Utopia: Two hours have elapsed since Magik teleported Warlock back to Utopia and sent her team to Limbo. In the Cerebra chamber, Emma Frost is trying to find them, while Cyclops and an agitated Warlock watch. She’s lost them, Emma finally states. There was something… scattered traces of their genetic signals but, when her mind follows it, it falls into a well of psychic confusion. Some kind of jamming tech? Scott asks. No, a spell, Emma fears and wonders if they haven’t placed too much trust in Illyana Rasputin.
Warlock points out that Illyana 2.0 sent him to share locational data. Knowing full well that without Pixie they had no means of following her into Limbo, Emma retorts. She’ll have questions for their little demon when she gets her hands on her, not the least of which being how she misplaced an entire team of X-Men…
“Save your questions” comes an announcement. They’ve been taken back to Limbo, which means they are already out of time. It’s Darkchilde teleporting in, holding an injured Karma. Also with them is Pixie, who looks like she’s been through the wringer.
Meanwhile in Limbo, where 15 days and 16 hours have elapsed:
In the base are the imprisoned Moonstar, Sunspot, Magma, and Cannonball, all paralyzed by the slugs, as well as the mentally controlled Cypher, who has to follow Trista’s orders.
Loca kneels over Dani gloating that three of her friends got away. Or so she thinks. She thinks they’ll get here before her arm heals? Wrong. Sorry if she’s a little loopy. The despair wafting from her friends’ cell is intoxicating. And the whelp they call Cypher is pungently aware that Russell will kill him out of jealousy as soon as Trista turns her back. His shame is quite a buzz.
Cypher sits at a kind of organ playing it at Trista’s orders. Russell tells Trista he shouldn’t be here. They don’t know what that thing does. Trista hushes him. She’s teaching her pet a trick!
But then she has to sober her up with her glimmer of hope! Loca tells Dani. Such a bummer! She’s a walking, talking hangover, that’s what she is! Loca can’t wait to put an end to her. What’s she waiting for? Dani challenges her.
Three soldiers wearing demon masks to see what is happening outside announce it won’t be long now. They are referring to the demons of Limbo, who know they are here. Everywhere, the demons are agitated, for they know the soldier have the bloodstones and the amulet. They know what they intend to do with them. They mass to kill them before they end the demons’ world.
Scab suggests the trigger the amulet and unleash holy hell. What are they waiting for? The demons, Ulysses replies. They wait for the demons.
Maw, Timothy and Face have not arrived, Noc informs him. They must assume the Darkchilde has escaped. They are in Limbo, they have the time, Ulysses replies and opens the box holding the bloodstone amulet. He puts it around Toko’s neck. He wants them to know he’s got them by the $§&%. He wants them to know they messed with the wrong $§%& marine. He hands her the final bloodstone.
Utopia:
Elapsed time 2 hours, 5 minutes.
Cyclops has gathered a team of X-Men, among them Angel, Emma Frost, Hope Summers, Iceman, Dust, Colossus, Namor, Magneto, Psylocke, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue and Northstar.
Warlock tells Wolverine he has a system conflict. He has isolated aggressive personality scripts. Doubt: did action place selffriend Doug Ramsey in danger? Should he run aggressive binaries? He wants to know if it’s okay to get angry? Wolverine translates. He knows what he’s going to do when he finds who took their people. Run aggressive binaries? Warlock asks. Oh, yeah, comes the reply. Warlock decides to run the binaries and growls a moment later. Atta boy, Logan praises him.
Four minutes, Cyclops warns the team. Magik joins the injured Karma in another room. Shan blames her for not bringing Face along. There is no time for compassion Illyana cuts her off. They think she is taking them on a rescue mission, don’t they? Karma asks. Illyana manifests her Soulsword. There is no need to ask questions to which she knows the answers. When they were in Legion’s mind before, this is why Magik let her use the Soulsword, right? Karma asks. Why she kept it a secret. She could never hint at what she planned to do. What is she waiting for? Karma asks. Magik pushes the Soulsword into Karma’s body. Shan falls down. Magik rejoins the group.
Limbo:
Elapsed time: 20 days,3 hours:
In front of the Hatchery, demon armies have gathered and three leaders want to parley, claiming they do not fear the amulet and that it is only dangerous to humans. Ulysses scoffs, then tells them if they want the amulet he’ll make it easy on them. Just repeat after him: “You have won. With this weapon we cannot beat you.” Then they must beg for their lives. They have to make that part up.
The first demon protests, the second complies. Ulysses thanks them, then tells Russell to return their message Russell attacks the demons. Fighting breaks out. Ulysses orders Loca to sacrifice the prisoners and prepare for the endgame.
Dani’s cell is also attacked by a demon horde. Dani positions herself to make sure the demons cut her bindings, then draws her knife and fights.
Noc warns Ulysses that the outer buildings are compromised. The installation won’t hold them long. Time to send Toko out, Ulysses decides. Toko, wearing the medallion and holding the last bloodstone, jumps amidst the demon horde, holding the stone out triumphantly but no one can touch her.
Inside, Loca vows Dani will die next. She kicks in the door to her cell and finds dead demons. Look at her! Dani orders her. Loca turns around. Dani is using her bow, pulling the string with one of her feet. Good girl, she mocks and her arrow hits Loca straight in the chest.
Outside, the demons are unable to stop Toko as she slowly puts the fifth bloodstone inside the amulet.
Magik has teleported the X-Men inside the installation, right in front of portal epsilon – the doorway to Limbo. This is where it happens, she states. Where what happens? Cyclops demands. She said she would take them to their teammates! It’s too late! she replies. They’ve released them… can’t they feel it? They are coming here! Coming for their world! Coming for her! Who? Scott asks and shakes her. She points toward the portal and, a moment later, giant hands tear apart the portal from the other side. The Elder Gods tear through.
Back at Utopia, David Haller, locked in, suddenly begins to shout “no.” Karma has entered his mindscape. David begs her not to go in, referring to a door with the sign ‘do not enter.’ There’s bad stuff there! It’s his secret, please! Manifesting the soulsword, Karma orders him to stand back and smashes the door. Please, she can’t let him out! David pleads.
Karma walks in and heads towards a bunker-like building with several opened doors. Only one is locked. “Who’s there?” a voice sing-songs from the other side of the door. He knows her smell. She destroys the lock. The demon girl wasn’t lying. She told him she’d be back for the real him, the “real” incredibly powerful and unstable Legion announces from a cell he shares with the corpse of Bishop.
