INFERNO! - Part 1
Posted on Fri Jun 28th, 2024 @ 7:30pm by Erik Magnus Lehnsherr & Connor Bruin & Bobby Drake & Iris Walker & Jade Farwynd & Bliss Hawkins & Levi Rousseau & Shinobi Shaw & Ethan Hale & Aurora Summers & Kennedy Kelly
2,652 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: Savage Land Citadel
Timeline: September 18th, 1990
The night after the battle for the City of the Sun People was one of quiet rest. While Zaladane had a few zealots on her side, most enemy forces had capitulated willingly once King Akeem was enthroned just as expected. Even the vaunted Sun Priests had forsworn their oaths to Zaladane upon the destruction of Garokk's ancient statue which had stood for untold generations. For the first time in many months, it seemed peace would prevail upon the Savage Land as the balance was becoming restored.
Most of the X-Men were relatively unscathed during the battle, but several had needed medical attention before settling in for the night. The king's peace was declared over the valley of the Sun People as well as their city and temple upon the mountains. Ka-Zar's messengers were sent to carry word far and wide that Zaladane had been put to flight for good, as her forces had either been sundered or had turned against her for her forfeiture.
Despite the cause for celebration, a gloom hung over the Savage Land as the sky beam from Magneto's Citadel had taken on an unsettling hue. The aura it sent out cast a pall over one and all. A feeling that all was not well kept everyone from restful sleep. Come first light, most people had felt that something was quite wrong.
There was no warning for what came next. It began with the screaming. All got worse from there...
"Noble King Akeem, I bring word that your realm is under attack!" Ka-Zar declared in the very Throne Room he had fought the day before to liberate.
Seated with a crown that he had not worn in some time was King Akeem. He stared with wonder and concern at the news. "So soon? Is it Zaladane?"
Ka-Zar shook his head. "I do not believe so. The land is beset by unnatural fiends. Even if Zaladane had summoned them, they do not fight for any mortal. They profane the Sacred Caves and slaughter all they see. I am preparing to fight my way back to the Fall People and defend them to my dying breath. I wished only to bid you good fortune."
The two lords bowed to one another in grim understanding before Ka-Zar took his leave.
In the public area outside the Throne Room which held it adjacent to the City proper in between sheer cliffsides, Ka-Zar strode confidently toward his war mount beside the United Tribe cavalry. Sounds of combat rang out among the city walls. Telltale signs of smaller incursions within the city gave warning that soon no place may be safe. It became all the more urgent for Ka-Zar to return to his home and give aid according to his oaths.
"This is where we part ways, X-Men," said Ka-Zar as he hopped onto his mount. "My full intent was to aid you in your raid on the Citadel, but I am called elsewhere. I am Lord of the Savage Land and its people need me against what may prove to be a threat greater than any posed by Zaladane's regime." His eyes drifted to the distant Citadel on the other side of the valley. "If you can get inside Magneto's former stronghold, it is undoubtedly the source of whatever infernal onslaught is before us. End it if you can."
"JOIN US AND OUR ODDS OF SUCCESS WILL BE GREATER," Connor said on behalf of the team.
Ka-Zar shook his head. "No, Caveman. You are mighty, each of you, and you, Cavemen, led your team well through the Sacred Caves. You are champions. If you fall, then there was never hope for anyone else. The rest of us will defend those who cannot defend themselves, no matter what fate may come. Saving this land but not its people would be no victory at all. Good luck!"
“Remember the laws of the Savage Land and you will be successful, Caveman.” Shanna chimed in with a more positive outlook as she climbed onto the riding beast along with Ka-Zar. “The X-Men have all the skills needed to breach the Citadel. Strike swiftly and effectively and they will not stand a chance.”
Zabu joined Ka-Zar and Shanna as they rallied with the United Tribes and their departure became imminent.
“Llapaykichispaq saminchakuna, sonqoykichis sallqa libre qhepachun.” Shanna offered them a final blessing in the native tongue of the Savage Land. “Goodbye X-Men!”
"Goodbye," said Jace. And he full well meant it. The young man had no desire to ever return here for any reason. He watched He-Man and She-Ra head off to continue their war or battle or freedom fight or whatever they called it. He'd kind of hoped that theirs was over, but there was no such luck. "Well, there you go."
Aurora watched them go, hoping them all the luck in the world. It seemed everyone was going to need it from here on out.
Jade sighed, wondering if this was going to be life from now on? Running from one fire to another, helping douse it and then running off to fight another. With no real care as to the present moment and the people you were with. It felt...empty. Right by The Prof's standards, but empty.
