Excalibur by David Wheatley

"What the hell is going on?"

Adam Drake looked about. He knew this place, it was a park near his home. When he got a chance to be home. However he knew he wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be fighting Necrom. Something had gone wrong, or this was an illusion created by the wizard. He looked around, hoping his powers would pick something up but they didn't and then he saw it and his blood went cold.

"Oh no," he said. Across the lake was Michael Carrington talking to someone. Someone who looked like an older version of Adam Drake. Then Carrington vanished in a flash of light and he knew that was his wife Josephine's teleportation signature. Then his older self picked up a stone and skimmed across the water, watching the ripples connect and collide with each other. A sudden breeze blew up and the man looked up. For a moment his time-displace self though he had seen him but then, on the fringes of his perception his powers tweaked and he was aware of something wrong and he looked around, trying to see whatever had happened.

Whatever it was his older self had figured it, for he had started to run, shifting down the path by the side of the lake, running as fast as he could. However Drajke knew he was no spring chicken himself and the other man was older and by the time he reached the causeway across the waterfall, the old man was wrecked. He stood there, his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. Drake was trying to get around to him, coming over, trying to meet him at the other side of the causeway but it was too late, for by the time he had gotten there, his powers tweaked and he watched himself react and fall off the edge of the causeway.

"NO!" Drake cried, seeing himself fall and knowing he wasn't going to make it. Then someone came in and checked something before walking away. Drake wasn't bothered, he was making his way down the ravine to try and find himself. He didn't know if this was real or not, but he had to make sure. There was no way he was going to die like this, not if he could help it.

Elisabeth Braddock blinked as she regained her bearings. She ached all over, and she felt as if she had been beaten. She could taste blood in her mouth and her body felt wrong and she looked about.

"Elisabeth!" She could hear Pete Wisdom's voice. "Get it together, or we're all dead!" A sense of déjà vu washed over her, as memory came to the fore and she realised this wasn't Limbo. It was home and she knew exactly where she was now.

"This isn't possible," she muttered as she watched the scene around her unfold. Heroes and villains clashed, their myriad of powers lighting up the sky itself and she knew she'd been here before. This was the fall of Onslaught, where the heroes of the world had banded together to overthrow the genetic overlord once and for all. Hellfire, or what remained of the team after the battle with the Shadow King, were here to get back Jamie Braddock and release Krakoa from the psionic entities hold, because with them in his power he could add their collective might to his own and there would be nobody to stop him. Jamie's reality warping powers and Krakoa's connection to nature would bind him forever to this world and it would be all for nothing.

Elisabeth was doing what she could to keep Jamie from slipping away, while Wisdom kept the enemy at bay, but Elisabeth knew what was going to happen, how it had happened before. She had played this day over and over again in her mind and wondered what she could have done differently, but she had never found an answer, but she had been given a second chance. She would find a way to free Jamie from Onslaught's thrall without killing him.

She didn't know how this had happened, but she had the opportunity and she was going to use it. The battle with Necrom could wait.

"Good morning," Lydia Del Ruiz said as Pete opened his eyes, his head pounding and he muttered a groan in response. "You really hit it hard last night," she said as he buried his head in his pillow

"You have no idea," said Pete, his whole body sore as if he'd been through a fight. Then he thought of something. He had been through a fight. With Ahab. He slowly lifted his head from the pillow and looked at her. "Lyd?" he said.

"Peter?" she said, looking at him and she saw the look of confusion in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," he said. "I just…" There was something else, something in his mind ringing with recognition. "What day is it?"

"Tuesday."

"Date, you daft tart," he said, looking about. This was his apartment in New York. The last time he was here properly... His heart froze. Please, don't be the 12th, he thought. Not that.

"12 November," she replied. "You're not with it at all, are you?"

"Oh yes I am," said Pete softly, looking out of the window. The sky was exactly as he remembered it, the room the same. Something had happened, something had gone wrong. He'd been thrown back in time. This was the date of the funeral. "How long do we have?"

