Akkaba, Egypt

The arid air of the desert was filled with tension that day. In Akkaba stood a fortress of unequalled size. Its owner was a man called Apocalypse, the greatest nemesis of the world's foremost evil. Onslaught. Within one of the rooms of the fortress a war was being planned.

Scott Summers, Bobby Drake, and Clint Barton stood at one side of a table in the war room. On the other side stood four people, Apocalypse, Famine, Pestilence and Death. War, also known as Sunfire, stood alone on a third side, while two members of the Neo, Rax and Jaeger, stood on the fourth side. The table contained a scale holographic model of Onslaught Island.

"This is the battleground," Scott said. "The Statue of Onslaught will be the landing area for the Neo and the Horsemen. From there the two groups will be taking on the Prelates. It's a serious task that is an absolute necessity for any other landing party we send. Apocalypse and my team of X-Men will be hitting the citadel directly. There may be other teams throughout the island making similar assaults, but that all depends on how many X-Men we can get."

"Wait," Death growled. "The X-Men? We can take care of the Prelates ourselves!"

"Your confidence is unfounded Essex," said Sunfire. "I have encountered Prelates. There are legions of them, and everyone of them are powerful. There are also Onslaught's mutate armies, and the Prime Sentinels which now surround this very fortress. We need as much help as we can get."

"And we'll be getting it," Scott said. "I've already contacted my brother and his team of X-Men are heading this way. They seem to have found a super-weapon, plus there seems to be something happening with the Sentinels. I'm hoping that the other X-Men will not be suffering heavy losses. Alex's team was lucky to only lose one. I'm afraid the others will be worse off."

"Who cares?" Essex blurted. "We are the ultimate weapons. We will defeat Onslaught!"

"I hope you're right," Scott muttered.

(Extraordinary X-Men #04 - Tony)

Scott held Madelyn close. He had been talking with the team leaders of the other X-Men squads. They had all suffered heavily. Some of their best friends had died. It was reason for mourning.

"I can't believe it," Madelyn said softly. "It's been months since we've seen anyone outside of Alex's team, and now...now we'll never see some of them again."

"It's okay," Scott said. "They won't have to go through this next battle. There will be few survivors I fear. I hope this goes our way."

"So do I," Madelyn said. "So do I."

(Who? See the final issues of all the core AOO titles to find out!- Tony)

Lizzie Guthrie was playing with Nathan when Bobby entered the room.

"Oh, hi Lizzie," Bobby said, "Scott around?"

"No." Lizzie said, her face falling.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked.

"Scott talked to the other team leaders," she said. "T-they've all, they've all taken casualties. More than ever before. Oh, Bobby, I...I just..." Lizzie started crying. She couldn't handle it. Bobby crouched down beside her, trying to offer her some comfort.

"No,' Lizzie said. "I'm...damn, no."

"It's going to okay," Bobbie said, not sounding too sure. "It'll be okay. It has to."

Later. Alone. Bobby deals with the grief in his own way. Many of them had died. Too many. They were his friends. His family.

"Rogue's team weren't even facing the Prelates," Bobby muttered. "What is happening to us?"

"What was that?" Clint Barton approached Bobby.

"The X-Men. We've lost a large portion of the team." Bobby lifted his head to look Clint in the eyes. "How did you survive? The Prelates tore through Legion's team, and there were equal numbers there."

"Before Scott was there, the Statue of Onslaught was an HRM base," Clint said. "We had all sorts of tunnels spider-webbed underneath. I held out against the Prelates until the absolute last moments, and ducked into one of the better concealed ones. They tore the interior apart, but never found that tunnel."

"That's it?" Bobby said. "How anti-climatic."

"I guess so," Clint laughed.

(Clint appeared to have sacrificed himself in issue #01 - Benn)

Sunfire led Scott through the courtyard where the Neo trained for their fight against the Prelates. There were many Neo, with equally as many powers. The fight with the Prelates would be a sight to see.

"They're yours to command," Sunfire said.

"I know," Scott muttered. "Apocalypse told me. I'm not too thrilled. They seem battle-ready now."

"I know," Sunfire declared. "It will be a battle full of honour."

