Ultimate Genesis X-Men #2

"Red Skull Rising Part 1"

Written By Mimick

Recap: Professor Charles Xavier, General Nicholas Fury, and Special Agent Logan of SHIELD heralded the drafting of several of Xavier's students into a project called X-MEN. Its mission is to protect the American front from global terrorist factions including mutant supremacists factions.

Barrels and barrels of green canisters were wheeled onto a freighter marked the lucky rose. Several of the work crew kept an eye peeled for any one who poked their nose into what they were doing, but so far – everything was going as planned.

Inside of the private quarters of the captain, a private debate was going on. One that could only be accomplished by minds more powerful than any other. Alban could hear his masters words as if he were standing before him. The whole room seemed to melt away before the facade of what his master wished in Alban's mind.

«How does the mission proceed

«It goes smoothly master

«Good, I expect another report within the next twelve hours.»

«As you wish, my master.»

Alban blinked, the psionic projection of a well furnished room with his master sitting upon a gold throne with a swatiska and women scantily clad around him melted away just as quickly as it had appeared. He returned to his station to see to the delivery.

-x-

Logan was in the gym doing knuckle push-ups, and he found himself in company with Anna on the opposite side of him. She was performing his routine, exactly like he did it. Though, she was having a difficult time due to not having his conditioning. She, nevertheless kept pushing herself.

A smile formed on Logan's face. He admired her tenacity, and switched to one handed knuckled push-ups.

"No fair!"

"Hey, this is my exercise time, doll."

"The name's not doll, it's Anna."

Logan smile widened, and he positioned all of his weight on a single finger with his feet pointing straight up.

"NO WAY!"

"D-don't try that," said Logan, before he eased himself back down. "It takes a lot of upper-body strength, which you don't have."

"I might not, suger – but I got a better weapon than muscles."

"Right."

"Did anyone ever tell you're sexist?" she asked with a hint of a smile.

"No, Anna – too many of them had a smile on their faces after I--"

"Too MUCH information!"

Logan laughed, and stood up. He helped Anna up, as she wore her usual attire. A shirt with average length sleeves. Some biker gloves, and sweat pants. Despite the considerable control she had compared to what she used to have. She still seemed to hold back on showing more of her body.

Logan didn't see any reason to say anything. It wasn't his body, or his curse that he had to deal with. So, he left her alone. She smiled at him, as he patted her on the shoulder. He then left to go work out in the danger room.

-x-

Kurt was in the library reading a good book – it was titled the Keeper of the Veil, a story about knight who was entrusted with his lady's veil as he was sent off to war in a far away land. Kurt found he couldn't put the book down. Professor Xavier came in, and pulled a book from the shelves. It was the theories of modern marvels by Nathan Essex. Written over a century ago. He opened it up to a page marked by a book mark, and found himself a seat.

Kurt looked to Professor Xavier, and smiled.

"Good Morning, Professor."

"Ah, good morning to you as well, Kurt."

"Nothing is like the company of a good, yes?"

"Indeed."

Kurt closed his book after making sure the book mark was in place.

"Professor..."

"Yes, Kurt?"

"There is something – something that I have been troubled by."

"What is that?"

"My mother..."

"I see."

"You think she misses me and Anna?"

Professor Xavier closed his book after replacing his bookmark.

"I knew your mother, and she loved the both of you more than either of you will ever know."

"Yes."

"And saying in saying that, Kurt, I know she misses you dearly."

"Thank you, Professor."

Kurt smiled, and stood. He gave a curt bow, and departed from the library. Professor Xavier steepled his fingers, and stared ahead with his book in his lap before he re-opened his book, and continued from where he left off.

-x-

"That's it icicle, you're toast!"

Cyclops fired an optic beam, high and wide. It pulverized the kneecaps of the large ice golem Iceman created, but several more appeared – this time emitting projectles that smacked Cyclops from all sides. Jean chuckled, and watched from her view in the monitor room. A hand beside the keyboard, which keystrokes were made by invisible hands.

«Hello, Logan – and you can stop wondering looking at my panties.»

"Do you always have to do the jedi mind trick?" he asked.

«I'm a telepath – thoughts and words are as one. Didn't you read the Professor's novel hearts and minds, the guide to understanding telepaths?»

"No, can't say I did."

"Pity, it was a small print run, but essential reading for getting to know about us."

"I like to think I know all there is to know...about you."

"Yeah, like what?"

"You had a pastrami sandwich for lunch, you're wearing pink lace underwear, and Euphoria perfume."

"Super-senses, which equate cheating."

"So?" he said.

"You don't know the real me – not like Scott does."

"Him?" said Logan, as he looked down at Scott. "What's so special about him?"

"The fact you don't know shows you don't know much about women."

"Whatever," he said, and walked to the other seat where he could watch Cyclops and Iceman's performance.

A sheet of ice briefly covered the mirror, but Jean agitated the water molecules making it melt away just as a bright crimson flash denoted Iceman's defeat.

"Wow," said Logan, as he stood up. "Kid's good."

"Yup."

"We'll see just how good he is when he faces real pressure."