With a mighty whoop, Ka-Zar rallied the cavalry of the United Tribes and led them back to the city gates. From there would begin their arduous journey to fight their way back to the land of the Fall People. Even the Swamp Men did not deserve such a fate should the army of demons reach them.
"Okay, Citadel..." Bobby blew a puff of frost between his lips in frustration. "I remember it being really hard to get into last time, and that was without an army of... did he say demons? Without an army of demon monsters between here and there."
Magneto stepped forward. "There is a critical flaw in the rearward section. I had to install a geothermal generator in order to initiate the ancient power core that had lain dormant for perhaps millennia. There is a man-sized exhaust port that would allow for ease of access should anyone be able to withstand the extreme heat transfer."
All eyes fell to Bobby. "Okay. What then?" Bobby asked.
"Then you open the main bay doors from within," Magneto barked. "I should think that would be obvious."
"Right... sure..." Bobby frowned at the chastisement but wouldn't rise to Magneto's bite otherwise. "What temperatures are we talking about? Can anyone else handle high heat?"
"Not me," said Jace. "I can't handle that kind of heat. Sorry."
“I can” Aurora smiled as she stood holding a ball of flame in her hand. “I’m practically impervious to flame..” she extinguished the flame I her hand, “but I’ve never tried prolonged exposure to high heat before. Plus my...condition does affect my abilities from time to time.”
"You had bandages from the last time we had a schuffle at the School. Remember?" Jade interjected. "And because of your condition you should stay put, Enigma. For all we know if you get too hot you could go boom and take all of us with you." She said and looked over at Bobby. "If you can give me the initial chill, I should be able to keep my blood at a similar temp and not boil from the inside. My resistances should do the rest, hopefully."
Aurora looked towards Jade, she was the team medic and knew what was best. “Understood, if you think I should stay I’ll stay with the group.”
"IF DUSTDEVIL STAYS CLOSE TO ICEMAN, THEN HE MAY BE ABLE TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE OVERALL THROUGH PRESSURIZATION OF THE HOT AIR AND CREATE A BACKFLOW INTO THE CITADEL." Connor was signing a mile a minute and his fingers still couldn't keep up with his thoughts. "THERE WOULD BE A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE REACTION ON THE OTHER END, BUT PERHAPS THAT WOULD BE DESIRABLE?"
Connor looked at Magneto for an explanation.
"It could be dangerous—" Magneto began to reply, but Connor's device talked over him.
"WHAT RISK IS THERE OF DAMAGE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM?"
Magneto cleared his throat and made no effort to hide his impatience. "So long as the exhaust is not permanently impeded, no. For infiltration purposes, the risk is minimal."
"Great..." Bobby groaned.
"I'll do it," Levi said. "Come on. Time's wasting."
"Let's get on with it then." Jade said and followed along.
"Good luck," said Jace. "I guess we'll see you on the other side."
Ethan traded fist bumps with Bobby and Levi but otherwise left the moment unspoken.
Crossing the valley was easier said than done. Those who could fly assisted with crowd control while the ground team pushed on ahead. A few of the more burly fiends posed problems, but since they weren't fighting to claim ground but rather to advance to the Citadel, progress was made far greater than in a pitched fight between armies.
And the demonic horde was no army. They ran amok, attacking anything that moved, but there was no organized effort among them. Their bloodlust was twice as savage for it, like beasts armed with infernal weaponry and fought like the devil besides.
Forward, always forward, the X-Men plus Magneto finally reached the moat surrounding the Citadel.
"Sanguis, Dustdevil, stay behind me," Iceman said, his every word trailing frosty breath from his ice form. But before he left, he created an ice bridge over the moat for the others. "Good luck, team!"
And they were away, Iceman and Sanguis on an undulating ice slide with Dustdevil bringing up the rear on the cusp of a cyclone and providing cover from the attention they were getting from breaking away from the main group.
Connor stepped forward and gave a single sign. "ATTACK!" his device ordered.
Once everyone was across the ice bridge, Connor said, "BRING DOWN THE BRIDGE!"
“On it, Caveman.” Kennedy acknowledged Connor’s request for demolition as she drew an arrow and aimed for the center of the bridge. Charging the arrow with an enormous amount of energy, it shone like radiant sunshine in the hazy hellscape that the Savage Land had become. Her arrow landed true and the bridge exploded upon impact. The ice was pulverized to fine shavings that gently scattered on the breeze, it briefly snowed on the demons and beasts of the forever summer landscape.
