Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor Marvel… MEINOS SMASH.
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Chapter9: Alien or otherworldy?
Nowadays, being a police-man wasn't really that normal anymore. Once there were just burglars, killers and the likes, but now you had superburglars, superkillers, aliens, mutants… And god only knew what else. So, if there was something that looked like it was over your head, the best thing to do was ask for help to the nearest super-hero. Which one to call was another matter now. But it seemed that recently, at least that had become easier.
"We were called in… There were reports of gunfire and an explosion. But when we got here…" The policeman used his arm to point the two's attention to the rest of the room. "Well, you saw those bodies out there, all cut up. I just never…" He paused, trying to find the good words. But it was easy, really. "Never seen anything like it. And when we went inside, it got even worse. All the bodies… Weird computers… I mean, that guy over there…" He pointed to one of the bodies on the floor, now all covered with blankets. He then put a hand over his own face. "What can do that to someone? It's just too much." He turned to his 'guests' again, adjusting the hat over his head. "I know you guys deal with this kinda thing, and since you're the official superheroes now… I-I just thought…"
"You did the right thing, officer." Poor man. Between the 'crime scene' and their presence, he was starting to stutter, trying to excuse himself for asking for help. That's what they were there for. "We'll take it from here." That was what the New Avengers existed for. And what currently Iron Man and Ms. Marvel were in that church for.
Tony's brain and suit immediately started to analyze the structure, in particular the 'weird computers'. "Most of the computers here are fairly basic… And apparently designed to download and display data, not used for processing." He then kneeled down next to the body that had freaked out the policeman. All covered in dust… That once was part of it. "Hmmm…" He used his left hand to touch said dust, so that his armour's sensors started giving out an analysis of its chemical composition.
"What could have done this, Tony?" Carol Danvers had seen a lot of things in her life, but she knew that people didn't turn to dust by gunshots. And to get answers it was always better to ask someone like Tony.
"Some kind of disintegration ray. Although I haven't seen anything quite like this." Oxygen 65 percent. Carbon 18,5 percent. Hydrogen… "Even Ultron isn't so… Thorough."
"I hate mysteries." Indeed. She had always been more of an action type. "Give me something to punch any day."
"Be careful what you fish for, Carol. I'm picking up a distinct energy trail." His other sensors had started searching for other clues… And in front of his eyes something appeared that looked like a glowing pink puddle. He started to analyze the energy… 'Error. Energy type unknown'. He started working with what he knew. The sneaking direction of the trail. "Whatever it was, it moved down from the cross, killed those two men, and came to this body here." Another strange thing. He turned to the policeman. "Your report says this one died from a bullet wound?" He interfaced his armour with every known super-database. "Commence full spectrum analysis: record." From the outside, his armour's eyes glowed a strong yellow. And even if it was a 'full spectrum analysis', it just took a few seconds more than the normal ones. But the result was the same. "It's not coming up in any of the records… S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers, Fantastic Four… Odd." For the moment, they would need to focus on the movements of the subject that left the trail. "The energy trail left the church and took flight… Headed southwest, then just stopped cold about a mile out."
"So this thing has a disintegration ray, but shot someone with a gun?" Carol just had to use sarcasm. It just looked too strange to not… She gasped when the policeman uncovered the body. "Oh my god… It's just a kid." Tony turned to the body as well. You could notice a lot of things. His posture, his last facial expression… But what he focused on was his last desperate act. He tried to write a message on the floor, in his own blood. Tried, because… He couldn't finish the word, it seemed. N. I. M. R. And… Maybe an unfinished 'O'.
"A kid trying to tell us something." Tony found admirable that a 'kid' found the willpower to write something in his own blood on the floor just moments before dying. Most of the adults he knew didn't have that kind of willpower. He scanned his face. "Facial recognition in progress…" Match found. "The Office of National Emergency has a file on him. Joshua Guthrie… He's a mutant."
"Oh, no…" Another one? Carol knew there were so few last… And now… She turned to Tony. "Does… Is there any information on his family?"
"Mother, Lucinda Guthrie." Of course there was. "Father, deceased. Siblings…" Woah. Quite a long list. "Elizabeth, Joelle, Melody, Paige, Samuel…"
"Sam Guthrie." Carol cut off Tony when she recognized the combination of the last name and the surname. She turned to the body once more. "This is one of Xavier's students. This is Cannonball's brother." A terrible thing. But Tony had to remain professional. Whatever killed him and the two other men… Was out there.
