The Few, the Proud, the Acolytes
"You are gonna get it this time!" Remy shouted.
"In your dreams!" Sabertooth shot back.
"Face it, I've got the advantage and there's no way you'll be able to prevent me from crushing you!" Remy yelled.
"Bring it on!" Sabertooth roared.
"Oh it's been brought on!" Remy snapped.
"Are you sure about this?" Pyro asked. "You might not be able to take him."
"Oh I'm sure," Remy smirked. "He's been lucky so far but this time he is going down!"
"Fat chance! I'll end up laughing over your fallen remains!" Sabertooth snapped.
"Why are we doing this again?" Piotr asked.
"Because it's fun and good practice for when Mags says it time to take on the world and achieve mutant superiority," Pyro said. "Go Gambit!"
"So are you gonna make a move or just chicken out?" Sabertooth taunted.
"That's it! Here we go!" Remy yelled as he let loose with the three objects in his hand. "Scandinavia attacking the Ukraine!"
"Crud!" Sabertooth cursed as Remy rolled three sixes. "I don't believe this!"
"Ha!" Remy moved his red pieces into the newly won territory of the game board. "Now with control of all Europe the Red Empire will be triumphant!"
"Not if the Blue Confederacy has anything to say about it!" Pyro laughed. "But at least the Black Alliance won't win. Especially since Sabes only has two territories left."
"Shut up! Stupid dice! Stupid soldiers!" Sabertooth yelled at his black pieces. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? HOW CAN YOU LOSE? AAARRGGGHHH!"
"What are you all doing?" Magneto asked as he entered the recreation room.
"Playing Risk," Remy said as the Acolytes sat around a table.
"Of course," Magneto groaned. "As much as I'd hate to interrupt such an important activity, it'll have to be aside. I've got a mission for you."
"Oh boy!'' Pyro squealed as he jumped out of his seat. "Do I get to come this time?"
"Yes you do," Magneto sighed.
"Alright! Wohoo!" Pyro cheered.
"So what's the mission?" Remy asked.
"We're going to recruit a powerful new mutant," Magneto replied.
"Recruit?" Piotr frowned. "This will not be like the last time, will it?"
"Yeah, I thought you said you'd never try to recruit more…" Remy started.
"I know," Magneto glared. "And it won't. The situation is different. This mutant is an adult. Now move out!"
"Good," Pyro shivered as the Acolytes headed to the Sphere Hanger. "I don't ever wanna go through something like that again."
"Who cares?" Sabertooth snarled. "What kind of powers does the target have?"
"He is an enhanced mutant. Super strong and completely invulnerable," Magneto explained. "The Juggernaut."
"Juggernaut?" Remy blinked. "Didn't he disappear a month or so ago after we saw him on the news fighting the X-Men at the dam?"
"Correct," Magneto confirmed as the Acolytes entered the hanger. "I've tracked him down to a small town in upstate New York."
"Think he'll join up with us?" Pyro asked as he got into a sphere.
"Not if he is smart," Piotr said.
"Great, then he'll definitely be joining up," Remy quipped.
"Man, who'd have thought the Juggernaut would be hiding out in some cheap hotel?" Pyro asked as the Acolytes stood in the darkened lobby. It was late at night with a half moon shining through the windows.
"Makes sense," Remy shrugged. "It's out of the way and no one here would report him. Not if they wanted to keep living with all their original bones and internal organs."
"Is the building secure?" Magneto asked. The Acolytes had split up on their arrival and had regrouped in the lobby.
"Yep. We've taken care of the staff and the poor excuse for a security system they've got installed here" Sabertooth grunted.
"Good. Any sign of Juggernaut?" Magneto asked.
"Not yet," Piotr replied.
"Split up. Find Juggernaut, but do not engage him. Report back to me. I'm going to handle the meeting personally and I don't want any mistakes," Magneto glared.
"Okay," Pyro said as he and Remy headed down one hallway.
"At least there's hardly anyone staying here," Remy whispered. "I checked the hotel records after I locked the manager in a closet. It didn't list Juggernaut so he either scared the manager into submission or is using a false name. Which do you think it…Pyro?" Remy stopped, noticing he was now walking alone. He looked back down the hallway and saw Pyro standing next to a vending machine. "What are you doing? We don't have for this."
"Hey, I'm hungry," Pyro protested. "Mags didn't even give us a chance to eat dinner before we came here. Oooh, lookie! This has those good mini key lime pies! Now how to get 'em out…"
"Oh brother," Remy groaned as he started back down the hall and turned a corner. "I can't believe it. When will he learn not to be distracted during missions? Then again he hasn't been on many so he deserves some leeway. Not that this is really difficult or important. Still he'd better not blow it."
