All my life, I have been drawn to the wild and desolate places of the world. As a boy, I saw myself walking where no man ever had, alone against the elements. The more I came to know of people…the more strongly that yearning dream spoke to me. As though the fierce, unyielding emptiness struck some resonant echo within my heart and soul.

It is a series of haunting questions; would I succumb to the temptation of the wild, the abandonment of my duties? Would I allow myself the luxury of hermitude, or bend knee to duty? And truly? Who is the greater fool? Others, for trying to ally themselves to me, stand by me, regardless of events? Or me, for allowing it?

"There!" Ka-Zar boomed, as he shoved the foliage aside. Zabu, ever the faithful compatriot with more intelligence than an animal ought to possess, was also flattening the brush. Gesturing to the carnage before them; a small series of fire crackled and roared. It was difficult to ascertain when this helicopter crash occurred; but whenever it had been, the survivors - if any - were gone.

"So much for SHIELD's vaunted strike force. Given Commander Fury's reputation, I expected better." Magneto ruminated, allowing himself to focus on the crash, determining if there was anything left of value within the ruined crafts. Alas, nothing that would assist in any measurable way.

"If only we coulda warned 'em!" Rogue said, peering at the wreckage before them. Both hands shifted to grip the staff; doubtless she was using it to hide any perceived weaknesses, but could Magnus fault her for it? After the last eight weeks of his life, he could relate that feeling.

And there was still so much to do.

"Zaladane has effectively inhibited all radio and telecommunication links with the outside world, Rogue. And the Savage Lane itself suffers under a perpetual electro-magnetic pulse effect that neutralizes all forms of higher-order electronics. As far as we are concerned, the modern age of technology and its denizens no longer exist." Magneto did not wish to let the despair show in his voice or on his face, and he was grateful that neither could see what little of it showed.

"I think I liked the lady better when she was just the nutso leader of a nutso barbarian cult, Magneto."

"Life is change, Ka-Zar. Like it or not. Either we adapt, or we perish." He turned away from the wreckage. There was nothing left that they could use here.

The rest of the group followed after him. "So, what's next? She controls most of the Savage Land territory and populace, I can't imagine that's the end of her plans." Ka-Zar asked, as he and Zabu brought up the rear.

"You are correct. Today Antarctica…tomorrow the world. Zaladane über alles." He saw Rogue hurrying to catch up to him in the thick undergrowth and slowed without consciously recognizing it. She laid a hand on his arm, and he stopped, turning to look at her.

"We need to stop her, Magneto; before there's war-!" Rogue protested but cut off as she saw Magneto's eyes widen at something behind her. His hand gripped her extended arm and he dragged her until she was shielded by him. Simultaneously another event occurred; the edges of the forest exploded as a small band of humans and mutates riding creatures from another time.

"Foolish outlander, there already is war!" the lead human bellowed from his mount. "Whose outcome is as preordained as the rising of the sun!"

"Behind me, Rogue!" Magneto commanded as she tried to duck around him. He refused to let her free her hand from his and marshaled strength for the battle ahead.

"Damn it, Magneto, let me help!" she protested as her attempts were foiled. She didn't want to be a wilting flower, and he seemed intent on seeing her as only that. She had fainted. Once.

"You're in no condition to, sweetheart!" Ka-Zar quipped as he jammed his stout knife into the dinosaur's flank, causing it to buck the rider. The creature died and died slowly. "Do as the nice Master of Magnetism says and keep back. We've got them covered."

He turned to face the leader as Zabu kept the four-armed mutate away. "As for you, chump, what makes you think any of that means you're surviving?" It didn't take long for Ka-Zar to beat the man; he had lost his weapon in his zealotry when the dinosaur bucked him from his mount. Unfortunately, he was then faced with two mutates working in tandem.

Barbarus laughed as he stepped past Zabu's downed form. "Can't fight what you can't see Jungle Boy! Take his eyes away, Whiteout!" The woman in the cowl was swathed in white, and as she lifted her arms, she activated her power. Ka-Zar howled in pain as his eyes were assaulted, leaving only a piercing glare. The many armed man bounded forward and overpowered the Lord of the Savage Land.

"Whelp, if you've got anything else to say, the time was thirty seconds ago," Barbarus crowed as he raised his spear high.

"KA-ZAR!" Rogue couldn't keep herself from the fight any longer. She left Magneto's side and ran out from the protective shield he had created for them both, without taking notice of any other events on the battlefield.

"Rogue, don't! Leave this to me!" Magneto commanded, but Rogue was in the thick of it before Magneto could do anything but continue holding back the majority of the fighters, who had appeared in a much larger mode of transportation. Magneto gritted his teeth in determination; he was going to need to become creative.

Rogue barely heard Magneto's order. She jabbed her staff at Barbarus' ribs, causing him to abort his thrust. Twisting her arms and slamming into the mutate with her hips, she brought the spear up again, and with a loud clack on his knuckles - all of them - broke his grip on his weapon. She kicked it as far as she could.

Now that the spear was off course and away from the downed Jungle Lord, he was out of immediate danger, but still light-blinded. Barbarus came from behind and plucked the stick from Rogue's hands as if it were on the ground. As he did, he grabbed both of her hands and yanked hard; Rogue fell backward, and Bararbus caught her in his embrace. Startled, she pushed away from him, but was swiftly fighting off his advances. Plenty of her skin was touching him, and her super strength wasn't online either; so what was happening? Why weren't her powers working?!

