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Living Planet - part 2
Some Recent Time Ago:
About two thousand orbits after the alien race known as the Trinarians tried to colonize him, Ego the Living Planet repaid the creatures in kind for the insult by hurling their home planet into a black hole. However, despite being justified in his actions, Ego had won the hate of two beings for the extermination of the Trinarians. The two were Gammenon the Gatherer and Jemiah the Analyzer, both towering Celestials. Apparently, the two space gods had set up an experiment involving the Trinarians and Ego had ruined their eons-long experiment. Due to this, the two agreed that Ego must die. As fleets upon fleets of Trinarian ships flew away from their home planet, which was dangerously close to a black hole, the two Celestials attacked Ego the Living Planet in the beginnings of a galactic war.
Fortunately for Ego, being condemned and carrying out the execution were two different things. He escaped that day and immediately began to plot the demise of Gammenon and Jemiah. Ego fled to the planet Earth, the world that often defeated him in the past. There, he battled the Avengers, Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer, who at that time thought that they drove Ego away. Unbeknownst to them, Ego had left a seed of awareness secretly on the planet. Ego then hid in the shadow of a nearby gas giant and waited for the seed to transform Earth into a living planet. Now, the wait is over. Jemiah and Gammenon come. However, they will be ready this time, for now the Celestials must battle two living planets!
Present:
Deep within the brain of the Earth, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four sits in his chair, connected to the Earth’s brain through its synapses. The rest of the Fantastic Four, as well as the inter-dimensional hopping Exiles, stand by his side, as Reed speaks the words of Ego, who has been psychically telling his story to Earth. Blink is concerned about Reed, but Susan explains that her husband is directly connected to the Earth’s developing consciousness. Whatever happens in Earth’s new mind tends to overwhelm Reed’s personality at times.
Reed’s personality comes back to power and the scientist explains that Ego’s psionic message was so strong that he could not help but repeat it. Thing tells Reed that they heard the message and summarizes their predicament, as Ego turning Earth into a facsimile of himself in order to fight two “space gods.” Exactly, confirms Reed. However, when Ego arrives, he will urge Earth to wipe out all of mankind, as if it were an infection. If Earth’s mightiest heroes cannot stop the antibodies, then what chance do ordinary humans have?
Above, in the streets of New York City, Captain America uses his shield to block a punch from an antibody. Angered, Cap orders Dr. Doom to lend him some assistance. As Doom defends himself, he tells Captain America to help himself, as he can barely fight off the antibodies attacking him. Doom is cut off, though, as an earthquake begins. Yellowjacket blasts two antibodies and realizes a storm is also blowing in. Is Thor doing that? Thor denies it and then points to the horror in the sky. All look up to see Ego the living planet gazing down at them. Thor explains that it is the proximity of Ego that is causing the problems. Ego has returned to complete their destruction.
Ego sends out another call to Earth and asks his child why it does not respond. Must he lash out to wake him up? In the brain of Earth, Reed is overcome by mental pain. Sue is about to pull off the synapses from his head, but Reed yells for her not to touch them. If she pulls them off, then the only voice Earth will listen to is Ego. The gravity of Ego begins to rips buildings apart, as the living planet urges the Earth to wake up. Suddenly, the ground begins to crack open from New York to Ohio and from California to Montana. Green light erupts, as the cracks become bigger and grow into two green, round objects:  the eyes of Earth! Ego urges his son to open his eyes and to look at his father. Earth looks upon Ego and in a confused state calls Ego its father in disbelief.
In the brain, Reed strains from the pain, as Earth’s consciousness takes over. Speaking both psionically and through Reed, Earth tells Ego that he is not his father. Ego explains that he is the closest thing to family that Earth has. He was merely a rock, covered in parasites, until Ego came. Soon, Ego will teach Earth of the glories of their existence, but first they must survive this one day. Two beings known as the Celestials pursue him and will be here any moment to kill him. Earth must aid him or the Celestials will surely kill him too. Earth is confused and tells Ego that his father cannot be him, as his father is inside him, nurturing and teaching him. Thing realizes that Earth thinks that Reed is his father.
Ego tells Earth that he is confused. He must exterminate the infestation on him and then he will think clearly. Reed’s personality comes back and he reveals that Earth’s consciousness is pushing him out. He is running out of options. Thing tells Reed to whip up a gizmo or something and blast Ego to kingdom come. Reed begins to concentrate in order to reconnect with Earth, but there are other troubles. Morph calls everyone’s attention and tells and points out the army of antibodies heading right for them. It seems that they are being evicted. Mimic armors up and tells Morph that they have a job to do. They have faced worse in a dozen realities and this will not be the first messed-up version of Earth that they fail to fix.
In New York, the Avengers are overwhelmed and Iron Man lies motionless on the ground, with her chest plate cracked open. Thor orders the team to assemble and demands that Doom stand with them. Doom flies into the air and out of the reach of the antibodies. He declines Thor’s demand, as the battle is lost. Thor curses Doom, but the villain is distracted by a beeping on his armor. He realizes that he is receiving telemetry from his metakirlian imploder, the device he was going to lobotomize Earth with until the pink girl destroyed it, or at least he thought she destroyed it. Doom discovers that the machine is seventy-five miles above him; somehow the girl teleported it into space. Doom orders the machine to return back to him at once. He is quite pleased now, as he can complete his mission to snuff the Earth’s mind.
Earth senses something and realizes that someone is coming. Ego peers behind him and announces that they are here. Ego welcomes Jemiah and Gammenon and introduces them to the planet Earth. Jemiah is horribly distressed at what has happened to Earth and Ego sees that, asking his old friend what is wrong. As Ego shoots out an optic blast, he asks if he ruined yet another experiment. Earth, which has now formed a mouth over Central America, asks Ego why he attacks. Ego yells at Earth to fight for his life before the Celestials kill them.
In the brain, Sasquatch finds herself overwhelmed and calls for help, though she is able to knock some antibodies away. Mimic pops his claws and tells Sasquatch to hold on, as he and Namora rush to her aid. Thing gets ready for battle, but Morph pushes Beak into the Fantastic Four’s shelter, as this is way out of his league. Beak interjects but, before he can get more than a few words out, Reed begins to scream that they are doomed and are all going to die. Distressed, Sue tells Reed not to give up hope.
Reed does not listen to his wife and explains that Earth needs more energy to help Ego fight the Celestials. To get that energy he is going to ingest every life form on Earth and use their bio-energy to fight the Celestials! Reed is trying to convince the Earth that it needs its biosphere, but it is like a child ruled by emotion and cannot be reasoned with. Reed freaks out and screams that he cannot think of a way out of this one. Horribly angry, Beak takes off his helmet and begins to scream at Reed. He tells him to stop thinking and start feeling. If Reed can feel Earth’s feelings, then Earth should feel Reed’s feelings. He needs to find something for Earth to chew on. What does it feel like to know that your children are about to die? He has many kids at home and, if he lost even one… Reed suddenly looks at Susan, as they both remember their son, Franklin.
In space, Jemiah blasts Alaska, as Ego hits Gammenon. Earth, however, does not retaliate and asks Ego why the Celestials hate him. Why don’t they speak? After they are dead, reasons Ego, then he will explain. Suddenly, Earth screams Franklin’s name. Confused, Ego asks his son what is wrong with him. “You!” screams Earth, “You are what is wrong!” Earth then blasts Ego with his own optic blast.
In the brain, the Exiles and Fantastic Four are confused when the antibodies suddenly stop their aggressions. There is a loud booming sound and Morph asks what changed. Blink calls out to her teammates and explains that Reed got through to Earth and he now understands that humanity is his children. Earth and the Celestials are now fighting Ego. Indeed, in space, Ego blasts the eastern hemisphere of Earth, but Jemiah and Gammenon comes to Earth’s side.
In the brain, the Exiles hear a rumbling sound and then all turn to the same direction, as Doctor Doom and his lobotomize machine burst through the rock. Morph is disappointed that Doom found his machine and Doom is surprised to see the Exiles and Fantastic Four alive. It is no matter, though, as he will rectify that. Doom then orders the imploder to target the brain cortex now. As the imploder heads towards the brain, Blink simply says, “no,” and then teleports herself and the imploder away.
Blink and the imploder emerge in the upper atmosphere of Earth, where Blink is immediately overtaken by the freezing cold and the sparse air. However, she still is able to witness Ego taunt the Celestials. First they will die and then Earth will. Blink realizes that she has little time left and uses her powers to teleport the imploder. Ego screams at Earth and tells his son that he will die screaming for betraying Ego. Suddenly, Ego hears a “blink” sound and his eyes go wide open… and they stay that way, as he stops speaking and his yellow eyes become vacant. Jemiah and Gammenon look at Ego, but Jemiah’s attention is turned to the tiny figure floating in between Earth and space. The Celestial lifts Blink, who is unconscious and covered in ice, in his hand, and creates a bubble around her.
Three Days Later:
Lying in a bed in Fours Freedom Plaza, Blink begins to stir. An excited voice calls out to her and asks if she can hear him. She has been unconscious for three days. Blink wakes up and sees Mimic and Reed in the infirmary with her. Blink immediately asks if the two of them saw the others. Who, asks Reed. The big metal guys, Blink replies. Mimic explains to her that all they know is that she disappeared with Doom’s imploder and a minute later Ego was dead. Doom ran away. He was angry, but realized that he could not take them all on.
Reed takes over and explains that they deduced that she teleported the imploder into Ego, where it collapsed the villain’s bio-field upon itself and extinguished his life force. When Ego died, the Celestials stopped attacking. However, how did Blink know that the Celestials would return her to Earth? I didn’t, Blink replies. She had hoped she could have teleported back to Earth but the air was thinner than she expected. Blink becomes worried and asks Reed if Mimic explained who they are and why they are here.
Mimic smirks and explains that Reed didn’t believe him at first, but a few thousand questions later and things were cleared up. As the other Exiles enter the room, Reed admits that the whole concept of fixing broken realities is fascinating. He is most interested in this Timebroker character mentioned. Speaking of which, interrupts Mimic, did the Tallus confirms that their mission is done? Blink confirms that it has and announces that now that she is better they can move on.
