“You ok, woman?”
HLM nods a little, leaning against him. “That was just…creepy beyond all words.”
He nods and pulls her close. “It’s over now, don’t worry about it.”
They share a quick kiss.
“Guys,” they both look up at Diana. She’s got a nasty cut running from temple to chin on the left side of her face. “We’ve gotta get going. We can’t let Ed get much of a head start on us.”
“Your face…” HLM starts.
“It’ll heal,” Diana answers, unsheathing her sword. “Is everyone ok to go to the next step of our journey?”
Everyone nods, ignoring his or her respective injuries.
At the universal consent, Diana brings her sword down, slicing through the fabric of reality yet again.
Gasping, our heroes fall to the floor.
“Man, you’d think there’d be an easier way to do this,” HLM grumbles, getting to her feet and brushing herself off.
Raph sneaks up behind her, and lifts her up off her feet, responding with a grin, “Yeah, but since when did we ever take the easy way out?”
She grins. “True…”
Just then, a ball of crackling blue energy hurls down the hallway, directly at them.
“Ack!” Diana shouts as they throw themselves to the floor. About ten feet away from them stands the blue haired man, his hands still crackling with electricity.
Diana growls, turning into a creature of flames, and hurls herself at the man. The rest are just starting to get to their feet, when a burst of crimson energy blasts from behind them to go through Diana and strike Ed. He stumbles back, and everyone ducks back down.
“What the hell?!” Jae exclaims.
“Ack! Cyclops?” HLM mutters as she turns to see who’s running down the hall towards them. There are three men running, and one woman flying.
The shortest of the men, yellow and black costumed, with three metallic claws protruding from the backs of his wrists, dives immediately at HLM, while the brown haired man wearing a trench coat takes out a retractable bo and blocks Raph’s sai, which was just about to plunge into the yellow-suited one’s back.
“Why don’t we share dis dance, and leave Wolvie wit’ de lady,” he says to Raph with a smirk.
“If he hurts her, pal, I’ll have yer head,” Raph snarls as he battles with his opponent.
Gambit just grins. “Easier said den done, mon a mi.”
Meanwhile, HLM is frantically trying to reason with Wolverine.
“Hey! We’re good guys, too! Please, just stop and listen,” she pleads, while blocking as many of Wolvie’s attacks as possible without trying to look like she’s attacking.
“Yeah? Then why were ya fighting in our place, darlin’?”
Before she can answer, they’re both pelted with wind and rain as Storm tries to douse Diana.
Diana shrieks, as the wind and rain threaten to tear her apart. Through the agony, she turns into her spirit self, and watches in dismay as Ed disappears.
“Everyone stop fighting!” she shouts into everyone’s heads.
The noise of the fight is suddenly stopped as everyone looks up at the ghostly figure.
“We are not enemies. Our true foe has just left,” she says coldly, looking down at the odd mix of people below her. She’s tired. She’s angry. She’s not going to take any more shit from anyone.
As she floats down to the floor to solidify next to Jae, Cyclops folds his arms and looks measuring at the intruders. “Why are you here, then?”
“Oui,” Gambit pipes up, “I don’ recall any ringin’ o’ de doorbell.”
“We’re following a being who’s trying to take over every possible reality. The chase led us here,” Jae explains, letting Diana lean a little on him.
“What does that have to do with us?” Storm asks.
HLM shrugs, and Raph puts voice to her thoughts, “Mebbe he jus’ wanted ta use ya as a distraction ta wear us out.”
“Yeah, so we’ll stop following him and let him do whatever he damn well pleases,” Diana mutters.
Cyclops nods. “Makes sense. Would we be able to help in any way?”
Diana scowls at her sword, arguing mentally with it. Finally she looks up and grumbles, “I always thought I was supposed to control my weapons, not the other way around.”
“If you can spare Wolverine and Storm, Cyclops, they would be able to help immensely,” the sword speaks into everyone’s minds.
The X-Men all jump a little and look at Diana curiously.
“That was my sword,” she answers wearily, “long story.”
Cyclops nods. “If Storm and Wolverine are willing to go, they have my permission.”
Storm and Wolvie nod their willingness, and Diana sighs.
“Once this blasted mission is all done and over with,” she comments, “I think I’m gonna sleep for a week.”
“Ed is starting to attack the next reality,” the sword informs them.
Diana unsheathes the sword and, with the expertise of one who’s done this many times, slices the fabric of reality.
“Everyone aboard who’s comin’ aboard,” she comments as Raph and then Jae go through.
“Destination unknown,” HLM wisecracks as she steps through just before Storm and Wolvie do. Diana disappears through the hole last.
Reunions Index
Chapter Four
Chapter Six