X Force

Disclaimer:

All of the standard disclaimers apply. The X-men are the property of Marvel, and I take no credit for the creation of their characters, only my own. This is a fanfiction, therefore anything discontinuous to the normal X-men universe, including sexuality of the characters, is the product of my imagination. Any similarities to real people or events is completely coincidental.

This story contains male/male sex and romance. If you find either theme offensive, what are you doing reading nifty stories? And if you are underage or this story is illegal where you are reading, please leave. But if you chose to ignore this warning, it's your own fault!

As I've said before, if you'd like to be notified when new chapters are released, just drop me an email.

Now I'd like to make a personal shout out to Jim Anderson, without whose help this chapter would be riddled with all sorts of grammatical errors. Here's to you.

Here it is peoples!

Chapter 8 - Downfall

`Remmy?' John half whispered as he took an involuntary step forwards.

There was doubt in his mind that the figure before him was Remiel but more terrifying and magnificent than his gentle Remmy had ever been. Morningstar's body was the apex of physical perfection; slab-like pecs, bulging biceps and a rigid eight pack, all boldly evident by his lack of a shirt. The only things covering the upper half of his body were the bold tribal tattoos that adorned his pecs and biceps. His face was identical to the old Remiel's except for the cruel expression it now wore, an expression that the old Remiel would never have worn.

Sweeping his long red-brown hair out of his eyes with one hand, Morningstar gazed warily at the X-men.

I am Remiel,' he declared. But I am Seraph no longer'.

`What do you mean?' John asked, making to step closer before Jean stepped in front of him.

John, don't,' she told him. He may look like Remmy, but he's not, at least not the way we remember him'.

Morningstar smiled. That's right, Jean Grey. You, at least, understand. Now,' Morningstar's eyes levelled his fearsome gaze at Scott, understand this. You have attack my brothers, without provocation, grievously wounding our leader in the process. While you may have had noble intentions in doing so, I cannot allow such a challenge to go unanswered'. With a thought, Morningstar ignited a psychic sword of blazing black fire in the palm of his hand. `You will surrender, now'.

No. We won't,' Scott declared boldly, stepping ahead of the others to face Morningstar directly. We came here to rescue our friend and comrade, Remiel St.Cloud, also known as Seraph, from the Brotherhood. Now, whether you remember it or not, you are that friend and comrade and you are coming home with us, even if we have to take you by force'.

Morningstar's smile widened. You haven't the faintest idea of who you're dealing with, little man,' he mocked, causing Scott's lip to twitch up into a silent snarl. You're not taking me anywhere, but...,' Morningstar cocked his head playfully, `you are so very welcome to try'.

`Fine,' Scott said succinctly, as he activated his visor.

The scarlet concentration of solar energy crossed the distance between Scott and Morningstar in a heartbeat, where it splashed harmlessly against an shimmering black disc that materialised in front of Morningstar a fraction of a second before the beam reached him. Scott continued to loose his mutant power against the shield in an attempt to breach the barrier, increasing the power output of his visor every few seconds. Magnitude 2. Magnitude 5. Magnitude 8. The beam became so intense that the other X-men had to shield their own eyes from the brightness of the beam, which lost its scarlet colouring in favour of a dazzling white. Finally maxing out at Magnitude 10, Scott fell to his knees, cutting off the beam as he did. Morningstar, whose shield evaporated along with Scott's beam, was left wearing an expression of absolute boredom.

Is that really the best you can manage, Cyclops?' Morningstar asked pointedly. I'll never understand why Xavier put such a weakling like you in charge. Seraph had a similar thought, you know. He couldn't understand Xavier's choice of appointing you the leader of the X-men. I mean, just look at you. You can barely stand after that little display. And your power isn't even that versatile. But Seraph just went along with Xavier's decision like the weakling he was'.

Seraph was no weakling!' Jean shouted, stepping around the exhausted Scott to shield him from Morningstar's gaze. He was one of the most powerful people I've ever met!'

`Oh, I'm not referring to his mutation, if I was I'd be calling myself a weakling as well. No, I meant that he was one of the most weak willed individuals around. I mean, honestly, how else can you describe someone with all this power who lacked the will to use it. Someone who let others walk all over him his whole life, even though he had more than enough strength to stop them,' Morningstar argued.

`There's a lot more to strength than raw power. Seraph understood that, which is just one of the things that made him strong,' Ororo snapped at the winged mutant.

Really?' Morningstar asked. With two powerful beats of his ebony wings, Morningstar propelled himself upwards, Then show me. Show me this amazing strength that I apparently lack'.

Get ready, everyone,' Ororo shouted as she took to the air. I'll force him to the ground, the rest of you need to keep him there!'

Bobby and Amara were the first to react to Ororo's words, darting past Jean and Scott, transforming as they went. Amara's exotic Mediterranean skin instantly dried and took on the texture of lava, cracking all along its surface to reveal streams of molten flame beneath her flesh. Her long golden hair burst into flames and yet remained unharmed by the dancing fire. As Bobby's core body temperature dropped, white vapour began forming around him where it began sticking to his body. Everywhere the icy mist touched, Bobby's skin took on the colour and texture of ice until his entire body had become one arctic blue sculpture running down the steps.

Roused by the elementals' quick response, Peter, Kurt and Logan dashed forward to join the fray.

`John,' Jean turned to face the pyrokinetic.

I'm sorry, Jean,' he said. He may not act like him, but that's Remmy. I can't fight him. Not like this'.

Jean's eyes swelled with sympathy. `I understand. Nori?'

Noriko moved to stand next to John in the blink of an eye. `Yes, Jean?'

`Stay with, John. If this Morningstar tries anything, do whatever you can to make sure John doesn't have to fight'.

Noriko nodded solemnly, `Of course'.

<Betsy, Danielle, Xian, it's up to us to try to hit him telepathically. Remember what Bailey said. He may have a near infinite amount of energy, but it's still limited by his skill. If we can break his concentration, even if it's just for a little while, it might buy the others the time they need to put him down>

Betsy, Danielle and Xian all nodded at her silent commands before all four psychics joined hands and closed their eyes.

Raze fell to his knee, his face and bare chest bloody from a dozen gashes. One cut above his right eye bled profusely, clouding his vision. The knees of his jeans were shredded open and the burnt tatters of his leather jacket hung limply from his shoulders, barely containing the strength to hold themselves in place.

Bailey stood a few feet away, his own garments nearly as destroyed. With a quick flick of his gaze, the blond mutant surveyed what was left of the surroundings. All of the buildings had long since been obliterated, leaving nothing but a few burnt remains behind. The earth had been melted and set dozens of times, resulting in a warped battle field, full of planes set at impossible angles and craters with cupped edges half eroded away. Stray burst of radiation prevented anyone from approaching from the outside, giving the two time-travellers the privacy they needed for the final moments of their battle.

`So it's done then,' Raze wheezed.

Bailey breathed shallowly, `Looks like'.

`So end it'.

Bailey opened his right hand letting the diffusive radiation build in his palm with an azure glow. Arcs of the obliterating energy jumped between his fingers with an electrical crackle.

`You always knew it would come to this?' Bailey asked as he opened his left hand, letting the charge jump from palm to palm, increase the flow of lethal power.

Raze sighed, and closed his eyes. `There was never any other outcome. This was always our destiny, little brother, it was always going to end one of two ways. I was either going to die by your hand, or you were going to die by mine'.

`No. I don't mean what they had planned for us when we were born. I mean this. Now. You always knew I'd be the one to take your life'.

`After what I did to you and yours, how else could it possibly end?'

`Is there anything you want to say before I end this?' Bailey asked as a continuous arc of deadly energy linked the palms of his hands.

`I'm sorry'.

The words struck like physical blows, causing the arc held between Bailey's hands to destabilise for a moment, sending out sparks that left deep gouges in the earth surrounding the standing mutant.

`What?'

`Back home, where we came from, I could never say it. The man I was wasn't capable of saying it. But now, after feeling a part of what I took from you...I'm sorry. You were always the best of us, and I was always jealous of that, but that's still no excuse for what I did, for what I became. I know you can never forgive me, but I'm sorry, little brother'.

A tornado of conflicting emotions hurtled inside of Bailey; Blind anger, sorrow, despair, rage, love. The arc of diffusive energy lost cohesion and began pouring torrents of destructive energy around Bailey, destroying what little remained of his surrounds. With a deafening roar, Bailey unleashed the fatal blow.

As soon as they linked hands Jean, Betsy, Danielle and Xian felt the world fall away, leaving them all standing in a black void.

Jean reached out to them. <We need to break through his mental defences as quickly as possible so he doesn't have the chance to build up any resistance>

<A coordinated assault?> Betsy's voice cut in. <But where do we strike?>

<His nervous system?> Xian suggested. <If we freeze his body, he won't be able to fight>

Betsy said. <But by the time we break through to that level, he'll know what we're up to>

<So where?> Danielle's mental voice reflected her unease.

<When he first spoke to us, he said that he was Seraph no longer, as though Seraph was a completely different entity entirely> Jean said.

<So?> Xian questioned.

<So where did this Morningstar come from?> Jean continued. <From the way he spoke, it's as though Morningstar has always existed, but was locked away, suppressed...>

Betsy was the first to catch on <You think that Morningstar is the equivalent of Seraph's mental shadow>

Jean agreed. <The sum total of everything Seraph refused to let himself feel, coalesced into a cogent personality by Seraph's own telepathic nature and brought to the surface by Mindpyre>

Danielle started before Xian cut in.

<The real Seraph is in there somewhere, just suppressed like the Morningstar personality. All we have to do is stage a telepathic jailbreak>

Betsy stated.

<But how do we find him?> Danielle asked.

<The Professor!> Jean said excitedly. <When I went over the Cerebro data from before the Professor's accident I found a mental pattern that matched the Seraph. The Professor must have stumbled upon the suppressed Seraph personality, which is why Morningstar lashed out at him so hard>

Betsy stated.

<We just need to pick up the Professor's trail on the astral plane and follow it along to the suppressed personality> Danielle concluded.

<Damn, we're good> Xian cheered.

Raze opened his eyes slowly, looking to Bailey, who had slumped to his knees, the sound of his hoarse breathing carrying across the distance between them. Bailey's head hung forward, causing his sweat-sodden hair to fall forward, concealing his face.

