"SYSTEMS FAILURE IMMINENT… POWER RESERVES 3.76 PER CENT…"
"Dis…" winced Tony Stark as he hid behind the remains of the wet bar. "Discontinue audio warning." He rolled suddenly to his right as that cursed shield smashed through the bar where he'd just been, slicing through the small refrigerator like paper.
He'd made sure that the floor had been evacuated. The SHIELD agents, hotel guests and even reporters were now safe. Then he'd thrown everything he'd had at the abomination that bore a cadaverous mockery of his friend's face. Multi-spectrum repulsors, omni-beams, electricity, radiation, sonics, even brute strength; all were useless here. Now his vaunted armor was battered and broken. The thing fought with Steve's tenacity and skill, poured into a hulking simulation of the Iron Monger armor.
He bided his time, listening to the heavy footsteps thudding ever closer. He started manually re-routing the last of his reserves. He'd been in desperate straits before, but this felt different. He took stock on what he really knew about his attacker. Clearly, it wasn't really Steve; he'd disabused himself of that notion almost immediately. But the initial shock had certainly accomplished its nefarious purpose; he'd acted rashly, and his adversary had gotten the best of him. It didn't help that whatever magickal protections it possessed had rendered his weapon systems impotent. He also knew that, unlike those demons that had appeared in major population centers, this one was meant just for him. It existed to keep him from acting against Belasco's plan for Earth.
Perhaps, in retrospect, he should have kept the X-men, with all their experience, in the loop.
He'd diverted all the remaining energy into the suit's artificial musculature. The faceplate – it should be a weak point. One full power punch might puncture it, might incapacitate the being inside the suit.
It was a chance. It might be all he had.
He breathed in and out slowly, taking his time, allowing his Extremis-borne healing factor as much time as he dared. He calculated the thing's precise location in the room by the sound of those ominous footsteps – six meters away. Now five. Three… two…
All hell broke loose as the walls exploded around him. He leapt from his hiding place, vaulting over the debris with his right hand cocked, pumping every erg he could muster into this one, desperate act. He threw the haymaker.
The Sentry caught his fist easily. "Now, Tony, is that any way to say hello?"
Iron Man looked around wildly. The body of the fake Iron Monger/Captain America thing was enveloped in scarlet bands of magic energy, courtesy of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange, who must have teleported in. Its head had been torn clean off, and the helmet was in the Sentry's other hand.
The powerfully built man followed his gaze down to the head, then said with a shrug, "I don't like people dishonoring my friends."
Stephen Strange nodded grimly, "If we are done here, I need to return to my Sanctum. I fear this is just the beginning."
Tony coughed, a rasping sound that wracked at his injured ribs. He limped forward, "Stephen, I could use your… what I'm saying is… I need you."
"Yes. You do. And in times such as these, I am willing to suspend my demand that you never contact me again. But I need to coordinate from my power base, just as you should return to your Helicarrier."
"But how will I-?"
But the question went unanswered, as the mage was gone. A business card floated down through the air. Tony caught it.
The Sentry came over and looked down at the piece of paper. "Dr. Strange has a cell phone. Who knew?"
"Peter!" called Kitty, having become separated from her lover during the fray. "I need you!"
Colossus flung the five-foot tall ochre-colored beetle through the mass of inhumanity, temporarily clearing a path. "I am on my way, Katya!" he yelled to her, breaking into a long gaited run.
A flash of purple crossed his vision. "Now, now, Tin Man. Ya owe S'ym a little rematch. Y'see, before, the Master's spell a' control made it tough for poor ol' S'ym t' utilize the full breadth of his capabilities."
"I do not have time for this, demon."
"Aw, that breaks the heart, it really does," S'ym growled in mock sympathy. "Make time."
The Russian mutant continued his pace, even as the demon crouched down, claws wide. Piotr was almost on top of his adversary when S'ym lurched forward to intercept him. In a blur of motion, organic steel fists grabbed the hugely muscled demon flesh, and with a twist of his hips, Colossus launched the monster in a textbook judo flip.
"Nice throw," commented Dani, who was loosing arrows at a furious rate. "Get to Kitty. I'll take care of big and ugly."
"Oh, the embarrassment of it all. S'ym ain't never gonna live that down, not so long as the Russkie boy's got his entrails inside his body."
