As Excalibur's Midnight runner touches down at the
Xavier estates, the Professor and Emma are there to greet
them. Among the occupants of the vehicle decending the
ramp are "Count Dracula" and his vampiric consort (Kitty
and her new boyfriend from the Carpathian mountans in
Hungry.), the Wizard of Oz's
TinMan with blood dripping from his axe...(obviously
Colossus, looking quite cool), the werewolf (Wolfsbane),
and The Creature from the Black Lagoon (Meggan, using
her shapeshifting powers).
"Welcome!" the Professor says, shaking all their hands,
paws or flippers. " I must say, the five of you look
frightening. Where's Kurt?"
"He defided to thtay..thtupid fangs! Ptooo! He decided to
stay back with Moira and putter around there. He says the
idea of monsters being chased by torch-bearing villagers
strikes too close
to home for him." Kitty looks at Emma, dressed in her
original White Queen outfit.
"Hello Emma. Glad to see you put some thought into your
costume. Going as Madonna this year?"
Frost addresses Kitty with a cold stare, "I'm a telepath. I
can make you see me in any form I choose. I don't need a
costume. Who's the dentally-challenged boyfriend,
Kitten?"
The vampire steps forward and bows, cloak brusing the
ground. "Greetings, I am Vlad of Hungary. Katherine has
told me much about you. It is an honor to at last meet. "
"<> HEy, who's the walkin' corpse?"
Everyone turns to see Wolverine step out of the shadows
by the trees. He's wearing a mask of his bestial self
without the nose. 
"Logan!" Kitty yells, running into his arms. "It's so good to
see you!" She tugs at his mask. "You're the only person I
know who would go to a costume party dressed as
yourself!"
"Yeah, well Logan with no nose. What could be more scary?
Now careful or I'll lick ya. Hiya Rahnie, 'Losus. Nice form
Meggan, ya need more gills on the chin." He walks up to
Vlad.
"So, yer Vlad? Did we meet in Vienna, 1910?"
"If we did, it would not be honorable for me to date one as
young as she."
"No, it wouldn't. So did we?"
"No."
"Hrm. I'm keepin' my eye on you." He steps towards
Colossus and points at Vlad. "Since that Wisdom punk
showed up, I've started to wonder about that girl's judge
of character."
"As have I, tovarisch."
"Want to grab a beer?"
"I did not come here to chop trees, my friend."
"Let's go."

AS the two walk away, a second group of mutants
approaches - Primal, who with a false tail, makes a perfect
Godzilla; Cyclops, dressed as the Scarecrow from Wizard
of Oz; Beast, with a Barbie doll taped to his hand (I'm
King Kong, get it?); and Jubilee, in a leather bodysuit,
dressed as 7 of 9, the former Borg from Star Trek
Voyager. With them is naturaly, Jean, where Scott goes,
she is sure to follow. This time dressed as the helpless
victem, however, getting into the part IS a bit of a streach
for her. Also accompanying is Domino, putting her light
complexion and dark eye tatoo to use comming as Misstress
Death. And Polaris with vines, twigs and leaves woven into
her green hair depicting a plant lady. Maddox as a zombie,
zombie, zombie, and a zombie.
"Hey, Professor, you do have the graveyard set up for me,
right?" Grins Maddox.
"Of course, Mr. Maddox, all is in reddiness." assures the
withered corpse in the classic old style wheelchair. "Now,
EVERYONE! Get into your places!" "Storm!" he calls to
the witch riding high upon her broom, "Some atmosphere
please!"
At that, dark clouds roll in seemingly from nowhere
accompanied by howling winds and flashes of lightning with
rolling thunder.
"spooky." comments Paige Guthery, Genreation-X's Husk.
"Miss. Frost, how cirtain are ya this won't just blow-up in
our faces by giving people the impression that mutants
ARE to be feared?"
"There are no garenties, Miss. Guthrie, but he's her to tip
the odds of anything going wrong a bit more in our favor."
Emma assures gusturing toward Longshot with a smile.
"Ah don't mean to be countering ya, Emma, but ah've
fought along side Longshot in th' past, and he never seemed
ta staff off much trouble." comes the sweet voice of a
southren bell form behind.
Paige and Emma turn to see the mutant who has let her self
be known only as Rogue. Dressed as a cocktail
waitress...with a slit throat. "Be that as it may, Rogue, in
those situations, you essentialy went looking for trouble.
His Luck should keep the heard calm enough about
'mutants' for them to enjoy the show we put on."
As Psylocke helped Warren dye his wings obsydian black,
she looked up at Storm overhead. As bilows of mist wafted
into the makeshift graveyard and dark clouds framed the
full moon the clock struck seven. One more hour until
things really started heating up! Storm touched down on
the lawn. Her costume was that of a half brood human.
Although she had bad memories associated with the brood,
she had decided that she might as well enjoy herself and be
something REALLY scarry. The scene was now set; the
zombie graveyard out front, the creatures from the deep
down at the lake (Mystique and Paige had changed to fit
the role much like Meggan), the living forest of Polaris and
inside the house there was various cobwebs, blood
splattered walls, and pitch black mazes in some of the
larger rooms. All leading down by various passages to the
danger room, locked and fused in the safe-mode, the danger
room shifted from one errie scene to another in final
testing, ensuring each group would recieve a dirrerent
experiance, from Dracula's tomb, where the mysterious
Vladimire, and his consort the irrisistable Kathrine looking
pale... and hungry. To the boiler room of the immfamous
immortal Freddie Kruggar. To the labratories of Doctor
Victor Frankenstin, wher his servent, Igore, is always
looking for some extra body parts for his master's
experiments. 
(put down that meatcleaver, Igor!)
The antisipation is killing them. The X-men family awaite in
their positions for the first victems. The withered corpse
in the antique wheelchair wheels himself down the drive to
the main gate where the people awaite what they suspect
will be the best scare of their life... How little they know!

sitting above it all in the manssion's belfree stands a
strangely familier face, the face of one Charles Francis
Xavier! Xavier standing? and besides, isn't he the withered
corpse now issuing in the guests down at the front gate for
$20* a pice? (*satisfaction gaurnteed!)

Yes, it is Charles Xavier standing there, and in a way, not.
He was born Charles Xavier on Earth 31, but later took the
name DARKSOUL. A more correctly descriptive name
there could not be. Just as Professor X has dedicated his
life to easing the suffering of others, so has DARKSOUL
dedicated his existence to ruining others, throughout
multiple timelines. He has found here, in Westchester
County, a more than perfect target, himself. "I will,"
DARKSOUL thought to himself, "give those hopelessly
romantic fools something truly frightening." With that
thought DARKSOUL raised his right hand and his left., and
begins muttering a spell that will bring an extra fright to
this halloween haunting!

"Oh Remy ah jus' can't wait to see what everyone is
dressed as!" said a giggling Rogue, dressed to go through as
She-Hulk as to not give away any of the show. "I don' know
'bout this...I never liked dem haunted houses down in New
Orleans..." "YOU'RE SCARED!?!?"
"Hey! I didn' say dat!"
The couple walked up to the rusty gate, courtesy of
Joeseph, and greeted the professor. Paying twenty dollars,
X-Men get in half price, the two followed the candles up
the misty path where several kids had disapeared into the
mist just moments before.
In Storm's Loft
With a hum and fizzle, the royal duo teleported home. Still
sweating (they're scared!) they assesed their surroundings.
Quickly Longshot grabbed Dazzler by the arm and the two
fled down into Iceman and Sabretooth's "revenge of
abomable snowman" room. Even as Dazzler slipped on a
patch of ice, and Longshot tripped, flipped and landed on
Sabertooth's sholders a loud 'hum' could be heard above
them all... ...LET THE PARTY BEGIN; MOJO HAS
ARRIVED!!!!!
As an interdimentional gate opens up releasing a pack of
war wolves, the six arem spiral, and her bloated master,
the original Mojo!!! (Didgitaly remastered with THX voice
added!!!)
"SPLENDED!!! the gate opens up right on top of the
runnaway!
he-he!"
"MOJO! But.. he's dead!" Stammers Longshot as he readies
his throwing blades. ^Relax, Longshot. It's all part of the
show. specialy tailored for you.^ comes a telipathic voice
from Elizabeh Braddock. ^You should have seen yourself!^
she laughs ^We EARNED our money with you, that's for
sure!^
^VERY funny.^ Longshot thinks back.
^Watch your step, you two, The manssion is particulary
merciless with the X'ers!^ as with a wicked laugh Psylock
closes communication leaving Longshot and Dazzler on their
own for the durration of the experiance.
"Maby we should wait for some little kids and go through
with 
them." wonders Longshot aloud. "Are you kidding?! Can you
immagine the ribbing we'd get from the other X-men if we
did? The mighty conquers of mojoworld hidding behind
little kids to go through a haunted house?!" laughs Allison.
"uh,alright, Allie, if you say so." "It's not real. It's not
real. It's not real." Longshot repeats to himself as he heads
ever deeper into the haunted manssion.

As longshot and Dazzler continue on they hear a blood
curdling scream.
"Did that sound like Rogue to you?"
Dazzler just nods. The pair run in the direction from which
the scream came. Rogue is standing there facing down Ms.
Marvel. "You killed me... you destroyed everything I was.
Now you must die!" And with that Ms. Marvel advances on
Rogue.
Rogue mutters to herself "It's not Real... it's NOT real..."
And grabs on to Remy's hand as he guides her past the
"illusion" of Ms. Marvel.
"Ah'm so embarassed! Ah can't believe Ah got so scared."
"It's no worse then when I saw 'Mojo'" calms longshot as
he and Allison catch up.
"Why don't we just go through together?" Dazzler
suggests.
So they all continue, going deeper into the haunted house.
Oblivious of "Ms. Marvel" watching them go, and slowly
following...

Elsewhere, in "Dracula's tomb"...
Kitty's new boyfriend, Vlad, sitts alone in the dark
awaiting his "victim." It had been planned all so perfectly.
Kitty comes through from time to time with a group,
dressed nice and cassualy. As the group reaches "The
Tomb," Kitty falls under his "hypnotic" gaze. resisting at
first, then surendering and giving into his dark embrase as
his sharp fangs pirce the dellicate flesh of her throat along
the jugular,letting her sweet warm blood flow in a trickle
down her neck. An illusion created with the aid of a small
latex patch containing fake blood glued to her neck with
spirit gum. They then would take a secret exit to another
room where a quick change of clothes and make-up
transform the demure Kitty Pryde into "Dracula's"
ravishingly sedutive vampiric consort. This time, however,
it would be different. For something had changed in
Xavier's Haunted Manssion... in the manssion, and in many
of the cast running
it as well.