"A few hours yet," she answered, putting her arms around him and he realised just how much he'd missed that and he glanced about the room. He could see the things were all packed up and it wasn't far from the time they were due to transfer over to the new XSE facility. "Are you okay?"

He lit a cigarette. "No," he answered. "I'm not okay at all." He was about to relive one of the worst days of his life and he wondered what the hell had happened to the others.

"Here you go, Adam."

Adam Destine looked about. This wasn't right.

"Adam?" He looked over and he could see his son Newton standing there. "Adam are you all right, you look puzzled."

"I am," he admitted. "This is not right."

"I know," said Newton, as he put his hand on his father's arm. "The others will come around in time." He shook his head as he looked across the open fields and sighed. "It had to be done." Adam followed his gaze and realised where he was. This was Ravenscroft, he was home. To his left was his vehicle, created by Newton in a camper van, but capable of interstellar travel, which meant he was about to depart the Earth.

He also knew when he was, and that chilled him. His family were divided, his love would no longer respond to his call, and Vincent was dead. Vincent needed to be stopped, his use of powers were not to the benefit of anyone but himself and he would have ruled the world if Adam had not stopped him in the only way that could have been. Adam had been forced to kill him and the decision had torn his family apart.

In order to make amends, he was leaving Earth, to seek solace in the stars and look for a way to end this existence that had become too painful for him to bear. There was nothing left for him on Earth now. He'd been thrown back in time, but he could not determine how it had happened - perhaps his torment at the hand of Ahab had affected him more than he knew.

"Newton," he said. "I need you to look for temporal disturbances in the immediate area. Something is not right here."

"Really?" Newton said. "How very interesting. How do you know…"

"I will explain later." Adam looked at him. "You do trust me, don't you?"

"Of course, Adam," Newton replied. "I'll get on to it at once. I will contact you on the transmitter in…"

"No," said Adam, shaking his head. "I am not leaving Earth, not just yet. I will be with Vincent. There are some things I need to say." Newton nodded and the two men parted. Adam was unsure of what had happened, but he had some things he needed to say to his son, before too many years passed.

"This is almost too rich," Necrom said, holding Excalibur aloft, Brian Braddock straining to get free from the mystical bonds that held him, but he knew he could not. Somehow Necrom had a hold on him, and he could not seem to escape him, even though his mind was his own.

"You'll not get away with this," he said. "The others will realise what is going on."

"Not really," said Necrom. "They are all reliving one of the worst days of their lives, based on the memories that are most raw in their minds." He smiled. "Except you, of course. I could not influence you, not while you held this." He swiped with the sword, cutting through the air. "Excalibur, the Sword of Might." His fingers brushed over the amulet he wore around his neck. "And the Amulet of Right. Not the real ones, obviously. King Britain wields those, but these are an extension of them."

"You're mad," Brian said.

"No," said Necrom. "I am perfectly sane. Once the timelines have collapsed in to one another and there is only one timeline that I have control of, then Otherworld will fall as surely as any other. The higher powers of the universe are trying to stop this, I can sense them, but by quirk the remnants of the power of the Anti-Phoenix is shielding me from their ever-present gaze." The wizard chuckled to himself as other timelines collided in to each other, merging, becoming one and in his mind he could see the loop of infinity tightening.

"Kate!" Brian called, looking to the shade that drifted in the air behind the evil wizard. "Help me!"

"My thrall cannot help you," said Necrom. "She is as much mine as you will soon be. The magic that Merlyn used to restore you to life are derived from my own powers, but he needed these to accomplish that. Soon the enchantments will fade and you will be mine, now and forever. My very own Captain Britain…"

"You'll never break me," Braddock swore. "Khan couldn't, and neither will you."

Necrom grabbed the man by the jaw and stared in to his eyes, the sorcerer's gaze burning in to him and Braddock knew he was in trouble. "Khan was just a demon. I am so much more."

