I saw my dreams fall, plummeting towards the resurrected Earth beneath my feet. The ground that had been reborn through pain, deception and death. However, as they have proven time and again, dreams don't die.

For a while though I wondered. Dust humbled by Brimstone Love, La Lunatica a prisoner of her conscience and the X-Men sent home with their tails between their legs, hoping to find the spark that infused their passion before.

I watched from my vantage point, using what I had left in my solitude to see in to their hearts and minds. I have rarely used the talents I have had since birth but now I have no other options left open to me. There is nothing left for me to use.

Imagine my surprise as I see what I see as they return to Xavier City - Meanstreak, a traitor in their midst; Ms Porter and Ten Eagles, victims of unspoken passion and fearing a rejection they dare not risk; Richards ensnared in his guilt, whilst his family watch on unknowing; Xi'an fighting for the dead with allies he never dared dream would be there.

O'Hara stands in silence debating his role in the great scheme of things now a new Spider-Man is in town; and Morphine - my own dear Morphine - preparing for a political strike he can only have learnt from the Black Cabinet.

(Doom's government when he took over the United States in Doom 2099 #30 - David.)

Imagine my surprise when he decides it's time to strike. To take Brimstone Love and the Theatre of Pain down once and for all. He and Xi'an are sides of the same coin, much like Magnus and Xavier - though there is no respect between them and they can only ever be adversaries. However for things to work, they will need a push. A mystical push.

This is not the game I set in motion with my warnings to Alchemax, my fake threat of war. The Theatre were defending themselves from invaders, however they are the ones who invaded.

(The warning came in X-Men 2099 #3 - David.)

Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander.

My mystical sphere allows me to watch Morphine assemble a strike force of no understated power, as I manipulate the assembled. They thought they needed Xi'an when they returned, but with The Fantastic Four, Morphine and the woman Rosa, the X-Men felt a surge of hope, and I was able to fan the fire.

Now they are all heading back to Latveria in the vehicle of the Richards clan. Morphine has named them the X-Warriors, an apt term. They have warriors hearts, and the determination of true heroes. I see what their faces show, but their minds reveal much different things. The worry, the concern, the doubt. I have done all I can to bring them together. The rest is up to them and I hope they are up to the task.

"Reed?" asks Krystal, seeing that he is not himself.

"Hmm?" asks the distracted scientist, thinking of what he had done. How he had doomed Shakti. Interesting that is the term on his mind.

"We're coming up on Latveria," the dark skinned female says. "We're going to need your expertise if we're to get past the defences."

"Hey, Stretch!" shouts the mass of stone that answers to the name Ben Grimm. "We're gonna need yer help up here!"

"Yes," he responds, rising absently. This is not the Richards of old. This is the weak link in the chain. How ironic if the planet's greatest champion ends up the planet's greatest failure?

My vision shifts to events occurring in Latveria itself. An unholy trio are talking. Father, son and living ghost.

Sinister sits at the head of the table, Luna at his left and Love at his right. A family reunion that is anything but happy.

(See the events of last issue to find out why - David.)

"So," says Brimstone, smiling with a evil leer, "how is Fitzgerald these days? I didn't see him in your little party? Don't tell me he found better things to do?"

"Tim's dead," replies Luna, with a resignation that shocks even me. "I lost the most important thing in my life, so don't you dare make light of it." Her tone contains no anger, no passion, no life.

"Ah, young love, how sweet," comments Brimstone, blithely ignoring his sister's request. He laughs as she makes no response, but his laughter is cut short as a gloved hand grabs his throat.

"Never make light of love," says Essex. "You don't know the power that such an emotion possesses. Such a shame." He releases his son, who is duly humbled and turns towards Luna. "He stopped the hunger, did he not?"

"You know?"

"A trait you developed from your mother, a trait I could not remove no matter how I tried. A curse that could not be abated except by love."

"How do you mean?"

