles of our government supervisors, and they'll see the need to take more of a hand in our affairs. You don't want them making the decisions as to who our members are, do you?"

Batman walked out. Captain America sighed as he wondered whether these two new members would be worth the trouble they were causing in the group. Only time would tell.

"Are you all ready?"

Below were Hawkeye, Swordsman, Wonder Woman, and Quasar.

"We're ready, Pym," Wonder Woman said.

"I'm starting it up," Pym responded.

The otherwise blank environment began to change. The walls seemed to shape themselves from whiteness to a barren, rocky landscape. A muscular, helmeted figure stood on a hilltop, his brazen stance challenging the Avengers League.

"So, Avengers League, you choose to challenge Arkon the Imperion once more!"

"Who is this guy?" Hawkeye muttered. "Is he real, or . . . "

Wonder Woman found Hawkeye's lack of seriousness about the training exercise frustrating. His wit and aptness with snide comments dug into her, but there were times when the archer's natural charm pleased her.

She knew her part in the Praxaeum simulation. She had to get the battle rolling.

"Yes, we do challenge you, Arkon! Prepare to face the might of the Avengers League!"

The team fanned out as Arkon generated energy bolts from his quiver. He sent a scarlet energy bolt at Quasar, who was fast enough to generate a light-shield that allowed the bolt to bounce away harmlessly. The Swordsman picked up his Makluan sword and fired a bolt straight at the Imperion. But Arkon was quick with his huge shield, and the bolt bounced away, blasting the ground at Hawkeye's feet.

"Watch out, Swordsman! No need to get me killed, you know!"

Wonder Woman leapt at the Imperion, who grabbed her in mid-flight and used her momentum to send her slamming into some rocks.

"A pity we meet in battle, fair maiden. I would far rather have a beautiful one such as thee amongst my courtesans!"

Hawkeye didn't see any way the four of them would be able to defeat the Imperion in a straightforward manner. He was too strong for a slugfest, and too fast with the thunderbolts to take down with an energy attack. But maybe if . . .

Hawkeye drew his bow silently, allowing Arkon to be distracted by the constant barrage of light blasts from Quasar. He waited until the precise moment when Arkon reached into his quiver to create another energy bolt.

Hawkeye fired.

The incendiary arrow blew up in Arkon's hand just as he was generating a quiver bolt, resulting in an explosion which scalded the Imperion. Even a powerful being like Arkon could not shrug off such a blast with ease. Hawkeye was glad Wonder Woman was pretty nearly invulnerable, or she would have been hurt by the blast, too.

But Wonder Woman got up and slugged the reeling Arkon hard across the face. The Imperion went down.

The Avengers League regrouped, and the Praxaeum simulation faded, to reveal the blank room that had been there before.

"Excellent work, Hawkeye!" Wonder Woman exclaimed. "One who can make such a skillful battlefield decision is a great addition to our group!" Quasar also praised his teammate's skill.

"Nice work, Hawkeye," Swordsman said as he sheathed his sword, but Hawkeye could detect hints of sarcasm and jealousy in his voice.

Hawkeye, the veteran mercenary, almost felt like he was blushing. Wonder Woman had that effect on people--it was like Aphrodite telling a guy that he was attractive.

The thought of her beauty and poise made Hawkeye feel bad for what he and Swordsman were going to have to do to the Avengers League, to fulfill the plans of Lex Luthor.

"I'm glad you've decided to work with the good guys, Hawkeye," Iron Man commented.

"It feels good to be standing for something, to be protecting people, instead of robbing them."

"You'll find that being an Avenger, if you stick with it, gets you in a lot of doors, and takes you to some interesting places. Asgard, Latveria, back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. Have you ever been to another dimension, Hawkeye?"

"Would I want to go to another dimension?" Hawkeye wisecracked. "I don't even like the thought of using teleporters, much less finding myself on another plane of existence. Blecch!"

Iron Man chuckled. "Well, you'll get the chance someday soon, and you'll probably enjoy it. When the moment comes for the Avengers League to put their trust in you, I know you won't let us down."

Hawkeye wished that he felt the same way.

"Uh, Mr. Luthor. I hate to have to run out on the job and all . . . but I'm starting to wonder if this is a good idea . . . " Hawkeye finally said.

"Why, my archer friend, it is. You have nothing to worry about," Luthor replied in his most soothing voice. "Together, you, Swordsman, and I will destroy the Avengers League. I trust you won't let me down."

"Very well, Mr. Luthor," Hawkeye sighed.

As soon as the door was shut behind Hawkeye, Luthor set down at his desk and placed his chin upon his hands. Maybe a back-up plan is in order . . . I've failed once at destroying the Avengers League, and I won't give up until they've gone down.

"Swordsman!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Luthor called me in. He supposed to give me some details about his plan for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes. The League will be making a personal appearance for a Wetland charity. Luthor wants something to happen."

"Doesn't working with Luthor make you feel uncomfortable?" Hawkeye asked.

"Of course not! I'm just here for the money, and Luthor is giving us a lot. I could care less about the Avengers."

Hawkeye sighed. "You better get up there. Lex Luthor is not a man who likes to wait."

Hawkeye was walking by an electronics shop, when a flash of red, white, and blue caught his eye. He looked up, and saw Captain America smiling on television. After listening for a couple of minutes, he found out that it was a retrospective on the life of Captain America. He watched for a few more moments in awe. After realizing how great Cap was, he knew he couldn't betray a man that great, and he definitely couldn't betray Wonder Woman. He turned back around, and headed back to LexCorp

"Are you questioning me?" Luthor asked as he turned around. At first Hawkeye tensed up, realizing that Luthor was one of those people that did not like to be questioned.

