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Demon From Within
In an isolated region of Northern California, in the dead of night, a gathering of desperate souls is joined in a desperate cause. They call themselves the Cult of Hades. And as they stand before a massive statue to their deity, their spiritual guide, the man known as the Link, is not pleased this night. Dressed in a long blue coat, the Link waves his arms about, declaring hat on the eve of their triumph, of their salvation, all they have worked for is threatened. ’Yes, my sons and daughters, there is a traitor among us!’ he booms. ’A traitor? The name, my Lord, reveal the name! So this serpent can face our justice!’ a young woman with brown hair exclaims as she stands before the Link and touches his face.
The members of the Cult of Hades watch. The Link is like a father to them - a passionate and committed father. An abusive father. And right now, they’re scared. These souls who’ve found in the Link something they world has never offered them. Acceptance. A sense of purpose. To the rest of the world, they just don’t belong. They’re either too fat or too homely, their skin is the wrong color, their genes are different.  In the Cult, they’ve found a family. And now they may lose it. ‘Yes, my children, the cause is at stake…our sacred service to Hades, Lord of all that is true…our very salvation has been put at risk!’ he exclaims. The young woman looks at the Link, and asks for the name. ‘Who is this traitor?’ she exclaims. Suddenly, the Link grabs her by her arms and pushes her to the ground. ‘Oh, Victoria, dear, you know too well the answer to that question. ‘Wh-what?’ a surprised Victoria gasps. ‘The traitor is YOU!’ the Link booms….
The next morning, the sun rises in the distance, as a familiar red car belonging to the teenage mutant heroes known as X-Force drives along a cliff-side road. ‘So, Terry, this is your idea of a hot time?’ Tabitha “Meltdown” Smith asks, leaning over from the backseat, to where Theresa “Siryn” Rourke is sitting in the center of the front seat, ‘Yes, Tab, it is’ X-Force’s leader replies. ‘I think it’ll be a very pleasant day. Yosemite is supposed to be beautiful’. Sam “Cannonball” Guthrie, sitting next to Siryn, rests his head in a hand as he looks at Tabitha, while James Proudstar keeps a watchful eye on the road as he drives the car. Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta, Jesse “Bedlam” Aaronson and Danielle Moonstar are all packed into the backseat along with Tabitha, who exclaims ‘Oo! The rustic charms of our National Parks system! Yeah, Terry, you’re one lady who knows how to par-tay!’ Tabitha exclaims sarcastically.
Theresa remarks that doing what she wants to do for a change is not going to kill anyone. Tabitha flops back against her boyfriend, Bobby, and throwing her arms in the air tells Theresa that she meant no offense, that she was just having a little fun with her. ‘Today’s a day to kick back and enjoy ourselves! Right, solar-babe?’ Tabby asks. ‘Uh, Tab…let’s save the flirting for later. It’s not like Sam’s exactly over you’ Bobby whispers. ‘Yeah, and I guess the joke’s on me’ Sam mumbles from the front seat. ‘But at least ya ain’t laughing at me behind my back, for a change’ Sam sighs. Theresa tells him to take it easy, when suddenly, a small rock from the overhanging cliff falls on James’ head.
‘Watch it, you joker!’ Proudstar exclaims, rubbing his head and spinning around to confront his attacker. ‘Uh, Jimmy, the road -’ Theresa begins. ‘We didn’t do anything!’ Bobby calls out, when suddenly, everyone sees a massive rock slide falling towards them. Sam tells everyone to hold on while he clears a path for them, and instantly leaps out of the car, using his mutant power to blast about, his force-field protecting him as he smashes up the rocks. Sam is a founding member of the group back in it’s New Mutant days and has recently rejoined his old teammates, and found a few changes which sometimes leave him feeling like an outsider. So this is the perfect time to show he is still a force to be reckoned with.
‘Man, there’s too many of them!’ Tabitha exclaims as she readies one of her plasma time-bombs, telling her teammates to get out of the car while she helps Sam. She carefully aims her time-bombs, and throws them - only to screw up, as her blasts distract Cannonball, knocking him off course. ‘Look out! Some of them are getting through!’ Sam exclaims before falling to the ground. James tells Sam that he has him backed up, and catches a large rock in one of their suitcases. ‘Lucky for me!’ Bobby mutters, not out of the car yet. Standing against the cliff for safety, Bedlam remarks that James as muscles on his muscles, and tells Theresa that it is no wonder she has a thing for him. ‘Ahem. I don’t have a thing for him. We’re friends’ Theresa corrects Bedlam.
Meltdown runs over to where Cannonball has landed and tells him that she is sorry. ‘That was my fault!’ she exclaims. ‘No kidding’ Sam mutters, while Bobby asks ‘what happened?’ James replies that he thinks it was an earthquake, and a major one at that. Siryn points out that the car seems to have come through okay, while Bedlam helps Cannonball up, ‘Wow, that must have hurt a lot’ Jesse exclaims. ‘I’ll live’ Sam mutters, while, upon a ledge, DanI climbs a little higher, before seeing something extraordinary. ‘Holy - uh, guys, I think you’d better come up and see this…’ she exclaims. Siryn tells everyone to go ahead while she watches the car.
‘I’m guessing that’s what caused the earthquake’ Danielle remarks as the others arrive on the ledge and see what she sees: ‘My Lord!’ Cannonball gasps. ‘You gotta be kidding!’ Meltdown exclaims. ‘Do you people run into this sort of thing often?’ Bedlam asks as everyone looks at the enormous hand sticking out of a nearby mountain top. ‘I’d say this is a first’ Bobby remarks, asking Dani if she has any idea what it is. ‘None. But I’ve got a very bad feeling about it’ Dani replies, to which Sam suggests they take a closer look. Moments later, Siryn has joined them, and she, along with the two other flight-capable members, Sunspot and Cannonball, streak across the debris-filled skies, only as they approach the massive hand, they notice something else: ‘Something’s going on down there!’ Bobby exclaims. ‘Some kind of battle!’ Siryn declares. ‘I see it!’ Sam exclaims as they fly forwards.
‘HERCULES!’ booms the mysterious cult leader called the Link as he hovers before the Mighty Hercules. ‘You dare interfere with forces of this magnitude? To desecrate this sacred place with your pagan opposition? The Link asks, telling Hercules to taste the power granted to him by the all-righteous Lord of the Underworld. ’Agonize in the fires of Hades!’ he booms as he unleashes his energy, while Hercules holds up the massive statue of Hades, telling the Link to hurl all the hellfire he wants, but he will not let this brazen temple stand. ’Your vile ritual shall not be completed!’ Hercules exclaims, before he hurls the statue towards Link, shouting ’Let this graven image of Hades be an instrument of your downfall…for you glorify a dark lord and death monger!’ Hercules exclaims.
‘We glorify the mightiest of the Gods!’ the Link retorts as he dodges the attack, while one of the cult members declares that they are many in numbers, and powerful, revealing that some of those called to Hades’ service are mutants, unwanted by normal society, but not by Hades. ’That’s right!’ another of the cult exclaims. ’You oppose the Link - you oppose all of us!’ another remarks, grabbing Hercules. ’Send all the misguided wretches you like…it only delays the inevitable!’ Hercules booms as he knocks his attacker back. ’Yes, I suppose he’s right. Time to play my trump card. I knew you’d come in handy, my dear’ the Link declares as he grabs Victoria by her hair. ’No! No, help!’ Victoria cries.
‘You see, Hercules? I’ve got Victoria! The very traitor who alerted you to our designs!’ the Link exclaims as he touches Victoria’s lips with one of his fingers, warning Hercules to surrender now, or else he will roast Victoria alive. This causes the mighty hero to stop in his tracks, when suddenly, a savage blast, precisely aimed, pounds into the Link - the signature banshee cry of Siryn!’. Theresa swoops down near the Link, causing him to drop a confused Victoria, who is suddenly picked up by Cannonball as he blasts past the Link, knocking him over. ’Don’t worry, Ma’am, I got you!’ Sam exclaims. ’What -? Who ?’ Victoria gasps. ’The name’s Sam. And you’re safe with me’ Sam tells her.
‘Now, just for good measure…’ Sunspot begins as he blasts the Link with a burst of solar energy. ‘That’ll make him think twice before he grabs another hostage!’. The Link tells his followers to get back, ‘These strangers! These outsiders - they’re too many of them!’ he declares, before staring at them and exclaiming that, whoever they are, when the new order arrives, they shall regret their rash interference. Siryn flies over Hercules, telling him not to worry, that she will stop them from getting away. ‘No, lass, let them be. Matters of far greater import demand our attention!’ Hercules exclaims.
Nearby, ‘What in the name of -?’ Tabitha mutters as she pokes her head through a bush, and sees Sam land with Victoria, who immediately wraps her arms around Sam, ‘Oh, my Lord, you saved me! I was so sure I was gonna die and you saved me!’ she exclaims. Taken aback, Sam tells Victoria that it was nothing. James and Bedlam smile as they stand next to Meltdown. ‘Who, Sam! You the man!’ James exclaims. ‘When do I get to rescue a babe like that?’ Bedlam asks. ‘…babe? More like vampire…’ Tabitha mutters.
‘Siryn, is it? I’m in your debt, fair lady, for your timely assistance!’ Hercules exclaims, the handsome hero taking Siryn’s hand. Siryn gushes and tells Hercules to think nothing of it, as the pleasure was theirs, before asking Hercules what brings a legend like he to the wilds of California. ‘Nothing pleasant, I’m afraid. That monstrosity’ Hercules explains, before revealing that it is one of the Titans, ancient Greek Gods themselves. He remarks that as the fates would have it, he arrived just in time to stop a grim ritual, designed to awaken the creature. ‘Whoa, check out those muscles, James! Kind of makes you look like Screech!’ Tabitha grins. ‘Screech?’ James asks. ‘Screech? Didn’t you ever watch TV?’ Tabitha replies. ‘I watched it. I didn’t memorize it’ James tells her, before telling Hercules not to look now, except that he doesn’t think he stopped anything. ‘The hand is coming up more slowly, but it’s still coming’ James points out.
‘Aye, lad, I know. And there’s but one way to reverse the spell and send the creature back…’ Hercules reveals, before beginning a tale of the Titan’s history:
(Narrated by Hercules, shown with illustrative flashback images)
‘Some years ago I battled as part of the noble group known as the Champions teamed with…Ghost Rider…Iceman…Angel…Black Widow!’ Hercules explains that they fought in opposition to the wicked Hades, who then called himself Pluto, and allied himself with the lords of ever realm of Hell, plotting to destroy Olympus. While Hades distracted Zeus and attempted to eliminate Hercules’ opposition through a forced marriage to an Amazon Queen, the Dark Lords were preparing a monstrous scheme - to destroy Olympus - and all human civilization - by summoning up the primordial Titans - luckily the Champions did defeat Hades and his allies before the infernal spll could be activated.
