Ultimate X presents
Revolution's Child
"History is much like an Endless Waltz. The three beats of War, Peace, and Revolution continue on forever."--Hatzuyuki Sumiozawa
Westchester County, NY
As the cold, harsh winds of winter battered and bruised those around him, the man cloaked in darkness simply blinked the snow out of his eyes and resumed his task. To any one passing by he seemed as any other college student, dark brown eyes and long, black dreadlocks set against his caramel skin gave him the appearance of poet but with a hint of the fire that lay within. His body, lean but muscular showed nothing out of the ordinary, but beneath the jeans, black sweater, wool jacket and scarf lay years of physical and mental scars. To those elbowing their way by him to hurry off to the next store in the never-ending quest for the perfect Christmas gift he was just an obstacle. Unfortunately for the two men sitting in the bar across the street from the park were he stood, this obstacle had an mission to fulfill and right now he questioned it with every fiber of his being.
(You disapprove of the plan)
The young man sighed and not for the first time wished the telepathic link between Master and him wasn't so strong, perhaps one day he might actually have a thought to himself.
(You insult me by making your displeasure known in such a child-like manner.)
Again he gave the sigh, well at least as close to a sigh as you could give in a telepathic conversation.
^ I'm sorry my master, this plan doesn't sit well with me.^
(Explain)
^I have always believed that only the strong shall survive. Deception is hardly a show of one's true strength, so why use it to defeat your enemies. Let me my master, enter into this mansion of theirs and show my re.... ^
(Silence, you truly believe that true power lies within blast of energy and brute strength. Knowledge is power, you would be unstoppable if you had only read some of those manuscripts I had left for you. Then you would know that all Warfare is...)
^Deception, all warfare is deception. I read the manuscripts, but that pious, old fool's strategies are long outdated. They existed before the genesis of Homo Sapiens Superiors and therefore do not apply to this new world. ^
(Ponder this, time after time in simulated battles you lost to the strategies of that pious, old fool. So who is the greatest fool, the original fool or the fool who is defeated by him? Never forget that.)
Silence prevailed for the next few minutes as the young man fought back his anger at being humiliated at the hands of his master. Day after day he trained his mind and body in his master's underground complex, he was told to do this in order to wipe all emotion away. Yet in a single moment all that training had been crumbled into an avalanche of anger which would have made it to the surface if his master's voice had not shaken him out of his trance.
(The time to act is now, remember your part and play it well. There is no room for error.)
If the man had believed in any gods, he would have sent out a silent prayer to them for the small favor they had sent his way. A distraction was exactly what he needed at the time.
^Yes my master, I will perform your will as if I were you're right hand. I will not disappoint you. ^
He tightened the scarf and pulled the jacket closer to him as he made his way to the small bar and the X-men that sat inside.
Underground Complex
With the young mutant's voice still echoing in his head, the keeper of this vast tunnel of knowledge and destruction turned away from his monitors assured that his plan had been set in motion. The boy was young and despite his almost Apocalypse-styled rants, he wanted to prove himself to his master, his father. The man who created the powerhouse currently in route to Harry's Hideaway enjoyed both terms, but in all honesty he could only accept one of them. The boy...*he shook his head*...he meant the young man's high power level was not just his doing. He could only be credited for some of the gene splicing, genetics had already blessed young Timothy.
The master of the complex smiled, because for the first time in many years he had reason to smile. The overhead lights glared off the teeth and red diamond emblem on the man's forehead. The game had begun and soon enough he would have the tools needed for the last battle with Apocalypse. For these facts Sinister laughed, and because for the first time in a century Nathaniel Essex would be free.
Chapter 1 Baited
There are days when you can do no wrong, when everything flows perfectly and all your desires come true. Timothy Harris was having the exact opposite of that day. To begin with, he was about to begin a mission that he didn't agree with. On top of that his master had just shoveled into him a piece of humble pie and a car was about to hit him.
To most people the fact that an Acura was about to run them over would probably take precedence over the other two pieces of information. He wasn't like other people. This was all part of the plan, pretty simple at that. Walk across a busy street while telekinetically bending light around his body so non-of the fast moving vehicles would notice him. As he removed the invisibility shield he remembered back to when Sinister had outlined the plan to him. Mr. Sinister was one of, if not the smartest and most cunning men on earth. He knew that the X-men would catch the very big blip on their cerebro unit and considering it was in their backyard, send some team members to check it out. Sinister also had no doubt that the X-men would take young Timothy in with almost no questions asked, he looked to young and innocent and had never been associated with any of their enemies. Sinister also however believed in being cautious, and that's when he cooked up the being hit by a car scenario. X-Men couldn't resist helping a Mutant, let alone a Mutant in dire need.
Timothy sighed, as the small car started to beep it's horn, this game bored him. If Sinister had wanted the X-Men so much, why not just let him walk into their fortress and return with their lifeless corpse. Not that being hit by a car bothered him, but then to be treated like a helpless child by the very ones he had been sent to "obtain materials" from was an insult to his abilities.
O great, he thought. Now this idiot is going to try to swerve out of the way. Timothy fought the urge to sigh and decided if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself. With that he reached out with his telekinetics and turned the car so the full force would hit him.