Mimic notices distress on Blink’s face and asks her what is wrong. Blink tells all that it seems like a dream, but she swears she remembers the Celestials carrying her down and talking to her in her head. They wanted to warn her. They wanted to warn them all. What did they say, Mimic asks. “Beware the Timebreaker,” repeats Blink, “He is not what he seems.”
Suddenly, the Exiles all teleport away, leaving Reed alone in the infirmary. “Timebreaker?” repeats the confused man.


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Rube Goldberg
One thing leads to another. Deep in space, a ship has the planet Earth in its sights and heads ever closer with every passing second. In the much more mundane New York City, Morph tells his fellow Exiles that scientists proved long ago that Earth was indeed not the center of the universe. If that is true, why does it feel as if the fate of all reality always hashes out on this planet?
As the Exiles ponder this question, a disgruntled looking man in a brown business suit with a brief case mumbles to himself as he walks towards The Bagel Hole for his usual breakfast. As he reaches the shop, the man looks up from the ground and in time to see a shocking sight. Standing in front of The Bagel Hole is a floating, blue woman wearing barely anything, a pink girl in a green garb, a blonde man in a blue and gold uniform, what appears to be a giant bird with a helmet on its head, a black woman in a purple outfit, and a short pale man with a beer belly, yellow t-shirt, and a donut for a head, with a part of the donut eaten off.
Mimic wonders what the worst could happen if they did not complete today’s mission. The Exiles all stare at the front window display of The Bagel Hole. Pedestrians walk passed the Exiles in shock, which infuriates the owner of The Bagel Hole, who comes out and asks if the Exiles mind. It’s bad enough when some wino comes around and scares away customers, but they are going to scare away his entire breakfast crowd. The owner spots the man in the brown suit walking away and informs the Exiles that Ruben is one of his regulars. The owner calls out to Ruben to come back, but Ruben just mumbles something to himself and walks away. Now enraged, the owner orders the Exiles to get lost, except for the blue mermaid. If she doesn’t attract business then he can smoke her for a lox spread.
Namora, with the sun’s light shining right behind her to make her look even more magnanimous, tells the owner that she does not know what a lox spread is, but he means to “smoke” the Queen of Atlantis… Intimidated, the owner gulps and steps back from the domineering queen. Mimic guides the man back to his shop door and politely suggests that he tends to his shop. Without removing his terrified eyes from Namora, the owner concedes.
As the owner goes in, Mimic asks him if he is going to be making any more cheese Danishes today. Confused at first, the owner informs Mimic that he isn’t and that the last one is in the display they were staring at. Once inside, the owner picks up the phone and calls the police to inform him that a bunch of muties are hanging around his shop looking for trouble. Outside, the Exiles regroup outside the display case. Mimic tells Blink that the Danish they are looking at is the last one. As the Exiles look at the Danish sitting in a dish, Blink tells the team that they need to work fast, for the fate of the world depends on that Danish!
Slightly overemotional, Beak asks how getting breakfast be their mission. Isn’t the purpose of the Exiles to save reality? Blink acknowledges Beak’s concern, but reminds him that the Timebroker’s instructions were very explicit. They had to go to Twenty-Sixth and Lexington Avenue to get the last cheese Danish at The Bagel Hole. Beak begins to flap his arms around and asks why they are even listening to the Timebroker. The Celestials told them not to trust him. This could all be a setup. How can one pastry threaten the world? “Obviously,” says Namora ever so matter-of-factly, “It’s some variation of the seahorse effect.” The other Exiles look up at Namora blankly.
Namora sighs and explains what the seahorse effect is. There is a popular theory in Atlantis, though its more of a myth, about how if a seahorse flutters its fins in the Pacific it might set off a chain-reaction of currents that builds and compounds into a tidal wave halfway around the world. Understanding, Heather informs Namora that on the surface word they have a similar theory, but with hurricanes and butterflies. With a butterfly on his head, Morph asks Heather if she seriously believes in that stuff. Maybe not about butterflies and seahorses, replies Heather, but if med school taught her anything it’s that everything is interconnected.
Heather explains, ever so matter-of-factly as Namora, that the human body is a tangle of interdependent systems. For example, Mimic is two hundred pounds, but the pituitary gland in his skull is the size of a grape. However, if that tiny glad were to flap its little butterfly wings the wrong way, the rest of him would self-destruct. In his defense, Mimic explains that the healing factor he got from Wolverine prevents that. Heather explains that she was just making a point. Mother Nature sets up dominos and there is no way to tell what will happen when one is knocked over.
Smugly, Namora floats between the Exiles with her eyes closed and arms outstretched as she glows magnificently. She arrogantly tells the others that they have spent so much time in the surface world that they forgot how interconnected their world are. Down in the sea with the water pressing from all sides it is impossible to think of oneself separate from the greater continuum. Namora flies to the head of the group and points a finger at The Bagel Hole. Without a doubt that “lactating dough-ball” will set off a chain of events. They will remove the link, hop to the next broken reality, and let this world sort out its own problems. They shouldn’t think that she trusts the Broker, or Breaker for that matter, but she prefers action to debate.
Mimic agrees with Namora and is about to enter the shop, but Beak stops him. Is he kidding? After all that talk about tidal waves and killer glands, Mimic is still sure that the Danish isn’t a time bomb? Look around! This place is fine. The only thing wrong is them. They could be upsetting things now instead of fixing them. How can they do this without knowing the consequences? Blink admits that she cannot tell him how this all turns out. The Tallus used to provide more information, but lately, not so much. All she knows is that they have to buy the cheese Danish. They should be thankful that it is all they have to do this time. Beak gives in and realizes it is like the chick-and-egg riddle; there is no answer. Mimic consoles Beak and reminds him that if this does turn ugly, they have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, right?
Mimic enters The Bagel Hole by himself. He approaches the owner, as Blink stands outside the door, ready in case there is any trouble. Mimic, with a very serious look on his face, points towards the Danish. The angry owner goes over to the dish and takes out the Danish, though he gives a very dirty look at Heather, Beak, and Morph, whose faces are literally pressed up against the display window watching in anticipation. Mimic pays for the Danish and walks out the shop holding the bag with only two fingers, as if something dangerous was in the bag. Mimic presents the bag as the others back away in terror. The others watch Mimic as he pulls out the Danish from the bag. They all lean in as he takes a bite. Mimic munches for a moment. “Mmmm…. not bad,” says Mimic when he finishes his bite. As Ruben, the business man from earlier returns to The Bagel Hole, the Exiles blink away right in front of his eyes to another reality.
Ruben runs into the store and asks the owner if he saw those people just go. Hearing that he Exiles left, the owner is relieved. No, screams Ruben, they vanished! The owner calms Mr. Goldberg down and tells him that he isn’t looking well today. Is he all right? Ruben suddenly clutches his briefcase close to his chest and in a paranoid manner asks the owner why he asks. Who has been talking about him? The owner says that he was just making an observation, but supposes it isn’t any of his business. What can he do for him this morning? Ruben rubs sweat off his forehead and asks for his usual: coffee, light and sweet, and a cheese Danish. The owner smiles and informs Ruben that he just sold the last Danish to the weirdos. Ruben freaks out, but the owner defends himself and informs Ruben that he had to get rid of them. Plus, he didn’t expect Ruben to come back. Horribly enraged, Ruben screams and asks how the owner knew he wasn’t coming back? Did he know what he had planned for the office today?!
Suddenly, a police car pulls up in front of The Bagel Hole. Ruben puts his briefcase on the counter and accuses the owner of calling the cops on him. The owner smacks himself in the head, as he forgot he called the police to get rid of the mutants. Ruben pulls out a gun, stating that it was going to start at the office, but this place is as good as any. Two officers walk in just as Ruben begins to fire at them.
Twenty Seconds Ago:
Nearby The Bagel Hole, a man stands on a rooftop with a very dangerous container with him screaming in anger about how he told the police he would blot out the sun and the best they could send was… Daredevil?! Daredevil tells Doctor Collins to calm down, but the man screams that his name is Collier. Daredevil apologizes and informs the man that the Avengers take him seriously and that one of their big guns is on the way. He just happened to be the closest when the call went out. Daredevil cautiously approaches the man and recalls how Stark Labs claims that his weather controlling nanospores are very powerful. Dr. Collier feels patronized and is about to throw the nanospore container, but Daredevil insists that he isn’t patronizing him. However, judging from the man’s voice and pulse he doesn’t really want to unleash the spores.
The man stutters and admits that they were going to cut his funding. His life’s work would have been gone. He doesn’t like being pushed around and ignored. Daredevil understands, but reasons that Collier doesn’t have to unleash the spores to prove that they work. If he hands over the canister, Daredevil promises that everything will be all right. Suddenly, Daredevil hears two gun shots and a man screaming that an officer is down. Daredevil jumps off the room and tells Doctor Collins to hold on for Thor. My name is Collier, screams the man. Doesn’t anyone listen? Annoyed, Dr. Collier realizes that Daredevil did not care. Now no one will ignore him. Collier opens the canister and, in moments, a tornado forms in New York City.
Below, Daredevil restrains Ruben, as the officer attends to his partner. Daredevil supposes that there will be a full moon tonight, as the weirdos have already come out. The officer hopes his partner won’t die and Daredevil informs him that he won’t. His breathing is strong and his pulse doesn’t indicate pulmonary damage. He also hears an ambulance three blocks away. The officer will make it. The owner of The Bagel Hole begs to differ as he points at the tornado that just formed on a nearby building. “Okay, this is officially out of my league…” says Daredevil.
On the building, Collier sure hopes that they are rerouting air traffic. Suddenly, his canister is hit by a bolt of lightening. Thor descends from the sky and accuses the man of unleashing a tempest on Manhattan. Isn’t it ironic how he has reckoned with the lord of storms, the mighty Thor? Thor calls upon the north winds to dispel the tornado, but Collier screams that he will only makes things worse. Thor disagrees as he has commanded the elements since humanity cowered in caves. Collier informs Thor that his spores amplify atmospheric conditions. What exactly did Thor do? Thor explains that he brought down the river of wind to scour the tornado away. Collier realizes that Thor is referring to the jet stream. Collier screams that he spores were only going to cover the metro area, but with the jet stream it will be global! Thor grabs Collier and asks how to reverse it. They cannot, replies Collier terrified. In three days the clouds will disperse. Until then the Earth is one big stink bomb!
