Non Mutant Hero: A Human X-Factor Sequel
By Orkoad
Based on characters and situations created and/or owned by Marvel Comics, DC Comics Sunbow Entertainment, Kids WB, Monkey Punch Publications, Nickelodeon entertainment, and John Proft. Special thanks to Red Witch for the use of her character, Spyder.
Chapter 10: The secret wars : Chapter 7: battle plans
Kitty was frantic as she sped the tiny Volkswagen threw the bizarre alien landscape. Her foot never left the gas pedal as she looked over at lupin every few minutes.
"ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" She repeated in terror, fiercely turning left and right to avoid obstacles in what passed for the road.
"R...ra...io..." Lupin groaned a wet, sickening groan. Kitty continued to look between him and the road.
"Like, what?" She asked, still struggling to focus as the sky overhead began to darken.
"R... Radio..." He said, one weak finger trembling as it pointed to the CB radio on the dash board. Her eyes widened as she snatched the receiver and yelled into it.
"Like, mayday, mayday, can anyone hear me?!" for a moment there was nothing but static, and it made kitty start to loose hope.
"Kitty?!" A voice called out, one she knew but not well.
"Yeah, it's like, me, lupin's been shot.. He's not doing well." There was silence for a moment.
"Okay, It's Rodimus Prime here, I got you on my G.P.S., take a hard left and keep going straight, along the forest, and take a right at the forest edge. There's a small village there, we can treat lupin there, and don't panic." Kitty trembled as she clicked the button again. She knew Rodimus was pretty much just a robot, but he had this calming, almost parent like quality to him, which made her feel a little more calm. She looked down at lupin, who's skin seemed to pail more and more with each passing moment.
"Hang on, lupin, just stay with me." She said, turning hard to the left and somehow sped faster towards the forest.
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Raphael sailed threw the air, steering the hovering, space age motorcycle like it was a part of him. He was barely out of the compound when he spotted a set of tracks in the dirt, they led to a pair of tire tracks in the muck. The small shape of the ball of the foot, and the tiny poke in the back was clearly that of a set of high heels, and didn't need a half second to think as he swerved the hoverbike in the direction of the tire tracks.
"I hope your alright girl, as bad as I'm itching for a fight, I don't need any blood on my hands." He said aloud to himself as he soared into the sunset.
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Raphael didn't realize that he was being watched. Skeletor sat on his thrown of aging bones and rotting flesh as he hunched over, his empty eyes staring at the monitor in front of him.
"It appeared an amphibian has decided to invade our realm." He said in his high pitched voice. "I understand, he is one of your old combatants?" Skeletor asked, as he turned to one of his lieutenants.
"Indeed he is, and I want him!" The angry man demanded, shaking his fist.
"Very well, my metal plated allie, take a platoon and set your trap." Skeletor said with a sinister chuckle, as the man stepped out in front of him, bowing, his body clad in countless blades strapped to his arms and shoulders, his helmet and faceplate hiding everything but his anger filled eyes.
"I shall, if it's the last thing I do, Oroku Saki will have his revenge!"
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Jack slowly stepped out of the small room, hoping he wouldn't be yelled at for being out of bed in a language he didn't understand... Again. He smiled as he saw he-man, Clark, Chloe and orko all huddled together, talking about this and that. Orko floated over with what jack could only assume was a smile under his purple scarf.
"Jack, how are you feeling?" Orko asked as the others walked over.
"Honestly, I've never felt better, what happened?"
"Well, Clark had found you in the woods and after a fight with his... Dark half, we were able to bring you here." He-man said as he gestured to the small building they all stood in.
"The healer woman here brought you back... And honestly we don't know how." Chloe said, scratching her neck nervously.
"Yeah... I got the feeling there's a bit of a language barrier here." Jack said as he looked around. "So.. What's our status?"
"Well, kitty is on her way here, lupin's been hurt and we're hoping he can bet patched up the way they fixed you, Fujiko is missing and Raphael is out looking for her, the rest of the group is back at the compound." Clark said, giving the best info he could. Jack sighed.
"Is there any way we can talk to these people at all?" Jack asked.
"Well... Somehow... orko can talk to them." Chloe said, giving the small floating creature a confused look. Jack looked up at orko, who simply shrugged, just as confused about it as they were.
"Orko, I want you to ask the healer woman and the village elder to come in here, we need to talk."