After mere seconds, but what seemed as an eternity the car slammed it self into him. Ok, to be more politically correct it collided with a body tight telekinetic shield. The impact killed the driver in the split second between breaths, but Timothy didn't care. Why should he, the weak were a bane on the world and had no right to coexist with the strong.
The amount of momentum that Tim let seep through the shield was enough to send him into the windshield and then redistribute him on the ground. He knew he was going to black out, he had to it was all part of the plan. His last waking thought was to wonder if this would all work. After that came darkness.
Scott and Nathan Summers had decided to take a relaxing father/son trip into town. It had been a while since either had time to sit down and just talk, with Cable's globe hopping and Cyclops leading the X-Men. Not only that, but considering they were Summers no one really knew when they could be kidnapped or killed. Best to live for the moment, that's what Scott's wife Jean had told him on the way out the door. Of course with the X-Men there was no such thing as relaxing. Considering that the moment the two men sat down they had received a call telling them to be on a lookout for a powerful mutant in the vicinities. After two hours of waiting, both of them were getting a little antsy.
"Are you sure the Professor and Jean actually felt something out here." Cable glanced out over the dark street strewn with Christmas decorations as he finished the thought. "Because it seems that it was probably a flying squirrel."
Scott Summers also surveyed the streets. "Not only did the Professor and Jean sense it, but Betsy re checked it with Cerebro and a power signature definitely appeared somewhere in this region." Scott let a small smile flash across his lips. "And since when can't their be a very powerful mutant squirrel. We all have our own gift and sometimes a curse that goes with them, if anyone can relate it would be us."
Cable felt the Techno-organic virus being held in place and sent a silent Askani prayer for the long sleeved shirt that kept attention away from him. "You have it easy Scott, everyone simply thinks you have a thing for red. I have to explain why I wear turtlenecks in the Caribbean." The battle worn face began to match his fathers in the amusement they were having in the battle over afflictions they endured.
Cyclops snorted and Nate smiled inwardly at seeing a part of his Father that not many would see unless spending time away from the Mansion with him. Scott's voice stirred him from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry I missed that." Cable was sorry, he should have been paying attention instead of letting his subconscious loose for a play date.
"It was nothing really, I was just mentioning that you don't have to worry about destroying a city block if you whip your head around too quickly." The two men shared a smile before Scott put his all business face on. "Son I've been meaning to talk to you, Jean and I would like it if.."
He never got the sentence out, he had started to but the looks in Nate's eyes as he stared outside the window had shut him up. Being the leader of the X-Men gave Scott a wonderful reaction time and before even asking what was wrong, he whipped his head around to stare outside just in time to witness a young, caramel skinned man get hit by a car.
"I wonder if he's ok." Scott waited for Nate's response, but his son was already on his feet and heading towards the door. Scott tossed a couple bills down on the table and headed after him.
"Nathan slow down, what's wrong?". The answer came in telepathic form. ^That guy, he just appeared in front of that car. I think that's out power spike, and the scary part is I can't get into his mind. ^ Cyclops simply nodded his head and jumped into action.
First he checked over the young man and after confirming that nothing was out of place, he turned around to see if any of the crowd had a problem with what he was doing. Surprisingly, they were all standing still and Cable whose eyes had flared up with psionic energy had pulled up next to them in the Mercedes Benz they had driven from the mansion.
"Nate, what did you do?"
"Nothing. Just get him in the car. In about five minutes they're going to wake up and not remember the kid or us."
Cyclops picked up Timothy and set him in the backseat before settling into the passenger seat. "You're not happy." Cyclops knew Cable had stated a fact and had not asked him.
"Were supposed to make these a world safe for humans and mutants to live together. We can't just use our powers like that, it's not responsible. We could have escorted the kid out of there without you mind wiping the crowd."
"It worked didn't it, the end justify the means. We found the kid and retrieved him. Does it really matter what extremities it takes to achieve our goals. This isn't the seventies anymore Scott, more direct approach's need to be made for peace."
^Will you two stop fighting. ^ Both men were surprised, neither expected Jean Grey to be listening in to the conversation.
^Now are you both done, you better be glad your driving or I would make you hug and make up. Professor wants to see the whole team, something's come up in New Mexico and he wants to fill in the team on it. So hurry up and Cable, no mind wiping to get out of tickets. See you both soon.^
And just like that she was gone. Father and son looked at each other for a second until Scott vocalized their thoughts. "She is something." Cable added his two cents. "Something indeed".
The Mercedes sped down the road, doing slightly over the speed limit. While the two men in the front decided to finish the ride in silence, their passenger in the back seat let a smile spread over his face. The pieces were falling into place nicely and the trap was beginning to form. As much as he hated the indirect approach, it was still a beautiful thing when a good plan worked out exactly how you wanted it. The X-men had been baited and they took it, hook, line, and sinker.
Xavier's School for the Gifted
The wind had died down suddenly, it had gone from sounding like a rampaging bull to barely whispering through the trees. Jean Grey didn't know whether to thank God or Ororo for the improvement. Still for some reason a small chill crept up her neck, and she pulled her heavy jacket closer to battle it.
