Ayumi ran down the hall in a hurry. It was times like this when she wished that Jay wouldn't meditate in the very center of the castle. Though more than that she wished that she wasn't being chased by a horde of zombies. Yeah, that'd be nice. She was lucky that the castle's defenses had lasted this long. The power of the Light had held them back for a good couple of months, but it had finally given way. Things might have been different if the Light was actually there, but it hadn't shown up since it had defeated the Dark and saved Jay. The Dark hadn't shown up either, not that that bother her. She figured they were both out there, somewhere. They were dependent on each other to exist on some primal level, and if she had learned anything from the various teachers she that had taught her when she was younger it was that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. She had wondered briefly if the Light had destroyed the Dark, and that the zombies were the universe's reaction. However, that theory had fallen flat when the Light's power was proved to be still imbued in the castle. And so she was left with a zombie horde and no explanation.
She finally reached Jay's sanctum. It was dark and quiet, but it was always quiet when Jay was meditating. Meditating doesn't tend to be the noisiest of activities. There was a faint buzz in the air, but other than that there was nothing. Ayumi saw Jay sitting in his normal position in the center of the room and ran towards him.
"Jay, they've broken though! We have to get out of here." He didn't respond. "Jay?"
He lifted his head, and Ayumi looked into his eyed. Dead eyes. The realization that she had been too late to save Jay almost made her too distracted to dodge him as he leaped towards her. She turned and drew her gun-blades. Looking up she discovered what the buzzing had been; the ceiling was covered with zombies. They jumped down at her, and suddenly she was consumed by a flash of light.
Betsy Braddock walked solemnly through the halls of Cavern-X. Her mood fit the atmosphere. The former time capsule had been refitted as the base for X-Force, and the grimness of their business had inundated the place. But X-Force did not do what it did because it wanted to, but because it had to. She kept having to remind herself of that after the Apocalypse incident. She went through the next doorway and found herself in the briefing room; Logan, Warren, Fantomex and Deadpool were waiting for her.
"So, Bets, what's the target?" Logan asked.
"Necrom."
"Never heard of him."
"Isn't he that thing with the big scythe?" Deadpool chimed in.
"Shut up, Wade. Bets, explain."
"Necrom is the Sorcerer Supreme of an alternate universe. He's a multiversal-level threat. Excalibur defeated him a while back but he's brought himself back together. He's created a zombie army for himself and is scouring various universes in an attempt to find something to turn himself into a god. And it seems that he's finally found a universe where he can do just that."
"Not to interrupt," Fantomex interjected, "But just how did you learn this?"
"Talia Wagner. A mutant also from an alternate universe. We both served on the Exiles for a time, and she also served on the . It seems that sometime after I left the rules changed. She spent too much time in the fractured eye of space-time and so going home isn't an option for her any longer. This world is the closest thing to a home that she has. No one on the Exiles would listen to her about Necrom and so she left and came here for help."
"I see. And just how are we going to be able to do that?"
"We go through the Tower that Crosses Time."
"Obviously."
"The Tower is unstable but it should be enough to get us there and back. Only one trip each way."
"Hey, does this sound like boring exposition to anyone else?" Deadpool interjected
"Shut it," Logan snapped. "Everybody suit up. We're leaving in fifteen."
Before Ayumi knew what had happened the tides of fortune had changed. She had been facing almost certain death at the hands of the zombies, but now they were the ones being annihilated. Five figures had emerged from the light; two fought with guns, one with swords, one with what appeared to be claws and the last used wings made of knives. Whoever they were, she was glad to have their help. Soon the sanctum was clear of zombies.
"Thanks for the help," Ayumi said to her rescuers. "The name's Ayumi. Uh, who are you guys?"
The one with the claws turned his head to the chick with swords and purple hair, "Fill her in." A purple butterfly of energy appeared on her face. Ayumi didn't notice but one appeared on her face as well. Then, in a flash, memories, thoughts and such came flooding in. When it was done she swayed a bit, before steadying herself with a blade.
"So, then, what now?"
"We take out Necrom and we find the Light. He already has the Dark; if he gets the Light as well he'll become unstoppable. You in?" The man, who she now knew to be called Wolverine, spoke gruffly.
"I'm in."
