The Only Resolution is War Pt. 5

Xavier knew this day would come and dreaded it. Fighting his son was the last thing he ever imagined himself doing. Losing Legion to darkness was one of Xavier's greatest failures. Xavier could help all the insane in his sanctuary, but he couldn't even help his own son. That was all Charles could think about as he ascended to the Astral Plane to do battle.

"Son we don't have to do this!" Xavier implored as he erected purple battle armor around himself and created a silver sword for himself.

"Oh but we do Daddy dearest! See High Evolutionary sees you as a massive nuisance and he told me to make you a smear on the rocks. Get the picture yet?" Legion asked as a spiked black helmet and armor appeared across his body. A long, jagged sword appeared in his hand. David charged at his father his sword striking Xavier in the chest knocking him back.

Xavier made his own charge at his son slashing him in the arm cracking his armor. Legion yelled out in pain and stabbed his father in the leg. Instead of blood psionic energy poured out, but Xavier used it to his advantage and directed the energy right at his son's face.

Legion dropped his sword and grabbed his face in agony. Xavier with a sorrowful look on his face created a large metal box around Legion and began to make it shrink until it was the size of a sugar cube. Charles grabbed it in his hand and the battle between father and son was over. The professor knew he had contained his son for now, but eventually the day would come when either Legion changed his ways or…. died.

Six Castle

"Today is the final attack. We either win or lose. No second chances are possible in this task we are about to undertake," Momentum said his voice powerful and strong like that of a true leader. Signaling to Moonstar a holographic device was activated showing a view of the planet Earth.

"We have to take out everything in a certain way. The Infinity Watch, Elektra, and Bloodstorm are going to head into Mephisto's realm to rescue Adam Warlock and take down Drezan."

"I thought Bloodstorm was in Boston along with Sauron and Sunspot," Fatale interrupted.

"It was only a rumor devised to get Angelus and Spike out of Mephisto's realm on a wild goose chase. Two less people to deal with will make things much easier. Now getting back to my plan the JLA and the X-Men will fight Gamemaster and his forces in Singapore. Enchantress, the Dark and Pale Riders will attack the bulk of Ming'Cha forces in Beijing."

"So who's heading to High Evolutionary's orbital base?" the Horsemen Doom asked.

Momentum sighed some and said, "If I would be allowed to finish I would explain that. So as I was saying I want Sauron, Sunspot, Forge, War, and Lust to head to Phoenix to stop Saul and the X-Warriors. Moonstar, Maggott, Toad, and Caliban are heading off to take on Adversary. Everybody else will be heading to High Evolutionary's orbital base courtesy of the Six's teleportation system. Any questions?"

"Yeah right here! Who the hell are the X-Warriors?" Enchantress asked. Though she wasn't going to be dealing with them curiosity was just overwhelming her nonetheless.

"They're the assassinators of Jaime Madrox. The team roster is Copycat, Mauvais, Thumbelina, Riptide and Paradigm. Each is extremely skilled in the use of their powers but we got two Horsemen and very experienced Six members on our side. We can handle them."

Just then the hologram of Earth faded away showing a cocky Husk who was sheathed in titanium. Her body glimmered off some type of light source where the hologram was being sent. Cannonball's cool and serious demeanor quickly turned to a furrowed brow and gritted teeth.

"Hey bro. You don't look too happy to see me, but I really could care less anyway. So here's the deal hotshot! You and I are going to resolve whatever issues we may have with one another at these coordinates. Just to clarify them for you since I know reading maps may strain your meager brain too much that's in Toronto. Remember how Ma always said she wanted to go there when we were growing up. I guess I beat her to the punch," Husk laughed as her image faded away showing a US map with a giant blinking red dot on the city of Toronto.

Knowing exactly what Momentum was thinking Blink quickly stood up and said, "NO Sam! You can't go there! It's a trap and you know it."

