Marvel: Sin Lord

The flight to Texas had been tense, the Hellions exchanging whispered conversations while Emma Frost sat in the cockpit, her thoughts unreadable. Inarius couldn't shake the nervous energy coursing through him. This was his first mission with the team, and now they were venturing into unknown territory—potentially going head-to-head with the X-Men's protégés, the New Mutants.

The jet touched down just outside a small, sleepy Texas town. From the air, it looked quiet, ordinary, but Inarius knew better. Somewhere in this town was the mutant they were tasked with recruiting, and trouble would likely follow.

The Hellions and Emma approached a modest-looking house on the edge of town. It was surrounded by overgrown grass, and the faint sound of a TV echoed through the open window. Inarius glanced around, his senses sharp, but everything seemed still.

Emma led the way, her heels clicking softly against the cracked pavement. "Stay sharp," she murmured. "We may not be alone."

Her words proved prophetic. As they neared the house, the front door opened, and rolled out Charles Xavier, his calm, composed demeanor unmistakable.

Behind him stood the New Mutants: Cannonball, Sunspot, Mirage, Wolfsbane, and one more figure—a nervous-looking teenager who must've been John, the mutant they'd come for.

"Well, Emma," Xavier said, his tone cool but polite, "it seems we had the same idea."

Emma's eyes narrowed, her usual icy demeanor sharpening. "Charles. I see you've already made your move."

Before either could say more, Empath stepped forward, his lips curling into a smirk. "Looks like we're too late, huh? Shame."

Empath's tone was all it took to set things off. Sunspot bristled, his body glowing faintly with energy. "Back off, Empath."

"Or what?" Empath shot back, his voice dripping with mockery.

The tension snapped like a rubber band. Empath used his powers, a wave of emotional manipulation rolling out, and Sunspot lunged. Chaos erupted as the two teams collided, fists, powers, and insults flying.

In the chaos, Inarius found himself face-to-face with a girl slightly younger than him. She stood confidently, her long platinum blonde hair cascading down her back, her piercing blue eyes glaring at him with a mix of defiance and suspicion.

"What are you staring at?" she snapped, catching the way his gaze lingered on her sword—a massive, glowing blade that seemed almost alive, radiating light and energy.

"Nothing," he muttered, though her presence was hard to ignore.

"I don't like being ogled."

Before he could respond, she swung her sword in a brilliant arc. Inarius barely dodged, his instincts honed from years of survival kicking in.

The girl—Magik, as he'd heard someone call her—was relentless. Her sword danced with lethal precision, the light blinding as it came within inches of him. He summoned his own energy blade, its bright purple glow contrasting sharply with hers, and met her strikes blow for blow.

She was skilled, and her movements carried an edge of ferocity that unsettled him. But as the fight wore on, something strange began to happen.

Inarius could feel the sin radiating from her. It was overwhelming, like a flood of dark energy crashing against him. He gritted his teeth, trying to focus, but his powers reacted on their own. The familiar pull of his sin-absorption ability kicked in, and before he knew it, he was drawing her sins into himself.

Magik faltered, her movements slowing as she clutched her head. Inarius's vision blurred as flashes of her memories flooded his mind:

Her time in Limbo. The horrors she endured. The transformation into the Darkchild.

The sheer weight of her sins—the anger, the pain, the darkness—was too much. Inarius stumbled, blood trickling from his nose. He saw Magik's form waver before she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The sudden collapse of both Magik and Inarius brought the fight to a screeching halt. The New Mutants rushed to Magik's side, while the Hellions surrounded Inarius.

Emma Frost and Charles Xavier exchanged a tense look. Neither wanted to escalate the situation further, not when two young mutants were down.

"This ends now," Emma said firmly, her voice cutting through the chaos. "We're leaving."

"And Magik?" Xavier asked, his voice tight.

"She's your responsibility, Charles. I'll handle mine."

Emma knelt beside Inarius, her face unusually soft with concern. He was unconscious, blood streaming from his ears and eyes, his body trembling slightly.

The Hellions returned to the Massachusetts Academy in silence, the weight of what had happened pressing down on them. Inarius was rushed to the medical ward, where Emma immediately called upon a mutant healer from the Hellfire Club.

Hours passed as the healer worked on him, the glow of their powers casting soft light over the room. Emma watched from the doorway, her arms crossed tightly, her mind racing.

She'd seen Magik's memories, felt the depth of the darkness Inarius had pulled into himself. It was a miracle he was alive.

As the healer stepped back, wiping their brow, they turned to Emma. "He'll recover, but… his mind and body have taken a heavy toll."

Emma nodded, her icy façade cracking just enough to reveal the worry beneath. "Do whatever it takes to ensure he's stable."

As she looked down at Inarius's pale face, she couldn't help but think of the burden he carried—and the danger that lay ahead if he couldn't control his powers.