No matter how many times she had stood in this same spot, standing there on the mansion's steps, she could never get used to how beautiful all this really was. Even at night the green of the grass, the assorted colors of the flowers and just the simple white of the mansion itself painted a portrait that would stay with here no matter where she went. She had left before, tried to run away but you always ended up back home.
She was waiting for her husband and son, well not really her son but.. She was talking to herself again, it had to be an telepathic thing. You always spoke in exposition and you always had a headache, ah yes being telepathic was a piece of cake. She was having one of those world famous headaches right now, the Professor had just fed her a dosey of a reason for sending a team to New Mexico and it hurt like hell trying to understand it. She trusted Xavier, he was like her father but this scheme was a little hard to believe.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the headlights of the Mercedes Scott and Nathan had taken out earlier. After clearing the front gate the pace quickened and in no time the car had parked in front of her. Scott jumped out the passenger side, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before heading into the mansion. Jean knew he went to find out about the mission, she just wish that she would come before the X-Men someday. Cable turned off the car and got out of the driver seat. He gave her a wave before telekinetically opening the back door and picking up the young man they had found in town.
"Are you trying to kill him, last time I checked the poor boy had been hit by a car. Do you really think that bubble is the best thing to support him right now?" Jean's face bore the concerned look that by now had become a trademark. She was the mother of the house and no one did concerned like her.
Cable walked by her and she followed him into the mansion, the boy hovering close behind. "Jean it's ok, we gave him a thorough check-up. Everything is normal, nothing broken hardly even a scratch. Tough kid not very smart though,, he just walked right into that car."
"Please just get him to medical, he should be alright. We'll check him over after the briefing. We'll be in the war room.. preparing for war...I still can't believe those four named it the war room. It could have been the briefing room, but no with four testosterone filled teenage boys and only one girl it had to be the war room." Jean continued her rant as she made her way to the War room, fortunately for Cable he stopped listening awhile ago as he mentally maneuvered Timothy into the closest med room.
Tim waited for the bubble around him to disperse before opening his eyes. He took a long look around the medical equipment in the room and then whistled to himself. For a bunch of people who never held jobs in their lives, these X-Men sure had more then enough money to support a third world country.
He sent out a low-level telepathic scan trying to figure out how many people were in the house. Ten! Ten people were in the house that was a shocker. Mr. Sinister had only expected seven at the most. It didn't matter, the plan would still work. Still ten people, each with enough power to take out small cities were a lot.
^Master, are you there? ^
(What it is my young prodigy?)
^I'm in, the fools brought the ruse and I am sitting in one of their medical facilities. Unfortunately there is one small problem. ^
(Problem, there was no room for a problem. How have you messed up this time, I'm in no mood to put up with your lack of preparation.)
^Actually master, there are ten X-men in this mansion of theirs. I do believe that lack of preparation was a fault of yours. ^ Tim waited for the angry voice that was soon to come, he didn't have to wait long.
(How dare you blame me for a problem you should have no trouble rectifying!? You piece of gutter scum, you dare insult your creator and master. Be grateful I let you live, or have you forgot the failsafe I have planted in the inflated head of yours! Complete the mission and then contact me, I do not wish to hear from you until then. You are dismissed. )
And with that, his head was his own again. He should have known better then to challenge Sinister head to head like that. His master's anger knew no bounds, that was only a fraction and it would have scarred any normal man. Sinister had brought up the failsafe, it would only have been a matter of time until he would have reminded Timothy of his place. Timothy rather had it here, then in the lab were he would have to face master face to face.
Timothy sighed, a habit he reminded himself that he had to get rid of. It was time to get to work, by time he was down the weak would be weeded from among the strong. He opened his mind and stretched it to it's full potential, starting the most important part of the plan. This was would take a while and hopefully he wouldn't be interrupted for a while. By the sound of the voices in his head, the X-men weren't going anywhere anytime soon.
War Room
"What do you mean you're keeping me here?!" Most times Scott Summers kept his emotions to himself in front of the team. Unfortunately for Professor Xavier, this wasn't most times.
"Scott, please calm down. I just feel that for this mission your talents aren't needed." The Professor's eyes were closed and he rubbed his head as if to cure a headache.
Scott looked over the room, the War room's round table had been filled to capacity with the unusual number of X-men currently living in the mansion. Each one had their own little spot around the table, when looking at then all in their little cliques that you could really see the family side of the team. Wolverine, Bishop and Gambit were all hunched up discussing something, while Iceman flirted with listening to them and eavesdropping on Rogue and Storm's conversation. Scott sat rather on occasions like this stood next to Xavier while Cable and Jean made a sandwich out of them.
"Well at least send Jean with them, it would put my mind to ease." The X-men field leader sounded defeated while making that statement.
"Actually hun, I'm going to be staying here too. Storms going to need someone to keep up her garden and God only knows Rogue would end up burning it to the ground." Scott glared in her direction and she smiled back.
"Excuse me sugah, but ah' could more then handle Storm's garden. Ahnd what's wrong Cyclops, don't trust the children by themselves?" Rogue smiled innocently in Scott's direction when he shot the same glance at her.
"Hush Chere, it ain't polite to talk while mommy and daddy are fight'n." Gambit looked up from the poker game going on between him, Bishop and Wolvie to check in on the meeting.
