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in: Valiant Entertainment Publications, 2012, 2012, December,
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X-O Manowar Vol 3 8

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Go wage your war in the open. I'll wage mine in the shadows. But since we're fighting the same menace, we might as well remain allies.
-- Ninjak

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X-O Manowar and Ninjak unearth The Vine’s ultimate endgame!

Deep within the halls of the MI-6, a sinister plot by The Vine’s alien agents is about to come to fruition. Their goal? Wipe humanity off the map – beginning with X-O Manowar. To get the job done, The Vine has enlisted Ninjak, the world’s most lethal assassin, but by doing so, they may have sealed their own fate. What began as a war between two men must become an uneasy truce…or Earth will fall.

Synopsis[]

In a flashback scene dating back to 402 AD, Aric of Dacia argues with his uncle King Alaric in northern Italy. King Alaric is furious with his nephew for sacrificing their forces by not falling back. Aric's action allowed the Roman commander Stilicho to flank the Visigoths and capture their families including their wives. Gafti then enters the tent to inform King Alaric that they cannot halt his brother's bleeding. King Alaric tells Aric to say goodbye to his dying father. Before leaving, Aric tells his King that he does not command others to follow him but that they follow him because they choose to do so. He vows never to stop running even when he has no army behind his back.

In the present day, Aric descends onto the MI-6 headquarters in London. Meanwhile, an impatient MI-6 Chief Patrick Clement demands that Ninjak hurry up in retrieving the Manowar armor from Caracas. Unperturbed, Ninjak tells Clement that he is not intimidated by his threats and that he has just located the armor but that it took a little while for him to bring it to him. Ninjak looks out the window only to see Aric with the Manowar armor descending on the MI-6 headquarters.

Aric blasts Clement's window with an energy salvo and tells the Vine plantings that they cannot hide from him. He vows revenge on the Vine for taking him captive sixteen centuries ago. Clement tells the undercover Vine plantings among the MI-6 staff to initiate defence protocol. After eliminating the human staff members, the Vine plantings attack Aric with their guns. However, Aric uses the Manowar armor's energy to take them out. The Vine plantings also unleash turret cannons. Aric dodges the blasts by jumping into the Thames river.

In the MI-6 command center, Patrick Clement dispatches ground squads to recover the armor. Despite the concerns of his underlings, Clement orders them to incinerate Aric, reasoning that the Shanhara would survive if it was truly divine. At that point, one of Clement's underlings is struck dead by a shuriken. Ninjak enters the room and dispatches the remaining men with his shuriken. Ninjak confronts Clement for lying about his allegiances with aliens. Clement deduces that Alexander Dorian is the traitor and reasons that nothing would stop the impending Vine invasion fleet. Ninjak beheads Clement with his sword.

Meanwhile, Aric emerges from the Thames river and attacks the Vine M-6 agents, killing them with the awesome power of his armor. Following the battle, Ninjak speaks with Aric and tells him that their truce remains intact as long as the threat of the Vine remains. Ninjak tells Aric to wage his war in the open while he wages his in the shadows. Aric accepts Ninjak's offer to extend the truce. Several British Apache helicopters arrive. Aric is about to engage them in combat but Ninjak tells him that they are "legitimate" British forces and that attacking them would only convince everyone he is a terrorist.

Several days later, Ninjak meets with Neville Alcott, a high-ranking MI-6 official and tells him that he is one half of the duo responsible for all of the "remodeling" at the MI-6 headquarters. Ninjak reassures Neville that his "alien conspiracies" were valid and tells him about the threat of the Vine plantings. When Ninjak asks about his source, Neville says that it is someone in the Vatican. Ninjak provides him with a partial list of every known Vine on Earth and tells him that his source is a renegade. When Neville asks how they can be sure that their source won't betray them, Ninjak says they can't be sure since it is the spy business.

Meanwhile in Manhattan, Alexander tells Aric that the Vine Council has summoned a gathering to discuss their next move in the wake of the recent attack on London. Inside the Gathering Plane, Councilor Anther denounces Alexander as a traitor and marks him for death. When Aric awakes, he discovers that Aric had killed a Vine agent who had tried to assassinate him. Dorian realizes that the Gathering was a trap so that they could locate and assassinate him. He deduces that the Vine are coming for both of them.

In deep space, Commander Trill vows to reduce Earth to a cinder and orders the fleet to initiate ultralight travel.

Notes[]

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Quotes[]

I do not command others to follow me. They follow because they choose to. Because I will not run. If there comes a day when I no longer have an army at my back, so be it. I will fight regardless. I will slaughter as many of the enemy as the lord will allow -- and I will die well.
-- Aric of Dacia
You have no idea what I'm about. I do have some allegiances. Unfortunately for you, they're all human.
-- Ninjak
I have a fifth-century barbarian in an alien battlesuit on my side. I'll take my chances.
-- Ninjak
Go wage your war in the open. I'll wage mine in the shadows. But since we're fighting the same menace, we might as well remain allies.
-- Ninjak

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