"Love is one thing that makes the mighty strong. Even the cosmic powers of the universe cannot halt the power that it entails. Your mother had the hunger - a taste for blood, like you hunger for emotion. However when she fell in love her hunger abated. We worked and concluded that it was something to do with the changes in body chemistry that occurs when one falls in love. However it was not enough to keep her alive, for not even love can turn the hand of Death."

"You mean Tim was my only hope to abate the hunger that consumes me?"

"Perhaps not your only hope, but yes. Such a shame. I hear he had such potential." "Tim..." Luna is almost sobbing. I know how hard it is to think you have no hope, but there is always a chance that there is a way. I also know how hard it is to know that some things are set in stone.

Fitzgerald was a worthy ally. I share her pain but I know that it is not over for her yet. Brimstone is bringing out some Latverians. Now my heart is cold at what I know is coming.

"There, there," he says. "I have just the thing for you. These three watched as their families were assimilated by the Phalanx, killed as they watched and made in to slaves. Their emotions are raw, their pain intense. Can you not feel it, my sister? Can you not taste the fear in their minds? Isn't the need to feed growing, eating at your insides, leaving a void that can only be filled by the wilful raping of these people?"

I see her salivating, her hunger growing with the taunts of her brother. There are tears in her eyes as she sees, as she tries to fight the hunger within. Her muscles tense, her pure white skin rippling with tension. Sweat pours from her, but her brother continues the taunts.

Sinister simply watches, seeing how the hunger grabs her, noting her struggle between her own will and her desires. We both know how this will end and watch as she screams with a feral cry, a cry of freedom yet of desperation. She leaps towards the fearful slaves, landing on the closest one forcing him to the floor, her hands gripping his head like a vice as she feeds on his emotion, ripping it from his head.

So intense is her hunger that she drains the man dry, leaving nothing left within him and she approaches the others.

"You can never return to the X-Men," glowers Brimstone, incinerating the defunct Latverian with a bolt of flame and bursts in to laughter. "Almost too easy." The tears flow from Luna's eyes and I can watch no longer.

"Such a shame," comes Sinister's voice as the vision fades.

My focus does not leave Latveria. The X-Warriors are quite a way off yet, so I focus on the missing element from this drama - the mutants of X-Nation.

Nostromo is using his abilities to render the machinery that held them before inert. There are only four of them, but now their minds are clear and they have their hope renewed.

"You think they'll come back?" asks December, with no real use for her powers over the cold yet.

"They're the X-Men, jammit" replies Uproar. "What do you shocking think?"

"I think you ought to shrink down," gently chides Willow, resting before the battle they all know is coming. "You're almost touching the roof." Uproar shrugs his enthusiasm off, but doesn't shrink back to his normal size.

"We shouldn't rely on the X-Men," says Nostromo, his voice containing a metallic echo that it obtained when he was revealed to be the Scout of the Phalanx, before he was revealed to be the 2099 Trojan Horse. "The four of us here may be the only chance Latveria has."

"They took us with ease before," replies December.

"This time we're ready," speaks Nostromo. "Luna knew what she was doing when she said she'd stay. She knew Brimstone Love wouldn't let us leave."

"You mean this is a trap?" asks Uproar, now resuming his normal size.

"Yes," says Nostromo, showing the signs of leadership that were apparent when he was chosen to be the heir of Latveria. There is more to him than meets the eye, a centuries worth of programming and training, started by the master of the craft. "The only question is whose trap will be sprung first?"

He and I know that until that question is answered the stalemate between X-Nation and the Theatre of Pain will remain. The prospect is thrilling indeed.

I now return my vision to the X-Warriors. Richards is still a shade of his former self, and his wife Sue holds his hand, a sign of love, a sign of faith. Eddie and Rosa are quietly discussing Shakti's suicide and how she could have fallen so far, so soon.

Morphine is smoking his cigarette whilst whistling classical masterpieces, much to the annoyance of the Human Torch. Whatever his claims for coming to Latveria, he is not telling the truth. The hunger for power radiates from him like a beacon in the night.

Krystal is looking out of the window, observing the world covered in water, thanks to the melting of the ice caps. How peaceful and calm it looks from this vantage point, how deceiving appearances can truly be, which takes my attention to Huang.

