Cyber bounded across the hut and slashed at Scanner. To his immense surprise she managed to block his claws with her arms. Whatever the metal banding on them was it was tough enough to withstand adamantium spikes. He kicked up seeking to knock her against one of the walls of the makeshift hut but she dropped down and scooted under his raised leg. Desperately he spun around and managed, barely, to slash her back. "Good moves, Babe. Better than I expected. But they won't save you."

Cyber sprang forth from the tent after the frightened girl, only to receive a drop kick in the face from Scanner. He sliced at the leg but it was covered with the same annoying metal as her arms. He lunged forward. From here he could easily see that her throat was completely unprotected. She blocked his forward lunge with crossed arms and then fell backwards, flipping him over her. He landed with a resounding crash. He was up on his feet instantly. She was a lot slower. The glazing of her eyes told the story of the effect of the hallucinogenic poison running through her system. "End of the line, Babe. Fought well for an Acolyte but you just don't have what it takes to beat me. Nobody does."

"Really, Sugah. Ah reckon if'n that is your best ya have a long ways to go before you can make that kinda boast. But then ah've seen the best so ah might be just a wee bit biased here".

Cyber spun around. A magnificent woman stood before him, tall and full figured, with a white stripe running through her brown hair. "Think you can do better, Chump. Take your best shot then. But make it a good one because you won't be getting a second chance, sister"

"Okay." Rogue replied.

Magneto reclined on soft pillows. The ease with which he rested belied the fierce thinking and action inside his mind. The Shadow King probed forth, seeking, looking, finding. Xavier was still alive and somehow Wolverine had recovered from a blow that previously would have been mortal in the extreme for him. What had happened?

His gaze wandered to his captive. Jean Grey was stilled covered with smoke and blood from the crash and the subsequent encounter with Sauron -- a useful if limited servant. She was the first child of Xavier's heart and the daughter he had never had. Inside the form of Magneto, Farouk had plans for the young woman. She would be his consort. She would be his Shadow Queen.

Wolverine crouched in the tall grass. Nereel had stopped at the forward pickets but he had gone on. He had caught a whiff of a scent he remembered all too well; that of the reptilian creature known as Sauron. Sauron had nearly killed him and had taken Phoenix. Wolverine held back burning anger; he had failed so many people he didn't want to fail her as well. Unfortunately, knowing Sauron and the damage he had done to her already, Jean was probably already dead. In that case, Wolverine vowed to himself, Sauron was in for a world of hurt.

He began to circle inwards towards the camp. Suddenly a bright flash blinded him for an instant. When it cleared he could see a tall Ameridan man dressed in white, gold and scarlet. 'Exodus! What in blazes is Magneto's lackey doing here? We were downed by a bolt of magnetic energy, is there a connection between Sauron and Magneto? I wonder what would happen if I followed Exodus to his destination?' Carefully Wolverine marked which tent Exodus entered and then began to slowly circle inwards. The slime coating most of the inhabitants of the camp inhibited their ability to watch, especially against someone of his talents, An oversight he would make them pay for. In blood.

Jean awoke to the empty void of astral space. It had changed recently or was it only here? It was dark and lifeless, a hollow void that sought to suck forth the very soul from the traveller. What had happened in the interim? Had she died only to have her mind survive here? She sought to return to her body. She could feel it, but a psionic barrier separated her from it.

"Naughty, naughty, little Jeanie" the Shadow King taunted. "You are in my realm now. Did you think I would let you leave so quickly. At least say hello to an old friend"

The dark folds of the Shadow Kings hideous form parted to show Jean an image of the X-men's oldest foe -- Magneto. Tarnished silver like the man himself, yet there were scratches that showed pure silver, noble deeds that held his corruption at bay. "What do you think of my newest plaything, little Jeanie" the Shadow King mocked.

"You may have Magneto captive but how long will you hold him, especially after I do... THIS!" Jean fired a blast of psionic energy at the form of Magneto as it vanished into the folds of the Shadow King's form. The bolt rocked him, for a few second he wavered in and out of existence as if fighting something that sought to eradicate the core of his being. Jean prepared a second blast but hesitated, she wasn't sure she wanted to kill someone, even one as evil as the Shadow King. There might be a better way. Besides, killing him would probably finish Magneto as well and that would be murder, pure and simple.