An outraged Zeus then forced Hades to grant the Champions power to reverse Hades’ cataclysmic spell should it ever be activated. ‘You’ll regret this, Zeus! So swear I by the River Styx!’ Hades boomed. Zeus told his treacherous brother to be silent and complete the incantation that will give the human Champions the power to contain the Titans forever.
(Present)
Holding a scroll, Hercules explains that the original spell was never destroyed and ultimately fell into the hands of Hades worshippers. He adds that luckily, the fair Victoria found the courage to revel against her brethren and warn him of their plains to activate the spell. ’So how did you manage to conveniently contact a Greek God? They don’t generally advertise in the Yellow Pages, y’know’ Meltdown snaps, waving a finger at Victoria, who looks puzzled, and replies ’Well, yes, of course, but -’ before Cannonball interrupts, telling Meltdown to ’Lay the heck off her’, and remarks ’Isn’t it enough that she risked her life try’n ta do good? Do you have ta give her the third degree?’
‘Geez, Sam, get real!’ Meltdown frowns, before Hercules declares that “young Guthrie” speaks wisely, pointing out that they have no time for such misplaced suspicions. ’Together now must we world to assemble the old Champions team as quickly as possible and send the demon back whence it came.
Soon, ‘…it’s a BIG hand. A HUGE hand, coming right out of the ground!’ James exclaims as he talks on the phone. ‘Easy, Jimmy! This is the only phone for miles!’ Theresa tells her best friend as she notices him nearly pulling the phone from its socket on the wall. ‘…yes it’s an emergency! Hercules says you’ve got to come right now!’ James exclaims. While Bedlam, Bobby and Meltdown muck around, and Sam sits with Victoria, Hercules hands the scrolls to Moonstar, asking if they mean anything to her. Hercules adds that, from the moment he met Moonstar he sensed an Asgardian presence about her - a presence that might help decipher the obscure scrolls.
Danielle replies that her days among the Valkyror are gone and forgotten, but that it couldn’t hurt to give the scrolls a look at. As she begins to read the scrolls, Dani remarks that the phraseology is obviously from the Seventh Hell, ‘But you don’t need me to tell you that’ she tells Hercules. ‘Oh, indeed not!’ the Olympian exclaims. ‘Seriously, Hercules! That Valkyrie business is behind me. Anyone could spot that dialect!’ Dani smiles.
Victoria puts a hand on Sam’s thigh and leans into him, ‘Thanks for believing in me, Sam. Your feelings matter to me. A lot’ she tells him. ‘Uh, thanks…’ Sam replies awkwardly, while Meltdown exclaims ‘Oh, puh-leeze, lady! You are nowhere NEAR Sam’s type!’. ‘And how would you know what my type is?’ Sam snaps back. ‘Oh, come on, Sam! Even you aren’t this naïve!’ Tabitha shouts, throwing her hands in the air as she stands on one of the car seats. ‘To just fall from some fawning Kepwie-Doll who’s done absolutely zilch to earn our trust!’ Tabitha shouts. Sam replies that it seems like right now he has more reason to trust Victoria than he does Tabitha. Tabitha goes wide-eyed, before leaping out the back of the car, mumbling ‘Well, if that’s how you feel, Sam Guthrie, you can just…just…’ her voice trails off. Meltdown finds a private spot on a nearby ridge, and soon Sunspot joins here, telling his girlfriend that Sam is hurting because of them. ‘We’ve got to live with the consequences until he gets over it’ Bobby tells her. ‘If he gets over it’ Tabitha mumbles.
Danielle and Hercules approach Victoria as Dani asks her ‘I suppose you cult members understood that the first thing your Titan was going to do was destroy those who awakened him’. ‘N-no! We were going to be the chosen ones, the first to survive!’ Victoria exclaims. ‘I’m afraid not’ Dani tells her, motioning to a phrase in the scroll, “Ah-behn”, which is an old Seventh Hell trick, reverses the meaning of what precedes it. ‘B-but…’ Victoria mumbles, asking why Hades would allow his own worshippers to be destroyed. ‘Funny. I was hoping you could tell us’ Dani exclaims. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Cannonball snaps. Victoria tells Sam that it is okay, but Sam declares that it is not okay, and tells his teammates to lay off Victoria until they have all the facts.
The next morning, troopers now guard the barriers surrounding the mountain where the Titan’s hand reaches upwards, while civilians and reporters have gathered around trying to get a look. ‘C’mon, just one comment! Let’s have it! What the devil is going on in there!’ someone asks, before Bedlam approaches Hercules, ‘Uh, Hercules, someone’s coming’ he remarks. ‘More reporters?’ Hercules asks. ‘Not unless they can fly. I take if they are your friends. At least, I hope they’re friends’ Bedlam mumbles. ‘Aye, it’s them all right!’ Hercules exclaims, turning to see his fellow founding Champions - Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Archangel, Bobby “Iceman” drake, both currently of the X-Men, Natasha Romanov a.k.a. the Black Widow, riding on the back of Johnny Blaze’s motorcycle. Once known as Ghost Rider, Blaze is now a carnival owner. For a brief time many years ago, these divergent spirits set aside their differences and forged one of the most dynamically offbeat teams of our time…the Champions!
The media goes into a frenzy, gathering around the five heroes, while Hercules exclaims that it is like old times. ‘We five soldiers of valor, united once more against evil!’ he declares as he puts his arms around Archangel and Iceman. ‘Uh, Herc, are you forgetting something?’ Bobby asks. ‘To save the world? There’s time enough for that, young Drake!’ Hercules smiles. Black Widow puts a hand on Hercules’ chest, while  ‘No, immortal one. Shouldn’t you introduce us to your new friends’ Blaze suggests, while one reporter announces ‘…we seem to be witnessing some sort of reunion, though I can’t say of exactly what team…perhaps an Avengers squad of the past?’
Hercules motions to Theresa, James, Tabitha, Bobby, Jesse and Cannonball, exclaiming that the fine youths call themselves X-Force and they could desire no finer allies. Siryn suggests that they put their skulls together now to see if they can figure out a strategy, while Cannonball remarks that they got a lot of information on the Cult of Hades from an inside source. ‘She even got us a copy of the spell!’ he exclaims. The Black Widow thanks the young mutants, before pointing out that there is no time for any of this. ‘If a Titan really is arising -’ she begins, before Danielle arrives on scene, ‘Believe us, it’s arising. Just take a look!’ she exclaims, grabbing Iceman’s arm and spinning him around, to where the Titan’s hand has risen further out of the mountain.
‘This - this is unreal!’ Archangel exclaims as he hovers over everyone, suggesting that it could simply be an illusion, a holographic projection of some sort. Blaze calls his former teammate by his old code-name, Angel, telling him that it is real enough, though it has got no place in this plane of existence. Natasha agrees and remarks that the danger is vastly greater than they ever anticipated. ‘Aye, it’s as we told you! A case truly worthy of the reassembled Champions!’ Hercules exclaims. Bobby asks the Black Widow what the plan is, to which Natasha exclaims that they can delay no longer, that it is time for the ritual, to which Blaze remarks that he agrees. The Black Widow orders the former Champions into their positions to form a ring around the valley at five equidistant points. ‘Be in position by 8 AM. The ritual begins exactly then!’ she exclaims as the men take off.
Then, precisely at 8 o’clock, the former Champions begin their spell: ‘Mystical power, hear us…’ chants Black Widow, while Blaze says something in an ancient language. ‘…swing shut the gate…’ Achangel declares, while thinking to himself that they are not having any effect. ‘…send back the curse…’ Iceman exclaims, telling himself to concentrate and exert greater energy. Hercules also chants something in an ancient language, while telling himself that they must summon up the power within them. ‘…let life and light…’ ‘…prevail once more…’ ‘…aidoneus…’ ‘…abaddon…’ ‘…ah-behn…’.
Down below, X-Force watch the spectacular display as energy flows from the Champions, and is cast around the rising Titan. Sunspot wonders why “ah-behn” sounds familiar. ‘Didn’t Dani say it was some kinda hoodoo phrase or something?’. Moonstar checks the scroll once more, ‘No, they can’t be saying “ah-behn” she tells herself. ‘That would mean…sweet spirits! Black Widow! Stop! It’s a trick! Stop the ritual now!’ Moonstar calls out urgently. ‘But - it’s too late. How do we contact the others?’ Natasha replies. Bedlam suggests to Theresa that with her power she could call out a warning, but Siryn tells him that her scream doesn’t work that way, to which the upstart member of X-Force declares that he is stuck out here with powers that aren’t doing them a bit of good, so the least she could do is try.
Theresa tells Jesse that he is right, and she takes to the sky, at the speed of sound, her piercing sonic scream races toward each Champion: ‘Eh? The young Siryn’s call!’ Hercules exclaims. ‘She must be trying to - oboy’ Bobby remarks. ‘We’ve been duped!’ Archangel exclaims. ‘The ritual isn’t helping! It’s bringing that thing up!’ Blaze shouts as the Titan’s second hand pushes through the mountain, reaching skyward. ‘EARTHQUAKE!’ someone shouts as the land around them begins to ripple and break up in a spectacular display. ‘Here we go again!’ Cannonball exclaims, while James declares that this is a bad one.
‘HOLD ON!’ James shouts as everyone is knocked about, and rocks begin to fall from the sky. ‘Don’t worry, Vic -’ Cannonball begins, before a large rock lands on him. ‘Sam? SAM!’ Victoria shouts, while Meltdown look on. Cannonball falls to the ground, with Victoria telling him to wake up. ‘Please wake up!’ she shouts, knowing that she has to do something. ‘…save myself…’ she thinks, as the rocks fall around her, but she doesn’t leave Sam, instead she tries to lift him from the rocks, but he is too heave for her. ‘There’s just no way!’ Victoria exclaims, before kissing Sam on the lips, telling him that maybe this is for the best, for at least he will be spared the fate that awaits the others. ‘And you’re better off not knowing my role in it’ she adds as she runs off.
Meltdown helps Victoria up out of the rubble, asking her where Sam is. Victoria claims that she doesn’t know, to which Bobby asks her what she means by that. ‘You two were together when the quake hit!’ Bobby exclaims. ‘He’s down there, isn’t he? He’s getting buried alive!’ Meltdown shouts at Victoria. ‘Maybe crushed!’ Bobby exclaims. ‘I - I tried to help him! You’ve got to believe me!’ Victoria assures them. ‘You can stuff your explanations, lady!’ Sunspot calls out, dropping down to try and find his best friend. ‘I told you we shoulda never trusted her!’ Tabitha exclaims as she slides down the debris to find Sam.
