At the Soul Chamber, Iceman was practicing. He was working on his freezing powers. "A pity you could not have cooperated." He said to whoever he was training with. As Iceman finished, a yellow cyborg deactivated his camouflage.
"You are ordered to return to the Lin Kuei temple for assimilation." Cyborg commanded. "Cyborg!" Iceman exclaimed. "I am Lin Kuei unit L-K-4-D-4. You will come with me." Cyborg replied.
"I'm sorry for what they did to you, but I will not comply." Iceman said. They fought. Despite his upgrades, Cyborg lost to the power and skill of Iceman. "I will face the Lin Kuei when my task is done, not before." Iceman said.
Defeated, Cyborg teleported away. As he teleported away, Mack and Natasha walked in. "The readings were stronger but now they're gone. I-" Natasha began to say before noticing Iceman.
"Simmons? Aren't you dead...and a girl?" Natasha asked. "I am not Simmons. She was my sister." Iceman replied. "Your...sister?" Natasha asked.
"I am only here to learn of her faith." Iceman said. Mack and Natasha looked at each other before Mack nodded. "She was killed by someone named Pyro." Natasha said.
"Where would I find this...Pyro?" Iceman asked. "Try the Coliseum. That's where-" Natasha began to say before a loud sound reverberated through the chamber.
A wave of souls emerged. "You have disturbed our regeneration process." Cyclops said, appearing.
"Cyclops!" Mack yelled. He strode over to Cyclops and grabbed him by the throat.
"Gotcha." Mack said. Mack went to throw a punch but Cyclops stopped him. Cyclops then telekinetically removed the chokehold. Cyclops moved Mack's arms off to the side.
Mack's arms began to vibrate with green energy. Mack screamed in terror. Cyclops exploded the arms. Cyclops then shoved Mack to the ground.
"Mack!" Natasha yelled. Natasha quicky cauterized the wounds with her energy blasts. "Stay with me, Mack." Natasha pleaded. While Natasha worked on Mack, Iceman faced Cyclops.
"We will break you as well." Cyclops said. "Not if I break you first." Iceman replied. Despite Cyclops' telekinetic abilities being a challenge for him, Iceman pulled away with a win.
"I remain whole, for now." Iceman said. By now, Mack had fallen unconscious. "Natasha Romanoff to Command. Natasha Romanoff to Command. Do you read? Natasha Romanoff to Command, do you read?" Natasha said into her comm.
"You have stopped the bleeding." Iceman commented "Yeah. But he needs a medic as soon as possible." Natasha replied.
"I must go to the Coliseum." Iceman said. "But I need your help to get him t-" Natasha began to say. "There is a portal to the south. You can use it to transport yourselves back to Earthrealm." Iceman interrupted.
He walked off. "Motherf...that portal better be close..." Natasha muttered. She picked up Mack and carried him off.
At the Coliseum, Jamie was fighting a Shaolin monk while Ward watched. Iceman arrived just in time to see Jamie knock the monk down before preparing the final blow.
Before she delivered it, she stopped. She remembered Piotr sparing her. "I have failed, I deserve death." The monk said. His words reminded her of her words to Piotr.
"I have failed my father. You must kill me."
"Kill him!" Ward commanded. Jamie looked at her father. Ward growled and blasted the monk with green energy. "Jamie! You will join me!" Ward yelled.
She joined him at his side. As she did, Tarkatans carried away the charred body. Iceman walked up to the throne at that moment. "Grant Ward! I challenge Pyro, the murderer of my sister. You shall bring him before me!" Iceman yelled.
"No one makes demands of the emperor. Venom!" Ward barked. Venom appeared and faced Iceman, taking up a fighting stance.
He growled expectantly. They began to fight.
Venom's enchanced speed was no match for Iceman, and the Lin Kuei ninja soon came out on top. "I would kill you, but that is not my purpose here." Iceman said.
Venom rolled away. As he did that, Iceman faced Ward again. "Your followers hold you in such high esteem, warlord. They fight and die for your amusement. My sister died in this folly. I do so only to fight her killer." Iceman said.
"And you shall." Ward said. Strucker clenched his fist and a moment later, Pyro appeared. "What is this?" Pyro asked in confusion.
"You killed my sister. I fight for her honor." Iceman replied "You will die as she did." Pyro replied.
The two began to fight. It was a hard and intense fight that ended with Pyro on the ground.
"For my sister!" Iceman yelled and prepared to finish him. Before he could, several Lin Kuei cyborgs surrounded him. "No! You-" He began to say as they restrained him.
With Iceman restrained, Pyro teleported away. Vision and Cyborg teleported to Ward's throne.
"Who now interrupts the emperor's tournament?" Fitz asked.
Storm, Nightcrawler, and Steve walked into the Coliseum at that moment. "Iceman?! No!" Nightcrawler cried. Storm held him back. "You cannot save him! Stay here or they will gain you as well." Storm said.
Vision and Cyborg bowed before Ward. "We request we may return him to our temple for judgement." Vision said.
"And what do I gain for granting this bold request?" Ward asked. "The Lin Kuei's loyalty and service." Cyborg replied.
"Very well. He is yours." Ward said dismissively. Cyborg and Vision bowed once more to Ward.
"The flow of time has been changed. I spared Nightcrawler this fate only to have Iceman suffer it." Storm said. The cyborg ninjas approached Iceman.
"No! I will not be turned!" Iceman yelled. The cyborgs activated their stealth and left. "Jamie!" Ward barked.
Jamie faced him. "How is it that ninjas from Earthrealm brazenly appeared when I sent my daughter, Princess of Outworld, was sent to intercept them?" Ward demanded.
"Father. I-" Jamie began to say. "Begone!" Ward yelled. Jamie left the Coliseum disheartenedly.
Ward looked at Fitz, "Continue." "Jamie's fate is a slender reed, bent before the storm. If we can uproot it all together..." Storm mused. Storm walked off after her.
"Sure. Let's go ruin someone else's life." Steve said.