"The X-Men might have information about what did this. Maybe whatever the boy wrote means something to them." They needed a trail. Something to at least honour that boy's wishes. His last ounce of strength had been used to leave behind that message. It was not to be ignored. "I'll notify Valerie Cooper at the O*N*E. They can…"
"No. The X-Men shouldn't get this kind of news from the military." Carol cut off Tony again. She knew he was already dialling the woman's number. "I'll tell them."
"… Then, please do me a favour. Remind Emma of…"
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While inside the mansion, Henry was discussing with the colonel what to do with Stryker's body and the pink glove of doom he was carrying, outside Julian was standing, his back to a wall, while the O*N*E agents cleaned the backyard from bodies. He didn't like showing that side of his personality. But Cessily had reached him nonetheless.
"We stopped them." She said. Julian just scoffed.
"Yeah. Hooray for us." He simply replied. Cess sighed. She knew Julian was stronger than Josh. He wouldn't pull a Hulk on the world. But he was still suffering.
"How's your side?"
"I'm fine." He said. The redhead just rolled her eyes.
"You're such a terrible liar." He smiled a bit.
"Yeah. Well, I'll be fine." He said, turning his gaze to the ground, this time. Cessily shook her head.
"Julian, I know Miss Frost is mad at you for some reason… That she made Nori leader just to punish you. And I'm sorry about how Sofia left…" She took a pause, biting her lower lip. "Look, I know you miss Brian and the others. We all do… But you have to remember that we're in this together. None of what's happened is your…"
"My fault. Yeah, I hear that a lot." He cut her off, shaking his head. The words were always the same because they were true. But he wasn't blaming himself. He was just… "I thought I knew how bad it could get, you know? That we could handle it. But I was wrong." He then turned his head to a couple of agents moving another body. Cessily did the same.
"… called themselves Purifiers. Some of them escaped, I heard…"
"Good. They didn't finish the job."
"Jeez, Larry… Keep your voice down."
"… Nobody could be ready for this kind of hate." Julian hated feeling like this. It wasn't cool. It wasn't superior. It was… Human. Normal. Himself. He decided to change the subject of the discussion. He turned to her smiling. "So, what's the matter with clone-boy?"
"Uh?" The question took her by surprise, since she was deadly serious just a few seconds before. She blushed when she understood. "Ah… Naruto…"
"I see you've improved on colouring other parts of your body. I think he will like it." Cess smiled and shook her head.
"To him, it doesn't make a difference… He's the first one to actually like my appearance. He said I was 'freaking cool' the first time he saw me…" She replied. Julian 'Hmmm'-ed and crossed his arms.
"Are you sure you're not being blinded by that? I mean, I can understand that it makes you happy, but…"
"It's not only about that… Or me, for that matter." Cess sighed a little at that, crossing her arms as well. "I don't know if you've noticed how Laura is acting around him… Or me, for that matter."
"Duh." Julian rolled his eyes at that. "Pretty difficult not to notice it."
"Well, the point is this. To him it doesn't matter who he's talking with or what he has done in the past or what he's made of." She smiled some more, feeling her body get warm at the memory of his embrace. "He acts the same way with anyone he meets. Kind, caring, a bit impulsive and childish. Of course, if you piss him off, it's another matter… But that's how he is." Her smiled widened. "I really can't blame Laura for liking him as well…"
"… Alright. I never heard you talk about anyone in that fashion. You've got me. But, aren't you rushing things in that other matter?" That made Cessily blink and raised her head in a flash. Then, she turned completely red. Nice trick, thought Julian.
"W-W-WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?"
"Laurie told me you 'invited' him to your room after the cartoon night." Julian grinned like a Cheshire. Cess turned even more red.
"W-WE DIDN'T DO IT! WE JUST… Ehm…" She turned her head to the side and mumbled something. Julian approached her with his left ear and she repeated it again. He blinked.
"Wow. Didn't believe you could be that kinky. Nice creative way of using your powers." Cessily was about to shove Julian away when… She noticed a shadow above them. She raised her head.
"Julian, look up." Julian did so… And like any healthy American male, he liked what he saw.
"Now, that's what I call a super-outfit."
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"Please… Do you see him?"
"There used to be so many more of us." Commented Mindee while scanning the world using Cerebra. That was her first impression. It was always shocking.
"I know, Mindee." Sometimes Scott wished the girls could still feel. The lacking of emotion in their voices was… Sad, to say the least. "For now, just concentrate on finding Jay."