Suddenly, ‘Very convincing, my dear. I’d almost thought you cared for the heathen boy’ the Link declares as he appears behind Victoria, grabbing her. ‘No, my Lord! I’ve done as you instructed, I swear!’ she exclaims. ‘Indeed you have, my dear. How skilfully you manipulated first the simpleton Hercules, then his teammates into activating the spell’ the Link tells her, adding that they never suspected his cult and its rituals were merely a decoy, a distraction to lure in the Champions and have them perform the actual ritual. Suddenly, Proudstar lunges at Link, telling him if he wants to whip up a natural disaster and get himself killed, then that is his problem. ‘But I’m not going with you!’ James exclaims as he punches the Link hard in the face.
‘Idiot! So casually do you bully a mortal opponent…but not longer have I need of this loathsome human disguise…know now who you actually oppose - Hades! Lord of Darkness!’ the god booms, transforming to his true form, he smacks Proudstar backwards. ‘Oh, man, a Greek God! When I underestimate an opponent, I don’t fool around!’ James tells himself. ‘And, no, rash child, I will not perish in this calamity! The human Champions raised the Titan, so they’re no destined to die at his hands, not !’. Hades declares that he has long awaited this moment, that it has been so many years since he battled the Champions and secretly infected their souls with the cursed power to raise the Titans. Hades boasts that his most inspired twist, though, was implanting in them the memory of an even that never occurred - of Zeus forcing him to grant the Champions exactly the opposite power, so that one day, they would unwittingly do his bidding with the full belief they were opposing him.
‘HADES? The vermin was playing us for fools all along!’ Hercules exclaims as he and the other former Champions regroup, while Siryn rushes over to her best friend, ‘Sweet Lord, Jimmy, are ya all right?’ she asks. ‘Uh, yeah. I’ll think I’ll rest here for a second, though’ James replies, rubbing his head, while Danielle and Bedlam stand nearby. Archangel exclaims that they should have guessed Hades would be the president of his own fan club, while Blaze tells everyone that it is time they made Hades regret the day he double-crossed the Champions. He then casts his hellfire towards Hades, but Siryn knows that it alone is not going to faze a god, so adds her sonic-scream to Blaze’s attack. ‘What is this?’ Hades asks, before crying out in agony at the combined attack.
‘You pathetic insects have caused me pain! How unfortunate for you!’ Hades snarls. Blaze thanks Siryn for the assist, remarking that he thinks they have Hades’ attention now. ‘For all the good it’ll do us’ Siryn replies, adding that Hades is the side show, they have to worry about the Titan. Black Widow disagrees, and tells everyone to forget the Titan, as they must remove Hades from the picture first. ‘…or die in the effort!’ Hades declares as he casts a beam of energy upwards, remarking that he has toyed with them until now, but it is time to face his power in all its fury. ‘You mean he was pulling his punches when he decked me?’ James wonders, before telling everyone to get down. He lifts a massive rock over his head to intercept Hades’ blast, ‘This oughta stop -’ James begins, before the energy blasts through the rock, shattering it on James, and sending it towards the other heres, who manage to duck out of the way in time, though the energy frazzles around them.
James emerges from the rocks, asking if everyone is okay. A weary Siryn tells James that his rock dispersed the blast, but asks what the ghastly pain was. ‘Stings like frostbite’ she remarks. ‘It was death. The grip of death. A feeling I know all too well’ James explains. Archangel tells everyone to regroup, to be ready for the next attack, but it’s too late, as Hercules sees it coming. He tells everyone to get behind him, before he cries out in pain as Hades’ energy slams into him. Victoria tells her Lord that they are not worth it, that the Champions and X-Force should be left to die in the apocalypse to come. ‘Nay, my subject! Too long have I waited to even the score with these nuisances!’ Hades replies.
Blaze tells everyone to scatter, that they need a plan of attack, while Siryn lifts Iceman into the air, asking if even Hercules can survive a blow like that. While casting an ice-sled, Iceman tells Siryn to hang on and not to worry about Hercules. ‘We’ve seen him take worse and bounce back smiling’. The Black Widow unleashes her widow’s sting at Hades, asking Theresa if she sees now that it is Hades who is the immediate threat. ‘If we don’t stop him, there won’t be anyone left to take on the Titan!’ Natasha exclaims. ‘What’s the bleedin’ difference who we take on first?’ Siryn mumbles, but Iceman tells the fiery young mutant not to let the others bother her, as they never were much for listening to the younger guys. ‘But this time, the junior member of the Champions has an idea that just might send Hades packing!’ Iceman exclaims.
Nearby, Bobby and Tabitha are still looking for Sam. ‘Where are you?’ Tabitha calls out, before Bobby announces that he thinks he has found Sam. ‘Just a second and I can probably dig him free!’ Bobby exclaims, adding that they need to get him back to the surface. ‘I’ll clear a path!’ Tabitha exclaims as she tosses several plasma time-bombs ahead of them, levelling the extra rocks. ‘Oh my Lord, he looks like he’s -’ Meltdown begins, but Sunspot interrupts her, telling her to come on, that they have to find a safe spot to set him down and then check his vitals. Bobby powers down, converting his body from a living furnace into his handsome human form, before going wide-eyed as he sees that Sam isn’t breathing.
‘Oh, man! Not now!’ Tabitha mutters as she sees Hades and Victoria standing over them. ‘That’s right, infidels! Your companion has preceded you in death by mere seconds!’ Victoria tells her “friends” that it is best it ends this way. Suddenly, ‘Sorry, death-man, nothing’s ending here! Except your little charade, you two-bit phoney!’ Iceman exclaims as he slides past Hades on an ice-sled and throws shards of ice at him. ‘PHONEY?’ Hades booms, while Victoria tells him not to let them taunt him. ‘Iceman saved our biscuits!’ Sunspot exclaims, adding that he better flare up and return the favor before Hades melts Bobby down to a Popsicle. Bobby tells Tabitha to see what she can do for Sam. ‘Okay’ Tabitha replies, touching her former boyfriend’s face, before she begins to give him mouth-to-mouth. Once those lips touched as an expression of attraction and desire. Now they meet in an act of utter desperation. ‘Please, Sam, please!’ Tabitha whispers.
‘A little help here, people!’ Iceman exclaims as he defends himself from Hades’ attack. ‘Here, you go catch, baldy!’ Bobby exclaims as he throws a massive rock at Hades, knocking the god in the face. Siryn and Blaze arrive on scene, and unleash their powers in unison, while Blaze exclaims that they have wasted enough time on Hades. ‘Tell us who’s really behind this Titan stunt! Who are you stooging for?’ he asks. ‘WHAT?’ Hades booms. ‘STOOGING?’ he asks as he unleashes his energies, but Blaze evades the attack. How dare you suggest the God of the Underworld toadies to anyone!’ Hades exclaims. Archangel swoops in, telling Hades to get serious. ‘You don’t have this kind of power!’. ‘You can’t even dispose of a few pesky mortals!’ Blaze adds.
‘Admit it, Hades, this is the work of Zeus! He’s the one pulling the strings, isn’t he?’ Archangel asks. Hades attempts to blast Archangel, ‘Zeus? That debauched, arrogant fool!’ he shouts. His eyes flash red with anger as Hades declares that this is his own handiwork. ‘Nobody but Hades has the power and genius to create this kind of annihilation! Zeus! Don’t make me laugh! This is my doing!’ Hades booms. Victoria looks shocked, and Hades looks suddenly nervous, before a massive voice booms ‘…You…You have done this…’ - it’s the Titan, rising from the mountain!
‘The Titan! Oh, my Lord, he thinks -’ Victoria begin. ‘That I -? No! You don’t understand I didn’t raise you! It was the Champions! They brought the curse down on themselves!’ Hades asks the Titan to listen to him, exclaiming that the curse is the Champions, not his. ‘They rose you up! Listen to me I beg you, listen!’ Hades shouts, before shouting ‘NNNNO!’, when he suddenly casts a disappearing spell, telling his dear subject that it is time he made his exit. ‘My Lord, wait! Take me with you!’ Victoria calls out, but Hades vanishes. ‘You lying snake! You promised I’d rule by your side! That I’d be your queen in this world or the hereafter! YOU PROMISED!’
Sunspot tells Victoria that it look like she bet all her chips on the wrong deity, and warns her that now she has to pay up for what she did to Sam. ‘Look, I didn’t want to hurt the kid. He was just on the wrong side!’ Victoria claims, but Tabitha grabs her and shakes her, ‘Why don’t you explain that him yourself!’ she shouts. ‘Sam? You mean he’s still -’ Victoria begins, when suddenly Sam appears behind her ‘…alive? Yeah, no thanks to you…’ he mumbles, wearily. ‘Sam, I -’ Victoria begin, but Cannonball tells her to save it. ‘I may not be an ivy league genius, but I ain’t stupid…I understand what happened here…you manipulated me…used me like yer own little pawn…’. Victoria frowns and replies ‘Yes, Sam. I guess I did. The same way you used me to get back at your friends!’. Sam frowns back.
‘Do you guys realize what you just did? You outsmarted a God!’ Jesse exclaims. The Black Widow replies that is just one down, as they still have the Titan to deal with, and asks if anyone has any suggestions. ‘Sorry, I’ve used up my allotment of brilliant ideas for the day’ Bobby replies, before Theresa exclaims ‘I guess maybe I’ve for an idea…’. ‘You “guess”?’ Natasha responds. ‘I don’t know, just listen!’ Theresa snaps back, remarking that the ritual said something about a “gate”, and suggests that maybe they didn’t raise the Titan so much as open a gate for him. Siryn points out that the gate could possibly swing both ways - so the Titan could go down as easily as he came up.
The Black Widow exclaims that is as good a theory as any, and tells her former teammates to resume the ritual and see if they have still got enough of Hades’ power in them to keep the gate open. ‘But it’s now your job to figure out how to make that thing want to go back down’ Natasha tells Theresa. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve already got an idea about that!’ Danielle announces. Iceman tells her that it better be a good one, as the quakes are getting worse, while he slides into position.
