" Uuuuhn." Josh groaned. After healing David, he had collapsed on the ground.
" Josh... Josh, you have to wake up. I think Laura's dead." David told the boy.
" So tied.... Can't move... David, what are we gonna do?" Josh asked David.
" He took down the psychics. They're a threat to him." David explained. " We have to get the cuckoos."
David set to work trying to free the girls, while Cessily and Sooraya continued to fight against Belasco above.
Sooraya was sent crashing into a stone pillar by Belasco, but the girl wouldn't stay down.
" Where is she?! Your transient forms may be more resistant to my magics, but it will just make the pain last longer." Belasco explained. " Tell me where she is!"
" No." Cessily replied. " I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't care. Not anymore. But I'll die a thousand times beforeI let you hurt anyone else." Cessily defiantly told the man.
" And I stand beside her." Sooraya exclaimed.
Belasco hissed at the girl.
" If today is the day I die, then let it be a death that makes Allah proud." Cessily proclaimed.
" SO BE IT!" Belasco exclaimed.
Belasco rushed Sooraya and Cessily. To the credit of the two girls, they did try their best to avoid his attack, but Belasco was just too fast and too strong. Belasco slammed Cessily into the ground with a large orb of magic, and then grabbed Cessily by her throat.
" Enough! I sensed her. I saw her alive. On earth. And I can smell her on you! You were with her. And I will not hear your lies." Belasco told Cessily.
" What... Do you... Even want with her?" Cessily asked in between breaths.
" Her soul belongs to me, and you will tell me where to find her!" Belasco yelled. " Say it." He demanded.
Cessily stopped struggling and nodded.
" No, I.... Yes, I was with her.... With Illyana.... She's alive. We're.... We're hiding her." Cessily told the man.
" Where? Where is she? Whe-ughhh!" Suddenly Belasco's eyes went wide. His whole body started to convulse agonizingly.
Cessily had given enough time for Josh to sneak up on Belasco. And in that moment, Josh hit the demon with his death touch.
" I'm sorry." Josh told Belasco.
Once Josh let go, Belasco hit the ground and for a moment everything seemed to be alright.
" Josh! Josh, you did it!" Cessily cheered.
" Are you guys, okay? Do you need me to heal you?" Josh asked the women.
Cessily landed next to Josh and hugged him, and for the two everything seemed alright. But Sooraya felt something different.
" No.... This is not right. You cannot kill the devil." Sooraya explained. And she was right.
Belasco's eyes burned green once more and a large magical blast struck him dead on, blowing the three young X-men away.
" I don't care about you children. I don't care if you live or die. But I will kill each and every one of you until you tell me where Illyana Rasputin is." Belasco told the kids.
" Josh... Can you..." Cessily started to ask. But Josh was wiped.
" Don't have.... Anything left." Josh replied. He tried pushing himself up. But he just couldn't bring himself to his feet.
" What.... What is he?" Sooraya asked.
" Let me show you." Belasco replied to the girl. " What awaits you." With a flick of his hand, the pile of bones that Laura had been turned into suddenly came back to life. Laura was whole once more. Belasco laughed and grabbed Laura by her hair. " This can last as long or as short as you wish. Time has no meaning here. But pain and suffering do." Belasco explained. HE summoned a field of stalagmites and tossed Laura's body into them, impaling the girl multiple times and leaving her there.
" Laura!" Cessily and Sooraya screamed again.
" I will kill each and every one of you then bring you back to life and kill you again until you tell me what I want to know. And if you don't.... Then I will pull the entirety of earth into Limbo to find her." Belasco declared.
Cessily and Sooraya tried attacking him again only for Belasco to shoot out an energy wave that sent the girls flying.
He chased after them, while Elixir continued to struggle to his feet.
" Ugh! Elixir..." Laura groaned. She called for the boy and seeing that she was still alive, Josh crawled towards her.
Meanwhile, Belasco continued attacking Sooraya and Cessily.
" You dare lie to me?! You dare lay your hands on me?!" Belasco yelled. " I will find my apprentice, and you children will not deny me!" Belasco screamed as he held Sooraya by her throat.