"Weapons systems are targeting us," says Meanstreak. Henri Huang used to be a tech of no mean reputation, and so his talents are of use. With his own dual nature this must be tearing him apart. As he speaks, Torch has 'flamed on' and his sister is protecting the crew as he makes an exit.

(Meanstreak is under the control of Garokk, the Sorceror Supreme, who wants the X-Men dead - David.)

"Getting' ready fer evasive manoeuvres," says Grimm and the Torch is helping outside, deflecting the incoming bolts with his own powers, though he is taxed to his limit. Good as Grimm is a lot of the fire is getting past Torch and at the ship.

"UHH!" cries the Invisible Woman as she uses her powers to protect the ship as the enemy shots. The last time they caught the X-Men unprepared, this time is a different story, but the strain on the two using their genetic talents is tremendous.

The majority of the people in the craft are sitting tight, whilst the Fantastic Four and Meanstreak try and keep them from being killed. Then Richards finds the frequency to deactivate the weapons. Even after a century they still use the same basic weapon design - a design Richards learnt how to stop before the current wielders ever understood what they possessed.

The weapon systems are down, with minimum of damage. The Invisible Woman is shaking, even with the strain on her powers released. Torch seems drained as well, though he keeps the same cockiness that keeps him going.

"Nice work," says Krystal to Reed.

"Was it?" asks Reed, still staring in to the abyss of darkness threatening to consume his soul.

"Ladies and gentlemen," says Grimm, cutting Reed off. "We're about to land in Latveria." Grimm cut off his friend for a reason. Reed always thinks things through too much and if he does the same with this, his fall will be swift.

"About time," says Morphine. "Payback time."

"Damn straight," says Eddie, shifting to a metallic form, ready for action, his hand resting on that of Rosa, who says nothing.

The craft lands gently and they get out quickly and silently. The plan is simple, they split in to teams - the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, and attack the Theatre on two fronts.

I quickly split my sphere in three, to see the two teams and to briefly spy on the Theatre of Pain. They must know the X-Men have returned and with company this time.

Sinister is nowhere to be seen, Luna is curled up in a corner sobbing silently. Brimstone is in charge issuing orders and such. The absence of Sinister is a curiosity, but I cannot spend time looking for him. Three spheres is a hard task to maintain and now I know what Brimstone is doing.

In another life I would have done the same thing myself, but things have changed. Keeping three spheres active risks creating a disturbance that would be felt, and my presence revealed too soon, so I shut down the vision of the Sinister family.

Krystal, Henri, Metalhead and Rosa are ready. Miss Vasquez has seen her share of fighting with Mama Hurricanes troop of degens and is as much a stranger to battle as the X-Men. Morphine however is relaxed, a distinct difference from his companions.

"My arm is sore," says Krystal in a subdued tone, as she placed her good hand on the crystal cast she wore around her broken arm. "I don't know how much use I'll be against the enemy."

"Not much," comes a voice from behind her. The X-Men turn as one to see the three Norns. Female powerhouses from the Theatre of Pain, of which Luna was counted amongst their number. However she is not present. Not yet.

"Okay, sweethearts," says Morphine. "Let's show them why we put the superior in Homo Sapiens Superior." The X-Men are up for this one and as soon as Morphine finishes speaking a giant metal fist flies at the Norn called Felicity. The crack as it pounds her upper body is audible, however Sinister has bred the Norns to withstand more than that.

She flips as she flies back and lands with almost perfect precision.

"You'll put up a more of a fight then Luna and her boy-toy did," smiles Felicity wiping a trickle of blood from her mouth.

(X-Men 2099 #24 - David.)

"By the time we're finished," answers Meanstreak, "you'll think what Dust did to you three was just a spanking." The X-Men go to war with the Norns and amidst the confusion that starts a battle, Rosa and Morphine manage to slip away.

(In X-Men 2099 #4 - David.)

Rosa's task is to sabotage the equipment of the Theatre making their broadcasts impossible. Morphine has his own agenda, and I can't take the time to find him or watch over her just yet.