Rogue, Remy, Longshot and Allison are rappidly
approaching the exit of the haunted manssion, being
persued by a strange black throbbing wall of energy.
"Hurry! we're almost out!" call Allison to the rest.
"That black thing is an interesting effect, but what's it
suposed to be?" Wonder's Longshot aloud.
"Who cares!? Just keep moving foward!" screams Alli
dragging Longshot along. As they reach a final room, they
see a truly horrorifing sight. Strewn about the room are
what seem to be the mangled and mutilated bodies of many
people. Some, even looking terrifyingly fammilier...
"NOOOOOO!!!" shrieks a terrified Rogue.
"What? What is it, Chere`?" asks Remme, not quite yet in
the room himself."Oh, Remy, it's... it's them!" she cries,
burrying herself in his comforting embrace.
"Dem WHO, hon'?"
"It's the previous group." Longshot answers. "Looks like
something big just came down and carved them up."
"Heh, now DERE's an ending for ya!" grins Gambit. "De
t'ings we can do wit' mod'n technol'gy!" "De computers
scan dem as dey go thru de house, then a little creative
licancing, and poof! and ending ta 
scare de living hell outta ya!"
"Cirtainly better than the clechee` chain-saw wielder.
Even Mojo would appreciate the creative genius put into
this place!" confirms Longshot.
"I don't know," hesitates Allison, "This kind of pushes the
bounds of good taste." at that moment, out of the shadows
materializes a gigantic grim reaper sicle raised high and
falling fast as the strange black energy wall washes over
first our heros, and then the grim reaper image who's
suddenly all to real sicle meets with Remy LeBeu, bringing
his missirable existance to an end with a swift clean slice!
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Cries Rogue as her lover slumps from
her grasp... first his lower half, then the upper is slowly
released to the floor, it's innards spilling outward into the
ever growing pool of blood.

Elsewhere...
Kathrine Leeann Pryde wanders the halls of the
redecorated manssion with a small group of visitors
blissfuly unaware of the changes that have transpired
accross much of the manssion. Unaware, that is untill the
wall of throabbing black energy winds it's way down the
hall washing over Kitty Pryde and those she accompanies.
"GEEZ!!!" Kitty says with a shiver running throughout her
body. "That was wierd!" The group moves on thru the dark
corridors as they twist and turn, sending their occupants
along a differant route every time. Strangely enough, Kitty
can't shake the uneasy feeling she has had ever since the
black energy wall. The effects strike her as being unusualy
realistic. the eyes formerly painted upon various walls now
look didturbingly real. The cobwebs hanging from the
cealing... distrubingly sticky.
While up top above it all, Charles Xavier of Earth 31 sits
and smiles. "It seemed so natural. You never noticed my
proading, for was it not your own voice inspiring you to
create this work of art?" "And my was I impressed when
you were done! I nearly couldn't bring myself to improve
upon it with a supernatural dose of reality." "Well, time to
make this experiance interesting!" as the wizard Darksoul,
the Xavier of earth 31 is engulfed in a withering black
mass and promptly disappears.
Down by the gate, Professor Charles Xavier sits in the
antique wheel chair greeting the guests and reciving their
money for addmition into the Haunted Manssion. Darksoul
is powerful indeed as by means of magical congurings, he
has masked bolth himself and the transformations which he
has caused within the manssion from the psychic
preceptions of bolth Charles and Emma. Thus, it is with a
start that he is recieved upon his matirialization in front
of them.
"Good evening, my friends!" proclaims Darksoul
matterializing before Charles and Emma.
"Who...?" Charles and Emma bolth start in astonnishment.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am known as Darksoul."
"You look... strangely fammilier... " comments Emma with
wondering hesantsy.
"Could it be because I am an exact duplicate of your
crippled corpse friend?" grins Darksoul.
"Preposterous! I see no resemblance!" Defends Xavier.
"Actualy, Charles, remove the halloween make-up, give you
the use of your legs and a goatee..." Smiles Emma.
"Are you a clone?" Quesions Xavier.
"In a VERY round about way." Chuckles Darksoul.
"Actualy, I am a cross-time counterpart, from Earth 31.
It's interesting, while here, such attmosphere comes but
once a year as a holliday, where I come from, What you
call Halloween is the norm... and it ISN'T make believe!"
"Well, at least you're not a clone. There have been far too
many of them running around the past few years."
Comments Charles.
"THAT's for cirtain!" adds Emma, "You remember that
mess a few years back with Spider-man?" 
"The poor boy had so many clones running around, it's
truly a wonder they didn't do him in... temporaraly."
"Oh, yes, speaking of someone being done-in, your little
publicity stunt has now become MY focal point for
spreading my influance accross the globe! And there is
nothing you can do to stop me!" Laughs Darksoul. "
And you know why?"
"Because there is a cirtain way to defeat you, which you
will gloatingly reveal once you have rendered us seemingly
helpless?" States Frost. "What do you think this is? an old
Batman eppesode?" "Why, if you had half the luck the
likes of Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, and the likes
had, you wouldn't even NEED this little effort of good will
of which I have now blown up in your face! HA! HA! HA!"
"You want Luck?! WE have Longshot behind us!" defends
Miss. Frost.
"HA! I'm trembeling! If he's so lucky, why is it he needed
to raise a rebellion to overthrow a spinless tub of lard
who's so obsessed with television, that it has become an
intigrated part of the language?" Charles and Emma look at
each other sheepishly, biding their time, waiting for a plan
of oppertunity to come to mind.

Back in the manssion...

Kitty Pryde, dressed as a Fifties Girl, approches the tomb
area along with the rest of the group, feeling somewhat
uneasy, but otherwise still truely unaware of the changes
which have taken place within the Haunted Manssion. She
enters calmly, yet with an act of slight hesitancy as to not
tip off the guests to the fact that in the end, she is part of
the act.
As they pass through the chamber, a richly carved casket
opens at the far end revealing the Nobelman from the
Carpathian mountains, Vlad. "You shall proceed no
further!" Vlad orders, his hand outstreached. "Yeah, yeah,
yeah. Bla, bla, bla. You vant to suck our blood, and all that,
now, how do we get outta' this thing?" one young man
smarts off. "SILANCE! you insolant whelp!" Commands
Vlad. "You shall NOT leave unless I permit it." "Look
around, make your selves comfortable, for HERE shall be
your FINAL resting place!"
"Forget you!" the young man shouts getting up close
pointing his finger in Vlad's face. Vlad promptly picks him
up by the jaw holding him aloft. "You ALL are doomed. You
shall all meet your end here, and YOU," he says speaking to
the boy, shall be the FIRST!" as he tightens his grip
around his throat.
"GGGAAAAAAKKK!!! What...the...heck?
GGGAAAAAKKKK!!! Put...me...down...man!" the boy choaks.
"...not...supposed GGGAAAAAKKKK!!!...to touch..."
"You expect ME to play by YOUR rules?" "Foolish,
FOOLISH boy!" Vlad says tightening his grip.
^What's going on here?^ Wonders Kitty. "Please... Please
put him down."
"Well, Well, What have we here?" Inquires Vlad tossing
the boy asside.
"My...My name's Kitty... Kitty Pryde." Kitty stammers
unsure of what's happening to the situation ...or herself.
For despite all her battle hard training and experiance, on
the surface, she's quite nervous, and just
underneath...absolutly terrified.

Elsewhere...
"Remy... oh Remy..." sobs Rogue.
"THAT was a little too real!" shudders Allison taking aim
at the Reaper who takes another swing with it's sicle, this
time toward Rogue.
Almost simutainiously, the reaper's sicle shatters against
rogue's tough hyde and the reaper it's self from the force
of the energy blast curtacy of the Dazzler!
"Let's get out of here...NOW!" calls Longshot heading
toward the exit with Alison close behind. "Rogue? Come
on!" Calls back Allison.
"But... But Remy..." she stammers.
"IS DEAD!!! HE'S DEAD! AND UNLESS YOU WANT TO
GOIN HIM, I SUGEST YOU GET OUT...NOW!!!" shouts
Allison.
"Help... help me get him..."
"HE's DEAD! We'll come back for him later, when it's all
cleared up!"
"YOU'RE not going ANYWHERE!" comes a vamilier voice.
All, save Remy, turn to see the spectral Ms. Marvel
floating down the hall toward them.

The front gate...
"And just how did you come to be upon our world?"
questions Charles, still stalling for an idea.
"It's quite interesting realy." begins Darksoul, "A portion
of your students, the ones calling themselves Excalibur,
paid a visit to my world some time back. During a strugle
between them and my Ex-Men, I was thrown into one of the
portals formed by the floating metalic head."
"And it brought you here?"
"No, I found my self in a dimention teaming with power,
Dark power, power that I mastered, and eventualy used to
follow your students here, to their home dimention."
"This is all very interesting, but I have just one question."
Says Emma.
"And that is...?"
"How's your jaw?!" shouts the White Queen laying into
Darksoul with a vicious right hook.
"Just fine." laughs Darksoul as Emma craddles her
throbbing hand.
At the quizzical look from Xavier, Emma retorts,"Well we
HAD to try SOMTHING!"
"How...?" starts Charles.
"An aura of invunrability. You didn't realy think I would
leave myself open to a simple physical attack did you?"
inquires Darksoul with a grin.

Elsewhare just down the road, the dark foce unleashed by
the alternate Xaver has reached a small road side tavern
where the X-men's Wolverine and Excalibur's Colossus
were having a peaceful drink untill the dark force struck,
making the fantasy reality. As Logan feels his inteligance
slipping away as he reverst to his savage smelly self, Pitor
Rasputin, with a crazed look in his eyes picks up his axe.
Soon, the murdurous TinMan has heads in the tavern rolling
on the floor while the decapitated bodies are slumped over
on the edge of the bar untill only he and the smelly feral
beast that once was Wolverine remain. The savage Logan
lunges at the TinMan, claws of bone poised and ready to
strike, to be plunged deep into the heart of the Russian.
But to no avail as the bone claws shatter against the axe
wielder's steely hyde. The Axe wielder who brings the
savage Wolverine's howls of pain to an end with one fatal
swoop before heading out the door and up the road back
toward the mansion, the axe dripping a trail of blood.

"N-NOOOOOOOO!!! GE-GET AWAY!! GET AWAY
FROM ME!" Cries the girl know only as Rogue, as the
sepctere of Ms. Marvel floats mennacingly down the hall
towrd her.
"You STOLE my MIND!" "You STOLE my POWER!"
"NO! It was an ACCIDENT!" cries Rogue. "I didn't
mean..."
"LIAR!!!" "You STOLE my MIND!" "You STOLE my
POWER!"
"YOU left me for DEAD!" Shouts the spirit drawing ever
closer.
"No... *whimpper* ...please..."
"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" shouts Allison firing a fiery
laser at the specter, regretably with absolutely no effect,
the blast... and Allison, are totaly inconciquential to the
phantom haunting Rogue.

The control booth...
"Damn! What's wrong? the controls arn't responding!"
Mutters Psylock. "Even the emergancy shut down won't
activate!"
"That, Miss. Braddock, is because they are in
conciquential! your machines nolonger run the show, I do!"
comes the omminous voice of the wizard Darksoul from
everywhere, and yet nowhere in particular.

