Limbo:
Alex Summers protests at the demon N’astirh’s revelation that Alex’s lover, Madelyne Pryor the Goblin Queen, is to blame for Alex’ zombified state. How would he know? he seethes. N’astirh retorts that, if Havok’s condition were a result of botched necromancy, then any charlatan should have been able to reverse it. He has been hexed. N’astirh turns to leave, adding that, if it is any consolation, he will revenge himself extravagantly on the queen. And then the Rasputin witch. He flies off.
The demon K’yrb muses he did tell Alex the plan was dumb. And once the Goblin Queen finds out, he’ll have eternity to regret his part in it.
In the Limbo embassy, Madelyne is busy signing some official papers when she senses trouble in Limbo. Not him again, she rages. She travels to Limbo, confronts N’astirh’s guards and demands how the %&/$ this happened.
They quickly inform her about K’yrb’s visit. When she walks toward N’astirh’s former cell, she finds K’yrb supporting Havok.
Seeing Alex’s state, she shouts for fresh demon flesh. Alex groans at her to stop. She tells him he needs the treatment. He fires a blast at her and order her to stop, then adds that he knows. Playing dumb, she claims he isn’t making any sense. They need to get him out of here. Alex spells out she put a hex on him when she resurrected him. Is this about Lorna or Nathan? Does she hate him? His family?
She takes his hand and assures him she just wanted to keep him safe. She knew Krakoa would fall and it would be violent. She knew he’d come running when that murderous, bald bastard called or, worse, his brother. She just wanted to keep him with her until the danger passed, that’s all. But the danger never passes. Not for them. Not good enough! he shouts, about to have a tantrum, then he pleads for her to just put it right.
Of course, that’s the point when N’astirh chooses to attack. He mocks he still owes her putrid companion a good turn. How about a mercy killing? Alex blasts him, while Madelyne shouts at him to stay down. As he blasts N’astirh, the remaining flesh strips from his arm bones. Weakly, he tells her she can stop this. She apologizes. As she casts a spell, she tells him she only holds on so tightly because no one held her at all.
Later, K’yrb asks her what happened then. Madelyne recounts how Alex was restored and, together, they scorched the scales from N’astirh’s hide. Alex was glorious, like a star. Sounds like he slept through the good stuff, K’yrb replies. Where is he now? He left, Madelyne reveals, to clear his head, he said, but she knows he isn’t coming back. Not until the sky falls on their heads, which always happens. She can’t bear the cycle, she admits.
Outside in the park, Alex enjoys his health. He sits on a bank, smiling. He is joined by a smiling Lorna Dane.
K’yrb tells Madelyne that he will come back. She accuses him of setting this in motion by taking Alex to Limbo. He agrees and asks what she would have him do. Crying, she asks him to stay with her for a while.
