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The Mission
Recruited by SHIELD to troubleshoot the Heli-carrier computer system, Kitty Pryde discovers that the bug in the system is her old foe, Ogun. Determined but futilely, she strikes at Ogun’s ghostly form, vowing that she will beat him again. The ninja master in turn mocks that he is merely a virtual projection. Rigby Fallon adds that Ogun is embedded in the system code. They have to go in and write him out line by line. A mathematically impossible task, Ogun mocks as he assumes control of the helm and the Heli-carrier begins to dive, a maneuver it wasn’t designed for.
Rigby loses his balance and falls on Kitty’s bag. A protesting squawk comes out of it and Lockheed frees himself. There’s a little dragon in her bag, Rigby adds unnecessarily. So that’s where he was hiding, Kitty exclaims.
Dugan and Valentina contact them, demanding to know what’s going on in computing. They need Pryde to access the mainframe and let them take control of the helm. Kitty remembers that Ogun changed the codes so that only her palm activates the computer system. However, access is now denied. Uh-oh, Kitty mutters. Of course it no longer works, Ogun mocks. He only made it work from her palm print to lure her there. Soon, his adversary will be joining them and they shall all spin merrily off the edge of the wheel of life.
What was that about? Rigby wonders. He tricked Wolverine into coming onto the Heli-carrier, Kitty spells it out for him. How’s that Wooferino guy pull that off? Rigby wonders. Fly?
Wolverine drives through Manhattan streets on his motor bike. “Meet me on the Brooklyn Bridge” he mocks what she said. “‘Wear your costume,’ she says.” Anybody but Kitty asks him to do this, he’d tell ‘em where to— Whoa! he mutters as he sees the Heli-carrier about to dive bomb towards Brooklyn Bridge. Wind is shifting and he catches a distinct scent aboard the carrier… Kitty!
On the Carrier, Rigby Fallon considers a manual override on the whole computer system by shutting them all down but this is the only access to the mainframe banks and it’s been locked by the computer. What do the switches look like? Kitty asks.
Wolverine, in the meantime, decides Kitty is in trouble and he’s got to get aboard the Heli-carrier. He accelerates, rides over a cab (whose cabby shouts at him to signal when he passes) and drives upwards on the bridge’s railing.
Kitty orders Rigby to pretend he didn‘t see that and phases inside the computer vault. Is she some kind of projection? Rigby asks. No, just a mutant. she replies.
The carrier makes it under the bridge by a hair and Wolverine’s chopper jumps aboard. Piece of cake. A lot easier than the last time he tried that stunt.
Kitty runs as fast as she can, muttering that of course the switch she needs is all the way over on the other side.
Wolverine lands and starts looking for Kitty.
Dugan and the Contessa signal Rigby, telling him they need those computers shut down now! Rigby informs them that Kitty is already inside the computer vault. Almost there, Kitty realizes. She’s about to touch the button when Ogun materializes in front of her, suggesting she not presume victory until she has achieved it. Kitty shouts she isn’t afraid of him. He’s just a hologram.
He takes off his mask to reveal a corpselike face. With a smirk, he informs her that this form has substance of a sort. It’s the ectoplasmic manifestation of an undead revenant. Oy Gevalt! Kitty exclaims.
Outside, Rigby bangs against the door, demanding to know if Kitty is all right.
In the meantime Wolverine and his chopper take the fast way down the aircraft elevator.
Ogun leers at Kitty, ordering her to come and be his, forevermore.
Logan lands and sniffs.
Things turn worse as the alarm klaxons are sounded. The Heli-carrier is about to crash into a daytime cruise full of tourists.
Kitty tells Ogun he is dead, just a lingering vestige of life energy. He’s nothing but cold chill down her back. If he is of such little consequence, he suggests, then she shall have no qualms about passing through him to shut down the computer. He urges her to go right ahead. She does not even need to use her phasing power. Kitty does so with closed eyes, while Ogun asks her if she feels the cold, the unrelenting chill of the grave, the dark profound silent eternity. It’s not going to stop her, she replies with clenched teeth and finally presses the button. She’s won! Kitty exclaims. But what has she lost? Ogun asks with a grin.
Dugan finds that the helm is finally responding and pulls up the carrier, seconds before the imminent collision.
Kitty phases outside the vault again, still shuddering with disgust and horror. Rigby holds her steady, telling her she beat that thing whatever it was. That was about the bravest thing he ever saw. Kitty is touched and the two are about to kiss.
Wolverine chooses this moment for his entrance, asking whether he’s interrupting anything. Kitty is happy to see him, but quickly explains that Ogun is back. Wolverine knows about that, having already run into him himself, but he was hoping Ogun had forgotten about Kitty. He guesses that was a pipe dream. Lockheed flies over to him and coos happily.
Rigby nervously asks him what he knows about this Ogun character, before wondering how Wolverine got on the Heli-carrier and past security. He jumped his motorcycle from the Brooklyn Bridge onto their flight deck, explains Val, who has just joined them with a lot of very armed SHIELD agents. Almost as dramatic an entrance as the last time he boarded the Heli-carrier from the top of the Citicorp building and through the armored glass of the bridge. Anybody else would be heaved ignominiously into the brig, but they make an exception around here for poker buddies of Nick Fury.
Rigby’s face lights up. He’s a pal of the legendary Nick Fury? Him and the colonel go back aways, Wolverine replies. Did some sneaky-peeky stuff for the puzzle palace honchos in the bad ole days o’ the Cold War… As fer Ogun, he was his teacher. He was the greatest living swordsman of his time, but to borrow a phrase that’s been hashed around a bit, “he was seduced by his dark side.”
Wolverine’s tale:
Ogun wanted something from Wolverine but couldn’t get it. He though he could get it from Kitty, so he imprinted his psyche over hers – giving her martial skills beyond her years and making her his slave as well. His control was so great, he was able to make Kitty try to kill Wolverine. But Kitty proved too strong for him eventually. When she had the chance she refused to kill Ogun in spite of what he had done to her. Instead it was Wolverine who put out Ogun’s lights, thrusting right through Kitty’s phasing body even as Ogun was cutting down on him.
Present:
Wolverine adds that he had a run-in with Ogun a while back at the Metropolitan museum and another one just recently in the East Village. He’s a revenant now, somewhere between being dead and alive and it ain’t just computers he possesses… he can take over people as well.
Dugan orders to get the computer back online and have Rigby run a systems scan and purge that bad guy from the memory so they can get back to fly-by-wire and autopilot. Rigby complies, as soon as Kitty pops the security door for him. Kitty phases her hand through and opens the door. She never has to worry about forgetting her keys, she jokes as she opens the door. Rigby tells her he’ll only need a few minutes to set up the auto-purge. A lot easier than rewriting the code line by line.
In the meantime, Val is issuing Wolverine a temporary I.D. card and orders him to return it to her personally before he disembarks. It’s a date, Valentina, comes the reply. He turns to Kitty, remarking that young fella seems like a nice kid. Is she sweet on him? Rigby? No way, she protests. They met like minutes ago. Besides Pete Wisdom and she are… Sheepishly, she amends that she doesn’t really know. Pete’s been acting like a perfect jerk lately and Rigby is so kind and smart and…
And kinda easy on the eyes as well, Wolverine teases. He suggests she just give it some time and let her heart sort it all out. She should go with what her heart tells her to do and she might roll right into a mess of pain, but years down the pike she won’t regret it.
She guesses he’s heading on out of here? He gets on his bike, as Kitty muses with the computer chaos solved she might be kinda redundant herself. Wolverine warns her that Ogun might not be out for the count yet. He might stick around to make sure.
In the meantime, Rigby finds that his job isn’t quite as easy. Purge an undead entity from the system. What manual does he look up the procedure for that in? Suddenly, Ogun appears on the screen, suggesting he might be better served to ask where the instructions for exorcisms are. Ogun emerges from the screen and takes over the struggling Rigby.
Shortly, Rigby joins Kitty who’s surprised that he’s already finished. Life is too short to waste time needlessly, he replies. Why don’t they pick up where they left off?
Suspicious, Lockheed growls at him.


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[Assistant]
Pryde Goeth before the Fall
On the hangar deck of the SHIELD Helicarrier, Rigby Fallon informs Kitty Pryde that it is futile to resist. There’s some magic electricity between them that is as unstoppable as the tides. Kitty orders him to get a grip. They only just met and they’ve been though a harrowing experience with Ogun seizing control of the Helicarrier… and besides there’s Pete Wisdom on Muir… Still, Rigby doesn’t let her turn away, pointing out that Pete sounds like a jerk who takes her for granted. Closing in, he promises that he has no problem to express his undying love…
Suddenly, there are jeers and catcalls of “way to go, Rigby.” A nice secluded spot on the hangar deck might be perfect for a private romantic interlude, as long as it wasn’t smack dab on top of a rising aircraft elevator. The other agents laugh and tell them not to mind them. Just pretend they aren’t there.
With everybody staring, Kitty is embarrassed and asks Rigby to let go. Why should he let her go when he finally has hold of the acolyte he came back from the grave for? he asks. His face turns to Ogun’s. Surprised? he leers. Didn’t Logan tell her? Computers aren’t the only thing he can possess. Kitty phases through him.
The SHIELD agents order Kitty to drop to the floor. They’ll take him down. Kitty tells them not to shoot. He may be possessed by Ogun, but that’s still Rigby’s body. Another agent threatens, if that’s the gremlin who had control of the Helicarrier computers, they are taking him out no matter who he’s possessing. Ogun smirks and corrects the agent that he is in error to use the past tense in reference to his control of the flight computers, as he will now demonstrate. With that, the Helicarrier suddenly jerks, ready to tip over.
It’s Wolverine to the rescue, as he orders Ogun to give up. He settled his hash once before. He can do it again. Ah, Logan, Ogun sighs, has he no respect for his sensei? He takes on Rigby’s form again as Wolverine slashes at him. Logan shouts that he respected Ogun as a teacher, but he blew it when he went after Kitty.