"Stay down, S'ym." Dani said, "You've done enough damage." She remembered vividly a scene from another time in Limbo, of this creature terrorizing a very young Illyana.
"Don't make S'ym laugh, girl. A frail like you, with a bow an' arrow?" The demon crawled to his feet, dusting some slime off his vest. "Yer pet Wolverine could barely penetrate S'ym's hide."
Calmly selecting an arrow from her quiver, the Cheyenne woman nocked it and drew back the bowstring. "Thanks for the advice."
She took careful aim, and launched the arrow, sending it plunging into his little piggy eye, where it sank deep inside.
"ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGH! You bitch! You red-skinned BITCH! S'ym is gonna kill ya! Gonna tear yer head off…" He pawed frantically at the shaft buried in his eye socket.
Dani eyed him, silently counting. "Good bye, S'ym. Burn in hell."
With that, the thermite-like substance inside the arrowhead reacted, incinerating his brain. He collapsed face first, and did not move.
"Kick ass, Moonstar," commented Illyana with a big grin.
Belasco took notice of his lieutenant's demise as he continued his inexorable march towards Illyana. His lips spread into a tight smile. "My thanks, Valkyrie. You've rendered me an invaluable service, and have earned a quick death. Now, when I bring him back, I can create him a new brain. One a little less self-referential, I think."
"Yeah, well, don't inconvenience yourself too much on my account," Dani said as she reached into her quiver again. "I've got one with your name on it too." In one motion, the missile was flying at the sorcerer's head, only to have him deflect it with the Soulsword, displaying speed that was clearly superhuman.
"Don't waste your ammo, chief," said Illyana, seeing her shock, "Time's just another plaything in Limbo, something to be twisted for the master of the realm's own amusement."
"You always were my best student, little Rasputina. Why must you play out this ridiculous charade? You know your soul yearns for the darkness. There is part of you that will rejoice as much as I when our Masters again rule the Universe and beyond. Just surrender to the shadows. Listen to their call."
"The only part of me that 'yearns for darkness' is where you twisted my soul! You poured it into the Bloodstones, trying to make me as heartless and as evil as you. And it would have worked, if not for Ororo and Cat. But my soul is still my own, and you no longer have any power over me."
"That, my Darkchylde, can be remedied," Belasco said testily. He turned his attention to Nightcrawler, who was still moving about rapidly. "Goblin! It is time to give me what you took from me. I require the Beatrix Medallion. Now." His voice reverberated throughout the hall.
"Nein, oh evil one. I believe that the lovely blonde has a tad more right to it than you."
"Kurt, no! You have to get it to Kitty!"
The blue furred mutant paused, just a second, time enough for a club to hit his right forearm, breaking it with an audible crack. He grunted, but did not relinquish the medallion he carried. Gritting his fanged teeth against the pain, he teleported to where Kitty was fighting. "Here," he got out, handing the medallion to her. "Fuzzy elf express, when it absolutely… nrgggh… when it…"
"Spare me the comedy, Kurt. Go see if Amanda can help heal your wound." Kitty took the object and turned to Piotr, who had reached them through the crowd. Ray, can you throw a shield around us? There's something that we need to do.
Kitty, are you OK? Rachel asked, sensing the profound sadness in her best friend's thoughts. What is it – oh. Is she sure? Is it the only way? Does Peter know?
Not yet, came the simple thought, full of dread. Kitty looked up at Colossus, and began to speak, tears in her eyes.
Kurt winced in pain as his one time girlfriend conjured a mystical cast and sling for his fractured arm. They were all huddled inside Rachel's force field, catching their breath even as Belasco's throne room continued to fill up with more and more demons. Dani had stowed her bow in her quiver and had pulled out her retractable spear, carefully testing the edge of the blade with her finger. Rachel was sitting cross-legged in the middle, focusing her telekinetic talent to compensate for the array of methods the horde was using to attack her mental barrier. Claws screeched against it, fangs broke on its surface. Fire and acid rebounded and ended up killing swarms of dark creatures.
Outside the circle, Belasco stood, gauging the situation. He announced loudly, "By all means, take your time. Bind your wounds and marshal your strength. The longer you delay, the more the blood power flows, and the weaker the bonds between our worlds!"
