In the heart of Xavier City, Joaquim Vasquez tossed and turned in his sleep. He could not fight the dreams, he could not reconcile what he saw with what he knew. His mother was not his mother, but she was his mother. He had seen her true face and he had known that it was not her, and that face haunted him.

"MOMMA!" he cried as he awoke from his sleep and he knew that something had been done to him, but he did not know what. In the bed across the room, Maddie was asleep and he knew that they were being looked after by Quiver and Sham who were close by, but he knew he needed to find his mother and free her from the grip of the bad man who had her, but he didn't know what to do.

While his body was physically that of a teenager, his mind was that of a child. He had heard that before and he had not know what it meant, other than he was not able to help people like he saw Uncle Eddie do or any of his friends. He could remember the last moments of Halo City when he had been in control, where he had power to make things happen, but it was like a story and he wanted to be like the person he remembered.

"Hello, Joaquim," said a voice and Joaquim turned to the doorway "Do not be afraid, child," the voice said but Joaquim wanted to run but he couldn't. He looked at him and he saw Vulcann the Bloodsmith and he knew the man before him was the same kind of bad man.

"Momma," he said and the man smiled.

"Not quite, but she needs you, and I need you to help her. I will not let Kulan Gath succeed after all this time." He grabbed Joaquim's arm and injected something in to him and Joaquim felt faint. "That should do it," he said as he lifted the boy and put him back in to bed. "When the time is right, you will be ready." Then he stepped in to the shadows and was gone.

"I thought I heard something," Sham was saying as she looked in the room, but Quiver shook his head.

"You're just jumpy. With the X-Men and Fantastic Four in conference, I would be too."

"It's a wonder the whole place isn't shaking then," she replied and Quiver smiled.

"I'm not afraid anymore," he said. "We either live or we die. We've been on borrowed time since we escaped Halo City." Sham nodded, thinking that was half the reason they'd stopped being X-Men and she looked at the children. Whatever dreams or nightmares the children had been having, it was over now and she did not know how right she was for this time Joaquim's sleep was undisturbed.

---

I have observed for many years the phenomenon known as the X-Men. I watched them from the origins of Xavier's original students to the final incarnation of that generation. I watched as the threads of homo superior were cut short by the Purge and the great rebellion against metahumans. Yet the ideal of one man was somehow kept alive.

Xavier's dream that man and mutant could live together was not one I shared, but it was one I could appreciate, as for Apocalypse their would be an Xavier. I watched as humanity tried to destroy that dream, but the words and power of the dream survived and through the ages the dream became legend and the legend became myth as the mega-corporations took over from where politics had left off, as where there is nothing but hatred there is no politics. Those with the money seized power and made the world in their image.

The freaks, the mutants, the degens, the scraps of humanity made from experiments, from evolution and from man's insatiable desire to subjugate anything lesser. Once the animal kingdom had been ruined it was inevitable they would find an animal class. Where once the world would have looked on them as simply deformed or merely simple, they were just new mutants and as such were lesser than that. There was no hope left in the world, replaced by the need for cash and power

Then things changed, for nature abhors a vacuum. Heroes rose from the ashes, based on the legends of one hundred years before. Names such as Spider-Man, Hulk, Doom, the Punisher, remnants of an age long gone but remnants with the power to inspire and more than that to reawaken hope. The corporations fought back and tried to crush the hope but it survived and it made the world anew. If there had been no heroes then this planet would have been destroyed, one way or another.

At the centre of the happenings in this world have been the X-Men. From the rise of the new Pantheon of Norse Gods, to the takeover of Doom and the subsequent survival of the floods, those who wear the X symbol have been there and they have done all they can to ensure that life goes on, because it is not the nature of the X-Men to live in peace. Xavier's ideal was correct but the philosophy flawed. The purpose of the X-Men is the purpose to survive. They have always taken the necessary steps to do so, from teaching those with the x-factor to thwarting those who would bring those with the x-factor in to disrepute. Xavier did not go far enough, Magneto went too far.

Del Ruiz took on the mantle of saviour after the death of Magnus and his teachings allowed those in Genosha to survive what was to come in the Purge. When Del Ruiz died, Xhao took up the challenge to create a group of X-Men that would allow the survival of their race and through what they did, the X-Men today have survived the same. From persecution to destruction they have endured, and that is something that I have always admired for if the X-Men have all had one trait in common it is the will to defy fate.

