FicWad

Cult of the X
Chapter 17: Destiny of a God

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Artemis was poised to finish the job. Athena lay helpless, paralyzed by the blast she had endured earlier. Her body was weighed down by the pain. Yet even as she faced death in the form of two glowing blades from the sister she once commanded, she struggled on.

“Goodbye, Athena,” said Artemis coldly, “May the Gods grand you peace.”

Athena closed her eyes, prepared to accept her fate. Suddenly, just as Artemis was about to deliver the final blow, a lone shot rang out through the cave.

“Yaaarrrrrrghhh!” howled Artemis, a stabbing pain shooting through her body.

Falling back, she looked at his hand to see it had been blown completely off. All that was left now was a charred, bleeding stub of flesh. Horrified by this injury, she turned to the source of the shot and gasped in horror.

“My lord…”

“I’m sorry, Artemis,” said Xavier, lying on the floor holding the gun, “But I won’t allow you to continue down this path of madness.”

It was not a moment Xavier enjoyed. He had to step in. Having crawled from his hover chair, he grabbed Athena’s discarded gun. While he spent a lifetime avoiding violence, in this instance he refused to stand by while a friend was in need.

“By the Gods…” said Artemis with a pained sob, “Forgive me.”

Falling to her knees, Artemis coughed up a load of blood. With renewed strength, Athena grabbed the sword in her other hand and cut off her protective chest plate. Still wobbly from her injury, she held the blade to her neck.

Looking up at her superior and sister at arms, Artemis bowed her head in submission. For all her strength, she could not overcome the enemy. She had failed as a warrior. All that was left was an honorable death.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t kill you for such heinous deeds,” scowled Athena.

“I…will not apologize for my actions, Athena,” choked Artemis.

“Then meet death with honor, traitor,” she scorned.

“No…wait,” she struggled, starting to blackout from the blood loss, “If I must die…let it be by the hands of lord Wolverine. I am defeated. Would you at least grant me an honorable death?”

Athena’s eyes narrowed. This woman was in no position to ask a favor. But even as she eyed her defeated foe, the teachings she swore to protect came back to her. Even as a strong warrior, compassion must never be forsaken. That was not the way the Atlantean guard worked. She knew it and so did Artemis.

Recovered from his earlier shock, Wolverine cracked his neck and approached the defeated woman soldier. For all the annoyance this woman caused, her dedication was undeniable. Even for her misdoings, she was a soldier. And all soldiers deserve honor.

“Please, my lord…I sought only to do what I thought was right,” said Artemis.

“Ain’t no apolizing for that, bub,” said Logan in a low tone, “It’s the one thing we both have in common.”

Artemis took comfort in that as she bowed her head in remorse. Athena turned to Wolverine, giving him the sword. Gripping the advanced blade, Logan took a deep breath.

“I’m ready,” said Artemis, on the verge of passing out.

Without another word, Logan impaled the lone soldier through the chest with the blade. It was quick and clean. He made sure it was done thoroughly so she wouldn’t have to suffer. And with a final gasp, Artemis fell to the ground in a dead heap.

“May the gods be with you, my sister,” said Athena, her tone still cold with anger, yet full of respect for her comrade.

As Beast finally wedged Xavier’s hover chair out of the rubble and helped the Professor back in, they gathered themselves after the tense battle.

“Are you okay, Athena?” asked Xavier.

“I’ll be fine,” she said, still shaky.

“I gotta hand it to ya, lady. Yer a hell of a fighter,” said Logan, holding her by the shoulder so she could keep her balance.

“Does that mean I have gained your trust, my lord?” she said, managing a smile.

“Don’t push it,” he said with a wolfish grin.

It wasn’t much, but it was the best answer Athena had gotten from Wolverine since they met. It made her proud after all the work she had done. And despite the betrayal of Artemis, her faith was as strong as ever in these divine incarnates.

Suddenly, the machinery lining the cave started flashing bright red. The echoes of alarms sounded all throughout the elaborate corridors. Drawing his claws, Logan stood by Beast in a vigilant stance.

“What’s going on?” exclaimed Beast.

“I don’t know. But I think our time is up,” said Xavier ominously.

Just then, a voice echoed from back where they came.