Turning his head to the side, Raze observed the destruction the blow had wrought on the environment around him. The strike had landed not two feet from the fallen mutant, obliterating everything within a narrow cone that extended out from the point of impact. Molecular diffusion left little behind, so it was through the lack of debris that Raze guessed the order of power Bailey's blow contained. There was nothing. The cone was an empty void, filled with nothing but air and the faint scent of ozone.

Turning back to his brother, as single word upon his lips.

`Why?'

Bailey sobbed. `I tried, but I can't. Every day, I kept telling myself that when I found you, I'd do it. I'd kill you. But I can't. Even after everything you've done, and how much I know you deserve it, I can't take your life'.

Come on, Bailey,' Raze said. You've taken lives before. It's what we were made to do, and like you said, I deserve it'.

`But you're my brother. I don't care what they made us for, or what they had planned. That doesn't matter. I'm a real person, with a real soul and I won't have my brothers death on my conscience'. Bailey climbed to his feet, wiping tears away with the back of his hand.

`If you don't end it, Bailey, I won't stop. I'll keep helping the Brotherhood. The war is coming Bailey, and I wont stop until I know that we're the ones who're going to win it'.

And I'll be there, big brother,' Bailey said, his jaw setting firmly, to stop you'.

Bailey's mutation barely had time to register the new arrival before a silver streak shot past him and Raze vanished in a plume of dust and dirt. He shook his head as he watched the silver streak disappeared into the night. With a sigh, he turned away from the site of his brother's defeat and began jogging back towards the hospital, reaching out with his mutation as he did.

Ororo soared through the air, carefully analysing Morningstar's movements. Their winged aggressor looked so like their gentle Remiel that for the first few minutes of the skirmish, she had hesitated in unleashing the full force of her mutant power. It took a brutal demonstration of Morningstar's ruthlessness, as he plucked Logan from the ground telekinetically and broke every bone in the mutant's body, to remind her that it was not Remiel they were fighting. Morningstar had simply let Logan's limp body drop to the ground, causing Ororo to shudder as his body slapped the ground with a wet thud. Now unable to fight until he had finished regenerating, Logan had been effectively neutralised for the duration of the conflict - a tactic that the ordinarily defence-orientated Seraph would never resort to.

After carefully studying the way that Morningstar evaded Bobby's onslaught of frigid bolts and Amara's constant assault of billowing flames by carefully deflecting their attacks back at one another, cancelling each other out, Ororo was able to ascertain the pattern behind Morningstar's movements - every one of his evasions and manoeuvres was designed to either place his enemies in the direct line of fire from each other, or else to force them to abort their attacks for fear of harming their allies. It was an ingenious tactic in Ororo's opinion, but it did have one fatal flaw. Morningstar could only keep it up as long as none of the X-men were able to attack from a single front, which he achieved through rapid airborne movement. Ororo smiled to herself. That was something she could take away from him.

Calling out to the elements with her mutant power, she summoned the mighty forces of the zephyr, willing the air to bend away from Morningstar's ebony wings and disrupting the mutant's flight path. With a shout, Morningstar dropped several feet to the ground before catching himself telekinetically. Taking advantage of the winged mutant's sudden distraction, Bobby immediately sent a stream of frigid energy swirling through the air at him.

Realising the danger he was in, Morningstar encased himself in a sphere of telekinetic energy that simmered darkly. The swirling cold impacted the ice with the force of an avalanche, solidifying the exterior of the shield in solid ice.

Amara, having observed Bobby's attack as it collided with the black shimmering sphere that surrounded their opponent, spilling around the protective barrier like water around a stone and encasing it in a shell of ice, rallied her own powers. Pillars of stone erupted from the soil, criss-crossing one another until they formed a perfect cage of earth around the icy prison.

Ororo breathed a sigh of relief as she glided to the ground in front of the newly formed structure.

`Is it over?' Peter asked as they rest of her team-mates made their way over to stand beside her.

I think so,' she said. All we have to do it wait until he runs out of air and falls unconscious, then Kurt can teleport him out'.

Seeing that the others had the situation managed, Ororo made her way over to Logan's limp form. His entire body looked like a sack full of gelatin with his muscles flowing around shattered fragments of bone. It appeared that his adamantium skeleton was the only thing keeping him in a vaguely humanoid shape. As she watched, his face began to reshape around the metallic skull, immediately taking on the expression of immense pain. Still unable to speak, Logan looked up at her pleadingly.

Don't worry,' Ororo said to him, barely able to look at his mangled form. I'll get Jean. She can put you under while your body heals'. She turned away from her team-mate and was about to head back towards the main building when she saw Morningstar's psychic blade erupt from the side of the prison. The blazing blade swept around the external perimeter of the mutant confinement before the entire thing exploded in a shower of rock and ice.

Ororo watched as Bobby and Amara, who were closest to the cage, were thrown brutally to the ground by the force of the detonation. Peter, still in his metal form, was staggered by the blast but otherwise remained standing. Kurt too, had been fortunate, having been shielded from the explosion by Peter's bulk. Ororo was about to call out to them but was forced to gasp instead as some unseen force seized Peter and swung him through the air like a rag doll, right into a very surprised Kurt. Even across the distance between them, Ororo still heard the snapping and tearing of bones and cartilage. Turning her sight on the source of the blast, saw Morningstar strut out of the cloud of debris, aflame with a black psychic aura.

Peter slowly began to rise, cradling the broken Kurt in his muscular arms.

`You will pay for this!' the angry Russian swore, before descending into a stream of fluent Russian insults.

I really don't think so,' Morningstar said calmly. I warned you all! I gave you the chance to surrender! But you all chose to fight instead. Well I'm done. I held back because you all meant something to me once, but no more. This time you will be shown no mercy!'

With a flick of his wrist, the flaming sword that he held in his hand lengthened and flexed before splitting into five long thick flails that streamed from the hilt like molten whips of psychic energy.

Ororo launched herself in the air, summoning a dozen lightning bolts as she did. The violent arcs shot down at her target, striking against the black discs he summoned to protect him with resounding booms. Driven by righteous fury, she honed in on him, attempting to pummel him with frigid gusts as she did. Her attacks could have been gentle summer breezes for all the impact they had on the winged mutant. With another flick of his wrist, Morningstar sent all five flails writhing through the air towards her. As fast as the lightning she had attempted to assault him with, the flaming coils connected with her, wrapping around her arms and legs like they each had a mind of their own. Upon contact, she realised that these psychic whips were not simply telepathic in nature, like Betsy's psychic blades, but physical, made manifest by Morningstar's telekinetic abilities. As Morningstar drew her towards him with the whip, the psychic nature of the bonds began making its presence known. It started as a simple burning sensation where the bonds were making contact with her skin, but it quickly spread, gaining in intensity as it did until it felt as though her entire body was aflame. Screaming out in pain, Ororo attempted to free herself from the fiery touch of Morningstar's weapon, vainly struggling against their abominable strength. Just as she thought all hope was lost, the mental flames scorching her flesh disappeared and she felt the bond vanish. Looking down on Morningstar, she saw that the psychic weapon had evaporated. Morningstar was on his knees, hands pressed firmly against his temples, screaming in a savage voice;

`GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!'.

They all stood silently at the border of Remiel's consciousness, staring into the tangled astral representation of the troubled psychic's mind. Gnarled trees, devoid of any living foliage, reached out towards them menacingly.

Um,' Xian shifted anxiously. I thought this Remiel guy was, like, really awesome and sweet. How come his mind is so, well, unfriendly looking'.

Remiel is a very kind and gentle soul,' Jean said. In the time I've known him, I've only ever seen him use his powers to help others. Even before he joined the X-men, he nearly died protecting his surrogate family from people who wanted to hurt them. This isn't a reflection of Remiel's mind. This is Morningstar's mind. This is a reflection of everything that Remiel wouldn't let himself feel'.

Come on,' Betsy said, as she started towards the trees. We don't have time for useless reminiscing. We don't know how long the other's will be able to hold out against him'.

Stepping into the shadow of the trees, Betsy immediately caught sight of the Professor's trail. A small notch was carved into the tree and a few feet ahead, another was scratched into the bark of another. As quickly and as quietly as she could, she led the other's into the woods.

As they trekked through the darkness, Xian, the youngest of the present psychics, began mentally questioning Jean about the astral plane. Jean explained as best she could. The astral plane was a purely mental plane of existence that linked every sentient being to what she called a collective conscience. The plane itself consisted of metaphoric representations of each individual mind connected to it, as well as the expanse of formless mental energy that existed between them. When Xian questioned her about the appearance of the Professor's trail, Jean's response was simple. Even though the Professor didn't use the astral plane to connect to Remiel's mind, their conscious desire created a reflection of it on the plane. They thought, therefore it was. And since everything on the Astral plane was metaphoric, the signature took the form of something that fit into the environment the plane had created to represent Remiel's mind.

Huh,' Xian said. It all sounds too complex for me'.

Don't worry if it's confusing,' Jean assured her. Astral theory is something that's better experienced than explained. You'll get the hang of it eventually'.

`I think we're here,' Betsy said, as they stepped through a gap in the trees.

They were all standing at the mouth of a small valley, at the centre of which stood a small stone structure. In the air above the structure hung thousands of small glass tiles. Suspended on invisible strings, the tiles reminded the women of coloured birds floating on the wind. A faint breeze moved them ever so slightly, creating a symphony of chimes that rang out across the gnarled forest, bathing the four companions in breathtaking music. Almost as soon as the music began, it stopped, shattering the daze that had overtaken the young women.

`That must be where the Seraph personality is being held,' Jean said, gesturing to the stone structure.

`What was that?' Xian asked, holding onto Danielle for support as she shook off the overpowering sensations the chimes had caused.

They're memories,' Danielle said. And I'm guessing by the power they have, they're Seraph's happiest'.

`Then why would they be out here?' Xian pressed, finally able to stand on her own.

They're probably out here so that Seraph can't use them,' Betsy explained. If Seraph's been cut off from his happiest memories, then his telepathic power is severely diminished. Think of how much a telepath relies on his happiest memories to help fight telepathic assault. Without them, all he'll have is his worst memories, which only serve to make him weaker'.

