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"So, little one, what do you have to tell me? I'll be happy to hear any news from you, since you look so excited!" asks gently the Silver Lady, her voice calm and caring as always. Luna is enchanted by her beautiful face and kind manners. She's been talking to the Silver Lady for a month now, since she first appeared at the window of her bedroom asking to be her friend, almost an angel in the light of the moon above. She was a little hesitant but then the Silver Lady had been so nice that she couldn't resist the urge to befriend her. She felt alone here, no children to play with, in this secluded house where her parents live in the company of Aunt Bova and the Knights. Oh, they are very kind with her and let her play and have fun in many ways ... but they are too grown-up ... the Silver Lady is a grown-up too, but she likes to play with her like a child, and that's what Luna is asking for. And they can talk, share little secrets and small joy, and the Silver Lady has never failed to show up at any appointment. Luna is also thrilled by the fact she's keeping this secret to her parents, another game the Silver Lady suggested and one she's enjoying too much ... especially when mommy and daddy smile, thinking she's just dreaming about her mysterious personal friend ...not knowing how wrong they are. Then, awakening from her reverie, she remembers the big secret she wanted to share with the Silver Lady and speaks:

"I'm going to visit my aunt and uncles! We're leaving tomorrow in the morning! For New Attilan!! I like to be there, it's so fun and everyone is so happy to be with me ... and they give me presents ... and there are sweets and cakes every morning and every night for me ... and games ..." Moonstone smiles warmly to the child to let her know she understands the reasons for her almost uncontrollable joy, suppressing a certain sense of boredom deep within her and masquerading the joy of hearing this so much waited news ... At least her deception played off!!! It took a month, but now she has a chance to get a ride to New Attilan! She needs something ... someone who's there to succeed in her plan for revenge against the accursed Baron Zemo. And as she doesn't know the current location of New Attilan and it seems a bit too difficult to scout the entire planet to find that, the only way she could come up to retrieve that piece of intelligence was to befriend the most easily searchable connection with the Inhumans, little Luna, so easily manipulated into this (boring) friendship business. It was hard to play the ruse all this time, without being spotted and without making the girl suspicious with too many questions about her relatives ... but in the end it paid! And tomorrow in the morning she will be close to what she searches ... if she can pull again that invisibility stunt she's been working to in the past month, when not entertaining little Luna. That should have always been available to her, a combination of her phasing power and her light manipulating abilities. It's strange since her "rebirth" she's started to reach a new affinity with the moonstone buried within her (well, not exactly her) body. And she has come up with a lot of new ways to use her powers more effectively. The "invisibility" stunt being one of them: phasing while creating a polarized light field around her body which effectively makes it impossible for the light emitted by her phased body (a quantity far less considerable of the light emitted by a solid body) to be perceived by anyone in sight, at least for a very short period of time, mere minutes, but enough for her actual need.

Moonstone thinks all of this and more about her plan, without stopping to chat casually with the little girl, cheering her up with compliments and jokes and innocently asking a few more questions about her aunt and uncles, especially the Bad One, as Luna is used to call him. Luna is so happy to receive all of this attention that she is more than willing to give away anything she knows about the Inhumans Royal Family and their new city, but she's very difficult to convince of talking about the one Moonstone is interested with. After half an hour Karla understands that she won't succeed in that because the little child is too scared to go about that matter and she decides to cut the possibilities of being uncovered so close to the success of this step of her plan by leaving the child after whispering good night to her.

"I'm only sorry that we won't be meeting for a few days, Silver Lady" she comments a bit desolated.
"And who said I won't show up in New Attilan, too, little one?" answers smiling the Silver Lady making her even happier than before and having to shush her before she wakes up somebody in the house.
The two friends wave as the Silver Lady flies out in the night sky disappearing into the full globe of the moon.
Luna goes to bed and falls to sleep with a tender smile on her face. Moonstone grins preparing to hitchhike her ride to New Attilan in the morning under the very eyes of Quicksilver and Crystal.