Ogun tells him to slash him again. This borrowed body is nothing to him. Kitty, however, orders Wolverine to back off. He can’t hurt Ogun by clawing apart Rigby.
She turns to Ogun. This is all about him getting control over her, right? Well, she’s challenging him to a duel on the astral plane. If she wins, he lets Rigby go. If he wins, he’ll get her instead. And she’d trust him to transport both of them to the astral plane? Ogun leers. Splendid! He accepts. Of course he shall keep “one foot” in the computer… just in case.
Wolverine orders Kitty to stop that. Ogun is a master. Remember what happened last time? She’s been practicing, Kitty tries to calm Wolverine. Ogun was old when he first met him, Logan warns her. She’d have to do more than a few extra sessions to catch up with him, he retorts.
The Helicarrier takes its normal position as Kitty decides there is no more time for arguing. Somebody has to regain control of the computer. She hands Lockheed over to Wolverine, who tells her to be careful. Kitty bows formally to Ogun and states: let the match begin. Ogun’s ghost lets go of Rigby’s body as he applauds her good form and respect, so how can he not do like wise? He bows and states Hajime! (Begin)
The astral plane:
They find themselves on the astral plane, full of colored lights. Both are sporting blades. Ogun warns Kitty that this isn’t a video game. No extra lives here. No second chance. No quarter asked for and none given, Kitty agrees as they begin to cross blades. Ogun points out that her phasing talent is of no use on this plane. Here they are reduced to their primal energies, and this contest hinges on skill. Kitty retorts that he may be better in the martial arts, but she holds the advantage in other ways….
Rigby wakes up to see Wolverine holding onto an unconscious Kitty. He asks what happened. Wolverine gives a short explanation and asks Rigby what did Ogun mean when he said he was keeping one foot in the computer The answer comes the next moment, as the out of control Carrier hits a skyscraper. Rigby explain that Ogun is keeping an access open to the flight computer to keep the help on the bridge locked out but at the same time he is not actively controlling it because he’s using everything he has to fight Kitty.
On the astral plane, Kitty points out Ogun’s mistake. He cannot concentrate on this fight and control the Helicarrier at the same time. Ogun realizes this is true, but no matter. He shall simply render her hors de combat – with that he strikes her down – until he sets a holding course. They’ll finish this match when he returns. He leaves through a portal. Kitty fight to stay awake and follow him. She has to beat him one and for all, she tells herself.
On the bridge, the Helicarrier is no longer out of control, but Dugan realizes Ogun has taken over the helm again. Val orders Rigby to get manual control, but Rigby reminds her that the computer vault is locked, that’s why they brought Kitty aboard in the first place.
Wolverine points out that they couldn’t get into the computer vault before because they were trying to do it without damaging anything. Well, now it’s down to a choice between losing the computer or losing the whole Helicarrier and half of Manhattan to boot. He hands Kitty to Rigby, as he picks up a bomb and order Rigby to show him the way to the vault.
The Astral Plane:
Ogun is within the binary calculating engine. Soon, when Kitty has been suborned and taken her place as his willing acolyte, he shall have the means to walk the Earth in flesh and blood again. Speak of the devil, he announces unsurprised, as Kitty joins him and they begin to fight again
Reality:
Rigby asks if Wolverine thinks that piece of ordnance will penetrate a reinforced polysteel vault door. It’s a Mark 82 g.p. bomb, Logan replies. Five hundred pounds of high explosive. A lot of bang for the buck. The whole control room is gonna get vaporized, but that’s better than the alternative.
On the bridge, Dugan worries that Ogun is going to crash them into the World Trade Center. No, he’s steering the Carrier between the towers, Valentina realizes.
On the astral plane, Ogun praises Kitty for a block, remarking that he taught her that technique. There is nothing in her repertoire of martial arts maneuvers that is a surprise to him, he claims. There must be something, she muses and finally has an idea.
Outside, Valentina shouts that they are heading straight for the Statue of Liberty now. And they are going full throttle, Dugan adds. Rigby and Wolverine had better do something real quick.
Wolverine, in the meantime, has rewired the fuse assembly for remote detonation and jerry-rigged a table lamp switch as a firing box. All of that went right over his head, Rigby admits as he carries Kitty away. Joining him and Lockheed, Wolverine simplifies it. It means he can make the whole thing go boom from behind a nice sturdy bulkhead. That he got, Rigby states.
They see Ogun and Kitty on the computer monitor screen and Ogun has got the advantage. Time to pull the futon out from under him, Logan shouts. Fire in the hole, he cries, as he presses the remote button and the bomb detonates. They are able to access the computer vault. Where’s the manual cut-off switch? Logan asks. At the other end, comes the reply. Figures, he swears.
Elsewhere, Kitty throws away her sword. She can beat him, she announces. And she doesn’t need her sword to do it. As he raises his blade, Ogun boasts that she could barely hold her ground against him with a sword. How can she hope to prevail unarmed? Kitty begins to glow as she states that the dead don’t learn anymore. They are just remainders. Every little thing that she has learned since she was under his domination is something he doesn’t have a clue about. But most important of all is that the intrinsic power of life can always defeat death, since death is nothing but the absence of life. Ogun is hit by the light and falls, losing his sword.
On the Helicarrier, Wolverine has reached the cut-off button and punches it, but nothing happens. Major bad news, Rigby predicts. That means Ogun has bypassed the cut-off switch. There’s no way to turn off the computer now. He can turn ‘em off, Logan replies.
The Astral Plane:
Ogun admits that the pupil has surpassed the master. But he still has control of the Helicarrier and he will crash it into the Statue of Liberty unless Kitty finishes what she started and sends him howling into oblivion.
The Helicarrier:
Logan switches off the computers his own style by tearing through them with his claws. Rigby admits that’s doing the trick. Almost as good as spilling coffee in the mainframe.
At the helm, Val realizes they have controls back but Dugan isn’t sure he can stop the carrier in time.
On the Astral Plane, Ogun orders Kitty to finish it. She has won the right to take away what semblance of life he still possesses. Kitty refuses. She will not mete out death even as a surcease to the undead. She won’t reduce herself to his level.
Surely, she is now an avatar of Kwannon, goddess of mercy, he replies. No, she is just a girl who cares, Kitty retorts. Regretful, Ogun asks what has he done. What has he become? What has he forsaken?! Turning away, Kitty reminds him that he was a master before he strayed from the path of righteousness. He can be one again if he tries.
She steps outside and awakes in Rigby’s arms. Logan jokingly states she believes in cutting it close. What does he mean by that? she wonders. He points out they are hovering mere feet away from the Statue of Liberty’s head. Any closer and they could have taken the stairs down to the ferry…


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[Assistant]
Hated and Feared
Avalon, at the Village of Jackdaw's Nest. Otherworld currently burns under the iron rule of Merlyn, the Omniversal Majestor, and his loyal knights, led by King Arthur. His Furies raze even his own lands to the ground – in search of witchbreed. They are known as mutants back on Earth, but back home, death is less of a problem. The local elves of Jackdaw's Nest run through their own village, fleeing the dangers that pursue them. Several of them search for safety in a barn, where Joshua Englehard a.k.a. the Jersey Devil is hiding. He is not from Otherworld, but he likes it here. He is Krakoan, and right now, he is praying that he is not alone. 'This way, dear' a telepathic voice calls out, eyes manifesting before him. He is confused, but he knows that if a mutant dies in Otherworld, they will not be reborn the same again.
Several massive Furies loom over the barn, and lock onto their prey – new witchbreed detected. The Jersey Devil runs from the barn, following the psychic manifestation that appears before him, he jumps over a wall and begins to fall down the side of a bank, dodging the Fury's attack. He lands hard, as the Furies reach the bank and loom over it. They lock into another known witchbreed – 'Captain Britain' one of the furies decalres as Captain Britain arrives on a large white horse, and blocks the energy which the Fury releases at her with a telekinetic shield. 'I sure hoped that psychic butterfly was you' the Jersey Devil remarks as he climbs onto the horse. 'Joshua, yes? Get on. We have to move fast if we're going to get back to the Lavender Keep safely' Captain Britain announces.
Captain Britain dodges more deadly blasts fired by the Furies, while Joshua clings to her and asks her if he can get to Krakoa from the Lavender Keep. He tells her that he thinks he is ready to go home, and while he was having fun, he thinks that things went from chill to bad really fast. 'I hate to be the one to tell you this... but there is no way to get home to Krakoa' Captain Britain reveals, before her mind makes contact with Joshua's to show him what happened.
(in flashback image)The gate was destroyed, and now, the Starlight Citadel is the Lunatic Citadel, and Merlyn rules Otherworld far more cruelly than Saturnyne once did – his most loyal knight is King Arthur. At his side, are Roma, Mad Jim Jaspers, the Furies, Colony Queen Vesperidae, Countex Oublia and Countex Oscura and the captive Ryl serves as his attendant.
(present)Joshua looks shocked: 'You're not kidding. Like, from the legends?' he asks. 'The same' Captain Britain tells him, adding that just like in the legends, Arthur fears his defeat will come at the hands of Mordred, his own son, who is currently dead, but apparently carried the X-gene. 'That would explain why Arthur doesn't like us!' Joshua realizes. 'Yes. In his simple mind, mutants stole his son and his kingdom.
The large white horse suddenly flies towards the Floating Kingdom of Roma, while Joshua tells Captain Britain 'That explains the Sentinel! I was super confused'. Captain Britain explains to Joshua that those aren't Sentinels, but he can be forgiven for thinking that. She informs him that those mutant-hunting machines the size of towers are called Furies, and they hunt down the super-powered. They have their own nation, and have sworn fealty to Merlyn, of course. Captain Britain notes that they are not typically so large though.