Then in that case,' Jean said. You should all go along without me. I'll stay and collect as many of these memories as I can, then follow. Who knows how valuable them might be if we can get them to Seraph'.

Betsy and Danielle looked at each other, then nodded.

`Xian, you stay with Jean and help carry as many memories as you can. Betsy and I will go and try to free Seraph'.

Xian nodded.

Both Betsy and Danielle ran as quickly as they could towards the stone structure. As they drew nearer, they realised what it was. An old medieval bunker. Roughly square in shape, the bunker was built from large round stones, cemented in place. Dark green moss grew out from between the stones and a number of them had wide cracks marring their dull surfaces. A large wooden door barred entrance to the interior of the structure, but upon seeing it's rotted beams, Betsy simply shattered it with a savage kick.

Stepping through the entrance, both Betsy and Danielle gasped at what they found. The interior appeared to be comprised of dozens of environments, all shredded and randomly restitched together. A roaring fire blazed in several segments of the environment, though miraculously not spreading to the environs that surrounded them. At the centre of the room, stood a massive edifice that brought tears to Betsy's eyes. The colossal wrought iron cage was a masterpiece of sadism. Each of the bars were wrapped tightly in barbed wire that glowed a malicious orange against the cold black metal. Both women recognised Seraph, held aloft, unconscious within the prison, forced spread-eagle by chains that were bolted to the floor and ceiling of the cage. More red hot barbed wire was wrapped around his wrists and ankles where the chains were manacled to his body. Hundreds of long metal skewers were protruding from his muscles, blood dripping off of them in large bulbous drops. Yet more blood trickled from claw-like marks across the young man's chest and back, running down his naked limbs.

Oh, my god!' Danielle half whispered to herself. Quickly, help me'.

Both women ran to the cage, drawing as close as they could before the intense heat prevented them from approaching any further. Quickly evaluating their situation, Betsy pointed to the chains holding Seraph in place.

`We have to get the chains off of him. If we can get them off, he'll be able to help us himself'.

`Okay,' Danielle nodded.

Both women focused and psychic armour began materialising around their bodies, encasing them in heat-proof protection. Cautiously, they both drew nearer to the cage. Arriving first, Betsy reached through the bars and wrapped her hands around the chain holding Seraph's right arm. Visualising the chain breaking, she pulled as hard as she could. The chain resisted, fighting her psychic assault relentlessly until, with a feral squeal, it broke away from the main cage and fell to the floor. Her breaths now coming in short laboured bursts, Betsy reached for the chain binding Seraph's right foot. She was just about to pull on the next chain when the squeal of twisted metal pulled her attention to Danielle, who had broken the bond on Seraph's left arm. Now free to follow gravity, Seraph fell to the floor where he sluggishly began to stir. Looking up at the women, vague hope flickered in the nearly empty pools of his soft brown eyes.

`Betsy?'

Reaching through the bars and stroking Seraph's abused cheek, Betsy nodded.

`It's okay, Remmy, we're going to get you out of here'.

With another huge grunt of effort, Danielle ripped the chain binding Seraph's left foot.

`But we need you to help us'.

Seraph nodded slowly, tears welling in his eyes.

`I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to hurt anyone but he was just too strong'.

It's okay, Remmy,' Danielle told him as she began unravelling the barbed wire still coiled around his arms. We understand. Ahh!' Danielle cursed and pulled her hands back through the bars. The gauntlet that had been protecting her arms and hands from the intense heat of the bars had begun melting long the forearm. With a great deal of mental focus, she willed the melting to stop, and repaired as much of the damage as she could, but even after she was finished, the damage could still be seen.

Take a break,' Betsy told her. Save your strength for getting the bars apart, I'll do what I can about the last of the wire and chains'.

`Okay,' Danielle said, backing away from the cage.

Slowly, conserving as much strength as she could, Betsy pulled apart the chain still binding Seraph's right leg. With the last bond severed from the primary psychic prison, the chains and wire still biting into Seraph's skin dissipated into nothingness. Reaching out to his arms, Betsy began withdrawing the long metallic skewers buried in his flesh. Seraph's face grimaced in pain as she slowly slid them from his muscles.

It's okay, Remmy,' Danielle spoke to him through the bars as Betsy continued her work. Just a little while longer and we'll have you out of there'.

A few minutes passed by before footsteps could be heard. Danielle turned in time to see both Jean and Xian burst through the door. Almost a hundred glass tiles danced in the air surrounding Jean, held aloft by the astral reflection of her telekinetic powers. Xian however, was forced to carry her share in a large rucksack she must have mentally manifested.

`Remmy,' Jean gasped, almost losing her hold over the tiles surrounding her.

Jean,' Seraph breathed hoarsely, his eyes quickly filling with tears. You came'.

Stepping as close to the bars as she could without burning, Jean leaned down and smiled.

`Of course, I came. We don't leave our people behind. Ever'.

Okay,' Betsy said. That's the last of them'. She stood up carefully, casting the last metal skewer aside where it rapidly dissolved into nothingness. `Danielle and I won't be able to help much with the bars, which means it's up to you two. We'll do what we can, but...'

`We understand,' Jean nodded, setting aside the glass tiles.

Xian quickly followed her example, lowering her rucksack to the ground. A number of tiles clinked together, creating a faint chime that reverberated through the air for a few moments, rousing a sense of hope in the gathered companions.

`How do we do this?' Xian asked.

`Just follow my lead'.

Focusing her mental strength, Jean summoned the mental armour that had served her so many times before. Moulded to her very flesh, the armour bore a red lustre that refracted the light in a shower of scarlet lights. The gauntlets bent and fleshed with her naturally as she stretched her arms. Satisfied with her protection, she watched as Xian mimicked her.

The armour Xian summoned underscored her inexperience. It was unwieldy with oversized dull metal plates bound together with thick leather straps. Her gloves resembled giant metal oven mitts.

`Hmm, we're going to have to work on that, sometime,' Jean muttered to herself as she took her place at the cage. Wrapping her hands around two bars adjacent one another, she nodded to Xian to do the same.

`On the count of three, we're both going to pull out and away from Remmy, got it?' Jean said.

`Ah huh,' Xian nodded.

Remember, visualisation is just as important as actualisation here, understood'. Seeing Xian nod, Jean began counting. One...Two...Three!'

Both women heaved with all of their strength, pouring their will into the motion of their bodies. For a few moments, nothing seemed to happen until, finally, the bars began to move. Ever so slowly, the burning metal gave way to their combined pull, bending away from their captive. The bars shrieked in protest as they were warped. After a few minutes, they had almost moved the bars enough for Remmy to make it through, but before he could prepare himself, the entire structure began to tremble.

Xian staggered as the tremor grew in intensity. Even Jean was knocked away from the bars by the force of the shaking. Again the tremor intensified until the entire structure threatened to collapse. With a horrifying crack and the sound of tearing fabric, the structure began to splinter and fall apart in a rain of stones and fragmented memories.

Always the first to act defensively of others, Jean summoned a screen of shimmering blue energy that wrapped around all four companions and the cage that held their friend. Debris impacted the screen, forcing it smaller and smaller under the repeated strikes until almost the entire ceiling had collapsed upon them. With one final exertion of will, Jean expanded the shield, blowing the debris in a number of directions.

The tremor, however, had only intensified. Massive crags had appeared in the ground and gouts of magma and flame began gushing to the surface. A terrible howl carried across the air, drowning out the sound of the rumbling earth.

Xian and Danielle fell to their knees under the howl`s assault, clutching at their ears. Jean and Betsy were both clutching at their ears, but had remained standing, their eyes fixed on the shadow growing in the air high above them.

The shadow grew darker, drawing the other shadows in the valley towards it until it coalesced into a massive pillar of darkness. The vicious howl finally diminished into a voice as the darkness spread apart into two ebony wings.

`GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!'

Ororo, released from the hold of Morningstar's psychic weapon, wasted no time in willing herself away from the slumped mutant. Skimming across the grass on unseen air currents, she wheeled around, coming to a stop beside Bobby, who had begun to stir.

Bobby!?' Ororo breathed hoarsely, the continuous use of her mutant powers consuming what remained of her stamina. The icy mutant barely managed to grunt as he heaved his battered body from the ground. The psychics are doing something. Morningstar is distracted, but I don't know how long it will last. Do you have enough energy left to fight'?

Finally managing to climb to his feet, Bobby nodded, grimacing as he held his limp left arm with his left.

`I'm not good for much, but I'll do what I can'.

Nodding in response, Ororo spread her arms, rising into the air as she did.

Oh, Benevolent Mother, I have such need of your benevolence now,' she prayed to herself in a voice barely above a whisper that was drowned out by the howling wind. Please, lend me the strength I need to deliver my family from harm'.

Closing her eyes, Ororo reached deep within herself, seeking out the last vestiges of strength she had remaining and pooling it in the reservoirs of her mind. With a tribal battle cry, she opened her eyes and swooped down at Morningstar like a predatory bird. Ball lightning lanced from her outstretched palms with a crackling tone, bathing her in a luminescent glow. Closing in on her adversary, she let loose the last remains of her power, completely depleting what energy she had previously shanghaied from the deepest recesses of her body in a titanic bolt of electrical energy.

The bolt zigzagged through the air towards its target, leaving a blinding white trail behind it before it slammed mercilessly into one of Morningstar's shimmering discs of telekinetic energy. But unlike his other telekinetic shields, Morningstar's hastily constructed disc shattered like a ceramic plate struck with a sledge hammer. The broken fragments evaporated in wisps of dark smoke, leaving the still stunned mutant to accept the full force of Bobby's frigid ice blast. Bypassing Morningstar's defences, the icy blue lance of sub-zero energy sent the winged mutant careering off of his feet and sliding across the blackened lawn.

Drained even of the energy required to remain aloft, Ororo dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, just in time to witness an enraged Peter deliver a brutal kick to Morningstar's ribs. With a series of deep wet coughs, Morningstar began to rise. Peter was about to plant his foot against Morningstar's ribs a second time when vicelike tentacles of telekinetic energy lashed out from the barely perceptible aura of black flames that surrounded the downed mutant.

`I will not be beaten this way. Not like this. And not by you'.