Suddenly, within their protective circle, Colossus let out a yell, "Nyet! I cannot do this! How can you ask such a thing?"
Kurt fired a questioning look at Amanda, who was watching Kitty, Piotr and Illyana. Her eyes widened, and she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "That monster, he tied his Master spell into her soul as well, and she's trying to stop it. And her plan could work," she said, finally. "By all that is good, the price is too high, but it could work."
"What could work?"
"Colossus – his changeform, it's iron-based. It's a natural magick disruptor."
"I know this, yes, but-" Kurt's confusion was plain.
"With his love for his sister, and his iron body, and his strength – Belasco doesn't believe it can be done, thinking no mortal power could release the Bloodstones once embedded inside the Beatrix medallion. But he wouldn't be releasing them – he would, he could destroy it." His foster sister had tears in her eyes. "But it would mean…"
"Illyana would die." He finished her thought. "But the Soulsword – isn't that part of her as well? Won't that allow him to maintain control over her?"
"I can see why you might think so, Fuzzy, but that amulet represents three-fifths of her soul, and the sword an infinitesimally smaller part. It was enough for her to hold off his control, but if she wants to die – he won't be able to stop it."
"But – isn't there any other way?" Suicide was a mortal sin, but self-sacrifice was one of the noblest acts in his faith, and Kurt was torn.
"None that I can see, Kurt. I'm sorry. I really am. And even this isn't enough – we still have to defeat Belasco to truly stop the spell."
He sighed, heavily, and turned to one of his oldest friends, knowing what he had to convince him to do. "Peter, listen to me…"
"No."
"Peter, dearest, she needs this as much as the Earth does." Kitty pleaded, "She hasn't known a moment's rest in years…"
"Katya, how can you ask this?"
"Piotr Nikolaievitch, stop being such a damn hypocrite," Illyana snapped. "Or is dying to save the world something you've got an exclusive right to?"
"Snowflake…"
"Now, Piotr!" she demanded. In a smaller voice, she added, "Please. Look around you; the demons are breaking through right now. Don't let him win."
Looking from face to face, at the sadness and firm resolve in their faces, he nodded. He took the medallion in his hands and carefully laid it on the floor. "I love you, Illyana Nikolievna."
He raised his fist.
Nico Minoru looked around cautiously at the collection of figures, many garishly costumed or even nonhuman, around her. A dream, it had to be, she decided. The Staff of One was in her hand, but she hadn't summoned it - no blood had been shed that she could tell.
Except there was no way she was sleeping – it was barely afternoon. She'd been eating lunch with her friends, the children of the now deceased crime outfit called the Pride (well, and Xavin, the Super Skrull in training and Victor, the "child" of Ultron), and suddenly she felt like she'd been yanked by her soul across untold miles.
"Nico? Is that you?" came a somewhat familiar voice.
"Billy? What are you – what are we doing here?" She asked of the young man wearing a winged headband and red cloak. Her ragtag collection of runaways had met up with him and his fellow Young Avengers during the superhero "Civil War".
"Same as you, I bet," he replied. "Looks like every magic type in the world is here. I've seen Dr. Strange, Shaman and Talisman from Alpha Flight, Brother Voodoo, Daimon Hellstrom… I saw a flash of orange and a pair of wings that was probably the Gargoyle."
"So we got an invite to some sort of Shriner's Convention for magic-users?"
"I'm afraid things are a tad more dire than that, my dear. Sister Grimm, is it? And the Young Avenger, Wiccan?"
Nico rolled her eyes. "I don't really go by that. It was just my – never mind. My name is Nico Minoru."
"Yes, of course," a sandy haired man said, "I never was one for the code-name thing myself. Please allow me to introduce myself – I am Ian McNee, at your service.
"Let me help you two get situated," the man called McNee said with a bow and a flourish of his cape. "Quite an astounding event, I must say. As you probably know, with notable exceptions such as the master-apprentice relationship and covens, we spell slingers don't really get along very well with one another."
"I don't want to get situated. I don't want to be astounded or be part of your mystical pow-wow." The Asian-American girl brandished her staff, closed her eyes tight and intoned, "There's No Place Like Home," even as Billy started repeating over and over "I want to go home I want to go home I want to go home."
