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[Assistant]
The Kids Ain’t Alright
Krakoa, the Akademos Habitat:What’s left of the Fort:Magik angrily demands of the students what the +§$& happened here.
Fauna refers to another group. They wanted the Fort, but his group didn’t want to leave. Another boy interrupts and tries to play this down. They weren’t paying attention.
Magik gets it: they are worried the other group is listening. That they will come back and do it again. She promises this won’t happen again. Why does she care? the second boy asks. Because it’s wrong, she replies. It’s not against any of the laws, he shoots back. Magik schools him that it is a massive disrespect toward the land and terrorizing each other is not what they do here. What about point three? he asks. Three, she hates bullies. So, this will be fun!
Elsewhere in the woods, some youngsters are training. Anole attacks Cosmar, who in turn attacks with hallucinations that fend off Rain Boy’s attack. They are joined by No-Girl and Amahl Farouk, who praises their work. He tells them he is proud of how far they have come, but they shouldn’t neglect their training.
Cosmar asks him if he will come to watch her fight when it is her turn. He tells her he is humbled that she should ask and promises to be there.
Later at the Boneyard (X-Factor’s HQ), Aurora and Akihiro Daken are trying to enjoy some quite time together, which gets spoiled by Scout. Daken is annoyed at her showing up unannounced and tells her this is a bad time. He promises to spend time with her later at the big party at the Lagoon. Disappointed, Gabby leaves.
Later, she is at the Wild Hunt, where Warpath has gathered a group of young mutants for training. He notes some new faces. Scout knows Cam Long and the others from the Age of X-Man, where they were friends. Warpath announces they’ll be working with… Scout volunteers to work with them, just as he was trying to say they’d be working with him. He tells her she will be working on synergy. Scout insists it would be better for someone who knows them to work with them. Plus, she was literally created to be part of an elite assassin group. She already knows how to work well with others.
Warpath corrects her she was indoctrinated and need to unlearn that. Scout sulks and the different groups train their powers and synergy with others. Scout doesn’t do well and, after an attempt to train, Sprite lands in front of the new group of Cam Long and the others. An annoyed Cam asks who she even is. Wolverine is her sister, Scout announces, then has to explain she means the other Wolverine, not the original one. She then tries to explain she knows them all from the other reality Nate Grey created. Cam Long turns away. They never met, she snaps. The four of them died on Genosha. Whatever she thought she experienced was clearly a delusion! The others are nicer, telling Scout she is trying too hard. Cam will come around.
Later at the Sextant, Rahne enters Dani’s quarters. Dani sees something is wrong. Rahne bursts out, she is so angry. They say they need proof! As if they don’t know what happened! Dani tries to comfort her, as she cries that they won’t bring him back.
There’s an emptiness inside her heart, where her son should be, and she is tired of pretending she is okay with it! Her little one! She hears his cries in her dreams!
They are stronger than ever. They now have this space where their children can be safe. Her son deserves to be here! Dani agrees. Rahne asks what she should do. Not she, they, Dani corrects her and promises she will help and always be there for her. They hug.
That moment, Karna enters and asks if Dani is ready. She reminds them of the party. Looking at Rahne, Dani wants to skip, but Rahne assures her it’s okay. She doesn’t want to make her skip Doug’s reception. Karma drags Dani away, reminding her she promised to give a speech. Rahne promises to be along soon.
At the Green Lagoon, the official wedding reception of Cypher and Bei the Bloodmoon is taking place.
Roberto tells Doug he is proud of him. Today he becomes a man. Doug points out he has been married for some time. They just came back from their honeymoon. Quibbling details, Roberto brushes his point aside. The point is…
Illyana interrupts, shouting that Doug thought he was going to his death, as she gives him noogie. So did she, he reminds her. She literally told him he was going to die. Bei glares and Illyana apologizes. He is hers to noogie now.
Scout makes her way through the crowds, looking for Daken.
Kid Omega asks why she looks so glum. She explains that Daken was supposed to meet her. One of the Cuckoos suggests she better dance for while. She’ll have a better time than chasing him down. That moment she sees him, two drinks in hand. She calls out but he is busy handing one drink to Aurora.
Sunspot sulks dramatically how Magik disrupted his perfect well-rehearsed speech. Monsters, all of them, Sam Guthrie agrees as he joins his best friend, then they challenge each other to a dance-off.
Dani finds Rahne sulking at the bar. Rahne congratulates her on the speech. Dani apologizes for earlier and sits down with her. She will leave if she says the word. Rahne tells her she wants to be here. This is a celebration of one of their dearest friends. Dani tells her that her feeling grief doesn’t take aways her love for Doug.
In the meantime, Rain Boy tries to build up Cosmar for something she is afraid of doing.
Cosmar interrupts Dani and Rahne and politely asks if she can talk to Dani. Rain Boy and Anole signal her thumbs up. Scout joins them and asks what’s going on. Rain Boy explains Cosmar is about to ask the big question.
Cosmar explains to Dani that, when she first got her powers, she was afraid, so it twisted her body. She has come a long way of learning how to handle reality, but she cannot change her body back. Not without help. Would Dani do her the favor of being her partner in the Crucible?
Anole cheers loudly.
Dani tries to let Cosmar down kindly. The Crucible is for mutants who have been robbed of their gifts. Cosmar doesn’t need it. She is perfect. There is nothing wrong about her body or her. Don’t let human ideals… Cosmar runs away crying and shouting Dani can’t understand. Her mutation didn’t warp her! Dani wants to follow. Anole tells her he’s got it. She’s done enough for tonight.
Cosmar runs past the others. Should they go after her? Scout asks. Rain Boy warns her Cosmar’s powers play up when she is emotional.
The other New Mutants tell Dani to talk with Cosmar tomorrow and stay for dancing now.
Amahl Farouk watches Cosmar and her friends leaving and sees the bridal couple. He toasts to young love and youth… to their great future.


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[Assistant]
One Step Behind
Three Krakoan teenagers, Monica, Liana and Josh, sneak into Excalibur’s HQ, Braddock Lighthouse, and from there take the gate to Otherworld. They made a bet with other kids to take a selfie of them on the throne of Avalon.The girls sit down on the throne. Josh suddenly warns them, as behind them a very scary looking Jamie Braddock shows up. The girls run away screaming and return to Earth without Josh.The Wild Hunt, Krakoa:Cosmar’s friends and Scout find a sobbing Cosmar sitting in the cave at a fire. She sobs for them to go away. She could hurt them. Amahl Farouk tells her that her real friends are not afraid of her. It was cruel of Ms. Moonstar to dismiss her like that. If she allows him, he can give her what she needs for a short time, but he needs them all to trust him. He asks all five of them – Cosmar, Anole, Rain Boy, No Girl and Scout - to open their minds.Working in tandem with No-Girl, Farouk switches their minds. Waking up in Rain Boy’s body, Scout feels pain for the first time. One of the others is amazed at Scout’s claws. Martha marvels at having a body again as Anole. The kids mess around with the bodies and powers but the one in Cosmar’s body cannot control the powers and begins to hurt. Fascinating, Farouk mutters, then tells them it is enough for now. There seem to be some side effects.The kids are returned to their bodies. They feel weak and Cosmar breaks down, crying. She was free for a moment!Scout angrily turns against the Shadow King. They could have died there! What the hell was that?! He explains that he combined his power with some of theirs to do something greater than they could alone. Uncomfortable, yes, but death no longer limits them. Scouts corrects him. That may not be true for her, but that is not the point. Just because you can be resurrected, doesn’t mean your body is worthless. And just because you won’t stay dead, doesn’t mean that dying doesn’t suck!Farouk points out her body has already regenerated. A blessing that most of them don’t have. But perhaps this is something that could change. Each of them have abilities that could make this experience less distressing…Scout isn’t interested and leaves over the protest of the others. Farouk chides them gently that they shouldn’t judge her harshly. Sometimes being selfish is the better path.Magik teleports into the hangout of the teens that destroyed the Fort. She orders them to get up and make it right. The teens protest they didn’t break any of the stupid laws. They order her to leave and threaten her. She rolls her eyes, teleports out of the blow’s path. She teleports back inside. When they all want to attack her, she threatens them with the demons of Limbo.A little later, she oversees them rebuilding the fort with Doug and Dani. Cypher remarks that Krakoa could simply regrow the habitat. She tells him that’s not the point. Just because they can be wasteful and cruel, doesn’t mean they have to be.That moment, Monica and Liana arrive and tell them about Josh being stuck in Otherworld. Magik asks why they didn’t inform Excalibur. They were afraid of telling the X-Men they screwed up. Dani tells the others she’s got this and asks for the story from the beginning.A little later in Dani’s room, Karma wonders if they were that foolish when they were that age. They were that foolish two weeks ago, Dani replies, but they asked for help, so… Karma points out that this is extra boneheaded. Dani doesn’t disagree. Karma announces she will come with her. Dani is doubtful and tells her she doesn’t need to prove herself. Karma explains, her nightmares are not because of Otherworld but because being there awakened something in her. She wants to face it. Wants to see why, so she can be free of it.A little later, they are in Excalibur’s HQ to use the Otherworld gate. Rictor asks if they really don’t want help. Dani points out that Excalibur have their own hands full. Rictor reminds them that in Otherworld things change, their clothes, bodies, even their powers may be different there. Dani thanks him and they are off.Arbor Magna:Wolfsbane waits to get the attention of X-Factor members Eye-Boy and Prodigy. She asks if they got her seed requests. She sent… a few. Eye-Boy replies he wants to take her over to the Boneyard to talk about their findings. She urges shim to tell her now. Eye-Boy stalls suggesting they sit down and have a hot cocoa. Rahne insists she waited long enough. When can she hold her son again?Trevor sheepishly explains they looked into things and Cerebro is still making updates of Tier. Rahne protests that that’s impossible! She saw… Prodigy gently explains the last update was made three days ago. Rahne insists there must be a mistake. She knows what happened to him and who did it. Prodigy continues there is something else about the updates. They are not exactly like the Otherworld updates but… they are wrong. It might be connected to Tier being half god. They are not sure. Regardless, he is still being read as active by Cerebro, which takes it out of X-Factor’s hands.Rahne