"My friends…"

"Of course they will come for you. Heroes are predictable like that, but preparations are being made," said Necrom. "What is going on is but a distraction, and some of them are succumbing to their desires. Imagine the burden they will bear when they realise it is all for nothing, and I have not even started their torment. Killing them outright would not be as satisfying as watching Merlyn's champions broken and useless…"

Brian said nothing, but closed his eyes. He could still feel the magic of Excalibur, and he knew that when the time was right he would call his sword to him and Captain Britain would be reborn. Then he would make sure Necrom would pay for the crimes he was committing.

Adam Destine stood by the grave of his son Vincent, an ornately designed statue paying tribute to the lost scion of the Destine family, created by Samantha as a memorial to her brother's memory.

"Know that if I could I would have found another way," Adam said as he stood there. "You must believe me when I say that it was the hardest decision I have made in the hundreds of years of life I have had. I mourn you as I mourn any of my children." He looked up, hoping that she was looking down on him. "As I mourn any of our children."

He sighed. "Vincent, Vincent, my son. I do not know why you chose the path you did. Perhaps I could have been a better father and I thank God that my other children have not walked the same path, though I admit I have my moments of questioning Kay. Her methodology is troubling at best." He ran his hand over the ground. "I loved you as I loved all my children. I played no favourites, valued none higher than the rest. I have and always will love you, my son."

"Really?" said a voice and he turned.

"Vincent?!" he said, shocked at what he was seeing. He knew his son had not returned before, or had he? Rory had told him of the dream he'd had where Vincent had come back. Perhaps it had been more than a dream. "But how?"

"Surely, Father, you did not think a trifling thing as death would stop me?" Vincent said, his voice cold and Adam knew there was cruelty in the tone. He had not changed, if indeed it was him.

"I will find a way to stop you, Vincent."

"By killing me again? I don't think so, Adam." He walked to his father and around him. "I know the secret of your immortality, Daddy-dear." Adam's blood ran cold. He knew he could die, he had been told so by the Silver Surfer, but so far he had not found a way, though Ahab had done something that none had done before him. "This time out battle will be much more even…"

She was almost there, she could sense it. She knew what she had done wrong the last time and now she was about to fix it.

"Elisabeth…" a voice seemed to haunt her and Elisabeth turned around. It wasn't Pete, and it wasn't anyone else she recognised and then her blood went cold. She knew the face, remembered the taste of her lips. "I love you…"

"You're dead," she said. "Onslaught…"

"This is not Onslaught," said Shirohana, Pale Flower. "It's me. Remember what we shared, in the moments before I died? A part of me lives on in you, now and forever more."

"It didn't happen this way," said Elisabeth, "it can't…"

"I don't know what you mean," said Shiro as the ghostly form touched her arm and Elisabeth knew this was no trick. "This is the way it is. I know you loved Wisdom, but he can't help you now." Elisabeth reached out and she realised Pete was wounded, mortally so.

"No," she whispered, realising in her zeal to fix things, she hadn't kept an eye on Pete and without it he'd been struck. She had sacrificed the man she loved to save her family.

"Jamie will bring me back, he can alter reality so I live again," Shiro said. "You said you loved me. I know you meant it."

"It was so you could die happy," Elisabeth said. "I didn't…" She then realised Jamie was slipping away. "I must focus, if Jamie could restore you, he can restore Pete as well…" Jamie was fighting Onslaught she could feel it and she leant him her strength, using the bond they had as family to do so.

"Thank you, my sister," said Jamie, speaking in to her mind and Elisabeth knew she had failed, again. Jamie's powers shot out, casting power across the psionic creature that sough his powers, and they grappled with each other in a doomed embrace and she knew that Jamie would sacrifice himself to decimate Onslaught's power and use the essence of Krakoa to revive the Earth. It would take all he had and he was gone, leaving Onslaught a shade of his former self, able to be taken down by the heroes who had gathered to do so. Elisabeth broke down in tears, knowing she had lost him, and the man she loved, the man she should have married.

"But you still have me," Shirohana said, her ghostly hand brushing against Elisabeth's in a tender touch, running her hand through the purple, flowing hair. "And from now one, we will always be together, in this life and the next…"

The body lay at the bottom of the gully and Adam knelt by himself. There was a lot of blood and he knew his other self was dying.

