He will not be denied! Colossus shouts forcefully and smashes Cyclops’ desk. They’re not denying him anything, Scott Summers – Emma Frost next to him – replies calmly. They’re doing all that they can. They’ve done nothing! Peter insists. He has done nothing. He turns human again. It’s been months and Illyana is still trapped in Limbo, he states sadly.
Scott touches Peter’s shoulder, assuring him they’ve tried and will continue trying. Limbo is closed. Sealed off. Amanda Sefton has tried to break the seal, but can’t. Hank’s tried to get Dr. Strange to help them, but he’s nowhere to be found. Even Warren has his people trying, but they’re scientists and, well, this is magic.
She’s his sister, Peter stresses. There has to be a way. There’s nothing they can do, Scott repeats calmly. Agitated again, Peter refuses to accept that. What if it was Jean? What if there was any chance that she might be alive? To what ends would Scott go to bring her back?
Scott just looks at him coldly. Then he stresses that he understands what Peter is going through. Enough! Peter tells him. He should have expected as much from the man who has left his brother for dead in space.
How dare he? Scott snarls. While Scott may not care abut what fate has befallen his kin, Peter continues, he cannot stop thinking about the suffering his poor little snowflake must be enduring.
In Limbo, what is left of Illyana Rasputin – the Darkchilde, her demonic form – complete with horns, fangs, a demon tail and goat feet, dressed in a skimpy armor and an amulet displaying the bloodstone she got from Pixie – swings a huge battle axe as she orders her troops to cut out their foes’ hearts and bring her their heads! Find her her sword! Find her amulet! Bring them to her!
She enters the castle first, shouting she’s come to claim what is rightfully hers! She tells S’ym to kill anyone who dares approach and herself walks up to the demon within the throne room, a red, six-eyed creature. She states that his magicks are useless against her. Just give her what she seeks.
He replies they are not here. Addressing her as “Rasputin,” he again assures her he doesn’t know the location of her Soulsword or Bloodstone amulet. The Darkchilde kicks him in the face and orders her to never address her by that name. She grabs him by the throat and tells him to give her what is hers.
He rasps that Belasco trusted nobody when it came to her. The Soulsword and the amulet – their fate remains a mystery.
With a cry of rage, she breaks his neck. Belasco! she curses. Even in death, he continues to taunt her! That bastard ripped her innocence from her! Stole her humanity. No matter how many heads must roll, she will have her soul back! she vows grimly.
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Californa:
Nightcrawler teleports atop one girder wondering if their little “overachiever”… What took him so long? someone asks. It’s Pixie floating in the air above him. How did she beat him here? Kurt Wagner asks surprised. As she lands, he asks how many jumps it took her to get here from the Transamerica pyramid. Just one, Megan Gwynn replies. She decided that what’s the difference if she does one teleport or two if it’s a spell that she using and she thought…
She teleported here directly? he asks. With such accuracy? Did she do something wrong? No, he assures her, please do not mistake surprise for annoyance, if anything, she may detect a hint of jealousy in his voice. To be able to teleport with such ease, given her limited experience…
How about a final race home? Kurt suggests. To the Danger Room. You’re on, she tells him. While she still talks, he already teleports away. No fair! she cries and casts her spell: Sihal Novarum Chinoth! She too disappears.
Nightcrawler reappears in the Danger Room. Ahem, comes a voice. Pixie, already there, waves at him. Cheaters never win, she tells him playfully.
From above in the Danger Room’s observation booth, Rockslide remarks to Mercury it looks like Pixie spanked little boy blue in whatever game they were playing. Mercury replies she’s sure it was more than just some game. He’s been testing her all day.
He’s not quite sure what to say, Kurt admits, calling Pixie “meine kleine Fee.” She’s far exceeded his expectations. And so ends their teleportation lesson … for today. But, if he may, he’d like to discuss another topic that they have in common. Can they talk about her Soul Dagger?
Megan’s good mood evaporates. Defensively, she asks why he wants to talk about that? Cyclops wanted him to, he begins. She interrupts. Why does Cyclops want to know about her Soul Dagger? Is there a problem? Is she in trouble?
Well, to be honest, he admits, people have been noticing, that when she uses it she’s no quite… herself. She’s not herself? she shouts. That’s all he has to say? Colossus crazy little sister took a piece of her soul! Does he have any idea what that feels like? The emptiness?! She has a hole in her soul thanks to her! she shouts crying.