Both looked around, dismay that their respective abilities had failed them clear on their faces.
"McNee, are you bullying those two kids?" called a blond woman wearing a halter-top and tight, low-cut jeans. "And are you behind all this, or is it-?"
"Jennifer! How lovely to see you!" exclaimed McNee, his tone seemingly without irony. "To answer your second question first, indeed, it's the all-powerful Strange Supreme who summoned us all... and as to your first, I was about to explain to my young guests that the high and mighty Doctor isn't going to let us go until he's said his peace."
"And your young guests would be?"
"My apologies - Jennifer Kale, may I present Nico, of the Minoru family and who once went by the nom de arcanum of Sister Grimm; and Wiccan, of the Young Avengers."
"'Wiccan'?" Jennifer asked with an arched eyebrow.
Billy felt himself blush. He'd heard the complaints about the name his teammate Kate Bishop had suggested from the practitioners of that faith, "I'm… still working on the whole codename thing…"
"Do not take Jennifer too seriously," a soothing, lightly accented voice said. "I am Topaz, former apprentice to Dr. Strange, and currently working with Jennifer and –"
"I can introduce myself," snapped another woman, with reddish black hair and horns protruding from her forehead. "And I most certainly do not 'work with' you two. That was just a couple times, when our interests collided. Daughter of the Devil here, remember?"
"That's enough Satana," Jennifer scolded. She turned to McNee. "Listen, Ian, Stephen better get his astral butt up there and start talking, fast. This is a powder keg right now."
"YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE," boomed the voice of Dr. Stephen Strange. "I have asked you here – "
"Asked?" whispered Nico to Billy.
" – because our universe is at imminent risk of invasion by the Elder Gods. The Demon Lord Belasco has begun the Master Spell of Dimensional Mergence. If he succeeds, he will destroy the prison holding his Masters, even as the spell overlays the whole of Otherplace upon our dimension."
There was a general murmur as the crowd mulled what had been said..
"What about Eternity? Or Gaea? Even your precious Vishanti?" challenged Morgan le Fey, showing that the gathering had not been limited to wielders of white magic alone. "If the threat is so great, why aren't they sullying their hands to dispense with the threat? Why us?"
"Belasco has chosen his battleground well. His Limbo has been sealed off from our own in such a way that for such Beings of Greater Power to bring their might to bear, it would collapse the ethereal barrier."
"Then what would you have us do?" asked Brother Voodoo. "We are of differing specialties and varying degrees of power. How are we to act where Eternity cannot?"
"There are ways – that the entities we serve could channel their power more subtly, through us. Even as we meet here on this astral plane, so too do those above us meet on a higher plane. If we all work, push all our energy to the same simple incantation, they can work with us to firm up the walls between the dimensions."
"It sounds like a delaying action, at best," Isaac Christians, the Gargoyle, said.
"Yes, my friend. Our hope rests in those already trapped in Otherplace. If they fail, we will have a war the scope of which has not been seen in aeons."
"Have we any hope, then?" asked a small, pale elfin looking mage in a monk's habit asked.
"For shame, Feron," said Margali Szardos, "That's my daughter there, and my son. Not to mention your teammates from Excalibur. They will see us right."
Suddenly, Loki stepped forward, her female form still out of place inside the traditional garb of the god of mischief. "Silly sorcerer, the key to success is right here all along." With a grand gesture she lowered her finger in their direction.
"Me?" Nico asked nervously. She knew the Staff of One was powerful, but to be the key to success was hard to imagine.
"No, little girl. I meant the witchling behind you." She moved her hands apart, and Nico, Billy, Ian and the three women found themselves forced apart by an invisible force. Behind them were Shaman, Talisman, and their fellow Alpha Flight magic wielder, Witchfire. "There – the blood of that girl runs also through the veins of your enemy. Focus your spell through her, and no matter how he strives, Belasco will not achieve victory."
Dr. Strange peered through the Eye of Agamotto. "Michael, what Loki says is true – she is Belasco's daughter. How is it that we missed this?"
Shaman replied, "Heather – Vindicator – had told us of an episode, but I hadn't the time, or, quite frankly, the inclination to investigate her report. I've read of the perils of facing Belasco, and had no desire to drag Alpha Flight into a battle in Limbo."