In my other sphere I watch the Richards clan go to war. It's been a while since they were in Latveria, and longer since they fought a proper battle. Lately Richards has been a figurehead in the peace deal between the land dwellers and Atlantis. To us on the moon it is a source of great discussion.

Currently the Fantastic Four are fighting against legions of the Theatre's Shock Troops, as issued by Brimstone Love. However the Fantastic Four are no push over, even with a demoralised Reed Richards. Even coasting through a battle, distracted by his inner demons he still has the power to stop such low level adversaries as these.

Even Ravage would have been able to defeat these cretins, but they are merely the warm up. Brimstone obviously knew that the X-Men could take the Chosen, senile psion Zhao's enhanced beta class mutants. Enhanced to alpha class status to emulate the original X-Men, the old fool made mistakes and his Chosen began to break down on a cellular level claiming two of them, until the Theatre finished the work of Shakti Haddad and restored the three to full power.

How they did that is now obvious - the involvement of Sinister and now the Fantastic Four are being attacked. Three on four is normally more than enough for the Fantastic Four however the odds are even as Torch takes on Wingspan in a fight for aerial supremacy. The razor sharp wings of the mutant get very close to the Torch who is reluctant to use his full power and burn his opponent out of the sky.

Psycho-K is fighting the Invisible Woman - force fields versus telekinetic might - and One Eyed Jack is keeping the Thing at bay with the optic blast that is his to command. The one element who could turn the battle is watching, wondering who to help, debating which move to make. This is a battle he must win within himself. If the ability to make the right choice is lost then so is he. His faith in himself, in his precious science, is what makes him Mr Fantastic.

He fought that battle once before, but that was to save a life. Now he believes one has been lost because of him, his actions, his science. Doubt eats at him and in one sense I find this mildly amusing, but there are higher stakes at hand.

"Reed!" calls Sue, as she projects her force field forwards, Psycho K deflects the attack, and has managed to grab Sue's wrists. It is not this that, causes her to call her husband, or his inactivity but the deep seated memory of this happening before, force field versus telekinetic in a similar manner.

A dark memory of a time travelling mutant hater who enslaved her, bending her to his will. A man named Ahab. The memory of it causes her to cry out, and her resolve is lost, and now the mutant has the advantage.

(Waaay back in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 aka Days of Future Present Part 4 - David.)

I cannot take direct intervention but I can awaken Reed's mind. I have no choice, and a subtle rearrangement of Sue's trajectory hurls her in to her husband, knocking him cold. His wife is also stunned, and Psycho K is moving in for the kill. I have little time to spare so I shut down my spheres and project a spell towards him.

"Hello, Reed."

"I thought you were dead."

"I am. You're unconscious as your team are taken apart by facsimiles of the original X-Men. They need you, Reed. Latveria needs you."

"So did the world. I created Franklin to do that. He crippled Shakti Haddad, and caused a deep seated depression within her. She needed my help and I couldn't. She killed herself, because of me, because of what I did. I don't trust myself. I'm not the real Reed Richards."

"In all that matters, you are the real Richards. My arrival in this timeline was also suspect, but it did not matter. I am me, and you are you. If you do not accept that, and also realise that Haddad's death was not your fault, and there was nothing you could have done to stop it, then you and your family will die."

"I caused it, I made a mistake..."

"You are not above mistakes, Reed. Look to the past, the first mistake you ever made. How many lives were saved due to that one error. It does not balance the scales but it is a start. Arrogance is not your way."

"It was yours."

"It still is. Save my country, Richards. Save my people." The visitation ends and Reed Richards awakens. I reactivate my spheres to see the look in his eyes that shows a decision is made and that for now at least, he has pushed his demons aside.

"BEN!" he calls, as his body moves in a fluid motion, blocking the optic blast of One Eyed Jack with his elasticity blocking dispersing the blast. "Help Sue!"

"Good to have yer back, Stretch," answers Grimm, who has taken quite a pounding from Jack and was unable to react due to the long range attacks. However he still has enough to take out Psycho-K with one blow, as she advances on the Invisible Woman. "You okay, Suzy?"