And so, the former Champions continue their chant: ‘Mystical power hear us!’ cries the Black Widow, while Blaze continues his part of the spell in the ancient language. ‘It’s working! We still have a little power left in us!’ Warren thinks to himself as he exclaims ‘…swing shut the gate, send back the curse…’. Iceman exclaims something in the ancient language, while Hercules exclaims ‘…let life and light prevail once more…’, while thinking hoping by the Gods that the X-Force youths know what they are doing.
Siryn turns to Dani, ‘It’s up to you, Dani! Do ye think ye can do it?’ Theresa asks. Dani replies that she is unsure, as she has never touched a mind like this, so it may be too alien. ‘Well, all ye can do is try’ Theresa tells her. ‘Indeed. Wish me good fortune, Terry…I’m going to need it!’ Moonstar exclaims as her mind begins to probe into the psyche of the great Titan…who begins to cry ‘N-NO….NO…!’, as Moonstar delves through a vastness, a landscape of eternal hatred and fears, the likes of which she had never dared imagine. Until at last, it’s there. The creatures one greatest, most psychotic, most irrational fear. Danielle finds it, and seizes upon it. Gives it substance in the eye of the Titan.
This causes the Titan to cry ‘No…PLEASE…’, while Dani advises everyone to cover their eyes. ‘Whatever you do, DON’T LOOK!’ she warns her friends and the Champions, before the Titan seemingly screams, and the Champions are all knocked from their positions, while energy ebbs and flows around them. ‘What’s happening?’ Iceman calls out. ‘Looks like they got a reaction out of that thing’ Archangel remarks, while Hercules wonders if it was done intentionally. ‘Oh, man, what now? I’m feeling all jittery inside! I’m freaking out!’ Bedlam exclaims as he, Danielle, Theresa and James are also thrown about. Siryn reaches out for the motionless Dani, while James exclaims that they are been deluged with panic.
James exclaims that the panic must be from the Titan, his fear radiating across the valley. Siryn and Moonstar land on some rocks, and Siryn grabs her teammate, ‘Are ye still with us?’ she calls out, telling Danielle to snap out of it. ‘I…I’m here…sorry, Terry…I had to let go’ Danielle whispers. Siryn tells her that it is all right. ‘Losing you wasn’t part of the deal’ Siryn points out as Dani sits up. ‘Now ye just take it easy’ Siryn tells her, before Dani asks what happened to the creature. ’It’s over, Dani. He’s gone. You sent him back’ someone remarks as the heroes gather and look at the mountain, now closed back up. ’…thank...thank the spirits!’ Dani whispers. ’Man, too bad nobody looked at whatever it was Dani conjured up. Now it’s going to drive me crazy wondering what it could have been!’ Bedlam exclaims. ‘Take my word for it, friend. You don’t want to know’ Blaze replies.
Soon, the media flock around the former Champions, with one of the reporters exclaiming ‘…so does this mean the Defenders are a team once again?’. ‘Champions. We’re the Champions!’ Archangel corrects him, while the Black Widow announces that they are not a team again, as they have moved on with their lives. ‘But, by Zeus, we can still mete out a little justice, just as we did in the old days!’ Hercules exclaims. ‘Better than in the old days!’ Iceman boasts, while another reporter asks what it was that was out there causing those quakes. ‘Over here, Ms Romano!’ a reporter exclaims, addressing the Black Widow incorrectly, before asking if the threat is really over. The Black Widow replies that is a question best left to the authorities. ‘I’m not sure we believe the answer’ she remarks.
‘I said, get that microphone out of my face!’ Blaze snarls at a reporter. ‘…of course, Mr Blaze…anything you say!’ the reporter exclaims, while the Black Widow narrows her eyes and asks Siryn ‘How did you resolve it?’. X-Force are standing behind the Champions, away from the media attention, and Siryn frowns at the Black Widow, ‘Thank ye, Widow. I guess it was about time I did a little actual leading’ she exclaims. The Black Widow frowns back, telling Theresa not to sell herself short. ‘There’s nothing you lack as a leader that a little belief in yourself won’t cure’ Natasha tells, smiling.
‘Hey, heroes, we got some friends of yours!’ a trooper calls out as several trucks drive past, one of which has the members of the Cult of Hades tied up in the back. ‘Sam! Tab and Bobby! Are you guys all right? What happened?’ James calls out as he sees his friends jump off the troopers trucks. Sam replies that nothing was happened, and looking up at Victoria, chained up like the others, he exclaims that he was wrong and is an idiot. ‘That Victoria girl was as bad as y’all thought. She didn’t care a lick about me’ Sam exclaims. Victoria tells Sam that he is wrong, as she did care about him. ‘Just not enough to change who I am…and not as much as they care about you’ she remarks, looking at Tab and Bobby. Sam is confused about that, to which Victoria tells him that she hopes someday he will open his eyes and see that for himself. And as she is driven away, Bobby and Tabitha look at the puzzled Cannonball.


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Experimental Living
The small town of Almost Reno, in New Mexico, is far from the idyllic slice of America mythologized in Norman Rockwell paintings. Instead, it is a place where the good intentions of its citizens went horribly wrong - and the town’s children have been made to pay for their parent’s mistake. Now, main street stands deserted, and there is almost no one to notice the unusual presence of the teenage mutant heroes known as X-Force - almost no one that is, as a flaming figure stands on a rooftop overlooking main street, where Samuel “Cannonball” Guthrie, Theresa “Siryn” Rourke, Danielle Moonstar, Domino, Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta, James Proudstar, Tabitha “Meltdown” Smith and Jesse “Bedlam” Aaronson are currently gathered.
‘Strange. There’s not a soul in sight’ Danielle remarks, to which Siryn agrees, pointing out that it is practically a ghost town. ‘Personally, I think it’s a whole lot nicer without the rednecks we encountered here a few months ago’ Sunspot declares, to which Domino announces that nothing is what it appears in this little town, which is why she has brought them all here.
Above the young mutants, a creature that was once human burns with all consuming fear and overwhelming agony. The fire that rages within makes it difficult to think straight. His eyes explode as his body temperature rose to inhuman levels. Now, he senses the heat patterns of the strangers below him, strangers that he deliriously blames for his condition. ‘You did this to me!’ he screams as he lunges at the young heroes. ‘We’re under attack!’ Sunspot exclaims, taking to the air. ‘Holy!’ Aaronson calls out. ‘It’s got James!’ Cannonball announces as the flaming being latches onto the surprised Proudstar, while Domino orders everyone to be on their guard, as there may be others.
James’ strength and senses are heightened to a superhuman degree because of the X-Factor gene that brands him a mutant. But the volcanic touch of this fiery creature is more than even his semi-impervious skin can bear. ‘Make it stop!’ the flaming being screams. ‘Okay, smokey, you’re not the only one who can make things hot around here - let’s see how you like a taste of exploding bio-plasm!’ Meltdown exclaims, before Theresa tells her to think about it, ‘If ye set off one of yuir time bombs near that thing, ye risk hurting Jimmy, too’ she points out, before telling her to move out of her way while she sees if she can separate them with a focused blast of her sonic scream.
But James tells his closest friend that will not be necessary, as he has everything unde control, and flips the flaming being off him, and slams him into a wall, with a loud THWAM, while the flame-engulfed person moans. James declares that the fire and fight within it seem to be waning. ‘Think there’s any chance he’ll tell us why he ambushed us?’ James asks his friends. But as they gather around, and Domino kneels beside him, she checks his vitals and remarks that this wasn’t a premeditated attack. ‘This poor creature’s just a kid. I think he was lashing out in fear and pain’ she remarks, before deciding that he couldn’t be more than thirteen years old.
Siryn reminds everyone that the town is full of mutant children on account of all the nuclear testing that was done nearby. ‘That’s what the locals were trying to hide from us the first time we were here’. Proudstar remarks that the boy is lying so still, and asks Domino if he is okay. ‘No. He’s dead’ Domino announces. Everyone looks shocked, but none more so than James, who gasps ‘But I didn’t throw him that hard. He can’t be…oh dear God, what have I done?’. Theresa embraces her best friend and assures him it was just an accident, while Domino tells James to listen to him, as she declares that the child’s death is not his fault. ‘He was burning up on the inside - a victim of a genetic instability in his mutation.
Domino reveals that she watched a little girl from this town die in a Los Angeles hospital because she, and every other child born here in the past two decades, are part of a eugenics experiment engineered by the Aguilar Institute. ‘Experiment? But the last time we were here, we rain up against SHIELD Agents…who told us the children’s mutations were connected to nuclear testing that took place in the 50’s’ Sunspot remarks. Danielle declares that either SHIELD is connected to the same outfit that turned Ekatarina Gryaznova into the Gryphon, or their SHIELD story was a sham. ‘Either way, we were lied to’. A concerned Meltdown exclaims that this isn’t fair, and her mind wanders back to the little girl from this town called Mary, exclaiming that all she knows is that town used to be filled with healthy, happy kids, including a sweet little girl named Mary, some of whom happen to be mutants. ‘That don’t deserve to be treated like guinea pigs. No one does’ Tabitha exclaims.
Cannonball remarks that Domino is the expert and asks her what she knows about the Aguilar Institute. Domino replies that to the public, the Aguilar Institute is a biotech research company with a number of on-the-level government contracts, ‘But we learned recently that the Institute has a disturbing interest in mutants’ she reminds her teammates. Aaronson points out that the adults are missing as well as the children, and asks if they have ruled out some kind of contagion. ‘What if we’re in the middle of a hot zone and don’t know it?’ he remarks. ‘The only people who are sick here are the monsters who play with innocent children’s lives’ Moonstar declares.
Tabitha suggests that their first priority should be finding the children, as they can deal with the Aguilar Institute later. Domino remarks that the one thing they do know about the Institute is that they are willing to go to any lengths to cover their tracks. ‘I want to find out what they’ve been up to here before they torch this town like they blew up their facility up North’ Domino declares.
A short time later, Domino, Cannonball, Sunspot and Aaronson have finished their search of Almost Reno’s main street storefronts. Aaronson points out that somebody left the store in a hurry, as there are baskets half filled with groceries. Cannonball remarks that nobody touched any of the money in the cash register. ‘This sure is mighty odd’ he tells his teammates. ‘Maybe everyone finally realized they were living in a dead-end town, and just took off’ Sunspot declares, adding that he was joking. Domino tells the men to can the chatter and pay attention, adding that they are looking for anything, no matter how small, that might tell them how the Aguilar Institute made the townspeople disappear, or where they took them.
Aaronson and Cannonball walk one way through the store, as Jesse tells Sam that he heard he used to be leader of this team. ‘It must be hard to be just another grunt now, huh?’. Sam replies that he doesn’t mind taking orders, and explains to Jesse that being part of a team means you check your ego at the door. He adds that it makes sense to defer to the person who knows most about a situation, especially if that person happens to be Domino. Jesse admits that Sam is a pretty easy going guy, and tells him that he admires that, before remarking that he doesn’t know if he would be comfortable being part of a team where his ex has hooked up with his best friend.
