Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010.

  Location: Alkali Lake Industrial plex, British bia, ada

  Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010.

  Location: Alkali Lake Industrial plex, British bia, ada

  The cold wind howled around them, sending sharp, ieedles prig their faces. The waters of Alkali Lake mirrored the night sky, making the world feel infinite and them, infinitely small.

  "So, gonna have to be ho. I hadn’t pnned past this point. I know it's a long shot, but do you have any idea where we are?" Tyson's tone was half teasing, half ed.

  Illyana's silvery hair danced wildly in the wind, "Tyson, do I look like I have a map in my pocket?" She said ihick Russian at. "But don’t worry. I have a trick up my sleeve."

  With a graceful wave of her hand, a portal opened, revealing a shimmering passage to another point in the distance. Without a moment's pause, she stepped through, Tysht behind her. Again and again, she jured these gateways, each leap bringing them higher and closer to the t peak they aimed for. The world around them became a blur of ndscapes. But after about thirty such jumps, the strain began to show on Illyana. Her normally fierd fident demeanor started to waver, her breath ing in ragged spurts. The energy required to tinually bend space was enormous, even for someone of her abilities.

  Tyson, her closely, saw the fatigue setting in. "Illyana," he began, but she cut him off.

  "I do it," she snapped, her pride evident. But her eyes, normally so defiant, told a different story.

  Uanding her o be strong but also wanting to ease her burden, Tyson leaned in and pnted a soft kiss on her wind-chilled cheek. "Let me take over," he whispered, his voice ge firm.

  Illyana looked as though she might protest, but she merely nodded, gratefully leaning into his embrace for a brief moment. She knew he wasn't underminirength but merely lending his own. Tyson took the lead using Illyana’s power while drawing from the enhaamina and healing factor he had gained from abs Sabertooth. With each teleport, they drew closer to the high peak, the strain less evident on him than it had been on Illyana.

  Finally, they stood atop the highest point, gazing out at the world stretched below them. The horizon painted a picture of vast alpine forests and shimmering kes. Illyana, regaining some of her strength, smirked, "Show-off." From this vahey spied a distant cluster of lights. "There," she pointed, "we go there."

  Tyson squi the far-off lights. "That looks pretty far away."

  He turo Illyana, his brows furrowing with curiosity, "Why do you always teleport just a quarter mile at a time? Is it because it's taxing for you?"

  Illyana answered, "It's Limbo." He waited, promptio tih a gentle nod. "My teleportation is iwined with Limbo. Time in Limbo... it doesn't flow like it does here. If I were to teleport too far, I might end up in the past, or even, flung into the future."

  Tyson's eyes widened with realization. As she spoke, he parsed her memories, gaining an uanding he have asked for. "That's why… The first time we were in Limbo together, I saw another you entering the portal just as we exited! It was as if we arrived a sed before you left in the first pce."

  Illyana nodded grimly, "Exactly. Every time I open a portal, I'm rolling the dice with time. I trol where, but ’t trol 'when' we might end up if I push the distance. So, I always make short jumps, minimizing the risks. A sed here or there is barely noticeable."

  Tyson took a moment, abs the gravity of what she had just revealed. "Illyana, every time you teleport, you're taking a risk... I had no idea."

  She smirked, her usual bravado returning. "Well, now you know."

  Tyson drew Illyana close, ing his arms around her. His body emanated a f warmth, proteg her from the icy winds whipping around them. Her breath formed misty clouds in front of her, as she spoke. "We could go to Limbo for a bit, you know," she suggested, "Warm up some?"

  Tyson's face tensed slightly, "Omega Red's in Limbht now."

  She raised an eyebrow questioningly, "And? Do you holy think you couldn't handle him?"

  Memories fshed in his eyes of their first brutal enter, the fight, the struggle. Then he said, "I came close the first time, it was an even match-up. But now? With adamantium cws, illusions, and you by my side?" He grinned, "It's no test."

  Illyana's lips curled into a sly smile, her fidenwavering. "That's what I wao hear."

  Without further ado, she summoned a swirling portal with a motion. The otherworldly reddish glow of Limbo beed them, and the two stepped into the portal.

  Limbo unfolded around them. Nearby, volic geysers spewed hot steam, while just a few steps aatches of ice sparkled under Limbo's eternal twilight. Despite the overall mildness of Limbo's temperature, its uable nature kept the enviro from being fortable. Tyson moved to his arms around Illyana, hoping to provide the warmth she was seeking. But as he reached out, he felt a sudden tension in her posture.

  Illyana stiffened, her sharp eyes darting around, "Something’s different," she murmured, her voice tinged with caution.

  Tyson paused, immediately o. "What do you mean?"

  Illyana looked at him, her pierg blue eyes refleg a deep uhe energies, they feel... off."

