Chapter 12

The Summit

Scotia was in her room, alone. There were a lot of things going through her mind. She was sad, angry, but most of all, scared. Thoughts were racing through her head, thoughts about John, about Toad, about Loga.

"She screws everything up! What the hell is wrong with her?"

She wanted to go outside, to run to forget her worries, but it was raining that day.

"She was the one who trusted Toad! Xavia too. What the hell was wrong with them? She's Sisterhood, for life! We should have locked her up. We should have…"

There was a knock at her door.

"Scotia?"

It was Loga. Scotia thought about turning her away, but decided not to.

"Come in."

Loga walked into Scotia's room. Her eyes were red, like she'd been crying.

"I'm off the team. I quit," Loga said.

For a moment, Scotia forgot her anger.

"What? We need you, Loga. You're such a strong fighter! You…"

Scotia ran in to hug her. Loga met her with open arms.

"I screwed up. I always screw up. I think you'll be a better team without me."

"Don't say that!" Scotia cried.

Loga shook her head.

"No. I'm done. I've made up my mind. I'm no longer an X-Woman."

She broke from Scotia's embrace.

"I just wanted to say 'goodbye'. That's all."

She started to leave. Scotia ran after her.

"Wait! Loga!"

She turned around.

"Promise me you'll come back someday. Please? I love you, Loga. You're like a sister to me," Scotia said.

A tear feel from Loga's eyes.

"I'm going to miss you, Scotia. You're like a sister to me too."

She sobbed as she turned around.

"Maybe I will come back someday."

She left the dormitory hall. Scotia tried to keep herself together.

"I'll never forget you, Loga."

-XW-

Scotia was with Mr. Munroe and Katie, on the Blackbird. Xavia had already briefed them on their mission. They were to fly over to Asteroid M, which was hovering over New York City, and repel enemy forces. Xavia requested to bring John back as well, for possible psionic analysis. To Scotia, what really mattered was one thing.

"The Sisterhood has John."

She flew flew The Blackbird toward New York, above the clouds. That was when she saw it, Asteroid M. It cast a shadow on the clouds. Its face was rigid. Mr. Munroe spoke up.

"Scotia, it looks like there's no good place to land," he said.

She nodded.

"I'm going to jump out of the jet to help you. Maybe we can…"

A loud, moaning sound we heard, the sound of bending metal. Mr. Munroe started to hyperventilate. The walls were closing in. IT was his worst fear. Scotia tried not to get nervous.

"Okay. Let's go to Plan B," Scotia said.

She turned to Katie.

"We're going to abandon The Blackbird. Katie, I'll need you to teleport us out."

Katie was shocked.

"But I'll be teleporting blind!"

"If we stay here, we'll die. It's better than nothing," Scotia said.

Katie looked out The Blackbird's cockpit window. There was a platform on top of Asteroid M. She could see a door, complete with an airlock for in case Magneta chose to go into space.

"Okay, I can work with that," Katie said.

She took Scotia by the hand. Mr. Munroe was on the floor, gasping for air.

"Come on and get up, drama queen," Katie said.

He stayed there. Mr. Munroe's claustrophobia was getting the better of him. Katie bend over and took his hand.

BAMF!

Scotia, Katie, and Mr. Munroe arrived on the observation platform on Asteroid M. The air was thin. The winds were heavy. It was making its ascent into Earth's orbit. Scotia turned to The Blackbird, which was still in the sky, held by Magneta's power. It was bent, with large portions of it ripped apart. Katie covered Mr. Munroe's eyes.

"Thank you, Katie," he said.

The fuel tanks in the jet exploded. Smoke, flames, and shrapnel burst through the air. The remaining debris fell to the ground. The Blackbird was destroyed. Scotia turned to Katie and Mr. Munroe.

"Okay, here's my plan. See that door?"

She pointed to the door with the airlock.

"I'm going to cut through it with my optic beam. Storm, I need you to get my back. There could be a Sisterhood member on the other side."

Mr. Munroe nodded. Lightning surged through his hands.

"If anyone gets too close, I'll have them feel the thunder."

Scotia closed her eyes. She took off her glasses and opened them. A beam of pure energy burst from her eyes. She tried to be careful, tilting her neck just right so that she only cut through the door. She heard someone on the other side.

"X-Women! I knew you'd be here!"

