Above Greymalkin, the enormous Space-Time Portal kept expanding.
At last, the Leviathan broke free of the spatial rift and surged out, trailing vast swathes of rust-red lightning.
Its massive hull blotted out the sky. Its shadow swallowed nearly all the land below, making it look from afar like an iron beast crawling out of a rotting abyss.
For a moment, the world fell silent.
Then an immense psychic force spread soundlessly in every direction.
The civilians beside the transport vehicles, the X-Men gathering for battle, and even the mutants in the distant community all heard Exodus's voice at once.
[I am Bennett du Paris, marshal of Vespera's Dusk Legion.]
Atop the Leviathan's bow, Exodus slowly opened his eyes.
[The Xavier Institute is harboring enemies of the empire.]
[Hand over "Miles Zero" and "Nathan Summers." It is your only chance to survive.]
Greymalkin remained deathly still.
Exodus did not press them. He stood on the Leviathan's bow, looking down at the tiny figures below.
His gaze swept over them. He spotted "Cable" Nathan Summers retreating almost immediately, but gave no sign of it.
He was waiting for an answer.
The institute's answer.
On the ground.
Wind swept past the front of the institute, stirring dust and scraps of paper. The transport vehicles' engines still rumbled, but no one paid them any mind.
Colossus was the first to step out of the crowd. Silver metal swiftly covered his entire body as he came to Ororo's side.
"Should we prepare to fight?"
He asked the question aloud.
If Ororo chose to stand against the Dusk Legion, Colossus would not hesitate. He was ready already.
Nearby, Iceman hurried over and looked up at the sky, his expression grave.
At the same time, the others arrived from across the institute and community: Soraya, David,