The Human X-factor
by Orkoad
Based on characters and situations created and/or owned by Marvel Comics, Sunbow Entertainment, Kids WB, Brian Terrell and John Proft.
Special thanks to Red Witch for the use of her character, Spyder.
XxXxX Red Witch, thanks for the kind words i hope to make you proud XxXxX
Chapter Two: Wrath in Motion
Time passes, as time often does, and now in the present day, the X-men have long ago had their greatest battle with the mutant villain, Apocalypse. Eric Lenchur also known as Magneto, has for the moment set his vengeful hatred aside in an attempt to... for lack of a better word, give peace a chance. The brotherhood has begun to train to work under the government program known as S.H.I.E.L.D. But some members are still loyal to... negative influences. Events hundreds of years ago are still spinning the future in motion, and in a normal boy's life, these events will grow far worse before they get better, and test him farther than any person, human or mutant, should ever have to face.
XxXxX
Mystique sat at a terminal at one of the many New York hospitals in the city. She did this every year or so, searching the database for anyone matching the man who ended her life of joy. She looked nothing like herself however. She was masquerading as an African American nurse. It was well after midnight and she was starting to doze off. She hated this time of year. It always brought out terrible memory's of that terrible night, but working at this hour made it easier to work, no persistent workers asking who she was or what she was doing. The midnight workers were always tired and wanting nothing more but to do their job in peace. She gave a massive yawn as as her fingers guided the mouse. She was about to click off her work when she saw the last name on the list.
"Carson, Alex"
Her eyes lit up. This was the last Carson of thousands on the list. With some kind of rush she couldn't explain, she opened the file and searched the database, looking over the family tree, examining d.n.a. patterns. Her face showed a sinister grin. This was it, Finally, she had found the last of the Carson family who had brought her so much hatred and misery, soon, very soon, she would have her vengeance. She quickly printed out the address as she pulled out her cell phone. Once she had what she wanted, she clicked off the monitor and sped outside, flipped open her phone and pressed the speed dial and pressed it to her ear.
"S.h.e.l.d. operations director." The voice said evenly on the other end.
"Pietro Maximoff, tell him its an old friend." she said in an equally even tone. She waited as she continued walking down the street, as she walked, when no one was in view, her form shifted once again, to a homeless man.
"Maximoff." Pietro's voice said after what felt like an eternity to Mystique.
"It's me, i have a job for the brotherhood."
XxXxX
Rogue was late, she was racing down to the lower levels of the mansion, to meet the team. They had been called by the Professor to meet in the hanger and she had been in the shower at the time. She was still pulling on her uniform boots when the elevator finally got her to the hanger. She stumbled out and raced out to vast cavern like room that was the X-Jet hanger. She stopped at the Jet's ramp, her hands on her knees as she gasped for breath, her hair had been grown out alittle, and the white streak was covering her eyes, until she had at least caught her breath and brushed it aside.
She was confused and wondered what was going on, noticing that other than the professor, she was the only one there. She wondered if she had lost some air when she had gotten there.
"Professor... What's going on?" She asked, utterly confused.
"Rogue, with everyone away for summer vacation, or out to college, our numbers are rather thin, and to be quite honest, you are the only one with the particular talents for what will be needed in this mission." Xavier said in his normal monotone voice. He was a man who seemed to almost demand respect, despite the endless gentle aura he seemed to radiate. Rogue stood over him with a confused look on her face, the green and black Teflon battle suit suddenly seemed out of place.
"What exactly are we gonna do professor?" She asked. The professor simply smiled and turned, his chair seemingly moving on it's own up the ramp into the jet.
"You are going to help me recruit a new mutant into the institute." Rogues eyes went wide in shock.
"Professor, isn't Jean or Storm better suited for this?" She asked as she followed, suddenly weak in the knee's.
"Rogue, you yourself voiced your wish to stay on and work here at the institute, and if you wish to do so, you will have to learn how to do this, now... you have taken your license test to pilot the X-jet, haven't you?"
XxXxX
The sun shined it's final rays over the suburb community of Petruska Park, New Jersey, and it was Jack Carson's favorite time of the day. He seemed to walk with a spring in his step as he walked down the sidewalk towards home. School seemed to go great, almost to perfectly. Cindy Rogers had asked him out. ASKED HIM, it was as if god was making up for some foul up he planed on making later, but Jack chose not to dwell on that, as he turned on the sidewalk, and walked up the driveway to his home. His little brother Ash, was there already, playing basket ball. He smiled and shook his head in comical disapproval.
"Ash, you still failing history?" He asked, as if waiting for the bad answer.
"Oh shut up Jack, we cant all be science wiz's, let me practice." He said evenly as he tossed the ball at the hoop. Jack watched the ball swish threw the net, but caught it as it fell, and held it over his brothers head.
"Ash, tell you what, you go and study now, and I promise, in five minutes, i'll be there to help you out, and we won't stop till your homework's done." Ash grumbled, his green jersey and ball cap seemed to make him look simple some how, but in reality he was a bright boy, just not interested in schoolwork.
"Alright, but you better help out, and not just watch." He said evenly as he snatched his ball back and stomped into the house. Jack smiled as he watched him go. He felt great. For once things seemed to be going great. He gave a sigh of contentment as he tossed the basketball in the garage and trotted up the stairs into the house. Jack yawned as he stepped into the kitchen, bound for his bedroom to settle in before helping out his little brother with homework.
