Ultimate Genesis X-Men #1
Written By Mick Edwards
"They call him, the Red Skull"
A hirsute man stood on the balcony of the Xavier Academy for the Gifted. His long sideburns trailed down to his chin and his hair was shaped like wolf ears. A cigar was in his mouth, and he was puffing away at it. In came a black man with an eye patch over his right eye; on his shirt lapel was a logo of a black hawk inside of blue circle, and beneath that circle spelled out S.H.I.E.L.D.
(*Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Doctorate, -Mick)
"Well?" asked the black man, as he leaned on the railing. "Is everything ready, Logan?"
The man called Logan took the cigar out of his mouth, and blew a ring of smoke in the air; he then looked at the man standing next to him and put out his cigar on the railing.
"The kids are good, Fury; but the real test will be in the field."
"I understand," said Fury; he placed a hand on Logan's shoulder. "You still thinking of Yukio?"
"No, she chose her path; she didn't want to be stuck in the middle of this."
"I'm sorry, Logan."
"Me too," said Logan; he turned from the open view of the lawn, and walked into the house.
Below ground was the training center for the gifted students chosen for the joint operations special task force dubbed X-MEN. Several of the students were training with the head instructor and owner of the mansion; Professor Charles Francis Xavier watching them. He pressed the intercom button so that his students may hear his voice, rather than project his thoughts to them because he respected their privacy.
"All right, students; if you would line up."
One by one they lined up with their hands behind their back; Logan walked in through the entry way while Fury came into the observation room with Professor Xavier, and took a seat.
"So, which ones do you think will excel?"
"I pray that all of them do," said Professor Xavier; a look of conflicted feelings.
Fury noticed this, and stood up; came up right beside Professor Xavier, and looked him in the eyes. Crystal blue like an ocean; they stared back with passion and great intelligence, while Fury's was black and cold like coal.
"You are doing the right thing; believe that."
Professor Xavier nodded, but his attention remained on Logan and the students.
Logan gave all of them his attention, and then made his way to the center of the training room; a large featureless room with modularized testing systems designed to help hone mutants powers. Some of the testing systems involved complex survival training; others involved control and finesse. Logan eyed them; all ten of the students.
"The five who pass this test will become X-Men, the five that don't will dismissed back into the outreach program designed by the Professor."
The ten mutants nodded, and Logan cracked his neck; then his knuckles.
"Begin!"
A crimson energy beam hit him in the chest and he was blown backwards toward the far wall, but he used his above human agility to flip off and come at the teenager who fired the energy blast; however, he was tackled by an apish looking student with dark hair and big hands and feet. He tussled with the kid before knocking him aside when his sense of hearing picked up the sounds of foot steps; he spun around, his fist barely four inches away from a girl with a white skunk-like streak in her auburn hair. She made contact with him by touching his fist and absorbed his powers; he could feel himself becoming weakened, but she managed to cut off the drain. Within seconds he recovered and found himself staring at her as she sported bone claws.
"Mine are adamantium, kid."
"I know, honey; doesn't make me any less dangerous..."
"We'll see," said Logan; a smile crossed his face.
Flames licked at Logan's feet and he saw the other female amongst the group who had dyed red hair was raising the temperature. He ran toward the spunky southern girl and slashed her baggy shirt revealing some of her skin; traces of blood dripped down, but further bleeding was halted by her copied healing factor. She came at him; leaped in the air and slashed his shoulders, as she struck bone, her bone claws broke and when she landed on her feet she was shocked by the broken state of her bone claws.
Logan wiped a bit of the blood from his shoulders and then turned to her when the flames caused his shirt to ignite. He took it off, and tossed it to the floor.
"Playing it rough, eh?" asked Logan; brandishing all six of his claws. "Come get some!"
This time the attacks became more coordinated with the teenager with a visor keeping Logan pinned with his optic beams; he saw the last girl in the group who was a dual psionic concentrating and he noticed none of them were speaking, so he figured they were communicating some other way. He put his claws in front of him; letting them take the brunt of the optic beams and began to push forward. The apish student kicked Logan in the back and he caught the full brunt of the crimson beam sending him into the far wall again. The heat from the dyed red head caused Logan's skin to turn red, and he roared as his healing factor did its best to keep up with the damage.