Now they do so again, perhaps for the last time. The last time they were united with their allies they were collectively referred to amongst themselves as X-Warriors, and this applies again as they are not just the X-Men this time. They have been joined by the Fantastic Four to fight for not only this world, but this entire reality.

Skullfire and Benjamin Grimm have opened up the conflict on the physical plane but on the astral plane is where the real battle is taking place. Dust, Metalhead, Cagliostro, Morphine Somers, Reed Richards and Xi'an Chi Xan have ascended there to take on the spirit of Kulan Gath in order to free Rosa. However if they defeat Kulan Gath they are still left with the threat of the Harbinger and the summoning of the Sons of Set to this world.

However in the physical world, the remaining X-Men and the other forces are working on the battle. Gath needs seven souls to complete the spell and bring forth the powers of the Sons of Set. Seven souls bound that will be bound to this realm with the soul of a child. Skullfire, Ben Grimm, Shakti Haddad, Meanstreak and Susan Richards are five of the seven and if they lose they fail in their task then the world will fall. They must keep Gath distracted so that those on the astral plane can disrupt Gath as it happened a century ago.

It is a variation on what they tried before, but Gath was waiting and it seemed the X-Men had misjudged Gath, for the six beings combined with Rosa gave Gath the seven souls he needed to complete the spell and now the fight on the real world has more importance as they are fighting not for themselves but for the child. If the blood of the child is spilt than it is all over, and we will have lost everything.

---

"Now what?" asked Morphine as they ascended to the astral plane

"Now you die," said Kulan Gath. "Foolish creatures, did you think I was not listening? Now I have exactly what I need!"

"Get us out of here!" said Xi'an but Dust looked at him in horror.

"Ah can't," he said. "We're trapped..." and Kulan Gath laughed at Raven's discomfort.

"Did you really think that the others would be able to defeat me?" the sorcerer sneered. "The last time you faced me you needed Doom to free you, and now I have the resources of an elder god at my disposal." Chains bound the astral forms of the heroes and Gath looked at them. "Thank you for willingly bringing me your souls," he said and he waved his hand and Rosa appeared.

"Rosa!" Eddie cried and she looked at him.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I couldn't fight them, they were too strong."

"It's okay," said Dust. "We knew this might happen. Hey Gath," he said and his eyes began to glow, both of them, as he charged himself with psionic energy, "guess what Ah know that you don't?"

"Enlighten me," said Gath, confident his powers could overcome anything that they threw at him.

"He's gonna kick your ass." Dust had felt it as soon as Eddie and Rosa had been in the same place. Their true reunion had been a choral resonance of emotion on the astral plane, a sound of love and hope and the ideal that they were meant to be together and he had used his powers to amplify it and send it out and he had felt the awakening of power. Joaquim appeared before them.

"Leave my mother alone!" he demanded.

"What is this?" Gath asked, in surprise. He knew from the woman's memories that this we a mere child in an adult body, that he had no control over his powers in anyway, but this... this shouldn't be.

"You should never have come here," said Joaquim and he fired a psionic equivalent of his photovoltaic energies at Gath who raised his powers to deflect them. He had not anticipated this happening and he had been unprepared for a conflict. He had channelled his powers in to sealing the astral plane so that the X-Men could not escape, but he had not considered it would trap him as well

Dust smiled as he felt the bonds that held the astral plane locked together shake and he knew that Gath was rattled and was having to fight when he was unprepared. It was all he needed and with Gath properly distracted it would make the job of the others much more easy to ensure that the blood of baby Charles would not be used to destroy the world.

"You knew," said Morphine, looking at Raven.

"Ah knew," Dust confirmed. "In our conference I felt the power of Joaquim increase, subtly but enough to know something had happened to him to free his mind. I told Xi'an, who told me to tell the others. We planned this from the beginning"

"But the only person who did that before was Vulcann," said Rosa. "And he's dead."

"The Shaper's Guild," said Morphine. "If one shaper could do that, then another could as well. Though it would have been nice if I'd been kept in the loop."

