X-Men: Darknesss Before The Dawn 2

     Cyclops looked out the window as the X-Men's Blackbird jet roared
over New York.
     "We have clearance to land Cyclops," Storm said from the co-pilot's
seat.
     He shook his head to clear the thoughts and felt Jean's concern
through their mind-link. He calmed her and then guided the jet down
towards the runway below.
     Hercules looked up at the black jet decending as he stood with the
fellow members of his hastily-assembled team.
     "The X-Men?" Titania asked in wonder.
     "Aye," Hercules mused, "They responded more swiftly than I would
have thought. But it is good to have the help."
     "What about those new guys....The Thunderbolts?" Crusher Creel,
a.k.a The Absorbing Man, asked.
     The Black Widow, like Hercules one of the few living Avengers, mused,
"They are to be here within the day. But there's something about
them.....I don't know."
     Hercules snorted, "They could be the most vile evil on this planet
and I would welcome them against Galactus!"
     Suddenly the very air seemed to churn and metal flew about madly as a
figure lowered itself from the clouds, a figure they all knew well.
     "I have come to help," the white-haired man said while taking off
his crimson helmet.
     "Magneto!" Titania gasped, she'd heard of the man.....even seen him
during the Secret Wars.....but to be near him....she'd not felt the like
since meeting Dr. Doom.
     "Indeed," Hercules mused while stepping forward.
     "I have not come for battle Prince of Olympus," the mutant known as
Magneto sighed.
     "Nor have I," Hercules said while shaking the man's hand.
     The Black Widow frowned, "What about the President? Sanctioning the
X-Men is one thing....but Magneto!?" she growled.
     "We have not the time for political games.....should we fall in this
coming battle there will be no Earth, thereby no political gain or loss,"
Hercules said with a smirk.
     Magneto actually smiled, "You are not as dim as I have always been
led to believe Hercules."
     The former god chuckled, "One learns much in time, I have played the
fool...the drunkard, but I have seen much in my time. Though never a
battle to equal the one coming upon us."

     White House----

     The President looked on in shock as Valerie Cooper finished speaking.
     "Did you say Magneto is with them....THE Magneto!?" he seemed
incredulous.
     Valerie fidgeted in her chair, "Um.....yes sir. He appears to have
arrived with the X-Men."
     Gyrich jumped up, "You see sir! As I've always said, they're all
against us...they've been hiding Magneto under our noses!"
     The President looked at Gyrich with a stare that would freeze many
men to the bone then looked back to Cooper, "Does this help our chances
noticably?" he asked.
     "Magneto is one with the magnetic field of this planet....we could
give him the power gem that Excalibur holds...it would augment his power
to awesome levels....but we run the risk of his using that power against
us," she said.
     "Only as a last option does he get that gem.....do I make myself very
clear on that?" he asked her with a raised voice.
     "Crystal clear sir," she replied while rising and walking out to
brief her friends.

     Earth's Atmosphere-----Galactus's Worldship

     Quasar appeared from his quantum jump with the Silver Surfer directly
before the massive ship of the planet devourer Galactus.
     The Surfer frowned, "Stay here Wendell, I must face my former master
alone."
     Quasar started to protest then nodded. He watched the massive ship
open a hatch to allow the Silver Surfer access.
     The Surfer flew low above the floor of the ship, well knowing the
contours of the ship. He floated into the great room that Galactus called
home and saw the massive world-eater reclining.
     "Somehow I knew you would come Norrin," Galactus said
matter-of-factly.
     "Why? Why threaten Earth? I would have thought that you would respect
your oath to Reed Richards out of respect for the man's memory!" the
Surfer snapped.
     Galactus sighed, "I am tired my former herald. Life has grown to mean
little to me."
     The Surfer frowned, "I will return to service as your herald if you
spare this planet," he offered.
     The great being raised an eye, "You would? I forgot how much this
planet once meant to you."
     Norrin Radd suddenly realized something and gasped, "You......you
have no desire to destroy this planet do you......you merely hope the
heroes will slay you in battle!"
     Galactus sighed, "If they do not......I will feed. But if death does
indeed come for me I welcome it."
     "But the devastation of such a battle, the innocent lives!" the
Surfer growled.
     "Begone Norrin Radd, remember that you were my favorite of all the
heralds," Galactus said sadly while teleporting him outside again.
     Quasar could tell immediately that something was wrong as soon as her
saw the Surfer's usually placcid face.
     "What is it?" he asked.
     "Galactus has come here to die Wendell, he hopes that Earth's heroes
can end his life," the Surfer sighed.
     Quasar frowned, "He's not going to just let us kill him, that much I
can see from the machinery he's building below on Earth!"
     "Come my friend, we must join the others," the Surfer said as they
raced towards the speck that New York seemed from their high location.

