Even if they knew I was here, I wouldn't let them help if they wanted to. You've had this coming on general principles since the day I met you. Now you've given me the excuse. I want this pleasure all for myself. 
Appearing in "The Protectorate (Part 2 of 3): Inside Men"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Cybernary
- Sir Edwin
- Aeon (First full appearance)
- Savant (Behind the scenes)
- Ben Santini
Adversaries:
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Skywatch III
- Salem, Massachusetts
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
- Zanzibar
Items:
- Kheran blades
Synopsis for "The Protectorate (Part 2 of 3): Inside Men"
Midnighter is on Earth observing the Coda army Zealot is forming. He sneaks past Cybernary who is training some warriors. He enters the ward where dozens of females have been impregnated trying to create perfect Coda warriors. Maul catches him and tries to capture him but Midnighter is able to take Maul down.
At his Mount Rushmore base, Majestic lies helpless with Nemesis sprawled over him. He thinks to himself that someone must be controlling Nemesis. He feels his strength returning to him, slowly but surely, and vows to find out who is controlling Nemesis.
Battalion and Ladytron head to Salem, Massachusetts to follow another possible lead on Earth's missing Doctor. They find a mob about to burn a young girl they've dubbed a witch. Battalion and Ladytron free the girl but find she really is a witch who intents to feed off all of their life forces. Suddenly, a mysterious rescuer arrives calling himself Aeon.
In Nairobi, Kenya, Ben Santini, Duke, Crusade, Savant, Hellstrike, and Fuji are helping repair some of the buildings. But the Troika (Slag, Attica, and H.A.R.M.) show up outside of Nairobi and prepare to attack.
Midnighter gets Maul to tell him Zealot's plan. They are using Kheran technology to impregnate females and then accelerate the growth of their babies (female babies only) and then train them as part of the army. Midnighter slams Maul against a wall, appalled that he would even go along with this plan. Just then, Cybernary arrives but instead of fighting against Midnighter, she tells him that Zealot is waiting for him.
Zealot meets Midnighter and they both determine that there is no other way to settle this than for them to fight one another. The two prepare to engage in battle.
Notes
- The cover to this issue links up with the cover to The Authority: World's End #23.
Trivia
- This issue shows that Fuji is infused with some of The Eidolon's essence since his injury in The Authority #7/Stormwatch: PHD #19.