Lying on the ground, Captain Britain tells Saturnyne that the Status Crew’s beam has disrupted his concentration. Without it, he has no power. Saturnyne decides to take matters into her own hands. Grabbing one of the Avant Guard’s umbrella guns, she fires at the Status Crew and orders them to drop their weapons, or their leader will take a one way trip to Chronos.
While Dimples helps Cap up, she informs him that they have destroyed all the Avant Guards in this sector. Her entire mission is in jeopardy and it is his fault. Angrily, he retorts that he didn’t choose to fight them or alongside her and he’s lost Jackdaw, his only companion.
She tells him to save the argument for later and use that advanced brain of his. Brian suggests using that magic fluid of hers on the men. Good enough, she decides. She leads the way to her stash and tells him to lure the men after them.
Cap shouts at the soldiers to come and get him and races after Saturnye. Predictably, they come after him and he leads them on a merry chase until Saturnyne and Dimples have reached the stash. She throws a casket of life-enhancing fluid towards Captain Britain and he soaks the men with it.
There is no obvious physical change, but suddenly their bodies begin toe express emotion instead of military bearing. Suddenly, they realize that they have been used, forced to protect a God-forsaken system that doesn’t even work. One of them drops to his knees, asking Saturnyne for forgiveness for what he has done.
Later, Brian Braddock, now in civilian clothing, walks though South London. It is a dim sight. Poor people are warming themselves over street fires, angry kids throw stones at violent cops.
Brian is lost in thought. Once, he was a physics student who had everything. Now, there is only one event after the other. He is stranded on an Earth unimaginably far from home and he is treated as an outcast and traitor. He’s been through one bizarre experience after another and watched his only companion apparently blown out of existence. And now, this lady wants him to help her save the universe or something. Is this what Merlyn had in mind for him?
Suddenly, a small girl steps in front of him, asking for some money. Her father is out of work and she is hungry. Brian bends down on one knee to be at her eyelevel and explains that all he owns is what she sees. He asks for her name and she tells him she is Autumn and she is seven.
Suddenly, having an idea, he asks if she believes in magic. The child replies she does and Captain Britain takes her for a flight above London, above the panorama of poverty and poison. Autumn remarks that down there it is horrible. It looks even worse from up there. Sometimes, she thinks this must be the worst world anywhere. But she’s glad he has got magic. She always knew that somebody had it… that somebody like he would come and take her and her dad away from this mess.
Back on Otherworld, Merlyn, King Arthur and an injured but alive Jackdaw watch Brian’s progress. Merlyn asks for Arthur’s opinion and the once and future king replies that Merlyn’s plan is sound. There are many variables but the scion of Britain has made the correct choices so far. They will have to wait and see, for on this the most retrograde of the linked Earthworlds, the force of Necromon have their tightest hold. It is verily their weakest link.