" Just.... Just stop.... We don't know where she is.... Please.... Leave her alone." Cessily begged.
" The devout little girl. Don't you know that lying is a sin? And sins must be punished." Belasco laughed. He prepared to kill Sooraya, but the girl was suddenly snatched from his hands by a green wave of telekinesis. " No! No!!!! I will kill each and every." Belasco yelled.
" Belasco! Shut up and die!" Noriko yelled. She blasted the man in his back with as much electricity as she could muster forward, and Belasco hollered in pain.
The two who had arrived were Julian and Noriko. Thanks to the quick action of Trance, who had used her powers to transmit her projection back to earth and managed to notify them and the X-men to what was happening.
" You killed, David! You're going to die; do you hear me?! Die!" Noriko yelled in anger.
" I... Think.... Not!" Belasco spoke. He tried to inch his way closer and closer to Noriko, but before he could touch her, he was slammed into the ground by Julian.
" Too bad." Julian told the man.
Noriko tried to continue assaulting Belasco, but Julian stopped her.
" Surge, stop! It's over!" Julian told the girl.
" Don't get in my way. He killed David." Noriko told the boy.
" You mean that David over there?" Julian asked. He pointed Noriko to David who was still trying to free the Stepford sisters.
" David?" Noriko called out to the boy in disbelief. But that was a mistake.
" NORI! WATCH OUT!" David yelled to the girl.
Belasco had gotten back up and had blasted both Noriko and Julian with his magic. He gabbed Noriko by her throat and slammed his foot down on Julian's head.
" You were with her! You were close to her. I can smell it!" Belasco yelled. " Where is Magik?! Where is Illyana Rasputin?!" Belasco demanded to know.
He ground his foot down on Julian's head, he wanted answers. However, he would get much more than that.
A bright flash of pink light radiated behind Belasco. When he turned back, he was suddenly rocked by a large blast of energy and sent crashing into his castle.
The force of the blow forced Belasco to drop, Noriko and in an instant she and Julian were both picked up and moved to where Julian and the stepford sisters were. The next to find themselves moved were Sooraya and Cessily.
" Who did that?!" Belasco demanded to know, as he pulled himself out of the rubble.
When Cessily and Sooraya opened their eyes, Ian was crouching over them.
" You all did good to survive this long. I'm glad you're okay." Ian spoke. He looked over at Sooraya and noticed that her veil was gone. He couldn't help but take note of how beautiful she was. He had known she was a beautiful woman long before, but now seeing her without her veil, it was magical for him.
Ian grabbed Cessily and Sooraya and hugged them.
" Who are you?!" Belasco demanded to know.
" You hurt my girls. I'll deal with you in a moment." Ian told the man. He then turned back to Cessily and Sooraya. " Where's Laura?" He asked.
" He killed her." Cessily told the boy. Her heart was beginning to beat fast. The rush of adrenaline, that had kept her going all this time, was finally beginning to vanish.
Upon being told that, Ian turned around and faced Belasco. His face was contorted in anger. He was absolutely livid. However, as he looked past Belasco, he saw it, Laura impaled on the rocks, with Elixir trying to save her.
Ian began stalking up towards Belasco, and the demon lord prepared himself. However, instead of attacking, Ian walked right past him.
Belasco sneered and grabbed Ian's arm, stopping him.
" Where are you going?" Belasco asked with a grin on his face.
Ian's head snapped back.
" Hagh" Ian punched Belasco in his face sending him flying across the castle. " I'll kill you!!!" Ian screamed. He chased after Belasco only to be hit by the demon's energy.
" Ha!" Belasco laughed. He couldn't find the words to speak.
Ian flew backwards, avoiding the blasts of energy, using his powers to direct their flow. But for some reason, he couldn't stop them, not completely.
" Is everyone okay?!" Megan asked the group.
" No, we need to get the hell out of here!" Cessily David told the woman.
" Well, we just gotta wait for Ian to kick that guy's ass now, right?" Santo asked.
Everything seemed hopeful, even with the demons lurking around them, seeing Belasco on the run put everyone at ease.