The Sorcerer Supreme nodded. "I understand. I will take the words of the Goddess of Lies as a sign that – perhaps – she has reformed as she claims. We shall focus our efforts on the scion of Belasco, then." He turned to a beautiful, silver haired woman. "Clea, could you help organize our forces?"
The sorceress nodded and began to move through the crowd, offering instructions.
"So," Ian said to Billy and Nico, as he pulled out an ancient looking Tarot deck, "Want to stay and save the world?"
They looked at one another, and shrugged.
"Great, glad to have you," he smiled. He lay a Tetractys spread down on the ground and frowned.
"What is it?" asked Jennifer.
"Nothing – well, something. I just don't like how the Tower is occluding the Justice card, which has influences by the Devil. I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Do we have any better options?"
"Oh," he said, staring hard at the cards, "It just means we won't be as effective as we'd like, unless we get help from those currently in Limbo. Everything depends on those pawns already in place."
As Clea moved on to another group consisting of Black Crow, Mechamage, a tough looking guy in a leather duster and a SHIELD agent called Crimson, Loki stood talking to Morgan le Fay, Marie LeVeau and the deformed Mr. Jip.
"What's your game, Deceiver?" asked Leveau, though the question was easily on all their minds.
"No games, Voodoo Queen. Self-preservation has always been my greatest skill, and I doubt an infusion of Elder Gods would look kindly on those of us of the younger persuasion." She grinned, "Besides, it cost me nothing, and if my words gain the day for my brother and his do-gooder ilk, it suits my purpose quite nicely."
Kitty watched Piotr in a state of shock as he prepared to destroy the Beatrix medallion, and with it, his sister and her best, oldest friend. The anguish was evident in his face; in the way his organic steel muscles trembled with grief, despite his changeform's way of minimizing his emotions.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Belasco walk right through Rachel's shield, the strength of his magic disrupting her telekinesis. He bore down on them, holding both Illyana's Soulsword and his own blade before him, grim delight in his eyes. She saw Illyana move to intercept him, seemingly willing to allow the sorcerer to destroy her physical form even as her brother freed her soul.
"Out of my way, Darkchylde. I've no wish to kill you." the dark mage snarled at her.
"Bring it on, asshole," she snapped back, "I'm not afraid of you."
"So be it," he said, and swung his dark sword at her. Her hands flew up and a portal appeared in front of the blades arc, and another behind his back. His blade stopped, just the tip sticking through the first stepping disc. He glanced over his shoulder, where he could see the point of his sword protruding through the other half of the disc, just touching his cloak.
His lips spread into that maniacal grin. "Well played, my apprentice! Well played indeed! Your guile and mutant power nearly cost me all." He sheathed his sword slowly, then seized the hilt of the Soulsword with both hands. "But I think your little trick will not work on this, will it? Not your own soul weapon, not in this place where it was created."
Illyana stole a glance over at Kitty and Piotr, gave a wistful smile and an unspoken request for them to act quickly. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I'd hoped you would end both our misery…"
Belasco raised the sword, now glowing brighter and brighter with its silvery flame.
Kitty couldn't watch, instead focusing on her lover's eyes. He looked at her, pleading for some other way, some alternative to this terrible task before him. The X-men had always been about bucking impossible odds, it seemed the cruelest of tricks for things to have the mission end like this. All she could offer was her own sadness, and a silent promise of her love for him and Illyana.
Despite his armored form not needing it, Colossus drew in a ragged breath. His right hand tightened further, rose slightly higher, and then began its rapid, inexorable descent.
Kitty would never clearly understand what happened next. Before his fist could hit the device, her own hand flashed forward with ninja quickness. Thumb, index and ring finger touched the three Bloodstones as she activated her mutant talent, willing those gems out of phase with the amulet even as the organic steel hand came smashing down. The Beatrix Medallion shattered and crumbled into black dust, unable to withstand the incredible force of the blow, the cold iron of his fist and the purity of his love for his sister.
The three Bloodstones remained at the end of Kitty's fingers, glowing softly.
"Katya, what… what have we done?"
Kitty looked down at the three gems. They seemed slightly out of focus and indistinct, as if the medallion had been the only thing providing them physical form.