Ororo barely stifled a cry when the psychic tentacles flexed and whipped Peter through the air, sending him sailing into a barely standing Bobby. With scarcely the strength to remain standing, Bobby was thrown from his feet under the impact and ground against the earth by Peter's bulk, even though the steel skinned mutant had managed to shift from metal to flesh in time to prevent the surely fatal blow his mutation was sure to have caused. Having reverted to his flesh and blood incarnation, Peter too had been rendered unconscious by the impact.

Which left no one standing with the power to stop Morningstar.

Noriko watched with bated breath, as Morningstar cast Peter into the fragile form of Bobby, rendering them both unconscious, leaving no one to stand against the seemingly unconquerable mutant. A series of gasps pulled her attention away from the winged mutant towards the circle of psychics. Strain was evident on all of their faces, Jean's most of all. As she watched, Xian whimpered and fell to her knees while somehow still managing to grasp tightly at Betsy and Danielle's hands.

Damn it!' She swore, electricity crackling from her eyes and fingertips. John, we need to do something'.

John stood beside her, looking out at Morningstar, both awed and terrified. His entire body shook slightly, and tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as his lips quivered.

`I can't,' he said.

John,' Noriko said, gripping his shoulders fiercely and forcing him to look her in the eyes. That isn't Remiel! Do you think the real Remmy would ever hurt Ororo or Scott, or even Bobby for that matter?' Still shaking in her arms, John slowly shook his head. `That's right. And if we ever want the real Remmy to come back to us, we need to distract this guy so the girls can break through and stop him'.

John looked over her shoulder and observed Morningstar advance hap hazardously towards the almost exhausted Ororo as she feebly attempted to withdraw.

`Okay'.

Good,' Noriko said, giving him a hard shove in the chest. Now man the fuck up and let's go put our foot to this guys arse'.

Turning away from John, Noriko tapped into the wellspring of energy that lived just beneath her skin. She felt her muscles jump as though shocked and the whole world seemed to slow down. Logically, she knew that world hadn't actually slowed down, it just looked like that from her perspective as her body accelerated. Everything shifted into sharper focus and she pushed off from the ground, letting a mixture of gravity, inertia and sheer strength guide her. The air clung to her as she ran towards Morningstar, grasping at her body and slowing her movements ever so slightly. When she had first explained running at super speed to John and Josh, she had described it like running against a strong headwind; although it doesn't stop you from moving forward, it just really makes you work for it. Crossing the distance between the front of the hospital and Morningstar in barely a second, she brought her left arm up and clipped her metal gauntlet against his left shoulder. She felt the transfer of kinetic energy from her gauntlet and knew that even though the blow had no perceptible effect, it would hurt like hell when Morningstar's mind processed the impact. Gracefully turning in a wide arc, she began another run at him, this time from behind his right shoulder. As before, she raised her left arm, but instead of aiming for his shoulder, she planted it against the bend in his right leg. Turning once again in a graceful arc so as not to lose any momentum, she proceeded in delivering a concise series of blows that spiralled up and around Morningstar's body in a cyclonic pattern. By the time she had finished, Morningstar had already been lifted up off of the ground and had begun twisting in the air towards his left. Satisfied with her assault, Noriko skidded to a halt beside a still struggling Ororo, who gasped at her sudden appearance. Turning to watch the fruits of her efforts, Noriko was pleased to see the delayed kinetic energy of her blows lift and spin Morningstar. Thrown into the air like a rag doll and spun as though caught in a windless hurricane, the winged mutant was brought crashing to the ground in a violent heap. Noriko smiled to herself and said a silent thank you to Jean for her excellent physics lectures.

Sweeping her arms around Ororo's shoulders, Noriko accelerated to super speed, carrying the barely conscious mutant over to Logan's almost healed form before the weather witch had time to process the sudden movement.

Nori?' Ororo gasped, pushing her prone form up from the ground. What...?'

Don't worry, Storm,' Noriko told her as she dropped into a combat stance, preparing to rush at Morningstar's prone form. We've got this guy'.

`Kick his arse,' Logan managed to growl out, his vocal chords having mended.

Noriko nodded, then dashed towards Morningstar, hyper accelerating as she did. She was about two feet away when she struck an invisible barrier that angled around the prone mutant. Glancing off of the unseen wall, she was sent crashing to the ground and dragged across the dirt by the force of her own momentum. Finally skidding to a rest almost twenty yards away, Noriko pushed herself upright, shaking her head as she did. Stars danced in her field of vision, obscuring the better part of her sight. She closed her eyes again and waited for the stars to disappear before reopening them.

Morningstar was still slumped on his knees, supporting the weight of his wings with his arms. One of the ebony appendages was crooked, with long feathers sticking out at odd angles. The air around him shimmered slightly, and she realised what it was she had run into; a thin layer of telekinetic energy. Unlike a regular telekinetic shield, this thin fabric of energy would not stop any sustained attack directed against it, but running at her high velocity, the energy had reacted to her in the same way the surface tension of water held her weight at super speed. Which meant Morningstar had realised who it was that attacked him.

As though in answer to her thoughts, Morningstar turned to face her, eyes aflame with the black psychic fire so unique to him. Noriko quickly climbed clumsily to her feet, her balance still distorted by the sudden deceleration. Not wanting to risk another super speed collision, she raised her arms and spread her fingers wide. The same electrical tingle she always felt when accessing her electrical powers passed through her forearms where her gauntlets touched her skin. Arcing between her outstretched fingers, the electricity crackled hungrily, as though somehow understanding the reason for its summons. The voltage increased, causing the normally bright blue electricity to become almost white, but she held onto the charge, letting the power slowly grow. It wasn't until a burning sensation covered her skin and the sparks began dancing chaotically up and down her arms that she unleashed her concentrated attack. With the sound of a bullwhip, the electrical bolt shot away from her metal encased arms towards Morningstar, who wore an expression of violent outrage. The blow slammed into the shimmering curtain, ripping through it as though it hadn't existed at all. The electrical arcs caressed Morningstar's body, drawing pain filled howls into the night.

His entire body seizing under the touch of her assault, Morningstar raised his hand and pointed it accusingly at Noriko.

Tendrils of telekinetic force coiled around her throat and squeezed, cutting off her oxygen supply. Gasping, she relinquished her assault, vainly redirecting efforts in an attempt to pry away the invisible grip Morningstar had established. Slowly, the edges of her vision began to darken, until finally, she faded into the black. The last thing she saw before falling unconscious was a bright flash of gold and orange.

Quickly, Jean, Xian,' Betsy called as she pooled what little psychic energy she had left into a razor sharp katana that pulsed with violet energy. Release Remiel. Danielle and I will hold him off.' Rushing through the rapidly dissipating shield, Betsy launched herself up and over the debris left in the aftermath of the quake. Danielle followed close behind, her armour melting away to be replaced by fearsome war paint and a magnificent war bow manifesting in her hands. Jean nodded, watching Danielle nock and loose a series of arrows in rapid succession.

Refocusing her efforts on the bars, Jean heaved with all of her mental strength, managing to shift them another few inches. Xian attempted to follow the older psychic's example, but despite her best efforts, failed to move the bars to which she was clinging.

I'm sorry, Jean,' she pled. I'm running on empty'.

It's okay, Xian,' Jean assured her. I'll deal with the bars. Start feeding those memories through to Seraph'.

Xian nodded before rushing to her rucksack that, miraculously, survived the collapse of the building. Reaching inside, she pulled out a number of tiles and carried them back to the cage. Reaching through the bars, she held one of the tiles out to Seraph, who was still slumped on the floor of his prison.

`Take my hand,' she said. Seraph reached out for her, laying his hands upon the tile contained within her outstretched hand. As soon as his hand made contact with the tile, it dissolved into a faint ethereal light that flowed across his palms to the burns around his wrists. Like a soothing balm, the glow smothered the melted flesh, growing brighter for a fraction of a second before fading away. Xian realised almost immediately that the burns, which had been an angry maroon colour had faded out to a lighter shade of scarlet. With all the haste she could manage, Xian fed the tiles through the bars to Seraph's eager reach, where they all dissolved into the same healing glow. By the time she had exhausted her own supply of tiles, almost all of the burns and puncture wounds on the left side of Seraph's body had been mended.

Meanwhile, Jean had been unable to shift the bars any further, her own mental energy exhausted from the numerous conflicts of the last few hours. Abandoning the prison, she turned to watch the engagement between Betsy, Danielle and Morningstar.

Numerous arrows protruded from the ebony wings that had since failed to hold Morningstar aloft, forcing him to fight on the ground a few yards away from the collapsed stone edifice. Betsy's katana flashed with violet energy as it clashed against her adversary's flamed wreathed blade. Closer now than she had been in the physical world, Jean recognised the blade that whipped from side to side, powered by the psychically infused muscles of Morningstar's bulging arms. It was a replica of the Highland Flamberge that the Professor had displayed on a shelf in his office. A long wide blade with an equally long hilt and guards, it quickly proved to be no match for Betsy's incredible skill with the Japanese blade as she rapidly locked his blade with her own, opening his defences long enough for Danielle to let loose another arrow. With a wet thunk, the arrow bit deeply into Morningstar's thigh, eliciting a roar of pain. His wings whipped outwards, one of which caught Betsy off-guard, sending her crashing into the ground several feet away. Black flames erupted from the tattoos on his flesh, obscuring him in a pillar of dark fire. The flames parted and rushed out along his wings, eating away at the arrows buried amongst their feathers, leaving the ebony appendages in pristine condition.

Morningstar whipped his blade around, letting it spin wildly in the air towards Danielle, who had to throw herself aside to avoid the lethal projectile. Taking full advantage of his adversaries' distraction, he launched himself towards the cage with two powerful beats of his wings.

Jean barely had time to shout out a warning before Morningstar swept her up in his arms and carried her up into the air. With his powerful arms wrapped tightly around her chest, Morningstar began crushing the air out of her lungs. It was then that she realised that Morningstar was different. On the physical plane, his upper body had been completely naked, but on the Astral plane a thick metal collar wrapped tightly around his neck, pulsing every so slightly with scarlet energy.

`Mindpyre,' she swore, as she pulled her head back and then whipped it forward, slamming her forehead into the bridge of his nose. The sound of splintering bone and cartilage was joined by a roar of pain and Jean quickly found herself reclaimed by whatever passed for gravity on the Astral plane. She fell rapidly to the ground but, with the laws of physics holding only the sway she allowed them, the impact with the earth did little to damage her.

