X-men 2099UG #49

Halo City --

The center of the city lies in ruins.

The past hour, a major battle has been taking place here in this city of refuge.

A battle, who's outcome will change the course of mutant and human history forever.

The combatants have known each other for more than a century.

One is the evil mutant known as Exodus has come through time to find the child that will become the legendary Mutant Messiah. He has come to kill this messiah.

The other is a simple wanderer known to the people of Halo City as Dust. Only a few short minutes ago, Dust thought he knew who he was. He now knows who is really is, the dimension-crossed mutant known as Nate Grey-- the X-Man.

These two mutants last battled over a century before. Nate won by getting help from his estranged twin-- Nathan Summers, the mutant better known as Cable. But now, Nate Grey must stand-alone?

No.

He has help. He has friends. He has this generation of X-Men to help him defeat Exodus and keep the unknown Mutant Messiah safe from Exodus's hands. But is that enough to defeat Exodus?

It will have to be. There is no other way around it. Exodus has made it very clear that he will kill the Mutant Messiah and anyone standing in his way. The young member of X-Nation called Uproar found that out the worst way possible. Now he lies broken and near death in Halo City's Infirmary.

Morphine Somers thought it would be a good idea, and in his best interest, that he be the one to find the Mutant Messiah. Without a true clue to who would really become the messiah, Somers decided that the most gullible of the X-Nation kids would do the trick. Who else could Somers convince that they were the true Mutant Messiah, but the one child who wanted more than anything to be the center of everyone's attention.

There will come a reckoning for Somers, but not today.

Today there is only one thing in the hearts and minds of the few mutants that would stand up to Exodus. These brave souls who would risk their very lives to protect someone who does not even know they are in danger from this mad man. At the end of the day, despite the number of whom that fall, they are heroes to the end.

"Luna! We've got to get back to the Square! Tim's not going to be able to take much of Exodus alone." La Lunatica was not always on the side of the angels. She was once a part of this country's greatest terrorist group - the Theatre of Pain. She use to kill people. She didn't kill out of need, but for the thrill of it. Brimstone Love taught her well in the ways of killing. She could make someone die slowly so she and all of those around her could feel it. The pain. The agony. She knew it all to well, but she has left that life behind.

Timothy Fitzgerald took her away from all of that. Away from Brimstone Love. Away from the Theatre of Pain. Away from all of that she held so close in those days. He is now her world. The X-Men are her new family. They have given her something to live for these past few months. "We are suppose to wait for Tim's signal. Then we move. Until then you sit on your butt."

"Luna, Tim's not going to be able to handle Exodus alone. Dust's not going to be any help. He's afraid of Exodus."

Clarion came to Halo City in search of a new life. He came here with his best friend Nostromo to make a better life. He was approached by Shakti Haddad to be part of X-Nation. Clarion wanted more than anything to be a hero, and the X-Men have given him that chance. Now the moment he has waited for has arrived and it is time for him to step up to the role the team has always given him- their leader. "Shock this, Luna. I'm going out there." He looks around to the others, "Who is with me? Tim needs us."

Wulff, Nostromo, and Twilight look at each other for a brief moment. Young as they may be, they do know when it is time to be heroes.

"We're right behind you, Clarion. Let's go!", Nostromo yelled as he turned his back to Luna.

"Shock it! We have to wait for Tim. He's not going to be ready if we run out before he tells Shakti its time." Luna proclaimed in anger.

Shakti Haddad is the heart and soul of the X-Men. She is the one that had been chosen to go beyond the hear and now and take charge over the future of mutants everywhere. She was chosen by the once President Doom to gather the children of the atom and bring the Mutant Messiah to the head of the mutant race and lead them their new golden age.

The Mutant Messiah is why all this has come to this point. The older X-Men are here to protect the Messiah, and the young X-Nation are here to become the Messiah. And Exodus is here to kill the Messiah.

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Halo City-
Halo Square-

Timothy Fitzgerald's limp body flies through the air slamming against a pile of rubble.

"Skullfire! Can you get up?!"

"You should be more worried about your own neck, X-Man."

The man only known as "Dust" until today spun back around to face the foe that had sent his ally, Timothy Fitzgerald into the rubble. "Exodus, this ends now! No more will you harm those that have surrounded me."

"Fool, you continually think this has something to do with you. I care nothing for you other than another death at my hands on the road to killing the Messiah so I may become the ruler of mutantkind. The child will be mine no matter how many of you I must go through. Do not deny me that which should already be mine."

"If you want the child, Exodus, then come get us, but you only get to have one of us. Make it count!"

Exodus look atop one of the mounds of rubble that was on the opposite side of him from Timothy and Dust to see four bold children staring him down. "Ah, the children of the atom have come to me. Good. But you lack one of your number, alas he dead."

"Grrrrr....I'll kill you myself, you blood sucking ..."

