Firefly screamed.

The scream was not purely due to fear, although that certainly was a major component to it. What contributed more was the weight of the water pressing on his chest, forcing the air out of his lungs. In that sense, it wasn't a true scream - more just the natural sound of air passing quickly through his vocal folds.

Beside him even Namor, the Sub-Mariner, who was far more used to being in the water than the young Exile, struggled against the torrent that pushed them through pitch-black space. Despite the utter chaos that raged around them, both were able to clearly remember the events that had let up to their aquatic journey:

Firefly, believing his fellow Exile Doctor Savage to be responsible for the death of another Exile, Daywalker, pursued the confused beast through the forests of Symkaria. Namor, mistaking the amphibious Savage for one of his own Atlantean subjects, tried to aid him - and was badly burned by Firefly in the process.

Once Namor had fled, Firefly was exposed to a strange blue ball given to the Exiles on their first adventure, to the year 8162 AD. Somehow, the ball transferred whatever power caused Stephen Strange - the Mysterious Stranger - to be transformed into Doc Savage into Firefly, who made a similar transformation; only his skin became red rather than green.

Later, Namor returned to get his revenge on Firefly, and deliberately shattered the blue ball while posturing - the crushed particles of the ball formed a blue disc which sucked in Firefly, Namor, and the water in which they were half-submerged*.

[ * - it all happened in EXILES #9-11! - Adrian ]

So there they were, what felt like an eternity later, still falling - darkness all around them, their only awareness of anything coming from the water and the echoes of their own screaming. Finally, they hit the surface of the water which had rushed past them and were entirely submerged. Namor was safe, but Firefly was not.

Firefly could not swim.

Firefly struggled as he sank deeper and deeper into the pitch-black depths, but with each wild thrashing of his arms and legs he seemed only to fall more quickly until, just as he was about to give up hope, he felt a firm hand take his wrist and begin to pull him to the surface. He was dragged onto a small, very solid platform, where he finally risked taking a full breath.

"I'm safe!" he cheered. "B-but who - ?"

"Of course you are safe," Firefly could not see who was speaking, but he easily recognised the voice as Namor's. "The form you have taken is amphibious."

"Th-then why did y-you...?"

"You were holding your breath. You would have drowned. I do not care for your safety, boy, but I am not going to waste a potential asset until I know where I am and how I will return to Atlantis."

Firefly felt his body and realised that he was once again in his own, red variant of the 'Savage' persona. When he focussed, he could feel anger and rage as something almost palpable inside of him, looking for a way out.

He looked around but, in the darkness, could not see anything. He felt the platform beneath him and heard the water rushing nearby, but he saw nothing. Namor did not seem to have any difficulty seeing what surrounded them, however.

"C-can you see...?" Firefly asked.

"Of course," Namor replied. "I have lived in the ocean depths my entire life. I am accustomed to seeing without light."

"Wh-what do you s-see?"

"Little. We are on a black platform, surrounded by water. That is all."

"Not quite."

---

Aleta and Joseph found themselves rematerialising somewhere entirely unexpected. They were in a luxuriously-furnished one-room house, but the furnishing were not the type Joseph or Aleta were used to - neither human nor Arcturan. Still, that did not keep them from enjoying the luxury; and once they were sure the rest of the room was unoccupied, they resumed their interrupted kiss*.

[ * - started last issue - Adrian ]

Joseph ran his hands up through Aleta's hair, but found that with each effort to pull her in closer the alien woman's body stiffened and she resisted. He knew that she had other things to think about - the safety of their fellow Exiles, as well as the people she left behind in her home reality - but he also knew that handling those issues on her own was taking a terrible toll; he wanted to comfort her, to put her at ease, and she seemed willing only to humour him.

Joseph pulled his mouth away from hers and breathed heavily.

"Aleta..." he said.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

"I know that we are attracted to one another," Joseph said. He grinned. "I am a master of magnetism; I know all about her attraction!" His grin turned into a frown. "Still, I feel that you are forcing yourself into this. You are right - there are urgent matters that need our attention."

Aleta nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Joseph told her. "You are who you are. That is why we all turn to you for leadership." He sighed, then pointed to a bed in the corner of the room. "You should take the chance to rest. I will scout our immediate area and see what I can find. Perhaps the other Exiles are nearby."

"Thank you," Aleta said. Joseph rose and walked out the door. Aleta paused, waiting for a sound to indicate a danger or struggle but, hearing nothing but Joseph's softening footsteps, she lay on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

"Aleta."

Not again!

The voice that had spoken to and through Aleta since the Exiles were first brought together had been quiet since shortly after the team's arrival on Daywalker's world**, but Aleta had known it would speak to her again, despite its promises to keep out of her head. But the fact the voice's presence did not come as a surprise did nothing to keep Aleta from becoming angry.

[ ** - in EXILES #5-7 - Adrian ]

"Calm yourself."

Go away.

"No." The voice was not as firm as it had been the previous times it had addressed Aleta, but it still showed no sign of doing anything she asked of it. "I have tried to communicate with the rest of your team, but they have been less receptive to my attempts. Even the psychic."

Psychic? There's no - Aleta cut herself short. She realised she did not know whether there was a psychic on the team. What do you want?

"What you are contemplating with Joseph is unacceptable."

Why is that?

"Aleta. You must trust me. Forming a close relationship with Joseph will not solve the problems you face. You must overcome them alone."

No.

"What?"

My entire life I have been in a partnership; with Stakar, as his sister, wife and part of Starhawk, then with Vance, and later with Kristoff. I have never been alone. I have never wanted to be alone.