"I'll be fine," she says as she surrounds Jack's head in a sphere and blocks his blast, leaving him open to Reed advancing at felling him with a blow. The Torch has managed to outmanoeuvre Wingspan, who has flown in to a tree, and is out cold.

"Three for three," he chuckles as he lands. "Definitely original X-Men wannabes."

"Don't get overconfident, lad," warns Reed. "We still have a country to save."

"What happened to you?" asks Sue, her tone a mixture of relief and concern.

"I don't know," said Reed. "Not yet, anyway. Let's go." They place their hands on top of each other, creating a pile and the Fantastic Four head off to find Brimstone Love.

The X-Men are taking the Norns on with a fair degree of ease so I switch my vision to Rosa and Morphine confident that they will defeat their enemy. There is a lot of emotion that they have to work out over their earlier defeat and the death of Shakti.

Rosa is making her way undetected through the country side, heading towards the main operations of the Theatre, as told to her by the others on the journey across from Xavier City. She had never been more scared, but it's better than doing nothing. Against the brute force of the Norns, her ability to disrupt electromagnetic energies is no good. However she does make an excellent saboteur.

The way ahead is clear which is very strange. There is no Brimstone Love on guard in the machinery room and Rosa seems to be in the clear until a feral growl is heard. Now I know why the way was clear, it was a trap and a test.

La Lunatica approaches Rosa, her need to feed on emotional energy once more growing and Rosa has a great deal of pain within her.

"NO!" cried Rosa and starts to run. Luna pounces and knocks her in to the shadows and I can see nothing. Though I do hear Rosa's terrified scream of agony.

I turn away in horror at what I have just seen and see Morphine. He's leaning against a wall and is looking very calm. He smooths back his green hair and lights another cigarette.

"I don't have all day, Essex," he says and Sinister steps out of nowhere.

"Morphine," says Sinister. "I didn't expect to see you here? Have you joined the children of Xavier?"

"Cut the sarcasm, Nate, you owe me."

"Working on the side of the angels, such a shame."

"And you can drop the demented scientist act. That got old two minutes after I met you."

"One day you will go too far," said Essex. "What do you want, Morphine?"

"To call in a favour. When I took the name 'Somers' I knew you'd come a- searching."

"My predilection with that gene pool has cost me more than a favour to you."

"That wasn't what you said when I was about to plunge my fist through your heart," said Morphine, his hand touching a wall that began to decay.

"What do you want 'Somers'?"

"You to go back to whatever hole you crawled from and never come back. Go back to the Guild and leave Xavier City and its inhabitants alone."

"Why? So you can defend the ideals of a long dead cripple?"

"No, because it's my city and I don't want to kill you just yet."

"You overestimate yourself, Morphine."

"Really?" grins Morphine and blows smoke in Sinister's face. The grin fades. "I've told you what to do. Now do it."

"I have... commitments."

"Your family? You mean the genetic experiment you call Brimstone Love? If he knew the truth, he'd kill you himself. Or try, at any rate. Must have been such a disappointment to you. How often does test tube waste get up and develop an attitude?"

"It was a very trying time, Morphine, as well you know. However I was referring to La Lunatica."

"Well," whispers Morphine, taking a step back. "That makes a lot of sense. So Rehathe did get to you after all."

"An experiment, nothing more," replies Sinister without a trace of passion. "Our offspring is what concerns me. Untamed, savage, possessed of a hunger equal to that of her mothers, with mutant abilities from my gene sequence. To 'cure' her hunger would be the challenge of a lifetime."

"Fitzgerald did that," answers Morphine.

"So I heard. I will make a deal. I will leave your people alone, if you leave her alone." He tosses Morphine a small device.

"Done," responds Morphine, without hesitation catching the device without his eyes leaving Essex. "Shake?"

"Not in a million years," answers Essex.

"Such a shame," mimics Morphine. "Until the next time?"

"I think not," answers the white skinned aberration, Morphine nods and Essex fades away in to the shadows.