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Raphael pulled up to the massive towering mountain, the menacing stone snake wrapping around the rock as if planning to devour it. Raphael felt a shiver shoot down his spine as he pulled off his helmet and slowly climbed off the hoverbike. He creped slowly towards the mountain, following the fresh footprint's in the dark, ash like soil. The trek towards the massive structure seemed to easy, until he heard the sound of rock crumbling off to his right. He whirled around, drawing his twin ninja daggers, better known as sai's, twirling them in a ready fighting stance. He watched, his eyes narrowing as a massive cluster of hovering robot's surrounded him. He gritted his teeth, as they all pointed their left arm's the glow of a purple lazer humming, preparing to strike.
"Ahhh, it's been so long, turtle, tonight, I finally dine on turtle soup." A fearfully familiar voice said, thick with sick confidence, as the voices owner stepped out of the shadows. The look on rapheal's face was priceless to the man.
"Shredder?!" He said in shock, and horror.
"Indeed amphibian, and if you don't want to see your friends, the girl and the thief, die a needless and bloody death, you will surrender." Raphael bit his teeth, these were the times that infuriated him the most, and with a furious growl, tossed his sai's to the ground.
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Jack felt really odd, watching orko translate everything he was saying to the woman he had learned was karoin, and the village elder, who went by the name, harouka. He waited, nervously as he waited for orko to translate their responses. Finally, orko turned back to face jack.
" The elder has agreed to side with us in the war against... Well... Evil." Orko said nervously, clearly as uncomfortable playing negotiator as jack was.
"Okay orko, tell them that we would like to relocate their village population to the compound, that way we can keep them safe and not worry about them being attacked when we're not around." Orko nodded, and turned, translating Jacks words. The elder seemed upset, almost angry at the sound of orko's words, but seemed to calm instantly as karoin rested her hand on the elder's shoulder. a moment later the elder gave his response.
"He... He didn't like the idea, but he said he would tell the village to prepare to move on." Jack took a breath.
"Alright, tell him to ask the villagers to pack only what they need, bear essentials, there's enough food and water for everyone, so they don't need to bring food, and..." Suddenly there was a loud commotion from outside. Jack froze for a moment, before heading for the building entrance. "Translate that orko, and I'll be right back, tell them to wait here for now." Jack said as he sped outside. There was a small crowd of villagers, which all leapt away from the commotion as they heard a loud scream.
"Everyone, like, get back!" A shrill, girl's voice called out. Jack instantly recognized the voice, and looked over to rodimus prime, who was standing just outside the cluster of villagers.
"Rodimus, what's is it?"
"It's lupin... He look's bad." Rodimus replied.
"Get him out of that mess, get him to the healer, now!" Rodimus didn't need to be told twice. He reached into the mass of villagers with one hand, and delicately pulled Lupin's lifeless body from the center, and carried him a foot away (for a giant robot) and reached his hand, with lupin in it, into the tent Jack had just come out of as lupin finally crawled out of the crowd, to stand beside Jack.
"I like... He passed out about ten minutes ago.." She said, her skin pail with horror. Jack gave him a worried, but calm look.
"It will be OK kitty, let's get in there, we need to see what's happening."
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Jack sat in the main room of the hut jack had woken up in hours ago. He watched as Kitty paces back and forth. She seemed to have grown fond of lupin, nothing sick like a love, but she definitely admired him. He decided to keep his thoughts about it to himself. The idea of this girl looking up to a thief definitely sent up some red flags, but she wasn't just some child, she wasn't stupid. After a moment, Kerowin and orko slowly came out of the bedroom. Kerowin looked very raced up to help her walk to the small sofa on one side of the room.
"Cula eruoin plartec ves." She said in her alien language. Jack and kitty looked up to orko.
"She said lupin should be fine in a day, but he'll need rest, she can't heal him as quickly as she healed you, she didn't have the energy she needed." Jack nodded.
"Well, then we just have to keep from getting ourselves hurt from now on." Jack said as he turned to kitty. "Did you find anything at the enemy base?" Kitty reached into her pocket and handed Jack a CD.
"Lupin like, thought he found something big, and put it on this disk." She said as she handed it over. Jack handed the disk to orko.
"Give this disk to Rodimus, orko, I want Chloe and forge to look it over and find out everything they can, and tell them to get ready for a lot of visitors." Orko saluted as he took the disk and sailed out of the room. Kitty looked down for a moment.
