How dare she? Magik angrily asks Wirchfire. How dare she? She strikes at the other woman with her Soulsword but doesn’t hit her target. She has no right to be here! she continues. She has no right? Witchfire repeats and her eyes begin to glow dangerously. She counters Magik’s blow. She has every right!! It’s she who has no place here! Limbo belonged to Belasco, she reminds Magik and begins to attack. She strikes her down. All that was his is now hers… including Ilyana’s soul… She takes the bloodstone amulet Magik wore with the Pixie soulstone No… Magik moans afraid.
Elsewhere in Limbo, the X-Men are embroiled in battle with demons, moments after arrival. These aren’t the demons they’re looking for, Rockslide quips. Maximum damage, Nighcrawler orders Wolverine while he gets their bearings. Way ahead of him, Wolverine replies. An’ it looks like Petey ain’t takin’ no prisoner either. Colossus madly strikes at demons, vowing they will all pay for her suffering.
Pixie, in the meantime panics, babbling what has she gotten them into? She thinks she’s gonna be suck, Mercury mutters. Nightcrawler tells them now is not the time for weak stomachs or cold feet. They’re X-Men. Do what the have been trained to do.
At that moment, a tentacled demon grabs him from behind. Pixie slices it apart with her Souldagger. He’s pretty sure that was never part of their training, Santo points out.
Most lessons are learned in the heat of battle, Colossus points out and smashes Santo apart. Dude, what did he do that for? comes the protest. Colossus reminds him that he needs to be formed of Limbo rock to be effective.
Nightcrawler asks Pixie if she has any idea where in Limbo she’s dropped them. She doesn’t know, she’s never teleported into Limbo before. Don’t matter much where they are, Wolverine decides. They gotta get to higher ground before the demons slaughter them down here. That moment, a demon’s lance pierces his chest from behind. Cue for Wolverine to go into one of his patented berserker rages, meaning the kids and Nightcrawler pretty much only get to watch as he takes care of business.
Elsewhere in Limbo, Magik demands Witchfire give back the bloodstone amulet. Is that all she can say for herself? Witchfire scoffs. Spoken like the child she truly is. Give it to her, Magik repeats. Come and get it! Witchfire goads her. Magik attacks with her Soulsword. Witchfire easily dodges the attack. Holding the bloodstone amulet, she casts a spell. And Magik screams as something begins to happen to her.
What is she doing? she moans. That’s her secret, Witchfire replies, but she can tell her this, it’s not going to be pretty. And with that she pushes her own sword through Illyana’s gut.
Elsewhere, Wolverine has finished the last demon. Does he have an off-switch? Mercury asks nervously. “Allow me,” Colossus replies and pulls the blade out of Logan’s back. After a scream, he thanks Peter. Colossus replies they thank him. That may have been the coolest thing he’s ever seen, Santo admits. Maybe for him, Wolverine remarks dismissively. Looks like he got them this far. What next? he asks Nightcrawler.
Neither Pixie nor he can teleport them blindly across Limbo, Kurt surmises, so they’ll use this moment of respite for aerial reconnaissance. He asks Meggan if she recalls what he taught her about how to effectively use her abilities to…
Mercury stretches her neck Mr. Fantastic style and announces that the only power they need find out where they gotta go is good eyesight. Look. Belasco’s castle.
In there, Witchfire kicks the lifeless Magik into the widening pool of blood on the ground. Her Soulsword disappears in there. Holding both amulets, Witchfire hisses yeesss. Why keep the stones divided when true power lies in unity? She casts a spell and Pixie’s soulstone in the one amulet joins Illyana’s three in the other. She discards the now empty amulet and laughs. Four down, one to go…
Outside, Pixie doubles over and screams out in pain. It’s like the emptiness in her is growing! Her soul is calling to her. Something is wrong! Kurt tells her to be strong and fight the pull. She apologizes and casts her teleportation spell. She disappears alone.
Logan tells Kurt to teleport them over to the castle. The distance is too far for one jump, he tells them. Impossible with passengers. He’s sorry. They ain’t the ones he should be sorry for, comes the reply.
Pixie reappears in a library in the castle. She draws her soul dagger and follows the pull. She passes a mirror. As she looks inside she sees a monstrous, demonic version of her smiling back. Horrified, she runs on. Damn you, Illyana, she cries. She will not become like her! She’s going to find her…
She needn’t look much further, comes another voice. Who the hell is she? Pixie asks, seeing Witchfire and next to her the chained Magik. She may call her Master! comes the reply. On the ground, Pixie sees the discarded amulet. But her stone is gone. What does this mean about her soul? she demands. Witchfire grabs her by the throat! Your soul is now mine! she shouts in triumph.
Pixie tries to reach for her amulet with the four bloodstones. Witchfire hurts her with a burning spell, telling her she has no choice in the matter… apprentice. Get used to the image she saw in the mirror, she gloats. Pixie begins to transform into a demon-like creature, as slowly a last bloodstone begins to manifest from her. Once she forges this fifth and final bloodstone, Witchfire states…
The other X-Men can hear Illyana’s scream of horror even from afar. Colossus begs Kurt to teleport him there. She needs him. No, Kurt replies. She needs all of them. Peter thanks him. Kurt warns him to thank him if they make it. They gather around him and he tells them to pray he has the strength, and he teleports them away.
Moments later, they reappear in Witchfire’s throne room. Colossus is startled to see his sister while Santo immediately attacks Witchfire on behalf of Pixie. But suddenly, Colossus smashes him apart and Wolverine attacks Mercury, slashing at her. Both have succumbed to Witchfire’s magic, not being immune to magic.
Worst… field trip… ever, Mercury gasps while Santo tries to shake Wolverine out of it. Logan takes off his head and Colossus tears Mercury apart. Well done, Witchfire commends her new soldiers. She may keep them around after all this.
Magik addresses the exhausted Kurt, asking him to take the dagger. He hates magic, Kurt states as he picks up Pixie’s soul dagger. But he’s attuned to it… able to use it, like he must now, he knows what he has to do, she insists. Is there any other way? he asks. When she tells him no, he apologizes. No, she’s sorry, she assures him… for everything.
Nightcrawler stabs Magik in the chest with the Souldagger. He is diverted by Pixie’s scream as the bloodstone is finished. That moment, Colossus strikes him. Witchfire’s new soldiers have turned their attention on him.