"We have to keep to the plan," said Reed. "We bring forth the Harbinger. It does not need Rosa's body - Kulan Gath needs that to live. Rosa's body was just the host until the time was right. I suspect that the Harbinger will need to be born, much as any other being, though it would be a being of energy more than a physical creature."

"I cannot let the Harbinger use my body," said Rosa.

"You must," said Cagliostro. "We have our roles here. Dust brought us, Metalhead was the connection needed to you, Reed is the brains and the man who can provide the answers, I am a mystic who knows the rituals. Xi'an can heal you."

"Wait, what about me? I volunteered for this as well," Morphine said, irate at being used.

"We accepted so we could keep an eye on you," said Xi'an. "No loose cannons this time."

"There will be comeback for this," said Morphine.

"You could break us loose," said Eddie. "I can't seem to break these chains loose, and maybe an astral representation of your powers will."

"The Harbinger is evil incarnate," said Rosa, looking at them.

"It is," said Cagliostro. "I tried to use the Phalanx to stop it's coming, but it was not the way. I had hoped to prevent it's rise but now I know it must happen. Kulan Gath's ambitions have diverted the course, as Doom knew it would."

"Doom planned this as well?" Morphine was incredulous.

"Pretty much," said Dust. "He knew what Gath was up to, that was why he did what he did to him at the end of time, to ensure he would delay things so he could do what he needed to do to find a solution."

"Very good," muttered Morphine.

"I know this is hard," said Eddie as he looked at Rosa, "but everything is riding on what we do now. You know I love you."

"I know," she said.

"And that is what will ensure we get through this. If you give yourself to the Harbinger, Kulan Gath will not be able to keep himself in your body because he is fighting the Harbinger as well. Because you would not choose the Harbinger was weakened."

"If I give myself willingly, how will I get back to you? How do you know I even can?"

"Because I am here," said Xi'an. "I can fix whatever damage will be done. My spirit has power. My time in Mephisto's realm proved that."

"You must do it," said Dust. "Joaquim will not be able to fight Kulan Gath forever and Gath can draw on the same resources as the Harbinger."

"Summon the Harbinger," she said and Cagliostro nodded. Seven souls were needed for the spell to bring forth the Sons, so in theory seven souls would have the power to fuel the incantation to bring the Harbinger forth and he began to utter the words as the others watched the battle between Kulan Gath and Joaquim whose power was greater than anything they had seen before.

"Incredible," Reed muttered as he watched the fight. "He reminds me so much of Franklin..." Xi'an said nothing, but his thoughts were with Shakti and the son he had left her to protect from Gath, the product of the robot Franklin, and he hoped both of them would be okay.

---

"Gnat!" cried Rosa, as the team struck at the host of Kulan Gath, but he was strong, and they were having little to no effect on the sorcerer and then suddenly Gath staggered and the X-Warriors looked at each other. None of them were nearby when it happened, as they were trying to regroup so that could mean only one thing - that those on the astral plane were succeeding in the plan.

"Go!" said Tim and as Meanstreak created a vortex around Rosa, drawing the air away from her, Tim fired a low level energy blast through the vortex. Kulan Gath raised a shield but it was too little to deflect it all and it was one affect on him too many and he was finally driven back, away from the baby and Henri grabbed Charles and returned the babe to his mother.

"We did it!" said Henri, as Tim created a electromagnetic field around Rosa, keeping Kulan Gath caged.

"Do not count this battle as won yet," he said and he called upon the magic he knew and reached out, calling for an ally to help him and he found a mind he could use and he gave it a subtle twist and that would be enough. Then he gave a chuckle. "It's not over yet," said Kulan Gath.

"What do you mean?" asked Tim and then he screamed in agony as his body was dissipated by an energy blast.

"Annihilus!?" the Thing said in horror. "I thought you were trapped in the Negative Zone!"

"Doom gave me my freedom," said the tyrant, "and now I will kill you all!"

"Nice one, Doomie," said Grimm as he raced in to a battle he thought he'd never have to fight again and he and Annihilus traded blows, but Annihilus was the distraction and with Skullfire pulling himself back together, Kulan Gath came over towards Shakti and Henri.

"You are no match for me," Kulan Gath said as he towered over them, but the strain on his face showed how tormented he was.