In space, the craft heads closer to Earth, when suddenly an officer aboard picks up strange readings from Earth. He informs his majestrix that there is an unnatural interaction between nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and rapidly elevating ozone levels coupled with an atmospheric inversion layer! In a word: smog. This smog is nothing they have ever seen. It is an environmental disaster.
Araki asks Deathbird what their next course of action will be. Deathbird admits that she has been outmaneuvered and orders that the fleets turn around. Earth must have learned of her plan to depopulate the planet and turn it into her own pleasure world. Since they didn’t have the firepower, they must have poisoned her prize instead. Araki should have the secret police find the leak and if one is not found then kill the entire logistics staff. She also orders her recon staff to find another planet with azure skies. Going to Earth would now be like going into a sewer.
In another reality, the Exiles arrive as Mimic finishes telling Beak that he should have more faith. He is sure everything turned out fine. Suddenly, the Exiles notice that everything around them is medieval! The team is confused as Morph realizes that they landed in the world before toilet paper.
Suddenly, energy swirls around them as the Exiles are transformed to fit in the world around them. The Exiles, now wearing clothes more attuned to the world around them, have also changed personality wise. Master Morph wonders what he was saying, but Jester Beak does not remember. They must find some employment so they can have a roof over their heads this night. Mimic tells Jester Beak to be in good spirits for there is always for a sharp blade and a strong arm to wield it!


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Bump in the Night - part 1
Night falls upon the arcane and majestic city of New York. As wooden ships come to dock at its harbors, the citizens of the grand city, filled with spires and other ancient designed buildings, quickly head home for the night. To break curfew there is suicide. That is exactly what Kyra hears from her mother. Kyra, an impoverished blonde woman tells her mother that she does not care.
Those monsters took her son, Brian. How can she greet another sunrise if her little boy is dead? Kyra’s concerned mother asks her how she plans on snatching Brian back from the Night Watch. Kyra walks into the darkness of the streets and admits that she is not sure, but she will save him. They will both be home soon. Only moments after leaving her home, however, Kyra senses something evil nearby. She looks up to see a bat-like creature in the air and immediately hides in the darkness.
Kyra spots two guards rounding the corner, one of whom holds up a torch. The guard with the torch mutters about how he liked it better when Callisto was the guard captain. The other guard tells his companion to bite his tongue, for if the new captain thinks that he is part of Callisto’s cadre then he will be crucified too. At the moment, they should be finding some curfew breakers before Captain Russell deems them too lazy for Night Watch.
Suddenly, the two men hear a sound and pull out their swords. The two agree to have some fun with their victim before throwing him or her in the dungeon. The two head into the shadows to find their victim, but immediately scream in terror. Kyra can only watch as a large white beast rips the two guards to pieces with its bare hands. The beast turns to Kyra and screams its name: Wendigo!
As Wendigo feasts on his victims, Kyra runs for her life crying. She reaches the public house and takes a moment to recollect herself. Suddenly, she hears something behind her. She turns and screams. Behind her is a giant bat-like creature. Kyra begs to Lord Morbius to let her live. She has a son. “I’m sure you did,” replies the vampire. However, if the Master claimed him then she knows just as well as him that her son is gone. Morbius grabs Kyra, who screams for the people in the tavern to help her.
Inside, the owner stands by the door and hears Kyra scram that by all that is holy help her. The owner mutters that it is too late as the patrons of the bar listen on. Outside, Morbius tells Kyra she should have stayed home to spawn more brats rather than be out her to slake his thirst. The tavern people hear Kyra give one final horrific scream… then there is silence. The tavern owner turns to his guests and tells them that is why one should never break curfew. He assures them that the victim was probably some cutthroat getting his just desserts. To lighten the mood, he offers everyone ale on the house, which receives a very cheery response.
At one table is a rather colorful bunch of patrons. One of the women, who is pink and wears a brown top and pants, asks Sir Calvin if this is the job he thinks that they should get. Should they be killing curfew breakers in the dead of night? Sir Calvin, who wears chain mail with a blue cape, asks Lady Clarice what other honest work is there for them. It is better to side with the Vizier’s guard then against them. Morph, dressed like an ancient priest, leans over and whispers to Sir Calvin that they could let Lady Clarice steal whatever they need. She is a master thief after all. Sir Calvin is not amused and tells Morph to take some lessons from the real jester. Morph transforms his head into that of a chicken and reminds Calvin that there is a reason the Beak is unemployed, but he understands his meaning. He hopes their honest career begins tomorrow, for Namora’s gold trinkets only fetched them room and board for tonight.
Remembering how she had to sell her gold jewelry, Namora reminds Clarice of her sacrifice. Why doesn’t she then sell that bracelet on her arm? Clarice, slightly annoyed, reminds Namora one more time that it won’t come off. She does not know how she got stuck with this ugly thing on her arm, but it won’t budge. She then adds that she thinks it is haunted. There are voices that she keeps hearing coming from it. Calvin shushes Clarice, for it someone was to hear them then they would be kicked out for sure. He then suggests that they all sleep and find employment in the morning. Assuming Heather survives that long, says Morph as he helps the ailing Heather up. Rather weakly, Heather tells Morph that she will live long enough for him to eat those words. “That’s the spirit, Heather,” replies Morph, as he helps his friend up the stairs. Unbeknownst to any of them, however, a young man with brown hair, wearing a blue and red garb, watches them go.
That night, Calvin and Clarice share a bed. Calvin suddenly wakes up and smells something wrong. He gets out of bed, while Clarice still sleeps, and pops out his claws. A voice from above tells him that his claws remind him of someone he knows. Hopefully Calvin is a lot nicer than the other one. Calvin looks up to see a man dressed in a red and blue outfit, with a symbol of a spider on his chest, sitting upside-down on the ceiling. Calvin tells Spider-Man that he does not take kindly to assassins, but Spider-Man tells him that he has him all wrong. He was sent here by someone who needs help. Suddenly, Clarice wakes up and throws a teleportation arrow at Spider-Man, who narrowly avoids its. Spider-Man once again claims that he is here for help as he webs up the attacking Calvin and Clarice. Clarice teleports behind Spider-Man and asks if he can pay for this help. Spider-Man confirms that this will definitely pay off for them, so she should wake up her friends so he can explain.
In a few moments, the Exiles are grouped and Spider-Man explains the situation. A few weeks ago this island-city was called Manhattan. It was completely different than from what it is now. The city was transformed by an ancient wizard he fought a while back. This man hates him for beating him. The wizard is none other than Kulan Gath. His spell took everyone by surprise. In moments the skyscrapers all became fortresses and minarets. Cars turned into chariots, streetlights into torches, guns into swords, and etc. Everything transformed except for their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. That was Gath’s punch line. Everything changed except for the one man Gath hates the most. He is the only one who remembers what things used to be like. Beak is confused, however, as the master’s name isn’t Kulan Gath. Not anymore, replies Spider-Man.
Spider-Man explains that when this first started only Manhattan was affected. There was a mystical barrier around the city so those outside could not see what was happening inside. Anyone who crossed that barrier was transformed into a citizen of Gath’s city. Everyone believes, including the Exiles, that this is how things are supposed to be. Namora does not believe Spider-Man and tells him that his tale gets more fanciful as he tells it. Sure, says Spider-Man. He then asks Namora how the six of them began hanging out together. Namora finds herself stumped. Spider-Man asks her if she keeps on drawing a blank every time she tries to remember a few weeks back.
Spider-Man then continues his story. Gath rounded up anyone in the area with super powers and used his magic to unleash the darkness within them. He witnessed himself the X-Men, Avengers, New Mutants and Morlocks transformed into his guard and committing horrible acts. Meanwhile, supernatural beings from around the globe began to be drawn there, as if Manhattan was a magnet for badness. Kulan Gath found himself with many new recruits. With his spell, they all became his best soldiers. However, he made his worst mistake one day when he unleashed the darkness inside a prisoner named Johnny Blaze.
Gath never thought that within Blaze there would be something worse than himself. Inside Blaze was a demon known as Ghost Rider, but his real name is Zarathos. Zarathos understood the master spell better than Gath did. As soon as Zarathos snatched Gath’s amulet necklace he became the new master. However, Spider-Man has come to the Exiles to tell them that they can fight back. If they come with him he can introduce them to someone who knows how to depose of Zarathos and his goon squad. Clarice asks him why he wanted the six of them. Spider-Man informs the group that he came to them for two reasons. One, they are new in town and are not on the Vizier’s guard. Secondly, his partner is very interested in that bracelet on Clarice’s arm.
Meanwhile, at Master Zarathos’ palace, Lord Morbius tells Wendigo that there is something caught in his teeth. It could be an eyeball or a knucklebone. In any case he should make himself more presentable. At that moment, another man walks in and tells Morbius that he can wash Wendigo from stem to stern, but it won’t bring back the two guards that he ate. Wendigo didn’t even bother to hide the bones or leave anything for him to snack on. He might as well as have spit on his face. Morbius apologizes to Captain Russell on behalf of Wendigo. It was his responsibility to keep a tight rein on him. Annoyed, Russell tells Morbius to shut up. He doesn’t care how Morbius keeps check of Wendigo. What he cares about is that another night has passed with Kulan Gath on the loose in the city. The Master does not tolerate failure.
Morbius and Wendigo get very defensive and remind Russell that the failure is all his. The two of them won’t be blamed for his failure. Now extremely angry, Russell decides that their skins on the city gates should send the message to the others to find Gath fast. Wendigo begins to howl in anger, which prompts Russell to transform into Werewolf by Night. With one powerful blow, he sends Wendigo flying backwards. Suddenly, a voice from the throne rooms tells the three that he could watch them rip each other up all morning, but now is not the time for blood sport. They know Kulan Gath is needed for the sacrifice to make the spell global, yet they still choose to fight. Zarathos appears before the three, dressed in a brown robe, with the amulet around his neck.
Zarathos announces that there is something new in his kingdom. It is an anomaly that he cannot quite put his finger on. A group of newcomers have brought it here. He could have located them if Wendigo had not eaten Xavier and Caliban, so they will have to make due with their abilities to find those with super powers. However, Zarathos knows that Gath is also looking for these newcomers. This object they possess sends ripples across reality. Zarathos orders the three to find the strangers and bring them here tonight before Kulan Gath does. The three beasts comply, but Zarathos warns them that, if they should fail, he will make them beg for death.