"If only Xi'an were that easy," Morphine says to the emptiness and makes his way towards the sounds of battle. It appears there is a past to him that even I do not know and I check back with the two contingents.

Richards and his family are making there way through Brimstone Love's people.

"What's behind door number one, Benjy?" asks Torch as they come a cross a barrier.

"We'll soon find out," answers Grimm and pulls back his fist ready to make a hole where the door is currently located.

"WAIT!" calls Sue, "It might be a trap. Yes we need to get through but there's an easier way."

"Aw, Suzy..." moans Grimm but doesn't stop her from using her powers to make the door transparent.

"Reed!" she says as she sees inside.

"I see them," answers Richards, "Ben get that door down!"

"On it!" says the rock covered behemoth and the door falls with one punch.

"X-Nation, I presume?" says Reed to the figures inside.

"Fantastic!" cried Uproar as the four teenagers come out in to the light.

"Quiet," says December, "you're embarrassing us..." she sees Torch standing in front of her. "Hi, Johnny..."

"Now who's embarrassing us?" retorts Uproar. Nostromo shakes his head and Willow simply shrugs.

"Are the X-Men here as well?" asks Nostromo, going past the small talk and getting down to business.

"Yes, son, they are," answers Reed. You know more about what's going on here than we do."

"Right then," says Nostromo. "Willow, you and December go find the X-Men. Uproar, you and I go with the FF. Dr Richards, we need to cripple the Theatre. The shock troops are merely enslaved Latverians. We disable the machinery's feeding the signals and such, we only have Brimstone Love to deal with."

"Right, then," answers Richards. "Lead the way, and with luck we'll run in to Rosa." Nostromo smiles and they split up.

"How are we supposed to find the X-Men?" asks December of Willow, watching as the other move out of sight, much to her disappointment.

"Look for the biggest source of damage. You can always tell where the X-Men have been. We just follow the trail until we find out where they are."

An adage true in any era, and they depart.

The X-Men however are now having a little difficulty against the Norns. They can't stand against the swinging solid metal fists of the mutant named Metalhead, nor can they compete with the speed of Meanstreak. However Krystal's shards are doing little against them, and they are agile enough to dodge the fists coming at them.

Also, fast as Meanstreak there are three against one. His real power is his accelerated metabolism, the speed is a side effect of that, even though he can achieve near mach speed. Against the Norns he won't last long.

"Now this is sport," says Bliss, her green hair flowing. Eddie and Henri are being distracted by Felicity and Euphoria respectively, and Krystal's injury makes her vulnerable. She could coat the Norn in crystal but the pain is interfering with her concentration. "Looks like the end of the road, X-Man."

"You don't know the half of it," comes a voice from above her. Both Krystal and Bliss look up and see Morphine descending from a ledge near the roof, his hand outstretched - taking the Norn by surprise as he connects, his hand glowing green as it does so.

Morphine's mutant ability is to make things grow old very quickly. The Norn screams as she turns to dust in front of everyone - a typical entrance of the man called Morphine.

"BLISS!" cries Felicity as she watches her sister nothing but ashes blowing away in the breeze. The distraction is all Eddie needs to pile his metal fist in to the side of her head, resulting in a resounding crack. She'll live but will need long-term medical care. That just leaves Euphoria who is anything but.

She turns and makes a break for it.

"I'll get her," says Meanstreak.

"Forget her," replies Morphine. "We've got to get a move on. Brimstone will know his people are being routed and will be getting ready to make a play of his own. Now..."

"Hi, guys," comes the voice of Willow. "Nos knew you'd be back." They quickly catch up on the situation, what the Fantastic Four are doing and that leaves Brimstone Love to them. Krystal says she'll need to sit this one out, her arm is giving her problems.

"Right then," says Morphine. "As I was saying, Brimstone is this way," and he heads off.

"How does he know?" asks Willow.

"Good question," replies Eddie, "and what did it cost to get the information?" There is little more to be said as they head off, and I know they won't like the answers when they find out.

