Attack at the Acquisition District

Casualties| 3 S.M.S.B. members* Retrowoman
* Telekinibabe
* Captain Strength (allegedly)

Kellerman woundedCardarphen woundedMost government soldiers* 4 Advanced Recon Commandos
* All *Acclamator*-class assault ships

A **battle** took place in the city New York City in 2095 during the Shadow Wars. Notable as the return of the S.M.S.B. to North America, the battle was initially intended as the Knights of Meyer raiding on the MBH, based on intelligence gathered by Captain Photon, who led the attack. However, the S.M.S.B. had already returned from Asia and they were waiting for the assault.

As the S.M.S.B. members prepared to hold off the Dark Flame, the Knights of Meyer launched attacks on the MBH but could not enter it. Master Intelligence activated the shield generator before everyone came outside. Realizing he had them where he needed them, the Dark Flame called off his forces. The Dark Flame entered the wreckage himself and engaged the S.M.S.B. members, killing Retrowoman and Telekinibabe and besting Lindsay Kellerman, Sebiscuits Cardarphen, and Captain Strength. As the General prepared to finish the last S.M.S.B. member standing, Master Intelligence, a squad of Advanced Recon Commandos sent by the President in Maryland burst in on the duel. Their superior firepower forced the lone Dark mutant to retreat, and all the survivors were extracted, save Baby Strength, who was thought dead. The Dark Flame was ultimately unconcerned by their escape, feeling that it was little more than prolonging the inevitable.

After that battle, the S.M.S.B. officially became involved in the Shadow Wars.

## Prelude

"*This will be a day long remembered. It will soon see the destruction of the S.M.S.B., as well as the capture of Master Intelligence.*"
―The Dark Flame[src]After seeing a vision of KM-15 being tortured and killed, Master Intelligence discovered the existence of the Knights of Meyer. They immediately returned to New York City from Asia.

The duel in the Aspiration District was the result of intelligence gathered by Flame Order Captain Photon, which indicated the location of the MBH. The battle was initially intended as the Knights of Meyer raiding on the MBH, based on Captain Photon’s revelation, who led the attack until the Dark Flame Apparated into the front of the pack and took over. However, the S.M.S.B. had already returned from Asia and they were waiting for the assault. The Dark Flame sensed this, but he was ultimately unconcerned; he believed this would be a day long remembered.

From within the MBH, Retrowoman immediately sent a distress call to the Mayor. She revealed that the S.M.S.B. had returned to New York before imploring for reinforcements to help contend with the Knights of Meyer.

## The Dark Flame’s ultranium

"*Master Intelligence, you are surrounded. Make peace with the Light now, for these shall be your final moments. But know that I, the Dark Flame, am not completely devoid of mercy, and far from devoid of reason. I will grant you a warrior’s death. Prepare yourself!*"
―The Dark Flame[src]Suddenly, the Dark Flame’s magically amplified voice rang through the hall and heard throughout all of the MBH and Aspiration District. The Dark Flame informed the mansion that if they surrendered Master Intelligence to him by midnight, nobody in the mansion would be hurt. Master Intelligence announced that everyone would have the chance to fight if they wished, and everyone agreed. The Dark Flame announced that in that case, they would receive a “warrior’s death.”

As the members of the S.M.S.B. prepared to hold off the Dark Flame, the Knights of Meyer launched attacks on the MBH but were kept from entering. Master Intelligence activated the shield generator before everyone came outside. The Dark Flame called off the attack now that he had everyone where he needed them.

## S.M.S.B. members versus the Dark Flame

The S.M.S.B. members fled into a wrecked cruiser, where they waited as the Dark Flame approached. As the Dark Flame drew near, his footsteps became consistently louder until Retrowoman was overwhelmed with fear and charged into the open. Teleporting into the open, the Dark Flame quickly crushed her with his body before facing Master Intelligence for the first time in three decades. He claimed that he regretted ending a small girl, but then cited that one had to be sacrificed *"For The Sake Of The Many"*. Master Intelligence loudly proclaimed him a coward, to which he laughed and claimed he would not attack him unless it was eight S.M.S.B. members against one man as he had not called them off, disregarding the *"warrior's death"* the Dark Flame had promised him. He asked him how he would label himself, and when Master Intelligence did not answer, the Dark Flame leaped back out of sight.

As the S.M.S.B. members retreated into the wreckage, the Dark Flame suddenly attacked, dropping from the wreckage above and brandishing the Sword of Abomination. After a few moments of fencing, the Dark Flame began to focus his efforts on Intelligence. The leader of the S.M.S.B. promptly leaped onto a ledge above and launched a powerful telekinetic shove at the Dark Flame. The criminal quickly dodged, leaping onto one of the larger pieces of wreckage and using it as a springboard to launch himself back at the mutant.

Landing in a crouch, the Dark Flame was promptly engaged by Captain Strength. Despite the latter’s tenacity, the Dark Flame defeated him with a quick slash across the belly and a rapid overhand blow. Leaving Captain Strength for dead, the Dark Flame turned to the other members of the S.M.S.B. Defending himself against a telekinetic assault by Telekinibabe by making the Sword of Abomination generate orange energy, the Dark Flame grabbed his charging quarry with his clawed foot and crushed the elderly man’s head against the ground. As Lindsay Kellerman charged, the Dark Flame grabbed her with his other foot and performed a backflip, throwing her into the ceiling along with Telekinibabe’s corpse.