There was uproar of agreement from the crowd, but all quickly when silent when the Horsemen, Doom rose up from his seat. His stern face, neatly cut hair, and fiery red eyes gave him all the intimidation he needed as he spoke, "Let Momentum decide what course of action he shall take. None of us can decide his path for him!"

Sam smiled in the direction of the Horsemen as he came to his decision; "I'm going to bring my sister back and no longer under whatever Sinister did to her. Don't count me as a fool though because I'm not going alone. Doom shall be going with me and if it's a trap I'm sure he'll be enough to provide me sufficient aid. If not he can stand back and watch."

A roar went up in the crowd from Sauron, "Can we just begin the hunt? Sauron grows tired of all talk and no action. Blood is what this body needs! Sauron wants blood!"

Sam nodded and there was a minor commotion as the entire gathering of heroes rose up headed off to where they were assigned to go. The final battles were set and all of Earth depended on the skills and valor of these brave heroes now.

Phoenix

Mauvais was eating on the breast of a human woman when he heard a loud sound that almost was familiar to an 18-wheeler whizzing down a highway. The immortal cannibal looked to the direction where the sound was coming from to see a hammer only a foot away from his blood-laden face. Before he even had a chance to react his face had literally been caved in as he flew through the air.

"Eating on the flesh of humans! How foul!" Thor proclaimed disgusted with the behavior of the X-Warrior member, Mauvais.

"Well, that's one out of the way," Sunspot snickered as he and Sauron landed on the ground. He was carrying Forge on his back despite how uncomfortable that was for him. If one more metal instrument from Forge had poked him in the back he would have flipped.

"Many more to come though," Lust said as she saw the X-Warriors make their charge down the hill in front of them. Sunspot's body fired up with solar energy, War's hammer began to turn, Sauron bared his talons, Forge prepared one of his hi-tech guns, and Lust emitted her powerful hormones.

From afar War could her Saul tell the X-Warriors, "Kill them all and leave none behind. We can ill afford to lose this battle!"

War smiled as he heard the fear in Saul's voice and charged into battle. The others quickly followed behind him. Thor quickly threw his hammer at Thumbelina sending her flying back a hundred yard into a motel building. The entire structure caved in on her. The hammer pulverized its way through the rubble and back into Thor's hand.

Forge leaped into the air. He zapped Paradigm with a blue gun that's barrel was shaped like an egg. The techno-organic mutant fell to the ground his body sizzling and shaking wildly. His body was glowing a slight yellow color. Forge landed in the rocky soil pleased with having put down one of the X-Warriors. So much so he didn't even see Copycat come up behind him.

"Try and put one of us down will only cause you to get hurt," Copycat, said shapeshifting into Hulk and punching Forge directly in his face. The Native American man went flying into Lust knocking the two of them out.

Sauron seeing the fall of Lust and Forge skydived into the Hulk that was Copycat and wrapped his arms around her neck. He quickly began to drain her mutant energy revitalizing him and knocking her out cold. He quickly flew back into the air to see his teammate Sunspot in conflict with Riptide. Roberto was having a hard time keeping Riptide's hundreds of shurikens at bay. War though saw DaCoasta's plight before Sauron and was already on his way to give a much needed assist.

Sauron felt a surge go through him as War launched his hammer at Riptide ripping the mutant in half and sending hundreds of shurikens fly into the air randomly. Death always filled Sauron with a feeling of excitement. He needed to calm this feeling and he saw it in the retreating Saul. The External had been watching the mutant the whole time and had failed to participate in it. Sauron was going to change that. He spread his wings and with his talons held out dove right into Saul's back.

The old mutant yelled out in pain as the talons ripped into the skin on his back. Sauron paid no heed to it. He kept ripping and tearing through flesh and bone screeching out with pleasure as he did so. Soon the mad mutant began to stab beak into Saul's neck sending blood spewing everywhere. He kept at it anywhere the blood only increasing his frenzy.

"Sauron stop this! We must attend to Forge and Lust. Then I can promise for you more blood," Sunspot implored as he flew above Sauron.