I watch as the Fantastic Four and their charges approach the antechamber that holds the machinery of the Theatre of Pain. Susan Richards has seen a lot as a member of the Fantastic Four, however this is one sight she cannot behold. She lets out a scream, and buries her head in the chest of her husband.

"Holee..." says Grimm, his mouth opening, whilst Storm for all his quips and puts his hands to his mouth and turns his head slightly. Reed comforts his wife whilst Uproar and Nostromo run over to the sight.

Rosa's skin is deathly white, her breathing shallow, her mouth open in a noiseless scream. Her face is bleeding where the fingers pressed in to her flesh, gouging it open. Her clothes are torn and shredded, leaving her almost naked. Her eyes are wide open, she has been strung up on the machines and the letter X scored in to her exposed chest by what appears to have been a white hot finger.

"She's cold," says Nostromo breaking the silence, and The Torch creates a section of warm air, however she stays totally unresponsive. Uproar gets her down from the machinery, and gently lays her down on the floor, an invisible cushion created by Susan Richards.

The Thing needs no instruction to destroy the machinery and the curtain comes down on the Theatre of Pain's Latverian endeavour. The others tend to the fallen Rosa, who is totally unresponsive.

"Well, well, well," says a voice behind them, and they turn to see Brimstone Love. "The Fantastic Four."

"It's clobberin' time," says Grimm and runs towards Brimstone Love, his fist ready.

"You are no match for someone who draws his power from the molten core of the Earth itself," answers Brimstone with scorn, and swats Grimm away as if he were nothing. Uproar grows quickly and catches him, but the force with which he hits, breaks the young mutant's hand.

"You like it hot, pal?" answers Torch and unleashes his powers at him, it washes over Brimstone like rain.

"Your only choice is nova flame, arrogant child, which would kill everyone in the room. You have not the courage to sacrifice everyone just to get me." Storm hesitates and Brimstone grabs him and smashes him in to the floor, standing on his face. "I have battled many, from the Juggernaut, to Junkpile," sneers Brimstone. "You are nothing."

"I'll kill you," answers Sue. "For what you've done..." but she does not get a chance to finish as Luna pounces from the shadows, her palms stretched out ready to feed on her mental pain. If she gets past the force field it will be a meal indeed.

"Dr Richards, tend to Rosa," says Nostromo. "I'll deal with Brimstone." Reed nods, knowing that the young woman before him needs his help and he will not fail her as he did Shakti. "Brimstone, face me."

"The phalanx who would be king," chuckles Brimstone. "What are you to me?"

"A distraction," replies a voice, Brimstone turns and is met by the fist of Metalhead. Brimstone reels from the blow, staggered, and Eddie backs off upon seeing. "ROSA!"

"She was good, put up no fight at all," answers Brimstone, spitting blood. "Always wanted a wench of my own."

Edward Van Beethoven is a gentle soul but these taunts enrage him further and he makes a blind charge towards Brimstone. Meanstreak is on the move as well, having picked up a piece of fallen machinery. Brimstone side-steps, so that the X-Men collide with each other.

"Now I will kill you all," says Brimstone.

"WAIT!" comes a voice from the shadows and out steps Sinister. "Leave them."

"But, father..."

"I said leave them!" Sinister walks up to Brimstone and looks him in the eye. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, 'father'," answers Brimstone and places one hand around Sinister's throat and begins to squeeze. Sinister morphs in to the female mutant Willow. "The mark on your eye, gave you away."

"Was... supp'sed... to..." whispers Willow, as she fights her strangulation, her body writhing in desperation as the lack of air begins to kill her. There is a chill in the air, as her last remaining breaths show as Brimstone throws her to the floor.

"NO!" cries Nostromo, and races over to start to give her mouth to mouth resuscitation, to get her breathing again. Brimstone is using his powers to do battle with December and her powers over temperature. Morphine stands back, watching as the scene plays out exactly as he predicted. The conflicts are weakening Brimstone, who has been distracted by the number of players in the arena.