"I won't let this happen," he said.

"Who said you have a choice?" said the other Drake. "I remember this moment, I remember it well. It's the end, but the moment's been prepared for."

"Prepared for?" Adam asked, uncertain.

"You were here the first time, you'll be here again." He grinned at the sense of déjà vu from having seen this from the other side. "My life… our life… ends here."

"I can change it."

"No, you can't." Drake turned and looked stunned at the person standing there. "Adam Drake will die here, but you are not here yet. You still have work to do."

"I know you. You're…"

"Saint John McVey," he said and produced an ID badge. "Network."

The funeral was a dour affair. Wisdom couldn't look at Kitty, because her decision to have an abortion was not one that he'd agreed with. They'd fought bitterly over it, and in fairness it was the end of X-Force as they had been. This was the legacy of the Shadow King, his final act of cruelty against them.

Marcus Raven was there, as was David North. Kitty's family were about as well as a handful of X-Men, and a few representatives of Excalibur, the UN super-hero team. Brian was supposed to have been on his way to the ceremony as well, but he and Meggan hadn't been able to make it, due to his political career. It was not a good moment for Pete and he could barely feel Lydia's hand in his. His memories of this moment were amongst his worst, because there was no way he could pretend he was okay with it, no matter what reasoning Kitty had had to do it.

The ceremony ended and Pete, Lydia, Maverick and Kitty were left there.

"Pete…" said Kitty, but he didn't look at her. He couldn't. He knew she would always have a special place in his heart, but they weren't friends anymore. Not now. There was one small shred of comfort to him, but that was no matter now. The deed had been done.

"Come on," said Maverick, as he took Kitty's hand. He looked at Pete. "I…"

"How can you be so accepting?" said Pete without looking up. "It's…"

"Give him time," said Lydia, walking to the others. "It's not been easy for him. Romany's dead, Chapman's running Excalibur now, this…"

"I'll be here when you want to talk," Kitty said as she passed him by but he was cold to her and Maverick put his arm around her shoulder and they walked away.

"Pete," said Lydia. "You need to talk to her at some point."

"I know," Pete said. "It's just… I thought I'd be able to handle this better. I've killed men, women and children before. But this… this is…" He looked at her. "I need a moment, Lyd." He kissed her on the cheek. "Wait for me?"

"Of course," she said and she walked away. Pete looked at the graveside, the name etched on the marker - Illyana Pryde.

"I still can't believe she did it," said Pete. "How could she do that? I'm not that familiar with Jewish laws and doctrines, but how the rabbi could have decided… I respect her beliefs, I really do, but we could have protected you both." He grimaced thinking of the blows she had taken to the stomach while pregnant, first from Iceman and then the one she could have taken from Fu Manchu if she hadn't phased. The life they led was not one conducive to having children, and he knew that, but at the same time… "I just wish I could get past this, I really do."

"Daddy?" said a voice and Pete turned.

"What the hell?" he said seeing a little girl standing there.

"Daddy," she repeated. "It's me. It's Illyana. I've come to take you to the others."

Pete was sceptical. "Others?"

"Kate sent me. She could be my mother. It's the reward you get for saving the universe - Merlyn brings me back."

"How…"

"How can you believe me?" she said. "This." Brian's amulet hung around her neck. "Time travel is an interesting thing. For you to save time, I have to come get you, but until you save time, I won't exist…"

"A causality loop," said Wisdom. "I hate time-travel." Then he smiled. "So you're my daughter?"

"Yes," she said. "Look at me, daddy…"

"Except I know you're not," said Pete softly. "Illyana's father was Maverick, not me." Then he shot her with a hot knife, placing it right between her eyes and Illyana fell dead. This was an illusion, possibly created by Necrom. Somehow he'd gotten to Kate, and he guessed wherever he was, the rest of the team were out there somewhere, also in their own personal hells. He was going to find his friends and free them from whatever illusion they were trapped in.

Then they'd make Necrom pay.