"Psst! Sam! Bobby!"
Roberto did a double take when he saw Amara leaning out from behind a nearby planter.
"What are you doing out here, Amara?"
"Same as you. Illyana is my friend, too, you know."
Sam conceded she had a point.
"Well, we seem to have finished up here, get back inside before Frost senses you."
"If it's over, there shouldn't be a problem. We're safe now. Right?"
Henry McCoy was still getting his bearings. He was quite certain he wasn't in Limbo anymore, and he was fairly sure that he was on the property of the Xavier school. But why either of those things would be the case was still lost on him.
"Ugh. I feel like I've been put through a cheese grater."
"That would be my fault," Laura waved sheepishly.
"Lamento eso, sorry about that."
"Entiendo," Hank replied. He squinted at her uniform.
"Have we met? Something about you seems familiar."
He was interrupted by a woman with brown hair and a yellow and black suit on, who was now jogging his way.
"I can't believe it. You have no idea how happy I am to see you alive and well. Doctor McCoy, it's good to have you back, but we'll have to bring you up to speed fast."
The mutant once known as "The Beast" for his brutish exterior sighed. "Let's have it then."
"You're back at the Xavier Mansion. It's been 17 years. The school is under attack by demons."
"That all sounds about right. Where is the professor?"
The woman's face twisted in grief.
Xavier… died last summer. I'm running the school now."
"I… see," Hank bowed his head. "And who might you be, Miss?"
"Heh. Pryde. I'm Kitty Pryde."
"Oh my. I've missed a lot. How have you been, dear girl?"
"Basically the same, except now I can legally take you for a drink."
She looked around at the aftermath of the battle.
"And boy am I gonna need one after this."
"I concur. Now, I don't see any of the denizens of Limbo you mentioned, aside from myself and young Peter. Perhaps you could fill me in on the details?"
"There he is. Welcome back, big guy."
Piotr Rasputin opened his eyes and found himself without his metallic coat for the first time in over a decade. A thick beard covered his chin, and his broad frame was covered in debris. The first thing he saw was the sky. He was surprised to remember what it looked like. The next thing he noticed was Lorna, still working on removing some of the infernal armor from his legs. Directly above him was Elixir, finishing his handiwork bringing him out of his unconscious state. And then he saw… his sister.
"Piotr!" Illyana's eyes shone with tears. But the boy's face twisted in anger.
"What trick is this?" Colossus lurched into a seated position and batted away Lorna.
"Belasco!" He shouted at the sky. "What new devilry is this?"
"It's not a trick, Piotr," Illyana called out. "It's really me! You're finally free of that pl-hrNNgg!"
Illyana collapsed.
The sunlight dimmed and the green drained from the world. It was as if the lawn itself was queasy with the thought of who was about to tread upon it.
The portal, still growling busily in the middle of the yard, yawned open wider to allow him to pass. The air grew charged as the sky over Belasco's entrance filled with clouds.
"Illyana," the demon oozed. For he made little effort to hide his nature now, his small horns and long, pointed tail on full display.
"My beautiful Darkchilde. It will be okay. I have you now."
In Limbo, the X-Men carved through the opposition with ease. Cyclops and Thunderbird held no qualms about killing the demons, though Cecily thought she saw the defeated foes crumble and roll off elsewhere into the landscape of Limbo.
"Thunderbird has a lock on Alison, we're going in," Kurt puffed in front of Scott to report.
"We'll keep the pressure on," Cyclops nodded.
"Sehr gut! Mr. Lebeau, Armor, you're with me!"
"These guys sure don't like my light," Warren called from overhead.
Below him, Chris was guarding the Triplets.
"They're creatures of darkness," said Phoebe.
"Do any of you have light powers?" Chris asked.
"No," all three said.
"Then focus on that mental link!"
A pink demon with a brutish frame strode up to Scott as he blasted away at the hordes.
"G'day. Name's Sym."
"Pleasure," Cyclops' visor crackled with red light. "I'm-"
"Just leaving." Sym stated.
"I can't do that yet," he said, opening his visor on the demon.
"S'right," Sym grinned as he raked his arm through the ground, sending a massive spray of rocks into the path of Cyclops' eye beam and hitting him in the face.
"Wasn't asking anyway."
On the lawn, Belasco chuckled as he saw half a dozen mutants with very cross expressions plant themselves between him and his prize.
"You have no idea how worried I have been, sweet Darkchilde," he closed his eyes.
"You made a big mistake leaving your hole, Belasco," Kitty growled at the demon.
"That's him," Amara whispered to her friends. "That's the one who took Illyana and the others!"
"Not good," Sunspot murmured.
"The mistake is your own," Belasco said softly.
With unnatural speed, he reached Kitty's position and slapped her across the face, the force knocking her to the ground.
"Kitty!" Illyana's voice trembled.
"You are divided. Half your kind is in my world, facing all the horrors Limbo has to offer. What remains of your forces is hopelessly outmatched."
Emma, Rachel, Rahne and Laura charged Belasco from various portals Blink provided. Smoke surrounded the Lord of Limbo and enveloped the mutants. One by one each of them were sent flying out of the miasma, until it dissipated around the unscathed fiend.
"Pitiful creatures. Standing in the path of true greatness."
He held up his hand and showed off a gold medallion. Three blood red lights shone on its face. Illyana gasped in horror.
"Let us away from this place, Illyana. We must fulfil our destinies. Together."
Illyana shook in place.
"You - you!"
Her sword blazed in her hand. She leapt into the air and came down with a cascade of green and white spells impacting all around Belasco. The fiend responded by raising his arms and shattering each bolt in the air.
Lockheed, Beast and Elixir tried their best to get Kitty back and conscious.
"We need a plan," she said hoarsely, coughing up some blood. "He's going to take her!"
"Your magics are strong, Illyana" Belasco sneered. "As to be expected. When the ritual completes you will walk with all the powers of Limbo at your side. But first we must correct your insolence!"
Dani and Colossus were up next, the dark haired woman grazing Belasco with a light arrow. Colossus raised his arms for a titanic slam, but the Lord of Limbo stopped him in his tracks.
"You were always a fighter," he mused.
"But Limbo has sapped you of your strength, even if it hasn't dulled your will."
"Get away from my brother!" Piotr heard Illyana shout.
Polaris flew towards Belasco with a cloud of metal shrapnel orbiting her. Illyana sent a blast of sparks at her tormentor.
"I will never give you my soul!" She screamed.
Polaris recoiled from the heat of Belasco's attack as he laughed.
"Do not take me for a fool, Illyana. It is true that you gave me the first Bloodstone willingly. But you know just as well they can still be taken by force!"
A disc of baleful red light appeared behind Illyana, suspending the girl vertically in its glow. A pentagram formed around her, three of its points igniting in scarlet fire as the spell began to take hold.
Illyana screamed as the Demon King began to approach her. Wisps of arcane energy surrounded her body, digging into her like thorns.
Not for the first time in his life, Doug Ramsey wished his powers were more offensive in nature.
"My God," he whispered, "There must be something we can do."
Kitty found her footing again, and squared up with the foe. Belasco smiled haughtily and pushed her with a wave of force. Kitty phased through it and lunged for her blade, but he pushed the Earth under it farther away.
Belasco grey closer to Illyana, the ritual circle glowing brighter and the blonde woman's cries growing more desperate. He did not stop his advance, until a bolt of lightning struck the ground inches from his foot.
"You will not touch her!" A voice boomed from on high.
Everyone looked up to see Ororo, floating in the air amidst the mounting clouds.
"No further, Belasco."