“Professor!” yelled Scott as he, Jean, Rogue, Remy, Kitty, and Piotr converged.

“Cyclops! What happened?” said Xavier.

“Well we reversed that polarity thing,” said Rogue, “But Ah don’t think this behemoth likes it.”

“So it would seem,” said Beast, “I doubt this was what the device was designed for. We must find the core and stabilize the process!”

“Think we can still stop it?” asked Kitty with a concerned look.

“We have to try,” said Xavier in a determined tone.

Moving as one, the X-men began their trek to the core. Logan and Piotr helped Athena, who was still reeling from her injury. But she was not going to be kept out of this battle. Nobody was. The Orion Porphecy was reaching its final hour. It was up to them to make sure it unfolded their way and not under the whim of a madman.

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In the core, alarms blared as the ancient machine showed signs of distress. Something had clearly gone wrong. Everything was starting to unravel. Isaac was scrambling, quickly growing frustrated as he was bombarded with warning signs he could not comprehend.

“No! NO!” he yelled, slamming his fists against the console, “It’s all wrong! This isn’t how it was supposed to unfold!”

Still trapped in the central area, bound by tough shackles, Magneto grinned. This madman may have had him trapped, but his plans were falling apart. He could sense the frustration as he scrambled to fix what he worked so hard to perfect.

“Some prophecy,” mocked Magneto.

“SHUT UP!” spat Isaac, “I will not abandon the will of my lords! Not as long as there is a breath in my body!”

As Isaac scrambled to save the device, on the upper dome where the energy was most concentrated Kurt and Bobby skillfully snuck over the fuming zealot. Walking along a catwalk, the two X-man looked down to see the colossal device wailing with alarms. They couldn’t help but grin, knowing it was probably their friends doing their part. Now it was time to do theirs.

“This prophecy thing just keeps getting weirder,” mused Bobby, “What’s Magneto doing here?”

“Beats me, mien friend,” said Kurt, “But zhis island is full of surprises, Take a look up there.”

Looking up over a dome at the peak of the cave where massive machine components shot up into the sky, they saw the still unconscious brotherhood strapped to the wall. It was strange seeing them on the receiving end of a plot for once, but they had come to expect such surprises in their line of work.

“The Brotherhood? Don’t tell me we’ve gotta save them,” groaned Bobby.

“I’m afraid ve have to,” sighed Kurt.

“I know,” conceded the Iceman, “Can’t let them get caught in the crossfire.”

“Look at zhe bright side,” shrugged Kurt, “At least ve’ll have something to tease them about for zhe rest of zheir lives.”

Setting aside the animosity they had for the Brotherhood, they rode an ice slide up to the dome where Kurt used his acrobatics to latch onto the sides. Lance, Pietro, Wanda, Toad, Blob, Pyro, and Mystique were still out of it. And naturally, Kurt went for Mystique first.

“Vake up, mother! Now is not zhe time to be napping!” he exclaimed as he shook his mother back to consciousness.

“Nnn…” groaned the shape shifter, “What the…Kurt?!”

The sudden commotion stirred the rest of the Brotherhood as well. Naturally, they were surprised to find that they were trapped and even more surprised to see two X-men standing before them.

“What the…hey, what gives?!” yelled Toad.

“What are you X-geeks up to?!” demanded Pietro.

“Saving your ungrateful lives,” said Bobby casually, “You can thank us later.”

“Why you…” began Blob.

But before they could start an argument, Bobby froze each shackle to make them brittle and weak. Using his ice powers, he formed a large hammer of ice around his hand and went on to smash each shackle as if it were glass.

“Crikey!” grunted Pyro, rubbing his wrists, “Watch the aim, popsicle!”

“Your welcome,” said Bobby with a smug grin.

“Shut up,” muttered Wanda, using her hex powers to finish the job while Blob broke free on his own.

Once they were all free, they gathered on Bobby’s ice slide and prepared to make their way out of this mess. But for the deeply perplexed Brotherhood, many questions still remained.

“You mind telling us what’s going on?” said Mystique in a defensive tone.

“It’s a long story,” said Kurt, “Just trust me vhen I say zhis is not a place you want to be.”

“Don’t need to convince me of that,” commented Lance, looking around at the vast machine as the alarms and lights wailed signs of warning.

