Sunday

Away from the confines of Earth. Far beyond anything human, was Limbo

One of Hell's many dimensions, and as such, home of fire and demons

To one Illyana Rasputin, however, a cage disguised as a kingdom

Once a pure soul, the queen of Limbo now roamed the library of her castle. Books not only demonic in nature, but benevolent, and even some written by saints

It was a collection that could give the sorcerer supreme of Earth a run for his money

But even with such an impressive array of knowledge, all she could do was stare with lifeless eyes

A good chunk of these books she had already read, some of which she had read more than once

Truth is, Illyana just wanted to visit this place, with no real reason. Finding comfort in a dimension of her own, perhaps?

It wasn't a place she would call home, but it was one she would find herself returning to

Even if Limbo itself didn't always welcome her with open arms

Without warning, the door flew off its hinges, brutally opened by a large purple demon

"Not another day under your heel, pathetic whelp!"

Behind this hulking beast, demons rallied and screamed as they raised their weapons

Illyana quickly recovered from the blast and glared at the being, immediately recognizing it. How could she not? It was the same beast that took personal pleasure in her torture

Illyana: S'ym

The horde poured into the room, quickly surrounding the girl, who recalled her Soulsword to her side. The weapon roared with a blue glow once she held it, ready for service

Illyana: You dare?!

She got up and pointed the flaming sword at him

Illyana: I'll have your head for this, filthy dog meat

But this threat only earned a chuckle from the demon. He taunted her with a grin

S'ym: Come and get it, brat

Illyana's eyes glowed before she let out a roar and charged at the intruders. The demons wasted no time and rushed in as well, clawing at their queen, only to be cut down by her mighty weapon

She cut the arm of a monster before jumping back to avoid a fireball, then she used her magic to burn the beast in front of her and cut down the one attempting to ambush her

Illyana: You are all so grounded!

As was expected, the feral beasts stood no chance against her, even in their overwhelming numbers, and it wasn't long before she found herself face-to-face with S'ym

He slammed down his fists to force her back, and some demons took the chance to get ahold of her, but Illyana stabbed the Soulsword on the ground, releasing a powerful blast that burned her captors and forced S'ym to stand back

Illyana: I knew you were stupid, but this is a new low for you

She swung her sword, which was barely dodged, but even then, the demon kept an unnatural smugness

S'ym: You wound S'ym

Illyana: You bet I do

He managed to punch her, but she quickly cut his forearm with her sword as he went for another punch. The demon cried in pain, but their fight would not get to continue

Suddenly, a powerful blast hit the room, powerful enough to send Illyana flying to the wall and even cut down the demons in the way. The blonde coughed blood at the impact; she could feel her ribs pay the price

It was a blow, unlike anything she had felt before, as if she had been grabbed and tossed by the universe itself. However, physical pain would be the least of her concerns

"Unworthy"

Illyana: What...?

"Weak"

"You failed Piotr. You failed them all"

The blonde heard whisperings, an overwhelming amount of them flooding into her mind, much like the demons stormed her castle

She wiped the blood from her mouth and got up, swinging her Soulsword to keep the nearest demons at bay while she glared at S'ym

Illyana: What is this?! What are you doing?!

But he just shrugged with a grin

???: That would be me

This voice was much different, too soft to be a demon's. A cloaked woman entered the library; her presence alone commanded the demons to stand down, even S'ym

Illyana growled at the sight of it. She knew she was looking at the one behind this attack

A soft smile formed on the woman's bright red lips as she looked at Illyana

???: So you're the ruler of Limbo I've heard so much about

Illyana: And you're the next head I'll have on a spike

A laugh left the woman's lips, much to Illyana's dismay

???: You're every bit as charming as they say

She got a growl as a response, and in the blink of an eye, got back up to unleash a devastating attack from her weapon...or that would have been the case if she hadn't been frozen in place

Rage turned into shock as pinkish energy surrounded her. The cloaked woman couldn't help but smile, while S'ym cracked his knuckles and slammed down his fists upon his paralyzed foe, brutally sending the girl crashing into the ground before he picked her up and threw her into one of the shelves, shattering it in the process

The demons reveled in her pain, but Illyana refused to stay down, as proven when the nearest enemy chomped down on her shoulder, only to be met with shining armor in the place it bit