Xian turned to her and was about to say something when a black beam cut through the air and slammed into her, ripping an agonised scream from her lips before sending her toppling sideways into the dirt.

`You'll pay for that, you bitch!' Morningstar roared as he descended, swooping down on her like a hawk after a mouse, summoning a new blade of fire as he did. Jean brought her hands up in a futile attempt to shield herself, hoping against hope that the remnants of her psychic armour would protect her from the blow that was sure to follow. Opening her eyes, Jean watched as arcs of electrical energy surged from nowhere, enveloping Morningstar in a cloak of crackling white light. The agonising display of power forced him to pull back from his intended strike, leaving him to float in the air for a few moments before the application of some unseen action released him from the electricity's grasp.

Thank you, girls,' Jean said, realising that her reprieve had to have been bought with a great deal of power from either Ororo or Noriko. Betsy! Danielle!' she cried out to both women who had managed to climb to their feet. `The collar around his neck! It looks like something Mindpyre put in place! If we can get it off of him, maybe we can weaken his hold on the real Remmy'. Both Betsy and Danielle nodded to Jean to show that they understood. Realising the time for defence had long since past, Jean let her red lustre armour fade away, redistributing its collective energies. Reaching out with the last vestiges of will she possessed, she took hold of all of the remaining memory tiles, pulling them through the air towards her. Like a flock of multicoloured birds, they twisted around her and, at her slightest gesture, slipped through the opening she and Xian had expended so much to widen. The tiles collided with Seraph's weary form, bathing him in a blinding radiance that obscured all sight.

`No!' Morningstar roared, sweeping forward like a wraith on the winds. With a sweep of his mighty blade, he forced Jean to leap back away from the cage, loosing her control of the few remaining tiles as she did.

Jean fell to the ground with a resounding thud, kicking up red dirt as she did. Dragging herself behind the cover of a large chunk of fallen stone, she tried to summon even an iota of power. But nothing happened. Her reservoirs of energy were empty. Three wet thunks drew her attention back to Morningstar, who had again been rendered flightless by Danielle's well placed fire. His attention drawn away from Jean and the cage, Morningstar barely had time enough to the block the flurry of blade strokes Betsy delivered, her deadly katana hissing like a cobra as it swept through the air.

Behind Morningstar, Jean say Xian begin to stir, having finally recovered from Morningstar's attack. Shaking her head slightly, the weakened telepath looked up at the battle being waged before her. Her eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and determination. Before Jean could cry out, Xian climbed to her feet and leapt onto Morningstar's back, wrapping her legs around his waist and her hands around his eyes and mouth.

Betsy, making full use of the opportunity Xian's attack afforded her, swung her katana with deadly efficiency. The clink squeal of metal striking metal rang out of the Astral battlefield as her psychically infused weapon ripped through the metal collar hugging Morningstar's throat. Red flame erupted along the metal band, reducing it to slag that dissolved into a scarlet mist.

Xian was thrown from Morningstar's body as his muscles began to convulse uncontrollably, dropping him to his knees. Retching and gagging as though he was being chocked, tears flowed down his face. With one last spasmodic retch, a plume of scarlet smoke burst from his mouth, and proceeded to burn and smoulder into nothing.

`What the hell...,'Betsy started to say, before Morningstar launched himself forward, catching her around the midriff with his shoulder, carrying them both to the ground.

Even winded, Betsy brought her razor edged katana up and around, aiming her blow at the top of Morningstar's neck, but before the cold metal could make contact with the winged mutant's pliable flesh, his hand caught hold of her wrist and pinned it to her side. Straddling her waist and pinning her remaining arm, Morningstar leaned forward to leer at her.

Hello, Betsy,' he whispered to her as he leaned closer, their faces now only inches apart. I bet you're a screamer'. Twisting her arm sideways and wrenching it out of its socket, Morningstar laughed at her agonised cry. Oh, I love it when they scream. Thanks, by the way'. He slowly began forcing her arm back into its socket, eliciting another scream. Without Mindpyre's little trinket keeping me in line, I can finally start to enjoy myself. Want me to tell you the really reason why pure, innocent little Seraph tries not to hurt anyone?' Morningstar laughed again. `It's because, deep down, he enjoys listening to people scream, seeing their faces all screwed up in pain. But see, I don't feel bad about feeling good. So scream for me, Betsy'. Twisting her arm out of its socket a second time, Morningstar laughed in tandem with her screams.

`Let her go, you sadistic son of a bitch!' Danielle roared, leaping onto his back, pinning his black wings to his sides with her thighs. Reaching down, she slung her war bow around his neck and pulled back, using the leverage to lift his upper body away from Betsy, who struggled to drag herself away. Finally managing to extricate herself from his bulk, Betsy locked her fury filled eyes on Morningstar.

`It's your turn to scream you bastard'. With all of her strength, Betsy slammed her foot into Morningstar's groin, causing him to let loose a ragged cry. Letting her bow dissipate back into her psychic reserves, Danielle allowed Morningstar to slump forward.

Enraged by their attack on him, Morningstar raised his fist and slammed it into the ground, causing vast seismic ripples to expand from his position toppling both Betsy and Danielle.

I'm going to make you all beg for death,' Morningstar roared as he heaved himself to his feet. Pointing a finger accusingly at Betsy he said with his voice little more than a menacing growl, Starting with you'.

Tears streamed down John's cheeks as he sent the flames trapped within the confines of his will surging towards Morningstar, who rapidly deployed a curtain of shimmering energy to protect himself. The torrent of flames splashed harmlessly against the shield like water against a tarp. The blow, though ineffective, was enough to break Morningstar's hold over the barely breathing Noriko, who abruptly fell to the ground. Sparing only a thought for his friend, John hurled himself into the attack, mentally chanting Noriko's words to himself; This is not Remmy.

Immediately recalling the useless flames with a thought, he rapidly moulded them into a sphere of superheated plasma the size of a beach ball and hurled it with all of his strength at the monster who had stolen his lover's body.

Reacting almost on instinct, Morningstar slapped his palms together, producing a shockwave that was equal parts sonic boom and telekinetic push. The rippling wave collided with the sphere mere feet from where he was standing, detonating in a massive explosion of reds, yellows and oranges. The force of the explosion rocked the ground and threw Morningstar backwards, slamming him into the ground. Chunks of soil and turf were thrown into the air by the force of his impact, and the sounds of breaking bone and cartilage rang out.

John, staggered but still standing after the explosion, wasted no time in drawing together the flaming remnants of the explosion, pulling the flames towards him on invisible strings of power and will. Spiralling through the air in a kaleidoscope of molten reds and oranges, the flames pooled between his outstretched hands before surging forward in a colossal stream of liquid heat. The jet traversed the distance between them quickly, blackening what little grass remained through sheer proximity. John shut his eyes, tracking the movement with his thoughts, unwilling to watch the final outcome. Ten meters. Eight. John's thoughts flickered back to the first time they had kissed, huddled together on Remmy's bed. Those soft lips. That faint flavour that was undeniably Remmy. Seven. Six. The smooth skin. The hard muscle that became soft and pliable in his hands. Five. Four. A sudden surge of emotions nearly knocked him off balance, forcing his eyes open, bombarding him almost faster than he could process them. Fear. Remorse. Sadness. Grief. Loneliness. Desire. Lust. Love. Emotions that were so completely alien and yet so completely familiar. And then it hit him. These weren't his emotions. They were Remmy's. The real Remmy's.

The torrent of fire evaporated into the air, leaving only a molten glow behind as the air cooled. John sprinted across the scorched earth towards Remiel, not bothering to register the faint flicker of movement he caught in his peripheral vision. Remiel was lying on his side, his right wing bent at an odd angle. His breathing was shallow and a faint scarlet glow emanated from his eyes.

My god,' John breathed, sliding to his knees like a baseball player sliding into home. Remmy. Remmy, you're back'. John wrapped his arms around Remiel's shoulders and drew the half-conscious mutant to a kneeling position.

John?' Remiel's voice was husky. Oh, God. John, I'm so sorry'.

`It's okay, Baby. You're back now'. John's voice cracked under the weight of his emotions and he pulled Remiel's mouth against his in a hard kiss. The kiss was hard and forceful, full of hunger and yearning that melted John's bones, reducing the pillars of his will to gravel, and threatening to pull him under a riptide of raw lust. But something plucked at the last chords of John's control and better judgment, something that would not be denied. The lips pressed against his mouth were not soft. The flavour that was undeniably Remmy was gone.

Remiel felt John's body stiffen and smiled. Pulling their lips apart, he locked eyes with John and a wicked gleam flashed in the dark pools that had once held such kindness and mercy.

Oh, well,' Morningstar smirked. I guess it was fun while it lasted'.

A blast of telekinetic energy sent John hurtling through the air before he crashed violently into the ground, where a fiery pain shot up his right arm, dragging a haggard scream from his lungs. The sound of Morningstar's laughter rang out, almost but not quite drowned out by the sound of John's heartbeat as it pounded painfully in his ears. John looked up in time to see Morningstar drag himself to his feet. The devious mutant began a slow steady walk towards John, dragging his mangled black wing behind him in the dirt.

I'm sorry, Johnny boy. I really am,' Morningstar said calmly. But I can't have you ruining my plans. Not when I'm so close'.

What?' John gasped, trying to drag himself away from the advancing Morningstar, but only managing to pull on his broken arm. What plans?'

`I'm going to make a better world. Don't you see? When all the humans have been put in their place, we can be together. And not just the way it was with Seraph, having to hide who and what we are from the world. When I'm done, we'll finally be able to walk the earth like gods, the way it was meant to be'.

John looked up at Morningstar, revulsion showing in his eyes. `Get away from me. You're not my Remmy. I don't want anything to do with your perfect world. I just want my Remmy back'.

Morningstar's brow creased. You can't mean that. Johnny, I love you. And you love me'. Morningstar's voice rose in fever and pitch. YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME!'

NO!' John shouted back. I love Remmy and I would gladly die for him, but you're not Remmy! You're just some twisted thing!'

You'll die for Seraph?' Morningstar raged. Will you? Fine!' A blazing sword ignited in his hand and he raised it high above his head. `Fine! If you won't love me then you don't get to love anyone!'