Sam frowns and suggests to Bedlam that they drop this conversation before he forgets what an “easy going guy” he is. Jesse tells Sam not to be defensive and claims that he is just curious, before opening the freezer. ‘Wonder if anyone would mind if I grabbed a Popsicle?’ he asks, when suddenly, an elderly man falls out of the freezer. ‘Look, I’m not Quincy, but it’s plain to see that Mr Hooper’s dead, right?’ Jesse remarks, while Domino checks his vitals, and announces that he died of hypothermia. ‘Now why would a guy lock himself in his freezer?’ Jesse asks, while Sam suggests he was hiding from something, or someone.
Across town, Siryn, James, Danielle and Meltdown scour the residential area for clues, coming to a stop in the playground. James tells his friends that ever since they got here he cannot stop thinking about Camp Verde, and how it felt when he returned there after all his friends and family had been massacred. ‘Everything was so still and quiet - just like - wait…do you hear that? It sounds like…coins dropping in a machine…’ he exclaims. Meltdown frowns as she tells James that not all of them have his heightened senses and that all she hears is the wind. ‘Then you don’t hear the music that just started…’ James begins, but Siryn exclaims that she does, and that it sounds familiar. ‘Los Lobos?’ she remarks. James motions to the nearby diner, ‘All I know is that it’s coming from that diner’ he declares.
The young heroes makes their way to the diner, and see a young girl at the jukebox. ‘Looks like the bad guys missed someone’ Moonstar points out, before Meltdown realizes that it is Mary. ‘She’s alive!’ Tabitha exclaims. ‘The telepath’ Moonstar remarks. ‘I remember’ Proudstar exclaims, before Siryn asks ‘How do you think she slipped through the net?’. Meltdown declares that Mary is a little fighter. ‘Remember how she stood up to all those SHIELD Agents?’ she asks. ‘I bet she’ll be surprised to see me!’ Tabitha exclaims as she makes her way to the door, but James tells her to stop. ‘What’s your problem, James?’ Tabitha snaps back. ‘Look. She’s not alone’ James declares, motioning inside the diner.
‘Oh!’ Tabitha gasps, as being resembling a gray-colored version of the Fantastic Four’s Thing sits at the diner counter, watching Mary. ‘Do you think that Ben Grimm wannabe’s one of the Institute goons - or is he another one of this town’s mutant children?’ someone asks. Siryn tells her friends that if he is a child then she is betting he is probably traumatized by what has happened here. She suggests that she will go in alone and act as non-threatening as possible. ‘And if the creature’s with the Institute…?’ James asks his best friend. ‘That’s why I have you guys watching my back’ Siryn replies, before telling her team to follow her lead.
‘Hey, buddy. Sorry I’m late. The alarm didn’t ring. Couldn’t find a clean thing to wear. It’s been one of those days, don’t ye know’ Siryn tells the being at the counter as she smiles at him and ties her hair in a ponytail. Siryn sees that he is eyeing her suspiciously, not sure who she is. ‘Gotta keep laying it on thick’ she tells herself, before telling him that it is a real scorcher out here. Must be over a hundred’ she remarks, before telling him that he must be dying of thirst, and not to worry, as she can do something about that. He looks at her puzzled, but Siryn realizes he seems to be calming. She knows she has to keep moving slowly and make no surprises.
‘Mmm’ the rocky man remarks, while Siryn hands him a glass of ice cold cola. ‘What do you know, it worked!’ Siryn tells herself before the diner door bell rings as Meltdown enters. ‘Hi Theresa, hi big guy, hi Mary’ she exclaims. The rocky guy looks at her puzzled, while Siryn quietly tells her to play it cool. Mary is still browsing through the jukebox, when she suddenly turns her head, ‘Tabitha!’ she exclaims, smiling. Tabitha kneels down and hugs Mary, ‘That’s right, sweetie, it’s me, you know. I was worried. I’ve been looking all over for you’ she tells her, to which Mary replies that she knows good places to hide. Meltdown asks her if there is anyone else besides her that hid, to which Mary replies it is just her and Zak, as they are the only ones who didn’t get sick. Meltdown tells her not to worry, as they are going to make sure nothing happens to her now. ‘Uh, Red…we could use a couple of burgers over here…with fries…’ Meltdown exclaims, smiling at Siryn, who frowns, ‘Coming up, ma’am she replies coldly’.
At the same time, on the outskirts of the deserted town, Sam, Bobby, Domino and Aaronson are standing around a gas station when Sam suggests to Bobby that he power down in case any fuel is leaking. But Bobby tells Sam to relax, as he is in his incendiary state. ‘I’m all heat. No fire’ he declares, before exclaiming that is the first time Sam has spoken to him directly since he rejoined the team. ‘Are you still mad about me and Tab?’ Bobby asks. Sam frowns as he tells Bobby that he doesn’t see much point in getting into that here, before Aaronson offers to referee. ‘Okay, Sam you went off with the X-Men leaving your lady’s needs unfulfilled. And, Bobby, you should’ve told Sam about you and Tabitha instead of letting him find out himself’ Aaronson declares. ‘Nobody asked you, Jesse’ Sam snaps back, to which Aaronson mutters that he will shut up, before using his powers on the locked garage door.
Jesse remarks that he knows Cannonball and Sunspot could have busted the door down or burned a hole through the metal, but they have to admit his way is simpler and just as effective. ‘Time to find out what’s behind door number three’ he jokes as the door rises, and the four mutants enter, ‘Wow. This place’s filled with video equipment!’ Cannonball exclaims as they look around. Sunspot tells his teammates to look at the monitors, pointing out that they are all focused on nurseries, schools and people’s homes. ‘There’s no place that isn’t under surveillance!’ he exclaims, while Domino remarks that the Aguilar Institute must have set up the cameras all through the town. ‘What were they watching?’ Aaronson asks. ‘The children’ Domino replies.
Back in the diner, dirty dishes line the counter, while the rocky guy, Zak, asks for more. ‘Ye heard the man, Dani. Keep his burgers coming!’ Siryn exclaims as she turns to Dani, who, in the kitchen, frowns at her and tells her not to look so smug, as the only reasons she is doing this is because she spent the summer before she joined the New Mutants working behind a grill at the rodeo, ‘And because I’ve tasted your cooking’ she tells her, while Zak hungrily devours some French fries. Sitting in a booth, Tabitha and James watch over Mary, while Tab tells her that she knows the last couple of days have been difficult for her, but they really need to know what happened here. ‘Okay, Tabitha…’ Mary says as she begins to recount the last few days:
Flashback images, narrated by Mary:
Mary explains that on Wednesday, in the middle of math class, Lewis Hammond started glowing like a light bulb and couldn’t stop. Mary explains that he kept getting brighter and brighter until no one could look at him, so their teacher made them leave the room. ‘The Principal sent everybody home, which I thought was great, because I hate math - but then the scary men came and started making everyone, even the grownups - get into these big helicopters’ Mary reveals. Mary recounts how her mother did not want her to go with them, so she told her to hide until she came back. ‘And she made me promise not to use my powers because that’s how the bad men find you’ Mary adds.
Present:
Mary tells Meltdown and Proudstar that now it is just her and Zak, except that Zak doesn’t talk very much because he is all rocky. ‘Which I don’t think is very fun for him’ Mary adds, before exclaiming that this is all her fault. ‘If I hadn’t made the bad men’s noses bleed, they wouldn’t be doing this to everybody’ she remarks. As X-Force lead Mary out of the diner, Danielle tells her to never think this is her fault. Siryn agrees, and tells Mary that there are some people who are scared of anyone who is different. ‘And you should always be proud of who you are, and the things that make you special’ Tabitha tells her. ‘I wish my Mom was here’ Mary replies.
Suddenly, ‘Your mother sent us to bring you to her, Mary’ a voice exclaims. ‘She’s very worried about you, and you don’t want to make your mother worried, do you? Now, why don’t you say goodbye to your friends and come with us?’. X-Force look up and see several men dressed in black suits, armed with various weapons, standing before them. ‘Agent Briggs, I was hoping we’d meet again’ Dani exclaims, asking ‘This isn’t a SHIELD project at all, is it?’. Dani exclaims that if she called GW Bridge, she bets he would tell her that he has never heard of Agent Briggs or the Almost Reno Project at all. Agent Briggs points a weapon at the former SHIELD Agent and tells her that he doubts she is going to make that call, before reminding her that he asked her to walk away the first time they met. ‘I won’t be so polite the second time’ he assures her, before demanding that they hand over the girl.
‘No way, creeps. She’s staying with us!’ Meltdown exclaims, putting her arms around Mary. ‘Very well. You’ve forced my hand’ Agent Briggs exclaims, before ordering his colleagues to eliminate ‘These annoying children’ as he calls them. But just as the men in suits begin to fire, Zak bursts though the diner window, and in between the gunfire and X-Force. ‘ZAK!’ Moonstar calls out, while Meltdown tells Mary to get down. Siryn immediately modulates the pitch and decibel of her voice, thus creating a miniature sonic boom that causes the ground beneath the agents to buckle, knocking them over.
‘What about Zak?’ Moonstar asks, to which Meltdown checks his vitals and replies that the concussion blasts did not pierce his rocky skin, but that she thinks his insides have started turning as solid as his outside. ‘Mary…it hurts…’ Zak utters. ‘Not again. Tabitha, you’ve gotta do something. Help him. Please…’ Mary pleads. Crouching beside Zak, Dani remarks that this is way out of her league, before telling Zak that she is sorry her psionic ability has diminished, for otherwise she could ease his pain, but there is nothing she can - Dani stops herself as she touches the boy’s stone-like skin, and Dani unexpectedly becomes aware of energy patterns that move through Zak’s body.
Then, just as unexpectedly, Dani feels a different energy channel through her and into the wounded child, miraculously healing his calcified body. ‘Feel better…’ Zak whispers. Siryn asks Moonstar how she did that, but Dani replies that she doesn’t know. ‘It was like I suddenly tapped into some elemental force that repaired all his internal damage’ she explains, adding that she wished she knew what was happening to her. Suddenly, Agent Briggs reaches for his weapon while contacting control, informing them that they have a situation, condition black. ‘Request back -’ he begins, but before he finishes his sentence, he screams, as Domino stands on his hand reaching for the weapon. ‘Sorry, pal. To quote one of my favourite bands - “Your phone’s off the hook…”!’ she exclaims.
