Reinforcements arrive

"Rogue! This isn't real! You and Marvel buried the hatchet years ago, remember?!" PG shouted at her lover as she battled the apparent astral avatar of Carol Danvers. "This... this thing -- it's only the guilt you still carry!"

"You shattered Danvers' psyche, Rogue," the Shadow King countered. "Fragments of her mind still remain in yours. She claims to have recovered, but her mind is still not whole..."

"No... that ain't true..." Rogue whispered, still in shock. She'd thought Carol had forgiven her, years ago, and that they'd even become friends... but Rogue had nearly killed her. She'd left her comatose and her mind shattered after draining her powers. Maybe Carol's mind hadn't fully recovered. Maybe she still harbored resentment towards Rogue after all this time... Rogue certainly wouldn't have blamed her for it.

Farouhk grinned. He'd found the weakness he'd been searching for, and he was determined to exploit it. Not only would he break the X-Woman's mind, he'd take down Power Girl with her. Serves her right for ruining all his carefully laid plans.

PG and Carol continued to trade blows, and PG soon found herself at a disadvantage, as Carol seemed to grow stronger with every blow. "You failed, "Dr. Stetler"... tell me, is that another name you gave yourself to escape your past failures? You couldn't save your world as Kara Zor-L. You couldn't save your next world as Karen Starr. You do know this time will be no different, don't you?"

"Shut up. Just shut up," PG growled back as she continued to exchange punches with Carol, her blows growing weaker and more ineffectual as her enemy continued to grow stronger. "Once I'm done with your little puppet, I'll wipe the floor with you, Farouhk..."

"I don't think you'll get the chance," the Shadow King taunted, grinning as Carol delivered a crushing blow that sent PG reeling. "Finish her off, Ms. Danvers."

Carol grabbed PG by the throat and pulled her fist back for the final blow, but as it landed, PG's body turned to diamond. She looked down at her hands in confusion before a familiar voice spoke up.

"I do apologize for being late, Dr. Stetler," Emma Frost said as PG looked over. Standing next to the diamond form of the White Queen were Lilith and the katana-wielding X-Woman Psylocke, and hovering above them was a bird of flames; the unmistakable shape of Phoenix -- Jean Grey. "But I thought you'd appreciate a helping hand."