The Bloodstones began to burn with a black fire, and she jerked her hand away. Soon, however, flickers of silver appeared at its heart. The flames grew lighter and lighter, becoming more platinum in color, with only streaks of darkness. Embers and sparks began to float up in the air.
Belasco's eyes grew wide in shock at the sight. He saw the burning elements of Illyana's soul leap high, seemingly reaching out towards her. His face contorted with fury, "Impossible! Nothing can undo the power of the Bloodstones!" he cried, and he thrust the Soulsword into the middle of her chest as the fires of the former Bloodstones reached her body and began to make her glow in a blazing nimbus of white.
Illyana looked down at the burning sword in the middle of her chest. The eldritch flames of the Soulsword merged with those from the Bloodstones. She gave a little laugh, then sighed almost happily as she sank to her knees. Her eyes closed, and her head bowed. There was a loud report, and deep cracks appeared along the length of the Soulsword. The fault lines deepened, and then it seemed to shatter, finally disintegrating into dust that mixed with the now dying remnants of the soul fire, causing it to flare one last time, then go out.
She collapsed, contentment on her face.
"That can't be good," Wisdom said, watching an inky black cloud pool over the castle in the distance, with a strong, fetid breeze gusting from that direction.
Wolverine grunted as he leveraged the huge body off him with his legs. His claws slid free with a wet sound. "Time's def'nitely wastin'. We're gonna have ta hotfoot over there – you up fer a jog?"
The British spy could feel his chest burning even now, and he had tapped further into his mutant abilities than he ever had before. "A dead run to the castle?" God, he needed a cigarette, and a whisky. And a month in bed. "Me clearing the way with hot knives the whole way?" But Pryde was in there. And her friends – Kurt, Amanda, even the Russian. They needed him. "Try to keep up, old man."
Kitty threw herself in Piotr's arms in tears. Glints of light appeared around the eyes of the metal-skinned Russian, showing it was possible for one with a heart of steel to cry. Amanda, who had been binding Nightcrawler's arm, buried her face in her hands. Kurt, for his part, had clasped his hands around his crucifix, intoning a prayer. Dani's shoulders sagged and her head bowed, and Rachel found herself hugging herself tightly, feeling bitterly cold despite all their exertions.
Belasco looked at Illyana's body with hatred and contempt on his face. "Foolish wench. Your sacrifice means nothing – so long as I live, the Master spell will continue its work. The Elder gods will still be free, and all you have done with your defiance is cost yourself their favor."
He raised his hands, green energy crackling around his fingers. It began to swirl faster and faster around his arms, a whirlwind of lightning that exploded upwards at the vaulted ceiling where the portal to the prison of the Elder Gods had manifested. "Yes! Now the moment of your triumph is upon us, my Lords! Now again all the worlds in the Multiverse will be yours, as it once was, so shall it be!"
He thrust his arms wide, his fingers splayed. Jade lightning cascaded throughout the room as he intoned, "Now, from their prison to mine, from my prison to freedom. Let the walls between worlds be torn asunder, let what is here, be there; let what is there, be reduced to ruin. The time of the Old Ones, the Elder Gods is nigh!"
The X-men stood rooted, paralyzed by their grief and by the incomprehensible magicks the Demon Lord was wielding. They could feel the foul presence of Belasco's masters pervade the hall, making them physically ill the way it seemed to stain their very souls. They could only wait to see their surrounding dissolve into a nightmare version of the world they had known.
They had lost.
On the Astral plane, Witchfire felt she was being torn apart by the amount of arcane energy being channeled through her. As Dr. Strange had explained it to her, she was the lens for the magickal might of untold power, as all the mages present on that plane, with all their patron entities and guardian spirits, focused all their power through her, relying on her blood kinship with Belasco as a talisman against his magicks. She felt herself being stretched the length and breadth of the Universe to reinforce the dimensional barrier.
She felt the impact of the Master spell, hitting her so hard she felt she'd be obliterated instantly. It continued to slam at her, wave after wave of the most odious sorcery, but it could not break through, not so long as they had the collective will and her blood as a bulwark against.
Finally, after a minute that spanned untold aeons, it receded.