‘”But you’re not”!’ Domino adds, finishing the lyrics, before telling Briggs that he is going to tell her everything he knows about the Aguilar Institute. ‘You’ll get nothing from me!’ Briggs retorts, to which Domino tells him that he must know there is a fine line between interrogation and torture. ‘Don’t make me cross it’ she warns him. ‘Ah give him five minutes before he spills his guts’ Sam remarks to Bobby. ‘No, this weasel will never last that long’ Bobby replies.
Mary, holding Meltdown’s hand, remarks that she knows she is not supposed to use her special ability, but that Briggs is thinking really, really loud. ‘He doesn’t want to tell you about something called the Dam…Damocles Foundation’ she reveals, before asking if she is in trouble. ‘Not a chance, Mary. You did good’ Meltdown assures her, while Bedlam remarks ‘Damocles Foundation? I thought we were investigating the Aguilar Institute?’, while Sunspot wonders where he has heard that name before. ‘Uh-oh…someone bad is coming’ Mary announces as a black car drives towards them.
Moments later, a strange looking being with gray skin steps out of the car, ‘Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I’m sorry I didn’t arrive sooner. If I had, perhaps we could have avoided all this unpleasantness’ he remarks, before introducing himself as Odysseus Indigo, who represents the Damocles Foundation, which he explains is an organization dedicated to the betterment of the future. ‘I hope we can avoid any further physical confrontation. I’d hate to ruin this suit’ he remarks. Standing before X-Force, he tells them that if they heart him out, he believes they will find their interests are quite similar.
Siryn asks what the Damocles Foundation’s connection to the Aguilar Institute is, while Meltdown asks ‘Am I crazy, or does he remind you guys of the Deviant we met in Kentucky?’. Cannonball points out that Ulysses and Odysseus were the Roman and Greek names for the same warrior. ‘Seems more than a coincidence’ he adds. ‘One question at a time’ Odysseus exclaims, before revealing that the Aguilar Institute is one of the Damocles Foundation’s many satellites. ‘And as to my relationship with Ulysses Dragonblood, that traitor is my brother’ he explains.
‘You’re a bad man. I’m going to make you go away and leave us alone!’ Mary suddenly exclaims, surging with power. Unimpressed with Mary’s outburst, Odysseus declares that sometimes, children should be seen and not heard, and suddenly Mary keels over in pain. ’What did you do to her?’ Meltdown shouts angrily as she grabs Mary. Odysseus explains that Mary tried, in her own fumbling way, to use her limited telepathy against him. ’I shut her down’ he explains, revealing that he was born with the rather fortunate ability to neutralize extra-normal abilities. ’Neutralize this, ugly!’ Meltdown shouts as she throws a barrage of plasma time-bombs at Odysseus.
But the Deviant stands his ground, ’Tsk…tsk…Ms Smith…you weren’t listening’ he declares, telling her that her time bombs are useless against him, but now the very attempt to generate them will prove painful. Indeed, Tabitha keels over as she attempts to create further explosives. Sunspot calls out to his girlfriend, but Tabitha mumbles that she doesn’t want that overdressed goon to see her hurt.
‘If you’re done, I suggest we get down to business’ Odysseus Indigo declares, remarking that he understands X-Force has run afoul of his operatives in the past - first in Northern California and more recently in Kentucky, and he suggests they put their past differences behind them. ‘We fought the Sword in Kentucky. Get it? The Sword of Damocles?’ Proudstar whispers to Siryn, who replies ‘Aye, and I don’t like it one bit’. Domino informs Odysseus that his Foundation is responsible for arming Ekatarina Gryaznova - the Gryphons - in her vendetta against her. ‘That makes things personal’ Domino declares.
Odysseus replies that Ms Gryaznova’s personal agenda cost the Damocles Foundation an entire research compound. ‘Let’s call it even’ he suggests, before assuring Domino that the Damocles Foundation bears no ill will towards her or the rest of X-Force. He remarks that, in a legend, a sword was suspended by a thread above the Sicilian Courtier Damocles to demonstrate to him the precarious nature of life. ’All of this planet’s inhabitants - human, Deviants and Eternals - are living on the brink of political, ecological and social destruction’ Odysseus exclaims, adding that the Foundation’s work is to insure all of their survival.
Flashback illustrations, narrated by Odysseus:
 Odysseus remarks that the beginning of the nuclear age is only one of the harbingers of the apocalypse the Damocles Foundation seeks to avoid. ‘This town paid the price for the American military’s atomic weapons testing during the Cold War’ he adds, explaining that the resulting radioactive contamination in the air, water and earth left the men and women of this town sterile and unable to have children. He reveals that the Damocles Foundation was aware of this, and came to the town fathers with a proposal - that the Foundation would use their advanced technology to undo the reproductive damage caused by high levels of radiation. ‘And so, through genetic engineering we introduced both the human X-Factor chromosome and the Deviant equivalent to these children’.
Present:
Odysseus declares that, unfortunately, the genetic alteration proved unstable, and the children’s mutant characteristics began killing them. He explains that the Damocles Foundation was forced to quarantine the entire population to determine what went wrong. ‘What gives you the right to play games with people’s lives?’ Meltdown asks, while Cannonball exclaims that he wants to know where the rest of the town are being kept. Odysseus reveals that the adult populace of this sleepy town are safe and will be released as soon as possible, while the death of the children was most unfortunate, they were to be the first of a new generation. He tells X-Force that is why they must place Mary in his care, as she has continued to show no signs of genetic destabilization. ‘She may hold the answer we need to keep the next generation alive’ he adds.
‘If you think we’re going to give you Mary, you don’t know how wrong you are’ Domino tells him upfront, adding that they will make sure Mary gets whatever treatment she may need. Odysseus tells X-Force that they are mistaken to assume that he is their enemy. ‘I am your salvation’ he declares. ‘Join me. Or perish in the coming cataclysm’. All eight members of X-Force stare back at Odysseus, none of them saying anything, and after a moment, Odysseus returns to his car. ‘Your mistake’ he tells them, announcing that he leaves Mary and Zak in their hands, before announcing that he will return for them eventually. ‘And at that time, you won’t stope me’ he boasts, before he is driven away.
Domino tells her teammates that she doesn’t think Indigo is used to being told “No”, while Meltdown asks ‘That’s it? We let them go?’. Cannonball remarks that he doesn’t think they could have stopped Indigo, but wonders if they did enough, and asks ‘What about the rest of the town? Do you think they’re really safe?’. Domino points out that Indigo was only interested in the children, and with the exception of Mary and Zak, they are all dead. She declares that right now, they need to get Mary and Zak somewhere where they can get the emotional and medical help they will need after all this. ‘As for this town it can burn to the ground for all I care’….


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Armageddon Now, part 1: Family Matters
Flashback, “five years ago”,:
Inside the very exclusive Massachusetts Academy, in New England’s Berkshire Mountains, negotiations between that institution’s unusual and sultry Headmistress and a prospective student are coming to a close. Sitting behind her desk, Emma Frost a.k.a. the White Queen tells the young man sitting before her that he has seen what the Massachusetts Academy has to offer, it is time he made a decision. ’Are you ready to become part of the most elite student body in the world?’ she asks. ‘In a word, Ms Frost - no’ comes the reply. Emma presses her fingertips together as she tells him that she understands, before pointing out that he is remarkably self-reliant for someone of his age.
‘You believe that there’s nothing we can teach you about yourself that you don’t already know. You’re wrong. If you truly want to realize the full potential of your unique gift, you require guidance’ the White Queen exclaims. The young man smiles as he tells the White Queen that perhaps her other students need her to hold their hands, but he doesn’t. ‘I learned at a very young age to recognize when someone was trying to manipulate me’ he declares, adding that she should be honest: ‘Your interest in your students is hardly altruistic’ he adds. He tells her that her position as the Hellfire Club’s White Queen is fortified while she controls a retune of exceptionally “gifted” youth. ’While I respect that, I won’t be a part of it’ he announces.
‘You’re making a mistake’ Emma declares. ‘Then tell me, Ms Frost, if out situations were reversed, and you were sixteen again, would you accept?’ When the White Queen doesn’t answer, the young man remarks ‘No? I didn’t think so’. The White Queen narrows her eyes as she says ‘You are not going to walk out that door’. But, standing at the open door, the young man turns back, smiling, and exclaims ‘Your telepathy won’t work on me, Emma. My own special bio-chemistry thankfully disrupts any unwanted psychic intrusion’. He thanks the White Queen for her hospitality. ‘It’s been…enlightening’ he tells her. ‘GET OUT’ the White Queen snaps in a frosty manner.
Walking past two Hellfire Club attendants, ‘Later, gentlemen’ the young man remarks casually, before suggesting to them that they steer clear of the Headmistress for a few hours. ‘She doesn’t handle rejection well’. Suddenly, the young man hears a voice from around a corner: ‘I knew you would refuse Mademoiselle Frost’s offer - still, I hoped that - somehow - you would choose to stay’. The voice belongs to Marie-Ange Colbert a.k.a. Tarot. Standing in her Hellions costume, it has only been five months since the White Queen brought the sixteen year old to America from France.  She knew that she was leaving France long before the White Queen’s arrival at the convent school in Lyons, just as she knew that she would become inextricably bound to this young American man. Tarot is prescient, gifted with the ability to see fragments of the future.
The young man approaches Marie-Ange and hugs her, ‘Sorry, baby, but I can’t be one of Frost’s Hellions any more than I could be one of Xavier’s boy scouts’ he tells her. He tells Marie-Ange that she should not waste her time here either. ‘Don’t be a pawn. Come away with me’ he asks her. Marie-Ange hangs her head and tells him that she is sorry, but she cannot, as fate brought her here, so she must remain, as it is her destiny. The young man touches Marie-Ange’s face, telling her that she does not have to look at her cards to be certain of this, ‘I will come back for you’ he assures her.
Present:
Tonight, San Francisco is blanketed by the thick, costal fog for which the city by the bay is renowned. In the Richmond District, the fog is so dense that the Irish pubs, Russian bakeries and Chinese restaurants of Clement Street are all but invisible. For the last five blocks, James Proudstar of the teenage mutant heroes X-Force, has been aware that someone is following him - someone whose breathing and footsteps are barely audible, even to his heightened mutant senses - which makes him momentarily wonder if his pursuer is some kind of apparition.