The horde of lumbering fiends stopped in their tracks, though not soon enough for those the front. Multiple ranks of demons were shoved into the rapids and sucked away in the undercurrent. A few of the others tried to hop over the moat but underestimated the distance. They were sent to join their comrades downstream. Only the winged demons could follow.
Ahead of the team, in front of the main bay doors to the Citadel, were gigantic demons more than 3 meters in height. They beat against the structure with large stone warclubs that appeared to have even larger skulls wrapped to them.
"WATCH OUR BACKS AND OUR SIDES," Connor ordered. "DO NOT LET THEM CORNER US."
Iris had tried to slip past them, but they seemed to follow her on some instinctual level. They existed on a different plane, possibly the same one where her mind lived. Or something. She still hadn’t quite figured out how her powers worked, but it didn’t matter right now. What mattered was fighting the demon things. In a moment of desperation, she had held out a hand to one and yelled, “stop!” But it had only laughed at her. “Yeah, didn’t think that would work,” she muttered.
Bliss pushed herself up from her spot on the brontosarus after placing a quick kiss on Connor's cheek. This was not the time to sulk like Achilles in his tent. It's time to kick ass and take names.
"All right, X-Men! Let's show these jerks how the good guys fight!"
With that, the mutant known as Escalade leapt into the air. But this time instead of bouncing into combat, her trajectory kept going up and up and away from the rest of the team. She closed with one of the aerial combatants and begin to wail on it with all of her focused determination and emotional content. Her fists rained down upon the target with brutal force and reckless speed.
"Come on!"
Jace did what he always did in situations like these. He phased and started running through them, pulling out whatever demonic innards he could get his hands on. He really had no idea if it worked on demons, though. But it worth a shot.
Bringing up the rear, Ethan flew back and forth overhead, slicing open as many flying fiends as he could. There were too many to fight all at once. The best he could do was slow them down in the air and keep them from harrying his friends on the ground.
As the fighting drew to a fevered pitch, a portal opened overhead which revealed Zaladane within her inner sanctum deep inside the Citadel. "Fools! Do you see what you have done?! You have unleashed him! The gods of this land have kept him imprisoned for centuries and now he shall be our undoing! Curse you, X-Men! Curse you!"
"Open the gates, you insufferable pretender, and let us see whose curse carries more weight!" Magneto had not taken to the air, as he was saving his strength for just this very confrontation. His fist pulsated with pure electromagnetic power, the emanation of his wrath.
"My only regret, Magnus, is that you will not die by my hand. Perhaps you will at least serve as a distraction." Zaladane shot him one last scowl before the portal closed.
Before the gates of the Citadel, arising from the bodies of the fallen demonic horde, a devilish face formed fully of blazing fire appeared. There was no body, no appendages, nothing to give form other than a large, horned head born entirely of dark flame.
"Num certe armamenta mortalia contra Belasco, Dominum Limbi, obtulisti!" The tone was mocking even for those who did not understand the words. "Servisne etiam Sinistrae Manus Apocalypsis?"
"Who or whatever you are, stand down!" Magneto shouted. "My vengeance shall not be denied!"
The fiery visage cackled with sinister glee. "Sic fiat!" As his inhuman laughter filled the air, the inferno split into smaller streams of fire which jetted into the corpses of the fallen demons. One by one, they rose from the ground, snorting their contempt for having been slain.
"IMPOSSIBLE," Connor signed with confusion and horror on his face.
“What does it mean?” Kennedy asked no one and everyone as they battled the same resurrected demons. She felt herself growing tired from the extended use of her powers, her arrows merely tinged with gold as she continued to fire over and over again. “I don’t understand Latin.”
“He said we offered mortal weapons to Belasco, Lord of Limbs?” Iris answered, thought her Latin was rusty. “And then he asked if we also serve the Apocalypse. I have no idea what any of it means, though.”
"LEFT HAND," Connor amended shortly before ducking under the attack of a resurrected demon. He dropkicked it away from him to clear some space and landed in a crouch. This wasn't going to be sustainable forever.
"Like that helps..." Kennedy grumbled as she continued to fire arrow after arrow. "I take it back, I promise to tolerate the Savage Land with positive attitude if the gates of Limbo are closed."
"I don't think I can do any damage to that," said Jace. "But yeah, I think tolerate is the right word you have there."
The fight for the Citadel had only just begun.
To Be Continued...
Note: Shanna the She-Devil was played by Kennedy Kelly.
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