"Come on, it's time to count on good old fashion luck!"
declares Longshot as his eye flickers and he heads for a
nearby window. The window, under normal circumstances is
unbreakable glass, but Longshot's probability manipulating
power easily enables him to counter this law of physics,
and he kicks the window open. "FOOLS! you cannot escape
me!!!" the ghostly spectre of Ms. Marvel screams as the
three heroes jump out of the window.
"Rogue, I am SO glad you can fly!" Dazzler exclaims as
she and Longshot dangle in Rogue's hands 15 feet off the
ground.
"...sob....Remy..."
"Rogue--we've got to find the professor--put Gambit out
of your mind!" Longshot pleaded.
"Oh...sniff...okay" Rogue whimpered as she flew the group
in the direction of the professor. As Rogue flew above the
mansion, she came to a stop, and put Longshot and Dazzler
down on the roof.
"What? What are you doing?" Longshot wondered.
"SHH! Look! Down there!"
"As you can see, physical attacks are meaningless to me,
and you might as well forget your pathetic mind
'powers'--mine are far superior. So now I control your
'haunted mansion'--it's really haunted now, isn't it?"
chuckled Darksoul.
"You'll never get away with this--" Charles muttered.
"But I already have!" declared Darksoul. "I had every
little detail planned--my spectres will slaughter your
X-men, leaving your prized Shi'Ar technology defenseless,
which I will take back to my world and conquer it!"
"What makes you think we'll let you have that?" Emma
inquired. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? You two are coming
back with me to Earth 31--as my slaves."

"Oh geez, this is bad." Dazzler whispered on the rooftop.
"We've gotta find help." added Longshot. "Hey--Peter and
Logan are at the tavern just down the road, Ah'll go get
them, and meet you two back here." Rogue suggested.
"What are we supposed to do?" Dazzler and Longshot
asked
simulaneously.
"Find Betsy--she's in the control room in the mansion, and
find anyone else that might be...alive."
"Go back in there?! You've gotta be kidding me!" retorted
Longshot. "Shugah, you've got the luck, you can make it
through there better than me! Maybe once we find
everyone, we can find a way to reverse this
hell." Rogue said sadly.
"Okay, we'll do it--come on lover" said Dazzler, grabbing
Longshot and heading back into the mansion through a
window in the attic. As they crept through the spooky
attic, trying to find their way out, they came upon the
door. "Ah, this must be the way back into the hall" Dazzler
said. As she opened the door, the horrorific ghost of Ms.
Marvel appeared right in front of them. Dazzler abruptly
shut the door.
"S*@T!!!" cursed Dazzler.
Just then, Ms. Marvel used her powers to break down the
door, sending pieces of wood and cardboard everywhere.
Dazzler screamed as the ghost entered the dark attic.
"Now, mortals, prepare to die!!" Ms. Marvel growled.
"Here we go again..." Longshot whined.

The Vampire's tomb...
Where 50's girl, Kitty Pryde, stands quivering in the
presance of the dread Vampire Lord.
"Kitty Pryde... such a beautiful name, for such a beautiful
young woman." Smiles Vlad.
"uh... ummm...thanks...I-I think."
"Come, Miss. Pryde, there is a place for you here by my
side." as he motions to an intricatly carved coffin of ebbon
wood lined with deep, blood red sattin. pannic and terror
finaly overcome the girl Kitty has become at the hands of
Darksoul's foul magic as she turns to flee only to find the
entryway gone, replaced by a solid stone wall!

THe front gate...
"And what do you need with the Shi'ar technology? Could
it be your magic is not as strong as you boast?" Proads
Xavier. "My power is FAR beyond anything you can
concieve, mortal!" defends Darksoul.
"Then what do you need the technology for?" Pressed
Emma.
"Mostly for ths show of it." Admitts Darksoul. "Mine is
mostly a magical world,all the scientific equipment still
runs on vacume tubes there. This Alien technology will so
impress thet they will all trembble before me without
having to lift a finger!"
"And Emma and myself as slaves?"
"You know how to run the machines, and as for the lovely
young lady here, I could use another concubine after that
treturous Grey girl." he says learing as Emma.
Emma's still throabbing hand serves a a calming reminder
not to take physical action against this twisted version of
the Professor. 

The stone wall poses little problem for Shadowcat as she
phases through. I hope this is a good idea, she thought as
the rocky face of the wall filled her vision. If this wall is
too thick, I'll run out of air before I reach the other side!
Still, it's better than being locked in here with a vampire!
Behind her, Kitty heard the enraged shout of the undead
creature. The fiend soon ceased his cursing and, changing
into a mist which permeated the stone, began to give chase. 

In another part of the mansion, the Ms.Marvel creature
takes pause for a moment assessing the situation, then
realising the one it truly sought to terrorize was not
presant, departed in search of Rogue. Longshot and
Dazzler split up in order to cover more ground. "You don't
have any real fears do you, darlin'?" Longshot confirms. "
"None that i can think of." she confirms. Going their
separate ways, Longshot eludes various zombies, mummies
and such in his diere effort to locate the control booth and
Psylock. Slightly confused with the occasional flashs of a
pentigram on a wall and in mid-air with no apperant
creatures with any connection to them. His momentum is
curbed as he enters the chamber where he along with
Dazzler had encountered the Mojo simulation before all
the wierdness happened. "I wonder.." thinks Longshot
aloud...

Rogue flies above the road, away from the mansion.
Wolverine and Collosus, she's got to find them, they'll
know what to do. Tears stream to her eyes as she thinks of
Remy. Suddenly she falls to the earth, crying her soul out.
She can't take it anymore. She kneels there for about 3
minutes trying to get the ambition to go on. Suddenly she is
hit on the back, She looks up to see Collossus reeling from
the effect of trying to kill her. His axe is shaking in his
hands, part shattered from the force of it meeting Rogue's
own invulnerable body. 
"What...?" Rogue looks in shock. Did he just try to kill
her? Collosus catches his breath from the initial shock and
takes another swing at Rogue with the razor-edged axe.
The axe hits her neck, knocking her off her knees onto her
back, but still, doing no more damage then before. Collosus
jumps high into the air and then lands on Rogues body with
malice in his eyes he brings the axe down as it shatters for
the last time against her impervious body.
Weaponless, he resorts to force. He brings his steely fists
down repetitively, trying to crush her. Steel meets iron
flesh and nothing happens. The mettalic behemoth howls in
frustration. Then Rogue, finally getting a handle on whats
going on, snaps and rips Collosus off of her body. She
carries him, struggling menacingly, to Harry's Hideaway.
Where's Wolverine, she wonders. She comes up to the
tavern windows and looks inside. She then proceeds to
throw up at the sight of the dead bodies, Wolverine is
gone, his body is impaled to the wall on a chair legs no less.
His head sits atop a table, blood trickling down from his
eyes. The force it would have taken to put chair legs
through a wall.... Only one person could have done it. Rogue
turns to Collosus's slumped shape.
She had knocked him unconscious for the time being. She
picks him up, shaking him back from his sleep. He growls
once as his malicious thoughts return. And then she crushes
his body into the ground, picks him up an lofts him 100 feet
through the air to crash against the tar road. Flying at her
maximum speed, she arrives just as he stuggles to his feet
and plows into him, leaving dents in his nigh invuulnerable
hide. She whips around at a distance to come back for a
killer blow. Collosus grabs a stick at the side of the road
and waits. As she nears, yelling aloud in her anger, Collusus
maneuvors the branch right down her throat as she smashes
into him. She falls to the ground 10 feet away, gagging at
the branch that was forced down her throat. It is still
protruding from her mouth as she can do nothing but gasp
for air. Collosus struggles to his feet once more to
continues his mindless rampage. From a distance, Miss
Marvel can be seen coming over the hill, looking for the
soulstealer.
Revenge, oh it will be sweet

Kitty is phasing through the wall of stone, trying to be
free, and suddenly she senses the mists of Vlad, catching up
to her, following her through the stone, somehow faster
than even she! Then she feels her phased body wrenched
from her control. Is this possible, she wonders, as she is
picked up inside the wall and Vlad's fangs sink into her
neck. This can't be, I'm phased!! A wicked laugh is heard
coursing through the cold stone.

The control room, how ironic a name at this time. for she
who is trapped within that room has never felt so little
control in her life! Elizabeth Braddock, the X-men's
Psylock, suddenly findes hereself face to face with two
horrors she thought long burried, shadows from her past
come back to haunt her as before her very eyes, a portal
opens from Mojoworld carrying two faces very familier to
her... HER OWN!
"N-no...NOOOOOO!!!" for all her hotshot ninja training,
THIS Psylock finds her self helpless before the
phantasims now before her, her old body, the British form
she had worn her entire life untill the twistings of Spiral
and the Hand mixed her with the Aisain assasin Kewonnon.
And a sick Twisted version of her old self, the way she was
when mojo first geve her he bionic eyes, as a twisted and
dimented find with her spine ripped in the servace of
Mojo.
"You can not escape us, Kewonnon, you can not escape your
past!"
"NO! I'm REAL! I'm Elizabeth Braddock!! Leave me
ALONE!"
And then... a thump on the door... and another...
louder...LOUDER! Again and AGAIN and AGAIN it came!
What further fiendish terror awaited upon the other side
endevoring to enter this dwelling, endevoring to enter and
inflect horrendous torment upon her fragile soul?! 
Another pentagram flashes asmuch in Longshots's mind as
before his eyes as he endevors to batter down the door to
the control room. But he has no time to ponder the enigma
of the pentagrams, Psylock's terrified screams could be
heard through the door. "the Mansion is particulary heard
on X-ers" mimmicks Long shot as he ramms against the
control room door time and time again.

Kitty Pryde's eyes open with a snap. She is back in the
Vampire Tomb, face to face with the vampire Vlad... Vlad....
He has such warm, inviting eyes... almost irridecant. Such
an inviting smile... almost irrisistable.
"You passed out. how are you feeling?"
"I-I um... I'm fine... I-I think." she says meekly, for some
reason, nolonger terrified, yet the fear still refuses to
abandon compleatly. As she looks around the tomb, she is
greated with a horrorific site. The arrogant youth with
whom Vald had the earlier confrontation hangs upside down
agains one of the walls,his throat slit, his blood ... his
warm... red... blood... dripps into a basin carved from the
rock of the wall.
Vlad picking up a challace, dips it in the pool of fresh warm
blood, and takes a drink. then, refilling the chalace, walks
toward Kitty challace outstreched. "Come, you look like
you could USE a drink." Vlad offers with a smile.
In an instant, the terror fueled with repultion returns as
she scurries backwards against the wall. "N-No! Get... Get
away! Don't touch me!" she whimppers, her arm raised
before her face in defenssive
terror.
"Arise." "Arise, Kitty, and come to me." bids the Vampire
Lord Vladimier to the terrified 50's girl of who's blood he
has already taken the plesure of taisting once.
"I..." Kitty is at a loss for words as she rises, and crosses
the room, compelled by his bidding.
"Come, GIVE yourself to me." he comands as Kitty, again
undre compultion of his will, enforced by his first bite,
Hesitatingly yields to his dark embrace.... as her eyes
close, and the darkness of unconciousness rises up to greet
her, A pentagram briefly flashes in the air and in her head,
and then all is darkness. 