stammers, then he is alone. Suffering and alone and she abandoned him. The boys suggest they don’t know that. He may be happy where he is. She runs away horrified.Trevor mutters that he thought she’d be happy that he is alive. Prodigy points out there are worse things than death, and your own imagination is worse than the truth.In Avalon, Dani and Karma, now dressed in medieval-style clothes, confront Avalon’s ruler Jamie Braddock. He did what? Dani shouts. Jamie sighs, noting the boy asked for his help, so he gave it. He thought her type would appreciate that kind of thing. Dani summarizes that he gave a child a vehicle, no way to contact him and set him free in the most dangerous place in the universe, and calls that help. Jamie announces that their lack of imagination is beginning to bore him, and they don’t want that. Do better. And what’s this little plant Karma is carrying – tribute or a boon? A gift to show him and his home honor. If he has any, Dani retorts.Jamie is actually quite taken with the gift. Dani reminds him of the missing boy. He announces, she worries so much. He will be fine, as long as he sticks with their allies and steers clear of that Whitechapel woman. What was that about being helpful earlier? Dani asks. A king doesn’t mock his guests and ignore innocents. Jamie agrees, he has been quite the boor. He’ll give them what he gave the boy. A way of finding the truth of things. He snaps his fingers. A bag appears with gold, several parchments and a bottle with the ominous writing “drink me.” He shows them the way which the boy took some hours ago.Soon, the girls ride on a horse. That went well, Karma remarks diplomatically while Dani grumbles.Karma asks if they aren’t riding rather slowly. Dani retorts that Xi’an has no experience in riding. She observes that, given the nightmares she suffered since the last time she was here, she expected her to be more on edge. Instead, she seems almost bouncy. Karma muses that it seems easier to be here, like a weight has been removed from her chest and she can breathe again. Dani muses her powers seem more refined here. Karma states she can feel the minds out here, open and vulnerable. The urge to reach out and touch them was always intrusive. More so after being taken by the Shadow King and Tran. But here, whatever was compelling her, seems to be gone – for now.She asks whether they should consult the map. She feels they have passed that rock eight times. Dani assures her it is a different rock, thank you very much, but agrees on the map. They realize the map is magic and tracking their progress. Dani points out a rabbit has been following them. Karma wonders if it is one of Dani’s psychic manifestations. It seems to want them to follow it. Dani describes Josh and asks if it can lead them to him.The rabbit runs ahead. Follow the white rabbit, Karma jokes. It leads them to a castle and Dani fervently hopes the regent here is more helpful than king “Worst Braddock.”Not much later, they find themselves in the stocks, at the mercy of Merlyn, ruler of the Holy Republic oof Fae who is no big fan of Witchbreed as they call mutantkind. They are trespassing and he intends to make an example of them.Dani angrily reminds him mutantkind fought to save all of Otherworld, and that is the way he repays that? Karma asks him to just listen to them. He gives the order to bring them to the dungeon.Krakoa:A desperate Rahne looks for Dani. In her room, she finds a letter telling her there was an emergency. She curls up on herself and cries.Otherworld:Riding a dino, Josh, in the meantime, has reached a city that seems to be populated by monsters. He considers this super promising.Dani and Karma are brought to the dungeon. Karma offers to act but Dani worries about starting an interdimensional war. Again.


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[Assistant]
Follow the White Rabbit
Wolfsbane is lying on a rug on the ground of her quarters, grieving.Amahl Farouk enters her room, reminiscing that, when he was a boy, too many years ago, he lay alone in the dark, begging for salvation. What answered his prayers shaped his life – him – for centuries to come. The look on her face? The pain in her heart? He knows it well. His father was his entire world and he lost him when he needed him the most. He was left all alone in the dark and the shadows had teeth.She gets up and demands why he is here. Why is he telling her this? He explains that, when they came to Krakoa, they were told this was a land of change. By submitting to the laws of this land, they would be remade and reborn into their truth. They would be unified. Whole and together, they would march into the future. Krakoa is for all mutants, regardless of who they have been and what they have done. He has taken the mission of their new home to heart. He believes that they must now live to fully realize themselves, and that must be achieved together. They must help each other.He is a psychic creature. The anguish she is experiencing is sending sharp ripples through the island. He offers his hand, adding she is not the only one. Taking the hand, she asks what he means. He continues that there are others here – children who cry out with their minds, much like he did once. He is doing his best to help them but he senses in her an understanding for what they need in a way he does not. He was the child… never the parent. And what came for him… he would rather it be her.Rahne wonders aloud if he thinks she can help them, damaged as she is. Leading her outside, Farouk assures her that her experience makes her the most fit to help. And he hopes, by doing so, her own wounds begin to heal. Will she try… for them? She tells him to lead the way.Otherworld:The Floating Kingdom of Roma Regina:Mirage and Karma enter on a flying horse, their release from Merlyn’s dungeon being provisional on this mission to steal a vessel from Roma that belongs to Merlyn.How did this get so complicated? Dani complains. Jamie Braddock, Karma replies curtly.The Lady’s temple is defended by a huge monster. Thanks to Merlyn’s glamour, they make their way into the palace, where they see the white rabbit again. They follow it, wondering what it is that is so important to Merlyn. Dani worries that, the last time they followed the rabbit, they ended up in chains. Xi’an points out it is one of Dani’s psychic manifestations, so if she wants to point finger… Dani admits it doesn’t feel like it comes from her. It feels like someone desperate to be heard.When the rabbit leads them right to a group of armed guards, Dani swears she is going to disperse it.The two young women use their psychic abilities to fight. Dani shows the guards their fears, while Karma possesses their foes. While successfully making their foes flee, they try out one of the potions Jamie gave them. It turns them invisible, leaving Roma’s soldiers to puzzle what just happened.The Crow’s Nest, at the Wild Hunt, Krakoa:Cosmar, Rain Boy, No Girl and Anole are testing the synergy of their powers, in this case putting Rain Boy’s consciousness into a Krakoan plant, thanks to Kosmar and No-Girl. The flower suddenly turns hot, then wilts, and Rainboy is back in his body. Anole considers this a waste of time, while Rainboy thinks aloud what would happen if they tried this with an inanimate body. The others look at each other. Nervously, he asks if he said something stupid. The opposite, Anole assures him.Otherworld:Dani and Xi’an have made their way to Roma’s treasury, thanks to the invisibility potion. Dani announces that every fairy tale adaptation has prepared her for this. Don’t touch anything but what they came for. Karma muses she can see why people get cursed. Her fingers are itching to play with everything in this room.Dani notices she is glowing and tells her to put the light out. Another voice announces there is no escaping the light of truth. Guessing correctly that Roma is onto them, Dani asks if she will hear their appeal. Amused, Roma replies she loves chatty guests. She orders her to speak. Her candle will reveal any lies.Dani summarizes that they are in Otherworld to save a young mutant. They didn’t want to get involved in the hostilities between Roma and her father Merlyn.Roma hands the candle to one of her guards and agrees her father can be quite a tyrant. It is why they parted ways. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are in her kingdom with their sticky finer all over her treasures. She is generally known for her good humor and mercy, but she doesn’t take kindly to such a violation. So, what to do with them? She glamours Karma, who replies, whatever she pleases.Creating images of her fellow New Mutants, Dani snaps at Roma to back off. Like she told her musty old man, the mutants just risked everything to save Otherworld. She didn’t want to come here and take this busted-looking old pot, okay? But it was that or be stuck in Merlyn’s dungeon, while Joshua is out there facing who knows what! Merlyn says it is his anyway, so Roma is gonna let them take it, so they can find the kid and go home, or she will have to face the same witchbreed who faced that invading force that had all of Otherworld cowed!Amused at Dani’s passion, Roma tosses her the pot as a gift for the entertainment she provided.Roma strokes the bunny, impressed at what Dani has created here. To manifest the truth of anther being who is caged is impressive. She has always thought that the contempt shown to witchbreed is unjust. They impress her. Belatedly, she asks for their names. Karma introduces them. Dani asks her not to use the word witchbreed. It sounds like vermin. They are mutants.Suspicious, she holds up the pot. Roma has had a centuries-long spat with her father and suddenly she is happy to give this away? She doesn’t trust her. Does this not have some power she wanted? What kind of game is Roma playing?Roma and her guards burst out laughing. Did Merlyn tell her this had magic? It’s just a piece of old crockery she took on her way out because she knew he had a fondness for it. If he had asked her for it like an adult, she would have given it back. But Dani is right. Nothing is without its price. She casts a spell that will return the vessel where she took it from and will send the two mutants where they need to be. Th price for this is a favor to be called in whenever Roma desires. They will come when she has need of them. No questions asked.Krakaoa, the Kinney residence:A nervous Anole is about to knock at the door. Gabby opens the door before he can and greets him.  