Captain Britain welcomes Joshua to Roma's Floating Kingdom, and explains that Roma is Merlyn's daughter, but that she has been a friend to mutants before. 'You will be safe here. For now...' Captain Britain adds, as the horse lands on the Floating Kingdom, where members of the Captain Britain Corps are gathered. 'So... we're all stuck here' Joshua remarks, telling Captain Britain that she must miss Krakoa, too. 'Oh, I don't, but please don't misunderstand. My name is Captain Bretland, and I've never been to Krakoa' the purple-haired counterpart of Betsy Braddock announces, informing Joshua that the Betsy Braddock he knows is their leader.
They enter the stable, where other members of the Captain Britain Corps are tending to their horses within the Lavender Keep. 'Hail! She's returned!' one of the Corps calls out. It is here that the Captain Britain Corps defends their Majestrix-in-exile, Saturnyne, and rescue those unfortnate mutants who find themselves alone in an Otherworld that hates and fears them. 'And she's got a new arrival. Hello, young man' one of the Corps greets Joshua.
Inside another room, Elspeth Braddock of Earth-13059 is the Corps' most powerful seer, and her focussed totality reaches out in an attempt to contact Earth-616, the home of the Corps' leader. In a scrying pool, she sees the Krakoans waiting for Betsy Braddock – but they cannot reach her, they simply wait – because Betsy Braddock is busy.
'I have had it with you!' an enraged Saturnyne screams as she hurls a goblet of wine towards Betsy Braddock a.k.a. Captain Britain, who blocks the wine with a psi-shield. She tells Saturnyne that she is sorry her stolen throne has not been returned to her rapidly enough. 'Acting as your general without a true army leaves me with something of a permanent migraine' Betsy adds. Betsy Braddock of Earth-616 raised the Starlight Sword and restored the Captain Britain Corps in her name – she is the sworn knight of Lady Saturnyne. 'I don't care if my general is missing three of her four limbs! I want my bloody throne!' the hysterical Saturnyne shrieks. Betsy snaps back at Saturnyne, telling her that she is not her personal conquistador, she is here to protect and defend those who are hunted, like herself. She then adds 'May I remind you, Saturnyne, you do not have that “infernal X in your blood”!'
Betsy asks Saturnyne where her great powers are, her great magic. 'We are exhausted. You exhaust me!' Betsy exclaims. 'You exhaust yourselves sending out a rescue team for every last mutant who gets chased by the Furies' Saturnyne mutters. 'If you think I'm going to stop rescuing mutants in this place because you want your chair back faster, you are sorely mistaken' Betsy snaps at Saturnyne, who looks taken aback by Betsy's forcefulness. Saturnyne then asks Betsy what her plan is, then – to keep hiding? 'What would you have me do? I have begged you...find a way to contact Krakoa and bring through reinforcements. You did it for the tournament -' Betsy starts to say, to which Saturnyne reminds her that she was Omniversal Majestrix back then, and asks how she is supposed to do that now. 'I don't know. You got yourself that job before, didn't you? Ambitious little Courtney? So – do it again' Betsy suggests, pulling her cloak over her head and leaving the room they are in, while Saturnyne just frowns and folds her arms.
Outside: 'You needn't sneak around, Betsy Braddock. I know about the Keep. Have known, dear. And don't worry – mutants are still welcome in my realm' Roma Regina calls out. 'I hoped' Betsy replies as she approaches Roma and takes her hand, telling her that she is sorry they didn't ask permission. Roma reclines on some cushions, and tells Betsy that it was convenient at the time, for if her father asked, she wanted to be able to say that she hadn't heard from her. 'Your kindness towards mutants precedes you, Lady Roma. And I confess that I come asking for even more' Betsy adds. Roma tells her that she is so formal, and remarks that the Betsy she recalls appreciates the finer things. 'Champagne?' she asks, motioning to two glasses and a platter of fruit. Roma adds that she imagines Betsy's fortress is somewhat without comforts. 'Oh my' Betsy utters, before she starts drinking the champagne. Roma tells  her that if she has come this far, then she deserves the liquid courage. Betsy wipes her lip, 'Dear God, that's good. I've been drinking rainwater for months' she reveals.
'Now that you're relaxed, what brings you to me?' Roma asks, leading Besty down to a clear blue stream nearby. Betsy informs Roma that she needs an army, but Roma tells her that she hasn't one to give. Roma adds that those in her Floating Kingdom hate her father more than most. They walk along some large stones in the middle of the stream, and Roma tells Betsy that Merlyn and his people are, like hers, fae, which means they are creatures of story, wild by nature and loving – not unlike the mutants. Roma declares that Merlyn rules his people with an iron fist, and the fae hate iron. She reveals that many of the citizens of the Floating Kingdom were the first to die. 'I have no soldiers for you' Roma states as she snaps a finger, causing a waterfall ahead of them to part. They pass under the waterfall and Betsy asks 'But what if I don't want fairy soldiers. What if I want my own? From Krakoa?' Betsy enquires.
Betsy looks around at this hidden part of Roma's realm, where a larger waterfall flows nearby, and trees and flowers line the stream. 'Now that's an interesting prospect' Roma remarks. Betsy tells her that she would only need a way to plant a gate, and then there are hundreds who would come through, she's certain of it. 'We could defeat Merlyn in an afternoon with Krakoan force – at least we could protect anyone within Otherworld with an X-gene -' Betsy explains. Roma parts the waterfall ahead of her and a book emerges from a bookcase. Roma tells Betsy that fairy magic is not like that, as it is part of stories. 'Great journeys and the brave and foolish heroes who take them' Roma utters, adding that she does love the story of the mutants. 'While I can't merely wave my hand and grant your wish I can give you all... a quest' Roma announces, handing Betsy the book from the waterall.
Meanwhile, on Krakoa, the mutant nation on Earth. It's the dead of night, and suddenly, Julio Estaban Richter a.k.a. Rictor sits up in bed, and wakes his boyfriend, Shatterstar. The two shirtless men look around their room, as Rictor tells Shatterstar that something is happening. 'Magic stuff. Pants on' Rictor declares.
At the same time, Doug Ramsey a.k.a. Cypher snores obliviously as his strange wife, the Arakkii mutant Bei the Blood Moon leaves their quarters.
Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit sits up in bed and looks at a note his wife, Rogue, has left him, telling him not to wait up late, as she is working late.
Running through a forest, Rachel Summers a.k.a. Prestige is followed by her warwolf pup, Amazing Baby, and exclaims 'Betsy – it's Betsy!'
Back on Otherworld, Roma informs Captain Britain that a quest is not for everyone, however, and that a quest can't bring her an army. She instructs Betsy to choose those she wants to come along with her, but that she must choose carefully, as each of them, including herself, will face terrible trials. 'But heroes you will have, Captain...' Roma adds, while Betsy looks shocked as she looks into the book.
At that moment on Krakoa, Rictor and Shatterstar, Gambit, Prestige and Bei the Blood Moon are gathered in a clearing within a forest, magic symbols glow on the ground beneath them. They are joined by Meggan, and Jubilee, who holds her son, Shogo, in her arms. Suddenly, Captain Britain mateializes before the heroes. 'Betsy, you're back!' Gambit exclaims. '...you're alive!' he adds. 'Did you...kick every single ass in Otherworld?' Rictor asks. '...not remotely' Betsy responds, before reporting that she is here because she needs help. She reminds them that once they all fought with her as Excalibur, but that now, her Corps is overwhelmed, and she needs numbers – but she can only take ten. 'Not another tournament -' Gambit begins, but Betsy tells him that it is nothing like that, rather, it is more of a quest. 'A quest? To save Otherworld? Yes, I'd love to. Brian can watch Maggie' Meggan exclaims, referring to her husband and their daughter.
Gambit asks Betsy what the quest is for, but Betsy tells him that she doesn't know, as Roma wouldn't tell her. 'But I need help...and accepting her quest is the only way I can get it' Betsy explains. With one hand on Shatterstar's shoulder, Rictor tells Betsy that they are in. He adds that they tried to reach her so many times, and that he can't believe she is here. Bei the Blood Moon declares that she does not want to leave her Douglas behind merely to fight the White Witch's war. Betsy tells Bei that she won't be, as this isn't about Saturnyne's throne. 'I'm there for those – like Meggan – who are both magical and mutant, right? Turns out, there are plenty more inside Otherworld. They're in danger' Betsy explains, adding that the quest will be deeply personal and test each of their souls. 'Like...the quest for the Holy Grail?' Rictor asks. Betsy pauses and shrugs, to which Rictor tells her that he is serious, and reveals that he has been readingthis whole time. 'Well, you might be onto something there, Rictor' Betsy tells Rictor. Shatterstar holds up his hands, and admits that he doesn't count often, but that there are not ten of them yet. Betsy announces that she has a plan for that. 'Let's hope they're feeling cooperative at Arbor Magna' Betsy adds.
Shortly, at the Arbor Magna, where the Five – Hope, Egg, Elixir, Tempus and Proteus – are gathered around one of the pods within the resurrection chamber. Captain Britain, Meggan and Rictor stand nearby, as Rictor reports that the young Black Knight, Jacks, confirmed that Mordred is dead – they killed him. Betsy suggests that it should be a perfectly standard resurrection on the Five's end. She adds that it is certainly not going to be as flawless as taking someone's information from Cerebro, but that they are here to help them understand the magical bits. 'He's got an X-gene. We've seen proof of that' Betsy points out. 'This is where we'd usually call in Xavier, but...I'm curious to see if this works' Hope announces as she wears a Cerebro helmet. Meggan approaches the pod between the Five and pours a liquid from a vial onto the pod. 'The waters of the Otherworld' Meggan utters, adding that it is a precious gift from a terrible man, not to mention, the only surviving record of Mordred's mutant spirit. 'If anything will bring a version of him back to us...it's this'..