"I like!" Barbarus growled, capturing her mouth in his. She choked in shock and disgust as he fiercely kissed her, a third hand pulling her head back with a fist full of her hair, and a fourth drawing his knife against her throat. "Let's do it again!" he said as he started to drag her away, intent on making her hostage.

Rogue gasped and tried to fight as she was drawn from the others. She kicked her legs, digging her heels into the ground, but she was outweighed, outarmed, and outmuscled. Her powers, all of them, weren't working at all! Barbarus captured her mouth again and she tried to fight him off with every ounce she had. She failed.

"Let us not!" Magneto thundered, as he constricted the metallic band around Barbarus' neck. The mutate was forced to release Rogue from his iron grip, and she tumbled from his embrace as he was lifted off the ground by his own trappings.

Everything the mutate wore worked against him now that he had Magneto's complete and undivided attention. It had taken time, precious moments where Rogue had been used by the vile being to stop the rest of the hunting party. As stated, he needed to get creative; and by summoning the remains of the helicopters, he had used their blades to rip the large reptiles to bloodied defeat. The others, he had created thick ropes of metal the blades and the inner workings that the rotors had been composed of. Without Whiteout's arms free, she could not exercise her power. Afterward, it had been an easy sweep of the ragtag force's remainders.

Barbarus was violently yanked up and away from the downed X-Man. I hear my daughter Anya scream as she burns before my eyes, hear Isabelle's gasp of surprise as she is murdered; two I loved but were unable to save. Only avenge. It will not be the same way with Rogue. Sprawled on the ground, she spat out the taste of the mutate, shuddering, but whole and wholly herself.

"You are beaten, Barbarus," Magneto grated, his emotions and mind a whirling chaos as he dangled the troupe above the ground. He was ready to crush the life from them, let them feel the rage that constricted his lungs, and heart. He heard Rogue choke on her breath, and fury exploded in him.

"So kill me! Your time is just as short! The power, the future, belongs to Zaladane!" Magneto's eyes narrowed, and Barbarus began to gag as his airways were constricted in an iron grip.

"Wait! Whiteout shrieked, her cowl falling back to expose her face. Brassy yellow hair and eyes clouded with cataracts to full color obscurity, but they seemed to bore down toward the voices. "I can tell you things - Zaladane's plans! Her movements! Anything!"

"Be sil…en…Whi'ou'," Barbarus managed through his creaking collar, spittle bubbling past his lips. His eyes bulged; the veins engorged as he choked for air.

"His life, Magneto, for all I know." Whiteout swore solemnly as Barbarus' gasps continued unabated.

"If it has commensurate value." Magneto said to her, his eyes not turning from the many armed mutate. He wanted this man's blood fanning before his feet in waves. He wanted his life so badly that his heart thrummed with the need. Magneto could barely hear anyone else over the blood rushing in his ears.

"Zaladane and all her allies move against your citadel three sunrises from now. She says you're weak, with neither means nor weapons to stop her."

"Hardly a revelation, woman." He responded coldly, and Barbarus' chokes grew more desperate. "If you had not told me, I would have known through the way the magnetosphere reacts to her every movement."

"You said you'd let them go." Rogue said softly enough that only the two of them could hear it as she came to his side. Something inside of Magneto relaxed as she returned to him. The rage and desire to kill all those who dared to oppose him did not abate, however.

"If her information was worth the price. It is not." He made no effort to lower his voice.

"Magneto, the fight's over; they're not gonna try it again."

"It is no less than they planned for us, Rogue."

"An' that makes it okay?! We're the good guys, right? We're s'posed t'stand for something better!"

Magneto held back his incredulity at the generosity of spirit she displayed, but only barely. She truly believes it; why can't I? All I see is blood, that which stains the past, and that yet to be spilled. I see my path so clearly. But I turn away. "As you wish."

The earth rips apart as Magneto easily finds the inner depths that wind through the lower layers of the Savage Land. "Never forget, you take another breath because I chose to stay my hand. Thanks is owed not to me, but to the largesse of another, who had all aspects of her agency imperiled by you. Use the gift of your lives wisely."

The mutates alighted on the ground within the caves, their restraints crumbling away. "There is sustenance in these caverns. Given skill, effort, and luck you should survive. Indeed, you might even someday regain the surface." The walls and ceiling melted shut once more, and Magneto returned to his allies. Rogue went to him, taking one hand in both of her gloved ones.

"Thank you," she said in a voice low enough for only them to hear. As she slid her hands from his, he gripped hers. Those eyes returned to Magneto's, surprised, wary, and curious.

"It's a curious mercy you possess." His thumb stroked her top hand, aware of two sets of eyes on him as they approached. "Thank you for being the stronger of us." He pulled away before she could do more than start to flush or allow more than anything but a slight relaxing of the tensions that knotted his shoulders. Only slight, though.

His destination and next target to achieve were to voyage back to the citadel and reinforce Shanna's efforts with the villagers. They had precious little time, but fortunately, a great deal of light to accomplish it in. "We must return and make ready. Zaladane will come soon."