She can't breath as 2 feet of wood is stuck down her
throat, choking the last breath out of her. If not for her
invulnerability, which seems to spread inside of her too,
she would be dead. Instead she is dying as she struggles
for air. She tries ripping at the stick, but her insides are
easily as strong as her arms, and are unyielding with their
hold on the branch. She can rip chunks off, but the branch
still holds. Pain, burns in her lungs as she runs out of
oxygen. Burning tears drip from her eyes, she can't do
anything. She is hammered again by the steel behemoth as
it once again tries to crush the life out of her. She
shouldn't be able to die. She is invulnerable, how can this
be happening. She huddles over in pain, trying to do
something, but she can't do anything, anything at all. Piotr
Rasputin grabs her hair and lifts her to his face. Their
eyes meet for one last second, she can only stare in horror
as she finds his eyes completely black, dark as obsidion, as
if showing the empty pit of his soul. The man is gone, only
the monster remains. Then, with tremendous force he starts
to swing her around above his head, ripping parts of her
hair right from their roots as her body gains momentum.
She can't even cry anymore! Then he releases and she is
lofted through the air, where she smashs against the side of
a cliff. She hears a crack as she impacts, forcing a large
hole into the wall before she falls to the earth. She reachs
up and pulled the remaining part of the branch from her
mouth. The force had snapped the branch in half, she could
BREATHE again. And she was MAD!!! She grabbed the
branch and threw it at Collosus as he tried running toward
her, intent of finishing his job. The branch is small, but
with the force behind it it knocks Collosus right off his
feet. Rogue than tries to get up, but something is wrong.
She can't move her legs, she's.... paralyzed? Is it possible?
She crawls forward, trying to raise her body, but she can
feel nothing in her legs, they are totally numb. OH GOD!!
No!! Collosus gets up again, once again trying to kill off
Rogue, ignorant to the own damage that has been done to
his body. He walks up to her, as she trys to raise her
useless body. She can't fly, she can hardly even move at
all. He grabs her by her hair once more and lifts her up, by
the chin. Apparently, though he is not of sound mind, he
remembers how he stopped her before, as he once again
finds a nearby branch and tries to force it down Rogue's
throat. She fights him, grabbing his waist with her arms,
trying to crush his steel innards. She doesn't have the
strength though. Slowly she feels the branch being jammed
down her throat, her breathing once more being cut off.
Suddenly two legs come over Collosus' hulking shoulders
and cross, as if providing leverage, and then two arms come
around his head and pull. It takes a few seconds to start,
but slowly his steel neck gives way to the force and his
head is ripped from his body. Rogue is released as the
body topples down, not a drop of life left in it. Rogue
stares up to see her savior and sees the maliciously
grinning Ms. Marvel.

Kitty phases through the wall, ready to carry out the
bidding of her new master. As she comes out on the other
side she sees the group of humans,huddled together, also
stuck,with nowhere to run. She walks up to them and smiles.
They smile back, a little reassured, but still unsure of what
has just transpired, she grabs two of them and leads them
back to the wall. Some of the people start to get
reassured, that it is only an illusion, as Kitty with two
young men, walks into the wall. So they wait, unfrightened,
awaiting their turn to walk through. The men that Pryde
takes with her are amazed as it looks like they are passing
right through a wall. They come to the other side, and find
it nearly empty except what looks like a mangled body
hanging in the shadows. They are blown away by what they
see as special effects. They turn to look at Kitty as she
smiles at them once more and then her lips slowly part to
reveal the fangs beneath. Suddenly she lungs at one and her
teeth bite into his throat, the other is thrown across the
room and stumbles around, eventually bumping into the
hanging body... of his own brother. He steps back slowly as
the other man is slowly dying in Pryde's arms. He stops as
he backs into something large, and turns to see Vlads
enticing eyes. The man doesn't even fight as he feels his
head wrenche to the side at two fangs force their way
through the skin.

Rogue is once again victim to the branch shoved into her
throat, she fights for breath, looking at Ms. Marvel with
pleading eyes, but Carol Danvers merely smiles at the
predicament the soul-stealer is in. And then she speaks! "I
couldn't rightfully let that steel monster kill you. You see
Rogue, I want to be the one to kill you. He just gave me the
idea of how." Ms. Marvel paces back and forth. "What a
interesting turn of events doen't you think, she smiles
connivingly, the soul stealer stopped, even when all thought
she was impervious. HA!! You can die, just like the rest of
us." Suddenly Ms. Marvel frowns as she notices Rogue,
seemingly still getting air, somehow, she kicks at the
branch and it is quickly shoved further into Rogue, cutting
off the last of her breathing. "There, thats better. She
kicks once again at the branch, to force it more, and then
Rogue grabs her leg, wrenching her down to the earth
beside her. They glare at each other, Rogue at a
disadvantage, because she cannot breath, but fighting with
every last ounce of energy as she punches at her nemesis.
Carol Danvers, punches Rogue in the face once more and
rips her leg free of Rogue's dying clenches, tearing her
uniform from the side of her leg. Ms. Marvel turns to dust
herself off as she watches Rogues eyes fades from
consciousness, as much from lack of air, as from Carol's
punch. She blacks out, never to awaken again. Now, for the
rest of the X-men, Carol Danvers turns, but just then, as if
in reflex, Rogue writhes against the earth and pushes her
face to the side of Ms. Marvel's bare leg. The pseudo-life
force is drained from Ms. Marvel and she dissipates into
the air with one loud cry of frustration as the soul-stealer
cheats her of life once more. Though Rogue is unconscious
at the time, she smiles as she absorbs the death force of
Ms. Marvel and finally passes completely. She welcomes
death's embrace. Her fight is over.

Kitty Pryde once more passes through the wall, coming to
the other side where everyone is choosing there turn to go
into the mysterious wall. No one notices the redness of her
cheeks as she picks out two anxious young children and
holds there arms an pulls them into the wall. All are amazed
to find as they touch the area that they walk through, to
find that it is solid stone. Truly amazing!!!

Charles Xavier shudeers at the anguished cries of the girl
who's real nme was never known to him, she instead ahd
chosen to be known only as Rogue.
"Your valliant X-Men are falling, Charles... You can hear
their torment, feel their deaths in your mind... Concider
your self fortunate I have opted to preserve the two of
you as you are, rather than letting my magiks over whelm
you. for you in particular, would be but a lifeless husk."
gloats Darksoul.
in the mind and before the eyes of Charles Xavier at that
instant flashes a pentagram. there for an instant, and then
it is gone. An up turned pentagram of silver fire... a symbol
of white magic...Magic... Xavier's mind races with the
possibilities... Darksoul had not reacted to the pentagram,
hence, either he did not see it, of it s all a part of his
show... COULD it possibly be a glimmering , flicker of
hope?
^You DO realize the lawsuites we're in for IF we ever get
out of this, Charles.^ communitates Emma through the
Psychic Rapport they had quietly established soon after
Darksoul's arrival.
^EMMA! How can you think of such things! PEOPLE ARE
DIEING in there! And all you can think about are the
lawsuits!?^
^People die, Xavier! It's a part of life!^
^You didn't espouse such a view when your Hellions were
killed.^
^Don't go there, Charles, the Hellions death was an
unbelivable tragidy, but I've moved on!^
^Have you? Or are you mearly trying to mask your
helplessness with a show of uncarring?^
^They'll blame you, Charles, It's Onslaught all over...^
^Darksoul IS NOT me!^
^Not entirly, a counterpart from another world, plus
SOMETHING more... I just can't put my finger on it...^
^An abnormality in his psychic imprint, something other
than his magics hindering mind probes, a blockage not
un-like what Rogue's are...^
^Were.^ corrects Emma recalling the painful agonizing
death cries they heard comming from down the road.
^Were... Like two minds inhabiting one body...^
Again the pentagram of silver fiere flashes in their minds...

The VAmpire's Tomb...
A wicked satisfaction fills Kathrine Leeann Pryde as she
watches the last of the blood drain into the basin form the
linal guest which had been trapped in the room just the
other side of the wall.
"You have done well, my beauty." smiles Vlad caressing her
cheek.
"It was my plesure, I did it all for you, my Love." responds
Kitty, her eyes filled with unholy desire and longing for the
vampire lord standing before her.
"And I am well pleased, my dear. You deserve a reward..."
he says as he opens the coffin he had attempted to intice
her with earlier now revaling the costume worn by Kitty in
the cross-time caper when they had chanced upon a world
pattrened after horror movies, a costume befitting a
bloodthirsty sedutress of the night.
"For me?! I..." The silver fire pentagram flashes before
Kitty's eyes and in her mind. "I don't know what to say..."
gasps a breathless Kitty.*that pentagram... seems so
...familier...* thinks Kitty.
"Say you will be mine, to rule beside me in the night! I am
the King of Vampires, Kathrine, And I would ahve you
become my Queen! What do you say? Is such your desire?"
"I say...YES! I desire nothing greater my lord, take me,
make me truely yours!" The X-Man transformed by the
magics of Darksoul into a cowering 50's girl, and then by
the bite of a vampire into a murdurous fiend, beggs of her
lover.
"Then come, give yourself to me. Yield for one final time to
to my pennitrating kiss as you fufill your destiny!" as Vlad
envlopes her once again in the folds of his cape, this time
not as a terrified girl, this time not as a mindless puppet,
but of her own free, if not twisted will as his consort. 

A dimention bordering a remote corner of Limbo...
"The time is nearly at hand..." Remarks a pale darkhaired young man.
"Yes...soon." "How things have changed over these past few years..."
responds the voice of a female, her features obscured by the shadows.
"And now the X-men are trying to bridge the gap with the normal
humans with a haunted house publicity stunt..."
"And the evil Darksoul has cast his foul essence over it, Some X-men
are dead..."
"And others corrupted... fortunatly the time is nearly at hand."
"Yes, soon we shall be free of this prison, and able to DEAL with
Darksoul!"

New York...
"AIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Multitudes of people run screamming through
the crowded streets. Running Away from the Empire State Building...
The Empire State Building Where a gigantic BLUE gorilla has climbed
to the top swatting at the sentinals buzzing around his head...

