Author's Note: This is set two months after the end of Alternate Unlimited #14

Istanbul

Dazzler and Wolverine walked through the hustle and bustle for the market square in ragged from cloaks. They were searching for the mutant Caliban who had been an associate of Alastaire and he had more info on the mystery known as Exodus. He was the man responsible for the creation of the MLF and the destruction of the White House. Storm, Beast, and Professor X had all been lost in this battle. The X-Men were forced to head underground and are now presently staying in the stead of Alastaire, an ally and friend of Wolverine. Apparently the two had worked together in S.H.I.E.L.D. a few years back. Neither Wolverine nor Alastaire had elaborated on much else.

"I'm not entirely comfortable being here Logan. The MLF have been searching for us diligently since the fight in Washington," Dazzler whispered. Even after all she's been through Allison still wasn't comfortable being an X-Man. She may be slightly more comfortable with her powers, but if you would've told her she would be in Istanbul heading from the world a year ago she would laughed in your face and her security escort you out. She had been famous and everyone loved her. All that changed with the entrance o the M-Squad into her life. Her life afterward was a downhill roller coaster. And it never seemed like it was going to end.

"Don't worry kid. We'll find Caliban real quick like and get the heck out of this smelly market," Logan said his nose filled with all the rank and much of the market's darkest corners. He knew him and Alastaire had been separated fro a while, but he never saw Alastaire hanging in a place like this. Whoever this Caliban was he must be devoid of a nose.

Akabba

Exodus stood up form his chair at the entrance of Fabian Cortez. His patience was starting to grow thin and Fabian's finally arriving only served to slightly sooth Exodus. Cortez could see clear as day that his master was by his late arrival to Akabba. The cursed city wasn't a place that Fabian liked to venture to on a frequent basis. Yet, Exodus made his home here.

"Cortez please be more prompt in to later meetings. So how goes the hunt for the X-Men?" Exodus asked his voice sounding like a mixture of a dark demon and a gentle man. Cortez was extremely fearful of that voice. It spoke of his master's truly dark nature. A nature that would spread across the Earth and usher into a new age of mankind. Fabian wanted to be by the side of Exodus rather than in his path.

"My group and the Brotherhood have tracked down the X-Men to Istanbul. I've already sent a joint force there now even as were speak," Cortez replied. Pride welled up in the leader of the Mutant Liberation Front. Exodus would surely assure him a place in the new world order he was developing.

"Then maybe I'll be rid of this nuisance soon enough. I've already lost enough to them. Nonetheless I'll have to move forward with my plans. It's time to free the Horsemen at long last," Exodus said as he outstretched his hand to where four chambers were at the far corner of the temple. Slowly the four dust encrusted stone chambers opened revealing Omega Red, Hellios, Siphon, and Neurotap. Twisted and distorted their bodies were. Exodus's treatment was hardly a nice one. They were his Horsemen of Doom. His heralds of destruction and chaos. They would be the beacons of his new world. All of them wore his black armor that carried a human skull in the middle of it. Their power would dominate the globe and send the weak to their deaths.

"The Horsemen are my first step in global domination, but first I want the X-Men found and disposed of. I see you're not capable of handling it so I've decided to let the Brotherhood handle it."

"Lord Exodus! You surely can't be serious! Look at how badly the Brotherhood failed against the X-Men the first time. It would be…"

"Bout time for you to shut up Cortez! We've made up for our mistakes and we're more than ready to take on the X-Men again," Mystique said coming out from behind Exodus's large throne. She was wearing a new all black costume. The low-cut shirt, skirt, and knives hanging from her belt made her look much more menacing.

Fabian didn't even look shock at the appearance of the thought dead woman, "I should have figured you'd come back sooner or later. Trash like you isn't thrown away so easily!"

"Enough!! I have made my decision Cortez. Instead I want the MLF to find capture the mutant known as Havok. Bring him back her as soon as you find him and while you're at kill the families of all the X-Men if they have them. I want them to know pain!"

Cortez bowed and said, "Your will be done Exodus!"

Istanbul

"This is the place," Wolverine motioned to Dazzler as he pulled back a hole filled curtain to reveal a crap infested room with a sickly yellow looking man in the middle of it. He looked like he was in some sort of meditation.

"Welcome Logan. I was expecting you. Please come in and ask of me what you will," Caliban said not once moving his body from its stance. Dazzler personally was frightened of Caliban. Anyone that lived in a place like this and found time to meditate instead of cleaning up had to be a whack job.

"I'm not as crazy as you think young Blaire," Caliban laughed as she closed the curtain to his abode behind her.

"How did you know my name?" Dazzler asked her fear beginning to heighten.

"I know much Dazzler, but I'll save the how for a later time. Now what do you have to ask me Wolverine?"

Wolverine pulled back the cloak off of his head and asked, "Who is Exodus and what does want?"

Caliban's light blue eyes turned a pure white and his head looked toward the sky, "Exodus is the demon of the Earth. His power is the scorn of life. The dark lord will only bring chaos and strife. To each he shall proclaim their worth. Those found lacking would be buried beneath the sands and forests of the Earth. Power and the powerful is what he seeks. All should fear for the ones he finds meek. A group will stand up against him, but their power will not be enough. So they will have to unleash a monstrous band and send Exodus back to his native land. Then his forces shall fall, but another evil shall rule all! A word of caution to this tale if Mystique fights all shall fail!"

Dazzler and Wolverine listened with a mix of awe, astonishment, and fear. Slowly Caliban's body slumped as his eyes turned back to their color of blue. As he fell towards the floor Wolverine picked up the mutant and kept him stable.

Through tired breath Caliban said, "Thank you Wolverine. Your help is much appreciated. Have I helped you any?"

"Yes you have Caliban. Yes you have. Thanks for the help. I would love to stay a chat a bit more but the kids need me."

"Of course Logan. You should get back to them immediately. They will enter a time of struggle very soon!" Caliban proclaimed regaining back some of his strength.

Wolverine and Dazzler pulled their cloaks back over themselves. As they were leaving Caliban reached out to Dazzler by grabbing her hand. She almost yelled, but she kept her cool. Alison just wished Wolverine were in here with her.

"This is for you alone to hear Dazzler. Beware of the one you love for in the end he shall be a traitor to you all! Tell no one of this or a great death will fall upon your team. Now go! Go!" Caliban whispered scaring Dazzler. She yanked away from the mutant and fell right into the arms of a waiting Wolverine.

"Lets get out of here!" Dazzler yelled as she pulled away from Logan.

"I heard what he told, but since YOU didn't tell me that circumvents the prophecy. Tell no else and we might just make it out of this situation alive," Wolverine snickered.

"That guy gave me the willies. Let's just go back to Alastaire's!"

"I'd have to agree to that and don't worry. He gave me the creeps too," Wolverine smiled.

<Guys! Hurry back to Alastaire's! I just got a telepathic message and the Professor is alive! He's trapped in Argentina. We got to get to him! >

"That was Jean! We need to get back and fast!" Dazzler proclaimed almost taking off in a run when Wolverine yanked her arm.

"No running! If people see that they'll suspect something. We'll get back home soon enough. If the Professor's been alive for this long I don't think he's going to die in a few more minutes."

Author's Notes

Yeah this is a continuation of my Ultimate X-Men What If? I did a while back. I decided to continue it because I left some stuff hanging and I want to just tie up the story. Whenever the third part comes out it's going to feature a fight between the X-Men and a few of the Brotherhood members (not all of them though you'll see what the other ones are up to). And actually this universe is going to tie into something I'm doing down the line.

-Brent