"Good day son?" An aged voice asked as he passed the kitchen table. Jack stopped and backed up to look in and see his father, sipping on a beer and holding the paper.
"Yeah... i guess it was." Jack replied, a grin creeping in, unable to contain it.
"Well son, when your done helping your brother out with his homework you and I can sit down and..." Jack's fathers words were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"We'll finish this later." He said with a smile. Jack returned the smile, as he watched his old man answer the door. Behind the door was a small group of people, one was possibly short, it was difficult to tell due to his crouching position, one was a monstrously heavy set man, the last of the men was tall, wearing shades even though the sun had just gone down, and their leader was a woman, tall, blond haired, with a light smile spread on her lips, all were dressed in a black latex looking uniform, like something out of the matrix.
"Alex Carson?" She asked, evenly.
"Yes? Is there something i can help you with?" Jack's dad replied, somewhat confused.
"Yes, as a matter of fact you can, you see... about 113 years ago... a man named Eric Wagner was murdered by an anti mutant group led by your ancestor, a Nathanial Carson." She said evenly.
"Oh.. I see... well if your one of those anti mutant groups, I'm afraid we are just not interested." He said, trying to close the door, the woman's foot slabbed hard into the floor, forcing it wide open, startling Jack's dad, as well as Jack, who was watching from the kitchen.
"You misunderstand sir, you see... you and your son's are the last of his descendants, and you see... my revenge can finally end." She said, as her skin seemed to darken, turning dark blue, her hair spreading out and tinting to a crimson red. Her eyes brightening to a shimmering golden color. Alex's eyes went wide in shock, as the small crouching man lept at him, sending Alex flying backwards. The croucher lept all over the house, pulling a lighter from his pocket, and setting the home on fire. The thin man, with the bright white hair, seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye, only to re appear later, with Jacks brother Struggling in his arms. The blue woman snickered and kneeled down to face him.
"Well, arn't you a charming little boy." She said, slapping his face hard, causing him to stop his struggling. "Tell me boy, what's it feel like... when you are about to die?" Jack gasped, and suddenly feel forward, the leaper standing on his back, the fires spreading now.
"And you boy, you will be the last to die." The woman said with glee as she gripped Jacks father by the shirt collar, and threw him hard into the front yard. They were about to walk out, when The white haired boy called out.
"What about the kids?" He asked.
"Throw them into the fire." Jack's eyes went even wider, his life flashing before his eyes. Just then, there was a massive explosion from the kitchen, sending the group out of the house, everyone sprawled on the lawn... everyone except for Ash. Jack slowly stood from the ground, shaking his head as he looked up. Looking over the people who were slowly rising, he heard a horrid scream. Jack looked up, saw the shadow of his brother, engulfed in flames, scrambling desperately to find freedom from the flames. Jack raced for the door, desperate to save his brother, when he was suddenly being held back. He struggled to free himself, but the boy with white hair had a good grip. Jack was reaching for the door, determined to do something, but it was too late. The last he saw, was his brother... falling limp just feet away from the front door.
"N.. no... Ash..." he said, shaking, feelings he'd never known filling his insides. A second explosion sending him and the white haired boy sailing. Jack was flung behind the shrubs, just outside the nearby woods that stood nearby the house, The white haired boy was plowed hard into the tree nearby. Jack was shaking as he stood to his knees, taking a breath he couldn't find, his mind lost in anger and hurt and loss. His whole body shaking as he slowly peered over the bushes. The others where all on their feet now, the heavy one holding jacks father up to face The blue woman, who had taken a nice slow time slapping him hard.
"W...why... what.. what did we do to you?" Alex asked weakly, blood trickling down his chin.
"You? Nothing really, but I made a promise very long ago.. you just had the bad luck being born in a bad family." She said, pulling a small knife from her side belt, and almost as if she'd thought about it every moment of her life, she plunged the knife deep into his forehead, his eyes were wide open, his mouth coughing blood, as he fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Where's the boy?" The woman asked.
"We can't find him, he was probably killed in that last blast." The croucher said, looking around, only finding The white haired boy, now helping the heavy man throw him over his shoulder.
"We will come back later to make sure, the police will be here any moment." The blue woman said as she led them away. Jack waited longer, frozen in place, watching as the police came, inspected the home, noting that it was arson but there was to little evidence. Watched as the paramedic's carried the smoldering chaired bones that was once his baby brother away in a body bag, watched as the cops pulled the knife from his fathers head. And watched as they drove away. Hours after it was over, the sun started to rise, and Jack stood up, without realizing he had done so, and started walking. No one place, no real speed, just... kept walking, before he knew it he was miles away from new york. He had walked the whole day, his mind blank. Just then a car pulled by him, saw in in his chaired and burned cloths, and the driver slowly stepped out.
"W.. What happened to you son?" The man asked as he ran up to him.
"M.. mutants... they.. they broke into my home.. and.. they.. they..." And Jack fell to his knees, tears falling like a river. The man leaned down and held him gently.
"Mutants huh, come on son, lets get you off the streets, I know a place where you might find peace again." The man said, leading the broken boy to the car. The "F.O.H." license plate almost a startling message of things to come, of things... Jack would soon regret.
XxXxX
That's it for chapter two, next time, Jack meets A little web-head, an x-woman, and makes a decision that will ether lead him to peace, or lead him to a never ending pain.