"Let them all think I'm dead, because I am. I am no longer Angus." I said to myself.

"Oh, but that was such a nice name." said Carnival.

"Keep silent fool; you are, as the humans say, 'creeping me out'." retorted Goshenk.

"Sigh, why don't the both of you just shut up? Like I was saying, I'm just not the same anymore. Now the name Fade makes sense. That's what happened to me."

"Well then, let us chose one common name for ourselves. Let us be known as one."

"Why would we do that?"

"Why, my dear demonic friend, it would be simply ludicrous to be known as three. Let the three be one. To live, we must unite."

"I do not want to unite with you."

"Carnival is right... umm, you said that was your name, am I correct? For a while now, I've been able to call on your powers, Goshenk, whenever I needed them.
Now, there are three souls in one body. If any of us are going to retain our sanity, we have to act as one unit."

Are we going to be a hero? asked Goshenk.

I laughed, "No, Goshenk. My days as a hero are over. We will be a survivor. We will do what's necessary to keep our friends safe, and our enemies at bay. No heroics. Just life, freedom, and occasionally, vengeance."

"Neither playing the hero, nor the villian. I think you may be the only sane person in existence."

"Let's hope you're wrong."

"What is our name?"

We all stood in silence. Carnival said, "I was a performer in life, but I was also a builder. I can could combine anything. I built transport vehicles, I built portals, I combined animals to create new creatures."

"We will have only two forms, that of a human, and our true form. My, my, but this is all so dramatic, let me revel in the moment. I will combine the three of us. When we are one, we will know our name."

Immediately, I felt my shape begin to change. I felt my flesh molding itself into something different, something more powerful. Something terrifying.

When the transformation was done, Goshenk asked again, "What is our name boy?"

"We have none."

"And that is even better! My, this is delightful."

"Let's leave this hell."

"Agreed."

"Oh certainly, agreed."

******

Soon, with Goshenk's skill in magic, we built a portal. We were connected, we knew each other's thoughts. We were magnificent.

We stepped through, and onto a rainy street. A news vendor saw us step through the portal. He dropped his newspapers, and ran off in fright.

We picked up a copy of the Bugle, expecting to see Spiderman in the headlines. He had been pushed back to page three. The headline read:

"Heroslayer"

We are angry.

To tell the truth, I didn't have any problem with HS going after Laura. He was already in hell, and had lost his devil soul. If he died, where was he going to go? Then there's always those dragonball things that Pan is always talking about.

Pan... I'm going to miss her.

Why?

It's obvious Goshenk, with you in my body, it would be like sharing her. I'll not share with a Demon.

Anyways... no Goshenk, you can't talk right now. Anyways, the X-men and HS seemed to have everything under control. There was just the matter of getting HS' devil sould back... oh well...

Soon, I felt an emotional signature coming toward me. It wasn't even partially human, which meant I couldn't control it, so I hoped it was friendly.

A huge man strode toward me. I took no risks, and called out my second form.

"Who are you?" I called.

The man drew out a hammer. "Don't even think about pretending you don't know me Goshenk!"

Ummm... wow. Is everyone gonna mix me up with that guy. He and old Lucy did have quite the conversation before Goshenk released a massive binding spell on him. It didn't keep him long, but just long enough for me to grab HS.

I pulled out the Tail of Daggers, and lashed out at the hammer. The tail wrapped around the handle, and I pulled hard, setting the giant off balance.

"Oh, I know you well enough," Goshenk explained, "but the boy here does not."

The giant looked puzzled.

"It's a long story," I explained, "but I'm in charge of my own body here, and I can call on Goshenk's power whenever I want. My name is Angus, and I'm a friend of HS. Who are you?"

"I see... I am Vulcan." he replied.

I returned to my Fade form. "Then we shouldn't be at odds. HS told me how you trained him."

"So I did. I've come to tell you all that Lucifer may be cast from hell. If he is, the one known as Hellstorm will rule Hell. He will also have HS' devil soul. He may be tricked into giving it back." Vulcan said.

I was about to reply, when I felt another emotional signature coming... fast. I turned back to Vulcan. "Go, find Lo... the Wolverine. Tell him what you just told me."