‘I’m tired of this game of cat and mouse…’ James thinks to himself, before spinning around and shouting ‘Who are you, and why are you following me?’. Suddenly, out of the fog steps…Marie-Ange Colbert - Tarot! ‘I didn’t mean to frighten you, James Proudstar. I was gathering the courage to speak to you’ she announces, dressed in black. ‘It has been such a very long time since we were students at the Academy - since we were Hellions!’. James goes wide-eyed, ‘TAROT? But you’re…you’re dead! How -?’ he gasps at his former teammates sudden appearance.
Tarot places her fingers on James’ mouth, telling him that some things she cannot explain, and asks him not to ask any more questions, but to listen. ‘The Emperor attempts to wake the sleeping giant, and the day of reckoning draws closer. You and your friends are in great peril, from without and within’ Tarot remarks cryptically. ‘One of your own will soon betray you’ she tells James, who replies ‘You’re not making any sense…’, but Tarot explains that she has taken a great risk by telling him anything. ‘To attempt to change one future, often insures that future’ she adds, before remarking that she has said too much already and must go, before bidding him au revoir. ‘Tarot…Marie…don’t go…if you’re in trouble…I can help you’ James tells her, but Tarot appears to vanish into the fog.
A perplexed James looks around, wondering how Marie-Ange could just vanish on him like that, as even in this fog he should be able to hear her footsteps or follow the barest scent of her perfume. Kneeling down, James picks up all that is left - one of her tarot cards. ‘Death, huh? That’s morbidly appropriate’ James tells himself, recalling that after he left the Hellions, half of the original team - Tarot, Catseye, Roulette and Jetstream - died at the hands of Trevor Fitzroy, a psychopathic mutant from the future. James remembers seeing photos of their bodies in the horrible aftermath. ‘Tarot was among them. She couldn’t have survived’ James tells himself.
Suddenly, ‘James…’ a voice calls out from within the fog. ‘Tarot…?’ James calls back, before Theresa “Siryn” Rourke, his teammate and best friend approaches him, telling him she is sorry for being late. ‘Ye wouldn’t believe how hard it was to hail a cab downtown in this soup’ she remarks, adding that she likes the fog, as it reminds her of her home in Ireland. Theresa tells James that she is famished and asks him what he is in the mood to eat, before seeing James cover his face with a hand and asks him what is wrong. ‘Ye look like ye’ve seen a ghost’ she remarks. ‘That’s a distinct possibility’ James replies, concerned.
Meanwhile, in the back room of a dive called the Ninth Circle, Jesse “Bedlam” Aaronson, newest member of X-Force has controlled the bar’s only pool table since early afternoon. Bedlam likes the geometry of the game, the mathematical calculation of angles and velocity and force necessary to bank a ball into a corner pocket. It keeps him from thinking about the things that are missing in his life - friends and family. Suddenly, his teammate Domino approaches him. ‘You up for a game? Have to warn you though. I’m good’ Jesse boasts. ‘And not bar room good, either - I’m talking ESPN good’. Domino ignores his usual banter, instead informing him that she thinks she has uncovered a lead in his case. ‘You’ve found my brother?’ Jesse asks.
‘No. However, I learned that your parents weren’t just civil servant grunts as you thought - turns out they were information analysts at the National Security Department’ Domino reveals. Jesse stops playing pool, ‘NSD? They were spies? Then you think their deaths weren’t an accident?’ Jesse asks. Domino replies that she came to no conclusions, but that what she did unearth is the name and address of the agent who supervised their department, and asks Jesse if he wants to go and talk to him with her. ‘Give me a minute and I’m there’ Jesse replies.
Jesse grabs his coat and heads to the men’s room, thinking to himself that he has spent the past decade trying to find his older brother, Christopher, coming up with dead end after dead end, and now this is the first real inroad he has made in the search. ‘I knew recruiting Domino was a good idea’ he tells himself, before telling himself to calm down, that he cannot get too excited. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a vial of pills. ‘Don’t want to lose it now…’ he tells himself.
Two hours later, at the Sacramento Delta Retirement Village, ‘You didn’t tell me our source has been condemned to an old folks home’ Jesse mutters as he and Domino make their way past the retirement home’s residents. Domino tells Aaronson to not get his hopes up, as this could turn our to be nothing. ‘I know. You can’t imagine how many dead ends I’ve run into trying to find my brother’ Aaronson tells Domino, who tells him that she hopes he finds him, as she has spent her life trying to get as far away as possible from her immediate family. The duo come across a staff member and inform him that they are searching for Dabney Saunders’ room. ‘Mr Saunders doesn’t get many visitors. Who are you?’ is the response. Aaronson tells him that they are friends of the family and asks if they can talk to him in private. ‘Sure. Knock yourself our. Only don’t expect much in the way of conversation’ they are told.
Soon, ‘Mr Saunders? My name’s Jesse Aaronson. Mt parents used to work for you. Kyle and Nina Aaronson. Do you remember them?’ Jesse asks as he enters the room. ‘Banana…fish…insulator.…whitebread…chesterfield…’ Mr Saunders mutters without looking at Aaronson, who tells himself that the old man is so senile that nothing he is saying makes sense.
However, in a nearby room, the staff member who was confronted by Domino and Jesse makes a phone call: ‘Yo, it’s me, Gunther…yeah…you asked me to let you know if anyone was ever asking about Mr Saunders…well there’s a weird chick with a tattoo on her eye and a black dude in dreads asking questions’ Gunther reveals. Suddenly, Domino appears behind him: ‘I thought we made you a little uncomfortable when we walked in, Gunther’ she declares, asking him if he wants to tell her who is on the other end of the line, or will she have to bear it out of him. ‘You gotta be kidding, lady’ the surprised Gunther replies. ‘Try me’ Domino warns him.
Back in San Francisco, the warehouse that X-Force calls home is falling apart - courtesy of two of its residents - Samuel “Cannonball” Guthrie, and Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta. ‘YEE-HAH!’ Sam exclaims as he uses his powers to blast through one of the concrete walls. ‘Leave some for me, Sam! This is a team effort!’ Bobby calls out as he uses his incredible strength to smash through some of the wall. Tabitha “Meltdown” Smith enters the area, ‘Mmmmmmmm’ she says to herself. ‘There’s nothing like a couple of hunks working up a real sweat to raise this girl’s temperature’ she exclaims, adding that it is nice to see Bobby and Sam playing together again.
Sam drops to the ground and remarks that he has realized it is pointless to hold a grudge against the two of them for getting together while he was out of the picture, especially now that they are all living under the same roof. ‘Plus, demolition work’s always good for working out pent-up hostilities’ Sam adds. ‘And we needed to take out this wall to create a bigger work-out space…it won’t be the Danger Room, but we’ll have enough weights and machines to keep us in shape’ Bobby explains. Sam asks Tabitha if she came down to help, or just to talk, to which Tabitha apologizes, ‘I got distracted by all the testosterone in the air’ she remarks, before handing Sam the phone, telling him that his sister is on it.
‘Paige or Elizabeth?’ Sam asks. ‘Paige’ Tabitha tells him. Sam tells Tabitha that Paige is taking care of their Ma while she undergoes treatment for Guillain-Barre Syndrome in Lexington. ‘Did she sound like anything’s wrong?’ Sam asks. ‘Don’t know. Ask yourself’ Tabitha tells him. ‘Hey, sis, is everything okay?’ Sam asks Paige, while Tabitha looks around at the half-demolished wall and all the rubble. ‘Oh, look at this mess. They should never leave boys to do a woman’s job’ she mutters. ‘One wall, coming down!’ Sunspot calls out, before Tabitha throws one of her plasma time-bombs at it.
BOOM echoes throughout the room, as Sam covers his free ear and yells ‘Ah said, is everything okay?’. Paige “Husk” Guthrie of Generation X tells her older brother to calm down, as everything is fine and their mother is sleeping. Husk tells Sam that the doctors say their mother is responding well to the treatment and her chances for a full recovery are looking real good. Sam tells Paige that he feels so guilty not being there to help out. But Paige reminds Sam that after their dad died, he had to drop out of school and work in the coalmines. ‘Give yourself a break’ she tells him. Paige remarks that Sam and their mother are so alike, thinking they have to take care of the family all by themselves. ‘I got things covered right now’ she assures him. ‘Okay, but if you need anything, anything at all, call. I can be in Kentucky in a heartbeat’ Sam tells Paige. ‘And tell Ma I love her when she wakes up, okay?’
Upstairs, Tabitha puts on a jacket, while thinking to herself that Sam doesn’t know how lucky he is to have brothers and sisters. She tells herself that she always thought her dysfunctional family would have been a whole lot easier to take if she had an older sister who looked out for her. ‘Then again, she might have run away before I did’ Tabitha realizes, wondering why it is that the people you’re supposed to be closes to make you the most crazy? Suddenly, Bobby, still shirtless, enters Tabitha’s room and asks her where she is going. ‘Um…nowhere. I…umm…just out for a little fresh air, okay?’ she replies. Bobby takes one of his girlfriend’s hands, and touches her face with his free hand, asking her if she is sure. ‘If you give me twenty minutes I can shave and shower, and then we can go out together’.
Bobby tells Tabby that he was thinking they could get some sushi at the Kabuki Center and then catch the new Jackie Chan film. ‘Y’know, a real date - like boyfriend and girlfriend’ he exclaims. But Tabitha looks down to the ground and tells Bobby not to night as she needs some time on her own. ‘But…’ Bobby begins, but Tabitha pulls away from him. ‘Just let it go…please…’ she tells him, before walking away. Bobby frowns and thinks to himself that he is getting awfully tired of the cold front Tabitha keeps sending his way. ‘Something’s going on with you, and I’m going to find out what it is. Whether you like it or not’.
Elsewhere, Tarot sits in a dark room, lit only be candles, as she consults her cards. Her earliest memories are of her aged Grand-mere, the one for whom she was named, showing her the ancient deck of cards. The old woman told Marie-Ange that the future could be seen in these cards. And when the young Marie-Ange looked at the pictures, she saw more than two-dimensional images - she saw the patterns and pathways that would define her life. The old woman called it a gift, but Marie-Ange new otherwise. It was a curse.
Suddenly, ‘Marie, my love. I looked for you earlier and you were nowhere to be found’ a voice exclaims, entering the room. Tarot replies that she went for a walk, to which the young man tells her that she knows he doesn’t like it when she leaves the house alone. ‘You haven’t been in good health since your...return’ he tells her, putting a hand on her shoulder. ‘Oui, he sais’ Marie-Ange replies, not looking at him. He begins to stroke Marie-Ange’s hair, asking her what the cards say about their future. ‘Expect visitors’ Tarot replies as she gazes at her cards.