Scott tried his hardest not to bang his head into the table. "Rogue, Gambit not now ok." Rogue simply shrugged her shoulders and Remy didn't even give a sign that the meeting was still in session. "Professor I don't mean to pry but I see no reason for this."
"And I'm not asking you to Scott, I have already put together the teams and I expect you to abide by my decision. The field team will be Cable, Iceman, Bishop, Wolverine and the squad leader will be Storm. That's leaves Gambit, Rogue, Jean and Scott here." Xavier noticed Scott about to protest. "That's my final decision Scott, I have my reasons for you staying here. Of course as you are team leader, you can go if you wish. I can't hold you against your will."
Scott ran his hand through his brown tussled hair. "That's okay Professor, I'll stay."
"So it's settled, away team get your stuff together and meet me at the Blackbird to discuss the mission. All the rest of you can go about your business, except for Jean. I'll like for you to check up on our patient." Jean nodded her head and Logan's head shot up.
"Hey Chuck, whose the patient. I haven't sensed anyone else in this joint besides us." The rest of the team stopped their migration to the door to hear Xavier's response.
"Cerebro detected a mutant reading in town this afternoon, Cable and Cyclops checked it out and brought home with them a young man. According to them a car hit him and they brought him here to recover. When he heals, we can find out more about him until then he is a guest. I hope all of you treat him as such." With the last sentence the Professor hovered out of the room.
Wolverine shrugged. "I'll treat him like a guest alright, but let him step out of line." Wolvie popped out one of his claws with the familiar "Snikt" sound. "Don't need another Sabertooth incident, no do we?"
The rest of the team ignored the last comment, remembering all to clearly what Creed had done to Psylocke. If they had only known what Mr. Sinister had in store for them, they would have accepted Sabertooth in with open arms.
Worrington Inc. private Cabin, somewhere in Switzerland
"I still don't like this plan, this is so unlike Professor. So very stupid, are you sure this was his idea?" Warren Worrington the third other wise known as the high-flying Archangel hated taking vacations especially when the team needed him.
"Warren will you please relax, your wearing a track in the my imported Persian rug." Elizabeth Braddock or Psylocke as her enemies know her, rubbed her temple and gave off a slight moan. "You know that Xavier is sane as ever, even though that isn't saying much. You also know that for this to work there can't be that many telepaths in the mansion and with Cable, Jean and Xavier, I was beginning to feel a little cluttered. Not only that dear Warren, but also you need a break from running the company and running around with the X-men. That's two signs what else do you need, a message from God?"
"With my life I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that occur." Warren ran his fingers through his hair and checked the cabin window to see his reflection. He had to admit he looked rather gaunt, that's the price of not eating a decent meal in months. His blue skin wasn't as sharp a contrast to his blonde hair as he would like to believe, and besides Betsy found it very sexy. "I just don't like it Betsy, too many things could go wrong, we could come back to a destroyed mansion and dead teammates."
Archangel stopped in mid-thought and turned to stare at his girlfriend, who at the moment was trying her best not to laugh. "I sound like Scott, don't I?" She could only nod and continue to hold it in. "Great, first I great trapped out in a romantic cabin in Switzerland with the world's most beautiful woman and then I finally turn into Scott Summers."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, you still sound like a fifty year old man. You know that fifty year old men get very little love from me." Psylocke smiled seductively and walked slowly toward the bedroom.
Warren's face lost the pouty look and a boyish smile crept onto his face. "You can be the judge of if I move like a fifty year old man." With that he chased her into the bedroom, the sounds of giggling and moaning quickly chase away all thoughts of Scott Summers and the X-Men.
Xavier's School for the Gifted
Medical room
He had been at it for hours now, if the old Biblical story of Jesus sweating blood was true he could be the next case. The X-men haven't checked in on him yet, something about the Beast visiting family. It didn't bother him in the bit, it was hard enough to stretch his brain like this but to hide the outward effects would be literally murder. He had known pain before, having to train with Sabertooth and the rest of the Marauders since your tenth birthday will do that to a person. This sensation however was unlike any pain he had ever felt, the sensation of your very conscience being stretched in a million different directions was something no one could explain in words. He had almost lost his grip on reality a few times, only the look of anger on his Master's face kept him going.
Five of the X-men had just left, it was easy to know these things as his brain had adopted the mansion as part of itself. Only the four whose genetic materials where needed and Xavier himself where left. Timothy felt a small surge of pride fills his being, all the pawns where in place and the hardest part was almost over. After all the years the X-men and Mr. Sinister had fought off and on, it would only take him at the most another couple hours to end it all.
(Report)
He had anticipated this. Sinister was a patient man, but only trusting in his own might.
^All is going well master, the X-men have replied to the disaster you created and only the choice ones are left. I am planting the bombs as we speak, all five have advanced physic defenses up so it will take me more time then thought to complete this faze.^
(How much more time?)
^Two more hours master, the X-men should be in bed by then and the shields should lower as they sleep.^
(Very good, I will await your signal then. For your own sake, I wish you be ready by then. I do not appreciate being made to wait.)
Just like that he was gone, nothing left except the menacing tone. Sometimes Timothy wondered if it would be easier to sweat blood then to put up with Sinister for another day.
