Chapter 11: The Acolytes!
Mystique stood outside the door to Pietro Maximoff's house, standing on either side of her were James Madrox and Guido Carosella. Mystique wearing her white body suit and long skirt slit to the waist on each side a skull belt hung around her waist and knee high boots. She was in her human form with black hair tied into a ponytail. She rang the bell and waited patiently, she didn't have to wait long as a man with silver hair gelled up so that it was standing on end opened the door. "Can I help you?" the man asked testily.
"Yes you may." Mystique pushed past the silver haired man into the house followed by Madrox and Guido. "Pietro Maximoff, I believe." Mystique held out a hand, which the silver haired man took nervously. "This is James Madrox better known as Multiple Man and this is Guido Carosella also called Strong guy." Mystique said looking to James then to Guido.
"Strong Guy? You're the mutant that broke out of the MRD cells." the silver-haired man asked.
"That's correct." Mystique said.
"Who are you?" Pietro asked.
"I am Mystique." Mystique shifted into her blue form, her blue scales suddenly appearing and overlapping her skin, the shift ended with her eyes turning from brown to yellow completely. "I used to work with your father."
"My father?"
"Erik Lensherr, known as Magneto to the government and responsible for the huge fight at Alcatraz a couple months ago. I was his right hand gal, before he cast me off. They same way he did to you and your sister I believe."
Pietro bristled, "What do you want?" he asked.
"I want to strike a bargain with you. You and I owe your father vengeance, he gave you and your sister up to pursue his sinister ideas. Now we will pay him back for spiting us."
"What do you want?" Pietro repeated.
"I want you and your sister to join my team."
"What makes you think I'll join you just like that?"
"Because I know how many wasted years you spent trying to please your father, following his orders and always responding to his beck and call. When he left you and your sister to your own devices cutting you off from his life, I know you swore an oath to get him back. Well I can tell you that I know where Magneto is and I know how we can get back at him. What do you say to that?"
Pietro looked at Mystique intently taking in the aura about her and then replied, "I say sign me up."
Mystique smiled, "Welcome to the Acolytes."
After landing the XM Velocity a long way off, Kurt and Logan had to make their way through the woods and back onto the streets. After a half hour of trekking, Nightcrawler and Wolverine entered onto the street that the co-ordinates had led them to. "We're here." Nightcrawler stated. Logan sniffed the air and a familiar scent crept up his nose. "Mystique." After extending his claws Logan stalked down the street followed closely by Nightcrawler.
Mystique, sitting on the couch inside Pietro's living room, asked. "We need to find your sister and ask her to join us. Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah," Pietro stood erect he shouted, "Wanda!" in moments a slender figure descended down the staircase and through the open door way into the living room she had long auburn hair.
"I heard what you were talking about, and I want to join." she said.
"I am extremely pleased to have you two part of my Acolytes, but you need to accept me as your leader and to accept these two as your partners." Mystique nodded to Madrox and Carosella.
"We accept your terms." Wanda replied.
"Good, now I need to know what you can do. The documents that I read about you didn't outline exactly what you're mutant powers were." Pietro nodded and then ran up the stairs and down them in seconds. "The last time I met somebody with the same powers as you they tried to take my place. I hope you won't be similarly inclined." Mystique turned to Wanda. "What can you do?"
"My power has endless results. I warp reality." Mystique sat up interested in what she heard. "Demonstrate."
Wanda focused on the armchair Mystique sat on and raised an arm a red bolt strikes it and the chair suddenly lurched upwards carrying Mystique with it. "And I can do more."
Once the chair was safely on the floor Mystique stood and faced her team. "Now we are a team, we strike against Magneto." After saying this the door was broken open and Wolverine and Nightcrawler stood in the doorway.
"Looks like we've crashed in on a party, and we weren't invited." Wolverine turned to Nightcrawler, "How 'bout that?"
"Wolverine," Mystique shouted. "Acolytes, they are enemies stop them." The Acolytes stood ready and strong, "It's five against two, X-Men." Madrox said.
"Doesn't seem fair does it?" Wolverine lunged at Madrox, taking him out, with a hard fist to the side of his head.
Nightcrawler bamfed behind Mystique attacking with his legs, he teleported again in front of her kicking at her again, this time driving it into her stomach.
Pietro zoomed into Nightcrawler pulling him away from Mystique then started a bout of lightning fast attacks. Wolverine, engaged in a fight with Guido, was slammed into the wall. He was then propelled through the window by a hex bolt from Wanda. Outside Wolverine did something he had never done before he called for help. "Storm, we're outnumbered. We need help. I can take it but Kurt won't last long."
"Right, Emma and I are on our way." she replied.
Inside their Sanctuary Sebastian and the rest of the Inner Circle stood before an alter like table where the host of the Phoenix Force lay unconscious. The five cuckoos stood to one side behind Sebastian waiting to be called.
"How long will she stay like this?" Shaw asked
"The cuckoos are keeping her that way," Selene replied, "but they tell me she's struggling against their blocks we'll need Emma to keep her like that, if not she could break free at any moment with the Phoenix Force still within her."