Gabby asks what is up. She thought they wouldn’t meet until later.Anole wanted to ask her something first. He is momentarily irritated by the mess of the place. Is that his question? Gabby asks. She explains her sister Laura is gone and she hasn’t found the will to clean. But she’s gonna. What’s up?Anole asks if she knew anything about the Body Farm. They only know it was up and running at the Boneyard. Gabby thinks it’s off-limits. Why?Anole summarizes they have been experimenting with body-trading some more. They put someone’s consciousness into a flower but it was kinda weak, because they don’t move, but they think if they used a formerly mobile vessel, they could really do things.And they want to use other people’s bodies without asking them, Gabby ventures. Why not just use a husk? Anole explains husks are for resurrection. And she saw what happened to Cosmar at the party. Their needs aren’t any priority.Gabby decides this is a really bad idea. It feels wrong to take the bodies and it could also go wrong. Anole snaps, so it’s fine for X-Factor to let the bodies rot, but not for them to include them trying to be better? He shouts at her that she doesn’t get it what it’s like to have others recoil from your body or show pity – even here! Gabby tries to interject but he tells her no “but.” Not when she can pass as a human girl. Not that he wants to be human, but maybe they want to be beautiful! And that isn’t immoral!Gabby retorts just because she can hide her claws, doesn’t mean she doesn’t know what it means not to have control over her body. He turns away and tells her it isn’t the same.Gabby shouts after him, the people who made them feel they aren’t beautiful are idiots! She loves the way they all look! She knows that isn’t comforting now, but that is what they are here for, to be themselves. To not have to care what others think. Yeah, okay, he replies dismissively and leaves.Otherworld: the vampire kingdom Sevalith:Josh has struck a deal with a vampire, giving him something in return for a tour of the historical archives. They are interrupted by the two women. Dani points her arrow at the vampire and orders him to step back. He asks if all witchbreed women are that intense. “Mutant,” Josh corrects. He asks Dani to drop the weapon. This is all a misunderstanding. Dani replies they need to make sure he hasn’t been turned into a Renfield. He shows his neck, which hasn’ t been bitten.They ask what he gave the vampire. Not blood, he clarifies. A potion he got from Jamie Braddock that gives you what you need the moment you drink it. Karma uses the light of truth to ascertain that is true. Dani apologizes but they are here to take him home. His friends are worried.The Sevalithian sniffs at their prejudice towards him. Josh apologizes to him. They are used to being hunted where they come from. Monstrous, his new friend opines and asks if he needs him to stay. Josh declines but promises to see him later.Dani corrects him. There won’t be a later, he is coming with them. Josh tells them thanks, but no thanks. He is happy here. Dani and Xi’an warn him it’s too risky. If he dies here, his backup gets corrupted. So what? He asks. Dani asks if Krakoa is so boring he’d risk ceasing to exist for a thrill.Josh explains how he comes from Jersey, how when his mutation manifested his father threw him out. He lived in the woods. He is the reason the Jersey Devil rumor started again. Even in Krakoa, he didn’t feel right. They are all so used to being persecuted, they push in the opposite direction of being special. He isn’t special, he is just Josh. And here no one looks twice at him. Plus, this place is fantastic! Furies and dragons and stuff - he always wanted to have high fantasy adventures.Dani asks if it doesn’t scare him. That he is alone. That he could die. That’s just it, he replies. He isn’t alone. He makes friends everywhere he goes instead of scaring people, and being functionally immortal is new. He knew he could die any time since he manifested, but for the first time he is living.Dani and Shan decide not to force him but they are not happy. Josh promises to check in every few months, if that helps. He will even bring gifts. He decided to map Otherworld for Krakoa. He throws down a small object that grows into a gate. He explains he has more of them. They are connected to Avalon.Dani hugs him and orders him to check in every month. No skipping, or she will find him and embarrass him in front of his new friends.They leave for the gate and Josh thanks them.Later Dani and Shan sit outside the Sextant. They talk about Dani being able to manifest the psychic entity that appeared to them as a rabbit and that Shan figures is her brother. Dani finally asks why she thinks it is him. Shan explains that, when they were kids, she and Tran were obsessed with fairy tales. His favorite was about the rabbit on the moon.As if on cue, the rabbit appears. Shan lights the light of truth and the rabbit image turns into Tran. She explains that, even when they were enemies, she sensed a desire for peace within him. She doesn’t regret protecting herself but she regrets not being able to protect him. She blows out the flame and the image disappears. She knows what she has to do. Dani asks what she needs. Smiling, Karma tells her she needs Dani to be her partner in the Crucible…


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[Assistant]
Homecoming
Krakoa:Karma and Mirage sit on a rock at the Singing Falls. Mirage asks if Karma is ready, then uses her power to manifest the soul of Karma’s brother Tran that is trapped inside his sister’s mind.Tran wonders how they can speak outside of Otherworld. Karma explains it is time to set him free. To do so, she will enter the Crucible on his behalf. It is a form of ritual combat and death. She will pay for both their freedom in blood.He protests, how will she free them by killing them? Karma explains death is no longer permanent for their kind. Cerebro has recorded them as separate entities. Once they are dead, they can be resurrected separately. He asks why not simply let him go? Karma explains their most powerful psychics have tried to separate them and failed. While she is alive, he cannot be untwinned from her. This is the best chance they have. So there is no guarantee? he presses and calls this insane. She replies Krakoa is about second chances for both of them. They deserve to start anew. Tran thanks her.The image disappears and Dani can finally break contact.Soon, the two find themselves in the Crucible arena. Silver Samurai introduces them and adds that, in deference of Tran, the two will fight without powers. Karma has a sword, Dani a bow and arrow.Karma reminds her she is counting on her. The two begin to fight. In the audience, Anole notices that Cosmar isn’t feeling well.Scout makes her way through the audience to Warpath to ask for some hypothetical advice. He asks why she doesn’t talk to her sister. Scout explains she has a lot going on with being locked in the Vault for a gajillion years, then losing her memories about it. She doesn’t want to bother her too much. Besides, he always has answers to questions. Fair enough, he grins. She describes the hypothetical scenario of a group of mutant friends who are all unhappy, which might lead to them doing some pretty sketchy stuff. Nothing against the Laws, and she knows they don’t really die anymore, but hurting still matters, and she knows what it’s like to be used.James carefully replies that their new way of life shouldn’t erase what’s kept them alive and sane. She is a well-adjusted individual for all she’s been through. She should trust her instincts.Gabby is surprised at his support. Just because they want this place to work doesn’t mean they close their eyes to what’s going on, he tells her.In the meantime, Cosmar and her friend group leave the audience.James asks if Gabby needs help. Does she want someone to back her up? Looking after the others, Gabby declines. James tells her he trusts her but, if she says the word, they are here. She smiles and thanks him as she leaves.In the arena, Dani criticizes Xi’an for being too hesitant and sloppy. She is not supposed to give up but fight for what she wants. She creates an image of Tran, who asks her if this is how she keeps her promise. Karma admits she is afraid. What happens once they are separated? Will things be right or will they continue to make each other suffer? /&% fear! she decides and slices Dani’s bow apart with her blade.The audience gets more excited. Wolfsbane walks away.The Boneyard:The Lost Club look around, not really happy with any of the corpses they have found so far. They are joined by Scout, who asks what they are doing. Cosmar explains they have practiced body swapping. They found out the bodies that degrade are the ones that are inhabited. They wanted to experiment with inanimate bodies.Scout calls it gross and points out they don’t have the permission of the people whose bodies they want to use. Rain Boy retorts they have already given their bodies to mutant science. Scout disagrees. She spent most of her life being used, by her creators, by people who wanted to take over her body. She knows what it looks like being manipulated. Shadow King is using them! He’s convinced them he is the only one they can trust and they are doing things they would have hated a few weeks ago! And he promises to solve all their problems if they do all this stuff that even they do not think is good. He’s a liar!Cosmar orders her to shut up. She has no idea what it’s like! Scout talked about what was done to her. What about them? No-Girl didn’t choose to be as she is. That was done to her! And yet they leave her like that, because she can still use her powers. That’s not fair! Cosmar just wants to be herself again, and everyone treats her as ungrateful.While she rages, she controls the dead bodies. They keep saying her power is a gift but her entire life was ripped away by it! She can’t even look at a mirror anymore!Scout tries to comfort her but insists Shadow King is going to get them hurt!Anole retorts that she doesn’t know what it’s like, because she doesn’t look different. Rain Boy adds they aren’t hurting anyone. He just wants to be solid!Scout praises Cosmar for her increasing control over her power, but stresses that she worries. Anole retorts they aren’t breaking any of the Laws. So she either tattles on them or she backs off! Rain Boy accuses her of trying to control them.Rahne joins them and asks what is going on. Anole replies Scout is sticking her nose where she’s been told it doesn’t belong. She thinks Shadow King is a creep and won’t leave them alone about it. She just wants to make sure her friends are okay, Gabby protests weakly. Rahne leads her away and suggests they have a talk about her concerns.The Crucible:Dani announces Karma has done what she came to do. Now it’s time to rest. She attacks with a knife and Xi’an dodges. For a moment, she wonders why she is doing this. Why help someone who caused her only pain? Is it a good idea to release Tran on Krakoa?She recalls their childhood and wonders who Tran is. The brother she comforted and protected or the man who forced her to choose between his exile and her life? But she realizes it isn’t up to her to decide who Tran is and will be. Only he can do that. And that is what she is fighting for.It is time, she decides and charges leaving herself wide open… and Mirage hits her fatally.In the jungle, Scout tells Rahne everything that happened until she realizes where Rahne has led her - to a fire where the Shadow King is sitting. Rahne tells her she needs to face her problems heads-on.Farouk ask what leads them here. Rahne tells Gabby she has a right to her fear, but he has a right to hear it. She assures her it is all right and leaves.Farouk asks Scout if she has some misgivings about him mentoring her friends. Why don’t they talk? Gabby retorts he doesn’t scare her and she won’t let him mess with her friends anymore.In the arena, a dying Karma jokes she would be lying if she said she was sorry that Dani is the last thing she sees. Dani tells her to rest.Karma is awakened from an egg and is greeted and introduced by Storm, who tells her she is her own woman again. Her friends welcome her back.


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Party of the Century
The Hellfire Gala, Mykenes:Several mutants enter on the green carpet and are photographed by the press. Warlock, looking like usual, smiles for the press, until a darkhaired man loudly opines that his look is embarrassing. Depressed, Warlock tries to slink away until Dani asks him where he is going. They don’t want to be late.
Inside, the New Mutants mingle with the heroes and celebrities. Warlock stays by Dani’s side while she greets Captain America and Captain Marvel.
Wolverine and Thor make a date for drinking. Warlock tells Iron Man he loves the circuit-work of friendstark. Always great to meet a fan, is the reply. An already inebriated Nightcrawler asks Dani about her experiences with the veil between life and death as a Valkyrie.
