Hawkeye attacks Iron Man while he's out stopping crime. He has just left Black Widow, U.S.Agent and War Machine after they were attacked by cyborgs in War Machine #21. He believes Iron Man framed him in Force Works #17 for the murder of Marilla and Yellowjacket (Tita DeMara) in Avengers: The Crossing.
Iron Man easily shrugs off Hawkeye's arrows, and then convinces him that he didn't frame him. But also that he doesn't believe Hawkeye is a killer. From Stark's thoughts we know that he isn't lying.
They fly Hawkeye's Quinjet to Janet Van Dyne's estate, where the Avengers are staying after their own mansion was sealed off in Avengers #392, after Neut came through the basement door in Avengers #391. Wasp is still not an active member of the Avengers, merely their hostess while their home is unusable.
The Avengers (Crystal, Deathcry, Giant-Man, Hercules, Quicksilver and Vision) greet them both warmly, though Jan is still angry at Stark for bankrupting her as revealed last issue. (The Avengers' current leader Black Widow is of course still in the desert where Hawkeye left her.) But Crystal and Quicksilver's daughter Luna runs away from Stark.
The heroes bring each other up to date on details of what's been happening, including Swordsman (Philip Javert) recounting the abduction of the Cotati Swordsman in Avengers #392.
Hawkeye, Hercules and Vision are worried about Luna's recent behaviour, even though she won't tell them what's bothering her. They want to probe her mind, but her parents object. Iron Man offers to have his own mind probed for the day of the party in Avengers: The Crossing. The image inducer shows only the innocuous events of his day. But when they reluctantly probe little Luna's mind, she shows them Iron Man killing Rita DeMara.
Iron Man suddenly turns on the other Avengers. And in her citadel Mantis is triumphant.
Meanwhile, in Stark's Arctic bunker, Marianne Rodgers and Masque are being guarded by Machinesmith since last issue, after Masque stopped Marianne from psionically attacking Stark in #321. Stark lumbered Marianne with a psionic inhibitor which stops her telekinesis but not her telepathy.
Masque reveals herself as Bethany Cabe to Marianne while Machinesmith is out of the room reporting to Stark. They swap identities. Masque's mask and headpiece hide Marianne's face and psionic inhibitor. Masque takes on Marianne's appearance, without any explanation as to how. Masque, as Marianne, uses martial arts to disable the robotic Machinesmith, but not before Marianne, as Masque, is accidentally KO'd by a taser.
Masque takes back her mask and appearance, dresses warmly, and heads out into the Arctic waste.
The Crossing continues in
AVENGERS #393.
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