Kurt asks her to calm down. He’s sorry to have upset her like this. Still crying but trying to be calm, Megan relates that they got sucked into hell. A bunch of kids in Limbo. All alone on their own. David and Josh and Cessily… Belasco was going to kill them. Illyana said she could create a weapon to stop him, so Megan gave her what she needed… to save them. And now…
She stretches out her hand and the glowing silver dagger appears. Suddenly, she begins to grin evilly and the next moment she plunges the dagger into Nightcrawler’s chest.
Elsewhere, a collection of literal underworld leaders – Mephisto, his son Blackheart, Dormammu, Hela and Satannish – watch the Darkchilde’s grim vow in a scrying glass. Mephisto addresses a so far unseen person why she would call them here for this? Why should they concern themselves with a minor annoyance?
“Minor” is not the word he would use to describe what they just witnessed, his son Blackheart remarks. Satannish admits he finds himself impressed. For one so newly birthed from the fires of their hell, her powers are clearly quite formidable, the Norse-goddess Hela adds. And the dread Dormammu demands the one who summoned them explain the nature of what they just witnessed.
A red-robed figure stands up, stating she just wants what belongs to her. She lowers her cowl to reveal the face of a redhaired, part-demon young woman. She is Belasco’s daughter, she explains. What was his, is hers.
Why should they even care? Mephisto asks, addressing her as Witchfire. She reminds them they long allowed her father a seat at their table. Begrudgingly, Satannish shoots back. Hela agrees that Belasco’s presence here was tolerated at best.
Yes, Belasco had his share of troubles, Witchfire agrees, as have they all! Dormammu warns the young woman to choose her next words carefully She assures them that she means no offence, she simply wishes to remind the council that Belasco’s power and his control over Limbo remain unquestioned.
Control he’s recently lost yet again, it seems, Satannish states. Control she intends to gain back with this, Witchfire replies and shows them the “Beatrice” amulet the Darkchilde is looking for. Surprised the five beings look up at the lost bloodstone amulet. Witchfire explains that with those three bloodstones comes the power of the Elder Gods. These are what the Darkchilde is looking for. These stones and her sword, all crafted from pieces of her soul so long ago. She believes that if she can obtain them, she can somehow restore her human soul. But she fails to recognize their true power!
What does she want from them? Satannish asks. Stay away from Limbo, she demands. It is hers. When she’s destroyed the Darkchilde and retaken her throne, she will return and take her seat at their table.
How dare she? Blackheart begins but Mephisto cuts him off. If she takes back her father’s kingdom, she may have her seat. Prove herself and she may have a place in their larger goals. Excellent, she replies with a grin.
Back in the Danger Room, Mercury and Rockslide run downstairs into the Danger Room and drag Pixie away from Nightcrawler. Mercury tries to call him.
Having lost contact with her Soul Dagger, Pixie is normal again and doesn’t recall what just happened. Seeing Nightcrawler lying on the ground, her dagger in his chest, she is horrified. What did she do?! She just killed an X-Man, dude, Santo explains unhelpfully. Mercury tells him to shut up. Nightcrawler is breathing. They hit the “panic button” on the way down, so someone should be here any second.
Pixie panics just repeating “O my God.” That ,moment Beast enters, telling them to make room. Megan babbles what happened until Hank interrupts her. Kurt’s breathing normally. And there’s no indication of bloodloss, which is always a good sign if one has been stabbed in the heart. But why isn’t he moving? Megan asks. Shouldn’t he be moving?
Hank doesn’t know. He touches the Soul Dagger and exclaims it’s cold. Yeah, it always is, she sighs. Can she pull it out, Hank asks. Medically, he sees nothing wrong with their Herr Wagner here. And while magic is far from his forte, experience has taught him that the less contact you have with anything mystical, the better. So make like King Arthur, kiddo. What if it possesses her again? Pixie asks. They’ll be sure to watch their chests, Hank promises and Cessily order Santo to not even say it.
Carefully, Pixie begins to draws the dagger out, but there’s something stuck to it, she exclaims. She draws the blade out and stuck to it is a glowing sword. This can’t be good, Hank mutters as Pixie hold her Soul Dagger in one hand and the missing Soulsword in the other.
In Limbo, Darkchilde suddenly has a spell of weakness. Something the matter? S’ym asks her. Not a thing, she replies with a broad grin and summons a teleportation disk.
Back in the Danger Room, Santo decides that too many people have glowy weapons inside of them. Hank asks Megan if she can hear him. She promises she’s got a handle on this. Is she gonna be able to handle that too? Cess asks, as a teleportation disk appears and within it the Darkchilde.
Swinging her axe, she announces at long last! “Oh my stars and garters” seems to be the only right response to that.