Later again, Rogue urges Dani to go to the afterparty. She’s been working hard; she deserves an evening of revelry!
Finally, Dani catches up with Rahne, currently in her transitional form, and the female Wolverine, Laura Kinney. Dani asks Laura about her clone sister Gabby. The food should be right up her alley. Laura isn’t sure. Gabby hasn’t been home. Rahne muses she hasn’t been at training either. Laura suggests she is probably causing trouble with Akihiro. She excuses herself and joins Synch.
Dani sends Warlock away on a pretext. Alone with Rahne, Dani asks why she is in uniform. Did Jumbo not give her one of his custom creations? Rahne shrugs. All this pomp is for the humans. She doesn’t feel like preening and strutting for them. Dani suggests it is less strutting and more flexing their mutant pride. And what a great excuse to get fancy! If she says so, Rahne agrees listlessly. Dani takes her hands and apologizes for not being there to go to X-Factor with Rahne. There was a whole thing with an old wizard and a pot but that’s beside the point. She’s sorry and she wants Rahne to know she is here now. Rahne replies it’s fine after some hesitation. She got Dani’s note. It sounded like a serious situation. She’s glad she was there for the boy when he needed her.
A Madrox clone offers them champagne. Dani asks what X-Factor said about their next steps. For getting Tier back. Rahne gives the evasive reply, that it’s complicated Dani suggests she can also tell her later. But it sounds like it’s building up in her head. She should talk about it. They can go if she wants to talk. And miss the party of the century? Rahne jokes. She’s worth ditching for, Dani jokes back.
Turning serious, Rahne bursts out, Tier is not going to be resurrected. Is that what she wants to hear? Dani is taken aback. Does that mean he is alive? Rahne sighs. No. yes, maybe. They couldn’t say. Cerebro’s still taking back-ups. But they are wrong, somehow… different than they should be. Even if he were in the resurrection queue, he wouldn’t come back right, and they can’t tell her why.
Dani bursts out that that doesn’t make any senses. What happened to his back-ups? A fed up Rahne lashes out. If Dani had been there, she wouldn’t ask her about that. It’s not their job to find out. They investigated and found what they told her. That’s the end of their line.
Dani apologizes. So does Rahne; she is just tired. They are interrupted for the announcement for the X-Men election. Rahne wants to sit down. Dani promises her they will make this all right somehow.
Laura asks Daken and Aurora if they have seen Gabby. Not today, Daken replies. Why, she getting into trouble? Aurora asks if she is alright. She has been withdrawn lately. Laura is worried. She knows Gabby is a functionally immortal highly trained assassin. But she is also her kid sister. And she never misses an all-you-can-eat buffet. She doesn’t want to sound the alarm yet. They know how Logan gets and, if she Gabby turns up for dinner, it will be a whole thing… She asks them to keep an eye out for her. Daken promises but assures her she is probably just putting cherry bombs into the toilets.
The unpleasant man who insulted Warlock before is trying to chat up Illyana, who is dressed in a demon style outfit. He boasts that he is the highest paid artist in the States and has an eye for beautiful things. She’s got a form that’s begging to be sculpted. He nudges Warpath, who just glares and tries to hold back an angry Magik. They are all distracted when Karma joins them. James and Illyana are stunned by her outfit; a retro fuchsia mini dress displaying her artificial leg.
The artist tells her how bold it is to wear something above the knee. Easy, James warns Illyana, who points out teleporting him inside a volcano is easy. The artist makes a show of kissing Xia’an’s hand, asking her to be his next muse She’s giving him cyberpunk aesthetic realness. Warlock angrily hovers over Karma’s shoulder and glares at him. Karma asks who he is. He believes she is playing coy but introduces himself as Barry Thee Artist. He’s sure she’s seen his work.
Illyana tells James if she can’t end him, then he should play interference while she and Xi’an make an exit. Illyana addresses Karma as “babe,” pretending to be her girlfriend. Barry leers. Must be hard not to get in there, huh? he asks James. The two women are about to leave. Barry remarks that, when he’s through with them, they’ll be begging him to lick his brushes clean.
Karma turns around and possesses him. She forces him to take a tray of drinks and empty them over his head. He realizes she used her power on him and begins uttering threats. That sounds like trending news. Get ready for an international incident.
Karma returns to him and informs him he seems to be confused as to his importance, so let her explain it to him as if he were a child: his negging and crude tasteless insinuations aren’t shocking. They are boring. As is his work. He creates an abrasive persona to prove that he is authentic, but all he has done is show how basic and cruel he is. He is a guest here – a tourist, not a diplomat. But if he were a human representative to their nation, his behavior would cost his country dearly. She tells hm to be grateful for his lack of importance. As she then turns back to Illyana, Warlock gives her a big thumbs up. Karma tells him to take the loss and keep his mouth shut for the rest of the night. Barry is speechless. Warpath tells Barry to clean himself up.
Illyana commends Xi’an on her ruthlessness. If she ever wants to give a seminar on evisceration in Limbo, she is welcome. The two laugh and dance.
James turns to Warlock and asks why he keeps following an imitating him all night. Warlock admits he is lonely. He is trying not to be resentful but, ever since selfsoulfriend Doug returned from Otherworld with his new wife Bei the Bloodmoon, he has had no time for Warlock and he feels like parts of him are missing. He feels sad and misses that level of connection and wanted to see if someone else wanted to be his best friend.
Gently, James tells him he can’t cut and paste people like that. Sometimes people get in deep to where you are vulnerable. That is family. Replacing Doug is impossible. Just as replacing Warlock is impossible. He’s lost people too. The pain doesn’t go away but you learn to breathe through it. But that isn’t what’s happening here. Doug is in the honeymoon phase of things right now, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need Warlock. He most likely feels the same way he does. He suggests Warlock talk to Doug. His power is communication; he will understand. Encouraged by the peptalk, warlock decides to do that and thanks him.
Warlock walks over to the couple and begins to talk. Doug smiles and Bei shows her acceptance, and soon they are goofing around together.
Elsewhere, Amahl Farouk talks with Scout, telling her he never had the opportunity to make friends when he was her age. When he was ten his father along with hundreds of neighbors had been taken by a plague. He wasn’t alone, however. He had him. And, for a long time, he thought what he had was good. Because of him he was never alone. Cheered wherever they went. Weeping with joy… but it wasn’t real. He knows that now.
When he came to Krakoa, it was the first time in centuries that he felt free. He still hears little pieces of him but, something about this place keeps him dormant. Farouk can think and feel for himself. For the first time, people smiled at him because they wanted to. Her friends came to him out of their choice because they were curious and trusted they were safe. It felt good. They are lost like he was. There will come a time when they will have to face the world again. And be ruthless like he was. He knows what lurks in the darkness and will tolerate them becoming prey. Goodbye, Gabrielle Kinney.
Later, on Planet Arakko (formerly Mars), Illyana recruits Dani for disrobing James, who has gotten the spikes of his jacket stuck and can’t get out of it. Illyana gets them all champagne for a toast, though Rahne passes.
Laura has returned to the home she shares with Gabby and Jonathan to find a letter by Gabby. She begins to read then shows it to Daken.
Gabby’s friends, returned from Arakko, finds her dead body in a ditch.