She grabbed it and incinerated it with a spell, then quickly knocked the teeth of another with an elbow slam to the face as she got back up and unleashed a firey blast with her sword

???: Okay, enough games

As things escalated, with the queen of Limbo about to let loose and turn the tables on the attackers, the woman decided it was time to act

Once again, Illyana found herself trapped, unable to move due to the energy that held her in place, but this time, it began to close in on her, and her. This forced pained cries from the girl as this invisible force began to trap her in place

Seeing no alternative, she subconsciously called for one of her stepping disks to try and get away from this crushing force. Unbeknownst to her, that was exactly what her foes wanted

With another brutal punch, S'ym forced her to let go of her weapon and quickly got ahold of it. Illyana gasped and tried to reach for it only to be pulled down by the unknown woman deeper into her own portal

And so, the queen of Limbo had been effectively forced out of her castle, and in her absence, the most powerful weapon in all of Limbo:

The Soulsword

A wicked laugh left the demon's lips at the realization of what they had just accomplished

S'ym: We finally did it. We got rid of that insufferable little witch

What few monsters remained cheered at their success, and as they did, the Soulsword was taken away from S'ym and floated over to the hands of the true culprit

Her green eyes went wide at the glow of it, so close and personal, and it was soon accompanied by a grin of her own

"Hail to the queen"

___________

The portal tore open, and Illyana came crashing down. Bags of trash served to cushion her fall ever so slightly

Raindrops hitting her face told the girl that she was no longer in Limbo, a fact reinforced by the siren of a police car driving by. She now found herself in an alley

A broken breath left the blonde's lips as her body relaxed, but it was then that the adrenaline started to wear off, and with it came the pain of her wounds.

Under gray skies, Illyana tried to get up despite her body's desperate pleas against the contrary

She was driven by a single goal, to find refuge, and took a good three steps before finally collapsing on the ground

Only a couple minutes later, the doors to a liquor store opened, and out came Logan with a bag of goods

However, on his way to his motorcycle, he walked past said alley. It was then that he picked up on a familiar scent

Logan: What the...?

When he looked back, his eyes went wide

Logan: Illyana? What the hell happened to you?

He rushed into the alley and held Illyana, barely conscious as she looked at the man holding her

Illyana: L-Logan...

Her blue eyes slowly closed as her head leaned back

Logan: Hey! HEY!! Don't quit on me, you hear? Kid!

But there was no response

Logan: Damnit!

Not wasting any time, the man picked her up and rushed back to his vehicle. It was in her teacher's embrace that she finally allowed herself to drift into unconsciousness. She made it

...

...

...

"Vitals are looking promising. She's recovering very quickly"

"Thank you, Moira"

Voices were the first thing that manifested, then the softness of the sheets and the sound of them as her body shifted ever so slightly

"She's waking up"

"Wakey wakey, kid"

Slowly, Illyana opened her eyes. She was not welcomed by Limbo's dark stone or red landscape, nor by the filthy alley she had landed on, but instead, by a much cleaner space. The beeping of machines was the ambiance

Logan: Welcome back

Illyana: what...?

When she looked around, she found herself hooked to an IV, lying on a bed in a metallic room, and surrounding her were people who made her feel safe

She saw Professor Xavier, Moira, Logan, and you. You were the first to approach her with a soft look in your eyes, and cupped her cheek

You: Welcome back, 'yana. How are you feeling?

The warmth of your touch was perhaps the gentlest thing she had felt all day; it earned a heavy breath from her

Illyana: I'll live

She looked around to try and find any sort of familiarity with this place. It looked similar to the Danger Room in the way the roof and the walls looked. Were they under the mansion?

Illyana: How...how did I get here?

Moira: Logan found you, and we took care of your wounds the best we could

Charles: Your brother is away on a mission but will join us as soon as he can

Illyana: I see...thank you

Slowly, she lifted the hand that was not connected to the IV to find her arm wrapped in bandages, as was her forehead

You: Now, if you don't mind, we have a few questions we'd like you to answer

Logan: Yeah, like how the hell did you end up in an alley with four broken ribs and a mouth full of blood

The others looked at the hairy man, who just leaned against the wall. He looked up and shrugged

Logan: What?

You: That is one way to put it, but yes, what even happened to you?

Her gaze shifted, knowing well this was inevitable. How could it not be?