"I'm gonna check on lupin." She said in a tired voice. Jack nodded and watched her go, then sat down next to kerowin.
"You.. You have an amazing gift." Jack said, looking into her eyes. Kerowin said nothing, knowing anything she said would make no sense to him. They looked deep into eachothers eyes for a moment, and the world seemed to slow down. Jack heard a giggle somewhere outside his field of vision, but didn't bother to look for it, knowing it was X.
"It's OK Jack, you know what you want to do." She said in a sweet, confidant voice. He knew she was giving jack her blessing, which made his feeling flutter all the stronger. Again, life seemed to slow to a crawl, and before jack knew what was happening, he felt her timid, orange hand caressing his cheek.
"Talaku, nerou... Jack." She said, almost a whisper, and in the blink of an eye, they were locked in a passionate embrace, a wild kiss setting them both ablaze.
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Two hours later, Jack was holding kerowin in his arms, as they watched the townspeople pilling up into a massive cart, which had been attached to the Trailer of Rodimus prime. She seemed to almost cuu as she rested her head against his shoulder. The people of the village seemed to completely ignore it. As far as they were concerned it was none of their business, but some of his allies thought different. While the trailer was still, and being filled with supplies, Rodimus prime stood, watching the movements of the village. He cleared his throat, which normally and autobot didn't need to do, but his time on earth, atleast his earth, had taught him some of the more suttle things humans did.
"Jack, can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked. Jack looked up, and Kerowin followed his movements. As jack started to pull away, kerowin seemed to cling to him, as orko floated by, trying his best to translate for anyone who needed it.
"kalucka tea." She said, almost worried. Jack gently stroked his fingers threw her flowing, silky hair.
"Orko, tell her I will only be gone a moment." He said as he kissed kerowin's hand, and stepped away as orko translated. She heard orko's words, and gave a nod, he could see it pained her to be away from him, but was also clear that he was his own person, and it wasn't right to cling to him. Jack gave a sigh as he followed rodimus to the edge of the village. "What's up, prime?" Rodimus gave a sigh, which was more of a habit than something necessary.
"Jack, is this a good idea.. Getting involved with a native?" Jack looked back at rodimus. He wanted to be angry at the question, but he knew Rodimus had a point.
"Prime, you know as well as I do that we can't pick who we care for... It's more than I can control right now... I... I think I love her... And ill bring her home when this is all over if possible." Rodimus kneeled down to be closer, to whisper as best he could.
"What if you can't, jack, what if when this is over you can't bring her with, or worse.. What if we loose this war?" Jack looked down, taking a breath, before looking back at rodimus, a passion in his eyes.
"I can never except that as an option. We have to... We WILL Win this war, I wont let evil rule." Rodimus nodded in quiet agreement.
"Just be prepared Jack, as bad as you want it, you may not be able to hold her when all is said and done."
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Two hours later, everyone was back in the complex. The villagers were calmly settling into their new home, and Kitty was personally seeing to Lupin's recovery. The crew that had hidden in the saferoom were now out and about and meeting their new friends. Forge was now busy at work in the workshop, tinkering with the new alien tech that seemed to be everywhere. He jumped in surprise as a mass of metal clanged on the floor at his feet. He leapt to his feet and looked up to see jack standing in the front doorway.
"Your new design has some bugs in it... No pun intended." Jack said as he walked into the room, the door sliding shut with a hiss behind him. Forge bent down and looked over the helmet, covered in dents and dings.
"What the hell could do this to adamantium?" Forge asked as Jack took a seat at the nearby table.
"Kimura happened..." Jack said with a groan as he leaned his back against the wall, feeling sick just saying her name.
"Who?"
"One of the bad guys... Can you fix it?" Forge examined the helmet again.
"It would be easier if you could have saved more of it."
"Well that wasn't happening, the rest of it is scrap metal." Jack replied, looking down at his hands. "We fucked up forge... We nearly got ourselves killed... I should have brought cap's shield... I just can't seem to do it... It feels like.. If I do I might loose it... I can't let myself risk it..." Forge rested his hand on jack's shoulder.
"Get some rest buddy, I'll have your watch back and better than ever in three hours." Jack nodded, and stepped out.