"Back down, Wulff. We handle this like we agreed-together." Clarion stared at Timothy's limp body. "Dust, is he alright?"

"Dust nodded, "He's shaken, but he'll live. You children need to flee from here. Exodus will kill you all in order to insure he kills the Messiah. One of you is the Messiah, this I know."

Exodus smiled and waved his hand toward the members of X-Nation. The rubble exploded and the kids scattered. "Please don't make this too easy for my, children. I don't want this moment to be over before I can truly enjoy it."

Clarion rolled on the ground and jumped up, "Twilight, get close to Tim, and throw up your 'sphere of influence' around him. Nostromo, I need you to get around Exodus and hold on to him until Cerebra gets here with Luna."

Nostromo has a very unique mutant ability. No one is quite sure how he came about acquiring them, but he has the ability to make his body into an organic metal. He has always been ashamed of who he is, but he knows he must put his fears behind him for the good of all of them. He takes a deep breath and reaches out toward Exodus. His fingers begin to tingle. He feels the tips begin to tug a little and then he feels a sudden release of pressure as organic metal flies from his hands and begins to wrap around Exodus.

"Damn, child." Exodus struggles as Nostromo's fingers begin to encase him. He tries to pull and free his arms, but Nostromo refuses to release him. "Let's me go, child! I will not tell you again-release me!"

Nostromo shakes his head in refusal, "No, you murderer. For once in my life, I won't fall into fear. I will never let go."

"Then you will surly die." Exodus disclaims. Exodus begins to rise in the air. Nostromo begins to sweat, now what is he going to do? Should he keep holding on even if Exodus rises too far? What will happen if he waits too long and let's go too late? Will he fall and die? Can he stop himself? Will Exodus kill him like he threatened? What is he going to do?

Dust, Clarion, and Timothy look up into the sky and watch their fellow X-Man hold onto Exodus with uncontrollable fear. "Tim, we've got to get him down. Nostro isn't a hero. He can only hold on because he's afraid to let go. We've got to get to him."

"That's all I have to hear. Timothy, you are with me. Clarion, you must get Twilight closer to Exodus. Her powers may be our only hope."

Clarion nods, "Ok. But don't end this without us. He wants us dead, and there's no way I'm gonna let him get away easily for what he did to Uproar."

Dust smiles slightly, "An X-Man to the end, my friend. Let's just hope we can end this without anyone else dying."

Clarion nods and runs over to Twilight. Dust and Timothy begin to hover slightly above the ground. "What's going on?" Timothy exclaims. "Don't fret, Timothy. It's just me. I haven't tried this in a very long time. I'm hoping I'm strong enough to get us close to Nostromo. You can grab him while I distract Exodus."

Above them, Exodus continues to struggle against Nostromo's organic metal grip. Exodus knows the child is afraid of him, and he must use that against him. He has grown weak fending off so many small attacks from the X-Men. He did not think this would take as long as it has. He felt the X-Men of this era would embrace him and his cause, but they are no more the fools than the ones he faced a hundred or more years ago. "Damn, fools! All of you!" He looks down at Nostromo's face. "Yes. You are afraid aren't you, boy. You should be. Look below you and see the ground so far down. What if I decided to stop holding us up here and crash to the ground? Would you survive? I know I would, but what about you?"

"Shut up!! Just shut up!! You can't scare me, Exodus." Or can he? Nostromo knows he should look down, but he does anyway. He stares at the ground so far away. He shakes off the sweat from his brow. He can't let go-- he's too afraid to. And just when he thinks he's about to loose himself to the fear, he feels the hand and hears the voice of his mentor, "Hold tight, Nostromo, we've got you now." He looks and sees Timothy and Dust hovering next to him. Without thinking, he releases his grip from Exodus to grab hold of Timothy and Dust. And when he finally reaches to them, he realizes what he has just done.

"Foolish child!!" And Exodus laughs, mocking Nostromo. "Yes, you have fallen into the fear, and released the demon that held you to it. You have let me free to continue my search for the Messiah. And the next to fall by my hand will be you and your saviors. Thank you, Nostromo."

Nostromo buries his face into his hands, "No!"

Exodus grinned evilly, and began his decent from the sky to continue his attack on the X-Men when his body suddenly stops in mid air. "What is this?! Who dares hold me from my prey?!" Exodus begins to feel the air around him electrify as two figures rise themselves toward him.

"You wanted to find the Mutant Messiah, Exodus. Well, you've found him."

The mutants that are still standing in the city's square stop and look up toward Exodus and two very familiar figures hovering next to him. Xi'an had returned to the city of mutants, and brought the knowledge of the one true Messiah-- Metalsmith.

Next issue: The Mutant Messiah REVEALED!! Metalsmith is the Messiah-- no jokes!! Be here for X-Men 2099UG #50 to see who survives this final issue.