Suddenly, energy glows around the pod, and rises upwards. The Five concentrate their abilities on the pod as Elixir declares that there is someone alive. The energy subsides, 'If you're using something from Otherworld as his backup -' Hope begins, to which Betsy remarks '- we might get a different version entirely?' and assures Hope that she thoujght about that, before telling her to open the pod up. As Hope begins to open the pod, Tempus looks nervously and remarks 'Well...it was an experiment, so it was possible it wouldn't work...but I didn't expect him to disappear' Tempus adds as the Five discover that the pod is empty. 'There was someone in there' Proteus points out, and Rictor notes that he saw him, too. Betsy tells Meggan and Rictor that they can't wait any longer – they need to say their goodbyes and I-love-yous and tell others to do the same. 'We meet back at the circle' she calls out.
Shortly, Betsy arrives back at the circle, and finds Jubilee sitting with Shogo. 'You're volunteering? I wasn't going to ask, but -' Betsy begins, to which Jubilee remarks that she would be lying if she said she thought it was a good idea to take Shogo back to Otherworld, but that she doesn't know what else to do, as he is asleep all the time. Jubilee holds her son up and informs Betsy that she had everyone on the island look at him, the doctors checked him, but he's just asleep. Betsy psionically connects with Shogo and discovers that he is dreaming of Otherworld. 'And he won't wake up. I think I have to take him back. At the very least...maybe Roma can help us' Jubilee suggests. Rictor and Shatterstar, Gambit, Meggan, Rachel and Bei arrive, and Betsy assures Jubilee thatb they won't let Shogo get hurt. Betsy then turns to her allies and tells them that if they are all here, they'll leave before she gives in to the urge to stay for creature comforts. 'Shall we begin?' she asks, opening the book Roma gave her.
Everyone looks into the book. Mordred's seat was for him alone, and for him alone it would wait. For how else to defeat a man who had turned on his own blood...but to leave a seat at the table forever open to welcome the son who had been cast aside. And as Betsy stands with allies, so to does King Arthur with his.
Otherworld, where Captain Britain, Rictor and Shatterstar, Gambit, Meggan, Rachel, Bei and Shogo, transformed into his dragon form, have arrived. 'Jubes?' Gambit calls out, looking for Jubilee. 'What happened to Jubes?' Gambit asks. 'She didn't come through with the rest of us – why not?' Shattestar asks. Bei remarks that not every quest is for everyone, this one not for Jubilee, but for her son. 'But she would not have let him come along without her. Fairy magic is clever and often cruel' Bei declares. Flames suddenly appear on Rachel's head, as if they were her hair, and fire glows around her hands. 'Whoa! Check out the armor! Otherworld brought the power' Rachel exclaims as she appears in a new Otherworldly costume. Betsy tells Rachel that the armor is lovely, and that she will be glad she has it, before pointing out that they are down two knights, and she doesn't think Roma's magic will send her back to Krakoa twice. Meggan, wearing her classic green costume, informs Betsy that she and Rachel has a friend who has been living in Otherworld for some time. 'That... is a great idea!' Rachel grins.
At that moment: 'Spread out. Our intelligence has tracked this latest rogue mutant offender to this area. But be careful...he's a beast!' King Arthur tells his army of Furies, elves, vampires and other Otherworld natives. 'I smell something. Witchbreed blood?' one of the Sevalithi vampires utters. 'In the trees' and elf with long hair exclaims. Indeed, in the trees, a figure peers out through the dark forest, and screeches as Sir Vescora, of the strange Vescora species states 'Identify. Cleanse. Dissect'. 'I'll run from you no more, you bastards!' Colin McKay a.k.a. Kylun the lion-esque mutant exclaims as he leaps from the trees and slices the back of Sir Vescora's neck as he lands on him. 'Men! He's slain Sir Vescora!' Arthur calls out when he sees the attack. Kylun runs through a clearing, remarking to himself that if he can return to the shadows he can strike again, vowing to kill them one by one for what they say about his kind.
Suddenly, Kylun cries out in pain as he is struck by magical energies courtesy of a haunting figure who floats above wearing a blue cloak. 'We have been following you, Kylun. Witchbreed... wizard slayer...' the haunting figure utters, waving a hand and encasing Kylun in ice, trapping him. 'You are a witchbreed who toys with sound. Let us hear the sound of me cutting your throat -' one of the Sevalithi vampires snarls as he puts a knife to Kylun's throat – but before he can harm Kylun, dragonfire rains down, knocking the vampire backwards and melting the ice trapping Kylun. Kylun looks up in shock: 'Impossible! Captain Britain – I had hoped and prayed that one day you may come to my aid, but the rest of you – Rachel, Meggan, I've not seen you in years!' Kylun exclaims. 'Could it be Excalibur?' he asks. 'Not anymore, Kylun. But we do need your help' Rachel tells her former teammate as she hovers nearby, fiery energy radiating from her fist. Shatterstar, Gambit and Bei gather near Kylun, while Captain Britain stands nearby, Rictor is raised up on some earth and Meggan flies above them, elemental energy glowing around her hands. Shogo stands behind everyone.
'We're down a mutant for an important quest... and you know Otherworld betterthan anyone' Rachel declares. 'You have me friends' Kylun answers, before stating that he doesn't want to take command, but that he thinks with their numbers, they may be able to thwart the enemy. 'I like this Kylun' Shatterstar smiles. Betsy points out that they also have the Furies to worry about, but acknowledges that they do havea dragon, and she has an idea. 'Betsy, be careful! As a mother, I have to insist!' Meggan exclaims as Betsy climbs onto Shogo's back, she swears on her life that Shogo won't be in danger. Betsy tells her allies that she needs them to handle Arthur's new little crew of aspirants, before she telepathically reaches out to Shogo, telling him that to do this work, he needs to listen to her very carefully so that he stays safe. 'Do you want to take Aunt Betsy pon a little ride?' Betsy asks. Shogo's thoughts project a cartoon response of him smiling as he flies through the air with his Aunt Betsy. 'Just don't tell mummy' Betsy adds as Shogo flies up into the air.
'Witchbreed proximity alert' one of the Furies states as Shogo and Betsy fly past them. 'Changing course to intercept' another Fury adds. As she casts her flaming energy about, striking down Arthur's allies, Rachel telepathically warns Betsy that there is another incoming. 'What have you got, Rachel?' Betsy responds, asking her if it could be related to her sudden fire-priestess regalia. 'No, I think it's for all of us' Rachel replies, urging Betsy to get back here. Suddenly, Athur looks back and sees a dark figure on a large black horse appear. 'Who...' he wonders. Rachel flies up above the battlefield and tosses some flaming energy at the enemy. Kylun and Shatterstar fight back to back against two of Arthur's new allies, while Rachel telepathically tells Betsy 'I mean it'.
'Okay, darling, fast as you can, and at the last moment, we're going to turn -' Betsy telepathically instructs Shogo, who does as asked, and moves at the last moment, causing two Furies to crash into each other and explode in the sky. 'Attaboy! See that? Two for thev price of one. I'm sure we can find you an ice cream for that' Betsy tells Shogo, while down below, one of the Arthur's soldiers reports that the Furies have collided – that it was the damned Captain Britain. The battel rages on, with Bei and Shatterstar striking down Arthur's army with their swords, Rictor blasting them with seismic energy and Gambit hurling his kinetically-charged playing cards into the army. Shogo drops back down to the ground and Betsy asks Rachel what she can tell her about their visitor. 'Are they friendly?' she enquires. 'He's powerful. Very powerful' Rachel responds, while Arthur looks on, shocked. 'No...' he utters, wide-eyed. '…and a madman' Rachel adds, as the mysterious man on the black horse rides into the midst of a large gathering of soldiers, and cuts his way through them with his sword.
'Men of Avalon! Retreat! Fall back!' someone calls out. 'No!' Arthur declares. One of the soldiers asks Arthur to let them merely reorganize, while the elf with long hair lunges towards the mysterious soldier on the black horse. 'He just rode through their line! What is he?' Meggan asks, pointing at the mysterious man. 'A distraction. One we can use' Shatterstar smiles. Another of Arthur's soldiers informs him that the Furies are falling, as another is destroyed, dropping to the ground with a fiery display. Captain Britain and her allies look on, and Gambit alerts everyone to Arthur and his army beginning to retreat. 'Too late! I'm coming for you!' Gambit warns the enemy. 'We can't overextend. We got out alive. And that's no random knight' Captain Britain remarks 'If that look on Arthur's face is right...' Captain Britain begins. '...Mordred?' Meggan asks, warning Betsy to stay on guard, as he is a villain. Bei turns to Gambit and tells him that, like herself, he left his beloved in the other realm. 'I think on mine with every moment. They think of us the same' she adds. Gambit frowns and tells Bei that Rogue is real busy right now. 'Maybe Gambit got stuff to do' he adds
The heroes begin to surround the mystery figure on the horse. They stand with swords or powers at the ready, and Captain Britain points her sword towards the soldier, instructing him to speak his name – or be cut down. 'If you're lucky' Rachel adds. The soldier climbs down from his horse and walks towards the heroes, stopping to stop to his knees and remove his helmet. He holds his sword flat across his hands and introduces himself as Mordred. He claims that he knows very little about how he came to be here as he is now, but that the men who follow his father have treated him like an enemy. 'And I hear you can grant me asylum' he adds. 'That's not the Mordred I recognize. He's so young' Meggan utters. Betsy points her sword at Mordred and tells him that it seems only fair that she explains to him how he came to be here, and he answers some personal questions for she and her friends. 'But understand that my questioning can be quite firm' Captain Britain warns Mordred, who looks up at her.
Suddenly, from the dark sky above, a powerful bolt of lightning surges down to Otherworld, and strikes the ground around where the heroes are gathered. Meggan screams in fright, before a red glow appears above everyone. Ten knights have gathered. Ten fated warriors of the sacred X, together as one for the first time. Will you keep the promise? Will you take the quest? The heroes look up at the glow above them, and Gambit exclaims 'Now I'm a man who recognizes a big old expensive hen anywhere... but my eyes gotta be fooling me!' 'It can't be!' Rachel exclaims. 'Of course it is' Meggan tells her, before asking 'Betsy?' as if waiting for instructions on what to do. 'This must be it. With us all assembled, this is what Roma has sent us questing for!' Captain Britain exclaims as she looks up at the Siege Perilous! The lightning scorched a large X into the ground where the Knights of X are gathered, looking up at what awaits them.
