Note: This story takes place before X-Treme X-Men #1, when the X-Men sail to Spain
PrologueLibris Veritatus - Extract 103/B8
Retribution
will be most swift
Vengeance
from past defeats, vengeance from allegiances
The
might of the Sea God will not be undone
The
fate of all is cast
Only
one shall outlast the rest;
Only
one will hold their future in her hands
The sun began to set, its faint orange glow covering the totality of the North Atlantic Ocean. The calmness of the air and the eternal silence of the high seas invited to rest. A sole ship cruised at top speed towards the east, a ship carrying a most extraordinary crew. Mutants, self-styled heroes of a world that hated and feared them, a group of X-Men served as crew and passengers of the speeding vessel. Piloting the ship was Rogue, the youngest member of the crew, whose real name was not known even by the closest of her peers. Rogue drove the ship, silently staring into the endless horizon, increasing the speed every time the painful memories resurfaced in her mind.
"Dinner will be ready in moments... it would be for the best if you stop the ship and join us..." said Storm, Ororo Munroe, approaching Rogue. A breeze erupted around Storm, gently caressing her. Her presence was calming, as was her mood and intentions.
"Not hungry," Rogue said simply, not looking back, keeping her eyes on the horizon.
"You haven't eaten in two days Rogue. I am concerned about this... aloofness of yours," said the windrider, sitting closely to the pilot, trying to catch Rogue's eye.
"Ah just need to think, that's all, ah'm not hungry," replied Rogue, never releasing the ship's controls, unmoving.
Ororo smiled, her eyes turned white as she leaned back on her seat. Suddenly, with a speed that defied imagination, the skies turned dark, even darker than night itself, and a gigantic bolt of lightning fell from the skies, hitting the water before them.
"Hey!" Shouted Rogue, steering the ship left to avoid the lightning with a brusque movement.
A second bolt of lightning fell right in front of them, and once again, Rogue moved the ship to avoid the blast. A third lightning bolt fell from the dark skies, and a fourth, and another followed it almost instantly.
"I will continue this until you stop Rogue. I am quite rested, I could do this for a long time," said Storm, amused by Rogue's behavior, who kept rocking the ship avoiding the lightning at the topmost speed.
Despite the odds, Rogue kept avoiding the blasts, and she felt a familiar rush rise within her. Amused, but not yet laughing, she increased the ship's speed, frowning, narrowly avoiding another bolt of lightning.
"What in Charles Xavier's name is going on?" screamed Bishop, as he run from the lower deck staircase, his eyes fixed on Storm. The longhaired black man tried to straighten himself as the ship rocked in all directions, his cyber sunglasses almost falling from his eyes.
"Just good old 'roro here, trying to scare this river rat. Problem is, ah don't scare so easily," replied Rogue with the ghost of a smile, moving the ship to the left rather brusquely.
"Stop this!" Said Bishop, getting closer to Ororo, grabbing the ship's rails to prevent from falling. His eyes fixed on Storm, but she wasn't looking at him.
"I will once she gives up and stops the boat. She needs to eat," replied Storm. "However if lightning does not amuse you, Bishop, then I shall have to try something else," she said smiling broadly. She gently moved her hand towards the skies, and the lightning stopped. A fierce rain erupted from nowhere, accompanied by a terrible cold.
"You're mad!" Said Bishop, trying to cover his head, returning below deck. He knew that he could not stop Storm from doing this, as much as he knew someone had to knock some sense into Rogue.
Rogue erupted in laughter, her hair falling on top of her eyes. "Is this all? This is all the mighty wind-goddess can muster? You think a little rain can stop me? Sugah I've been riding storms worst than this all mah life!" Screamed Rogue like a madwoman over the roaring thunder that broke above them.
Storm smiled, increasing the thunder, increasing the force of the rain. Rogue countered the attack by increasing the speed of the ship, moving forward in spite of the rain, in spite of the wind, until she saw it. Her eyes opened wide as they saw a gigantic whirlpool appearing in their path. Slowly she hit the brakes, halting the ship .
"Not fair! You shouldn't toy with the water!" She screamed.
Ororo was startled by Rogue's words. Her eyes cleared and she walked closer to her friend, seeing the ever-widening whirlpool before them. "By the Goddess!" She screamed. "I... that is not of my making," was all she was able to say.
"What do you mean?" Asked Rogue, but there was no reply. Something hit the ship from below, and it rattled. "What's that?" Said Rogue.
Ororo's eyes turned white once more, her hands glowing with lightning. Another hit, and the ship moved and Ororo fell overboard.
"Storm!" Cried Rogue, lunging to grab her friend, but it was too late. Suddenly the ship began to move again. Rogue moved fast towards the controls, and saw the whirlpool had caught them. The ship's engines roared into life once more, as Rogue desperately tried to escape the whirlpool.
Ororo's head broke the surface of the water, gasping for air. She saw the boat, moving closer to the whirlpool. She concentrated, trying to stop the rain, but the rain did not respond, the elements did not heed her call.
"Stop," she said faintly, her eyes glowing whiter than ever, with terrible power behind them. But the rain did not stop. Ororo lifted her arms, trying to conjure a wind to lift her from the water, but the wind did not come, and the rain did not stop. And she saw, helpless on the water, as the boat sank lower into the whirlpool. Something pulled her leg. She tried to break free, firing a bolt of lightning to the dark waters below. The lightning seemed to be the only element that answered her commands. Still something pulled her leg again, and again, and Ororo sank, loosing air, feeling the cold water in her bones. And there was nothing she could do, as darkness took over, as the last faint glow of lightning above faded and all consciousness left her body.