" It won't be that easy, you know." Illyana whispered to Megan.
" What do you mean?" Megan asked the woman.
" Can't you all see it? Or are you just blind?" Illyana asked.
" What are you talking about?" Julian asked the woman.
" Your friend up there, can't win." Illyana told the group.
The sky above them radiated with raw energy and magic, the two men above traded blasts, back and forth, with one another.
" Ha! Are you kidding me? He's kicking that guy's ass. Belasco's in the run." Julian exclaimed.
Illyana laughed and waved her finger back and forth.
" I'll admit, he's doing better than I anticipated. But he can't win. A demon lord's power is never more powerful, than when he is in his own domain. And right now, all of Limbo is Belasco's to control. There's a reason why strange could never beat a beast like dormammu in the dark dimension." Illyana explained.
*Splaaaaaash!
A cut on Ian's arm spurted out blood.
" See? Even now, his power against Belasco is beginning to take control of the fight." Illyana explained. The group could see the blood running down Ian's arm and the little bit on his face.
" Well, what do we do?" Megan asked.
" I need you to give me more of your-" Illyana was speaking.
" S'YM! KILL THEM!" Belasco ordered from above. He grew tired of his fight and wanted to end things as fast as possible.
" Finally." S'ym cheered. He and the rest of the demon's swarmed the students. and before Illyana could convince Pixie to give her more of her soul, the demons swarmed her, capturing her along with a few of the others.
" Shit, Megan!" Ian turned his back on Belasco and rushed to help the others.
" HA! The moment you turn your back, the fight is decided!" Belasco yelled. He blasted Ian in his back. It hurt, but Ian shrugged it off and crashed down into the pile of demons, clearing some of the wave.
" Heh! Fine, play with the trash. i have better things to do." Belasco stated. He lowered himself down and grabbed Illyana by her face. " YOU! You are not fit to be in my presence! How dare you! I showed you mercy, I let you live. And this is how you repay me?! Now I correct my mistake." Belasco told the woman. " Die!"
He prepared himself to crush Illyana's head, but in that moment, he was cut across his chest, by Laura who, thanks to Josh, had been healed.
" She was not your only mistake." Laura told the man.
" Abomination.... How many times must I kill you, for you to learn?" Belasco asked.
" You won't touch her ever again!" Ian blasted Belasco in the back once more, having made easy work of the demon army, he returned his attention to Belasco.
" You wretch! What happened to my army?!" Belasco yelled.
He looked past Ian and saw nothing but smoke and blood.
" They've been dealt with." Ian told the man.
" So, we go back to our stalemate, then?" Belasco asked the boy.
" I might not be able to take you down, but they can." Ian told the man. Belasco turned around and saw David standing with the stepford sisters.
" Take him." Laura told the girls.
" Your helmets.... We didn't like them." The girls told Belasco. They all used their telepathy to bring Belasco to his knees.
" Arrrgrh!!!! No! Get out of my mind!" Belasco demanded.
" What do you want devil man?" The girls asked. " You kidnap the innocent.... We can see them, Beatrice. Shanna. Illyana. But Illyana was special. You claimed her as a sacrifice, but you came to feel for her. You wanted her to be yours, body and soul. You lost her just like the others. But with her, the loss cut deeper. The thought that she had returned.... It was too much. You didn't even realize what you saw wasn't real." The girls explained. " You couldn't find her. So, you tried to recreate her. Her body.... Her mind... But it wasn't enough. You wanted more. You're not looking for her for revenge or power..." The girls spoke.
" You did all of this.... Because you loved her?" Ian asked the man.
Suddenly the stepford sisters began to cringe in pain. Belasco was fighting back.
" Celeste.... Phoebe..." Mindee complained.
" He's too..."
" Strong!"
The girls yelled.
" SHIT EVERYONE GET CLOSE!" Ian yelled.
" RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Belasco shouted in anger. He released his Magic like a raging hurricane.
Ian used his powers to maneuver as much of the magical wave away from everyone as he could, but it was still not enough to protect everyone completely. He still took the brunt of that explosion.
