Blood Storm Story Summary

## Mission: Hard Knock Life

Magik is at the Wild Cliffs speaking remotely with Wolverine, who tells her that Ororo needs their help. Magik uses a portal to meet the two of them in front of St. Joan's Orphanage.

Storm explains that a year ago, Professor Xavier had detected a mutant at the orphanage. Storm had contacted the girl, Dahlia, but she declined to join Professor X's academy. Storm followed up on Dahlia recently, only to find that she had disappeared three months earlier, soon after her powers began to manifest.

Storm blames herself for Dahlia's disappearance, and wants to find her. Suddenly, Vampyres attack, and the three heroes move to defend the orphanage.

After the Vampyres are defeated, Sin appears and calls to the heroes from the roof of the orphanage. She tells them that the New Breed Vampyres are an evolution, much like mutants are. One difference is that while mutants protect humanity, Sin believes they are fodder for Vampyres in the food chain. A battle begins.

At the end of the fight, Storm shocks Sin and pins her to a fence, but Sin turns to mist and escapes. Storm gloats, saying, "That was a quarter of my power."

Afterward, Storm expresses concerns about Sin's appearance here. However, the other X-Men are busy with the war between the Shi'ar and the Brood, and are unavailable. Magik suggests that the Midnight Suns can help, both in stopping Sin and finding Dahlia, and they return to the Abbey.

## Mission: Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses...

Hunter is at the Mirror Table when Storm approaches. She tells Hunter that she thinks Dahlia might be hiding with the Morlocks, who live in tunnels beneath the city, and stay away from the X-Men. She says that a homeless encampment near the entrance to the Morlock tunnels was attacked by Vampyres three times this week. She is not sure if the Vampyres are targeting Dahlia or not, but she wants to stop them from targeting the vulnerable homeless population. When Storm, Hunter and a third hero arrive at the encampment a Vampyre attack is under way, and they immediately engage.

After defeating the Vampyres, the heroes enter the tunnel and arrive at the Morlock settlement. They find Dahlia healing an injured person using her powers. Storm is relieved to have found Dahlia, but Dahlia is not happy to see her. Dahlia feels the X-Men protect the mutants in their mansion, and don't care about others like the Morlocks. Suddenly, several Vampyres drop in from above, and Dahlia asks the heroes to protect her family from them.

After the heroes defeat the Vampyres, Dahlia sees that Storm really does want to help, and thanks her. While the heroes were fighting, Dahlia was able to finish healing the Morlocks and they plan to move somewhere that the Vampyres won't be able to find them. Storm asks Dahlia once again to join the X-Men, but she declines, saying that she can't abandon her family for Storm's. Storm understands, and the heroes return to the Abbey.

That night, Magik is waiting for Hunter in the hallway. She asks Hunter to speak with Storm as she seems off. She can't do it herself because Storm sees Hunter as a fellow leader, but Magik will always be her student.

Hunter finds Storm just outside the Abbey. As the two converse, Storm confides that Dahlia's words made her take a hard look at herself and how she treats her students. She doesn't think she plays favorites, but admits that she could be doing it without even realizing. Storm is appreciative that Hunter came to check on her, as she usually has to bear these burdens alone as a leader.

## Mission: Where the Blood Flows Like Wine

Hunter and Blade are training in the Yard when Storm approaches. She informs them that the Vampyres hit the Morlocks again, and that Dahlia was taken. The three immediately head out to save her.

They search the tunnels and find the Morlocks being held captive in cages. Before they can be freed, Vampyres attack. Storm promises them and Sin a reckoning.

After defeating the Vampyres and freeing the Morlocks, the heroes return to searching the tunnels. They come upon an arcane lab where Dracula conducting some kind of experiment on Dahlia, who is connected to a strange machine. Sin enters, and the two of them gloat, explaining their plan. They have been siphoning the blood of humans and mutants in order to create an immortal army of Vampyres that will have no weaknesses. Dracula gestures toward Dahlia and adds that it was just a matter of finding the right filter. With that, the heroes attack.

A fierce battle ensues, but Storm finally finds an opening to use her lightning to overload the machine that Dahlia is connected to, destroying it. Dracula turns to mists and escapes, leaving Sin behind. Sin tries to get revenge by killing Dahlia, but Storm uses her powers to knock Sin away and into a wall. Blade goes after Dracula, and catches him briefly, but Dracula manages to escape by changing to bat form and flying out of the tunnels.

Storm frees Dahlia from her restraints and offers to take her home, wherever she wants that to be. Back at the Abbey, Magik lets Dahlia use her room, saying that she can just go to Limbo instead. Dahlia calls Hunter and asks them to stop by so they can talk.

Hunter asks Dahlia how she feels. She says she feels alright, but that her abilities don't feel the same. Hunter recognizes that Dracula's experimentation has introduced a darkness, because they too have a darkness inside. Hunter offers suggestions on how to control it, and expresses their confidence that Dahlia will be able to do it. Dahlia says she is not sure what she will do next, but is happy that for the first time in her life she gets to choose what that will be.

The next day, Ororo tells Hunter that Dahlia left Xavier's school. The Morlocks were invited as well, and Magik took them all this morning. It was Dahlia's idea for the X-Men and the Morlocks to share space at the school in order to better understand one another. Grateful for everything that Hunter has done, Ororo tells them that she will remain at the Abbey until the fight with Lilith is over.