Left with only Master Intelligence, Sebiscuits Cardarphen, and Optica to battle, the Dark Flame fended them off by spinning his sword hand, rotating his sword in a buzzsaw-like fashion. As the two were temporarily taken aback by this, the Dark Flame used the distraction to kick Master Intelligence into a nearby pillar before unleashing a frenzy of blows against Sebiscuits. As Master Intelligence rushed to his aid, the Dark Flame disarmed him and sent a massive finishing blow his way.

While Sebiscuits was able to protect himself from the slash with telekinesis, the kinetic energy it imparted was enough to throw him off his feet and hurl him into a wall of wreckage. As the Dark Flame turned on Master Intelligence, the superhero attempted to retrieve his dropped sword, but the Dark Flame pounced on it. In response, Intelligence telekinetically knocked him to his feet and summoned his weapon. As Master Intelligence lifted the weapon into a guard, the two, masters of the S.M.S.B. and the Knights of Meyer, eyed each other.

The Dark Flame broke the stare and leaped at Master Intelligence.

## ANOC Rescue Team

"*Approaching the district. We are undetected."
"Gun it!*"
―An ANOC pilot and Forcier[src]While the S.M.S.B. had been engaging the Dark Flame, a group of ten Advanced Recon Commando lieutenants led by Captain Forcier had been rushing to the Acquisition District via gunship. As the ship approached the battlefield and wreckage — flying so low that the ship knocked over several Knights of Meyer — it dropped a series of command detonation explosives, which the Knights ignored as they fired at the gunship. Blowing a hole in the side of the wreckage and swooping in, the gunship dropped off Forcier and his team before hovering up to a large hole in the wreckage to fend off the Knights.

Forcier and his team charged into the wreckage, coming upon the final bout between the Dark Flame and Master Intelligence. Before either could gain the advantage, the Dark Flame noticed the ANOCs, who promptly began firing. As Master Intelligence looked on gratefully, the Dark Flame quickly retreated into the wreckage. Dodging fire, the Dark Flame ran up the wall of the wreckage before leaping down at the ANOCs.

Landing in their midst, the Dark Flame viciously cut down four of the ANOCs before Forcier called in for backup. Backup took the form of the gunship, which began firing on the Dark Flame. Again retreating into the wreckage, the Dark Flame dodged the gunfire and missiles with a number of dazzling leaps and flips, cutting his way through the half-burned tungsten.

The Dark mutant then turned his wrath upon the final ship, verbally questioning if a mere ship could undo the power of the Arts. As Master Intelligence scrambled into the gunship, Jason and Britney Grover, who had remained hidden until this moment appeared and ordered the Dark Flame to cease his attack on their friends. He mockingly questioned why he should comply, at which Jason held out the Map of Light, offering it in exchange for the survivors' lives. While Master Intelligence and Lindsay Kellerman looked on in horror, having no idea what was going on, the Dark Flame expressed surprise that the child he had captured would offer him the map freely. Jason placed it in his hand and he turned without a word to announce the vindication of the others, only to narrowly dodge a taser from Britney.

Having predicted this, the Dark Flame whirled around and demanded to know the meaning of it. Jason laughed in his face and wisely cited that the Map of Light could never be destroyed, for as long as there existed darkness, there must always be brightness. The Dark Flame looked up to see Master Intelligence's projected shield defending the gunship from him. As punishment for his distraction, the Dark Flame slowly turned to Jason and directed metallic cords into his flesh as a horrified Britney was pulled into the craft.

With the Dark Flame thus occupied, the surviving ANOCs and S.M.S.B. members retreated. The ANOC troopers, covering their withdrawal, activated the command detonation explosives that their gunship had dropped earlier, destroying many of the Knights surrounding the crashed ship to clear an escape path.

## Aftermath

"*Run, cowards, run. You have only prolonged the inevitable.*"
―The Dark Flame[src]To Master Intelligence’s relief, he realized that most of his apprentices had survived, with the tragic exceptions of Retrowoman, Telekinibabe, and Baby Strength. Goaded by these losses, Master Intelligence and Lindsay Kellerman agreed to openly join the fight against one of the most powerful Dark mutants of all time. The group traveled to the Jorvian Asylum to meet up with Sheriff Jagger.

While they retreated, the Dark Flame quietly claimed his trophies from the slain and defeated superheroes, notably the sword of the fallen Captain Strength. As he watched their gunship vanish into the distance, the Dark Lord mused that they were only prolonging the inevitable.

The showdown, which led to a complete shift in the international status quo, was a massive victory for the Dark Flame. Not only had three S.M.S.B. members gone down in one fight, but he was prepared to publicly demonstrate the power of the Knights of Meyer. With the last hope of the U.S. Government broken and on the run, the Unifiers had established itself as the primary power in the Eight Worlds, with resources sufficiently important to conquer it. Many countries that had been taken by the Dark Flame's promises of security, instantly capitulated, while several others were taken by conquest.

## References

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