Scotia instantly recognized that voice. It was Victoria Creed, Sabertooth. She broke down the door and walked right into Scotia's optic beam. Pieces of her clothes and skin melted away. She regenerated instantly.

"Where's Loga?" Victoria said.

She grabbed Scotia by the neck. She closed her eyes and braced herself.

"Where is she? I she'd be with you!"

Mr. Munroe blasted Victoria with lightning. She fell back from the force and dropped Scotia.

"She's not here, just us," he said.

Victoria stood up. Scotia put her glasses back on. She turned to Katie.

"I need you to keep her busy, Katie," Scotia said.

Katie was startled at first. She was an excellent fighter, but not on the same level as Sabertooth. She drew her sword.

"I'll try."

Scotia and Mr. Munroe ran ahead, into Asteroid M. Katie turned to Victoria.

"Oh, please. You're just a hairy little elf with a sword," Victoria taunted.

She lunged toward Katie with her claws out.

"Give me a real fight! I want Loga!" Victoria howled.

She slashed through the air with inhuman speed. Katie tried to parry Victoria's claws, but was too slow. She felt Victoria's claws rake across her skin.

"Come at me, blue bitch! I'm ready!" Victoria taunted.

Katie swung her sword. Victoria didn't even try to dodge the attack. Cold steel sliced through her skin. Katie tried to pull her sword out, but it was stuck. Victoria's skin regenerated around the blade.

"You… How? What?"

Katie had never fought Victoria before. Loga was always there to fight her. Katie knew that Victoria had a healing factor, but had no idea it was as strong as it was.

"Nice try, blue bitch."

She slashed her claws at Katie. She teleported behind her. Victoria wasn't ready for it. Katie grabbed her sword and kicked Victoria. The evil mutant fell to the floor. Katie's sword was free and in her hands.

"Call me 'blue bitch' again. I dare you," Katie said.

Victoria stood up. She smirked.

"I'm not afraid of you, blue…"

Katie clutched her sword. She was angry.

"…bitch."

Katie screamed. She slashed into Victoria's body, but it didn't hurt her. She regenerated herself faster than Katie could attack. Once Katie was tired out, Victoria slashed her, right across the face.

"You're pathetic. I want a real fight!" Victoria growled.

Katie stood up and tried to think. She couldn't defeat Victoria with her sword.

"How am I going to do this? You don't have a team leader to strategize, Katie. You have to do it yourself this time."

Victoria slashed at her again. Katie was quick enough to teleport out of the way this time.

"What do I have? What can I use to my advantage?"

There was nothing, only a platform on top of an asteroid, floating several thousand feet above New York.

"That's it!" Katie thought.

She dropped her sword and ran straight toward Victoria.

"Come at me, blue bitch."

Katie grabbed onto Victoria and teleported. They both reappeared in the sky, freefalling back to Earth. Katie knew that Victoria would survive. After all, she'd been reduced down to an adamantium skeleton before and lived. A drop like that would hurt, but wouldn't be fatal to her.

"Goodbye," Katie waved as she watched Victoria fall.

Katie teleported back onto the platform. She sat down and rested, hoping to take care of her wounds from fighting Victoria.

-XW-

Scotia and Mr. Munroe ran through the halls of Asteroid M. They reached a locked room, guarded by Toad. She held up her fists to try to intimidate Scotia and Mr. Munroe.

"Oy! How did you two X-Women get here? I'll have you know…"

A strong wind knocked Toad out of the way. Scotia blew the door open with her optic beam. They'd reached the central chamber in Asteroid M. It was a large, mostly empty room with Magneta and Phoenix inside.

"X-Women… You're too late. The Asteroid will fall, the impact will kill millions. They will fear mutants and…"

Scotia butted in.

"Shut up."

She shot an optic blast at Magneta. She flew out of the way effortlessly. Magneta turned to Phoenix.

"Kill them."

Phoenix turned to Scotia, his body moving like he wasn't controlling any of it. His face was completely blank, like he wasn't feeling anything.

"Y-You shall know Magneta's m-might," Phoenix stammered.

He raised his palm. A stream of fire shot forth from his hand. Mr. Munroe, thinking fast, summoned a stream of water from his hand.

"I'll hold him off, Scotia. Take care of Magneta."

Scotia nodded. She turned to Magneta. There was a wild grin on her face. She was foaming at the mouth with anticipation.

"Fear me, Cyclops! Despair at my might!"