Riding Bobby’s ice slide downward, they began their descent to ground level. But before they could get very far, Wanda stepped in.

“Wait! We have to find my father!” she exclaimed.

“Easy, Scarlet Witch,” said Bobby, nearly losing his balance, “Now is not the time to be rocking the boat!”

“No, she’s right,” said Pietro sternly, “He was abducted too and we’re not leaving without him!”

Bobby rolled his eyes. It still felt weird helping their enemies, but they were victims of this plot. They didn’t ask to be a part of it and had no clue of what they were dealing with. Even the Brotherhood didn’t deserve to get caught up in this mess.

“Zhey’re right, mien friend,” said Kurt, “Ve have to save him.”

“I know,” he sighed, “Guess that means he owes us one too.”

“Just shut up and get moving,” muttered Lance.

“How bout a please for someone who just saved your butt?” grinned Bobby.

Traveling down a spiraling ice slide, Bobby, Kurt, and the Brotherhood descended towards the center core where Isaac was still struggling to fulfill his destiny.

The machine still wasn’t responding. Someone had tampered with it. Frustration quickly turned to anger. Isaac had spent years preparing for this moment. Now it was falling apart before his eyes. Yet he would not yield to the inevitable.

“It…it can’t be!” exclaimed Isaac, “The polarity! It’s reversing!”

More alarms sounded as images of danger filled every readout in the area. Nothing was working. Even his mastery of Atlantean scripture couldn’t save him now.

“Face it, fool. It’s over,” taunted Magneto.

But the zealot monk had one last act of faith carry out.

“That’s what you think, tyrant,” he grinned.

Reaching into his robe, he pulled out an energy pistol that Artemis had given him. While he was no soldier, he was not stupid. Standing in the presence of history’s greatest monster demanded precautions. Even if the prophecy could not be fulfilled as intended, it didn’t mean he couldn’t do the world a favor.

“I’ve still weakened the magnetic field enough to cause plenty of damage,” he said, narrowing his gaze on the master of magnetism, “Nations will fall. Cities will crumble. It may not be on the scale of the prophecy, but it will pave the way for a new order! And as the gods as my witness I will make sure the new world is spared your demented soul!”

Rotating a dial on the main console, the antennas around Magneto’s body hummed with intent. The mechanism, even with reversed polarity, drew tremendous power. Magneto and his powers were still the fuel for this process. And under such strain, the old holocaust survivor let out a cry of agony.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Yes! YES!” exclaimed Isaac, “Feel the suffering you so justly deserve, monster! Beg for mercy! Admit to your misdeeds! Only then will I grant you your damnation!”

“RRRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

The pained yells of the master of magnetism echoed throughout the vast chamber. Gripping the gun with intent, Isaac was poised to kill history’s greatest tyrant. But he had to pay for his crimes first. He had to suffer in the same way the weak suffered under his oppression.

Suddenly, the X-men finally entered the core in full force. The sound of Magneto’s pained cries drew them to the center. It was a sight they never thought they’d see. Magneto, their bitter enemy, was at the mercy of a mere man.

“Erik…” gasped Xavier, “Isaac stop!”

Isaac’s excitement peaked upon the sight of his lords. His heart was racing. He was flushed with euphoria. Just as he had hoped, the incarnations he so revered were present to bear witness to his great accomplishment.

“Lord Xavier,” he said, his knees trembling with excitement, “This is a true honor. I have done thy bidding, my lord. I have fulfilled the Orion Prophecy!”

“Isaac you deranged little…” began Athena, but Xavier stopped her.

This man was clearly disturbed. The Professor could sense a haze of emotion radiating from Isaac’s mind. He truly believed in everything he was doing. His faith was every bit as strong as he was told. But never did he imagine a man going so far with such dedication.

“Please Isaac…” said Xavier in a calm tone, “You must stop this. Don’t you see what you’re doing?”

“Of course, my lord,” he said confidently, “I am preparing the world for a new golden age. With this glorious machine, I have created a storm that will decimate the modern world. While not a pole shift as I had hoped, the damage will be enough for you and the mutants of this world to start anew.”

“Even at the cost millions?!” exclaimed Kitty.

“A high price,” replied Isaac, “But those lives would have been lost anyways in the numerous conflicts to come. I am only speeding up the inevitable.”