" If you lying worms will not tell me where Magik is, then I will bring the earth to limbo and burn it away until I find her." Belasco yelled.
" Like hell you will!!! Everyone, pour it on him!" Ian yelled. He fired his blast of energy at Belasco.
" Right!" Noriko replied.
" On it!" Julian shouted as well.
Julian and Noriko joined Ian in pinning Belasco down with energy, while Santo and the others pounded away at him physically.
" Keep on him! Don't let up!" Ian exclaimed. He was using his own power, as well as redirecting as much of Belasco's power, to strike the man. But Belasco's power was too much.
" Pixie, now is the time." Illyana told the girl.
" I can't.... I can't do this, please.... I'm scared." Megan told the woman. " Why me?" She asked.
" Because of all the children, I felt that your soul was the most innocent, the purest. In this place pure is power. You have more power here than any of the X-men. If you can't do this, then each and every single one of your friends is will die." Illyana told the girl.
Megan clutched her soul dagger tightly and looked at Belasco.
" ARGGGHHHH!" Ian yelled.
" You little ant, I will snap you in half for this." Belasco told the boy.
" You'd have to get close to me to do that, and it's clear your too much of a coward to fight me physically." Ian stated.
" Coward?" Belasco asked. He rushed towards Ian and grabbed him. " It will bring me much joy to kill the children of the X-men." Belasco cheered.
" LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" Ian headbutted Belasco so hard that he stumbled backwards. " NOW MEGAN!"
Without being able to utter another word, Belasco suddenly felt an immense searing pain in his back.
Megan had used the distraction, Ian gave her, and stabbed Belasco right in his back with her soul dagger.
" Ian!" Ian looked up to see Scott and the other X-men, Kitty, Emma, Hank, Wolverine, and Colossus arriving on the scene. But it was too late, Belasco had already been felled.
Lightning erupted from Belasco's body, and the man collapsed onto the gorund, devoid of his magic.
" Huhhh! Noooo.... You.... I gave you life.... My child.... Come back to me...." Belasco begged Illyana.
" You did.... You gave me a life with no soul. A life of hellish torture. I've found the power to thank you for that." Illyana told the man. " Look father, I've made a bloodstone, just like you taught me." Illyana spoke.
" I will find her." Belasco exclaimed one last time.
" No you won't!" Illyana replied. She used her power to completely destroy Belasco, killing him for good.
Ian watched this in astonishment. He had no words to say, not at the moment.
" Sinclair, what the hell happened here?" Scott asked.
" What's it look like?" Ian replied. " We got sucked into hell. But it appears we managed to get lucky." Ian told the man. " But it seems like we've gone from one problem to the next." He stated. He looked around and watched as all the demons in Limbo bowed down to Illyana.
" Dark child? Are you okay?" Victor asked the woman. She didn't respond.
" Can we go home now?" Megan asked. This time, she did respond.
" No... Not until I finish what I started." Illyana told the girl.
" What are you... Oh no." Victor mumbled. He too saw what Ian did.
" Um, Darkchild? Why are all the deomns bowing to you?" Megan asked.
Illyana smiled and grabbed Megan by her throat.
" Megan!!!" Ian rushed Illyana to free Megan, but befor ehe knew it he was blasted away by the woman's magic.
" What was it I said about a demon lord and her domain?" Illyana asked the boy.
" What?" Megan asked.
" Limbo is mine. And you little Pixie.... Your soul is mine, too." Illyana told the girl. " One bloodstone is power, but five? Five will make me a god."
" What?" Megan asked again.
" Don't do this.... Illyana, please.... You don't have to do this." Victor told the girl.
" Do not call me that name." Illyana demanded. " My name is-"
" Snowflake?" Upon hearing colossus call her by her old nickname, Illyana stopped. " Snowflake, can that be you?" Colossus asked again.
" Piotr..." Illyana called out to the man.
" Have you returned to me?" Colossus asked.
" Peter... Be careful." Kitty told the man.
Colossus ignored kitty and approached Illyana, taking her small face softly into his metalic hand.
" Please tell me the truth... Illyana, is this you?" Colossus asked.