"I beg to differ," said Henri and threw a punch, but Gath caught it and twisted Henri's arm, hearing the bones snap.

"The woman's strength is greater then yours, thanks to the power of the Harbinger," said Gath and he threw Meanstreak back, leaving Shakti alone. "Now it's just you and me."

"You will never have my child," she said.

"And who will stop me? You, Mrs Richards, who is using her powers to keep those on the astral plane safe?"

"Me!" said a voice and from the trees swooped the Moon Knight, kicking Kulan Gath in the back and sending him to the floor. "Von Doom sends his regards."

"You are the disciple," said Gath. "The servant of the enemy of Set."

"And you serve one who is enemy to Khonshu," said Sarah.

"You are overmatched now, Knight of the Moon," Gath said. "Earth gravity is not something you are used to."

"Perhaps," said Sarah, "but the Moon shines down and while his eye is upon me, I draw on the strength of Khonshu!" She and Gath started to battle as Shakti checked on Henri.

"I'll heal," he said, looking at the battles going on between the Moon Knight and Gath and Ben Grimm and Annihilus. "Jammit, this is getting out of hand though."

"I know," said Shakti. "I just hope the others stop Gath in time."

"And then we only have the Harbinger to deal with," he said. "Let's face it, if we're using the Harbinger to defeat Gath, how do we defeat him?"

"That's where everything else comes in to play," said Shakti. "I just hope the timing is right."

---

Back on the astral plane, Cagliostro completed the incantation and the whole of that reality started to shake.

"I hope this works," said Xi'an, having to shout over the roaring of the dimensional instability the calling had caused.

"In theory," said Cagliostro. "The Harbinger is a psionic entity, a portion of the combination of the astral forms of the Seven Sons of Set. The knowledge they learnt from their mothers told them that each dimension needed to be prepared for before they attacked, so that they would meet with no resistance. Otherwise it could be possible for the heroes to drive them back. They are not Set, they are half human, and as such they can be killed. They are immune to the ravages of time, but they are as vulnerable as any other demi-god."

"And the Harbinger is sent to pave the way for their coming," said Dust. "But how could Gath be the Harbinger in the past if this is happening now?"

"It wasn't time," said Cagilostro. "He called the Sons before they were ready and that was how you were able to best him. The price we must pay, all pay if we defeat the Harbinger when he comes will be steep."

"What do you mean?" Morphine shouted but it was too late. There was a cascadence of light around them and a rainbow coloured entity appeared, the colours of the spectrum iridescent around them all.

"FREE!" it roared and Kulan Gath froze in horror.

"No," he said, and made for them but Joaquim was in his way. He stil, had to keep the sorcerer busy while his mother made a deal with the devil.

"Seven souls summoned me," the Harbinger said. "Seven souls are now mine for the coming of the new masters of this world."

"You are not free yet!" Caglisotro said. "Your power is still stolen by Kulan Gath."

"I am blocked from him by another," the Harbinger said and the light shone down on Rosa. "You resist me. Kulan Gath has enabled it to be so. You would not be able to resist me otherwise."

"I do not resist you," said Rosa. "I give myself to you. I will be your vessel, the handmaiden of Set."

"Come to me," said the Harbinger and as Rosa moved towards him, Metalhead's fists clenched, but Reed's hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Steady, son," Mr Fantastic said. "We knew this would not be easy."

"Never though it'd be this hard," Eddie answered but he released his grip and watched the woman he loved walk in to the light and then she was gone, her astral form merging with that of the Harbinger and it's full power was restored. Now Joaquim stood away, hearing his mother's voice commanding him to do so. His part was done and now Kulan Gath would pay the price for his usurping of the power of the Harbinger.

"KULAN GATH!" the Harbinger said and the light echoed around Kulan Gath, who tried to back away.

"I am the loyal servant of Set!" Gath cried. "I meant no disrespect."

"You are not the Harbinger of Set," the entity commanded. "You presume too much, and would do anything to gain power from our masters. Do you think I do not know, that they do not know of your treachery, that you planned to use the rituals to enslave them and rule this world."

"That is not true," Gath started, but the Harbinger was not listening.