But not far away, another, more sinister gathering has pledged their own quest. Merlyn and his allies sit around a table, as mystical energies rise up, Merlyn is speaking to them, showing them what has happened with Captain Britain and her Knights. 'There you have it, King Arthur of Avalon. Your son is reborn again, a disgusting witchbreed through and through'. Merlyn informs Arthur that the stone, the Siege Perilous, is the only thing that can change Mordred forever. 'The quest belongs only to the pure, so you will not find the gem – but you can take it!' Arthur exclaims.


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

[Assistant]
Never Split the Party
The Lunatic Citadel, on Otherworld, where Merlyn is holding council with the leaders of the various provinces within Otherworld. 'We had the witchbreed on the ropes, you pathetic fools!' the wizard shouts. 'Captain Britain was in hiding! Reduced to scraping by aand soothing her failure with rescue missions!' Merlyn declares that soon enough, they would have killed her, and Lady Saturnyne would be his prisoner, personally emptying the contents of his chamber pot at his beck and call. Arthur watches Merlyn as the powerful wizard shouts 'But now Braddock has brought more mutants!' he blames the leaders of the provinces gathered before him and tells them that they haver failed to clean their own streets of witchbreed. 'I can hardly trust you' he snaps. Roma reclines on her seat as she listens to her mad father, while Mad Jim Jaspers stands nearby.
Meryln's rant continues: 'Two of your number are even mutants yourselves! That mysterious Mister M seals his province and then refuses to bend the knee before the Omniversal Majestor? Who knows what he could be building in there?' Merlyn asks. He turns to two strange representatives of the Mercator province, but they do not respond to him. 'Anything to say on behalf of your leader? Hm? No? The legendary Merlyn restores order to Otherworld and your witchbreed leader cannot thank me for my mercy with a visit?' Merlyn then looks past his daughter Roma and turns to Mad Jim Jaspers: 'You're Witchbreed. Perhaps you should answer for the other one'. Jim Jaspers looks slightly nervous as he replies 'Merlyn, you old coffin-dodger, are you having a laugh? Mercator's a loon, I don't know what he's up to -' Jim starts to say, before Merlyn orders two Furies to seize Jim Jaspers.
'What? Mutant or no, I've been very loyal financially!' Jim Jaspers calls out as the Furies put a collar around his neck. Merlyn declares that what he needs can't be bought, and decides that it is too risky to have Jaspers, or Mercator, in his council. 'Take him away. Find a use for him' Merlyn orders the Furies. Jaspers looks horrified at the large collar around his neck. 'You bastard! This is Blightswill! Jaspers calls out as the Furies drag him away. 'Taking away powers is a way to make us witchbreed real cross! You'll regret this!' Jaspers warns Merlyn. 'Krakoa won't stand for it!' he calls out.
At that moment, on Krakoa, the the Quiet Council are in session. Charles Xavier stands up as Captain Britain telepathically projects an image to the council – the Siege Perilous. Captain Britain explains that it is a sacred crystal portal given to them by Roma, Merlyn's daughter. 'When I led the X-Men, it was the last resort that saved our lives when we needed escape...and within its facets lie every version of ourselves' Captain Britain explains. She tells Charles that it is their Holy Grail, but only part of why they are here. 'Otherworld is hell for our kind' Captain Britain utters. Charles looks concerned and tells Captain Britain that it is good to hear from her. 'Our hearts are with the mutants trapped there with you. And news of the Siege Perilous is welcome, if not...unexpected' Charles adds. 'What about MorBdred? I heard you made a little inconclusive genetic soup in Arbor Magna. How'd that turn out? Did you get a kinder, gentler Modred?' Mr Sinister asks, smirking.
Suddenly, Jubilee rushes into the council and sees Captain Britain's telepathic projection. 'Betsy! Where's Shogo? Is he safe? Can I see him?' she asks, referring to her dragon-son. Captain Britain assures Jubilee that Shogo is safe and happy, and apologizes to her, explaining that she didn't know the quest wouldn't bring her through. Jubilee wipes some tears from her eyes and tells Captain Britain that is okay, but she doesn't care, so long as Shogo is okay. 'You gotta watch him, Betsy, if something happens to him -' Jubilee begins, before Betsy assures her that she won't let it. 'We're taking him to Roma for help. But I don't have much time -' Betsy begins.
On Otherworld, in the Lavender Keep, where Betsy Braddock a.k.a. Captain Britain sits in a circle, holding hands with Rachel Summers a.k.a. Prestige, and three members of the Captain Britain Corps – the Violet Swan, Queen Elizabeth III and Elspeth Braddock – as they commune telepathically with Krakoa. Betsy reports that she doesn't know how long they can maintain this, and that it wasn't until Rachel arrived that the Corps could create a circuit powerful enough to send a message home at all. 'Not that hard' Rachel boasts, but Betsy tells her that she exhausted and they are stopping. 'I'm fine' Rachel replies. Betsy answers Sinister's question by reporting that Mordred found them. 'And if we can sit at a table with snakes like you, I think we can trust him. He is one of  us – a mutant and a knight. With any luck, the Siege Perilous will take all of us home...and Krakoa will be Mordred's home too'. Betsy declares, before the telepathic transmission ends. 'Well, bring me back some of his blood or something if he dies in there. Hair's fine, too' Sinister calls out. Xavier announces that the meeting is adjourned. 'But let us not forget to hold our Knights in our hearts while they are far away...' Xavier utters as he and Nightcrawler comfort Jubilee, and follow Emma Frost and Kate Pryde out of the council chambers.
With the telepathic transmission concluded, Rachel leans backwards and exclaims 'Phew. That was exhausting'. Betsy smiles and tells her friend 'I thought you were fine?' 'You are such a pain, Betsy Braddock, I swear!' Rachel grins. Shogo the dragon suddenly appears at a window. Betsy waves at Shogo and tells him that they spoke with his mummy, and adds that he will be seeing Lady Roma very soon. Suddenly, 'Coward!' a voice calls out. Betsy and Rachel leap out of the window and Amazing Baby, Rachel's warwolf pup, looks down at a battle transpiring below between Colin McKay a.k.a. Kylun and Mordred. Betsy's other allies are nearby, too. Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit and Meggan Braddock stand near Shogo, while Bei the Blood Moon readies her own weapon. Julio Richter a.k.a. Rictor and his partner in life and battle, Shatterstar, are on a balcony as they look down to the sword fight below. 'You play tricks on my mind? Shall I play tricks with yours?' Kylun asks. 'You misunderstand me, you great beast, I -' Mordred begins as he raises his sword.
'BEAST? YOU DARE?' Kylun shouts with a fury that knocks Mordred backwards. 'Oh, for heaven's sake boys, settle down' someone calls out. 'I have no tricks of the mind! I swear it!' Mordred exclaims as he uses a barrell lid as a shield to protect himself from Kylun, before Rachel goes over to Kylun and tells him to stop. 'He isn't messing with your head. We would know. You trust me?' she asks him. 'Mordred vexes me, Rachel. And I am a calm man!' Kylun utters. Rachel suggests that Kylun let Mordred spar with Shatterstar or Bei, instead. '...perhaps that is wise' Kylun agrees, while rubbing his head. 'If you feel like sparring...' Betsy begins, turning to Bei, who tells her that her blood thunders, and to point her in the proper direction. 'That's the spirit' Betsy replies, informing Bei that she needs to take Shogo to Roma, and from there, they will determine where to look for the Siege Perilous. 'Betsy!' Rachel calls out, grabbing her hand, she announces that Mad Jim is crying out for help. 'Do you hear that?' Rachel asks. Betsy goes wide-eyed and tells her friends that there is a change of plans, and that a team needs to go to the Crooked Market. 'Gambit's yo man. I even got a special delivery for my friends inside...' Gambit grins.
Soon, at the Crooked Market, an elderly woman called Geraldine shuffles down an empty lane, carefully looking over her shoulder, she then crouches near a trapdoor in the ground and waves to someone, beckoning them to come towards her. 'Okay team. Geraldine says de coast is clear' Gambit remarks. Wearing cloaks to hide their faces, Gambit, Meggan, Kylun, Rachel and Bei move towards Gerladine, while Meggan looks around and notices that the Crooked Market is not as it once was. 'Oh dear. This place...was so much more joyful when I last arrived' she utters. Gambit frowns at Geraldine and reminds her she said she would take them to the tavern where all the undesirables like them are hiding out. 'That trapdoor doen't look like a shop entrance to me. You're not trying to trick us, are you?' Gambit asks. 'You wouldn't do that to your old pal Gambit?' But Geraldine doesn't answer, she just looks up at Gambit, who smiles and points out that it's only fair Geraldine receives a snack for risking herself. 'Now you swear that's the way in?' Gambit asks as he hands the old woman what appears to be a Pop Tart. She shuffles away, munching down on the pastry. 'That's as good an answer as we'll get, folks. Let's go' Gambit tells the others.
Shortly, Gambit and the others are in a secret tavern, where Gambit empties a satchel onto a table, various candies and wrapped food fall onto the table, and those hiding in the tavern reach for the treats. 'Here you go, mes amis! Gambit never gon' letchu down. I know food jbeen scarce and you been rationing, so eat up!' Gambit exclaims. Gambit turns to Meggan and tells her that now they have a party, and laments that he wished they could have brought a keg. Meggan tells Gambit that he has done quite a lot for these people, and asks if he packed his coat with snacks before the ritual. Gambit explains that he didn't expect it to be this bad, he thought he would be selling them – but these people need his sweet charity. Meggan throws her arms around Gambit and hugs him. 'If Rogue were here, she'd tell you what a good man you are. So I will tell you' Meggan utters. Gambit smiles and thanks Meggan, adding that he misses Rogue. 'She mmisses you too. I just know it' Meggan remarks. 'She busy -' Gambit begins. 'She loves you' Meggan assures him. '...Awright' Gambit tells her.