“Bub, you’ve really lost it!” growled Logan.

“Please, my lord,” said Isaac, “Don’t think me mad. I am but a man of faith. And by the will of the gods, I lay siege to this chaotic world of suffering. And with love of humanity in my heart, I smite history’s greatest tyrant!”

“Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!” grunted Magneto, his body arching to the strain.

Isaac clearly couldn’t be reasoned with. He was staunch in his faith. They had to take action.

‘Professor, this man is crazy!’ sent Jean via telepathy.

‘No, he is completely lucid,’ replied Xavier, ‘He knows what he’s doing. Moreover, he believes what he’s doing is right.’

‘We have to stop him.’

‘Yes, but first we must save Magneto!’

‘Understood,’ replied Jean.

Magneto’s body was going limp. The life was being sucked out of his being. His old body could not endure the strain. And if the machine didn’t do him in, Isaac would certainly finish the job.

“Time to die, Magneto,” said Isaac coldly.

“Isaac wait!” exclaimed Scott.

“Too late, homme!” said Remy, taking out a deck of cards, “All bets is off!”

But before any of the X-men could attack, a sudden hex bolt from above hit Isaac before he could finish off the evil incarnation.

“GET AWAY FROM MY FATHER!” yelled Wanda as she and the Brotherhood reached ground level with Iceman and Nightcrawler.

“Ahhhh!” yelled Isaac as he was knocked back against one of the consoles.

Despite the shock of the Brotherhood’s arrival, the team quickly recovered and ran up to Magneto. Bursts of pink and white light erupted from the machine that was tearing away at the master of magnetism. The Brotherhood gathered around to help their leader, but they couldn’t get close because of the intense energy field.

“We have to get him out!” exclaimed Pietro.

“Cyclops!” ordered Xavier.

“On it, Professor!” said Scott, adjusting his visor.

Not wasting a second more, the X-leader shot a single burst of optic energy at one of the metal rings surrounding Magneto. Immediately, sparks flew and the lights on the antennas flickered. Magneto was still caught inside the energy field, but now he could be saved.

“Wanda, see if you can dampen that field!” said Jean, “I’ll get him out!”

“You better!” said the Scarlet Witch in a threatening tone.

Using her hex powers to weaken the containment bubble, Wanda placed her trust in the X-men. Once the field was down, Jean carefully moved Magneto’s body out of the core with telekinesis. He was clearly weak, but she still sensed life within him. Once he was out, Blob and Lance came to his side and helped their leader up.

“Hnn…” groaned Magneto, severely weakened by the strain.

“Easy, boss,” said Toad, “We’ll get ya outta this hell hole!”

But just as Magneto’s body was removed from the containment field, the vast machinery erupted in a maze of sparks. The ensuing fury sent shockwaves throughout the cave, making the ground shake and heavy pieces of the device break off and fall to the ground.

“Oh boy,” muttered Bobby, “That can’t be good.”

“What gave it away?!” exclaimed Rogue, “Look out, y’all!”

Flying up above her friends, Rogue used her super strength to catch incoming debris. Scott and Jean quickly got on the act as well, using optic blasts and telekinesis to shield them.

“This place is coming apart!” yelled Scott, firing off numerous blasts to divert incoming debris, “We have to get out of here!”

“No! Not yet!” said Xavier, wheeling himself up to the console, “We have to do something about the storm!”

“Well I’d hurry if I were you, Xavier!” spat Mystique.

Scrambling for answers, the Professor and Hank looked over the blaring consoles. Most were flashing red, hinting at the scale of the danger. Much of the readouts were written in Atlantean, a language they were not yet completely fluid in. It was uncertain whether or not anything could be done at this point, but Xavier refused to let this catastrophe transpire.

“It’s not looking good, Charles!” said Beast in a worried tone, “We stopped the pole shift, but the device has already done extensive damage! The magnetic field is fluctuating erratically! Weather patterns all over the world will be disrupted!”

“Then we have to reverse it!” said Xavier strongly.

“Hate to put pressure on ya, Chuck, but this place ain’t gonna be standin’ much longer!” reminded Logan.

“I know! I just need to work!” said Xavier, scrambling for answers.