Suddenly pain enveloped her. Dark tendrils spouted forth from the Shadow King coating her in slimy darkness. "Glad to see you didn't have the guts to finish me. I, as you can see, have no such compunctions". Jean felt herself being consumed by blackness, and even worse she was beginning to enjoy the darkness and the filth. She focused all of her formidable might on breaking free of his bonds. Not even Xavier was his match on the astral plane and she was losing even the inclination to resist. With a burst of pain she tore free and returned to her body.

Scanner lay helpless on the ground. The drugs coursing through her system left her weak and helpless. Being small and thin and blonde might make one attractive but the lack of body mass left her excessively vulnerable to Cyber's poison. The young Scottish girl let her mind stray to her upbringing and wondered at a life that had lead her to this point. Rejected by her parents when her mutant abilities appeared she had found herself in a strange and hostile world. Not a powerful mutant she had cursed and hated her abilities, the metal bands on her arms and legs were not merely cosmetic or just for fighting after all. But then Cortez had come and given her hope in a man who had a dream, a dream in which little people like herself would be safe from a world that hated and despised her. So Marie had followed Cortez and then Magneto when it was shown that Cortez had been a lying bastard. But then that jerk Xavier had come and torn Magneto's mind out. It had all fallen apart after that. Exodus had gone slowly mad and then Holocaust had come. The dream of a haven for all had vanished in a battle between two men who wanted to be gods. She had hoped to find some solace while in the arms of Scott Summers, but he had betrayed her, all of them, when he turned them over to the US government. Then Magneto had come back and everything seemed to have become alright again. Only it wasn't, there was a darkness in Magneto that reached forth and consumed her fellow acolytes. A native of the Astral plane she could see it and the vast, bloated bulk of evil behind it. So she fled. The tribes had wanted to kill her, she was an Acolyte after all. But Rogue had convinced them all otherwise. And now Rogue was fighting to save her life.

Scanner raised her head to observe the battle. This was a bad mistake as it told the surrounding tribes-people she was still alive. One of them savagely drove a spear into her back. She gasped as the spear pierced her and began to slowly cry. She was gagging blood and with this level of technology that meant she was finished. Her heroine was losing against Cyber, her hero had betrayed her, her God was possessed by a Demon and she was dying like an animal in the midst of those who hated her. How could things get any worse?

Somewhere, far away in the darkness of the astral plane, she could hear the distant sound of laughter.

Jean raised her head and glanced around. She was bound and helpless before a makeshift throne. On the throne Magneto sat, his ice blue eyes piercing her to the core. As she looked at them she could see a savage madness in them.

"So you're still the tigress I see" laughed Magneto. "Poor little Jeanie, don't you know you have already lost. Your little tussle with Sauron seems to have drained your abilities to the point where you have no more hope against me than a human."

"I kicked you out of my mind once, try it again and we will see what happens." Jean grimaced. "I know you aren't what you pretend to be, that the form you wear is only a mask..."

"Too late, little X-Man." Magneto mocked, his voice like granite being ground. "I have already corrupted you deeply. Ask yourself if the idea of being my slave is still so abhorrent."

Jean suddenly realised the idea was attractive, desirable, proper, it was something she wanted. "NO" she screamed "I will resist you till the end of time but you WILL NOT HAVE ME!" Desperately Jean mind blasted him as hard as she could. The result was feeble, almost pitiful.

"Dear Jeanie," Magneto mocked. "Did I neglect to tell you that you are almost powerless as a result of Sauron's feeding. Your power will return, but by then you will be mine!" Jean screamed as the Shadow King's psionic probes bored into her skull.

Wolverine heard the screams and turned from following Exodus and charged towards the tent were it was all occurring. He burst into the anteroom to behold Wyrm and Sauron. Wyrm was chuckling to himself. Several captive tribesmen where there and feeding their own children to the ravenous Sauron. Wyrm was so intent on his act of cruelty that he paid no attention to the intruder. The parents of the children made no move to betray their liberator. SNIKT. The inaction cost Wyrm his life as Wolverine drove his claws into Wyrms bloated body. Sauron turned, his eyes filled with an unholy fire. "You owe me a rematch, bub." Wolverine growled "It's dying time.". He charged the savage reptile, his berserker fury being driven to extreme heights by Jeans pathetic screams.

