Issue+19+-+'Number+of+the+Beast'


 * Issue 19 - 'Number of the Beast' **




 * Plot**

After the amulet sucks in Daniel and Cameron, the staff quickly calms down the students and moves them to the activity center. They bring in Amanda. She uses her mutant ability to sense the magic in the amulet but she can’t sense much else. She can tell that David can’t trigger the amulet again, however. They call other superheroes and only Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four is available. He walks the group through some scans and determines that someone related to David might be able to use the amulet. He asks if they have any genetic samples of relatives. Bastienne realizes that they have Dagan’s samples in the lab. While getting the samples, Lucius notices that the staff DNA samples are gone! He eventually creates MGH from the Dagan sample. Melissa, an Academy X student, demands to be the one that takes the drug. She wants to go through the portal because she feels responsible due to telling Cameron about his past. Eventually Dane agrees. Amanda also goes along so that she can create a portal allowing the group to return. Melissa touches the amulet - it flares to life. The plan worked!. The final group, including Dane, David, Bastienne, Samantha, Billy, Melissa, and Amanda, goes through.

The group emerges from the portal on a hill near a volcano. They are surrounded by demons! Billy’s nose begins bleeding. He manages to gasp that time has been changed. Everyone gets a feeling of déjà vu, and then Billy collapses. The demons, consisting of two large winged demons, four muscular demons, two demons with hook hands, and two tempter demons, attack. Melissa uses Dagan’s powers to blast the demons while Amanda uses her wand to attack. Bastienne and Dane knock out several of the demons, but Dane is eventually badly wounded and falls unconscious. David fights off the two powerful demons, but is eventually knocked unconscious as well and dragged away. As the last weak demons run off, the group realizes they aren’t powerful enough to chase after the big demons to rescue David. Amanda hears a voice urging them to come for help, and Dane decides to follow the voice.

Hours later the group nears the source of the mystical voice – at a large obsidian palace. It is seemingly deserted. Inside the great hall they see a blonde girl sitting on a throne. On one side of her is Daniel, and on the other side is someone they don’t initially recognize – an older Cameron! Through conversation they realize that about three years have passed. The girl is Magik, otherwise known as Illyana Rasputin. She says she’s helped Cameron untangle his memories and remove the brainwashing inflicted by the Weapon X program. Daniel says he’s served as Magik’s bodyguard. When fighting demon uprisings, he’s been killed several times, and every time he does so he reverts to sixteen years old. He’s actually over two hundred years old!

The group asks if Magik can help find David. She shifts into a horned demon called Darkchylde and says in a gruff voice that she can handle it. She teleports away. She returns shortly with a tortured David. Burned and scarred, he apologizes to Daniel and Cameron as their time in Limbo was due to his botched deal with Doctor Doom. Cameron says he doesn’t mind, as he is now whole again. Daniel has also gained a mystical power from Darkchylde: the ability to create a souldagger. Darkchylde senses Melissa’s innocence and takes part of her soul, replacing it with her magic. Melissa can now also create a souldagger. Daniel gives Magik a goodbye kiss and Cameron gives her a hug. Amanda creates a portal back to the school, where only several hours have passed.

Back at the school, the students adjust to the news about Daniel’s age and the older Cameron. The staff holds a staff meeting to discuss what to do about Cameron and Daniel. They decide to give Cameron some tests to see in which classes he belongs. He was tutored by Magik while in her dimension, and he scores well. He is now a senior. He is also allowed to rejoin the eXalts as a probationary member. Due to his age, Daniel knows more about history than Samantha. He can't teach the class, however, since he is too young in the eyes of the state. They decide to make Daniel a “teaching assistant.” Meanwhile, David approaches other students about joining his secret team. Dane gets a report from a secret source he hired about the Academy M staff.

A few weeks pass. On the Saturday before Valentine’s Day a bus goes to the local mall so students can buy presents for their girlfriends/boyfriends. Daniel buys presents for the student with the chitinous exoskeleton. He is then approached by students from Academy M. One of them, Roger, tries to recruit Daniel. Daniel feigns interest. He allows himself to be killed by Roger’s friend to show off his mutant ability. Roger then offers to sell him MGH made from Academy X staff. Daniel says he’ll meet with them in two weeks when he has the money.

Valentine’s Day approaches. Meghan speaks to both Dane and David. She says she’s seen the tension between them. She doesn’t want to be the cause of it any longer. She’ll choose one of them on Valentine’s Day. She arranges to meet both at different spots and will only arrive to see one (or none). They must agree to this and swear secrecy, no matter what happens. Either way she can’t be with the chosen guy until after the school year is over. Both agree.

On Valentine’s Day, Billy proposes to Ruth. Bastienne and Jessica spend time together, as do Matthew and Samantha. Cameron spends time with Roxy. Daniel gives his presents to the bug girl. Dane shows up for his date with Meghan, but David goes early and leaves a note for Meghan saying he’s not playing games and he’ll be there for her if she wants him.

A week later, Dane has a staff meeting to discuss what to do about Roger trying to recruit Daniel. Before the meeting, Lucius tells Dane and David that he’s ready to try a cure for Hope on Jessica. They say it’s up to Jessica. During the meeting, Dane gets a message from his source: she’s found the lab where the Reaver technology was made – and there are cloaked figures going inside! Dane tells the staff, and the eXalts get ready to confront the Purifiers!

**Next:** Issue 20 - 'Uncomfortably Numb' **Previous:** Issue 18 - 'We Die Young'