The blazing sword arced down, cutting through the air with a whistle. John looked up and said one last prayer...and had it answered.

An azure flash blinded him and over the sound of his own heart beat John heard a bestial roar followed by Bailey's voice. `I may not wish to kill you, Remiel, but I think you'll be surprised at just how many ways I can kick your arse. Now back away'.

Jean dived to her right, narrowly avoiding the black beam that engulfed the space where she had just stood. The psychic landscape convulsed violently under the beam's touch, twisting and distorting into a horrific bastardization of its original form. Not bothering to waste time with idle observation of the destruction, Jean proceeded to clamber back to her feet. An agonising scream rang out and Jean turned to face its source. Morningstar was holding Xian off of the ground by her throat, his foot placed in the centre of Danielle's back, pinning her to the ground. Betsy, barely conscious a few feet away, moaned, clutching her dislocated shoulder. With malicious laughter, Morningstar delivered a series of brutal punches to Xian's midsection, eliciting another agonising scream that he promptly cut off with a squeeze to her throat.

Xian!' Jean cried out, sprinting towards her fallen comrades. You let her go, you son of a bitch! You let her go!' Jean launched herself at Morningstar in an attempt at a football tackle, but only managed to shift his attention away from Xian, who he threw aside like so much trash.

Grabbing her by the hair, Morningstar pulled Jean's head up, forcing her to lock eyes with him.

`Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie. Haven't you gotten it yet? You can't beat me!'

Morningstar brought his knee up in a violent jerk that collided with Jean's ribs, forcing the air from her lungs with a shout and a whimper. With the same malicious laughter as before, he continued to knee her in the ribs, laughing even harder at the sound of her whimpering.

She was about to lose consciousness when she felt Morningstar's body stiffen and recoil as though struck. Toppling to the ground, Jean drew a haggard breath, looking up as she did. Morningstar had stumbled back, releasing Danielle as he did. A sudden gush of air blew past the four fallen psychics and slammed into Morningstar, lifting him off of the ground and dumping him a few feet away. Azure sparks flared to life in the air surrounding them, dancing around aimlessly for a few seconds before darting off towards the cage still imprisoning Seraph. Like the flames of cutting torches, the azure sparks ate away the bars, slicing through the hard metal with bright flashes of light. After only a few seconds, they had devoured an entire section of the cage, forming an opening large enough for Seraph to climb through.

Seraph, finally freed of the psychic prison, stepped through the opening and onto the field. As soon as his bare foot touched the barren red dirt, grass burst through the top layer of soil. Like a wave of green, plants exploded out from the ground in an ever growing circle, growing rapidly to full size in moments, blanketing the small valley in shades of emerald, jade and a host of other colours.

Jean, despite the throbbing pain in her arms, legs and chest, staggered to her feet, gaping in awe at the changes wrought by Seraph's freedom.

`Remmy?'

Seraph turned to look at her. You need to get out of here while you still can,' he said calmly. Raising his hand, palm up, he summoned four radiant orbs of glowing white light. It's not much, but it should help get you all escape'. With the flick of a finger, he sent all four orbs shooting through the air towards each of the exhausted psychics.

As the glowing orb meant for her touched her skin, Jean felt of surge of power wash over her, invigorating her tired muscles and easing the pain in her chest. A feeling of warmth and love flowed through her body, leaving her light-headed for a moment before she felt a faint trickle of psychic energy flow from her depleted reservoir. She swayed on her feet, dizzy from the influx of energy.

Steadying her with a hand, Seraph pointed towards the far end of the valley, opposite the path they had taken to arrive. `You need to take that path to get out. You'll find the Professor on your way'.

`The Professor...' Jean began but Seraph cut her off.

`There's no time to explain. Just go'.

Jean nodded before reaching down to help Danielle, who had just begun to stir at the touch of one of Seraph's glowing orbs. Pulling the woman to her feet, Jean pointed up the valley.

`Take Xian, I'll get Betsy'.

Sweeping forwards, Jean wrapped her arms around Betsy, who had managed to sit up on her own, still clutching her shoulder. With a heave, she pulled them both upright, just in time to hear a momentous roar and see a recovered Morningstar charge Seraph, who let loose a war cry of his own.

`Come on,' Jean said, guiding both of them away from the struggling titans who were rapidly exchanging blows of blinding white light and inky darkness.

`But Remmy,' Betsy tried to argue before Jean cut her off.

I think he can handle himself,' her words were punctuated by the very ground shaking, ...just fine'.

Bailey watched, eyes ablaze with a cobalt glow, as Morningstar staggered under the torrent of telekinetic blows he rained down upon him, forcing the winged mutant to his knees. Cocking his head to the side, he sent a blast of energy hurtling forward, ripping up the topsoil and throwing Morningstar ten feet through the air. Stepping around John, who looked equal parts shocked and relieved, Bailey put himself between the former lovers.

Morningstar rose, spreading his left wing wide while pathetically flailing his right. He made a move as if to attack, but Bailey interceded, hurtling the telepathic spike across the distance between them at the speed of thought. The blow struck true, sending Morningstar reeling, clutching at his temples and roaring like a wounded animal. Even from across the battlefield, Bailey could feel the corrosive powers of his spike unravelling the defences and barriers placed in Remiel's mind.

Remiel began flailing around wildly, beating both wings, unconcerned by the twisted form of his broken appendage.

`What did you do to him?' he heard John ask behind him.

He smiled to himself. `I just evened up the playing field'.

Gathering as much cohesive telepathic energy together as he could, Bailey shaped another psychic spike and cast it across the field. As before, the spike struck with perfect accuracy, knocking Remiel off of his feet where he remained perfectly still.

`Get everyone together. I'll go and help Jean out,' he told John as he strode past him towards the ring of psychics, all of whom had been forced to their knees under the strain of their efforts. Placing his hand on Jean's shoulder, Bailey closed his eyes and let his borrowed power flow out through the sensation of his skin against hers and into the link the psychics had forged to one another.

The world fell away, replaced by a black void that slowly grew lighter, like the opening sequence of a black and white movie. Finally, out of the black, features began to emerge. First trees became visible, vague shapes twisting out to one another, then leaves, as they trees came into further focus. Finally, Bailey found himself standing in a vast forest of gnarled trees that clawed at one another angrily.

`Hello!?' he called out, looking around for any sign of the women who had ventured into the strange world in search of Seraph.

Hello!?' came the reply. Is someone there?' Suddenly, from behind him, Jean, Betsy, Xian and Danielle burst through the trees. `Bailey!?' Jean gasped in surprise.

They looked beaten and broken, Bailey thought to himself, eyeing the various cuts and scratches that adorned their bodies.

`I take it you found Seraph,' he commented neutrally.

Yes,' Jean said. We were getting beaten badly but something happened to the cage and now Remmy is fighting Morningstar. Before he started fighting, Remmy said that the Professor is along this path, so we're trying to find him'.

As for the mental barrier, you can thank me later,' Bailey said, earning looks ranging from thanks to indignation. Come on. Once we find the Professor, he and I can head back and put everything straight'.

Stepping forward, he effortlessly lifted Xian from her feet and cradled her in his arms. Not bothering to wait for their comments, he reached out with his borrowed senses and located the powerful psychic presence at the edge of his perceptions. With nary a word, he rushed of into the strange world that was Remiel's Astral Mind, weaving through the trees easily. He felt Xian snuggle against his chest, which was mostly bare from the battle with Raze.

Don't get any ideas,' he said to her playfully as they approached the Professor's location. I don't really swing that way'.

Xian harrumphed loudly into his pecs. `That is just so not fair!'

A smooth chuckle burst from Bailey's lips. `Don't worry, Xian. The right one's out there. Trust me, I'm kind of an expert on the future'.

Their group moved quickly, dodging between the grotesque scenery until they finally reached their destination. Bailey paused just outside the high wall of twisted trees where he lowered Xian to her feet. Just past the barrier of contorted foliage the Professor's metal presence blazed like a fire in the night. But it was not the only presence Bailey could feel. Jean, Betsy and Danielle made to move past him, but Bailey caught Jean's arms.

Wait,' he whispered forcefully. Listen carefully'.

Taking careful heed of his advice, the four women stood still and forced their breathing to quieten. Betsy, her senses sharper than the others', was the first to hear the threat Bailey had sensed. A series of barely audible clicks and scratches.

`It sounds like...,' Danielle began before Xian cut in.

`...beetles'.

Not beetles,' Bailey corrected. Definitely not beetles'.

It doesn't matter what they are'. Jean pulled herself free from Bailey's grip. We have to go in there regardless. Come on'.

The women nodded to each other, sharing some private understanding Bailey was not privy to. They all turned towards the barrier and materialised their armour. Bailey quickly assessed his options. Jean, encased in lustrous red armour that seemed to wrap around her almost like a second skin, was the most versatile of all of the fighters, which meant he didn't need to keep too close an eye on her. Betsy, whose armour was a blend of black ninja garb and violet samurai plate armour, was easily their best close combat fighter. His only concern for her was that she not be overwhelmed by whatever force they were facing. Danielle, wrapped in strips of brightly polished tooled leather and carrying her formidable war bow, was a competent long range fighter, making her only vulnerability being drawn into close combat. Bailey decided almost immediately that Xian, whose armour was markedly simplistic in design and function, had to be his priority. With a small exertion of will, his own armour materialised in place. Highly polished ring mail wrapped around his torso and waist where it was held firmly in place by a chain belt. Form fitting pauldrons etched with images of angels covered his shoulders where they fed into similarly etched rerebraces and coulters. Compound gauntlets ending in razor sharp claws served as both armour and weapons for him, as did the bladed greaves that adorned his shins.

The women were the first to move, darting through the breaches between the trees forming the barrier. Bailey quickly followed, quickly taking in the scene on the other side of the wall as he emerged. They had all come out into a small glade that was carpeted by gossamer white threads. The interior sides of the trees were likewise coated, long silvery threads stretching out from one to the next. At the centre of the glade stood an imposing outcropping of black stone that resembled a clawed hand with five grotesque fingers. Inside the stone hand's grasp, Bailey could make out a vaguely human shape, wrapped tightly in the gossamer fibres. The clicking and scratching, which had abruptly stopped upon their arrival, began again, only this time the volume was far more intense. Bailey let his eyes follow the sound to its source...and then he gasped. Misshapen arachnid forms the size of housecats stared out at him from a massive silken orb, suspended high in the trees.