The smile on Belasco's face faded suddenly. Something was clearly amiss. The presence of the Elder Gods became angry, a tangible feeling of hatred and repugnance.
"How have you done this? How have you reinforced the barrier against me?" He turned to Amanda. "Gypsy witch, you haven't the power, nor does the Valkyrie slattern. Not even your vaunted Dr. Strange with all the power of the Vishanti behind him could accomplish such a feat!"
"No, perhaps not."
"What?" screamed Belasco, flecks of spittle on his lips. "You? Even you could not-"
Illyana was standing, resplendent in a suit of shining white mystical armor. "I didn't. But I found the way. And when you released your Amanda doppelgänger, I managed to hide a tiny daemon on her, one bent to my purpose. It would seek out one with the knowledge and power to stop you. My own ace in the hole, as it were."
She continued, "My daemon found Loki – not exactly the choice I would have made, but it was a daemon so I guess I can't blame it much – and conveyed what I had learned. Arming them with the knowledge of the fatal flaw in your plan."
"No such flaw exists."
"You were the one who taught me the power of blood, Belasco. And yours was available to them." Illyana nodded her head as the sorcerer began to comprehend. "Yes, your daughter. I was witness to your attempts to use her to throw off your shackles. And now, through her, with enough teamwork and mystical firepower from the greater entities, they can prevent you from ever touching that dimension again."
Belasco froze. "So, you tricked me into stabbing you. It destroyed the soulbind, removing your essence from the Master spell."
"Hell, I thought I was going to get a two for one when you went with the dark sword first. I was prepared to die. After everything I've been through, I thought I deserved the rest." She looked over at the X-men, who were yet frozen in place. "But Kitty had other ideas. She freed me – undid the consecration to evil you'd forced on me as an innocent child. After that, did you really think I could be killed by something made of my own soul? It was a simple matter to reabsorb it."
She smiled, "Now, the only blemishes on my soul are those of my own free will." She opened her right hand, and a small glowing light appeared. She reached in with her left. "My old Soulsword was forged out of vengeance and hate. It was tainted by that, and the uses to which it had been put. I'll miss it, but its time had passed." The light flared, and she drew back her hand, now grasping the hilt of a new, brilliantly ornate sword. "As Wolverine taught Kitty, or Doug pointed out when trying to get me to read Mallory or Tolkien, swords don't have to be just for destruction. They can be for protection, they can be objects of beauty, and, when necessary, they can be used to execute a righteous justice."
The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the walls shook. "Your big bad bosses aren't very pleased with you. Their prison remains intact – only by breaking the dimensional wall could they truly have escaped. But they can still exert their will."
Fear danced behind Belasco's eyes. He looked around in a blind panic. He yanked his dark blade from its sheath. "I can still offer them the souls of you and your friends. In time, I will be able to break the barrier – another apprentice, one not tied to my issue."
"Repent, Belasco, and we'll protect you." Illyana said, evenly. "You don't have to do this anymore. You were a man, once, centuries ago. You could be so again. You might even be able to get your own soul back."
"Stupid bitch! I am immortal! I have power untold, I would never go back to being a weak, wretched human." He swung his sword.
"I'm sorry," was all Illyana said. She parried his heavy blade with her newly reforged Soulsword. He swung again and again, and she deftly blocked each stroke. He attacked out of raw anger, without skill or nuance, while his former apprentice calmly withstood his assault with an economy of movement and grace. Belasco tried for a desperate overhand smash, to overwhelm her with his superior strength and leverage, but she swung up with her sword, causing several feet of dark metal to shear off on contact with its edge.
Without pausing, he dropped the hilt and cast hellfire at her, which she caught on the flat of her weapon's blade and flicked off into a corner. Before he could cast another spell, she'd thrust the weapon in his heart, plunging it to the depths of his magickal core.
Belasco looked stunned, and time seemed to freeze for a moment.
Then, slowly, his horns began to recede, and his skin changed from red to a pale, olive complexion. His tail vanished, and his right arm, born of sorcery, evaporated into the ether. Disbelief and horror filled his face as he realized that she'd done what she said she would – she'd struck not to kill, but to strip away all of his demonic gifts, making him human. With his remaining left hand, he pulled a heavy dagger from beneath his robe. He lunged at her.