Illyana: I... got into a fight, real nasty stuff

You raised a brow. This answer only got everyone on alert

Moira: With who?

On the other hand, Logan cracked his knuckles

Logan: Who do we gotta teach a lesson to?

The girl couldn't help but smile at his attitude, but she figured she might as well tell the truth. She did kind of owe it to you all for saving her

Illyana: It's...complicated. Not in the teenage angst kind of way

Moira: We've seen our fair share of weird, sweetheart

Charles: Please, Illyana, we can help you no matter how dire it is

Everyone spoke in agreement, but she sat up to look at them with a more stern look in her eye

Illyana: If you say so...

A sigh left her stinging lips before she continued

Illyana: There's this place I have control over. Not quite Hell, but very close. I hang out there every now and then, don't ask me why, I don't know why either

You raised a brow. Her file did mention possible sorcery, and it's not like she was discreet about her powers either

Moira: I'm sorry, you were just hanging out in Hell?

Illyana: Limbo, it's called Limbo

Moira: Right. That doesn't make it better

The younger girl shook her head

Illyana: It shouldn't, but it's something I learned to control—or at least until today

Her gaze turned hostile at the memory of recent events. To say she was not fond of being bested was an understatement

Illyana: This particular demon was a piece of work, and a weird woman came in and--

She froze the moment it dawned on her. They took the Soulsword

Illyana: I have to go back

She said that thinking out loud, but of course, the others didn't take it well

Charles: What? Absolutely not

Logan: No way, kid

The girl turned to them in desperation

Illyana: You don't get it! They took my sword. With it, they can pretty much run Limbo!

Moira: You're in no condition to fight again!

Illyana: If I don't, they'll wage war against Earth! I have to stop them!

She attempted to get up, but her own body lashed out against her and forced her back onto the bed

Illyana: Пиздец!

Moira: Hey, take it easy. I just put you back together

But as Moira put her back on the bed, you took notice of the look in her eyes. The sheer desperation, despite her current state, could not be ignored

Before you knew it, you were addressing the others

You: Hey, could I talk to you all for a moment?

Everyone stopped to look at you, and you excused yourselves from the room for a moment

Illyana: We're wasting time!

You converged in the hallway, where the others looked at you to hear what you had to say

You: I've never seen her like this

Logan: What, beat up?

You: Scared

There was a brief silence after that. Nobody would admit it, but this sent shivers down their spines

Because they knew you were right

You: This thing she's talking about must be dire for her to act like this

Moira: She's talking about magic. I am a woman of science. I can't even understand how she's so casual about "Limbo"

Amidst the confusion, Charles spoke up

Charles: I...I might know someone

Everyone stopped to listen to him

Charles: An old friend of mine is very knowledgeable about the mystic arts. I will contact him and ask for his help

Moira: You're kidding. Nobody's seen him in months

Charles: I must try, for Illyana

Then he turned back to you

Charles: But until I get a response, that is all we can do right now

You nodded

You: That's all I ask

Charles: We can't risk Illyana going out in her current state

The headmaster glanced back at Illyana with his mind. He saw the young girl in bed, covered in bandages, some of which had been stained with blood

"She wouldn't survive"

___________

Bloodstained skies loomed over the hellish landscape that was once New York as young footsteps echoed

Illyana ran through the streets, breath ragged and heart racing out of her chest. Fear coursed through her body like never before

Around her, mighty skyscrapers were now little more than ash and ruin, and bodies lied scattered on the streets as she ran

Defenders of Earth, bystanders, friends, all reduced to the dish of bloodthirsty beasts, the very same that now chased after her

And she was powerless to stop them

Desperate, she raised her arms to cast a spell, summon her sword, anything that could fight back against these monsters, but it was all in vain

Instead, one of them lunged at her and chomped down on her arm. Rather than being met with her armor, the teeth sank in, and blood poured out

A heartwrenching scream echoed through the streets as more demons flew down and joined in, flocking to get a piece of this feast until she could no longer run or even scream

Blade-like fangs pierced through the flesh and reaped apart without a care

This was her doing; her recklessness caused this apocalypse, and now, she was just the latest casualty

"NOOO!!"