"Shiro," Scott said, putting his hand on the shoulder of his new-found friend. "They're under your command come the assault. You're capable."

"Thank you," Shiro said, and with that the events of the past several days were forgiven.

Scott, Bobby and Clint spent several hours that day walking through the ranks of the Neo, assisting them in their techniques. Many scowled at Bobby, since the X-Man was several years their junior. Lizzie was there as well, honing her rusty combat skills, knowing she would soon be playing a part in the battle that would decide the fate of the world.

Soon Madelyn joined her husband outside, carrying Nathan on her hip. The toddler soon demanded to be let down, and set off after his father, mimicking his every move. Despite the grief she felt at the loss of many of her friends and comrades, she laughed at her young son.

Scott found himself on a small platform eventually, overseeing the training. Bobby stood behind him, in his ice form due to the extreme heat. Clint and Maddie also stood nearby, watching intently.

"Iceman," Scott ordered. "Let's give these people a break. Can you erect and ice dome?"

"What you want is what you get," Bobby quipped, trying to hide his obvious pain. As he raised his hands to create the ice, something caught Scott's attention at the far wall.

A silhouette of a young woman materialised, then came into sharper focus as she passed through the wall and looked around. Her eye's locked with Scott's then she disappeared back through wall quickly.

"Scott!" Madelyn gasped. "Did you just see...?"

"Shadowcat," Scott growled. "Where Shadowcat is, Wolverine isn't far behind!"

Scott stood in the war room again, this time with a smaller group. Sunfire, Iceman, Hawkeye, Madelyn, and Lizzie were the only ones there.

"It seems that Onslaught's sent an assassin," Scott said. "You all know who it is, and that they are Onslaught's best. I don't know if they're after Apocalypse, or were somehow able to track me down. Either way, we've got to find them and..." Scott swallowed. "...eliminate them. Three pairs. Bobby and Maddie. Clint and Lizzie. Me and Shiro. You find them, call for reinforcements immediately. There's no need for Apocalypse to find out."

Scott and Shiro paced the battlements of the fortress in the approaching dusk. They had said little to each other since their vigil had began. Scott peered out into the desert sands intently.

"Tell me X-Man, who is this Wolverine?" Shiro asked at last. "Why do you seem to hate him so much?"

"Logan is the deadliest assassin Onslaught's got. He's a hypersensitive animal with absolutely zero morals. He's the former lover of Jean Grey, who forced me into relations with her while I was Onslaught's captive. He has a grudge, and the last time we saw each other, we both swore that one of us would die in our next meeting." Scott rubbed his eyes. "It's his day to die."

"He probably thinks the same thing of you," Shiro said.

"Then may the bast man win."

(See Age of Onslaught: Alpha - Tony)

Logan crouched outside the fortress, Kitty directly beside him. Shadowcat scowled, angry that they were going against direct orders on this mission. Wolverine popped his claws.

"Time to go," he growled.

"Logan," Kitty whispered, "I told you what the odds are! You're suicidal!"

"Scott Summers is going to die today," Logan said. He held up his claws. "These babies are going to give him his last kiss goodbye." With that Logan leapt forwards and rushed the wall. Kitty sighed and followed him, phasing them both through the outer wall.

(See Wolverine & Shadowcat #03 - Tony)

Hawkeye shivered slightly in the cold of the Egyptian night. Lizzie didn't seem to mind, even through her Lady Goliath costume was merely spandex. Clint cursed the insulating qualities of the thin material. Lizzie suddenly spun, and doubling her size as well.

"What is it?" Clint asked, notching an arrow in his bow.

"Heard something behind us," Lizzie whispered. "Like a jungle cat stalking his prey."

"Great analogy," Clint muttered sarcastically. The two walked carefully towards where Lizzie had heard her 'jungle cat'. The silence was incredibly foreboding.

There was a feral roar, and Wolverine was upon them. The punitive Prelate attacked Lady Goliath, while Shadowcat phased through Clint's gas arrow. Kitty leapt into the air, and kicked Clint square in the jaw. Hawkeye went down as Shadowcat rushed to assist her partner. Lady Goliath threw them both, and they sprinted away into the darkness.

