Chapter 7: The Battle for Survival
"We need to proceed with extreme caution." Psychic Storm said "We do not know the full extent of her capabilities."
"We know Psychic Storm." Ace said "But that doesn't mean that she still ain't cute, does it?"
"Ugh, I think I'm gonna throw up." The Phantom said.
'Me too' Psychic Storm thought.
"Night Wing, head back to the Jet and see if we can get some help." Psychic Storm said.
"Right" Night Wing responds as she flies off.
"Who are you?" Phase Shift said.
"I'm the Phantom and let me introduce you to your worst fear." Phantom said as she opened her red eyes and looked at us all with a hellish glare.
All of a sudden, Psychic Storm became weak and fell to the floor on his hands and knees. Psychic Storm managed to look around and all he had saw was destruction. His fellow X-men lay on the floor amidst the utter carnage; they appear to be dead.
'This can't be.' Psychic Storm thought to himself. 'She must've done something to us. This all seems too unlikely to be real. I feel like I was in one of Deadly Illusions, illusions. I need to break out of this. It isn't real.'
As Psychic Storm began to concentrate, the scene begins to return, He see everyone else's face contorted with fear. He then saw her strolling over toward Ace.
Elsewhere….
"Well it looks like this is over." Miss Scarlet said. "I thought they would put up more of a fight."
"Don't count them out just yet." Marvel Boy said. "They are very resourceful, especially that nephew of mine."
"With all due respect…." Miss Scarlet began.
"Silence woman, do you dare defy my knowledge?" Marvel Boy said with anger. "Now sit there and be quiet while we watch this."
"I'm sorry." Miss Scarlet said meekly.
Back at Genosha…
"I think that I will take care of you first; the cocky one." Phantom said as her hand glowed with energy. Soon she was lunged back into a rock structure. "What the…."
"You're not going to hurt him." Psychic Storm say as one of his eyes glow white while the other glows red. Soon angry storm clouds approach as he levitates. "I will not allow you to harm my friends."
"Oh it seems that one of you little pip-squeaks were able to escape the Penance Stare." She said sounding slightly bemused. "How could you possibly?"
"First of all, that was a sad excuse for an illusion, my roommate Deadly Illusion makes better." Psychic Storm said proudly. "And second of all, I can create illusions as well so I knew what to look for."
'Thank god for that freshman illusion class' Psychic Strom thought 'And to think I thought that class was useless.'
"Enough of this; since the Penance Stare couldn't take you out, I will." She exclaimed angrily.
Phantom shot a blast at Psychic Storm as he flew out of the way. The heavens began to rumble as lightning rained down on Phantom who managed to dodge each strike. She ran over and began firing multiple hellfire blasts at the young storm rider. Psychic Storm put up his telekinetic shield and tried to think of something to do.
'I need the others if I can even have a chance of taking her out.' Psychic Storm thought. 'There is only one thing I can do; I just hope I have enough power to do it.'
Psychic Storm than closed his eyes and began to project himself into Phoenix X's mind. This was quite a struggle because he was trying to maintain the telekinetic shield while projecting himself into the mind of someone in a state of fear. Psychic Storm looked around and saw nobody. There were just white walls. He than finally saw something in the corner of the room. It appeared to be someone in a straight jacket. I looked closer and saw that it was Phoenix X.
"I'm not crazy. I'm all alone." Phoenix X kept repeating in a monotone voice.
"Logan, Logan it's me Brent." Psychic Storm said as he went over.
"Huh, what, is someone there?" He responded blankly.
"Logan, can you see me?" Psychic Storm answered.
"I think so, finally I am not alone." Logan said.
"What? Logan quickly there is not much time." Psychic Storm said. "This is all an illusion. None of it is real. I need your help. I need for you to snap out of this."
"But it seems so real." Logan said. "I even think I am starting go crazy. It does run in the family."
"Logan you're not crazy. Look, I need you're help you… need… to… snap… out… of … this…" Psychic Storm said as he began to fade out.
"Brent…. Brent…. Where are you?" Logan exclaimed as he saw his nephew faded away. "I need to get out of here."
'Oh no, I can't keep this up.' Psychic Storm thought as he began to drift back to his body. Psychic Storm starts to see the telekinetic shield he set-up start to waiver and weaken and Phantom collecting hellfire in her hand to project a powerful blast. Psychic Storm then finally makes it back and opens his eyes. The telekinetic shield fades away.
"Gotcha now. It seems as though your time is up." Phantom says as she launches her attack.
Psychic Storm braces himself for the impending doom. Soon a figure comes in front of him and dissipates the blast. He then look up to see Phoenix X in front of him, with his claws out and smoking from cutting through the blast.
"That's enough." Phoenix X says.
"It's about time one of the other toys woke up and came out to play." Phantom said with amusement.
'Brent, you have more telepathic ability than I do.' Phoenix X telepathically told Psychic Storm. 'I will distract Phantom while you wake everyone else out of their nightmare.'
'I'll try.' Psychic Storm replys 'But my mind is pretty weary from trying to project a sheild as well as contact you. I am going to create an illusion of my own that makes me look like I disappeared and hopefully will have enough energy to reach everyone.'
'Alright, be careful' he thought.
Psychic Storm closed his eyes and began to concentrate again. He started to fell weak, but worked through it. All of a sudden his body began to shimmer and soon disappear.
"Where did that other one go?" Phantom said.
"That's none of your business." Phoenix X said. "I'm here and you have to deal with me."