Oh, shit,' Bailey said loudly. Why did it have to be spiders? I hate spiders!'

As if they had understood his sudden outburst the arachnoids surged out of the orb through dozens of apertures. In the light, their true aspects became apparent. Eight long spindly legs hoisted a black body and a bloated thorax decorated with black and red patterns across the surface of the orb. Shining black eyes swivelled backwards and forwards, gleaming maliciously at the small band that had violated their lair. Thick strands of white silk spewed from the tips of their barbed thoraxes, allowing the hideous creatures to descend to the floor of the glade.

Closing his eyes and throwing his emulated senses across the glade, Bailey sought out the Professor's location. What he found startled him. He opened his eyes and quickly locked his gaze on the white cocoon held captive in the stone hand's grasp.

Girls!' he shouted out to them as they began manifesting their chosen weapons. The Professor is trapped in the silk cocoon on top of the outcropping. If I can get to it, I can break him free'.

`Then what are you waiting for?!' Jean shouted as she dashed towards the approaching arachnoids, flaming rapier held firmly in her armoured hand.

Xian, stay away from the spiders!' Betsy shouted as she too, headed to face the swarm. Cover Danielle as best you can, but do not engage unless you have to!'

Bailey dashed after them, his heavy footfalls pulling loose thread up from the ground. He heard a violent screech and barely managed to turn in time to see one of the large spiders launch itself at him from the branch of a nearby tree. At the speed of thought, Bailey gathered psychic energy along the edges of his clawed gauntlets and swiped at the spider. The black monstrosity let out another shriek as his claws, pulsing with a faint blue light, tore and burnt through its exoskeleton, leaving smoking gouges in its hide. Adding his own strength to the creature's flight, Bailey pivoted and sent the grievously wounded spider hurtling into another of its brood, buying Betsy the time to slash at them both with her lightning fast katana. Without pausing to see the resolution of Betsy's actions, Bailey resumed his mad dash to the stone outcropping. Two more arachnoids tried to stop his progress, but were mercilessly cut down by a hail of arrows from Danielle's bow. When he did finally manage to reach the clawed hand, he buried his own claws into the cold stone and began to ascend the twisted edifice. Arrows whistled past as he climbed, each followed by the sound of a dull thud, and he silently thanked Danielle for her accuracy. With one last heave, he pulled himself onto the stony hand's craggy palm.

The Professor's cocoon looked unnaturally still amidst chaos unfolding around it, almost like a mummy in its coffin. Shaking the dark thought from his mind, Bailey crawled forward, placing himself at the head of the silk-wrapped psychic. Another spider peeked its head above the edge of the outcropping, only to meet the razor sharp blade running the length of Bailey's grieve. Gathering as much energy as he could and focusing it along the razor claw of his index finger, he ran the bladed finger along the side of the mummy's head and neck. With a grunt of effort, he ripped the silk covering the Professor's face. Quickly checking the psychic's pulse, Bailey proceeded to rip the silk cocoon to shreds with his claws until all that remained were a few loose strands that clung to the Professor's ruined suit.

`Professor?' Bailey asked, shaking the unconscious man's body. To his relief, the Professor's eyes fluttered in response.

`Bailey?'

`That's right, Professor,' Bailey said, helping the old man sit up.

`Where am I?' Xavier brushed the last few strands of silk from his suit, which rippled in response to his will and was promptly replaced by a beautifully crafted suit of silver armour that resembled Jean's own.

`We're in Remiel's mind on the Astral Plane, and, if you wouldn't mind terribly, I could use your help in setting things right'.

`Of course,' Xavier nodded.

At that moment, a spider larger than any of the others launched itself over the edge of the outcropping and landed with a screech before them. Bailey immediate swiped at the creature, severing two legs, but was quickly battered aside by the creatures lunge at the Professor. Xavier, not to be defeated by some lowly psychic predator, conjured a fireball of psychic flame that surged from his fingertips and engulfed the creature in a pillar of flame. The spider shrieked loudly and fell backwards off of the stone claw's palm, where the psychic fire spread from its corpse, consuming the fine silk of the glade and bathing all the remaining spiders in gnawing flame. Bailey watched as the psychic manifestation devoured the creatures in a cacophony shrieks and screeches, leaving only the four psychics still left in combat unharmed.

All four women looked up and it was evident to Bailey through the look in their eyes that they were equally awed and relieved by the Professor's appearance. Xavier touched him on the shoulder and nodded.

`Thank you for freeing me'.

Bailey nodded in turn. `You're welcome'.

Together they descended the stone edifice where they were met with an outpouring of emotion. At first, Bailey was surprised to be included in the series of thanks that the women offered, especial the hug that Jean gave him, but that surprise quickly gave way to a warm sense of satisfaction.

Very well,' Xavier silenced them all. While I am pleased to have been released from captivity, and I can understand your relief at my return, Bailey and I must go and set everything to order. I want you four to return to the physical plane and prepare for our immediate departure. Bailey and I will handle the rest from here'.

Jean nodded. `Be careful'.

Bailey couldn't help but smile. `Come on now, Jean. After everything you've seen me do, do you really believe he's in any danger?'

Jean frowned at him. `Just because you're powerful, Bailey, doesn't mean you should be reckless. Morningstar isn't someone to take lightly. I don't want either of you to get hurt'.

Her words silenced him. There was no disputing her words. She genuinely cared whether he got hurt or not. Bailey nodded solemnly. Nobody had cared about him that way since...since Cooper.

With a few brief goodbyes and good lucks, Xavier and Bailey headed back into the woods.

John heaved an unconscious Amara into his arms. His muscles burnt under the strain of lifting even her slender body. Carrying her as quickly as he could, John made his way to front of the abandoned hospital that had contained the Brotherhood stronghold. After Bailey's transition to the psychic plane had left John to his own devices, he had debated the wisdom of assembling the remaining X-men so close to the facility, but before he had managed to consider another option all of the unconscious Brotherhood agents, Magneto included, had vanished in a flare of volcanic orange light. Concluding that they had all been remotely teleported away by another Brotherhood agent, John had decided that his best option was to gather the unconscious X-men as close as possible to the ring of psychics.

Bobby, who had sustained a rather serious blow to the head, was still lying on the ground beside Ororo, who was slumped against a recovered Logan. Peter had managed to regain consciousness after a few strong shakes from John, and now stood, keeping a careful eye on the unmoving form of Remiel. Noriko also stood watch or, more accurately, sat watching from her position beside Kurt's broken form. The blue mutant was still breathing, but from what John could see, several of his bones had been broken and it was doubtful he would regain consciousness anytime soon. Scott, who had been forced unconscious by exhaustion, had managed to recover enough to move around somewhat but not enough to really help in any way that mattered.

John deposited Amara beside Bobby before making his way over to Remiel's body. When they had moved his lover's body to the ring of psychics, John had made sure to fold the large ebony wings carefully so as not to damage them or further injure his right wing, which was still mangled horribly.

`Any change?' he asked as he sat down beside Remiel and interlocked their fingers. Remiel's angelic face looked pained, his expression taut and haunted.

None,' Peter spat. Watch yourself, Comrade. This one could still be dangerous'.

Like hell!' John snapped instantly, causing Noriko to jolt and Scott's head to whip around. This is something that those brotherhood dogs did to him. Remmy is not dangerous, he's one of the best people you'll ever meet so don't you dare try to tell me he's dangerous, not after everything you've done of your own free will!'

Peter staggered back as if he had been physically hit, and Noriko hissed at John.

`John! You take that back right now! We all have things in our past we'd all like to forget, you just as much as the rest of us. Peter just meant that you should be careful until we know for sure that it's Remmy and not Morningstar! So you take that back right now!'

John glared at the ground, forcing his breathing to slow down. Careful to control his voice, he looked Peter in the eye.

`I'm sorry, Peter. You didn't deserve that'.

Peter sighed and then nodded. I understand. I should have thought about what I was saying. My apologies.

John looked back at Remiel's face.

`Come on, Baby. Come back to me'.

It's done,' Blink said, her voice devoid of her normal enthusiasm since Sabretooth's death. Mystique wants to know how long it will be before you arrive'.

Quicksilver shifted uneasily in the phone booth and looked out at the motel across the road.

`A few days at most,' he answered.

I can teleport you straight to base,' Blink pressed. You don't need to come on foot'.

Quicksilver's thoughts flashed back to Raze who was lying unconscious across one of the motel's beds, the weight of his own exhaustion paralysing him. The thought of how easy a target his lover would be to their political enemies within the Brotherhood compelled the lie from Quicksilver's lips.

`No. It's not safe for you to try. Their time traveller was following us, and there's no telling if he can copy your ability if you try to teleport us away. If he can, he might be able to follow us through the portal. It's a risk we can't take at the moment'.

Blink went silent for a moment, discussing what he had said with someone he assumed. After a few seconds she returned.

`Okay. Mystique agrees that we can't take the risk of you being followed by the time traveller, but we can't risk you leading him here either. Mystique says that you should proceed to our old west coast facility in Riverton. One of our operatives will meet you there and you'll be brought here by other means'.

`Understood'.

Quicksilver hung up the phone and headed back across the street. The motel was every inch cheap and nasty, from to the cracked and faded paint to the flickering neon light that broadcast the name `SleepEzy' in volcanic red.

Fishing the keys out of the pocket of his stolen jacket, Quicksilver open the door to room 12 and headed in, flicking on the light as he did. Raze was still unconscious beneath the sheets of the double bed. With a sigh, he discarded his clothes on the pile of ruined and tattered garments he had removed from Raze earlier, Quicksilver slipped between the sheets and wrapped his arms around Raze's broad chest, nuzzling into the firm muscles.

Bailey and Xavier emerged from the trees ringing the valley where the battle between Seraph and Morningstar raged on. Halting at the edge of the valley, Bailey crouched down to watch the two superpowered beings clash in a fierce display of psychic combat.