In another place, looking down on her silvery form as if just watching from the moon above, the entity is pleased.
 
"Mommy! Mommy! Lockjaw has arrived! We're going now!" Luna rushes into the entry hall of her residence, a small cyclone erupting joy as only children can do.
"Here, Luna! I'm coming! You don't have to shout! I'm coming" answers Crystal, happy to see her daughter so excited.
They step out the front door and in the morning sun Pietro is talking to one of his Inhumans in-laws, Karnak, beside the bulking form of Lockjaw. The canine's eyes flash with a content look seeing her beloved mistress and her litlle child.
"So, cousin, it's good to see you again. And I'm happy you and Pietro are just plainly talking, for once" Crystal stresses a little her last words, just to remark to her impetous husband to behave correctly in front of her family.
"Good to see you, fair cousin. And you little flower, too. Come here and kiss your uncle, will you? We should hurry Crystal, the celebration are already starting in New Attilan." Karnak points out.
"Well, our baggage is here, we can go!" Quicksilver hastily replies. They all wave hands saluting Bova, standing at the door, then Crystal whispers in Lockjaw's ear ...

At that same moment the sun seems to shine a little brighter and a rush of wind accompanies the crackling energy departing from the canine's antenna, signalling the activation of the teleporting effect. In a second they are gone, an invisible guest among them.

They instantly reappear in the courtyard of Black Bolt's new palace, hearing the sounds of music coming from the streets, voices singing, New Attilan is at the starting stages of the great festivities known as Agon Thurkann, Agon's Carnival in English, a three days marathon of dancing, singing, drinking and flirting which would put to shame the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
"Oh, mommy, listen to the music! I'm so happy we came this year! I want to go and change into my costume"
"Wait, Luna, first we have to pay our homages to our King Black Bolt and the rest of our Royal Family, then we can all go to party!" then Crystal adds in a whisper to her husband "And I hope you're going to do your best to let her enjoy the stay, husband of mine, aren't you?"
"I'm trying Crys" is Pietro's whispered answer "but you know that being here is very difficult for me"
"I know, Pietro, just do your best! I'm not asking for more!" she replies leaning in and kissing her husband.They all enter the Palace, Karnak leading the way while Lockjaw grunts annoyed by the presence he's sure is watching them right now"

Down in the sewers, under the courtyard ... (Oh, what a scene to behold! That couple can really make you sick! And I phased through the ground just a moment before my invisibility trick was wearing off ... uhnnn! what a headache! but at least I'm here and I didin't know they were going to have such a good time, masquerading, interesting! It's going to be even easier than I thought. In the confusion and with all this people in costume I can easily pass up for just an Inhuman willing to surprise her lover under a disguise) thinks Moonstone, trying not to pay attention to the fetid odor of the sewers. (The only problem is now to find out where he's imprisoned. The little child woudln't talk about that and obviously I can't look for a specific architecture to devise the prison building. We're talking an alien culture here! Well, I think I can give a look around while keeping a low profile, ... but first ... a little change ... we don't want for little Luna to spot her night friend in broad daylight) And in a flesh of light her costume is replaced by a funny  and revealing outfit, concealing her face, though, orange and purple in color. Not that any Inhuman male is going to look at her face considering what other parts of her body she's showing off (and you too would like to see her, right now, I'm-more-excited-than-Luna Alex).

She silently phases out of the sewers and a little away from the Palace and strolls the street, amusing herself and raising the occasional comment of more than an Attilan citizen. Still the feeling of joy and dancing and partying doesn't suggest Moonstone to ask directly for the prison location ... it would be suspicious for someone to ask such a question in a day like this. It's better to buy her time for a little while ... maybe seducing one of those so happy to look at her to make him talk ... later. If things shouldn't work she can always try to contact Luna tonight ... but if that can be avoided it would be best for her. She doesn't know the security system at he Royal Palace and it could prove difficult to deal with. Choosing at least an admirer with sufficiently good looks, a towering warrior with four muscled arms and an equally powerful physique, she starts flirting, joking, realizing suddenly that she can talk and understand the Inhuman's  language ... She forgot to think of that but somehow someone has helped that matter ... she again feel that tingle in her mind as if someone was there willing to talk to her ... strange.