Clint gained his breath back and keyed his comm. "Wolverine and Shadowcat are within the fortress!" he cried. "They are headed south against the eastern wall!"

Scott cursed. He and Shiro were on the north-western portion of the battlements. He and Shiro ran across the wall, and headed after where Clint said Logan ran.

Logan and Kitty slowed once they were nearly to the corner of the east wall of the fortress.

"They didn't follow," Wolverine gasped.

"But they probably called reinforcements," Shadowcat declared.

"They won't find us," Logan said.

"Wanna bet?!"

Logan suddenly felt himself lifted by a telekinetic hand and thrown into the courtyard. Shadowcat started to phase into the ground, but was picked up the same way and thrown as well.

"WHO DARES?!" Logan roared.

"His name is Iceman," said the voice, as Bobby Drake left the shadows. "And me?" Madelyn Pryor-Summers followed Bobby. "Call me...PHOENIX!!!" With that, a brilliant firebird of pink psionic energy descended on the two Prelates.

Wolverine felt his mind enveloped in a wave of pain. He screamed, clawing at his head with his fingers. The raptor was inside his head, pulling every instant of pain he had ever experienced out of his memory and into the front of his mind.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" he screamed.

"Stay away from my husband!" Madelyn retorted. Wolverine turned towards the sound of her voice and leapt in blind fury. Logan found himself caught in a telekinetic net and thrown away several feet. At last, Logan's vision cleared, and he saw Phoenix, her body wrapped in telekinetic flames, licking out towards Logan.

"You just made your first mistake Summers!!" With that, Logan lunged again, aiming to kill.

Scott covered his eyes against the light the giant phoenix had suddenly bathed the night in. Maddie and Bobby were engaging the two Prelates in hand-to-hand combat. Scott had never seen Maddie manifest the phoenix-raptor, nor wear the green and black costume she now wore. Scott feared for his wife.

He had fought against Wolverine, and only the quick use of his optic blasts had saved his life. Madelyn had her telekinesis, but was that enough against Wolverine? She would start to weaken once Logan started pounding on her shields.

{Be careful my love,} Scott flashed to her.

Phoenix's head jerked up. Scott's impromptu message had scared her, jolted her out of her bubble. Wolverine saw that, and took it as an opening. He rushed Madelyn. She concentrated on the feral Prelate, but now, it was all she could do to fight back against him. She had lost her advantage, and knew it.

Iceman and Shadowcat were locked in fierce hand-to-hand combat. They both used their powers where they could, but they both were caught up in the joy of pure carnal combat.

Bobby lashed his foot out, but Kitty caught it and flipped him around and threw him to the ground. She slammed her foot down on his crotch, then kicked him in the kidneys. Bobby howled in pain, then caught Kitty's foot and tripped her. She landed on top of him, and he rolled over and pinned her to the ground.

"You're pretty cute, for a traitor to your species," she said. She kissed him passionately, and then head-butted him, knocking him unconscious.

Scott sprinted down the steps of the wall, racing to get to his wife before she fell from exhaustion. Scott uttered a silent prayer as he sprinted through the sand. It was not time for Madelyn to die

Wolverine was relentless, pushing Madelyn further and further back. With each blow, he felt the telekinetic barriers between her and his claws weaken. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Logan ducked and swept Madelyn's feet from under her. Madelyn fell to the ground, her telekinesis failing.

{Save the world, X-Man,} Madelyn flashed. {I love you Scott Summers!}

{Don't give up Maddie!!!} Scott screamed telepathically. {I'm coming!!!}

{Goodbye...}

Wolverine raised his claws in the killing blow. They dropped and pierced Madelyn Pryor-Summers through the chest, killing her instantly.

X-Man's scream echoed through the night.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

In Age of Onslaught: Omega: Wait, read the conclusion of Prelude to Armageddon in Wolverine and Shadowcat #04! Then read AOO: Omega for the aftermath! Can Scott recover from his loss? Can the X-Men defeat the forces of Onslaught? And who will make the ultimate sacrifice to stop Onslaught?!?