"History is much like an Endless Waltz. The three beats of War, Peace, and Revolution continue on forever."--Hatzuyuki Sumiozawa
Westchester County, NY
As the cold, harsh winds of winter battered and bruised those around him, the man cloaked in darkness simply blinked the snow out of his eyes and resumed his task. To any one passing by he seemed as any other college student, dark brown eyes and long, black dreadlocks set against his caramel skin gave him the appearance of poet but with a hint of the fire that lay within. His body, lean but muscular showed nothing out of the ordinary, but beneath the jeans, black sweater, wool jacket and scarf lay years of physical and mental scars. To those elbowing their way by him to hurry off to the next store in the never-ending quest for the perfect Christmas gift he was just an obstacle. Unfortunately for the two men sitting in the bar across the street from the park were he stood, this obstacle had an mission to fulfill and right now he questioned it with every fiber of his being.
(You disapprove of the plan)
The young man sighed and not for the first time wished the telepathic link between Master and him wasn't so strong, perhaps one day he might actually have a thought to himself.
(You insult me by making your displeasure known in such a child-like manner.)
Again he gave the sigh, well at least as close to a sigh as you could give in a telepathic conversation.
^ I'm sorry my master, this plan doesn't sit well with me.^
(Explain)
^I have always believed that only the strong shall survive. Deception is hardly a show of one's true strength, so why use it to defeat your enemies. Let me my master, enter into this mansion of theirs and show my re.... ^
(Silence, you truly believe that true power lies within blast of energy and brute strength. Knowledge is power, you would be unstoppable if you had only read some of those manuscripts I had left for you. Then you would know that all Warfare is...)
^Deception, all warfare is deception. I read the manuscripts, but that pious, old fool's strategies are long outdated. They existed before the genesis of Homo Sapiens Superiors and therefore do not apply to this new world. ^
(Ponder this, time after time in simulated battles you lost to the strategies of that pious, old fool. So who is the greatest fool, the original fool or the fool who is defeated by him? Never forget that.)
Silence prevailed for the next few minutes as the young man fought back his anger at being humiliated at the hands of his master. Day after day he trained his mind and body in his master's underground complex, he was told to do this in order to wipe all emotion away. Yet in a single moment all that training had been crumbled into an avalanche of anger which would have made it to the surface if his master's voice had not shaken him out of his trance.
(The time to act is now, remember your part and play it well. There is no room for error.)
If the man had believed in any gods, he would have sent out a silent prayer to them for the small favor they had sent his way. A distraction was exactly what he needed at the time.
^Yes my master, I will perform your will as if I were you're right hand. I will not disappoint you. ^
He tightened the scarf and pulled the jacket closer to him as he made his way to the small bar and the X-men that sat inside.
Underground Complex
With the young mutant's voice still echoing in his head, the keeper of this vast tunnel of knowledge and destruction turned away from his monitors assured that his plan had been set in motion. The boy was young and despite his almost Apocalypse-styled rants, he wanted to prove himself to his master, his father. The man who created the powerhouse currently in route to Harry's Hideaway enjoyed both terms, but in all honesty he could only accept one of them. The boy...*he shook his head*...he meant the young man's high power level was not just his doing. He could only be credited for some of the gene splicing, genetics had already blessed young Timothy.
The master of the complex smiled, because for the first time in many years he had reason to smile. The overhead lights glared off the teeth and red diamond emblem on the man's forehead. The game had begun and soon enough he would have the tools needed for the last battle with Apocalypse. For these facts Sinister laughed, and because for the first time in a century Nathaniel Essex would be free.
Chapter 1 Baited
There are days when you can do no wrong, when everything flows perfectly and all your desires come true. Timothy Harris was having the exact opposite of that day. To begin with, he was about to begin a mission that he didn't agree with. On top of that his master had just shoveled into him a piece of humble pie and a car was about to hit him.
To most people the fact that an Acura was about to run them over would probably take precedence over the other two pieces of information. He wasn't like other people. This was all part of the plan, pretty simple at that. Walk across a busy street while telekinetically bending light around his body so non-of the fast moving vehicles would notice him. As he removed the invisibility shield he remembered back to when Sinister had outlined the plan to him. Mr. Sinister was one of, if not the smartest and most cunning men on earth. He knew that the X-men would catch the very big blip on their cerebro unit and considering it was in their backyard, send some team members to check it out. Sinister also had no doubt that the X-men would take young Timothy in with almost no questions asked, he looked to young and innocent and had never been associated with any of their enemies. Sinister also however believed in being cautious, and that's when he cooked up the being hit by a car scenario. X-Men couldn't resist helping a Mutant, let alone a Mutant in dire need.
Timothy sighed, as the small car started to beep it's horn, this game bored him. If Sinister had wanted the X-Men so much, why not just let him walk into their fortress and return with their lifeless corpse. Not that being hit by a car bothered him, but then to be treated like a helpless child by the very ones he had been sent to "obtain materials" from was an insult to his abilities.
O great, he thought. Now this idiot is going to try to swerve out of the way. Timothy fought the urge to sigh and decided if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself. With that he reached out with his telekinetics and turned the car so the full force would hit him.