The entity smiles again.

A few hours later ...

Moonstone silently leaves the bedroom, the studly warrior still asleep, she smiles contented ... after all those months in Belasco's realm she deserved that ... and she took it, as she is used to. Whenever she wants a thing she simply takes it. Well, even if she couldn't work him up to the point to let him spill the news on the prison location ... she surely put at good use those four arms of his ... another smile, luscious ...She dresses again, with only a thought, commanding the moonstone in her body to create again the silver garment she's going by these days.

She reaches the balcony of the apartment, and her stare wanders to the moon above, she just feels almost a call showering down on her in the pale moonlight "Come here, my dear, I have something for you"

She wonders, maybe that time in Belasco's tender loving care exacted a price from her mind ... but she feels pretty able to analyze her current feelings and emotions so ... maybe, just maybe, this voice is real as well. Well, worth an investigation ... and, by the way, she already had in program to journey to the Moon as soon as she has freed her next ally ... well, pawn is a better suited expression.

Quit dreaming, Karla, it's time to pay a little visit to sweet Luna, her friend Silver Lady is going to make a very big surprise to her. Softly she takes to the air, floating fast towards the Royal Palace, a silver ghost-like figure in the moonlight, above a city whose inhabitants, after having flooded the street all day, have shifted the focus of the festivities in more private circles for more intimate matters ... smile ... that was really fine ...Noone around to spot her, noone sober enough to consider her apparition a real one. Approaching the palace she wills her suit to change from silver to black, to allow for a more stealthy search for the chambers of little Luna. Why in the past she hasn't used more the color-altering abilities of the moonstone? She's been too careless ... or Helmut, the idiot, wouldn't have been able to kill her ...

Black as a shadow she phases in and out of many bedroom, silently, not disrupting the enjoyment every adult person in Attilan seems to experience on this night, a breeding night, something like the old Celtic Fires of Beltane. Then she's there ... sweet little Luna, spent by a day of playing, dancing, singing, she's in a deep sleep. Moonstone watches the innocent girl for another moment, switching the color of the suit to the expected silver. Innocent. She's never been like that for a long time now ...

She whispers: "Luna! Luna! Wake up! It's me, the Silver Lady! I've come as I promised!"

Luna at first doesn't realize the situation, but as soon as she understands who's there in front of her she almost cries in joy."You've come! Oh, how sweet! I'm having so much fun! I'd like to tell you!"
"Tell me, sweet Luna! Tell me!" she says happily, strengthening herself to lose another half an hour after the child's narrative ...

A few minutes later she skillfully makes an occasional remarks on the fact that it's good to have the entire city celebrating. At that point Luna remarks that the prisoners are not celebrating, that being the worst part in the Inhumans justice system, being forbidden to take part in the Agon Thurkann. Without pushing too much and always cheering the child Moonstone succeed in producing in Luna a casual gesture pointing outside the window  to the location of the prison. "At last!" thinks Karla.
She waves goodbye to the little child and kiss her on the forehead, she wants to make sure that the child will remember her in a positive way, even if she's not goint to visit her again soon, who knows what she will need in the future?

She disappears in the nightsky gliding towards the prison, once again in a black suit. She phases through the wall and she feels, in a way she has never experienced before ... as if someone was telling her this inside her own mind ...the location of the prisoner she seeks. She moves into the shadows of the corridor until she reaches his cell. A massive guard standing only in front of this particular door.