"Your actions have ensued this and you will be punished." The light cascaded around Kulan Gath and the Sorcerer screamed in agony as the Harbinger took revenge. "From this day forth, the multiversal versions of yourself will pay for this effrontery. No longer will the Harbinger require the brutalisation of an innocent soul to enable it to arrive. It will enter each reality through Kulan Gath in whatever form and it will consume that form on arrival. You have doomed yourself and all those who would come after you!"

Gath screamed as everyone observed the Sorcerer expand until he was the size of the astral plane and then he exploded, his astral from gone.

"Get yourselves the shock out of here!" Xi'an said and Dust complied, using the momentary break in the hold to release them from the astral plane. Xi'an stayed, knowing he would be needed when the Harbinger was defeated. The effort would kill Rosa if he were not there to heal her astral form. He just hoped that the others would be able to stop the Harbinger once and for all.

---

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Rosa screamed as the Moon Knight was about to strike again and then she fell to the floor, just as the Thing landed a major blow against Annihilus.

"Enough," the dictator said as Grimm came over. "My mind is free again."

"Again?" asked Grimm, looking sceptical. "Yer tellin' me you were under the control of Gath?"

"Yes," said Annihilus. "My arrival here disorientated me and Gath took advantage of the weakness."

The Thing smiled. "Knew ya had weaknesses."

"Indeed," said Annihilus, coldly and raised himself up. "Thank you for giving me a true battle again. I am out of practice."

"No problem," said Grimm and he could see the others coming from under the force field and he knew they'd come back. "Gath's gone then?"

"Yes," said Reed, "though I cannot help but feel sorry for him. His action have ensured he is doomed for all eternity, even if he did not deserve it."

"Whatever," said Grimm. "So now what happens?"

"Rosa!" said Eddie seeing the woman he love lying prostrate on the ground. He turned her over and looked at the bruises and marks on her, now that Gath was no longer in her body and keeping her sustained. "My God, what happened?"

"I'm sorry," said Moon Knight. "I had little choice. I…"

Then Rosa's body started to glow and the energy that came from her forced everyone back. The power tore through her clothes, radiating from every orifice that she had and it began to coalesce in the air around them.

"Here we go again," said Morphine and he looked at Shakti. "If I were you, I'd run," he said. "Take the brat and get as far away as you can."

"Rosa!" called Eddie, but he could not get to her and he could see the energy ripping from her body, tearing flesh as it flooded from her and the Harbinger was abroad on the Earth, and the energy seemed to take on the form of a featureless person, composed of the energy that had escaped.

"A new universe," said the Harbinger. "Complete with heroes of a new breed."

"You'll not get this planet while we live," said Morphine, standing in front of everyone. "This is our world and you're not getting it."

"Little man," said the Harbinger. "You have great power in your hands, the ability to accelerate linear time in an object. Consider what would happen if your great power were turned inwards…" Morphine clutched as his gut in pain and he looked at his hands as they started to age and wither before him.

"Not… shocking… possible…" he said, his skin becoming like paper, his eyesight becoming blurred and his breathing ragged as he grew older and older.

"It is merely improbable," said the Harbinger, and then it stopped.

"Why not kill me?" Morphine rasped, his voice hoarse and quiet.

"Because I have need of your soul. You summoned me and in doing so volunteered your soul to me for the rising of the Sons."

"You didn't tell me about this!" he said turning to Cagliostro.

"We didn't tell you a lot of things," said Cagliostro. "NOW ATTACK!" The heroes surged towards the Harbinger and they felt themselves held by an invisible force field.

"I read your simple minds and knew you would do this," the Harbinger said.

"Read this!" said Susan Richards and used her powers to cancel out the force field that had been created.

"Very clever," said the Harbinger, "but it is not enough!" The strength of will of the Harbinger met that of the Invisible Woman and beat her back, as it used the physical strength of the mothers to force her back and the force field held

"Try something else!" said Skullfire, finally getting back in the game and he attacked the energy being with his own power, but the Harbinger simply absorbed it.

"Part of my power is to control the elemental forces of this planet," he said. "Including electricity." His eyes focused on Tim who dropped from the sky and landed before the entity.

"My master," he said.

"You will serve well," the Harbinger spoke as he looked at the others. "As will the females." Shakti, Susan and Sarah were separated. "You will be the first of the host mothers to the progeny of Set. You will give the children everything they require, including yourselves as fodder once they are birthed."