The auburn haired girl snuck behind Logan using his own powers and skills and grabbed onto him leeching more of his strength, but this time he resisted and tossed her into the apish looking student knocking them both down and out for the moment. He used the others concern for their teammates to take out the dyed red head with a kick, and then a blonde haired, blued eyed, winged student flew by and grabbed Logan tossing him into another optic beam that sent him flying. He was caught by the real red head's telekinesis and slammed into the wall several times before being thrown at the resident moisture manipulator who created a thick wall of ice for Logan to hit. Logan shrugged off the cold and got up; he looked at the four when his sense of smell picked up the fifth one. A smell of brimstone and sulfur and he was kicked in the face, and then punched in the stomach; the attacks randomized until Logan was on his knees. He concentrated using all five of his superhuman senses and when the demon looking kid appeared again, he caught him by the throat, his claws retracted.
"Good job, kid."
"I did; that is good."
"Lesson's over, we'll make our decision shortly."
"Are we dismissed, sir?" asked the auburn haired boy with a visor on his face.
"Yes, go hit the showers and then meet us in the war room; all of you."
The students left, some of them holding their heads low; Logan looked up at the observation room and saw Professor Xavier look back at him, as well as Fury.
A map was laid upon a white table bearing the swastika symbol and four men stood looking over it; they each looked at each other and then the man in the shadows who smoked a Cuban cigar. He moved closer to let the blood red color of his nearly skinless skull act as a force for intimidation.
"We have begun the operations, as you have commanded."
Good, and have you managed to find Weapon X?
"No sir, not yet."
The Red Skull looked at his subordinate with his glowing irises, and spoke without a single word uttered, but they could hear him in their minds.
Find him, or I will kill you myself...
The subordinate saluted the Red Skull and then left; the Red Skull turned to his other officers and nodded his head for them to continue.
Logan walked into the observation room and saw Professor Xavier pressing his index fingers to his lips; he turned and leaned gently against the control panel while Fury crossed his arms. The missing chunks of flesh on Logan's body was swiftly replaced by new skin and hair before he stopped near the two men. He took the offered cigar from Fury and let him light it; then took a smooth drag on it.
"They're good," he said; taking the cigar from his lips. "Warren hesitated through out, and so did Bobby."
"Agreed," said Professor Xavier; a thoughtful look on his face. "I could sense that Warren's heart wasn't in this; Bobby on the other hand was having a lack of confidence issues until Scott nudged him."
"You mean the one with the optical energy projection right?" asked Fury.
"Yes," said Professor Xavier; turning to Fury. "In fact, Scott was the one who was coordinating that last assault and using Jean to relay his commands."
"Logan?" asked Fury. "What's your opinion?"
"The kid has brass, and he never let up on me; he's got instincts, just like his old man."
"I'm in agreement with what I saw," said Fury; he rubbed his chin. "I'd like Anna to be the second to join."
"Why?" asked Professor Xavier; visibly confused. "You know the lethality of her powers."
"Yes, but she has gained control of them."
"A degree of finesse and control; yes, but only through psychiatric therapy and training," said Professor Xavier with a more aggressive tone. "Any sudden trauma could set her back."
"I'm well aware of the risks, Professor."
"Anna's a tough girl, Professor; anyone that can have my thoughts running around inside her would have to be."
Professor Xavier lowered his head, "Who else?"
"Since you mentioned Jean worked in tandem with Scott, I say her."
Fury gave a slow nod, "If they have a rapport, she maybe more comfortable around him."
"Her powers have been growing rather quickly; I would like more time to examine her progress," said Professor Xavier.
"Has she had an incidents since six years ago?" asked Fury.
"No, but..."
"Then I don't see a problem."
"Me neither," said Logan.
"I think putting her and Anna on the team make for a potentially dangerous gambit; we will need to keep them under close observation."
"That's why Logan will be on the team," said Fury; pointing to Logan.
"What? Me babysitting a bunch of kids?" asked Logan; he shook his head. "No way."
"You've helped in their training, and they all have a rapport with you, man."
"Fury is right; I have...sensed the impression that the students find you more approachable than me, or my daughter Tessa."
Logan took another drag on his cigar and looked at the floor for a moment before looking back Professor Xavier and Fury.
"I don't have a lot of choice do I?"
"I can always order you; since you are a SHIELD employee and thereby answerable to me."
"Yeah, fuck you too, Fury."
Fury laughed, "Well, that makes four; two more is needed."
"Kurt," said Professor Xavier; as he eyed Logan and then Fury. "He'd provide moral support for Anna and his teleporation abilities have grown considerably."
"That I can't refute," said Logan; flicking the ashes of his cigar on the floor. "He gets trickier all the time."
"All right; the last spot I think should go to Bobby."
"Iceman?" asked Logan.
"I can't believe he calls himself that," said Professor Xavier. "We haven't even selected codenames for them yet."
"He's only fifteen; some of the others are older, yet even they don't act so immature."
"Not to get away from the point fellas, I think his moisture manipulation abilities will help a lot in situations were the team are overwhelmed."