"I am familiar with your past, Aleta. You do not - "

Since being brought here to do whatever it is that you want us to do, I have tried to do things on my own - and look what a mess I've made! If being with Joseph can help me to lead this team more effectively, then that is what I will do.

"..."

Well? What do you have to say to that?

"I am disappointed, Aleta. Remember, I can take control of your body if I so choose, as I have once before***."

[ *** - in EXILES #1 - Adrian ]

Should that be considered a threat?

"Interpret it how you will."

Aleta was awoken by the sound of the door opening into the house. Joseph entered, visibly exhausted, and sat on the bed beside Aleta. Aleta glanced out the window and saw that the sky had darkened, and realised she must have been asleep for much longer than she thought. Could her discussion with Exiles' mysterious master have actually been a dream?

"I know where we are," Joseph said. "I recognise it from the X-Me - "

Aleta climbed over to him and put one finger against his lips. She moved her hands onto his shoulders and pushed him back, so he lay flat on the bed, then ran her hands over his spandex-covered torso.

"I don't care, Joseph," she said. "All this... wherever we are, whatever we are meant to do... it can wait one night. Just one night..."

---

Both Namor and Firefly could see the red form hovering over the ocean several feet away. It looked very much like Firefly's red 'Savage' form, only more slender, with red horns and long black hair. A thin, cord-like tail swung loosely behind it, and it was naked except for a pair of tattered black trousers.

"Welcome," it said. Its voice was very deep, not what either of them expected from so lithe a figure. "It has been a long time since I have had company."

"Who a-are you?" Firefly asked.

"Where are we?" Namor added.

"I am Xin'garoth," it said. "You truly do not know where you are? At least Strange had some idea what he was dealing with."

"I tire of your tone," Namor said simply. "You will answer or you will fall."

"Oh?"

Namor took flight with one raised fist and flew straight for Xin'garoth's floating form. It did not even try to move out of his way. Namor kept moving forward and, eventually, passed right through it. He turned for another attack, but the same thing happened. Again. And again.

"Only a madman tries the same thing again and again, expecting a different result. Calm down. I will answer your questions."

Namor returned to the platform and settled lightly on its surface. Firefly drew himself upright and stared intently at Xin'garoth. There was something odd about its appearance - he felt almost as if, while looking at the creature, he was also staring back at himself.

"Where you are is a simple one; you now occupy what you were calling the 'orb' or 'sphere'. Strange thought it amusing that only he knew what you truly held," Xin'garoth sneered. "I think it pathetic."

Namor tensed his muscles but did not move.

"The 'orb' is a transdimensional pathway, allowing easy access between realities. It has been manifested as many forms across the multiverse, but all essentially pass through this point. Think of it as a 'wormhole'. A shortcut.

"When the big fish shattered the casing, there was a hole that needed to be filled. The conduit responded by drawing the two of you and much of your environment into it in order to maintain its cohesion."

"What are you doing here?" Namor asked.

"I have my own means of accessing this location," Xin'garoth replied.

Namor did not react as he spotted the dark figure rising between himself and Xin'garoth. It was not a form he recognised, but with its back turned to him he believed it to pose little threat, and Xin'garoth, despite facing it, seemed entirely unaware of its presence - as did Firefly.

"As for who I am - "

"That is something we do not need to know," Nachtgleiskette said. He reached forward and struck Xin'garoth, who was still unable to see him. Nachtgleiskette's touch appeared to cause Xin'garoth immense pain; pain Namor realised was being referred directly to Firefly, who was doubled over in agony.

"Who are you?" Namor demanded to know. "What are you doing?"

"You can see me?" Nachtgleiskette asked without turning. "That is impressive."

Suddenly, Xin'garoth faded from view in a shower of blue sparks and Firefly stood upright. Namor could tell from the briefest glance that the boy was no longer in control of his body. His eyes were dark, his muscles had doubled in size and long claws were quickly bursting through the skin on the back of his hands.

"You have turned into some kind of brute!" Namor snapped. "Control yourself!"

"B-rute...?" Firefly repeated. "BRUTE!"

He lunged forward, his claws outstretched, and grinned as they pierced the flesh of Namor's torso. Atlantean blood spilled out of the monarch's wounds and splattered over the small platform before spilling into the water that had already pulled around it. Firefly withdrew his claws and stepped back, then crouched and sniffed at the fresh blood.

"You really are a brute," Nachtgleiskette said. "You killed him. Remaining with you Exiles is certainly becoming interesting."

Slowly, Xin'garoth's form reappeared in front of Nachtgleiskette and, as it did, Firefly's body returned to normal. The red skin tone faded; the claws retracted back into his hands; and his massive musculature diminished, leaving only a very blood-soaked, very thin, very scared young man.

"Wh-what have I d-done...?" he stammered.

Xin'garoth looked angry.

"You... fool," it told Nachtgleiskette. It still could not see him, but was sure of his presence. "I am the one thing keeping the boy's monstrous form in check... and maintaining the integrity of this subspace." Its image faded briefly, and Firefly's transformation began again; but, as Xin'garoth returned, the transformation was undone. "I must... heal. Leave TransEarth... now. Be gone!"

Nachtgleiskette and Firefly shielded themselves as the walls of 'TransEarth' appeared to fracture and shatter around them. When they dared to peer out again they found that they were inside an empty classroom of a school at night. Nachtgleiskette perched on a desk as Firefly sobbed over Namor's fallen, bloody body.

After several long moments, Firefly looked up. He knew where he was immediately - he had seen the place almost every day for the previous ten years. It was his school. His classroom.

"This is Battleworld..." he whispered. "I'm home."

---

NEXT ISSUE: Brutal Planet!