  He frowned, "Is it from Omega Red or something he could've done?" he asked, in a low voice.

  "I don't know," she whispered. Her agitation was evident as the Soulsword maed in her hand. "But we should be ready."

  Tyson and Illyana traversed Limbo, avoiding the demons, and iably found their way to the dimension's only structure.

  It was a fortress.

  Far rger and more imposing when pared to the st time they'd seen it, inally, the structure had been built uhe ands of the demonic mutant, Azazel.

  The surroundings were abuzz with activity. Demons of all sizes scurried around the site, w feverishly on the stru. Their rough, guttural sounds filled the air, eg off the cold stone walls.

  Illyana's face darkened, her lips drawing into a thin line. "Azazel," she spat, the name dripping with pt.

  But before Tyson could respond, anure caught their attention. Among the demons was Omega Red. His long and whip-like tentacles effortlessly lifting and pg huge sbs of rock.

  Tyson squinted, disbelief evident in his voice. "Is Omega Red... helping them?"

  Illyana nodded slowly, her eyes sharp. "It seems so. But why?" Tyson shook his head, equally puzzled. Illyana gripped her Soulsword tighter as she stood. "We o find out their pn. Theop it."

  The looming fortress ahead was a hive of activity. Tyson instinctively held up a hand to halt Illyana. "Maybe we should try a more subtle approach."

  Illyana asked, "And what did you have in mind?"

  Tyson smirked, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Illusions."

  She rolled her eyes "Care to expin?"

  He chuckled softly, nodding. "Alright, alright. I craft illusions but with some limitations. I make them see what I want and create different images to a certaient. If I make direct eye tact, I exert some trol over them."

  She pohis, then asked, "Are there any other limitations?"

  Tyson grimaced slightly. "The illusions ’t cause any harm, because they aren’t real. If I hurt someone under illusion, I try to mimic the sensation, but doing so will likely cause the illusion to break. A strong willpower also break through the illusion. Those with psionic abilities will likely be ued. Jason's power only worked in Professor X because he wore a device that suppressed his abilities. No idea about non-humans like these demons, but it's worth a shot, especially if it keeps us uhe radar."

  Illyana gave a nod of approval. "Let's give it a try."

  Illyana waited a few paces behind Tyson, watg as he inched closer to the unsuspeg demon. Using his power, Tyson willed the demon's mind to perceive both himself and Illyana as ent.

  To Illyana, it appeared as though nothing had happehe demon tis task, seemingly oblivious to the two mutants mere feet away. She whispered, impressed, "That was smooth."

  Tyson grinned back, his relief evident. "Making ourselves invisible is easy," he expined quietly. "I’m not just c our appearance, smells and such won’t be detected either. The only snag will be our footprints once I’m out e."

  Illyana nodded, her blue eyes sharp with uanding. "Makes sense."

  With that, the duo proceeded closer to the fortress, using Tyson's illusionary prowess to evade the eyes of the demon horde. The cliffside fortress was a massive byrinth of stone carved directly from the cliff's face. Its stru was an orchestrated colboration of demons. Smaller demons tirelessly chipped away at the cliff with their sharp fingers, carving intricate designs within the rock. Their collected rubble was then hauled out by the likes of Omega Red and the rger demons.

  Outside the fortress, a single demon stood distinct from the others, overseeing the stru. The creature seemed as if it’s body was carved from weathered ivory. Runes and symbols of power etched themselves over its pale, almost translut flesh. Its eyes glowed an eerie yellow, standing out starkly against its pale form. Horns, smooth and sinister, curled outward from its mouthless head, and each shoulder. An eloail was easily twice the length of its body, and it moved as if it had a mind separate from the fiend.

  Tyson locked eyes with the demon, willing his powers to pierce the dark depths of its mind. He attempted to remove the image of himself and Illyana from its sight. Uhe other demons, Tyso a strange sensation creeping into his mind, like icy fingers curling around his thoughts.

  The demon instantly tered his psychic illusions with an ability of its own.

  Suddenly, Tyson was no longer in Limbo. Instead, he found himself within a maze of winding corridors and pathways that seemed to go on forever. The walls were high and unscable, and every turn seemed to lead to another dead end. The atmosphere pressive, and a feeling of dread permeated the air.

  "Where am I?" Tyson murmured, takiant steps forward.

  "You are in my mind now," a voied, eg through the maze. "Here, I am the master, and you are merely a lost soul, trying to find its way."

  Tyson knew he had to find a way out, but the maze was unlike any he had ever entered. Every time he thought he was making progress, he'd end up back where he started. A feeling of hopelessness began to set in, threatening to drown him. As he moved deeper into the maze, he began to hear whispers. Voices from his past, his fears, and his insecurities. "All your strength es from me. Without me, you’re nothing," one whispered, almost a growl. "A boy burdened with extraordinary power, incapable of physical human tact. Likely for the rest of his life," said another, more wisehe voices grew louder and more insistent, and Tyso himself growing dazed.