"More blood isn't what I want! I just want to stop," Sauron cried out as he rolled off Saul's bloody body and began to ball up into a fetal position. Sunspot could hear his freakish sobs and his pity for the man grew a hundred fold.

Mephisto's Realm

"We might cover more ground if we split up," Bloodstorm suggested. She had never been here before though it was a place most vampires feared to tread. For it was in this realm where all a vampire's worst nightmares and visions were realized. Angelus, Spike, and Drezan were obviously devoid of this fear. Ororo never really saw them as the type to have fear though she never knew Spike and Angelus to work for someone. Mephisto had some type of grip on them, but what she couldn't figure.

"I'm inclined to agree with Bloodstorm here. Alastaire, Pyro and Drax will come with me. Captain Marvel and Firelord head with Ororo," Elektra commanded. Everyone nodded and split up into their groups. Elektra's group was the first one to leave down the right side of the long, blood-dripping corridor. Electricity shields surrounded Bloodstorm and her compatriots as she took off down the left end of the hall.

"Let's end this!" Bloodstorm said as her group neared the end of the hall. Just as they were about to turn to where they saw prison cells the world turned completely black. It remained that way for a few seconds. No one could see the other. They were trapped in complete darkness.

Abruptly the world turned a blazing yellow and then the heroes found themselves in a world of fire. The ground was made of brimstone and in certain places there were chasms that spewed out glorious looking fire. In the fire you could hear the screams of what seemed like a thousand people at once. Carved in the brimstone ground were various occult inscriptions. And even in certain places human skulls protruded out.

"This is certainly different scenery," Firelord mused as he accidentally stepped on a human skull crushing it.

"Indeed so be on your guard of this place. Everyone scan the area and look for possible threats," Bloodstorm ordered.

"Already on it Ororo," Captain Marvel said as he flew up into the rank air of wherever they where at. As Genis flew further into the sky he was struck down by black lighting. His body would have fallen into one of the chasms of fire if not for Firelord using his Space Gem to teleport him to safety.

"There is no need to search vampire. Your foe stares you plain in the face and she is quite deadly," Blacklove said rising from the brimstone ground slowly. She looked like a black marble statue of the most beautiful woman you've ever seen and her red eyes shone like rubies. In any other circumstance Bloodstorm would have mesmerized by this strange beauty.

"Blacklove, the daughter of Mephisto, I presume? I've heard plenty about you from Adam Warlock. In fact you yourself was behind the whole Mistress Ytnelp incident. I've been waiting to stab you through with my staff," Firelord exclaimed angrily.

Blacklove threw back her head in such a wicked laughter it shook Firelord and Ororo to the core of their souls, "You truly think you can defeat me in my home? The two of you surely aren't that foolish!"

"They won't have to fight you alone!" a voice exclaimed as a tear ripped open in Blacklove's little landscape of darkness. Out of it came Silver Surfer with his Imperial Guard at his back.

Chandilar

"You allowed the Surfer to what?" Eric the Red asked dumbfounded. He couldn't believe the Empress would be so rash and quick in her decisions. She had just killed her son only a few hours ago and now she sent the Imperial Guard into the realm of a very dark and powerful being after only briefly speaking with the Earther, Momentum.

"Yes I allowed him leave to go to Mephisto's realm. And I've also sent a fleet into Earth's system to handle whatever orbital forces the Ming'Cha may have there. It is only right because I allowed the wool to be pulled over my eyes the entire time. My own son a traitor to the empire," Empress Deathbird said holding her head in her hands and with a slump in her shoulders.

Shakari sighed, "I understand wanting to redeem your son's mistakes, but they were just that. His mistakes! Don't plunge yourself into something you won't be able to pull yourself out of again."

"I'm sure of the course of action I'm taking Eric! And to only affirm to you that I'm assigning you as my ambassador to Earth after High Evolutionary is defeated," Empress Deathbird commanded.