"Unless we are in the Sierra Desert, of course."
Fury glared at Logan, "Funny; but the point being is his power has a lot of uses."
"Agreed," said Professor Xavier; clasping his hands together. "Shall we give them their uniforms."
"What uniforms?" asked Fury
Both he and Logan looked at Professor Xavier who pulled a black uniform with X's on it off the desk nearby.
"What is that supposed to be?" asked Logan. "A gimp suit?"
"No, it is protective gear designed by my daughter Tessa," said Professor Xavier; he handed it to Logan. "It's an improved design of the Kevlar flexweave that SHIELD just issued."
Logan looked it over and noticed the slits in the gloves, "I take it those are room for my claws?"
"Yes," said Professor Xavier; a smile forming on his face. "All of the suits were specially designed to each one of you."
"But, you didn't know who was going to be picked for the team?" asked Fury.
"I know," said Professor Xavier. "I was hoping for the best."
Nearly two hours later the students were gathered in the War Room when Professor Xavier walked in with Logan and Fury; Logan was wearing the black uniform, which fit quite comfortably. It showed his bare arms from just above the wrists up past his elbows.
"So," asked Anna; looking to Professor Xavier, Logan, and Fury. "Who gets picked?"
"When we call your name, step up and receive your uniform and your codename."
The students put their hands behind their back and stood at attention; Fury held out a uniform as Professor Xavier called the first student.
"Scott Summers," he said.
Scott walked up and took his uniform; he looked at Professor Xavier behind his ruby quartz glasses.
"You will be called Cyclops; do not think of it an insult, but a testament to your focus."
Scott nodded, and stepped to the other side of Logan. Fury grabbed another uniform from Professor Xavier and held it out while Professor Xavier called out another name.
"Jean Grey."
She walked up and snatched the uniform with her telekinesis; Professor Xavier and her stared at one another, seemingly having a mind to mind chat, and then he smiled. She then took her place next to Scott who was on the other side of Logan.
"Anna," he said.
She walked up and took her uniform; a big, wide grin on her face. Professor Xavier returned the smile.
"You have always been the Rogue around here, so it is more than fitting you should keep that name."
"Thanks Professor; you're a sweat heart!"
"Kurt," he said; after Anna took her place next to Jean who was next to Scott who stood on the other side of Logan.
Kurt teleported up and snatched his uniform with his tail; he then bent down and crossed his heart as he said a prayer to god.
"Thank you, Professor, this; this means so much to me."
"I know son; your life will never go back to what it was, I promise you."
Kurt nodded, then teleported over by the others. Professor Xavier looked at the six remaining before his eyes fell on Bobby; he frowned as he sensed what Bobby was planning.
"Don't Bobby, now is not the time."
"Hunh?" asked Bobby; a confused look on his face. "I was just..."
"Just come up here," he said; Bobby complied and took his uniform.
"Since you have taken to call yourself Iceman, I will not dissuade you from calling yourself that."
"Awesome!"
"Get over here freezer burn," said Scott.
"Up yours Al Gore."
"Very funny..."
"I know," said Bobby; a huge grin formed on his face. "But, you have to admit you have quite a stick up your..."
"BOBBY!"
"What?"
"That is enough!" said Professor Xavier.
"Nice going icebox," said Scott.
"Whatever teacher's pet."
Professor Xavier called everyone's attention and then everyone became quiet as he spoke while Fury stood over to the side as he explained what came next. He looked to the six who would be X-Men.
"The six you see here will become X-Men, and they will go out into the world to make a difference; not just for themselves, but for humans and mutants alike."
Professor Xavier then turned to the ones who didn't make it, and he lowered his eyes.
"The five of you who didn't make it will continue your studies here and then my outreach program will help you reintegrate with society; from there you will be on your own."
Logan walked away from the other X-Men and looked at the ones who didn't make it, and he put his hands behind his back.
"Some of you didn't have your heart set for this; that would have cost you your lives, and the lives of your friends," he said. "Others hesitated and that can't happen in battle; because that will cost lives as well."
The dyed red head looked at her feet and felt ashamed; Logan walked over to her and raised her chin up.
"Compassion will be used against you by those who seek to harm you; this world is a dangerous place, so I hope as you embark on your journey that you remember you always have a family here."
Tears flowed from the dyed red head's eyes and she hugged Logan; he rubbed her back and then shook the hand of the other students who didn't make it.
X-Play: Yes, I know; another Ultimate X-Men revamp and you are tired of me doing it. This time I'm doing it just for fun, and I'm not going to worry about my mistakes too much. This revamp will feature fresh; new ideas that I've come up with myself. So, if you are reading this, I hope you enjoy it.
8/16/09
-Mick