"Never willingly," said Shakti.

"You will," said the Harbinger. "Now for the seven souls." Reed, Dust, Morphine, Metalhead and Cagliostro were segregated from the main group. "There is one missing. No matter - a replacement is easily found." Henri joined them.

"There's only six of us," said Cagliostro. "Where is the seventh?"

"The child," said the Harbinger and Charles joined the group. "His blood will be the agent that brings them forth. The purity of the soul will sate the hunger, your souls will provide the sustenance for the travel."

"I think not!" said a voice and Doom hovered over them all.

"So you are this world's Sorcerer Supreme," the Harbinger said. "At last you arrive, and you will fail as so many others have failed to stop me in the past."

"I am not the one to stop you," said Doom, a thin smile on his lips. "The soul of the child will not be yours."

"And how do you propose to stop me? I can kill you one of a thousand ways."

"Not while I hold this!" said Doom, holding forth the Darkhold. "It's powers will ensure you cannot harm me."

"But you cannot use it while it is protecting you," the Harbinger said. "This has been tried before, by many who thought they could thwart the will of Set!"

"Yes, but many will not have done this!" said Doom and he gestured towards Annihilus and energy from the Cosmic Cvontrol Rod was unleashed at Charles and the child was disintegrated by the power in less than a moment, leaving nothing but a pile of ashes.

"CHARLES!" cried Shakti. "DAMN YOU DOOM, I WILL SEE YOU DEAD!" but Doom ignored the woman.

"I will find another soul, von Doom," said the Harbinger. "That will not stop me."

"Oh it will," said Doom. "The child was not a child by any means you know. It was a child created by a robot. Psionically created by a creature created by Reed Richards. The child was not a child, but the essence of a man long dead, whose powers were as beyond any human ever born."

"Franklin…" whispered Reed. "My son…"

"And I have just freed his spirit," said Doom. "I already cast the spell from the Darkhold to ensure he stayed anchored here. I will not stop you, Harbinger. He will!"

Psionic energy formed before the Harbinger, a being matching it's own, and the Harbinger was suddenly silent and the hold on the heroes broken, but they watched in amazement.

"Unlimited psionic potential, the ability to alter and create reality from nothing, and the sensibility to combat evil wherever it came from." Doom spoke softly, but all could here him. "The purpose of Franklin Richards was ever to combat the Harbinger."

"My son," said Reed.

"I will explain another time," said Doom. "Leave this place at once. This is not a battle you shall witness and live!" They did not need telling again and they started to flee, somewhere else at Doom's direction, as the two energy beings did battle for the fate of a reality.

"You knew," said Sue looking at Doom. "You knew about our son!"

"I knew he has a purpose, and I once believed that purpose was my destiny and mine alone," Doom answered. "It was not until I looked upon the Eye of Agamotto within my Sanctorum, that I knew what the purpose was, as a hero grappled for all time with Set himself to ensure he never threatens any reality again. When I saw the Enigma force infused with the man known as Quasar I knew what must be done."

"But what about the Franklin robot," said Reed, trying hard to keep up and wondering how much Doom enjoyed being ahead of him. "The robot summoned the spirit of my son and implanted it in Shakti."

"The Watcher created you because he knew the world needed heroes," said Doom with a smile. "You fulfilled your purpose in creating Franklin the first time around from your cosmically enhanced genetics. You fulfilled it again when you created the robot to allow your son to reborn once more and then your purpose was done. That is why you decided to leave this timeline for the past."

"But because we weren't real, the Watcher couldn't allow that, as he knew what he'd done would be discovered and stopped," said Sue.

"And he was about to destroy the evidence when I arrived," said Sarah, and Doom nodded.

"He used us," said Reed.

"Yes, he did," Doom said. "A masterful play from a being who knew what was to come."

"You would think that," said Grimm and Doom shook his head.

"However it needed the power of the Control Rod to spark the power cosmic within Franklin."

"Which was why you let me live," said Annihilus and Doom said nothing. He didn't need to.

"Who will win the battle?" asked Shakti.

"Neither of them," said Doom, without hesitation. "Their conflict will destroy the planet in time, perhaps the very galaxy itself and even beyond."

"Then why do it?" asked Cagliostro.