Nothing made sense. The Professor didn’t know how to work this machine. It was built unlike anything he had seen before. Even Hank was stumped as he tried to look for panels and circuit boards. Sparks continued to fly from the antenna array. Jean and Wanda struggled to shield their friends while Bobby tried to patch up cracks with ice.

“Well, it was nice knowing you blokes,” muttered Pyro.

“Speak for yourself,” replied Kurt.

“Just leave it, Xavier!” yelled Pietro, “We have to get out of here!”

“Just a few more minutes!” said the Professor, frantically trying to make sense of the controls.

“I doubt we have that long, comrade!” said Piotr, protecting Athena from debris with his metal form.

They were out of time. They could not reverse the process. Xavier didn’t want to concede defeat. Not when so many lives were at stake. He took deep breaths, trying to remain clam as he looked over the console. Many of the images resembled those of the text he studied, but they were laid out in the same way as the enigmatic Orion Prophecy. There was too much to make sense of and too little time.

“Charles, I would advise a quick withdraw!” said Beast, giving up on the panel he had been working on.

“I can’t!” shot the Professor, “Not until…”

Suddenly, it came to him. Like the answer that led him to deciphering the Orion Prophecy, it should have been clear to him from the beginning. Looking at the console, he had only one option.

“Could it really be that simple?” he mused.

“Homme, if ya found somethin’, now’s de time to use it!” said Gambit, using charged cards to divert incoming debris with Cyclops.

“I know what to do!” said Xavier strongly, “Everybody stand back!”

Not arguing with the Professor, the X-men and the Brotherhood let Xavier do what he had to. Placing his hands on the console, the powerful telepath closed his eyes and focused his telepathic energy through the machine. And just as he expected, he got a reaction.

“Wow,” said Toad with a confused look, “What the hell is he doing?”

“What Xavier does best…” said Scott, “Saving the world.”

The console came to life, erupting in a halo of white light. The symbols surrounding the area also came to life, bathing the core in a gentle aura. It amazed and troubled both the X-men and the Brotherhood. Even Isaac was shocked by what he saw. Despite all his research and knowledge, there were still secrets he had not uncovered.

“By the gods…” said Isaac in amazement, “He is the spirit of Xuthasius.”

All around the walls, every component of the machine turned from blaring red to bright white. The alarms stopped, but the shaking intensified. Up through the three main antennas, all remaining power was concentrated in a final burst. All the surrounding light from the machinery flickered off as the energy that powered the vast device was focused.

Feeling the strain, Xavier gave the final command. And through the machine, the last part of the Orion Prophecy was fulfilled.

‘I…cannot…fail!’ struggled the powerful telepath, nearing his limits.

Up through the center of the island a beam of white light shot into the sky. As soon as it hit the thick clouds, a gaping hole was ripped in the monstrous storm. And in rapid order, the clouds dispersed and the lightning settled. Flying above the island, Ororo, who had been using all her strength to contain the deadly storm, looked on in amazement.

“It’s over,” she smiled, despite her exhaustion, “The Orion Prophecy has passed.”

Back inside the core, once the device made it’s final blast the Professor keeled over from mental fatigue.

“Charles!” exclaimed Hank as he and Kitty went their mentor’s aid.

“Are you okay, Professor?” asked Kitty wearily.

“I’m fine,” he said, panting hard, “We…we must get out of here.”

“Sweet music to my ears!” exclaimed Toad.

“And not a moment too soon,” said Rogue, nearly losing her balance, “This place is fallin’ apart!”

“Everybody out!” said Scott as he was nearly hit on the head from falling machine parts.

With the cave collapsing in on itself, the X-men and the Brotherhood scrambled to make it out. Blob and Lance helped the weakened Magneto while Hank and Kitty guided the tired Professor. Piotr and Logan were still helping Athena keep her balance, but before they left she had one last issue to tend to.

“Isaac! Come on!” yelled Athena.

“No…” he said calmly, “Leave me.”

“Bub! Now ain’t the time to…” began Logan, but Isaac had made his choice.

“It’s okay, my lord,” said the monk with a smile, “I’ve done my part. Now I must face my destiny.”

Before they could do anything else, Isaac took the gun he still had in hand and put it to his head. Closing his eyes, he gave his lords one last faithful smile and pulled the trigger.