Sometime later, the Exiles find themselves being led by Spider-Man in the sewers. Morph is concerned and informs the others that he doesn’t think that they should have brought Heather down there. Spider-Man assures Morph that Heather wouldn’t have been safe at the tavern. In any case they are almost at their destination. He then asks what is wrong with Heather. Is she sick? Namora informs Spider-Man that she fell ill when they entered the city. She also adds that she will fall ill herself is she has to spend anymore time in this vile water. Clarice questions why Spider-Man’s partner lives in the tunnels. Didn’t most of the Vizier’s guard used to live down here according to him? The Morlocks did once, answers Spider-Man, however, there was an assignation attempt against Zarathos soon after he took over. The assassin was the leader of the guard and also a Morlock: Callisto. The Vizier’s guard burned all the Morlocks alive down there.
Suddenly, Spider-Man leaps in the air and shouts out to his partner to attack now. Illyana Rasputin, a.k.a Magik, leaps out of the shadows and stabs Clarice with her Soul-Sword. Horrified, Calvin uses his optic blast to take Magik down. Spider-Man webs up Calvin’s eyes and comments that the X-Men should sue for copyright infringement. He then comes to Magik’s aid and asks if she is all right. Morph and Namora charge at the two, but suddenly Blink teleports in between the two groups and orders her fellow Exiles to stop. However, Blink is no longer wearing her brown outfit. Instead, she is back in her green one, and also free of Zarathos’ spell. Calvin is confused and asks Blink what happened to her. Blink explains that Magik’s sword must have freed her from the spell.
Suddenly, a raspy old voice tells Blink that breaking spells is exactly what Illyana’s Soul-Sword does. The Exiles watch as a robed figure comes down from the tunnel towards them. The mysterious figure explains that the sword is the ultimate expression of Illyana’s magical might. No enchantment of sorcery can endure the bite of her blade. Spider-Man tells the others to calm down. He explains that this is the man who sent him to get them. Believe it or not, he is on their side. Blink confirms this and explains that they will all understand once free from the master spell. Now that she is herself again the Tallus has confirmed their mission.
As Kulan Gath steps out of the shadows, Blink announces that they must put him back onto his throne! Gath smiles and explains that this must be the way, for the one currently on the throne would bring to this world cruelty even he has never dreamed of!


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Bump in the Night - part 2
The jester, Beak, falls to his knees at the command of Blink and asks her if it must be this way, clearly terrified. Blink stands by the mad sorcerer, Kulan Gath, who smiles maniacally, and apologizes to Beak, but his has to be this way. Deep in the sewers of New Hyborea, Beak is decapitated by the mighty Soul-Sword of Magik. The Soul-Sword, possessing the ability to break all spells, passes safely through the neck of Beak, who transforms from useless jester back to his normal, useless form.
Beak stands up with his baseball bat and is shocked to see that he is himself again. He then recalls all that has happened recently, about Kulan Gath’s magical Master Spell that transformed them all and of how Zarathos deposed Gath and took over. It was all real, wasn’t it? Magik smiles and turns to Namora, Heather, Sir Calvin and Morph, asking which one of them would like to go next.
Soon, all the Exiles have been transformed back to normal, thanks to Magik and her Soul-Sword. Heather is still sick, however, and sits down for a moment as the Beak comes over to check on her. Weakly, she asks if the rest of New York still looks like it came out of a Tolkien novel. Mimic confirms this and explains that this underground area they are in was probably the subway once. Namora smiles and looks at her majestic body. She comments on how it is wonderful to be in her own clothes again. What little she wears of them, of course, replies Morph. Of course, he wears even less.
Confused, Namora asks Morph about what he is talking about. He is always dressed head to toe. Morph shifts into a tuxedo and tells Namora that she is wrong. It may look like he is wearing clothing, but does she really think that cotton decides to transform too when he does. Namora is left speechless as she realizes that Morph is actually naked and has been since the moment she met him. Spider-Man puts his arm around Magik and tells Namora that the word she is looking for is “ew.” He then tells Illyana to hit Morph one more time with that sword. “And get his cooties on my Soul-Sword…?” asks Magik.
Beak interrupts and tells the group that he hates to wet the blanket, but Heather is still sick. Jokingly, Mimic tells the doctor to heal herself. She can just turn into Sasquatch and let her healing factor fix whatever is wrong. Weakly, Heather tells Mimic that it is hard for her to explain, but she is afraid to transform into Sasquatch. Something doesn’t feel right here. Concerned, Blink asks if it is not the fever talking of her. Shouldn’t she try at least? No, screams Gath as he grabs Blink by the wrist. If Heather’s powers are mystical in nature then she should trust her intuition. Annoyed, Blink says that she trusts Heather. It is he whom she does not trust.
Mimic steps between the two and makes Gath let go of Blink. His eyes glow red as he tells Gath two important things. One, that is his girlfriend Gath was handling. Two, Heather got her powers from gamma radiation, not magic. Mockingly, Mimic asks if the great Kulan Gath should not see that. Gath tells Mimic-Man to mock at his own peril, but Spider-Man intervenes. He tells Gath that Calvin’s name is just Mimic, not Mimic-Man. Why can’t he ever get names right. Gath orders the Man-Spider to step aside. Spider-Man rests his case. He then changes the subject back to Zarathos and how they are going to dethrone him.
Gath agrees and asks Blink if that is not what her talisman ordered them to do. Blink confirms that the Tallus wants the Exiles to help Gath. Gath is fascinated by the Tallus and asks Blink if she obeys its every command. It is part of their job, replies Blink. They are the Exiles, because they are thrown into alternate realities to pull worlds back from the brink of destruction. Sometimes the missions are easy, but other times they are forced to team up with people like Gath.
Indeed, replies Gath, smiling. First, though, he must fill them all in on what will be required if they are to take down Zarathos. Gath had used the Master Spell to transform New York City into a Hyborean aged city like ones in his youth. He had wished to expand this spell so all super-powered beings would be under his thrall, though the Man-Spider would not be transformed. He would be tortured for an earlier insult against Gath. Story of my life, replies Spider-Man, he is always left out of the party. Gath continues his story and explains that he unwittingly unleashed the demon Zarathos from the being known as Ghost Rider. Zarathos took over the throne and now uses the Domed Temple as his stronghold. Zarathos knew that Gath’s necklace was the key to the Master Spell, so he snatched it from him. It is this necklace that the Exiles must steal back.
If he needs something stolen, replies Blink, then she’s his girl. However, who is guarding this talisman? Gath explains that most of the guards are former heroes under his spell, but his principal guards are Lord Morbius, Wendigo and the captain of the Vizier’s guard, Jack Russell, cursed to be Werewolf by Night. Mimic isn’t impressed and mentions that Wendigo is strong, but dumb as a post and the other two were jokes where he comes from. Gath reminds Mimic that they are not in his native land. Here in New Hyborea, one’s power is augmented by the connection to the supernatural.
Zarathos hails from the Nether Planes, which is how Gath was overpowered. However, Zarathos has limits. His attempts to expand the Master Spell have failed so far. His minions sacrificed every child in the realm, but the borders have not changed. Horrified, Beak asks how killing children would accomplish this goal. “Child sacrifice is how I cast my spell in the first place,” replies Gath, coldly.
Elsewhere, Jack Russell bangs on the door to the Public House, where the Exiles had been resting for the night. The owner opens up and is surprised to see that Russell has come himself. Getting right to the interrogation, Russell tells the man that he learned that six guests disappeared in the night. Yes, replies the scared man as he leads Russell to the room they rented.
Once there, the two men look at the ceiling. The owner asks if the webs belong to him. Russell sniffs the air and comments that even had he not left his spoor on the walls the smell of Spider-Man is still recognizable. Russell tells the owner that he did well reporting this. The owner thanks Russell and asks if there will be a reward. In a manner of speaking, answers Russell, as he throws a black orb to the ground. The orb breaks and releases a black smoke, which begins to take form. An evil voice announces that she is hungry. She is lonely. She is… free?
Selene stands before the two men and asks what services are required of her. The owner is terrified to see the Black Queen among them and tells Russell to defend himself as he raises the alarm. Russell rolls his eyes as Selene comments on how tedious this is. With her magic, she warps the floor so that it turns into a giant fist, which grabs the owner. Selene turns to Russell and orders him to explain why he summoned her before she rips him limb from limb. Russell tells Selene to stop flirting, for this is serious. Six strangers arrived with an object that makes Zarathos nervous. It apparently sends ripples across the fabric of reality.
Selene acknowledges that she does sense something different. Were these strangers demons are fairies? Neither, thinks Russell. However, they seem to be in league with Spider-Man. Selene suddenly becomes more serious, as she realizes that Kulan Gath must have summoned them. Exactly, replies Russell. Is she ready for her part in the plan then? Yes, replies Selene. She will be in place for when they make their move. Good, then he had better return to the temple before he is missed, replies Jack.
Selene points to the owner and asks about Jack’s snack. Jack tells Selene to have him, as she needs her strength. Elated that Jack does love her, she kisses him on the lips. Jack simply walks out of the room and tells Selene to be fast. They don’t have much time. It is a shame not to savor a soul, comments Selene, but a meal is a meal.
Soon, the Exiles, Spider-Man, and Magik stand on a rooftop across the Domed Temple. Spider-Man tells Blink to teleport him and Illyana past the gate and they will take it from there. Blink comments that the place doesn’t look so bad in daylight. Namora chimes in and asks if it is wise to attack midday. She has decades of military service and with a group as small as them it wouldn’t be wise to attack now. Magik tells Namora that normally she would be right, but Morbius sleeps during the day, as well as Wendigo. She saw it herself when she was a scullery maid in the temple. Jack Russell is less dangerous during the day. He cannot transform into a werewolf until the sun goes down… at least she thinks he can’t.
Zarathos also sleeps during the day, though out of choice not necessity. He holds his court at night. Their best chance is for her to cut the necklace off his neck with her Soul-Sword, but she needs them to get her close enough. Morph realizes that the others will sneak in, while he and some of the others distract the guards. It seems easy. Not so easy, replies Spider-Man. There are plenty of heavyweights on the guard who don’t have problems working the day shift.