"To buy time," said Doom. "The Darkhold will put an end to the Harbinger, but I need time to cast the spell."

"We left Tim!" said Eddie in shock. He had gathered Rosa, but Skullfire had been left.

"Perhaps he will survive," said Doom. "In any event, it does not matter. We play for bigger stakes than the fate of one man."

---

"What's going on over there?" Miguel O'Hara asked as his people watched the Savage Land from the satellites above the planet.

"You have to see this sir," said a technician and Miguel looked at the monitor and ordered his people to avert their eyes.

"This is not something you can witness for too long without being driven mad. Evacuate the room!" The people left and his hand went to Mjolnir, wondering if he stayed, could the power of the Norse Gods help him. He decided it was better not to find out and he left the room as well, hoping that whatever Doom was doing, he did it quickly.

The energy beings were destroying the Savage Land and that wasn't going to be good for the rest of the planet if they lost the South Pole…

---

"I will need everyone for this," said Doom as they gathered outside the Xavier City Council chambers, the jungle outside being devastated by the battle. "This is the spot where the mystical energy is strongest. It is where Mephisto seized the souls of Garokk and Exodus and it was where Garokk created the portal, and the mystical properties of the Savage Land seem to be focused here."

"What do you need from us?" said Shakti and Doom looked at them all.

"An anchor," he said. "Each of you has something special, an attribute or capacity that will keep me here, and enhance my chance of not giving up my soul." He looked at them all.

Shakti. "Unity."

Henri. "Loyalty."

Eddie. "Honour."

Dust. "Redemption."

Morphine. "Cunning."

Reed. "Knowledge."

Susan. "Maternity."

Ben. "Courage."

Sarah. "Durability."

Xina. "Hope."

Annihilus. "Power."

Cagliostro. "Wisdom."

"Focus on the light," Doom commanded and a ball of light appeared in the circle, as the people of Xavier city gathered, and they too watched the light, feeding their uniqueness to the circle and Doom opened the Darkhold and began to read aloud from it.

---

"Rosa!" called Xi'an as he watched from the astral plane. Joaquim was shielding him from the effects of the battle, but he had to get to her soul, he had to connect to her and heal her, brining her back from the merging with the Harbinger or when it was destroyed she would be as well and he would not allow that. "Joaquim, I need to get closer to her."

"I will try," he replied and Joaquim reached out, touching every aspect of the astral plane, pushing himself beyond the boundaries it had and looking for someway of touching her. "I cannot do it!" he said. "I cannot reach her soul."

"Perhaps I can help," said a voice and Xi'an bristled.

"Mephisto," he said, and the demon smiled.

"You have unleashed Hell on Earth this time," said the Prince of Lies. "My realm is growing. It will grow and grow until the battle ends, if it does."

"What do you want?"

"That's the problem isn't it?" said Mephisto. "If it goes on and you can't stop it, it will infect my dimension and I can't have that. I know what Doom is doing and it is a bold play, but it will do more damage than he knows. He uses forces he knows little of and thinks he is capable. That arrogance will make him mine one day, and then we will discuss it further."

"Get to the point," said Xi'an.

"I'm willing to make a deal."

"I won't give you my soul."

"I already own it," Mephisto said, his voice cold and dark and Xi'an was filled with dread as he heard it. "Our last encounter should have taught you that, however I will let that slide for now. There is one who should be mine and has evaded it for too long and I would have him for my collection."

"Who?"

"I want Sinister. In exchange I will let you touch the soul of Rosa Vasquez and you can do what you want to do."

"Agreed," said Xi'an and they shook hands and there was a stench of brimstone as they did so.

"All yours," said Mephisto. "See you soon." Then he was gone and Joaquim gasped.

"I feel her. I can sense my mother."

"Connect us," said Xi'an, wondering just how he was going to explain his actions later to Shakti and the others.

---

As Doom's spell was being cast, the others could feel the strain on his soul, as Chthon demanded recompense and nothing less than the soul of Victor Von Doom would suit him, but Doom would not relent his soul to Chthon or any other and he fought with everything he had against the elder god and he used the people around him to inspire him, to search deeper than he had ever gone before and he broke the connection as he spoke the final words and the ball of light became dark and expanded to a larger ball and Doom held it aloft.