“No!” yelled Piotr, unable to get to the estranged monk in time.

“Isaac…” said Athena in a low tone.

His body fell limp. His head now bloodied, Isaac’s quest for knowledge and prophecy came to a bloody end. And strangely he had gone out with a smile, his faith never waning.

“Come on! Let’s go!” said Logan, snapping Athena out of her daze.

“Right,” said the strong soldier, “May the gods have mercy on his soul.”

The machine that once destroyed the world was falling apart. Large chunks of the mechanisms that drove its power were crumbling under the strain. The ground cracked and entire sections caved in. The choice had been made. Scripture had been fulfilled. The device behind the Orion Prophecy was succumbing to its ultimate fate.

As the vast mound began to collapse on itself, the X-men and the Brotherhood stormed out of the cave. Shockwaves from explosions and ground tremors nearly knocked them off their feet, but once they were clear they turned to see the vast structure crumble. And up top, the antennas broadcasting the energy let off one final spark before exploding in a burst of white light.

“Well, so much for the end of the world,” remarked Bobby.

“How many times does dat make it?” grinned Remy.

“Like, who keeps track?” shrugged Kitty.

The X-men couldn’t help but smile at the sight of their triumph. Once again they saved the world from destruction. Gods or not, their deeds went far beyond that of human spirit. And in Athena’s eyes, there was no remaining doubt that these remarkable souls were true gods in their own right.

The clouds above were breaking and sunlight was beginning to creep through. The rain and wind had ceased. The ocean was finally calming. But up above, Ororo Munroe had pushed herself to her limits. Containing the storm had been stressful beyond measure. Now under the warm heat of the sun, she could finally rest.

“So tired…” she said, unable to keep her focus.

On the ground, Logan hadn’t forgotten about his weather goddess. With his keen senses, he saw her in the sky. She was clearly tired and was starting to fall. Without giving it any thought, his instincts kicked in.

“Ororo!” he yelled, leaving Athena to Piotr as he scrambled to catch her.

Weak from exhaustion, Ororo could not stay aloft. She was on the verge of blacking out. She was so tired. She knew she was falling, but she didn’t have the strength to fight it.

Running over boulders, rubble, and jagged rock Logan didn’t take his eye off the falling woman that had come to mean so much to him. Together, they had shared some amazing moments during their stay at Xavier Island and he hoped to share plenty more.

Holding out his arms, Wolverine leaped forth and caught the falling woman in his arms. The second he felt her warmth, he held her in a close embrace.

“It’s okay, darlin’,” he said softly, “I got ya.”

Gently cradling her head, he parted her hair from her face. She was still very tired, but she was strong enough to open her eyes and smile at the man who caught her.

“Logan…” she said, reaching up to touch his burly face, “Is it over?”

Smiling at the beautiful woman in his arms, he held her securely in a tight embrace.

“It’s over,” he assured, “We did it.”

Taking comfort in his words, Ororo could finally rest. But before she succumbed to her exhaustion, she and Logan met in one last kiss. It was a fitting way to signal a new beginning. They came together unexpectedly, but it brought to them a feeling they were no longer afraid to embrace. And with the future secure, they would build on this feeling together.

With the clouds fading and the sun shining, the X-men could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Once again they saved millions from destruction. The 10,000 year old prophecy had come and gone. Now the future was up to them.

“So much for the prophecy,” said Scott.

“Indeed,” said Hank, “Amazing to think a race of beings thousands of years ago could have foreseen such fantastic events.”

“I don’t know,” said Kitty, “Stranger things have happened.”

“Don’t Ah know it,” grinned Rogue, taking Remy’s hand and holding it close as the feeling of victory sank in.

But for the Brotherhood, this ordeal was far from over. Still reeling from the pain, Magneto stirred from his dazed state full of questions and confusion.

“Really, Charles, I hate to intrude on a moment like this,” said the master of magnetism, “But would you mind explaining what just happened?”

The X-men exchanged glances. It was funny. After saving one of their most tenacious enemies, they had to explain the fantastic story they had been told. Even after living through it, so much seemed unbelievable. And for Professor Charles Xavier, he couldn’t be prouder.

“It’s a long story, old friend.”

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Up next: The X-men and Church of X finally part ways.