Mimic tells Heather that he thinks it would be better if she stayed behind, but Heather refuses. She won’t sit around wondering if they are all getting killed. Besides, shouldn’t they all be worried about Kulan Gath. Why didn’t he come with them? Spider-Man tells her that if Zarathos captures Gath then it is all over for them. If Kulan is sacrificed on the altar Zarathos could make the Master Spell global. They just need to get inside. Spider-Man is sure, though, that as soon as they snatch the talisman from Zarathos, Kulan Gath will show up to collect it. A little concerned, Heather reminds Spider-Man that they wouldn’t actually give Gath the talisman. The Tallus simply told them to put Gath back on his throne. Blink then teleports the group down.
Inside, Sister Voodoo runs to Jack Russell and informs him that the temple is under attack. Three strangers materialized at the south gate and are now fighting the sentries. Three, questions Russell. He orders Sister Voodoo to round up the guards on duty to repel the invaders. He will go back to the inner sanctum to protect Zarathos as he slumbers. As she goes off, Sister Voodoo asks Russell if he will unleash Wendigo. Only if you fail, threatens Russell. Then he will feed her to the beast.
Both leave the room to prepare. A few moments later, Blink teleports in with Magik, Spider-Man, Beak and Heather. The area is clear, but Spider-Man orders the group to hustle. The others outside can’t keep up the diversion for too long.
Outside, Morph, Mimic and Namora engage the Vizier’s guard. Morph transforms into Conan the barbarian and tells Captain America that he will taste his savage sword. Mimic shoots an optic blast at Thor, while Namora squares off against the Scarlet Witch. Daredevil and Storm quickly rush to the scene. Mimic tells Morph to shut up and fight but, as he does so, Thor takes him down with Mjolnir. Storm blasts Morph with lightning and Namora finds herself bound by a spell, thanks to the Scarlet Witch.
Namora asks Mimic for help and finds that she does indeed get it, but from an unlikely source. As the Scarlet Witch orders the group to finish their foes, the ground begins to shake. Suddenly, the cobbled ground warps into giants fists, each of which grabs one guard. The confused guards are then pulled underground to eventually smother to death. Mimic is left speechless, but Morph wonders what just happened.
Selene approaches the group and tells them that she saved their skins for now. Most of the guards will smother, but the ground won’t hold all of them for long. It is best that they join the others inside. The three Exiles follow Selene inside. Mimic asks her who she is and why she is helping them. Selene introduces herself as the Black Queen and informs Mimic that they aren’t the only ones who wish to see Zarathos deposed.
Elsewhere, Russell kills the guard outside Zarathos’ chamber and enters. He approaches the sleeping king, who wakes up as soon as Russell tries to reach for the talisman. Zarathos tells Russell that Morbius was right about him. He had to be right about something one of these days. Zarathos gets up and grabs Russell by the wrist, telling him that Morbius also thinks that the captain doesn’t need to wait until sunset to turn into a werewolf. Does Russell care to show him that trick one last time before succumbing to the Penance Stare? In a split-second, Russell transforms into Werewolf by Night.
Outside the room, Blink and the others arrive in time to hear the yelping of a dog. Blink enters the room to see the powerful Zarathos defeating Werewolf by Night with his Penance State. He tells Russell to whine like the dog he is. He has committed so many crimes, but he will relive them all at once. Even Russell cannot stand against his inner demons for long! Zarathos ponders what Russell would have done with his talisman as he caresses his necklace.
Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, the talisman disappears from Zarathos’ neck. Zarathos looks over to see Spider-Man, Magik and Blink. Blink holds the talisman and asks Zarathos if he is looking for something.
Werewolf by Night takes advantage of the distraction and lunges at Zarathos, who is caught off guard. Suddenly though, Spider-Man shoves Magik into the hallway and then punches Blink in the back of the head, commenting that it is a pity that she doesn’t have a spider sense. Of course, it didn’t help the Man-Spider in the end against his magics. “Spider-Man” then reverts to his true form of Kulan Gath! Gath picks up the talisman from the ground, his plan now realized.
In the hallway, the door slams shut. As Beak helps Magik up, he asks her what just happened. Magik is not sure, but is cut off by Heather, who tells the pair to forget that. They have their own troubles. The three turn to see Lord Morbius and Wendigo emerge from the shadows. “It’s getting so I cannot catch a decent day’s sleep around here…” rasps Morbius.


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Bump in the Night - conclusion
Thirteen Years Ago in Heather’s Mind:
Heather Hudson and her research partner, Wendy, both dressed in parkas, carry a heavy crate into their research station located in the frigid Arctic Circle. Heather tells Wendy to be careful, because if they drop the crate the nearest tech support is six hundred miles away. Yeah, yeah, replies Heather’s friend. However, couldn’t Heather have found a place more convenient with an ozone hole for this experiment? Wendy bets that Heather didn’t even check Detroit.
Heather gives a small laugh as they put the box down inside. The two take off their jackets and change into lab coats. Heather tells Wendy that if the Arctic Circle isn’t her scene she should feel free to catch the next bus out. Wendy smiles and asks if she should let her hog the Nobel for beating cancer. Nice try, Heather, replies Wendy.
The two women begin to do their research. Sometime later, Wendy tells Heather that collecting ambient gamma rays is almost as exciting as doing taxes. Heather jokes that Wendy always gripes. She should just wait to see how fast tumors respond to natural radiations. It is the difference between organic food and the junk Wendy calls lunch.
However, the two women are unaware that someone, or rather something, watches them. It seems like yesterday that the two of them were wedded, thinks a voice in Heather’s memory. In those days she was a healer searching for cures. She never guessed that her quest would lead her to him. Science made Heather blind to the truth. This “ozone hole” was actually a window to the Subtle Realms where mighty Nelvana imprisoned his kind:  the Great Beasts of the North!
Suddenly, a blast of energy hits the satellite of the research station, causing the entire facility to blow up! Heather, her clothes ripped to pieces and blood covering her body, slowly tries to get back up. A horrible voice tells Heather that she is dying. He offers her life… for a price. Heather is still disoriented and barely makes out the ghastly image of a large being before her. The beast continues on and tells Heather that she will forget his part in this day. She will use his strength as a gift, though, as she sees fit. She will have done many good deeds and her life will be happy. He is patient and generous. However, on the day he finally claims her flesh, she must remember that she entered this bargain freely. Still disoriented, Heather calls out to the missing Wendy.
The Present:
The sick Heather McDaniel mutters the name of Wendy, as the beast known as Wendigo charges right at her. Heather, still feverish, mutters that she made a deal. Scared, Beak tells Heather to snap out of it as they are in danger. As Magik prepares to battle Wendigo, Morbius tells Wendigo to hurry up and eat. If the others reached Zarathos’ chamber then they shouldn’t waste all their time in here. Wendigo grabs Beak and Heather and grunts to Morbius to let him know that he understands. Heather gasps for air as Beak desperately tells her to change into Sasquatch. She is the only one who can stop this monster.
Just as Wendigo is about to bite off Beaks’ head, Magik stabs the beast in the chest with her Soul-Sword and tells Beak not to count her out just yet. Wendigo screams and staggers back, as he drops the two Exiles. In seconds, thanks to the Soul-Sword, the spell that once transformed an innocent man into the Wendigo breaks and the beast reverts back to human. The confused man stands in between Morbius, Beak, Heather and Magik, and asks how he got here. Shocked, Morbius demands that Magik tells him what she did to Wendigo.
Before anyone else can react, Beak surprisingly clobbers Morbius in the head with his bat. He then tells Magik to grab Heather. They have to find Blink and get out of there.
In Zarathos’ chamber, Kulan Gath tells Blink to wake up. She is missing a very entertaining fight.  Blink collects her bearings after being betrayed by Kulan Gath in time to see Zarathos being attacked by Jack Russell, in his Werewolf by Night form. Zarathos screams at Russell and tells him that he just gave their greatest enemy the world back. Russell screams back that they both are his enemies. He then shatters Zarathos’ jaw with one mighty punch. Angered, Zarathos tells Russell that he is fired before burning the werewolf to death with his powers.
Zarathos then turns to Gath and tells him that he is surprised that the old wizard did not help Russell. Gath replies that he would never come between a dog and his bone. It doesn’t matter, though. Now that he has the necklace, Zarathos cannot hurt him. Zarathos then turns to Blink and asks her if she really thinks that Gath will reward her for stealing back his talisman. If she gets the talisman back for him, Zarathos will spare her and her friends. Gath grabs Blink by the hair and asks Zarathos if he really thinks he would have let Blink live if she was a threat. The Master Spell is his again and he is beyond harm. “Oh, yeah?” asks Blink, as she elbows the fragile old Gath in the gut. “Yeah,” replies the unharmed, sadistic Gath, as he turns Blink’s face towards him.
In the hallway, Morbius tells Beak that it is remarkable. It is not everyday that someone draws his blood, and definitely not by someone like this bird-boy. Beak shouldn’t worry. He will return the favor. Scared, Beak stands ready with his bat, but tells Heather that they need her now. Heather mutters that it is too dangerous for her to transform, but Beak reminds her that any more danger and they will be dead. Morbius grabs the man that used to be Wendigo and asks Magik how she was able to break the curse, which is of the highest order. The terrified man asks Morbius not to hurt him.
Magik points her sword to Morbius and tells him that her Soul-Sword breaks all spells and severs all enchantments. If Morbius comes close then they can see what it does to him. Concerned, Morbius looks at the man in his hand and realizes that she speaks the truth. There certainly is no magic left in this fool. He is all theirs, for Morbius does not want him anymore. Before Magik can react, Morbius throws the man right at Magik, who accidentally impales the innocent.
Morbius charge and throws Beak away, instead heading for the terrified Magik, who now realizes that it is all over. Before she can pull her sword out of the man’s body, Morbius grabs her and bites her in the neck, killing the young mutant sorceress.
Enraged, Heather gets up and tells Morbius that he is a miserable piece of dog-squeeze. As Heather begins to cry, Morbius triumphantly tells her that he just slew her secret weapon. What is she going to do now? Cry on him? Heather tells the vampire that she is only crying, because she left him with no choice. She has to surrender now. Morbius drops Magik’s body and asks Heather what makes him think that he is taking prisoners today. Heather corrects Morbius. She isn’t surrendering to him. She is giving up the battle that she has fought since arriving in this reality. She made a deal with something inside of her and it is something that he isn’t going to like. Once she lets it out, there will be nothing left of her to control it.