"I… I'm not sensing him. He's either being shielded somehow, or he's…"
"Or he's dead." It seemed that even now, though, some traits of their original personalities remained. Like Phoebe's one. Even before the sealing of the Phoenix Force fragment in their diamond hearts, she had always been a bit colder than her sisters.
"No, Allah, please… Do not let this happen." Prayed Sooraya. it had been her idea of using Cerebra to find Jay. His current whereabouts were still unknown. "This is my fault, I should have gone with him…"
"If you followed him, you would be dead." Stated Laura. She had went to the 'appointment' in Dust's place. She knew what she was talking about.
"But maybe Jay would still be alive!" She replied, raising her voice a little.
"No, he would not." Again, Laura knew what she was talking about. Suddenly, the third cuckoo, Celeste, turned to Cyclops. She had just been given a 'thought-call'.
"Mister Rasputin is calling you, Mister Summers… He says you have a visitor."
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"Tell him it's urgent, Celeste."
"Wow." Best comment ever in reaction to Ms Marvel's costume and figure.
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"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Nnnnnn!"
"Miss Frost said it wasn't a mental condition… That it was physical. Like he had altered his own brain chemistry." Nori just kept on being silent. Naruto blinked and narrowed his eyes. David understood. "Basically… He changed how his own brain works. No sedatives are working."
"You could have used those words from the beginning." Replied Naruto, while Nori adjusted her gloves.
"Damn, these old gloves itch." She the returned her attention to Josh. "So, what do we do now?"
"We wait. Hopefully, his mind will heal itself or he will just snap out of it."
"I hope he does it sooner than later, David." Naruto kept on observing the charcoal black mutant scream and convulse in his bed. "He looks like something out of the Evil Dead trilogy." Both Noriko and David turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Don't ask. Miss Frost imprinted the whole series in my mind. Maybe she wanted to scare me for life, but I like it. Well, of course, with all the blood you could fill an Olympic sized pool." He then turned his gaze to the other injured. Sam Guthrie alias Cannonball was going to be okay. And Laurie… "What about her?"
"She's recovering fairly well. She will wake up soon." Naruto shook his head.
"I was talking about the hole in her shoulder… At this point, her whole right arm is basically useless, right?"
"…" David lowered his head. It seemed that Naruto had a good eye for noticing the worst things. First the accident with Kevin's powers, then… "Yes. To tell the truth… I heard mister McCoy talking with Scott about proposing her… A prosthesis."
"B-But… To do that, they would have to…" Said Nori. David just nodded, and lowered his head. Naruto cursed. He felt sick just thinking about it. Not about the thing… But that they would have to ask her about it. "… Did you get a hold of Sofia?"
"No. I tried, but she's gone back to Venezuela, so she doesn't know what happened yet." Replied David. Noriko observed Josh some more… Before cursing as well.
"This has to end, David. We have to do something." She turned away from Josh before talking again. "Forty-four of us are dead. Now, Max is gone too. All of our friends, David…"
"… And I suppose that Laurie has to thank me and Josh for bickering and pushing me into her. Otherwise, instead of the back of my throat, that shot would have…"
"Ahem." The three of them all turned around, hearing Emma clear her voice from behind them. They noticed that she was with another woman. David and Nori's eyes widened, while Naruto only noticed some similarities with Laurie. This is Mrs Collins. Laurie's mother.
Ah. Naruto decided that for the moment, he had to shut up. He moved out of the way, since he was pretty much obscuring the glass that showed Laurie's bed. The woman approached the spot where he had been standing and then placed a hand on her mouth, sobbing.
"My little wallflower… What did they do to you?" She said. Emma approached her and put a hand on her right shoulder.
"She will wake up soon. Your daughter is very strong. But…" Said the white queen. Mrs Collins nodded slowly, understanding.
"Her arm is ruined… But you will have to ask her directly about the prosthesis." Emma nodded. Naruto sighed. Artificial body parts acting like real ones… He guessed that… Then, he blinked. He had almost forgot about it.
"Miss Frost, do you by any chance know a woman named Spiral?" The mention of that name made everyone but Laurie's mother jump in their skins. Nori and David knew her by name only. Emma…
"… What did you say?" Judging from her voice, they weren't exactly friendly acquaintances.
"I was sent into the coma because Josh' powers and my own healing factor apparently both saw each other as a bad influence on the body. During the coma I was… Visited by this six armed, body-parts building, bat-shit insane woman named Spiral. A knack for guro." Emma kept her serious face while Nori yucked. She knew what the word meant. Emma approached Naruto and put a hand on his right shoulder, gripping it hard.