Gambit then declares that he can't really go accepting any praise until they find Mad Jim, as that's what they are here for. 'Foul Merlyn is not shy with his evils!' Kylun calls out. 'He announced it with pride – they have Jim, and soon they will have the whole of the Market in their clutches!' Kylun declares. 'Not while we stand to defed it' Bei the Blood Moon suggests, while Rachel telepathically contacts Betsy and reports that she is scanning the folks in the Crooked Market, and detects that they are really scared of something called Blightswill. 'Why does that ring a bell?' Rachel asks as she pours herself a drink. 'Because it's  the only drink I've ever seen knock Logan and Storm on their asses' Betsy telepathically responds. 'Huh?' Rachel asks, puzzled, before Betsy tells her to hold that thought.
At the Floating Kingdom of Roma Regina, Shogo flies above the Floating Kingdom, while Mordred sits by himself, and Shatterstar and Rictor smile at each other as they drink some champagne. Roma looks up at Shogo and remarks to Captain Britain 'You're remanding one of your most powerful knights into my care for the duration of your quest? For training, you say?' she asks. Roma confesses to long wanting to train Shogo, but points out that Captain Britain seemed mostly concerned with his safety. 'You know he could be a vital weapon in your war on my father' Roma adds. Shogo smiles as he flies around, and Captain Britain replies 'Perhaops. Before he's a knight, Roma, he's Jubilee's son. He's a baby, an innocent. And I know that his quest...may not be the same as mine' Captain Britain remarks as she looks up at Shogo. 'Hm. Clever, Captain Britain. And kind. The sort of noble act one might demand from a knight on a heroic quest' Roma smiles.
Roma then asks Captain Britain what next – with her flying beast parked here with her, how will she search for the Siege Perilous. 'It'll wait' Captain Britain replies, before asking Roma if she knew that Merlyn is using Blightswill on the Market's citizens. 'Not just them – he apprehended Mad Jim at court. Arthur claims a Ser Vescora among his numbers, and Blightspoke's representative, Sheriff Whitechapel, hasn't been heard from in some time' Roma reveals. Roma turns to Ric, Shatterstar and Mordred and tells them that since their Captain has graciously given up their mode of transportation, she will offer her aid. 'Where are we headed?' Rictor asks. Captain Britain announces that they are going to see what has become of their allies in Blightspoke. 'Is it possible they've turned on us?' Mordred asks. 'Sweet Mordred. You ought to know that in Otherworld, anything is possible' Roma smiles, snapping her fingers.
An instant later, Captain Britain, Ric, Shatterstar and Mordred appear through a portal above Blightspoke, now a dark realm, where a countless number of Vescora are gathered in the name of Merlyn. Rachel telepathically contacts Betsy, 'Can you hear me?' she asks. Betsy telepathically reports that they are in Blightspoke, that the sheriff is missing, and they thought she might have betrayed them, but it seems like there has been a coup. Rachel tells Betsy to be careful, and to keep her posted. 'Will do. And I'll keep my eyes open for the Siege Perilous – I don't even know where to bloody look – perhaps somewhere under all of these Vescora' Betsy remarks as she follows Shatterstar into battle. 'RAAAAH!' Shatterstar screams as he charges through the Vescora. Betsy tells her team that Whitechapel would not have gone down without a fight, and announces that she will send a psychic call for her. 'Let's clear some space' she suggests. 'Yes, Captain!' Rictor and Shatterstar reply in unison as Rictor unleashes a powerful vibration which knocks the Vescora aside, and clearing a path among them.
Rictor remarks that Blightspoke comes out of the ground weak enough to drink, and supposes that Merlyn must be working with the Vescora to refine it if it's strong enough to take down Mad Jim. 'Refineries. Of course. Rictor, with me!' Captain Britain exclaims as she grabs Rictor and flies up above the Vescora, towards a large factory, glowing with fiery waterfalls and orange smoke. 'There's a whole quarry...' Rictor begins. Betsy realizes that this is where Merlyn's army mine and refine their hatful poison. She notices a hanging cage and senses the Sheriff and her posse within it. Rictor tells Captain Britain that it will be not problem for he and Shatterstar to bring this place down. Rictor suggests Captain Britain go get the Sheriff, and tells her that he'll watch Mordred, as she is stealthiest on her own. 'I know you're going to do something reckless. In fact, I'm counting on it' Captain Britain replies.
Rictor rides a chunk of rock on seismic vibrations back to the battle, 'STAR! C'mon!' he calls out to his partner. 'Not when I'm having such fun, please, Julio!' Shatterstar calls back as his blades slice through the Vescora, drawing green blood which splatters everywhere. 'Ser Shatterstar? I am brave, but I fear we'll be overwhelmed' Mordred remarks as he shoves his blade into one of the Vescora. 'Star? C'mon, no more playing!' Rictor calls out as he hovers above the battle. Shatterstar laughs and exclaims that he is fine, alive in the thrill of combat. 'Ser Rictor, I would like your help!' Mordred utters. 'All aboard? We've got plenty more to bring down before we're done!' Rictor declares after Mordred climbs onto the chunk of rock hovering above the Vescora, and Shattestar leaps up and clings to the edge of it as Rictor uses his powers to bring down a nearby cliff, burying the Vescora under tons of rubble.
Captain Britain hovers in front of the hanging cage, where Sheriff Gia Whitechapel and her posse are imprisoned. 'Well, Cap'n Betsy Braddock. I'm always glad to clap eyes on ya, but I'm extra pleased this time' the sheriff remarks. Betsy tells Whitechapel that she knew she wouldn't give this place up willingly, and asks how she was captured. Betsy shoves her blade into the lock as Whitechapel explains 'I actually ain't a witchbreed, - I'm just naturally impressive – but my posse are, and I won't leave 'em behind feeling weak'. 'What can we do?' Betsy asks. 'Y'all can look out!' Whitechapel calls out as some of the Vescora fly up towards the floating cage. 'Cleanse. Dissect. Learn' the Vescora utter. Sheriff Whitechapel remarks that she knew the Vescora wouldn't leave them alone for long, and adds that they aren't exactly good hosts, and she wouldn't be surprised if they didn't have them hanging up here as bait. 'That won't stop me from doing my job, Sheriff' Betsy replies, before telling the Sheriff to take her hand.
Suddenly, the cage is knocked, and Sheriff Whitechapel slips. Betsy reaches down and grabs her hand, 'I know you ain't famous for listening to people, but I need you to listen to me now, Braddock!' The hanging cage creaks as some of the chains suspending it in the air break, and the Sheriff's posse cling to each other as they all hang above a huge vat of lava. 'Hold it. Right there. I need these Vescora off my hide, but I need 'em to see us first' Whitechappel exclaims. Betsy tells her not to be ridiculous, as she can fly them out of here. 'Don't you dare!' Whitechappel tells her. As Ric, Shatterstar and Mordred battle on, Whitechappel explains to Betsy that the Vescora are a hive mind, so if one of them knows something, they all know it – but they don't know the Blightspoke like her posse and she does, and she wants to protect her broken home. 'You're being reckless!' Betsy exclaims. 'I know what I'm talking about. Let me go. Let 'em see me fall – I want 'em to think I'm dead!' Whitechapel explains.
Some of the Vescora slam into part of the structure, 'Danger. Structure compromised' the Vescora announce. 'What if you actually die, Whitechappel?' Betsy askks as she lets go, and Whitechappel and her posse fall towards the huge vat of lava. 'Now that's my mission, not yours, Captain! Hopefully I'll see ya back in the Citadel soon enough! If I'm wrong I'll letcha buy me a drink in Hell!' Whitechappel calls back. Captain Britain then flies after Rictor, Shatterstar and Mordred who are escaping on the floating rock. Captain Britain contacts Rachel telepathically, informing her that the Sheriff wouldn't let them rescue her. 'But if you believe her enthusiasm, we'll be seeing her again soon enough. She's a madwoman!'
At the Crooked Market, Rachel unleashes a surge of flaming energy against one of the large Furies, and telepathically replies 'Speaking of mad, Merlyn's forces showed up at the Market. Furies and all. We could use the backup' Rachel adds. Meggan casts elemental energies at the Fury, while Gambit tosses kinetically-charged playing cards at the Fury, and Bei and Kylun are at the ready with their swords. 'Rachel? You there? If you can hear me...I need to seek out our other allies. It might be the only way to find the Siege Perilous. It's time to confront Death' Betsy calls out. 'What?' Rachel asks. 'How's the others? You lose contact?' Gambit asks. 'She said something about death?' Rachel replies, while Amazing Baby leads some locals away from a Fury, down a nearby alleyway. 'Well, we seem to be surrounded by it, mon ami!' Gambit calls back as hehurls some more cards towards the Furies. Rachel declares that she doesn't think they are getting backup from Betsy and the other knights, and adds that she wished the Captain Britain Corps didn't have to spend their time waiting on Saturnyne.
One of the Furies looks down at Rachel: 'Locking on – detecting witchbreed ANOMALY – sole individual. No additional Otherworld selves. Designation. Askani. Anomaly' the Fury declares. 'What did you just call me?' Rachel asks, before she destroys the Fury in a fiery display of her powers. Another Fury watches as the other Fury is destroyed, while a third Fury looks down an alleyway, 'Witchbreed located. Assistance needed. Affirmative. Approaching' the Fury states, before Meggan engulfs the Fury's arm in ice. 'Detected' Kylun calls out, mimicking the Fury's voice. 'It worked! Hah!' Meggan laughs, while Bei rushes forward, telling her teammates to continue attacking the Fury up top, while she has his legs. Bei attacks the Fury's legs, causing the behemoth to topple backwards, while Meggan controls the wind around them to lower the Fury safely to the ground, preventing any destruction. 'Another safe landing!' Meggan exclaims.