"Then get the cuckoos to get a message to Emma telling her to return," Shaw ordered, "She is no longer needed with the X-Men."
Storm, wearing her black leather suit and silver cape, and Emma wearing a tight white cat suit sat in a helicopter in the air on their way to the aid of Wolverine and Nightcrawler. "Okay we're fast approaching our target." Storm turned on her communicator, "Logan we've arrived hold them off for a few more minutes."
Nightcrawler crawled up in a corner as the sinister silver haired speedster, ironically, slowly advanced on him. "Aren't you an ugly wreck." he taunted. Kurt struggling to move groaned in pain. "I hate fighting." he cursed. The silver haired mutant continued his advance.
Wolverine badly bruised and rapidly healing attacked Guido as he lunged his claws extended, the brown haired witch through another bolt of red energy the carpet seemed to gain life of it's own and tore away from the floor and wrapped around Logan who slashed in vain. Where are you Storm? He thought. As if on cue a bolt of lightning tore through the roof and into the living room a large hole opened and down came the white haired mutant leader of the X-Men. Emma Frost entered into the fray from the doorway stepping over the broken door.
Storm spotted a silver haired mutant attacking Nightcrawler with lightning fast attacks. Without a moment to spare she summoned the winds a mini tornado spun around the silver haired mutant he screamed when his feet no longer touched the floor. With a gesture of her hands Storm escorted the mutant out the way she came in. The spiralling, strong winds threw him out through the hole in the roof, the sound of his screams getting lower and lower.
Emma ran to where Nightcrawler lay half unconscious mumbling incoherently. "It's okay she said," she said, "Go to sleep." Emma watched as Kurt closed his eyes his mumbling stopped and his pain forgotten for the moment. She watched as Storm and Logan made their way towards them. "We need to go." Storm said, "Logan tells me that there's a mutant that has a lot of power we can't stick around." Emma turned to see that the attention of the other mutants were on helping Mystique and the other fallen mutants up. "Yes you better run," Mystique said, "I'm back and me and my Acolytes will be taking over. You hear that weather witch you and Magneto better watch out."
"Mystique if you think you can take my entire team of X-Men down with this circus group you call a team then you better think again." Storm snapped. Her eyes turning white.
"Kill them!" Mystique ordered, "I want their heads on a stick!" As Guido, Wanda and Madrox advanced white thick fog engulfed the room, nobody could see anything, nobody except Storm. Her anger getting the better of her she threw a bolt of lightning hitting Mystique square in the chest. "Gather a better team and defeat my X-Men in a fair fight then you'll have a foot to stand on." she said before helping Logan and Emma carry Kurt out.
They had been fighting for close to an hour and yet the Brotherhood weren't backing down this was the first fight they had with them that was lasting so long. Hank knew they were waiting for something and he intended to find out.
Shadowcat phased yet again as the woman with swords for hands lunged at her. When would she give up? she thought the mutant ran at her again and Shadowcat phased into the ground. She came out again behind the mutant that was still staring at the ground kicked her neck, Shadowcat watched as she fell to the ground. What a waste of time? She scoured the makeshift battleground looking for another enemy. She spied a good looking man in a brown leather jacket brandishing a metal staff which he wielded with deadly efficiency. She watched the mutant swing and stab at Beast who ran up against him. He dodged most of his attacks but he failed to spot a glowing card that was throw at him. The card exploded and Beast was hurtled through the air.
She ran at the mutant with seemingly inhuman speed her screaming drawing the attention of the mutant. He turns and Kitty sees his eyes for the first time. That alone is able to stop her dead in her tracks. His eyes were a devilish red on black. Kitty quickly got over her irrational fear and ran towards Beast. The mutant swung his staff at her and was shocked when he watched it pass through her.
Gambit watched the mysterious mutant unaffected by his staff swing. He grabbed a card ready to charge it with kinetic energy when the voice came in his head.
"End the fight and return the second stage is about to begin." the voice belonged to Mastermind. Gambit returned the card and ran off leaving the girl to tend her fallen companion.
All but one member of the brotherhood ran for the plane. Pyro on the other hand continued his fight against the Ice Man. He created fire raptors which flew at Bobby from different directions. Fully encased in Ice, Bobby deflects the raptors and throws giant ice daggers at the pyromaniac.
"We need to go!" Boom Boom shouted at him, "Pyro we've got to move."
"No," he shouts back creating a stream of fire at Bobby, "I'm staying. Little Bobby here has a lesson to learn."
"Pyro," Avalanche, screamed, "Get in the plane or we leave you." Pyro understood the double meaning, if they left he was out, which meant no chance to lead Magneto's army he had to give up. "Next time, IceMan." Pyro ran for the Plane leaving a wall of fire in his wake.
"This makes no sense!" Hank said to the team. "This fight was completely unprovoked and ended quite hastily. I do not understand what's going on, what is the Brotherhood up to." He got no reply. Storm would not be happy.