"What did she want with you? What did she do?"
"She… Searched in my head for an image of my seal." Emma understood, and while she was at it she extracted from Naruto's mind the events that had transpired there… If Spiral and Mojo had an interest in that boy… Why didn't they just kidnap him and/or turn him into a baby like they had already done before? What were they planning? "… Ehm… Is it that bad?"
"… Mrs Collins, I'll be with you in a few minutes. I need to have a talk with my student." She then turned to David and Nori. "Keep her company for a while, please." Having said that, she walked away along with Naruto. Mrs Collins watched them before turning to David.
"David, who is that boy? I think Laurie said something about a new mutant…"
"His name is Naruto Uzumaki, alias Militia. He's Nori's team-mate and…" David thought about if he should tell or not for a few seconds. He decided to do it. "The person who took the bullet that would have killed Laurie."
"He… What?" Said the woman. David scratched his head.
"He didn't do it on purpose, but… He's been more worried about Laurie's injury than about the fact that because of the shot he had to regrow part of his mouth."
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"That's a great costume. Really great. It looks really, really comfortable."
"Santo, please stop talking." Damn rock hormones. Cess was thinking about putting a mercury leash around Santo's throat.
"Carol!"
"Thank god." Ms Marvel found salvation in Scott's voice. Salvation from hormonal driven boys. Damn her and her costume. She embraced him out of affection, though. Not thanks. "Scott! It's good to see you again. I was worried you might have left for Storm's wedding already."
"Not yet. We probably won't leave for Wakanda until the day of the wedding itself. It's been… Well, you know…" He replied, while Santo tried to be cool and Cessily silenced him again. Carol broke the embrace and got on her serious expression once more.
"Scott… I wish… I…" She chose her words carefully. "We should talk in private." Scott nodded at that, and made a sign to Carol to follow him. Observing the scene, Julian had the perfect comment.
"What was that about?" Good thing they had Laura.
"She was with him. She smells of Icarus." She said, earning immediate reactions from Sooraya…
"What?" And Julian.
"Cess? You'd better get David, Nori, and the clone-boy."
"Uh? Naruto too?" Julian just nodded.
"We're a team, right? Where one goes…" He made a strange gesture with his hand. "Whatever the heck, you know. Just get them. They're in the infirmary."
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"Understood?"
"Got it. Spiral and Mojo had time after time threatened the X-Men. Spiral in particular had managed to defeat all the X-Men alone a lot of times. Very dangerous. Shoot on sight."
"Good boy." Naruto and Emma had had a little talk about Spiral and Mojo. And from what Naruto had learned, he was starting to understand why miss Frost had implanted in his head. They returned to the infirmary just to find Cess there.
"Cessily? What's up?"
"Naruto… You should come. Something's up." At Mercury's words, Emma immediately started scanning the school… And its new arrival. She understood.
"I'll be there too, shortly. Go ahead." Naruto nodded and followed the others.
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"Local police called in the Avengers… She and Iron Man responded." It was nice to have someone with heightened senses around when you needed to eavesdrop. The team was starting to appreciate Laura more and more. "They entered the church… There was strange technology… Bodies… …" She gave a sniff. "She's wearing a lot of perfume."
"Are you serious?" Said Julian. It would come useful later. Gossip on Ms Marvel. The four missing mutants appeared in that moment.
"Who's wearing what?" He sniffed… And yucked. "Yuck, whoever it is, the thing is so strong that I can almost taste it."
"What's going on here?" Asked Noriko.
"We're eavesdropping. Summers is meeting with the hottest Avenger ever." Santo replied in his own way that was just half pertinent to the matter at hand.
"They went to Stryker's church." Julian provided the other half. He then returned his attention to Laura. "Keep going, X. Without the commentary, please."
"Something had left an energy trail, but it disappeared to the southwest." Naruto blinked. Laura could hear them talking through that thick wooden door that clearly? He didn't think he knew of ninjas who could do that without using techniques. "When they looked at the third body…" Suddenly, Laura's expression turned to surprise. Sooraya noticed this. "When they…" Then, it turned to a sad one. And she spoke four, simple, feared words. "Jay Guthrie is dead."
"What?!"
"Oh, no…" Cess and Nori reacted with surprise and horror. Sooraya started crying.