BOOM!
CRASH!
"Too late." Remy turned and ran back down the hall. Turning the corner he saw there was now a large hole in the wall directly across from where Pyro and the vending machine had been standing. Remy looked through the hole and saw Pyro, the remains of the machine and an assortment of snack foods sprawled out on the floor of a suite.
"Well that didn't work exactly the way I wanted," Pyro blinked as he sat up.
"What did you do?" Remy glared at him.
"Heh," Pyro gulped as he wiped potato chips off his head. "Funny thing really. I just went and…"
"Never mind," Remy groaned and held a hand to his head. "I don't want to know. At least you broke into an empty room."
"What's going on out here?" A flushing sound was heard quickly followed by the door to the suite's bathroom opening and revealing Juggernaut. "What did you shrimps do to my room?"
"Hey, we found him," Pyro said as he stood up. "I'll go report back to Mag…aaacckkk!" Pyro choked as Juggernaut picked him up by his collar.
"I don't know who you wimps are but you picked the wrong room to break into," Juggernaut growled as he glared at Pyro.
"Put him down!" Remy demanded as he charged up a card.
"A mutant, huh?" Juggernaut casually threw Pyro aside and picked up his helmet from the floor. "You wanna fight? Fine!" He finished latching it into place and charged Remy.
"Take my calling card!" Remy threw the card into Juggernaut's face. The card exploded, temporarily blinding Juggernaut as Remy leapt to the side.
CRASH!
"You've had it punk!" Juggernaut turned around and faced Remy through the newly made hole in the wall. Suddenly a stream of fire appeared and blocked his path.
"Hahahahaha!" Pyro laughed as he shot out flames from his pack, having quickly recovered from Juggernaut's throw.
"You think this firewall is gonna stop me?" Juggernaut ran through the flames and managed to knock both Remy and Pyro down. The room sprinkler system came on and began putting out the fire. "Nothing stops me!"
"RRROOOAAARRR!" Sabertooth rushed into the room, jumped on Juggernaut's back and started wrestling with him.
"Ohhh," Remy moaned as he picked himself up just as Juggernaut grabbed Sabertooth and threw him into the bathroom.
SMASH!
"So much for the sink," Remy quipped as Juggernaut faced him once again.
"For a bunch of mutants you're all pretty weak!" Juggernaut grinned.
"Uuuaaahhh!" Piotr charged into the room and knocked Juggernaut back through the hole in the wall. He followed him into the next room where sounds were soon heard of them duking it out.
"You okay?" Remy asked as he helped Pyro to his feet once again.
"Oh sure," Pyro coughed. "Colossus is here now and knocked him down so I'm not worried."
WHAM!
Piotr sailed back into the room and crashed right into Sabertooth who was just emerging from the bathroom.
CRASH!
"Okay, now I'm worried," Pyro gulped as Juggernaut stepped through the hole in the wall.
"You've all had it now!" Juggernaut yelled as he charged straight at them. "Aaarrhhh…huh?" Juggernaut stopped as a huge dark cloud suddenly appeared and began swirling around him. "What the?" He tried to swat at the cloud but it was like trying to fight smoke. The tiny metal particles making up the cloud quickly built up around him until he was completely covered except for his helmet. The particles then fused together and solidified so that Juggernaut found himself incased in a solid block of metal while being magnetically suspended several feet above the floor.
"Forgive the restraints," Magneto hovered into the room though one of the many holes in the walls. "I would have preferred a more civilized introduction, but some people can't follow the simplest instructions." He glared at the Acolytes as they reassembled in the room.
"Heh," Pyro gulped and shrunk back. "It was an accident."
"Oh course," Magneto groaned. He then faced Juggernaut again. "My friend, you have obviously noticed the growing hatred and fear towards mutants. Even powerful individuals like yourself are feared and locked away; stored like an object only because you might someday be useful."
"Really?" Remy said. "I thought Xavier locked him up."
"Well, yes," Magneto admitted. "But the government also wanted to keep Juggernaut imprisoned incase he would ever be needed to fight for them or if they found a way to control him. Yet another example of human exploitation of mutants." He turned back to Juggernaut. "I stand for the time when mutants will rise up and achieve superiority over humans. Surely you would be interested in joining me and working toward such an outcome."
"Are you kidding? You trash my room, start a brawl, restrain me in metal and you expect me to join your stupid group?" Juggernaut snapped.