"Susan Richards, Sarah - follow me!" he said and the three of them went to the outskirts of the city where the battle had just reached them. The Savage Land itself had been devastated, ravaged and seemingly nothing beyond the wall had survived and then Doom cast the ball towards the Harbinger and Franklin. It expanded around them, encased them and they still ignored it as they fought.

"Susan, focus on your love for your son. Everything you have ever felt for him bring it forth. Sarah, focus on your connection with Khonshu. Bring everything he can give you."

They did so and Doom focused his own mystical might on the energy ball and then he gestured with his hands, drawing the mental power from the two women and channelled it through the Eye of Agamotto and it struck the energy ball he had created and then it was all gone in an explosion of cosmic proportions and for a single moment, the Earth itself ceased to exist.

---

The cosmic cry of the Harbinger as Doom's spell took hold acted as the guide Joaquim and Xi'an needed to get to Rosa and Xi'an touched her soul, focusing his powers in to her soul, drawing the darkness out and casting it aside and he tried to pull her back, but he could feel himself being drawn with her to wherever the Harbinger was going.

"Joaquim!" he cried and the young mutant held on to them and pulled with everything he had and he kept Xi'an anchored and the two of them pulled Rosa free as the presence that was the Harbinger vanished. "Rosa?" he said, looking down at her. "Speak to me."

"Is it over?" she said, and Xi'an gave a sigh of relief.

"It's over," he said. "It's time to go home."

---

"My God," said Miguel as he arrived in the Savage Land a day later. The lush jungles has been ruined as far as the eye could see and there was nothing out there but intense quiet, that was unnatural. So far there had been no sign of Tim.

"Yes," said Xi'an as he looked at the place they were calling the Graveyard across the city. "I wish it were under better circumstances."

"So what happened?" said Miguel as they walked.

"We don't rightly know," said Xi'an. "Doom's been unconscious since he cast the spell. Xina's not left his side once, nor has Nostromo, who came over from Latveria a short while ago. We do know one thing though."

"What's that?"

"Meet my son," he said as Shakti came forward with baby Charles. "Doom did something, with the help of Sue and we think the moon god Khonshu. Franklin is gone, but Charles remains."

"Whatever Doom did, I'm grateful," said Shakti. "I never dared imagine we'd lose him."

"Doom's awake," said Henri, rushing over. "He would like to speak with you before he goes."

"Goes?" said Xi'an.

"Don't ask me," said Meanstreak and they hurried to the medical wing, where Doom was standing, talking with Sarah.

"What's going on, Doom?" Xi'an asked

"I must go," he said. "I am needed elsewhere."

"But where?" asked Xina.

"Xina, my love," he said looking at her. "The Harbinger is gone and he will not return, but the Sons of Set will not rest. We have saved this world for now, but the next time we may not."

"Next time?" asked Miguel and Doom looked at him.

"Earth, mankind has a destiny, Miguel O'Hara. You will guide them to it."

"How do you know?" asked Miguel.

"Because I am Doom," said Doom. "And I will return."

"But from where?" asked Xi'an and Doom glowered at him.

"Another Earth," he said. "I am heading for the Negative Zone, to the Crossroads of Infinity. I know how to travel those pathways and I will fortify the next reality for the coming of the Sons of Set."

"But the Harbinger is gone," said Shakti. "You said so."

"Yet a move was made I did not foresee, and the Sons will rise. This time they must be destroyed, and to do so I must prepare that world. This threat will end."

"That's why you've been unconscious," said Nostromo, understanding. "You've been speaking with higher powers."

"Yes," said Doom. He looked at Xina and saw the drops on her cheek. "No tears," he said, softly, his hand caressing her chin

"I don't want you to go," Xina said. "I get the feeling I'll never see you again."

"I am Doom," he said and he kissed her. "I will return. You have my word." Sarah handed him the Nega Bands and he put them on.

"What of Annihilus?" asked Xi'an. "You're not leaving him here?" Doom gave a thin, knowing smile.

"He has taken to the stars, Xi'an Chi Xan. He will not return this way again. Until we meet again." Then with a clang of the Nega Bands, he was gone.

"Okay," said Miguel. "Let's go to work."

---

In his inner sanctum, Nathaniel Essex smiled. The future would be his...

---