"He was shot in the…" Laura suddenly stopped when she felt a hand on her right shoulder. Naruto shook his head, telling her to stop. He then made her look around. David was grasping his head, and Santo was trying to comfort him. Further details would just sadden them more.
"Children…" Who still got enough strength to notice his surroundings turned to Emma.
"Miss Frost…"
"Return to you rooms. I'll talk to you momentarily. After I have a word with our guest." She walked to the door and stopped in front of it… Then she turned her head around. "Everyone but you, Militia."
This caught everyone by surprise. Naruto blinked. Maybe he was in trouble for letting that psycho in his head while he was unconscious?… Alright. That sounded too stupid even for my standards.
"You come in with me." Naruto scratched the back of his head and then nodded. He then turned to the others.
"I'll see you guys later." He gave them a thumbs up. David nodded.
"We'll be in Nori's room, alright?" Naruto nodded and followed Emma inside Scott's office. When the door opened, he understood what Santo meant by 'the hottest Avenger ever'. Well, he didn't knew the full roster, so he couldn't be sure… But it could be very well true. The blonde woman sitting in front of Scott at his desk was… Hot, indeed.
"Still chasing that fantasy life of yours, Carol darling?" Naruto didn't fail to notice the angry tone in Emma's voice. "Tell us… Are you the world's greatest superhero yet? Have you done any day-time talk shows lately?"
"Emma…"
"Emma, you need to hear what Carol…" Emma crossed her arms and immediately cut off the Avenger and her lover.
"Oh, I know why she's here, Scott. I read her mind the second I noticed she arrived at the school. I apologize for my tardiness, but I was showing a mother her injured daughter who will need to cut off her now useless arm to make place for a prosthesis." Naruto winced for the girl. Very low blow.
"Emma." Scott tried to admonish her. Emphasis on 'tried'.
"Has Carol told you why she's really here? Because it isn't to tell us about Jay." She just shrugged it off, and in a second brought Scott partially to her side.
"What?" He turned to Ms Marvel again. "Carol?"
"It is… But I… I also wanted to talk to you guys about the registration act." She said, trying to regain at least some terrain in the discussion. Naruto at that moment could have very well made a nice counterpart for the invisible woman.
"It would appear the 'No' I gave Tony Stark didn't convince Ms Marvel. Because of course, she and the X-Men are so very close." Naruto could understand by the emphasis Emma had put on 'very' that she was at best a work colleague. And he could see that the woman wasn't discouraged at all… But she kept talking to Scott instead of Emma. Smart choice.
"Scott… I know that mutants have been persecuted by the government. I know you've had to deal with registration before. I know about Genosha." Naruto knew too… And when he realized it, he wished he didn't know. 16 millions mutants… Killed? He covered his mouth with a hand. "But you saw what happened in Stamford. It's exactly these kind of atrocities we want to put an end to. I know the X-Men want the same thing." Naruto was starting to pay more attention to the speech. "I know because I've fought beside you. I know what the X-Men did in the House of M, for everyone. But this is the right thing to do now. We can work together…"
"Touching." Emma decided that the fellow blonde had talked enough. "And yes, Carol, we saw what happened in Stamford…" Naruto felt that usual sensation of cold. "Because the X-Men went there to help. Which begs the question, where were the Avengers when we needed help? Where were you?" His surroundings had suddenly changed. And he recognized the place.
"Emma, don't do this." Scott tried to stop her… But to no avail. The four of them were standing among the flames of the attack on the bus. While Emma talked in their minds.
Forty-two of our students were killed in a rocket attack, executed by a religious zealot. A human, who hated mutants simply because they existed. Forty two children.
"Oh, god." He was hearing that word a lot those days.
The youngest was a girl named Amber. She was about to turn thirteen. How odd… I don't see the Avengers here, pulling her body from the wreckage.
"…" And Naruto knew why. It was one of his clones the one who had done it.
The scenery changed again. This time, he noticed that Emma was absent, even if he still could feel her in his mind, and he and Scott were wearing black clothes. Carol was standing on the grass of their backyard, along with them… Near a set of coffins.
This is the funeral we held. You're standing next to Brian Cruz's body. The X-Men are about to put him in the ground. Naruto observed once more the boy's face. How it had not been damaged in the explosion was a wonder. He just wanted people to like him, much like any other teenager. But this is what he got instead. Surely the Avengers came to the funeral. No? Pity.
Another change. This time, he and Scott were invisible as well. They were in what looked like a normal house. A woman had a phone in her hand, and looked pretty shaken. Her son and daughter were comforting her.
