While Peter and his companions were en route to Naples to rejoin the main group, the Excalibur organization was finally met with the long-awaited attack from the Elementals.
To be fair, while the United Kingdom wasn't as large as the United States and Londoners weren't quite as prone to pulling elaborate stunts as New Yorkers, crime in Britain was still rampant. However, the team had essentially set aside their domestic issues to deal with the Elementals first, as this group of European criminals was proving to be a massive headache.
"The Elementals are ethereal beings; perhaps that's why they haven't chosen to attack London yet—they know we have the means to deal with them." Brian Braddock, also known as Captain Britain, was still just a university student. However, as the leader of Excalibur, he had to devise a strategy to counter the enemy. "Who are they missing? The one representing the fire element was captured by Spider-Man. In other words, we only have to deal with three of them."
"That works out. Since Dane can't act as a primary combatant in this fight, three-on-three makes it a fair match."
For some reason, S.H.I.E.L.D. had not informed them of Jim Hammond's existence.
The "Dane" he mentioned was Dane Whitman, the "Black Knight" of the Excalibur squad. He possessed no innate superpowers, relying instead on his masterful swordsmanship and superb horsemanship. However, the Black Knight possessed the Ebony Blade, a cursed sword said to be the counterpart to King Arthur's Excalibur. This powerful magical blade was indestructible and capable of deflecting almost any magical attack.
Furthermore, Merlin, the blade's creator, had enchanted the Ebony Blade to ensure that no matter how severe the wielder's injuries were, they would not die.
While the Elementals were best fought with magic, the Black Knight himself was not a sorcerer; he merely possessed vast magical knowledge and a magical sword. Since the Elementals essentially fought by controlling the physical elements, the Black Knight's direct combat style was clearly a poor fit for this encounter.
Betsy Braddock, known as Psylocke, was a telepath and one of the most suitable superhumans for dealing with the Elementals. She would be the primary force tasked with arresting—or, if necessary, killing—the Elementals. Captain Britain would rely on his godlike strength, coordinating with their shapeshifting teammate, Meggan, to keep the Elementals' physical avatars occupied.
As for the Black Knight, his job was to protect the students.
Once the assignments were finalized, the Excalibur squad hid in the shadows, waiting for the enemy. Sure enough, it wasn't long before Psylocke sensed the approaching foes.
In the city of Naples, the students once again witnessed the arrival of their "old friend." The massive sandstorm they had first encountered in Lisbon swept in once more, blotting out the sky. As with their previous appearances, the Elementals always made a grand, theatrical entrance.
But it was all for show.
Gwen looked at the Peter LMD (Life Model Decoy) beside her with a mix of worry and irritation. She was annoyed because he was a bionic robot, meaning she obviously couldn't date him. The problem, however, was that Cindy in the group was also an LMD now. Two bionic robots could certainly date each other.
And everyone else surely thought those were the real Peter and Cindy.
Whatever.
Gwen sighed helplessly, once again feeling the frustration of having superpowers without superhuman-level physical stamina. She obediently found a place to hide, looking toward the two LMDs with concern—not out of affection, but out of fear that if the robots were attacked, their exposure would cause a massive disaster.
Fortunately, the Elementals weren't after Spider-Man this time.
The Wild Pack made the first move. To confuse their opponents, they didn't retreat immediately. In the streets and alleys of Naples, a large number of well-prepared, fully armed Wild Pack soldiers appeared. They aimed at their targets and began firing artificial rain shells. As dark clouds gathered, rain began to pour.
However, not a single drop fell into the sandstorm. Instead, the water coalesced into a massive Water Giant standing within the swirling sands. The Wild Pack then fired vibration bullets at the Water Giant, but the projectiles were swept away by fierce gusts of wind. Soon, a giant composed of a rotating tornado stood within the sandstorm alongside the water entity.
Then, a man covered in flames entered the battlefield, hovering between the two giants and the massive face formed in the sandstorm.
"I thought there were only three of them left, so where did the fourth one come from..." Captain Britain muttered helplessly. He took a deep breath and called out to his teammates, "Dane, protect the students. Meggan, come with me to deal with those guys. Betsy, find the right moment to strike one of their minds. Alright, everyone, let's go!"
The Elementals were still waiting for Spider-Man to show up, only to see a man wearing the Union Jack charge out instead. After a moment of confusion, Sandman condensed into a humanoid form and approached the man. "Are you ever going to quit?"
Captain Britain was stunned. "Excuse me?"
"Wearing the Union Jack last time was bad enough, but now you aren't even wearing a helmet!"
Because the "British Spider" suit Peter had used as a disguise previously was so similar to Captain Britain's uniform, the three Elementals assumed Spider-Man was just pulling another stunt.
Confused, Captain Britain retorted, "Enough! I don't know who you're mistaking me for, villain, but you are facing Captain Britain!"
Fine, you want to play? Let's play!
Fury rose in Sandman's heart as he manifested a massive fist and swung it at Captain Britain. Brian took a deep breath and punched the giant sand fist. Accompanied by the high-speed vibration of his arm, Sandman's limb crumbled instantly. Then, Brian launched himself like a cannonball toward Hydro-Man. Startled, Hydro-Man manipulated the water, turning it into spinning blades in mid-air to shred Captain Britain.
However, Brian's indestructible body smashed right through the rotating water blades. He slammed directly into the center of Hydro-Man's body, causing the entity to explode from within. He then watched as the water in the air began to reform into a human shape.
"This guy isn't Spider-Man."
Hydro-Man was the first to realize this. He stared at his opponent and remarked, "He's protected by an invisible force field. I can't get the water to permeate his surroundings."
"Sand can't get near him either," Sandman added. He was now certain that the man before them was the actual Captain Britain, not Spider-Man.
So, where was Spider-Man?
At this very moment, Peter had not yet reached Naples. According to the plan, they were currently docked on a Wild Pack freighter in the Mediterranean—the same location where Molten Man was being held.
Coincidentally, a Hydra infiltration team had just begun their attempt to rescue Molten Man.