Her scream echoed once again, but this time, in the metallic room she was in before. Illyana breathed heavily as she readjusted to her new surroundings

Cold sweat ran down her skin when she looked around. She was back at the infirmary, back in the softness of white sheets, and no longer hooked to an IV

However, this time there was nobody to welcome her, and when she looked at the clock on the wall, a gasp left her lips

Three hours had passed. She had fallen asleep when she could've done something to stop the invasion!

Illyana: No, no no!

She got off the bed. The pain still limited her movement, but it wasn't nearly as bad now

The doors slid open, and she peeked outside to find the hallway just as empty. She couldn't deny it was odd, but it was also an opportunity

Being as sneaky as she could, Illyana went back, retrieved her uniform, and put it on as best she could without forcing her wounds

She appreciated you all taking care of her, giving her a roof, and healing her wounds; however, none of you seemed to understand the gravity of the situation

Without her, Limbo could attack this dimension at any moment. It wouldn't be a battle, it would be a massacre

And she just WASTED THREE HOURS SLEEPING!!

Under the cover of night, she made it back to the surface. Silence had taken over, so she had to be extra careful not to--

Logan: You'll have to wait a bit more for Santa to show up

Instinctively, she covered her mouth so as not to scream. When she turned around, she found Logan leaning against the counter with a beer

However, he was not alone. You were preparing something next to him

You: I take it you feel better?

You took the tray and offered her some snacks, which she took with a lot of confusion

Illyana: What are you doing?

You: Waiting for you

She tilted her head, while Logan put the drink aside and looked at her

Logan: You were so eager to get back, it was obvious you'd try to sneak out later

She crossed her arms with a narrow gaze

Illyana: I have to

You: We know, Illy

Logan: Doesn't mean you gotta do it alone

Just as he said that two people entered the room: Her brother Piotr, and Elizabeth Braddock, her PE teacher

The former got on one knee and pulled her in for a hug

Piotr: Little Snowflake, I am so sorry this happened to you

But as comforting as his embrace was, Illyana stood there, trying to process what was taking place

Once he let her go, she noticed that everyone was wearing their uniform; even you, who didn't have one, were wearing something much more practical

Illyana: What...what is this?

You: The professor told us he's getting some help but it might take a while, and we know you're not going to wait until then

Elizabeth: We also know we can't stop you from going back on your own

Piotr: So we're coming with you

You stood together before her, but the image of the corpses in the ruined city flashed in her mind, forcing her eyes to go wide as she stepped back

Illyana: What? No! You'll die!

Her harsh response caught everyone off guard, unaware of the terrible visions that plagued her

Elizabeth: And so will you if you go back like this, Illyana. It would be suicide

Her brother stepped forward. Despite his imposing figure, his eyes reflected nothing but love

Piotr: It is okay, little sister. You do not have to wage this war alone

Her gaze became desperate upon hearing her brother. She was tainted by Limbo, she was used to it

But she didn't wish such an experience upon anyone else, especially her family. The tears running down her face told as much

Illyana: I-I-I can't let you risk your lives like this! It's too dangerous! It's Hell we're talking about!

Logan: We're the X-Men, we don't scare easy

Elizabeth: Have some faith in us, love, we can handle danger

Betsy and him fist bumped, getting only a groan from Illyana as her warnings fell on deaf ears

But that's when she felt your hands on her shoulders

You: Illyana, look at me

Reluctantly, she complied and found herself looking at your tender eyes

You: There's no weakness in accepting help. We all care about you, and we want to see you succeed

With that same softness, you wiped her tears and got up

You: And besides, even if it's Hell, we'll have each other's backs, won't we?

To prove your point, you looked back at the others and were met with their agreeing words and nods

The blonde knew she couldn't convince you to stay here, but in a way, she was grateful

As much as she hated to admit it, Elizabeth was right, she was hardly in perfect shape to go back and reclaim her throne by herself

She looked down, her hair covered part of her face as she did, but even then, you could make out a smile

Illyana: ...thank you

Elizabeth: Don't thank us yet, we have to get you your throne back

Logan cracked his neck and pulled his mask on

Logan: Let's go kick Limbo's ass

You: Speaking of, how do we get there?

The young girl perked at the question. She hadn't tried using a stepping disc since she got here

Illyana: Right, everyone come here. I'll get us there

You did as she asked. The girl took a deep breath and focused as best she could. Soon enough, a bright light appeared from the ground and began to make its way up

A flash of light overtook the kitchen, and in the blink of an eye, you were gone

Next stop: Limbo