  Just when he was about to give in to despair, a soft voice reached his ears. "Tyson," it said, "Snap out of it, e bae."

  It was the voice of Illyana. Tyson closed his eyes, drawing on the memories of all the battles he had won, and all the challenges he had overe. The voices began to fade, repced by the sound of his heartbeat. With renewed energy, Tyson focused on finding a way out. Hours seemed like minutes, and just whehought he'd been wandering for ay, he saw a bright light at the end of a corridor. Rag toward it, he finally emerged bato the real world, gasping for breath.

  The demon looked surprised, "How did you escape the Vilsteth’s mind?" it hissed. The demon’s voice rojected directly into Tyson’s head, as it had no mouth to speak.

  Tyson grinned, "Your mind may be a maze, but mine is also tricky.”

  Vilsteth’s yellow eyes tracked their movement, sending shivers down their spines. However, it her attacked no the other nearby demons in any way. With no mouth to shout out warnings and no immediate aggressive as, the pair were left with an uneasy feeling of being watched.

  Illyana whispered, her voice edged with unease, "It sees us, but it's not doing anything."

  Tyson nodded, never breaking eye tact with the creature. "It already did… Let's keep moving, but stay alert. We don't know what it's capable of."

  With cautious steps, the two tihe weight of the fiend's gaze never leaving their backs. The moment they ehe fortress, they were met with a vast, imposing hallway. Its ceilings stretched high, and it seemed as though it bore the weight of the entire cliffside on its sturdy ns. The air was thick with dust as demons dragged rge ks of stone from deeper parts of the cliff; the raw material to be used to create the exterior structures.

  But it was the first room off the hallway that held Illyana's and Tyson’s attention. Memories flooded back as they stepped into what was unmistakably a throne room. The st time they'd been here, the terpiece had been more or less a makeshift seat of power. Now, it stood as an exquisite masterpiece. It was an orhrone, intricately carved from the very stone of Limbo, every curve and edge spoke al elegahe room was eerily silent and devoid of any demon preseorches adorhe walls, casting flickering shadows that danced around them. The walls themselves bore eborate engravings with writings in a nguage her uood.

  As they ied the room, abs the miails, there was a soft, almost inaudible puff. Both of them whipped around, instantly on guard.

  There, lounging casually ohroh his tail ed around one of its arms was Azazel. The red-skinned mutant looked every bit the ruler. His yellow eyes rested owo of them, "Ah, the Mistress of Limbo, Illyana, and the nameless one," he began in a voice dripping with sardonic amusement, his at adding to his enigmatic aura. "It's always a pleasure to have ued guests in my humble abode. Wele bay domain."

  Illyana squared her shoulders and replied with her characteristic edge, "I didn't expect you to return, Azazel."

  He chuckled, the sound eg off the stone walls. "There's much you don’t know, young one. But tell me, to what do I owe this...ued visit?"

  Illyana stepped forward, her voice steely and anding, "You knoe’re here, Azazel. Leave Limbo and never return. And take your wretched demons with you."

  As she made her demands, the oy room began to fill rapidly. The distinctive sound of feet shuffling and wings fluttering reverberated through the chamber. The eeriest of the lot, the ivory-looking demon, with its mouthless fad long, curling horns, inched closer. Its yellow eyes, devoid of emotion, were firmly locked on Illyana and Tyson. Most of the demons became ensnared by Tyson's illusionary influehey looked around in fusion, sensing Azazel’s will, but not being able to see the threat. A few others, including Vilsteth, moved in with clear i, positioning themselves around the room with their focus owo intruders.

  Azazel, however, appeared uurbed, a smug smirk pying on his lips. He slowly stood up from his throne, "I think not, Mistress," he retorted, with a hint of mog in his voice. His tail swayed zily behind him. "I uimated you st time. Rest assured, I won’t be making the same mistake again."

  Illyana’s grip tightened on her Soulsword, the bde glowing with a fiertensity. She was ready, and by the looks of it, so was Azazel. His eyes flickered with a mix of amusement and annoyance as he noticed several of his demoni gng around the room, seemingly dazed. Approag one of the bewildered demons, he ordered sharply, "You, attack them."

  The demon turs gaze to Azazel, looking genuinely perplexed. "Attack who, Lord Azazel?"

  Azazel huffed in frustration but retained his signature charm. "Whichever one of you sorcerers is responsible for these illusions," he addressed Illyana and Tyson, a hint of mog pride in his voice, "uand that my will is not so easily maniputed." With a graceful movement, he gestured towards the mouthless, ivory demon with glowing yellow eyes. "And Vilsteth here," he said, emphasizing the creature's name, "is immuo all such tricks."