At the tomb...
Kitty Pride's eyes glow wit' a strange yellow light., makin' her cheeks seemingly
glow. She is no longer Shadowcat. But the puppet of Vlad, an evil vampire lord.
Kitty slips into her new uniform, given to her by this mysterious Vlad.
"Ooooh...I like it." 
"You look like a cheap prostitute my sweet."
"You mean like my former teammate Betsy Braddock!?" 
"Yes...Quite similar." 
"Are there any....duties I need to fullfill as your queen, my dear?"
"I can think of a few. Be a darling, go into my vampire kitchen, and behind
about 12 jars of blood, you'll see some maple syrup, and Cool Whip. Get them,
and meet me in the bedroom." 
"Got'cha! Oh, by the way, does this outfit make my butt look big?"
Vlad sighs, as he walks into de bedroom hanging his head
thinkin' "Man, Vlad. You're one desperate bastard! I mean...The entire cast of
"The Golden Girls" was bad enough!"

Xavier an' White Queen....
"I understand Emma. We've come a long way, since our days of rivalry."
"That we have Charles." Emma Frost strides t' Charles Xavier an'
passionatly kisses him. 
"Huh? wha?" 
"What's the matter? Is my dress to clean for you?" 
"NO! I-...I mean...Llandra! I refuse to do that to her!" 
"But is she here? She's off in some galaxy bossing a bunch of fat guys around, 
while I'm here on your lap, in the tightest, sluttiest outfit in 
history! Make your choice!" 
"Well...I am only human."
He grabs Emma and kisses her. But unknown to the most reliable Xavier, Emma
Frost has her own plans in the matter. Never trust anyone, ya first meet, who's
wearin' something that slutty!!! But this is all part of Emma's plan. For when she
said, it was like her an' Xavier were looking at was not enterly a simple counter
Earth faximily, but a new being...She was right....And she knows it.

At the cliff....
Ms. Marvel twitches, as de las' of her life drains. A drop of blood, exits her
mouth, as she collapses, an' breaths her las' breaths, in dis world. Rogue has done
good. She should be proud. But she's dead. Right? Wrong. Ms. Marvel stands up.
Ms. Marvel:"Huh? What the? Look at mah body? Ah-.....Ah'm...alive?" Dat's
right. Rogue absorbed her complete persona into Ms. Marvel. She stares down at
her old form, curled up in a ball, an' she t'inks."Gawd...Ah nevah did burn off
them weinershnitzels! Look at mah hips!" Yep...Dat's Rogue all right! An' our
souhern friend's gotta new plan...

Back at the lair....
Kitty Pryde walks outta de bedroom. She has a bedsheet wrapped around her, an'
is headed to de r'fridgerator. 
"Yes. My new life is great! Vlad treats me great. And maybe the Blob will stop
leaving those naughty messages on my answering machine!"
Vlad opens de door an' peeks out..."Going to the fridge for a sip of blood dear?" 
"Yes, sir, Officer Vlad."
Vlad is standin' in a police officer uniform, wit' a billy club, an' a tazer.
"Hurry back. 'Cause you just....Uhh....jaywalked...Yeah....NOW TOUCH YOUR
HANDS TO YOUR ANKELS WOMAN!"
"Whoa! Okay! I'll be back in a sec!" But Kitty is interupted by a telepathic 
message. The sender senses Kitty's change in personality and knows there's a
problem.
The sender of the message probes her mind, an' attempts t' free Kitty of Vlad's
hold. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Kitty collapses on the kitchen floor right next to a 3
day old, unfinished box of
"Bugles". She squirms on de floor holding her head in agony, as her mind is being
toyed with. Vlad hears de scream an' rushes to the kitchen...

Empire State Building...
The gorilla lets outta roar of dominence as it climbs toward the sky, punching
holes
in the building. Suddenly, he drops down on a building cruhing it, sending
thousands
of people wailing, and running outta the building. The gorrila looks down
curiously.
Suddenly "Hollywood" Hogan of the WCW walks out. 
"Listen brother! You can't just come and steal our crowd! I had the deadly
DDT!" 
Suddenly Macho Man Randy Savage pops up behind the gorrilla...
"Need a little excitement? Snap into a Slim Jim, Ooooooh Yeah dig it!" 
The gorilla hollars and backs away in fright of the Slim Jim salesman! Then Lex
Lugar runs out an' starts
flexing at the gorilla, taunting him. The gorilla makes the screeching sound similar
to
that of a crushed squirell in the street and steps away.
More wrestlers come out, and taunt him. Suddenly he lets outta roar and
dropkicks
"Pablo's Porn Palace",
"Achmed's Ass House", a "K-Mart" and numerous porn shops, an' strip clubs. He
lets out a roar at the wrestlers.
They then decide...It's time to make there move....Sting grabs a phone. 
"Hello...Gran'paSKIPPY. Yeah...We need you...Bring that soiled pants self of
yours
over here! Code red! Bring the anal probes!"

THe vampire's tomb...
The Countess Kathrine lie assleep with in the confines of her luxuriously lined
coffin. But it is not a peaceful sleep. It is a sleep plagued with nightmares and
twisted dreams. Dreams of police, and of whipping cream... and of psychic
invasion.
She awakes with a startled scream sitting upright with a bolt instinctivly phasing
through her coffin lid.
"Are you alright, my Darling?" inquiere Vlad, lifting the lid, taking her by the
hand and helping her out.
"I am fine, my Love. It was just a dream." she says as her toung rubbs upagainst
the roof of ehr mouth, it feels like sandpaper. "Although I AM quite thirsty..."
she
says with an evil smile.
Vlad walks over to the pool of blood dripping from the open veins of the
"guests,"
and dips the chalace in filling it with warm sweet blood. "For you, my Dear." As
he
hands the chalalce to his newly rizen vampiric bride. 
Kathrine drinks of the blood, letting it slip past her lips, around her new fangs,
dance across her toung as she rellishes it's bright coppery taist before letting it
slide sown her throat.
Her thirst satisfied for the moment, she turns admiring her reflection in the
mirror... She DOES look QUITE stunning, creamy smooth pale
complexion,make-up
done just right, highlighting her slightly irridecant red eyes, hair praticaly
floating stylishly upward, nails... long, sharp and painted black. Her costume, a
beautiful material with all the best aspects of satin, leather, and vinal, tight and
sencious...VERY sexy. and to top it all off, her long pearly needle sharp fangs...
and
yet... something bothered her.. something about... *the mirror?* she thinks, *But...
I thought we wern't suposed to...*
"Vlad, Darling..."
"Hmmm?"
"I thought we wern't suposed to cast a reflection." again Kitty sees the flash of
the silver fire pentagram...
"It will fade in time, Darling. UNLIKE our love, my Queen." as he turns her
toward him with a deep and passionate kiss.

Hearing the thumping upon the control room door down the hall, Dazzler
procedes cautiously to investigate. imagine her reliefe to find not some dimented
nightmare out for her blood, but rather her husband, the lucky Longshot slamming
against the door.
"Alli?"
"Right here, Hon. Any LUCK?"
"It would seem so! You showed up just as my shoulder was starting to throb
unbearably from slamming up against this door." he smiles.
"Stand aside, let a pro handle this!" As Dazzler cuts loose with a solid light
photon fuled by the agonizing screams of the various guests suffering throughout
the mansion.
The door bursts open finally, opening up the control room, where Psylocke lies,
curled in a fetal position before the the tormentious forms from her past, British
Betsy, and her spineless-one incarnation compleat with extremly heavy chair,
from when she was a slave of Mojo. The slimy creatures
looks up as Dazzler and Longshot enter the fray, determined to save Psylocke
from
the fiendish clutches! SpinelessBetsy prepares to attack the two, but, as luck
would have it, the floor
collapses under her weight, dropping her two stories down, impaling her on a
shaft of
metal. Dazzler rushes to Psylocke and tries to lift her, but stops and lays her
down again at the horrifying sight of Betsy's empty eye sockets. Her eyes are
held
clenched in her hands, as she forcefully ripped them from their places. She is
dead, whether Spineless and British Betsy had a hand in her death, or whether
she died from fear, no
one will ever know. Longshot and Dazzler look away, tears shed for their fallen
teamates. They move on.

In the graveyard, thousands of bodies lie broken and battered, beaten to death by
each other. The dupes of the Jamie Madrox Zombies are at war, with the goal,
the Multiple Man himself, he is tied, bound to a cross as his own flesh and blood, beats him,
forcing out more dupes. The multiples then pick sides, and battle, but all-in-all,
it is only Jamie Madrox, who loses. Suddenly he feels the ropes loosen around him.
Someone is freeing him, as he finally feels the last of the ropes, slip off, he turns
to see the man with jet-black wings. Warren Worthington, look at him solemnly,
and then fly off. He looks after the Angel, with gratitude, which is why he
doesn't see them coming until its too late. The dupes grab their leader and pull at him,
each looking for control. He should have run, but he didn't and now...his thoughts gave
way to the searing pain as the first limb, started to rip away from his body.

Iceman was the hunted. It had all gone wrong suddenly. Sabretooth was to be
covered in snow, by the resident snowman, of course, and then act out the part of
the legendary creature. It had been going fine, until Sabes seemed to slip into a
homicidal mood, and killed a man. Initially, Iceman beleived that Sabretooth had
beaten his collar, but then he noticed other things. This Sabretooth was even
more different than Robert could believe. Something wasn't right, and now, in the
empty darkness he could here the swift movements of the cat-like creature. He held his
breath but it didn't matter. It was bad enough that one arm had already been
destroyed, shattered by Sabretooth's relentluss attack. And then it occurred to
Iceman, to use his heat detection powers, to see Sabretooth. Suddenly he could
see in the inferanl darkness. And then he saw the man-beast crawling toward him,
plotting its attack, not realizing that Iceman had the advantage. Drake watched
as the Sabretooth's muscles quivered in aticipation of the attack. Iceman waited,
building an Iceblast. And then the beast lunged, assuming that Robert was dead
to rights. Ice crystals formed instantly as Drake released his power, spears
forming form thin air, with one solid blast crushing through Sabretooths abdomen, and then
impaling Sabretooth in various places, one going right through to his brain. A
wound, that would finally prove fatal. But Iceman would never know it, he was
crushed by the forced explosion of his powers in such a tight area. He reverted
to human form, as he lost all conscious thought and in that way he too died. 