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Secrets & Lies
The Wild Hunt, Krakoa:The members of the Lost Club – Anole, Cosmar, Rain Boy and No-Girl – are horrified at their find, a dead Gabby Kinney.Anole figures they have to do something while Rain Boy panics there is murder on Krakoa. Anole snaps they don’t know if she was murdered - just that she is dead! They need to think this through. While Cosmar cradles her dead body Rain Boy points out her healing factor would have protected her. Of course it was murder! They gotta tell the X-Men!Cosmar replies they can’t help her.No, Gabby’s suddenly animated corpse shouts. It’s No-Girl speaking. She rants, how many times have their questions and fears been brushed aside with barely any consideration. Cosmar asked for their help and they gave her platitudes. Cosmar agrees and adds that the grown-ups still enter Crucible for little things. No-Girl adds that, when Scout asked if the rights Krakoa extends to them also extend to clones, they sent her away with a pat on the head.No Girl describes how humans took away her body, and instead of the X-Men undoing what those monsters had done, she was left to figure out how to fend for herself. They even gave her a name that pokes fun at what she went through - No Girl.She’s learned, if she wants something, to go for it herself, and even though they fought, Scout doesn’t deserve this.Anole agrees. So how are they gonna do this? Rain Boy suggests they resurrect her. He suggests switching bodies, but permanent. The others point out she is dead and switching burns out their bodies. He explains it only burns them out in the wrong bodies, but they intend to put her in the right one. And she has a back-up in Cerebro, like all of them. All they have to do is get her back-up from the Five, then they put her back, and bang, nobody will notice the difference!Martha agrees but they can’t even tell Shadow King or they would get him in trouble. The others agree.The Green Lagoon:Karma is hanging out at the bar. Fred Dukes tells her he is taking five. She notices Rahne and the Shadow King sitting at a table and hears Farouk stressing the need for discretion, before he leaves.Rahne seems to be suffering from a hangover. Karma joins her and brings her some water. So she is making new friends? Karma fishes. Rahne asks why that is her business. Karma assures her she isn’t judging, but she knows what being near him can make you feel like.Rahne snaps at her to keep her concern. She isn’t a child. Xi’an reminds her what Farouk did to her, that’s why she is concerned. She knows Rahne is in a vulnerable state, and that’s the kind of thing he counts on. Isolating people, taking advantage of their weakness and…Rahne swears and brings down her glass hard. She has taken the promise of Krakoa to heart - unlike some people! And Karma is just selective about who gets a second chance. Seems hypocritical to undergo one of Krakoa’s most sacred rituals for one abuser, then denying another man the chance to change! Kamra doesn’t know her situation and a friend would trust her to mind herself. Karma stammers but Rahne turns around and tells her to worry about her own life. Stop pretending to care about anyone else!Tristan da Cunha:Sage reports that there has been a new mutant manifestation connected with an unnatural seismic event.The New Mutants and several youngsters evacuate people.Inside a dilapidated building, a woman cries the name Abby. Warpath wants to help her, then he hears someone inside moaning for help. The woman shouts he can’t have her.As another seismic event starts, he grabs the woman and runs. The other evacuees ask where Abby is. Warpath returns to the building and finds a crying little girl. She didn’t mean to make the ground move, she sniffs. He promises to get her to her mommy. Outside, the citizens have armed themselves, warning he is not going to take her. Warpath warns he won’t let them hurt her. The people accuse them of snatching children. As a fight starts, Warpath realizes that the people are trying to protect the girl, and he returns her to her mother.Warpath then explains they are used to humans trying to hurt kids when their powers manifest. He suggests Krakoa send mutants to teach Abby her powers at home and promises she is always welcome on Krakoa.On Krakoa, the Lost Club are taking Scout (animated by No Girl and Cosmar) to Arbor Magna. Rain Boy is nervous. What if the Five use magic to revive the people? Anole tells him it’s nonsense. He continues, what if Scout’s body is already too far gone?They are interrupted by Daken, who tells “Gabby” she missed all the fun last night (referring to the Hellfire Gala), then asks where she’s been. Laura’s been worried sick. “Gabby” asks him what he wants. He tells her she left a weird message about doing the right thing, and then was gone for three days. “Scout” replies she was hanging out with her friends. It’s no big deal – it’s not like she is in danger here.He informs her there was a murder at the gala and he can smell when she is lying. She is up to something. And why does she smell like she has been rolling in dead bodies? She again replies in hostile and evasive manner. He reminds her they are family. Angrily, she reminds him he always blows her off when she wants to spend time with him. They are only family when it is convenient to him! “Gabby” accuses him of being more concerned with getting into Aurora’s pants than caring about his own sister!Daken is hurt by her accusations. Angrily, he tells her hanging with that crowd has changed her. She retorts they have her back, instead of pretending to care. Daken shouts he’d kill for her! They are blood! That means something to him! Cruelly, she replies paying attention to her is more important than killing some strangers.With that parting shot, they leave Daken behind and head for Arbor Magna, where Wolfsbane is talking to Elixir.Elixir asks what they are doing out so late. Just out for a walk, they claim, then decide to sneak in from the back. Anole tries a fastball special with “Gabby” / No-Girl but she is thrown against a kind of invisible barrier. No-Girl tells Cosmar to do her thing. She feels it is kind of reality bendy. Proteus’ work? But not enough to withstand Cosmar’s powers. They sneak in, looking for the Hatchery in the basement.They are amazed when they see all the eggs with husks inside.They wonder if Gabby will remember what happened and decide to make sure this will never happen to her again. They recall Gabby’s kindness. Cosmar remembers how Gabby never gives a pause as others do when looking at her face. Anole adds that she always had your back. Rain Boy recalls Gabby always picked him first during games. No-Girl adds she never judged the way she communicated and she enjoyed learning new things. She is always open. She needed them and they failed her. They have to fix it.Unfortunately, that moment they are surprised by Tempus. Martha takes over her mind, demanding she show them the back-ups. That moment, an angry Rahne demands what they are doing.Back at the Sextant, Karma tells Mirage they need to talk about Rahne…


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Krakoa Welcomes Gabby Kinney
The moon, outside the Summer House:Warpath has taken a group of youngsters to the moon. All wearing spacesuits, the youngsters experiment with the lower gravity and look around until Warpath tells them all to focus. Space is new to them, and he needs them all to work together in this environment. He shows them brightly colored, space mudbranches which are mostly harmless, except that their slime is mildly corrosive. They are attracted to the biodomes and last time there were a bunch of them, they caused a breach that almost depressurized the whole thing. So today they are going to gently remove and relocate them.One of the kids asks why not just squish them. They aren’t doing any harm and space is their home, is the reply. As Warpath speaks to the group, Leo follows a sluglike being into a crater. Suddenly, an angry Brood jumps out at him and Leo screams.Krakoa, Arbor Magna:The Lost Club has just been busted breaking into the chamber with the husks and are now supposed to explain themselves to an exasperated Wolfsbane and Tempus. The kids burst out that Scout died, they don’t know how, they figure nobody cares, and as she is a clone, she wouldn’t be resurrected, and No Girl took over the body.One at a time, Wolfsbane asks. Anole angrily states nobody is giving them straight answers, when it comes to resurrection for clones. Better to make sure she comes back. And face their punishment afterward, No-Girl grimly adds.Tempus is shocked that they think that about the Five. Wolfsbane adds that Scout is a mutant and Krakoan, and, even if she weren’t living here, they wouldn’t leave her to die. Of course, they would! Cosmar snaps. It’s already happened before! She refers to Havok, who was denied the resurrection of Madlyne Pryor by the Quiet Council. And do they think they haven’t noticed that no clones have been resurrected? When Gabby tried to address this, she was waved away!Rahne admits they have a point. They have been assuming resurrection would be equitable, but there are more questions than answers about these situations. She powers down, turning to her human form as Cosmar snaps that Gabby isn’t a situation, she is a person! Rahne agrees. She spoke carelessly but Cosmar must know she is here for them. Why didn’t they come to her?The kids look at each other, then No-Girl bursts out Rahne was the last person to see Gabby alive!That can’t be right, Rahne protests, then begins to stammer when trying to recall the last time she saw Gabby. Anole explains right before the Gala Gabby confronted them about some of the experiments they’d been doing. She was scared for them because they were spending time with Shadow King. Then Rahne came and promised her she would help her figure things out.Rahne can’t remember. The kids stress it was true. They found Gabby after the Gala – dead. She looked like she died scared and sad.Tempus gets between them, announcing everyone – Gabby included – was backed up before the Gala. She suggests they wake her up and see what she remembers. Seeing as Gabby was near invincible, that could mean there were two murders at the Gala. But there is only one way to find out. The kids thank her profusely while Rahne is lost in thought.Elsewhere, Mirage is training her marksmanship with her bow and arrow when Karma joins her and announces they need to talk about Rahne. As she hits the target’s bullseye, Dani asks what about her. Did something happen? Karma narrates how she saw her in the bar, seeming out of it, and she spoke with the Shadow King. She was so angry with her afterwards. Dani defends Rahne automatically, pointing out her situation with her missing son Tier, leaving her angry and disconnected. She believes Rahne needs space until she comes to them.Karma clarifies that is not what she is talking about. She has noticed Rahne acting differently for some time now, and she knows the signs of the Shadow King’s tampering. She admits to feeling guilty. She made sure Tran got a second chance but denies someone else theirs just on a gut feeling. Dani admits she feels something is different through her connection with Rahne. Firing a second arrow that hits the bullseye, she announces she trusts Karma’s instincts. They need to look into this.On the moon, Leo runs chased by a Brood. Warpath tries to calm him, reminding him they have a truce with the Brood. Doesn’t look like it, Brutha Nature doubts. Warpath reminds them Broo controls the Brood via the King Egg. The kids run though and turn out be right, as more Brood attack James slashing at his space suit. The kids want to help but before they can do anything, Warpath tears off the Brood’s stinger and stabs it.Working together, the kids beat the Brood, but their triumph is short-lived as a whole group of Brood descends on them.Krakoa, Arbor Magna:Gabby awakes, gasping. Hope telepathically puts back her mind. Gabby asks how she got here, and the other kids greet her effusively. Then she sees Rahne and hurls herself at her with a cry of rage, intending to kill her.Rahne assures her; she doesn’t remember hurting Gabby. Proteus separates the two of them and asks Scout what the last thing she remembers is. Her! She points at Rahne. She remembers her and pain and shadows, then nothing!Rahne repeats, she can’t remember. She feels for the kids’ pain and wishes she could spare them from it. She would never have hurt her willingly. She admits, the only explanation that makes sense is the Shadow King. He came to her when she was vulnerable and told her the kids needed her help. She thinks she took Scout right to him. She tells Gabby she has a right to her anger. She hopes Scout will give her another chance to help her. Whatever happened, she believes Gabby. Please tell her, so it doesn’t happen again!Gabby remembers arguing with Anole and Cosmar, and Rahne appearing to smooth it all over. She said something about facing feelings head on. They were walking. She was angry, scared… then she felt pain, which isn’t a thing, then she was here. Rahne promises to get to the bottom of this.The Lost Club ask if they are going to get into trouble for Gabby’s resurrection. Hope replies that resurrection is the Five’s thing. They are smoothing over all the wrinkles that the bigwigs didn’t think about. Gabby, like many others who started out as copies, registers as an individual to Cerebro. They are their own people. It entitles them to resurrection. If the Council doesn’t like it, the Five will deal with it. Let them worry about ruffled feathers.The kids leave with Gabby.On the moon, the kids work together successfully to fight the Brood, with Leo fixing every punctured spacesuit. When Monica gets hurt, Warpath shouts this is enough.The others gather around him. Leo carries Monica. Suddenly, they are joined by Broo, who enthusiastically congratulates them on their performance. Warpath asks him for a word in private. Angrily, he reminds Broo that this was about getting the kids comfortable with spacewalks, not run through alien attack scenarios. Sheepishly, Broo explains that wasn’t him. These Brood were rebelling. Warpath asks how long this has been going on. Not for long, Broo assures him, and it was only the groups the mutants just killed. And one other but loyal warriors dispatched them. He was actually on his way to suggest they save the lesson for another day. Unbelievable, Warpath mutters disgusted. As they walk to the gate, he warns he is going to tell the Council about this. He is choosing to believe Broo is still an ally. He suggests he move the hives further back into space.The Sextant:Karma and Mirage are sitting at the table, asking if Illyana (who is gulping down a gallon of coffee) has heard what they said. Wolf’s acting weird. Karma’s bitterest nemesis is probably causing it. They circle the wagons and confront him, Magik summarizes. Got it. She reminds them she is a war captain and has the full authority to wreck him.Mirage reminds her that they cannot simply attack without proof he has hurt someone. Nor should they be able to. About that, comes a sheepish voice. Rahne joins them and admits she has reason to believe he manipulated her mind to hurt people. But that’s not the worst of it. Dani reaches out but Rahne brushes her off. She needs to say this: he made her do something horrible or help him do that. He made her kill another mutant. She has promised not to reveal their identity. And she can’t trust her own mind enough to confront him on her own.Dani and Xi’an assure her she isn’t alone. Enough with the soft touch! Magik snarls. Time to go hunting!In his cave, Farouk leers, looking forward to their arrival…