Suddenly: 'Oh no, no -' Kylun utters. 'Oh my god, Gambit, I see Jim!' Rachel calls out as Gambit takes out another Fury. 'EEEEEEE YOU LOT, HELP!' Jim, wearing a Jester's costume, calls out. The heroes rush towards two Furies who have Jim tied up, and Rachel remarks that, from what she understands, Jim is a terrible piece of $#!& in every reality there is. 'But we can't let them do that to him' Gambit exclaims. 'I don't want one of these people to think we'd let Merlyn do that to them' Gambit adds, holding up a kinetically-charged card representing justice. 'You know, a lot of people would say I deserve this!' Jim Jaspers calls out. 'James Jaspers. Reality – all. Reality – none. Anomlay' one of the Furies states. 'Anomaly? Yer sweet talking me!' Jim jokes, before Gambit hurls the cards, and takes off the head of one of the Furies. 'They ain't ready for a little of Gambit's mutant justice!' Gambit exclaims.
Elsewhere, Betsy, Rictor, Shatterstar and Mordred are cloaked and move carefully through the dark Sevalithi region of Otherworld. 'If you can hear us...we've made it to the Sevalithi border... and I feel quite certain these blood-drinkers know we're here!' Betsy telepathically calls out to Rachel, while Countexess Oublia and Oscura are indeed watching the movements of Captain Britain and her allies – and lick their lips in anticipation!


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Kill Your Darlings
The Floating Kingdom of Roma Regina, where Roma reclines on her sofa-like throne, and looks up to see Saturnyne standing over her. 'What a pleasure to have you here!' Roma remarks, adding that today will be a difficult lesson for their student. 'He has to understand, Roma – the story is bigger than you or me' Saturnyne adds. 'Give him time' Roma replies. They walk down a staircase behind a hidden passage, and Roma asks Shogo if he is listening. 'Stories are magic, and as such, they have a cost. A balance must be made. There can be no joy without great suffering, and none would suffer without job to gain from it. Where are you?'
The women find Shogo the dragon slumped over on the ground, and Saturnyne tells Shogo that he can't just shrink away. 'I know you're frightened, my sweet little changeling, but altering your form won't help. It's hard to take the medicine one must in order to grow up and be strong' Saturnyne adds. The women lead Shogo to a pool of water nearby. 'Poor shrinking violet' Saturnyne utters. 'A knight must know virtue and sacrifice. You have to learn the cost of things...and stories are how we shall teach you'.
'Do you understand yet, my little friend? You must watch...' Roma begins. '... as one of your beloved friends must die' Saturnyne concludes. Roma drops some flowers in the water, while Saturnyne drops some crystals into it, and Shogo begins to howl.
Meantime, at the Crooked Market, 'Targeting – witchbreed -' a large Fury states, firing a blast of energy towards a group of fairies, who fly past it. Rachel Summers unleashes her fiery rage against the Fury, as Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit instructs Meggan and Bei the Blood Moon to keep the Furies off of them. Meggan and Bei lead a group from the Crooked Market down an alleyway, with Amazing Baby running alongside. Gambit then tells Colin McKay a.k.a. Kylun to send out the alarm.  Kylun does so by screeching his sonic scream, and Gambit adds that they have to find where Merlyn took Mad Jim Jaspers. 'Even if he is a $%&!' 'Far ahead of you, Gambit!' Meggan calls back, when suddenly, she reaches the end of the lane, and another Fury appears, blasting her mid-air. 'Witchbreed royalty neutralized' the Fury states. Meggan lands against the side of a building which collapses, and when she emerges from the rubble, she looks angry. 'You cannot defeat me here. Otherworld is my home!' she exclaims.
Meggan declares that the elements are hers to command as she creates a twister, that wraps around her, levitating her back into the air, she removes herself from the twister which is so huge now that it envelops the Fury. Meggan holds her ground, as Rachel telepathically tells her to keep the winds up, and that between the winds and the flames, that Fury is going down. The Fury seems to lean towards several civilians, but Gambit and Bei lead them to safety, with Gambit calling out 'We need crowd control – this Fury's about to land on half these li'l folks!' 'MOVE!' Bei shouts, while Meggan continues to hold the Fury in the twister, warning the horrible being that there is no escaping her now. 'I'm sending you home to the Everforge!' Meggan exclaims as she uses the twister to hurl the Fury away from the Crooked Market. 'Merlyn and Arthur can try to fix what's left of him' Meggan remarks as she returns to her friends. Bei smiles, and suggests 'Let them see their own fallen warriors sail overhead and crash into their walls. It's a fine revenge, Lady Meggan'.
'Pretty cool, but we're not any closer to finding Mad Jim, and this place is a war zone!' Rachel Summers exclaims, suggesting that they reconvene with the rest of the Knights before they try and rescue Jim. As Rachel drops down to where the others are gathered with some of the locals from the Crooked Market they rescued, and as she does, three little people look up to her and cry out 'Askani! Askani!' while Gambit asks Rachel if she is kidding, and reminds her that Mad Jim is a mutant and a captive, and they can't let Merlyn get away with that. He adds that they don't need to be running to Captain Britain, as they can handle this, and Captain Britain and her team can find the Siege Perilous. Kylun asks if Mad Jim created the Furies in the first place, to which Rachel scowls and explains that a variant did, but this one is different, like he is a composite of many times. 'Askani! Mother!' one of the locals calls out again. Rachel asks where they learned that word, to which a man smiles and tells her it is from a story. 'It told us you would come. Bright lady of fame!' a woman reveals, leaving Rachel speechless.
Rachel then turns to Gambit and tells him that she needs to find Betsy, but Gambit argues that they have to find Jim. 'We won't have to. They're not hiding Jim – they're bringing him out to execute him!' a wide-eyed Kylun calls out as he points to a stage nearby, where several large ogre-like beings are lined up next to Jim, who is shackled. 'By order of Merlyn, Omniversal Majestor, the witchbreed James Jaspers is charged with treason against reality. Henceforth, he will be stripped of his chairmanship of the Crooked Market – and his life!' one of gthe ogres announces. 'You see? They gonna kill him!' Gambit calls out to Rachel as they Knights move forward to the stage, with Gambit adding that every mutant here in the market is going to see that the Knights of X let it happen. Kylun agrees with Gambit, and declares that they have to make a stand. Rachel tells the others that she doesn't like that they are split up like this, and reveals that her psychic connection with Betsy stopped when they entered Sevalith. 'I have a bad feeling. I'm worried about her!' Rachel exclaims.
'Askani! Look out!' one of the locals cries, pointing up to the skyline, where Bei sees it too: 'It would seem the decision to stay and fight has been made for us!' Bei remarks as a Fury looms over the stage. 'Let's do this!' Gambit calls out, running forward with kinetically-charged cards at the ready. Kylun leaps into the air, swords in both hands, while Bei runs forward, and Meggan and Rachel fly towards the deadly Fury. 'For the witchbreed!' Kylun exclaims.
Meanwhile in the night-kingdom of Sevalith, where the blood-drinking populace has come to love the mutants' word for vampire so much they've adopted it for themselves. They have also come to love...mutant blood! A vampire creeps through the sprawling castle, when he turns a corner and sees a figure down the end of a corridor, a red mist floating around them. The vampire sneaks up behind the other figure and puts a hand on their shoulder. The other figure then suddenly spins around and hisses at the vampire. The other figure is another vampire under the telepathic control of Betsy Braddock a.k.a. Captain Britain, who is up above on a ledge with her teammates Julio Richter a.k.a. Rictor, Shatterstar and Mordred. 'Now, Rictor!' Betsy calls out telepathically as they drop down from the ledge, with Rictor telling Betsy to hold on, as manifesting a druid staff from the aether takes a minute.
The vampire looks up at the knights, before Rictor's druid staff strikes him, piercing him through his chest. 'Let's not forget the other one!' Shatterstar exclaims as he ueses his double-bladed sword to slice the other vampire's head off. Mordred tells Captain Britain that that was the last of their tail, but that they should keep moving, because some say that the blood of their own dead can make them hunger. 'They're like flies' Mordred adds. Betsy suggests they avoid the locals altogether, and reminds Mordred that they are here to question a friend of hers about the Siege Perious. 'Thankfully...he'll be quite the captive audience' Betsy remarks as the quartet run down a corridor through the red mist that wafts around the realm.
Nearby, Sir Lirio Ironsights doubles back on his horse to give word to his liege – the evil King Arthur. Outside the castle, under the reddish sky, a soldier in a black iron mask tells the army to move faster, for when the vampires get hungry, their bloodlust overtakes them. King Arthur turns to a vampire called Shakai the Bloodless and asks him if he cannot speak for them. Shakai moves his horse closer to Arthur and tells him that if his brethren were still hungry when they were through with the King himself, they would then move on to him. 'They are a foul people, lord' the man in the iron mask declares. 'But they are our allies' Arthur states. Sir Lirio arrives and announces that Braddock and her knights are up ahead, not farv away, and that their party is split in half. 'We could take them!' Sir Lirio exclaims. Arthur tells Sir Lirio that he did excellent work, and raises his steed up on its hind legs, as he holds his sword overhead and announces that they ride – their time to strike is now!