This is Lucinda Guthrie. I have to call her and tell her that one of her sons is dead. And that her oldest son has been badly wounded.
"Emma, please…" It seemed like what was seeing and hearing were affecting the Avenger in some way.
She sent her children to this place for their protection and education. A place that has sent one child home without her mutant gifts, and now another in a coffin. Tell me, Carol… Would you like to make this phone call with me? I assure you, it's not one I'm anxious to make.
Then, they were back in the room… The three of them, at least. Ms Marvel was still trapped in an illusion, if her actions, like patting her hands against air were an indication.
"What? Where…?" Somewhere unknown. But her gasping face made him understand that she soon realized it.
"Twenty-two hours ago, the same man who blew up that bus stated a siege of the institute. Young Max Jordan was murdered in that attack. Where were you?" He heard Emma say. Then, seeing Carol's white face regain some colour confirmed to him that the mind-trip had ended. "That is what happens when people know where to find mutants, Ms Danvers. So unless you want to grab a shovel and help us lay two more innocent lives to rest, we have no further business to discuss."
"This… This isn't what I intended. I just wanted to ask…" Naruto was fearing telepathy more which each demonstration of power from Emma Frost. The blonde super-hero looked pretty shaken, even if she was recovering quickly. "… I just wanted to help."
"Thank you, but you're a little late." Emma scoffed. Useless… She then turned her gaze to Naruto. "Let's focus on the other matter. The favour Tony asked of you."
"He… Right. So…" Carol focused on what was around her once more. She brought her hands to her temples and slowly reopened her eyes, focusing them on the only male blonde in the room. "You're… Militia, right?" Naruto felt good about finally regaining a part in the talking that was done daily in the world.
"Yes. Miss Frost said that my presence was needed, so I guess that this third matter regards me?" Emma crossed her arms some more.
"Long story short, Tony would like to examine you. To find out exactly what you are and from which planet and/or dimension you came from." Naruto blinked. He already knew about the second part, but the first one? That was new.
"What do you mean 'what I am'? I thought I was some kind of mutant."
"Actually… Tony said your DNA is half the mutant one… And the other half is unknown." Naruto blinked. That was unexpected.
"Alright. So, you don't know what I am exactly and where I come from. And while I can't be but grateful for the work since it means that sooner or later I will get back home, I wonder exactly why some big brain has gotten some interest into it." He scratched his chin while squinting his eyes to think.
"Well, first, because of the Superhuman Registration Act." Replied Emma. "We may not support it and we will not help Tony Stark, but we all are already registered, basically, but you are another matter." Naruto turned to face Emma. "Since you're not exactly a mutant, you don't have official ties with the X-Men. We've already had aliens joining our team. You can do what you want, but I'd suggest to register, since you're staying with us. To avoid being hunted down." Naruto sweatdropped. That didn't sound good at all. And he didn't see it as a problem, for him. After all, it wasn't like he had enemies that could exploit his not really secret identity, in this world. He shrugged. Emma continued. "Also… Because we have an interest in your world as well, since, in theory, it could be brimming with mutants."
"Mhhh…" Naruto scratched the top of his head. He was okay with 'registering', but for the exams, there… "Two questions. Will it involve lots of pain? And how long will it take?"
"I assure you that Tony and probably Mr. Fantastic too will do anything to make it as painless as possible. I doubt it will be painful at all. For the time… It will probably take a few days." Carol replied. Naruto thought about it for a while and then nodded.
"Alright, I'll do it. But, can we wait for a few more days?" At that, everyone in the room blinked. Naruto uncrossed his arms and started to explain. "I mean, right now, the school is a mess. I would like to be around at least till things get back to normal. And there's the fact that there's something we don't know about our attackers. So… Is that possible?"
"Well… Of course. I don't think Tony will have anything against it." Then Carol smiled and turned to Scott. "Even if he's not a mutant, he certainly does act like an X-Man." Scott smiled at that. The boy had made a good impression.
"Ah. By the way, is it a rule? I mean, what's with blonde superheroes and sexy costumes?" That made everyone turn in his direction. Naruto blushed. "Ehm… Santo made me ask." Emma palmed her face. She should have seen that coming…
"Ehm… Come on, Carol. I'll walk you out."
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After receiving a mental lecture about how those costumes are used to distract in 'that way' minor enemies and give better movement, Naruto joined the rest of his now moping team in Noriko's room. He smiled at them and raised his head. Julian raised his head.