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Shadows and Mirrors
All of Krakoa has fallen to its enemies. Only the New Mutants stand against the hordes of Orchis, the Brood, Belasco and his demons, the Four Horsemen and more!Magik is the first to attack, but the mutants are clearly overwhelmed, and Mirage watches in horror as Nimrod throttles Karma, S’ym tears apart Wolfsbane, a Sentinel blasts Warpath to atoms and Magik finds herself once again abducted and helpless at the feet of Belasco.The Shadow King rises and announces it doesn’t have to be that way.Elsewhere, the Lost Club nervously approach the Kinney residence, torn between leaving Gabby some more time and eager to apologize. They knock and Gabby, munching on a sandwich, opens. Her pet wolverine Jonathan hisses. The Lost Club ask if they can enter, clearly expecting Gabby to throw them out. She asks them in but warns they can’t stay long.The kids carefully apologize, explaining Shadow King was the first to show interest in them, but what happened to Gabby was wrong and she deserved better than them not listening. Gabby accepts the apology, which surprises them. Gabby explains it hurt when they didn’t believe her, but they were the ones who saved her. Almost everyone treats her like she is an add-on to Laura or the worst Wolverine clone, but they treat her like she is just herself. Thy treat her as her own person. So, yeah, she forgives them and she is really grateful, but she doesn’t believe they can be friends, if they keep hanging out with him. They assure her they are done with the Shadow King and enter a group hug.They were actually going to tell him today and were looking for some “snikt family” back-up.Gabby muses that Laura and Daken are involved with the Scarlet Witch thing and she doesn’t know when they will be back. But Dani, Magik and the other trainers are there, and they are worried. Gabby explains that Wolfsbane talked to them about it and they aren’t happy. They want to make it clear to him that he can’t kill mutant kids, even if they are clones. She believes they have everything under control.Far from it.The astral plane, a bazaar:Not what they expected to see after fighting for their lives. Farouk suddenly appears and agrees that was unpleasant. He prefers this himself; the Cairo market was a place of negotiation and exchange. He believes it will be easier to come to an accord here. The mutants warn him he has no chance of keeping them prisoner. Feigning surprise, Farouk tells them they aren’t his prisoners. His presentation was a little stern but as per their own request they are his guests. He ignores their protests and asks them to follow him into a building.Inside, they sit around a table. Dani orders him to talk. He reminds them that they wanted to talk to him. They came to him demanding to know what his intentions were toward the Krakoan youth. He offered to show them. He manifests a pot of mint tea and some glasses. As he pours tea, they pronounce all they have seen is death and destruction. He clarifies that they haven’t seen what he wants but what will be if they continue on this course. He is the only one who drinks, as he explains his intentions are salvation.He believes that nothing lasts forever. Xavier and Magneto feel safe in the belief that they have founded an indestructible nation. But they are horribly, narcissistically, foolishly wrong. Krakoa, like Constantinople, will fall and mutants will have become too soft to survive it.Dani asks why he tortures them with their worst fears when they have come to him to stop him from hurting and brainwashing their children. Disgusting! Karma tells her these aren’t their worst dreams. They are his.Angrily, Farouk smashes a glass and warns them. Apocalypse knew the truth about what it takes to endure, but he was weak. Once he got what he wanted, he abandoned them. But he will not give in that easily. He will remind mutantkind of these harsh truths!The Lost Club leave Gabby’s home and they make plans to meet up for the next day.Alone, Gabby wrestles with her conscience, whether it was okay to let them leave or whether she should confront the Shadow King herself. She runs after the others and explains she wants to confront him about this. Cosmar tells her she is brave. Gabby laughs that Laura would say she has no sense of consequence.Elsewhere, Dani explains to Farouk they cannot live their lives in fear. They have never known anything except desperate survival. They deserve more. They are stronger together than any other foe she has ever encountered. What he is doing is harming that. Rahne adds he is hurting children, because he fears a future he hasn’t actually seen.Angrily, he shoots back that, without rest, the machines will hunt them to extinction! The humans will never leave them in peace! They are simply predators and prey. That is the way it is, and the Quiet Council is turning a people who should be apex predators into peaceful sacrificial lambs! The Arakkii have survived millennia of besiegement by accepting their true selves. If they are to survive, they must do the same!Boring! Illyana interjects and calls him pathetic. Krakoa is about breaking the cycle, not regrouping for another go. If he truly believes mutants are a higher order of being, then he has to believe it is possible to think in higher terms than “predator” and “prey!”Dani adds that, if they treat others as prey, they prove their hatred right. The idea of Krakoa is to move them beyond the cycle of destruction and lift everyone up.Farouk admits that Krakoa is truly unique. It unified mutants in a way that shouldn’t be possible. He calls them young and idealistic. They were weaned on the dream of a man who believed to suffer for some greater good means the better part of valor. But he knows the truth of countless dimensions, and there are none where weakness is a virtue. They must learn this lesson if they are to survive. And he is happy to teach them.Once again, he immerses them in psychic scenarios of attacks by their worst enemies.The Wild Hunt is surrounded by a thunderstorm and the Lost Club are hesitant in approaching. They are hit by a psychic shockwave, and Rain Boy disperses until Cosmar helps him reform. They hear cries and groans and realize something awful is happening. They realize the New Mutants might need back-up.Gabby figures Farouk will be distracted. They should see if they can sneak in.They see the entrance and find the New Mutants lying on the ground, black tentacles from the Shadow King entering their heads, as he announces they will all learn…


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The Truth Shall Set Them Free
The Lost Club have entered the Shadow King’s cave and have found both Farouk and the New Mutants seemingly unconscious on the ground.They develop a plan to create a psychic circuit, which gets them onto the astral plane. The others marvel because No-Girl now has a body and Cosmar – while still lavender-skinned - is more human-looking.In another part of Farouk’s mind, what is left of the original Farouk is fighting the Shadow King part and is trying to obscure the New Mutants from him. The Shadow King claims that Farouk is nothing without him and hints that he made Farouk do this to the New Mutants before disappearing again, leaving Farouk to cry.The New Mutants find themselves in a facsimile of the Green Lagoon, about to be attacked by Brood. While their memories are fuzzy, they feel they have been through this many times.Karma notices a small, reflective demiglobe on the counter. She and Dani are fascinated by it, realizing that what is happening around them is wrong.Warpath and Wolfsbane attack the Brood, while Magik tries to get Karma and Mirage to join them. But the small globe sucks them in.The Lost Club find themselves in a surreal kind of desert, sensing a feeling of depression and being trapped. They hear the names of the New Mutants coming from a giant statue of Farouk’s head, placed on a chessboard. Reluctantly, they enter the head though the mouth.Inside, they find themselves in an Escher-like space of stairs, going everywhere and nowhere. Cosmar muses that this feels like her nightmare sphere and wonders if Shadow King was like them once. Before she can elaborate, they sense something.For a moment, the New Mutants’ and the Lost Club’s thoughts and feelings touch, and then both groups are together.No-Girl figures that their combined need to find the New Mutants, combined with Cosmar’s reality warping, cut through Shadow King’s astral plane. However, both Karma and Cosmar sensed another helpful presence coming from the Shadow King.After arguing whether there could be something good left in Shadow King, they decide to combine powers.Wolfsbane searches for a weak spot. They enter the Escher-like staircases and hear the voice of young Farouk shouting at the Shadow King.Rahne leads the way. Karma warns Scout that the two of them have to be careful. They have been touched by the Shadow King in a way that cannot be undone. Scout tells her she knows, but suggests she open her mind a little. They don’t have to forgive him, but they both know sometimes things are more complicated than “He’s bad, we are good.” Karma looks surprised as Gabby continues, she just wants to make sure they don’t hurt whom they are meant to help.Wolfsbane is sure she has found a way. Warpath protests they have been down this way already.Illyana finally diplomatically points out that she spent a long time in a place where everything looks the same, and they are definitely going in circles. The others agree and Karma suggests they nudge things. Illyana announces that, as war captain and expert in navigating liminal spaces, she takes charge. She explains to the others they have to form a mutant circuit.That won’t be happening! Wolfsbane shouts and splits into her five wolf forms. Controlled by Farouk, she attacks her friends, who are hesitant to fight back. A voice calls Rahne for help. A wall opens and she jumps through it, then the wall reforms.Mirage is about to lose it, but Karma calms her down and suggests they use Dani’s soul connection with Rahne to track her. Sccut adds that she smelled weird. She was trying to break free. Magik states that Rahne flipped when they were about to form a circuit, so they are on the right track.Cosmar uses her power to fuse hem. Magik is amazed at the sensation and they can sense Rahne, confused but strong-willed.In a grey corner of the astral plane, a boy is surprised that Rahne in wolfform came back. She licks his face and young Amahl laughs. Then he sees the fused form of the mutants arrive and marvels it is beautiful.The form breaks apart and, led by Magik, the others get ready to attack the boy, but Warpath and Anole get in front of him and ask the others to stop. Anole points out that Cosmar said this was a prison, but it is too old to be meant for any of them. It is meant for him!The boy begins to laugh, as black tears run from his eyes. The children understand what he does. And they will inherit the earth long after their weak bones are dust. He turns into the monstrous, giant shape of the Shadow King.When Karma points out that their powers are more powerful here on the astral plane, Magik tells her and Mirage to power up her soulsword. Mirage warns that simply killing him may cause a psychic backlash. Magik retorts that dealing with magical nightmare monsters is what she does!She slices the shadow apart with her sword but he just laughs, pointing out he is master of this place. Shadow tentacles reach for them, each manifesting as their individual nightmares: For Dani the Demon Bear, for Warpath his older brother, for Magik her Darkchild persona. Nonetheless, they refuse to be cowed by their fears. They announce they are beyond this and dispatch of their foes.The Lost Club form a circuit and ask the New Mutants to listen. The little boy is still in there. They have to save him. They are always telling them that things aren’t black and white, that being part of a community means to try and understand each other. They know he has done evil things, but they can’t pretend Amahl Farouk is just evil. The kid is as trapped in this horror as they are. The Shadow proclaims that this softness, this empathy in them, is the weakness he will forge out of them. When their enemies are lost to history, when mutants truly rule, they will thank him. He orders Rahne to attack.While the kids wrestle the wolves and No-Girl tries to stop the mind control, the New Mutants consider if they are right. They saw the child, Mirage points out. The Shadow entity was destroyed ages ago. This is just Farouk doing this. Karma likens him to an animal. A hundred years ago, circuses kept elephants captive with just a rope around their ankle. They’d been tied with metal since they were babies and had learned they couldn’t escape, even when the metal was later replaced with rope.Reluctantly, the other mutants, even Magik, agree with Karma. They ask Cosmar to use her warping to reach inside past Amahl to the heart of the entity. Cosmar imbues them with the power to get past the veil it has created.In the meantime, Wolfsbane’s dominant self attacks her other selves, who are biting Anole. She won’t let anyone hurt the kids, not even herself!Suddenly, the child Amahl begs her for help. He is surrounded by scary monster or at least makes Rahne perceive her teammates as such. The others ask her to recognize them. Mirage tells her to sense her through their soullink. He is manipulating her!The boy shouts at Rahne, this is a trick so they can take him! Don’t let them take him like they took Tier!Dani asks her to trust her feelings and assures Rahne she loves her. Rahne turns back to her human form.Farouk helplessly shouts they cannot! Flanked by the other mutants, Rahne replies they can and most certainly will!Adult Farouk turns to the child, berating him for reaching out to them. They will kill the boy and he will once again have proper mastery of the body. The boy replies, it’s not true. They have come to destroy the Shadow King, not Amahl Farouk! The Shadow King is Amahl Farouk! the adult insists angrily. The boy accuses him of fear. They are coming and he will help them banish the Shadow!As the New Mutants close in, the boy turns into an adult and confronts the Shadow King part of himself. He finally understands the truth. He is finished hiding behind fear and pain. The truth is that he is master of his choices, not the shadow but he, Amahl, and this truth will finally free him!He wrestles the shadow and gets some help from the mutants as they banish him.Reality:Amahl Farouk awakes, surrounded by the suspicious mutants. Magik holds her sword, ready to attack him. She asks if he wants the sword or will he come peacefully. Seeing his tears, Scout suspects he is done fighting, and Amahl Farouk begs their forgiveness.