At that moment, Captain Britain and the others arrive at another part off the castle, where Captain Britain takes telepathic control of two Sevalithi guards, and tells the others that she thinks she senses their guest within. She adds that things were much more posh in Sevalith when she last visited. 'But perhaps now you will accept my offer of help, Death, son of Apocalypse?' Captain Britain asks as she steps past the vampire guards and finds the First Horseman known as Death, shackled and kneeling on the floor. Death ignores Captain Britain's comment, and looks over at Mordred: 'That boy, who is he?' Death asks. 'Tch. No boy stands before you. I am called Mordred. And if you are coming with us, do so quickly, or tell us what we need for our quest so we may continue onward' Mordred retort, arms folded and looking unimpressed. 'A quest?' Death asks. Mordred informs the First Horseman that they seek the Holy Grail of mutantkind – the Siege Perilous. 'Will you join us, as a witchbreed yourself?' Mordred asks.
Death stands up as he announces that he knows of the Siege, and reveals that its study was a point of powerful curiosity for his father. Death then remarks that Mordred isn't the only prince of these lands, but that he knows nothing of where the Siege would have been put, or why. 'My father did love his riddles' Death adds. Betsy asks Death to leave her with her, to help her find the Siege Perilous and regain his freedom from these blood-suckers. But Death tells Betsy that he cannot, as he is enjoying his time here too much. 'Are you joking? Don't you care about anything?' Betsy asks. Rictor suggests to Betsy that Death can stay here and hang with the dead guys, because he thinks the answers they need might have been with them the whole time – in the grimoire that Apocalypse gave him. Rictor holds up the book and remarks that Death is right – if the Siege Perilous is in Otherworld, Apocalypse must have known where. Rictor then reveals that he took the grimoire to Bei and Cypher back on Krakoa, thinking that surely one of them could read it, and that Cypher could – only it was so vague he didn't understand what it was referring to. Rictor opens the grimoire and hands it to Death, asking him to read it, and tell him if it means anything. 'Oh yes, let me read you the tale...and then you'll be on your way' Death declares.
(Flashback, in the early days of Krakoa's formation)
Otherworld, in the realm not yet called Mercator. It's a sand-covered desert, where Absalon Mercator stands on a dune. 'It isn't much, is it?' he remarks. A voice from nearby explains to him that these provinces rise and fall, that their desolation is foretold. 'You could make something of it' the voice adds. 'Xavier is walking around inviting everyone to an island, while you're offering me a slice of another realm. What's your angle?' Mercator asks. A figure appears behind Mercator and tells him that their people ascend in power, science and technology, while there are some keys to their story that do no honor the rules of the known worlds. 'This is one of them. And it needs protecting. Of the proper sort'. The voice adds.
Absolon Mercator looks up to the sky, wide-eyed, he asks 'How did you get this?' 'A human had it' the voice responds. 'They no longer do' the mysterious figure adds. Absolon reaches up and takes a small object that glows in the sky above him, as the figure instructs him to keep it safe, however he can. 'I recognize that you are one of mutantkind's most powerful. This entire realm is yours to mold, so long as that remains protected'. The figure begins to walk away, a blue and gold costume can be seen, as they inform Mercator that with this object, one can make and unmake their very souls. 'The time will come when that needs doing – when the great sacrifice is made. Open your realm to us then – no sooner' he declares. Mercator puts the object in his pocket and replies 'I can do that. Just a simple request – leave it to me... and leave me alone'.
(Present)
Some hours later, in the sewers of Sevalith, Shatterstar and Rictor are sitting in the entrance to another tunnel, while Betsy and Mordred sit on the walkway beneath them. 'So...Death's story seemed to imply a sacrifice is required to get into Mercator...' Rictor suggests as he flicks through the grimoire. Betsy tells Rictor that they should rest while it's daylight, because once those vampires wake up, they will need Shatterstar to get them out fast. 'Yeah, yeah' Rictor mumbles. 'Maybe it is her accent, but I am inclined to listen to the captain' Shatterstar tells his boyfriend. He takes Rictor's hand and smiles, 'There are not many comforts here. Let resting beside you be one of them?' Shatterstar asks. 'Okay, okay, I just..uh... you know I love you, right, 'Star?' Rictor replies, looking upset. 'I do' Shatterstar responds. Rictor hangs his head as he explains that Apocalypse was very important to him. 'Oh, Julio... what kind of man would I be to be jealous of your feelings? What with my own romantic past?' Shatterstar asks, putting a hand on Rictor's shoulder. 'Ahhh, Star, I mean the grimoire stuff... since Apocalypse left, I've waited for a sign. Something I could do to do right by him. To thank him for what he gave me – the purpose, the knowledge of it' Rictor explains.
Rictor then announces that if Apocalypse put the Siege Perilous away, to be unlocked by a sacrifice, then it should be him. 'Do you once more feel the call of the void? You are beloved!' a concerned Shatterstar exclaims, putting his hands on Rictor's face. Rictor closes his eyes and assures Shatterstar that it is nothing like that, but points out that someone has to do it. 'The death card is just about change, right? I'll...come back' Rictor adds. Shatterstar pulls Rictor closer and kisses his head. 'I'll just be...different, maybe. Who knows, you might like me better' Rictor adds. 'I...could never exert my control over you simply because I am in love with you. And I know I would love any version of you' Shatterstar responds. Rictor places his head against Shatterstar's chest and Shatterstar holds Rictor close, telling him '... but, my love... losing you would be my sacrifice. And I am simply unwilling'.
Suddenly, Betsy interrupts the tender moment, calling out to Shatterstar, she tells him that it is time. 'Maybe it's the daylight, but I can hear Rachel and the others again!' Betsy remarks, adding that Bei says she can anchor them, and asks 'Star to teleport them to the market. 'What? No. We need to find a way into Mercator!' Mordred exclaims. 'Please, you don't understand – my father and I are at war. This quest is our priority - ' Mordred begins, before Betsy spins around and starts waving a finger in his face, 'You are mistaken!' she snaps. 'Mutant lives are my priority. We have located the Siege Periloud, but Rachel and our fellow knights are nearly overwhelmed. Your personal quest must wait, Prince Mordred' Betsy declares. Rictor and Shattertar look on, surprised, while Mordred does not respond to Captain Britain. Shatterstar then tells everyone to hold hands and make up. 'We're teleporting in!' he adds as he slices a large “X” in the space around them.
Back at the Crooked Market, Gambit tosses kinetically-charged playing cards at several ogres who rush towards him and Meggan, who casts elemental energies towars her opponents, while Kylun stands near some of the locals. Bei turns to a large “X” that forms behind her, and informs the others knights that Shatterstar approaches with the others, so they must press the advantage. Rachel is above them, firing her newfound energies at the ogres, too. Furies loom overhead, while Mad Jim is still shackled on the stage. More ogres arrive and close in on the Knights, as Betsy, Rictor, Shatterstar and Mordred drop into the battle. 'Welcome back, B team!' Rachel calls out as she blasts another ogre. 'I hope B is for Betsy Braddock, or you and I are going to fight' Betsy responds. Gambit points out that now Betsy is back they are going to have to split up, because Mad Jim is about to be ripped apart.
'The Furies aren't exactly clandestine, but executions in the public square is quite the escalation' Betsy remarks, before instructing Gambit, Meggan and Kylun to get to Jim. 'Think stealth over explosions – we'll handle the rest!' Betsy suggests, as the three rush towards the stage. Betsy then turns to Rachel and asks her to get up high and take out a Fury or two if she finds one that is out of the way. 'But keep an eye on Gambit and them' Betsy adds. But Rachel puts a hand on Betsy's shoulder and looks into her eyes: 'Uh-huh. I've been worried sick about you' Rachel utters. 'Stay in contact?' Betsy asks. 'Always' Rachel tells her before she takes to the sky, flaming energy blazing behind her. Captain Britain suggests to Rictor, Shatterstar, Bei and Mordred that they try make a wall and gain a little ground back for the townsfolk. 'I can flank the -' Mordred begins, when suddenly, several of the townsfolk surround him. 'Get outta the way!' one of them calls out. 'BOOOOO!' some of them shout. 'Hail, good townsfolk! I am on your side!' Mordred assures them. 'This guy's no knight!' another declares.
Rachel observes this from above, and telepathically informs Betsy that the crowd is rushing Mordred, that they are getting distracted by wanting to attack him. 'Hang on...is that? Is that his mutant power? Do people want to fight him?' Rachel wonders. She then tells Mordred to keep it up, as it is keeping the crowd safe. Rachel then turns her attention to the stage, where Meggan and Kylun are keeping an ogre back, as Gambit moves closer to Mad Jim, telling him that are going to get him out. Mad Jim can't speak, he's gagged, but tries to say something, before Rachel telepathically warns Gambit to get his team off the stage and abandon Mad Jim. 'Furies? Meg can mop them up -' Gambit starts to say, but Rachel warns him it is a bigger problem. Gambit looks up to see Merlyn on the back of a winged lion flying towards them. Gambit tells Meggan to get to Jim then get out of here, as he has a plan. Meggan starts to free Mad Jim, while Gambit declares 'I ain't leaving – not when I got a perfect shot!'
Gambit leaps into the air, charges a card, while Meggan looks up and calls out to him,, before Gambit reveals that he has a bit of the old Starlight Citadel's magic in his back pocket for Merlyn. The magic begins to swirl around Merlyn, who shouts 'What a surprise – a witchbreed wielding stolen magic with sticky hands. You know nothing of what you hold, Remy LeBeau! Now die!' Merlyn continues to fly on the back of his lion straight towards Gamibt, who leaps forward, 'Old $#%& - I BEEN DEATH!' Gambit shouts as he and Merlyn suddenly collide, and a massive BOOM resonates in the air as pink energy explodes during the collision. 'Gambit!' Betsy cries out, shocked as she and the others look on, wide-eyed.
Back in Roma's Floating Kingdom, Shogo cries and turns his dragon face away from the scrying pool, which shows Gambit's blood-stained body on the ground, smoke rising from the death card in Gambit's hand, while a reflection of Meggan, Betsy, Rictor and Shagtterstar, Rachel, Bei and Mordred stares back up through the waters of the scrying pool. 'Yes, my love... what you give away must hurt you deeply...' Roma tells Shogo. '... or else it is not a sacrifice' Saturnyne utters.