"So? What did they want?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders.
"Nothing much. Seems like, since I'm a other-dimensional alien or something like that, that they can't tell how much of a mutant is in me. I'll need to go and get some exams when this whole thing blows over. To find out exactly what I am and where I come from." He sat on the bed beside Santo. A little short on space, but it didn't matter. "So… What were we talking about?"
"… Jay." Said Sooraya, her voice low. Noriko decided to do the talking.
"Jay used his last moments of life to leave us a message… Written in his own blood. Sadly, it was incomplete." She said. Cessily groaned, shaking her head in frustration.
"Nimr? What does that even mean?" She said.
"Sooraya said that Jay thought that he'd made a terrible mistake. If Stryker somehow tricked him, or brainwashed him, or something…"
"There's something else. Something we're missing." David decided to take the matters in his hands. After he was named 'Prodigy' for a reason. "Laura, you said something had left an energy trail?"
"Yes." Replied the girl immediately. She had been the one eavesdropping on Ms Marvel, after all. "It dragged itself across the floor inside, but flew outside. It headed southwest, then disappeared."
"I bet that chick from Medium could figure this out." Naruto palmed his face, while Cess resumed her role of Santo's own Jiminy Cricket.
"Shut up, Santo."
"What? We need someone like her or that old chick from 'Murder, she wrote'. I mean, what the hell is a Nimmer?"
While his friends bickered, David instead focused. He was trying to put together everything he had. The incomplete word 'Nimr-'. The attack on the school that was so perfectly prepared that it seemed almost unreal. Like Stryker had suddenly got precognition powers… … Wait a minute. David started thinking about the recent speeches he had heard coming out of Stryker's mouth. He had used often words inherent to precognition… Foresight, vision, destiny… Like he already knew what would happen in the future… Future… Future, destiny… Nimr… His eyes widened. Stryker was carrying some kind of robotic arm around… Oh my god… He blanked. "Nimrod."
At that, everyone in the room apart from Laura and Naruto had the same reaction as David. They immediately connected the bits. Even Santo. Naruto still didn't understand.
"Nimrod? Who is Nimrod?" He really didn't want to know.
"… It's…"
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It seems that civil wars were the current fashion in the universe… Well, not really. The Shi'ar empire has had a Civil War going on ever since… Ever? At least according to what the X-Men know. They're the ones who have had the most contact with the great empire from outer space. But the ones who know it mostly is probably the Summers family. Corsair, alas Major Christopher Summers, had come to become the leader of the Starjammers, rebels supporting princess Lilandra, after being kidnapped by the current ruler and being forced to see the murder of his wife and his unborn son… Or so he thought.
His unborn son, Vulcan, Gabriel Summers, was 'saved' and his growth was artificially increased by the Shi'Ar, to serve as a slave. He eventually came back to earth to serve as a slave for Erik the Red, where he was freed from his slavery and became a student of professor Moira McTaggert. His dream was to become an X-Man. But his first mission, saving the senior X-Men from their deaths on the island of Krakoa, ended in tragedy. His friends Petra and Sway died, and he and his remaining team-mate Darwin were left floating in earth's orbit along with the whole island… Till M-Day awakened him again, and at the same time made him an Omega-Level mutant.
He proceeded to get his revenge on the professor, killing the X-Man Banshee in the process. And then, to the Shi'Ar empire. The professor followed him along with some of his X-Men, and after a long series of battles, Vulcan managed to crown himself emperor of the Shi'Ar by marrying Deathbird and then killing then current emperor D'Ken. But his vengeance didn't stop there. He tried to kill Darwin and the professor, and killed his own father. Seeing it as an hopeless battle and believe her beloved's place to not be there with them, Lilandra took control of the X-Bug, the mutant team's spaceship, and hacked into its control system, sending most of the mutants and the alien Hepzibah back towards planet earth. They were now entering its atmosphere… Where 'entering' is to be translated as 'crashing'.
"What the hell is going on?! What's wrong?!" Warpath hated when he felt the ground under his feet going unstable. Guess having the spaceship you're riding on tremble like beans in a rudimental maraca.
"Damned bird empress set ship to jump into atmosphere! We going down!" Hepzibah had never learned to talk English perfectly, but that much was enough for them to understand that they were in a lot of trouble. In a few seconds, the ship crashed to the ground and most of it burst into flames. Fortunately, lady luck had blessed them with a teleporter son of a devil (demon?). After crashing down, Nightcrawler immediately teleported out himself, Hepzibah and Warpath. He then went back and teleported out again with the professor Xavier and Darwin. All in less than thirty seconds.