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What is Deserved
The Green Lagoon:Two patrons, Magik and Rictor, are deep in discussion. Doesn’t that feel wrong though? Magik wonders. What, that words can mean different things? Rictor retorts. That’s basic.Illyana reminds him that she is a self-taught infernal sorcerer. Words having multiple connotations is not new to her. What she means is it feels wrong that they haven’t developed a better form of communication as mutants. Something that is specific to them. Like a language? he asks. Like a better connection to their nature, she corrects. Something more elemental that would help getting completely rid of miscommunication. They are supposed to be united in a way that is not possible for humans… but they are still flailing around in the dark. Rictor finds himself agreeing.Elsewhere, Wolfsbane sits on a rock, alone with her thoughts: her wonder at being back alive, the Shadow King manipulating her to bring Scout to him, her lost son Tier.She is joined by Dani, who asks if she can sit down. She is always welcome, Rahne tells her. She wonders how Dani can stand to be near her after everything she was part of. After everything she’s done.Mirage tells her to stop and grabs her hand. Rahne needed her and she wasn’t there. She had her reasons, Rahne replies. Dani states there will always be other things happening, but Rahne is her soulmate. That means no matter what, she should listen!Is she? Rahne demands. Since she came back, their connection has been empty. She can’t feel Dani. Mirage looks down and explains Rahne died and she felt her pain and fear… and then nothing! It was like she was hollowed out, like half of her was missing in the worst way. She’s been afraid and let that get in the way. She didn’t hear Rahne before when she called for her. But she hears her now. She’s listening.Rahne admits she has been holding back as well, but she doesn’t know how to start. Anywhere that bubbles up to the surface, Dani suggests. Anger mostly, Rahne reveals. At herself.Her son Tier… she watched him die… watched Guido kill him and yet Cerebro’s reading him. He might be somewhere out there, afraid and alone. She’s lost faith. She failed him. And while she was sitting around feeling sorry for herself, she left herself wide open for the Shadow King to use her. She really thought the Lost Club was a second chance and, instead of helping them, she hurt them and killed one of them! And there Dani was offering help and she felt so unworthy. She is not good enough for protecting children… or for her.Dani assures her she is wrong. She is strong and brave and deserving. She couldn’t have known that Tier wasn’t dead and now that she knows he is out there, there is no force that will keep them apart! She knows Rahne would have given her life twenty times over to spare Gabby, Cosmar and the others pain. Dani blames herself for failing them. She was arrogant enough to think she knew best, but Rahne wanted to give them what they asked for. Her love and goodness were manipulated by a being who had hundreds of years of practice preying on the vulnerable.As for her, she is enough for Dani. She always has been and will be. They touch foreheads. Then Karma interrupts their tender moment telling them it is time.Mutietown, Madripoor:The New Mutants and the Lost Club visit the Moira MacTaggert Memorial Hospital and give a pep talk to a nervous Cosmar, who feels like a twisted nightmare. Karma tells her to try again. Cosmar tells them she was a girl. She had a family, a future, but she doesn’t know anymore. She has the power to literally change reality but she hasn’t been able to make herself whole again. She doubts if what they do here will have any meaning. What if she is supposed to bel like this?Dani tells her that, when Cosmar asked her to be her partner in Crucible, Dani thought she what she needed, but they don’t come from the same place and haven’t fought the same battles. She was wrong and is sorry. Who Cosmar is supposed to be is entirely up to her.The New Mutants promise their support when a staff member calls Cosmar. She enters the room where Masque is waiting. He harumphes that they said the next one was going to be hard, but she is shining right to the surface. Let’s see if they can’t help her see what they see…In his home, James Proudstar is doing some home improvement, not noticing that someone has snuck in. Unimpressed, the newcomer announces they say James is one of their best warriors. But he doesn’t know… James didn’t see him coming. Why didn’t he meet him? the recently resurrected John Proudstar, James’s big brother, asks with a grin. Why wasn’t his face the first thing he saw, when he woke up here?James stammers and John observes dryly that is new. Jame tries to explain he didn’t want John to come back to nothing. No, John replies, he can smell the BS a mile away. He stalks into the kitchen and gets two beers out of the fridge. He gives one to James and tells him to try again.James admits he couldn’t face John, not after he failed him. John calls him an idiot and hugs him. James states helplessly that he didn’t avenge John. Thunderbird orders him to shut up. James fought day and night to hold up his people. He’s broken bones and lost blood to protect those who needed protecting. John is proud of him. He tells him to lay down his burden for a while and let John carry it. James cries in relief.In the Green Lagoon, Magik is steering the discussion toward trauma. She may pretend she has no feelings but berserker rage, but it isn’t true. But what happened to her… Sometimes it’s #%&$ impossible to express what’s going on inside her in any way but rage.Barkeeper Fred Dukes interjects it’s called PTSD and he can’t think of a single mutant who doesn’t have it. Rictor asks for another round and figures, considering what she has been through, her shellshock probably has shellshock. He recalls how he was so lost he couldn’t touch earth for fear of his powers shaking everything apart.What are they doing here then, she wonders. Krakoa is supposed to be about answers. She notices the recently resurrected Madelyne Pryor in her Goblin Queen outfit walking by and looking forlorn.Rictor sees the answer in trust, but that is a lot to ask. She points out he did it with Apocalypse and now he’s a druid. He retorts that, what worked for him, will not work for everyone.In the evening, many mutants gather outside Arbor Magna, including some members of the Lost Club. Wolverine (Laura) and Daken are on the lookout for Gabby and find her. Akihiro hugs her and apologizes. She assures him they are ok. Laura hugs her as well and assures Daken they won’t tell anyone he is crying. Gabby tells them she missed them both. Can they stop being weird?Laura and Gabby assure each other they love each other, then Storm calls them all together.She acknowledges that they have made mistakes. For too long, they didn’t hear their sister’s cries for help. She asks her to step forward. Martha Johansson now has a body again. with a transparent skullcap as she asked for.Storm describes how Martha was a victim of the worst of humanity but, when mutantkind gained the technology, they didn’t even think of helping her. They failed her. Today they are given the chance to begin to atone for that.Gabby runs toward Martha and hugs her. Storm introduces her with her new mutant name – Cerebella.Cosmar (with Masque’s help) is now still lavender-skinned but more normal looking and happy.Magik wonders if what they are missing is mutant magic.The Proudstar brothers sit at a campfire talking.Rictor agrees. Everything they have been doing here is about connection. Magic is about that as well. With nature, with themselves… with each other.Karma and Galura share a kiss.Cerebella and Cosmar join their friends.Magik narrates she let Dr. Strange convince her to come bully his students as a guest professor. She hates to admit it, but it’s been really good for her. Even though magic, which she first learned from Belasco, caused her pain, it also helped her become her own person again. She gets to tell her own story. She knows something has been missing for him since Apocalypse left. Maybe there is a way for him to find what he has lost, while they help those little heathens learn more about who they are. They clink their glasses and toast to connection.Decidedly not connected are Madelyne Pryor and Alex Summers, who don’t know what to talk about. Madelyne gets up and Magik follows her.Arakko:After action report:The New Mutants narrate how, while he was meant to be free of the Shadow King, Amahl Farouk still suffered from psychic scarring and the creature’s influence. Farouk was able to assist the New Mutants to free themselves from the loop and free himself from the Shadow’s lingering influence. The New Mutants recommend therapy before he is allowed back on Krakoa proper, and Farouk has requested that, once his treatment is complete, he be allowed to assist David Haller with his work.The New Mutants are expecting Farouk, who is about to enter the Arakko gate. Rahne tells Farouk they are here to witness his choice. He begins that they have no reason to trust him. Rahne interrupts that they are here to stand with him as he makes this step. Amahl replies he doesn’t deserve this. Rahne tells him that forgiveness isn’t earned. It is given. Karma warns him not to expect the same from her. She doesn’t offer absolution. She came to see this chapter of their lives closed.Farouk understands. As Wolfsbane said, he cannot earn her forgiveness, but what he helped do to her was monstrous and vile. His deepest wish is that what he does now allows her to be free from whatever mark he inflicted on her. Somewhat mollified, she announces she hopes he gets what he deserves, as he enters the gate. She hopes he finds his second chance.In the Green Lagoon, Magik observes Madelyne is walking like she is trying to outrun her shadow. She has a proposition for Madelyne. How would she like a shot at getting everything she ever wanted? Madelyne is interested…


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The Labors of Magik Book one: Best Laid Plans…