Those are the last words of Heather Hudson as she suddenly beings to transform. However, she does not change into her usual white Sasquatch form. Instead, she transforms into a massive beast resembling Sasquatch, though the most distinctive difference is her orange fur. The massive beast tells Morbius that, in this world of magic and monster, his will be the most frightening face in the realm.
Beak freaks out and bolts inside Zarathos’ chamber. He calls out to Blink that they have to get out of there. Everything has gone wrong. Zarathos and Gath turn to Beak, the latter telling the boy that it is rude to interrupt. Before anything else happens, a massive orange fist crashes through the walls. Blink’s eyes open wide as she calls out Heather’s name, questioningly.
The massive, orange Sasquatch, who holds the unconscious Morbius in one hand, tells Blink that Heather Hudson is gone. All that remains is the Great Beast known as Tanaraq!
Gath is confused to who this new guest is and wonders if there is any end to the noisy magical pests attracted to New York by his Master Spell. Tanaraq turns his attention to Gath, while he crushes the body of Morbius, spilling the vampire’s guts everywhere. Tanaraq recalls how Gath is the most powerful human sorcerer in the world. It was his spell that transformed the land and called forth monsters, demons and beasts. Tanaraq supposes that he should thank Gath before killing him.
Zarathos is not impressed and tells Tanaraq that the bigger the furball the bigger the bonfire. He then attacks Tanaraq with a mighty fire blast, which does absolutely nothing against the Great Beast. Tanaraq realizes that Zarathos knows nothing about the Great Beasts, or else he would realize his folly of testing a god. Tanaraq then crushes Zarathos with his foot, shattering the demon into pieces. While Gath stands in awe, Blink quickly reacts and teleports herself and Beak away.
Above in the throne room, Namora, Morph and Mimic follow Selene. Mimic asks Selene why she is helping them. No offense, but he wouldn’t trust her in any reality. Selene, not offended, tells Mimic that they have a common goal. They both want Zarathos to fall. Besides, compared to their master, Gath, she is the lesser of two evils. Namora informs Selene that Gath is not their master, but Selene is not so sure, considering Blink is helping to retrieve his talisman for him. Mimic tells Selene that it isn’t their mission there. Blink is stealing the talisman to keep it away from Gath.
On cue, Blink and Beak teleport into the throne room. Blink tells the group that something has happened to Heather when she turned into Sasquatch. Beak cuts in and tells them that she isn’t Sasquatch. She is orange and her voice sounds like broken glass. She also calls herself Tanaraq. Blink interrupts Beak this time upon seeing Selene and asks what she is doing here. Selene introduces herself, but Blink tells her that she knows who she is. What she asked was why she was there, because the last thing they need is another monster in the mix.
Suddenly, the ground beneath the group shatters as Tanaraq and Gath continue their fight into the throne room. Gath hovers above Tanaraq shooting blasts of energy, wondering why the beast won’t die. Tanaraq replies that he is deathless as a fable. How can Gath kill the one who made the first men fear the darkness and the cold? Tanaraq tells Gath to stop the foolishness and come to him. He then grabs the terrified Gath. Below, Namora tells Blink that she is losing track. Is Heather still on their side? No, replies Blink. She doesn’t think Heather is on anyone’s side anymore.
Tanaraq removes the talisman from Gath’s neck, since he won’t need it anymore. He then holds Gath upside down by the leg and asks Blink what their mission was exactly, according to the Tallus. Blink is taken aback at first, surprised that Tanaraq actually knows about the Tallus and that he actually cares about the mission. She tells Tanaraq that their mission was to place Kulan Gath back on his throne. Tanaraq eyes the throne and understands. He then throws the fragile man at the throne. Gath slams into the throne and into the wall, which shatters.
With Gath now dead, Tanaraq asks Blink if the mission is over. Concerned, Blink asks Heather if there is anything of her left in there. No, replies Tanaraq. He only wishes to leave this world and return to his own. He has the Hudson woman’s memories and knows their rules as Exiles if they wish to move on.
“We” Exiles, questions Blink. Of course, replies Tanaraq. He will remain with the group until he finds a way back to his reality. Naturally he will assume command, but they can live if they serve him well. Confused, Selene asks Tanaraq why he would take the talisman if he does not plan on staying. Unconcerned, Tanaraq casually tosses the talisman to Selene and tells her that she can have it. They will be gone soon and he could care less about what happens to this world. “Oh, but you will know what happens here,” replies the wicked Selene, as she puts on the necklace, “I insist.”
Before the Exiles can stop her, Selene chants a spell, which unleashes a wave of magical energy. The energy wave extends through the city, but surprisingly changes everything back to normal.
“There. Much, much better,” says Selene as the group finds themselves in Madison Square Garden. Confused, Mimic questions if she restored the city. Not just the city, replies Selene. She restored the entire northeast. Everything converted by the Master Spell is back to normal. Selene looks at the talisman, which disintegrates into dust.
When Beak asks Selene why she did that, Selene explains that she likes the twenty-first century. There are loose morals, a great nightlife, and an endless supply of beautiful people to eat. She already lived in the Dark Ages and, believe her, it was boring. Selene waves at the group, as she thinks that they have to go now to save other worlds. She would invite them back sometime to visit, but somehow she doubts they will survive their new partner. The Exiles then blink away to the next reality.
Selene exits the building and into the streets of New York. “I just love guests who don’t wear out their welcome!”


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A Tooth for a Tooth
In a very familiar reality, a group of mutant youths scour the night streets of a city, looking for their target. Several fly through the air with flashlights, to search among broken Sentinel units and other debris, while other members of their search party do their job by foot. A youth in the air tells the others that he has lost the target.
Another man, Smokey, tells the group that they can flush their target out. He then proceeds to blast a pile of wreckage with his mutant flames. Several others duck out of the way, as one tells Smokey to cut it out. He might get one of them killed. At that moment, however, another person spots the target…they have found Sabretooth!
Indeed, leaping across a car and to safety is the man known as Sabretooth, once part of the reality hopping group known as Weapon X. Sabretooth is a long way from his home reality, a world accidentally never meant to be, but ruled by the mighty fist of Apocalypse. After being displaced in time, he found himself with Weapon X, but chose to stay behind in this current reality to make sure that a boy named David Richards would never grow up to be the tyrannical beast he was destined to become. Things seem to have gone wrong.
Sabretooth narrowly avoids a rush of fire that singes the end of his ponytail. He runs on, though, but unfortunately he comes to a dead end. A boy with bat-like wings calls Sabretooth a murderer and swears revenge for what the man did. Smokey cannot believe that they ever trusted him. Sabretooth turns to face the group, who taunt him and remind him that he has nowhere to go. He has no friend left in this world.
Suddenly, there is a rip in reality between Sabretooth and the group of angry mutants. Emerging from his rip is the other reality-hopping group, known as the Exiles. Dressed as an elevator man, Morph tells Beak, Namora, Mimic, and Blink that they have reached the third floor – sporting goods and lingerie. Morph stops talking, as he looks at the desolate city and murderous mutants and comments that they are not lingerie models. One mutant is left in shock and cannot believe what he sees. Another screams that it is real. Blink is back!
Mimic armors up immediately, but notices Blink suddenly become terrified. She gasps and mutters something about not being there again. Before Mimic can question Blink on what is wrong, Smokey shoots a blast of fire straight at Blink. Mimic deflects it with his armored skin, though, but tells the group that the Exiles don’t know who they are, but they won’t try to hurt them… much. Mimic then cuts loose with an optic blast and decimates the violent group in front of him.
Screaming her motto “Imperius Regina!” Namora grabs two of the mutants, including Smokey, and chucks them away. Morph shifts into a tank and starts bashing some other mutants, all the while commenting that Namora needs to change her battle cry. How about “E Pluribus Unum” or “Veni, Vidi, Vicious” or something else? The mutant gang falls back, realizing that they have fallen into a trap. One calls back to Sabretooth that they will finish this later.
Beak, armed with his bat and standing with Mimic over the weak Sabretooth, asks his teammate why they are protecting Sabretooth. Mimic tells Beak to ease up, as they know this certain Sabretooth. He is like a father to Blink. Isn’t that right, asks Mimic to his girlfriend. Blink nervously approaches the three and agrees.
Mimic armors down, but he is not done speaking. Angrily, he tells Blink that he knows something happened last time she saw him. Something bad happened that not even his own girlfriend will tell him, even though he has asked six times since she was returned to the Exiles. Beak is confused and admits this to Mimic.
Mimic explains to Beak that there once was another group of Exiles called Weapon X. Sabretooth led that group. A while back, both groups arrived on this world they are in now; a world where Sentinels kept mutants in prison camps. They weren’t there to beat the Sentinels though. The Timebroker wanted them to kill a child named David Richards, before he could grow up and make things worse. They did not want to kill a six year-old, so Sabretooth agreed to stay behind and raise David so he wouldn’t become a psycho. The rest of them continued to reality jump and Mimic always thought Sabretooth was better off there rather than with Weapon X.
A few missions later, however, the Timebroker announced that Blink had served her time as an Exile and could go home. However, she didn’t go home. She was sent back to this reality to be with Sabretooth. Every time Mimic asks her why, Blink responds that she doesn’t want to talk about it. Morph and Namora return to the group, the former asking Mimic what is going on here. Who were the mutants they just found and where is the Richards kid?
Upon hearing this, both Blink and Sabretooth look away and stare off into the distance.
Accepting that neither will speak, Namora announces that she does not care about this mutant child. She is more concerned about the absence of Sasquatch. Is she really the only one who noticed in all this commotion that Heather did not arrive with the rest of them?
The other Exiles look around in bewilderment. Blink swears that Heather left with them. Beak freaks out and wonders if Heather got stuck between worlds. Is that even possible? Namora explains that Heather sacrificed her Sasquatch powers. Perhaps she is not with them now, because she is of no use to them. Namora then adds lowly that if that were true then by her reasoning bird-boy would never have been a part of the group to begin with. Morph wonders where Heather’s replacement is if she is truly off the team. There always has to be six of them… unless… does Sabretooth make six?