" NO!" Illyana snapped away from peter and raised her hands. " Do not look at me! All of you just go away!" Illyana yelled. Suddenly all of the X-men and the students were surrounded by a portal for them.
" He kid, you alright?" Logan was asking Ian. Suddenly he too was trapped in a portal.
" Aw, Hell. It's her. It's..." Logan was saying. he was then pulled away from Limbo and daftly dropped back on the mansion grounds.
" Hey! Hey! What about my soul?!" Megan yelled. She wanted answers but got none as she and the rest of the X-men vanished, except for Colossus.
" Don't do this!" Colossus begged. Illyana grabbed her brothers face softly and listened to him. " Let me help you! Let me-" With a wave of her hand Colossus was gone. Leaving her behind, alone.
" Good-bye, brother." Illyana spoke softly.
Everyone landed back on the institute ground. As soon as they did, Scott and Emma collected the students and whisked them all away to the medical lab, to have them checked for injuries.
" What happened down there?" Scott asked Ian. He and the rest of the X-men, with the exception of Hank, had pulled the boy to the side to get debriefed on the situation.
" What do you want me to say? I don't know what the hell happened, Scott. I landed separately from everyone. And when I did find Illyana, she was attacking Megan, so I attacked her. But the strange thing is wat she called me. She called me her champion." Ian explained.
" Her champion? What does that mean?" Emma asked.
" I'm not sure. It never came up again. We were too busy fighting." Ian replied. " I'm worried about them, Scott. I thought I'd seen it all, but this... This is far worse than anything I've experienced."
" That's understandable. You've all literally just been to hell. But you led them back to safety." Scott replied.
" No, I didn't. Scott, Victor led the team, while I was separated. They all were amazing. They used the skills you taught them to survive. And because of that, they're alive." Ian stated. It was like a weight was off his chest.
" Well, all things considered, you all did well. I'll of course, need to speak to everyone and see how they are doing. But, nevertheless, you did good in keeping everyone alive. Good job." Scott told the boy. Scott saw the look on his face, they all did. The tiredness in his eyes. It was a look they all understood well.
" Yeah, thanks." Ian replied. He gave a wave to Scott and walked into the med bay.
" Uhhh." Scott groaned. " Damn it." He cursed his own frustration. Emma placed her hand on his shoulder and scott squeezed it.
" Come on, let's get the children settled back in." Emma told the man.
" Right." Scott replied. He and the others joined Hank in the medical room and assisted in any way they could with handling the health of the children.
A little later.
After having slept for a long time, due to the lack of energy from dying and fighting in hell, Laura finally woke up. As soon as she did, Ian pulled her over to him and hugged her.
" Damn you, Laura. Do you know how worried I was?" Ian asked the girl. " God, I thought you died." he told the girl.
Laura was struck, she didn't know what to say. She just sat there in silence and returned the hug.
Ian leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head,
" Don't die on me."
" Okay."
Laura felt something wet on her skin and when she looked up Ian was crying.
" Sorry. " He told the girl. He started wiping his eyes tirelessly. " Look, you should get some sleep. It's been a long day. And I should go." He stated. he quickly got up, much to Laura's dismay and walked away.
As soon as he was out of the room, Ruth appeared and stopped him from going further.
" Excuse me? Yes, Are you okay?" Ruth asked him.
" Yes, I'm fine." Ian replied. He tried to step past Ruth but was stopped.
" Pard? No, you are not fine. And you should not be fine." Ruth told the boy. " We love you, yes, she does. She loves you very much, They all do, yes? They love you and want you to be happy. It is okay to cry. It is okay to feel helpless. And it is okay to count on others. You can talk to us all. Yes? Talk to us. You don't have to carry all of the burden alone, no?" Ruth spoke.
Ian looked down at Ruth's scowl and sighed.
" Look, Ruth.... Have a good night." He told the girl. He walked past her and continued on to his own room.
Ruth watched as he disappeared. She had hoped that after everything, he would open up to her more. Or at the very least to someone else. To trust someone else. But it wasn't for naught. Even if he didn't yet, he would eventually. She believed. For yes, when necessary. She sees it all.