After mere seconds, but what seemed as an eternity the car slammed it self into him. Ok, to be more politically correct it collided with a body tight telekinetic shield. The impact killed the driver in the split second between breaths, but Timothy didn't care. Why should he, the weak were a bane on the world and had no right to coexist with the strong.
The amount of momentum that Tim let seep through the shield was enough to send him into the windshield and then redistribute him on the ground. He knew he was going to black out, he had to it was all part of the plan. His last waking thought was to wonder if this would all work. After that came darkness.
Scott and Nathan Summers had decided to take a relaxing father/son trip into town. It had been a while since either had time to sit down and just talk, with Cable's globe hopping and Cyclops leading the X-Men. Not only that, but considering they were Summers no one really knew when they could be kidnapped or killed. Best to live for the moment, that's what Scott's wife Jean had told him on the way out the door. Of course with the X-Men there was no such thing as relaxing. Considering that the moment the two men sat down they had received a call telling them to be on a lookout for a powerful mutant in the vicinities. After two hours of waiting, both of them were getting a little antsy.
"Are you sure the Professor and Jean actually felt something out here." Cable glanced out over the dark street strewn with Christmas decorations as he finished the thought. "Because it seems that it was probably a flying squirrel."
Scott Summers also surveyed the streets. "Not only did the Professor and Jean sense it, but Betsy re checked it with Cerebro and a power signature definitely appeared somewhere in this region." Scott let a small smile flash across his lips. "And since when can't their be a very powerful mutant squirrel. We all have our own gift and sometimes a curse that goes with them, if anyone can relate it would be us."
Cable felt the Techno-organic virus being held in place and sent a silent Askani prayer for the long sleeved shirt that kept attention away from him. "You have it easy Scott, everyone simply thinks you have a thing for red. I have to explain why I wear turtlenecks in the Caribbean." The battle worn face began to match his fathers in the amusement they were having in the battle over afflictions they endured.
Cyclops snorted and Nate smiled inwardly at seeing a part of his Father that not many would see unless spending time away from the Mansion with him. Scott's voice stirred him from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry I missed that." Cable was sorry, he should have been paying attention instead of letting his subconscious loose for a play date.
"It was nothing really, I was just mentioning that you don't have to worry about destroying a city block if you whip your head around too quickly." The two men shared a smile before Scott put his all business face on. "Son I've been meaning to talk to you, Jean and I would like it if.."
He never got the sentence out, he had started to but the looks in Nate's eyes as he stared outside the window had shut him up. Being the leader of the X-Men gave Scott a wonderful reaction time and before even asking what was wrong, he whipped his head around to stare outside just in time to witness a young, caramel skinned man get hit by a car.
"I wonder if he's ok." Scott waited for Nate's response, but his son was already on his feet and heading towards the door. Scott tossed a couple bills down on the table and headed after him.
"Nathan slow down, what's wrong?". The answer came in telepathic form. ^That guy, he just appeared in front of that car. I think that's out power spike, and the scary part is I can't get into his mind. ^ Cyclops simply nodded his head and jumped into action.
First he checked over the young man and after confirming that nothing was out of place, he turned around to see if any of the crowd had a problem with what he was doing. Surprisingly, they were all standing still and Cable whose eyes had flared up with psionic energy had pulled up next to them in the Mercedes Benz they had driven from the mansion.
"Nate, what did you do?"
"Nothing. Just get him in the car. In about five minutes they're going to wake up and not remember the kid or us."
Cyclops picked up Timothy and set him in the backseat before settling into the passenger seat. "You're not happy." Cyclops knew Cable had stated a fact and had not asked him.
"Were supposed to make these a world safe for humans and mutants to live together. We can't just use our powers like that, it's not responsible. We could have escorted the kid out of there without you mind wiping the crowd."
"It worked didn't it, the end justify the means. We found the kid and retrieved him. Does it really matter what extremities it takes to achieve our goals. This isn't the seventies anymore Scott, more direct approach's need to be made for peace."
^Will you two stop fighting. ^ Both men were surprised, neither expected Jean Grey to be listening in to the conversation.
^Now are you both done, you better be glad your driving or I would make you hug and make up. Professor wants to see the whole team, something's come up in New Mexico and he wants to fill in the team on it. So hurry up and Cable, no mind wiping to get out of tickets. See you both soon.^
And just like that she was gone. Father and son looked at each other for a second until Scott vocalized their thoughts. "She is something." Cable added his two cents. "Something indeed".
The Mercedes sped down the road, doing slightly over the speed limit. While the two men in the front decided to finish the ride in silence, their passenger in the back seat let a smile spread over his face. The pieces were falling into place nicely and the trap was beginning to form. As much as he hated the indirect approach, it was still a beautiful thing when a good plan worked out exactly how you wanted it. The X-men had been baited and they took it, hook, line, and sinker.
Xavier's School for the Gifted
The wind had died down suddenly, it had gone from sounding like a rampaging bull to barely whispering through the trees. Jean Grey didn't know whether to thank God or Ororo for the improvement. Still for some reason a small chill crept up her neck, and she pulled her heavy jacket closer to battle it.
