With the assasssination of Marc Spector, the heroes' position has become precarious. While dealing with their anger and grief at losing a friend and fellow companion, they no longer have a base of operations to seek revenge. Frenchie, as Spector's heir, puts their minds at rest, telling him that they may use the mansion as their base for as long as it takes to avenge them all on the murderer.
The funeral is attended by Frenchie and the heroes, as well as Wong and Mary Jane Watson, who also brings her boyfriend, Peter, with her for moral support. Hank McCoy also attends. He tells them afterward that Piotr, the Russian refugee they saved, revealed his kidnapped sister has the ability to teleport, moving through a place she calls “limbo” to cross distances.
Hank gives them a Gadget that may help them find the girl, but they will have to figure out what to use to “tune” it. It has a base setting, using Colossus’ DNA, but because he is not supernatural, nor is his DNA an exact match, it is not strong. That, however, combined with Fenris’ senses, may be enough. If they can key on that, they may be able to find the girl.
Hank suggests further researching the issue, and the Museum has an occult exhibit going on right now, perhaps the archive in the library may be of help? He tells the to speak to Dr. Grey, who is a research fellow working in the archive.
They give the Gadget to Wong, who says he will take it to Dr. Strange’s to test on items and try to calibrate it there while they research at the museum.
Unbeknownst to them, the Mysterious Sniper has been posing as one of the cemetary staff, and was listening in. She follows Wong and Mary Jane back to Dr. Strang's residence and subdues them, taking the Gadget as well.
They are brought into the library by Dr. Jean Grey, a friend of Hank McCoy's. At the library, the heroes learn that among the artifacts on display are three pieces of interest. A large statue of Khonshu from a dig in Cairo is on display.
There is also an ancient Greek altar carved out of a blueish-black basalt, said to have been used to by the Oracles of Delphi to make human sacrifices to power their darker magics.
And lastly, a golden image of a firebird, the Paragon of Amarna.
While reading an ancient, undeciphered text of waxy pages bound in strange leather, Crucible also learns that the ancient greek altar is called the Limbo Stone, and that it is not Greek at all! It is an Atlantean artifact, and one which appears to have had some role in the downfall of the civilization. The codex itself is an Atlantean text found in the submerged ruins of the collapsed library of Alexandria in Egypt. Crucible can read Atlantean! And the altar is called the "Limbo" Stone, just like the place where Ilyana Rasputin uses to teleport! If it is wet, it glows with runes and its power is accessible. It appears that rather than the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean, the priestesses of Delphi inadvertantly activated its power by drenching it in blood...
By the time they go back to Dr. Strange's to get the Gadget to take it to the Museum, they find that their friends are gone and the building is empty! In Mary Jane's office, they find a smear of blood, and Fenris detects the telltale scent of the Mysterious Sniper. Connecting the dots, the heroes know that Nemesis must now have the Gadget, and she might use it to find the Limbo Stone and use it to some terrible end!
Racing to the Museum, the heroes call in their travelling friends, Sabanion and Phantasm, who teleport back to New York City, and help the heroes gain entrance after hours (as Sabanion poses their as a security guard). They sneak in and fight their way through several Oni no Armani. During the battle, Fenris detects the nearby presence of the Mysterious Sniper, and he bounds off after her in a hate filled pursuit. She will not escape him this time!
As they press on, the other heroes come upon Nemesis preparing to sacrifice Mary Jane in a blood ritual in the main exhibit hall. Mary Jane is stripped down and bound to the Limbo Altar, where Nemesis is preparing to seize the power of the artifact. The heroes are are too late, as they see Nemesis run her lethal katana through the young woman. The mortally wounded woman's blood covers the altar, making it wet and activating its power, so that glowing runes run the length of its outer edge. Mary Jane Watson perishes beneath the lifeless, fathomless gazes of both the statue of the god of the moon and of the solar firebird.
As they witness this horrifying ritual, the heroes also spot Wong and Ilyana in the back of the exhibit hall, bound helplessly and guarded by two Oni who look ready to execute them.
Quickly joining battle, the assembled heroes dispatch the throng of Oni guarding their mistress, and then assault Nemesis, who uses her vast arsenal of powers to fight them all at once. Phantasm possesses one of the Oni, and confuses the other long enough to save the kidnapped victims. Crucible and Nemesis duel briefly before Sabanion can enter the melee. Nemesis taunts Crucible as they fight, revealing half-clues about his origin and mocking him as less than human. Crucible's orichalcum skin is proof against the goddess' attacks, and her weakening powers fail against the sentient construct. Managing to wound her in return only enrages the goddess more, and she redoubles her attacks against him, when Sabanion enters the fray.
As soon as she is freed by Phantasm, Ilyana can use her power, and she teleports to the Limbo Stone, and then teleports away, taking both the Stone and the fallen form of Mary Jane with her. Screaming in rage, Nemesis tries to stop Ilyana but she is too late, and the greek goddess flies through empty space, smashing into the reinforced wall of an adjoining exhibit hall.
The heroes take stock of the situation as their enemy rises from the rubble, cursing them and swearing to slay them all...
(published June 29, 2014)
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