     New York City-----

     "Destroy those parts!" Cyclops snapped to the heroes as new pieces
of the massive world-draining machine continued to gather in Central
Park.
     Hercules and Magneto were scrapping much of what arrived, along with
help from the dozens of other heroes and villains present, but they knew
it would only be a matter of moments before Galactus himself arrived.
     The wait was not a long one.
     The very air seemed to crackle with power as a massive form congealed
from the nimbus of power.
     "Fall back!" Cyclops commanded to those close to the world-devourer.
     But Titania ripped a tree out by the roots and hurled it at the now
fully-formed Galactus.
     He fired a pair of beams from his eyes and she screamed in pain as
the energies bombarded her, leeching power and finally youth from her.
     "Titania!" Crusher Creel howled as she fell limply.
     He turned her over and gasped at the incredibly old woman in his
arms. Her once muscular, voluptuos body was now withered and bent.
     "Crus...her.?" she managed, her half-blind eyes barely able to make
out his face above her.
     "Baby....oh man, what did he do to you!?" Crusher sobbed.
     Cyclops was horrified at this turn but realized that Titania was
lucky to be alive......Galactus could have disintegrated her.....why
hadn't he?
     "Attack!" he snapped, "Hit him hard, from all sides...no mercy!" he
howled while unleashing one of his most powerful optic blasts.
     Banshee led the forces from the air, his sonic wail combining with
that of his daughter Siryn.
     Storm called lightning from the sky that hit with enough power to
stun Thor.....even as the Hulk hammered against a massive leg.
     Galactus pointed at the Hulk and he spasmed as his gamma power was
rapidly drained.....but not all of it...then he blasted that energy into
Storm.
     The beautiful ebony woman howled as she began to change, her skin
turning green even as muscles swelled to massive size. She lost all
intellect as she grew to a size near that of the She-Hulk, and plummeted
to Earth now having forgot how to use her mutant powers.
     The Hulk had recovered enough to see a green-skinned woman crash hard
to the ground and so he dragged himself to see her......and was stunned.
     "Storm!?" he gasped.
     "RAARGH!" the massive mindless female brute that Ororo had become
roared while racing towards him, wanting only to kill.
     The Hulk was drained and could only barely hold his own against her,
even as the battle raged around them.
     Cyclops gasped as Storm, now apparently a savage version of the
She-Hulk, battled the drained Hulk. He could see that Galactus wasn't
using lethal force....but he was doing things that he knew would infuriate
the heroes. It was almost as if he wanted them to defeat him.
     Jean Grey tried to reach into the vast mind of Galactus only to be
repulsed. She screamd in pain then spasmed even as Cyclops ran to her
side.
     "Jean?" he asked desperately.
     Scott saw her mouth open, drool running from one side.....and the
blank stare told him that Jean wasn't in her body anymore.
     Cyclops looked up, rage making him lose the cool exterior he often
used.
     "You monster! DIE!!" he roared while unleashing the most powerful
beam of his life.
     Galactus staggered as the beam hit him full in the chest. It was
barely enough to hurt him, not nearly what he needed to be killed....but a
start.
     Iceman fired a beam of solid ice at the mammoth creature's chest, but
Galactus merely gestured and Iceman screamed in pain as he melted into a
puddle of slush.....a living pile of slush.
     Hercules could see that the battle was going badly, already five of
their number were either transformed or down. As Cyclops had he noticed
what was happening, namely that Galactus hadn't killed any of them yet.
     He frowned as their attack continued to do nothing to the
world-eater. A bright flash of light erupted as Galactus' beams struck
Crusher Creel next to him.
     Hercules hefted a tanker and hurled it into Galactus' face, erupting
into a fireball that momentarily blinded him. He turned to see how Creel
was doing but the man was on a knee.
     "Creel! Are you able to continue?" he asked.
     Creel staggered, "I don't know Herc. He.....did something to me....I
can't absorb the properties of anything now!"
     The Black Widow moved to help the disoriented Creel but as soon as
she touched him he was transformed into her twin!
     "Oh God!" Creel gasped in Natasha's voice, "I'm a woman!"
     Hercules frowned, Galactus was playing with them.....turning the
Absorbing Man's power into a mirror-like body transforming power was not
the fate they expected.
     "What the hell is happening!?" Spider-Man snapped while swinging
into view.
     Hercules frowned, "I thought you were still in the hospital.
Anyway.......Galactus seems to be transforming us...anything but
killing......but we are still losing!" he growled.
     Suddenly a massive sonic boom rocked the battlefield as the gleaming
Silver Surfer and Quasar appeared behind the world-devourer. They both
opened up at full power, and Galactus was rocked by the sheer power of
their attack.
     "Now!" Hercules howled while leading the remaining forces forward.
     Siryn, Banshee, Sunfire, Cannonball, and a score of other flyers
buzzed about Galactus, most pestering more than hurting. The ground forces
were doing whatever they could to help, but the heavy hitters were getting
ready to attack.
     Cyclops, Magneto, Cable, and the others capable of doing damage were
unloading at full bore even as the Surfer and Quasar continued their
attack.
     Galactus reeled under the barrage of fire, taking enough power to
destroy a small planet.......then he collapsed. Him impact made them all
scatter and he laid on the ground, helpless to resist as they gathered to
finish him.
     Suddenly bolts of plasma hit all around them, forcing them away from
the fallen Galactus. They looked up into the sky to see a massive ship now
above them......and dozens of beings were flying towards them.
     Spider-Man snorted, "I think things just went from bad to worse!"

   end of part 2------next time the aliens!