Magneta took a chunk of metal off from the asteroid's walls and flung it at Scotia. She darted out of the way, until Magneta picked it up again.

"Run away! You cannot escape!" Magneta crowed.

Scotia knew that she couldn't outrun Magneta's powers forever. She had to do something, something that would hurt, but would put Magneta in her place. She closed her eyes and took off her glasses.

"Xavia… Forgive me."

She turned to Magneta and opened her eyes. A burning hot stream of pure energy enveloped Magneta. She dropped the metal chunk. She screamed in pain. She fell to her knees. Scotia had to close her eyes and put her glasses back on. She didn't want to kill her, but it was her only choice. Scotia ran to Magneta's side.

"I'm not here to kill you," Scotia said.

Magneta growled.

"I'm not willing to spill a fellow mutant's blood either," she said.

Scotia helped Magneta up.

"However, I wish not to forfeit my plans. New York will be annihilated and…"

Scotia jabbed Magneta, right in the gut. She recoiled in pain. Scotia followed it up with a knee to Magneta's head. She finished it off with an uppercut. Magneta fell to the ground, unconscious and with a bloody nose.

"That should teach the windbag a lesson."

Scotia turned to Mr. Munroe and Phoenix. Phoenix was limp, his body unmoving, now that Magneta was knocked out. He had no will, nothing to do now that no one was telling him to do anything.

"Storm, I need you to evacuate this place. I know there's Katie, Magneta, and a couple others. Let me Handle John," Scotia said.

"Are you sure you can handle it? Once that helmet comes off, he's going to be pissed," Mr. Munroe said.

"I know, but…"

She clutched her fist tight.

"…I'm going to get him back to the old John we know. If I can't, then we die, together."

Mr. Munroe wasn't expecting this.

"Scotia, no. I won't let you do that. You're too much of a valuable member of The X-Women. You're…"

"I'm the leader. Go evacuate everyone. That's an order," Scotia said.

Mr. Munroe nodded. He started to leave, but turned around.

"Scotia?" he said.

She was silent.

"Don't be a hero, okay? Come back alive."

"I'll try," Scotia said.

Mr. Munroe left with Magneta. There was only Scotia and Phoenix left.

"John? Are you in there? It's me, Scotia."

She pulled the mind control helmet off of Phoenix. He growled.

"That infernal thing! It is not fit for a god!"

He tore the rest of the armor off of him, no longer resembling a metal monster. He screamed a loud, primal scream, a sound that was as unearthly as it was loud. He turned to Scotia.

"Bow down before me. I am Phoenix! I am no slave! Worship me!"

Scotia walked up to him. She was scared, nervous of what Phoenix could do to her. He smacked her across the face.

"You will burn for your insolence!"

Fire surged through his hands. Scotia stood back up.

"John, this isn't you. Come out. Please."

Phoenix scowled.

"John is gone. His conscious is but a memory. Only I remain."

"That's not true. I know you're in there, John. Come out, please."

Phoenix's face contorted. He smacked Scotia again, this time leaving a small burn mark on her face.

"I am going to kill you. You will be the reason why people fear and worship me," Phoenix growled.

He lifted up Scotia with his telekinesis. She was powerless to stop him. She couldn't even move.

"Don't do this, John. We need you," Scotia said.

"Stop calling me John!"

Phoenix squeezed Scotia with his telekinesis. She could feel her body being crushed by the telekinetic force.

"John…"

She felt nervous saying this, but it was now or never. Scotia spoke, from the bottom of her heart.

"…I love you."

She'd been holding it in for years, how she cared for him, how she thought about him, how she always dreamed of being with him.

"Whenever you're around…"

She gasped in pain. Phoenix squeezed her harder.

"…my heart races. I don't know how to act. It's like I'm covered in… Ah!"

Scotia's legs were numb from the pain. Her muscles were sore from the pressure.

"…it's like I'm covered in spaghetti, and I'm dripping it everywhere? You know, John? I love you. I need you."

"I need you…"

John let go of Scotia. He ran up to her with tears in his eyes. She embraced him.

"I love you, John. I always loved you," Scotia said.

"I… I love you too, Scotia."

-XW-

Storm successfully took everyone in Asteroid M to safety. The asteroid itself was destroyed once evacuated, thanks to a quick call to S.H.I.E.L.D. by Xavia.

The world was saved, thanks to the work of The X-Women.