"He does have a point," Piotr said.
"Forget it!" Juggernaut shouted as he tried to break free. "I'm only interested in paying back my stupid brother and everyone who's dumb enough to bother me. I certainly don't need help from some weirdo in a cape and a bucket on his head!"
"We keep telling you that you need to redesign that helmet," Pyro said.
"Silence!" Magneto roared. "Think about what you are saying. With my help you can achieve your ultimate potential. I can provide the direction that you lack and together we will be unstoppable!"
"I'm already unstoppable!" Juggernaut roared. "And I don't need or work for anyone! No one orders Juggernaut around!"
"I see," Magneto narrowed his eyes.
"Hey boss," Pyro piped up. "How about we try the recruiting act we've been working on?"
"Oh no, I am not doing that!" Sabertooth growled.
"Pyro I do not think that will work," Piotr said.
"Oh come on, it's worth a try isn't it?" Pyro begged. "Please?"
"I'm going to regret this," Magneto groaned while shaking his head. "Very well."
"Alright!" Pyro cheered.
"What are you wimps doing now?" Juggernaut snapped as the four Acolytes lined up facing him.
"Sorry, you've left us no choice," Remy smirked. "Hope you can take it."
"Ha! I'm the Juggernaut! I can take anything!" Juggernaut boasted.
"Great! Hit it!" Pyro grinned.
"Nothing you do can hurt…huh?" Juggernaut stared as the four Acolytes began to dance.
"We want you! We want you! We want you as a new recruit! We want you! We want you! We want you as a new recruit!" The Acolytes chanted as they danced in line.
"Who is the finest new, international crew, that makes every day be bright?" Remy sang.
"Who?" the other Acolytes shouted.
"Who can you go turn to, with a base just for you, where all mutants can unite?" Piotr sang.
"Who?"
"Okay, this is starting to creep me out," Juggernaut started to shake nervously.
"Who can lift a trainload, make an object explode, loves to have fires ignite?" Pyro sang.
"Who?"
"Who has an iron grip, can destroy battleships, projects great and awesome might?" Sabertooth asked.
"This is so embarrassing," Magneto groaned as he held a hand to his head.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE SHUT UP!" Juggernaut screamed.
"Who? The Acolytes! Yes, we can help you in your plight! The Acolytes! Where the fun is always right! The Acolytes! Can help your mutant powers grow! The Acolytes! The team that everybody knows!" The Acolytes sang and danced in line.
"STOP SINGING! STOP SINGING! I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE SINGING!" Juggernaut yelled as he desperately tried to break free from his metal prison.
"The Acolytes! Stand against the human foe! The Acolytes! Come on and join with Magneto! The Acolytes! Have a chance to get some dough! The Acolytes! The Acolytes!"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Juggernaut screamed.
"Join the fight! Join the fight! We want you as an Acolyte! Join the fight! Join the fight! We want you as an Acolyte!" The Acolytes chanted and continued to dance.
"AAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Juggernaut strained and with strength born of desperation shattered the metal surrounding him, sending chucks flying in all directions. The Acolytes quickly dived out of the way or used their powers to protect themselves.
"Ow!" Sabertooth yelped as he was thwacked in the head by a chunk of metal and slumped to the floor.
"I'M OUTTA HERE!" Juggernaut screamed as he ran away from the remains of the hotel as fast as he could. "I'M NEVER COMING BACK TO ANY PART OF NEW YORK AGAIN! AND I DEFINATELY NEVER WANT TO RUN INTO ANY OF YOU MANIACS AGAIN AS LONG AS I LIVE! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!"
"Man, for a big guy he can sure sprint," Remy whistled.
"Yeah, he's probably doing thirty miles an hour easy," Sabertooth said.
"So much for recruiting him," Magneto sighed as he gazed around at the broken remains of the hotel. "I suppose it's for the best. He is obviously too arrogant and self centered."
"Yes, he is too much like you," Piotr muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Magneto glared at him.
"I said he probably has a low IQ," Piotr covered.
"Hmm, good point," Magneto thought. "He would've fit right in with the rest of you. Come, we're leaving."
"Great," Sabertooth rubbed his head as they headed back to the traveling spheres hidden behind the hotel.
"Give me a minute. I wanna get all these mini key lime pies!" Pyro called out as he started collecting the remaining intact pies from the floor.
"Do you think Magneto will ever recruit someone new?" Piotr asked.
"I wouldn't count on it," Remy said.
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution or the song "In the Navy".