"We need to get away from here, now… Move." He didn't have much breath left. Teleporting fatigued him.
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They didn't get far away. Enough to not receive any serious harm from the explosion of the space-ship. After a while, they stopped to rest on the top of a nearby hill, observing the wreckage of the spaceship. Hepzibah observed it more intensely than the others.
"That was my way home… I'm stuck on your world." She said. Warpath caught the grief in her voice.
"They'll come for you. The Starjammers will." But he didn't get the right reason of her grief.
"What is point…? There is nothing for me back there…" She raised her head to the sky, passing a clawed hand through the long mane of white hair. "Not now."
"Professor? Are you unharmed?" Nightcrawler's concern was legitimate. Among them, the professor was the only normal human. He was the one who had had the most chances of being injured.
"I'm better than I've been in a long time… At least physically." The professor Replied. Nightcrawler didn't understand fully the meaning of the professor's words, so Darwin 'translated' for him.
"He's got his mutation back. The M'Krann crystal fixed him." He simply said. But that was enough to surprise the hell out of the tailed mutant.
"What?!"
It's true, Kurt… Xavier confirmed the matter by talking to Kurt with telepathy. But his face then became afflict. But if the images in your mind are true, as well then I wish it hadn't. So let us pray we can make contact with Alex and the others…
It was official. Professor X was back.
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"Never."
"Illogical. The maker will comply." If something that had been built for the genocide of your very own race appeared in front of you, asking you to repair him so that he could continue doing his job, what would you do?
"Go ahead. Kill me." The Mutant known as Forge was adamant. He would not help Nimrod. At the cost of his own life. "But I'll never help you."
"Termination of the maker is illogical. The maker will comply." He repeated. Forge just gritted his teeth.
"You exist only to kill my people. There's nothing you can do that will make me 'aid' you, sentinel."
"Response inaccurate." Nimrod slowly moved back the arm he was using to aim at Forge, reabsorbing the energy he was covering it with. "Declaration; this unit has sufficient energy for one teleportation event and one termination before total system failure."
"…" A robot being enigmatic. That was a first. But he wasn't the most advanced sentinel ever created in every timeline for nothing. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"The maker does not understand. Solution; this unit will clarify." Suddenly, Nimrod started projecting images. A shape. Forge recognized it immediately.
"Africa…"
"6° 27' N. 3° 24' E." Coordinates.
"I don't understand, what are you…" Then, his heart almost stopped. Another hologram. He knew the place. Wakanda…
"Declaration; the maker will comply with aiding this unit, as before." Another hologram. This time… A human shape. "Weapons and teleportation systems ready. Target locked…" No… A mutant shape. "Name; Ororo Munroe. X-Man. Designation: Storm."
"No…"
"Comply, or she will be terminated."
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"Reports, reports, reports… I wish paperwork was alive so I could kill it, then revive it then kill it again in a more painful way."
"Oh, the drama… If it could be done, it would make…" Mojo stopped and put a single finger to his lips. He then pushed a button. "Dudes, stop whatever you're doing and get working on how to make paperwork alive." Spiral smirked while handing Mojo in detail what she had discovered inside the kid's mind.
"If I didn't hate you I'd love you right now, fat-ass."
"That would ruin my share, girl." Spiral raised an eyebrow. Mojo did too. "What? You thought I didn't make my own life one of my shows." She raised her arms up in frustration.
"Just… Nevermind." She put her arms in various positions on her body. "So? Is this what your employee was searching for?"
"Employee… Eh. Not exactly, you know?" Mojo eyed the thing containing Spiral's rudimental scribbling while grinning like a mad man. "With all the share he brings me periodically, I'd say he's my prized collaborator." Spiral 'Hmm'ed. That was a first. If there was a thing she knew about Mojo was that he believed himself to be above gods, NBC and CNN all at the same time. Which he wasn't. "And yes. This is exactly what he needed. Or better, who he needed." He pushed another button. "Dudes, stop the paperwork thing! Start working on the next season of the red blockbuster."
Continue…
In the next chapter…
Things are setting themselves for big events. The first will be the first independent action of the New X-Men. Ignoring their warning, their teachers have left them alone to face one of the big guns among their enemies. The first one Naruto will meet. The super-sentinel, Nimrod. Stay tuned.