Sabretooth looks at Blink and asks if she is going to let Morph guess all day. He would ask the Tallus if he still had one. Fine, replies Blink. She asks the Tallus about Heather’s condition, but the Tallus does not answer. Blink then asks the Tallus what their mission is. Suddenly, Blink freaks out and refuses to do the mission. In her fear, she blinks herself away.
Angry and confused, Mimic grabs Sabretooth by the collar, convinced that the man knows what this is all about. Why is Blink all uptight? What happened to her when the Timebroker brought her there? Sabretooth screams into Mimic’s face that he had better get his hands off before Creed rips his face off.
As Mimic wipes spit off his face, Morph comes to Mimic’s side and tells Sabretooth that if he messes with Calvin then Sabretooth messes with the Exiles. Namora boasts that she can trade punches with the Hulk. Sabretooth turns away and says that Clarice wouldn’t be happy if he hurt her friends. He begins to walk away and tells Mimic that what he wants to know, only Blink can tell. She suffered enough and he isn’t going to make it worse by opening his mouth before she is ready to talk.
As they walk, Morph asks if they should keep an eye out for Sentinels, but Sabretooth explains that all the Sentinels are scrap now. To the Exiles, it may be months since they left him. However, twenty years have passed in this reality. That mutant lynch mob that the team chased away used to be the children they freed from the camps when they originally came there.
Mimic tells Sabretooth to tell him all about it while they go find Clarice. Sabretooth asks Mimic if he really wants him to tag along. Calvin admits that he doesn’t, but only Sabretooth knows where Blink would hide in this reality. He has to come with him, unless Creed prefers to leave Blink only with a gang of killer mutants running around.
Mimic takes Sabretooth by the hand and they fly away. Calvin tells the others to stay there, but not out in the open. Morph complies, but tells Mimic to come back in one piece. As the two fly, Mimic wonders why time passed faster for Sabretooth than them. Sabretooth just answers that he doesn’t make the rules; he just gets screwed by them. Mimic notices that Sabretooth hasn’t aged a day. Sabretooth replies that it is the healing factor, just like Wolverine, and just like Mimic if he keeps the powers he mimicked from the feral X-Man. Sabretooth then tells Mimic to head to the woods. That is where Blink hid after the thing with David.
What thing, asks the concerned Mimic. As they land in the forest, Sabretooth tells him that Blink will reveal the truth when she is ready. He should just shut up while Sabretooth sniffs the girl out. Mimic replies that he can track Blink from there. Creed has done enough. Sabretooth tells Mimic not to be stupid. He knows how his powers work. He can only absorb half of Wolverine’s enhanced senses. All these claws, replies Mimic as he pops them out. Annoyed, Sabretooth turns and heads into the forest, telling Mimic to split up before he is forced to gut the Exile.
Five hours later, Mimic reaches a cliff and stares off to the night sky. He then sniffs a familiar scent. He walks around a bush and finds Blink, sitting alone in a cave. He greets her and tasks her not to teleport away. Blink cries as Mimic embraces her. She tells him that everything has gone wrong in this place and it is too much for her to bear. Mimic tells Blink that he wants to help, but she needs to talk. She has to trust him and tell him what happened here. Did Sabretooth do something to her?
Surprised, Blink says no. She hesitates at first, but then agrees to tell Mimic the truth. He just has to promise not to hate her when she is done.
Since the Exiles and Weapon X left, Sabretooth has done his best to raise David. Sabretooth once rescued her from Sinister and brought her up as an X-Man, so if anyone could teach the children they freed it was him. The first few years were tough and the best he could do was preventing them from getting shot. Once they hit puberty and their powers bloomed, they fought back. However, he kept in mind the warning about David and knew that the boy’s powers could only be matched by Creed’s ruthlessness. Creed grew to love the boy over the years. What if love wasn’t enough? What if David still grew up to be evil?
In the end, Creed did what any other good parent would do. He stepped out of the way and hoped he did his best. David then planned a decade-long systematic downfall of the Sentinel plants. The last thing any of them expected was for her to blink back to this reality on the eve of the final assault on the last Sentinel node in North America.
David thought that she was a spy and used his telepathy to force himself into her mind. The telepathic invasion was Blink’s first clue that something was horribly wrong with that boy, but his performance at the final battle overshadowed her misgivings. David psi-linked with them all and coordinated their movements as he single handedly destroyed eighty-four Sentinels. If one would roll Professor Xavier, Magneto and the Phoenix Force into one being, then one could imagine what David was capable of.
Blink doesn’t know what went wrong. Maybe boys grow up differently? Maybe he never would have ended up like her? After the battle, David rallied his troops and announced that the next day they would finish the job. She was confused and thought that there were more Sentinel bases that they didn’t know about. David told her that the Earth was diseased and the Sentinels were just a symptom. Once she saw the true cause, Blink would know that they have to eradicate it.
David grabbed her, even though Sabretooth ordered him to let go. Since David’s powers blossomed, only Sabretooth could ever say no to the boy. At that moment, that last restraint was gone. She tried shielded her mind but it was for nothing. He hijacked her ability to teleport and took them both away, though she tried hard to stop him.
David took her to a reinforced bunker underneath a mile of earth in West Virginia. It was two or three times farther than her longest jump, and it was blind. Her limitations meant nothing to David. There he introduced her to the Strategic Sentinel Command, led by humans, of course. Down in the complex was a large group of weary and sick humans. David found them a month ago and trapped them there, where they thought that they would be safe. Scared, Blink asked David what he was going to do to them.
David announced that the humans would pay. They will eliminate every last one, so the people of Earth won’t follow in their footsteps. David then hijacked Blink’s powers again and unleashed a wave of teleportation arrows at the group of unsuspecting humans.
Blink wipes tears off her face and tells Mimic that David made her teleport people in half, into walls and equipment, even fuse them together. It was stuff she wouldn’t even do in her worst nightmares. She tried breaking from his grip but she couldn’t, and she hated Mr. Creed for not dealing with the devil when he had the chance.
Sabretooth approaches the two and tells Mimic that David made her kill for days before he could catch up. Creed used an inhibitor collar to hide his approach. One would think ripping the heart out of a kid he spent twenty years raising was punishment enough, but nothing can settle the score for what Blink went through.
Mimic tells Blink that they should just finish the mission and leave. Blink pulls her hand away from Mimic and refuses to. She won’t do any more missions. They are done with the Exiles garbage. Sabretooth tells Blink to think again. He stayed in this reality because he refused to do what the Timebroker wanted and look what happened. Blink does not care. In fact, she won’t do this mission or tell them what it is.
Blink also refuses to wear the Tallus any longer and blinks it away. Mimic asks her where it went, but suddenly the Tallus reappears on her. Blink teleports it off again, but it returns. In a rage, she teleports it one last time, but this time it does not come back. Mimic asks her where she keeps sending the Tallus. Away, replies the girl. She smiles, as she thinks that it is gone.
“Kill Mimic” is the mission, replies Creed. Mimic and Blink turn around to see that Sabretooth now carries the Tallus. Mimic armors up and tells Creed to take his best shot. Suddenly, the Timebroker arrives and tells Creed to attack, for if he doesn’t this Earth will surely come to an end.
Sabretooth tells the Timebroker to shove it. He spent the last two decades there and he is sure this place isn’t worth saving. Besides, Clarice loves Mimic and he would rather die a thousand times than to see him taken from her. The Timebroker tells Creed that for a Sabretooth, he is a sickening pansy. How did they ever pick him for this job?
The Timebroker then gives in, but tells the three that if they refuse orders they get punished. Blink confronts the man and tells her that something has changed. He isn’t the same. In fact, she doesn’t believe that killing Mimic was even a real mission. However, it doesn’t matter. They quit. They are done.
The Timebroker snaps his fingers and the three are teleported away. “You certainly are,” replies the Timebroker with his eyes glowing red.


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Son of Apocalypse - part 1
None who lived through it will ever forget humankind’s darkest hour, better known as the Age of Apocalypse. Apocalypse, the mutant war-criminal, and his son, Holocaust, along with the army known as the Infinites, scarred the Earth like no other force seen before, or since for that matter. Looking back at those years, the method to their madness was obvious. Ordinary humans were exterminated. Mutant children, on the other hand, were captured and taken to Sinister, one of the four notorious horsemen of Apocalypse. These children were part of Sinister’s genetic experiments and lived in fear, though died in pain. Those who survive can only imagine the horror that occurred in the walls of the breeding pens.
At the national monument known as “The Pens,” a tour guide leads a group of tourists through. Sorrowfully, the tour guide shows the visitors a room where mutant children were once kept as prisoners when they weren’t being experimented upon. She compares the Pens to the Nazi death camps, as both have been preserved so that there is a reminder that humanity must never sink to such depths of depravity again. The Pens are kept as a warning from history and to honor those who died here. The tour guide tells her group that photography is allowed, but they must all stay in the designated areas. If anyone feels overcome, well, they won’t be the first.
Suddenly, one of the tourists points to a portly man with a bowtie and purple vest, and asks if he is part of the tour. Suddenly, there is a strange humming sound and a tear in reality is opened as Blink, Sabretooth, Mimic, Morph and Namora blink into the reality. Morph is confused as to where he is, but the tour guide takes no time to rush everyone out, as this is not part of the tour. Blink is horrified and calls out to Sabretooth, who also recognizes this place. He isn’t sure if he believes it, but this smells real. The Timebroker smiles and welcomes Blink home. Are happy memories from her childhood flooding back in?
Sabretooth grabs the Timebroker by his shirt and raises him into the air. Blink yells that he has no idea what she went through as a child in the Pens. On the contrary, replies the Timebroker. He knows everything that happened to her in there. Sabretooth asks the small man why he brought them here. Not scared by Sabretooth, the Timebroker tells him that, since they refused to do the last mission, they will be punished. Sabretooth smiles and puts down the Timebroker. This is some punishment. He thought his world was toast, but now the man is showing him that it still exists. This is the best news in ages. Blink, does not respond; she stays silent.