Front Gate...
 "WHAT do you two think you're doing?!" demands Darksoul of Charles and Emma.
 "What does it LOOK like?"retorts Emma, then turning back to Xavier "you know,
 you realy SHOULD grow a goatee, it clearly would work quite well for you." as
 she strokes his chin.
 "You REALLY think so?" ponders Charles looking over at Darksoul.
 "Miss. Frost... Why waist your time with that withered old corps when I, the
 product of all your darkest fantasies, stand before you?" offers Darksoul his
 hand outstreached.
 the poor fool had taken the bait.
 Emma rises from charles' lap giving his wheel chair a little shove backwards
 sending it... and him toppling over into the dirt.
 "E-Emma?!" stammers a "shocked" Xavier as Emma Frost strides over to his dark
 dopplganger form another reality and begins caressing him enticing him with all
 her feminin charms.
"Emma! how COULD you?"
 "Darksoul here is CLEARLY going to comeout on top, I'm mearly aligning myself
 with the winner as I have always done, In the past it was the Hellfire Club,
 recentaly it was you, and now Darksoul is the obvious choice!" she says with a
 wicked laugh.
 "NOW!!!" shouts Charles Xavier as Emma rappidly raises her knee with violant
 force to an unsuspecting Darksoul's groin.
 His mystical defences lured down by Emma's willey charms and enticing caress
 Darksoul now withers upon the ground in aggony.
 Her time under Xavier's aliance nearly causes her to hesitate, yet remaining true
 to form, and accepting the need emma resorts to the old "first lick is worth the
 next ten" phylosophy emma starts laying into Darksoul for all the lowdown dirty
 tactics she's worth. stomping his genitals with her spiked heel boots, gouging at
 his eyes with her dagger like nails, striking any and all sensitive spots that come
 to mind untill a paralizing blast of magic shoots forth from Darksoul's hand
 rendering Emma Frost... the White Queen... helpless. 

 Jean Grey stared at Cyclops in quiet horror. He was not the man that she loved.
 His features were twisted in rage. He was filled with hatred.
 "What is going on here?"Jean wondered as she dodged another one of Cyclops'
 optic blasts. She barely threw her body out of the way. "Dear God," she
 whispered, "Scott is trying to kill me!"
 "Stand still," Cyclops said, as he fired another blast, his mouth turned in a frown.
 ^I know who you are!^ Jean said, using her telepathic powers. 
 Cyclops yelled back. "Now die!" He fired another blast and this one grazed
 Jean's shoulder.
 She cried out in surprise. ^ you!!?!^
 Cyclops shook his head, as though to get rid of the voice in his head that used to
 be his lover. "I...must....destoy...," he thought. He sent a power optic blast and
 Jean had no time to block it.
 "He's going to kill me," she thought and she felt her heart breaking. The man that
 she loved was going to kill her. She felt the searing pain in her chest and she fell
 backwards with a small cry. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She vision blurred
 over and she touched her chest. Warm, sticky blood covered her fingers. "No,"
 she whispered as she looked up. Through her pain she could see Cyclops standing
 over her.
 "Forgive me, Jean," he sneered, in a voice that did not sound like the man she
 loved.
 "No," Jean Grey whispered again, "No, you. Anybody but you. I-I love you,
 Scott. I won't fight you. You are a part of me."
 Cyclops hesitated for a moment. 
 "Jean?" he whispered and knelt down beside her, "what have I done?"
 Jean felt a sharp pain as she took a deep breath.
 "Scott, she whispered, "I'll be okay. Just help the others."
 "I--" Cyclops whispered and then cried out in pain. "MY head...." He cried. 
 Jean watched him with mounting fear. 
 "Scott!" she screamed, tears flowing down her face, "SCOTT!"
 "I'm sorry," Cyclops said through clenched teeth, "I have to kill you."
 "No, Scott," Jean whispered, too weak to do anything but raise her hand to try
 and protect herself.
 "HE SAYS I MUST KILL YOU!!!" Cyclops screamed with a choked cry. 
 "Fight it, Scott," Jean whimpered. 
 "I CAN'T," Cyclops cried. "HE IS TOO STRONG!" He placed his trembling
 hands on either side of his head so that he could finish off the only person that he
 had ever given his heart to.
 Jean Grey went numb. She was dressed as a helpless victim for the party. The
 irony of the situation suddenly hit her. Cyclops was still dressed as a mythological
 cyclops too. He pressed his fingers to both sides of his head and Jean Grey, the
 helpless victim, shut her eyes and prayed that it would all be over quickly.

 BAMF!!!!! The smell of sulfer was what hit Jean's nostrils first. Then she heard
 the scream. The scream of the man she loved head being literally ripped off of his
 body. She opened her eyes and heard her own scream mix with his. Red hot blood
 splattered on her face as Cylcops' body fell down on her. She screamed shrilly,
 forgetting the pain in her chest. She couldn't stop screaming. Her mind couldn't
 comprehend the horror. Her mind cried out in agony as she felt Cyclops die.
 "Noooo," she moaned.
 Kurt Wagner was standing in front of her, blood covering his hands.
 "Jean," he said, placing one of his three fingered hands on her shoulder.
 "Professor X called me to come back here from Muir Island. He said that you
 needed help. And you did. He vas going to kill you." His heavy German accent
 made it almost hard for Jean to understand him.
 She backed away quickly from his touch. "YOU KILLED HIM!!" she screamed.
 "You killed Scott!!" tears of rage and pain flew from her eyes in steady currents.
 "It was the only way," Nightcrawler said sadly. "I am sorry. I am so sorry." Jean
 Grey Summers stared down at her headless husband, dark blood, almost black
 seeped from the place where his head used to be. And Jean went numb.
 "Scott," she whispered. "Oh, Scott." She didn't even notice the pain in her chest
 anymore. 
 "How could you, Kurt?" she whispered. The furry man opened his mouth, as though
 to speak, but before he did was cut off by a low pitched growl.

 * * * *
 "How can ah still be alive?" Rogue thought. Her head pounded and her throat was
 dry. "Ah have to find the others!" She ran as fast as she could. Who was left?
 Who was dead? She couldn't find anyone! She began to cry from fear. What if they were
 all dead?
 What if she was the only one left? She would rather have died with the others
 than to be left all alone.
 She ran blindly, as though someone chased her. And she stumbled over something.
 "What?" she thought, afraid of what it could possibly be. It was too dark and she
 couldn't see. Suddenly, a falsh of lightening hit and thunder rumbled, lighting up
 the place for a moment. Rogue screamed in horror as she stared at Robert
 Drake's broken body.
 "Bobby," she moaned. She caught a glimpse of Sabretooth near him, also dead.
 "This place is covered with blood", she thought. "This has to stop now!" She
 thought about Remy again and a tear trickled down her cheek and mixed with
 Iceman's blood.

 THe Woods....
 While many may yet foolishly go into the Mansion, It has been some time since
 even a one came out. The 5 youth had opted to wander into the woods hoping to
 find a "shortcut," a way around the old corpse in the chair, tha tall dark
 stranger, and even beautiful (if not brutal) woman in white. "Why pay if you
 don't have to?" laughs one as they wander through the woods.
 "Yeah!heh-heh! hold on to the GREEN, baby!" cheers another.
 "Hold onto the GREEN?" comes a voice like the wind blowing through the leves of the trees.
 "Did you hear that, Freddie?" asks a very nervous Joe.
 "I din't hear a thing, Joe. Not a thing. C'mon, Suzzie, let's get outta here!" as Freddie picks up his
pace concideribly.
 "Hold onto the GREEN?" comes the voice once more, this time seemingly FROM the very leaves of the
trees... the very baldes of the grass...
 The pace of all the adolecants picks up conciderably.
 "Hold onto the GREEN?!" comes the voice oncemore, louder! Louder still! the voice comes from
everywhere! Every tree, every leaf every blade of grass, every grain of pollon floating throught the
air!!!
 The kids are now at a dead run... a dead run, running they fear for their very lives!!!
 How right they are!
 "YOU ARE WRONG, MEAT! THE GREEN SHALL HOLD ONTO YOU!!!" as the plant woman formerly
known as Polaris forms herself before the terrified children ensnaring them in the vines, grasses and sap
that come shooting out of the ground at her command, enshrouding the children in green sticky cacoons....

 
 LIMBO:
 Feron watched the scrying pool closely. Ever since being transported to this realm in near catatonia
after his unfortunate encounter with Meggan, he had looked into this pool thousands of times, but never
with more trepidation in his heart than now. He had the upmost respect in his heart for the person that
had brought him back from the darkness that he had seen in Meggan's sad heart. Her magic's had healed
him and made him whole again. Together they had forged a friendship that had made this dismal place
seem almost happy. The demons that were his friend's to control served their needs and made them seem
king and queen of this realm. Overall his life was as close to normal as one with his past could hope for.
The son of the original Feron, this lad once held the promise of being the vessel for the near omnipotent
Phoenix Force. Sadly, however, when the time came to claim this power, it belonged to another. He had
become accustomed to this fact and had actually began forming friendships with the other members of
Excalibur, when he made the mistake that almost cost him his life. By trying to bring Meggan out of her
catatonia, he opened himself up to her anguish, and the empaths sadness was so profound he was swept
away in it.....only to be rescued by yet another beautiful blonde enchantress.
 Illyanna entered from the shadowed corridor. 
 "Do things proceed apace, by dear friend?" she asked.
 "Yes, Yana, all is as you said it would be." Feron said. "Soon your pentacles will have enough power to
open a doorway back to your dimension as well as break the tether that binds you here."
 "To be home again," Illyana mused. "To be back in the realm of my birth and no longer chained to this
accursed place."

 IN THE AIR:
 Rogue flew back toward the mansion. Her mind reeled at the deaths of all her friends. She also
marveled at the concept of being in Ms. Marvel's body. How could this have happened? What was going
on? As she flew she noticed the blonde hair that streaked away from her face. This would definitely
take some getting used to, but the sad fact was, Rogue was not completely unhappy with the change. The
Danvers persona had always held much more control over her curious absorption abilities. In this body,
she might finally have the chance to live a normal life....to touch...and be touched. The image of Remy's
severed body tumbled through her mind again. Someone would pay for this....and pay dearly.

 IN THE FOREST:
 Polaris controlled the vines and wrapped each teenager up in a tight cocoon of green rope. She looked
from face to face and saw their fear staring back at her.
 "Now you know what it's like to be controlled," she spat. "I've lived with that feeling countless times
over my life. Malice and even Havok and Iceman to some extent, but I WILL NEVER BE CONTROLLED
AGAIN. Malice, poor dear is no more, but let's see how Havok likes it when I am the boss!"
 She constricted the plants and vines a bit tighter around her helpless victims and then released them,
letting the unconscious youngsters fall to the ground.
 "Foolish children," she said, "You are a waste of time for the mistress of magnetism and the plant
which grows upon the green Earth!"
 Polaris then flew off in search of Alex Summers, A.K.A. Havok. 

 IN THE CRYPT:
 Katherine Pryde reclined seductively against the now blood covered wall of the crypt room. She traced
her fingers along the pool of now cool blood and placed it to her lips.
 "I'm bored darling," she cooed to Vlad. "Let's go outside and play."
 The Count looked at Kitty and said, "What possible reason would you have for leaving our little den of
death, my dear."
 "I sense a soul even darker than yours outside the mansion walls, my sweet," returned Kitty. "I want to
feast on the life blood of that darkness."
 "Very well, my consort, let us seek out this dark one and make a meal of him," said Vlad as he turned
them to clouds of mist and they floated out toward the unsuspecting Darksoul.