Moonstone grins, time to prove another trick with her light powers that she has never used before. She concentrates and produces a single, thin laser ray, aiming it with precision on the guard's left pupil, frying his cerebrum without leaving a sign on the outside of the body. The guard collapses to the ground and she reaches the door phasing through it, while removing any semblance of clothing from her ... for this silly one she has to look at her total best (a damned good one at that!!)

"Max, my dear Max, wake up! What did they do to you, my love?" her voice caring and seducing at the same time, her perfectly shaped body revealing too much even in the pale moonlight,
"What? ... Who? Who dares to challenge Maximus the Mad, rightful ruler of New Attilan? Who are y ...?"
The voice breaks in the throat of Maximus as he behold the beauty in front of him.

"It's me Cynthia, Max! Your beloved! They captured you but I came to rescue you from this horrible prison"
"I .. I ... can't recall about ... you ..."
"Oh Max, how can you say so?", sounding a little desolate, "we're bonded forever and I want you out immediately, than we'll exact vengeance versus the ones responsabile for this indignity"
"Yes, you're right, ... my ... dear ... Black Bolt will pay for ..."
"No, my love, it was not Black Bolt, but a nasty ancient criminal, whose sins are innumerable, his name is Baron Helmut Zemo. He's the one from whom to exact the right vengeance, don't you remember him?"
"That name ... almost something ... but it's not important ..."

She frees him from his restraints while gently caressing his head. She knows he has a lot of untapped psionic potential and she really need this ... "We have to go, my dear" she tells him summoning again the silver suit "Embrace me, my love, we're leaving this cell". She phases the both of them hrough the external wall .. in the silent night.

"Where ... are we going my ... love?" asks concerned Maximus
"We need to steal a transportation, we need something to get to the Moon, dear Max"
"Ah, the Moon, there are interesting objects right there for those who like to see ... are you going to get one of them?"
"Of course, my love (disgusting reject, bleaahhh)! Point to me the location of your starport, we'll try not to be discovered"

So under the guidance of Maximus she reaches New Attilan's space facilities, almost deserted, as the personnel has joined the festivities as well. The madman leads the silver-clad woman into one of the many hangars and jump onboard of one small space vessel, ready to take off ...

"Wait, honey! We don't want to wake up all the city igniting the engines here! Let me take care of that ... clear me a path to open space and then we'll be gone.
With a puzzled look Maximus open the roof of the hangar and stare with amazment as his ... love ... lifts the vessel carrying it a few miles outside of the city.

(I feel stronger at night, since my rebirth, especially under the full moon. I wouldn't have been able to do this before) thinks Karla. Then she climbs onboard herself and signal Maximus to fly off, being now at a safe distance from the sleeping city.

They take off, and the mad but at the same time brilliant mind of Maximus pilots the small vessel on a route to the Blue Area of the Moon. As soon as they approach Earth's satellite Moonstone can feel the presence in her mind stirring, getting stronger, powerful, and she finds herself enjoying the feeling, with a little disturbing knowledge of having something wandering in her head.

It takes a very short time to reach on the Moon the location where once stood proud the city of Attilan. Maximus lands their craft and both our villains set foot on this ancient Kree outpost.
Moonstone feels her head almost exploding, thoughts concerning the entity calling to her start flooding her mind ... then she sees Maximus stops himself just like a shut-down authomaton and the contact begins ...

"Greetings, Earther!"

"Who are you? Waht do you plan for me? Why did you engeneered my resurrection?" Her mind already pondering various options.

"I am someone who's deeply bonded to this satellite but willing to have more to say about human affairs. I need a human host to exert my will and my power in the world. In exchange I offer my assistance and powers even greater of the ones you already possess"

"I don't like to be someone else's pawn or puppet!"

"But you like to use one yourself. See, Maximus over there. I know what you plan for him"

"Of course, you're inside my head! I want his mental powers, I need him to help in executing a scheme to exact revenge from someone who rightly merited my wrath!"