Seraph and Morningstar hung in the air on strings of psychic force, circling each other briefly before surging at one another where their psychic blades clashed in a flash of blinding light that drove them both back again. Both had materialised armour; Seraph's a cloak of shining white chain mail that fanned out around him as though weightless; Morningstar's a black lorica segmentata and gauntlets. In his hand, Seraph held a magnificent yataghan that was aflame with white fire while Morningstar had maintained his flamberge, like wide wreathed in flame. For a second time the pair circled one another and lashed out, their blades clashing with the sound of lightning that rang out over the small valley.

We have to move quickly,' Xavier said, materialising a silver rapier. If we can take Morningstar by surprise, we can force him to the ground and trap him like he did Seraph'.

Xavier made to move forward, but Bailey caught him around the bicep with a clawed hand.

No,' he said definitively. If we only trap him, there's no way to be certain he won't break free again. We can't risk it. Trust me'.

`What do you mean?'

Bailey pulled Xavier down into a crouch beside him as he explained, `The Morningstar personality appeared in my timeline too, albeit under different circumstances. You did eventually manage to defeat and trap him and you were able to keep him under control for almost five years but what you didn't understand then, Professor, was that as your restored Seraph grew in strength, so did Morningstar and he eventually managed to break free. And when you cage a force of nature, you can count on one thing; when it gets out it not in a good mood. You cannot risk setting an angry Morningstar, especially one with full control of his abilities, loose on this world'.

Then what do you suggest?' Xavier demanded. What other choice do we have? They're opposite sides of the same coin. We cannot destroy Morningstar without destroying Seraph'.

So we destroy both,' Bailey said grimly. We reduce them both to their constituent elements and allow them to reintegrate into a new personality. A personality that will be equal parts Seraph and Morningstar'.

Xavier's face twisted in confusion, `You cannot truly be considering that option. If we do that, we'll effectively be killing them both'.

No, we won't,' Bailey argued. Everything that makes Seraph and Morningstar what they are will survive, they'll simply be balanced aspects of a new personality. Just imagine for a moment, a personality with Morningstar's passion and Seraph's love. Morningstar's cunning and Seraph's wisdom'.

Xavier sighed, trying to find fault with Bailey's argument. `What about Seraph's relationship with John, and his friends? We cannot make a decision for Seraph that will affect others'.

`And how do you think Seraph will feel, knowing that at any moment Morningstar might break free and kill everyone he loves? How do you think that will affect John and Remiel's relationship?'

Xavier gritted his teeth. `Fine.'

Bailey nodded and explained his plan. `I need you to distract them long enough for me to break up their personalities. Just get their attention away from each other for a few seconds. That's all I need'.

Xavier nodded without saying anything and headed off towards the combatants, leaving Bailey alone on the valley's edge. Bailey huffed. He knew exactly why the Professor wanted to trap the Morningstar personality instead of reforging Remiel's twin personalities. He wanted Seraph in control because he knew he could control Seraph. He didn't want to risk the new personality leaving the sphere of his influence, which he knew was a distinct possibility given Morningstar's own opinions. He didn't want to risk losing such a powerful asset.

Pushing the aggravating thought from his mind, Bailey focused on what had to be done. He had won the argument, and there was time enough later to get angry at Xavier. Letting his breathing slow down, he reached out with the ability Remiel had not yet even discovered; the ability to siphon energy directly from the astral plane. In response to his call, the plane's inherent energy flowed through the air and into his outstretched hands, coalescing in his palms before being absorbed into his body. In his minds eye he saw the weapon he wanted; a naginata. The staff weapon materialised in his hand and he tested its weight experimentally in his grip. The staff section of the weapon was smooth and perfectly balanced, despite the elegant silver dragon that wound around the last six inches of wood, firmly grasping the curved blade affixed to the end. The blade itself resembled a wakazashi with a series of simples etched into the steel. Satisfied with the weapon, Bailey crouched down and prepared for the moment he needed.

Xavier cursed inwardly as he made ready to attack. He loathed having to do this, not just because of the danger it posed his student, but because of the risk that the new personality would leave the X-men, robbing the cause of Mutant Human cooperation. Of course, Xavier himself would feel robbed of a powerful ally, but it was the cause that would suffer the most. The cause to which he had devoted almost his entire adult life.

With one final groan, Xavier resolved to do what had to be done. After all, this was the best course of action and, while he may be loathe to admit it, it was the only way to be sure of Remiel's continuing health.

Looking up, Xavier watched the titanic pair clash again, their swords clanging like before. With a sigh, he gathered the bulk of his psychic energy and began shaping it, infusing it with his will. He needed a distraction that was sure to draw their attention, a distraction insured against failure, and he had just the thing. Dividing up the energy, Xavier sent a third of it streaming into the muscles of his legs, preparing the psychic manifestation of his body. Once that was done, he pushed a third of the energy to each palm, letting the crackle with the power. Finally prepared, Xavier cast one last thought to the good that Seraph could do, were he in sole control of his powers and body. Then, with a grunt, Xavier leapt. His jump carried him straight up, between Seraph and Morningstar as they lunged at one another. Both superpowered mutants looked up in surprise as he zipped between them, drawing their gaze up and away from each other. Without their attention focused on the trajectory of their flights, both Seraph and Morningstar collided in midair amidst a cacophony of shouts and curses. Ignoring their words, Xavier unleashed the pooled energy in his hands, letting the power stream from his fingertips in the form of blinding white lightning that struck both mutants beneath him. The arcs of power surged along their armour, encapsulating them in a cocoon of white electricity too bright to look at. Their cries of pain and indignation sounded through the air.

Xavier let the power diminish, causing the bright flash to fade into nothing and watched as both Seraph and Morningstar began to fall downward, momentarily stupefied by his attack. A mighty roar caused Xavier's head to whip to the side and his mouth fell slack at the sight before him. Bailey, carrying a naginata ablaze with azure energy, shot through the air like a bullet towards the falling mutants.

Bailey had watched Xavier's strike and acted immediately. Drawing his borrowed telekinetic potential to the surface, he shot himself through the air towards the falling forms of Seraph and Morningstar, naginata held firmly in his grasp. As he sped through the air, he sent all of the collected energy he had gathered streaming down the length of the weapon, infused with a single undeniable edict. Unmake.

The distance vanished in the space of a few heartbeats, and Bailey saw the Professor's upward momentum finally lose its battle with whatever passed for gravity in the astral plane. Pushing the thought aside, he readied the weapon. When the distance had all but disappeared, and had he wished, Bailey could have reached out and touched either one of the falling mutants, he swung the bladed staff. The blazing metal passed through their bodies like scythe through wheat. The cobalt flames of the weapon leapt from the cold steel and surged up their bodies, engulfing them both in a spiralling pillar of flame. Letting his gathered momentum carry him past the pair, Bailey willed his movements slower and twisted in midair so he could observe the results of his actions.

The flames lapped greedily at their flesh, drawing cries of pain and surprise from their lips. Their armour and weapons were the first things to be consumed by the fire, leaving both mutants naked as the slag peeled away from them. The flames then spiralled around them, forming a sphere of cobalt energy that ebbed and flowed with an organic force. Their cries could still be heard from within the sphere and a pulsing white light flickered through the flaming barrier. After a few moments the cries fell away and became silent, and the sphere began to shrink. Agonisingly slowly, the sphere drew in on itself until, when had shrunk to be only a meter in diameter, the flames died away. What was left behind was another sphere of pulsing white light.

Squinting at the newly created sphere, Bailey could make out the vague shape of a humanoid shadow huddled in a fetal position. Letting out a strained breath, he allowed himself to descend to the ground beside the Professor, who had reached the ground sometime before. As they watched the environment around them began to blur and fade in places; entire swaths of forest replace with expanses of white mist. The sphere above them pulsed a few more times, each time growing dimmer.

It's time we got out of here,' Bailey said calmly to the Professor, all thoughts about the older man's ulterior motives forgotten for the moment. Remiel's Astral Mind is collapsing in on itself without a dominant personality to sustain it and we'd better not be here when it finishes'.

Agreed,' the Professor nodded, before turning to Bailey. The way you did this. It seems as though you've done it before. What kind of future do you come from where things like this become routine?'

Routine?' Bailey's eyebrow quirked. This is far from routine although I have to say, it's not uncommon. Trust me. You don't want to see the future I come from'.

`Hmm,' Xavier mumbled, his astral body shimmered out of existence as the older psychic left the Astral Plane.

Bailey turned back to the pulsing sphere. `No bad dreams'.

Magneto glared at the ceiling of his quarters as the Brotherhood medic tended his wounds. His lips curled up in a snarled as the agent's powers began knitting the bones of his shoulder back together. Mystique stood in the corner, golden eyes gleaming in the shadows cast by the solitary lamp Magneto had allowed himself.

`How is young Sub-Zero?' Magneto asked, hissing slightly as the medic completed her work.

He's recovering,' came Mystique's simple reply, her voice resounding as though an entire group of people had spoken. Forge had already constructed him a mechanical arm, and he'll be ready to fight in a few days'.

Good,' Magneto said. I'm sure he'll want to settle the score with Mr Allerdyce promptly'.

`I believe so'.

Your belief is not required,' Magneto said neutrally. No defeat comes without a thirst for vengeance. I'm sure that, given the opportunity, Sub-Zero will be more than willing to kill Pyro at the drop of a hat. And that's exactly what we need'.

`So you mean to strike back?'

`Not immediately. Let the hatred fester. Let this defeat fuel the fires for a greater victory later. After all, they will have their hands full restoring Remiel St.Cloud to his former glory. That buys us the time to plan for our next move'.

Perhaps it is time for us to make our move against the US Military,' Mystique suggested. Crippling the war machine will make us the sole power in the United States'.

Mystique, my dear,' Magneto said sweetly. You really need to start thinking bigger'.

To Be Continued...

Mwah ha ha ha! Another cliff-hanger! (Okay, yes, I know that was insanely immature of me, but I just couldn't help it.)

I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter. I received a lot of feedback, and I hope you'll all be happy to know that I'll be slowing the pace down a little and taking a closer look at all of the major characters. But don't worry, there's still going to be lots of action (both on the streets and between the sheets).

Like I've always said feedback is the lifeblood of all writers, so please, drop me an email and tell me what you think. You can reach me at: scifi_fanboy@hotmail.com

Please put the word X-Force in the subject line so I know that your email isn't just junk.