He stopped, and stood for a moment. "I know who is coming. Don't risk..."

"GO." I screamed.

He left, and I fled down the corridor to put some distance between myself and everybody else. I stopped, and again called on my second form.

"Goshenk, got another binding spell?" I asked.

"If it's for who I think it's for, then no." he snapped.

"Bloody beautiful." I said as Lucifer burst into view.

"GOSHENK," screamed Satan, "this is the last..."

"It's not Goshenk you're up against." I replied as calmly as I could.

Satan stopped... "You're not...?"

"Yes I am, but no he most certainly is not." Goshenk replied.

Satan stopped. Then laughed chillingly. "Goshenk, you idiot. You picked a half angel? Of all the stupid, moronic things."

I lashed out with the Tail, leaving a shallow cut on his neck. "Less talk, more fight." I said.

He smiled, "Well I am impressed. You scratched me. But try this on for size."

Out of nowhere, an unseen blade ripped my chest open, and I sunk to the ground. I smiled back, "One hit K.O. Nice."

For what seemed like the millionth time in my life, everything went black.

******

I sat in front of my father. Not my adoptive father, Peter, but my real father.

"Son," he said, "I'm proud of you."

"You mean, at least I didn't take three-thousand people with me this time. Speaking of which, is Goshenk still going to be in my body when I get back?"

He laughed, "What makes you think you're going back?"

I only raised an eyebrow. He sighed.

"Yes, you are going back. And yes, Goshenk will be with you still."

"It's my own fault, I guess." I said.

"Indeed, you could have found another solution."

I got up, "Well I'm ready. Send me back."

******

"Well now, look what I find, just walking through hell." said the man in the blank mask.

"A lonely body, with no soul in it at all. How lovely. It's just what I always wanted!" he shouted, twirling around with a dramatic flare.

He looked around, and there was no one.

"Well, at least they left me this very fit looking body to live in, even if they didn't stay to watch me perform. I shall make the best of my situation."

******

I was back in my body, and I looked around. All of my surroundings indicated that Satan had gone back to his own realm, temporarily satisfied with killing me.

"Is that what happened?" I asked Goshenk.

"Oh dear, it appears that I have but little control over this body after all."

"Boy, you don't want to know what happened."

Mephisto disappeared, and Logan and I were left alone with the imp. Wolverine thought for a moment. Then he said, "I gotta make a call."

"I actually remember when telephones were invented." said Goshenk thoughtfully.

Logan popped his claws again. "Oh yeah, I fergot to ask ya, what's with the two scents? Or the two voices fer that matter?"


I sighed. "It's a long story Logan. But lets just say the demon inside me didn't know how to actually 'possess' me."

"I AM THE GREATEST OF..." I cut him off there.

Logan snorted. "Ya mean, he tried to posess ya, but all he can do is talk?"

I smirked, "And only when I let him. He's kind of ranting in my head right now, but it's easy enough to ignore."

Logan chuckled. "Well ya're lucky, I guess. Ya can ask Ana about the time she was posessed if ya want. That weren't pretty."

I smiled, "Maybe sometime. Right now, I you hae a call to make."

******

Peter met us inside the house. He was dressed like this:



"It was the women, I swear." he stuttered.

Logan chuckled again.

"Don't ask, don't tell." I said, leading Logan along while trying to keep the imp I was holding out of sight. "You might as well go back to your threesome..."

"Right." said Peter, and he ran back into the bedroom.

"I generally stay out the nights that Peter stays home." I told Logan. "You wouldn't believe what I hear."

Logan frowned, "And I'd rather not hear 'bout it."

I directed him to the phone. A few minutes later, he was back.

"I'm ready." he said.

I allowed Goshenk to chant for a while, and soon the imp was released from the binding spell. Then I changed into my Fade form.

"Take us to hell, wimp."

"Indeed."

When the imp hesitated, Logan popped his claws. "Do it already!"

******

Soon, Logan and I appeared in front of Mephisto.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Welcome Logan. And you as well, Angus and Goshenk."

Logan growled, "I get the first shot at this guy."

I backed away,"I'll let you have it."

I grabbed the imp by the neck. "HS isn't here. Take me to him."

Every thing faded again.