"But his mental powers are unstable!"

"I did a little research during the passing months! I discovered various report on this Blue Area of the Moon and I know in these ruins are hidden weapons and devices that I could use to boost Maximus' powers ... still I needed a telepath easy to manipulate. Any of the other more skilled ones wouldn't have fallen for my deception"

"Oh, my dear, you make me proud to have chosen you! So manipulative! Just the way I am! I propose an alliance with you, Moonstone! You won't be my pawn, merely my ally"

"What kind of alliance?"

"I will stabilize Maximus power levels and maybe even boost those a bit. Then I will explain to you some other uses of your powers you still have to discover. I will aid you in your revenge against Baron Zemo and I only ask for one thing in return."

"I'm listening .."

"That after completing your revenge you will engeneer another plan with my help to carry out my revenge against some mortal foes of mine. I won't mess with you every moment. You will be able to live your life, I will contact you at the proper moment. I hope you're going to agree ..."

"Or otherwise ... ?"

"Well, you see, your resurrection is due to my psionic powers, I could easily undo that ..."

"I think I am interested ..."

"I knew that, having Maximus here will make this easier. You won't have to carry my psionic imprint, since it tends to drive the human host mad. I'll put that on Maximus, who's already mad, and I will give you total control over him. You will be completely psi-shielded against external probing, a safety measure to conceal my presence"

"Sounds fine"

"One last thing: I'm putting in Maximus' mind the knowledge of the location to find some powerful weapons in the ruins .. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

A flash of psionic powers, just a moment in time, but carrying so many data, informations ... Moonstone is taken aback a little but then she feels it, the power in her rising, the control over Maximus strenghtening, .... and the explanation of the revenge she will have to do for this entity.

"Are you fine?"

"Of course, my ally, better than before!"

"Good! Now you can retrieve the weapons and depart"

"NO! One thing more: who are you?"

"Now I can give you that, too! I am the DRAGON OF THE MOON!"

And with this revelation the psionic presence residing on the Moon (and now partly into Maximus' mind) leaves Karla alone.

She gestures for Maximus to start the retrieving of the weapons, he nods, docile in his devotion for her. Then she smiles: she will play this game as long as there are so many conveniences for her ... then we'll see ... a grin ...nobody mess around with my head!  Dear Helmut, I'm coming! Prepare to die!

NEXT ISSUE: The final part of this trilogy, establishing a new status quo for this intriguing character, and setting up ground for future projects involving Moonstone. What exactly is Karla's plan to take down Zemo? Why she needs a telepath to do it?
Be here next issue for a totally different tale from this one. Lies, deception, torture and death lies ahead for everyone crossing the path of our stunning psychiatrist. Look out for ".. I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight .."

This one had little fights in it, because I loved to explore some aspects of Karla's plan and powers, what it's really intriguing about Moonstone is the way she plots her actions with care. And I needed to re-introduce the entity behind it all. An old foe of the Defenders (who would have thought?) and linked in the past particularly with a member of that team. This will lead to many possible clashes in the future both coming from Karla's own agenda as well as the revenge plan of the Dragon of the Moon.
The upcoming Moonstone-Zemo confrontation is totally different from what you expect! Don't miss it!

Another note is on the titles of this story. I like to have a sort of flavour going around in my books. In Defenders I'm using a movie flavour. Here is a music flavour, regarding Sting and his former group, the Police ... "Moon over Bourbon Street" is a song from the LP "The dream of the blue turtles", "Walking on the Moon" is one of the most famous song of the Police of old from "Reggatta de blanc", "...  I walked a lonely mile in the moonlight ..." is the second verse of another Sting song from the LP "The soul cages", the song title being "Mad about you", exactly the feeling Karla is harboring for Helmut.

So, write me to let me know what you think of this story so far! I will answer personally or into the letters page of a possible upcoming project regarding the sexy villainess.

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