 INSIDE THE MANSION:
 Nightcrawler held Jean in his arms. She was shaking uncontrollably and the tears refused to stop.
Scott was dead....and he had been killed by one of his best friends. What was going on? How could this
have happened? Why had he been attacking her? Something deep within her twisted....a part of her long
forgotten began to swim to the surface. She looked into Kurt's yellow glowing eyes and her hand traced
along his velvety jaw line. She reached up to him and their lips met in a fiery kiss. Kurt pulled away
suddenly.
 "Gott in Himmel, Jean," Kurt said. "What's come over you?"
 "Why nothing," Jean said as her body was enveloped in psionic flames, "I'm actually better than
ever."
 She drew Kurt to her psionically and once more kissed him. When she released the embrace, she
snapped his mind off like a switch and let his lifeless body fall to the floor. Lust was a delicious
emotion, yet feeling the exquisite rush of life as it leaves a body was even more tempting. With that she
spread her arms and was surrounded by a bird of flame, and Dark Phoenix was reborn.

 Limbo:
 Illyana and Ferron watch the procedings with dismay...
 "I only hope we are able to undo this catastrophy once we return, Ferron."
"With The Phoenix Force once again possesing the Grey woman, we may not even have a world to return
TO." says Ferron with a slight tone of resentment. But how much was for the possible distruction of the
Earth, and how much for the faca that someone ELSE is flying the signiture mark of the Phoenix, Illyana
is uncirtain. 
"Ferron," Starts Illyana
"Hmmm?"
"About Jean..."
"What of her?" Ferron responds cooly.
"You DO realize that the power is now HERS, "
"NO!!! IT's MINE!!! I am decended of the original Ferron who FIRST contacted the PhoenixForce!!!
ME!! NOT HER!"
"Let me finish...'
"MINE!!! She has no right!!! MINE! MINE! MINE!!!"
*BLAMMO!!!*
"What the.. What'd ya do that for?" inquires Ferron holding his jaw where Illyana had just socked him.
"Will you let me finish now?"
"But it's mi..." 
Illianna pulls back for another punch...
"OK! OK!!" cries Ferron. "What do you want?!"
"It's not the Phoenix Force, Ferron, it's her own power."
"But... the flame bird... the costume..."
"A tribute of sorts."
"and the RED costume? Hmmmm?"
"uh... well... ummmm..."
"well?"
"Darksoul's manipulations, it'll end when HE does."
"You'd better hope so."
the close confines of this near poweless dimention had been a great strain on them bolth, Illyanna hoped
that when they broke free, when they returned to Earth, and set things right, that Ferron would be
satisfied with magic, that he wouldn't seek out the Phoenix Force... 'cause from what she had seen,
Ferron was a Dark Phoenix waiting to happen!

The Empire State building...
Sentinals and wrestlers alike litter the streets below as Beast Kong swats anc
crushes all within his reach.

Rogue/ms. Marvel soars through the bleak nighttime sky, her blond hair...
BLOND? it still troubbled her, and yet, how hard could it be to dye it? But to
be thinking such trivial thoughts while so many of her friends lie suffering and
dead, yet to dwell on such a thing...
Something is wrong... the wind has picked up at unbeliveable force, impeading her
flight, yet the treetops below are bairly stiring...
Then... she sees the cause...
up above, silloetted against the full moon flies the wicked witch Storm upon her
broom cakkling with glee as she inhibbits Rogue's progress.
"Ah suppose ah should be glad she aint turned me in ta a
fr--RRRRRRIIIIBBBBBIT!!" Croaks Rogue as a mystical bolt of lightening
strikes her thransforming the former southrenbell in to a frog.
There she sits, a FROG! How humiliating! Yet far more difficult to se and
suspect. thinks Rogue as she hopps off toward the mansion.

Vlad and Kathrine Dracula, the lord of the vampires and his queen, walk out of
the mists into the cool night air.
"There..." she whispers, pointing down the drivewqay at Darksoul, "there is the
one I seek, I can almost taste his blood beating from his twisted heart..."
"And your Professor... to see the look on his face when he sees how you have
changed..." Grins Vlad.
"Hmmmhmmhmhmhmm! Oh, yes! That will be TOO precious!" smiles Kathrine.

A deep throaty growl, then a savage howling bark sets the frog that once was
Rogue hopping ever faster! Faster! she can't fly now, likely she wouldn't be
invunerable to the saliviating jaws of Rahnee` Sinclare, Excalibur's Wolvsbane,
who is nipping hot on her heels, apperentaly hungry for some frogs legs!
There! There is a way out of this mess! as rogue makes a mighty leap toward the
lily pad in the middle of the pond.
Truely a shame she can't fly anymore, if she could, perhapse she could have
avoided the slimy monstrosity which had rissin up out of the depths, catching her
in it's webbed claw.
out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak, Rogue had eluded the spectar
of death in her dealings with piotor and the specteral Ms. Marvel, had eluded the
slaviating jaws of Wolvesbane, only to wnd up as Meggan's snack!
such were the final thoughts of she who was known to us only as "Rogue," before
Meggan's jaws closed down upon the frog she had become, ripping her in half.
"ALEX! ALEX SUMMERS! Show yourself filthy MEAT!" screaches the plant
woman formerly known as Polaris as she searches the grounds high and low,
communicating with the plants in a way no other can. Then, she finds him... deep
within the Mansion... in the mad surgon's room.
There they were, Alex on the opperating table, where a psycotic Doctor Rees
drenched in blood had him sliced open from stem to stern. Over in the corner lay
a man, spots of blue showing here and there through the drying blood caked from
the still oozing wounds resulting from Japeth's pre-mortum autopsy. over
inanother corner, a pile of bloodied innards draped by a flayed skin with pink
hair, the enormus pile of bones in another corner makes the connection... this had
been Marrow.
The woman she had been has scarcely known of their existance, there was no
concern for this butchered meat. Alex... Alex was to be hers, and hers alone! yet
this butcher had beaten her to him... for this she must PAY DEARLY!
"Well, Well, Well, WHat have we here? perhapse we should peel away the bark,
see waht makes YOU work!" the Doctor threatens mennacingly swishing the
scalple throught the air as she advances on Lorana.
"He was to be mine, meat!" shouts Lorana as with an twist of her enchanted
power,the seeds consumed earlier during dinner grow explosivly, bursting the
Doctor at the seems, leaving only a tree where she had once been.

The pentagrams continue to flash, to all save Darksoul, some how blind to them
and their possible implications.
"Perhaps, my dear Miss. Frost, I should remove you from my protection, and let
you becoem the woman you were, the woman you are costumed as this all hallows
eve..." taunts Darksoul, slowly getting up.
"HA! You do that Darksoul! The woman she was is only slightly crueler than the
woman she is! Her handywork has left you in aggony with every move you make,
cutting any strings of tameness to her would NOT end up in your favor!" laughs
Charles. to be continued! 
"You have a point there. It's a shame your X-men have fared so poorly in this
constuct of 'good will'" laughs Darksoul in return. 
^So many dead... bolth X-men and innocents caught in Darksoul's web when his
spell was cast...^ ponders Xavier mournfuly. "Not all are dead." defends Xavier,
spying Kathrine and Vald gently gliding down the drive behind Darksoul.

ATOP THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING:
The King Kong Beast continued to swat at the flying press helicopters and army
jets that pelted him with missiles. Beast, his once brilliant mind now that of a
raging animal, spied a beautiful young woman on one of the choppers. She sat in
the helicopter reporting excitedly into her camera's lens. 

"This is Trish Tilby, reporting live from the top of the Empire State Building.
All evidence seems to indicate that Hank McCoy, A.K.A. the Beast has gone insane
and has mutated even further into a rampaging behemoth of destruction. This
former Avenger and renowned scientist, now seems intent only on destroying 
anything he can touch."
The women called for the camera to cut and a tear slid down her face.
"Oh, Hank," she thought, "what could have happened to cause this?"
Suddenly there was a cry from below as the beast shot out his hand and snagged
the unsuspecting Trish from her passing chopper. He looked at her for an instant,
as she squirmed to free herself from his giant hand. The Beast muttered to
himself.
"Pretty pretty big mouth tv lady, always get Hank Kong in trouble.....Now she
make up for it," roared The Beast.

Just then, MACHO MOUSE RANDY UNCIVILIZED and HOLLYWOOD BULK
BAGGINS, from the wrestling channel appeared at the top of the
building......They jumped as one onto the shoulder of the rampaging Beast. Macho
Mouse swung into action and began pulling a Tyson on the huge ear of the BEAST.
The creature cried out and as he opened his mouth....Bulk dumped all the wrestling
federation's dirty sweaty spandex uniforms in his mouth......The Beast began to
heave almost instantly, but Macho Mouse and Bulk weren't prepared for the
amount of bile that a creature that size can produce, when he spewed, they were
swept away down the huge spout of sickness. Macho Mouse and Bulk clung to each
other like children lost in the night. The last words heard from them as they
plummeted toward the ground was Macho Mouse screaming.
"I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU BULK"

After becoming ill, the raging Beast looked around sheepishly. His outburst had
shocked him into his senses and he looked down at the lovely Trish Tilby in his
hand. 
"Pretty pretty tv lady, I am sorry," Hank Kong almost cried. "Me will try to fix
damage."
"Oh, Hank, you big idiot, look at this dress! It was silk!" cried Tilby. "Your puke
has ruined it. You are such a loser. I've been sleeping with my producer all
along."
The Beast roared once again. Now Pretty TV Lady was in trouble. Hank took one
look at her and dropped her into the pocket of his uniform...although the Beast's
uniform has no pockets so he dropped her into the spandex underwear excuse for
a costume he wears. WHAT A REVOLTIN DEVELOPMENT!!!!!!!!

AT THE GATE:
Emma looked up as Dark Soul did and saw Shadowcat and Vlad as they began to
land. The change in Kitty was immediately evident to the professor. He reached
out to her with his mind and came upon a wall in her mind made of sex, blood, and
disturbingly erotic images. Xavier swam against the images as he felt his stomach
turn. The only thing he could compare this to was sitting through the marathon of
that band on MTV, that seemed to entrance his younger students. He blacked out
with the hard hitting heavy metal lyrics of "The beautiful people...the beautiful
people"....running through his head.

IN THE OPERATING ROOM:
Polaris, now covered in the blood of Dr. Reyes, began to dig through the bones of
Marrow. She concentrated and used magnetic powers to snap the bones into tiny
rectangular pieces. Her tormented mind whirled with images of Alex and Malice,
and Bobby Drake, but it kept coming back to the bones. She began to stack these
pieces into a tower like structure...then pulled them out one by one until the
tower would fall. The game and her thoughts were so entrancing, that she was too
busy to do much more damage, so she sat and played quietly planning her big
breakthrough into the game market.
"If I can market this right, I'll have a gold mine on my hands...let's see...I'll call
it Kerplinga," thought Polaris.
As you can tell, Polaris didn't get out much, other than to fight bad guys and
missed out on that fun party game Jenga, but hey you gotta give her credit for
being inventive. I mean what else are you gonna do with a pile of mutant bones.

