The New Mutants took a moment to take in the grandeur of the city of Nova Roma before them when the Roman troops forced through the secret tunnels in the mountainside. The young mutants were imprisoned and Wolfsbane stood guard while Amara told them her story. Amara Aquilla was the daughter of the first Senator of Nova Roma. She claimed that her father had sent her away from the city to save her from the absolute monarchy faction, an opposing political force in the city. She did not reveal her full story. Psyche's power accidentally triggered and showed them Amara's fear of being sacrificed by the Black Priestess, causing Cannonball to snap at Psyche. Sunspot was still angry from the loss of his mother and destroyed their cell door, but they were soon knocked unconscious again by a shower of curare dipped darts.
Across town in the Senatorial baths Senator Aquilla and Marcus Domitius Gallio were discussing the fate of the newly captured slaves. Senator Aquilla (Amara's father) stated that the boys were to be tested in the arena and then sold as slaves, and that the girls were to be sold at market as soon as possible. Gallio returned home angry & drunk telling his wife, Selene, that he had heard rumors of the young mutants' powers and intended to use them as his personal army. To ease her husband's troubles heart Selene led him down to the dungeon where she was holding Marcos prisoner. Marcos explained that his employer was an extremely wealthy man who would deal with Marcus Domitius and provide him with weapons. Selene was then ordered to release their new guest.
Meanwhile Wolfsbane and Psyche were enjoying all the luxurious attention in the House of Women. They were bathed, fed and given beautiful clothes. Amara warned not to drink the drugged wine, but they giggled as they became intoxicated. The slaves were instructed to drug them again at breakfast, so Amara attempted to wake the other girls in the night to flee. They refused to move, under the influence of the drugs in the wine so Amara fled on her own. However she experienced a dizzy spell, which she had apparently experienced many times before. She cried as she fell and was captured by Selene.
Underneath the circus Cannonball and Sunspot had been stripped and chained to the wall. Like the girls they had been drugged & therefore unable to use their mutant powers to escape. The older slaves taunted them about how they would enjoy being in the arena the next day. When they were forced to fight, the girls were in the audience and too intoxicated to realize what was going on. Although the boys summoned enough strength to use their mutant powers, they soon turned on each other after Cannonball accidentally collided with Sunspot. Wolfsbane was baying for blood until Sunspot caught Cannonball in a choke-hold. She cried out for her love, and transformed into her wolf form. The transformation activated the psionic rapport with Psyche who also snapped out of her intoxicated stupor. She in turn used her power to conjure up a specific image to shock the boys out of their brawl; that of Professor Xavier.
All four New Mutants were finally conscious and ready to defend themselves. The crowd accused them of being the Black Priestess' demons and the archers were ready to fire. However Marcus Domitius Gallio declared them saviors, and that Wolfsbane was a decedent of both Caesar and the She-Wolf who suckled Romulus & Remus. The New Mutants' lives had been spared and they were hailed as living heroes.
Log in to comment