Sabretooth asks the Timebroker about his fellow X-Men. Are they alive too? Mimic puts his hand on Sabretooth to make him stop talking, as they have a new problem. Where is Beak? Annoyed, Sabretooth lowly tells Mimic to get his hand off of him. Namora comes to the Timebroker’s side and recalls how first Heather Hudson disappeared after failing to emerge from a jump. Now Beak is missing. Namora demands to know what happened to her teammates. The Timebroker scowls and informs the Exiles that those two proved themselves very useless and so he removed them from active duty. However, the Exiles should not worry about them, as they are the lucky ones. They should worry about themselves. The Timebroker then snaps his finger and introduces the group to their new teammate. Suddenly, a massive figure teleports in behind the Timebroker:  Holocaust!
Holocaust stands confused and asks how he got to the Pens. Morph transforms into Ghost Rider and notices that Holocaust has a flaming skull and bad attitude. Is he another Ghost Rider knock off? Blink stands shocked and tells Morph that Holocaust is something worse. Holocaust hears this and asks Morph why he does not remember him. Sabretooth and Blink do. Does this mean he is finally home? Sabretooth tells everyone to get into defensive positions. Mimic pops his claws, but also reminds Sabretooth that Blink leads them, not him. Blink, though, takes the role of a timid girl and tells the team to just listen to Mr. Creed. Creed tells Blink that she made a smart move.
The Timebroker calls for Holocaust’s attention for a moment. He has some instructions for people in his situation. The Timebroker introduces himself and explains that Holocaust has become unhinged from time. He now has one duty, which is to travel from one reality to the next, mending broken worlds according to his instructions. Arrogantly, Holocaust boasts that he is the son of Apocalypse. Does the Timebroker expect him to obey? He has a better idea. Holocaust decides to mend his own reality by killing some gene-traitors and whoever else gets on his nerve, starting with this so-called Timebroker.
Holocaust then blasts the Timebroker, leaving nothing left but a crater. Holocaust then turns to Blink and Sabretooth, as he last recalls them trying to kill him and he owes them some payback. Suddenly, the Timebroker reappears in the crater and tells Holocaust that he cannot be killed for he is a figment of the Exiles’ collective unconscious. If he won’t listen to what he is trying to tell him, then the Timebroker will be forced to show him. The Tallus on Sabretooth’s arm begins to glow and emit pink energy, which builds up and shoots into the eyes of all the Exiles.
The team is shown images of the Age of Apocalypse. The Timebroker states that, of all the realities he watches over, this one is most particularly fascinating and dangerous. When Apocalypse took over the world, he unwittingly created a situation that threatened the multiverse. The Timebroker hoped that the situation would have been resolved, once Magneto and his X-Men defeated Apocalypse and the nuclear bombs raining down on his mutant empire seemed to end the threat that he spoke of. However, the bombs never found their mark. They were averted and North America was given a new lease on life. Sinister also survived.
Soon, Magneto and the X-Men will confront Sinister. Their victory will mistakenly doom this world. The effect they unleash will doom universe after universe. The Exiles must stop the X-Men, which means they must kill them. That is their punishment for disobeying orders, although Holocaust will probably enjoy it, which is why he is on the team. As the Timebroker fades away, he tells the “kids” not to mess up or their butts will be on the line too.
Holocaust stands confused. He tells Sabretooth that what the Timebroker said was true, wasn’t it. He doesn’t know why, but he believes him. Sabretooth tells Holocaust that it is all true. They have all been jumping realities and saving them for a while. The bracelet on his arm, the Tallus, is how they keep in touch with the Timebroker and its how they get their missions. Holocaust sees the larger picture and tells Sabretooth that he has seen another reality and knows that they exist. There is more at stake than their old vendettas. They should get moving. They have a job to do. The Exiles stare at Holocaust in shock that he actually wants to join them.
“Just kidding,” says Holocaust, as he unleashes a mighty blast that knocks down all the Exiles. Holocaust laughs at the fact that Sinister thinks he can claim Apocalypse’s throne. If Apocalypse really has fallen, then the world is rightfully his, and Sinister will learn this soon, when Holocaust kills him. Sabretooth tells Holocaust that he isn’t excused as he leaps at the villain. Holocaust flies into the air and tells Sabretooth that he would love to kill him again, but they all heard the Timebroker. The clock is ticking. Holocaust blasts through the ceiling and escapes into the night. Mimic tries to go after him, but Blink refuses to let him go, as Holocaust is more powerful than any one of them alone. Sabretooth wipes blood off his face and tells Mimic that they need to attack all at once.
In the air, Holocaust complains about first being banished to a backwards Earth, where humans and mutants live together in peace, now he is being ordered around by a holographic butler. He has killed millions and deserves more respect. In any case, he is home again and, once Sinister is finished off, he will go after the X-Men, as well as Sabretooth and his new friends. Suddenly, Holocaust senses something, which is very familiar to him. The disturbance is faint, but it is unmistakable to him. Holocaust changes his course and decides to forget about Sinister. This new revelation is much bigger than conquering a mere world.
At a U.S. Air Force post, General Huntley calls a White House secretary and informs that person that they have serious developments to report. An hour ago, two new contacts with energy profiles matching their item appeared. The sensors at the Pens National Monument were tripped by them. A short time later, one of the contacts left the Pens at a high speed and is now heading towards them at the research facility. The general has no idea who knows that they have the item there. Not even the director of Mutant Affairs knows. The general walks to a window and looks down upon the mysterious M’Kraan crystal on the floor below him.
The secretary asks if the contact can be identified, but the general admits that it cannot. It might be an aircraft, or a missile, or perhaps the owner of the item. They do not even know where Apocalypse found the crystal. The general informs the secretary that the missiles are armed and if they are lucky the contact will be an unmanned drone. Suddenly, a worker tells the general that the contact has accelerated through the defense grid and is now upon them.
Holocaust crashes through the room of the chamber of the M’Kraan crystal, sending the studying scientists in different directions. One scientist is knocked over and hears Holocaust mutter the name of the crystal. The scientist is confused, as he did not realize that the crystal had a name. Holocaust picks up the man and accuses him of stealing the crystal from his father, Apocalypse. Upstairs, the general recognizes Holocaust.
Holocaust realizes that the humans found this crystal in Apocalypse’s fortress and knew it was important, but they have no clue what it is, do they? General Huntley walks into the chamber with a detonator in his hand. He tells Holocaust that after a year of probing they have no clue what the crystal does. So, before he kills the mutant, does he care to explain what it does?
Holocaust is not impressed and notices that the general has no backup. The general tells Holocaust that he is not brave. He just knows that they are both as good as dead. There is an H-bomb under this floor, in case the crystal turned out to be a doomsday device, a gateway to Hell, or anything else bad. He thought he might just get a few answers before pushing the button and killing them all.
Holocaust tells the general that he M’Kraan crystal is a nexus of realities, a place where different universes intersect. Magneto wanted to use the crystal to undo the past and to prevent the Age of Apocalypse. For a time, Holocaust thought that Magneto succeeded. During the last battle, a gene-traitor by the name of X-Man stabbed him with a shard of the crystal, sending them both to an alternate reality where Apocalypse was kept in check.
The general is left in horror, as he realizes that if one learned to utilize the crystal, then every Earth in existence could be conquered. History could be altered to win every battle. Holocaust tells the general that Apocalypse had those goals before Magneto ruined everything. Now, Holocaust has been given a second chance. Holocaust approaches the general, as steam begins to emit from the man’s body. The general wonders what is going on, as Holocaust asks him if that detonator is feeling heavy. Holocaust asks the man if he read about his mutant gift, or did he assume the armor was all to him? He was born with the ability to consume life energy. In fact, he has been snacking on the general since the man walked into the room. He hopes those were the answers the man was looking for. The general falls to the ground, dead.
Holocaust turns to the captive scientist and asks who is next on the menu. The scientist begs Holocaust to wait and informs him that he has information the mutant needs. There was a second contact with a resonance frequency just like his. Holocaust is surprised, and the scientist offers to help him find it if he lets him live. Holocaust tells the scientist that he already knows what is putting out that signal, though he is surprised that he didn’t sense it when Sabretooth’s Tallus was right under his nose.
At the Bureau of Mutant Affairs, Sabretooth approaches the help desk with Mimic and tells the woman there that she is not listening. They need to speak to Magneto immediately. Doesn’t she recognize him? He used to run with the X-Men. The woman, however, tells Sabretooth again that Director Lensherr is occupied right now with a national emergency. Sabretooth can speak to the deputy of Mutant Affairs in the afternoon, once he and his companions pass a security check.
Sabretooth tells the woman that the national emergency she speaks of is why they are there. Waiting could cost them all their lives. If she tells Magneto that Sabretooth and Blink are there, he is sure Magneto won’t mind the interruption. Scared, the woman agrees to call Magneto. Mimic puts his hand on Sabretooth’s back, calling him by his first name, and tells him that they are scaring the wrong people. Angry, Sabretooth tells Mimic that this is the second time today he has tried to hold him back. Next time he loses his hand, and for the record, Mimic can call him Sabretooth, not Victor. It is bad enough that he is cozy with Clarice, but he shouldn’t expect to be best buddies with him.
Morph shape-shifts into a security agent and complains that the Timebroker couldn’t just tell them where Magneto is. Is that too much to ask? Namora, however, fails to understand why they even listen to the Timebroker anymore. Their last mission, to kill Mimic, probably wasn’t a real mission at all. Something has changed. Perhaps the Timebroker has gone insane, but she believes he just wants to watch them squirm, like a child pulling the legs off a starfish, just for the sadistic thrill of it. Morph argues that they cannot just sit around, when he said that the world is in danger. Suddenly, there is an explosion outside.
The civilians outside run in terror, screaming that he is back. The Exiles run outside. Blink tells the group to fan out, but Sabretooth cuts her off and orders Mimic and Namora to hit first. He and Morph will be right behind them. Sabretooth tells Blink to be prepared to teleport Holocaust’s blasts back at him. Standing in front of them is Holocaust, who has just crash-landed at the Bureau of Mutant Affairs.
Holocaust raises his hand to calm the Exiles down and tells them to wait, as he didn’t come to fight this time. He has made a discovery that changes everything for them all. Between them they have the tools to break free of the Timebroker’s control and to gain access to the rest of the multiverse. They just have to combine their pieces. Sabretooth is confused and asks Holocaust what tools he is referring to. Holocaust tells the Exiles that he has the M’Kraan crystal and they have the Tallus. Unless he is mistaken, that is what they need to win back their destinies!