"Illyana!" Kitty cried out, but there was no need. Illyana had placed a stepping disc in front of him, causing him to appear across the room and the knife to reappear buried in the floor.
"You've lost, Belasco. Come with us if you want to live."
"Never!" he spat. He looked around at the creatures left in the hall. "My servants, I command you! Attack them! Eat their flesh, rend their bodies!"
The remaining demons looked at Belasco, and then at the X-men. Colossus adopted a ready stance, Dani nocked an arrow. Rachel and Amanda prepared their own attacks. The creatures looked back at the now completely human, one-armed former sorcerer. They moved quickly, before any of the X-men could react, and the former Lord of Limbo fell screaming beneath a flurry of tooth and claw.
The ceiling above them cleared, the window to the dimensional prison of the Elder Gods closed with the death of the sorcerer behind the Master spell. The demons they summoned broke ranks and fled, leaving only a group of beat up, but very relieved, heroes.
"I don't know about you guys," Rachel said, "But I've had one hell of a day. Can we go home now?"
"There's one more thing to do here," said Illyana, leaning against her brother and Kitty. They walked up the dais to where the headless body of the merged Doug/Lock entity lay. Nightcrawler retrieved the head, its face still bearing a grim determination and a slight smile of accomplishment. Kitty sniffled at the sight, remembering the pair's sacrifice.
"Do you see it, Amanda?" Illyana asked.
Amanda had taken a small crystal from a pouch and was peering through it. "Yes, they are there, all right."
"What is? I don't understand," Dani said, confused.
The Russian girl explained, "Monofilament connections, formed immediately in the wake of the sword strike, invisible to the naked eye. The force of the blow knocked it away, but the head was never completely severed."
"Does that mean?" asked Kitty.
"I think so – but I need your help. All of you."
They crowded around the two sorceresses and clasped hands. A wave of fatigue, above and beyond the events of the day, overcame them all. Amanda, at Doug/Lock's feet, and Illyana at their head, began to glow. The light passed from them into the body. Black and yellow connectors flew up from the two halves of the neck, soon making it seem like it had never been cut. The body glowed brighter still, and they all were forced to step back. The light split into two, and when it finally dimmed, two bodies lay on the floor, one techno-organic, one human.
The Technarch aspect stood up almost immediately. "System repair satisfactory. Selfriend Doug?"
The human let out a long groan. "Remind me not to do that ever again."
The pair found themselves pulled carefully to their feet into a collective embrace.
"Now," said Illyana wearily, "we can go home." She shed her mystical armor with a spell, replacing it with a tunic of a soft blue that matched her eyes. She was clearly unsteady on her feet, and she turned to her brother and asked in a small voice, "Carry me?"
Concern flashed on Piotr's face, "Are you hurt? Did Belasco cut you with his knife?" He looked her over for signs of injury.
"Nothing like that, Piotr. I've just been through a really horrible experience and I've been pushed beyond my limits and I'm tired and want to be coddled a bit."
He smiled and scooped her up in his massive arms, "Certainly, my snowflake." He held her gently, as close to his armored body as he could. She yawned, and smiled up at him. Kitty reached over and grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. Then she threw her arms around Illyana. Kurt and Dani soon joined in, then Amanda, Rachel and Warlock.
Doug hung back; a little unsure of where he stood.
"Get over here, Ramsey!" smiled Illyana,
And everything felt right again.
Eyes welling, the brunette smiled down at her friend, "I can't believe we actually got you – and Doug – back – it's so good to see you again."
"It's great to be seen, roomie."
Kitty looked over at Colossus and blushed a bit. "Um, about that..."
Illyana grinned, then yawned again. "You can tell me all about it… later." She rolled her head to look at Amanda. "One more favor?"
Amanda nodded. "It would be my pleasure." The group gathered close around the gypsy sorceress as she raised her hands to summon the glowing circle of light that would take them all home.
A/N: As always, pretty much everything in the story is owned by Marvel, and not by me. I'm neither seeking nor receiving financial remuneration – my profit is the fun of the writing and (hopefully) the enjoyment of the readers.
There's still an epilogue to get to, but the action is pretty much complete. I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have.
Thanks again to my wonderful beta, Amokitty, and to the readers on the kiotr community for their support, advice, and input.