"Yes, I am."

"Well," Luthor said, smiling. "I hired someone with a little backbone. That's nice. But it still doesn't give you an excuse for coming in like that."

"Just for once, let me in on what is going on. I feel like you're doing the deal with Swordsman, and I'm just tagging along. So, I'll ask once more: Why are you so intent on taking down the Avengers League?"

Luthor relaxed, and quieted. "Hawkeye, come over here, please."

Hawkeye walked around the desk, and stood beside Luthor, looking out the window.

"You see the city down there?" Luthor inquired. "I own it. What parts of it I don't control, I am working on gaining their control. Control and power are the two things I am about. And if there is one thing I don't like, it's wildcards."

"Wildcards?"

"In this case, the so-called 'superheroes.' They get in the way of things. Several of my plans have been ruined because of them."

"So, you choose to eliminate the Avengers League just because they are superheroes?"

Luthor nodded. "I guess you could say that. I tried the direct approach of hiring a villain. But that didn't work. So, I focused on infiltration. I picked you because of your close ties to certain members, and you are considered one of the best mercenaries."

Hawkeye looked down. He didn't want to betray the League, but he knew that if he betrayed Luthor, he would be in so much trouble, he'd never lead a peaceful life ever again. He decided to play along for a while, but try to avoid too much trouble.

"So, what about your plan?"

"It's already in place," Luthor said. "Swordsman is on his way to the spot in the Wetland where the League will be appearing tomorrow. He is to pour Spectroxin into the marsh, which will cause anyone who breaths the air in that area over the next seventy-two hours to get Spectrox Toxemia. Everyone at the ceremony, including the Mayor and the Avengers League, will die a horrible, sickly death.

"To top it off, he will be leaving an incriminating Stark Enterprises canister on site. After the League is dead, I'll find the canister, and blame Stark for illegal dumping. That way, I knock out two birds with one stone."

"Two birds?" Hawkeye was confused.

"Oh, yes. I've been trying to get control of Stark for a while. When my most recent plan* failed, I formulated a new one."

*(Iron Man #1-10)

"I see," Hawkeye said, as he turned to walk away.

"J'Onn, are you all right?" Henry Pym asked, turning around in his chair.

"I do not now," J'Onn replied. Then, he grunted, as he fell to the floor.

"Hey, is there some kind of trouble up there?" Cap asked over the intercom system.

Pym looked at J'Onn, who had stood up, and was shaking his head.

"Uh, no, Cap. There's no problem up here."

Swordsman leaned the container over, and it lay on its side. Hawkeye could see the Stark Enterprises logo as he placed the two arrows against the string of the bow. Swordsman slowly unscrewed the cap, and let the toxin come out.

Just as soon as he pulled his hand away, two arrows came flying in. One hit Swordsman in the left shoulder. He clutched his shoulder and leaned back. The other arrow had an unusual tip, and corked up the toxin container easily.

"Hawkeye, you son of a - UNN!" Swordsman shouted, the pain coursing through his arm.

The archer stood up, and faced his former partner. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that to the Avengers League. You may still be a mercenary, but I'm . . . not . . . " Hawkeye slowed down as he finished the sentence, unsure of if it was true.

It did not matter whether it was true or not, because out of nowhere, a massive pair of legs slammed itself into Hawkeye. He attempted to get to his feet as he saw a proud and cocky-looking mercenary staring down at him.

"So, you sook! You tried to betray Luthor, did ya? Well, the Kangaroo will fix you!"

Hawkeye groggily tried to notch an arrow as the Swordsman tended to his arm.

"Watch this one, mate!" the Kangaroo bragged to Swordsman. "My leap's a killer!" The Kangaroo leapt into the air; when he came down, he knew the force of his blow would break Hawkeye's neck.

But he was blasted away by a bolt from the sky.

"Crikey!" Kangaroo shouted. He turned, and leapt away as Quasar zoomed down at full speed.

"Are you all right, Hawkeye?"

"Yes," the archer responded as he got to his feet. "Swordsman has betrayed us! You've got to stop him before he and Kangaroo get away! I've got to figure out a way to clean this mess up!"

Quasar used his quantum bands to fire another bolt at the two mercenaries. Hawkeye used his membership card to call the rest of the League.

Cap and Batman confronted Hawkeye while Wonder Woman watched the captives.

"Hawkeye, what happened here? Why did we just take down one of our own?" Cap asked.

"He never really was one of our own," Hawkeye explained. "He was only in it for the money. I was duped just as bad as you guys."

"How come you seemed to change your ways?"

"Seriously?" Hawkeye asked. "I was planning on helping Swordsman. But, after spending some time with you guys, I kinda liked it." The archer looked down and mumbled, "And I kinda got a crush on Wonder Woman . . . "

Cap chuckled at the comment. "Go ahead and get on the jet. We'll be up in a few moments."

After Hawkeye had boarded, Captain America turned to Batman. "So, what do you think, should he stay?"

"He's obviously not telling us something."

"Oh?"

"Someone hired him. Who? And why does that can say Stark Enterprises?"

"Interesting . . . " Cap pondered. "I'm guessing you want to kick him out?"

"Actually . . . no."

Cap was stunned. He hadn't prepared himself for that answer.

"You changed your mind?"

"In a way," Batman replied. "I'm just remembering an old saying: 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.' I'll be watching our archer friend."

Just then, Quasar came up. "Cap, Batman, sirs. Everything's taken care of here. We can go whenever you're ready."

Captain America and Batman turned and boarded the jet. A minute later, it took off and fly into the sky, headed back for the Hall of Justice.