  But then, a sudden ge came over Azazel. His usually stern demeanave way to a more tender charm, his eyes log onto Illyana's. "Once again, I ask you, Mistress of Limbo," he said in an almost coaxing tone, "won't you join me? Imagine what we could achieve together."

  For a moment, Illyana appeared lost, her usually fierce gaze growing soft, almost vulnerable as if she were sidering his offer. But Tyson, sensing her momentary weakness, quickly grabbed her hand. The sensation of having her essence drained by Tyson's touch was enough to snap her back to reality. The familiar blue hue surrouhem as Tyson eled her power, and in a split sed, they teleported away, leaving Azazel and his horde behind.

  ~~ Rogue Rept ~~

  Tyson quickly pulled them further into the vast expanse of Limbo, away from Azazel's fortress. As they arrived, the swirling energies of Limbo's ndscape were distorted by waves of Illyana's anger.

  "That insufferable, arrogant..." Illyana began, her blue eyes burning with fury. "He thinks he just strut in and cim my realm as his own? Those demons, pledging allegiao him like he's some king? This is MY dimension!" Taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm the anger within, she turo Tyson, her voice a desperate whisper. "What do we do, Tyson? He's strohan ever. And with that...that charm he pulled on me, and your illusions not w..."

  Tyson looked thoughtful for a moment. "We're outmatched, for now. With his immunity to illusions bined with his magid the demons bag him up… Goio head won't end well for us." He paused, musing over something Azazel had said. "He called us 'sorcerers’."

  Illyana's eyebrows furrowed, "Yea. What are you getting at?"

  He looked at her, determination in his eyes. "Maybe that’s a clue we chase, a piece of the puzzle we're missing. I know where we find some sorcerers who might be able to help."

  Curiosity piqued, Illyana tilted her head slightly, "You know sorcerers?"

  Tyson grinned, "Corre. I know of sorcerers. Somewhere in New York City."

  Tyson drew upon Illyana's power. He took over telep and creating portals as they left Limbo. His healing factor and stamina allowing him to maintairain indefinitely. Each glistening circle of energy, each fsh of teleportation, brought them closer to the distant shimmer of city lights. With every successive jump, the city lights grew closer, until finally, they found themselves at the threshold of a town. The signs beled it, William’s Lake. It was bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, and at its southern peak was a vergence of two signifit roads. There like a gift from the heavens stood a Ramada hotel, like a bea awaiting the weary travelers.

  Their breaths were visible in the crisp night air as the dued toward the hotel. The weight of their ret enters pressed down ohey needed rest, and the Ramada's inviting lights promised just that. As they pushed opeel's gss doors, the warmth inside embraced them.

  Ihe Ramada hotel, Tyson and Illyana approached the che desk, where a youionist with her ly tied hair sat behind a puter s, engrossed. Tyson took a step forward, catg her attention. As her eyes met his blue and green ones, he subtly activated his power of illusions. A shimmer passed over the receptionist's eyes for a moment, making them appear slightly gzed.

  In her mind, Tyson transformed into a weary businessman who made his reservation days in advance. She saw him handing over his credit card, hearing him expin about an online booking. To her, every detail seemed to fit together perfectly. She typed away at her keyboard ensuring a room was avaible for him.

  "Oh! I'm so sorry, Mr. Smith," she began, clearly buying into the illusion Tyson had pnted. "I must have missed your reservation. Just one moment while I prepare your keys to one of our fi rooms."

  Illyana, suppressing her smirk, leaoward Tyson, whispering in a voice ced with amusement, "Mr. Smith? Really? Could you have chosen a meneriame?"

  Tyson shrugged, his lips curling up in a cheeky grin. "It was the first hat came to mind. Besides, it worked, didn’t it?"

  The receptionist, oblivious to their exge, hahem a pair of key cards. "You're all set, Mr. Smith. Room 412. The elevator's just to the right. Enjoy your stay!"

  The pair thanked her, heading toward the elevator. As the doors closed behind them, Illyana yson pyfully. "Mr. Smith? I won't let you live that down."

  Behind the Ses

  - Alkali Lake is a real p British bia, ada. As far as I tell, it doesn’t have a dam. It seems to be an indigenous unity. You google it.

  - Vilsteth is a Pathfinder demon. They have a mindtrap special ability, where any mind-affeg ability will trigger the creature to be trapped within its mind. It’s pretty obscure, so if y, you’re a legend.

  - In every story I write, Tyson is Tyson. I know it seems like he’s Cher or Beyoh just one name, but I like for his st o e anically through the story. For this o’s Smith a generiame that is only used as an alias or for hiding one’s identity. I felt it fit Tyson’s character at this point, given his mysterious arrival in this world and his current powerset.