1st story: Limbo, a secret lab where the demon S’ym is busy concocting a spell while complaining this is too easy. She is too strong for this to work! he addresses a hooded figure in a magic circle who assures him she knows the quarry better than he does. Whatever she says, he replies, addressing her as master. He is left with a green concoction. Skeptically, he asks if she is sure this ain’t gonna end him. She grins and explains, if she wished to end him, she could do it with a flick of her wrist. He knows the deal and he knows the stakes. Drink and manifest his full potential, she orders.S’ym obeys, then cries out in agony. The stranger shushes him. She grabs into S’ym’s chest and pulls out a black mace. She hands it to S’ym and tell him he knows what to do with it.Narration:Once upon a time, there was a little goblin. When she was very young, she got lost in the woods. She erred around, forgetting what her true home looked like. All the time, she was chased by a large, frightening shadow. Finally, the little goblin realized that she would need help.Reality:Krakoa, the Reach:Magik stands blindfolded on a buffe. The test is for her to fend off Mirage and Wolfsbane’s attack. While they haven’t acted yet, she informs them they are thinking too loud. Rahne warns they won’t go easy on her, even as Magik blocks both their attacks with her Soulsword. Dani tells her, she is making a mistake. Magik throws her to the ground. So she said, she replies wryly and is angry at them for not trusting her.As they continue sparring (and Illyana keeps the upper hand), they point out that what she is planning affects everyone. She is a War Captain after all!Illyana blocks Wolfsbane and retorts that, as a War Captain, her behavior is backed by the Council. If they are so worried, she suggests they come along and watch. If things go sideways, they have her blessing to pull the plug, but they have to give her a chance first.Someone harumphes. Madelyne Pryor, in her Goblin Queen outfit, smirks at them and asks if there is a problem. Concern, the two young women reply. Illyan interjects that they are just cranky, as Madelyne offers her a towel. They don’t like that she plans to make her queen of hell, Illyana smirks.Narration:The little goblin came to find others who would fight the darkness, who were strange like her. Three companions: the Wolf – a compassionate spiritual warrior with a pure heart. The Queen of Echoes – a redhaired powerful sorceress touched by madness, and the Moon Whisperer – a powerful huntress and protector of the innocent.Limbo:The four land outside Illyana’s rooms. Inside, a demon is rifling through her drawers, not even distracted when she harumphes.Unimpressed, she points out she can have him tortured for eternity. It mutters it is helping her, then runs away with her hairbrush. Illyana is annoyed. Dani suggests she focus. She retorts demons are creatures of pure evil and chaos. And completely under her power, Dani points out. For now, Illyana states. That doesn’t mean they aren’t scheming, but Dani is right, they have business elsewhere.She takes them to the library of the arcane tomes Belasco collected. Rahne asks if all of that is demonic. Illyana explains there is also neutral and benevolent knowledge, even a few books written by saints. The objective of the library was to amass all arcane knowledge.She asks Madelyne, as this is all to be hers, would she mind assisting in setting up the magical space. Madelyne asks why she talks so formally. Grabbing some books, Illyana replies this place always reminds her of when she was a child. Everything from how she spoke to how she sat and breathed, it was all controlled… formal. She spent years in this room, trying to find a way to escape Belasco, but she knew he was watching even there.She moves a book in the bookcase, opening a secret compartment. It’s easy to fall back into old habits in Limbo. That’s another reason she needs to be done with this place.She puts some objects on the table. Madelyne needles that, considering her track record with Limbo, it is odd Illyana came to her. The last time she was in power, she didn’t exactly use her influence for good. What makes her sure her friends aren’t right? Illyana retorts she was literally there when Madelyne tried to merge Limbo with Earth. The sentient mailboxes, the flesh-eating elevators, the castle of souls… she remembers. Madelyne was insane with grief and anger and fear. So much so she left an imprint. Illyana has studied that imprint. She pours liquid black substance into a glass.Madelyne bristles that she doesn’t need her pity. Illyana cuts her palm and adds blood to the ink. Having survived doesn’t earn you pity here. It earns you respect. This place… to control it requires one to have been touched by anger and grief and to have come out the other end. She sees what has been done to Madelyne, and she knows. And the transference of power comes with a binding contract. They both have to agree to the terms.Clever and fair, Madelyne smirks. She supposes that comes with experience too. Hell is all about the fine print, Illyana remarks. She dips a quill into the ink and signs the contact. She learned as a child that any agreement here has to be airtight.As Madelyne studies the contract, Illyana explains she does this because she wants to be free. All of her terms are laid out in red and white. She offers Madelyne the quill and asks what she wants.Narration:The group fights its way onward. There had been others who had fallen: A Wind Walker, who was like a mother, another shadow who was her closest friend. A titan of steel, who was her brother.But the little goblin could not afford to remember them now, not if she wanted to live free.Limbo:Madelyne and Illyana stand in a circle. Madelyne has pronounced her terms. Mirage interrupts that she and Rahne still think this is a mistake. Magik promised to let them speak! Illyana tells her she can speak, but she has thought everything through and “I don’t like it” isn’t a sufficient reason.Dani points out she said before she needs to be able to trust whom she puts on the throne. Right before that, she talked about how Madelyne tried to wrest control of Limbo, to bring hell to Earth. And more recently Madelyne literally died, threatening to destroy Krakoa. What makes her think Madelyne has changed?Dani thinks Illyana is smart enough to rule Limbo, but not smart enough to know what is best for it, Illyana challenges. Dani retorts that that’s not what she means. She either trusts her or she doesn’t! Illyana retorts. Dani thinks she is a fool or she knows what she is doing!Dani accuses her of being obstinate. Illyana asks why it is so important her that she stays permanently bound to the place that ruined her life, the place that took everything from her!Dani assures her they don’t want that, but again Madelyne as ruler is dangerous for Limbo, for Krakoa, for the world!Madelyne bristles at being talked about as though she were not there. Illyana agrees, that’s rude.Rahne supports Dani. Last time Madelyne wanted to venture to Limbo, she kidnapped infants and wanted to use them as conduits. She was willing to kill her own son to get revenge. Madelyne retorts that, with resurrection, she has been given a clean slate. If the monster who made her can sit on their council, why can’t she come into her own power? Why is Krakoa’s promise not for her? she challenges. To this, Dani asks what protection will Krakoa have against Limbo if Madelyne decides to wipe them off the map?That’s the cue for S’ym to slam in the door. At the head of his demon army, he repeats Dani’s question. Absolutely none! He raises his magical mace and orders his army to round the women up.Narration:Many of the obstacles the friends faced were unexpected and treacherous. But the little goblin knew they had to press on.Limbo:The mutants fight back led by Magik, who swings her Soulsword and scoffs, are they serious? They are all grounded!Firing her energy arrows, Mirage warns the others that they cannot let the demon kill them: resurrection may be warped like in Otherworld.Dani gets shot by a demon and falls. When he readies for the killing blow, Madelyne slams her fist through his chest, killing him. She’ll put it on her tab, she tells Dani who harumphes.A furious Magik slices her way toward S’ym, who announces he heard there was a job opening. Consider this his application. She can call him ‘boss.’ Swearing, she strikes with her Soulsword, which he blocks with his mace. Energy is released by the strike and Illyana is thrown backward.The others run towards her. Dani helps her up while Madelyne and Rahne fend off the demons. Dani shakes Illyana, who seems to be in a state of shock and orders her to open a gate to Krakoa.She opens a stepping disk.Illyana stammers that with her soulsword shattered her power over Limbo is gone. They have to tell the council. However, they are still in Limbo, in a snowy wilderness…2nd story:Belasco’s castle in Limbo, sometime in the past, when a young Illyana was his prisoner and apprentice. The library is her sanctuary, though she knows even there she is watched. Huddling under a table, she reads a book about the adventures of a little goblin, a book she has never seen before, and the story speaks to her.She hears steps and a voice mockingly calls her “little snowflake.” Illyana dashes to a hiding place, whose security is enforced by a small spell and hides the book there.Cat chides her that she knows better than to hide. Illyana denies hiding to her former best friend, who is now a slave of Belasco. Cat accuses her of lying and informs Illyana the master waits.Illyana wants to disobey and run but she knows better. She recalls watching how one by one the X-Men were killed or changed beyond recognition in Limbo. In the end, the choice was to become Belasco’s apprentice and a pawn in his game or lose herself completely. Nevertheless, she has hope that she can undo all the evil she has witnessed. That she can turn back time and, armed with the knowledge of the library and things to come, change her fate, but to do that she has to be patient and play the fool in Belasco’s play.She leaves, unaware that a goblin-like creature takes out the book and begins writing in it…