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An hour later, jack sat in the stands of the war room, the massive stadium like room was completely empty now. Jack sat, his eyes blank, cause his mind wasn't on where he was, but thinking. He needed to come up with a plan, something.. Anything. He had been improvising long enough.
"It wasn't your fault you know." A voice said. Jack looked up, to see X standing on the stage.
"What wasn't my fault?"
"Kimura... You couldn't kill her jack, letting her live wasn't a bad call." She said, as jack started walking down to the stage.
"Yeah x, what if she comes back, what if she kills again, anyone she kills after now is on my hands... I should have done more..."
"Jack, if you had killed her, you wouldn't have been the man I loved." Jack sighed.
"If it were you and not me... Would you have killed her?" X looked down, before returning her eyes to his, but said nothing. "That's what I thought."
"But I'm not you jack... I was raised in a lab, they literally made me to be a killing machine. You... Are the greatest man I've ever known..." She said as she stroked her fingers against his cheek, his reaction, leaning into the caress, made her smile, "And Jack... I'm not the only one who thinks so." She said, glancing passed jack. He followed her eyes, to see kerowin, standing there timidly. Jack turned back to X, but she was gone. Jack walked over to Kerowin, who was walking to him as well. She gently put her hands on his shoulders, and seemed to be struggling with something, before looking deep into jack's eyes.
"I... Love... You.." She said slowly, almost as if she had studied to say them. The simple statement made him blush, his arms gently wrapping around her waist, holding her too him.
"I... I love you..." He said, his eyes welling up with tears, as he leaned in to a tender kiss. That's when kitty had just walked in. She was so excited to tell Jack of lupin's full recovery, but her throat went dry. Her eyes wide, as she leapt back into the hallway, out of site. Her back against the wall, her body frozen. She didn't know what to do, what to think. Was this good or bad? She raced off, not knowing who to talk to, but she had to talk to someone.
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Another hour later, the war room was now filled with the allies jack had called to this world. Kerowin sat in a seat at the front row, beside the village leader, orko beside them both, to translate jack's speech.
"everyone... I screwed up... Bad. We were incredibly outmanuvered and outgunned... Because I ran off without thinking. I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm asking for you all to bear with me... We need a plan... I've got half of one.. But I need help... I need idea's... I.." Jack was cut off when the massive screen burst to life, revealing Skeletor's demonic features.
"Greetings hero's." His high pitched voice echoed threw the hall. Kerowin gave a terrified gasp. "I have word of one of your allies." He said, stepping back, revealing someone behind him, chained to a stone wall, blood trickling down his chest, Raphael hung, alive, but barely.
"Skeletor, what do you want?" JAck asked angrily.
"As badly as I want this whole battle to be over, I will set it aside for the moment... For now... I WANT HE-MAN, he is to be delivered to my second in command before sunrise, if not... The amphibian will die."
"How dare you!" Rodimus yelled angrily, but skeletor held up a hand, stopping his verbal assault.
"I would choose my words carefully, Rodimus Prime, for if you do not, your turtle friend will die, and my second in command is very egger to kill someone." He said, as he stepped of screen, making room for his allie, a being Rodimus knew to well.
"Ah, An autobot, I look forward to ripping out your optics." The demented robot on the screen said, his glowing eyes so crazed he almost looked insane, as insane as one could look and still be a robot. Rodimus's mouth hung open.
"Galvatron."
"You have until sunrise, Autobot, If he-man is not delivered, Your friend will die." And with that, the screen sparked into blankness. Jack stood in blank shock for a moment, then a smile cracked on his face.
"Guys... This is bad... But there may be some good that's come out of it." Kitty stood, her gaze angry.
"What good could come from this?!" She almost screamed.
"I got a plan, and it's going to work!"
End Of Chapter
Next Chapter: Meanwhile: Part 2
OK, Things are getting hectic. Kitty had some new information that she can't get out of her head, All the villains have shown their faces, and fugiko may have switched sides. Not to mention thing's are about to get real crazy back home. Detective Jim Hammond is much more than he seems, and His number one priority is bringing jack behind bars, and what is so big and bad that spider-girl and Cable have shown themselves to the X-men?
What could happen next? Will (young) ollie keep herself in the X-mansion? Will Jack be able to keep his happiness with Kerowin? And what will Skeletor and his followers plan for the future?
So what dose everyone think? Am I doin good? This secret war story is got me second guessing myself, if its any good so far please... PLEASE let me know.