Meanwhile, in North Beach, Sunspot is following Meltdown. He tells himself that he knows he shouldn’t be trailing her, but he is sick of her shutting him out. Watching Meltdown enter an Italian restaurant, Bobby wonders if she is seeing someone else. ‘Tabitha! Over here! Wow, baby, you look great!’ a voice exclaims. ‘Hi, Dad!’ Tabitha replies as she and her father, dressed in a suit, embrace. Lou Smith tells his daughter that he is glad she could make it, as there is someone he really wants her to meet: ‘Say hello to Wanda Jo Bialowsky, my new wife’ Lou announces, presenting his wife, who smiles as she exclaims ‘That’s Wanda Jo Bialowsky-Smith, Mister, and don’t you forget it!’, before telling Tabitha that she is so glad to meet her, as Lou as told her so much about her.
‘He sure kept you a secret’ Tabitha snaps back, before telling her father that she can’t believe he got married for a fourth time. ‘You’d think you’d know better after the last two. Long-term commitment has never been your strength’ she snaps. Lou frowns and tells Tabitha that he knows he was never the greatest father or husband, but that since he survived that explosion he has been re-evaluating his life. ‘It’s hard for an old leopard to change his spots, but I’m trying real hard to turn my life around’ he claims, before announcing that he owes it all to the Triune Understand, and taps the small broach on his jacket. ‘The Triune? Isn’t that some kinda crackpot new age cult?’ Tabitha asks, horrified.
Lou and Wanda Jo smile, as Lou tells Tabitha that it is not a cult, he swears, and that nobody is planning on hitching a ride on the back of a comet. He explains that the Understanding is a way of transcending the pain of the past and living more fully in the present. Wanda Jo tells Tabitha that lots of very important people are members of the understanding - like politicians and actors. ‘Even a super hero, Triathlon’. The trio sit down at their table as Lou tells Tabitha that the Triune teaches them to balance the three points of life - self, world and spirit, which is what he never had - balance. He tells Tabitha that it has done a world of good for him and he thinks it would really, really help her. ‘I know how difficult your life has been’ he remarks, before announcing that after dinner, he was hoping they could all go to a meeting.
Lou tells Tabitha that there is a family triad workshop coming up, but before he can say anything else, Tabitha leaps up, ‘Uh uh. No way. This is too weird’ she exclaims. ‘Just when I thought we were finally okay, you pull this trip on me’ she tells him. ‘Tabitha…please sit down…let’s talk about this like adults’ Lou exclaims. ‘Not a chance. I’m out of here!’ Meltdown shouts, before storming out of the restaurant. ‘Tabitha, wait up!’ Sunspot calls out to her as he approaches the restaurant door. ‘Bobby? Did you follow me, after I told you I just needed some time to myself? Unbelievable!’ Meltdown exclaims, before telling Bobby that this is turning out to be a really lousy night and she is ready to break something. ‘So if you value your health - get out of my face!’ she shouts.
Meanwhile, under the dual cover of night and fog, Danielle Moonstar unleashes the strange and unearthly energy that her body now channels, while Jennifer Kale, a gifted young sorceress, studies her newfound friend’s pyrotechnic display as pink energy lights up the sky. ‘This is why I called you, Jennifer. I have absolutely no idea why I’m able to do this!’ Dani exclaims, telling Jennifer that all she knows is that she gained this ability after Arcadia turned her reality-warping powers on her. Jennifer tells Dani that it is one spectacular trick. ‘Now the question is - what kind of control do you have over it?’ Jennifer asks.
‘Not much. Every time I use the power, it’s more difficult for me to shut it off’ Dani explains, adding that it is like she is caught in a riptide and being pulled further and further out to sea’. When the power ends, Dani rubs her head, while asking Jennifer, as a full-fledged mistress of the mystical arts, what her professional opinion is. Jennifer announces that she can definitely rule out the supernatural as the cause of this change, but points out Dani is still marked by the Asgardian magic that made her a Valkyrie a few years ago. Moonstar replies that if it is not magic then there must be a scientific explanation, and supposes she should call Hank McCoy. Jennifer tells Danielle that they are all conduits for the physical and spiritual energies of the universe. ‘My guess is that you’re tapping into some kind of cosmic force’ she explains. ‘Great. As if my life isn’t complicated enough as it is’ Dani smiles.
Meanwhile, in Santa Lucia, California, an affluent community in the heart of California’s wine country. ‘I can’t believe you made that thick-necked orderly break down and cry, Domino. Once you know the right button to push people will tell you anything you want to know’ Aaronson remarks as he and Domino sneak into a large house. Aaronson adds that it is too bad the orderly didn’t know anything about the people who paid him to keep tabs on Saunders’s visitors, except for this address. At Bedlam’s touch, the ranch house’s front door lock falls apart, and its security system goes off line. ‘Remind me to call you the next time I lose my keys’ Domino jokes, to which Jesse tells her locks have not been a problem for him since his powers kicked in when he was a teenager. ‘Neither have burglar alarms and surveillance equipment’ he adds.
‘Earlier, you said you and your family are estranged. Why’s that?’ Jesse remarks. ‘Slip of the tongue. Forget I even mentioned it’ Domino quickly retorts. ‘If I were you…’ Jesse begins, but Domino sternly tells him to drop it. Aaronson does, and asks Domino if he has told her he is having trouble remembering what his brother looks like. His mind flashes back to when he was five years old, and his parents died in that car accident. ‘All the family albums disappeared soon after’ he reveals, adding that the last time he saw his brother he was being led around from the flaming wreckage. ‘I called his name, but he didn’t turn around’ Aaronson tells Domino, who replies ‘That was fourteen years ago. If we find him, don’t expect him to be the little boy you remember’ she warns him. ‘Yeah, I know…’ Aaronson replies.
Suddenly, ‘Are you two always this chatty when you’re breaking and entering?’ a voice calls out from the darkness. ‘That kind of carelessness could get you killed’ the voice calls out, before Domino orders Jesse to get down, and just in time, as a blast of molten lava goes over their heads. ‘What the…?’ Jesse mutters, while Domino tells Jesse to get out of here while she deals with their attacker. Domino throws a wooden chair in the direction of her attacker, who responds ‘You’re terribly confident, Domino - for a woman who is completely outmatched’. The room lights up as Magma comes into view. The powerful former New Mutant and Hellion introduces herself, adding that she commands fire and molten earth. ‘Take my advice, love - RUN!’
With that, Magma, once known as Amara Aquilla, causes streams of lava to burst from the floor as Domino and Bedlam make their escape. ‘She used to be one of the New Mutants. She’s supposed to be one of the goody guys!’ Domino exclaims. ‘Maybe she got a better offer’ Bedlam suggests, when suddenly, they stumble across another: ‘Oh no…Domino…the volcano girl’s not the only thing we have to worry about’ Hesse adds as they stand before a figure in the darkness. ‘Um, how’s it going, big guy? We were just on our way out’. A technological voice replies ‘You will proceed no further’. ‘Out of our w - OW!’ Domino exclaims as she attempts to punch their new foe. ‘This goon’s armored!’ she tells Jesse. ‘Incorrect!’ the mysterious foe replies as he punches Domino across the room, a hint of yellow and black showing in the light as he does so.
‘Don’t worry, Dom…my power wreaks havoc on anything mechanical or electronic - and that should include whatever armor or exoskeleton this creep’s wearing…’ Bedlam exclaims as he unleashes his power on their foe. This causes the strange being, reminiscent of techno-organic to step into the light, its form flailing as it exclaims ‘Bio-electric interference. Malfunction. Malfunction’. Bedlam is knocked to the ground, ‘Wasn’t armor at all - that thing’s some kind of robot or android or Transformer - and he’s completely out of control!’. Part of the mysterious being knock Magma in the head, rendering her unconscious. ‘That thing took out Magma for us, but I doubt we’ll be that lucky again’ Domino tells Bedlam, adding that there may be others like them waiting.
‘Right. We can always come back - with an army’ Bedlam remarks, when suddenly, ‘I can’t believe you two are thinking of leaving so soon’ a voice calls out. Domino and Bedlam clutch their heads, ‘Ahhhh…my head…’ Domino exclaims, while Bedlam asks ‘What’s happening?’. ‘Think we’re under…train wreck…overpass…dog collar…’ Domino mutters. ‘Howling…monopoly…vivid…scene?’ Jesse exclaims, while someone moves down the staircase: ‘Why, the party hasn’t even begun!’ he exclaims, standing over Jesse, the shirtless man with a shaved head tells them that he knows their thoughts are in chaos, and that is his fault. ‘As Jesse here is able to disrupt machinery and electronics, I do the same to the higher functions of the brain. Discord runs in the family. Hello, little brother!’. Christopher Aaronson grins, while Jesse looks up at his brother in shock.
Christopher apologizes for the rough welcome, but claims that he had to be sure of their identity. ‘Domino has a reputation as a dangerous mercenary. I hardly expected my long lost brother to be travelling with her’ he explains, while Jesse tells his brother that this is not the reunion he had imagined. ‘What happened to you? It was like you vanished from the face of the Earth for fourteen years’ he remarks. Christopher reveals that he has been identified as a mutant by the NSD when he was six, and after their parents’ untimely death, he was taken to a Government research center by Dabney Saunders. ‘He saw to it that all the records of my birth and childhood were destroyed’ Christopher exclaims.
Christopher continues, revealing that when he turned thirteen he grew tired of being poked and prodded and treated like a lab rat, so he left. ‘Unfortunately, to do so, I had to destroy the minds of Saunders and the scientist who ran the project‘. Christopher reveals, before remarking that as they can see, he has done quite well for himself. ‘But why’d you never try to find me?’ Jesse asks. Christopher explains that Jesse was given the same genetic screenings as he was, but somehow his X-Factor gene went undetected. ‘I was unaware you were a mutant until you arrived tonight and disabled all of the compound’s security system’ Christopher replies. ‘Had I know, I would have asked you to join us a long time ago’.
‘And who exactly is “us”?’ Domino asks, concerned. Four figures appear behind Christopher, ‘Our British exile, Alison Crestmere…Magma’ he introduces first. ‘We’ve met’ Magma remarks, stern faced. ‘The enigmatic Paradigm’ Christopher introduces next. ‘Internal repair completed ‘Paradigm announces. ‘Marie-Ange Colbert, the beautiful Tarot’ he announces, but Tarot says nothing. ‘And Devon Alomar…who prefers to be called Switch’. ‘Is this really important?’ Switch asks. Christopher smiles as he motions at his companions, revealing that this assembly of Alpha Class mutants, along with one other, are the first of the coming mutant aristocracy. ‘They are the New Hellions…membership is open!’.