Lunar Eclipse

[the_deathmaker]

The door to Uatu's citadel explodes in shards, the flaming remnants raining down nearby. Thanos lowers his hands - still glowing from the discharge of energy, and steps inside, still wreathed in the flames of the Phoenix Force.

"Uatu. Come out here and save me the twenty seconds it will take to find you. I promise the pain will be brief."

Comments

[watcher_uatu]

When the smoke clears, Uatu's prescence is revealed. If he's afraid, he doesn't show it. His face doesn't show any kind of emotion at all. He's rather calm given that Thanos, more than likely, is going to bring the pain.

"Yes Thanos?"

[the_deathmaker]

"Good. The quicker this is done with, the fewer people will die. I'm sure you've considered leaving - but your oath of noninterference is problematic, isn't it? Wherever you would go to, you would simply be dooming different people to be destroyed by me.."

Thanos smiles.

"Of course, you've already seen how this turns out."

[watcher_uatu]

"I see everything Thanos," is his only reply.

[the_deathmaker]

"And now, so shall I."

The Phoenix power flares around him, and he advances - smiling.

[putty_professor]

Going into space always held... a certain strange feeling for Reed. It was his desire to go into space that had created the Fantastic Four in the first place, had transformed his friends and himself into beings far beyond humans. What had he been thinking, taking Susan into space like that? And to have brought Johnny, barely a teenager, with them too? And Ben...

He had mastered the art of proper rocket shielding in the intervening years. This space flight would be an easy one.

And then the moon came into view. "Great Scott!"

[old_one_eye]

Getting to the moon was a bit of a longer route for the X-Men. They had a jet capable of suborbital flight, but didn't have one that could reach the moon. Luckily, SWORD owed them more than a few favors, and provided them with a ship.

Scott was... not thrilled with returning to the moon, especially knowing the Phoenix was there. After all, it was the Blue Area of the moon where the Phoenix first cost Jean her life. It was also there that Nathan, as an infant, was infected with the Techno-organic virus and Scott was left with no choice but to send him, by himself, into the future.

Still, not too far behind the Fantastic Four, the ship landed in at the home of the Inhumans.

"X-Men, spread out, look for survivors."

[beastly_avenger]

Hank remembered the various lunar adventures all too well, though, perhaps, with not quite as much emotion as Scott. He came out of the ship, a heavy backpack on his back, loaded with medical supplies.

"Oh my stars and garters..."

[baby_phoenix_]

"They aren't here." Rachel says, coming to a stop behind Hank. She is of course referring to the Phoenix Force and it's unwanted host, Thanos.

[p_maximoff]

Suddenly, Quicksilver is there to give them the sitrep.

"Good, you've received my message. Attilan is self-sufficient and doesn't need your help. We need you to stop whatever Thanos is doing. He had no interest in killing us - just neutralizing us. Do not split your forces."

A look back.

"I have to tend to my daughter, who was... injured, or else I'd help in whatever limited way I could."

[high_pockets]

That deprives them of any out if any of them were scared of dealing with Thanos.

"Understood. Let's do what we can," Dr. Pym says, trying not to betray his own nervousness.

[bringmetolife]

Thanos, and the Phoenix Force. A combination that should make any rational being a little nervous.

Jean kept a tight grip on her own concerns, for both herself and Rachel, and looked to the others.

[putty_professor]

"A most disagreeable fellow," Reed muttered of Quicksilver. "But ultimately, he makes a point. Thanos is the far more dangerous threat."