No matter how many times she had stood in this same spot, standing there on the mansion's steps, she could never get used to how beautiful all this really was. Even at night the green of the grass, the assorted colors of the flowers and just the simple white of the mansion itself painted a portrait that would stay with here no matter where she went. She had left before, tried to run away but you always ended up back home.
She was waiting for her husband and son, well not really her son but.. She was talking to herself again, it had to be an telepathic thing. You always spoke in exposition and you always had a headache, ah yes being telepathic was a piece of cake. She was having one of those world famous headaches right now, the Professor had just fed her a dosey of a reason for sending a team to New Mexico and it hurt like hell trying to understand it. She trusted Xavier, he was like her father but this scheme was a little hard to believe.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the headlights of the Mercedes Scott and Nathan had taken out earlier. After clearing the front gate the pace quickened and in no time the car had parked in front of her. Scott jumped out the passenger side, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before heading into the mansion. Jean knew he went to find out about the mission, she just wish that she would come before the X-Men someday. Cable turned off the car and got out of the driver seat. He gave her a wave before telekinetically opening the back door and picking up the young man they had found in town.
"Are you trying to kill him, last time I checked the poor boy had been hit by a car. Do you really think that bubble is the best thing to support him right now?" Jean's face bore the concerned look that by now had become a trademark. She was the mother of the house and no one did concerned like her.
Cable walked by her and she followed him into the mansion, the boy hovering close behind. "Jean it's ok, we gave him a thorough check-up. Everything is normal, nothing broken hardly even a scratch. Tough kid not very smart though,, he just walked right into that car."
"Please just get him to medical, he should be alright. We'll check him over after the briefing. We'll be in the war room.. preparing for war...I still can't believe those four named it the war room. It could have been the briefing room, but no with four testosterone filled teenage boys and only one girl it had to be the war room." Jean continued her rant as she made her way to the War room, fortunately for Cable he stopped listening awhile ago as he mentally maneuvered Timothy into the closest med room.
Tim waited for the bubble around him to disperse before opening his eyes. He took a long look around the medical equipment in the room and then whistled to himself. For a bunch of people who never held jobs in their lives, these X-Men sure had more then enough money to support a third world country.
He sent out a low-level telepathic scan trying to figure out how many people were in the house. Ten! Ten people were in the house that was a shocker. Mr. Sinister had only expected seven at the most. It didn't matter, the plan would still work. Still ten people, each with enough power to take out small cities were a lot.
^Master, are you there? ^
(What it is my young prodigy?)
^I'm in, the fools brought the ruse and I am sitting in one of their medical facilities. Unfortunately there is one small problem. ^
(Problem, there was no room for a problem. How have you messed up this time, I'm in no mood to put up with your lack of preparation.)
^Actually master, there are ten X-men in this mansion of theirs. I do believe that lack of preparation was a fault of yours. ^ Tim waited for the angry voice that was soon to come, he didn't have to wait long.
(How dare you blame me for a problem you should have no trouble rectifying!? You piece of gutter scum, you dare insult your creator and master. Be grateful I let you live, or have you forgot the failsafe I have planted in the inflated head of yours! Complete the mission and then contact me, I do not wish to hear from you until then. You are dismissed. )
And with that, his head was his own again. He should have known better then to challenge Sinister head to head like that. His master's anger knew no bounds, that was only a fraction and it would have scarred any normal man. Sinister had brought up the failsafe, it would only have been a matter of time until he would have reminded Timothy of his place. Timothy rather had it here, then in the lab were he would have to face master face to face.
Timothy sighed, a habit he reminded himself that he had to get rid of. It was time to get to work, by time he was down the weak would be weeded from among the strong. He opened his mind and stretched it to it's full potential, starting the most important part of the plan. This was would take a while and hopefully he wouldn't be interrupted for a while. By the sound of the voices in his head, the X-men weren't going anywhere anytime soon.
War Room
"What do you mean you're keeping me here?!" Most times Scott Summers kept his emotions to himself in front of the team. Unfortunately for Professor Xavier, this wasn't most times.
"Scott, please calm down. I just feel that for this mission your talents aren't needed." The Professor's eyes were closed and he rubbed his head as if to cure a headache.
Scott looked over the room, the War room's round table had been filled to capacity with the unusual number of X-men currently living in the mansion. Each one had their own little spot around the table, when looking at then all in their little cliques that you could really see the family side of the team. Wolverine, Bishop and Gambit were all hunched up discussing something, while Iceman flirted with listening to them and eavesdropping on Rogue and Storm's conversation. Scott sat rather on occasions like this stood next to Xavier while Cable and Jean made a sandwich out of them.
"Well at least send Jean with them, it would put my mind to ease." The X-men field leader sounded defeated while making that statement.
"Actually hun, I'm going to be staying here too. Storms going to need someone to keep up her garden and God only knows Rogue would end up burning it to the ground." Scott glared in her direction and she smiled back.
"Excuse me sugah, but ah' could more then handle Storm's garden. Ahnd what's wrong Cyclops, don't trust the children by themselves?" Rogue smiled innocently in Scott's direction when he shot the same glance at her.
"Hush Chere, it ain't polite to talk while mommy and daddy are fight'n." Gambit looked up from the poker game going on between him, Bishop and Wolvie to check in on the meeting.