¯Attention: Black Alert has been activated, X-Men report to hanger deck¯ Attention: Black Alert has been activated, X-Men report to hanger deck. ¯

Logan and Jean rushed from their seats and out the door. From their they made it to the locker room where their costumes were. Anna and Kurt were inside and almost finished changing. While Cyclops and Iceman immediately headed for the hanger deck.

-x-

Gun fire – it could be heard all over the dock between the lucky rose's crew, and the FBI agents and NewYork's finest. A man sporting a blue speedo walked out onto the deck, and he had a empty vial in his hands. His skin turned green, and scaly. His muscles expanded, and he gained seven hundred and fifty pounds of mass. He leaped in the air, and came down roaring at the authorities, and they directed their fire on him.

"You Americans, and your little guns – no wonder the world hates you so."

The authorities scattered as the jade behomath picked up one of the swat vans, and tossed it like it was a mere toy. A swat officer with a rocket launcher fired a rocket into the jade behomath, but he was merely staggered by the impact. Not a single sign of injury was present on his chest.

"That is all you have?" he asked. "Bring me your best, and I shall crush them all!"

"You asked for it, bub!"

The jade behomath looked up, and a hirsute man landed ontop of him driving six metal claws into his shoulders. He appeared as from thin air, but the jade behomath had smelled brimstone before impact.

He screamed, as the pain was tremondous.

He yanked the hirsute man off, and tossed him into one of the squad cars – the hirsute man's body made a deep impact in the door, and almost caved it in.

"You will pay for that American!"

"I'm not American, pal – I'm Canadian!"

The jade behomath paused, confused, and then he squatted down at the hirsute man who was stuck in the car's frame. A stench of brimstone made him turn around, and then he looked back again. The hirsute man was gone.

He looked around, and then he felt pain in his back. He turned, and the stench of brimstone was present again. Again and again he could smell brimstone. Finally, he struck the ground, and the impact sent a demon-looking male and the hirsute man crashing onto the dock. The jade behomath walked toward them, and smiled.

"A Canadian fool helping the American scum, and who is this demon?"

The hirsute man spit in the jade behomath's face after he was picked up. "I'm no fool, I'm the Wolverine."

"No," said the jade behomath, as he wiped the spit from his face. "You're DEAD!"

A crimson energy beam struck the jade behomath and he was thrown off balance. Another beam sent him flying into the lucky rose where he made a great impression. The hirsute man helped the demon up, and they looked to the man with visor.

"Hey one-eye, about time."

"Zip it," said Cyclops, as he fired another beam at the jade behomath who was trying to come down on them from above.

The beam sent the jade behomath spinning end over end until he fell through the deck of the lucky rose.

"What an Abomination," said Rogue, as she looked at the injured and dead police officers and FBI agents. "Why would some one do this?"

Wolverine remained silent until the ground started shaking. He focused his hearing so he could tell where the jade behomath would pop up next.

"Over there," he said. "He's going to try and ambush us!"

"Iceman?" asked Cyclops.

"On it, stiff lip!"

As soon as the jade behomath popped up, he was frozen solid in a large casing of ice until his very body was cooled down to the point he was in stasis. Wolverine walked up to him with Rogue beside him, and she started to touch the ice, but Wolverine grabbed her hand.

"Don't, we don't know what his powers would do to you."

"I can't absorb his powers through the ice," she said, and a smile formed on her face.

"Smartass."

He let go, and she touched it. She closed her eyes, and concentrated and then a moment later opened them.

"What was that about?"

"I wanted to try something, but as I figured – it doesn't work when something is blocking the process."

"Hrm..."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have absorbed him."

She noticed his look of disbelief and smiled.

"I can skirt people's thoughts with a touch if I choose to, but it requires concentration."

"Like Jean?"

"No, not like Jean."

Wolverine folded his arms over his chest. "Then how?"

"I can't describe it..."

"'Sides, it's all moot now."

Wolverine watched her walk off to aid Kurt in subduing the terrorists that had abandoned the sinking lucky rose while Jean was dismantling the ship, and making sure it didn't damage the harbor's ecosphere. Iceman stood next to Cyclops, and he tapped the auburn haired military brat on the shoulder.

"Hey," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think all battles will be this easy?"

"My father had a saying – don't pull the cart before the horse."

"Hunh?"

Cyclops walked past him toward the black jet that was nearby. Iceman scratched his head, and then looked at Rogue. A smile formed on his face, as he checked her out.

But, he was distracted when Wolverine called him to help out. Nightcrawler was standing next to Rogue, and he helped her pull up Alban, and they noticed he had a swatiska tattoo on his arm along with a skull above it.

"What is this?" asked Nightcrawler.

"I don't know," said Rogue.

She touched the man's temple, and skirted through his thoughts. A haunting image entered her mind, and she pulled away – scared by what she saw.

"We're in trouble," she said.

"Why?"

"He's comin' and it isn't going to be no small invasion."

Nightcrawler's eyes widened, and then they were joined the others, as the authorties took over the clean up.

NEXT ISSUE: Red Skull Rising Part 2