Elsewhere….
"Where did that Weather Wizard go to?" said A mysterious figure that stood along side Marvel Boy.
"That was brilliant. He didn't go anywhere." Marvel Boy said. "He created an illusion that forces everyone to see the backdrop and not see him."
"I didn't know he could do that." The Figure said.
"Apparently he can." Marvel Boy responded.
Back at Genosha…
A battle raged on between Phoenix X and Phantom as Psychic Storm levitated to a portion of the woods. There he projected himself into Phase Shift's mind. It looked as though he had entered one of the jungles not too far from the village he had come from. There were vines and trees everywhere. Psychic Strom heard hissing and screaming, He ran toward the sound and found a King Cobra coiled around Phase Shift.
"Help!! Someone please help me!" Phase Shift screamed.
"Phase Shift, its Psychic Storm." Psychic Storm yelled.
"Psychic Storm, good help me." She said sounding paniced but relieved.
"I can't help you." Psychic Storm said. "Only you can overcome this. This is an illusion created by Phantom's Penance Stare. The only way you will get free is by getting over your fear."
"I can't." Phase Shift said. "I'm too scared."
"No Phase Shift, you can." Psychic Storm said. "You need to say that this is not real and believe it. Say it with me "This is not real."
"This isn't real. This isn't real." Phase Shift began to say as the snake soon faded away.
"I knew you could do it." Psychic Storm said. "There isn't much time. Phoenix X needs your help. I will bring you back to reality and there you can help him while I bring Ace out of this."
Psychic Storm grabbed her hand and lead her towards a light. She awoke to see the battle still raging on between Phoenix X and Phantom. Soon Phase Shift got up and began to aid her fellow X-man.
'Okay. Two down and one more to go.' Psychic Storm thought as he prepared to enter Ace's mind.
Psychic Storm had made his attempt to enter, but for some reason it was not working, he then tried again but he couldn't get to the place where Ace was trapped in his fear.
Meanwhile in Ace's mind….
"Boy I don't what the hell is wrong with you?" A mysterious southern voice said.
"Don't call me boy." Ace responded angrily.
"Maybe I should call you son." The voice said with an air of arrogance.
"Don't you dare call me that either." Ace said as he lunges at the figure.
The figure takes his staff, hits Ace in the legs, causing him to lose his balance and fall. The stranger puts his foot on Ace's chest and lights what appears to be a card.
"This is what happens when you think you can take me on… boy." The voice said as he threw the card at Ace. Before it reached however, Ace woke up.
"What happened?" Ace said.
'Ace are you alright?' Psychic Storm asked telepathically.
'Yea, I'm fine.' Ace thought. 'What's going on Psychic Storm?'
'Phantom's Penance Stare caused us to live out our worst fear.' Psychic Storm replied. 'I was able to escape and get the other two out. However, I couldn't get to you so I hit you with a psionic blast.'
'No wonder I have a headache.' Ace thought.
"Well, well, well, you finally woke up." Phantom said. "The other two have failed to take me down and the third one seemed to flee in fear. So now it is you and me."
"Well cutie, I hate to take you out, but I have to do what I have to do." Ace said as he charged up his hand.
'Ace wait I have a plan.' Psychic Storm told him telepathically.
'Well what is it?' Ace thought.
'She doesn't realize that I am still here.' Psychic Storm told Ace. 'So if I can pin her there and lift you up to her; you can touch her and knock her out.'
'Sounds good to me.' Ace thought.
'Give me a minute, I only have enough mental power right now to do this plan.'
Both of Psychic Storm eyes began to glow red as Psionic spikes begin to erupt from the ground around Phantom.
"Huh, what is this?" Phantom said as the spikes begin to pierce her legs and shoulders to the point where she can't move. "Ahhhhh."
Psychic Storm soon shimmered back in since he couldn't hold the illusion up much longer.
"So it was you" Phantom struggled to say.
"Yea, I never left." Psychic Storm replied as he lifted Ace up to her. "Do it now, I can't hold this for much longer."
Ace touches the side of her face and she begins to scream. Soon Ace begins to yell in pain and agony. Psychic Storm than dropped Ace as his power falters. As he let's Phantom go, she falls to the floor. Psychic Storm watched the scene unfold and see Ace's head become engulfed in flames. The yelling continued as the skin and flesh melt away and all that is left is a skull.
"I'm free." Ace said in a distorted, demonic, evil voice.
"Oh no" Psychic Storm said as he sensed the earth itself quiver in fear.
"Later losers" said the what appeared to be Ace, as it ran off.
As Ace ran off, Psychic Storm staggered to his feet, As he started to move Phoenix X stirred and awoke.
Elsewhere….
"Well that certainly was an interesting fight." Marvel Boy said.
"I can't believe that they took down Phantom." said a large creature that looked like a devil.
"What the hell happened to that other X-man, Ace?" said a teenage female voice.
"He's been transformed." Marvel Boy said simply. "Young Devil, I need you to intercept him and try to persuade him to our side."
"Of course" Young Devil said as he flew out of there.
Back at Genosha…
"What happened?" Logan asked.
"True evil has been unleashed." Psychic Storm replied.
"Where's Ace?" Phoenix X said.
"We have to get back to the Jet." Psychic Storm answered in a grave voice.
Logan picked up Amy and Phantom and carried them back as Psychic Storm limpped back towards the X-jet.
'This is not good. Not good at all.' Psychic Storm thought as they entered the X-Jet.