Rogue staggered. Only her Kree physiology (inherited from Carol Danvers) and the resistance it gave her to Earth based poisons kept her on her feet. Cyber was unable to do more than cosmetic damage with his claws but the poison was slowly overwhelming her. After the first blow Cyber had proved difficult to hit and his adamantium was beyond her ability to damage. Every torso blow she landed hurt him savagely but she was landing too few. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Scanner. Some idiot had stuck a spear in her. Couldn't these blockheads ever get it through their heads that she wasn't the enemy?

"Had enough, girlie?" Cyber taunted. He continued his basic strategy of keeping his arms in front of him, loose and limber. Every time Rogue closed in he used the opportunity to slash her while blocking her blows with his arms. Broken ribs ground as he moved and he could tell he had a skull fracture from her first hit. He had to end this soon.

"Ah'm afraid ah'm going t' have to give you one last chance t' say uncle, scuzball, . . . or ah'll do something we'll both regret." Rogue sputtered.

"Go to hell" Cyber roared and charged her. She hit him with all of her drug induced strength. He blocked but the blow was crippling. He felt his left arm literally tear free of his body from the force of her blow. He collapsed in pain and shock. As Rogue walked away from him and towards the young woman he had tried to kill, a circle of tribes-people closed around him. They had had too much of murderers lately and their tolerance level was vanishingly low.

Rogue stood over the prone form of Scanner. She wrenched the spear loose and picked up the desperately wounded young woman. "Ah'm afraid there ain't much that can be done, Scanner" she forced herself to say.

"That's okay." Scanner replied. "It is enough that you care..." as she drifted into unconsciousness from pain, shock, drugs and blood loss. Rogue made it all the way to the Shaman's tent before collapsing.

Wolverine stepped over the prone form of Sauron. The locals must be used to screams and strange sounds coming from the tent. Suited him just fine. Magneto would have to face him alone. He strode forth into the main chamber.

Magneto stood with Jean at his feet. She was no longer screaming but seemed to be smiling instead -- a wild smile unlike any he had ever seen on her before. "Wolvie, what a delightful surprise." she exclaimed while a sick look of pleasure passing over her face. All of Woverines' senses told him something was wrong. Magneto turned to face him and Wolverine could see a dark madness in his eyes. He reacted faster than he had any right to with his claws slashing at Magneto's throat.

Against the real Magneto this would have been a suicide tactic. But the Shadow King had been too busy twisting Jean Grey's mind. He was unprepared and his battle instincts were non-existent. His experience with magnetic power left a lot to be desired as well. Wolverines' claws quite simply tore his throat out.

To Wolverine's immense surprise, Jean lashed out at him with a telekinetic burst. It was weak and feeble but enough to knock him off his feet. He bounded back crying. "Jeanie, what's wrong with you girl." Magneto rose from a pool of blood, his throat already healed but his face pale and gaunt with the drain such a feat had cost him. "Why, she is my slave now of course. No longer the Jean you knew she is mine now." Wolverine leapt at him, a berserker rage contorting his features. The Shadow King panicked and triggered a massive magnetic blast that sent Wolverine flying into the air.

He landed hurt, pained and gasping. He looked up to see Exodus standing above him. "You are too wild to be controlled, Wolverine. I will send you forth as a herald to tell them all my Master Magneto is coming and nothing will stop him from purging the face of this earth" Wolverine leapt at him but was surrounded by an aura of light and flame. Burning he flung himself on Exodus. He was too deep in a berserker rage to realise how badly hurt he was. His claws slashed Exodus and he saw blood. But before he could deliver the killing stroke Exodus vanished in a flash of light.

"Rabbiting won't help you, bub!" Wolverine muttered. He slipped back into the darkness. He was coming back with help and all the gods in heaven wouldn't be enough to save Magneto.

"Did he hurt you my lord? Did the little berserker almost kill the mightiest of mutants?" Jean Grey taunted.

"Watch yourself, Grey." the Shadow King retorted as he lowered himself into his throne. The strain of the psionic healing clear on his face.

"Or you will do what? You twisted and warped me into a perversion of everything I believe in. You can't hurt me worse than that. Besides, I find I like taunting you now. It is... exciting. If you don't like the new Jean Grey you have only yourself to blame. You made me what I am now"

"Yes, I made you and together we will remake this world into my image." He reached for his new Queen and taught her about the pleasures that she would find in his arms.