The man flew through the air, his obsidion-black wings seemed to glow in the light
of the mansion. He was silent, watching all take place, but not reacting. He heard
a rushing sound behind him and moved just as she swept by, narrowly missing him.
She cackled and wheeled around on her broom. Lightning flashed ominously in the
sky. He did not speak, but his eyes showed that he had no fear. He knew that she
could not hurt him with the lightning, as long as he was flying. The winds started
to pick up as her eye seemed to glow with malevolent glee. He just braced himself
agaisnt the wind, hovering there. The weather started to cool, and he could feel
the temperature dropping, still he endured, mute a before, but determined to
survive. Finally, Storm started to gather her mystical energy. This he would not
endure, the energy shot out, but this time he moved, with swiftness unheard of,
his glide carrying him beneather her, pulling her arms back, bringing her
supercharged hands to her own face. Suddenly her face wrinkled as the spell
backfired instantly aging her. Her bones seemed to creak, her strength gone, she
could not stop. An arm fell off as struggled against the dark angel. Then she fell
as all gave way. He watched in silent satisfaction as she fell all the way down to
the lake. She screamed at the last moment, trying to break her fall with a burst
of winds, but the lake-monster, Meggan jumped from the depths and snapped her
out of mid-air. With a sickening crunch, she pulled the aged form of Storm under
the surface, blood coloring the lake water red. The Angle sighed and looked
toward the mansion. He must carry on. His wings carried him swiftly to his
destination. 

Hank Kong jumped from building to building jostling Trish Tilby in his
underpants. She was drowning in the sweat. Gasping for air, and not liking the
smell either. The sight wasn't pretty either. She tried to pull herself out by
using his hairs to move around, but he was moving to fast, and she couldn't get a
good hold. Then they struck. A helicopter flew by and then wheeled around,
joined by two others. Machine gun fired, riddling the Beast from top to bottom,
He cried out, his arms losing grip. Trish tried to pull herself out as the lumbering
Hank Kong started to fall, her leg caught though adn she could only watch as they
fell, the ground getting closer. About 20 people tried to clear away, but some
wouldn't move. The air was silent, except for the rushing wind. And then, she hit
the ground, the 10 ton beast landing on top of her, crushing her completely. The
beast wasn't dead and he rolled to move as the machine gun fire still spurted over
him, the biting bullets ripping through his hide. The flattened form of Trish
Tilby could barely be made out against the blue furry hide of the Beast. 
Longshot and Dazzler just sat on the roof overlooking it all, watching as one by
one, their friends lost their humanity, and then lives. And again tha pentigram
flashes.
"Allison, darling, please, this realy isn't the time nor the place for a light show."
"It's not me." she whispers back.
"Then what..." the pentagram flashes again, this time the central portion acting as
a windowthrough which Longshot recognizes a familier, yet supozidly dead face,
that of Illyanna Rasputain, Magik!
"It couldn't be..." he whispers more to himself than to Allison.
"What?"
"This last flash... I- I saw ... or at least I think I saw... Illyanna."
"Are you sure?"
"IF we're lucky..."

Limbo;
"Prepare yourself, Ferron, the time is finaly at hand!" Cries Illyanna as she steps
into the up-turned pentical upon the floor and, joined by Ferron, they begin
chanting the incantation which would at long last return them to Earth.... 

The front Gate...
"What are you looking at?" sneered Darksoul, turning around a moment to late to
fend off the attack from Kathrine as she forces his head to one side and sinks
her glistening fangs into his throat!
The attack took Darksoul by such surprize that his paralizing hold on Emma is
lost, allowing her to scrambble to Charles' side.
"Who is the master NOW, Darksoul?" laughs Kathrine pulling away from her
feast.
"I-- I am not beaten... yet!" sneers Darksoul, "You WILL submit!!" as a foul
essence invades her mind, seeking to bend her compleatly to it's will.
"CHARLES! Charles, Wake up!" coaxes Emma to no avale. "Charles! Ohhhh!"
*SMACK!*
"YEAHHHHUHHH!!" cries Charles as Emma's slap shocks him back into
conciousness.
"A united attack, Charles, togather, in his weakened state, ew may be able to
defeat him!"
Two of the most powerful minds on Earth unite in a single attack in the mind of
Darksoul, their attack fails still, yet the truth stands revealed! The second mind
senced earlier, that distinctly not that of Charles Francis Xavier of this nor any
other Earth, the other mind is of Amal Amak, The shadowKing!
"So, you know who I am, it makes no differance! I am empowered by the Dark
Dimention! Your puny mental tricks are of no conciquence!" Darksoul gloats.

Limbo:
"Let our power combine! let the portal to earth be oppened!" cries 'yanna as a
stepping disk forms from the pentical, first vaintly, then brighter...brighter!
untill it raises up engulfing Ferron and Magik, then disapper in a briliant flash,
leaving the pocket dimention bordering on the relm known as Limbo once again
empty.

up on the roof:
the pentigram flashes for a final time revealing to Longshot and Dazzler a view
of help on the way!

Front gate:
Kitty struggles against the influance of the Shadowking/Xavier amalagramation
known as Darksoul, a battle, regrettably that she is quickly loosing as she
staggers over by Charles and Emma, aided by Vlad.
"SUBMIT, GIRL!" commands Darksoul showing notable strain in achiving his
conquest.
"SUBMIT THIS, ASSHOLE!!!!" comes a cry as the stepping disk opens up
directly behind Darksoul and Illyanna Rasputain, Magik in all her glory weilding
HER soulsword, Plunges that sword deep into Darksoul's black heart!
"'Yanna?" whispers Kathrine fearing the sight before her to be to good to be
true, her best friend, and former roommate, alive...
Darksoul's cries of aggony esclate to what could verywell be intriprited as the
howl of the very depths of hell it's self, a sound so horendous, it sends a shivver
down even Illyanna's spine as Darksoul's body is concumed in elderich flames, the
charred remaines bolwn by the winds directly in charls' face, leaving only the
cloak, boots, gloves, and shorts behind along with a medalion... the X-men emblem.
"'Yanna?" repeats Kitty struggling to her feet.
"Here..." offers Charles taking ahold of kitty's arm, then reaching around her
upper torso... around that lavshly sedutive costume.... ^She has matured over the
years...^ thinks Xavier, ^bolthe mentaly, and... physicaly... matured... in all the
right places...^ as his hand lingers along her upper torso, then slowly sliding back
towards him, "coincidentaly" finding it's way under the costume...
"INFIDELL!!!!" Shrieks Kathrine, "How DARE you lay hands upon the Queen of
the Night in such a manner!?!" 
"KITTY! NO!" calls Illyanna... too late, as with a deciseive swipe, Kathrine
Leeann Pryde rips into Professor Xavier's throat, his blood spurting everywhere.
"C-Charles...." stammers Emma unable to believe what she just bore wittness to...
not that Charles would do such a thing, but thather that the sweet stalwart kitty
pryde would turn with such ferocity upon her former mentor.
Kitty dips he finger into the gapping wound of Xavier's neck, then licking his
blood form that finger. "Mmmmm... not the dark richness of his otherworldly
counter part, but not bad."
Clearly the effects of Darksoul's spell had not died with him...

"Longshot!" calls Magik as she forms a stepping disk to bring him down to the
front gate.
"Hey!! what about me?!" calls Dazzler as her husband dissapperes from her side.
"Good to see you again." comments Longshot as the steppingdisk dropps him out
with Magik and Ferron.
"Likewise.' returns Illyanna. "We will need your luck to get us through this
mess."
"Then let's do it!"
"alright, Ferron and I will channel the mystic energies through you and with your
luck, perhapse we can undo Darksoul's evil spell and all the dammage it has
inflicted!"
Magik fires into Ferron, Ferron into Longshot, who in turn directs the power, now
tainted with a bit of extrordinairy luck, into the pile that was once Darksoul.
The cloke and medalion begin to glow and unearthly glow, but this light quickly
fades, the spell endures.
"Give it up, Illyanna, I have taisted his blood, I KNOW what he was capable of.
There is no going back, join us... yield to the enticing dark embrace of my lover,
and we shall be friends... FOREVER!" coaxes Kitty as Vlad closes in on Magik.
"NO! there's still hope! Ferron...!"
"What?"
"Summon the Phoenix Force!"
"But the Grey woman has it!"
"'It's her own personal power, Ferron! Do as she says! Summon the Phoenix
Force!" Urges Emma.
Ferron sits hovvering above the ground going into a deep trance for a moment
before the firebird immage fo the Phoenix envelops him.
"I-HAVE-THE-POWER!!!!"
Natural curriocity has all looking aroun... ferron is NOt wielding a sword, has not
bulked up, and the building in the background is still the X-Manssion, not Castle
GraySkull.
"Good for you! now let's clean this mess!" as Illyanna fires into the Phoenix
empowered Ferron, who in turn channels the power through longshot for that
extra edge...
A briliant light engulfs everything, the party at the gate, the manssion, the
Xavier estate, the tavern down the road, and even down to NewYork, and then...
the light fades. 
"HEY! WHAT's the hold up in there?!"
"Wha-...?" Xavier turns his head to see the croud at the gate awaiting entry. Had
he been dreaming?Emma stood at the other end of the gate, collecting the money,
and giving the standard "dont touch them, they won't touch you." spill as if
nothing had happened, yet, up in the sky, beyound the ebbon winged Angel and
'witch' riding high on her broom, Xavier thought he saw something, a firey bird...
TWO firey birds?!
*Jean?* Charles calls out telipathicaly.
One firy bird glides to the earth as the other swoops off into the vast reaches of
space.
The costume of DarkPhoenix is quickly replaced by that of the 'helpless victem'
as Jean alights upon the ground. "It wasn't a dream, Charles, it happened."
"How do you..."
The Phoenix force filled me in as it left Ferron. it's making it's self avalible on a
'as NEEDED' basis, as to prevent another Dark Phoenix."
"And you?" inquires Charles fearing the answer.
"Only got as far As Alpha-Centauri, uninhabbited. there should be quite a show
in about four and a half years." Jean smiles.
"Just don't make a habbit of it." the Professor warns. "And what of Ferron and
Illyanna?" he inquires out of couriosity.
Ferron's putting his pasty complexion and pointy ears to use reliving Vlad from
time to time in the crypt, and as the devilworshiping monk 'sacrificing' Kitty
while Illyanna and Kurt 'port in to 'claim her soul' so to speak.
"Realy. We'll have to discuss this more on the whole in the morning." Xavier adds
as he wheels down to the gate to greet the guests.
"And how's bussiness, Emma?" he inquiers as he reaches the ticket booth.
"Going exceptionaly well." "You know what? I found the perfect costume for you
for next Halloween." she grins handing over Darksoul's outfit. "Lontact Lilandra,
or possibly even Essex about getting your legs back, and ... have you ever
concidered growing a goatee?" she winks.

THE END 

    Source: geocities.com/area51/cavern/1507

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