Scott tried his hardest not to bang his head into the table. "Rogue, Gambit not now ok." Rogue simply shrugged her shoulders and Remy didn't even give a sign that the meeting was still in session. "Professor I don't mean to pry but I see no reason for this."
"And I'm not asking you to Scott, I have already put together the teams and I expect you to abide by my decision. The field team will be Cable, Iceman, Bishop, Wolverine and the squad leader will be Storm. That's leaves Gambit, Rogue, Jean and Scott here." Xavier noticed Scott about to protest. "That's my final decision Scott, I have my reasons for you staying here. Of course as you are team leader, you can go if you wish. I can't hold you against your will."
Scott ran his hand through his brown tussled hair. "That's okay Professor, I'll stay."
"So it's settled, away team get your stuff together and meet me at the Blackbird to discuss the mission. All the rest of you can go about your business, except for Jean. I'll like for you to check up on our patient." Jean nodded her head and Logan's head shot up.
"Hey Chuck, whose the patient. I haven't sensed anyone else in this joint besides us." The rest of the team stopped their migration to the door to hear Xavier's response.
"Cerebro detected a mutant reading in town this afternoon, Cable and Cyclops checked it out and brought home with them a young man. According to them a car hit him and they brought him here to recover. When he heals, we can find out more about him until then he is a guest. I hope all of you treat him as such." With the last sentence the Professor hovered out of the room.
Wolverine shrugged. "I'll treat him like a guest alright, but let him step out of line." Wolvie popped out one of his claws with the familiar "Snikt" sound. "Don't need another Sabertooth incident, no do we?"
The rest of the team ignored the last comment, remembering all to clearly what Creed had done to Psylocke. If they had only known what Mr. Sinister had in store for them, they would have accepted Sabertooth in with open arms.
Worrington Inc. private Cabin, somewhere in Switzerland
"I still don't like this plan, this is so unlike Professor. So very stupid, are you sure this was his idea?" Warren Worrington the third other wise known as the high-flying Archangel hated taking vacations especially when the team needed him.
"Warren will you please relax, your wearing a track in the my imported Persian rug." Elizabeth Braddock or Psylocke as her enemies know her, rubbed her temple and gave off a slight moan. "You know that Xavier is sane as ever, even though that isn't saying much. You also know that for this to work there can't be that many telepaths in the mansion and with Cable, Jean and Xavier, I was beginning to feel a little cluttered. Not only that dear Warren, but also you need a break from running the company and running around with the X-men. That's two signs what else do you need, a message from God?"
"With my life I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that occur." Warren ran his fingers through his hair and checked the cabin window to see his reflection. He had to admit he looked rather gaunt, that's the price of not eating a decent meal in months. His blue skin wasn't as sharp a contrast to his blonde hair as he would like to believe, and besides Betsy found it very sexy. "I just don't like it Betsy, too many things could go wrong, we could come back to a destroyed mansion and dead teammates."
Archangel stopped in mid-thought and turned to stare at his girlfriend, who at the moment was trying her best not to laugh. "I sound like Scott, don't I?" She could only nod and continue to hold it in. "Great, first I great trapped out in a romantic cabin in Switzerland with the world's most beautiful woman and then I finally turn into Scott Summers."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, you still sound like a fifty year old man. You know that fifty year old men get very little love from me." Psylocke smiled seductively and walked slowly toward the bedroom.
Warren's face lost the pouty look and a boyish smile crept onto his face. "You can be the judge of if I move like a fifty year old man." With that he chased her into the bedroom, the sounds of giggling and moaning quickly chase away all thoughts of Scott Summers and the X-Men.
Xavier's School for the Gifted
Medical room
He had been at it for hours now, if the old Biblical story of Jesus sweating blood was true he could be the next case. The X-men haven't checked in on him yet, something about the Beast visiting family. It didn't bother him in the bit, it was hard enough to stretch his brain like this but to hide the outward effects would be literally murder. He had known pain before, having to train with Sabertooth and the rest of the Marauders since your tenth birthday will do that to a person. This sensation however was unlike any pain he had ever felt, the sensation of your very conscience being stretched in a million different directions was something no one could explain in words. He had almost lost his grip on reality a few times, only the look of anger on his Master's face kept him going.
Five of the X-men had just left, it was easy to know these things as his brain had adopted the mansion as part of itself. Only the four whose genetic materials where needed and Xavier himself where left. Timothy felt a small surge of pride fills his being, all the pawns where in place and the hardest part was almost over. After all the years the X-men and Mr. Sinister had fought off and on, it would only take him at the most another couple hours to end it all.
(Report)
He had anticipated this. Sinister was a patient man, but only trusting in his own might.
^All is going well master, the X-men have replied to the disaster you created and only the choice ones are left. I am planting the bombs as we speak, all five have advanced physic defenses up so it will take me more time then thought to complete this faze.^
(How much more time?)
^Two more hours master, the X-men should be in bed by then and the shields should lower as they sleep.^
(Very good, I will await your signal then. For your own sake, I wish you be ready by then. I do not appreciate being made to wait.)
Just like that he was gone, nothing left except the menacing tone. Sometimes Timothy wondered if it would be easier to sweat blood then to put up with Sinister for another day.