"Checkmate, sunshine," says Morphine with a smile. He knows that December won't stop Brimstone by herself but it will give the others time to recover. Then he sees Sue being beaten back. "Richards, your wife!" Reed reacts quickly, his arm shooting out, grabbing Luna and throwing her in to a wall.

Morphine smiles and leaps in to the fray, his touch disintegrating Brimstone's armour, at which the demon cries out.

"I've already snuffed one of yours today, making it two would be no trouble."

"Unhand me, wretch," says Brimstone flinging him off before Morphine's touch hits flesh, for unlike Xi'an, Morphine's only needs one touch to start the ageing process.

"Game's over, Love," says Morphine. "There's more than enough of us to take you out."

"You wouldn't even know where to start," sneers Brimstone, the energies he commands being channelled in to his hand.

"Oh, I think they've made a good enough job of that already," comes a voice.

"Luna!"

"The impact knocked me back to my senses, brother dear. Let's see what you've got left by the time I'm through with you."

Brimstone looks worried and I cannot help but smile. The X-Men, Fantastic Four and X-Nation - many would fall, but Brimstone would be amongst their number.

"Not today, sister!" and he teleports away, his voice echoing, "I shall return."

"Damn," says Morphine, lighting up a cigarette. "Thought he'd be weaker than that."

"He'll keep, son," says Reed, his voice full of a confidence it lacked earlier. "For now we need to make sure the Theatre's taint is removed from Latveria."

"What about her?" asks Ben pointing at Luna.

"I can't stay," she answers. "Not after this. Eddie..."

"Save it," answers Eddie, his voice tinged with the bitterness of betrayal. "Haven't you done enough?"

"I'm sorry," says Luna, turning her head and she runs. "I'm so, so sorry."

Meanstreak is about to go after her when Morphine grabs his arm.

"Let her go, she has issues to work out about her place and so do we. One day, maybe we'll see her again."

Meanstreak sighs. "Whatever. For now, we tend our wounded and close this chapter on the Theatre of Pain." I smile as I let the assembled heroes tidy up the damage, safe in the knowledge that things will be fine.

However, before I tidy my own loose end, I must check on Luna, now that Morphine has virtually handed her to Sinister.

I find her in the forests of Latveria, crying over her loss of Tim, her loss of control, her loss of her friends, her loss of everything in her life. The crimson diamond appears in the shadows.

"Luna."

"Father."

"So you accept it."

"I have a choice?"

"No. I saw Brimstone flee. Such a shame. No honour, no dignity."

"Is he really your son? Am I really your daughter?" Sinister simply smiles.

"Come," he says. "I will help you to deal with the hunger, to control it, to tame it."

"Have I a choice?" Sinister says nothing and holds out his hand. Luna takes it and they walk off together.

Not the fate I would wish for her, yet I suspect Sinister may have over played his hand this time. Now I have a loose end of my own to tidy up. One who will regret allowing Brimstone Love in to my country. The lady known as Moon Knight leads the way to my captive.

He's looking a lot healthier than he did after our last encounter. The Driver had infected him with a nano-tech virus. He was supposed to be in pain and suffering for the rest of his life. However he cut a deal with Brimstone Love, so that Sinister would cure him, and he would give Latveria to the Theatre of Pain, a final act revenge to spite me in my grave.

Except I wasn't dead and the look in his eyes shows how much he had underestimated me. I smile as I speak.

"Hello, Herod."

"It can't be. You're dead."

"A mistake many have made before you. Your Latverian gambit failed. The Theatre of Pain have been removed from my country. Your attempt at revenge failed. Now, it is my turn, and it will not be as subtle as a nano-tech virus..."

There is fear in his eyes and as the Moon Knight closes the door behind me, leaving the two of us alone and I allow Herod to shout my name, knowing it will be the last word he utters for a very long time...

"DOOM!"

In X-Men 2099 #7: Back to Xavier City go the X-Warriors, and are reunited with Xi'an and Shakti. As the post-mortem of the Latverian adventure is given, Xi'an has some questions for Reed Richards, regarding Shakti's pregnancy. Will Mr Fantastic give Xi'an the answers he wants, and will Xi'an like what he has to say?